World 0

The Dark Star.

An artifact of terrible power, the Dark Star was said to be an object immeasurable in both strength and malice. None knew of where it came from, but all who were crushed beneath it knew that its dark power was unmistakable. It was said that, should an evil entity find this artifact, he or she would be able to plunge the world into an eternal darkness. So, fearing this, the ancient ones, were forced to intervene.

The beings who had watched over us from above chose to sacrifice so many of their numbers, burn away so many lives, just to seal that twisted darkness away. To stop the threat of the encroaching darkness, these beings gave their lives up freely, so that the rest of the world could live in peace.

That had been ages ago.

Over time, the ancient ones' sacrifice faded from both sight and mind, their loss gradually turning from history to story, then story into a fleeting, forgotten legend. As the shadow of the Dark Star waned, the rest of the world grew complacent, unaware of the oblivion that had almost consumed them. For a time, only those that ruled over the Kingdom knew of ancient myth, and the royal line swore itself to secrecy, so that the legend could sleep undisturbed... But even they could not succeed indefinitely. And now, through the ambitions of a single deranged soul, that power had been unleashed, plunging the world into an eternal nightmare.

...No. Not nightmare. For those end when you awaken. And as Princess Peach stirred from the hazy darkness of unconsciousness, the nightmare persisted.

A black wind howled, and for a moment, the young maiden was lost. All around her, a terrible maelstrom echoed and raged, the winds so thick with malice that they blotted out her vision. Just where was she, that she could've been so surrounded by such a thick storm? Yet, as she looked around, she began to recognize the world around her, as the iconic spires of the Mushroom Castle stood valiantly against the wind.

"What's this, wind?"

A low voice echoed through the darkness, instantly familiar to her as she turned to the source. There, wearing a ferocious grin with razorsharp teeth, was the greatest threat to the Mushroom Kingdom himself. And Bowser, the King of Koopas, almost looked triumphant as he stood there on the rooftop of her castle, surrounded by the raging winds. Just how did he-

"That's your big dark power? A windstorm? Don't make me laugh!"

The Koopa's voice bellowed clear, cutting through the storm, rather than with it, as he stared defiantly at her direction. That's when she realized that his grin had not been natural, but forced, his teeth clenched as he struggled not to be pushed back by the terrible storm. With a start, the princess followed tyrant's gaze, wondering just what it was he had been defying, only for her to seize up when she spotted a second Bowser.

Peach's eyes widened in fear, and she she held back a yelp as she tried to pull away from the imposing figure, only to draw the attention from the beast itself. It turned towards her, the monster's crimson eyes staring her down, and that's when she understood what it was... The creature was not a second Bowser. Rather, the thing before her was a piece of hate itself, a shadow that the Dark Star had copied from the Koopa King, all to realize its terrible goal of destruction.

Recollection came crashing down on her, and the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom remembered all that had occurred. Fawful, the Dark Star's Seal, his terrible machines... All of this were the workings of one insane man, lost to vengeance and hatred, just so he could lay waste to the Kingdom itself.

The beast threw her a bloodthirsty grin, practically feeling her fear as it mocked her with a fanged smirk. Still, it eventually turned away, fixing its attention back to Bowser. But if Bowser was here, where was...

"Am I nuts?! Did I just hear Mario and Green 'stache?"

The alarmed voice of the Koopa King tore away Peach's attention, and she immediately turned to face the tyrant. And as he stood against the wind, she could see that, for some reason, he was staring at his stomach, shouting at himself rather than the opponent before him. Worry shifted to confusion as the princess stared, trying to make sense of what Bowser was doing.

Then, she heard the lilting chime of Starlow. More than that, she heard it echo from within the giant Koopa, and Peach's eyes widened in fear. Why was the representative of the Star Sprites, the ancient beings who had once sealed away the Dark Star, inside Bowser's stomach? Princess Peach was left with more questions than answers, as she could hear nothing more than the indiscernible ring of the swallowed Star Sprite, and tyrant's own the confused words.

And even those began to fade away, the wind intensifying to ruinous levels as it began to rip away pieces from the castle. Stone and debris flew upwards, swallowed up in the terrible storm, and the princess could only stare in fear as she saw the distant figures of her subjects, all wrapped inside murky spheres of shadow. Part of her wanted to immediately rise up and help them, to free them from their prison, but the winds did not allow her to act. She had no choice but to sit and watch as her subjects were pulled farther and farther away.

Darkness slowly encroached, suffocating sound and vision. Her body grew tired, drained and exhausted as she clung to the crenelations of her waning castle. And through that darkness, a single voice echoed out, steeped with malice that she could never hope to win against.

"Still here?"

Its words were almost bemused, a mocking vibration that through the air as it filled the rooftop with a relentless charge. But at the same time, there was a slight hint of surprise as it spoke out, and the Princess couldn't help but feel the same way. How was she still here, collapsed and crippled against the dark, while all of her subjects were whisked away? How had she-

"Has the dark power not crushed your puny hopes?"

...What?

Those words spurred the princess, and slowly, with all the will she could muster, she opened her eyes.

"Soon, this kingdom will Vanish, along with all who dwell within." There, she saw the Dark Star, its shadowy form and crimson eyes piercing through the dark winds. Its words were heavy, clinging to the world around them, its words almost immutable as he glared forward. "And you, too, shall sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!"

It was speaking with something. Someone. And through the billowing winds, she saw the silhouette of the monster's opponent, standing just as tall as the Dark Star itself.

"Gwa ha ha!" The tyrant wore a grin of his own. No longer forced this time, as his steely eyes stared at the shadowy. "Great dark hurricane! Seriously, perfect backdrop for an awesome final battle! You really sweat the details!"

The woman's eyes widened. Of all the reactions she had expected from the Koopa, this had not been it.

"Listen up! You're saying this kingdom will vanish?" Fearful blue eyes and hateful red eyes both settled on the Bowser's face, the conviction he wore clear as the tyrant pointed a single clawed finger towards his shadowy doppelganger. "Not today!"

His voice tore through the wind, and for a moment, the darkness flickered.

"This kingdom is mine, so you vanish!"

Both the Koopa and the Shadow drew a breath, only to unleash a blazing inferno before them. Heat kicked up, blasting away the wind in a terrible display of power as orange flames fought against a purple light. And through the flickering embers, Princess Peach caught sight of the Koopa's eyes, cocky and sure as he stared at the Dark Star, his voice clear despite the constant howl of the all-encompassing hurricane.

"Showtime!"

She had to do something. As she watched the two figures fight, Princess Peach knew that she had to do something. It felt wrong that, in the face of such adversity, only her Kingdom's mortal enemy was able to stand against the darkness. It felt wrong that she alone stood at the sidelines, while someone else faced the threat that she had been forced to unleash.

So the princess gathered herself.

Fueled by determination, she slowly rose to her feet, the darkness no longer quite so oppressive as she prepared herself. She quickly searched for a weapon, her eyes darting around the winding stage, only to spot a familiar form from the corner of her eyes. Almost instantly, she reached out into the storm, ignoring the pain that wracked at her gloved hand as she grabbed the item.

Her parasol.

The princess smiled, then turned her gaze back to the battle at hand. As brash as he was, Peach knew that Bowser couldn't hope to stand against the Dark Star forever, at least not alone. Yet, before she could move to assist, their enemy acted first, as the black figure drove a claw downwards into the stoney roof. A pool of shadows stretched out, and from the darkness, countless minions crawled out, cruel mockeries of things she once found familiar.

A koopa with hateful red eyes and shadowy black scales was the first to rise, quickly turning towards her before it lunged out with a ferocious snarl. Peach was ready, and quickly bolted to her left, rearing back her parasol as the monster landed beside her. In one swift motion, she brought her weapon forward, knocking the beast back with a single strike, declaring her intent to stand against the shadow.

The dark koopa snarled, before retreating into its bone-white shell, spinning forward in place as a red glow emanated from the monster. Without warning, it launched itself forward, fully intent on crashing into the princess with a nearly unstoppable rage.

And with a swing of her parasol, the princess send the monster back, the force of the impact reverberating through her arm as she forced the creature towards its kin. The monster bowled into a trio of dark koopa, and all four of the creatures exploded into a wisp of smoke, bleeding back into the storm around them.

Two more monsters approached, pitch-black goombas with crimson eyes that sprinted forward in a mad dash towards her.

Just as before, the princess was ready, leaping up into the air as he legs carried her skyward. She twisted herself, bringing her parasol back down, closing the tool around her as she gathered her strength, only to descend back down to the castle as a metal comet.

One dark goomba shattered instantly, and the other was knocked away by the force of the impact, thrown off the side of the castle. The rest of the monsters stood still, carefully watching her with their eyes, waiting for her to act.

And then, from nowhere, the form of Bowser barrelled in, his spiky shell quickly ending the existence of the shadow forms, returning more smoke to the twister around them.

"Gwa ha ha-...huh?" The tyrant's laugh was cut short as he noticed the princess, a single brow raised in confusion as he stared at her. After a few moments, however, his laugh intensified, his fangs clearly visible as he grinned at her. "Hah! Mario's nowhere to be seen, so the princess has to protect herself! Hilarious!"

Peach frowned, her eyes falling on the koopa king as she glared at him. "What's so funny abou-"

"Sorry, princess, but I'm a little bit busy at the moment!"

His voice was followed by a loud clash. Without warning, His doppelganger came rushing in, fist wreathed in shadowy fire, only to be stopped by the tyrant's own clenched hand. The impact rang through the air, and she could've sworn she saw the embers ripple. The shadowy form of Dark Bowser leapt into the air, curling in on itself to form a deadly ball of spikes, only to descend on the Koopa King. Bowser braced himself, and his own rigid shell deflected the monster's descent, another sound ringing through the air.

"Can't you see I'm taking back my kingdom? Bwahahar!" And with that, the koopa rushed forward, his fist slamming against the monster's stomach. Something flew from Dark Bowser's mouth, but the tyrant didn't seem to notice as he charged his shadowly clone down, forcing it back with another powerful punch.

The princess turned her attention to the curious artifact, only to widen in fear as she realized what it was.

Or rather, who.

Staring back at her was the tiny form of Fawful, the man who had caused this all in the first place, completely consumed by the power of the dark star. He too was a mockery of himself, reduced to a pitch-black head with spidery legs, his glasses practically molded into his eyes as it swirled with crimson light. More striking than that, however, was the antenna that grew from the top of his head, ending off in a glowing purple sphere.

That was... the Dark Star! The fragment itself!

Fawful must've noticed the look in her eye, as he immediately bolted away, trying to skitter back towards Bowser and his clone in a single mad rush. However, she wasn't about to let him get away, not when he had already caused so much pain. Peach wouldn't let him. The princess gathered herself, focusing on the threat before her, clenching her weapon as she watched the Dark Star.

She was the one who had broken its seal. By her power, the final barrier that the ancients had formed around the evil had been shattered. So, if she had the power to break such a thing, sure she had the power to do more.

No one noticed the glow surround the princess. Bowser was fixed on his shadow clone, and Peach herself pushed away all of her senses. Only the twisted specters, the monsters summoned by the Dark Star, were there to watch the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom as she was surrounded by a blinding glow. Only the shadows were able to witness the woman push forward, chasing after the fragment of evil power in a single streak of pink light.

And only the shadows fully understood what she had done when Peach brought her umbrella down on the Dark Star.

Something cracked. A scream tore through the entire castle, the very air rippling with energy as she heard—felt—the dark star shatter. But more than that, Princess Peach felt the soothing warmth around her slowly seep into the fractured fragment, a tiny seed of light that burned into the darkness.

The shadows rippled, convulsed, then ceased to be.

In a single silent moment, a blinding light erupted from the shattered star, and consumed all.

She hurt all over.

The first thing that came to the princess's mind was a sensation of fatigue and pain. For a moment, she had wondered what she had done the previous night, since she could think of nothing from her normal duties that would've...

"Princess!" A sonorous voice echoed out. The Princess awoke proper. Immediately, her eyes shot open and the girl rose to her feet, turning her attention towards the source of the sound. Her worry quickly faded to relief as she caught the familiar sight of a certain Star Sprite. The tiny sprite wore a smile, her eyes fixed on the princess as she fluttered about in the air. "You did it! I can't believe it, but you did it!"

"Starlow?" The woman was confused, her eyes following the sprite as she slowly drifted along the wind. "Did what? What did I do?"

"You defeated it!" The Sprite's words did little to placate her question. She was just as lost now as she had been moments ago, and the princess gave the tiny creature a stare as she- "The Dark Star! You defeated the Dark Star!"

"What?!" And just like that, she recalled what had happened. Her eyes immediately turned away from the sprite to her surroundings, trying to see if it was truly the case. Instead of the artifact, however, the Princess found herself staring at unfamiliar woods. Had... had they been launched so far? She remembered a bright light after she struck the Dark Star... Did it explode? Was that why she hurt? The princess turned her gaze back to the Sprite. "Wait... the forest? What happened?"

At those words, Starlow's expression fell, stopping in the air for a moment as she stared back at the princess. Peach could tell that something was wrong, as worry flashed in the jubilant Sprite's eyes. However, the Sprite remained silent, and Peach found her eyes wandering through the scenery once more.

"Starlow...?"

"Princess..." A familiar male voice drew Peach's attention, and she quickly turned to the source. A small bit of relief welled up inside her the moment she saw the two brothers, standing safe and sound before her. Yet, just like the Sprite, their own expression seemed a bit more reserved. Worried, despite the fact that they had won against the shadows. Why?

"Something happened after you destroyed the Dark Star..." Mario's voice answered her.

Something...?

"We're not too sure what yet, princess, but... well..." Luigi's words followed his brother's, equally subdued as he looked away from her, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the trees. "It sent us somewhere. And we're not too sure where."

"You're... not?" Peach began to feel some of the worry the two plumbers had felt. After all, they were the ones most familiar with the area surrounding the Mushroom Kingdom, so if they didn't recognize where they were... what did that mean? "We don't know where we are, then? Or how to get back to the Kingdom?"

"A-about that..." A tiny voice cleared her throat. Three pairs of eyes turned away from one another to face the Sprite, who had been silent up until now. Starlow gazed back at them with a solemn expression, her eyes filled with worry as she stared forward. "Normally, I would be able to help... After all, we Star Sprites have watched over your world for countless generations, so under normal circumstances, I'd be able to find the Mushroom Kingdom. But..."

Princess Peach froze, her eyes fixed on the sprite. The way she was speaking was enough to tell the woman that this was most certainly not normal.

Starlow gestured skywards. The three travelers from the Mushroom Kingdom stared up.

And a single broken moon stared back down at them, illuminated by a foreign, alien sky.