Elemental Odyssey

Prelude to Battle:

That was the last straw! For several nights in a row, macabre dreams of an otherworldly nature had been invading Daisy's slumber. These dreams had been interfering with her sleep and sapping her of strength to the point where she somehow knew that they were just no string of random occurrences. No, something was different; something had changed, and there was no telling what it could be.

It was the witching hour on a cool, brisk autumn night as she walked through an open forest, images of her elemental abilities failing her and turning against her. She only had on an orange training shirt and black training shorts and shoes, but the cool air felt comforting. Not comforting enough though, for the cryptic and horrific visions from her dreams continued flooding her mind as she walked deeper through the forest path. The bizarre images grew ever more vivid; simultaneous suffocation underground, impalement by numerous crystals, crushing weight of sediment in all directions, and seismic forces threatening to rip her body apart. No, not images, not visions, she thought. You can't feel visions.

She then began to recall the voices she heard in the night. Voices that echoed and reverberated in her mind without ceasing:

Daisy...

Daisy...

Daisy... the time has come... your presence is necessary...

Her attention was drawn back to reality as she sensed a familiar presence. She turned her head to a clearing of open field off to the side to see the King of all Koopas marching towards her.

"What are you doing out here at this time of night?" Daisy asked.

"I should ask you the same thing myself," came the response from Bowser. "But then again, I never see you around anywhere at any other time in the first place."

Daisy gave a soft chuckle under her breath. "Yeah, it just so happens to be that way a lot of the time. But look where I am now that I've been having such morbid dreams lately."

"I need to go to The Forest Meadow to talk to Rosalina," Bowser responded. "I've been having rather unsettling dreams myself. Dreams where I am engulfed by my own flames, melted and charred alive at the same time, leaving nothing behind but my own skeleton. I'm assuming you're looking to talk to Rosalina as well?"

"You assumed correctly. C'mon."

The two made their way underneath the lunar light and the trees. The path they walked was lined with greenery, but there really weren't that many trees in total in the forest at all. To the right, Mushroom City was easily visible about a mile away, and on the left, the Solidus Mountain Range was visible far off in the distance. It wasn't long before they reached the outcropping of the meadow grounds. Apparently, Rosalina had anticipated their presence, as an astral clone of her body appeared seconds after they arrived.

"Greetings, you two," Rosalina said.

"What are you up to? Why are you messing with my head?!" exclaimed Bowser, suddenly irate.

"I did nothing," the Elder of the Cosmos replied. "I do know what is going on, to an extent, but I did not do a thing."

"Is this how you get-off?!" Bowser growled. "Do you know who you're screwing with here?!" He looked ready to lose what little patience his midnight awakening let him use.

"I know you both have been experiencing magnificently frightful visions in the last several nights," Rosalina continued. "Cryptic visions, malicious visions...apocalyptic visions... Listen carefully as I bring to you words of great importance from the stars above, from the cosmos that look down upon us all. These visions are a call to duty, a cry for help. The world is in grave danger and is on the brink of absolute chaos!"

Daisy and Bowser shared an intense look of before Rosalina went on. "A great and powerful figure has dispatched forces across the western continent here and has meddled with the sacred elemental shrines. In doing so, this being has started a chain reaction that is distorting nature as we know it!"

"So who exactly are we dealing with here?" Bowser asked.

"What exactly does this being hope to accomplish?" asked Daisy. "Why mess with the order of nature? This is all sounding really demented already!"

"What makes things worse is that this being is of unknown origin and has somehow been able to evade much of the sight of the overseers of the universe," Rosalina added. "Not even I have any information on him, although I will continue to decipher what the cosmos reveal in hopes of uncovering this grave mystery. Fortunately enough, this being was seen enough for counter measures to be made. I believe his actions have been the catalyst for your nightmares, but the dreams that you have been having are proof enough of the corruption of the elemental shrines. However, only those destined to purify the shrines have been receiving these dreams. The physical pains that you have gone through as a result of your dreams show your connections to the elements. Hopefully you realize that the affinity to your respective elements carries much more meaning and importance than you thought before."

"I have always done what I could to make sure I was as connected to earth as I could be," said Daisy. "Though the connection has never been more apparent than it is now."

"Can you please spare some breath to try and explain what exactly these, 'elemental shrines' are?" Bowser questioned.

"You must have heard of them!" Daisy said to Bowser. "At least one of them?"

"I may have – my memory's not very good right now, considering the lack of sleep," Bowser replied.

"Each element has a shrine which contains an elemental gemstone," Rosalina explained. "The elemental gemstones are what has kept nature in the balance that it has been in since its inception long ago. You must travel to and purify these eight shrines and cleanse them of the creatures that have infiltrated, invaded, and infested the sacred grounds. Fire, Stone, Earth, Water, Air, Ice, Light, Shadow; all have been corrupted by a malevolent force working in the background. I'm not even sure of the magnitude of this malevolent force or how it came to be. Figuring out that part is going to be up to you."

Daisy and Bowser both then shared a surprised look, but made sure they gave Rosalina their full attention. The mission the Elder of the Cosmos described certainly seemed like one not to ignore.

"Daisy – Earthen Spirit – and Bowser – Flame Titan – do not ignore the call to destiny," Rosalina urged. "Please accept this monumental mission!"

Earthen Spirit, Flame Titan, Daisy thought. Why'd she call us that? I'm an earth wielder, and Bowser's a fire wielder, but I don't think I've ever heard any earth or fire wielder called either one of those...

"Why can't one person do it?" Bowser asked Rosalina with irritation. "Or better yet, why don't you do it? Purifying shrines and fighting a super-powered being? That's right up your alley!"

"I don't know," said Daisy. "The prospect of facing a being with such power definitely sounds like fun!"

"I'm not saying I can't handle it," Bowser said. "But why us two? Can't you get somebody else?"

"It is not so simple," Rosalina answered. "A shrine can only be cleansed by the destined wielder of its own element."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Bowser. "Explain how we are supposed to cleanse these shrines with just the two of us then? I hope you don't expect me to pull icicles out my ass!"

"You both have key roles to play in this grand act," Rosalina assured. "And destiny has allies in store for you if you are ready and willing to trust it. Each ally will be of a different element and you will not have to worry too much about searching for them. There are six others out there that you have not yet encountered but who have all experienced similar troubles. Everything will fall into place, all this the stars have revealed to me."

"So why didn't you call in Mario to do your dirty work for you?" Bowser asked in skepticism.

Daisy wanted to say something similar. Mario and Luigi had always been the ones handling all the heavy-duty missions. Despite all the training she had done, she had never been given a chance to show what she can do. Out of respect for Rosalina, she refrained from saying anything.

"I had no control over the nightmares of which you have been experiencing," said Rosalina. "Although you and Mario are both on par in terms of your fire abilities, if it has just so happened that you have been called upon for this journey and not Mario, then it is simply not his destiny to complete it, but yours. Besides, I think you'd benefit from this journey far more than you're allowing yourself to realize."

Bowser laughed in a slightly sardonic fashion. "Listen, granny, just because that destiny stuff's relevant to you doesn't mean you get to force it down our throats like feed to pigs. I have much bigger plans and visions to pursue than worrying about your problems."

"You overgrown, narcissistic fool!" Daisy barked. "Can't you see that this is encompassing a larger picture? A problem of this magnitude affects all of us! Or are you simply just too selfish to see past your own self-engrossed endeavors? Why don't you tell me what your true goal really is? What are you really trying to accomplish? What are you trying to hide?"

"Sing your sonnet all you want Daisy," Bowser snarled. "Now I'm not your enemy but I damn well can be if you don't stay out of my business! Likewise, you have plenty more secrets than I – everyone can attest to that, I'm quite sure." He turned to Rosalina. "And you! As 'all-powerful' as you're supposed to be and you can't handle this yourself, 'Elder of the Cosmos?' "

"How about I show you what the underground looks like?" Daisy snapped.

"Oh please, you're gonna through dirt at me?" Bowser mockingly said. "Is that supposed to hurt me or make me have to bathe?"

"Oh, I can do much more than that!" Daisy assured.

"Okay – shiny dirt?"

"That does it!" Daisy yelled as soils began to swirl around her feet. "I hope you have enough fire to burn your way out of what I'm about to put you under!"

Rosalina was unfazed by the escalation. "Truth be-told, Bowser, the legends passed down through the generations become ever more exaggerated as time passes. Although expansive, my power is more limited than you believe. The stars hold the keys to many things and it is within your best interest to take heed of their influence. You are limited by what you don't know, yet you are reluctant to accept information and reality. The reality is, you are necessary for this great task and you must fulfill your duty."

"No thanks," Bowser calmly replied, turning to walk away. "I think I've had enough of this prophetic nonsense for one night. I'm outta here."

"Nonsense?" said Rosalina. "If the shrines are not purified, the corruption will eventually spread past the shrines and out to the whole world, plunging everyone and everything into chaos."

"I doubt it!"

"Your dreams will continue to give you pains."

"I don't think so!"

"Or do you not want to know what happened to your parents?"

Bowser immediately halted to a dead stop. Daisy dispelled the earth elementals that had been gathering.

"What do you mean, granny?" asked Bowser in a much more tame manner.

"Maybe instead of taking out your vendetta on the Toadstool family, you can accept your destiny and learn the truth of what really happened in the distant past," the Elder of the Cosmos suggested.

"You know what happened?" asked the Koopa King. "How can you say something like that?"

"Ah, I see I have your attention now," Rosalina contently said. "No, I do not know exactly what happened. I do know, however, that the stars will reveal to you what you are seeking. This is truth."

Bowser contorted his face in confusion. "Okay now you've just gone insane. How am I supposed to 'read' or 'talk' to a frickin' star?!"

"She doesn't mean literal stars," said Daisy. "She means that you will find out as we follow the stars."

Bowser thought this over for a brief moment. Daisy could only wonder what it was that Rosalina and Bowser were talking about, but decided against asking. I have my own issues to have to deal with, she thought. So I know that if there's something I don't want to talk about, then I'm not going to talk about it. Respect for privacy is important.

"Don't think you won't benefit from this either, Daisy," said Rosalina. "Your own past must be resolved in order for you to truly realize your full potential, and your destiny will take you deep into the territory that you have avoided for so long."

Daisy's face turned angrily grim. Just as Bowser had his own issues, whatever they were, Daisy knew that she had her own as well and cringed at the possibility of having to deal with the plights that had caused her so much tribulation in the past. Bowser took notice of the change in Daisy's mood and the mass amount of tension that now occupied her eyebrows, before saying, "I think I speak for the both of us in saying that we would be glad to undertake this quest."

Daisy made eye contact eye contact with Bowser. Even though they were two completely different beings, right then and there, they both gained a mutual understanding that they had to go on this journey both for the world as well as themselves. Daisy then turned to Rosalina and nodded in confirmation of Bowser's statement. If this calls for confrontation of my past, I must not and will not run from it, she thought. It has to be dealt with. I'm not the type to run away! No, far from it!

"We of the Comet Observatory are so grateful for your help," said Rosalina. "The adventure that you must embark on is unlike anything which you have experienced so far. Your abilities will be tested, your will tried, your confidence milked, your very lives wagered, but you must not waver from your path. You are about to engage in battle against a foe shrouded in mystery, his motives unknown, and his underlings substantially strong. Please, do not take my words with a grain of salt; the powers that I am sensing emanating from the shrines are unlike anything either of you have come across before. The beings that the Mario Brothers have encountered in their past journeys are all child's play compared to what lies in wait for you. In your current state, it may very well take the two of you combined to even be able to stand-up against one of them! Bowser, Daisy, I sense great determination and courage in both of you, and I ask that you use it all as you will most certainly need it! This great task is not for the faint of heart! And that is also why you have been chosen for this!"

Daisy and Bowser looked at each other and exchanged nods. Neither of them had any intention of backing out now.

"The enemy that you must face is of exceptional power," the Elder of the Cosmos continued. "And as you advance further along down the road to finally facing him, you will develop your own powers as well! He has placed the majority of his forces within the shrines, so be wary when you approach them. You will need this to purify the shrines."

At the snap of a finger, a silver mirror made of ancient gemstone materialized in front of Bowser. The Koopa King grabbed it and noticed the ethereal feel it had to it. He also noticed that the lens did not actually have reflective properties but was just simply a piece of glass...or appeared to be just glass.

"This is the Dimensional Mirror, able to dispel negative energies," said Rosalina. "You must take this to the elemental gemstone of each shrine and aim the lens at the gemstone. Then you will have to blast the elemental energy representative of each shrine at the gemstone through the lens. By blasting through the lens, you charge the elemental energies in a manner that is able to dispel the corrupted forces from both the gemstones and the surrounding area, therein liberating the shrines. As I said earlier, I would expect that this great enemy has placed a guardian in each shrine to make sure that none of them are purified as the elements become more and more dysfunctional, and as the world gets drawn closer and closer to the edge. I do not wish to think what will happen should the corruption continue..."

"Then don't think about it then, and just leave it to us!" Daisy declared.

Rosalina nodded, then pointed into the distance towards the Solidus Mountains. "There. You must begin your journey by heading off towards that mountain range. Just follow the path and trust that fate will put everything into place."

"You keep bringing up this 'destiny' and 'fate' when you fail to realize that we are all making independent decisions here!" Bowser slyly said. "If you're going to get us lost, I'm backtracking and going to go to the real you to give you a whole new understanding of the meaning of 'deep-fried!' "

"It's a deal," Rosalina replied.

Bowser narrowed his eyes. "Why you smart little old-"

"C'mon and let's go before you burn off all your energy before we've even fought a deku shrub," said Daisy.

"Alright, but we should prepare ourselves for this trip before departing," said the koopa. He then mumbled, "And...sorry, for earlier, Daisy."

"It's fine; we've got much bigger things to focus on! We're a team now!" Daisy proclaimed as she lead the way.

Bowser chuckled to himself, intrigued by Daisy's enthusiasm in the face of a looming apocalypse. This girl is really something else, he thought as he followed close behind. This'll definitely be interesting, but I know that the real reason I am here is to find out the rest of what happened in the past. Then, I can look ahead into the future. You better not be messing with me Rosalina; this is too important to me for you to try and make a joke of. I've gone through too much...

Rosalina looked on as the princess and Koopa King went to prepare for their journey. If they should fail in their quest, the world could be destroyed from the chaos of the elements, thought the Cosmic Queen. I must trust that fate has chosen the right heroes to save our world. My role is limited, but I will do my best to provide whatever assistance I can. Unfortunately, even my help won't guarantee their victory. Still, I must continue to have faith... because faith is all that we really have in the end.

Once the two elemental wielders of earth and fire were out of her sight, Rosalina's astral body dispersed. The adventure had begun.