Echo: Ok, here's the second part of the Mario-Bowser-Peach role exchange! The last story had them literally switch roles, whereas this one will have them maintain their known roles.

Variation 2 (Roles Remain)

Nervously, Mario and Luigi stepped up to Peach's Castle as dark clouds loomed over it. They glanced at one another nervously before walking inside. Just as the large red doors were about to close, a clawed hand thrust between the gap and held the doors open.

"Bowser!"

The Koopa King surged through the doors, following the brothers inside of the castle. He scowled down at the two, who hung their heads in response.

"Years. It took you two years to finally understand—"

"Peach still isn't evil, Bowser." Mario lifted his head. "The royal decrees were in place before her time. She's a good princess."

"Oh, and I'm still the big, bad Bowser?" He growled at Mario, who folded his arms. "Face it, plumber; your goody two-shoes princess isn't as sweet as you were lead to believe."

"All right, if you two are done tempering your old rivalry, can we please get on with this?" Luigi lifted his head and lowered his eyes at the other two, who turned to him and nodded. "Good. Let's go."

Together, the trio marched forward and made their way to Peach's throne room. All the while, they were unnerved by the severe lack of Toads in the halls, only noticing a pair whispering quietly to one another before noticing the three and disappearing down another corridor.

Finally reaching the throne room, the brothers and the king exchanged expressions before making their way inside. Oddly, the golden room was unusually dark, left unlit for the most part. The three walked forward, making their way to the only visible light: a small one behind Peach's throne, with the princess herself atop it.

She watched as they approached her, severely stoic in spite of being outnumbered. Stopping a little before her throne, Mario and Luigi looked at one another again while Bowser snorted. Slowly, Peach stood up.

"One might consider it treason for her friends to bring forward her greatest enemy with no hints of restraining him." Peach folded her arms as she eyed Bowser, who grinned wickedly at her.

"Princess, we need to talk." Mario stepped forward. "It's…about the laws of your kingdom."

"You think you found something that I'm not aware of?"

"Peach, you can't be aware of it." Luigi shuddered as the princess lowered her eyes at him.

"He's right, Peach." Mario shook his head. "There are laws that were established before your rule that banned all sorts of races within the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Do you truly believe whatever lies Bowser has told you?" Peach scoffed. "Mario, I would expect better from you."

"See? She's trying to twist it around to her favor!" Bowser stomped his foot. "You're more of a liar than I ever dreamt of being!"

"Bowser, calm down." Mario gently touched the Koopa King's arm, getting the latter to release a breath and relax a little. The plumber nodded and turned back to Peach. "We've found and reviewed some documents from deep within the Mushroom Kingdom's archives. Peach…the rulers before you put into place discriminatory laws that made it impossible for a lot of species to live comfortably within the kingdom, and outright impossible to live anywhere near the castle, with death sentences for any one of them to be carried out should they do so."

Luigi pulled out a few papers and held them up. "These are copies of them. Some state that Koopas will never be allowed to establish a home within the Toad Town borders, another has execution orders for any Goombas that step beyond the castle walls, Lakitus are outright not allowed to walk on the ground, which is why they ride clouds these days…it's crazy. And they have official Mushroom Kingdom seals on them and everything."

"I see." Peach spun away from the three and stared across the dim throne room, staring towards a window of the darkened sky. "And…why do you come to me with this information?"

"Only a recognized member of the royal line can overturn these laws," explained Mario. "Bowser's technically not recognized as a royal ruler, so he can't. Although, he took in the other races and made a safe haven for them." Mario glanced back at Bowser, who flashed him a smirk. "Anyway, we were hoping you could…change these regulations against the others, and remake the kingdom a safe place for everyone to live."

"It's only fair," added Bowser, and he chuckled.

Quickly, Peach pivoted back toward them. "After all of the trouble that those menaces caused my kingdom…you expect me to allow them to live peacefully here?"

"Please, Peach." Mario shook his head. "We've spoken with them and most agree that they wouldn't have caused you any harm had they been able to live here peacefully."

"How could trust them so easily?"

"Oho, they didn't." Bowser scoffed. "First, they listened to you, for years, thinking that I was just an evil and nasty ruler. It took until recently for me to kidnap the Mario brothers and actually expose them to the truth. Even still, it took them until we discovered those documents for the two to finally listen to reason and understand my side of the story." He grinned as Peach settled her scowl on him. "So thanks, for keeping records that dated back decades of your rulers trying to domineer my people."

"You're welcome." She brushed back her hair and rolled a bit around her finger. "Will that be all, Mario?"

"N-No. Peach, you need to rewrite these decrees—"

"Need to? Oh, no, not at all, dear Mario." Peach clasped her hands together. "My kingdom will never have vicious and wild scum litter it so long as I draw breath, and they certainly won't be tainted by foolishness that Bowser spouts out."

"It's all fact, Princess!" Bowser snarled. "And if you don't change this stuff, then we'll go public with these documents. Fact it; you're done."

"On the contrary." Peach snapped her fingers and the lights flickered on, revealing numerous Toads lined around the room with ropes and spears at the ready. "I'm far from finished."

"P-Peach, what—?"

Quickly, several Toads lobbed spears at the trio's feet, forcing them to stay in place. Following up before any of them could react, more Toads hurried around the Mario brothers and tied them in tight ropes. Another pack did the same with Bowser as he spewed out a fireball, which missed them.

"Not the ropes, for him!" Peach shouted as the Toads attempted to bind Bowser who ripped free of the ropes. "Chains! I told you chains!"

Bowser roared. "You'll never get away with this one, Peach! Your days are already numbered!"

"Think again, Koopa King," sneered Peach. She clapped her hands as several Toads carried Mario and Luigi further away from Bowser, who struggled to chase after them, cut off by another series of Toads that barraged him. "If you want anyone to believe this nonsense, you'll need Mario and Luigi to help reveal the truth. Unfortunately for you, they'll be staying here, with me."

Mario squirmed against his and Luigi"s bindings, unable to break free. "Why Peach?"

"Because Mario, sometimes, you need to get your hands dirty to continue protecting those that you love." She snapped her fingers as more Toads rushed into the room, with Bowser spewing fire to burn the ones closest to him. "I'll not have my Toads endangered by the likes of vicious scoundrels that Bowser harbors. Stop him by any means necessary!"

"If you thought we were dumb enough to come here alone, think again!"

Letting out a louder and mighty roar, Bowser watched as Koopas and Goombas burst through the windows of Peach's throne room, crashing inside and combating the Toads that remained before them. Both armies fought against one another as Bowser threw off another squad of Toads, glaring at Peach.

"This blood feud ends here and now!" He growled as Peach stepped forward, taking a spear from one of the fallen Toads. "You and your predecessors have oppressed us for long enough! It's time we finally overthrow you once and for all!"

"And here I thought you liked me." Peach flipped her hair and eyed the Mario brothers, who squirmed harder against their bindings. "Perhaps I should end this even sooner—"

"Don't you dare touch them!" Bowser spat a fireball at Peach, who sidestepped it as the fire blasted into her throne, burning it down. "This is between us, as it always should have been!"

"As you wish, Koopa King."

"Bowser! Peach!"

Mario and Luigi watched in horror as Peach readied her spear while Bowser pounded his fists and let smoke billow from his nostrils. The two charged at each other as the carnage around them ensued.