Repairs to the castle from the latest Mario brothers attack were nearly complete, thanks to the myriad of minions of all kinds, work effort went rather quickly this past month and a half.

There was one strange thing however that Kamek noticed, as he wandered the halls this morning.

The Boo corps had been acting strange lately. The only evidence he had so far were the lack of reports from the Mushroom Kingdom that weren't from his Magikoopas. Not since the usual ignore the Mario Brothers Birthday routine because 'we don't care, and we're still fixing the castle so they can go suck a Yoshi egg!' declaration Bowser made upon sifting through what was essentially Mushroom Kingdom report mail.

This morning however, Kamek stumbled upon quite the sight of the resident interspecies lovers, best simply known as Honey and Darling. Honey the Boo was in tears and Darien Darling the Koopa Troopa was doing his best to try and console her but to no avail…because she was being forced to withhold information, he overheard, just barely able to decipher her blubbering.

He had no choice but to approach.

"Sergeants Honey and Darling, what ails you my dear?" Kamek asked as if he just stumbled upon it.

Honey yelped and hid behind her arms and her beloved even more, trying in vain to hold back more sobs.

"Sorry, Master Kamek. She won't completely tell me what's wrong. Whatever it is, it's important enough to bring up to Lord Bowser, if he's willin' and able to see folks today, of course." Darien explained as best he could, though understanding King Bowser's busy schedule.

"Scheduling shouldn't be a problem my boy, the repairs are almost finished and His Eagerness is already getting itchy feet to kidnap Princess Peach again." Kamek replied gently and sagely.

Honey squeaked at the Princess' name cowering further into her beloved. Kamek noted it but said nothing, she'd most likely reveal everything soon enough.

The old Magikoopa pulled out his wand and cast a simple compass-like location spell, to help him find his King. He wasn't in the direction of his bedroom, so he must be…the kitchen.

"Head to the throne room, if you would please. It appears our King is getting some early brunch." Kamek gently requested.

"Yes, sir." Darling answered for both himself and his beloved.

Kamek followed his compass locating spell all the way to the kitchen, and found Lord Bowser just finishing up his brunch, as he licked his fingers clean of whatever it was.

"There you are, throne room if you please, majesty. Whatever that thing that's been going on with the Boo corps is, it's about to drop. Honey of the Honey and Darling duo knows something, even something Princess Peach related." Kamek told him succinctly. If there was one sure way to get through to his surrogate son, it was always the Mushroom Princess' name, ever since the day he met her, more so as an adult than when he was a toddler.

"Well, shoot. Alright, I'm comin', lemme just wash my claws first real quick." Bowser replied as soon as everything sunk in.

So he did and they had a little walk and talk toward the throne room.

"Honey and Darling though? I love those two. They're why I'm hopeful thing's will eventually work out with me an' Peach."

"Whatever it is, it's bothering her more, so I think it's a Boo thing, since something's been bothering the entire Boo corps after all. From Honey specifically I don't think she means to be withholding information, but she had no choice as of late, the same goes for the rest of the species in the army, oh there goes exhibit B now, pun fully intended…" Kamek replied as they passed by the Captain quartet, Captain Boo being crowded by his fellow Captains in genuine concern for the strange behavior as of late.

"Captain Boo! Report to the throne room, please. The rest of you can come with them!" Bowser called out.

"Yes sir!" Three of the four Captains saluted automatically. Captain Boo's was half hearted, and they hid behind an arm at the same time.

"Might it be more advisable if I collect the entirety of the Boo corps to the throne room, your Insightfulness?" Kamek asked curiously.

"Might as well. If something's bothering 'em all better to nip it in the bud while we can." Bowser replied dutifully.

"I am so proud of you." Kamek commented in astonishment.

Bowser gently nudged him playfully with his massive arm. "You're the one who got me down to business today. Besides, our Boos hiding behind their arms more than usual and the tension everywhere with them just ain't right."

"I couldn't agree more." Kamek agreed with a nod and cast a spell to call out to all the Boos in the army to head to the throne room.

With all the Boos in the army gathered before their King it was clearly time to face the music, the majority of the corps that didn't have moral support from other species of friends were quite envious of the few that did.

"Alright, settle down everyone, c'mon we're practically family here. Whatever it is that's been eating you lately it's okay to tell me, I promise I won't get mad. But none of us can get past this weird tension if you're all just clamming up. That's a turtle thing, and unless some of you were turtles in a past life, that shouldn't apply to absolutely all of you so I only ask you this once… What gives?" Bowser announced with genuine concern and curiosity to his surprisingly gentle tone.

The tension in the room was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. As much as any Boo in there were loyal and eased by their King's gentle tone, none of them dared to speak, especially not the one sobbing into her Koopa lover's arms.

A thought came to Kamek in that instance, and with a look to Bowser, silently, Bowser nodded to grant permission to ask a question.

"Are all of you somehow enchanted to not speak of whatever this is?"

Captain Boo was one of a few who were able to nod but only just, everyone else were torn between shivers and hiding behind their arms.

"Ah, bloody fish and chips, that would do it, wouldn't it?" Kamek muttered to himself, before taking out his wand and attempted to dispel whatever magic prevented them all from speaking of their secrets.

The sigh of relief wafted through the throne room, as Boos started dropping like flies as certain tensions just popped and the energies that kept them afloat at a normal 'standing height' drained out of them.

"Stars, Kamek, what the bloody Underwhere did you do?" Bowser asked skeptically at the corner of his mouth.

"Relax, I dispelled the magic that was holding their tongues." Kamek replied in equal whisper before turning to the Boo corps to ask again, "Now are you able to tell us what's been ailing you?"

"Darling, I'm okay, now, I promise, I need to give them something." Honey pleaded with her beloved, even though it was clear that she still barely had the strength to float.

"Honey, I insist on walking you to them, I've got you, it's okay." Darling insisted, helping her float closer to Kamek at the very least.

She pulled out a flier from her hammer space and handed it to Kamek.

"This came around this morning, King Boo pulled favors to ask us to pull them down shortly after they were put up in the Mushroom Kingdom." She explained breathlessly.

Both Kamek's and Bowser's heads lifted up to look briefly at her in confusion before turning back to the flier.

Kamek tongued his cheek as he read the gist of the flier, a Bride for King Boo, applications available only for a week. He passed it off to his King with a stern warning about his temper.

Bowser was too confused to be angry at the moment.

"What does this have to do with…? Why did all of you get asked to take these down from the Mushroom Kingdom?" Bowser asked, after second guessing what was more important to ask.

"He captured the Mario brothers on their birthday last month!" Cried out a Boo that gained back some energy.

"He started invading from the outer edges so that news of the attacks wouldn't reach her castle in time, she warned her people though so the invasion hadn't been going as well as he'd hoped!" Cried another.

"He changed tactics anyway but slowly over time, but just recently he completely stopped the invasion, giving back peace, land she's lost, and the brothers for a bride in return!" Added another.

"And since the attack was on the Mushroom Kingdom…and if no one shows up in a week then…" Honey began but couldn't finish.

A quick deep breath from Bowser indicated the flare of his temper, but he didn't release his anger on the Boos instead he gathered himself and dismissed them from their duties for the day since they were all clearly exhausted. And to reiterate that none of them were held responsible for what they couldn't entirely control.

Kamek let out the magical intercom to inform all units of the change of plans for the Boo corps for the day.

As soon as the entire corps had dispersed, Kamek gently turned to Bowser.

"Let it out, my son. Don't let this one fester."

"Why didn't she come to me for help?" Bowser almost whined as he bore holes into the flier.

"She wouldn't, knowing you'd ask for her hand in marriage in return for your aid. Besides, as far as she was concerned, it wasn't any of our business since we were still busy with repairs." Kamek replied.

"He timed that too perfectly." Bowser grumbled.

"Perhaps…but what now, your grumpiness?"

"Make copies of this flier and post them around, see if anyone in our ranks is interested. Honorable discharge included. Let me know when the week is up, and we'll go visit her bright and early. Specifically visit. I ain't kidnapping her if someone shows up."

"And if no one does and it's left to her to turn herself in, that this sudden halt of an invasion seems to be heavily implying?" Kamek asked curiously.

"Then we kidnap her in front of his stupid marshmallow face! HE CAN'T HAVE HER!" Bowser's growl grew into a bellow that shook the whole castle.

"That's my boy! He won't know what hit him!" Kamek cajoled.

Peach left the castle for the first time in weeks and felt less like a prisoner in her own home than she'd done in a while. Many people were to visit the castle later today, due to King Boo's forces leaving the desert, grassland, and forest areas that they had invaded, meaning that trade was back to normal, and the people she'd asked about possibly trading within such a crisis wouldn't be necessary. She had also opened the door to anyone who wished to find out more about the King Boo situation, as she'd be saying a few words on it that afternoon, making it the perfect opportunity to advertise the position of King Boo's new bride. She put the last two posters up, right on the castle door, and hoping someone might give them a second glance, she went inside to sort out the fliers she had to give out.

Inside, Peasley, Toadsworth, and a few toads were setting things up for later. Well, the toads were almost falling over with the weight of human-sized tables, Toadsworth gave them the odd instruction, and with a quick blinding flash of his hair, Peach soon realized that Peasley was telling him a story of one of his adventures.

"So after I'd defeated the dragon with a few strikes of my sword…"

"Yes? Move that chair to the left! No, more right! Yes, there!"

"Good morning gentlemen."

Peasley asked for Toadsworth to wait where he was for a moment and ran up to Peach. He seemed to be more upbeat since waking up that morning.

"Peach! Isn't it delightful! You have back everything you've lost."

"Not quite, we still have to get back Mario and Luigi."

Peasley flicked his hair. At least he was back to his usual self.

"You'll find someone in no time! There's got to be some weirdo who's interested in staying with him for all their life."

Peach took extra note of the 'all their life' part with a grimace. "I suppose."

He put his hands on his hips. "It'll be no problem."

"Speaking of problems," began Peach, "Have you seen Daisy and Toadette? Weren't they supposed to be back from putting all the posters up by now?"

"I asked them to buy us all some lunch while they're out, so knowing Daisy, she probably got distracted by some fancy stall." Peasley put a hand to his stomach. "I hope she hurries up."

"Me too. Hey, isn't Toadsworth waiting on you?"

"Oh! Yes!" Peasley shot across the room. "Toadsworth! So as I was saying…"

"Shall this be pleasant, Sire?"

"Pleasant? It's far more than pleasant! It's… wait a moment, is this the same as the last mansion?"

Bootstrap gave his boss a genuine sigh. "Yes, we simply moved it over to Evershade Valley. Well, not so simply - it was quite a difficult operation, and we've actually made a few adjustments that were suggested by a few Boos that Booreaucrat is attending to as we speak, but it's practically the same."

King Boo looked around at the dark hills. "Quite the scary location! I forgot how spooky it was. I can see why so many ghosts live here." He took a deep breath in. "I feel stronger already."

"Shall we head inside Sire?"

"Of course! And send for The Team - I have a job for them."

Peach waved out the last guest and collapsed against the door. "No one's applied."

"We still have time," reassured Peasley. "We'll find someone before the week's out."

"Yeah!" Daisy sat by a leftover cake stand from the afternoon meeting, and licked a few crumbs and a smudge of cream from around her mouth. "We'll find someone, and if we don't, you don't have to go Peach! I can go!"

"Daisy, what?"

She swallowed the last of her cake. "I could go in there, and send letters back all secret agent style, and send letters to , and he could teach me how to build and use a Poltergust! And then I could defeat King Boo!"

Peach giggled at her friend's idea. "I don't think the professor would agree to that."

"Honestly, it might be better if I got the Super Crown and went as you!" Toadette piped up.

"I appreciate the thought, Toadette, but he'd still catch you eventually since the Super Crown is still as temporary as any other power up. Besides, I wouldn't put you that far in my shoes for the world!" Peach giggled, unable to help the mental image of Peachette at the altar before some flying object bonked her on the head to turn her back into the sweet little mushroom girl that she really was.

"If push comes to shove," began Peasley, flicking his hair. "I could go! If Luigi can look outrageously good in a gown then I'm sure that I can pull it off."

"Peasley! You have your own kingdom to go back to." Peach took a moment to imagine Peasley in a dress and giggled at her other friend's idea. "Besides, what if he caught you?"

"I could easily fight him off!"

"You still have to help rule back in your kingdom."

"Well, Peach, so do you."

Peach stood for a moment and thought over her decision from the night before. Why had she volunteered herself? She didn't want to go. She was still needed back here at home, right? The Mushroom Kingdom couldn't function properly if she wasn't there, right?

Maybe finding a volunteer was a pipe dream, and she should pack her bags and get going to Evershade Valley. There would still be people here to rule for her if she was gone, and she could convince King Boo to let her write home if anything big came up. The kidnapping problem would be sorted, as Bowser would show up with no-one to kidnap. Maybe he'd tried to kidnap her from King Boo, and she could find a way out of Bowser's castle. She made a mental note to try and find her old sneaky parasol and, if she found it, bring it with her when she goes with King Boo.

If she goes with King Boo.

Peach stared at the floor. "Toadsworth is here. He could help rule. The Mario Brothers do more work than me anyway. And for the facade for the people, Toadette can be Peachette to keep up appearances." Daisy noticed her fiddling with her glove, an old anxious habit that she'd pretty much grown out of. "Aren't I working for my kingdom by going? Maybe he'll let me write home in case anything happens here."

Daisy walked over and offered her a hug, which she unconsciously collapsed into.

"It's OK to be worried about it, Peach." Daisy broke the hug and gave her a reassuring smile.

"We'll find someone to go, don't worry." Daisy hugged her again, pulling Peasley and Toadette into the hug in the process.

Eventually, Peasley broke the hug and flicked his hair. "If not, I'll go in drag."

"I thought Peach said that wouldn't work?"

"I don't think she knows how well I could pretend to be a woman!"

The fifteen Boos had managed to find their way through the new mansion into the largest room the building had to offer, being the grand hall. Although large, it was also heavily decorated, and Bootstrap and Booreaucrat were still moving furniture to the edges of the room, along with Boogie Woogie, BaBoon and Boo Boo. Due to how frequently they were one entity, most of The Team had lost their individualism, but they found themselves loyal to King Boo on a personal level; he'd gone after them when they were captured by that dreadful scientist.

Right now, they circled their ruler in an intimidating fashion, but King Boo was almost comforted by their action, giving them a genuine smile. The room wouldn't be big enough for them to take their true form, or at least what they felt was their true form. The memory of who they each once were was pretty much gone, but they were content with their current life. Being separated felt wrong, and even at this moment, they wished to be whole again.

"Boolosus!" King Boo exclaimed with a hint of joy in his voice. "I have a job for you!"

Their physical psychic links weren't present when they were separated, but they almost still thought like one being. They gave their messages by having each boo speak for them in turn.

"What shall it be, King Boo?"

"We don't have anything to do at the moment, King Boo."

"We'd be willing to do whatever you have for us, King Boo."

"Good!" King Boo rubbed his little arms together. "You may have heard about my meeting last night."

"Some say that you made a questionable decision, King Boo"

"We will always support you, King Boo."

"My decision will put me at a great advantage with time. When I make whoever decides to come along and fall in love with me, she'll defend my every move, and if she doesn't do either I'll just threaten to harm her if Luigi dares to show his mustached face around here."

"A good idea, King Boo."

"You are my most competent soldier, and my closest companion," began King Boo, "so I'm sending you to clean up what is left of the invasion. Escort the other Boos out of there and fix up what you can. Will you be strong enough to do this?"

"When we are whole, we will be strong enough, King Boo."

"We will be able to do this easily, King Boo."

"May we go outside and become whole again, King Boo?"

"Of course, of course. Get to it, my friend!"

"Thank you, King Boo."

King Boo followed the 15 Boos outside of the mansion and allowed them to for their circle, rise in the air and descend again, fusing into one. He watched them fly off towards the Mushroom Kingdom, before heading back inside to wait for the arrival of his bride.

Over the past week, Peach had repeatedly eyed up her suitcase, and after five days she'd started to pack a few dresses, her mirror, her lipstick, a photo album she had with pictures of her and her friends and events that were special to her. She'd looked for her sneaky parasol but couldn't find it, and decided on her usual one, although she felt she wouldn't need it anyway during her stay at Evershade Valley.

But it wasn't a visit: it was a lifetime decision. There's a chance she'd never leave, and she needed to acknowledge that.

But there was also the chance that she wouldn't have to go in the first place. Someone could still apply. Someone could walk through the door and say they'd go instead.

Peace had returned to the lands King Boo once ruled over within a few days of their meeting, and Peach soon realized how quick a week went by. It had been seven days now. Someone had to go today. There was no other way around it.

Suddenly the sound of large footsteps sounded from outside, succeeded by panicking Toads. It wasn't a bachelorette but he wasn't an entirely unwelcome sight either.

Peach raced down the steps just managing to catch the entirety of Toadette complaining to him of all things.

"You're late you know! Never mind I kept telling her we needed your help for this, so there had better not be a marriage contract in exchange if you actually are here to help, you hear me? "

"Yeah, I hear you. I'm here to help as much as she'll let me if she's really dead set on this. So if you could-" He told Toadette surprisingly gently, and cut himself off as he saw the lady of the hour walk out of the castle. "There you are. Nobody showed up, I take it?"

Peach shook her head solemnly.

"I have until five, I know nobody will come." She told him finally.

"Figures," Bowser tisked, "I put out copies of your posters around my kingdom too, but nobody's biting."

"I…thank you for trying. You didn't have to." She replied, genuinely touched.

"Yes I did, you know I'm not going to let him marry you without a fight." He growled lightly, to show he wasn't mad at her, he was mad at King Boo.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I have to go for now so we can get the brothers back." She told him sternly but was unable to help the slight tint to her cheeks.

"True, but I ain't part of the agreement you made with him, so I can attack when he least suspects it." Bowser gave her a toothy grin at that.

Peach gave a wry smile with a deadpan furrow of brows. "I'd rather you didn't in case he thinks I conspired with you against him and goes against the deal."

"He wants to rule the world too, he has to go through me anyway…if he ever gets around to it anyway."

"Like a certain Koopa King that I know?" Peach retorted cheekily.

"Hey, I got a plan, just hasn't gone through yet 'cause a certain plumber somehow gets stronger and stronger every time, even after I do manage to defeat him once in a while." Bowser boasted a little to keep the mood up.

"Your, chattiness?" Called Kamek's voice from behind Bowser. "I do hate to interrupt, however…it's nearly time."

Bowser had turned his head over his shoulder to hear Kamek better. He paled at the words as he looked back to Peach. Who paled in return upon the toothy confident grin completely falling from his face.

"I'll be coming for you in due time, again, he has to deal with me at some point." He gave her the small hope in this terrible decision of hers.

"I'm not at liberty to say that I might look forward to it." She replied dully to not get his hopes up.

"Whatever, I'll see ya when I see ya." He waved her off and hopped in his clown car to head…off into a cloud that was suspiciously in the direction of Evershade Valley.

Peach sighed deeply once he was out of sight, thankful that Peasley and Daisy had not come out to see this commotion, though she could still feel Toadette right behind her much like Kamek was right behind Bowser the whole case was packed, but her eyes remained on the road ahead. She kept thinking she heard footsteps down the road, but each time it was another noise, or not even there.

The nearby sundial waned down to five o'clock. It would be dark soon - someone had to go now.

She wasn't ready.