OPTICS: ONLINE
REAR THRUSTERS: ONLINE
FORWARD THRUSTERS: ONLINE
TRACKING SYSTEMS: ONLINE
WEAPON SYSTEMS: ONLINE
TARGETING SYSTEMS: ONLINE
HULL INTEGRITY: 100%

SYSTEM REPAIRS: COMPLETE

“Damn that Super Mario…” the mechanical creature stated, “I was careless and cocky. Through my survival, I have been reborn and improved, but…” it stopped suddenly. “Why take him down alone when I can share my victory with a minion…? Yes…I will find a suitable companion, and together we will eradicate this world.”

He jumped into the air and activated his rear thrusters. He seemed to be scanning the area very carefully.

“Perfect…”

“Do…do we have to go in there?” Fluttershy asked nervously. “We’ll be okay without one of them, won’t we?”

“We have to, Fluttershy,” said Twilight, “without it, we can’t figure out where the next one is. I know it’s odd that we can’t just use the map to locate the rest, but the first one only allowed me to see this one. They appear to be connected in a particular order.”

“It’ll be alright, sugarcube,” said Applejack, “we’re all right here with ya, and we’ll be there every step of the way.”

Fluttershy was still very hesitant about entering the Everfree Forest.

Mario attempted to comfort her as well. He started to talk in his Italian accent.

He told her of the time he had eaten a rare type of food, called an invicishroom, and how it had made him very ill. He could not continue on his adventure with his younger brother, Luigi, unless he went on a journey to a place known as the Guffawha Ruins, to find the cure for his illness. Luigi was mortified after hearing about all the monsters that thrived there, and it took some convincing before he finally had the courage to go. But the one thing that kept him going was his desire to save his older brother.

Mario told Fluttershy to think of the thing she holds most dear. And to think of the things she would do to protect it.

“I hold all of my friends as the most important things in my life.” She replied. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to them. But I would do anything to protect them.”

“That’s why we’ve gotta do this, Fluttershy,” Applejack intervened. “The world is in danger, including us. We have ‘ta help Mario here get all those stars. Celestia only knows what’ll happen if we don’t. And he won’t let anything happen to you, or any of us sugarcube, honest.”

Fluttershy thought about what her friends were telling her. She was finally convinced.

“You’re right, thanks AJ.” Fluttershy said, hugging Applejack. “And thanks Mario…”

Mario walked over and hugged her; they all knew it was taking a lot of courage for her to face her fear of the Everfree Forest.

“I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you or Goombella, either…” She said under her breath.

“Alright!” Rainbow Dash shouted suddenly. “Let’s do this! We’ll show that tin can whose boss!”

With that, the heroes entered the shadows of the Everfree Forest.

Not a single one of them had the slightest idea of where to begin looking, the star could be anywhere in the dark, dense forest. They began walking and looking for any sort of glittering or odd shaped object that could have lodged itself into the ground or into one of the many trees. They continued to look when Goombella decided to strike up a conversation.

“So I’ve been curious, what are those tattoos you all seem to have near your rear ends?” She asked.

“Those are our Cutie Marks, silly!” Pinkie Pie stated, somehow expecting Goombella to be aware of this. “We get them when we discover what our true talents are! Don’t you have yours yet?”

Mario and Goombella seemed confused.

Pinkie Pie gasped, took Mario and Goombella in her hooves and started talking at an inaudible speed while hopping into the air.

“YOU DON’T HAVE THEM YET? THAT’S OKAY! IT JUST MEANS YOU STILL HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU ARE GOOD AT! MAYBE BOWLING! OR SKYDIVING! OR TEACHING! OR DRAWING! OR-“

“PINKIE!” The group shouted, Mario and Goombella now fairly dizzy.

“Sorry! I just get so excited thinking about what you could earn as your Cutie Mark like I would for anypony!” She replied, still half excitedly.

“We don’t earn Cutie Marks, Pinkie Pie.” Goombella said.

Pinkie Pie looked a little disappointed upon hearing this.

“But isn’t there something that symbolizes your special talent?” Fluttershy interjected.

“Not really.” Goombella replied. “We just go about our lives like anyone would, we discover the things that we are good at but we don’t earn anything on our bodies that symbolizes it. I thought you all just had tattoos or something symbolizing your friendship. I didn’t realize that they just sort of appear there.”

“All the same, they don’t exactly just APPEAR there,” Rarity stated, “we do have to earn them. I earned mine when I realized I had a knack for fashion. I like to design clothing for ponies all over Equestria.”

Goombella took notice of the three diamonds on Rarity’s flank. She then looked at everyone else’s cutie marks and tried to guess what their special talents were.

“So what do the three butterflies mean, Fluttershy?” She asked her.

“I love animals…” She replied, “I understand them and nurture them. I feel like each and every one of them is a child, in need of a mother. I earned mine when I realized that.”

Goombella had no idea as to what Rainbow Dash’s signified.

“Cloud with a multicolored lightning bolt…you got me, what does it mean?” She asked.

“Only that I’m the greatest flyer in Equestria!” She replied, quite proud of herself. “I got it the day I performed my first Sonic Rainboom when I was a filly.”

Goombella looked confused. “RainBOOM? Now you’re just making up words…” She laughed.

Rainbow Dash began explaining a Sonic Rainboom as they continued to walk through the forest.

“It’s something that only a Pegasus pony is capable of, and only the fastest of the fast are even able to do it. Once at peak velocity, a rainbow wave explodes behind us followed by a loud BOOM and soon after, we are flying at an immeasureable speed!”

“Ahh, so it’s like a Sonic Boom, then…” Goombella replied.

“What exactly is that?” Rainbow Dash asked with a puzzled look.

“Basically the equivalent of what you told me, without the Rainbows and such. And only aircraft are capable of doing it back home in our world.”

“Well that sounds boring yet awesome at the same time!”

Goombella noticed the three apples that were on Applejack’s flank.

“So you got yours because you like to eat apples, Applejack? Why would you get one for that?” Goombella asked her.

Applejack laughed at this. “Oh Sugarcube, mine doesn’t mean I like eating apples, I actually got mine when I realized that my true calling was working on the apple farm at home with my family. I had visited some family that lived in the city, and I noticed that their style of life isn’t what I wanted to live. I returned home and at that moment, I knew the apple farm was where I belonged.”

“That’s a sweet story, Applejack.” Goombella said.

“Aww shoot,” Applejack replied, “family always comes first, no matter what, and everyone here, you are all part of the apple family in my eyes.”

She then turned to Pinkie Pie, noticing the three balloons on her flank.

“So this one is definitely something with parties I assume, Pinkie?” Goombella said.

“Shoosh yeah!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “I got mine the day I through a big party for everypony back home on the rock farm! I love to make people smile and laugh, which is how I got my Cutiemark!”

“What exactly is a rock farm?” Goombella asked.

“The most boring thing in the world!” Pinkie replied. “Ponies never smile when they have to push rocks around all day. I had to bring some joy to my family, and the moment I saw them smile was the moment I realized that!”

Goombella finally turned to Twilight.

She studied her Cutiemark very carefully. She had no idea what to make of it, nor could she tell what the shape of it even was.

“I can’t even get an idea of what yours means Twilight, care to explain?” Goombella asked.

Just as Twilight was about to speak, Fluttershy gasped at what she witnessed.

A pack of Timberwolves made their appearance known to the heroes, and they looked like they were ready for a feast.

“What are those things?!” Goombella shouted.

“Timberwolves…” said Twilight, “they are carnivorous creatures, made of wood bound by magic in the Everfree Forest, they are something to be afraid of.”

Mario motioned for everyone to stay behind him, as he took a fighting stance.

“We’ve got ‘yer back, Mario!” Applejack shouted. “These things are a menace to deal with especially alone, you won’t be able to take them by yerself!”

Mario yelled out an excited “Let’s-a-go!” and the battle commenced.

Mario leaped forward and attempted to punch a Timberwolf into the ground, but it leaped out of his sight and he hit the ground, leaving an imprint of his fist where he hit.

Twlight’s horn began to glow as an aura surrounded it, she fired a few shots of magic at the wolves, knocking a few of them to the ground. However, they stood back up immediately.

Applejack jumped forward and bucked the first one she saw with all her might, knocking it straight into another one that was going for Goombella.

“Yikes!” Goombella said, “thanks for the save!”

“Don’t hesitate, here comes another one headed straight for ‘ya!” Applejack shouted.

Goombella turned around in just enough time to bonk into its head with her own, defending herself from the attack.

Rarity tried to pick up a few small boulders to launch at them, but she was interrupted by a larger Timberwolf that batted her aside and tried to take her in its mouth.

Mario jumped out of nowhere and landed on its head, dropping her immediately.

He backflipped to a spot close to her and helped her up.

Pinkie Pie seemed to be having the time of her life as she pulled out her party cannon (out of nowhere) and fired a large blast at a small group of the wolves, blowing them into pieces.

Rainbow Dash flew directly into one with her back hoof, kicking in the face and sending it flying towards a tree.

“GOAL!” She yelled excitedly. However, upon letting her guard down for that quick second, another wolf tackled her to the ground and tried to claw for her face!

Twilight fired a bolt of her magic into its face to knock it off of Rainbow Dash.

The group noticed that each wolf that they hit would shatter into a few pieces, appearing to be defeated.

“Glad that’s over…” Goombella said, quite relieved.

“Not quite…” said Twilight, “they don’t just stop from a few attacks, they can rebuild themselves after falling apart. This battle has merely just begun.”

Mario was also very skeptical about having beaten them, he had dealt with enemies such as Dry Bones, which could rebuild themselves after falling apart.

Sure enough, the creatures began to reconstruct their original bodies, and the pack of Timberwolves was now racing towards the heroes for another assault.

Mario managed to bat one of them away by kicking it a solid distance, but he was caught off guard by another that swooped by and picked him up with its mouth, shaking him violently in its jaws.

“MAMA-MIA!” He shouted as he was being shaken like a ragdoll.

Rainbow Dash tackled it down, and Mario flew out of its jaws and hit the ground with a loud THUD! After recuperating, he noticed that Fluttershy was about to be attacked by the larger one, which he was now acknowledging as the pack leader. He threw his hammer at it before it could attack her and the hammer smashed it square in the face, followed by Mario, who caught the hammer and slammed the wolf to the ground with it.

“These things won’t stop getting back up!” shouted Rarity, “how much more of a beating do we have to give them before they stop?”

Twilight was also pondering this fact. They usually don’t fight Timberwolves solely because they could just get back up. What would eventually cause them to stop?

She assumed maybe after fighting them a little while longer, they would get bored and leave them alone.

Rainbow Dash grabbed another one and smashed several of its buddies away, as if she was swinging a hammer of her own. She then through it towards another wolf and they both shattered into pieces.

Mario witnessed her attack, and he had an idea. He ran to Rainbow Dash to tell her his plan.

“That sounds awesome!” She said, and they took their stances.

Mario held his arms out and began to spin, doing his signature move, the Mario Tornado. However, Rainbow Dash also began to fly around Mario, spinning in the same direction that he was turning in, creating a small tornado around his body. He suddenly rose off of the ground and gained enough air to hover for a short time, but this was all he needed. He stopped spinning and Rainbow Dash stopped flying in circles around him, and they grabbed hands and fore hooves, with their back legs outstretched, continuing to spin from the leftover momentum, kicking many Timberwolves in the face, knocking them all into pieces. They made a slow descent as they continued to knock all of the approaching wolves into pieces, when they finally let go, and performed their own flying kicks towards individual wolves, back flipping and landing back to back. Mario knew this as the Spin Bros. attack.

“That was amazing you guys!” Goombella shouted to Mario and Rainbow Dash.

As impressive as the attack was, it did not stop the constant assault of the Timberwolves. Mario also refused to try and burn them with his fire as he did not want to burn the forest down. He was left with one other option.

They all leaped up onto the growing Crystal Star, and suddenly it was bouncing off of the ground, creating small shockwaves that shattered all of the Timberwolves at once.

The star shrank down to normal size, and the Timberwolves actually stopped attacking them!

They reformed and took off in all different directions.

The group finally had a moment to rest.

“Glad it’s finally over...” said Twilight, still trying to catch her breath.

As they began to regain their strength, they heard a loud roar in the distance.

“What was that?!” Fluttershy screamed.

“I don’t know, but we’re gonna find out!” Goombella shouted with enthusiasm.

They took off into the direction of the sound, keeping their guards up and their wits sharp, knowing that another battle was about to begin.

Author's Note

Again, the wait is because of work and school, trying to balance those and a social life haha, anyways, enjoy