Bowsette: A New Life
Chapter 42
Bowsette eats a slice
It may have been only a nightmare, but the look of terror in Junior's eyes as the boy looked at her dark original self haunted Bowsette's thoughts. While Bowsette waited for Kamek to return, she thought about what she had decided to do. There's a good chance that it might not even work, but meeting with the residents was something Bowsette needed to do. Both as Bowser and Bowsette she had done more than enough to make it so that the townspeople had every reason not to even listen to her. "Ugh. I need to stop being so goddamned introspective." Bowsette grunts. She does her best to shake off her doubts and consider what she was going to say.
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Kamek made his way out of the prison with the healer pushing him around. If it weren't for the dampening wards he could just teleport around, but for now Kamek had to settle for the healer just forcing his wheelchair up and down the stairs. Kamek was looking forward to when he was fully healed and healthy again, but he didn't know when he'd get the chance to really settle down and get real healing done. Even if the healing could be done right now it would take at least 2 weeks for the Koopa Kingdom healers to fix him up, not to mention the incompetent excuses for doctors the Mushroom Kingdom had.
Eventually the healer did bring him to the main hall where the Chancellor and Toadsworth were busy running around trying to arrange accommodations for all the townspeople. "Ahem!" Kamek tried to get their attention. "What do you want?" The Chancellor gruffly replied. "My Queen wants to arrange a meeting with the Toad Town residents. All of them." Kamek responded. "All of them!?" Toadworth said in disbelief. "Wherever they'll all fit, bring them there… please." Kamek managed to say.
"How do we know this isn't some sort of trap?" Toadsworth said. "Oh please, my Queen has no need for trickery. Now that the wards are up my she could kill everyone in the castle with her bare hands if she wanted to." Toadsworth and the Chancellor looked at each other for a moment. "You've got a point." Toadsworth admitted. "Oh well, we need to gather everyone up and explain what's going on anyway." The Chancellor conceded. "I'll tell my Mistress to prepare. I must admit I don't know what she wants to do. Probably tell all you idiots to get in gear." Kamek snarked. "Take me back." Kamek told the healer.
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As Kamek came back Bowsette was as ready as she'd ever be. Bowsette would never admit it, but she was scared. This wasn't how she'd usually operate and she didn't know what the results would be, but it had to be done. Bowsette was as immaculate already as she could be under the circumstances, but Bowsette pointlessly fixed her already radiant hair nervously as she waited for Kamek to return. As Kamek descended the stairs Bowsette gathered her courage and brought him along as she made her way to the meeting.
The auditorium was packed with the well over 200 Toads and a rare few of other species that lived in Toad Town. Bowsette made her way around the back way backstage, it wouldn't help to freak out the residents before she even got started. Bowsette stopped as the Chancellor was calling for everyone to be calm and she took several deep breaths. Steeling herself, she simply walked up on stage without waiting for the Chancellor to announce her.
"B-b-b-Bowsette!" One of the Toads yelled, and in a panic most of the residents started to scream and cry. Some attempted to get out the doors but the Chancellor and Toadsworth had predicted this and had the Toad Guards lock the doors once everyone was in. Bowsette waited for a couple minutes but the panic wasn't dying down, and so Bowsette put all the authority into her voice that she could muster. "ENOUGH!" Bowsette yelled.
At her roar at the crowd, most everyone went dead silent, though some especially the children were trying hard to avoid crying. "Good." Bowsette saw the looks of fear on everybody's faces and couldn't help but think of Junior's look of horror as she looked at each one of them. The looks only strengthened her resolve to do this. "Now. I'm well aware everyone here hates and fears me…" She left that to hang for a moment. "…and you all have good reason to. I am Bowsette, Scourge of the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowsette the Tyrannical Conqueror of Kingdoms, Kidnappers of Princesses, and who knows how many other ways of saying 'I suck' you've all come up with. Just a few months ago I attacked this very kingdom and kidnapped Princess Peach."
'What is she doing?' Kamek thought as Bowsette got on one knee, hand on her chest, and bowed to the crowd. "For that and every time before, I am truly sorry." Bowsette said as humbly as she could manage. "You have nothing to fear from me anymore." Bowsette continued. "Unless you tick me off." She admitted. Bowsette knew some things would never change.
Everyone, from the guards guarding the doors to the residents to the Chancellor, Toadsworth, and especially Kamek, just froze still as statues and stared at Bowsette, Kamek with his mouth hanging open. "Kamek…? I say, what… what is she doing?" Toadsworth asked mystified. "I have absolutely no idea…" Kamek admitted. Slowly, making no sudden movements, Bowsette gradually got back to her feet.
Once again her eyes surveyed the crowd, she still saw fear from some, but mostly what she saw was utter disbelief on nearly everyone's faces. "Now, I'm afraid we don't have the time for you all to throw tomatoes at me or something. Let's get down to business." Bowsette put all her years of cultivating a commanding presence to use. "Here's the lowdown. The last several days unknown creatures that take the shape of my army and even Toads have been attacking the Koopa and Mushroom Kingdoms relentlessly. They have even taken Princess Peach and…" Bowsette gulped. "changed her somehow."
"What are you trying to pull?" One Toad said. "Why should we believe a word you say?" Said another. "Yeah! She's lying!" As the crowd started to get over their fear and disbelief, the hatred quickly rose to the forefront. For Bowsette their hatred was much easier to deal with than their fear. Bowsette simply crossed her arms and waited. As Bowser before, he wouldn't have even considered apologizing much less trying to be patient and instead would've just yelled, threatened, and stomped until he got his way. However, fear and domination wasn't what was needed here and Bowsette knew even if it would work well enough she wanted… no, she needed to stop seeing that face in everyone she came across.
Bowsette let the crowd yell and scream accusations at her, blaming her for the creatures, the Princess going missing, cursing her for her countless invasions, and so forth until it just became a barely coherent jumble of noise. Bowsette simply let her eyes shift from one side of the room to the other, staying silent and expressionless. "That's not how…" Kamek started to shout back at the crowd, but quieted down when he noticed that Bowsette wasn't saying or doing anything.
Gradually, the yelling of the crowd started dying down. Bowsette wasn't really paying attention to their yelling, just waiting for them to get over their animosity. 'That's right, get it all out of your systems…' Bowsette thought. Bowsette continued to wait until, bit by bit, the auditorium grew silent once more. The atmosphere was dripping with tension, and soon everybody began to get a little creeped out by the fact that Bowsette was showing no reaction.
Bowsette grunted. "Are you all done yet?" Bowsette once again looked around, nobody said a word. "Anyway, as I was saying…" Bowsette coughed and cleared her throat. "These creatures have all but outright declared war on both kingdoms. Soon, they will arrive at the castle's doorstep once again. Before long, the rest of the town will also be under attack." Bowsette continued, sticking for now to the facts.
"I will be here for some time, and I'm not going to deal with everybody running around like Koopa Troopas with their heads cut off." Bowsette said. "I will not leave you to the mercy of our enemy. I'm going to help protect this kingdom, then find Peach and bring her back here." The crowd was deathly silent. "In this, I will need everyone here to help." Bowsette took a moment waiting for someone to argue, but nobody said anything. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but for the sake of everyone here, your town, and your kingdom, everyone must band together to fight these things."
"Those who are willing to help should stay. The rest may now leave." The guards didn't move. "Uh… I SAID the rest may now leave. Can't you take a hint? Unlock the doors already you idiots!" The guards shook themselves out of their daze and did so. However, Bowsette waited a couple minutes but no one left. Bowsette surveyed everyone one last time.
"Good. Now let's begin. Now if you please, anyone with any skill in carpentry, furniture making, anything like that, get whatever wood and nails you can and start barricading the castle windows, later on you will be building barricades around town. Whoever has any ability to fight, join the guards in the defense. Anyone who brought in their supplies start distributing them…" Bowsette continued giving orders firmly as she did her best to take command. The residents took a while to get organized, but they got to work.