Chapter 2: Plumbers in the Desert

Meanwhile, in the Gerudo Desert, two brothers from a distant galaxy were taking refuge in a cave after a fall from space. The darkness that surrounded them was mitigated by the light that the white being, Baby Luma, was emitting.

"Mario," the taller one with a green hat said, "I think Bowser was able to escape."

"He won't get away from us for long," the famous plumber replied. "He never does."

"Yeah, but what was that thing that chased us earlier?"

Mario only shrugged; his memory was still a bit fuzzy due to the fall. Sometime before, it had been the same old routine in the Mushroom Kingdom. As he and Luigi were taking a stroll around the countryside, the two heard a loud scream come from Peach's Castle. He recalled that they were then chasing Bowser on board the Starship Mario when a mysterious craft appeared. Mario barely noticed it when it fired a strange ray, disintegrating the ship in an instant. He did not know what happened to Lubba or the rest of the Lumas on the ship.

The Luma spoke up. "I don't know. You know, we're lucky to have landed on a planet with a stable atmosphere. I just hope we can get off this planet soon so we can find Mama…"

Mario took a look around the cavern and found a letter lying upon a giant rock. "This is as far as you two will get this time!" the letter read. "You two have no idea of my master plan. This time I will win! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Mario showed the note to Luigi. When he had finished reading it, he looked more nervous than before.

"What are we going to do?" he stammered.

Before he could answer, Mario noticed two dark figures coming into the cave. He looked Luigi in the eye for a moment. The two exchanged an infinitesimal nod before they sprang at the intruders, hoping to drive them off so they could obtain another moment's rest. Beating them easily, they then heard a voice coming from deeper in the cave.

"Well done, heroes from another galaxy," the voice said. It was a woman's voice with a calm and soothing quality. "The courage in both of you seems to be a force that may yet prevent the prophecy from coming true. I have something with me that may help you in your journey. However, I want to test your power, wisdom, and courage in order to make sure you are ready for the fight ahead. It will be like none you've ever faced before. One of you may attempt my trials. If you succeed, the reward will most certainly help you save not only your loved ones or this world, but also the universe as a whole."

Luigi looked at Mario. "You go on ahead, bro. You've got more experience in this kind of thing. I'll stand guard and make sure none of those monsters come back."

Mario nodded. The Luma went back under Mario's cap, and he entered the first room, ready for whatever trials awaited. In the first room, he saw a weak-looking goblin monster called a Bokoblin. He easily beat it and moved on to the second room, where there were only a few rats and bat monsters called Keese. The next few rooms had plants called Deku Babas, spiders called Skullatas, goblin archers called Bulbin, and torch slugs. In the seventh room, Mario finally found a few enemies worth fighting: Fire Keese and fire-breathing lizards called Dodongos. They held out longer than the other enemies had, but Mario still defeated them relatively easily. The next room had smaller spiders called Tektites. The ninth room contained more Bulbin archers and a few weapon wielding lizards called Lizalfos.

After defeating these enemies, Mario opened the door to the tenth room, wondering what sort of enemy would lie in this room. Inside he saw a strange spring with a magic feel to it. When he approached it, a light began to shine. Mario looked away for a moment before his eyes adjusted to the light. Once he became aware of his surroundings, he noticed that a woman was standing in front of him. She had long, light blue hair and wings on her back. She carried a soothing aura that made him feel more comfortable.

"Welcome, Hero, to the Cave of Ordeals," she said. "I am the Great Fairy. I reign over all fairies of this realm as their queen. In praise of your efforts so far, I offer you this." The Great Fairy raised her arms, and a light appeared from above. Something began to fall into Mario's hands. When the light faded, he saw part of a Grand Star. Mario's starship required those things for power, but he knew that this small piece could power it. "I'm sure you already know what this is supposed to be. You need to return to your journey through the stars, but you will need a great power to do that. I could take you back to the surface right now, or you can continue through my trials by going through that door. Mind you, I want to fully test your skills, and this cave extends far below where we are right now. If I returned you right now, you'd have to face those same trials all over again, so I'd keep going. Unless you're tired already..."

"Mama mia..." was all Mario could let out after hearing the last line spoken in such a teasing manner. He was disappointed that the Grand Star had been split into pieces and that it would probably take a long time before he would see the sun again. Still, he had to get the full Grand Star; he couldn't let Bowser win without a fight. Gathering himself, Mario proceeded through the door, hoping that the next set of rooms would be as easy as the first set...