Hello, everyone! There's a lot to cover in this author's notes, so let's get started. One, Super Mario 3d All-stars is now out and I'm excited to start playing them! I never played the originals. Color me shocked! Also, today is my birthday! I can't believe that one year ago, I posted my first story ever on this site and I will continue to give you all good stories and maybe one-shots when my mind comes up with something. I might draw into different series soon, but not now as I have another planned in the Mario franchise. Thanks to digimonhero for the favorite and follow! Now, enjoy, but beware, this one is a bit of a heart-wrencher.

Disclaimer: Mario's Nintendo's property, not mine.

Chapter 19: The Final Battle

Peach's Castle

Cackletta, Wario, and the Lumas warped to the front of the castle. "We haven't a second to lose," Cackletta said. "Wario, I'm gonna need your help. It's time to finish what we started." He nodded. She snapped her fingers and caused Peach to appear. "In order for this to work, we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"No!" Peach cried. "Please! I'll do anything! You don't have to destroy the planet! I'll give you my kingdom! Just stop!"

The witch shook her head. "So now you want to give your kingdom to me. Sorry, but that opportunity has come and passed. I gave you that one chance, and you blew it. There is no going back."

"Please, Wario! Make her understand! Killing won't get anyone anywhere! Tell her!"

"Silence!" Cackletta snarled in the queen's face. "Shut up with that nonsense! I'm tired of hearing that nonsense! One more word from you and I shall snuff your breath from you without hesitation!" Peach whimpered inside her bubble. "Good. Now that her stalling tactics are over, I believe we can get to our main objective." She walked to Wario and transferred some of her power to him as his hands glowed. "There. Now we shall be able to grow the blast big enough. Let us begin." They lifted their hands in the air. "Beanstar, I wish for this world to be destroyed and a new one be created!" A flash of light flew from the Beanstar towards the sky. It started to expand, covering the sun and blocking the light from coming through as it grew. Cackletta nodded. "Good. Now, keep it stable. I shall send the star things in." He nodded. She started sending the Lumas towards the blast to fuel the blast as it grew in size. She smirked as they flew towards it with shrill cries. A couple minutes later, Cackletta and Wario thrusted their hands down, causing the blast to enter the planet's atmosphere. The ground shook. The witch smiled. "Finally, my dream can come true." She snapped her fingers, causing Mario to appear. "And I will torture you after this is done." He whimpered. A blast came out of nowhere and whacked her and Wario back, causing the blast to freeze as it hovered in the sky. Cackletta glanced around. "What the?"

Starlow and her friends came on the scene with the Star Rod in tow. "Star Rod, disable the blast!" A beam of light shot from the rod and enveloped the blast. It disappeared in a flash.

Cackletta growled. "You! What the heck are you doing here?! I thought I told Fawful to kill you all! Where the heck is he?!"

"Oh, he's here," Starlow said. "He wants to have a little chat with you." The group parted as Fawful walked forward.

"What are you doing with them?" Cackletta growled. "Why didn't you kill them?! I gave you the power necessary to kill them! Why didn't you do it?! Why aren't you attacking them now?! Explain!"

He sighed. "Fawful has realized all the wrongs he wronged. He has regretfulness."

The witch snorted. "Really? You expect me to believe in such a pathetic act? How dumb do you think I am? Just drop the act already and kill them!"

"It's all true," Bowser Jr. said. "He told all about what happened. I know you had a hard past, but it's not too late for you. You can still change. You were once a good person who stood up for people. You can be that person again."

"Enough!" She glared at Fawful. "You told them everything?! Why?! That's none of their business!"

"Because Fawful has regretfulness and wants you to have changeness!" he retorted. "There is no need for more bloodshed! Please, Cackletta! Have changeness!"

She shook her head. "I can't believe this. This is so sudden for you. For all your life, you were nothing but a coward when bullies came to you. If it wasn't for me, I'm willing to bet you would've been beaten to death! I was a gift from God! He granted me the power to save you, but this is how you return the favor? By joining the very enemies that you've hated all your life?! By betraying me?! I trusted you! I thought of you as my equal, my partner! If I can't trust you, then you don't deserve any of the power I gave you!" She thrusted her hand, causing a root to strike in Fawful's chest as she sucked all the power from him as he screamed. "Maybe I should've let you be beaten from those bullies! Maybe then you could've learned not to be a coward all the time!"

Starlow grew desperate. She pointed the Star Rod at the Beanstar. "Star Rod, destroy the Beanstar!" A beam of light flew into the star, creating cracks and causing Cackletta's body to pulse, releasing the root from Fawful who heaved for breath. Seconds later, the Beanstar was completely destroyed, causing fragments to fall around. "Give up, Cackletta. You're source of power's destroyed. You're done for."

She chuckled. "Oh, am I?" She sucked up a couple of the fragments that were falling. She began to gag as her body began to transform. Her body turned into a huge purple gaseous figure, causing her legs to disappear. A red heart shrank as she glanced at herself. "Yes! Just as I thought! I have missed this body! You all underestimated me at your own peril!"

Bowser Jr. gasped. "What the heck happened to her?!"

"She swallowed the Beanstar fragments!" Luigi said. "She transformed into her soul form!"

She cackled. "I shall dispose of you all quickly and then eat you for lunch! I have all the power in the world for it to be done properly this time!" She lifted her arms in the air and whacked the ground, sending waves of earth towards them. Fawful took the Star Rod and destroyed the waves with a blast.

"Leave now!" he yelled. "Fawful shall kill her!"

Waluigi gasped. "What?! No! She's gonna kill you! You won't survive!"

"Don't worry, guys!" Starlow said. "I shall protect him. We will live. I promise." They nodded. "I suggest you all get moving. Fawful and I will kill her." They ran as Cackletta glared at them.

She huffed. "They decided to run away, hmm? No matter. After I finish with you two, I shall kill them off next in my food chain." She glanced at Fawful. "For so long, we saw eye-to-eye and now look where it has gone. We were so tight. It's such a shame that I have to kill you now. I thought I trusted you. Turns out that's what happens when your friends hang out with the wrong people."

"At least he had the decency to change," Starlow retorted. "You're nothing but a psychopath! You think you can get away with what you want just because you had a hard childhood! So what if your father abandoned you? Grow up! Why don't you stop making excuses and start maturing for once in your gosh darn life instead of acting like a crying child?!"

"Silence! This is between Fawful and I only! I didn't ask for your opinion, peanut gallery!"

"Well, you got it, anyway! I've never seen a person so self-centered! No wonder everyone hates you!" Cackletta didn't hold in her anger any longer. She swung her arms at the Star Sprite. She crashed into the castle.

She picked her up. "I'd suggest you watch that tongue of yours," she hissed. "You never know when someone might have an urge to hurt the heck out of someone else. You might trigger a wrong nerve!" She threw her across the field and she landed in the town. She crashed into the ground. Cackletta charged, but Fawful whacked her back with blasts from the Star Rod. "So," Cackletta said. "You're gonna try to face me with the Star Rod alone? You know you can't win."

"Have quietness!" he hissed. "Fawful shall have a beating on you like a flattened pancake! I have fury!"

"That cockiness shall end up being your demise!" She thrusted her left hand forward. Lightning zapped at the Beanish. He screamed as his body thrashed. He pointed the Star Rod in the sky, causing the lightning to be redirected into the sky, creating a huge sizzling sound. He growled and charged forward. Cackletta sent fireballs from her right hand as he ran towards her. He dodged them and swung the Star Rod across him, sending a wave of psychic energy at her. She tried to duck, but a part of the wave sliced through her arm, causing it to disappear. She gasped. He smirked and sent more waves at her. She countered by sending blasts of her own, causing them to collide as they dissipated. She whacked her hand on the ground, sending electric shock waves towards the Beanish. He created a vacuum helmet and flew over them before sending more blasts at her. They exchanged in a blast fight until more hit her other arm, causing it to disappear. Fawful thrusted the rod, shooting a laser that shot her back, causing her head to disappear and her heart to be exposed.

He thrashed on it by blasts, weakening her power. He telekinetically threw her across the field. Before he could continue to hurt her, she reappeared and whacked him away. He landed on the ground as she hovered over him. "So," she said, "It seems you figured out my secret. No matter. You will die within the hour." She electrocuted him, his screaming causing Starlow to wake as she found herself in the town. She gasped as Fawful continued to scream. She flew out of the town and whacked her off the Beanish.

"Starlow!"

"Hey, Fawful," she said. "Sorry for joining the party pretty late. I was pretty knocked out by her. Forgive me." He nodded. "You don't look so good. You take a break. I'll fight her." He nodded and rested as his burns stung. She grabbed the Star Rod as Cackletta shook her head.

She glared at the Star Sprite. "This is between Fawful and I only. This is your last warning. Stay out of this! This has nothing to do with you!"

"It so does!" she retorted. "You're planning on killing him and I'm not having it! I'm gonna give you a beating like last time!"

"We shall see who is more superior in skill, and it's obviously me!" She rushed forward with a flick of her hand, sending a wall of flames towards her. Starlow created a wall, deflecting the flames as they charged back at her. Cackletta redirected them. Starlow disabled them before disappearing before the flames disappeared. Cackletta growled and glanced around. "Where'd you go, you little prick?! I don't have time for your games! Quit hiding and fight me!" A blast hit her in the back, sending her forward as she fell on her face. "Stop this game of hide-and-seek at once!" A couple minutes later, she summoned a clone of herself. It sent a blast to a random area, causing Starlow to appear as she was sent back. "Ha! I knew my plan would work! You're gonna die from interfering in a fight that didn't need you to begin with!" As she charged at her, Fawful ran and jumped on her, grabbing her by the neck as she choked. "Get off me!" She yanked him off and threw him into the castle, screaming in pain.

"Fawful!" Starlow rushed in and blasted her away and rushed to him. "You mustn't be so reckless! Why the heck aren't you being careful?! You can easily get yourself killed!"

He nodded. "I have sorryness and hurtness. He wants a protecting of you. Forgive me." She nodded.

"If you want to protect me, then let me give you some power." She waved the rod at him, filling him with energy. "There. I gave you some power. You can stand a chance. Now, how do we beat her?"

"Expose her heart," Fawful said. "Have a killing on her arms and head and kill the heart of hers."

Starlow nodded. "Sounds simple enough. Let's finish her together." He nodded. They ran to her as Cackletta stood up.

She chuckled. "Oh, you two are gonna try to take me down? Oh, I feel honored for a challenge. How about we even the odds, shall we?" She created a clone of herself. "Now we're even." They shot fire and electric blasts at the two as they charged at the witch. They charged a huge blast together and sent it towards her, dissipating the clone and hitting Cackletta's hand. She growled and whacked her hand on the ground, causing flames around them to pop out of nowhere.

Starlow gasped. "Fawful, watch out!" She picked him up before the flames singed him. She flew him above her and knocked her back with blasts multiple times, knocking out her other arm. Cackletta growled and charged an electric blast with her mouth and launched it at them as it flew behind them, attempting to knock them out of the air. Fawful sent blasts at it. It dodged his attacks and blasted them out of the sky. They screamed as they fell. They crashed into the ground, heaving with exhaustion.

Cackletta floated to them with her arms reappearing. She shook her head. "I have to admit something. You guys are quite the adversaries. Reminds me of the good old days, doesn't it, Fawful? Remember when we had both Peach and the Beanstar together and we were gonna conquer the world? Don't you miss our friendship? You can still change. Stop this madness. I can still make our dream come true. The world scoffed and laughed at you. Join me and we can make everything anew. We can start over. You will never be taunted ever again. Join me."

"Never!" he snarled. "I have anger at myself for violence! He learns from new friends to abandon old ways of his! He will never have a joining of you! You go back to hell!"

She shook her head. "Such a pity you view our friendship that way. I was gonna spare you by giving you another chance, but it appears your mind has been tainted for too long. Fine, you give me no choice." She struck a sharp root in Fawful's chest, causing him to scream.

"Fawful!" Starlow cried. "No!"

"Take one more step, star thing, and I will shove this root deeper!" Cackletta snarled. The Star Sprite whimpered. The witch glared at Fawful. "It's such a pity you never took up on my offer. Now you shall never see the-" Before she could finish her sentence, Starlow whacked her off. She glared at her. "You fiend! How-" She grunted as Starlow sent one blast after another, screaming with rage as they knocked her back.

She then charged one huge blast and yelled, "DIE!", on the top of her lungs as the blast hit her heart, causing her entire body to crack.

Cackletta glanced at her hand and gasped. "No. No! This shall not be the end! This-" Her entire body exploded as her scream faded. Starlow heaved as she growled in anger. Her expression changed when Fawful was laying in the ground, making moans as a huge wound was bleeding.

She ran to him. "No! Fawful, h-hang on! I'll get help! Someone! I need medical attention!"

"Starlow, stop," the Beanish murmured. "It is too lateness for Fawful. His game over is nigh."

"No! I won't stop! I'm gonna uphold my promise! We're both gonna live! I swear! Someone, please help!"

"It's too lateness for me, Starlow. I feel regretfulness and sorryness for everything he had a committing of doing. He regrets not meeting with parents of his again." He sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"Stop!" Starlow cried, shedding tears. "Please, stop it! Y-You're gonna survive! I promised! Please! Someone, help me!" By the time she finished yelling, Fawful snuffed one final breath before going completely limp in her arms. Starlow let out the shrillest cry she ever gave in her life. She sobbed, her heart singed with anger and sadness. Her friends ran to her.

"We heard screaming," Bowser Jr. said. He gasped when he looked at Fawful's body. "Oh no."

"It's all my fault!" Starlow cried. "I promised to protect him and I failed! It's all my fault!"

"Listen," Rosalina said. "I know it's hard for you, but you mustn't blame yourself. If you do, you will feel nothing but shame and guilt your whole life. You must put these thoughts to rest. It will improve upon your overall mental health. These past few days have been going so fast. I say we take it easy. Cackletta is gone. The world is no longer in danger. Let's rest inside." They began walking towards Peach's Castle.

The Star Sprite glanced at the ground. "But it came at a cost."

"Try not to feel so down, Chippy," Bowser said. Mario and Peach joined him. "Fawful was very mature to change his views on the world. I have a good feeling that he might make it into the Overthere."

"He's-a right," Mario added. "All I ever saw from Fawful was nothing but madness from him. I'm sure Queen Jaydes will see the goodness of his heart."

"So let's go let Queen Bean know what happened," Peach said. "She could use some comfort right about now. Let's rest for now. Guards, take Fawful's body inside the castle. We will go to Beanbean Castle later." She glared at Wario. "And you're going to prison. Round him up!" They ran and g abbed him as he protested. She glanced at Starlow. "All we say is true without a doubt."

Starlow glanced at him. "Really?"

Bowser nodded. "Yes. Try to think about the bright side of things. It really turns your mood around. Learned that from Mario." He chuckled. Starlow smiled. "Come on. Fawful wouldn't want us to drown in sadness. We should celebrate! Cackletta is no more! Come on!" She giggled and followed him inside.

She glanced at the sky. "I hope you're OK, Fawful. You will be missed." She went inside the castle with a smile on her face.

Thank you all so much for reading this chapter! Such a twist that was. Next week is when the story ends. I've had such a blast writing this story! I will give my overall thoughts at the end of the next chapter. See you all one final time for this story!