Junior stared at a dimly lit reflection of his face that shone against the black coffee in front of him. His eyes were almost half mast, feeling exhausted even though It was only noon. It had taken a day or two to even begin to get warmed up to how things worked on the castle again. Especially since Ludwig had come into power- he'd redone almost everything. All of the changes seemed to make everything more efficient- Nicer kitchens for the cooks, new floors and carpets for certain wings, and he'd almost completely re-done the bedrooms. The only two he hadn't touched was Juniors and their fathers.
Junior hadn't set foot in his old room since he arrived. He was currently staying in one of their nicer guest rooms. He couldn't bring himself to go to his old room quite yet. It would just remind him of how time had changed things.
His still reflection rippled, as a faint thudding of footsteps made its way near him. Junior looked up to see his father making his way to their dining table, with a large stack of papers under his arm. Bowser let out a growl of frustration as he slammed the stack down on the table.
"Rough afternoon?" Junior said flatly and slightly sarcastically as he already knew the answer. Bowser simply grunted and sat down at the head of the table. "I've got 17 years of paperwork to catch up on."
There was a wave of shame that washed over Junior, though his face didn't seem to show it. "Shouldn't that be Ludwigs problem now?" he said back, before tipping his mug back once more and taking another sip.
"Yeah, you'd think." Bowser said with annoyed tone as he started sifting through things. "Apparently since He was only 17 when we left, he didn't have rights to sign on for anything."
A puzzled expression crossed Juniors face. "So... He's not actually king?"
"Nope. The only way he could have been cornerated is If I was here to schedule the thing, or If I'd kicked the bucket."
Another wave of cold washed over Junior. Did this mean he was truly next in line for the throne?
"He might as well be king though. He's done a better job than I ever have." Bowser said. It was an unusually heartwarming thing to hear him say, though nothing seemed too unusuall for those few days.
Junior opened his mouth to protest, but as he thought, His dad was actually right. Ludwig made a great king, regardless of if he was truly king or not. Things were a lot better in the kingdom now.
Junior took another sip of his black coffee, and let out a sigh. His eyes nearly forced themselves closed due to his horrible night of sleep.
"Daddy?"
Juniors eyes opened instantly, as he remembered the voice he was hearing. Lifting his head, his eyes were met with his older sister Wendy. She'd definitely grown up, but was obviously still his older sister he remembered. She looked very dishevel- as if she'd hurried to get here. It sent a pain to his heart to see her like that. A grown woman seeing her father after nearly two decades of absence.
Bowser looked shocked to see her standing there- almost as if he didn't expect any of his children to return to see him.
"W-Wendy?" He stuttered- another unusual thing for him. Junior looked at his father who stood up quickly yet clumsily. "I'm so.. sorry." He began, scanning her up and down- as if to be taking in the moment as much as he could. Her tears finally escaped as she rushed up to him and embraced him in the largest hug she could muster. They stayed that way for a moment or two before they separated.
"And you.. come here." She said sweetly to Junior, who also seemed shocked. She embraced him as well- and Junior could say confidently for the first time that he was so happy to have his sisters attention
She sniffled as they separated, and she wiped some running mascara off from underneath her eyes. "I heard that.. They came home." She began. There was a awkward silence that filled the large room. "So.. I Had to assume that you two would both be here.." she forcefully continued, tears welling once again. "But I couldn't help but think that maybe something awful had happened to you both- being the reason they returned... I had to come as soon as possible to check." She continued. At least that explained why she'd been crying.
Even though the temper Wendy had 17 years ago when she was 13 was exclusively petty, Junior couldn't help but feel weird about his sisters kindness. She'd always been so self centered and pampered. He thought about what could have possibly turned her around.
She sniffled once more before continuing. "That and.. Ludwig invited all of us while I was on my way."
"The others are coming too?" Bowser said, a mixed expression on his face.
"Well, is that not to be expected?" A voice called from the corridor.
Ludwig began walking to the group, as all eyes were on him. "I know you've only been back for 3 days but I had to let them know. After all, we are your children." He said.
"Luddy..." Wendy said softly, as she made her way to him, wrapping him in a small hug. "Nice to see you again." He simply nodded. "Same to you."
"Though I'm not sure if all children will be in attendance." Ludwig finished.
"And why not?" Wendy asked for the group. Junior also wondered this, but was glad it was Wendy to say it instead of himself. "Well, Lemmy should be on his way if my assumptions are correct, Iggy and Larry should also be willing to come back.. But Morton... and especially Roy... are a different story."
There was another off set of silence, as it seemed that for the first time ever, Wendy was trying to pick the right words to use.
"Even after all he's been through..." She said under her breath.
Junior assumed she was talking about Morton or Roy, but he couldn't tell whom. They did seem like the two that would hold the longest grudge against someone who did anything, let alone leave them for 17 years.
"I don't expect them to forgive me." Bowser said coldly, and rather flatly. His hands formed into fists that were directed at himself. "I don't expect any of you to forgive me."
Junior felt as though he was partially responsible for their siblings anger, but thought it would be weird to suddenly apologize after his father.
Nobody said anything for a while.
Eventually everyone had sat down at the table, as the chefs brought out appetizers to snack on. Bowser didn't make a sound as he filed through paperwork.
"I cant believe how big you've gotten.." Wendy said with a laugh, looking at Junior who continued to sip his coffee. He let out a laugh- something he hadnt done in a while. "You used to be the tinest of all of us." Ludwig added, smile on his face as the three were re-uniting with one another.
"Carrying aroung that paintbrush with you religiously." Ludwig added with a laugh. "Maybe thats why you're so big," Wendy said.
"I don't notice it." Junior said through a wide smile. He took a long sip of his coffee which had been re-filled a second time. It didnt seem to be doing much to perk his mood, but his family was helping with that. There was a moment of silence that filled the dining hall. The dull sound of turning papers could be heard.
"So... What happened?" Wendy asked broadly.
Everyone at the table froze, and seemed to look at one another. Wendy had originally been looking at Bowser, but when He didnt give a response, she turned her gaze to Junior.
"W-what do you mean?" He asked, although he was positive he knew what she ment.
She rolled her eyes.
"I mean with Mario," She began, searching in Juniors eyes for an answer before continuing. "You guys beat him, but he managed to escape?"
Bowser tensed up as he looked to his son, whos face seemed to fall. He would have taken over the speech if it hadn't been necessary for Junior to say it. Ludwig sipped his tea, almost as if too look like he wasn't paying attention.
"No," Junior began, now not looking at Wendy.
"It was all Annabelle." He said flatly, feeling his heart ache. It took his sister a moment to remember that name. "Mario's kid?" She said with an annoyed look. "What are the odds?" She continued. "As soon as you finally get a victory, some little bitch has to come and ruin it for you." Wendy said coldly, making everyone at the table freeze.
Juniors Fist involuntarily slammed against the table, before locking eyes with Wendy who looked extremely confused. Juniors face lost its tension as he realized how aggressive he was becoming. "Don't talk about her like that." He said to her.
Wendy stayed quiet, curious as to why her brother would react so negatively to Mario's Daughter being insulted. She gasped lightly, before feeling her own heart sink.
"You love her, don't you?"
The table was still silent. Junior didn't respond, as he slumped his head down. Wendy knew her suspicions were correct. She had to choose her words wisely from now on.
"She loved him too." Ludwig said, setting his tea down. Wendy rose a brow, as if to be amazed that someone who was related to Mario would show compasion for a koopa.
"Rosalina used magic to erase her memory before they came back. She's also made it very clear that Junior cant see Annabelle if they want her to maintain her cluelessness."
"The one thing to un-do a memory erasing spell is love..." Wendy finished.
"I'm so... so sorry, Junior." She said, eyes falling. "I wont bring it up again..."
About a half an hour or so went by, most of it spent with meaningless chitchat that had obviously been curated to waste time.
Junior couldn't help but think about his life. It filled his mind, as if he had a choice on what he could do. He wanted to talk to Bella. He wanted to ask her for advice on what she'd do at a time like this.
A group of voices were heard coming from a nearby corridor, which soon made themselves known as Iggy, Lemmy, Larry, and a less impressed Morton. They all shared greetings with one another- as It had been some time since they'd seen each other. They all seemed to have missed their father- with the exception of Morton who seemed indifferent. Bowser didn't question it, as he felt it was necessary for him to receive this kind of treatment.
Idle chit chat filled the hall once more, as Bowser finally set aside his paperwork. He looked out at all his children, who were now the farthest things from children. They were all adults. Through the talking, he could hear them discussing their lives and agendas. He felt a sense of shame for not being there for them.
"Excuse me, Your highness?"
The chatter stopped, and all eyes made their ways to the source of the voice.
At the end of the table stood a Koopa girl who looked to be in her late 20's, with dark black hair and fair skin. She wasn't familiar to any of the family, but they all felt as if they should have remembered her from somewhere.
Her eyes were locked to Bowsers, who returned the stare.
"I'm... very sorry to interrupt," She began, looking to her feet before staring back at Bowser with confidence. "My name is Lydia. I'm married to your son, Roy." She said. The group silently gasped, as if to either suddenly remember her or to for the first time find out that Roy had been married. Bowsers expression changed, but it was to one that was very hard to read. He however remained silent.
"He's... Actually outside. I'm sure you're all aware of how stubborn he is." She finished with an awkward laugh, that echoed through the hall as she tucked a piece of silk hair behind her cheek. Her smile faded when she realized that nobody shared it with her. They all looked at her with confusion.
She cleared her throat before continuing. "I normally wouldn't invite myself to dinner, but I don't think Roy will come inside otherwise." She said flatly. "I think it's necessary for him to see all of you again, so I hope you don't mind if we join you until he decides to come inside."
There was a moment of silence shared in the hall until Lemmy had spoken up. "We?"
Lydia's eyes went wide for a second, before blinking. "Myself, and-" She said as she turned around, suddenly gasping. She whispered something under her breath before face palming.
The group exchanged glances with one another except for Bowser, who suddenly grew anxious at the idea of who it could be. His face still remained unchanged however.
"Tabitha, I swear..." She growled.
"We're right here."
All eyes turned to the doorway to see a very matured Roy. It was so weird to see their sibling after numerous years. It had been a good while since anyone had seen Roy- not just Junior and Bowser.
In Roys arms was a little Koopa girl, with bright pink curly locks and a bright red dress. She was staring at the walls and the surroundings with wide eyes.
Everyone's jaws dropped, except for Bowser who seemed to feel tears well in his eyes.
Lydia sighed with a smile, as if to thank her husband for coming in. He however had an expression of discomfort and annoyance that was evident on his face.
"This is Tabitha. She's our daughter."
Juniors mouth also hung open, as he stared at his brother- and his newly discovered niece. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed his father with tears now leaking from his eyes. Junior could only image the thoughts going through Bowsers head.
OooOoOo
Bella took a step back, and looked up to a canvas she'd been painting on. To the untrained eye, it would look almost like something a third grader would paint in their spare time, but to Annabelle it was the beginning of something wonderful. The high quality paints she used worked well with her ideas and the process of bringing them to life.
Her hair was in a messy bun that rest on the top of her head. It seemed like the first time she'd not really cared about her appearance. Aqua colored paint marked the princesses rose colored cheeks and nose.
"Perfect." Bella said to herself, admiring the job she'd done so far. The lower half of the canvas appeared to be colored blue, with various hues shading something unseen. A piece of hair fell from her bun into her face. She blew it out of the way with an annoyed smirk before searching for a skin color to paint with next.
"Bella?"
"Yes Toadette?" The princess called in a sing-song like tone, knowing who it was at the door without even looking. "There's a.. Prince Aspen here for you?" She said with a questioning tone. "Though I don't need introduction, I appreciate it." Aspen said in a sarcastic tone, as he rudely stepped over Toadette. "Hey!" She said loudly, her brow furrowing. Bella turned around quickly to the sound of Aspens voice. Her heart raced quickly, as she realized how messy she must have looked. "Oh, Hi... Darling," She said with a nervous smile. "Darling?!" Toadette said to herself in a hushed tone.
"I see you're still doing your-" He began, as he looked over the canvas. "Arts and crafts?" He said with a smile. His body language reeked of sarcasm, in a way that was beginning to test Bellas patience. She bit her tongue before continuing. "I wouldn't call it arts and crafts. It's much more than that." She said with a forced smile. He chuckled and seemed to brush the remark off his shoulder.
"Well, if you're not to busy, Maybe I could bother you for a dinner date?" He suggested. Bella could think of a million things she'd rather do.
"It's not dinner time yet, is it?" She said instead, Making Aspens sarcastic smile Fall. "Unless you don't think eating dinner at 8 pm is dinner time."
Bella couldn't believe how much time she'd spent in her own little world. She still didn't want to leave the comfort of her paint room. Annabelle thought about how cross Aspen would be with her if she'd declined his offer. She set her brush down slowly, before taking her dirty apron off. "Of course, I'll just be a second. I need to clean myself up a bit," Bella said with a laugh. Aspens sarcastic smile returned. "Take all the time you need."
Toadette's mouth almost hung open with disgust. How could he talk to her like that? Why was Bella letting him talk to her like that?
"Bella, you don't need to eat yet if you don't want to. The dining hall will always be open for you." Toadette said to Bella. She looked to Toadette with thoughtful eyes, as if to be considering Toadettes offer.
"We're fine, thanks." Aspen interrupted. Toadette huffed under her breath before turning around and walking out.
"Who is that Aspen guy anyway? Controlling and ordering Bella around like that- He deserves a kick in the shin..." Toadette growled under her breath. She stared at the black and white tiles below her feet as she shuffled along, still fuming.
Suddenly, Toadette was stopped in her tracks with a light grunt. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"She shouted loudly, still unaware of who she'd run into.
"Is something the matter, Toadette?" Mario asked, making himself known to Toadette.
"Your Majesty.." She responded, feeling even worse about stomping into someone as high as the king. Mario stared at her with sincerity, as if he was trying to figure out why she was growling to herself. She blinked and shook her head few times before responding.
"No, it's nothing." She lied.
It was obvious that Mario didn't believe her, as his expression loosened as if to say 'Seriously?'
The little toad let out a heavy sigh before continuing. "What does Bella even see in that jerk anyway?!"
Mario raised a brow, confused as to who Toadette was talking about. Toadette still continued her rant.
"I'm Prince Aspen of the Icelands, where my heart is just as jaded and cold as the environment." She mocked, rolling her eyes.
Mario's blood ran cold, as he remembered the name Toadette gave. He already had a negative feeling about this Aspen character, and this was only adding too it.
"What did he do?" He asked, hoping Toadettes response wouldn't cause for him to ruin his daughters relationship.
"He talks to her like he owns her. As If she owes him something. She's only been here for a few months- There's no way she owes him any favors," She began. Mario didn't like where this was going. His blood was beginning to heat itself up, as he had to restrain himself from giving him a piece of his mind.
"If anything he owes HER a favor as payment for dealing with him."
The Kings fists tightened, as he thought about his daughter being with someone who acted in the way Toadette described.
"I mean... I guess there's gotta be some reason she likes him. Bella isn't stupid in the least. I just don't see it." She said looking to the floor with another sigh.
Hearing this caused the king to loose the tension he was feeling as he let out a sigh as well. Toadette was right, and Mario had to have faith in his daughter. It didn't mean he was going to love Aspen, however.
"Could I ask you a favor, Toadette?"
Her eyes widened before a quick response. "O-of course! Anything, your majesty."
"I'm aware that you're already my daughters adviser, but could you let me know if anything happens between her and prince Aspen? Anything you feel would be harming Bella's well being." He said with sensitive yet stern eyes.
"You have my word." She responded with a nod.
O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
There was a very awkward silence at the dinner table. The only noise that filled the air was the banging of forks and knives against plates that echoed through the dining hall. The tension in the room was so thick, it seemed to make it hard to breathe. Even Roy's Daughter had been whispering as opposed to the expected shouting and carrying on from a toddler.
The food smelled amazing, but It didn't bring either Bowser or Junior the joy it once had. They could have probably assumed the same for the rest of the koopalings. They all kept to themselves and seemed to be uncomfortable- even after the chatting that had been taking place earlier.
Bowser found it hard to take his eyes off of the family his son had made. The tears he leaked were no longer falling, or even showing. It was more of a shameful feeling. How could he have abandoned his whole family? He was beginning to think he'd never forgive himself. These were all new emotions to Bowser.
"This.. Is really good." Wendy said randomly, breaking the silence as she ate.
"I've had better." Morton argued from the end of the table, causing Roy to chuckle lightly, along with Lemmy and Larry who cleared their throats after getting a glare from an unimpressed Wendy. Junior Bit his tongue at the comment.
"Good to see you haven't changed a bit." Wendy said statistically, rolling her eyes. Junior bit his tongue harder. He was really hoping tonight wouldn't end poorly.
"Wish I could say the same for you," Morton began sarcastically as well. "Pa's back so you gotta start kissing ass again." He said coldly, stinging both the hearts of Wendy and Bowser. Bowser's face didn't seem to be phased by this however. It was part of the Punishment he was preparing for.
Roy gave Morton a stern glare along with Lydia, as they had their daughters ears covered. Morton rolled his eyes. "Sorry."
"Ya know the kingdoms broke now right? Thanks to big shot over there." He added, motioning towards Ludwig who was originally minding his own business. He looked as if he had heard it all before. "So there's nothing your daddy can buy you." He said once again. His words stung and seemed to make the entire table uncomfortable.
Lydia didn't make eye contact with anyone, yet pulled her daughter close to her as if to prepare herself for the worst.
"Shut up, Ludwig saved this kingdom." She responded, obviously fighting back her rage. She really had changed in all those years that had passed. Ludwig seemed to stare at his sister in confused appreciation.
"From being a tolerable place to live, maybe." He responded. Roy chuckled at this, before being elbowed by is wife.
"I swear, you guys still act like children." She said, obviously biting her tongue.
"We act like children?!" Morton said, raising his voice slightly. "Have you even seen who's sitting at the other end of this table?!"
Bowser and Juniors blood both ran cold. They both felt as if they deserved this treatment, even if it was harsh. "Hey!" Wendy called back, nearly pushing herself from her seat to defend her father and brother. "Mister Stone face and Silent down there haven't said a word to any of us since we arrived." Morton shouted. It wasn't that they didnt want to, they just didnt think they were worthy of speaking to them after they'd obviously hurt them.
"I mean, not like we really want to speak to those assholes anyway. They could have cared less about us when they went on their vacation." Roy didn't even bother to scold his brother for inappropriate language around his daughter. He felt the same way. "You act as if we all haven't been involved in those 'vacations', Morton." Ludwig said with a narrow eyes.
"I didn't leave my kingdom behind to rot along with the children I had." He responded, words filled with venom. "Why are you standing up for them? Remember what you had to deal with because of them?"
"They have a lot to deal with too." Wendy added, standing up for her brother and father yet again. Junior was Anxiously hoping the conversation wasn't going where he thought it was.
"Oh yeah? Like what? Lets hear it." Morton said once more, crossing his arms.
"Or father is trying to bring himself back into our lives. That's something that most cant even do. Yes- he left, but It was only because he had no Idea what to do. You cant say you wouldn't have been lost and confused if something like that happened to you," Wendy said to the table, looking directly at Morton. He didn't say anything in response, as she was right.
"He might not have apologized to you but its only because He doesn't know how. Have any of you been known to apologize in any situation?" She said again.
"He's trying. Life is too short to be so caught up over little petty things. That's what my whole life was based on. It took them to leave to make me realize that I could have been doing something so much more productive with my life than sitting here and dealing with you hostile idiots!" She said, tears almost forming in her eyes. Nobody responded to her, although Morton seemed to be egar to respond to the idiot comment.
"And Junior had No say in anything, so don't even throw him under the water. He's in love with the princess for crying out loud, the last thing he needs is to come home to this!" She said, immediately covering her mouth and wishing she could take it back. Everyone's eyes grew wide at Wendys words, even Lydia and Tabitha who seemed to mouth 'Princess?' To her mother.
"What?!" Roy spoke, from the end of the table, as he stared daggers into his brother who suddenly felt small. "It's not like that-" Ludwig began, trying to calm their family down. "Are you kidding?! Why are you putting them through this again?!" He said, sending daggers into Juniors chest. He couldn't help who he loved.
"She loves him too." Ludwig added. Roy scoffed as he threw his silverware down on the table. "Oh yeah, just like Peach loved Dad." He said cruelly. Bowsers eyes narrowed. His son didn't deserve to have his own mistakes reflected onto him. He would have said something if he felt it would make a difference.
"Come on, We're leaving." He said to Lydia, as he reached for his daughter.
Lydia Scooped up Tabitha in her arms before her eyes met with her husbands. "We're not going anywhere, this isn't healthy." She said. The room seemed shocked. "Like hell we're not. I'll be waiting outside." He said before turning around and heading for the door.
"Bring a jacket, you'll be waiting a while." She called back to her husband who kept on walking and muttering under his breath. He slammed the door shut behind him, before Lydia turned around with another sigh. " I'm... so sorry about that." She began. "He's had.. a very hard time these past 17 years." She said, being very vague yet stern as she looked to Bowser, obviously upset with his silence.
He looked to Tabitha and Lydia, feeling the daggers in his chest once more.
"We will be back. I'm going to try and cool him down. You'll have to say something to him eventually," She began, eyes moving from Bowser to Junior. "And maybe to everyone here."
She pushed in her chair with her hip. "The meal was very good. Thank you." She said finally, before following her husbands footsteps.
There was another silence. It was like Lydias words had really spoken to everyone. They all seemed to be waiting for a response from their father or Junior.
"Is sorry even appropriate at this point?" Bowser said softly, though loud enough for all to hear. Everyone looked at him, all with listening ears- even Morton.
"I never meant to leave you behind. Any of you," He began, shaking his head afterwards, realizing it was the wrong choice of words he was using. "I shouldn't have left in the first place. I was delusional and in the wrong state of mind. I've made a truce with the Mushroom Kingdom. Not because I lost the battle, but because I lost the sight of what was really important to me and I want to bring that back as soon as I can." He said. Everyone was paying close attention to their fathers words.
"For years I lead you all down horrible paths. I clouded your judgment and made you do things you otherwise would have opposed to, had I not convinced you otherwise. You're right. I'm an asshole." He said again. Morton smirked at his fathers comment. "I can't possibly ask you to forgive me, But I do want you all to know that I am sorry for leaving when you needed me most. I was an awful king, and an even worse father."
"You weren't... All that bad." Morton said with a wider smirk. Bowers eyes seemed to widen a bit, as he looked out and everyone seemed to have a smile on their faces.
"Apology accepted."
All eyes turned once more to the sound of Roy in the doorway. Who didn't seem as thrilled as the others, but still held a smaller smile on his face. Lydia was behind him, with an even larger smile. He must have not made it that far if he was able to hear their fathers apology.
Bowser felt a warmth in his heart. He'd sucked up all his pride and confessed to his children and it was starting to pay off for him. He'd never wanted to hurt his family.
Junior hadn't said anything about Bella, and was hoping that everyone had forgotten- at least for the moment.
"I believe there's someone you haven't been properly introduced to." He said with an even wider smirk. He bounced the 3 year old toddler in his arms. Lydia came up from behind them and looked at her daughter who had curious eyes.
"This is Grandpa," He said to Tabitha who looked at Bowser with wide eyes. Bowser didn't even mind the name 'grandpa'. It actually made him feel a whole lot better. Roy lifted her from his arms, as he handed her gently to Bowser who seemed shocked. He grabbed on the the child delicately, not having held something so fragile and important since he'd held Junior as a child.
"Hi grandpa!" She squeaked, causing everyone in the room to react with laughter, especially Morton. Junior even chuckled to himself at the sight while Wendy couldn't help but 'Awe' at the adorable scene. Bowser Looked at the little girl with pure wonder, as he hadn't seen anything like her in so long. He couldn't believe that she came from his own son. Even Bowser laughed a little bit.
Tabitha giggled in response before saying "Hi Grandpa!" Several more times, noticing the reaction from everyone.
It didn't seem to grow tiresome for anyone in the room. It was the happiest they all had been at once, and nobody had any complaints.
Junior hoped that this happiness lasted for a little while, even though he was being put through torture with the thought of Bella. He still had no Idea what he was going to do- Either with his siblings knowledge of his feelings towards her, or Bella's forgotten feelings towards him. He brushed it off for the moment, enjoying the scene before him. Though the thought of Bella never really was one that was easy to brush off.
