Every one hundred years, a comet appears in the skies above the Mushroom Kingdom.
The comet was so large one year, it filled the skies and sent countless little stars raining down.
The Toads brought the shooting stars to the royal castle, where they combined to form a glimmering Grand Star.
It was a very happy time for the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom.
That was the night of the first Star Festival, since held every century to celebrate the routine arrival of the sparkling comet.
And now, it has come again, to be a beacon of light in an age of apocalypses…
But the Fates Aren't Done With Me Yet
Chapter 6
Toad Town, 2007
(Uploaded on March 6, 2022)
Summary: The sixth of eleven scenes, covering a disruption to the universe's slated path.
Notes: This chapter is the first of two, encompassing the events of Super Mario Galaxy—specifically covering the game's opening.
Three years ago, the world was nearly blanketed in darkness.
Two years ago, an alien invasion swept up both the past and the present.
Six months ago, an interdimensional black hole nearly consumed all of reality.
And Mario's sanity was on the verge of snapping.
It was one thing to deal with just one calamity, at the end of one adventure.
One apocalypse, while surrounded by the faith of your friends, knowing in your heart that this is enough, you're enough to stop it; right here, right now—
—but that hadn't been the case for the last two.
Ever-present. All-encompassing. Dangerous to a near-fatal degree.
Each of them may have only about a year or two apart, but that was still a number of years too little.
(How did Sonic deal with this? How did Kirby handle the same?
Soleanna had only been one year back for the blue hedgehog.
Was this to be his and his friends' fates forever—?)
He needed to relax. Participate in some low-key, scheduled event, without fear of a calamity interrupting.
And that's where the letter came in.
Dear Mario,
I'll be waiting for you at the castle on the night of the Star Festival. There's something I'd like to give you.
From,
Peach
A letter on the day of a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
A letter from a dear friend, inviting him to a special night together.
A night free of worries; of Voids, of crises spanning his entire world…
What more could he possibly ask for?
He wouldn't come alone, of course. He wasn't about to leave Luigi out of the festivities, and Tiptron deserved to see what the magic was all about.
And while plenty others couldn't make it—Daisy and his Rogueport partners cited scheduling issues; Wario and Waluigi didn't care; DK and his crew were off doing DK things…
(…Toadiko still refused to come out of her house…)
…but that was fine. That was okay!
He would've liked it if they could, but he could see them any other day of the year.
The Star Festival itself was more important.
This… was for his closest friends.
This… was for him.
No big Strikers Charged tournament, no chaotic Mario Party bracket—
Just a nice, calm festival to soothe the nerves.
A small hangout in a casual environment.
That's all it ever needed to be.
That's all he ever really wanted.
That's everything that it should've been…
October 24, 2007 – Evening
Toad Town
Festival Grounds
…so why, then, is everything going so horribly, horribly wrong?
The worst was happening before Mario's eyes.
Fireballs exploded from all around him.
White spheres crystallized every Toad in range.
His hard-fought peace was coming undone; his security blanket ripped away to be used as fuel for a torch.
"WAAAAAAAAGH! We're under attack!" one Toad yelled. "It's the end of the world, it's the end of the world!"
Good Grambi, please don't put it like that!
The plumber put a hand to his head, adrenaline pushing him through the sudden warzone.
Not too far away, Luigi and Tiptron were keeping pace. The former was wide-eyed, almost tripping over his feet in his panic; the latter was fluttering wildly, servos sputtering as she struggled to process this.
"The whole place has gone mad!" the green-clad sidekick said, perhaps unnecessarily. "What's going on!? Why is everything going 'KERBLOOEY!' again!?"
"I don't know," Mario replied, gritting his teeth; he hated having to give out that answer, but it was all he had. "There's nothing more to it! We—We just—"
We just have to go!
We can't stop, not for anything.
This is our mission, our duty, always and always—
(Even though I'm failing and I'm falling and I can't fly up—)
…
Toad Town was rapidly descending into shambles.
Mario and Luigi skid to a stop near the fenced-off lake.
"Oh, no, no, no…" Luigi muttered.
"This is horrible," Tiptron said. "No one said this is what a festival would be like…"
Oh, Tip… It isn't supposed to be.
Fires had broken out across the normally sleepy capital, and towers had toppled over to barricade the way—though thankfully, no one had been misfortunate as to be crushed underneath. Smoke billowed into the air, clumping up in massive quantities. Star Bits were still shooting down, but the atmosphere no longer allowed for their joyous collection.
No one was immune from this horrible attack—native or foreign, it didn't really matter. Horrified faces were being framed in icy permanence, each one a haunting reminder of how inadequate their protection really was.
And at the center of it all…
"So many have already been hurt…" the Pixl continued. "How could something like this be happening? Who would do—hmm?"
She paused, and looked up…
…and then, she gasped.
"Look! Up there…!"
The two brothers followed her gaze.
Surprise hit their expressions soon enough, too.
Backed against the beautiful starry sky, a massive armada of airships—dozens strong, with dozens of crew members onboard—flew over the increasingly ruined town.
They seemed to blight out the night with the sheer numbers they were displaying. Despite their wooden (and what therefore would be called fragile) exteriors, they were not to be trifled with: cannons fired cyclically and in sync, causing no end of destruction to their victims—and Magikoopas sat close to the helm, using their magic to sustain the orbs shooting out those crystallizing spells in the first place.
They had no mercy. They cared not for collateral damage.
If there was a target to shoot, they'd take care of it like an Amazy Dayzee would its pursuers.
No civilian could hope to evade their sight.
No civilian could ever stand up to their overwhelming might.
Rotors and fans spun in place, propelling the fleet further forward—and toward the back of each ship, a flag hung from a pole, flapping in the wind.
And adorned on all of them… was an insignia the Mushroom Kingdom was all too familiar with.
A menacing, draconian face.
A stylized head above two crossed swords.
It all indicated something vital:
This was an invasion from the Koopa Troop.
"Those airships…" Tiptron noted.
"It can't be…!" Luigi gawked.
But it was.
It so totally was.
No one else could be so brazen.
Mario growled.
"Bowser…!"
Amidst the frontlines of the fleet, the Koopa King himself stood on his own, personalized ship.
The screams and chaos outside were music to his ears.
Yeah, that's right, he thought. Cry for help all you want…
It won't get you very far!
"Remember your training, minions!" he barked, as the flagship sailed to the edge of Toad Town. "Go forth, all the way to the castle! Don't stop for anything—so long as we stand tall, victory will be ours!"
A chorus of replies sounded out, "Yes, King Bowser, sir!"
A satisfied smirk hit his lips.
You see that, chumps? I've been learning, too.
Six months may have been a long time to wait—but it was worth it to see this one, singular moment go off without a hitch.
Now, cower in despair!
I've gathered my forces.
I've built up my strength.
I've got all my plans ready—
Finally, it's showtime!
He marched to the bow.
"Long time no see, Peach," Bowser grinned.
From the balcony of her own castle, Peach watched fearfully as her part-time friend, part-time tormentor came into view.
The little star child she was holding, found a couple nights before the festival—a Luma, he called himself—wriggled uncomfortably in her arms. Her retainers weren't feeling much better; they were cowering behind her, in stark contrast to her castle guards' attempt to at least act threateningly toward the Koopa King.
(Their spears wouldn't do much, but it was better than nothing.)
She swallowed.
"Bowser," she greeted him. "What are you doing here?"
He cocked his head, almost teasingly.
"Isn't it obvious?" he replied. "I'm here to crash your little party."
"But why here? Why now?" she asked. "This is supposed to be our time to unwind—to celebrate the peace we've earned!"
He laughed.
It was not a nice laugh.
It wasn't loud; it wasn't bombastic—
It was just…
…stone cold.
"Oh, we are going to celebrate something… celebrate my victory, over everyone and everything!" He put a hand over his chest. "Isn't that just great?"
Peach shook her head.
"This isn't like you!" she protested. "The Bowser I know wouldn't be so vicious—not even in your early years of kidnapping!"
Steam sprouted from his nostrils.
"Yeah… well, that's the problem. The Bowser you know is a joke.
"Everyone's been treating me like that: from you to Mario, to all those bad guys who think they're top-tier 'round here. They thought they can upstage me—me! Bowser, the King of Evil; the one chosen by the Stars themselves!
"Well, I'm not having any more of that!" he roared.
"Meep!" one of her Toads squeaked.
Meep, indeed…
Peach decided she didn't like the look on Bowser's face.
That cruel, calculating expression—it reminded her all too much of Princess Shroob; of Dimentio.
He's—He's gone insane, she thought.
Or maybe…
Maybe he was always like this deep down, and…
…I just refused to accept it.
"I'm going all-out! And everyone will see!" he ranted. "They'll know my might is to be feared, even without the power of either Star Rod! Everything here is mine, y'hear? All mine!"
"…you won't get away with this," she whispered, hugging her poor Luma tighter. "Mario will stop you…! The world isn't yours to have!"
"Oh, I've got bigger plans than just that."
"H-Huh!?"
"I'm not gonna stop at this Earth," Bowser continued. "I'm gonna go higher. Higher than even my Warped Orbit!"
He spread out his arms.
"So! Let's make it official. Princess Peach! You are formally invited… to the creation of my new galaxy! Soon to be the birthplace… of a great galactic empire!"
"Galactic… empire!?" she repeated.
He can't be serious…
But if he's already gone this far…
He threw his head back.
"Bwahahahaha! This festival's over!"
Crackling lightning shot out of Bowser's fingers, striking at the sky and darkening it with circling black clouds. And emerging from the tempest…
…was a humongous silver saucer, glaring down on her with three ominous red lights.
Peach stared helplessly at the sight.
Mario…!
Toad Town
Festival Grounds
Luigi's jaw had hit the floor.
"Holy crap! That's… That's a UFO! A real, live UFO!"
"Unidentified Flying Object. Noun," Tiptron recited. "A skybound object in that some people believe could be an advanced spaceship from another planet. To bring such a thing to bare in this invasion… Bowser truly must be playing for keeps."
…
Mario's eyes stayed on the hovering saucer.
For a moment, it wasn't one of those he was seeing.
There was a horde of them, little spinning ones with purple 'shroom heads sticking out, armed with blasters and zero qualms about using them—
He shook his head.
No, it's not that dire yet…!
"We have to get to the castle," he said. "We can still stop this!"
We can still—We can still—
("Mario, darling. Don't be afraid. There's still hope for us to triumph.")
("No, you got to live it up on Yoshi's Island; free of consequence, free of your memories! You didn't have to remember being in complete agony—hell, you still don't now!")
("Come back to me—to us! We can still stop the end of the world, same as before! We can!")
("I can still do this! I can still save this world! Just give me some more time! Just a few more minutes!")
We can stop Bowser, before this gets any worse.
("They're still alive. They're all still alive. They have to be. They must be.")
We can.
Luigi hesitated, and then nodded.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Peach-a needs us!"
The two heroes broke out into a run, Tiptron trailing behind in an equally speedy manner.
The situation continued to worsen. The airships' cannons were only part of the problem now—Bowser's horde of minions wanted in on the fun, and they weren't taking no for an answer.
Goombas, Koopas, Bob-ombs, Shy Guys; all of those familiar foes were out on the field.
Hammer Bros., Lakitus, Dry Bones, Magikoopas; even the elite members were showing their faces.
The siblings lent a hand wherever they could, but they had to stay focused. Toad Town was larger than it looked – it was the capital, after all – and every moment they wasted was another this crisis spent unresolved.
Eventually—
(Eventually—)
—after what felt like an eternity—
(—after a ton of scurrying back-and-forth—)
—Peach's Castle was in sight, just past the gate. All they—
(—he—)
—needed to do now was—
(—cross the bridge—)
—cross the bridge—
(—leading up to it—)
—and they'd be—
(—be—)
…well, not home free—
(—free, free, free—)
—but close enough.
"Come on come on come on come on come on come on come on—" Mario chanted.
Luigi chimed, "We're going, going, going, going, going, going, going—!"
Onward they charged, faith guiding them toward their destination.
But before they could make it past…
A large shadow—
(A mighty sword—)
—descended from the sky, landing in front of the Bros.—
(—fell straight through the castle, breaking apart the central tower—)
—causing the ground to quake—
(—while also shattering half the connecting
b
r
i
d
g
e
.
.
.
?
)
Mario put a hand to his head, feeling something throb.
No, what—
That's not what's happening!
Ugh… My nightmares…
Why are they cropping up now, of all times…?
"Ugh…" he grimaced. "Who's… there…?"
Blinking twice, he found himself face-to-face with an unexpected 'stache: King Bob-omb, one of Bowser's top lieutenants.
"W-Waaaaah!" Luigi cried. "Y-You're here, too!?"
"Hon hon hon! Greetings, Mario. I see you are well," the mustachioed bomb arched back. "I have been waiting for this encounter for some time."
"King Bob-omb, monarch of the imperial mountaintop," Tiptron tattled. "Commands legions of subordinate Bob-ombs into battle, and prides himself on his honor and resilient defenses. You're… here because of Bowser, aren't you?"
He harumphed.
"Indeed. And I haven't come alone."
Several more figures dropped from the sky, surrounding the heroic trio on all sides.
Tiptron was quick to name them, using her analytic skills and extensive database: "King Boo… General Guy… Huff N. Puff… the Crystal King…"
"Nyeehahahahaha!" King Boo cackled. "Don't be running scared, now! I've got to make you scream first!"
"It is time for us Shy Guys to claim our revenge!" General Guy shouted, popping out of a new and reinforced tank. "You may have beat us once, but never again!"
"We will cover your hopes in dark, destroying clouds," Huff N. Puff said—
"—and then, we will turn your frozen corpse into a monument to King Bowser!" Crystal King declared.
"All of you are joining Bowser's scheme this time…!?" Mario asked, disbelievingly. "Did his entire army come along for the ride!?"
This is ridiculous! I can handle these guys one at a time, maybe even two—
—but five is just asking too much!
And I have Tiptron to worry about, too…
"This is bad…" the Pixl muttered. "I'm of no use here…"
"We have been ordered not to let you pass any further," King Bob-omb said. "If you dare to interrupt our king's plan as usual… then you will learn just how much we have improved."
"So? Do you think you can do it?" King Boo taunted.
…
If Bowser's confident enough to sic them all at me at once…
Then… what else does he have in store for us…?
…
Mario and Luigi took a step back, bringing their fists out.
"Oh, mama mia…" Luigi said nervously. "Can't we settle this without a fight!?"
That UFO will do something any second…! he communicated to Mario. What do we do!?
We have to fight, the elder sibling replied. No matter what, we can't give up! No Yoob or Shadow Queen or Bowletta will stop me here! Not this time!
Luigi blinked. Wha—? Mario, they've been dead for ages! Why are you bringing them up n—?
"Bring it on, then!" Mario exclaimed. "If that's how you wanna play, then I've got your 'interruptions' right here!"
"Yeah! And we're them!"
…
…wait, who said that?
Suddenly, another two bodies jumped into the fray—a pink Bob-omb whose braided fuse was lit and almost gone, and a lavender Cheep Cheep with a puffed-up mouth and largely inflated body.
KA-BOOM!
KA-SPLASH!
All at once, a massive explosion and tidal wave swept through the area.
The five bosses were sent spiraling backward, completely stunned and spawning multiple Tuff Puffs (in Huff N. Puff's case, anyway).
"Ha?" Luigi let out.
"Hm?" Tiptron hummed.
Mario's eyes followed the airborne silhouettes for a bit, squinting as he tried to make out who they were. Then, it hit him.
"Bombette! Sushie!" he called.
The Bob-omb and Cheep Cheep landed on the floor, shaking off some dizziness from the sheer force.
"Hey, Mario! Fancy seeing you here," the girly explosive said. "And fancy seeing all these old guys."
"I'd call it romantic, if not for the attack they're instigating," Sushie quipped. "You'd really think they'd have learned better."
Mario's lips twitched upward. "Well, it's a good thing you guys are here. I'm guessing you came for the Star Festival?"
Bombette nodded. "Yeah. All eight of us did!"
Following her statement, the rest of Mario's old Mushroom Kingdom partners made their entrance.
"I gotta say," Lakilester said, hoisting a Spiny, "I'm really glad I left the Koopa Troop when I did. This just makes me uncomfortable…"
"I can't believe Bowser would have the nerve to do this… again," Kooper remarked. "Does he ever give up?"
"You know the answer to that just as well as I do," Goombario stated. "I mean, just look around us."
He turned to his idol.
"We'll hold off these guys for you, Mario. You go ahead and rescue Peach!"
Despite the circumstances, the plumber couldn't help but hesitate.
"Are—Are you sure? This might be a fight even you guys can't-a win…!"
The bosses began to get back up, all of them grousing over the abrupt ambush.
"You would dare turn against your king…?" King Bob-omb said. "Your insolence will not go unpunished."
Bombette hopped angrily. "You're not my king, and I'm not your subordinate! My life is mine!"
"Oh, it'll be ours when we're done with you," King Boo snickered. "We'll scare your souls straight out of your bodies!"
"Hmph! Give it your best shot," Lady Bow snootily replied. "We'll see who's really the scariest Boo in this town."
"Looks like it's time for another defeating, duly delivered," Parakarry commented, wings flapping. "A partner's work is never done."
"Yeah, what he said!" Watt chimed cheerfully, ever the child. "Let's light 'em up!"
Sushie turned to her once-leader. "We'll be fine. We're not alone. Now go take care of your princess! She's waiting for you!"
…
Mario closed his eyes, and took in a breath.
There wasn't much time left to argue.
Regardless of his own anxieties, he had to trust them.
(They'd be safer here than in the eye of the storm, anyway.)
"Alright," he said. "Luigi, I'm-a trusting everyone's safety to you. Tiptron, you stay by them too. Make sure your games are still running when I get back!"
"Okey-dokey!" Luigi nodded.
"Directive accepted," Tiptron registered. "We won't fail."
General Guy barked, "Hey! You don't get to leave! I'm gonna—"
He didn't get to finish, though, for Watt swiftly flew in and let loose on his exposed head.
"WAAAAAAGH! NOT AGAIN!"
And just like that, the battle resumed. Combatants on both sides exploded into action, kicking up enough chaos to resemble a living hurricane. Attacks flew every which way. No one could quite tell what was going on anymore—
—which meant that Mario was free to move in anonymity.
He ducked out of the tempest, brows furrowed in feverish determination.
After taking a minute to catch his breath… he took off down the bridge to Peach.
Peach's Castle
Outer Gardens – Connecting Bridge
Mario ran.
He ran, and he ran, and he ran.
He ran like the world around him was on fire.
He ran as if there was an expanding void behind him.
…
It felt like he was always running.
Every new year, every new crisis—
There was always something to rush to, something that could mean life or death.
Visions of orange skies briefly filled his eyes; of towering, miscolored Yoshis, of a castle twisted by violet 'shrooms—
Get it together, Mario! he scolded himself, slapping his hands on his cheeks. Focus on the here and now!
He had to keep going, feelings of dread be damned.
So long as he still made it at the end of the day, the chains of repetition didn't matter!
(There was no need to panic, there was no need to panic, there was no need to panic—)
"Help me!" Peach cried out from the distance.
"I'm coming, Peach!" he hoarsely hollered.
Explosions went off behind him, courtesy of the airships' cannons.
Mario didn't stop moving.
The length of the bridge seemed to extend for an eternity.
Mario didn't stop moving.
The saucer above seemed to be spinning faster and faster.
Mario didn't stop moving.
Finally, he made it past the royal gate, bursting into the Castle Gardens. Ducking and weaving between further volleys of shots, he continued his mad dash to the castle itself.
This'll be over soon… he thought. Peach, wait for me…!
He stepped onto the bridge over the moat—
—just in time for a laser to shoot out into the ground nearby.
"Wha—!?"
He looked up, tracing their paths back to the UFO's glowing orbs, now extended into futuristic antennas. In amazement, he watched as three red-hot lasers were fired from them, carving out a circle around the castle—until…
POOM!
A strong tremor promptly swept him off his feet, simultaneously causing the bridge start breaking up into pieces.
He yelped. "Uuaaagh!"
What—What are they doing!?
Landing on his butt, he scrabbled back to see anchors dropping from the four orbiting airships. They slammed into the ground, marking out a square inside the circle's circumference. With them thoroughly locked in place…
…the vehicles moved to ascend, straight up into the sky—taking the castle and Mario with them.
All of those still in Toad Town—heroes and villains alike—stopped what they were doing to stare at the sight across the lakeside.
Goombario's voice was the first to start working again. "L-Look over there! P-Peach's Castle…"
"It's—It's flying… again!" Kooper finished.
All the heroes' faces morphed into a mix of awe, shock, horror—none more so than the two closest to their kingdom's savior.
"Oh no…" Tiptron breathed.
"Mario!" Luigi cried.
Water quickly fell out of the moat in streams.
The planet below shrunk into a blend of colors.
Mario just—gawked.
"Dear Star Spirits…" he swore.
A massive sense of déjà vu was shooting through his brain.
We're in space.
Bowser… actually took us to space.
…
This wasn't the first time he'd been up here.
His own island had a designated Space Zone.
The moon once housed the X-Naut Fortress.
The Whoa Zone had been locked behind a Space Gate—
Hell, this wasn't even the first time Bowser had lifted Peach's Castle into orbit.
…
And yet…
Watching it unfold in front of his eyes… seeing the clouds physically pass him by to make way for an endless expanse of stars…
…it left him breathless.
Utterly breathless.
…he's not stopping here, is he…? he thought.
This is so much more than just a simple kidnapping or world-conquering plot now.
Bowser… wants the universe.
…
Mario didn't know what to think.
Was this something he could stop?
Was he finally, truly in over his head?
…
…
…
He stayed in place for a few moments longer.
And then…
…
"Mario! Over here!"
Peach's voice broke him out of his trance.
He looked up and back to the princess leaning over her balcony. There was a star-shaped creature in her arms, but that wasn't important.
"Peach…!"
He leaped onto a part of the ruined bridge, intending on crossing it.
"Kyahahahahahaha!"
Suddenly, an unseen spell struck his sternum, trapping him in rings in magic.
A strangled cry exited his mouth. "No—!"
Two Magikoopas soared onto the scene—one dressed in blue, the other in purple.
Mario grit his teeth.
"Ugh…! Kamek! Kammy!"
"Mweh heh heh heh heh!" the hag-like witch laughed. "Trying to interfere, Mario? You're still ever the stubborn one, I see."
"Unfortunately for you," Kamek continued, "we expected that you'd make it this far. His Ambitiousness has no room for your jumpy little exploits!"
"Let me go, you has-beens!" the struggling hero exclaimed. "You won't get away with this!"
"Oh, I disagree," the court wizard. "No one in this universe can stop us now. Now, then. So long…"
"…enjoy your flight!" the duo said together.
Kamek charged up another spell and cast, the bolt zigzagging wildly toward its target.
There was only one outcome that could result.
Before Mario could let out anything else, the spell blasted into him. The bridge fully broke apart, the debris drifting off in the atmosphere, and Mario was sent hurtling into the emptiness beyond.
"OHWOWOWOWOWOWO—!"
Peach screamed.
"Maaaarioooooo!"
Mario had no means of stabilizing himself, spinning out of control. He was barely able to keep himself awake long enough to witness an explosion of light engulfing the castle—and separating him and Peach across uncountable light-years.
There was also a different light streaking out—
—but by this point, he was done.
Peach… Bowser…
Lu… i… gi…
Finally out of energy… he sank into the realm of unconsciousness.
[Save your game?]
No / Yes
[Saving… Do not press the POWER Button.]
[The game has been saved.]
"I will save you. That's the one thing I wished for. That's how it started. And now, it's the only thing I have left to guide me. And it's okay if you don't understand anything I'm saying. But please…
"…please, let me protect you."
– Homura Akemi, Puella Magi Madoka Magica
This… got away from me.
I had intended for this to be just set-up, a short opener for the Bowser's Galaxy Reactor chapter. Somewhere around 3.5k words later, I realized that wasn't gonna be the case. So, for the sake of pacing, I'm splitting it into two.
I know this makes Phase 2 stupid long now, buuuuuut what can you do.
Super Mario Galaxy is the most dramatic mainline game in the series. It's got the biggest stakes, the biggest scope, and marks the biggest showdown between Mario and Bowser thus far. To this day, people still call it one of the best Mario games ever made (if not the best, period)—and as such, it deserves a level of coverage as epic as the Grandmaster Galaxy itself.
One important change to note: Luigi gets to have a bigger role. Sticking him on the sidelines just doesn't gel with me—he's Mario's brother; every bit as capable and courageous, even if he'd love nothing more than to run. There's no way Mario would leave him in the dust—not for the Star Festival, not across the cosmos. So, for these two chapters, he gets to remain this fic's effective deuteragonist… and actually have some confidence in himself.
Like, c'mon. Cowering on the roof of a small house? With no enemy in sight?
Luigi, I love you, but sometimes you make it too easy to laugh at you.
I threw in some more familiar faces, too. Tiptron gets to show up, given that I've established her presence in Mario's life. It's only natural that Mario would want to let her experience a festival for herself… even if it decidedly did not go as planned.
As this is Bowser's big comeback, both in and out-of-universe, I figured it'd make sense for him to be bringing his entire army to the show. It was a bit hard for me to decide what returning bosses would show up to relay that, if at all, but eventually I elected for this list of five: from Super Mario 64 (DS), King Bob-omb and King Boo; from the original Paper Mario, General Guy, Huff N. Puff, and the Crystal King. A nice, balanced roster of classic foes, in my opinion.
I would've had Lava Piranha in General Guy's place, but… he lives in lava. And he doesn't have feet, either. You can tell why I wasn't comfortable with that.
And to close out the conga line of reappearances, I threw in the old Paper Mario partners. They're native to the Mushroom Kingdom, unlike Rogueport and Flipside's cast, and they've been to events hosted by Peach before; it only makes sense for them to join the festivities here, and subsequently the Toad Town defense force. They don't get as much love compared to their Thousand-Year Door counterparts, so I'm happy to allow them a small cameo.
Oh, and Kammy Koopa's here, too. She's cool, I guess.
With all that out of the way, I hope you guys enjoyed this take on Galaxy's opening. It's a spectacular part of the game in its own right, so elevating it to this degree was naturally a fun process.
Of course, I've got more where that came from…
…but first, something completely different.
Well, that's all for now! Next time, a small diversion before things hit critical mass, starring a certain underutilized Pixl. See you then!