"Did you check the courtyards!? M-maybe he's lounging around outside!" Wendy proposed in a panic.

"Lemmy and I did a sweep of the grounds this mornin'. He's not out there, Wendy," Roy answered.

"Well, where else could he be then!?"

"I don't know," Iggy confessed. "We've searched this castle top to bottom. Junior's not here."

"Did we check his bedroom!?" Wendy asked.

"Duhh," Morton groaned.

"That was the first place we checked," Larry clarified.

"Check the garage then!"

"Already tried that," Roy argued. "Junior's clown car is still here. So the kid's gotta be hiding somewhere."

"And we're all positive that Junior didn't say a word to anyone!? Nothing that might've hinted that he would try this!?" Lemmy inquired aloud. The Koopalings all shook their heads gloomily.

"I don't think anyone has seen Junior since the exam this morning," Wendy described. "But it just doesn't make any sense! Where could he have gone? How could he get very far at all without his clown car?" The female Koopaling was practically hyperventilating.

"Wendy. Enough already. Relax," Iggy ordered as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Junior obviously doesn't want to be around anyone right now. But I'm sure he'll turn up if we give him some time."

"But Kammy said that King Bowser ordered us to keep an eye on him," Wendy reminded. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm not going to embarrass myself further by failing him yet again!" Larry leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Suddenly, a thought struck him as his eyes lit up.

"Wait a sec…," he spoke. The Koopalings looked to him. "Mort, when we checked Junior's room, do you remember seeing his paint brush anywhere?" Morton placed a claw to his chin.

"Uhhh…" Morton replied.

"You know, that paint brush he's always carrying around. He got it from that island or something. Junior's always bragging about how 'magical' it is," Larry elaborated. Morton shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"I didn't see it either…" Suddenly, Larry's lips curved into a smile and he chuckled. "Guys…Junior's fine." The Koopalings all stared at him; utterly confused.

"What are you talking about, Larry?" Iggy asked.

"I know where he is. We don't need to do a thing," Larry declared. The Koopalings continued to stare at him. "Junior's fine. He'll be back."

A cool, gentle breeze wafted across Junior's scales from the open window. He blinked a few times, then stirred slightly. Sitting up, Junior scanned the room around him. He was back in his bed again as if he'd never left. It was as if the dream had started over. Only, Junior's mother wasn't there to wake her son this time. He never went into the bathroom or fell off the stool.

Sunlight streamed through the window. The walls seemed farther apart; the bed stretched to twice its normal length. The floor was populated with toys and other relics of the past once more. Junior pushed back the blankets and climbed down from his bed. He had reverted in age again. He was back in this bizarre dream world. Thankfully, Junior wasn't suffering from any abnormal symptoms this time.

Junior wandered out of the bedroom, down the empty hall and descended the staircase at the end. Every step felt like more of a significant drop; each was its own exhilarating thrill. This was likely due to his shorter legs. At last Junior reached the bottom and entered the dining hall. The air was packed with the delectable smells of cinnamon rolls and freshly brewed coffee. Nearby, Bowser was seated comfortably at the table; enthralled in his morning paper. His hair was well-kept and combed over to one side. He was dressed in a khaki brown jacket with matching shorts and a white, collared button-down undershirt. The Koopa King was also wearing square, thick-rimmed glasses for some reason. This last accessory was especially jarring as Junior had never seen Bowser wear glasses before. The Koopa Prince approached his father cautiously. He stopped in his tracks when Bowser turned to him and suddenly got up from his chair excitedly.

"There he is! Morning, kiddo!" Bowser greeted cheerfully.

"Uhhh…morn-," Junior started. His greeting was cut short as Bowser plucked him up off the ground and held him tightly in his arms. It had been a long time since his dad had been this affectionate with him. Yet, Bowser was hugging him now as if this were the first time he'd seen Junior in years. Junior pulled away from a barrage of kisses long enough to speak up once more. "Dad…what's going on?" Bowser frowned.

"Whaddya mean, champ?"

"How come you're…dressed like that?" The two observed Bowser's attire.

"Hmm? I always dress up like this! Papa's gotta look good for another busy day of work, right?"

"I…guess…," Junior forced out. This conversation was getting more bizarre by the second. "Dad…are you mad at me?" Bowser's eyebrows slanted with empathy.

"Mad? Why on earth would I be mad at you, Junior?" Junior's eyes trailed off.

"Because…we had that fight the other night and you stormed off after hearing all the awful stuff I said to you. You said Ludwig was right; that I wasn't ready to be king. Then I blew it at the exam. I mean…aren't you angry with me at all?" The Koopa King stared at his son as if the latter were speaking a foreign language. Suddenly, his face lit up as if a light bulb had just appeared over his head.

"Ohhh! I get it now! This is another one of your pretending games, isn't it?" Now it was Junior's turn to look confused.

"…What?" Junior asked.

"You hopped right outta bed and the first thing you wanna do is play pretend!" Bowser set Junior down and rubbed his son's top-knot. "I wish I still had your energy, sport!" the Koopa King commented with a laugh.

"Dad, I'm not making this up! What's the matter with you? Don't you remember anything?"

"Only thing I remember about last night is reading you a bedtime story." Junior was steadily growing irritated with his father's absurd responses.

Bowser hadn't read him a bedtime story in ages; and certainly not the night before! What…did happen last night? What day was it anyway? Bowser took notice of his son's intense expression, which suggested that Junior was deep in serious thought. He kneeled down and placed his palm on Junior's forehead.

"You feeling alright, champ?" Bowser asked with concern.

"I don't…know…" Junior replied. He rubbed his head tenderly with his tiny hand.

"Well, run on into the kitchen and ask your mother if she's got any more of that medicine for ya. Maybe you should take some after breakfast," Bowser suggested.

"Medicine?" Junior repeated.

"You know, that stuff Mama's been having you take all week. If you're still getting those headaches, I think it might be time we take you in to see a doctor," his father suggested.

"Wait…Mom!?" the Koopa Prince blurted out. "You mean…she's here!?" Shock rippled across the concern on Bowser's face.

"Well…yeah, Junior. She's-" he started. Junior couldn't wait for Bowser to finish. He raced off across the room and entered the kitchen. The scent of breakfast was the most potent in here. The Koopa Prince stopped in his tracks when he saw a tall, slender figure standing in front of an oven. It was a woman with ruby red hair dressed in a long, emerald green gown with golden embroidery. She had her back towards Junior so he couldn't see her face. He was hesitant to approach her.

"Mom…?"

Junior jolted awake suddenly and jerked himself to sit up. It was all gone; the kitchen; the sunlight; the smell of breakfast; the woman. He was sucked back into reality in an instant. Junior's breathing was heavy; as if he'd just been drowning and was at last allowed to come up for air. He instantly began to shiver and wrapped himself in the ragged old blanket which was spread out haphazardly over his ankles. The Koopa Prince glanced across the darkness of the room at the fire pit a few feet away from him. The fire had long since burned out as only a pile of lifeless ashes remained. Without its warmth, the empty house had descended into a steady chill cold enough that Junior could see his own breath. Fighting against the bitter temperature, Junior climbed to his feet and journeyed into the nearby room to fetch another log.

He returned to the previous room a moment later and tossed the wood into the fire pit. Concentrating, Junior spat a small spark of fire at the log. It took a few shots, but the fire finally came to life. Junior sneezed, wrapped himself in the blanket once more, and huddled as close to the humble heat source as possible. But his trembling persisted.

Another dream…, Junior thought. He examined his claws. What's happening to me?

Junior looked up at the window behind him. The sun had gone down and nightfall was approaching fast. The Koopa Prince wondered when he fell asleep, and how he'd managed to sleep for so long despite how cold the house had gotten. The getaway home seemed so much colder now than he remembered. The very idea of winter in these forgotten lands seemed so unthinkable. But the sensation was very real. The fire pit and the blanket weren't enough. It hadn't taken long for Junior to realize this. Without them, he would've likely already frozen to death. But how was he going to survive the night with these supplies alone?

He most likely wouldn't. The only blanket Junior had managed to find in his parents' old home was dirty, torn in several places, and littered with holes. Junior could sleep without it and it honestly wouldn't make much difference. The fire was only helping to delay the inevitable. It would help Junior warm up just enough to fall asleep. But then the fire would die on its own late into the night. By then, Junior would be so numb from the cold that he wouldn't wake up to restart it. He probably wouldn't wake up at all. Attempting to spend the night in this freezer of a house was suicide. Was that for the best after everything that had just happened? No. The most sensible thing to do would be to just go home.

Home…

If only it were that easy. Junior wondered if anyone back at the castle had even noticed that he'd left, or if they had any clue that he was here. Did they even remember this place? The getaway home appeared to be just as empty now as it was when Junior arrived this afternoon so he assumed that no one was coming for him; not that he really wanted anyone to. Junior couldn't stand the idea of being around people right now; not after that embarrassing display this morning. He didn't have the heart to face the Koopalings, Kammy, and much less his father after failing them all as badly as he did. So for the time being, Junior vowed to remain here alone.

No friends. No family. Just him. Maybe the cold would toughen him up. If it didn't, then at least he would freeze here and die alone so he couldn't disappoint anyone anymore.

Peach closed her eyes and steadied her breathing as time slowed to a stand-still around her. The target was waiting for her to make a move. Ready, the princess launched a powerful sideways kick at the punching bag hanging in front of her; dangling from the ceiling. She followed up with a series of punches, ducked, rolled around 180 degrees, and then slugged the bag again from behind. The bag swung high into the air, then returned to its sender with equal velocity. With determination burning in Peach's eyes, she met the bag head-on with a decisive kick. Then another, and another. The princess continued her onslaught of punches and kicks upon her inanimate sparring partner as sweat rained down from her pores. It felt exhilarating to get back into her training routine; not to mention therapeutic.

Peach had taken up self-defense training about five years ago. She had to do something with all of her extra free time since Bowser wasn't kidnapping her anymore, and Peach was determined to make sure Mario wouldn't have to come to her rescue ever again. It was time she learned how to stand up for herself. Even though Peach hadn't encountered any real threats to test her new fighting prowess on since she began her training, martial arts provided her with numerous other benefits. Besides being a great work-out, the princess found that it boosted her self-confidence. Peach felt like a much better council leader and princess to her kingdom through these means of testing her strength, and gradually applying pressure to improve. Today however, Peach discovered that picking up her training again was also a great way to blow off steam after her argument with Mario.

Peach took a seat on the bench nearby, sipped her water bottle, and wiped the sweat away from her forehead with her towel; taking in the serenity of her moment of solitude in the castle fitness center. She looked up in time to see Toadsworth approaching her from the entryway.

"Princess, my apologies for interrupting your training," the elder Toad began.

"It's fine, Toadsworth. I was just about finished anyway," Peach explained. "What's up?"

"One of our council members is here insisting we hold a meeting today." As if on command, Peach glanced up behind him to see Bowser approaching her. The determination in his eyes was almost unsettling.

"…Bowser?" Peach questioned aloud.

"I hate to cut your sparring practice short, but I need to meet with you. Now," said Bowser. Peach sighed. Bowser's brash and demanding nature irritated her at times. This was just such an occasion.

"Whatever this is, can't it wait until our scheduled meeting tomorrow?"

"It can't," Bowser denied. Peach folded her arms across her chest and stared at him.

"What's this about?"

"Call the rest of the council over. I'll wait around for them to show up, but tell them to hurry."

"You didn't answer my question."

"I have a proposition," the Koopa King clarified.

About an hour later, the majority of the Kingdom Council was assembled in the meeting hall of Peach's castle. Bowser had been pacing back and forth around the room impatiently; ignoring Peach's suggestions for him to take a seat and relax. The Koopa King refused to say a word to anyone as Cappy, Rosalina, Pauline and Toadsworth each took a seat. The impromptu meeting was about to begin when Pauline made a comment.

"…Where's Daisy?" she inquired. Peach shook her head.

"I don't know. I tried calling her twice earlier, but she didn't answer. She might be feeling a bit under the weather from all of the climate changes Sarasaland has been experiencing recently," the princess explained.

"That would make sense," Pauline agreed. "It's strange though. I've never been there myself, but I've always heard about how hot Sarasaland is. It's practically a desert out there. But I read in today's weather report in the morning paper that Sarasaland is experiencing heavy snowfall and blizzards right now," the mayor described. "Has this ever happened before?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Peach replied. "I mean, Daisy did give us those climate change reports the other day, but I don't think she was expecting it to start snowing there all of a sudden."

"Forget her!" Bowser interrupted. "Look, the rest of you are here. That's good enough. Now can we just get started already?"

"Very well, but may I ask what exactly we are discussing that's so urgent that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" Rosalina asked. Bowser glared at each of the members around the table.

"I have a proposition to make, and I'm not leaving here until you all agree to it," he declared aggressively. The council members were all unsettled by the severity in Bowser's tone. It sounded as though the Koopa King was a few syllables away from threatening them. Peach had known Bowser long enough to know that despite his rehabilitation with her, he still had some deep-rooted tendencies to be forceful and somewhat rude. That being said, Bowser seemed different this time. The intensity in his eyes communicated to Peach that something was wrong.

"Alright, and what is it you're proposing, Bowser?" Cappy requested, following Rosalina's sentiment.

"I know we agreed on asking Mario to investigate this big scary threat that the old star warned us about last time," Bowser began. "But forget Mario. Let me go instead." The council was taken aback as no one said anything at first.

"Come again?" Rosalina responded at last.

"Let me go figure out what this threat is and I'll put a stop to it myself."

"But…Bowser, you're part of the council; part of our collective actions," Cappy explained. "Why on earth would you want to face this threat on your own?"

"I have my reasons," Bowser stated bluntly; folding his arms.

"Peach…did you even ask Mario to look into this matter for us first?" Pauline asked as she turned to the princess. The rest of the council – including Bowser – looked to Peach and anticipated her response anxiously. Peach sighed. She didn't enjoy being put on the spot nor being reminded of her unpleasant conversation with Mario the night before; much less having to discuss the incident in detail so soon.

"Yes, I did talk to Mario about it," Peach confirmed.

"What did he say?" Toadsworth asked.

"He agreed to do it. In fact, when I woke up this morning, Mario was already gone. I was planning on mentioning this to you all tomorrow since I was certain the subject would come up." She shot a quick glare at Bowser. "But I guess it's more important for me to tell you now, apparently."

"Well there you have it then," Toadsworth submitted. "There's no need for you to soil your hands with this matter any further, Master Bowser. Master Mario is already on the case and given his track record, he will most certainly resolve this issue for us on his own." Bowser gritted his teeth. He refused to accept that answer. Suddenly the Koopa King reached over and tugged on Peach's arm, much to her horror.

"Call him back," Bowser ordered. Peach stared at him in complete disbelief and pulled her arm free.

"What?"

"I said, call him back. We don't need Mario for this. Let me go instead," the Koopa King demanded.

"But…Bowser, even you told me-"

"I know what I said, Peach! But forget about that! Listen to what I'm saying now!" Peach and Bowser stopped when they noticed the rest of the council staring at them, horrified at his sudden hostility.

"Master Bowser! I must ask that you control yourself at once!" Toadsworth exclaimed.

"Yes, why are you so insistent on doing this by yourself all of a sudden?" Pauline added.

"I already told you. I have my-"

"And just what are your reasons!?" Cappy cut him off. Bowser sighed and shook his head. He looked over at Peach once more.

"Peach, just find Mario and tell him to call off his investigation. Let me do this instead. I'll get this problem solved. In exchange for my service, I want you to consider my debt to the Mushroom Kingdom to be repaid in full." Peach stared at Bowser, puzzled.

"What exactly does that mean? We need you to be a little more specific, Bowser," she responded.

"I want out of the Kingdom Council," he finally confessed. Shock glimmered across each council member's face.

"You…what?" Peach attempted to repeat.

"I've been sitting here glued to this table against my will listening to all of you; agreeing half-heartedly with all of your little bone-headed decisions and making smartass comments and small talk for almost a decade. But enough is enough," Bowser described. "If this threat is really as bad as we think it is, then let me handle it. All I want in return, is for you all to allow me to resign from the council and go home."

"But…Bowser," Rosalina started. "You've changed so much for the better during your time serving on the council. We've treated you as an esteemed guest at this table. Why are you so dissatisfied with us to the point that you'll act and bargain so recklessly just to get away?"

"Yeah, and how do we know you aren't trying to get away from us just so you can change back into your old self and start kidnapping Princess Peach again?" Cappy added.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT, OKAY!?" Bowser shouted. "I just want my freedom! I know I did a lot of bad stuff in the past. But I'm tired of bending over backwards and always doing everything you say. I want my own life back. I'm not cut out for this crap anymore. But none of you have ever given me a choice in the matter! Is wanting to step down really so bad!?" The council remained silent and let the reality of Bowser's words sink in.

Peach suddenly felt a heavy weight of guilt overcome her. Truth be told, they never did give Bowser a choice in when he could stop. They never gave him any indication as to when his debt to the Mushroom Kingdom could be considered repaid. Sure, when Mario and the group had first brought Bowser into custody, he didn't deserve a say in the matter in their eyes. He was still a tyrant. He had so many crimes against the Mushroom Kingdom to pay for. But now, Peach couldn't deny that over time, Bowser had cooperated. Aside from the fact that his personality was still somewhat unpleasant at times, the Koopa King still went along with all of the rehabilitation. He followed the rules and orders that were given to him. Despite his consistent venting and frustrations over the years about the absurdity of democracy and serving on a council, Bowser still ultimately played along.

He worked hard and made a lot of progress in repairing his reputation in the Mushroom Kingdom. In spite of this however, no one on the council had ever once stopped to really consider all of the sacrifices Bowser was being forced to make in order to be here now. He had a son and hundreds of loyal servants, friends, and followers whom he was being forced to neglect in order to serve on the council. He never had any free time; no chance to truly express himself or apply his personality changes from his therapy in other areas of his life. He had no work-life balance whatsoever. Bowser was essentially still a slave. Peach also remembered her conversation with Bowser the other night. She vividly recalled his jealousy towards Mario marrying her instead of him, and his heartbreak over the loss of his own wife.

Bowser was carrying so much baggage in his life. The Kingdom Council was only making his burden even worse.

Was this why he was always so bitter at the meetings? How could the council sit here and preach about positive change and freedom from tyranny when they were still essentially keeping Bowser as their prisoner? Upon reaching this realization, Peach resolved that something had to change right now.

"He's right," said Peach at last. "Bowser has lived under our supervision long enough. It's time we let him go free."

"But…your highness...," Toadsworth started.

"Toadsworth, we're no better than how Bowser used to be if we continue to keep him here against his will," the princess asserted. She turned to face Bowser. The determination in her eyes was new to him. "If you can take care of this threat for us, your debt will be repaid and you can resign from the council. That's what you want, right?" Bowser nodded.

"Princess! Princess!" Toad exclaimed as he scurried into the meeting room unannounced. He was short of breath when he reached Peach's side.

"What is it, Toad? What's wrong?" she asked. He held a small box up to her face. It appeared to be open already, but the ends were folded back over; hiding the contents inside from immediate view.

"We just received this package! You have to see this right now!" Toad explained. Peach took the box in her hands and slowly opened it. The color drained from her face when she saw what was inside. The rest of the council watched anxiously from their seats in anticipation.

Inside the box was Mario's signature red cap.

It was severely damaged, torn, and scorched with black markings as if it had been burned. The entire room eyeballed the cap with horror. Even Bowser was shocked by this development. Peach dug around in the box with her free hand and found a small sheet of paper. It was a note written in a sinister purple font. The words were practically glowing; as if the note had been written in a magic ink.

Consider this a warning.

You're next.

Peach read the note several times over, then twice aloud for the rest of the room to hear. It didn't get any easier to stomach what she read. Peach sat down and looked as though she was about to be sick as she covered her mouth with her gloved hand. Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. Pauline jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Peach to console her. Bowser snatched up the note and read it silently to himself as he tried to form his own assessment of the situation.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Toadsworth exclaimed. "Toad, who would have the nerve to make such an awful delivery!?"

"I don't know!" Toad replied. "The box just fell out of the sky and landed in front of me!"

"What on earth is going on!?" Cappy interjected. "Who would do such a thing!?" Rosalina requested to examine the note for herself as she took it from Bowser.

"It's the dangerous force," said Rosalina. "The one that Eldstar spoke of, and what my nightmares have been about. I'm certain of it. Whoever wrote this is connected to the threat."

"Master Mario…," Toadsworth spoke. He didn't have the heart to finish his thought.

"Wait a second…," Cappy inserted. "This is Bowser's doing!" he accused. Everyone turned to the Koopa King. Bowser's jaw dropped.

"What!? Get real, hat-boy! I didn't do this!" Bowser defended.

"Why not!? It would make perfect sense!" Cappy argued as he began to hover around the room. "You told us earlier that you were not going to leave until we agreed to your proposition. That sounds pretty desperate if you ask me. You probably did something to Mario and planned to use this package just to threaten us into giving in to your demands, you monster!"

"Oh come on!" Bowser retaliated.

"He's right," Pauline added. "Look at it. The hat's covered in burn marks. No doubt as a result of coming into contact with your fire breath. You just want to get away from the council so you can go right back into doing horrible things again. Without Mario around, what other choice would we have except to give in to your demands?" Bowser was about ready to blow fire across the room in response to these accusations. But just before he could speak…

"No…Bowser didn't do this," Peach defended from Pauline's side. She wiped her tears away and composed herself for the moment.

"How can we be sure of that, Peach?" Pauline asked. The princess requested the note once more.

"Because there's no signature on this note, or any sort of return address on the box," Peach responded. "Whoever did this doesn't want us to know their identity. In all the years that Bowser has kidnapped me, he's never once tried to hide his involvement. In fact, he always used to brag whenever he did something terrible." Bowser's tail curved nervously upon hearing this truth. "If Bowser actually did this, then he wouldn't be trying to deny it right now."

"Couldn't have said it any better myself," said Bowser. "I take pride in my work. I wish I could take credit and say that I did this to Mario. But the fact is, I didn't. When would I possibly have had the time to pull off a stunt like this anyway when I'm always busy sitting here with all of you every week?"

"Well…," Cappy started. Truth be told, he didn't have much more evidence to argue otherwise.

"Exactly," Rosalina chimed in again. "I have no doubt in my mind that the person who is capable of hurting Mario in this way is someone powerful; powerful enough to orchestrate the danger we fear is coming. I do not believe that Bowser is our culprit. However, I do believe the stars aligned for our meeting here today."

"What do you mean by that?" Pauline inquired.

"I believe we were all meant to gather here today to have this discussion," Rosalina continued. "We should accept Bowser's offer and enlist his help in combating the threat at hand. Not only because we have kept him under our supervision long enough and he has long since earned his freedom back. But also because besides Mario, Bowser is the only one who has immediately risen to the occasion. I believe the stars intended for this to happen. Still, now I pray that Mario isn't…" Peach broke down into tears again before Rosalina could finish her thought. In Peach's emotional absence, Toadsworth rose from his chair, grabbed his cane, and approached Bowser. He cleared his throat.

"Master Bowser, in light of this troubling development, I think I can safely speak on behalf of the entire Kingdom Council when I say that we welcome and would greatly appreciate your service in combating this mysterious threat." The elder Toad scanned the room. Rosalina and Pauline each nodded. Cappy looked slightly reluctant, but ultimately agreed to the sentiment as well. "Henceforth, here is the council's proposition to you, so I urge you to listen well." Toadsworth cleared his throat once more. "Go forth and locate the source of this prophesied danger. Destroy it. Locate Master Mario if you are able to, and bring him home. If you are successful in completing these tasks, the council will consider your debt to the Mushroom Kingdom to be officially repaid in full, and you will be allowed to resign from the council. Provided however, that you abandon your old, malicious ways for good." The room filled with silence as the council awaited Bowser's response.

"I accept," Bowser agreed with a hard nod.

"Excellent. I suggest you accompany Miss Rosalina. Her nocturnal visions may provide you with deeper insights as to where your investigation into the threat should begin," Toadsworth explained.

"Yes," Rosalina confirmed. "If you would be willing to escort me to the meditation room of my comet observatory, I may be able to channel my visions on a deeper level there and aid you in your quest somehow."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get a move on then," Bowser declared as he made his way towards the room's exit.

"Good luck, Bowser," said Pauline. "Please report back to us as soon as you can."

"Yes, and if there's any way we can help you, please do not hesitate to ask," Cappy added.

"May the stars guide you safely," Toadsworth declared.

Out in the courtyard in front of Peach's castle, Bowser and Rosalina were preparing to begin their trek towards Shooting Star Summit. Rosalina had explained to him that they would need to access the trail known as Star Way to reach a launch star that would take them back to her observatory. But just as the pair began walking, they were stopped by a voice.

"Bowser!" someone called out. The Koopa King turned to find Peach hurrying towards him; tightly gripping bundles of her dress in her hands. Her make-up was terribly smudged; no doubt over her sorrow towards the most recent development with Mario.

"Peach…what is it?" Bowser asked. She was panting and needed a moment to catch her breath.

"I'm coming with you!" Peach exclaimed. Bowser sighed and shook his head.

"Peach…no, I-"

"Bowser, Mario is my husband! I have to know what happened to him and if he's okay!" Rosalina resolved to step away and give the two a moment alone.

"I'm gonna figure that out for you," Bowser reasoned.

"That's not good enough! It's my fault for letting him go in the first place!" Peach gripped Bowser's forearms and shook him aggressively. "Bowser…please. Take me with you."

"It's too dangerous. If Mario couldn't handle whatever's out there, then there's no way we should expect you to be up to the task."

"Well…then, you shouldn't be going alone either! What if…whatever this danger is gets you too?" Bowser chuckled.

"C'mon, princess. Give me a little more credit. Mario may be stubborn, but I don't shake off that easily either. I'll be fine. You need to be here with your kingdom; with your people." Peach's agreement with the sentiment drowned out any further argument from her. He lifted her chin tenderly with his claw as their eyes met. "If you really wanna help me, stay here where it's safe. I'll be fine knowing I won't lose you too…," Bowser explained. Peach blushed. She knew the full weight behind that statement, and she felt honored to be perhaps one of the few souls on earth to be in on such a heavy-hearted truth.

Bowser treasured Peach as much as his late wife, if not more.

It took Peach a moment to find any other words after that. The princess felt compelled to say something more, but didn't dare press Bowser to bring up the subject of his wife in any further detail. She resolved to change the subject slightly.

"But, were you really just going to leave without saying goodbye to me?" Peach asked at last, sounding almost insulted.

"I figured you just needed time alone to-"

"Bowser…," Peach started again. "I'm sorry."

"…What?"

"I'm sorry for enslaving you to my kingdom for as long as I did. I completely understand if you resent me for it," said Peach. He caressed her face in the palm of his hand.

"Peach, I'll never resent you. No matter what you do to me," Bowser declared, smiling. "I didn't get a chance to say this back there, but I'm actually doing all of this for Junior, you know."

"Really?"

"Uh-huh. It's just that…he really needs me back home. I see that now. I can't be the dad he needs if I'm busy with council stuff all the time." Peach smiled back.

"I understand."

"But now it's all gonna change. I'm gonna get this done and get back home to him as fast as I can."

"That's good," Peach agreed. Her smile faded. Her previous resolve just couldn't last. "Listen, I'm…sorry I pushed you the other night. You know…to talk about your wife…" Bowser held a palm to her.

"Forget it. You were just curious. Don't beat yourself up about it. You didn't know." Bowser turned away from Peach and started walking again. Peach couldn't explain what happened next, if asked. Her body took full control before her mind could think. Peach ran after Bowser and embraced him with all of her might. The Koopa King acknowledged her once more. He held her tenderly in his arms.

"Bowser…please. I'm asking you as a friend. Bring Mario back safely."

"Leave it to me," Bowser agreed, flashing a grin with his teeth.

"But even more than that…please be careful. Make sure you make it back home too. If Mario is…actually gone and then I were to lose you too…I….," Peach spoke. Bowser caught her tear with his claw.

"I'll come back. I promise," Bowser declared softly. Peach intended to make Bowser cling to that promise with every fiber of his being. To solidify the deal, she stood up on her toes and kissed Bowser on the cheek.

"I'll hold you to that."