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Fiery Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 2: Shadows of Fate

The air around him was filled with the scent of sulfur.

The scent of home.

Bowser opened his eyes as he took in the sight around him, feeling calm as he glanced around the familiar space. He was back at his castle, back in the garden in the middle of the courtyard. The sight of the marble statues of his graven image filled him with a sense of delight as he wandered closer to the flower beds.

The fire flowers and piranha plants were in full bloom and growing quite nicely, as he expected.

What he did not expect, however, were the other blossoms that decided to bloom undisturbed as well. Yellow daffodils, red gladioluses, golden marigolds, yellow and red roses, purple hyacinths and lobelia, and multicolored hibiscus plants all seemed to clutter the space as he carefully maneuvered his colossal frame to avoid crushing them. A fresh wind blew as the smell of smoke mingled with the scent of the new flowers, making Bowser look up toward the obsidian gazebo at the very center.

If he thought that his garden was a strange sight, nothing prepared him for the sight that he was to behold next.

The gazebo, made from the very obsidian deposits that were hewn for the construction of his castle (and had the added benefit of hiding any discoloration from the constant soot from the lava around them), seemed to have been destroyed on the right side of the garden, and instead been replaced by the pearly white glow of marble.

In fact, the right side of the garden didn't look like HIS garden at all!

The garden that lay beyond the white side of the gazebo was bursting to life with all sorts of flowers and trees. The sweet and spicy aroma of magnolia blossoms filled the air as the breeze pushed past the trees that lined the garden walls. The flowerbeds were filled with rows and rows of white chrysanthemums, yellow sunflowers, purple forget-me-nots, multicolored proteas, white daisies, purple iris, and every color of snapdragon possible. And in the middle was a pond filled with a school of Cheep-Cheeps and pink and white lotus blooms floating on the water's surface.

But the most surprising thing of all was not what he saw.

But who.

Sitting on the edge of that pond was a beautiful woman. And for once, it wasn't his beloved Princess Peach!

Her jet-black hair was filled with soft, tight curls that, like the flowers, bloomed around her head. Her skin was a dark brown, and her arms were covered in golden bangles and arm cuffs that glittered in the sunlight. Her face was adorned with painted markings on her forehead and chin, and little white dots stretched across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. From her ears hung golden hoops, and a golden circlet was nestled on her forehead. A golden medallion hung from her neck, and in her hand was a single forget-me-not.  Though her clothes were simple, she was absolutely stunning, with a cream-colored top and skirt that opened in the front revealing puffy pants and a flowery wrap tied to her waist.

Bowser couldn't help himself as he slowly made his way from his side of the garden to where she sat, more and more entranced by her beauty. But as he approached, he was suddenly hit with a wave of intense sorrow. As if the woman in front of him was made of it from head to toe.

Sorrow that somehow punched him in the gut.

It was at this moment that the mysterious woman looked up, her eyes welling up with tears.

To say that she was startled would be an understatement. Bowser watched as the woman shot up from the bench, her body taking a defensive stance as they stared at each other. Watery brown met crimson red as her eyes darted between his hulking figure and the space behind him before speaking.

"Who are you," She asked, "And why is half of my garden missing?!"

But before Bowser could speak, the sound of dissonant laughter filled the air. The two of them froze in place as the wind picked up, the flowers in both gardens seeming to wilt and turn to ash as the wind scattered their remains. Above them loomed a pair of glowing purple eyes, devoid of a soul and holding nothing but pure, unbridled evil.

The look sent a chill down the Koopa's spine.

"What the hell is that?" Bowser asked the woman but was struck dumb at the look of absolute horror that filled her face.

Before either of them could respond, the purple aura that surrounded the floating eyes turned pitch black and, like arrows from a skilled archer, struck both of them in the heart.

Bowser woke up with a start, rattling the gilded bird cage that was his prison.

Pillars of smoke came out of his nose as he tried to calm down his rapidly beating heart.

What the hell was that all about?  He thought, getting up from the floor. The shrunk king paced around his cage, his mind reeling with what he had witnessed in the dream.

The mixed-up garden.

The sickening laugh.

The creepy purple, glowing eyes.

Her eyes.

He shook his head at that, almost regretting taking an early lie-in, regardless of the plan.

It took a bit of time, but Kamek had finally found a way to contact him, and they had planned to escape during the wee hours of the morning when it was guaranteed that all of the Toad guards would be fast asleep. Stretching his limbs, he took one last glance around his cell.  Though the room was dark, the full moon's light bathed it in a soft glow. He took one last count of the number of columns that held up the room, the scratches on the tile floor from the Toads dragging their spears instead of actually picking them up.  He then cast his eyes on the mini grand piano that Princess Peach was so gracious to allow him to have.

The Koppa King growled slightly as his thoughts turned to the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.

It was one thing to be rejected by her and then defeated by that red plumber and his cowardly green brother, but to be robbed of his true form and stuck as a shrunk version of himself was just cruel, even for him. Sitting on the tiny piano seat, his claws lightly settled on the keys as he began to play a soft tune. Allowing himself a minute or two to relax his mind.

"Psst! Sire? Sire, are you awake?"

He paused his playing, turning his head towards the window.

Right on time.

With a wave of his wand, Kamek transported himself and the clown car he drove into the room.

"My king! Not to worry, sire, we are here to set you free!" He whispered in his gravelly voice.

"About ti- Wait a minute! We?"

As if summoned, the head of a small Koopa boy with a tuff of fiery red hair popped out of the clown car, smiling.

"Hi, Papa!" The boy chirped a little too loudly, causing Bowser and Kamek to shush him.

"Kamek! What is the meaning of this?!" The king hissed.

"Sorry, your Wrathfulness! He had somehow snuck in before I took off from the hangar."

Bowser groaned, rubbing his temples while his son beamed from ear to ear, pleased that he was able to trick his tutor. As much as he loved his son, he had a special talent for making things more complicated than needed.

"Junior, how many times do I have to tell you to stay at the castle? We're in the middle of enemy territory!"

"But Papa! I wanna see Mama Peach!" He whisper-yelled excitedly.

The king sighed. Of course, he would. Ever since he told him that Peach was his mother, he had wanted to see her. He wasn't stupid, it was his own damn fault for telling him that in the first place. Raking his claws through his mane, he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. No doubt he was his boy.

"Later, ya little brat. You can see her later. But right now, we need to get back home and regroup. Speaking of which..."  

He gave a pointed look at his advisor as he waved his wand to open the cage door. Then, with a flourish, he hopped into the elder mage's hand, and off they flew, the Mushroom Kingdom growing smaller and smaller as they rose higher and higher into the sky.

As the sun rose behind them, the Toad guards awoke to an empty room devoid of it's scaly, fire-breathing, homicidal prisoner, and the entire kingdom now on high alert.

Taraji gasped as she jolted awake in her bed, nearly toppling over to the floor in fear.

The dream seemed so real.

No, she thought, Not a dream. A vision.

A vision too real to be ignored.

Wrapping herself in a sheer white robe, the queen took off her hair bonnet and stumbled out of bed, the moon bathing her room in its silvery light. With a sigh, she grabbed a few sticks of incense, opened her bedroom door and walked into the hallway, her mind deep in thought.

Months of radio silence from the Great Grambi, and all of a sudden, she was granted a vision. And not a great one, to be sure.

Not only that, but the purple eyes were certainly daunting. And that laugh.

That laugh was so familiar.

Too familiar.

A shudder went up her spine as she rounded the corner.

Then there was the matter of the creature that had somehow infiltrated her vision.

Taraji wasn't stupid; she knew very well that there was only one Koopa that was that large. But it still didn't explain why she was having a vision with him, of all people, in it.

Or why it seemed like his pain mirrored her own.

She paused, having reached her location. Opening the doors, she stepped inside the Chamber of Kings and made her way towards the altar, her path lit up by the hundreds of candles that lined the walls. On those same walls were the portraits of all the former rulers of her empire and the royal family during their reign, from the great King Totomesu to her mother and father, whose portraits lined the back wall where the altar stood in front of a small pool of water filled with lotus petals.

Taking the incense, she lit the ends on one of the candles that was close to the marble pedestal that faced her parents and the family portrait that hung under it, taking a moment to look at their faces. Her father, King Mwindo, stared down at her, a stoic sense of pride etched onto his face, as if demanding that she protect the legacy of the kingdoms that he loved so much. Meanwhile, her mother, Queen Zuri's, gaze was soft, as if reminding her to rule with compassion and empathy. Her eyes glanced over to the family portrait, her heart wrenching as she remembered the day the portrait was made. Gazing back at her own image, holding a little bundle in her arms as next to her stood her late husband.

A few stray tears left her eyes as she quickly wiped them away and placed the incense on a silver holder that was embedded in the pedestal before going back to a cushioned pillow, knelt down, and kowtowed in prayer.

"Oh, Great Grambi and our beloved ancestors, please show me what I cannot see. This vision was troubling, and I am in need of guidance. May you give me clarity to lead in the right direction. Protect my people, my empire, and my allies. As stardust we were formed and as stardust we shall return."

"Your Majesty?" A voice interrupted.

Taraji got up from the floor, turning to see a Bunbun girl with her head down.

"Yes, Nora?"

The Bunbun looked up at the mention of her name before clearing her voice.

"I have your schedule for the day, as requested, my lady. As well as an urgent letter from Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom."

The queen smiled, taking the letter out of her servant's hands and opening it. Taking a second to read, her expressions changed from amusement to confusion, to concern, and then to resolve.

"Thank you, Nora. Tell the other servants that we will be having guests in a couple of hours. And alert the Bela Nandi and tell them to meet me in the throne room in 30 minutes."

With a bow, Nora left the room. Meanwhile, Taraji made one final nod to the portraits before heading back to her room, but not before making one more detour.

Picking up speed, she rushed down the hall until she came to a door decorated with glowy stars and old "Keep Out" posters and, without a second thought, opened the door.

"Daisy!"

Turning on the lights, she watched as the lump on the bed started to shift and groan.

"What?"  The girl was startled awake, her own hair bonnet slowly slipping off of her head.

"Wake up and get dressed. We have guests coming from the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's urgent."

Daisy checked the alarm clock next to her bed.

"Raji, it's so early! Can't this wait until a reasonable hour?" She whined, attempting to lay back down to go back to sleep.

Taraji rolled her eyes before going to her bed and yanking the blankets off of her.

"Hey!"

"Get dressed, or else you're going to be running 20 extra laps before training for the next two weeks."

The princess jumped at that, rushing to grab her clothes and running to her bathroom. Her sister now productive, the queen quickly ran to her own room to get dressed, but not before offering one more prayer.

Great Grambi, please, PLEASE let Daisy behave herself today.

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 4: A King’s Return

The Koopa Kingdom rejoiced at their king's return after weeks of imprisonment, the deafening sound of heavy metal music and warrior chants wafting through the smoke-filled air, making Bowser's tail wag. Despite his current small stature, he hopped to the edge of the clown car to peer over the landscape of his kingdom, eager to indulge in the view.

Contrary to the name, the Darklands wasn't a hellscape of fire and lava, as everyone believed. True, there were some parts of the kingdom that were exactly like that, but that were the lands near his castle and closer to the mainland border since he does live on top of an active volcano. And sure, there were rivers of lava that did flow through the kingdom, but it was never a problem for his people, seeing as most of them were fireproof (or became Dry Bones when set ablaze). The real reason for the name "the Darklands" actually came from the sand that surrounded the kingdom. Due to the constant volcanic activity, the sand was black from the soot and cooled volcanic rock that constantly spewed from his castle. If you were to look at the Koopa Kingdom from above, you would see a beautiful, tropical peninsula surrounded by smaller islands amid a deep, vast ocean that shimmered like sapphires. The land itself was dotted with palm trees and flowers, and as they slowly made their descent, he could make out Shy Guys hauling in the morning catch of Cheep-Cheeps and Blurps and Koopa and Goomba kids playing and dancing on the beach.  

Bowser sighed as he watched them. No doubt about it, he had missed being home. And he just had to see what became of his garden while he was away.

The garden.

His thoughts turned back towards the...dream? Nightmare? Whatever it was, he was seemingly unable to get it out of his mind.

Or the woman that was in it.

Who was she?

Do I know her?

She's got to be some sort of royal, but from which kingdom?

What was that place?

And what the hell was going on with the floating eyes?!

"We're almost to the castle, your Ferociousness," Kamek said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Sure enough, the outline of the castle was made clear as they soared through the billowing clouds of ash that spewed from the heart of the volcano. When they were a few feet off of the ground, Bowser decided to leap out of the vehicle and landed roughly on the platform that jutted outwards onto a landing deck. Both Kamek and Junior gasped at the sight as the power-up that made him small lost its' potency, and he began to grow in size.

"Ah, much better!" Bowser sighed as he stretched his now giant limbs, a few joints cracking as he stood up straight.

As Kamek drove the clown car toward the castle's hangar, Junior jumped into his Papa's waiting arms, snuggling into his plastron as the newly regrown king carried him inside, listening with interest to the child as he regaled him with all that had happened with him and his siblings while he was away.

"And then Wendy and Roy had a fashion show; and Lemmy showed us a new trick on his ball; and me, Morton, and Larry had a soccer match with some of the guards; and Ludwig did a piano concert; and Iggy helped me fix my go-kart!"

"Is that right?" He chuckled as he playfully ruffled his kid's mane.

As father and son entered the foyer, the pair was suddenly ambushed and was toppled over by seven extra bodies, all of them hugging and nuzzling into the king's scales.

"King Dad's back!"

"Welcome home, Father!"

"Daddy!"

"Morton missed Papa!"

"Dad's home!"

"Pops!"

"King Dad! King Dad!"

Bowser lay on the floor for a second, chuffing and nuzzling them back, letting them climb all over him as he began to purr. Out of everything he had missed while being away, this was what he missed the most. He gave a loud cackle as he quickly grabbed at all of them, pulling them into his arms with Junior.

"Ya got that right! Dad's back, and he missed his Brat Pack!"

Kamek entered the foyer after parking the Clown Car, his heart warming at the sight before him. There was no secret that Bowser loved them with his whole heart. It had been five years since he adopted the Koopalings, but if you were to look at them, it would have seemed as if they had been here their entire lives. He watched the royal Koopa pile for a few more moments before clearing his throat.

"Pardon me, sire, but it's time for the children to resume their lessons for the day."

The kids groaned.

"But Koroua!" Wendy exclaimed, "We haven't seen Daddy in weeks! Can't we just skip lessons for one day?"

A chorus of agreement went up from the siblings as Bowser sat back up, his younger kids plopping themselves on his lap and giving him the biggest puppy eyes that they could muster. There was little that could break Bowser. He was considered a bloodthirsty tyrant, after all. An irredeemable monster, if you will. But when it came to his kids, he was putty in their claws.

And what better way to shake off that weird dream than to spend some much-needed bonding time with my kids?

"Of course! Kamek, cancel plans for the day. And tell the kitchen staff that lunch will be served in the family room."

The sound of excited chirps and warbles filled the air as he got up and carried the youngsters through the corridors and into their wing of the castle, the kids unwilling to be put down and made to walk. Kamek sighed, chuckling a little to himself.

Those eight are exactly like His Majesty. Kamek thought to himself.

Summoning his broomstick, he flew to the kitchens, relaying to the staff about the change of lunch venue.

As the king and royal children passed the halls, they were met with bows from the passing servants and the guards that lined the walls until they came to the doors of the family room. With a heated grunt from Bowser, the soldiers guarding the room quickly opened the doors to let him and the Koopalings pass before shutting it behind them. The room itself was enormous to accommodate the royal family and was filled with the Koopalings' special interests and activities in individual boxes and shelves as well as bean bag chairs and tables for them to work/ hang out at. Right in the center of the room was a gigantic nest filled with soft, star-covered cushions and matching sheets, and on the wall parallel to it was a gaming system and all of the kids' favorite video games and consoles.

It was then that Bowser lowered the young ones to the floor for them to disperse and grab whatever they wanted to do, all the while wandering around the room to hang out with all of his children, silently taking a headcount as he went from station to station.

Ludwig, his 16-year-old musical prodigy, had immediately grabbed his spare headphones from one of his shelves and connected it to his iToad before sitting on one of the bean bag chairs, listening to one of his own compositions. Settling down on the floor next to him, Bowser slightly tapped on his shoulder before Ludwig handed him an earpiece for him to listen along, the sound of a beautiful piano concerto flooding into his brain.

No doubt my boy's a better pianist than me. And I taught him everything he knows! He thought, ruffling his eldest's dark blue hair in pride.

"Father, please don't mess with my mane," Ludwig said, moving away from his ruffling as the music ended.  If he saw the teen give a quick, small smile at the attention, Bowser would never tell.

He then made his way over to Wendy, Roy, and Morton, his 14-year-olds, as they were gossiping over the latest news in fashion while they dealt him in their game of Uno. Well, his bow-wearing princess did most of the talking. Meanwhile, a mini war was being waged between his rough-and-tumble boys that was slowly turning into an actual fight.

"Boys! Do I need to separate the both of you again?" Bowser asked, a stern look on his face when Morton was forced to draw four cards, Roy taunting the whole time.

"No, sir." The boys said in unison, the game quickly picking back up.

After utterly crushing the game (Wendy won), he moved on to where Iggy, his 12-year-old genius, was tinkering away with one of his newer projects.

"Hey, Iggy! What's that supposed to be?" He asked, looking over the green-haired lad's shoulder.

"A lava-proof drone. I'm curious as to how our volcano functions, and what better way to find out than to film the process of volcanic activity in real-time?"

He listened as his middle child drabbled on and on about scientific mumbo-jumbo that made no sense to him. Something about thermal dynamics and seismic activity. Whatever it was, Bowser didn't really find it interesting, but watching his son light up when he tried to explain it to him was all worth it.

Leaving him to continue to work on his new doohickey, he moved towards the nest to sit down for a second, taking a break from wandering around and looking down at what his twins were doing. Larry and Lemmy, his 11-year-olds, sat in front of the nest, playing a quick game of Super Monkey Ball on the TV, shouts of laughter bouncing off of the walls.

"Hey, Lemmy! Larry! Let your old man show you how it's done!" Bowser cackled as they set up a new game.

After a couple of rounds, he finally made his way to Junior, his 10-year-old heir, as he sat at one of the tables, papers stacked on top of one another as paint and crayons were strewn haphazardly with every piece of art he made. The gigantic Koopa looked on in pride, taking notice of the tiniest of details within his son's artwork.

It was then that Kamek entered the room, carrying their lunch via his magic.

"Finally!" Morton shouted, causing the other kids to giggle.

Kamek rolled his eyes before chuckling. As he began to dish out the food, Kamek turned to the king, a troubled look on his face.

"Sire, we have received some news that we must discuss," He whispered to Bowser.

Bowser sighed. A king's job is never done.

"Fine. I'll meet you and Kammy in the war room."

With a bow, Kamek left in a puff of pink smoke, leaving the royal family to their meal.

"Alright, Brat Pack! After lunch, it's nap time for the younger ones. Ludwig, Roy, Wendy, and Morton; you're free to hang out in your rooms for right now, but don't be loud."

The younger four groaned.

"But Papa, I don't wanna take a nap!" Junior protested.

"King Dad, seeing as I will be 13 soon, can't I just hang out in my room?" Iggy requested, looking annoyed at the notion of being told to nap.

"But King Dad! We're not sleepy." Lemmy yelped, Larry nodding in agreement.

"Too bad, squirts. A young Koopa needs their rest to grow up big and strong."

The sounds of complaints echoed with the sound of food being eaten and plates being put away for the servants to handle later on. The king chuckled as the kids pouted, allowing him to tuck them into the nest. The older teens then started to put away whatever they had on hand and file out the door when Junior spoke up.

"Papa?"  

"Hmm? What is it, Junior?"

He turned to look at his son, whose beady eyes watched him with unshed tears as he began to sniffle.

"W-we didn't know where you were. W-will you still be here when we wake up?"

His heart melted at the sight, feelings of guilt filling his soul. He moved closer to the nest and wrapped his arms around them as Junior's sniffles were joined by the sounds of Lemmy and Lary's soft crying, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, Roy, and Ludwig watching on in concern.

It wasn't as if this was the first time that he had been away from home for weeks. Ever since his obsession with Princess Peach and finding the Power Star, he had been staying away from the castle longer. In fact, this wasn't even the longest he had been away from them. But they also knew that Kamek was always with him, ensuring the king's safe return.

This time, however, things were different. When they were first told of the airship's arrival a month and a half ago, they had all run to greet their father, only to find Kamek in the foyer.

Alone.

Alone and unsure of how to get their king back to their lands.  

Bowser held the four of them close, at a loss.

"Hey, hey, hey. Shh. Don't cry. Of course, I will. I will be right in the other hall, in the war room. I won't be too far, don't you worry."

Still unconvinced, the youngest Koopa prince seemed to nuzzle himself into his chest as if he wanted to bury himself under his skin.

"Hey, do you want a song to help you sleep?" Bowser asked, shifting Junior's weight onto one arm.

He patiently waited as Junior nodded his head and watched the boys begin to relax, Junior gripping his teddy Koopa tightly as Bowser began to sing a lullaby.

Morton and Roy, who were preparing to leave the room, stopped as their father's voice filled the room. As if in a trance, the two of them joined their little brothers in the nest, forming the base of a Koopa pile.

A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain

Softly blows o'er Lullaby Bay

It fills the sails of boats that are waiting

Waiting to sail your worries away

As the song continued, Wendy began to climb into the nest, dragging Ludwig with her, the latter giving a weak chirp of protest before the both of them nearly faceplanted into the sheets and crawled over to the pile, holding on to each other.

It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain

And your boat waits down by the quay

The winds of night so softly are sighing

Soon they will fly your troubles to sea

By the last lyric, all eight of his kids were sound asleep, nestled on top of one another like a Koopa Jenga set.

So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain

Wave goodbye to cares of the day

Watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain

Sail far away from Lullaby Bay

"Heh, still works." Bowser chuckled softly.

Giving each child a small kiss on their forehead, he closed the family room door, a soft smile gracing his maw as he took one last glance at his greatest treasures as they snuggled deeper into the Koopa pile.

Bowser stomped down the halls as he made his way toward the war room, his soldiers saluting him as he passed. Whatever Kamek needed to discuss with him must've been important if it meant disrupting his quality time with the kids.

He better pray it is.

As he turned the corner, he found himself walking towards his garden again. The dream suddenly came back to his mind as he subconsciously stepped outside and into the open air.

The midday sky was darkened by the smoke of the volcano, but the rows and rows of piranha plants and fire flowers remained in full bloom, undisturbed. His statues were still there, almost as menacing as the king himself. His gazebo was still made with black obsidian stone. It was just as he left it the last time he was in here.

But why do I feel so...disappointed by that?

A growl crawled from the back of his throat as he rushed back inside and down the hall, taking one quick look at his reflection in the mirror, checking to see if he looked any different. The scales on his body and on his dark green shell were due for a deep shine after this meeting, but it was still a shimmering, pale-ish gold. The black swirls and designs of his ta moko tattoo were still on the left side of his creme plastron, spreading out from his chest to his arm, being cut off at some points by the spiked arm and wrist bands that he wore.  He then took notice of his face, pale gold turned to forest green as he followed from his shoulders and spike-collar covered neck to his forehead. His crimson hair and eyebrows was a tad bit longer than usual, but that was fixable. His horns were still as sharp and as impressive as ever, giving himself a wide, sharp toothed grin.

I wonder if this is what she saw in the dream. Or if she's even REAL!

With a huff, he threw open the doors to the war room and was met with the sight of Kamek and Kammy as they looked over a holographic map of all of the kingdoms, deep in conversation.

"Kamek! Kammy! What was so important that you had me cut quality time short?!"

The advisors winced at his bellow, their voices dying within the throats.

"Ahem, Your Majesty. We have received word from our intelligence in the Mushroom Kingdom." Kammy squeaked, floating towards Kamek to give the king his space.

Bowser stiffened at that, anger at his rather humiliating defeat still fresh in his mind.

"Go on." He grunted through gritted teeth.

The magickoopa siblings looked at each other for a moment.

"W-well sire, reports of your escape has caused quite a bit of chaos. There is now a kingdom-wide lockdown in place as we speak."

Bowser gave a dark chuckle at that, going to his mahogany liquor cabinet and pouring himself a small glass of fire flower whiskey.

"Good. It was starting to look like they'd forgotten who they were dealing with."

Kamek paused for a moment while Bowser sat back down, drink in hand. As he settled down, the map magically placed four figurines outside of the boarders of the Mushroom Kingdom, moving them towards the Dry Dry Desert.

"Sire, Princess Peach and the Mario Brothers are on their way to the Sarasaland Empire to request aid from Queen Taraji for your recapture."

Bowser's face grew darker as steam puffed out of his nostrils, his hand gripping the glass tightly.

"And? The only reason those Loser Mario Brothers got the better of me was because they cheated with the Power Star. But last time I checked, the Snow Kingdom was the only one that had one. Besides, I am the King of the Koopas! What queen could harm me?"

As he took a large draft of his drink, the map changed again, revealing her face.

Kammy quickly put up a protective shield as the giant Koopa did a spit take.

The woman from the dream!

Bowser felt his mouth go dry (and he was sure that it wasn't from the alcohol).

The same woman who's sadness had somehow infiltrated his own soul.

The dreaded Warrior Queen of the strongest empire in all the known kingdoms.

"And that is not all, my Liege," Kammy continued, "The Snow Kingdom was only one of TWO kingdoms that have the existence of a Powers Star in their boarders."

"And which kingdom is the second?" Bowser asked, having a sinking feeling about the answer.

The magickoopas looked at each other before the hologram changed to show Sarasaland and her palace.

Bowser didn't know what to think. This could very well end badly for him. Everyone, he included, was well aware of how skilled of a warrior she was, and less said of the Bela Nandi, the better. His mind racked with thoughts as they flew past his brain relentlessly.

But if he had that Power Star...

It was then that his face melted into a cocky smirk that sent an uncomfortable shiver down his advisors' spines. They knew that look all too well.

The king had an idea.

An awful idea.

The king had a wonderful, awful idea.

"Send word to my troops and prepare the airships! Tomorrow, we fly to Sarasaland!"

Hey there! 😁

Meet Princess Daisy!

Also, here's Daisy's bow and Taraji's swords.

And a redraw of our Warrior Queen 👑

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 6: Meet & Greet

Mario and Luigi didn't know what to expect when they were brought inside the city gates.

The Koopas that were inside the city were a bit of a shock when they first arrived, considering the fact that the only Koopas that they had seen at that point were all from Bowser's kingdom. But out of all they had seen, nothing had prepared them for seeing other human beings. For the past month, Mario thought that he, Luigi, and Princess Peach were the only humans ever to see the land beyond the green pipe. But not only did Sarasaland seem to have human royalty, but they also had regular citizens and military members that were currently walking alongside them.

The city itself reminded the brothers of a documentary about ancient Egypt that they watched in middle school. Although the part of the city that they had passed through had a wall and gates, the entire city seemed to stretch out for miles without end. There was a big river that passed through the city, and the group crossed a gigantic stone bridge to pass it that was decorated with carvings of flowers and strange dinosaur-like creatures. Crossing to the other side, the group made their way closer to the city square as the sound of music and chatter began to grow louder with each step.

"We're almost to the palace," Daisy shouted over the noise, "You might want to stay close. It gets pretty busy on Market Day."

The occupants of the city were hard at work buying and selling wares at the bazaar. Humans were seen fixing musical instruments and cooking delicious-smelling food and snacks, the Bunbuns were weaving fabrics and silks from threads that shimmered like gems, Toads were busy with constructing new stands and repairing roads, and Koopas were seen forging metalworks and jewelry, but as they passed by, the Mario Brothers began to notice that a lot of the citizens were beginning to stare and whisper the closer they got to their destination.

"Princess Peach has returned."

"Who are those little people with her?"

"The red one looks feral."

"Ha, the green one looks sickly. What are they feeding that poor thing?"

Normally, Luigi would shrink at the comments. After all, he was the more timid brother, the one that avoided any sort of confrontation, the one afraid of his own shadow. But right now, he was currently too interested in the princess that was currently dragging him through the square.

She sure is strong, Luigi thought to himself with a blush.

Meanwhile, Mario found himself falling in step with Peach, determined to get a question answered.

"Hey Peach," he asked, "How do you know the queen again?"

Peach tensed at the question, trying to find a way to answer before Daisy interrupted.

"You've seen her fight before, right? Well, where else did you think she learned combat? Her kingdom's Toads?"

Toad gave an offended yelp.

Peach gasped, taken out of her tense state at her friend's jest.

"Daisy! That's not nice."

"What? You know I'm right! At least the Toads that live here are able to use a sword."

Mario took in her words. The Toads of the Mushroom Kingdom, bless them, were more of the "panic and run" type, from the regular citizens up to the guards that surrounded the pink-and-white castle. Not to say that they weren't protective of her. By what Peach had told him, Toad himself was willing to be tortured for her when Bowser invaded her kingdom after he and DK had been stuck in that gigantic eel. But he knew that whatever fighting skills she had to complete that training course that he couldn't even get through on his BEST go-around was not the doing of the Toads.

At least not from there.

"Huh, so is she, like, your teacher? I mean, that's cool, y'know? You're still able to get advice from her when you need to. But why haven't you mentioned her?"

"We're here."

Peach blanched as they suddenly stopped.

The white marble of the palace gleamed in the afternoon sun as the group entered the palace, the white stone now turning into shades of orange and yellow as they headed towards another set of golden doors that were guarded by two Bunbuns, the door itself decorated with a giant lotus blossom design. The Bros and Toad couldn't help themselves as they ooh'd and ahh'd at the sight before them.

Peach, meanwhile, felt her palms grow sweaty from nervousness. Although it was true that she was raised by the Toads when she first arrived in this land, it was the Queen of Sarasaland who taught her how to be a leader. All of the training to become the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, all of her combat skills, her knowledge of power-ups, all of what made her a princess came from her.

And what had she done with that wisdom?

Oh, only put two whole kingdoms and her friends in danger!

Daisy, sensing her distress, let go of Luigi's hand and stood next to her.

"You ready?"

Peach stayed silent as she straightened her posture.

"Not really." She finally answered before turning to her companions.

"Okay, I know you probably have a lot of questions about, well, all of this. And I must confess that I haven't been very... transparent. But when we get in here, I'll be doing most of the talking."

The Bros and Toad stared at her in confusion before slowly nodding their heads.

"Alright Daisy, we're ready now."

Princess Daisy nodded her head, signaling the guards to open the doors.

The group followed the princess as she entered the throne room, taking in the sights surrounding them. The entire room was the same orange-yellow color scheme as the rest of the palace, but accented with green and white inlays as you got closer to the actual throne. The throne itself was golden, not unlike King Cranky's own throne in the Jungle Lands, but above the throne were white silk drapes, and at her right hand was an orange and yellow cushion with golden tassels around the edge.

It was then that they noticed the woman sitting on the throne.

The older woman sat with her back straight, her eyes seeming to stare directly into their souls as she scanned the room before turning her gaze toward Princess Peach.

Princess Daisy, leading the charge, walked towards the steps before kneeling on the ground at the very base. The four companions followed suit, with Daisy nearly causing Luigi to topple over himself as she dragged him down to the floor and Mario being pushed down by Peach as she sank down.

"Bayete, Indlovukazi," Daisy spoke up, "Your visitors have arrived."

The queen paused for a moment, her gaze switching between the princesses and the plumbers, a tiny smile gracing her lips before motioning for Daisy to sit on the cushion and for Peach, Mario, Luigi, and Toad to stand up.

"Welcome to Birabuto; I take it your journey here was a smooth one?"

Princess Peach smoothed her skirts as she answered.

"Yes, your Majesty. And I would like for you to meet my friends, Mario, Luigi, and Toad."

The queen's gaze was unwavering as she noticed their body language. Mario and Toad had placed themselves directly in front of her former student, becoming a living shield. Luigi, who for whatever reason was still on the floor, floundered his way next to his brother, almost knocking the three of them over to join the protection squad. Daisy couldn't help but give an amused giggle, making Luigi break out in a deep blush.

"So, you must be the Super Mario Brothers and that brave Toad boy that saved the universe. You have my respect and my thanks. Now, let's cut to the chase, shall we?"

Peach cleared her throat.

"Yes, um, as I had stated in my letter, we have had some problems with the king of the Darklands that resulted in him finally being captured and taken into custody inside the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Hm, I do recall meeting with the council members that were involved in that whole ordeal. But what does this have to do with Sarasaland and our Power Star? "

Council? Mario thought to himself, Did the Toad Council visit Sarasaland?

"Your Majesty," Peach stated, "Bowser has escaped from his confinement, and it's my belief that he will attempt to take Sarasaland's Power Star and use it for his plans for world domination.

Unbeknownst to the others, Taraji's blood ran cold in her veins, the images of last night's vision practically swimming in her mind.

"Go on."

But before Peach could continue, Mario interrupted.

"Wait a minute, the Toad council met with you already?"

Princess Peach's cheeks turned bright red as a wave of second-hand embarrassment crashed into her. In hindsight, she should have seen this coming, especially when they met with King Cranky. Luigi and Toad looked on anxiously as the queen held the red plumber's gaze before answering.

"No. Princess Peach, just how much have you told your companions about our ways?"

"Well, I...haven't mentioned everything to them."

Peach couldn't help but give a nervous chuckle as her teacher gave her a pointed look.

"A half-truth by omission is still a full-on lie. But that is a discussion for another day. In the meantime, you all will stay here for the night and rest. Tomorrow morning, the council will arrive, and we will convene on what our next steps are going forward."

With a clap of her hands, a couple of her servants gathered around the throne room.

With little room for argument, the servants quietly led the four of them out of the throne room, the door shutting behind them.

"Take our guests to our spare bedrooms. Dinner will be prepared in a few hours."

Later

Princess Peach tossed and turned in her bed, her mind racked with dread.

Dinner had been a rather quiet affair, as was any dinner that was made by the queen herself. The table was filled with rice and beans, a savory stew filled with meat and vegetables with nshima to scoop it up and eat with, and even (to her surprise) malva pudding, all of her favorites. But she couldn't even stomach it. Even the few bites she forced down her throat turned sour in her gut as that pit of despair grew larger and larger.

The council members were all arriving tomorrow in order to figure out how to capture Bowser and what to do with him in order to pay for his crimes.

Again.

And it was all her fault.

Giving up on going to sleep, Peach got up from the bed and began to pace the room, feeling guilty as the queen's words replayed in her head.

A half-truth by omission is still a full-on lie.

Does it even count as a lie? She thought to herself before shaking her head.

As a ruler, she was honor-bound to be an honest and wise princess, whether it was between other leaders or with the common folk. She had learned that from the best, after all.

But she didn't mean to keep Sarasaland or its ruler a secret. It just...never came up in conversation between her and the Mario Brothers. And why she didn't go to Sarasaland when this whole problem began?

It was...complicated.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened to reveal Taraji, her hair in her bonnet and dressed in her white nightgown and robe as she smiled at her former student. Behind her stood Daisy, dressed in an orange tank top, shorts, and matching bonnet. Peach, ever the formalist, curtsied.

"Bayete, Indlovukazi. Bayete, Inkosazana."

Their smiles fell slightly in concern. Peach was always the prim and proper type. Had been that way since she was a little girl under Taraji's tutoring. But that was the first time in years that she had used their official titles, and in their native tongue nonetheless, while being in just their presence. She only ever did that when something was terribly wrong.

"Peach? What's wrong?" Taraji asked, a frown on her face.

Peach blanched for a moment.

"What, me? No, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. Why? What would be wrong?"

Daisy snorted, unconvinced.

"Yeah right! You never call us by those titles unless something's up. So, spill!"

Peach shook her head, resuming her pacing as the two other royals watched.

"I'm fine. Just... got a lot on my mind right now."

Taraji said nothing at that. Instead, she sighed as she sat herself down on the vanity seat and grabbed the hairbrush that sat on the table.

"Sit down."

"But-"

"Sit."

With a sigh, Peach sat on the floor as Taraji began to brush her hair. Daisy, meanwhile, took a running start from the door and jumped onto her bed, jostling the bedsheets into more disarray. Rolling her eyes at her sister, Taraji turned her attention back to Peach.

"Now, tell me what's really going on. Why didn't you ask the council to help you in the first place?"

"I...It's just...I just...didn't want to bother them with something that I could handle by myself."

The two of them gave her an incredulous look.

"You're kidding, right?" Daisy deadpanned.

Taraji paused her brushing.

"Peach, I know that the situation was more dire than that. If reports from the last council meeting were correct, Bowser had not only captured the king of the Snow Lands and stolen their Power Star; but he also had threatened the safety of your kingdom and your people if you refused to marry him; he had ambushed and nearly killed the king and prince of Kong Country as well as the majority of the Kong army; and had threatened the lives of your red plumber, his brother, and their homeland. And this was all something you could have handled by yourself?"

Silence.

Daisy's eyes glanced between her friend and her sister, concerned.

"Look," she spoke up, "I don't like half of those stuffy folks either, but they're there for a reason, you know that, right?"

Peach jumped up at that, a huff of frustration escaping her lips.

"I know that! But... I can't help but feel as if I'm taken as a joke. I'm the only council member that is a princess; according to some members, my rule is illegitimate since I wasn't born a Mushroom Kingdom royal; and Bowser has been so much of a constant problem, I wasn't sure that they would listen to me! What else could I do? I-"

"Ipentshisi."

Peach turned around, her eyes cast down to the ground in shame. Taraji stood up and took her hands into her own, causing her to look up.

"A good ruler, regardless of what rank they are, doesn't just take care of their kingdom. A good ruler also knows when to ask for help. Both of which King Cranky and the Penguin King should have done. And even if you didn't want the council involved, you could have at least told us. You know that Sarasaland would have stood with you, don't you?"

Peach sighed, looking back down at the floor.

"I... I guess I wanted to prove to the council that I wasn't just some 'damsel in distress'. I wanted to protect the kingdom on my own, like you do."

And there it is.

Taraji sighed, leading her back to the seat she had abandoned.

"Peach, when I first became queen, the royal council had been disbanded for over a decade. I had to learn how to protect Sarasaland on my own because I was on my own. I had no one to help me or the empire, not to mention what had transpired for me to ascend the throne."

The young princesses paused at that, looking at each other and back at the queen as she seemed to visibly deflate at the mention of that night.

"When I was able to get the council back together, I vowed never to let any new ruler experience what I had to go through. Does that mean that they are infallible? No. We are not perfect in any sense of the word, but at least you would have the security of having that support when you need it. And as for questioning your legitimacy? You may not have been born into the original royal family, and you may not have been born in this very universe, but the Great Grambi brought you here and made you the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom for a reason. Don't ever doubt that."

"I know all that, but it still doesn't answer why."

Taraji laughed at that.

"Heh, still have that patience problem, I suppose."

"Well, old habits die hard, as Mario would say."

Taraji gave another small chuckle as she recalled the little red man that seemed to be glued to her hip. No doubt that he had sworn to be her protector.

Daisy snickered.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Knight-in-Ruby-Red! Sworn to protect pretty Princess Peach! Honestly, you two would be perfect together. "

The queen laughed, a rueful smile etching her face.

"Now, now, now. Don't think I didn't see you with the green one, Daisy. You seem quite smitten with him."

Daisy spluttered.

"S-s-smitten! HA! Who says I was smitten with that guy? Nope! No smitten-ness over here!"

That sent Peach into a laughing fit.

"Oh, please! You literally dragged poor Luigi from the city gates to the palace walls!"

But in their laughter, they had failed to notice a lone figure that was spying on them from above. Though invisible for the majority of the conversation, the shapeless blob that was hovering over them sneered a malignant smirk before blipping out of the room.

The three royals laughed and laughed, their voices echoing into the halls.

Once I Called You Lover

Luigi franticly palmed his way through the unusually darkened Koopa Kingdom and toward Koopa Castle, determined to see the king, plague of darkness be damned. Potholes the size of washtubs pitted the ground around him, nearly causing him to trip over as he grew ever closer to his destination.

Bowser was going to listen to him this time, he will make sure of it!

He just had to.

There was too much at stake if he refused now.

For him and Luigi both.

He sighed as he felt his way towards the main gate. The Koopa guards had long abandoned their posts when the fourth plague came in the form of a swarm of flopters, so there was no fear of being stopped for trespassing. Luigi knelt down and felt around the ground before finding an abandoned torch before venturing closer to the lava moat and dipping one end, lighting it. Though the darkness still obscured his view, the glow of the lava moat and his new torch allowed him to make out the extensive damage the castle took from the bob-omb sized balls of fiery hailstones from two plagues back. Chunks of obsidian stone were missing from the castle's battlements, dashed to pieces by the fiery balls of ice. Stone statues of the gargantuan Koopa we're missing limbs if not completely smashed all together. As he turned his gaze from the building, he felt his heart constrict with sympathy. Whatever damage Bowser's castle had sustained was nothing compared to the absolute devastation that his citizens' homes endured. The few he was able to see had irreparable damage, ranging from nearly being burnt to the ground to being almost crushed by an giant hailstone, or both. Many of the citizens who lost their homes had to take shelter in one of their gaming arenas, leaving the streets completely empty.

So much destruction. And for what?

He placed a hand over his face before taking a shuddering breath.

How did it come to this? He thought to himself.

What was supposed to be a simple plumbing job with Mario to "save Brooklyn" had turned into a few months of a dream turned waking nightmare. And all because of a certain king whose selfishness was going to get others even more hurt.

Including himself.

Suddenly, the castle gates were opened, causing the timid man to jump. He looked down as Kamek, the royal Magickoopa and one of Bowser's closest advisors, glared at him through his thick coke-bottle glasses.

"What do you want?" He sneered, his beak turned up in a snarl.

"I... I need to speak with Bowser," Luigi stammered, holding the light closer to himself.

Kamek scoffed, "Oh, do you now? What else could you possibly have to say, hmm? What? Was turning our only water supply into lava not enough? What about the frogs? Or our moo-moos dying? Hmm, maybe when you gave everyone shellpox?"

"Kamek-"

"Oh wait, maybe it was last time when the swaphoppers destroyed the rest of our crops after the flying balls of fiery hail burnt most of it to a crisp?"

" C'mon-"

"Let's not forget about the skeeters and flopters! Although, I might be speaking to someone else entirely, considering it's so dark here lately, I haven't been able to see my own beak in front of my face!"

Luigi went silent for a moment. He couldn't blame the elderly mage in the slightest for his anger. But the more time he spent with Kamek, the more time was running out.

"Please, Kamek," Luigi begged, "He needs to hear this. If he doesn't, this next plague will destroy us!"

Kamek paused.

He very well knew what Luigi meant by "us".

He growled.

"I swear, if any harm comes to my grandson-"

"That is what I'm trying to prevent!"

Kamek stared at the young human. When he first arrived in the Darklands, his son had just finished conquering almost all of the known kingdoms after Princess Peach rejected his marriage proposal for the last time and fled to Sarasaland, which was currently under siege. He remembered the way that Bowser's obsession of the Princess seemed to melt away in an instant after locking eyes with this green plumber. The two of them connected in a way that he had never seen before, and he could see just how much his very presence brought out the best in him. He was able to make him laugh (and a real laugh, not the hollow-sounding cackle that he adopted during his conquest), he would stay in the library and learn everything that he could about Koopa culture in order to better understand the things that Bowser held near and dear to him.

But what had really won him over was the way Luigi bonded with the Crown Prince.

If Bowser was in love with Luigi, then Junior seemed to worship the ground he walked on. Every waking moment of the day, Junior wanted to spend it with the green clad man, no matter how boring the task. And who could blame him? In the few times that Bowser kidnapped the princess, Peach would sulk in her room and refuse to let anyone inside, even to give her meals. And though she was never cruel to the poor boy (at least not intentionally) the few interactions she did allow were filled with an apathy so palpable that after a while, Junior stopped asking for her altogether.

But then Luigi arrived.

Soon, the halls were filled with the little prince's laughter as the two of them drew together, played video games, went karting around the castle courtyard, and baked delicious treats together. And with the happiness of the prince, the king's happiness was doubled.

Happiness that the scrawny human brought.

It wasn't very long until Bowser was writing love poems and ballads dedicated to literally sing his praises and three months in, he had commissioned an engagement ring for him.

What a shame that it didn't last.

Without another word, he opened the door wider for his supposed-to-be son-in-law to let him in.

"Thank you." Luigi whispered. The elder nodded his head as he passed, but not before calling his name.

"Luigi."

The green plumber turned around to face the elderly Koopa once more. The weariness from the plagues caused him to slouch and lean against the heavy door.

"Convince him. I don't know how much more of this we can take."

With a nod, Luigi ventured further into the castle, the atrium growing darker as he carried the torch inside.

Luigi breathed in the familiar scent of smoke and brimstone that permeated the castle, his heart aching. This was his home. All he had ever wanted was right here. The man of his dreams, a child to call his own. Everything that his heart desired was right inside this castle.

But the ends can't justify the means.

In the absence of the normal hustle and bustle that used to echo in these halls, the sound of a mournful piano concerto filled the air.

Bowser.

Following the sound, he walked the empty halls as memory after memory played like a broken record in his mind.

The awkward first meeting, when the Koopa spun him around in an attempt to interrogate him.

The room he was given after staying in the dungeon for all of 30 minutes before the little prince came and broke him out in order to play with him.

Their talks in the library.

The first dinner date where they talked long into the night and into the next morning.

Bonding with Junior.

Their first kiss.

The proposal.

The night they shared after.

He stopped outside the music room door, the piece nearing its end as he tried to quietly open the door to not disturb him right away. Bowser poured his heart out over the music willing the plumber to both stay rooted to his spot on the floor and to run into his arms as the crescendo rang out of the instrument and slowly began to fade, much to his dismay.

"Bravo, mio Re. Bravissimo." Luigi whispered.

The Koopa king was startled, his claws causing the piano to create a cacophony of mixed up notes. Luigi had ended up right at the base of the floating stage. He growled as he caught sight of his former lover.

"Oh, let me guess. Greenie wants me to 'let the kingdoms go'?" Bowser spoke, sarcasm lacing his words.

In the poor light, Luigi was still able to make out the king's hulking frame as he hunched over the piano keys. A golden goblet sat right on top of the piano as he paused to take a gulp from it.

"I... I was hoping to find you here."

"Get out!" He barked, chucking the half-full goblet at the voice.

Luigi quickly dodged as the cup shattered on the floor next to him, the sheer force behind that throw causing a dent in the obsidian stone floor.

"Bowser, we need to talk."

He slowly inched his way closer to the piano before Bowser let out another snarl.

"Oh really? What else do we need to talk about that we didn't discuss the last nine times you were here?"

With a heave, he got up from the piano bench and stomped past him, nearly toppling Luigi over with his spiked tail.

"Now leave. And don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Luigi breathed out a sigh as he tried to keep up with the fleeing Koopa, his gigantic strides causing him to jog to the throne room after him, torch in hand like he was in the opening ceremony for the Olympic games.

If it weren't for the situation, Luigi would have chuckled at himself.

Bowser, meanwhile, was getting agitated. The green man was the one person he most definitely didn't want to see right now. Or ever again, for that matter.

Liar. His heart seemed to reply.

He finally got to the throne room doors and tried to quickly open and close it before Luigi could follow him in. He didn't care if the room would be pitch dark. In fact, he would actually prefer it at the moment. But the presence of a tiny glow of firelight that lit up the dark room made him aware that his efforts of keeping him away were in vain. Luigi had already found a fire pit nearby and threw his torch into it, lighting the pit into flames for the both of them to see each other better.

With a defeated sigh, he stumbled his way towards the throne, slouching and folding his arms with a pout. It took all of Luigi's willpower to not just go up there and kiss that pout away, just like they used to, but there was too much at stake now.

"Well? Get on with it! Tell me how awful I am and how I am such a monster." Bowser interrupted his thoughts.

The human glanced at the Koopa, a hurt expression on his face.

"You're not a monster."

Bowser scoffed.

"Oh really? Then why did you leave, huh? I get the fact that you would have been startled by my plans for world domination, but to up and leave like that?"

Startled? Luigi thought, That was an understatement.

"Did you know that I had to try and explain to Junior why his Mama was missing? Why every time I looked for you, I could never find you? He was crying every night for two weeks straight!"

Luigi was stricken dumb as his heart sank. He never intended to hurt the little prince. Junior might as well be his own heart, he loved that little boy as if he was his own.

And that's why I got to convince him!

"I-"

"And then, you just decide to show up after abandoning us!"

"I didn't -"

"And then-

"WILL YOU JUST LET ME TALK?!"

Bowser jumped in shock, shutting up immediately. No matter how angry he was, Luigi had never yelled at him like that.

He didn't know whether to be scared, pissed, or aroused.

And he didn't know which one he wanted to feel more.

"Bowser, we both know there is no other option. Your people are suffering; the plagues are not going to stop unless you do what's right and let the other kingdoms go."

And... The feeling's gone.

Bowser huffed at that.

"If that is all you have to say, then you might as well see yourself out. I'll take my chances with the plagues."

Luigi growled in frustration. If he had the power to yank this Koopa around and shake him until he had some common sense, he most absolutely would.

"Stars! Why must you act like such a-"

"Like a what?! Go on, say it!"

After a moment of silence, Bowser huffed again, deciding to be petty.

"Well, at least I am not someone's pawn!"

Luigi felt his blood boil at that.

"You take that back!"

"Why?" Bowser sneered, " Does the truth hurt?"

"At least I actually care about what happens to your citizens! You're so willing to let your people get hurt 'cause of what?! Some... stupid sense of pride?!"

"Do you think I like this?! That I like to see the people I love so much suffering?!"

"Then why don't you just let the other kingdoms go, tu... tu esasperante tartaruga?!"

"Because I will not allow myself to be weak again!"

Luigi was stunned into silence. Bowser slumped back onto his throne, emotionally exhausted. It was no secret that Bowser was a very passionate king. It was regarded as his best (and worst) quality, as Princess Peach had attested when he ran to Sarasaland. His love was just as deep and consuming as his rage and both resulted in something breaking.

Or someone.

Luigi sighed. This was getting nowhere, like the other nine times. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Why don't we just...talk?"

Bowser did not reply, avoiding eye contact with him.

"No arguments, no fighting, just a regular conversation."

Silence. Bowser was not going to budge, not one bit.

Nope.

Not by a long shot.

Let him stew in his-

"I'm sorry for not saying goodbye."

Bowser looked up at that. The plumber stood still, green cap in his hands, his eyes casted towards the floor as he spoke.

"I'm sorry for hurting you like that. For hurting Junior like that. No matter what I saw, what I heard, I should have at least left you a note. But I... I knew that if I didn't go then and there, I would never leave."

Bowser still didn't reply.

Luigi sat down at the foot of his throne, his back turned to the Koopa before he heard him grumble.

"I didn't know where you were. I thought something bad had happened to you and that you were gone forever. And when you came back, I was so relieved. But then..."

He stopped talking, unwilling to speak on that moment.

The day his world seemed to crash and burn.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he himself had spent many a restless night sobbing his eyes out. He never had romantic feelings about anyone in his life. Even with Peaches from before his takeover, which he had now understood as an obsessive infatuation. But Luigi was different, even now.

Luigi was the first and only person he had ever truly loved that wasn't his adopted father or his son.

And the first and only one who truly loved him back.

I highly doubt he loves me now, the Koopa King thought.

Luigi felt his eyes well up with tears of shame. He truly didn't take into account just how much his disappearance affected them. Sure, he knew that Bowser would be upset, maybe even feel betrayed, but he didn't mean for him to worry.

"I meant what I said, y'know. When you first came back."

Luigi looked up and met the king's amber eyes as he stared directly at him, watching his every move before he continued.

"You were my everything. The best thing to ever happen to me. And, to be honest, you still are. Even if you don't love me anymore, I still love you. And whatever I did to loose that love, I'm sorry."

The silence was deafening as Bowser laid his heart bare for the plumber. Luigi's own heart seemed to mend and break as his feet seemed to take a mind of their own. He sprinted up the throne steps, climbed atop the throne armrest and hugged him as best as he could before speaking.

"But that's the thing, amore. I never stopped loving you."

It was then that Bowser felt it.

The fluttering of his heart that he tried to ignore as he took Luigi and held him closer.

"Just as beautiful as the day I lost you," Bowser whispered as he cupped Luigi's face with his paw.

He closed the space between them in a kiss. Time seemed to melt away at that moment and it was just the two of them and eternity. The weeks of pain that they went through was inconsequential, it was just them, that moment, forever.

The kiss broke all too soon as they touched foreheads, their eyes closed.

"I love you, mio Re. Tu avrai il mio cuore per sempre." Luigi whispered.

He felt Bowser set him down on the floor him as he opened his eyes, gasping at the sight before him.

"Then stay. Please."

Bowser was on one knee, a heartbreakingly hopeful expression on his face, and in his claws was a golden ring set with emeralds and a large ruby in the middle.

His engagement ring.

The same engagement ring that Bowser proposed with all those months ago in the castle courtyard.

The same engagement ring that he wore when he ran to Sarasaland to meet up with his brother and Princess Peach.

The same engagement ring he wore when Rosalina, Princess of the Lumas, commanded him to go to Bowser and demand for the freedom of all of his conquests.

The same engagement ring he gave back when he returned the first time.

"I-"

"Mama?" A small voice interrupted.

The couple turned around to see a little Koopaling carrying a flashlight in one claw and a teddy bear in the other.

Junior.

Junior couldn't believe his eyes. His Mama was back home where he belonged. Dropping the stuffed animal at the door, he took a running start at the plumber before taking a flying leap into his arms. Luigi caught him and twirled him into a bear hug.

"I missed-ed you!" The little boy sobbed, dampening the front of his denim overalls.

"I missed you too, il mio Principe." He nuzzled the Koopa prince's fiery locks as he held him closer to him.

Bowser looked on as his two greatest joys reunited, his heart ready to burst. Junior had most definitely taken Luigi's disappearance the hardest. His crying and tantrums were loud enough to tear the paint off of the walls, and he even resulted to that when he learned that his Mama came back, demanding his father to let him see him.

And now his wish has come true.

Settling himself into Luigi's arms, Junior nuzzled his face into his shoulder, taking in his smell.

"You're home! I missed-ed you so much and I don't want you to go again! We can go see the new artwork I made for you and Papa and go round on my clown car and...and..."

Bowser laughed, ruffling his boy's head.

"One thing at a time, Junior. Mama just got back, but you have plenty of time to show him everything once he's all rested. Right, Luigi?"

Luigi's smile slowly began to fade, regret shining in his sapphire eyes. Junior, sensed his Mama's hesitation.

"You are staying this time, right Mama?"

With a shuddering breath, he hugged him closer.

"I'm sorry, tesoro. But I can't stay... Not this time."

Bowser felt his mind do a record scratch halt.

After all of that, after he had handed the plumber his battered and bruised heart once again, even after their declarations of love, Luigi had crushed it in his hands, like it was nothing. And now he has broken their son's heart in return.

"B-but, why?" Junior cried, tears forming in his crimson eyes.

Luigi was silent as Bowser gave a mirthless chuckle.

"Y'know, Luigi? You really had me there for a second."

"Bowser, I-"

"All those declarations of love you just spewed out, just gotta hit 'em where it hurts, right? So go ahead Luigi," Bowser baited, "Tell us. Why?"

"Because... because what you're doing isn't right and you know it, Bowser."

"Right? And what is right? Before I took over, those kingdoms were rife with war and famine, both with us and with each other! The citizens of those other kingdoms were treated unfairly, their leaders did nothing to help the poor and marginalized, so I instilled order by dethroning their corrupt leaders. And I don't know what "Princess" Peach or your nuisance of a brother tried to sell you about what the Mushroom Kingdom was like before, but it was not some happy-go-lucky utopia. In fact, her forefathers had once enslaved my entire kingdom for centuries. Enslaved, Luigi! Treated us like the scum of the earth! Made us fight to the death for their own wars and amusement!"

"And how is that any different, Bowser? How is taking over kingdoms by force any different from what the Mushroom Kingdom did to yours?"

"Because at least I can protect them just like I protect my own kingdom! Or at least I did, until you came along and brought these plagues down upon us!"

Here we go again! Luigi mourned.

"I'm not, Bowser. You are. The more you resist, the worse the plagues will be. If you would just please listen-"

Luigi reaches out his hand to touch his golden scales, but the king flinched away, his temper growing less and less restrained.

"I will not be dictated to. I will not be threatened. I am the morning and evening star. I am Bowser! King of the Koopas!"

"Something else is coming, something much worse than anything before. Please, let go of your contempt for life before it destroys everything we hold dear. Think of our son!"

Bowser looked down as Junior clung onto Luigi's overalls, terrified but unwilling to let go of his Mama as he placed a gloved hand on his tuft of red hair. A moment ago, Luigi's claim to his little boy would have softened his heart, but now all he felt was rage. With a roar of betrayal, he punched his throne, hearing the distinct sound of metal being snapped in half and gems crushing under his palm.

"I do." He growled at last, "And fuck me for not doing this before."

Luigi felt his breath hitch in fear.

"Bowser? Bowser, what are you-?"

"Kamek! Get in here, now!"

With a pop, Kamek appeared on his broomstick, a worried look etched into his face.

"Yes, Your Wrathfulness?"

"Call the troopas! Tomorrow, we attack Sarasaland and destroy all who stand in my way, once and for all! Starting with Mario!"

He turned to the love of his life, a hateful sneer gracing his maw.

"And there will be a great cry throughout all the kingdoms, such as there never has been or ever will be again!"

Luigi's blood froze in his veins as he felt his knees sink to the floor, his grip on Junior growing tighter.

Bowser briefly stole one last glance at his family before glancing down at the crushed ring in his hands, a flash of regret and pain shining in his eyes before stomping past them as he and Kamek made preparations for a full-on ambush. .

The elder mage and the young man gave each other a horrified, knowing glance before the plumber broke down into sobs as king and advisor left.

He was right about one thing: tomorrow, there will be a great cry throughout the kingdoms.

But both his and Bowser's sobs will echo the loudest of all.

You failed. The words buzzed around his mind like an angry swarm of hornets.

"Bowser," He whispered sorrowfully, hugging their scared son for what would be the last time, "You have doomed us all."

Hey everybody!

Meet Bowser!

So, the movie really had me thinking about what Koopa culture reminded me of and I really couldn't get this image out of my head!

And honestly?

Bowser being Polynesian fits!

In both the Bowuigi one shot and in the main fic I'm writing, Bowser and the citizens of the Darklands participate in a mix of Maori and Hawaiian culture.

I might expand more on the cultures for both my main fic and my bowuigi one shots (I plan to write less angsty Bowuigi soon! Can't leave my ship in shambles) when I have the time.