It was today that Bowsette and Peach would finally learn about the true fate of their ill-advised mission to Nabbit. When they first asked him for help, they really did think that he would bring a few contacts to them. But instead, he apparently ran around the globe doing a very poor job convincing anyone of anything, and had only reported in to the Toadstools twice. In a year. TWICE.

The two of them waited at the front entrance to the castle grounds, and Bowsette wondered whether, if she had tried just a little bit harder, maybe she could have gotten a better person to help them than Nabbit. He was just the first person that came to mind that was listed in her Bowser Phone, and while he was fast, he certainly wasn’t thorough.

That was... okay? If he... actually got anyone worth having? It was a complete crapshoot.

And then suddenly, in a zip of speed and motion blur, Nabbit appeared before them.

“At your service, here’s Nabbit. Bagged it, Grabbed it, Nabbed it, just like you said,” Nabbit said.

“Uhhhh.... Hello,” said Bowsette. “Thanks for, uh, contacting us this time?”

“My pleasure. Got lots of loot. Stole lots of stuff. Real happy about it all. You’re welcome. Glad to do it again. Not free of charge. Ain’t that kind of guy. Gotta feed the wife and kids you know?”

“So, where’s the...”

“I got here first. Lots of people coming, don’t worry. I’m just early. Too fast. Gotta go fast though. Early Parakoopa catches the worm. I’m a rabbit though. I don’t eat other animals. Just junk food. And coffee’s good too. Got to admit I imbibe alcohol every now and then. It’s good stuff when you’re tired. Peps you up. Makes you--”

“So when are they actually coming?”

“Couple hours.”

They waited a few MORE hours, the suspense utterly killing Bowsette as she began to fret if they weren’t about to receive the absolute best Generals of all time and they were going to completely die off from it all.

But... sure enough, the Generals came.

The first was Flutter, a flying Wiggler who ran a dojo somewhere up north with a huge variety of students under her command.

“Hello,” Flutter said. “I am pleased to meet you. Your companion here told me a lot about you two. I may not have much in the way of resources, but my students and I are strong fighting companions. If you will allow us, we will be able to help turn the tide of battle against those who wish for the world to be buried in darkness.”

“Thank you so much,” said Peach. “We-- uh, who’s that?”

There was a shiny, metallic person in the back of the group of students, whose figure very closely resembled Peach herself. Hey, now. Bowsette was the only Peach lookalike allowed around here!

“That is one of my newer pupils, Pink Gold Peach,” Flutter said. “Her origins are a mystery, and she has long since taken a vow of silence. She is however a very skilled warrior in hand-to-hand combat.”

“I... uh, okay then,” Peach said.

Afterwards, the second general arrived: Dr. Crygor, mad scientist from Diamond City way over on the other side of the continent. He was alone except for one short teenage girl who walked next to him.

“I am the industrious, inventive, revolutionary Dr. Crygor!” he announced as if he was giving a Toad Talk. “Pleased to make your acquaintances, my two fine princesses.”

“Actually, neither of us are princesses, at least not anymore,” said Bowsette. Peach glared at her for being simply unable to let people make the mistake without constantly correcting them on it. “I mean, hello, Dr. Crygor. Your work is famous around the world.”

“What about mine?” the girl asked with perky enthusiasm.

Bowsette and Peach stared at Dr. Crygor, not able to ask who she was without spoiling the fact that she was a complete unknown and probably making her bawl her eyes out. In the end, they simply ignored her question and pretended they didn’t hear her.

“So we’ve heard you two were coming with... um, other forces,” Peach said. “Was that... accurate information?”

“Just answer that question for... YOURSELF!” Dr. Crygor pressed a button on his remote, and within seconds, the castle grounds were stormed by literally hundreds of metallic soldiers, most of whom looked like... recreations of the Smithy Gang forces?

Bowsette glared at him. “Did you steal Smithy-era technology?”

“I make no mention of things that could betray trade secrets,” he said. “Just know that I have a fully-robotic force at your command. Stopping Morton is of the highest priority for the safety of the world, and the well-being of the future generations that inhabit this Earth, like my dear granddaughter here.” He put his hands on her shoulders, and she gave a grin. But they still didn’t know her name....

Well, that was a lot more forces than Bowsette was expecting. That was quite a few Generals, too. Flutter, Crygor, Peach, Whomp King, King Boo, and with any luck Iggy as well... that was six.

Six wasn’t quite enough, but they would have to make do, if that was it.

“Is that everyone?” Bowsette asked Nabbit by the end of this. He had been scurrying around the castle and the castle grounds all day almost nonstop, but he had finally ended up back where the two Toadstools stood in wait.

“No, what are you talking about? I got everyone I could. Two people? That’d be bad. No, I got more than two. Way more than two. I got three. Three people. That’s pretty good. Right?”

“Yeah... Then... Who is it? It’s already sunset.”

“Guess who,” a voice said.

Bowsette turned and saw Boom Boom, along with his girlfriend Pom Pom and a whole battalion of assorted Koopas.

“Boom Boom!” Bowsette cried out, jumping into his arms and letting him spin her around like a child. “You came back.”

“Yeah... Boom Boom listened to your comments about how he always gives up halfway through and runs away. You were right. Even when we defeated Morton the first time, and Boom Boom was a trusted to-ranked lieutenant, he still ran away after the main battle began. He regrets it so much. And he won’t make the same mistake again.”

“These guys are all volunteers from the border near Dark Land,” Pom Pom said. “They have been getting attacked a lot more often lately, so they have decided to come help in your efforts.”

“Well... it’s really appreciated. Thank you.”

Seven Generals.

They actually had seven Generals now.

Were... they actually prepared for this battle? Not yet, certainly, but... they were close. And that was crazy.

Nabbit saluted and bowed at once. “Welp guess my work is done. Back to nabbing. Back to running around. Back to doing what I do. Going fast. Not slow. Doing cool.”

He ran off.