Super Mario Bros. 2 - Across the Galaxy

Chapter 14: Ice Ice Baby

Comet Observatory

The heroes looked like they had lost a race against Bowser as they sadly moped over the loss of the map and the turquoise Chaos Emerald. The hyperspeed tunnel that the Observatory zipped through and stopped for a bit. Rosalina looked at the screen and said, "We're going to make a pit stop nearby. We're around 3 miles away from Gold Leaf Galaxy."

Meanwhile at the Gold Leaf Galaxy

 Discordia chuckled and had the bee inhabitants of the planet gathered into a group. Krusha and Tubba Blubba roared and kept them from having any ideas and Klump shoved his blunderbuss onto a bee's cheek. The goddess held out the turquoise Chaos Emeralds and commanded, "Chaos Emerald, I command you to release the dark spirits of this planet! Spirits, be free and haunt these people!"

The Chaos Emerald didn't glow compared to the other ones and Discordia noticed it. She felt the same wavelength the others had but...it did almost nothing but summoned a non-deadly ghost. She growled and crushed the Emerald in her hand. "This Emerald's a FAKE!!! WE'VE BEEN DUPED!!!!"

She yelled in a fury and K. Rool said, "How is that possible?!? We've felt the same wavelengths and properties that you said they do!"

Discordia growled. "There have been times when the gods had created fake Chaos Emeralds so thieves did not find the real ones and use their powers for chaos. The Emerald here must be fake too."

She let go of the shards of the fake Emerald and looked at Klump. "Burn it all down."

Sometime later

The observatory flew through the cosmos and Rosalina said, "We're here."

Peach walked to the end of the ship and gasped. She put a hand over her mouth and Mario gasped as well. Everyone joined the couple and Sonic uttered, "Sweet mother of Goose..."

They saw that the Gold Leaf Galaxy was on fire and nearly burned to a crisp. Atlas gasped and cast a water spell on some of the fire. The observatory landed on the charred planet and everyone stepped off the ship to observe the damage. Luigi picked up a burnt Super Leaf and Toad whispered, "Something gnarly happened here..."

"Discordia..." Audrey uttered.

"What's that?" Altas pointed a finger to a pile of shards.

He and Rosalina ran to the pile and Rosalina immediately recognized the shards. "The Chaos Emerald...Wait..." she then remembered something. "I sensed this Emerald's destruction and...I heard her say that this Emerald is fake."

"Wait...That's a thing!? So, have we been collecting fake Emeralds this entire time?!?!" Daisy asked.

"No, I tested the ones we have. They're real." Rosalina sighed. "It looks like Discordia was tricked and burned this planet in anger and the belief that the Emerald here is fake too."

Audrey looked at her watch and said, "We've gotta move. Discordia and her Deadly Demons are on their way to Freezeflame Galaxy."

"It's good that we brought coats and stuff to help us against the cold," Mario said.

On the way to the Freezeflame Galaxy

In the hyperspeed tunnel, the observatory zipped through it. Atlas painted a few more strokes on his art and then felt a finger tap his shoulder. He turned around and saw Audrey. She chuckled and asked, "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just painting the Northern Lights from one of the Black Holes that I saw a few weeks ago," Atlas replied.

"Say...Do you want to have some fun?

Atlas raised an eyebrow. "And what would your vision of "fun?"

Audrey chuckled again and took out a Fire Flower. Atlas stood up from his stool and was shocked. He took it and asked, "Where did you get it?"