Mario and Luigi: Brothers of the Stars Re-Written Edition
The night of the Star Festival this year was…eventful.
First of all, one of the biggest threats known to ancient mushroom kingdom history, the First Universers, had attacked for the first time in one thousand years. The terrible beings from a universe long ago that didn't belong here, were outlawed in most kingdoms of the Mushroom World, because of how dangerous and terrible their advancements and technology could be. The laws had driven them off until that night.
Second, it stopped a third Bowser attack during the Star Festival. Everyone knew big and scaly from Darkland would be making his entrance until the First Universe attack stopped it mid-way and attacked both parties. Third and craziest of all, the Bowser attack was stopped by a SECOND Bowser, the first universe version. The fiend had large purple bat wings and a steely glare of the same color. He was also really tough. He K.O'd both bros and the better-known Bowser with one punch each and laid ruin to the castle, as the skeletal army of old dry bones and their airships that burst from the ground unexpectedly in a surprise attack no one else on the field saw coming, and it left everything destroyed.
Oh, yeah. The other Bowser also kidnapped Peach.
He had snatched her up under his arm and flew into one of the skeletal airships that left shortly after. The kingdom was left in total panic as the bros. and Bowser remained out cold the rest of the night. Star, the newly appointed castle janitor, had taken charge of the situation, despite his inability to speak. He may have just been a janitor, but the situation was under control pretty quickly under his guidance. Bowser was taken back to his castle for rest, while the Mario Brothers were taken home. Now, all the citizens had to do, was wait for their heroes to reawaken.
Mario woke first, as per usual, with a pounding headache. Luigi woke soon after with a headache of his own as both brothers looked at each other and sighed. The headed downstairs after their pounding heads ad dimmed their ache enough to be tolerable and headed outside, where Star and Toadsworth were talking.
"How could such a terrible fate descend upon our poor kingdom at a time like this?!" Toadsworth wailed. Star was doing his best to comfort him, despite not being able to speak. The fancy coat of his had a hood that covered most of his face, but his mysterious starry eyes were full of an undeniable kindness. Star was patting Toadsworth on the back when the old shroom recognized the forms exiting their household.
"Mercy, Masters Mario and Luigi! Please tell me you remember what happened last night!" Toadsworth exclaimed, leaving Star's comforts in an instant to talk to the Bros. Mario nodded solemnly in response. "That brute of First Universe origin ran off with our dear princess, and after a thousand years of lying dormant no less! Those rapscallions must be taught a lesson, Master Mario, I suggest you find and pound all of the First Universers you come across to remind them who's winning this war!" Declared Toadsworth. Mario nodded in agreement, fierce determination in his eyes. "And please, bring our dear Peach home safe and away from those feinds!"
Time for a new adventure! Mario waved for Luigi to follow him, exited for what they might discover along the way to the princess. Luigi followed, exited his brother was bringing him on another endeavor. Though, the thought of fighting First Universers was scary. From what Luigi had heard, First Universers were brutally tough, with advanced technology and trillions of years of training due to their inability to die of old age! But Luigi couldn't be scared now. Even if he had been taken out in one smack last night, he had to be strong now, for Mario's sake as well as the kingdom's. He trailed behind Mario toward their first destination. Whatever it was.
Star suddenly grabbed Mario by the shoulder and gestured to a sign he was holding up. Of course, because Star couldn't actually speak, he used the sign to write down what he wanted to say. "You want us to head to Glass-Shard Dessert? It's where you saw the First Universe Bowser heading with Peach?" Mario reasoned aloud. "Glass-Shard Dessert!? But that's a really dangerous place with all this sand and lava and sharp glass pieces everywhere! Plus, I've heard that through all of that stuff is an extremely powerful fire spirit that guards the center of the dessert!" Luigi exclaims. "Sounds like a fun challenge!" Mario decided while Luigi looks at his brother in shock. "Bro, you can't be serious! Glass-Shard Dessert is dangerous! Besides, we won't get two feet in without our hammers, and we misplaced them during that fight, if you could even call it that, with that First Universe Bowser!" Luigi sternly told his brother.
Star then pulled two things out of his fancy green overcoat and handed one to each brother. "Oh." Luigi huffed as he was handed a brand-new hammer. Star's eyes seemed to hold a mischievous look as he did so. "Alright, we're ready! Let's-a-go!" Mario cheered as he dragged his brother along behind him. Star wrote something on his sign and held it up in the air as the Bros. departed. It read "Good Luck." Toadsworth only looked at Star confused. "Star, when did a janitor like yourself get your hands on two heavy-duty hammers like that?" The old toad asked. Star responded with a shrug.
"Okay, to get to Glass-Shard Dessert, we need to head east over Beachside Plains," Mario stated confidently. "Well, we're at Beachside Plains now, so east would be that way, right?" Luigi pointed in a direction. "Looks like it!" Mario exclaimed, chipper as ever. The started walking along the grassy beach in the direction Luigi had pointed. "When we're off of adventure mode, I'd love to enjoy the surf and sand around the ocean here," Mario commented. Luigi looked up at a grassy palm tree. "Kind of strange how thin the grasslands are here; the ocean is basically right outside the castle!" Luigi exclaimed. "What of it?" Mario asked. "I dunno…I just feel like…the grassland should be a bit bigger than this…" Luigi pointed out. Mario shrugged. "Yeah, me too. But there's been a beach here as long as I can remember," the elder Mario brother responded.
"Hey, is that...!" Mario began, before a yellow star spite zipped over in the brother's direction. "Hello Yellow, you two!" the sprite greeted. "Starlow!" Both Bros. cheered at the same time. "What are you doing here?" Luigi asked. "Oh, my boss said I should wait around for you two," responded Starlow cherrily. "You have a boss?" Mario asked, confused. "Yeah, the King of the Universe. He's pretty much the main man behind the Star Spites, even if he doesn't show his face around much. He's actually the one who told me to represent the star sprites during that blorbs epidemic, as well as give me a free vacation to Pi'illo Island. The guy thinks of everything!" Starlow elaborated. "Well, I guess you're coming along again?" Mario asked. Starlow nodded. "Yeah! Where are we headed?" "Glass-Shard Dessert. Our First Universe princess kidnapper was last seen headed in that direction," Luigi explained. "F-First Universe…ki-kidnapping…GLASS-SHARD DESSERT?!" Starlow was at a loss for words. "Yup, come on, we can't dawdle here much longer! Glass-Shard Desert is up ahead!"