Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The streets of New Donk City buzzed with their usual chaotic energy. Skyscrapers loomed overhead, their windows reflecting the golden hues of the setting sun, the sides of the buildings teeming to life with a multitude of advertisements and neon signs.

Riba, a blonde haired man in a sharp suit, adjusted his tie as he walked briskly down the sidewalk; his briefcase swinging at his side, the weight of a long day at the office dragging him forward. He just wanted to get home, kick of his shoes, and forget about the endless spreadsheets and meetings.

As he rounded the corner, he accidentally bumped into something round and glowing. It let out a high-pitched yelp, and Riba stumbled back startled.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going buddy!” the glowing yellow orb scolded, her voice chipper but annoyed. It was Starlow, the star spite, floating in front of him with a miffed look.

“Sorry” Riba muttered a curt apology, as he adjusted his glasses. “I was just in a hurry home and I didn’t notice you.”

“Well since you apologized and all, it’s all fine and dandy,” the star sprite grinned with a toothy smile, as Riba began to sidestep past her not being in the mood for conversation, especially not with a talking star.

However, he wouldn’t rid himself of the enthusiastic star sprite so easily as Starlow zipped back in front of him, continuing their conversation.

“So did you hear about the big wrestling match tonight? Rawk Hawk vs Midbus! It’s gonna be epic! I heard Midbus has been training in the glitz pit, and Rawk Hawk’s got a new finishing move! You’re not gonna miss it are you?”

Riba just sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose “Look, like I’ve said I’m just in a hurry, I’ve had a long day. I don’t care about wrestling, okay? Just let me go home.”

Starlow pouted, floating alongside him as he walked “Ugh, You’re no fun. Fine, but you’re gonna regret it when everyone’s talking about it tomorrow.”

Riba ignored her, picking up his pace. He didn’t have time for this; he just wanted to get home. So he continued his walk off into the bustling streets as the sun continued to dip below the horizon.

——

Meanwhile, in his lab, Professor E. Gadd was hunched over a desk cluttered with gadgets, blueprints, and half-empty coffee cups. Multiple screens lined the walls, displaying maps, data streams, and live feeds across the Mushroom Kingdom. Toadette, his assistant, was busy organizing a pile of papers when a loud alarm blared through the lab.

E. Gadd spat out his coffee, spraying it across one of the monitors. “Wha—?! What’s going on?!”

Toadette quickly rushed over, her pig tails bouncing. “Professor! What’s happening”

E. Gadd’s eyes darted across the screens, as he furiously typed on a keyboard, his expression growing more alarmed by the second. “This can’t be right… Multiple anomalies are appearing across the planet! Energy spikes, dimensional rifts— It’s as though something is trying to punch it’s way into our reality.”

Toadette was shocked, nervously she asked “D-Do do you think it has something to with the Plexus?”

E. Gadd’s face darkened. “I don’t know, but we need to figure this out fast. If the Plexus is truly involved, we’re all in serious trouble.”

The Professor had a grim look on his face as he continued to analyze the data stream, while Toadette went to make calls to inform people of the ongoing situation.

——

It was the dead of night, and Mario found himself staring at the ceiling listlessly from his bed. It had been a bad habit he had acquired since that day, but Mario couldn’t find it in himself to go to bed most days. It was quite in the room, nary a sound save for the occasional creak of the house settling.

However this night, He couldn’t go to sleep for a very different reason. Something felt off… Like a shadowy presence was hanging over him, waiting to strike.

“You feel it too, don’t you?”

Mario bolted upright, his heart racing. Sitting cross-legged at the foot of his bed was Ashley, the twin-tailed witch of ashen hair starring at him. Her red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, and her expression was uncharacteristically serious.

“Ashley?!” Mario exclaimed, scrambling to turn on his bed side lamp. “What are you doing in my house? How did you even get In here?!”

Ashley simply ignored his questions, her gaze piercing “You’ve been marked, Mario. An evil spirit has it’s eyes on you. On all of us.”

Mario blinked, his mind struggling to process the words. “Marked? What are you talking about? What evil spirit?”

Before Ashley could respond, the lamp flickered and went out. The room was plunged in darkness. Mario froze, his instincts screaming something was terribly wrong.

“It’s here.” Ashley whispered, her voice barley audible.

——

The streets were bustling outside the Glitz Pit arena, and the air was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was lining up to buy a ticket for the highly anticipated match between Rawk Hawk and Midbus. Flowing through the crowd, Bow the haughty Boo, Goombella the adventurous Goomba, and Koops the shy Koopa Troopa, were all chatting animatedly as they approach the ticket booth.

“Can you believe we’re finally gonna see this match?” Goombella said, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve been waiting for this forever!”

Koops nodded, adjusting his shell. “Yeah, It’s gonna be awesome. I just hope Midbus doesn't get crushed too quickly.”

Bow rolled her eyes. “Please. Rawk Hawk’s all flash, no substance. Midbus is gonna wipe the floor with him.”

The three of them strolled through the crowded plaza, passing by the many stalls selling cheap goods and merchandise as they made their way to the ticket both. As they purchased their tickets from the large brown bob-omb managing the booth, a figure lurked in the shadows nearby.

Popple, the self proclaimed “Greatest thief in the world”, also known going by the moniker “Shadow thief”, was eyeing one Broque Monsieur’s stand outside the arena. The stand was packed with snacks and souvenirs of all kinds, and Popple’s fingers twitched in anticipation.

“Time for Popple to make his move!” he whispered to himself, as sneaked through the shadows towards the stand.

Quickly he snagged multiple articles of merchandise stuffing his nap sack to the brim. Just as he went to grab yet another shiny ticket however, the world around him went dark. The lights of the area, the glow of street lamps, even the stars in the sky— everything vanished.

Bow, Koops, and Goombella froze, their tickets slipping from their hands. “What’s going on?!” Koops exclaimed, his voice trembling.

Popple stumbled back, his prize forgotten. “Uh… this wasn’t part of the plan!”

For a moment, the world was silent, suspended in darkness. Then, quickly as it had come, the lights returned.

But Bow, Koops, Goombella, Popple even Broque Monsieur were gone.

All across the world, the same scene played out. Riba and Starlow vanished from the streets of New Donk City. Midbus, and Rawk Hawk disappeared from the arena, leaving behind an eerie silence. Ashley was no longer in Mario’s bedroom, being swept away among many others vanishing without a trace.

Mario was left alone, his heart pounding in his chest. The world had changed, and the Plexus had claimed it’s victims once anew.

——

The moment the lights had returned Prince Dreambert of the Pi’illo had shot up off his throne, with the feeling in his heart that something was wrong. He quickly rushed to the balcony, his sharp eyes scanning the horizon. The sudden darkness that had engulfed the world a moment ago had left him deeply unsettled; something was terribly wrong.

But he was broken out of his musings, while over looking the Pi’illo Kingdom when one his servants burst into the room, panting heavily. “Your Highness! The Dream Stone and the Dark Stone—they’re gone!”

Prince Dreambert’s eyes widened in shock “What?! How is that possible? They were under the highest security!”

The servant shook his head frantically “I don’t know, your Highness. One moment they were there, and the next… they vanished!”

Prince Dreambert knew it, that darkness was used as cover to steal there most precious, and most important artifacts.

“Send the guard to search for the Dream Stone, and Dark Stone! Immediately!

“Yes, your Highness” Quickly the servant ran off to the task assigned to him, floating down multiple corridors in a sprint.

Prince Dreambert felt like throwing something in the moment, however he was interrupted when someone else entered onto the balcony. Dr. Snoozemore, the perpetually drowsy advisor, shuffled into the room, holding a communications device.

“Ah, your Highness… Professor E. Gadd is calling. He says it’s urgent.” Before he could elaborate, Dr. Snoozemore let out a loud yawn and dozed off mid sentence, slumping against a wall.

Prince Dreambert snatched the device from his advisor’s hand. “Professor! What in the stars is happening?”

E. Gadd’s face appeared on screen, his expression grim “Your Highness, we’ve got a serious problem. Multiple rifts have appeared across the world, and they’re pulling people into an alternate space—a remnant of the Plexus. Dozens have already vanished, Prince Peasley and Mayor Pauline have already been confirmed to have vanished among many others.

Prince Dreambert’s grip tightened on the device. “The Dream Stone and Dark Stone have disappeared as well. They must be recovered at all costs!”

E. Gadd sighed, adjusting his glasses “I understand, but we have no means of accessing this alternate space at the moment. The rifts are unstable, and attempting to traverse them could be catastrophic. We need more information before we can act.”

Prince Dreambert’s jaw tightened “Then we must find a way. The balance of dreams and nightmares depends on it.”

Chapter Text

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Riba slowly dragged himself off the ground. ‘what happened’ he thought to himself. One moment, he was being accosted by that yellow orb and the next...

He couldn’t remember. His head was throbbing...

Slowly he took in his surroundings, sight, sounds, taste, smell. He wasn’t anywhere he was before. The floor was tough and wooden, like one would find on a historical ship, not anything like the concrete streets of New Donk City. The air was cold and dry, and his limbs felt like jello.

Had he been drugged, he felt like he was dragging himself though mud as he tried to gain his bearings. Finally he found the strength to look up, and what he saw befuddled the suited man beyond belief.

“What is this place.”

As his vision cleared, he realized he was no longer in New Donk City. He was lying on a cold, wooden platform, surrounded by a multitude of other people of all shapes and sizes, equally confused as to where they were.

To his side the star sprite Starlow slowly hovered off the ground beside him, her glow flickering weakly. “Ugh… where are we? This doesn't look like any place I’ve seen.”

To the other side of Riba, Ashley, the young witch, stood nearby, her red eyes scanning the room with a mix of curiosity and caution. “This is the Plexus,” she said quietly. “Or at least a fragment of it.”

Riba sat up rubbing his temples “The Plexus? What are you talking about? And who are you?”

Before Ashley could respond the others in the room began to stir. Koops, Bow, Goombella, Midbus, Rawk Hawk, and even Popple were among the group along with many others, the crowd being comprised from a variety of races across the world, Toads, Beans, Brocks, and Piantas too. All of them disorientated.

“Okay, What’s going on?!” Rawk Hawk shouted, his usual bravado tinged with panic. “Where’s the area? Where’s my match?!”

Midbus grunted, crossing his arms. “Quit yellin’. We’ve got bigger problems than your ego.”

As the group began to argue and speculate, Riba took a moment to assess their surroundings. They were on a large, circular platform that resembled a twisted merry-go-round. The walls of the room were lined with countless double doors, each one identical and ominously foreboding. The air was thick with an eerie tension, and a faint, unsettling melody played in the background; a malevolent aura permeated the place as though it was alive.

Before anyone could make sense of the situation, a voice echoed through the chamber—a voice that was both playful and menacing.

“Ah, welcome, welcome, my dear guests!”

The group turned to see a figure materialize atop a spire in the center of the room. It was Dimentio, the jester, his colorful outfit and mask a stark contrast to the grim surroundings. He spread his arms dramatically, as if addressing an audience.

“Congratulations! You’ve all been invited to a most special party, hosted by none other than Lord Greenio himself! Isn’t that exciting?”

“Lord Greenio? Who’s that?!” Koops asked, his voice trembling.

Dimentio chuckled, ignoring the question. “Now, now, let’s not waste time with trivialities. We’re here to have fun, aren’t we? And what’s a party without a game?”

He snapped his fingers, and the platform beneath them began to rotate slowly, the doors on the walls shifting into view one by one.

“The Rules are simple,” Dimentio continued, his tone dripping with mockery. “Pick a door. But be careful—choosing poorly would be… ill-advised.”

“Um… actually do you think we could just go home, I get nervous when playing games.” Lucky the large brown bob-omb spoke fidgeting in place.

“Yeah what he said.” a toad spoke out from the crowd “We didn’t ask to be here!”

“Yeah!”

“Bring us home!”

The crowd erupted into protests and demands, yelling and throwing abuse at the jester, but Dimentio just laughed, his voice echoing through the chamber. “Oh, don’t be such spoilsports! The game has already begun!”

As the platform continued to rotate, Ashley grabbed onto Riba’s arm, her grip surprisingly strong. “Listen to me,” she said urgently. “We need to follow my lead. If we don’t choose the right door, we’re not getting out of here alive.”

Riba Hesitated, but Starlow floated closer nodding. “I don’t like this anymore than you do, but she’s right. We don’t have a choice.”

Koops, who had been nervously fidgeting nearby, joined them. “I’m in. Whatever we do, we better do it fast.”

Suddenly the music permeating the room stilled, and the platform slowed to a stop. The double doors all opened simultaneously, revealing nothing but darkness beyond.

Dimentio’s voice rang out once more, filled with glee. “Choose wisely, my friends. The party is just beginning!” the jester turned to leave but before he did he added “Oh, and choose quickly.” he said with an amused smile before teleporting away.

Just then a rumbling could be heard from some of the doors off to the side. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances as the rumbling continued to get louder and louder.

“Uh... guys what’s—!” a Goomba was about to speak up but suddenly a torrent of shadowy toad like figures burst in from doors on opposite sides of the room, causing chaos as the figures rushed the center platform attacking the group.

“Ah! Everyone run!” someone in the group yelled, and everyone took off, running in different directions, while some like Midbus, and Rawk Hawk began punching the shadowy toads away as they tried to grab and climb onto them.

Ashley pointed to a door on the far side of the room “That one. Follow me, and don’t look back.” she said aloud as she took of running towards the door, Riba, Starlow, and Koops all following after her.

Quickly they shuffled and dogged through the chaos as multiple people were being overwhelmed by the shadowy toads, while others made a break for it to the nearest door. Riba kicked away a stray shadow toad as he jumped off the platform, while Koops called over to his friends.

“Hey! Goombella, Bow, over this way!” He yelled to them as he followed after the group with Ashley. Goombella kicked away a shadow toad that came too close, yelling back “Alright we’ll be right there.” Bow took out her fan and slashed in a semi-circle pushing three shadow toads away.

Elsewhere Lucky was stock still in fear as the chaos erupted around him, even as one of the shadow toads moved up to lunge at him, he couldn’t will himself to move. However he was saved, as a lance blew the shadow toad away from him.

A figure jumped down gracefully. Prince Peasely gave his familiar smile, and hair wave that gave off a gleam of light. “Looks like I arrived just in time to save the day.” and with that the large bob-omb fainted, to which Midbus came trouncing over saying “Hey! No clocking out now!” as he picked up the over-sized bob-omb, and prince, dashing towards one of the doors.

As everyone continued running away, the group of Ashley, Riba, Starlow, and Koops made it to the door and entered into the hall. Koops quickly looked back to see if Bow, and Goombella had made it too, but they were still dealing with the shadow toads.

Riba suddenly shut the doors, knocking Koops out of his stupor. “Hey! What you do that for, they were still out there!”

In turn Riba turned to glare at the koopa with his green eyes. “If we left the door open any longer we would have been swarmed with those creatures.” Starlow cut in “But we can’t just leave them out there.”

Ashley took the turn to speak up next “Unfortunately the suited man is right, we already had multiple of those apparitions on our tail, if we left the doors open for a moment longer we would’ve been overwhelmed.”

The witch gave the two no room for argument, but seeing their despair filled faces she decided to continue. “I know I said that if we chose any other door we’d die, but truthfully I was just pointing out the safest path. If your friends out their find a different door to go through they'll likely be fine.”

With those words Koops was tinged slightly with relief but, but he still worried for the well being of Goombella and Bow.

“Hey, the noise has died down.” Starlow suddenly pointed out, and truth to those words no sound could be heard coming from the platform, neither the screaming of the people, nor the rumbling of the shadow toads assault.

Riba decided to take a chance, and opened the door a crack to peak through. However, what was on the other side of the door was not the room they had just come from. Instead the other side of the door was replaced with an empty hallway with an impossibly large ceiling stretching on into the distance.

Opening the door everyone was shocked at the suddenly changed environment.

“What where did everything go” Starlow yelled, while Koops blurted out “Is that even possible?!”

“This is the true nature of the Plexus.” The red eyed witch muttered “It’ll do anything in it’s power to keep us trapped here.”

Riba meanwhile only had one though on his mind ‘I need to get out of this madhouse’.

——

In a dark, cavernous space, a fountain stood shrouded in shadows, it’s waters eerily still. The air was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the faint sound of dripping water. Suddenly, with a flash of light permeating the dark space, Dimentio appeared, his colorful form a stark contrast to the gloom.

“The guests have been prepared,” Dimentio announced, his voice echoing through the void “The game is underway, and they’re playing their parts beautifully.”

From the shadows, Fawful emerged, his oversized head bobbing as he cackled. “Fawful is pleased! The Green One has done excellently, capturing the Dream Stone and the Dark Stone, and gathering so many fools for our grand design! Fawful’s brilliance is magnified by this triumph!”

Nearby, Alice Aduraice leaned against the fountain, her arms crossed and her expression one of bored disdain. “I don’t care about your grand designs, or your stones,” she said coldly. “As long as I get my revenge on Riba, you can do whatever you want with the rest of them.”

Dimentio chuckled, his mask twisting into a grin. “Oh, don’t worry, my dear. Revenge is a dish best served… unpredictably. And in the Plexus, unpredictability is the name of the game.”

Fawful clapped his hands gleefully. “Yes, yes! The Green One’s plan is unfolding perfectly! Soon, all will bow to the might of Fawful and the brilliance of the Green One!”

Alice rolled her eyes, her gaze fixed on the darkness ahead. “Just make sure Riba suffers. That’s all I care about.”

With that, the three of them exited the space, heading out into the Plexus.

Chapter Text

Inside the halls of the Plexus, the corridors were dead silent save for the occasional creak piercing through the still air. In one of those halls a group found themselves marching forwards uncertainly, deliberating what paths to take, and wondering if those decisions mattered at all.

Riba adjusted his tie, Starlow looked on with uncertainty, Koops looked as though he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, while Ashley remained unfazed. Together, the group continued to travel through it’s labyrinthine halls.

They continued to navigate the rooms that were impossibly large, the towering ceilings and walls seeming to stretch on forever, while Ashley led the way, her red eyes scanning their surroundings with a calculating gaze.

“The only way we’re getting out of here is if we find the power source and shut it down.” the witch spoke, breaking through the silence.

Riba frowned, his suit still slightly disheveled from their earlier frantic escape. “And what exactly is the power source? Some kind of generator?”

Ashley shook her head. “I won’t know it until I see it. The Plexus is a living, shifting entity. It’s power source could be anything—a machine, a crystal, even a person. We’ll have to keep moving until we find it.”

“That sounds like a lot of walking” Starlow said.

Meanwhile, Koops, who had been nervously fidgeting at the back of the group, suddenly pointed ahead. “Uh, guys? What’s that?”

The group froze as a figure approached from the shadows, it’s twisted and gnarled form coming from around the corner. It was a large mass of flesh made up of the faces of many toads, which all in synchronicity let out a mantra in tandem, hauntingly in it’s calm tone.

“Shh… please walk quietly in the hallway.”

But that peace lasted for but a brief moment, as all the Toad Amalgam’s eyes quickly shifted to the group, as it let out an ear piercing shriek, beginning to chase after the four of them at an alarming pace.

“Run!” Ashley shouted, grabbing onto Riba’s arm who was still with fear, pulling him along. Koops, was already headed down the hallway, with Starlow flying behind him. They all sprinted as fast as they could, as the amalgam followed not far behind, It’s distorted cries echoing through the corridor, driving them forward.

As they rounded a corner, Starlow spotted a painting on the wall—a swirling, surreal image that seemed to pulse with energy, depicting a snowy field.

“In here!” Starlow yelled, diving into the painting.

Without hesitation the others followed, leaping into the painting just as the amalgam reached them. The world around them shifted, and they found themselves in a strange, dreamlike landscape, the amalgam’s shrieks fading into the distance.

——

Only a few hours had passed since the vanishing incident had occurred. It was early in the morning in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario not having got any rest the previous night found himself in Professor E. Gadd’s laboratory, along with Toadette and Prince Dreambert.

Everyone went to sit down at a table to discuss the situation. A screen at the end of the table displayed multiple head figures of the nations of the world, affected by the nicknamed ‘vanishing incident’.

Queen Bean could be heard quietly weeping over the disappearance of her son over the call. Bowser Jr. sat on his throne waiting impatiently for the meeting to begin, and the New Donk City representative stood at attention, standing in for the missing Mayor Pauline.

The atmosphere was tense as Prince Dreambert began, explaining a new development in the situation.

“The Dream Space has been warped into a strange, chaotic place.” the prince said, his voice heavy with concern. “A dark presence permeates every corner, and there’s no rhyme or reason to it’s structure. It’s as if it’s been turned into a gateway to the Plexus.”

E. Gadd adjusted his glasses, his expression grim. “If that’s the case, then anyone who falls asleep could be in danger of being sent there. The Plexus is drawing people in, and we have no way of stopping it from this side.”

Mario clenched his fists, his determination shining through. “Then I’ll go back to the Plexus. I’ve been there before.”

Bowser Jr. who had been in his own head ignoring the discussion, was suddenly brought back by Mario’s deceleration “What! You can’t serious!”

“I have to, It’s my responsibility to finish this.” at his words, Bowser Jr. looked as though he was about to round on the mustached plumber on how much of an idiot he is, but before he could E. Gadd cut in.

“Are you sure about this?” the Professor questioned, to which Mario nodded. “Very well. But you’ll need help.” He reached into a cabinet and pulled out a sleek, robotic suitcase. “This is Stuffwell. He’s equipped with advanced technology and will assist you on your journey.”

Suddenly the seemingly sleeping face of the suitcase came to life, displaying a cheerful smile. “Hello, Mario! I’m ready to assist you in anyway I can.”

Mario thanked the Professor, and made his way to head out the room, but Bowser Jr. called out to him.

“Mario, you better come back.” The little Koopa looked to be on the verge of crying as he pleaded to the plumber.

“I will, and I’ll get everyone else home too.” with no room for argument Mario left the room.

He walked through the lab’s corridors, being led by Prince Dreambert, who brought him to a spare bedroom with a comfortable looking bed and pillow.

“We thought you’d ask to go, so we set this up in advanced.” The Prince said, while Mario with Stuffwell in hand went to lay on the bed. However they were interrupted, as a figure could be heard outside trying to barge his way into the room.

“Hey! let me in! this is important so just let me— oof!” an imp was suddenly at the door having pushed past all the toad guards as he ran up to Mario. It was Red, Ashley’s loyal companion.

Quickly he handed Mario a brown cloth bag tied up with a string. “Here take this, if you want any chance of getting out of there. And you better save Ashley cause if you—!” he tried speaking before getting cut off by the Toad guards who dragged him out the room.

Mario looked at Prince Dreambert with a befuddled look who in turn just shrugged. With no more distractions, Mario laid down onto the pillow, closing his eyes, as Prince Dreambert and E. Gadd activated the dream portal.

In moments, Mario’s consciousness was pulled into the Dream Space, his journey into the Plexus beginning once more.

——

Goombella had found herself traveling with a ragtag group, having all escaped the merry-go-round by exiting through one of the doors. Thankfully she had Bow by her side, but still she was stuck with these strangers, in a strange place.

It was honestly crazy really, this place was huge. They’ve all been trying to find a way out of this place but it’s been hours, with seemingly no meaningful progress having been made. This place was already starting to grate on her nerves, so when an argument began between two of the others it did no wonders for her psyche. Seriously did they not understand the situation they were in?

Brouque Monsieur, the fiery brick merchant, was in the middle of a heated tirade, his mustache quivered with indignation. “Popple! You imbecile! How dare you steal from moi! These are my precious wares, my magnifique creations! And you—you think you can just take them?!”

Popple, the self-proclaimed “Greatest thief in the world” shrugged nonchalantly, holding up a shiny trinket he pilfered from Brouqe’s stall. “Hey, I was just borrowing it, see? No harm, no foul!”

“Oh! You are naught, but foul you—!” The mustached Brock continued to argue, however he was cut off when a yell came from behind the two of them.

“I’VE HAD IT UP TO HERE!” Goombella belted out silencing the two of them, before continuing her tirade. “We’re trapped who-knows-where in this nightmare dimension with who-knows-what lurking around! And you two are arguing over MERCHANDISE?!”

“Hey now! It’s this block head over here who started it, see.” the thief said putting up his arms, before pointing over to the man at his side.

*gasp*

“Block head?! How dare you! Zis man has not only robbed moi, but insulted moi looks as well! You expect me to put up with zis non-gentleman?!”

Seeing the ongoing argument, Pauline, Mayor of New Donk City and ever the diplomat, stepped between the two, her calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaotic landscape around them. “Listen, we’re all in this together. Broque, Popple, we can settle this later. Right now, we need to focus on finding a way out of here.”

Broque huffed, crossing his arms. “Fine. But zis is not over, thief!”

Popple smirked, tucking the trinket into his pocket. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just keep movin’ before something nasty shows up.”

The group continued down the hall, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence, as the tension remained thick in the air.

——

It was elsewhere in the Plexus, where Rawk Hawk, Midbus, Prince Peasley, and Lucky the brown bob-omb found themselves, as they made their way through a dimly lit corridor. The metal sconces casting harsh shadows that made Lucky, timid as he was, cling to the side of Prince Peasley, his voice trembling. “I-I don’t like this place. It feels… wrong.”

Prince Peasley, ever the flamboyant hero, struck a dramatic pose, his golden hair shimmering even in the low light. “Fear not, my friend! For I, Prince Peasley, am here to protect you! No darkness can withstand the brilliance of my smile!”

Rawk Hawk shielded his eyes, groaning. “Ugh, my eyes! That smile’s is brighter than the arena lights!”

Midbus, the hulking pig-like brawler, rolled his eyes. “Quit bein’ such a baby, Hawk. We’ve got bigger problems than your delicate sensibilities.”

However before Rawk Hawk could respond to gain back some of his pride, the floor beneath them gave away, parting ways like a door. The group had barely any time to react before they were separated, falling down chutes into different paths in the Plexus.

——

The world swirled back into view, and Mario found himself back in the one place he wished never to return, the Plexus. His breath came out in short, panicked gasps. The memories of his previous journey flooded back, and he clutched his chest, struggling to steady himself.

“Master Mario, please, try to remain calm,” Stuffwell said, his robotic voice soothing. “I know this place is unsettling, but we must keep moving if we’re to find the others.”

Mario took a deep breath, nodding. “You’re right Stuffwell. Let’s go.”

The two ventured further down the hall, the oppressive silence only broken by the faint sound of music. Mario’s ears perked up, and he followed the melody, eventually coming upon a small music box sitting on a pedestal. Its tune was hauntingly beautiful, yet somehow unsettling.

Mario picked up the music box, examining it closely. As soon as he did, the lights in the hall flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness. Mario froze, his heart pounding as he waited for something—anything—to emerge from the shadows, as he quickly hid behind the pedestal.

“Master Mario, I believe the coast is clear,” Stuffwell said after a moment, moving to sit by Mario in the darkness.

Mario nodded, though his unease remained. As they continued down the hall, Mario suddenly stopped turning to Stuffwell. “Stuffwell, do you have a knife?”

Stuffwell gave Mario a look of surprise. “A Knife? I… I do, but may I ask why you suddenly feel the need for such a weapon?”

Mario didn’t answer, his expression grim as he took the knife from Stuffwell. They rounded the corner, and there standing in the middle of the hall, was Princess Peach. Her face was full of relief upon seeing Mario, her smile a shinning beacon of light in the dark space.

“Mario! You’re here!” she exclaimed, rushing over to him, her voice like sweet nectar. “I’ve been stuck in this place for who knows how long. I’m so glad you found me.”

Mario stared at her, his grip tightening on the knife. His voice cold and detached as he spoke. “You’re not real.”

Before Peach could respond, Mario plunged the knife into her chest. She gasped, her eyes wide with shock, before slumping to the ground, lifeless.

Stuffwell’s face twisted, his usually cheerful expression replaced by one of horror. “M-Master Mario! What have you done?!”

Mario looked down at the lifeless form of Peach, his expression unreadable. “This place… it plays tricks. It shows you what you want to see. But it’s all lies.”

Stuffwell fell silent, his face still fixed in an expression of shock as he processed Mario’s words. The Plexus was more dangerous than they had imagined, and the lines between reality and illusion were beginning to blur.

The journey ahead would test them all in ways they could never have anticipated. And the Plexus was only just beginning to show it’s true nature.

Chapter Text

After they had fallen down the chute, Lucky and Prince Peasley found themselves in a room unlike anything they had ever seen before. The walls were lined with mirrors, their surfaces reflecting the dim light in a way that made the room feel endless. Lucky, already on edge, began to hyperventilate.

“W-we’re never getting out of here, are we?” Luck stammered, his voice trembling. “This place is a nightmare!”

Prince Peasley, ever the optimist, struck a dramatic pose, his golden hair shimmering even in the dim light. “Nonsense, my dear Lucky! With my charm and brilliance, we’ll escape this dreadful place in no time. After all, what darkness can withstand the radiance of Prince Peasley.”

“Ah Yes, Yes, the shinning prince, how his looks glimmer, making the Jam to the Peanut-butter, filling the toast of the Bean Kingdom.” Suddenly a chiding voice resounded in the air, as Prince Peasley looked over his shoulder, trying to find the source of the voice.

“Who goes there!” Peasley yelled keeping a look of knightly calm, even as nervousness began to creep in, the voice continuing to speak.

“Oh how woe it is, woe indeed that the prince has lost his jam, leaving the kingdom smothered in it’s peanut-butter. Take a look and see it’s woe!”

At the chiding voice’s words, Prince Peasley couldn’t help as he caught a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrors. His confident countenance faltering as he noticed something unusual—a small blemish on his check, resembling a tiny sprout. He leaned closer, his eyes widening in horror.

“What… what is this?!” he exclaimed, touching the blemish. “My Face! My perfect, flawless face! It’s… it’s ruined!”

Lucky watched in confusion as Prince Peasley began to panic, his usual composure crumbling, as he collapsed to the floor. “Uh, Prince Peasley? Are you okay?”

But the Prince didn’t respond, as the voice in his head continued to laugh, laugh at his misfortune, with an awful cackling laugh. Instead, the Prince began to scream, his voice echoing through the room.

Lucky’s eyes widened in terror as he saw the blemish on Prince Peasley’s face begin to grow, spreading across his skin like a creeping vine. The Prince’s body contorted, his limbs twisting and elongating as they transformed into a mass of vines.

“No! NO! This can’t be happening!” Prince Peasley’s voice was distorted, his words barely intelligible as his body was consumed by the vines. They burst forth from his form, growing rapidly and spreading across the room, their tendrils reaching out like grasping hands.

Lucky stumbled backward, his voice a strangled whisper. “P-Prince Peasley?”

The bob-omb could only stare in horror as the room was slowly consumed by the tendril like vines, which spread across the walls and floor at an alarming rate.

——

Elsewhere, Popple, Broque Monsieur, Goombella, and Bow were still making their way through the Plexus when Popple suddenly stopped, looking behind them. “Hey, Where’d the Mayor go?”

Goombella turned around, her eyes widening as she realized Pauline was no longer with them. “What the—? She was just here!”

Broque Monsieur rounded on Popple, his mustache quivering with anger. “Zis is your fault, thief! You distracted us with your petty crimes, and now ze Mayor is gone!”

Popple crossed his arms, glaring at Broque. “My fault? You’re the one who wouldn’t stop yellin’ about your stupid merchandise!”

Goombella stepped between the two of them, her voice sharp. “Enough! We don’t have time for this! Bow, stay with these two bozos. I’ll go look for Pauline.”

With that Goombella took off down the hall, leaving the boo to watch over the merchant and thief. As she rounded the corner, she spotted Lucky standing stock-still, his eyes widened with terror.

“Hey, aren’t you the ticketer from the arena?” She asked, her tone softening.

But then she saw what he was looking at—a mass of vines, growing and spreading at an alarming rate, snaking through the halls. Goombella’s breath caught in her throat.

“Uh.. hey dude, we need to go. NOW,” she said, as she quickly pushed the bob-omb to the side, causing Lucky to snap out of it as a tendril nearly grabbed onto him. The action causing the both of them to take off down the hall.

Back with Popple, and Broque Monsieur, the two were still arguing, with Bow giving them a disappointed look, when Goombella and Lucky came barreling around the corner.

“Move it!” Goombella shouted. “We’ve got a serious problem!”

The group turned just in time to see the vines surging towards them. Without another word, they all took off running, the vines close behind.

——

Pauline found herself in what appeared to be a warped theater stage, The seats were empty and the curtains tattered. The Air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the sounds of her footsteps.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” She called out, her voice echoing through the space.

Just then, she spotted Mario and Stuffwell entering the theater. Relief washed over her. “Mario! Thank goodness you’re here!”

But as Mario stepped closer, Pauline’s relief turned to fear. His eyes were a dead, lifeless green, and his expression was cold and detached. In his hand, he held a knife.

“Pauline…” Mario’s voice was hollow, sending a chill down her spine.

Stuffwell’s face twisted into look of concern “Master Mario?”

Mario ignored him holding the knife aloft, as he slowly advanced towards Pauline. She backed away, her heart pounding. “Mario, it’s me! What are you doing?!”

Stuffwell tried to intervene, rolling in front of Mario. “Master Mario, stop! She’s not an illusion! This isn’t you!”

But Mario kicked the suitcase aside, sending him skidding across the floor. Pauline turned and ran, her heels clacking against the stage as she desperately tried to put distance between herself and Mario.

Stuffwell determined to stop him, grabbed onto the edge of the stage’s carpet with his teeth. With a tug, he pulled on it, causing Mario to trip and lose his knife. However, the sudden movement also caused Pauline to lose her balance, sending her off the stage tumbling into a large pit.

Only her screams could be heard, slowly dissipating as she fell to the bottom, Stuffwell yelling out for her.”

“No! I-I didn’t mean to—!”

Mario got back to his feet, his expression dark as he retrieved his knife. He turned to Stuffwell, his voice cold. “Traitor.”

Stuffwell’s face flickered with fear as Mario began to chase after him. The suitcase rolled away as fast as he could, his voice trembling. “Master Mario, please! You must fight this! It’s not you!”

But Mario didn’t listen. The Plexus had him in it’s grip, and the line between friend and foe was fading fast.

——

Inside a painting within the Plexus, the group consisting of Riba, Starlow, Ashley, and Koops trudged through a snowy landscape, the biting cold nipping at their faces. The air was thick with frost, and the ground crunched beneath their feet with every step. Koops shivered, his shell rattling as he hugged himself for warmth.

“Did we have to pick a painting that led somewhere so cold?” Koops complained, his teeth chattering.

Ashley rolled her eyes, her red scarf fluttering in the icy wind. “We didn’t choose this place, Koops. We were running for our lives, remember? Or did the cold freeze your brain too?”

Riba adjusted his suit jacket, which was doing little to protect him from the freezing temperatures. “Let’s just keep moving. The sooner we find a way out of here, the better.”

As they pressed forward, they came across a mountainside with a large, rusted cell built into the rock. Inside the cell was a massive Bob-omb, his metallic body covered in scratches and dents. His eyes lit up as he saw the group approaching.

“Hey! Over here! The Bob-omb called out, his voice deep and commanding. “You there! Help me!”

The group approached cautiously. “Who are you?” Starlow asked, floating closer to the cell.

“I am Prince Bob-omb” the Bob-omb declared, puffing out his chest. “Heir to the Bob-omb Kingdom! I was locked up here by that tyrant Greenio after I tried to reclaim the star of my people.”

Koops raised an eyebrow. “Wait, King Bob-omb has a son? Since when?”

Prince Bob-omb scowled. “Since always! My father’s kingdom is vast, and I am his rightful heir! But Greenio stole our star, and I was captured when I tried to take it back.”

Riba crossed his arms, his breath visible in the cold air. “And why should we believe you?”

Prince Bob-omb’s expression softened, and he lowered his head. “Because… without the Star, my people are powerless. Greenio has taken everything from us. Please, if you help me, I’ll aid you in your fight against him.”

Ashley stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. “We don’t know much about this Greenio. If you can help us take him down, we’ll consider it a fair trade.”

The group agreed, and after a brief search, they found a switch hidden in the snow. Riba flipped it, and the cell door creaked open. Prince Bob-omb stepped out, stretching his arms.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice filled with gratitude. “Now, let’s get out of this frozen wasteland.”

The group made their way back to the painting they had entered through, stepping through it and returning to the twisted halls of the Plexus.

* * *

As they reentered the Plexus, they nearly collided with Stuffwell, who was rolling down the hall at top speed. Riba stumbled back, exasperated. “What the—? A living suitcase?!”

Stuffwell looked relived upon seeing the group. “Oh, thank goodness! You have to help me! Master Mario—he’s gone mad! He’s possessed!”

Before Stuffwell could explain further, Mario rounded the corner, his usual cheerful demeanor plastered on his face. “Hey, everyone! There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

Ashley’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped forwards, pulling out a talisman which glowed faintly in her hand. “Cut the act, Mario. We know you’re possessed.”

Mario’s smile faltered, and his eyes darkened. In an instant, he lunged at Riba, a knife gleaming in his hand. Riba barley had anytime to react, but Prince Bob-omb stepped in, grabbing Mario and pinning him to the ground.

“Gotcha!” Prince Bob-omb grunted, struggling to hold the possessed plumber.

“Let me go, you over-sized—”

Ashley quickly placed the talisman on Mario’s forehead, and his body went rigid. The dark energy surrounding him dissipating, and his eyes returned to his normal blue.

Mario groaned, clutching his head. “W-what happened? Where am I?”

Ashley stepped back, her expression serious. “You were possessed. I don’t know how long the talisman will last, so we need to move quickly.”

Riba turned to the shadows, his voice sharp. “Alice. I know you’re there. Show yourself.”

From the darkness, the spirit of Alice Aduraice emerged, her form cloaked in an unsettling green glow, eyes blazing with fury. “Of course I’m here, Riba. Did you really think you’d get away with what you did? That you could just escape by some fluke?”

Riba’s expression hardened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you’re behind this, you’re going to regret it.”

Ashley stepped between them, her talisman glowing, as the malevolent spirit faded away from sight. “Enough. We don’t have time for this. Mario, are you okay?”

Mario nodded, his face filled with regret. “I’m so sorry everyone. I didn’t mean to… I wasn’t in control.”

Stuffwell rolled over to him, displaying a sympathetic smile on his countenance. “It’s not your fault, Master Mario. We’ll figure this out together.”

The group decided to take a moment to rest, hanging out in the corridor they resided. Mario began to hand out food from Stuffwell’s storage, provided by the Professor. Mario went over to Riba handing him an apple.

“For me?” the suited man asked.

“Call it an apology for almost stabbing for you.” Mario joked in reply, while Riba frowned. Still he accepted the apple gratefully, taking a bite as he sat down.

Prince Bob-omb cleared his throat. “If we’re going to stop Greenio, we need to get my Star back. It’s the key to defeating him.”

Mario’s eyes widened. “What color is the Star?”

“Green,” Prince Bob-omb replied. “Why?”

Mario gave the Bob-omb a weird look, before his expression grew serious. “If we want to escape the Plexus, we’ll need to collect those Stars, all of them. Each one holds a piece of this place’s power. If we can gather them, we might be able to break free.”

Ashley nodded, “Then that’s our plan. We find the Stars, take down Greenio, and get out of here.”

With their goal set, the group set off, their determination stronger than ever. The Plexus was a maze of danger and deception, but together, they would find a way to escape.

And the first step was finding the Green Stars.

Chapter Text

The group—Mario, Riba, Starlow, Ashley, Koops, Prince Bob-omb, and Stuffwell—had been searching the Plexus for what felt like hours. The twisting halls and shifting rooms made progress slow, and the oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on them. Their goal was clear: find the Green Stars. But the Plexus seemed determined to make their task as difficult as possible.

They found themselves in some bizarre shower area, the walls lined with countless shower heads that poured down a steady stream of water. The air was thick with humidity, making it hard to breath. Koops groaned, wiping water from his face. “why does this place have to be so weird? Can’t we just find a normal room for once?”

Stuffwell squinted as he scanned the area. “I detect something up ahead! Perhaps it’s the Green Star!”

The group hurried forward, their footsteps splashing in the shallow water. But just as they reached the end of the room, a massive stone wall slammed down from the ceiling, separating Mario and Starlow from the rest of the group.

“Mario!” Riba shouted, banging on the wall. “Can you hear us?”

From the other side, Mario’s muffled voice replied. “I’m here! We’ll find a way around!”

Before Riba could respond, the wall began to move, pushing them into the next room. They stumbled forwards, finding themselves on stone bleachers overlooking a large pit. In the center of the pit was a single platform, and on the opposite side of the room was another set of bleachers.

To their surprise, they saw Goombella, Broque Monsieur, Popple, Lucky, and Bow standing there, looking just as confused.

“Great! First those vines, now we’re stuck here!” The pink, hatted Goomba spoke, before being interrupted as someone from the other side yelled out to her.

“Goombella! Bow!” Koops called out, waving his arms. “Over here!”

The two groups tried to call out to each other, but their voices were suddenly drowned out by a sudden, maniacal laugh. Dimentio appeared on the platform in the middle, his colorful form contrasting the monotone space, highlighted by the spotlights on the ceiling which suddenly activated giving him the center of attention.

“Welcome, welcome, my dear guests!” Dimentio announced, spreading his arms wide. “It’s time for a new game! And what better way to entertain ourselves than with a little… friendly competition?”

Rawk Hawk and Midbus appeared on the platform beside him, both looking disorientated. Dimentio gestured to them dramatically, as the spotlights shined on their forms.

“The rules are simple! These two brawlers will duke it out, and each will have five helpers aiding them from the stands, to support in their battle.”

The jester gave a dramatic flare, as the spotlights shifted onto the five people on either side of the room, before continuing his explanation. “The Winners will receive this illustrious Green Star!” He held up the glowing Green Star, its light casting eerie shadows across the room.

“And the losers?” Dimentio’s grin widened. “Well, let’s just say they’ll be… punished.”

As he spoke, the stone bleachers the group were standing on began to move, sliding slightly into the walls and reducing the available space. The message was clear: they had no choice but to play along.

Midbus, however, wasn’t having it. “I ain’t fightin’ for your stupid game, clown!” he growled, crossing his arms.

Dimentio sighed, snapping his fingers. “Oh, very well. If you wont play willingly…”

Armbands appeared on Midbus’ arms, forcing him to raise his fists. His eyes widened in shock as his body moved against his will. Rawk Hawk, equally unwilling, found himself reluctantly getting into a fighting stance as well.

The battle began, and chaos erupted. Popple and Broque Monsieur, desperate to stop Midbus from beating Rawk Hawk, began throwing whatever the could find at him—coins, trinkets, even Broque’s merchandise, all to stop the bleachers from receding. On the other side, Riba forcibly opened Stuffwell, pulling out random items to throw at Rawk Hawk.

Prince Bob-omb, however, stepped in. “Wait! I can’t just sit idly by and let my subjects lives be thrown away!” I must not let them suffer for my gain.” He pointed to the other side, where Lucky was shaking in fear, frozen in place.

Riba turned to him, his frustration boiling over. “What do you suggest we do, then? Let them win and get us all killed?”

Koops who just stayed still in fear holding his shell, started speaking in a shaky voice. “B-But do you really think that he’ll let us go, even if we sacrifice our friends?”

Ashley interjected, her voice calm but firm. “He’s right. That jester doesn't care who wins or loses. He’s just toying with us. No matter what happens, he’ll find a way to punish us all.”

Stuffwell piped up next having closed himself back up. “Then we wont play his game no matter what happens.”

Riba just gave a look of frustration as the battle between Midbus and Rawk hawk continued, the porcine brawler managing to pick the bird-like wrestler off the ground and throw him up into the spotlights, which warped and groaned from the force of Rawk Hawk being sent into them, slowly peeling off as he fell back to the ground with a thud.

The bleachers on the other side receded greatly more with only three more rows remaining which caused the shadow thief to speak up in a nervous voice. “Uh guys, it’s getting a little cramped here.”

Bow taking the time to analyze the situation decided on a course of action, and began to float up towards the spotlights attached to the ceiling, which creaked and groaned from their structural damage.

Lucky snapped out of his state of fear as he noticed the Boo floating away. “—Huh, what are you doing?”

“Saving your skins, of course,” Bow replied, her voice steady.

Goombella looked up at her, confused. “But Boos can’t go into lights! You’ll—“

“I know” Bow interrupted, her expression resolute. “Just… escape for me, okay?”

Dimentio noticed Bow floating across the pit and raised a hand to stop her. “Ah, ah, ah! No cheating!”

But before he could act, Ashley hurled a pie at him (courtesy of Sutffwell), hitting him square in the face. “Leave her alone, clown!”

Bow reached the spotlights, her form beginning to shimmer and fade. With one final effort, she threw her fan at the supports of the lights, causing them to collapse. The massive steel structure fell, bridging the gap across the pit.

“Now! Go!” Bow’s voice echoed as she vanished.

The two groups rushed to the center, using the fallen structure as a bridge. Before Dimentio had any time to react, Riba grabbed onto the Green Star, and in instant the room around them dissolved, and they found themselves somewhere else—

——

The group eventually stirred finding themselves in another part of the Plexus allowing them to catch their breath. They had escaped from Dimentio’s twisted game, a small victory in their seemingly endless ordeal.

They exchanged stories, relieved to be united, however the losses they had incurred still dug into their hearts.

“Bow..” Goombella teared up as she digested the sacrifice her friend had made. Popple seeing the teary eyed goomba strolled up to her side as he pulled out two red bows.

“I managed to snag these before we left, I thought you might’ve wanted them.”

Goombella cleared the tears from her eyes as she thanked the bean, Koops walked over as well grieving the loss of their friend.

Everyone began to recuperate themselves as they planed on what to do next, but suddenly Stuffwell piped up, his voice tinged with concern. “Wait a moment… where’s Riba?”

Looking around, they realized Riba was nowhere to be found. Panic began to set in as they realized he must have been separated during the transition.

——

Mario wandered the halls of the plexus alone, his mind fraying at the edges. He had somehow gotten separated from Starlow; now he found himself traversing the endless corridors and shifting geometry of the Plexus, which continued to grate on his sanity.

He muttered to himself as he walked, “Just keep moving… just keep moving.”

As he rounded a corner, he nearly collided with Riba, who looked just as surprised to see him. “Mario? Thank goodness, I—“

Riba’s relief turned to horror as he noticed Mario’s eyes—glowing a sinister green. He backed away, his heart pounding. “No… not again.”

Alice, still possessing Mario, lunged at Riba with a snarl. “You can’t run forever, Riba!”

Riba turned and bolted, stumbling through the Plexus’ esoteric geometry. Hallways twisted and folded in on themselves, doors led to nowhere, and the walls seemed to close in around him. But no matter how fast he ran, Alice was always close behind.

Finally, she had caught up with him, pinning him against a wall and wrapping her hands around his throat. “This for what you did to me!” She hissed, her voice a distorted blend of her own and Mario’s.

Just as Riba’s vision began to blur, a crate came flying out of nowhere, hitting Alice on the head and causing her to release her grip. Riba collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, as Starlow floated down from above.

“Riba! Are you okay?” Starlow asked her voice filled with concern.

Riba nodded weakly, still catching his breath. “Yeah… thanks to you.”

Using a rope they found in the crate, they decided the best course of action was to tie up Mario for now. Riba hoisted the unconscious plumber onto his back, and the trio continued their journey through the Plexus.

As they made their way through the labyrinthine halls, Riba accidentally triggered a trap, causing the door behind them to slam shut and the corridor began to fill with water. Panic set in as they realized where no air pockets to be found.

“Starlow, help me find a way out!” Riba shouted, his voice muffled by the water.

They desperately tried every door and painting they could find, but nothing worked. Just as they were about to pass out, Mario, still tied to Riba’s back, noticed particles in the water floating toward one of the walls. With a powerful kick, he pushed Riba and Starlow towards the false wall, and they tumbled through to the other side.

Gasping for air, the trio lay on the ground, soaking wet but alive. Riba looked around noticing what appeared to be a house plastered in the middle of the maze.

They dragged themselves inside, warming up by the fire. Mario, now free from Alice’s control, sat by the hearth, his expression somber.

“This is my house” Mario said quietly. “Mine and Luigi’s” the last word came out barley a whimper.

Riba sat down beside him, his curiosity piqued. “What happened to Luigi?”

Mario sighed, starring into the flames. “We went into the castle to save Princess Peach, but… I lost him inside the Plexus. I never found him, even after I destroyed the original core. I never went back to the ruins to search for him. I’ve felt guilty about it ever since.”

Riba placed a hand on Mario’s shoulder. “Well… you’re here now. Maybe you can find him this time.”

Mario nodded, a small glimmer of hope in his eyes. “Yeah… maybe.”

Just then, Starlow burst into the room, her glow brighter than usual. “Guys! I found one of the Green Stars! It’s in one of the rooms!”

The trio hurried to collect the star, their spirits lifted by the small victory.

——

Waluigi could be seen inside his bedroom, where he was preparing for bed. He put on pajamas, climbed under the covers, and laid his head on a pillow. But as soon as he drifted off to sleep, he found himself being transported to the Plexus.

Daisy appeared beside him, looking just as confused. “Waluigi? What’s going on?”

Waluigi groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Oh, not again.”

They found themselves in a dimly lit corridor of the Plexus, the walls pulsating faintly as if alive. Waluigi got up, while adjusting his cap. “Great. Just great. I get dragged back into this nightmare, and I’m stuck with you again.”

Daisy crossed her arms, glaring at him. “Oh, like I wanted to be here with you either, Mr. Tall-and-Lanky. Let’s just find a way out of here before I lose my patience.

Before their bickering could escalate, a familiar cackle echoed through the hall. Fawful emerged from the shadows, his oversized head bobbing as he grinned maniacally. “Ah, fools have arrived! Fawful welcomes you to his domain of doom!”

Waluigi raised an eyebrow. “Who’s this guy? He looks like he got hit in the head with a frying pan.”

Fawful’s grin twisted into a scowl. “Fawful is the bringer of chaos! The master of minions! And now, Fawful will crush you like the insects you are!”

With a snap of his fingers, a horde of spider-like minions scuttled out of the shadows, their glowing eyes fixed on Waluigi and Daisy.

“Uh… run?” Daisy suggested.

“Run!” Waluigi agreed, grabbing her by the hand as they bolted down the hall.

The spiders gave chase, their metallic legs clattering against the floor. Waluigi and Daisy darted through the twisting corridors, narrowly avoiding the creatures as they searched for a way to escape.

Chapter Text

Mario, Riba and Starlow had left the house now having collected two Green Stars in total. Just as they rounded a corner they noticed set of double doors up ahead, which permeated a malevolent aura.

Starlow spoke up first, nervousness plastered across the star sprite’s face. “Um.. so we should just avoid this door right? Cause’ I’m getting real bad vibes from this one.”

However Mario remained undeterred as he continued down the hall.

“This place will do anything to keep us from escaping, I’m not stopping.” With those words the plumber went to reach for the door knob, twisting it and pushing the door outward.

The three stumbled into the dark room where a massive fountain stood. In the dark and decaying room, The fountain's waters shimmered with an otherworldly glow, and at its center stood a familiar figure cloaked in shadows.

“Luigi…? Mario whispered, his voice trembling.

The figure turned, revealing Luigi’s face, but his eyes were hollow and his expression cold. “Mario…” he said, his voice echoing unnaturally. “I hate you.”

Riba stepped forward, his instincts screaming at him that something was wrong. “Mario, don’t—“

But Mario ignored him, rushing toward his brother. “Luigi, I’m here! I’m going to save you!”

As Mario reached out, the water in the fountain surged, forming tendrils that lashed out at him. Riba grabbed Mario and pulled him back just in time.

“Let me go!” Mario shouted, struggling against Riba’s grip. “That’s my brother!”

“That’s not your brother anymore!” Riba snapped. “Look at him, Mario! He’s been consumed by the Plexus!”

Starlow floated between them, her glow dimming as she looked at Luigi. “He’s right Mario. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be trapped here too.”

Mario’s eyes filled with tears, but before he could protest, Starlow turned to the fountain, her light flaring brightly as she unleashed a burst of energy that temporarily held the tendrils at bay.

Riba dragged Mario away, the plumber’s cries echoing through the hall as they escaped.

——

Back with the rest of the group, Ashley stood in the center of the room, her red eyes glowing with determination. “Listen up! We need to find the Green Stars if we’re going to have any chance of escaping this place. I’m dividing us into two teams.”

She pointed to Prince Bob-omb, Lucky, Goombela, Koops, and Broque Monsieur. “You five are Team One. Stick together and search to the right.”

Broque Monsieur huffed. “And why should we listen to you, little girl?”

Ashley’s eyes narrowed, a faint aura of dark energy surrounded her. “Because if you don’t, I’ll turn you into a frog. Got it?”

Broque Monsieur gulped and nodded.

Ashley then turned to Midbus, Rawk Hawk, Popple, and Stuffwell. “You four are with me. We’ll take the left path. Let’s move.”

The groups set off, each heading in different directions to search for the Green Stars.

—Team One—

Prince Bob-omb led his team through the right-bound hallway, his metallic body clanking with every step. “Stay close, everyone. We don’t know what’s lurking in these halls.”

Lucky clung to Koops, his voice trembling. “I-I don’t like this place. It’s too quiet.”

Goombella rolled her eyes. “Relax, Lucky. We got this. Right, Koops?”

Koops nodded, though he looked just as nervous. “Yeah… totally.”

As they turned a corner, they found themselves in a room filled with mirrors. Each mirror reflecting a distorted and warped version of them.

Up ahead a Green Star could be seen on a pedestal in the middle of them room, its green glow permeating the dim room with a sickly light.

“That’s it!” Prince Bob-omb exclaimed, before he continued. “That's the star that powers my kingdom, with it I can finally restore peace.”

At the passionate tirade of the large Bob-omb, Goombella just gave him a weirded out look as she spoke. “That’s nice and all, but don’t we need to collect these things to escape, we don’t really have the time to put these things all back.”

To that Prince Bob-omb turned around to face the goomba, his voice edged with a tone that left no room for argument.

“Oh, no-no-no-no. It’s an absolute must that I return this star to it’s rightful place among my people.”

Before anyone could begin to argue against him, the mirrors around them began to crack, shadowy figures that resembled the group appearing from the voids behind the looking glasses, eyes glowing with malice.

“Uhh… that’s not good.” Goombella said as the figures began their assault.

Each member of the group faced off against their double, Prince Bob-omb struggling to hold his body double back, while Koops and Lucky ran away from theirs.

“What is zis! How dare you imitate moi looks.”

Broque monsieur spoke up at the impostor, slapping it across the face only to be returned with enormous force, sending him across the room into one of the mirrors collapsing into a heap.

Goombella struggled against her own double which proved just as troublesome. “These guys are seriously tough, I could really do with some help over here!”

Yelling out to Koops and Lucky she managed to garner at least her shelled friend’s attention, with that she formulated a plan as she began to run right towards him.

“Wha— Goombella what are you—?!”

“Jump right now you bozo!”

Interrupting the koopa, she belted out an instruction which Koops followed with no argument, allowing their shadowy doubles to run under them, crashing into each other, collapsing into a pile of shards.

At the same time Prince Bob-omb finished off his own double punching it apart into a pile of rubble.

“That’s him done in, now's my chance.” with out a second to waste he rushed after the Green Star to collect for himself.

“I’m terribly sorry for this, but I must restore my kingdom so this is where we part ways.”

Letting out his admission that he was abandoning the mission to the group, he was about to grab onto the star. However his attenuation was diverted momentarily to the other side of the room, where Dimentio could be seen charging up an attack from the shadows aiming at Lucky still cowering in a corner.

“No!” Prince Bob-omb shouted, jumping in front of Lucky just as Dimentio fired the beam.

The energy struck Prince Bob-omb, and his body went limp, his once proud form now a lifeless dud.

“Wha—.” Lucky looked at the dull sphere before him surprised at the sudden attack, but was quickly grabbed by Koops, who dragged him away as they went to escape, Dimentio laughing behind them.

“Oh what a noble sacrifice, but don’t be so sad! After all, he was just a fabrication of the Plexus programmed to feel sympathy to you, and now he’s playing his part perfectly—as a dud.”

Lucky could only stare at the jester’s maniacal grin as he was dragged away, while Goombella sprinted for the pedestal where the Green Star stood.

“We’ve got to go!” She yelled, clutching the star as the room began to dissolve.

——

Daisy and Walugi had continued running through the plexal landscape until the believed they had shaken off the spiders that were after them. With a sigh, the two of them collapsed against a wall, completely exhausted from the run.

“Woo.. You think.. we managed to.. get away.” Daisy spoke between huff as she looked towards Waluigi, who was crumpled against the floor.

“I hope.. so.. I can’t.. do anymore.. running.”

They took the time to collect themselves, Daisy getting up first as she looked ahead.

“We’ll probably need to take those stars again. Seriously I thought Mario smashed that thing to smithereens.”

“Well I guess we don’t have any choice, do we.” Waluigi relented as the two of them continued down the corridor wary of the many threats that could be lingering around any corner.

Eventually they found themselves entering into a dimly lit chamber, the walls and floors were all covered with an overgrown mass of vines which stretched across it’s entirety, glowing an eerie green glow, casting harsh shadows in the room.

Slowly the two traversed the uneven terrain, when Daisy spotted something up ahead. At the center of the room stood a floating Green Star, its light pulsating like a heart beat. Daisy’s eyes lit up.

“There it is!” she exclaimed, rushing toward the star.

Waluigi, however, hesitated. “Wait, Daisy! Something doesn't feel right—!”

Before he could finish, a massive Mr. I emerged from the shadows, it’s single eye glowing with malice. Daisy froze, her hand inches from the Green Star.

“Daisy, move.” Waluigi shouted, shoving her out of the way just as the Mr. I unleashed a beam of petrifying energy.

The beam struck Waluigi, and his body began to harden, turning to stone. Daisy stared in horror as Waluigi’s expression froze in a look of determination.

“Waluigi!” she screamed, reaching out to him.

But it was to late. Waluigi was now a statue, his sacrifice saving Daisy from the same fate. The Mr. I turned it’s gaze toward her, and Daisy grabbed onto the Green Star, her eyes blazing with fury.

“You’re gonna regret that,” she muttered, clutching the star as the room began to dissolve around her.

——

Mario and Riba having escaped the fountain room, found themselves running through a nightmarish forrest, the trees dripping with blood and the ground squelching beneath their feet. Behind them, a demented spirit of Peach floated, her once-beautiful face twisted into a grotesque mask of rage.

“Mario… why did you leave me?” the spirit wailed, her voice echoing through the forrest.

Mario’s heart ached, but Riba grabbed his arm, pulling him forward. “Don’t look back, Mario! She’s not real!”

The two sprinted through the forrest, the spirit’s wails growing louder as she gained on them. Just as they thought they couldn’t run any further, they burst into a small clearing. The spirit of Peach stopped at the edge of the forrest, her form dissolving into the shadows.

Mario collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. “What… was that?”

Riba shook his head, his expression grim. “This place… it’s messing with your mind. We need to stay focused.”

—Team Two—

Ashley’s team moved through the left-bound hall, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Midbus and Rawk Hawk walked side by side, their rivalry momentarily set aside.

“So… what’s the plan, boss?” Popple asked, glancing at Ashley.

Ashley smirked. “We find the Green Star, and we don’t let anything stop us got it?”

Midbus grunted in agreement, while Rawk Hawk cracked his knuckles. “Sounds good to me. Let’s smash some stuff.”

As they ventured deeper into the hall, they came across a massive door covered in intricate markings that resembled arrows. Ashley examined it closely, her eyes narrowing. “This is it. The Green Star is behind this door.”

But as she reached for the handle, the carvings began to glow, and the door creaked open on it’s own. Inside the Green Star could be seen floating above a statue of three dolphins, on top a metal pillar.

Ashley called for Popple to go climb the statue to get the star, but before he could a low rumbling could be heard, as suddenly from two doors atop the grand staircase ahead a torrent of shadow toads came running down to attack the group.

Rawk Hawk and Midbus batted the shadowy creatures away with Ashley supporting with her magic, while Stuffwell launched his inventory at any stray toads that attempted to climb up after Popple.

As soon as Popple managed to grab the star the room stilled and the shadow toads vanished in puffs of smoke, everything was silent for a moment.

“Hey, doesn't this usually take us back to the hallways when we grab them.” Popple blurted out, when suddenly the ground began to shake.

Ashley’s eyes widened as the ceiling began to crumble. “We’ve got to get out of here—now!”

Quickly the group tried to escape through the door they came through, but the door wouldn’t budge as the grand hall began to collapse. Instead Midbus decided to slam into one of the wooden side doors forcing it open, allowing everyone to run down the spiral staircase inside.

They had just reached the bottom when the metal structure collapsed. Ashley, Rawk Hawk, Midbus, Popple and Stuffwell all raced through the collapsing tunnel ahead, the walls closing in around them.

Light from the exit up ahead could be seen slowly dwindling, as the walls slowly moved together to seal them in, making them dash as fast as they could. Popple threw all his trinkets to wedge to walls open, Stuffwell doing them same with his inventory.

However before they could jump through the gap, thwomps suddenly began falling down from above threatening to crush them at any moment.

“We’re not gonna make it!” Popple shouted, dodging a fallen thwomp.

Midbus and Rawk Hawk exchanged a glance before bracing themselves on the ground, using their strength to hold up a massive thwomp that crashed down on top of them.

“Go!” Midbus growled, his muscles straining under the weight, the trinkets and items holding the exit open were begging to crack under the pressure.

Ashley hesitated, her hands glowing with dark energy. “I can help! I can hold it!”

Midbus shook his head. “No! That jester’s bracelets… they’re still controlling me. If he shows up, I’ll just be a liability. Get out of here!”

Rawk Hawk seeing his rival’s desperation ducked under the thwomp quickly, and scooped up Ashley as he dashed for the exit. “Come on witch girl! We’ve got to move!”

The yellow bird wrestler also grabbed onto Popple and Stuffwell as he dove into the narrow gap, making it just in time, the items propping the exit open just long enough for the four of them to squeeze through.

As the tunnel closed behind them, Midbus’ voice echoed faintly. “Tell ‘em… I went out swinging.”

——

Ashley, Popple, Rawk Hawk and Stuffwell continued to walk through the forrest they now found themselves in, sullen from the loss of their companion. Though their spirits were slightly lifted when they spotted Mario and Riba up ahead.

“Master Mario!” Stuffwell called out, causing Mario and Riba to turn their heads to the group.

“You guys! you’re here, you’re really here!” The plumber was elated to reunited with his friends, walking over to them, with Riba following behind.

“Where’s everyone else?”

“We separated to form two teams of five to search for the Green Stars, and well we lost a member.” The witch spoke bluntly.

“Oh.”

Mario didn’t no what to say, another soul was trapped within this place— what he did know was that he wouldn’t stand for it a moment longer.

“We’ll avenge them, everyone who’s been taken by the Plexus. We just need to find the core.”

At that the group nodded in agreement as they searched ahead. Eventually the path they were on led them to a strange, fog-shrouded town. The buildings were old and crumbling, and the air was thick with an oppressive silence.

“Where… are we?” Mario asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Riba frowned, his eyes scanning the area. “This place… it feels familiar. Like I’ve been here before.”

As they ventured further into town, they came across an execution platform. Standing atop it was Marchionne, his eyes listless and his expression hollow.

The group froze as Marchionne turned to face them, his voice cold and emotionless. “Welcome… to Evangeline.”

Chapter Text

The town of Evangeline was eerily quiet, the fog clinging to the crumbling buildings like a shroud. Marchionne stood atop the execution platform, his hollow eyes fixed on Mario and Riba. His voice was cold, dripping with disdain.

“Mario… the so-called hero,” Marchionne sneered. “You left your brother to rot in this place. You let Alice manipulate you like a puppet. And now you think you can waltz in here and save him? Pathetic.”

Mario clenched his fists, his guilt and anger warring within him. “I made mistakes, but I’m not giving up on Luigi. I’ll save him, no matter what it takes.”

Marchionne laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “Save him? You can’t even save yourself. Luigi is gone, consumed by the Plexus. And you… you’re just a fool chasing a ghost.”

Before Mario could respond, Ashley stepped forward, her red eyed glowing with determination. “Enough, Mario did you receive a package from my assistant, Red?”

Mario blinked, then nodded, pulling out a small bag from his pocket. “Yeah, I did. What is it?”

Ashley smirked. “Purification salt. It can weaken the darkness controlling Luigi. But it’s up to you to reach him, to bring him back.”

Marchionne’s expression darkened. “You think a bag of salt can undo what’s been done? How naive.”

Ashley turned to Mario and the others. “Go. I’ll handle him.”

Riba stepped forward, his eyes locked on Marchionne. “I’m staying too. This guy’s been a thorn in my side for too long.”

With that Ashley nodded, as the battle began, and the rest of the group ran off.

Ashley and Riba faced off against Marchionne, the air crackling with tension. Marchionne raised his hand, summoning a wave of dark energy that surged toward them.

Ashley countered with a burst of her own magic, the two forces colliding in a blinding explosion. Riba darted around the platform, using his agility to avoid Marchionne’s attacks and strike at his blind spots.

“You think you can defeat me?” Marchionne snarled, his voice echoing through the town. “I am a hunter of witches, I’ve dealt with your kind many of times before. You are nothing but insects walking beneath my boot!”

Ashley’s eyes narrowed, her hands glowing with dark energy. “We’ll see about that.”

The battle raged on, the town of Evangeline shaking under the force of their clash.

——

Mario, Rawk Hawk, Popple and Stuffwell ran through the twisting halls of the Plexus, their hearts pounding as they searched for a way out of Evangeline. After what felt like an eternity, the burst into a massive chamber, it’s walls pulsating with a dark energy.

In the center of the room stood Daisy, Goombella, Koops, Lucky, and Broque Monsieur, their faces lighting up with relief as they saw Mario.

“Mario! You’re here! Daisy exclaimed rushing over to him.

Mario nodded catching his breath. “We don’t have much time. We need to destroy the core.”

The group pulled out the Green Stars they had collected, their combined light illuminating the chamber. A door appeared on the far side of the room phasing in to existence from the green glow.

As they entered into the door they were greeted with a large dark chamber shrouded in a shadowy miasma. Making their approach, they were greeted with a sight that filled them with dread.

The core was an unholy amalgamation of the Dream Stone, The Dark Stone, and fragments of the original core all effused to each other, it’s surface writhing with a dark energy. All around it was an expansive void, the darkness stretching as far as the eye could see.

Stuffwell turned to Mario, calling out to the plumber with a serious tone. “Master Mario, go help your brother, we’ll handle this.”

Mario hesitated, but Daisy placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got this. Go get Luigi.”

“Yeah leave it all to us, we’ll smash that thing to smithereens no problem.” Rawk Hawk added, the rest of the group nodding to the plumber.

Mario nodded back, and turned and ran out the chamber, his heart pounding as he searched for the fountain room.

As the rest of them turned to approach the core, a familiar cackle echoed through the chamber. Fawful appeared, his cape billowing behind him as floated towards the group, grinning manically.

“Fawful welcomes you to the core of darkness!” he declared, spreading his arms wide. “But Fawful cannot allow you to destroy the core. No, no, no!”

Daisy stepped forward, her eyes blazing with determination. “Step aside, Greenbean. We’re not letting you stop us.”

Fawful’s grin widened. “Fawful does not step aside! Fawful crushes! Fawful destroys!”

The group all braced themselves as the maniacal bean thrust up his hands, calling upon the darkness.

Fawful, empowered by the Dream Stone, Dark Stone, and the Plexus core, began to summon a wave of abominations born from the group’s deepest nightmares. The chamber trembled as the creatures emerged, their grotesque forms twisting and writhing with dark energy.

Koops and Goombella found themselves face-to-face with a bone dragon, its skeletal wings casting long shadows across the room. “This… this is my worst nightmare,” Koops stammered, his shell rattling.

Goombella grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with determination. “Then let’s kick its butt and wake up already!”

Rawk Hawk, meanwhile, was confronted by a reanimated Midbus, his lifeless eyes glowing with an eerie light. “Midbus… I’m sorry it came to this,” Rawk Hawk muttered, cracking his knuckles. “But I’m not going down without a fight.”

Daisy, Popple, Broque Monsieur, Lucky, and Stuffwell faced Fawful himself, who transformed into a massive spider-like creature. His laughter echoed through the chamber as he skittered across the walls, his many eyes fixed on his prey.

“Fawful will crush you like the insects you are!” he cackled, lunging at the group.

——

Mario ran through the Plexus, dogging and weaving his way through the esoteric halls until he found himself at a familiar set of double doors. Barging in he saw Luigi in the center of the fountain, his form shrouded in darkness as he stood over an unconscious Starlow wrapped in shadowy tendrils.

“Luigi!” Mario called out, holding the bag of purification salt. “I’m here to save you!”

Luigi turned, his eyes hollow and full of hatred. “Save me? You left me here to rot, Mario. You don’t get to play the hero now.”

Mario’s heart ached as he stepped forward. “I know I messed up, but I’m not giving up on you. You’re-a my brother Luigi. I love you.”

Before Mario could reach him, shadows lashed out, knocking the bag of salt from his hands and sent him sprawling to the ground. Luigi loomed over him, his voice cold and bitter. “I hate you, Mario. I hate you for leaving me behind.”

Mario dogged out of the way as multiple spires of shadow attempted to pierce him, escaping by a hairs breadth. Quickly recovering, he went for the bag of salt but was slapped away by a shadowy tendril.

“I want you to suffer for what you did.” Luigi spoke coldly as he wrapped shadowy tendrils around Mario’s neck and dragged him to the fountains waters. “Suffer, just like I did.”

Water invaded his nostrils as the shadows held Mario down in the water, struggling to hold his breath. Just as he was about to pass out he brought out the knife he still had on him and slashed the tendrils, forcing them to let go.

He stumbled out of the Fountain landing on the ground, crawling away. But Luigi sent more tendrils onto his leg to drag him back. Mario attempted to stab the knife in the ground to hold him place, but all that managed was to dull the knife as the tendrils forcibly dragged him across the ground.

Mario grabbed onto the edge of the fountain as the shadows attempted to drown him again, with Luigi looking unimpressed, stepping onto the plumbers glove.

“You shouldn’t prolong this any longer than you have too, I learned that long ago.”

He ignored the chiding of his brother even as he ground his heel into his hand, instead with his other hand he stabbed his knife into the tendrils holding onto Starlow embedding deep into the woven pillar, holding on for dear life.

Luigi released his foot causing Mario to be tug forwards into the fountain, but still he held on with both hands as the shadowy pillar began to snap and break. The structure eventually gave way completely flinging Mario and Starlow across the room from the built up force, but the shadowy tendrils quickly grabbed back onto the plumber and began dragging him to the fountain again.

——

Ashley and Marchionne’s battle raged on, the town of Evangeline crumbling around them. Ashley’s hair had turned white from the strain of the fight, her magic flickering as she struggled to keep up with Marchionne’s relentless attacks.

Just as he was about to land a lethal blow Riba stepped in, kicking away Marchionne’s arms as he attempted to land a blast on the downed witch. The fine suited man quickly jumped away as Marchionne attempted to counter with another attack, leaving the two exhausted foes in front of him.

“You really think you can keep this up. As soon as I deal with you, and the witch, I’ll simply move to take out Alice as well.”

“I can’t let you do that… Mario may be possessed, but he’s still his own person.” Ashley let out with bated breath as both she and Riba, refused to back down.

Marchionne just scoffed at them as he concluded the conversation. “Fine, then I’ll just have to end it with this.” the Mario lookalike began to charge up an attack but before he could finish a voice suddenly called out.

“You’re in my way.” Alice hissed as she appeared behind him, her knife gleaming in the dim light, as she plunged it into Marchionne’s back.

He gasped, his body collapsing to the ground as Alice turned her attention to Riba and Ashley.

The suited man stared in shock at the presence of the spirit, now turned living flesh and blood again, fear gripping him as he let out a meager mutter. “How are you alive…?”

But Alice had heard him, responding in turn. “Oh don’t be so surprised Riba. The Plexus decided to revive me just to torment you, It’s that simple really.”

The blonde woman glared at him with a sinister look as she continued, “Well with that out of the way, Die!” snarling as she let out the last word, she moved quickly to slice the man, her movements swift and deadly.

Ashley tried to intervene but was quickly slashed down by the revived spirit, and kicked away. Riba fought valiantly, but Alice’s newfound power was to much. With a final, brutal strike, she ended Riba’s life, his body falling to the ground as Ashley watched in horror.

“Even though he’s an immortal demon,” Alice sneered, “I’ll use the power of the core to make sure he never comes back.”

Ashley, barely conscious, clung to the faint hope that Riba’s demonic nature would save him. But as Alice raised her knife for the final blow, a deafening explosion shook the Plexus.

——

All around him Lucky could see the others fighting valiantly. Goombella, and Koops faced off against the bony dragon which threatened to crush them. Rawk Hawk fought toe-to-toe with the reanimated Midbus with each blow being met by another. Daisy, Popple, Broque Monsieur, and Stuffwell all scrambled away as the Fawful Spider attempted to pierce them with it’s long legs.

But they were all fighting.

That’s something Lucky couldn’t say he was doing as he cowered in fear, as the desperate fight went on around him. What was he doing here, shaking like a coconut on a tree in the wind, being useless.

He was just a ticketer, not some important person. Yet all these people fought for him, fought on his behalf. Lady Bow sacrificed herself to save all of them from doom, and Prince Bob-omb jumped in the way of a beam aimed at him.

Yet he could never repay their kindness, and he was still trapped within this realm of nightmares as others fought on his behalf. He couldn’t stand it any longer.

It’s the core that’s tied to all this, dragging people in tormenting them, forcing them to cower in fear. He could see it right in front of him, and he couldn’t stand it any longer.

Lucky emboldened by the sacrifices of Lady Bow, and Price Bob-bomb and everyone’s fighting spirit, made a split second decision. “I’m not going to cower anymore,” he muttered, his voice trembling but resolute.

With a determined cry, he threw himself into the Plexus core, his body exploding in a blinding flash of light. The core shattered, its dark energy dissipating as the Plexus began to destabilize.

The effect was immediate, Fawful’s abominations began to dissolve, their forms crumbling into nothingness. The group seized the opportunity, launching a coordinated attack on fawful.

As their attacks landed, they began to bat back the shadows that comprised the Spider’s body until all was left was Fawful himself as the shadows fell apart from him.

“This is for Midbus!” Rawk Hawk roared, delivering a powerful punch that sent Fawful reeling, his body being launched across the slowly dissolving chamber.

——

With Alice distracted as the Plexus began to collapse, Ashley slowly crawled over to Riba. Summoning the last her strength she reached out her hand to his, her magic flaring to life as she called upon Riba’s demonic essence.

“Come back, Riba!” she shouted, her voice echoing through the void.

“——AHHHHHHH!!“

The suited man’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he let out a loud bloodcurdling scream. His form changing to become more demonic as he stood up with new strength, his eyes glowing with a fierce light as he laughed maniacally.

Alice tuned around just in time to let out a “What—!” before Riba lunged at her, tearing through her shadowy form with his claws.

“Ah—!” Alice screamed in pain as she desperately tried to fend him off, but to no avail as the demon outmatched her strength. “You… you witch!” Alice yelled cursing Ashley, her body beginning to dissolve into motes of white light “I don’t want to die!”

Ashley watched as Alice and Riba faded away along with the town of Evangeline, her heart heavy from the weight of the sacrifices made.

“Without the core, everything in the Plexus will vanish,” she whispered.

——

The explosion caught Luigi off guard, causing him momentarily to let go of the shadowy tendrils. Mario took the opportunity afforded to him and quickly rushed to his brother dousing him in the purification salt, causing the shadows to move erratically across Luigi’s body as he stumbled back.

Due to the fountain room collapsing, Luigi was about to fall into a pit that had opened up, Mario quickly rushed to save his brother even as the as the shadows lashed out at him, pulling Luigi to safety.

Luigi fell Into brother's arms as the darkness around him dissipated, his eyes clearing as he looked at Mario.

“Why… why did you do it?” Luigi asked, his voice trembling.

Mario smiled weakly, blood soaking his overalls from a puncture wound he sustained from one of the shadows as he pulled Luigi into a hug. “Because you’re my brother. I’d do anything for you.”

The room around them faded into a white void, the Plexus collapsing around them as its hold on reality weakened.

Elsewhere, Dimentio watched the destruction of the Plexus, his expression one of disappointment. “Such a shame, Mr. L,” he muttered. “But the show must go on.”

With a snap of his fingers, Dimentio used his powers to open a rift to the real world, pulling the last fragments of the Plexus with him. “Let’s see how they deal with the aftermath.” he said, his laughter echoing as the Plexus vanished.

——

In the court yard of Princess Peach’s Castle, Luigi stood sat beside the fountain, cradling Mario’s lifeless body in his arms. Tears streamed down his face as he cried for his brother, the weight of his actions finally catching up with him.

“Mario… I’m so sorry,” Luigi whispered, his voice breaking. “I should’ve trusted you. I should’ve been stronger.”

As the sun rose over the horizon, casting a golden hue over the courtyard, Luigi held Mario close, his heart heavy with grief and gratitude. The nightmare was over, but the scars it left behind would remain forever.

And somewhere, in the depths of the void, Dimentio’s laughter echoed, a reminder that the shadows of the Plexus would never truly be gone.

The End.