Meteors consumed Plit's sky, putting on a wondrous show for its otherwise-uneasy denizens. They're no strangers to comets and other astronomical wonders—Rosalina's centennial comet show being the prime example—but they weren't accustomed to the loud bangs as each meteorite smashed into the ground. Still they gathered, foolishly awe-stricken by nature's destructive beauty.
Unbeknownst to the citizens, the glowing streaks weren't meteorites, but spacecraft evacuating an extraterrestrial planet they never knew existed. As each crashed onto the ground, its scorched, yet intact passengers limped towards a safe yet unsecured environment.
Mario, Peach and Yoshi were no exceptions. They crashed in a field covered with warp pipes large and small. The characters emerged from the wreck within seconds, coughing and wiping their sooty eyes. Their instincts begged them to flee the scene. They ran a hundred meters from the ship before they studied their surroundings.
Yoshi marveled at the pipe-saturated horizon. Having lived in the more technologically-behind Yoshi's Island, the green dinosaur—although familiar with warp pipes—never encountered a slew of them before. He wanted to travel down every pipe just to see where he'd end up.
Peach's reaction mirrored Yoshi's. She knew where she was; they're back in the Pipe Maze portion of Pipe Land. Although stuck in the Maze, she's comforted knowing they're back in her kingdom and not a strange, distant land.
But Mario stared at the pipes in dread. Other than Ludwig, Mario's the only person known to scout the entire Pipe Maze, and even he had trouble getting through it. The Pipe Land Transportation Agency manipulated the Pipe Maze's confusing nature by transforming the dead ends into warps for other areas within the world—those areas are well-documented, but the areas appear close to civilization. As far as he can tell, the trio's in no man's land.
"This is not good..." the plumber sat down, took his cap off and squeezed it in anguish. Peach and Yoshi, breaking away from their marvel, gave Mario confused stares.
"How come?" Yoshi questioned, "Yoshi like this."
"We're lost," Mario sighed, "This part of the Pipe Maze hasn't been remodeled by the PLTA."
"The transportation agency?" Peach inquired, "There must be a way to get out of here without relying on them, right?"
"We can always explore pipes," Mario suggested, "But if you think this will be an easy task, you'll be wrong."
"Well-"
Before Peach finished her sentence, a flash erupted and a deafening explosion flooded their ears. Shaken, they glanced at the explosion's epicenter: only a crater remained from where the spaceship sat. Not a shred of spacecraft debris remained at the location.
"Wow..." Mario perked up, "This... I have no doubt that this alerted people. We need to get out of here as soon as we can!"
Now frantic, the red-clad plumber scanned the area for a warp pipe entrance before he spotted one just west of the crater. He dashed towards it and jumped into it. Peach and Yoshi follow him in haste, neither wanting to lose the only person with at least some knowledge of the Pipe Maze. As they traveled down the pipe, they landed not in a dark cavern as they expected, but in a high-tech bunker lit by installed electric lights and powered by a bunker-wide computer system.
"What... What is this?" Peach stared at the lights in confusion. The light fixtures reminded her of the lights found at the Madoso Complex, modern designs and all. Just as Madoso's lights were, they're most likely solar-powered, which isn't a Pipe Land energy norm, "Was Council involved in this?"
"I have no idea..." Mario trailed, confusion throughout his voice, "Even the most developed areas of the Pipe Maze don't look like this."
They explored the bunker until the tunnel split into several rooms. From one, the trio heard a tinkering, as if a blacksmith was forging metal. Tip-toeing towards the source, they looked in and gasped. Inside, an old man in a white coat hammered a nail into a sophisticated machine, a welding mask covering his face.
"Hoo hoo, welcome to our bunker, visitors," the professor greeted the three, his back still toward them.
Their hearts pounded, but the three cannot move their stone legs from the situation.
The old scientist took his mask off and walked towards them, smiling. His black-stained messy hair showed his use of motor oil, while his dirty face testified that the inventory's bunker, despite its high-tech wonders, lacked a shower.
"It's quite the getaway, hmm?" he pulled out an oil-stained rag and wiped his hands with it.
"E. Gadd? What's this?" Mario interrogated.
"This?" E. Gadd repeated the question, "Why, this is our personal area of study; our refuge. Everything about the Madoso Complex was brainstormed by Ludwig and I in this very room, away from the rest of Excogitate and away from Wario's naggings. I even have a bedroom here."
"None of us knew about this," Peach frowned at the professor, "It's against the rules of the Council to keep information hidden from other Council."
"The Council is dead; it's a bureaucracy that died the moment the Magikoopa Tower was set ablaze by traitorous Magikoopas. The rules no longer apply to me anymore, silly!"
"What?" Peach questioned, confused at E. Gadd's answer.
The old man sighed before he escorted the trio to an adjacent room. Mario, Yoshi and Peach marvel at the room: in it, a large television, aided with a surround sound system and several blue massage seats greeted the quartet. The room didn't have much pull in the interior design sector, but its technological advances rival Madoso's. E. Gadd plopped down on a lounging chair and turned on the television.
"Ahh yes, my favorite relaxation room," E. Gadd continued, "But I'll show you young ones what's going on."
E. Gadd flipped to one of the news channels. The protests in Ice Land, Water Land and Giant Land broadcasted, and the surround sound system filled the room with their demands. Peach stared in horror as the scene transitioned to martial law in Pipe Land and koopan armies leaking into Pipe Land from Dark Land.
"We don't have kingdoms anymore, young'uns," E. Gadd stated, "Well, let's be fair. We gave up our power the moment we joined the Society. Now? Some bad eggs from Council decided to take over our kingdoms while we were too preoccupied worrying about apocalyptic events, finding the Wands and finding the Elder Gods' weaknesses. Meanwhile, Bowser Junior's causing riots and taking over everything else suffering from the power vacuum. Neither side supports our true interests."
Peach grimaced at the news, but a revived sense of hope filled her when the news showed peaceful settings in Grass Land, Desert Land and Sky Land. They haven't revolted or joined the koopas yet. If she can get there in time, she might be able to restore peace.
"So... We've been duped," the princess concluded, "What do we do? Side with one of them?"
"I'm not so sure that will be the greatest idea, Princess," E. Gadd concluded, "I know Toadette went to the League-controlled bunker in Desert Land. You can always check that out."
"What's the closest pipe to Desert Land?" she asked.
E. Gadd opened a panel from his chair and entered a code, and a green warp pipe rose before him.
"Here. Use this."
Peach stared at the pulsing pipe before she turned to E. Gadd.
"Do you have everything coded or something?" she questioned, "Why stay here?"
He shrugged, "Isolation. I'm planning for what happens after this conflict. I might meet with you guys when I'm done."
"Well, okay," she shrugged, "Let's go, guys."
As with Mario, Luigi's spacecraft crashed nose-down in a remote area. The green-clad plumber pushed the smoldering spacecraft's bent door open and climbed out. He noticed Daisy looking around the cockpit, still buckled in and appearing delirious. He studied the disfigured door past her and cringed—opening that door will be impossible.
"Daisy!" Luigi clapped his hands to get her attention. Daisy looked at the younger Mario brother, her eyes widened. She too noticed her current predicament.
"Luigi!" Daisy cried, "I can't get out!"
"Take your seatbelt off and grab my hand!" Luigi commanded, his adrenaline rush spiking. He's unsure of Mario's location—that much hurts him—he can't afford to lose Daisy.
Daisy unbuckled her seatbelt. She put her foot on the compartment box between the driver's seat and the passenger's and hoisted herself towards Luigi's hand. She pushed on the box with her legs while Luigi pulled her arm. She's elevated enough to climb from the ship and through the open driver's side door.
"Man..." Daisy exhaled, "That was tough."
"Yeah..." Luigi's voice wavered, now observing the scene. Only the jungle surrounded him. Scores of piranha plants hung from trees and frogs spat a mysterious liquid into the air. The canopy blocked the Sun's direct rays, but the air's mugginess made up for the uncomfortably hot conditions, "But something tells me the fight's only beginning."
"Uh huh," Daisy panicked when a piranha plant near her began snapping, "Tell me about it! I went from a safe space to this!"
Luigi nodded, "What now?"
Daisy pulled out her MIDST, praying for the device to work but to no avail. Luigi repeated the action and retrieved the same result. The fire must've destroyed the MIDST's server.
They lacked the ability to contact anyone.
"Man... I don't think the citizens here will be happy, considering I'm supposed to be," Daisy cleared her throat and made the double quotes gesture with both hands, "Kidnapped."
"You can always say you were just lost."
Daisy stood in silence, exhausted and anguished. Just days ago—even hours ago—she'd be among the most knowledgeable people in the world. Now she thinks a plan, unknown to her, may be brewing under her nose.
"We need to be careful, Luigi," the Sarasalandian princess concluded, "Eventually, the citizens WILL need to know about the Complex, the Sages and the Elder Gods."
"Have all the Wands been found?"
"I'm not sure yet. The search for the Wand of the Elements was called off; maybe that one was. But... If you ever thought Council was united on everything, you'd be wrong. Power's held only by a few there. Me, Peach, Mario, Toadette and others have been in the dark on specific issues before."
"Huh..." Luigi nodded, "What do you think caused the fires? Do you think Council caused it?"
Daisy sighed as she continued walking through the jungle, cautious about stepping into pitfalls and tripping over large tree roots. Passionate songs from the birds and the lush smell of the water-saturated jungle air did little to calm her anxiety.
"Don't know, Weeg. This wasn't just a regular kitchen fire in Floor 2. From reports, I've heard it was started in the middle of the Magikoopa Tower. Even as part of Council, I wasn't allowed to enter that area."
"Reports? From who?" Luigi caught up to the speedwalking princess.
"From people in the stairwell. That's how in-touch I am with Council," Daisy exhaled, "I hate this, Luigi. I was used and abused by them. I was the one framed as kidnapped; now those in Sarasaland won't ever gain trust in me again. Worse off, this was all for naught. Everyone with knowledge about the future is here now. The uninformed citizens will find out everything from the Complex defectors at any moment."
Luigi nodded.
"I think we should tell them," Luigi confessed, "Tell them all. We need to."
"But-"
"Tell them they involved you without your permission and blackmailed you then!" Luigi continued, "But this stupid thing got us in this position!"
Daisy remained speechless. Instead, she considered the plumber's words and weighed the pros and cons. She wanted a transparent leadership. She wanted to be open with her people, but she feared for how they'd react to the news. Unless she reworded the prophecies in a way that acts more as a warning than an actual prophecy.
"You're right," the princess sighed, "We'll tell them at the best chance we get. Now, let's try to find a way out of this creepy forest and back home!"
They explored the jungle, cautious of every trap while eyeing anything that'll be of use. By now, the Sun slipped below the horizon and mosquitos invaded the jungle's every square inch. Daisy swatted the pesky bugs while Luigi, whose skin remained covered save for his face and a large tear in his left overall leg, focused on alternatives.
A warp pipe stood before the duo. Luigi stepped towards it, but a piranha plant popped out of it. He stomped on the plant, uprooted it and tried going down the pipe.
"No warp pipes. This one's shut down."
"Great..." the Sarasalandian princess lamented, "From luxury to this. Yay camping!"
Luigi ignored Daisy's complaints, instead focusing on the jungle's skyline. A tree stood out among the others; its glowing branches stick out like a sore thumb. He approached the tree and scanned its top branches—two obscured ? Blocks.
"Wait!" Luigi exclaimed, "Those blocks might have a leaf or a cape!"
Luigi wrapped his arms around the tree's trunk and scaled it. About a third of the way up, Luigi jumped onto its lowest branch and focused on climbing the other branches until he's within jumping distance of the ? Blocks. He whacked the block with his knuckles; two P-leafs escaped the blocks. Luigi grabbed one and turned into Raccoon Luigi, while the other floated towards Daisy. The princess reached for it and sprouted both her raccoon ears and her bushy tail. Her transformation complete, Daisy flew above the jungle's canopy while Luigi followed closeby.
"Hey! This is Giant Land's forest!" Luigi remarked as the duo flew high enough to see the horizon's curvature, "I know the landscape from the air!"
"Huh..." Daisy replied, "I was hoping we were closer to Sarasaland. We need to get home so I can repair everything."
"Back to Sarasaland?" Luigi questioned, "Right... That's a long flight."
"Yeah, but-"
Before Daisy finished her sentence, a mysterious voice filled her head, causing her to lose her train of thought. She focused on the voice in her head, recognizing who it's coming from.
"Daisy... Get to Desert Land. Now. I'll explain later."
Rosalina. Frankly, Daisy didn't understand how the cosmic princess gained the ability to transplant words into her mind. She knew Rosalina's well-intentioned, but the capability creeped out the flower princess. Despite not wanting to reply, she reckoned Rosalina's reasons for contacting her would be important.
"W-what? Rosalina?"
Luigi exchanged puzzled looks with Daisy, who shrugged before replying.
"Dunno. I just heard her voice. But change of plans. We need to go to Desert Land. Where is it?"
Luigi pointed southwest, "With our flying speed, we can be there in... A half hour? An hour?"
"Let's go then. This seems urgent. You lead."
Luigi obliged before he flew southwest, with Daisy not far behind. As time ticked by, the pair noticed the topography change from a forest to the Desertlandian border's sprawling savanna. A few minutes later, the savannahs turn into barren, sandy dunes. Daisy stared at the uniform landscape below in awe before a sudden noise snapped the princess from her appreciation.
"GRAAAAAWWRRR!" the noise continued.
Daisy and Luigi panicked at the alien sound. They turned around. A large flying atrocity soared towards them. The behemoth's nothing compared to any baddie either character's seen. It had a yoshi's head, a goonie bird's wings, a reznor's body and a klepto's claws.
"W-what is that?" Luigi stuttered.
The beast unleashed its yoshi tongue towards the pair in response, but the red appendage wasn't long enough to reach either. Daisy grabbed Luigi's hand and sped from the monster.
"No time to talk! Floor it, Luigi!"
The duo increased their speed and lowered themselves toward the sand dunes, hoping the sand will blind the beast. After spending what felt like an eternity dodging cacti, rolling hills and dust devils, the duo reached an oasis. They navigated through the palm trees, throwing off the beast before the two continued their flight south. While the beast's no longer hot on their tails, they didn't want to play any games of chance.
Exhaustion settled on the two, and the beast gained ground from the duo's slowed flight. It unleashed its tongue, missing Luigi's tail by inches. The plumber panicked, but he lacked the energy to escape this time. Instead, Luigi collapsed on the ground. Daisy tried picking him up, but her fatigue prevented her success.
The behemoth flapped its goonie wings over them, staring hungrily at its prey. Its gray yoshi face released its best imitation of a smile. Shivers course through the two humans' bodies as hopelessness sunk in. The monster opened its mouth and mimicked a laugh before rolling out its far-reaching tongue.
Just when the two finished their book of fate's last page, a light beam struck the behemoth, and the separate body parts launched in four different directions. The duo's panting filled the otherwise silent void, interrupted only by a tenor voice.
"The heck, that was the second one today," the voice sighed.
Daisy moved her head to the voice's source and spotted Lemmy Koopa riding an ostro, his koopa wand in hand. His rainbow hair appeared damp, as if recently washed, while he donned a peach linen robe from head to toe.
"Hi, you two!" he exclaimed, "I'd be careful out there. I saw one of those at the oasis a couple hours ago."
"What even was that?" the desert princess groaned.
"I dunno. Some freak that looked like it came from some failed experiment. I'd laugh at them if they weren't so dangerous," Lemmy shrugged, "Luckily, they seem weak to my wand."
"Well, I'm glad to hear. Thanks," Luigi mustered the energy to reply, "But what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," the koopaling answered, "This is the route between the oasis and the Ourania refugee shelter. I help Toadette run the shelter. Over the past couple days, we've been receiving refugees left and right, including…" he paused, "Your brother."
"What?!" Luigi jumped from the ground, "He's okay, right?!"
"He's in a better shape than you are," Lemmy got off the ostro, "Here, get on. I'll take you to the shelter so you can rest and see him."
Luigi and Daisy climbed onto the ostro, while Lemmy walked beside the large bird, guiding it to the shelter. Luigi and Daisy were both happy about finding Lemmy; they doubt they would've survived another minute of that chase.
"Thank you, Lemmy," Daisy said, "Thank you for everything."
"No worries," he grinned, "It's the Altruistic way!"