Bowser polished off the last of his coffee and laid back in his chair as he halfheartedly listened to Princess Daisy speaking her piece in front of the council. His olive green sweater vest and white undershirt were beginning to chafe around his chest since he'd been wearing the combo longer than usual today. These meetings had a tendency to drag on for much too long in Bowser's eyes; this one especially so since he had been informed prior that there was an urgent matter to be addressed. The meeting had been in session for four and a half hours now and so far, not one piece of news seemed even the slightest bit urgent.
Glancing around the room though, it seemed Bowser was not the only one who was itching to get to that urgent news. Each of the other council members appeared to have their attention fixed on separate tasks of their own. Toadsworth was polishing his monocle with a handkerchief, Rosalina was nursing her lukewarm cup of tea and staring intensely at it as if doing so would magically open a portal she could use to escape this snore-fest, Mayor Pauline was shuffling and organizing the papers in front of her, and Cappy was bobbing up and down as he hovered in his chair; his eyelids growing heavy as he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Peach seemed to be the only one who was actually paying attention, and she silently took notice of the growing disinterest in the room. The princess was about to exercise her power as head of the council to motion that the subject be changed, but Daisy finished speaking just before she could do so.
"Great, thank you Daisy for that wonderful report on the recent climate changes in Sarasaland," Peach spoke as she rose from her chair. "Now, before we conclude today's meeting, there's one final matter we must tend to." Peach departed from the table and walked across the room towards a rope that was resting against the wall and suspended from the ceiling.
"Is this that 'urgent news' we've all been dying to hear?" Bowser inquired sarcastically from the opposite end of the table.
"As a matter of fact, it is," Peach responded happily. "We have a guest who has requested an audience with us." She pulled on the rope and activated a mechanical contraption on the ceiling. A series of interconnected cogs began to turn in the center of the room, and several ceiling panels separated and created a circular hole to the outside world. The room was engulfed with a dazzling light as something descended from above. When the light faded, Eldstar - one of the seven Star Spirits - was now floating just above the table before them.
"Greetings, Kingdom Council," the elder star spoke. "I thank you for allocating a moment of your time to hear an old star's message."
"Please, it is an honor to have one of the much-revered Star Spirits grace us with its presence," said Toadsworth. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Master Eldstar?"
"Alas, I wish I came before you under more pleasant circumstances," said Eldstar. "Not long ago, I experienced a vision of a dark and sinister force on the rise. An ominous power is growing, and I fear that it will soon begin expanding across the land at an alarming rate."
"…Could you be a little more specific?" Daisy asked. "I'm not really following you…"
"I cannot say much more, unfortunately," said Eldstar. "This power is shrouded in a terrible, cold darkness. I fear that what I have experienced is the premonition of a great danger, which the Mushroom Kingdom - and other kingdoms as well - will face in the coming days."
"I believe you, Eldstar," Rosalina supported. The rest of the council turned to look at her. "You see, I've been having nightmares myself these past few nights. They were all of something terrible…and they felt so real…"
"What did you see?" Peach asked.
"I don't know exactly. I saw several…creatures. They came in different shapes and sizes. But I couldn't make out any of their identities due to this…shadowy aura that surrounded them," Rosalina explained. "I believe the stars are trying to warn me that something dangerous is coming."
"Then we should start making preparations now," Pauline suggested. "We can't wait until this danger is on our doorstep; whatever it is."
"But we don't even know who or what we're up against," Cappy reasoned.
"That might be true, Cappy. But how ever strong this mysterious force is, there's also strength in numbers," said Peach. "I think we should gather our troops and mount a united force against it. If what Eldstar is saying is true, then this threat will become a problem for all of our kingdoms; not just mine."
"Now wait just a moment!" objected Cappy. "The people of Bonneton are not fighters! I'm not going to commit the Cap Kingdom to participating in some war against an enemy we know nothing about."
"He has a point," Pauline agreed. "If I make a public announcement about this danger before we even know exactly what it is, I guarantee it'll send the people of New Donk City into a state of panic. I can't do that to my people."
"These are very reasonable objections, princess," Toadsworth agreed. "I suggest we exercise caution for the time being." The elderly toad ran his index finger through his mustache. "Perhaps it would be best if we were to send Master Mario to investigate first for signs of anything out of the ordinary." The eyes of the majority of the council members lit up upon hearing this suggestion, and they collectively began nodding their heads in agreement. They mumbled pleasantly with one another; singing praises of Mario's bravery, skill, and dependability.
Peach however, was not so keen on this suggestion. The princess frowned and folded her hands in her lap as she gripped one of her gloves tightly. She looked up and somehow, Peach wasn't surprised to see Bowser's eyes meet her own at that moment from across the table. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but judging from the intensity in his eyes, his thoughts were probably not far off from her own. After all, they were the only two people at the table not responding to Toadsworth's idea.
"No," Peach denied aloud. The rest of the council fell silent and looked at her. "I can't ask Mario to get involved in this if it's really so dangerous. I won't."
"Peach, please," said Rosalina. "We can't just sit by and ignore this danger. We have to do something."
"Yeah," Daisy agreed. "Besides, the Mushroom Kingdom has always turned to Mario first when things got bad. He's never let you down before."
"It's not that I don't have faith in him to help us," Peach countered. "I know he could. But…I want those days to be over." Her eyes fell back to her lap. "I'm sorry. I just can't ask Mario to put his life on the line for us anymore." Looks of confusion were exchanged around the table upon hearing this reasoning.
"At least talk to him about what's going on then," Cappy suggested. "Maybe he'll have a better idea of what we can do instead."
"A capital idea, Master Cappy!" Toadsworth agreed. "Your highness, if you would be so kind, please consult Master Mario about this problem. With any luck, he should be able to solve this mystery for us lickety-split!" The other council members nodded and smiled at one another.
"I will return if I have any further news to be shared," Eldstar assured. "But for now, I must return to Star Haven."
"Yes, I think I will take my leave now as well," Rosalina added. "If I learn anything more about this threat from my dreams, rest assured that the council will be the first to know of it." Peach sighed.
"Alright, and I'll…talk to Mario about this. If no one has anything more to add, then this meeting of the Kingdom Council is adjourned."
The council dispersed in the courtyard of Peach's castle just as the sun was beginning to set. Peach stood silently and stared off into the distance; her eyes overflowing with uncertainty and doubt. She knew the council was right about Mario. He was a treasure. He'd saved her life, her kingdom, and even the world on countless occasions over the years. The most amazing part of it all was that he would always gladly do it again. Still, why couldn't any of them understand that sometimes a treasure is just too precious to use so thoughtlessly? There did seem to be one other person in that room who understood that…
"You surprised me back there, princess," a gruff voice spoke from behind. Peach turned to see Bowser approach her side and cross his massive arms.
"Did I?" Peach asked as she shifted a lock of her golden hair behind her ear.
"That's the first time I've ever seen you choose not to rely on Mario to fix all your problems when you had the chance. You've really learned to stand on your own two feet for once. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in a Smash Bros tournament right now," Bowser joked with a small laugh. Peach sighed. Bowser abandoned his attempt at jokes when he noticed that she clearly wasn't in the mood for them. "So what gives?" The two took a seat together on the bench behind them.
"I thought things were going to be different from now on. I wanted to be different," said Peach.
"Is that why you started this council in the first place?" Peach looked at Bowser and nodded.
"I wanted to take more responsibility for my kingdom. I wanted to prove to my people - and to myself too, I guess - that I could do things on my own; that I wasn't so helpless without Mario." Bowser scratched the back of his head.
"Well…as much as I think it's a pain in the ass for me to have to drag myself over here practically every week…this council thing never would've happened without you. I mean…you finally got rid of the Mushroom Kingdom's number one enemy, after all. Give yourself some credit for that," Bowser explained reluctantly. Peach turned to him and smiled a little.
"I wish you wouldn't still think of this as such a punishment. Don't you feel happy at all to be treated as a guest here; to be respected? Don't you care that your voice finally matters to us now?" Bowser turned around to look up at Peach's castle. Her eyes followed him.
"Peach, for so long, I've wanted to stand up there on that balcony and look over your kingdom without people running away screaming in terror. Instead, with them respecting me; loving me even."
"But you can still do that now," Peach argued. "All of our kingdoms are united together under the Kingdom Council; including your's. I think you've come a long way with us from how you used to be."
"Maybe, but I always thought I'd be standing up there with you by my side. You know...as my wife." Peach blushed slightly at this revelation.
"Oh…," she started. The princess stared at the diamond ring on her gloved finger. Sunlight danced elegantly through its reflective grooves.
"That's what you saw in him, isn't it?" the Koopa King guessed. "He was never scary to you; never a danger like me. He was one of those soft, mushy types. He was never gonna give up on you…but he knew when to back off, unlike me. He was stubborn enough to go to the ends of the earth just to find you whenever I stole you, and what did he ever ask for in return for all his hard work? Nothing but a slice of cake or a peck on the nose."
Bowser had hit the nail square on the head. All of those reasons together were precisely why Peach said 'yes' the day Mario proposed to her.
Could anyone really blame her? Was anyone honestly surprised? Mario was her knight in shining armor, even if he hardly looked the part. He was a gentleman, a good friend, and a confidant when Peach needed one. He risked his life and limb for her sake far too many times to count. Mario even respected Peach's rejection of his first proposal to her on the moon at Honeylune Ridge without getting too discouraged by it. He simply accepted that she wasn't ready for marriage at the time (Bowser's initial kidnapping of her likely aided Peach in reaching that decision back then anyway), and he waited patiently until the day she was. On one fateful day many years later when he asked for her hand in marriage once more, Peach accepted at last and the two had been happily married ever since.
Or, so was thought…
Despite being offered the title of Mushroom King by Toadsworth, Mario turned it down. His reasoning was that he felt forever compelled to defend the Mushroom Kingdom from the frontlines and at the first sign of trouble. He simply couldn't do that from a throne room. Mario believed that true devotion and service to the people of the Mushroom Kingdom meant he had to continue being the adventurer and freelance hero extraordinaire that he always had been. This decision - as mixed as it had been received by the citizens of Toad Town at first - inspired Peach and Toadsworth to restructure the Mushroom Kingdom's monarchy altogether. Peach formed the Kingdom Council with Toadsworth, Daisy, Rosalina, Pauline, Cappy, and Bowser in order to unite their kingdoms together under one democratic system.
Mario wouldn't have to single-handedly change the world himself anymore. Instead, he would have the kingdoms of the world collaborating alongside him now. The denizens of each one could make their voices truly heard. Together, the council members could make collective executive decisions and slowly work towards making the world a better place, while Mario could continue doing what he loved without inheriting so much of the burden. Besides, serving on the council gave Peach a sense of purpose.
The princess believed she had a chance to become more than just a pretty face always waiting to be kidnapped by the next monster of the week, and that she could now be of real use to her beloved. The Kingdom Council's first official order of business had been deciding upon a proper punishment for Bowser to make him atone for his many crimes. However, instead of being ruthlessly sentenced to death, the Koopa King was to complete his reformation with Peach. At least then, he would be allowed a chance to redeem himself by representing the Koopa Kingdom on the council; provided he demonstrate consistent good behavior prior to serving.
Although Bowser had initially tried to cheat, fight, lie and connive his way out of captivity, he didn't get far when the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland, Cap Kindom, Metro Kingdom, and overseer of the entire galaxy were all standing against him. Over the years, Bowser had been essentially broken and gradually rebuilt from the ground up into a respectable political figure instead of a tyrannical dictator. Although, his grumpy personality, mild temper, and brash attitude largely remained unchanged; much to the delight of Bowser Jr., the Koopalings, and Bowser's former henchmen.
Learning to trust Bowser and welcome him into the Mushroom Kingdom on a weekly basis for council meetings was a difficult task at first for the denizens of Toad Town. How could he be trusted so easily after everything he'd done? Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Toad were all especially skeptical about Bowser actually changing his ways for good. But after many years of counseling, trials, tribulations, and moral support from a large group of friends and family alike, Bowser finally began to grow comfortable with his new life of no longer invading kingdoms, kidnapping princesses, or fighting Mario. He was beginning to earn the authority and respect he'd wanted for so long by working with the council. Even if the manner in which he obtained them was far different from what he'd originally imagined; using words instead of brute force. However, none of this would ever change the fact that Peach would never be his bride. Peach knew that deep down, this loneliness was something Bowser would never truly be able to move on from.
"I suppose you're right," Peach agreed. "But, maybe if you hadn't spent so many years kidnapping me…we could've become more than friends." Bowser snorted at that.
"Yeah right. Don't try to lead me on with your petty 'what-if's,' Peach. We both know it's too late for you to have feelings for me," Bowser objected. He slouched over and examined the cement beneath his massive feet. "You and Mario were always meant to tie the knot eventually. Any chump with half a brain could've seen that coming." Peach's eyes looked away. "Now you two are as close as close can get. So what's the big deal with asking for Mario's help? You know he's not going to say no since he's not tied down by the throne or the council."
"That's just it," Peach responded. "I know he'll say yes, but I don't want him to. I…I don't want him to go!" she exclaimed. "I know letting Mario run free like this over the years has all been for the best since he would've been miserable if he had been forced to become the king and…imprison himself in the castle for the rest of his life. But…," the princess started.
"But…?" Bowser repeated. He had a hunch she was getting at something, so he waited for her to find the words. Peach shut her eyes and clenched her fists.
"Is it so wrong of me to want him to change too!?" she exclaimed. "I wish Mario could…you know…stop running around all the time and just be my husband for a change!"
"You want to keep him close, don't you?" Bowser guessed.
"Yes!" the princess affirmed. "I mean…he's not getting any younger. He can't keep up the hero act forever. I've tried to support him for as long as I could, Bowser. I really did, and I thought running the council would be enough for me to feel useful and busy and…happy," Peach explained. "I thought it would be enough for me to somehow feel like I was with him on his journeys. But it's not. I hardly ever see him anymore because we're both so busy. All these years later, I'm so afraid that something terrible is going to happen to him out there any day now," she reasoned. Her sapphire pupils met Bowser's. "Bowser, I can't lose Mario. Not when I haven't even had a real chance to love him…" Tears glistened in her eyes. Bowser wiped one away with his claw as it began to roll down her cheek.
"Hey, come on now. Don't do that. What good is crying gonna do, huh?" Bowser asked. Peach didn't have an immediate answer. The Koopa King sighed and rolled his eyes. He was never good at dealing with people when they cried in front of him; except for his son of course. "Look, you're overreacting. If it were that easy to kill Mario, I would've done it years ago." Peach calmed down ever so slightly just from hearing that. She had seen that firsthand to be true. Bowser ran his hand through his hair and scratched his head.
"But I'm not surprised plumber boy hasn't been much of a 'lover boy' to you, though. I mean, how do you two even talk about stuff like this? The guy never says more than a few words at a time. Besides, he loves his adventures too much to ever sit still, and you've enabled him to think that's okay, Peach. If this keeps up, don't expect to ever have kids with him. It won't happen."
"What should I do then, Bowser? Was marriage always so easy for you?" Peach inquired as she dried her eyes with her glove. Bowser froze upon hearing such a question.
"W-what…do you mean?" the Koopa King replied.
"I mean, did you and your wife have any problems like this? Communicating? Having jobs that kept you apart? Reasons to worry you would one day never see each other again because your jobs were dangerous and you were both getting older?" Bowser began to sweat and his tongue turned into sand paper in his mouth. He never talked about this subject with Peach or anyone else outside of his castle for that matter. Then again, this was the first time she'd ever asked him directly about his wife or his personal history before he started kidnapping her.
"…What makes you think I have a wife?" he answered indirectly with a forced laugh. "I mean c'mon, Peach! I've been trying to marry you all this time!"
"Bowser Jr. had to come from somewhere," Peach stated bluntly. The pupils in Bowser's eyes constricted and his stomach started twisting into a knot. The Koopa King tugged at his sweater awkwardly. He blushed ever so slightly, though Peach didn't seem surprised as her expression remained casual. Bowser kept his eyes locked on her's, as though looking away might've signaled hesitation.
"How do you know that wasn't just a one-night stand?"
"Oh, please. You've done a lot of terrible stuff, Bowser. But you don't strike me as the kind of person who would do that to a woman. Not since you were so fixated on me alone for all these years. If you were really that shallow, you would've moved on from me ages ago. Besides, you care too much about your son to just walk away from a commitment like that so casually." Drops of sweat slithered down Bowser's neck.
"Oh…" Game, set, and match. All this time, Peach had him cornered and all figured out, and Bowser never knew. He couldn't help but wonder when she could've possibly managed to piece it together that he'd already been married. Maybe it was the first time she met Junior on Isle Delfino? She did just use him as a springboard to dive into this interrogation in the first place.
"I'm just guessing that you were married at the time Junior was born. But I don't know that for sure. Who did you have him with? What was his real mother like?" Bowser bit his lip as he desperately tried to pick his words carefully. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was no dodging the truth any further.
"Fine…you're right…," Bowser admitted. "I was married. She was someone I met a long time ago. How we ended up together…that's a long story. Anyway, I married her when I was about to become king, so she became my queen." Peach listened intensely as Bowser spoke. He was almost distracted by how much her face was glowing with a sudden, unbridled fascination with his story. Why she was suddenly so interested in hearing more about Bowser's past now, he hadn't a clue. "We had Junior not long afterward. That's all." Peach's expression flickered as she grew puzzled.
"...That's all?" she repeated. "Bowser…why did you never tell me any of this before?" The Koopa King looked away and tightly gripped the edges of the bench beneath him with his claws. He could feel his tail curling up underneath the lower back rim of his shell the way it always did during the rare occasions when Bowser was genuinely nervous. This conversation was growing more and more uncomfortable for him by the minute.
"What does it matter?" Bowser countered coldly. Peach stood up and placed her hands on her hips.
"What if I had married you instead of Mario? You don't think I would've wanted to know that you already had a-"
"It's complicated!" Bowser exclaimed as he shot up from the bench and glared at her. They both hesitated for a moment. Bowser shook his head, rubbed the back of his neck, then continued. "Look, I don't like to talk about her, okay?"
"Why not? What happened between you two?"
"She's…not around anymore. She hasn't been for a long time."
"Did she leave you?"
"Sorta…See, it wasn't that we had a fight or anything. We loved each other. No doubt about that. But she was…taken…from me."
"Like…kidnapped…?" Given their history together, Bowser wasn't surprised that Peach would jump to that conclusion.
"No. She got really sick and…passed away..." Peach fell silent.
Suddenly it all made sense to her; the kidnappings, the attempted weddings, the relentless jealousy towards Mario, the anger and the violence. Everything she knew about Bowser made sense now. All this time he had been trying desperately to replace something he'd lost. Bowser was a widower; left with a son to raise all alone. He was so cruel to the world because he had been shielding a broken, terrified heart. There was also the distinct possibility that he probably didn't want Junior having to grow up without a mother. The princess could feel a lump growing in her throat and her lips quivering ever so slightly as her eyes moistened once more, though she resolved not to start crying again. Peach carefully inched her hand towards Bowser's claw until they touched.
"Bowser…I'm so sorry…" she offered.
"Don't be. It had nothing to do with you, and I've had a long time to get over it…" Bowser nudged her hand away. He didn't need her support or sympathy, and he didn't want her to think that he did.
"I guess maybe you do understand why I'm so afraid to lose Mario," Peach said as she looked to the sky.
"Hardly. I lost my wife to a disease, and it happened before I had time to ever worry about losing her. You're afraid of something that might not ever happen. For all you know, Mario could die peacefully in his sleep someday as a jolly old man. It's not the same, Peach." The princess gripped her forearms with her hands; her eyes full of shame. She was practically shivering from his cold, bitter remark. Bowser sighed when he noticed her suddenly defensive and reserved body language. Clearly Peach was overstepping her boundaries; becoming too comfortable around Bowser. She knew it too. So now she was backing off and putting up her guard out of fear of being scolded by him further.
He didn't mean to insult her in such a way by belittling her problems. But what did he care, honestly? Peach wasn't his wife so he wasn't obligated to care about her problems beyond face value. Friends could only do so much for each other. Marriage was a threshold that people like him could never cross with her.
"It's getting late. I'm gonna head home," said Bowser. He got up from the bench and took a few steps away, then stopped. "The way I see it, you've got two choices, princess." She looked up at Bowser.
"I do?" Peach replied.
"Yes. Either you tell Mario what's going on like the council wants you to, and let him go if he agrees to help…" The princess's frown persisted. "Or…just say nothing, and risk putting your kingdom in danger from…whatever the hell this threat turns out to be." Without waiting for her to respond, Bowser departed from the courtyard and left Peach alone with her thoughts as dusk turned to evening.