Feeling the hands of his beloved Daisy turn into nothing, Luigi sprinted to the nearest screen. The leader board filled up once again, randomly selecting twelve racers.
"Deep breaths, Luigi," Mario put an arm around his brother's shoulder, although he too was experiencing a major case of anxiety what with the love of his life being transported into Kartra's twisted game. The image of the track landed on some kind of an autumnal setting, seeming to depict a giant tree.
"I don't know about you, Mario, but these places seem familiar," Luigi squinted inquisitively. "I just can't put my finger on where I've seen 'em before."
"If Kartra's not full of bluff, then it's true that she's had an eye on us for a while," Mario said grimly. "She's brought people in from across the universe, and if she really does know everything about us, then she's probably seen the places that we've visited."
"Mario!" a familiar voice called; turning around, Mario was greeted by the sight of the portly Lubba, a Whittle in tow.
"Lubba!" a surprised Mario greeted, his attention alternating between his conversation with the captain of the Faceship and the live map of the race on the Superstar Shuttle's screens. "I guess I shoulda known you'd be on here!"
"Sorry to hear yer Princess has been selected," Lubba consoled. "If it's worth anythin' to ya, Whittle here seemed to have some advice for the Princess before she up 'n' vanished!"
"Yeah?" a disinterested Mario responded, his gaze now firmly fixed on the screen. "Sounds great."
"Elder one. Go see," the Whittle rattled. "May know. Seen much."
"Whaddya mean, 'elder one'?" Lubba questioned, though the Whittle spoke no more, seeming to wander around in circles in a daze.
-The Fate of the Koopa Kids-
The wood was hard to drive on, and Peach was never much of a driver anyway; all her life, Toadsworth took care of transport. On the other hand, Daisy seemed to be extraordinarily proficient.
"C'mon, Peach!" Daisy encouraged, her emotions at conflict; go-karting and racing was always a ball, but Daisy knew there was a lot at stake. "You can't be afraid! Step on the gas!"
"If I go any faster, I'll crash!" Peach cried, steering hard to the right to avoid falling off the edge of the track. "Or worse yet, I'll fall off - and I dread to think what'll happen then!"
"You've gotta get the hang of it, Peach! Your life is at stake - the future of your Kingdom!" Daisy let go of her motorcycle's thrust a little, allowing Peach to catch up; they were in the bottom two positions, but Daisy could not leave Peach in the dust. Two more laps remained in the race - plenty of time to catch up.
"How come you know so much about go-karting, anyway?" Peach huffed, her hands tiring from steering the wheel; was Kartra really so wicked that she'd make this car so damn stiff?
"I was always sort of a wild child," Daisy explained. "I was jumping over Moai statues on my bike before I could even spell Sarasaland!"
"I can believe that!" Peach muttered under her breath, realising that following Daisy's advice was literally a matter of life or death. Wincing a little, Peach pressed harder on the gas.
"Watch out, Peach!" Daisy let out a chuckle. "Looks like we've got a ramp coming up!"
Peach spotted it up ahead; glowing orange and white, Peach braced herself as she raced towards it. Her kart flew off the ground, and Peach forced her eyes shut.
-The Fate of the Koopa Kids-
Mario, cap in hand, let out a sigh of relief. The results were in on the leader board; Peach and Daisy had made it through by just a hair, eliminating Birdo. Luigi embraced Mario; the brothers would have their Princesses returned, safe and sound.
Sure enough, both Princesses materialized before them, their crowns slightly askew. The brothers broke from each other's arms and ran into the arms of their girls.
"Oh, Mario!" Peach swooned, clutching his hair. "I thought I'd never make it through!"
"It was close!" scoffed Mario. "I always wondered what you were like as a driver!"
Meanwhile, Daisy and scooped Luigi up and spun him around. "I've never been more happy at the sight of a lanky plumber!" she exclaimed gleefully.
"You did great!" Luigi dropped from her hands and held Daisy by her shoulders. "How come you never told me you were into biking?"
Daisy smiled wryly. "There's a lot of things you don't know 'bout me, Luigi Mario!"
The celebrations were short-lived; in the midst of it all, they had forgotten that someone had lost the race, and ultimately paid the price. On the floor was a picture of Birdo, with a terrified expression on her face similar to that of Roy's.
"Oh, Birdo..." Peach's face dropped, a tear rolling down her cheek.
Just like the celebrations were cut short, so was the grieving. The screen soon flashed with a new randomized leader board; the inhabitants of the Superstar Shuttle watched anxiously, crossing their fingers and praying that their name would not appear on that leader board. The plumbers and their partners felt a weight come off their shoulders, seeing that their names were absent from the board.
"Rosalina!" Daisy called, spotting the star princess' iconic features; her beautiful, blonde locks of hair and her flowing blue dress instantly made her stand out from the crowd.
"Princess Daisy," Rosalina curtsied. "Princess Toadstool, and the Mario brothers. I'm glad to see you are all safe."
"Likewise, Princess Rosalina!" Luigi bowed.
"Rosalina, do you have any idea who could be behind this?" Peach questioned. "I just can't wrap my head around it; in all your experience travelling the cosmos, have you encountered anything with this potential?"
"I regret to say that I have not," Rosalina rebuked glumly. "There is only one person I can think to ask. Polari has seen far more than I have."
"Polari?" Peach's eyes narrowed.
"Polari!" the Whittle leaped from nearby, with Lubba in close pursuit. "Eldest one. Seen much. Find!"
"Looks like ya got a lead, Princess!" Lubba grinned. "Boy, I've never seen ol' Whittle come to life like that!"
"Where could we find him, Princess Rosalina?" Mario asked. "There are hundreds of Lumas on here!"
"Polari isn't like the other Lumas," Rosalina informed. "Not only does he look completely different, but he's the most knowledgeable Luna I have ever encountered. He claims to be the oldest in his species. I believe him."
"Correct. Oldest there is," the Whittle spoke.
"If he's as old as he says he is, maybe he knows something about this Kartra!" said Luigi. "And if he does, then he might know something about stopping her!"
"I don't mean to foil your plans, but I've never heard Polari speak of Kartra before," Rosalina countered. "When Kartra arrived earlier, she spoke of eliminating universes. It's possible that whatever she is, wherever she has come from, is something from a completely different reality to ours."
"It's our best shot!" Peach stubbornly stood her ground. "Where can we find him? What does Polari look like?"
"He was that dark Luma, right?" Mario asked, not entirely certain. "I think I remember him when I was on board the Comet Observatory!"
"That's right," Rosalina confirmed. "You'll know him when you see him. I'll leave you bunch to it; I must find the other Lumas."
"Thanks, Rosie!" Daisy waved her goodbye as she followed the others, who had already began blindly running around the Superstar Shuttle.
"Rosie?" Luigi asked, snickering.
"We're friends, Luigi! You'll understand what that's like one day!" Daisy teased.
"When are you gonna give me a nickname?"
"Oh, I've got a few for you, green bean!"
-The Fate of the Koopa Kids-
Hours passed, and a number of additional polaroids lined the wall. Waluigi. Pauline. Koopa Troopa. King Bob-Omb. Diddy Kong. Cranky Kong. Petey Pirahna.
And, the two most recent losses, Iggy and Lemmy.
A motionless Bowser stood before the images, to which he targeted a grim stare. Roy, Iggy, and Lemmy were all gone.
"We can get 'em back, papa! Right?" a chirpy voice spoke up from his side. Looking down, Bowser smiled weakly at the sight of Bowser Jr., the spit of him and the only Koopa Kid to carry Bowser's namesake.
"As soon as I catch that Kartra when she's not looking, Junior!" Bowser feigned optimism, but it was convincing enough for Junior to believe him.
"That mean ol' lady won't know what hit her!" Junior exclaimed. "We'll teach her a lesson 'bout what happens when you mess with a Koopa!"
Bowser let out a faint chuckle. Three of his Koopa Kids were gone, but Junior and the others remained. As Bowser lead Junior away from the photo wall, he thought about how long this whole act would go on for. Kartra declared that the last racer standing would be the one to challenge her. Regardless of whether the final champion won or lost, what would happen to the people stuck in the photographs? In the case of a victory, would they be released as a reward? If the champion lost, would they, too, be stuck in a photograph?
That lead Bowser's train of thought to the expressions of the people in the polaroids; even the toughest of the eliminated racers seemed terrified of whatever was behind the camera. Who, or what, is waiting for Bowser's children should they come last?
-The Fate of the Koopa Kids-
"At last!" Peach exclaimed. They'd travelled far across the Superstar Shuttle, picking up and losing a few friends along the way; the main party of Mario, Peach, Luigi, Daisy, Lubba, and Whittle were still present, alongside Donkey Kong, Wario, and Yoshi.
The gang had stumbled upon a dimly lit room, the only light being a dim glow that emanated from its doorway. Peeking through the door, Peach was ecstatic to find the Luma, Polari, that had been described to them. On the other hand, Polari wasn't particularly interested to see them, except for Mario.
"Mario!" Polari chirped. "I knew I'd bump into you again eventually. Nice to see you've brought friends!"
"Polari!" Mario greeted. "What are you doing all this way into the ship?"
"Meditating," the eldest Luma answered. "With all the hustle and panic going on elsewhere, I found it best to retreat to a quieter quarter. How is Princess Rosalina?"
"She's handling herself well," Mario nodded. "We parted ways; she's trying to gather whatever Lumas are remaining on-board!"
"As she should. They think highly of her," Polari looked away knowingly. "I can't help but gather you have sought me out for a reason."
"Yes!" Peach interjected. "The Whittle told us about you. You're the oldest Luma alive, right?"
"Not just alive, Princess - the oldest Luma to have ever existed," Polari corrected. "I fear I may know what you are going to ask me, and I'm afraid I do not have an answer for you. I've studied the cosmos all my life, and I consider myself well versed in intergalactic affairs, including threats of both the mythological and non-fictitious kinds. In all my research, I have never heard the name Kartra, nor have I heard of any conqueror who eliminates her subjects through such unusual means. Pardon my hubris, but that can only mean one thing: Kartra is not of this universe."
"That's what Rosalina thought..." Luigi twiddled his moustache.
"Great - I guess all that was for nothing..!" Daisy grumbled under her breath.
"Ya mean to tell me no one knows anything 'bout this broad?!" Wario stomped angrily. "No one's got any idea 'bout how we can stop her?!"
"In time, perhaps a way of foiling Kartra's scheme will make itself apparent," Polari's gaze averted from the gang. "For now, perhaps you should focus on your own survival."
An old screen behind them flickered on; the next group of racers was being selected. Dixie Kong, King Boo, Bowser Junior, and, among others, Mario and Toad.
"Bro!" Luigi's face dropped as the glowing blue particles came to surround Mario.
"It'll be okay!" Mario assured both Luigi and Peach. "I'm comin' back! I promise!"
With a bright flash, everything around Mario vanished. When he came to, he found himself in the familiar driver's seat of that old race car - what caught him off guard the most was his surroundings. It took a few seconds for it to sink in, but as he came to realise the flowery hills all around him and the big, stone castle just up ahead of them, he realised exactly where he was.
"Princess Peach's castle?!" Mario's face twisted in confusion. He looked around him for Toad, spotting the mushroom-capped creature sharing the same baffled expression.
"I'm gonna get ya, Mario!" a voice squawked from in front of him; turning around, he saw Bowser Junior twisted around in his Koopa Clown car. "I'll knock you out, and finally it'll be me, dad, and mama!"
"Take it easy, Junior..!" Mario snarled. The lights above the finish line began to light up: 3... 2... 1... Go!
-The Fate of the Koopa Kids-
The Koopa Kids, as a team, consisted of seven of King Bowser's children; in birth order, Lemmy, Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, and Ludwig. Now, only four of those remained. Morton, Wendy, Larry, and Ludwig stood huddled together, while their father stood within inches of the shuttle's screens.
"How ya feelin', Larry?" Morton asked, attempting to be considerate.
"I miss Lemmy!" Larry pined after his twin brother. "And what about Junior?"
"Junior will be fine!" Ludwig grunted, flicking his blue locks of hair out of his face. "There's a reason he's dad's favourite - he'll make it through!"
"Do you think dad's got a plan to get us outta here?" Morton asked the group. "I don't get why we can't just... y'know... fly outta here! I mean, there's gotta be an escape pod somewhere, right?!"
"If it were that easy, we would have done it already!" Wendy scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Besides, that skinny minny already zapped us onto here once; who's to say she can't do it again?"
"Why's it always, 'will dad come up with something?' 'Will Junior come up with something?'" Ludwig folded his arms, speaking in a snide, mocking tone. "Why don't you put your faith in the eldest, wisest Koopaling?"
"Because when have you ever come up with a plan that hasn't ended with us being totally stomped by the Mario brothers?" Wendy retorted, casually examining her nails. "Anyway, what cunning plot could you have possibly come up with? Kartra clearly got the better of you when she brought us all here!"
"Guys, it's the last lap!" Larry leapt, "Junior's on the last lap!"
With that, the Koopa Kids rushed to their father's side. "Junior's in seventh," Bowser stated, sounding short of breath. "Not great, not terrible - but if he stays there, he'll make it out."
"C'mon, Junior!" Morton slammed his fist into his palm. "About time ya knock that pesky plumber out, once and for all!"
-The Fate of the Koopa Kids-
For the third time, Mario drove through the entrance to Peach's castle. It was eerie how the minute details of the castle had been perfectly replicated - each painting's brush stroke had been immaculately duplicated, every chip and chisel in the castle's brickwork had been copied, and the patterns on the ruby-red rug they were driving on were sewn identically to the ones that lay on the corridors of Peach's real castle. If it weren't for the twisting racetrack in the middle of the castle, which Mario could only assume was placed there by Kartra, it could pass as a one-to-one replica.
But Mario had spent too much time focusing on these little details; from up ahead, Dry Bone tosses a pair of Bob-Ombs behind him, catching Mario, Toad, Bowser Junior, and a number of other racers in a fiery inferno.
"Damn!" Mario cursed, coughing in the smoke of the blast. It was a stupid mistake to lose focus for so long; he couldn't afford to waste another second. He fired up his kart, speeding off with Toad and a number of other racers. They flew up off a ramp, smashing through item boxes; their last chance to get ahead, lest they risk falling behind into the bottom position.
Speaking of which, who was in the bottom position?
As they landed, Mario quickly glanced in the kart's wing mirrors; about a dozen meters behind him, Bowser Junior touched down on the ground, a Bob-Omb in his hand. They were so close to the finish line now.
"Mario!" Bowser Junior cried. "I ain't leavin' papa! It's about time you lose for a change!"
Turning the last corner, Bowser Junior tossed the Bob-Omb ahead of him. Mario and Toad watched it fly overhead between their karts, bouncing off the metal banner above the finish line. It ricocheted off, landing behind Mario and Toad; its impact on the ground made a dull thud, subtle beneath the rapid beeping of the Bob-Omb. Mario couldn't bring himself to look back.
A/N: Happy New Year everybody! Hope everyone had a good time celebrating! I aim to post more in 2024, and hopefully this story will be completed soon!