RECAP:
With nowhere left to run, Maldeon confronted Contemno directly. He demanded Bowser be set free, and accused Contemno of manipulating Maldeon himself and his memories as well for a malicious purpose. Conflict erupted, and with Maldeon's words, Bowser was able to break out of the mental slump he had fallen into the day before.
He recalled the many bonds he had formed over the course of his life and reclaimed his older, tyrannical self as well. A mysterious red lock of some kind materialized on Bowser's chest. This seemed to alarm Contemno for some reason. In a blaze of fury, Bowser managed to rip the device off and attacked Contemno directly.
Contemno narrowly eluded harm and brought the entire building down in the process. With Maldeon taking the lead, the pair managed to escape from the collapsing building around them. In utter shock and disbelief, Bowser recognized Maldeon as someone else altogether…Mario! The Koopa King agreed to inform the still-amnesiac Mario of his entire history over a meal as the two ventured into the city.
Meanwhile, Bowser Jr. discovered Bowser's arm bands trapped in a puddle of purple adhesive slime on the outskirts of Shooting Star Summit. With this clue, he was more determined than ever to crack this case wide open!
"Oh, man. I didn't think that would be such a work-out…," Larry moaned as he collapsed to the floor, panting immensely.
"Gimme a break," said Roy. "It couldn't have been that bad."
"Easy for you to say!" Larry argued as he stood up in a hurry. "You haven't trained with the old guy yet. He's intense when he wants to be!" Roy smirked. "What, what's with that look?"
"Nothin'. Just pretty typical of you, Larry. Our poor baby bro just doesn't have what it takes. No wonder you and Junior are so close!" Roy taunted with a laugh.
"Yeah? We'll see who's laughing when I blow you away with this awesome new power I just learned!" Larry thrusted out his arm and immediately winced and began to crumple over.
"Yeah, sure," said Roy as he helped Larry stand up again. "Maybe when you're not so sore. Better put some ice on that for now, Rawk Hawk."
"Guys!" Junior exclaimed as he burst through the front door.
"Hey, Junior. What's up?" Larry greeted.
"Is Iggy still down in the basement?" the Koopa Prince asked between breaths.
"Uhh…yeah. I think so," said Roy.
"Good! Call everybody down there now!"
"Huh?" Larry replied.
"Emergency meeting!" Junior called back as he sprinted down the stairs.
In the basement, Junior slid across the floor and practically collided with a startled Iggy, who was seated at his work desk.
"Woah, woah! Easy, Junior! Where's the fire?"
"Iggy, I need you to look at something," Junior blurted out. The Koopaling's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh…uhh, alright. What is it?" Junior shoved the slime-covered arm bands at his sibling.
"I need you to run some tests. Y'know, do some of your science-y stuff. Figure out what this purple stuff is."
"Well…sure. No problem. I just finished getting all of my machines up and running. But, what are these? Where did you find them?"
"Further out on the mountain. I'm pretty sure they're my dad's." Larry, Roy, Peach and Toad each descended the staircase and took a seat around the large table.
"What's this about an emergency?" Peach asked.
"I think my dad might be in danger. In fact, I'm positive he is," Junior answered. "I have his arm bands."
"And you just…carry those around with you?" Toad asked with a hint of disgust.
"No! He never takes them off. But, I think he might've been kidnapped and he left these behind as some sort of clue."
"Well, that would explain why we haven't heard anything from him since he left the castle," said Larry. "But, who would want to kidnap Bowser?"
"And what was he doing all the way out here?" Roy inserted.
"Believe me, I intend to get to the bottom of this. Just…give me a minute," said Iggy as he swiveled around in his chair and frantically began typing away on his keyboard.
"Well, I know why Bowser was here at the very least," said Peach. Everyone in the room turned to her.
"Seriously!?" Junior exclaimed angrily as he could feel his disdain towards Peach coming to a boil once more. "How much are you hiding from us, princess!?" Peach elected to ignore this jab and relay what she knew. Junior was tired of letting her get away with this.
"At the last council meeting, we agreed to let Bowser conduct his own investigation into everything that's been happening," Peach began. "Rosalina accompanied him and the last time I saw them, they were on their way back to her observatory. Shooting Star Summit is the fastest way to get there. What happened after that is anyone's guess."
"I'd bet a block full of coins Contemno had something to do with it," Roy suggested.
"Or that Eris lady from back in the forest. Man, she gave me the creeps," said Larry.
"Junior, did you happen to find anything out there which might suggest what happened to Rosalina?" Peach asked.
"No, just the arm bands," Junior denied.
"Well, this is certainly one heck of a puzzle Contemno has constructed," Iggy commented. "But, a single piece may be all we need to help us start putting everything together."
"Did you find something Iggy?" the Koopa Prince asked.
"Two things," Iggy confirmed as he stood up and began to pace back and forth. "The first is that you're right, Junior. These arm bands do in fact belong to your father. They're covered in his DNA, although the odor alone is a dead giveaway. The second thing has to do with the mysterious purple substance the bands are covered with."
"You know what it is?" Larry inquired.
"Well…not exactly. I don't have my same complete substance database to refer to here as I did back home. So, finding an exact match is difficult. However, this chemical has very unique properties. When exposed to heat, the substance boils and becomes acidic; able to burn through…probably most surfaces, I suspect. It's also highly toxic to ingest, and the elasticity characteristic is probably its most defining, albeit despicable feature."
"What does any of that mean?" Roy asked bluntly. Iggy groaned.
"Basically, it burns stuff when hot, don't eat it, and it's so incredibly sticky that having any part of it touch you will probably ruin your whole day."
"Well, what are we supposed to do now?"
"We just need to determine who or what produces this chemical; find out where it comes from. If nothing else, that might give us a hint as to where Bowser and Rosalina were taken."
"Do you have any ideas yourself, Iggy?" Peach asked.
"Well, this stuff certainly isn't found anywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom," Iggy explained. "Heck, I doubt it's found anywhere on earth for that matter. If I had to guess, I'd wager that the creature that produces this substance…probably comes from the moon."
"The moon!?" Toad repeated, utterly astonished.
"Are you saying we have to find some way to get to the moon now?" Larry asked.
"Relax, it's just a theory. We'll need more concrete evidence before we even think of staging such an elaborate expedition," said Iggy.
"Actually, you may be right, Iggy," said Peach. Junior gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and glared at her once more. But the princess once again ignored him.
"How so?" Iggy replied.
"I thought I recognized this substance when I first saw those arm bands. But now, I'm certain. This is the handiwork of the Broodals."
"'Broodals?' Roy echoed. Peach nodded.
"When Bowser once tried to stage a wedding for him and me, the Broodals were the hired wedding planners," Peach elaborated. "They were rabbits who came from the moon. I remember seeing one of them…well…'exhale' this exact same chemical when he fought Mario."
"How come none of us have heard of these guys before?" Larry asked.
"We were on vacation at the time, remember?" said Roy. "Bowser paid for it and everything. Although, he didn't tell us that the special 'project' he was working on was a wedding of all things…"
"But if these losers were working with Bowser back then, why would they turn on him now?" Larry wondered.
"They must be in leagues with Contemno," Toad suggested. "Whatever Bowser was paying them, Contemno must've been offering just a little bit more."
"Skip the theories," said Junior. "Why don't we just ask our all-knowing princess over here?"
"…Excuse me?" Peach replied.
"How do you know about all of this stuff? Just how much are you hiding from us?"
"It was just a coincidence, I-"
"Since you seem to know everything, why don't you save us some time and just tell us where my dad is then? Or Mario? I bet you probably know who Contemno actually is too and you're just not telling us for some reason. Come on! Spill! What else aren't you telling us here!?"
"Junior, settle down," said Iggy.
"Why should I? Why am I the only one here who sees how strange this is? We were in the dark about all of this when Contemno first showed up. But as soon as Peach comes along, she suddenly has an answer for everything!"
"How exactly is that a bad thing?" Larry inserted. "She knows important stuff that we don't. She's helping us."
"How do we know we can trust her? What if she's planning on leading us into some sort of trap? She could be working with Contemno for all we know!"
"That's ridiculous!" Peach objected.
"Is it?"
"Yes! Why would I ever work with Contemno after he's hurt so many people I care about!?"
"Because that's what you two have in common! You would know all about hurting someone, wouldn't you!?" Peach gasped.
"Junior, what is your damage!?" Roy inserted, though he too was ignored.
"What on earth are you talking about!?" Peach exclaimed.
"Don't act like you don't remember!"
"…Remember what?"
"YOU IMPRISONED MY DAD FOR 10 YEARS, YOU WITCH!" Junior lashed out suddenly at the top of his lungs. The room fell silent. Junior grounded himself firmly in the moment.
"…I-"
"You took him away from me! You took our leader from all of us!" Junior put one foot up onto the table as he continued his tirade. "I don't know what kind of brain-washing you did to him, but it doesn't matter now! All I know is, he's never been the same again and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"Junior…I-"
"Save it! Maybe the rest of you are all so desperate that you'll listen to anything Peach says, but I'll be dead and buried six-feet underground before I ever trust her!" Junior leaped off his chair and stormed up the stairs.
Not a single remaining soul in the room could find words to utter in the eerie stillness of this moment. The remnants of the table were desperate to look at Peach. But they forced themselves to avert their eyes and give her a moment to collect herself.
Shame rained down over Peach, and covering her quivering lips with her hand was all she could do to mask her breaking spirit.
"I mean…he's not wrong. Peach did kinda force Bowser to stay at her place for a whole decade…," said Larry.
"It was to help him," Peach defended as she shook her head in irritation.
"We know that," said Roy. "Losing our leader is one thing. But Bowser is Junior's father. You swooped in and ripped him right out of the kid's hands."
"I didn't do it to hurt him. I was trying to protect Bowser from Contemno. I even promised Junior I wouldn't hurt Bowser."
"We know you had good intentions, Peach," said Iggy. He removed his glasses and began to polish them with a cloth as he spoke. "And we're not saying you didn't make the best choice, given how we have come to understand what the circumstances were like at the time." The Koopaling put his glasses back over his eyes. "But you need to understand that Junior can be a bit…fragile when it comes to trust. He's been that way for as long as we've known him."
"Can you blame him? He lost his mom when he was only three years old," Larry reasoned. "And after what his dad turned into after that…"
"Well, it certainly didn't help matters any when Bowser lied to Junior and convinced him that I was his mother," Peach added as she attempted to partially deflect some of the blame off of herself. "But regardless, what am I supposed to do? Junior is your elected leader of this group, right? How am I supposed to be part of this team if no one will listen to me?"
"It's not us whom you need to convince. The rest of us don't really have much of a choice but to believe everything you've told us thus far," said Iggy. "After all, you knew about Merlon, this place, the Broodals, and about Bowser when none of us did. I suspect it's not so much that Junior doesn't believe you. I'm sure he's heard what you've said and that it makes sense to him too. But the problem is, Junior is clearly still so upset over what you did to Bowser that he doesn't want to believe you."
"How can I change his mind?"
"Honestly, I really don't know…"
"Well, you can't exactly take back the last 10 years," said Roy.
"But, you've surprised us a bunch up until now, princess," Larry offered. "I'm sure you'll think of something." Peach slowly stood up from the table.
"Well, I should at least try to talk to him," said Peach. The remnants of the table watched in silence as she ascended the stairs.
Bowser and Maldeon maneuvered their way through an endless bustling crowd in what seemed to be the city's main square. Strangely, not a soul in this sea of trench coats and umbrellas batted an eye at Bowser despite his abnormally large size. It was as if this rain had placed everyone in a trance; like their senses had been deprived of meaningful stimulation for so long that they no longer saw anything but the path that stretched out a step or two in front of them.
Maldeon was relieved that no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Yet, it also felt eerie to be walking through a current of emotionless zombies. He couldn't help but wonder what the story was with this place. Who were these people? Where were they going? What kind of lives were they actually living in this cold, perpetually drenched, concrete jungle? There was something strange about the deafness, the fogginess, and the blindness of it all. Yet, it was perhaps this very same phenomenon which allowed Maldeon and Bowser to stroll right past these people without causing any commotion.
The pair found a dead-end street where the crowds began to thin out at last. A few feet away sat a battered, rather miserable-looking little diner. It blended in with the fog and the darkness of the night, but an obnoxiously bright neon red sign flickered and glowed from atop. In a rather seductive cursive font, the diner was named The Comatose.
Maldeon and Bowser entered the establishment and found that there wasn't a soul around. Every table was well-kept, but empty. There was no sound to be heard save for the now distant, gentle patter of rain on the windows. The pair lingered at the counter near the front, which had been left unattended.
"You think they're closed?" Bowser wondered aloud as he propped himself up against the counter.
"Maybe, but it doesn't seem very smart to leave the lights on and the front door unlocked...," Maldeon replied.
"Whatever, let's ditch this joint and go somewhere else," said Bowser.
"Hang on!" a voice rang out from across the room. Maldeon and Bowser watched as a young woman sprinted frantically from the backroom; propelling herself over the bar with one arm and skidding across the tile floor near them. She took a moment to catch her breath as the duo eyeballed her.
The slender woman was dressed in loose-fitting jeans which were torn at the knees, a slightly wrinkled white undershirt and an olive green, leather mini jacket. Her short, black hair was untamed except for the portion that was smothered underneath the red and white baseball cap atop her head. She couldn't have been older than 25. Her jaw bounced and her lips smacked loudly as she nonchalantly chewed her gum. To Maldeon and Bowser, this was a far cry from the kind of woman they'd expect to be the waitress of a diner.
"What can I do for you boys?" she asked with a only a hint of interest in her tone.
"Uhh...table for two, please," said Maldeon. The woman eyeballed each of them for a second as if something bothered her. Then she grabbed two menus from behind the desk and motioned for the pair to follow her.
"Bless you for coming out in public," she commented sarcastically. Bowser's cheeks lit up in a bright shade of red.
"W-WHAT!? N-NO WAY! HE'S NOT-," the Koopa King erupted.
"We're not-," Maldeon joined in.
"Relax, sweetheart. It was a joke," said the woman casually.
Maldeon and Bowser each took a seat on opposite sides of a booth in the corner of the diner near the window. It was a tight squeeze for the latter, and Bowser was certain the spikes on his shell punctured a few holes in the upholstery on his way in. The waitress either didn't notice, or didn't care seeing as how the booth was already in pretty bad shape to begin with when they arrived.
"Drinks?" the waitress asked.
"Just water is fine," Maldeon answered.
"Chuckola cola," said Bowser. The woman stared at him once more. This was beginning to irritate Bowser.
"Something wrong with that?" the Koopa King inquired.
"You want some rum in that cola? You boys look like hell." Bowser ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Sure…," he agreed. The waitress nodded and departed for the backroom. Bowser patted his hips and frowned. "Oh crud…"
"What's wrong?" Maldeon asked.
"I don't have any money," he admitted. Maldeon fished around in his coat pocket and pulled out a few coins.
"I think I can cover it. I just hope they take coins here…"
"So long as it's money," the waitress answered out of nowhere. She placed the drinks down on the table and pulled out a notepad with a pen.
"What'll it be?" she asked. Maldeon and Bowser scrambled with the menus that they hadn't even had a chance to look at yet.
"We might need a few minutes," said Maldeon. Bowser squinted and did a double-take as he read the prices.
"Seriously? Twenty-five coins for a stinkin' burger?" he commented.
"Hey, a girl's gotta make this joint profitable somehow," said the waitress with a casual shrug.
"Wait…are you saying you're the owner of this place?" Maldeon inquired. She nodded.
"And the cook, and the waitress, and the bookkeeper, and the cleaning crew."
"That's insane. How do you manage all of that?" Her hand guided their attention through the scope of the empty diner.
"Simple. This place is my baby. Ain't no one on this earth who knows how to care for her better than me."
"So you don't…let anyone else work here?"
"That sound crazy to you, sweetheart?"
"Sure does," Bowser interjected with a chortle. "But hey, if even half of that passion gets channeled into your cooking, then this better be the best damn burger I'll ever taste." She smirked as she took his menu. The glint in her eye seemed to express her excitement to accept such a challenge.
"Make that two," said Maldeon as he handed her his menu. She flashed them a small smile and strolled out of view. Maldeon took a sip of his water and exhaled. "Alright, lay it on me."
"Oh, right," said Bowser as he tried to wipe away a slightly startled expression. Perhaps he was trying to hide the fact that he'd almost forgotten why they were there in the first place. "What do you wanna know first, Mario?"
"Let's start there. Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Because that's your actual name, duh. I don't know where this 'Maldeon' crap came from, but you better drop it. We're done with that from here on out," said Bowser.
"Oh…right. Well, how did we first meet?" Bowser massaged his chin.
"Hmmm….let's see…"
Bowser went on to tell Mario about their grand, long-standing rivalry. He wove a lengthy tail of endless fights, kidnappings of Peach, stakes that gradually escalated over the years up into the galaxy, and the handful of team-ups along the way. The Koopa King also described the many sports tournaments and parties they'd partaken in along the way. The story continued even after their food had arrived. Bowser occasionally took breaks to eat, but still he continued to talk.
Though Bowser went on and on, the blank stares he was getting from Mario the entire time didn't inspire much confidence that this was working. The plumber seemed to be nodding occasionally for formality's sake and nothing more.
I guess that's about it," Bowser concluded. "So? How do you feel? Is any of this ringin' a bell?" Mario sighed and shook his head as he wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed his empty plate away a few inches.
"No. I mean, it sounds familiar. But I just can't remember any of the details. Not the way you described them."
"What, so you think I'm lying?"
"I didn't say that. I'm trying my best here, Bowser. Honest. But it's just not clicking." Bowser groaned.
"Sheesh, what the hell did he do to you?" Mario's eyes fell by the wayside.
"I wish I knew…"
"Well…at least quit moping about it!" Bowser exclaimed as he pounded the table. Mario shot up at the tremor. "I mean, for crying out loud! You're Mario! You don't give up! That's like, you're most obnoxious trait!"
"Bowser, if we were enemies before, like you said..." Bowser fell silent as he waited for him to finish. "Then, why are you helping me? You know, aside from our deal and all. If you're really as bad as you say, then what stopped you from ditching me the second you saw who I was?" Bowser sighed and glanced out the window. He clenched his soda bottle tightly in one hand.
"I'm not doing it because I care about you or anything like that. After all the crap you've put me through over the years, you could drop dead for all I care." Mario watched Bowser's grip tighten as the bitter sentiment leaked from Bowser's lips. Tiny cracks began to form in the glass. He anticipated the bottle would shatter any moment now.
"Then why?" Mario asked.
"It's for Peach. I promised her I'd find you and bring you home," said Bowser. Mario stared blankly at him. "Oh come on, your wife. We just went over this."
"Yeah, I know. But come to think of it, you never mentioned how you ended up all the way out here in the first place," said Mario.
"Well, the search didn't exactly go as planned…" The Koopa King went on to explain his expedition with Rosalina to Shooting Star Summit before they were suddenly attacked by the Broodals. "Next thing I knew, I was in Contemno's throne room; practically being forced to kiss the bastard's feet."
"What happened to this 'Rosalina' person?" Bowser shook his head.
"Not a clue."
"And these attackers. The... 'Broodals,' was it? They sound familiar," Mario commented as he rubbed his head.
"Yeah well, unless you can remember why, that doesn't do us much good," Bowser objected bitterly. He took one final swig of his soda and squeezed the bottle again. "Jeez, this is such a pain in the ass. I actually managed to find you and we escaped with our lives. But even if I get you home, it won't matter if you can't remember anything. Just what the hell are we supposed to do now?"
"Well, like you said. We can't give up," Mario replied. "We'll think of something."
The waitress returned and collected the empty plates from the table. Bowser noticed that she was eerily quiet all of a sudden.
"Oh, right. How much do I owe ya?" Mario asked as he pulled out the coins from his pocket once again. The waitress placed the bill down on the table in front of him; again, without uttering a word.
"Something wrong?" Bowser asked as he noticed her frown. The waitress paused, then suddenly flipped the check over and revealed something sketched in pen on the back. It appeared to be a map.
"Go to the edge of town," she said at last. Mario and Bowser each stared at her.
"…H-huh?" Mario repeated.
"There," she continued as she pointed to an "x" on the map at the end of a series of winding arrows. The pair followed her finger.
"There's an old abandoned building there at the edge of town. Go there," the woman explained.
"…Why?" Bowser asked.
"It'll make sense when you get back."
"Back? Back where? You mean here?" Mario probed. She nodded.
"Uhh…why would we come back here?" asked Bowser. "I mean, the food was decent but-"
"I'll take this as payment for now," the waitress declared as she snatched up the pile of coins. Mario's eyes widened when he realized he had accidentally placed the vile of Contemno's serum down on the table amongst the coins.
"Hey wait! Give that back! We need it!" he exclaimed.
"Then you'll have no problem coming back for it, huh?"
"Hey, what the hell is goin' on here!?" Bowser exclaimed. "Are you hustling us or something!?"
"You boys aren't from around here. That's clear as day. Well…not like any day we've had around these parts anyway." Bowser stood up and towered over the waitress.
"Yeah? So what? You think that means you can rob us or something?" Mario was amazed at how utterly unfazed this woman was by Bowser's attempt to intimidate her.
"Never said I was robbin' you, sweetheart," the waitress defended.
"Maybe you better explain what's going on then," Mario retorted. She sighed and shook her head.
"Just go to the place on the map. Find something for me and bring it back here. Then we'll talk about you getting your little bottle back."
"You can't do this! You can't just make us do whatever you want!"
"Why not? You got somewhere better to be, amnesia boy?"
"Just who the hell are you!?" Bowser roared. The waitress smirked and flipped the check back over. She pointed to some writing at the top and tipped her hat before she casually walked away.
"See you in a bit," said the woman. Mario and Bowser each read the print at the top of the check.
Your server today was Leanna.
Contemno waved his hand and banished the shadows as a series of spotlights radiated over the stone table. With the rogue gallery assembled, the mage reluctantly began the meeting.
"Please explain to us exactly why you called for this meeting all of a sudden," one voice at the end of the table demanded as he adjusted his goggles. On the opposite end sat Contemno; glaring at him through the obscurity of his mask.
Being of equal intellect to himself, Grodus was the one Contemno secretly despised the most out of all of his new acquaintances. Eris and Topper were seated at each of Contemno's sides. The mage was hunched over and propped up by his elbows. He appeared to be lost in troubling thoughts.
"Consider this to be a warning to you all," Contemno replied as he scanned the room.
"Of what nature?" a female voice asked. Due to her utter disdain for light, she had elected to sit outside of the spotlight's reach as a mere silhouette of darkness.
"Things are not progressing quite as I had originally anticipated," said Contemno. Grodus placed his scepter on the table and put his gloved fingertips together.
"Explain," he responded.
"There are a few pawns that have chosen to act outside of their assigned roles."
"Heh, what's the matter, Contemmy?" a deep male voice taunted. Perching his black and red combat boots up on the table, Tatanga smirked and flashed his sharp, goblin-like teeth. "You really having that much trouble getting all your little ducks in a row that you need us to swoop in and save your hide?"
"You would do well not to put words in my mouth, Tatanga," Contemno countered. "I'm simply advising you to remain on your guard. The opposition is proving to be more resilient than I originally believed."
"Or, maybe you're just not as powerful as you want us to believe?" Wart croaked.
"SHUT YER PIEHOLE YA NO-GOOD, SLIMEY-" Topper lashed out.
"Topper, enough," Contemno interrupted. "I gave each of you the very thing you desired most. It would be a shame to have it taken away so soon. All I'm asking is that you not relax just yet. It is very likely the enemy will come for you soon. You should be ready for action at a moment's notice."
"Fine," the female voice agreed with a sigh. "Then what exactly should we be wary of? Most of the Kingdom Council has been dismantled, has it not? What remains of this supposed opposition?"
"There are a few loose-ends," Eris elaborated. "Mario, the dainty mushroom princess, Bowser, and his snot-nosed kid."
"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up!" Tatanga stopped her as he snickered. "OL' BOWSER GOT BUSY!?" the alien erupted into laughter for a few seconds. "AND NOW HE HAS A WIDDLE KID!? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN!?"
"18 years ago," Contemno answered.
"Ohhh okay, so he's still just a twerp then. How much trouble could he really make?"
"Bowser's former generals are safe-guarding him, which is making it difficult to pin the prince down," said Eris.
"So they're all traitors then? Bowser, his generals, and his son?" asked the female voice.
"Pretty much," said Topper.
"Interesting. I was beginning to wonder why Bowser wasn't sitting here with us," said Wart. "Do tell, what's changed about him in the time we've all been away?"
"It's a long story, and we don't have time to go over all the details now," said Contemno. "All you need to know about Bowser is that his intentions have shifted and he is of no use to us now. I should mention however, that Bowser has broken his heart lock and escaped from captivity."
"That's hardly a surprise," said Grodus. "That behemoth is so headstrong that the only way he'll ever submit to anyone's will is if he's six-feet under."
"I was trying to utilize his power for our cause," Contemno argued.
"Then you were foolish to let him live in the first place. In fact, I'd wager you don't have the heart to kill any of these remaining threats."
"You have no idea what I'm capable of…," the mage defended.
"Maybe you should start showing us then, mask-boy," Tatanga challenged.
"I intend to pursue them again shortly."
"Mario will be accompanying you, I take it?" the female voice asked. There was a collective groan across the table at the mere mention of his name.
"This will be my final offer I extend to him. Mario will either join me as planned, or I will eliminate him once and for all. He and Bowser both."
"Ha! You're gonna be the one to finally take Mario down!? This I gotta see!" Tatanga taunted.
"Indeed," said the female voice. "In case you've forgotten, Contemno, each of us has challenged Mario; and each of us has failed to defeat him. Perhaps you are underestimating his power."
"Better make it count this time," Wart croaked up once more. "After all, you're on pretty thin ice with all of us right now. You have yet to show us any reason why we should consider you our leader instead of acting on our own accords from here on out."
"You're not satisfied with my gifts?" Contemno asked.
"Oh, we're grateful alright," said Tatanga. "But what's stopping us from just taking our powers and running; you know, leaving your miserable hide in the dust?"
"I brought you all together for a purpose. Treason will not be tolerated," Contemno warned.
"Prove it." Contemno clenched his fist as a dark purple aura consumed it.
"I intend to…"
Peach found Junior huddled against the windowsill in the bedroom upstairs. She slowly crossed the room as her heart raced. Fear overtook her as she entered the lion's den.
"…Junior?" she called out softly. The Koopa Prince didn't move an inch. He kept his gaze focused squarely out the window.
"Haven't you done enough already?" Junior retorted bitterly.
"Junior, we need to get past this."
"Why? So you can feel better about yourself and the decisions you've made?"
"It's not about me. There are people out there who need us. They're in trouble and they need our help. We need to work together in order to save them. But that can't happen while you're still harboring such a deep hatred towards me."
"Quit trying to use other people as your scapegoat. It's insulting to them. This is your fault, and your problem that you created. I'm not going to just suddenly forgive you just because it would be convenient and save us all some time." Peach sighed and shook her head. This was going to be more difficult than she'd imagined.
"But I had no idea you were feeling this way, Junior. Don't you think it's even the slightest bit unfair of you to hold this grudge against me when I wasn't even aware of it?"
"Maybe, but you should have known all along that what you were doing was wrong. What you did to my dad was sick and wrong. But you didn't even care!" Peach accompanied Junior near the windowsill. She stared him down until he was uncomfortable enough to look at her.
"That's not true. I did care. I knew that taking Bowser away would hurt you. You think I don't remember seeing the tears in your eyes that day? Or hearing the shakiness in your voice? You don't think I could practically feel the pain in your little broken heart? It was making me ache just to see you that way." Junior choked and his breath came up short as he swallowed his emotion.
"Then why did you do it?"
"I didn't have a choice. I had to do it. Contemno was going to kill Bowser if I didn't." The Koopa Prince's eyes widened.
"…What?"
"He threatened his life. Contemno sought vengeance against your dad. Bowser had hurt him in some way, though I still don't know how exactly. But I begged Contemno to spare him. I volunteered to deliver Bowser's punishment myself for all of the harm he has done to me and my kingdom."
"So…then you…"
"Yes," Peach confirmed with a nod. "Contemno wanted Bowser to be executed, and he entrusted me to do it. But I could never do that to Bowser. I knew I had to protect him from that fate somehow. So taking him in and reforming him was the only other thing I could think of to do. I wanted Bowser to live and to be safe. But that wasn't all. I wanted more for him. I wanted to help Bowser change so he could be happy. I didn't want to see him so angry and miserable for even one second more."
"No…you're lying…," said Junior. "You have to be. There's no way you-" Peach tenderly placed her hand on Junior's. Their eyes met.
"Junior, sweetheart. I'm not lying to you. I have never lied to you."
"B-but you knew all that stuff before and you-"
"Withholding information from you or the others was never my intention. I didn't know that any of it was important. I never thought I would see the day when knowing about anything from Merlon to the Broodals would ever be relevant to you. But that day is here. I will gladly tell you all that I know. But, I need you to be willing to listen, Junior. Can you do that?"
She watched the Koopa Prince as he looked away. His entire body was beginning to quiver. She tightened her grip on Junior's hand slightly, but he immediately pulled it away.
"You have to be making it up. There's just no way you could…," he denied.
"You don't think I'm capable of caring about your father?" Junior hesitated, then slowly nodded.
"If you really cared about him, you would've just married him." Peach sighed and shook her head. She reached out and gently caressed his cheek. Admittedly, she was surprised he was letting her do this.
"Junior, sweetie. There's more to love than just marriage. Bowser was wanting to marry me for all the wrong reasons. He desperately wanted to rekindle the love he had with your real mother."
"My…real mom?"
"The truth is, I'm not her. I can't ever take her place. Marrying Bowser and trying to live a lie like that wouldn't be fair to anyone. Not me, not Bowser, and especially not you. We all deserve better than that, don't you think?"
"Yeah…I guess so…"
"But just because I love Mario, that doesn't mean I don't care for Bowser as a friend. I do. I care about him quite a lot. That's why I wanted to help him and protect him from Contemno. In fact, I still want to protect him now. I'm sure that after your discovery today, you're worried about him too." Junior nodded.
"Then let's put the past behind us and work together to save him," Peach offered. Junior still appeared reluctant. "Junior, I'm so sorry for taking Bowser away from you. I'm sorry for putting you through so much pain. I want to make this right. Can you forgive me?"
The silence in the air was unbearable. The anticipation was murder. Peach was desperate to hear Junior's response. But the fact that it was taking so long for him to answer was worrying.
"…No," Junior answered finally. "After what you did, I can't forgive you. I can't ever trust you."
"Junior…"
"I just…can't." She stared at him longingly. Her eyes were desperate to meet his. She could tell there was more he wanted to say, but couldn't. Somehow, he found the strength at last. "I'm sorry."
Peach desperately tried to hide her disappointment. Her face fell as Junior stood up and walked away.