It was after midnight by the time Bowser parked his Koopa Clown Car in the castle garage and strolled through the halls of his grand stone abode. Everything was quiet. No welcome home party, no fanfare, not a soul was around to welcome him back; not that he expected anyone to be. This was nothing new after all, and he was used to the routine by now. By this hour, the vast majority of Bowser's underlings and henchmen had retired to their quarters for the evening. But the Koopa King had one final stop he had to make before he could follow their example.
Ascending the winding staircase and carefully twisting the door knob between his claws, Bowser quietly entered Junior's room. The light was still on so Bowser assumed his son was awake, but this wasn't the case. The TV and Switch console were still powered on, but Junior was fast asleep in his chair a few feet away; his head drooping low as he snored a bit. The Koopa King stood passively for a moment and stared at him. He wondered if Junior had spent the whole day playing video games. It was a distinct possibility.
Despite maturing a bit over time, Junior still had a tendency every now and then to blow off his responsibilities. This habit had become more and more common these past few years in particular. Bowser assumed that slacking off was Junior's counterproductive way of coping with the fact that he was growing up and had to face new responsibilities; maybe this was how he felt like a kid again. Or, maybe that promise Junior had made to Bowser back when he was seven didn't matter as much to him anymore. Regardless, the prince wouldn't be able to get away with this for much longer. In a few short days, Junior was going to become the king. He would have a lot more pressing matters on his plate to deal with, and playing video games would have to wait. Had Bowser and the Koopalings been doing enough to prepare him?
"Junior…wake up," said Bowser as he shook his son's shoulder. The Koopa Prince was fast asleep. "Junior….," Bowser repeated as he shook slightly more aggressively. Still no response. Bowser rolled his eyes and sighed as he realized what he would have to do next. The Koopa King kneeled down slightly and slid his arms underneath Junior's shell and legs. Bowser hoisted Junior up out of his chair with a strained grunt. "Sheesh, kiddo…you're getting too big for this," he commented. "That, or I'm getting too old…"
Bowser carried Junior over to his bed and lowered him down gently; tucking his son under the blankets with care so as not to wake him. His efforts failed however, as Junior stirred in his bed slightly and opened his eyes.
"Mmm…Dad…?" Junior called out. His father turned around to acknowledge him.
"Hey, champ," Bowser responded. "Sorry, I was hoping I wouldn't wake ya." Junior sat up in his bed and got comfortable for a conversation.
"What times is it?" Junior asked groggily with a yawn.
"A quarter after midnight," Bowser answered.
"Did you just get back from your meeting?"
"Yeah, we…had a lot to go over." The topic of the council was always an awkward one. They both knew that well, so Bowser wasted no time in changing the subject. "How did your training go today?" Junior folded his hands in his lap and looked to the floor.
"Was okay…I couldn't win the race…or any of the sparring matches though…"
"Well….that's alright," Bowser assured with a forced, fatherly smile. "As long as you gave it your best shot, that's all you can do, right?"
"I guess…"
"Your big magic exam is tomorrow, isn't it? You feel ready?"
"No…Ludwig doesn't think I am. Kammy pushed it back to give me another day to review." The optimism faded from Bowser's face.
"Have you been paying attention during your lessons and practicing like they asked?"
"No…," Junior admitted. "Not really…" Bowser sighed and shook his head.
"Junior, we've had this talk half a dozen times now. Don't make me give it again. You need to start taking this stuff seriously. I mean, you're gonna be the king in a few days for crying out loud!" Bowser reached over and picked up Junior's Switch controller off the floor. "You need to power down the games for a while and focus on your training."
"I know but…Dad, this stuff is hard. Really hard."
"Well no one said being in charge was easy," Bowser defended. "It's a rite of passage, Junior. You're growing up from a bratty little kid into a strong and powerful adult. You have to be ready for all of the responsibility that comes with that." The prince folded his arms and pouted.
"Yeah well…maybe it would be easier if you were actually here half the time to help me." Bowser cast his gaze aside. He sat down on the bed and placed his hand on Junior's shoulder. Deep down, Bowser had been praying Junior wouldn't go there. That was certainly a tender spot.
"Son….you know I would be here all the time if it were up to me," Bowser replied. "But the council's got me working just as hard as you." The bitter expression on Junior's face didn't change. He shrugged Bowser's hand away.
"Dad, how much longer are you gonna be working with this stupid council?" Bowser lowered his eyebrows.
"You should think about changing your tune pretty quick. My seat on that 'stupid council' is gonna be your's in a few days, you know."
"…But why?" Junior asked aggressively. "You never explain it to me, Dad! Why do we have to work with those idiots!? Why can't we just go back to kidnapping Mama Peach like we used to do!?" Bowser sighed heavily and shook his head.
"I did explain it to you already," Bowser argued. "That's not who we are anymore." Junior refused to accept that answer.
"I still can't believe that after all this time, you just…surrendered. You changed. Just like that, and just because they asked you to!" Bowser stood up from the bed in a hurry and clenched his fists. He could feel his annoyance at this conversation growing and spreading inside him like a parasite.
"Okay, it's a little more complicated than that, and you know it," Bowser countered aggressively. "After all these years…I was tired of fighting Mario. I was tired of making you and everyone else in this castle fight him. I was tired of losing…" the Koopa King admitted as he stared down at his claws. "At least now we're getting the respect we always deserved."
"…Respect?" Junior repeated with disgust. "You call sitting at a table and twiddling your claws all day respect!?"
"Hey! It's because of me and the sacrifices I've made that we even get to sit at that table at all!" Bowser argued. "You don't have to risk your life anymore! None of us do! The council's out there making real changes in the world and we get to be part of that, Junior!"
"This isn't you, Dad! None of this is us! Growing up, you always taught me that we Koopas take what we want! That's all! We don't sit around quietly and wait for a vote or some crap like that!"
"Hey, watch your language!" Bowser blurted out as he pointed a claw at his son. "And what do you know about me, huh!? You wanna know the truth, Junior!? The 'me' you think you know, that isn't who I always was! I was different before! I only changed and turned out this way after your mother died!" Junior threw back the covers and jumped out of bed to stand off against his father.
"…Mom's got nothing to do with this!" Junior argued.
"Your mom has everything to do with this! I agreed to the counseling with Peach and working with the council because I thought I could to try and make up for all the bad things I've done! I'm trying to be a decent person again; the person your mom married; the person you probably don't even remember me being since you were still sucking your claw at the time when I changed!"
"Ugghh, stop spouting this morality trash, Dad! I'm sick of listening to you preach about how you're 'trying to change' and how you're 'doing this for me!' Here's a newsflash: I NEVER WANTED THIS! I hate what's happened to you! All of this! I hate this stupid council, I hate all of this stupid training and these stupid rules!" The prince pointed a claw right back at Bowser. "I hate that you think you can just stand there now and tell me what's best for me, when you have no idea how I'm feeling about any of this! And you don't even care either!" Bowser reached inside himself for something comforting to say to Junior, but it was no use. He was too worked up now. The only words he could find in his throat were ones fueled with anger.
"That's not true!" Bowser roared. "You really think I would choose the council over you!?"
"You already have, Dad!" Junior counted. "You've been choosing them over me for years! If you're not gonna ditch them and come home, then the least you can do is quit lying to me about it and acting like everything's okay when it's not!" Bowser gritted his teeth.
"You think I want it to be this way!? I don't! But there's nothing I can do about it! My claws are tied here, Junior!"
"Like hell they are!" Junior retaliated. "When have you ever let people tell you what to do before!? You never used to let anyone boss you around or control your life like this! Then out of nowhere, you let Mario and his stupid friends take you prisoner and turn you into this…wimpy…spineless…nobody!" Junior saw Bowser's retinas burn with an intense anger, but he didn't back down. He couldn't. Not this time.
Bowser could feel himself trembling with frustration just listening to his son's outbursts. He had to get himself under control. Getting this worked up wasn't good for him at his age. His blood pressure and his heart couldn't tolerate these high levels of stress anymore like they could years ago. Bowser had to walk away. Now. Before he blew fire in a tantrum of his own or started throwing things around the room; assuming he didn't collapse from a heart attack first.
But he couldn't calm down. Not yet. There was a burning, throbbing pulse pounding in his chest. It was beginning to irritate Bowser, but he couldn't let that stop him. The Koopa King began to tremble. The blood was practically rushing to his head as it vibrated through his system. The rage danced on Bowser's tongue before it finally emerged.
"You're nothing but a spoiled brat!" Bowser howled. "You always have been! You have no idea how hard I've worked for you all these years! How much I've had to give up for you! How much I've had to do just to try and make you happy and give you a good life all by myself! You've never given me an ounce of appreciation for any of that!"
"Oh, so now me being born is the problem!?"
"No, it's your attitude that's the problem!" Bowser corrected. "You don't know how to appreciate anything anyone ever does for you! All you care about is yourself!"
"Well, I guess I inherited that from you then since you care more about changing yourself for that stupid council than your own son! But I guess that's just our reality, isn't it!?"
"You'll never be a good king if you can't learn to stop focusing only on yourself and start thinking about what's best for your kingdom!"
"Then teach me, Dad! Help me learn how to be a good king and how to start thinking about the kingdom if it's so important!" Junior cried.
"I'm trying to, Junior! I just never have the time to-"
"If you really cared about me, you'd make time to help me…" Suddenly the volume of the conversation plummeted to an eerie silence. The hurricane in Bowser's bloodstream subsided, and the pounding in his chest slowed down. The Koopa King sighed. He took a seat down on Junior's bed and motioned for his son to join him. Junior was reluctant at first, then gave in.
"I care about you more than anything else in the world, Junior," said Bowser calmly. He reached his claw out to touch Junior's cheek. The Koopa Prince swatted his father's advance away.
"I seriously doubt that…"
"I know that all of this change has been frustrating for you, and me being gone all the time hasn't made it any easier for you to adjust," Bowser continued. "You have to believe me when I say that I want to be here for you. But it's just not that simple, kiddo…," the Koopa King explained quietly. "I know you need me, but you can't rely on me forever. I can't always come to your rescue when you need help. You're growing up, Junior. You need to learn how to pick yourself up when something gets hard and just…muscle through it." Junior rolled his eyes.
"But I can't do that. I've tried, but I just can't, Dad," Junior whined. The pounding in Bowser's chest returned. He gritted his teeth and could feel his anger returning. Why wasn't this talk helping? Why couldn't Junior understand? What more did Bowser have to say to get his point across? Dammit, why was it always so hard for Bowser to be a good father?
"So this is how you're gonna act when you're king and something gets too tough!?" Bowser blurted out. "You're gonna whine and throw a tantrum just because it's hard!? Huh!?"
"No, I'm gonna throw out all these stupid rules and changes!" Junior retorted. "I'll get rid of the stupid council! I'll turn you back into your old self and make things go back to the way they used to be! I won't have to embarrass myself anymore by trying to be something I'm not!" The Koopa King wrangled his own tantrum in. His chest was on the verge of exploding. Bowser forced himself not to say anything right away. He shut his eyes and took one massive, deep breath through his nostrils. Finally, he settled on an effective response; one that would allow him to immediately exit out of this conversation with the last word.
"Ludwig was right. You aren't ready. And you know what? I doubt you ever will be…" Bowser coldly declared. Junior's eyes widened in response.
It worked. The sheer ice in his words practically froze Junior in his place. The Koopa King stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind him, leaving Junior alone to contemplate his father's bitter remark. The latter was consumed with a horrific stillness.
Junior didn't believe in himself, and now his own father just admitted that he didn't believe in him either.
Alone at last in his own bedroom, Bowser groggily plopped down on the side of his mattress, popped a pair of his heart medicine pills into his mouth, and removed the spiked bands from his arms; massaging his bare, scale-covered wrists as he sat silently with only his thoughts accompanying him. That certainly was not how he'd wanted to end his conversation with Junior. But Bowser just couldn't yell any more. He had come dangerously close to physically collapsing back there. But getting angry wasn't just bad for Bowser's health, it was bad for his relationship with Junior.
He couldn't rely on anger to get his way anymore. Not after all the years of counseling he'd gone through to earn back his freedom; not after the ordeal he and Junior went through together so many years ago. That latter series of events in particular had truly changed Bowser…arguably for the better. His son's Switch console might've long since been replaced, but the memory of Bowser shattering the original system against the wall in a fit of rage was forever engraved into his own memory. Bowser never wanted to be that kind of parent again, and he hadn't been for a long time. But it was getting increasingly difficult to keep that up.
The original promise Bowser made to his late wife had still been kept. Junior had been cared for and protected for an additional 10 years now. The Koopa King hadn't had any visions or dreams of his wife since the end of that perilous journey, which had brought him and his son closer together. Things between them went on to be great, in fact. Junior kept up his end of the bargain by becoming more obedient, and Bowser grew more tolerant and patient in return. The bond between father and son had grown remarkably stronger with time. Surely after all this progress, Bowser should've been proud for changing his personality so much. But somehow…he wasn't.
Junior was acting rebellious again. Only, this was much worse than last time because he was older now, and much more opinionated and headstrong. His teenage hormones were running wild, and Junior's emotions were making him feel things ten times harder than before. It was a difficult time for anyone to go through. The prince tried to act tough and independent like his father, but if this most recent conflict was any indication, Bowser's son was grappling with a new kind of demon.
Junior was absolutely terrified of all the changes that were coming into his life all of a sudden. He didn't want to be king yet. Junior had made that most certainly clear long before tonight. But even more, he was most certainly heartbroken that Bowser was choosing to leave him alone to sort through all of these changes by himself when he needed his father around the most. It wasn't by choice, though. How could it be? Why would Bowser actively choose to serve on some dumb council over tending to Junior's most pressing needs?
Suddenly, Bowser vividly remembered the look on Junior's face upon finding his father in chains back when the Koopa King was first brought into custody by the Mushroom Kingdom all those years ago. Junior's sorrowful tears flowing like bathwater from his beady, black marble eyes; the sight of his claws aggressively digging into his tiny palms in the unbridled anger of his clenched fists; and the way his entire body trembled like a beaten, wounded, horrified animal. Junior didn't understand what was happening. He couldn't possibly make sense of it at the time; no one expected him to. It was all so unthinkable back then.
Junior had witnessed the death of his father.
Not literally of course. Bowser was still very much alive. Rather, that had been the day that the "great and terrible King Bowser" died. Once he was in the Mushroom Kingdom's clutches, he was never going to be the same again. By the time Bowser was finally set free from their custody, he wasn't his old self anymore.
Bowser laid back in his bed and tucked himself underneath the blanket. Turning off the light and shutting his bloodshot eyes, Bowser tried to block out all of his feelings of regret and anxiety, which were brewing and swirling around in his mind. All the exhaustion in the world wasn't enough to chase away the reality that was haunting him.
Junior wasn't ready to become the king yet, and it was all Bowser's fault. Tomorrow, he would have to do something to fix that.
Why was this so difficult?
Peach was married to the most silent man in the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario couldn't verbally probe her and ask her what was wrong, even though he probably would've wanted to if he could; and if he had actually noticed that she was acting quiet and reserved when she came home that night. The subject of the council's meeting ultimately never came up that evening due to their abundant silence as Peach and Mario enjoyed the last of their chamomile tea and the latter resolved to retire for the night. Peach sat alone in her castle's breakfast nook for a moment; accompanied only by the dimming light of a dying fire in the nearby fireplace, and her conflicted conscience.
Why couldn't she just be okay leaving the conversation the way it was?
Maybe it was her better judgement. Maybe it was because she knew that even though Mario spoke so little, he never seemed to have trouble conveying his honest sentiments through his eyes and his body language, as well as his uncanny ability to subconsciously request others to open up to him. Just looking at him, it was too hard for Peach to try to hide something from Mario. She found herself often compensating for her husband's silence by talking twice as much for the both of them. If he could talk, he would always be honest with her. Peach was certain of this. That would fit right in with Mario's genuine, selfless nature; the very one she married him for. Despite the reality that Mario barely spoke, Peach still felt obligated to talk to Mario herself, as his wife. Here she was complaining about Mario's addiction to adventure and heroism behind his back to Bowser earlier that evening. Yet, how could she think of herself as any better of a person if she wasn't even willing to try communicating with Mario in the first place?
No. Silence simply would not do.
Peach had to tell Mario about what the council requested of her, even though she dreaded the answer she anticipated receiving. Bowser's final words from Peach's earlier conversation with him still lingered in her eardrums. Or…just say nothing, and risk putting your kingdom in danger from…whatever the hell this threat turns out to be. That was most definitely not an option. Peach set her tea cup and coaster in the kitchen sink and rinsed them. Then she trudged up the staircase to the bedroom.
The room was blanketed in shadows, save for the modest glow of the lamp on Mario's nightstand. The plumber was already nestled comfortably under the covers of their bed, peacefully lost in what must've been a captivating book; judging by the humble smile on his face. He glanced over at Peach and waved when she entered. The princess forced a smile of her own and crossed the room as she prepared to change down into her night gown. A moment later, she climbed into her side of the bed and pulled the blankets up to her waste; taking a deep breath.
"Did you have a good day?" Peach asked, breaking the silence at last. Mario smiled and nodded, then pointed his finger at her. Over the years, Mario and Peach found little gestures and ways of getting over the communication barrier. Peach would often begin the conversation, and Mario would respond with facial expressions, hand gestures, charade-like body movements, and infrequent words and noises. It felt like she was married to a mime at times, but somehow Mario's gestures always managed to come off as endearing to her. A pointed finger was Mario's way of inquiring about the other person, such as returning the question she had just asked him.
"Mine? It was…busy. That's for sure," said Peach. In response to this, Mario gingerly patted her on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Ah-ha," he spoke in a pleasant, cheerful tone. This was his way of praising her for her hard work, and conveying that he appreciated her for it. The silence resurrected itself immediately after when Peach didn't say anything, but she knew she had to break it for good. There's was no other way of getting around what had to come next.
"Eldstar and Rosalina did share news with the council today of something…troubling though…," Peach admitted. This grabbed Mario's attention. He put his book aside, shuffled around in the bed slightly, and looked straight into her eyes as he waited for her to elaborate. "We're not sure what exactly, but some kind of powerful, dark force is coming."
"Hmm…" Mario's eyes expressed a complex mixture of confusion and determined understanding.
"The Mushroom Kingdom might be in danger, as will the other kingdoms." Peach shut her eyes in preparation for what she had to say next. Her stomach was doing somersaults. It felt as though she was going to have to vomit her next words out. "The council is wondering if…you'd be willing to investigate for any clues of what this danger might be…" Mario clenched his fists and nodded sharply. After all, he had been protecting this land for far too long to ever suddenly deny a cry for his help.
"Mmm-hmm!" Peach practically winced at Mario's acceptance of the request. He placed his book on the night stand and laid down to prepare for his next adventure by getting a good night's sleep.
"But…you don't have to agree to it, you know…" Mario didn't respond to this. Peach was certain he'd heard her. But his mind was already made up as he was settling down to fall sleep. "I mean, you've done so much for us over the years already. It's okay if you'd like to sit this one out," she continued. "There's no shame in it." This garnered Mario's attention. He sat back up and gave her a puzzled look. Peach hesitated to say anything more. Had she said too much already?
"All I'm trying to say is…you don't have to do this if you don't want to," Peach clarified. Mario wrapped one gloved hand around her own. He knitted his eyebrows in concern as he stared directly into her eyes; attempting to penetrate the wall her face was putting up between her insecure thoughts and him. Mario gently beat his chest with the side of his other fist. The princess recognized this gesture as Mario's way of describing his duty or commitment to the kingdom. It became apparent to her that Mario was attempting to explain the importance of his role as its protector.
"It might not even turn out to be anything out of the ordinary, Mario," Peach suggested. "Maybe Rosie's nightmares will just go away. We don't know for certain that they'll come true. You might just be wasting your time by accepting this. What if you find nothing?" Mario drew a star shape in the air in front of his wife with his finger.
"I…don't know what it means if Eldstar's having visions. But that's all they are right now. Visions." Mario banged on his chest with his fist again, although with a little more force this time. He seemed to be emphasizing how serious he took the words of the Star Spirits.
"But the Star Spirits can't always be right, can they?" the princess argued. "Surely they've been wrong before." She bundled a portion of the blanket in her grip as this conversation dragged on. Mario shook his head at this. There was the slightest hint of anger flashing in his eyes.
"Why do you listen to the stars more than me!?" Peach suddenly exclaimed. "I'm your wife! Are you saying that my opinion doesn't matter to you!?" The harsh tone lingered in her throat for a moment after it exited her mouth. Peach hadn't meant for those words to come out, and not in that way. But when they did, the princess realized that she felt…good. It was invigorating to say exactly how she was feeling to Mario; to stand up to him for a change. She had to keep going. She couldn't stop here. Mario slapped his palm to his face. He didn't appreciate Peach jumping to such a conclusion. The plumber repeated his honor gesture a third time as he practically punched his chest. The difference this time, was that he followed up the gesture by pointing a finger at Peach.
"I don't care if you're doing this to protect me, Mario!" His eyes widened upon hearing that. "I don't need your protection right now! What I need is for you to listen to me! You can't keep doing this forever, and I can't spend the rest of my life worrying about whether or not you'll come back safely! Why can't you just stay home for once and be my husband!?" Mario sighed and shook his head. He reached over and picked up his red cap from the night stand. The plumber ran his fingers across the rim of it as he stared at it intensely.
"You know what? Fine! I see where your priorities are!" Peach continued shouting. "Being a hero is just that important to you that there's nothing I could ever say to make you stay! That's our reality, isn't it!?" Mario threw his arms up into the air, rolled his eyes, and aggressively rolled over in the bed to force himself asleep as he tossed the cap aside and violently switched off his lamp. Peach sat up in the darkness for a moment. She sighed.
"Fine then. Go," the princess muttered bitterly. "Be the hero. That's all you are, right? You're much too busy saving lives to even consider the idea that maybe I would've liked to have you stay here with me for a change. If that really makes me so selfish in your eyes, then you're better off going." Mario didn't budge, not that she expected him to at this point.
Peach tucked herself under the blankets and inched her body away towards the edge of the bed. She welcomed the sweet escape of slumber. It was the only way for her to free herself from the reality that she wasn't living the 'happily ever after' she thought she would get from marrying Mario. In fact, they had more than just differences in communication, they had differences in aspirations. Her happiness wasn't his. Not anymore. Or was that just never the case to begin with?
The following morning, Peach gradually woke up alone in her bed and was greeted with an eerie silence in her castle. She found herself intensely concentrating on the slightly muffled patter of her bare feet brushing the carpet as she strolled down the hall. She was desperate to get away from the thoughts in her mind, which were now busy replaying the previous night's conversation with Mario over and over again and shaming her in the process. She wasn't alone, however. At least, not as much as she felt.
The princess was greeted cheerfully by a myriad of Toads and servants as she went about her morning routine, but none of her exchanges with any of them felt genuine. Peach felt as though she were drifting aimlessly that day. She had nowhere to be, and nothing fulfilling or rewarding to do. But even though "happy" was not the first word she would use to describe her solitude, she wasn't exactly looking for companionship either. Peach glanced out the enormous window overlooking the castle gardens and noticed that Mario's red, top-hat shaped aircraft - The Odyssey - was missing from its usual parking spot.
She didn't think much of this. Ever since the conclusion of his globe-trotting adventure with Cappy, Mario often used the ship to travel outside the Mushroom Kingdom. What did concern Peach - despite her best efforts to ignore her feelings - was the distinct likelihood that Mario was taking up the council's request after all, and was currently digging around aimlessly somewhere for some mysterious danger that no one knew anything about. Still, there wasn't much Peach could do about it now. She just had to swallow her regrets and keep up a pleasant appearance for the time being. Having been a public figure in her kingdom for many years, this was an art she had mastered.