#(AU)A Different Fate

[clingonlikeclingwrap]

I think YJ98 would go hard as one of those unserious high school superhero shows where the characters are always making godawful excuses to their friends and sneaking off to save the day, except all of them are superheroes and they just don't realise it, resulting in identity shenanigans that are actually wholly unecessary. Also the story follows Tim, who doesn't even operate in the daytime, but is left providing increasingly absurd alibis for his friends because he's the only one who's deduced their identities and he really needs to keep it that way before they all end up arrested and he has no one left to eat lunch with

The rest of this comic WIP is on Ko-Fi!

[netmors]

Concept art for the Eleventh Fleet - Mitt'raw'nuruodo.

Hands got to the rendering of Mitt'raw'nuruodo's sketches. It was unusual to draw him without the Grand Admiral’s signature hairstyle, but I really wanted to make a strong contrast between his life “before” and “after” starting his service in the navy. Life on his home planet certainly wasn't easy.

+ some parallel with Ezra and his fate.

…And I still think the idea of ​​making Thrawn's kintsugi-style form during his exile is my best idea :3 After red eyeliner on Karyn's eyes, of course.

[starry-bi-sky]

mmmmmm read a disciple shen yuan/shizun luo binghe fanfic about two days ago where the first chapter was the Immortal Conference arc, and SQQ was the one who had to be pushed into the abyss (he was still the villain) except Luo Binghe was refusing and was like, lowkey losing his mind about SQQ being so close to the edge. SQQ ended up having to be the one to fall in himself because of the system's punishment system. The rest of the fic is leading up to that moment. But like, MMM i've been obsessively thinking about that first chapter for DAYS ever since.

now i've been in svsss for a grand total of *checks watch* a week. but god obsessed with that. I want to write/read a fic where disciple SQQ goes a little nuts down there. Like keep all of the things that make SQQ, SQQ, but just. Throw in a little bit more trauma in there. A little bit of a mental break. Let him go a little nuts as a treat. Just a tad unhinged. I wanna see him go, just a little, "god fuck it, i've tried so hard to change this shitty story's outcome and it feels like everything i've done has been for nothing. I'm going to die in this world no matter what I do, I've been doomed from the start, so might as well die the way I want to." and he just, breaks a little! Under all the stress.

He still retains the traits that makes shen yuan, shen yuan, like his overwhelming kindness. But he's just! yk. A little less patient. Paranoid. Jumpy. Colder. A little more aloof and closed off. A little more Shen Jiu. He's no asshole child abuser, but he was a Number One Hater in his past life and he's leaning into that old habit a little more now.

(On a totally coincidental not-at-all related note, there's not enough SJ-and-SY-are-the-same-people fics out there that i've found. This is totally unrelated...)

The Endless Abyss turns the mind into an over-sharpened blade, and SQQ is both fascinated and perhaps a little excited to explore a place that doesn't have a lot of info on it in the mortal realm, but still terrified out of his mind. And he's no Luo Binghe, he doesn't have the sheer brute strength and power to just bulldoze his way through, so he has to be a lot more sneaky and cunning if he wants to survive.

The fic itself role-swapped LBH and SQQ so that SQQ was the half-demon (which lowkey fucks) and LBH the human, but I'm equally-if-not-more obsessed with the idea that LBH remains the half-heavenly demon and SQQ the human. If only because I keep thinking about SQQ befriending some demons (particularly and specifically a group of succubi) and they grow very attached to this Human Cultivator so through magic plot stuff they create some kind of seal/illusion/talisman that makes SQQ appear as a demon because a human cultivator in the endless abyss may as well be the equivalent of putting a giant neon target on your back.

And iirc Shen Jiu was taught demonic cultivation by that one guy(?? i've only been here a week so im not caught up in ALL of the lore yet) so that could totally happen here.

(On the other end of the realms, poor Shizun Luo Binghe is just. losing his fucking mind over losing his most precious and beloved disciple. About .5 seconds from burning down the peaks himself. somebody sedate him.)

The Endless Abyss sucks and SQQ is having a really terrible time and can feel himself going lowkey mad, but also holy shit look at all this WORLD-BUILDING. look at all this flora and fauna, and oh if he had the equipment for it he'd be writing all of this down. ALL OF IT. He was kinda-sorta-already planning on never leaving the Abyss as some sort of fucked up self-exile and self-preservation thing, but now he might? actually just?? never leave if he can help it, like he lowkey likes it down here.

anyways the next time anyone ever sees SQQ again he's got hair so long its almost touching the ground and he's either in rags and half-feral or he's been completely dolled up by his adoptive succubi sisters and still about three seconds from biting anyone who tries to touch him. (he's also lowkey trying to book it back down to the abyss even if he has desperately missed all of his friends and shizun)

[year2000electronics]

This is a post detailing the full timeline of my Mario AU, Fate of the Stars! Full thing under the cut- it's a bit of a long read, but I hope you enjoy!

THE BEGINNING

The seven Star Spirits have always been there, watching from above… watching with love. Many things in the FOTS world have happened because someone made a wish. Wishing magic is some of the most potent there is. 

TIME OF THE DINOSAURS

Hey, this is where the Yoshis and Koopas’ common ancestors are from!

…Alright, that’s it. NEXT! 

TIME OF THE ANCIENTS

Two distinct factions of humans are formed. Magicians who rely on spell-casting to get things done, and regular old humans who rely on the natural fauna around them to get things done. 

The magicians have a fight that splits them into two: the Ancients and the Tribe of Darkness. 

The magicians eventually get so secretive that they ban basically anyone else from entering into their fold. This happens over centuries.

Amidst all this fighting, the Tribe of Darkness creates the Dark Prognosticus, a prophecy that is set to doom the world. The Ancients create the Light Prognosticus to try and counter it- though only the Dark Prognosticus is TRULY prophetic.

In both prophecies, four heroes are predicted to save the world. These heroes are known as the “Star Children”, and legend says that when they get delivered by a stork (because that ends up being how babies are made here…), they will each come with a mystical star charm that will give them power and guide them on their way.

Both prophecies mention the “Man in Green” as the ideal host for the Chaos Heart that would end all worlds- although in the Light Prognosticus, it is said that the Man in Green has the potential to decide which prophecy becomes true. 

Only the Dark Prognosticus mentions this, but allegedly, one of the heroes would be the “Dark Star Child”, the one destined to turn against the heroes and act as their final opponent. Prophecy scholars across the years have debated which of the heroes would be this Dark Star Child. In the modern era, the common belief is that it would be the “Furious monster king”, although there are one or two fringe theorists who believe the Dark Star Child is one and the same as the Man in Green.

Also happening over thousands of years, the humans who keep using the land’s mushrooms to “power-up” eventually evolve into the Toad species, the mushroom DNA intermingling with theirs causing them to shrink down and gain mushroom cap-like appendages on their heads. We know this species today as “Toads”!

Toads grow to revere the ancient humans of their past and view tallness and “Tall Toads” as a status symbol. A Toad forges the Super Crown, something gifted to a royal and their partner to give them the appearance of a regular human. 

The Tribe of Darkness’ interaction with so much dark magic also changes them. Now they are shadow beings, distinct from humans. 

Regular humans still exist, though, but as the years go on, they become fewer and fewer. 

Koopas become sentient after many Ancients and Darkness Members alike began to keep them as pets, and just like Toads, the lingering effects of being close to magic helps them evolve. They form a kingdom of their own, and the idea of “pet Koopas” quickly becomes abolished.

Sometime during this time are the reigns of Pharaoh Shroomses and Captain T. Ode.

Also during this period, Power Mushrooms are bred with GMOs to make their effects less harmful to human DNA, even if the Toads can never go back.

THE REIGN OF SHADOWS

Three sisters belonging to the Tribe of Darkness- Vesper, Jaydes, and Cerise- become so powerful that they ascend to immortal demonhood. They then proceed to shroud the land in darkness. They forge eight Crystal Stars during their reign to make themselves even more powerful and practically impossible to kill. (They draw this power from the Star Spirits.)

The land is shrouded in darkness for quite some time.

The youngest sister, Cerise, is tasked with hiding the eight Crystal Stars where nobody can find them. Her first hiding place is the eighth Crystal Star, which she chooses to always wear as a necklace. Along the way, however, she falls in love with a hero who’s trying to stop her, a “human” vagabond named Russ Toadstool. It causes her to have a change of heart. Later in the journey, Russ shamefully reveals to her that he’s actually not a human, and is instead Toad royalty who hid his Super Crown under his bandana. Cerise, laughing, assures him she loves him no matter what he looks like. 

She and Russ agree to get married, and Cerise casts away her demonic form to live as a powerless human. Unfortunately, this seems to impact the Crystal Star she carries with her, as it has transformed into a powerful yet disconnected artifact known as the Cobalt Star. She refuses to tell anyone what it does and always keeps it on her.

In the meantime, Jaydes, the middle sister, takes control of the Underwhere forcibly, wrenching it from the grasp of Grambi. She originally intended on commanding an undead army to bring up to the living world, and was waiting for Grambi to be caught off guard.

Four heroes, Russ included, journey far and wide collecting the Crystal Stars using Cerise’s guidance on where she hid them. Then, they use them to seal away the last remaining Shadow Sister- Vesper, the Shadow Queen.

Seeing this, Jaydes quietly decides to just accept a part as Queen of the Underwhere. (Over centuries, she and Grambi fall in love.)

MR. AND MRS. TOADSTOOL

Russ and Cerise’s lifespan extends far beyond human or Toad lifespans. They end up living for almost a thousand years, and still look as young as the day they met! …Does Cerise have anything to say about that??

“Hee hee! I guess being a hero just keeps you young!”

Around 980 or so years pass, with Russ and Cerise’s reign being the longest recorded reign in Toad history. It makes sense! They’re good rulers and people like them!

Meanwhile with the Koopas, they’ve grown to have a steady rivalry with the Mushroom Kingdom. They bring about kinda dumb and not-very-good-at-planning heirs and that’s about it for them. 

At some point during this era (probably near the tail-end), Blumiere and Timpani have their whole devastating romance thing! Yay! 

…And that’s it for the most part! (Though knowing how complex this can get, I may have to add more sometime.)

But after a long and peaceful reign, Russ and Cerise decide it’s finally time to have… a baby.

A STAR IS BORN

Russ and Cerise give birth to a baby girl they name Peach. She’s fully human, thanks to Cerise giving up her power ages ago, and even if she might have some Toad DNA- well, it certainly isn’t enough to make her look like one.

During this time, two human babies are born to a humble young couple! Their names, as you may know, are Mario and Luigi!

Also during this time, the next heir to the Koopa throne is born- and though he may be small now, in the future, little Bowser will soon be the biggest Koopa anyone’s ever seen…

Each of these babies come delivered with star charms. Mario and Luigi’s charms are two halves of one star, symbolizing their closeness as brothers. For baby Peach, she eventually had hers made into a pair of star earrings. And finally, for little Bowser, his star was carefully cut into five parts and fashioned around a collar to serve as spikes. (This obtuse placement would lead people to not realize that Bowser was the fourth star child for years, up to the very last moments.)

THE ORIGINAL SHROOB INVASION

A planet full of hostiles known as the Shroobs descends upon the Mushroom Kingdom, trying to take them by force and possibly drain them of all their vim and all that freaky deaky stuff. 

The Shroobs almost have the royals cornered, particularly the Elder Princess Shroob has Cerise and Russ on the ropes. Cerise realizes that if she finds a way to attack the Elder, the Shroobs will fail to have any orders on what to do next. Doing that, her and Russ agree to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

Cerise pulls the Cobalt Star off of her neck and raises it up, trapping Elder Princess Shroob in there- but also trapping herself in the process. She expects to never come out- and so to the world, she is dead. 

The Shroobs all scatter, now without a queen to rule them. They flee, tails between their legs. The kingdom is safe, but at the cost of their beloved queen. 

Whatever Cerise was doing to extend Russ and her lifespans, it clearly isn’t happening anymore. Russ falls very ill very quickly and starts rapidly aging. He shuts himself away from the kingdom, knowing he wouldn’t want his subjects seeing something so agonizing.

In his few dying days, he smiles, entrusting his advisor Toadsworth to the most important mission of his life.

“Toadsworth… take care of her. Alright?” 

“My baby… my Peach.”

Russ dies. Toadsworth is now the acting royal of the Mushroom Kingdom until Peach is of age to make decisions on her own.

The Cobalt Star is locked away in the basement of the castle. Everyone is sworn to secrecy about it.

YOSHI’S ISLAND

Hey! Welcome to the first actual VIDEO GAME in this timeline! Fed up with my antics yet?!

Seeing that the Mushroom Kingdom is in disarray after the Shroob invasion, the acting ruler of the Koopa kingdom, Kamek, acts fast. The previous royals were killed somehow, and though he has Lord Bowser to take care of, he wants something more. Since he was present to see the baby king, he knows that Bowser is one of the four Star Children, and knows that if Bowser was born, the other three must not be very far behind. He should eliminate these obstacles to the Koopa kingdom’s potential great reign… and he should do it fast.

He orders troops to kidnap every baby in the Mushroom Kingdom they can find, and these babies happen to include Mario and Luigi in their ranks. 

Although Luigi is successfully kidnapped, Mario is rescued by a tribe of friendly Yoshis, who all agree to help baby Mario get his brother back, cos he’s just so cute! And… surely this child, blessed by the stars, with the star necklace… could only bring them good fortune. 

When Kamek finds Luigi, he eagerly pulls out Luigi’s star necklace, elated that he found one of the Star Children, but- ah. Why’s this star purple? …Must be one of his rotten minions who busted it. Unless… This was the mysterious Dark Star Child? Well- either way. He’s either covering for his idiot minions, or… Well… If this WAS the Dark Star Child… Perhaps he wouldn’t rise up and take over Lord Bowser’s plans if he never knew he was the Dark Star Child.

While deciding what he should actually do with Luigi, Kamek places a fairly strong cloaking spell on Luigi’s purple star necklace that makes it appear as if it’s gold like Mario’s. He tells no one about this, not even Bowser. (I’d remember this moment if I were you. Who knows if it might crop up later?)

STARRY CHILDHOODS

Mario and Luigi grow up in the Mushroom Kingdom, thanks to their parents living in the rural country. Their parents were close personal friends with Toadsworth, so they would often bring Mario and Luigi over for playdates with the young princess Peach. They all realized their kids were three of the fabled Star Children, but decided not to tell them so their lives would be peaceful and they wouldn’t be burdened with a sense of great responsibility. 

Bowser, meanwhile, is getting trained by Kamek and the rest of the Koopa kingdom to be a powerful heir to try and finally dethrone the Mushroom Kingdom as the leading monarchy. Kamek’s a bit of a hardass who believes that the Koopa kingdom can rise above the Star Children prophecy if they rule the world before anything can happen to it.

Mario and Luigi get bullied on the playground by their cousin :( 

Eventually, word travels around that a wrecking crew led by a human named Spike are building a city for the remaining humans of the world to congregate known as New Donk City. Although the population is currently small, they hope to make a bustling metropolis, and Mario’s parents are more than happy to join them. They move away, taking the brothers with them, and they lose contact with the Toadstool family. 

DONKEY KONG

Hi! Welcome to the adult era! The bros are in their 20s now, and attempting to do what every up-and-coming youngin dreams of: Starting a business! That is to say, a plumbing business…  They go for gold, quitting Mayor Spike’s wrecking crew (their cousin Wario complains because he busted his ass getting that job for them) and trying to start the Super Mario Bros. plumbing company.

Mario’s girlfriend at the time, Pauline, is kidnapped by a rampaging beast known as Donkey Kong. The mayor of the city, Spike, apparently captured the Kong to use his incredible strength to do things like demolish old buildings. Poor guy! 

Nobody’s sure what to do, but at just the right time… Mario rises to the occasion, climbing all the girders and dodging barrels to fight the beast and get back his girlfriend. 

Mario is hailed as a hero! Their plumbing business immediately booms, and everyone just can’t seem to get enough of Mr. Jumpman. Spike is ousted as the mayor for his abuse of animals and also pissing off the Kong Country, dude, why the hell did you do that. 

As the search for a new mayor begins, things heat up for Mario. People seem to keep calling their business not for plumbing, but to try and get Mr. Jumpman to do more and more extreme favours for them, or just to try and get a photo and an autograph. (Poor Luigi usually silently gets handed the camera…) The pressure really starts getting to Mario, and he and Pauline end up breaking up, seeing as the people of New Donk City are REALLY trying to push for them to get married so they can be the “perfect sweethearts” after he rescued her. 

Mario’s had enough. He and Luigi move away from New Donk, and decide to try starting their business back home- back in the Mushroom Kingdom. 

SUPER MARIO BROS.

(...That’s a bit of a misnomer. Mario is the only one going on this adventure.) 

Mario and Luigi’s plumbing business is going really well! So well, in fact, that the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom herself has invited them to come fix her pipes… Could she be? The cute little girl they talked to so many years ago?

The bros arrive at Peach’s castle, and they catch up with a now-adult Peach, who Mario immediately falls for. He’s trying not to rush anything, especially after the Pauline fiasco, so he tries to hide his crush, but the two of them are getting along really well! 

Suddenly, in the middle of Mario and Luigi’s plumbing job, a giant monster bursts through the wall- it’s none other than Bowser, king of the Koopas. After years of being raised and trained to become the perfect heir for the Koopa kingdom, he’s ready to strike, kidnapping the princess as leverage to try and get the Mushroom Kingdom to surrender. 

Mario can’t help himself- he sees someone in need and SPRINGS INTO ACTION! He chases off after Bowser, venturing across the land to try and find him in the Koopa kingdom to rescue the princess.

…Luigi, naturally, stays behind, too meek to try, and assumes that Mario was just better-suited for the job. After all, LUIGI wasn’t the one who beat Donkey Kong… Maybe he can start off with something smaller next time… Yeah… Next time. 

Mario rescues the princess and beats Bowser, and gets a kiss on the nose and a cake for his trouble! The Toad citizens all welcome him back, but thanks to the Mushroom Kingdom having a much smaller population density, he actually finds it quite nice.

 Mario realizes something- that Bowser isn’t going to go away, is he? And everywhere he goes, the vulnerable, the innocent, his FRIENDS… They need someone to help them. Mario knows what he needs to do. He hangs up his plunger permanently, deciding to become a full-time hero.

…And Luigi can stay home and do the laundry!

SUPER MARIO BROS. 2

Mario has a dream where he and his friends go on an adventure! Wow! The baddie at the end of the road is some bat thing called Antasma? Who says he’s going to feed off Mario’s nightmares? Too bad Mario stomps him almost immediately. Guess his dreams were too happy… Better luck next game, buddy. 

SUPER MARIO BROS. 3

Bowser’s pride is wounded after his humiliating defeat at the hands of Mario. He decides to put out a summons in his kingdom calling for more minions to join his side- a royal army. To his surprise, someone answers his call, but it’s not any minion he was expecting… Instead, he sees seven starry-eyed orphans, proclaiming themselves to be eager recruits in Bowser’s new army- The Koopalings. This is hopeless. How’s Bowser going to get anything done with these clowns?! Still, for some reason, he feels a pang of something deep in his heart, a feeling deep down of knowing what it’s like to be a kid with no real parent figures… He steals the wands of seven of Kamek’s head Magikoopas and entrusts them to the Koopalings (much to Kamek’s dismay), telling them to go conquer seven of the Mushroom Kingdom’s neighboring countries, and they do. 

Meanwhile, Peach is fretting over letters from these other counties, begging her for help as all their leaders have been turned into animals. Before she can do anything, of course, she’s kidnapped by Bowser. During her tenure, she feigns innocence to Bowser and keeps asking about his “new soldiers”, getting Bowser to tell her all about them. She secretly sends Mario letters warning him on each new Koopaling’s ability. 

Mario manages to defeat the Koopalings and get the princess back from Bowser. Kamek is mad at Bowser for stealing the magic wands, but is honestly impressed with how adept the Koopalings are at Magikoopa magic. He decides to take them on as his apprentices, and only forges two replacement wands- One for himself, and one for his second-in-command, Kammy Koopa. 

SUPER MARIO LAND

Mario gets a distress call from Sarasaland, one of the kingdoms he just helped save from the Koopalings. This time, instead of their ruler being turned into an animal, their princess- Daisy- has been kidnapped by an alien named Tatanga! Of course, Mario is happy to help, so he goes off on another quest to help her. 

Most of the bosses of this land are just repeat visits from Mario’s cousin, Wario, who’s being paid off by Tatanga to be a nuisance. Mario is so tired of this. He wants Wario to go back to New Donk City and leave him alone. Please.

Mario saves Daisy, and the two of them become good friends! Daisy reveals she’s more of a warrior princess than anything, and would be glad to help pitch in on Mushroom Kingdom protection whenever she can. Mario says he’ll keep in touch.

SUPER MARIO WORLD

Mario is cashing in that offer IMMEDIATELY. He asks Daisy if she can keep an eye on the Mushroom Kingdom for a bit so he, Luigi, and Peach can take a well-needed vacation further into the rural country. As it turns out, this was a terrible idea, because the Koopalings were spying on him this whole time and immediately chase after them with Bowser to kidnap Peach when she has her guard down. DAMMIT! 

Mario and Luigi realize very quickly, though, they came to this place for a reason, even if it was subconscious… This is the land of the Yoshis! Although the original Yoshis who took care of them are quite old now, they meet a young Yoshi about their age who agrees to help rescue the princess. (That is THE Yoshi now, but I don’t really do much with him. But he’s here!)

Mario and Yoshi go off to rescue Peach. Luigi says “no really I’ll stay here don’t worry about me”. 

After this adventure, Bowser finally bites the bullet and officially signs the adoption papers to make the 7 Koopalings his children. 

SUPER MARIO 64

Another day, another slay for Super Mario. Peach kidnapped, you know the drill. But THIS time, Bowser has turned the entire castle into HAUNTED PAINTINGS! Mario’s adventure will take him no further than the castle gates, but boy, will it make him work up a sweat regardless. 

The only major thing of note here is that in Big Boo’s Haunt, a certain boo meets Mario for the first time… And he takes note of the power of paintings. He wonders- If there’s a way to get Mario in a painting… perhaps there’s a way… to keep him there… 

Luigi is at home baking a nice quiche. 

SUPER MARIO RPG

Mario has to help Geno repair the Star Road after Smithy broke it, or else the Star Spirits won’t be able to grant wishes or anything! 

Peach and Bowser also agree to help. Bowser is reluctant but agrees.

Geno recognizes Mario, Peach and Bowser as three of the Star Children, but doesn’t really care to ask where the fourth one is because he’s got other shit he really wants to be dealing with right now.

MALLOW IS ALSO THERE.

PAPER MARIO 64

Bowser, immediately after helping repair the Star Road, goes right back up there to steal the Star Rod from the Star Spirits and grant his own wishes of invincibility. THAT BASTARD.

Not much to say here as of right now. It’s Paper Mario. Kammy Koopa is there. Peach is kidnapped.

In this version, the Star Spirits do recognize Mario as one of the Star Children, though- the “child blessed by the stars”! Yes, they remember him. They consider themselves as part of Mario’s family, in a way. After all, they were always looking out for him. Who do you think made sure he got dropped off with the Yoshis? Who do you think gave him all those invincibility stars? 

Luigi stays at home. He’s getting increasingly frustrated that he missed the “being a hero” boat, and now it’s a self-feeding cycle of him being left at home. He makes a wish, with all his heart, that one day, he’ll be allowed to shine just as bright as Mario…

LUIGI’S MANSION

Normally, the Boos were some of the lowest class of species in the Koopa kingdom’s court. They were shy. They were wishy-washy. Nobody paid any mind to them. But one day, a shooting star fell from the sky, and landing on the ground was a magnificent jewel that seemed to be from the stars itself. Big Boo, the one from Super Mario 64, as the leader of the boos, fashioned a wonderful crown out of the gem, and once he put it on… it gave him power unimaginable. 

Re-christening himself King Boo, he constructs a mansion near the lab of the annoying ghost-hunter Professor E. Gadd as part of his grand scheme. He filled it with portrait ghosts, with inspiration from Bowser’s haunted paintings and help from the ghostly painter Vincent Van Gore. And then came the piece de resistance… Unlike that fool, Bowser, his first move wouldn’t be to kidnap the princess. No. He would instead kidnap… the plumber. 

Mario gets a flier in the mail, saying he’s won a FREE MANSION! WOW!!! He eagerly lets Luigi know, and goes on ahead to accept his new house- he can’t wait to move in! 

Luigi waits for him to get back. And waits… and waits… Aaaand waaaiiits… 

…Mario isn’t coming back. It’s been days. Maybe he finally abandoned Luigi and went off to be a hero forever- No. No way. He should check the mansion. He should. Right? Yes. So, with legs shaking like jelly, he packs his bags, and prepares to go see his brother…

Of course, Luigi finds a mansion full of ghosts, and helps rescue E. Gadd from their pranks. He ends up defeating all the portrait ghosts in the mansion, and even survives the horrifying realization that Mario is trapped in a PAINTING! 

Luigi beats King Boo, feeling like he just barely survived, and a stunned Mario hugs him for at LEAST five minutes, sobbing into his shoulder that he’s so proud of Luigi.

Luigi quietly mumbles that he would maybe like to go on an adventure with Mario next time Peach gets kidnapped. Mario agrees, saying he’s sorry he didn’t reach out sooner and felt like he was just trying to protect Luigi. Now, he sees Luigi doesn’t need protecting, and can be a hero in his own right!

WARIOWARE INC.: MEGA MICROGAME$ 

WOW AN INTERLUDE!!!!! This is basically the only Wario game on the list, so enjoy it. I might do a Wario Land at some point to include Captain Syrup. If I’m feeling generous. Wario returns to New Donk City after the events of Super Mario Land and this is what he’s been up to: Collecting a gang of misfits to have them work for him for MEAGER WAGES. 

The microgames are a big hit, though! 

Waluigi probably works for Wario in this universe.

SUPER MARIO SUNSHINE

It’s time for you to put your money where your mouth is, Mario! Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toadsworth, and a few Toads are on vacation to the luxurious Isle Delfino, hoping that they can kick back and relax FOR ONCE after the haunted mansion fiasco. Unfortunately, two things are happening: First of all, the isle is covered in this icky paint-like goop (It’s moving!) (Now now boys, don’t touch that stuff!), and second of all, an impostor is running around wearing MARIO’s face?! MARIO HAS BEEN ARRESTED?!

Despite Luigi and Peach’s objections, Mario is declared guilty, and his sentence is to clean up the entire island. But how is Mario going to do THAT?!

Luigi is here to help! He explains that Professor E. Gadd occasionally gives him presents in the form of wacky inventions, and Luigi brought his latest one along because he hadn’t had time to unbox it yet. When he does, it’s almost too perfect- It’s a robotic nozzle machine known as F.L.U.D.D.! 

As Mario works hard to clean up the Isle (Peach and Luigi have tried to help, but the Piantas yell at them for it.), Luigi takes on some missions of his own trying to uncover the identity of the mysterious Shadow Mario. Nobody sets up his bro like that and gets away with it! 

Peach, meanwhile, tries to convince the locals to rally with Mario… to varying success.

The Koopalings are probably around Isle Delfino somewhere, but they’re not actually attacking Mario or anything, most of them just seem to be relaxing and enjoying the island. It’s only clumsy Morton who lets slip that they’re purposely staying back to “LET NEW GUY HAVE HIS FUN”. …WHO’S THE NEW GUY?!

Luigi and Mario’s quests meet up when Peach is kidnapped and taken to Pinna Park, where Shadow Mario reveals himself to be… BOWSER JR?! 

That’s right. Bowser just couldn’t get enough of that fatherhood and had another kid through ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION VIA A STORK. DO NOT INQUIRE ABOUT THIS FURTHER. Of course, Kammy Koopa spoils him rotten despite Kamek’s protests (and outlawing giving him a magic wand), so she commissions a paintbrush invention from E. Gadd that allows Jr. to create magic graffiti that can help him, harm others, and, importantly, disguise him as people.

Jr. is convinced that Peach is his mother. This is bad. Peach eventually gets yanked away by Bowser to go, like, sit in a hot tub. Mario and Luigi chase after him, with Mario using F.L.U.D.D to destroy the hot tub and with Luigi tasked with getting Peach off of that hot tub before it falls. 

Everyone winds up safe, except F.L.U.D.D, but with Luigi’s help, he makes a miraculous recovery! 

Mario asks Luigi when he got so good at tinkering. Luigi admits it was his primary hobby when Mario was off on his adventures, and E. Gadd just helped him hone his abilities.

Bowser and Jr. return home, defeated. Jr. admits he knows Peach isn’t really his mama, but was having so much fun fighting Mario he didn’t want to stop. The Koopalings are all super proud of their baby sibling and welcome him to the team. 

MARIO & LUIGI: SUPERSTAR SAGA

IT’S A MULTI-KINGDOM AFFAIR! When two ambassadors from the neighboring Beanbean Kingdom show up and offer a gift to Princess Peach, everything goes haywire when her voice gets stolen! The assailants reveal their true identities- the evil witch Cackletta and her cronie Fawful! They seek to activate the Beanstar, an artifact that can grant wishes (Star Spirits, I’m looking at you suspiciously…) that was put into a deep sleep and can only be awoken with a pure voice. 

Mario and Luigi are on the case! Their journey takes them across the strange cultural frontier of the Beanbean Kingdom, meeting up with Queen Bean and the young Prince Peasley- who seems to have taken quite a fancy to Luigi! Most of the wackiness is part of their long, drawn-out plan to make sure Peach is alright, as well as chasing after Cackletta and Fawful.

Cackletta gets the shit beat out of her by the bros at Woohoo Hooniversity, but we’re just getting started. Fawful sucks up her essence, and through Shenanigans, she ends up possessing the body of Bowser, going by Bowletta. Yes, this gives Bowser boobs for some reason. Yes, this is as weird as it sounds.

Although the bros try their best to out-maneuver and trick Bowletta at every turn, eventually, the cards do fall in her favour, and the bros are forced to do a final gauntlet into Bowletta’s castle, which includes fighting the Koopalings as well as Fawful himself, who seems like he’s had it up to here with Cackletta’s mistreatment of him. 

The bros go inside Bowletta to fight Cackletta’s Spirit, she flips them off whenever she attacks, they beat her, Bowser is fine, Peach gets her voice back, Luigi and Peasley make out sloppy style, THE END. 

PRINCESS PEACH: SHOWTIME!

You didn’t hear this from me, but this is kinda a fusion between Princess Peach Showtime and Super Princess Peach. I will not be adapting the Vibe Scepter. It’s mostly an adaptation of Showtime, but with the idea that SPP had that Mario and Luigi get kidnapped.

Before Bowser can even brainstorm up his next plan (Yes, because we all know it’s coming!), the Mushroom Kingdom finds itself encased in a dome of enchantment, turning all its citizenry into nothing but stage actors, mere puppets for the one, the only, MADAME GRAPE! She seeks to put on the greatest show the world’s ever seen- one that never ends! 

Mario and Luigi are down for the count, of course, but it seems that something within Peach is keeping her safe… She doesn’t know why, but she feels the urge to look up to the stars and thank her late mother. 

Now, Peach must embark on a journey as the only one left, and rescue the brothers she’s come to care so much about. Will she do it…? Or will it be curtains for her? 

SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER

DID SOMEBODY SAY BOWSER?! (No, nobody said Bowser.) 

Mario and co. get invited to another of the Mushroom Kingdom’s neighboring kingdoms, the Flower Kingdom (If you’re counting, now that makes around 3 neighboring kingdoms that Mario probably visited during Mario 3!) by Prince Florian. This time, it’s not an act of hostility… but this time, Bowser invites himself along, turning himself into Castle Bowser with the weird and wacky power of the Wonder Flower. 

Jr., Kamek, Kammy, and the Koopalings also get the fun effects of the Wonder flower, and are now wreaking havoc across the kingdom! Who can possibly help us?! 

WHY, PRINCESS DAISY, OF COURSE! She was part of this cross-kingdom party too! Now, Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy all get to go on a wonderful adventure! (...Pretty standard aside from all the Alice In Wonderland nonsense, though!)

PAPER MARIO: STICKER STAR

Whew! That all has been nuts, huh? Isn’t it time we just got a stupid fucking adventure? 

 Peach decides to throw a STICKER FEST!! A festival dedicated to stickers! With a fist clenched, with an eye twitching, after two or three different ruined vacations, she says surely you all know that we can’t mess up with something as simple as a STICKER FESTIVAL. Right?

Wrong. 

As it turns out, the Sticker Comet that passes by once every millenium is called the Sticker Star, and holds a race of sentient, hedonistic stickers on them. They love to grant wishes- (THE STAR SPIRITS SWEAR IT’S ACTUALLY NOT THEM THIS TIME.) But the stickers’ wishes are twisted, and never really get you what you want, aiming to turn you into a powerful being they can catch a ride on to feed off your energy. They have something of a cosmic rivalry with the Star Spirits, and normally stay away from the Mushroom Kingdom so they won’t fight more, but… 

 Bowser just had to Bowser it up, didn’t he? He crashes Sticker Fest, thinking that it’s just some dumb thing the princess is doing, but once he touches the Sticker Comet that just landed, well… you know. The six Royal Stickers go zooming away- one lands on him, and he starts going nuts for power. Alright, man, you go have fun with that! Peach also gets kidnapped. Alright, man.

Mario and Luigi reluctantly set out on an adventure to go get those stickers back- and they’re constantly tailed by a bratty little sticker named Kersti, who reveals she’s next in line to be one of the Royal Stickers, once she’s of age to succeed her dad. And she thinks the Mario bros are smelly and should stop getting in the way of the Royal Sticker Court.

Along the way, they beat up five of Bowser’s minions who have gone nuts with power- A preteen Goomba who wished to be stronger for Bowser’s army, a Pokey who wished to not be so lonely, a Blooper who wished for fame (Hey, hasn’t Mario yanked that guy’s tentacles off before?), a snowman who wished to not melt, and a Piranha Plant who wished for… more food. 

Kersti slowly realizes that the wishes her people give are the furthest thing from benevolent, and in the final battle, sacrifices herself so her father, the last Royal Sticker, can be removed from Bowser.

Hooray! The day is saved! Everybody would like a nice nap now please.

LUIGI’S MANSION: THE LAST RESORT

I had to change the title because I am putting a game called “Luigi’s Mansion 3” after a game called “Luigi’s Mansion 2”.

After their stupidest adventure yet, Peach and the Mario bros are all too happy to check into an all-expenses-paid five-star hotel after they get a letter inviting them to go. After all, Bowser seemed pretty wiped, too, and who else would be out there to get them? Cackletta? No, she’s super-dead. Wario? No, he’s too busy on the grindset. King Boo? Ha! No, he’s trapped in a painting! 

The group get greeted by a bunch of cheery-but-stiff-faced bellhops, as well as the owner of the hotel herself, who insists you just call her Hellen. They all get comfortable for their stay, and separate for the night. 

…Luigi wakes up in a cold sweat. Something is very wrong. He just has a gut feeling. He looks around the hotel, trying to find Mario and Peach, but to no avail. The entire hotel seems darker, somehow. Suddenly, he’s face to face with a grinning Hellen, who backs away to reveal- Not only is she a ghost, but she broke King Boo out of his painting because she’s his BIGGEST fan. King Boo reveals that he’s trapped Mario and Peach in paintings, and wants to save the best for last- The meddling plumber who GOT HIM SHUT AWAY IN THE FIRST PLACE!! 

Luigi manages to escape, and on the first floor, finds E. Gadd who is once again caught in the crosshairs. Now, the two of them (Make that three of them- E. Gadd reveals he was going to give this to Luigi on his birthday, but is forced to reveal it early… A slime clone of Luigi called Gooigi. He is so… unnerving. Why would E. Gadd make this as a birthday present.) must work together to recover all of the elevator buttons, slowly ascend up the floors of the hotel, and confront Hellen Gravely and King Boo at the very tippy-top, locking them in a ghost-keeping chamber that E. Gadd made.

PAPER MARIO: COLOUR SPLASH 

Yes, I’m spelling it like that.

Mario, Peach and Luigi all take a trip to Port Prisma, a more beachside area of the Mushroom Kingdom! (Luigi asks that if there’s something crazy can you please keep him out of it. He’s tired from the hotel.) 

Surely nothing bad will happen.

Unfortunately, because Bowser is a knucklehead and tried to dye his shell rainbow in Port Prisma’s rainbow fountain, he accidentally mixed it all together to create ugly Black Paint, and is having an ill-informed Giant Rampage across the kingdom. And the Koopalings get to help, too! 

Mario and Peach team up with Huey, a paint bucket, to beat Bowser because why not? Let’s just throw Peach in there for funs. 

Huey sacrifices himself and it’s very sad. Luigi gets to put his karting license to work. 

MARIO & LUIGI: DREAM TEAM

Okay but can we get that nice nap for REAL?! 

This time, the gang chooses to go to the relaxing Pi’illo Island, whose tourism is entirely based on sleeping and having nice dreams. 

…Hey, remember back in Super Mario Bros. 2 when a bat-thing named Antasma tried to feed on Mario’s nightmares but failed spectacularly? Well, he’s baa-aaaaaack…

Antasma’s goal is to collect the Dream Stone and gain enough power to put the entire island into an eternal sleep, ruling it as the king of nightmares. Obviously, we can’t let that happen. …Oh, yeah, and he convinced Bowser to work with him and kidnapped Peach as a sign of goodwill. DAMMIT, GUYS, SHE HAD SUCH A GOOD STREAK GOING.

Mario and Luigi team up with Prince Dreambert, former prince of the kingdom who had been frozen in stone for years, to chase after Antasma. It’s also revealed that Luigi has immense power in the dream world- Dreamy Luigi has the force of ONE HUNDRED MEN. What the hell?! Maybe it’s because he has his head in the cloud so much… Who knows?

And BTW Antasma betrays Bowser this time and not the other way around. That was fucking stupid, what happened in the real game. I didn’t like it. 

During the final battle, Antasma idly comments on Luigi, saying he wishes he tried to influence him to do his bidding, nearly salivating over his dream-power, but also saying he… “senses something dark within Luigi”? Whatever that means. Oh, well, he’s a crazy bat anyways, let’s just attack him and make sure Pi’illo Island never has to deal with him again. Bye-bye!

(Also I have nowhere to put this but Antasma can totally turn people into nightmare vampires. Isn’t that cool? I think it’s cool. It’s why I added it.)

SUPER MARIO GALAXY

Have you ever just wanted to say “Fuck it, let’s go to space”? Bowser has. 

It’s the Star Festival! Which is NOT THE SAME AS THE STICKER FESTIVAL, OKAY? There’s a lot of stuff out there in space. Give us a break. Besides, THIS one orbits the Mushroom Kingdom every 100 years. But, of course, Bowser has to take his chance to mess everything up as per usual. He lifts Peach’s castle into space using a UFO, and before Mario and Luigi can stop him, Kamek casts a spell that launches the both of them into deep space.

Mario wakes up on a strange planet separated from Luigi, where a creature called a Luma guides him to the gateway to the starry sky. There, he meets an… interesting character. Miss Rosalina is icy, short-tempered, and a total recluse, only interacting with the Lumas on her ship. She’s like a doting mother to them, and is protective over them to an extreme degree.

When one of the Lumas begs her to help Mario, she’s reluctant at first, but when she hears Peach is in trouble, she loosens up a little. Although still extremely wary of Mario, she agrees to help.

Mario’s primary goal is to find Luigi, knowing he can definitely help lend a hand looking for the princess. He eventually recovers him in that ghost galaxy he was stuck in. How ironic.

Over time, Mario and Luigi learn more about Rosalina’s past. Apparently, although not from the Mushroom Kingdom or even their planet, she was on a very similar planet with a human family of her own. That is, until the Shroobs invaded and drained her planet of all its resources, leaving her as the sole survivor. She keeps a watchful eye over the Mushroom Kingdom in fear that the Shroobs will one day return to it. If she can’t protect her home… Perhaps she can protect another place.

(Side note: as of this part in the story, Mario and Luigi don’t know jack about the Shroobs, so to them, it’s just a story about hostile aliens who… might attack the Mushroom Kingdom?)

They get Peach back from Bowser, and stop him from creating a new galaxy. Obviously the whole WELCOME NEW GALAXY!! thing doesn’t happen in this AU. I need this galaxy, thanks. 

The gang bids farewell to Rosalina. She’s still pretty shut-off, but with a mumble, she promises to visit sometime.

PAPER MARIO: THE ORIGAMI KING

You ever wonder what those wacky Toads get up to on their days off?

Yeah, me neither. One day, Peach gets jumped by a little origami boy named King Olly and turned into origami, which he plans on doing to the entire world. He does this because he believes he was brought to life only as a mockery, and that he should show the entire world that origami is beautiful, rather than these unsightly lumps and grooves everyone seems to have. 

Bowser gets stapled for his time. That’s what you get, idiot. 

Olly manages to successfully kidnap Luigi as well, but can’t seem to be able to fold him into origami. It’s like something within him is protecting him… SIGH… Olly begrudgingly says he’ll “just fold Luigi last”. He and Olly have a lot of conversations about their siblings.

Mario goes to unfurl the streamers that block Peach’s castle, and along the way, he meets Olly’s sister, Olivia! She wants to stop Olly from turning the world into origami because, well, she likes the world! Along the way, they fight the Legion of Stationery, craft supplies turned giant by Olly’s magic. They also rescue the Origami Craftsman, who reveals that he wrote a message about Olly being a lovely king on him before he folded him to life. It was an act of love, not shame.

The gang manage to beat Olly, and before he can finish folding 1000 cranes to make a wish (The Star Spirits apologize. They really did forget about that method.), Olivia changes his heart, and instead wishes that everything folded by her brother would be unfolded. She sacrifices herself, and Olly, weakened, becomes unfolded as well. Mario is very sad. Luigi wonders if he should ignore the implication that the sunny, bright sibling is left to clean up the mess of the dark, broody sibling. That’s probably nothing.

SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY

Anyways, who wants a GLOBE-TROTTING FUN-VENTURE?! This totally isn’t the calm before the storm, before you ask!!!!! 

Bowser decides to go for it, this time. And he means REALLY go for it. HE’S GONNA MARRY PEACH!!! Peach, obviously, isn’t as big a fan of this, but you know what that means! MORE KIDNAPPING! Mario now has to chase Peach across some of the outer Kingdoms way, WAY across the map- although some are familiar. Tostarena, for example, is a town in Sarasaland now, instead of just the Sand Kingdom! Just like the Seaside Kingdom is now a secluded spot on Isle Delfino! Et cetera, et cetera. 

The Koopalings replace the Broodals. They’re all packed onto one boat. It’s as awkward as it sounds. 

Mario has a teary reunion with Pauline, who’s now the mayor of New Donk City. He’s glad to see she’s doing so well for herself. 

Luigi is by Mario’s side this time, of course, but since he doesn’t have a buddy from the Cap Kingdom, he does struggle to keep up quite often. Oh, well! That’s life, he supposes!

Wario also keeps popping by because he wants Mario to say hello. No, say hello like he MEANS it. He’s grimacing. He’s grimacing again. IS THAT REALLY ANY WAY TO TREAT YOUR COUSIN.

Mario manages to stop the wedding before Peach can even think of saying “I do”- but it’s not like she would ever say that anyways.

LUIGI’S MANSION: DARK MOON

Oh, wow! This time, Luigi isn’t getting tricked by winning a free thing! How novel! Yes, this time, E. Gadd has sent a letter inviting Luigi over to research ghosts with him in a place called Evershade Valley, which is apparently a habitat for many unique ghosts, and likely where all of Hellen Gravely’s hotel staff- as well as she herself- came from! 

When Luigi gets there, though, trouble finds him quickly. He gets knocked out as soon as he arrives, he hears King Boo’s laugh in his ears… and when he wakes up again, he’s… HE’S… A GHOST?! 

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH-

A voice tells him to stop screaming. Eldstar? Is that you? GRAMBI, MAYBE?? The voice speaks again, groaning that he NEEDS to stop screaming, because he’s NOT DEAD. Luigi turns to see that on the usual monitor he’d contact E. Gadd on, there’s someone else instead… A mysterious scientist with his face obscured.

He introduces himself as Professor Evershade, the leading scientist in Evershade Valley. He confirms that E. Gadd has been kidnapped by King Boo, and if Luigi wants to beat him, he’s going to need to piece together the Dark Moon, the ancient artifact that was buried in pieces here in Evershade Valley. It alone has the power to seal King Boo’s fate. 

Evershade goes on to explain that Luigi’s new ghostly form isn’t permanent, it’s just a temporary power-up that Evershade invented. He can turn a button on a remote control to activate and de-activate ghost mode at will whenever he wants. Luigi navigates his way through the various mansions of Evershade Valley, using the ghost power-up to solve various puzzles within it. 

This is where things get interesting. During the final mansion, when Luigi finally frees E. Gadd, Professor Gadd quickly rushes to tell Luigi he’s been deceived- but it’s too late. Appearing before the two of them, applauding sarcastically, is Professor Evershade. He whips off his hat and tears out his scarf, revealing that he’s a ghost- AND that he’s actually… LUIGI?!

Evershade begins to explain. Around this time, he becomes more of a recluse, with certain events that happen in the near future discouraging him from going on adventures with Mario. (You’ll know it when you see it. It’s in Partners In Time. But Luigi doesn’t know that yet!) He throws himself into ghost research with E. Gadd, but E. Gadd eventually passes, leaving Luigi as the lone researcher in Evershade Valley. The seal on E. Gadd’s containment cell for King Boo breaks after years of neglect and people just assuming it’s fine, and he immediately goes to find Luigi, ending his game for his insolence. Thanks to the power of King Boo’s crown, most weaker ghosts find themselves unable to disobey him… And now, that includes Luigi. Enraged and spiteful after being forced to work under his worst enemy for years, he formulates a plan. Apparently, some time in the future, something called the Cobalt Star gets unveiled from Peach’s basement, and Luigi, knowing about this, goes down to the basement to steal it for himself, so he can invent a time machine. 

But why, Luigi asks? Why would Evershade invent a time machine and go back WAY before he was supposed to be killed?

Evershade responds simply. He doesn’t want to change some other version of him’s future- HE WANTS HIS MORTALITY BACK. And he was using his device to temporarily steal it… from HIMSELF. This is the final nail in the coffin that E. Gadd was warning Luigi about… The Dark Moon will grant Evershade the power to swap his mortality with Luigi… PERMANENTLY. 

Him and Evershade get into a fight, and Luigi manages to win, with him chastising Evershade for falling so far from grace. Evershade, in turn, chastises him for being naive and not seeing the obvious. “This is the way that we are, Luigi. It’s the way we were always going to be.”

WHICH PROBABLY MEANS NOTHING.

But, y’know, how did Luigi end up trapped in Evershade Valley in the first place? That powerful barrier isn’t going away… perhaps Evershade was working with someone?

YES. KING BOO. But it’s OUR King Boo- the King Boo of the present. Evershade freed him in exchange for the king lending some of his power to help trap Luigi here. Oh, my, Evershade offered him freedom AND the fact that the present version of Luigi would become a ghost permanently, therefore being forced to work under him? Count him in. 

King Boo is beaten. Luigi looks fear right in the eye. E. Gadd seals him inside the Dark Moon- Evershade DID say it had the power to seal fates! And he’s proud knowing that this sealing surely won’t break with time. 

Evershade, pride wounded, tries retreating back into his time machine, before realizing… he’s fading away. Luigi just prevented his own terrible future. 

But, y’know, as they return home, E. Gadd thinks… Is time travel really possible with that Cobalt Star? And if it is, is it actually in Peach’s basement? And- hey, wait a minute, if Evershade told them about that… did he find it out from E. Gadd too, who now… found it out from Evershade? Did- did they just create a time paradox?

Ugh. My head hurts.

MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S INSIDE STORY

Luigi returns home just in time, as Mario quickly drags him out the door to go to Peach’s castle- apparently there’s an emergency conference. Looks like E. Gadd might have to wait a bit on that Cobalt Star follow-up!

All of the Mushroom Kingdom is getting immobilized by this disease called the Blorbs, and they need to- Oh, what the hell, why is BOWSER here?! Get out of here, man.

Anyways-

Bowser comes back like five minutes later after he ate a weird mushroom from a vendor. He accidentally ends up sucking Mario, Luigi and Peach right up, along with a Star Sprite named Starlow. So that’s why those guys are in there.

A-NY-WAYS, you remember Cackletta’s minion, Fawful? Yeah? Well, now he’s BACK, baby! With a vengeance! He plans to take over both the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms using his genius, and his first step? Trapping those meddlesome Mario bros. inside Bowser! 

Bowser and the bros. now have to work together to stop Fawful from unearthing the Dark Star, an evil entity the Star Spirits THOUGHT they buried, HELLO, does nobody LISTEN to them anymore?

The Dark Star has no relation to any of the Star Children, but it does believe Bowser to be the Dark Star Child, taking his form in order to better conquer the world. Around this time, Fawful goes from being Fawful to a souped-up Dark Fawful… then downgraded to itty-bitty bug form, crawling inside Dark Bowser to help him there.

Bowser SAVES THE WORLD!! Wow, that… felt kinda good, actually. He never realized how fun it was hanging out with the bros. when he’s not attacking them… But- he’s still tough! Yeah! Don’t even think about assuming otherwise!

MARIO & LUIGI: PARTNERS IN TIME

Now that everything’s calmed down, E. Gadd FINALLY has the chance to ask Peach about looking in her basement for the Cobalt Star. And… lo and behold, there it is! Peach remembers it was her mother’s, and that they kept it sealed down here for a reason, but nobody can really remember that reason anymore, least of all her. 

E. Gadd reveals a time machine he built, with a spot to slot that Cobalt Star RIGHT in! But before he can step in himself, the castle gets STORMED by these purple aliens- we, of course, know them as the Shroobs, but to the Mario bros, they’re unknown, and for Peach, they were just a hazy vision she saw in her nightmares sometimes. 

Mario and Luigi try to fight them off, but they get knocked out and shoved inside the machine, presumably so the Shroobs can make sure they don’t cause any more trouble. When the bros. are woken up again, they’ve been transported to the “present” again… just not a present they know. This present has… Bowser and Luigi on the same side? Seems weird. Also unrelated. The princess also seems immensely frustrated at this. She orders her guards to knock out the brothers again so they don’t cause trouble (at least, that’s what they gleaned from her alien language), but they manage to get the upper hand, beating the Shroobs back. The only problem? The princess decides to repay this insolence by leaving them STRANDED. IN A PRESENT THAT ISN’T THEIRS. 

Luigi is freaking out a little. Pacing back and forth. The works. Mario has an idea, though… This present doesn’t seem TOO badly scuffed by whatever those Shroobs did yet… maybe he can pay some old friends a visit.

He drags Luigi across the land for a bit, until they reach it- the Star Road, home of the Star Spirits. But, this time, there’s this GATE installed? (“This wasn’t here before,” Mario complains! “Maybe it’s an anti-Bowser measure in this timeline”, Luigi shrugs hopelessly.) The gate claims it needs to tests if the brothers are pure of heart. It gives Mario a pass with flying colours, but Luigi… It deems less than worthy. It says he’s a coward, he’s got darkness in his heart, and even accuses him of lying- He’s openly sobbing at this point as Mario starts hammering the gate in blind fury. The gate is like “WOAH WOAH STOP OKAY IT WAS A TEST I’M SORRY”. It reveals it was testing Mario and Luigi’s bond as brothers, and they passed, and that it REALLY DIDN’T MEAN ANY OF THAT STUFF LUIGI CALM DOWN. Luigi does eventually stop hyperventilating, and goes through the gate, but he does wonder… He wonders if maybe that gate wasn’t lying about everything.

Anyways, Mario finally reaches the Star Spirits, and chews Eldstar out for that stupid gate (“Not our fault, your brother is a real character”). He explains that he and Luigi are from a timeline where Luigi is a good guy, and something has gone terribly wrong thanks to some time-traveling Shroobs, and could they please have a time machine to use PLEASE. Eldstar nods sagely, agreeing that they seem like they’re the “true” versions of the bros. They temporarily present Mario with a watch that lets them time travel. Yay! 

The next few parts of their adventure involve the bros desperately trying to give chase to the Shroobs, but each time they try to catch them, it seems the Shroobs are one step ahead, and they’re left in yet another alternate present. 

Luigi starts noticing a fairly concerning pattern. That previous timeline had Luigi as Bowser’s right-hand man… And the more they travel, the more he sees it… A timeline where Luigi is turned into a vampire by Antasma, a timeline where the Dark Star forcibly implants itself onto Luigi, a timeline where Luigi is adopted by Cackletta and is Fawful’s main minion, Professor Evershade’s timeline is back again, a timeline where Luigi becomes Mayor Spike’s secretary, a timeline where Luigi is a Yoshi-hunter, a timeline where he just kinda snaps one day with no explanation… Why is it that Luigi is turning out evil in every single timeline…?

Finally, the bros manage to catch the moment in the past the Shroobs keep frantically returning to, as they keep going back to around that time, trying to influence something. That time… is when Mario and Luigi were babies. 

Mario ends up bumping into Baby Mario before the Yoshis do, and the poor guy is crying about his brother so much that Mario has no choice but to take him along with them. Luigi asks if it’s okay if they’re meddling with time like that, sweating. Mario shrugs. The Shroobs have been doing it literally the entire time, why shouldn’t they?

Mario wants to get to Baby Peach as soon as he can to try and solve the mystery of what the Shroobs are after, but Baby Mario is indignant, crying and crying until he knows for SURE his brother is safe. Mario gives Luigi a pleading look- could he please go rescue his baby self?

Luigi nods. Of course. He won’t let his brother down. He runs off to the place he remembers only faintly- the Koopa kingdom before Bowser’s castle was built. He does find where his baby self is being kept, but he hides behind a rock to try and get the jump on Kamek, waiting for the right time. He waits in the shadows, spying on Kamek as he mills about.

That’s when he sees it- He sees Kamek lifting up his star necklace, sees that it’s purple, sees Kamek grumble and cast a spell so it looks gold. His blood runs cold. His face goes pale. He thinks he’s going to be sick. The Dark Star Child. The one everyone thought was just a myth. The one everyone shrugged and assumed was “probably going to be Bowser, anyways”. Luigi. Luigi was the Dark Star Child all along. He was the Dark Star Child and he didn’t even know, he didn’t know, was this why? Was this why Mario shot off before him? Was Luigi joining him a fluke? A mistake, because nobody knew what he truly was? THE DARK STAR CHILD? THE ONE DESTINED TO BE MARIO’S ENEMY ALL ALONG?-

Mario texts him from his corresponding watch, asking if he’s got his baby self yet. Luigi tries to shake off the impending panic attack and quickly nabs his baby self when Kamek isn’t looking, trying to will himself to stop shaking. He rejoins Mario when Mario flies a hot air balloon down to him, and they head to Peach’s castle to finally battle the Shroobs.

When they get there, Princess Shroob is shrieking in frustration, stomping her foot. The bros look confused, to say the least, but nearby, Russ, Peach’s father, catches them up. He’s figured out the Shroobish thanks to his language studies, and does a rough translation of it- apparently the bros came in just after Cerise sealed herself into the Cobalt Star, along with someone else… The princess is furious, she’s been trying to prevent THIS EXACT EVENT dozens of times over. She doesn’t understand why it isn’t working. But then- she realizes. She abandons the past entirely, zipping back into the present. 

Before the bros give chase, Russ stops them with a weak smile, telling them he’s proud of them, and… to say hello to his little girl for him. The bros nod, and they zap to the future, taking the babies with them until they can defeat the Shroobs.

Back in the present, Princess Shroob begins RIPPING APART THE TIME MACHINE. All this time, she’s been trying to stop their old leader from being sucked into the Cobalt Star, and she never realized the Cobalt Star was buried deep inside the machine, FUELING IT! SHE NEEDS TO DESTROY IT! She smashes it onto the ground, and both Cerise and Elder Princess Shroob are freed, the younger sister cackling, grateful to be united with her older sister at last. 

The brothers and the babies team up to defeat the monstrosity, and they KILL her. For good this time. The intergalactic conquerors flee in terror, deciding to leave the planet alone for good, now in mourning for the queen they just got back. (Good riddance, you pillagers.)

The brothers use the time travel watch one last time to return their past selves back home. They drop them off at their parents’ house, which is… roughly how they remember their parents finding them, anyways. They breathe a sigh of relief- apart from having some new alien-related childhood trauma, it seems they managed to keep the timeline intact. 

Meanwhile, back at Peach’s castle, Peach gets to say a true goodbye to her mother. Cerise explains that she used the time-warping powers of the Cobalt Star to extend her and her husband’s lifespans, and it won’t be long now before she falls to the same rapid-onset aging that got her Russ. She kisses Peach goodbye and wishes her good luck before asking to be taken to the town of Rogueport to live out her last days, saying it “reminds her of her beloved one”.

Rogueport, huh… 

PAPER MARIO: THE THOUSAND YEAR DOOR

This part of the saga starts with Peach traveling to Rogueport after her mother passes on, wanting to connect with her past and the stories of her parents more. She meets a mysterious merchant who presents her with a mystical box, and before you know it… she gets kidnapped. Poor girl.

Mario receives a letter inviting him to join Peach in Rogueport. She attaches a treasure map she got from the merchant, and the intrigue leads Mario to packing his bags right away! He asks if Luigi is ready to go, but Luigi shakes his head, seemingly really shaken by the events of Partners In Time. Huh. Guess he’s got a phobia of aliens too, Mario thinks…? Anyways, Mario heads out. 

In town, Mario helps out a Goomba, Goombella, protecting her from Lord Crump and the X-Nauts, a mysterious sci-fi organization. Goombella has Mario take the magical map to her professor, Professor Frankly, who reveals that the map is a map to the Legendary Treasure of Rogueport, that lies beyond the Thousand-Year Door, and can only be opened by the seven Crystal Stars united. Treasure hunt! Treasure hunt! 

Over time, as Mario collects the Crystal Stars, he realizes the X-Nauts have captured Peach, and that the “treasure” may not be what it seems…

Meanwhile, Bowser is on a quest to rescue Peach from her kidnapping, because ONLY HE CAN KIDNAP HER, DAMMIT! He’s also trying to find the Crystal Stars, but is turning up absolutely nothing. 

Meanwhile meanwhile, even though he said he wanted to stay home, Luigi shows up in Rogueport, practically shaking… with excitement! He’s been contacted by Princess Eclair! The compass! The Marvelous Compass! He’s going to help her! He’s going to help everyone! He’s a hero! See! He really is! What was that you said about a ‘manic episode’?? He has noooo idea what you’re talking about! Ha ha! Boy, is Blooey giving you the stinkeye, too?! He definitely isn’t messing his whole quest up, see? This PROVES he’s a hero, right? RIGHT??

The Thousand-Year Door is opened, thanks to Mario getting tricked. Sir Grodus drags Peach through the Palace of Shadow, and offers her up to the Shadow Queen… The exact vessel that the Shadow Siren Beldam picked.

After all… Peach does have a shadow’s DNA within her, deep down. Perhaps it could be reawakened…

(We’ve known this part for ages, but for Mario and Peach, this is the grand reveal that Cerise was once a demon, a Shadow Sister.)

Before the Shadow Queen can get too far with that, though, Mario uses the power of the Crystal Stars to seal away the demon once more. With the combined power of the Stars being used against her AGAIN, and Mario being one of the Star Children, instead of simply being sealed away, she’s defeated- for good. 

Peach wakes up, and Mario takes care of her during her slow recovery. Although a little shaken by the experience, there is one thing she doesn’t regret… She was glad she got to experience memories of her mother through her aunt’s eyes.

 Also, if you’ve been keeping track, that means Peach is technically cousins of sorts with the Shadow Sirens! Surprise!

SUPER PAPER MARIO

Ahhh. What a lovely, regular day. Nothing will happen here. On this day. This regular day. Peach and Luigi definitely aren’t recovering from world-shattering revelations or anything. 

Oh, no! Peach got kidnapped! Better head over to that silly Bowser’s place! Ha ha- ...Wait. Bowser’s saying he was just doing his minion pep-talk to head over to Peach’s place. If HE didn’t kidnap Peach… then who? 

All of a sudden, teleporting in is a mysterious man in a cape and hat, proclaiming himself to be Count Bleck, a follower of the Dark Prognosticus. He reveals he’s the one who kidnapped Peach, and then proceeds to kidnap Bowser, all his minions, and Luigi. Mario managed to escape the fray.

He awakens to a mysterious creature known as a Pixl floating near him. She introduces herself as Tippi, and explains that while he was out, Count Bleck apparently forced a marriage between Peach and Bowser, as their union causes the creation of something known as the Chaos Heart. This gives Count Bleck the ability to create the Void, something that will end all worlds if given the chance. Oh, jeez.

Tippi brings him to a place called Flipside, where a wizard known as Merlon explains that Mario is one of the four heroes of legend, a hero mentioned in the Light Prognosticus. Mario questions this, and Merlon explains that the Dark Prognosticus is a dark, foreboding book that foretells the end of all worlds. The Light Prognosticus is a prophecy written to specifically counteract the dark one, foretelling that four heroes will save all worlds. Both prophecies mention that a “Man in Green” will be the deciding factor to which prophecy comes true. 

Merlon also explains that the heroes are described as being “blessed by the stars”- and Mario realizes that THIS is where the idea of the Star Children comes from. Of course, Mario’s known for a LONG time now that he was one of the Star Children (Between various people telling him and him witnessing it himself as his baby self wore his half-star necklace), but MAN, what a realization- that this thing people have been calling you for a good chunk of your life is actually a WORLD-SAVING HERO. IT’S YOUR DESTINY. Now, he has to collect the 8 Pure Hearts and stop Count Bleck from destroying all worlds, along with reuniting with the other 3 heroes- The other 3 Star Children.

Mario finds Peach knocked out in Flipside after she was teleported away from Castle Bleck, and he finds Bowser in the Bitlands, trying to rule over an old abandoned castle he found. Bowser takes a bit more convincing, stubborn as he is. Kamek, weeping, begs Bowser to go save the world, and that he IS one of the Star Children, and he’s SORRY HE NEVER TOLD HIM. Bowser rolls his eyes, flatly telling Kamek that he knew he was one of the Star Children way before this. (“It was kinda obvious, Kamek.”)

Luigi, meanwhile, is less fortunate, having never escaped Castle Bleck. He’s eventually tracked down by Bleck’s secretary, Nastasia, and is brainwashed into becoming Count Bleck’s newest minion. MR.L, THE GREEN THUNDER! Of course, the Count makes it known to his other minions that he suspects Mr. L is the Man in Green, and having him on their side should ensure their victory and fulfillment of the prophecy. 

Along the way, the three heroes are constantly made to duel with O’Chunks, Mimi, Dimentio, and the aforementioned Mr. L, Bleck’s minions sent to stop them. 

The group comes to an impasse when they fail to prevent the destruction of one of the worlds- Sammer’s Kingdom. The Pure Heart is nullified, turned into rock, and they seem to be stuck. This is when Dimentio shows up, snapping his fingers and seemingly killing the heroes. (After taking a quick pit stop to kill Mr. L, too, of course!) This allows them to go into the Underwhere and ask Queen Jaydes to restore the Pure Heart. Jaydes agrees, and as Mario goes off to find Luigi beneath the River Styx, Jaydes and Peach catch up as aunt and niece. 

Once they gather all the Pure Hearts, the heroes make the long trek to Castle Bleck, and are taken out one by one- O’Chunks and Bowser keep the ceiling from falling down, Mimi and Peach fall down a pit, and Dimentio seemingly… attempts a murder-suicide with Luigi??

Either way, Mario faces off against the Count, and the other three heroes show back up in the middle of the fight (with Luigi saying he has literally no idea how he wound up alive). They use the power of the Pure Hearts to defeat Bleck, and he reveals that he’s been waiting for this moment.

Of course, Bleck is Blumiere, a man from the Tribe of Darkness who was forbidden from seeing Timpani, a human woman. When Blumiere’s father cursed Timpani and made her disappear, Blumiere, in his depression, stole the Dark Prognosticus, vowing to end the world since it is not a world he can truly be happy in. Not without Timpani. And, of course, Timpani is Tippi, the woman cursed into becoming a Pixl. 

Before Bleck can be killed, stopping the Void, Dimentio knocks him out of the way, claiming that the Chaos Heart won’t disappear if he continues to control it. He reveals his plan to create a perfect new world where he rules it as a god. He also exclaims that he’s going to unlock the true power of the Chaos Heart by fusing it with its ideal host- the Man in Green, the Dark Star Child, Luigi… They’re all yours, Mr. L!~ 

Luigi, thanks to a mind-controlling Floro Sprout that Dimentio secretly planted within him, fuses with the Chaos Heart without second thought, becoming a horrible man-chaos monstrosity, a three-way fusion between himself, the Chaos Heart, and Dimentio, very humbly named “Super Dimentio”. I don’t think you have to guess who had the naming privileges. Dimentio mocks Mario using his beloved brother’s voice, his beloved brother’s face (But not his smile. That is not how Luigi smiles.), and happily proclaims that the four heroes “used up” all the Pure Hearts, therefore leaving him as the invincible king of all worlds. 

Meanwhile, in Dimension D, where Dimentio has teleported Bleck to die off in a little corner where he doesn’t need to see, Bleck and Tippi are found by their minions, who proclaim that they truly do love the Count, despite everything, and that he can’t give up- and THEY can’t give up on Mr. L! Luigi or not, their friend needs their help! The love that they’re showing- for Bleck, for Luigi, for the minions, for Tippi… It’s enough to summon the Pure Hearts, restored once more. After all. love is NOT a finite resource! Overjoyed, Tippi brings them back to Mario and co.

Dimentio is caught off guard by the appearance of the Pure Hearts. They seem to bring Luigi back to consciousness for a moment deep within the fusion, and he is able to temporarily take control. But when Mario gets to speak to his brother, what he doesn’t expect is to see Luigi’s lip quivering, black tears streaming down his distorted face. He tells Mario to just let him go- that he’s a monster who was never good enough to be his brother. He’s lost all hope. But Mario won’t let it end like that. He cries out that he REBUKES his destiny. He’s not a hero because he was FATED to be, he’s a hero because he CHOOSES to be! He doesn’t do good things because it was written in a dusty old book, he does it to see people smile! He didn’t tolerate Luigi because he didn’t know he was the Dark Star Child- He LOVES Luigi! Because he’s his BROTHER, dammit! 

WE CAN CHOOSE OUR OWN DESTINIES, LUIGI! AND I CHOOSE TO SAVE YOU! BUT I CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR HELP! 

Mario reaches out a hand- and Luigi’s massive glove touches itself to his. In the last few moments before Dimentio takes control again, he manages to make it so that his body is vulnerable to the Pure Hearts, and Super Dimentio’s invincibility vanishes. As Dimentio regains control, he lets out a scream of frustration. The heroes will pay for this!

But it’s too late. The Man In Green has chosen. Despite every force in the universe trying to make Luigi fulfill his destiny of becoming Mario’s darker half… Luigi’s love for his brother trumps it all. His goodness shines through, thanks to the goodness of the people he surrounded himself with. Super Dimentio is defeated by the heroes, and goes down shrieking. Before he and Luigi unfuse, Dimentio laughs, revealing that he’s left behind a shadow of his power to continue controlling the Chaos Heart. Even as the horrific fusion gets dragged into the Underwhere where it belongs and Luigi gets spat back out, there’s no time to celebrate. The world is ending within MINUTES if something isn’t done.

Bleck and Tippi agree to use the Pure Hearts to banish the Chaos Heart, knowing they will sacrifice their own lives in the process. They renew their vows, and in a flash… they’re gone. 

The Star Children return to the Mushroom Kingdom, waving the people of Flipside goodbye. Luigi promises he’ll visit the Bleck minions soon. They all settle in, and realize… they’ve gotta have a talk.

AFTER THE STORM

Mario feels like he’s going to collapse under the pressure if he has one more GRAMBI-DAMNED PROPHECY HE HAS TO FULFILL. OH, HE IS SO SICK OF BEING A STAR CHILD. SO. STAR-DAMN. SICK. SICK OF IT. S-I-C-K. He wants to be a hero on his own terms, not because he’s destined to be one! But if he does, doesn’t that just mean he’s playing into this dumb prophecy anyways? He’s so tired of carrying peoples’ legacies on his back. The other three point out to him that in the end, wasn’t it Tippi and Bleck who defeated Dimentio and sealed away the Chaos Heart? And wasn’t it Mario himself who directly told the universe he wasn’t going to play their games anymore? Mario does have to admit that’s true. He breathes a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of… freedom. It’s been a while, but he finally feels like he can rest.

As for Peach, she’s always struggled with a sense of feeling like she doesn’t belong anywhere. After all, both her parents died/disappeared into the Cobalt Star when she was just a baby, and she was left with nothing but a kingdom full of Toads and so, so many questions. Even though she wasn’t expecting to be in the lineage of a thousand-year-old shadow demon, it’s… a bit of a relief, finally knowing. And through learning, she realizes that she’s always had a home- among the people who love her. 

Bowser was always trained to be the best Koopa he could be, and what he thought he was, he was proud of! His entire kingdom was proud of him, wanting him to be the first Koopa to ever triumph over the Mushroom Kingdom! But he realizes… he’s much happier being a do-what-I-want antihero instead of constantly aiming for absolute conquest all the time. And he’s gonna tell Kamek that. …Though Kamek has considerably mellowed out over the years, too. Maybe Bowser’s always been forging his own path!

And Luigi… Oh, boy, Luigi. Everything comes spilling out at once. His feelings of inferiority, his impostor syndrome, his jealousy, his fear, him seeing Kamek disguise his star necklace, realizing he was the Dark Star Child all along, being horrified by himself, being constantly pushed by the universe to be a darker version of Mario, witnessing a dozen bad futures of himself… It was a lot. And- he’s still not sure any of those issues got solved… But he’s going to try his hardest to stand by his friends and let them in when he’s feeling like the world’s collapsing around him. He’s gonna tell them what he feels- even the ugly ones that he’s repressed for so long. He’s gonna live every day in spite of what the prophecies tried to twist him into. 

[ruporas]

post-trimax vash meets stampede wolfwood

[ID: Black and white comic of Vash and Wolfwood of their Stampede versions. The comic starts with Wolfwood continuing off a conversation, saying “I didn’t mean t’say anythin’ bad to her. She just took it the wrong way. But anyway...” Wolfwood speaks with a hand gestured flippantly while Vash, who’s seated next to him, just listens. Vash thinks to himself, “Talks more about himself... Honest expressions... Immature, though he was pretty immature too.” He smiles and continues to think, “And yet...”

A panel of Vash’s eye directed now to the sky. He thinks, “Some things are bound to be the same with us...” He thinks of a memory, the version from Maximum of him and Wolfwood, back shown as they chatted underneath two moons, one moon with a hole through it. Vash continues, “Isn’t that right, W-“ His thoughts are interrupted by Wolfwood coming into a view, a close up his deadpan expression. Vash utters out “-olfwood..?” with a nervous expression. He starts to explain, “Um. Sorry if it seemed like I wasn’t listening, I was! So, let’s keep talking?”

Vash smiles and puts his hands together as he says, “okay?” Wolfwood glares at him with gritted teeth and Vash immediately remembers, “Right, he’s more short-tempered...” He continues to think, “Maybe Plan B works with him—“ before he’s grabbed by his coat collar aggressively and changes thoughts, “OK, never mind, brace for impact..!” But he’s surprised when he’s tugged instead, him and Wolfwood flops against the ground. Wolfwood puts an arm over Vash and says, “I don’t need to be entertained, blondie. If yer tired, we can go to sleep.”

Two close up panels of Wolfwood and Vash’s eyes looking at each other, Wolfwood taking off Vash’s glasses as he says, “Am I wrong?” Vash thinks to himself, “Actually... I was being genuine when I said I wanted to keep talking. I don’t feel tired at all. But, I think you know this body more than I do.”

Vash’s thoughts continue, “I can’t deny the me you’re fond of from being taken care of. And I could never deny your kindness. Even though...” Vash finally smiles and says, “You’re not wrong...” Wolfwood smiles back before tugging Vash closer and says, “Then, let’s sleep.” Vash asks, “Should we get a blanket?” Wolfwood asks, “Why?” before kissing Vash on the cheek, “I’ll keep you warm.” Vash puts his face into both his hands and flushes. Wolfwood smiles cheekily and asks, “What?” Vash responds, “I was caught off guard..” Wolfwood says, “You’ve said worse though.” Vash responds, “Did I...” The panel phases out and the dialogue returns to Vash’s thoughts. He thinks, “I want to stay a bit longer. Talk a bit longer.

You’re tired here too. The future is always going to be unfair to you. I want to protect you from it. I want to hold you close so you won’t go far.” The thoughts overlap the scene of Wolfwood now sleeping peacefully against Vash with an arm over him, Vash’s jacket draped against him as a blanket. Vash looks at him and a small thought bubble thinks, “He can fall asleep first...” His previous thoughts continue, “I know I can’t. I already had that chance.” A close up of Vash putting his hand over Wolfwood’s. He continues, “I wasn’t capable once, I can’t be sure I’d be capable a second time. And in a way...”

Vash’s thoughts continue with the back drop of the sky, Stampede’s sky of two moons without holes, “Some things are bound to be the same. But I know you’ll be loved again and again in a way I’d never know.” A split panel, one half contains the sleeping face of Wolfwood from Stampede, the other of Wolfwood from Trimax. In turn, the Vash lying down looking fondly at Wolfwood shifts to the post Trimax Vash while the other versions, Stampede and earlier Trimax, are faintly drawn next to him doing the same. Vash closes his eyes and finally drifts to sleep as the final text reads, “Goodnight, Wolfwood.”

[verysmallcyborg]

pirate au fornax is so handsome, and for what!!!! (for me to spin the camera around them at startling speeds)

[evilkaeya]

I think about this every single day

[discordiansamba]

when zuko is young, he doesn't realize anything is amiss.

his mom and his cousin are kind. he spends a lot of time with them when he's very young- until his mother's attention has to turn towards his little sister. zuko doesn't mind- he's excited at the prospect of being an older brother. mom lets him hold her, and he does so with the utmost care. he smiles down at her and she gurgles up at him. he promises to protect her. he's her older brother.

then his father arrives.

he takes one look at him and all but rips his sister from his arms. zuko doesn't understand what he's done wrong. he's too young. his father yells at mom. azula is crying. zuko just wants the noise to stop, so he leaves and finds his cousin. he gives him a sad look when he asks about it, but then quickly distracts him by showing him a new firebending trick.

when zuko is four, he manages his first flame. it is small and weak- but he's able to do it again on grandfather's command. the old man is pleased- and for the first time, he pats zuko's head. when he turns to his mom, the color is drained from her face, but she manages a faint smile. she's so proud of him.

he does not know then, that he's sealed his own fate.

zuko is five when he first begins to pay attention to the whispers. he's watching as his father dotes on azula- and hears someone say how glad ozai is to have true heir. they glance over in his direction and giggle once they realize he's listening. zuko frowns, and asks mom about it.

she tells him with a shaky voice that his father isn't his father.

zuko doesn't understand. he's old enough to notice he doesn't really look like his father, but he doesn't yet know what that means. his mom tells him that he's the child of her first husband. she strokes his head as she says that, like she's trying to reassure him. as if this is a terrible thing.

when zuko is just a little older, he finally understands.

he's not his father's son. he's not part of sozin's lineage. he's just a commoner who got tacked on to the royal line. his father- his stepfather- is cold to him because of this. there's nothing connecting the two of them, other than the fact that his wife is zuko's mother. he suddenly understands why people call him prince with laughter in their voices. like it's all a big joke.

he's not like his half-sister. azula is a prodigy. her manners are impeccable. she takes to all of her lessons with ease. zuko struggles to keep up. he's never good enough. of course not, he hears people mutter, he's just a peasant. his stepfather pretends he doesn't exist. his half-sister looks down at him. his mother and cousin are kind, but then they're both gone.

zuko grows up with resentment in his heart.

when he's thirteen, he lashes out at a general. it was over something stupid- the way he pulled on a servant's wrist during one of the countless meaningless functions he was forced to attend. it was obvious she didn't like it. zuko intervenes. he doesn't even think about it. he grabs the general's wrist and yanks it away.

there's silence.

he'll learn later that the general was of old, noble blood. a lineage almost as old as sozin's. he doesn't see the faint way his stepfather's lips turn upwards as it happens. he doesn't know he's finally given him the excuse he's been looking for.

the first time his stepfather touches him, it's to burn his face. he thinks the man is smiling.

oh. right. zuko must look like his real father, he thinks.

(now he'll always look like him a little less.)

[aznisure]

“whats with the robe?” “i find its easier to get people to accept what i am when im shaped like their idea of it, ive also grown fond of this form over the recent centuries”

or, the twins meet Death

[kabutoden]

listen i know i said they dont have godtier powers but au where they do. list. listen. are you hearing me. mage of time ceruleanblood with intense and volatile emotions and low emotive knight of doom rustblood. its doomed yuri. its timed yuri. ill love you forever but we dont have that. and we never will. duty. knowledge. resignation to fate. a single moment between enemies/lovers to last an eternity the scorpion and the fly..........

[impbites]

OCtober day 18 - swap 🩸👼 (their original forms look like this!)

i went with "role in the story" for this one. i've thought abt this AU a bit before, but i think a lot of things would change if gwyar was sacrificed instead of claret…

The Cooler Claret spawned from a face monster and so i thought it would b cute to have gwyar mutate from a crimera! (<- objectively uncute thing to say). the monsters r somewhat significant bc they represent unfulfilled desires from when they were still ppl, like claret becoming strong enough to protect her home/family and gwyar's desire to be free (hence y she can fly now).

even though claret emerges as an adult in canon, i chose to keep gwyar as a child in the swapped version bc it felt more fitting. clarets new role in the story is similar to gwyars in that she aims to purge the crimson, but where gwyar becomes quite apathetic, claret takes on a much crueler personality... 😔

[myykster]

big fat jjk art dump to prove i'm still alive and my jjk au called "Different Fates"

[honeycreammilkshake]

sukuita omegaverse where fated pairs must mate or die... but sukuna is actually a beta - the most underrated abo out there - and that's one of the reasons for his villain arc?? like society said he could never have love or know true closeness bc only omegas/alphas traditionally pair and betas are far too common for anything deeper or more important, so sukuna forsakes any and all concept of love as nothing but chemical and weak. but yuji - who is another beta too - ends up fated with sukuna in like... the world's longest-lasting, most powerful bond ever that could potentially be their end... or their salvation.

yuji can choose to either accept the bond and teach sukuna how to love - if he can - or he could sacrifice himself and reject the bond so that they both die. either way they are eternally bound together, and it's all up to yuji what happens next.

[demonslayedher]

It's the heroic return of Mui-kun in a ponytail! But while I was drawing that, I was reminded of how much I liked having Shinobu wear Tamayo's hairpin in this AU. In either AU I have enjoyed cropped-hair!Mitsuri and wanted to see how she might do braids with her new style.

[typemoonconfessions]

[dr-pepperrrr]

Ma Meilleure Ennemie

A thousand lives must have flashed before his eyes, and he loved that man in every one.

An electric current seemed to charge the air around the island, and there was no mistaking the energy that pulsed beneath their feet. Faint thrumming resonated through the ground, and they could feel the vibrations through the soles of their shoes. A hand landed softly on Midas’s shoulder, barely giving a turn of his head as he crouched along the long dried lake bed, fingers tracing patterns into the dust. The dirt was cracked from the lack of water, showing just how long it had been dried, and the thrumming was growing stronger with every passing minute. 

“It’s happening soon.” He didn’t bother to say anymore, letting his eyes scan across the lake bed. Knowing that before long, the others would arrive. 

He would arrive. 

Metal turned to gold at his touch, letting it melt from his wrists as the power from the Underworld lost its strength. Gasping at the weakness that still seemed to course through his body, he rested his forehead against cool stone for a moment as he tried to gather his strength once more. A golden fist connected with the thick, stone door that trapped him in his cell. A small dent was given in return as gold started to spread across it, and he let the air fall slowly from his lungs before he swung again. Unsure of what would be waiting for him on the other side, but he was willing to risk anything if it meant being free. 

The door buckled on his third hit, metal giving way to the weight of his fists. Crashing open on the fourth, the small room echoing with the groan of metal against stone. Rushing through the dust that sprang up with the commotion, he darted towards the stairs he knew would lead towards the courtyard before a figure appeared in front of him. 

Without a second thought, he swung his fist forward, letting power course through his muscles. Heat building in his hand as it lashed out, connecting perfectly with whoever it was that tried to block his path. 

The curse that fell from the hidden person rang out loudly, making Midas’s footsteps falter. Whoever it was, it wasn’t Hades. He tried to rush past, knowing that he was too weak for a confrontation. Whoever had been in front of him wouldn’t have much longer as it was, knowing that there would be gold spreading quickly along their body. He had long since given up on such a harsh way of killing someone, but desperate times needed desperate measures. If it came down to him or the other, he would do whatever it took to keep himself free. 

His chest collided with stone flooring as a weight crashed into his back. Fighting with everything he had to crawl away, to twist or turn and give himself some type of advantage. There was a blackness creeping along the edge of his vision, panic spreading heavily through his chest. The only sound that he could hear now was the thundering of his own heart. He had been so close. Almost free. His breaths were falling in short gasps, unconscious before his head dropped forward smacking against the floor. 

When he came to, the first thing he noticed was his body being slightly shuffled. Rocking side to side, knowing even with his eyes still closed that he was feeling someone's footsteps. Each passing second made him more and more aware of the fresh breeze he could feel. The salt he could smell from the ocean. The hand that was grabbing at the back of his thigh to hold him in place. 

“Oh, the King awakens.” The man’s accent was thick, and Midas wasn’t able to get anything coherent from himself except a grunt of acknowledgement. Every blink felt slowed, time creeping by, yet every time they opened the worn stone building grew further and further away. 

“I would appreciate it if you put me down now.” The hand along the back of his thigh tightened, securing its grip against him. Turning slightly to look at the back of the man’s head, rolling his eyes at the diamond shaved into the hair there. Readying himself to struggle out of the man’s grasp, the shoulder digging into his stomach growing far too uncomfortable with each step. 

“Non, pas encore. Tu es coincé depuis longtemps. Ce serait -“ 

Midas jabbed an elbow into the man’s ribs, feeling the hold on him loosen. Pushing against the man’s back to try and right himself, the indignity of the position making him fight harder than he had been able to in years. There was an annoyed grunt before hands were digging into the skin above his hips, head spinning with the lack of food and the feeling of flying through the air before his back connected with the ground. Dust rose into the air around him from the impact, filling his lungs and making him choke as he tried to gasp in a breath. 

Curling onto his side just in time as he heard the thud of a fist connecting with the ground. He turned quickly, to stare at the hand that had landed so closely to his head. A myriad of blues and whites glittered in the sun, the diamond that covered the man’s hand slow in its retreat back into his skin. When his eyes flitted up, the man was already watching him with a raised brow. A challenge in them, waiting to see if Midas would dare to try anything else. 

The rumble of an SUV broke him from his memories, staying still as he watched the group come to a stop opposite of them. Not quite friendly, but not quite enemies. No interest in working together, even as they fought against the same enemy. At least, no interest from Montague, it would seem. 

—

“Will you all hurry the hell up? They’re probably already there.” Valeria slid behind the wheel of the car, the slam of her door breaking the rest of them from their silence. The air was tense with the shaky truce that had been reformed between them, and Montague grumbled as he slid into the passenger side. 

“We should have just worked with them for this. They are reliable and efficient, yet none of you seem to think of the greater good that could come from it.” 

“ Ils sont connus comme espions,” he mumbled under his breath. Knowing that Nisha would still hear. Knowing she would understand. 

The snort that left her was loud, a hand covering her mouth at the sudden outburst. With a small cough to clear her throat, she let her eyes wander to him, the weight of them heavy as she debated her words. “Not everyone is a snake like you.” 

Words were ready to fall from his lips, showing just why they had never worked well together before the SUV dipped. The closing of Oscar’s door quieted him, not bothering to start a fight yet. “Whatever.” 

Snow disappeared quickly, and he could see Valeria’s eyes flickered over the railway station. Lingering on the house that used to be hers, wondering what would be left by the end of the day. After what he had overheard on Midas’s ship, even he was hesitant to jump in without thought. 

It was almost too easy to board the ship, a zip line giving him access to the lower deck without so much as a guard noticing him. The air of superiority that seeped from the man was clearly undeserved, if he couldn’t even think to spare a few men to watch such an open area. Sticking to the shadows, the further into the emptiness he crept, the more on edge he became. Not a trace of any guards so far. Not even a trace of Midas’s crew. 

The lights of the interior were dimmed, and he paused at the sight of the golden statue that was centered in the atrium. Unable to stop the sharp laugh of disbelief with the ego that he knew came with a statue of such grandeur. Not even he could imagine having something like that created, giving another shake of his head as he continued on his path. 

As he neared the far end of the ship, voices from above fell to his ear. Easily picking up on Midas’s voice, resigned even with the low tone. Tips of his fingers just managed to catch the railing when he jumped, pulling himself up to peer over the ledge. No one was in sight, but light shone through the massive windows that led inside and he could tell that was where the voices were coming from. 

Pulling himself the rest of the way, he cleared the railing, about to take a step forward before Midas came into view. Crossing towards the wall that a desk rested against, papers shuffling as he searched through them. Montague ducked backwards, the faintest thud coming from his back connecting with what looked like a massive antenna. Just able to see the way Midas’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side, pausing for less than a moment before he sighed, turning to face whoever was in the room with him. 

“We don’t have a choice.” 

A woman’s voice reached him next, sounding just as resigned as Midas did. “I know. But we barely made it last time, and I don’t know if we can pull something like that off again.” 

There was a beat of silence, Midas chewing at his lip as he studied whoever was there with him. “Go to the lake and see if you can get any readings from the Zero Point’s energy. I want to start tracking it, and see if we can find a pattern or any fluctuations.” His eyes seemed to follow someone’s movements as they left the room, chest dipping with the sigh he let out. A golden hand scrubbed at his eyes before Montague finally noticed the golden gauntlet that was now attached to his other arm in place of his missing hand. 

He watched as Midas disappeared, readying himself to step out of his hiding spot before the man returned. A glass bottle filled with amber liquid in one hand, and a crystallised glass in the other. The drink was poured, and he pressed himself closer the the metal as Midas ventured onto the deck, keeping himself tucked away as he crossed towards the very same railing Montague had crawled over. Staying on the opposite side, he waited with bated breaths before taking a step sideways. Eager to see just what the man was doing. 

As soon as his head peeked around the corner, he stilled at the barrel of the gun that was pointed in his direction. The gold of it glinted under the cloudless sky, and his eyes snapped to Midas’s. Watching him with a curious look on his face before he motioned with his head. 

“If there’s something you’re wanting to know, it’s much better to just ask instead of trespassing.” 

Stepping out from the shadows, he kept his pace slow as he reached a hand up. The hammer of the gun cocked back the second his fingers touched it, both men remaining still as they took a moment to study each other. 

“Fine. I do have something I would like to ask you.” He was given a raised brow in recognition, and he gave Midas a placid smile before speaking. “What is with that god awful statue of yourself that I saw on my way here.” The surprise, followed by an embarrassed flush was just what Montague had been looking for, enjoying the look on the man far too much before he was given a scoff. Midas turned, not bothering to look back as he holstered his gun and returned to the room he had come from, calling over his shoulder. 

“I’m sure you can see yourself off my ship. Don’t bother me with any more stupid questions, if you think you can manage that.” He hummed, listening to the sound of footsteps descending down the stairs. Taking a moment to peek into the room, his eyes landed on a small golden pack of matches that rested on a bedside table. Pocketing the trinket, he hopped himself over the ledge, tracing his path back to the zip line, wondering just what it was that they were looking for at the lake. The name had sounded familiar, knowing that Valeria had mentioned it as well as she had researched the box. 

Starting his car, he drove himself towards the railways, hoping that at least she could answer some questions he might have. 

–

Watching the group emerge from their vehicle, he sighed as he pushed up from the ground. The thrumming was growing stronger and stronger, and he knew that any moment the Wastelanders would appear. Eager to get grimy hands on whatever was under the island, as if they truly believed they could harness its power. The most dangerous people were the ones who went looking for power while they still knew nothing about its source. 

Slone and the Imagined Order had been bad enough. At least with them, they were cautious. 

“Why aren’t we working together again?” Marigold asked, falling into step beside him. A multitude of reasons flashed through his mind before he settled for a shrug. Watching the rest of his team ready their weapons, his own guns resting heavily in their holsters. 

“I have no interest in working with people so reckless.” 

When the Wastelanders had first arrived, he had given the go ahead to integrate and find out what they were here for. Sending his team off to scour the southern coast, the booming racket the came from the arena drew him in. Knowing without a doubt that there was something there for him to find, if he could just figure out where to look. 

Wandering around half built pathways, rickety metal stairs and seating swayed around him with the vibrations of music and cars. He had nearly finished his loop of the bottom level, the sun long since set now and music somehow even louder than before. The only reason he knew he was being watched was from the shadow that caught his eye, stilling before he turned towards it. 

He narrowed his eyes as the two studied each other, Montague watching him with a small smirk on his face. His gun was resting lightly in his hand, before Midas was given a wink, the man promptly turning and leaving the makeshift room they had been in. Or would it be considered a hallway? A soft growl left him as he took off after the man, knowing that whatever he was here for, it should concern Midas. He always seemed to be up to something, keeping Midas on his toes as he tried to figure it out. 

Rounding the corner, a swish of fabric disappearing around the opening that led outside caught his eye. He was grateful for the dirt that covered the ground, muffling his footsteps as he hurried forward, not wanting to lose him. A split second was given for a reaction as a diamond covered hand grabbed for him, his own raising in response. Just barely missing the man’s neck before hands were tightening around his own, gripping at his shirt as he was shoved forward. The sound of a roughly running car was finally noticed, struggling against the man’s grip as he was dragged forward. 

People loitered about, the smell of acrid smoke lacing the air and he knew that they would be of no help. None of them willing to cross a man covered in diamond. He was shoved into the passenger side of a car before the door was slammed shut, and he wasted no time in pulling on the handle. When nothing happened, the door remaining firmly closed, he turned, ready to climb across the cage that was inside the car before the driver door opened, Montague sliding in to block his escape. 

“Bonjour, mon cheri,” he singsonged, grinning at the anger that Midas knew was written on his face. He didn’t know much French, but he knew that Montague was using some sort of pet name, growling at the way he spoke. “Are you ready to have some fun?” 

“I was in the middle of something before I was rudely interrupted by you.”

Montague tsked, pressing the gas as the car shook around them. “I do not think that is quite true, Midas. I did not make you follow me out here.” Before he could reply, Montague shot forward in the car, snapping his head back to crash against the headrest. A hand shot out, gripping at the handle that rested above the door as they took a corner far too sharply, tires spinning in place as the car tried to respond in time to the steering. His head snapped back to Montague as he drove them towards the entrance to the arena. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

Spinning the car in circles, dust flew up in a whirlwind around them, coming to a stop as he let it settle back down. The crowd was cheering loudly, and for a moment he caught sight of those who he now knew was Montague’s team along the bleachers and makeshift seats. When he turned back, Montague was already staring at him, a feral little smirk on his face. 

“We are going to have fun, yes?” 

Before he could answer, Montague was taking off, another car entering the arena with them. Heavily spiked with much smaller tires that looked like they were made from metal. Gaining speed as he dodged the rotating spikes that began to loop through the arena, faster and faster. Gold seeped over the handle he gripped before time seemed to slow. Watching as the other car tried to cross towards them, not fast enough to dodge the rotating spikes. Metal shredded apart before the car was tossed away, Montague spinning to a stop to watch. 

The driver crawled out of the car, disoriented, bloody, but otherwise fine. A cheer came from the crowd before a woman was calling something out over the speakers, more cheering following. He was sure they were done, letting out a heavy breath before another car launched into the arena. A groan left him, hand returning to the handle as Montague pressed the gas once more, praying that the night would end with them still in one piece. 

–

Montague watched as Midas and Marigold turned, walking back to wherever the rest of his team waited. A scoff caught his attention, turning to see Valeria loading bullets into magazines. Her hair blew in the wind before she looked up once more to meet his eyes, finding himself struck by her beauty once more. “God, you guys are fucking hopeless.” 

His chest tightened at the words, lip curling for just a moment before he decided to ignore the jab. Remembering just as fast why they could never seem to make things work. Far too hot tempered, ending up at each other's throats weekly. Daily. 

“They will be here soon, are you ready?” 

Metal latched into place, magazine secured into her rifle as she stood. From their vantage point, they could see the vast swaths of desert. The refinery far off in the distance, smoking more than ever before. Billowing clouds of black and orange smoke rose into the sky, the acrid, burning scent of Nitro reaching them even at the lake. He tilted his head for a moment, sure that he saw flames licking long the ground. Heading towards the ship. “Do you see-” 

The explosion that rocked out from the refinery shook the ground beneath their feet. The faint groan of metal pushed past its limits met their ears, watching as the building began to collapse in on itself. Another, much smaller explosion sounded from along the pipeline. Flames and smoke rising into the air much further down. Much closer to the ship. Another explosion, even closer now. 

Watching with wide eyes, even the air seemed to quiet around them. For the briefest moment, he wondered if it would end with that. The explosion from the reservoirs shook the ground once more, and a hand came to grab at his, knowing that Valeria was by his side without looking. 

The weight and warmth of a hand in his made him glance to where Midas had disappeared to. Mind wandering down memories that he knew would be best left forgotten. 

The first time had been angry. Rushed. Midas had shown up to the hotel, eyes narrowing as he searched for Montague. No doubt still upset about what had happened at the arena. Montague froze as their eyes met before quickly turning, making his way up the stairs. He had no interest at the moment to deal with the man’s anger, footsteps hurrying after him letting him know that Midas wasn’t far behind. 

Just as he went to slam his door shut, a golden fist stopped it from shutting. Shoving back on the wooden door, much stronger now that he wasn’t fresh out of a cell. He wasn’t quite sure of what changed. One moment Midas was seething, stalking closer. Harsh words falling from both of them. The next was a clash of teeth, vying for dominance over the other as clothes shed. Claws and fingers digging harshly into skin, knowing there would be bruises hidden under both their clothes the next day. 

The second time had started just the same. Rushed, yet less angry. Teeth turned into lips, a ghost of a kiss brushing over faintly bruised skin almost like an apology. Slowing at that, breath catching with the action before he let himself look at Midas. Seeing his brows furrow, his hands shooting up. Away. Montague knew he was doing it out of fear of his powers, as if they hadn’t already discovered that his amulet stopped it. 

Unless he was just too weak after being freed. Did it still stop it, now that he was at full strength again?

There was a flash of fear on Midas's face as Montague reached for his hand anyways, fingers tentative as he stroked softly against his palm. Both waiting for held breaths for the gold to start creeping over his skin. Yet nothing happened. He pressed forwards, intertwining their fingers, the warmth of his hand against his making his heart race in a way that he didn’t want to think about. 

He shifted his hips forwards, Midas’s clawed hand dropping, cupping against his cheek for a moment before it was carding through his hair. Tightening its grip, pulling him closer. Lips working together now, panting against each other. 

Afterwards, when Midas had pulled him down, his head resting against tattooed skin, he was unwilling to look too closely at the way his heart seemed to flutter in his chest. At the way Midas’s hand continued to run softly through his hair, the quiet between them soft. Peaceful. 

Waking up alone, the bed beside him cold -

Loud cracking snapped him from his memories, watching the lakebed break apart with small fissures. A glowing light pulsated deep below the surface, just barely illuminating the cracks in the sun. Midas was back on the edge of the lake, watching the cracks as they grew with a steely look in his eyes. Montague’s own narrowed, curious as to just what the man was planning, no longer seeming to care about the Wastelanders as they all watched the fissures grow. 

– 

After the explosions, Midas quickly rushed back to the lakebed, his team not far behind. He could feel the power thrumming below the surface, fissures growing. Cracking open wider and wider, the blue, pulsing light of the Zero Point growing stronger and stronger. The ground trembled and shook, collapsing in on itself as the center of the lake bulged upwards. 

The moment that it broke free, there was a split second of pure silence. Unable to hear even the sound of his own breaths, or the sound of rock and dirt as it tumbled down. The wind dying off completely. A blast of energy shot out, knocking him from his feet, stealing the air from his lungs. The rest of his team were in the same state, shaking themselves as they rose once more. 

Wasting no time, he rushed forward, ignoring the call of his name. Knowing that he needed to reach it first. He had communicated with it once before. Maybe it would recognise him. Remember that he had been the one to try and help set it free. Dodging the large cracks, movement caught his eye, growling at the sight of Montague running just as fast towards it too. 

–

“It’s real.” The reverence that laced Valeria’s voice sent a chill down his spine. It would seem she had been correct in her research. A power source unlike anything they had seen before. “What are they doing?” 

His vision snapped to where Midas had been, his team rushing after him. Running towards the Zero Point. Unsure of just what their plan was, he growled, taking off towards it. “We need to reach it first.” He wasn’t quite sure what they needed to reach it for, but if Midas was running towards it, he knew they should too. It was closer to them, but Midas had gotten a head start. 

Pushing himself faster, the distance disappeared between him and the orb. Rising up in front of him, waves of energy lashed out of it. Dodging cracks and fissures as they tore wider, he could see Midas closing in on it just as fast. 

Too close now to see where the other was, he growled as he rushed forward, sinking his hands into the energy of the orb. Wondering if he had gotten there first, almost wishing he had just let them work together. He almost had, before he let his nerves get the best of him, shutting it down and watching as Midas shuttered himself away, regret already rushing through him as he wished to take it back. 

Once more sneaking onto the ship, he slipped along empty hallways until a figure caught his attention. Midas was leaning forwards in a chair, hands pressing into his temples with frustration over something that was spread across the table. Keeping himself quiet, he made his way towards the open door, surprised when he was able to slip into the room unnoticed. Debating what he wanted to do, he nearly stumbled as he rushed to the edge of the table, aiming for casual as he leaned against it. 

“What is it that has you so stressed?” 

The flinch from the other man was exactly what he had been hoping for, but the way he relaxed at the sight of Montague was .. unexpected. Instead of being annoyed, or angry, he gestured to the map that lay in front of him. “I’m trying to figure out how we might be able to keep the Wastelanders where they landed.” He sighed once more, scrubbing at his eyes. “I would like to find a way to keep that ship where it’s at.” 

“Well,” Montague huffed, leaning across the table to cover the map. “I am sure that I could be a great distraction.” That pulled a short laugh from Midas, who rolled his eyes before they trailed along his body. He gave a fake pout, unsure of just why he felt the need to help take the weight off the man’s shoulders. “What, you do not think I am pretty enough to do this?” 

That pulled a deep laugh from Midas, eyes crinkling as his head tilted back. The sound made Montague’s eyes widen, wanting to hear it again. Wanting to be the one to make it happen again. There was a flush starting on Midas’s cheeks as he cleared his throat, lips still twitching up with remnants of his laughter. 

“So, you want to work together?” 

He knew he could say yes. He should say yes. A perfect opportunity to get closer to the man, to know him better. Realising that he wanted to know him better. He swallowed thickly as he pushed himself from the table, the air of the room loaded as Midas waited for his answer. Eyes bright with eagerness. He should - 

“No.” He looked away, taking a step towards the door. “I do not work well with others.” When he looked back Midas’s face had gone blank. Relaxed as he gave a curt nod of his head. 

“Then I’m sure I’ll see you around. Goodbye, Montague.” He turned at the words, trying to swallow down the rush of regret that filled him with every step. Ignoring the pull in his chest that demanded he go back. Instead, he exited the room, making his way back to the zipline to leave the ship. 

–

Montague was closing in on the Zero Point far too fast for his liking. Pushing himself even further, leaving his team behind even as Montague left his. He reached a hand forward, praying that he reached it first. Wishing that Montague had just agreed to work together, the memory still fresh in his head as his fingertips connected with electric energy. 

The pressure in his head had been building non-stop, knowing that he should try and sleep it off. Unable to, as his mind conjured images of the map and all the ways he could try and fend off the lake. He needed to make sure that the ship couldn't reach inland. Scrubbing at his temples in an attempt to relieve the ache that was forming, a voice shattered his moment of quiet, making him jump. 

“What is it that has you so stressed?” 

As soon as he recognised who was in front of him, he relaxed. Muttering about the Wastelanders, before Montague was sprawling himself across the table. He gave a short laugh at something the man said about being a distraction, knowing that if anyone could do that, it would be him. Chaos seemed to follow him wherever he went. 

“What? Do you not think I am pretty enough to do this?” The mock offence mixed with the heavy accent pulled a laugh from deep in his belly, head tilting back from it. Surprised at the way his heart raced, an eagerness filling him at the thought of working with the man. Being around him more. Closer. Getting a chance to know him better. 

“So, you want to work together?” 

A dozen different expressions seemed to flit across the man’s face, mouth parting as he readied himself to say something. Closing just as fast as he pushed himself from the table taking a step towards the door. 

“No. I do not work well with others.” 

A sharp flash of disappointment rushed through his chest, realising that he had looked too far into whatever had happened between them. Realising that it had been a one sided thing. That Montague had his own agenda to look after. Shoving down the ache in his chest, shuttering his expression to adopt something more neutral, he gave a curt nod to the man instead. 

“Then I’m sure I’ll see you around. Goodbye, Montague.” The words felt like they stuck to his throat on the way out, swallowing thickly once they were said. Only letting out a heavy breath once the man disappeared around the corner. 

–

Eyes squeezing shut at the rush of energy, he felt a ripple of diamond flash against his skin before disappearing. Trying to will it back, he grimaced at the realisation he could no longer control the powers of his amulet. A rush of fear crashed through him, unused to the feeling of it as his heart raced faster and faster in his chest. His feet digging into the dirt with the strength he used to try and pull himself free. Yet no give was found, hands locked into the energy that pulsed in front of him. Around him. 

He could hear the sound of his gasping breaths louder than anything else. Yet when he looked towards his team, it seemed like time had slowed outside of the orb. Hair rippling slowly in the wind he could no longer feel, legs barely moving as they tried to run towards him. 

A rush of electricity snapped through him, vibrating through from his fingertips, heart stuttering wildly as his entire body tensed. Everything around him disappearing in less than a second. 

He felt himself blink, his body moving without his command. Around him, setting sunlight filtered through the hotel windows, casting a warm glow through what looked eerily similar to his own room. Little things caught his attention, wondering why his sheets were the wrong colour. Surprised that he still found himself liking the look. Gold accents decorated the room, confused even more at that. 

His body moved once again without his permission, shrugging his shirt from his body as he crossed towards a wardrobe. Tossing the shirt aside, hands moving to grab something nicer. A bracelet decorated his wrist, knowing just by what he could see from the corner of his eye that it was also made from gold. 

The door opened, another person entering the room that he strained to see. More and more annoyed by his inability to make his body listen to his commands. “ Es-tu prêt, mon roi?” He urged himself to scoff at the words that left his mouth, disbelief flooding him as he called someone his king. 

A body wrapped around him, hands slipping around his waist as lips ghosted along the back of his neck. Pressing a kiss just under his ear, wondering if the way his heart was racing was because of his body’s reaction or his mind’s. His head tipped back, feeling lips trace along his jaw even as his eyes closed, a rush of happiness fluttering itself through his belly. 

He felt like he was trapped in a cage in his own mind, rattling the bars of it to just turn. To let him see just who was behind him. Who he clearly had some type of relationship with in whatever dream he was being forced to watch. Forced to feel. Whoever it was, there was a feeling of rightness settling softly in his chest. A puzzle piece fitted into place that he hadn’t quite known was missing. 

“What’s the rush?” 

He tried to gasp, force his body to turn in any way. Needing to see with his own eyes even though he knew exactly who the voice belonged to. Instead, whatever body he was in closed its eyes, his head turning, smiling against the other man’s mouth as a soft kiss was placed there. Begging his body to open his eyes. Just a sliver, just enough for him to see before it felt like he was jerked out of that body, everything around him going black. 

–

Familiar energy pulsed around him, shoulders sagging as Midas fell to his knees. Digging his hands further in as he tried to reach whatever sentience was inside the orb. Praying that it would remember him, wondering if something like the Zero Point even had memory. What was a few months of time when faced with an eternity of every different universe that you yourself had created? 

A blast of electricity rushed through him, wincing at the sharp sting as he tried to let the gold cover his body. His eyes snapped open, unaware he had even shut them when nothing happened. Trying again, grimacing as he tried to force the gold to spread even just a little from his wrists. 

Nothing. 

Nothing except the sounds of his own breaths falling harshly from his lungs, turning to see where his team was. He had heard them shouting after him what seemed like seconds ago, but now there wasn’t even a hint of wind around him. He watched Tina’s foot raise, so slowly it barely looked like she was moving at first. Almost comical, the exaggerated expressions of concern frozen on their faces. 

Then he blinked. 

Opening his eyes, he was thrown off by the change in scenery. There was a fear rushing through his chest, before hands were shaking at his shoulder. Gasping awake, the bed beside him dipped. Had everything just been a nightmare? Who was beside him in his bed? He could feel his body panting, going to move to sit up before he realised his body wasn’t responding. Struggling once more, trying to force any type of reaction from himself, yet getting nothing in return. 

“Hey,” a voice murmured. Recognising it far too quickly, knowing that if he had control over this body he would have snapped his head towards the other. Instead, he felt as his body sighed in relaxation, turning slowly to face the man. Shadows darkened the room, but moonlight streaming through the window illuminated enough to see his face. His scars, and mismatched eyes. “Another bad dream?” 

He wanted to shove himself from the bed, unsure of why Montague was there next to him. Why did he feel so comfortable with him by his side? Instead of doing any of that, his head nodded, before it leaned against the hand that brushed across his cheek. A soft breath falling from him as lips brushed across his, fingers stroking gently through his hair in comfort. 

Fighting against the way his body relaxed so easily at the touch. As if he would ever be in the position to melt against Montague’s touch. Trapped in his own mind as their bodies shifted, Montague pulling him closer to press reassuring kisses against his forehead before their bodies tangled together. Warmth spreading through his chest at the feeling of contentedness, heart no longer racing from his dream as Montague’s fingers traced patterns along his back. Relaxing far too easily at the man’s touch before he felt himself being jerked out of his body, everything going black around him. 

– 

He could feel his eyes fluttering, feeling like he was no longer in control over his own body anymore. Knowing that whatever it was that was inside the Zero Point, it had taken over. Forcing itself into his mind, projecting things into his mind. Unsure of why it had chosen that scene before everything slipped into darkness once again.

Eyes opening once more, still unable to control his body as he walked along a hallway. Familiar to the body, he could tell, yet unable to recognise anything himself. There was a door looming ahead, knowing that was what he was walking towards. A golden handle was on it, with a large circle smoked onto the glass. A pattern of lines crossing the middle before dipping down, almost like a lightning strike. Once again familiar, yet knowing it was something he had never seen before. 

He shoved through the door, knowing before he even seen the room that he was interrupting something. That he was doing it on purpose. He could feel his eyebrow raise as he sighed, turning towards the group of people that were seated around a table. Midas was at the head of it, eyes brightening the moment they laid on him. 

“If you would all please give us the room, I have something quite urgent I need to speak to Midas about.” 

The others looked to Midas with a mix of concern and disbelief, waiting for his orders. His face had been schooled back into its bored expression, giving a single nod to the others. 

“I’m sure we can go over the rest tomorrow.” The group rose to their feet, and he ignored the smirk on Tina’s face as she passed by. Waiting to hear the latch of the door before his body crossed the room towards Midas. Golden fingers gripped him by his hips, crowding him back against the table even as their lips met. Unable to stop the way his body responded so eagerly, pulling Midas closer. Just barely aware of the fact that he had both of his hands, unlike the last dream that he had been pulled into. 

Everything was similar even as it was different. Still Midas. Still himself. Still not quite right. Hands slipped his shirt free, and the smooth metal gliding against his skin felt nothing less than perfect. Meeting this dream version of Midas’s eyes, warmth and adoration pouring from him. Something ached in his chest at the sight, a hint of a wish flickering through his mind. 

Realising he wanted it to be real. Then everything went black around him once more. 

–

Midas tried once more to pull himself free. There was no give in the hold on him, and he focused his energy on trying to communicate once more. Looking for any hint of what was to come. Why he had been given a flash of a dream, or a fabricated memory. 

The faintest flicker of another consciousness wavered through his head. Barely a whisper of a voice, giving no discernible words to his mind. Yet understanding flowed through his body, shaking his head even as the world around him went black once more. 

Wind bit harshly at his skin, even as the sun shone down onto the glittering snow that surrounded them. Montague was grumbling about something under his breath as he poked at the fire, before he met Midas’s eyes. A smirk pulled at his lips, and once more Midas tried to move himself, knowing that it still wouldn’t work. Given a passenger seat to another version of himself, just like last time. 

Still with Montague. 

“I still do not know why I let you convince me to come along,” Montague sighed, falling to sit at his side. “This is pointless.” Midas felt his own lips twist up in a smile, eyes studying the building that was nestled into the mountains before them. Montague’s nose was cold as it brushed his cheek, and he shied away from the touch, his body finally turning to look at the man. 

Midas was overwhelmed with his proximity, studying every little detail of Montague’s face. Mouth moving to speak without his permission, wanting to growl with frustration. “Information is just as important as diamonds, sweetheart.” He wanted to scoff at that, desperate to pull himself away. There was no way that Montague would let him do something like that. The man hadn’t even wanted to work with him, let alone whatever this was. 

Instead, Montague’s nose brushed against his, still cold enough to send a shiver down his spine. His breath was hot against his lips as he laughed softly, humming at the words. The way his eyebrow raised, biting at his lip made heat rush through his chest. The look familiar to whatever body he was in. 

“Call me that again,” he purred, and Midas couldn’t stop the way his body reacted to the tone of his voice. Lips curling into a smirk, a heavy breath falling from him. Gloved hands tugging Montague forwards, heart racing at the familiarity of his weight settling on his lap. The surprised shout that devolved into laughter as his hands snuck up under Montague’s coat, icy against heated skin. 

Then blackness took over once more, gasping as his eyes snapped open to the rush of energy in front of him. 

–

He struggled against the hold the Zero Point had on him, barely able to move any muscle now. Turning just enough, he could finally see his team had made progress. Closing the distance, even as slow as time moved outside of him. A groan was torn from his throat, eyes fluttering back as another dream rushed into his head before a whisper of a voice was echoing through his brain. Unable to understand a word, yet knowing just what was being said to him. 

Glass shattered somewhere close by, and he tried to force himself to look. Knowing now that he was no longer in control, instead having to see and do whatever this Montague wanted. Finally, his head turned down, staring at the broken glass that lay across the floor in a thousand different shards. The light from the fireplace flickered across it, and he realised that he was panting lightly, able to feel the anger that was coursing through him. 

Unsure. Worried. Scared of something. Waiting, the thoughts of this Montague bouncing around loud enough to echo through his mind. Surely this was where he would leave. Knowing before he even began to turn, that Midas would be there. Different once again. Still Midas. 

A golden eye watched him, taking a step forward slowly. He felt like he was being approached like a cornered animal, glad when his mind and this body seemed to be on the same page. Lip curling with annoyance at the thought. Suddenly, Midas was in front of him, hands cupping at his jaw, forcing his head to tilt down as he finally met the man’s eyes. Wondering if his other self would be able to tell how long he studied Midas’s face through his own eyes before they slid shut. Shoulders sagging in defeat. 

“Hey.” Midas’s voice was soft, calling his attention back. Letting his eyes open once more, slow to meet again. “You know I’m not going anywhere, right?” A rough breath fell from him, the relief flooding his chest almost staggering. Wondering just what had happened to bring this all on before Midas began speaking again. Words barely above a whisper as his lips brushed against his cheek now. “I told you I loved you, you can’t get rid of me that easily.” 

The ease that the words fell from him made his chest feel like it was collapsing in on itself. The air his body was breathing doing nothing to soothe the breathlessness that seemed to take over his mind. Thankful for the blackness that faded his vision once more. 

–

Given barely enough time to blink, Midas growled as he was thrust into another memory. Another lifetime that wasn’t his. Wanting to take a step back at the sight of Montague in front of him. 

Stained glass sent fragmented light across the room, seeing Valeria and Killian a few steps behind Montague. Knowing, even without looking, Marigold and Brutus would be a few steps behind himself. Heart racing, his own and this bodies. Yet calming as the longer he looked at Montague, who was already smirking back at him. A look of confidence on his face. Eagerness.

Joy. 

Mouth moving to form a grin before he finally realised there had been someone talking beside him. He wanted to groan in annoyance when his body wouldn’t turn to see who it was, their voice almost familiar. This body knew it, but he didn’t. Or at least, not well enough. And then he spoke, and even trapped as he felt in this body, he stilled as everything fell into place. 

“I do.” 

His heart was racing far too loudly to hear the words that were spoken from beside him, before Montague’s lips were crashing against his. Heart racing, fighting against the feeling of perfection that the moment was giving this body. The whooping and cheering snapping him out of his frozen thoughts, watching as his hands raised to cup Montague’s face. An emptiness rang in his mind even as it felt like everything was exactly where it should be. 

Everything was perfect. Here.

Gasping as once more he was brought back to his own reality. 

–

Another blink. Another lifetime. Heart beating quietly in his chest now, a sense of calm seeping through his body as he pulled back on the trigger. Hitting his target square in his chest, taking a step to adjust his position. The weight against his back letting him know, without a doubt in his mind, the Midas was the one fighting with him. This body wanting it no other way. 

Adjusting in their circle, vaguely wondering what they had done to warrant so many people trying to gun them down. Sure that it must have been Midas that caused it, another body falling to the ground before they had the chance to pull their own trigger.

“You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?” Midas called out from behind him, and a short sense of victory rushed through him when his body rolled his eyes. There was a hint of amusement in his voice, and he knew the man wasn’t truly upset for their situation.

“This is because you could not keep your own mouth shut after.” The words that came from him made him want to smirk. Glad that he had at least been partially right. Midas had caused this, or at least helped him. 

A quick scan showed no more enemies, before he was being spun quickly to face Midas. Lips searched eagerly against his own, heart racing now. It seemed like together they were unstoppable. Regret over his own actions smacked through him, desperate to go back and make himself accept Midas’s offer. They should be working together. 

Through every lifetime it seemed he had learned that there was no one else he would rather have by his side. Yet in his very own he had tossed the offer away the first chance he had gotten.

Loud footsteps signalled another rush of enemies, and Midas broke apart. Letting the clips drop from his guns as he shoved two fresh ones back in. “You ready, sweetheart?” Montague could feel the way his lips curled up into a smile, head nodding before everything disappeared around him. 

– 

Voices were starting to reach him. Just barely making it through, but it let him know that his team was close. Unsure of just what would happen when they reached him. Unsure of where Montague was now. Or his team. Or even what was happening outside of where he was stuck. If the Zero Point was tearing things apart even as it remained peaceful where he was. 

Laughter made his head turn, taking in the sight of Montague leaning against a bathroom wall. Relaxed, eyes bright as he watched Midas in return. And then he swiped at his nose, and Midas recognised just how large his pupils had gotten. Body moving forward, crowding against him. Burying his face in the man’s neck, pulling another laugh from him. 

“Hurry up, they are going to wonder where we have been.” Midas grumbled as he stepped away, trying to jerk himself away from the small vial that rested on the counter. Already knowing exactly what it was. Something he hadn’t touched since before he had been trapped. 

Grabbing Montague’s hand, he poured a line of white powder along the back of it. Inhaling deeply, the rush and the burn exactly as he had remembered. Wrinkling his nose as fingers gripped at his chin, tilting his head up. His body took it as the invitation it was, crowding Montague against the way as their lips finally met. 

A knock of the door made them both jump before another laugh spilled from Montague. His hand interlacing with Midas’s, opening the door to see Valeria and Tina leaning against the door frames. Both with raised brows, looking almost expectantly at the both of them. A groan had fallen from Midas then, hand searching through his pocket. Another glass vial was pulled from it, placed into Valeria’s open hand before Montague was guiding them down a set of stairs. 

The accents carved into the staircase and the paintings that decorated the walls were stunning. Wondering just where they were before a small voice in the back of his mind supplied the information. Knowing without truly knowing they were at Oscar’s family estate. A party being thrown in honour of - 

This time, instead of everything fading to black, he was jerked harshly from the body he had been in. Eyes snapping open as a rush of energy poured out of the Zero Point. A hand landed heavily on his shoulder, before the wind that had been rushing outside of them finally met his ears. The ground was still rumbling beneath his knees, unable to remember when he had fell to them. 

Suddenly, everything disappeared around them. He could still see the Zero Point. His own body was illuminated by the glow of its energy, and when he turned the rest of his team was splayed out behind him in a line. Floating in the nothingness that surrounded them, eyes wide as their eyes searched for something. Anything. 

Another flash of light made his eyes close, so bright that he could see the veins of his eyelids. Veering into painful as he squeezed them shut, trying to turn his head away before a crackling bang deafened him. Leaving a ringing in his ears before he was greeted with the feeing of falling. 

– 

Curled up into a plush seat, the window to his left showed fluffy clouds sailing along below them. His eyes drifted back forwards, his hand turning to inspect the ring that was there. Knowing without a doubt what it meant. 

Footsteps caught his attention, and he turned to watch Midas slide into the seat beside him. There were two glasses of champagne in his hand, offering one to Montague even as he looked out of the window.  

“So are you going to tell me where you are taking me yet?” Montague sighed out before taking a sip. That made a grin spread across Midas’s face, eyes sparkling even as he shook his head. 

“You’ll like it though, I promise.” 

When he blinked, everything around him changed, Midas pulling him from the kitchen they were in. “Come on, it’s time.” He could feel the confusion racing through his body as Midas began turning all the lights off. Handing him his coat, a blanket in his other hand. 

“Surely you do not plan to have a picnic in the snow so late at night?” 

He was given no words, only an eye roll as Midas tugged on his hand. Guiding him forward through the darkened room before they stopped again. “Close your eyes for me?” 

If he had it his way, they would have stayed open. Too curious to know just what the other was planning. This body however, let his eyes fall shut without a second thought. Excitement coursing through his veins as he took tentative steps along the path Midas made for him. The sound of a door sliding open, and the chill of northern wind against his face let him know they had made it outside. “Stay,” Midas commanded, his voice sounding further away. “And don’t peek.” 

Another moment later, and something heavy was placed on the deck they were on. He felt his body turn towards it, eyes flickering as if they were going to open before they stayed shut, making him groan in frustration. Hands guided him to the side before Midas was pulling him down, something cushioned below them. Still warm. Vaguely realising it was the lounge chair that had been inside the house. 

Midas was behind him, pulling him back so he could rest comfortably. A blanket thrown over them for extra warmth. Lips were pressed against his neck, feeling them turn up before the man spoke. “Okay, open.” 

All of the lights, inside and out, had been shut off. No other houses surrounded them. No streetlights. No city or cars. Nothing to block the view of the sky, watching as a streak of green seemed to be painted across it. Twisting with the wind. Another, even more vibrant than the last, broke across the sky. Gasping at the sight, turning his head just enough to see Midas who was already watching him, 

A grin split across his face, heart beating quickly in his chest. Something in him knowing that Midas was a person who liked the sun. Warmth. Yet here he was, with him, far enough north to watch the aurora dance across the sky. “You would use your honeymoon to stay in the snow just for me?” He murmured, marvelling at the words that were said. Honeymoon. For him and Midas. 

A kiss was placed against his temple. Across his cheek until their lips finally met. Brief, relaxing at the feeling before Midas was turning his head forwards to watch the show. “I would follow you to the ends of the world, Montague.” 

He gasped in breath as he was forcefully pulled from the body he had been in, eyes snapping open just as a hand gripped at his shirt. His team had reached him. Just as he readied himself to try and pull his arms free, the ground cracked and trembled beneath them, falling away as everything disappeared. He could still feel the weight on the hand on his shoulder, and knew that this wasn’t the same as what had happened before. 

A blinding flash of light made him groan, eyes squeezing shut to try and block some of it. Just when it became unbearable, his hands were freed. Jerking back, before he felt himself begin to plummet. 

–

The landing, while rough, was still softer than he had expected. Even before his eyes opened, he could tell he was outside, grass prickling between his fingers. A gentle breeze blew the salt from the ocean air inland, mixing with the smell of wildflowers. He tried to gasp air in, his lungs still struggling to work properly before something blocked the sun from his face, quickly missed as his eyes snapped open. 

Marigold helped him from the ground, not bothering to say anything just yet as they studied their surroundings. There was a small town nestled along the ocean, rows of cherry blossom trees blooming brightly along the road that led to it. Further in, rows of bright flowers decorated a large field, yet no one else was in sight. 

The flood of memories of Montague made his stomach twist, heart dropping into his stomach as he looked for any sign of the man. Any sign of his team. Faltering when there was none. Had they made it through and left them behind? And just as importantly, where exactly had they been sent to?

A booming crack echoed through the sky before it tore apart, spitting a group of four towards the ground below. The flash of white and blue glittering in the sunlight made his chest settle, taking a step towards where it seemed Montague and his team would land. 

“Midas, I think we need to go. I don’t like us being out in the open.” He barely registered the words, watching the others land just as roughly as he had. Waiting with bated breath to see any sign of movement. 

Any sign of life. 

Relief flooded him as he saw Valeria help Montague to his feet, Nisha crouched down checking over Oscar. Taking a few steps towards them without realising, before Valeria was guiding the other man away. Forgetting, for just a moment, that everything he had witnessed wasn’t true here. Memories of other lives that had flashed through his head alone. Even with the peace of the day, his chest felt as if it caved in, staggering back. 

Montague didn’t know. 

He watched as Montague swiped Valeria’s hand away, harsh words no doubt being said as she tried to drag him away once more. Gesturing to something beyond the small hill they were on, to something Midas couldn’t see. Montague waved her away as he took a step towards Midas and his team, pausing as soon as their eyes met. Unspoken words flowing far too easily between them before a smirk pulled at Montague’s lips, and Midas gave a short nod of his head. Watching as he continued away with his team.

Both of them knowing that it was only a matter of time before they found each other once more.