Chapter 2 - Mushroom Kingdom Mayhem
It was a bright, fresh morning in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario was enjoying a rare day of peace in his cozy home. He stretched and strolled over to the window, watching the birds chirp happily outside, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of wildflowers through the air. Today felt like it would be a perfect day.
Meanwhile, over in Sarasaland, Luigi was visiting Daisy, catching up with her in her lavish, bustling kingdom. They were sitting on her palace steps, chatting when a Toad messenger from Princess Peach arrived with an invite.
"To Mario and Luigi," Luigi read aloud, raising his eyebrows as he glanced at Daisy. "Peach is inviting us to a picnic later today at the castle! She's holding it in honor of Mario's victory at the Smash Tournament."
Daisy perked up with excitement. "A picnic? This is going to be super awesome!" She flashed a grin at Luigi and grabbed his arm, pulling him to his feet. "Come on Luigi, we're not going empty-handed. We've got to get a bunch of food, enough to fill everybody up! Help me pick out some goodies to bring along!"
As Daisy dragged Luigi into Sarasaland's bustling markets, she started loading up on food. Baskets of fruit, cakes, and cookies were piled high, practically towering over Luigi as he struggled to balance everything.
"Uh, Daisy? Are you sure we need all this?" Luigi asked, trying not to drop a basket of pies as Daisy piled more food onto him, "I know Peach has a lot of Toads, but they're not going to eat all this!"
Daisy laughed. "Of course we do! Peach's picnic has got to be the greatest of all time! You'd be surprised how much food Peach can eat."
Back at Mario's house, Mario was preparing a big bowl of spaghetti bolognese with homemade marinara sauce—a picnic essential in his book. He hummed to himself as he tossed a pinch of oregano into the sauce, already looking forward to spending time with his friends.
At Peach's Castle, however, the atmosphere was anything but peaceful. Princess Peach was in full-on planning mode, making sure every detail was perfect. She zipped from one room to another, directing the Toads as they carried out her instructions, making sure the picnic setup was flawless.
"Toadsworth! Is the tablecloth set out properly?" Peach called, her voice tinged with urgency.
"Yes, Princess, it's spotless!" Toadsworth assured her, though he was slightly sweating from the morning's work.
"Toadette, do we have enough plates?"
"More than enough, Your Highness!" Toadette replied cheerfully.
But as Peach inspected the kitchen, a Toad carrying a huge sack of flour tripped, and the bag exploded into a white cloud, coating the entire room in flour. Peach let out a loud sigh, clutching her forehead as she desperately tried to keep her composure.
"Princess, please don't stress! It's just a little flour," Toadette said with an anxious smile, helping the flour-covered Toad clean up.
Outside the castle, Mario, Luigi, and Daisy arrived, and their eyes widened at the sight of the castle grounds—a flurry of activity as Toads rushed around setting up for the picnic.
"Looks like Peach is taking this pretty seriously," Mario said, scratching his head.
Daisy giggled and nudged Luigi. "Let's go calm her down before she drives herself crazy."
Daisy hurried over to Peach, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Peach, take a deep breath! Everything's going to be perfect. Let's just enjoy the day, and not worry about any of these small things!"
Peach managed a grateful smile, slightly calming down as she warmly hugged Daisy. Her gaze turned toward Luigi, who was carrying heaps of food. "Wow Daisy, you sure brought a lot of food." Peach remarked, "There's not going to be that many people attending the picnic."
"It's nice to have some leftovers," Daisy replied, "You won't believe how many Sarasaland delicacies I have in those baskets."
But just before they began the picnic, she glanced at Mario and gave him a nod, signaling for him to join her privately for a moment.
"Mario," Peach began, her voice softer now, "there's something I wanted to talk about—about that last battle with Bowser."
Mario's face fell slightly. "Yeah… about that. Look, Peach, I'm sorry. I know fighting with Bowser about… marriage and all… it wasn't right. I didn't think about how it would make you feel."
Peach looked at him for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. "Thank you, Mario. I just… it's hard seeing everyone fight on my behalf. I know your heart was in the right place."
Mario smiled apologetically, and Peach felt the last of her stress melt away. She hugged him, and he gave her a gentle squeeze before she went back inside to finish preparing.
Soon, the picnic was in full swing. Peach, Mario, Luigi, Daisy, Toadsworth, Toadette, and a few other Toads settled around the table, laughing and sharing stories. It was the perfect moment—peaceful and carefree.
Meanwhile, in Dinosaur Land, an unconscious Pit came crashing down through the trees, his landing softened by the leafy jungle floor. He groaned, shaking his head as he looked around in confusion. The last thing he remembered was fighting Bowser, but now he was… well, he wasn't sure where he was. All Pit saw was a startled green dinosaur waking up.
"Yoshi! Man, am I happy to see you," Pit said, standing up and dusting himself off. "I really need your help!"
Yoshi brandished a confused look on his face as Pit explained the situation, "I need to find Mario. I really need his help with something big, I just don't know where he is."
Yoshi nodded, understanding the urgency. "Yoshi! (Mario's way over in the Mushroom Kingdom!)"
With that, the two of them rushed toward the Mushroom Kingdom, hoping they wouldn't be too late to find Mario.
Back at the picnic, Peach was laughing with Daisy about an old adventure when Pit and Yoshi finally arrived, panting from their long journey. Yoshi was ecstatic as he quickly ran to see the food.
"Yoshi! (All that running made me tired! I need some food!)" Yoshi exclaimed as ate a basket full of pie. The Toads and Peach laughed as Yoshi devoured half of their food.
"See, that's why I brought all that food," Daisy said, winking at Peach.
"Mario!" Pit called, stumbling onto the picnic grounds.
Mario blinked in surprise. "Pit? What happened? You look like you've been through a war."
"I need to tell you something important," Pit said, catching his breath. "Something bad is going on. These two gods, Galeem and Dharkon are trying to rule the multiverse, and they're using Bowser to—"
But before he could finish, the sky darkened, and a familiar roar echoed through the air. Mario and Luigi looked up, dread creeping over them. They knew that roar all too well.
"Bowser," Luigi muttered.
With a thunderous crash, Bowser landed on the picnic grounds, sneering at them all. "Well, isn't this cozy? A picnic for the so-called heroes. Mind if I join?"
Peach stepped back, fear in her eyes, while Mario and Luigi stepped forward, fists clenched.
"You're not ruining this day, Bowser!" Mario declared, taking a defensive stance. Pit drew his bow, and Yoshi growled, standing beside his friends, ready to take Bowser on.
Mario led the assault, dashing forward with a fiery punch that struck Bowser square in the jaw. Bowser snarled, staggering backward, but Yoshi followed up with a lightning-fast flutter kick to Bowser's side, knocking him off balance.
Pit swooped in from above, slashing with his twin blades as he darted around Bowser, each hit whittling away at Bowser's defenses. Luigi joined in with a Green Missile, his momentum carrying him into Bowser with surprising force.
The four worked in sync, trading blows and keeping Bowser off-balance. Their attacks flowed in a seamless rhythm, each hero covering the others, landing hit after hit. For a moment, it seemed like they might actually win. Bowser, overwhelmed by their combined strength, was forced to his knees, grunting in frustration.
"Just like that, you always lose," Mario said, standing over Bowser.
Suddenly, Dharkon's voice rang in Bowser's mind. "You haven't summoned all your strength yet, Bowser. Use that untapped power to destroy your nemesis."
Bowser grinned wickedly. "This isn't over, Mario! THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!"
Just then, Bowser slashed at the ground. A dark surge pulsed from Bowser's body, filling the air with an oppressive energy. He let out a guttural roar as dark energy consumed him, his body beginning to shift and swell, morphing into something monstrous. With a final, thunderous explosion, Bowser transformed, towering over the heroes in his ultimate form: Giga Bowser.
Giga Bowser let out an earth-shaking roar, his massive, clawed hands crackling with dark energy. Pit, Mario, Yoshi, and Luigi took a step back, staring up at the monstrosity before them.
"How?" Pit wondered, "He didn't do that when I fought him! How powerful did they make him?"
Giga Bowser backhanded Mario effortlessly, sending him flying across the courtyard, knocked out cold. Yoshi tried to dart in, but a single stomp from Giga Bowser sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, sending Yoshi into the ground.
Pit attempted a desperate aerial assault, swooping down with his blades aimed at Giga Bowser's face. But Giga Bowser anticipated his move, swatting Pit out of the air like an insect. Pit crashed into the ground, his wings splayed and motionless.
Luigi, Peach, and Daisy stood frozen in shock as Giga Bowser loomed over them. His laugh was a dark and ominous sound that echoed across the Mushroom Kingdom.
His voice was a low, mocking rumble, filled with malice. "You really think you can beat me, Green-Stache?" Giga Bowser taunted, his voice booming. "You don't have courage like your brother does. You'd never be as great as Mario even if you tried!"
Luigi clenched his fists, feeling his resolve harden. "Maybe I'm not Mario…" Luigi muttered, his voice trembling but steady. "But I don't need to be."
With a newfound fire in his eyes, Luigi took a step forward, then another, until he was speeding toward Giga Bowser. The massive beast lunged at him, claws spread, but Luigi darted to the side, dodging the attack with a speed born of desperation and courage.
He leaped into the air, gathering all his strength. With a yell, he delivered a powerful uppercut that cracked against Giga Bowser's jaw, landing a blow powerful enough to knock him onto his back, shaking the entire kingdom with the impact.
Giga Bowser let out a furious roar, and with a vicious swipe, he kicked Luigi high into the air, then followed up with a brutal punch that sent him hurtling through a dark rift. Luigi disappeared, his shout fading as the rift closed behind him.
Peach and Daisy screamed in horror as Giga Bowser leaned over them, his shadow casting them into darkness. He grinned, baring his fangs as he grabbed them both.
"Don't worry, ladies," he sneered. "You're about to serve a greater purpose."
With that, Giga Bowser leaped back into the rift, taking Peach and Daisy with him. The heroes lay scattered across the picnic grounds, defeated, and the air was thick with a heavy silence.
As the dust settled, Toadsworth and the other Toads rushed to Mario and Yoshi, frantically trying to revive them. Galeem's plan was now fully underway, and the Mushroom Kingdom had fallen into darkness.