Toadsworth stood behind the Chancellor as he gave a speech to the massive crowd of pink-shirt Toads, a whole sea of them. He was hardly paying attention to his words, but rather to the entire scene around them.

There had to be a way to travel backwards in time, to stop himself from getting involved in this. To prevent the Chancellor from ever consolidating the power that he had amassed.

The speech was the same as usual, the Chancellor on the stump as he talked about the diversity and culture within the Mushroom Kingdom, but that these cultures were not compatible to live together permanently and should be separated. It was all this big, long justification for kicking all the Koopas and Goombas and Yoshis out and committing acts of violence against them, and the crowd ate it up with gallant enthusiasm.

Whoever said democracy works had simply never seen a crowd. This was an absolute monarchy, and yet it was still a furious mob that surrounded them.

The Mushroom Kingdom was ending, Toadsworth realized. There was no going away from this road once they went down it, and they were going down it like a speeding car.

This is how liberty dies, Toadsworth realized. With thunderous applause.

Finally, the Chancellor’s newest plan was set into motion. His Secret Army attacked mid-speech, with Yoshis and Dry Bones assaulting the crowd, each of them dressed in yellow garb that read only one thing: “RESISTANCE.”

An act like this would surely lead to war. As the bodies of Toads began to pile up on the grass and fireballs shot out and burned a dozen at once, this was the moment when it all disappeared. Toadsworth’s hope of anything resolving itself peacefully. The ghosts of the dead would haunt him forever.

So, in this, he decided to no longer regret his actions. He would fulfill them to the end.

“You are the number one force in this country!” Toadsworth shouted at a batch of new recruits for the New Army. They had disbanded the old military, as it was too loyal to the crown, and those captains that disagreed with their coup were thrown in prison deep within the Koopa Bros. fortress. Not that Toads were particularly fierce combatants, but it was something of a struggle to create this new military force. “I expect the very best from all of you, and if you do not fulfill this expectation, you will be expelled from the New Army. That being said, I believe in you! I know you will keep our forces safe from those who threaten to upend our order.”

One of the recruits raised her hand. He called on her. “Hey, I signed up to kill me some Koopas,” she said. “When do I get to do that?” There was a bit of canned laughter from the group.

“You may not kill Koopas, or anyone for that matter, if they are not already attacking you. or unless ordered to do so.” The crowd let out a groan of disappointment. “I know, I know. But you’ll get your chance, don’t worry. The Koopa Resistance and their foul ways must be stopped, for they appear to leave violence on the table at every juncture.”

These recruits would do nicely. They would replace the dying ember of a country the Mushroom Kingdom once was, and turn it into a roaring flame of passion and strength. They would Make the Mushroom Kingdom Great Again.

“Do you like my design?” Grandma Toadstool asked. “Does Princess Peach really... want this? It is a bit strong for her new dress...”

“Thank you, my dear,” Toadsworth said. “It will help the Princess quite a lot.”

Grandma Toadstool had been Peach’s nanny since before Toadsworth even had joined the Royal Court, hence her very familiar name. She was mostly senile now and easy to convince of anything, but he still lamented that they had to use her like this. She didn’t even know that Peach was deposed, and most likely already dead.

But she was still useful. She had designed most of the best outfits in the kingdom in her youth, and now she had given the Mushroom Kingdom a new insignia: a bright-red mushroom with furrowed brows and a striking sword behind it. This would symbolize the new kingdom, a place for Toads and a place for peace, but a peace brought forth by strength.

He liked it.

The Chancellor was making another speech to the New Army. A full four battalions were gathered here for this speech, listening to the Chancellor’s every word as he extolled the strength of the new Mushroom Kingdom and his plan to force peace on the entire region.

Toadsworth once again hardly listened. There was no point, because he WROTE the speech. Its delivery was second to the words that dripped off the page. If he was going to create a new kingdom worth showing off on the world stage, then it needed to be the ultimate one. It needed words that would piece like no other.

And then there was a rumbling. As if the ground were shaking in excitement from the arrival of this new government, this new order, this new Toadsworth--

“ROOOOOOAR!”

Holy shit!

By the time Toadsworth even realized what was happening, it was too late to stop any of it. There was a three-headed Bone Dragon sticking out of the ground, and two figures atop it.

The Lordess Bowsette and Princess Peach.

Toadsworth and the Chancellor exchanged glances, and the Chancellor ran back inside into the Castle, too afraid to deal with this fight.

However, the true leader of the Mushroom Kingdom was not afraid. Toadsworth pointed, and screamed. “CHARGE AT THE TRAITORS!”

The New Army complied, attacking the Bone Dragon with all their might.

But...

But.

It was useless. Bowsette, now apparently equipped with bat-like wings, began flying around the castle grounds, shooting fireballs at the military below her and picking up and throwing Toads as she passed by them. Peach whacked the ones near her with a frying pan, and then of course the Bone Dragon itself was making a quick meal out of the combatants.

Bowsette made no attempt to avoid conflict, and clearly relished in this. She slammed a Toad face-first into the ground and laughed. “Kakakakaka!”

And then in one flash-step, she disappeared, and reappeared just in front of Toadsworth himself.

“What’s going on, bub?” She showed off the sharpened claws at her fingertips. She grinned with all her fangs showing proudly.

“I.. I...” Toadsworth wanted to die. It was what he was wishing for all of this time. To die honorably, to have his grandchildren be able to look back and remember him with fond memories as they continued their education. To have his legacy printed in a chapter of history books taught to their own grandchildren.

But he wasn’t killed. He was thrown to the ground, his back cracking against the concrete, but he was still alive, still conscious, and still able to see his New Army wiped out by two women and a skeleton dragon.