The air was thick with smoke and chaos as a Bullet Bill careened through the sky, crashing into the garden of Peach's Castle. The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, shattering the once-beautiful pathways. Another followed, then another—each explosion a prelude to the full force of Bowser's impending invasion. Above, Bowser's airborne kingdom loomed, dark and menacing, as it slowly halted over the Mushroom Kingdom.

In the midst of the chaos, Samus stood in her upgraded Power Suit, the suit's sleek armor cycling through color modes as she prepared for battle. Her gaze drifted across the battlefield until it settled on Luigi, standing a few paces away. His expression was conflicted, a mix of fear and determination etched across his face.

Samus approached him with a reassuring nod. "Luigi, I admire your bravery. I know you're scared, but that fear gives you strength."

Luigi shifted his feet, his eyes avoiding hers. "I don't know, Samus. I'm not like Mario. I'm not a hero."

Samus placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "True courage isn't about wanting to fight. It's about standing by your friends when they need you. You could've run, Luigi, but you stayed. That's real bravery."

She smiled at him before turning to sprint toward the castle entrance. "Good luck out there. We need you."

Samus joined her allies at the castle's front. Zelda sat tall upon Epona, her sword raised high, the Master Sword glowing faintly with magical energy. With a practiced motion, she unleashed a magic blast, obliterating an incoming Bullet Bill before it could hit the ground. As the dust settled, a massive figure emerged from the flying kingdom above—Bowser, his fiery eyes locked onto Peach.

"Peach!" Bowser roared, his voice thundering across the battlefield. "Surrender now, or I'll burn everything you love to the ground!"

Peach's hands clenched into fists, but her voice remained steady. "I'll never surrender to you, Bowser! You know you'll destroy everything, regardless."

Bowser's chuckle echoed like thunder as flames gathered in his throat. "True enough, but it's much more fun to make you suffer first!"

He unleashed a torrent of fire toward Peach, but just before it reached her, a shield made of green metallic leaves formed around her, absorbing the shot before disappearing. Samus stood behind it, her armor glowing from the protective shield she had deployed.

"Not today, Bowser!" Samus called out, her voice filled with defiance.

Donkey Kong stepped forward, towering over the battlefield, his fists clenched and his eyes burning with rage. "Enough talk! Face me, Bowser! For the destruction of my kingdom, I challenge you personally!"

Robotnik, standing nearby and tapping on a small device in his hand, scowled in frustration. "Bowser, stop wasting time with your theatrics! We need to focus on the Power Star! Where is it?"

Bowser glared at Robotnik, his patience wearing thin. "I'll find the Power Star after I've reduced Peach's castle to ruins!"

Robotnik's eyes widened in shock. "That's not good enough! The Power Star is the key to everything!"

Bowser's fists clenched tightly, his voice dripping with anger. "Do you think I'm a fool? I'm not as dumb as you think. I know what you've been up to."

Robotnik's grin faltered slightly, but he quickly recovered, feigning innocence. "What are you talking about? I've done nothing but help you, Bowser! Together, we'll conquer—"

"Cut the lies!" Bowser roared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You tried to strike a deal with Ganondorf behind my back. You thought you could play me, didn't you?"

Robotnik's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then he scoffed, trying to regain control of the conversation. "Ganondorf was weak! I was only exploring all our options, Bowser. Surely you understand strategy—"

"Strategy?" Bowser interrupted, stepping forward, his massive frame casting a long shadow over Robotnik. "That's not the only thing you tried. You thought I wouldn't notice you sneaking around, slipping that modified mind control mushroom onto my back? Trying to make it work on me?"

Robotnik froze, realizing his plot had been discovered. He stammered, "I-I was only trying to ensure that—"

Bowser's eyes blazed with fury, his voice filled with contempt. "You think I'm stupid enough to create something that could control me? I designed that mushroom to target weak-minded fools, not someone like me!"

With a mighty heave, Bowser threw Robotnik over the side of his airborne kingdom. Robotnik flailed wildly as he typed frantically onto a small control pad on his wrist, one of his Egg Drones swooped in, catching him and lifting him to safety.

Robotnik dusted himself off, his face twisted in anger as he hovered away on his drone. "You'll regret this, Bowser. Mark my words—I will have my revenge."

Back on the battlefield, Roll, Proto Man, and Bass fought fiercely against Bowser's seemingly endless army of minions. Roll wiped the sweat from her brow, narrowly dodging an attack as she spoke.

"I wish Mega Man were here," Roll said, her voice filled with exhaustion.

Proto Man fired a charged shot, clearing several enemies in one blast. "He always knew how to turn the tide."

Bass, his face twisted into a determined smirk, blasted back a group of enemies with his cannon. "Then let's show these guys we don't need Mega Man to win this fight!"

Nearby, Sonic zipped through the battlefield, spinning into a blur and taking out enemy after enemy. He paused only briefly to call out to his companions, his voice filled with his usual confidence. "Look at me! I'm taking out more enemies than you two combined!"

Knuckles, fighting close by, punched through a line of foes with ease. "Yeah, yeah, Sonic. Just keep your focus—we're not out of this yet."

The heroes fought on with everything they had, their resolve unbreakable as they defended the castle from Bowser's forces.

—-

Meanwhile, Luigi entered Dr. Light's lab, the hum of machinery filling the air as Tails and Dr. Light worked feverishly at their stations. The room was filled with a sense of urgency as the distant sounds of battle echoed from outside. Dr. Light glanced up from his work, worry etched into his features.

"Luigi!" Dr. Light greeted him. "I'm glad you're here, but we're running out of time. We need to finish these preparations."

Inside Dr. Light's lab, the atmosphere was thick with tension. Machinery whirred and buzzed as Tails worked diligently on the final adjustments to the portal device, wires and circuits sprawled across the workbenches. The rapid sound of typing filled the room as Dr. Light pored over complex blueprints, occasionally glancing at the progress being made.

The door creaked open, and Luigi quietly stepped inside, his expression uncertain but determined. He glanced around at the frantic activity, a stark contrast to his own feelings of helplessness. He watched for a moment before taking a deep breath and approaching Dr. Light.

Dr. Light looked up from his work, his brow furrowed with concern as he noticed Luigi. "Luigi! I'm glad you're here," he said, his voice tinged with relief. "But… I'm worried I won't be able to finish this in time."

Dr. Light gestured to a corner of the lab, where the Poltergust 3000 sat, gleaming in the dim light. "Professor Elvin Gadd is a friend of mine. He sent this to me thinking it might help in our efforts against Bowser's forces."

Luigi's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar ghost-sucking machine. His fingers instinctively twitched as he remembered the many nights spent battling ghosts with it.

Before Luigi could speak, a series of sharp beeps interrupted the tense atmosphere in the lab. A mysterious communication signal echoed through the room, and Dr. Light's console flickered erratically to life. Tails's eyes snapped to the screen as a grainy, barely recognizable figure appeared, obscured by static and interference.

The voice that followed spoke calmly, crackling through the speakers. "This message is for Tails! Please respond. I need to speak with you about the attack—there's no time to waste!"

Tails froze for a split second, his heart racing as he glanced at Dr. Light. Who was this, and how had they timed the message so perfectly? His fingers hovered over the controls before he forced himself to answer, his voice steady but tense. "This is Tails. What's going on? Speak quickly!"

The static buzzed louder for a moment, before the voice returned, her voice was more calming than he expected.

"My name is Daisy, I'm a friend of Peach. I need you to listen closely and please trust me."