Icy Invasion

(Cubed Cinder)

Giant Land

Prince Hugo sat patiently on his throne waiting for his wife, the beloved Princess Apple, to appear. She was going away with her good friend, Peach, for a couple days to a place in the Real World called Vancouver. Hugo was nervous from the moment she agreed to accompany Peach, no matter how much he tried shrugging it off because of how big he and Apple were.
"Okay, here I come, honey!" Apple shouted from one of the hallways. Hugo looked to see his wife appear from the hallway, and he smiled when he saw what she was wearing. Rather than her traditional red dress, Apple dressed herself up in both a red coat and long red pants, both with yellow stripes running down the sides. She was also wearing a red scarf and red gloves, and she still had her tiara on her head. In fact, the only things that weren't red or yellow on Apple's body were her long brown hair wrapped in a ponytail, and also her boots, which she hadn't worn since her first date with Hugo. Apple twirled herself around.
"Well, how do I look?" Apple said.
"You look as beautiful as you always do." Hugo said.
"I told you, didn't I? There's not an outfit I have that won't impress you." Apple said. Hugo smiled, then frowned for a little bit.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hugo said.
"It's only for a couple days, Hugo. It's not like I'll be gone for a while because of a meeting with other Mushroom World leaders." Apple said.
"Well, it isn't just the fact you'll be gone for a couple days. It's the fact you're going to the Real World that scares me. It can be quite dangerous... I've heard some of the adventures that Mario and his friends have gone through." Hugo said.
"Honey, with all due respect to Mario, he and his friends aren't 50 feet tall like we are." Apple said.
"True, but still... please PLEASE be careful." Hugo said. Apple finally walked over to her husband, who stood up from his throne, and the two exchanged kisses.
"I will. You be careful too. Don't do anything reckless while I'm gone!" Apple said. Finally, she walked away, heading for the outside of the Giant Land castle.
"I already miss you!" Hugo shouted. Apple just laughed. Such a fun-loving husband to have, she thought.

Outside the castle, Mario and Princesses Peach and Daisy, who were also dressed up in winter garb, were waiting outside the Giant Land castle, specifically in front of the tiny door reserved for normal-sized visitors. All of them except for Daisy were waiting patiently for Apple to step out, because patience is not exactly one of Daisy's stronger traits.
"Man, Princess Apple needs to hurry up! I can't wait to see this Vancouver kingdom!" Daisy said.
"Daisy, have patience! Apple has to be ready just like us, remember?" Peach said.
"Mama mia! I'm looking forward to seeing Sonic again. I'm glad he had a good time in Beijing just like we did." Mario said.
"I know, and after such a long time away from the Real World too." Peach said. Just then, the big doors of the Giant Land castle opened up, and stepping out was the winter clothing-clad Princess Apple.
"Okay, ready to go!" Apple said.
"Wow! You look fantastic, Apple!" Peach said.
"I know, but so do you. Maybe we should have more winters." Apple said.
"Oh no! No way! I'll take the warmer weather any day of the week." Daisy said.
"You know, Princess Apple, that looks like something you could wear in a motorcycle race." Mario said.
"Yeah, good point. You're gonna need a lot of lightning, though, if I wanted to race at the right size!" Apple said, prompting a chuckle from the two princesses.
"Alright, we better get going then." Peach said.
"You have that magic wand that can change any warp pipe to a Real World warp?" Apple said. Peach pulled out the golden wand that she had stolen from Bowser back in Mushroom Vacation.
"The one and only. Just take us to the closest warp pipe you can find." Peach said. Apple then kneeled down and held out one of her gloved hands, allowing the two princesses and Mario to climb aboard. Apple then stood back to her full height and kept her hand steady for the sake of her friends.
"Vancouver, here we come." Daisy said. Apple then started walking to the closest warp pipe that they could find.

Mystic Ruins

Meanwhile, in another universe, another group of heroes were planning their own visit to Vancouver. And of course, the means to get there were a bit different, but it was nothing that Tails couldn't handle. He stepped out of his workshop, finding Sonic impatiently tapping his foot on the ground. With him were Amy Rose and Blaze, who was once again visiting from the future. She had greatly loosened up thanks to friends like Sonic, Tails, and Marine the Raccoon, all of whom helping in completing her missions in bringing peace to the future Mobius.
"Tails, I've been waiting!" Sonic said.
"Geez, Sonic, it was only a few minutes more work." Tails said.
"Oh, don't worry, Tails. I looooooove it when Sonic gets impatient." Amy said. Sonic just sighed as Amy nudged herself against her supposed boyfriend.
"So is this so-called Energy Subamplifier of yours ready?" Blaze asked. Tails held the invention up.
"Yep! All you gotta do is attach one end to a Chaos Emerald, and another end to one of the Sol Emeralds. That should generate enough Chaos Control to transport all of us to Vancouver." Tails said.
"Are you sure it won't be too much? The last time Chaos Control was used, we all got blasted to an entirely different planet!" Amy Rose said.
"But at least we had a blast after we got blasted!" Sonic said. The other characters just groaned at the bad joke.
"Anyway, we better get going. Mario and his friends are already there!" Tails said.
"Right. Ready, team?" Sonic said.
"I was born ready." Blaze said.
"Well, so was I!" Amy said. Sonic then happened to notice Tails carrying out a briefcase.
"Man, Tails, don't you think you could just bring your whole workshop while you're at it?" Sonic asked.
"Well, one can never be too prepared. I really think all these gadgets I'm bringing will come in handy." Tails said. Sonic then pulled out a Chaos Emerald, and at the same time, Blaze pulled out one of her Sol Emeralds. The two emeralds were both hooked up to the Energy Subamplifier, and Sonic did his work with the two emeralds.
"Chaos Control!" Sonic shouted. Soon, he and the others were teleported out of Mystic Ruins...

Vancouver
Cypress Mountain

The tough female snowboarder, Elise, paced around the snow-covered ground, waiting for her partner, Eddie, to join her. Eventually, he finally made it down on his own snowboard, and Elise wasn't too thrilled.
"Damn it, Eddie! You took too long again!" Elise shouted.
"Hey, come on, girl! What's a guy gotta do to get his hair in proper order?" Eddie said. Elise then just laughed it off.
"Yeah, like you're not enough of a clown already." Elise said.
"Man, I can't wait for the next SSX race. Too bad we'll have to wait until after the Winter Olympics for the next one." Eddie said.
"Ah, don't sweat it. There are other mountains for us to shred, right?" Elise said.
"Of course!" Eddie shouted.
Shortly thereafter, the ground began to shake... enough for Elise and Eddie to have trouble maintaining balance.
"Whoa! An earthquake!" Eddie said.
"On this mountain?" Elise said.
"Hey, look over there!" Eddie said. Over where he pointing, a gigantic green pipe suddenly sprouted up from the ground, knocking over a huge pile of snow as it rose up. The next thing that came out from the pipe was a large hand, following by another one. That's when the two snowboarders got their first glimpse at the giant princess, Apple.
"No... way..." Elise said.

Apple climbed her way slowly out of the pipe. Normally she would leap right out like Mario and his friends do, but said friends were hanging on tight to Apple's ponytail, which she had swung in front of her shoulder. Apple swung her legs around, propelling herself out of the pipe and onto the snowy ground. Mario, Peach, and Daisy all rested easy on top of Apple's shoulder as she settled herself.
"Whew... was that gentle enough for you guys?" Apple asked.
"Gentle!? I wouldn't call falling through a warp pipe at mach speed while holding onto the longest ponytail I can ever imagine gentle!" Daisy said.
"Well, at least we did the best we could with those Giant Land pipes." Peach said.
"Mama mia, look at the size of the pipe that was created!" Mario said. Apple looked at it and then placed Mario and his friends down on the circular edge of the pipe, allowing them to get a feel for just how small they were compared to Apple.
"I just hope this won't get in the way of the citizens of this Vancouver kingdom." Peach said. Apple turned around and saw Elise and Eddie getting a good look at Apple on the ground. They immediately screamed their lungs out.
"She spotted us! Come on, let's get out of here!" Elise said as she took off running.
"Oh man... I knew I shouldn't have clicked that Giantess Zone studios link last night!" Eddie said as he took off running as well. Apple watched as the two were running off.
"Too late, Peach..." Apple said.
"Now remember, Apple. This is a normal world..." Peach said.
"Don't worry, Peach, I understand. I know I'm going to be the center of attention while we're here. I don't mind that at all... don't forget it's like this in the Mushroom World too!" Apple said.
"Hey, it's good you're keeping a positive attitude!" Daisy said.
"Hmmm... I wonder where Sonic and his pals are." Mario said.
"Yeah, I don't seem them anywhere. Maybe we beat them to the punch?" Peach said.
"We better look around for them. All aboard the Apple Express!" Apple said, lowering her hand again and allowing everyone to climb onboard.
"Hey, Apple, be careful while walking around the snow. It could be slippery, especially around these mountains!" Mario shouted.
"Oh, don't you worry about me. I can move pretty well on the Ice Land ice skating rink, right?" Apple said as she started her walk, carefully holding onto her three companions.

Meanwhile, several miles to the east of Cypress Mountain, another event that was paranormal to this planet Earth was happening. The heavy snow that was falling down this area started to gather together, and swirl in the air like a tornado. The air became so frosty, it began to smoke a bit inside the snowy tornado. Eventually, the twister dissipated, and standing in its place was a young woman clad in icy armor, including her ice fan used as both a weapon and shield. The long icicles streaming up from the woman's hair caused the air to almost bend itself into an aurora. The woman's name was Shiva, and she was a massive 500 feet tall.

Shiva opened her pure blue eyes following her journey into planet Earth, not too far (from her perspective) from the Cypress Mountain. She looked around herself before setting her sights forward.
"Master Culex. The world of Vanda... I will not fail you." Shiva said. She then started walking towards Cypress Mountain. Unknown to her, she had crushed over half of a small village with just one step...

With Mario, Peach, and Daisy all safely on her shoulder, Apple continued walking through the miles and miles of snow that covered the Cypress Mountain. Naturally, any people she came across looked up at the giantess with awe and shock, but she didn't let this bother her. She was only concerned with finding Sonic and his friends.
"Where could they be? We've scanned a lot of this mountain for the past few minutes, and no sign of them." Apple said.
"Don't worry, Apple. I'm sure we will run into them soon." Peach said.
"Hey, what's that!?" Daisy said, pointing down by Apple's feet. A portal soon found itself slowly opening, although it quickly warped into four different figured shapes. Eventually, the four shapes formed into four more characters. Sonic the Hedgehog and his three pals, Blaze, Amy Rose, and Tails. All four landed on the snowy ground, shaking themselves off after a rough journey through time and space.
"Man, can't we make Chaos Control a less bumpy ride?" Amy Rose said.
"Well, you'll have to ask Tails. He's the expert!" Sonic said.
"Not necessarily in Chaos Control... I'd probably need Chris Thorndyke's help for that kind of stuff." Tails said.
"So, is this the land of Vancouver?" Blaze asked.
"It certainly looks like it, with all the snow around." Tails said. Amy turned and got her first look at Apple's big boots, and she gasped and hid behind Sonic.
"*gasp* What is that thing!?" Amy shouted. Sonic looked up at the giantess next.
"Whoa... I didn't know Vancouver had really big people!" Sonic said.
"Huh? Oh, I'm not from here. I'm from the Mushroom Kingdom too. Giant Land to be exact." Apple said. She then let Mario and his friends down on the ground to meet up with the Sonic cast.
"Giant Land? Man, I thought the Gigalopolis Zone was weird." Sonic said.
"Mama mia! It's good to see you again, Sonic." Mario said.
"Likewise! So how have you been since Beijing?" Sonic asked.
"Oh, the usual. Being an ambassador to the Mushroom Kingdom, really." Mario said.
"And a darn good one too!" Daisy shouted.

"Man, you're still as loud as ever, Princess Daisy. I can hear you miles away, you know!" Amy said as she shook Daisy's hand.
"Eh, I can't help it. It's part of my personality!" Daisy said.
"From one princess to another, it is a supreme honor to see you once again, Princess Peach." Blaze said.
"Oh, please just call me Peach, Blaze. All my friends do." Peach said.
"Alright, alright! We've gotten the formal introductions out of the way. Let's do some exploring!" Sonic said.
"Eh... he's just anxious to get to some snowboarding." Tails said.
"Yep, I remember him telling me that." Mario said.
"Hmmm... you know, the mountain already looks perfect for some skiing." Peach said.
"Yeah, but we don't have any skis! We came here just to picture what kind of events we can hold, remember?" Daisy said.
"Oh yeah, right." Peach said.
"And we must not forget about specialized arenas, like the ones used for track and field in Beijing." Blaze said.
"Of course! Apple, we should begin exploration immediately!" Peach said.
"Right you are! Everyone onboard!" Apple said, once again lowering a hand for everyone to climb onboard. Sonic, Tails, Amy, Blaze, Mario, Peach, and Daisy all were safe and sound in the palm of Apple's hand.
"Just drop me off at the deepest slope you can find. Tails, you got my snowboard ready?" Sonic said.
"Of course. It's in the bag like you told me to do before we left!" Tails said.
"What exactly did you bring with you, Tails?" Daisy said.
"Oh, many things. I'll show you when we get to our destination." Tails said.

For the next few minutes, Apple would walk around the Cypress Mountain, stopping to let Sonic and Mario (using one of Sonic's spare boards) down for them to snowboard their way to the bottom. Of course, some of the regular folk of Vancouver would scream from the shock of seeing the giant princess, but luckily there weren't very many of these people. The cold weather is probably keeping many of them away, she thought. As Apple and some of the others watched as they went down the mountain, Tails was busy showing some of the gadgets he brought with him.
"And this is the Energy Subamplifier. We used this to get here by combining the energies of the Chaos Emeralds and the Sol Emeralds together, keeping the excess energy contained and channeling it to Sonic, who is one of a very small group who can master the art of Chaos Control." Tails said.
"Okay, I got the Energy Subamp... something part, but after that, you lost me." Daisy said. Peach couldn't help but giggle.
"I think it's very fascinating technology, Tails. You should be proud of what you've accomplished." Peach said.
"Yeah, that's what Chuck Thorndyke used to always say to me." Tails said.
"Now if only you would make something that will make Sonic finally fall in love with me!" Amy said, prompting another laugh out of the group.
"Look, they have reached the base of the mountain." Blaze said, pointing down to where Mario and Sonic were waving down.
"Maybe we should join them?" Peach asked.
"Way ahead of you, guys!" Apple said as she walked forward.
"Wait, Apple! What are you doing!?" Daisy shouted.
"Everyone hold on!" Apple said as she suddenly cradled everyone close to her chest. She then plopped herself down on her behind and let the snow take care of the rest.
"Weeeeeeeee!!!" Apple shouted.
"Yikes!" Amy Rose shouted as she clutched onto as much of Apple's red winter outfit as she could.

Mario and Sonic could see the giantess storming down the mountain, and they got out of her way as she came sliding to a slow stop. When Apple felt like she had come to a complete stop, she placed everyone on the ground and then slowly stood back up. The first thing she noticed was the big trail she left behind, and some of the other characters caught this as well.
"Man! We may have just created a bobsleigh track!" Sonic said.
"Yeah, though I think we'd need several more slides before we take out enough snow." Mario said.
"And speaking of snow. Wow... I didn't think I'd catch this much." Apple said as she brushed off as much of her back as she could of the fluffy snow.
"Oh, Apple, you're such a snow angel." Peach said with a smile.
"Still, that was a heck of a slide!" Amy said. Tails then looked over at Blaze, who had a concerned look on her face.
"What's wrong, Blaze?" Tails said.
"I sense something. I sense... a great evil approaching." Blaze said.
"A great evil? Maybe your readings are off. Bowser couldn't have followed us here." Daisy said.
"Or your own villain, Dr. Eggman, I believe his name was?" Peach said.
"Trust me, girls. When Blaze senses something, she's usually not wrong." Tails said.
"Hey, look over there!" Sonic said. He was the first to watch as the snow that was falling in the area started to gather together, and swirl in the air several yards from where they stood. Everyone could also hear the wind pick up, almost to a whistle in the air.
"What's going on with the snow?" Amy asked.
"Huh? This is definitely unnatural." Tails said.
"Not to mention chilly. I can feel the temperature dropping." Daisy said.
"Wait... it looks like something is forming from the snow." Apple said. Finally, after a few more seconds, the snow tornado disappeared, and Shiva was standing in its place. All 500 feet of her too. Even from several yards away, she looked very big.

"Whoa! Another giant woman alert, and this one's well... giant-er!" Sonic said. Everyone just ignored the bad pun and kept their eyes fixated on the mega giantess, especially Princess Apple.
"Oh my gosh... she's bigger than I am! I always thought I was one of the biggest..." Apple said.
"Hey, there's bigger out there. Trust me on this." Daisy said. Shiva finally opened her eyes and spoke for the first time.
"Super Mario! Sonic the Hedgehog! I have come for you." Shiva said.
"And I always thought it was nice to be wanted." Sonic said. Shiva then took her first step forward.
"Look, she's moving!" Mario said. Shiva put her right foot forward, and as soon as it came down, a thunderous boom filled the sky and the ground shook and little bits of snow came down from the mountain. Everyone, even Apple, struggled to maintain balance.
"Whoa! That's one big boom!" Daisy shouted.
"And what does she want with Mario and my Sonic!?" Amy shouted. Finally, Shiva was only a few yards away from our heroes, and Apple felt as small as Peach and company were to her when she finally looked all the way up at the ice goddess.
"I am the ice goddess, Shiva, and you two are coming with me. I will not have you two interfere with my plans." Shiva said. Despite the major size difference, Apple stood strong and walked in front of our heroes.
"If you want my friends, you'll have to go through me!" Apple shouted. Shiva just smirked as she looked down at Apple.
"Hmph... insignificant insect." Shiva said. She unfolded her icy fan and with one swing, knocked Apple off her feet.
"Whoa!!!" Apple shouted as she flew a good 30 or so yards away, landing on the soft snow.
"Apple!" Peach shouted.
"Any who oppose my power will meet a much worse fate!" Shiva said.
"Arrrgh! That cold-hearted witch!" Amy shouted as she pulled out her hammer.
"Um... what good is that going to do?" Blaze asked. At that moment, Shiva held her other hand far above the tiny heroes, and a large icicle soon formed in the hand before it fell down towards our heroes.
"Look out!" Daisy shouted. Everyone dove out of the way before they could be crushed by the icicle. It shattered into many pieces as it landed on the ground. As everyone was getting back on their feet, Shiva then pointed a finger towards Mario and Sonic. A blue beam struck Mario first and then Sonic. The two watched as their bodies started to surround themselves in ice. Only their heads were left open from the icy prison.
"We're frozen solid!" Mario shouted.
"Argh! This ice is hard as diamond! I can't shake loose!" Sonic said.
"Uh oh..." Mario said. The two looked as Shiva now wrapped one of her hands around both of them, picking them as well as a handful of snow up off the ground. Shiva smiled as she looked at Mario and Sonic in her hand.
"No! Give them back!!" Peach said.
"Yes, I have what I came for. Now to finish the job and make this world my own." Shiva said. She then turned around and walked away.
"Arrrrgh! Come back here you!" Amy shouted. She started to run after the goddess, but Blaze and Tails held her back.
"Amy, are you nuts!? She's way too big for all of us!" Tails said.
"I fear Tails is right. You'd just be killed if you were to confront the enemy now." Blaze said.
"But she has Sonic! Nobody takes my Sonic and gets away with it!!!" Amy said. Peach patted Amy on her shoulder.
"I understand your anger, Amy. I want to go after her as much as you do because she took Mario. But we need to think this through..." Peach said.
"First, we should check up on Apple!" Daisy said as she pointed over at the Giant Land princess, who slowly sat back up after laying down in the snow.

The group gathered around as close to Apple as they could.
"Apple! Are you alright?" Peach shouted.
"Oh... I'm okay. Did anyone get the license plate from that strong wind?" Apple asked. Daisy just giggled when she heard that.
"Yep, she's fine. She hasn't lost her sense of humor, thank goodness." Daisy said.
"Not to state the obvious, but we have a much bigger problem on our hands." Blaze said.
"I know, but what can we do? She's much too big." Peach said.
"And did you hear what she said? She said she was going to finish the job and make this world her own." Daisy said.
"Yes, this is not good. She is obviously planning something sinister." Blaze said.
"You mean aside from capturing my beloved Sonic?" Amy said.
"Wait, I have an idea everyone! Apple, can you get us back on top of the mountain? Most of my equipment is still up there." Tails said.
"Of course, Tails. But what is it that you have planned?" Apple said.
"Don't worry. When I am done, hopefully we'll be able to match up with that villainess on equal terms." Tails said.

Meanwhile, several yards away from where Mario and Sonic had been captured, Shiva placed the two down by her feet.
"Hey, Shiva, what are you going to do with us!?" Sonic shouted. Despite being so gigantic, Shiva was able to hear the two from down below.
"You two I have no concern with now that you are trapped within my ice. But it is time to execute my grand plan." Shiva said.
"Grand plan?" Mario asked.
"While the world of Vanda has proven sufficient for myself and my tribe, it is not enough. For us to continue to live a prosperous life, we must expand. Beyond our planet, beyond our galaxy, beyond our universe, beyond even our own dimension." Shiva said.
"Wait... Vanda? No, it can't be!" Mario said.
"Yes, Super Mario. My lord, Culex, advised me to reach beyond the stars and help expand my empire. But he warned me of two powerful enemies who would thwart my plans despite all the power I have gained over the years. Those enemies are you and Sonic the Hedgehog." Shiva said.
"Okay, I've thwarted many an evil villain's plans aside from Dr. Eggman, but I haven't exactly been involved with your affairs." Sonic said.
"Even so... your alliance one year ago in the kingdom known as Beijing, it has only brought great disturbance throughout much of the alliance of evil. By taking you prisoner, I will have done our world a favor." Shiva said.
"We have friends who will stop you!" Mario shouted.
"Enough! They are of no concern to me. Soon, the dawning of a new Ice Age will be at hand!" Shiva said. She held a hand up in the air, and cold air came blasting out and swirling in the air. Mario and Sonic could only watch as the doom came closer.

And the rest of our heroes could easily see the magic happening, for Shiva was not easy to lose sight of as big as she was. Blaze looked at the icy skies as they swirled around in a flash of different colors.
"We've gotta act fast. Shiva no doubt is trying to freeze this entire planet with her enhanced magic." Blaze said.
"Come on, Tails! Hurry up with your idea already!" Amy Rose said.
"Geez, Amy, you're just like Sonic. It's like patience doesn't exist anymore." Tails said.
"Take your time, Tails." Peach said.
"And while you're at it, remind us what your big plan is." Daisy said.
"As I said before, if we're going to defeat Shiva, we have to match up with her power. And by that, we're going to have match her in size." Tails said.
"And how can you do that?" Peach asked.
"Luckily, I brought all of the power monitors that Sonic and Knuckles like to carry around, including the Grow and Shrink monitors. By using the Energy Subamplifier, I can increase the power of the Grow monitor and channel its energy into our bodies." Tails said.
"Basically what you're saying is... you can make us bigger with that monitor and your energy whatever?" Amy Rose said.
"Sort of. The only problem is I feel just this monitor won't be enough... you'd probably won't even reach her knees by the time the growth process ended." Tails said.
"What about the Sol Emeralds? Can't we increase the power of the monitor with Blaze's emeralds?" Amy asked. Blaze immediately shook her head.
"It won't do any good. Without all of Sonic's Chaos Emeralds, we can't tap the full power of the Sol Emeralds." Blaze said.
"And the uneven energy output might do more harm than good." Tails said.

"Wait! What about the Mega Mushroom?" Peach said.
"What about it, Peach?" Daisy said.
"Tails... your Energy Subamplifier... you said you used it to combine the powers of the Chaos and Sol Emeralds to get here?" Peach said.
"That's right. In order to harness Chaos Control powerful enough to get us to this universe, that is." Tails said.
"What if we combined the Mega Mushroom with your growth monitor? Alone, neither would get us big enough, but maybe together..." Peach said.
"Um... one problem, Peach. We didn't bring any Mega Mushrooms with us. Who would've thought we'd be attacked by a really huge woman with ice powers who would capture the guys?" Daisy asked.
"Oh, right... Well, I can just warp back to the Mushroom Kingdom and get one!" Peach said.
"NO! We don't have time! The world, as well as our boys, could be doomed by the time you get back!" Amy said.
"I hate to admit it, but Amy is right. I feel the danger fast approaching. We may not even have one hour to save not just this kingdom, but this entire world." Blaze said. Total silence came next, as nobody could think of an alternative plan. Except for Princess Apple.

"We may have another way." Apple said.
"Huh? What's that, Apple?" Peach asked. Apple then took off her bracelet and opened up the attached locket. Inside was a picture of her younger self along with the rest of her family (older sister Aska, mother Queen Pineapple, and deceased father King Askew). But she pressed down hard on the picture, revealing another compartment of the locket. Inside was a red shining crystal.
"Apple? That's..." Peach said.
"Yep, the crystal I used to make you, Daisy, and Rosalina temporarily grow during the inaugural Giant Land Grand Prix. Remember?" Apple said. (NOTE from Cubed: Apple Athletics, coming soon, will explain all!).
"How could I forget? That engine in my motorcycle was roaring all the way to Sky Land!" Daisy said.
"Now granted, it's only temporary, so I don't know if it will help." Apple said.
"No, it's perfect! It's still a form of energy. I can condense it with the power of the grow monitor... that should give us enough power to make you gigantic." Tails said.
"Alright, now we have our growing device!" Amy said.
"Tails, it would be best if the four of us take advantage of the energy. You and Apple should stay behind the keep the equipment safe." Blaze said.
"I agree. Just make sure you four don't bring the battle to where we are." Tails said.
"You don't mind, Princess Apple?" Peach said.
"Sure... I wouldn't want to get too big!" Apple said. She kneeled down and allowed Tails to connect one end of the Subamplifier to the red crystal.
"Alright, Apple! Activate your crystal and concentrate it towards the Energy Subamplifier." Tails said, after he used some hooks to connect the Growth monitor to the Subamplifier.
"Roger that!" Apple said. Sure enough, she closed her eyes and allowed the crystal inside the locket to activate. As soon as it started glowing, Tails activated the growth monitor (rather than smash it like usual). Eventually, the energy was all packed into the Subamplifier.
"Releasing energy now!" Tails shouted. Sure enough, a huge wave of bright energy swept itself out and landed within Peach, Daisy, Amy Rose, and Blaze. Within just a few seconds, the four ladies began to grow.

"It's working!" Peach shouted.
"Fee fi fo fum time again..." Daisy said. Apple backed away as she watched her two friends rise past her and growing bigger. Amy and Blaze enjoyed it as well, though the two were still shorter than the human princesses since they were all growing in proportion.
"Wow... Sonic better like me like this!" Amy Rose said.
"Amy, we must remain focused on our mission." Blaze said.
"I know, I know! Lighten up, would you?" Amy said. Eventually, the four stopped growing at or close to 500 feet tall, the same size as Shiva. Peach looked down by her feet, where she saw the princess that once towered over her and much of the Mushroom Kingdom.
"So, Apple, what do you think?" Peach asked.
"You look amazing, Peach!" Apple shouted.
"Alright, time to clobber some evil ice princess!" Daisy said, slamming a fist towards one of her hands.
"Whoa... remind me never to upset you during the Winter Olympics!" Amy said.

The four mega giantesses then walked in the direction they all remembered Shiva walking towards.

Shiva continued holding her hands up in the air. She smiled as she watched the snow intensified and the ice started to form in the air.
"It is almost time. This whole world shall soon become encased in my ice!" Shiva said. Mario and Sonic could sense the end coming.
"Well, buddy, it was nice getting to know you." Sonic said.
"Me too, Sonic. But there is always hops..." Mario said.
"Not so fast, Shiva!!!" the familiar voice of Peach shouted. Shiva became distracted by the loud voice, which caused her to cancel her spell and some of the ice and snow to disappear. When she looked ahead of her, there were Peach, Daisy, Amy Rose, and Blaze. They were all much bigger, with Peach and Daisy the same 500-foot-tall height that she was at. Mario and Sonic saw the four ladies and how big they had grown.
"Whoa... I'd say we got some really big hope!" Sonic said.
"Mama mia!" Mario shouted, not believing what he was seeing. Amy looked beside Shiva's right foot and saw Sonic down there, trapped from the neck down in Shiva's ice.
"Hey there, Sonic. You look soooo cute from up here! What do you say we..." Amy said. She started walking towards the tiny duo, but Blaze put an arm in front of her.
"Not now, Rose. We have to confront the enemy first." Blaze said.
"Oh, right. Sorry." Amy said.
"Well, well. It seems I underestimated you princesses. Then again, this cannot be a natural power of yours." Shiva said.
"Why do you care how we grew gigantic? All I see is one evil queen trying to destroy this beloved world!" Daisy said.
"Shiva... we cannot forgive you for what you've done! Mario and Sonic may not have been able to stop you, but we will!" Peach said.
"Ha! Foolish mortals! Do you really think you can defeat me, the goddess of ice and servant of Culex!?" Shiva said.
"With your cold and evil heart, yes we can." Blaze said, one of her hands glowing red as she was charging up her pyrokinesis.
"Very well. I accept the challenge from all of you. Draw your weapons." Shiva said. She pulled out two ice blades from her back.
"You heard her. Let's equip ourselves." Peach said as she magically summoned a frying pan.
"Huh? A frying pan?" Amy Rose asked.
"Trust me, girl. That thing can really dish it out!" Daisy said.
"Well, whatever you say. I've got my trusty hammer!" Amy Rose said.
"My pyrokinesis has been fully summoned. Shiva shall fall to the burning passion of my flame!" Blaze said.
"Hey, wait! I don't have a weapon!" Daisy said.
"Oh... you can borrow my tennis racquet!" Peach said. Like with the frying pan, she summoned the tennis racquet and Daisy caught it before it fell to the ground.
"You have seriously got to teach me how to do that!" Daisy said.
"Well, you should see Link and Princess Zelda. They taught me that trick years ago." Peach said with a smile.
"Enough, talk! Now battle! Haaaaaa!!!" Shiva said as she charged forward with her ice daggers. The four other giantesses did the same thing.

The battle raged on for a few minutes, with each of the giantess heroes taking a turn against Shiva. Peach's frying pan clashed with Shiva's powerful ice daggers, but with Shiva's combat experience, she was able to pull all the right moves on Peach, such as knocking her arms up and slashing her while she was stunned. As Peach stepped back from the hit, she almost tripped on one of the mountains and wound up having to quickly block a strike from Shiva. Peach ended up crushing an entire village as she took another step back. Eventually, she pulled out and gave way to Amy Rose, which was swinging her hammer every which way you could think of. 9 times out of 10 she missed.
"Arrrrgh! Hold still, you!" Amy Rose said.
"You fight very erratically. Your lack of defense will be the end of you." Shiva said. She let loose with her icy breath, which temporarily blinded Amy and leaving her open to getting pushed down to the ground with a slash from the daggers. Amy landed with a thunderous boom (but then again, there was booming almost every second with each step any of the five giantesses took), not too far from Mario and Sonic.
"Man, I hope they realize we're still down here! I'd hate to be crushed while I was being saved!" Sonic said.
"I agree! I feel like I've eaten one Mini Mushroom too many!" Mario said. Blaze was next in line, with her hands finally fully charged with fire.
"You may be the mistress of ice, but can you withstand my powerful flames?" Blaze said. She ran forward, and just like with Peach, engaged in one-on-one combat with Shiva. Even as Blaze was able to land some punches, Shiva did not feel them at all. In fact, she kept an evil smile as she looked at Blaze in the eyes.
"Your flames lack punch. Allow me to show you!" Shiva said. She formed a fist full of ice in one of her hands and launched an uppercut on Blaze, knocking her into the air and causing her to land on a normally large mountain. Snow slid down the mountain like water as it crumbled apart under Blaze's unimaginable weight.

Shiva focused her attention on Amy, who was slowly getting back on her feet, only to see Shiva charging up for another ice attack. She formed a ball of cold ice and threw it towards Amy, but it was deflected by Daisy, who knocked it away with her tennis racquet.
"Ha! 15 love!" Daisy said.
"Impressive skills, but see if you can reflect this." Shiva said. She fired another ball of ice, and as Daisy tried to knock it back, it instead went through her racquet, tearing the netting into shreds. The ball of ice went on to totally decimate another tiny village.
"Hey! I'm calling foul on that one!" Daisy shouted.
"Foul this, mortal!" Shiva said as she threw another ball of ice.
"Um... perhaps we can discuss this matt... ack!" Daisy said before she got nailed in the chest with the ball of ice, causing her to fall backwards. She eventually landed squarely on her behind, with a ski lift resting right between her legs. Daisy looked down at the tiny structure.
"Well, I wonder if I can get a lift from up here." Daisy said. She then looked to her right, where she could see Mario and Sonic hopping up and down, trying their best to move despite their near frozen state.
"You need a lift? What about us!?" Sonic shouted.
"Come on, Daisy. Get us out of this mess!" Mario said.
"Yeah, I better do that. Peach would never forgive me if I had crushed you two." Daisy said. She very gently picked up the really tiny heroes with her white-gloved hand before raising them up above her head.
"You'll be safe up here." Daisy said as she dropped the two inside her crown and into her hair. Sonic and Mario looked around at the jungle that made up Daisy's titian-colored hair.
"Well, you know what they say, it's a jungle up here." Mario said.
"Hmmmm... I'm impressed. I didn't think you were that good at those lines." Sonic said.
"Let's just say I've been studying you." Mario said with a smile.

Peach soon joined Daisy by her side, helping her up to her feet. Along the way, Peach ended up crushing the aforementioned ski lift (along with a few people that couldn't escape in time).
"Are you alright, Daisy?" Peach said.
"Yeah, don't worry about me. You know how tough a cookie I am!" Daisy said.
"Yes, I know." Peach said. Amy and Blaze soon joined them.
"Where are Mario and Sonic?" Amy said.
"I can't help but worry they may have been crushed during this epic battle of goddess-like proportions." Blaze said.
"Hey, chill out everyone! They're both safe inside my crown." Daisy said.
"Oh good." Peach said. The four then looked to see Shiva approaching.
"I've grown tired of your antics, puny princesses! It is time to end this!" Shiva said. She held up two hands in the air and the cold air started swirling together.
"What is she doing?" Amy asked. Blaze could sense the powerful spell coming.
"Look out everyone!" Blaze said.
"BLIZZARD!" Shiva shouted with much furor. Soon, a powerful stream of snow and ice came raining down from the skies, striking all four ladies simultaneously. All four giantesses got knocked backwards and down to the ground.
"Man, that was one powerful blizzard." Daisy said.
"I feel... I feel so tired... I can't take another hit like that." Peach said. Shiva started walking towards the downed ladies.
"Uh oh, here she comes again." Amy said.
"No... it can't end like this." Blaze said. Shiva raised her hands again, like she was trying to summon the Blizzard once more.
"Farewell, ladies." Shiva said. But just when all hope seemed lost...

A shining white light appeared in the sky. The light soon came down and blasted Shiva right in the chest.
"What!? Arrrrgh!" Shiva said. Not prepared for the brilliant attack, Shiva took the hit and fell backwards, landing right where Mario and Sonic used to be, so it was a good thing Daisy rescued them in time. The other four mega giantesses noted the white light as well.
"Whoa, what was that!?" Amy said. Peach looked up where the light came from.
"Hey, look up there!" Peach shouted. They all looked up and saw a figure fully encased in shadow coming down from the sky. The closer this figure got to the ground, the more clearly they could see it and the less brighter the light was.
"Who, or what, is this?" Blaze said. Finally, the figure landed on the ground. Daisy looked over this person with red slippers, a short white dress with red triangle shapes on the edges, long sleeves, and the hood covering this person's face. Of course, she was as big as she and Peach were. She immediately recognized who it was and a smile went onto her face.
"White Mage? Is that you!?" Daisy shouted. The figure then removed the hood from their head, revealing the female face with pink hair and a tiara on her head. White Mage smiled as she faced her fellow giantesses for the first time.
"Hello again, my friends." White Mage said. Daisy was excited now. She and White Mage became very good friends during the Mario Hoops tournament not too long ago.
"Hahaha! It's good to see you, White Mage!" Daisy said, running up to her and giving a big hug. Peach and the other giantesses soon joined together as well. Peach immediately introduced White Mage to Amy and Blaze since they did not recognize her.
"Oh, Amy and Blaze, this is White Mage from the Vanda dimension. She's a mage who controls the Holy Light, or something like that. It's a long story, actually." Peach said.
"It is a supreme honor to meet someone like you." Blaze said as she bowed her head.
"Um... aren't you a bit cold in that outfit?" Amy said, noting the short dress that White Mage was wearing, which obviously left her legs exposed to the cold air.
"Not really. But when you travel around the world with compatriots like Black Mage and the Ninja, you get used to it after a while." White Mage said.
"Hey, I can understand that, having thrown a lot of parties around the Mushroom Kingdom." Peach said with a smile.
"Listen, I don't mean to be rude and cut the chit-chat, but I am here to help you defeat Shiva." White Mage said.
"How? Her attacks are too powerful, and she just brushes off whatever we throw at her." Amy said.
"Leave that to me." White Mage said. She then turned around and faced Shiva, who was climbing back on her feet.

"White Mage... I did not expect to see you here." Shiva said.
"Shiva! Culex has poisoned your mind with lies! Allow me to show you the truth, so that we may end this senseless fight!" White Mage shouted.
"Never! Come forward now!" Shiva said, drawing her ice daggers and charging towards the giantess.
"Then don't say I didn't warn you. Holy!" White Mage said. She held out her hands, and another brilliant burst of light nearly blinded Shiva, causing her to back away.
"Ack! Cursed light of the Orbs!" Shiva shouted.
"Blaze, you are a master of the flame, right?" White Mage said. Blaze was surprised that White Mage seemed to know that bit of info.
"Well, yes. But how do you...?" Blaze said.
"Peach, Daisy. We're going to need to work together for this spell. Please join hands with me." White Mage said. Peach and Daisy quickly did so, and White Mage closed her eyes and began a chant.
"By the power of the warriors of light, and the power of the Fire Orb which my party possesses, grant my two friends with the power of the Fire!" White Mage said. Almost as soon as she finished that, Peach and Daisy went through an incredible transformation. For Peach, her hair was now red and the color of her winter outfit changed from pink to almost all white. Daisy's hair became golden (much like Peach), and her yellow outfit was shining with a brighter tone than usual.
"Whoa... this is amazing!" Peach said.
"Yeah! I feel like I've touched a Fire Flower!" Daisy said.
"Behind you!" White Mage said. Peach was the first to react, and she shot a couple fireballs towards Shiva, causing her to step back in pain.
"Arrrrgh! No, this can't be!!" Shiva shouted.

"Peach, Daisy. Let us combine our mighty flames as White Mage instructed!" Blaze said.
"Right!" Peach and Daisy shouted.
"Hey, what am I supposed to do!?" Amy said.
"Have patience, Amy Rose. You will know what to do." White Mage said. Blaze, Peach, and Daisy all put their hands together, and a ball of flame started to build up, much like the balls of ice that Shiva had made earlier.
"Now this is a lot of fire power!" Daisy said.
"And we shall use it to defeat our enemy... and save this world!" Blaze said.
"Take this, Shiva!!!" Peach shouted. Finally, all three ladies thrust their hands in Shiva's direction, and the ball of fire slowly unraveled into a wall of flame. Peach was stunned.
"The... the Flame Wall!" Peach said. It was incredible... she and her friends pulled off one of the most powerful spells in all the Mushroom Kingdom. It used to be reserved for Smithy's lackies, she thought. Shiva saw the Flame Wall coming and braced for impact.
"No!" Shiva shouted. As the flames spread around her body, she collapsed down to her knees but did not faint like some of the heroines were expecting.
"Look! She's still moving!" Daisy said.
"Even after that powerful of an attack?" Peach said. Shiva was struggling to get back on her feet, but she still had a determined look on her face.
"Fools! I am the ice goddess, Shiva! I cannot be defeated so easily!" Shiva said. But then, Amy Rose came charging forward with her hammer in both her hands.
"Yeah? Well, defeat this, ice cube!" Amy Rose shouted. She swung her hammer forward and it struck Shiva squarely in the stomach.
"Ahhhhh!!!" Shiva shouted. Her armor started coming apart piece by piece as she fell to the ground. Only a few pieces remained by the time she was squirming on the snowy ground in pain.

Amy walked up to Shiva and raised her hammer up.
"This is for capturing my beloved Sonic!" Amy shouted. But then she felt her hands being grabbed by White Mage.
"It's okay, Amy. The fight is over. She cannot fight anymore." White Mage said.
"I see... our wall of flame must've weakened her powerful armor." Blaze said.
"Thereby allowing one of us to shatter it and render her defenseless. I gotta admit, that's some good strategy!" Daisy said.
"Only someone as wise and magical as White Mage could think of that." Peach said with a smile. It was White Mage who then towered over Shiva by standing beside her head. Shiva looked up at White Mage with nothing but anger on her face.
"Go ahead... finish me!" Shiva shouted. But White Mage shook her head.
"No. You deserve a second chance, just like the others." White Mage said.
"Others? What do you mean?" Shiva asked.
"Have you wondered what happened to your brothers in battle? Bahamut? Ifrit? Gilgamesh?" White Mage said.
"They were sent by Culex but never returned. It was Warriors of Light like you that defeated them!" Shiva said.
"No... we merely healed them of their evil ways. Culex does not care about you. In fact, he has destroyed your home." White Mage said.
"No, that's not true! That's a lie!" Shiva said.
"I speak the truth. Observe." White Mage said. She then created a big bubble in the air, and eventually an image formed inside the bubble. It was an icy village in total ruins, with countless bodies laying around. Some people were shown getting beaten up by shadowy figures.
"What? He... he lied to me..." Shiva said.
"Culex only seeks your power. Once you had done the job, he would trap you inside his crystals, just as he has done to other minions that thought they were serving him." White Mage said.
"I left my people in search of power. And while I gained it... I forgot about those I cared about the most." Shiva said. The bubble then disappeared.
"It is too late to save your people, but you can save the rest of this generation, along with many future generations to come." White Mage said.
"How? Please tell me..." Shiva said.
"I offer you a second chance. Allow me to send you to the Gathering of Summons. You'll serve the Warriors of Light, both today and in the future, aiding them in their quest to rid all evil from the universe." White Mage said. Shiva didn't have to think long.
"I will do it." Shiva said. White Mage smiled as she finally helped Shiva to her feet. As she got up, pieces of her armor continued to fall in the form of icicles, spiking the ground.

"You will not regret this." White Mage said. She then began reciting another chant. As she did, a portal opened up and slowly pulled Shiva in.
"Thank you." Shiva said. That was all she could get in before she disappeared in the portal of light. Eventually, the portal closed, and the number of mega giantesses went from six to five. Peach, Daisy, Amy Rose, Blaze, and White Mage.
"White Mage... will she be okay?" Peach said.
"Time will heal all wounds, but she will not be alone. For everyone in the Gathering of Summons share the same mission." White Mage said.
"I'm just worried about this Culex creep. He sounds pretty evil." Amy Rose said.
"Will we have to prepare for more invasions from this evil being?" Blaze asked.
"Never fear. I will see to it that Culex cannot touch this world or the other home worlds. If Culex is going to try and conquer any dimension, it will be my own." White Mage said.
"Well, I'm fully confident you can put a stop to him, just as Mario and I and other friends did a while back." Peach said.
"Oh! Speaking of..." Daisy said. She reached up above her crown, and once again gently picked up the tiny Mario and Sonic. They stood in the middle of Daisy's palm.
"Hey, you guys okay?" Daisy asked.
"Great! Never felt better!" Sonic said.
"So is it over?" Mario asked.
"It's over, Mario. And it's nice to see you again!" White Mage said as she approached Daisy's hand. Mario looked up at the huge White Mage and almost fainted.
"Mama Mia!!!" Mario said.
"I guess he's had enough giant ladies for one day. I admit, I'm kinda getting overwhelmed too." Sonic said.
"Well, I'm not. There's no way you can escape me now, Sonic. I'm glad you have more of me to love now!" Amy said with a smile.
"Er... I take that back. Now I'm really overwhelmed!" Sonic shouted, prompting a laugh out of all the other ladies.
"Come on, we should get back to Apple and Tails." Peach said.
"I completely agree." Blaze said. All the giantesses then made their way back to where Apple and Tails had been stationed. Along the way, Peach and Daisy lost their fire powers and reverted back to their normal color scheme.

Apple, with Tails sitting on her shoulder, watched as the mega giantesses returned after a fierce battle with Shiva that they were able to watch as big as everyone was.
"Here they come, safe and sound!" Apple said.
"Thank goodness." Tails said. They soon arrived, with all of them standing about thirty yards away from the two. Daisy let Mario and Sonic down on the ground and they rejoined with Princess Apple.
"We're back. Are you okay, Princess Apple?" Peach asked.
"Yes, thank goodness you appear to be okay. You and Daisy looked amazing with that Fire Flower-like power!" Apple said.
"Yeah, maybe you should try it sometime!" Daisy said.
"Well, it's been mighty fun, but how are we going to shrink back to normal?" Blaze asked.
"Awwww, come on, I kinda like being this big! We could probably explore all of this Vancouver place in no time at all!" Daisy said.
"True, but we really should get back to normal. We've probably already caused enough panic from being this huge for this long." Peach said.
"Leave that to me. I'll cast a Shrink spell that I recently mastered." White Mage said. With that, White Mage put her hands together and soon blasted a thin beam of energy at the four mega giantesses. Eventually, they all shrunk all the way back down to their original size.

Sonic ran up beside Amy as she returned to normal.
"Now this is more like it!" Sonic said.
"Huh? You like it when I'm normal size?" Amy asked.
"Well, sure... I wouldn't want to be smothered in too much affection." Sonic said.
"Awww... what a wonderful thing to say!" Amy said as she gave Sonic a hug. Peach looked back at Apple, who once again towered over the princess.
"Thank goodness I can look up at you again, Apple!" Peach said.
"You know what? Peach is right. It just doesn't feel right looking down on you!" Daisy said.
"I truly appreciate that, my friends. Thank you." Apple said with a smile on her face. Peach turned around and looked way up at the 500-feet-tall White Mage.
"What about you, White Mage? Aren't you going to return to normal?" Peach asked.
"I will once I return to my home dimension. I wish I could stay with you, but the fight with Culex continues on. I don't want to worry the Warriors of Light any longer than I already have." White Mage said.
"Yes, I understand." Peach said.
"But I hope I can see all of you again under much more normal circumstances!" White Mage said.
"You can count on it, my friend!" Daisy shouted. White Mage then kneeled down (carefully) and extended her pinky finger towards Peach, who shook as much of it as she could.
"Farewell, my friends!" White Mage said.
"Goodbye, White Mage!" Peach said. White Mage then stood back to her full height and made a powerful leap into the snowy skies. As she did that, a portal opened up and she went right through it. Soon, the portal disappeared, and White Mage was gone once again with the hopes of visiting Peach and Daisy again down the road.

"So what now? Are we still going to explore this land in search of what to do for the Winter Olympics?" Blaze asked.
"Well, while you ladies do that, why don't Mario and I shred the slopes once again?" Sonic said.
"Well... okay. If you insist, buddy!" Mario said.
"You know what? That sounds like a good idea. Care for some casual skiing, Daisy?" Peach said.
"You bet! Last one down the mountain is an old, wilted flower!" Daisy shouted.
"I'll stay here and just watch this time, if you all don't mind." Apple said.
"Of course, Apple!" Peach said.

Thus ended the mega-sized adventure to save not just Vancouver, but all of Earth as well.

END