It had been a simple, routine kidnapping. Bowser, as usual, had been very excited to see her again. Princess Peach, as usual, was not very excited to see him again. The Clown Car ride back to the Darklands began in a fierce one-sided shouting match, and Bowser casually took the verbal abuse until Peach simmered down and settled for giving him the cold shoulder. He was used to her objections by now, and it's not like any of them really changed his mind, anyways. Their routine worked rather well for him. That is, until Peach would finally marry him and it wouldn't be necessary to whisk her away in the first place.
Her anger he could take, her coldness he could handle. Those feelings would eventually change, and they'd be replaced with the warmth and kindness she always showed to those around her (well, mostly everyone around her). He could live off of the small scraps of tolerance she had for him until then. Simply having her here was (nearly) enough, anyhow.
He glanced back at her from his pilot's seat in the clown car, and was disappointed to only see the back of her head, her blonde locks wavering in the breeze. He thought of what he might say to her, how he might convince her to speak to him calmly so that he might win her over with his heartfelt feelings for her. If there was one thing Peach liked, it was people who cared about others (Bowser never quite understood why that didn't apply to him in her book). He opened his mouth and inhaled to speak.
"Don't. Please, don't," Peach cut him off without turning around. "I'd rather just get this over with."
Bowser felt the bravado whoosh out of him, and he tapped his index claw anxiously on the dashboard. "Could we just… talk?" he tried.
"I already know what you're going to say, so I don't exactly see the point," she mumbled. "I don't love you, Bowser."
Bowser scowled and tried again to approach her. "But feelings can change! Once Mario is out of the picture, and you come to see things my way…"
Peach shook her head and sighed. "What if I don't want to 'see things your way?' Maybe I actually like Mario! Maybe you terrify me!"
Bowser was taken aback by her declaration; the second one, at least. The first one he knew she had only said in the heat of the moment. "Terrified? By me? Peaches, what have I ever done to scare you?"
Peach scoffed and finally turned to face him. Bowser felt his heart thump in his chest as she looked at him with incredulous blue eyes. "Bowser, you just kidnapped me from my home less than a half hour ago! And I know the second you get impatient with me, you'll threaten the safety of my kingdom until I comply!"
Bowser scoffed in return. "Well, it's not like I'd have to do any of that if you'd just agree to marry me! I'm not the bad guy!" he insisted.
Peach wrapped her arms around herself and looked away. "The fact that you can't see that terrifies me the most."
Bowser blinked in confusion. He leaned down so he could see her face, which was back to the usual sullen expression she had when she was around him. "Peaches, you know I'd never hurt you, right?"
"Don't call me that," she said quietly in reference to his self-appointed nickname for her, but she didn't answer his question.
Bowser wanted to press her for an answer, but the Clown Car suddenly beeped to alert him that they were approaching his castle. He sighed and returned to the pilot's seat, and navigated them down to the landing platform. Kamek was there to greet him with a congratulatory thumbs-up. Bowser grinned back, though inside he was a little concerned about how this particular visit with Peach was going to turn out. She'd never been afraid of him before, or at least she'd never made that clear to him. She was always brave, even when standing up to him, even when it annoyed him and he wished she'd just listen to him.
"Another successful mission, your Greatness?" Kamek asked as Bowser shut down the copter.
Bowser grabbed Peach by the waist before she could protest and hopped out of the Clown Car, shooting Kamek a look that told him 'now wasn't the best time to talk'.
"I… I shall get the Princess's accommodations ready, sire," Kamek quickly said, then disappeared in a flash of purple smoke.
Peach struggled in his grasp, pounding on his hand with her fists. "Put me down, you do this every time! I can walk; it's not like I have anywhere to run off to!"
Bowser ignored her request and lumbered into the castle and straight to his throne room. They both knew she'd somehow find somewhere to run away to, and he didn't want to miss out on a single minute he had with her. And now, he found he had the additional goal of convincing her that she had no reason to be afraid of him.
He placed Peach in the human-sized birdcage hanging next to his throne, then sprawled out in his seat. After a couple silent minutes of deep thought he glanced over at her, checking to see if she was looking back at him. She was, but her lips were twisted into a disdainful pout, and her eyes only reflected the resentment she felt for him. Bowser cleared his throat and figured now was as good a time as any to play his cards.
"Princess, what can I do to make you feel more comfortable around me?" he asked, trying to summon his sweetest smile. "I want us to have a relationship built on a good foundation, you know."
Peach rolled her eyes and replied, "You could stop kidnapping me, terrorizing my kingdom, and trying to kill Mario, for starters."
Bowser frowned. "That's not fair. I only kidnap you because you don't visit on your own. And your kingdom is just full of a bunch of wussy Toads– just because I occasionally turn some of them to stone or lock them up doesn't mean I'm terrorizing them, I do the same to my subjects when they annoy me!"
Peach narrowed her eyes. "Okayyy… and what about Mario?"
Bowser bared his teeth and felt a deep growl rise in the back of his throat. "That infuriating red little nothing is only good for getting in my way! He doesn't deserve to be by your side, I do! I'm going to burn that plumb-scum so badly that he'll be begging to go to the Underwhere when I'm done with him!" he snapped, slamming his fast down on the armrest of his throne for emphasis. He panted for breath after his brief tirade, smoke pouring out of his nostrils in thick plumes.
He turned his gaze back to Peach, and suddenly stopped short. There, there it was– the smallest crack in her facade. A glimmer of fear in her eyes, even though she stared him down with defiance. Bowser felt his heart deflate; she really was afraid of him. He exhaled slowly, embarrassed for having lashed out in front of her like he did. That cursed plumber always brought out the worst in him– which was yet another reason why he needed to go.
Peach blinked rapidly and covered her mouth with a gloved hand. Bowser felt another surge of anger (at himself this time, though he would never admit this). "I don't want to talk about Mario. He and you are completely separate in my mind. Once he's gone, there will be nothing standing in the way of us being together and ruling the Mushroom Kingdom," he said with finality. Peach didn't reply.
Bowser didn't attempt to strike up another conversation with her. Once or twice he looked over to where she had turned her back to him, sitting and leaning her head up against the bars of her cage. "I'd never hurt you, Peach," he assured her quietly, not really looking for a response.
That was the last thing he said before Mario burst into the throne room, powered-up and ready to fight. Bowser shook off his unease and focused instead on pummeling his nemesis into the ground, so that he could finally get what he wanted and be happy.
"Mario!" Peach cried, waving from her cage with an encouraging smile on her face.
Mario smiled back at her briefly before facing Bowser with a hard glare. "You should just-a give up now, Bowser!"
Bowser stood, clenching his fists and letting his inner fire roar to life in his chest. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing to you! Minus the stupid accent, that is."
Mario didn't bother coming up with a clever retort and instead headed straight for Peach's cage. Bowser swung and missed as Mario leapt over him then began to pry open the bars with his mushroom-enhanced strength.
Bowser quickly grabbed him by the back of the overalls and yanked him away, smashing him into the ground with all his strength. He charged up a fireball and spat it down at him, growling when Mario dodged and managed to get in a quick jab at his face at the same time.
His fury only increased as Mario pulled an ice flower out of his pocket and powered-up again, then began launching the cursed ice balls at him. Bowser poured out a stream of fire at any incoming projectiles, and slowly made his advance towards Mario. He managed to get one or two good hits in while Mario pranced around him, using his smaller size to his advantage.
"Hold still so I can demolish you!" Bowser snarled as Mario ducked under a lethal swipe from his claws. Bowser pulled a spin move and used his spiked tail to take Mario down, and his ice powers disappeared at last. He grinned as he kicked Mario in the stomach, sending him sliding across the throne room floor.
"You cannot-a win!" Mario spat, staggering to his feet and shaking his head. "I will-a save the Princess from you as many times as-a it takes!"
Bowser felt his blood boil at Mario's words. How dare he! Peach belonged with him, not this meddling overweight plumber! His vision rimmed with red as he took slow, deliberate steps towards Mario. Mario stood defiant, getting ready to land another blow. Bowser, however, saw it coming this time and snatched Mario out of the air by his collar. He cruelly gripped him around the neck as he lifted him into the air. His only thought was to end this pathetic weakling's game once and for all.
"No, stop!" Peach cried, though her words didn't reach Bowser's ears. Nor did it register when he pulled his other fist back to wind up for a devastating blow, and it instead connected with something else on the way back.
Bowser froze as he heard a familiar shriek and the sound of metal clattering to the floor.
"Peach, no!" Mario gasped, struggling in Bowser's grasp.
Time seemed to stop and Bowser felt ice flow through his veins. Every heartbeat felt like a bass drop leading up to a jumpscare in a horror movie. Mario took advantage of his momentary hesitation and kicked free of his grip, then dashed behind him, where Bowser's greatest fear lay.
Bowser, numb from shock, slowly turned around and beheld the sight to his great dismay.
"What have-a you done? You monster!" Mario cried.
Mario knelt on the ground, and in his arms was his dear Princess Peach, limp and deathly still. Her crown was on the ground several feet away, sent flying after Bowser's unintentional blow. He glanced behind them and saw the bars of Peach's cage were pried apart, and Bowser realized what just happened.
"N-no, no, I-I'd never hurt…" Bowser felt any words he had dry up on the tip of his tongue. He couldn't speak, not when Peach's eyes were closed and a wide gash on her forehead dripped red. Not when the only movement was the shallow rise and fall of her breathing. He took a hesitant step towards them, reaching out like he could somehow take back what he'd done.
"Stay back!" Mario snapped, pulling Peach closer to his chest. He pinned Bowser down with a look so cold and angry that for a good long second, Bowser felt genuinely afraid.
But then that second passed, and Bowser snapped back into reality. No, no, this couldn't be happening! This… this was all Mario's fault! If only that plumb-scum hadn't meddled like he always did, Peach would still be safe with him. Bowser would never hurt Peach, he was the one who loved her!
"Give her back, Mario," Bowser said, his tone deathly serious and each word dripping with venom.
Mario stood, lifting Peach in his arms bridal-style. Her head was tucked against his shoulder, and she whimpered softly in her unconscious state. Bowser felt his heart wrench inside his chest at the sight. They two stood rigid, glaring at each other, neither moving a muscle.
Then, without a word, Mario strode towards the doors to the throne room. He didn't even spare Bowser a glance as he walked by. Bowser stood transfixed in place, though his hands trembled. Peach was right there, so close, but he couldn't make himself reach out to grab her. He wanted to be the one holding her protectively, wrapped in his arms so that she wouldn't be afraid that anything could hurt her. Instead, he let Mario pass, not even bothering to look down as he passed. The surreal silence was finally only broken by the slamming of the throne room doors being shut behind him.
Bowser fell to his knees, defeated.