A giant tank, the same wood-built design invented and perfected by Bowser himself, was now sitting in the middle of the courtroom. Small cannonballs at the sides shot out randomly at spectators, and a Rocky Wrench popped up to throw his tools at people.

Bowser was confused and almost relieved, but also more frustrated than ever.

A bunch of Koopa Troop soldiers of assorted species burst out and attacked the Toad Guardsmen in some sort of epic rout. The battle was intense, so intense that it deserved a massive amount of description, but Bowser simply wasn’t up to the task right now. His eyes were instead fully fixed on Peach, who held a Super Crown in her hands, staring back at Bowser. They were just feet away, but the battle made it almost impossible to reach each other.

He tried to make her understand that this wasn’t doing, reaching out for her not with a sinister grab but with a sympathetic gesture. She seemed to respond in kind, extending her own arms out and leaning forward to help him reach the Super Crown, as if giving this to him actually meant something to her.

That meant more to Bowser than anything he had accomplished in a long time.

But Peach was snatched away by her own guards, whisked away to safety, and Bowser couldn’t reach her or the power-up. She cried out, “Bowsette!”

“Peach!”

No... No!

Several Koopatrol units grabbed him and carried him back to the tank, where he would be safe. And inside the tank was a very familiar face-- Kammy Koopa.

“Welcome home,” she said with a dry cackle. “We’re glad to have you back.”

The tank took off and then its main cannon converted into a drill. It burrowed a tunnel and zoomed into the network of underground highways left by ancient civilizations. Back towards Bowser’s Kingdom. Back towards the Koopa Troop.

Bowser held himself with his arms and tried not to cry.