CHAPTER XV

What's going on?

Oh yeah, those Seven of One merged with me. And we finally killed the Shadow Queen, but... I didn't make it, it seems.

So that's it... I'm dead. Floating in endless darkness? Man, the afterlife sucks...

Or maybe it's Hell... If that's so, I guess I deserve to be here...

Wait, that bright light... it's... it's turning the darkness into light...

Everything is so bright now...

Wait... who is that? Is that an angel?

Wow... she's so beautiful! Wait, she's... she looks a lot like... me.

Being in her arms... it feels so good... and so familiar. I've felt that same warmth before... but when?

You'll always love me, you say? Thanks, I guess... I don't know you, but I love you too. It feels so good to be here in your arms right now.

But who are you? And why do I feel that I know you?

...

Minutes became hours. Hours turned to days. Then days to weeks, and not just a few.

Several weeks had passed since this fateful day. Princess Bowsette had fallen into a deep coma. It would have been certain death if her soldiers hadn't found Mario and their princess on the newly grass-coated field after the Shadow Queen's demise. They had rushed immediately to the general hospital at our city.

But despite the best doctors throughout of our kingdom, her health status remained the same; weakened, unconscious and uncertain.

Master Mario had spent most of his time at her side. He did not want to miss the moment of her awakening. He had faith that she would. But on the matter of the physical, his state had been, and was still, terrible. He had hardly slept and only wondered off to sustain himself with food, only to return immediately at her side. We, his friends, did our best to convince him to return home; the man did not budge from his resolution of staying at her side.

We had not insisted furthermore. Luigi had volunteered to bring him some fresh clothing and bathroom items so he could freshen himself without the need to leave Bowsette's side. Mario had shown a shadow of a smile to his little brother for the displayed care. Such expression was the closing thing to a good mood that he had shown in weeks.

Could we blame him? Of course not.

Just like him, we all wanted the same thing; to see Bowsette coming back to us, alive and well. But as the days kept passing by, the doctors were starting to run out of words to keep our hopes elevated.

But when hope seemed dimmed, she came to our aid like a miracle that we were in dire need of.

...

What...? What is it?

I... I must go back? But why? I love it here. Please let stay with you...

Oh... I had almost forgotten... He's waiting for me...

Will I see you again...? I really hope so... I will? Great!

So... I guess this is goodbye for now...

Thank you... thank you so much—

...

A large gulp of air entered her lungs, jolting her to a sudden wake. She rose her upper body from her hospital bed, taking in large quantities of air. She was not alone in the room.

Next to her, equally expressing the same fatigue, was a beautiful woman with long hair of pale gold. A lock of her hair hid one side of her beautiful and angelic face. She carried a long turquoise dress with star patterns at the bottom area. Hovering over her was a star-shaped being worried for her like a son would towards her mother.

"It's okay," she reassured the little star creature called Luma. "I'm fine..."

"Rosalina...?" Bowsette said, still catching her breath. "What... what are you...?"

"You've finally awakened. The others will be happy to know."

Bowsette looked at her surroundings. Her hospital room was wide, but similar like any other hospital patient room. A certain and imposing detail made a large difference. To her left were laid numerous bouquets of flowers illuminating the room with their delicious and gorgeous colors. Many cards of wishes of recovery were attached to them.

We miss you at the castle!, from Clein.

Through life and death, you will get through this like the queen you are!, from Larry.

Come on, Bowsette! I know you can do it! You're already like a sister to me! I can't lose a family member like this! You can defeat this!, coming from Luigi.

I haven't been the best of friends towards you, but I promise to ask you for a second chance when you get out of this. And I have to say, it's fun to have another princess among us that's not stuck on acting like one. Please come back., a warm message from Princess Daisy.

Please come back! You and I can be the best Hot-Dog Eating Champs of all-time together!, obviously from Yoshi.

"As you can see," Rosalina said, "you were dearly missed."

"Did you... heal me or something?"

"Not exactly," Rosaline answered while pulling a chair to sit and recuperate. "Your body was in perfect condition. It was your soul that was problematic."

"My soul?" Bowsette asked. "Wait, I don't get it..."

"I've detected a colossal amount of energy coming from the planet. When I saw you in a divine light from my observatory, I knew immediately that the powerful deities, the Seven of One, were residing within you. But despite your extraordinary constitution, such action was very dangerous. When Mario rushed here, the doctors did their best to keep you alive. As a matter of fact, Bowsette, they had to reanimate you nine times."

"Nine times?!" The Koopa princess was shocked, almost scared. "Wait... how long was I unconscious?"

"You've just awakened from a 12-week coma."

"12 weeks? I was out for three whole months?"

Lady Rosalina nodded. "They did not see any hope of saving you. Therefore, that was when I came to offer my help; to save you."

These two young ladies had history. In its pages, there was a battle that were told in the high ends of the universe with Bowsette's goal to rule it. Though this plan was foiled by the Mushroom Kingdom's faithful defender Mario, Bowsette did not understand her presence here.

"Me?" She said. "But after what I did the last time we've met..."

"Bowsette," she said, "I have witnessed the change you've made since you've opened your heart to Mario. And after the incredible and selfless sacrifice that you have done for the sake of others, it is no surprise that the Seven of One lend you their powers to defeat the Shadow Queen. These deities only lend their strength to pure-hearted ones."

"I see... But how did I—"

"I used a great amount of Star Magic on you. As I said, your body was perfectly fine, but your soul had a hard time staying attached to it. It took me several tries to keep you alive. It was no small effort, but I am glad that you've finally awakened."

"Thank you..." Bowsette said. "Thank you for saving me. And forgive me for the hard times I've given you..."

"No worries. You are alive and well now. That's all that matters now."

"No," she replied. "What I meant is, I think I know why it was so difficult to bring me back..."

"Really? How so?"

"I... I think I was with—"

The sound of a falling cup of coffee interrupted the young ladies. They turned towards the noise's source and saw a raw sentiment of surprise, relief and happiness building up in watery beads from a visitor's eyes.

Bowsette stood where she was staring at Mario. A bubbling soup of emotions was boiling within her heart. After the battle that they have been through, one in which death was very omnipresent, the relief and happiness felt in seeing him was immeasurable. The same could be told about Mario.

"Hey, you." Bowsette said, smiling, "Did you miss me?"

Mario did not lose a minute to close the gap between him and her. The two embraced each other, tears flowing free from their eyes. In their embrace, they sobbed and held each other tightly as if they needed to confirm that they were alive, that they survived the great ordeal of battling the Shadow Queen. Lady Rosalina smiled at the couple and walked calmly out of the room to leave them in their intimacy. They needed it.

Soon after, all of us rejoiced in Bowsette's room to see her alive and well, despite the doctor's orders to remain quiet. Luigi was happy to see his new sisterly figure back from the almost-dead. Princess Daisy finally apologized for being unfriendly towards her. Bowsette took this opportunity to tease her, which provoked the Sarasaland's heir, but in good humour and fun. Yoshi and Toad, too, expressed happiness and relief to see Bowsette well. Larry and Clein cried rivers to discover their princess had awakened. Their admiration and respect towards her grew over a million times fold when hearing the story of the battle against the Shadow Queen. Clein bloomed with enough imagination to start working on a novel story inspired from Bowsette's heroic deeds. She could not help brag about such news.

All were happy to see the Koopa princess well, but among her new friends, Princess Peach could not stop herself from crying as she embraced both Mario and Bowsette in her arms. She was worried about her best friend, but more than anything, she wanted to make things right with Bowsette. Their last conversation had not ended well. After many thoughts on her words, she wanted to have a chance to speak to her again on the matters that were last spoken. Nevertheless, Bowsette felt a sting of guilt for those harsh words last said to her. She, too, wanted to start anew with her.

"Hey, guys?" she asked. "Could you leave me and Peach in privacy for a few minutes please?"

"Oh." Mario looked at the two princesses, but nodded happily. "Of-a course. We'll be right outside."

As demanded, everyone exited the room, leaving the two princesses alone to discuss what needed to be said between them.

"Listen..." Bowsette started. "I wasn't exactly very kind to you the last time we talked. I... I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to hurt you like that."

"It was hurtful," Princess Peach followed, "because it was the truth. You were right on every layer of your sayings."

"Huh?"

Princess Peach sat next to Bowsette on her hospital bed. "You were right. I was taking Mario for granted. He, along with Luigi, defended the kingdom so many times that I've lost count. He never hesitated to go and save me. He is so kind, courageous and devoted. Despite all of that, I never gave him a chance at love. And I had to witness him spending a lot of time with you to realise that..."

A suspenseful silence occupied the room, but the princess continued.

"To realize that I love him."

"Oh..." Bowsette was surprised, yet a bit guilty of her own happy ending since it cost someone to have a bad one. "Well... if you realize that now, then maybe it's best if you two—"

"No!" Princess Peach looked at Bowsette. "He really turned the page. And trust me when I say this; he really loves you. More than anything in this world. He really does."

"He does?" Bowsette was intrigued by Peach's certainty in her words.

She nodded. "When he arrived at the hospital as he was holding you in his arms, he was in haste, panicking and rushing, desperate to do anything to find a doctor to save you. What's more, ever since your hospitalization, he never went home. He refused to leave your side."

"He... he stayed here?" Such action on her behalf seemed unbelievable. "All this time?"

Princess Peach nodded. "A man that acts like that can only be moved by the love he holds for that person. And I know that's not me. I've missed that ship a very long time ago."

A tear slid from her eye, then a few more. Perhaps it was due to the guilt of taking Mario for granted for so long, or because of the fact that she missed her opportunity to open the door towards love.

"I... I feel so stupid," our princess said with a broken voice. "I'm sorry."

"Hey now," Bowsette wrapped her arms around her.

She still was not used to cheer people when they felt saddened. She scratched her head looking for the perfect words. She had some words to tell her but was not sure if it was the right ones. She took a leap of faith.

"Well..." she started, "You know that I'm good when it comes to kidnapping, right? There's someone out there for you. Say the word and I'll kidnap him for you."

Princess Peach looked at Bowsette speechlessly, only to laugh louder to her comment. On the other hand, the Koopa princess was surprised and left confused.

"What did I say?" Bowsette asked, seeming a bit frustrated. "Did I say something funny?"

The princess replied by hugging her, surprising Bowsette.

"You know," she said, "I feel like I've won a sister in you, Bowsette. I can be very grateful for the precious gift that you are to me."

"Oh," she said. "So... feeling better then?"

"Thanks to you."

"Hmm... I'm getting really good at this cheering-up people business." Bowsette looked thoughtful on the matter. "But about that sister thing, I'm the older one, right?"

"Of course!" she said enthusiastically. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Good," Bowsette looked proudly mischievous. "If a guy unworthy of you tries his luck, I'll have a good reason to burn him to a crisp."

The princess giggled to the idea, as morbid as it was to my taste. But needless to say, the sisterly duo seemed happy and equipped with a newly born, but strong bond. Such link meant a lot for Bowsette. As she stared at Peach's resting head onto her shoulder, she sighed and leaned her head towards the princess's. Her gesture felt like she had been waiting a long time for such a moment, like a long journey before the return to a beloved home.

"You know," Bowsette said, "you being my sister will be so much real and better than Wendy, the one I had. Even when I did my kidnappings, you always treated me kindly. It was no surprise that I had feelings for you."

"Bowsette," Princess Peach raised her eyes to hers, "I've known you for a very long time, but you never talked about your family. Did something bad happen to you in the past?"

She took a deep breath as she gazed into nothingness. In that long exhaling breath, it was as if she was reminiscing a very dreadful era in her childhood.

"I'm sorry," Princess Peach saw the hurt on Bowsette's face. "If you don't want to—"

"No," Bowsette said. "This time, no more running from my past. I need you all to know. I want you guys to see who I am and how I became the person that I am today."

"Are you sure?" There was worry in the princess's voice, but Bowsette reassured her with a nodding smile.

"Could you call everyone back in, please?" she asked. "There's a story I need to tell you all."

...

As asked, Princess Peach called back everyone inside. The doctor in charge of Bowsette's wellbeing was stubborn about letting her rest. Bowsette insisted that she needed to do this and promised him that she would rest afterwards.

"This is going to be long story, so I'm going to ask you to not interrupt me during what I'm going to tell you."

"What is it about?" Yoshi asked, earning in return everyone's gaze to highlight what the Koopa princess had just said. "Oh, right... No interruptions."

"Anyways..." she continued. "Here's the story..."

...

"I had suspected for years now, but the battle against the Shadow Queen confirmed it: I wasn't born out of love. I was created with the sole purpose of becoming her vessel. But my father, Bowser, had his own agenda for me. He wanted me to be the greatest weapon to use for his plans of ultimate conquest.

"I didn't get a normal childhood. It was more like hell on a daily basis. Excluding me, Bowser had eight children: Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, Ludwig and Bowser Jr. With his children along his army, he had wrecked havoc throughout many lands. Those guys were evil incarnate. But despite his ruthlessness, he cared and loved his children above everything else. He was truly a devoted and loving father for his brats.

"As he waged war against the Mushroom kingdom and Sarasaland, ruled by their respective kings who were strong allies, he couldn't find a way to submit and assimilate these two territories; they were unconquerable. That's when he asked Kamek to find a way to create the perfect warrior. Going through his old files, I found something in their many researches. They had discovered that Koopa and human DNA mixed together could give birth to a being of absolute power. But they needed a human bloodline that could be traced back to an old lineage of warriors, like vikings, samurais, etc.

"And so, thanks to Kamek's magic, he traveled many times to the other world disguised as a human, seduce women, bring them back to his castle and... mate with them; all for the goal to create the perfect being. But this process had two major flaws. One; if the woman's body wasn't compatible, despite the warrior ancestry in her DNA, the odds was that she would give birth to a stillborn child. And two; if she would succeed to give birth, there was a 100% rate that she would die afterwards.

"And so, he would go many times to the other world, flirt and seduce, mate and play the devoted prince charming until she'd give birth. And of course, for the women, death was always waiting. For a long time, the babies were all stillborn. The numbers that defined the loss of innocent lives in this experiment... was truthfully disgusting. But after tens of failures, he had finally found the perfect person to bear his freak project, a.k.a. me.

"Her name was Scarlett Joan Alecksonn. She was a very popular actress. She was known to be very athletic, knowledgeable in various types of martial arts and always did her own stunts in her action movies. People used to call her "the Amazonian Goddess" due to her perfect prowess of athletic feats. After doing further investigations on her, it was discovered that she descended from an old line of viking warriors born from a country called Norway.

"And so, my father did his trick again; playing the prince charming. It took him a long time because Scarlett had a very independent personality, but he still managed to make her fall for his false charms. But unlike the previous women that failed to give him a child, she discovered what my father was up to. Unfortunately for her, it was too late.

"She didn't want to go through with this, and he didn't take no for an answer. And since he was much more powerful than her, well... As I said, I wasn't born out of love.

"Nine months later, I was successfully born, taking the life of my mother in the process. Perhaps it was best for her to not be around anymore...

"Little I knew back then, this was the beginning of my hell. When I grew to be 5 or 6 years old, Kamek and Bowser realized that I held no exceptional power in me, except for a good healing factor. In fact, despite being stronger than the average, I was the weakest among his children. He felt that he had wasted years of hard work for nothing. Kamek insisted that with careful grooming that I could be what I was meant to be, but my father didn't want to hear any of it. He had completely disowned me.

"And so, unlike my brothers and sister who had the royal treatments, I was given the dungeons as my room and rags as clothing. And despite my effort to gain the approval of my family, I became their punching bag almost every single day of my existence. If a military offense failed? Dad would vent his frustration by beating me up to nearly no end. My siblings were bored to death? No problem! They played torture with my body to unimaginable and creative ways of pain that shouldn't exist. And since I healed quickly, their fun never ended. Among them, Bowser Jr. was a king at inflicting pain like he invented it.

"In this daily torment that I was living in, Kamek was the closest thing to a father since he tended to me when my body was too exhausted and weakened.

"One day, I don't know how but a stray puppy found its way into the castle dungeons. He was a Dalmatian that I called Spot, because of his spot covering his left eye. In this miserable life I had, he was the only glimpse of hope I had experienced in this period of my life. It was fun to have him around. He was adorable, always caring and loving and we'd play together for hours in the dungeons together since I had the place to myself. I had to hide him from the rest of the family because I didn't want him to endure the physical abuse I was going through. For Spot, it was worth going through all of this. He was my only friend.

"But unfortunately, a year later, Wendy found out about Spot and reported it to our father. Spot and I were dragged forcefully towards the throne room in front of Dad by our other siblings. I pleaded with all strength and tears to let him live, to hurt me as much as they want instead to their satisfaction. They laughed at me begging. And what they did next was unspeakable...

"Some of my siblings pinned me down and forced my eyes open, while the others pinned Spot down, whimpering for his life. Wendy took a fireplace's stoker and struck the only friend I had dead on his skull. While they all laugh, she kept hitting him until there was just an unrecognizable mass of bloody flesh.

"And that's where everything went dark for me.

"An unlimited wrath resonated and erupted from me in the form of an exploding sun. The flames swirling around me were so scorching that they instantly killed Morton, Larry and Iggy who were holding me down. They instantly disintegrated to ashes.

"The entire room was engulfed in flames; the kind of flame that could cinder them to nothing, despite them being immune to fire. Dad was speechless, and then became excited to see that his freak experiment had worked after all. I wiped his devilish grin off from his face by exploding his entire skull with a burning fist. I was completely seeing red. Every single one of them went down the same way.

"Bowser Jr., Lemmy, Ludwig, Roy; I killed them all. Despite their screams for mercy, I made it a mission in that moment of rage to brutally deliver them to hell. Then I went onto Wendy, the last one. She shook like a trembling leaf on winter. Rivers of tears flowed from her eyes while I advanced. She made a run for it, but it was futile. I caught and pinned her down easily on the ground by her neck. She screamed her life, frightened like the Devil itself stared at her. Just like she killed Spot, I hammered my fist on her face repeatedly. She suffered slowly as I intended until her body stopped moving because there was nothing left to hit anymore.

"I shouted a dominant and vengeful cry. As the fire was all around, one person had been witnessing the carnage along with some Koopa soldiers. It was Kamek. Considering the good he had done for me, I didn't know if I was going to kill him or not in my state of raw rage. He simply did the only thing he could to save his life; he kneeled to me. The soldiers behind him followed his example.

"And the rest is pretty much history. Carrying such hate and wrath in me for the next years made me grew up to be the worst enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom. And yet... despite my family's cruelty, I never wanted to make anyone else experience such painful and vile ordeal. Perhaps this was one of the reasons why I never hurt Peach when she was my hostage.

"Well, this was my story. I hope you weren't too freaked out. If I could change something, I wish I had parents that loved me, I guess. Perhaps I would have had a chance at a much less messed-up childhood."