"Hold on," Matt said, switching back to the green gem. "Let's do some quick heals. We're still pretty messed up."

Helena snorted like a horse. It was kind of weird. "Usually Alasea has to be the one to heal you, Matt. What gives?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but after someone hit me with an explosion - R.D. - it's starting to catch up with me, all right?"

"Yeah, yeah," R.D. waved it off. "Bite me. The Shroobs were the ones who blasted it, not me. I didn't even know they could cause that."

Twin blue staircases sloped up in a V shape, then up and forward again, forming a tiered diamond. At the top was another door. Now Ileyna could easily feel the presence of Omega Essence beyond that gate.

A chime cut through the air as Ileyna's hair lit up blue, causing all of them to freeze. "Another one?!" the girl exclaimed, looking up at the doorway.

"Great," R.D. muttered.

"Looks like we're on the right track after all," Matt said, also looking at the top of the staircases. "Everyone ready?"

"I'm ready," Helena said. Mario and Luigi confirmed it as well, along with the babies.

"Alasea," Hugo said. "Work together with Helena until that Fire Flower gives out. When I give the signal, you and Helena carpet the entire area with fire. Princess Shroob will probably have a group of Shroobs protecting her, and we need to take out as much resistance as possible."

"We can do that," Alasea nodded, looking determined.

"Me and Hugo will try and distract Princess Shroob," R.D. said. "If you see an opening, Matt, take it."

"Got it. Let's roll."

The group thundered up the stairs and pushed aside the massive double doors. In the center of the massive circular room unfolding before them stood a pillar of humming energy, flowing from an emitter up high down to the floor in blue rings. Caught within this pillar was a familiar face.



Mario and Luigi shouted for the princess. Princess Peach rushed up to the barrier and slapped her hands against it. "Mario! Luigi!" Her mouth fell open in an O. "Matt?! You and the others are here, too?"

"We couldn't let Mario have all the fun!" Alasea called back.

"Hugo, see if you can figure out what that machine does," R.D. said, looking about for signs of their enemy. "Now where the hell is Princess Shroob?"

"She isn't far," Peach said. "If you want to try and take down this barrier, see if you can dismantle the machine behind me." Indeed, against the wall behind Peach was a strange contraption, chugging and whirring. Pipes and tubes grew from the creaky device to a shielded tube of metal flanking its right. Whatever was behind that tube, it crackled with power.

"I'll get it," Hugo said. Switching on his gun, he emptied a few rounds on the machine, only for them to be deflected by a shield that flashed blue as each bullet struck it. "Great, it's protected."

"It's still great to see you," said Peach, smiling. It faded when she saw Helena. "My word, what HAPPENED to you, Helena? Are your powers...?"

Helena smiled. "Don't worry about me. You're safe and that's all that matters."

R.D. lifted up a hand and fired a burst of plasma at the shielding on the machine, to no effect. "Dammit," R.D. cursed. "Any ideas as to how we break that shield?"

"Not sure," Alasea said, approaching it. "I can try to dispel it, but I don't know if that'll help. Any ideas, Hugo?"

Hugo tapped his helmet. "Maybe if we can find the main power source for this statue, we can disable the shield, but we don't have enough time for that. At least, not until we take care of Princess Shroob."

Baby Mario leapt down from Mario's shoulders, and Baby Luigi joined him on the floor as Luigi set him down.

Peace crouched down, laying her arms over her lap. "And who are those adorable little tykes?" Her eyes brightened. "Oh, could they be? Why, these babies are Mario and Luigi, aren't they? Yes! The Mario and Luigi of this past time period!"

"Professor Gadd filled us in," Matt said. "We know all about Princess Shroob and we figure she's got access to a powerful artifact that we need to get back."

The color drained from Peach's expression. "Oh, no..." She stood, backing away, hands clasped over her mouth. "You've brought it here...this is..."

"Brought what here?" Ileyna asked. "You don't mean the Essence, do you?"

"Yes," managed Peach, after taking a visible moment to calm herself. "Mario...you must listen to me. The Essence, it's -"

It was at this moment that the ceiling burst apart, rock and shrapnel raining down on them like jagged hail. From the hole forced into the roof, down floated a strange piece of technology - a throne floating on a thick metal disk, propelled by unseen power. The imposing regal figure sitting on the throne rose, glaring at them all.

Matt smirked and, with a sweeping gesture, bowed low. "Princess Shroob, I presume?"

"... better than Celia's number," Alasea commented to Helena. "Still looks terrible on her, though."

"Should we just blast her now?" R.D. asked, readying another sphere of plasma.

Thinking fast, Luigi whipped out his translator and pointed it at Princess Shroob just as she began talking. "NOW YOU'VE DONE IT!" she screeched, clenching her alien fists. "YOU'RE USELESS TO ME NOW, PEACH! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HELP YOU BRING - THIS KINGDOM IS MINE! I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL! DESTROY!"

"YEAH, start shooting her!" Matt called.

Helena pushed Matt aside and breathed a massive gout of flame at Princess Shroob. It rushed like a wave over a shield that manifested around the alien princess just before the attack hit.

"DESTROY THEM!" Princess Shroob shouted, raising her hands. On that cue, the doors to the room burst open, and a legion of Shroobs flowed in like water.

"Split up!" Hugo shouted, whirling to face the Shroob army.

"Shit!" R.D. cried, flinging the plasma burst at the nearest crowd of Shroobs. The blast exploded and sent a number of them flying.

Alasea pointed a hand at the another group of Shroobs pouring out of the door and gestured upwards. Flame tore up from the ground, forming another wall as the aliens began passing through it and igniting. As others escaped the flames, she quickly began lobbing volleys of fireballs at them. "Someone, figure out what's generating that shield and break it!" she yelled over the roaring din of Shroobs.

Matt leapt up in the air and confronted Princess Shroob. "All right," he said, socking his fist into his hand. "Forgive the incoming terrible pun, but it's time you got a 'royal' butt-kicking!"

The fates punished Matt for that pun as pointed spider-legs unfurled from the hovering throne and landed on the ground with a massive crack. They bent down and forced up, the chair flying up, then down in an attempt to squash Matt.

"Hey hey hey!" Matt shouted, flying away just as the throne swooped down and smashed the tile floor.

Meanwhile, the Shroobs were a LIIIIITLE smarter. As they fled for the door, they laid down fleshy pods that unfolded into thick walls. Taking cover behind these walls, the Shroobs organized their gunfire, trying to pin the group down.

Mario and Luigi set down the babies and told them to help R.D. and Alasea. With a cry of determination, the babies whipped out pint-sized hammers and stumbled into the fray, bonking any nearby hapless Shroob square on the noggin.

"Great, smart enemies," R.D. growled, firing around the fleshy barriers to force the Shroobs back behind them. If he was going to kill them, might as well get them in one convenient location. "I hate it when they start learning."

"Matt!" Alasea called, backing up from the ray fire. "These things are plant-like, right!?"

"Kinda busy!" Matt shouted, leaping away from a mechanical leg swipe. Mario bounded at Princess Shroob right away, landing on her shield with a monumental jump that caused it to flicker momentarily. With a wave of her hand, though, she knocked the plumber to the ground with a flash of power. Luigi cried out for Mario and ran to help him.

"Laser Option!" Hugo commanded, deploying his mobile weapons. "They don't burn like normal plants do!"

As Mario fell, Helena leapt up, crashing on the flying disc and causing the whole contraption to sway out of balance. The weredragon rammed her fists into the shield over and over, and even as she took a blast in the chest by Princess Shroob, she kept up the flurry. Only another finally knocked her down.

"R.D., energy's your specialty!" Alasea shouted over the din of combat. "Do something about that damn shield! Matt, get over here and help me with those nature powers of yours!"

R.D. nodded and readied one last attack--green light formed into a sphere in his hand, condensing and hardening as Earth energy poured into it. He reared back to throw it at the barrier, knowing the stone construction of the castle would work to his advantage.

"Gaia Crusher!" he roared, flinging the sphere at the Shroobs. The floor split apart under the blast wave as it rapidly closed in on the floor. It cracked and splintered as it struck, and then exploded, pulverizing the ground in a wide radius. Sharp blades of rent stone were flung up with the blast, cutting into at the aliens' bodies.

"Matt, trade off!" R.D. shouted as he backed away and spun about to face off against Princess Shroob.

Matt flipped backwards several times towards R.D.'s position. "Got it!" Spinning about, he flicked his finger at the recovering Shroobs. "Carnage Vine!" A thick vine burst from the tattered floor and developed a massive pair of jagged petals, which started snapping at any Shroobs that dared wander near.

Princess Shroob swung her arm, spraying an arc of energy balls at Luigi. The green plumber yelped and jumped high to avoid the attack. As he landed, he whipped out another item - a large, orange-speckled egg, which he drop-kicked at the alien menace. It bounced off of her shield and burst into a small display of fireworks, but now her shield had switched to a red tint, as opposed to the blue tint from before.

As she volleyed fireballs at the aliens, Alasea backed up until she was next to Matt. "These things are plants, so do you think you can poison them somehow?" she asked. "Infest them with something?"

"Alright, Shroob, its time to die!" R.D. shouted, pointing a finger at the alien hegemon. Blue particles flit onto his form before condensing into the menacing new Dragon King Armor. The breastplate jewel blazed to life as the matter converter activated, ripping up pieces of the floor and forming the Nova Reactor between the thruster wings and the Azurewrath on his right arm.

R.D. swung the weapon about until he aimed it directly at Princess Shroob, and the blade swung up and locked into position. The Nova Reactor cycled up, spewing out energy and particles as the thruster wings opened up and expanded. Energy built up in the blade of the Azurewrath, sharpening it and charging it.

With a roar, the thrusters activated, and R.D. took off blade-first at Princess Shroob.

"I got a better idea!" Matt shouted. "Dragon Drive!" The jagged aura erupted around him, and with a shout, he dashed at the Shroobs. Laser bullets bounced harmlessly off of his shield before he erupted into their ranks, swatting anything in his way.

Meanwhile, R.D.'s blade crashed into Princess Shroob's barrier, kicking up a ton of electricity. The alien princess screeched alien noises as her barrier struggled to fend off the attack.

The energy coursing through the blade surged forward as it struck the shield, trying to overload the barrier and collapse it. The visor system hidden within R.D.'s helmet had to adjust itself to allow him to see amongst the crashing sparks, and his eyes blazed golden.

"Gotta break through!" he yelled at himself, increasing the output of his thrusters. The red-flared field began to buckle under the strain, allowing his blade to begin piercing through it. Just a little more and... there!

"Gotcha bitch!" he roared, charging energy through the blade into a blast. Energy burned into a furious red as it gathered into a sphere. Grinning sadistically beneath the helmet, R.D. pulled the trigger. "Plasma Lancer, fire!"

Princess Shroob screamed a hateful, bizarre cry as light overwashed her form before the Plasma Lancer blast forced through and detonated the shield, briefly catching the room in a powerful explosion that temporarily blinded the combatants. When the smoke cleared, the throne lay on its side, legs thoroughly junked, and Princess Shroob was completely gone.

"Nice shot!" Hugo shouted, raising his pickaxe in triumph.

"I don't think that finished her!" R.D. called as he fell back from the smoke, Azurewrath's blade swinging back into its blaster mode. The thruster wings closed up into position as the Nova Reactor returned to idling, its energy boost spent.

With one last, explosive smash, Matt scattered the remaining Shroobs to join their unconcious brothers. He turned back around and shouted, "How are you doing over there?!"

"R.D. just took out Princess Shroob's shield, but she vanished!" Helena called back.

"Surround the throne!" Hugo commanded. "If something moves, hit it with everything you have!"

"Why bother waiting?" R.D. asked, approaching the construct. The blade flipped back in place. "I say we bust the thing right now so she can't use it anymore!"

R.D. leaped forward, the Nova Reactor charging the blade again, and sent the sword crashing downwards at the throne.

R.D.'s blade crashed through an empty throne.

"R.D., wait!" Princess Peach suddenly said. "I can't feel Princess Shroob's essence anymore...it's not here nor is it outside the castle. I really think you DID defeat her for good!"

"Forgive me if I'm skeptical, Princess," R.D. returned. "I don't trust an enemy to go down that easily."

"We need to free Peach while we have a chance," Alasea pointed out. "Just in case."

"You're right," R.D. said, approaching the barrier. The Nova Reactor was still charging his weapon. "Peach, step back from the field, I'm gonna try and cut through it."