nintendoscript15
Sorry. It's been awhile since I read the story. Just interpret it as Mario exaggerating Alex's greatness in an attempt to prove to Aster that he's worthy.
Yes, that was indeed a Zelda reference.
We'll learn more about that little incident with Aster later.
The nightmare Peach had was a result of Peach's own self doubt. Bowser himself has nothing to do with it, and I already established that he feels bad about making Peach miserable and wants to make it up to her. The dinner date will be shown in this chapter.
breath20k
Happy New Year!
That dream was anything BUT great, and I didn't even show Alex interacting with the Lumas in the last chapter. Are you actually reading these, or just skimming through them?
LiamTheYoshi
Rosalina is a good mother to the Lumas, so why not make her a good mother figure to Mario's team? She'll make Alex feel better for sure. We'll get to the leg some other time.
Yeah, poor Peach. She's been to hell and back. That's for sure.
Lol! I was hoping someone would catch that, and let's see just how this date will go.
Amethyst Goldenwind
It was a dream. Don't worry. Aqua would never treat Peach like that in reality, nor would the Toads.
I created this lore behind the Trial Galaxies out of belief that there must be some sort of significance behind them. I wish you the best of luck in beating them. You're gonna need it. There's a reason all those warriors Yami sent failed, after all.
We'll get into Aster's artificial leg another time…
KazamaFam2006
Don't worry. nintendoscript15 caught it as well.
Thank you! And yes… "bad" is a VERY big understatement.
C. T Genius
Thank you! I don't blame you for feeling sorry for Peach. When one is constantly being the victim, one can start to doubt themselves.
Vittorio Fedele
Oh, hey! You're new here. Welcome! Yes, constantly playing the victim has taken a toll on Peach's mental health. She'd probably be a whole lot worse if she didn't have people like Mario in her life. Though I have to specify that that was a nightmare, not a hallucination.
We'll get into Aster's leg later…
Silvernova
Thanks for pointing that out. They've been fixed.
Yes, that little moment of Mario's lore does hint that I have plans for Odyssey.
You're welcome. I might try explaining Daisy and Sarasaland and their connection to the Mushroom Kingdom at some point… if I can find the time and appropriate place to explore them in any of my main stories. If not, I'll probably make a standalone one shot about it.
Toadsworth wasn't in the castle when it got lifted. Maybe I'll get into what he's up to later.
Yes, I did come up with all of that myself. I was inspired by lore that other video game franchises such as Kirby have presented.
Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't have a way to tell what gender you were, so I just came to assumptions. Now I know you're male, so thank you. nintendoscript15 also apologized in the reviews.
It's Nintendoscript FIFTEEN! Not FOURTEEN!
StarlitDuck
I saw your audiobook version of the first chapter. If anyone here hasn't seen it, go check it out!
My bad. I would give you credit here, but I imagine most people are just gonna skip this part and go right to the story. I'll credit you for Alpha's creation at the bottom.
Yeah, thanks. I figured I'd add in that reference just to give people a bit of a chuckle in an otherwise serious scene.
I usually just add in scene breaks when there's a change in location. I never thought about doing it to change character perspectives. I'll think about it.
Sam the Mom
I'm honored that you're using my story for bedtime stories. But I'm not sure if this is the right one to use. There are times where it can get pretty gritty and unpleasant, plus this story isn't finished. I suggest you check out some of my older stories while you wait for new chapters of this one. Hope your kids enjoy this!
Noelle Anglade
Welcome! And thank you! I've been working really hard on this for awhile, and it went on hiatus due to real life issues. But now we're back, so hope you enjoy what's to come!
Aria Tavoosii
Thank you for your review. Bowser initially intended to just kill him there and then either through choking him to death with how he was held in place, or burning him to the stake with his fire breath, whichever came first. What's the point of inflicting physical scars if you expect them to just die immediately? He didn't think Mario would just show up in the nick of time like that. Especially since he previously took down the staircase (Rosalina had a Luma transport Mario to the exact spot Aster was at in case you're wondering how he got past that.)
A slash across the neck is not Bowser's general style, plus it's too graphic to show on screen in an E10 fic. I'm sorry, but that crosses a line. Punching in the face would be preferable. Perhaps a life threatening brutal punch that'll showcase just how much more powerful Bowser has become. I'll work on that for the next Bowser encounter. Thank you for the constructive criticism.
SilverNova
Hey! I chose to include Foreman Spike just because he's gonna be in the Mario Movie. I mean, why not? Mario's life certainly wouldn't have the excitement it has now if it weren't for Peach. That's one of the many factors that makes him so dedicated to her.
And… sorry for my massive gaps between uploads. 2022 has been a year of many ups and many downs for me which I'd rather not discuss. It's mostly personal stuff, so I hope you understand. Hopefully, 2023 will be easier on me.
Chapter 28: Disastrous Dinner Date
[[BGM: Peach's Theme - Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door]]
Bowser sat down in a seat within Princess Peach's dining room. He sported a black tux he found in one of the closets and had Kamek size it up to fit him. A king had to look dashing for a big date, after all. He heard the chefs chatting and making lovely delicacies in the other room. His mouth produced waterfalls as he smelt the aroma coming from that same room. Bowser never caught a whiff of something this alluring from his own castle's kitchen, so he knew this was gonna be appetizing.
But then he remembered why he was preparing this feast in the first place. Princess Peach. Sure, she was obviously starving after being trapped in that illusion for so many hours. But it was more than just that. The king always wrote in his diary on how much he wanted Peach to like her. Part of it was because he wanted to rule the Mushroom Kingdom, but he also grew to genuinely like her as a person. He loved her lovely appearance and sweet voice. He loved her baking, especially her cakes. He loved how much the Toads admired her and knew his own troops thought the same about her. He even loved how she'd treat Bowser Jr when he wasn't helping out with his evil plans. Just some quality mother and son time, even if they weren't biologically related (though he wished they were). It made the king envious that he didn't have a mother figure like her in his life. The closest he really had to that was Kamek.
Besides his son, Kamek, and the Koopalings, Peach is the happiness Bowser really needs in his life, and he's willing to do all it takes to get it. Unfortunately, Mario happened to steal her away. Bowser told himself over and over again that Peach will leave Mario and come right to him once he trounces the pesky plumber for good, but did he truly believe that? After that outburst Peach made back there, he was starting to have his doubts.
But he decided to pass off these doubts. He's going to conquer the universe anyways whether she's in on it or not, and he will not let anyone get in his way! After all, Mario may have survived his defeat and allied himself, but it's still a big universe out there. He won't stand a chance!
"Ki- I mean, Emperor Bowser, we have the princess!" said a Koopatrol from outside the door.
Bowser grew hearts in his eyes and tightened his tie. "Well, don't keep me waiting any longer! Send her in!"
"As you wish."
The princess stepped into the room. Her hair was still scruffled from her tossing and turning in bed, and her makeup had partially melted off her face from her crying. Bowser didn't seem disturbed by this, though. He still saw her as very beautiful, even with these imperfections. And there weren't too many people around besides himself, the princess, and a few servants, so it's not like this would cause suspicions of abuse or anything. Overall, the king was looking forward to what he wanted to be just a lovely evening between the two and hopefully make all be forgiven for the misery he brought to her in the past.
Peach on the other hand had a completely different mindset. She glared at her kidnapper intently. There was so much hatred in her that she wanted to express it very clearly. She wanted to strangle him, hit him with anything in the room, freeze his insides so he'd never breathe fire again, kidnap him to see how he likes it, really ANYTHING would do to make him understand her pain! But… Peach just couldn't urge herself to go through with it. That outburst she had earlier really did a number on her self dignity and stamina, and if she did something rash again, she'd likely just be taken back to her room without any food at all. And as much as the princess hated to admit it, she was starving like a Luma deprived of Star Bits. A bag of chips stuffed into her drawer just wasn't gonna cut it. She needed some REAL food, even if it was as rotten as the koopas were.
Bowser was quick to notice Peach's inner hostility and knew he had to do something to ease the tension. He planned his next move carefully. A bad one would smash his chances instantly like a blue shell in 1st place. Just as he was thinking, he felt that proverbial blue shell inch straight toward him as the glare in Peach's eyes became narrower and narrower, coming further with each second passing by. Just then, rather than the usual lightbulb, he got a box-shaped horn appear in his mind which shattered the shell to pieces.
"You know Peachy, my dear," Bowser began with an affectionate tone. "Besides knowing that you must be starving, my main motive for hosting this date is to ease up the tension. You and I have definitely had our differences in the past, I'm not gonna lie. But are we really all that different?"
"We couldn't be any more different, you disgusting creature!" Peach cursed in her head.
"I bet the problem is that we don't know too much about each other!" Bowser exclaimed with a positive snap of his claws. "I mean, you read my diary back during the first time I lifted your castle for a reason, didn't you? You obviously wanted to know more about me. So let's stop holding back our secrets and show 'em off! And who knows? Maybe you'll even warm up to me."
Peach just rolled her eyes. This guy just couldn't be any more clueless. Wasn't it obvious to him that she was looking into his diary out of wanting to know where the Star Spirits were? Maybe he did know the truth, but actively chose to morph anything he witnessed into his own delusional fantasies. Peach assumed that was the truth. After all, Bowser was never one to take hints. Like, at all!
"I'll go first! And I'm just gonna pretend you didn't read my diary since I don't know much you saw." The oversized koopa cleared his throat. "Hello, my name's Bowser. I am a taurus, I have 8 children, seven adopted and one real, and I am the current ruler of the Koopa empire. My interests are… the suffering of others, destruction, and kidnapping others to get what I want. I also enjoy slasher flicks, watching old people fall over, and taking long walks on the beach. Your go, Peach-hime."
"I'm not playing your games, Bowser!" Peach retaliated, but in a more dignified manner than before. "After everything you did, you think that a simple dinner and apology will suddenly make everything cool again?! I hate to break this to you, 'friend'; not really, but life doesn't work that way."
Bowser sweated a bit. "Well, I wasn't playing a game… But we can play something while we wait for our food if you want. Tic Tac Toe?"
"Hard pass." Peach took out her phone. No wifi was available for her to reach out to anybody, but at least she had a few games to pass the time and ignore her abhorrent captor.
"C'mon, Bowser! You're losing her! Something's gotta make her crack at least a little smile! Ugh! Why must she be so stubborn?! Stop playing hard to get, already!" Bowser vented internally.
"Dinner is served!" A koopa waiter with a french mustache and a formal outfit walked out of the kitchen with two meals covered up. When Bowser got his meal, he immediately took off the cover. His eyes and nose couldn't be more in heaven the moment he laid eyes on it.
It was the largest, reddest, greasiest, most tender, most appetizing steak made fit for a king. And it was his! ALL HIS! The self-proclaimed emperor was almost immediate to make his first bite as large as that of a Chain Chomp's.
"Hmph… For a fellow royal figure, I would've expected better table manners," Peach snarked in disgust. "But, I'm having dinner with you, so…"
"Hehe… good one, Peach-hime!" Bowser giggled. "Oh, here's another fact you should know about me. I like my steak to bleed!"
The captured princess felt her cheeks bloat and ducked under the table cloths. By the grotesque sounds Bowser heard underneath, he could tell what she was doing.
"Oh, put it in a shell, drama queen! It was a joke! Junior liked it. And you claim I have bad table manners?! Look, it's just really greasy, how I like it!"
Peach got out from under the table. "Well, I didn't find it funny. As a non-meat eater, I can't relate."
"Oh, forget it!" Bowser noticed that Peach hadn't uncovered her food yet. "Well, what are you waiting for? Your food to get cold?"
[[BGM end]]
Peach begrudgingly opened up her plate, expecting her meal to be mediocre at best and downright abominable at worst. But what was actually there surprised her immensely. It was a dish that her mom would always serve her every Saturday evening when she was a kid: a thick orange soup consisting of various vegetables like beans, onions, celery, carrots, leaf vegetables, stock, parmesan cheese, and tomatoes, topped with pasta and rice and a side of sweet potatoes. Peach's favorite dish: minestrone soup.
[[BGM: Wish of the Princess - Paper Mario]]
The princess, for the first time since her kidnapping, felt a genuine smile form on her face as she brought a spoonful closer to her mouth and slurped it. Indeed, it was just like her mother used to make it. Hard to believe a koopa chef made it, really.
[[BGM end]]
"Haha! Finally! I've been waiting to see you smile in my presence for once, Peachy!" said Bowser, instantly ruining the mood for her. For a moment, she forgot she was still kidnapped.
"Hope you enjoyed it, 'cause it's gone now. So question: How did you know I liked this?"
"Oh, well… Before I instigated this whole universal conquering operation, I had one of my minions overlook the kingdom's Star Festival planning, and he happened to see you eating that through the window," Bowser explained.
"So… you've been stalking me? Honestly, I shouldn't even be surprised," replied Peach. "Now stop talking and let me eat!"
Bowser ran out of ideas to keep the conversation going, so he complied and just continued with his juicy steak, savoring every large bite that would go down his jawline. He eventually finished to notice Peach about to leave with her soup done.
"Hey, don't go yet!" Bowser beckoned. "We've still got dessert coming up!"
"I'm full, thank you very much," Peach dismissed as she was about to leave. Opening the door, however, she was met with several koopatrols holding spears straight at her. Unwilling to start any more drama, she shut the door.
"I'll… see if I have any more room in my stomach…" Peach sighed as she sat back down.
"That's the ticket!" Bowser exclaimed. "So while we wait, wanna talk a bit more? I'd be happy to tell you more about my plans for universal domination, seeing as you're gonna be my empress. Anything you want!"
"Well…" Peach began to think for a moment. "There is one thing… Why and how were you able to do all this? I thought you only wanted to rule my kingdom."
"Princess, it's always been about more than just your kingdom. Your kingdom was in fact, a priority, but I've wanted the whole world to fall underneath the koopa klan ever since they mistreated us!"
"I'm sorry. They mistreated you?!" Peach scoffed.
[[BGM: Smell of a Scary Beast - Kirby and the Forgotten Land]]
"It's a story passed down between generations of my family. Long ago, the toads and the koopas lived in peace under a single grand kingdom called Crumbleden, the kingdom of the gods. The advances in technology we've made together were incredible! A tower which collected energy from the thunderclouds that swirled there, golden swords which were strong enough to pierce the heavens, among many others! These times were glorious!"
Bowser's reminiscing came to a halt, just then. "But one day, the gods we worshipped appeared to have favored us koopas over the toads, and they granted us magical powers. I don't know if it was jealousy, or if they hated our witchcraft, but the toads declared war against us. They were formidable foes, but they stood no chance against us, for our magic gave us the upper hand."
"Even as more toads fell in battle, they still wouldn't give up. So, we finished the job by using our powers, combined with the mass lightning from the storms to create a massive dragon embodying the lightning. It struck down and brought our kingdom to ruin. We koopas were declared the victors, but we both abandoned our old kingdom, earning the new name "Ruined Kingdom"."
"Although we won the battle, the few toads that survived would be saved by your ancestor, a mysterious sage, starting what you know now as the Mushroom Kingdom. The newly found Mushroom Kingdom was quick to spread hate mail around the entire globe, thus making us despised by the rest of the world and banished to the dark lands."
Bowser writhed in anger telling this very story that made him cry back when he was first told this story by his father.
[[BGM: Sad Song - Super Mario RPG]]
"Wow…" Peach pondered after hearing this. "I never knew that much about our history. I thought you all were just purely evil and selfish from the very beginning."
"Evil has its origins, Princess," Bowser clarified. "You've just been struck by the ongoing bias of your goody two shoes kingdom."
"Still, there's gotta be a better way to fix things than through conquest," Peach reasoned. "I can help you make things better between my kingdom and yours if you just let me-"
"I used to think there was a better way, too!" Bowser snapped. "When I was a kid, I tried talking to a few toads, asking if I could play with them. And you know what they did? They beat me up relentlessly, calling me names like "Stupa Koopa", "Demon", "Hell in a Shell", "being from the Minus World", and my dad didn't even save me! He just let them beat me up, sent me home, then pounded the lesson into my head that I cannot reason with anyone, and conquering is the only way to get things done. That's the reality of things, my dear. I'm sorry."
Peach did frown at this notion. She did always wonder why Bowser wanted her kingdom. And now that she had the answer, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Just then, though, she remembered something else.
"Wait, you still haven't answered my question! Sure, the world has treated you badly, but what has the whole universe ever done to you? Why do you want to conquer it?"
"Well, the short answer I'd tell most people is 'Well, bigger is better, am I right?'" Bowser chuckled, feeling a little better. "But if you want the long answer, it actually wasn't my idea. You see, I was approached one day…"
[[BGM end]]
One year ago…
[[BGM: Castle - New Super Mario Bros. (DS)]]
Bowser's POV
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWGHH!" I bellowed in fuming rage. That plumber punk Mario defeated me yet again! What's new? Of course he did. Nothing I conjure up ever works! Even if I guarantee myself a 0% chance of failure, I'm always wrong about it!
"Stupid Mario! First he dunks me into a pool of lava, and I turn into a pile of bones! Then I somehow come back and he defeats me again, even though I'm already dead! And even as Junior brings my flesh back and I come back stronger, he has the absolute NERVE to beat up my son, and then drop me down the pit! My hate for him grows stronger every time we fight! I swear, next time we meet, I'm gonna rip that mustache off so hard, IT WILL NEVER GROW BACK! I! CAN'T! STAND! HIM!"
"I'm sorry Papa…" I stopped my ranting to see my son crying. My poor kid was exhausted after all the fighting with that loser, and dragging my unconscious body back to my throne room. I happily embraced the child.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, son," I assured. "You put your all against Mario, and you saved my life. You're growing faster than I expected. You'll be as big and strong as your old man before you know it."
My son let out the cutest giggle. "Well, I told you I'd fight that Mario again as soon as I got bigger. Even though I lost every time, I had so much fun!"
"That's the spirit, my boy!"
"So… what's your next big plan?"
"I… don't know, actually. I've exhausted every evil plan I've had. Building a castle under Peach's, stealing the stars, kidnapping her during her vacation TWICE, stomping Mario with my clown car…" I tried to think of what else I've done. Then I realized… I don't have any ideas.
"You know what? I need something new! I need… inspiration."
[[BGM end]]
As I began thinking of new approaches, I heard a massive explosion outside. A louder one than the ones brought by Bob-Ombs or Bullet Bills.
"GWAAAAAAH!" we both screamed. Junior clinged to my tail, refusing to let go. One of my hammer bro troops burst through my throne room door. He looked more terrified than the faces Goombas usually make when I tell them to go fight Mario.
"SIRE! SIRE! YOUR WRATHFULNESS!"
My henchman fell to his knees and caught his breath. The high ranking turtle began muttering nautical nonsense like a baby. Pathetic! Why did I even promote this guy, again?
"Well, Carl? SPIT IT OUT!" I roared.
"UFOs!"
UFOs? I haven't heard of such around here since… Oh good Grambi! The Shroobs are back?! Well, I wasn't gonna let them harm my kingdom! I'm fully grown now and ready to take down that alien scum! They better not attack the Mushroom Kingdom! No one has the right to rule that kingdom except ME! And I DREAD the thought of having to team up with that pesky plumber again!
"Grab the ships and attack, NOW!"
[[BGM: The Big Staircase - Super Mario Galaxy]]
"Yes si-" my minion was instantly attacked by an entity that broke into my throne room and punted him towards the wall. It was… the strangest machinery I've ever seen.
It looked like a giant red spinning top with yellow spheres spinning at the bottom, arrows on its body showing the direction it's spinning, a spike on it's head, and strangely enough, small black eyes identical to that of those mushroom brats in the Mushroom Kingdom.
"Woah! Cool! Giant spinning tops!" my son gasped in awe. "I wanna play! I wanna play!"
"Junior no!" I barked. "Did you not see what it did to my trooper?"
Suddenly, the red topper began dispensing tinier versions of itself which were yellow and lacked the spikes on their heads. I never seen anything like this from the Shroobs. Is this a new race?
"C'mon, Dad. They can't be that bad."
He approached one of the tinier ones.
"I mean, how much harm can a little guy like this d-?" The robot slammed right into Junior's foot, bringing his toe into 8 worlds of pain. "YEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"
[[BGM end]]
I quickly brought Junior on my back as a hoard of my loyal minions came out to attack. More robots came bursting through the castle walls and proceeded to clobber all my minions to the point where they couldn't move. One robot, which was green without a spike and was about to be jumped on by a Goomba, revealed a spring and propelled the Goomba to the ceiling. Soon, the robots had us surrounded, and they made way for an even bigger robot. And it did NOT look friendly in the slightest! It was a black spinning top with a glowing red flat top, orange angry eyes, blue arrows showing the direction it was spinning, and red hot spinning blades. The thing slowly approached me, looking like it was about to slice my chest open. I wasn't having it! I prepared for battle and… it stopped and sheathed its blades. I was confused for a moment, until it finally spoke to me with a deep robotic voice, as I expected it to sound.
[[BGM: Overlook Tower under Fire - Paper Mario: The Origami King]]
"GREETINGS, KING BOWSER OF THE KOOPAS. WE HAVE BEEN SEARCHING THE WHOLE GALAXY FOR YOU."
"What is the meaning of this?! Who are you Toys R Us rejects?!" I demanded.
"I AM TOPMANIAC. TOP HEAVY OF THE TOPMAN TRIBE. OUR LEADER WISHES TO SPEAK WITH YOU."
The red part on his top glowed and projected a flat red screen with a white line in the middle.
"That's your leader? Ha! Not impressed."
That's what I thought at first, until it spoke.
SALUTATIONS.
The line shook and bended as the being spoke to me. It was a loud, deep, echoey voice that almost shook the whole room. Junior shuddered at the sound of it.
KING BOWSER I, WE'VE COME IN SEARCH OF YOU. YOUR FAMILY LINEAGE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONQUER THIS WORLD FOR CENTURIES. YOUR REPUTATION PRECEDES YOU.
I wasn't having this flattery. I wasn't gonna let my guard down. I kept my battle stance up as it spoke.
"Shut up! Who are you, and what do you want?!" I demanded.
WE ARE THE TOPMAN TRIBE. ORIGINATING FROM THE DREADNOUGHT GALAXY, OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN ORDER AND PROSPERITY IN THE UNIVERSE. WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS GOAL AS LONG AS YOUR FAMILY HAVE FOUGHT FOR YOURS. ALAS, OUR EFFORTS HAVE BEEN IN VAIN.
Huh. So these guys have been having the same problems I have? Are we conquerors just destined to always lose? That just sucks! Too predictable!
HOWEVER, WE HAVE COME TO A GRAND SOLUTION THAT SHOULD SOLVE BOTH OF OUR PROBLEMS. WE ASK FOR YOUR ALLIANCE.
"Heh! So you came to the great king of awesome for help on your mission? You couldn't have come to a better place!" I presented my usual smug smile.
YOUR CONFIDENCE DOES SHOW PROMISE. NOW, HEAR US OUT. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE STAR FESTIVAL?
"Star Festival? What's there to celebrate about stars? They appear in our sky every night! Sounds really dumb!"
THE STAR FESTIVAL IS AN EVENT MADE TO CELEBRATE A COMET THAT FLIES BY YOUR PLANET EVERY ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
"What's it with some stupid comet?! What's this gotta do with helping me finally own the world?!"
I'M GETTING TO THAT!
It screamed so loud that all the windows in the castle that weren't already broken were shattered to bits and pieces. If any of us in the Koopa troop had ears, they'd probably be bleeding.
"O-Okay! G-Go on!"
WE KNOW A SECRET ABOUT THIS COMET THAT MOST INDIVIDUALS IN THE UNIVERSE DON'T.
The screen suddenly changed. Now it looked to be showing some kind of diagram of a floating castle. I don't remember specifically what it looked like. All that stood out to me was the glowing ball in the center and the tent-like top.
THIS IS THE TRUE FORM OF THE COMET.
"That's a comet?" I was truly baffled. That looked nothing like a comet. Looked more like some kind of castle for me to conquer. "What makes it so special?"
THE ORIGIN OF ALL PLANETS, STARS, AND GALAXIES IN THE UNIVERSE. IT IS ALSO THE ORIGIN OF THE POWER STARS YOU PREVIOUSLY STOLE FROM MUSHROOM CASTLE.
That got me hyped up! No way! Those Power Stars in Peach's Castle came from here?! That could mean EVEN MORE POWER!
"That's… AWESOME!"
TAKE THE POWER STARS FROM THIS OBSERVATORY, AND WE WILL GRANT YOU AND YOUR TROOPS ULTIMATE POWER. WE'LL CREATE A WHOLE GALAXY FOR YOU IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, FROM WHICH YOU WILL BRING THIS REALITY TO ORDER.
"My own… galaxy?" This was big… No! This was huge! Who needs a single puny planet anymore? I need my own galaxy. I need the whole universe. I NEED IT ALL! "WHERE CAN I FIND IT?!"
THE COMET IS SET TO ARRIVE WITHIN A YEAR. WHEN THE TIME COMES, WE WILL SET YOU UP WITH THE TOOLS REQUIRED AND OUR PLAN WILL BEGIN MOTION.
"A YEAR?! AUUUGH! I can't wait that long! I want ultimate power now!" I roared.
PATIENCE IS KEY, YOUR MAJESTY. PATIENCE. WE SHALL RETURN SOON WITH MORE UPDATES. SEE YOU THEN.
[[BGM end]]
All of the robots left the castle. And… they didn't even bother to repair anything they broke. My castle was in shambles! The curtains were torn as if rabid Chain Chomps bit them, the brick walls now had several massive holes, my minions were trampled, and… well it looked like the bills would be pretty high this month, but I didn't care! I was about to have so much more than this dingey old castle. I was about to own my own galaxy! My own universe! I was about to make all my ancestors… I don't know. Proud? Jealous? Well, whatever they'd think, I was going to crush all their previous efforts to dirt, because how could this plan be beat?! How?!
"My loyal subjects…" I proudly announced. "A new age for the Koopa Troop is about to begin. I suggest you all prepare yourselves and start packing, 'cause we're moving to OUTER SPACE!"
All of my subjects who were in the room weakly cheered for me. They were still injured, but their smiles told me that they were certainly on board. They better be, 'cause there's absolutely no convincing this taurus not to go through with this!
That's not to say there weren't any attempts, though. After I made the announcement, Kamek came flying into the room on his magic broom and stood in front of my throne. He… didn't look happy.
"Your pridefulness… with all due respect… ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR SHELLCREEPER-FLIPPING MIND?!" he suddenly screamed, "They just attacked us, told you some of the most absurd information and ideas, and you just choose to trust them like that?!" He snapped his fingers as he said the last word. Kamek's always been the one to try to talk some sense into me. And while I would usually submit, I wasn't gonna take it this time!
"Kamek, this is BIG! In the entire history of our centuries-long rivalry with the Mushroom Kingdom, we have never, and I mean NEVER," I made sure to emphasize it clearly, "enacted a plan at this massive scale! Seriously, this plan CANNOT POSSIBLY FAIL! I know I say that everytime. But this time, I'm TRULY sure of it!"
"Like you said, we NEVER did something this big before! Don't you think it would be better to start small and work your way up? You've been going after the Mushroom Kingdom only for so long!" said Kamek. Pretty weak argument if I've ever seen one.
"Yeah, and it was a waste of time! Clearly, going bigger is the way to make some progress. It'll be too much for Mario to handle! Bwahahaha!"
"And you don't think it'll be too much for you to handle as well?! I know you like boosting your ego and all that, but this is ridiculous!" Pfft! He was totally exaggerating! I can handle anything! But still, my assistant rambled on. "And what of those aliens? How do we know they're not using us?! That they won't betray us?!"
I just laughed. Betray me? Really? That would be the mistake of the century. "Not if I betray them first! Once my empire is complete, I'll just throw them into the trash heap like the junk they are. Also, we have a whole year to plan this out. I'm just gonna keep doing my usual thing, and we'll plan things behind the scenes. No one will suspect a thing!"
Kamek sighed. "As I expected. There's no convincing you to change your mind. And I'm not the king, so I can't convince you otherwise. But do try to think about this, okay? I really do worry about you sometimes, my liege."
Kamek left on his broom, and I was left stirring my claws maniacally with massive ideas floating. Junior came out of hiding.
"So, are we actually doing this, papa?" Junior asked a little hesitantly.
"Yes, Junior. We are! Start packing. And don't worry. 'Mama Peach' will be coming with us. Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
Flashback end
Narrator POV
"I still remember that day like it was yesterday. A year flies by pretty fast, you know? And look at where we are now!" Bowser put his claw on Peach's shoulder. "Just you wait, my queen. As soon as you see my-er, actually… OUR completed galaxy, you'll forget you ever were the princess of some puny, insignificant, kingdom of fungi. You'll rule a great galactic empire by my side, with our influence spreading to every pitiful corner of the universe. It'll last FOREVER!"
Peach shoved his arm off. "Hold up! You're telling me you made a deal with some alien civilization that came out of nowhere?! And you just think they're gonna remain loyal to you?!"
"Well… yeah," Bowser said bluntly.
"Bowser! That same race turned one of my friends into a robot! A child for Grambi's sake!" Peach suddenly yelled.
"A child that was going against me!" Bowser defended. "My enemy could be a fetus on a wheelchair for all I care, and I'd STILL squash 'em!"
"That's not the point!"
"Uh… I see you're not comfortable with this…" muttered Bowser. "Say, you still haven't told me some things about yo-"
"Don't change the subject!" interrupted the princess. "I can't believe I'm agreeing with one of your subjects, but Kamek is right! Those robots may very well be conspiring against you as we speak, and they're gonna throw you into a black hole before you can!"
"Peachy…" Bowser whimpered.
"Don't give me that pouty face! And I don't care about your little sob story! I don't care if you were bullied as a child, were a victim to racism, or were abused by your dad! If I learned anything about you from this, it's that if you actually did succeed in taking over the world and getting your petty little quote unquote 'revenge', it wouldn't be enough for you! The universe as a whole did nothing to you, yet you STILL want it! NOTHING is ever enough for you! Heck, maybe the universe itself isn't enough for you, and I don't know how much more you could possibly get!"
Peach stood up from her chair.
"I see no point in continuing this date any longer, Bowser." She turned to leave. "Me and Kamek both warned you. Don't come crying to us if- Oh, I'm sorry! -when the Topman Tribe betrays you."
"Peach, wait!" Bowser got up as well.
"Dessert is ready!" A waitress came out and served two sundaes to the table.
"Look, the dessert is here!" Bowser beckoned.
Peach still didn't turn back. So Bowser dived to the floor and grabbed her by the back of her dress.
[[BGM: Catching Ghosts - Luigi's Mansion (request from KazamaFam2006)]]
"Bowser…" Peach growled under her breath. "GET. OFF."
"C'mon, Peachy! Don't be so dramatic! Everything will be fine, I promise! J-Just cheer yourself up with a nice, cold-"
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!
Bowser and Peach both froze when the former noticed he ripped off a huge part of the dress.
"O-o-oh dear…" Bowser muttered and looked up. "I-I'm so sor- Ooooooooh… Bowsey likey~"
Peach splatted one of the sundaes in the Koopa King's face. Then she took the other one, opened the door, and threw a sundae at one of the koopatrol's faces, with the others pounding onto him to get a taste. Then she just stormed up to her room.
[[BGM end]]
Bowser licked up the sundae off his face. He got a brief brain freeze from swallowing all that at once, but took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Well, her loss. That stuff was good!"
Kamek walked into the room. "Well, that went about as well as I expected. So, what now, sir?"
"I… guess I'll just hit the sack for the night. Resume plans in the morning. G'night, Kamek." Bowser trailed out of the room to notice the koopatrols still fighting.
"GET BACK IN LINE!"
"Yes sir!" They scattered back to their positions.
Kamek was left in the dining room by himself, lost in thought.
"I truly do worry about him sometimes," said Kamek.
A/N: Before I end this chapter, I do want to thank nintendoscript15 for giving me the idea for Peach's favorite dinner food. Also, if you haven't seen it, the last chapter was slightly updated. Also credit to StarlitDuck for coming up with the idea for Alpha Pandora.
No trivia this chapter. See you next time!