Bowsette: A New Life
Chapter 12
Pride
The smell of freshly cooked pizza entered Mario's nostrils as he sat down to lunch, but he took little notice and just ate mechanically. It had been more than a month since the events in the Moon Kingdom, since the celebratory ball and that odd pink wave. Mario kept himself busy with the occasional plumbing job as he always did when not out saving the kingdom, but it's not like he needed the money. After all he had done for the Mushroom Kingdom Mario was more than rich enough to live comfortably without working for the rest of his days if he desired it.
Mario tried his hardest not to think of Peach, of that castle of hers, her pink dress and the smell of her wonderful perfume… Mario shook his head. Peach had sent a couple invitations, but Mario just sent back a brief note that he was declining, not even bothering to write an excuse. The two of them were very much done, Mario knew it and he was sure Peach knew it too.
Luigi came over sometimes, but other than that Mario had hardly so much as saw another person much less spoke to anyone. The brothers ate, played video games, and sometimes worked on some plumbing project or another, but Mario's heart wasn't really in it. Mario knew Luigi was doing his best to bring him out of the funk he was in, and he appreciated it. However, it took more than a few laughs among brothers to heal Mario's heart and Luigi knew better than to think otherwise.
At that thought, Mario considered that maybe that was it. He wouldn't be the first person to be rejected and wallowing in misery wouldn't help him or anyone else. He didn't want to be alone the rest of his life with only his brother and the occasional visits from friends to keep him company. Maybe Mario needed to get out there and try to find someone else.
KNOCK KNOCK
The sudden sound brought him back to his surroundings. Someone was knocking at the door, so Mario got up to answer it. A Toad, he wasn't always sure which one honestly, was at the door. "Mister Mario! There's trouble! Big trouble!" The panic in the Toad's voice convinced him of who it was. The Toad incidentally named Toad and personal attendant of Peach was standing on the porch. "What's-a wrong now Toad?" Mario asked even though he could guess.
"Princess Peach has been kidnapped!" No matter how many times this happened the loyal Toad always seemed to fall into a full-blown panic. "Let me-a guess… Bowsette?" Toad nodded. "Ugh. Again? Where'd they-a go this time?" Mario asked. "Back to Bowsette's Castle we think." Toad replied. "Should I get Mister Luigi to help you with this one?" Toad asked.
"Nah, I can-a handle it." Mario said confidently. Sounded like Bowsette was up to her old tricks again. Mario was nonplussed by this latest kidnapping, there was no sign of any obvious effort in whatever scheme Bowsette had cooked up. Mario took a moment to clean up his lunch, change, and pack. This one should be simple enough. Of course, rescuing Peach was never exactly easy but this probably was one he could handle on his own.
"Incompetent buffoons!" Bowsette snarled as she read the reports of Mario once again tearing through her forces. He'd already made it to World 7 when the report was made, which meant he was probably practically on the doorstep of her castle by the time it got to her. "One plumber! ONE PLUMBER! What does it take to take out one fucking plumber!?" Bowsette fumed. Of course, she couldn't be too angry, this wasn't one of her better plans and she knew that going in. Bowsette had thought up something to hopefully catch the plumber by surprise, but she wasn't banking on it.
"Ugh…" Bowsette arose from her throne and walked to the door. Bowsette knew Mario would be here within the hour, but it was still irritating have to handle him personally yet again. Troops were in the castle, but Mario would cut through them easily enough, she hadn't bothered to find anyone particularly strong to hold the line on this plan. She made her way to the dungeons where Peach was held and looked in.
The extravagant room was still a prison, but it was comfortable as Bowsette could provide, only the best for her hostage. Peach was looking out the barred window as she often did. Bowsette had already made arrangements and so sat down at the small table. Peach decided to look back at who had entered, and her eyebrows narrowed. "What do you want Bowsette?" Peach asked.
"Can't a monarch visit her guest?" Bowsette said snidely. Peach was as radiant and elegant as ever, despite the circumstances. Still, looking at her made Bowsette frown. "You never did before." Peach noted. That was untrue in Bowser's memory, given his goal was to marry her it was only natural to have spent time with her in captivity. This time though… Bowsette was once again disappointed to see that Peach wasn't stirring anything in her heart.
Maybe it was the rejection of himself as Bowser and Mario that finally snapped her out of it. Maybe he had just outright given up on the two of them being together ever at that point. Or maybe it was that the new body just wasn't attracted to girls, Bowsette didn't know. All Bowsette knew for sure was that despite her best efforts to call up what love for Peach she once had in her dark heart, there was nothing.
A guard came in with a boiling hot teapot. "Tea?" Bowsette asked. Reluctantly Peach approached the other side of the table and sat down. The guard poured the tea in the two cups. Bowsette picked up her cup and took a sip. "Not bad. Send my compliments to the chef. Now leave us." The guard nodded and left. Bowsette grinned at Peach from across the table as she sipped her tea.
Her smile was making Peach really uncomfortable, but there wasn't much she could do about it. "So… do you know what's going to happen next?" Bowsette asked. "You're going to gloat, get defeated by Mario again, and we all laugh as we go home." Peach said cuttingly. "NO!" Bowsette slammed her fist into the table rocking it. "I'm going to defeat Mario, then I'm going to kill him. And then…" Bowsette let the moment hang. "Then Princess, you will have no further use to me."
A guard rushed inside and whispered. "Sooner than you think." Bowsette downed the rest of the tea in one gulp and smashed it to the floor. She turned to leave the room, belting out an evil laugh as she did so.
"Heheheheh… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"