Bowsette: A New Life

Chapter 32
Pursuit

"Bowsette!" Mario rushed up and took the Koopa Queen in his arms. Bowsette was drenched in sweat, her dress was a mess, and she looked battered and beaten. "Bowsette! Bowsette!" Mario shook her gently, she was conscious but her eyes were half lidded, and looked cloudy and unfocused. Mario placed a hand on her forehead and nearly immediately jerked it away. 'She's burning up. More than usual for-a her.' Mario thought.

A feminine primal scream drew Mario's attention. Mario thought he recognized it as Peach, he should, he'd heard her scream while being in peril countless times. This scream wasn't a scream for help or even in pain though, it was the sound of boundless rage. "Mario… Mario…" Mario could just hear Peach's voice calling out. "Where are you Mario…?" The voice was filled with hatred and mockery. It seemed to be getting closer and closer.

Mario really didn't like the sound of that, but he took a few steps towards the sound. He was about to turn back to try to lift up Bowsette when something came flying out of the darkness. Mario leaped backward to dodge it as it hit the spot he had been standing with a CLANG. It was a section of green piping tied to a slightly rotted rope. Peach looked at Mario and scowled as she started to use the rope to pull the pipe piece back in. Mario was about to prepare to dodge again when his foot hit Bowsette's unconscious form. If he dodged, Bowsette would probably be hit and killed.

Quickly, Mario turned around, wrapped Bowsette's arms around his neck, and lifted her into his arms. She was already quite a bit taller than even the tallest human women and heavy even for that size, certainly much more than Peach. However, Mario managed and the adrenaline didn't hurt either. Peach picked up the piping off the ground like it weighed only a feather. She started swinging it around on the rope as she prepared to use the momentum to toss it again. 'She's getting stronger. A lot stronger.' Mario noticed. Mario turned and ran down another passage and turned. He had to get Bowsette somewhere safe Mario could put her down before he could turn to fight the thing that had once been Princess Peach.

Mario was about to try to head down another passageway when Bowsette seemed to stir. She came to her senses, looked up at him carrying her in his arms, and saw… "Mario… Look out!" Bowsette yelled as the piece of pipe went hurdling his direction. Mario managed to jump to avoid it. "Mario? Wha…" Bowsette said groggily. "Not-a now! Running!" Peach took the time to coil up the rope before grabbing the pipe as she pursued the two, it slowed her down quite a bit. "MARIO! Mario run away! Get away…" Peach pleaded, though Mario didn't know if it was Peach briefly being lucid or the thing trying to trick him and he wasn't going to take the chance. "Get back here and DIE!" It roared.

Mario turned and turned and turned randomly, trying to lose the Princess, but it was no use. The piping Peach was using as a weapon kept coming at them just when Mario thought he had finally lost her. Maybe she could sense them somehow, or maybe Peach was just good at following the sound of Mario's footsteps, he didn't know. Mario had to get some distance between them at least. Soon, Mario felt confident that they'd managed to outrun it, at least for the moment.

"Mario? What was that thing? Was that…" Bowsette asked as she clutched Mario's neck tightly as he continued to run. "Peach. That… dark me did something to-a her." Bowsette nodded, she was so tired… "Ma… ugh…" Bowsette passed out, while Mario was making his way towards the entrance as best he could. Even he was having trouble navigating through the passageways. "We're almost there." He said reassuringly, even though she couldn't hear him anymore. Plan B, get Bowsette to safety, then come back for Peach. Though if what had just happened was any indication Peach was becoming harder and harder to bring down.

Even heroes get winded, and Mario took cover behind a wall to rest. "Mario… Mario…" She wasn't that far behind. "Come save your princess Mario…" She taunted and Mario could hear metal scrapping from what he guessed was Peach dragging the length of pipe along behind her. This was like Mario's worse nightmare, no, even worse than that, because his worst nightmare had at one time involved Peach being killed by a villain. Mario never imagined that Peach herself, whatever she was now, would be relentlessly hunting him through the sewers trying to kill him.

"Put me down." Bowsette suddenly said. The Koopa Queen opened her eyes and looked at Mario. She had this look on her face Mario could almost swear was appreciation, but he obeyed and helped her stand up. "Are you-a sure you're okay?" Bowsette shook her head. "No, but that woman isn't going to stop. If we don't take her down now, she'll follow us back to the surface. Then who knows how much havoc she'll… wait, why do I give a damn?" Bowsette grunted. Those stupid Toads could defen… Bowsette's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the plumber smiling at her.

"D-Don't get me wrong!" Bowsette said, the plumber's smile suddenly terrified the woman. "That Princess can squash the whole of Toad Town for all I care! Maybe that'll get them to get off their butts and actually defend themselves for once!" Bowsette tried to deflect. She was blushing hard from embarrassment.

Screeeeeeeeech… Screeeeeeech…

The sound of Peach dragging the pipe getting close put an abrupt stop to Bowsette's excuses. Both were too brave and in Bowsette's case prideful to admit that the situation terrified them. "So, what's the-a plan?" Mario asked. Bowsette thought for a moment, leaned down and whispered into Mario's ear and he nodded. "I hope you're right-a about this." Mario said. The two got into position.

Mario stood at the center of a T-section of passageway looking north. It sounded like Peach was coming from that way. Mario braced himself, he and Bowsette were too exhausted to manage a long protracted fight, and Peach had looked like she had hardly gotten started. Mario gulped, if this didn't work…

Then, the pipe went hurling through the darkness towards Mario, just as predicted. Mario leapt aside and it went flying and CLANG hit where he had been standing mere moments before. "NOW!" Mario yelled. Bowsette rushed in and swiped with her claw just as Peach was pulling the rope to bring the piece of pipe back to her, easily cutting the rope.

"You…" Peach looked at Bowsette and growled. "We hate YOU most of all!" Peach dropped the length of rope and ran at the Koopa Queen, screeching like a madwoman. Mario moved, Bowsette's plan had only got this far. He ran down a passageway and turned. Bowsette moved to easily strike Peach across the head, only to find Peach catching Bowsette's fist in her hand. 'Ah Koopa Shells…'

Peach pulled her arm back to hit Bowsette, only to be hit from behind in the back of the head by both of Mario's feet. The blow definitely seemed to hurt, but Peach stumbled back and shook it off with apparent ease. 'She's gotten tougher too.' Mario noted. The thing that was Peach turned and tried to strike Mario back, but that left it open to Bowsette's kick. The two combatants had the thing between them now.

As hard as it was for both of them to act to hurt the woman, they continued to strike Peach again and again. Finally, Mario and Bowsette nodded to each other and punched, hitting Peach in the face from two directions. At last, the creature collapsed to the ground. "Quick. Let's-a tie her up." Normally she'd make a snarky comment, but she was just too tired so instead Bowsette nodded. The two took what rope was still usable and tied Peach up as best they could, then Mario left Bowsette to watch her while he found another supply locker and got some more rope to tie Peach up much more securely.

Author's Note: I would say this would be the end to another arc, but events continue on from here.