Falling Stars
Note: In case you don't know, Geno was a character from Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. He's a fan favorite, so you might want to Google him or something if you've never seen or heard of him.
Zelda and Geno had joined Peach in the bowels of the castle, where they would be safe from Bowser for the time being. The winding halls of the dungeon-like basement were semi-flooded with ankle-deep water. Peach hadn't recognized Geno at first, but she soon realized who was under the trademark azure cape and cap.
"I'm so glad to see you once again," Peach said happily, giving him a small hug. "But you look…different…almost more…"
"Human?" Geno suggested. "I can explain that…"
My superiors had summoned me from my usual duties to investigate, as they put it, "unusually violent activity" in the Mushroom World. They implied that such activity might actually harm certain important…artifacts. Realizing the potential danger I might encounter, I chose to reacquire my worldly body, the Geno doll.
When I arrived in Rose Town, I found the village under attack by the Koopa Klan. After quickly fusing into the doll and transforming it to an appropriate size, I immediately found myself in battle with legions of Bowser's soldiers…It was a lost cause unfortunately…Most of the villagers had fled, everything was in flames, and the reinforcements were never ending. I was eventually forced to escape the collapsing town. As I traveled the land, I came across other towns already in shambles. When, I arrived at Star Hill, I found an unusually high amount of wishes accumulating. I then made the long journey to Shooting Star Summit, up Star Way, and finally entering Star Haven.
It was a bit awkward to be amongst my brethren in doll form, but I had to see the Star Spirits immediately. I had only spoken to the Seven Stars for a minute or two before I heard screams and explosions could be heard outside the palace. We rushed outside to investigate and witnessed the unholy desecration of the sanctuary by Bowser's more aerially inclined forces. Many of the star citizens that weren't shattered into particles of light by the onslaught were captured. The Star Spirits and I held off as many Lakitus, Magikoopas, and Paratroopas as we could. However, when an airship floated up from the clouds below and began to bombard the Haven with cannonballs and Bullet Bills, we decided that I should return to the palace and retrieve the Star Rod, while the Star Spirits held off the steadily increasing enemy army.
What should have been an easy 100-yd dash ended up being a deadly obstacle course. I didn't know what at the time, but some unseen force was causing tremors throughout the haven and progressively tearing it apart. Stone, glass, and metal from the buildings and stardust from the very core of the haven was being tossed about, forcing me use as most agility as I could muster. As I reached the final stretch, the bridge from the plaza area and across the moat to the palace, the airship began to specifically target me. I reached the inside of the palace just as a flurry of Bullet Bills exploded into the bridge outside.
The inner palace's solemn beauty was disrupted by the tremors, which were increasing in frequency and severity, but I continued to run for the Star Rod in the center of the indoor moat. Before I could reach the sacred relic, the entire wall on the other side of the chamber was smashed through by something. In the resulting cloud of dust, that something fired a bright, green laser that blasted a hole in the floor before me, forcing me to stop abruptly. Once the dust settled, that something was revealed to be some sort of giant, four-legged mechanical Skeeter. A second laser blast forced me to hop back just as it blew another hole into the ground. Once it began to fire a sustained blue laser at the floor, I had to retreat back to the entrance to avoid destruction. Before I could make that far, though, it destroyed the floor behind me, leaving me stranded on a single strip of the bridge, surrounded by water. I dived into the water before the beam could get to me, forcing the robot to guess where I was. I used my cap as a distraction to draw its fire while I fired my own beam from elsewhere in the water. Seeing it make a direct hit, I climbed out of the water and onto the pedestal of the Star Rod, ready to seize it and make a quick escape. Before I could grab it, I was blasted back into the water, not by the robot, but by a fireball from the King of Koopas himself.
I could see his mouth smoking as he laughed, "Long time no see, doll boy." He flew into the chamber in his Koopa Clown Car and snatched the Star Rod. In the process, he also pulled me up with it, since I quickly grabbed onto it as well.
And I can tell you that after witnessing the ruin of Star Haven, losing my hat, becoming all but bald, and being wet and burnt, I was not in a very cheerful mood. "I don't know what drove you to try this again," I growled, "but you can be sure I won't let you befoul the stars again." With that said, I launched my Rocket Punch into his face. The small blast made him drop the Star Rod.
"Kooky!" he bellowed to his son driving the robot.
"I'm on it, Dad!" the strangely accented Koopaling echoed over the robot's speakers. "I was just recalibrating the photon synthesizers! Skeemega 3000, arm the charged particle ray!" As Bowser's Clown Car floated out of the way, red particles began to gather at the front of the machine.
I locked my arm back into place and, with the Star Rod in my hand, I dropped down to the pedestal where the relic had been and I jumped to the remaining piece of the bridge. Before I could reach the entrance, the fully charged particle ray annihilated the entrance and cut through the ground, off-balancing the entirety of Star Haven. All of the water spilled out and the palace began to collapse. As I saw the ray being charged again I held out the Star Rod. The ray fired first, but I shielded myself with the power of the Star Rod. Everything around me disintegrated as our two powers struggled to outmatch one another.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Not even the power of the stars can stop the genius of Ludwig Von Koopa!" the Koopaling laughed manically.
"I beg to differ!" I replied in my somewhat exhausted state, as smoke began to rise off of the machine. I quickly waved the Star Rod, reflecting the beam into one of the machines legs, causing the whole thing to fall over.
"But how?" Ludwig whined, crawling out of the wreckage. He had grown bigger over the years, but he retained his usual look; he still had his big tuft of crazy blue hair and his snaggletooth. "How could my creation be beaten by a dusty old piece of wood like that?"
"Because this dusty old piece of wood is powered by the heart," I answered, as the palace continued to shift. I glanced upward and dived out of the way just as Bowser crashed down.
"So you know how to break my kid's toy," Bowser shrugged.
"Stand back!" I warned him, holding up the Star Rod. "You know you're no match against me while I have this."
"Trust me, doll boy, I know the limits of that thing," Bowser said, stomping forward. "I don't really need it anymore, but a little back up never hurts." Then, he snapped his fingers. I was somewhat perplexed when nothing happened immediately. I should have moved or something because suddenly a very sharp rock jutted up beneath me and sent me flying. I held onto the Star Rod and used it to send a bolt of lightning at Bowser. With speed I've seen in him before, Bowser instantly withdrew into his shell and spun to the side to dodge the bolt. Then, in the same movement, he spun toward me. Fortunately, I was fast enough to dive out of the way. Once he stopped spinning, he halteded next to me and came out of his shell breathing fire. I used the Star Rod to shield myself and created a shockwave of energy. Bowser leapt over it but the floor began to collapse even more, creating a few dangerous holes in the ground. When I followed up with another shockwave, Bowser merely held his ground, seeming to take little damage.
"Something is definitely not right," I groaned in frustration. "How did you get so much more agile and stronger?"
"That's my little secret," he grinned. "But it's the same power I used to get rid of the Mario Brothers and that stupid hussy Peach."
"He called me a stupid hussy!" Peach exclaimed, interrupting.
"Actually, he called you something worse," Geno answered modestly.
"You shouldn't interrupt like that, Peach," Zelda scolded. "Please, continue Geno."
"Alright," Geno said. "Anyway…"
At the time I wasn't able to accept his malcontent with you. "Not even you are that evil," I said.
"Why else would you be here if I weren't?" he growled, still grinning arrogantly. "Come on, Smithy's not around anymore. I'm the only other person in the world who can make the stars shake in their little celestial boots. And I'm pretty sure I just destroyed this place and a few star guys." As if to agree with him the entrance broke away from the rest of the palace. The airship flew into place, ready to destroy everything that was left.
My wooden face was expressionless as it had usually been, but he I was cringing on the inside. I raised the Star Rod high and shouted, "Star Spirits, I call upon your power. Help me defeat this creature of the Dark Land." The Star Spirits flew in on cue. They circled above me as I charged the Star Rod.
"Kooky, now!" Bowser roared. Ludwig climbed back into the Skeemega and reactivated it. The machine shot an energy web into the air. At its highest point, the web stopped and spread wide. The Star Spirits were instantly magnetized to the web. Before they could even say anything, the web closed around them and shrunk into a ball. Bowser tore open a strange black portal out of thin air and the web ball flew in.
"What have you done?" I yelled angrily. Suddenly, a small star smacked into my hand, making me drop the Star Rod. Bowser took the chance to blow a cloud of fire at me. Though, I was set ablaze and knocked down, I could not feel true pain. I knew he didn't have much time left so I ran for the Star Rod. Just before I could reach it, though, Bowser dug his claws into my torso and lifted me off the ground.
"You're one tough little guy, you know that?" he chuckled, picking up the Star Rod in his other hand. In desperation, I launched both of my Rocket Punches at Bowser. Apparently, he knew more about the Star Rod than I had previously given him credit for because he didn't even flinch this time. "Face it, Geno. You've lost! I've gotten rid of the Mario Brothers, sent Peach to her doom, smashed your precious Star Haven, and now I have the Star Rod. If you give up I just may give you a less painful end."
"I don't feel pain," the I spoke defiantly, feeling my body continue to turn to ash.
"Bwa ha ha ha1" Bowser guffawed, blasting me across the shattered floor with another breath of fire. I kept myself from rolling into one of the holes in floor despite my quickly disintegrating form. I got to my feet and prepared for a final attack. I stuck out my hand, closed my eyes, and focused my energy. Once the charge was complete, my eyes shot open and I unleashed my Geno Whirl. The large whirling yellow buzz saw-like blade flew out of my hand and toward Bowser so fast that it left multiple after images. Much to my surprise however, Bowser caught the blade between both of his hands.
"Impossible!" I whispered in disbelief as my legs began to give way.
"Kooky, take care of the rest," Bowser nodded toward the Skeemega. Then, he somehow tossed the blade back at me, slicing me in half. I tried to crawl as best as I could, but I knew there was nothing I could do.
"This'll be fun, ha ha ha!" Ludwig cackled. As I watched the crippled machine charge several beams at once, I closed my eyes and withdrew from the doll body.
"Not only did they destroy the doll," Geno frowned, "but they annihilated Star Haven at the same time. I assume that the next target was Nimbus Land. Understand his pattern?"
"He attacked the most powerful locations first," Peach answered sorrowfully. "But why attack harmless places like Seaside and Rose Town?"
"Simple," Zelda said. "He's making it clear that he wasn't bluffing. But that still doesn't explain why you're…like that."
"Well, that's a little less dramatic," Geno frowned with embarrassment. "What you see before you is just the newest deluxe model that I could find in a toy store."
"Why didn't you just return to your superiors?" Zelda asked.
"I lost contact with them after Bowser corrupted the surviving stars from the haven," Geno said solemnly. "One of them was the reason I dropped the Star Rod." He turned to Peach, who had a cheerless expression. "I don't know what made Bowser change the way he did, but I suspect it might have something to do with someone from your world," he said, turning to Zelda.
She bit her lip and asked, "What makes you say that?"
"Bowser may have an army, but they were never this organized before," Geno replied sternly. "Ganondorf on the other hand…"
"How do you know about him!" Zelda shouted, startling everyone in the room.
"My superiors are higher up than you might think," Geno smirked. "At any rate, you need an escape plan. That army will be inside this castle eventually; they should know it well enough." Zelda turned questioningly to Peach.
"What?" Peach said innocently. "So they've taken over the castle a few times…"
"Oh Goddesses…" Zelda groaned.
"We remodeled," Peach said weakly. "We even moved a few rooms around."
"What was in that empty room with mirror upstairs?" Zelda asked, leaning her cheek on her curled fist.
"Oh, that was one of our best rooms a few years ago," Peach said, cheering back up slightly. "It was the main art gallery. We had so many paintings back then…Then, Bowser used them as portals to take over the castle."
"Where are the paintings now?" Geno asked, getting an idea. "They might be our safest ticket out of here."
"A few of them are in a storage room on the first floor," Peach answered, "but most of them are down here. I sealed all of the portals though."
"Then, let's unseal them," Zelda said.
"Okay, follow me," Peach said, leading Geno and Zelda through the basement. They made several winding turns. It almost seemed as if they were going in circles. Eventually, they reached a large red velvet door. When they pushed through, there was a loud creaking sound. Unlike most of the stone basement, this fully lit room had walls, a floor, and ceiling made of brick. With the exception of the incredibly large chest in the middle of the floor, it was a very dull medium-sized room. As the trio stepped toward the chest, they stopped when they saw a small shadow behind the chest. Peach signaled for them to be silent as she continued to approach the chest. Zelda peeked around the chest and saw that the shadow was coming from a short, grey mustached toad man dressed in a regal green and red robe and golden crown. His back was turned as he was staring directly at the wall.
"Are you the ki…?" Zelda tried to ask before Peach put her hand over her mouth.
Much to Peach's chagrin, the man turned around and stared at them blankly before snapping out of his stupor. "What, what! Oh, good day, Peach."
Peach sighed and glared at Zelda briefly before showing a sunny smile to the man. "Hello, Daddy. These are my friends Zelda and Geno. I hope you don't mind them visiting."
"Of course not," the king smiled. "Just be sure to eat your vegetables and be careful not to run into that Bowser fellow. He's been known to kidnap young women who look almost exactly like you."
"Yes, Daddy," Peach replied, glancing at Zelda to see if she got the hint. "Oh, look at that!" she exclaimed suddenly, pointing behind him.
"What?" he asked, turning toward the wall. "I don't see anything but this very wall."
"Oh, but you simply must see it!" Peach said excitedly. "Look hard. Keep looking until you see it! I promise you won't be disappointed."
"Alright then," he said naively, staring at the wall.
Peach then quietly opened the chest, and tried to lift out one of the huge paintings. Suddenly, the entire castle shook and she dropped it.
"What is that racket?" the king asked irritably. "I suppose someone has decided to have a party upstairs. How rude of them to interrupt me while I search for this amazing thing. Peach, be a dear and ask them pipe down just a bit." The castle shook even more.
"Let's just push the chest out," Geno suggested quietly. With all three of them pushing, the chest was soon outside of the room.
"Why do you keep your father down here like this?" Zelda asked, as they began to remove paintings one by one. "I expected better of you."
"It's not like that at all," Peach replied. "Daddy was never a very good decision maker. I mean, you just saw how he reacted to the castle shaking so violently. My mother was always the one who ruled this kingdom. But after she died, I was too young to rule. So, when Daddy took over, everything started going haywire. He dropped taxes altogether, nearly destroyed the economy, gave all the guards permanent leave with pay, and virtually invited the Koopa Kingdom to take over. When Bowser finally did invade, it was decided that Daddy should be kept from using his authority, so we try to keep him…um…occupied."
"By tricking him into staring at a wall?" Zelda said, appalled.
"If it worked for over seven years straight," Geno said matter-of-factly, "I can't very well argue with her."