The next few years would be hardly memorable for the continent, at fortunate and well-deserved turn after all the turmoil of the years prior.
The Mushroom Kingdom, having broken up fully into a few dozen smaller states, had seen very little conflict between the new neighbors. Shiver Region and the Dry Dry Republic in particular had both prospered as major tourist hubs and energy suppliers, giving their countries new economic boosts that had propelled them to worldwide status. Mushroom World and its federation of eight kings had mutually decided to part ways, each of them ruling as separate entities entirely. It made travelling between each region more difficult, but on the whole, the entire eastern portion of the continent prospered.
Bowsette, in the end, decided to attempt something similar to Peach’s national breakup, but on a much smaller scale. After Dark Land was rebuilt from the war and chaos it had endured, she drafted the nation’s very first constitution, effectively dividing each region, each vassal state and prefecture within Bowsette’s Kingdom into an autonomous nation of its own. Bowsette relinquished her absolute rule, conferring to a new council made up of each of the individual rulers of each territory within Dark Land who made most all decisions in the region. Boom Boom, in his immense popularity, was elected the council’s first Prime Minister, and with his leadership the council had improved life in Dark Land immensely over the course of its first few years.
Peach roamed the Earth, just as she said, mostly cutting off contact with anyone she had previously associated with in order to find herself in an independent life. To better blend in as an unassuming commoner, she cut her hair short and wore nothing but the outdoorsy clothes she had taken with her to prepare to hike across the continent. The two weren’t in constant contact, but Peach and Bowsette traded letters and other items when they could.
Just this week Bowsette got another postcard from her wife, and attached was a photo where Peach was posing with many friends she had met recently; she was staying somewhere in the southern Chai Kingdom in Sarasaland, near Bowsette’s vacation castle in Hanafuda. It was a beautiful place and Bowsette was really glad to see Peach as happy as she looked. She also sported a very nice short haircut. It looked so fitting on her that Bowsette kind of hoped she would keep it for good.
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Bowsette thought about heading over there to see if they could meet up, but... she was satisfied with Peach’s monthly postcards. Knowing her wife was happy was good enough for now.
The Koopalings had fallen back into their squabbling ways, but that was only natural for a bunch of young brats like themselves. Iggy, now done with his stint as the Conqueror, had shifted to being the bossy “leader” of the Koopalings, undermining Morton Jr. and Ludwig’s attempts to do the same. Wendy had cozied up to her mother in an attempt to curry her favor, but it was more annoying than endearing. She still had no idea which of the Koopalings would eventually become her chosen successor for the throne, even if it had very little power left in it other than a symbolic role, but she was glad that they weren’t trying to kill each other over it anymore.
On the brighter side, Morton Jr. had been spending a lot more time with a female Koopa he had met at Koopa University this semester. He was softening up considerably, and Bowsette really liked the girl; she was very nice. If Bowsette got a grandchild this soon, she would be utterly ecstatic. As big as their family currently was, she wanted it to get even bigger.
All of the people Morton Koopa had turned to stone had slowly been coming back to life now that Morton’s very existence had been eradicated. Even those turned to stone during his original rule over Dark Land had been coming back, some of them hundreds of years old and completely unaware of the changes that had occurred since they had been frozen. Bowsette was waiting for the day when one of her older siblings emerged from deep underground and made some flimsy claim for the throne, but it still hadn’t happened. Considering that most of her siblings had been used in Morton’s horrid Dread Lord experiments, she wasn’t sure if that would ever really happen after all...
The continent was truly at peace for the first time in probably eons. There were no more wars or skirmishes--Bowsette still hadn’t done anything to antagonize Mario since he got back from Saturn after a year-long adventure--and the world seemed like it was on the verge of entering a new age altogether. One where species and ethnicity was important, but never a stepping stone to prejudice and sectarian violence. One where the kings and queens of countries wouldn't send their citizens to die in pointless conflict. One where a Koopa King could become a Koopa Queen and still embrace all the power that came with that.
It wouldn’t last. Nothing like this ever did, of course. But for now, this was the perfect time to be alive, and Bowsette enjoyed every moment of it.