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Chapter Text

Silent, infinite blackness. The vibrant swirls of the Orion Nebula, a celestial masterpiece of pinks, purples, and blues, pulse with the gentle light of nascent stars.

Then, a subtle dimness. A creeping chill in the vacuum.

Like ink bleeding into watercolor, the nebula's colors desaturate, its luminous gases twisting inward in a violent, cosmic vortex. It is not a natural phenomenon. It is a consumption. From the heart of the dying nebula, a form takes shape—towering, humanoid, composed of swirling stardust and absolute shadow. This is Nemesis, the Orion Nemesis. Its eyes open—twin voids containing the faint, cold light of extinct galaxies.

It stretches limbs of condensed nebular matter, reality warping with a sickening groan. Its gaze falls upon a distant, insignificant blue speck. Earth.

With a gesture of cosmic indifference, it rips a chunk of a nearby dwarf planet from its orbit, superheating it with raw entropy. The molten rock, now a jagged, planet-sized abomination. Nemesis releases it. The Meteor begins its slow, inexorable journey towards the tiny blue world. A sigh in the cosmos. A reset button pressed.

(Location: Earth)

Sunshine, cheerful clouds. Mario and Luigi stumble out of a shimmering warp pipe. Mario is covered head-to-toe in fine, grey space dust, coughing. His iconic red cap is slightly singed. Luigi pats his own overalls nervously.

Luigi: That was-a too close! One wrong move and poof! No more Andromeda Galaxy! My overalls are still vibrating!

Mario: Wah-hoo! Close shave, bro! But the bomb's blast was contained! Another galaxy saved! That space dust gets everywhere though... feels like I swallowed a Puff-Puff.

Luigi isn't listening. He's staring, jaw slack, at the sky. His trembling finger points upwards, past the cheerful clouds.

Luigi: Mario... look. Way, way up. Is that... new?

Luigi points a trembling finger. High, high in the clear blue sky, barely visible, a new, angry red star burns. It wasn't there when they left.

Mario: (squinting) Huh? Looks like a... big fireball? Kinda pretty, but... kinda not?
Suddenly, a flurry of movement! A dozen panicked Toads and an equal number of bewildered, slightly scared Koopas pour out from behind bushes and pipes, surrounding the brothers. A Red Koopa Troopa nervously waves his nubby arms.

Red Koopa: Mario! Luigi! Thank Goombas you're back!

Blue Toad: You gotta come! Quick! To the castle! Princess Peach and... King Bowser... they need you! It's bad!

Luigi: Woah? Toads and Koopas? Together? And Bowser? This is bad!

Mario: (Stepping forward, dust puffing off him) Alright, alright! Lead the way! Let's-a see what's got everyone's shells in a twist!

(Location: Peach’s Castle)

The atmosphere is tense. Toadstool stands near a large holographic display showing Earth and the approaching Ultima, its size and trajectory terrifyingly clear. Beside her, arms crossed, glowering but focused, is Bowser. Unusual. A few nervous Toad advisors and a couple of high-ranking Koopas stand off to the sides. Mario and Luigi burst in.

Mario: Princess! We're-a back! What's the... whoa.

Mario then catches eyes with Bowser.

Mario: Bowser? What are you doing here? Did you finally redecorate your lava lair and need advice?

Bowser: Shut it, Red! This ain't about me stealing the Princess this time! Look!

He jabs a claw at the hologram, the image of the meteor zooming in

Bowser: See that ugly rock hurtling towards us? That's the problem!

Peach: Mario, Luigi, thank goodness. That... object in the sky. It’s not just a meteor. Sensors indicate it's massive. Planet-sized. And it’s on a direct collision course with Earth. If it hits... it's not just the Mushroom Kingdom. Everything. Everything will be destroyed.

Luigi: Planet-sized?! Mama mia... We just saved Andromeda! Can't we get a break?

Mario: So... big problem. Why's Bowser helping?

Bowser: Because even I know you can’t rule a pile of radioactive ash, Red Stache! My Koopa Kingdom gets vaporized the same as your lousy mushrooms! Call it... enlightened self-interest. That rock? I call it "Ultima." 'Cause it’s the ultimate pain in my shell!

Peach: We have a plan. An old plan. Deep beneath the castle, there’s an ancient defense system – a Stellar Cannon. It was designed millennia ago for... well, threats like this. But it requires immense power. Power Stars. Lots of them

Mario: Power Stars? We can find Power Stars! How many? How long?

Peach: (Face grim) The projection shows impact in approximately 24 hours. We need at least... seven Stars to generate a blast powerful enough to shatter Ultimatas. They were scattered for safety centuries ago. We have their last known locations.

Bowser: Yeah, so stop standing there looking dusty! You two are the Star-finding experts! Go! Fetch! Before we're all space dust!

Luigi: Seven Stars... in less than a day... against a planet-killing rock... with Bowser helping... I need a nap.

Mario: (Clenching his fists, eyes blazing with determination) No time for naps, Luigi! Princess, Bowser... we're on it! Let's-a go, bro! Wahoo!

Mario grabs Luigi's arm and pulls him towards the door. Peach and Bowser exchange a look – one of desperation mixed with a sliver of hope.

(Location - The Moon… Interior)

An opulent, yet strangely sterile chamber carved deep within the moon. Crystal formations glow with cold light. A circular obsidian table. Three figures sit: a woman with green hair, metal arm gleaming, scythe leaning nearby wears a smug grin. A shirtless, muscles tensed, red hair wild man slams his fist on the table, scattering poker chips. a girl swallowed by her cultist robes, the central eye staring blankly, six eyes on her hat seeming to watch everything, calmly stacks her own chips. Then the red haired slams his fist on the table, scattering chips.

Red Haired: NO! Impossible! Full house! Kings over... How?! You cheated, Kitiku! You always cheat with that clockwork arm!

Kitiku: (Twirling a chip with her organic hand) Skill, Zeid. Pure, unadulterated skill. And maybe just a touch of probability manipulation. Don't be a sore loser. Pay up.

Six eyes: The cards reveal truth, Zeid. Kitiku's victory was... preordained. Calm your fire. It disrupts the harmonics.
Zeid snarls but subsides, glaring. A door slides open silently. Seraphina Blacksword enters, her long blue hair flowing like water under starlight, her cloak seeming to absorb the light. Her presence instantly commands attention.
Seraphina: Squabbling over colored plastic while reality unravels? Typical. Shift your gaze.
She gestures. A large, central viewscreen flickers to life, showing the Orion Nebula's transformation into Nemesis, the creation of Ultima, and its descent towards Earth. Then it zooms in, showing Mario and Luigi landing back on Earth, the panic, the meeting in Peach's Castle.
Zeid: (Leaning forward) Nemesis... stirring after eons? And hurling a moonlet at that backwater planet? Why? Annoyance?
Kitiku: (Examining her scythe blade) Ultima isn't just a rock, Zeid. Look at the energy signature. It's a catalyst. If it hits that primitive mudball... the resulting energy wave won't just destroy Earth. It'll destabilize the entire local cluster. Wipe out a dozen star systems. Messy.
Six Eyes: Chaos. Beautiful, consuming chaos. But... inefficient for our purposes. The disruption would hinder access to the Spire.
Seraphina: Precisely. Unacceptable collateral damage. But... observe the anomaly.
The screen focuses on Mario in Peach's throne room, covered in dust but radiating determination.
Seraphina: The plumber. Mario.
Zeid: Him? The dungaree-clad pest who keeps thwarting minor annoyances? What about him?
Kitiku: (Leaning forward, interested) He contained the blast... the one that would have erased Andromeda. With... his hat. Sensors show localized reality warping. Absurd. Impossible. Unless…
Seraphina: Unless he possesses a latent connection. A resonance with the fundamental forces. The potential we've sought. A true Star Child…
Six eyes: (The six hat eyes blink sequentially) The threads of fate twist around him. Strong. Resilient. But pliable... under the right pressure. He seeks Power Stars? For a primitive cannon? How quaint.
Seraphina: Then let him gather them. Let him play his heroic game. Let him believe he saves his world. Zeid, Kitiku... when the moment comes, test him. Gauge the extent of this power. Miacis will ensure the outcome serves our purpose.
Zeid: Finally! A chance to crush that little red nuisance! Permission to get creative, boss?
Kitiku: (Metal fingers flexing) I'll enjoy seeing what makes him tick... literally.
Seraphina: Do not break him. Not yet. We merely... acquire him. When Ultima falls, and the dust settles... Mario will awaken to a new destiny. As ours. Prepare.
(Location: Glittering Grotto)
A cavern system where every surface is a razor-sharp, brilliantly reflective crystal. The very air shimmers with disorienting light.

Luigi: Mario! Wait! It's too sparkly!

Mario: Focus, Luigi! That Star's pulsating on that giant geode! The light refracts off the safe path! See?

Mario executes a perfect triple jump, bouncing off three floating crystal shards, his trajectory a calculated arc against the disorienting beauty. He snags the 1st star.

(Location: Gusty Gully)

A desolate canyon where hurricane-force winds scream constantly. Chain Chomps, tethered to spinning whirlwinds, snap and bark, their metal bodies clanging.

Luigi is pinned flat against a rock wall by the gale,

Mario: Don't fight it! Wait for the updraft! Super Jump when it gusts up! Watch!

Mario times a colossal gust, leaping at its peak. He soars, spinning like a top, and delivers a devastating heel-drop to the head of a giant Gusty, The creature poofs away, leaving the 2nd Star spinning in its place.

(Location: Syrupy Swampland)

A bog of thick, purple, paralyzing goo. Piranha Plants with glowing, sticky sap lurk beneath the surface. Mario takes a misstep and sinks to his waist.

Mario: Oh boy, this will take long.

Luigi: (Holding his nose, carefully perched on a half-sunken log) Don't remind me of that! Look! The Star's on that lily pad! But the goo... it's impossible.

Mario than sees a pattern of safe, solid stepping stones revealed only by the lazy bloop of rising bubbles.

Mario: The bubbles! Follow the bubbles!
Mario leads, and Luigi follows, They hop from bubble-marked stone to stone, Mario’s pathfinding leading them to the 3rd Star.

(Location: Volcanic Valkyrie)

The 4th Star floats tantalizingly above a narrow stone bridge spanning a river of magma. The brothers approach, sweating from the heat.

Luigi: Almost there! Just this bridge and—WHOAH!

A fireball slams into the bridge ahead of them, shattering the stone. Zeid lands in the crater, flames wreathing his fists.

Zeid: Looking for this, Red? (He gestures mockingly at the Star behind him). Took you long enough! I was getting bored watching you slog through sludge! Time to heat things up!

Mario: Huh? What do you want? We're kinda busy saving the world!

Luigi: S-Saving it from what? Him too?!

Zeid Busy? You're playing patty-cake! Let's see if you've got any real spark! INFERNO BURST!

Zeid unleashes a torrent of white-hot plasma. Mario shoves Luigi clear and dives the opposite way. The bridge groans.

Mario: Luigi, the Star! I'll handle Hothead!

Mario charges, a blur of red and blue. He uses his cap to bat smaller fireballs back at Zeid, who laughs as they dissipate against his chest. Mario lands a solid punch to Zeid's gut—it feels like hitting a mountain. Zeid grunts, more in surprise than pain, and backhands Mario, sending him skidding across the stone.

Luigi: (Edging along the crumbling bridge wall) Almost... got it...!

Suddenly, Kitiku drops silently from above, landing between Luigi and the Star, her scythe humming with energy.

Kitiku: Going somewhere, Green? The grown-ups are talking... and testing.

She swings her scythe. Not at Luigi, but at the air. Reality tears slightly where the blade passes. Luigi screams asphyxiating nothingness pulls at him. He's pinned, unable to move.

Luigi: M-MARIO! I can't... move! It's... sucking!

Mario: Luigi! (He tries to break away from Zeid.)

Zeid: Not so fast! Your brother's just... detained. Now focus! Show me the power that contained a galaxy bomb! Or is that just a party trick?!

Mario struggles, rage building. A faint golden aura flickers around him. He lands a harder punch, staggering Zeid slightly. Kitiku watches with analytical interest.

Kitiku: The resonance... faint, but detectable. Anger amplifies it. Interesting.

Zeid: More! Give me MORE, Plumber!

As Zeid gathers fire for a final blast and Kitiku prepares to increase the pressure on Luigi, a low, resonant glow freezes the scene. Miacis stands at the far end of the bridge. The central eye on her robe glows with an eerie light. All six eyes on her hat are fixed on the brothers.

Miacis: Enough. The parameters are satisfied. The path must remain clear... for now.

She raises a small hand. The air shimmers. Zeid's flames flicker and die out as if snuffed. Kitiku's scythe hum fades, releasing Luigi, who collapses, gasping. The distortion field vanishes. Miacis doesn't attack; she simply... imposes stillness.

Zeid: Miacis! We were just getting started!

Kitiku: Tsk. Spoilsport. But... data acquired. He has potential. Feral, unfocused, but present.

Miacis: Seraphina commands. The cannon must fire. The meteor must fall... but not strike. Retrieve the Star. Continue your... quest.

She gestures dismissively towards the Power Star.

Mario: (Breathing heavily, helping a trembling Luigi to his feet) What... what do you want with me?!

Kitiku: Oh, you'll find out, Red, soon enough. Very soon." She gives a mocking salute. "Good luck with the big rock. You'll need it.

With a flash of dark energy, Zeid and Kitiku vanish. Miacis simply fades from view, leaving only a profound silence. The 4th Star pulses, waiting.

Luigi: Mario... that little one... she looked through me... I felt... cold.

Mario: (Staring at the spot where they vanished, jaw set, the golden aura gone but a new determination in his eyes) I don't know what's going on, Luigi... but they're bad news. Real bad. Come on. We've got Stars to find and a world to save. Let's get this one.

Mario grabs the 4th Star. The brothers hurry off the bridge as the volcano rumbles ominously.

(Location: Cloudtop Circus) Mario tightrope walks over a bottomless pit while Luigi juggles Bullet Bills to distract clowder-themed enemies. Mario grabs the 5th Star.

(Location: Sunken Temple) Underwater ruins. Mario and Luigi navigate flooded chambers, avoiding electric Eels and solving pressure-plate puzzles. Luigi uses the Poltergust to clear debris, revealing the 6th Star.

(Location: Bowser’s Castle) Bowser begrudgingly leads them past deactivated traps.

Bowser: This better be worth it, Plumber! That's my emergency retirement Star!

BOWSER: Fine! Take the stupid shiny thing! But if we survive, I'm adding INTEREST!

Mario grabs the 7th Star from a heavily fortified pedestal. Bowser looks like he's swallowing a lemon.

(Location: Peach’s Castle, Twilight Approx. 23 hours later….)

Panic. The sky is an angry, deepening red. Ultima dominates the horizon now, a terrifying, cratered moon filling a quarter of the sky, casting long, distorted shadows. Its gravitational pull causes minor tremors. The air feels thick, charged.

A colossal, ancient-looking cannon – the Steller Cannon – has been unearthed in the courtyard. It hums with dormant energy. Peach directs frantic Toads. Bowser barks orders at Koopas hauling the last power conduits. Mario and Luigi Skid to a halt, holding the seven glowing Power Stars.

Mario: We got 'em! All seven!

Peach: Wonderful! Hurry! Load them into the primary capacitor!

The brothers rush to a large crystal chamber beside the cannon. One by one, they slot the Power Stars into place. The cannon hums grow louder, lights flickering to life along its massive barrel, which slowly tilts upward to target the looming Ultima.

Bowser: About time! Now fire that thing! Blast that ugly rock to smithereens!

Peach: It needs time to channel the energy! Toadsworth?
Toadsworth: The inscriptions say... three minutes for maximum charge and cohesion, Your Highness! Three minutes to Armageddon... or salvation!

The countdown begins on a large display. 3:00... 2:59... The hum intensifies to a deafening whine. Everyone watches, breathless, as the cannon glows brighter and brighter, energy crackling at its tip. Ultima grows larger, filling the sky.

2:00... 1:30... The energy at the cannon's tip pulses violently. 1:00…

Bowser: Come on! What's taking so long?! FIRE!

0:30... 0:15... The whine reaches a crescendo. The cannon is blindingly bright... Then... silence. The light abruptly dies. The hum vanishes. The cannon sits dark and inert.

Peach: No... NO! It... it didn't fire! Why didn't it fire?!"

Toadsworth: The energy... it's there! The Stars are charged! But the firing mechanism... it's jammed! Or... or sabotaged! We don't have time! Less than a minute to impact!

Utter despair. The massive meteor fills the sky. People scream. Luigi collapses to his knees. Bowser roars in impotent fury. Mario stares at the dead cannon, then at the impossibly huge rock blotting out the sky. His eyes narrow. He pulls Luigi aside urgently.

Mario: Luigi… there’s still one shot..

Luigi: Mario? What are you...?

Mario: The Stars' energy is in the cannon. It just can't shoot it out. But... if something inside the chamber triggered the blast... Something that could survive the launch... long enough to reach it…

Understanding dawns on Luigi's face, followed by horror.

Luigi: No! Mario, NO! You can't!

Mario: (Placing a hand on Luigi's shoulder, a fierce, sad smile) It's the only shot we got, bro. You gotta fire it. Point me straight at that rock. Trust me. Just like always.

Luigi: Mario... please..

Mario: No time! Do it, Luigi! For the Mushroom Kingdom! For Everyone!

Mario turns and sprints before Luigi can protest further. He leaps towards the open access hatch of the cannon's main energy chamber.
Peach: Mario? What are you...? MARIO, NO!

Bowser: (Watching, eyes wide, a flicker of something almost like respect) The crazy red idiot... He's actually gonna…

Mario dives headfirst into the glowing chamber filled with swirling, unstable Star energy. The hatch slams shut behind him.

Luigi, hands shaking violently, grabs the aiming levers. He looks through the targeting scope, seeing only the terrifying surface of Ultima filling the view. Gritting his teeth, pouring every ounce of love and fear into the action, he slams his fist down on the MANUAL OVERRIDE - LAUNCH button.

And then, A colossal, earth-shattering KER-THOOOOOOOOM! that shakes the castle to its foundations.

The Stellar Cannon convulses. A beam of pure, concentrated stellar energy, brighter than a thousand suns, erupts from the barrel. And within the heart of that beam, a tiny, red-capped figure is visible for a split second, Mario hurtling like a living bullet towards the face of Ultima.

Peach: MARIO!

Bowser: Hmph. Gotta admit... that takes guts.

On the castle ramparts, Luigi sinks to his knees, sobbing, eyes fixed on the streak of light vanishing into the monstrous meteor.

(Location: Moon Interior)

Seraphina watches the viewscreen, Mario's sacrifice launch. Her expression is unreadable, but her eyes gleam with cold satisfaction.

Seraphina: Yes... Perfect. You are the one I've been searching for…

(Location: Ultima)

Silence. Utter, crushing silence. The surface is a desolate, cratered plain under an alien sky dominated by the blue curve of Earth. Mario crashes down, tumbling, his overalls smoking slightly from the journey. He groans, pushing himself up. He's battered, bruised, but alive. He looks around at the impossible scale.

Mario: Mamma mia... That was... bumpy. Okay, big rock. Let's see what makes you tick…

Nemesis: (Voice like grinding galaxies, echoing from everywhere and nowhere) Yo.

Mario whirls around. Standing casually atop a ridge of dark rock is Nemesis. It regards him with ancient, indifferent eyes.

Mario: Yeah… Hi… So… Why exactly did you make this meteor?

Nemesis: Existence is... noise. Chaotic. Fleeting. This galaxy cluster... insignificant. Vibrant, yes. But loud. Disruptive. Its destruction... simplifies. A reset. A return to quietude.

Mario: Quietude? That’s just asking to go insane. Trillions of lives…. For quiet?

Nemesis: Perspective. A cosmic sigh. Your efforts... amusing. Quaint. But futile. This meteor is inevitable. As is your end, little spark.

Mario: (Clenching his fists, a familiar golden aura flickering to life around him - stronger now)
Not today, My friends are down there! My brother! My home! I don't care what you want, I'm gonna stop you! LET'S-A-GO!

Mario turns his hat backwards and rushes towards Nemesis. Nemesis raises a hand. The very rock beneath Mario's feet liquefies into bubbling cosmic plasma. Mario leaps back, the soles of his boots sizzling. Mario retaliates with a barrage of fireballs. They fizzle out inches before Nemesis, absorbed by a shimmering event horizon. Nemesis flicks a finger. A wave of disintegrating stardust, like a localized supernova shockwave, rushes towards Mario. He dives behind a massive crystal formation. The crystal shatters into glittering, harmless dust behind him as the wave passes. He emerges, dusting himself off.

Mario: Hey! That was my favorite hiding crystal!

Nemesis summons miniature black holes that orbit it erratically, sucking in light and debris. Mario Spin Jumps and Wall Kicks to navigate the treacherous gravity wells, narrowly avoiding being spaghettified. He tries to ground-pound near Nemesis, but the entity phases through the impact, reappearing behind him. Frustrated, Mario focuses. He remembers the Power Star energy coursing through him during the cannon ride, the golden flicker when fighting Zeid. He pushes. The faint aura around him surges brighter, golden light radiating from his core. His next punch, infused with this energy, connects solidly with Nemesis's chest. Nemesis staggers back, a look of surprise flickering in its starry eyes. A tiny fissure appears on its chest.

Nemesis: The resonance... stronger than anticipated. A true anomaly. But still... insufficient.

Nemesis retaliates fiercely. It tears massive chunks of Ultima's crust free, hurling them like asteroids. Mario dodges, weaves, and uses his enhanced jumps to land on the flying rocks, using them as platforms to get closer. He unleashes a flurry of Star-Energy enhanced punches and kicks, each blow forcing Nemesis back, widening the crack slightly. Nemesis counters with beams of pure spatial distortion that bend light and reality around Mario, forcing him into impossible dodges.
Mario is tiring. The golden aura is flickering, unstable. Nemesis, though damaged, seems to draw energy from Ultima itself, its form glowing brighter. The meteor tremors intensify – impact is imminent.

Nemesis: The end approaches. Feel the weight of inevitability, Star Child…

It gathers swirling, dark energy – not just for attack, but for dissolution. A miniature galaxy of pure entropy forms between its hands, aimed directly at Mario. This isn't just a killing blow; it's designed to unravel Mario's very essence and destabilize Ultima's core prematurely, causing a chain reaction.

Nemesis: Farewell, Star Child. Your light... extinguished.

It unleashes a Star-Dispersing Beam – pure entropy aimed to erase Mario and destabilize Ultima prematurely. Mario sees it coming. He looks at his tattered hat. He remembers containing the galaxy bomb. He remembers Luigi's face. He pours every ounce of his being, every flicker of the golden aura, into the hat.

Mario: WOOOHOOO!

He throws the hat like a discus. It spins, not deflecting the beam, but absorbing it. The hat glows impossibly bright, swelling withstanding the cosmic erasure. Just before it shatters, Mario throws it back at Nemesis with all his might.

The hat, a contained supernova of stolen entropy, slams into Nemesis. The entity screams – a sound that tears at the fabric of space – as it is consumed from within by its own annihilating power. It implodes in a silent flash of anti-light, leaving only swirling cosmic dust.

Mario: Got…. cha…

He looks up at Ultima, still intact, still hurtling towards Earth. Time is up. The impact is imminent. With the last dregs of his strength, fueled by the fading golden light, Mario focuses. Not on destroying the whole meteor, He focuses on the core, the point of greatest instability Nemesis had been manipulating. He pulls back his fist, the light concentrating into his knuckles.

Mario: You’re pretty good… See you next time…

He lunges forward, unleashing a single, perfect, universe-defying Punch, A deep, resonant CRACK that seems to echo across space. A fracture spiderwebs out from the point of impact. Then another. And another. The cracks spread with impossible speed across the entire planet-sized surface of Ultima. Light bleeds out from within.

(Location: Earth)

Everyone stares in horror as Ultima, filling the sky, suddenly lights up from within with a network of fiery cracks. Then it explodes. A silent, spectacular detonation of light and debris that fills the heavens, momentarily turning night into day. Shards rain harmlessly into the atmosphere, burning up as shooting stars.

Luigi: (On his knees, tears streaming, screaming into the void) MARIOOOOOOOO!!!!

(Location: Earth’s Orbit)

Silence returns, deeper than before. Ultima is gone, replaced by a slowly expanding field of debris glittering in the sunlight. From the heart of the destruction, a small, unconscious figure tumbles end over end, Mario. He's limp, battered, his overalls torn, but miraculously intact. He drifts helplessly, caught in the gentle momentum of the blast, slowly falling towards the beautiful blue curve of Earth below. He begins to pick up speed, entering the upper atmosphere, a tiny speck against the planet.

Suddenly, the space around Mario shimmers. Like a film projector stuttering, reality flickers. A figure appears beside the falling plumber – Seraphina Blacksword, hovering effortlessly. She raises a hand, clad in a glove that seems woven from frozen time. The shimmering intensifies, coalescing around Mario. His fall stops. He hangs motionless in space, suspended in a bubble of distorted time. Earth, the debris field, the stars – all seem frozen around them. Only Seraphina moves.

Seraphina: Such a waste... to let gravity claim its due. No, Star Child. Your fall ends here. Your destiny lies elsewhere….

With a graceful wave of her hand, the bubble of frozen time containing Mario contracts, pulling him towards her. Space folds around them like crumpled paper. There's a final, silent flicker, and both figures vanish. The flow of time resumes. Debris continues its trajectory. Earth spins on, unaware of the temporal theft that just occurred.

…..Several Months later…

Peace has returned. The sky is its normal, cheerful blue. Luigi sits alone on the cliff edge, looking out over the kingdom. He looks tired, older, with a deep sadness in his eyes. He holds Mario's slightly repaired red cap that fell with the debris of Ultima.

Luigi: Hey, bro. Another quiet day. Peach is rebuilding the west wing again. Bowser... well, he tried to steal the castle blueprints last Tuesday. Guess some things never change. Toadsworth made your favorite mushroom stew yesterday. I ate two bowls... for you.

He sighs, clutching the cap tighter.

Luigi: It’s over, Mario. We saved everyone. But... it doesn't feel like winning without you. Everyone says... they say you're gone. That no one could survive that. But I know you, Mario. You always find a way. A warp pipe. A secret exit. A... a miracle.

A single tear tracks down his cheek.

Luigi: So... wherever you are... just... give me a sign, okay? Let me know my big brother's still out there.

Luigi stands, placing the cap gently on a rock like a memorial. He takes one last look at the sunset, then turns and walks slowly back towards the castle, shoulders slumped but head held high, clinging to fragile hope.

The end……

Chapter Text

(Location: Moon Interior)

Darkness. Then cold, blue light. Mario awakens with a gasp. He's suspended in mid-air, held by glowing energy manacles around his wrists and ankles. He's disoriented, weak, but unharmed. He looks around – a sterile, high-tech cell. Standing before him, flanked by Kitiku and Zeid, is Seraphina.

Seraphina: Mario. It's time to wake up…

Mario: Wha...? Where...? The meteor! Did I...? Earth!?

Seraphina: Earth is safe. Thanks to your... explosive finale. Ultima is dust. Nemesis is no more. A noble sacrifice. Almost

Mario: Almost? What do you mean? Let me go! I need to get back! Luigi... he must think…

Zeid: Think you're dead? Good! Saves us the trouble!

Mario: Who are you people?! What is this place?!

Seraphina: We are Xeronox. And you have a destiny far greater than plumbing or playing hero to fungoid royalty.

Kitiku: (Metal fingers tapping her scythe) We saw that little light show on Ultima. The way you contained the bomb blast. The power you tapped into to punch apart a planet. Latent cosmic energy. Pure potential. You're special, Red. A Star Child.

Mario: Star Child? Nonsense! I'm just Mario! Let! Me! GO!
Zeid: Just Mario? Ha! You're the weapon we've needed! With your power added to ours... the Space-Time Galaxy will be ours! The center of creation! Everything bends to our will!

Mario: ………Fine

Seraphina: Of course, this is not by choice... but by design. Trust me…

She raises her hand. A small, malevolent red glowing orb manifests above her palm, pulsing with dark energy.

Mario: Hey! You didn’t say anything about THIS when you made this offer!

Seraphina: You didn’t ask.

Mario: ….Fair enough.

Seraphina: Don’t worry, this’ll probably only hurt for a second.

She thrusts the orb forward. It slams into Mario's chest. He arches back, a silent scream tearing from his throat as unimaginable pain and cold, dark energy floods his being.

Mario: AAAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

The red energy crackles over him, engulfing him. His body contorts. His eyes snap open – no longer their normal blue, but glowing a fierce, unnatural RED. His hair grows longer, wilder, tinged with streaks of dark energy. The warm, determined plumber is vanishing. Where his heart once held hope and courage, a cold, dark Ztar symbol burns into his chest, pulsing with malevolent light.

The transformation completes. Mario hangs limp in the restraints for a second. Then his head slowly lifts. Those red eyes fix on Seraphina. There's no recognition, only cold, empty power. A faint, chilling smirk touches his lips.

Seraphina: Welcome to Xeronox, Your true purpose... begins now….

To be continued…..