A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a little slow! (Just like the updates...ha) I wasn't feeling this chapter but I promise I tried my best to make it interesting! I have so many twists planned I just can't wait to get to them! Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed!
A small beam of light trickled under the large door, lighting up Peach's fearful frown as she leaned away from the entrance. She stood alone, but knew that wouldn't be for long.
Though, his company was the last thing she wanted.
She shakily held onto the edges of her filthy dress, desperately trying to keep herself in place as she was seconds away from running away once again. Whether it be pure exhaustion or determination holding her still, Peach was unsure.
Daisy had pushed for Peach to act on their plans immediately after discussing them, much to her displeasure. She barely had time to come to terms with what she would have to do, let alone actually do it!
Yet, there she stood, inches away from his study; the room she had barely escaped from.
She was willingly walking straight back into his trap.
She cringed, every nerve in her body screaming about how wrong this was going to be; How wrong of her it would be to allow herself to face the beast that took everything away from her with nothing but a smile on her face.
Peach held her breath, attempting to silence her disgust.
She gently reached forward, flinching before placing her hands against the large door. The heavy wooden surface was rough from age and covered in slashes that ran deep into its core. Peach traced the engravings, no doubt in her mind who caused these out of anger, seeing how large they were.
Peach shook her head, realizing she was only making her nerves worse, as she was connecting dots that surely didn't matter. It was already obvious that King Koopa was a hot-headed monster, and some slashes in a door were only making her fears multiply.
She squinted and closed her eyes, slowly pushing her weight on the door. With shaky hands, Peach pushed it open, the light now fully covering her face.
This was it: the beginning of her facade.
Without bothering to knock, Pauline burst into Kamek's office, much to Mario's disapproval as he stood sheepishly behind the woman. The taller human stood confidently with her hands on her hips, polar opposite to Mario's sheepish, apologetic smile in Kamek's direction.
Pauline had no doubts that this was the right course of action. Kamek had ties to quite literally everyone in the Darklands, whether it be positive or negative. He was a powerful koopa with the connections they needed to move forward.
Mario, on the other hand, simply followed Pauline's oddly-experienced guidance, as his only plan was to storm down and save Peach himself, which both agreed would only end with another disappearance. So, instead, he let Pauline take the lead, no matter how...blunt it was.
The magikoopa floated around the room, several sheets of paper levitating around him as he was clearly doing tedious paperwork. However, the second the two humans stormed into his office, the papers sank towards the floor as his focus was broken.
He frowned as the three watched the papers slowly float until they hit the ground.
"Rather rude of you," Kamek bitterly mumbled.
With a flick of his wand, the papers were put into a neat pile on his desk, resulting in a sigh of relief from Mario. He glared between the two, silently demanding an apology.
"I told her to knock," Mario quickly reassured.
Kamek groaned as his rhythm was ruined for the second time so early in the morning, both by employees. He opened his mouth to scold the two actors before biting his lip and floating down to his desk, eyeing the two intently.
"I haven't gotten any new updates, if that's what you're looking for," Kamek blandly muttered, "No letters, no 'disappearances,' and no missing actresses showing up at my front door, surely."
Both humans felt their spirits fall at Kamek's underwhelming news. While they had expected nothing to show up so quickly, they still couldn't help but have felt hopeful that there could have been something waiting for them.
They were still at step one.
"Nothing at all?" Mario whined. "Are you sure?"
Kamek opened his mouth to reply before pausing and humming to himself in thought. He turned around and returned to his papers, digging through them with no concern for his company.
"Well, there was something, but it's hysterical-"
Pauline, much to Mario's distaste, leaned forward as she cut in.
"What is it?" Pauline interrupted, ignoring Mario's groan as he tried to wipe away the embarrassment all over his face.
Kamek arched his brow at being interrupted as he gazed over his shoulder.
"A drunken babble from some stagehands. An absolute waste of time," Kamek replied with a judging scoff, "An hour or so ago, they ran in, crying about seeing Peach and the phantom. They had my interest at first...until I realized I hired a bunch of lunatics."
Kamek read their silent expressions, starting as shock and then merging into confusion. He had expected just as much, seeing as that was how he had initially reacted to the story himself.
Without waiting for a rush of questions, he continued.
"Normally, I'd pursue such claims, but who am I to believe a drunk koopa who thinks they saw our dead king in the flesh, as the phantom? Quite disrespectful to his legacy to make up such a joke." He paused for an annoyed shake of his head. "I know this isn't helpful, but it's entertaining, at the very least."
Both Mario and Pauline's faces paled at such a claim, understanding why Kamek hadn't taken it seriously. Who would? The two had heard countless ridiculous theories about the phantom, but this one, by far, was the least believable.
"They think the phantom is King Koopa?" They asked in unison, the two almost in disbelief.
Kamek nodded.
"Apparently. Bizarre thing to cry about. Alcohol does that to you, kids. Best you stay away from it."
Pauline nodded her head in understanding, knowing koopas didn't handle it well. Honestly, a koopa thinking he saw such a thing was more realistic than it actually happening! And, surely, the koopa had drank too much that night.
But, something didn't sit right with her.
Why would someone lie about this? No one outside of the opera house knew of Peach and her employment and had nothing to gain out of a story like this. Was it a crude joke? A prank? Quite the bold one, as jokes like that weren't exactly tolerated around here.
Her majesty was never...happy when public spoke of her late husband's name in vain.
Whether true or not, this was a motive to follow, leaving the woman with a small trace of hope.
The two humans snuck one final glance at one another, their reactions mirrored: confusion and shock, as they had surely connected the same dots. They slowly turned back towards their boss, who had returned to boredly rummaging through the stack of papers on his desk.
Mario, more awake than ever, moved beside Pauline.
"What was the koopa's name?"
Peach peaked through the small opening, making sure the area was safe to enter before completely slipping into the bright room.
She had only gotten a glimpse of this study when she had escaped, and was quite...shocked at how civil it was when she wasn't attempting to run away from it. She couldn't help but shudder, however, as she could see the locked door she was imprisoned in earlier.
The study was lit up by countless candles and lanterns all over the space, many on stacks of books and piled on top of other objects. If she didn't know any better, she would assume the phantom was afraid of the dark after seeing so many lights.
She shook her head, not oblivious to the hazardous fire zone that she stood in. But, then again, koopas weren't that scared of fire.
In a weird way, it was almost hospitable, just like the so-called 'main area' she had briefly visited. It felt like, well, a home. And judging by the amount of kids she had met earlier, it was a home, at least to them.
However, any admiration for the room fell as her attention turned towards a large desk and what sat behind it:
King Koopa.
Even though she had come to see him, the bitterness she held towards the monster still bubbled in her chest.
The beast of a koopa was silent and unmoving, almost chilling the air around him. He sat with a pen in hand and a small stack of papers beside him, but his hand remained still, and Peach could have sworn he wasn't even breathing.
It was almost as if he were a statue; a mere replica of the phantom that took her away.
She closed the door behind her as quietly as she could, not wanting to disturb him too much, knowing how easy it was to set off his temper. She cleared her throat, awkwardly shifting her weight.
"King Koopa?" she whispered.
Bowser's posture stiffened as she fully stepped into the study, both aware how alone they were. Peach was sure he had heard her, yet he remained silent, choosing to ignore the human. Peach arched a brow, a mixture of annoyance and confusion crossing her mind.
"Hello?" She repeated, a bit more curious.
"I heard you," he blandly responded without bothering to look at the woman, now scribbling on the paper laid out in front of him.
Peach rubbed her arm as she awkwardly stared at the back of the phantom's head. It pushed her buttons that he chose to ignore her, but she held her breath, knowing that his bitter personality was the only hurdle she had to get over.
The sound of King Koopa's pen was the only ambiance in the large room, but the silence seemed to speak louder. Both acknowledged each other's presence, yet seemed hesitant to let the other know.
She shuddered as she willingly stood in the same room as such a monster. Even with him facing the other way, she could feel her heart rate increasing from his mere presence.
The monstrous koopa wasn't even paying attention to her and she was-
"You're afraid."
"What?" Peach squeaked, clearly caught off guard.
King Koopa's figure shook from what she assumed was a laugh. A bitter one, at that.
"You're afraid," he repeated. "Suck it up, Toadstool. What do you want?"
Peach's face flushed with color at his words. She knew koopas' senses were incredible, but this was just...dirty! He was playing with her and her fear of him.
She furrowed her brow and stood up straight, numbing her fear as she quickly stated her intentions.
"I wanted to thank you."
King Koopa's scribbling paused for a brief moment before continuing, somewhat faster and...unpredictable than before. She paused before continuing.
"For saving me," she added, far quieter.
Bowser glared over his shoulder, her words finally getting through to him. Peach jumped at his sudden movement, almost forgetting he was real.
"You should be thankful. You'd be dead if I hadn't helped you," he mumbled as he turned back towards his work. "You shouldn't have run off like that."
Peach clenched her hands as she attempted to hold back her frustration at his insensitivity. Any sane person would understand why Peach had run off!
"I know. I...appreciate being alive," she awkwardly replied, "Thank you," she repeated, "For saving me."
"Don't mention it," he growled, "The Darklands aren't as stupidly happy and safe as the Mushroom Kingdom. The quicker you learn that, the longer you'll stay alive out here." He paused. "You won't have some body guard like me around all the time."
Peach slowly nodded her head, somewhat flattered that he had given her advice, even if it were bitter. Though, she wouldn't have needed a so-called bodyguard if he hadn't have taken her in the first place.
She walked further into the room, slowly approaching the beast as his eyes were glued on whatever he was working on. His words had eased her disgust quite a bit, but she still felt repelled from him as she forced herself forward.
"What are you doing?" She quietly asked as she moved in next to him. "Paperwork?"
Bowser's eyes left his work and stared at Peach with an amused glare, though he couldn't hide the subtle amount of shock that she had crept this close.
"You're nosey."
Peach crossed her arms.
"I like to say I'm curious, actually."
The phantom scoffed as he turned back towards his papers.
"Annoying is more accurate."
Peach rolled her eyes as she sat on the piano's stool, leaning against the large instrument. King Koopa's eyes never left his work, but Peach could feel his attention on her, no matter the silence.
She stared up at the beast, taking in his profile as he worked.
His red hair, as usual, was messy and tangled, and his brow was furrowed in concentration. Even sitting down, he was an impressive height, though oddly enough, Peach didn't feel as intimidated as before.
If he was going to harm her, he would have done so the second she had walked in. It seemed the worst this brute was capable of doing to her was pissing her off, which he was pretty damn good at.
When he wasn't an egotistical jerk, which seemed rare, he was actually...decent, in an odd way. King Koopa was always talked of being a monsterous powerhouse that could take over the world if he so wished, yet here he was, right before her, teasing her, and nothing more.
She knew she sat beside a murderous king with more secrets than she could count, but it didn't feel that way. Instead, she felt like she was just sitting next to...a bully.
Peach watched his eyes follow his writing and how his hair brushed out of his face with every breath, hid body rising and falling with the rhythm. His focus was completely off of Peach and it was as if she wasn't with him as she watched him.
He would pause his writing every few minutes, surely thinking about how to word something, before continuing his scribbles. It was a rhythm Peach almost didn't want to break.
He didn't seem like her captor that locked her away. Once again, she was with her phantom.
She silently rolled her eyes. Seemed he was more like her phantom when he shut up.
After a few more minutes of silent scribbles, Peach sighed, realizing she was wasting both of their time. As much as she wanted to follow Daisy's plans immediately, her captor was preoccupied, and annoying him would only get her kicked even further away from getting on his good side.
Being as quiet as possible, she stood up and tucked the stool back under the piano. She snuck one final glance at her company before heading towards the door.
"Wait," King Koopa called out with his hand raised. This order was far softer than his previous demands, but still an order, nonetheless.
Peach froze in place, once again falling submissive to his demands, as if a foreign power had frozen her in place. With clear hesitation, she glanced over her shoulder, knowing very well she had disturbed him, and was about to face off against the monster's tantrum.
He turned around, finally meeting Peach's stare. She gulped, waiting for him to break the silence.
"Thank you," he whispered, almost forcing himself to continue, "For...helping me."
Peach felt a small smirk cross her lips as she eyed him, taken aback by the manner in which he spoke to her. Even though he was clearly fighting the urge to take it back, he held his ground, his face sheepish and, not surprisingly, annoyed.
He quickly averted his eyes as he growled to himself.
Was he...embarrassed?
This time, Peach's eyes sparked with amusement.
"You could at least say you're welcome, or something! Anything!" His composure continued cracking. "Are you happy now?"
She was.
Peach gripped her chest, trying to calm her beating heart, terrified of King Koopa reading how she was feeling. She hadn't realized how...much of a good actress she was. She was even convincing herself!
She continued to the door, slipping one final message through the crack before cutting off the light.
"You're welcome, King Koopa," she whispered.
Bowser let out a deep exhale of air he hadn't realized he had been holding as he leaned back in his chair.
He looked down at his paper, meeting a page filled with incoherent, panicked scribbles that trailed all over what he had been writing before that woman had waltzed into his study. With a growl, the king swiped it off of the desk.
What was he doing?
He wiped his hair out of his face, frustrated that he had even acknowledged what she had done for him. Hell, she had distracted him enough for him to scribble over his work! The last thing she deserved was a thank you.
Toadstool was nothing more than an inconvenience.
Bowser glanced at the scribbled paper that sat on the floor, knowing it wasn't only her company that had made his attention spiral out of control. As much as he wanted to blame her, he couldn't.
"You're being stupid," he grumbled, "What's there to be afraid of?"