#eldstar

— Act 1 ~ Burden of Fights and Fate —

The quartet of heroes travelled down the glittering path, slowly making it down to the base of Rickety Rock Ridge. As they passed down, the clouds in the sky had begun to part, revealing the sky underneath.

They all reveled at the sight… the sun glaring through the clouds toward them, it’s light and warmth just barely reaching their faces.

To the Bros., the thought was greatly exhilarating. They were so close to freeing the Kingdom, being able to face Nox once all the Star Spirits were freed. Everything within the Kingdom and Star Realm could go back to how it was… everyone could get their wishes, their peace…

…Despite that excitement though, Junior couldn’t help but be absorbed in his thoughts. Ludwig turned to him with concern, noticing the turmoil in Junior’s eyes.

“…Something is amiss, Junior, I can tell.” Ludwig said. “What’s on your mind?”

Junior was silent as he struggled to get the words out, before finally being able to speak. “…It’s papa…” He said.

“…What about him?” Ludwig asked.

“…Seeing him all corrupted and stuff… I hate it.” Junior said. “I wanna… I don’t know, do something about that! I feel like I can’t just… leave him like that. I wanna fix it!”

Ludwig nodded. “I’d like to step in as well… but, I can’t think of way we could help.” He said.

“We can’t just sit on it though!” Junior said. “It’s my papa, and I’m tired of seeing him like that!”

“I understand, Junior, I do…” Ludwig said, sighing. “But I fear we can’t do much right now… I would be glad to help, but… we can’t, not now.”

Junior wanted to argue… but he only fell silent. They had no plan, nothing. They could only stand idly by… and wait. The thought made Junior’s blood boil.

The quartet then slowed as they reached end of the glittering road, stepping upon the Ridge’s base. They didn’t stop their walk though, continuing to tread forward amidst the rocky mountain base.

They walked ahead for a while, slowly but surely taking notice of the plain hills in the distance. The rocky surface was replaced with dead, dark green grass that crunched underneath the quartet’s feet.

Wind gently blew across the heroes faces as they stared out into the barren fields that Sunbeam Plains had become. Amidst the field though… a few small weapons could be seen strewn around, appearing like they belonged in the hands of smaller creatures… what happened here?

“…These Plains… they feel all too familiar…” Cosmo suddenly said from the aether. “This is where it started…”

“…Well, uh…” Junior began as the Bros. turned to face him. “It’s been, uhm… really weird. Uh… thanks for all the help.”

“Yes, we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did without your assistance.” Ludwig said. “Deciding to join your side, even if it was only for a short time, was one of the greatest decisions we had ever made. We are both eternally grateful.”

The Bros. nodded at that… they were just as thankful for them as they were. The Koopas helped cover a lot of ground in ways they couldn’t. They were of great help.

“You aren’t safe from me, next time we meet! Hope you know that!” Junior said, pointing toward Mario. “This was temporary! You hear me!? TEMPORARY!!!”

“Junior. Now is not the time for that.” Ludwig said. “We must be taking our leave. Perhaps the Spirits are awaiting our call.”

“…Oh, yeah! HEEEEYYY!!!” Junior called out into the air. “WE’RE READY TO BE PICKED UP!!”

“Not like that!” Ludwig argued.

“That one bow-tie wearing Star said to holler, so I’m hollering!” Junior said.

“…I am certain that was just an expression.” Ludwig said.

“…You know, I did say that.” An affirming voice said from nowhere. “You can’t blame him! Although, you are right.”

Just behind Junior and Ludwig appeared Klevar and Mamar, who both looked down upon the young Koopas with smiles as the Koopas looked back up at them.

“You said you’re ready, yes?” Klevar asked. “The other Minions are waiting for you back at Bowser’s Castle, for the Commander and Dark Star have fled from the Dark Lands! They’ve headed back to the Princess’ Castle.”

“Wait, really!?” Junior said. “Ha! Of course that dumb Commander wouldn’t stay there for long!”

“Yes… it is not her turf to control.” Ludwig said affirmatively.

…With Commander Nox and the Dark Star now back at the Castle, the Bros. knew exactly where they’d need to go once the Plains were freed. They’d be waiting for them, no doubt.

“Say your final goodbyes, if you must.” Mamar then said to the Koopa children. “Take all the time you need!”

Both Junior and Ludwig then turned to the brothers, who only looked back with genuine care in their eyes.

“…Bye, Mario. Bye, Luigi.” Junior said softly, waving a hand at them.

“We won’t forget your efforts and assistance.” Ludwig said, also waving.

“If that’s it, then we’re off!” Klevar said. “Safe travels, Mario and Luigi!”

“Be careful out there, you two! We aren’t certain of what’s in these plains… or what Eldstar is planning.” Mamar then paused. “…Oh, that poor man…”

“Oh, yes! Remain vigilant!” Klevar said. “We’re all depending on you! Best of luck!”

At that, the Spirits and Koopa children disappeared, leaving the Bros. alone amidst their silence… it was odd. It was just them now, with the fate of the Kingdom, Star Realm, and everyone’s wishes on their shoulders. The weight was heavy, but all they could do now was soldier on, heading deeper into the barren plains.

~~~

The further the Bros. went into the Plains, the darker and creepier they seemed to become. No enemies lurked around… all they saw was what was left behind.

The deeper they went, the more weapons they saw strewn about. Some even glittered with the golden residue left on them. Others had a more tarnished glow, showing how the liquid had dried over time.

The more they investigated, the more they realized what had transpired here…

“…I remember it…” Cosmo suddenly said. “The terror that transpired here… I remember it all…”

…Star Warriors.

Many Star Warriors had met their end here, it seemed. Many allies Cosmo knew… and witnessed the horrible, tragic deaths of. The horror he felt… the Bros. could barely process it.

As the Bros. continued their journey through the Plains… a voice could suddenly be heard in the distance.

“…Hello!? Are you… still here…?” The weak voice called out. “We… need help!”

The Bros.’ heads swiveled to where the voice had come from. They looked out… but seemed to find nothing.

“Hey!” The voice suddenly called from behind.

Both brothers turned back, jumping where they stood, to see a pair of Star Sprites clad in silver helmets, just like the one Cosmo wore. They stared weakly at the Bros., a look only a suffering soul would give.

“Excuse us… but…” One Sprite asked. “Have you seen Cosmo? We are looking for him.”

…The Bros. were shocked that anyone was still here. The Plains had become a barren war zone with seemingly no one around… but, lo and behold, they stood corrected.

Despite that, though… where were they to begin?

“Please! We must find him!” The other Sprite begged. “He knows where our healing stations are… he can take us to them!” The Sprite then begin to ferociously cough, spitting up golden blood that fell to the dead grass.

The Bros. took a pause… they were in awe, and yet deeply perplexed. They had no idea where to start. How do you tell someone that their closest ally is gone? That his soul is tethered to two mortal men? …That he, to their dismay, can’t do much to help…?

One of the Sprites then sighed. “…I see… perhaps it was a mistake to depend on him…”

Mario and Luigi both gasped. Never did they expect such harsh words to come from one of Cosmo’s own allies.

“Yes… it seems he’s failed us.” The other Sprite said. “No wonder these men don’t know of his whereabouts! That coward’s hidden away and ran, I bet!”

The brothers only listened and watched in horror… what were they on about?

The Sprites then turned to both brothers… an odd glint in their eyes telling the Bros. that something had changed in them.

…These weren’t the same Sprites that had approached them…

“…Let us ask you this…” One Sprite said in a cold tone. “…How has Cosmo been of value to you?”

The Bros. wasted no time in explaining all they could… how Cosmo had helped them. How, without him, they wouldn’t be here…

“Bah! Lies!” The other Sprite argued. “He just makes you think that! What do you see in that failure of a soldier!? He’s done nothing but doom us all! Doom his comrades! Doom the Star Spirits! Doom the Star Realm!”

“Nothing can erase his failures! Nothing!” The other Sprite said. “He deserves not to be coddled!”

“He must be shamed!” The other Sprite added.

“Smited even!” The other Sprite doubled down. “No one will mourn him!”

…The Bros. were in deep shock as they slowly backed away… they then felt a strong guilt cross their hearts. A feeling that wasn’t their own. As the Sprites cursed Cosmo’s name, they quickly ran away, heading farther into the tainted Plains.

As they ran, more Sprites appeared, yelling out against their former comrade.

“He’s a coward!” One Sprite yelled.

“He’s doomed as all!” Another Sprite cried.

“The Spirits have fallen… and the Dark Star has returned… it’s all HIS FAULT!!!” Another Sprite shrieked.

Mario and Luigi both sped up, wanting to get away from the horrid yelling. It was overbearing, overwhelming… all of these things they knew weren’t true…

And, amidst it all… Cosmo was deathly quiet.

'HIS FAULT!!!'

'HIS FAULT!!!'

'HIS FAULT!!!'

These words echoed in the Bros. heads, sounding like gongs within their minds. These words, and the feelings that weren’t theirs… it was like torture, and it wasn’t even meant to target them.

“…It’s all… my fault…” Cosmo said, his voice breaking. “It’s all… my fault…”

The Bros. tried to reassure Cosmo with their own thoughts… all of these words were lies, they knew that… they just needed Cosmo to understand that too.

“…N-no… I deserve no sympathy! No pity!!” Cosmo cried. “…I’m a failure of a Warrior! …You don’t need me!! YOU DON’T NEED ME!!!”

Suddenly, the voices went away… replaced by eerie, defeating silence.

The Bros. looked around, taking notice of their surroundings. There was nothing but void around them. Complete, unbridled Darkness… no sound, no wind…

…Only nothing…

…

…?

…!?

“…I’ve found you…” A voice suddenly said from nowhere.

The Bros. then felt their arms and legs being pulled deeper into the void they were surrounded by. Thin strings restraining them and rushing them to a plain they had no knowledge of.

“Now… the show can truly begin…” The same voice threatened as he coldly chuckled into the void.

———

— Intermission 1 ~ Falling Stars —

It was quiet within the Manor. No one spoke, and the Shroobs were elsewhere. The Spirits were spread out around the lobby while Kamek attempted to coddle the ever silent Toadsworth. The silence was starting to become irritating… making the quiet tension in the room even more apparent…

“…So… how has everyone been?” Kamek said, hoping to ease the tension in the air.

The Spirits were silent… where to begin…?

“…Our apologies, but…” Kalmar began. “It’s been so tough for us all… it’s quite difficult to find a starting point…”

“Hm… perhaps getting all of that out might ease you all?” Kamek suggested. “One by one.”

“Ah… hm…” Skolar started… he seemed hesitant to speak. “Oh, why must this be so grating…?”

“Hey!” Another new voice suddenly called out. “How about some Shroom Tea to calm you down?” The figure asked as he held up a glass toward the lavender Star.

“…Why, certainly. That would be of great help, thank you.” Skolar said, reaching down to grab that glass. Just before he could drink any tea, though… he stopped for a moment, looking down.

Four Toads; Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green, stood within the Manor’s lobby. Each of them bore explorers outfits and backpacks, bearing genuine looks of glee as they looked up to Skolar… except for the Yellow Toad, who seemed to be nodding off.

“What—!? How—!? Where—!?” Skolar stammered.

“Oh! Sorry! We didn’t introduce ourselves first!” The Red Toad said. “I’m Captain Toad! And this is my Toad Brigade!”

“We thought we’d stop by and try to earn some extra coin!” The Green Toad said. “Can’t get enough of it!”

“…And, uh… forgive our intrusion, but the door was unlocked when we showed up.” The Blue Toad added. “Were we interrupting something?”

“…Got anywhere to sleep…?” The Yellow Toad suddenly asked.

Skolar was in complete shock for a moment, before turning to the others in the lobby. “…Would one of you care to explain who left the front door unlocked?” He asked, before eyeing Muskular. “…It was you, wasn’t it?”

“What!?” Muskular retorted. “Don’t look at me, lad! Klevar and Mamar were the last ones to leave!”

“Excuse you!? Don’t point this at me!” Mamar retorted.

“But… we didn’t even come through the door?” Klevar reiterated. “We didn’t use it at all, we appeared back here once we were done bringing the Koopa children back to the Dark Lands.”

“…Oh, right… sorry.” Muskular apologized. “Me head’s in a bit of a frenzy.”

“Serves you right, young man.” Mamar said to herself.

“…And that’s why you all must talk it out.” Kamek then added. “Get all of that out of your systems.”

“Yes, Kamek is right.” Misstar agreed. “How about we lay this to rest… and get to the matter at hand?”

“Sure… but, first…” Klevar began, before looking down to the Toad Captain. “Do you have any more of that tea?”

“Oh! Sure!” Captain Toad said before rummaging through his bag and pulling out another glass for Klevar to take, which he gently grabbed from the Toad’s hand.

Silence befell the room again, before Kalmar turned to Skolar. “You were saying something?”

Skolar then nodded, fiddling with the tea glass in his hands. “…To be consumed by dark magic… it’s sickening…” He said. “I had never felt so unlike myself. So… blinded by greed. I only cared for myself, and not even my own student… even if he had been tainted by the Darkness as well, I’m certain he feels the same.”

Klevar quietly nodded. “I’ve never been so distressed over my own actions… I’ve never been so lazy, so unproductive!” He said. “I can barely imagine the thought!”

“…At least you didn’t almost get someone killed.” Mamar quietly added. The others looked to her… Muskular and Kalmar appearing the most shocked.

“That horrible magic turned me into some… love obsessed siren! I almost dragged Mario into the beach’s ocean depths!” Mamar cried. “I almost can’t believe I did it… used my songs for evil. It’s disgusting!”

Kalmar recoiled a bit… which Mamar seemed to notice rather quickly. Muskular also backed away a bit, seeming on edge.

“…What’s on your mind, sugar?” Mamar asked Kalmar. “We’re all admitting things here. Whatever you did couldn’t have been that bad, right?”

“Ah… I…” Kalmar seemed horrified to even say a word. “What I had done… to so many people… to Toads, the Koopa King’s own troops… other Stars… I can’t!”

The others only watched as he backed away from Mamar, appearing incredibly distressed. Silence fell upon the lobby once more before Misstar hovered forward.

“…How about I go next, Mamar?” Misstar asked. “He doesn’t seem like he’s ready.”

“…Oh, alright. Go ahead.” Mamar said.

“I felt so… hollow before. Like a piece of myself had been missing.” Misstar said. “While the Darkness had me, I obsessed over those who had what I wanted… passion. Fires that burned unlike no other, and Mario’s was perfect… I had captured him, intending to keep him until he died… oh, the horror I must’ve caused him. I feel horrible… I hope he and his brother are okay…”

“…Aye, I most definitely feel the same.” Muskular said. “I ain’t never felt so… powerful before then. I had all the strength I could’ve imagined, unhealthily wild! I can’t believe that Darkness had taken me! Pulled me down into the depths of me own head… enough to kill the red man’s younger brother.”

The other Spirits gasped, causing Muskular to recoil. Kalmar also appeared more upset than he already had.

“…Did you… actually do that?” Klevar asked.

Muskular seemed like he didn’t want to admit it, before eventually nodding. “I remember it. The poor lad could barely breathe… he had red stainin' his clothes. And then, I struck 'em in his chest… his brother saw it all. Thank the Haven he’s fairin' fine now, but…”

“…It doesn’t erase what you did.” Skolar added.

“…I-I did… so much worse…” Kalmar suddenly said, causing the other Spirits to look to him. “…So many… perished, by my hand…”

“What?” Mamar questioned.

“…I was a cook.” Kalmar said. “But, my recipes… they… oh, it makes me sick.”

“…They didn’t, did they, honey?” Mamar asked.

“…I hate to say it aloud…” Kalmar said. “And the brothers and Koopa children… they ate them. The horrid creations I made.”

The other Spirits fell quiet, as did everyone else in the room. All of them had done something to be ashamed of, even if not all of them had blood on their hands… even if it wasn’t truly them that did these actions…

“Hm… forgive me, it seems it wasn’t the wisest choice to do this… but,” Kamek began. “Dark magic makes you do terrible things. Go against others you care about, hurt people…” As he silenced, Toadsworth trembled where he sat…

“Yeah! We did some messed up stuff too!” The Green Toad added.

“I had trapped Mario in a room and was gonna K.O. him!” The Blue Toad blurted. “And the Yellow Toad here, he was an unruly mummy King!” He gestured to the Yellow Toad, who was now asleep on the floor.

“What seems to matter to the brothers, though,” Kamek started. “Is that you all are back to your usual selves. None of what you did was truly you doing it, they know that… but, for us, it doesn’t change the fact that it happened at all.”

…The Spirits seemed to understand… but, the guilt nagged at them. The confrontation was too much to handle. After all they had done to the brothers…

But, this wasn’t all of what was within their own collective rabbit hole…

———

— Act 2 ~ The Dawn of Untold Truths —

…Nothing but void and silence enveloped the Bros. As they slowly felt consciousness return to them, their ears began to ring…

Before the sound of a loud, blaring buzzer brought them to their senses. The same kind of buzzer you hear once the curtains of a stage begin to rise.

Both brothers quickly rose with a start, quickly turning to look at one another, before starting to look around them… where were they…?

Their surroundings were almost entirely black, for no light lit where they stood. They rose to their feet and clung to each other as they started to walk forward.

The Bros. shoes clacked against a hard surface that neither could see. The faint shadows of curtains and random objects placed about were just barely visible… it almost felt like they were on some kind of movie set.

They walked for what felt like miles. Taking many turns, entirely uncertain of where they were going. All they had was each other, and their guts.

…If only Cosmo could help them…

At that, a thought crossed the Bros. minds… where was Cosmo? He hadn’t said a word since they awoke in this odd realm. He hadn’t appeared before them either.

The longer they thought, expecting an answer… it never came.

The longer they sought an answer from their dear guide and battle partner… the more they felt as if his soul was barely even bound to theirs…

“Mario! Luigi!” An unknown, elderly voice called. “Oh, thank the Haven I’ve finally found you!”

The Bros. immediately stopped in their tracks and turned back… seeing something they didn’t expect in the slightest.

Eldstar, the wise leader of the Star Spirits, hovered behind them. A soft golden glow emanated from him, just barely lighting up where the Bros. stood… how was he here? Wasn’t he still tainted?

Amidst their confusion though… the same unknown guilt from before suddenly made itself known again…

“Forgive my sudden intrusion, dear brothers, but we must hurry!” Eldstar said. “Follow me!” He then hovered away, expecting the Bros. to be right behind him.

…But the Bros. didn’t follow. They stood in place, knowing that this had to be some trick. They knew Eldstar was still in need of saving. If not, they wouldn’t be here.

As they stood, wanting to head a different way, a golden aura suddenly enveloped them both, dragging them to where Eldstar had gone… they were being forcibly moved.

They tried to escape the Star’s grasp, wriggling amidst the magical aura that surrounded them, but to no avail… Wherever they were going didn’t seem good.

After a fairly long drag through the odd realm, the Bros. finally stopped moving and were let go. They stood in more void for only a moment, before suddenly being met with Eldstar again… along with the other six Spirits?

“…Dear brothers, we must ask of you…” Eldstar began. “Why are you working alongside such a coward of a Warrior?”

The Bros. were in shock at that. Whatever this was, they knew it was fake… and yet, something within them told them it was still real…

“Never did we ever expect you to be cohorts with such a… poor excuse of a soldier.” Skolar said.

“Yes… we expected better of you!” Klevar added.

“The fate of the world is on your shoulders, and you pick him to be your guide?” Misstar butted in. “Oh, what a poor choice!”

…Both brothers stood utterly confused at such rancid words. That’s not how it went…

“It’s quite unfortunate, really.” Kalmar said.

“Aye, agreed!” Muskular said with a firm nod. “Choosin' such a cowardly, dastardly barnacle… ye have only cursed yerselves! Death be knocking at yer door now, lads!”

“I ain’t never seen heroes like you both be so careless!” Mamar said. “To work with a traitor that’s doomed us all… I can’t believe you!”

“Despite your heroics… we have no other choice.” Eldstar said. “For the crimes you three have committed, you shall be smited…”

The Bros.’ faces went white at that. They had to remind themselves that none of this was real… but still, the same guilt from before…

“…I cannot… wait anymore…” The Bros. barely heard Cosmo say… he sounded like he was far away, barely even present. “Please… stop this… please! PLEASE!!”

As the Spirits gathered around, as if preparing to go all out on the Bros. A bright white light enveloped the Spirits as the brothers slowly backed away, feeling the guilt coat their entire bodies.

“Get me away from this! …away from you…” Cosmo said… referring to the Bros. “You don’t… need me! Not anymore! …I’ve been nothing… but a hinderance to you! I am not needed anymore… I NEVER WAS!!!”

Before the Spirits could continue, the light around them suddenly disappeared… and Cosmo stopped talking… the Bros. felt oddly hollow now, more-so then before. Like something was missing…

…Where had Cosmo gone…?

“…How pleasant.” A voice said from nowhere. “Everything’s going how I want it to… just as planned.”

The Bros. quickly turned their heads around to find the voice… realizing it was the same one they heard before being brought to this odd realm.

“It appears I’ve gone a bit too fast for you.” The voice said. “There is still much I must show you, after all… a lot of which only I can see.” He then chuckled.

…The Bros. pondered what that could’ve meant… they felt like they knew all they needed… but, what of Cosmo…?

“That, and much more… I shall show you.” The voice said. “Just watch…”

A bright spotlight then shown onto the Bros.’ faces… before coalescing into some kind of vision…?

*~~*~~*

…Since the Dawn of Time, Light and Darkness have existed in tandem. Despite this, however, the Rulers of these Ancient Forces have been at odds for many an age… ever since war had first came upon the Star Realm’s glittering ground.

The Dark Star, Lord of Darkness and malice incarnate, sought to be rid of hope and wishes as part of his everlasting and unwavering will. He felt powerless to usurp the Light that constantly outshone the Darkness… and believed the only solution was a brutal war.

Many fought and died to protect the Star Realm on that fateful day. Many civilians were captured, killed, or tainted by the Darkness. And the Star Spirits, preachers of hope and granters of wishes, were forced to witness it all… and soon be captured by the Dark Star’s army.

The Spirits, alongside many soldiers and civilians, were taken to the Shadow Realm… the barren and dark home of the Ztars. Everyone was to remain imprisoned until they were to meet their end at the hands of the Dark Star’s Troops, or perish on their own. The Star Spirits, though… the Master of Darkness had a special punishment for them.

Each of the Seven Spirits, along with their treasured Star Rod that had also been stolen amidst the battle carnage, were to be contained under the highest surveillance, and have their power syphoned away to be converted into Dark Energy. Fuel to be used for the Ztar’s own gain.

All seemed hopeless for the Spirits and the Star Realm… before a small band of Star Warriors teamed together to free their friends and family, along with the Spirits. Once freed, each Star escaped back the Star Realm, leaving the Dark Star unfulfilled in his mission, and the Shadow Realm forever in rage over their loss.

Even long after the war did fear within the Star Realm still reign. Many Stars continued to live in fear, and mourn the losses the Realm faced that day… but, the worst of it all, the dread of the Seven.

The horrors the Spirits faced during the war and within the Shadow Realm was unlike anything they had ever witnessed. They were forced to watch many of their own people die. They were dragged away into a realm of Darkness. They were imprisoned, and had their power syphoned away from them, tortured for hours… while they were still awake.

They all wanted to believe it was some sick nightmare. They wanted to let the past go, just as every Star did… but they wanted these memories gone. Never to be acknowledged or remembered, and forever remain within the Sands of Time.

Over time, as the tragedies of the war had been left behind, the Spirits had left any thought of the war to ruin… no mourning the lost, no further training for their troops lest another attack were to occur… any mention of what had transpired was snuffed out amongst the Spirits. Despite this, though… their dreams were still full of Darkness, no matter how much they’d shove it aside.

…Then, once the Dark Star had finally perished at the hands of two human brothers and a Koopa King, the Star Realm cheered with glee. During the very night of the Dark Star’s demise, the sky had shone brighter than it ever had before. The war was over, and the Spirits felt that they could finally be at peace…

No one would invade their lands again. They wouldn’t have to watch anymore Stars perish. They could continue to preach their word. They could continue to grant mortals’ wishes. They could forget it ever happened at all…

Oh… how blissfully ignorant they were.

Little did the Spirits know that another force lurked about in the shadows. The Dark Star’s second in command sought to enact revenge against the mortals who had taken her Master’s life… and take the Star Realm along with them.

Only a singular year after the Dark Star had perished, a large troop of Ztars suddenly invaded the Star Realm, and were also heading toward the Mushroom Kingdom within the mortal lands… the Spirits' worst fear had come to life once again.

The Spirits rushed as many Star Warriors out of the Realm as they could, ordering every possible Star both in and outside of the Realm to fight against the troops as they invaded and began heading to the Mushroom Kingdom… as the Warriors departed, everyone could only ponder who was summoning these troops.

It seemed as if something had completely slipped their minds, hidden away as part of the horrors of the war… or rather, someone.

As the invasion progressed outside the Spirits’ Star Sanctuary, while they hid away from their fears, hoping for it all to go away… Commander Nox finally rained Hell upon the seven Spirits.

She crashed down upon the Sanctuary like lightning, using all the Ztar Magic she could muster to taint not only the Star Rod… but also the Spirits themselves. As the Darkness enveloped the Seven, they all lost themselves to the sins buried deep within their souls, becoming husks of the benevolent Gods they once were, and turning into harbingers of Darkness to serve under the Commander for all eternity.

…Only then, did the Seven become known as… the Ztar Spirits.

~~~

After only a few seconds longer did the Dark Magic finally dissipate. As Nox relaxed, loosening the grip on her trident, she looked around.

The Star Sanctuary was covered in cracks and holes from her crashing inside. In the place where she hovered, the Star Rod had completely transformed. The seven, now-corrupted Star Spirits hovered above their crystal pedestals, seemingly unconscious. The Commander grumbled, the grip on her trident tightening again as she began to focus.

“…Ztar Spirits, tainted creatures of the Dark…” Nox started. “AWAKEN!!!”

With a smack of her trident against the former Star Rod’s pedestal, the Seven all awoke with a start. They each slowly gathered their bearings, taking good looks at themselves.

They each resembled colored humanoids, all of them wearing different attires to match with the people they had become.

“…Oh, my…” The cerulean Spirit of Lust, Mamust, gasped. She looked down at her mermaid tail, which moved about softly as she got a look at herself. “How… endearing. It’s perfect! Surely many will come flocking to me over my beauty!”

“Hm… peculiar…” The golden Spirit of Greed, Alskol, said as he stared at his hands. He checked himself out, before glaring to the book-reading Spirit at the pedestal in front of him.

“…What are you looking at?” The azure Spirit of Sloth, Klevoth, asked with snark. “Mind your business over there. I’m trying to read.”

Alskol then scoffed. “Oh! How rude of you!” He said.

“…You act like I care.” Klevoth said back. Alskol only fumed at that.

Over by her pedestal, the emerald Spirit of Envy known as Ms. Enztar hovered, completely silent as she investigated her hands as they crept out from under her robe. She then turned over to one of the other Spirits ahead… she grumbled a bit, already feeling jealous of the man she looked at.

The tangerine Spirit of Gluttony, Kaglut, took notice of Ms. Enztar’s glare, despite her face begin hidden by a hood. “Ah, mademoiselle, why must you glare at me?” He asked. “Perhaps you are hungry? I can prepare something nice for you once I find the time.”

“What makes you think that?” The crimson Spirit of Wrath, Muskuwrath, asked. “You think maybe she’s jealous?”

“…Oh, of who?” Kaglut asked, aggravated.

“Of me! Why wouldn’t she?” Muskuwrath asked. “I’ve got passion in me like no other!”

“Yes… a barbaric passion at that…” Kaglut said under his breath.

“…Perhaps, she dares to take a gander at me?” The mauve Spirit of Pride, Pridezar, interjected. “Who wouldn’t want to be like me?” Kaglut only sighed at that.

“Everyone! Stop with the yapping!” Nox suddenly commanded. “I have orders for all of you, and I need everyone to pay attention!”

The seven Spirits immediately turned their heads to face Nox, each with different glints in their eyes. Some of genuine care and respect, while others held slight annoyance…

“You all will be given an area within the Mushroom Kingdom to rule.” Nox commanded. “You will reign over these lands, and their people… and if you find the brothers and Koopa King… bring them to me. Alive.”

Pridezar’s singular eye raised at the mention of the Koopa King… with his profound knowledge of others after having watched over mortals and celestials alike for eons as a Star, he knew of the King and his own Minion troop… along with a certain trio of Minions that could be of use…

“Commander… may I interject?” Pridezar asked.

Nox swiveled her head to stare at the prideful Spirit, enraged that he’d gotten in the way. “What? Speak!”

“…I have quite the massive intuition, you know. I know of all there is to know about the Mushroom Kingdom and its inhabitants. Perhaps, it would be best to not vanquish the Koopa King and his troops?” Pridezar suggested.

The Commander seemed furious at such a suggestion. “What are you talking about!? He and the brothers KILLED my Master!” She yelled. “If I’m not sparing the brothers, why spare him?”

“Because he and his Minions could be of great use to you, Commander.” Pridezar said. “…And I have the perfect plan in mind. There is a particular Minion trio within his troop that strongly desires to usurp their King. If I can take advantage of that… the Koopa King and his Minions could be yours for the taking. The more Minions you have, the easier it will be to take siege of the Dark Lands, and soon the entire Kingdom, yes?”

…Nox wanted to argue, but she soon realized she couldn’t. The more Minions she had, the better. If Pridezar, the one with the vast knowledge inherited from his old benevolent self, had such a plan in mind… she feared she couldn’t risk saying no.

“…Fine. But I require more of that little plan of yours.” Nox said.

“Gladly, Commander.” Pridezar said with a haughty huff.

~~~

The plan was simple. Gather the Trio to the Darkness, take one of the Minions’ own, and have them strike once the Minion troop and Koopa King least expected it… and, as Pridezar knew, the plan had worked perfectly.

Those Minions were incredibly easy to manipulate, having been wronged by others in the troop over time. It was perfect. They were able to simply drag one of the seven Koopalings and corrupt him… eventually bringing Darkness upon Bowser’s Castle. To hear the dismay within the Koopa King’s Castle was music to Pridezar’s ears.

As the prideful Spirit had begun his voyage to the tainted Sunbeam Plains though… something new and unprecedented crossed his eye.

~~~

Never in his entire life did Cosmo believe he’d fight in such a war. He knew being a Star Warrior would mean bloodshed… but he never thought it would be so sudden. He felt like he had no time to catch his breath.

As he fought, he saw many perish at the hands of the Ztar troops. He would rush to help… only to see his allies and friends be stabbed or shot. It was an utter nightmare.

It wasn’t long before the number of Star Warriors began to drastically dwindle. With the Darkness spreading evermore through the Plains, the grass became dead and the flowers around the field began to wilt. The grassy fields almost appeared black with the lack of light from the darkness of the cloud-covered night sky.

Cosmo struggled to concentrate as Ztar troops surrounded the fields. He did all he felt he could, but seemed to constantly fail, being so close and yet so far from saving those he held dear to him.

…As he continued his arduous fight, clashing with another troop, he began thinking of her. The one close friend he had before becoming a Warrior, and before she became a Representative… where was she now? Was she still okay? Alive…?

He then started to think of the Spirits… and how they had gone quiet since he and the other Warriors departed for the Kingdom. Any prayers or calls to them were never answered… he could only fear the worst as he fought.

Amidst his tragic thoughts, he heard a sound echoing in the wind… a horrid cackling. As he tried to locate the source of the sound, he began to realize where it may be coming from… Princess Peach’s Castle. She must’ve been in danger. The threat that brought these troops here must’ve been there… whoever they were.

'…It can be her, can it? I shudder to think… I must depart at once!'

…He thought then… perhaps he could face the threat himself. Avenge his comrades by defeating this villain. He felt obligated to do so, the desire to fight for his comrades bringing him forward.

~~~

Pridezar saw him. The small Star Warrior hovering over to the Princess’ Castle, beaming with light and warmth. He only chuckled to himself as he watched him hover away… eventually catching eye of the two brothers the Commander had asked for along Toad Town’s central path.

…Only then did Pridezar begin putting things together. The Commander was strong, it was very likely no one would survive a fight with her, or her troops within the Castle… but, those brothers…

He recalled many tales of how the brothers had triumphed over their foes, never backing down and never failing… in case something were to happen that he couldn’t see, he had to make sure it was accounted for. He had to make sure that he was always two steps ahead. No one could be ahead of him.

…He needed more intel on them, in case they were to somehow able make it out of the Commander’s clutches.

Pridezar was swift, fleeing the Plains and heading back to the Dark Lands. He scouted around for anything he could take the form of… spotting little alien servants within the chef Spirit’s Manor.

The mauve Spirit quickly shifted his form, into that of a one-eyed Shroob bearing an eyepatch, and showed himself to the Manor’s owner… and he let him in.

For what felt like many an age, Pridezar waited to possibly catch the brothers when they least expected it… and then, the time arose.

Kaglut had lead the brothers and their small posse into the Manor, setting them up for a grand feast of their own. As the brother in red sat himself down, and Pridezar passed by… he got a good, long look at him. Staring deep into his soul…

There. He sensed it.

The same Star Warrior he spotted not that long ago. But something was different about him. His aura, his Light, had felt more faint that it had before… Pridezar could sense the turmoil hidden within the Sprite. Something no one in the brothers’ group seemed to catch onto.

…That mistake would be their downfall.

Pridezar continued to watch them go through the Manor and Gloomcano, gathering whatever intel he could… the alien cult deep underground, the Minions being held in cells, the Elite Trio betraying him over material possessions, the near death of the man in red… the return of the Dark Star.

Once gathering what he needed, Pridezar fled, laughing as he congratulated himself. Back in his usual form, within the Plains… he began his wait.

'Soon… victory shall be mine to take. And mine alone! Hah!'

*~~*~~*

“…And now, you are here. Having fallen right into my clutches… I’m certain you believe my plan is full proof, correct?” Pridezar said, his tone ever prideful. “That Sprite is quite weak willed… I can’t believe he’s even still with you.”

…The Bros. were reeling. All of what they learned… it all made sense to them now. They thought they knew everything, and yet… poor Cosmo…

“…Stop… please…” Cosmo begged from the Bros. heads, his voice faint… the Bros. could feel his presence fading.

Pridezar chuckled. “I’ve never seen a Sprite so cowardly… lying to both of you for so long. For what?” He asked. “To protect himself? Because he’s afraid? Is that truly the mark of a Star Warrior?”

“…I-I couldn’t… I can’t…” Cosmo said, his voice sounding even more faint.

“What kind of Warrior trembles in the face of the Star Spirits? A cowardly one, precisely.” Pridezar said… he was just going on and on now. He knew what he was doing… and it was working. “No strength to face them as they’ve been saved… not that you saved them in the first place.”

“…I… I’ve failed them… I’ve failed her…” Cosmo said.

“Despite your attempts to fight for others, you’ve been unable to save your friends, your comrades, your Starlow… and soon, these brothers.” Pridezar mocked. “…When are you going to stop letting your own people die?”

“…I…I…” Cosmo stammered. “…I’m sorry…”

Only then did the Bros. feel something change within their souls… they felt around their hearts, feeling horror cross them.

…They could no longer feel Cosmo’s presence.

At the Bros.’ silence, Pridezar only laughed, his cackling echoing all throughout the odd room they stood in… before bright spotlights suddenly came on, lighting up where they stood… a large theatre stage.

And just before them both, a lanky figure with purple skin appeared. He wore odd Shakespearean attire and his long mauve hair gently blew as if a fan was blowing it to the side. Pridezar himself stood, back to the empty audience seats as he laughed.

“What a spectacle! Marvelous performance, I must say!” Pridezar congratulated, albeit a bit sarcastically. “But not nearly as brilliant as my own!”

The Bros.’ brows furrowed at such a comment. The Spirit’s ego and attitude made their heads hurt.

“I’ve never seen such an unfortunate sight, two ill-minded brothers bent on proving that such a failure of a soldier has worth amongst them?” Pridezar mocked. “Oh! I almost pity you.”

Did he really think he’d get anywhere by mocking them? He was simply tooting his own horn, rubbing it in that he won. The Bros. wouldn’t fall for such pettiness… they needed to find out how to get Cosmo back…

“It’s especially saddening to see you go out this way… but, at least I get to try out my new puppets!” Pridezar said. “Behold!”

With a raise of Pridezar’s hands, the curtains behind the Bros. rose, revealing three shadows behind it, only for the spotlights to shine down upon them… the Elite Trio had become puppets!?

“They might have failed me once…” Pridezar began. “But with my strings at the helm, surely they shall have the upper hand against you! Hah!”

As the Bros. looked upon the Elite Puppets, they noticed glowing hands hovering above the Trio, each one holding marionette crossbar with strings attached to the puppet’s limbs. There also appeared to be small insignia of Pridezar on his left foot.

“…Hail the Great Pridezar!” Puppet Goomp, cheered. He resembled a wooden puppet with tear marks painted onto his face. He lacked eyes and his gaping sad mouth was carved into his head.

“…For the King…!” Sergeant Strings said. He appeared to made of some kind of patched cloth, each patch being green, blue, or red. Pridezar’s insignia was plastered onto his porcelain mask.

“…F-f-f-for the Head Honcho, Pridezar!” Corporal Springlock hailed as sparks flew off of his mechanical body. He nearly appeared like a Mecha-Koopa, albeit more of an animatronic than a manufactured toy. His arms were barely attached to his body, being held together by exposed springs. The Ztar Spirit’s insignia could also be seen painted onto his helmet.

As the puppets moved forward, the hands above them following their every move, the Bros. took on their battle stances once more. They still had to fight… even without Cosmo.

“Fare thee well, imbecilic brothers!” Pridezar said with a dramatic wave of his hand. “May these fools show you the errors of your ways! …Oh, how ironic! Fools fighting fools to bring foolish errors to the surface! How creative of me! Hah!” Pridezar then laughed to himself as he disappeared in a cloud of lavender smoke, just as the Elite Puppets began their moves.

As the battle then started, Puppet Goomp rushed to Corporal Springlock as he got into his shell, the Goomba now standing on top of it. The shell then rushed toward Mario, who began to take notice of the hands above the puppets… the hand above Puppet Goomp moved forward slightly… he was going to jump off the shell to hit the man in red.

Just as Goomp jumped off the shell, and tried to head butt Mario. Before Mario could react at all, however, Puppet Goomp had overshot his attack, landing on the ground. It appeared that the Bros. wouldn’t have to worry about countering if he constantly missed.

Corporal Springlock then went around both Bros., who leaped over his shell, as he went for another spin, hitting the knocked-down Goomp and bringing him back to his spot on the field as Paraplonk made his way back, finally exiting his shell.

“What was that!?” Sergeant Strings yelled. “How could you mess that up!?”

“…I-I just overshot it a little…” Puppet Goomp replied.

“A little!? I refuse to believe that.” Sergeant Strings said back. “Springlock! Let’s show him how to attack, the right way!”

“Y-y-yes, sir!” Corporal Springlock said with a quick nod as a compartment on his shell popped open. Sergeant Strings rushed to him as he pulled out two red batteries and stuck them into Springlock’s back. The battery compartment shut closed, and the Corporal began to shake as electricity bounced off of him.

The inane mecha-puppet then flew up into the air and shot toward Mario like a bullet. The man in red had no time to defend himself, quickly getting whacked in the face by Corporal Springlock. Once the attack concluded, the Corporal made his way back to his spot on the field, the battery compartment once again opening and allowing the batteries inside to fall out and bounce off the field like used ammo shells.

“See?” Sergeant Strings mocked as he turned to Goomp. “That’s how you do it, soldier!” Goomp only turned away, his constantly saddened eye sockets squinting in embarrassment.

Over on the Bros.’ side, Mario rubbed his now-aching nose. Luigi looked to him with concern, making Mario look back at him with a reassuring gaze… he’d be fine.

“Now, men, let’s see you beat me!” Sergeant Strings declared in a haughty tone.

The Sergeant then pulled out his Magikoopa wand, bringing it up to the air as it hovered around and brightly glowed. As Sergeant Strings’ spell was casted, the wand broke apart into four grey segmented pieces still hovering above the battle ground, just as a cloud of smoke covered the stage.

Once the smoke cleared, clones of the Sergeant began rushing toward both Bros. The Bros. rushed to jump over each clone, struggling to find the real one. The clones seemed to all turn invisible once approaching the Bros., eventually running away… and whenever they were to jump on the clones, a segment of the wand above would light back up, that can’t be good for the Bros.

As the Bros. continued to struggle though, they noticed that only one clone still bore the hovering hand and strings above the battle field… it was obvious that that very Sergeant was their target. They waited through the fakes, being sure not to jump on them as they passed, until Mario was finally able to stop the right Sergeant, bringing him down and causing the other clones to disappear, thus ending the attack as he retreated his spot and collected his wand.

“Drat! How could you have figured that out!?” Sergeant Strings huffed.

“…N-no matter now…” Puppet Goomp began. “Let’s see what they’ve got!”

Mario and Luigi then glared to each other… perhaps their elemental attacks shall be of use. They wasted no time in using their Fire and Thunder on the Trio; Mario being able to hit them all with his fire, and Luigi dealing extra damage to Sergeant Strings with his thunder… despite Cosmo being essentially absent from them, their moves still packed quite the punch, especially against these easy-to-damage puppets.

The Trio then slowly rose, recovering from the strong attacks little by little. Puppet Goomp then stared into the Bros. eyes with his empty sockets, as if attempting to threaten them.

“…I’m not scared of you!” Puppet Goomp declared. “…If anything, you should be afraid of me!”

At that, the stage lights began to flicker, before then shutting off. The battle ground became eerily dark and quiet… before two red and green music boxes appeared in front of the Bros, and a line of sheet music materialized in the air. Feeling as if there was nothing else to do, the Bros. began to crank their music boxes.

…The song was smoothly played by both Bros., each going one after the other every other line… until Mario flubbed up by playing the wrong note. Both Bros. then heard a mischievous child-like giggle… followed by Puppet Goomp suddenly appearing under a spotlight, having moved up to them by a few inches.

The Bros.’ hearts sank at this sight a little, making them play just a little bit faster. As they played, they could feel as if the puppet was slowly inching toward them… even if they couldn’t see him amidst the darkness. The song then began to reach its end as a large music note appeared before the Bros., moving itself ahead as the lights came back on and the large note moved Puppet Goomp back to his spot on the field.

“Huh!? But—! …Aw, man.” Puppet Goomp said as he sadly sighed.

Sergeant Strings couldn’t help but groan at the Private, before scooting over to Corporal Springlock and placing more batteries inside the compartment in his shell, although the batteries were green this time.

Springlock flew into the air once more, shooting toward Luigi the same way he had with Mario… Luigi was ready though, quickly pulling out his hammer and smacking Corporal Springlock away, back to his spot on the field.

Sergeant Strings then grumbled where he stood as Corporal Springlock recovered and the batteries in his back fell out, staring at the Bros. with death daggers.

“Come on now, men! We can’t keep screwing up like this!” Sergeant Strings yelled as he started his attack. He wasted no time in bringing his wand up and casting his spell again, summoning more copies toward the Bros.

The Bros. were swift, being sure to find and attack the right copy… eventually finding Sergeant Strings amidst the crowd, Luigi jumping on him and causing the Sergeant to fall back to his post, causing him to rage where he stood as the Bros. began their attacks, hitting them with the elementals, significantly weakening the puppets.

“Ughh… ready yourselves, men!” Sergeant Strings commanded. “We’re on our last legs!”

“…O-okay!” Puppet Goomp said as he straightened.

“Y-yeah! Let’s take ‘em o-o-out!” Corporal Springlock declared as more sparks flew off of him.

The lights then shut off again, and the same music boxes and line of sheet music appears. The Bros. didn’t hesitate in playing the music just as they had before, not missing a beat… eventually causing the same large music note to appear and shove Puppet Goomp back to his spot on the field.

Sergeant Strings grumbled as he once again rushed to Corporal Springlock, shoving red and green batteries into Springlock’s back. Springlock flew into the air again and charged toward the Bros., flying right between them, only for both Bros. to use their hammers against him, knocking him back to the enemy’s spot.

Sergeant Strings then writhed where he stood, immediately starting his attack in a rush. More clones appeared… although they seemed to be moving just a little bit faster than before. The Bros. found themselves messing up more than before.

Mario jumped on a fake first, then Luigi… then Mario again, then Luigi again… causing the Magikoopa wand above to be fully put back together. The wand then began to charge up its magic. Once at its peak, the wand blasted its magic toward the Bros., directly hitting them.

“HAH!! TAKE THAT!!!” Sergeant Strings laughed.

The Bros. slowly recovered and looked to each other, nodding as they got up and began their attacks. Both Bros. went off on the Trio, not daring to mess up or miss. Once their attacks had concluded, the Trio appeared extremely winded… especially Puppet Goomp, who then collapsed onto the ground.

Corporal Springlock then rushed away, dragging out a tall chair from back and sitting Puppet Goomp in it. After only a few moments, Puppet Goomp was quickly healed and revitalized, jumping back onto his feet. As he arose from the chair, Springlock approached and dragged the chair back to its place backstage. The Bros. looked on, tensing up slightly… they needed another strategy…

“S-see? That’s the power of teamwork!” Puppet Goomp said. “Unless you down us all at once, it’ll be curtains for you!”

“WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD, PRIVATE!?” Sergeant Strings yelled as he rushed to the wooden puppet and smacked him on the back of his head. “It’ll be curtains for us if you keep spouting out our strategy like that!!”

“…T-t-that’s not very head honcho-like of you, man!” Corporal Springlock said.

“…Sorry, sir…” Puppet Goomp said meekly.

That was it, the Bros. needed to down them all at once… surely that wouldn’t be too hard.

“Don’t get cocky now, plumbers!” Sergeant Strings said with a point to the Bros. “I’ve got some tricks up my patches! You aren’t gonna be ready for this!”

The Sergeant then brought out his wand once more and waved it around… summoning a small pocket-sized Chain Chomp within a capsule… it took a moment for the brothers to recognize it, an item from a previous adventure.

“Alright, men! We all go in on our damage! Work together!” Sergeant Strings commanded. “Do not mess this up!”

The Sergeant then threw the Pocket Chomp up into the air, letting it take its form from a cloud of smoke. The Trio then ran off, taking their positions as the Chain Chomp made its way to Mario.

Puppet Goomp was in front of the Chain Chomp quickly approaching Mario with his stubby feet. As he approached, Goomp leaped into the air and attempted to bonk his head onto Mario, only for the man in red to guard. Goomp bounced away, but the other two Trio members still followed.

Corporal Springlock was atop the Chain Chomp’s head, riding upon it. Sergeant Strings was at the back, holding his arm out. As he reached Mario, he attempted to slap him, only for Mario to guard again.

As the Chain Chomp passed, Mario looked over to Luigi… they needed to counter it somehow, and as the Chain Chomp approached the man in green, he already had an idea.

Goomp ran to Luigi, wanting to head bonk him as he had with Mario. Luigi then quickly pulled out his hammer and hit the wooden puppet with it, knocking back toward the Chain Chomp, promptly disorienting it. Both Sergeant Strings and Corporal Springlock fell of the Chomp as it ran off the stage. The Trio then retreated to their spots on the field.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” Sergeant Strings yelled. “Goomp! What’s wrong with you, soldier!?”

“…N-nothing! That green guy hit me!” Puppet Goomp retorted.

“A-and you hitting us knocked u-us down!” Corporal Springlock said.

“But it wasn’t my fault!?” Puppet Goomp retorted again.

As the Trio continued to fight amongst the each other, the Bros. began their next elemental onslaught on them. As their turns ended, the Trio recoiled… they were growing weaker and weaker by the minute, they needed to be fast… lest they face Pridezar’s wrath.

Sergeant Strings waved the Magikoopa wand once again, summoning a small canon… another attack the Bros. could recognize. The Sergeant threw the cannon to the ground, only then rushing to it and sliding within its opening. The other two Trio members quickly followed suit without a word.

The cannon then reeled and launched the Trio up into the air… after a few moments, the Trio began its descent onto Mario, who swiftly pulled out his hammer. He had just enough time to whack the Trio back to their spots on the field as they descended to him. First the Sergeant, then Corporal Springlock, and finally Puppet Goomp.

The Trio all collided with each other as they were smacked away, struggling to get back to their feet. The scuffle was like that of an ugly cat fight.

“GET BACK TO YOUR FEET, MEN!!” Sergeant Strings commanded. “Now!! Get off of me!”

“I-I-I’m t-trying!” Corporal Springlock whined.

“OW!! You’re stepping in my eye sockets!” Puppet Goomp yelled.

As the Bros. attacked once more, the Trio was still caught in their scuffle… but the Bros.’ Fire and Thunder seemed to help the get out of it as Sergeant Strings weakly waved his Magikoopa wand again.

Once the wand’s magic coalesced, another familiar attack appeared… a kind of door or window, which the Sergeant immediately chucked into the air. The hinges to the doors on the window then swung open, allowing the Trio to hop inside. At that, the Bros. immediately readied their hammers.

The door would appear and disappear in a constant cycle, and each time one or more of the Trio members were to appear, they’d counter with their hammers. They didn’t miss a single beat nor take a single hit from the Trio. After awhile, the attack finally ended, and the Trio returned to their spots, visibly winded… so much so, that they couldn’t even argue amongst themselves.

Mario and Luigi attacked once more… and began to really see the wear and tear on the Puppet Trio. Burn marks, cracks, and torn seams were strewn around their bodies… but it seemed they still had a bit more fight in them.

“We can’t lose… not now, not ever!” Sergeant Strings said as he waved the Magikoopa wand again. “Keep your chins up, men!”

Out from the wand’s magic appeared a small basket full of pastries… Luigi recognized it immediately, swiftly starting to feel a tad peckish… Mario then glared to him with a raised eyebrow. Wasn’t he the one telling him to calm down during the Manor’s banquet? Luigi then side-eyed Mario… that was different, he swore it.

Sergeant Strings looked to the basket, then toward the other two puppets… his eyes latching onto Puppet Goomp, who immediately tensed up. The Sergeant then sighed with regret.

“…Forgive me for what I am about to do, soldier.” Sergeant Strings said.

The Sergeant then rushed to Puppet Goomp as he opened the latch on the basket and began shoving the pastries down Goomp’s throat. Luigi looked on, a tad disappointed, while Mario still gave him a slight side eye.

As more of the pastries were thrown into Puppet Goomp’s mouth, he began to bloat up like a balloon, until he had simply eaten so much, that he suddenly appeared way bigger than the other two Trio members.

Sergeant Strings and Corporal Springlock then tried to pick wooden Goomba up, albeit with much effort and strain, before finally chucking him toward the Bros., who quickly readied their hammers and smacked Goomp back, causing him to collide with the other Trio members. The Sergeant and Corporal then fell to the floor as Goomp bounced away, before shrinking back to normal size and meeting back with the others, eventually falling to the ground himself.

With the Trio noticeably weakened, perhaps they could finally free them… but what were they to do without Cosmo?

The Bros. scattered a little for a solution… then noticing the hovering hands and puppet strings above their heads. Perhaps if they broke those, they’d be freed, even without Cosmo’s help? …There was only way to be certain. Mario and Luigi then glared to each other, deciding to do something different this time around.

They grabbed each other’s hands and began to spin in place, bringing Fire and Thunder to their hands as they spun and sped up. Their power just barely glittered like the night sky as they charged up their attack.

The Puppet Trio then slowly got to their feet, noticing the brothers preparing their final attack.

“…O-oh no!” Puppet Goomp yelled. “They cut our strings, we’re—!”

“WE’RE NOT DONE YET, MEN!!!” Sergeant Strings yelled. “We’ve all still got some fight in us! Let’s take them out, together!”

“Y-yeah! Let’s g-get 'em like the h-h-head honchos we are!” Corporal Springlock said.

“Gather round, men! Prepare yourselves!” Sergeant Strings said.

The Trio then huddled close together before reeling back slightly, as if getting ready to charge forward…

“3…” Sergeant Strings began.

“2…” Corporal Springlock continued.

“1!!!” Puppet Goomp ended.

“GET ELITE!!!” The three Trio members said altogether as they rushed forward…

…But before they could even dare to land a single hit on the Bros., the brothers charged forward, promptly Breslin the puppet strings above their heads, and making the world around them go white…

…After awhile, the light around them cleared. The Bros. then slowly awoke and got to their feet, helping each other up before looking forward… and seeing the Elite Trio, converted back to their usual selves… they were still able to free, thankfully enough.

…However…

They still needed Cosmo back…

Not only did they need him… They missed him…

After a few moments of silence, a small music note suddenly hovered out from Private Goomp… as if it had been embedded inside him. No wonder a whole aspect of his gimmick was music.

The music note then hovered over to Mario, which he slowly took and held in his hands, before triumphantly holding it up.

~ You got a new Bros. Attack! Superstar Symphony! ~

Once Mario had tucked the new attack away, the Elite Trio began to wake, rolling over onto their backs and heaving.

“…Wh… what happened…?” Private Goomp asked.

“…Don’t… remember a thing…” Corporal Paraplonk said.

“…Dizzy…” Sergeant Guy groaned meekly.

As they recovered, the Bros. slowly approached and looked down at them, offering to help… but they were quick to back away as they regained focus.

“…AAAAHH!! M-Mario!? Luigi!?” Private Goomp shrilled.

“Where’d you come from!?” Paraplonk asked.

The Bros. were swift to explain themselves and help jog their memory… which the Trio was slowly regaining everything as they recounted it all…

“…Oh. Yeah…” Private Goomp recalled. “The stuff with Pridezar… and everything going dark…”

“Affirmative. That did happen…” Sergeant Guy said.

“Yeah… it did…” Corporal Paraplonk added.

…Silence then filled the stage the group stood on. Both parties awaited a word from the other… before Private Goomp suddenly jumped forward to the Bros.

“OH, PLEASE, PLEASE, DON’T LET PRIDEZAR FIND US!!!” Private Goomp wept. “We’ll do anything! Well, uh… j-join you! Yeah! On your adventure! Against Nox!”

“Huh!?” Corporal Paraplonk yelped.

“…You seriously want us to rep Mario?” Sergeant Guy asked in a bewildered whisper. “What are you thinking!?”

“…No! We aren’t gonna rep him!” Private Goomp said in a barely quieted tone. “This is just to get Pridezar off our tails! You don’t wanna get beat up by him, do you? They can beat him up for us! No work from us involved, at all! Once they’re taking care of Pridezar, we leave them and bail!”

…Private Goomp acted like the Bros. were deaf, like they couldn’t hear his plan at all. Even then… perhaps they could help them get to Pridezar. Even if their alliance wasn’t genuine like the others were, perhaps it could get them somewhere. Maybe the Trio could be of some help in the actual fight… maybe… hopefully…

The Private then turned to the Bros., a fake smile plastered onto his face. “So, uh… what do you say? Can we join you? Pleeeease?”

“We’ll help as much as we can, sirs!” Sergeant Guy said as he sprung up and stuck himself next to Private Goomp.

“Pleeease? …With a cherry on top?” Corporal Paraplonk said as he and the other Trio members stared at the Bros. with baby eyes.

…Both Bros. then sighed, eventually nodding with slightly uncertain smiles peering behind their mustaches. The Elite Trio then beamed with semi-fake glee, looking upon the Bros. with joy.

“We won’t fail you, Mario Bros.!” Private Goomp said. “Come on! We can help you find Pridezar!”

The Trio then hopped off the stage while the Bros. followed close behind, exiting the large auditorium they noticed they were in with the Elite Trio. As they left, though… the brothers felt as if they were being watched…

———

— Intermission 2 ~ The Unwavering Minion Spirit —

None of the Minions could emphasize enough just how happy they were to be back within their King’s Castle… even without him being there. Many of the Minions wandered through the Castle’s tattered halls, spotting others hiding away within the depths of the walls, left untouched from the Darkness that had rained down upon them several hours prior.

As the Minions all took in their home, the Captains walked through one of the vacant halls not too far from the Ceremony Hall… Captain Goomba recognized it rather quickly.

“…Oh, yeah… this hallway…” Captain Goomba said with a quivering voice.

“What’s up, Cap?” Captain Boo asked, looking down to his fellow Captain with concern. The others then did the same.

“…I don’t think I’ll ever forget the fear I felt running through here, when Lord Bowser and all of us were ambushed…” Captain Goomba lamented. “I heard a lot screaming, fighting… it was scary… terrifying…”

“Well, look on the bright side!” Captain Koopa Troopa started. “We’re all safe now… no more screaming, fighting, people dying—!”

“You’re pushing it.” Captain Shy Guy butted in, noticing Captain Goomba growing more and more tense as the Koopa Captain went on.

As the Quartet continued down the hall, something caught Captain Boo’s eyes… one of the bathrooms, the same one he and Captain Goomba had hid in… with the door slightly cracked open. Had it been like that before?

The Boo Captain hovered away from the others and peeked through the door, the creaking sound it made catching the other Captains’ attention. The others then approached as Captain Boo investigated from the door.

“Oh! Hey, Cap!” Captain Koopa Troopa started, looking to the Goomba Captain. “Remember when we were talking about how Boos… Y’know…”

“…Huh? What?” Captain Boo had to stop in his tracks for a moment.

“Oh yeah, that! Captain Goomba started, before soon noticing Captain Boo’s concern. “I mean… it’s valid, I guess.”

“Huh!?” Captain Boo questioned, sounding concerned. Captain Shy Guy only sighed.

“…Boo P—!” Captain Koopa Troopa began, before Captain Shy Guy cut him off.

“Shut up.” Captain Shy Guy said bluntly. “I could not be more serious with you right now.”

“But… I—!” Captain Koopa Troopa started… before sighing. “…I’ll, uhm… I’ll hush now. Sorry.”

“You’re fine, I don’t care, just don’t bring it up again.” Captain Shy Guy said, only for the Koopa Captain to nod in silence.

…As the odd mood died down, Captain Boo then slowly opened the bathroom door further.

One of the first things they see is a broken mirror, with a pile of glass still left on the ground… Captain Boo, for some odd reason, felt cold at the sight… despite the fact that he’s a ghost.

“…That wasn’t like that when I was in here…” Captain Boo said worriedly.

Captain Goomba then scoffed. “What kind of Minion would disrespect anything within Lord Bowser’s own walls!? A lot of money went into these bathrooms!”

“Uh, Cap…” Captain Shy Guy began as he turned to face the wall at the far end of the bathroom. “What is that?”

The Captains then all turned forward, noticing an odd Goomba-shaped hole in the wall… what made it stand out, however, was the protruding flag shape at the top of the hole’s silhouette.

“…Oh, yeah. Forgot that was there.” Captain Boo said.

Captain Goomba then felt his blood run cold. “…U-uhm… surely there’s another Goomba around here that wears a flag on their head, right? Heh… heheheh…”

“Yeah. Keep telling yourself that, Cap.” Captain Shy Guy said, not sounding surprised in the slightest.

“Hey! Captain Guys!” Larry said as he slammed the bathroom door open. The Captains were quick to turn back. “Get into the Castle foyer, Junior and Ludwig are back! …And get out of the bathroom, it’s weird.”

“Yes, sir, Master Larry!” Captain Goomba said as the Koopaling left. The Goomba Captain then motioned to the others to follow him out and head to the foyer.

…The walk took a bit, but the Captains had arrived to the Castle foyer, seeing the Koopalings and other Minions welcoming Junior and Ludwig back home. Captain Goomba was quick to rush ahead while the other Captains trailed behind.

“Master Ludwig! Lord Junior!” Captain Goomba welcomed with glee. “We’re all so glad to see you’re both back here safe and sound!”

“Us as well, Captain Goomba.” Ludwig said. “And hello to you too.”

“…Hey.” Junior said flatly… it seemed like something heavy was on his mind.

“…Lord Junior?” Captain Goomba questioned. The other Minions and Koopalings also appeared quite concerned.

“…Junior? Are you doing alright?” Ludwig asked, brows furrowing a bit.

“I’m fine.” Junior responded, turning away.

“…It sure doesn’t look it, kiddo.” Roy butted in.

“You sure you’re okay?” Larry added.

“…SMALL BOWSER LOOK UPSET…” Morton also added. “WHY?”

Junior still seemed hesitant to speak… before Ludwig gently placed a hand on Junior’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to be scared of us, Junior.” Ludwig said. “Whatever it is, you can tell us. Now more than ever must we all assist each other when necessary, especially now that we’re all together again.”

…Junior’s lip began to quiver a bit as he sniffled. “…I-it’s papa…” He said quietly, but loud enough for the others to hear.

The others were quiet, while Ludwig only hummed… not only were a lot of Minions still missing, but Bowser was still away with Nox and the Dark Star. Still corrupted by the Commander’s magic, nothing like the brutish yet commendable leader he was to all of them.

…And yet, according to the Star Spirits, all they could do was wait. Wait until the final Spirit was freed. Wait until Mario and Luigi were on their way to take down Nox. There was nothing they could do… not now.

Or so they thought.

The more Junior had thought about his papa, the more bitter and angry he became with the Commander. He took away one of the many things he cared about, the very papa he cared about… and he couldn’t stand it anymore.

Perhaps… there was something they could do. No need to wait anymore. Just their strength… and pure, unbridled Minion Spirit.

Junior then straightened up, looking toward his closest family and the other Minions straight on. “I’ve got an idea for how we can save my papa.” He said.

The others were immediately brought to shock… some appeared confused, while others seemed more excited.

“Wait! Hear me out!” Junior said as he stepped forward. “We raid Peach’s Castle, take out that dumb Commander’s forces, find my dad, and Ludwig can use his Star Magic to save him! No more waiting on Mario and Luigi! We can handle this ourselves! Who’s with me!?” He then raised a balled fist upward.

It didn’t take long for the other Minions and Koopalings to cheer in agreement. The foyer then rumbled with determined howls in the name of their Koopa King.

“Yeah! That’s our Prince!” Captain Goomba began. “FOR LORD BOWSER!!!”

“They’re gonna be in for real clobbering!” Iggy added. “BAHAHAHA!!!”

“Yeah! We’ll show 'em what for!” Lemmy butted in.

…Despite the many cheers, however… there were a few outliers…

“Wait! Stop! STOP!!” Ludwig yelled into the air, quickly causing the cheering to cease. He then turned to Junior. “I understand you want to save Lord Bowser, but… you know we can’t go in there without a plan. It’s a suicide mission.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” Captain Shy Guy blurted, glaring over to Captain Goomba, who only grimaced as he looked away.

“B-but, Ludwig—!” Junior tried to say, before he was cut off.

“Junior, listen,” Ludwig said. “The last thing we need… the last I need, is you getting yourself hurt… or killed.” He stated. “We don’t know what Nox’s forces are likel.”

“But they’ve already been spread thin, right!?” Junior argued. “Mario and Luigi got nearly all of those Ztar Spirits taken care of! We got all of us and other Minions still here! That stupid Nox lady’s DESPERATE! She doesn’t have anything against us! And have you seen the security of Peach’a Castle!? You know how easy it is to bypass!”

…Despite Ludwig’s immense thinking, he couldn’t necessarily argue with Junior… except maybe that last part. Who knows how Nox’s magic had affected the Princess’ guard? …But, perhaps, he was being too cautious. They were still Toads after all. Perhaps, maybe, they’d have a fighting chance…

Ludwig then sighed, looking straight into Junior’s eyes. “…Fine. You’ve got me.” He said. “But I am not letting you go in without a proper plan.”

“You sure about that, Ludwig?” Wendy butted in.

“I am quite sure, Wendy, yes.” Ludwig said. “…Despite my best arguments, Junior has won me over. We are going to try and do this. All of us.”

Wendy then giggled. “Hehe. No, not all of us.” She said. “I’m not going.”

“Awww, come on, Wendy!” Junior added. “What about dad!?”

“I’m not getting myself killed because you’re that desperate!” Wendy said. “Just let me stay here!”

“…Pleeeeeeeeeeease?” Junior asked. He went up to Wendy and looked her in the eyes like he was a small toddler… the more Wendy looked, the more indecisive she became.

After a few moments, Wendy eventually sighed. “Fine. I’m going.”

“…Wow.” Captain Boo said.

“…Who knew Lord Junior could trick even Wendy?” Captain Koopa Troopa added. “She’s a tough nut to crack!”

“EVEN MORTON SURPRISED.” Morton said, with a touch of genuine shock… Ludwig only glared to him.

“…How many IQ points did you gain after being with those Star Spirits? Wait, no, I’m getting off track.” Ludwig said. He then looked to the rest of the Minions. “I feel it would be best for us all to come to a consensus together. We must all be in agreement… and be certain that our plan is perfect before heading off.”

The Minions all agreed… then looked to Junior for a final word.

“What are we waiting for!?” He said. “Let’s get to it!”

…A lot of work went into their battle prep. Coming up with a proper strategy. Making sure every weapon was sharpened and readied. Being sure everyone was both mentally and physically ready…

As final preparations were made, everyone loaded themselves into whatever airships were still left by the docks, ready for their raid against the vile Commander.

“…Everybody ready!? Good!” Junior announced from the frontmost airship. “CHAAAAARGE!!!” He declared as he pointed to the sky.

The small fleet of airships then quickly hovered into the sky, over on their way to the Mushroom Kingdom’s center. Junior lead with confidence, just as his dear papa taught him, with a large grin glued to his face.

His Spirit was unmatched, as was the case with the other Minions. No matter what, they’d fight for Lord Bowser… even if they were to die trying.

———

— Act 3 ~ Brothers’ Opening Night —

The farther the Bros. walked as the Elite Trio led them, the larger this other world within the Plains seemed to be… had Pridezar really made this place himself? It was so unlike any other area they’d seen throughout the tainted Kingdom. It appeared that the prideful Spirit really wanted to stand out amongst the others.

“…We’ve gotta be going… somewhere!” Private Goomp said, looking back to the Bros. “We just gotta keep going down this path!” The other Trio members nodded assuringly to the brothers before they all turned forward again.

…The Bros. felt pits form in their stomachs at that. They weren’t getting nor going anywhere. They couldn’t even tell where they were going, it was as if they’d been walking in circles.

If only they had Cosmo to guide them… whether he would’ve known the way or not, he would’ve tried his hardest to help, just as he always had. He had such gusto, despite his loss against Nox… despite his own guilt and doubt eating him up from the inside when neither of the Bros. had fully noticed.

The more they loomed over it, the more hollow and empty they felt. There was something missing within them. Something that they had grown so used to… they missed it.

Mario and Luigi needed it, if they were to save not only their home and friends, but also the Star Realm, and everyone’s wishes and hope.

…But how were they to do that…?

As the Bros. pondered, and the Elite Trio 'tried' to lead ahead… a sudden and loud rumbling shook the hallway they stood in. The sound was like that of thunder, reverberating in the air and making the walls quake.

“Did you truly believe you could just save those worthless Minion vermin and go on without me catching up!? What insanity!” Pridezar said as his voice echoed through the air.

The brothers took on a fighting stance at that, while the Trio only hurried and huddled behind them.

“Worry not, the ridiculous and idiotic lot of you…” Pridezar began. “…I have something special planned for you all! Hahahaha!!”

Once the voice had went away, the sound of something rushing toward the group caught their attention… they looked back, only to see large and shadowy hands approach them from the other side of the hallway.

“…AHHH!!!” Private Goomp yelled. “C-come on, we gotta go!” He said, only referring to the other Trio members as he hurried off, leaving the Bros. to eat his dust.

“Affirmative! Retreat!” Sergeant Guy yelped as he ran forward.

“Right behind you!” Corporal Paraplonk said as he trailed behind the others.

The Bros. then followed close behind the Trio, despite them not hesitating to leave them in the dirt. It didn’t take much effort for the Bros. to pass them as they ran, with the shadow arms just behind them both.

“Hey! That’s not fair!” Private Goomp said as he and the other Elite Trio members were snagged and dragged away into the darkness of the hallway.

The Bros. continued to hurry away while the hands quickly approached… before one of them grabbed Mario by the leg and began to drag him away.

“Luigi!!!” Mario called out as he was being pulled away.

Luigi then swiveled back and snagged Mario by the arm as he attempted to wrestle him out of the arm’s grip. He tugged and pulled, but Mario wasn’t getting broken free. Both Bros. were slowly being dragged back into the shadows as Luigi’s feet skidded against the ground… until he eventually slipped, causing both brothers to be pulled into the seemingly infinite void behind them…

~~~

…Every day, the God of the Sun known as Apollo appears from the edge of the horizon, bringing warm light upon the mortal world. The people bask in his glory as the sun beams down, granting them life and will. Everyone walks and plays… until the Sun’s God’s light fizzles away, as dusk appears.

As Apollo flees to the west side of the Sky, his dearest brother and fellow God of the Moon, Artemis, hovers forth. The serenity of the moonlight announces itself to the people, signaling to them all that the world must rest. Everyone and everything heads to sleep… awaiting the Sun’s arrival once more.

This cycle remains as eternal and constant, never-ending and unwavering… until, the Sun and Moon began to ponder… why can’t they have more time? More time for people to bathe and walk in the Sun’s light. More time for people to rest after a long day’s work…

Over time, the Siblings began to try and usurp each other… it started with little things. Extra time in the sky, playfully competing with each other… until they started hogging the Sky completely.

Some days started becoming longer, as did some nights. Many became disoriented as the cycle of Night and Day fell apart… as calamity slowly built up, and jealousy and rage consumed the Siblings.

Eventually, these emotions had culminated and exploded, the Siblings have lost control of them.

Many looked up to the Sky on that fateful median hour, the sky faintly separated by Day and Night, Apollo and Artemis staring each other down… before a sudden wave of battle rained down from the Sky and upon the mortal lands.

~~~

As Pridezar’s story concluded, the Bros. sudden awoke. They quickly caught sight of each other… both of them were in togas. Mario wore a red cape and golden bracelets and armor on his wrists and legs. Luigi had leather accessories and boots, with a blue moon-shaped buckle on the belt he now wore.

…They also took notice of what sat upon their heads; Mario with a golden Star and Luigi with an azure Moon.

“Mario! Luigi!!” Someone from the audience yelled. “HELP!!!”

The Bros. looked away into the large audience space, noticing three seats in the front filled up. The Elite Trio sat, tied to the seats with Pridezar’s strings. The Bros. were in shock, desiring to break them free, before a different voice rang through the air.

“No longer will you be bound by just my script!” Pridezar announced from nowhere. “Your actions shall be MINE to control! As they should have been from the very beginning! Hahaha!!!”

At that, paper thin strings came down from the infinite space above the group, attaching themselves to the Elite Trio again. But rather than turning them to puppets as they slumped and stiffened, they garnered togas of their own. They were then dragged to the back of the stage floor, as more of Pridezar’s strings came down, latching themselves onto Mario’s limbs.

Both brothers then tried to break Mario free… before he pushed Luigi away, writhing in pain as Pridezar’s strings took hold of his mind.

Luigi’s mind raced as Mario lost himself, before coming to a horrible realization… if they were to be bound by Pridezar’s word, they had to fight each other. That was one of the last things the poor Moon God wanted, to fight his own brother…

The Man of the Moon could only watch as Mario’s body convulsed, before limping, becoming still and stiff… until Mario suddenly awoke once more, his eyes a deep blood red. He then dashed into the air and summoned large fire gauntlets to his hands. A pit formed in Luigi’s stomach at the sight.

Luigi’s mind scrambled, desperately turning to the Elite Trio… taking notice of their actions. Their faces remained dead and emotionless as they moved. Paraplonk got gauntlets similar to Mario’s as he dashed to the floor, and Goomp and Sergeant Guy dashed out of the way.

As the Trio had depicted, Mario then dashed forward to Luigi, who then slid out his way. A large impact crater had formed in the floor where Luigi once stood. Mario sat for a moment, before looking back to Luigi with fury and flying back into the air… Luigi immediately understood.

Mario was relentless toward his brother. Luigi kept dodging… wishing he had a way to break Mario free. The Sun God kept attacking, wanting to hit Luigi, but it appeared the Moon God was just too fast for him. After one final attempt with the gauntlets, Mario stopped. He stared Luigi down as both brothers recoiled… before Mario started to growl, catching Luigi off guard.

The enraged Sun God focused as a bright red light enveloped his body. Mario’s form then began to change, growing in size and changing silhouette completely… that into a three-headed Hellhound. The light coalesced, and the Cerberus Mario had become stared at his brother with death daggers, threatening to tear him limb from limb.

Luigi, panicking, looked over to the Trio again… Private Goomp was on top of Corporal Paraplonk, and Sergeant Guy now had a shield, which he was using to keep the other two at bay. After a slight struggle, Sergeant Guy pushed the other Trio members away.

The Moon God pondered, looking to his hands, trying to focus… eventually conjuring a bright blue shield of his own. At that, the Cerberus lunged forward to Luigi, who immediately guarded. The Hellhound had thrown all of its strength onto the shield, which Luigi held at bay, despite the massive struggle. The Cerberus pushed, trying to knock the Moon God down, but to no avail. It clawed, bit, and thrashed… but nothing seemed to work amidst the struggle.

The bout was long, but Luigi eventually garnered the footing to push his brother away. The force of the push was so strong, that it knocked Mario backward, causing him to lose his Hellhound form and appeared back in his human one.

…As Mario laid there, tired and breathless, the stage rumbled… Pridezar was growing more and more agitated as his vision fell apart.

“No! Get up!” Pridezar yelled. “Your special attack! Use it!! NOW!!!”

Mario then slowly got up, Luigi putting his shield away as he did, looking upon Luigi with the same fury he had never seen in his brother before. He then leapt into the air once more, summoning a bow and arrow colored like fire. As he threatened to shoot, Luigi looked to the Trio again.

Goomp was still on top of Paraplonk, who was shooting arrows around. Sergeant Guy was using his wand to make lightning attacks to counter against the arrows… Luigi understood quite quickly.

Mario then began firing an onslaught of fire arrows onto Luigi, only for him to counter using large blasts of Thunder. Despite his counters, he did still miss a bit, getting burned each time an arrow hit him.

After a while, Mario’s attacks seemed to slow… he was getting tired, losing focus and proper aim. Only after a few more arrows did Mario finally collapse, falling from the air and onto the ground. Luigi winced as he landed, but slowly approached his brother. Using a strong blast of lightning to break the strings attached to Mario’s limbs.

The strings vaporized as the lightning around them faded away, and Mario slowly awoke… Luigi helped him to his feet, and gently patted his back. Mario held Luigi close, happy that he was okay, despite his injuries.

The stage then rumbled again as more strings came down, this time latching onto Luigi. Mario rushed to aid to him, but failed as Luigi lost himself to Pridezar’s strings just as he had.

Luigi’s body convulsed and limped… until his head shot up toward Mario’s gaze with a sudden, unyielding anger. He dashed into the air, just as Mario had… and began to sing. The lullaby echoed throughout, bouncing off the theatre walls. Mario could feel himself starting to fall asleep. In a rush to keep himself awake, his eyes wandered, glaring toward the Elite Trio…

Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy were singing, while Corporal Paraplonk had conjured a fireball within his hand, which he was using to burn his arm to keep him awake as he nodded off… Mario was hesitant, but he had to do it.

As Mario began to nod off, nearly slipping to the floor, he made a fireball within his hand and brought it to his harm. It burned and stung, the pain of it traveling up his arm and into three rest of his body. He kept at it until Luigi’s song grew louder… until he eventually, finally, stopped. He grumbled to himself as Mario stared him down from below on the stage floor… Luigi seemed to take that stare as a threat.

Luigi stayed in the air, waving his hands and summoning a bright blue Poltergust. He then began to spin around like a small tornado, picking up random items from around the theatre and backstage… Mario then looked to the Trio for an answer.

Paraplonk enacted sucking up objects with a Poltergust, while Goomp and Sergeant Guy run and jumped around, avoiding the projectiles. As Mario looked on, Luigi began doing as Paraplonk imitated. Many objects were strewn around the field, even random enemies. Some Mushrooms were also chucked around as well, giving Mario the option to heal if he ever got hit.

After a while, Luigi seemed to tucker himself out, wheezing as he recovered. The stage then quaked once, but eat stronger than before. The shaking alerted the men, bringing Luigi back into focus as Mario looked up, focusing on his dear brother.

Luigi still hovered in the air, focusing hard as bright blue aura enveloped him. Mario tensed up a bit, but still stayed strong, ready for anything. He watched Luigi’s form grow and shift into that of an owl… the light then coalesced, revealing Luigi’s new owl form. It was huge, but surprisingly still fit within the room.

Mario glanced to the Trio, noticing Paraplonk hovering in the air, flailing about as a small arrow-like feathers appeared and spread around. Goomp and Sergeant Guy jumped around a bit, until Paraplonk prepared one large final arrow, eventually shooting it down, only for the other two to counter with a punch…

Luigi then began flailing around, his feathers being shot around like arrows. They were way faster than the strewn around objects from before, but Mario still managed. As Mario stood underneath Luigi, his brother charged the final arrow, shooting down to Mario… who quickly summoned his fire gauntlets and punched the projectile right back at Luigi. The blast knocked him out, bringing Luigi back to his usual form.

The Moon God landed to the floor with a hard thud, tired and weak. Mario rushed to him, using his fire to be rid of the strings that trapped him. The strings burned away, and Luigi slowly awoke. As he did, he noticed his worried brother in front of him, only then jumping up to tightly hug him.

“Mario!!” Luigi cried as he wrapped his arms around his brother.

“Luigi!!” Mario cried back, hugging his brother and gently patting his back.

At that, the stage quaked again… magic covered the brothers for a moment, getting rid of the costumes they were forced into. They were back in their undershirts and overalls. Just a ways away, the Elite Trio had also been freed from their strings. Perhaps Pridezar was backing off…

“…Ughh… what happened…?” Private Goomp whined. “My head hurts… again…”

“Why does it always… gotta be us…?” Corporal Paraplonk asked.

“…I have no answer…” Sergeant Guy responded with strain.

Pridezar then grumbled from nowhere, making the group tense up again as the stage quaked once more. “I have HAD it with you! My perfect show, RUINED!!! All because of YOU!!!” He yelled. “My work shall not be sullied by some foolish brothers and measly servants! I shall show you NO MERCY!!!”

More strings then appeared, tightly wrapping the Bros. and Trio up as they were pulled into the void above the stage…

~~~

…Everything seemed quiet and dark. Silence had plagued wherever the Bros. had been dragged to. The silence was chilling, the darkness was concerning… until bright spotlights suddenly shown down, illuminating where the Bros. now lay.

The Bros. looked around a bit, seeing nothing but void. They noticed the Elite Trio was nowhere to be found, as if they’d vanished, or were hiding somewhere.

“Hahaha!!!” Pridezar laughed from nowhere. “Now, everything shall truly be by my rules!”

The prideful Spirit then appeared before the Bros. taking a bow as Mario and Luigi stiffened, taking on their fighting stances.

Pridezar chuckled a bit as he looked to the Bros. “No one but me can truly have the upper hand in my design!” He said. “Try all you want… I will truly enjoy it! Haha!! …Why don’t you go first?”

How awfully bold of him… but it didn’t seem too far-fetched, with how boastful the Spirit acted. Perhaps he was failing to see just how hard the Bros. would whack him around the field.

Mario went first, realizing he had his new Bros. Attack tucked away in his pocket. All he and his brother could do was see just how it worked. He pulled the glimmering music note out from his pocket and into the air. It then dissipated, coating the Bros. in its magic. Once the magic coalesced, a bass guitar appeared in Mario’s arms, while a flute appeared in Luigi’s.

A music scale then appeared above their heads, red and green music notes appearing in a pattern. Mario first, then Luigi, sometimes more than once or twice. As each note from the scales above was played correctly, the notes became projectiles that shot their way to Pridezar… but they didn’t do any damage, they only bounced of him while the Spirit stared at the Bros. with a cocky glint in his eyes. The Bros. looked on, confused, as the attack ended and their instruments disappeared.

“Hahahahaha!!! Foolish, ignorant brothers! You fell for it! How pathetic!” Pridezar said. “This is my show now, and I’m the main character! Oh, how the plot protects me so! Attack me all you wish, you CAN’T hurt me! Hahahaha!!!”

…The Bros. were stunned, they should’ve realized he’d pull some stunt like that. But what were they to do if they couldn’t hurt him? Using Bros. Attacks against an enemy they couldn’t hurt was a waste of energy, they couldn’t risk wasting items… they were at a massive disadvantage, and were uncertain of what to do.

Without much to do, Luigi threw a Syrup Mario’s way… he didn’t really need it, but he took and drank it anyway. Pridezar only chuckled, before starting his attack up.

A music scale appeared above the Bros. heads, just as with the Bros. Attack they’d done. Music notes, some higher and on a major scale with other lower notes on a minor scale. Before Pridezar could act though, he snapped his fingers… and the Bros. suddenly froze up.

Pridezar chuckled again. “Avoiding my performance are we? How disrespectful!” He said. “You will stay and enjoy my work for as long as I please!”

The boastful Spirit then began to sing, the major notes hitting Mario and the minor ones hitting Luigi. Since they couldn’t move, they were forced to take the hits, which hit surprisingly hard. Once the attacked stopped, they still were frozen.

“How was that? Spectacular, no? I’d would assume your answer is quite positive, as it should be.” Pridezar said. “Just stay put for a little longer, the show’s only just started! Hahahaha!!!”

Pridezar’s next attack then started as he signaled two spotlights to be above the Bros. The lights then flashed, stunning the Bros. and causing them to get dizzy. Pridezar laughed, very much enjoying his extremely biased show.

The Spirit then sung again, inflicting more and more damage on the Bros. They could feel their energy draining as they took more hits. Pridezar didn’t stop as the Bros. remained dizzy and frozen, until their energy had been run dry. The effects Pridezar inflicted then went away as the Bros. fainted on the spot.

“Hahahahahaha!!!” Pridezar laughed manically. “I have achieved what no other Spirit could! Just as I suspected! No one but me, along with the Dark Star and Commander, shall revel in this victory for Darkness! HAHAHAHA!!!”

…A fair distance away, the Elie Trio had hid in the void they were all stuck in, watching the horrid fight play out… they stayed, frozen in place, until Private Goomp stepped forward.

“…Hey! Why don’t we try and attack him?” Goomp suggested, looking back to the other Trio members. “All while we can! While he’s distracted!”

“Are you nuts!?” Corporal Paraplonk yelped.

“Are you sure that that’s a good idea, man?” Sergeant Guy asked, extremely perplexed.

“I bet he doesn’t know we’re here! He doesn’t know we’ve been hiding this whole time!” Private Goomp said. “Plus! We take him out… we can get all the credit! And get what we for from Bowser!”

“…Hm. Affirmative, now you’re speaking some sense.” Sergeant Guy said. “We can get what we deserved from the start!”

“HEAD HONCHO CHAIRS!!!” Paraplonk yelled.

“Yeah! That’s the spirit!” Goomp said. “Come on! Let’s go make a name for ourselves!”

The Elite Trio then rushed forward as Pridezar ceased his laughing, charging up to attack him while he was still turned away from them.

“GET ELITE!!!” The Trio members all yelled at once as they approached Pridezar… only for the Spirit to summon the shadow hands from before and smack them away, knocking them out.

“Fools! I already knew of your presence!” Pridezar said. “All of you just so pitiful… and the fate of the world has been entrusted unto you? How brazen! With you foul pests gone, Darkness shall reign supreme over this land for the rest of time! Hahahahaha!!!”

Pridezar’s laugh echoed through the void of his own making, all while the Bros. and Elite Trio stayed knocked down…

~~~

The Bros. slowly awoke, gradually taking in their surroundings… a similar void to the last one they’d been in, albeit darker, and quieter… where were they? No one else was around…

They helped each other up, still looking around as they began to walk aimlessly through the new void. They started to grow concerned… had they died? What of the Trio? If there was no one else to free Eldstar and the Plains…

…They were done for… everything they’d done, all of who they’d saved… it was for naught, and their home and the Star Realm was doomed to fall. Despite their dread, however, they soldiered on. They couldn’t give up… and they needed to find a way out of here…

As they walked, a thought crossed the Bros. mind… Cosmo. Perhaps he was here somewhere? They weren’t sure. Their hope in finding Cosmo was fleeting… but still there…

It was as if he was still there…

…?

…!

The further they walked ahead, the stronger a sudden presence in their souls became… they kept walking ahead, gradually speeding up, hope leaping them through every step.

Cosmo was here, and the Bros. had to find him.

~~~

…Cosmo had hoped for his battle to be over. That he could pass on. Mario and Luigi wouldn’t have to carry him around like the burden he was. He could rot in the Underwhere, where he belonged…

He almost doesn’t want to leave them… but he feels it’s what he must do… he’s a failure, he’s a burden, he’s done nothing but ruin everything…

“…It’s all your fault!” A disembodied voice said. “You deserve no pity!”

“May the Stars show you no mercy!” Another voice said.

“You deserve to rot away!” A third voice said. “Forgotten to time! No one shall remember you!”

…These voices echoed in Cosmo’s head, constant reminders of his faults. Reminders of the burden he is, the catalyst he was… for the Bros., for the Spirits, for his comrades… for Starlow…

“…It’s all… my fault…” Cosmo repeated, frozen where he stood, stuck between his fleeting desire to stay and his ever-growing want to leave and be forgotten…

From where he hovered, dark hands grabbed at him, pulling him down and trying to drag him down into the abyss below him. He could feel the Darkness encroaching him, taking over his heart…

…Only then did a bright light from ahead suddenly cloud his vision. His eyes shot open, revealing blasts of fire and thunder from not too far ahead of him. The hands around him dissipated, and Cosmo fell to the ground, stunned. As he recovered, he looked up… Mario and Luigi stood before him, the older brother holding out a hand.

“…Why are you here…?” Cosmo said meekly. “Why did you save me…? Am I not just a burden to you?” He then buried his face in the ground.

Both Bros. firmly disagreed, shaking their heads. They gathered their words, trying their hardest to get Cosmo out of the fog within his head… he then got up, hovering into the air before them. Had he come back to his senses? The Bros. could only hope so.

Cosmo stared back at the Bros. with tired eyes. “…You shouldn’t be here. You can’t be here… you’re not real.” He backed away. “…You’re not real! You are but demons! You’re just like those voices! Leave me be! Let me pass on!! I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE!!!”

Cosmo then flew away, deeper into the void ahead, with the Bros. chasing behind him… they had to show him. Tell him just how useful he’d been to them. They wouldn’t be here without his help. They wouldn’t have gotten this far without his help…

As they ran ahead, shadow hands hovered, grabbing Cosmo and attempting to drag him down. The Bros. clasped onto the arms, trying to keep Cosmo away from the ground… only for all three of them to be dragged down into the void below.

Both Bros. struggled, using the arms as leverage to reach Cosmo. After an arduous travel deep into the void, Mario grabbed Cosmo’s hand while Luigi held onto him. Mario held Cosmo close as they swam back up and away from the hands… only for more of the hands suddenly show, grabbing both Bros. and wrestling Cosmo out of Mario’s grip.

The hands clasped against Mario and Luigi’s necks, slowly suffocating them… Cosmo, not too far away, looked on weakly at the struggling brothers…

'They aren’t real… they don’t care about me…'

'…I am nothing to them… I don’t matter…'

'…I never mattered…'

…As Cosmo’s eyes shut again, his life began flashing before him… his time in training, his time in the Star Realm, his time with her… when Nox’s invasion began, him fighting her troops, watching his friends die… fighting Nox… dying…

His hopeless attempt at reviving the Bros… all the time they’d spent with each other… all of his hiding, cowardice, and fear…

He couldn’t show them, he never did, and now they know… just how much of liar he is. How much of a failure he is. This is how he spends his last moments. In despair, futility…

…Despite all of that, however… a faint thought crossed his mind.

Mario and Luigi aren’t known for simply throwing others away because of something they did wrong. Despite their relationship with Bowser, they still choose to keep him around.

If they do that with Bowser… why wouldn’t they treat him the same…?

Despite all he’d done, how he failed… the Bros. still stood by him. Showed their compassion toward him, whether they knew of what he’d done or not. Their love for him never wavered…

At that, another thought appeared…

…The Mario and Luigi stuck with him were real. The real brothers, who had likely perished in battle… he wasn’t there to help them. The ones who’d been there for him since the start. The ones that wouldn’t be here… if not for him.

He’s the reason they’d been alive for so long… that the Commander’s plans are slowly being unraveled.

Mario and Luigi had come to him to pull him out from the Darkness that had festered within him, show him just how much he meant to them… he felt guilty for not seeing it before… but he knew he couldn’t let that control him, not anymore.

He had to be strong… for everyone and everything he held dear to him, just Mario and Luigi had been for him.

Be the Light he’d always been for them… be the Light they needed to him to be. Be the Light everyone counted on.

'…No… I can’t! I mustn’t give up…!'

'…Mario, Luigi… I must repay you for all you’ve done for me! I cannot let you die here, not now! …Not ever! For as long as I stay bound to you… I shall stay as your guiding Light!'

A bright golden glow then surrounded Cosmo’s form, allowing him to break free from the hands. He then zipped to the Bros., his light freeing them as well, using as much strength as he could to bring the Bros. back up to the void above

As the Bros. were dragged out from the void sea, they suddenly awoke, taking notice of the light that was carrying them up… the light then strengthened, completely blocking their view…

~~~

Pridezar still stood alone, laughing… he was simply too immersed in his victory. He had defeated the brothers and their failure of a soldier. He felt it all too right to revel in his accomplishment.

“Haha!! …It truly is nice to know that you’ve won.” Pridezar said, glaring to the limp bodies of the Bros. before him. “And all because of your own prowess! Ha!”

At that, a bright light suddenly covered the brothers, who both hovered into the air. Pridezar then froze, uncertain as to what was happening. He had no words as he watched the light around them coalesce, and the Bros. returned to their feet.

Before Pridezar could speak any word, another smaller light appeared before the brothers, which then spread outward to reveal Cosmo, back from the depths of near death and Pridezar’s illusions… but he appeared different.

Cosmo bore golden armor that was decorated with violet highlights. A bright flame colored yellow and mauve had taken the spot of the Star that was once upon his head. And, within his raised hand, a sword had appeared. Cosmo then pointed the sword Pridezar’s way, threatening him with the stern yet confident gaze of a warrior.

“What!? How!? Impossible!!” Pridezar stammered. “You’re not supposed to be here! None of you are! …You deserve to rot for all you’ve wrought, Sprite!” He then glared to Cosmo, who only glared back.

“Your tricks work on me no longer, foul Spirit!” Cosmo declared. “For as long as my soul stays bound to the mortal world, and these brothers, I shall be here to protect it! The Darkness will fall, and Light shall rise again!”

The Bros. were astonished by Cosmo’s courage and bravery… the true mark of a Star Warrior. Pridezar, however, writhed in anguish over his perfect performance being ruined once again.

The Spirit then grumbled. “Fine! If that’s how it must be, then so be it! …Perhaps I don’t need a script or plot armor to take you down!” Pridezar said. “You will pay for ruining my show! The Commander and Dark Star will have you SLAIN!!!”

Cosmo then looked down to the brothers. “Mario! Luigi! I will stay beside you as you fight Pridezar.” He said. “…I am uncertain of what he means by plot armor, but it seems to have been destroyed! Give him everything you’ve got!”

The Bros. nodded to Cosmo firmly, feel burning and thunderous passion and confidence flowing through them. Mario then goes first, wanting to properly use his new musical Bros. Attack against the Spirit.

As the Attack commenced, a tuba and violin were brought to Mario and Luigi’s hands. The colored notes above were played with perfection, each note hitting Pridezar like a bullet. Luigi then used his elemental Bros. Attack on the Spirit, hitting him hard… perhaps with Cosmo’s powers and confidence heightened, their power had been buffed as well.

Pridezar recovered rather quickly, staring the Bros. down with his singular eye. “Ugh! You meddlesome pair! Perhaps new attacks shall suffice for you! …Why don’t we start small, and work our way up? Ha!”

With a snap of Pridezar’s fingers, a small puppet appeared… a very well crafted miniature puppet of Mamust. The puppet then brought her arms up with a forward swing, summoning a large tidal wave before the Bros.

“Mario! Luigi!” Cosmo called. “Jump!”

The Bros. wasted no time in jumping upward, Cosmo helping them stay in the air for a bit longer as the wave crashed down upon the floor. Once it subsided, the Bros. leapt back down and Mamust puppet vanished. Pridezar writhed in anger… perhaps a tad jealous of their ability to dodge where he couldn’t, as if he hadn’t been doing the same before.

“How rude! Why must you hate my performance this way? Woe is me!!” Pridezar said dramatically.

“Indeed!” Cosmo agreed. “You only humor us with your pitiful act!”

Mario and Luigi nodded in agreement with Cosmo, only then wasting no time in attacking again, their attacks still hitting Pridezar quite hard. He stumbled slightly while still keeping a firm gaze to the Bros., and especially Cosmo.

Pridezar practically growled at the Bros. with fury, staring them down like a feral dog. “If that’s how you want to play, then so be it! Have at you!”

The Spirit snapped his fingers again, summoning a small puppet of Alskol. The puppet laughed; a high-pitched, maniacal one… the laugh appeared as green text above the puppet’s head. The puppet then fired a blast from his hands, aimed straight for Luigi, who promptly jumped over it. Pridezar scowled as the puppet disappeared.

“This is outrageous!!” Pridezar yelled. “I shall rule this day, no matter how long it must take! You all will KNOW the wrath of Darkness absolute!”

“We shall never falter to the likes of you!” Cosmo declared. “Our wills are strong and our hearts are pure, unmatched by your power! Mario, Luigi! Show this Spirit the way of the Stars!”

The Bros. attacked once more… it seemed that the more they hit Pridezar, the stronger their attacks became. He was growing weaker and weaker by the minute, but that didn’t deter him. He snapped his fingers again, summoning a puppet of Klevoth, who hovered in the air while reading a book.

“Heal me, my puppet!” Pridezar declared. “Allow me to unveil my absolute power on these foul Light bringers!”

The Klevoth puppet only looked back, rolling his eyes as he continued reading before disappearing. Pridezar was stunned and embarrassed, while the Bros. and Cosmo had to hold back laughter.

“DO NOT DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME!!!” Pridezar screamed. “I am more superior than ALL OF YOU! I WILL prove myself this day!”

“All you have proven to us is that you’re a terrible, egotistical playwright!” Cosmo said. “Not even your own illusions wish to help you!” The Bros. looked to Cosmo, surprised at his words… perhaps he’d taken notes from someone on how to clap back.

“HUSH UP!!!” Pridezar yelled back. “DO NOT SPIT UPON MY NAME!!! I am the great Pridezar, and you shall FEAR ME!!!”

Mario and Luigi took this chance to attack while Pridezar was stuck in his own head… he didn’t seem too far off from being defeated. He snapped his fingers again, summoning a puppet of Ms. Enztar… a small shiver went up Mario’s spine.

“Perhaps this shall take you out?” Pridezar said, glaring to Mario.

The puppet then unveiled itself from underneath her robe and charged for Mario with the ice drill on her body. Despite his quiet fear, Mario didn’t waver, jumping over the puppet as it skidded to a stop behind him and disappeared.

“…I thought for sure… no matter!” Pridezar said. “This battle is not over yet!”

“That doesn’t mean your end isn’t near!” Cosmo said. “It shall be cold and swift! The end of your reign draws near, foul Spirit!”

The Bros. attacked once more, taking notice of Pridezar falling to his knees. Despite his anguish, he still got back up, albeit with quivering legs. With a shaking hand, his fingers snapped again. A puppet of Kaglut appeared, bringing an average sized pan to his hands… and chucking it toward Mario, who deflected it with his hammer. The puppet then disappeared while Pridezar huffed.

“Why must the Universe TORMENT ME!?” Pridezar yelled. “MY ILLUSION of that hack fails to succeed!? Why!?”

“The odds are not in your favor, and they never will be!” Cosmo said. “Light shall always triumph over Darkness!”

As the Bros. attacked again, it seemed the only thing keeping Pridezar up was his unwavering ego, which was being chipped away further and further as the fight went on. With another snap of Pridezar’s fingers, a mini Muskuwrath appeared… Luigi felt his chest tighten.

“HIT THEM!!!” Pridezar yelled with a firm point of his finger.

The puppet then rushed to Luigi, ready to throw a powerful punch his way. Luigi then swallowed his fear, jumping atop the puppet as it approached, breaking it and causing it to vanish. Pridezar then began to tug at his hair, as if wanting to pull it out.

As Pridezar raged about, the Bros. attacked him again… once he recovered, it seemed like steam was going to start coming out of his head from how enraged he looked.

“I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU!!! You have done nothing but TARNISH my name and RUIN my shows!” Pridezar screeched. “You shall PAY for your transgressions against me!!! For the rest time, you WILL perform MY WAY!!!”

Pridezar then threw his hands towards the Bros. and clutching his fists, causing the same thin puppet strings from before to snare them like spider web. The longer they stayed captive, the more damage they took.

“Mario! Luigi!” Cosmo called. “Allow me to free you from your bindings!”

Cosmo then rushed to both Bros., almost appearing as a blur, slashing his sword against the strings, breaking them all off in clusters bit by bit. After a slight struggle, the Bros. were freed. As Pridezar writhed, the Bros. attacked once more… Pridezar seemed to fit to burst with rage.

“NO! NO, NO, NO, NO!!!” Pridezar screamed. “IT WILL NOT END LIKE THIS!!! I WILL NOT LET IT!!! TODAY IS WHERE YOU ALL DIE!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Pridezar then raised his arms, summoning a large film reel with 'The End' plastered on it. He then threw it to the Bros., who pulled out their hammers as the reel descended toward Mario. Mario hit it first, then it went to Luigi, who hit it back. With each hit, the reel was propelled higher and higher into the air. As it fell down toward both of them, they smacked the reel at the same time, slamming it back Pridezar’s way and hitting him right on the head, causing him to collapse to the ground in a massive daze.

“…Ughhh… this will not… be my end…” Pridezar stammered as his head spun.

“Mario! Luigi! Now is our chance!” Cosmo said. “Follow my lead! Raise your weapons as I raise mine!”

The Bros. lift their hammers as Cosmo lifts his sword, which begins to brightly glow. As the light coalesced, his sword became longer and thinner, baring the same complementary color palette as his armor. A similar light appeared for the Bros.’ hammers as well, turning them both into fiery and thunderous swords of their own.

“Mario! You go first! Luigi shall follow in your stead.” Cosmo said. “Then I shall deliver the final blow upon Pridezar! Now, charge!!!”

Mario wasted no time in jumping forward, lifting his sword above his head and crashing down upon Pridezar with it… who, despite his weakened state, attempted to guard. Luigi then followed, adding extra power and weight to the attack. As the Bros. held Pridezar down, Cosmo hovered into the air, holding his sword up…

“…F-fools!! None of you… understand what you are dealing with!!” Pridezar said. “Even if I fall, the reign of Darkness will still come crashing down upon you! Nothing can stop the reckoning of the Dark Star!”

“You say that, as if Mario and Luigi haven’t already triumphed over him once!” Cosmo said. “We shall take him and Commander Nox down, no matter what they throw at us!”

Cosmo then swung down, now above the Bros. Pridezar struggled to keep himself up as the power of the attack began to triumph over him.

“May our Light reign absolute… this is your final act!!!” Cosmo declared as he and the others pushed Pridezar down.

Once the attack had reached its peak, the trio of Light crashed down upon Pridezar, swiftly taking him out in one final slash, causing the world to go blindingly white…

…After awhile, the white light and ear ringing cleared, leaving the Bros. knocked out for a moment. They helped each other up as they slowly awoke, realizing they were still in the same void… but in front of them lay a golden Star, lying on its face, still unconscious… Eldstar had been freed.

The Bros. soon realized though, Cosmo had disappeared again… they looked around further, noticing the Elite Trio behind them, getting each other off the ground. They were glad to see them okay, but… what of Cosmo?

“…Hmm… Mario, Luigi. Greetings.” An old, calm voice said from behind the Bros. turned heads. They turned back to face him, the wise elder of the Stars, Eldstar.

Eldstar’s gaze was firm yet welcoming. He seemed glad the Bros. and Trio were faring well. “I assume you need no introduction. I am very glad to finally be free… and that you both are safe.” He said.

Before he continue speaking further, the void around them began to quake. Eldstar’s gaze shifted slightly as the Bros. began to worry.

“Oh, dear… without my tainted soul, this realm can no longer exist…” Eldstar said. “Mario, Luigi! Gather the Trio here and follow me! I know the way out!”

Both Bros. nodded toward the elder. Mario then turned to the Elite Trio and called out to them. As they ran ahead, the Trio gradually caught up. Eldstar led them all through the crumbling realm… but the Bros. quickly noticed the Trio trying to run ahead of them. The group all took notice of a bright light just up ahead, the way to leave. As the Trio left first in front of them, the Bros. and Eldstar quickly leapt forward from behind, blinding the Bros. for a moment…

…Once they came to, the Bros. and Star Spirit were back in the Plains. Clouds still partly covered the late afternoon sky, but Light had returned to Sunbeam Plains. The grass was a bright green, and the flowers littered around blew gently in the soft breeze… the Bros. soon noticed, though, that the Elite Trio had left…

“…The Trio will fare well on their own. They can go ahead.” Eldstar said before turning back to face the Bros. “Moreover, there is an important matter I would like to discuss.”

The Bros. assumed it was something about moving forward with their plans against Nox and the Dark Star, but something in Eldstar’s gaze told them otherwise.

“…Not with you, but with someone else.” Eldstar said. “May he show himself?”

…Cosmo… Cosmo still wasn’t there.

After a long, quiet moment… Cosmo appeared before Eldstar. He didn’t appear nearly as confident as he had before, like a crumpled tissue. His face was melancholic and guilty as he looked to face Eldstar in the eyes.

Cosmo then sighed, struggling slightly to find the right words. “…I am sorry, Eldstar… for not showing myself sooner.” He said. “It has been… very difficult to look you and the other Spirits in the eyes. Despite how far I’ve come… I cannot help but still feel guilty…”

Eldstar only nodded… the silence made Cosmo tense up further, but he knew he couldn’t stay silent forever.

“I stand before you as a specter, bound to two mortal brothers. I had perished in battle to defeat the Commander and avenge my comrades… but… I failed…” Cosmo said. “If I couldn’t defend the Star Realm, or avenge my fallen comrades… then…”

…Cosmo hesitated for a moment, before reaching up and removing his helmet. The Bros. stood shocked, while Eldstar only raised his eyebrows…

“…I-I do not deserve to be a Star Warrior…” Cosmo said. “If it shall be so, I will relinquish my duties… a-and…” …He seemed unable to continue as tears formed in his eyes.

“…I’ve heard enough, you need not continue.” Eldstar said.

Cosmo seemed perplexed… he was awaiting the worst. He stiffened, waiting for Eldstar to continue…

“You do not need to apologize for anything, Cosmo.” Eldstar said calmly.

The Star Warrior froze and his eyes widened… he almost couldn’t believe what he heard. He almost wanted to speak, but stayed silent as Eldstar continued.

“You are a fantastic Warrior… in all of my years, I have never seen a Star Warrior with as much bravery and courage as you.” Eldstar said. “Despite your defeat, you stood strong. You have been a great help to these brothers. Without your help, they only would’ve gotten so far… no offense to either of you.” He glared to the Bros.

The Bros. nodded at that, no offense taken… mostly. Luigi seemed a tad upset while Mario stood complacent.

Eldstar then looked back to Cosmo. “Words cannot express just how proud I am of you, Cosmo. I am certain the other Spirits would feel the same.” He said. “You need not feel guilty, for there is no need. You may have hidden away… but you recognize your faults. You are before me, not as a fallen soldier, but as an ever-rising warrior. May your Light forever shine, never wavering… that is my word, dear Cosmo. Cherish and embrace it, you have earned it.”

…Cosmo was stunned. The uncertainty within his face faded into a small, crooked smile.

“Yer doin’ great, lad!” A pirate-y voice from above called.

The group looked up, seeing six Stars hover their way… the other Star Spirits had arrived, likely having taken notice the freed Plains from the Dark Lands. They hovered before Eldstar, each with bright smiles on their faces.

“…Ah, hello, honorable Star Spirits!” Cosmo said. “It is a great pleasure to meet you!” The Bros. nodded in agreement.

“Yes, agreed… it has been quite awhile.” Eldstar said gladly. “I am elated to see that you all are safe and unharmed.”

“Aye, us as well!” Muskular said. He then looked to Cosmo. “We heard Eldstar’s word, lad! We’re all proud of ye! Put yer helmet back on!”

“…Yes, sir!” Cosmo said proudly with a smile. He then put his helm back on his head. “Whatever shall be commanded me, I shall see to it!”

“Aye, lad, that’s the spirit!” Muskular said with a bright, reassuring smile.

“We would add more to Eldstar’s word… but I feel he’s already taken the words out of our mouths!” Klevar said with a gleeful chuckle.

“It truly does seem so…” Skolar added.

“The Stars shine down upon you with vigor, Cosmo.” Kalmar said. “Just as they do with the brothers.”

Eldstar nodded. “…We are now closer than ever before to defeating Commander Nox and the Dark Star.” He said. “We must discuss our options further… but, before we leave…”

The elder then raised his arms, bringing his magic up to the air… a golden barrier formed around the Plains, protecting it from further harm inflicted by Nox and the Dark Star.

“Now that our business is done here…” Eldstar said. “Follow us to… ah… where your home used to be. We shall discuss more there. The Toad Brigade, along with Kamek and Toadsworth, shall meet us there.”

“We, along with Kamek at first, tried to get them to come along with us, but…” Misstar started. “They said they’d go on their own. The Toad Brigade implored that they’d meet us there soon.”

“I sure do hope they’re alright.” Mamar added. “Those Toads don’t seem the most… aware of their surroundings.”

“You don’t have to word it like that…” Misstar said quietly.

“You know I’m not wrong, honey!” Mamar said… Misstar silently agreed.

Silenced engulfed the group for a moment, before Eldstar cleared his throat. “Now then, follow us.” He said. The Spirits hovered ahead, while the Bros. and Cosmo followed close behind.

~~~

The walk wasn’t too long, but the group of heroes and Stars had found their way back to where the Bros. home used to be, the pile of rubble caused by the cannonball that hit all that time ago still left there… the Bros. grimaced, what would their landlord think? Cosmo’s expression fell as he sympathized with the Bros.

“…Oh, my…” Misstar said.

“Hm… the finances needed to repair such…” Skolar started.

“…Devastating…” Klevar added.

“Eldstar, I must ask…” Kalmar began, looking to Eldstar. “Why pick here to discuss further matters against the Commander and Dark Star? I appear to be lost.”

The elder then hummed, glaring to the Bros. “I felt that, as a way to repay you for all you’ve done for us, that we could fix your home?” He asked. “It’ll take a bit of energy from us, but I am certain that none of you would mind?” He then looked to the other Spirits, awaiting their word.

“Oh! Of course!” Misstar said. “Why wouldn’t we?”

“We wouldn’t want to leave our saviors with a destroyed home!” Klevar said.

“Yes, it’s only right.” Skolar added.

“Aye, agreed!” Muskular agreed. “A captain is incomplete without his ship! Ho ho!”

“Last thing the brothers need after such a long adventure is an upset landlord.” Mamar added. Kalmar agreed with a hum and nod.

Eldstar nodded happily. “I am glad we could all come to a consensus.” He then turned to the brothers. “Consider this a gift from us to you, dear brothers… everyone! Lend me a hand!”

Eldstar raised his arms upward, with the others following suit. The pieces of rubble left around were lifted into the air, glowing brightly as they were placed back together. Whatever wasn’t there was remade and replaced from the inside out. After a few moments, the light around the new home coalesced, revealing the Bros. repaired home. As the light went away, a barrier had also formed around their land as means to protect it further.

The Bros. beamed with glee… no longer did they have to worry about their home being lost.

“Everything should be back in order inside, just as it was when you had left it last.” Eldstar said. “We, along with the Toad Brigade and the elder men, will reside here while you head off, as we shall be waiting for the Princess’ Castle to be freed... and for those harbingers of Darkness to finally be slain.”

“…What of the Minions?” Kalmar asked. “Perhaps they would like to be present for the final battle after all that has happened to them, no? Maybe cheer the brothers on from the frontlines?”

“Oh, right!” Klevar said. “I hope they’re doing okay…”

“I can attempt to see how they are faring…” Eldstar said as he closed his eyes… “They should be…”

…As he looked ahead, his brows furrowed. His eyes then opened, wide with deep concern and fear. “…O-oh, my Stars… Mario! Luigi! You must make haste to the Castle! Something is amiss there.”

“What!?” Misstar yelped.

“Are the Minions alright!?” Kalmar asked.

“…I shall explain more to the other Spirits once you both leave, but know that the matter is extremely delicate. It is best to not waste too much time and have you see it for yourselves.” Eldstar said to the Bros.

“Whatever is it, we can handle it, Eldstar! You need not worry.” Cosmo said as the Bros. nodded in agreement.

Eldstar nodded firmly. “Before you leave, however, I must bestow another gift.” He said. “All three of you must use it with care, for it will greatly increase your chances against the forces of Darkness.”

The elder star held his arms up, handing Luigi a a small Star made up of three puzzle pieces; one red, another green, and the third one yellow.

~ You’ve got a new Bros. Attack! Rising Star! ~

“Once more, use it well! Now, you must be off! Be swift!” Eldstar said. “We shall cheer you on from afar, we are all counting on you!”

“Yes, sir!” Cosmo said. “Mario! Luigi! Forward charge!”

Cosmo flew ahead while the Bros. followed right behind him. The Spirits wished them all farewell as they fled… just as the sound Magikoopa magic tore through the air behind them.

“I cannot believe I had to do that!” Kamek said, holding a quivering Toadsworth. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you all to lead us!”

“I didn’t know we’d get lost like that!” Captain Toad said. “I could’ve sworn we were going the right way…”

“Perhaps you should’ve given the map to me, Captain…” The Blue Toad said.

“No, to me!” The Green Toad butted in. “I could’ve helped us find a way to get more coin AND get us here!”

“I think getting here at all was way more important than getting money!” The Blue Toad retorted.

As the two Toads argued, the Yellow Toad had begun to nod off. Captain Toad then noticed the Spirits ahead, garnering a smile as he approached them. “Oh, hi! What’d we miss?”

The Spirits grimaced as chaos unfolded around them… this stay was going to be long…

~~~

The Bros. and Cosmo hurried ahead, their unwavering will and passion guiding them forward. As they approached though… the smell of gunpowder and smoke slid past their noses. They could only wonder what Eldstar had foreseen… until they skidded to a stop, appearing before Peach’s Castle with shock in their eyes…

“…Oh, no… what happened here…?” Cosmo asked in a horrified whisper.

The trio began walking through the path ahead to the Castle, seeing the carnage that had happened here… unconscious Minions were strewn around, along with their weapons. Smoke and fog had flooded around the area, making it hard to see the full extent of the carnage around them… just what had the Minions been doing here? Were Junior and the Koopalings okay? What of the Captains? …and where had the Elite Trio gone?

They seemed powerless to do anything about it, however… they had bigger issues to take care of, and they were inside that very Castle… and were likely the reason behind the carnage that had transpired here.

The trio of heroes then raced forth to the tainted Castle gates… it seemed their final battle was finally approaching from beyond the horizon…

- END OF CHAPTER 7 -

~~~

NEXT CHAPTER: TBA

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(Song: Destiny and Love from Inuyasha (2000-2004) by Kaoru Wada) 'The funny thing about Shooting Star Summit… you could fall asleep when the moon is at its peak and wake up to sunrise, but the summit still stays in twilight. It must be so peaceful to live among all those stars…'

Peach's voice echoed in the back of Mario's mind as he and Luigi came upon the sign leading the way to their destination. He had been there only a fair few times, mostly at Peach's insistence during the rare chances they managed to sneak away. It was always so beautiful… sometimes, he dreamt about taking Peach up to the stars with him in the middle of the night.

But such things were lost on him now as he came upon the gaping chasm that once contained Peach's beloved castle.

Seeing the broken, cracked foundations buried deep within the dirt, and the scattered rubble littering the pathway, he couldn't believe that this very place once protected the very thing he and everyone else loved most of all. His chest tightened as he imagined the cruel things Bowser must have done to have accomplished something so drastic… his stomach nearly gave out merely trying to find the words. It almost felt like something of a nightmare as he recalled the many times he'd ventured there, whether to watch as she and Haru rehearsed for their wedding, or whenever Toadsworth summoned him to banish another one of Bowser's lackeys. The place that once served as a symbol of peace within the Mushroom Kingdom, the pinnacle of all that it stood for… gone.

"M-Mario… l-l-let's go."

Mario jolted slightly as Luigi's soft voice carried over from the distance. As soon as he composed himself, he shook off the feeling and rushed after his brother, feeling his face redden slightly.

"S-Sorry, Lu," he chuckled nervously, his gaze downcast to the path before them. "Just… wow… this is… this really is it, huh…"

"Y-Yep," Luigi simply replied, his eyes not meeting Mario's as he shuffled forward, each step dragging as if his legs refused to move.

Mario took one last glance at the castle's grave site… a solemn reminder of just what lie ahead should he and Luigi continue. A heavy darkness filled his chest as fuzzied memories of the ball flashed in his mind. It only then occurred to him just how lost he felt about it all. He could still see the outline of the castle, adorned in all its splendor. Sometimes, when the world grew quiet, he could hear the screams. However, never once was there ever a clear picture.

It felt like hell…

Quickly, he averted his gaze, reminding himself of his mission. With the kingdom in near disrepair… he couldn't afford to falter.

Not now.

His steps slowed as he followed behind Luigi, though whether the younger brother knew where he was was unknown. It seemed strange to him… Luigi was always so energetic, if not painfully shy. His eyes had a way of lighting up a room whenever he smiled, and he always tried to look his best, fixing his collar or brushing a little part of his mustache with meticulous care.

He still couldn't believe the person before him, a newly bloodied bandage wrapped around his forehead and clutching their travel bag as if his life depended on it… it couldn't be Luigi.

Every step he took was uneven, distracted, dragging through the dirt as if he were walking underwater. His knuckles grew white as he clutched the bag to his chest. Occasionally, he tilted his head toward something around him that wasn't there… or… maybe it was…?

Mario wasn't sure if he could trust his own judgement anymore…

… maybe he just didn't want to admit it.

"L-Lu…?" Mario asked softly, his voice nearly swallowed whole by the gentle wind drifting through the wasteland. "Um… d-d-do you… see anything…?"

For a split second, Luigi paused in his tracks. With a glance over his shoulder through tired eyes, he sighed as if his voice was about to break. "… they're… m-m-moving… f-f-following… n-n-not stop…"

The wind whispered amongst the rubble, carrying faint echoes Mario wanted to believe he was imagining. The clouded sky seemed to cast shadows that crept along the cracked walls, creating figures that seemed to dart away any time he tried to glance at them.

His stomach knotted. Warily, he glanced down at his arm cast, feeling his throat growing tight.

… what if it got to him, too…?

… what if Luigi actually was seeing something…?

… maybe it was one of Bowser's games…?

Every shadow stretched longer than he would have liked. A distant crackle in the distance from the town made his heart nearly burst from his chest. Nevertheless, he swallowed his pride, forcing himself to stay close… for Luigi.

"I-I'm here… I'm h-h-here, Lu… y-you're not alone…"

Even as he said it, however, he wasn't sure if it was for Luigi or himself.

"… th-thanks…" Luigi whispered. "… y-y-you not… either."

Mario couldn't help allowing himself to smile. Even if he wasn't sure what lie beyond the path, he knew he wouldn't face it alone. He had to press on, even if it hurt… even if he lost himself in the flames.

Even when his body remained broken…

His hand found Luigi's as he managed to keep up, briefly startling the younger brother before he gave a hint of a smile back. Mario chuckled as Luigi's fingers squeezed his palm, albeit weakly. He hoped to the stars above Luigi could still hear him. Even if it was faint, he wanted him to know those three precious words still held true. After all… what wasn't there to love?

(Song: Shooting Star Summit from Paper Mario (2000) by Yuka Tsujiyoko) Before long, the sky began to grow dark like the winter's twilight. The stars began to burn into the sky, shimmering like diamonds. For a brief moment, Mario thought he'd seen one shoot right past him, only to jump as one met the ground, shattering into stardust among the grass. To his amazement, the ground, itself, was something of a beauty; stardust scattered across the blades like glitter, some even producing plants of the likes he'd never seen! Strange, he thought, they almost resembled the rock candies from back home…

As he glanced around, he saw the hills fade into the night sky, mere shadows in the dark. He watched the stars shimmer in deep blues and purples, holding Luigi's hand tighter in his. Briefly, he thought of their home in the far-off distance; the tiny cottage hidden behind a shroud of trees, the field of daisies fenced in the front, and a tiny plume of smoke steadily rising from the chimney. On nights like these, they'd sit out on the front porch, waiting for shooting stars to visit the kingdom. They never told one another what they wished for, but they always knew.

He hoped Luigi shared his memory, too… perhaps remember that once this horrid nightmare was over, there was still good beyond the desolate wasteland they now called home.

After all… the stars still remained, didn't they?

And Peach, too… perhaps whenever they had time, he could take her to this place. He could already picture her serene smile as she took in the shimmering hues above them, watching the stars glitter like diamonds in the sky. He'd hold her hand, just as she did his; they wouldn't say a word as they admired the heavens together. And maybe, when it was all over, they'd find each other's embrace, their lips trembling until—

"Welcome, intruders."

Upon hearing the strange voice, Mario jumped, wincing as his ribs protested the gesture. Beside him, Luigi's other hand gripped his arm tight, his expression rigid and alert. Instinctively, Mario threw out his good arm and quickly scanned the vast field… only to find a tiny tower before them, seemingly having conjured out of the darkness itself.

Such a strange structure, he thought, raising an eyebrow. It seemed to have stood there for centuries, yet it was painted a vibrant cream and purple. The lanterns outside glowed brightly; it was a wonder how neither brother had seen it on their journey sooner. The plants, too, he found, were an oddity until he realized they had been fertilized by starlight and star fragments, as evidenced by the glint emanating from the leaves. But the strangest sight came as his eyes met a pair of figures standing in the doorway, both cloaked in deep indigo cloaks shrouding their faces in shadow. One was tall with golden locks streaming from the hood; the other was short with only a tiny swirl poking out from the top.

"Fear not," the taller figure spoke with a voice as silken as cobwebs. "Thou comest a long way, thou and thine sibling. Merluvlee am I, of 'Sie' and 'Sier' thou mayest name me. We are shamen, gatekeepers to the Star Spirits. Tell us now… what dost thou seek?"

Mario glanced back at Luigi before stepping forward. "Uh… we come in peace… Merluvlee. We were… uh… sent here by the Star Spirits or… something. Yeah…"

The shamen straightened importantly, letting out something that resembled a soft laugh. "Ah, all is made clear, then. Mine sibling did foretell of thy coming. A pair of siblings, clad in scarlet and verdant hues, chosen to heed the tidings of the Star Spirits… thou art of no small feat."

Mario blinked, his mouth opening and closing before his intelligent response came in, "Er… I… guess?"

Beside sier, the smaller figure flounced impatiently. "Don't listen to sier… sie always get like this whenever there's a bunch of visitors just showing up outta nowhere. It's not often we get visitors."

"Merlow," Merluvlee hissed in annoyance, sier tone dropping. "We're shamen! We must be formal!"

"Not if they can't understand you."

"It's polite!"

"It's dumb."

Mario blinked again, his gaze darting between the two as an amused smile slowly spread across his face. It was almost absurd hearing their bickering after growing accustomed to the horrors of the ruined Mushroom Kingdom; in a way… it was a comforting reminder that not all normalcy was lost. However, it soon faded once he noticed Luigi — the rapid breathing, the finger twitches, eyes darting, leg bouncing…

He had to stop them.

"Hey, hey, hey, break it up!" he called out, his voice sharp but steady. Comfortingly, he held Luigi's hand, holding out his other towards the now silent shamen. "Look… we didn't come here to watch you two argue. We're on a mission, and it's real important we get up to Shooting Star Summit. It… It could save the kingdom!"

He held back from wincing as the last sentence left his lips. Was it an exaggeration? Perhaps… no, no, no, he couldn't think like that. It would save the kingdom.

(Song: Song of Healing from Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000) by Koji Kondo) It seemed to have struck a chord among the two, however, as they composed themselves, appearing rather sheepish even under their hoods. After a brief silence, Merluvlee straightened sier posture and cleared sier throat, "Forgive us… we've been granted guardianship of Shooting Star Summit since the fallout. It's… not exactly in our regular."

Mario nodded warily, relaxing as he felt Luigi easing his posture behind him. "It's… it's okay…" Mario murmured, unsure if he directed it to the shamen or his brother. "We just… do you know where Shooting Star Summit is?"

"You're there," Merlow declared importantly.

"… what?" Mario blinked.

Merluvlee spread out sier arms wide as they gazed around the field. "This," sie stated proudly. "is Shooting Star Summit. Well… I suppose the gateway. Us shamen are the ones that guard it to keep any evildoers out, so we're stationed here."

"Really?" Mario's eyes widened. He bit his lip as he glanced up at the tower. "So… you just… watch over the Star Spirits and the—"

"The Star Rod, yes," Merluvlee nodded. Sie then lowered their arms in a sullen manner. "… or we used to. Before the upheaval. Technically… Merlow and I are mere apprentices. We work under Merlin. Do you know him?"

"I… yeah. He was the fortune teller—"

"— wizard."

"… er… wizard… back in Toad Town. He's not there anymore, though."

"Doesn't surprise me," Merluvlee sighed, staring up at the sky longingly. "That wretched Bowser did a terrible thing… this entire kingdom's still bleeding from his reign. It'd take a star's miracle to make it whole again."

"I see…" Mario trailed off, biting his lip as he felt his jaw tighten. Yet another reminder of his failure, he thought guiltily. Still… he knew giving up wasn't an option. There was still time; all he had to do was visit the Star Spirits. Surely they would know what to do…

He then shook his thoughts away as he put on a stern expression. "We're gonna fix it…" He squeezed Luigi's hand. "Both of us are. We… We need to talk to the Star Spirits first, though."

At his word, Merluvlee stiffened slightly, sier eyes lighting up with a sence of reverence.

"Hm," sie pondered thoughtfully. "You certainly appear determined… very well, then. I suppose we ought to allow the gateway to open just this once. Merlow," sie gestured to the tower's entrance. "Gather the star pieces for the ritual."

"Already ahead of you!" Merlow squeaked as they excitedly scrambled through the door. Just as sie began to follow, sie turned to the brothers once more, beckoning them close.

"You're… a strange pair," sie bemused. "Headstrong, perhaps… but noble. I can see it in your eyes."

Upon entering the tower, Mario's eyes widened. The inside was shrouded in mysticism and starlight, a strange purple aura emanating from the skylight. Violet stars danced across the floor, painting him in their hues. In the center stood an aged crystal ball covered in thick layers of dust, similar to the stony walls enclosing them. The strangeest part, however, was the vibrant violet chest just nestled in the corner, which he realized was made of crystal!

He wondered what that could be for…

He watched as Merluvlee wasted no time straightening up the tower, fixing every misplaced book or dusting every surface. Amused, he turned back to Luigi, only see the slight apprehension in his eyes as he reached forward, seemingly bewildered by the starry lights. Instinctively, Mario guided him along, allowing him to "cup" a star in his palm, a gesture to which the younger brother smiled in amazement. His lips uttered a silent 'real' as he turned his hand over, almost as if the star were there… by stars it felt so nice to see him relaxed…

"You'll have to excuse the mess," Merluvlee huffed as sie dusted off the crystal ball in the center. "As I mentioned, we don't receive too many visitors."

Just then, Merlow happily flounced down a set of spiraling stairs, carrying a drawstring bag covered in glittering star fragments. Mario could only watch in awe as they set the bag upon the table before Merluvlee, who immediately grabbed a nearby book. From all the stories Peach had told him of Shooting Star Summit, he'd known it was heavily guarded by the Star Spirits to keep the Star Rod safe. However, a pair of gatekeepers for the summit itself?

He wondered if Peach knew of them…

"Now," Merluvlee stated simply, sier palm flat on one of the book's pages. "Listen carefully. We don't normally allow anyone up to the summit without good cause… especially in these dire straits—"

Mario bit his lip.

"However… this kingdom is in danger, and the Star Spirits have entrusted you to be its hero. This is a vast undertaking… once you accept your mission, there is no going back. I may not know what the future holds, but I know this much. A hero such as you will be put through some of the most unimaginable suffering… something us mere followers will never know. It will be painful. You will face temptation to turn back… maybe even hurt those around you. You will wish for your pain to end. You will face resentment. Are you sure you wish to endure it?"

…

…

…

Mario looked at Luigi only to find the younger brother staring off to the corner, muttering under his breath to 'him.' However long he'd been in that damned bunker… he was nothing more than an empty husk.

He remembered Toad Town… a town in ruin run by paranoid toads who sought to eradicate all they found dangerous.

He remembered Haru… wherever he was, he hoped to the stars he was safe. Even if he was marrying Princess Peach… he didn't deserve to be harmed.

He remembered Peach…

…

…

…

"Yes," he finally uttered, feeling his heart clench.

At his utterance, Merluvlee and Merlow shared a solemn glance among themselves. "As you wish," Merluvlee nodded. "Now… stand still."

Confused, Mario tried opening his mouth to ask why, only for Merlow to quickly throw a patch of sparkling dust at him and Luigi.

Star Pieces, Mario realized.

(Song: Song of Unhealing from Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000) by Koji Kondo) All of a sudden, his head began to swirl as the stardust filled his sinuses, seemingly possessing his entire being. Something was dripping from his mouth — stardust, his immediate thought screamed. His chest and arm tingled as if gently cradled, the pain he'd grown accustomed to subsiding. In a way, he thought… it was almost as if his bones were being reset altogether. The weightlessness… the serenity… he was practically floating…

No… he was floating…!

"Spiritus stellarum... Spiritus stellarum... vos obsecramus," Merluvlee and Merlow chanted together. "Aperi ianuam his animis perditarum."

Was… that light growing brighter?

Mario suddenly realized he was being carried upward to the skylight, its violet hue casting a spotlight upon him. He could almost see the stars glittering in the sky above… nearly touch them, even!

He deseperately wished he could find Luigi's hand, but his body felt boneless.

"Vobis necessaria vota damus, o magnae…" Merluvlee and Merlow proclaimed, stardust now encasing around him. "Vosmetipsos ostendite!"

Mario could only watch as stardust slowly clouded his vision, the bright light growing stronger before his eyes. He felt a lingering sense of fear; it was unlike anything he had faced before, even through the perils Bowser had thrown to him.

He wasn't a hero… not when he had let all of them down so drastically. Peach, Luigi, Haru, the toads… every name pressed on his heart. Even the mere word felt like a lie on his tongue.

He couldn't call himself that… never…

…

Still…

If this was the path to save everyone, he thought as his vision finally gave out… he'd surrender himself to the stars in a heartbeat.

(Song: Chamber of Sages from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1997) by Koji Kondo) "MARIO?! MARIO! MARIO!!!! WAKE UP!!!!"

Mario awoke with a start upon hearing Luigi's panicked tone. Immediately, he came face-to-face with his younger brother, a sight he regretted almost all at once.

"Lu…!" he cried, grabbing Luigi's shoulder.

Before him, Luigi's eyes were wide with fear. His breath came in ragged, choked gasps, each trembling as though his lungs were about to give out. His face was a near skeletal white as his hands grasped for anything on his older brother; Mario couldn't even wince as he roughly grabbed his burned shoulder.

"Wh-Wh-Where are we…?!" Luigi screamed, his voice cracking as his eyes darted around, his fingers clawing into Mario's shoulder as if his very world were collapsing. "I… wh-wh-what is this?! WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

Mario's chest tightened painfully as he watched the terror possess Luigi. Swallowing the sting of helplessness, he instinctively hugged his brother tight. Against his chest, Luigi stiffened, but slowly succumbed to his touch, ultimately wrapping his own arms around him.

"I-I-It's… it's e-e-everywhere, M-Mario…!" Luigi stammered, muttering into Mario's chest. "It's… it's out there… he's still here…! Why is he s-s-s-still h-here?!"

"Shhh… shh… it's okay, it's okay…!" Mario squeaked, feeling a lump swelling in his throat. "I-I-I'm here, remember? Nothing's gonna hurt you, Lulu… I'm here…"

It seemed like hours as Mario continued holding his younger brother, comfortingly rubbing his back as he listened to his choking gasps. The sounds pained him dreadfully, but he willed himself to hold strong. Though torturous, he held Luigi just long enough until the trembling ceased and his breaths evened.

It was only then he realized the strange place they had found themselves in.

Mario stared at the crystalline platform they kneeled upon, marveling at his reflection sharing his wide-eyed gaze. Around him, just as they had out in the fields, stars rained around them, shattering to stardust upon impact. Above, the sky remained even clearer, though the inky darkness of night still shrouded them. Stars twinkled like diamonds, seemingly whispering amongst each other at the strange visitors. He looked down, noticing a strange emerald glow between them, only to find a glass green star in the center of the platform.

All at once, the name came to his lips. Before he could stop himself, he whispered aloud, "Shooting Star Summit…"

(Song: Star Spirits' Request from Paper Mario (2000) by Yuka Tsujiyoko) “𝒢𝓇𝑒𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈, 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑒𝓃… 𝓉𝒽𝓎 𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝒶𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓁𝑒𝓂𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎.”

Mario jumped, hearing the voice boom overhead. Immediately, he recognized it as the same one that had called upon him in his dreams.

As he looked up, his grip around Luigi tightened. His eyes widened as seven apparitions encircled them on each edge of the platform, each of them emitting an aura of wonder and duty. He'd heard tales of them from Peach during their many reading sessions; he had never seen them, but he knew they held the highest honor in the kingdom, guarding each sector that kept its heart beating. He hated to admit it… but he felt rather meager before them.

It wasn't until the eldest — by Mario's account, at least — drifted towards the brothers that Mario realized he had been staring. Instinctively, he pulled himself upright, wincing as Luigi pulled his arm.

Eldstar, Mario remembered.

He had never seen anything like him… though of a higher power, Mario felt a strange sensation near him; in a way, he nearly reminded him of an old relative. He couldn't help but relax in his presence as he stared. Though, for the life of him, he wondered why he appeared so… dim. He could see right through him!

In fact… all of them were the same…!

"𝒲𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇 𝒮𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓉𝓈," Eldstar proclaimed, the immediate recognition clear. "𝒲𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓋𝒶𝓁𝑜𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒽𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇 𝐻𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃, 𝒶 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 𝒽𝒾𝑔𝒽 𝒷𝑒𝓎𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓀𝓎, 𝒻𝒶𝓇 𝒷𝑒𝓎𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑒𝓎𝑒."

Mario felt his ears burn, feeling all seven eyes staring upon him. Quickly, he folded an arm over his chest, praying they wouldn't notice the one thing he could never fully hide. He felt Luigi hold him tighter, trembling at his side; though under less than ideal straits, Mario was grateful for his anchor.

At least he could focus on his mission.

"Um… h-h-hello," he awkwardly greeted, feeling his cheeks blush. "Um… I'm… I'm Mario… and this is my little brother, Lu—"

The elder star held out a hand.

"𝒮𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒," he intoned, firm but not unkind. "𝒩𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒𝓈. 𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊 𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓂𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓃𝓉. 𝒲𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝑒𝑒𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒𝒻𝓊𝓁𝓁𝓎, 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂'𝓈 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝓋𝒾𝓋𝒶𝓁 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒹𝑒𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊."

Mario jumped slightly as the Star Spirits gathered together, circling them intently. He felt Luigi's hands grasp his sides, taking everything within him not to wince. He began to grow dizzy as he watched the spirits, only to stare in awe as a dreamlike vision suddenly formed above him. Above him, encased in stardust and mist, stood the one thing he loved most:

The Mushroom Kingdom…!

"𝒮𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒶𝓁 𝓂𝑜𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝑔𝑜... 𝐵𝑜𝓌𝓈𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓀𝒾𝓃 𝒾𝓃𝓋𝒶𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇 𝐻𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃," Eldstar proclaimed. "𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒶𝓉𝓉𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝑜𝓃 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒶𝓃𝒹... 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒾𝓉... 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉, 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓏𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒: 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓇 𝑅𝑜𝒹."

Mario's eyes widened.

"The most powerful weapon in all of the Mushroom Kingdom… said to grant any wish the heart desires," Bowser's despicable tone echoed in his mind like a foul parasite.

"The Star Rod," another star spoke, this one of a motherly aura. "Is powerful beyond belief… it can grant any wish the heart desires. For as long as we can remember, Bowser has been making wishes for his own selfish desires…"

Across from her, a star with glasses stepped forward.

"Of course," they spoke, their tone dripping with disdain. "Us stars do well to discard such things… we serve to benefit those we guard, not harm. But Bowser… that selfish fiend… he discovered we had been ignoring his wishes."

(Song: Sesshomaru from Inuyasha (2000-2004) by Kaoru Wada) Mario's eyes turned to the vision above… had the sky always appeared so dark?

"When he found out we weren't listening," a star with a mustache sighed. "He launched an attack on our land. He stole the Star Rod to fulfill his own wishes…"

"I wish… to be the most powerful being in all the Mushroom Kingdom! I will be invincible! All will bow down to me!" Bowser roared in Mario's mind.

Mario felt his chest ache as he focused on his home, slowly becoming darkened by shadow. His eyes stung, watching the castle become uprooted from its post; he could practically hear the screams of the toads as they scrambled for safety… Peach crying out his name in desperation… Bowser's cruel laugh slithering through the streets as if he were a foul snake.

… the streets he failed to protect…

"He appears content, now," the star with glasses sighed disgustedly. "Perhaps it is due to your defeat and his capture of the princess—"

Mario's breath hitched, feeling a lump swell in his throat.

"— soon enough, however… I fear he will wish for more. This could spell danger for the kingdom… and it may not survive long."

Mario's eyes widened as he turned back to the vision. He let out a gasp as his hand flew to his mouth, holding back tears as he watched flames dance in the streets. The sky was as black as a cauldron, thick with smoke and embers. The toads… they were there… they were all there…!

This was all his fault…!

"It our responsibility to keep the Star Rod safe and use it properly," a muscular star bellowed, their voice urgent and strong. "We must return it to its rightful place in Star Haven!"

"Sadly…" a rather beautiful star wrapped in golden ribbons spoke. "As of now… you are far too weak to challenge Bowser. Because of his lust for power… he has made himself a formidable force by the power of the Star Rod. Facing him now would spell your death."

"However," a star with a book proclaimed. "Once we Star Spirits are reunited in our land, we can grant you the power to fight Bowser… even in his newfound state. With our help… there may be hope for the kingdom."

All of a sudden, the platform began to shake.

Immediately, Luigi squeaked, gripping Mario even tighter. All at once, Mario held Luigi to his chest, glancing around wildly… only to find the Star Spirits' forms growing ever fainter. The vision, too, he realized, had begun to fizzle, becoming nothing more than a memory lost to time.

Why…?!

“𝒜𝓁𝒶𝓈…" Eldstar spoke, his voice growing weaker. "𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇 𝒹𝓌𝒾𝓃𝒹𝓁𝑒𝓉𝒽. 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝓌𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝑒𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝑒, 𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓉. 𝒲𝑒 𝑒𝓍𝑒𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝓋𝒾𝑔𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝑒, 𝓎𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝓈𝒽𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓉. 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓊𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒽𝑒𝓁𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝐵𝑜𝓌𝓈𝑒𝓇’𝓈 𝓀𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝓇𝑜𝓾𝑔𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂. 𝒲𝑒 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓂𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓈𝓀… 𝓎𝑒𝓉, 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜 𝒷𝓇𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝓌𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝑒𝑒𝒸𝒽 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝑒. 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓀𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔. 𝑅𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓊𝑒 𝓊𝓈… 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓊𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝓎 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔𝒹𝑜𝓂… 𝒹𝑒𝒻𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝐵𝑜𝓌𝓈𝑒𝓇…”

(Song: Kagome and Inuyasha from Inuyasha (2000-2004) by Kaoru Wada) Mario's mouth dropped open before he could stop himself. For a moment, he could only remain silent before letting out an intelligent response of, "I… I'll…"

His voice caught in his throat, however, as he stared at the glittering platform… what right did he have to make such a promise? In all his time in the Mushroom Kingdom, it had been his sworn duty to protect the toads… protect Peach… protect Luigi.

What right did he have to swear to them he could save them, when he couldn't save a kingdom?

…

…

…

However… as he looked upon Luigi, his sad blue eyes boring into his… he knew it was worthless to give up. He needed him more than ever… they needed him.

He couldn't stop… not if he wanted to make it all up to them.

"We'll do it," he whispered, his chest aching as the words scraped his insides. However, he willed himself to stand strong. With a gulp, he turned to face Eldstar once more, his voice shaking, but louder. "We'll do it. We'll save you. And the kingdom. I… we won't let Bowser destroy it."

At this, the elder star seemed to smile.

“𝐵𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝓎, 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜… 𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝑜𝓉𝒽…!" he declared, his voice radiating with gratitude. "𝒯𝑜 𝓈𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓊𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝒿𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓃𝑒𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒷𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓀𝓈. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒, 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒶 𝓇𝑜𝑔𝓊𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝐵𝑜𝓌𝓈𝑒𝓇’𝓈 𝓀𝒾𝓃. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓈𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒷𝒶𝓉𝓉𝓁𝑒, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝓂𝒶𝓎 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝒾𝒹. 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝑜𝒶𝒹 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒷𝑒 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹 — 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓇𝑒𝓂𝒶𝒾𝓃 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓉𝓌𝑜. 𝒮𝑒𝑒𝓀 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓂. 𝒢𝑜 𝒶𝓉 𝑜𝓃𝒸𝑒.”

Then, right before his eyes, the stars finally fizzled out… leaving the brothers standing alone together on the platform. Neither one said a word as they stared at each other in shock, unsure of what had transpired.

Until…

"M-M-Mario…!"

Mario jumped as Luigi pointed upwards, only to see a familiar sight floating down towards them, carried only by stardust: the crystal chest!

As soon as it met the ground, the lid lifted open, revealing the inside to be a vast galaxy of stars, much to Mario's amazement. For a moment, he could only stare in shock, admiring each of the tiny stars his eyes could spot. But just as he grew entranced, Luigi tugged at his shirt.

"I… th-th-think… th-th-they want… an offering…" he murmured, his voice feeble and unsure.

"An… offering?" Mario raised an eyebrow. "What… kind of offering?"

"I… I d-d-dunno… b-b-but… it's here… r-r-right?"

True…

Mario stared back and forth between his brother and the chest, unsure of how to proceed. Before long, he shook his head reluctantly before reaching into their shared bag and pulling out a spare mushroom.

They already had plenty… yes?

"This should do," Mario sighed, dropping it inside.

No sooner than he did, a bright light engulfed the two of them… the last thing Mario felt was Luigi's hand grabbing his. And although he wasn't sure, he thought he heard Peach's voice…

- So first I gotta talk about dark stars real quick, in my lore they are a species of star and not just one guy

- Darkstars can not have parents, they are created from the shadow of millennium stars

- essentially what happens is when a millennium star is born, a Darkstar is created in its shadow to help maintain balance between light and dark forces of the universe. They are as pure light magic and as pure dark magic as any stars can possibly get.

- The Darkstar who begins the whole family tree IS the dark star from Bowsers inside story, his real name is Aludra. The Millennium star who he was created with is Prankstar, his real name is Capella

-THEY ARE NOT RELATED. I just wanna say that hear the deal with dark and millennium stars is less like a ‘these beings are twins’ thing and more like a ‘you are cosmically tied to this being by the strings of fate’ deal

-Without getting into Aludra and Capella’s complicated lore and more into the messed up lore of the history of dark and millennium stars, TLDR: Aludra was the star’s leader and Capella was his jester. They were in a secret relationship while Aludra was married to another star (the marriage had been arranged by the council)

- Aludra and his wife have 3 biological kids: Boomer (yes, the boss from mario rpg), Eldstar, and Smithy

- side note: star children are not made through. Yknow. They are made through a magic wishing ritual it is very easy and you don’t even have to see the other parent for it to happen. Also Eldstar and Smithy, those are not their birth names, they are titles earned later on, lots of higher stars have them

-Aludra also raises the next darkstar born, her name is Umbriel and Capella raises her corresponding millennium star, his name is Vesper. They are largely unimportant rn but just. That’s who they are

-Aludra is sealed away, his children fight for the throne, the Eldstar wins

-He then gets married to Mamar and has his four sons: Skolar, Kalmar, Muskular, and Klevar (again, I promise those are titles not their birth names)

-Lady Misstar wanted in on the high life and so started pretty much dating all of his sons at once, girl wanted the benefits of dating what are essentially star princes, good for her

-Fuck around and find out though, she has Twink pretty much on accident

-Star law says that stars are not allowed to have children with one another unless they’re married (a law made by Aludra to try and stop the overpopulation problem). but Klevar does not want to marry her

- so she does what any gaslight gatekeep girlboss would do, she lies to the stupidest of the children and says it’s his and she marries Muskular instead.

- he’s just happy to have a kid, he knows that ain’t his boy but he’s happy :]

-Twink is sent down to Starborn valley for his younger years just like any other star, no special treatment for him

-BACK TO THE SMITHY SIDE OF THINGS and oh this is where it gets complicated and ridiculous truly

- after his brother takes the throne, Smithy goes to him and has the idea of making vessels for stars, big metal bodies to keep everyone safe as stars are vulnerable little things. I mean just look at them

-Eldstar approves and they make the factory

- at first the factory is filled with volunteer stars who want to help but as progress is slow, they leave, Smithy is spiraling into madness

- well the factory needs workers, Eldstar starts letting his brother use children to work there

- Smithy has hundreds of kids with hundreds of other stars, he also takes orphaned stars to work the factory. Most die.

-They also serve as the star’s army, conquering more land and defending the haven

-He also forces his brother Boomer and his son to help him. Boomer’s son, Punchinello, would eventually flee the factory and hide on earth, settling in there

- Geno is one of his kids, he’s part of the latest and last group of kids. He’s towards the middle of the group

-Geno also flees the factory after realizing his father is out of his mind. He flees in one of his father’s wooden prototypes and dumps it on earth before hiding in space

-The Eldstar eventually finally realizes this has gone too far and tells Smithy to shut down the factory program, which Smithy retaliates by destroying the star road

-SMRPG happens. Smithy and his kids go to jail, they were bad

-at this point in personal lore/lore with my buddy, they are out of jail and the kids are all living together and patching things up

-there is also another darkstar, that’s Nebula, poor Yarid has been raising the damned thing

-also Yarid’s boyfriend. Yeah, we made him up sort of on accident. We had a list of canon characters. And we were gonna give him a boyfriend from those. Then we made Misha on accident and their interactions were nice so he got the role instead. Twas an fun surprise

-I think that’s mostly everything other than talking about Estelle, Castor, and Constella

-but essentially they were told by the higher stars. Oh hey, do you want a kid? We’ll let you have one without getting married, just for you because you are so special but don’t tell anyone they’ll get jealous :)) and then took their kids and put them in the factory

- also yes, all five of the axems were born at the same time, it was a terrible surprise. Their father had a meltdown. And they really did just name them each a color

-Also Trickstar is not on the star chart bc his title is a lie he is a comet not a star