Bowser X Oc - Tumblr Posts

Made an OC for an AU idea that's in my head!

Meet Eliana, Warrior Queen of Sarasaland, and newly betrothed fiancee of our favorite King of the Koopas, Bowser!

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 1: 10 Years Ago

Sing, Oh Mighty Ones! Sing of a tale of love and loss. Of two lonely souls joining together as one! Sing of Bowser, King of the Koopas and Tyrant of the Darklands. Sing of Taraji, Queen of Sarasaland and General of the Bela Nandi. Sing of a mother's grief, of a father's wish. Sing of a man rejected, of a woman scorned. Sing of fear, of pain, of fury, of hate. Sing of courage, of justice, of happiness, of peace. Yes, sing, Oh Mighty Ones! And we will listen.

The sky over Sarasaland was dark and solemn as the citizens stepped out of their homes dressed in black and white out of respect for the procession passing by.

From the royal palace, four royal karts carried four identical coffins, the last tragically smaller than the rest, all covered with the Sarasaland flag. Beside the karts marched the Bela Nandi, keeping watch over the bodies for the last time, as they marched in step with the priests. In front, two sisters, dressed in white walked hand in hand as the rain began to fall. The young princess walked in silence as her sister, the new queen, carried a candle and sang the song of their people, the citizens joining along in song and following behind the karts as they wished the departed souls of the royal family eternal rest.

The echos of the funeral procession filled the air as the queen's eyes shone with tears, mixing with the raindrops that fell on her face as they made their journey to the tombs of Birabuto, the newly erect tomb in sight and more guards and priests waiting to receive them.

In that moment, the crowd went silent as the guards stopped the karts and the priests began to carry the coffins into the tomb, one by one.

The princess and the citizens began to weep openly as the first three coffins were placed inside, but the queen stood still, her face wet but stoic.

That was until the fourth coffin was being taken.

"W-wait! Please!" The queen spoke, her voice hitched in emotion.

The priests paused for a moment as she approached, her form shaking as she handed the candle to her sister and stretched out her arms to take the box into her arms.

"Your majesty, are you sure? You are still severely wounded." The leader asked, concern lacing his voice. The rest of his companions murmured amongst themselves in agreement.

"Let me hold him one more time. H-he won't be able to rest without a lullaby! A-and he sleeps better in my arms." She replied, her voice breaking yet strong in her resolve.

The head priest looked at her, empathy flooding his eyes as they lowered the coffin into her arms. The princess watched in awe as her sister handed her the candle and buckled under the weight of the coffin, but never stumbled as she carried it inside the tomb and placed it on the last pedestal and sang it a final lullaby, taking the candle from the younger royal's hand and placing it on the ground.

A final nightlight to watch over the souls in their eternal slumber.

"Goodnight my sweet boy. May your dreams be sweet until we meet again." The queen whispered, kissing the small coffin before taking the princess's hand and walking away from the chamber, the priests sealing the departed inside forever.

That night, the air was filled with the heart wrenching screams of anguish of a woman mourning all that she had lost.

A woman who lost her father, her mother, her husband.

And her son.

Meanwhile, in the Darklands...

The dark castle shook as the gigantic Koopa King paced the carpeted hallways, a worried expression etched onto his maw. Smoke poured from his nostrils as clutched in his claws were the blankets that once wrapped the egg of the unhatched heir of the Darklands.

The heir that was currently fighting for its life.

The egg came as an unexpected surprise from the stork, and the king was overjoyed that his line would continue even after not finding a mate. He carried the egg everywhere, cradling it in his arms during the day and whispering the legends of his ancestors to its shell at night. The egg had already won the undying loyalty of the entire Koopa army. His dreams were filled with the life that the koopaling would have. The chaos the two of them would cause, the plots they would hatch as father and child, and their eventual reign as the rulers of the entire galaxy. It would be glorious.

That was until the koopaling's health began to fail.

No one knew what exactly happened that caused the egg's inhabitant to take a turn for the worst overnight. Some thought it was shell rot in utero, maybe the egg was too cold, maybe the egg became too warm, or maybe it was just that the hatchling was too weak. Whatever it was, Kamek and Kammy, his two ever-faithful advisors, spent the last 24 hours and all of their magic to save the king's miracle child, but it was feared that their efforts were in vain.

Unless, of course, they hatched the egg now.

The egg wasn't set to hatch for another few weeks, and if they were taken from the egg too soon, there was a chance that the hatchling would perish from being underdeveloped. However, if they did not hatch the egg, the koopaling would perish from whatever it was ailing from.

The Koopa stopped in his tracks, walking into his bedroom and standing out onto the balcony, peering out over his kingdom. Suddenly, a shooting star flew across the sky.

At that moment, the great tyrant of the Darklands closed his eyes and offered one prayer.

Great Grambi and all the stars above, please save my koopaling. I don't care how you do it, just don't let them die! Don't take them away from me. Not now!

"Sire?" A hesitant voice spoke.

The Koopa King turned around with a start. There stood Kamek, fiddling with his wand, avoiding all eye contact. It was then that the king's heart seemed to take a plunge into his stomach.

"Is it done? Will my heir live? Answer me!"

The tiny Koopa cleared his throat and nervously nodded his head.

"Congratulations, your Aggressiveness. You are the father of a beautiful baby boy."

The Koopa's anxiety was quelled slightly but quickly returned as Kamek still refused to look him in the eye.

"And? What are you hiding from me? Is my son alright?!"

"Oh! No worries there, your Anxiousness. He is a strong and healthy koopaling! However, it was the strangest thing. The prince was near death when we hatched him, but then..."

Kamek didn't get to finish his sentence as the king roughly pushed him aside and ran for the nursery, nearly knocking down the door. True to his word, in Kammy's arms laid the newly hatched prince of the Koopa kingdom as healthy and fully developed as if his egg was never in danger.  

The king slowly approached the advisor holding his heir, kneeling down to take the squirming bundle in his arms. Unwrapping the blankets away from the infant's face, he was met with the familiar whisps of fiery red hair and of two little horn nubs. A perfect spitting image of his father.

"Hello, my little prince." He whispered in awe.

The newborn Koopa opened his bleary eyes, giving his father a toothless smile that made his heart melt at the sight.

Tomorrow, the kingdom will learn that their new prince has been hatched, and the days of feasting and revelry will be ceaseless.

But for now, the gigantic Koopa will steal this moment for himself, basking in the pride that only a father could have for a son.

His son.

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.

Fiery Love Through Burning Sands Link

https://archiveofourown.org/works/47366782/chapters/119356768#workskin

I'm not great at drawing (or visual art in general), but here's Queen Taraji from "Fiery Love Through Burning Sands".

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 3: The Princess and the Plumbers

Princess Peach awoke to the sounds of panicked shouting.

After throwing on her dress, she ran outside of her room as multiple Toad guards scurried around the halls.

Uh-oh, She thought as she waded through the swarm of Toads, That's not a good sign.

As she made her way through the halls, a Toad guard bumped into her, a look of fear etched onto their face. Taking their shoulders, she stopped them from leaving as chaos surrounded them.

"What is it? What's going on?" She asked.

"Princess! We have a problem!

"What's wrong?"

They said nothing, taking her by the hand and nearly dragging her to an all-too-familiar room.

Bowser's room.

Peach felt her blood run cold as she picked up her skirts, raced towards the door, and yanked it open, quickly stepping inside to investigate. The room didn't seem that much different from the last time she was there. Nothing seemed out of place, the floor and room itself were still intact, the windows were closed, the door of the cage was open-

She froze.

THE DOOR OF THE CAGE WAS OPEN!

Open, and missing one miniaturized, infamous Koopa. A chill spread through her body as the princess realized what happened.

Bowser, the Tyrant of the Darklands, had somehow escaped in the middle of the night, and only the Stars knew what he was up to!

This is bad, this is really, REALLY bad! She thought to herself.

If Bowser had escaped, then that meant that (if he wasn't already) he could figure out how to get big again. If he figured out how to get big again, then that meant that he could go back to trying to conquer the world. Which meant another attempt at trying to get her to marry him. Which meant more chaos and destruction as he tried to raid more kingdoms for yet another Power Star.

And since they discovered the Bros' kingdom of Brooke-Land, then that meant that no one in any universe would be safe from his onslaught.

That. Can. Not. Happen!

A sudden crash was heard as Toad appeared; his frying pan gripped tightly in his hand as he barged into the palace, heaving in big gulps of air from running. He was walking into town when he saw the palace guards running in and out of the building in a panic. Surprised at the guards not even questioning his presence, he rushed over to Peach, a look of concern on his face.

"Princess! Are you okay?! What's with all the running?"

Wasting no time, she raced to her office, grabbed a pen and paper, and quickly scrawled a message before handing it to him.

"I'll explain later! Take this to Mario and Luigi! I need to speak with them immediately!"

With a salute, the little Mushroom boy ran into Toad Town.

The Super Mario Brothers were never in the habit of sleeping in, especially when there was a job to get done.

But after a month and a half of rescuing and moving into the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as going back and forth between here and Brooklyn to work and visit family, the brothers were dead tired. So, it came as no surprise that Mario was still asleep in his bed at 8 in the morning. After all, there wasn't much to worry about. This was their day off, Princess Peach and the kingdom were safe, Bowser was still locked away in that bird cage. Today, he and Luigi could just relax for a moment.

Or at least it was until he was woken up by pounding knocks and shouts at his window.

"MARIO!"

He yelped, nearly hitting himself in the face. It was then that Luigi rushed into the room, still in a green t-shirt and pajama shorts.

"What was that? What's going on?" He cried, rushing towards his brother.

Mario rubbed his eyes for a moment, turning to the window to see an exhausted Toad, his blue vest rustled from sprinting from the castle to their house. He opened the window, feelings of annoyance and concern warring in his mind as he took a once-over at the Mushroom citizen as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Toad, for the last time, knock on the door! And what's gotten you all rowed up today?"  

After a minute or two, Toad handed him the letter he held in his hand.

"Peach said that she needs to see you guys right away!"

The brothers looked at each other before Mario opened the letter, reading it aloud for all to hear.

"Dear Mario & Luigi, Bowser has escaped. I need to see you as soon as you get this. Signed Peach."

Luigi grew pale at that, shuddering at the thought.

"W-What does she mean 'Bowser's escaped'? I t-thought he was shrunk down and locked away for good?"

Mario said nothing, instead grabbing at his plumber's uniform with a rush. Luigi followed his lead, scrambling to put on his overalls and find his hat as the two of them rushed out the door, Toad already three steps ahead of them.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

With a nod, the twins raced for the castle.

Meanwhile, the Council Toads gathered together in Princess Peach's throne room, cries of worry echoing in the pink-colored halls as they approached.

"Princess! What do we do?"

"Who was on watch last night? He couldn't have gone far!"

"That's IF he didn't return to his normal size!"

"What's to stop him from trying to take over again?"

"He's going to wreak havoc upon us if we don't find him!"

The princess sat on her throne as they continued to argue amongst themselves for the best course of action before silencing them with a wave of her hand.

"I understand your concerns. And I promise all of you that I will fix this. With help from the Super Mario Brothers, we will find him and bring him to justice!"

It was at that declaration that the doors were slammed open to reveal Mario, Luigi, and Toad, all a bit winded from their trek to the castle. With Peach getting up from her throne, the Council Toads dispersed, leaving her and the trio alone.

"Peach! Are you okay?" Mario asked, worried.

The princess gave a deep sigh, rubbing her temples before taking his arm and dragging him to Bowser's former prison, Luigi and Toad struggling to keep up with them as they entered the room. The empty cage seemed to gleam at the four of them in contempt, taunting them with the fact that it wasn't enough to hold the King of the Koopas.

And it wasn't even damaged.

"Oh boy, you weren't kidding." Mario whistled in awe, his heart dropping into his stomach.

Peach growled in frustration the longer she looked at the birdcage.

"It was as if he disappeared into thin air. All of the guards swear that the room door was never opened again after dinnertime last night. And the cage is suspended off of the ground, so even if he did manage to unlock the cage himself, he wouldn't have been able to escape without jumping down and losing the Mini Mushroom power up and making himself noticeable."

Toad (who at this point had yet to see the inside of the room) was exasperated, waving his frying pan around as the pitch of his voice grew higher and higher the angrier he became. Meanwhile, Luigi felt like he was going to pass out. It was well known that he had witnessed firsthand what horrors that turtle-dragon creature was capable of. Now, his tormentor was free and probably plotting his revenge against him and Mario.

Mario, sensing his younger brother's distress, went over to where he stood, putting his arm around him to calm him.

"Hey, don't you worry, Weeg. We beat him once, and we can beat him again!"

"But that was with a Super Star! He almost killed you when we went toe-to-toe with him!"  

The four of them shuddered at the memory. If Luigi hadn't rushed in with that manhole cover, there was no doubt that Mario would have been ashes, and all of the known kingdoms would be under Bowser's control.

Mario shook his head at that, resolve in his voice.

"Well, we can find another one and kick his ass again! Right, Princess?"

Peach turned to him, her expression grim as she began to pace the room.

"I'm afraid not, Mario. Power Stars are extremely rare, and the Snow Kingdom was one of the only two kingdoms that were confirmed to have access to one. The same one that Bowser stole and the two of you used to defeat him the first time."

Mario's shoulders sagged in defeat. Well there goes that plan.

"Wait a minute, Princess," Luigi exclaimed, "You said that the Snow Kingdom was one of two! Where's the other one?"

Princess Peach stopped her pacing, realizing what he had said.

"Sarasaland. Why haven't I thought of that before?!"

With that, she raced back to her office, the brothers and Toad following behind her, the two humans looking at her in confusion.

"Sarasa-what-now?" Mario asked.

"The Sarasaland Empire is now the only nation that holds a Power Star within their borders, and now they're in danger of invasion! We need to get in contact with them right now!"

When they finally arrived at her office, Peach immediately got to work penning the letter.

Indlovukazi enkulu uTaraji,

My companions and I request an audience with you at your palace in Birabuto for a matter of utmost importance. We fear it may have something to do with your Power Star and our recent discovery of King Bowser's escape from prison.

We shall wait outside of your gates for your response.

Sincerely,

Peach Toadstool, Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom

Njengenkanyezi sakhiwe futhi njengenkanyezi sizobuya.

The letter signed and sealed, the princess went to a letter warp pipe, directed it to Sarasaland, and with a swish off it went.

Wasting no time, she led them outside towards the center of town, Toad squealing with delight at going on another adventure.

"We're going to have to take the warp pipe to Sarasaland since that's the quickest way there."

"Are you sure she'll even see us?" Luigi asked as they neared the pipe.

Peach turned to the three of them, her eyes narrowing with grave seriousness.

"She will. I pray to the stars she will."

With that, she hopped into the warp pipe; Mario, Luigi, and Toad following behind.

Notes:

Indlovukazi enkulu uTaraji: Great Queen Taraji

Njengenkanyezi sakhiwe futhi njengenkanyezi sizobuya: As stardust we are formed and as stardust we shall return.

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!"

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 5: Welcome to Sarasaland!

Luigi couldn't help but marvel at how the warp pipes worked.

Sure, his first experience with them caused him an insane amount of trauma, but he couldn't help but admire the engineering that made it possible. The streams of magic that flowed through them were strong enough to suck your body into its current but concentrated enough to let you safely travel to the farthest reaches of the known kingdoms (provided that you knew your way around).

After going through the pipes to go back and forth between Brooklyn and the Mushroom Kingdom, his fears about the pipes were slowly getting better, even becoming one of his favorite ways to travel. The rosy-pink clouds that surrounded the see-through walls of the warp were kind of soothing to look at.

But he sure wasn't feeling that way now.

He held onto Mario's hand and shuddered, the two of them and Toad following the princess as she guided them to the Sarasaland pipe, the ride seeming to take an eternity. The clouds that surrounded them did little to ease the pit that grew in his stomach as they passed through, the strong currents endlessly pulling at him from all sides. Mario, meanwhile, had his focus mainly on Peach, not taking his eyes off her for even a moment.

When he made the journey to win the Kong Army and save Luigi, the furthest that they had gone via warp pipe was outside of the Mushroom Kingdom's borders. Now, they were using the warp pipe to get there instead of walking the rest of the way.

Why?

"Hey princess," Mario shouted, "Where exactly is Sarasaland?"

Peach didn't turn around to look at them, instead looking dead ahead as she searched for the right pipe.

"Just beyond the Dry Dry Desert. Both kingdoms use the desert as a neutral border, so we're going through the warp to get to the main gate away from that region."

He felt Luigi's grip on his hand tighten as the smell of sulfur wafted into the pipe.

The pipe to the Koopa Kingdom was close.

Mario returned the tightened grip in an attempt to comfort his brother.

"Non preoccuparti, Luigi. Nothing can hurt us as long as we're together."

The group moved closer to the wall of the tube, not willing to be sucked into enemy territory as they passed by. After an agonizing moment, Peach's voice rang out as she grabbed Toad.

"The Sarasaland Warp is just up ahead! When I say go, we're going to make a right turn! Ready?"

The brothers took a deep breath.

"Set."

They held onto each other tight.

"GO!"

And with a sharp turn, they followed the princess and the Mushroom boy down the warp.

Here we go!

Meanwhile, in Sarasaland...

The Bela Nandi held the reputation as not only one of, if not the deadliest, army in the land but also as the only all-female military group in all of the known kingdoms. While the armies of the Jungle Lands and the Koopa Kingdom had great numbers and strength, the Bela Nandi seemed to surpass them both with their genius war tactics and stealth. And seeing as the empire was spread out between four distinct kingdoms that were ruled by the Queen, they were also considered one of the most diverse.

Among the ranks that gathered in the throne room stood Daisy, fully dressed (if not a bit winded from making a mad dash not to be late) with a golden bow in her hands as they all talked to each other, waiting for their general and fellow battle sister to arrive.

Suddenly, the doors opened.

The chatter from the Bela Nandi hushed instantly as the sound of metal clashed together. The warriors lined themselves against the walls as Taraji strode through the room, twin Ida swords in hand. Daisy and the warriors saluted her as she climbed the steps that led to her throne.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Bela Nandi!" The queen saluted her fellow warriors as she stood.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Indlovukazi!"

With a nod, her soldiers went back to formation, herself sheathing her blades as she addressed them.

"My sisters, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom will be arriving shortly with her companions for an urgent matter of upmost importance. As to what that matter is, I am not a liberty to say for now. In the meantime, these are your assignments: Princess Daisy and Squadron One, you will be meeting our guests at the Warp Pipe Border away from the desert."

Daisy looked up at her sister, a surprised grin slowly growing on her face. She was going to lead her first assignment! Was it a small one? Sure, but it was better than being stuck in the palace.

Taraji glanced over as the princess failed to keep a stoic expression at the announcement, her own lips forming a tiny smile before continuing on.

"Squadrons Two, Three, and Four, you will be guarding our borders from here in Birabuto to the Easton Islands. The rest of you, continue with your training. We will also be anticipating more guests soon, so we must be vigilant at all times. And let's not forget, the Harvest Festival is almost upon us, so I expect all of us to be ready for that as well."

With a final salute, the army dissipated and headed for their assignments, Daisy walking with her squadron.

"Daisy, a moment if you please," Taraji spoke, getting down from her throne.

The princess froze, turning around to face the queen. Taraji placed her hand on her shoulder, studying her for a moment as doubt and worry war on in her mind.

"This is your first official assignment as my heir presumptive. I understand that you're excited, but remember that you must-"

"Be careful. I know, I know," Daisy interrupted, shuffling her quiver of arrows to the other side. "You worry too much, Raji. I'll be fine! Besides, we know Peach. She's cool."

The queen sighed, her grip on the princess' shoulder tightened slightly.

"Daisy, this is serious. This isn't a visit between friends. This is a request for aid. I am entrusting you with the safety of her and her companions and for you to lead them straight to the palace. I need you to pay attention to your surroundings so no getting distracted. And don't tarry too long. The more time it takes, the more time is wasted. Do you understand?"

Daisy dropped her head in exasperation before nodding her head.

"Yes, ma'am."

Taraji relaxed for a moment, lifting Daisy's chin to take one last glance at her face before letting go.

"Good. Now, go on. They're waiting for you."

The princess turned to leave, but not before a mischievous smirk spread on her face.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll make sure not to scare her companions too badly."

Before the queen could say anything else, her sister ran out of the throne room with a laugh, her bow clutched tightly in her hand as she nearly tripped over her feet in order to catch up with her squadron.

Taraji sighed, feeling a stress-induced migraine coming on as she plopped back down on her throne.

"UGrambi omkhulu nokhokho, lo mntwana uzoba ukufa kwami."

Near the back gates of the city, a rumble was heard as the warp pipe next to the walls expelled four beings out of its bowels. As Princess Peach and Toad landed gracefully on the soft soil that surrounded it, Mario and Luigi shot out of the tube and hit the ground with a hard thud, Luigi landing on top of his brother.

"Are you two okay?" Peach asked as Luigi scrambled off of him and helped Mario up, the latter groaning in pain.

Their eyes wandered around the area, in awe of the section that they landed in. The land that surrounded them was a jungle, not unlike the Jungle Kingdom of the Kongs, but as Mario followed the wall towards a clearing nearby, the sands of the Dry Dry Desert seemed to blow towards him. Luigi couldn't help but stare at the gates themselves, taking in the intricate design of the archways and columns that supported them. The edge of the archways had lotus blossoms and daisies chiseled into the stone, and the columns had flowering vines etched into them. The doors seemed to sparkle like gold, the knocker a giant sunflower. Peach, meanwhile, stared straight ahead, her hands trembling slightly from anxiety.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Toad exclaimed as he made a rush towards the gate.

Quick as a fox, she darted her hand out and pulled the eager Toad back, setting him back down in front of her.

"Wait a minute. Before we are allowed to enter, there are some things that you need to know first."

Mario, Luigi, and Toad paused.

"The Sarasaland Empire stretches over four kingdoms, making it one of our most diverse nations. With that in mind, there are certain citizens that might look familiar.

"Like?"

Her explanation was interrupted as the sound of a war cry echoed through the air, followed by the sound of the gates opening and archers drawing back their bows.The sudden ambush caused Luigi to screech out a startled yelp as he ducked behind Mario, the warriors circling them. Mario immediately went into a fighting stance as he began to see Bombshell Koopas, Kumos, Ganchans, Gaos, Goombos, and Bunbuns. He even saw some Toads sprinkled among the ranks that currently held them all at spear-point. But nothing prepared him for what they saw next.

Right among the thrall of turtle-like creatures and moving stone heads were humans.

Real flesh-and-blood humans like them.

"Che cazzo?!" Mario blurted out as the ring around them got tighter and tighter until Princess Peach spoke.

"Please! We seek an audience with Queen Taraji!"

The soldiers paused for a moment, looking around for a response.

"Yima phansi!" A voice rang out.

The warriors parted as a figure approached them, a bow and arrow clutched tightly in their hands. Luigi peaked over his brother's shoulder and was taken aback by the sight of who he thought was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her skin was a light brown and dotted with freckles from her face down to her arms. Her raven black hair was twisted into cornrows that ended with an afro puff that started at the crown of her head to the nape of her neck. Her brown eyes were wide as he noticed white dots painted under them and two white dots on her forehead and chin that were bordered with yellow lines on both sides. She was dressed in a dark orange top that was decorated with daisies at the hem and flared at the bottom into a skirt whose sides were split, revealing tan pants. On her head was a delicate gold chain that wrapped around the sides of her temples and down the middle of her head with an orange jewel dangling from it. Her arms were decorated with an arm cuff on her left arm and a single gold bracelet on her right wrist. Two gold studs adorn her ears, and a small golden hoop piercing decorated her right nostril.

The brothers watched as Princess Peach's shoulders relaxed before putting a gloved hand on her chest and extending her other hand out for the stranger to take.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Inkosazana," She spoke.

The woman was still staring at Luigi for a moment before her face broke into a wide grin as she turned to the blonde-haired princess before her, placing her own hand on her heart and grasping the gloved arm with hers.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Usisi,"

Peach gave a yelp as she was dragged into a tight hug, her friend's laughter echoing into the jungle behind them.

"Peach! It has been too long!"

"I know, Daisy! And I wish we were seeing each other again under better circumstances."

The Mario Brothers and Toad all stared at the two of them, confused (and a little bit terrified) as the two royals reconnected.

"And who are they?" They heard her ask, gesturing to them.

Princess Peach stood up straight, momentarily forgetting that they were there.

"OH! Princess Daisy, this is Toad," She started, as the Mushroom boy walked up to her and shook the other woman's hand.

"Nice to meet you!"

"And these are the Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi."

Mario tipped his hat to the archer, a small smile on his face. Meanwhile, Luigi gave a shy smile and a wave.

"H-hello there, your Highness." Luigi stuttered.

Daisy gave a huge smirk as she faced the green brother.

"Well, h-hello there yourself!" she giggled.

Luigi's face turned bright, tomato-red as the squadron opened the city gates again.

"Welcome to Birabuto, the capital of the Sarasaland Empire!" Daisy said, their guests gasping in awe. "Now, come! My sister awaits our arrival!"

Taking Luigi's hand, Daisy dragged him through the city gates and towards the palace, Peach, Mario, and Toad following close behind them as the gates closed with an echoing thud.

SMB Fanfiction Playlists!

Hey there! If you’re reading Firey Love Through Burning Sands, here is the links to the Song Playlists for the chapters!

Bowser & The Darklands Theme:

Taraji & Sarasaland Theme:

Firey Love Through Burning Sands YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxeFYz5rc4sn3svTZXT0AyNieDlnv1JG3

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.

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.