Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story. The OC's belong to their respective owners.
Several Centuries Ago (After Emperor Bowser's Reign of Terror)
A queen looked out the window into the vast desert. The villages in Birabuto were thriving despite the harsh climate of the desert. Of course, this was not what was concerning her.
The queen in question had violet hair tied into a ponytail and a violet crown with violet eyes, her dress was dark brown. This was none other than Dahlia, the queen of the Birabuto Kingdom in Sarasaland.
"Your majesty." A servant approached her.
"Tell me the good news… is she-"
Her servant shook his head. "I'm afraid not, your grace. Princess Chrys is still unwell. This illness is, shall we say, winning. We could have a doctor come from the Chai Kingdom to take a look-"
"No, it's fine." Dahlia mumbled. "What of my husband?"
"His royal highness is still out in the Beanbean Province, along with the Mushroom Kingdom's king as well. As far we know, those two are still having private meetings with them."
With the guys…
"Foooooore!" The Sarasa King swung his golf club, hitting the golf ball as it flew across the sky before landing gently on the fairway.
"Not bad." The Mushroom King chuckled before pulling out a Fire Flower. "Observe." He tossed the Fire Flower into his Golf Balll, turning it bright orange as he swung his golf club, proceeding to unleash a massive fireball that streaked through the sky and blazed past the Sarasa King's golfball.
"Beat that." He said proudly… and said golf ball landed in a pond.
"Oh yes, I believe I can "beat that", as you say." He chuckled, while the Mushroom King's eye twitched a little.
Back with Dahlia…
"Very well." Dahlia nodded. "We'll just… have to make do for now."
"By the way, your appointment has arrived."
Dahlia smiled. "Excellent. I will be in my throne room."
BGM: Hyrule Castle Theme (The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past)
Dahlia sat in her throne a few moments later. "Your excellency… may I be honored to introduce… Her Royal Highness, Queen Lemony Toadstool!"
The doors opened up as Lemony gracefully walked in. Dahlia formed a smile as she saw Lemony walk in. Dahlia stood up and walked toward Lemony.
"Lemony!"
"Dahlia." Lemony smiled sweetly as the two embraced.
"How was the ride?" Dahlia asked as they parted.
"Arid, but nothing too unusual." Lemony said.
"Oh good, I would be surprised if you said anything different." Dahlia said, both of them softly giggling.
"I must say, I'm surprised that you summoned me here."
"This… might sound selfish of me to say, but I'm genuinely curious."
"Hmm?"
"You have the magical ability with nature, yes?"
"Of course."
"I was wondering… could you possibly use your magic in Birabuto?"
"Oh! Certainly. Are we talking a few flower pots, a small garden that you want to make-"
"The whole desert."
"Th-the… wh-whole desert?"
"Yes."
Lemony paled, grimacing at the thought. "I'm sorry, Dahlia… but I cannot do that."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"To tell you the truth, I have my limits. If it's a small area, I'm okay… but if I do anything larger than that, I'm practically out for the rest of the day."
"Well, that's fine, you can rest for a few hours and then go back-"
"You don't understand. Using my magic puts a massive strain on my body. Naturally, I feel fine with just something as small as a flower garden, but if we're talking acres of land? That'll do me in… and before you say anything, I've tried that myself. I thought maybe I could spruce up Dry Dry Desert. After some resting, I went back into it… and I found myself weaker. A few hours later, I tried it again, only this time… I nearly fainted."
"Was it the heat?"
"No. It was just me doing too much at once. The physician in my castle did a check up on me and found out the more I use it continuously without proper rest, meaning not for a few hours but the rest of the day…"
She paused for a moment, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry, Dahlia… but if I do what you ask and I don't properly rest… I'll die."
"Okay, so… you can just rest here and the next day, you can go back into-"
"I'm sorry… but my physician recommended that I use my powers sparingly for a few days after I had strain myself. It's better to use my powers for small things… instead of doing a massive project. And with this desert heat… I'm afraid that I will be more focused on trying to rejuvenate them instead of making progress. Either way, it'll be a losing battle no matter what I do."
Dahlia's heart sunk, a shadow cast over her eyes. "Oh…"
"I'm sorry… but this is beyond me." Lemony said softly. "I-if you want, we can have tea and-"
"No. You may go back to your kingdom. You're dismissed…"
"Oh… okay." Lemony put a comforting hand on Dahlia's shoulder. "Dahlia, I'm truly sorr-"
"Don't touch me."
Lemony pulled away with a frown and then turned around. "Toadsmuth, make sure the pillows in my chariot are fluffed up."
"Already on it, your grace!"
Lemony took one last look at Dahlia, quietly mouthing "I'm sorry" before disappearing through the doors.
End BGM
Dahlia clenched her fists as she turned around and went to a different room, gently opening the door to see Princess Chrys in her bed.
BGM: Piranha Plant's Lullaby (Super Mario 64)
Chrys had auburn hair with soft ivory eyes and wore a plain T-Shirt and baggy pants. She had just removed the blanket from her bed as it was too hot for her, but she was also severely pale.
"How is she?" Dahlia asked.
"She's had better days…" The head doctor said as Chrys coughed violently. "It's a struggle, but we're doing all that we can."
Dahlia gently approached her. "Hey sweetie…"
"H-hey… mom…" Chrys coughed again. "If you're… asking how I'm doing…" Another cough. "I'm… feeling better than yesterday… haha…"
Dahlia smiled, some tears filling her eyes. "Oh honey… you just stay in bed, okay? Momma's gonna try and find something to make you feel better. I promise you… and I can assure you… momma doesn't break promises."
Chrys weakly smiled with the bags under her eyes. "I'm… glad…"
At that moment, a maiden opened the door. "Is this a bad time?"
"What is it?" Dahlia asked.
"Queen Lemony hasn't left yet. I think she's trying to create something."
Dahlia's eyes lit up. "Lemony, you pulled through!" She grinned.
End BGM
Dahlia hurried outside, quickly running through the castle as some servants looked at her in bewilderment. "How can anyone run in high heels like that?"
"She's just gifted." Another shrugged.
Dahlia opened the doors. "Lemony? Lemony! Where are you?"
"Over here!" Lemony waved her over as Dahlia approached her. "I felt bad, so I thought I could at least make something to cheer you up."
"Oh, Lemony. You always pull through! Show me what you got!"
Lemony smiled. "Here goes." She said, crossing her arms into an X, closing her eyes as a pink aura surrounded her arms. She opened her eyes as her strawberry eyes turned pink as well. "Haaaaah!"
She planted her hands down on the sand, as Dahlia's eyes lit up, watching in awe as palm trees sprang up, grass formed around the small village as even a body of water appeared right next to a fruit kiosk.
"Ta-dah~!" Lemony smiled, pulling away as the village had turned into an oasis paradise.
Dahlia's sparkly eyes disappeared almost immediately. "...What…? Are you joking?"
"Oh! I know another perfect spot."
Dahlia's sparkly eyes returned. "Oh good! I thought you were joking for a second there."
"Come with me." Lemony said as she walked through the castle with Dahlia eagerly behind her as they walked out to the castle's backyard as she proceeded to create another oasis.
By the time she was done, Lemony looked half exhausted while Dahlia was met with increasing disappointment. "Hah… hah… check it out~!" Lemony smiled, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Now you have a backyard pool. I'm sure Princess Chrys would love to swim on a hot day."
"B-B-B-Buh… Buh… but… where are the flowers? The herbs? The vegetation? You set me up for disappointment!"
"Disappointment? What are you talking about? Now the village is quite lovely. Instead of calling it Desert Village, it could be Oasis Village! …Or whatever you wanna call it." Lemony said. "Plus, with the pools of water, it'll definitely make the grass a lot greener too and-"
"Shut it. Just… shut up!" Dahlia said as she glared at Lemony.
"What's wrong?"
"While the two oases are a kind gesture… it's not enough!" Dahlia stormed back into the castle.
"I could… try to make a pine tree for extra shade. A few chrysthanthemums? Daisies? Come on, Dahlia! I could probably throw in some mint and oregano!"
"Your majesty… I think it would be best not to push yourself lest we have another health scare." One of Lemony's servants said.
Lemony sighed. "Very well… I don't know what Dahlia's deal is but… I hope she comes around to enjoy it." She said as they walked off, hopping into the chariot as the horses trotted off.
BGM: Luma (Super Mario Galaxy)
Dahlia sat down on her throne, despair was seen in her eyes. "I have done everything… I've covered all my bases… Lemony was my last chance…" Tears swelled in her eyes as she let out a scream. "I don't want to lose her… she's my only heir… and I don't know if I have the capacity to make another kid…"
She let out another wail, covering her eyes. "What do I do… WHAT DO I DO?!" She sobbed uncontrollably as her servants came up to her throne to console her. "My precious baby girl… is this how Sarasaland meets its end?! It can't end like this! IT CAN'T!"
"There there, your grace… we'll find a way to save your daughter…"
With Lemony…
"Maybe if Myra were here, we'd probably double team it." Lemony mused.
"Ah yes, Myra. She was supposed to be dubbed the royal mage the same day as your coronation as queen." Toadsmuth nodded. "If I recall correctly, she went off to explore Sooty Plains and beyond. Hope she didn't get lost in that infernal Pipe Maze."
"If I know Myra, she wouldn't let a silly Pipe Maze get the best of her. As a matter of fact, she has help with the Crystal Stars and the being who lives inside of it." Lemony explained. "Though, I do wonder what urged her to travel into the Kingdom of Myths…"
"Perhaps she wanted to see if these myths were true? The legends pertaining of that Kingdom are quite extraordinary."
"Indeed." Lemony nodded. "Perhaps when she's done, she'll come right back. I actually miss her…"
"She is indeed good company. We must have good faith that she will return safely."
"Indeed. Hmm… I wonder if that Sapphire Star in particular would have helped out…"
"Best not to dwell on it now."
"You're right. We just need to hope that Myra will come back home safely."
Later that night…
Dahlia looked up at the ceiling while lying in bed. Despair was still in her eyes as she couldn't sleep at all. Tears continued to fall as she pictured Chrys's final moments.
She tried everything. Medicinal herbs that she tried to make ended up not working. She asked for help in her neighboring Kingdoms, yet Muda, Easton and Chai's best doctors couldn't fully bring Chrys back to normal, especially considering Chai's doctor had the audacity to say that there was nothing he can do since Chrys was always sickly.
She had to admit, Chrys was always a sickly child but she pulled through no matter what. She knew it… but it still stung like hell when the doctor said that to her face. But this time it was different. This type of illness was enough to make her sixteen year old girl bedridden. It's not her fault she was born with a faulty immune system.
Yet, despite it all, Chrys always had a happy go lucky smile on her face and would always do what she could do, even if it meant playing outside in the shade while her Mushroom Kingdom friends didn't mind the heat that much.
Once those doctors were no help, she desperately tried any item she could to get rid of this nightmare, yet nothing worked. Soup wasn't much help either.
Her final shot was Lemony and her nature powers… but her oases as a "kind gesture" was not enough.
"My daughter is going to die… and there's nothing I can do…" She sobbed.
…However, an idea came to her head.
Her eyes widened at the thought of it. No… it sounded absurd. Extreme, even!
But she was desperate.
She wanted to save her daughter from this illness that's plagued her for three months following her sweet sixteen.
No matter what.
End BGM
The next day…
Dahlia walked out of her bedroom. "Good morning, your high- oh!" The maid was nearly pushed out of the way. "Up and at 'em, already?"
The light in Dahlia's eyes was gone. She had no choice… she didn't like it, but her back was against the wall. Desperate times calls for extremely desperate measures.
"Call up our troops." She said.
"Our tr-troops?" The maid asked in surprise. "What for?"
"Just call them over!"
"Okay…"
A few moments later…
A Koopa wearing a military uniform approached the queen. "M'lady, what seems to be of trouble? It's unusual that you'd call me up here." He said.
"I'm at my wits end… there's nothing else I can do. I want you to gather up your men and head straight for Easton, Muda and Chai."
"What for, exactly? Military practice?"
"I want you to invade them. Increase our army."
"Invasion?! …Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, General Koopa. I'm okay… but we need to do everything we can to increase our power. I'm done sitting on our butts and doing nothing. It's time we stopped being lazy. We need to go out and show the world what we're made of!"
General Koopa sweatdropped. "Did you sleep well?"
"I'm just peachy. Now, I want you to gather up the troops and invade Easton, Chai and Muda. They won't see it coming. They'll be easy to conquer… they're lazier than we are."
"You're… stepping into dangerous territory here." General Koopa grimaced. "Are you sure this is a good idea? Invasions are… messy. We're talking potential civilian casualties here!"
"I don't care. Do whatever it takes. That's an order."
General Koopa sighed. "Very well." He then stood up proudly and saluted her. "We will not let you down, chief! …But, is it wise to invade while your husband is away?"
"Yes. Think of this as a welcome home gift."
"Very well." He turned around and boldly walked out the door. Geez, I don't know what's eating her, but orders are orders, I'm afraid…
BGM: To the Drawing Board! (Battalion Wars)
"Invade?!" Several Bombshell Koopas cried out in surprise.
"I know, I'm just as shocked as you are." The General said.
"We finally decided to use these tanks as small greenhouses for plants and now we have to actually… use them to invade the other Kingdoms? We need to store the Bullet Biffs?"
"I'm afraid so." The General nodded. "Alright, men. Listen up. I know this will get messy, but unfortunately, orders are orders. Last thing we need is to upset Queen Dahlia. So… if anyone wishes to step aside and not join in on the invasion, I will not blame you."
To his surprise, none of his men backed down.
"I signed up for the military and I'm not going to step down and let my home down. As… odd and sudden as this is. I don't want to do it, but I want to make my home proud."
"Same here!" Another saluted as did the others.
"You boys make me proud… okay, now let's steel ourselves, get in those tanks and invade the three Kingdoms."
"What about the houseplants?"
"...Oh. Right. Set them aside by the new oasis and then we'll invade."
"Sir yes sir!"
End BGM
Meanwhile, at the Mushroom Kingdom…
Lemony sat out at the balcony, sipping some tea and letting the breeze flow through her hair. She looked off into the distance, seeing several kids play near the castle. She let out a soft sigh. "Someday soon…"
Lemony stood up, finishing her tea as she set it down and stretched, then she walked into the castle with a soft hum. She had finished her paperwork a bit early, so now she had all the freetime in the world.
"Hmm… I'm going to go to town." She said to her servants.
"Would you like your coat to go out, your grace?"
"No thank you, I'm fine." Lemony smiled as she walked out of the castle.
BGM: Toad Town (Paper Mario)
"Oh, your majesty!" A Toad exclaimed in surprise and bowed before her.
Lemony smiled sweetly, doing a curtsy bow in kind as she wandered around town, letting the soft breeze flow through her hair and closed her eyes.
"Ah, your highness! Right on time!"
"Hmm?" Lemony turned her head to see a Landscaping Toad approach her. "Oh, hello there. What seems to be the problem?"
"Yeah, about those hedges you made in the park… uh… it's interfering with that tree over there."
"What do you-... oh!" Lemony approached it, seeing the hedges grappling the tree. She gently placed her hand on said tree as the hedges wrapped around it from behind. "There we go!"
"Oh, that's way better. Thanks! Now I can resume trimming 'em!"
Lemony walked off, humming to herself… but then she paused, rubbing her chin in thought as she looked back at the mess she just fixed. "That's… odd… normally I don't create such a mess."
She rubbed her head. Did I make that when I was out of it one day? I could've sworn I made that look nice…
She shook her head. "Definitely an odd anomaly."
"Your grace!" A voice called out as Lemony turned around to see a servant approaching her. "We got urgent news!"
"Oh?"
"This must be behind closed doors. Follow me."
Lemony raised an eyebrow with a tilted head before following her servant back to the castle.
End BGM
Back at the castle, Lemony was escorted to the conference room where she saw several Toads had gathered. "What's going on?"
"Your highness… we've received some… disturbing news."
"Okay, what's up?"
"We just learned that Queen Dahlia has invaded the Muda, Easton and Chai Kingdoms."
"Oh, well, good for Dahli-... WHAT?!" Lemony yelled in surprise.
"We're just as surprised as you are. Was Dahlia acting strange when you arrived in the Burabito Kingdom?"
"Not that I know of… though she was acting a bit odd when I told her the limits of my nature powers." She said. "In fact, she said that my two oases that I made for her weren't enough. I just figured she was just having an off day. I wonder what caused her to snap…"
"We're not sure. But this stunt has effectively made Sarasland as a small little kingdom to a large empire." One of the Toads said. "We're worried that she might be targeting Evershade Valley next, which is on the border between the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland."
"Mmmm… I've known Dahlia all my life and even though she's a lot older than me, there's no way she would do something this drastic as far as I know. What is she planning…?"
"No idea, but perhaps she just wanted to take some land for herself… probably like how you managed to get all the land back that Emperor Bowser had stolen centuries ago. I'm still surprised Reitoko was willing to give it back."
"Regardless, we need to keep an eye on Dahlia. There's no telling what she'll do next…" Lemony said, a hint of concern in her voice. "How's our army holding up?"
"For the most part? Pretty solid, all things considered. You can thank Jade Toadstool for strengthening the army."
Lemony closed her eyes. "We might have to use the military… just to be on the safe side."
Back with Dahlia…
"Your highness!" General Koopa approached her. "The three rulers of Chai, Easton and Muda have surrendered. We've taken a hold of their military and are adding to our numbers."
"Excellent."
"Soooo… is this all you want to do?"
"No. I want to do more. I want to invade the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdom."
"Huh?! Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Yes!"
"...Permission to speak freely?"
"Go ahead."
"Why exactly are you wanting to invade both territories? You have a pretty solid relationship with Queen Lemony, all things considered. And Reitoko… well, he's visited like once but you had a pleasant conversation with him. Why would you throw all that away?"
"Because Lemony refuses to give what I want… so I'm going to make sure she gets the picture of what I want. She's a selfish brat who thinks she can win me over with an oasis or two. Bah!"
"...Why not just… you know, describe what you want? I'm sure this would clear up a misunderstanding or two. By the time she rests up, she can-"
"Nope! It's too late for that now. I'm going to take it by force… even if it means ruining a friendship with the youngest queen of the Mushroom Kingdom. She thinks she can do what she wants with her nature powers? Ha! Forget it! By the time I fully take over the Mushroom Kingdom, we'll all surround the Koopa Kingdom and overwhelm Reitoko! Then the whole area will be mine!"
General Koopa sweatdropped. "I… see."
"Gather everyone up and start crossing the border. I don't care if you have to go through Evershade Valley or Cheese Land, just cross that damn border and start taking over territories!"
"Very well." General Koopa saluted as he walked off, but as he walked out the door, he made sure it was completely shut before muttering "Women!" and then walked off to his troops.
Meanwhile, at the Koopa Kingdom…
BGM: Bowser's Castle: Main Courtyard (Super Mario Odyssey)
"A little bit to the left… a little more…" A Hammer Bro mumbled as he was painting a self portrait of Reitoko.
"Your scaliness!" A Magikoopa approached him.
"Not now…"
"This is rather urgent."
"Can it wait?"
"It'll only take five seconds."
"Okay. But be quick… artists are a bit explosive…"
"Some of our Magikoopas that were visiting Sarasaland just came back early from their vacation."
"Ah, too hot for 'em?"
"More like "too dangerous". Apparently, Queen Dahlia got the bright idea to invade the Chai, Easton and Muda Kingdoms and are rapidly approaching the border between them and the Mushroom Kingdom. We're looking at potentially a Sarasa invasion."
Reitoko turned his head in surprise. "WHAT?!"
"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRGH!" The Hammer Bro groaned, proceeding to hammer his painting in anger as he proceeded to take the painting away while walking off with a grumble.
"...Goodness me, what's his problem?"
"Told ya."
Reitoko stood up. "So, Dahlia's planning an invasion? Seems out of character for someone like her."
"Apparently, she's got a dark side."
"Mmmm… this is troubling. Very troubling indeed." Reitoko rubbed his head. "Any word on Lemony?"
"Not yet, but I can imagine she's disturbed by Dahlia's current behavior. Shall we aid Lemony?"
"We shall. I'll go into the castle. Kamura, you go to Lemony's Castle and provide aid if needed. I'm going to be a while with making something awesome."
"Yes sir." Kamura saluted, raising his staff up and disappeared as Reitoko walked into his castle.
"Any engineer who's built something, come here at once!" Reitoko ordered. "We're going to build something incredible that will help the Mushroom Kingdom!"
End BGM
A few days later… near Toad Harbor…
BGM: Kanbei's Theme (Advance Wars Reboot Camp 1 + 2)
"Do we really have to do this?" A Koopatrol asked.
"I don't like it as much as you do, but orders are orders." A Goombo said.
He sighed. "Very well. Launch the Bullet Biffs!"
At Toad Harbor, the citizens were walking and chatting amongst themselves… when suddenly Bullet Biffs came striking down upon the civilians, causing them to scream as jets flew by and carpet bombed them with more Bullet Biffs, while a Bomber flew over head and started bombing them with Bombshell Koopas.
Civilians tried to flee for the hills as suddenly, tanks started rolling down the hills as they pointed directly at them. The drivers in the tanks looked away while hesitantly pushing the button while bracing for it. The tanks fired.
A helicopter landed at a spot as troops moved out and started to shoot down any resistance.
One Koopa pulled out a flag pole and shoved it down on the ground. "This land is now property of Sarasa-"
Immediately, a cannonball came flying through and destroyed the flagpole, landing directly in the water. "Yipe!" He yelped as they turned to see the assailant in question.
End BGM
BGM: Sami's Theme (Advance Wars Reboot Camp 1 + 2)
Red tanks with white polka dots emerged from the hills, along with their own fighter jets that immediately shot down the Sarasa Jets. They were immediately surrounded by Toads and Magikoopas as a few jeeps sprang into action and started mowing down Sarasa Troops.
"...Well, don't just sit there! Attack!" Another Bombshell Koopa said as they proceeded to return fire with both fighter jets proceeding to face each other in a dog fight.
Yoshi Valley…
Several troops walked across the winding roads of Yoshi Valley. "Okay, I swear I went down this road before."
"You too?"
"Maybe we can go through this cave?" Another suggested as they walked through the cave with a tank following them, and then the cave exploded and crushed them all, where a Toad was on a cliff with a smirk, holding a button.
"Too bad." He smirked, and then pulled out a sniper rifle, proceeding to shoot down any stragglers while an artillery cannon was brought forward as a Sarasa troop yanked the rope as it fired, where the Toad looked up and saw an artillery shell about to hit him.
"Aaaah… nuts."
Shy Guy Beach…
"Aaaaaaaah!" The Toads ran away in a panic.
"Yaaaaaaaaaaaah!" The Sarasa Troops chased after them.
Five seconds later, the Sarasa Troops screamed and quickly ran the opposite way as a cannonball was shot straight toward 'em.
"Yaaaaar! Those who invade me waters will pay the ultimate price!" A Shy Guy pirate declared.
"Thank you!" A Toad waved as the Shy Guy turned to face him… and then shot a cannonball at him too. "AW COME ON!"
End BGM
Some time later…
"How the hell are we losing ground so fast?!" Lemony asked. "We just lost Sweet Sweet Canyon and Toad Harbor… not only that, but they just took over Mushroom Bridge!"
"Look on the bright side though. We just got Maple Treeway and Sky Garden back. Ribbon Road is currently being re-captured as we speak. Heck, we might just recapture Shroom Ridge by lunch!" Toadsmuth said.
"But that's not enough!" Lemony complained. "The more we take back, we lose a lot more…"
"I wish I could look into her psyche, your highness. Unfortunately, Dahlia's too dangerous to approach." Kamura said.
"Let me look at your wand for a second there." Lemony said, taking it from him. "Hey! Koopa King! Can you hear me?"
"Hmm? Oh hello, princess! What can I do for you?"
"We're losing a lot of ground! It's just a matter of time before Dahlia approaches my front doorstep. Aren't you going to help?"
"Relax, princess. I'll be there before you know it. Just stay patient. Besides, you're a big girl. I'm sure you can handle Dahlia on your own. Later!"
"No no no no! NO! Augh! He hung up… WHY did he hang up…" Lemony groaned.
With Reitoko…
"This is bad…" Reitoko grimaced. "Dahlia's getting more and more aggressive and we just finished the prototype stage… how much longer is this going to take?"
"We're going as fast as we can." A Monty Mole engineer said. "We can only do so much without opposable thumbs!"
"Right right. Let's just hope Dahlia doesn't do something drastic…"
With Dahlia…
A Ninji dropped down from the throne room. "You called for me, my queen?"
"I want you to locate Myra. Rumor has it she went into the Kingdom of Myths and I want you to bring her here." She said, handing him a note.
"Hmm?" The Ninji looked into it.
"Hey Myra, it's me, Princess Chrys! Wherever you are, how about you come on over to Sarasaland where we can hang out? Sarasaland is beautiful this time of year!"
"Using your own daughter? Sounds low, even for you."
"I don't care. Just give it to her."
"And if she refuses?"
Dahlia tossed him a blade where he quickly caught it. "I want her to join up with me so she can knock Lemony down a peg. If she refuses to come? Assassinate her."
"What if she comes but refuses your offer?"
"I'll kill her myself."
"Very well." The Ninji bowed as he hid away the blade and the note. "I will not let you down, your highness."
He threw down a smoke bomb… and when the smoke vanished, he was gone.
Dahlia let out a sinister giggle. "Having that shadow girl on my side will bring an end to the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdom for sure."
Later into the night, at Lemony's Castle…
Lemony leaned against the balcony, letting out a soft sigh. "Dahlia, what has gotten into you…" She wondered as she looked up at the night sky, where a shooting star flew through the sky.
I wonder… Lemony thought as she clasped her hands.
"O Star Spirits, hear my prayer. Please send the strongest star warrior that helped aid Myra against the Dark Star… I need his help… please… send him to me!"
At that moment, a star shined brightly in the sky as it came hurtling toward Lemony's Castle. Her eyes widened as she quickly ducked as the shooting star slammed into the ground behind her.
"Are you alright, Queen Lemony?"
Lemony stood up, smiling brightly. "It's so good to see you… Geno."
BGM: Beware the Forest's Mushrooms (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars)
The puppet approached her, dusting himself off from the dust. "I don't normally take over the same doll, but I've grown accustomed to it." He chuckled. "What seems to be the problem? I've heard your distress call."
She sighed. "I don't know what's going on with Dahlia, but we're losing so much land of the Mushroom Kingdom to her. It's only a matter of time before I lose everything, and possibly my life. I'm requesting that you help aid in this fight. Maybe we can turn the tide?"
"I understand your concerns… however, I must decline."
"Huh?!"
"This is a mortal war that I'm not going to get myself involved in. I hate to it, but you're on your own for this."
"But… but but… you helped Myra seal the Dark Star!"
"That was because the whole planet was being affected by the darkness to the point where I had to step in. This war is completely different. I'll step in if something bigger than this war happens that may threaten the entire planet. I'm not getting myself involved in something so trivial."
Lemony's shoulders slumped. "Oh…"
Geno approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Fear not, Lemony. I have good faith that you will win this war. I'd be lying if I said I didn't sympathize with you. Clearly, this is most tragic what is happening to your people… but I'm afraid this is something only you can do. I wish you good luck."
End BGM
An aura surrounded Geno. "Farewell!" He said as he flew off back to the dark sky as Lemony watched him leave. Anger swelled within her as her face started to distort into a sour look.
"YOU COWARD!" She screamed in the sky in frustration before she fell to her knees and started sobbing.
The following morning…
"Your grace!" Toadsmuth went running up to her. "We just got horrific news!"
"What of it…" She mumbled. Her eyes were bloodshot, as she had cried herself to sleep after her chat with Geno.
"The Sarasa Army is approaching Acorn Plains! If they manage to cross through…"
Lemony's eyes widened. "Then that means Toad Town will-"
"Yes. They'll be right at our doorstep."
"Get all of our men and station them all over Acorn Plains immediately! I'm not going to let her take Acorn Plains!" Lemony said as Toadsmuth saluted and walked off.
"You feeling okay? You seem rather… off." Kamura said.
"I'm fine. We need to evacuate Toad Town."
"But where should we take 'em? I'm pretty sure Star Hill is Sarasa territory now."
"The sewers. I don't know! Just take 'em anywhere where they won't be hurt!"
"Understood."
Out at Acorn Plains…
The Mushroom Army stationed themselves all over Acorn Plains, waiting for their enemy to arrive. The Sarasa Army approached moments later.
"My queen, they've occupied Acorn Plains. You sure you want to do this?" General Koopa asked.
"Take 'em down. Take no prisoners either. But do not attack the castle. I will personally deal with her when Lemony is against the wall."
"Very well. Alright boys… let's steel ourselves and brace for this battle! ATTACK!"
Both sides let out war cries as they all charged forward with weapons. The tanks and artillery cannons fired as fighter jets proceeded to take the skies all the while the wildlife fled in hopes to survive the onslaught.
At Reitoko's Castle…
"Sire, we just received word that the Sarasan Army is at Acorn Plains!" A Lakitu said.
"WHAT?!" Reitoko yelled. "That Dahlia's a bold one… rrrrgh, see if you can help aid the Mushroom Army as much as you can until our machines are ready!"
"Yes sir!" The Lakitu saluted as they took off.
"Mmmmph… every move Dahlia makes, we're like months behind schedule. Why is she doing this?" He wondered.
With Dahlia…
"I can't believe they think they can stop me at Acorn Plains of all places. Please… this invasion's just about to wrap up. You might as well give up, Lemony. Because I'm about to win this thing!"
With Lemony…
"Be strong, my soldiers…" Lemony said, clasping her hands. "O Star Spirits… hear my plea… have my army fend off Dahlia's army as long as possible… please!"
Out on the battlefield, the Sarasan and Mushroom soldiers were getting slaughtered left and right, yet more reinforcements came as several fighter jets crashed into the ground and killing those on the battlefield that were unlucky enough to be caught in the explosion.
Gunshots, fireballs, missiles, ice balls, hammers, Spiny Eggs, Bullet Bills, Bullet Biffs, Banzai Bills… it was a bloody battle as several soldiers skewered or burned one another, blood splattering everywhere.
But to the Sarasan Army's surprise, the Mushroom Kingdom's soldiers were pushing them back, but they would also push the Mushroom soldiers back as well, leading to a massive stalemate.
The Great Battle of Acorn Plains lasted for an entire month, and while Lemony was holding out with hope, Dahlia was getting more and more agitated.
"Dammit dammit dammit DAMMIT! How the hell have we not gained any ground in this fight! I swear, this should've been easy about a month ago! And not only that, but Myra hasn't shown up yet! …By my guess, the Ninji assassinated her."
She shook her head. "Whatever. I didn't need her anyway." She mumbled as an idea came to her. "Wait, why are we attacking from the front? Send some infantry around them and flank them from behind! Destroy all of them! ALL OF THEM!"
"Understood!" A Koopatrol saluted and proceeded to relay the info.
"Blast it, why didn't we think of that in the first place!" General Koopa said. "Men, some of you will come with me!" He ordered. "We're flanking 'em to the left!"
With a nod, they quickly hopped in some jeeps and tanks and quickly hightailed it out of there.
"Heh, some of them are giving up!" A Mushroom soldier said.
"Ha! We got this!" A Toad said, high fiving another.
Unbeknownst to them, they moved around the Acorn Plains and then proceeded to come up from the rear.
"FIRE!" General Koopa yelled as they started shooting them from behind.
"WHAT THE HECK?!" A Toad yelled as he got blasted away.
"Awww crud!"
With Reitoko…
"Sire! We just got intel that Sarasaland just flanked them from behind! They're about to win the war!"
"THAT'S IT!" Reitoko yelled as he climbed aboard a mech. "Those who can pilot the mechs, get in! We're going in!"
"Wait, they just barely got out of the testing phase!"
"I don't care!" Reitoko said, pressing a button as thrusters ignited as Reitoko flew off with his army of mechs behind him.
With Lemony…
"No… no no no no… no no no no no no NO NO!" Lemony yelled, realizing what was happening. Tears swelled in her eyes. "We can't lose like this!"
"Sire… where are you…" Kamura wondered.
Out at Acorn Plains…
"Welp… it's been nice knowing y'all!"
"How about we go out swinging and not surrendering?"
"Good idea! Let's go all out!"
The remaining army proceeded to try and fend off the Sarasan Army, but one by one, they would drop to the ground, tanks and artillery would explode as they found themselves surrounded, dropping to the ground.
"Ooooh, this is it!" A Toad whimpered as he closed his eyes.
THUD!
The Toad opened his eyes, seeing several giant mechs having appeared in front of 'em.
"Rock 'em, sock 'em boys! KNOCK THEM DOWN!" Reitoko ordered.
BGM: Fury Bowser - Phase 2 (Bowser's Fury)
The Koopa Mechs, looking like gigantic Reitoko mechs, proceeded to charge ahead and clobbered the Sarasan Army. A few mechs proceeded to fire Bulls-Eye Bills and Banzais, knocking several fighter jets out of the sky as one mech breathed fire, burning alive the Sarasan army while Reitoko crushed several tanks underneath his foot.
"They've arrived! They've ARRIIIVED!" A Toad cheered as several mechs launched Banzai Bills everywhere, destroying the Sarasan army.
"Retreat! RETREAT!" General Koopa yelled before he got crushed underneath Reitoko's foot as the mechs all charged at the retreating army while Reitoko used his thrusters to fly over to Lemony's Castle, kneeling down at the balcony as the head opened up to reveal Reitoko.
"You're late." Lemony said.
"I'd say I'm right on time!" Reitoko said. "So, how's about we retake your land back?" He asked, offering his hand.
Lemony smiled, grabbing a Fire Flower and hopping on his hand before she climbed up to his shoulder. "Let's kick Dahlia's ass!"
The head closed. "You got it!" Reitoko said as they flew off together, where they proceeded to take back the lands with little effort. Vanilla Lake, Sherbet Land, Yoshi Valley, Dry Dry Desert, Desert Hills, Riverside Park, Toad Harbor, Mushroom Bridge…
They were all taken back with seconds after the mechas arrived.
"HOW THE HELL ARE WE LOSING GROUND?!" Dahlia yelled once she received the news.
"Reitoko just arrived and is currently kicking our asses!"
"Well, kick HIS ass then!"
"We can't. He's in a mech!"
"Okay, kick his mechanical ass then! Surely we got a boot big enough for that!"
"Unfortunately, we don't."
The retreating army was trampled underneath their feet as some mechas failed and fell flat on their faces, but they soon arrived at Dahlia's Castle as Reitoko parked his mech as he and Lemony hopped down, the latter looking at her Fire Flower before she put it away as lightning crackled within her body as she delivered a swift lightning kick to the doors, opening them as Dahlia saw Lemony and Reitoko approach her.
"DAAAHLIIIIIIAAAA!" Lemony yelled. "YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!"
Dahlia growled, picking up a sword. "I ain't losing to you both!" She said, quickly rushing at them and letting out a war cry… only for Lemony to shoot out a powerful lightning bolt as Dahlia dropped her sword as she screamed and convulsed in agony, then Reitoko jumped in and pinned her down.
End BGM
"Heh, all talk and no bite." Reitoko said.
"Okay okay, I yield! Just… let me explain!"
"Start talking… before I fry you to a crisp." Lemony threatened. "What was this all about?"
BGM: Sad Girl (Super Mario Galaxy)
Dahlia sighed. "You know when I asked you if you could use your powers to spruce the place up and got quickly annoyed with your oases? …Truth is… it wasn't enough to take care of my daughter."
"Your daughter? What does this have to do with Chrys?"
"She was born with a faulty immune system, meaning she gets sick very easily. She's had her good days, but this last one she's had lasted for a long time right after her sixteenth birthday. I tried everything, but nothing worked. I hoped you would have made some type of medicinal herb so I could save her."
"What…? Why didn't you say something?"
"I don't know! I didn't think about it at the time… this war was my last bet. If I had invaded the Mushroom Kingdom, then I would have gotten the medicine she needed."
"Is that what this is all about? Dahlia, you could've just come to my kingdom and picked up some herbs-"
"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?! I thought about it! …But… every time I went out to your kingdom to gather up medicinal herbs… one of my kids would succumb to their illness. I've had many kids… and this sickness they've had… I was not there for them in their final moments."
"That's right, you had a lot of kids when I was just a princess. I wondered what happened to them."
"I didn't want to say anything… it was my affairs only. Chrys is my last child… and I don't think I could bare to lose another when I'm not around. And… I don't think I'm capable of making any more kids."
"So this entire war was just out of desperation…" Reitoko mused. "To think all of this could've been avoided if you simply told Lemony what you wanted specifically."
"I'm well aware…" Dahlia groaned with tears in her eyes.
"...Can we see her?" Lemony asked.
"You can, but she's hanging by a thread at this point." Dahlia said as they walked to Chrys's room, where they would see her barely wheezing, paler than ever as an oxygen mask was over her face.
Lemony walked over to her, feeling her forehead as she examined her. "I know just the thing." She said, clapping her hands as she put her hand over a vase, creating several herbs as she proceeded to turn them into a paste in a bowl.
She then poured it into a glass. "Set her up nice and easy." She requested as Reitoko and Dahlia did so, where there was a loss of muscle mass on her body, nothing more than skin and bones.
The oxygen mask was removed. "Here sweetie…" Lemony whispered, gently force feeding the herbal drink into her mouth, helping her swallow it.
End BGM
"Nnnn…" Chrys slowly opened her eyes, color slowly returned to her face. She breathed slowly. "I… I…"
"Save your voice. Let the herbs work its magic." Lemony said as she created more herbs and put it in a vase. "Give this to her every two hours. Make sure she doesn't miss a dose."
"R-Right…" Dahlia nodded, overwhelmed with tears as she gently hugged her daughter before hugging Lemony and Reitoko. "I… know an apology won't cut it after what I've done-"
"How about we make a treaty, where no one invades the other?" Lemony spoke up. "I feel that will make all three of our Kingdoms strong as allies, not enemies."
"Yeah, I'm cool with that." Reitoko nodded.
"Does that mean I have to give up the other three Kingdoms?" Dahlia sighed.
"Actually, keep those. Sarasa Empire rolls off the tongue, if I'm being honest." Lemony said.
"Yeah, it actually does." Reitoko nodded.
Dahlia smiled. "Okay!"
The three of them signed the treaty as both Lemony and Reitoko went back to their Kingdoms while Dahlia had worked hard to try and make amends for every territory in the Mushroom Kingdom she had taken over.
As for Chrys, she was back to her normal self within a few months, regaining her muscle and happy to be healthy once more.
"Dear Myra, I've been feeling a lot better these past few days and I just got done with physical therapy. Can you come over so we can hang out? I got a cool new oasis outside of my room! We can go swimming together!
Yours truly, Princess Chrys Sarasa"
Deadpool: Sooooo... who's gonna tell her?
Ibuki: One two three-
Deadpool/Ibuki: NOT IT!
...Aw come on, why do I have to tell Chrys? Anyway, shout out to Cody who actually inspired me to write this chapter after it was mentioned in the last one!