The sky was clear, the air was sweet, her smile was even sweeter. He felt like he was up in World 7, surrounded by the clouds and light as a feather. Of course, they were only discussing a political alliance between their kingdoms, but Bowser could care less about the boring documents in front of him; he'd secretly had a different, much more personal reason for inviting Peach to the Darklands this evening.

Peach was the one who'd suggested they take care of their business outside. Bowser had leaped at the opportunity and quickly set up a practical workspace under the pavilion in the palace gardens. He knew the space was one that she loved, and that it held special memories for the both of them. The sunset, too, was especially striking, fading from orange to pink to twilight, and certainly added to the romantic effect. In hindsight, the environment wasn't exactly helping with their productivity, but it was definitely the mood Bowser wanted to set, and he was already distracted anyhow.

Peach looked so adorably focused, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed as she tried to pay attention to the trade proposal she was reading. As part of building the alliance between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Darklands, there was a great deal to be offered in the way of resources. The Mushroom Kingdom, being the largest producer of power-ups in the eight worlds, was likely getting the shorter end of the deal, but now that Bowser had control of his massive Koopa army again, the protection he could offer was still a valuable commodity.

These things were far from Bowser's mind, however. He found himself staring at her dreamily from across the table, leaning his head into his hand, with his elbow propped on the table. He lost himself as he watched her work, and nearly slammed his head on the table as it slipped out of his hand. He jolted hard and tried to snap out of it– he had a serious goal here after all!

"Bowser, do you need a break?" Peach questioned him lightly as she noticed his brief struggle. Bowser cleared his throat nervously.

"Sure, yeah. Do you maybe want a drink– some refreshments?" he corrected himself.

Peach smiled softly, putting her document down. "That sounds lovely."

Bowser swiftly summoned a pair of Koopa servants, one of which carried a tray bearing two glasses of champagne. Bowser took the glasses in his hands, and set them on the table.

"O-oh, hey, I think I dropped a pen earlier and it rolled over to your side, would you mind getting it for me?" Bowser asked. Peach nodded and bent over, disappearing under the edge of the table.

As soon as she was out of sight, Bowser immediately reached into his shell's compartment and pulled out the thing he'd been waiting to give her for weeks. A thin golden band, studded with small sapphires, rubies, and a large diamond in the middle sparkled in the setting sunlight. It was so tiny in his hand, but of course it wasn't made for him. Bowser grinned from horn to horn, and reached over to place the ring in Peach's glass of champagne.

Oh my, what's that? He imagined her saying as she would spot the ring in her drink.

Huh, how did that get there? He'd reply slyly, waiting for her to pull it out. Then, he'd gently take it from her, tell her how he felt, kneel, and ask her–

The clink of glass on metal rang out as the ring hit the rim and refused to go in. Bowser's eyes widened in panic as he realized the ring was too big to fit inside the cup. Suddenly, Peach rose, saying, "I don't see a pen, are you sure you–"

Bowser hurriedly snatched his hand back, trying to hide the ring. Unfortunately, in his haste he bumped Peach's champagne, and it tipped over and spilled its contents all over the table and onto Peach's lap. Peach squeaked in surprise and abruptly stood as it doused the pink silken fabric of her dress, and she tried to grab as many of the papers as possible.

"Here, here!" she cried, passing half-soaked documents to Bowser as she was already picking up more. Bowser, horrified, tried his best to hold them in his awkward one-handed grasp (his other hand still held the ring, which was balled up into a tight fist so Peach could not see it).

"Can we get some towels, please?" Peach called out to the servants urgently. Bowser bit his lip as he realized he'd quietly sent them away so he could talk to Peach alone.

"U-Uh, sorry, sorry, let me go get some, j-just wait here and I'll–" Bowser stumbled over his words as he maneuvered around the table with his hands still full. Unfortunately, he also stumbled over his own feet in his haste, and ended up falling forward with no free hands to catch himself. He caught the edge of the table instead, and it flipped onto its side, crashing onto the ground next to him. Papers flew, the glasses shattered and more champagne puddled around.

"Bowser! Are you alright?" Peach dropped her stack of wet papers and stooped down next to him.

Bowser felt heat rise up the back of his neck and flood his cheeks. Why was this happening, and now of all times? He swallowed a fireball along with his ire, and forced himself to take a deep, calming breath. However, as he exhaled, the smallest spark escaped his lips, and landed on the champagne-drenched space next to him. It instantly went up in flames, along with all the papers near it, and nearly caught the hem of Peach's dress, too.

"Oh Stars!" Peach exclaimed, straightening up and quickly backing away from the flames (she knew Bowser was fire-proof, so she didn't bother with trying to get his bulky frame to his feet).

Bowser wanted to facepalm himself, but his hand was still encasing the ring. Slowly, he stood, muttering curses under his breath and brushing bits of burning paper off his person with his other hand. He stamped out the fire with a little more force than was necessary, and smoke and ash swirled around them.

"A-Are you alright, Bowser?" Peach repeated while she waved a hand in front of her and coughed lightly as the fire was put out.

"Fine, fine," he grumbled as he stomped past her and made a beeline for the castle.

Peach briefly glanced back at the burning mess he'd caused. Thankfully, the fire did not spread, but it was still a hazard. "W-We should find someone to clean that up."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of it," Bowser said as he waved a hand at her over his shoulder. In his mind he was livid, cursing himself and the stupid ring and the stupid champagne and the stupid sunlight hitting his eyes–

"Bowser, are you sure you're alright?" Peach asked gently as she came up beside him. She had to walk quickly in order to keep up with his long-legged stride. "Don't worry about those documents, we always have spares. I can ask Toadsworth to send–"

"It's not that," Bowser cut her off with a frustrated sigh. He stopped and glanced down at her, soaked in champagne and smelling faintly of smoke, yet worried about him.

"What is it, Bowser?" Peach placed a hand on his forearm, just above the fist holding the ring.

Bowser swallowed hard, trying to force down the nervous butterflies that suddenly fluttered up in his stomach. He'd come up with several clever witticisms and poetic ways he might declare his undying love for her, but right now his mind was drawing a blank. The ring bit into his skin as he clenched his fist and made up his mind.

"Peach," he began. He drew back from her touch and faced her seriously. "I really want this alliance between our kingdoms to go smoothly."

"So do I," Peach agreed.

"It's… it's more than that. I really want this alliance to be… strong. I want it to bring our peoples closer together– bring us closer together," Bowser continued, hoping that what he was trying to say was clear to her.

"I know we've been up to our necks with work since the curse was broken, and that we haven't seen much of each other over the past months because of it, but I just know it will be worth it," Peach said with a smile.

Bowser returned it, albeit with a nervous waver. This is far from what he'd planned, but he simply couldn't wait any longer. "Peach," he started again, taking a deep breath. "I can't ignore how I feel. You are the one I was meant to be with, and I learn that more each and every time I'm with you."

At this, he stooped down on one knee. Now, they were just on one of the rough paths connecting the garden back to the palace, deep in the shadow of the castle's spiraling towers; but even as Bowser knelt in the dirt, with both of them already a mess of champagne and ash, he knew this was the right moment. Peach's eyes widened with intrigue.

"Peach, my beautiful, lovely, feisty princess. I want to stand by your side, not just as your ally, but as yours."

Peach's lips formed a silent "o" as she put the pieces together. She covered her mouth with a gloved hand and blinked rapidly as Bowser opened his hand, revealing the sparkling ring.

"Our love was strong enough to break the curse, so I couldn't even imagine living the rest of my life without you by my side, too… Princess Peach, will you marry me?" he finished, outstretching the ring between his thumb and foreclaw.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Peach gasped. She looked between Bowser and the ring with shining eyes. "Oh, Bowser, you– you mean so much to me– yes, yes!" she cried, leaping forward and embracing him around the neck.

Bowser felt a rush of elation as he wrapped her up in his arms. He inhaled her sweet scent (although still tinged with smoke) and caressed her soft hair. Nothing could have ruined this moment, this feeling. The disaster from earlier felt like it never even happened.

"May I?" Bowser asked as he slowly pulled back, taking her hand in his own. He went to gently slide the ring onto her finger, and paused. Peach went silent as she saw the ring up close on her hand– or wrist, rather.

"Bowser, darling, I think this may be more of an engagement… bracelet," she said after a long moment, the ring sliding down towards the crook of her elbow as she held up her arm.

"Well then… I guess if it's a bracelet, that just means my love is bigger!" Bowser argued playfully.

Peach giggled and pecked him on the cheek. "Still, perhaps we should ask Kamek to shrink it down for us."

Bowser shrugged. "If you want to. If not, we could always fatten you up to make it fit better."

Peach rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous… and I love you for that."

Bowser smirked at her. "I know."

Kammy Koopa was a great many things. A powerful mage, an influential leader, and a silver-tongued speaker were just a few of the traits she prided most about herself. For nearly a decade she'd utilized these skills to lead her people and protect the Koopa Territories from outside threats seeking to overwhelm their scattered population.

Without a proper government to unify them, the Koopa Territories were vulnerable, but the situation had not been without hope. Kammy, along with a council of other (lower ranking) Magikoopas had banded together to build a workable system. It wasn't perfect, but it performed its purpose. Not to mention, it granted Kammy the very position she felt she was born to be in. The role as Head Councilwoman was perfect for her, and she'd be very hard-pressed to give it up.

However, everything changed when she abruptly received a lifetime's worth of forgotten memories.

She'd been at her desk, lounging in her rather expensive armchair while sipping on a piping hot cup of tea, when her brain was suddenly flooded with them– lost pieces she hadn't even known she was missing– and when they all clicked into place, she remembered. Kammy Koopa, the second in command to King Bowser Koopa's army, who was sent on the mission to invade the Mushroom Kingdom– the mission that had abruptly come to a halt when it was forgotten about, along with the King who'd ordered it done.

Kammy had shakily set down her teacup, rubbing her temples as she struggled to process the onslaught of information. The Koopa Territories– no, the Darklands– was restored, and so too was its rightful king.

"Lady Kammy!" A young Magikoopa burst into her office, causing Kammy to jump. "Memories– Darklands– King Bowser–!"

"Yes, Kamella!" Kammy snapped. She hadn't meant to be so harsh with her apprentice, but the situation was overwhelming to say the least, not to mention the inner battle of emotions that came along with it.

"L-Lady Kammy, what are we going to do?' Kamella wrung her hands nervously. "This is a good thing… isn't it?"

Kammy pressed her lips into a firm line and tucked her hands into her floppy purple sleeves. "Yes… I believe it is," she said after a long moment– and she meant it. The return of King Bowser meant many good opportunities were headed her way, if she was careful.

"Then, we ought to make our way back to the castle at once! We need answers, milady," Kamella said. Kammy hummed in thought.

"Agreed, we need answers." Kammy raised her pointer claw, shaking it slowly as she chose her next words carefully. "But, I believe that we should lay low for the time being."

Kamella only tilted her head in confusion.

Kammy sighed and adjusted her red cat-eyed glasses. "Kamella, what is the one thing you remember most about King Bowser?"

"H-His fits if rage, milady?"

"Precisely. Could you imagine what would happen if he found out that we took the reins while he was unable to?" Kammy said.

"Wouldn't he be grateful…?"

"Certainly not! Perhaps he'd be thankful that his kingdom isn't in a complete state of ruin, but the second he finds out we had a position of authority, he'd perceive us as a threat to the crown!" Kammy exclaimed. And he wouldn't be entirely wrong, she added in thought.

Kamella swallowed hard and licked her lips, which was even more noticeable with her green lipstick. "He will still find out what we did, eventually."

"True, but by staying out of his way while he regains control, we are showing that we have no interest in stealing his power. The other, lower-ranking council members are more than adequate to assist him with the transition in the meantime," Kammy explained carefully.

"You seem… very prepared for this," Kamella noted with squinted eyes.

Kammy couldn't tell her apprentice that she was always prepared when it came to a good opportunity. Nor would she speak of the ways she'd learned to handle a power struggle through her years of clawing up to the rank of second in command, by any means necessary. Of course, she was still overwhelmed by this sudden revelation, but past experience (recently remembered or otherwise) made it easy for her to keep a level head and stick to what she knew best: watching, waiting, and striking when the iron was hot.

"Kamella, King Bowser will need us, but I think it best to let him wait a few weeks so that he finds that out for himself. Once the land has settled, we'll return to the Darklands and he'll welcome us with open arms," Kammy clarified. Kamella nodded slowly.

"What if Bowser has found someone else in the meantime? S-Someone else to help him lead, I mean?" Kamella drummed her blue-painted claws together, making little anxious clicks.

Kammy laughed at this. "We may have only gotten our memories back, but there's one thing I recall for certain: Bowser does not share his power with anyone. As long as we play our cards right, we'll be comfortably seated at the right hand of the throne without a care in the world. And no doubt Lord Bowser will be looking to continue his conquests, too."

"With all due respect, Lady Kammy, it has been almost ten years… will he not have changed his mind?" Kamella asked.

Kammy shook her head, swaying her choppy white bangs. "I practically helped raise that boy– I know precisely what he's like deep down. Bowser will no doubt wish to continue the invasion soon. Likewise, I guarantee there is no way Bowser has found another soul he can trust as much as I, and by extension you. Lying low for a little while will only reaffirm this trust."

"Then… we will lay low as you instruct, milady."

Kammy nodded sharply. Inwardly she was still shaken, but at least she had a plan, now, and her apprentice to fall back on should things go wrong. "Trust me, in a few weeks time, things will start to go our way," she said as she pulled out her wand and clutched it with finality.

Only, a few weeks later, the great and powerful Kammy was proven oh so very wrong.

She'd had plenty of time in some backwater Koopa town to come up with how she'd humbly approach Bowser and offer her services. She was no fool, to come to him arrogantly, demanding her old position because of her past would be suicide. Any being with a lick of sense knew to fear King Bowser Koopa.

No, she'd come to him, offering praise and loyalty. It was what she'd done for ages before, time and time again. Kissing the feet of those above her until she could climb past them was nothing new to her. She'd laid low, let him retake control of the Darklands with no struggle, and now she'd be the one to help him advance his ongoing conquest.

At least, those were the things she told herself as she approached the front gates of the castle. Perhaps it was her imagination, but everything seemed… brighter. More colorful. Then again, ten years had passed while under a strange curse. Kammy (through snippets of gossip from the town she was hiding in) was shocked to hear of a curse being the reason behind the widespread memory loss and Bowser's disappearance, but perhaps it was yet another advantage she had; Bowser was more likely to rely on her if she could prove her magic was more powerful than the magic used against him.

Two red-shelled Koopas stood at the entrance, pointing their spears at her as she came up to them.

"Who goes there?" one demanded.

"Hey, I said I wanted to be the one who said that next time, Karl!" the other argued, glaring at his comrade.

Karl rolled his eyes. "Well, you weren't saying it soon enough, the strange lady was practically here already!"

"That's not the point, you promised that–"

"Excuse me, gentle-turtles," Kammy said sweetly. "I am Kammy Koopa, here to see his Viciousness King Bowser."

"Uhh, wait, did she say Kammy?" Karl turned to the other guard. He nodded with wide eyes. "Alert the King at once!"

Kammy smiled to herself. Of course she was still well known, among both those inside and outside of the curse. It was not the King, however, that greeted her. As the guards let her inside, she was met with a flash of purple smoke and a nasally cackle.

"Kamek," Kammy said flatly. If there was one being who'd stood between her and her goals longer than Kamek, they didn't exist.

"Kee-hee-hee! Well, I didn't expect to ever see you again, Kammy!" he exclaimed, grinning mischievously.

Kammy scowled in return. "I was expecting Lord Bowser. I have a many great things to discuss with him. Where is he?"

Kamek waved her off nonchalantly, which only infuriated her more. Kamek, the only Magikoopa in their order who managed to be with Bowser when the curse took hold, and the only one who would act so carelessly about her return.

"You must forgive His Infatuatedness, he's been so preoccupied lately. He's been putting all his time and effort into establishing the alliance with the Mushroom Kingdom, you know," Kamek said.

Kammy froze. "A-An alliance?" she repeated. Surely, she'd heard wrong.

Kamek nodded cheerfully. "Oh yes, he's simply ecstatic about it. I'm sure you know all about the curse by now, how it's been broken and how establishing this alliance will really pave the way for Lord Bowser's plans."

"What does– what does that have to do with this curse that's been broken?" Kammy said, her voice growing shrill.

Kamek looked at her oddly. "Kammy, haven't you heard?"

Kammy grit her teeth. "Of course I know about the curse, some princess with white magic undid it, didn't she? I could've done it myself if my memories hadn't been erased…" she fumed.

"Kammy, Kammy! The princess you speak of did indeed break the curse, but not with white magic. The curse could only be broken with true love, and she and Bowser achieved it! He's engaged now! Isn't it wonderful?" Kamek told her enthusiastically.

Kammy physically staggered back a step. This couldn't be happening. "The princess. Please don't tell me she's from the–"

"Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom is to become our queen, Kammy!"

Oh, this was certainly going to throw a wrench in her plans.