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It also has a [[Characters/TheKingdomBeyondMidnight character sheet]], which needs love. Please put any tropes about specific characters there.
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* ContinuityCavalcade: This is one of the things that fully sets ''TKBM'' apart from other fanfics. Cameos and references are ''everywhere,'' and are woven together expertly. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that every game in the franchise contributes to the plot in some way, right down to obscure titles like ''VideoGame/YoshisSafari.''
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* ContinuityCavalcade: This is one of the big things that fully sets ''TKBM'' apart from other fanfics. apart. Cameos and references are ''everywhere,'' and are expertly woven together expertly.in a way that feels natural. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that every game in the franchise contributes to the plot in some way, right down to obscure titles like ''VideoGame/YoshisSafari.''
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** In Chapter 12, which kicks off the second act, we finally get to see the full extent of the Empress’ insane cruelty when she [[spoiler: invites the entire kingdom to the capital for a Star Festival, then turns the S.T.A.R. reactor on them, turning her own city and subjects into ship fuel until nothing remains but an empty lunar wasteland]]. The first time reading that scene will take your breath away.
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** In Chapter 12, which kicks off the second act, we finally get to see the full extent of the Empress’ insane cruelty when she [[spoiler: invites the entire kingdom to the capital for a Star Festival, then turns the S.T.A.R. reactor on them, turning transmuting her own city and subjects into ship fuel until nothing remains but an empty lunar wasteland]]. The first time reading that scene will take your breath away.
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** In Chapter 12, which kicks off the second act, we finally get to see the full extent of the Empress’ insane cruelty when she [[spoiler: invites the entire kingdom to the capital for a Star Festival, then turns the S.T.A.R. reactor on them, harvesting her own city and subjects for spaceship fuel until nothing remains but an empty lunar wasteland]].
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** In Chapter 12, which kicks off the second act, we finally get to see the full extent of the Empress’ insane cruelty when she [[spoiler: invites the entire kingdom to the capital for a Star Festival, then turns the S.T.A.R. reactor on them, harvesting turning her own city and subjects for spaceship into ship fuel until nothing remains but an empty lunar wasteland]]. The first time reading that scene will take your breath away.
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* WhamEpisode:
** Chapter 7, the first time we meet the Empress in the flesh. Up until then, readers had likely been picturing “evil Peach” as some kind of Shadow Queen knockoff. But instead we get, in the story’s own terms, “a mountainous, corpulent, utter ruin of a woman,” too fat to move and partially covered in hideous burn scars. To make it even worse, we’re seeing all this from Peach’s viewpoint, and she’s ''terrified'' of what this other version of her has become.
** In Chapter 12, which kicks off the second act, we finally get to see the full extent of the Empress’ insane cruelty when she [[spoiler: invites the entire kingdom to the capital for a Star Festival, then turns the S.T.A.R. reactor on them, harvesting her own city and subjects for spaceship fuel until nothing remains but an empty lunar wasteland]].
** The final scene of Chapter 14, when [[spoiler:the Empress is restored to her true form against her will, and it’s revealed that she’s secretly been Empress Shroob all along]].
* WhamLine: This line from Princess Peach in Chapter 14. By itself, the line means nothing and hardly even needs to be spoiler tagged. But with context, it manages to turn the entire plot on its head in the most chilling way possible.
--> '''Peach:''' [[spoiler: ''"Mushrooms don’t grow on Shooting Star Summit."'']]
** Chapter 7, the first time we meet the Empress in the flesh. Up until then, readers had likely been picturing “evil Peach” as some kind of Shadow Queen knockoff. But instead we get, in the story’s own terms, “a mountainous, corpulent, utter ruin of a woman,” too fat to move and partially covered in hideous burn scars. To make it even worse, we’re seeing all this from Peach’s viewpoint, and she’s ''terrified'' of what this other version of her has become.
** In Chapter 12, which kicks off the second act, we finally get to see the full extent of the Empress’ insane cruelty when she [[spoiler: invites the entire kingdom to the capital for a Star Festival, then turns the S.T.A.R. reactor on them, harvesting her own city and subjects for spaceship fuel until nothing remains but an empty lunar wasteland]].
** The final scene of Chapter 14, when [[spoiler:the Empress is restored to her true form against her will, and it’s revealed that she’s secretly been Empress Shroob all along]].
* WhamLine: This line from Princess Peach in Chapter 14. By itself, the line means nothing and hardly even needs to be spoiler tagged. But with context, it manages to turn the entire plot on its head in the most chilling way possible.
--> '''Peach:''' [[spoiler: ''"Mushrooms don’t grow on Shooting Star Summit."'']]
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* ContinuityCavalcade: This is one of the things that fully sets ''TKBM'' apart from other fanfics. Cameos and references are ''everywhere,'' and are woven together expertly. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that every game in the franchise contributes to the plot in some way, right down to obscure titles like ''VideoGame/YoshisSafari.''
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* TheEmpire: Every bit as evil as ever, and ruled by a hedonistic, insane version of Princess Peach.
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* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” part). Nothing ever comes of it though, since Luigi is still happily going steady with Princess Daisy.
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* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” [[TheGadfly “teasing”]] part). Nothing ever comes of it though, since Luigi is still happily going steady with Princess Daisy.
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* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” part). Nothing ever comes from it though, as Luigi is still happily in a relationship with Princess Daisy.
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* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” part). Nothing ever comes from of it though, as since Luigi is still happily in a relationship going steady with Princess Daisy.
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* AcceptableBreaksFromCanon: In ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'', the Star Festival is said to happen once a century, but here it’s made into a yearly event, both to put more focus on the importance of Stars in the Mushroom Kingdom’s culture, and to explain why a second Star Festival happens in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2''.
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* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6 is much fluffier than the ones before and after it, and mainly focuses on Mario and Vivian shopping at the market while the reader catches up on the party’s current situation. In the notes, the author explains that she wanted to focus on ShipTease instead of drama for a chapter to help cure a case of Writer’s Block.
** Chapter 13 serves a similar purpose during Act 2, with Mario and Vivian [[spoiler:having a heart-to-heart talk while locked in a dungeon cell]], but since it maintains the dark tone set by the [[WhamEpisode previous chapter]], it’s more like an ActionFilmQuietDramaScene.
** Chapter 13 serves a similar purpose during Act 2, with Mario and Vivian [[spoiler:having a heart-to-heart talk while locked in a dungeon cell]], but since it maintains the dark tone set by the [[WhamEpisode previous chapter]], it’s more like an ActionFilmQuietDramaScene.
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* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6 is much fluffier than the ones before and after it, in tone, and mainly focuses on Mario and Vivian shopping at the market while the reader catches up on the party’s current situation. In the notes, the author explains that she wanted to focus on ShipTease instead of drama for a chapter to help cure a case of Writer’s Block.
** Chapter 13serves has a similar purpose during Act 2, with Mario and Vivian [[spoiler:having a heart-to-heart talk while locked in a dungeon cell]], but since it maintains the dark tone set by the [[WhamEpisode previous chapter]], it’s more like an ActionFilmQuietDramaScene.
** Chapter 13
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* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Younger Princess Shroob]]. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear VERY pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
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* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Younger Princess Shroob]]. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear VERY pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating worse and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
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* DressingAsTheEnemy: Several times, to the point where Goombella eventually calls the heroes out on it, and says they can’t do it anymore [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall because the trick is getting stale]].
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*FacelessGoons: The Empress has an army of these, with eerie helmets that light up from within, making them look extra intimidating in the dark. Peach knocks one out during her escape attempt, revealing that beneath their armor, [[spoiler:they’re just common Toads]].
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Also along for the ride is Vivian, one of Mario’s [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor old partners]] who was also at the Gala. As a Shadow Siren, she should feel at ease in a land of constant darkness, right? But there’s something twisted lurking in the shadows of this world – something only she can sense. Is Vivian strong enough to face this new, unexpectedly personal foe? More importantly, will she ever be able to [[CanNotSpitItOut tell Mario how she feels?]]
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Also along for the ride is Vivian, one of Mario’s [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor old partners]] who was also at the Gala. As a Shadow Siren, she should feel at ease in a land of constant darkness, right? But there’s something twisted lurking in the shadows of this world – something only she can sense. Is Vivian strong enough to face this new, unexpectedly personal foe? More importantly, will she ever be able to [[CanNotSpitItOut will she ever be able]] to tell Mario how she feels?]]
feels?
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** In Chapter 6, Mario finds a Fridge sticker while searching his pocket for coins. At first, it just seems like a quick TakeThat at ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar Sticker Star]]'', but it ends up [[spoiler:playing a key role in the final battle, when it’s used to freeze the Empress in a last-ditch plan]].
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** In Chapter 6, Mario finds a Fridge sticker while searching his pocket for coins. At first, it just seems like a quick TakeThat at ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar Sticker Star]]'', but it ends up [[spoiler:playing a key role in the final battle, when it’s used a last-ditch plan involves using it to freeze the Empress in a last-ditch plan]].Empress]].
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** Lastly, there’s [[spoiler:Mario’s heirloom engagement ring]]. Peach briefly thinks of it at one point, and Mario and Goombella discuss it a few chapters later, but it doesn’t come into play until the epilogue, when [[spoiler:Mario uses it to propose.]]
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** Lastly, there’s [[spoiler:Mario’s heirloom engagement ring]]. Peach briefly thinks of it at one point, and Mario and Goombella discuss it a few chapters later, but it doesn’t come into play until the epilogue, when [[spoiler:Mario uses it to propose.propose to Vivian.]]
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* ChekhovsGun:
** In Chapter 6, Mario finds a Fridge sticker while searching his pocket for coins. At first, it just seems like a quick TakeThat at ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar Sticker Star]]'', but it ends up [[spoiler:playing a key role in the final battle, when it’s used to freeze the Empress in a last-ditch plan]].
** The pair of Pretty Lucky badges, which Mario and Vivian buy in the same scene. Not only does one of them save Vivian’s life in Chapter 10, but they play into Mario’s BluffTheImposter moment later on.
** Lastly, there’s [[spoiler:Mario’s heirloom engagement ring]]. Peach briefly thinks of it at one point, and Mario and Goombella discuss it a few chapters later, but it doesn’t come into play until the epilogue, when [[spoiler:Mario uses it to propose.]]
** In Chapter 6, Mario finds a Fridge sticker while searching his pocket for coins. At first, it just seems like a quick TakeThat at ''[[VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar Sticker Star]]'', but it ends up [[spoiler:playing a key role in the final battle, when it’s used to freeze the Empress in a last-ditch plan]].
** The pair of Pretty Lucky badges, which Mario and Vivian buy in the same scene. Not only does one of them save Vivian’s life in Chapter 10, but they play into Mario’s BluffTheImposter moment later on.
** Lastly, there’s [[spoiler:Mario’s heirloom engagement ring]]. Peach briefly thinks of it at one point, and Mario and Goombella discuss it a few chapters later, but it doesn’t come into play until the epilogue, when [[spoiler:Mario uses it to propose.]]
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Also along for the ride is Vivian, one of Mario’s [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor old partners]] who was also at the Gala. As a Shadow Siren, she should feel at ease in a land of constant darkness, right? But there’s something twisted lurking in the shadows of this world – something only she can sense. Is Vivian strong enough to face this new, unexpectedly personal foe? More importantly, will she ever be able to [[CanNotSpitItOut admit her true feelings]] for Mario?
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Also along for the ride is Vivian, one of Mario’s [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor old partners]] who was also at the Gala. As a Shadow Siren, she should feel at ease in a land of constant darkness, right? But there’s something twisted lurking in the shadows of this world – something only she can sense. Is Vivian strong enough to face this new, unexpectedly personal foe? More importantly, will she ever be able to [[CanNotSpitItOut admit her true feelings]] for Mario?
tell Mario how she feels?]]
* AlwaysNight: The other world has no stars, which includes the Sun. The sky is always dark to some extent, but Vivian notices how it fades from pure black to an “indecisive ashy grey” whenever it’s supposed to be daytime.
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* WhenItAllBegan: An interlude between the two acts, titled ''The Last Bright Night'', is a flashback seen through the eyes of a six-year-old girl – namely, the parallel world’s version of Peach. It finally shows the tragedy that was alluded to all throughout Act 1, and it’s easily the darkest chapter of the entire fic.
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* WhenItAllBegan: An interlude between the two acts, titled ''The Last Bright Night'', is a flashback seen through the eyes of a six-year-old girl – namely, the parallel world’s version of Peach. It finally shows the tragedy that was alluded to all throughout Act 1, and it’s easily the darkest chapter of the entire fic.fic.
*WretchedHive: In this timeline, Rogueport is a subversion. It’s still run by pirates and the Pianta Syndicate, but since the pirates smuggle in Shine Sprites to keep the city bright, and the Syndicate uses its influence to keep TheEmpire away, it’s comparatively a much nicer place to live than anywhere else. As Goombella puts it, "It’s the one place in this backwards world that isn't a total mess."
*WretchedHive: In this timeline, Rogueport is a subversion. It’s still run by pirates and the Pianta Syndicate, but since the pirates smuggle in Shine Sprites to keep the city bright, and the Syndicate uses its influence to keep TheEmpire away, it’s comparatively a much nicer place to live than anywhere else. As Goombella puts it, "It’s the one place in this backwards world that isn't a total mess."
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* AdaptationalMundanity: A mild case. Magic still has a big role in the plot, but a lot of the traditional ''Super Mario'' quirks are notably absent. Floating blocks are nowhere to be seen, Warp Pipes only appear in one chapter, and even power-ups (Fire Flowers in this case) are only used once, and very briefly at that. Overall, the setting is treated more like a world with some videogame-like elements, rather than a videogame world.
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* AdaptationalMundanity: A mild case. Magic still has a big role in the plot, to play, but a lot of the traditional ''Super Mario'' quirks are notably absent. Floating blocks are nowhere to be seen, Warp Pipes only appear in one chapter, and even power-ups (Fire Flowers in this case) are only used once, and very briefly at that. Overall, the setting is treated more like a world with some videogame-like elements, rather than a videogame world.
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* CanonWelding: The ''Mario'' series is infamous for its NegativeContinuity, but here all the games explicitly take place in one timeline, with Mario and Luigi referencing things they did in the platformers, RPGs, and spinoffs alike.
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* CanonWelding: The ''Mario'' series is infamous for its NegativeContinuity, but here all the games explicitly take place in one timeline, with Mario and Luigi referencing things they did in the platformers, RPGs, [=RPGs=], and spinoffs alike.
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* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” part). Nothing ever comes from it, though, as Luigi is still happily in a relationship with Princess Daisy.
to:
* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” part). Nothing ever comes from it, it though, as Luigi is still happily in a relationship with Princess Daisy.
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* AdaptationalMundanity: A mild case. Magic still has a big role in the plot, but a lot of the traditional ''Super Mario'' quirks are notably absent. Floating blocks are nowhere to be seen, Warp Pipes only appear in one chapter, and even power-ups (Fire Flowers in this case) are only used once, and very briefly at that. Overall, the setting is treated more like a world with some videogame-like elements, rather than a videogame world.
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* CanonWelding: The ''Mario'' series is infamous for its NegativeContinuity, but here all the games explicitly take place in one timeline, with Mario and Luigi referencing things they did in the platformers, RPGs, and spinoffs alike.
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* ShipTease: In addition to all the stuff with Vivian and Mario, there’s a fair bit of Ship Teasing between Luigi and Bow (with extra special emphasis on the “teasing” part). Nothing ever comes from it, though, as Luigi is still happily in a relationship with Princess Daisy.
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* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6 is much fluffier than the ones before and after it, and mainly focuses on Mario and Vivian shopping at the market while the reader gets caught up on the party’s current situation. In the notes, the author explains that she wanted to focus on ShipTease instead of drama for a chapter to help cure a case of Writer’s Block.
to:
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6 is much fluffier than the ones before and after it, and mainly focuses on Mario and Vivian shopping at the market while the reader gets caught catches up on the party’s current situation. In the notes, the author explains that she wanted to focus on ShipTease instead of drama for a chapter to help cure a case of Writer’s Block.
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* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of Younger Princess Shroob. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear VERY pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
to:
* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of [[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime Younger Princess Shroob.Shroob]]. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear VERY pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
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* FunWithAcronyms: Par for the course, E. Gadd’s latest invention has a name like this. It’s called the '''S'''tellar '''T'''ransmutation/'''A'''mplification '''R'''eactor, or S.T.A.R. for short.
* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: The Dry Bones in Chapter 9 have these, naturally.
* GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath: The Dry Bones in Chapter 9 have these, naturally.
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* WantonCrueltyToTheCommonComma: It’s not so much an overuse of punctuation in general, but the fic has a tendency to use semicolons where normal commas would’ve sufficed.
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* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of Younger Princess Shroob. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear ''very'' pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
to:
* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of Younger Princess Shroob. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear ''very'' VERY pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
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''The Kingdom Beyond Midnight'' is a ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' fanfic written by Sightshade. It’s known for its [[DarkerAndEdgier darker-than-usual]] tone for a ''Mario'' story, and for its complex plot that pulls elements from many games in the series library, although it pulls most heavily from the [=RPGs=].
It’s the night of the yearly Star Festival, and Mario is invited to attend the spectacular Starlight Gala at Princess Peach’s castle. [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg (Ah, and Luigi is there too)]]. But when a sinister falling star [[ColonyDrop plummets from space]] and crashes into the castle, they all find themselves transported to an AlternateUniverse where the sky is [[TheStarsAreGoingOut starless and empty]] – the result of a mysterious tragedy that happened twenty years ago, which killed the Star Spirits and left the world to ruin.
Almost instantly, Princess Peach is kidnapped again – this time by her own alternate self, who rules the darkened timeline as the tyrannical [[BigBad Empress Toadstool]]. With her own body failing her, and driven mad by grief, the Empress plans to [[GrandTheftMe steal her counterpart’s body]], and then her world, for herself. To stop her, Mario and friends team up with a [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits ragtag group]] of [[LaResistance resistance fighters]], with a mission to save Peach and get everyone back home safely… before it’s too late.
Also along for the ride is Vivian, one of Mario’s [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor old partners]] who was also at the Gala. As a Shadow Siren, she should feel at ease in a land of constant darkness, right? But there’s something twisted lurking in the shadows of this world – something only she can sense. Is Vivian strong enough to face this new, unexpectedly personal foe? More importantly, will she ever be able to [[CanNotSpitItOut admit her true feelings]] for Mario?
The story is complete as of Oct 1, 2017, and can be found on both [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12071410/1/The-Kingdom-Beyond-Midnight Fanfiction.net]] and [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/7643140/chapters/17401117 AO3]].
----
!!Tropes found in ''The Kingdom Beyond Midnight'' include:
* BookEnds: The story ends the same way it begins – with Mario attending a Starlight Gala at Peach’s castle. The main change lies in Mario’s own happiness. At the start, he’s still trying to get over a painful breakup, while the ending has him [[spoiler: proposing to his SecondLove]].
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6 is much fluffier than the ones before and after it, and mainly focuses on Mario and Vivian shopping at the market while the reader gets caught up on the party’s current situation. In the notes, the author explains that she wanted to focus on ShipTease instead of drama for a chapter to help cure a case of Writer’s Block.
** Chapter 13 serves a similar purpose during Act 2, with Mario and Vivian [[spoiler:having a heart-to-heart talk while locked in a dungeon cell]], but since it maintains the dark tone set by the [[WhamEpisode previous chapter]], it’s more like an ActionFilmQuietDramaScene.
* EpisodeOfTheDead: In Chapter 9, the party stumbles into a haunted swamp filled with Dry Bones, which turns out to be a mass grave left over from the Empress’s Koopa genocide. A frantic chase ensues, with the heroes trying to escape the swamp while not getting torn apart or swept away by waves of savage undead. Incidentally, the chapter was released only a few days before Halloween.
* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of Younger Princess Shroob. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear ''very'' pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
* FlyawayShot: The last few lines of the story seem written to evoke this, starting with [[spoiler: Mario and Vivian’s embrace]], before pulling back to show the rest of the festival, then [[PanUpToTheSkyEnding up to the fireworks]] and the star-filled sky beyond.
* InsistentTerminology:
** Mario and Luigi are ''ex-''plumbers, thank you very much. With their full-time focus on adventuring, neither of them has plumbed a drain in years.
** Vivian isn’t a ghost, and she has no idea why people keep referring to her as such.
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: In the end, it’s ultimately left ambiguous whether it was [[spoiler:Mario and Vivian’s TrueLovesKiss or Kamek’s death that broke the spell and closed the miniature Void.]]
* ParallelConflictSequence: The climactic final battle in Chapter 16 switches back and forth between [[spoiler:Mario, Vivian, and Bowser’s fight against the Starlit Empress]], and [[spoiler:Luigi and Bow’s fight against Kamek]], with the switches happening faster and faster as things get more dire for the two groups and the chapter gets closer to ending.
* RuleOfThree: Over the course of the story, a Star Festival is held three times. First at the very beginning, then the Empress’ festival at the start of Act 2, and finally during the Epilogue.
* TheStarsAreGoingOut: It’s pretty much the central trope of the story. The parallel timeline’s Stars went out twenty years ago, creating a hopeless and decaying world where no wishes can ever be granted. In the Interlude, we get to see just how it all happened, and it sure isn’t pretty. [[spoiler:Kamek, in a desperate bid to stop the Shroobs, kidnapped the seven Star Children. He planned to link them with the Star Spirits and tap into their power, but the Shroobs found out and attacked the ritual site. The children were killed, and since the linking spell was still active, it took the actual Stars down with them.]] Yikes.
* WhenItAllBegan: An interlude between the two acts, titled ''The Last Bright Night'', is a flashback seen through the eyes of a six-year-old girl – namely, the parallel world’s version of Peach. It finally shows the tragedy that was alluded to all throughout Act 1, and it’s easily the darkest chapter of the entire fic.
It’s the night of the yearly Star Festival, and Mario is invited to attend the spectacular Starlight Gala at Princess Peach’s castle. [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg (Ah, and Luigi is there too)]]. But when a sinister falling star [[ColonyDrop plummets from space]] and crashes into the castle, they all find themselves transported to an AlternateUniverse where the sky is [[TheStarsAreGoingOut starless and empty]] – the result of a mysterious tragedy that happened twenty years ago, which killed the Star Spirits and left the world to ruin.
Almost instantly, Princess Peach is kidnapped again – this time by her own alternate self, who rules the darkened timeline as the tyrannical [[BigBad Empress Toadstool]]. With her own body failing her, and driven mad by grief, the Empress plans to [[GrandTheftMe steal her counterpart’s body]], and then her world, for herself. To stop her, Mario and friends team up with a [[RagTagBunchOfMisfits ragtag group]] of [[LaResistance resistance fighters]], with a mission to save Peach and get everyone back home safely… before it’s too late.
Also along for the ride is Vivian, one of Mario’s [[VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor old partners]] who was also at the Gala. As a Shadow Siren, she should feel at ease in a land of constant darkness, right? But there’s something twisted lurking in the shadows of this world – something only she can sense. Is Vivian strong enough to face this new, unexpectedly personal foe? More importantly, will she ever be able to [[CanNotSpitItOut admit her true feelings]] for Mario?
The story is complete as of Oct 1, 2017, and can be found on both [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12071410/1/The-Kingdom-Beyond-Midnight Fanfiction.net]] and [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/7643140/chapters/17401117 AO3]].
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!!Tropes found in ''The Kingdom Beyond Midnight'' include:
* BookEnds: The story ends the same way it begins – with Mario attending a Starlight Gala at Peach’s castle. The main change lies in Mario’s own happiness. At the start, he’s still trying to get over a painful breakup, while the ending has him [[spoiler: proposing to his SecondLove]].
* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6 is much fluffier than the ones before and after it, and mainly focuses on Mario and Vivian shopping at the market while the reader gets caught up on the party’s current situation. In the notes, the author explains that she wanted to focus on ShipTease instead of drama for a chapter to help cure a case of Writer’s Block.
** Chapter 13 serves a similar purpose during Act 2, with Mario and Vivian [[spoiler:having a heart-to-heart talk while locked in a dungeon cell]], but since it maintains the dark tone set by the [[WhamEpisode previous chapter]], it’s more like an ActionFilmQuietDramaScene.
* EpisodeOfTheDead: In Chapter 9, the party stumbles into a haunted swamp filled with Dry Bones, which turns out to be a mass grave left over from the Empress’s Koopa genocide. A frantic chase ensues, with the heroes trying to escape the swamp while not getting torn apart or swept away by waves of savage undead. Incidentally, the chapter was released only a few days before Halloween.
* ForWantOfANail: The split between the timelines ends up being tied to the fate of Younger Princess Shroob. In the main timeline, she died with her sister and their invasion fell apart. In the alternate one, she survived and fled back to their homeworld, mustering reinforcements to return with a second fleet [[spoiler:which included her [[MamaBear ''very'' pissed-off mother]]]]. The next invasion was far more devastating and pushed the Mushroom Kingdom to the brink of annihilation, which resulted in the Star Spirits sacrificing themselves [[spoiler:(or Kamek sacrificing the Star Spirits)]] in order to save everyone.
* FlyawayShot: The last few lines of the story seem written to evoke this, starting with [[spoiler: Mario and Vivian’s embrace]], before pulling back to show the rest of the festival, then [[PanUpToTheSkyEnding up to the fireworks]] and the star-filled sky beyond.
* InsistentTerminology:
** Mario and Luigi are ''ex-''plumbers, thank you very much. With their full-time focus on adventuring, neither of them has plumbed a drain in years.
** Vivian isn’t a ghost, and she has no idea why people keep referring to her as such.
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: In the end, it’s ultimately left ambiguous whether it was [[spoiler:Mario and Vivian’s TrueLovesKiss or Kamek’s death that broke the spell and closed the miniature Void.]]
* ParallelConflictSequence: The climactic final battle in Chapter 16 switches back and forth between [[spoiler:Mario, Vivian, and Bowser’s fight against the Starlit Empress]], and [[spoiler:Luigi and Bow’s fight against Kamek]], with the switches happening faster and faster as things get more dire for the two groups and the chapter gets closer to ending.
* RuleOfThree: Over the course of the story, a Star Festival is held three times. First at the very beginning, then the Empress’ festival at the start of Act 2, and finally during the Epilogue.
* TheStarsAreGoingOut: It’s pretty much the central trope of the story. The parallel timeline’s Stars went out twenty years ago, creating a hopeless and decaying world where no wishes can ever be granted. In the Interlude, we get to see just how it all happened, and it sure isn’t pretty. [[spoiler:Kamek, in a desperate bid to stop the Shroobs, kidnapped the seven Star Children. He planned to link them with the Star Spirits and tap into their power, but the Shroobs found out and attacked the ritual site. The children were killed, and since the linking spell was still active, it took the actual Stars down with them.]] Yikes.
* WhenItAllBegan: An interlude between the two acts, titled ''The Last Bright Night'', is a flashback seen through the eyes of a six-year-old girl – namely, the parallel world’s version of Peach. It finally shows the tragedy that was alluded to all throughout Act 1, and it’s easily the darkest chapter of the entire fic.
