A decade ago, Bowser sat on his throne, drumming his claws on the stone armrest impatiently. It was the only sound in the room, aside from the faintest whir of flames coming from the wall torches. He was deep in thought, planning his next moves, when suddenly, the doors flung open and Kamek strode in, looking quite pleased with himself. Bowser leaned forward in his seat, clenching his hands into eager fists.

"Well?" he said.

"The first wave of troops has been successfully deployed, Your Surliness," Kamek confirmed with a brisk nod.

"Excellent." Bowser reclined back. "Once they begin to turn those pathetic little Toads to stone using my spell, I'll swoop in and force their leader to surrender the Mushroom Kingdom to me!"

"A flawless plan, sire. It will be necessary to remove the princess from the situation as soon as possible, as her white magic could easily reverse the spells and ruin the invasion," Kamek added.

"No sweat, I'm sure she's a pushover just like the rest of her people," Bowser waved a hand dismissively. "Let me know when the army arrives, then prepare my airship."

"Yes, Your Brashness," Kamek bowed and retreated backwards out of the throne room.

Bowser rubbed his hands together with wicked glee. As his first act as new king of the Darklands, a full-scale invasion on the Mushroom Kingdom was a bold move, but it would prove that he was worthy of his title. Nobody would dare mess with him, then. Plus, the additional land wouldn't hurt, either. He briefly wondered what the princess would look like (assuming she was a Toad like the rest of them) so he knew who to target when he led the second wave along with Kamek. It didn't really matter, he'd just nab the first thing he saw in the castle with a crown.

The doors burst open again, and Bowser jumped at the sudden intrusion.

"What?! What is it?" he growled. Surely Kamek wasn't back already, but who else would've dared to disturb him?

A hooded figure approached him slowly, hunched over and taking slow, crooked steps closer.

"Who the shell are you?" Bowser stood, a plume of smoke puffing out of his nostrils. "Guards? Guards!"

"Please, I mean you no harm," a hushed voice said. The hooded figure got on their knees before him. "I come on behalf of the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, to beg for their safety and your mercy, King Koopa."

Bowser narrowed his eyes at the figure suspiciously. "Who are you? Where do you come from? How do you know about my plans?" He took a step towards them, and they flinched back. Good.

"I am merely a humble observer from a distant place, and I speak for the Mushroom Kingdom because it is a land full of good people. Please, do not harm them," they begged.

"Ha!" Bowser barked harshly. "Why should I listen to you? I am the mighty King of the Koopas! Nobody tells me what to do."

The figure lifted their head slowly, and Bowser could barely make out one cerulean eye from beneath the hood. "You and I both know that the only motive you have for this invasion is greed, and a lust for power. Call off this unprovoked attack, King Koopa, show kindness instead of malice."

Bowser scoffed. "What do you know of kindness or malice?"

"I know that you have an abundance of one and a severe lack of the other. I know that you were raised without the influence of your parents, and that you are now a parent yourself to seven koopalings who are not your own. I know that these things were not your choice," the figure declared.

"How..? Who are you–"

"I am merely an observer from far away, King Koopa."

Bowser gritted his teeth, "Or a spy. I order you to get out or–"

"Or what? Please trust me, your majesty, your actions will cause more harm than good," the figure continued. "To prove my intentions are pure, I offer you this enchanted fire flower in return for your promise to call back your troops," the figure said, and pulled the aforementioned fire flower from their sleeve. It glowed unnaturally and Bowser could feel the magic emanating from it. The figure extended the fire flower to him, a humble gesture.

Bowser threw his head back and laughed, and the hollow sound echoed throughout the hall. "What would I do with that? I already breathe fire," he smirked at the figure, then spat a fireball not a foot away from where they knelt.

"Do you accept my offer or not? Will you stop your invasion?" the figure said plainly, apparently unfazed by the smoldering spot on the carpet next to them. The fire flower was still held out for him, a fiery beacon in the dim throne room.

"I'll do you one better. How about I continue my invasion, then find you where you live and conquer it next!" Bowser bared his fangs and made ready to attack the figure and capture them for interrogations.

The doors burst open a third time, and Kamek, flanked by a squadron of koopa guards came flooding in. "Sire, look out! That person is–"

A flash of blinding light cut him off. Bowser shielded his eyes with his arm and growled furiously. As the light abated, Bowser beheld a beautiful woman clad in a flowing aqua dress hovering before him. Her cerulean eyes were hard and cold as starlight, and she wielded a thin silver wand in his direction.

"Attack!" Bowser ordered his troops. Kamek shot a purple fireball from his wand, but it froze a good distance from its intended target. The other koopas all froze likewise as soon as they got too close to the woman.

"King Bowser of the Darklands," she began in a voice that was somehow quiet but booming at the same time, "I am Princess Rosalina of the Cosmos Observatory. I have found your heart to be devoid of all love and compassion."

For the first time since ascending the throne, Bowser felt real fear creep up his spine. In desperation, he spat a fireball at her, but she easily redirected it with her wand and it collided with the wall, scorching it.

"Because you have shown to have no kindness within you, I hereby sentence you and your house to be imprisoned within these castle grounds, so that you will be unable to harm anyone ever again," she held up her wand, and it glowed as she murmured a spell under her breath.

"K-Kamek, stop her!" Bowser pleaded with his advisor.

"I will also make it so that your existence and everyone's within the castle will be forgotten across the eight worlds, and your scheme to invade the Mushroom Kingdom will never come to light!"

"Stop it! Don't you know who I am?" Bowser roared.

"Everyone within these walls will remain here, forgotten, until you, King Bowser Koopa, can learn to truly love another, and earn her true love in return."

"Stay back!" Bowser threatened as she leveled her wand at his heart.

Rosalina thrust her wand at him, sending a stream of silvery-yellow magic directly at his chest. Bowser threw up his arms to block it, but it passed harmlessly inside him. A magical aura rippled outwards with Bowser as its epicenter, and spread so far and fast that no one had time to react.

"What did you do..? What did you do?!" Bowser demanded. Rosalina said nothing, but shot him a pitying glance before waving her wand and sparkling away.

"Your Ragefulness!" Kamek exclaimed. He and the guards all unfroze and hurriedly rushed to their king's side.

"Out of the way!" Bowser shoved them aside and charged out the doors and down the hall. He hurried to the nearest balcony and looked out. The skies swirled with murky gray-brown clouds, covering every last bit of clear sky in the process.

"No, no, no, no!" Bowser stormed down the stairwell and out the front gates. He continued at that pace until he reached the border of the castle grounds at the edge of the dead forest. He abruptly stopped, though, as he collided with an invisible barrier, which felt more like a sturdy brick wall.

"NO!" Bowser roared, thrashing at the unseen force. He took a step back and unleashed a stream of his hottest fire at it, but it harmlessly dissipated on impact. "GRRRRAHHH!" he shouted into the sky.

Kamek suddenly appeared at his side in a flash of purple smoke. "Sire! What in the Stars is going on?" Bowser turned on him with a furious red glare.

"Undo the witch's spell immediately!" he ordered.

Kamek rolled up his sleeves in a hurry and flicked his wand at the barrier. Nothing. Kamek startled and attempted the same thing again, but nothing changed.

"What's taking so long?" Bowser demanded, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Y-Your Brashness, I… I d-do not think I c-can break the spell," Kamek stammered, shrinking into himself as he did.

"WHAT?!" Bowser seethed. He kicked the barrier, and the collision made him lose his balance and stumble backwards a step. "You're worthless! Why can't you break this blasted curse?"

"S-sire, Rosalina did give us a solution to break the curse," Kamek reminded him. "If she created the spell with one solution, I cannot undo it with anything else. It's a simple spell… but quite unbreakable."

"Just what are you saying?"

"You must actually fall in love and earn true love in return in order to break the spell, Your Coldness." Kamek whispered.

Bowser's head spun. "No, no, that's ridiculous. This can't be happening. My plans… my invasion is ruined!"

"Sire, if I may–"

"We have to find another way now!" Bowser punched the barrier. His fist ached from the impact, but he wouldn't let the pain stop him. Nothing had stopped him before. This silly curse would be no different.

Peach was silent. She listened to Bowser's story without a single comment. She let him fill her in with every detail, only looking into his eyes as they reflected such a broad range of emotions during his retelling. There was mostly guilt and sorrow, but she also saw a measure of fear swimming in those blood red irises; but what was he afraid of?

"Peach… I don't even know how to tell you how sorry I am for what I did. I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I just…" Bowser swallowed hard. "I just knew it would change the way you see me. I'm not that guy anymore, I swear it on the Stars above!"

Peach realized Bowser still held her hand. Her fingers felt numb.

"Kamek and I tried all sorts of ways to break the spell, but obviously none of them worked," he continued. "We– I– have spent the past decade with nothing to do but reflect on our actions. In the beginning, the servants resented me for what I did, and I hated myself for the longest time. I didn't even take the time to raise the Koopalings properly because of how much self-loathing I had." He tightened his grip on her hand ever-so-slightly.

"But Peach, you changed that all. When you showed up, you treated us– treated me– with so much kindness it made me believe I could be different, be better. The night you saved my life, despite the fact I was your captor, made me feel like someone who was worthy of a second chance. I am different now, Peach, and it's all thanks to you," he paused, scanning her for any sort of reaction. A long heavy silence followed.

"Oh, I… I…" Peach found her voice would not work. She let her hand slip out of Bowser's grasp and fall limply at her side. She looked down at the edge of her gown, which rippled like waves in the chilly breeze.

"Please, say something… anything," Bowser pleaded, his voice raw with emotion. "It's ok if you hate me now, I know I lied to you–"

"Bowser, I can see the change in you. I believe you… and I forgive you," Peach looked back up at him, and her blue eyes were glassy. Bowser slumped over with relief, and reached for her hand again, but she pulled back. His eyes snapped up, looking at her with distress.

"Bowser, I have to know… were you using me?" she said softly, her tone laced with hurt.

Bowser shook his head desperately. "No, no, never! This is why I hesitated to tell you about the curse for so long, and why I want to tell you now! I never wanted you to feel like you were being used or manipulated."

Peach hugged herself, struggling to process the whole story with this new context. She wanted so badly to give Bowser the benefit of the doubt, and he seemed so sincere, but the whole revelation was so overwhelming that her brain wasn't sure what to do with all the information. She shivered again as a gust of wind blew across her bare shoulders.

"Let's head back inside. I'm sure this is a lot…" Bowser offered her his arm. Peach took it and Bowser gently swooped her onto his shoulder, then carefully climbed back down, stopping at the balcony connected to Bowser's study. He set her down gently and backed away, giving her a healthy amount of space.

"So, that is the enchanted fire flower?" Peach said after a little while, indicating the glass-encased power-up on his desk.

"Yeah, after I gave up on breaking the barrier and went back inside, I found it just lying there on the floor in my throne room. I keep it around… as a reminder," Bowser crossed his arms, glancing at the fire flower with familiarity.

"What did you first think of me when I showed up? After I told you who I was?" Peach asked him, leaning against the railing on the balcony. Bowser flinched but answered honestly.

"It didn't really matter to me, I just wanted to be left alone in my misery, and I didn't really care how that happened or who got hurt…" he admitted, looking out across the balcony. "I'm glad Kamek stepped in…" he trailed off, lost in thought. Peach thought he looked sad, but she wasn't sure why, since she'd already forgiven him.

"And there's nothing else the curse has done to you?" Peach pressed, wanting to be sure.

"It's essentially been a decade of time-out, which turned out to be quite effective," he said with a weak chuckle. "But no, no weird transformations or anything like that. I'm afraid I won't be turning into some handsome human prince charming if the spell is ever broken."

Peach shook her head. "That's not exactly what I meant. But, for the record, I already think you're handsome." A blush blossomed across her cheeks, but she didn't regret what she'd said.

"Thank you." Bowser scratched the back of his neck shyly, like he wasn't sure how to respond. They stood in that silence for a long while, each deep in thought.

Bowser, for his part, kept circling back to what she'd said earlier, when he'd asked if she was happy here. That sadness in her eyes when she'd mentioned her home… he knew it would never go away, regardless of how happy she was here. Bowser felt his throat close off as he realized it didn't matter how well they treated her, it would never be fair to keep her here for his own happiness.

"Peach," he said quietly. Peach glanced up at him with curious eyes, and Bowser had to muster all his strength not to lose himself in those blue pools and take back what he was about to say. "Peach, if you are really worried about your family back home… you should go to them."

"What did you say?" Peach said in disbelief. Bowser felt his heart breaking, but he knew he had to do this.

"The curse may not be broken, but you've brought hope back to my family. I consider that to be more than enough payment to fulfill your promise. I release you… you're no longer my prisoner."

"You mean… I'm free?" Peach said with wide eyes.

"Yes," Bowser said, looking away. He heard the soft click of her heels as she crossed the distance between them, and felt her hand rest gently on his forearm.

"Thank you," she said softly. Some tiny, unrealistic part of him hoped she'd add 'but I'd rather stay here with you.' She didn't.

"I won't ever forget you, and I promise once I get home and make sure everything is alright I will send aid from my kingdom," she added.

"No, no, please don't. We don't need anything you can provide, and explaining the curse and my past will just get… messy. You've already done enough, so just worry about yourself, ok?" Bowser reached up and brushed her bangs behind her ear. "We'll be fine."

Peach bit her lip, unconvinced. "What about the Koopalings?"

"They're tough kids, I'm sure they get it from me. In fact, it's probably best that you leave without them knowing, it'll make it easier on everyone," Bowser plastered on a half-smile, which felt about as real as the illusions of clouds swirling overhead.

Peach closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "I think I'd better leave tonight, then."

Bowser nodded along, even slower. "Very well. But… before you go, there's two things I'd like to give to you." He lumbered over to his desk, and opened the top drawer. Peach watched as he pulled out a fist-szed orb, which looked familiar, and a pink lace parasol, which did not look familiar.

"This is your weaponized parasol, it's practically indestructible, and you can uncover the tip, which is sharper than a spiny's shell," he explained, handing it to her like some sacred sword. "And this is a crystal ball that allows you to see anyone or anything in real time. I want you to have it… so you can remember us. The moment you step outside the barrier, your memories of this place will get fuzzy," he added solemnly.

"I don't know what to say… thank you, Bowser." Peach took the objects from him graciously. "How does this crystal ball work?"

"You just ask it to show you the person you want to see. Go ahead and try it out," Bowser suggested.

"Alright… show me Princess Daisy, please," Peach asked. The crystal ball glowed a warm orange in her hands, then faded into an image of Daisy sitting at a candlelit table across from Luigi. Peach's eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"You look handsome as ever, sweetie," Daisy cooed at him, making the green-clad plumber blush furiously. Luigi cleared his throat nervously.

"A-and you too, I-a mean you look-a beautiful!" he stuttered. Daisy giggled and leaned across the table, pursing her lips. Luigi, shyly, began to mimic the motion, and as they slowly came together–

"Ok I think it works!" Peach set the crystal ball down abruptly. Bowser, too, looked away and coughed into his fist.

"M-maybe just one more test wouldn't hurt," Bowser said. He definitely wasn't trying to stretch out their last moments together. Nope, not at all.

"Please show me Toadsworth," Peach requested. The image that appeared in the crystal ball was far less amusing than the previous one, however. Peach gasped as she beheld Toadsworth bedridden, looking so thin and haggard it made her heart wrench.

"Toadsworth! Bowser, I, I need to–"

Bowser felt his own heart drop into his stomach. "I know. Go to him, he needs you," he said mournfully. "Do you need anything for the journey? The crystal ball can act as a guide back to the Mushroom Kingdom once you exit the magical barrier; just ask it to show you the way."

"I will," she said softly, "I don't believe I'll need anything else."

"What about the things you had with you when you arrived? Your crown?"

"They're not that important… besides, why don't you keep my crown, to remember me by?" Peach said with a small, sad smile.

Bowser swallowed hard. "Ok," was all he was able to say.

"Thank you again for understanding." Peach reached up and briefly brushed his cheek. Bowser had to restrain himself from leaning into her touch. Then, she turned towards the doors without another word. Neither of them could find the right words for a proper goodbye.

Kamek hummed a pleasant tune to himself as he made his way down the hall towards Bowser's study. He hadn't been spying on Bowser and Peach, per say, but he had seen their dance from the balcony of his personal office, which was just a lucky coincidence if anyone were to ask him. And, he had definitely seen the way they looked into each other's eyes, then gone off to the roof to watch the stars. Things appeared to be going swimmingly, and he couldn't wait to ask Bowser for the details.

He reached to knock on the door, but found it was already open. "Sire?" Kamek poked his head in. He saw Bowser sitting at the edge of the balcony, but he couldn't see his expression.

"Lord Bowser?" Kamek repeated in case he wasn't heard the first time. "I just wanted to stop by and say what an excellent job you did tonight! Everything went perfectly, and I'm certain Peach will–"

"Kamek, I let her go," Bowser said, unable to face his advisor.

"Oh yes, very good! I knew you– y-you WHAT?" Kamek's jaw dropped to the floor. He hurried over to Bowser's side, looking up at him with astonishment. "Your Recklessness, why would you do that?"

Bowser looked down at him with such an expression so hollow and lifeless that it made Kamek's mouth snap shut with an audible click. He'd never looked this forlorn, not even on his worst days when they'd given up on finding another solution to the spell.

"I told her the truth, Kamek."

"You mean you told her about the curse? Sire…" Kamek slumped over against the balcony railing.

"I could never have built a relationship with that lie between us. I just…" Bowser slammed a fist on the railing.

"You what, sire?"

"I never realized I needed anybody in my life before she showed up. Now, it hurts so much… I'm sorry Kamek. I set her free, yet I couldn't do the same for all of you." Bowser hung his head shamefully. "But I had to do it."

"Why, sire?" Kamek asked gently.

"Because I love her."