The New Monarch (Human! Bowser X Reader)

[56] Retrieval Pt. 2

A powerful quake shakes the Grasslands, causing the ruins to crumble by the minute. 

The cage shook violently from the force of the ground beneath, crushing and falling into the abyss below.

This is not the way I thought I would die!

Panicking in this situation is tempting, but it won't help. 

The chain holding the cage won't last forever, but breaking out of solid steel isn't possible. Besides, even if you could break free, there's nowhere to go. 

The castle is collapsing, and your physical abilities are limited.

So, in other words, you're doomed.

No one's coming to save me...

You feel like breaking down and crying uncontrollably. Your pent-up emotions are overwhelming, and you can't hold it any longer. Like a dam has burst, and all the feelings you've held begin pouring out.

Meanwhile...

Where could she be?!

Amid the chaos, Bowser arrives minutes prior and frantically rummages through the area, searching for clues that may lead him to your whereabouts. 

Through the debris, he hears a familiar sound - your voice. 

The sound he's been yearning for since the moment you taken. 

Your voice echoes through the walls, and he follows it, hoping it will guide him to you. 

However, as your cries for help gradually fade, Bowser's apprehension grows. 

With no additional sounds forthcoming, he fears the worst. 

Suddenly, he hears your voice again, but this time it's weeping. It reminds him of his past mistakes and fills him with guilt. 

But he knows he can't dwell on them now - he has to act quickly. 

After overcoming the pain in his chest and the process of rejuvenation, Bowser finally finds you suspended from the ceiling. He mentally scolds himself for his past wrongdoings against you but quickly pushes those thoughts aside. As he gasps for breath and swallows the lump in his throat, hope and anticipation fill him at the prospect of reuniting with you. "(F/n)!" He shouts, your back facing him. 

You stop your tears as your heart skips a beat upon hearing that voice. Turning around and see Bowser beneath you, alive and in one piece. "Bowser..." You question out in disbelief, grabbing onto the metal bars for support. "You're alive..?" You ask if the fact alone can wash away your worries and problems. "But how?!"

Bowser shakes his head furiously. "No time to explain! Here!" He backs up and throws an object in your direction. 

You miraculously catch it and see it's a makeshift key.

One he made on his way here. 

"Use it! Hurry!" He urges desperately. 

You waste not even a second and jiggle the lock open, which makes the door swing open. You look down and freeze in fear. "What now?!" You cry out, unable to see clearly through your red puffy eyes. "I can't see well!"

The man gulps down yet another lump. "Jump!" 

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

"Please, (F/n)! This is no time to be stubborn! Trust me! I'll catch you!"

Your knees are like jelly, and you feel like you're going to pass out as you start to hyperventilate, unsure of what to do. 

Bowser notices this and tries another attempt. "I wouldn't have come all this way if I wasn't going to save you! There are people that need you!" He glances away before looking back up, hesitating to say his next set of words. "I need you!"  The man's words enter your mind and stay there.