Bowsette and Peach looked out atop one of Castle Koopa’s observation towers, examining the destructive damage that Dark Land had faced in the war to destroy Morton Koopa.

It was extensive, but it was nothing that the people of the Koopa Troop could not fix.

No, Bowsette wasn’t going to punish the idiots that stuck with Morton through everything. They were wrapped up in something bigger than they could understand. It was okay if they didn’t realize the real reasons behind this civil war or if they succumbed to the powerful fear tactics that her father had used to rein in control. She wouldn’t honor those who fell for the useless cause, but those who still lived could rejoin Bowsette’s Kingdom without any hesitation.

That was the way to build a nation.

“I’ve never seen the sunrise in Dark Land,” Peach said. “It’s always, um, dark everytime I come here.”

“It’s rare and quick,” Bowsette said. “Even in the summer we only get a few hours of sun each day. We cherish it while we can.”

Peach leaned her head against Bowsette’s shoulder and they stood there overlooking Dark Land like this for some time.

Bowsette had finally found a self she was truly comfortable with. All the time she spent fretting and worrying and second-guessing about what made her happy, about what made her strong, about what made her look feminine, and it took her until now to truly accept that it was her own mind holding her back. She had strove to find happiness in accomplishments and goals, when the real key to happiness was finding something to truly care about and latching onto that. And she had plenty to care about. Her family, her friends, her kingdom, they were all good targets.

But of course the real thing she had to care about was herself. Bowsette loved herself. It was as simple as that.

And now that she had this new body, a true hybrid between human and Koopa, she felt like she had truly attained some sort of goal here that she hadn’t even been searching for. She had never considered that all of these immense Dread Lord abilities simmering inside of her could give her absolute mastery over her own being, and yet once she finally came to accept herself as a woman, as a person, that was when, suddenly, everything just clicked.

“So... two kids each?” Peach asked.

“Not... yet...” Bowsette said. “Let’s... clean up our new kingdom first.”

“Our?”

“Well... if you want to rule by my side that is.”

“After all of this, Bowsette, you’re really just going to go back to being a ruler again like none of this ever happened?”

“Yeah, well...” Bowsette considered this. “I can’t be Mario’s enemy without being the ruler, right?”

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“You’ll find a way,” Peach said before kissing her on the cheek. “Actually... I don’t want to rule over Dark Land. I already abdicated from the Mushroom Kingdom. House Toadstool is reduced to a single castle and a hundred knights. I think I’m done with royalty forever.”

“So you don’t want to...”

“Well...” Peach took a deep breath like she was going to tell her something that she had been rehearsing for a while. “I love you. I want to be by your side for the rest of my life. I want to be with your children, even if there’s eight of them and they’ve all personally kidnapped me at least once. But... I don’t want to settle down yet. I’ve loved every moment of the adventures we’ve had together, and it made me realize something-- I need to see the rest of the world. Experience life like a common person would. After Mario saved me from our wedding on the moon, I travelled for a few weeks with Tiara, but it was mostly shallow tourism of the most popular places. I want to do more than that. I want to truly travel the world and see what it has to offer me, and more importantly, what I have to offer it.”

“And so you won’t be around as much for a while?”

“Right. I don’t know how long it’ll be or where I’ll even go, but I just want to do something by myself for a little while. It doesn’t mean I love you any less or anything, just...”

“I completely understand,” Bowsette said. “If I didn’t, then we wouldn’t be a good fit for each other, right?”

“You won’t be mad at me? You won’t be upset if I’m not here while the continent rebuilds itself?”

“If you’re happy, that’s what matters.”

They kissed.

“Bowsette...”

“As soon as you come back, we can start a new family. If you still want. But until then... Do what you feel is right.”

“Of course.”

Bowsette realized that... maybe ruling over Dark Land wasn’t exactly what she wanted to do, either. She would help the rebuilding process, but she wasn’t going to take any firm stances on how the rest of her life was going to go just yet. The future was as bright as the sun and she wanted to make the most of it-- planning too far ahead would just handicap that.

They left the observation tower and went down to the Throne Room, currently being rebuilt by a regiment of Reznors and Spikes and being expanded to hold an even bigger audience.

Bowsette’s entire family was here. The eight Koopalings, Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Roy, Wendy, Bowser Jr., Ludwig, and Morton Jr. Kammy Koopa, her grandmother. Kamek Koopa, her father, currently in a wheelchair and still recovering from over a year’s worth of magical torture. And then there was Boom Boom and Pom Pom, two of his most trusted friends in the world. And of course Peach, her loving wife.

It was a crowded family, for sure, but then again, they had an entire castle to themselves, didn’t they? Despite everything that happened that could have divided them-- Bowsette’s selfish abdication, the in-fighting that broke them apart, the reemergence of Morton Koopa and the final war that devastated their homeland--they still stuck together strongly, the ultimate Royal Family.

No matter what else happened in the world, As long as Bowsette was happy with herself and had a family worth fighting for, she would be unstoppable.

A cameraman Lakitu floated down with a large photography device hanging from his fishing pole. “Are you sure this is the right spot?” he asked.

“Exactly the right spot,” Bowsette said. “Make sure to get the construction behind us in full view.”

“Okay then. Everyone strike a pose,” the Lakitu said. “Say, ‘Sleepy Sheep!’

“Sleepy Sheep!” the group said in unison.

Snap.

Yep, this one was going in Bowsette’s Best Memories compilation.