"What I remember from the path up to Peachville is how distinctly quiet it was. Soldiers afoot made their footsteps reverberate into the night, unyielding and unstopping, one after the other in most perfect unison. Excited to feel warmer air in our skin, that, although still cold, after the howling winds of the mountains we had already taken, felt refreshing, we were all eager to take the city. But no one spoke. I know not why. Perhaps some were having second thoughts. Perhaps some mourned the few dead we carried, or perhaps some were merely bored.

Such exceptional tranquillity has brought forth into my mind the writing of these memoirs, a tale to tell when I get home after the war effort. However, I must remain calm in the face of adversities yet to come. Although I play around with my opponents in public, daring them to the brink with cockiness and sharp verbal bites, I am most centred in the grand efforts of war. And thus, I shall tell the story of it, and its equally grand conclusion that is yet to come upon us.

It all began as all things will from now on; in Ylisse. We made the Empire. We rose from ashes anew like a phoenix and burned our way through Osternia. War ravaged the West, everyone knows that. From the three kingdoms in Fódlan, to the civil wars in Tellius to which Bionis turned a blind eye to, the new Empire brought peace and order, and wishing to extend ourselves into the foolish lands beyond the Great Ocean, we marched. Like we did with our neighbours, we offered all lords and ladies a chance: a chance to depose themselves of useless honour and virtue and to be sensible and join the Empire. The lords of Regna Ferox to our north failed to use their heads, to no one's surprise, and ended up with them on spikes. Plegia was wise and joined.

To the south, for once, Claud of Riegan, of Leicester, proved to have a head under his helmet and bowed to the Empire. Too bad Claude ended up being a coward and being treated as cowards must be. Perhaps it was his young age or his fear, but he bowed to us and let us ravage the unmoving Faerghus of Dimitri of Baliddyd. Tradition stains that land, unchanging in its policies of crests and gods. After he and the ever-power-hungry Empire of Edelgard von Hresvelg butted heads, it was a swift walk over to both Enbarr and Fhirdiad. Where they lie now, I couldn't care less. With the pretext of rebellions our very soldiers were causing, we came and took the lands. Tellius fell shortly after, Crimea coming to an agreement with our court. While I would not admit such acts as knightly, they were merely for the benefit of our Empire, and anything with such purpose shall stand the test of time.

However, one must assume there is a reason the three continents are separate. Southenbell's eastern half of Bionis is out of reach for us, and so is Hespertia. The lands are foreign both in shape and in essence. We Osternians are not welcome there and thus, our plans would not be as simple. Of all the lands to our East, the only one I care enough to respect is Hyrule. Our might may be matched only by them. Isolating themselves and being surrounded by weaker neighbours plays a part in their power, but the wars they have waged not long ago with the small states of Hellas and the unity they show to the outside world under the monarchy of hylians, keeping together a fragile and diverse kingdom surely makes them worthy of recognition. But that same essence they have is their downfall: they have grown arrogant in their strength and ignorant in their arrogance. They act as if the world was theirs to command, that boastful bloaty buffoon of a king and that damned princess with the moon on her flag. They do not know what awaits them to the south…

South of Hyrule is the Mushroom Kingdom. A big, yet small kingdom. Rivals to the Koopa Kingdom of the Firelands, it is a gateway into the Eastern Seas and the sprawling eastern desert tales talk about. They are no threat to anyone, but a stone in the path to our goals of Empire. That lord Bowser may be intimidating, but not as much once one considers his attempts at taking the kingdom. The reason for our invasion to start here, at the Mushoom Kingdom of the Toadstool family is clear: it is an advantageous position near our allies and near our enemy. While Hellas, region from which one state is vassal of the glorious Ylissian Empire, may have the same benefits, Hyrule has too much power there, and our secrecy would turn public. The Desert lives up to its name and is an unbreakable wall: whoever controls it, controls the flow of information from Hyrule to the South. Naturally, the conquest would have to be from the South. Traitors and spies cover the lands of Hyrule, and only our advance to them will call them to arms. The Koopa Kingdom and the Kong Islands, managed by that drunk King K. Rool are mere tools to use, but effective, nonetheless. The koopas serve as good cannon fodder. Our suspicions were confirmed that the koopa troops were useless when they failed to take the passage into the Mushroom Kingdom, that valley which they call Ruined Dragon's Neck, however, if trained and managed by superior Ylissian troops and not merely having our veteran soldiers suggest the foolish koopa commanders of Bowser's kin, they have proven to be worthy. King K. Rool on the other hand has taken his passion for water and the sea to great extent: his grand ship, to which even I feel intimidated by, the Gangplank Galleon, has terrorized the seas, and not just pirates, but mercenaries and warlords of the Desert have joined our cause (for benefit, only, but any aid is grateful).

Everything had gone according to plan: Pauline's fortress taken, and the south-west dominated by the koopas in their second attack, the Desert and the Seaside Kingdom and any major ports on the coast - mainly the city of Delfino - seized by K. Rool, and the inland being overrun by the most noble and fierce heroes of the war on the Mushroom Kingdom, the Ylissian Empire's knights. Our journey has been thoroughly thought but tough. On the western coasts of the kingdom, there lies the Snowtop Kingdom, a mountainous, cold and harsh region of the many that comprise the Mushroom Kingdom, to my understanding. With a distant, grand mountain ever looming in the distance, DK's Summit, as the locals called it, our armies, led by myself, took the Ice Lands there, the capital of the region and the Ice Ice Outpost, that served as the nexus to all travels around the mountain ranges. From there, a swift walk through the plains next to the Fungi River, a large and long river stretching through DK's Summit into the coast at the Seaside Kingdom, known as the "Royal Raceway", we soon found ourselves at the walls of Peachville, seeing its red rooftops and white buildings in the distance. Soon our armies will converge, and we shall take the city and the Kingdom. There's talk of some elite group, the "Winged Stars"; humans riding on horseback and on Yoshis, descendants of the Realm of Amanor, the glorious precursor of this otherwise weak kingdom, but not even they can face our might and our own airborne riders. And even so, the storms are with us.

Throughout the ages, kingdoms and empires have arisen and fallen. However, we shall only rise, for the fall comes with dishonour and disorder. Ylisse will stand strong against the mightiest of forces; no god, land or warrior can bring it to ruin. We stand strong. The coming battle will prove this. Peachville shall be ours, and soon, any lands who oppose us. They do not see the light. They are blind to it, for it shines too brightly for their understanding. Perhaps their cognition will reveal it, or perhaps like the others, they shall fall. Ylisse forever, and further. Glory to the Emperor.

- Marth Lowell, Head King and Exhalt of the Ylissian Province, and subject of the Ylissian Empire. "

As Marth finished the last sentence in his words, a soldier came into his tent. It was nightfall, outside, and the stars shone brightly, ever watchful. The soldier bowed and spoke.

'Your majesty, the attack is ready to commence.'

'Are the aerial units ready and covered as instructed?'.

'Aye, sir.'

'The trebuchets?' Marth continued.

'Aye, sir'

As much fun as he was secretly having while questioning this poor soul about an attack he knew of and had planned himself, he dared only ask one more question that brought a constant headache to him.

'Is the Koopa Kingdom ready?'

The soldier shifted uncomfortably. Of course, he did.

'Sir… We heard word of Bowser abandoning the formal advance from the southwest into the capital and advancing with select troops into the Lost Realm.

'He went into Amanor? The Forgotten Kingdom? He then must have passed our troops along the river and Royal Raceway! What for?

'He did not say. General Roy was as eager to march into Peachville as the Koopa Lord was to go his way, so no word was exchanged.

'Those two fools… That lizard! Not only did he barely take that damned fortress along the border, seeing success merely through our help the second time, now he disobeys orders and heads off to do his own useless tasks! Even that drunk K. Rool managed to secure positions along the coast and prevent any significant help or supplies arrive at the city. Still, I won't mention his fiasco at Delfino City…'

The soldier stood there while Marth rambled on about his incompetent comrades. He scribbled notes on his personal map and documents that lied across a simple wooden table and turned abruptly.

'Who leads the main army now?'

'I believe his son, Prince Bowsy is at its head.'

'And now he leaves a child at command… Is Robin available to take his relief?'

'No, sir, she is yet to arrive from the Bee Kingdom at Acre Heights after their surrender.'

'Then have Catherine of the Knights of Seiros take chiefdom of that army; if they protest, tell them to aim their wailing at me, that shall stop it.' He said as he signed a letter and slammed it in his deck angrily. He gave it to the soldier to deliver. 'Now let's march and give word to attack as soon as she is in position.'

The soldier bowed and left with his orders. Marth thought about this foolish action of the lord of the Firelands, would it do them any worse than to delay the attack on the city? Surely it would still be defenceless against their might, yet Marth had a nagging sensation something was off. Something caused by that very unfortunate yet small event.

KKKKKKKKKK

She stood atop the balcony in her room. She looked over her city, her beautiful city, the pearl of the Mushroom Kingdom. It was awfully silent. Tears fell from her eyes. How had things gone so wrong?

They had known an attack would come at some point. She wasn't blind, nor were the politicians that aided her. After voting the arming of the whole country, she thought they could hold Bowser back as always. Many had been his attacks on the kingdom. So many, that the arming measures had been implemented, for some of his attacks were mere scuffles along the border that could be easily dealt with and other were full on assaults. Still, they were never the ones to strike first. Peace and righteousness.

Why was her land scorched by war then? Why the Mushroom Kingdom? What had they ever done? She could see it from her tower; the small yet bright lights of the army camped right outside the city. Marth himself was there, she had heard. He himself lead the attack the day before on the Great Mushroom Bridge, the fastest way into the city. The whole garrison there deployed gone in mere hours… War hurt her. Silence and death hurt her. But what hurt her the most was loneliness. She stood alone at Peachville. Luigi and Daisy were off leading advances and resistances in the inner kingdom, and Mario…

Mario was gone. She still didn't know why she had made him go. Of course, he was the best warrior of all the kingdom, and she knew she could task him with anything. To her dismay, she also knew that whatever it was, he would accept it. She didn't know if somehow, she recognized this damned lost battle when she saw it and wished to send him away from harm. Or maybe he didn't wasn't him to wail on her possible outcomes. She didn't know, and it hurt.

She looked upon the city still. Soldiers ran rapidly all over the place, her precious toads… The elite human soldiers, her ancestors of Amanor carrying out orders… She loved the unity of her land, but seeing it carry out like that… She could hear their cries, their nervousness and their crying. The enemy was outside the walls, and soon they'd be inside. But, when looking at the stars, she heard something else: a voice. That of a woman she knew very well but that still remained a mystery to her and most others.

"When all is lost, the stars shine brightest… When storm comes, heroes rise to battle it… I can keep you safe and away, but after that, your true fight begins…"

That voice… Echoing through her consciousness as her own thoughts, flowing through her like a river. Rosalina, the Stargazer… Her story was unknown yet grand. She was a friend and a stranger to Peach. But still, she thanked her, whatever her plans may be.

She also apologized with great pity once she heard the banging and shouting.

KKKKKKKKKKK

Two hours.

Two hours. All it had taken to take half of Peachville.

Marth was feeling unwell because of the ineptitude of his commanders, Roy and Bowser, and wanted to end the fight rapidly.

The aerial units bombarded with spells the garrisons at the walls. Some were shot down, but others landed at the other side of the city, awaiting their next move. When the battering ram hadn't been enough to open the metal gates of the city, Marth himself stood in front of it and called down lightning and thunder. Their greatest weapon yet…

Answering to his call, storm clouds swirled around the city and fell down like a dark rider onto the gates, and with a lightning crackling from the edge of the skies, blew the door out open, crushing those at the other sides. The few land beasts they were carrying had their chains cut down. The butchering began. Marth ran into the city, his personal garrison behind him, Kingsfang at his side. His blade fell upon soldier after soldier. They took cover of a volley of arrows behind a building and started the street fight, with the objective of moving up into the main street, where they would take the castle and all-important facilities. Moving into a small square, a squad of men looked at him. Four of them attacked and one stood back, shooting arrows while he covered escaping Toads, civilians and soldiers alike. He parried one of the soldiers and stabbed him with his own sword. He knocked the dead man into a soldier with a lance and broke it two, then stabbing him. He disarmed one who slashed at him without effort, the blood spilling in his face. A pegassus rider above shot an arrow at the last man's foot and left him in his knees. Marth knew what to do and slashed at him, hearing and thud and rolling behind him as he advanced at the archer. With his reflexes, he dodged one of the arrows and blocked a second one with Kingsfang. The blade then went deep into his heart, and Marth saw the life leaving his body.

Marth had many faces. The cocky prince he wished he was and the machine he truly was. His path was one of blood. He rose in Ylisse with blood and became king thanks to a bloodied crown. And yet, he remained calm. He lived with his actions, for they were his and only his, and no one had the right to judge them. Not when the world was such a filthy landscape. War and corruption ravaged Osternia and so it was up to him only to take it and fix it, even if it meant using force. And that it meant…

He exited the square and came into a puddle of blood and piles of bodies. The air stunk, but it also smelled of victory. He looked at the castle, its red rooftops shimmering with precious fire. A weak kingdom they would rebuild as a glorious nation. The wars it brought with the koopas, not putting them to a swift end meant it was as good as throwing rocks at the sea in anger. Eventually, they all sunk. He met some units which were securing positions along a big road that met up with the main street. Fire shown through his eyes. As he walked past them, he rallied them.

'Slay! Ylissians! We are strong! And in strength we fight!'

When the archers and some trebuchets were locked into place, they started firing over the other half of the city. Barricades had been formed along the border on the main street and needed to be brought down. If only Bowser had been there… His troops although weak would have taken that excuse of a capital city. Those toads ought to see Ylisstol and its fortress. In his position, he eventually stumbled upon Ro, who returned from his fights at his designed flank.

'Roy, old friend.'

'Your majesty, Marth of Ylisse, conqueror of Peachville!'

'Please, you flatter me… I take it your advance is complete.'

Roy posed triumphantly, dropping war booty he had been collecting to the floor. 'They're holding on to the walls and some towers, raining fire upon those silly toads. This is what happens when you are weak and refuse to take the help of those greater than you.'

'You speak the truth, old friend. A fire is only as good as what it can consume, not how long it can hold.' He then looked seriously at him, unsheathing Kingsfang. 'You crossed Bowser in the Royal Raceway, did you not?'

Roy shifted and glanced at him. 'Yes, I did. That fool was heading to some marshland into the east. I had to come here.'

Marth kicked him down and put the tip of his blade on his neck. 'Next time, kindly show him what happens to traitors and those who do not follow orders.' His eyes pierced the redhead's very soul. Or I shall show you.'

Roy swallowed. 'Yes, sire.'

Marth dropped him and left Roy gasping for air. 'Very well then, Count of Pherae. Show me what flame you bear.'

The Ylissian army continued to push through Peachville, slowly conquering the other half of the city. Roy was setting ablaze every man he could find and leaving only ash and memory of them. Marth advanced slowly but elegantly as he liked through the barricades, cutting down the ambushing or escaping toads and soldiers. He smiled at the sight of his grand victory. The rest of the kingdom would fall to their might. However, his smile dissipated into the battlefield as he saw those men on Yoshi and horseback, charging through their lines and holding them back time and time again in the long and narrow city streets, perfect for such a cowardly tactic. He considered the advantages of taking them out himself but considered it a minor hassle and he did want to go to the bathroom. The fight would soon be over.

He raised his sword towards the sky and called upon the storm. With great hate and presence, he commanded.

'Fall, as you fell!'

He then watched as a hurricane of black dense clouds and smoke and a torrent of lightning swept the remaining quarter of the city, thunder booming endlessly, as even their mighty beasts cowered before it. In one sift strike, the battle had been won. Marth wathec the smoke and fire rise. Ash fell on his hands and his face, now covered in blood, ash and rubble. The screams and fire and explosions from spells were background noise to him now. Victory had come, as it would have come, no matter the cost. He only had one thought in his mind.

He had won.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Peach cried and gasped as she saw the mayhem brought upon her home by those ruthless invaders. She watched as what seemed to be part of the sky itself roared through the city and slaughtered hundreds, perhaps thousands, all poor people that remained there.

All dead and abandoned.

She wondered what force had Ylisse at their side to do something liked that. It felt and looked incomparable to any spell she knew of and witnessed. Something terrible hid in the sky, and she felt it was only the beginning of it.

Steps came through the stairs of her tower into her room. Peach feared the worst outcome when a toadette came rushing into her room. Panting, she poke solemnly.

'Your Highness, hurry! We still hold to some blocks at the eastern minor entrance"'

Peach's eyes opened agape. 'What?' she suddenly felt hopeful.

'We might escape! Haste, my Queen!'

Peach rushed out with her personal guard out of the castle, which had suddenly begun being attacked with parts of the city's wall thrown with trebuchets. Some were set aflame, other carried some strange green mist that Peach did not want to breathe. A man helped her into a horse and rode with her, claiming to the world that the queen lived. Still, Peach had never felt more dead. She saw the damage done to the city. Almost all buildings were destroyed or scorched. Columns of smoke like dark behemoths rose from everywhere she set her eyes upon, like colossi who wanted to take her. They galloped through the broken streets, the marble turned black and the elaborate tiles of the streets shaped into rubble.

As they made their way into the small square they were holding on to, barricades and soldiers at all entrances, and a garrison defending it from the enemies on the outside of the walls, she heard the horrifying crackling of lightning near them. A terrible surge of power and calamity fell next to them. It ran through t her soldiers, her countrymen, but she was already going away. She knew not if it had seen her, but she had to run.

However, when running away, some riders at her back and front, she saw up above that blue and white light of death coming straight at her. However, once she had closed her eyes and prepared to eye, she heard an angelic sound of energy above her and saw a blue and green light protecting her from her threat. The lightning pushed against the shield, but what appeared to be the aurora borealis protecting her did not yield and pushed back. On one of the strikes, it broke the lightning's guard and sent it fling away, giving Peach, her horse, and her men enough time to disappear into the night, away from the shining beacon of death that had become the place she once called home. She heard her guardian in her head once more.

"Fly, dear Queen, and find your home. Only there will we rise…"

Now, she only heard rainfall and the steps of her horse. And so, she slept.

KKKKKKK

"With great strength and valour, we conquered Peachville. The white and red city turned black and charred, as it should have been. We shall rebuild it, fret not. It shall now stand as a testament of the will of the Empire under the command of Lord Bowser himself, although he may be too charred someday…

The Mushroom Kingdom fell entirely under our command. The bees on the Beehive, the Acre Woods that so peaceful lead the wat into the harsh Desert wanted honourable peace. Of course, there was no honour involved, but we gave them the illusion of it. Enough for them to live on and serve us. The rest of the Kingdom didn't put that much resistance. Bowser came back emptyhanded from his untimely visit to the Ruin of Amanor, as expected, but I could not care less; my job is done, and I part with that. Only those Winged Stars stand in the way of our armies and the Seaside Kingdom, the last stronghold of Queen Peach's armies. Of course, Bowser leaving left a gate in the city unattended, and of course, Queen peach escaped. However I do not worry at all; the gods, the true gods, are on our side, and so the fight shall end with their will. Whatever the cost.

Our plan now comes down to marching across the Desert. I care not for some empty patch of land, and I shall act like it. I will carry our troops through it as best we can, through mountain passes and less harsh areas, and then…

Then Hyrule will fall.

We are but dust, a theatre in the midst of a grand opera, secondary characters even in our own story. But still, the wind rises for some of us fortunate, enlightened. And we push that wind and that light only we see and gaze upon what lies beyond. "For me?", you might ask. I shall answer. Power. Ash. Blood. Victory. A better world. That is what I fight for.

We are void of pride by ourselves. We are nothing if not for what we choose, and we must choose wisely. We are dirt. Ashes in the wind."

- Marth Lowell, Head King and Exhalt of the Ylissian Province, and subject of the Ylissian Empire. Conqueror of the Mushroom Kingdom. "