Mario speaks:
"I know that I should be happy for her. But I can't be. She is getting married to a prince that no one has ever heard of. This prince from a kingdom no one has heard of. Why is it that SHE should marry him? Why should Peach marry a stranger that suddenly appears in our kingdom? Why was I not chosen to be her husband? Why? I guess it doesn't matter. After all, Luigi was right for one thing, I'm not royalty, and I'll never be royalty. I never had a chance with Peach at all. Who was I kidding? Like the dear princess have her prince. I'm nothing to her but a bodyguard anyway. I just hope Bowser doesn't hurt her though, just that prince Darius."
Chapter One: To You
Bowser and Kammy Koopa had invaded the Mushroom Kingdom castle yet again. Mario, Daisy, Luigi, and Mallow quickly gathered, Frogfucius getting Yun, Mallow's fiancee, out of harm's way. The tall, young, blond haired attendant of Prince Darius ran to Princess Peach and helped her to her feet. Darius was staring a hole through the intruding Koopa King. Bowser was still cackling from when he invaded the castle. He stopped as he saw Darius and Peach running to him. Not only was Mario infuriated by this, but Bowser as well.
"So, you're this Prince Darius everyone talks about so much?" Bowser asked, pointing a claw at the young prince.
"And if I am?" Darius said, his voice sounding like a British accent.
"I demand that you surrender Princess Peach to me! She doesn't deserve to marry a chumpstain like you! Now hand her over!" Bowser shouted.
Darius cracked a grin on his face and silently chuckled. Kammy and Bowser looked at him in confusion, as were the others in attendance. Darius looked at Bowser with determination in his eyes.
"Why should I hand my bride to you? She doesn't love you! So what if you helped her save the world's wishes from some psychopathic blacksmith? That doesn't prove that she likes you!" Darius shouted at Bowser.
"Watch you mouth, little man!" Kammy shouted, pointing her wand at Darius.
Mario, Luigi, Mallow, and Daisy quickly ran up the stairs to help Peach and Darius. Before they could make it, Bowser threw a bob-omb at the group, destroying the stairs and causing the four to spiral to the ground. Peach gasped and noticed the Tierkreis Crystal lying near the broken coffee table that Peach has crashed into. She ran to it and picked it up, it shining pink in her grasp. Bowser and Kammy looked at where the light was coming from, as was Darius. Peach ran at Bowser and held the crystal in the air, as if she knew what kind of powers the crystal had.
"What the hell is that thing?" Kammy asked.
"Your destruction..." Darius whispered.
Peach held the Tierkreis crystal in front of herself, pointing it at Bowser and Kammy. Within seconds, a dome of pink energy surrounded the Mushroom Kingdom, as if an explosion was occurring. But then, the Tierkreis started to turn black. Darius looked baffled at the sight of this. Mario, Luigi, Daisy, and Mallow awoke just in time to see it. Peach gasped and dropped the crystal but it started to float in mid-air. A strange hum was resonating from it, as well as an incantation of sorts.
"De tierras lejos y tiempo y espacio
ahora tómela de este nuestro lugar
uno que las detenciones así que deben permanecer
la envían de nuevo a su dominio.
De tierras lejos y tiempo y espacio
ahora tómelas de este nuestro lugar
dos que la detención así que debe permanecer
las envían de nuevo a su dominio.
Oiga estas palabras, oiga la rima
Preste atención a la esperanza dentro de mi mente
Envíeme de nuevo a donde hallazgo de I'll
qué deseo en lugar y mido el tiempo.
En este lugar y sobre esta hora
invitamos la energía antigua
Abra la puerta con tiempo y el espacio
crea una trayectoria a otro lugar."
With those words said, the dome of pink energy turned black and dark electricity crackled within it. Bowser and Kammy screamed in fright as a bolt of lightning nearly struck them.
"What is going on here!" Mallow shouted.
"I have no idea!" Luigi shouted.
"This can't be good! This definitely is not good!" Daisy cried.
Mario looked at Peach, who was backing away from the Tierkreis. Darius looked at the crystal, then at Peach. He quickly ran to her and grabbed her hand. The attendant ran to them as well.
"Your Highness, what is going on here?" he asked, his voice too sounding British.
"I don't know, Kalan!" Darius replied.
"You should know! That crystal is your kingdom's treasure!" Peach shouted.
She shrieked as a bolt of lightning struck Darius in the back, rendering him unconscious. Kalan tried his best to awaken the fallen prince but to no avail. Mario and his group had to find a way to get up to Peach. Suddenly, a staircase formed of clouds appeared where the broken one had been. They turned to the doorway to see Yun holding her hands out.
"Go! Climb the stairs! I can't keep them there for much longer!" she cried.
They did as was instructed. They quickly ran up the stairs of clouds to Peach, Kalan, and the fallen Darius. Kammy and Bowser were now hiding in the Clown Copter, trying to avoid being blasted by the lightning. Mario ran to Peach as fast as his legs could carry him. He held out his hand toward her, as Peach held hers out to his. Before they could touch, the Tierkreis shattered. Twelve beams of colored light flew from the shattered crystal and out the windows of the castle. As all twelve disappeared a blinding white light covered them.
Mario felt like he was falling from the sky like he did when Bowser blasted him with the Star Rod. He didn't seem to care if he was going to die. He kept thinking to himself that he had lost everything he had dreamed for in the Mushroom Kingdom. But now his chance at peace was finished. He didn't care anymore. The last thing he could remember doing was trying to reach out to Peach. He should've known that something like this would've happened.
He was guessing that when... no, not when... if he ever woke up that he would be told to rescue the Princess Peach again. Why should he bother? She had her knight in shining armor to save her now. What would she want with a lowly plumber now? Forget her. Forget Peach, forget Darius, forget the Mushroom Kingdom, forget it all! He was just being a tool for poor little Peach and the rest of these mushroom headed bastards. Screw them all! They can take care of themselves! They didn't need Mario to kick around anymore. That was the first thing Mario wanted to do as soon as he woke up, find a way back to Brooklyn and live the rest of his miserable life there.
"Hey, Mario! Wake up! Are you okay!" came a voice.
Mario's vision slowly returned to him as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked around, he was in his house. He looked at who was calling for him. It was Toad, Peach's attendant. What was he doing here?
"Mario, thank God you're okay! I thought... we all thought you were lost to all of us!" Toad cried, hugging Mario.
"Toad? What's going on? Did Peach get kidnapped again?" Mario asked, unenthusiaticly.
"No. Not at all. We're all fine. Peach is still here in Mushroom Kingdom, as is Prince Darius, Prince Mallow, Princess Yun and Daisy. We're all safe. Even Bowser and Kammy are safe. It's just that... well... it's just that..."
"It's just what!" Mario shouted.
Toad was getting frightened. He had never seen Mario act like this before.
"Well... look outside. You'll see for yourself." Toad muttered.
Mario got out of his bed and looked outside. His eyes widened as he saw what was wrong. The sky was a reddish-purple as if it were signaling the end of the world. The grass, which was once green and full of life, was now gray and desolate, as were the trees, the flowers, everything. What had happened to the Mushroom Kingdom?
Author's Note: Yet again I forget my disclaimer at the beginning. Oh well, you get the picture, right? Anyway, the title of this chapter is based off the image song from Mayuko Aoki, "To You," for the Final Fantasy X-2. If you would like to hear the song, just ask me via e-mail or review and I'll e-mail it to you. Also, what did you think of this chapter? Review, please. And remember, no flamin', that's Bowser's job.
