I do apologize for the wait. I just had a lot of things going on in my life, but I think you'll find the wait to be worth it.

Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Final Chapter: Home

Peach's Castle

Peach yawned as she sat up, her to-do list coming to mind as she readied herself for the day. Before she began her day, she made a list of what needed to be done beforehand, even having to write them down just because there was only so much that her brain could process at once, but it was also nice to just have it in front of her. Being princess came with managing a lot of strenuous tasks but having it all in one place made it a bit easier to process, something Toadsworth had gotten her acquainted with after becoming princess.

She took her notepad of said tasks as she went downstairs to get breakfast, Toadsworth already waiting for her. "Ah," he said. "Princess Peach. Up right on time as always. I already had the chefs cook up breakfast to which we can address today's agendas." They took their spots in the dining room as Toadsworth began the discussion. "Now, a couple noteworthy developments to discuss. One, Cranky Kong and his son will be coming down later to discuss further ways of improving the kingdoms' relationship. Then there's the issue of reestablishing balance and peace within the Darklands, especially since Bowser is in prison as of this moment." Peach sighed. That was a very huge issue that arose during the last few days. Without Bowser as their leader, the Darklands was left with a power vacuum, meaning anyone could try to seize power in the absence of Bowser, and there had been constant riots going on with others seizing power for their own while others believing Bowser was the rightful ruler. Even sending in forces to try to control the matter had only resulted in more deaths, a decision Peach deeply regretted. Violence only begot more violence in a situation like this, and when one tried to control the affairs of their enemies, let's just say the reception wasn't all well received, and Peach wished she knew this in hindsight.

Even Kamek himself has had trouble stifling the constant rebelling of his citizens, and he was a high-ranked official for that matter. So, if her or Kamek's methods didn't work, then what was the solution? Bowser. Only he could restore order to the Darklands by reestablishing his rule, but Peach wasn't stupid. If she were to just let him go, he would just revert back to his old habits, and it would be like nothing had changed. The only viable solution would be for Bowser to abandon his old ways, but nothing worked. She tried so many times to talk him out of it and also kept him informed of what was going on in his kingdom, but even then, he still acted like the same freaking child that he was. She growled. What was it gonna take to change that freaking Koopa?! He was only making things worse by not accepting things as they were. What else could she do?

She sighed. If only Mario was here. She often thought about him over the past week, and rarely did they ever see each other, even when she made the occasional visit to his planet to discuss diplomatic talks with Mayor Pauline over finances. Money was often tight within the Mushroom Kingdom nowadays with how much was being split between repairing the damages across the Mushroom Kingdom and Brooklyn, and while things were going smoothly and the economy was still solid despite all the spending she was doing, that still couldn't get rid of all the stress that was on her shoulders. Day in and day out, she would often require multiple massages because of how stiff her muscles would become. She barely could get a good night's rest, just nudging between at most four to five hours per night. What was it gonna take to take all this stress away?

"Princess." She glanced at Toadsworth. "You seem deep in thought." He moved closer to her. "Talk to me."

She sighed. "Everything is starting to get to me. I'm trying to control too many situations at once, and it's starting to get overbearing for me. I've tried to juggle so much at once, but it's taken a huge toll on me."

"But, Princess, understand this. You can only handle so much on your own. Taking on too much weight will only make things worse. We talked about this before, yes? When the war first started? I encouraged you to seek help because you knew this was something bigger than you could handle. That was why I had you seek Cranky Kong's help then and even now since he's agreed to help you chip in what you spend elsewhere. That's why we're having a meeting today."

"I understand that, but it's mainly Bowser. I know he did many atrocious things over the years, but I still want to have a good relationship with him and his kingdom, and right now, his kingdom is in shambles. You know I tried to control the situation with my soldiers, but they all ended up dying meaningless deaths. The only one who can fix that situation is Bowser, and until he changes his way of thinking, I can't let him go, or else it would be like nothing has changed, and that's the most frustrating part!"

"Princess, you know how stubborn that Koopa is. Your desire for a renewed relationship is admirable, but honey, only Bowser can change his ways of thinking. Sure, you told him what needed to be said, but this is something he has to accept on his own."

Peach sighed. That was true. She couldn't influence his way of thinking anymore because he had to do that himself, and this was something she couldn't rush. Could Bowser even accept their relationship as over? At this point, she could only pray to the Star Spirits for some sort of revival in him. This was out of her control.

"How about we change the subject since it's clearly a touchy one for you?" She nodded, barely uttering a word. "Well, Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong will be arriving soon, so we should prepare topics to discuss beforehand."

And so the next 15 minutes went by without a cinch as Toadsworth went over different areas of discussion, but Peach was already out of it, only catching half of what he said and nodding her head when Toadsworth did a checkup of knowledge already discussed, but she was still out of it by the time the news of the Kongs' arrival came through. Toad entered as he bowed. "Good morning, Princess!"

"Ah, Toad," Toadsworth said. "To what good news does your arrival bring?"

"King Cranky Kong and his son have arrived as you requested." A couple days after the Brooklyn incident, Toad had decided to become a part of the Royal Guard as a way of making up for the past incidents of humor that distracted most of the guards from their duties.

"Very well then. I suppose it's time for a checkup. How well are you integrating with your fellow guard members since it's been a few days since you've been indoctrinated?"

He sighed. "To be honest, most of the guards either make fun of me or hate me for what I did to them, especially Ala-Gold and Bucken Berry. Those two hate me the most. But I'm not gonna stop. I will make it up to both of you. I shall return to my post. Toad out!" He saluted and left.

"Such a mature Toad he's turning out to be. Being able to admit to his own faults surely does make him an inspiration, wouldn't you say, Princess?" She stayed silent. "I've never seen you this quiet before. After all, you did decide to give him a chance."

"I know. I'm just still struggling with everything that's been going on, but I am proud of him. I'm getting there. I promise." Toadsworth smiled.

Before he could say anything else, the doors slammed open, causing the two to jump as a voice rang out throughout the throne room. "WE HAVE ARRIVED!" There stood Donkey Kong as he flexed his muscles, flashing a cheeky smile that made Peach laugh out loud, much to the surprise of Toadsworth, who was still in shock about the whole thing. The Kong bowed to her flamboyantly. "Good morning, Your Majesty!"

Before Toadsworth could reprimand him, someone beat him to the punch. "Oh, come now, son." Cranky Kong entered the room with an exasperated sigh as he shook his head. "Why must you act so boisterous at all times, especially in front of the princess?" He whacked him on the head. "Show some freaking respect and consideration for others!"

"Oh, come on, Dad," Donkey Kong said, turning to him. "You know I'm just having fun, right?"

"Again, not when you're taking others into consideration. For goodness sake, haven't you heard what's going down in the Darklands? Constant rebellions day in and out. People tried to seize power for themselves, and Peach has tried her best to control the situation, but ultimately can't. You need to learn to read the freaking room!" There was silence as Donkey Kong's smile vanished, casting a down-gazed look. Cranky Kong sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling, son. Old habits are really hard to break, but you can't act all flamboyant all the time. These are times when she needs our help the most. For goodness sake, I've let her cries for help fall on deaf ears. I'm not ignoring her anymore, and that means you need to be serious in times like these. Understand?"

Donkey Kong sighed. "I'm sorry. I just let my personality take over me sometimes. I forget to put myself in other people's shoes." He bowed to Peach. "Forgive me for my ignorance, princess."

"You're forgiven," she said. "It takes a lot to realize one's own mistakes. You keep that head held high, and you're gonna be a successful king." The Kong smiled as he sat up. "Now, I believe it's time for-"

"Guys!" Toad burst through the room, panting as he struggled to catch his breath.

"For goodness sake!" Toadsworth hissed. "We're having an important meeting! Have you no freaking manners?! At least knock before you-"

"Mario and Luigi! They're back!" That caused an amalgamation of mixed reactions as everyone glanced at each other. Peach's heart slightly fluttered. Mario was actually here? "Come quick!" He ran out of the room.

"He really does have no manners. He freaking cut me off! I swear this generation has no respect for their elders!"

"I wouldn't exactly say that," Cranky Kong said, pointing to his son. "Besides, it's been too long. Why don't we go see them and get caught up?"

"But we're in the middle of an important meeting! We can't just pause our meeting just because the Mario Bros grace us with their presence! This meeting is about the very stake of the Mushroom Kingdom! I worked my butt off to set up this meeting, and I'll be damned if someone else decides to interrupt us! I will not be deterred! We will have this-"

"I need to see them." He glanced at Peach. "I understand this meeting is very important, but I need to see them. Please."

"Princess, we are lucky the economy isn't in shambles with the amount of spending we've done. The repairs are costing us a fortune. We can't-"

"I need to see Mario! I've been feeling very stressed, and I know you set this up to help lighten the load, but right now, I need comfort, and the one person I want that from is him. Please, Toadsworth."

The Toad stayed silent, rubbing his temples in frustration. Eventually, he conceded as he heaved a heavy sigh. "Ten minutes, then we're having this meeting. No ifs, ands, or buts."

"15."

"Princess-"

"Come on, now," Cranky Kong said. "You gotta destress every now and then. Take a break! We'll get to this meeting today. I promise. Surely, you must know the importance of destressing."

"Alright, fine! But mark my words! We are having this damn meeting!"

"Fine by me. Now, let's go see the Mario Bros!"

"And this is Toad Town." Upon arriving in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario decided to give Luigi an official tour of it since he never had a proper introduction to the kingdom, but because the circumstances have changed, now was the perfect time. Granted, he would have to go off his limited knowledge acquired by Toad, but Mario could give a tour based on what he had before he would meet up with the others.

Luigi gasped in awe as he glanced around. "Whoa! I was down here when Bowser invaded, but I had no idea how huge it was!"

"Yep. It's the most populous city in the Mushroom Kingdom, so no wonder it's the capital. Come on! I want to show you more!"

"How much do you know about this place?"

"Only a bit, but there's nothing wrong with a tour of the city, am I right? We can go to Peach's Castle, and I'll lead the way so you don't get lost."

"OK. I'll-a trust you." The two made their way through the city at a more relaxed pace as a couple Toads who noticed their presence said hi to them as they slowly trekked through the city.

It was nice to just take in the sights for once now that they didn't have to be in such a rush because of Bowser, but Mario had often wondered how Peach was doing. Because of Bowser's imprisonment, there was no doubt restlessness in the Darklands due to the Koopa's absence. Knowing her, she was bound to do something about it considering she stated that she wanted to have a rekindled friendship with him, something the Koopa was stubborn about considering that wasn't what he wanted. And with the stress of having to help chip in money for the repairs of both Brooklyn and affected areas of the Mushroom Kingdom, how was she faring? She was strong, but she wasn't invincible. There was only so much that she could handle on her own, but she wasn't alone.

What of Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, and Toad? What were they up to? So many questions filled the plumber's mind, but it came up as a distraction when Luigi shouted, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Mario!" Mario found himself almost over the edge of the moving platform he was on when Luigi held him by the sleeve before he could fall to his doom. Luigi hoisted him upright. "You OK? You almost fell over."

"Sorry. I got distracted with my own thoughts. Forgive me."

"I swear, you're gonna be the death of me. Let me guess, you were fawning over your girlfriend."

"And what if I was? It's not like you're in love with someone else. Until you reciprocate the same feelings like I do, don't judge. You have no room to speak. Besides, I was more concerned for her and my other friends than anything."

"OK. Duly noted. I'll keep my mouth shut. How about you just lead us to the castle? We've done enough stalling as is."

"Fair enough." Without uttering another word, the two made through the city across the pipe maze as Luigi had discovered the joy of getting lost in the maze as he hopped from one pipe to another, causing him to grow desperate as Mario laughed before guiding him along the right path, but Luigi didn't dare not let that action go unnoticed as he whacked him on the head as they approached the castle.

"Hey!" Mario rubbed his head. "The heck was that for!"

"It's called karma," the green plumber hissed. "That's what you get for laughing at me! I mean, can you freaking blame me? That was a maze to begin with. Did you really expect me to get it right the first time?"

"OK. Touché. Besides, we're here." He pointed to Peach's Castle. "You ready?"

"Yeah. Let's-a go!"

They took off towards the castle as a Guard Toad pointed his halberd at them. "Hold it right there, fiend! State your name and purpose!"

"We're Mario and Luigi. We've come to visit."

"Wait a sec. Mario?" It took a second, but Mario immediately recognized the voice.

"Toad?"

"Mario!" Toad ran and hugged him, causing Mario to cough. "You're actually here! Wait. Please tell me this isn't a dream."

Mario pinched his cheek, causing him to shriek. "That hurt, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then definitely not a dream."

"But I can't believe it. Wait! I need to get the others!" He ran away.

"Wow. Definitely surprising to see him as a guard."

"Why?" Luigi asked.

"It's best if you hear it from him." Luigi scratched his head but didn't say anything else.

A couple minutes later, Toad returned with Peach and Toadsworth, but to Mario's surprise, Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong were with them. "And here they are!" Toad said. "The Mario Bros!"

"And just when we were having an important meeting, too," Toadsworth muttered. "Well, whatever, I guess. I didn't expect to see you two so soon."

"Well," Mario said, "We figured why not visit since we had the time. It's been quite a while since we last saw each other, so why not catch up?" He glanced at the Kongs. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Well," Cranky Kong said," We volunteered to help Peach by helping return what she spends. We have the funds, so why not spare a few for her? It's the least I can do after all the ignoring I've done. And my son decided to help as well! Isn't that right, son?"

Donkey Kong crossed his arms. "Dad, you're acting like I'm gonna contribute nothing. Why do you think I'm even here?"

Cranky Kong laughed. "Of course I know that! I'm just playing with you. You can't expect me of all people to be serious all the time, right? I'm still learning to loosen up."

"I'll take your word for it, Dad."

"Now where were we? Ah, yes!" Cranky Kong turned to the Mario Bros. "I believe you were gonna tell us what you've been up to."

"Ahem." Peach glared at him with crossed arms.

"Right. After we finish introductions first." The group parted as Peach walked to Mario.

"Hey. How are- Oh!" Peach squeezed him in a hug, causing him to wheeze as he coughed before she released him. "Man, I sometimes forget how strong you are."

"That's due to the years of training and muscle building I did." She smiled. "I'm just so happy you're here. I didn't think you would come so soon. And you too, Luigi. Don't you have your city to repair?"

"We've made progress, but one visit won't hurt, right? Besides, I need to hear from everyone, starting with you, Toad. It's quite interesting to see you part of the Royal Guard."

He playfully huffed. "Glad to see you noticed. But in all honesty, I did much more harm than I realized. At first, I only thought my actions were nothing but a simple jab, just something for a good chuckle, but I didn't realize just how much one single action could pile up, and I did it over-and-over. It became torture to the guards, so I decided to make things up by becoming part of the Royal Guard. I may not be the best trained, but Mario, your 'death' made me realize my shortcomings. I apologized to the princess and had asked to do this to repay for what I did. This is one way I can make Mom and Dad proud of me."

Mario walked to him. "Your parents were already proud the moment you reconciled your feelings on that day. You don't have to prove yourself."

"I know, but this still feels right. I know they're proud of me, but it was important that I make it up to others I harmed. That's what matters." Mario nodded.

"As for us," Cranky Kong said, "We're supposed to have a meeting about how we can help Peach with her situation, but that's been postponed per your arrival. Anyway, you wanna take a gander at who's gonna become king in a year?"

Mario gasped as he glanced at Donkey Kong. "Wait, really?! Your dad's retiring?!"

"Yep," Donkey Kong said. "Dad said that he has full trust in me to lead the kingdom. This is gonna be something that we'll do before he retires. One last hurrah. And we're still working on our relationship as father and son. I still tend to goof off too much, but in the end, I'm happy for where we are." He glanced at Cranky Kong. "Thanks for giving us a second chance."

"Of course, son." He hugged him. "My mother and I are proud of you." They released their hug after a moment of silence. "How about you two, especially you, Green Man? You've been offly quiet."

"It's Luigi!" the plumber hissed. "Get it right!" Cranky Kong laughed. "Yeah, laugh all you want. I'll teach you to get my name right."

The Kong regained his breathing. "You know I'm just playing."

"And yet I'm not. I'm tired of everyone sullying my name. I've been called so many things over the years, and I will not stand for one more. I understand you didn't mean it, but I truly am tired of being walked on. My name will be respected."

Cranky Kong smiled. "You truly have changed. You have my deepest apologies, Luigi. Well, there is one thing I am curious about. Besides rudimentary repairs, any girls you're interested in, if you don't mind me asking?" Luigi stared at him blankly.

Mario playfully nudged him. "Now you know how it feels. I've been getting it constantly from Toad and now Zio Tony."

"Ah, be quiet, fratello. I don't need it from you. Besides, I don't right now, but I will later when I'm ready."

Cranky Kong nodded. "I see. I just want what's best for you. Now, let's give Peach and Mario some space. Clearly, they need their moment together, so let's not intrude. Instead, we can talk about other things. We shall see you two later." With that, the group slowly separated until it was just Mario and Peach as they stared at each other.

"Wanna head inside?" Mario asked. Peach nodded, guiding him as they walked to her room and sat on her bed. Mario glanced at her, not having to look very deep in the situation to see the exhaustion plastered all over her face, the number one biggest sign being the redness and bags under her eyes. "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

She sighed. "That obvious, huh?"

"I mean, I kinda figured that you would be stressed considering Bowser's absence in the Darklands. It wasn't hard to infer there's restlessness there and the fact that you still care for him as friends on top of negotiating funds with Pauline and any other repairs needed here. It's a lot for one to handle, even for you. You've had to learn to endure it all on your own, but even you will tumble from putting too much on your shoulders, hence why the Kongs are here."

"Like I said before, your intelligence never ceases to amaze me. Everything that you said is true. I am used to carrying a lot on my shoulders. Heck, I've had to do that for the past ten years when the war started, and I managed to make it through. I'm so proud of how far I've come, but a lot of the time, I forget that because of the very fact that I put a lot on my shoulders. I know I'm not some god, but I will do anything to alleviate the situation, and Bowser's is no exception. When I got word of the raids, I thought I could control the situation by sending my soldiers down there." She scoffed. "What a dumb decision that was. They all died meaningless deaths, and it only worsened the problem. It took a while for me to realize that the only one who can fix the problem is Bowser. I want to restore our friendship that we used to have, but every conversation that I've had with him always ends with him either being angry or crying because he still loves me. I want what's best for both of us, and I don't know what to do anymore!" She wailed as she ran into Mario, crying on his shoulder as her shrieks verberated the room.

Mario sighed. Bowser was always a stubborn one, but the plumber underestimated that very fact about him. Peach still cared for the Koopa after all the terrorizing he did, but it broke her heart that there wasn't anything she could do to fix it. This truly was a situation out of her control, but perhaps not his. Maybe Mario could change his mind. Cranky Kong was evidence that people could change, and even if the plumber couldn't resort to more brutish methods, he needed to give this a shot. If he truly loved her, then he would do anything to fix this situation for her. "Then let me do it."

She sat up. "What?"

"Let me be the one to change that Koopa's mind. I may not have had many encounters with him, but I know how he works. I managed to change Cranky Kong's mind when we needed the Kong Army. Let me do this for you."

"Are you certain you can do it?"

"Not 100%, but you know that I'm just as stubborn as he is. I'm not deterred. I'll change that Koopa's mind yet." He touched her cheek. "You learn to relax. You've done enough stress to last you a lifetime. Leave it all to me."

Peach smiled and kissed him, causing Mario to blush. "Thank you," she said. "You truly are the best. No wonder I fell in love with you."

"And I plan on making it count. Perhaps a date after this?"

"If you're successful, it'll be my treat."

"You know I will. Now, you just destress. That's an order."

"Like you have the right to order me around." She chuckled. "Alright. I'm gonna nap. I'll wait with good news." Mario nodded and closed the door, clenching his fist as a serious look emerged on his face. He will keep his word. He headed towards the prison.

Peach's Castle: Prison

Bowser sighed as he leaned on his bed, humming a tune he curated before singing, his gentle and deep tone being the only thing to fill the empty halls of the prison. "Oh, Princess Peach, the one I adore. Longing for your touch forevermore. Destiny's cruel hand has kept us apart, leaving me with an empty and broken heart. For eternity, I'll bear this unending ache. So, Princess Peach, please come back for m… m…" He paused and scoffed, not even bothering to finish the song.

Weirdly enough, as much of the angry and brutal king that he was, singing was one way of coping besides lashing out in anger because while he was known to do that, that would only get him so far. He needed a more fine-tuned way of dealing with Peach's loss, and that way was singing. It originally didn't start that way, though, but as the rejections piled up, it turned into the coping mechanism that it was today. He also worked for many hours on fine-tuning the best lyrics for Peach to hear because he often sang to her about their love, each time having to adjust various parts and trying new angles just to see the slightest hint of a different emotion, but nothing worked.

But Bowser often found himself in awe at his sheer determination to win her love. There were often many days when he would question if any of this was worth it, but he pushed those thoughts away, and a big reason why was because of his songs. They were a clear reminder of why he was doing this, so he could have her love, so each time he felt depressed, he wrote a new song, then another. He spent so many hours fine-tuning his talent that it became second nature to him, but this time was different, and the answer was obvious why.

Mario. That damn Mario. It was all his fault. He ruined everything. His marriage. His plans. Everything. He had also heard what was going on in the Darklands and how everything, for lack of a better word, went to hell. He never imagined his people would be fighting amongst themselves for power. Weren't all his minions loyal to him? Why the hell would they dare crave power for themselves?! He was the only one who could restore order, but he couldn't let go of that moment in Mario's world, the moment of his defeat in front of hundreds of other organisms. He never felt so humiliated in his life, and as such focused more on his plot of revenge. He still loved Peach. That was very much obvious, and Mario's revenge became the one motivator to win her love once again.

"Singing, huh? Never would've thought you were the type." Bowser jumped at the sound of the mysterious voice. He growled. Of course. He stared at the human that stood before him. He charged at him, snarling as he tried to grab Mario's neck. He jumped back. "Whoa! Easy! I didn't come to fight!"

"Shut the hell up! I didn't ask for your damn presence! Go the hell away before I rip your freaking neck off! Heck, I might as well do it-" Mario grabbed his arm and bent it in an unorthodox way, causing Bowser to scream.

"I said chill," the plumber hissed. "I didn't come here to fight." He released him. "Now, that's better. How about you just sit down and let's-a have a nice chat. Sounds good, yeah?"

"Like hell it does. It's your fault that I'm cursing so much. Why the heck should I talk to the one person who ruined my life?"

"Because there is someone that still cares for you, but you keep taking her words out of context. If you won't listen to her, then maybe you will from me." He sat down. "I heard Peach told you about what's going down in the Darklands."

"Like that's any of your business."

"But it is the moment you got my brother involved. You even threatened to kill him, so yes, it is my business, but enough about that. She told me everything about the situation and the fact that the one person who can fix his own kingdom is you, Bowser. You do understand this, yes?"

"You're acting like I have the intelligence of a child. Of course I know this! I'm the freaking king, for crying out loud!"

"And yet you don't understand why you're also the problem."

Bowser growled and stood up, pacing around his cell. "Look, I've heard the same thing from Peaches over and over! She keeps saying that I have to drop my love for her in order to fix the problem! She makes it sound so easy, and yet she's freaking simplifying the situation so much!"

"Riddle me this," Mario said. "You want what's best for her, yes?"

"Of course I do!"

"And yet you don't respect her wish. She wants to rebuild her friendship with you, but you can't see it that way. You're in denial that your relationship is over. And it's no wonder she can't release you to fix your problem. I'll have you know that she even tried to fix it herself only to result in more death! She still freaking cares for you, but you can't accept the facts you want to ignore! You act like you care for her, and yet you don't give one damn about her feelings! She cries everyday for your people, and yet you're stuck in the past with no way of getting out!" There was silence as Mario heaved heavy breaths, glaring daggers at the Koopa.

"You wanna know something?" Bowser said after a few moments of silence. "Since you like talking in riddles so much, let me ask this. Why do you think I've been so stubborn these past few days? Do you really think I don't know what goes on in Peach's mind? I've known her longer than you've been alive. Do you really think I've been acting ignorant of her feelings?"

"Well, your actions say otherwise."

"I have never disregarded her feelings. I've seen the pain I've induced onto her. It's clear as day. I know I cause her harm and that she cries a lot because of it. But can you truly say that you understand the nuisances of my love for her? I've loved her since my teenage years. That's a long time to fantasize about someone. Do you really think I can just let go of this love, especially when someone like you just happens to claim her before I do? Do you really understand?! Answer me, human!"

There was a pause as Mario became still and quiet. "I'm the reason," he said. "You blame me."

"And it all comes full circle. Do you really think I can ever be truly happy when you have her? Huh?! You stole her from me! She was supposed to be mine!" The tears started to come. "It was fate for us to be together, but you defied my destiny and stole her from me! I hate you!"

Mario stood up. "Then maybe you don't understand her at all."

"What? That's-"

"Bowser, stop. You say that you care for her, but I think you've been lying to yourself this entire time. You ignore all your harmful actions just to get to the finish line, but you also said you noticed the pain you caused her. You try to ignore it multiple times. You probably questioned if any of this is worth it, which is why you often sing a lot. The truth of it all is this. You may think you know what's best for her, but you've been putting up a mask and trying to deny all the pain you caused along with the rejections. You make every excuse in the world to keep going, but Bowser, when will you stop lying to yourself? That's all you've been doing."

"But that's still a bunch of bullcrap!"

"Exhibit A. Perhaps you need to look in the freaking mirror for once. Maybe that will change your ways of thinking." He began to walk away. Bowser was just awestruck. He simply had no words to say. He shook his head. No. That wasn't the truth. He very well had an arsenal of retorts he could resort to at times like this, but who was he kidding? Mario hadn't known him for more than a week, and yet he saw right through him. Everything he said was true, and as much as Bowser wanted to retort against it, he couldn't. Maybe he was too tired? No. That's another dumb excuse, just the type of thinking Mario pointed out. He couldn't run away from this truth anymore.

"Mario, stop."

The plumber stopped and turned around. "You're finally starting to understand the truth, aren't you?"

He sighed. "There's no point in denying it anymore. Everything you said is true. There's been many times where I've tried to overlook the pain I caused for her because all I cared about was the end goal. I didn't care about how many people I had to kill or how much of her kingdom I had to ravage. My brain noticed it, but I made every excuse to dismiss it." He gazed at the ground. "I'm such a fool. I should've just listened to her the first time, but my thirst for her love drove me insane. So, how? How am I supposed to get past this?! I need to know!" Mario smiled and walked away, not even saying a word. "No, Mario! Please come back!" There was no response. Bowser wept, his knees falling to the floor.

A couple moments of silence had passed before footsteps entered the halls. In the midst of wiping his tears, one voice called out to him. "Bowser?" He glanced up and low and behold stood the one and only Peach as she stood before him.

"Peaches," he said in a soft voice.

"Mario had told me what happened."

"And he's right. All I ever did was cause you harm. To be honest, I don't remember when I decided to switch to more violent means to get your love, but I was wrong. I tried to sweep all the pain I would cause you under the rug, believing that if I kept going, I would be successful. But I can't ignore all the pain I caused you. Peaches, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" He wailed, his sobs filling the air as he did nothing but cry. But the door opened, and soft, warm arms wrapped around his body, instantly calming his nerves as he steadied his breathing. When he glanced at her, she was also crying alongside him.

"Bowser," she said, "That's all that I wanted to hear you say in such a long time. I know you cared a lot for me, but you caused a lot of pain for me. Everyday, my heart would feel heavy with the constant loss of my people that you squashed just for the pursuit of my love. Bowser, I just wanted us to be friends. Why did you have to become like this?!"

"To be honest, I don't remember why. I said everyday that I cared about you, but all that changed the moment one sly thought of using your people came to my mind, and then my mindset had forever changed for the worse. Overtime, I had gotten used to the pain I was causing your people and didn't care if I killed them without a second thought, but there were brief lapses where they would come back, but I would laugh it off every time." He held her hand. "Peaches, I'm so sorry for all the harm I did to you. I know now that I was never worthy of your love. I don't know how I'm gonna get over this. I just feel like I'm gonna relapse the moment you release me. I just don't know what to do anymore."

"It all starts with forgiving yourself. Even I might not be able to forgive you for all the things you did, but Bowser, that won't change our friendship. I think what you need right now is a few days of consolidation. You still need to work yourself out first, so you'll remain here for a few more days."

"But what about my people? Mario said you tried to fix the situation yourself and it only worsened because of that. What of them?"

"I might not know the answer to that, but we will figure things out. OK? Just promise me to work on yourself first."

He nodded. "OK. I promise you I will. It might not be easy to get over these feelings and whatnot, but I can promise you that."

"Then that's all I need." She relocked his cell. "I'll check in a few days. You keep hanging in there, OK?" He nodded. "Alright. I'll see you around." They walked away.

"Don't worry, Peaches." Bowser smiled. "I'll make you proud of me yet."

Peach and Mario walked through the castle as they approached the door. "You did it," Peach said. "I never thought I would see the day, but you kept your promise."

"Yep. Now, perhaps a date later on?"

"You heard me. Because you're successful, it's gonna be my treat."

"OK." They walked in silence. "Can I say something that's been on my mind for a bit?" Mario asked.

"Of course."

"I don't know what Luigi will think of this, but I want to stay here. My father said that the world was our oyster, and I want to further develop a relationship with everyone, including Bowser, and since he's gonna work on turning over a new leaf, I want to be able to support him. That's what I desire."

"You did so much for my kingdom. I will gladly do anything for you, Mario. You and your brother deserve it." They opened the doors, Donkey Kong, Toad, and Luigi roughing with each other from afar.

"Mario!" Luigi said. "You're back!"

"Good." Donkey Kong glared at him with a sly grin. "Now I can get my payback!"

"After this meeting," Cranky Kong said.

"Duh! Of course I know that!"

"Well," Mario said, "Before any of that happens, I have an announcement. I have decided to live here. Granted, my family would have to know, but what do you say, bro? Wanna make this our eternal home?"

"Oh, heck ya!"

"Then it's settled," Peach said. "I shall arrange a place for you to stay permanently after this meeting. Now, let's go before Toadsworth gives us an ear full." They left, leaving the bros to themselves.

"This is so exciting! I can't wait to see more of this kingdom! I'm gonna spread the good news!" He ran, squealing with excitement.

"Not without me!" The two ran off towards the horizon.

Thanks to pinkmoonshine45 for favoriting/following this story!

Now, this is the longest chapter I ever wrote, but in the end, it puts a nice bow to a story I'll forever be proud of. I would like to thank everyone who joined me on this adventure, and I hope you all found this worthy of the rewrite that it should've been. I also have high hopes for the sequel and that they'll address the flaws of the first film and actually develop these characters to a new degree along with new ones as well as elevate the story.

Now, I'm going on a long hiatus. As much as I love writing, I'm pretty tired of writing in general and am in need of a desperate break, but I'll be back, writing much shorter stories and even branching off into other fandoms should the opportunity arise. Until next time.