CHAPTER 44

4 Hours Remain…

Peach stands at the edge of the land her abandoned castle rests, waiting for the "Guide" Mario told her about. She rematerializes her Master Sword and stares at it. She's never been so scared in her entire life.

"What am I supposed to do?" She wonders. "I know I'm meant to be the Mushroom Kingdom's savior, but how am I supposed to fight against the kind of power Calamity Bowser has?"

"I see my brother left you right where he told me you'd be" says an all too familiar voice behind her. She turns around to see the one and only...

"Luigi!" She exclaims, trying to give him a welcoming hug, but only grabbing air.

"Ah, Sorry." Luigi says. "Unfortunately, I'm still dead."

Peach nods sadly, now seeing that Luigi is but a spirit.

"I'm sorry Peach, I can't be here for you anymore. Neither can Mario, you're on your own now."

"I know." Peach replies. "I'm ready to go back and save the world...though I have no idea how to...or if there's even a world left to save." She frowns.

"Your world is still intact, Bowser is having too much fun gloating. It looks like he's just waiting for that giant moon to fall."

"The Moon hasn't fallen yet?!" Peach asks. "I still have time!"

"That's right, Peach," Luigi says. "So don't lose hope yet! I can get you back out there too!...Are you ready Peach?"

"Yes! I'm ready!" She smiles.

Luigi turns into a ball of light, before disappearing completely. Peach follows suit, turning into a bright white light and shooting into the sky, past the stars, past the void.

"Good luck Peach!" Luigi's voice can be heard. "Remember everyone you have kept in your heart!"

"My heart..." Peach says.

"Only three and a half more hours to go!" Calamity Bowser cheers as he watches the Moon of Majora inch closer and closer to the planet's surface. "Three and a half hours until I become the King of this Planet!"

Suddenly the large dark orb that had kept Peach begins to have several rays of light coming out of it, Calamity Bowser gets up.

"What is that?" He asks.

Suddenly the Dark Orb explodes in a glorious light! Peach is back in perfect working order again!

"No! No! No! NO!" Bowser screams. "How the hell did you do that?! How are you still alive?"

"Calamity Bowser '' Peach says calmly. "I am calling upon my own friends to aid me in setting you free from the Triforce!"

She raises her Master Sword in the air, "I call upon those who helped aid me in becoming queen to aid me in this final battle for the sake of the planet!" As she calls their names, a ball of light rises from their bodies. "Link! Zelda! Naranjo! Yashil! Azura! Burnscar! Maxil! Daisy!"

She pauses."...Luigi!...Mario!"

Two more light balls form. Peach sees this and smiles. "I want you all to give me your strength, your courage, your wisdom. That which gave you the ability to stare down impossible odds and still overcome them! Give me the ability to rid our kingdoms of Calamity Bowser and save our planet!"

Peach's Master Sword begins to glow.

"Not if I do it first!" Calamity Bowser yells, whipping out his corrupted sword. "Everyone! Give me your power again! Let's finish Peach off for good!" Bowser's sword is fueled with a dark aura as he fires another Ultra Powerful Beam of Darkness as Peach fires a much brighter Multicolored Beam of Light!

The beams clash!...Neither is showing any means of giving up!

"NO!" Bowser yells, falling back. "I will not lose! This is my planet! No one will take it from me! This entire planet will be under one leader! Me!"

"Leader..." Peach says. "That's it! Bowser! You're about to learn the greatest reason to find harmony between your fellow leaders!"

As she speaks, Peach begins to glow with power. Bowser's face falls in defeat as he sees this.

"I don't know what you're doing, but you can't win!"

"Toads of the World, I need your help." Peach's voice echoes throughout the Kingdoms. "Our planet is in danger, and I need your unique traits to help me protect it from evil!

Red Toads of Toad Town, I need your passion and focus to live as comfortably as possible.

Orange Toads of Shiver City, I need your loyalty to do what is the right thing for your fellow Toad.

Yellow Toads of Kakariko Village, I need your dedication to a celestial being.

Green Toads of Yoshi Island, I need your courage to protect your island from harm.

Blue Toads of the Zora's Domain, I need your ingenuity to create and take control of even the most complex of devices.

Finally, the Purple Toads of the Sea of Trees, I need your sense of family and community to look after each other. and love one another."

"Please! Whatever ability you have to provide to help the planet! Give it now, or else all is lost!"

"Peach is in trouble!" A Red Toad in her castle says. "Get your lazy butts off that coach and get in line!"

The Red Toads run around and stumble over each other, until eventually they stop, nod, and jump around until…..they finally form a perfect line! Several red beams of light come from them

"Peach saved our city from Bowser's forces and being melted by an artificial sun!" says an Orange Toad in an army outfit. "It is our duty to protect and serve! The enemy of our enemy is our friend! Bring honor to Peach!"

The Orange Toads fire Bullet Bills in the air, orange beams of light come out of them.

"The Honorary Elder that saved the Brothers of the Sun requires worship! Provide it brethren!" says a Yellow Toad Elder. "Pray! Pray like you've never prayed before!"

The Yellow Toads get on their hands and knees and bow to a makeshift altar of Peach. Yellow beams of light come out of it.

"Peach and her friends saved us from pirates! As well as the Toads of the neighboring islands!" A Green Toad says. "Prepare a feast in honor of her!"

The Green Toads gather a bunch of melons and other delicious fruit into a pile! A green light beam comes out of it.

"Peach, Azura, I'd give the world to see you two safe!" The Old Blue Toad King says, walking to a panel….."Even if it means solving an impossible puzzle

The Blue Toad takes the cube shaped artifact…and puts it into the square shaped hole. He solves the puzzle that took his kingdom centuries to figure out. Launching a blue light out of it.

"We were wrong about you Peach!" Queen Lavender says. "Hoist the monster into the air to show our apologies!"

The Purple Toads hoist Doopliss into the air on a series of sticks! Purple lights come out of them!

Back at the ruins of Ganon's Tower, six beautiful rays of light fill the night sky with a magical rainbow! These are the colors that represent the 6 different types of Toads that Peach asked for help from.

"I will be Peach's ally! I will be Peach's ally!" A Red Toad chants.

"It'll be an honor to serve you, Peach!" Cries an Orange Toad.

"A pleasure to work with you, Peach!" Says a Green Toad.

"Thank you for trusting me. Peach!" Says a Purple Toad.

"As long as you keep living in the ways we learned from our elders, I will honor your presence, Peach!" Declares a Yellow Toad.

"The future is bright with you, Peach" says a Blue Toad.

The six rays of light converge into Peach's Master Sword as it begins to shine in different colors.

"Wha-what's happening?!" Calamity Bowser cries as both he and Peach launch their beams.

"You think I'm scared by this?!" Calamity Bowser yells. "Your power is nothing compared to mine! I'm the real king of this planet!"

Peach grins widely and gives her last words.

"You're right. My power alone cannot meet yours, because your power is run by making your subjects fear you because you get rid of whoever fails you. Such a style of ruling limits their courage, and those who remain loyal to you still clearly do not have much wisdom or strength to provide when you call upon them.

When you rule by compassion, understanding, and a desire to help everyone rather than hurt them. Building bridges instead of burning them. You invite a whole new set of colors to paint your world with. Each of them is unique and each of them ready and willing to help you in your darkest moments just like when you helped them in theirs. This is how a leader rules their Kingdom! Working in Harmony! Like! A! Rainbow!"

Peach fires a gigantic Rainbow Colored Beam of Light at it. Peach's beam overpowers Bowser's as the light washes over him. Bowser begins to scream.

"No! Nooooo!" Bowser screams. "This isn't fair! You've ruined everything! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to-" Bowser is interrupted by the sound of a familiar scream. His own.

The inky darkness of Calamity Bowser fades, his hair dulls, and he begins to shrink...and shrink...and shrink. He shrinks until he's reverted back to his normal Bowser size. The Dark Matter on the grounds of Ganon's Tower has faded, every one of Peach's friends begins to awaken and the clouds in the sky have parted, letting the evening sunlight in once more.

It was over, Peach had won.