Paper Mario: The Land of Harmony

by Blade Squall

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Spike, Comedy, Other, Adventure, Crossover, Alternate Universe, Human, Main 6, Original Character
Length: 185904

Mario & friends travel to Equestria for a vacation. Unfortunately, bad stuff happens. Now, Mario, Spike, and six new heroes have to save the Elements of Harmony... and Peach. Oh, and everything's made of paper. Have fun!

When Princesses Peach Peach and Daisy drag Mario and friends all the way from the Mushroom Kingdom to Equestria, Mario was expecting (for once) a normal vacation. In a land of talking ponies. However, as luck would have it, tragedy strikes during Princess Peach and Princess Celestia's meeting, when the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony are attacked and the Elements scattered throughout a papery Equestria!

Now Mario, Hammer in hand, cap on head, and a baby dragon sidekick at his side, has to save not just Equestria, but the entire world from a sinister plot that was NOT made by Bowser. Cheesy? Yes. Fun? Hopefully!

T just to be safe.

Note: Prologue and Chapters 1 and 2 now have title cards!

Also, cover art is now thanks to my deviantART friend, Neko1Inu2Kitsune3!

Published 2012-12-25 02:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2014-08-16 19:20:41 UTC

Intro Part 2

Mario Bros.’ House, Mushroom Kingdom

It was a beautiful day in the Mushroom Kingdom. The usual contents of a good day were to be seen at the home of the world famous Mario Brothers. The sun was high in the sky, shining down upon the house. Hardly a cloud was out of place. The green Warp Pipe that connected the house to Toad Town was nice and clean. And the local Mail Paratroopa was flying down, carrying his trusty mailbag.

This Paratroopa did not know why, but he loved delivering letters to and from places throughout the kingdom. Sure he had a bit of a clumsy streak, but he managed to make do with himself. And he was especially careful for any letters that had to be for a certain friend of his.

As he turned towards the mailbox, the Paratroopa slid the letters inside the box. He turned towards the house, and breathed in, ready to say a classic line-

“Oh, hello, Parakarry!” a female voice interrupted him, causing the Paratroopa to gasp in surprise. He turned to see none other than the kingdom’s beloved Princess Peach had just come to the house.

“Greetings, Princess!” Parakarry smiled at her. “How are you doing, today?”

“I’m alright,” Peach stated. “Actually, I’m more than alright. I’m going on vacation!”

“Oh, really?” Parakarry said, surprised. “May I ask where?”

“Oh, I was about to tell Mario that,” Peach answered. “In fact, I was about to ask him if he and Luigi wanted to come to where I’m going.”

“In that case, let me just get them for you.” With that, Parakarry turned towards the house one last time, and yelled, “Mail call!” With that he turned to Peach, and said, “Have a safe trip!”

As soon as he flew away, Peach turned back towards Mario’s house, where Luigi emerged, surprised. “Oh, hey Princess!” the younger brother gasped in shock. “What brings you here?”

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” Peach answered with a giggle. Luigi just shrugged.

“Okay,” the green plumber nodded. “Well, you can head inside and say hi to Mario. I probably should get the mail.” While Peach did what Luigi advised, the younger brother turned towards the mailbox, and began rummaging through it. “Let’s see here… bill… bill… tourist brochure… bill… threat from Jr. Troopa to Mario that he’ll probably never follow up on… oh, what’s this?” He looked at the return address, and blinked in surprise. With that, he headed inside.

Inside the house, he saw Peach and Mario, the latter surprised to see the former had come all of this way. “What are you doing all of the way out here?” Mario asked the Princess.

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell you!” Peach smiled, barely able to contain her excitement. “Oh, you’re not going to believe this, but I’m going on vacation!”

Mario’s eyes widened in shock. “Really, Peach?”

“Oh, what’s wrong with me going on vacation, Mario?” the Princess asked, hands on her hips.

“Well,” Mario nervously answered. “Do you remember Isle Delfino? And Rogueport? And don’t get me started on the Beanbean Kingdom. Oh, and there was that one time we all went on vacation and Bowser got mad-”

“Mario, be serious!” Peach huffed. “This time, I’m not going alone with just Toadsworth… I’m actually here to invite you guys!”

“What?” Mario and Luigi both asked.

“Yeah,” Peach smiled. “It’ll be fun. Hardly anything bad is supposed to happen where we’re going.”

“Where are we supposed to go?” Luigi interrupted.

“Well,” Peach answered, “it’s actually a nice looking kingdom called-”

“Princess!” a worn-out voice wheezed. “You… left without us…” Soon enough, the elderly Toadsworth slowly walked in, exhausted. Luigi allowed him to sit down in his chair. He was followed shortly by none other than Yoshi, Toad, Toadette, and Princess Daisy of Sarasaland.

“We would’ve been here sooner if somebody who knew how to get through town and get didn’t get worn out so easily showed us the way,” Daisy joked. “Especially considering how often it seems to be renovated every time I’m here.”

“How rude, Princess…” Toadsworth groaned. Peach and Daisy just giggled.

“So,” Daisy asked Peach, “did you already spring the good news on the Brothers, yet?”

“You mean that Peach is going on vacation?” Luigi asked. “Yep. Why?”

“Well, guess who has two thumbs and is going with her?” Daisy smirked. “This girl!”

“Really?” Mario blinked. Looking at the others, he asked, “Are you all going, too?”

“Yep!” Yoshi nodded. “Already have our bags packed, on the airship, and everything! Ooh, I can’t wait to get on the airship!”

“In fact,” Toad added, “we’re just waiting on you guys.”

Mario and Luigi both raised their eyebrows, questioning on how eager everyone seemed. “We’re not going to get a chance to say, ‘No’, are we?” Mario asked, already knowing the answer.

“Of course not, Master Mario!” Toadsworth commented, having caught his breath. “In fact, I vehemently refused to let the Princess even consider leaving the Kingdom unless she convinced you to come with us. In case something happened, I’d rather you close than halfway around the world.”

“I knew it,” Mario sighed. “Well, I guess we could use a vacation, eh, Luigi?”

“I suppose, Bro,” the younger brother agreed, glad not to be staying at home and guarding it. “So, when are we going and how long for?”

“Well, we should be there for a few weeks,” Peach recalled. “It’s a pretty huge kingdom, and well, I’m going to be attempting to improve ties between there and here in the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“Sarasaland, too,” Daisy added. “But after all of the boring diplomatic stuff is done, we’re going to see practically the whole country!”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve all got this settled!” Toadette cheered. “Well, I’ll meet you at the airship, Mario!” With that, she and Toad headed out.

“Before we go, Bro,” Luigi stated, pulling out a letter, “I almost forgot that you have a letter from a friend of yours. Goombella, I believe.”

“Goombella?” Mario asked, surprised to hear that name popping up. Well, she was an archeologist, so she probably wanted to write about her adventures. Usually, though, she e-mailed him. Mario tore open the letter, his moustache curled into a curious frown.

Hey, Mario!

I’m sorry I had to resort to snail-mail for this! It’s totally hard to do so without… well, hands. However, my Mailbox 3DS here is getting fixed, so I’m annoyed that I have to do this the old-fashion way. With a quill, no less. Feathers tickle!

Anyways, I’m hoping this gets to you in the Mushroom Kingdom. I’m currently investigating strange places in a faraway land called “Equestria”, which recently opened to tourists from around the world, including our neck of the woods. Seriously, right now, there are Toads everywhere! If you ever drop by the place, you’ve just GOT to look me up! I’m working in a nice little town called “Ponyville”, which, as its name implies, has ponies. Lots and lots of ponies. Talking ponies, of course. Princess Peach would like it. I’m also working as a student teacher for elementary school ponies, teaching them about our Mushroom Kingdom's history. Don’t worry; they don’t know about the adventures we’ve had. Yet.

Well, I’ve gotta go. Miss Cheerilee (my boss) will need me to cover a lesson or two for her.

Sincerely,

Goombella

“Well,” Toadsworth commented, “it sounds like your old friend is doing quite well for herself.”

“Yeah,” Mario smiled, glad to hear from the Goomba.

“Well,” Peach concluded, “we’ll stop by and say ‘hi’ to her during our visit. Heading to Ponyville is an absolute must, now!” Mario and Luigi looked at Peach, surprised.

“What?” both plumbers asked.

“Oh, right,” Peach remembered. “I forgot to tell you where we were heading. It’s a little place known as Equestria, the land of ponies.” Both Mario and Luigi turned to each other, just as stunned.

Skies above Equestria

After Peach and Daisy hurried the brothers in packing and onto Peach’s personal pink airship, the group set out straight to Equestria. It was an overnight trip by air, so they had time to discuss Peach’s overstuffed itinerary. Clearly the Mushroom Princess was excited about the place, and not just because of the talking ponies.

So, while they were free to wonder about the first class cabin, Peach took the time to hand out maps of Equestria- something Mario found quite prepared for the rather impulsive Princess- to all on board. They were crowded around a giant map of the land.

“There’s so much to see and do!” Peach practically squealed. “I heard there’s an entire city made of clouds inhabited by Pegasi, Lakitus, and Lumas!” She pointed to a cloud city that looked particularly fluffy. Mario did not know how the ponies managed to construct that, but he had to admire their tenacity for making a town literally built on clouds. And Mario had been to Glitzville, a town that was floating over Rogueport and the rest of that region.

“Really?” Luigi asked. “Doesn’t a city of clouds seem a little impractical?”

“I’m sure they have ways of getting people to and from that city,” Toadsworth assured the younger of the Mario Brothers. “We’ll just not be able to visit it. Unless, of course, someone packed those strange Cloud Flowers.”

“I personally want to go to this place called ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ and another place called ‘Appleloosa’!” Yoshi voiced, pointing to two places on the map, one of which was close to this Ponyville Goombella mentioned. “All of the apples a Yoshi can eat on an apple farm!”

“Someone being forced to stay with Yoshi so he doesn’t eat somebody out of house and home aside,” Luigi commented, “that looks quite nice.” He then noticed a town with a giant statue. “Hey, Bro. Feel like going to this Manehattan place and climbing this ‘Mare of Liberty’ Tower? I bet with our jumping ability, we’d climb it in record time!”

“They actually have a contest for clearing the Mare of Liberty Tower?” Daisy asked with a smirk on her face. The athletic princess of Sarasaland commented, “I’d do that.”

“You all must calm yourselves,” Toadsworth chided the group. “We still have the business portion of our journey to deal with before we can play ‘tourist’. Why, even getting the slightest bit off track for fun and games is simply unprofessional.”

“Aw, Toadsworth,” Peach huffed, “quit being a fuddy duddy! I’m pretty sure there’s one thing in Equestria that you really want to do.”

“Poppycock!” Toadsworth scoffed. “Princess, it is my royal duty as your steward to make sure you and Princess Daisy are safe and sound at all times, in and out of the Mushroom Kingdom. Also, it is my duty to make sure that we stick to our primary goals at all times. This is a diplomatic affair before a vacation- oh, look!” The group looked at Toadsworth pointing towards a town called Los Pegasus. “In my brochure, that town is dedicated to stage shows and even producing movies! Many an actor live and work there! Perhaps we can see a show while we’re there!”

Daisy, Peach, and Toadette all just giggled at Toadsworth’s actions. Toad, meanwhile, was looking for a place he’d want to visit while he was there.

“I hear there’s a giant bell in a place called Fillydelphia that ponies love ringing,” Toad voiced. “Also, the town is famous for its sandwiches! I’d love to sink my teeth into one before leaving!”

Yoshi, upon hearing about tasty sandwiches, predictably began drooling. “Oooohh… Mario, you’ve gotta take me there one time! You just have to!”

“Wait, why do I have to take you?” the red plumber asked. “It seems simple enough for you to go on your own sometime while we’re in Fillydelphia.”

“Yeah, but you’re better with money than I am!” the dinosaur argued. “And you always seem to end up on globetrotting adventures whenever you go somewhere.”

“Yoshi, please do not jinx it,” Mario insisted. “I don’t want to go on a country wide trip to save the world when I should be on vacation. We all should.”

“Quite,” Toadsworth agreed.

“Well, Baltimare looks pretty cool,” Daisy commented. “Especially Horseshoe Bay. I can only imagine swimming in it.” Smirking at Luigi, she added, “And I know a certain green boy who’d like that.” Luigi nervously blushed while turning away from Daisy.

“I d-d-don’t know what you’re talking about…” Luigi stammered in embarrassment. Daisy only laughed while Toadette pointed to a city above Ponyville on a mountain.

“Canterlot sounds lovely!” the female Toad pointed out. “It’s literally in the center of the entire country!”

“And it’s the capital of Equestria, too,” Peach pointed out from her information gathering. “That’s where we’ll land, tomorrow. From there, we’ll head to the Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy in Canterlot Castle. That’s where we’ll be staying while Daisy and I meet with Princesses Celestia and Luna.”

“Celestia and Luna?” Toad asked. “Are they the rulers of Equestria?”

“Indeed, young Toad,” Toadsworth answered. “You see, everyone, one thing we all should know about Equestria before we cross into its borders is that there are three primary races of pony. The strong Earth Ponies who are the prominent race and are capable of nurturing the land, growing food, and helping the animals that live there, as well as build complex machinery with their impressive strength. Pegasus ponies, or Pegasi as the Princess called them earlier, are flight capable ponies who can manipulate the weather. And finally, Unicorn Ponies, who are rather intelligent and are such capable masters of magic that they would give Bowser’s elite Magikoopas a run for their money.”

“Toadsworth,” Mario requested, “let’s not speak of Bowser while we’re here, okay? I do not want to hear his name at all during this vacation.”

“Well, alright,” Toadsworth agreed. “But anyways, about the monarchs, here. Princesses Celestia and Luna are actually among a rare breed of pony, for they have the strength of an Earth Pony, the wings of a Pegasus and the horn and magical abilities of a Unicorn. They are simply called ‘Alicorns’, and are among the most powerful ponies in the world, said to control the transition between the Sun and the Moon.”

“Wow,” Luigi commented. “They sound awfully strong… if you-know-who came here, he’d have an awfully difficult time kidnapping them…”

“Oh, I can’t wait until tomorrow when we land!” Peach cheered. “This is so exciting, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep!”

Mario at this point tuned out the rest of the conversation, turning his attention back to the map. Goombella, an old friend of his, was in Ponyville. That was really all he had to look forward to besides what everyone else wanted to do. Besides, he really had no idea what else was in Equestria. Perhaps Goombella would know and inform him. As Mario laid back in his chair for a nap, he just hoped that they landed in Equestria soon.

...Hours Later...

“Attention all passengers,” the pilot spoke over the radio, causing Mario to jolt awake from his nap. “We are directly overhead Canterlot and have been cleared to land.” Mario, curious about the announcement, looked out of the window, gasping in surprise.

From Mario’s view, the city made Peach’s Castle look miniscule. And Mario had enough personal experience to know Peach’s Castle was far from small. So, when he saw the mountainside castle town consisting of plenty of ivory towers with golden spires, stone-paved roads, a waterfall cascading by and through the city from the top of the mountain, Mario thought that the town looked beautiful.

“All passengers please sit down and buckle up,” the pilot instructed. “We will begin our descent shortly.”

Canterlot

The pilot had the airship land towards the city's outer gates, close to the river. Soon enough, a stairway folded out from under the airship door, almost as if it was made of paper. Peach eagerly led the group out, allowing Mario to finally have some breathing room.

“We’re finally here!” Luigi cheered, jumping up and down to get the feeling in his legs back. “Hey, Bro! We’ve been cramped in that balloon for such a long time, and we have a bit before we need to head over to the palace. Want to warm up with your moves while we wait?”

“Uh, no thanks, Luigi,” Mario declined. “I’m sure a little walk will get the blood flowing in my legs.” He remembered each of his basic skills from years of adventuring, and even brought his traditional wooden Hammer that a certain Grandpa Goomba gave him time ago… in the cargo hold of the airship. Even though Toadsworth berated him for bringing the weapon to a peaceful kingdom, Mario knew too well from experience that it paid to be prepared for even any emergency.

“Okay,” Luigi nodded. “Well, we should be getting ready to get our bags, then….”

“Excuse me!” a new, female voice spoke up from behind the brothers, surprising them. “Does anypony by chance go by the name ‘Princess Peach’?” Mario, Luigi, and the others turned around, curious to see who was speaking to them.

Sure enough, Mario saw that it was six ponies, all of whom Mario guessed by figure were female. Though he was surprised as to how… colorful the ponies of Equestria looked. For starters, a few members of the greeting party had coats and even manes and tails that did not seem normal even by the strange standards of the Mushroom Kingdom. Seriously, never in Mario’s life did he imagine seeing an orange pony. Or a light blue one with a rainbow for hair. Or pink. And was that fourth one yellow? Why was one purple? The white one would not have been so odd if she didn’t have a horn, signaling that she was a Unicorn, or her mane was not a dark violet… or featuring curls, for that matter.

Another strange thing about them were the obvious symbols on their flanks. Mario had no idea what the purpose those served, but figured it was too soon to question that.

“I do,” Peach spoke up, shaking Mario out of thought. She smiled, “Who are you all, by chance?”

“Oh, sorry,” the purple pony spoke up in the voice that greeted them before. Mario took this time to get a good look at her. She was a Unicorn, for starters. Her mane and tail were straight and they were a shade of dark blue, if he was right, with streaks of a pink and a darker shade of violet than her light purple coat running through it. Finally, Mario counted six stars on her flank: five six-pointed white stars surrounding a pink six-pointed one.

“I forgot to introduce myself,” the pony blushed. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s personal student. My friends and I were asked by her to escort Princesses Peach and Daisy and their entourage to the castle.”

“And to throw a HUUUGGGEE ‘Welcome to Equestria’ Party!” the bright pink pony cheered, practically bouncing up and down high enough to give the Mario Bros., professional Jumpmen, a run for their money. “It’s going to be so amazing! I’ve never actually thrown a party for a Princess from the Mushroom Kingdom before! Do you guys normally wear Mushroom Caps over there, or are those just Toads? Maybe I should have brought Mushroom Caps for everypony! Are Toads part amphibian like regular toads, or something completely different? Did you guys happen to bring any raccoon leaves with you? I’d love to dress up as one and fly like Rainbow Dash does-”

All of the sudden, she paused in midair, floating in a light purple aura of magic. “Pinkie, settle down,” Twilight instructed, her horn glowing with the same purple aura. “We’ll get to the party back at the castle, okay? Right now, I’m sure the Princesses will want to relax a little bit before we get to the festivities.”

Mario, glad not to be following the hyperactive pink pony’s bouncing any further, looked at her as she was gently floated to the ground and the glow around Twilight’s horn dispersed, alongside the aura around the Earth pony. Besides Peach and Toadette, he had never seen so much pink on a sentient creature like this “Pinkie”. She lacked the horn that Twilight had, and there weren’t any wings, so he could easily guess she was an Earth Pony. Her mane and tail reminded the plumber of cotton candy with how puffy they were, only a darker shade. On her flank, Mario noticed she had three balloons, one of them yellow, and the other two blue.

Peach, meanwhile, giggled, smiling at the pink pony. “Aw, a party sounds nice! Princess Celestia didn’t have to go through the trouble, though….”

“Oh, she’s not!” Pinkie smiled. “I LOVE to throw parties. That’s what Pinkie Pie does well! And I’m Pinkie Pie, Party Planner Extraordinaire, at your service, Princess Peach!”

“Well,” Toadette commented, “you ponies certainly don’t waste time, do you? Awesome!”

“I don’t know how a leaf and dressing up as a raccoon is supposed to make somepony fly, though,” the light blue pony spoke up, curious about Pinkie’s comment while floating over her with flaps of the wings on her side. Mario looked at her, next. Again, the first thing he noticed was her species, being a Pegasus, in this case. Also, her mane and tail were literally rainbows. Her mark on her flank, a white cloud with a red, yellow, and normal blue striped lightning bolt hanging from it, further signaled the rainbow theme.

“Are you talking about the Tanooki Suit?” Luigi asked. “Well, the suit is pretty cool. My Bro and I have used those, before, in our adventures.”

“Really?” the light blue pony asked, landing in front of Luigi, causing the green plumber to back up in surprise. “So, tell me… how does dressing up as a raccoon help you fly?”

“There are a lot of weird things in the Mushroom Kingdom, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight interrupted the blue pony, giving Luigi the time to walk away to help Toad and Yoshi get the bags. “The Tanooki Suit comes from the Tanooki Leaves, and allows for hovering by the tail attached to it. Some things that have been imported here, recently. Like flowers that can spew fire.”

“I must say, Miss Sparkle,” Toadsworth complimented the violet pony, “you’re quite knowledgeable about things from the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“That’s our egghead, for ya,” the blue pony known as Rainbow smirked. “Twilight did a lot of reading on the Mushroom Kingdom so she could help with this visit you guys have with the Princess.”

“A dedicated student, I see,” Toadsworth commented.

“I didn’t know Princess Celestia even HAD a student,” Daisy remarked. “I have to admit, we’ve only been in this kingdom for only a few minutes, and already it’s pretty cool.”

“If’ ya’ll are thinkin’ that’s fancy enough,” the orange pony spoke up in a southern drawl, “wait ’til ya see the shindig Pinkie Pie set up at that the castle. Ah have a feelin’ ya’ll love it.” Mario looked at her. Like Pinkie, she was an Earth Pony. However, that’s where the similarities ended. This one seemed simple and down to earth, unlike Pinkie who looked excited and carefree. She also had three white freckles on either side of her cheek. Mario was surprised to see he and Luigi weren’t the only ones wearing hats, though, as the brown Stetson on her blonde head could give his own cap a run for its money. Speaking of her mane, it and her tail were both quite long, pulled back into (and Mario mentally pardoned the pun) ponytails by two read bands, one on each part of her hair. He noticed the three red delicious apples on her flank.

She spotted Mario looking at her, and blinked. “Uh, partner… ya’ll okay?”

Mario shook his head in surprise. “Sorry. I was admiring your hat.”

“Well, it was mah pa’s,” the orange pony remarked before adjusting her prized head-wear. “Ya’ll got a nice looking hat yerself. What’s the ‘M’ stand fer?”

“Mario,” the plumber answered. “That’s my name. My Bro Luigi wears one just like it, but in green.”

“Well, it’ll be easier to tell ya’ll apart, Mr. Mario!” Extending a hoof, she greeted, “Anyways, partner, Ah’m Applejack. Nice to meet ya.” Mario shook her hoof. “If ya’ll got time after this, maybe ya should come down to Ponyville. Look me an’ mah family up at Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Wait,” Peach asked, “You are from Ponyville?”

“Yep,” Rainbow nodded. “Why, have you heard of it?”

“Yeah, actually,” Daisy replied. “One of Mario’s old friends is currently working there."

"She's a Goomba, if you'll believe it," Mario added. "Blonde, sassy, really smart, wears a necktie and a hard hat for some reason."

“You all must be talking about Goombella,” Twilight concluded. “She sometimes comes over to the library to look up books on places from ancient Equestria.”

“Well, she certainly hasn’t changed in that regard,” Mario chuckled. “She always was good at looking up ancient places and things.” He then spotted the yellow pony, attempting to hide behind the others. “Uh… what’s her problem?”

Twilight and Rainbow turned around, seeing the cowering yellow pony. Like Rainbow, Mario noticed, she was a Pegasus, but her wings were tucked to her side. Her long mane that nearly hid her eyes was a bright pink, sort of resembling Peach’s dress. She also had three pink butterflies on her flank. Twilight and Rainbow shot understanding looks at the yellow pony.

“Oh, Fluttershy,” Twilight remarked with a gentle smile. “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure the Princesses’ entourage isn’t going to hurt anypony.”

“I know,” the yellow pony muttered in a tiny voice. “But… there are so many of them. You didn’t say there would be so many of them…” Twilight turned towards Mario’s group.

“I’m sorry about Fluttershy,” the purple unicorn apologized. “As you can see, Fluttershy’s quite… well, shy, around new ponies. In fact, when I first met her, she only started talking when she first met Spike.”

“Hey, Mario!” Yoshi spoke up as he walked over with a bunch of bags on his back. “Do you mind helping a Yoshi out and getting some of these?” Fluttershy peaked out from behind Twilight, and gasped in excitement.

“A Yoshi!” the mare cheered in excitement, rushing past Mario so fast that his whole body spun before falling flat on the ground while Yoshi jumped back in surprise, dropping his bags on a poor Luigi who was coming around with more bags.

“Paaaaaiiiiinnn…” Luigi moaned in agony.

“You all have a Yoshi with you? Oh, I’ve never seen a real-life Yoshi before!”

“You mean you guys have not had any Yoshis immigrate over here, yet?” Yoshi questioned, forgetting what he was doing.

“Oh, not at all!” the yellow Pegasus answered. “Your kind is incredibly rare, even outside of Equestria! You have to tell me everything about Yoshis!” She then shyly added, “That is… if you want to.”

“Luigi,” Mario asked while walking to the buried green plumber, “are you okay?”

“I’ve been better…” Luigi answered from under the bags. Fluttershy realized what happened, and gasped.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she told Luigi. She then flew over, and began helping Mario, Yoshi, and Daisy clear up the bags. “I didn’t mean to accidentally bury you, Mr. Luigi.”

“It’s alright,” Luigi assured her, dusting himself off. “My Bro and I have been through physically worse.” Looking at the bags, he said, “Well, we better get these things… again.”

“Allow me,” Twilight voiced, walking over. Her horn began to glow again, and all of the bags were surrounded by a purple aura, levitating in the air above her. “I’ll take these bags off of your hooves… er, hands.” Turning to the white Unicorn, Twilight asked, “Rarity, didn’t Spike say he’d be over here?”

“As a matter of fact,” the other Unicorn answered, “he did. Where is Spikey-wikey?” Mario took this time to notice her marking… three blue crystals. What this symbolized, he did not know. The other ponies besides Twilight’s symbols seemed to identify a particular talent or something, but this one… Rarity, did not make hers perfectly clear.

“Oh, right,” Rainbow nervously chuckled. “Spike asked me to tell you guys that Shining Armor wanted to talk to him about something, and he’ll be delayed for a bit. He’s probably on his way, now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that?” Twilight scowled. “Rainbow, the party’s going to start, soon. We have to get back to the castle now!”

“Hey, Mario!” Toad spoke up. The loyal Mushroom Retainer came out with a bunch of bags in his arms, covering his face. “There’s only one thing left in the cargo hold. Your Hammer. Thought you’d might want to grab that. I would have gotten it, but… I don’t have you or Luigi’s jumping abilities when I’m carrying a ton of bags.”

“No problem, Toad,” Mario nodded. “I’ll grab it and be out, quick.”

“Actually,” Twilight blushed, “we’ve kind of have to get going. I have a tight schedule planned for everything, today.”

“Twilight, if I may make a suggestion,” Rarity interjected, “perhaps when Spike gets here, we could ask him to show Mr. Mario to the castle?”

“Alright, fine,” Twilight nodded. “I’ll point Spike over here, Mr. Mario. He’ll be able to guide you to Canterlot Castle no problem.”

“Okay,” Mario agreed, mentally chuckling at the name. He’s dealt with a “Spike” before, only in the form of a Lakitu. He doubted it was the same one, as that Lakitu stopped going by the nickname after their adventure at his girlfriend’s insistence. “So, what does he look like?”

“You’ll know when you see him,” Twilight assured before turning around. “Alright, we better head to the Castle. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are eager to meet you all.”

As the group minus Mario began walking, Rarity spoke to Peach, “You must tell me who designs your dresses, Princess. You too, Princess Daisy. Whoever designed those is a genius.”

"Thanks," Daisy smirked, looking at the dress. "Well, to be honest, Peach here has to normally drag me to get non-sports related clothing...."

Mario shook his head before turning around, and heading towards the cargo hold of the airship. Upon entering the craft, Mario noticed all of the wooden and metal crates that were in the hold. And, on top of a set of crates that formed a simple stair case was a wooden Hammer.

Mario, true enough, navigated his way to the cargo hold, scaled the hold’s crate staircase with ease, reaching the Hammer in no time. Putting that away, Mario turned around, and jumped back down the staircase, though not before noticing all of the Item Blocks in the hold left untouched, some floating, some on the ground. He was pretty sure Princess Peach would not mind if he cleared the blocks as well.

After doing so, Mario now was several coins richer and even had a Mushroom for later. With that, the plumber had pretty much combed the cargo hold for anything he could carry, and headed out.

After leaving the hold, Mario looked around the airship for someone out of the ordinary, remembering Twilight’s vague hint. However, all he saw were ponies, who looked curious about the mustachioed human.

“Hey,” a young male voice spoke up. “Are you Mario?”

The plumber turned around, and was surprised at what he saw. It was smaller than the ones he’s dealt with before- compared to the castle-hall sized behemoths he encountered before, this one barely stood up to his chin- but there was no doubt about what he was. The purple body with the light green underbelly, all scales. His “ears”, if one was willing to call them that, were another shade of light green. The fringes from his head to his pointed tail were a similar green that reminded Mario of Yoshi’s scales, but that’s where the similarities ended.

Mario could not believe it, but he was staring at a Dragon.

“Uh… yes?” the plumber asked, confused at the sight.

“Nice to meet ya,” the dragon greeted. “I’m Spike.”

‘Well,’ Mario thought to himself, ‘Twilight Sparkle wasn’t kidding when she said I’d know him when I saw him.’

Author's Note

Okay, so you've all probably noticed a few things while reading this. So, I may as well address those right now. In the author's notes, I will be addressing hopefully the following:

1) Cameos/Debuts. Here, I'll point out characters you may have spotted or named. For example, Parakarry! ...Everybody loves Parakarry from Paper Mario 1, right? Yes? No? Don't know who he is? If you don't, say something in the comments, below. Anyways, before you all ask about Goombella, for those who liked/disliked her in The Thousand-Year Door, you'll see what I do with her, later. Oh, and Jr. Troopa? Well, he's had three games now to try to take revenge for his defeats by Mario's hands in the original game (for just going into his playground without permission to recover a lost Hammer, no less), and STILL hasn't acted on it (most likely due to the designers of the game wanting to incorporate newer foes into Mario's Rogues' Gallery than any other reasons). Hence, why in the Paper Mario universe we haven't seen him come back as a major character. Finally, we have the Paper Mario debut of Princess Daisy! Seriously, we need more Princesses doing stuff. Daisy will actually do something in the story... that does not involve getting kidnapped.

2) Location. Here, I hope to describe why I chose a specific spot or location for the story. Such as Canterlot. Well, I've seen the Mario & Luigi story on this site, (which is a good story, if I may reccommend). Unfortunately, I'm not really good at fully developing brand new locations on an established map (I'm actually working off of the official Map of Equestria), so, I needed a place that people would be able to recognize from the show that I don't really have to describe. Also, Canterlot is the second-most used location in the series, so it should easily be famillar for everyone... unless you deliberately skip the episodes/segments involving Canterlot. But, don't worry, ladies and gentlemen. We're not staying here for too long.

3) Why something is happening. Okay, I'll try to justify why an action is happening. Probably the most obvious is Mario speaking? Simple explanation? In-universe, Mario can talk just like anybody in this universe. Gamewise, though, Mario would still be his silent protagonist self and others will interpret what Mario is saying by Mario doing a simple jesture. I'm not about to make you guys sit through all of that, okay?

Oh, and I'm really hoping I'm getting the characterizations of both sides alright. If you're wondering why I'm describing the Mane Six (and Spike), it's because the story's mainly from Mario's view. Strictly that reason alone. This story is meant to be an outside viewpoint who knows almost nothing about the land and its inhabitants (save for the immigrants and/or tourists from the Mushroom Kingdom).

Finally, why did I stop with Mario and Spike (a.k.a. our heroes) meeting up for the first time? Well, so we have more stuff to talk about next chapter! ...Poor excuse, isn't it.

On that note, I hope you all enjoy the story! Actual action will happen next chapter! Merry Christmas!

Intro Part 3

Canterlot

As the tiny Dragon led him through the streets of Canterlot, Mario still could not believe this scenario. Spike was a Dragon Of the creatures Mario had encountered throughout his adventures, Spike had to be a Dragon. Whenever Dragons were ever involved, organic or artificial, usually they attempted to… well, kill him, to put it bluntly.

Hooktail, the Dragon that tormented the citizens of Petalburg for what Mario could only assume to be over a millennium, came to mind in an instant. The amount of Koopa Troopa skeletons littering the lower levels of her castle just screamed of his- er, HER ruthlessness. What made it worse was that many of those corpses became Dull Bones and attacked him- whether to defend Hooktail or doom him to their fate, he never knew. She also was revealed to be absolutely pathetic with trying to get her victims to drop their guard through tricks and lies so she could eat them, if the stories were true and how she tried to trick HIM with her words. But what made her worse than any of the other Dragons he would later encounter in his journey is how Mario and his team were followed by several innocent bystanders and Hooktail, in an attempt to get her strength back, ate half of those civilians. There had to have been at least ten innocent lives ended in an instant just because she couldn’t take him in a fight. Not even her brother Gloomtail (who Mario had to admit was only better due to the fact that he had an excuse to try to eat him) ever showed such vile tactics. Never has Mario before that instant seen such a disgusting display.

That experience alone made Mario worry about the peaceful ponies that lived around the town, who seemed to just ignore the Dragon walking among them. In fact, Mario could have sworn a mare or two actually WAVED to Spike, who waved back.

“Hey, Mario?” Spike’s voice interrupted the plumber’s thoughts, snapping him back to the present. “Are you okay? Don’t get me wrong, but you don’t talk a whole lot.”

“Huh? Oh... sorry, I’m a little distracted,” Mario apologized. Looking around, Mario noticed how beautiful the town really was. It was really white and shiny. Also, the city was huge. He could have sworn he walked the length of Toad Town’s shopping district twice over. Maybe it was a good idea to have Spike near him. The Dragon knew his way around the town with no signs of getting lost.

“Hey, Spike,” Mario questioned. “How do you know where to go, here?”

“Oh, that?” Spike asked. “Well, Twilight hatched me here with her magic, and this is where I grew up. A lot of ponies here in Canterlot know who I am, and by extension Twilight. You remember Twilight, right? Purple Unicorn?” Mario blinked as he remembered Twilight Sparkle, who managed to levitate all of their bags without breaking a sweat. The fact that she managed to hatch a Dragon was simply impressive.

“Wow, really?”

“Really,” Spike smirked. “Also, you met the others, I believe.”

“So, you know all five of the other ponies she was with, too?” Mario asked.

“Yeah!” Spike grinned. “Well, for starters, there’s Applejack… she’s an apple farmer, and is an amazing athlete. Then, there’s Rainbow Dash. She’s super fast, brave, and an amazing flier. Fluttershy, though, well, she’s a Pegasus afraid of heights. That’s strange, but she makes up for it with her skill with animals and love for them. Pinkie Pie, though, she’s usually super excited and fun-loving. If you guys first came to Ponyville, she’d throw you a party right as soon as you stepped in the town. And then there’s….” Spike sighed in an affectionate manner that surprised Mario. “Rarity….”

“The white pony, right?” Mario asked, curious about where the Dragon next to him was going with this.

“Yeah… isn’t she the most beautiful creature you’ve ever laid eyes on…?” Mario blinked in surprise at the Dragon’s words, and noticed the love struck look on Spike’s face. Mario connected the dots right away.

“Do you have a crush on her?” the plumber asked. Spike nervously rubbed his neck.

“Uh… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Spike lied, his purple cheeks suddenly dyed a shade of bright pink. “Anyways, she’s a skilled dressmaker… and is rather sweet.”

Mario did not know whether to chuckle in slight amusement or be concerned. A Dragon was in love with a pony. Well, he was probably a kid by Dragon and even pony standards, so it was sort of adorable. However, Mario knew that big things came in small packages… and Spike was one tiny package.

“Hey, we’re here!” Spike announced, looking up. Mario looked up to see the giant castle that put Peach’s to shame. Like every other building in Canterlot, the castle was bright white. However, Mario upon looking up could notice on one of the many towers stained glass windows which depicted several things. The six ponies who greeted Mario before were depicted defeating a sinister-looking Alicorn. Another showed them facing a monster that looked like someone took a bunch of animals and connected them together on one body. Also, a Dragon that looked like Spike was holding a crystalline gem in the shape of a heart. Mario did not wish to ask about the windows, not sure where to begin.

Spike noticed Mario’s gaze, and said, “I take it nopony here told you the reason why Twilight was asked to greet you all? You see, Twilight and our friends are what you’d call ‘heroines’ here in Equestria. They may look like ordinary pretty ponies- don’t tell anypony I said that, by the way- but they’ve taken on huge challenges and even impossible odds.”

“Sounds like my kind of work,” Mario complimented, knowing his own adventures.

“You mean you’re not just a plumber, but a hero?” Spike asked.

“Yeah,” Mario nodded. “At home, just about every other week, Princess Peach gets kidnapped by someone… usually it’s a giant, fire-breathing Koopa. I’m the one who usually saves her and by extension the world. Though there was this time where I saved the multiverse, once.” Looking at Spike, he asked, “You mean you’ve never heard of the name Mario before all of this?”

“Sorry,” Spike shrugged. “Equestria’s still getting used to all of the Mushroom Kingdom stuff. We honestly never really branched out as far as your area until Pinkie Pie claimed she found a Green Pipe in the Everfree Forest that took her from there to close to Appleloosa in record time, and Applejack confirmed it herself. Twilight looked it up, contacted Princess Celestia about it and other items from the Mushroom Kingdom, and here we are.”

“Your friend Twilight is really smart,” Mario commented. Looking up at the windows, he asked, “So… how did they become heroes, anyways?”

“I’ll be honest,” Spike blushed. “I kind of slept through their first adventure. I’m only a Baby Dragon, and I made the mistake of staying out late. You can try to talk to Princess Celestia about that.” Turning back to the castle, he suggested, “How about we head inside?”

Mario couldn’t argue with that. While Spike looked the part of a Dragon, he certainly did not act the natural part of one. Mario just hoped Spike would not grow up to be like Hooktail, though.

Though as the two entered Canterlot Castle, neither of them noticed a cloaked figure watching them. “My liege,” he spoke to no one in particular, “the arrival of the Mushroom Princess and her entourage certainly has kept the Bearers busy planning their party… perfect. If we are to strike, the time could not be better calculated.”

Canterlot Castle

As Mario and Spike walked into the castle, the former could not help but marvel at the décor that presented itself. Everything looked so regal and flat out shiny. Almost like a party at Princess Peach’s Castle, but with ponies instead of Toads, their desert cousins Dryites, Mousers, Koopas, Penguins, and other creatures of the Mushroom Kingdom. Not only that, but some ponies were actually wearing clothing.

“Well, looks like the party’s already started,” Spike commented, looking around with Mario. “Hey, do you mind if I stick around until I find one of the girls?”

“I suppose,” Mario agreed. “I have no idea where Peach, Luigi, or anyone else is, and I’ve never been in this castle before. Have you?”

“Several times, actually,” Spike answered. “Princess Celestia helped Twilight raise me, so I know a few things about this Castle. You can talk to me at anytime by pressing the Y Button on the Game Pad.”

“Uh… what’s the Y Button and the Game Pad?”

“Sorry,” Spike nervously chuckled, “Pinkie told me to tell you that. I still don’t know why you have to press Y to talk to me about this place or other ponies, though… maybe it was meant for somepony else?”

Mario and Spike chose to ignore Pinkie’s weird saying, at least for now. They had to find their separate groups, and Mario himself still had a few questions for the leading monarch here. The two looked around, and started mingling with the guests at the party. Mario only paid somewhat attention to what the ponies said… to him, it just sounded like they were elitists in their society, and just talked about how much of an honor it was for Princesses Celestia and Luna to invite them to this party to meet a new set of Princesses from the west… no doubt Peach and Daisy.

Overall, nothing prominent was going on in the main hall. No doubt Mario would have to look at the higher levels, to which the doors were guarded by two bright white Pegasus stallions garbed in golden armor. Their apparent first reaction to Mario and Spike approaching them was to block the door with their wings.

“And who might you be, sir?” the guard on the left asked Mario.

“I’m with Princess Peach,” Mario answered, still startled by their reaction.

The left guard scowled, “With the Mushroom Kingdom Princess? A likely story, buddy. I’ll have you know that we of Celestia’s Royal Guard hardly ever forget a face, and I’ve seen all of Princess Peach’s entourage. I don’t remember seeing you with them. I’ve seen a plumber before, but he was wearing GREEN, not RED. How do I know you’re not a Changeling or some kind of Mushroom Kingdom equivalent? Unless somepony here can vouch for you, I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave.”

Mario never thought he’d see the day where Luigi’s choice of colors would actually prevent him from actually continuing forward. He was about to turn back when Spike walked up beside Mario.

“Hey, guys,” Spike interrupted. “Don’t worry about my buddy Mario. He’s with me. He had to finish grabbing something from the airship before he came to the castle. Sorry we’re late.” The guards blinked in shock at the Dragon, but lowered their wings.

“Sorry about that, Spike,” the guard on the right apologized. “There are so many guests here, and Shining Armor asked us to stand guard here since he had to return to the north, that we forget at times whose allowed where. And, well, you’re with the Captain’s sister and Princess Celestia raised you, so… you’re technically allowed everywhere.”

“That’s strange,” Spike commented. “I know that Princess Peach and Princess Daisy are VIP clients, but that alone shouldn’t be a reason that the upper level of the castle should be made off limits to unfamiliar ponies, much less a sudden increase in security. Princess Celestia usually has an open door policy.”

“Captain Shining Armor’s orders, actually,” the left guard explained. “I’m not allowed to tell you the reason why, though. The last thing he wants is his sister or wife worrying about him freaking out over possibly nothing.”

“Enjoy the party, Spike,” the right guard nodded. With that, the guards moved aside, allowing Mario and Spike to pass.

“Oh, before I forget,” Spike asked, “Where are Twilight and the others? As well as our guests of honor?”

“They should all be meeting in the newly established Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy, if memory serves, with their own private party,” the left guard nodded. “We haven’t had time to build an official embassy building, yet, so we are allowing Princess Peach and Princess Daisy to use one of the towers of the Castle as a temporary embassy until construction is complete. A path leading to it should be the door with two Toads on either side of it to the left of the throne room."

With that, Mario and Spike headed upstairs. The two were surprised to see the populace from the upper hall. Like the lower level, there were several party goers apparently relaxing from the main festivities from below.

Mario turned to Spike, and asked, “Don’t you think that was kind of weird, Spike? What the guards said, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Spike replied with a nod. “But there’s no use questioning it, now. I mean, if Twilight is uniformed about it, it’s probably not a matter of national security. But I talked to Shining Armor just before coming to get you, and he said just to, and I quote, ‘Make sure Twily relaxes for once with a diplomatic affair’ before getting on the train to the north where the Crystal Empire is. No offense to you if you, but Shining Armor just showed that he’s a pretty cool older brother. So, I guess it’s a small time issue. Let’s just focus on getting to the embassy.”

Mario shrugged, but agreed. The two were about to continue, but-

“Excuse me, sirs,” a male voice spoke up from nearby them. They were approached by a short looking Unicorn stallion. He was a darker shade of purple than even Twilight Sparkle, but Mario could tell there was something strange about him. Well, the strange green swirl markings on his face right below his eyes and his neck were obvious. Speaking of his eyes, though, they were covered by a pair of silver lensed sunglasses with blood red rims. Most of his body was covered by a gray cape, but his mane was a sickly green and looked uncombed, actually being quite wild.

“Yes?” Spike asked. “Were you talking to us?”

“Yes, actually,” the Unicorn answered. “I could not help but notice how… out of place you both are in comparison to the rest of the guests at this party.” Pointing his front left hoof to Spike, he said, “A civilized Dragon in Canterlot, even but a baby Dragon, is quite rare.”

“Aw, I grew up here,” Spike waved off.

“Really?” the Unicorn asked. “I guess Princess Celestia has not told me about it, young Dragon. I just recently became a teacher at her School for Gifted Unicorns after several years, so I hardly know anything like that.”

“And as for you,” the Unicorn continued, pointing to Mario. “You are a visitor in Equestria, aren’t you? You came with the group of travelers from the Mushroom Kingdom who landed in the outskirts of town, yes?”

“Um, yeah,” Mario confirmed. “How do you know all of that?” The Unicorn just gave a tiny smirk that was barely noticeable.

“I am simply observant,” he answered. “Everypony saw your airship landing in the outskirts of town, and was quite impressed by your grand entrance, to say the least.” Pointing to himself, he apologized, “But where are my manners, gentlecolts? I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Prosperous Dusk. I specialize in teaching our gifted Unicorns spells to protect themselves against dark magic. If it’s not too much trouble, may I have your names?”

“Mario.”

“Spike.”

The Unicorn placed his left hoof to his chin, seeming to ponder the names. “Mario and Spike… I will remember those names well. Until we meet again, gentlecolts.” With that, he walked past them, and out of the door that they entered.

Spike looked at Mario, who shot him a strange look. “Okay,” Spike admitted, “THAT was strange. I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but that Prosperous Dusk guy… he seems a little off.”

“What was that school he mentioned?” Mario questioned. “Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?” Spike lit up at that.

“Yeah,” the Dragon replied. “Princess Celestia started a school to teach Unicorn foals great magic. Remember how I said Twilight hatched me? Well, believe it or not, I was her entrance exam.” Mario just stood there, gaping for a moment. “Let’s just say she not only passed, but she was picked up by Princess Celestia. Speaking of which, what say we cut through here and find her and the rest of our friends?”

Mario agreed, and the two made their way through the castle halls, eventually spotting something Mario was familiar with. Toads, both armed with spears and wearing similar golden armor that the Pegasus Guards were. One of the Toads had a blue spotted Mushroom Cap, and the other had a red one.

“No way!” the Toad on the left with the blue cap gasped. “Mario!? Is that you!?”

“Yes, I’m Mario,” the plumber nodded. “Uh… do I know you?”

“Well, not exactly,” the blue capped guard answered. “But I was a guard at Peach’s Castle during the incident with the Star Spirits! Oh, to get captured… that was embarrassing. But you saved everybody again, and I later get promoted to becoming a guard for the Mushroom Kingdom's Embassy halfway around the world!”

“Oh, I remember that!” Mario replied.

And how could he not? That was the only incident in Mario’s memory that Bowser actually beat him with the help of an artifact of rare power- the Star Rod. Although the Star Spirits used most of their energy to heal his more serious injuries from being slashed with claws, set on fire, zapped by lightning, and falling from a ridiculous height and landing into a clearing, he was still pretty messed up. Had Goombario’s family not found him and dragged him to a Toad House, Mario’s game would have actually been over that day.

“But anyways, gentlemen,” the red Toad interrupted before the mood became too sour, “I take it you being here means you all want to head to the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland Embassy?”

“Yeah,” Mario and Spike nodded.

The Toads turned around and opened the door, allowing Mario and Spike to walk out onto the bridge leading to the embassy. One walk across the bridge later, the two arrived at a large tower, which featured a large red Mushroom symbol and a giant white daisy symbol, both holding up a big sign that said, “Embassy”.

Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy

Mario was impressed. For a “temporary embassy”, the ponies in charge of setting up this place sure did a fine job doing so. While ponies were generally new to the Mushroom Kingdom, they had so many things from back home set up. A large Shroom Cake was set up on a table of its own. Several Fire Flowers, Ice Flowers, and even Cloud Flowers were decorating the hall. A giant Power Star-shaped ornament hung from the ceiling, shining brightly overhead. There were also streamers of red and yellow, as well as balloons.

Of course, Mario spotted his friends and brother mingling with the guests- several Toads, Goombas, and Koopas, as well as ponies.

“Mario! Spike!” a certain voice Mario remembered spoke up. Sure enough, Pinkie Pie hopped over to them, smiling with a grin practically a mile wide. “It’s about time you all made it! You’re just in time for the ‘Welcome to Equestria Party’!”

“Aw, it’s already started?” Spike smiled at Pinkie. “Great! Nice party as always!”

“Thanks Spike!” Pinkie smiled, patting Spike on his head. “So, Mario… your brother Luigi told me about your jumping ability and how you saved the world on many an occasion. That sounds super duper exciting! You know, me and the girls have crazy adventures from time to time, too.”

“So I’ve been told,” Mario recalled his earlier conversation with Spike. Remembering Spike, he asked, “So, what now?”

“Now, we enjoy ourselves, I guess,” Spike shrugged. Looking around, Spike noticed something wrong. “Um… Pinkie Pie, where’s Rarity?”

“Arriving fashionably late, of course!” Rarity’s voice declared from the door. Sure enough, it opened to reveal the white Unicorn, her mane styled in a curly ponytail and wearing a purple and pink custom gown with glass slippers that looked somewhat similar to Peach’s of all things. How Rarity had managed to do that, Mario would probably never know. But what else made it unique was the red, heart-shaped gem used as the centerpiece of a gold necklace.

“That’s quite an entrance, Miss Rarity,” Toadette declared as Rarity trotted in. “And that’s an amazing dress! Where did you get it?”

“Oh, I did not simply just purchase it,” Rarity waved off. “I made it myself! I own a boutique back in Ponyville, Miss Toadette. If you like, I could design a dress for you! And I’d be honored to make one for Princess Peach or Princess Daisy, as well.”

“You should show it to them,” Toadette agreed. While the female Toad ran off to go tell Peach of Rarity’s dress, the white Unicorn spotted Mario and Spike.

“Oh, there you are, Spikey-wikey!” she smiled at the Dragon, walking over to him and giving him a sudden hug. Mario watched in mild humor as Spike seemed to just turn into putty in Rarity’s hooves.

“H-H-Hi… Rarity,” Spike stuttered, love struck in the Unicorn’s hug. “You’re so pretty, tonight… and you’re wearing the Fire Ruby I gave you. That makes you all of the more beautiful.”

“Why, thank you,” Rarity smiled, letting Spike go. “I brought it with us to Canterlot just for the occasion. It’s a reminder of our everlasting friendship. Not to mention it goes well with all of my outfits...” Turning to Mario, she smiled, “So, how was your tour through Canterlot with Spike, Mr. Mario? Wasn’t it to die for? I’m sure the capital of the Mushroom Kingdom is just as lovely.”

“Toad Town?” Mario asked. “Well, it’s nice to look at, to say the least. Whenever there isn’t Shy Guys running around causing chaos, Koopa Troop attacks, outbreaks of Blorbs, alien invasions, or Peach being kidnapped.” Rarity and Spike looked at each other and then at Mario.

“…What?” Rarity asked.

“It’s a long story,” Mario quickly responded. “Anyways, you two enjoy the party. I’m going to find my Princess if anybody doesn’t mind.”

“She’d probably be meeting with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,” Rarity suggested. “Ask for her.” She then gasped in excitement before her horn was enveloped in a light blue aura, floating out a picture. “This is what Princess Celestia and Princess Luna look like, in case you were wondering.”

Mario looked at the picture, curious. Like Toadsworth said, the rulers of the Day, Night, and Equestria were far different than the types of ponies he had seen before, having both the wings and the horn of both a Pegasus and a Unicorn, respectively. Toadsworth said they were Alicorns, if Mario’s memory was faithful during that time. It was a long flight over, so he didn’t know for sure. They were both taller than the Unicorn pony in the picture, which was an embarrassed Twilight Sparkle. If Mario would take a guess, they were just about Bowser’s size, if not slightly smaller than his arch foe.

The Alicorn on the left had white fur, almost similar to Rarity. The tiara, necklace, and horseshoes she wore in the picture were all golden, the crown and necklace adjourned with violet crystals. Her mane and tail seemed to be in sparkly waves flowing behind her, flowing in colors of cerulean, turquoise, cobalt, and purple. The mark on her flank was a bright sun.

As for the other Alicorn Princess, she was a sapphire blue. Her tiara and necklace were as black as night, with the necklace having a crescent moon, similar to the mark on her flank. Her shoes were a sparkly lighter shade of blue. Her mane and tail were a cobalt blue, but they were just as wavy at the first alicorn and sparkled with small stars as they flowed behind her.

After Mario got a good look, he nodded to Rarity and Spike and walked around on his own. Mario managed to mingle with the guests for a while, but he remembered why he was here, and spotted Toadsworth, who seemed to be looking for someone.

“Ah, Master Mario!” the old Toad called over. “There you are. I take it your trip through Canterlot quite thrilling, yes?”

“If you say so,” Mario commented. “I still can’t believe Spike is a… well, Dragon.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem like that Hooktail fiend you told me and the Princess about,” Toadsworth announced, looking at Spike and Rarity walking and talking. “When I first saw the young fellow, Master Mario, he was as polite as he could be when I directed him to the airship. He’s also rather kind to his friends, though he lacks strong discipline at times. Miss Sparkle told me that it was the way she and Princess Celestia raised him that shaped him into the creature he is today. I don’t think the young Dragon will be of any trouble. But enough about him.” Turning to Mario, he asked, “What say you to meeting with the Princess?”

“I can’t argue with that,” Mario said as he followed Toadsworth towards the stairs. After walking up a flight, Mario and Toadsworth arrived on the next level, which featured a door to a room. Mario and Toadsworth opened it to reveal a large conference table, which Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Peach, Daisy, Luigi, Toadette, and the two Alicorn Princesses Mario saw in Rarity’s picture.

“So,” the white Alicorn greeted the interruption of the duo, “you’re the infamous ‘Super Mario’ I’ve heard so much about from Princess Peach.”

“There you are, Mario!” Peach smiled. “Come, have a seat!” As Mario and Toadsworth each took a seat, Peach told the plumber, “Mario, I’d like you to meet Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna.”

“Uh… hi?” Mario awkwardly waved at the two. Both ponies smiled at the plumber.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” the white Alicorn, Celestia spoke. “Ever since my faithful student Twilight Sparkle asked me for details about the Mushroom Kingdom, well, trade and commerce have been booming. And Princess Peach has been such an excellent pen pal. She’s written a lot about all of the times you’ve saved her.”

“Ah’ve gotta say Mario,” Applejack complimented. “With the way the Princesses were swappin’ stories, it sounds like yer a celebrity back in that there Mushroom Kingdom.”

“Indeed,” Princess Luna agreed, finally speaking. “And I know it’s been said in so many ways, Mario, welcome to Equestria. I sure hope you have a great vacation once we get this business out of the way. Due to the high demand of Mushroom Kingdom supplies, Princess Peach and my sister were talking about negotiating new trade regulations between our lands and yours.”

“It would be a shorter conversation, Bro,” Luigi whispered in Mario’s ear, “if the two Princesses weren’t talking so much about all you’ve done and all Twilight and her friends, who are also heroes, have done… which is a lot.” Mario shook his head, trying to suppress his amusement. Mario then noticed Twilight Sparkle’s horn aglow, levitating a quill to frantically write something down on a piece of paper.

“Uh, are you okay?” Mario asked her.

“I just can’t sit here and not let the others know about what’s going on between the Princesses,” Twilight explained, not looking at the paper. “Between Pinkie Pie, Spike, and Rarity down below at the party and Rainbow Dash stretching out her wings outside, I have five sets of minutes to record, myself included. And don’t get me started on the minutes I have to take for everypony else in your group.”

“Um,” Fluttershy suggested, “maybe I could share my set of notes…”

“Twilight,” Daisy remarked, “you need to take a chill pill. It’s no good you working yourself to a game over…”

“You have no idea how long I’ve been telling her that,” Celestia smiled with a mischievous giggle. “Twilight, as much as I love her like a daughter, used to spend any free time she had with her nose in a book. She still has a little trouble getting out, but… ever since she and her friends became the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, she’s become more outgoing.”

“Bearers of what now?” Luigi asked. Princess Celestia and Luna looked at each other, Luna sighing.

“Sister,” Luna commented, “I thought you weren’t going to tell them that?”

“Oh, sorry,” Celestia blushed. Turning to the group from the Mushroom Kingdom and Daisy, Celestia said, “Well, since the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, I guess I should tell you. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash each share a rare, special bond that was created even before all six of them were introduced to each other. When they did come together, however, darkness nearly fell over the land….”

“It wouldn’t have been the Shadow Queen, by chance, would it?” Mario asked, remembering that adventure. Celestia and Luna looked at each other, somewhat shuddering, while Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack looked at each other in confusion.

“You know of the Shadow Queen, Mario?” Luna asked. “I once faced her over a millennium ago… I barely escaped with my life.” Mario blinked in surprise at Celestia and Luna’s age, but didn’t bother asking it.

“Do not worry, Princess Luna,” Toadsworth assured the Night Princess. “Master Mario saw to it that the Shadow Queen will do no further harm.”

“That’s good to hear,” Luna replied. “However, it was not her whose darkness was to blame for invading Equestria. It was, in fact, my own darkness. My jealousy over our subjects’ love of the daytime and sleeping through the night got the better of me over a millennium ago… and my battle against the Shadow Queen certainly did not help. I became Nightmare Moon, and sought to cover the world in eternal night. My sister had to use the Elements of Harmony- the most powerful magic known to ponydom- to seal me inside the Moon before I could do any permanent damage to the world.”

“Oh my…” Peach gasped.

“Uh… sorry for walking on you on the Moon once, by the way,” Mario nervously chuckled.

“It’s not a problem,” Luna waved off. “The seal only lasted as long as the Thousand-Year Door that Princess Peach mentioned did. “Anyways, Mario, I managed to defeat my sister, and briefly banish her… but then I locked horns with Twilight Sparkle., who managed to defeat Nightmare Moon me as Nightmare Moon.”

“Twilight Sparkle and her newfound friends saved my sister from herself that day by discovering the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia continued. “There are six in total: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and the Magic of Friendship, or ‘Magic’ for short. Together, Twilight and her friends may look like ordinary mares, but they are much stronger than they look. They are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

“Wow,” Luigi breathed. “That’s quite the tale… is that why they have the windows?”

“Yes,” Celestia nodded. “They are honored as heroes here.”

“I’m sure anypony else would have done the same, Princess Celestia,” Twilight blushed, she and Fluttershy both embarrassed by the retelling of the story like it was some legend. “Anyways, how about we get back to the purpose of the meeting, please?”

“She has a point, sister,” Luna agreed. “We still have much to discuss.”

“I suppose so,” Celestia nodded. “Well, then…”

CRRSSSSH!

Soon enough, the window in the room exploded in glass, and the table had a rainbow blur slam into it. The dust revealed a snow-covered Rainbow Dash, who looked dazed by the crash. Everyone in the room gasped in shock, but Fluttershy was quickest to Rainbow’s side.

“Rainbow Dash!” the timid yellow pony squeaked. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness… she’s hurt! What if she’s frozen or something?”

“Hold on!” Mario yelled, jumping over. Checking her pulse, he noticed she was still breathing, so neither the crash nor whatever struck her had ended her game, yet. That was a good sign, but he needed her conscious. Thinking quick, Mario pulled out the Mushroom he had on him from earlier, opened Rainbow’s mouth, and had her eat it. After making her swallow it, the blue Pegasus stood back up.

“Ow… those jerks used a snowstorm cloud… it’s not even near winter.” Rainbow groaned, shaking herself free of snow. “Whatever was in my mouth tasted strange, though.”

“A Mushroom,” Mario answered. “Common delicacy from where I’m from. It’s helped me out in many of my adventures.”

“Oh Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cheered, hugging her friend. “You’re alright!” Breaking the hug, she asked, “But what happened to you?”

Rainbow seemed to remember what happened, and scowled. “So, I was flying, right? Getting my wings stretched out while I could. Then, all of the sudden, these black and blue cloaked jerks came from out of the blue and started attacking me. I could have sworn one of them was a Griffin or something… I saw a lion’s tail. Anyways, I was fighting back pretty well, when one of the attackers pulls out a snow cloud from nowhere! Next thing I know, I’ve got a bad case of frost bite, and I’m on a crash course with the window.”

Luna scowled at that news. “Black and blue cloaked figures?” the Princess of the Night asked. “This seems very serious. I’m afraid this meeting must be placed on hold to figure out this disturbance.” Getting up, Luna prepared to approach the door, when it opened, revealing Yoshi, Toad, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Spike.

“Twilight! Everypony! We’ve got a HUGE problem!” Spike yelled as he ran over to Twilight. Soon enough, the castle began shaking, causing Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, and Fluttershy to all rush to each other, hugging in a panic.

“What was that!?” Twilight asked, standing up.

“That!?” Toad asked in a rhetorical manner. “It’s nothing short of our imminent doom!”

“Ah think Twilight means what in tarnation is causin’ all o’ that there racquet!?” Applejack remarked to Toad.

“I just told you!” Toad answered. “Quick! Everybody panic!”

“How is that helping anypony, let alone anything done?” Rainbow scowled. Turning to Rarity, she asked, “Is it those cloaked jerks who ambushed me?”

“I did see several creatures of different shapes and sizes wearing cloaks before coming up, and they were armed with cannons,” Rarity remarked. “Blue and black. It looked like a full moon insignia was on them.”

“This isn’t my doing, before anypony thinks of that,” Luna interrupted. “However, whoever IS doing this is besmirching my Moon! I will not tolerate this, sister!” With that, Luna spread her wings and flew out the giant hole in the window.

Soon enough, the castle began shaking again with cannon fire. Twilight walked over to the window, and gasped. “Oh no… Princess Celestia, whoever these guys are, they’re attacking the tower where the Elements of Harmony are held!”

Celestia and Mario both ran over, and saw this development as well. One particular tower was being shelled by cannon balls on two sides. However, this is where Luna flew over one side of the attackers, her horn aglow with another cobalt glow. She then turned into a dark mist similar to her mane and tail, overshadowing the area.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia ordered, “you and your friends must get to the Elements of Harmony before the tower falls. No doubt our attackers sent ground forces to that tower. I will help my sister quell the attack.” With that, Celestia flew straight out of the window.

“They both did realize there is a perfectly good door right behind us, right?” Toadsworth voiced.

“Come on, girls!” Twilight yelled, ignoring Toadsworth. With that, her horn began glowing, and she then disappeared in a purple flash of light, reappearing on the rampart of the castle between the embassy and the Elements Tower, and beginning to run to it. Rainbow Dash flew out of the window after her, while Pinkie Pie and Applejack both just jumped out, landing perfectly fine on the rampart and running after Twilight.

“Okay,” Toadsworth remarked, “that was quite the reason NOT to use a door.” Rarity turned to Spike, removing the Fire Ruby and handing it to the baby Dragon.

“Rarity!?” he asked her.

“Spike,” Rarity pleaded from him, “could you be a dear and hold onto this for me? I’d rather not risk my favorite necklace getting destroyed, now.”

“Uh… sure…” Spike nodded, flattered that Rarity considered the Fire Ruby necklace was her favorite. He then pocketed it while Rarity turned to Fluttershy, who got the message and began to carry her straight out of the window, somewhat struggling as the shy Pegasus.

“Wow!” Peach complimented. “What brave young mares! To risk their lives to protect their most powerful magical treasures! They must have plenty of adventures and experience!”

“Well, even they need help evening the odds,” Mario remarked, pulling out his Hammer. “I’m going!”

“Be careful, Mario!” Peach begged the plumber. Mario nodded before jumping out of the window, his jumping ability allowing him to land safely on the ground.

“Master Mario!” Toadsworth yelled down. “Please simply use the DOOR next time!”

“I don’t think Mario can hear you!” Daisy remarked. Turning to Peach, she said, “Well, time to get you someplace safe so you don’t get kidnapped... again.”

“Oh come on!” Peach huffed. “They’re not even aiming for the Embassy!”

“Don’t tempt fate, Princess,” Toadsworth replied. Turning around, he asked, “So, Master Spike, would you be so kind as to escort us to a safe location in the castle?” However, everyone in the room noticed the door open, and Spike no longer where he was. “Well, what happened to Master Spike!?”

“He must have run off after them!” Yoshi concluded. “I hope he’s alright.”

“Well, there’s no use standing here!” Peach announced. “We better find the guards….” With that, Peach and the others began their descent down the steps, Luigi stopping to look out of the window at his brother running towards the tower.

Tower of the Elements

Luckily for Mario, Rainbow Dash had already had broken a window for him to enter the tower through. Considering how fast the six ponies were, he doubted he would have been able to keep up with them otherwise.

Upon entering the hall, Mario noticed that this was the very same building for all of the stained glass windows he saw before. However, the plumber did not have time to sightsee as he had to duck from a black and blue cloaked pony went sailing over his head, crashing into a wall and collapsing in a heap.

Mario turned towards the direction from which the pony flew and gasped in amazement. Mario lost count of how many cloaked figures were in the room, but it was enough to make him doubt his own odds alone. But yet, the “Bearers” as Mario started calling them in his head were taking them all on with astounding results.

Mario rushed over, jumping on one or two of their heads along the way, but Twilight saw him. “Mario! What are you doing here?”

“I was coming to help!” the plumber answered. “But I see you all got that covered…”

“No kiddin’,” Applejack answered, turning around and kicking a figure in the face with both of her hind legs. “This here ain’t so bad as facin’ down a swarm o’ duplicates.”

Now, it was Mario’s turn to say, “What.”

“It’s a long story,” Rainbow answered, flying away from her set of attackers. “Look, if you want to help, guard that door over there!” Mario saw that Rainbow was pointing at a large blue and purple door with a sun insignia on it. “We’ll handle the rest!”

That was certainly weird, but Mario did as he commanded, rushing towards the door, his Hammer in hand and swatting cloaked ponies away from it. Soon enough, the cloaked attackers had all but fallen, and Twilight ran over to the door, her horn glowing.

“Princess Celestia taught me this,” Twilight explained, pointing to the sun. Mario just then noticed the hole in the center of it right before Twilight rammed her horn into it, sending a magical surge through it. Soon enough, the door began glowing as Twilight and Mario stepped back. The door opened, revealing a gem-encrusted treasure chest.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that case,” Rarity said in awe at it. “I still would like to keep it…”

“As lovely as the case is,” Twilight commented, “we need what’s inside the case, Rarity.” With that, her magic grabbed it and opened the case, revealing to Mario’s surprise, pieces of golden, gem-encrusted jewelry- five necklaces and a tiara- floated out of it. Mario could not help but notice the gems looked eerily similar to the marks on the six’s flanks.

“Why do they look like that?” Mario asked while Applejack grabbed the orange apple necklace.

“Ah never bothered to question it,” Applejack answered, placing the necklace on her neck, “but these here Elements just seemed to take a somewhat familiar shape of our Cutie Marks- the marks on our flanks. Ah guess that means it’ll be easy to figure out which element belongs to which pony.”

“But they’re a ton of fun to have!” Pinkie Pie cheered, her necklace being a bright blue balloon.

“Not to mention they’re quite lovely,” Fluttershy commented as Rainbow Dash, who was wearing a red lightning bolt, helped her with the pink butterfly.

“That they are, Fluttershy,” Rarity announced while strapping on the purple diamond where her Fire Ruby necklace once stood.

“Thank you very much, Mario,” Twilight spoke up. The plumber noticed Twilight placing the bright pink star tiara on her head. “As big of a help you’ve been, we’ll take the rest from here.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow smirked. “I hate to be those black and blue cloaked bozos, now! Almost nothing can stop us and our friendship with these on!”

“Just like how we planned it,” a new male voice spoke up, interrupting the cheerful tone. Mario and the Bearers turned to see a large cloaked equine figure wearing a cloak of the attackers. After getting halfway across the room, his cloak began to glow white, and fly off of him, revealing a unicorn stallion. His fur was a midnight blue underneath the set of black armor beneath the cloak. His mane and tail were a dark shade of gray with a black streak running between them. His exposed mark was a white full moon with what Mario could only describe as a Ztar, or “Nega Star”, in the middle of it. “Greetings, Bearers of the Elements. We are well met. I was afraid my old friend insisted on sending too many ponies after you. Thank goodness for your new Mushroom Kingdom friend… Mario, is it?”

“Enough of this!” Rainbow scowled, pawing the ground with anger. “Who the hay are you and all of these jerks!?”

“How rude, Miss Dash,” the unicorn stallion chastised. “I’m trying to have a decent conversation with you all. But, if you must know… I am Lord Sirius Nebula, the leader of the Colts of Nocturne, humble children of Nightmare Moon. But you all may call me Sirius.”

“You’re what!?” Pinkie Pie gasped. “Princess Luna had foals during her time as Nightmare Moon!? Shouldn’t you all be like, a thousand years old or something!?”

“Actually, they’re a bunch of cultists,” Twilight corrected Pinkie Pie. “Cultists who worship Nightmare Moon. But… Nightmare Moon is gone, and Princess Luna is here.”

“Indeed, my dear Twilight Sparkle,” Sirius smiled at her in a way that made the purple Unicorn… uncomfortable. “Now, we are all busy ponies… and a plumber. So I will cut straight to the chase. Calmly surrender yourselves and the Elements of Harmony, and nopony else in Canterlot has to get hurt.”

The six ponies, even timid Fluttershy, scowled at Sirius’ demand. “Do ya think we’ll just give up!?” Applejack asked. “Now, Ah ain’t a math wiz like Big Macintosh down at the farm, but Ah don’t think ya’ll are, either. In case ya’ll haven’t noticed, pal, we’ve finished whippin’ yer cultists, an’ with Mario here, it’s seven to one. Not to mention that we have the Elements. So unless ya’ll brought an entire army with ya, Ah suggest ya should give YERSELF up!”

“I don’t need an army, dearest Applejack,” Sirius replied. Looking up at a blank spot on the mural where the Bearers were depicted felling a pony of darkness, he called, “Arctic, if you would be so kind as to help me out?”

“Yes, Lord Sirius,” the blank spot commented. Soon, a gust of cold wind blew through the air, blowing away part of the glass (which turned out to be a piece of paper) that revealed a dark blue Pegasus stallion who landed in front of the Bearers, the stem of a flower hanging from his mouth. He was garbed from head to tail like a blue ninja, but what Mario could see of his tail was that it was jet black. The Pegasus spat out the stem before blowing on the ground. Soon enough, the ground beneath the Bearers’ hooves began to turn into ice, confusing them. But Rainbow and Fluttershy gasped in shock.

“Girls!” Rainbow called, trying to jump up. “Get away from there! He's using some kind of magic-”

It was too late, though, as the ground beneath them seemed to sprout up, covering much of their bodies from the neck below the Elements down with ice. Even Rainbow and Fluttershy did not escape. Mario gasped in shock as all six of the Bearers were trapped in ice.

“Can’t… move…” Pinkie Pie groaned from the freezing. “What did you say… Dashie?”

“Ice… magic… rare kind…” Rainbow answered, partially frozen as well. “Mushroom... Kingdom... Only certain Pegasi… who have experimented… with Ice Flowers… can control it... in battle…"

“Thank you, Arctic,” Sirius announced, clapping his front hooves together. “Now, if you would just gather the others, I will handle gather the Elements and their owners… as well as dealing with Mario. I’m afraid he’s seen too much.”

“Understood, Lord Sirius,” Arctic nodded. With that, he ran over to the nearest Nocturne Cultist, and began nudging him.

“I really do appreciate Arctic,” Sirius commented. “Very loyal since I saved his game from his former allies years ago. Not only is Arctic a powerful user of Pegasus Frost Magic, but he’s also a master of the legendary art of Papergami. He is a real good friend.” As this happened, Mario jumped in front of the Bearers, who were being approached by Sirius.

“I’m not letting you hurt them!” the plumber scowled, bearing his Hammer.

“I personally will not harm them,” Sirius scoffed. “The ice will melt after a long time. Tell me you haven’t been frozen before.” Mario couldn’t have argued with that, given all of the ice enemies he’s dealt with. “Now, Mr. Mario, I will offer you a choice. Either join me and my fellow brothers and sisters in helping bring the return of Nightmare Moon… or you can perish. It’s entirely your choice, really.”

“Like I’d accept that!” Mario scowled, ready to fight if he had to.

“Yeah, what he said!” a male voice Mario didn’t think he’d hear so soon spoke up. Sirius then gasped as a breath of green fire came out of nowhere, and hit him in the flank, causing him to jump up and turn around. Standing there was none other than-

“Spikey-wikey!?” Rarity got out from her frozen state. Spike stood there, scowling at Sirius.

“Leave Twilight, Rarity, and the other girls alone!” the baby Dragon commanded.

“I thought there was somepony missing in this picture,” Sirius stated, looking at his singed tail before turning back to Spike. “I don’t have time to deal with you both properly before Arctic’s ice weather magic ends. So, I’ll just have to do… this.” With that, he closed his eyes… and opened them to reveal a sinister green with blood red pupils. His horn, which glowed white before, began to glow a sinister purple. He shot out a beam that struck Spike, rendering the Dragon helpless in the air, before turning around and flinging Spike into Mario, trapping them both into an orb of dark magic.

“Leave… him… alone!” Twilight scowled. “Don’t you… dare… hurt Spike!”

Mario didn’t know whether or not Twilight was angry at Sirius… or afraid of what he might do to the baby Dragon. Sirius however, ignored Twilight, as his magic took Mario and Spike… and began to ball the two up into paper balls. Mario and Spike’s screams of pain by being crumpled up fell on deaf ears, but not by the horror filled shrieks before Mario and Spike were magically flung straight through the glass window where Arctic once hid, smashing it into pieces, Nightmare Moon’s face landing where Mario once stood.

“SPIKE!” Rarity screamed, panicked at Sirius’ disposal of Mario and Spike. The poor baby Dragon had come trying to help, only to get cast aside in a surprisingly brutal manner. Oh, and Mario got balled up and thrown out, too. The white Unicorn could not stop her eyes from beginning to water, fearing for Spike.

Sirius’ eyes stopped glowing green, and he returned to normal. Breathing heavily, he said, “So, THAT is the Crystal Usurper’s brand of dark magic… to think I used even the smallest amount to defeat Mario, yet it STILL drained quite a bit from me. I somehow doubt that I could have taken him down so quickly without the Crystal Usurper King Sombra’s magic.” Turning to the frozen six, he said, “So, now that they are out of the way… let’s get our hooves on those Elements, shall we?” Turning to the Nocturne Cultists that Arctic had revived, he ordered, “Go begin the sealing spell! Let’s keep Celestia and Luna out of our manes for awhile until our Queen returns! I will handle the rest.” Arctic nodded, and flew off while the rest of the Nocturne Cultists filed out of the room.

Sirius walked closer… only to stop to see Twilight’s angered expression and her eyes glowing white, and her horn crackling with a purple hue. Sirius thought about this, but then realized something. “Oh… right. Arctic did not freeze you fully so I could take simply take the Elements from you. You can STILL use magic. Upon retrospect, that was a bad idea on my part to ask him to freeze only below your necks.”

“You THINK!?” Twilight snapped, anger in her tone. Soon, all of the Elements began glowing, starting to unfreeze the six of them… but instead of a rainbow of magic, the Elements seemed to start to float upwards, away from the six ponies while Twilight floated up with them, almost unconscious of her own actions.

“Twilight…?” Fluttershy asked, scared about this sudden development. Soon enough, an aura seemed to surround Twilight and the Elements, almost like it was going to explode.

“There’s a phrase for this,” Sirius voiced in a plain tone, summoning a white bubble around himself and the other five bearers, who were too weak due to the frostbite inflicted upon them. “I believe it’s called, ‘I didn’t see that coming’.”

Canterlot

As Mario and Spike flew out of the castle in their crumpled paper ball forms, they flew straight into the river nearby Canterlot, eventually drifting over a huge waterfall. Nobody knew of this, though, due to the particular chain of events happening inside the city walls.

For starters, above the Elements of Harmony Tower, a red and brown airship that was flying near the area was pierced from below by a purple beam of magic. Second, citizens could not help but notice black crystals beginning to grow from the ground on the city’s outskirts. Third, those black crystals grew huge, eventually starting to enwrap the city, eventually some of the crystals ramming into the Elements tower’s base, tearing it free from the rest of the castle. The half that was freed from the base began sliding down a slope, eventually falling from Canterlot altogether.

On the ground below, all four of the Princesses, and the Mushroom Kingdom visitors looked up at the sight of the light that shot right above the city and escape the forming barrier as the Colts of Nocturne began to retreat from the city.

“What on Earth is that!?” Yoshi asked, looking up at the sight as well. Soon enough, mere moments before the crystals blacked out the sky and made the city inescapable, the one light separated into six and shot out throughout Equestria.

“No…” Celestia breathed, startled at the revelation. “The Elements of Harmony… they’ve been separated. I fear what this will mean for Equestria….”

Luigi then looked around. “Um, guys… where’s Mario?”

“Mario…” Peach gasped, remembering he was in that tower. Now that the tower had been sliced in half and the top half was gone, Mario was no longer able to be found. “Oh no… MARIO!”

As Peach broke down in tears, none of them had any idea that Mario and Spike, both crumpled up in paper balls and dumped into the trash, floated down the river towards the small town below....

Author's Note

LONG PART TIME! One thing I must warn you about me is that I tend to write long chapters. Sorry! But I hope you enjoyed reading this. Now, we can actually get to the good stuff!

Okay, so...

1) Both Hooktail and the Shadow Queen are mentioned. If one remembers the plot of The Thousand-Year Door, The Shadow Queen is as old as, if not older, than Celestia, Luna, Discord, and Sombra... and she's eviler than both of the latter characters. Something similar can be said for Hooktail with the evil part.

Anyways, we're introduced to (at least) two of the villains. The surprisingly polite, funny, and creepy villain, Sirius Nebula... or just "Sirius". Yes, while he's a bit out there with even his minions, Sirius isn't one to underestimate. And if I made him affibly evil, then I have done my job right. He's pleasent to have a conversation with, but generally tries to have fun with his job as the leader of what could only be described as a satanic cult. ...Did I seriously just do that in a Paper Mario type story?

The other villain, Arctic? Well, he is kind of a character I created for an RP thing that... never got off the ground, to say the least. Still, I wanted to use the character. If you're asking HOW he's managed to beat the Mane Six, it's a combination of "ambush, Pegasus pony weather manipulation, and eating too many of those Ice Flowers introduced in games like Super Mario Galaxy and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

2) Canterlot Castle. Well, this was the ultimate goal for Mario and Spike. To be honest, we don't get to see much of the actual castle's layout (i.e. the location of all of the rooms) in canon, so much of it is opinionated at best. Sorry to disappoint you all, but it's really the best I can do. Luckily, we're not going to be in Canterlot anymore for me to screw that up... at least, for the Mario parts.

3) Okay. Why did Sirius do all of this diversionary stuff by having his forces attack from so many angles? Simple... it's called, "a win-win situation". If Sirius could have managed to break into the tower on his own, he wouldn't have needed the Mane Six to get as far as they did and just had his forces overwhelm them. The Mane Six get to the Elements? Try to convince them to surrender to stop his attack. That doesn't work? Have Arctic ambush them with . Arctic fails (provided the Mane Six actually saw the ambush) or some intruders interfere? Pick up some tricks from Sombra's book... but actually be able to DO something besides being intimidating and so dang-prepared.

Speaking of that last one, why does Sirius have Sombra's magic? Well, he was that large equine in Part 1 of the intro. You know, the one who had Sombra's broken horn in the failed ritual? It's possible he's studied Sombra's type of spells and taught the unicorns of the Colts of Nocturne... but it takes a lot out of him.

Why did Mario and Spike get balled up? Well, remember... this is Paper Mario with ponies in it. And in Sticker Star, the paper style is up to eleven. And everything in this universe is virtually made of paper... even Spike and the ponies. So, yeah... Mario and Spike just got launched out of a window at incredible force.

Why did I instantly seal off Princesses Celestia and Luna in Canterlot? Logically, the last thing Sirius wants is the knowledge that the two ponies who could possibly thwart his plan in minutes running around free... and those two are Celestia and Luna. Also, Sombra's brand of magic was prepared enough to stop even Twilight Sparkle's teleportation, so Sirius thought ahead.

Plotwise, we all are completely aware how horribly short this story would be if Celestia and Luna were free.. and if the Mane Six were free. Speaking of that, I hope the whole "Mane Six getting kidnapped due to being frozen" makes sense.

Finally, Peach DOESN'T get kidnapped this time around. I know, shocker. But she alongside Daisy, Luigi, Toadsworth, Toad, Toadette, and Yoshi were sealed inside Canterlot and they are unable to physically help Mario this time. This doesn't mean Peach won't be able to help at all.

I hope you're enjoying this, so far. You seem to like it!... well, most of you.

Prologue Part 1

-MARIO-

Unknown Location

"...Aw man... it's just balled up paper."

"What kind of jerk throws trash in the water? It ain't helpin' us catch a thing!"

"Ugh... why did we pick tonight to go fishing, again?"

"Wasn't it your idea to try for a fishing Cutie Mark, Scootaloo?"

"I'm starting to regret it. Well, we may as well unfold it..."

“…Land’s sake! This here ain’t trash… it’s a person! And that’s… oh my gosh! Isn’t that…”

“…How did they even get balled up like that? And why were they in the river anyways?”

“Who cares? We need to help them… we need Rainbow Dash.”

“Rainbow Dash is back up in Canterlot… at least, Ah think she, Applejack, Rarity, an’ the others are. But… if Spike’s here… something bad must’ve happened. We need to get Big Macintosh an’ Granny Smith….”

Mario was floating in and out of consciousness, so he barely had any grasp on what was happening. Was he back in the Underwhere? Had his game ended somewhere between the balling up, being hurled through glass at incredible speeds, or going over the waterfall? It didn’t seem like he was dead, as he was in too much pain to be dead. So, he must have been saved by what sounded like three young girls.

Whoever his saviors were knew the Bearers. …Who, if he remembered correctly, had just been kidnapped by the leader of a cult who worshipped the evil alter ego of Princess Luna.

He had to get up, but his body could barely move. Apparently, his one of his rescuers had spotted him twitching.

“Don’t you worry, Mister,” the first voice that spoke told him. “Scootaloo has already gotten on her scooter and has headed back to Sweet Apple Acres. She’ll be back with Apple Bloom’s big brother and her Granny. We’ll get you and Spike patched up there. Maybe we’ll even get Cutie Marks in lifesaving!”

As Mario passed out once again, he couldn’t help but think, ‘What.’

Sweet Apple Acres

Mario could not help be feel comfortable in the sheets of the bed he was in. And the smell of freshly baked apple fritters seemed to wake him up from his unconscious state. As he sat up in the bed and opened his eyes, he saw he was in some sort of country style guest room. His hat was hanging up on some sort of hat rack, his Hammer was on the ground, and his Boots were nearby his bed. He had no idea how long he had been out for, but he knew one thing…

He had to stop Sirius and the Colts of Nocturne.

Jumping out of the soft bed, he jumped into his shoes and grabbed his cap and Hammer. Making sure he was properly geared up, Mario headed towards the door-

Only for it to open itself, revealing a big Earth Pony stallion wearing a brown yoke over his neck. The stallion was as red as Mario’s clothes, to say the least. His mane and tail were short, and were a dark orange. Like Applejack, he had three white freckles on his face. His hooves were visible, and were a light yellow color. As he walked into the room, Mario could see the mark on his flank- a green apple sliced in half.

“Uh… hi?” Mario asked, looking at the stallion.

“Big Macintosh!” an older woman’s voice yelled from a floor below them. “Is that there mustachioed gentlecolt up, yet?”

The large stallion turned to the door, and said in a calm tone, “Eeyup.”

“What about Spike?” the older voice inquired.

“Eeyup,” the stallion, Big Macintosh, answered. “Should be comin’ down soon enough.”

“Good,” the old woman called up. “Ah have a few questions fer ’em. Bring the boys down, an’ we’ll talk o’er breakfast.”

“Comin’, Granny!” Big Macintosh responded. Turning back to Mario, he instructed, “Follow me.”

Mario, not having much of a choice in the matter- as well as having a few questions of his own- agreed with no fuss. The red duo left the room, Mario spotting Spike walking down the stairs. Eventually, they came down the stairs to meet an old Earth Pony mare. She had bright green fur and a somewhat frail complexion, but she seemed calm. Her mane and tail were white with small hairs sticking out, but put up in buns. She was wearing a red and white checkered scarf over her neck. Finally, her mark on her flank was what looked like a freshly baked apple pie.

“Good to see yer awake, sonny,” the old mare spoke up. Looking at Spike, she added, “You too, Spike. Ah don’t know how ya’ll ended up crinkled up like that, but ya’ll gave Apple Bloom an’ her friends quite a scare a couple days ago. Not to mention Applejack ain’t come back to Ponyville fer the past two days.”

“We’ve been out for two days, Granny Smith?” Spike asked. “Balled up and thrown away. That was awful…”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh added. “Do mah sister an’ Miss Twilight know where ya are?” That caused both Spike and Mario to look at each other, both remembering what happened back in Canterlot.

“Um, about that…” Spike commented. “You guys may want to sit down for this…”

The two ponies looked at each other, but headed to the kitchen table where all of them had pancakes and apple fritters waiting for them, alongside a young Earth Pony filly. The filly, Mario noticed, had bright yellow fur. She also had a dark red mane and tail, the mane tied with a bright pink bow. Surprisingly, she didn’t have a mark on her flank like just about every other pony Mario had seen.

“Howdy, Spike!” the young pony spoke up in a familiar voice. “Glad to see yer up, alongside Mr. Mustache, there.”

“Hey, Apple Bloom,” Spike waved at her. Turning to Mario, he commented, “Mario, these ponies are Applejack’s family. Granny Smith, her grandmother, Big Macintosh, her older brother, and Apple Bloom, the youngest sibling. Apple Family, this is Mario. He’s one of the visitors from the Mushroom Kingdom that Applejack was asked to meet by Princess Celestia.”

“Well, nice to meet ya, Mr. Mario,” Granny Smith greeted. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, an’ by extension Ponyville.”

“Thank you,” Mario nodded. “Now, you’re all probably wondering why Spike and I were balled up and floating down a river… and where Applejack is….”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh commented. Mario sighed.

“Well,” the plumber began, “to be honest, the day my friends, brother, and I came to Canterlot was the day the town was attacked.”

“Canterlot was attacked!?” Granny Smith gasped in horror. “Well, Ah hope Applejack is okay….”

“Uh, let me get to that,” Mario continued. “You see, Princess Celestia asked Applejack and her friends to protect the Elements of Harmony- you all what those are, right?” All three Apples nodded. One less thing to explain, he supposed. “Anyways, Spike and I both followed them through our own methods, and the six ponies managed to get to the Elements… but that’s what the attackers wanted to happen. That’s when the leader of the invaders, Lord Sirius Nebula, had them ambushed by some sort of ninja pony who could control ice. They were frozen while Spike and I tried to fight Sirius… only for him to overpower us with some sort of dark magic that balled us up and threw us away. I don’t know what happened after that, but… I think they were all kidnapped.”

Mario saw the expressions on the Apple Family’s faces. The three were downtrodden, but both Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom’s eyes began to water like concerned siblings. Mario could have predicted the filly's tears and her trying to fight them back, but Big Macintosh nearly crying for his sister? The two must have been as close to him as he was to Luigi. Sure he and Luigi had their bad moments, but Mario was just as worried about his younger brother as Big Macintosh was for Applejack. Mario guessed what they said about older brothers being born first to protect their younger siblings was true. Granny Smith was the most verbal on her concern.

“Oh my…” Granny Smith gasped in horror. “Applejack… somepony has her and her friends.” Scowling, the older mare said, “Iffn Ah were about twenty years younger, Mr. Mario, whoever this Sirius feller is would rue the day he messed with my granddaughter!”

“Darn tootin’!” Apple Bloom agreed, snapping away from her tears while Big Macintosh wiped away his own. “Ah’ve gotta tell Sweetie Belle an’ Scootaloo about this! Cutie Mark Crusaders Rescuers are a GO!”

With that, Apple Bloom jumped out of her seat, slammed her hoof on her plate to send her pancakes and fritter flying into the air, and eating them all in one gulp before running off upstairs. When she came back down, she was wearing a dark red cape with a blue shield with a yellow caped filly sown into it. She then headed out the door. Granny Smith shook her head.

“Apple Bloom’s already gone,” the old mare sighed as she’s seen this before. Turning back to Mario, she added, “Poor filly don’t even know where she’s goin’. Probably gonna try to head to Canterlot til she realizes she ain't got the Equestrian Bits or Mushroom Coins to buy a ticket fer the train… somepony has to talk her outta that idea ’fore she gits into any trouble.”

“I don’t blame her,” Spike commented before eating a set of pancakes. “She and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders are close to Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash. Just like how I am with them all.” Getting up, the Dragon reached into his pocket scale, pulling out Rarity’s Fire Ruby. Giving it a slight squeeze, Spike looked down at it with a determined scowl. “I’m going.”

“What?” Mario and Granny Smith asked, looking at the Dragon.

“You heard me, Mario,” Spike replied, pocketing the Fire Ruby necklace. “Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy… you said it yourself, they’ve been taken by Sirius! And Sirius no doubt has the Elements of Harmony, and is already putting whatever he has planned in motion if he hasn't already! Every second we waste talking is a second closer to Sirius' master plan succeeding! This isn’t just about rescuing my friends! This is about saving all of Equestria! I’m going to rescue Twilight, Rarity, and the girls even if my game ends! And not you or anypony else is going to stop me from finding them!”

Mario had to admire Spike’s love, bravery and loyalty to the six Bearers. It sort of reminded the plumber of himself with Princess Peach. Still, Spike was young and no doubt would need help rescuing the Bearers… and Peach, if she was in any trouble.

“Well, you won’t be alone,” Mario promised, jumping up. “I’ll help you out in any way I can. It’s better we worked together, Spike.” Spike nodded, ready to go.

"Same here, Mario!" Spike agreed. "You won't regret this alliance! Between your adventuring experience and my knowledge of Equestria, the girls will be saved in no time! Maybe I'll even get a kiss from Rarity!" Mario had to chuckle at the baby Dragon's fantasies, but couldn't deny him that. Besides, with Spike officially as his partner, he stood a suddenly better chance than he did before.

Spike joined your party!

Spike is no ordinary baby Dragon… he’s been raised by Princess Celestia herself, the personal assistant of Twilight Sparkle, and is really connected throughout Equestria. His knowledge of Ponyville, the people in it and the kingdom of Equestria in general will be invaluable to Mario in their quest. But that’s not his only use! His ‘Touch Ability’ is to breathe the traditional Dragon’s Fire at a spot Mario designates on the GamePad's Touch Screen… albeit it’s not very good for battle purposes, yet. He’s only a baby Dragon, after all.

Spike is also pretty useful in Battle, as well. His Jackhammer Tail can stomp on a foe, even ignoring spikes due to his tough scales! He can also Tattle on his opponents due to his connection with Princess Celestia.

“Ah’d go with ya both if Ah weren’t over a hundred an’ were still able to go travelin’,” Granny Smith announced, ending the celebration. “Ah’d send Big Macintosh with ya, too, if the farm didn’t need him to pick up Applejack’s work an’ direct our new workers. Those Toad fellers from the Mushroom Kingdom mean well, but they don’t know the first thing ’bout runnin’ an apple farm. Ah’m sorry Ah can’t do much more for ya’ll, Mario an’ Spike.”

“It’s alright, Granny Smith,” Spike commented. “What you’ve done for us is more than enough. You saved our lives, so we’ll bring Applejack and the others back home safe and sound.”

“Actually,” Granny Smith corrected, “it weren’t me who saved yer hides, boys. It was Apple Bloom an’ her friends, Sweetie Belle an’ Scootaloo. They were tryin’ to get their Cutie Marks in fishin’, but ended up fishin’ ya’ll out of the river.” Pulling out a picture, Granny Smith explained to Mario, “This is what those two silly gooses look like with their ‘Crusader Capes’ on.”

Mario looked at the picture, to see Apple Bloom alongside two other young fillies. To her left was a Unicorn filly that reminded Mario of a younger Rarity. She was just as white as Rarity, and part of her curly mane and tail were purple. The other halves were pinkish. Like Apple Bloom, she didn’t have a mark on her.

The other filly in the picture was a Pegasus pony. She had bright orange fur, so Mario could have mistook her for a younger Applejack if not for the wings. There was also the purple mane and tail that seemed similar to Rainbow’s hair style. She was also a “blank flank” as well.

“Thanks, Miss Smith,” Mario nodded.

“Call me Granny, Mario,” Granny Smith waved off. “Everypony else does. Good luck on yer journey, boys. An’ don’t be afraid to stop by here if ya’ll ever need anythin’ from me. Oh, an’ stop on by when it hits Zap Apple Season, an’ ya might be able to get some Zap Apple Jam.”

“You got it,” Spike chuckled. Spike and Mario soon walked out of the house, and saw where they were. Yoshi wasn’t kidding when he was gushing over Sweet Apple Acres. Everything smelled of apples and all of the fruit hanging from the trees looked lovely. Several Toads and Earth Ponies were walking around, helping out with harvesting the apples in the trees. The Toads were grabbing the buckets that the Earth Ponies were bucking out of the trees with a kick. One of the Earth Ponies even suggested to Mario that he take his Hammer and whack the trees to get things to fall out of the trees besides just apples.

“I guess Granny Smith hired some farm hooves to help out,” Spike concluded. Turning to Mario, he asked, “So, what’s our first move, Mario? You’ve clearly been doing things like this a lot.”

“Well,” Mario commented, “we need to find a way to get back to Canterlot. If we’re lucky, maybe Princesses Celestia and Luna are okay, and they can help us. If we’re really lucky, Peach and my other friends are unharmed, too. We’ll need all the help we can get.” Spike snapped his fingers, remembering something.

“Oh, right!” Spike grinned. “Mario, why should we GO to Canterlot when we can WRITE to Princess Celestia and it will be much faster?”

“Uh… Spike,” Mario voiced, “unless Princess Celestia has e-mail, my Mailbox 3DS isn’t going to get to her. And how is she going to be able to help us with snail mail?”

“You clearly haven’t seen how Dragon Fire mail works,” Spike replied. “Unless either Princess Celestia or I are in a completely sealed space where not even magical mist can get through, we can get letters to each other in an instant. It saves postage. However, I don’t have any Magic Scrolls on me, right now. We need to head to the Golden Oaks Library- where Twilight and I live and work- to get some. With this, I can also get information on any foes we run into. Either way, we’d have to cut through Ponyville to get anywhere with this mission.”

“…Okay,” Mario nodded, curious about this development. “So, if that’s what we’re doing, how do we get to Ponyville from here?”

“We’re going to have to head southeast from here,” Spike recalled. “Come on.” With that, Mario and Spike turned and headed for the town.

Ponyville

Mario and Spike walked into the quiet little town, feeling slightly relaxed. Mario looked around the quaint town and noticed a different feel to it than other places. Unlike the busy Canterlot, the harsh Rogueport, or even the weird Flipside, Ponyville was quaint, relaxing, friendly, and a decent looking place. In short, similar to Toad Town. But instead of Toads everywhere he went, Mario saw ponies everywhere. Sure, there were a few Toads and Koopas who had immigrated from the Mushroom Kingdom, but not enough to be prominent on the name.

As they walked through the town, Mario saw ponies waving to him and Spike in a casual manner, and going about their daily routines. Many of the houses the two passed were cottages, and several shops the two passed- one of which Mario recognized as an Item Shop, and another being an Inn- had signs to signal what they were. Mario asked, “So, where’s the library from here?”

“Should be a bit to the east,” Spike answered. “It’s a giant oak tree. You can’t miss it. I hope Owlowiscious and Peewee are alright.” Mario and Spike continued walking, and, sure enough, they spotted a giant oak tree with a door, two balconies, and several windows on it.

Mario also saw a familiar looking female Goomba walking towards it. The Goomba looked a little older than she did before, but Mario recognized the miner’s hard hat, the red tie, the pale head, and blonde ponytail anywhere.

“Goombella?” he called out. The Goomba looked up, and turned around, gasping in surprise.

“MARIO!” she greeted him, walking over and giving Mario a hug. After the two broke it, Goombella demanded, “Why didn’t you write saying you were coming all of the way to Ponyville!? I would have actually brushed my hair! I must look like a mess.”

“It’s kind of a long story,” Mario blushed. ‘Mainly, a certain Princess forced me to come all of the way to Equestria on short notice for a vacation, only for Canterlot to get attacked, and now the Elements of Harmony are in the hooves of a mad stallion,’ he thought to himself. ‘With perhaps Peach.’

“You two know each other?” Spike interrupted, walking over.

“Yeah,” Goombella answered. “Mario and I went on a treasure hunt with the help of a few other friends we made and my archeology professor, Prof. Frankly. Speaking of which, he’s still back in Rogueport.”

“Well, that’s one less familiar face I can count on,” Mario sighed. Goombella, from her time with Mario, could sense something amiss.

“Okay,” the Goomba voiced, “care to explain what’s your beef, Mario? It’s like Princess Peach has been kidnapped… again.”

“…I’m not entirely sure,” Mario answered. “But… maybe it’s better that we talk about this… inside.”

“It sounds bad already,” Goombella remarked. Spike walked over, and unlocked the library door. The three walked inside the building.

Golden Oaks Library

“WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAATT!?” Goombella’s voice echoed from the library. On the main level of the well stocked and organized library, the plumber, Dragon, and Goomba were sitting at a table Spike had set for tea after Spike got himself properly equipped with Magic Scrolls, ink, and a few quills. Goombella’s expression, though, after she listened to Mario and Spike’s story, was one of shock, as the Goomba stood there, stunned by all of the news.

“So, let me get this straight, Mario,” Goombella said, flabbergasted by the story she just heard. “You mean to tell me that some black magic wielding stallion came in, had Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash ambushed by an ice magic using Pegasus, took you both down himself, and has his hooves on not only the fabled artifacts the Elements of Harmony but their Bearers as well?”

“…Yes?” Mario nervously answered the Goomba. “I was completely helpless… pony magic is stronger than it looks.”

“Ugh,” Goombella groaned. “This is bad… all of Equestria- no, the entire WORLD- is in danger! With the Elements and the Bearers, who knows what those evil cultists guys will do. Their planning alone beat the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony when they actually HAD the Elements! Not to mention we don’t have a CLUE if Princess Peach is okay… Sirius sounds like a nasty foe to underestimate, especially if he has dark magic like that.”

“Exactly why Mario and I have a lot of ground to cover,” Spike voiced, writing down on a scroll. “If we are to stand any chance of rescuing everypony, we need to find a starting place. I figured the best idea would be to let Princess Celestia know we’re okay and see if she can help us out, somehow.” Once he was done, the baby Dragon stood up, smirking at his work. Wrapping the scroll up with a red sun seal, he was complete. “Alright… ready to send.” Walking outside, the baby Dragon inhaled, and breathed out a breath of fire on the scroll, setting it aflame. The scroll then turned into a sparkly, purple and green mist, disappearing into the sky. “Well, that’s on its way.”

“Well, that’s ONE thing going right,” Goombella remarked. "Spike and Twilight were speaking the truth about the Magic Scrolls!" Turning to Mario, she asked, “So, what were these cultists guys like? Maybe my new Tattle Log I've been working on can help.”

“Well,” Mario recalled, “they wore blue and black with a full moon insignia, so they were as opposite as the X-Nauts as could be. Many of them were pony-shaped, too. They called themselves the ‘Colts of Nocturne’, and said they worshiped Nightmare Moon, who-”

“Who is what Princess Luna turned herself into when she felt that she and her beautiful nights were forsaken by her subjects due to them sleeping throughout them all, sealed in the Moon for a thousand years, and was purified by the Elements of Harmony's new Bearers,” Goombella finished. Mario and Spike gave her a blank look at her knowledge of the story. How many people in Equestria know the story. “I’ve read the Legend of Nightmare Moon for fun during my job. It’s part of what I do. It’s not hard to believe there’s a cult dedicated to worshipping HER exists, considering things like the Thousand-Year Door, the Light and Dark Prognosticus, the Sticker Comet, and the Star Rod. It only makes sense that a 'Mare in the Moon' exists as well.”

“Wow,” Spike joked, “you’re as big of an egghead as Twilight is, Goombella. You’re pretty much her if she was a archeologist Goomba!”

“Laugh if you must, Spike,” Goombella scowled, “but it’s our job as historians and archeologists to question what’s real and what isn’t and find the truth.” Turning to Mario, she continued, “Anyways, Mario, the point is I know the story of Nightmare Moon, and how the Elements of Harmony led to her defeat and purification. It should have been the end of the story right there. But these Colts of Nocturne aren't letting this story end. However, I would need to know more about the Elements in order to figure out just what their goal is. It clearly is some sort of revenge scheme against the Bearers of the Elements, but why go through the trouble of kidnapping them ALIVE? Sirius clearly went through a lot of trouble to guarantee their survival….”

“Perhaps Sirius wants to perform some kind of freaky ritual with them, first?” Spike suggested. “Hey, it buys us time.”

“So, while we’re waiting for Princess Celestia to respond if she can,” Mario interrupted, “I have to ask, Goombella… what were you doing coming to the library?”

“Oh, right,” Goombella recalled. “I’ve been coming over here to talk to Twilight about seeing if I could get a book on astrology. Particularly the strange event I saw happening when I looked at Canterlot a few nights ago. A bright purple light shot up into the sky, then broke into six separate, multicolored lights that fell throughout Equestria. I wanted to see if that is a special event on this side of the world or something. However, after your explanation as to why she’s not here, it seems less important than the crisis.”

“Wait,” Spike interjected. “A purple light shot into the sky, separated into six different lights, and those lights fell throughout the entire countryside? It must have happened after we were balled up, then.”

“Yeah,” the Goomba nodded. “It was really strange, too. I wrote down some possible locations for where those lights could have fallen, based on physics, trajectory, and a map of Equestria. All of the locations of those lights land somewhere in Equestria. I want to investigate them, but I still have my teaching job to do. Maybe it's something big.”

“Well, that’s jarring,” Mario voiced his opinion. “Though I don’t know how those lights will help us save Equestria. Still, it’s the best lead we have while we wait. Did you bring those notes?”

“Uh, no,” Goombella replied. “I didn’t bring them with me, but Miss Cheerilee should have them. I asked her to hold onto them until I confirmed my theory or at the least got the book. We were going to meet up for lunch at Sugarcube Corner to discuss lesson plans. Want to head there? Lunch will be on me.”

“Well, it’s all we can do,” Mario shrugged. The three then filed out of the library, leaving it behind for now.

-PEACH-

Canterlot- Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy

Peach cried in the conference hall she had met Celestia and Luna in, worried for Mario. The poor Mushroom Kingdom Princess had no idea what had happened to Mario while she was trapped in Canterlot. There were no signs of Mario, Spike, or the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Daisy, meanwhile, stood by, angry at the crystal barricade.

“Stupid barricade preventing anyone from coming in or getting out,” the Sarasaland Princess remarked in a huff. “This is a total buzz kill for my vacation. The only upside from this is that we didn’t get kidnapped.”

“We might as well have…” Peach voiced. “I mean, trapped in city with no obvious way of escape out? Not even Princesses Celestia and Luna can escape? This is terrible! Not to mention we have no idea where Mario is….”

“Still beats getting kidnapped by Bowser,” Daisy replied. “At least it’s a nice looking place with the exception of the whole ‘evil giant crystals blocking all reasonable escape attempts’.” When Daisy saw that Peach was not cheering up, she sighed. “Look, I’m kind of unacquainted with the ‘distressed damsel’ thing. It only happened once to me. So, you’ll have to forgive me if my reactions aren’t the usual kind in these types of scenarios.”

“I’m sorry,” Peach shook her head. “It’s just… I asked Mario to be careful, but then this happens… and our new friends turn out to be the protectors of the land, and who knows what happened to them. I just hope they’re all okay….”

“This is Mario we’re talking about, right?” Daisy smirked at Peach. “The plumber who always beats Bowser? Your knight in shining overalls? The Jump and Hammer Master? The guy who saved the world on a regular basis? I’m sure wherever he is, he’s fine. He’s been through worse.”

“I guess you’re right,” Peach voiced, knowing all of the adventures Mario had. She knew she shouldn’t doubt him, but she still could not help but worry since the last time she saw him was him jumping from the window to the ramparts to help the Bearers.

Soon enough, the doors to the room opened, revealing Celestia, Luna, Toadsworth, Yoshi, and Luigi.

“I’m afraid I have terrible news, Princess Peach,” the Princess of the Sun remarked. “It’s been over forty-eight hours and we have searched every reasonable nook and cranny. There is still no sign of Mario. Spike, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy are still missing, as well. At this point, we must assume the worst….”

“Not to mention that all of the whacking the guards and even I have done still hasn’t broken those black crystals,” Luigi added. “My own Hammer, useless.”

“So,” Peach asked, “is there really no way for us to leave? No way to expand the search?”

“I’m afraid not,” Celestia answered. “I have tried teleporting as I taught Twilight Sparkle how to… but the crystals seem to register the act and magically transport me back inside. However, the brief glimpse I’ve seen showed that our magic is still in effect.”

“Those crystals are no doubt the work of King Sombra’s special brand of dark magic,” Luna voiced. Everyone in the room but Celestia turned to Luna.

“Who’s King Sombra?” Yoshi questioned.

“King Sombra WAS an evil Unicorn,” Luna explained. “And that’s putting his crimes lightly. Around a millennium ago, he attacked the Crystal Empire to the north of here, usurping its former Queen and turning its inhabitants into essentially a slave race. He created his own brand of dark magic. The crystal barricade that keeps us locked in? He created the ultimate sealing spell that takes only one of two ways to break. Either the caster of the spell must be defeated, or artifacts of high magical power can break through them. And unfortunately, the better artifacts to do this are scattered to who knows where.”

“That is troubling, indeed,” Toadsworth commented, his mustache flicking. “Do you think King Sombra is responsible for this?”

“No,” Celestia replied. “Sombra has been destroyed once and for all. The Crystal Empire is free from his rule, and it is under the protection of our niece, Princess Cadance, and her husband, Shining Armor. However, whoever is responsible has studied Sombra’s brand of magic and was clever enough to manipulate events so that my sister and I could not directly interfere with his plans. They are clearly clever.”

All of the sudden, a purple and green starry mist floated in front of Princess Celestia, and seemed to swirl around before popping into a scroll. Celestia’s horn began to glow a bright yellow, surrounding the scroll before it fell to the ground.

“How did that happen!?” Luigi gasped, jumping back in surprise. Celestia smiled.

“Spike’s Dragon Fire mail,” Celestia breathed, expressing her relief at the scenario. “Back when Spike was much younger than he is, now, I taught him how to send and receive mail through his fire. Magic scrolls and their contents can be safely sent between the two of us. If this is happening, then he’s still alive, at the very least. Also, there’s a small enough gap for mist and air to get through, so we won’t have to worry about air supply.”

“You mean that baby Dragon guy can send mail with his fire?” Yoshi asked, amazed. “Aw man. All I can do is turn foes into Yoshi Eggs with my tongue.”

“Too much information,” Luna muttered in slight disgust. Celestia ignored that, and began to read aloud.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This is Spike. I’m writing to let you know that Mario and I are okay and are in Ponyville by the time you have this letter. However, something really bad is going to happen, soon, but we don’t know what.

When we went to help Twilight and the others protect the Elements of Harmony, we were all ambushed. Mario and I were personally trounced by Lord Sirius Nebula, the leader of the Colts of Nocturne, who are a group of Nightmare Moon worshippers, who used Sombra’s magic if those freaky green eyes mean anything. But before that, Sirius had the girls frozen with the Elements by a ‘Papergami Ninja’, if that makes any sense. We have reason to believe Sirius has the Elements of Harmony and the girls. Whatever Sirius is up to, it’s not good.

But don’t worry, Princess Celestia. Mario and I plan on going on a quest to find out where Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash are. We’ll find the Colts of Nocturne and stop their plans. But we can’t do this alone. As soon as we are able, we’ll meet up with you in Canterlot.

Please help,

Spike

P.S.,

Mario wants to know if his friends are alright… and Goombella says “Hi”.

Peach and Luigi each breathed a huge sigh of relief. “Thank the Star Spirits that Mario is okay…” the Mushroom Kingdom Princess sighed. She immediately then flipped her mood, scowling. “But those poor mares… Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie are in my shoes for once, and some madman was planning on using the Elements of Harmony, which only they can wield! We have to help them!”

“That’s never happened, before,” Celestia voiced. “Nopony usually bothers trying to take the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. And freezing them implies that Sirius Nebula planned on capturing them alive from the beginning. What could he want with them and the Elements?”

“Well, whatever it is, Princess,” Toadsworth scowled, “no doubt it’s not good! Normally, I’m not as gung ho with my own Princess’ energetic ideas, but this situation calls for some kind of action to save those ponies!”

“I couldn’t agree with you more, Sir Toadsworth,” Celestia replied. “Now, I can’t leave the crystal barrier... but my magic CAN. It’s time to correct Mario and Spike’s assumption about the Elements.” Looking at Peach, she asked, “Could you be a dear, Princess Peach, and hand me one of those scrolls and a quill by you?” Peach turned around, finding a scroll and a feather quill. She brought those over to Celestia, who took them with her magic.

“Can I tell you what to write, Princess Celestia?” Peach asked. “I want to let Mario know that we’re okay….”

“Of course,” Celestia nodded. Holding up the quill with her magic, she asked, “What do you wish to say?”

Author's Note

Okay, I'm really hoping that you guys are having fun with this story. I mean, so far, many of you have... I still hope the beginning of the Prologue will keep you.

1) Characters. Okay, this part introduces (as if you couldn't tell who saved Mario and Spike's lives when they TALKED) the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They were trying for their fishing Cutie Marks. Well, they caught a plumber and a baby Dragon, which I hear is better than Bloopers! ...I'm not the only one who hates Bloopers, right? Anyways, right now, the CMC will have a role in Ponyville that SHOULD be familar to players of the first two Paper Mario games.

MOVING ON! We also meet the rest of the Apple Family... Granny Smith and Big Macintosh. Granny Smith is as old as Ponyville, and it's been established that Ponyville's over a century. So if there's something that almost no other character knows, she's probably going to be your go-to mare. And of course, no adventure where one ends up on Sweet Apple Acres would be complete without a Big Macintosh sighting. Mares love Big Macintosh! ...The mares still love Big Macintosh, right? Too bad he's not a partner... it's sad, really. He'd actually be the strong guy of the group.

But who IS our partner is (as if I need to say his name but I will anyways) Spike! Yes, I know he's not the usual Goomba yet has two somewhat similar moves. In fact, let me tell you all right now that ANY species of party member that was in the first two games, you can automatically count out as full party members. Sorry, but no Koopa Troopas, no Yoshis, no Bob-Ombs, and unfortunately no Shadow Sirens... or whatever the heck Vivian's species is. No seriously, are Shadow Sirens a SPECIES or just a trio of sisters with shadow powers granted to them by the Shadow Queen?

Finally, Goombella. She and Mario have a lot of catching up to do since the last time they saw each other was at the end of The Thousand-Year Door. If you all remember, Goombella has graduated U Goom and is now a grad student archeologist with a student teacher's career. So, unfortunately Goombella won't be going out and throwing down with Mario this time around. Instead, and I'm going to put up my flame shield for this, she's playing Mission Control similar to Prof. Frankly in her debut game and Merlon from Super Paper Mario. I'll explain why shortly.

2) So, in case you haven't clued in, yet, Ponyville is serving the same purpose as Toad Town, Rogueport, Flipside, and Decalburg. In short, it's the hub town. Why? Well, in the series proper, Ponyville is the main location, and hardly an episode of the show doesn't have the cast in Ponyville in it at one point (five exceptions I'm sure you're going to point out being "Over a Barrel", "Sweet and Elite", "Hearth's Warming Eve", "A Canterlot Wedding- Part 2", and "The Crystal Empire- Part 2"). So, it only makes sense for me to use the most familiar location in the series- the second being Canterlot, but I burned that bridge when I sealed it off- as the main town in the game.

3) So, you're probably wondering why I chose Spike as Mario's first partner. Not create an OC partner. Well, I wanted a partner who wasn't a Goomba and was slightly familiar. Not to mention one who would no doubt be familiar with Equestria when compared to our mustachioed hero and would have a stronger motivation for standing against the Colts of Nocturne. And such, we have Spike as our first ally in Mario's quest.

Now, you're probably wondering the Jackhammer Tail move? If you remember "A Dog and Pony Show", Spike used his tail as a jackhammer against the Diamond Dogs who kidnapped Rarity. Think that Spike's using his tail similar to the Goomba Headbonk, here, but he doesn't need a Spike Shield Badge to avoid taking damage from spiked enemies. Thick scales, peoples!

His Tattle move? Well, you'll see next time how it works. Just know that you won't see Tattle Logs for enemies that had been seen in the original Paper Mario series sans bosses, as identifying EVERY enemy in this story will take a long time and we're all busy people. If people like this enough, I will do Spike Tattle Logs for all of the foes in a separate story or at a later time to hear him snark.

I will also hope to touch on (pun not intended) his Touch Ability, an all-new mechanic to the traditional field abilities that the partners and Pixls had. You see, if this was a real game, I would see it being a Wii U or Nintendo 3DS game, and the partner you currently having out having not just a regular field ability you can use at the push of the Y Button, but another ability that uses the Touch Screen's capabilties. For Spike, he can do the traditional "Explain where you are/who you're talking to/how to continue moving" thing as his basic ability introduced in the Intro. His Touch Ability, though, is his Dragon Fire.

If this was a real game, I hope that makes sense.

Anyways, if you're looking for a particular pony (like Derpy/Ditzy or Vinyl Scratch or even Doctor Whooves/Time Turner) to be Mario's next partner... I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny that. The rest of Mario and Spike's team will be made up of OCs who would originate from both the Mushroom Kingdom and Equestria. Why am I doing this? Well, as much as you'd love to see Vinyl Scratch rock the stage during battles (or even her Bass Cannon), some people would like to see Derpy be similar to Parakarry... and I'd rather not have to juggle peoples' favorites and get yelled at with comments like, "OH, YOU PUT OCTAVIA AS MARIO'S PARTNER, BUT YOU DIDN'T PUT BERRY PUNCH!?" So, if you don't mind, I'm cutting out the middle man and promising that Spike is the only canon character who will be Mario's partner. Like it or hate it, it's my decision and Spike IS the character on the chosen character list next to the Mane Six.

Now, Goombella's demotion to Mission Control... well, somebody had to be in charge of helping Mario and Spike while they were in the field. And I'll be honest... none of the usual side ponies fit, and the Mane Six are too busy being kidnapped to help out with Mission Control. Also, Goombella's worked with Mario and Prof. Frankly before and is willing/able to break the forth wall. Remember... before we had Pinkie Pie, Goombella broke the forth wall, first. Look it up, you know it's true.

Finally, the transition from Mario to Princess Peach. Seems like a Big Lipped Aligator Moment, doesn't it? Well, actually, I was doing a bit of experimenting as to how Peach/Canterlot Prisoners parts go. In the original Paper Mario, it transitioned between Mario and Peach's Castle twice during the Prologue alone. Now, since Peach hasn't been kidnapped this time around (a miracle in itself), she's actually free to roam about Canterlot and help Mario out in any way she can rather than the whole stealth thing you had to do in the first game. Also, you can see that Spike can still send and recieve messages between Princess Celestia and himself. Sirius left the citizens with access to air... at least, enough air that sentient paper characters would need, but not enough room for anyone to slip out. Because again, the moment Celestia and/or Luna are free is the moment he shoots himself in the hoof.

So, yeah, Peach is playing detective this time to figure out what the Colts of Nocturne are up to with the Bearers of the Elements, as well as who he is. But if anyone still wants stealth... wait until we get to other interludes! ...Yeah, the Mane Six, due to them being given the Distress Ball through what I hope to prove as a legitimate situation, will be doing the stealth work.

Anyways, hope you've enjoyed this part. If I don't update within the next twenty-four hours, have a happy New Year's Eve!

4) A fourth point that was not here until you read this for the first time or are re-reading it!? Anyways, you may have noticed a chapter title card that was not here when this debuted. Thank InvinciblePony2375 for it! I don't know why he/she decided to draw this, but it's just plain awesome! And for that, I thank you!

Chapter 1 Part 2

Eastern San Palomino Desert

“…So, let me get this straight,” Mario asked, holding a warm, freshly baked Apple Pie in his hands as they walked, while he and Spike took care of any Koopa Troopas, Paratroopas, and Spiked Goombas in their path. “You honestly think Chief Thunderhooves will listen to you?”

“It’s better than doing nothing, Mario,” Spike shrugged. “Who knows what these Bandits are doing with the Element of Harmony or what they’re going to do with Appleloosa? And we know they found their way into the Buffalo Burial Grounds somehow… and I doubt the Buffalo tribe would allow that.”

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing, Spike,” Mario remarked. With that, the two kept walking—

BOOM!

…Until a sudden mass landed in front of them with no warning. Mario and Spike looked at each other, Mario barely holding onto the pie, until the dust lifted up from the impact settled, revealing a dizzy looking gray Pegasus mare. The Pegasus had a messy blonde mane and tail, and her eyes, despite her dizziness, seemed to look in opposite directions. She wore a pair of brown saddlebags that reminded the plumber of his Parakoopa mailman. Finally, the mare’s Cutie Mark was a group of bubbles.

“…I’ve really got to work on my landings. I still don’t know what went wrong,” the gray Pegasus groaned as she stood up and shook her head. She looked at the duo before blinking in surprise. “Red cap… blue overalls… mustache… you must be this Mr. Mario I needed to look for!”

“Uh, you were asked to look for me?” Mario questioned.

“Yep,” the mare smiled. “I’m Derpy Hooves… but I also go by Ditzy Doo. Either or! I’m a mailpony, and it’s my job to deliver letters! Hold on a moment.” With that, she turned to her bags, and dug through them, revealing three envelopes. “Mff frr yoo! (Mail for you!)” she said through her muffled snout.

Spike took the envelopes from Derpy. “Thanks, Derpy!” the baby Dragon smiled. “Tell Dinky and Sparkler I said hi!”

“I will!” Derpy smiled. “Have a fun adventure, everypony!” With that, she flew away, leaving Mario confused while Spike looked over the return addresses on each of them.

“Hey, one of these is from Goombella… and this is from the New Yolk Times! They’re the national news throughout the region. This last one’s from the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I’ll hold onto any letters we get during this journey until you want to read them, okay?”

“Alright,” Mario nodded. “Well, what does Goombella’s letter say?” With that, Spike opened Goombella’s letter, and began to read it for Mario.

Mario,

I hope you and Spike’s adventure to find the Elements of Harmony is going well. I know I said I’d rather be traveling out there with you, but I’m still with you in spirit. Anyways, just like Prof. Frankly before me, I just want to inform you that I took the liberty of signing you up for the New Yolk Times official mailing service! This way, you’ll get updated about the various happenings throughout Equestria, including shops updates, special events in certain locations, even releases on the stories written by a Mr. DLC… whoever he is.

Anyways, I’m still hard at work here in Ponyville trying to pin down those landing spots. Good luck to you, Mario, and I hope to see you again, soon!

Sincerely,

Goombella

“Good to see Goombella thought ahead with that,” Mario voiced. Looking at the second letter Spike opened- a blue one- he asked, “I take it the New Yolk Times letter is about us being registered in the service?”

Dear Mr. Mario,

We thank you for your registration with our new mail news feed via your friend Goombella. We would like to encourage you to take the time getting used to Equestria’s mail delivery service. During your time in our kingdom, we will be keeping you updated on certain events and happenings that will occur at times throughout the land. Also, be sure to save your game often. You don’t know when you might kick the bucket, so it’s better to be safe than sorry and avoid sitting through the same long scene more than once after traveling a long distance.

Expect new announcements very soon.

Thank you,

The New Yolk Times

“They’re certainly a strange bunch,” Mario commented. “So, what do the three fillies have to say?”

Dear Mario & Spike,

We’re writing to let you know that we’re getting started on the BEST idea ever! Since Rarity’s not around to run her shop, we figured we might try to get our Cutie Marks by running it ourselves! We also have a new idea that will knock off everypony’s socks off with it! Now, before you ask, Sweetie Belle’s Mom and Dad have agreed to help us out with it, since Rarity’s been kidnapped. You’ll get to see when you get back.

Good luck on your journey,

XOXO,

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, & Sweetie Belle

“Whatever those three are up to is going to be interesting when we get back,” Spike commented. “Let’s get to the Buffalo Camp before we get distracted by something else.”

“That’s going to be a bit of a problem, Spike,” Mario remarked. Spike looked up to see that there was a huge fallen stone cactus blocking the path with a gap that was only big enough for a Pig to squeeze through, and a large red teepee next to them.

“Seriously?” Spike growled. “This HAD to happen, didn’t it? How are we going to get past this?” Mario noticed a nearby bush, which he rustled through to get a Red Key. “What does that go to?” Spike asked.

“I don’t know,” Mario shrugged. “Maybe someone lost it?” He then looked at the teepee, and curiously looked inside. “Hello? Anyone home?”

Mario and Spike entered the teepee, where they noticed a huge red treasure chest lying in the middle of the room. Mario approached it, curious about the chest. He went to open it… only to jump, waving his hands off due to a sudden burn in the chest.

“Mario, are you okay?” Spike asked.

“That chest… it felt like it was on fire!” Mario explained. Spike, curious, walked over to it, and tried touching it. While it was hot, his dragon scales made the burning sensation mild. Despite this, the baby Dragon could not force the chest open.

“Well, while it’s warm,” Spike agreed, “I’ve swam in lava once, so this isn’t anything too hot. Phoenixes are worse, though. Anyways, I can’t open it….”

“…Did somepony try to open the Cursed Chest?” a female voice spoke up from nowhere. Mario and Spike looked around, confused. “Hello! Whoever you are, please hear me! I’m trapped in this Cursed Chest that is using my Papergami Power of Fire! Please, honorable traveler. Help me out, and I will gladly return the favor!”

Mario looked at the chest, raising an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t happen to be a demon inside, waiting with a powerful curse, would you?”

“…What.”

“Yeah,” Mario explained. “It’s a long story. But to make it short, there was this funny adventure I had in the Rogueport area where upon releasing each of them from giant treasure chests, four demons cursed me with interesting Paper Powers… are you going to do something similar?”

“Wait a moment,” the creature inside the chest commented, confused. “Let me get this straight. Because you’ve been magically cursed before by treasure chest demons you think I’m going to do the same?”

“Yes,” Mario remarked. “Unless you’re NOT a demon, I’m afraid this conversation is over.”

“The last time I’ve checked,” the chest trapped creature replied, “I’m pretty sure I’m a Pegasus pony. Did the demons’ chest have elemental Papergami powers preventing ponies from opening them due to what happens to whoever touched the chest?”

“…No?” Mario answered, remembering the chests.

“Good,” the red chest answered. “Please, traveler… I’ve been cramped in here so long… I need any help I can get. I will help you if you release me! You have my word as a Papergami Kunochi!”

“Wait,” Spike voiced, scowling. “Papergami? You wouldn’t happen to know somepony by the name ‘Arctic’, would you?”

The creature sealed in the chest was silent for a moment. “You know of Arctic?” Soon enough, Mario and Spike jumped back as the chest suddenly erupted into flames. “That cold-hearted, wise-guy, cheating, arrogant TRAITOR is the reason why I’ve been trapped in here! And he’s still running around, no doubt!” Mario and Spike watched as the chest’s flames extinguished themselves. “…Please tell me you are not friends of his.”

“Uh, no,” Spike answered. “If he’s with Sirius Nebula, he’s a foe of ours! With the way Arctic treated Twilight, Rarity, and everypony else… I’ll never forgive him!”

“Then we have a common enemy,” the chest creature replied. “…And from what I’m sensing, you aren’t anywhere near the level of Papergami needed to fight that cheating liar Arctic, or do battle with the pony he pledged his allegiance to, despite how ridiculously quirky his personality is. Alright, travelers, I’ll throw in a second part of my offer to help you. Somewhere near this teepee lies a Red Key. This key will undo the magic seal on this chest, and will allow me to finally escape. In exchange for releasing me, I will help you out in more ways than what I was going to before.”

“…I better not regret this,” Mario muttered aloud before pulling out the key and jamming it into the keyhole on the chest. Soon enough, after a click, the chest’s red color gave way to a crisp black.

“FINALLY!” the voice inside commented. Soon enough, the lid of the chest sprung open, and a red blur emerged, practically bouncing off of the walls of the teepee, eventually stopping in front of them. It was a three dimensional paper pig of a red color. The pig then unfolded itself, soon replaced by a female Pegasus mare. Like Arctic before her, a jumpsuit garbed most of her body, this being black. But Mario and Spike could see the red fur she had, as well as the brown mane in a short ponytail and tail. The Pegasus bowed to the two.

“I thank you again, travelers,” she greeted. “I am Wildfire, a Papergami Kunochi and Mistress of Fire and Sunny Weather. It is the Papergami Ninja’s Way to protect Equestria’s weather from outsiders and evildoers who would dare come to our lands. One of the best ninjas in our ranks was none other than Arctic. He was strong, brave, intelligent… and once upon a time, I fell for his looks before he cheated on me with several other mares. However, Arctic carried a cruel, icy heart, and the clan leaders grew fearful of his growing darkness and ruthlessness. Arctic was ousted, but not before he stole vital secrets that could have ended the Papergami… so, me and four others were ordered to pursue him and end his treachery. Considering how he broke my heart, I was not hesitant to follow these orders.”

“So,” Spike interjected, “if you’re supposed to be some kind of all powerful ninja pony who controls the exact opposite element of Arctic, how in Equestria did he beat YOU?”

“I don’t know, Spike,” Mario voiced. “In the Mushroom Kingdom, Fire and Ice seem to be effective against each other. Sounds like they were evenly matched….”

“Allow me to explain,” Wildfire answered. “Truth be told, my team and I had cornered Arctic after some time and were ready to finish him once and for all… but Arctic had help in the form of newfound allies, one of whom was Sirius Nebula. My team was all Pegasus ponies and was only equipped to combat one foe while Sirius’ group was made of all kinds of species… we hardly stood a chance in the fight and were overwhelmed quickly. Then, Arctic, to make sure we did not stop him and his newfound alliance, sealed all of us in Cursed Chests like these and scattered us throughout Equestria. It’s kind of doubtful Arctic allowed other pursuers from our clan to follow him.”

“Sounds like your ex really is powerful,” Spike concluded. “He even defeated Twilight, Rarity, and everypony even when they had the Elements of Harmony.”

“With an ambush, no doubt,” Wildfire concluded. “The Elements of Harmony, I have heard of in my time, but Arctic has an element on his side much more powerful than the six… the Element of Surprise.” Shaking her head, Wildfire scowled, “And that stallion is running around with another victory over his head. I hate him!” Turning to Mario, she said, “So, I take it you will fight Arctic someday?”

“I guess I’ll have to, eventually,” Mario replied. “He is a member of the Colts of Nocturne and seems high-ranking. But how do you beat someone who took down six powerful ponies at once by ambushing them?”

“You become just as powerful, of course,” Wildfire answered. “Now, in order to keep up with a true Papergami Master like Arctic, you must become one, yourself. It’s lesson time, Mr. Mustache Man!”

“My name’s Mario,” the plumber scowled, getting annoyed by all of the times he was called “Mustache Man”.

“Very well, then,” the red Papergami expert began. “First off, let’s teach you Paper Mode! You see, you and everypony else with you will need to flip into a two-dimensional fold so slim that you can even slip through thin gaps-”

“Uh, I can already do that,” Mario responded. “Those Cursed Demons taught me it.”

“By holding down the R Button on the GamePad?” Wildfire questioned, surprised that Mario had known this. “Show me.”

“I don’t know what the R Button is,” Mario replied, “but I’ll be more than happy to show you.” With that, Mario flipped towards his side, rendering himself so thin that Spike and Wildfire could hardly see him. Mario even walked around to demonstrate his ability to use it.

“Perhaps these Cursing Demons were Papergami experts after all?” Wildfire questioned before Mario returned to his normal mode. “Well, that’s the basic move you have down. Try not to stay in that for too long, though. You’ll wear yourself down if you hold it for too long. Now, for a little more complex folding technique. While in Paper Form, you’re going to what to tap the ZR Button on the back of the GamePad in order to render yourself completely flat on the ground. That’s when the true Papergami folding technique begins. From there, you’ll want to select the Pig Form.”

“Pig Form?” Mario and Spike asked, surprised.

“Yeah, a Paper Pig,” Wildfire commented. “First, go into Paper Form.” Mario and Wildfire both did so. “Now, then… press ZR to lay as flat on the ground as you can….” Mario did not know what the ZR Button was, but he just went with it and lied flat on the ground with Wildfire. “Now, you cannot see this, but somepony in another dimension holding the GamePad can… there should be a wheel of special Papergami forms floating in front of the screen. Right now, the only Papergami power that should be up there is Pig Form. They can simply use the Right Analog Stick to select it, followed by the A Button once you confirm your fold.”

“You know,” Spike scowled, “I was only joking, earlier, when I said this would be a new power. I didn’t really mean it.”

“Once you have selected your special fold, Mario, a sequence of buttons you need to hit should appear on the screen. Once you hit the starting button to begin the sequence, hit all of the buttons at the exact time, and you should become a Paper Pig in time.” As if to demonstrate what she meant, Wildfire’s body began folding itself, until gone was the Pegasus, and in her spot was a red and black three-dimensional paper pig. “Now,” the pig voiced, “you try!”

Mario did not know what this all meant, but he shrugged. Soon Mario felt his body folding, but rather than painful crumpling that he felt days ago, he became… something else. Soon, gone was the plumber. In Mario’s place there stood a red, M cap wearing, mustached paper pig.

“Uh… oink?” Mario’s voice came from the pig.

“Wow,” Spike breathed. “Can I do that?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t do that, yourself,” Wildfire’s Pig Form replied. “Try it, baby Dragon.” Soon enough, a purple and green paper pig emerged from Spike’s spot. “Good… you have learned your true first Papergami form. While as a pig, you can crawl through tight gaps you couldn’t before. Unfortunately, you can’t really jump in this form, so think about where you wish to go before you use it. Also, beware of using this ability far from farming communities or towns. Enemies may find it suspicious, but while you’re near a town, they’ll pay you no mind.”

“Uh, that’s great and everything,” Mario asked, “but how do I return to normal Mario?”

“Oh, right,” Wildfire thought aloud. “I almost forgot about that. The reason why you can’t jump in this form? Hitting the A Button will spring you straight out of the fold.” With that, Wildfire sprang out of her Pig Form, and returned to normal. “Try it!” Both Mario and Spike returned to normal as well. “Also, one final lesson… if you ever want to fast change into that Pig Form, you don’t always have to go through all of the steps I’ve taught you. Just hit the ZL Button, and you SHOULD begin the folding process right away to your default Papergami technique… and since Pig Form is your default right now, it should be no problem having it there.”

“That seems rather redundant to go through all of the selecting power process,” Spike commented.

“Well, remember my teammates that were trapped like me?” Wildfire answered. “I’m pretty sure they’ll help you the same way I did if you freed them.”

“So, what happens now?” Mario asked, looking at Wildfire.

“Now?” Wildfire asked. “I train to prepare myself to help you defeat Arctic. I’ve been cramped in that chest for too long to properly assist you on that journey… take my technique, Mario, and use it in my stead. When the time to fight Arctic comes, I will join you to defeat him!”

“Uh, thanks,” Mario nodded. Wildfire spread her wings.

“May Celestia guide you on this quest!” the fiery Pegasus yelled, flying out of the teepee. Spike and Mario looked at each other, blinking in confusion.

“So,” the baby Dragon asked, “do you want to use that new technique we just learned to get past the stone cactus?”

“Oh, right,” Mario recalled. “That’s right outside, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Spike answered. With that, the duo headed outside, using their newfound Papergami technique, they crawled under the log, and sprung back to normal. With that obstacle out of the way, the two continued their journey with no further delays… save for Koopa Troopas.

Appleloosa Jailhouse

Silverstar leaned back and forth in his chair, waiting for news from Mario and Spike. “Ah sure hope those two boys ain’t got into too much trouble,” he spoke aloud. “That Mario feller looks like he’s been through many scraps, but Spike… well, he may be a Dragon, but he’s only a baby. Poor little guy would be in o’er his head if he were goin’ it alone.”

Soon enough, the door to the jailhouse opened, revealing a female Koopa Troopa. She had a bright yellow shell and brown hair beneath a white bonnet with a red cross on the front. Beneath her shell was a teal dress with a bright white apron. In her hands was a freshly baked Fried Shroom.

“Um… howdy, sheriff,” the Koopa said in a gentle voice.

“Dr. Karoline,” Silverstar greeted, tipping his hat. “What brings ya ’round these parts?”

“Ah know he’s a convict an’ all,” Karoline nervously explained, “but… well, there’s somethin’ ’bout Boomregard that makes me worry about him. He was roughed up somethin’ awful when ya brought him to me days ago, an’ his wounds didn’t seem like anythin’ heavy fell on top o’ him. In fact, Ah’d say the reason he doesn’t remember who he was involved several attackers… like the rest o’ his injuries.”

“Ah see,” Silverstar commented, looking towards the back. “Ya don’t think Guylan an’ the Skull Boys betrayed him, do ya, doc?”

“Ah can’t say that fer certain,” Karoline answered. “Has he recovered from his amnesia, yet?”

“Ah’m ’fraid not, ma’am,” Silverstar replied. “So, why did ya bring that there Fried Shroom?”

“Truth be told, it’s… fer Boomregard,” the Koopa blushed. “Ah was thinkin’ maybe some Mushroom Kingdom delicacies could help refresh his memory… maybe we can find out if he’s the real Boomregard.” Silverstar smirked, seeing the nervous blush many times.

“Let me guess, doc… ya like him, don’t ya?” Karoline’s blush deepened. “Ah didn’t think a good Koopa like yerself would go fer a bad Boomerang Bro.”

“W-w-well,” she nervously stammered, “Ah can’t deny that he’s handsome fer a rogue… but well, Ah’m attracted to cases like this. Ah mean, no memory o’ who he was ’cept fer everyone tellin’ him he’s a wanted criminal with a bounty on his head? The possibility that he’s not the real criminal, just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time? An unknown Koopa wrapped in the middle o’ a war fer Appleloosa… call me a girl who’s read too many stories as a kid, but it’s stuff like that which makes me feel so excited.” Silverstar shook his head.

“Okay, doc,” the sheriff commented, taking the Fried Shroom off of the Koopa’s hands. “Ah’ll humor ya an’ give this to Boomregard. Wanna come see him?”

“Ah can’t,” Karoline declined. “Ah’d love to, but Ah have a few more patients to attend to. Tell him Ah said hi, though.” With that, Karoline turned around, and walked out of the jail, leaving Silverstar alone.

Silverstar trotted towards Boomregard’s cell, carrying the tray of Fried Shroom on his mouth. “Eat up, partner,” Silverstar instructed the Boomerang Bro. Boomregard looked at the food, and curiously took a bite. He smiled.

“Ah don’t get ya, sheriff,” the amnesiac Boomerang Bro voiced. “Ya lock me up in here, question me on a daily basis in some convoluted hope that Ah remember anythin’ ’bout what mah apparent comrades are up to, an’ give me actual food to eat? You ponies really are too generous.”

“Appleloosa may have been the newest town in Equestria,” Silverstar answered, “but we have a history, buddy. Ya see, not sharin’ the land is what got us in a tussle with the Buffalo tribe in the first place. Well, that, an’ somepony awfully cheesy musical numbers, but Ah digress. We’ve learned our lesson, Boomregard.” Soon enough, the door to the jailhouse opened, revealing Kooper. “Oh… it’s one o’ Kolorado’s boys. Look, Kooper, right? Tell yer boss he ain’t diggin’ in the desert, an’ Ah expect the lot o’ ya out o’ town by the mornin’ if ya’ll intend to keep this up—”

“Actually,” Kooper explained, cutting off Silverstar, “I’m not here because of Prof. Kolorado. I’m kind of here to help Mario.” He then walked over to the sheriff, and then whispered something in the Earth Pony’s ear. Silverstar’s eyes widened.

“Are ya’ll insane!?” Silverstar asked aloud.

“It’s the only thing I can come up with,” Kooper. “I’d help Mario myself if I wasn’t keeping Prof. Kolorado from doing something crazy for the sake of unraveling history’s secrets.”

“But… why him?” Silverstar demanded.

“It’s a simple reason, sheriff…” Kooper began.

Buffalo Camp

Mario and Spike had finally arrived at the camp towards high noon. By that time, both were exhausted. Luckily for them, someone had the decency to set up a Heart Block for Mario and Spike to heal up with (at the cost of a few coins) before meeting up with Chief Thunderhooves.

Speaking of the chief, of all of the Buffalo Mario saw wearing eagle feathers and headbands, the chief was the easiest to make out. Thunderhooves was a dark brown bison wearing a dark blue headband adored with a full set of feathers in the front of the headband instead of just one or two. He was talking to a female light brown female calf with blonde hair, a purple and white headband, and two feathers in the back. The calf noticed Spike right away.

“Spike!” she cheered, surprised. “It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you!”

“Little Strongheart! Chief Thunderhooves!” Spike grinned. “How have you both been?”

“We have been rather well since we’ve made peace with the settlers,” the chief, Thunderhooves, answered. “Have you come to watch our yearly stampede, young purple Dragon?”

“Uh, not exactly,” Spike nervously commented. “You see, we’re on a quest….”

“A quest?” Strongheart asked. She then noticed Mario standing close to Spike. “Spike, who is this mustached man traveling with you? And where are your friends Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.”

“Please do NOT mention the pink one in my presence, Little Strongheart,” Thunderhooves scowled. “Her song was TERRRIBLE.”

“This is my new friend, Mario,” Spike introduced. “And as for where everypony is… Mario, do you want me to tell it, or do you want to tell it?”

“I’m actually getting tired of recounting what happened,” Mario answered. “It actually gets sadder with everyone’s reactions….”

Regardless, Mario and Spike took turns explaining to the Buffalo tribe about the incident in Canterlot with the Colts of Nocturne, Sirius having the Bearers ambushed and kidnapped, their defeat by Sirius, the sealing of Canterlot’s populace, and the scattering of the Elements of Harmony. By the time the two were done, Thunderhooves and Strongheart stood, shocked at the turn of events.

“And that’s kind of everything,” Spike finished. “So now, we’re on a quest with the help of one of Mario’s old friends Goombella guiding us from Ponyville, to recover the Elements of Harmony before the Colts of Nocturne do, so we can rescue everypony.”

Thunderhooves’ shocked expression turned to a scowl. “This is a serious matter, young Dragon,” the chief declared. “And this supports my daughter’s claim….”

“I saw the orange star land in the desert, too,” Strongheart voiced. “To think it was one of the ponies’ Elements of Harmony… and we failed to recover it for the ponies before those Bandits who had harassing Appleloosa’s settlers did. You have my sincerest apologies, Spike.”

“It’s alright,” the baby Dragon assured her.

“Still,” Thunderhooves voiced, “this leaves one question unanswered… if you knew all of this, then why waste time you could use to hunt for the Bandits to come to us?”

“Uh, yeah, about that,” Mario voiced. “First off… I kind of have something for you.” With that, Mario handed over the Apple Pie Silverstar made him carry all of the way over here.

“I take it this is the so called ‘Honey and Tomahawk’ method,” Thunderhooves remarked at the scenario. “You’ve given me the Honey… now what’s the Tomahawk?”

“We kind of need to know where your people’s ancient Burial Grounds are,” Mario answered, nervous about how much mass Thunderhooves had on him. The chief’s eyes scowled before he reared up and slammed his front hooves on the ground, imitating thunder and startling Mario and Spike.

“OUT OF THE QUESTION!” Thunderhooves roared, practically steaming. “That is hallowed ground, traveler! My father is buried there, as was my grandfather, and my grandfather’s father! We may have made peace with the pony settlers, over the ancient stampeding grounds, but our burial site is for the eyes of my tribe! No exceptions! What on EARTH makes you think I will be so willing to divulge that secret!?”

“Chief Thunderhooves,” Spike attempted to justify, “your people’s Burial Grounds are already invaded by somepony. Guylan and his Bandits the Skull Boys are supposedly using the Buffalo Burial Grounds as their base of operations while they harass Appleloosa, and are about to strike during your annual stampede. We need in there to get the Element of Harmony back.” Thunderhooves’ rage subsided at this news.

“…Hmm…” the chief scowled. “…Perhaps… give me time to think on this. I must consult the spirits and my fellow tribe members. Talk to me later.” With that, Thunderhooves walked away.

“…You must forgive him, Spike,” Little Strongheart commented as soon as she was certain Thunderhooves was out of earshot. “My father values our tribe’s traditions very strongly. Everyone here does.”

“Couldn’t you tell us?” Mario asked. “I mean, you’re the chief’s daughter….”

“I am,” Strongheart answered. “However, I cannot tell you, travelers, no matter how noble your cause. This is my father’s decision, not mine. I can only wish you both the best for your journey. Anyways, Spike, we have some turquoise gemstones if you’re hungry….”

“My favorite gemstone, huh?” Spike grinned. Nodding, he answered, “Sure.” While Little Strongheart trotted away, Spike was about to follow her, only for Mario to stop him.

“I guess that went about as well as I imagined it,” Mario voiced. “It’s doubtful he’ll just let us waltz in with how angry he was….”

“He has to,” Spike argued. “It works out for both us and the Buffalo Tribe. We get rid of the band of thieves for the Buffalo, and we get the first Element of Harmony we need to save everypony. It’s simple, right?”

“Spike,” Mario answered, “in all of my years with adventuring, rescuing Peach, and beating villains, I’ve come to learn that nothing is as simple as that. Especially when it comes to dealing with guardians of ancient places.”

“Wow, really?” Spike asked. “I guess having real quests is harder than it looks, isn’t it.” Mario and Spike were about to walk on, when two shadows appeared above them.

“I’m sorry, young Dragon,” a voice above them commented. “I think I’ve misheard you. Did you mention the Elements of Harmony?” Mario and Spike looked up to see two Pegasus stallions floating above them. The way the two were dressed made them look like pirates- red bandanas wrapped around their heads, brown sashes around their waists, white and red striped sailor shirts, black pants to cover bottom halves, and brown boots on their hooves. The two landed on either side of Mario and Spike, trapping them between the two of them. The one on the left was a brown Pegasus, while the one on the right was a dark blue.

“Uh… who are you guys?” Mario asked.

“We’re none other than a pair of lovable Pegasus rogues who fly around the skies of Equestria, relieving royal airships, Diamond Dogs, Dragons, and Griffon soldiers of their valuables,” the Pegasus on the right explained. “Or, to put it bluntly, we’re Pegasirates.”

“Okay,” Spike commented aloud, “Papergami Ninjas are one thing, but Sky Pirate Pegasus Ponies? Equestria just keeps getting weirder and weirder since the Elements were scattered. Did Discord turn evil again when all of this happened?”

“Who’s Discord?” Mario asked the baby Dragon.

“I’ll explain later,” Spike replied. “But what’s your guy’s problem with us?”

“If you must know, gentlecolts,” the Pegasirate on the left continued, “we could not help but overhear you talking about the Elements of Harmony, and plan on obtaining them. Our quarrel with you is that we also wish to obtain the Elements of Harmony. It’s nothing personal, really. We just can’t allow you to have the Elements. So, therefore, we’re going to have to remove you both from the equation. Shall we get started, Swash?”

“Aye-aye, Buckle!” the one on the right agreed. With that, the battle started with Spike using his Tattle.

“Okay, so we have Pegasirates,” the baby Dragon explained. “As their name implies, they’re Pegasus ponies who have turned to a life of piracy. Apparently, these guys give Equestrian sky patrols a hard time. While in the air, your Hammer attacks won’t be able to reach them, and they can dive-bomb and slash us with their wings. However, a good stomp brings them to the ground for a while. They’re still not easy to fight, though as they can run up and buck us in the head and they still slash us with their wings. Though timing for guarding is easier when they’re on the ground.”

Mario nodded at that, and delivered a Power Stomp on Swash’s back, knocking him out of the air. This however, allowed Buckle to dive-bomb him, knocking Mario for a loop. Spike, however, performed his Jackhammer Tail on Buckle to bring him to ground level the first moment he got. Meanwhile, Mario remembered he had a Sleepy Sheep on his person.

“Spike,” he told the baby Dragon while holding the Sleepy Sheep above his head, “whatever you do, don’t panic about this.” Soon enough, a herd of sheep ran through the area out of nowhere, passing by both of the Pegasirates, leaving them unharmed but fast asleep.

“Okay,” Spike voiced, “how does a flock of sheep get summoned by that, and why do they make our enemies fall asleep?”

“I just go with it,” Mario shrugged. “For now, let’s take advantage of their nap.” With that, Mario bounced on Swash while Spike took on Buckle until the two woke up moments later. When they woke up, both heroes received a countering buck that knocked them back for their trouble. The two Pegasirates returned to the air.

“Was that some type of Mushroom Kingdom item?” Swash growled while shaking off his drowsiness. “How do you even know how to use those?”

“I’m from the Mushroom Kingdom,” Mario justified before delivering a final Power Stomp to Swash’s head, taking him out of the fight.

“Swash, my friend!” Buckle yelled in shock before checking on his fallen comrade. “Stay down… I’ll deal with these two!”

Spike, meanwhile, jumped on Buckle with another Jackhammer Tail, bringing him down. Buckle however countered by rushing up to him and slashing him with his wings, leaving the Dragon exhausted.

Mario quickly helped Spike up, and gave him a Mushroom. “Trust me,” the plumber assured the confused Dragon, “that will help.” Spike shook his head before eating it, feeling better. With that, Mario brought his Hammer down on Buckle, wounding him before Spike finished him off with a Jackhammer Tail.

Both Swash and Buckle stood up despite their injuries. “Perhaps… we underestimated them, Swash,” Buckle voiced.

“That we did, Buckle,” Swash agreed. “Captain won’t be happy about this….”

“So are you guys part of the Colts of Nocturne, or something?” Spike accused. “That’s why you attacked us, right? To get us out of the way to claim the Elements for yourselves?”

“The Colts of Who, now?” Swash questioned. “I’ve never heard of them, young Dragon.”

“Neither have I,” Buckle agreed. “We fly under a different flag.” Looking at their injuries, he asked, “Shall we retreat?”

“We may as well,” Swash answered. “Mark my words, you two… we shall return!” With that, the two Pegasirates flew off before Mario and Spike could grab them, dropping a Badge as they flew off. Mario blinked in surprise at the Badge- Power Bounce.

“Where in the world did they get a Badge like this?” Mario voiced, picking it up. However, it wasn’t like he could ask the two… they were already too far gone.

“You think we’ll run into them, again?” Spike asked.

“Possibly,” Mario answered while equipping the Power Bounce. “I hope not, but when enemies vow that we’ll meet again, we usually do… I just don’t know what their goals are. But if guys like THEM are going after the Elements, then we have a serious problem, here.”

“Spike!” Little Strongheart’s voice interrupted the two, causing them to turn towards the Buffalo calf approaching. Strongheart explained, “My father’s meditation was awfully short. He says he’s made his decision. Follow me.” With no further delays, the trio followed Little Strongheart over to Thunderhooves.

“…Mario, Spike,” the large bison greeted. Mario noticed the change in tone from before in the chief. Rather than hostile, Thunderhooves seemed pleasant, calm. Hopefully what Spike told him got to the Chief and he was willing to cooperate. “I am afraid that due to secrecy reasons as well as our traditions, I cannot disclose to you where our Burial Grounds exactly are.”

Mario and Spike’s hopes died as quickly as they came. “But Chief,” Spike insisted, “if we get the Elements of Harmony back, soon, who knows what the Skull Boys are going to do with it! Or worse, if the Colts of Nocturne get their hooves on it! The fate of Equestria rests with us getting into the Buffalo Burial Grounds!”

“I know that,” Thunderhooves answered. “…However, the ancient ways never really had a good defense against… ‘accidental discoveries’ of our burial grounds. It is not like any of my tribesmen told this band of robbers harassing the settlers where we buried our dead, is it?” Mario and Spike both looked at each other, realizing that would make sense. “Now, I still cannot reveal the exact location in the San Palomino Desert where they are… but I know of one thing that can.” With that, the chief gave Mario what appeared to be an orange rock in the shape of an eagle feather.

“What is this?” Mario asked, looking at the feather.

“That is my family’s sacred treasure said to guide us back towards our roots, the Eagle Relic passed through generations after generations,” Thunderhooves explained. “It is but one of the two keys that will allow you entrance to our Burial Grounds. I was going to give it to my daughter when she came of age… but right now, you need that stone far more than my tradition. Somewhere in the desert, there is a place where the Eagle Relic will fit, allowing the sands that cover the Buffalo Burial Grounds to be blown away. Technically, any eagle feather would have done the trick, but this was a lot easier than pursuing an eagle and taking one of its feathers. However, you will need a second key that must be recovered with the help of a sacred throwing wing to truly enter.”

“…That’s rather cryptic,” Mario pointed out.

“It is the most I can tell you,” Thunderhooves replied. “Now, go travelers… and remove these bandits so my tribe’s departed may rest in peace!”

“We will,” Spike promised. “Thank you, Chief Thunderhooves, for understanding.”

“Not a problem, young Dragon,” Thunderhooves bowed. “Go in peace.”

With that, Mario and Spike walked out of the camp, Eagle Relic in hands. Mario did not know why, but he felt slightly better about this adventure, and his ability to continue it.

Unknown Location

"...So, you two lost to them, huh?" a feminine voice spoke up. "A shame, boys."

"Aye, Captain," Swash confessed, head bowed. "Forgive us, Captain..."

"It won't happen, again, Captain," Buckle assured her. "We'll get those landlubbers the next time."

"I hope by 'we', you mean 'all of us'," their captain voiced. "I'm coming with you next time you face these two. We'll have the advantage in numbers, gents." Swash and Buckle looked at each other, concerned, before turning to face her.

"N-N-Now, Captain, you don't have to do that," Buckle told her. "We're the ones who ought to do the grunt work."

"You're my crew, boys," the captain replied. "Just like how you take care of me, I'm to take care of you. Please... I want to see these two who fought you myself. So, next time you plan on crossing paths with those two, I'm going to be fighting alongside you both."

"Uh... wow, Captain," Swash commented, a blush on his face. "I thought you'd be mad that we lost that Badge and the battle."

"Me, too," Buckle blushed. "Our last captain wasn't so lenient."

"The Badge was trivial and it's not like any of us could use it. And we now know there's somepony else besides us and this duo pursuing the Elements of Harmony... I say we use this as a learning experience. As for me being lenient... well boys, we're going to be training for a while. If we're to stand a chance of winning the race to gather the Elements of Harmony throughout Equestria, we must be prepared! So, let's get started, now!"

Both Pegasirates stood at attention. "Aye-aye, ma'am!"

Appleloosa

After a long hike back through the desert, Mario and Spike returned to the town to recover from all of the running back and forth. “So, this and a throwing wing open the Buffalo Burial Grounds,” Mario voiced, looking at the Eagle Relic in his hands.

“We’ll have to look in the desert,” Spike commented. “Shall we head out?”

“Once we’re restocked up,” Mario answered. “I’d rather not go after the Skull Boys without proper supplies.”

As they were walking, though, a set of screams erupted from the middle of town. Curious, the duo rushed over, only to bump into four Bandits, coins falling all over the ground.

“Ugh…” one of the Bandits groaned. “Of all the rotten luck…” Looking up at the two, he scowled, “What is your problem, buddies!? Can’t you see we’re in the middle of somethin’?”

“Stop, thieves!” a female Koopa yelled. “They stole our coins!”

“Ugh, great,” the Bandit groaned. The Bandits sprung up before Mario could react, grabbed the dropped coins, and prepared to flee. Spike and Mario each stomped on a thief to knock the coins out of their hands, but it gave the other two enough time to run away—

WHACK! WHACK!

Only for an orange boomerang to fly from nowhere and whack both retreating Bandits in the head, then curve around and hit them again, knocking the stolen coins loose. Mario and Spike watched the boomerang fly, ultimately landing in the open hand of a familiar-looking Boomerang Bro, who used it to tip his hat upwards. Each of the four Bandits looked at each other, and back at the Boomerang Bro.

“No… no way!” the lead Bandit breathed. “Wild Spin Boomregard! I heard your game was over from Black Mask Guylan himself! He said the Appleloosans would’ve hung you! Why are ya still alive!? And more importantly, why are you stoppin’ us!?”

“Look here, partner,” Boomregard scowled. “Fer starters, Ah don’t know ya. Ah don’t know who AH am… Ah don’t even know if Ah’m this here Boomregard that everyone keeps talkin’ ’bout.” The Bandits looked at each other, nervous. “Second, it just ain’t right to let ya steal from these nice folk, even if they don’t trust me fer bein’ this outlaw. That’s what got me locked up, an’ crime doesn’t pay, boys. Third, an’ finally… whether or not Ah’m Boomregard, Ah reckon Ah have business with this here Black Mask Guylan. So Ah want ya’ll to run back to him, an’ tell him Ah’m comin’ fer him.” The Bandits were intimidated by Boomregard’s threats, if their shaking wasn’t evidence enough. When they didn’t flee right away, Boomregard threw his Boomerang once again, smacking all four of them twice. “AH SAID TO GIT!”

“Yes, sir!” the Bandits all nodded, running the opposite direction, much to Mario’s surprise.

“…That was amazing,” the baby Dragon spoke for all present. Soon enough, three female Toads and the Koopa Troopa all walked over, reclaiming their money. Mario looked at the three Toads… and placed his palm to his face.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Mario spoke, recognizing the red, green, and pink Toads. “The Traveling Sisters Three? What are you guys doing in Equestria?”

“Having adventures as usual,” the red Toad answered, picking up her dropped coins. “Anyways, I can’t believe you’re here, Great Gonzales!”

“Gonzales is here!?” the pink Toad asked. “Marry me!”

“No, me!” the green Toad insisted.

“Gonzales?” Spike asked.

“Remind me to tell the wrestling story Goombella mentioned in FULL, sometime,” Mario answered, turning away from the three squealing Toads. Instead, he looked at Boomregard, who was helping the Koopa Troopa pick up her money.

“Ya missed a coin, Dr. Karoline,” he told her, handing it to her. The Koopa Troopa blushed as she took it from him.

“Thank you, Mr. Boomregard,” she breathed, smiling at him. “If you hadn’t been there with those two other travelers, I wouldn’t be able to pay fer a few Mushrooms. Thank ya kindly.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to worry about,” Boomregard replied. “It’s the least Ah can do fer ya after ya saved mah game from mah injuries.” Soon enough, Braeburn, Kooper, and Silverstar approached Mario and Spike.

“Ah was wonderin’ what happened to ya,” Silverstar smirked at the duo. “Yer back in one piece. No tears or crumplin’, either.”

“So, how did it all go?” Braeburn asked.

“Chief Thunderhooves gave us a lead as to where the Buffalo Burial Grounds, are,” Spike explained. “We’re going to head out after it, shortly.”

“Good to hear, Spike!” Braeburn cheered. “Ah’d love to come with ya to teach those there Bandits a thing or two, but the harvest is so soon….”

“Hold on, there, partner,” Boomregard interjected. “Did mah ears deceive me, or did ya’ll say yer goin’ after Guylan’s gang, too?” Mario blinked.

“Uh, Sheriff Silverstar,” the plumber voiced, “I’ve been meaning to ask: why is Boomregard out of jail?”

“Ya can blame yer Koopa Troopa friend an’ Doctor Karoline o’er there,” Silverstar confessed.

“Ya see, Mario,” Kooper justified, “the way I saw things, you need all of the help you can get. Boomregard here has amnesia, was found at the sight of the Element of Harmony’s falling, and no doubt has a bone to pick with the Skull Boys.”

“Koopa Troopa has a point,” Boomregard agreed. “If Ah AM Boomregard, then these Bandits betrayed me an’ left me fer dead. If Ah AIN’T, though, then Ah’m bein’ mistaken fer an outlaw ’cause o’ Guylan’s gang. Either way, someone owes me an explanation ’bout why Ah ended up in a crater in the middle o’ the desert. An’ we, boys, have a mutual target.”

“Ah still have mah doubts ’bout lettin’ this amnesiac Boomerang Bro out o’ the jail,” Silverstar voiced, “but it WOULD make sense to have him ’round should his memory come back at any time. He probably knows the place like the back o’ his hand. Not to mention he still knows his way around a boomerang.”

“So we’re in agreement, then,” Boomregard declared, shaking the hands of both of his new partners. “Mario an’ Spike, right? This alliance may be temporary, but we’re gonna make Guylan an’ his gang pay fer what he did to me an’ these folks!” Mario, with no real debate, just shrugged, welcoming him to the team.

Boomregard- at least, we think it is- joined the party!

Boomregard (as far as we know) is a former outlaw of a Boomerang Bro who has changed his ways after a nasty bout of amnesia caused by his former gang members. As a result of this, Boomregard has joined Mario in their quest to stop the criminals of the land. While Boomregard is the primary partner, his standard field ability is to throw his Boomerang out with a tap of Y, or hold Y for powered up longer toss, in a straight line. With this, Boomregard can strike distant switches, slice ropes, and retrieve objects out of Mario’s reach. This can also be used to strike enemies from a safe distance for a first strike in battles. But Boomregard’s real use comes from his Touch Ability. Tracing a path on the Touch Screen, Boomregard can fine aim his Boomerang to strike targets above or below you.

Boomregard is also rather skilled in battle. His Boomerang Toss can strike a target up to two times, no matter where they are. However, his Wild Arc can hit all foes in a straight line twice. (Remember, position is important for Boomregard’s attacks).

Boomregard looked at Silverstar. “Thank ya kindly fer lettin’ me have this chance, sheriff.”

“Ah’ll return yer thanks when those Skull Boys are taken care o’,” Silverstar insisted.

“So,” Kooper asked Spike, “are you going to jump in Mario’s pocket for later, or—”

“Uh what?” Spike asked. “No. I’m heading out with them. What is this, a role-playing game where you can switch the party at any time with a press of right on some type of D-Pad?” Mario, Kooper, Boomregard, Braeburn, and Silverstar all looked at the baby Dragon, confused.

“…Okay, Ah have amnesia,” Boomregard remarked, “an’ even Ah think Ah ne’er heard o’ that.”

“I’ve been hearing of a lot of weird things, lately,” Mario commented. “Spike is just as confused as the rest of us. So, anyways, we probably should get going.”

“That we can agree on,” Spike and Boomregard nodded. Boomregard nodded at the Koopa doctor, who only blushed as she watched him walk away with the plumber and the Dragon.

“Please be safe, Boomregard,” she prayed as the three walked off to face the dangers of the Skull Boys gang.

Author's Note

So, we have come to the end of part two of Chapter 1! And boy, do we have a lot of things going on, here.

1) So, we're beginning the coolest sidequest (in my opinion)- the Papergami Ninjas! We're gonna need to free them all, starting with the fiery tempest that is Wildfire. To be honest, I was thinking of that old show of the same name about a troubled teenage girl/young woman (I don't know, my sister watched the show alongside Gilmore Girls while I just listened) and the title character, a horse. Yeah, I didn't have a lot of fire-related puns that were primarily feminine. Anyways, she reveals a bit about Sirius and Arctic's past, so we know a bit more about these two dark stallion villains.

Speaking of villains, we get ourselves two new enemies Mario's group has to fight repeatedly: Swash and Buckle, who are an all-new enemy class, the Pegasirates! Lame pun of the day aside, these guys in real game would be far more dangerous enemies that you've fought so far. And it seems like their captain wants to have words with Mario... and is seeking the Elements of Harmony. Is there anyone who's a bad guy and NOT after the Elements? Seriously.

We also get to meet Little Strongheart and Chief Thunderhooves. Now, I know in the show it's never said Thunderhooves is Strongheart's father, but I can't help but get that feel. I mean, she's practically next to him right before the battle in "Over a Barrel", and she was pretty much leading the mission to steal Bloomberg, so she has to have some sort of authority that comes with being near the chief. So, I figured they have a father-daughter relationship.

Anyways, you've probably noticed the new Koopa, Karoline. I couldn't think of a Koopa pun to use, honestly. And Kolorado is pretty much "Colorado" with a K instead of a C. Karoline is the doctor who had discovered Boomregard's amnesia... and has sort of developed a crush on our new partner.

Speaking of Boomregard, he's nothing short of AWESOME! If this was a real game, he wouldn't be too hard to use if you are good with aiming with the control stick in battle and holding the control stick left to build up power. Problem though is Boomerang Bros have low attack power with their Boomerangs (2 if memory serves from The Thousand-Year Door), which Boomregard makes up for in multiple hits. He's strong at this point, but the enemies are weak.

2) Yeah, I've got nothing to really say here. Just Buffalo Camp... nothing really exciting.

3) Okay, so, why is Mario's first Papergami Form... a PIG? Well, I was eating bacon when I first thought of this... also, I remembered the Lil' Oinks from the original game and Doopliss turning Twilight Town's residents into piggies in the second game, so I thought, "More pigs!" Besides, it's more fun than a paper tube. And yes, before you ask, all of the Papergami forms are going to be based off of Japanese paper folding art of oragami. Make of that what you will.

So, why are there an all-new enemy class of something not based on either Mario enemies or the show? Variety. Mario and Spike can't be just fighting Goombas, Koopas, Parasprites, Fruit Bats, and Timberwolves all of the time. Also, Equestria has airships (or at the very least zepplins, but I'm going to say airships), so why shouldn't there be sky pirates? To be honest, I kind of want a pirate episode for the series... but that's not going to happen, is it?

Now, why is Boomregard Mario's next ally? Well, when I first came up with this story, I wanted a Boomerang Bro partner. I knew this. I've seen other stories where Mario has had Hammer Bros and/or Buzzy Beetles. I wanted to be different. Besides, this makes the perfect power trio for this. Mario's got the Hammer, Boomregard's got the Boomerang, and Spike's got the fire! Well, he can't really use the fire yet, but I digress.

Why isn't Spike pocketed like previous games did? Well, I didn't want to do that for this. Besides, it allows the three of them to trade quips. It's more fun, this way.

So, hope you guys are enjoying this! I know I am now that we have Boomregard!

Chapter 1 Part 3

Western San Palomino Desert

It took a bit to get prepared for their journey. It wasn’t that Mario didn’t have the coins for a night at the inn or fresh supplies. It was more of the fact that the general store’s shopkeeper and the Salt Lick Saloon’s bartender did not appreciate Boomregard in their places of business, Silverstar’s agreement to let him go free or not. The shopkeeper refused to sell to Mario until the Boomerang Bro agreed to wait outside where he couldn’t steal the shop’s supplies. And the tavern keeper just plain kicked the group out, refusing to give them a room at all as long as Boomregard was with them.

That wasn’t a safe idea, either. Many of the Appleloosans, both Earth Pony and Koopa alike, scattered at the sight of the outlaw no longer behind bars. The only souls in the town who weren’t scared by him being out were Silverstar, Braeburn, Mario, Spike, Karoline, Kooper, Kolorado, and the other Koopa archeologists. And even then, Silverstar did little to hide his discomfort with letting a dangerous criminal free.

Boomregard could tell he wasn’t welcome in Appleloosa. In fact, the only Appleloosa citizen who even bothered reaching out to him was the doctor, Karoline. She was actually rather interested in seeing him more so than anyone else, expressing her worry that Boomregard would be injured or worse in the Buffalo Burial Grounds. However, Boomregard felt that the only reason Karoline seemed to care was because she was a doctor and was paid to be concerned… not because she was genuinely worried. So, when Mario and Spike were finally restocked, the three hit the road rather quickly.

Boomregard lead the party through the desert, keeping his Boomerang skills rather sharp by practicing on many of the enemies that chose to attack the trio. The Boomerang Bro, despite his amnesia, knew the path pretty well, easily guiding Mario and Spike through it and off of the path that Mario and Spike had not steered away from to get to Appleloosa. Eventually, to the southwest of the river, Boomregard led the duo to a huge crater in the middle of the ground.

“This is where the sheriff an’ his talkative friend found me,” Boomregard voiced. “Whatever Ah was doin’ in the middle o’ a big ol’ hole in the earth, somethin’ tells me it involves Guylan an’ his gang.”

“It’s hard to believe that a necklace or tiara could do this kind of damage,” Mario breathed, looking at how deep the impact was. “Magical artifact or not, the Elements were jewelry when I last saw them. And unless the Bearers have some sort of super strength for even pony standards, I do not believe that the Elements are heavy enough could cause crater damage.”

“Maybe the Elements went into some type of dull state,” Spike suggested. “I think I heard Twilight say something about this, once… the Elements when she first found them with the girls, they were nothing more than giant gray spheres, totally lifeless. Then, once Twilight realized that she had finally gained friends through her journey, a spark ignited the Elements, giving them the forms we saw back in Canterlot.”

“Hold on there, Spike,” Boomregard interrupted. “What in tarnations are ya’ll goin’ on ’bout? Elements o’ Harmony? Canterlot? What’s goin’ on, you two?”

“Right,” Mario realized. “You don’t really know what’s happened. I guess you’re excusable since you don’t really know anything BEFORE waking up here. You see, this all kind of began when my friends and I came to Equestria for a vacation….” With that, Mario and Spike took turns explaining to Boomregard about what happened in Canterlot, the Bearers getting kidnapped, how they found out that the Elements had been scattered, Goombella pointing them to this region, and their current quest. Boomregard took this in a slow stride.

“Well,” the Boomerang Bro voiced, “sounds like ya got a real problem on yer hands, boys. Ah’m sorry to hear about yer damsels in distress, by the way. Ah hope they’re alright wherever they are, gents.”

“Which is why we’re gonna get them back,” Spike answered, pointing to himself and Mario.

“Now Ah know why ya’ll have a bone to pick with Guylan,” Boomregard is. “If what Spike says is true, then he has his mitts on the Element. Well, what are we waitin’ fer? Let’s go git it back from him so we can save the Bearers.”

“We?” Mario asked the Boomerang Bro. “Uh Boomregard, you don’t have to fully join up with us.” He was a little uncomfortable about recruiting a former outlaw… even if the criminal DID have amnesia.

“Ah don’t see why not right now,” Boomregard answered. “Ah can’t just sit by an’ let those mares rot in some sort o’ cell like Ah was. Even if Ah am this outlaw everyone keeps talkin’ ’bout, it just don’t feel right to have somethin’ that valuable an’ powerful, let alone leavin’ it in the hands of mah ex partner… provided that’s all true. ’Sides, with yer help, Ah just might be able to find out who Ah really am. It works out fer all o’ us.”

“Fine, I guess,” Mario shrugged. “So, anyways, we need to find the Buffalo Burial Grounds. Our first clue will be something where this fits into.” With that, he took the Eagle Relic, showing it to Boomregard.

“Hmm… can’t say Ah recognize it, Ah’m ’fraid,” Boomregard confessed. “Sorry. It ain’t bringin’ back any memories. However, if that talkative pony was right, there should be somethin’ where that stone fits ‘round here. Since if we go east we’ll hit river, Ah say we try a bit more to the west.”

“I guess that would make sense,” Mario voiced. With that, the three pressed onward. Eventually, though, Mario spotted in an otherwise simple plain a rock. Mario would have ignored the rock entirely and kept walking, but he could not help but notice the carving in the rock’s surface. It was in the shape of an Eagle feather, about the size of the Eagle Relic. Mario pulled out the sacred relic Thunderhooves gave him, and placed the feather into the stone, remembering the chief’s words.

Soon enough, though, the rock suddenly sunk into the ground. Before Mario, Spike, and Boomregard could even guess what was going on, the ground beneath them began to fly away, forcing the trio to cover their eyes as the sand flew everywhere. The sudden sandstorm was combined with a monstrous rumbling, as a massive, sand brown Buffalo skull seemed to emerge from the ground, the Eagle Relic sitting in a bump forehead head.

“That was AWESOME!” Spike spoke up for all three of them. “When we rescue Twilight and Rarity, I’ve got to tell them about that. Well, I guess this is the entrance to the Buffalo Burial Grounds… but I’m not seeing a way inside that we can reach.” Mario looked at it, too, and was surprised about how right the baby Dragon was. There was no way that the three of them could enter the skull. The eye sockets were too high and the snout seemed to be forced shut.

“FOOOOLS!” a voice bellowed from the giant skull. “WHO DARES TRESPASS ON OUR PLACE OF SLUMBER? I AM THE SPIRIT OF THE GREAT MAASAWU, GUARDIAN SPIRIT OF THE BUFFALO WHOSE GAMES HAVE ENDED! TURN BACK NOW, OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE UNDEAD!”

Spike, Mario, and Boomregard all looked at each other, and then at the giant skull. “Uh, we’ve received permission to enter these burial grounds, actually,” Mario corrected. “Chief Thunderhooves gave us that stone.” ‘I don’t know what’s weirder,’ Mario thought to himself, 'the fact that I’m trying to reason with a giant talking cave, or the fact that it’s talking.’

“…THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE!” the skull argued after a long silence. “THERE IS NO WAY THAT CHIEF THUNDERHOOVES WOULD ALLOW YOU ACCESS TO OUR SACRED GROUND! NOW BEGONE… OR FACE A TERRIBLE CURSE!”

“No way, partner,” Boomregard answered. “We’ve come too far just to git up. Ah don’t care who ya are, bud, but Ah’m lookin’ fer someone by the name o’ Black Mask Guylan. He’s supposed to be inside ya. Now send him up yer throat.”

There was more silence. “I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT!” the skull responded. “NOW YOU ARE FORCING MY UNDEAD HAND— er, HOOF! NOW, I WILL OFFER YOU ONE FINAL CHANCE TO RUN AWAY, TRESSPASSERS, BEFORE I CURSE YOU ALL. I SUGGEST YOU TAKE IT!”

“(…What is WRONG with these guys!?)” a voice muttered aloud from the inside of the right eye. “(They’re supposed to have run away the first time. I’m running out of creative threats!)”

“(SHH!)” another voice commented. “(They’ll hear you! And it looks like… Wild Spin!? I thought he was dead! Please tell me he doesn’t remember that we secretly painted the rope holding this place shut to blend in with the teeth and tied them to right below the eye sockets! Lucky for us that the baby Dragon can’t breathe fire that high, but a Boomerang Bro’s Boomerang would allow them to cut it. That would allow him inside! And he’s probably not too happy with Guylan right now….)”

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard looked at each other, Boomregard holding up his Boomerang. “Ah take it ya’ll heard that stupid remark, too?” Boomregard asked them in a rhetorical manner.

“Yeah,” Spike nodded. “Please create our entrance, Boomregard.”

“Will do,” Boomregard answered, throwing his Boomerang upwards and slicing both of the ropes right below the eyes. No longer being supported, the lower jaw fell, slamming into the ground and throwing two Bandits out of the eye sockets and landing right in front of them.

“So that’s what Chief Thunderhooves meant by a throwing wing,” Mario realized. “He meant a Boomerang!”

“Ugh…” one of the Bandits groaned. “I hate sentry duty…”

“Me too…” the other Bandit scowled. The two then looked up, spotting Mario’s group. “Oh crud! We gotta report to Guylan!”

“Hold on a second,” the other Bandit interrupted. “I’m one for reporting to the boss that we’re having company, but I’m not going to him empty handed. Let’s at least get him some free Coins before we go to him!” With that, the Bandits charged at the three… only to be taken down really quick by the advantage of three against two, Mario’s Power Smash to one of their heads, Spike’s Jackhammer Tail, and Boomregard’s Wild Arc.

With both Bandits too unconscious to regret their decision to attack the trio, Mario hit the conveniently located Heart Block to heal their wounds, and walked into the open skull’s mouth, his partners following behind.

Buffalo Burial Grounds

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard could not help but look around the ancient burial ground. Even though it was taken over by the Bandits, they had to admit what they saw once they were down the throat of the giant Buffalo was nothing short of amazing.

Several ancient totem poles served as supporting pillars deep inside the earth. Ancient torches decorated the walls, having been recently reignited to light the way. Ceremonial masks, feathers, and charms were littered throughout the hallowed ground that they crossed into. Ancient letters were carved into the walls, possibly spelling out names of the fallen members of the Buffalo who rest here.

“…We shouldn’t be here,” Boomregard broke the silence. “Not us… not Guylan. This is a sacred place we’re defilin’ with our very presence. The sooner we find the Element, the sooner we can let these souls rest.”

“I didn’t think you to be spiritual, Boomregard,” Spike responded. “Though I see your point… I feel like just by coming in here, we’re doing wrong.”

“Ah guess somethin’ is comin’ back to me,” the Boomerang Bro voiced. “Still, we should hurry.”

“Agreed,” Mario commented. The group began to walk inwards, passing all of the totem poles as they did so. Mario’s party didn’t have to wait too long to be detected, though, as Bandits attacked them in the next room, which was slightly more spacious than what they expected, with a staircase or going upwards, leading to another area on the left, and a staircase leading to a lower area on the right, but it was blocked by a door with a heavy lock. The Bandits were easy at this point. The locked door, however, was hard.

“You guys think I could burn it off?” Spike asked. With that, he released his Dragon Fire… only for the lock to remain unaffected. “Darn! I thought we could actually skip this!”

“Aw, you can’t get past that!” a feminine voice interjected, causing them to turn to see a Florie’s Root sticking out from beneath the staircase. “Too bad, baby Dragon! Perhaps if you were older, you could burn that lock and door right away! You need a key with that kind of strength! Too bad nobody’s gonna tell you! But maybe… if I had some water, I could tell you where the key is.”

“Nice try, Florie’s Root,” Mario scowled, holding his Hammer. “But you’re not fooling anyone. We know about you.”

“We do?” Boomregard asked, clearly confused.

“How do you know about the Flories!?” the Florie’s Root questioned. “Ponies don’t know what we really are! There’s no way you should know!” Mario swung his hammer, but couldn’t reach the talking plant. “Too bad, buddy! I’m out of your reach. Well, maybe if you could breathe fire, you could burn me out of the stairs—”

WHOOSH!

“HOT! HOT! HOT!” the Florie’s Root shouted, springing out from her safe spot (using her roots to be feet), green flames burning her petals. “Curse you, Dragon! You can’t simply burn plants! That’s not right!” Spike grabbed the talkative plant, bonked her on the head with his fist to put out the flames (and shut her up for everybody’s comfort), and stuffed her in his scales.

Boomregard blinked at this scene. “…What in the world just happened?”

“Evil talkative weeds,” Spike answered. “We’ll explain later. Too bad I couldn’t burn the lock off.”

“Well, ya tried doin’ the simple way,” Boomregard complimented. “But that annoyin’ plant creature was right. We’re gonna need a key, partner. An’ since none of these Bandits have one, we’re gonna need to look someplace we CAN git to.”

“Well, I only see one way,” the plumber voiced, looking upwards. Mario’s group headed into the upper room to find that it took them to an upper part of the entrance. The totem poles on the ground level made for decoration. However, it was here that Mario saw the true obstacle of their purpose. On a totem pole right before the entrance was a blue switch with an exclamation mark on it. However, the other totem poles were arranged in a way that they were too high for Mario to jump on due to them burying the heads into the ceiling. Their arrangement was also rather curved, making it impossible for Boomregard to properly throw his Boomerang in a straight line to hit the switch.

“How do get passed this?” Spike asked. “I’m stumped.”

“Ah! So you all found this place! Good show, Mario!” Kolorado’s voice spoke up from below them. Mario had to resist the urge to place his face into his hand, and fight off a groan at the same time.

“Kolorado,” Mario begged, “please tell me you’re a figment of my imagination and you’re not standing at the entrance.”

“I’m afraid not, old friend!” Kolorado spoke up, walking inside with Kooper. “How in blazes did you all get up there?”

“I’m sorry, Mario,” the blue shelled Koopa apologized. “He was too quick… I couldn’t stop him once we heard the rumbling. Silverstar and Braeburn managed to stop the rest of the team, though.”

“Well, I take it that it’s too late to convince you to leave this to us?” Mario asked Kolorado.

“No offense to you, Mario,” Kolorado chastised, “but I’ve been doing this kind of work for ages!” Looking at their position and the totem poles, Kolorado voiced, “Now, I see your problem, gentlemen.”

“Ya do?” Boomregard questioned.

“Ah, if it isn’t Boomregard!” Kolorado commented. “I remembered Kooper mentioning he vouched for your release to fight off our villain Guylan! Well, I can’t say I like the means my apprentice went to combat our foe, but I suppose you’re with Mario, so I can’t complain. In fact, this actually makes things easier to solve this puzzle.”

“How?” Mario, Spike, and Boomregard questioned.

“Well, if Boomregard was a normal Koopa Troopa like me and Kooper, this would be impossible to hit the switch. The same could be said about Hammer, Fire, and Ice Bros. However, Boomregard is a Boomerang Bro, and can curve his Boomerang tosses around obstacles! Imagine tracing a path on a Touch Screen around the totem poles, if you would. When that path is complete, you should be able to release and hit the switch.”

“Kooper,” Mario asked aloud, “please tell me you could understand that?”

“All I got was Boomregard can curve his throws on his Boomerang tosses and tracing a path on a Touch Screen,” the younger Koopa Troopa voiced. “Hopefully, SOMEBODY gets it.”

Mario shrugged at this, but looked as Boomregard seemed to be concentrating on the path in front of him, his eyes closed. Soon enough, the Boomerang Bro’s eyes snapped open, and he threw his Boomerang out, somehow curving it between the statues before it struck the switch, bouncing the Boomerang back towards his waiting hand and the switch disappeared. Soon enough, the totem poles began to shake before lowering a level into the ground to allow Mario to jump across them, one that was right before the switch one revealing a brown chest. Mario thanked Boomregard before jumping his way across the totem poles and going to the chest.

“Wow,” Spike breathed at his new ally. “How did you do that?”

“Ah… Ah don’t know,” Boomregard voiced. “Ah just imagined what that there Professor was talkin’ ’bout in mah head, an’ the next thing Ah know, that happens. Ah guess that’s why Ah’m called Wild Spin. Ah must have a bit o’ a knack fer this kind o’ stuff.”

“Splendid, Boomregard!” Kolorado cheered. “You’re a natural, even with amnesia!” Mario soon returned with a brown, boney Burial Grounds Key in his hands.

“Nice work, Boomregard,” Mario smiled at his ally. “Well, we can use this to get further in, now.”

“Mario, a word real quick,” Kolorado interjected. “There are perhaps times where even your baby Dragon companion will be stumped. Should I ever be around, simply talk to me, and I might be able to give you a bit of advice you need to solve particular puzzles. However, I cannot exactly concentrate when danger happens, so make sure to clear the area of any enemies before discussing any details with me, yes?”

With that, Mario’s team headed back to the previous room, simply walking down to unlock the door and walk in, revealing a new trick for them to pass through. The new puzzle was a series of rib bones that seemed to somehow raise and lower themselves, separating a higher path from a lower one, with a thick net blocking a platform on the top level. On the lower level of the path, the group was stunned to find discarded Buffalo skeletons and Koopa skeletons lying on the ground haphazardly.

“This is deplorable,” Boomregard voiced, shaking his head. “It’s one thing to steal from folks fer no good reason, another to hold onto a national treasure, an’ a third to trespass on ancient land as yer hideout… but to desecrate the dead? Definitely ain’t right. Where are ya, Guylan?”

“Now, where have Ah heard all o’ that kind o’ prattle ’fore?” a new voice spoke up. While Kooper and Kolorado caught up to them, the three looked up from the ground level to see, standing at the entrance to the next area of the upper floor was a brown Shy Guy. But this Shy Guy was different from others, due to his black, skull-shaped mask where a Shy Guy’s would ordinarily be white. He had a brown rope at his side, and what looked like a yellow pistol in his hands. Finally, to complete his outfit, he had a red cowboy hat.

“I take it you’re Black Mask Guylan?” Spike began for them all.

“Ya’ll be correct,” the Shy Guy, Guylan, answered, not sounding too happy. “Ah must say, Ah heard ya’ll were comin’. But ya’ll are the weirdest lookin’ band o’ bounty hunters Ah’ve had the displeasure o’ layin’ mah eyes on. Still, Ah know why ya’ll chose to come out here. Ya’ll had heard ’bout mah Skull Boy Bandits roughin’ up those dumb Appleloosans fer cash, an’ want to turn me in, don’t ya?”

“Well, I guess that’s one reason,” Kolorado voiced. “If you’d be so kind as to surrender yourself and any magical artifact you may have come across in the past few days, my friend Mario here won’t have to beat you senseless.”

“Mario…?” Guylan asked, looking at the plumber. “Well, Ah can’t believe it! The notorious Super Mario has come all o’ the way to Equestria to fight me! Well, Ah believe Bowser may have a bounty on yer head back in the Mushroom Kingdom Ah’ll have to look up. Well, either that, or Ah’ll be famous as the one who ended the game o’ Mario. It don’t matter to me none.”

Spike looked at Mario, Kooper, and Kolorado. “Um… who’s Bowser, and why would he have a bounty on Mario?”

“You haven’t told him about Bowser, yet?” Kooper asked the plumber. The plumber placed his hand to his face, groaning.

“I was seriously HOPING Bowser’s name would come up in conversation,” Mario explained to the blue-shelled Koopa Troopa. “Now that it has, well, Bowser will inevitably get involved in this somehow and just complicate things. Thanks, everybody.” Looking up at Guylan, he scowled, “Look, I know how this is going to go at this point. I know you have something I want— a magical object that fell from the sky about a few days ago. This is the part where you’re either surprised I know about this or irritated that I do, possibly both.”

“Definitely the irritated,” Guylan confirmed. “An’ this is the part where Ah tell ya that ya ain’t gittin’ yer mitts on mah claim. Ya see, Ah don’t understand where this thing came from or why it fell, but Ah don’t care fer those kinds of details. Ya see, here in Equestria, magical energy powers just about everythin’. An’ this thing that fell from the sky that Ah assume we’re talkin’ ’bout— some kind o’ sphere thing with an orange glow? Well, that has magic aplenty. More than enough to power mah plans fer Appleloosa, an’ take that land. Too bad ya had to barge in an’ start knockin’ mah boys senseless… otherwise ya might have lived to see the end result. An’ let me guess… this is the part where ya hero types say yer gonna stop me an’ mah plans.”

“Wow, you guys both really know what you’re doing,” Spike pointed out.

“Well, mah old right hand Boomerang Bro spouted out same type of heroic nonsense,” Guylan answered. “Said he didn’t sign up fer where Ah was takin’ mah plans, just to steal money from rich idjits on the trains. Never once did he ever agree with me about goin’ after those townsfolk. He really protested ’bout what Ah did to the train station so no more trains can git in or out o’ that Mouser hole Appleloosa, by the way. Well, Ah showed him not to cross me, an’ left him fer dead!”

“…So you DID nearly end mah game,” Boomregard voiced, scowling. “Now Ah know why, an’ Ah ain’t ’bout to let ya git away with whatever ya have in mind fer Appleloosa!” Guylan looked at the Boomerang Bro. If he was scowling or shocked, his mask didn’t show it.

“Look, Ah’d love to stay here an’ play twenty questions with ya’ll,” Guylan answered, “but Ah got things to do. With that magic rock, mah plans are already ahead o’ schedule an’ need mah supervision to complete, so Ah can’t afford the time to end yer games mahself. So, Ah guess these bones will half to take ya to the Underwhere themselves. Goodbye, boys.” With that, Guylan turned around, and walked into the room, the door closing after the incident.

“Uh, what did he mean by bones?” Spike asked. The baby Dragon was then answered by the sight of the Koopa Troopa and even Buffalo skeletons suddenly beginning to twitch, only to spring to life, becoming Dull Bones and some type of undead Buffalo creature. “…Oh,” the Dragon breathed, worry on his face. Mario, meanwhile, clenched his Hammer while Boomregard held his Boomerang, prepared.

“Kooper,” Mario yelled at the blue shelled Koopa Troopa, “you protect Prof. Kolorado, perhaps even figure out how to get around this puzzle!”

“Uh, okay!”

“Spike,” Mario instructed, the stunned baby Dragon, “can you tell us about the skeleton Buffalo that’s going to try to kill us?”

“Oh, right,” Spike realized, using Tattle. When he burped up Celestia’s reply, he read, “So, this is a Bonefallo. Kind of a bad pun, but that’s all Princess Celestia and I could come up with. Bonefallo are able to charge and hit all of us at once with their stampeding skills. Having a bunch of them in one place is just disaster since they all attack at once! And, like other undead enemies and Timberwolves, these guys can revive themselves unless their bodies are truly destroyed. Luckily, they’re weak to fire, but they can take a couple more hits than a Dull Bones can.”

“Great,” Mario groaned. “Boomregard, could you use that Wild Arc of yours to take out the Dull Bones?”

“Can do, partner!” Boomregard agreed, charging up his throw before unleashing it, hitting all of the Dull Bones, reducing them back to skeletons on the ground, but the two Bonefallo foes just endured the hit. They then reared up, and charged into Mario’s group, flattening all three of them twice over.

“That… hurt,” Spike voiced after they got up. “How do we take them all out? We’d need to strike them all at once with some kind of attack that ignores defense.” Mario then mentally slapped himself. He forgot that he had items perfect for this.

“POW Block?” Mario suggested, pulling out the aforementioned block, and struck it from beneath. Soon enough, the entire burial grounds were shaken up, and the Bonefallo fell apart. Unfortunately, the three Koopas that were in the room had the unfortunate effect of being flipped onto their backs. “I’ve got to remember that I have items,” the plumber voiced while helping up Kooper and Kolorado. “Anybody need healing?”

“I’m fine,” Spike answered, getting the Boomerang Bro back on his feet. “Boomregard?”

“Ah’ll live,” the Boomerang Bro answered. “Mah shell is tougher than most.” He then noticed a gleam from one of the fallen Bonefallo. “Hey, Mario… is that another key?”

Mario picked it up, looking at it. “What do you know? Good eye. Now, let’s use it.” With precision timing, Mario’s trio managed to navigate their way to the upper levels while Kooper and Kolorado stayed on the lower level.

“We’ll split up to cover more ground,” Kooper explained. “You guys take the high road, and we’ll take the low road!”

“Maybe we’ll find out Guylan’s plan before you do!” Kolorado voiced. “Whatever it is, if it involved cutting off Appleloosa from the rest of Equestria, it can’t be good.”

When Mario’s group reached the large net, Boomregard tried to throw his Boomerang around it, but the net was too thick and bounced his Boomerang back or the rib bone they were on would change directions at the worse. “Drat… we’re gonna need this net outta the way.”

“I think I have an idea,” Mario commented aloud. “Spike, could you?”

“Right,” the baby Dragon nodded, inhaling as their rib. One exhale later, and the net was burned away, revealing a switch in striking distance. One throw from Boomregard, and the door opened up.

Jumping to the ledge Guylan was on before, Mario smirked. “He can run, but he can’t hide. Let’s get after him.”

When the three entered the upper hall, though, they were surprised to see a wider room with Bandits, Dull Bones, Bonefallo, and Spiked Goombas. On the other end of the hallway was a locked doorway. However, after dispatching of all threats, none of them produced a key needed.

“Oh no,” Mario groaned with a frown. “There’s no key up here. And the only other area available to us is downstairs. This only means one thing, and none of us are going to like it.”

“That we have to leave this room, jump downstairs, hopefully find another Burial Grounds Key, do that moving rib bone platform puzzle thing again, walk all of the way back across this room, and then open the door?” Spike explained.

“Well, that’s the long version,” Mario replied. “But most adventurers simply call it one thing: backtracking.”

And backtrack they did, heading to the lower leveled room. There, they saw Kooper and Kolorado in a room of KO’d Bandits. The blue shelled Koopa Troopa looking quite proud of himself as he walked over to a small yellow 3-D block with a pair of eyes on it placed rather insignificantly on the wall.

“Hey, Mario!” Kooper asked. “Prof. Kolorado and I got into a little argument with these Bandits. You see, they wanted to steal our shells, and I didn’t want to be reminded of the Fuzzies invasion of Koopa Village.”

“I can see,” Mario commented. Looking at one that had burn marks on him, Mario asked, “Did you use your Fire Shell? That’s a little overkill, don’t you think?”

“I really don’t like Fuzzies and Bandits imitating Fuzzies.”

“Wait,” Spike asked, “you can use fire? Koopas aren’t part dragon, are they?”

“We’re more tortoise than dragon,” Kooper explained. “However, sometimes, I can hit a lot of enemies with fire on my shell. But anyways, Kolorado and I are kind of stuck.”

“Well, I would say more ‘challenged’ than ‘stuck’,” Kolorado insisted. “You see, Mario, I can feel a faint wind in this room, but I can’t find out where. Also, have you ever noticed how certain blocks have eyes? It’s kind of creepy, don’t you think?”

Mario then noticed the block in the way, pulling out his Hammer as he did so. With a single swing, the block was reduced to rubble, revealing a hole that was too big for most people. Kolorado clicked his tongue, annoyed.

“Blast! Guylan is good! None of us can fit in there. Unless, of course, one could turn into some sort of tiny creature that could.”

Mario’s eyes blinked at that. “Oh, right. Spike, you ready for this?”

“Yeah!” the baby Dragon nodded. The next thing the three Koopas in the room knew Mario and Spike turned completely flat, lying on the ground before turning into their Papergami Pig Forms. “Oink!”

“…What in blazes did ya’ll DO to yerselves!?” Boomregard breathed, stunned by this development.

“Don’t worry,” Mario spoke up from his form as a pig. “We know what we’re doing. Boomregard, I’m going to have to ask you to stay there until I come back to teach you this.”

“Yeah,” the Boomerang Bro awkwardly nodded. “Ya’ll do that.” With that, Mario and Spike, as pigs, walked through the small hole, entering a corridor that was too tight for them to jump out of it. However, the corridor contained a sparkly object that Spike looked at, confused.

“What’s this?” the Dragon-turned-pig asked Mario, picking it up.

“A Star Piece? Here?” Mario asked aloud. “How did one of these get into Equestria?”

“So you’ve seen Star Pieces before, Mario?” Spike inquired. “I guess we can hold onto it until we find something to do with it.” Mario and Spike then continued down the corridor, eventually finding a room more than tall enough to allow them to return to normal, containing a small treasure chest on a pedestal. Mario and Spike opened it, revealing another Burial Grounds Key.

“Alright, then,” Mario commented, turning back into his Pig Form. “Let’s take this and get back to the others.” With that, the two headed back to the other room, springing back to their normal forms.

“My word, Mario,” Kolorado spoke for the three Koopas, clearly impressed at the act. “You certainly have picked up a few tricks in your travels, haven’t you?”

“You could say that, Kolorado,” Mario smirked. “Anyways, we have the key to the room, now, so we can keep going after Guylan.”

“By the way,” Boomregard questioned as they headed back the way they came before, “can ya tell me how ya’ll did that?”

“A Papergami Ninja taught me that, if you can believe it.”

Now able to travel through the locked door, Mario’s group and the two Koopa Troopa archeologists made it to a room containing a few Bandits and a couple of cowboy hat wearing Shy Guys wielding popguns, talking to each other.

“So in mah personal opinion,” a yellow Shy Guy commented, “the worst Super Mario Bros. enemy in history? Koopa Troopas. Ya jump on ’em in the main games? They go into their shells an’ the Mario Bros. can pick up their shells to have a projectile that can KO anybody, includin’ allies. Friendly fire at its worst! Not to mention how in the Paper Mario games they just fall on their backs an’ can’t move unless they have a full turn NOT bein’ jumped on!”

“I’d actually have to say Goombas,” a Bandit argued. “Can be taken out in a normal hit by either a stomp or a Hammer. No wonder why they’re the first enemy you encounter in EVERY Super Mario Bros. game in the series!”

“Yer both wrong,” a red Shy Guy interjected. “It’s the entire Pony Enemy Class in this game! Seriously, they’re ridiculously hard to time your guards with. It’s like Hammer Bros an’ Boomerang Bros, but with HOOVES!”

“An’ how does that qualify them as worst enemy class in history?” the yellow Shy Guy questioned.

“Simple,” the red one explained. “They’re simply AGGRIVATIN’! Ah can’t get past Chapter 7 in this game ’cause o’ all o’ them pony enemies IN Chapter 7! An’ even if Ah do, there’s Chapter 8 an’ that looks like there’s gonna be MORE o’ ’em, three o’ which are gonna be BOSSES! Whoever designed this game deserves a kick where the SUN don’t shine!”

“…Wait a minute,” the Bandit interrupted. “So, let me get this straight. You’ve gotten through over HALF of this game already.”

“Yep.”

“So, you even know how THIS chapter ends?” the Bandit confirmed.

“Yeah,” the red Shy Guy nodded. “Even what happens in the room where Mario’s party first encounters us Cowboy Guys. In fact, if memory serves, the Cowboy Guys had a conversation… just… like… aw crud, they’re in here watchin’ this RIGHT NOW, ain’t they?”

The yellow Cowboy Guy looked behind them to see Mario’s group staring flabbergasted at the weird conversation. “Eeyup,” he answered. To Mario, he said, “We’re really sorry, but we’re kinda behind an’ we just realized we’re back on the clock. Just give us a moment to git back in character.” With that, he then raised his popguns in the air, and then fired them off in rapid session, his fellow Cowboy Guys doing the same while the Bandits ran the opposite way. “…Okay, we’re good! Let’s have at it!” With that, the battle started.

“…Okay, that being beyond weird aside,” Spike declared after a quick Tattle, “these are Cowboy Guys. They are elite members of the Skull Boys gang under Guylan. Their popguns can hit us in rapid succession, but they’re not too tough, otherwise.”

Boomregard’s Wild Arc did quite a bit of damage against the Cowboy Guys, but they countered by shooting multiple corks at the Boomerang Bro. Luckily, Boomregard retreated into his shell to perform a perfect Superguard spin to bounce most of the corks off, but he wasn’t able to keep up against the assault forever. Mario and Spike, however, managed to cover for him with their attacks, allowing them to finish off a couple of them before Boomregard got off another Boomerang Toss, taking the last one out.

After dusting themselves off, Mario’s group just walked away from the unconscious Cowboy Guys with another Burial Grounds Key that one of them dropped in hand, followed by Kooper and Kolorado. “So,” Kolorado voiced, “we’re all in agreement that we NEVER mention this room ever again in casual conversation, right?”

“Mention what again?” Boomregard asked, agreeing with the archeologist.

“Good,” Kolorado commented. Changing the subject, the Koopa Troopa archeologist remarked, “Since they were elite guards, we must be getting close to the Buffalo’s treasure room, where they’ve no doubt stored several historical valuables.”

“Really, Kolorado?” Mario groaned at the archeologist. “This is the Buffalo tribe’s ancient Burial Grounds. It’s not like you’re going to find anything of worthwhile that they’d be willing to part ways with…”

“Well, one can’t help but hope they won’t miss something,” Kolorado answered with a shrug. “Besides, you’re clearing out their sacred resting place from thieves!”

Soon enough, the group had taken out the Bandits from before, and opened the locked door at the end of the hallway. The next room, though, was huge. It was larger than any room in the Burial Grounds, three floors tall with stairs and bridges connecting the place. Besides the path they came into the room on the top left, there were five other paths: the top right, the middle left, the middle right, the bottom left, and the bottom right. Besides that, the room had a Heart Block and a Save Block next to each other. In the dead center of the room that could only be reached by the bridges was a colossal totem pole that had red, green, purple, gray, and orange Buffalo faces with open mouths from top to bottom in that order. In the green and gray totem pole mouths were a pair of blue switches. In the bottom purple head, though, there was a scroll.

Spike breathed, “Does everypony else think that this is some kind of central chamber?”

“Well,” Mario agreed, “it WOULD make sense. But what is this for?”

Kolorado and Kooper walked over to it, looking it over. Kolorado pulled out the scroll, and opened it. “Ah ha,” the Koopa Troopa archeologist declared. “It’s faded, but it’s written in the Buffalo’s ancient language. It’s a good thing I researched it before coming to this region. Now, let’s see.”

Travelers of the departed path, come to honor our members whose games have ended, heed these words. This is the final challenge to our people’s final resting place.

In the hooves of our greatest chiefs lie three treasures you must pry from them. Each of their rooms are in the next chambers. However, upon placing the keys, you must strike the switches in the correct order, found in another chamber. Finally, in the last chamber, you will find one additional clue to ignite the power of the totem pole. Only then will you get to join us in the great stampede.

Chief Warhead

“Looks like we’re going to have to explore all of the rooms here before we can get any further,” Kooper concluded. “I’m not one for splitting the party, but we have a lot of ground to cover.”

“I know,” Mario nodded. Looking at Boomregard, the plumber could not help but notice that the Boomerang Bro was holding his head. “Is… is there something wrong, Boomregard?”

“…Ah’m startin’ to remember this place,” the Boomerang Bro answered. “It’s… a snippet, but… Ah swore Ah remember bein’ dragged down the stairs… an’ this huge totem pole was right there. Ah… Ah see Guylan holdin’ up some sorta orange stone sphere. But… there was another Boomerang Bro bein’ dragged…’sides me. He… he kinda looked like Ah did. Then… nothin’ but the sheriff an’ that Braeburn feller lookin’ down at me from the top o’ the crater. Silverstar arrested me right then.”

“Another Boomerang Bro?” Kolorado commented. “You don’t think it was another one from Appleloosa?”

“Ah… Ah dunno,” Boomregard answered. “But mah amnesia may have started clearin’ up.” Looking at Mario, he said, “Anyways, Ah’m sorry ’bout that. That memory didn’t help us, none.”

“It’s alright,” Mario commented. “This confirms without a doubt that Guylan has the Element… and another Boomerang Bro hostage. We better hurry up and save him.”

“Right, then,” Kolorado nodded. “Mario, do be a good friend and explore the other chambers with your team. Which chamber should Kooper and I explore?”

“How about the bottom right?” the plumber suggested. With that, the two Koopa Troopas left to the bottom right passage way, leaving Mario’s group to deal with exploring the other four rooms. Seeing as they were on the bottom level, they headed for the left, where they found a couple Cowboy Guys, a Bandit, and a couple Bonefallo guarding a massive Buffalo statue. In the statue’s hooves was a purple stained bone. After barely beating them all, Spike pried the bone from the statue’s hooves.

“Let’s hope the other rooms we have to go through isn’t this filled with foes,” the baby Dragon groaned. “Somepony give me that, at least.”

“I dunno, Spike,” Mario commented. “Places like these aren’t shy with enemies guarding treasure.”

“Ugh,” Spike groaned. “Let’s get the rest of this over with.”

The next room they went in, the central right, had only three Bonefallo and a Dull Bones, which were easy to defeat after healing up between Mario’s Power Smash, Boomregard’s Wild Arc, and Spike using their last POW Block on them. In this room, though, was just a torch… and something else.

“Hello, travelers!” the Florie’s Root embedded to the upper wall that was too far to jump or breathe fire on greeted. “Could you spare any water?”

“Okay,” Mario announced to the weed, “we’ve run into two of you, already, so we know you’re routine by heart. You want water to grow into a giant Florie to terrorize people. We’re not falling for it.”

“…Oh,” the Florie’s Root breathed. “Darn, really? Aw man, I had a speech prepared and everything. Well, lucky for me, I chose to root myself all of the way up here. Unless you guys could throw something, to bring me to you, I ain’t budging.”

“Yeah, about that,” Mario retorted, looking at Boomregard. The Boomerang Bro looked at Mario, blinking in surprise.

“Uh, ya want me to bring that plant down here?” the Boomerang Bro asked. “Okay… still wanna know what’s goin’ on with this, but sure.” With that, the Florie’s Root soon found herself yanked out of the wall and brought down to the ground. She then sprang up before any of them could grab her.

“You’ll never take me alive!” the Florie’s Root declared, beginning to run… only to bump into Kooper. “Uh… who are you?”

“Mario,” the blue shelled Koopa Troopa spoke up, holding an orange colored bone, “it was tough going, but we found an Orange Bone in that room you sent us to!” Looking down at the plant, he asked. “What’s this?”

“Oh, kind Koopa,” the Florie’s Root begged. “I am but a humble Florie, a plant that cannot thrive in this cursed desert atmosphere the way I am, now. If you would be so kind as to give me water, I shall reward you—”

WHACK!

“Thanks, Kooper,” Mario commented, removing his Hammer off of the Florie’s Root, and Spike pocketed it. Kooper just stood there, shocked at what Mario just did to a defenseless plant. “Uh, remind me to tell you WHY I did that later. Right now, all you need to know is that’s an evil plant creature whose race plans on taking over Equestria. If I didn’t do that, it would probably become worse. I’m nipping it in the bud.”

“Uh, okay,” the blue shelled Koopa Troopa nodded. “But don’t you think using a Hammer on it was a little harsh?”

“It’s not the prettiest capture method for monster plants,” the plumber agreed. “But for these stubborn plants, it’s effective.”

“…Well, anyways,” Kooper changed the subject, “I’ve got this thing for you.” With that, Kooper handed the Orange Bone over. “So, what was in this room?”

Mario, Boomregard, and Spike all looked at the torch, confused. “…So, what’s a torch supposed to represent?” Mario asked aloud.

“Hold on,” Spike spoke up. “That last clue… it said in one of the chambers, we’d figure out the third thing we had to do to get past the next puzzle. It even said ‘ignite’. I think it’s talking about fire! And I’m a Dragon! We’re in luck!”

“…That makes SO much sense!” Boomregard realized. “Spike, yer a genius!”

“Well, I’ve grown up being raised by one of Equestria’s brightest ponies and her mentor, Princess Celestia,” Spike waved off. “Only fair I pick up a few smarts along the way.”

“Don’t be boastful, partner,” Boomregard scowled. “We still gotta git the third bone, put ’em in the right slots, an’ activate the switches in the right order ’fore ya git to do yer part.”

“Oh, right,” Spike remembered. “Darn.”

With that, the four found Kolorado banged up but otherwise fine, standing outside looking at the totem poles. “Okay,” the Koopa Troopa professor remarked, “Kooper found you? Good, because you won’t believe the foes we had to face just to get that bone.”

“You’ll have to forgive Prof. Kolorado,” Kooper chuckled. “He’s a little frazzled from being trampled by Bonefallo.”

“The Koopa Troopa archeologist who survived being bitten by Jungle Fuzzies, stabbed by Spear Guys, a massive Yoshi panic attack, being rolled over by a giant Spiny Tromp, and three incidents of lava, nearly getting your game ended over a vase that a STAR SPIRIT had to save you and berate you for your recklessness,” Mario chuckled. “And being trampled by Bonefallo is your worst experience?”

“Perhaps I’m getting too old for all of this,” Kolorado shrugged. “Anyways, Mario, I’m not risking another encounter with those things. It’s best that I leave the adventuring to someone younger than me, and stay here. I’m sorry, Mario, but I’ve done all I’ve can to help you, now.”

“Don’t worry, Kolorado,” Mario assured. “We’re almost done, anyways. You’ve helped us out quite enough. Just need to go through two more rooms… the top levels.”

“Well, good luck,” the archeologist nodded.

“I better stay here with Prof. Kolorado,” Kooper suggested. “In case anymore Bandits or Cowboy Guys show up.”

“Good idea,” Mario concluded. Mario’s group then headed to the top floors, taking on the top left. Rather than a room with a bone, there was just a giant picture of the massive totem pole on the wall with a few Dull Bones in it. After taking care of the Dull Bones problem, Mario looked at the drawing, surprised to see the faces making insulting looks at him.

“That’s insultin’,” Boomregard chided the ancients who drew the picture. “Ain’t like the Buffalo to do somethin’ like this.” He then looked closer, where part of the wall gave wall, floating down to reveal it was a parchment. He then realized, “Hold on… there’s a message, here.”

To anyone who finds this… this here’s a fake that Guylan set up to discourage intruders from solvin’ the final puzzle. Guylan’s plans ain’t sittin’ right fer me to let happen. He’s gonna use the annual Buffalo stampede as cover fer his huge plan to scare out Appleloosa’s citizens with a massive train engine disguised as an angry Buffalo spirit! That way, he can steal the town’s apple supplies an’ make a mint on the property easily. He says he can work the train, but he can’t even drive a go-kart well, let alone a train! A runaway train could cause colossal damage in Appleloosa, perhaps even kill some innocent folks! Ah didn’t sign up fer hurtin’ people, just stealin’.

If yer readin’ this, though… it means mah game’s most likely o’er an’ yer either someone interested in takin’ down Guylan or yer one o’ Guylan’s loyalists with more brain cells than Ah thought ya had. Even if ya are with Guylan, Ah implore ya… did anyone here agree to deliberately hurt some innocent folks? Ah don’t think so! Now that the truth is out, Ah want ya to tell me that ya can let him do this an’ sleep at night knowin’ that yer the reason so many lives are lost! That town doesn’t have any Life Shrooms, people!

Anyways, if mah game is over, Ah want someone to know what’s goin’ on… an’ to apologize fer any crimes Ah committed. Ah know it’s too late fer me to make proper amends fer mah sins, an’ the Underwhere will have mah soul, but Ah just want to say Ah’m sorry fer all Ah’ve done.

May the truth guide mah way,

Wild Spin Boomregard

P.S.,

Would someone burn this stupid cover? It’s kinda in the way o’ how ya can solve this puzzle.

Mario and Spike looked at each other before looking at Boomregard’s hands quivering as he held what could have been his last message before Guylan betrayed him. The letter fell to the ground, audibly smacking the ground due to the silence.

“…Guylan,” the Boomerang Bro breathed. “He’s gonna end the games o’ just ’bout everyone in Appleloosa just to git a profit outta sellin’ the land an’ tearin’ the place down. An’ it’s mah fault that his plans have gotten this far. Ah failed… an’ now, he’s almost ready to do it. Even after all o’ the townsfolk feared me an’ hated me fer what Ah had been doin’ to ’em, Ah still tried to save ’em… and Ah failed. Now, thanks to me not stoppin’ him, he’s gonna use that there Element o’ Harmony to ironically destroy Appleloosa.”

“It’s not your fault, Boomregard,” Mario quickly told the Boomerang Bro before the mood went sour. “This is all on Guylan. He’s a madman who is willing to risk innocent lives to make a mint, while you were honorable enough to have standards and knew where to draw the line.”

“Besides, so what if you couldn’t stop him the first time?” Spike added. “You have another shot, buddy, and a far greater incentive. But you’re not alone, this time. Mario and I are with you, and you have a second chance— not everypony gets one. This time, you won’t fail.” To emphasize how much they were supporting Boomregard, he turned to the insulting totem pole picture, and exhaled his flame, burning the picture away to reveal a new picture. It was a totem pole, but it had numbers in it- one on purple, two on red, three on orange, four on gray, and five on green. “I think this is the order we have to put the bones in and hit the switches?”

“Looks like it,” Boomregard answered. “Mario, Spike… thank ya kindly fer… everythin’. Back when Ah joined up in this posse, fer me this was ’bout revenge on a mutual foe. But, now that Ah know the truth, it’s less ’bout that… it’s mostly ’bout doin’ the right thing, even if everyone don’t trust ya.” Looking at the two, Boomregard’s eyes burned with a passion Mario had not often seen before. “Alright, boys. Let’s mount up an’ ride! We’re running Guylan an’ the rest o’ these Skull Boys outta here an’ savin’ Appleloosa!”

“Don’t forget the Element of Harmony,” Mario pointed out. Boomregard sheepishly looked at the two, lowering his hat so it didn’t show his eyes.

“Oh, an’ we need to git the Element o’ Harmony while we’re at it, in order to save Equestria. We can’t leave that in Guylan’s hands.” With that, the three left that room, heading to the last unexplored room, revealing the last room to have a Red Bone behind several more Dull Bones and a Bonefallo. After fighting them off, they took it, and headed back to the central chamber, down to where Kooper and Kolorado were.

“So, we have the code and the keys to unlock the code, yes?” Kolorado asked. With a nod from Mario, he cheered, “Splendid! Now we can get this trap over with. Mario, what shall we do?” Mario quickly explained the order that they needed to do everything with, and how Spike and Boomregard each needed to do their jobs in rapid succession. “Well, then, we best get started! Hand me the Purple Bone, and I’ll set it.” He did just that, causing that part of the totem pole’s eyes to glow. “Kooper, take the Red Bone and do the same for there.” Kooper nodded, already rushing up the stairs with the Red Bone. “Mario, head to the middle and on place the Orange Bone in the middle level once Kooper does his part. Then Boomregard and Spike, you do your things. We’ve got this.”

Mario walked upstairs, Spike passing him to head to the top while Boomregard stayed on the lower level. When Mario reached the middle floor, heard Kooper yell that he had his bone in place. Mario then set the Orange Bone in the orange head’s mouth, causing its eyes to glow. “Alright, Boomregard,” Mario yelled down, “remember it’s gray then green!”

“Got it!” the Boomerang Bro yelled up, throwing his Boomerang upwards, hitting the switches in the mouths of the two totem poles heads’ mouths in that order, causing their eyes to glow as well. The red one on top’s head then began glowing like its eyes. “Now, Spike!”

“Okay,” the baby Dragon nodded, setting the red totem pole head. This caused the other heads to light up on fire alongside it, before suddenly snuffing themselves out. “Uh… now what?”

Soon enough, the ground began to rumble beneath Boomregard and Kolorado’s feet, and some of it folded away, revealing a final staircase… the first step being right below where Kolorado was standing.

“Well, this is unfortunate,” the Koopa Troopa archeologist commented right before gravity took hold, sending him tumbling down the stairs, letting out grunts of pain as he fell down the flight. Boomregard, who was fortunate enough to be anywhere but where the steps were, just looked flabbergasted at the scene.

“Uh, is he gonna be okay?”

“Yeah,” Kooper answered as he came back down with Mario and Spike. “It’s not a Prof. Kolorado adventure if he’s not in some form of pain right before we find our destination. That way, we know for certain that we’re on the right track. I’ll go ahead and make sure he’s still conscious, at least. You guys save and heal up. It’s usually at this point there’s a boss fight, and I’d rather not have to go through this entire puzzle again if I were you.” With that, Kooper headed down the stairs, leaving Mario and friends confused about his words. Regardless, Mario healed up with the Heart Block, used the Save Block, and headed downstairs to see Kooper talking to a heavily battered Kolorado.

“Why yes, Koopa Kroop,” Kolorado dazedly commented. “I do like your eyebrows. They are so fetching…”

“I’m going to have to take him back to Appleloosa, soon,” Kooper remarked, helping the older Koopa Troopa out. “Give Guylan a smack for each of us, boys!”

“Don’t worry, Kooper,” Mario nodded, “we will.” Their hopes were dashed, however… by the sight of a locked door, with a note on it.

Mario,

If yer readin’ this, then ya somehow bested all o’ mah boys AN’ solved that there last puzzle. However, Ah planned ’head o’ ya… Ah locked this door, just in case ya got this far, an’ stored the key where ya’ll never find it. An’ only Boomregard has a similar key to this door, an’ he ain’t ’round. Good luck gittin’ to me, now!

Black Mask Guylan

“Drat!” Spike groaned. “Why does he have to be a smart bad guy!? Boomregard, tell me you have a key in that shell of yours.”

Boomregard, after patting himself down, sighed. “Ah’m ’fraid Ah don’t, Spike.” However, Boomregard noticed a small hole in the wall next to the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, Mario… ya reckon somethin’ is at the end o’ this?”

“I reckon so,” Mario commented. Telling Kooper to go ahead and take Kolorado back to town, Mario, Spike, and Boomregard took to their Papergami Pig Forms (Boomregard’s being a dark blue and black pig wearing his hat), and crawled through the hole, eventually into a room with a treasure chest on a pedestal.

“Well,” Spike shrugged, “it looks like Guylan’s not as smart as he thinks he is.” With that, he opened the treasure chest… only to pull out a note.

Got ya, suckers!

Black Mask Guylan

“…What?” Mario, Spike, and Boomregard asked. Soon enough, the pedestal sank into the ground, and the floor suddenly folded away, revealing a pitfall trap… right underneath them.

“Aw crud,” Mario commented right before gravity took hold, sending all three of them plummeting into the chasm, where upon hitting the ground on the lower level, knocked themselves unconscious.

Author's Note

Long chapter, wasn't it? Hopefully this makes up for the lack of updates in a while... or to come. College life does prevent me from actively updating from time to time. Also, you get most of the dungeon in one go.

1) So, we meet our first chapter's villain, Guylan. Before you ask, yes, it's basically taking the name "Dylan", chopping off the "D", and slapping a "Gu" where the "D" was. Ruthless jerk, isn't he? One thing you'll learn about me and most of my villains is that I have a difficult time balancing their entire characterizations out and they tend to fall into what I think is stereotypical villain categories. They fall into the categories of either simpathetic anti-villain, dumb mook, or TV Tropes Complete Monster. I'm pretty sure Guylan has nearly earned his Complete Monster card, if he hasn't done so, just to let you know what type of villains we're working with, here, even those who AREN'T affilated with the major bad guys. Some future villains will only get worse than him. Not saying you should make a TV Tropes page for this, but I digress. Where was I?

We're also introduced to two new enemy types. Cowboy Guys (which are Shy Guys with Cowboy hats and popguns) and Bonefallo... which are basically Buffaloes who have become like Dull Bones... and can trample the heck out of you. Enjoy fighting those! Especially those who level BP only. Superguarding is hard, people, and I actually want some HP and FP increasing!

2) Okay, the Buffalo Burial Grounds. As you guys can see, dungeon design from scratch is not my strong suit. I'm more about characters, plot, and blowing stuff up. But unfortunately, the plot demands that the characters go through this dungeon, and I can't blow anything up yet... yeah, you're going to see me struggle about that. Anyways, I've never been to a traditional Native American burial site nor does the series actually give us any inclination as to what kind of Native American tribe the Buffalo clan under Thunderhooves was to represent, so I just made them their own culture. And you guys get to use Boomregard and explore his relationship with Guylan and the other memebers of the gang. To say Boomregard wasn't liked due to his moral standards is a bit of an understatement.

3) Okay, so why are Kolorado and Kooper tagging along in the dungeon? Simply put, I LOVE Kolorado, and a review suggested Kolorado get some dungeon use instead of just being that typical NPC archeologist who can't be bothered to do anything but sit around and let you do all of the work. And this way, Mario doesn't have to do well, EVERYTHING. Kooper still has his Ultra Rank abilities from the first game in the series, so putting him in an area where his high attack and devastating Fire Shell will just clear a room for you is a bit of a "you're welcome" card. A reasonable disadvantage of letting Kooper clear a room for you, though, is that since Kooper is not in Mario's party, he gets none of the typical battle benefits. No Star Points, no coins, no item drops, and no HP or FP. Also, Kooper would take a couple rooms to recharge, so it wouldn't be worth it to use this willy nilly.

Why did I have Mario treat backtracking liked it sucked? Because who doesn't hate backtracking in video games, RPGs especially? You go all of the way through an area, and just becaused you miss something, you have to go ALL of the way back to another area you skipped over, and you now have to do a bunch of stuff just to continue the plot. Yeah, anybody in that postition would really hate all of that walking.

Anyways, why would the mood of Appleloosa's citizens turn against Mario and Spike once Boomregard's joined them (by which I mean refuse their business)? It's to A) force players to get on with the plot and B) show realistic consequences for working with a KNOWN ex-criminal who had been part of the same gang that's been terrorizing the population. Keep in mind "Dude, Where's My Respect" is not going to be here for Mario. He's not in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore, so nobody here has reason to immediately trust him, especially considering Boomregard's history. Speaking of Boomregard, amnesia or no, would you trust someone traveling with a known gang member responsible for everything bad that's happened in your town as of late? Especially who was not even hours ago locked up in jail where he couldn't hurt anyone? Yeah, that being said, Appleloosa's citizens would in-game have an attitude change depending on who you have as your immediate party member, many even accusing Mario of being an outlaw himself. Different characters act differently to different people, after all.

And finally, what was the deal with the Cowboy Guys' introduction shattering the fourth wall? No reason whatsoever! I just wanted a Big Lipped Alligator Moment!

Anyways, hope you had fun with this! Next time? We do a couple more things, then have the first Chapter Boss!

Chapter 1 Part 4

Appleloosa

Dr. Karoline Koopa looked at the night sky from her clinic, sadness evident on her face. “Boomregard...” the Koopa Troopa breathed. “Ya’ll an’ those two city boys should’ve been back by now….”

“Dr. Karoline,” a voice shook her from her thoughts. She looked to see a few Earth Ponies standing at the door, Braeburn leading them. “We just wanted to make sure ya were gonna help with the bakin’ tomorrow mornin’. We need all the help we can git…”

“O’ course, Braeburn,” the Koopa doctor bowed. “Ah’m sorry. Ah’ve been distracted as o’ late.”

“What, by that criminal!?” one of the Earth Ponies asked. “Look, doctor, we know ya think he means well, but Wild Spin Boomregard was part of a gang that did nothin’ but torment us Appleloosans fer no good reason! Amnesia o’ no amnesia, there ain’t nothin’ he’ll do or he’ll say that will make up fer everythin’ he’s done in the past. We Appleloosans struggled to keep our town alive when we first clashed with the Buffalo tribe, an’ we barely made peace with THEM while keepin’ the town intact. But these Skull Boys… they’re lookin’ to break the peace we fought fer in the west by any means necessary. An’ Boomregard, whether we admit it or not, was a BIG part in that! Fer all we know, yer diagnosis could’ve been false, an’ Boomregard already split, rejoinin’ his gang to destroy our town, an’ that’s the BEST he could be. The sooner ya’ll git it in yer head, doctor, that Boomregard ain’t nothin’ more than a cowardly criminal who was probably usin’ yer kindness to spy on us, the lighter yer heart’s gonna be! Ah say good riddance to him!”

Karoline looked downed, stunned by the sheer bluntness of the townsfolk about their dislike for Boomregard, especially with their murmurs of agreement. She knew that she was the only one who supported him, but she never thought that the townsfolk would go out of their way to openly insult him and shoot down chances of his reformation.

“…That’s funny,” a male voice commented. “I thought that you ponies were supposed to be a FORGIVING race.” Karoline and the ponies looked to see Prof. Kolorado, lying on a hospital bed with a massive ice pace on his face. Kooper, meanwhile, was fast asleep in a chair, a giant snot bubble comically hanging from his nose. “Especially considering your refusal to share the land you all call home is what caused the land dispute between you and the Buffalo Tribe in the first place.”

“Professor,” Braeburn breathed, surprised he interjected. Kolorado sat up, removing the ice pack to reveal his swollen right eye. He scowled at the townsfolk with his good eye.

“Oh, leave it to the tomb-raidin’ Koopa Troopa to defend the train-robbin’ Boomerang Bro,” the stallion who talked down Karoline’s defense of Boomregard countered. “Look, Sheriff Silverstar hates ya just as much, if not more than Boomregard. So, what’s yer argument?”

“Let me start by saying that I’m not speaking up to defend Wild Spin Boomregard,” Kolorado answered. “In fact, Kooper was the one who went out of his way and behind my OWN shell to summon Boomregard’s aid, and I had no say in the matter of his release. However, I must admit to warming up to him as we traveled through the Buffalo Burial Grounds. He fought just as bravely as my own apprentice had… as well as Mario and Spike. He fought against his supposed former brothers-in-arms with no hesitation, not running away at all. Boomregard could have had no trouble outrunning us at anytime, but he stood his ground and fought to protect you all, the ponies who distrust and speak ill of him so openly! You all should be grateful he is risking his LIFE to stop Guylan once and for all so that you can perform this annual exchange with no problems. I know that I am hardly the posture child for being a good Koopa— my wife would certainly attest to that— but you all should be ashamed of yourselves for your single-minded behavior.”

The crowd looked at Kolorado, stunned by his words. Several faces in the group looked down, feeling bad about their behavior when the pony race valued friendship and harmony above everything else. However, a few ponies kept looking at Kolorado, contempt on their faces.

“Oh, like ya would know what we've been through,” one of them spat. “Ya’ll been nothin’ but trouble the very moment ya came in here with that band o’ archeologists, beggin' the sheriff to let ya dig up our desert fer coin. Yer as big o’ a liar an’ thief as Boomregard probably is, ‘professor’, an’ we ain’t gonna tolerate it. So, ya better hope that Dr. Karoline takes her time patchin’ ya up… because Ah want ya outta here with Boomregard the moment yer able.” Murmurs of agreement rose up from the growing crowd. Braeburn looked between his fellow ponies and Kolorado.

“Now, everypony,” the Apple family stallion interjected, “let’s not git too hasty, here. To be fair to Kolorado, he’s one o’ the only ones to actually go into the Buffalo Burial Grounds an’ come out.”

“Me? A liar?” Kolorado scoffed, ignoring Braeburn’s attempts to dissolve the hostilities. “That is the GREATEST insult I have ever suffered in my career! And you all are far greater hypocrites than I with your practices of love and tolerance, yet when someone brings up a valid counterpoint to your argument, you immediately bash the other’s claims, trying to chase them off. Sure I may not be the most moral Koopa you’ve ever come across, and I may be a coward at times, but I know what I saw down there… Boomregard’s a far different Boomerang Bro than we all thought he was. Ask Kooper, and he’ll say the same thing… and you all personally know Spike better than I do.”

“Spike?” a pony shouted. “That little Dragon hardly knows where his OWN loyalties lie. He just shows up from outta NOWHERE with some random mustachioed man instead o’ the Bearers o’ the Elements o’ Harmony like he did ’fore is one thing. But he ends up sellin’ this RIDICULOUS claim that the Bearers were defeated an’ kidnapped by this band o’ cultists worshippin’ Nightmare Moon, an’ the Elements o’ Harmony are now scattered ’round the world? If that weren’t a red flag itself, the fact that he’s willingly workin’ with that convict should make us all realize Spike ain’t loyal to the Bearers.”

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” a male voice interjected, silencing the argument. Everyone turned to see Silverstar standing behind them. “Ah want everypony whose name ain’t Braeburn, Kolorado, or Karoline to leave, ’fore Ah start makin’ arrests fer hasslin’ our doctor an’ her patient. NOW!” The crowd reluctantly dispersed, leaving only Silverstar, Braeburn, Kolorado, and Karoline. Kooper, meanwhile, finally woke up, the snot bubble he had popping as he did so.

“Huh… what’s goin’ on?” the blue shelled Koopa Troopa asked.

“Ah’m not even gonna ask how ya managed to sleep through all o’ that, Kooper,” Silverstar remarked. “Anyways, yer boss has FINALLY earned the ire o’ ’bout the whole town, so yer probably gonna have to pack, soon enough. In the meantime, though, Ah wanna talk ’bout Mario, Spike, an’ Boomregard… they ain’t back, yet.”

“You don’t think something happened to them, do you Sheriff?” Kooper sleepily questioned.

“Ah hope not,” Silverstar answered. “But right now… we better be prepared fer Guylan in case they failed an’ Guylan retaliates.”

“Right,” Kooper answered. “I’m sure we’ll stand by your side, even if Kolorado gets us run out of ANOTHER town like he did with that Dizzy Dial incident inRogueport.”

“Movin’ on,” Silverstar interrupted, not bothering to question it. “Anyways, after the Buffalo stampede, Ah just want to have a proper posse to go in there an’ clear them out. Interested, Kooper?”

“With Prof. Kolorado’s permission, of course,” Kooper nodded.

“Of course you have my permission, Kooper,” Kolorado replied. “In fact, I’m going to come with you to help Mario!”

“Not in the condition yer in, ya ain’t,” Karoline chided. “Yer stayin’ here.” To the others, she sighed, “Ah just wish that the other townsfolk would give Boomregard a chance, Sheriff.”

“Ponies don’t like to admit it,” Silverstar explained, “but we’re stubborn at our worst moments, an’ properly paranoid. Keep in mind until this afternoon, he was a prisoner in mah jail. Some folks thought havin’ him locked up WASN’T enough o’ a punishment fer his crimes. Boomregard will never win o’er a tough crowd like them with others' words alone. He has to focus on earnin’ their trust. An’ even with Kolorado’s testimony, they can’t bring themselves to believe that he’s turned o’er a new leaf, amnesia or no. Just nature, really.”

“…Ah understand,” the Koopa doctor nodded. “Anyways, if ya’ll are gonna deal with the Skull Boys, keep me updated on ’em. An’ do be careful, Sheriff.”

“We will,” Braeburn promised for them all. “Anyways, doc, ya’ll best git some shut-eye. We’ve got a long day ’head o’ us tomorrow.” With that, the two ponies left the clinic, leaving Karoline to watch over Kolorado and Kooper. But unbeknownst to any of them, a Bandit saw the entire conversation.

Buffalo Burial Grounds

“…Hey,” a voice spoke up. “Are ya’ll… awake in there?”

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard all regained consciousness after a long period of being out cold. The three, upon opening their eyes, discovered themselves to be in some kind of impromptu jail cell in a wide room with iron bars spaced so thinly that they would have to be able to slip through cracks to escape. Standing up, the three looked around.

“What happened?” Boomregard asked, rubbing his throbbing head.

“I don’t know,” Spike answered. “All I remember is opening a chest, and then the ground folding away like a giant sheet of paper… then nothing.”

“Looks like we were captured,” Mario voiced. “I should’ve known that was too easy.”

“Ya’ll must’ve… fallen fer one… o’ Guylan’s traps,” a male voice answered. The three looked up from their conversation… and were surprised at what they saw. Chained to the wall in a sturdier cell near their cell was a Boomerang Bro, thoroughly beaten at best, barely alive at worst. And not just any Boomerang Bro… but one that looked eerily similar to Boomregard.

“Who are you?” Spike asked, looking at him. The Boomerang Bro gave them a weak grin.

“An outlaw… by the name… o’ ‘Wild Spin Boomregard’,” the Boomerang Bro introduced himself, stunning the trio in the cell opposite of him. “Ah see… Guylan made yer partner there… mah scapegoat.” He then began coughing.

“…So Ah ain’t the real Boomregard,” the Boomerang Bro with Mario and Spike concluded. “…An’ everyone thought that Ah was.”

“It was the perfect set-up, really,” a male voice interrupted. The group turned to see Guylan, flanked by four of his Cowboy Guys, walking into the room. Pointing to the amnesiac Boomerang Bro, Guylan explained, “Ya see, we ran into this fake we gave that law horse Silverstar on Boomregard’s last train job. This joker nearly ruined EVERYTHIN’ with his attempt to stop us, until Ah blew the train station in Appleloosa. We found him amongst the wreckage, an’ well, Ah weren’t about to let him git away with foilin’ mah plans. Ah would’ve ended yer game right there, faker, but when the real deal Boomregard found out what Ah had in mind fer Appleloosa, he called me a madman an’ tried to stop me himself. Ya’ll see what Ah do to traitors.”

“Ah didn’t… sign up fer endin’ innocent games, Guylan,” the real Boomregard argued. “Whatever happened to… sharin’ the truth between us… an’ honor amongst thieves? No civilian casualties.”

“Honor? Truth?” Guylan scoffed. He then broke out into laughter. “There’s not a soul Ah’ve trusted in mah life, Boomregard. Yer a coward if ya value stuff like THAT! Ya never did have the guts to take it all, Boomregard. That’s what Ah was gonna end yer game fer BEFORE ya tried to betray me. Now, let me finish.” Turning back to Mario’s group, Guylan confessed, “Anyways, thanks to Boomregard’s betrayal, Ah decided to make an example o’ the real deal, but to give up the fake Ah dressed up to Silverstar. Ah thought he would’ve taken care o’ the fake, but he’s less gung ho ’bout endin’ games than the REAL Guylan is. An’ Ah really hate loose ends. Especially when they bring bounty hunters to mah door as an act o’ revenge. Mario, Ah ought to end yer game right now... but that bounty Bowser has fer ya would probably want ya ALIVE to claim it.”

“And we’d end the rest o’ yer games fer the boss,” one of the Cowboy Guys added, “but right now, we’re runnin’ late fer our train to Appleloosa.”

“Good point, boys,” Guylan remarked. “After Ah’m done runnin’ those Appleloosans outta here once an’ fer all by disguisin’ mah train engine as the spirit o’ Maasawu, the Buffalo Spirit o’ the Dead, Ah’m gonna come back here an’ end each o’ yer games nice an’ slow.” With that, Guylan turned around. “Oh, an’ faker… one o’ mah Bandits found out ’bout this pretty Koopa Troopa named Dr. Karoline. Apparently, she’s developed some crush on ya. It makes me vomit, that sappy stuff. All she knows is that yer nothin’ but an amnesiac criminal, but ya ain’t even that, really. Yer far less. Ah never even bothered learnin’ yer true NAME ’fore Ah took yer memory. Ya’ll were nothin’ more than an unknown pioneer tryin’ to make a claim in some town east o’ here, an’ were in the wrong place at the wrong time. An’ against those ’round ya beggin’ ya not to start a fight ya couldn’t win, ya did. Ya fought odds that even HEROES would consider suicidal. Ya were that stupid. An’ here ya are, again, pickin’ a fight ya lost ’fore the first PUNCH! By the stars, Ah have never seen a stupider Koopa! In yer past life, ya weren’t worth nothin’. But now? Yer a pathetic Boomerang Bro not even worth my SPIT.

“But, Ah can’t help but pity ya, faker. After all, Ah did make ya the perfect scapegoat fer mah sins. So, while Ah’m in town, today, Ah’ll swing by the doctor’s office, an’ pick ya up a prescription of Dr. Karoline. Ah’ll just make sure to bring her by so you can WATCH me end her game. Then, when Appleloosa is nothin’ but ashes, an’ ya understand the true depths o’ yer failure… THEN ya have mah permission to die.” Mario’s group and the real Boomregard watched as Guylan and his troops walked out, the door slamming shut as they escaped.

Mario looked at his Boomregard, who had dropped his Boomerang, stunned by Guylan’s words. “…Ah failed,” the Boomerang Bro cried. “Ah couldn’t find the truth, let alone save Appleloosa. Ah… Ah’m sorry, Mario.”

Mario did not know what to say. Guylan had torn into him in a downright brutal manner. And after Spike and he went through all of that trouble cheering him up hours ago when he thought he WAS Boomregard and failed to stop Guylan from destroying the town.

“Yer not licked yet,” the real Boomregard voiced. “...Guylan may have tricked ya… but that don’t mean he’s beaten ya again. Ya gotta… get yerself… together. Then get outta that cage… an’ over to mine. Ah have somethin’ fer ya’ll. It… can help.”

Mario blinked at the real deal’s request. “How?” the plumber asked.

“Just come o’er here… an’ find out,” the real Boomregard assured him. Mario then sighed. As much as the real one was not in any condition to help them, he was offering the only visible form of help at the moment. Now, first thing Mario needed to do was address his allies.

“Spike, Boomregard,” the plumber commented, “its time for us to get out of here.”

“How?” Spike asked. “It’s not like we can just slide between the bars, can we?” Mario then turned into his 2-D Paper Form, reminding the two that they can do that. “Oh, right… I forgot you showed me that skill back when we first met Wildfire.”

With that, the three slipped through the bars before the fake Boomregard wiping his eyes of the tears of emotional pain from his eyes. The trio approached the real Boomregard’s cage, who smirked at them.

“…Let me start by sayin’… ‘Ah’m sorry fer everythin’ that’s happened to ya’,” the Boomerang Bro apologized to the Koopa who had his identity forced upon him. “It’s mah fault yer sufferin’… accused o’ bein’ a criminal. It’s also mah fault… that ya ain’t got no memory. Ah know fer certain Ah can’t fix either o’ those… or be free o’ mah own sins. But… Ah know how to stop Guylan’s Maasawu Train.”

“How?” Mario questioned. “It’s kind of hard stopping a train with a plumber, a Dragon, and a Boomerang Bro.”

“Guylan can’t control that thing by himself,” the true Boomregard explained. “Train is huge, an can attack ya up to five times if it don’t run over ya. Smart as he is… he ain’t one fer complicated machinery. This is why… he needs his Cowboy Guys an’ Bandits… an’ Bandits to help him. Should be four o’ ’em minus Guylan. Take ’em outta the fight… Guylan will slowly lose control o’ his train, an’ have less attacks. Use yer Wild Arc… an’ ya should be able to damage the lot o’ ’em quickly. Don’t be shy with yer items, either.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Spike nodded. “But, how do we get OUT of here to stop Guylan?” The real Boomregard chuckled.

“The new Wild Spin has it,” he weakly answered. “In his hands.” The fake Boomregard looked down at the Boomerang he carried, and the fact that he was dubbed the new one.

“Ah don’t deserve this,” he commented. “Guylan and you both said Ah’m the imposter. Ya know how to stop the train… an’ this was YER mission. We can get ya healed up, an’ ya’ll be able to take this on.”

“It’s too late… fer me…” the real Boomregard answered, coughing. “Mah game was o’er… when Ah first confronted Guylan. He an’ his train… beat me to within an inch o’ mah life. Now Ah’m barely alive, an’ yer payin’ fer mah sins. Figured with yer memory loss… it’s now time Ah passed the torch o’ mah name. Ah don’t have a kid… nor any fortune that Ah didn’t sacrifice. But Ah can tell… yer gonna be a better hero than Ah was. In this Land o’ Harmony… heroes are worth somethin’. Ah was a villain in life… but Ah managed to save SOMETHIN’ o’ yers.”

With that, the real Boomregard took out… half of a horseshoe. The horseshoe piece was partially rusted over, but it looked silver, otherwise. There was a piece of dark blue tape wrapped around the end. It also had a brown string on it, hanging like a necklace. The fake Boomregard began to hold his head as images flashed through his mind.

A train car. Bandits and Cowboy Guys stomping in. Him fighting them off with a horseshoe. The Boomerang Bro in front of him in the present dueling him with his own Boomerang... and then... Guylan shooting the horseshoe out of his hands. Finally... a barrel of dynamite blowing the train up with him on the roof of it. Then... being dragged down the stairs with the same Boomerang Bro... then waking up in a ditch, Silverstar and Braeburn looking down at him with contempt in their eyes.

“What’s this?” Spike asked, looking at the broken horseshoe.

“…Mah charm,” the fake Boomregard answered, somewhat remembering it before putting it on. “It WAS mah lucky charm.”

“Ya were desperate to hang onto it,” the real one recalled. “It broke in half… durin’ that train job. That was all Ah could find. Take it… an’ this, as well.” Boomregard then revealed a Burial Grounds Key, which Mario took.

“This is nice,” Spike commented. “But, you said our Boomregard was the way to get out of here?”

“Right,” the caged Boomerang Bro smirked. He then pointed upwards, where a blue switch was waiting on top of his cage. “Hit that, an’ ya should be able to git after Guylan. Ah’m not gonna ask ya’ll to be the instrument o’ MAH revenge… but Ah want that lyin’ snake to pay fer all he’s done to those Appleloosans… an’ what he’s about to do.” The Boomerang Bro’s eyes began to close.

“…Understood, Boomregard,” the false Boomregard sighed. “Ah’m sorry Ah couldn’t save ya.”

“Don’t be,” the real one smiled. “Ah ain’t ‘Wild Spin Boomregard’ anymore. Ya are, kid… see ya on the other side.” With that, his eyes closed, and his head slumped forward. Mario, after a few moments, slipped into his cage to check on Boomregard, as he was presented with a similar scenario before. However, Mario... could not feel a pulse. The original Wild Spin Boomregard was gone.

Mario shook his head. "He's dead. His injuries were too great... and he was kept in poor condition. I don't think they fed him, either."

“…I never thought I’d see somepony’s game end like this, before,” Spike spoke up, tears in his eyes. Mario remembered that Spike was only a baby Dragon. The fact that Spike was exposed to this made Mario start to regret bringing the Dragon along.

“Hey, Boomregard?” Mario asked the Boomerang Bro next to him. “Uh… you don’t mind if I keep calling you that do you?”

“We ain’t got ’nother name to call me,” the Boomerang Bro answered. He then threw his Boomerang, striking the switch and opening the door. Catching it, he sighed, “Right now, Ah’m shook up by all o’ this. But the ol’ Wild Spin’s last wish is fer us to stop Guylan. Ah will personally come back here an’ give this Boomerang Bro a proper burial AFTER Ah fulfill his wish.”

“…Okay,” Mario nodded. Grabbing Spike, Mario led him out of the door while the fake Boomregard… no, THE Wild Spin Boomregard looked back at his predecessor’s body one last time. He then walked out, joining Spike and Mario in the next room.

Speaking of which, in the next room was another Star Piece, and a large spring they could bounce off of. It looked to be the only way out, as the three jumped on it to hit the ceiling… only to reveal that it was a trap door tile that they flipped through, ending up in the room with the treasure chest in it. After getting back to the locked door, Mario went over and unlocked it.

“Wow,” Spike remarked. “Hey, Boomregard, before we go after these guys… I’m sorry that Appleloosa’s treated you horribly. I’m also sorry we didn’t trust you at first.”

“Can’t blame folks,” the Boomerang Bro replied. “To ’em, Ah’m a criminal. However, Ah hope this team o’ ours can stop Guylan once an’ fer all.”

“Let’s hope so,” Mario scowled. With that, he kicked open the door… and the group saw it.

A ghost white train decorated from caboose to engine in a massive tarp with fake bones that reminded Mario of a ghost pirate he once fought then befriended made it look like a giant Bonefallo. The tarp hung loosely from the train’s engine, allowing it to cover several mine carts that were connected to the engine. However, the train engine was remodeled to look like a giant Buffalo skull, the steam stack painted to be a feather. This had to be the Maasawu Train that Guylan was going to use.

But what got Mario’s attention about it was the large, gray stone surrounded by an orange hue Guylan was holding over his head. For some odd reason, the stone had an apple carved into it, and the apple carving was glowing bright orange. The apple reminded Mario of his brief encounter with Applejack… and made the plumber realized that it was HER Element of Harmony.

Spike was certainly right about the Elements going into some kind of dull state, as that looked nothing like the necklace Applejack wore before.

“Okay,” Spike voiced as they hid behind a rock. “Does anypony have a decent plan to shut that train down before it reaches Appleloosa? Because it looks like they’re making the final touches right now.”

“If there plannin’ on usin’ that glowin’ magic rock as a power source,” Boomregard commented, “then Ah say we don’t let them put it in. Ah can probably smack it outta their hands with mah Boomerang.”

“We can’t do that, Boomregard,” Mario interjected. The Boomerang Bro and the Dragon both looked at him, confused. Mario then pointed to the Cowboy Guys patrolling the area, popguns ready, while the Bandits looked bored. “I hate to say it, but there are too many of them to take on at once, right now, especially when they think we’re still locked up down there. We’re going to have to find a way to get on board the train…”

“That may be easier said than done,” Spike pointed out, looking at Guylan. He placed the Element of Harmony into the train, causing the train to develop a suddenly orange glow. Soon enough, he, two Bandits, and two Cowboy Guys jumped onboard the train, concealing themselves inside the carts.

“It’s time to set out, boys! Today, Appleloosa is OURS!” Guylan declared. Mario, Spike, and Boomregard scowled as the Bandits and Cowboy Guys cheered, each getting in the engine. The train’s head lights glowed, almost like eyes.

“Now can we crash the party?” Spike suggested.

“Yeah, and I now know how,” Mario nodded. He pointed to a spring near the train. The trio then bounced off of it, landing on the engine of the train, Guylan none the wiser. Guylan chose that moment to start the train… and the trio realized that it had been a bad idea to do this.

“Mario,” Boomregard voiced, “do ya have a plan so we DON’T git knocked off!?”

“Yes,” Mario answered. “That Papergami starting position!” With that, the three laid flat moments before the engine slammed into the wall, ripping a hole out of it like it was made of paper, allowing them to leave with the train.

Appleloosa

The ponies, Toads, and Koopas of Appleloosa were all frantically putting the finishing touches on their baking under the supervision of Braeburn. “Alright, everypony,” the Apple stallion spoke up. “If Ah’m right, the Buffalo stampede should start comin’ through town tomorrow. Hopefully everypony is almost ready with the pies, right?”

Cheers of agreement rang out, the scent of flaky crust and sweet apples wafting through the town. The Earth Ponies, Koopa Troopas, Paratroopas, and Boomerang Bros were all excited to see their hard work pay off. Soon enough, the earth began to rumble.

“Ah guess it’s startin’,” one of the Koopa Troopas commented. Braeburn frowned at the way the ground was rumbling… and the direction it was coming from.

“Hold on a moment,” the yellow Earth Pony realized. “These tremors are WAY too much fer a Buffalo stampede… an’ it’s comin’ from the west, not east… not to mention we should have ’nother day. …Oh no!”

“What’s the matter, Braeburn!?” Silverstar asked as he galloped over, Karoline, Kolorado, Kooper, and the other archeologist Koopa Troopas behind him. “Ah thought Thunderhooves would be later.”

“This ain’t the work o’ Thunderhooves, Sheriff!” Braeburn explained. “Ah think it’s bigger than him.”

“TRESSPASSERS ON OUR LAND!” a sinister, ghostly voice rang out. “FOR TOO LONG, I HAVE IDLY WATCHED AS YOU MISUSE OUR TERRITORY, AND LIVE WITHOUT WELCOME. I HAVE WATCHED MY OWN KIN DISGRACEFULLY TAKE THIS LYING DOWN. NO MORE!”

Soon enough, though, a massive, white, mechanical Bonefallo (really a train) drove out, spinning around before crashing into the side of the local bank, unintentionally shaking off three peculiar pieces of paper. Naturally, the citizens made it perfectly clear of their approval of the act.

“AAAHHH! GHOST-BUFFALO!” a Boomerang Bro yelled. “Ah moved away from the Mushroom Kingdom to ’VOID stuff like this!”

“Mommy!” a young Toad screamed, panicking.

“FOOLS!” the giant monster declared. “IT IS FAR TOO LATE TO BEG FOR MERCY! I AM THE MIGHTY MAAWASU, SPIRIT GUARDIAN OF THE BUFFALO WHOSE GAMES HAVE ENDED! AND YOUR ACTIONS HAVE DISTURBED MY LONG REST! YOU WILL EITHER LEAVE NOW, OR PERISH!”

“Wait a moment,” Karoline questioned. “Ah thought the foundin’ citizens o’ Appleloosa made peace with yer tribe. Why attack now?”

“BECAUSE THUNDERHOOVES IS A COWARD, THAT’S WHY!” the large Bonefallo answered. “A TRUE CHIEF WOULD HAVE GONE TO WAR THE MOMENT NEWCOMERS DEFIED THE LAND WITH THEIR PRESCENCE! BE THANKFUL, KOOPA TROOPA, THAT I AM ALLOWING YOU THE CHANCE TO LEAVE WITH YOUR LIVES AT THIS POINT! TAKE MY OFFER AND GO!”

“Now yer just bein’ stereotypical, boys,” a voice rang out. Soon enough, Mario, Spike, and Boomregard all stood up, dazed. “Drop the act, Black Mask Guylan!” Boomregard scowled. “We know it’s yer work in a large train.”

“…I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT, BOOMERANG BRO WHO I HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN MY AFTERLIFE!” the Maasawu Train spoke. “WHO ARE YOU TO DEFY MY WILL!?”

“He’s the Boomerang Bro you used to trick all of these people,” Mario answered, Hammer ready. “Just like how you’re using such a shoddy disguise to hide it. Spike?”

“Yeah,” the baby Dragon nodded. With that, he breathed out his Dragon’s Fire, setting the tarp that was covering it aflame.

“OW! OW! HOT!” voices called out from inside of the large costume. Soon enough, the tarp burned away, leaving the train exposed… as well as Guylan and his gang.

“…Uh-oh, Boss,” a Bandit breathed. “We’re in trouble….” Guylan realized what had happened, and just stared.

“Alright, this ain’t TOO bad,” he commented. “Disguise or no, we STILL have a massive train we can use to knock o’er Appleloosa! An’ we can start… by ENDIN’ THESE THREE IDIJITS WHO RUINED MAH PLAN!” Guylan turned to his train, scowling. “Ya’ll have mah permission to go out an’ do whatever ya want, here. Mario, his Dragon, an’ that fake Boomregard… they’re MINE!” While several Cowboy Guys and Bandits ran out into the town, chasing the townsfolk, Guylan, two Bandits, and two Cowboy Guys stayed.

Spike wasted NO time with a Tattle, sensing the fight had begun. “Okay,” Spike declared, “Thanks to the… late Boomregard… we now know that this is Guylan, in his ultimate weapon, the Maasawu Train. I didn’t want to comment on it, before, but even with the tarp gone to make it less intimidating, it’s kind of scary how a Cowboy Guy got the idea of using a TRAIN to wipe out a defenseless town. I think Boomregard mentioned some of its other features… like how Guylan and his four minions can each take turns attacking us or they can run us over with the train, attacking all of us at once. But once we dwindle down the number of foes, Guylan still has own attacks, too!

“Guylan himself carries dynamite he can throw at us, or can use his rope lasso to tie one of us up so we can’t move for a while, let alone defend ourselves. And if Guylan loses enough men over time, he can call back his flunkies to replace them. We can either focus on dealing with Guylan’s men to reduce the amount of attackers, or take him out ourselves to stop the train once and for all! However, what scares me the most about all of this is that PRINCESS CELESTIA knew about all of this.”

“We’ll question that later,” Mario suggested. “Boomregard, focus on taking out Guylan’s gang. Spike and I will attack Guylan, okay?”

“Ah suppose it’s all we got,” Boomregard voiced. He then performed a Wild Arc, smacking the two Bandits and the two Cowboy Guys in the mine carts… but missing Guylan completely, who laughed.

“Is that the best ya can do, Boomerang Bro?” Guylan scoffed at Boomregard’s attack hitting his men. “Even if ya beat all o’ ’em, Ah have plenty o’ ’em! Speakin’ o’ stuff Ah have plenty o’… have some dynamite on the house!” With that, he threw a lit stick of dynamite at Boomregard.

The explosion knocked the Boomerang Bro for a loop, stunning him and knocking him on his back. Two of the Cowboy Guys took advantage of this, hitting him repeatedly with their popguns while the Bandits hit Mario and Spike.

“Boomregard!” Mario yelled before running over to the Boomerang Bro. “Are you okay!?”

“This ain’t nothin’, Mario,” Boomregard commented. “Ah’ll be fine… just worry ’bout stompin’ Guylan!”

“Okay, but take this,” Mario replied, handing Boomregard a Mushroom.

Mario, despite the pain of the Bandits charging them, focused his jumps on Guylan, and Spike his Jackhammer Tail. When Boomregard got back up, he managed to throw his Boomerang, knocking out the Bandits and the Cowboy Guys Guylan had supporting him in one go. Guylan saw this, and scowled.

“Okay, that does it!” the black masked Cowboy Guy declared. “Ah’m gonna crush ya flat!” With that, he pushed on a lever, causing the Maasawu Train to begin glowing before running over Mario, Spike, and Boomregard. Despite the immense pain, the three popped out of the ground, injured.

“Good call on the Mushroom, earlier,” the Boomerang Bro voiced. “Well, better that than callin’ fer backup. Ah can’t keep doin’ mah Wild Arc like this.”

“Have this, then,” Mario suggested, giving Boomregard a Honey Syrup. Boomregard, feeling energized, threw his Boomerang at Guylan, striking him twice.

“Okay, yer gittin’ some decent hits, in,” Guylan scoffed. “But Ah’m not licked, yet! Boys! Some o’ ya’ll come back, now! We’re endin’ this!” Four Bandits ran over, jumping into the carts.

The townsfolk, between fighting off the Skull Boys gang and trying to stay alive, could not help but watch Boomregard fight. Many ponies were stunned that Guylan and Boomregard, who had tormented them before together, were on opposite sides at this very moment.

“Kinda ironic,” Silverstar spoke up for everyone. “To think not even a day ago, he was the worst thing that happened to Appleloosa. That the outlaw is fightin’ fer us.”

“Ah don’t think he ever was an outlaw, Sheriff,” Braeburn replied. “At least, the one we THOUGHT he was. His throwin’ technique seems different than before. Also, that charm ’round his neck… it’s new, but it somehow suits him.”

While Boomregard took out the Bandits, Mario and Spike continued attacking Guylan, Mario performing a skilled Power Bounce. Guylan, though, eventually had enough of Mario. “Alright, that’s enough, plumber!” He then whipped out his lasso, and before Mario could even realize it, he was roped around, tied up. “Gotcha. Boys, focus on takin’ out Mario, now!” The members of Guylan’s gang eagerly rushed towards Mario, who was too busy struggling to get free—

“Not so fast!” a voice rang out. A blue shell flew out, bowling over the Bandits and Cowboy Guys with ease. Kooper popped out of his shell, scowling. “I figured you’d cheat, you cowardly Shy Guy!”

“…Yer that blue Koopa Troopa who was with that other one,” Guylan recalled. “Well, wondered where ya ran off, too! Well, ya think ya can stop me!?”

“Honestly, no,” Kooper confessed. “I can’t exactly reach you when you’re in a train. I can distract you long enough for something, though?”

“What?”

“THIS!” Spike yelled out, performing a Jackhammer Tail on Guylan’s face. Guylan, angry at this, threw dynamite at Spike, damaging him with the blast.

“Ya alright, kid!?” Boomregard asked the Dragon.

“Yeah, thick scales,” Spike replied. “Besides, at this point, I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Ain’t we all,” the Boomerang Bro agreed. Soon enough, Mario broke out of his bonds, and jumped on Guylan again. Guylan was starting to look really tired at this point.

“How are ya doin’ this!?” he demanded, weakened. “Ah heard the stories o’ Mario bein’ powerful, but Ah don’t know how he, a baby Dragon, an’ an amnesiac Boomerang Bro can stand up to me!”

“Simple, Guylan,” Boomregard scowled, twirling his Boomerang in his hands. “Yer a liar an’ a cheat who values nothin’ more than fattenin’ yer wallet. While we? Well, we’re just good guys in this Land o’ Harmony.” He thought about that saying. “Uh, Ah feel as though as Ah worked some kind o’ title in there…”

“Ah ain’t finished, yet!” Guylan swore before kicking his train into high gear, running Mario’s team over again… and hitting Kooper into the front of the Salt Lick Saloon.

“Kooper!” Kolorado’s voice rang out. The older Koopa Troopa ran over to his apprentice. “Kooper, are you alright?”

“I’d like to git the number on that catch-a-ride, please,” Kooper dazedly remarked in a stereotypical southern accent.

“Stay with me, Kooper!” the archeologist begged. “I’m not saying this because your mother and my wife would have my shell for it, either! You’re like the son I’ve never had!”

“That’s so sickly sweet,” Guylan scowled, preparing his train again. “Ah’m gonna enjoy crushin’ ya both, then.” Before he could do so, though, Mario, Spike, and Boomregard all got up. All three were injured, but otherwise still alive.

“We’re not licked, yet,” Spike called out. “You have something that belongs to my friends, and I’m going to take it back!” With that, he jumped up, and did a powerful Jackhammer Tail, which was followed up by Boomregard’s Boomerang Toss. Guylan, dazed by all of this, fell out of his train, the machine itself just falling to pieces on top of itself.

After a long fight, Guylan was beaten. Several Bandits and Cowboy Guys still conscious to see their leader fall had saw this looked at each other, and began to do the smart thing… run away.

“Excellent show, Mario!” Kolorado cheered, taking Mario, Spike, and Boomregard’s attention away from Guylan and the Maasawu Train. Kooper had recovered from his run-in with the train. “You’ve saved Appleloosa! I was worried when you didn’t return right away. What happened to you?”

“Well, Guylan outsmarted us for a bit,” the plumber confessed. “The last chest was booby trapped. He had us locked in a cage, taunted us, we found out our friend here was a scapegoat Guylan fed the town to keep them off track of his plans… and we escaped with the real Boomregard’s help.”

“Is that so?” Silverstar asked. Looking at Boomregard, he sighed. “Ah guess we all owe ya an apology, Boomregard. Uh… it’s okay if Ah still call ya that, right?”

“Ah guess it is, Sheriff,” Boomregard replied. “The ol’ one gave me his name, said Ah’m his legacy. It’ll be hard changin’ the name o’ Wild Spin from outlaw to hero… but when has life ever been easy?”

“Ya don’t know yer name after all o’ that?” Braeburn asked. “That’s awful, Boomregard. All o’ that effort fer nothin’.”

"I'm sorry you couldn't find out anything after pursuing Guylan," Kooper commented.

“Ah plan on lookin’ into mah past,” Boomregard vowed. “But right now, Ah feel as though as Mario an’ Spike need me more.” He then looked at Mario, and asked, “So, what say ya to finally gittin’ that Element o’ Harmony ya had been desperate to git since ya came here?” Mario nodded.

“Well, it’s ours, now,” the plumber agreed.

“Not so fast, plumber,” Guylan’s voice rang out. Mario, Spike, and Boomregard all turned to see Guylan, standing in front of the wreckage of his train bruised, pointing the gun at Mario’s group with one hand… and holding the Element with another. “Ya… ruined… EVERYTHIN’!”

“You want to go for another round?” Mario asked in surprise. Stepping towards him, Mario chided, “Look, that popgun thing is more annoying than fatal, so give yourself up already—”

BANG!

A live bullet whizzed past Mario’s face, slamming into the glass window of the General Store and splattering the insides of an apple pie everywhere in the store. It didn’t take much for the plumber to notice the smoke coming off of Guylan’s gun, and realized quickly that Guylan’s gun was real.

“Yeah, Ah agree with what yer thinkin’,” Guylan answered. “Mah boys are too stupid to actually use live guns. Now, that was a warning. Next person to take ’nother step in mah general direction, an’ ya can kiss yer game goodbye.”

“Ya still ain’t got anythin’ important left,” Braeburn pointed out. “Yer gang’s disbanded, yer plan is in ruins, an’ yer in no condition to fight, yerself. Why don’t ya just give up that there Element o’ Harmony ya got?”

“Do Ah really have nothin’ left?” Guylan asked, placing the Element on the ground before holding up his rope. He then tossed his lasso… and pulled back a familiar looking female Koopa.

“Let me go, Guylan!” Karoline spat as she was yanked over to him and held as a shield.

“Just when I thought this guy couldn’t get any lower!” Spike voiced.

“Now, here’s what’s gonna happen,” Guylan explained, holding his gun to Karoline’s head. “Ah don’t think anyone wants to see me shoot the doctor. So, yer gonna let me walk outta here, an’ make no attempts to follow me. Otherwise, well, Ah’ll let ya use yer imagination.” Boomregard scowled at this act.

“Ya really are nothin’ more than a coward,” the Boomerang Bro accused. “Ya hide behind hostages, yer big bad train, an’ yer men! Ya don’t even have the guts to finish me off like ya said ya would!”

Guylan scowled at the Boomerang Bro who had practically foiled his plans. “Yer writin’ a check yer BODY can’t pay, ‘Boomregard’. Ya ain’t the first one Ah ended.”

“Why don’t ya put yer money where yer mouth is,” Boomregard offered. “Let Dr. Karoline go, an’ face me like a man. Ya end mah game? Ya can walk with HUGE braggin’ rights an’ that there Element o’ Harmony. Ah beat ya? Well, it ain’t anythin’ the original Boomregard couldn’t have done if ya didn’t use a train against him.”

“A duel?” Guylan laughed. “Oh, this is RICH.” Pushing Karoline to the side, he told her, “Ya’ll watch this, sweetheart, as Ah end the game o’ yer boyfriend.” Guylan then put his gun in his holster, while Boomregard placed his Boomerang to his belt.

“Well,” Mario commented, “I guess a duel at high noon was inevitable during our time here.”

“It’s kind of eleven twenty-three, Mario,” Spike corrected, looking at the clock tower.

“I meant metaphorically,” the plumber replied.

Boomregard and Guylan stared only at each other while the ponies, Koopas, Toads, Spike, and Mario could do little but watch. None moved to attempt to stop them… or say a word. Not even Silverstar. A random Pokey head rolled by in place of the traditional tumbleweed. But then... Boomregard closed his eyes, focusing on nothing. Mario and Spike knew what he was doing, right away. Drawing a picture as to how he'd perform his throw.

Guylan scowled. “Draw!” he yelled, reaching for his gun. Boomregard yanked his Boomerang out, and tossed it right as Guylan pulled out his gun. Before he could pull the trigger, though, the gun was intercepted by Boomregard’s Boomerang hitting the gun, knocking the barrel upwards making Guylan waste his shot while Boomregard’s weapon flew away.

Guylan shook his head. “Valiant effort, ‘Wild Spin Boomregard’… but Ah have more shots than ya. Any last words?”

“Yeah,” the Boomerang Bro responded. “First rule o’ karma.” Guylan was about to ask what that meant, before he was smacked in the back of the head by the Boomerang, knocking him to the ground before Boomregard reached his hand up and caught it. Twirling it in his hand, Boomregard continued, “What goes ’round comes ’round. That was fer mah predecessor, the citizens o’ Appleloosa, an’ ME.”

“Curse ya… Boomregard…” the Cowboy Guy spat.

The entire town just stared. Soon enough, though, the crowd burst into cheers while Silverstar trotted over to Guylan. “Black Mask Guylan,” he spoke up, “yer under arrest. Ya have the right to remain silent. Ah wish ya exercised it.”

“This ain’t o’er, Boomregard!” Guylan yelled at the Boomerang Bro. “Sleep with one eye open from now on! Ah’ll git ya fer this someday!”

Many townsfolk were cheering about the victory, congratulating Boomregard, or apologizing to him. But the Boomerang Bro ignored all of that, instead walking towards Karoline, who was still tied up. “Are ya okay, doc?” He asked as he used his Boomerang to cut her loose.

“Ah am, now,” she smiled at him… before slapping him across the face. “But that was fer makin’ me worried sick ’bout ya all night.” She then added a second slap. “That was fer nearly gittin’ yerself killed o’er me.”

“…Ah reckon Ah deserved both o’ those,” the Boomerang Bro blushed, lowering his hat. However, Karoline surprised him by grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, and then pulling him in for a kiss on the lips.

Breaking the kiss, Karoline explained, “That was fer comin’ to save the day.”

Mario and Spike just both smirked as they walked over. “Not bad, you two,” Mario commented. “Now, about that Element…”

“Right,” Boomregard recalled, looking at the stone. He walked over to it… only for the stone to suddenly begin floating off of the ground, surprising everyone. The apple imprinted on the stone then turned towards the sky, and an image began forming. Taking the shape of—

“…Applejack?” Spike asked aloud. Indeed, the Element of Harmony had somehow managed to make a perfect holographic image of the female farm pony.

“Cousin AJ,” Braeburn questioned as he walked over, “is that you? What are ya doin’ lookin’ like that? An’ where are ya?”

"Ah’ll be honest, actually,” the holographic Applejack answered with a sheepish blush. “Ah ain’t the real Applejack. Ah’m actually the Spirit o’ Honesty.”

“Spirit of Honesty?” Mario asked, curious.

“Yeah, Ah figured that would be a question somepony would ask," the image of Applejack commented. “An’ ya chose the best Spirit to make the explanation. Ya see, to make it simple, Ah the Spirit o’ the Element o’ Honesty, one o’ the six Elements o’ Harmony. The only reason Ah look an’ talk like this is because Ah figured it would be the most convenient to take on the image o’ the Bearer o’ Honesty.”

“And that’s Applejack?” Mario concluded.

“Now yer gittin’ it,” the Spirit of Honesty nodded. “To save ya the trouble o’ figurin' out which Element goes with which pony, let me tell ya: Applejack is Honesty, Fluttershy is Kindness, Pinkie Pie is Laughter, Rarity is Generosity, Rainbow Dash is Loyalty… an’ Twilight Sparkle has the most powerful Element, ‘the Magic of Friendship’. Or ‘Magic’ fer short. But that’s not what Ah have to talk ’bout. Ah need to let ya know ’bout what’s goin’ on in Equestria.”

“Uh, what’s going on?” Spike asked the Spirit.

“As ya’ll no doubt know,” the Spirit began, “the night o’ the attack on Canterlot by the Colts o' Nocturne an' their leader, Sirius Nebula, the Elements o’ Harmony were— fer the first time in o’er a thousand years— scattered throughout Equestria by the Bearer o’ the Element o’ Magic, Twilight. Ah don’t know whether it was in response to Twilight’s emotion o’ rage she had fer what happened to Spike, an act o’ desperation to keep the Elements out o’ the attackers’ hooves, or a combination o’ both, but Twilight sent the Elements throughout this land. However smart it was, though, this has a slight side effect nopony was informed ’bout.”

“Before you continue,” Mario interrupted, “does this involve ANY form of ancient prophecy where the fate of the world as we know it depends on someone finding and reuniting the Elements of Harmony?”

“Ah guess somepony DOES know ’bout how this!” the Spirit of Honesty replied with a smile. “That makes mah job so much easier! An’ boy, this is one doozy o’ a prophecy, too!”

“Wait a second,” Spike remarked. “Twilight and her friends already FOUND the Elements of Harmony a few years ago. How is this any different?”

“Oh, right,” the Spirit of Honesty blushed. “Not everypony knows what we're talkin' 'bout. Ya see, has anypony here ever heard o’ a dark book called ‘The Dark Prognosticus’? It has the power to foretell many futures. However, it’s mainly unhappy ones. In fact, it’s been said that this prophecy that’s been set in motion was once foretold by this book.”

“I have,” Mario answered. “And I stopped its ultimate prophecy that would have resulted in the destruction of the multiverse with the help of Luigi, Peach, and my arch enemy.”

“Really?” the Spirit of Honesty commented. She looked at him curiously. “Ah can sense yer tellin’ the truth. That’s amazin’. Well, lucky fer us, this here prophecy ain’t THAT bad. Ya see, it starts with Ponies discoverin’ the ‘Path o’ Mushrooms’… or, to put it bluntly, ‘Warp Pipes’. Then, the scatterin’ o’ us Elements o’ Harmony, the Bearers defeated an’ captured. This will result in the balance o’ Harmony in the land fallin’ out o’ whack, an’ the true return o’ ‘Nighttime Eternal’. At least, that’s all Ah can remember….”

“All you can remember?” Boomregard asked.

“Ah’m sorry,” the Spirit of Honesty confessed. “After a thousand years o’ hibernation, it’s a little hard to properly remember ancient predictions that were made o’er a thousand five hundred years ago. Ah just remember bits o’ it, right now.”

“Ah guess yer like me, Spirit ma’am,” Boomregard replied. “Ah don’t remember much, either.”

“…Ah think Ah just remembered somethin’ else,” the Spirit of Honesty gasped, looking at Boomregard. “It’s somethin’ ’bout how to stop the prophecy from comin’ true. The true Bearers ain’t able to take up the Elements, right now… but two heroes, a man in red, an’ a being o’ purple an’ green must travel throughout the land can find six new souls who will bond to take them in their stead."

Spike and Mario instantly looked at each other, confused, and then at the Spirit. Spike questioned, “Wait, so what you’re saying, Miss Spirit of Honesty, is that Mario and I are chosen heroes who will find you ‘Temporary Bearers’? That’s all we’re here for on this adventure? That stinks... I thought we'd be heroes.”

“That's all Ah know 'bout ya,” the Spirit of Honesty replied. "Sorry fer gittin' yer hopes up a'bout that... but yer still savin' Equestria. Just not the way ya were expectin'."

"But... what about my friends?" Spike asked, letting his age show with tears in his eyes about the news he was technically replacing his friends with six random strangers. "What about Twilight... and Rarity?"

“Ah know it sounds weird… perhaps even a little wrong to replace the Bearers, even fer a short time. Especially considerin’ how close ya are to the real deals, Spike. However, there ain’t no way they can do their duty right now… an’ if Sirius, the villian who bucked this prophecy into gear, got his hooves on the Elements, he’d no doubt force the real Bearers into usin’ the Elements fer his plans. This way, ya can use our power to stop him without riskin' the Elements fallin to him.”

“…I see,” Spike sighed. "I... I hope Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and the real Applejack can forgive me..."

“Well,” Boomregard spoke up, “we better git movin’ if we’re gonna find yer Temporary Bearer, Miss Honesty. Any idea who she is?”

“HE is standin’ right in front o’ me, if mah memory is comin’ back,” the Spirit of Honesty answered, looking at Boomregard. Mario, Spike, and Boomregard all looked at each other.

“Uh, all six of the original Bearers were FEMALE,” Mario pointed out. “And ponies, for that matter. No offense to Boomregard, but would a male Koopa work?”

“Yeah, this type o’ chosen one thing ain’t too picky fer species o’ gender,” the Spirit of Honesty replied. “All Ah remember about the Temporary Bearer o’ Honesty is that it’s ‘a wielder of a spinning wing with a mysterious identity in pursuit o’ the truth’. Sounds kinda like this gentlecolt… er, ‘Koopa’.”

“Me?” Boomregard asked. Blushing, he stammered, “Uh, shucks, thank ya fer considerin’ me, ma’am… but Ah don’t even know mah true NAME. Ah’m just goin’ by the one everybody’s willin’ to call me, 'cause Ah ain't got anythin' else.”

“But ya pursue yer true identity, never once givin’ up on yer quest to find out who ya are," the Spirit of Honesty smirked. “That’s pursuin’ Honesty if Ah ever seen it. So… ya don’t mind if Ah call ya Boomregard, right?”

“At this point, ma’am,” the Boomerang Bro replied, “it’s the closest thing Ah’ve got to a name.”

“Good,” the Spirit of Honesty nodded. “Now, then, ‘Boomregard’… will ya kindly take up mah power fer the time bein', an’ use it to save Equestria? Will ya take up the title as Bearer o' Honesty in Applejack's stead?”

“Ah’d be honored,” Boomregard declared. Soon enough, the spirit disappeared, and the Element itself seemed to begin to crack. The stone then broke apart, revealing that the Element had again changed shape. It was now a golden wristband with an orange apple jewel encrusted into it… but with a Boomerang imprinted into the Apple. Boomregard stuck his left wrist out, and the Element had clamped itself on him.

“How… how does it feel?” Spike asked.

“It feels strange,” the Boomerang Bro replied. “But, it feels like this is a badge o’ honor Ah’m wearin’ that Ah shouldn't be. An’ Ah promise that it’ll be given to its proper owner.”

“That we all promise,” Mario agreed. “No lie.”

“Ditto,” Spike said, putting his hand out. "Although I don't like this a bit, we have to do this." Mario placed his on top of the Dragon’s knowing what was going on. Boomregard put his hand on top of Mario’s, and the Element of Honesty began to glow, signifying that its spark had been reignited.

YOU GOT THE ELEMENT OF HONESTY!

Mario has now unlocked Element Power! He now can use the Special Move, “Truth’s Relief” to recover the party’s HP and FP!

END OF CHAPTER!

Mario and Spike had traveled to the San Palomino Desert and the town of Appleloosa in their quest to find the Elements. There, they ran into an amnesiac Boomerang Bro mistaken to be Boomregard, an outlaw who had once helped Guylan terrorize the town, only to have a change of heart towards Guylan's increasingly ruthless tactics. Unfortunately, the real Boomregard met an untimely end… but the Boomregard that has now Mario and Spike after besting Guylan and disbanding his band of thieves will be a valuable ally in their quest to save the world from the Colts of Nocturne, especially now that this prophecy has come to light.

As the town celebrated their fight won, Spike could not help but worry about the prophecy. “So, we have to find five other random heroes and have them become temporary Bearers?” the baby Dragon asked aloud. Mario realized how troublesome this quest actually was going to be. Sure, they had the first Bearer— their friend, the new Boomregard— but Spike had a point. They would not only have to race to find the Elements of Harmony, but find all six heroes who could use their power, each representing the virtues of the Elements.

For them, it was obvious that Boomregard represented Honesty by his pursuit of the truth of his own path and seeing through the lies of Guylan. But Mario remembered the other Elements. Alongside the Elements, they would need to find the following: a soul whose kindness knew no bounds, a soul who could make anyone laugh, a soul willing to sacrifice their own happiness for others, a soul who would never betray their close friends and family, and a soul who could use great power with the help of true friends. It sounded far from easy, as he had no description as to who these six souls would be.

But those were not the only questions on Mario and Spike’s minds. “Were the Princesses, Luigi, Yoshi, and the Toads okay in Canterlot? Had Goombella found any more news on the Elements’ locations? What other dangers awaited them? How were the Colts of Nocturne planning on bringing Nighttime Eternal like in the prophecy? And what had become of the true Bearers?” Mario and Spike’s quest had only begun…

Saving all progress… Do not turn off the power.

Your progress has been saved.

Author's Note

Ladies, gentlemen, children, and Ukikis, I must confess. I would have gotten this uploaded earlier if not for college. For that, I'm sorry.

Also, FINALLY! I get to use explosives! ...Sorry, the lack of explosions got on my nerves fast, but I wanted to see just how far I could go without using one. That... didn't take long. Anyways, don't worry about their use... I mean, when in the Paper Mario franchise have explosions killed anyone? ...Um, maybe I don't want that question answered.

1) Yeah... I'm sure you all figured this out by now, but our Boomregard this whole time has been a fake. Unfortunately, our real one... he died. Yeah, I can't make any jokes about that. And if you can, well... please keep them to yourself.

Anyways, if Guylan's plans didn't mark him as an evil Shy Guy back then, well, here's THIS chapter. Yeah, all of that just happened. And if you think THAT'S bad, that's just one villain. Wait until you see what OTHER scumbags I can think up of.

2) Boss fight in Appleloosa? Sure! Because why not!? It's one of the best places to have that... as well as have Boomregard KO Guylan.

3) Okay, so, I have now successfully ended Chapter 1, I suppose I have some explaining to do...

So, you're probably wondering why a train? Because I figured since we're going to the west, we would inevitably need a train SOMEWHERE in this chapter. So, yeah, it's the boss. And not even the train itself, either. It's the guy controling the train whose exposed.

Something I'm probably going to get a LOT more comments for, however, would no doubt be the Spirit of Honesty. You're all probably asking for justifications about the Spirit. Well, to be honest, I figured that in order to better represent the Bearers while they have been kidnapped, the Spirits had chosen to take on their images so Mario and Spike would have an easier time talking to the Spirits that represent the virtues of the Elements of Harmony.

Also, the concept of the Temporary Bearers... it's exactly as it sounds like. Controversial? Probably. But I'm not the first person to write a story where the canon Bearers have been replaced by others (see Substitute Harmony), so I cannot say it's my original idea, and in the show, a replacement Bearer has been attempted with minimal success. Also, in my Intro, I did foreshadow that something like this was going to happen. So, if you read the intro, the story decriptions, and paid attention to them, this is NOT coming right the heck outta nowhere. Now, remember: The real Bearers are still alive, just unable to do their duties as the Bearers of the Elements, and that is causing the balance of Harmony to shift away.

The second-to-last issue I want to address... the true Boomregard's death. I had planned out his death for a while, now, but it's a rather somber point. I'm not going to try to cover that up, but I want you all to know that this isn't going to be a completely sad story from here on out. The story will still be humorous, but I'm not going to make any jokes about death. Think Super Paper Mario in terms of atmosphere for later parts.

And finally, I know it's a rather shaggy dog story at this point for our current Wild Spin Boomregard. I know, and I'm sorry for it. Don't think, however, I'm going to abandon his "finding out who I really am" story, though. Notice that there's a second town that has a western theme of sorts in Equestria we MAY go to at another point. As well as a hint of how we may find out about this Boomregard's past and true name... that in real life would only cost about $5 USD.

Anyways, that's the end of Chapter 1! Say goodbye to Team Mario for awhile, as the next part might be the entire interlude with a few other characters! Oh, and some things may blow your mind. TOODLES!

Chapter 1 Interlude

-PEACH-

Canterlot- Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy

Peach, Luigi, Daisy, and Toadette all entered the conference hall, looks of confusion evident on their faces. There, they saw Yoshi, Toad, and Toadsworth talking to Celestia and Luna.

“Ah, Princess,” Toadsworth greeted Peach upon seeing her. “There you are! I was growing worried that you would be late.”

“Toadsworth,” Daisy questioned, “Toadette asked us to come up here?”

“It was upon my request,” Celestia confessed, floating a scroll over to Peach. “I had just received another letter from Spike, and this shows that he and Mario have already recovered the first Element of Harmony.”

“Really?” Peach asked with a look of delight on her face. “Well, that was certainly quick of them!”

“That’s my Bro!” Luigi smirked. “He’s a superstar when it comes to adventures like this!”

Dear Princesses… and everypony else,

“Hey!” Yoshi scowled as Peach read that part aloud. Peach chose to ignore the dinosaur’s complaining and continue reading.

It turns out that Mario’s old friend Goombella appeared to be onto something. With her guidance, we managed to discover one of the landing sites of the Elements of Harmony. It was in the San Palomino Desert, and it was recovered by a group of outlaws. Don’t worry though… with the help of our new friend Boomregard, we managed to recover the Element of Honesty.

However, something… weird happened when we recovered it. For some odd reason, the Element projected an image of Applejack, who claimed to be the Spirit of Honesty. She told us about how the attack on Canterlot and the scattering of the Elements of Harmony upset the balance of Equestria and began a second prophecy that could bring about Nighttime Eternal. Also, in order to prevent it, Mario and I have been chosen to find six Temporary Bearers.

I’m a little scared of what’s going on, especially because the Spirit of Honesty could not truly remember everything. However, I don’t bring that up in front of Mario and Boomregard… especially since our Boomerang Bro friend is now the Bearer of Honesty as of now. We have five more Elements and five more Temporary Bearers to find.

Princess Celestia… I beg you. If you can find ANY information on Twilight, I’d appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Spike

P.S.,

There was also a strange glowing off of the Element when Mario and I touched it. I don’t know why, but I can’t help but feel stronger.

“Aw,” Peach sighed in a motherly tone. “Spike really misses the Bearers! Especially Twilight….”

“That’s so sweet of him!” Toadette remarked. “At the same time, so sad.”

“I cannot blame him,” Celestia nodded with a few tears in her eyes. “He’s only a baby Dragon… and one raised by ponies, no less. Twilight Sparkle is the closest thing to a mother he has.”

“Poor little guy,” Daisy remarked. “Missing his friends and family, and the only one who can help him physically is Mario. He probably would be lost without Mario.”

“Uh, Princesses,” Toad interjected, “I hate to break the mood, but what was that about an ancient prophecy that he brought up? Something about how the balance of Harmony in the kingdom has been thrown out of whack and it is going to bring about Nighttime Eternal?”

Luna scowled, “The Mushroom Retainer without a unique name is right, sister. This is interesting news that needs immediate investigation.”

“Uh, I’m still here,” Toad muttered, feeling somewhat insulted.

“Oh, right,” Peach recalled. “We probably should look into it.”

“Right, then,” Luna nodded. “The easiest place to start would be the Canterlot National Library. Sister, where did you have the library built, again?”

“I would have to say a bit south of the castle,” Celestia remembered. “It should be next to the statue of our mentor, Starswirl the Bearded.”

“How I loved playing with the bells on his hat and cape as a filly,” Luna smiled. “It was indeed good times. Anyways, I will head down there, and begin looking. Princess Peach, care to join me in a bit of light reading?”

“If it helps Mario and Spike,” Peach nodded.

“Well, perhaps I’ll join you all,” Toadsworth suggested. “A little reading with a spot of tea will certainly help me relax in such a dreary atmosphere. Princess Daisy? Princess Celestia? Master Luigi? Young Toad?”

“Thanks for the offer,” Daisy declined, “but I’m going to be going back to what I was doing before… trying to figure out a flaw in the barricade spell so we can get out of here.”

“And I just remembered that there is somepony who the Colts of Nocturne failed to account for and is right now left unchecked… in the Beanbean Kingdom.”

“You’re not talking about HIM, are you?” Luna asked. “I still think it was a bad idea to send him as our ambassador.”

“Well, the Queen certainly liked him,” Celestia whispered. “Anyways, I’ll be trying to get in contact with him.”

“I’ll go,” Luigi offered, only to have the back of his overalls pulled by Daisy.

“Actually,” Daisy declared, “Luigi, I’d rather you be next to me. You have a higher jump than I do, and we can actually investigate together with Toad and Yoshi.”

“Wait, what?” Toad asked. “You want my help with that?”

“Well,” Luigi blushed, “okay, Princess…”

“Aw, you’re such a sweetheart,” Daisy smiled at the green plumber. “Well, we better get going, boys!”

“If you guys find any books on exotic Equestrian fruits, tell me,” Yoshi voiced before he left with the other three members of Daisy’s escape plan. Peach, Luna, and Toadsworth all had a bit of a laugh at Yoshi’s craving of fruit and Luigi’s blushing at Daisy’s insistence before walking out.

Canterlot Library

After a bit of walking, Peach, Luna, and Toadsworth all saw a giant statue of a bearded Unicorn stallion wearing a lavish cape and wizard’s hat, both articles of clothing decorated in bells.

Luna explained, “Back when I was a foal, my sister and I were among many of Starswirl the Bearded’s apprentices. He created hundreds of spells that most Unicorns even to this day use, and wrote several theses on the art of spell casting. He was also a skilled adventurer. Some ponies say that he’s the Father of modern magic.”

“That’s amazing,” Toadsworth said in awe. “But… I must ask why he has an entire wing dedicated to him.”

“Over the years of my sister’s thousand-year rule,” Luna answered, “many scholars and historians discovered some of Starswirl’s ancient writings and spells, some of which can only be used by high-level Unicorns. Perhaps even predictions Starswirl had found out. I mean, there are time spells in there…”

“Wow,” Peach commented. “And we’re allowed inside?”

“I’ll be honest, Princess Peach,” the Princess of the Night answered. “Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be allowed this close to this hall, as my sister has guards patrolling here. It is a restricted section due to how potentially dangerous several of the tomes and spells are in there if they got into the wrong hooves. Only teachers at my sister's School for Gifted Unicorns, members of the royal family, or upper level students have access. However, due to a crisis like this, I’m pretty sure they won’t mind you in here. Besides, they couldn’t say no to me or my sister… or Twilight Sparkle, due to her high connections. Anyways, shall we go in?”

The three entered the library, which greeted them with rows of books, scrolls, and ancient tomes all throughout the wall. “Let’s see, here,” Luna voiced, looking around. “Let’s try under the letter ‘P’. There should be a book called ‘Predictions and Prophecies’. That will no doubt have some clue as to what is going on.”

“Um, Princess Luna,” the old Toad asked. “I remember you talking about you being Nightmare Moon not too long ago, and ‘Nighttime Eternal’ was your plan. So, why wouldn’t you or Princess Celestia know about this prophecy?”

“This prophecy sounds like it’s from the time of the Ancients,” Luna responded. “The Elements of Harmony are much older than me and my sister and I. So, the Spirits representing the virtues of the Elements would only be as old as the Elements themselves. The Spirits coming out now to warn us of this now means that this has been coming for a long time. Let’s at least try.”

Peach, meanwhile, had wandered through the tomes, eventually spotting a dark blue book placed in a bookcase sticking slightly out of the bookcase with a purple and green bookmark sticking out of it. Peach, curious, grabbed the book and read the title.

“The Assemblers of Harmony by Starswirl the Bearded?” Peach asked aloud, looking at it. The bookmark signaled that the book’s previous reader had gotten rather far in it. Peach knew that she should ignore the book, but her infamously curious nature screamed, “Read at least a bit of it”. She turned to the first chapter in the book, labeled, “The Beginning of the Dark Prognosticus’ Prediction”.

I still do not understand why the Tribe of Ancients had chosen to entrust me with this cursed Dark Prognosticus for this time being. What makes it worse is that they and I both know that the readers of the book will not be able to find a happy future for themselves from its pages, yet I’m inclined to keep reading it. I have deliberately chosen to ignore my future, though. Instead, I’m going to focus on any prophecies that can affect our newfound land of Equestria as a whole.

I have found a candidate after some time searching the pages. What I have found is far disturbing for our country. The Dark Prognosticus speaks of the discovery of a ‘Green Path of Mushrooms’ in the darkness of the Everfree. It then mentions a man in red with a bushy mustache that can rival my beard in luxury and a purple creature’s fall from a mountain… and the most powerful magical objects in our new land, the ‘Elements of Harmony’ being scattered by a Mare of Magic in response to the actions of a Stallion of the Night, who uses the magic of the Crystal Usurper.

It has been said that the Elements of Harmony— even dormant— must stay in close proximity to each other; otherwise, the balance of our kingdom’s harmonious nature will fall apart. I do not understand the rest of this right now, but I know for certain that for the good of Equestria that the Elements must never get farther apart from each other than the radius of a small town. I will pass piece of information to my students, Celestia and Luna while I attempt to figure out the rest of the prophecy.

If it takes the rest of my days, I must take the steps necessary to stop the Elements from ever being separated, as well as trying to find a way to circumvent the other signs that the prophecy has begun.

“I guess even the most powerful ponies have their limits,” Peach sadly remarked. “Wait a minute… this book…” Gasping in surprise, Peach realized, “This foretells the events that led up to our arrival in Canterlot, as well what happened that night!” Peach then turned to the next chapter, which was labeled, “Temporary Bearers”

I have spent the past months continuing to translate the Dark Prognosticus. I know it’s supposed to be nothing more than a book, but I can’t help but feel that the book and its words are actually alive. Almost as if it is readings my thoughts as I write and attempts to stop me from saving Equestria.

Anyways, what I managed to get out of it, however, is rather shocking. Should the prophecy come to pass and the Elements are scattered, the true Bearers at the time would not be in a position to control the physical Elements, since they will fall prey to the Stallion of the Night I mentioned before and be held captive. Unable to take up the Elements, the land of Equestria— perhaps even the entire world we live in— will have its harmony upset, and will lie in ruins unless the Elements are reunited by the full moon after the attack.

The Dark Prognosticus right now fails to tell me what locations would be the Elements’ precise landing points. However, I did learn something about the aforementioned man in red and being of purple. Although the last time I consulted the Dark Prognosticus made me assume both of them died, they survive the fall from the mountain. After recovering from their injuries, the two would go seeking the Elements. But not only would they seek the Elements, but they would seek six other brave souls whose actions and personalities resemble the six virtues of the Elements. They will be placed with the temporary burden of reigniting the harmony of Equestria. And they will find the temporary Bearers near the locations of the Elements when they fall.

I still do not know much about the man in red or the purple creature, but if they are able to help save the world as we know it, I will not question their interactions. Still, to be on the safe side, I must investigate these two characters.

“He’s… talking about Mario and Spike?” Peach asked, curious. Peach then looked at the next chapter title, “A Shocking Discovery”. It was where the bookmark was placed. “Starswirl… what did you find out?”

I had spent too much time lost in the pages of the Dark Prognosticus, and I think it’s starting to affect me. I’ve barely eaten or slept in days, desperately trying to maneuver my way through the pages to avert this disaster I had discovered, yet at the same time avoiding looking at my own fate. Why can’t these Ancients hurry up and return for the book?

My bitter writing aside, I feel as though as I’ve found another clue. For starters, starting the next Full Moon after the attack, there will be a time limit. If the Elements of Harmony are not reunited by the time the full becomes full again, it will be too late to fix the Harmony in Equestria. Furthermore, while the man in red and the purple creature can find the Temporary Bearers and the Elements, that alone will not return Equestria to its normal, harmonic state. There is still the matter of reigniting the Elements’ true power. And returning the Elements to their Bearers won’t be enough. Only when the Elements are used by both the True Bearers and the Temporary ones will save Equestria and the world from the destruction of Harmony.

But that is not the only issue. In my desperation to avoid that primary problem, I had forgotten about the issue of Nighttime Eternal, the goal of the Stallion of the Night. He and his fellow zealots worship a being of darkness that is powerful enough to blot out the sun for all eternity with the moon. Our planet would eventually freeze. But in order to truly enact this plan, strong magic must be used. Magic that is beyond the power of his own, as well as the Crystal Usurper… he must use the Elements of Harmony.

The Elements must never fall into his hooves. For if their power is used by him… he can bring this powerful creature into our plain of existence.

Peach gasped, horrified. She dropped the book, too scared of what she had just discovered to read any further. Sirius, had he gotten his hooves on the Elements, could have used them to bring Nightmare Moon back, free from Luna? Also, the true Bearers had to get their Elements back sometime soon. And with them trapped in Canterlot... she couldn't see what phase of the moon it was.

“Princess?” Toadsworth’s voice called out, ending her fear. Peach turned to Toadsworth and Luan, who were walking up to her.

“What is the matter, Princess Peach?” Luna asked. “It looks as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I think I found something horrible about that prophecy,” Peach voiced. “I’ll tell when we’re back with Princess Celestia and the others. We need to let Mario know right away!” With that, the three walked out.

-??????-

Princess Peach’s Castle, Mushroom Kingdom

Many Toads were abuzz throughout Peach’s Castle, cleaning every corner, dusting every chandelier, and organizing every room.

“Alright, everybody,” an older Toad, the Minister of Mushroom Castle, spoke up. He had a white mustache that dropped off of his old face. The spots on his cap were a bluish green, and he wore a red robe over most of his body. “We must hurry up. We have no idea when Princess Peach will return, but I want this place absolutely spotless when she does! Let’s go! Chop-chop!”

The Toads, all eager to please their Princess, continued to work without any worries. Except, of course, for one minor complaint. And by “minor”, I mean that the wall to the right of the front door just suddenly let in a massive breeze. And by that—

BOOOOM!!!

…Okay, the wall exploded. This act sent the Toads in the hall instantly running in fear and for cover, especially once they saw who it was.

“Aah! We’re under attack!” one of them screamed. “IT’S KING BOWSER!” Sure enough, it was the massive Koopa King of Evil stomping his way through the hole.

“GWAA HA HA HA!” Bowser laughed at the fear that the Mushroom Retainers had. “Ya know what, buddy? I should have done something like that YEARS ago! Forget all of the complicated invasion stuff! I’m just going for the direct approach!” Turning towards the hole, he smirked, “Ya see, kids? I didn’t need a huge plan! At this point, these Shroom-heads can’t even properly TRY to stop me!”

“You mean you’re not alone this time!?” one of the Toads asked. “As in… you brought THEM!?”

“Yep!” Bowser grinned. “I figured it was time for a traditional family reunion. Isn’t that right, my beloved Koopalings?” As if on cue, eight Koopas smashed a second hole through the wall on the other side of the door.

“Man, I love it when King Dad just smashes through walls like they’re nothin’!” the pink shelled, sunglass-wearing Koopaling Roy Koopa chuckled, cracking his knuckles.

“That we can agree on, Roy!” the brown skinned Morton Koopa, Jr., voiced. “It’s always fun watching King Dad work!”

“Must you two brutes ruin our dramatic entrance by talking about smashing stuff?” the sole female Koopaling, Wendy O. Koopa, asked them. “Honestly, all you boys like doing outside of Roy picking us younger than him and Morton running his mouth is talking about smashing things. At least Lemmy likes blowing things up and improving his circus act to make a change of pace in conversations with you boys.”

“Yep!” the short, rainbow Mohawk haired Lemmy Koopa smiled, blissfully unaware that it was more of an insult made by his sister more than a compliment. “Anyways, King Dad, when can we see the Mario Bros.? Iggy said they’d hear the attack and come running as usual.”

“…Wow,” the green haired, glasses-wearing Iggy Koopa voiced. “That was surprisingly the smartest thing that ever came out of Lemmy’s mouth. We weren’t exactly subtle with this attack, so they should have come running by now. I mean, we did bring the airships and packed them with all of the Koopa Troopas, Goombas, Magikoopas, Hammer Bros, Boomerang Bros, Fire Bros, Ice Bros, the all-new Thunder Bros, Chain Chomps, Bullet Bill Blasters, Koopatrols, Boos, the new Waddlewings from that Acorn Plains place, and Duplighosts we could fit. Heck, we even asked the Koopa Bros. to join in on this party.”

"Is that our cue to join this bash, dudes?" a voice yelled from the outside.

"Not yet!" Wendy answered. "Wait until Mario shows up!"

“Do you guys think it was a bad idea to load up the airships that much?” the light blue haired Larry Koopa asked, spinning a tennis racket in one hand and a magic wand in the other.

“Blame Jr. for wanting to be thorough,” Iggy argued.

“Hey,” the youngest of the bunch, a small Koopa with a white bandana with a crayon drawn sinister grin, spoke up. Bowser Jr. Koopa pointed out, “Mario’s beaten us too many times! I want to have everything we can to take him down this time!”

“Vell, regardless,” the dark blue wild haired Koopaling named Ludwig von Koopa interjected in his accent, “Mario is not here… nor seems to be Princess Peach, for zat matter. She no doubt should have heard ze explosions.”

“Don’t you just love it when these troublesome tykes get together?” Bowser smiled with the sense of joy only a father could have. Turning back to the Toads, he scowled, “Okay, time for me to get back on task! Where’s Princess Peach? I'm kind of a tight schedule, here, so I don't have time for a full hostile takeover. Though, if anyone wants to offer themselves as hostages, feel free to surrender yourselves now.”

“Uh… um… she’s not here…” one of the Toads stammered, fear on his eyes. Mario’s arch nemesis opened his eyes, shocked by this news.

“…What did you say?” the Koopa King asked the Toad.

“Your Brashness!” an older voice shouted out. Bowser and his children all turned to the door, where an old female Magikoopa wearing purple floated in next to a somewhat younger male Magikoopa who wore blue on broomsticks. “You and the Koopalings left without relaying your orders,” the older Magikoopa, Kammy Koopa, scolded Bowser.

“Not to mention both you and your kids just casually smashed through the wall,” the younger one, Kamek, added. “If your entire plan was to just burst in here and intimidate them into handing over Princess Peach, then knocking through walls is rather pointless.”

“But cool-looking, Your Destructiveness,” Kammy remarked, trying to save face and avoid Bowser's wrath. “Anyways, where’s Princess Peach? Do we already have her? That must have been the quickest kidnapping we've gone through."

“Uh, no,” Bowser scowled. “And where WERE you guys!? One of you was supposed to come up with the plan BEFORE I decided to just wing it, today!”

“What do you mean we don’t have her?” Kamek asked.

“Yeah,” Jr. voiced. “Apparently, these Toads say that Princess Peach isn’t here.”

“And it absolutely IRRITATES ME!” Bowser whined. Stomping his foot on the ground, he commented, “I went all out on this! I have the eight castles ready to go! I asked the Koopa Bros. to make a return into the spotlight, and they're on the airship! I even got all of my kids eager to join us on this one! And Princess Peach ISN’T here!?” Bowser then turned back towards the hall, and yelled, “Alright, you Shroom Snacks! Somebody better tell me where Princess Peach is right now!” When they all turned, though… the room was empty.

“Zey must have used zis time ve vere distracted to escape,” Ludwig suggested. “Perhaps ve should start looking.”

“Ugh, I hate having to go around trying to find the right Toad who will squeal like a Lil’ Oink,” Bowser groaned. “Let’s get this over with so I can find Princess Peach and trounce Mario. You guys stay here in case he shows up before I find that Minister guy. He always knows what’s up with Princess Peach. This should only take a few minutes."

With that, Bowser began stomping through the halls of the castle. Bowser, over the years of attacking it, knew everything he needed to know about the interior of Peach’s Castle, including realistic hiding places that the Minister would hide. And that would most likely be on the upper level which was a simple walk up the steps and through the brown double doors with a star emblem on it. Bowser simply tore the left door off of its hinges, and walked through the open hole.

“…Well,” Larry voiced, “to be technical, King Dad DID use the door that time. But he seems really angry, so… who wants wants to go up there to make sure he's calm? One, two three, NOT IT!"

“NOT IT!” all of the Koopalings and Bowser Jr. all agreed. This caused Kammy and Kamek to look at each other, worry on their faces

A red-masked, red shelled Koopa Troopa (really a Ninjakoopa) stuck his head through the hole in the wall and asked, "Um, dudes... should we come in now?"

"Go back onto the airship!" Kammy ordered. "King Bowser is absolutely livid, and we're trying to find out who has the unfortunate job of checking up on him due to his blood pressure!"

"Okay," the Red Ninjakoopa nodded, turning around and walking out of the hole.

"You do realize we could have just sent one of the Koopa Bros. to check on King Bowser, right?" Kamek suggested. Kammy realized what she just did, and groaned.

"Um... straws?" she asked, summoning a handful of straws and a pair of safety scissors to hold up to the group.

Upstairs, Bowser was stomping through the castle, passing the shaking Toads who desperately hid behind the various furniture. Bowser grabbed a random table, spotting a maid Toad holding a baby, who predictably began crying at the sight of a giant, fire-breathing, spiked shelled Koopa.

“Please, King Bowser,” the maid begged, “do what you will with me! Don’t hurt my baby! Oh, why did we schedule today to be 'Take-your-child-to-work day'?”

“I'm not in the mood, lady,” Bowser scowled. “But right now, tell me either where your Minister is or where Princess Peach is… NOW!”

“Princess Peach… she’s not in the Mushroom Kingdom right now!” the maid responded.

“Okay, what!?” Bowser roared. “First she doesn’t bother showing herself, and now she’s decided to get kidnapped by someone else!? Where!?” The maid, however, chose a third option… faint out of fear, the baby staring up at the Koopa King with tears in his eyes. Bowser groaned. “…Or you can do that. Have a baby cry at me. Get me a bit more steamed. Great... I’m gonna go find that Minister and give him a piece of my mind.” The Koopa King then asked the next Toad, “You! Where’s the Minister of this Castle?”

“Uh, he’s probably hiding near the balcony,” the Toad confessed. “Please don’t eat me!”

“You wouldn’t even be an appetizer, short stuff!” Bowser scoffed. “But thanks for telling me where to look.” With that, Bowser trounced through another set of doors.

“Why does he keep doing that!?” one of the Toads demanded as the doors just clattered to the floor, having been ripped off the hinges.

Bowser ignored them, walking down the long hall. Eventually, though, he found a huge set of furniture barricading the doorway. This would have been a problem for anybody who wanted to get to their target… but not for an angry Koopa King.

“Now, what was that thing Kammy said to do in situations like this?” Bowser asked aloud. “I think she said something like, ‘Your Controlfulness, just repeatedly tap an object you want to burn down on the GamePad’s Touch Screen while in Field Mode’? I don’t know where she got that, but, it’s burning time!” Bowser then inhaled, and set the furniture pile, as well as the door behind it, aflame. Soon, everything in front of Bowser was reduced to ash, leaving only a massive hole Bowser could just walk through to confront the Minister.

“Please, Bowser,” the old Toad begged, “have mercy! Haven’t you wrecked the castle enough?”

“Maybe,” Bowser replied, “but I haven’t wrecked YOUR FACE enough!” Picking up the Minister, he ordered, “Now… tell me who kidnapped Princess Peach THIS time and where did they take her!”

“Nobody kidnapped the Princess!” the Minister answered. “She’s on vacation!” Bowser’s absolute rage seemed to suddenly vanish at those words.

“…Vacation?” he asked, disturbingly quieter, dropping the Minister. “As in… she’s on holiday?”

“Yes, actually,” the old Toad explained. “You see, Princess Peach had been offered by royals from a faraway land to come visit to negotiate trade regulations and partake in its beauty. And she didn’t go alone, either. She invited loyal Toadsworth, Princess Daisy, Toad, Toadette, a Yoshi, and, of course, the Mario Bros. to go with her!”

Bowser scowled. “Well, that changes a lot… however, she seemed to have missed ME on the guest list! Where was my invitation? It certainly wasn’t in the mail this morning!”

“Your Angriness!” Kammy spoke up. The old Magikoopa floated in, concern on her face. “I… couldn’t help but notice the path of destruction you cut on your way up here. And not because I got the shortest straw when we finally decided to draw straws, but I came to check up on you….”

“I’m not mad that Peach isn’t here, anymore, Kammy,” Bowser told her. “I AM, however, absolutely livid that the Princess chose to bail out of being kidnapped to instead go on vacation with just about everybody but ME! I mean, she didn't even bother inviting me! Well, I’m not gonna stand for that! We’re going after her and on a vacation of our own!”

“Really?” Kammy asked with the biggest smile on her elderly face. “Oh, how I LOVE vacations! Where are we going?”

“Oh, right, almost forgot,” Bowser replied. Turning to the Minister, he asked, “So, where did Peach choose to go?”

“…Princess, forgive me for being such a coward,” the old Toad sighed. “She went to the land of ponies, Equestria! It’s supposedly a Land of Harmony.”

Bowser thought about this. “A land of talking ponies?" After a bit of thinking, though, Bowser just shrugged. "Ya know, I’ve seen freakier when I reluctantly teamed up with Mario, Princess Peach, and his Green ’Stache of a brother to save the multiverse. Anyways, Kammy, go tell Iggy to set us a course to this Equestria place.”

“Of course, Your Pushiness,” Kammy nodded. Bowser and Kammy then walked down, ready to head out, leaving the Minister to realize what he had unleashed.

“Those poor ponies are about to get visited by Bowser,” he breathed. “What have I done?”

-????????-

Unknown Location

“…Twilight! Wake up, sugar cube! Ya gotta git up!”

Twilight Sparkle only saw darkness as she finally awoke. She could barely remember what had happened to her. All she remembered was welcoming Princess Peach and her entourage to Canterlot… then the meeting between the Princesses… then Rainbow literally crashing the meeting, partly frozen… followed by an attack on Canterlot. She and her friends had managed to repel the attackers, and get to the Elements of Harmony… only for the leader of the invaders, some Sirius Nebula, walked in, and offered them a chance to surrender. Sirius, when they refused, had them frozen by some weird Pegasus that could use Ice Magic. Then, that red-wearing man… Mario, right? He tried to stop Sirius from kidnapping them, along with Spike.

Spike… Twilight remembered everything, now. Spike and Mario were balled up and thrown away. Twilight, in an act of anger, just lost control… and ignited her magic. She then blacked out afterwards.

“Spike…” she breathed as she finally opened her eyes… to see her friends looking at her. Twilight sat up, and looked around to see that she and her friends were in some kind of large, lavish suite-style living room. The walls were painted a nice shade of indigo, with white and gray clouds painted to give the room some vigor. There was also a bookcase on the wall filled with books, some of the Daring Do books, a novel called Paper Mario: Star Spirits and Good Wishes by famous Mushroom Kingdom mystery novelist Herringway, some books written by a mare named Twilight Velvet, and the original trilogy of Lord of the Wings by one of Twilight’s favorite fantasy authors, J. R. R. Trotkien. Twilight, of course, found this all weird. However, the purple couch she had found herself waking up on proved comfortable, especially with the warm fire they had going in the fireplace.

“Oh, thank Celestia you’re okay!” Fluttershy spoke for them all. "When you just went berserk back in Canterlot, I was so scared.”

“As were we all, Fluttershy,” Rarity added. “Twilight, darling, are you feeling well?”

“…I’m fine,” Twilight answered. “Physically, at least. Emotionally… no.”

“…It’s Spikey-wikey, isn’t it?” Rarity concluded with tears in her eyes. “To think, he’s gone…” She then broke down, crying.

“And I had such a good birthday party planned for his next birthday,” Pinkie Pie cried, waterworks spraying from her eyes. “Oh… poor Spike…”

“Keep it together, ya’ll,” Applejack announced. “Ah know it’s hard to not have Spike ’round, but right now, Ah think we ought to worry ’bout OUR situation a bit more.”

Twilight looked around at her friends, and gasped. “Rarity… what’s that on your horn?” Rarity, confused, looked up from her crying.

“Does anypony have a mirror?” the white Unicorn asked. Fluttershy pointed a hoof towards something on the wall: a large, full body mirror. “Honestly, Twilight, I'm in mourning for Spike. He was so young. Yet, you're concerned with something on my horn- AAAAAH!”

Rainbow gasped. “What’s wrong, Rarity!?”

Not turning around, Rarity announced, “My horn… my lovely horn… it has been violated… by this!” With tears rolling down her face, Rarity turned, revealing that her horn had on a black, crystallized ring on it. “It’s such an awful color for something like this!”

“…Uh, a ring?” Applejack scowled. “Yer cryin’ o’er a ring on yer horn?”

“It’s not just any ring,” Twilight Sparkle realized, looking at it. “Rarity, try casting a levitation spell on that table. Tap the table on the Touch Screen.”

"Touch Screen?" Rarity asked. "Tapping? Twilight, that sounds like some weird instructions for controls in one of those video games Sweetie Belle plays at the Ponyville arcade. Where on earth did you hear such nonsense."

"Pinkie Pie," Twilight answered. "She mentioned it, once... but I don't get why."

"It's on the Wii U's GamePad," Pinkie Pie added. "This IS a Wii U video game, after all. I'm sure the player holding the GamePad gets this." Turning to the screen, she waved. "You heard us, out there! Tap the Table with either your finger, your hoof, your dog or cat's paw, or just use the stylus! Touch the table and Rarity will do the rest!" Rarity’s horn started to glow… only for the ring to glow black, and shock Rarity on the horn, making her yelp in pain. "Ooh, shoot! And I was hoping to see what we could have done with that table..."

Twilight nodded in grim confirmation of her theory. “Just as I thought… this is an Inhibitor Ring, a magical device that is used on Unicorns in police custody so they can’t escape using magic. The only way to remove it is to get the one who placed it on you to remove it or have a stronger Unicorn cast a removal spell.” Looking into the mirror herself, Twilight wasn’t surprised to find a similar ring on her horn. “What in the world happened to us?”

“I don’t know,” Rainbow scowled. She tried to take to the air… only to find that both of her wings were restrained firmly to her sides. The binds were made of the same crystalline material as the Inhibitor Rings. Fluttershy, not that she used them as often as Rainbow, had hers restrained as well. “What the heck!?”

"A Pegasus Wing Bracer?" Twilight asked aloud, studying it. "Those are to prevent Pegasi from escaping police custody. But... what did we do to have this happen to us?"

“Seems like we’ve been kidnapped by somepony who don’t want us escapin’,” Applejack replied. “More importantly, they're using police equipment. They neutralized yer Unicorn magic an’ Pegasus flight… Ah wonder how they’re stoppin’ me an’ Pinkie Pie?”

“It was by making the walls and doors too thick and tough for you all to kick through,” a nasally male voice answered. The six mares looked to see at an open door, a small, black cloaked stallion stood, wearing the same symbol as the Colts of Nocturne, confirming the identity of their captors. “I see you all are FINALLY awake… after ruining my perfectly calculated plan.”

“Who are you?” Pinkie Pie asked him. "Ooh, let me guess! You're some sort of mean nerd guy whose genius was neglected by your peers, and after feeling forsaken by Princess Celestia despite your intelliect one time too many, joined up with this evil cult to get back at the world that shunned you?"

“That is of none of your concern,” the stallion answered as he walked in and to the side. “And that's not even the reason why I'm in the Colts of Nocturne. However, my liege wishes to speak with you all… so, you will be coming with me. Stallions! Two of you on each of the Bearers, now!” Soon enough, twelve cloaked figures walked in, and two of them each surrounded one of the six Bearers. “Come, ladies. Lord Sirius Nebula awaits our arrival in the dining hall of the Midnight Cathedral.” The six looked at each other, confused as the stallion left. However, they were forced out of the room by their guards, and had to follow the stallion.

Midnight Cathedral- Dining Hall

The six mares had quickly found out that their suite was located in the lowest level of the cathedral. While Rarity was initially distraught that such a grand room was in the basement, she did not mind much when she looked around the cathedral. It was surprisingly well taken care of for an ancient-looking building. Candles also adorned the halls to provide the essential lighting to show several paintings, some of which depicted various ponies throughout history: Starswirl the Bearded, Commander Hurricane, Smart Cookie, Nightmare Moon, just to name a few.

“I must say, Twilight Sparkle,” the nasally stallion announced as they walked down the long, lavish hallways on the way to the dining hall, “you and your friends certainly live up to your reputation of throwing a wrench in the works of well thought-out plans. Scattering the Elements of Harmony so that my liege cannot obtain them was far from expected. Alongside Mario and your Dragon, of course.”

Twilight gasped at this news. “You guys don’t have the Elements of Harmony!?”

“Unfortunately, not,” the stallion replied. “Otherwise, we could move onto phase two of our master plan. However, thanks to your actions, we're forced to look around the country in an attempt to find them, wasting valuable time.”

“Serves ya right!” Rainbow scoffed. “After what you did to Spike, be lucky that liege of yours is still in one piece and the fact that I can’t fly!”

“Ah, yes,” the stallion responded. “We all took extra precautions when it came to ensuring your capture. No magic for the Unicorns, no flight for our Pegasi, and two guards at a time for you all. And to be on the ABSOLUTE safe side that Princess Celestia herself cannot interfere… a barrier around Canterlot. I’m sure you all are familiar with King Sombra’s magic?”

Twilight gasped. “King Sombra? But, the Crystal Ponies destroyed him. I watched him die.”

“And die he did,” the stallion added. “Sombra's game ended in the Crystal Empire thanks to the efforts of your family and those Crystal Ponies in the north. But while the Crystal Usurper may be gone, his legacy and dark magic are not. At the time of his removal of power, he had been working on a sealing spell that not even an Alicorn could disperse. He planned on using it against Celestia and Luna… too bad he never expected them both attacking him at the same time, otherwise he might have taken over the entire kingdom single hoofed. Luckily for us, I knew Celestia and Luna would move to stop the attack on the city, so I had them so distracted fighting several of our brothers and sisters that they would not know they were trapped until it was too late. Outwitting the co-rulers of Equestria will forever go in history as one of my greatest masterpieces. Alongside this plan once it comes to fruition.”

“So what’s yer master plan?” Applejack asked. “End our games as some kind of demonic sacrifice ritual to summon some ol’ mean creature?”

“We're not going to be doing that,” the stallion replied. “And if we were going to do that, I wouldn’t have bothered with all of the restraints and ways of preventing you from escaping, now, would I? In fact, I personally would have already done away with you all while you were unconscious if you did not have a use in our plans… and if Lord Sirius allowed it. However, I somehow doubt he would allow me to get rid of you once your use to us is at an end.”

“…I know I shouldn’t like the meanie for what he did to Spike,” Pinkie Pie voiced, “but Sirius Nebula is sounding a lot less mean than THIS guy.”

“You and me both, sister,” one of Pinkie’s guards whispered. “He’s always been so calculating and obsessed with his plans. To be honest... Sirius at least cares for us like a father or even an older brother to his stallions. It's NIGHT FORTUNE you want to look out for. He has no qualms about sacrificing hundreds if it benefits HIM in some way.”

Soon enough, the group found a large double door, which was guarded by two cloaked Nocturne Cultists. Upon seeing the stallion in front of Twilight and friends, they instantly opened the door, revealing a massive dining table, decorated with food and drink that was familiar with them all. Apples, flowers, hay fries, pies, and a strange blue vase with an Ice Flower in it. Of course, there were dishes from all over the world. Fried Shroom, Yoshi Cookies, Chuckola Cola, Neighpon Rice Balls, just to name a few.

“My liege,” the stallion spoke up with a sudden change in tone, “as requested, I brought you the Bearers.”

“Excellent… old friend,” a weak voice remarked. Twilight and her friends were shocked to see instead of the strong looking Unicorn who led the attack before, Sirius Nebula was wrapped in bandages from the neck down, looking rather beaten. Even his horn was wrapped in a brace. “Welcome, ladies…” he greeted with a slight bow.

“…This is the monster that kidnapped us?” Rarity whispered to voice the surprise they all had that Sirius was grievously injured sometime between Canterlot and now, but not sound rude in case Sirius was sensitive to his wounds.

“Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy gasped. “What happened to you?”

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow scolded her fellow Pegasus, “don’t sympathize with him! He’s the bad guy!”

“It’s nothing major, really,” Sirius insisted, ignoring Rainbow's remark. “I just… underestimated Miss Sparkle’s unbridled rage. Also, upon hindsight… I should have had a stronger shield spell at the ready to protect not just you all, but myself upon having a tower fall from a great height off of the side of a mountain.”

“In short,” Sirius’ “old friend” remarked, “Lord Sirius suffered great injuries assuring your survival and successful capture, leaving me in charge of commanding all of our recon teams who are on the lookout throughout Equestria. Speaking of which, my liege, I will be going back to doing just that now that the Bearers are here.”

“Commander Night Fortune,” Sirius asked, “won’t you stay for dinner?”

“I’m afraid I must decline,” the shorter stallion, Night Fortune, refused. “I’m expecting that mangy hound to finally show up from his hunt. He disappeared days ago…”

“Must you insult the captain?” Sirius asked. He was answered by Fortune walking out of the room. “Well, that was certainly rude of him, but I can't change his mind.” Looking at the Bearers, he weakly smiled, “Anyways, ladies… come, have a seat. You all must be hungry after being asleep for so long…”

“Are you serious?” Twilight asked while raising an eyebrow at the sudden invitation.

“Why yes, I am Sirius,” the stallion chuckled, only to suddenly wince. “Oh, by my beloved Queen, it hurts to laugh.” Looking at Twilight, he smiled, “But yes, I’m inviting you all to have dinner with me. Surely, after being asleep for days, you would want to eat something, right? I looked into each of your favorite dishes. Don’t worry, nothing here is poisoned.” As if to emphasize his point, he grabbed a random blue rose, tossed it into the air, and ate it upon it falling down. Twilight was about to refuse, only for her stomach to rumble.

“Well,” she blushed, “perhaps a bit to eat won’t hurt.”

“Excellent!” Sirius commented before clapping his front hooves together. “Come, my fellow brothers. Would you all kindly serve me and our guests? I would do so myself, but the nurses are insisting that I do not use magic until I’ve recovered.”

After being seated, the guards began serving the Bearers, who took a few bites of their meal. They were all surprised that Sirius had been true to his word. “First he kidnaps us and then treats us to dinner as if we were the Princesses?” Rarity whispered to Fluttershy. With a giggle, she responded, “If we didn’t know he was evil, I would say Sirius Nebula is a gentlecolt who knows how to treat a lady.”

Twilight, after eating a bit, warned, “Know that while I'm thankful for the meal that I don't trust you, Sirius! One wrong move and you’re going to be in a bigger world of pain than you already are, mister!”

“Miss Sparkle,” Sirius replied, “I’m not in the mood or condition to fight. And even if I was, I could simply ask your guards to restrain you. Right, Brother Panic Attack?”

“Wait,” one of the random guards, apparently named Panic Attack, voiced. “You want us in the case that the Bearers got up and attacked you to restrain them? Oh no! Those mares are WAY too dangerous! I’m not getting in the way of them!”

“Don’t worry, Panic Attack,” Sirius assured his fellow cultist. “The worst you would suffer is probably a kick to the face... or someplace else. That’s only if you approach them from the back. You have to try the side!” Shaking his head in amusement, he weakly chuckled, before wincing in pain again. “I’ve got to stop laughing.” Looking at the mares, Sirius remarked, “Anyways, we got off on the wrong hoof in Canterlot. May we start over? As you all know, I am Lord Sirius Nebula. Leader of the Colts of Nocturne originally founded by my ancestors a millennium ago and restarted by my hoof with the help of my old friend, Night Fortune. We met when I was traveling the world with my family as a colt, only for my parents to just disappear during a sudden sandstorm in Saddle Arabia, never to be seen again. A fellow traveler, Night Fortune, saved my game from the desert and helped me identify the Mushroom Kingdom’s darker Stars. This earned me my Cutie Mark, and helped me rediscover my family’s destiny: to bring back the world's rightful Queen, Nightmare Moon.”

“No,” Twilight scowled, interrupting his story. “You ruined a trade negotiation with the Mushroom Kingdom’s Princess Peach, attacked my hometown of Canterlot, had me and my friends frozen and kidnapped, and forced me to watch as you ended Spike’s game! I will NEVER forgive you for what you’ve done to me and my friends, especially what you did to Spike!”

“Ah, yes, Spike,” Sirius recalled. “You and he are close, aren’t you? You wouldn’t have reacted like that if it was somepony else I defeated.”

“What do you mean by ‘are’?” Fluttershy interrupted.

“Well,” Sirius replied, “Dragons are an unnaturally tough species, even at infant stages like him. They are also somewhat magic resistant. This is why I had to resort to the Crystal Usurper’s power to defeat him before you all unfroze and could move again. Well, him and Mario. Let’s be honest— one Unicorn vs. a Dragon and the Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom with a time limit on my part? I wouldn’t have stood a chance without Sombra’s magic. However, Night Fortune gave me an awful chewing out when nopony confirmed if they were dead or alive. I can’t help but feel as though as they both are the latter.”

“My liege!” a new, gruff voice interrupted. Soon enough, the ground next to the table erupted as a Diamond Dog, Carbon, dug out, and Night Fortune came trotting back in.

“Must you do that?” the Commander growled. “I just had that spot cleaned.”

“Well, you no respect me,” the Diamond Dog scoffed. Turning to Sirius, he bowed. “My liege, I bring… bad news.”

“Ah, Captain Carbon,” Sirius smiled, surprising the Bearers. “How are you, big guy? Come to meet our lovely guests?” He then looked at Carbon more thoroughly, gasping in surprise. “My word, you’re hurt! What happened to you?”

“Yes, well,” Carbon stammered, “so, I go hunt for hostages to get Bearers to tell where they send Elements of Harmony as per Commander Night Fortune’s orders. I find three fillies perfect for job. All seem close to Bearers, and really cute things, to boot. Best hostages for situation.”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity gasped, realizing who Carbon was talking about. “Now you’ve all gone too far! What have you done with my sister, you brute!?”

“Or Apple Bloom!” Applejack scowled, standing up from the table. “If ya’ll don’t want me buckin’ yer teeth down yer throat, ya better let her go RIGHT NOW!”

“You better not have hurt a hair on Scootaloo’s head!” Rainbow snapped. “She may not actually be my sister, but she’s a pretty cool kid!”

“Interesting,” Sirius scowled at Night Fortune. “I wouldn’t have stooped to stealing random foals, gentlecolts. Shame on you both for doing so behind my back.” Looking back at Carbon, he asked, “So, were you beaten up by fillies? Children always were under-hoofed fighters when facing adults. Their little hooves are so quick, and their size just asks for them to kick you in unmentionable places. If it's anything like the horse armor incident we had in Neighpon, you probably should get some ice for that. I'll ask somepony to draw you a bath, too.”

“Uh, no,” Carbon replied. “I not even GET foals. Teacher mare got in way. Not like horse armor incident at all.”

“And the teacher beat you up?” Sirius asked. "...Are you absolutely certain this is NOTHING like the horse armor incident?"

“No, again,” Carbon answered. “I probably could have taken teacher... this time. But, from out of blue, Goomba with miner helmet attack my men!”

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there,” Sirius interrupted. “If you’re about to say a GOOMBA did this to you and it DIDN'T have Multibonk, Captain… I will laugh so hard about how ridiculous this is. And laughing causes me great pain right now, so I probably shouldn’t hear the rest of this.”

“Actually, Goomba only beat up my fellow Dogs,” Carbon reported. “Turns out she actually Daring Do if she was born Goomba. I instead run into red-wearing Mustache Man and purple Dragon you defeated in Canterlot. THEY beat me up.”

The six mares in the room all gasped at this piece of news that was shared with them. They looked at each other, tears of joy in each of their eyes. Their baby Dragon was still alive, and he was with Mario. However, Sirius had a frown on his face.

“So, a Goomba can imitate Daring Do?” he asked the Diamond Dog with curiosity in his voice. “Hmm… that must be quite the cosplay at conventions.”

“My liege,” Night Fortune scowled, “what about the fact that the infamous Mario and the Dragon Spike are STILL alive, and could possibly have found out about the Elements of Harmony?”

“Well, that is troubling, too,” Sirius agreed. “Not to mention it is more important than the Daring Do cosplaying Goomba. We probably should stop them before they get their hands on an Element before it's too late.”

“Uh, kind of too late for that,” Carbon answered. “I would have returned sooner, but spy in Appleloosa report to me. He said that Mustache Man and Dragon have already recovered first Element of Harmony that was stolen by a local outlaw, Black Mask Guylan.”

“Guylan?” Applejack asked aloud. “He was that no-good snake that has been terrorizin’ mah cousin Braeburn’s town fer the past few weeks!”

“Well, he now in the slammer,” the Diamond Dog replied. “Mustache Man and Dragon saw to that. We figured he got Element too late.”

“This is quite the news, Carbon,” Sirius nodded. Thinking aloud, he declared, “Well, it seems that we now have competition in gathering the Elements of Harmony. This is quite a predicament.”

“Who we wouldn’t have if you had been more thorough ending their games, my liege!” Night Fortune voiced. “No doubt that they will soon go after another Element thanks to this shaggy dog’s failure to destroy them!” While Sirius nervously pawed the ground with his hoof, Carbon scowled at the insult, letting out a not-so-subtle snarl. Growling himself, Night Fortune declared, “I will deal with these two, myself. But I know better than to go up against them alone. Where is our Papergami expert? We can turn them into confetti... or freeze them. Or freeze them, then turn them into small, confetti sized ice cubes we can put in our drinks.”

“Arctic?” Sirius asked. “He’s somewhere in the cathedral… but he said he’s busy.”

“Busy?” Night Fortune asked. “What could a Papergami Ninja possibly be busy with?”

“With preparing,” a voice answered from the table. The blue vase with the Ice Flower suddenly folded outwards, and stood up to reveal Arctic, the Ice Flower tucked into his wing. “I have been meditating, Commander. I sensed a disturbance… like a fire burning the sky. One of my old pursuers has escaped from her prison."

"Impossible!" Night Fortune answered. "Those chests I sealed them in were Cursed! Whoever attempted to open them would suffer great injuries! Unless, of couse... somepony found the key." Turning to Carbon, he asked, "Where exactly did you say the Element found by Mario and Spike was?"

"Appleloosa in San Palomino Desert," Carbon answered. "Didn't you abandon one Cursed Chest there and hide key in bush?" Night Fortune, under his cloak, could not show his emotion. However, he growled at this news, slamming a hoof into the table.

"Why didn't I just BURY those chests!?" he asked aloud.

Arctic continued, "I must be ready should the others become free, and perfect my Papergami skills for the upcoming battle with my former clan members. I’m afraid I cannot help you until I am finished with my training and my clan members defeated once and for all, Commander." With that, he bowed to Sirius before throwing the Ice Flower to the ground, sending up a flurry of snow into the air. When it faded away, the dark blue Pegasus stallion had vanished.

"I'm afraid if his clan members become a problem," Sirius shrugged before Night Fortune could ask, "my hooves are tied. They would no doubt want his head, and fighting them all at once while unprepared nearly was the endgame of him the last time."

“Ugh, fine,” Night Fortune spat. Turning to Carbon, he spoke, “I guess you and I have to work together to deal with this, brute. I have a plan to figure out where they will go next and how to ambush them, but you must act as I tell you, Carbon. No questioning my orders at all and we’ll have a stuffed Dragon plushy with an authentic mustache and red M cap in no time.”

Rarity glared with a look that would have turned Night Fortune into ash... if looks could end games. “Don’t hurt a scale on his cute little head,” she yelled at the Commander, “or I will SHRED you both!”

“The Dragon and the plumber sealed their fate the moment they crossed claws with us,” Carbon scowled. “Now, we hunt!”

“Are you sure you two don’t want my help?” Sirius offered. Night Fortune and Carbon looked at each other.

“Uh, no,” Night Fortune answered. “You’re barely able to walk right now, my liege. No offense, but you would be a hinderance at this point, and we cannot risk losing you at this point as you alive raises our forces' morale. You’re better off waiting here.”

“Fine,” Sirius groaned. “Well, good luck finding the next Element and battling Mario and Spike, gentlecolts. Oh, and no going after defenseless foals again. We do NOT want a repeat of the horse armor incident in Neighpon.”

“Promise no foal kidnapping,” Carbon nodded. “Instead, we crush Mustache Man and Dragon. Now, for real, we hunt!” The black Diamond Dog then grabbed Night Fortune before jumping into the hole, much to the stallion’s protests.

“I dislike their more ruthless actions,” Sirius announced to the mares, “but I can’t help but admire Carbon for his tenacity, his eagerness to serve, his brute strength, and his loyalty to me. As for Night Fortune, my old friend... though he needs to loosen up and live at times, I would be nowhere without his brain and the attack on Canterlot would no doubt have ended in absolute failure had it not been for him. They both, however, strongly dislike each other for Night Fortune's rather... bigoted remarks towards non-ponies, and Carbon not getting much respect thanks to Night Fortune. You know, this is why I keep telling the ladies of the Colts of Nocture that although the name seems like this is a masculine order, they should try to jump up the ranks and join the inner circle of this group and getting all of its perks. I feel as though a quirky female would round them out and stop them from fighting each other. Do you all think I should hold auditions next week?"

“How do you have a Diamond Dog working for you?” Twilight asked, ignoring Sirius' strange question. “They hate ponies! The ones my friends and I have encountered were slavers who only want treasure and nothing else.”

“Not all of them hate ponies or are greedy monsters, Miss Sparkle,” Sirius answered. “Carbon, however, loves our cause of bringing the Eternal Night. You see, there are several species throughout the world that need the night to thrive, and would be free if the world was in an eternal night. Diamond Dogs, for example, thrive in dark places. They live and work underground because the light of day makes it so hard for them to find and dig up gems with the notoriety of several members of their species. Or, if you want another example, Monty Moles. They wear sunglasses or goggles all of the time due to their eyes being unable to handle sunlight. Most Boos cannot stand living in bright places, either. It’s only natural that many species would wish to support our actions.”

“Boos?” Fluttershy asked, slightly shivering at that. “As in… ghosts?”

“Yes, Miss Shy,” Sirius nodded. “I could have sworn a few of them were around here in the cathedral. I wonder where they floated off to. They would have loved to meet you all…”

“Um… no thanks,” Fluttershy declined. “May I be excused…?”

“Done already, Miss Shy?” the stallion questioned. “Are you sure you don’t want to try the Chuckola Soda? It’s one-of-a-kind from the Beanbean Kingdom…”

“Um, I’d rather be in that room we woke up in… where no ghosts can get me…”

“We’ll go with you, Fluttershy,” Twilight assured her as she stood up, grabbing Pinkie Pie.

“But I haven’t gotten to try the Chocolate Pie yet!” Pinkie protested as she was dragged over to Fluttershy. When she saw her friend shivering in fear, Pinkie’s protest quickly ended, and she gave the timid Pegasus a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. If any ghosties try to get you, I’ll giggle at them until they go away! Boos are supposed to run away when you look at them, anyways.”

Sirius offered a laugh, only to wince in pain. “Okay, this is going to be annoying until I heal up,” he muttered in agony. “Anyways, brothers, would you all be gentlecolts and escorts our lovely guests to their suite. Oh, and do be gentle with them. I do not want a single hair out of place.”

With that, the Bearers were returned to their suite.

Bearers’ Suite

After being placed back in their large room, Pinkie Pie reported, “So far, no ghosts, Fluttershy. I guess they’re shyer than you are!”

“Ugh, this is terrible!” Rainbow groaned, ignoring the fear Fluttershy had of the Boos. “We’re stuck in here where we have NO idea where we are, the Elements of Harmony are scattered around Equestria, the Princesses are trapped in Canterlot, and our only hope of saving Equestria is somepony we hardly know anything about and Spike. We ought to be out there getting our Elements back, not trapped in a comfy looking hotel room set-up with armed guards a couple floors upstairs!”

“How rude, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity interrupted. “Don’t tell me you don’t care for Spikey-wikey at all!”

“Of course I care for the little guy,” Rainbow defended. “But, I’ll be honest… Spike reminds me a bit of Tank. The little guy has a ‘don’t give up’ attitude I have to admire, but… well, he’s not exactly somepony I’d expect to be the dashing knight in shining armor save me from being locked up in an evil castle like I was some kind of princess.” Rainbow’s friends just stared at the blue Pegasus, who just scowled. “Oh come on, I’m not allowed to have a girly frou-frou fantasy every now and again?”

“Uh, Ah won’t say anythin’,” Applejack replied. “Still, like it or not, Rainbow, Mario an’ Spike are the only ones who can do anythin’ right now. Ya saw how many cultists were up there. Bucky McGillygully an’ Kicks McGee ain’t up fer takin’ them all down. An’ with Twilight an’ Rarity’s horns locked up tighter than mah family’s apple cellar in the winter along with yer wings an’ Fluttershy’s, we ain’t getting’ past them.”

“Couldn’t we use Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy to talk them or cute them to death?” Rainbow suggested. Applejack scowled.

“That Night Fortune guy seems to have planned fer all o’ us,” the orange Earth Pony announced. “Ah can’t help but worry what he’s got fer Pinkie Pie. An’ Ah don’t think Night Fortune likes cute things.”

“Well,” Twilight shrugged, “no use trying to escape this place without magic, flight, or strength. And without Spike, we can't get a message to Princess Celestia... not that any of it matters, because we have no idea where in the world we are. We should be looking around, trying to find something we can use to help Spike and Mario.”

With that, Twilight began to inspect the suite, trying to find anything of use. So far, besides the large living room, they had six seperate bedrooms to sleep in, but three bathrooms, so two ponies would each have to share a bathroom. However, nothing of value came up, including searching each of the rooms. Twilight only found a Close Call Badge which she only recognized because of Goombella teaching her about Badges. However, it made no sense to the lavender Unicorn that the Badge was in the room Rainbow had apparently claimed for herself. After going back to the main lobby, she shook her head.

“Oh,” Rarity whined, “I just wish we could help Spikey-wikey somehow! At least let him know we’re okay!” Soon enough, though, as if her wishes came true, the door to leave the suite suddenly opened. However, after a few moments of waiting for someone to come in, the six saw that nobody was there. “Well, that was… strange.”

“…Well, it doesn’t look like anypony is in the hallway,” Twilight declared. “Maybe we can do a little bit more investigating.”

The five brave mares— and Fluttershy— continued down the hallway, keeping an eye out for danger. However, they quickly realized something as they walked… there was not a single pony, Koopa Troopa, Goomba, or any creature waiting for them in the hallway. They then remembered the large green door that led to the stairs that took them to the main levels of the cathedral. When Applejack tried to open it, however, she was disappointed that it was locked by the Nocturne Cultists.

To say they found it strange even by the context of the situation they were in was an understatement. If anything, it made them tenser about the circumstances, especially considering the only other door available to them on this level was an odd white door… which was wide open.

“Girls,” Pinkie Pie remarked, “this is actually getting… kind of scary…”

“It’s almost as if somepony WANTS us to follow them,” Rainbow announced. “Well… should we?”

“Let’s be careful, girls,” Twilight suggested. “Who knows who awaits us through this door?”

Twilight led the six single file through the door… only to enter a rather dark room. Not too much light was in the room, save for the light being let in by the hallway. The six mares looked around, trying to spot anything about the room… until the door suddenly slammed shut, causing them to jump in mild fear.

“H-H-Hello?” Rarity stammered out. “Is there anypony… here?”

“…Boo… get out…” an eerie voice called through the air. “Get out…”

“Okay, this evolved from weird to just plain freaky,” Rainbow declared. “Who are you…?”

“…Oh, nobody, really,” the same voice answered her. “I’m only dead… Boo...”

“Only dead…” Twilight repeated. “Are you… a ghost? That’s not scientifically possible!”

“You live in a land of magic, sweetheart… nothing’s ‘scientifically possible’… okay, I can’t keep this up anymore. Talking like this is annoying. I’m just going to jump into the conclusion.”

“Wait… what conclusion?” Fluttershy whispered. She then felt something tap her shoulders, causing her to gasp before turning around… to see a light blue male Boo with a black domino mask over his eyes, and a sinister grin on his face.

“…Boo,” he whispered right into her ear. As predicted, Fluttershy let out a loud scream, which startled the other five. He then laughed at the six, who backed themselves up into a corner of the room. “Boy, that was FUN!”

“Really, Boogular?” a new male voice spoke up. Soon enough, the room suddenly began to light up. Twilight, while holding a panicked Fluttershy, could not help but notice the room. It was about the size of the living room in their suite. It had several bits of complicated machinery that she had hardly ever seen before in her life. But what marveled her attention the most was the giant screen in front of her, equipped with a keyboard capable of being used by equine hooves.

Soon enough, a dark green male Boo just faded into existence, right next to Fluttershy. The Boo was wearing a pair of glasses over his eyes, and had a brown curled mustache on his face. “You’re going to risk blowing our cover over scaring people?” the new Boo scolded the other one. “We’re not supposed to be in here, and neither are they! Be happy that nobody heard her scream!”

“A second Boo…?” Fluttershy asked, having a bit of a panic attack.

“Oh, lighten up, Reboot,” the blue Boo, Boogular, chuckled. “I got bored a little. Besides, scaring people gets their blood pumping, too! It keeps me on my non-existent toes.” Pinkie Pie then let out a giggle. “See? Someone appreciates my work.”

“You two are so funny,” Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Of course,” the green Boo scowled, “you’d compromise us over getting a laugh. Not cool, Boogular. We’re on a tight schedule, here.”

“Oh right,” Boogular chuckled. “You’re just mad that I scared your little yellow angel, Reboot.” The green Boo blushed for a moment, but scowled, his face red.

“H-Hey!” Reboot yelled. “Shut-up about that! It’s none of your concern, and it’s not like that at all!”

“Well, you’re the one who sleeps with the yellow Pegasus plushy and spend hours brushing her pink mane and tail,” Boogular remarked. “It’s not my fault I notice it.” As the two argued, Fluttershy was less afraid of these Boos… and more afraid of what they were talking about.

Fluttershy was in all aspects a gentle mare. She wanted only a few things in life… to spend time with her friends and animals, nice and quiet afternoons with the occasional tea, perhaps finally getting Angel to listen to her and eat his carrots with no protests. But when she was brought to attention by others, well… it made her nervous. She was forced into a modeling career by Rarity’s insistence and esteemed photographer Photo Finish, and hated every single minute of being in the limelight.

To have somepony, a BOO to be precise, crushing on her, she was absolutely terrified. Not only was she the center of somepony’s attention but that was a ghost’s attention. And ghosts, besides being super scary, had one other fear factor for her… no privacy. They could just faze through everything. But one thing made Fluttershy concerned about Reboot’s attention on her.

“…There are plushies of me?” Fluttershy asked her friends, who all just raised their eyebrows.

“Well, during your modeling career, they could have made various profits out of your image,” Rarity voiced. “Perhaps ponies wanted a stuffed Fluttershy doll.”

“It’s an action figure!” Reboot argued to Boogular.

“A stuffed Fluttershy action figure with real squeaking action,” Boogular chuckled. “What happens when you squeeze her body, again? Oh, right… she does that adorable squeaking noise.”

“Ah hate to interrupt yer increasingly awkward lover’s spat, boys,” Applejack spoke aloud, “but we’ve got some questions fer ya. One, who are ya’ll? Two, were you boys the ones who led us here? An’ three, what do ya want with us?” The two Boos stopped arguing.

“Oh, right, almost forgot,” the blue Boo laughed. With a bow, he began, “Anyways, allow us to introduce ourselves. I am the legendary Phantom Thief, Boogular! This is my right hand Boo, Reboot!”

“We are humble spies hired by the great Lady Bow of Forever Forest’s Boo Mansion,” Reboot continued. “Our task, of course, is to infiltrate the Colts of Nocturne and report their activities our beloved benefactor. Though, originally, we were asked to come to Equestria to find excellent haunting locations.”

“…I thought the Mushroom Kingdom had some kind of spy network,” Twilight realized. “But Boos? Well, that’s shocking.”

“Actually we don’t work for Princess Peach if that’s what you’re asking,” Boogular answered. “We work for Lady Bow, the mistress of all non-Bowser aligned Boos. But enough of that.”

“Anyways, to answer your second question,” Reboot replied, “yes, we deliberately led you here. We have a reason for it.”

“Is it for Fluttershy’s autograph?” Pinkie Pie guessed. “Just to warn you, she’s not a model, anymore. Plus, she’s kind of scared of you guys.”

“Uh, no,” Reboot blushed.

“Though Reboot will probably take the autograph later,” Boogular replied with a slight chuckle, “we’re not calling you for that. To finally answer your third question, well, we have two reasons for calling you here. First off, gentlemen like us cannot resist wiping away the tears of six beautiful damsels in distress.”

“Don’t go too far with calling US damsels in distress, buddy,” Rainbow scowled. “If I didn’t have my wings chained, these guys would all be sorry!”

“Somehow I don’t doubt that,” Reboot agreed. “The injuries you all left on the other cultists pretty much left a clue that you could probably take on at least several members of this group by yourselves if you weren’t properly bound. Our point is we’re going to try to help you as much as we can… without blowing our cover.”

“So,” Rarity voiced, “I take it asking you to use your ghost powers to whisk us away from here is out of the question?”

“Unfortunately, at this time the answer is yes,” Boogular replied. “Though it would be the greatest caper I’ve ever pulled. Stealing not just any six mares right from under the leader of a cult's snout, but the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony from under the snout of the leader of a cult dedicated to Nightmare Moon? People would be talking about that heist for CENTURIES! Anyways… we could not help but notice you all talking about… Mario.”

“Mario?” Twilight asked. “What about him?”

“We Boos actually owe him a colossal favor,” Reboot answered. “You see, a long time ago, members of my family beyond Forever Forest back in the Mushroom Kingdom were terrorized by a giant, ghost-eating Clubba by the name of Tubba Blubba. Please ignore the rhyme.”

“Tubba Blubba?” Applejack questioned. “Sounds like a mighty wimp.”

“He was ORIGINALLY,” Boogular continued. “Boos of Gusty Gulch enjoyed scaring him because despite his huge body, he was scared of his own shadow! That was until he got a power-up granted to him by King Bowser of the Koopas. Bowser made Tubba Blubba invincible, impervious to all attacks, in exchange for his service and guarding one of the seven Star Spirits Bowser had once captured! Using this, Tubba Blubba went on a Boo-eating rampage, gobbling us down one-by-one. Something that could eat GHOSTS is something that’s absolutely terrifying! Then, Mario showed up…”

“With the help of Lady Bow,” Reboot finished, “Mario and his team at the time found the source of Tubba Blubba’s invincibility and defeated him, making him free all of the Boos he had eaten. Tubba Blubba had eaten my cousin, so… I feel like I owe Mario for saving his afterlife, ever since. And if helping you helps Mario, our debt to him will be repaid.”

“Wow,” Pinkie Pie breathed. “Mario is a bigger hero than I thought. Saving ghosties? Fighting giant monsters? What hasn’t he done?”

“Well, he saved the multiverse, once,” Boogular replied. “Anyways, our point is, we can help you help him and that little Dragon guy you all mentioned before. Spike, right?”

“Hold on,” Rarity interrupted. “How are you helping us help Spikey-wikey?”

“You see, believe it or not, Mario carries a Mailbox XP,” Boogular answered.

“Actually, Mailbox 3DS,” Reboot corrected. “He upgraded recently, if my intel from one of the other teams is correct. Anyways, that can receive wireless messaging from anywhere in the world call ‘e-mail’. You can use this giant computer that we have to send mail to Mario… and perhaps Spike.”

“Really?” Twilight gasped, looking at the large monitor. She then noticed all of the icons on it, including one labeled, “e-mail” looking like an open envelope. “So, we can let Spike know we’re okay from anywhere in the world? Oh, that’s amazing! Perhaps with your help, we can foil Sirius Nebula’s plans for Nighttime Eternal from the inside.”

“Hold on, there,” Boogular interrupted. “It’s not that simple, Miss Sparkle. We may be helping you… but we can only do so much without blowing our cover. We’re not even in Sirius Nebula’s inner circle to be entrusted with secure information. We don’t know his plans… yet. We need more time to figure them out. And perhaps with your help, too.”

“Our help?” Fluttershy asked. “But all of those guards…”

“Don’t worry,” Reboot smiled. “They’re on strict orders not to harm you. Sirius may be evil, but he’s a gentleman about being evil. Anyways, right now, it’s best you stay on this floor. I’ll need time to plan in order to retrieve data. In the meantime, you can use the computer here.”

Reboot then did something the ponies would not have thought possible… he fazed into the computer screen, where he reappeared in some type of eight-bit style on the screen. Reboot then floated to the e-mail icon, clicking it to pop-up a new, blank screen, where the user could begin writing. After filling out the address himself, Reboot then nodded to the screen.

“Okay, ladies,” Boogular announced, “you may write something. Just simply type a message, and Reboot will send it.”

“Okay,” Twilight nodded, walking up to it. “Hmm… this looks quite like my mom’s typewriter back home. I never knew why she always wrote like this. Perhaps I should have listened to her more when she said, ‘Twily, there will be times where you and your brother won’t be able to levitate a quill with your magic and you’ll have to learn to write by mouth or by hoof. That's why I'm teaching you how to use a typewriter like Mommy so you can still write messages when Spikey's not around’. Score one for Mom.” She then stood up on her hind legs, and began typing. Despite being out of practice with using her hooves, Twilight surprised herself by being able to type out a decent message, Reboot making any corrections as she typed.

Eventually, though, Rarity chirped in, “Oh, don’t forget to tell Spikey-wikey we all wish for his safety… and Mario should not dare get him hurt.”

“I was going to tell Spike to be careful,” Twilight responded, not looking away from the computer. When she had finished typing, she asked, “How does it look?”

“Perfect,” Reboot answered from the computer. “Not bad for your first e-mail. I’ll send this to Mario right away! Oh, and Spike.” Reboot then floated up before hitting send, causing a giant envelope to pop up, swallowing the message Twilight typed. The envelope sealed itself while a light blue, eight-bit Warp Pipe popped up at the bottom of the screen. The envelope then floated down to the Warp Pipe before swirling itself down it.

“Message sent,” Boogular announced for them as Reboot emerged from the computer. “Alright, ladies and Reoot, we’ve caused enough trouble in here for tonight. You girls should probably go retire to your suite for the evening while we cover up our tracks.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow replied. “Night, boys… and thank you for helping us.”

“You’re welcome, ladies,” Boogular smiled. “We’ll call you once we have something for you to do.” The six mares began to walk out, Fluttershy being the last.

“Good night, Fluttershy…” Reboot waved at her, causing her to stop. She silently looked at the green Boo, who nervously adjusted his glasses. Fluttershy, without saying a word, turned around and galloped out of the room. Reboot just stared for a bit before fading out of existence. Boogular silently shook his head at his friend prior to vanishing as well.

Author's Note

Wow! All of this attractive-looking story-telling! And so little time to talk about it!

1) We return to Princess Peach in Act 1 of Chapter 1's interlude. Here, we read about the stallion, the myth, the LEGEND, the founding father of modern day Equestrian magic: Starswirl the Bearded! And we find out two things. One, he taught Celestia and Luna in his old age. And two: the guy was this dimension's holder of the Dark Prognosticus! ...The book is over 1,500 years old at the very least and it had to have passed a lot of hands before getting to Blumiere/Count Bleck's. So, Starswirl would have know about it.

In Act 2 of our interlude, we get to return to peaceful Mushroom Kingdom and get to see the Minister of Peach's Castle (a.k.a. the first older Toad Mario encounters in Paper Mario and then disappears from the rest of the franchise) doing his duties while Peach is either kidnapped/on an adventure/both: taking care of the castle. Now I know you all want me to hurry up and introduce the next character we're going to be running into (coughBowsercough), but let me make something perfectly clear. Many would have wrote off the Minister and Toadsworth as the same person... if they didn't know better. It's an easy mistake to make if you never played the first Paper Mario and/or never paid attention to this guy, and only remember Toadsworth. However, despite this, the Minister and Toadsworth have different dress styles, different speaking styles if their dialogue makes it clear, different Mushroom caps, and the Minister does not have a cane like Toadsworth does. Now, I'll stop stalling because you guys want him.

...Bowser. What can I say that hasn't already been said? He's AWESOME! Despite Bowser NOT being the main antagonist, it just would not be a modern Mario game/story if he didn't show up... with the exception of Super Mario Bros. 2 and remakes of that. Anyways, as you can see by his rampage, he doesn't take being left out of vacation fun (and being trapped in Canterlot) very well. I mean, he brought his KIDS here!

Speaking of which, the Koopalings FINALLY make their Paper Mario debut alongside Bowser Jr., Kammy, and Kamek! Do you know how many games these seven Koopalings are in throughout the franchise? Eight. For all eight of Bowser's kids (yes, I count the Koopalings as Bowser's kids alongside Bowser Jr., and I don't care what Nintendo has to say about it) in the RPGs? Only one appearance for each of them. It's kind of sad that these kids are so neglected by Nintendo. And, of course, Kammy Koopa, who got her start in the Paper Mario series, makes her return alongside Kamek. By the way, I know Kamek technically burned to ash on screen in Sticker Star, but his defeat was by being slapped senseless with sandals. The sandals weren't even on FIRE, so his death in that game made too little sense to permanently stick in the Paper Mario universe. He could have just made that an illusion.

Finally, Act 3. So, we take control of none other than Twilight Sparkle. Before you all ask about the whole "Twilight becoming an Alicorn thing", just assume this story happens sometime before Season 3's finale... and Princess Celestia asked Twilight and friends to bring the Elements to Canterlot during Peach's visit since they won't be able to watch them. But everyone here knows about Twilight and friends, so let's move on.

We now meet the Colts of Nocturne's second-in-command, Night Fortune. He's very thorough with his planning. Again, need I stress that this would be a short story if the Mane Six had their magic and flight abilities? So, while they were unconscious, he has their more powerful assests bounded... and makes sure that the walls are strong enough to survive Applejack's kicks. He's very cautious, and kind of represents a darker shade of villainry than you'd see from Sirius...

Who's injured, as you can see. Yeah, whatever happened between the end of the Intro and the end of Chapter 1... let's just say that while he still is the main antagonist, Sirius actually has an excuse to staying in the Midnight Cathedral. Despite using Sombra's magic to defeat Mario and Spike in mere moments, he's far more mortal than other major villains in the series, like Bowser (who pretty much never dies because the series would end if Bowser permanently died at this point), Grodus (his shield Yux tends to make him hard... and also the fact that Bowser and Kammy come right after defeating him doesn't help), the Shadow Queen (I don't think I need to say how tough she was, especially when she went form two... but she's dead), Count Bleck (the Chaos Heart protects him, but he most likely died at the end of Super Paper Mario), and Dimentio (again, Chaos Heart... and Luigi, but he's DEFINITELY dead) due to how using that kind of power exhausts him. Besides, he now knows Mario and Spike are after the Elements and have the first one. He can either let Mario and Spike collect them all before taking the fight to him or lets his fellow cultists fight and defeat Mario and Spike, getting the Elements first. Either way, he's now presented with an opportunity to recover in time to get ready for the end.

Despite this, you get to see his personality when he's interacting with his inner circle members and with lovely company. Turns out he has standards and is a gentleman... er gentlecolt.

Finally, we meet the kidnapped's helpers. In the first, you had Twink, a young Star Kid/Luma (I don't know if there's a difference) eager to grant Peach's wish to help her help Mario. In the second, we had the X-Nauts' own supercomputer, TEC-XX, who fell in love with Peach. This time around, since Peach is all of the way in Canterlot and has all the help she could need, well, we have two Boo thieves/spies, Boogular and Reboot, who owe Mario for his heroic actions in defeating Tubba Blubba and ending his Boo-eating ways in the first game. They have (at Lady Bow's request) infiltrated Equestria to look out for good haunting grounds... and then found an evil cult, reported back to Bow, and got her permission to infiltrate it. And yes, Reboot has a crush on Fluttershy. If their color reminds you of Sly Cooper and Bentley... blame Thieves in Time coming out last week. I hope to make their personalities different from the two.

2) Locations! As you all saw, we make a return to Canterlot's Starswirl the Bearded restricted section. Again, I must stress that Peach's parts aren't going to be high stealth, and more detective work. Anyways, I figured that this would be a great area to look into since you can find a lot of things at the library. That's right, kids. I'm advising you to go to the library. It's helped me with many a research project.

As usual, Bowser attack's Peach's Castle. This shouldn't take long, but feel free to explore the castle and terrorize the Toads. This is basicsally me saying, "For everyone who likes Bowser more, finally feel free to let loose your inner rage at these guys by seeing an invasion of Peach's Castle from his point of view."

Finally, we get to see some of Midnight Cathedral. Yes, the name is a reference to G1's Midnight Castle. But, that's as far as similarities will probably run. It's a huge building, so expect a lot of neat things while exploring as the Mane Six. And yes, the giant supercomputer room is a reference to TEC, only the keys are made to be used by Ponies and the computer itself doesn't have a built-in A.I. like TEC. So, it gets possessed by Boos every once in a while.

3) Okay, probably one of the biggest things people are going to question is: Why did the Dark Prognosticus, one of the two books that drove the entire plot of Super Paper Mario, making a return? To answer: It's only returning in name only. The game said at the beginning and end of it that the Dark Prognosticus' last holder was Count Bleck, a.k.a. Blumiere, and the book was lost after Bleck's defeat. The book itself has traveled dimensions, and it's had many holders. In my head-canon, Starswirl the Bearded, being pretty much the pony equivalent of Merlon, was once entrusted with that book... and could not help but read it to protect his new country. The Dark Prognosticus will have no actual physical appearance, nor will the Light Prognosticus (which was only created in response to the Dark Prognosticus).

Next, Bowser's part: Why was it shorter than Peach's and Twilight's acts? Answer: This only serves to get Bowser into Equestria and by extension the plot. Bowser will have a bit more to do, but it will come later.

Finally, in Twilight's segment. I've already explained why Sirius is at this point, "Orcus on his Throne". He doesn't like being this, but he has no choice... lucky for him, there are guards everywhere. However, you're probably more concerned with Twilight's anger at Sirius when she rarely (if ever) holds a grudge. Well, she's had her moments of grudge holding, particularly against Discord (she and the other members of the Mane Six sans Fluttershy spent the entire episode of "Keep Calm and Flutter On" ready to blast Discord back into the stone age if given a single reason, even PINKIE PIE). And besides, no matter how nice Sirius is to her and her friends (especially her), it would be reasonably hard for Twilight to forgive Sirius for attacking Canterlot with an army from right the heck out of nowhere, kidnapping her and her friends, entrapping her hometown's population, nearly killing Spike RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER, causing her to scatter the Elements of Harmony across Equestria, and trying to sweep it all under the rug this early right after everything and attempt to be friendly. Sirius may be a nice stallion to talk to, but he's far from perfect. He also employs creatures most would assume after dealing with them for so long to be chaotic evil (Diamond Dogs come to mind for their practices of kidnapping and enslaving ponies just so they have workers to carry their gems, and most ponies have never really encountered Boos, most of whom spend their free time scaring the everloving snot out of anyone they run into), which doesn't help his case much in her eyes. Again, I also stress the whole "holding her and her friends against their wills" thing.

Another thing is why are there computers in Equestria? Well, a few reasons. One, the Mane Six have no other means of communication to the outside world without Spike (you see how important Spikey-wikey is to these girls?). Two, due to most people in Equestria recieving information by either newspaper or what we'd all call snail mail at this point in our lives, Mario's Mailbox 3DS would have no purpose of being even mentioned at all if there wasn't a computer being used. Third, it's probably easier for Sirius' secret base's location to remain a secret if he didn't get mail delivered publically to his house. Fourth, who doesn't love jokes about your computer being possesed?

Well, that's it! Have a nice day!

Post Chapter 1- Return to Ponyville

-MARIO-

Appleloosa

Boomregard, Karoline, Kooper, Kolorado, Braeburn, and Silverstar and Mario each threw one final shovel of dirt onto the real Boomregard’s grave. Despite the cheerful atmosphere that the rest of the town had over the defeat of Black Mask Guylan and his gang, it was a far more hollow victory to the current Wild Spin Boomregard. Immediately after gaining the title as Temporary Bearer of Honesty, Boomregard went back to the Buffalo Burial Grounds, returning hours into the night with the body of the fallen Boomerang Bro he was mistaken for. As the full moon rose over them all, Mario was not going to ask how Boomregard had managed to free him, but instead nodded in silent understanding while Spike had gone to bed. Silverstar, seeing this scene, decided to direct the two to the cemetery, grabbing shovels as he did so. Braeburn, Karoline, Kolorado, and Kooper all volunteered to give the old Wild Spin a proper burial.

As the seven went about their work, the townsfolk could not help but watch in curiosity. However, as they watched, they realized who was being buried, and looking at the Boomerang Bro who was burying him. They knew, once and for all, that this Boomerang Bro was not to the original… he was just as big of a victim as the rest of them had been to Guylan, whose torture of the real Boomregard had eventually led to his demise.

After they were done with their work, Boomregard walked in front of the group, placing his predecessor’s hat on his tombstone. He then held up a black Boomerang, and then threw it to the sky. When it returned towards him, Boomregard caught it in his hand before placing its point into the fresh dirt.

“Mario,” the Boomerang Bro explained his actions, “many different Bros have different actions fer when they pass on from this world. A Hammer Bro has their Hammer stuck into the ground where they lay fer eternity. A Fire Bro’s body is burned. An Ice Bro’s body is frozen. Thunder Bros have their bodies buried in a storm.”

“Wait, Thunder Bros?” Mario asked, surprised he’s just hearing of these enemies now.

“As fer us Boomerang Bros… well, we throw their Boomerang one last time ’fore plantin’ it, as if to send off their spirit. Ah probably weren’t that spiritual in mah previous life, but… Ah figured it’s the closest to a funeral the real Wild Spin was ever gonna git. Thank ya fer helpin’ me out, by the way.”

Several citizens looked at each other before trotting over to him, offering words of apology and thanks for his actions to save the town. That was, of course, before they saw the Element on his wrist. Many were surprised by this development, but Boomregard assured them all it was only a temporary position he was occupying.

“So,” Silverstar breathed after Mario told him of what happened in the Buffalo Burial Grounds, “that’s what happened?”

“In a nutshell, yes,” Mario concluded with a nod. Looking at Boomregard, he said, “That Boomerang Bro, whether anyone likes it or not, is carrying the Element of Honesty until we can give it back to Applejack… so, if you don’t mind…”

“Yeah, sure,” Silverstar nodded. “Look, since ya proved once an’ fer all he ain’t the real Boomregard, Ah can’t keep him locked up. Ya can take him. But… let me warn ya right now, Mario. Word ain’t gonna spread o’ the real Wild Spin’s game endin’ that quickly… just like worn didn’t spread o’ Canterlot bein’ sealed, the Bearers captured, an’ the Elements scattered ’til ya brought the news to me. As far as most citizens o’ the west are concerned, yer workin’ with an outlaw with a bounty on his head. Yer gonna have to be extra careful if ya plan on bringin’ Boomregard anywhere.”

“I will,” Mario replied. “Hopefully we’ll be able to fix his reputation with our quest.” That was when the ground began to rumble again… this time from the east. Mario, of course, was shocked. “What’s that!?” the plumber asked the calm Braeburn and Silverstar.

“The Buffalo stampede,” Braeburn answered. Grabbing the plumber, he said, “Come on, we’re gittin’ outta the way. Doc, grab Kolorado’s group. Sherriff, git Boomregard an’ have somepony wake up Spike. Mario, it’s time ya saw somethin’ that yer gonna remember fer the rest o’ yer life.”

Silverstar blinked at Braeburn’s take-charge attitude. “Braeburn,” he asked as he trotted after him and Mario, “have ya considered runnin’ fer mayor? ’Cause yer tellin’ me what to do… an’ it sounds like a good idea.”

Soon enough, from the upper level of the Salt Lick Saloon, Mario, Spike, Boomregard, Karoline, Kolorado, Kooper, and Kolorado’s other archeologists all watched in awe as the Buffalo tribe stampeded straight through town. As they passed a certain point, Apple Pies landed neatly on their heads. Mario and Boomregard were clearly more impressed than the others. “An’ this happens every year?” Boomregard asked the baby Dragon.

“Yep,” Spike smiled. “And it’s still as amazing as ever!”

“Outstanding how traditions can go,” Kolorado replied. “It’s a shame we could not find any treasure that we could spare.” Mario and Kooper rolled their eyes.

“Professor,” Kooper chuckled, “you and your treasure hunts. Don’t worry… we’ll find something before we leave Equestria.” After the stampede ended and it was safe to go to the streets again, Kooper, Kolorado, Karoline, Silverstar, Braeburn, Little Strongheart, and Chief Thunderhooves prepared to see the trio off.

Looking at Mario, Kooper asked, “So, now that you have your Element… what happens now?”

“Now,” Mario shrugged, “I guess we go back to Ponyville. Goombella’s waiting for us, there, and she’ll probably know where we’ll find another Element of Harmony.”

“Ah, Miss Goombella,” Kolorado smirked. “A fellow student of Prof. Frankly. Give her my regards, Mario.”

“Our train station is still in need o’ repairs,” Silverstar announced. “I would’ve suggested that.”

“You remember the location of the strange Pipe that brought you here, yes?” Thunderhooves asked. “You should probably make do with that, heroes.”

“Thank you again for freeing our Burial Grounds,” Strongheart bowed. “No doubt members of Guylan’s gang will still be holed up in there, but we can take care of the rest. Soon enough, our ancestors will rest easy once again.”

“Do ya really have to leave, Boomregard?” Karoline asked in concern. “An’ now?”

“Ah’m ’fraid so, Doc,” Boomregard answered, tipping his hat downward. “Mario an’ Spike need me more so than this town, does. If we don’t find the Elements o’ Harmony in time, the whole world’s doomed. But… Ah can’t thank ya enough fer what ya did fer me.”

“How ’bout ya come back alive when yer done with this quest, ya hear?” Karoline smiled at him. “That’ll be thanks enough. In the meantime… Ah’ll keep an eye out fer someone who knows somethin’ ’bout that charm o’ yers. Ah’ll write ya when Ah find somethin’.”

“Thanks, Dr. Karoline,” Boomregard smiled at her.

“Don’t be strangers in AAAAAAPPLE-LOOSA!” Braeburn told them. “Come ’gain! Maybe ya can join in on our wild west dances sometime, Mario.”

“Uh, maybe I’ll pass on that,” Mario declined. Turning to Spike and Boomregard, he asked, “Ready to hit the road, boys?”

“Ah was wonderin’ when we’d saddle up an’ head on out,” Boomregard commented. “Too bad we ain’t got any Yoshis ready to ride into the sunset… an’ Ah think our pony friends would take offense to us ridin’ them.”

Spike was about to answer, but he instead sharply inhaled, before burping out a flame… right into Mario’s face and on his hat. Some yelling, apologizing, rolling around, and waving off hats later, Spike picked up not one, but two Magic Scrolls. He opened the first one.

Dear Mario and Spike,

We are glad to hear that you have succeeded in recovering one of the Elements of Harmony. I figured I should send my note prior to Princess Peach’s for one reason only: To answer Spike’s question about why the Element began to glow. You see, by rescuing the Element and finding its Temporary Bearer, you have learned a Super Move. The Element in question, Honesty, allows you to use the move, “Truth’s Relief” with one full point of Element Power, or EP, gathered. I know you’re probably used to Star Power, but with Star Power and Star Points sharing a similar acronym, I felt this was a better title.

Spike, you might be wondering what’s going on more so than anypony else, since you’ve been exposed to the Elements longer than anypony in your group yet you’ve never heard of this. This is for good reason that the Elements, only when together, can use their most powerful technique, “Rainbow of Harmony”, and there has never been a need for the Elements to make use of their separate powers until now. I suggest you practice making use of the Elements’ power before continuing on your journey. I have included instructions for Element training on the back of this letter. Remember, though… you cannot gain access to the Rainbow of Harmony and its power until the Elements have all been gathered.

Sincerely,

Princess Celestia

“Sounds strange,” Boomregard voiced while Spike checked the back. “But at the same time, rather interestin’ to know ya can use a new technique, Mario.”

“I’ll help out anyway I can,” Kooper volunteered. “So, what does that letter say, Spike?”

“Alright,” Spike answered, looking at the letter. “…That’s strange. Princess Celestia makes mention of scrolling to the bottom of your Action Command Menu, where an icon labeled, ‘Special’ will pop up. She then says that there are a few rules you must be aware of when using these Special Moves. One, the partner who represents the virtue of the Element you’re using can’t be incapacitated in any way. That means they cannot be afflicted with any of the following status alignments: Asleep, Confused, Stopped, Frozen, or Unconscious.”

“That seems a bit more complicated than Mario’s previous Specials,” Kooper voiced. “Why does he need the Bearers’ not afflicted with those?”

“Apparently using a Special move takes not just Mario’s turn, but the Temporary Bearer’s turn as well,” Spike answered. “Both of them must be able to use the move. Anyways, Mario, Boomregard… use your new move, Truth’s Relief, to recover HP and FP for the party.”

Mario and Boomregard looked at the Dragon, the amnesiac Boomerang Bro more so. “Uh… what?” Mario asked.

“I’m just reading the instructions Princess Celestia told me to,” Spike answered with a shrug. “Just… shout ‘Truth’s Relief’ at the same time, okay?”

Mario and Boomregard each counted to three before calling out, “TRUTH’S RELIEF!” Soon enough, the Element of Honesty on Boomregard’s list lit up, shooting a light into the sky. The next thing everyone knew, apples with pictures of Mario, Spike, and Boomregard’s faces began raining down, small little parachutes attached to them. Some of these apples had Hearts next to their faces, while others had Flowers.

“Now what, partner?” Boomregard questioned.

“Okay,” Spike answered, “you guys take turns knocking them hitting the apples. That should automatically heal us at the end. Mario uses his Hammer, Boomregard his Boomerang. Just flick the Left Control Stick for Mario, and the Right for Boomregard.”

“Kind of sounds like a couple tricks I learned before,” Mario announced. With a few Hammer and Boomerang tosses, several apples were struck, and the party’s energy felt restored.

“Fancy trick aside,” Boomregard said, “Ah feel mah Element is drained.” As if to emphasize his point, he held up his wrist to show the Element’s color faded.

“Right,” Spike said while looking at the letter. “Apparently, Element Power is drained by use of these Special Moves. Luckily for us, charging Element Power can be done in three ways. Let’s cover them real quick before we leave. Resting up at an inn or sleeping in the bed at the library back in Ponyville will automatically fill up all Element Power… the same with leveling up, whatever that means. Heart Blocks won’t recover it, no matter how many times you hit them. But for now, let’s focus on the battle ways to recover Element Power. For starters… there’s an audience watching us? What are we, on some kind of stage?”

Mario looked at the crowd of watchers who had come to see what was going on. “Uh, maybe not a stage, perhaps,” the plumber answered. “But people tend to be drawn to this kind of thing.”

“Uh, okay,” Spike shrugged. “Well, anyways, our audience is the key to building up Element Power while in battle.” Looking at the letter, he announced, “So, first off, we have the basic Action Command. While doing the move normally will grant some Element Power from the audience, some of them will get bored and straight up leave if they see stale moves, so you have to strive for successful Action Commands to keep their attention. Simple enough, if we perform a successful Action Command, even my Tattle ability, not only will it do more damage, but we’ll get some Element Power from the audience. Unfortunately, I doubt Kooper’s in any Tattle Log Princess Celestia can find, so… I’m going to have to attack him.”

“Oh boy,” Kooper winced. “This is going to hurt when you flip me on my shell, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry,” Spike nervously blushed. “But, I’ll try to keep it gentle since we’re just practicing.” Spike then performed a (light) Jackhammer Tail, flipping Kooper on his back and doing some damage. The crowd of Appleloosans predictably cheered for Spike’s successful move. Soon enough, the Element of Honesty began to have a light glow to it. Kooper got back up.

“Not bad, kid,” the Koopa Troopa smirked. “But it could be better…”

“Right,” Mario chuckled. “Spike, your Jackhammer Tail is nice, but it lacks… style.”

“Strange coincidence,” the Dragon commented. “Stylish Action Commands build up even more Element Power than just normal Action Commands. Apparently, you have to hit the A Button— whatever that is— at the right moment. Timing for that differs on each move, so it’s up to you to find them all. Fair warning: using Items will not increase Element Power, so do not expect that to be a benefit. Neither will successful Special Moves build it back up. Another, easy-to-forget way to build up Element Power without risking your audience’s attention or doing nothing is to perform an Appeal. Whether it is a simple wave or a heroic pose, letting your audience know that you appreciate them is a surefire way to rile them up and get them to contribute to building up Element Power.”

“Nice,” Mario smiled, offering a wave. The crowd cheered at the wave, causing it to glow.

“Finally,” Spike commented, “a final trick you ought to know is the more you perform successful Action Commands, the more you’ll build up a crowd. And the bigger your audience, the more Element Power they will grant you. But your audience has a limit to how many viewers can watch you at a time… to get a bigger audience capacity; you have to increase your Performance Rank, which can only be done once every tenth level. Did you get all of that, Mario?”

“Yeah, I did,” Mario commented, ending the tutorial, causing the crowd to clap and disperse. “Whew… it’s been a long time since I had any Special Moves like those.” Sure enough, Boomregard’s Element began to glow again, signaling it was ready. “So, what was the other letter?”

“Oh, right,” Spike said, looking at the next document.

Dear Mario,

I’m glad to hear you’re doing okay! Anyways, I have news for you about that prophecy. Believe it or not, the Dark Prognosticus— the dark book we encountered before of predictions and prophecies— had one on this very event. Anyways, Sirius’ attack is starting to upset the balance of Harmony in Equestria, starting the next full moon night. Things will start happening causing Equestria to signal the balance of the land falling apart.

If you don’t find all of the Elements of Harmony by the following full moon, the balance of Harmony will be beyond restorable here in Equestria… and begin to spread throughout the world. Please, Mario… you must not let things come to this. That’s unfortunately all I’ve found out. I’m sorry I can’t help you any more right now… but apparently Princess Celestia is trying to get some form of outside help that Spike knows about.

Oh, speaking of Spike… I’m really sorry we don’t know anything about the whereabouts of the Bearers. I know he’s desperately missing them, like any child would miss their family. I can’t help but worry for the poor thing. Mario, take good care of him.

Love,

Peach

Spike nervously blushed before sticking the letter in his pocket. “Uh, can we go to Ponyville now?” the Dragon asked, embarrassed that Peach wrote that last part for him.

“Sorry, Spike,” Mario nervously chuckled. “When Peach finds something adorable… she doesn’t hold back on gushing over it.” Growing serious, though, he said, “But we should let Goombella know about this development… that whole ‘end of the world’ thing is definitely bad.” Turning back to Kooper, Kolorado, Braeburn, Silverstar, Karoline, Thunderhooves, and Strongheart, Mario waved, “Well, for real, we’re leaving.”

“See ya ’round, Mario,” Silverstar nodded. “Don’t be a stranger.” With that, Mario’s team headed west, towards the desert, leaving the young town of Appleloosa behind. If this was a western film, this would be the part where the credits began to roll.

Kolorado looked at Kooper. “Well, Kooper, gather the team. We’ll need to prepare to leave as well. Find a new place to explore. We’ll see the true history of Equestria even if it kills me!” Kooper shook his head in amusement before going off on his task.

“Finally,” Silverstar breathed. “Yer leavin’.” While everyone else laughed, Karoline smiled, looking towards Boomregard’s path.

“Stars Spirits, Celestia, Luna,” Karoline whispered aloud, “Ah beg ya… if ya’ll allow me a single, selfish wish… watch o’er that Boomerang Bro an’ make sure he lives to find out who he truly is.”

Everfree Forest

The walk through the San Palomino was rather uneventful. Sure, they found a Star Piece or two while looking as well as a surprising item, a miniature Bill Blaster that could be carried around. But other than those lucky finds and a few battles with Bandits, Mario returned to the Warp Pipe he used to come to the desert region in the first place unharmed.

“Usually,” Mario remarked while holding the Bill Blaster as they emerged from the Warp Pipe, “these things fire at me. Wonder why they’re not?”

“Probably cause it ain’t activated,” Boomregard answered, looking at the instructions of how it worked. “If ya place it on the ground, Bullet Bills will fire from it at our foes every couple o’ rounds until the Blaster's either destroyed or the battle ends.”

“And somepony’s allowing us to use it?” Spike asked as they walked through the trail.

“Hey,” a voice called from above them, “is somepony down there?” Mario’s group looked up to see Derpy flying above them, looking down as best as she could. “Hi, there, Mr. Mario! Spike! How are you guys?” She then flew down, landing in front of them.

“Derpy?” Spike asked. “How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Derpy smiled. “Well, this saves me trouble of going all of the way to the desert to find you again! Anyways, hate to interrupt whatever adventures you’re going on, but I have…” She then turned to her saddlebags, pulling out two letters for Mario’s group… and a blueberry muffin for herself. “Mff frr yoo! (Mail for you!)”

Spike took the letters off of her, allowing her to eat her muffin. “Thank you, Derpy,” the baby Dragon smiled at the mail mare.

“Thank you for being close,” Derpy replied. She then spotted Boomregard, and asked, “…Hey, who’s your friend?”

“He’s an ally of ours,” Mario explained. “We call him Boomregard.”

“Boomregard?” the Pegasus asked. “Oh, right! Hold on a second.” She then reached into her saddlebag again, pulling out a letter for Boomregard. The Boomerang Bro took it from her snout, offering her a gentle nod. “Have a nice adventure, everypony!”

With that, Derpy took to the skies, leaving Mario’s group to look at the three letters they have received. They were from— in no particular order— The New Yoke Times, Kolorado, and… someone named Angel.

Curious about that last one, Mario opened it up first.

Dear Mr. Plumber and Annoying Dragon,

I could not help but notice you walking by my owner’s cottage the other day. You’re the closest thing to heroes I have since my overly timid owner, bless her heart, is not here to sort this out, so I beg you: STOP WHATEVER YOU’RE DOING AND GET BACK TO FLUTTERSHY’S ON THE DOUBLE, IDIOTS!

Sincerely,

Angel Bunny

P.S.,

BRING THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY, DARN YOU!

“Did that darn rabbit learn how to write from Fluttershy?” Spike asked, somewhat annoyed by Angel’s bossy tone. Turning to Mario, he explained, “While Fluttershy has several animals at her home, Angel is her main pet, a white rabbit who is anything BUT what his name suggests. Let’s just say he and I hardly see eye-to-eye when compared to the rest of my friends’ pets... which, considering my relationship with Owlowiscious, is saying a lot. Boomregard, what does yours say?”

Dear Boomregard,

Kooper and I want to confess that despite initial hostilities against you, we have come to trust you. The town of Appleloosa has grown to respect you, as well. You certainly showed them a thing or two with your heroic actions. Maybe you’ll even turn the legacy of Wild Spin around from a dangerous outlaw to a true hero with the Mario.

Anyways, I figured I remind you how your technique with Mario works. Remember, for “Truth’s Relief”, flick the Left and Right Control Sticks to hit the apples in the sky as they float down with either Mario’s Hammer tosses or your Boomerang as the cursors scroll up and down the screen. You can’t use the bruised apples to recover HP and FP, so any apples touching the ground are of no use to you. From my adventures, making sure you’re in proper health is the difference between being alive and ending up in the Underwhere.

Speaking of which, I must be returning to my travels with my fellow archeologists. Should I find ANY news about the Elements of Harmony during my travels, you all will be the first to know!

Until we meet again,

Kolorado, Ph. D.

Mario’s team looked at each other, surprised by how quick Equestria’s mail service was and how swiftly Kolorado had written that letter.

“So, what’s that from the New Yoke Times?” Boomregard asked aloud. Mario opened it, looking confused at the contents of the letter. To summarize, it gave them some general information he knew: the attack on Canterlot, the disappearance of the Bearers, and the defeat of Black Mask Guylan. However, there was some new information. Some eastern town’s Bell Tower was destroyed in a freak accident, but a pair of Unicorn brothers were on the case, creating a new tourist attraction for the town.

Also, in another town, the titular character of a book series, someone by the name of “Daring Do”, was getting a movie reboot for her film franchise. The film’s writer is rather experienced with the franchise, saying she loved to read the stories to her daughter when she was younger, and was using the film as a distraction from the disappearance of said daughter and the sealing of her hometown, signaling she was from Canterlot. The film’s crew planned to bring in an esteemed stage actress who would make her big screen debut as the movie’s villainess, Countess Augusta. The identity of the actress playing the film’s protagonist, however, remains a mystery.

“Sounds like Equestria is doing everything in its power to avoid talking about the attack on Canterlot,” Mario remarked. “There’s more on these two towns’ interesting happenings than Canterlot and that force trying to break into it.”

“Shining Armor is probably trying to cover up the rescue efforts’ progress,” Spike suggested. “The last thing that the news reporters need to know is stuff like ‘how long can Canterlot survive a forced quarantine before they run out of supplies’ or the fact that ‘the spell used to seal Canterlot was designed to be strong enough to resist the magic of Equestria’s co-rulers’.”

“Or mah personal favorite,” Boomregard interjected, “the fact that ‘the fate o’ an entire country rests in the hands o’ a plumber who goes on too many adventures fer his own good, the baby Dragon sidekick o’ the Bearers o’ the Elements, an’ some random cowboy Boomerang Bro who don’t have the slightest idea o’ who he is’.” Both Mario and Spike looked at the Boomerang Bro. “…What? It’s the truth ’bout our ragtag posse, an’ stuff like that would cause hootenannies o’ the riot kind ’mong the townsfolk who have no idea what’s goin’ on or who we are.”

“Talk about brutal honesty,” Mario said, pocketing the letter. “Thanks for killing the mood, Boomregard.”

“Ah just call ’em as Ah see ’em, Mario,” Boomregard replied. “An’ knowin’ our luck, our posse is gonna git weirder.”

Eventually, though, they made it to Zecora’s Hut, where Spike remembered something. “Hey, Mario,” the Dragon asked aloud, “Zecora wanted three Florie’s Roots, right?”

“Yeah,” Mario recalled, walking over to knock on Zecora’s door.

“I see you all have arrived,” the Zebra’s voice announced from behind them, startling Mario and Boomregard into turning around, shocked. Standing behind them was none other than Zecora, and Spike was surprisingly used to it. “I had no doubt that you had survived.”

“Hi, Zecora,” the Dragon smiled, holding up the three Florie’s Roots. “We brought you these.” Zecora took them into her hooves, examining them. She eventually smiled at the heroes’ work.

“You have my eternal thanks,” she said aloud. “Come inside, and I will grant you a rank.”

“A rank?” Spike and Boomregard asked aloud. Mario, however, realized what Zecora had meant.

“You mean you have the ability to grant Super Ranks?” he questioned. Zecora nodded, before allowing them into her hut.

It was rather spacious, for certain. Bottles and jars filled with who knew what decorated the shelves and some even hung from the ceiling. A wooden stump was used as a table. A bamboo staff rested on the wall, but Mario had doubt that it was used for combat, but rather for some sort of meditation. Finally, in the middle of the area was a massive cauldron. Mario knew for certain that Zecora was a witch doctor, but he was actually surprised how into the role she was.

“One positive of this potentially disastrous weed,” Zecora explained as she held up one of the Florie’s Roots, “is that their petals reek with the power that you need. Stronger attacks, a new move and more health will come quick. But at least three plants will make this power permanently stick.”

“Not to be rude,” Boomregard announced, “but can someone explain to me what she means by all o’ that, without the rhyme?”

“She means she can create a potion from the Florie’s Roots that will give us a power boost,” Spike translated, having been around Zecora enough. “Also, she needed three of them at least to brew one that makes the effects of the potion permanent.”

“In short,” Mario summarized, “she’s going to give you guys Super Ranks. But… these plants seem sentient, evil weeds or no.”

“I only take the petals and nothing more,” Zecora answered, plucking petals from each of the plants. “It is in the petals’ pollen where their true power is in store. The rest of the plant will learn that way that Equestria is not their place to stay.” As if to prove her point, the three Florie’s Roots woke up, horrified.

“AAAHHH!” one of them shouted. “My petals! My beautiful petals! They’re gone!”

“Even worse!” another added, pointing at Zecora. “It’s a Zebra! She knew about us!”

“Forget the invasion plan!” the last of them yelled. “If there’s a Zebra, this place isn’t WORTH following through taking over, no matter how much plant life! RUN AWAY!” With that, the three Flories escaped into the wilderness.

“Well, off they go,” Mario said, surprised. “So, where were we? Something about you granting my partners Super Ranks?”

“Yes but there is one catch I must inform you,” the Zebra answered, going to work with grinding up the petals into a fine powder and mixing it with various liquids she had in her place. “From this amount of petals only a single batch I can brew.”

“…So, only one o’ us can get this upgrade?” Boomregard concluded from Zecora's words. “Well, then… Spike, all yers.”

“What!?” the Dragon asked, surprised.

“Ya know this lady longer than Ah do,” he explained. “An’ yer a Dragon. Ya can stomach just ’bout anythin’.”

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” Mario commented.

“No, I’ll… I’ll drink it,” Spike insisted. “If this is as you say, Mario, I’ll need all of the power I can get to help saving Rarity, Twilight, and everypony. Besides, if it doesn’t… well, I’ll be less hungry.” Soon enough, Zecora was finished with making her potion, and placed a cup in front of Spike.

“If you wish for Spike to drink this batch,” Zecora acknowledged, “then it’s time for him to send it down his hatch.”

The Dragon gulped in concern, worried about this. But then, he breathed a sigh to relax himself, picking up the cup, and then drinking its contents. Surprisingly, it was not bad. In fact, it had a honey taste to it… and that was right before the slight bitter sting of ginger it left on his tongue. When Spike put the drink down, he could not help but then flinch in mild pain. His eyes then snapped open, glowing with a new fire. Spike hardly even noticed his scales giving off a mild glow as well before it faded.

Spike has increased to Super Rank! He now can use Dragon’s Ember to strike a single target, possibly burning them! Be warned: certain enemies are resistant to fire and some even heal from it! Spike’s field Dragon Flame can now perform First Strikes!

“Thanks, Zecora,” the Dragon nodded.

“You are welcome, my friend,” Zecora bowed. “If you find more Florie’s Roots or just wish to chat, please come again.”

“We will,” Mario agreed with a nod. “Let’s go, boys.”

“There is another catch I must inform you before you depart,” Zecora interrupted the three. “Too much of the Florie’s pollen can be dangerous for one’s heart.”

“…Okay, now I’m lost,” Spike interrupted. “What are you talking about, Zecora?”

“The pollen from the plants is quite powerful indeed,” the Zebra elaborated. “But that is just another reason why Florie’s Roots are considered a weed. Yes, the increase in power is most kind. But an overdose of this pollen can ruin somepony’s mind.”

“And you didn’t tell us until AFTER I drank the potion because…?”

“To give you a fair warning should in the future more power you seek. Without the right final ingredient, to create a second safe batch for you I am too weak.”

“So you can’t do Ultra Ranks,” Mario realized. “Well, so much for the early next step. But if we find three more, I can upgrade Boomregard or any other partner I get that’s NOT Spike safely.” Zecora nodded.

“I’m sorry I forgot this fact,” the Zebra bowed in apology. “I will now let you get back on track.”

With that, Mario, Spike, and Boomregard bid Zecora farewell before leaving her hut. With nothing left in their way, they returned to Ponyville rather quickly, Spike feeling slightly more powerful as he marched through the forest. As far as he was concerned, they were a step closer to rescuing his friends... and a step closer to facing Sirius Nebula.

Author's Note

After a bit of a hiatus, I have decided to continue... despite the fact that I have a cold right now!

Anyways, yes, you read that Chapter title right. I feel bad that I keep having to make you guys read long parts (by my definition, long is over 20 pages in Microsoft Word). This update had I kept this chapter and the next one together? 29 pages. Yeah, I want to keep you all reading, but I'm not about to torture you. So I decided to separate this and the next one apart, with the next one taking place entirely in Ponyville right before Chapter 2. Speaking of which...

I encourage you all to guess where Goombella is going to point our heroes next! I will NOT give any hints beyond the ones mentioned in this chapter.

1 & 2) Yeah, no new characters or locations, unfortunately. This is a cooldown chapter, after all, and we're just backtracking to Ponyville.

3) Did you enjoy the return of the Special Move system from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door? Well, unfortunately, many of you guys will probably hate the fact that the Specials depend entirely on your partners. Well, the reason for this is because each partner Mario picks up will have a different Element of Harmony (and by extension a new power), and we all know the Elements are not very effective without their chosen Bearers. While Mario does get to decide when the power is used, the Bearer has to be in good health, as well.

Next, you're probably wondering why Kolorado just mailed Boomregard a letter. These letters in the post chapters are to explain to players how to do each of the Special Moves you're going to pick up so Mario has a general idea of what he's doing.

Speaking of letters, you're probably wondering why we didn't go in full detail describing what each of the news reports in the New Yoke Times had to say. I want it to be vague, describing things you already know, and giving mild hints of what is to come without flat-out saying them.

Anyways, now you know how Zecora is ranking up Mario's partners. So, you're probably asking yourselves: "Why did you upgrade Spike when he's not exactly a powerhouse compared to Boomregard? You should have either saved the Florie's Roots for the next partner or used them on Boomregard!" I just wanted to show how Super Ranks worked, and let's be honest: Spike NEEDS the power boost to keep up with Mario and Boomregard since the dual abilities system forces you to use all of your party members at some point!

Well, have a nice day!

Post Chapter 1- Ponyville

Ponyville- Fluttershy’s Cottage

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard all walked out of the forest, but they were all surprised at what had become of Fluttershy’s yard since Mario and Spike had been here last. For one… the ground was covered in different polka dots, and what ground that wasn’t covered in polka dots was turned into desert sands, reminding the trio a bit of the San Palomino Desert they just came from not too long ago. Second, there was a giant brown rabbit standing in front of the door to the cottage dressed as if he was the western equivalent of a bouncer, with a gray Stenson, black sunglasses, and a vest. Third, two female Piantas were in front of the cottage, dancing a nonsensical hula alongside several animals.

In short, Fluttershy’s cottage went completely bonkers during the time Mario and Spike had left it alone. While Mario and Boomregard’s jaws just dropped, Spike groaned.

“Oh boy,” the Dragon scowled. “HE’s here.”

“Who’s HE?” the Boomerang Bro questioned while the Dragon walked over to the front of the cottage. Boomregard and Mario looked at each other before following Spike. The Dragon looked up at the bunny bouncer.

“Where is he?” Spike asked. The bouncer looked him up and down before nodding. He then got out of the way, allowing Spike to open the door. “Thank you… oh, and those two are with me.”

Mario asked while following the Dragon, “Should we be going in Fluttershy’s when she’s… not here?” Mario could not help but look around. Despite the insanity of the exterior, Fluttershy had a nice place. Fluttershy had bird houses hanging up throughout her house, a nice couch right there, a quaint kitchen, and a… weird creature Mario had never seen before sitting in a comfy chair, a white bunny sitting reluctantly on an arm-rest.

The creature was a mix-and-match of various animals that made absolutely no sense for him to be made up of. Various animal parts were used, from the head of a pony, to a goat leg, a lion paw, an eagle claw, and Mario didn’t want to know what else. It just seemed weird. Especially the fact that he was dressed as a cowboy, complete with a false mustache.

“After all of that,” Spike declared, pointing outside, “we don’t have a choice.” Looking at the creature, he scowled, “Discord… what did you do to Fluttershy’s place?”

“I was WONDERING when somepony would ask what the deal with all of that was!” the creature laughed, snapping the outfit away. “Most ponies who come by just look at this place, and slowly back away. But not you, Spikey-wikey. You take this in stride, my little Dragon!” Looking at the house, he asked, “You think it’s too much for dear Fluttershy? I thought she’d like the Piantas teaching her animals how to do the hula whenever she came home. But it’s been almost a DAY since I’ve come back to Equestria. By the way, I’m banned from this Little Fungitown they have there. Apparently making clones of yourself to win at every arcade game is considered cheating. Especially when the clones are small eight-bit versions of yourselves.”

“Yeah, they probably would frown upon it,” Mario agreed. “Um… who are you, exactly?”

“So, who are the mustachioed man and the cowboy, Spike?” Discord asked. “I didn’t think you’d have any male friends considering you spend most of your time around mares.”

“They’re Mario and Boomregard,” Spike answered. “And I can have guy friends… that aren’t Snips, Snails, and Big Macintosh.” Turning to Mario and Boomregard, he explained, “Anyways, Mario, this is Discord, the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony… but he’s been reformed from a villain. But that’s not the point, here, Discord. What are you doing in Fluttershy’s cottage!?”

“Oh, right,” Discord recalled. “Okay, so I was on a diplomatic meeting with Prince Blueblood to this place the Beanbean Kingdom. We’re done with that for now, but for some odd reason, I can’t get back into Canterlot… there’s a giant black crystal barricade in my way. If I didn’t know any better, that’s Sombra’s work. But Sombra’s game ended back in the Crystal Empire a few months before this ridiculous game was ever dreamt up. Well, I didn’t like him that much, anyways. He was always so serious, dark, broody, and wanting to turn all of Equestria into his slaves, starting with those Crystal Ponies up north. He never so much as smiled unless he was actually causing somepony physical pain. Basically, he was an immoral, violent, power-hungry stallion version of Twilight Sparkle.”

“Well, about that,” Mario began. “It wasn’t exactly Sombra… but an evil cult sealed Canterlot and tried to steal the Elements of Harmony, only they’ve been scattered across the country.”

“WHAT!?” Discord asked, shocked. “Somepony was actually STUPID enough to scatter the Elements across Equestria!? Oh great… back when I was a villain, I wouldn’t have EVER done that! Hide them and turn society against each other while I ate a bag of popcorn, yes, but never done something stupid like that!”

“Wait, you wouldn’t have?” Spike blinked. “Seemed simple for you to send the six magical objects capable of defeating you to the winds.”

“It seems simple on paper,” the Spirit of Chaos answered. “But it’s not smart to scatter six magical artifacts that should they ever be separated by distance the world would literally split apart. You see, I may have been evil, but I didn’t want DESTROY THE WORLD kind of evil! After all, what fun is chaos when there’s nopony in the world to enjoy it!? Oh, and I just bought Fluttershy a new puppy, too. Too bad she’s not gonna get a lot of time with him.” At this, the white rabbit next to Discord jumped up, and hid under the couch, while other animals began running away. Mario raised an eyebrow.

“A puppy?” he questioned.

“ARF ARF!” a voiced barked from the upper level.

“Oh, there he is, now,” Discord smiled. “Come down, Chomper!” As if on cue, a yellow Chain Chomplet wearing a brown spiked collar bounced down the stairs, eagerly landing right in front of Mario. This caused the plumber to back up in fear. “Isn’t he the most adorable thing you ever laid eyes on?” Discord asked aloud.

“…What is that?” Spike asked, looking at the Chain Chomplet bouncing up and down.

“It’s a Chomplet,” the Spirit of Chaos answered. “A perfect guard dog once it grows up. I found this one on Isle Delfino. I’m not allowed at Sierra Beach’s hotel, either because Chomper ate a hole in the wall… alongside the women’s bathroom door, an entire ice cream stand, and some kind of rocket nozzle, but he’s cute otherwise. I think Fluttershy would love him. Speaking of which, where is she?”

“Uh, about that,” Mario commented. Mario then explained what exactly happened to the Bearers, and how he, Spike, and Boomregard were on a quest to rescue them. Discord took this all in silence.

“…So,” the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony scowled, “somepony did ALL of that?”

“I bet you’re enjoying this,” Spike accused. “The six mares who can defeat you are now who knows where, Princess Celestia is locked up, and you’re essentially free to do whatever you want. Seems like the perfect set-up for you.”

“Actually,” Discord replied, “I’ll help you out if it helps Fluttershy.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Mario voiced, “why are you so concerned with Fluttershy that you’ve chosen to take over her house?”

“…She’s the only friend I’ve ever had,” Discord answered, turning away from Mario. “Believe it or not, while I would enjoy watching Equestria fall into chaos without me having to lift a finger, I’ve… come to value Fluttershy being the only one who was willing to give me a chance at being a friend. And knowing her and the rest of the world, people tend to value it when the world DOESN’T get ripped apart. That’s the only reason I see to help you AT ALL, Mario. But it’s not going to be free. In exchange for a certain amount of Coins, I’ll grant you temporary power you can use in battle. Increase your attacks, make you hard as steel, perhaps earn double Star Points you have, maybe even increase the coins you receive after the battle is done. There’s a few catches, though, with these curses. One, they only affect you. Two, they’re so random that not even I have control when they act. And three… they’re not permanent.”

“I’ve had similar spells used on me,” Mario acknowledged. “But if you can alter reality on a whim to the point of changing Fluttershy’s front yard, I don’t see why you can’t warp the Bearers back here…”

“I know the sensible answer should be that I can’t alter reality to bring them here with a snap of my finger if I don’t have a general idea where they are,” Discord replied. “But realistically, what would be the point of this game if I could solve the entire crisis that easily? I’m afraid for that reason alone, you’re on your own! So, anyways, do you want one of those temporary spells?”

“Perhaps a bit later. I need to go see a Goomba about things. Oh, and we probably should go see what those three fillies had in mind.”

“Ah, the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Discord guessed. “I still owe them for releasing me before with their little argument near my stone prison back when I was in Canterlot.”

“…What,” Boomregard asked.

“It’s a long story,” Spike said, prepared to drag him and Mario off. “In the meantime, Discord, try not to blow up Fluttershy’s cottage… or make it into a spaceship.”

“Well that cancels Friday night’s plans,” Discord muttered, crossing his arms. “But then again, I didn’t know what I’d call the house once I took it to space. The Get Away is silly, Starship Mario is copyrighted, and the Star Zoo is weird. …I guess I could work on designing that Hedge Maze I’ve been planning. Now, where am I going to get 99 random schmucks willing to stand in a Hedge Maze…?”

“I don’t want to where that train of thought’s going,” the Dragon whispered to Mario and Boomregard. “How about we head to town before our brains hurt?” Mario was about to comment when something began ringing, playing a familiar theme. Mario reached into his pocket, pulling out his Mailbox 3DS.

“I can’t believe I still have this thing working, here,” Mario commented, flipping it open. There was a new e-mail waiting for him, but he could not believe who sent it.

Dear Mario and Spike,

This is Mario, right? In case you’re wondering, this is Twilight Sparkle. I want you to know that even though I, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity have been kidnapped, we’re alright. Please do not waste time worrying about us. We have made unlikely allies who are allowing us use of the Colts of Nocturne’s device called a “computer”. We’ve heard you have gotten your hands on the first Element of Harmony, so thank you. But be careful… the Colts of Nocturne now know you’re alive, and are going to try to stop you.

Mario, I know it’s much to ask, but could you watch out for Spike. We miss him a lot, and value his safety. I know it’s embarrassing to him, but, Spike has always been there for me growing up, and I him. Being knowingly separated from him with nopony else to ask to take care of him… just, make sure he doesn’t get hurt, okay?

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, & Rainbow Dash

“Thank goodness Twilight’s okay,” Spike said with a sigh as Mario closed his Mailbox 3DS. He then pulled out the Fire Ruby necklace Rarity gave him to hold onto, still in surprisingly good condition. Spike then pocketed it, feeling his determination to save them all burning bright in his heart. “Discord… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but take care of Fluttershy’s cottage. It’s the closest to the Everfree Forest and she has all of these animals to look after. We’re going to bring her home. Her and everypony else.”

“Alright, then,” Discord nodded. “Because honestly, not having them around is kind of boring. See you around, shortstuff!” The rabbit peaked out from the couch, panic on his face, pointing to the Chomplet, only to be ignored by the three as they walked out. “Don’t worry, Angel… Chomper’s not going to eat you. You’d probably give him indigestion.”

Ponyville- Carousel Boutique

The actual town was quite lively as they walked through it. Mario could not help but smile at the cheery atmosphere, almost forgetting his troubles… and forgetting the insane makeover Discord caused to Fluttershy’s cottage.

However, Mario could not help but notice a crowd of ponies gathering near a strange looking shop. It was a two story building with a mixture of blue and pink for the exterior, and Mario could not help but notice a carousel theme with the shop. Mario, Spike, and Boomregard, curious, forced their way through the crowd. As they pushed through, Mario heard murmurs of “Is it reopening after so long?” and “I heard it was under new management”, and “They’re selling an all-new accessory.”

“Fillies an’ gentlecolts,” a familiar, cute sounding filly’s voice declared as Mario’s team reached the front, “it’s the moment ya’ll have been waitin’ fer!”

“Apple Bloom?” Spike asked aloud as the filly emerged from the shop, wearing a top hat, a black tuxedo top, and had the most adorable smile on her face. Soon enough, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo emerged behind her, both cheerful and wearing similar outfits to Apple Bloom.

“We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Scootaloo explained, “would like to announce that the amazing Miss Rarity’s Carousel Boutique is under temporary new management!” The crowd turned to each other, even more confused than they were before. “Now, I know what you’re all thinking: What does this mean for the company?”

“Well, a whole new opportunity!” Sweetie Belle answered, bouncing up and down. “You see, while my sister made you all sorts of clothes and stuff… well, we’re a little too young to be doing that. Mom, Dad, care to elaborate on our new business venture?”

Sure enough, two older ponies emerged from the shop. One was a bright pink Unicorn mare with a purple mane and tail, dressed in a bright red shirt and white pants. Her husband was a white stallion with black hooves and wearing a straw hat that made it hard to tell if he was an Earth Pony or a Unicorn as well as a blue shirt that reminded Mario of Isle Delfino. His Cutie Mark was a trio of footballs.

“Of course, Sweetie,” the stallion smiled, patting the filly on her head. “Anyways, fillies and gentlecolts, I’m Magnum. When my younger daughter and her friends told me and my wife what happened to her sister, well, I was stunned and angry that somepony would dare take my daughter Rarity away. But, however, I heard that somepony’s going to save them. Isn’t that right, you in the red hat?”

“Me?” Mario asked, pointing to himself. He, Spike, and Boomregard walked over.

“That’s him, Dad,” Sweetie smiled. “That’s Mario! And Spike, too! And… a cowboy Koopa?”

“A Boomerang Bro, little lady,” Boomregard smiled. “Ah don’t really know mah real name, but just call me Boomregard.”

“Well, then,” Magnum smirked, slapping Mario on the back, “glad to meet ya! Anyways, my daughter and her friends said they were inspired to start this little venture of theirs because of something their new student teacher and you talked about. Badges.”

“Badges?” Mario asked. “Uh, are you guys opening a Badge Shop?”

At this, the Toads, Goombas, and Koopas in the crowd began getting excited at this news. They had not expected Carousel Boutique to be turned into a Badge Shop. The ponies in the crowd looked confused, but they were quickly filled in by their neighbors.

“Well,” Magnum’s wife, “we were going to reveal it in a more extravagant manner, but you beat us to the punch!” She then turned to the crowd, and said, “That’s right, fillies and gentlecolts! Carousel Boutique, while Rarity is gone, will now be selling the powerful accessory of Badges! Now, with these, you can perform unique Jumps! Your partners will be blessed with more skills! And even find rarer treasures! This is a limited time opportunity! So, come down to Carousel Boutique, where our Badges are, how does Rarity say it, girls?”

“Chic!” Apple Bloom answered.

“Unique!” Scootaloo continued.

“And magnifique!” Sweetie finished. This caused the crowd to go wild.

After the hustle and bustle died down, Magnum took Mario’s group inside, where he showed them a shelf with Badges on them. “Man, I knew one day collecting these old things would be helpful,” he smiled at the collection of Badges. “You see, Mario, I travel around the world quite a bit. I’ve run into these Badges on my travels. There are Badges here that you’d never be able to find anywhere else in Equestria.”

“So, that’s why you’re able to do this?” Mario asked. “You’ve had these for years?”

“I didn’t know what they did, at first,” Magnum stated with a sheepish blush. “I just thought they were nice to look at, and began collecting them. Then, I used them a bit… and wow, they were useful. However, since Sweetie and her friends think we can make a profit on them and they can earn their Cutie Marks doing so, well, who was I to say no to selling these?”

“Wait,” Spike questioned. “You guys actually ENCOURAGE their activities? They kind of took over Rarity’s house.”

“Well, somepony has to keel Opalescence fed,” Sweetie’s mom announced as a white cat walked over, scowling at Mario as she approached. Opalescence, or “Opal” for short, made with her paws a motion that she was watching the plumber, before turning away. “And with Rarity and her friend Fluttershy away, well, I figured I may as well watch her business.”

“And I’m watching Rainbow Dash’s turtle,” Scootaloo replied, standing on a tortoise’s shell.

“Tortoise,” Apple Bloom corrected. “Tank’s a tortoise.”

“Whatever,” the orange Pegasus filly waved off. She leaned down and affectionately nuzzled the tortoise’s nose.

“So,” Sweetie smiled up at Mario, “care to buy a Badge?” As if to prevent him from saying no, she, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo each gave Mario an adorable pout with big eyes. Mario sighed.

“Okay, I’ll look,” he said, looking around. “Just as long as you all don’t do that again.” Then… he saw it. One of his favorite Badges because of how powerful it was. How it allowed him to take on several targets at once. “You guys have a Multibounce? I’ve used this all of the time!”

With his Badge purchased and equipped, Apple Bloom smiled, “Thank ya kindly, Mario!”

“We’ll restock these shelves every now and then,” Scootaloo grinned. “Check back here!”

“Girls,” Spike interrupted, “this is really nice, but… where’s Goombella? We kind of need her help to get the next Element.”

“You have the first one already?” Sweetie Belle asked. Looking at Boomregard’s wrist, she gasped. “Wow… isn’t that Applejack’s? Why do you have it?”

“A long story, little lady,” Boomregard answered.

“Well, if yer holdin’ onto that fer mah sister,” Apple Bloom said, “maybe ya should show it to Miss Goombella. She should be o’er watchin’ the library fer Twilight.”

“I did give her and Owlowiscious my key, right?” Spike asked himself aloud. “Well, we better get over to the library.”

Golden Oaks Library

“Oh, I was wondering when I’d hear about the Traveling Sisters Three again!” Goombella giggled after they had come in and told her the story. “And Kolorado and Kooper are doing alright. Nice to know that fellow students of Prof. Frankly are still in the treasure hunting business after that Dizzy Dial incident back in Rogueport. I have never seen the Pianta Syndicate and the Robbo Gang so mad at a single Koopa! Prof. Frankly and I had to apologize to Zess T. up and down for a month before she would speak to me again as a result of knowing them.”

“Uh, Goombella,” Mario interrupted, “as interesting as this is… we have the first Element.”

“Oh, right,” the Goomba recalled. “Sorry, just thinking about the Dizzy Dial incident brings back strange memories… and the Traveling Sisters Three.” Looking at Boomregard, she asked, “So, you guys said that the Bearers are going to be temporarily replaced by six other souls?”

“That’s what the Spirit o’ Honesty said to us when she popped out o’ this,” the Boomerang Bro said, holding out his wrist.

“Wow…” Goombella breathed, surprised at how it glowed. “I’ve always asked Twilight if I could see the Elements for archeological reasons, but she always told me, ‘They’re for the safety of Equestria, not something you could put in a museum someplace’.” Looking up at Boomregard, she smiled, “To think you’re the temporary Bearer of Honesty, Boomregard… this is awesome.” Looking back at Mario, the Goomba said, “But if what Peach found out is true, then our world is living on borrowed time. We have to find the other five Elements and their temporary Bearers pronto if we’re going to save the world. If I remember correctly… the full moon starting this countdown of doom was… last night!” Mario and Boomregard looked at each other, both horrified at this news.

“That’s kind of why we came to you,” Spike said, cleaning up a bit with the help of Twilight’s pet owl. “You’re the only one who knows exactly where the Elements landed and can help us find them in time.”

“The general locations,” Goombella corrected. “But if your desert episode proved anything, I’m not the only one who has somewhat of a clue as to where the Elements are. Apparently, sky pirates are after the Elements and the Colts of Nocturne can perhaps blend in with the populace and know you’re still alive, so they’ll be after you as well. Not to mention random strangers who don’t have a clue as to what they’re doing with the Elements can just use them as an energy source to enhance either their technology or perhaps themselves. In the wrong hands, the Elements of Harmony separately are a force to be reckoned with.”

“Like Guylan with his train,” Boomregard concluded.

“And if all six were together,” Spike announced for them all, “they’d be almost unstoppable!”

“Mario,” Goombella asked, “you wouldn’t by chance have the Crystal Stars, would you?”

“Toadsworth and Princess Peach made me promise not to bring them. Or the Ultra Hammer, the Ultra Boots, or any of my Badges I had before. Luigi and I barely got our regular Hammers past Toadsworth when I explained they were for self-defense.”

“Ugh,” Goombella groaned. “This game would be so easier and quicker if they allowed you to keep some gear from the previous ones! Why is it that we can never keep our equipment in these adventures!?”

“…Goombella,” Spike asked for the three confused males, “what are you talking about?”

“I’m sorry,” the Goomba archeologist sighed. “I’m just venting a bit of frustration at how modern games still have the same problems that they did when I first made my debut in a video game back in 2004. It feels so long ago.” Recomposing herself, Goombella continued, “Anyways, we’ve gotten too far off-track with this. We have to get the rest of the Elements soon.”

“Well then, we better git to our next destination if we’re gonna find our next Element with the help o’ that large brain o’ yers. Where to, Miss Goombella?”

“Oh you flatter me,” Goombella smiled, pulling out her notes and taking Mario’s map of Equestria. Erasing the marks she wrote the last time, she began reading her notes. “But anyways, I’ve been keeping an eye on my news updates and researching possible locations of where the other Elements could have ended up. The most likely location right now? Hmm… Hey, Mario… I know you’re going to be busy getting the Element, but could you do me a huge favor and buy me a Filly Cheese Sandwich?”

“A Filly Cheese Sandwich?” the plumber questioned. “Okay, Goombella, I’ve eaten a lot of questionable-looking and strange-sounding food throughout my travels— as weird as that sounds— but I’ve never seen nor heard of a Filly Cheese Sandwich.”

“A Filly Cheese Sandwich?” Spike said aloud. “That’s a huge sandwich— both in size and popularity. One of a kind, too. In fact, nopony outside of Fillydelphia can make them right if what Pinkie Pie’s told me is true…”

Mario recognized the name of the town. Toad and Yoshi had took turns gushing over the town, particularly its famous sandwiches. That was when he realized what Goombella was telling him. “We’re going to Fillydelphia for the next Element?”

“I’m afraid so,” the Goomba answered.

“What makes you say it like that?” Spike asked. “All we need is to hop on a train and we’ll be there by sunset. Problem solved.”

“Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem,” the Goomba responded. “However, something huge is going on Fillydelphia that’s gotten all of the trains BOOKED until the end of the week! By that time, you’d NEVER get to Fillydelphia before something happened to the Element of Harmony! I’m afraid I have no idea how to get you there on foot before someone gets their hands, hooves, claws, whatever on the Element.”

“Don’t worry,” Mario said. “We’ll think of something. We always do. Like asking someone in town and hope they have an idea of how to get to Fillydelphia in a short amount of time.” Looking at Spike, he asked, “Do you know anyone who could?”

“One pony,” the Dragon recalled. “The Mayor. She probably would have an idea of a route we could take. She’s most likely at the Town Hall, which should be near Sugarcube Corner.”

“Sugarcube Corner is a funny name fer a shop,” Boomregard asked. “What do they sell?”

“Malts, milkshakes, muffins, cookies, cupcakes, regular cakes, just to name a few things,” Spike answered. “In short, it’s a bakery.”

“…Still a funny name fer a shop.”

“It’s a confectionary shop,” Spike argued. “It’s supposed to sound sweet.”

“Why not name it, ‘Sweets Bakery’?”

“Because that’s not the owners’ last name. They’re the Cakes.”

“…Cake’s Bakery, then.”

“I’d send you all to another place if I could confirm another Element’s location, I swear,” Goombella told Mario while Boomregard and Spike argued about Sugarcube Corner’s name. “However, this one is the only one I’m certain of right now and is in immediate danger of moving. Eyewitness reports from the area say they saw a giant red light land in Fillydelphia right into the Bell Tower. But nobody’s seen a glowing red rock leave the town yet, and something’s about to be revealed to the public? Yeah, this is totally an Element of Harmony. I'd stake my archeology liscence on it.”

“We’ll get it, Goombella,” Mario responded to the Goomba. “Trust me, I’m THE Super Mario. Have I ever let you down before when we went after a Crystal Star?” The Goomba shook her head.

“Well,” the Goomba remarked, “better grab the baby Dragon and the amnesiac cowboy. Good luck, Mario.” She then gasped, remembering something. “Oh, right! Before you go… I know you guys are going to be busy saving the world and whatnot, but, how are you guys on that Tattle Log?”

“I suppose we’re alright,” Mario answered. “Why?”

“Well, if in the odd chance you find a one-of-a-kind enemy and fail to Tattle on it, but want the reference for later,” Goombella explained, “check back here. For better or for worse, I’ve taken up Prof. Frankly’s rather odd habit of leaving my research notes scattered everywhere. If you miss anything, try checking with Twilight’s owl, Owlowiscious. He cleans up around here every night.” The plumber nodded before grabbing Spike and Boomregard, breaking up their argument as he dragged the two out.

Ponyville- Town Square

As the trio walked downtown, Mario kept looking at his map where Goombella marked it now. If the map was true, Fillydelphia certainly had bigger buildings than Ponyville did, and the bell seemed to be a key landmark in the town. If the Bell Tower was destroyed by the Element, chances are that the townsfolk would not be willing to give it up so easily due to the damage it caused them. Mario knew right away he’d have to tread lightly upon getting there.

“There’s Town Hall,” Spike interrupted, pointing to a large, multistory building that a light brown Earth Pony mare emerged from. She had a long grayish white mane, her tail matching it. Apart from the glasses resting on her snout, she wore a white collar with a green cravat sticking out of it. Her Cutie Mark, unsurprisingly, was a scroll wrapped in a blue ribbon.

“Ah, I’m finally done with work for the day,” the mare smiled in relief. “Though, I wish Twilight and her friends were here… this town has gotten somewhat depressing without those six mares to liven things up. Not to mention all of those reports stacking up… well, I don’t have to deal with them until later.”

“Miss Mayor!” Spike called over to her, making her stop her walk. Mario’s team walked over to the Mayor, the baby Dragon with a huge grin on his face. “Just the pony we wanted to see.”

“Oh, hello Spike,” the Mayor remarked while returning Spike’s grin with a sad smile. “I take it that it would be too much to ask where Twilight is. I’ve realized I’ve taken her and her friends for granted, but… well, ever since they’ve disappeared off of the face of the planet for so long, my job has rather hectic. Without Rainbow Dash running the weather, many of the weather patrol ponies have been working to near exhaustion. Not to mention the sudden change in management at Carousel Boutique by Rarity’s family and the three fillies is awfully troubling unannounced. Sugarcube Corner isn’t the same without Pinkie Pie… neither is Sweet Apple Acres without Applejack. Finally, I couldn’t help but notice Fluttershy’s cottage has been invaded by the infamous Spirit of Disharmony… and where did he get those Piantas from?”

“Uh, a long story, Miss Mayor,” Spike interrupted. With a forced grin, Spike assured her, “Don’t worry, though… Mario, Boomregard, and I will fix everything.”

“Wait, what?” both the plumber and Boomerang Bro asked.

“She’s talking to us and we don’t have to explain where everypony is again,” Spike whispered through the grin. “Just go with it.”

“Oh, I hope so,” the Mayor nodded. “But… Ponyville’s not the only place with issues developing as of late. So, I’ve decided to post a Trouble Board inside my office where ponies can voice a problem they have or help solve somepony’s problem. These requests are coming from just about everypony in Equestria. And with Canterlot sealed off from the general public, problems are flooding from all across the region to the town that’s closest to Canterlot: Ponyville! I’m afraid I’m not a miracle worker and can make the kingdom’s problems disappear.”

“I’ve heard of these,” Mario realized. “You then have to go find whoever has the problem and solve it for them. Once you do, you’ll negotiate an award with them.”

“You’re an expert, I see,” the Mayor nodded. “That’s convenient, Mr… I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“Mario,” the plumber nodded. “Anyways, we’ll look into seeing if we can help every now and then. But first, we kind of have a problem WE need help with.”

“I figured as much when Spike was so eager to see me,” the Mayor sighed. “Well, what is it?”

“If it ain’t too much trouble, Miss Mayor,” Boomregard voiced for them all, “we’d like to git ourselves to Fillydelphia sometime in the near future. Problem is we’ve heard the trains are booked. Do ya know any routes we can walk?” Mario then showed the Mayor his map. The Mayor frowned.

“…Well, there IS a single way by hoof,” the Mayor commented, a reluctant tone. “But it hasn’t seen much use in years due to the railroads allowing ponies to pass this trail without getting close. During its use, several ponies that traveled that path vanished, never to be seen again. In fact, I’ve heard stories growing up as a filly that the original founding caravan of Fillydelphia was over 17,000 ponies who traveled through here. By the time they actually got there, less than ten percent of the caravan was left, enough to sustain a healthy population for later time, but low on resources. I wouldn’t recommend it to anypony, not even the crazy Monty Mole who’s leading a tour through it with Cranky and Matilda’s help. Are you all sure you can’t wait until the end of the week? I’m sure that’s when the trains will lighten up.”

“Unfortunately, no,” Spike replied. “Sorry, Mayor, but we need to get there ASAP. Besides, Fillydelphia was founded almost 400 years ago, so they had to have figured a safe route through. How bad could it be?”

“Famous last words, Spike,” Mario grumbled. Spike turned to Mario, confused.

“Mario,” the Dragon scoffed, “in the short time we’ve started traveling together, we’ve taken on Diamond Dogs, Pegasirates, Bonefallo, and a notorious outlaw. What could a 400-year-old travel route have for us that we’re not ready for?”

“Spike,” Mario educated, “there’s a difference between confidence and arrogance. One thing I’ve learned over the years is to never underestimate anyone. Especially if they’re an all-black Shy Guy called an Anti Guy. You WILL regret fighting one, trust me.”

“…At this point, I’m not even going to ask,” Spike deadpanned. “Let’s just go.”

“I see I’m not going to convince you all to NOT do this,” the Mayor sighed. “Very well, gentlecolts, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’re going to be traveling through the Foal Mountains, and that’s just the FIRST leg of your trip. You then have to go through the Hollow Shades, a dark forest. If you all manage to get through there, you should make it to Fillydelphia in a day and a half. Look for a Monty Mole by the name ‘Mohan’, and you should find your way. He should be getting ready to start the tour near the northeast of the town. Mohan dug a tunnel and had a Warp Pipe that cuts straight to the mountain range right there.”

“Something tells me this here Mohan fella ain’t gonna be cheap to late arrivals,” Boomregard remarked. “We oughta mosey o’er to him, pronto.”

“Thank you, Miss Mayor,” Mario nodded. “We’ll be careful.”

“Pack plenty of items,” the Mayor called as they walked away from her. Thinking aloud to herself, she sighed, "I sure hope Twilight and her friends are alright. I've only seen Spike this whole time since they went off to Canterlot... and then this happened. It's like the Royal Wedding and the Crystal Empire all over again, only more evident."

Ponyville- Northeast Gate

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard, after a brief stop at the local shop to restock their items, rushed straight towards the northeast, passing the train station in northern Ponyville as they went. The trio was stunned to see how insanely packed the train station was for Fillydelphia. Mario couldn’t help but feel bad for the civilians waiting for the train, but he had a job to do. If he didn’t get the next Element of Harmony, there wouldn’t be a future for any of these people.

Soon enough, Mario’s team reached the northeast corner of the town, where— just like the Mayor said— a Monty Mole stood on a rocky brown Warp Pipe. The Monty Mole was a dark gray one, and he looked rather buff for one, with impressively large claws on his hands. He wore some rather impressive sunglasses over his eyes, and wore a green version of Goombella’s miner’s hat. To top it off, he had a megaphone in his hands.

Standing on either side of the Pipe were Donkeys, a male and a female. The male Donkey had blonde hair that looked like a toupee to the plumber and a somewhat annoyed expression on his face. Meanwhile, the female Donkey was smiling, wearing her brown hair in gentle curls with a white collar with a sapphire around her neck.

“ALRIGHT, PONIES, TOADS, AND WHATEVER THE REST OF YOU ARE!” the Monty Mole shouted through his megaphone in a heavily masculine tone. “WE ARE ABOUT TO GET THE FIRST EVER MOHAN EQUESTRIAN ADVENTURE TOUR UNDERWAY! OUR DESTINATION IS NONE OTHER THAN THE CITY OF FILLYDELPHIA THROUGH THE FOAL MOUNTAIN RANGE! EVERYBODY GATHER AROUND, BECAUSE I’M ONLY GONNA GO OVER THE RULES OF THIS TRIP ONE TIME ONLY! YOU MISS OUT, TOO BAD!”

“Um, excuse me?” Mario spoke as he walked over. “We were wondering if—”

“WHAT DO YOU WANT!?” the Monty Mole yelled right into Mario’s face, making him and the male Donkey flinch in agony.

“…For you to not shout in that thing, for one,” the male Donkey replied with a scowl. “Why am I helping you with this ridiculous tour again?”

“I’m sorry, Cranky,” Mohan retorted, turning off the megaphone, “who said they knew the way through the mountains via years of traveling and— coincidentally— owes me 1,000 Bits for that ‘you-know-what’?” Cranky rolled his eyes. “Your girlfriend just volunteered.”

“…Right,” Cranky grumbled in a low voice that Mario could barely make out. “Doing this for Matilda…”

Others in the group looked at Mario’s trio, confused by them. Mario saw Carrot Cake and Cup Cake among the tour group, but Cup Cake had a strange looking saddlebag… almost like a kangaroo pouch mothers used to carry their babies, only remade for foals, such as the two in the pouches. One of them was a male white Pegasus with a brown mane and tail. The other foal was a light yellow Unicorn filly with orange hair pulled up in a ponytail.

But a third traveler surprised Mario. It was none other than—

“Prosperous Dusk?” Mario asked, looking at the stallion he met in Canterlot. “What the… what are you doing here in Ponyville?”

“Mario, Spike,” the friendly purple and green marked Unicorn smirked at the duo. “I’m glad to see you two made it out of Canterlot in one piece.” Walking over to them, he whispered, “When those awful cultists attacked, I did my best to fight them off… but the city began to seal itself in black crystals, the same type of the legendary Crystal Usurper, King Sombra. I barely made it out of Canterlot alive.”

“Well,” Mario replied, “the same can’t be said for my friends. We have to figure out how to get them out of there.”

“Is that why you’re here?” Prosperous Dusk asked. “Interesting.”

“What about you?” Mario questioned. “Why are you going to Fillydelphia?”

“Perhaps the same reason as almost everypony else here,” Prosperous Dusk answered. “I am drawn to this rumor about this strange unveiling happening in the town that happens AFTER a red comet crashed into the Fillydelphia Bell Tower. I figured since I’m not teaching right now, I could finally get around exploring Equestria.”

“Ahem,” Mohan interrupted, causing Mario’s group to turn to him. “Sir,” the Monty Mole spat, “you have a lot of nerve walking up to me like this and wasting valuable daylight. I am running a business, here, and time is money. Right now, you’re wasting both my time AND my money, and are very lucky I don’t pound you into the ground. Now… what do you want, or am I going to have to shred somebody?”

“Um, actually,” Spike explained, “we kind of wanted to join your tour to Fillydelphia.” Mohan scowled behind his sunglasses.

“You think you can waltz up to me and demand to join the tour LAST MINUTE!?” Mohan scoffed. “I don’t think you know Mohan’s Equestrian Adventure Tour’s policy on late customers. I charge DOUBLE for what I run the tour normally for last minute arrivals!”

“Uh, what would be the Mushroom Kingdom equivalent cost of your tours?” Mario asked. “I’ve only got Mushroom Coins.”

“Normal tours under regular circumstances of this kind through the Foal Mountains, due to insurance rates and cost of proper equipment?” Mohan asked. “It would run you about 200 Mushroom Coins for a full adult before I let you sign the legal waiver, 100 for kids. Now, since you, the cowboy Koopa, and the Dragon are SO last minute… let’s see here, it would cost… 1,000 MUSHROOM COINS!”

Mario’s group stared in total awe at how expensive Mohan’s tour ran them. Spike turned to Mario. “You wouldn’t happen to have a secret Mushroom Kingdom bank account where you’re filthy rich, do you?” the Dragon hoped.

“Whatever you’re doing,” a young voice yelled over, “leave my Daddy out of it!”

“Um, not talking about your father, Diamond Tiara!” Spike nervously yelled back. The Dragon turned back to Mario. “Well, that bank account?”

Mario, ignoring the weirdness of that remark, turned to Spike. “Um… sorry, Spike. I don’t have that kind of money. My wallet for reasons I’ll never know can only carry up to 999 Coins, and not a single Coin more.”

“Well, that ain’t right!” Boomregard demanded from the Monty Mole about the price range. “Ya can’t just charge us that high!”

“Of course I can!” Mohan replied. “This is MY business, not yours! If you ran this tour you could set the prices! But you don’t!”

“Now, Mohan,” Matilda said, breaking her calm demeanor, “don’t be rude to your potential customers.”

“Lady,” the Monty Mole retorted, “they haven’t paid yet, so they aren’t my customers.” Turning back to Mario, he scowled, “Well? Come on, you either pay 1,000 Coins or no tour for you!”

“Fine then, ya greedy mole,” Boomregard shrugged.

“Thank you, buddy,” Mohan grinned, extending his hand. “Now pay up—”

“Git off of that there Pipe, an’ we’ll be on our way,” Boomregard finished, causing the Monty Mole to stare in shock. “We’ll hoof it on our own. Probably git there faster than ya can lead us.”

“…Did you just try pull a fast one on me, cowboy!?” Mohan snarled in anger.

“Ya didn’t let me finish what Ah was tryin’ to say,” Boomregard justified. “Next time, don’t be in a rush.”

“Good call, Boomregard,” Mario agreed with a nod. “There’s no way we can pay for this out of pocket to this avaricious Monty Mole… and besides, it’s not like we’re required to be with this guy to get over these mountains.” Turning to Mohan, he said, “So, if you’d kindly get out of the way…”

“OOOHHHHH NO!” Mohan denied, stamping on the ground while his face turned red. “I am NOT budging for a poor plumber and a wise guy Koopa who insult me! You all better take those back! Otherwise, you’ve just made a powerful enemy! Prepare to get shredded, idiots!”

“Somehow, I doubt that,” Mario shook his head. “Look, I’m sorry, but we don’t have the money for your overpriced tour. Just let us use the Warp Pipe to the Foal Mountains, and we’ll be out of your hair and on our way. It’s not hard.”

“I wouldn’t recommend going alone, boys,” Cranky interrupted, getting between Mohan and Mario’s group before things got ugly. “Ya see, sons… I’ve made this trip through the Foal Mountains and Hollow Shades before on my own. And let me tell you right now, cowboy… my first time getting through this trail was HORRIBLE. I got so far off of my trail through the mountains that I ran through my supplies quick. Though then again, it was in the middle of winter. And even on my second time in warmer weather like this, my game nearly ended in these mountains. It was the same foolish behavior of being underprepared that almost prevented Fillydelphia from ever being founded in the first place. For your own safety, I can’t let you go alone at least on your first time through the mountains.” Mario stood there, shocked by Cranky taking Mohan’s side in the argument, despite his poor behavior. Mohan, however, had calmed down, and begun chuckling.

“Thank you, Cranky Doodle Donkey,” Mohan laughed, though Cranky grunted at the middle name. “Well then, you have no choice, buddies! Either cough up the dough or get lost! Unless, of course…” He looked at Boomregard’s wrist, noticing the Element of Honesty. “You wish to sell THAT to me. I’m sure it’s worth a fortune somewhere…”

“It ain’t fer sale,” Boomregard scowled, holding his wrist close to himself. “Ah’m holdin’ onto this fer a special lady who entrusted it to me. Ah can’t let ya have it ’less ya can pry it off mah wrist!”

“Are you sure you don’t wanna sell it?” Mohan offered.

“It ain’t up fer discussion ’less ya wanna walk away from it with half yer teeth down yer stomach.”

“…Such a shame,” Mohan spat. “It would have ALMOST gotten you on this tour. Too bad, so sad. Now, take your friends and get outta my sight, cowboy! Or do I have to get rough?” Mario scowled, reaching towards his Hammer while Boomregard drew his Boomerang—

CHING-CHING!

The hostilities were suddenly ended when a bag of Mushroom Coins flew out of nowhere, landing right in between Mario’s group and Mohan. “There you are!” a female voice with a gentle tone to it remarked. “1,400 Coins! For those gentlemen and myself!”

Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Mohan all looked to see one of the most surprising sights of all time. A Bee buzzed her way through the crowd. The Bee, like most of her kind, wore a white fuzzy collar around her neck. But that’s where the similarities ended. She had on light purple gloves and boots, as well as an indigo coat over the top half of her body. Her helmet was a lighter shade of brown with a blue Bee stitched into it.

“Wait… did you say… 1,400 Coins?” Mohan asked, looking into the bag. There were so many Coins that the Monty Mole couldn’t count them all in one sitting.

“Well, I couldn’t just ignore these poor souls’ plight,” the Bee replied. “And, well… I’m kind of late, too. We Bees may be able to buzz through the skies, but I can’t fly all of the time!”

“…Thank ya, ma’am,” Boomregard tipped his hat to the Bee. Mario and Spike just quietly nodded to her as well. The Bee just giggled.

“Oh, you flatter me! Just helping fellow travelers out, after all. And well… my Queen did give me a charitable paycheck.”

“I can see that,” Mohan said, drooling over the Coins. Turning towards Mario’s group, he scowled, “Okay, you’re on the tour thanks to the Bee… not that I like it. Now shut-up and get in line if you’re ready to go! I’m not turning this tour group around if you forgot something!” Mario’s group and the Bee were all ready, so they got back in light.

Turning his megaphone back on, Mohan began, “ALRIGHT, PEOPLE! LISTEN UP, BECAUSE I’M ONLY GOING OVER THESE OFFICIAL TOUR RULES ONCE! RULE NUMBER ONE: UNLESS IN SOME STRANGE COINCIDENCE WE CAN’T CONTINUE THE TOUR, ALL PAYMENTS ARE FINAL! THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS! RULE NUMBER TWO: I AM THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY HERE AT ALL TIMES! WHAT I SAY GOES, NO EXCEPTIONS! IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, YOU’RE OFF THE TOUR! RULE NUMBER THREE, AND THE MOST IMPORTANT: STAY WITH THE GROUP ON THE TRAIL! I CANNOT GUARANTEE YOUR SAFETY SHOULD YOU FALL BEHIND OR RUN AHEAD, NOR CAN I BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACCIDENTS THAT OCCUR AS AN ACT OF THE STAR SPIRITS, CELESTIA, OR LUNA HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF YOUR OWN FAILURE TO STAY WITHIN THE SAFETY OF THE TOUR GROUP. CRANKY AND I LEAD THE GROUP BECAUSE HE’S BEEN THROUGH THESE MOUNTAINS BEFORE AND I’M IN CHARGE. YOU GET AHEAD OF US, YOU’LL RECEIVE ONE WARNING BEFORE I KICK YOU OFF THE TOUR AND LET YOU FEND FOR YOURSELF! MATILDA WILL BRING UP THE REAR SO THAT NOBODY FALLS BEHIND HER! RULE NUMBER FOUR: YOU CAN’T SUE ME BECAUSE YOU LISTENED TO THESE RULES! UNDERSTAND?”

Everyone begrudgingly nodded, already fed up with Mohan and the tour had not even begun yet. Even the two foals Carrot and Cup Cake had with them looked at each other, annoyed expressions on the babies’ faces.

“Alright,” Cranky interrupted the murmurs of discontent, “Everypony come on and sign our legal waiver. That way, we have— in writing— that you all acknowledge our tour rules and understand that you are willingly taking this trip through the Foal Mountains to Fillydelphia. It is a day and a half hike from here, and there may be times where it becomes dark. We will give you proper equipment after signing the waver.”

The very moment Mario’s team read over and signed the legal waver Matilda held up to them, she gave Mario’s group a Lantern. “Remember,” she instructed them, “in dark places, take out the Lantern with the X Button in the field to light the area around you… at least, that’s what Pinkie Pie has told me about these things. I still don’t know what she meant, but I’ll take her word for it. Be warned, though: you only have a limited amount of battery life, and it burns quickly the longer you have the Lantern out, and you also can’t use your Hammer while it’s out. Pressing the X Button again will put your Lantern away. If you need a new battery, you can buy some from me for a small fee of 10 Coins.”

“Matilda,” Spike interrupted, “you do realize I’m a Dragon, right?”

“I know, Spike,” the female Donkey nodded. “However, your fire only has a temporary burn and can only light your way for a shorter time than a Lantern. Please, I insist.”

“Alright,” the Dragon sighed as Mario accepted the Lantern. After everyone was properly equipped, Mohan offered a greedy chuckle, looking at the Element of Honesty on his wrist.

“Pry it off your wrist, huh?” the Monty Mole mused to himself. “That can be arranged…”

“Hey, Mohan,” Cranky interrupted his planning. “We’ve gotten all of the signatures we need from our customers. Can we get this tour over with, already?”

“Oh, right!” Mohan remembered. “Okay, people, make sure you’re all ready! Head down the Warp Pipe single file! We’re setting out! Remember, stay with the group!” With that, Mohan swirled down the Pipe, followed by Cranky. Mario, Spike, and Boomregard proceeded after them, alongside the Bee. Soon, everyone was down the Pipe save for Matilda and Prosperous.

“Hmm… what was that on that Koopa’s wrist?” the purple and green Unicorn asked aloud. “And who was this ‘special lady’ he was referring to?” Shrugging, he concluded, “Perhaps there is more to Mario and Spike’s new friend.” With that, he jumped into the Pipe, followed by Matilda.

Author's Note

Well, we've returned to Ponyville, did a little sidequesting, and we're on our way to a new destination for Chapter 2! Now, let's meet our new characters.

1) Yeah, you've ALL been waiting for him... Discord. Sweet Celestia, the original concept was Discord was simply going to be an alternat boss that would not be available until Chapter 7 (if you could defeat him, you'd have no excuse to losing to the final boss)! But with his reformation, I knew I would get so much flak if I just simply threw him in as that and never mention him again.

So, as you can see, he's taken over Fluttershy's cottage. Much to the horror of it's unofficial boss... Angel. Yes. I felt the gag between Angel and Discord's slapstick comedy was not fully explored, so I asked myself: "Why not have them as roommates again, Discord constantly altering the house after every chapter, and the two pretty much waging a sitcom nemesis war since Spike is out saving the world? And have Discord running Equestria's equivalent of the charm shops in the previous Paper Mario games?" The downside to this, of course, is we have the token evil teammate (just because he's reformed and won't be the full-blown main antagonist doesn't mean he HAS to play by Celestia's rules while she's locked up and everyone else who would be capable of getting him to obey is gone) running a shop in Fluttershy's cottage, and the original idea, Mario getting special treatments at the Aloe and Lotus' spa that would have these affects, is not happening. Oh well... perhaps they'll be a mini-game?

Anyways, speaking of new shops, as you can now FINALLY see, Carousel Boutique is now under new management... that's right, the Cutie Mark Crusaders (and Rarity's parents (does anyone know what Rarity's mom's name is, by the way?)) have taken over her shop, and are selling Badges. Oh come on, it's a clothing boutique, something like this was going to happen. Mario does not change overalls in the Paper Mario games, though, so Badges was the only thing I could come up with. I bet you're all dying to know whose going to be the Star Piece collector... oh, don't worry. You'll see who they are come Post Chapter 3. You'll also see a new shopkeeper trot her way into town after Chapter 2.

Yes, Ponyville's Mayor has pretty much started the story's equivalent to the sidequest shop. You never have to go here to get anything required, so unless it's a very rewarding sidequest, we probably won't be visiting her shop a lot. You can go ahead and do these quests... just expect a lot of back-tracking between previously visited locations (more troubles will be added upon completion of a chapter). If you're aiming for 100 percent completion (I'm clearly not, instead being a casual gamer), they're worth a shot.

Anyways, Cranky Doodle Donkey (I feel sorry for him for the embarrassing middle name) is still with his sweetheart, Matilda. Unfortunately, he's gotten involved with the greedy adventure tour guide, Mohan. Okay, now thanks to him, you now know the Coin cap you can have. Also, he's probably going to give a lot of trouble to Mario and his friends, isn't he? Not Cranky, I'm talking about Mohan. Cranky's cool.

Prosperous Dusk returns, as you can see. What's he doing here? Well, the last we saw of Prosperous, he seemed like he was was leaving Canterlot Castle. Hmm... an interesting sort, he is.

But anyways, it seems that Bees (from Super Mario Galaxy, no less), have joined this universe. This one in particular certainly was helpful, paying Mohan a large sum of money. How generous of her. We'll have to learn her name sooner or later.

2) So, our next location will be Fillydelphia (which I'm going to guess the city looks like somewhere between modern Philadelphia or late 18th century Philadelphia). But to actually get there, we're going to have to head to the first mountainous terrain that's never been seen in the show: the Foal Mountains. You know, as much as I love forcing Mario to travel dangerous terrain, I'm gonna have to put him on a train eventually (as I'll reasonably run out of fun locations for them to travel through). To be honest, Chapter 2 would be notoriously short without our mountain climbing adventure.

3) So, why is Discord chaotic neutral despite not having any form of a leash? To be honest: With the inevitable Team Mario vs. Koopa Troop vs. Colts of Nocturne vs. various isolated groups who are after the Elements as well that this fic is going to escalate (or degenerate if you hate having multiple sides in a conflict) into, we have WAY too many villains to keep track off. I figured he'd rather kick back and watch as the region falls apart... while giving Mario some chance to actually do some damage. Also, it's hilariously easier to keep track of him this way.

Why are the Cutie Mark Crusaders taking over Rarity's shop? Because we need a Badge Shop and they want Cutie Marks now, and Badges sort of look like Cutie Marks. I'm clever! Also, it's not exactly them, it's Magnum, Rarity and Sweetie's father, who seems to have been traveling a lot.

Why is the Mayor turning her Town Hall into the Trouble Center equivalent? Simple... most complaints or happenings around town would go to her. But issues that have an impact on the nation would go to Celestia and/or Luna. However, Celestia and Luna are... tied up at the moment, so the issues go to literally the closest town to Canterlot. Unfortunately for the Mayor, that's Ponyville.

Why is Cranky working for Mohan? You'll... find out. Alongside the reason why the Cakes are traveling.

Anyways, before we leave, it's time for you all to take a shot at figuring out what species is Mario's next partner. The hint this time? "Whether you're a girl or a man, they will always be your best friend." Make of that what you will. Have a great day!

Chapter 2 Part 1

-MARIO-

Foal Mountains— Base

Mario’s trio emerged from the stone pipe right after Mohan and Cranky did. They were followed by their Bee benefactor and the Cakes.

While Mario waited for everyone, he decided to get accustomed to his surroundings… the mountain ahead of him. While the plumber was again glad he did not have to go through an ice world on top of climbing a mountain range, the Foal Mountains still had rather rugged terrain as far as he could tell. Mario looked upwards, and saw the rocky path he was required to sign a waiver in order to travel through. Though Mario could not tell what it was for sure, there was no doubt in his mind:

Just by looking at it, Mario knew that the mountains were alive with something.

“ALRIGHT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,” Mohan announced though his megaphone once everyone was gathered around him. This snapped Mario out of his thoughts at the expense of his ears. “WE’VE ARRIVED AT THE FOAL MOUNTAINS. NOW, WE’VE GOT A LOT OF HIKING TO DO BEFORE WE MAKE CAMP FOR THE NIGHT. OUR GOAL IS HOLLOW SHADES! CRANKY WILL BE LEADING MOST OF US THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS! IF YOU FOLLOW HIS AND ESPECIALLY MY ADVICE, WE ALL SHOULD COME OUT OF THIS WITHOUT A SCRATCH! ANY QUESTIONS?”

Only a purple hoof was raised. “Mr. Mohan and Mr. Donkey,” Prosperous Dusk questioned, “what is the likelihood we would run into monsters on our adventure tour?” Certain members of the group looked at him, confused.

“...What?” Matilda asked for them all. “Monsters in Foal Mountains?”

“Well,” Prosperous explained, “I have done my research on the Foal Mountain trail the settlers of Fillydelphia had taken before us, as a majority of the original settlers lost their lives in these mountains. I wanted to know why before I set hoof here, and my research says these mountains were ponykind’s first and most infamous encounters with Diamond Dogs.”

“Did you say… Diamond Dogs?” Carrot Cake asked the professor.

“But of course, my yellow companion,” Prosperous answered. “While most Diamond Dogs have now made their homes in places like Rambling Rock Ridge, and the Unicorn Range, Diamond Dogs roamed the Foal Mountains underground, kidnapping and capturing any creature foolish enough to travel these mountains alone. Their favorite two preys are ponies or baby Dragons with loose pockets of gems. And they aren’t the only creatures in these mountains, either. The venomous Gangster Spiders, for instance, have been fighting Diamond Dogs for supremacy for generations, praying on unsuspecting travelers and either eating or enslaving them. They’re quite huge, too. Perhaps our guide, Mr. Donkey, has encountered these creatures before.”

“Me?” Cranky asked.

“Well, you did say your game nearly ended when you traveled this path before,” Prosperous recalled. “I was just assuming those creatures were the reason why?”

“…True,” Cranky confessed. “Lucky for me, they were so focused on each other I could live to see the next day.”

“So that’s why you didn’t want us going alone,” Spike realized. “You’ve dealt with these guys before, and you don’t want us risking our necks against them!”

“Yeah,” Cranky nodded. “But while those two creatures will sooner go after each other than me, that can’t be said about anything else on the trail… especially the terrain. Besides, Diamond Dogs and Gangster Spiders would only come after you if you go underground into the mountains themselves. And the trail we’re going to take shouldn’t involve us going underground provided we don’t have to alter our route.”

“Okay, that’s great and everything,” Mohan interrupted, “but we’ve got to get moving. We’re already behind schedule thanks to the plumber, the cowboy, and the Dragon. I’m not going any later because of a lecture on Diamond Dogs. So, just for that, Mr. Smarty Pants, I’m making a new rule: NO SPOUTTING USELESS EXPOSITION JUST TO SCARE YOUR FELLOW CUSTOMERS!” Turning back to the group, he said, “Ignore him. We’re not going to see any monsters on our trip. That is a Mohan Equestrian Adventure Tour guarantee!”

“I hope you don’t mind if I don’t take your word for it,” Mario replied, holding out his Hammer. “I’ve been on too many adventures to know that anything that can go wrong WILL go wrong. Boomregard, Spike, be ready for whatever is going to happen.”

“Got it,” the Dragon nodded.

“Yes, sir,” Boomregard agreed, twirling his Boomerang around. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna git the drop on us.” Mohan snorted in frustration.

“Fine, join the crazy wagon of the nosy Unicorn who dug into too many myths,” the Monty Mole scoffed. “We’re wasting daylight. Let’s move!” Mohan began walking down the path, signaling that it was time to do the same.

Mario’s group was about to walk forward, but the Bee from earlier flew in front of them. “I’ve been meaning to bring this up with you three,” she told them. “What is wrong with you all?”

“Huh?” Mario asked.

“If I didn’t pay the man,” she explained, “I’m certain you would have attacked him! And again, you all look like you’re itching for a fight, disagreeing with our tour guide! Seriously, who brings a Hammer everywhere they go?”

“Miss,” Boomregard replied, “Ah’m sure we all appreciate yer concern fer group safety an’ Ah know we owe it to ya fer sacrificin’ yer money fer us, but that Mohan guy ain’t nothin’ more than a greedy snake. Ya saw how greedy he is, inflatin’ those prices beyond reason. Not to mention he was mighty quick to shootin’ down that there friend o’ Mario an’ Spike’s history lesson ’bout this place.”

“It still doesn’t make you right for trying to attack him,” the Bee scolded. “Look, I paid your way here, okay? All I ask is for you all to hear me out. I agree with you that Mohan is greedy and selfish. However, that’s still no morally good reason for resorting to violence against him! And from the looks of it, I’d say he’s trying to bait you into fighting him.”

“Well, he does seem like he’s icthin’ to take this from me,” Boomregard defended, looking at his wrist. “Ah can’t let him have it.”

“Wow,” the Bee breathed, looking at it. “That’s… that’s really pretty. What is it?”

“It’s a treasure,” Mario explained without elaborating on the details. “Boomregard here is holding onto it for someone until we see her, again. Anyways, getting back on topic, we’ll try not to fight him… but there’s no guarantee we won’t fight anything.”

“You don’t really believe that guy, do you?” the Bee asked.

“Trust me,” the plumber assured her. “Whenever I go ANYWHERE, I’m going to have to fight something. I just don’t know what it is until I find it. Anyways, I almost forgot to introduce myself and my friends, here. I’m Mario. The Dragon is Spike, and we call our Boomerang Bro friend ‘Boomregard’… as we don’t really know his name and that’s the only one we can call him.”

“Ah have a weird case o’ amnesia,” Boomregard explained.

“Well then,” the Bee nodded, “I’m Beeatriz. Nice to meet you all. I hope we can get through this tour just fine!” With that, the Bee flew ahead of them.

“She’s a rather nice lady,” Spike said. “Anyways, we better get going. Fillydelphia and the next Element await us!” Mario hit the nearby Save Block, and began heading up the hill.

Foal Mountains— Ascent

Soon, after a bit of hiking uphill, Mario’s team caught up to Cup Cake, whose two foals were riding comfortably on their mother’s back, giggling at the thought of adventure. They were also playing with what appeared to be a baby alligator. Mario only could tell it was alive by the fact that it was waging its tail back and forth and blinked in a rather slow manner. “So,” the plumber asked as he looked at the Cake family, “who are these little ones?”

“Our son, Pound Cake, and our daughter, Pumpkin Cake,” Carrot Cake explained, walking up next to him. “The alligator there, Gummy, belongs to Pinkie Pie. Don’t worry… he’s somehow harmless. Before you ask why they’re not Earth Ponies… genetics. Very complicated genetics.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Mario replied, looking at the two babies who waved at him. “However, I’m going to ask why they’re here… and why are you guys on this tour.”

“Well, dearie,” Cup Cake explained, “we’ve been thinking about how we could attempt to help you out with your efforts to rescue Pinkie Pie. To be honest, we’ve thought of one thing… our cooking skills. But we need to stop in Fillydelphia to pick up a few things to help make treats for you and your friends. Also, we remembered Pinkie’s family… Clyde Pie and Sue Pie would want to have an idea of what happened to their daughter.”

“Pinkie’s… family?” Mario asked. “You mean they live in Fillydelphia?”

“More or less a rock farm near Fillydelphia,” Carrot Cake corrected. “Before Pinkie came to us, she grew up on a rock farm with her sisters. It was a very hard life for a young filly as energetic as Pinkie to work on a place with something dull like rocks. As soon as she was old enough, Pinkie left home to come to Ponyville.”

“Dare I ask what a rock farm is?” Mario questioned. Spike and Boomregard both shrugged, while the twins looked down in sadness.

“Pinkie…” Pound breathed.

“Pie…” Pumpkin added. “Miss her…”

“Very much…” Pound agreed, hugging his sister. Gummy, sensing the two’s discomfort, walked over and nuzzled them in an act of sudden care.

“Poor dears,” Cup Cake sighed, looking at her twins. “Don’t cry, little ones… she’ll hopefully be home, soon.”

“If ya’ll ask me,” Boomregard summarized, “it sounds like Miss Pie ain’t mighty close to her folks with something like that in her background.”

“Pinkie writes to them on certain occasions,” Carrot Cake answered. “But… she could be closer to her family. I don’t think Pinkie has seen them face-to-face ever since she first walked into Sugarcube Corner one afternoon, seeking a place to call home. And that was as a filly. I’ll be honest: Cup Cake and I have tried our best bringing up Pinkie before Pumpkin Cake and Pound Cake were born. But ever since this whole ‘Elements of Harmony’ business began a few years ago where she ran off into the Everfree Forest alongside Twilight and the others, I can’t help but worry every time she rushes out of Sugarcube Corner’s front doors on an adventure given to her by Princess Celestia and wonder if I have failed to protect her. There are times where I can’t sleep due to fear, worried that she had pushed her luck one too many times and had gotten a game over. Recently, though? I’m afraid my worries are finally starting to be justified… that’s why I can’t help but fear meeting her real father and telling him what’s happened. I’ll accept whatever anger, fury, and criticism Clyde Pie will have for me as a father.”

“Carrot… you don’t have to take all of the blame for Pinkie,” Cup Cake replied. “It’s not your fault that this happened. Nopony, especially not you, could have predicted Pinkie Pie being kidnapped. Nopony had any idea she would be the Bearer of Laughter, either.”

“…But why do I feel like it is my fault she became this hero?” the yellow Earth Pony questioned his wife. “That any harm she suffers is because I didn’t protect her. That there will be a time that she’s gone for good because I failed to equip her with the proper knowledge, go out on her quests to look after her… or put my hoof down and say she could not go on these dangerous quests, no matter WHO asked her or what destiny she was given. And every time Pinkie ran out to do something that decides the fate of Equestria, I can’t help but ask what would happen to her if she failed to come back… and what if Pumpkin and Pound Cake take after her with these dangerous missions.”

“…Hey, Mario?” Spike asked in a whisper. “Should we… tell them what Princess Peach found in Starswirl’s book?”

“No,” Mario said in response. “I hate to deny them that information, but it’s kind of better this way. Trust me… the Dark Prognosticus, the book Starswirl used as a reference, may be a book able to predict all futures, but it’s a terribly depressing book. The last known reader, in a bout of depression in response to losing his love thanks to his father’s actions, tried to destroy the entire multiverse by getting Peach and Bowser married; a union so wrong that it started the apocalypse.”

Beeatriz, who was flying near them, simply blinked at what Mario just said. “…What?” she whispered.

“It’s a long story,” the plumber told her. Turning back to the Cakes, Mario said aloud, “Do not worry. We’ll get her back… I’m used to saving my princess all of the time from a fire-breathing Koopa who has on occasions grown the size of a castle and I usually have to go through seven, maybe eight dangerous regions just to get to that point. What’s six mares from an evil cult?”

“…I can only hope, Mr. Mario,” Carrot smiled at the plumber. He then looked over at Spike, who breathed fire on a plant that hopped out of the ground in panic and pain before being bopped on the head. “Uh, Spike, what are you doing to that plant?”

“I found a Florie’s Root, sorry,” Spike replied before holding the offending weed up to Mario.

“…Why…?” the Florie’s Root questioned. “Why did a Dragon have to come this way…?” Spike then pocketed the plant.

A while down the trail, Monty Moles not affiliated with Mohan as well as a well blended in Cleft decorated it. Some Monty Moles quickly began throwing rocks at the travelers for virtually no reason other than the fact that they could, but they mainly focused on Mario, who countered with a Multibounce on each of their heads. Spike’s improved Jackhammer Tail took down a Monty Mole with one shot while Boomregard’s Boomerang Toss easily dispatched the other. The Cleft, on the other hand, was harder to take down due to its sharp hide able to avoid being stepped on by Mario and its rock body being immune to both Mario’s Hammer and Spike’s new Dragon Ember. However, Mario had stocked up on just the solution: POW Blocks.

After flipping it on its back, it was easy to take down. Mohan looked at the three’s skill with mild interest while others stared in total awe.

“Where’d you learn to battle like that?” Cranky asked Mario. “Ain’t any Equestrian form of martial arts… and certainly is more than Mohan can muster.”

“Please,” the Monty Mole scoffed. “I could have taken them ALL on with one arm tied behind my back! Those guys just beat me to the punch is all.” Mohan was then thrown a rock at by a random Monty Mole, who chuckled at him before retreating into its hole.

Mario’s group rolled their eyes in annoyance. “I still can’t believe that wild Monty Moles and Clefts are out here,” Mario remarked. “Well, we can deal with them at least.”

Soon enough, though, they came to a rather interesting sight… a giant chasm too big for anyone to jump across.

“Hold on, here,” Cranky scowled, looking around. He then spotted two wooden posts, and tilted his head in confusion as he walked in between them. “…Now where’s the bridge? Last time I was through here, there was a bridge….”

“Well,” Carrot asked, “how are we supposed to get to Fillydelphia now?” he asked. Beeatriz, meanwhile, looked ahead over the chasm. She then gasped as she spotted two similar posts, and something sticking out of the ground between the posts.

“Hey! What’s that?” she asked. She then flew over the chasm, looking at the object sticking out of it.

“What is that?” Matilda yelled over to the Bee. Beeatriz pulled at it.

“I… I think it’s the bridge!” Beeatriz replied. “It’s all folded up like paper! Hold on, I can pull it over! Give me a moment!” The crowd cheered for the Bee as she tugged at it, pulling the bridge out with all of her strength. Soon enough, the bridge started to unfold until she reached the other side, where she inhaled before spitting a small glob of honey out onto the ground, which she stuck the end of the bridge to in order to get it to stay.

“Nice work, Beeatriz!” Mario cheered. “That’s a useful skill… if not somewhat strange.”

“Thanks,” the Bee smiled. “I learned how to make honey into an adhesive. Anyways, you guys who can’t fly can cross the bridge!”

“Thank you, Beeatriz!” Spike smiled. “Let’s get going!” Mohan pushed past him. “Hey!”

“What part of I’m in front at all times did you not get?” he asked the Dragon. Pointing to the Bee, Mohan said, “While I thank you for allowing us to go forward, the same goes for you!” Mohan then crossed the bridge, leaving others frustrated.

“He IS a jerk,” Beeatriz huffed, crossing her arms. “Is he always this rude?”

“Unfortunately,” Cranky grumbled. “Trust me… if I didn’t need him, I wouldn’t be out here with him. Anyways, everypony single file over the bridge. It’s safer that way. Oh, and if you can somehow go into some kind of 2-D Paper Form with some kind of R Button… whatever you do, don’t. We’re not going to be held liable for your stupidity.”

“What kind of cruel soul or complete sucker would do that?” Spike asked, looking at no one in particular… but somehow looking at the screen.

“Please,” Mohan waved off from all of the way at the other side of the bridge. “That’s only a scare tactic, Cranky Doodle! Watch this!” He then walked onto the bridge, and turned to some kind of Paper Form, surprising Mario that he had it… only to slip through the bridge footholds. “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!”

“…Yay,” Cranky smiled, actually happy with Mohan’s accident. Soon enough, everyone crossed the bridge, laughing all of the way at the Monty Mole’s rightfully deserved expense. Mohan, however, soon popped out of the ground next to them on the other side.

“So,” Mohan said in an attempt to save face, “as you all can see, using Paper Form on bridges is a bad idea. That’s a Mohan Equestrian Adventure Tour tip, free of charge! But, since I am such a solid rock, I can survive falls like that no problem! Anyways, let’s get going!”

“You better not have used that Life Shroom I bought ya.”

After a bit more walking and Mario’s group taking down a few more wild Monty Moles, Mario noticed a Quake Hammer Badge. This wouldn’t be much of a problem, but it was hiding behind a group of stalagmites that seemed impossible for even Paper Form to slip through. Mario groaned about the fact that he would have to come back for such a useful badge… and hoped he could find a way to deal with Clefts SOON.

A bit further in their path, though, the tour group encountered an unusual sight. A large section of earth that looked darker and softer than usual occupied the path in front of them. The nearby rock wall was without any means of crossing. On the other side of this, though, was a light brown Warp Pipe.

“Well, this is the hard one,” Cranky sighed, looking at the dark sand.

“What’s the matter now, Cranky?” Mohan complained. “It’s just mud at the worst.” With that, he jumped in… only to begin to sink. “What the… whaa!” After a bit, the sand began to pull him down so that only his head was visible.

“Actually,” Cranky elaborated, “that’s Foal Mountains brand quicksand. It won’t end your game, but getting stuck in it is going to be awful.” Turning to Beeatriz, he asked, “You think you can carry us all across one at a time?”

“Um, actually,” Beeatriz answered, “I’d normally love to, but… I can’t carry passengers across long gaps like that very well.”

“That’s rather disappointing to hear,” Prosperous Dusk spoke up. “Mr. Donkey, is there any way we can get across so we don’t end up like the Monty Mole?”

“I can still hear you!” Mohan yelled.

“…Hmm… there is a way we can fix this,” Cranky suggested. “We’d need somepony to go underground to get to it, though.”

“I’m on it,” Mario volunteered.

“Wait, really?” Cranky asked.

“At this point,” Mario answered, “if I didn’t say I was going to do it, someone— namely the Monty Mole who I get the distinct impression does not like me— would volunteer me. So, I’m just going to cut out the middle man. Now, what am I going to look for?”

“…You have WAY too many adventures, son,” Cranky said to Mario, giving him a pat on the back. “But… I guess the fastest way underground is that Pipe over there. How you’re gonna reach it is beyond me, but once you’re underground, you’re gonna be looking for a blue switch. But I’ve got a warning for you: watch out for Diamond Dogs and Gangster Spiders.”

“Right,” Mario nodded, realizing that Prosperous’ exposition was actually sound. “Now, to find a way over there…” However, he noticed Cranky no longer paying attention to him… and instead to the red 3-D Paper Pig that was casually running across the surface of the quicksand.

“Yeah! Arctic won’t have anything on me with this training!” the Pig cheered in a familiar voice. The Pig then spotted the others looking at her, including Mario and Spike.

“Wildfire?” the Dragon asked. “Is that you?”

“Oh, guys!” the Pig gasped before walking over to Mario. “…Uh, guess I forgot to mention that Pig Form can easily waddle through rough sand and mud, didn’t I? It’s not just for squeezing for tight spaces… sorry!” With that, Wildfire popped out of Pig Form and took flight above the quicksand. “So… what are you guys doing all of the way out here?”

“Hey… could you help a Monty Mole out and pull me out of here?” Mohan asked her. “I kind of can’t move my massively muscle-packed arms.”

“Give me a moment,” Wildfire answered him. “I just want to catch up with my saviors and fellow studiers of Papergami… and a Boomerang Bro.”

“Ah’m new, ma’am,” Boomregard waved at her. “Mario an’ Spike here taught me that Pig Form technique, by the way.”

“We’re just heading to Fillydelphia,” Mario answered her previously asked question. “So, why are you training in the mountains?”

“Almost nopony comes out here to the Foal Mountains due to how dangerous it is,” Wildfire replied. “It’s the perfect training site without being disturbed. But… I’m planning on going someplace else to find the others… perhaps Drizzle. Maybe he was locked up in Whitetail Wood? You know, he was always the quiet one, almost putting Arctic to shame.” With a blush, she added, “Not to mention the way he can turn into a Paper Frog back into a handsome stallion was kind of cute.”

“Okay,” Mario nodded, not wanting to get involved in this Kunochi’s love life. “So, Pig Form can walk over this sand?”

“Yep,” Wildfire smiled. “Well, good luck!” Soon enough, she flew away, leaving everyone stunned.

“Wait, you crazy ninja pony!” Mohan yelled. “You forgot to get me out of here!” Mario, Spike, and Boomregard chuckled before turning into their Pig Forms, and walked through the sand in a casual manner. “Oh, if you weren’t my only sensible hope other than the Bee, you three would SO be off this tour!”

After on the other side and popping out of their Pig Forms, Spike asked, “You know, in hindsight, shouldn’t we have just taught everypony Pig Form?”

“That would take too long,” Boomregard shrugged. “An’ Ah’ll be honest… don’t ya just enjoy seein’ that overchargin’ jerk be put in his place?”

“Wait until I get my hands on you three! You better deliver and find a way across! Cranky! Matilda! Get me out of here!”

Mario just shook his head before jumping down the Warp Pipe with his partners.

Foal Mountains— Interior Area 1

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard barely even realized they had emerged from the Pipe before all three of them tripped over the exit. The area around them was entirely dark, barely able to see in front of them. Spike attempted to light the area in front of them with his fire, but it only for a second.

“Oh, great,” the baby Dragon groaned. “I can’t see… you guys?”

“Nope,” Mario and Boomregard shook their heads.

“Hold on,” Spike recalled. “Matilda said something about this… we need to use the Lantern she gave us. What did she say about how to use it? Press the X Button to turn the Lantern on or off?”

“I think so,” Mario remembered. He then turned on the Lantern, lighting the area around them. It didn’t look anything out of the ordinary by cave standards. Except for the rubies, sapphires, and topaz gems embedded in the ways, much to the baby Dragon’s drooling pleasure.

“Jewels… glorious jewels…”

“Uh… Spike?” Boomregard asked. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Dragons… eat gems,” the plumber replied as the baby Dragon grabbed a diamond from the wall, and began munching on it. “At least, Equestrian Dragons do, if I’ve learned anything.” He then whispered to Boomregard, “But I’ve seen non-Equestrian Dragons eat jewels before, too.” Turning to a ruby-eating Spike, Mario said, “We’ve got a limited battery life on this thing, Spike. Let’s move.”

“Aw,” the Dragon pouted. “But I’m hungry…”

The trio then began walking through the cave, attempting to figure out where to go. It was an upward path towards the left, lit up thanks to the light of the Lantern reflecting off of the gems. However, it was not an easy trek up the hill, especially once Diamond Dogs popped out of the ground, and they weren't too happy to see intruders in their mines. Sure they were defeated, but there were so many of them attacking that Mario was afraid his Lantern’s battery wasn’t going to last through all of it. They also ran into another Florie’s Root, hanging from the ceiling.

“Ha!” she laughed. “I’ve heard about you guys going around, catching all of us! Well, you’re not gonna get me? You see this? Ceiling. You’d have to either be a fire-breathing Dragon or have something to throw to get me!”

“Okay,” Boomregard said, holding up his Boomerang. One could imagine how well that ended up for the Florie’s Root that soon ended up in Spike’s possession.

Soon enough, though, they emerged in a well lit underground chamber. Mario’s trio looked around, confused. “Okay,” the plumber said after turning off his lantern, “what’s going on, here?”

“Argh! Let go, dumb spiders!” a female voice yelled. The three turned their immediate attention to an area towards the ceiling, where a rock platform stuck out of the wall… and what was on the platform. A Diamond Dog was surrounded on both sides by large spider creatures all wearing top hats, the Dog’s arms restrained by webbing. The apparent leader of these spiders was a red one with a brown mustache. But that’s not what got their attention.

It was the fact that the Diamond Dog being held captive was female around Mario’s size. She had dark brown fur with rather floppy ears. Her tail, rather than being thick and covered in sharp points like the ones Mario’s group had encountered so far, was rather thin and sharp, so Mario assumed it was a gender thing. She was wearing a dark red hooded sweatshirt with the word, “Dig” bedazzled into the front of it and a pouch on the front. Her collar was actually studded with yellow gems. She looked like a lost teenager.

“Sorry, toots,” the leader of the spiders answered. “Ya see, we ain’t gonna let yous go, see? We’ve seen your kind diggin’ all o’er this joint, see? Diggin’ up all o’ these gems. Well, Gangster Spiders like gems, too, see? So, yous got a new job bein’ our gem hunter, see? We’re gonna be sendin’ yous down into the lower caves to work, see? See how strong ya are, see?”

“You let me go,” the Diamond Dog scowled, “and I show spiders just how strong I am!”

“Aw, ya have a little backbone,” the leader smirked. “I like that, see? We’ll see how much fun ya have with a broken spirit.” He then took something out of the Diamond Dog’s pouch… it looked like a purple and red stone.

She gasped at the theft. “No! You no take rare Hoohoo Stone! I was gonna make good Hammer with that with Mr. Pie’s help!”

“Too bad, toots,” the leader laughed. He then shot out a web downwards to the lower level. “Boys, let’s get out of here, see?”

“Yeah!” the other Gangster Spiders agreed. They wrapped the Diamond Dog they held with more webbing before heading to climb down the web rope with their prisoner… only to run into Mario’s trio.

“Uh, Boss… who put this plumber, the Dragon, and the Boomerang Bro here?” one of the Gangster Spiders asked.

“I dunno, boys,” the Gangster Spider leader answered. “They weren’t here when we caught this here dame, see? So, we gots to clear them out the way. But… Dragons are just as skilled gem hunters, too… so let’s take him!”

“Wait, what?” the Diamond Dog asked, looking at the odd trio. It didn’t take much for Mario’s team to realize they were in a fight against five Gangster Spiders.

“So, these guys are Gangster Spiders,” the Dragon answered. “They’re a powerful enemy you don’t want to be underprepared for, and think they run Equestria’s underground. They can shoot up webs to hang from so they can avoid your Hammer, Mario. It’s because Hammer attacks, for some reason, do double damage to them. But however, don’t let them bite you. Their fangs can numb you with powerful poison.”

“That how I get caught,” the Diamond Dog interjected. “Don’t worry, though… it wear off after while.”

“Not to mention they, while hanging from their web, can spit webbing at us,” Spike added. “Luckily, that’s not poisonous. Still, let’s be careful with this.”

“Right,” Mario agreed, stomping the nearest Gangster Spider with a Power Bounce that would take one out of the fight by the time Mario was done. Boomregard, meanwhile, took to using his Wild Arc, damaging the others. However, two of the remaining ones rushed towards Boomregard, biting him while the others shot webs to evade them. The Gangster Spiders backed away from Boomregard, who was looking a little queasy.

“Ah think Spike an’ our little damsel weren’t kiddin’,” the Boomerang Bro said, signaling he had been poisoned.

“Yeah, see?” the Gangster Spiders’ leader taunted. “And there’s more where that came from, see?”

“Okay, time to heat things up,” Spike growled, inhaling to build up power. He then released a breath of hot Dragon’s Ember into one of the ground Gangster Spiders, taking it down with one shot. Boomregard, meanwhile, gulped down one of the Tasty Tonics to cure his poisoning. Mario sent a Power Smash into the other ground Gangster Spider, knocking it out of the fight, leaving only two to shoot webs at Mario and Spike. However, between a Jump, a Jackhammer Tail, and Boomregard’s Wild Arc, they weren’t much trouble.

The five Gangster Spiders groaned in pain as Spike chuckled at the victory. “Ugh… what happened, see?” the leader of the Spiders asked.

“We got beat… Boss…” another Gangster Spider answered. “We ought to scurry out of here.”

“Agreed!” The Gangster Spiders soon retreated, dropping both the Diamond Dog and her treasure. The trio walked over to the Dog, who was trying to get out of her bindings.

“Thank… you… Mustache Man… baby Dragon… and Boomerang Bro,” the Diamond Dog said between bites at the web and spitting it up. “Um… could use help…”

“I don’t know,” Spike interjected. “I mean, I dealt with Diamond Dogs before, and you guys tend to try to kidnap ponies for slave labor.”

“That only rude dogs in Rambling Rock Ridge or Unicorn Range who kidnap ponies for treasure!” the Diamond Dog insisted. “Mom and Dad taught me to seek honest work. So, I do just that. Have job on rock farm. Find gems for mentor Mr. Pie… Speaking of which, he must be worried! Um, again… can I ask for help? Please?” As if to emphasize her point, she looked up at the three, her eyes big and soulful, and making a puppy pout while wagging her free tail.

“Spike,” Mario said, “she’s not in any position to attack us. We can just help her out, right?”

“…I better not regret this,” Spike said, holding out his sharp claws while Boomregard held out his Boomerang. Between the two of them, they cut the Diamond Dog free.

“Alright! Thank you!” she cheered. She picked up Spike, and surprised him with a lick up his cheek.

“Okay, this is even WORSE!” the Dragon complained as she put Spike down to pick up her Hoohoo Stone and pocketing it.

“Nice to meet you all!” the Dog smiled, somewhat forgetting that she was about to be kidnapped. “I called ‘Diggsie’! What your names?”

“Well, I’m Mario,” the plumber introduced. “The Dragon you just licked is Spike… and we honestly don’t know what our Boomerang Bro’s real name is, but call him ‘Boomregard’.”

“Why you no know your name?” Diggsie asked Boomregard.

“Ah have a nasty case of amnesia,” the Boomerang Bro answered, somewhat depressed that the teenage Diamond Dog brought it up. Changing the subject, he asked, “So, Miss Diggsie, what were you doin’ down here if ya work on a rock farm?”

“Oh, right,” Diggsie recalled, pulling her Hoohoo Stone back out. “I accidentally lose track of Hoohoo Stone I was going to show Mr. Pie. Did you know you can make Hammers from these?”

“I do,” Mario answered. “Those are found on Hoohoo Mountain in the Beanbean Kingdom. What’s one doing all of the way out here?”

“I don’t know,” Diggsie shrugged. “Some crazy-looking creature dropped it. I pick it up, remembering that Mr. Pie once said these make great Hammers. But I accidentally drop it, only to find it again… and get caught by Gangster Spiders. Now… I guess I lost. I find way out soon enough.”

“And you’re happy about all of this?” Spike asked, looking at Mario with a confused look on his face. “Wow, you look on the bright side of things… like Pinkie Pie.”

“Don’t worry,” the female Diamond Dog waved off. “I smell a way out by tapping some weird Touch Screen on GamePad like it some kind of radar. Just need to find right place to Dig, and hit some strange Y Button… like Mrs. Pie said.”

“…Ah don’t know who this Mrs. Pie is,” Boomregard asked aloud, “but she sounds a lot like she’s related to that there pink pony ya’ll have been mentioning if she knows this weird stuff. Maybe it’s genetic?”

“Anyways,” Spike shrugged, “we probably should find that switch Cranky mentioned to get to Fillydelphia. You can find your way out on your own, right?” Spike looked around, but didn’t see another way out besides the way they just came in. “Uh, where is that switch?”

“Wait, switch?” Diggsie asked. “Ooh! I can repay you for saving me! I join you until we get to rock farm! You can use my skills! I find your switch no problem!”

“Wait,” Mario asked as Diggsie eagerly smiled at him, “you’re going to come with three random strangers to get out of these mountains just because we helped you?”

“We going same way!” the Diamond Dog answered. “I don’t see why not! Besides… you have no idea where switch is. It probably underground somewhere in this cave… if not, we find tunnel. I can dig it up! Let’s find it!”

Diggsie just volunteered to join your party! Wow, didn’t you just start this chapter?

Diggsie is a loyal— if somewhat overly energetic— teenage Diamond Dog who loves traveling and digging around. Her specialty, of course, is digging quick holes. Press Y to have Mario grab her tail before she digs a hole in the ground. While underground, Mario’s team will not be detected by enemies, and even eavesdrop on private conversations. Press the Y Button again to pop back out, getting the jump on any enemies you hit. You can also use this to dig up items from underground. However, should you dig into a secret tunnel, Diggsie will travel through it, dragging Mario’s team with her! Diggsie, of course, can detect these tunnels by using her nose like a radar by tapping the Touch Screen. Also, this can detect invisible item blocks or hidden items or enemies.

Diggsie is also quite useful in battle, too. She can stomp on enemies with an energetic Claw Pounce (but she’s not protected from spiky enemies). She can also hit enemies from underground with her Drill Upper, hiding her and Mario underground for one turn and striking the second turn, flipping certain enemies with it.

“Okay,” Diggsie said once it was official. “First thing we need to do… let me sniff around.” Standing on her tiptoes, Diggsie took a few sniffs, trying to see if she could find anything. She did, soon enough. “Ah ha!” She pointed to a random spot in the ground, and walked over to it. “I dig here! Grab my tail if you wanna come with!”

“Okay,” Mario said, trying to do as she said. “Quit wagging it.”

As soon as he grabbed Diggsie’s tail (and Spike and Boomregard grabbed onto him), the Diamond Dog began to live up to her name, burrowing underground with them right behind her, placing dirt above them. Soon enough, the dirt exploded with a blue switch and the four heroes. The switch then landed right next to them.

“Wow, this must be it,” Mario said, taking out his Hammer. He then swung it down, hitting the block. Soon, the cave began shaking around him. Before anyone could ask what was happening, the shaking stopped… and a scream of pain could be heard outside.

“…Uh… what was that?” Spike asked aloud.

“Probably made it so our tour group can cross,” Boomregard suggested. “Let’s mosey on back outside.”

“Okay,” Diggsie smiled. Soon, the four walked out of the cave. “By the way… anyone know what screaming sound was?”

“No clue,” Boomregard said.

Foal Mountains— Trail— Moments before Mario’s group hit the switch

“Okay, one last time,” Prosperous Dusk said, walking to the front of the waiting group. “If I free you, will you promise to let me talk?”

“…Okay, fine!” Mohan grumbled. “Can’t believe those jerks left me in here.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Cranky muttered in a sarcastic tone. Prosperous, meanwhile, lit up his horn, which flashed a pale green for a mere moment before turning dark blue. A dark blue aura wrapped itself around Mohan before yanking him out of the sand.

“Oh yeah!” Mohan grinned. “I can move again! Now… put me on the other side! I’ve got to have a word with that plumber and his Boomerang Bro for leaving me here!”

Soon, though, the stone wall next to the quicksand began to rumble a bit right before a large stone path burst through the stone wall, tearing it like paper… and ramming straight into Mohan, causing him to scream in pain as he fell out of Prosperous’ magical grip and face-first into the quicksand. He then let out a muffled scream. This caused Pumpkin and Pound to burst out into laughter while their parents could not help but chuckle and Beeatriz giggled.

“Oo rey aie SOOOOOOO oof zih boor!” Mohan yelled from under the quicksand.

“Well,” Matilda smiled at her boyfriend, “I think I’m seeing why my Doodle is enjoying himself… it’s actually somewhat funny seeing Mohan suffer for his brash behavior.”

“Hey, Mohan?” Prosperous asked. “I don’t know if you can hear me with all of that sand in your ears, but if you can, if I help you out, will I get a full refund?”

“MO!” the Monty Mole yelled. “TRUL BON: MO PREMUNS!”

“Okay, have fun drowning.” Prosperous then jumped up on the stone walkway and trotted away.

“Really?” Beeatriz asked Prosperous before flying under the stone path, attempting to tug Mohan out by his tail. "This is gonna be a loooong trip..."

Author's Note

Well, so begins Chapter 2's arc. Which is more or less a road trip rather than exploring a colossal destination. I swear, this will be the only road trip heavy chapter. But we'll have some laughs along the way... and make some new friends. Speaking of which...

1) Meet Beeatriz! She's a very generous Bee! And yes, I'm terrible at female names. That, and my Humanities 102 teacher also mentioned Dante's Divine Comedy, which made me come up with the name. Don't you just love historical references? Anybody? ...Nobody?

Anyway, we have a new enemy class! Gangster Spiders! Well, for those who don't know, they're a race of hat-wearing Spiders that appeared in the FiM expanded universe. And I wanted more foes than just Diamond Dogs... and the two mini-boss fights coming up. That's right! I'm giving you two of them this time around, one of whom is Carbon! Well, actually three, but you get my point.

Oh, and let's not forget our new party member. Diggsie was one of my first planned Equestrian party members... that wasn't Spike. However, she was a lot younger than she is now. Diggsie is a rather energetic sort, too, sort of a Genki Girl with a mix of super strength. Right now, she's capable of dealing some heavy damage. If you find a third Florie's Root, you may wanna go back to the Everfree Forest and upgrade her. I hear her Super Rank is really cool. I'm sorry to all fans who thought Chomper was going to be the next partner... don't worry, we'll see him again. Don't unwatch me!

2) So, the Foal Mountains? Really had a heck of a time thinking this place's terrain up. I mean, it looks like a stereotypical mountain range. With the exception that it's a dangerous place with quicksand and an underground turf war going on. We'll complete the second half of this place next update (what's left of Ascent and then the mini-boss fight on the Summit, finally the Descent)... alongside working the two mini-boss fights I promised. The next update should be the entirety of the Hollow Shades and the Pie Rock Farm, and we should get to the Chapter Boss in part four.

3) So, you now know why the Cakes are heading to Fillydelphia. But you're probably wondering why Carrot is worried about meeting Clyde Pie... and you now know that Carrot Cake does have some adult fear issues when looking at Pinkie Pie and her rather dangerous adventure-seeking activities. Someone has to worry about her and her friends, and Carrot has two twim baby foals who greatly look up to Pinkie... and who would likely follow in her footsteps if given the chance.

Next, why am I so mean to Mohan? Well, he's a jerk, and he deserves it. He also is a comical antagonist. I love the funny moments that you can do with a mentality of Schadenfreude (Avenue Q reference, anyone?)

Wait, when did Pig Form get a second use? I honestly thought of it to make it more useful, because the other Papergami skills you'll pick up made Pig Form look rather weak. Especially the one I hinted at before... which is an ode to a previous power-up in the Super Mario Bros., by the way.

Now, the question I feel like I NEED to answer: Why did I pick a Diamond Dog when Mario and Spike have both been fighting Diamond Dogs? And why a female one? Well, it's a simple thing of not every enemy class is going to be purely chaotic evil pony-hating creatures. Seems that Sirius had a point in his speech about other races, didn't he? Yeah, Sirius is more of a type 2 Lawful Evil. Also, this party actually needs females... there were only three guys. Also, it's kind of adorable seeing a puppy wearing a red sweatshirt. At least, I find it adorable.

Let's just... have a nice day.

Chapter 2 Part 2

Foal Mountains— Ascent

Mario’s group of four emerged from the pipe, looking to see Matilda, the Cakes, and Beeatriz waiting for them. “Oh, there you all are!” Matilda waved at them.

“What happened down there?” Beeatriz asked. She then noticed Diggsie behind them. “And why is a Diamond Dog with you?”

“Hi!” the energetic Diggsie waved. “I Diggsie! I follow Mario so I get home!”

“…Uh, okay,” Carrot Cake nodded. “Well, I have good news and bad news. Good news is that whatever you guys did down there made us a bridge. The bad news, though… is that Mohan, in a fit of anger after he was unstuck, headed ahead and that Prosperous Dusk walked ahead of him. Cranky went with him to calm him down, but several members of the tour group followed them.”

“Well,” Boomregard mused, “as much as Ah don’t like the guy, we can’t let Mohan endanger the tour group…”

“But there are more likely more Clefts and Monty Moles ahead,” Mario assumed. “I don’t have too many POW Blocks left…”

“Wait, Clefts?” Diggsie asked. “You mean rocky monsters with sharp points on heads? I can deal with them from underground. Hit them hard enough, they flip over!”

“That’s one way of doing that,” Mario shrugged. “But I just remembered a Quake Hammer Badge a bit of the way back. If we do a little backtracking, we can probably see it. I still don’t know how we’re going to get it, though… it’s blocked the stalagmites.”

“Oh, that?” Diggsie asked. “Maybe there tunnel near it. If I dig there, we pop up at opposite end of tunnel! Just need to find tunnel with nose!”

“Well, that’s useful,” Spike said, actually impressed with the Diamond Dog. “Well, we have two ways to fight the Clefts and other high-defense foes!”

“…Hmm… maybe three ways when we get to it,” Diggsie thought about. “Remember Hoohoo Stone? Mario, you use Hammer, right? Maybe Mr. Pie could make you stronger Super Hammer. We go see him near Hollow Shades to find Pie Rock Farm! Still requires pushing ahead, though.”

“A Super Hammer?” Mario asked, honestly interested in this development.

“Wait, Mr. Pie?” Cup Cake asked. “You… you know Clyde Pie and Sue Pie?”

“Yep, yep,” Diggsie answered with her tail wagging. “I work for them! Did you know they have three daughters? Their names are Isabelle, Bellamina, and Pinkamena!” Carrot and Cup Cake looked at each other, somewhat recognizing the third name. “The three have grown up and left rock farm, but Mr. Pie still worried for them.”

“Oh dear,” Cup Cake breathed. Turning to Mario, she said, “Well, I don’t know about everypony else, dearie, but I know that the twins, Gummy, and I will wait until you’re ready to go ahead.”

“Yay!” the two foals smiled when they realized they had time to play, and jumped off of their mother. Pumpkin’s little horn glowed with youthful magic that captured a random Cleft while Pound flew after the Cleft.

“Oh, their magic and flight are back again,” Carrot realized. “We’ll have to get them under control. This might take a while.”

“I’ll wait here,” Matilda answered. “Mario’s team, whether we want to admit it or not, has quite the skill capable to get over these Mountains. Talk to me if you need either more batteries or would like to get going.”

Mario realized right away that he was sort of in charge of this part of the tour group. “Okay,” the plumber nodded. “We’ll head back a bit, get the Badge to be on the safe side, and be right back. Give us a few minutes, guys.”

After a bit of backtracking, Mario’s team did just that. Diggsie proved to be right about the tunnel, and she dug straight into where the stalagmites were blocking off, grabbing the Quake Hammer. The group headed back up to the others, where the twins were happily napping with their father watching over them. After buying more batteries for his Lantern Mario led his part of the tour group forward. Soon, though, they had to fight more Clefts and Monty Moles, but Diggsie showed herself to be useful in battle. Mario’s new Badge was also useful as well, piercing the Clefts’ sturdy defense as well. Of course, in case of the surprisingly rare Hyper Clefts that chose to charge up before attacking Mario, Diggsie’s Drill Upper was useful for hiding the Plumber underground before hitting them. They also managed to find a third and fourth Florie’s Root that they managed to get to thanks to Diggsie’s digging ability.

Soon enough, they came across a sign that said, “Summit Ahead”. Spike sighed in relief after they hit the conveniently located Heart Block and Save Block.

“The Summit’s just a little further?” the Dragon asked.

“Yes,” Matilda confirmed. “Cranky explained that once you hit the summit, it’s a downward hike before we hit the Hollow Shades, where we’ll camp for the night. We were going to stop the tour group up here for lunch, so they should be just up ahead.”

“I guess we’ve almost caught up to everyone,” Beeatriz confirmed. Turning to Diggsie, she asked, “Are you going to be joining us for the second part of the tour?”

“I suppose if it okay,” the Diamond Dog shrugged. “If not, it okay. I should be able to get down mountain on own. I know there underground route near summit.”

“Well,” Mario nodded, “let’s get going.” The group walked ahead, paying no mind to the ever-growing shadow that seemed to come behind them.

Foal Mountains— Summit

Just like Matilda predicted, the tour group that went ahead of them had chosen to stop up here for lunch and rest before making the next leg of the trip for the day. Prosperous Dusk spotted them first. “There you are, friends!” the short Unicorn teacher waved them over. “You took your time, didn’t you? Well, thanks to you all, we were able to make it here. After convincing our rather angry tour guide to relax, of course.”

“…” Mohan said nothing, instead choosing to glare at Mario. Prosperous then spotted Diggsie behind them, eagerly looking around the summit at the travelers.

“Wow!” the Diamond Dog cheered, running around while looking at each of them. “So many other species! Toads! Goombas! Ponies! Koopa Troopas! Monty Mole! Even Whacka! I never saw all of these in one place before!”

“A Whacka?” Mario asked, looking to see the light blue mole creature in question looking at the travelers.

“Ah, what a beautiful day on the Foal Mountains, Whackadoo~” the Whacka smiled. “All of the happy people traveling through here… Monty Moles and Diamond Dogs digging around, Whackawoo. Yep… nothing’s going to happen to me, Whackadee!”

“I wonder how people sleep at night hurting Whackas,” Diggsie remarked. “Whackas never hurt anybody. Even if their bumps supposedly tasty, they still cute.”

“Mario… who is this?” the purple and green Unicorn questioned. “How did you manage to tame a Diamond Dog?”

“Diggsie has always been tame for the brief time we’ve known her,” the plumber answered. “She’s just… energetic. If there’s a village where Diamond Dogs are friendly, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Took you long enough!” Mohan chastised the team as he walked over, followed by Cranky. “I see you brought a Diamond Dog with you! Do you really take in strays, Mario?”

“I no stray,” Diggsie said over her shoulder, paying more attention to the sky.

“Anyway, I hope you’re happy with yourself for wasting my time again, plumber!” Mohan scowled. “I know what you’re going to ask, and the answer is NO! There’s no way I’m going to let a Diamond Dog on my tour!”

“Mohan, calm down,” Cranky said, stepping in front of the Monty Mole. Turning to Mario, he said, “Ignore him… he’s agitated that he took two quicksand baths. But, where did you find her? Underground?”

“She helped us find the switch you mentioned,” Spike explained. “She also happens to be on her way to the Hollow Shades, so she chose to join us. I know it’s actually hard to trust a Diamond Dog, but…”

“Hey,” Diggsie interjected, looking upwards. “Where airship come from?” The rest of Mario’s party looked up to see a large red and brown airship that appeared to have a rather extensive patch-up job from the look of things. But what caused almost everyone at the summit to stare in awe was the flag it was sailing. Rather than the Mushroom Kingdom or a Sun and Moon, the flag was pure black with the exception of the white winged pony skull and twin red swords crossing beneath it. Mario did not need any hints from Spike to realize that he was staring at a pirate’s airship. And not just any type of pirates… Pegasirates.

Sure enough, several Pegasirates launched themselves off of the ship, landing right on top of the summit. Two of which were rather familiar to Mario and Spike. “Well, well,” Swash greeted. “Greetings, Mario and Spike! We meet again! Don’t we Buckle?”

“We sure do, Swash!” Buckled agreed. “It seems we are destined to cross swords with these two, aren’t we? But, as you can see… the Captain didn’t want us going against our arch nemesis alone.”

“Arch nemesis? Really?” Mario asked. “I’m sorry, but that role has been filled already. You guys are a mere annoyance, at worst.”

“How rude of you!” Swash chided. “We’re fearsome Pegasirates! The scourge of Equestria’s skies! And we must warn you…”

“We’re much stronger than before!” Buckle finished. “So, prepare yourselves for a one-way trip to Tartarus!”

“And two ponies we’ve taken on before,” Spike yawned. “And that was BEFORE we got Boomregard and Diggsie. Also, we’ve gotten much stronger, too. So, I suggest you guys start running unless you really want another beating from us, no matter how many Pegasirates you have.”

“So you’re the infamous pet Dragon of the Bearers that I’ve heard so much about,” a new, female voice interrupted the combating quips between the four. Swash and Buckle looked up to see a rope being thrown over the ship, and Mario’s team witnessed the interesting display of a female Unicorn sliding down the rope.

The Unicorn in question looked around Twilight’s age, and was a rosy pink in terms of fur color with white freckles above her snout. Her mane and tail were both wavy yet short, colored a darker shade of pink with a black streak. Her ears were pierced with two small jewels— a ruby and an amethyst. A white tattoo was on her upper right foreleg— a heart shot with an arrow. Her Cutie Mark was a white heart over a brown ship helm. She wore a brown vest over her upper body, with a golden belt below it from which a red hilted cutlass hanged. In the middle of the belt was a large amethyst. Resting on top of her head was a brown pirate captain’s hat.

“Captain!” Swash and Buckle both gasped as she landed, saluting to her. The other Pegasirates did the exact same.

“At ease, everypony,” the mare smiled at her crew. Turning to Mario and Spike, she said, “It’s truly an honor meeting the Dragon of the Bearers… as well as the infamous Super Mario who has blessed Equestria with his presence. I’ve heard stories of your adventures, both of you. To think you would ever team up for some reason.”

“Who are ya, Miss?” Boomregard questioned the pirate captain.

“Oh, where are my manners?” she asked herself. “Rule one of introductions: always give your name first before asking for somepony else’s. Let’s be a lady about this.” Calming down, she bowed while taking her hat off with a sky blue glow of her horn, “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Rose Heart of the vessel the Crimson Feather, at your service.” With a wink as she put her hat back on, she added, “You may call me Rosie."

“Uh, ’kay… Ah already have a nice gal, if yer tryin’ to flirt wit' me.”

“What?” Rosie asked. Blushing, Rosie realized what she just did. “Oh… no-no-no! That… that was too weird! Especially when I…!” Bowing in apology, she said, “Sorry! I’m just… I’m honestly new to this whole ‘Captain’ thing! You see, I don't like intimidating ponies, so I figured that would be better! That was supposed to be mischievous… but I came across as something else!”

“Ah, she’s so adorable, isn’t she?” Swash sighed, looking at her in awe.

“A truly, one-of-a-kind gal!” Buckle agreed. “Ain’t she, men?”

“Aye-aye to that!” several other Pegasirates agreed.

Rosie managed to compose herself thanks to her crew’s compliments. “Thank you all,” she smiled. “Now, onto business.” Turning back to Mario, she said, “Now, where were we? Oh, yes. You now know my name. Now, onto why I’m here.”

“To steal our money?” one of the Toads asked.

“To steal our wives?” a Koopa guessed.

“To steal our wives’ money?” an Earth Pony suggested.

“Well,” Rosie shrugged, “I will take your money if you’re offering…” Soon enough, Prosperous Dusk magically grabbed Mohan, flipped him upside-down, and began shaking him up and down, causing Beeatriz’ Coin bag to fall out of him with all 1,400 Coins spilling out.

“Hey! That’s my money!” Mohan scowled as the Pegasirates eagerly dived onto the Coins.

“Oh, quit your belly-aching,” Prosperous whispered. “It’s saving our lives, isn’t it? Also, I find it kind of funny.”

“You know,” Rosie considered, “I should try that more often. Ask if they would throw their money at my hooves... it's actually nice to not force it off of them.” Turning to Mario, she said, “But I’m not here for your convenient money. No, I’m here for the thing on your friend’s wrist, Mario.”

Diggsie looked at her wrist. “I see nothing here,” she said.

“The Boomerang Bro’s, actually,” Rosie answered, pointing to the Element of Honesty.

“Hey!” Mohan scowled. “I called dibs on that gem!”

“Do you know what that is, you foolish Monty Mole?” Rosie asked, looking at the Element of Honesty. “That is one of six Elements of Harmony. They are powerful magical artifacts that were once in Canterlot Castle, now scattered to the winds and are each somewhere in the various regions of Equestria. My crew and I have been after their trail for quite a while, now… and we know another one is all the way in Fillydelphia.”

“An Element of Harmony?” Prosperous asked, dropping Mohan on his head in shock. “Mario… that is a 1,500 year-old Equestrian treasure that belongs to the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony! What in blazes is it doing with you and your Boomerang Bro friend!?”

“Odd jewel bracelet is magical pony treasure?” Diggsie asked for everyone who was clearly confused by the scandal of Boomregard holding onto an ancient artifact.

“Ya know that special lady Ah was asked to hold onto this fer?” Boomregard confessed. “It’s fer the Bearer of Honesty… an’ Ah’ve been made the Temporary one.”

“I see,” Rosie nodded. “Well, I was going to make a typical speech requesting that you surrendered it or faced your game ending, but I think we both know that won’t work, will it?"

"Most likely not," Mario answered, sinking into a fighting stance.

"That's what I thought. So, let’s just skip to the battle part. Swash? Buckle? We take Mario, Spike, and the Boomerang Bro together!”

“Aye-aye, Captain!”

“Wait,” Beeatriz asked. “What about the rest of us? You’re just going to ignore us?”

“Oh, I have no quarrel with the rest of you,” Rosie answered, waving them away with her left hoof. “You can leave if you’re not going to be a threat to my mission.”

“You heard the lady,” Mohan interrupted. “Break’s over! Let’s get out of here!” Everyone but Beeatriz, Cranky, Matilda, and the Cakes left, leaving Mario’s team to fight the pirates.

Rosie unsheathed her cutlass and pointed it at Mario. “Well… I suppose the proper phrase for this situation is, ‘Have at you, Mario’!”

With that, the battle began. Spike, sensing Rosie was an enemy of a unique type, used Tattle on her. “So, this is the rookie pirate captain, Captain Rose Heart! She likes being called ‘Rosie’, by the way. She’s wanted by Equestria’s Sky Patrol for assaulting royal airships, stealing cargo and gems, impersonating a royal officer, and for an autograph by many of her male admirers in our air force… including a Wonderbolt or two. Let’s not let her cute and clumsy demeanor get the best of us, though. Rosie is a skilled fighter, using that cutlass of hers with her magic to strike with hard-to-block blows! She can also buck a foe with a strong kick, like every other pony enemy we’re gonna run into. If she doesn’t play offense, though, she’s got a pretty decent defense, creating an ancient Unicorn Pirate barrier to block attacks on her. Rosie can also call in generic Pegasirates if she’s left alone. She also carries healing items to heal her allies and herself. Luckily for us, she can’t fly like her Pegasirate crew, so she’ll be suspect to all attacks.

“I’m pretty sure like all pirate crews, Swash and Buckle will surrender if we defeat her first, so that makes Rosie our primary target. But, at the same time, I’m sure both of them are worth a decent amount of Star Points if we take them out. It’s your choice of if you want to play it safe and focus on her or take a risk and defeat Swash and Buckle.”

“I’ll try to remember that,” Mario said as he looked at the pirate captain. She looked anything BUT intimidating, but he knew better that looks can be deceiving. Still, Swash and Buckle, if his last battle with them said anything, were a threat like all airborne enemies. “Boomregard, focus on hitting them with your Wild Arc. Diggsie and I will bring them down!”

“Can do, partner!” the Boomerang Bro agreed, throwing his trusty Boomerang into Swash and Buckle, damaging them both twice. Diggsie and Mario both pounced on them, knocking them out of the sky. “Ya know when we go back to Zecora’s in the Everfree, Ah call dibs on the next upgrade.”

“Yeah, sure,” Mario promised. However, Swash and Buckle scowled at being stomped on.

“Are you guys sure you’ve got new tricks?” the blue Pegasirate questioned the plumber. “I’m sure you pulled that off back in the San Palomino! Meanwhile, we’ve actually gained some new skills! Behold!” Swash then bent down, allowing Buckle to jump onto his back. He then pushed up at incredible speeds, launching Buckled into the air right at Spike. Buckle then swept down, damaging the Dragon with a dive-bomb kick while Swash rushed towards Mario’s team, striking all of them with his wings at once. Rosie, meanwhile, slashed Mario with her cutlass.

“Is that the best you can do?” Rosie asked while Mario’s team recovered from the assault. “I thought the great Super Mario and the Dragon of the Bearers was tougher than that.”

“Don’t worry,” Mario replied. “We’re just getting warmed up. Speaking of which… Spike?”

“On it!” the Dragon agreed, releasing a Dragon’s Ember right at Rosie, actually damaging and burning her. “Whoa… I can’t believe that worked! Last time I hit somepony with a fireball, I only scarred Twilight’s face and gave her a new hairstyle!”

“I don’t even want to know how that came about,” the plumber retorted.

“It was an accident involving a time loop,” Spike remarked.

“Wow… not bad!” Rosie scowled, feeling the sting of fire damage. Mario meanwhile began Power Bouncing on Buckle, taking a chunk of his health away before he slipped up.

“Ooh, you’re good,” Swash scowled after taking a Boomerang to the face. “But not good enough! Buckle, shall we hit them with our new move again?”

“Aye-aye, Swash!” the brown Pegasirate agreed.

“Mario!” Diggsie called over. “I’ll protect you if we go underground!” Mario realized that Diggsie was offering to help him avoid taking a hit.

“Alright. Spike, Boomregard, brace yourselves!” Diggsie quickly dug underground while Boomregard and Spike— both who could take the hit— braced for impact as Swash and Buckle performed their new attack. However, Buckle had chosen to aim for Diggsie, which resulted in him missing completely.

“Blast! The Diamond Dog is good!” Buckle scowled after his failure. Rosie, however, realized what Diggsie was up to, and knew who she was about to strike.

“Buckle, catch!” she called, throwing him an Apple that he ate to recover health.

“Thanks, Captain, but why did you give me this?” Buckle was soon answered when the ground beneath his feet exploded with Diggsie’s Drill Upper, hitting him for major damage. Before he could retaliate, though, a Jackhammer Tail from Spike put him out of the fight. “Curses… lost again… up to you, Swash… protect the Captain…”

“Buckle!” Swash gasped. “You’ll pay for that, Dragon!”

“No more of your fancy new attack,” Boomregard said as he kneeled in pain. “Hey, Mario… ya still can attack, right?”

“Yeah, why?” Mario asked. Boomregard held up his wrist, signaling what he had in mind. “Oh, right.”

Mario and Boomregard held up the Element of Honesty, and yelled, “TRUTH’S RELIEF!” Soon, the move activated, and Mario and Boomregard took to healing their party, much to Rosie’s amazement as the move ended.

“So, the Elements have other uses besides the legendary Rainbow of Harmony?” she asked while Swash flew over and attacked Spike, glad to fly again. “Intriguing. This calls for reinforcements, doesn’t it?” She then whistled to signal for others to come. Soon, two normal Pegasirates flew over to serve their Captain. Mario and Spike focused on attacking them while Diggsie and Boomregard took on Rosie and Swash, respectively. Rosie soon cast up a shield that protected her from everything but the dying burn while Swash slashed Mario with his wings. Mario and Boomregard also each took a kick to the face by the Pegasirates, who were soon taken out. Swash, with a Jackhammer Tail from Spike, also fell.

“Blast… sorry, captain.”

“Now, this is the true Mario and Dragon of the Bearers I’ve heard stories about!” Rosie complimented the plumber at them as she slashed Mario again after her shield died. After a few slashes, she explained, “Not that the Bearers are any slouches since they’ve saved Equestria single-hoofed several times, but I’ve heard legends about you, Mario! You fail to disappoint me! And the Dragon of the Bearers has proven to be a legend as well.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Mario replied after Rosie took a couple hits from Diggsie and Spike. “But this has to end, you know. And I have just the Badge to do that.” He then jumped up with Hammer in hand, slamming it into the ground, causing it to shake, damaging Rosie. This was too much for the pink Unicorn, who collapsed.

“Well played…” she said, conceding defeat.

“Captain!” one of the Pegasirates called, helping Rosie up. “Are you alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Rosie said, sheathing her cutlass as Swash and Buckle were carried to her ship. Turning to Mario, she said, “I yield, Mario. You and your team… you’re skilled fighters. I’ll let you go for now… but know that we’ll meet again. And I WILL get the Elements… hey, Boomerang Bro!”

“What?” Boomregard asked. Soon enough, tough, he was rammed into by a sudden mass, and knocked onto his back. “Hey… no fair! Ah can’t git up!’

“Exactly,” Mohan chuckled as he walked in front of Boomregard, ripping the Element of Honesty from his wrist. “I’ll take that, thank you very much.”

“Mohan!” Cranky scowled. “What are you doing!?”

“I call it ‘getting even’,” the Monty Mole justified. “Mario’s little rivalry cost me so many hard-earned Coins.”

“That you scammed out of these people!” Cranky pointed out. “I know these mountains are dangerous, but Mario has been helping keep your flimsy tour in-tact when you don’t know how to run a tour!”

“Mohan, you’re a con-mole!” Beeatriz accused. “Totally disloyal to your customers!”

“So what if I am?” Mohan asked with a sinister chuckle. “I look out for only one person, and it’s ME. I’ve kept my eye on this for a while… now, with you weak, I can take it. Especially now that I know just how powerful it really is, maybe I’ll keep it instead of selling it. You said I had to pry it off your wrist, and I did. Now… consider yourself off the tour!” The Monty Mole began digging in an attempt to escape.

Rosie scowled at this. “Crew! Stop him!” Soon enough, the Crimson Feather began firing cannonballs into the summit near Mario and Mohan’s area, causing the ground to cave beneath the cannon fire, sending Mohan underground, leaving a large hole. After Mario helped Boomregard up, he turned to Rosie. “Well, what are you waiting for, hero? Go get it back so I can challenge you for it another day!”

“Thanks,” Mario nodded. “I guess.” Turning to his team, he yelled, “Guys, let’s go!”

“Right!” the others agreed. The four then jumped down the hole. Beeatriz, the Cakes, and the two Donkeys watched Rosie silently smile at Mario’s team before her horn was surrounded by a similar sky blue aura. She then teleported away, leaving them all confused.

Prosperous Dusk silently walked back onto the summit, looking at the airship flying away. “So… a Temporary Bearer? This is a surprising development in Equestria… perhaps I should look further into it.”

Foal Mountains— Interior Area 2

Mario’s group managed to land nearby where Mohan landed, the Monty Mole planted face first in nearby rocks and the Element of Honesty on the ground, crushing an underground Florie’s Root. Mohan was still alive, but he was too unconscious to stop them from recovering the Element of Honesty. Boomregard grabbed his Element back, checking it over.

“Oh thank you kind sir!” the Florie’s Root smiled at Boomregard. “You truly are a savior to us Flories for doing that! Surely a savior like you would happen to be carrying water, yes?”

“Serves ya right, ya crook,” Boomregard glared at Mohan as he put it back on his wrist. “Too bad we can’t get everyone a refund now.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” the Florie’s Root said, getting attention back at her. “But… can you spare a cup of water? It’s dark down here and this soil is drying up.”

“You do realize we’ve been hunting your kind down because of how dangerous you are, right?” Mario said, holding his Hammer.

“…Oh.”

WHAM!

“…Yeah… I should have seen that coming…” the Florie’s Root moaned as she was pulled up and placed away by Spike.

“So, Mr. Boomregard,” Diggsie asked. “Is that bracelet gem… really Element of Harmony? I hear stories about them. Powerful magical artifacts, right?”

“Yeah,” Spike confirmed. “You see, Diggsie, believe it or not, that’s one of them. They originally belonged… to my pony friends. That’s why I was called ‘The Dragon of the Bearers’. Not bad of a nickname, I’ll have to admit.”

“Spike,” Mario chided, “not now.” Turning to Diggsie, he said, “Well, while we’re down here, I suppose we should probably explain why we have an Element in the first place…”

Mario then explained to Diggsie what happened in Canterlot with the Colts of Nocturne, how the Bearers were kidnapped, how Canterlot was sealed, and how they were on a quest to recover each of the scattered Elements of Harmony. Mario also explained how the Spirit of Honesty was telling him how six new Temporary Bearers were needed to be found in order to save the balance of harmony throughout the world.

“So, let me get this straight,” Diggsie said after it was all explained. “You all on mission to find Elements of Harmony before evil Nightmare Moon cult get them to take over world so you can save real Bearers and save world? And to save real Bearers, you need to find not just Elements but six temporary Bearers to take their place, one of whom is Mr. Boomregard? And you only have one month?”

“That sums it up,” Spike concluded.

“…I like this adventure!” Diggsie smiled, her tail wagging eagerly. “Always wanted to save Hearth’s Warming… with Dragon sidekick!”

“It’s the middle of spring,” Spike retorted. "And why am I the sidekick?"

“Have to wait six to nine months for that, then! But I settle for saving world in spring! Just need to talk to Mr. Pie for his permission to leave to save world and find Temporary Bearers!”

“Wow,” Mario remarked. “You sound pretty loyal to Clyde Pie. Why?” Diggsie’s energetic attitude quickly stopped, a frown appearing on her face.

“He offer me chance when no one else would,” the Diamond Dog confessed. “I mean, most ponies look at Diamond Dogs and instantly think us all bad. Just like how you did… but you all looked past that eventually… just like Mr. Pie did. He saw energetic girl eager to help out. He say ‘I remind him of Pinkamina’.” She sighed. “Mr. Pie gave me place to call home. I repay that with being a hard, faithful worker.” Turning to Mario, she said, “Let’s go, Mario! We go see Clyde Pie. First, let’s get out of here!”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Mario nodded. Diggsie sniffed around, finding a place where a tunnel connected to something, and dug out of there, leaving Mohan to wake up alone.

“Ugh… what happened?” he asked himself. He then realized that the Element of Honesty was gone. “Oh no! That bracelet!” He then scowled, realizing who could have taken it from him. “Mario….”

Interior— Area 3

Mario’s team emerged in a dark area around them. Mario turned on his Lantern, and could not help but notice the Buzzy Beetles Pokeys, and Swoopers that had chosen to make the underground their home. And that was on top of the angrier Diamond Dogs and Gangster Spiders. After managing to fight their way through all of them, it was a downward path to another lit chamber, picking up three Star Pieces on the way. This time, though, Mario could help but notice a large wooden panel with the boards making an X pattern, as well as a hole that was small enough to fit Pig Form… right next to a Heart Block and Save Block.

Diggsie looked at panel. “Can’t you dig through this?” Spike asked as she studied it. Diggsie shook her head.

“Funny story,” the Diamond Dog replied. “I risk getting splinters if I try to dig through wood. Splinters in paws hurt and make me angry… so, I no dig through wood. I dig through just pure ground.”

“Don’t worry,” Mario interrupted. “We can squeeze through this, and we should find something we’ll like. I have a feeling I know what it’s going to be…”

After hitting both Blocks, Mario’s group (even Diggsie once she was taught the basics) turned into Pig Form, with Diggsie being a brown Paper Pig. They all scurried through a tunnel… only to emerge in a room with a large brown chest. Mario’s group resumed their normal forms, and walked towards the chest—

“There you are, Mustache Man and Dragon!” a familiar voice bellowed. Soon enough, the ground exploded around them, revealing Carbon and three of his armored Diamond Dogs. Carbon scowled, “You keep me waiting! I was getting bored waiting here for you to come get Super Boots power up! I hear you like Boots, Mustache Man! Too bad I could not convince Commander Night Fortune that white pony would also be good Dragon bait for hunt.”

“Carbon,” Spike growled, remembering the Diamond Dog’s name. "How dare you plan to use Rarity!?"

Carbon chuckled. "You would have fallen for it. She actually threaten me for attacking you. She cares for you... and you her." Shaking his head, Carbon laughed, "Dragon and pony... it so would have been good bait. Night Fortune may have brains to my brawn, but he fails to understand emotion is best bait."

“Wait a second,” Diggsie interrupted Carbon's banter. “You know Carbon? Used to be famous bounty hunter of Unicorn Range! What he doing here?”

“I hunting, that all,” Carbon answered. “However, I have unique prey… Mustache Man and Dragon. I pay them back for defeat in Ponyville… except with less foal kidnapping. Lord Sirius said no kidnapping foals or doing anything that would repeat horse armor incident back in Neighpon. Pretty sure no Dragons in Neighpon… except for one Kirin, but that only half-Dragon. Not sure that exactly counts. But, I get off track… let’s just begin battle while I still can focus on immediate task. I must warn you all: I stronger since last battle!” He then howled, causing his fellow Diamond Dogs to howl in agreement.

Spike quickly used his Tattle on Carbon. “Okay, now that I know he’s unique, this is Captain Carbon, the Diamond Dog field captain for the Colts of Nocturne. He’s much stronger than any of the other Diamond Dogs we’ve fought before, and he’s also stronger than last time, too. He’s capable of throwing boulders on top of that stuff he did before. He also will get help from either regular Diamond Dogs or his more powerful Dig Dogs. Mario, it’s your choice again: either take down Carbon or risk getting rid of his allies… they’re still worth Star Points.”

“Good to know,” Mario nodded, looking at Carbon who had chosen to get between him and the Super Boots. He then jumped on the Diamond Dog, while Boomregard threw his Wild Arc at all of their foes. Diggsie, meanwhile, had chosen her side, attacking Carbon’s Dig Dogs. The Dogs countered with their scratches, but the Dig Dogs rammed into each of them, and Carbon slashed Mario with his claws. “Hey, Spike, I think you may have forgotten about those bigger Diamond Dogs.”

“Oh, the Dig Dogs,” Spike realized, Tattling on them. “They’re the tougher but dumber Diamond Dogs. They can’t summon others to fight with them, but they make up for their lack of intelligence in brute force. That armor, however, is really heavy… if you can cause them to be flipped over, they’ll have a hard time getting up.”

“Flip them over?” Mario asked, holding out his Hammer. Mario then used his Quake Hammer, sending the Dig Dogs on their back but Carbon was just damaged. Diggsie then used her Claw Pounce on the Dig Dogs to take one out of the fight while Boomregard’s Boomerang Toss damaged Carbon even more.

“That it!” the Diamond Dog growled, digging into the ground before pulling out a boulder the size of Mario and throwing it at Boomregard. The Boomerang Bro let out a yell of surprise before retracting into his shell to lessen the damage. “There more where that came from!”

Mario was surprised by Carbon’s strength. He had dealt with physically strong enemies before— Bowser, Grubba, O’Chunks, Petey Piranha, just to name a few— but he was shocked to see one who actually resorted to chucking BOULDERS at him or his team. This was going to be a tough fight.

While his partners dealt with the other two of his Dig Dogs, Mario focused on hitting Carbon, who took the damage in stride, and countered with his claws including with his underground strike. “Come on, Mustache Man! Don’t tell me you running low already. I only just get warmed up! Here, have more Dogs!” He pulled out his whistle, calling more Diamond Dogs to fight.

“Great, we just beat them all,” Diggsie moaned, holding her ears in pain due to the dog whistle. “We need to take down Carbon!”

“Couldn’t agree with ya more, darlin’,” Boomregard nodded, dusting off his hat. “Mario? Spike?”

“I agree,” Mario answered.

“Got it!” Spike replied. The plumber and the Dragon duo continued their assault on Carbon while Diggsie and Boomregard hit him as well, occasionally fighting off the other Diamond Dogs. Eventually, Carbon fell, leaving the other Diamond Dogs to fall right after him.

“…Not bad,” the black-furred Diamond Dog complimented. “You did get stronger than last time, Mustache Man… but I not give up hunt. No sir! We will meet again. For now, just take Super Boots… you earned them.”

“Won’t your boss be disappointed?” Mario asked Carbon as he got up. Carbon shook his head.

“Lord Sirius takes failures in stride for some reason,” Carbon replied. “He uses them as learning experience. Besides, he likes good challenge. Just like Snifit game show we had in Stump Glade. You and Dragon together are ALMOST strong enough to be considered minor threat to him… ALMOST. My suggestion? Get stronger. Get more powerful. Then, if you can stop me at full power, you have my permission to challenge Lord Sirius.”

“If he’s so powerful,” Spike asked, “why doesn’t he come down here and fights us himself? Too scared to get his hooves dirty? Or did after he beat us in Canterlot he didn’t think we were worth his time?”

Carbon then looked at his fellow Diamond Dogs sans Diggsie, who all looked at each other with reluctant frowns. “Uh, actually… Lord Sirius too injured for field duty,” Carbon nervously chuckled. “He actually wants to be out here gathering Elements and defeating you… but he too weak right now. Don’t worry… when he get back on his hooves to do everything, you’ll regret crossing claws with us! Until we meet again!” Carbon then dug underground, his fellow Diamond Dogs following him. Diggsie tilted her head in confusion.

“So, we now know that Carbon work for Sirius Nebula,” she said. “He dangerous... but if what he say about Sirius Nebula being stronger than him true, then we have a long way to go before being able to challenge him in a fair fight.”

“Lucky fer us,” Boomregard added, “he’s too injured to be a threat right now. However… Ah’m more worried about that chest. Last time somethin’ like this happened, we fell in a pit.”

“No worry,” Diggsie shook her head. “Radar nose can detect whether chests or switches are traps.” She then sniffed the chest. “No… no trap. Sense something in there.”

“Allow me,” Mario nodded, walking up to the chest and opening it. Inside of it was a pair of bright blue boots that looked so familiar to the plumber.

Mario has obtained the Super Boots! With these legendary boots, Mario’s base Jump Attack power increases by 1! Also, Mario can now use Ground Pound by pressing A while in mid-air to perform a spin and slam through things like wooden panels as well as hidden panels with Star Pieces Diggsie cannot dig through. In battle, Ground Pound has a chance of stunning enemies!

“I think I know what to do with these,” Mario grinned after putting the Boots on.

“Wait a minute,” Spike interrupted. “Mario, when was the last time you wore Super Boots? If you’d like, I can get instructions from Princess Celestia….”

“No need,” Mario replied. “I remember how to use these. Let me show you when we get back to that panel.” One trip back to the original chamber later, Mario leapt into the air, spun around, and slammed through the wooden panel easily, falling right through a hole that contained a light orange Warp Pipe. “Guys… I think we can get out through here!”

Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie all joined him. “Wow, Mario!” Diggsie complimented. “That amazing! Perhaps if you were Diamond Dog, you’d make great spelunker! Well, time to go!” The four then took the Warp Pipe up to the surface.

Foal Mountain— Descent

None of the tourists were surprised to hear from Cranky that Mohan ripped them off. “I’m sorry, everypony,” the Donkey apologized to the scowling tourists. “I’d give you all full refunds… if Mohan was here.”

“He better not show his face again after what he did to Mario’s group,” Beeatriz scowled, actually getting angry. “He’s an ungrateful con-mole!”

“I’m surprised you’re not angry at losing your money permanently,” Matilda replied. “I mean, the pirate mare did steal it…”

“I can earn the money back later,” Beeatriz waved off. “But betraying everyone’s trust, stealing an Element of Harmony for pure greed? That, my friend, is unforgivable!” Beeatriz calmed down, and thought about it. “But… I can’t help but wonder…”

“What that pirate mare wants with the Elements?” Carrot asked for the group. “Yeah, I can’t help but think about that, too. She didn’t seem to desire the Elements out of greed… and she was took her defeat rather humbly. Perhaps… she’s with the Colts of Nocturne that kidnapped Pinkie Pie?”

“Carrot,” Cup Cake scolded, “don’t tell me you think that! I know she was a pirate, but she didn’t seem truly villainous for some reason.”

“Arr! Pirates!” Pumpkin squeaked.

“Yoh ho ho!” Pound imitated.

“Wait, what?” Cranky and Matilda asked, referring to what Carrot and Cup Cake were talking about. Cranky stepped forward. “What do you mean Pinkie Pie’s been kidnapped? And who did it?”

“…Oh boy,” Carrot realized, having let the news slip.

Soon enough, an orange Warp Pipe popped out of the ground, revealing Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie. “Did we catch back up with the rest of the tour group?” Spike asked as they walked over.

“Oh, Spike, dearie, there you are,” Cup Cake greeted. “I see you all have the Element of Honesty back. Where’s Mohan?”

“He’s still underground as far as I know,” the Dragon shrugged. He then noticed the confused looks that everyone was giving his group. “…What?”

“Spike,” Cranky scowled. “We need to talk about what happened to the mare I owe my relationship to real quick.”

“As well as what happened with why Mr. Boomregard has become this ‘Temporary Bearer’,” Prosperous added.

“Oh. Well, here’s the short version…” Spike soon explained the events that happened the day Mario’s group came to Canterlot, how Sirius had kidnapped the Bearers and masterminded the attack on Canterlot, and how the Elements of Harmony were scattered around Equestria, and how due to his friends being unable to use the Elements, six new Bearers had to rise to the occasion, one of whom was Boomregard. “And that, Cranky, is why we needed on this tour in the first place,” Spike finished. “We have reason to believe that an Element is in Fillydelphia.”

“I see,” the old Donkey said, taking this all in. “Alright, son… I see your troubles. I apologize for all of the hassle Mohan’s been giving you. You’re not the first who’s been roped into his schemes… I just had a debt to pay off for something.”

“And I have to say I’m sorry for thinking poorly of you all at first,” Beeatriz nodded. “Especially after his boorish behavior.”

“I’ve dealt with ruder sorts than him,” Mario replied. “So… what happens now? Is the tour over?”

“What happens now?” Cranky repeated. With a smile, he answered, “We finished what we started, that’s what! You got a quest to finish up… and I have to finish this tour with you all, right?” Everyone was surprised by Cranky’s determination. “Mario, Spike… you two are working your rumps off to see your loved ones again, something that I can appreciate from a lifetime of traveling around the country just to be with Matilda. I know if I was in your situation, I’d probably move the sun MYSELF if it meant reuniting with Matilda. So… you have my help to get you there!”

“Mine too!” Beeatriz agreed. “I’d join your quest myself if I didn’t have things to do, but know that I’m in your corner, boys and Diggsie!”

“I must say, Mario,” Prosperous remarked as he walked forward. “You are quite the charismatic stallion… er, man. My point is that you can befriend just about anypony and get them to join your cause. That is no ordinary feat in our world. And Spike… well, you are rather loyal to the Bearers, aren’t you? I suppose that’s where the nickname that pirate mare came from…”

“I guess,” Spike shrugged. “Well, how much further do with have to go?”

“Only a bit,” Cranky recalled. “My old campground when I passed through here should be down the mountain path at the base near the Hollow Shades. We’ll stay there for the night and set out for Fillydelphia first thing in the morning.”

“Okay!” Mario nodded. “Lead the way, Cranky!”

“That I can do,” the old Donkey agreed. “Stay with the group, everypony… we’ll get down the mountain quicker if we’re all accounted for.” Everyone cheered with the change in management for the better, despite Mohan fleecing them out of their money. As they walked down the hill, Matilda approached him.

“Cranky,” she asked him. “What exactly happened between you and Mohan?”

“…I’d rather not talk about it, Matilda,” the male Donkey answered his love. “Let’s just say I had a debt to pay to him… and hopefully, this job paid it off.” The group continued down the mountain in silence, Mario smiling as he continued. He was that much closer to getting to the next Element of Harmony. However, as the group marched down the mountains, a certain Monty Mole popped out from underground….

Author's Note

Happy Birthday to me... yes, it's my birthday! And to reward you all for being loyal readers, I decided to put up the next part of Chapter 2 early!

1) We now meet the leader of the Pegasirates who have been giving Mario and Spike a hard time, Rose Heart... a.k.a. Rosie. She has, without a doubt, been the character who has gone through the MOST changes. She used to be a Pegasus... but then, I decided, "Why not bring a rapier wielding Unicorn?" But then I decided I didn't like her original name and sword. I went with a cutlass... because pirates like cutlasses. At least Cortez did. He also used a hook, a rapier, and some other third sword. A saber, I believe. Anyways, she's a Unicorn among Pegasi... and many of her male crew adore her.

And behold! We found the story's Whacka! You have to be absolutely cruel to smack the poor thing. It's having a good time! And the best part is that most ponies are vegitarians, so they would have no need to hurt the Whacka!

2) Battle on top of a mountain. Epic? Yes. I was trying to convey that message. Anyways, more underground to explore, getting one of my favorite power-ups as we do so.

3) So, why did I finally choose this part to have the Pegasirate battle? Honestly, nowhere else would fit with what I had planned.

Why did Mohan choose NOW to attack Boomregard? He was at his weakest after fighting Rosie. Too bad Rosie does not like cheaters... and had cannons on her ship. I haven't blown something up in a while. So, here's something exploding.

Carbon makes a return with Dig Dogs backing him up? You knew he was going to return as a boss. He and Diggsie aren't so different, are they? They both are loyal to a pony, and are adventurers. They just have different sides in this conflict... and Carbon likes fights and hunting worthy prey. Night Fortune had to talk him out of risking their plan by using Rarity as bait for Spike... but she can't help herself if she's really good baby Dragon bait.

So, Cranky finally takes control of the tour. Good for him! Too bad Mohan is on the team's trail... and he's absolutely livid.

Will Mario's team survive their upcoming battles? Find out next time on Super Mario Bros. Z! ...Okay, that was HORRIBLE.

Chapter 2 Part 4

Fillydelphia

Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie all looked up at the old city that quickly engulfed them as they entered it. Fillydelphia took Ponyville and crammed three of it inside of itself. Ponies of all three species roamed the large city that actually looked more of a genuine city than Ponyville did. There were also more Donkeys as well as Goombas and what appeared to be eagle-lion hybrids called “Griffins” in the area.

Cranky sighed. “How long has it been since I’ve been here?” the old Donkey asked himself. Turning to his fiancée, he said, “Matilda, you know how I traveled across the entire country, attempting to look for you for over thirty-one years? Fillydelphia was the last place I looked before coming to Ponyville, ready to give up and live out the rest of my days alone.”

“Well, I’m glad you came to Ponyville after all of this time,” Matilda smiled. “We might not have met again after the Gala…”

“You spent thirty-one years traveling throughout Equestria?” Mario asked. Placing his hand to his chin, he asked, “Hmm… why does that sound like that’s when I was just getting my start? Great, now I can’t help but wonder how Donkey Kong is doing… probably still hanging out in the jungle, beating up Kremlings. Though there was this rumor he moved onto demonic Tikis and Ice Vikings. Oh, wait… that’s his grandson who he shares his name with. What’s he calling himself now…?” He then looked at Cranky, who was staring at him in confusion. “Oh… right.”

“What?” the Donkey asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Mario chuckled. “Anyway, Cranky, you lived here, right? What way is the Mayor’s Office?”

“It should still be a few blocks north from here if memory serves,” Cranky answered. Looking at a poster, he read, “However, this big unveiling will be downtown at what’s left of the Fillydelphia Bell Tower. Hm… who are Flim and Flam?” Spike, Carrot Cake, Cup Cake, and Matilda all looked up in surprise, but then scowled.

“Those two con stallions are responsible for this!?” the Dragon asked. Mario, Cranky, Boomregard, Diggsie, and Beeatriz all looked in genuine confusion. “Oh, right… none of you were in Ponyville for the last Cider Season.”

“Cider Season?” Mario asked. “Dare I ask what Cider Season is?”

“You don’t have Cider Season in the Mushroom Kingdom?” Spike asked. The plumber shook his head. “Well, in Equestria, it’s another tradition, especially one followed by the Apple Family. It’s the time of year in the late fall where the Apples sell their high-quality Apple Cider in bulk to the entire town, since running an Apple farm is especially difficult in the winter and they need the profits to keep their farm afloat. The last Cider Season in Ponyville, the Apples’ supply was far below Ponyville's high demand, something that happens every year.”

“But then the Flim Flam Bros., a pair of Unicorn salesponies, rode in on a high-tech train device,” Cup Cake continued the story. “They called their machine the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000. It could produce an entire barrel of freshly brew Apple Cider three times as fast as it took the Apples to brew one by themselves. They then attempted to cut a rather one-sided deal with the Apples, attempting to split the profits 75-25 their way in exchange for their machine’s services. When the Apples refused, they sought to run Sweet Apple Acres out of business.”

“Sounds like these two were big ol’ snakes in the grass,” Boomregard scowled. “Why didn’t anyone stop ’em?”

“You really are the Temporary Bearer after Applejack,” Carrot Cake commented. “You figured it out that they were rotten a lot quicker than most of the town. But, well… we all were so desperate for Cider we were blinded by their words and promises to deliver it to us. Things got so bad that the Flim Flam Bros. challenged the Apples into a Cider making competition for the rights to the farm. That’s when the twins started showing their colors.”

“However,” Matilda recalled, “wasn’t that when your friends stepped in to balance things in the Apples’ favor, Spike?”

“Yeah,” Spike nodded. “Applejack considers the girls honorary family members… and Flim and Flam made the mistake of allowing the girls to compete. By doing so, the girls multiplied productivity to the Apples’ side by five, quickly overtaking the Flim Flam Bros. and their machine. However, that’s when the Flim Flam Bros. cheated to win, skipping out of quality control just to increase productivity. Unfortunately, this meant that the Flim Flam Bros. won.”

“They won?” Mario asked. “…But why weren’t they running the farm?”

“Karma got them in the end,” Spike replied. “The Flim Flam Bros. may have made more cider, but by forsaking quality control, they ruined their business when they gave ponies the bad batches of Cider. They were quickly run out of town. Not only did the Apples get to keep their farm, but their supply finally met Ponyville’s demand! The best part? Applejack didn’t learn anything! Princess Celestia had a huge laugh at that.”

“And now, Flim Flams responsible for whatever going on at Bell Tower?” Diggsie asked. “Hmm… Mohan probably worse con. At least Flim Flams' machine sound like it worked, and had they did things right way, would have gotten away with it leaving ponies satisfied. Mohan just leave ponies angry.”

“That’s a good point,” Spike realized. “Anyway, we should probably head to the Mayor’s Office to see if he’s in. Maybe stop by a shop to be on the safe side.”

“Got it,” Mario nodded. “We’ll catch up with you all later then, right?”

“I suppose,” Cranky shrugged. “Well, Mario… good luck on finding that Element. I guess this concludes the tour.”

As Mario’s four walked away from the tour group, Mario sighed in exhaustion. “I can’t believe how escalated this has all become!” the plumber pointed out. “Between the Foal Mountains, the Pegasirate Attack, Mohan, Carbon, and the Hollow Shades, I barely have half a clue as to how we survived all of that.”

“An’ it’s probably only gonna get worse,” Boomregard replied. “We really didn’t get to see much in the Colts o’ Nocturnes’ arsenal, so we ain’t got any idea what they have. But somethin’ tells me—”

“That’s it’s gonna be big?” Diggsie asked. “Sorry… but feels like that was where you were going.”

“…Yeah, it kinda was,” Boomregard replied. “So, anyways, Mayor’s Office, right?”

“Right,” Spike nodded. However, before they could really get walking, the Dragon’s stomach rumbled. “After we get a Filly Cheese Sandwich.”

Mario’s group easily found a stand where an Earth Pony vendor was making them. After purchasing and eating the surprisingly good meal, the group headed towards the Mayor’s Office, where a dark brown furred Pegasus stallion with a graying brown mane and tail awaited them.

“Ah, why aren’t you all interesting,” the Mayor greeted them. “Welcome to my beloved city of Fillydelphia. To what can I interest you about this fair city?”

“Well,” Mario began, “I’m a little curious. By chance did some kind of object from the sky crash land in this city within the past week or so?” The Mayor’s happy smile turned into a look of shock.

“…How did you… who told you that!? You certainly weren’t at our town meeting the other day where that meteor crashed into the Bell Tower! I think I would recognize a mustached human! By the way, I’m jealous… I WISH I could grow facial hair like that.”

“Mario having an awesome mustache aside,” Spike agreed, “we’re getting off topic, Mr. Mayor. So, what happened to that meteor object?” The Mayor sighed, sensing that Mario’s group wasn’t going to let this go.

“Alright,” he agreed. “I’ll tell you. You see, that Bell Tower we used to have up before the comet hit it was one of our cities prized possessions. We used it for everything… the first time foals press start, telling time, weddings, even funeral services. Ponies loved that Bell Tower, especially me. I remember my own daughter’s wedding… just this past week. Then, all of the sudden, that meteor you were talking about decided to crash the festivities… literally. Thank goodness nopony was hurt, but the tower was completely destroyed, leaving that red glowing meteor in its wake. When I examined it, it was gray with this weird red glowing lightning bolt…” Spike and Mario looked at each other, stunned in surprise.

“Lightning bolt, huh?” Mario asked the baby Dragon. “Remind me again, that’s Rainbow Dash’s Cutie Mark, right?”

“Sounds like the Element of Loyalty,” Spike nodded. “Red lightning bolt Cutie Mark… definitely reminds me of the time I became the temporary new Rainbow Dash.” Mario, Diggsie, and Boomregard each raised an eyebrow. “It’s a long story.”

“Element of Loyalty?” the Mayor asked. “What are you all talking about?”

“Oh, right,” Diggsie remembered. “You know nothing about Elements and what happen in Canterlot. You see, Mr. Mayor…” Diggsie did a surprising job relaying the story despite hearing it only the day before, Mario and Spike adding whatever details needed being filled in. But they soon got their point across.

“An’ that’s kinda why we need to ask ya fer that rock,” Boomregard answered. “We kinda need it.”

“…So, let me see if I got this straight,” the older stallion said, flying over to his desk where a cup of coffee awaited him. “The city of Canterlot was under siege by a group of cultists who worshipped the legendary Mare in the Moon.”

“Yep,” Spike nodded.

“The Bearers of the Elements of Harmony were defeated and kidnapped by the aforementioned cult but not before the Elements themselves were scattered throughout Equestria in some kind of inactive state while Canterlot is inaccessible.”

“Yes,” Mario answered.

“Which indirectly explains why the Bell Tower was reduced to a pile of rubble by that meteor the other day and why I can’t contact my city’s representative in Canterlot requesting to get funds needed for a complete repair of the tower without going over our city’s annual budget.”

“Well, if you put it that way,” Diggsie shrugged, “I suppose that is case.”

“And now the lot of you are on some kind of cross-country quest to find the Elements of Harmony and six random souls who represent the virtues of the Elements as Temporary Bearers, one of whom is this cowboy Boomerang Bro,” the Mayor concluded, pointing at Boomregard.

“Yeah,” Boomregard shrugged. “It sounds mighty silly, don’t it? But Ah’m just doin’ what the magic Spirit pony in the jewel on mah wrist tells me to do.” The Mayor sat down in his chair, a somber look on his face. “Uh, look, Mr. Mayor, Ah know this all sounds strange, but ya gotta believe us. An’ please, please, PLEASE don’t throw us in jail or somethin’… Ah really hate jail cells.”

“…What have I done?” the Mayor said after a moment of silence. “The meteor, lightning bolt, the fact that I’ve lost contact with my Representative… it all makes more sense now. And if you’ve answered all of those details, then the rest of your story probably has merit to it. And to think I was so flustered by the Bell Tower’s destruction that I just thrust a strange object I didn’t even have half a clue as to what it does into two random ponies’ hooves and settled for that as payment for their invention to replace the Bell Tower.”

Spike blinked at this confession. “What?” the Dragon asked.

“I know where your magical artifact is, everypony,” the Mayor answered, looking up. “You see, I wasn’t in the right mood after that thing crash landed in the Bell Tower. Not only did it destroy my city’s pride historical landmark and leave the great bell cracked, but it ruined my daughter’s wedding. I was so… angry, I wanted it gone. That’s when those two Unicorn twins arrived… the Flim Flam Bros. They offered to replace the tower with something much better in exchange for an outrageous sum. However, they noticed the rock, and settled for me selling it to them to replace the tower. If you all had come sooner, I probably would not have accepted that deal. I’m afraid you’re out of luck with me. If you’re fast, you all could probably get across town to where the Bell Tower used to be and catch them before the unveiling is over. Maybe they could negotiate.”

“Well, thank you,” Mario nodded.

“Good luck, everypony,” the Mayor nodded as the four left his office.

“Oh, great,” Spike groaned at who they were going to have to talk to in order to save the Element. “I’ll get to work on that Tattle on our way over. Chances are they’re not gonna see reason, and we’re gonna have to fight them in some weird invention, and let’s get this over with. Hopefully there’s a Save Block right next to the Bell Tower or something.”

“Surely they be willing to talk things when they realize what Element is, right?” Diggsie asked.

“Diggsie,” Boomregard replied, “Mohan didn’t care fer the greater good when he went after mah Element. Ah ain’t so sure ’bout these Flim Flam boys… their names practically smell o’ deceit.”

“Guys,” Mario said, taking the reins, “we should just head over to the Bell Tower. We’re not gonna get anywhere with this until we talk to the Flim Flam Bros. ourselves.”

After a brief stop at a local shop, Mario came out of it with a few Maple Syrups and Mushrooms in his inventory, storing away the Life Shroom Karoline sent them for later. Soon, after hitting a Save Block, they headed straight towards the Bell Tower, but not before noticing a peculiar sight.

“Hey,” Boomregard asked, “what’s that cloud doin’?” The group was staring at a bright pink cloud that seemed to be raining a brown liquid near the inn.

“A Cotton Candy Cloud with chocolate milk rain,” Spike said after tasting some of the milk. “It’s one of Discord’s signature pranks. However, none of us can walk on clouds… let alone touch them. We’ll need somepony who can fly to get that down, but the next time we’re in Ponyville, we should tell Discord about this.”

“Why would he make a cloud of cotton candy that rains chocolate milk?” Mario asked, taking out his Mailbox 3DS and taking a picture of the spot for future reference.

“Discord’s insane,” the Dragon justified. “His own policy is ‘What’s the fun in making sense’.”

Soon, after no further distractions, the group arrived at a broken down building where a crowd was starting to form. Spotting the buzzing form of Beeatriz and Pound Cake on top of his tall father’s head, Mario managed to squeeze through with his Paper Form to get over to them and consequentially the front of the crowd to see the large stage in front of the destroyed building with a large cracked bell on one side and a large bell-shaped object covered by a large sheet. Beeatriz was the first to take notice of them.

“Guys, how did the Mayor’s go?” the Bee asked the four as they took their place beside her and the Cakes.

“No good,” Diggsie shook her head. “Mayor said Flim Flams had Element. So, we come here.” Turning to Cup Cake, she asked, “Have you seen Mr. Pie?”

“Not yet,” the blue Earth Pony shook her head. “I’ve never met the stallion before, sweetie… I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“Oh, right,” Diggsie remembered. “I never told you. He looks like—”

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” a voice interrupted their conversation. “It’s the moment you’ve ALL been waiting for!” Soon enough, two green lights flashed on stage, revealing two nearly identical Unicorn stallions. They both had olive fur and red and white striped manes and tails, Apple based Cutie Marks, and wore the hats, vests, and bowties of salesmen. However, one of them had a red curly mustache reminding Mario of his younger brother’s mustache.

Mario could tell these must be the famous Flim Flam Bros. he’s been hearing all afternoon about.

“We must once again thank the Mayor of this fine city for this opportunity,” the mustached brother declared. “I’m sure Flim and I can completely agree that the destruction of the Bell Tower and the cracking of the Great Bell was a tragedy I’m sure you all wish you could have avoided.”

“Absolutely, Flam!” the facial-hairless Flim nodded wholeheartedly. “But I’m positively sure that what we have planned here will soon make those depressed about Fillydelphia’s Bell Tower turn their frowns upside-down!”

Both brothers turned to the sheeted object, their horns glowing with a green aura. “Behold!” both Unicorns said, pulling back the sheet to reveal…

“Is that bell shaped like a Whacka?” Mario asked aloud. Sure enough, what was under the sheet appeared to be a bell, only it was painted to look like a Whacka.

“Indeed it is, my mustached companion,” Flim said, spotting Mario in the crowd. “You see… Whackas are an endangered species with more carnivorous species hitting those poor things on the head for their bumps.”

“Therefore,” Flam continued, “my brother and I created the Super Whacka Bell 5000! A bell to acknowledge the Whacka population AND protects Fillydelphia from its Owlbear problem.”

Ponies in the crowd looked at each other, curious about this development. A lot of them were on the fence about replacing their beloved bell with the Whacka Bell, but it offered to do what the old bell did and more. Until the Bell Tower was fixed, though, one could not be sure.

“Say,” Flim said, looking at Mario and his team, “your Dragon friend looks familiar… aren’t you from Ponyville, little drake?”

Spike walked up to the stage, confused. “Yeah, but why?”

“You’ve come a long way from home, Dragon,” Flam remarked. “What’s going on with you?”

“Oh, right,” Mario remembered. “Say, you two wouldn’t have received a glowing rock lately, would you?”

“Oh, you mean this?” Flim asked, floating a large grey stone out with a glowing red lightning bolt… the Element of Loyalty. “Yes… the Mayor paid us this in exchange for the Super Whacka Bell 5000. It’s a meteor that fell from the stars, so it has to be worth something!”

“More than salesponies know!” a masculine voice declared. Mario, Spike, Diggsie, and Boomregard all looked around in shock.

“That voice…” Spike scowled after recognizing it. Soon enough, the stage burst open underneath Flam, knocking him out of the way and revealing Carbon, who howled.

“Flam!” Flim yelled, genuinely concerned for his brother that he dropped the Element to the stage and jumped off of it to check on his brother. “Brother, are you all right?”

“You got opportunity in this very community…” the dazed brother answered.

“We meet again, Mustache Man and Dragon!” Carbon grinned. “Ready for another round?”

“Carbon, right?” Boomregard asked. “Didn’t we just beat the stuffin’ outta ya back in Foal Mountains? What are ya doin’ here?”

“Taking Element of Harmony, of course!” the Diamond Dog replied, holding up the Element of Loyalty. “We need Elements for Lord Sirius’ plan, remember? Now, all left to do is to take Element of Honesty from you and bring mustache and hat from Mustache Man as trophies, alongside baby Dragon!”

“Here we go again,” Diggsie said, sinking to her own fighting pose while the other three members of her team did the same.

“That will be quite enough, Carbon,” a new, if somewhat nasally voice interrupted from above. "I will take it from here." Carbon, looking up at the rubble behind him, growled in annoyance.

“Night Fortune, you late!” Carbon yelled. Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie looked to see a short, cloaked stallion sitting on top of the rubble of the Bell Tower.

“So you’re Commander Night Fortune,” Spike breathed. “Why are you wearing the cloak?”

“I don’t show my face to my mental inferiors,” Night Fortune said. “And before you ask, no, I will not dirty my hooves with destroying you.”

“Don’t tell me you plan on watching me end their games and claim victory for self, Night Fortune!” Carbon accused.

“Why do that, you brute, when I already put my plan into their demise into action?” Night Fortune’s hood glowed a sickly green before an aura of magic wrapped around the Super Whacka Bell 5000, lifting it to the sky. “And now, I summon a being known by few but feared by all…” Carbon blinked in genuine surprise.

“Okay,” the Diamond Dog captain scowled. “What you up to, Night Fortune?”

“Something almost guaranteed to crumple Mario and his Dragon sidekick for certain,” the short stallion said before a beam of magic shot out and struck the Whacka Bell, causing a large, almost cartoonish bump to protrude from its head. The bell then unleashed a large, irritating song wave that ripped throughout the town, causing everyone to cover their ears but Night Fortune.

“AAAAAH!” Beeatriz shrieked. “W-W-W-WHAT’S GOING ON!?”

Hollow Shades

The horrifying sound wave struck the Hollow Shades quickly, spreading a fire of noise straight to the unconscious Monty Mole, waking him up from his nap.

“AAAAAAAAAAAHH!” Mohan screamed after covering his ears. After a few minutes, the noise died down. Mohan then looked around, trying to get his bearings. “Ugh… where am I?”

“GRRWHOOO!” a voice bellowed. Mohan gasped in fear, eventually realizing he was at the mouth of a cave. Looking behind him, he saw that the cave’s entrance was huge. And two giant yellow eyes were looking right at him.

“Uh-oh…” the Monty Mole gasped. The next thing he knew, a massive, owl-like bear paw the size of a full-grown Diamond Dog slammed itself on top of him. A building size mess of fur and feathers soon trampled over Mohan and straight towards Fillydelphia. “Pain… good thing I still have that Life Shroom…”

Fillydelphia

After the shriek died down, everyone held their ears for a while longer. “Ugh,” Carbon growled, “next time you stun everyone, warn ME!” He then noticed Night Fortune had the Element of Loyalty. “HEY! I STEAL ELEMENT FIRST, NIGHT FORTUNE! GIVE BACK!”

“I cannot do that, you foolish Diamond Dog,” Night Fortune replied. “With what I have done, I still have use for the Element in order to control my beast through this bell. I can’t have you risking the Element in a fistfight with Mario after you’ve failed to end his and the Dragon’s games twice, now.”

“Wait, beast?” Carbon asked. “You no mention beast in plan to defeat Mustache Man. Why just now hearing about this?”

BOOM!

“Because I didn’t want to risk ruining the surprise,” Night Fortune answered.

BOOM!

“Uh… what’s that?” Cup Cake asked, trying so desperately to settle down her crying twins.

BOOM!

“Sounds like a giant stompin’,” Boomregard answered.

“GRRWHOOOO!”

Soon enough, as if it ripped through the background with ease, a colossus of an Owlbear emerged, stomping towards the Bell Tower. Most of the ponies reasonably began to do the one thing they best in crises like this: run screaming at the top of their lungs. Only a few ponies and Toads remained alongside Mario’s team, Beeatriz, the Cakes, the Flim Flam Bros., Night Fortune, Carbon, Cranky, and Matilda… one of which was an older Earth Pony stallion with brown fur, a short gray mane and tail, a black hat and long black tie. The other was a gray mare with her black mane in a bun wearing a pair of yellow glasses on the bridge of her snout and a black checkered scarf.

“That… that can’t be!” Cranky breathed. “Hootenanny… that mad-stallion woke up Hootenanny!”

“And here we are without Fluttershy to tame her,” Spike breathed. “Somepony has to do something…”

“Why did we decide to have adventures here again?” the pink member of the Traveling Sisters Three asked her sisters.

“I thought Equestria was a happy place!” the red Toad answered. "At least, it was in the brochure we got before coming here!"

“Girls, we should probably run away!” the green Toad interrupted. The three Toads retreated, leaving but a choice selection near the Bell Tower.

“Well, that certainly proved to be interesting,” Night Fortune commented. Soon, the Element floated up towards the Whacka Bell, and he put the Element inside of it using an intangibility spell. “But now… let’s see just what power a single Element can do.” He then rang the Whacka Bell. However, instead of causing a piercing ear pain, it let loose a hypnotic rhapsody, charming the angry Hootenanny, turning her yellow eyes into pale green ones. He then lowered the Whacka Bell to the ground. Hootenanny approached him, but rather than do what a traditional Owlbear would do— eat the pony— she lowered her head, allowing Night Fortune to place a boot-covered hoof to her beak, signaling he was her master.

“No way… he tamed Hootenanny?” Diggsie asked. “Wow… how did he do that?”

“The Elements of Harmony, when together, are virtually unstoppable, mutt,” Night Fortune replied. “But one Element by itself? In the right hooves, it’s near limitless power can be used for anything. Hootenanny’s loyalty is now to me. Surrender now and I will make your trips to the Underwhere quick.” He then spotted something that intrigued him out of the corner of his hidden eye. “Carbon? Where are you going?”

“Back home,” the Diamond Dog said in a matter-of-fact tone. “I no want any part of large monster rampages. Remember Lord Sirius’ rule of ‘No horse armor incident repeats’? Even though we talk about ‘no foal kidnappings’, pretty sure he also meant ‘no using local giant monsters’.”

“It wasn’t as bad as everypony makes it out to be,” Night Fortune replied. “But go ahead and inform Lord Sirius that I will be returning soon with BOTH Honesty and Loyalty.”

“Just don’t smash entire town again,” Carbon warned. “Took me forever to dig everyone out of jail that time.” Carbon dug a hole to retreat, leaving Night Fortune with Hootenanny.

“Now, then, my giant featherbrained pet… destroy Mario and the Dragon! Just make sure not to eat their bodies so I have something to present to Sirius and the Bearers!”

“GRRWHOOO!” Hootenanny cawed. Spike, sensing the battle had begun, Tattled on Hootenanny while Mario, Boomregard, and Diggsie set to work on attacking Hootenanny. Beeatriz grabbed Pumpkin Cake and Gummy for Cup Cake while Pound instantly flew with her, allowing the Cake family to escape to safety while Cranky and Matilda managed to get away as well.

“So, this is the legendary Diamond-Dog-named Owlbear to end all Owlbears Hootenanny,” the Dragon gulped. “Okay… she’s huge! Like, really huge. Seriously, one of her stomps can crush two of us for major damage! And her roars right in our faces… I don’t think she’s brushed the inside of her beak, lately, as those roars seem rather poisonous. What’s more, is that… wait, how much HP does she have!?!? UNKNOWN!?!? Yeah, Mario, I’m not seeing how we can win this conventionally. However, she seems cranky from being woken up. Could we fix that?”

“You mean that NONE of our attacks can take her down?” Mario asked, confused. Not often did he have an invincible enemy that there wasn’t some way he could defeat it. There had to be a way to defeat Hootenanny. However, he really couldn’t think of that as he and Spike had to scramble away from being stomped by Hootenanny… something that Diggsie and Boomregard were barely able to avoid with Superguard.

After a few more rounds of attack and avoid being hit by Hootenanny— which was harder than it sounds— Boomregard was exhausted, barely able to stand between the times he had been crushed and being poisoned. “Ugh… our attacks ain’t bringin’ her down. What do we do?”

“You guys are going about this the wrong way!” a new voice spoke up. The group looked to see the brown stallion walking over to them. “Hootenanny was just woken up, right? Try putting her to sleep. Enough Sleepy Sheep uses or attacking that Bell enough ought to do it.”

“Mr. Pie?” Diggsie asked, surprised.

“Hey, there Diggsie… you had me worried!” the rock farmer greeted. “But we don’t have time to catch up right now. Music can soothe most beasts… its how I taught my daughters how to control Parasprites before they left home and me and Sue moved out here. And right now, that crazy Unicorn is controlling Hootenanny through the Bell.”

“My husband has a point,” Sue Pie said. “If you stop that Bell, that Unicorn has nothing… aim for that.”

Mario looked at the Bell, and grinned. “Boomregard, let’s use that to heal us all up. Spike, Diggsie, can you two hit the Bell?”

“Sure!” the Dragon nodded.

“You got it, Mario!” While Diggsie pounced the Bell and Spike used his Jackhammer Tail, Boomregard and Mario used Truth’s Relief to recover their HP. Night Fortune watched as his hijacked bell was damaged by the attacks with interest. After a few rounds of this, the bell seemed to be ringing a different tune, which was causing Hootenanny to stumble with her attacks.

“I see…” Night Fortune said as he watched the battle, and saw the flaw in his attack being exposed and exploited. He turned away from the scene, no longer interested. “Well, this proved useful with my experiments, so this proved to be only a minor failure.”

Mario and Diggsie both managed to avoid one final stomp by the giant Hootenanny, bouncing off of her head before slamming down on top of the Super Whacka Bell 5000, ringing it loud and hard. Soon, the bell began to ring hard, breaking the trance Night Fortune placed on Hootenanny. The giant Owlbear began to sleepily stumble before falling on her stomach. Her loud snores signaled that she was fast asleep. The Bell cracked open, leaving the Element in plain sight.

“Ah’ll git the Element,” Boomregard said, walking towards it.

“Wow,” a pony breathed, looking at the act. “I can’t believe those four did it… they defeated Hootenanny!” Everyone applauded the heroes while Flim and Flam looked at each other.

“Flam,” Flim asked with a whisper, “chances are somepony’s gonna trace that bell back to us and we’re gonna be in some huge trouble…”

“I think so,” Flam agreed. “Next town?”

“Next town,” Flim nodded. The two Unicorn brothers took the opportunity to run away, avoiding being blamed for the accident.

Carrot Cake, Cup Cake, their twins, Beeatriz, Cranky, and Matilda all walked towards Mario’s exhausted group. “Mario, Spike, you saved the day yet again,” Cranky nodded. “I’m glad to say I know ya.”

“Wait… Spike?” Clyde Pie asked. Sure enough, the stallion walked over, confused. “I’ve heard of that name before… Pinkamina mentioned an adorable baby Dragon in her letters about her closest friends back in Ponyville… I take it she was talking about you, Dragon?”

“Um, yeah,” Spike nodded. “You’re Pinkie’s father, right? I'm surprised... I thought you guys would look like her.”

“She really takes after her grandmother,” Sue smiled. “I really hope she’s doing alright…” She then noticed the sheepish faces that the Cakes, Mario, Spike, Cranky, Matilda, and Diggsie were all making. “What’s the matter? You all don’t look so good.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Pie,” Carrot began, “I have some rather poor news for you... about your daughter. You see, I’m her boss, and, well… Pinkie’s been… kidnapped by the organization those two who crashed the unveiling work for!” Clyde blinked in shock.

“What?” he asked. He then looked up at the rubble of the Bell Tower, only to see Night Fortune had escaped. “…Somepony needs to start at the beginning.” Mario and Spike took turns explaining the situation to the two Pies.

“…Wow,” Sue Pie breathed. “So, Pinkamina and her friends… oh, Celestia...” She then broke down in tears while her husband comforted her.

“I apologize,” Carrot replied. “I… I don’t think I did a very good job keeping her safe… if you two hate me, I completely understand.”

“…How can I blame you?” Clyde replied. “To be honest, for a free spirit like Pinkamina, I wasn’t exactly the best father, but I tried for all of my fillies. If her letters say anything, you did a very good job watching after her. It ain’t your fault Pinkamina’s in the hooves of a madstallion. I just want to know what I can do to help get her back.”

“That’s where I come in, Mr. Pie,” Diggsie interrupted. “…Sorry for making you worry, before, for one.”

“It’s fine,” Clyde said. “I take it you were with Mario?” Diggsie nodded.

“Yeah. And I had to get this back!” She then held out her Hoohoo Stone.

“Ah… you want me to make a Hammer?” Clyde asked. “I can do that, but why?”

“It’s for Mario,” Diggsie replied. “And… I need your permission to go with him. I know I help a lot around the farm and I love helping you, but your daughter need my help more! It least I can do to pay you back for allowing me to stay all this time.”

Clyde and Sue Pie looked at each other, confused about Diggsie’s request.

“Wow, kid! You really are faithful to them, huh?” a new voice asked. Everyone turned to see Boomregard holding the Element of Loyalty, but the Element had revealed a holographic image of Rainbow Dash.

“Um, who are you?” Diggsie asked.

“Oh, right,” the spirit laughed. “Mario and Spike there never said anything about my Bearer, Rainbow Dash, did you? Well, I’m the Spirit of Loyalty!”

“What’s going on, here?” Carrot asked. “Why is there a spirit? And why does she look like Rainbow?”

“Long story short,” Mario said, “the Elements of Harmony like using the forms of the True Bearers as a form to communicate to us with.”

“It’s easier to talk to somepony if you’re in a form they’re familiar with,” the Spirit of Loyalty added. “Sorry if you were expecting Pinkie Pie… that’s Laughter. But I’m sure she’ll be found, soon. After all, Mario and Spike here have recovered two Elements… and their temporary Bearers. Isn’t that right, Diggsie?”

“Wait, what?” the energetic Diamond Dog asked.

“I have this feeling you’re the Temporary Bearer of the Element of Loyalty, kiddo,” the Spirit of Loyalty replied. “You’re so faithful to the Pies and willing to help everypony who’s helped you, you can’t be any other Element!”

Diggsie gasped. “You mean… I am Bearer!?” She then jumped for joy, truly excited. “Woohoo! Best day ever!”

“Good for you, Diggsie!” Beeatriz smiled at the Diamond Dog. “You’ve earned this.”

“Hold on, Diggsie,” the Spirit warned. “It’s a tough job. You have to cool your jets. You’re energetic, kind of like Pinkie Pie… but you have to remember that there’s a tough road ahead. I know Boomregard there is still struggling with his amnesia, but you need to remember to keep yourself calm and focused, not rushing into things. Heh… my true Bearer has that problem. I think you’re gonna be fine.”

“Don’t worry,” Mario said, “I’m sure we’ll be keeping her focused.”

“Good to hear,” the Spirit nodded. She then spotted Spike who was looking down. “What’s the matter, Spike? Are you thinking about that time back when Discord was still a bad guy?”

“You mean the time where Twilight just strapped the Element of Loyalty on me?” Spike asked. Mario was genuinely surprised at this. “Well… kind of. Now that you mention it… why aren’t I the Temporary Bearer of Loyalty? I’m just… curious.”

“You’re experiencing conflicting loyalties with all of this,” the Spirit of Loyalty replied. “I’m sorry, Spike, but that’s all I’m allowed to say. Back about 1,500 years ago when this prophecy was discovered, I was made to promise that I would not tell the purple and green creature that was destined to reunite the Elements of Harmony WHY he's not a Bearer. Honesty has genuinely forgotten the reason why you aren't. Perhaps Magic can tell you when she’s reawakened.”

“…I guess,” the Dragon said in defeat. Shaking away his depression, he said, “But with you, we have two Elements! Four to go, right? Then we can rescue Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Applejack!”

“That’s the spirit!” the Spirit of Loyalty smiled. Turning to Diggsie, she continued, “Anyway, I’m getting way off track. So, Diggsie, wanna do me the honor of taking up my power and defending Equestria from the Colts of Nocturne until Rainbow Dash can? Dare you become the Temporary Bearer of Loyalty in her stead?”

Diggsie, smiling, turned to the Pies. “Um, Mr. and Mrs. Pie… you no mind if I do this, do you?”

“Of course not,” Clyde replied. “Go ahead, Diggsie… like Pinkamina before you, there’s more to your life than rocks.”

"A lot more," Sue agreed. "Right now, our daughter's hope rests with you, Diggsie. I ask you... no, I BEG of you to rescue her." Diggsie turned back to the Element, and nodded.

“It okay with Mr. and Mrs. Pie, it okay with me!” The Element then floated out of Boomregard’s hands, over to Diggsie before the Spirit disappeared, the stone cracking. Soon enough, the stone opened to reveal the Element had turned into a red lightning bolt dog tag, smaller than it was normally but could attach to her collar. After doing so, Diggsie looked at the others.

“So, I guess yer stickin’ with us fer now, huh?” Boomregard asked. “A plumber who goes on too many adventures fer his own good, the baby Dragon o’ the Bearers, an amnesiac Boomerang Bro, an’ a hyperactive Diamond Dog. Ah knew this group was gonna git weird.”

“As weird as it is,” Mario said, sticking his hand out, “we’re gonna have to stay together to save Equestria. Are you with me?” Spike placed his hand on top of Mario’s, and Boomregard on top of the Dragon’s.

“You bet!” Diggsie grinned, placing her hand in the pile. “By the way, is this going to be a thing? Because I like this, Mario!”

YOU GOT THE ELEMENT OF LOYALTY!

Mario’s Element Power has increased to 2! With Diggsie by his side, he can use “Faithful Storm” to strike all enemies with an attack that can potentially stop opponents!

END OF CHAPTER!

Mario, Spike, and Boomregard, desperate to make it to Fillydelphia, joined the expensive tour that was hosted by the corrupt Mohan. During this adventure they met several new faces, including the newest Temporary Bearer, Diggsie the Diamond Dog! But during this, they had to face down the pirate Rose Heart, the powerful Carbon, the corrupt Mohan, and the legendary beast Hootenanny.

Not only that, but Mario’s team helped improve a relationship, calm the worries of two worried stallions, made friends with a Bee, and enjoyed good sandwiches. But their victories seemed rather short-lived. Mario remembered he still had four other Elements and four other Temporary Bearers to gather before he could make a move to free his or Spike’s friends. Where were the Elements and who were the four other Temporary Bearers? Hopefully Goombella, Celestia, Luna, and Peach could find out. Mario could not help but worry.

But Mario’s main concern was the mysterious Night Fortune. Who WAS he that he concealed himself beneath a cloak? What happened to Prosperous Dusk before the attack began? And were the Bearers alright with his sinister mind guarding them? The plumber and Dragon both wondered if everyone they cared about was okay…

Saving all progress… Do not turn off the power.

Your progress has been saved.

Author's Note

So ends Chapter 2. I promise pony enemies for Chapter 3 (as well as Bowser FINALLY throwing his hat into the ring).

1) So, Clyde and Sue Pie... I know back when Pinkie was a filly they were probably rather strict with her... but I feel that after dealing with three fillies, they'd probably be less strict now since they're older.

The Flim Flam Bros? You know, I just HAD to put them in here. Had I flat out told everyone they'd be in the chapter, I'm willing to bet all of you would have said, "Oh, they're going to be the boss." Well, not really. They just happened to build the thing that summoned and mind-controlled the boss. Speaking of which...

Yep. Hootenanny! In-game, she'd be next to impossible to drain her HP down to zero before you either ran out of healing items or her attacks took you down. So, this is an unconvential boss battle where you have to inflict a status aliment on her... sort of like how some of the battles in Sticker Star had some weird means to them... you have to lure her to sleep and she snores out Star Points.

2) Fillydelphia, ladies and gentlemen. It's based off of present day Philadelphia with some call backs to historical Philadelphia, so if you've ever been, well, there you go.

3) So, a giant Owlbear? Why? Because I just really wanted to get the concept of Owlbears out of my head since that one flash game. And yeah... imagine Hootenanny's appearance like the giant mom Owlbear from said game.

Also, a giant Owlbear that breathes out poisonous breath is pretty funny, especially when she steps on Mohan one last time to remind people when I make a character as a chew toy, I make sure to do as much as I can with hurting that character I can get away with. And a reference to the disastrous horse armor incident is made. Well, the original boss was going to be the giant bell by itself, but I though, "Forget that! I may get away with a train an an expy of the General Guy fight with Guylan, but I'm not going to get away with pulling a bell out of my tail, even if it was suped up with hi-tech equipment by the Flim Flam Bros.!"

Anyway, you may have noticed the Cotton Candy Cloud, one of Discord's signature jokes. Yes, it's part of a huge sidequest. You won't be able to do anything about it now, but once you get a partner who is good at handling sticky things and clouds, maybe you'll be able to do something about it...

So, why is Diggsie the Temporary Bearer of Loyalty? I'm sure your comments have answered this. I had virtually no subtlety with this, since Diggsie is a Diamond Dog, very loyal to her friends and coworkers, and pretty dang friendly, pretty much never going to betray Mario and Spike, no matter how easily distracted she may be.

Anyway, that's all I have for this Chapter! Expect the Interlude in a week or two!

Chapter 2 Interlude

-PEACH-

Canterlot— Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy

Whenever the Mushroom Kingdom Princess ever was kidnapped or otherwise held against her will, there was usually a point that the kidnapping got to a dull moment. While being trapped in Canterlot was more of a “held against her will” situation, it still had gotten rather boring waiting for news from Mario’s adventures.

This did not mean, of course, she couldn’t play a card game with Princess Celestia, Toadsworth, and Luna.

“So,” Celestia asked as she sat across the table from the Mushroom Princess, “this is what getting kidnapped feels like after a while? I’ll admit it’s kind of… dull.”

“You mean you’ve never been kidnapped before?” Peach asked, placing a card down.

“I’m afraid not,” Celestia answered. “Well, at least, not this long. Sure my sister may or may not have sealed me in the Sun for a brief moment as Nightmare Moon, but that was only for a few hours at most.”

“I thought I apologized for that, sister,” Luna remarked. “I could have sworn I spent a month after Nightmare Moon saying I’m sorry for the irony after you sealed me in the Moon for 1000 years.”

“And I have forgiven you, apologizing myself for doing what I did,” Celestia replied. Turning back to Peach, she continued, “And sure, a Changeling Queen powered up by pure love from my Captain of the Guard on his wedding day to my niece overpowered me, but again, I was only trapped for a few hours at most.”

“But what about this King Sombra brute who had something like this in his arsenal before being overthrown?” Toadsworth asked as he placed one of his own cards on the table.

“Sombra was cunning, I will give him that,” Celestia replied. “He was incredibly powerful… but at the same time, incredibly evil. I could never understand his motives, but he planned to conquer much of Equestria… he actually almost succeeded. But now, he’s gone… and Sirius Nebula is the next major threat planning to bring back the Nightmare.”

“With King Sombra’s magic, no less,” Luna added. “But I don’t understand, sister, is how he has access to Sombra’s magic in the first place.”

“Hmm,” Peach thought about it for a moment. Luna brought up a good point. How COULD Sirius had gained Sombra’s brand of magic to use in his attack on Canterlot?

Sirius was a student!
Sirius had help!
Sirius is a master thief!

“Maybe Sirius was a student at Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns!” Peach declared, looking at Celestia. “Perhaps he feels that he was neglected by you and could be doing this for revenge!” The Alicorn in question blinked. “Um, no offense intended, Princess Celestia.”

“None taken,” she said after shaking her head. “But I’m afraid that your guess in not very likely, Princess Peach. I tend to meet a lot of my potential students in person at least once during their time in the school. Even though Twilight is my personal protégé, I would have recognized his name and face if he was one of my students. I may be old, Princess, but I’m not forgetful.”

“Not to mention that if he WAS a student there,” Luna added, “there would have been records of him in the school.”

Peach looked disappointed at the incorrect assumption. But she still had two more feasible guesses.

Sirius had help!
Sirius is a master thief!

“Perhaps Sirius is a thief,” Peach suggested. “He snuck into your Starswirl the Bearded wing and stole Sombra’s records!”

“That would be a viable option, Princess Peach,” Celestia agreed. “However, didn’t you and Princess Luna visit there recently?”

“The royal Librarians take frequent inventory checks,” Luna announced. “If information on King Sombra was checked out or stolen, it would have been in their reports. Furthermore, if he was a master thief, then why would he have needed an army to attack the Tower of the Elements? There was less security around due to the party, so he would have had the perfect opportunity to steal the Elements. I’m sorry, sister, but that has not been the case.”

“This is why I leave you with most of the paperwork,” the elder Alicorn giggled. “You were always better at it than I was…”

“I’ve noticed,” the younger smiled back. “I’ve seen your work with the kingdom’s annual taxes… no comment.”

Peach had to resist the urge to giggle, but thought about how Sirius could have pulled off getting Sombra’s magic.

Sirius had help!

“I know it’s weird, but perhaps Sirius had someone on the inside helping him get Sombra’s information,” Peach thought aloud. “You know, like a spy?” Celestia and Luna looked at each other, surprised.

“A spy in Canterlot?” Toadsworth asked. “Surely, Princess, you jest! That would be preposterous!”

“I don’t know,” Celestia replied. “It’s been done before.” Toadsworth and Peach both looked at the Sun Princess. “You both remember how I mentioned the Changeling Queen and the wedding, right? You see, Changelings are a race of pony shaped bugs who happen to be shape shifters and feed off of positive emotions such as love. They can easily infiltrate anyplace in Equestria, even fooling myself. Their Queen managed to take on the form of my niece Cadance right at a wedding… most ponies wrote it off as wedding stress, but not my student, who has known Cadance since she was a filly. My point is that it’s possible Sirius has somepony infiltrating our ranks. Somepony high enough in power to gain access to Sombra’s information, especially his dark magic. However, we need more evidence before we start pointing hooves.”

“It’s a start,” Luna nodded. “Well played, Princess Peach. We probably have something to look into while we’re trapped in Canterlot waiting for good news. At least it’s better than playing cards or tennis all of the time.”

“I like tennis, though,” Peach sighed. “But if you all think that’s bad, we could always play soccer…”

“Oh good heavens no!” Toadsworth cringed. Soon enough, purple and green smoke passed the old Toad, manifesting a scroll next to Celestia. “Hooray for good news from our Dragon ending this talk of extreme soccer!”

Celestia and Luna both looked at Toadsworth with a legitimately confused stare. However, they went back to the letter.

Dear Everypony,

It took a long hike up, down, and inside a mountain, through a dark wood, and past a giant Owlbear that was brainwashed into attacking us in Fillydelphia, but we did it! We have the Element of Loyalty, as well as its Temporary Bearer, Diggsie. She’s a little eccentric for a Diamond Dog, but she’s alright. We now fought Night Fortune.

The Spirit of Loyalty said something that made me worried, though. She said that she sensed that I’m conflicted about all of this… and I think she’s right. On one claw, I’m doing all of this to save Twilight, Rarity, and the others… but on the other claw, I can’t help but feel that I’m betraying them by giving their Elements to somepony who a day or two ago was a complete stranger. I keep asking myself if I’m doing the right thing by allowing the Elements to be used like this and hoping for the best. I hope Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie don’t take it the wrong way.

Mario wants me to ask you to keep an eye on his friends and brother. He knows that they aren’t in any immediate danger, but he wants to let them know that they’re always in his thoughts.

Sincerely,

Spike

P.S.,

Princess Peach was married to Bowser?

“Spikey-wikey is really taking this hard,” Peach sighed. “He’s conflicted about his role with helping the Bearers but feels that he’s doing something wrong.”

“This is why I’m worried for him,” Celestia declared. “Spike might become a great adventurer in the future, but right now he is barely a child in Dragon years. He has only really known Twilight and the other Bearers as the ones who wielded the Elements, and went into this adventure expecting to be the true hero… and now has to risk the trust of his closest friends, not knowing whether or not they will feel betrayed by his need to allow others to use their Elements."

“‘Spikey-wikey’, Princess?” Toadsworth questioned.

“I’m sorry, but the nickname Rarity called him was so adorable!” Peach argued.

“But what was this about you being married?” Luna asked.

“That sham was NOT a wedding!” the Mushroom Princess insisted. “I was brainwashed and forced into that marriage, there was no marriage contract, and that wedding was so wrong that it started the apocalypse! And technically, we both ‘died’, so even though we all got better, that marriage is void!” Calming down, Peach sighed in relief. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. We should tell Daisy, Luigi, Toad, Toadette, and Yoshi about Mario and Spike’s progress.” She then realized something. “Where ARE they, anyways?”

Canterlot Caverns— LUIGI

“So,” the Sarasaland Princess asked the guard next to her, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad, and Toadette, “this is the entrance to the Canterlot Caverns?” Daisy was looking at a small set of crystals before an entrance to a cave.

“Well, yes,” the guard nodded. “To be honest, Princess, not too many ponies have explored these caverns… what do you plan on finding?”

“A way out,” Daisy said, walking to the crystal stalagmites and touching them. “Okay… we’re good. Luigi, Yoshi, I’m probably gonna need your help once we’re in. Toad, Toadette, can you go back to the Embassy why we go in here? Just in case Peach and Toadsworth are worried where we are.”

“Uh, Princess?” the guard asked. “My own squad couldn’t get through these… how are you going to get through.”

“Simple,” Daisy answered. “I press and hold the Y Button like so…” As if on cue, Daisy pulled back her arm as if she was about to throw a punch. However, as she did so, her arm seemed to begin to get covered in an orange-yellow crystal. The next thing the guard knew, Daisy said, “And when I build enough power like this, just release the Y Button!” Soon enough, the crystal covered fist was thrown at the stalagmites, smashing all of the crystals with ease.

“Wow, Daisy!” Yoshi cheered. “You still have that?”

“I brought my Striker gear just in case someone wanted to play soccer,” the Sarasaland Princess confessed. “However, I can’t smash through the bigger crystals, so Luigi, try avoiding those.”

“What?” Luigi asked in timid shock. “Me?” Daisy put her hand on her hips.

“Well, yeah! You’re leading us in!” With an innocent pout, Daisy asked, “After all, we don’t know what’s down there. You’ve fought and defeated the king of all Boos, so escorting an innocent Princess and her beloved dinosaur sidekick shouldn’t be too difficult in comparison…”

Yoshi looked at Daisy, confused. “My species is dinosaurs? I thought we were some kind of cousin to Dragons… except with funnier stomachs and weirder reproductive systems.”

“Too much information, Yoshi,” Daisy said, patting him on the nose.

Luigi meanwhile thought about what Daisy said. On one hand, he knew from personal experience that Daisy was far from innocent or defenseless… her sports career and tomboyish nature spoke volumes against either of those, and she flat out admitted to bringing one of her gloves from their soccer games (which usually involved electric fences, Bob-Ombs, Koopa shells, and a trip to the hospital if you were lucky). On the other hand, those caves were dark… kind of like the many mansions Luigi had to go through hunting ghosts for Professor E. Gadd in order to save the world (and Mario). Luigi wondering if leaving Polterpup with Gadd was a good idea aside, the green plumber realized Daisy was counting on him… and giving him the same pout aforementioned Polterpup did when he wanted to play.

“…Okay, I’ll do it,” Luigi declared. “Let’s-a go!” Without any warning, Luigi jumped into the cavern, leaving Daisy, Yoshi, the guard, and the two Toads standing there, each with different expressions on their faces. Toad and Toadette just stared in shock of Luigi’s sudden burst of courage. The guard blinked in confusion. Yoshi gapped in awe. But Daisy? She just had the biggest smirk on her face, as if she knew this would happen.

“Works every time,” she smiled. “Okay, let’s go, Yoshi.” The green reptile snapped out of his shock and followed the Sarasaland Princess straight into the cave. Toad and Toadette looked at each other.

“So, when we get back to Toadsworth whose gonna give us an earful for letting Daisy convince Yoshi and Luigi to go in that hole with her,” Toadette asked, “who’s gonna be the messenger?”

“I was hoping it’d be you,” Toad answered. “That way, I’d have at least a ten second head start before he blows his stack.”

“Why can’t you both tell him?” the guard asked. “I’m going to be staying here with a rescue party in case they don’t come out in two hours, so I’m technically doing my job.”

Meanwhile, in the cave, Luigi held up a flashlight that Daisy had given him. “Okay, here we go!” the plumber commented. He then turned to Daisy, realizing what she got him to do. “Oh… I see… oh dear.”

“Don’t worry,” Daisy assured him. “Yoshi and I are right behind you. You can use the Right Stick to guide the light around. We just need to explore where this cave goes and see if we can make an escape route. Perhaps even look for clues as to how Sirius made his move on the Elements.”

“Well, what am I here for?” Yoshi asked. “Moral support and comic relief?”

“Well, that and to use your tongue where Luigi taps on the Touch Screen. You can probably cling onto certain things that we won’t be able to move on our own. If you do this, I’ll take you to the nearest fruit stand once we’re done.”

“Oh, okay!” Yoshi grinned. “Here we go!”

Luigi reluctantly led the group through the Canterlot Caverns with Daisy smashing crystals that got in their way and Luigi hopping over obstacles, activating underground switches so Daisy (who was nowhere near as good at jumping as either of her green friends) could get through. Eventually, they noticed a small handle shaped crystal in the wall. When Luigi pointed it out, Yoshi pulled it, revealing a new platform that could allow them to head upwards into the mountainside.

Eventually, though, they emerged into a large area of the cave that was walled off by crystals, but had holes that allowed outside air to flow in. “It’s a dead end!?” Daisy asked, annoyed. “Ugh, just when I thought we were close to getting out of here!”

While Daisy was voicing her irritation, Luigi looked around. He noticed horseshoe marks in dried mud on the ground. In fact, they were all over. “Daisy… I think we have a clue.” The Sarasaland Princess and Yoshi looked at the marks in curiosity.

“These look about a week old,” Daisy remarked. “Unfortunately, that’s an estimate. Judging by these markings, I’d say someone was in full retreat, and escaped through this way. A lot of someones.”

“But I thought that nobody ever went into the Canterlot Caverns,” Luigi recalled while Yoshi walked away from the two. Daisy shook her head.

“No, the guard said ‘not too many ponies EXPLORED the Canterlot Caverns’. Someone here in Canterlot knew the caves very well to navigate a large group through it without anyone being caught. Well, it’s a clue as to how they managed to get an entire army out of Canterlot before it was sealed.”

“Guys!” Yoshi called over, looking at the crystals. “I found something.” Yoshi held up a torn piece of a black and blue cape. “Isn’t this part of a Nocturne Cultist cloak?” Daisy and Luigi gasped.

“It is!” Daisy nodded. “Luigi, I think we found a clue!” She then walked over to him and kissed the green plumber on the cheek. Luigi’s face turned redder than Mario’s hat.

“Um… t-t-t-thanks, Daisy… but what was that for?”

“For agreeing to come down here with me and Yoshi,” Daisy replied. “We probably could not have gotten through this and find these clues without you.” Turning to the crystals keeping them locked in, she said, “Well, we can conclude without a doubt that the Colts of Nocturne used the caves as their escape route. Although I would have liked to have this route opened up, this clue is a lot more than we had before. We better take this back to Peach, Celestia, and Luna.”

Mushroom Kingdom/Sarasaland Embassy

“LUIGI, YOSHI, HOW COULD YOU!?” Toadsworth scolded the man in green as soon as he checked over Daisy. Immediately after they returned, the old steward fussed over the Sarasaland Princess’ well being, much to her embarrassment. Peach had offered a mild, “Now you know how I feel” in response. “YOU NOT ONLY ALLOWED PRINCESS DAISY TO WANDER INTO POTENTIAL DANGER, BUT YOU ENCOURAGED IT!”

"Um... sorry, Toadsworth..." Luigi trembled.

"Lighten up," Daisy suggested. "I can handle myself... remember the time I slapped Bowser out of my way. He's NEVER gone after me!"

“Toadsworth, you must calm yourself,” Celestia insisted. “Take a few deep breaths… Princess Daisy is unharmed by her venture into the caverns. In fact, she did a lot to confirm Princess Peach’s hypothesis. I regret not listening to Cadance’s insistence of having patrols in the Canterlot Caverns… perhaps we could have caught the Colts of Nocturne.”

“So, we really did have a spy during the attack,” Luna concluded. “This is tragic, but remarkably well played by Sirius Nebula. While I dislike his goal of bringing my evil form back to life and giving it flesh and blood of its own, I cannot help but admit he has great cunning to play where our defenses are the weakest: inside the caverns and during the party honoring your arrival.”

“So, what now?” Peach asked. “Do we report this to Mario?”

“I don’t think Mario and Spike should worry themselves too much of a spy in Canterlot,” Celestia declined. “They’re already doing great work with the Elements of Harmony. Adding discovering the identity of a spy is best left to us. For now, let’s let them know that we’re doing the best we can to find clues about the Colts of Nocturne, and send some encouraging words Spike’s way.”

“Princess Celestia!” a masculine voice spoke. Soon enough, the door opened, revealing a Toad guard. “Your Majesty, we’ve received word that Shining Armor has requested an audience with you towards the south entrance of the city.”

“Shining Armor?” Celestia asked. “Well, I guess that letter will have to wait. I’ll meet with Shining Armor.” Celestia then walked out, leaving the group hoping for the best.

-BOWSER-

Skies over Equestria

Bowser’s massive airship armada had arrived over Equestria an hour ago. Bowser, being the Koopa King, laughed while looking down at the new, conquerable country from the bow of his ship.

“GWAA-HA-HA!” Bowser chuckled. “So this is Equestria? Seems like a happy marshmallow and cotton candy land!”

“Ooh, are we playing Candy Land?” Lemmy asked. “I love Candy Land!”

“We’ll play later,” Junior told his crazy brother. “Iggy, this IS Equestria, right?”

“According to the Koopa databanks, yeah,” Iggy replied, looking at a computer. “Land of talking pastel ponies… has opened up official trade with the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland… ruled by two Alicorn sisters— winged Unicorns for Roy.”

“Hey!” the aforementioned Koopaling scowled at his brother. "Just because I use my brawn all of the time doesn't mean I'm THAT dumb!"

“And it says here there’s six magical artifacts with ridiculous power known as ‘the Elements of Harmony’.”

This got Bowser’s attention. “Elements of Harmony? Sound like they would be good world-conquering tools if they weren’t so badly named. When we get ’em, let’s call them the ‘Elements of Bowser’! Where are they?”

“But King Dad,” Wendy whined, “I thought you said you wouldn’t take work with us!”

“I can mix business with pleasure,” the Koopa King smiled. “Don’t worry… depending on what Kammy says, it’ll be a quick smash-and-grab, then we find Princess Peach and then we have our vacation. I’m sure there’s a castle or two that’s up for grabs while we wait.”

“You’re in luck, Your Busyness!” Kammy declared as she flew over on her broomstick. “It turns out that the official location for the Elements of Harmony happens to be where the Toads we interrogated said Princess Peach would be spending her vacation. The capital city of Equestria: Canterlot.”

“…It’s surprisingly a better name than Koopalot,” Bowser gave it after a bit. ‘When we conquer the world, this city’s name is totally staying the way it is. Not sure about the rest of the place though. Kamek, you go around the country and look up city names… tell me if you hear any that interest you.”

“Of course, Your Curiousness,” Kamek nodded. With that, the male Magikoopa flew off.

“Can I be Regent of Equestria when you take over the world, King Dad?” Morton asked aloud. “I promise to rule with an iron fist… and I kind of want to ride the ponies.”

“No way!” Wendy protested. “This is a girl’s paradise… though I’ll need several hunky Hammer Bro bodyguards, I can rule this country a lot better than Morton can… and I'll ride the ponies.”

“Are you both serious?” Roy scowled. “It should be obvious that I’d be a better dictator than either of you! I have the muscle to back it up.”

“But you lack the brain TO rule, Mr. Brawn and Pink Sunglasses,” Larry replied. “I should rule this place for King Dad.”

“You take that back, Larry!” Roy yelled. “Pink’s a manly color!”

“That and you also want to ride on the ponies,” Wendy accused.

“Enough, all of you,” Ludwig interrupted. “Ve vill decide zis Regent business and riding on ponies later. Because, let’s be honest, here, vho DOESN’T feel the temptation to ride ze ponies? Right now, ve should focus on ze Princess and ze Elements… and prepare for Mario. Ve vill inevitably face him vhile ve are here.”

“Ludwig, dude!” a new voice shouted. Soon enough, four Ninjakoopas— Red, Yellow, Green, and Black— jumped out and landed next to the Koopalings. After a flashy thumbs-up pose, Red said, “You gotta let us take on Mario for you! You just gotta!”

“He’s got a lot to answer for!” Green agreed.

“He kicked us out of our super-cool Fortress!” Black recalled.

“Not to mention sicced a bratty Koopa wearing an egg shell on us instead of fighting us like a real man!” Yellow added.

“You know, speaking of Jr. Troopa,” Iggy recalled, “maybe we should have gotten HIM on our big hit squad. Junior, why didn’t we get Jr. Troopa?”

“Because he’s a complete renegade lone-wolf loose cannon that was impossible to convince to join,” Bowser Jr. answered. “Seriously, he said, ‘Nice try, chubby little Daddy’s Boy, but Jr. Troopa doesn’t work for anybody, not even for defeating Mario! Mario is mine alone to defeat!’ He then proceeded to try to fight me… he’s beyond rational thought. I guess this is what happens when you grow up with a huge grudge over something petty. But the real kicker is that he called me 'Chubby! I'm not chubby... am I?”

“Okay, that’s something that will definitely bite us in the tail later,” Iggy acknowledged. “Let’s just hope he never gets to Equestria while we’re here. Anyway, Koopa Bros., you’re still on standby.”

“Aw…” Red groaned. “That’s so LAME!”

“We’re approaching Canterlot, Your Nastiness,” Kammy reported.

“Good,” Bowser grinned. “Time for a Koopa King airdrop!”

“Wait, airdrop?” Kammy asked. “You mean you’re going down there? You do realize we couldn't pack your Clown Car, right?”

“Yeah, but I’ve fallen into black holes and a SUN and came out okay. I've come back from the dead at least three times. Anyways, we’re getting off track. I’ll move faster on my own. Furthermore, I’ll scare the locals making an entrance like that.”

“Do you even remember how to do these platforming segments?” Kammy asked.

“Of course I know how!” the Koopa King responded. “I’ve been doing things like this since we went multiverse hopping. Anyway, here we go! Bowser Airdrop!” Without any warning, Bowser jumped off the airship, leaving his children and Kammy stunned by his reckless behavior, except for Lemmy.

“King Dad!” he yelled down. “If you find any good riding ponies, can you bring one back? Please?” Everyone looked at the rather kooky Koopa. “What?”

Canterlot Outskirts

Bowser landed on the ground, startling several ponies who had chosen to make the rather foolish mistake of traveling the route today. “GWAA-HA-HA-HA! RUN, MY LITTLE PONIES! YOUR NEW KING IS HERE!”

The ponies did not need to be told twice. Bowser looked around, and grumbled at the fact that he had messed up his jump. Well, no sense in stopping now. Canterlot, the Elements, and Peach were all just up ahead. Stomping through the route, Bowser put the 2-D platforming that he learned from studying Mario to good use. Through the adventuring he had to do during the crisis with the Dark Prognosticus, Bowser had to do a lot of this for a living. It wasn’t much difficult, considering that was pretty much what he was doing, here.

However, some of the ponies, local Goombas, and local Koopas that weren’t on his side decided to attack him. This proved to be a terrible mistake… for them. Well, the ponies were excused as they probably never heard of Bowser… or expected a giant, spiky-shelled Koopa to be able to breathe fire. Everyone else was just stupid. After putting a lot of fools in their place, Bowser soon reached the gates to Canterlot… only to see a group of either golden or blue armored ponies standing in front of a giant black crystal barricade, their backs all turned to Bowser. Some of the blue armored ponies had leathery bat wings, which surprised Bowser, but he remembered they were a rare type of Pegasus pony called “Thestral”.

The leader of these armored ponies who was paying no attention to Bowser was a white furred Unicorn stallion with blue hooves and a striped blue mane. He wore dark purple armor, the helmet completely removed. The mark on his flank, something that Bowser noticed all ponies seemed to have, was a blue shield with a pink six-pointed star.

“Princess Celestia,” he spoke to the crystals, “are you there?”

“Yes, Shining Armor,” a voice on the other side answered. “How goes the hunt for the Colts of Nocturne on the outside?”

“I’ll be honest,” the stallion, Shining Armor, reported. “It’s very difficult tracking a cult of ponies who happen to keep their identities so secret. They could be anypony… and their base of operations is almost impossible to track.”

“…I can tell you’re frustrated,” Celestia said after a moment. “This matter is personal to you.”

“Of course it is,” Shining nodded. “This Sirius Nebula guy… he has Twily, sealed my hometown of Canterlot and everypony in it, and it’s getting harder to keep my parents from knowing this every passing day. I don’t think I’ve slept well ever since we heard about this. Neither has Cadance. She misses my sister just as much as I do.”

“That is unfortunate to hear,” Celestia replied. “I wish I could comfort my niece in a time like this.”

“Princess,” Shining Armor questioned, “if I may ask… you know the Crystal Empire has the Crystal Heart, which, if fully charged, could easily destroy this barricade. I know Mario and Spike are on the case for the Elements, but this would allow you, Princess Luna, and Princess Peach’s entourage to take full part in this investigation. Why don’t you want us to bring it to here?”

“Crystal Heart?” Bowser whispered, confused. “Wait… did he mention Princess Peach?”

“Shining Armor,” Celestia explained, “there are a few reasons why I do not wish for immediate rescue via the Crystal Heart. One reason is Princess Peach would become a target should she be able to leave Canterlot… in fact, all of Mario’s friends would be. The Colts of Nocturne would probably dislike Mario interfering with their plans and would want to make sure he stops through any means necessary. The second reason is if their plans involve Nightmare Moon, the Colts of Nocturne would most likely involve Princess Luna. I’d rather my own sister protected in case they do go after her. The third and most critical reason is I feel that the Crystal Heart is our last resort.

“It would be too easy to use the Crystal Heart since its power alone can almost match the Elements of Harmony… but the Colts of Nocturne have used Sombra’s magic to cause this, so they no doubt know of the Crystal Heart. They could attempt to intercept the Crystal Heart on its way here. Even if Mario and Spike manage to obtain all six of the Elements of Harmony scattered through Equestria, if the Colts of Nocturne get their hooves on the Crystal Heart, they will have an advantage. It is easier to protect the Crystal Heart and by extension our last hope in the Crystal Empire.”

“…Very well,” Shining Armor nodded. “I’ll trust you with this decision. What of Mario and Spike’s progress with recovering the Elements?”

“So far, Mario and Spike have recovered two Elements of Harmony from Appleloosa and Fillydelphia,” Celestia answered. “Unfortunately, we don’t know where the other Elements are located.”

“I see,” Shining sighed. “So, what now?”

“Now, I suggest you and Cadance take some time off the investigation and clear your heads. Perhaps tell your parents what has become of your sister... and inform them I offer my sincerest condolences. I know it is not much, but it’s all I can do, and they know that I really do care for Twilight. Your parents are in Los Pegasus for the Daring Do reboot, right?”

“Yes, they are. I just hope they’ll take the news gently. Anything else, Princess?”

“Nothing right now,” Celestia replied. “You are dismissed, Captain.” Shining Armor gave the crystal barricade a salute, before turning towards his fellow members of the guard… and Bowser.

“Hey,” Shining asked, looking at the Koopa King. “Who are you?”

“You mean you ponies have never heard of me?” Bowser laughed. “I’m Bowser, King of the Koopas! You ought to be quaking in your horseshoes, Purple Armor! Now, what’s this about Princess Peach and Mario?”

“Okay, five things,” Shining scowled. “One, my name is ‘Shining Armor’. Two, I quake to nopony, not even a giant turtle-bull-dragon thing. Three, I’ll have you know that purple happens to be the Sparkle family color for generations, and my little sister is a purple-furred Unicorn who is much more powerful than I am and the Bearer of the Element of Magic. Four, I have bigger things to deal with than you, right now. This leads to thing five! If you must know what’s going on, access to Canterlot is prohibited due to the obvious barricade of crystals right behind me that has sealed not only my own Princesses inside, but the Princesses of the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland. I take it you overheard all of this?”

“Well, duh, Purple Armor!” the Koopa King replied. “I mean, come ON! You were talking very loud!” Bowser tapped in foot in annoyance. “So… Peach is trapped inside, huh? Well, I guess that makes pursuing Canterlot completely pointless. What about the Elements? Scattered?”

“You really DID overhear our entire conversation, didn’t you?” Shining remarked. “Yes… and right now, one of the visitors from the Mushroom Kingdom named ‘Mario’ is pursuing them along with my little sister’s Dragon assistant, Spike.”

“GWAA-HA-HA!” Bowser grinned. “Well, it looks like fate brings me against Mario yet again!” Turning to Shining Armor, he said, “Well, I'd love to stay and make you all kneel before your new King of Awesome and Evil, but I’ve gotta go! As much as I'd want him to, Mario’s not gonna clobber himself! Beat you up later!” Bowser then stomped away from the sealed city, leaving the very confused Royal Guard in his wake.

“King Dad!” Bowser Junior’s voice yelled out. The youngest of Bowser’s children rode down with his own Clown Car alongside Kammy.

“Are you alright, Your Craziness?” Kammy asked.

“Oh, I’m more than alright!” Bowser laughed. “Well, I do have bad news. Peach is stuck inside here and the Elements of Harmony have been scattered across country.”

“Aw man,” Junior whined. “I really wanted to kidnap her! Why are you so happy, Dad?”

“Well, it means it’s technically one less thing to worry about!” Bowser answered. “Peach isn’t going anywhere, and can’t go anywhere until that barrier is dealt with. Mario can’t do that until he has the Elements of Harmony… and he already has two of them. Put all of this together and you realize…?”

“That Mario’s going to go after the next Element very soon?” Kammy concluded. “We can intercept him!”

“As well as possibly our new enemies!” Bowser replied. “Some cult called the ‘Colts of Nighttime’ or whatever is also after the Elements of Harmony and responsible for locking my sweet Peach up. While they didn’t kidnap her, they are preventing me from doing that… and you know how I don’t like competition for my status as ‘Final Boss’.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Junior shrugged. “So, where’s Mario going?”

“I don’t really know,” Bowser said back. “But I know he’s NOT going to be in either someplace that's called ‘Appleloosa’ or ‘Fillydelphia’. …Yeah, the puns of these towns’ names aren’t working for me. When we take over the world, someone’s seriously changing several names, okay?”

“Very well, Your Awfulness,” Kammy agreed. “We should head back to the fleet and prepare to face Mario. Hopefully, Kamek will have spies around this country already on the lookout for Mario.”

“King Dad,” Junior asked, “when we get back to the ship, can I give the command to spread the troops throughout the country to look for the Elements?”

“Bowser Jr. Koopa,” his father scolded, “you know that I LOVE giving the commands to my minions! I call dibs on that!”

“Your Awfulness and Your Brattiness,” Kammy requested under her breath as the three of them left the outskirts of Canterlot, “when this is over, can I perhaps get a raise?”

-TWILIGHT-

Midnight Cathedral— Bearers’ Suite

Twilight sat on a chair, an annoyed look on her face. Behind her was a Nocturne Cultist mare— a Unicorn, to be precise— using magic to brush her mane. The mare in question had her hood down, revealing that she was a peach colored pony with a long, striped mane of blonde and white.

“You know, Miss Sparkle,” the mare said as she did her work, “you and your friends are quite lucky!”

“How?” Twilight asked, both genuinely confused by how her situation is lucky and jealous to see her current caretaker using the magic she couldn’t. “We’ve been kidnapped by a cult of mad ponies who want to bring Nightmare Moon back, Spike is out there being hunted by two psychos and I can’t do anything about it, there’s a ninja who can turn into just about anything using some kind of paper-folding martial arts and ice magic roaming the hallways, and, on top of everything else, I can’t use magic! How, Golden Locks, is this anywhere near lucky?”

Golden looked at Twilight in the mirror. “Well, when you put it that way, I suppose we have left a sour taste in your mouths. But Lord Sirius Nebula has become smitten with you!”

“Smitten with me?” Twilight asked.

“Well, actually, all of you,” Golden corrected. “He finds you all fascinating mares, but then again, who wouldn’t? You’re like the legends in the stories I’ve found myself reading in his study… brave, beautiful, smart, friendly, noble, gentle… he really sees that in you all.”

“He really thinks that?” Rainbow’s voice asked, sitting on the couch while looking up from her Daring Do book. “In that case, WHY did he kidnap us!?”

“To use the Elements of Harmony to give our world’s rightful Queen flesh,” Golden replied. “I thought that part was kind of obvious for everypony.”

“One thang AH don’t git is how somepony with such good manners can end up bein’ an evil stallion who wants to take over the world an' is still able to inspire such loyalty,” Applejack remarked, looking at all of the books on the shelf. “Seriously, he’s couth an’ sophisticated ’nough to have a variety o’ books, yet still has an evil plan. An' ya'll think it's okay to follow him?”

“If the stories about Lord Sirius are true,” Golden said, “he was brought up in a noble home in Trottingham. Hence, his title, ‘Lord Sirius Nebula’. He learned a lot from being raised this way, including manners, cunning, parts of the world, and how to treat a lady. I’ve seen his books in his study, so he’s well cultured. He’s done all that he is able to in order to make your stay as friendly as possible.”

“Friendly?” Pinkie Pie asked from her position nearby the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate. “Girls, remind me… have ANY of our major baddies ever been really friendly?”

“Discord?” Fluttershy recalled, also by the fireplace.

“Before they turned good, Fluttershy,” Twilight corrected. “Anyway… not really. Trixie had an arrogant nature to her… Discord didn’t value friendship before Fluttershy reformed him, reminding me that we have no idea what HE's up to… Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon in response to not having friends and thinking nopony appreciated her… the Changeling Queen only used love as a food source and invaded Equestria to feast on our emotions… and King Sombra enslaved the Crystal Empire for no justified reason, and would have treated everypony in Equestria as thralls to do his bidding. I think Sirius has been the first to actually seem to respect us and be kind to his subjects, as much as I don’t want to admit it.”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!” Rarity’s voice screamed from her bedroom. Her five friends immediately shot up in horror.

“Rarity!” Twilight breathed.

“Twilight, press and hold B!” Pinkie instructed. “It will allow you to gallop straight to Rarity!” Twilight, rather than question Pinkie’s control speak again, galloped towards Rarity’s room, which was a lovely blue and white decorated room with a queen sized mattress with a red comforter.

Rarity sat up in bed, breathing heavily, her mane in absolute knots. Her face was covered in sweat, and her eyes yelled of panic. Rarity stared at her friends as they filed in the room. “…Twilight?”

“We’re here, Rarity,” the purple Unicorn comforted her friend. “What happened?”

“I… I had an awful nightmare,” Rarity replied. “It was horrible… dreadful! I doubt I shall be getting any sleep tonight! Of all of the wretched, worst possible dreams I could have EVER had, this was the… WORST… POSSIBLE… DREAM!” Rather than faint onto her bed, Rarity jumped onto the bed, beginning to cry into her pillow. Rainbow snorted at this overly dramatic reaction to a nightmare.

“Oh please!” the light blue Pegasus grumbled. “What happened, Rarity? Was it the dream where you were caught in downtown Canterlot shaved furless in a horrible looking dress in front of Princess Celestia where she banished you to the Moon again?”

“Even worse than THAT nightmare!” Rarity answered. “It… it was Spike. He had been captured by that brute of a Diamond Dog, Carbon, and brought before Night Fortune. Night Fortune sentenced poor Spiky-Wikey to a game over… by a giant paper shredder! As Spike was being lowered into it, I had to listen to his screams as I was chained to a wall… and Night Fortune lowered his hood. His face… well, it was a she! And she looked like a black-furred version of me!”

As the white Unicorn cried and Fluttershy comforted her, Golden Lock placed her hoof to her chin. “Now that she mentions it… it’s almost impossible to tell if Night Fortune is a stallion or a mare physically. He’s small for a stallion, but he’s wearing that cloak all of the time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without that cloak. The only ponies who have ever seen Night Fortune are Sirius, Carbon, and Arctic.”

“Perhaps we should git talkin’ to Sirius,” Applejack said aloud. “Maybe we can git a clue as to what Night Fortune’s like or somethin’… maybe even git an idea on Mario an’ Spike’s progress.” Golden turned to the orange Earth Pony, shocked.

“ABSOULTELY NOT!” she chided. “Lord Sirius is kind enough to you all to not lock you away in a proper dungeon, but we are not to let you wander the halls above the basement floor without an escort! Those are Commander Night Fortune’s orders! If you wish for an audience with Lord Sirius, then I will go find guards to take you to him!” Golden Lock bowed to the group before trotting outside.

Twilight, meanwhile, waited for the sound of a door closing before turning to the others. “Good performance, Rarity. I thought she’d NEVER leave us alone.”

“What ‘performance’?” Rarity scowled. “It’s been days since we last heard of Spikey-wikey’s progress! Who knows what could have happened to him during all of this time! I’ve just experienced a terrible nightmare where Night Fortune… or rather I sentence Spike to death!” Twilight gasped in shock... she had not realized Rarity was being truthful about her nightmare. She just hugged the other Unicorn, offering it as an apology.

“Well that’s sad to hear,” a male voice spoke up. Soon enough, Boogular faded into existence, grinning at the mares. Rarity gasped, pushing out of her hug with Twilight and diving under the covers of her bed. “Ready to get to work, ladies?”

“Boogular?” Pinkie Pie asked. Rarity looked up at the Boo, a scowl on her face.

“Of all the nerve!” she yelled. “Don’t you know it’s RUDE to come into a lady’s bedroom without knocking first? I’m indecent!”

“I apologize,” Boogular replied. “But you all have to remember… I’m a BOO and a THIEF! If I knock on every door, I wouldn’t be good at EITHER of my jobs! Besides, you all do realize I can just phase through walls, right?”

“Good point,” Twilight nodded. “Just don’t go building any haunted mansions…”

“Those are for Luigi, sweetheart, and you’re neither in green nor do you have a mustache like Reboot,” Boogular joked. “Anyway, speaking of Reboot, he has a bit of a job for us to do today if we wish to figure out Sirius Nebula’s next move. Shall we be off?”

Twilight nodded, and led the group out of Rarity’s room after she managed to straighten her mane. Soon enough, they walked to the door, and attempted to open it, only to see that it was locked.

“Drats,” Rainbow scowled. “Why did our little caretaker Golden Lock have to be so good at her job?”

“No worry,” Boogular replied. “This just requires a bit of lock-picking. Give me a minute.” The Boo then phased through the door before the sound of a heavy lock falling down on the floor echoed in the hall. Boogular then phased back through the door. “All clear.”

Twilight pushed the door open, leading the group out to the familiar hall where Reboot was waiting for them. “Ah, there you all are!” the green Boo smiled. “How are we doing, today?”

“Rarity just woke up from a nightmare about Spike,” Fluttershy recalled. “It makes me worried…”

“About Spike?” Boogular asked. “I’m sure he’s fine… but there’s only so much he and Mario can do out there. Right now, let’s focus on here inside the Midnight Cathedral.”

“Well, what do you need us for?” Rainbow asked. “You guys are thieves, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but where we’re going, it would be suspicious if two Boos floated into it and came out with something,” Reboot replied. “I need to send someone to Sirius’ personal study with Boogular. The problem? That’s a couple floors upstairs, and you all would stick out like a Purple Pikmin in a field of red ones.” The ponies looked at each other, but just shrugged.

“So, it’s under guard,” Twilight got. “I take it whoever goes up there can’t be spotted, can they?”

“Right,” Boogular nodded. “Otherwise, they’ll end up bringing you back down here to your room.”

“Now, our first order of business should be obtaining a Nocturne Cloak to conceal your identity,” Reboot instructed. “This is where Boogular comes in. With a tap of the Y Button, he can make you intangible to anything… as long as you DON’T MOVE. It’s an easier way to avoid guards spotting you while we don’t have a cloak for you yet. But once you do, there are STILL areas that will be off limits to you based off what type of cloak you’re wearing… try to avoid those areas.”

“Got it,” Twilight nodded. “So, I need to obtain a Nocturne Cloak, and then head to Sirius’ study? Sounds simple enough.”

“Wait, Twilight?” Rainbow asked. “Why are you going? I’m much faster.”

“That’s not always a good thing,” Reboot replied. “You see, Rainbow, stealth and speed aren’t much known to being associated with each other too often. If you gallop near the Nocturne Cultists guards, even while wearing the cloak, they’ll hear your hooves a lot more than a gentle trot. You’ll be made out for an imposter a lot easier. So, no holding the B Button unless you’re absolutely certain no one’s nearby.”

“If anything, that study will probably be a major key in getting rid of these binds keeping us from escaping on our own,” Twilight explained. “It’s bound to be some seriously strong magic keeping this Inhibitor Ring on my horn. If I can figure out how to remove it, I can work on getting the rest of your binds off.”

“Then we can take these cloaked bozos!” Applejack grinned. “Twi’, Ah knew ya’ll were smart, but ya did it ’gain.”

“So, it’s settled,” Boogular nodded. “Twilight, welcome to the world among thieves.”

“What are the rest of us going to be doing while we wait?” Fluttershy asked.

“Good point,” Boogular replied. “Any minute now, Golden Lock will probably be down to bring guards to escort the Bearers to Sirius. Somepony will be suspicious if Twilight is not there…”

“I’m sure somepony can cover for her,” Rarity replied. “Namely, moi. Don’t worry, Twilight… just don’t get caught.”

“Okay,” Reboot asked, “are we all good to go? Nobody needs a repeat of our instructions?” Twilight shook her head, declining a repeat. “Okay… I better split. Oh, before you go, Miss Sparkle… I have a present for Mario I’d like you to deliver.” He then floated down to Twilight before handing her a Jammin’ Jelly.

“Um, thanks, but where do I put this?” Twilight asked. “We can’t actually send it to Mario and Spike, can we?”

“Don’t worry,” Boogular replied. “I’ll show you on our way. Now remember, once you’re ready to go, head into that stairway. It should be open.” Twilight tested it, and saw that the once closed door was in fact open. She swallowed the fear in her throat before trotting through.

Midnight Cathedral— Floor 1

Twilight and Boogular emerged on the first floor. The two looked around to see a pair of Nocturne Cultist guards conversing, not seeing the two. Twilight looked to see other guards talking as well.

“Twilight,” Boogular whispered, “if I remember correctly, the Nocturne Cloaks should be in the room to the top left. Let’s get going…”

Twilight trotted through the hall, avoiding the Nocturne Cultists watching eye. If one was getting too close to spotting her in the dark light though, she signaled Boogular to turn her intangible. Once she was all clear, though, she managed to sneak into what appeared to be a mare’s locker room.

After subsiding horrible memories of Magic Gym class (especially a brutal game of magic dodge ball where she accidentally hurt her foalsitter who was just passing by the courtyard due to a missed throw), Twilight noticed a blue and black cloak hanging on the wall that was just her size. Twilight threw on the Nocturne Cloak, disguising herself as a cultist.

“Okay… now what?” Twilight asked Boogular.

“You’re gonna have to ask for access into Sirius’ study,” Boogular replied. “We may need to give a password.” Twilight gasped.

“A PASSWORD!?” she questioned. “But you’ve NEVER mentioned that I would need to know passwords! They’ll see right through me!”

“Don’t worry,” Boogular replied. “They’ll give you a hint of what the password is, and it’s usually a noun like a person, a place, or a thing. It won’t be anything hard, Twilight. They like using simple passwords.”

“…You better be right,” Twilight warned. She then walked outside the door before spotting a couple of cloaked ponies talking to each other.

“Hey, Panic Attack,” one of the female Nocturne Cultists, a Pegasus judging by the teal wings sticking out of her cloak, asked. “Lord Sirius requested my presence in the main hall. Could you do me a favor and take the next shift early? I promise to repay you.”

“W-W-What?” Panic Attack asked. “What if one of the Bearers managed to get up here and is sneaking around right now!? What if she ambushes me, Gentle Breeze!?”

“Oh Panic Attack, you’re so cute when you’re paranoid!” Gentle Breeze giggled. “Please…?”

“…Fine.”

“Thank you!” she smiled, giving Panic Attack a hug before skipping straight through the next staircase to the second floor. Panic Attack sighed before taking his spot at guarding the staircase.

“Okay, try it now,” Boogular said. “Remember: act natural. Panic Attack is paranoid, but he’s still a pushover.” The two approached the stairs, Panic Attack spotting them.

“Hold it!” he yelled, looking at them. “…Wait, Boogular?”

“The one and only,” the Boo replied with a bow. “How goes it, Brother Panic Attack?”

“To be honest, I’m worried about being left here alone to guard the staircase up to Floor 2… what if one of the Bearers manages to sneak up here!? Oh, I only did it because Gentle Breeze is so adorable. Too bad she has eyes for only Lord Sirius… not some anxious Earth Pony sentry.”

Twilight, even though she disliked their cause, could not help but feel bad for this guard. None of these ponies were mindless drones, but real ponies with actual lives and concerns. How did Sirius convince all of these ponies to join him in a cause that would upset the world’s balance?

“Well, take a chill pill, Panic Attack,” Boogular suggested. “By the way, you don’t mind if I show our new girl around, do you?”

“You mean going upstairs?” Panic Attack asked. “Well, sure, you can go… but you know the drill. Night Fortune’s orders. What’s the password, Sister?”

“Me?” Twilight asked, making sure to conceal her voice. “Um, can I have a hint? I am new…”

“Oh, right,” Panic Attack recalled. “Well, what is the name of one of our most profound enemies? Spike, Nightmare Moon, or Petey Piranha?”

Twilight did not need to think about this one. She had no doubt that the Colts of Nocturne SUPPORTED Nightmare Moon, and she had no idea who Petey Piranha was. That only left one choice.

“Spike.”

“Good to hear!” Panic Attack nodded. “For a minute, I thought you were one of the Bearers in disguise. Well, you can go.” Panic Attack walked out of the way, unaware that he just let Twilight walk right up into the staircase leading up to the next floor, Boogular following her.

Floor 2

The disguised Twilight walked out to see an area she had not been to before. The Dining Hall she went to last time she was anywhere but in the basement in the Nocturne Cathedral was on the first floor. Compared to the large first floor hub area, this was just as similar, except there were more guards, including a set of guards with blue and white cloaks, Griffin guards, Clubbas, and the elite Koopa foot soldiers known as Koopatrols. No way would she be able to sneak past those guys if she had to get into their areas with just her cloak.

“Sirius’ study should be to the top left,” Boogular replied. “Try not to drool over the books, okay?”

“Please,” Twilight scoffed in a hushed tone. “I do not ‘drool’ over books. I enjoy reading them.”

Boogular smiled. “I’m just saying, given the dossiers I’ve picked up for Lady Bow on you and each of your friends, it’s been known you have an addiction to reading and pursuing knowledge. It’s kind of funny.”

“A dossier?” Twilight asked. “You mean you’ve researched me?”

“Actually, it was Reboot,” the blue Boo thief replied. “When we first started working on our cover, Reboot was the one who found information on all of you… how do you think Sirius Nebula knows all of your strengths and weaknesses, particularly how none of you have any experience with ninjas?”

“So it was you two!?” Twilight demanded with a scowl under her hood. “That’s a violation of privacy! Not to mention you’re the reason we’re in this mess!”

“We had no choice,” Boogular explained. “This is what happens when you play ‘double agent’ to Lady Bow and to the Colts of Nocturne. Also, to be completely fair, you’re the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. We didn’t know whether or not you girls were a threat to us ghosts, yet. Now, quit making a scene unless you want BOTH of our games to end.”

“…Fair enough,” Twilight responded. “We’ll continue this conversation later.”

“Right, but before we do anything else…” Boogular remembered. He then floated over to a green door that was unguarded. “Come in here…” Twilight did just that, spotting a large blue and white treasure chest. “Alright, Miss Sparkle,” the Boo grinned, “have you ever heard of the Transfer Chest?”

“Transfer Chest?” Twilight asked. “You mean a rare type of treasure chest that transfers items from one place to another across the world provided there is a similar treasure chest at some place and time? Why… oh!” Twilight smiled at the realization. “Perhaps we can use this to get out!”

“You wish, Twilight,” Boogular chuckled. “It doesn’t transfer living beings. It will work on items… nothing more. Anyway, I know the pony who has the other Transfer Chest personally, and I have asked her to head to Ponyville and open up an innocent shop that Mario and Spike can use her services at. We’ll inform them to head to the shop in our next e-mail. In the meantime, just put your items in the chest.” Twilight sighed, just placing both the Close Call Badge and the Jammin’ Jelly in the chest. The chest glowed for a second before returning to normal. “Good! If you or any of the girls ever find anything that Mario and Spike can use on their quest, put it in the chest. Well, now that our little errand is done, let’s get back to our real goal, yes?”

After leaving the room, Twilight then walked towards the guard in front of the study, a Nocturne Cultist with wings. “Hold on,” he stated. “I don’t recognize you… a new recruit?”

“Yes,” Boogular replied. “I’ve been tasked to show her around the Cathedral and teach her the ropes… I figured I owed her a sneak into Sirius’ study.”

“So, I take it you already gave her today’s password to the study?”

Twilight asked, “Well, no… could I please have a hint?”

“Fair enough, little mare,” the Pegasus Cultist shrugged. “Riddle me this, lady: what enemy class would rather nap around than swing its spiky club? A Fuzzy, a Hammer Bro, or a Clubba?”

Twilight knew for a fact that despite the fact she’s never met a Hammer Bro, they used Hammers rather than clubs. However, Clubbas’ name’s implied clubs… and the fact that one of them was sleeping next to a door, holding its club askew gave it away.

“A Clubba, of course!”

“Very well,” the guard nodded. “Try not to linger in there for too long.” He then turned to the Clubba, and said, “Hey, can you stop being an obvious clue and wake up? Seriously, you ruined the password, buddy!” The Clubba then woke up, looking around.

“Huh? What?” he asked.

Twilight and Boogular walked into the study, where the cloaked Unicorn could not help but be awed by Sirius’ collection of books. An assortment of tomes ranging from topics like Mushroom Kingdom Oddities to How to Lead for Neighcompoops, to even The Legend of Zelda: Eyes of the Mare, which was an apparent autobiography for somepony named “Epona”. But Twilight didn’t question it, or why it was next to a book series called Fire Emblem. Her eyes soon fell onto the book titled, Binding Magic 101: How to Create, Use, Seal and Unseal Spells, Objects, and Places at Home for Earth Ponies and Pegasus Ponies.

“I found something,” Twilight smiled. “Now, hopefully, I can use this to get my Magic back so Mario and Spike don’t have to worry about us!” She grabbed the book and stuffed it into one of the convenient pockets in her cloak so nobody would see it

“Good, good,” Boogular nodded, not paying attention. “Aha!” The Boo thief floated over to a writing desk, looking at something. It appeared to be another book from Twilight’s perspective. However, the book had no title on the cover… just a Ztar on a moon, almost similar to Sirius’ Cutie Mark. Boogular opened it, and began flipping through the pages. Twilight, although she was done, could not help but look at what Boogular was reading.

Dear Diary,

Well, just as I thought the other day, Night Fortune’s sleep-deprived state made him miscalculate the last ritual we attempted. All we have is… well, in case I accidentally leave you someplace where somepony accidentally discovers you AGAIN (sorry, by the way!), I won’t tell you what our results were. Unless, of course, you saw that cutscene at the beginning of the game… but I’m pretty sure you just skipped that like everypony else and got straight to the main story. Lazies...

All I will tell you is that I’ve entrusted Carbon to safely place away what I’ve received until we are ready for our next phase of our new plan. Speaking of which, I SUPPOSE I can let you know what our next phase involves: the Elements of Harmony. It’s ironic that these magical Elements have twice been involved with the downfall of our Queen, Nightmare Moon, are the key to her return to power. I just hope we can pull off Night Fortune’s new plan…

…Sorry about that. I have just been informed by my agents in Canterlot of something happening next month near the date of the full moon. Apparently, my travels to the Mushroom Kingdom have finally paid off. It’s been discovered that Warp Pipes exist in Equestria. WARP PIPES, of all things! Furthermore, Princess Celestia, eager to know more about the Mushroom Kingdom on the other side of the planet, has opened trade between these two kingdoms. Good for them, I suppose. However, I’ve heard that Princess Peach herself is going to be arriving for a vacation, and she will start with a visit in Canterlot to negotiate trade between her, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Daisy of Sarasaland.

As if that weren't enough, Princess Celestia has tasked the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony to help with a welcoming party and help with negotiations, and they will be bringing the Elements of Harmony back to Canterlot for the evening in case of any emergency. The security in Canterlot Castle will be so busy tending to both parties there will not be enough hooves to guard the Tower of the Elements, in which they'll be held. This will be the best opportunity for us to make an assault, obtain the Bearers and the Elements, and keep Princesses Celestia and Luna out of our manes for at least a while in one great chess move. Long enough for us to get our Queen back.

Twilight gasped in shock. “Did I just… read somepony’s diary!?”

“Not just anyone’s diary,” Boogular said in a nonchalant tone. “Sirius Nebula’s diary. You see, he has a bad habit of leaving his personal belongings out where someone can get them. Some of the maids complain, but they he often charms them into forgiving him. I hoped to learn something from his diary…”

Twilight nervously looked around. “Okay, it’s bad enough that we’re reading somepony’s private diary, but the diary of the villain!? Should we be doing this!?”

“Twily,” the Boo chuckled, “you have to know that not everything’s black and white, sweetheart. You just got to let the gray in at times. Sirius, while he is the villain in this case, is grayer than you think. But you’re probably right about Night Fortune being evil, though. Something about that pony rubs me the wrong way.”

“Nopony but Shining Armor calls me ‘Twily’,” the mare scowled. “Now put it back!”

“I will,” Boogular answered. “I just need to go through more of this book.”

Dear Diary,

I’m… sorry I haven’t been able to write. Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is the Canterlot operation was… mostly successful. The bad news is the emphasis on ‘mostly’. You see, we did almost everything right. The Bearers are now currently asleep in their personal suite I have provided them. Celestia and Luna are out of the game for a while along with a good chunk of Canterlot’s population, and I personally defeated two of the most likely heroes… I just had a terrible slip-up at the finish line that could cost us everything:

I underestimated Twilight Sparkle’s wrath.

If I ever pass on a lesson to anypony who EVER decides it's a good idea to take on the Bearers of the Elements, it would be this. “Even if you think you’ve gotten them beat and are mere moments of taking the Elements from them, NEVER hurt their baby Dragon right in front of them if they have the Elements equipped. Especially with King Sombra’s magic, as that dark magic drains your defenses. You will blasted by magic so strong that it causes parts of a castle to fall on you and the Elements of Harmony being scattered across Equestria.”

So, yeah, I’m confined to the Midnight Cathedral until my injuries heal enough to allow me to move around much.

Oh, and I learned a second lesson: “Make sure aforementioned baby Dragon’s game is ended unless you wish to get an earful from Night Fortune and lose one of the Elements to that Dragon alongside the Mushroom Kingdom hero, Mario.”

You know, thinking about this reminds me of what happened during my foalhood. I was lucky to make it out of that sandstorm alive… luckier that Night Fortune found me. I don’t even know if my parents are still alive... and it's my fault. Now, I was lucky again that I avoided going to the Underwhere after that screw-up. Learning and using Sombra’s magic? Enduring parts of a castle crashing on me while protecting the Bearers? I would be lucky if I see the end of the year with all of the pain I’ve been through if I was by myself. I’m lucky to have everypony here with me…

Twilight realized that this must have been written after she had woken up. Not that Sirius didn’t deserve both lessons, she could not help but feel sorry for him for some reason. He nearly died for her and her friends. Sure, they were essential to his plan to bring back Nightmare Moon, but he did save their lives and did his best to make sure they were unharmed. Sirius probably did not need to bring them all unharmed, but he did it anyway, even at a disadvantage to himself. He also brought up that past about his parents and the sandstorm again.

“I guess he IS gray rather than black hearted,” Twilight said. “Or, at worst, a lighter shade of black. Still, I don’t get it… why would ANYPONY who is capable of rational thought and is a gentlecolt be willingly evil and supportive of Nightmare Moon?”

“Sirius might be a fatalist,” Boogular replied. “You ponies have Cutie Marks pointing out what your special talent and destiny is, right? Sirius… perhaps he believes he’s destined to bring back Nightmare Moon. His family in previous generations were the founders of the Colts of Nocturne… you remember him telling you about it, right? To him, the power of the dark night is just his calling.”

Twilight shuddered at that. “Nopony's calling should be evil and darkness... even if their Cutie Mark says so. Have you found out what you needed to, yet?”

“Almost,” Boogular said, turning to the diary. “Aha!” Twilight, more curious than she should be in this scenario, could not help but peak. "This is the most recent entry."

Dear Diary,

I really miss being out and about. True, it’s for my own good that I recover, but I’d rather be out in the field helping my agents obtain the Elements. From Night Fortune and Carbon’s reports, I found out that the second Element is somewhere in Fillydelphia. I sure hope those two don’t cause a giant monster attack like during the horse armor incident.

…They’re going to, aren’t they, diary?

By my Queen, those two are trouble. I REALLY should balance them out with somepony new. I'm actually considering Gentle Breeze... she's loyal, energetic, has strong leadership skills, and can keep anypony calm. If only Arctic was not busy, he’d make sure Night Fortune did not destroy what he could not control and make sure Carbon did not fight for the sake of fighting… though Arctic has his issues with his clan. Those three are my closest friends. I don't know what I would do without them.

Well, it doesn’t matter if Night Fortune and Carbon are successful in Fillydelphia. I’ve luckily been successful with my own search. One of my contacts just informed me that they have an idea as to where an Element can be. One who provided me the same equipment that keeps four of the six Bearers restrained. I’ve got to talk to them about obtaining the Element right away. All he requests in return in a reasonable sum for the Element and support in recovering it—

…Oh, sorry diary, I’ve got to go. Something needs my attention in the conference hall.

“Well, looks like Sirius already has a clue about the next Element of Harmony location,” Boogular replied. “Shoot… I was hoping I could get something about where he put the results of his ritual… if we had that, we could see how close he was to being complete! Then we can warn Lady Bow, see what she wants to do. Perhaps we could even thwart this once and for all.”

“You mean you don’t know?” Twilight asked.

“Boogular and I joined shortly after this ritual,” Boogular replied. “I’m technically a newbie in the group… they allowed us on board after Reboot got your files and I personally showed my skills in stealth…”

“Hey! You two!” a new voice interrupted. The two looked up to see a Nocturne Cultist walking in, a confused look on her face. “What are you doing in here?”

“Us?” Twilight nervously asked. “Nothing… just… really admiring the books.”

“Well, they ARE nice books that Lord Sirius has,” the mare nodded. “But forget that!” Pointing at Twilight, she said, “YOU are late, rookies! Come on, Lord Sirius wants all available hooves in the conference hall.” With that, the mare got behind the disguised Twilight, and nudged her out of the study, Boogular following.

Conference Hall

The hall was crowded as Twilight and Boogular entered it. The two walked in, looking at all of the creatures that made up the Colts of Nocturne. Standing in front of it all, no longer needing the bandages but had a noticeable wince of pain as he walked, was none other than Sirius Nebula.

“Attention, brothers and sisters!” Sirius called out to his fellow Nocturne Cultists. “As you all may or not know, we are in a race. But not just against the Mushroom Kingdom hero Mario and the Dragon of the Bearers, Spike, no! It is a new enemy, one that we have raced against since the day we pressed start: a race against TIME!”

Many of the Nocturne Cultists looked back and forth between each other, quite confused by what Sirius meant by a race against time.

The dark blue Unicorn explained, “It has come to my attention that we— and by ‘we’, I mean ‘I’— goofed up even worse than I thought back in Canterlot. You see, as a result of the Elements being scattered, the world and our plan to give new life to our beloved Queen, Nightmare Mon, is on the brink of disaster. If the Elements aren’t reunited by one lunar cycle, the world’s balance of harmony will be permanently destroyed and the world will end up eventually destroying itself.”

Many of the Nocturne Cultists rightly so began muttering in fear and confusion at the news. Twilight herself gasped in shock. She had caused this to happen in response to Sirius throwing Spike away. She had been so angry at him and so desperate to make sure he didn’t obtain the Elements that she had not been thinking about the consequences of sending the Elements away.

“Oh, this is worse than my Smarty Pants breakdown,” Twilight breathed in fear. “If only I could be out there and fix it…”

“I take blame for the failure and our current crisis,” Sirius spoke aloud. “You all did everything right the day of the attack. You all played your parts perfectly. It was MY errors in judgment that caused the Elements to scatter. I apologize for it all… so it pains me that I must stress with you all to keep an eye out for the remaining Elements of Harmony. It’s no longer for just our goal’s sake, but for the WORLD’S sake. After all, how is our beloved Queen going to rule a world that no longer exists, yes?”

The Nocturne Cultists nodded at this thought process of Sirius’, genuinely concerned about the fate of the world. Twilight just stood there, surprised by this piece of news.

“Wait, you guys CARE about the fate of the world?” Rainbow’s voice asked. Sirius Nebula turned to see Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie standing there, each guarded by a couple Nocturne Cultists.

“Of course we do, Miss Dash,” Sirius replied. “What, you thought I wanted to destroy the world? No… just make it so those shunned by the world of the sun have a greater say in life. Can’t have that with a destroyed world, now.”

“Lord Sirius,” Carbon’s voice declared. Soon enough, Carbon burst from underground, making ponies gasp in surprise at his sudden entrance, alongside a sickly green flash of light, revealing the cloaked form of Night Fortune.

“Ah, there you two are,” Sirius nodded. “We just finished discussing your field reports. So, what about the things you haven’t written, yet? You know, about Mario and Spike? How fares them?”

“Oh, yes,” Carbon nodded. “Well, I would have torn them apart if SOMEPONY did not summon giant monster... again.”

“Really, Night Fortune?” Sirius asked. “Do you NOT remember what happened with the giant Kirin back during the horse armor incident in Neighpon? It didn’t destroy a school again, did it?”

“No,” Night Fortune declined. “Mario and Spike stopped it… and I had to surrender the Element of Loyalty to cover my escape. That makes two Elements we’ve lost… my apologies, my liege.”

“Ha!” Rainbow grinned. Blowing a raspberry, she taunted, “My Element’s with Spike! So that’s two Elements with him, now. You’re not getting your hooves on the others!”

“Its fine,” Sirius replied to the bowing Diamond Dog and Night Fortune. “I was the one who put you both in that situation in the first place. And besides, it’s one more Element that needed to be gathered by somepony, whether it be us or them… if Mario and Spike manage to gather all of the Elements, they’ll have to bring them to the Midnight Cathedral in order to give them back to the Bearers, right? Either they get them or we get them, our plan still holds.”

“OH COME ON!” Rainbow groaned. “Why do bad guys always have to take advantage of that win-win scenario?”

“Because we LIKE having secondary plans that still provides a benefit to us no matter what happens!” Sirius answered. “Having more than one way to achieve something works quite well for ponies, don’t you think?”

“Why are three of six Bearers out of their room?” Carbon asked.

“They wanted to talk about Night Fortune,” Sirius answered, pointing to said stallion. “Particularly his origins. Night Fortune, since you are here, why don’t you share your story to our guests.”

“My liege, I refuse to discuss my origins with my mental inferiors,” Night Fortune replied. “Send them back to their room, they've heard too much.”

“Wow, you are really rude,” Pinkie said to him. “Why do you have to be such a meanie?”

“Now, as for another reason why you all are here,” Sirius continued before the two had an argument of ridiculously peppy and cynical proportions. Turning back to the crowd, he smiled, “I happen to have good news about one of the Elements. One of our contacts has discovered a possible Element location in Applewood Studios.”

“Applewood Studios?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m sure Ah have family out there… oh! That’s in Los Pegasus, ain’t it?”

“That’s the film and party capital of Equestria!” Pinkie Pie remembered. “I’ve always wanted to throw a huge party in Los Pegasus!”

“Hold on,” Rainbow said. “Isn’t that where they’re filming the all-new Daring Do reboot movie? The first movie where Ahuizotl isn’t the main antagonist?”

“Wow, you ladies are well informed,” Sirius confirmed. “You know, I’ve always wanted to voice act in one of Applewood’s animated films. But alas, I’m not really cut out for the movies, and I’m getting off topic. Our contact requests certain aid in their effort to secure the Element in return for funding for their services. Therefore, if anypony is free for about the next three or four days, can I ask for volunteers to head to Los Pegasus?”

Several Nocturne Cultists looked at each other, surprised to hear this. Eventually, several hooves, talons, hands, or whatever rose up, surprising the four Bearers (one of which was disguised) by the sheer amount of forces Mario and Spike would have to beat in order to obtain the next Element.

“This can’t be good,” Twilight muttered. “How are Mario and Spike supposed to beat them all?”

“Allow me to lead mission,” Carbon bowed. “If Mustache Man and Dragon come to Applewood, I show them stars… as I hit them with Broadway!”

“Broadway is in Manehattan,” Sirius corrected. “You'd be 'showing them stars', old friend. Besides, you and Night Fortune should probably hang back here for a while. Perhaps take this opportunity to tend to your wounds... physical and emotional.”

“You’re bored, aren’t you?” Night Fortune accused.

“Yes,” Sirius replied. “You two have been forcing me to stay put to recover from my injuries while you guys have all the fun of adventuring.”

“Well, to be fair, you slow us down while you hurt,” Carbon pointed out. “Well, fine… I stay, but next viable hunt is MINE. But whose gonna lead this mission? Arctic?”

“Actually, this should be relatively simple to obtain the Element and I can move enough,” Sirius replied. “All I have to do is talk to the right pony and help secure the Element. But, to be on the safe side since it will please Night Fortune that I'm not going alone, I’m taking Gentle Breeze and Boogular with me as field leaders.”

“Boogular?” Night Fortune asked. Everyone turned to the aforementioned blue Boo, who floated forward. Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack all stared in shock that the Boo thief would be set against Mario and Spike. “You mean this blob of ectoplasm? Can we trust him? He's not even a pony ghost! I have complaints about Gentle Breeze, too... she's flighty.”

“I certainly trust them, old friend,” Sirius nodded. “He has proven his quick wit and thieving skills so far, and Gentle Breeze keeps everypony at a level head. Well, Boogular? If you don’t think I’ll slow you down, are you up for it?”

“I’ll try,” Boogular winked. “Perhaps even give Mario a scare.” He then disappeared out of sight, leaving everyone confused before the lights flickered out. He then appeared behind Rainbow Dash, and let out a powerful shriek, causing the Pegasus to yelp in fear before landing in Carbon’s arms, shaking in panic as the Boo laughed. Carbon sniggered before putting the light blue Pegasus down. “Oh, I really love doing that!”

“See?” Sirius said to Night Fortune. “He’s fine.” He then concentrated his white colored magic to relight the room.

“Very well,” the small stallion nodded. “Be careful, my liege. The world is looking for you.”

“Ponies may know my name, but not my face,” Sirius reminded. “Still, you’re right… I’m not yet fit for combat due to my injuries. I will try to stay out of sight during my stay in Los Pegasus. Gentle Breeze and Boogular will be in charge of field activities.” A teal Pegasus mare with a dark blue mane in pigtails around Twilight’s age flew over to Sirius before bowing. This must have been Gentle Breeze, the mare who Twilight saw Panic Attack having a crush on earlier.

“I won’t let you down, my liege!” she promised. “If I defeat the baby Dragon, can I keep him as a pet?”

“We’ll see,” Sirius said, looking at the energetic mare. “Now, you and Boogular get what you need and report back here in a few hours. Everypony else, dismissed.” The room soon began to empty as the Nocturne Cultists walked out, ready for action. The only ones who did not leave were Twilight, Boogular, Gentle Breeze, Sirius, Night Fortune, Carbon, and the three undisguised Bearers and their guards. When Twilight turned to leave, Sirius spoke up, “Excuse me, Miss… I need to talk to you.”

Twilight, tensed up, turned around and approached Sirius. Disguising her voice, she asked, “Yes, my liege?” She had to resist shuddering at that. It just sounded... wrong to call him that.

“I’m sorry for catching you off guard, but I JUST realized I forgotten to ask for suggestions while everypony was around,” Sirius replied. “You see, I have been working on a list of things, and I’m having a difficult time picking three out of the nine of these things. Can you care to help me?”

“Um sure,” Twilight asked, surprised by this. It was better to help him finish his suggestions and keep her cover rather than refuse and risk him detecting her. Sirius levitated a list and a pen out.

“Okay, of these three things, which should I do something with first? An Ultra Shroom, a Bandit, or a Hammer Bro?”

“Hmm,” Twilight thought about this list. It was actually kind of strange as to what it was about, since almost none of them went together. Still, she had to make a choice. “Perhaps an Ultra Shroom…”

“Okay, okay,” Sirius nodded, scribbling something down. “Next question. Should I get a Mighty Flower, a Paratroopa, or a Clubba?”

“I’d go with the Paratroopa,” Twilight shrugged. She had heard of Mighty Flowers, but not everyone else had. As far as she knew, they filled up to 10 Flower Points and boosted attack power. However, she only chose the Paratroopa since she knew her friends would probably tell it was her if she chose the Mighty Flower without asking what it was.

“Finally, last thing,” Sirius said while writing again. “If you were to choose between a Bullet Bill Blaster, a Crayzee Dayzee, and a Chain Chomp, which would you get?”

“I would suggest the Crayzee Dayzee?”

Sirius nodded before finishing his writing. “Thank you very much, Miss Twilight Sparkle. You’ve been an excellent help.” Gentle Breeze and Carbon both gasped, as well as Twilight’s friends.

“Twilight?” Applejack asked. Before the Unicorn could run away, Carbon grabbed her hood and pulled it down, revealing Twilight’s scared face. "What the hay!? Ya got caught!"

"Wow!" Gentle Breeze said, amazed. "I owe Panic Attack an apology! He was totally right that the Bearers can sneak out of their room!"

“How… how did you know!?” Twilight asked as Carbon restrained her using his upper body strength. The way the Diamond Dog held her legs and held him close to his chest prevented her from fighting back or squirming out of his grip.

“Your shampoo,” Sirius smiled. He then took a slight sniff in the air before sighing. “Unless I’m wrong, I had a unique lavender scented shampoo placed in your bathroom, assuming you would use it. As well as an apple scented one for Applejack, a chocolate scented one for Miss Pie, a vanilla one for Miss Dash.” Carbon, curious, sniffed Twilight’s mane.

“Yeah… definitely lavender,” Carbon nodded. “No one else has same shampoo in whole Cathedral… quite clever, my liege.”

"Can you STOP sniffing my mane?" Twilight asked the Diamond Dog. "It's a little creepy!"

"I like the smell of lavendar," Carbon replied.

"As do I, Carbon," Sirius agreed.

“So THAT’S why my fur smells so sweet,” Rainbow said.

“And I made sure that nopony else had any of the shampoos unique to you all just to make sure I can track your scents,” Sirius continued. “Miss Sparkle, I know you and your friends don’t like being held prisoner— and honestly who would? But sneaking out while your friends Fluttershy and Rarity pretend you’re in there with them? Well, I am afraid that is a big no-no. I’ll forgive you this once since you’ve helped me pick out defenses for my contact in Los Pegasus. But now, Carbon, if you would be so kind as to escort Miss Sparkle and our three Bearers back to their chamber.”

“Of course, my liege,” Carbon said. “Come on, ponies, let’s go.” The four were soon taken out of the hall, leaving Sirius, Night Fortune, Gentle Breeze, and Boogular.

“You seriously gave them all unique shampoos to tell them apart from everypony else?” Boogular asked, genuinely surprised by how Sirius managed to outwit him through smell alone.

“Yes, I am Sirius,” the stallion replied with a light chuckle, avoiding full-on laughter since it hurt him. “But yes, I did that on purpose. I knew there was a chance somepony could easily disguise themselves as a Nocturne Cultist, so I did that to make sure they don’t try that with me around. Well, me and Carbon… he has a better nose than I do. However, there was a second reason I gave them those shampoos… they smell almost heavenly.”

“Aw, my liege, that’s adorable!” Gentle Breeze smiled. “You got that just for them…”

“I hate to admit it about the brute, but he does have a good nose,” Night Fortune said. “I would never had thought of that, instead placing guards downstairs 24/7, since the only way out of their suite with their binds is the front door. Still, we should heighten security since we know they can escape their floor at anytime. Anyway, my liege, now that we are certain there are no Bearers, there is something I wish to discuss… is it true that if the Bearers are truly incapable of performing their duties, a Temporary Bearer can emerge?”

“…I wouldn’t know for sure,” Sirius replied. “I have never actually studied that trait about the Elements. All that I know that before our current Bearers were the Princesses, and they have long since fallen out of sync with the Elements. I have no idea as to how the Elements change Bearers, but only those chosen by the Elements can use them.”

“Well, you’ll find this piece of news quite interesting,” Night Fortune said before trotting over to the taller stallion, whispering something in his ear.

“Hm… perhaps I underestimated Mario and Spike more than I thought,” the dark blue Unicorn nodded. “Boogular, Gentle Breeze… I must request you two both be careful should we run into Mario during our task. Now, go about your preparations.”

“Yes, my liege,” both agreed.

Bearers’ Suite

Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Twilight were all pushed into the room by Carbon. “Now be good little ponies and STAY PUT!” the Diamond Dog scolded them before slamming the door.

“Jerk,” Rainbow scowled. “Ugh… can’t believe Sirius outsmarted us.”

“Well,” Twilight said as she looked at her cloak, “at least he left the cloak… and this.” She then pulled out the book she stole from Sirius’ study. “I’ll get to work on this tomorrow.” The mare then stuffed her newly recovered book in the bookcase before removing the cloak. "Anytime somepony wants to go up, make sure you take the cloak with you. But let's stay away from Diamond Dogs... they can smell us, disguise or no."

“Twilight, are you alright?” Rarity’s voice asked. Soon enough, she and Fluttershy came out into the main room, spotting Twilight’s cloak. “Where did you get that quaint cloak?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” the purple Unicorn answered the first question. “But… well, Sirius deliberately bought our shampoos to tell us apart from everypony else.”

“I thought it was strange that there was my favorite strawberry scented shampoo,” Fluttershy remarked. “So… Sirius knows we can get out? Oh my… he’ll know when we’re peaking around!”

“Apparently, him AND Diamond Dogs,” Twilight sighed. “So, for a while, there won’t be any expeditions out of the basement for a while.”

“Twilight,” Reboot’s voice spoke up. Soon enough, the green Boo appeared, concern on his face. “So, Boogular is going to face Mario and Spike, right?”

“Yes,” the mare nodded. “You and your partner… on one hoof, you’re helping us, but on the other, you’re hard to read with whose side you’re really on.”

“Boos are usually out for themselves,” Reboot replied. “We’re mischievous… but we know when to drop the mischief. Still, if I know Mario, Boogular and he will cross paths. Boogular will be forced to make the fight look good. As for me, while I do like you girls—”

“Especially Fluttershy,” Rainbow giggled, pointing to the timid mare.

“—I have to play triple agent with you girls, Lady Bow, and Sirius. I apologize if your attempts to figure us out aren’t working.”

“Okay,” Twilight sighed. “Well, I take it I don’t need to tell you about what happened at the meeting or where the next Element is, do I?” Reboot shook his body. “Well, we better let Mario and Spike know…”

“That we can do,” Reboot nodded. “He’ll need to be ready. I have no idea who Sirius’ contact is, but Mario and Spike should be warned they’re in for a fight in Applewood.”

Twilight, Rarity, and surprisingly Fluttershy all followed him outside and straight into the computer room. Once again, Reboot possessed the computer as Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie walked in.

“Hey, next time we get a chance to sneak out,” Rainbow asked, “can I do it?”

“Sure, I’ll think of something for you,” the green Boo said inside the computer. “But for now, we should report to Mario and Spike as to what we’ve found out about Sirius.”

Twilight, once again standing on her hooves, began typing away at the keyboard. Soon enough, she had a readable message warning Mario and Spike about the danger and giving them a location as to where to go next ready to go.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Yes,” Reboot nodded. Soon enough, the e-mail slipped into an envelope before the eight-bit Reboot grabbed it, sticking the letter down the light blue Warp Pipe. Soon enough, Reboot floated out of the computer, grinning. “Message away!”

“Good to hear,” Twilight said. “I hope Spike and Mario can get to the next Element of Harmony before Sirius and the Colts of Nocturne do.”

“Here’s hoping,” Rarity agreed.

BEEP! BEEP!

“What was that?” Applejack asked. “Some kind o’ alarm?”

“Yes,” Reboot replied, turning to the computer clicking something on the screen, revealing a pair of Koopatrols and an armored Dig Dog walking downstairs. “I installed it recently. As long as I’m in this computer room, I can detect if anyone has entered the stairwell leading to the basement. Which means…” The Boo’s eyes widened in horror. “You girls have to get back to your room, now!”

“What? Why?” Pinkie asked. “So somepony’s coming downstairs. We’ll just close the door and hide here until the coast clears up.”

“No dice,” Reboot shook his body. “These two have no doubt been assigned to keep a patrol on the entire floor. They’ll look in here, and it’s almost impossible to hide in this room unless you’re a ghost! And you girls don’t look like your game’s ending anytime soon! I can’t hide all of you with the press of the Y Button, either. They find you in here, and my cover’s blown!”

“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said. Although she was scared of Reboot (and Boos in general), she could tell he was right. He was still helping her and her friends at his own risk, so she did not want to get him in trouble. “Girls, we should go back to the room for the day. Maybe they’ll leave us all alone…”

“Okay,” Rainbow grunted in annoyance that she couldn’t take on the guards. “Reboot, you get out of here, too. We’ll see you later, okay?”

“Of course,” Reboot nodded. “Good night, ladies.” He then faded out of existence, leaving the girls to quickly gallop to their suite and the computer and lights to turn off. When the patrol came through the room, they only found a dark computer room, no proof that someone was ever inside.

Author's Note

Well... this was quite the Interlude. We should get started.

1) Well, in the Peach/Luigi segment, we get to see Peach playing investigator... while Luigi (for the Year of Luigi), Yoshi (because he really needs to be in more games), and Daisy (who proves that she's not a damsel in distress) actually do some detective work. Unfortunately, this means that this only proves that they are just NOW figuring out what you all have... that the Colts of Nocturne had a spy in Canterlot (Night Fortune).

Meanwhile, in Bowser's segment, we meet Shining Armor! Shining probably has the most personal reason (besides Spike) to be involved in the case. And yes, if I could get away with it without people complaining, Shining Armor would have been a partner who specializes in barriers and distance attacks. But, of course, I have something to give EVERYONE their Chomp fix, so he's not going to be an alternate partner... until he's a guest partner for a DLC chapter. Well, he and Bowser clearly don't get along. I was going to have them snarking at each other senseless, but that will be for later.

Finally, for those introduced for Twilight's segment. Yes, I know I haven't put the Bearers to much use... yet. I plan to have them all doing something, I promise. But, for now, let's talk Gentle Breeze. Like Sirius, she's rather... peppy. But she keeps everyone calm... which is probably why she'll end up getting into Sirius' inner circle before Boogular and/or Reboot.

2) I figured the Caverns of Canterlot where Changeling Queen Chrysalis banished Twilight and Cadance to would be appropriate for exploration. I mean, the Caverns could have been a dungeon in the game if it weren't for the fact that they would have been late game and rather unimpressive compared to what's going to come Chapters 7 & 8. Or Chapter 3, which, by the way, WILL have a Bowser fight! Because it's BOWSER!

Speaking of the Koopa King... yes. I have no shame to admit that Bowser's platforming segments will be similar to his gameplay in Super Paper Mario. Seriously, although the game is different from the others in the series, it's still awesome in its own way. Also, you'd actually face Pony enemies in this part... mostly Royal Guards, but it works on the way to the city of Canterlot.

Anyways, for the adventure in the Midnight Cathedral, there's nothing much. The first and second floors are reminiscent of Peach's Castle in the original Paper Mario with some X-Naut Fortress. Though mainly Peach's Castle. Unfortunately, we're not going to be exploring more than the first 5 floors (and the Basement) as the Bearers... that's right, the final level has several stories. I won't say how many right now. It's a large cathedral. How else does it hold so many followers?

3) So, why did I have Peach sit down for this episode? Because I feel that Toadsworth, if he could help it, would prevent Peach from doing anything dangerous. So, Daisy, knowing that Toadsworth would never let her go either, snuck off with Luigi and Yoshi to do things. And yes, I did it because Year of Luigi. He honestly deserves to be more of a hero, especially in Daisy's opinion.

As for Bowser's segment, you're probably wondering why he doesn't have the big Clown Car? Honestly, I for one feel that the Clown Car, especially since Bowser Jr. uses it as well, is overused. And besides, Jr.'s going to be using that plus the item he was actually introduced with (the E. Gadd Magic Brush, which has more potential, by the way).

Anyway, for Twilight's adventure through the Cathedral, I wanted to give you guys a preview of what the stealth segments were like. I swear the other segments will be a bit more fun. And yes, Sirius gave them scented shampoo on purpose since just about anypony could easily steal a cloak and pretend to be a Nocture Cultist... also, he enjoys those shampoo smells. Creepy, maybe, but useful, yes! What can I say, I don't like one-dimensional villains. His diary points out that he actually cares for his henchponies... I'm not one-hundred percent sure there have been too many MLP villains who can say that.

Well, anyways, I guess you all know where we're going for Chapter 3... Los Pegasus! For me, I feel it's Los Angeles... but with a lot of Pegasi. Well, I can feel the train wreck that is Mario vs. Bowser. vs. Colts of Nocture. Don't worry, Sirius will not be a boss... yet. That's Chapter 8. Anyways, I think I covered everything important. Except for the new partner, but it could be anything or anyone... you know how those creatures are. By the way, that's all the hint I could afford to give you, because it generally just came the heck outta nowhere.

Have a nice day!

Post Chapter 2- Part 1

-MARIO-

Fillydelphia

“Well,” Clyde said as he walked up to Mario’s group in front of the broken Bell Tower, “it took us four days, a lot of Sleepy Sheep, almost every Unicorn in town, and some serious construction to build the world’s largest pair of ear muffs and a large door, but I don’t think Hootenanny’s going to come back anytime soon.”

“Good, she asleep,” Diggsie smiled. “I thought that would be problem. What with Whacka Bell destroyed, after all.”

“I’ll make another Bell if it prevents this from happening again,” Clyde remarked. “That Night Fortune… something’s up with him if he can control Hootenanny. When ya go after him, I suggest you all be careful.” Looking at Mario, he said, “Hey… by the way. Your Hammer that you left with me? I’ve gone ahead and upgraded it to that Super Hammer Diggsie requested. It just needs to finish cooling, so I couldn’t bring it with me. Swing by the Rock Farm to pick it up before you go, and you can smash small stone blocks no problem. Well, those and giant Yellow Blocks.”

“You still no mind that I leaving?” Diggsie asked.

“Diggsie,” Clyde replied, “of course I mind. You’re energetic, but you’re kind of like one of my daughters… Pinkamina. You’re also one of my hardest workers on the farm. Speaking of which, I must insist to you all: You can’t fail. Not just for my daughter’s sake. I don’t know really much about those Elements of Harmony Pinkamina talked about in her letters, but she said that it makes her sort of a guardian to this Land of Harmony. Diggsie, while my daughter and her friends are captured, you protect this Land in their stead. That is a much bigger job than the Rock Farm. I’ll miss you, okay?”

“And I’ll miss you and Mrs. Pie,” Diggsie nodded before hugging him. “We’ll pick up Hammer when we done here.” Clyde nodded before trotting away. Diggsie turned to the others, and asked, “So, now we have Element, what happens next?”

“We go back to Ponyville,” Spike answered. “We’ll meet up with Goombella, give her the Filly Cheese Sandwich we owe her, figure out where to go next, and get the next Element. We repeat this process three more times, and we should have all six Elements of Harmony, we save Princesses Celestia, Luna, Peach, and Daisy as well as Mario’s brother, Yoshi, and the Toads. Then we can defeat Sirius Nebula, save my friends, restore the balance of the world's harmony, save the world, then roll the end credits.”

“Not to mention the Cakes, Cranky, Matilda, and Beeatriz are at the train station, so we can take that,” Mario recalled. “We can actually head back to Ponyville the fast way if we want. Perhaps even stop at Appleloosa now that the train station is workable.”

“Well, it’s the closest to fast travel we got,” Boomregard nodded. “Ah guess as we git to places, we can take trains to an’ from ’em. That way, if we ever need to git someplace without a battle or two or walkin’ will take too long, we’ll just have to catch a train. Just make sure the place in question ya need to git to has a train station, an' ya got the coins to roll.”

“That’s easy,” Spike nodded. “If you check on the Map (which may or may not be in the Journal Menu), you can easily filter for locations that can be accessed by train, or even other options.”

“That’s great,” Mario nodded. “Now, let’s-a go!”

Pie Rock Farm

After making sure that there was nothing else they needed to do (gathering up Star Pieces and a Happy Flower Badge around town with Diggsie’s nose and digging powers, and Mario’s Super Boots, using Paper and Pig Forms to make completely sure), Mario team headed over to the Pie Rock Farm, making sure to do the same there. As tempted as Mario was to go back into the Hollow Shades for more Star Pieces, Mario decided against it. He did not want to have to go over Foal Mountain again, even for treasure. Soon enough, he entered the house to see Clyde and Sue Pie sitting at the table, the latter hanging up an old phone.

“Ah, there you all are,” Clyde said, walking over to the group. “I guess you’re here for this, aren’t you?”

Clyde Pie has finished the Super Hammer! With this, Mario’s Hammer attack power has increased by 1! Shattering small stone blocks and even boulders should be a breeze, now! Also, this Hammer comes with a Spin Hammer option by holding down the B Button, spinning the Left Analog Stick to twist up Mario, and releasing the B Button to spin, crushing giant yellow blocks your old Hammer couldn’t with ease! Also, that Spin Hammer can be used in battle to knock foes into each other!

“Thanks again, Mr. Pie,” Mario said while admiring the black Hammer.

“I put instructions to using that with you if you want to read them,” Clyde said. “That Hammer of yours is now more powerful with how it’s been reforged with a Hoohoo Stone. Still, if by some sheer chance you guys find a piece of metal called Hoohoo Steel, come back here and I’ll upgrade your Hammer to Ultra Hammer status.”

“We’ll keep an eye out fer that,” Boomregard said.

“I know you will,” Sue said as she walked over to them. “I just finished talking to Pinkamina’s sisters… they know that Pinkamina has been kidnapped. Both Isabelle and Bellamina have but one request for you all.”

“What is it?” Mario asked.

“Bring Pinkamina home.”

“We will,” Spike nodded. However, he then belched up another letter from Canterlot. “Oh, looks like the Princesses must have gotten my note.”

Dear Mario & Spike,

Good work once again! At the rate you two are going, you’ll have all of the Elements in no time!

I must admit that it’s getting boring sitting around Canterlot. Mario, I’m sorry that our vacation had to be cancelled… again. Luckily, we’re keeping ourselves busy with our investigation. Luigi, Daisy, and Yoshi found something useful… suggesting there was some inside work done in Canterlot!

We’ll continue our investigation soon. Hopefully we’ll let you know what we find!

Wishing you well,

Peach

“Well, that’s worrying news,” Spike said. “Somepony in Canterlot was part of the Colts of Nocturne? Well, they are a cult and their members would be hard to find…”

“That reminds me,” Clyde said aloud. “That Night Fortune guy… do me a huge favor and clobber him. He seems to be the brains of this operation that dared lay a hoof on Pinkamina.”

“…Wow,” Mario gasped in shock.

“What can I say? I don’t like my daughters being hurt or kidnapped. Anyway, feel free to bust in that Hammer while you’re here. There are some boulders and blocks you can now smash if you want. If you want a few spending coins, talk to me again and I’ll have something for you to do.”

Mario nodded before heading out of the house. He looked right at the still locked silo, where the giant yellow block stood in the way. Breaking out his new Super Hammer, he twisted his body up, and spun the Hammer hard enough to reduce the block to rubble. “Do you think the Pies will mind if we look around?” Mario asked Diggsie.

“Hopefully not,” the Diamond Dog replied. “Just as long as it doesn’t do anything important, of course. We should be free to explore inside.” Entering the silo, they saw a few Item Blocks that included a Honey Syrup and a gray block inside. Mario smashed it with his Super Hammer, revealing… nothing. Diggsie, however, sniffed around.

“Hey… I smell something underground here.” She dug underground where the block was, and when she and Mario popped back up, they had a Grey Key.

“What does that go to?” Spike asked before Mario pocketed it. “It doesn’t look like it could belong to anything on the farm…”

“Oh, this key?” Diggsie asked. “Mr. Pie said he found it one afternoon. He had us put up signs around town, but no one claim key. He actually wants someone to take it off his hands. But, just to be sure, we should bring it to Mr. Pie.”

After leaving the silo, Mario took the key to Clyde, who stared at the key. The old brown Earth Pony said, “I don’t really mind the key much. I just found it one day and asked around, only for nopony to claim the key. Go ahead and take it. Perhaps you can find what that key is for.”

Mario nodded. “Alright. Thanks again, Mr. Pie… we’ll get your daughter back.”

“You better,” Clyde nodded. “Goodbye, Mario… until we meet again.”

Their business on the Rock Farm concluded for now, Mario decided it was time to head back to Ponyville via the train and introduce Diggsie to Goombella. So, his team cut through Fillydelphia and headed for the train station home.

Ponyville Station

It turned out that Ponyville’s train station was in the north of town, just to the southeast of Sweet Apple Acres. After a day’s travel, Mario’s team, the Cakes, Beeatriz, and the Donkeys arrived in Ponyville.

“I just don’t get why Prosperous disappeared on us,” Cranky said aloud. “After volunteering to punish Mohan, he just up and left.”

“What happened to Mohan, anyways?” Spike asked. “Not that I’m concerned, but I didn’t see him again.”

“Oh, right,” Matilda recalled. “A team of ponies found him stomped flat by Hootenanny. While he’s greedy and deserved it, I have to admire his durability. Now, though, he’s behind bars in Fillydelphia’s jail, looking at a big sentence for his con artist actions, two counts of stealing this kingdom’s treasure, and attempts to sell us into forced labor. ”

“After he endangered my wife and children,” Carrot Cake agreed, “he certainly deserves jail time.”

“Carrot, dear,” Cup Cake chided, “me, Pumpkin, and Pound are all fine, now. And, best of all, we can open up shop again.”

“Oh, right,” Carrot recalled. Turning to Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie, he requested, “Mario, Spike, if you two would come to Sugarcube Corner, we can make you tasty treats anytime you want, provided you have the ingredients. We’re actually quite skilled chefs, pastries being our specialty. We can even combine ingredients to make a new dish.”

“Wow,” Mario commented. “I usually have to find a Cookbook to have access to advanced dishes.”

“We already have one, but we’re looking for an Advanced Cookbook, dearie,” Cup Cake added. “If you find one in your travels, please bring it to us. We’ll be able to make dishes with up to four main ingredients. But right now, it’s time for the twins to go beddy bye.”

“Well, that’s ’nother thang we’ll have to look out fer,” Boomregard nodded. “Thanks again, Mr. an’ Mrs. Cake.”

“Bye, dearies,” Cup Cake waved.

“Bye, Super Mario!” Pound Cake cheered, flapping his little wings.

“Bye, Spike!” Pumpkin Cake smiled, her horn glowing with her green magic. Soon enough, the Cakes and Gummy walked off.

“Well, I better hit the road, too,” Beeatriz yawned, drawing attention to herself.

“Beeatriz,” Spike asked, “I thought you were staying with us.”

“I would join your quest if I could,” the Bee declined. “However, I’ve been gone from my hive in Manehattan too long… I better head back home. But the New Yoke Times is published there, so I can look out for news of the Elements while I’m there. If I could have your e-mail, Mario, you’d be the first to get a buzz if know if I find anything.”

“I was waiting for Bee joke!” Diggsie laughed. “Seriously, how we go so long without one?”

“I don’t know,” Beeatriz shrugged after Mario registered her in his Mailbox 3DS. “Okay. See you guys later!” The Bee then flew to find a train to Manehattan, leaving Mario’s team with only Cranky and Matilda.

“So,” Mario asked, “what are you two going to do now that you don’t have to work with Mohan anymore?” Cranky shrugged.

“Beats me,” the old Donkey replied. “Well, for one, now that I’m engaged, I should get started working on my wedding planning… but… at the same time, I want Pinkie Pie to be there. If not for her, I would never have reunited with Matilda in the first place.”

“I would like her at the wedding, myself,” Matilda agreed. “Pinkie, while a bit overbearing at times, would make the reception memorable.”

“Looks like I really need to save Pinkamina,” Diggsie nodded. “Okay… well, that something we need to hurry up and do.”

“Hold on, Diggsie,” Mario told her. “We still have four more Elements to gather before we can attempt that, and even then we have no idea where the Colts of Nocturne are even holding the Bearers.”

“Well, if you ever need anything around Ponyville,” Cranky commented, “feel free to come to me. Oh, before I forget, here’s this.” He then gave Mario a card that had a mountain range on it. “I had that made for you while we were in Fillydelphia. That Mountain Pass will allow you to use my old Foal Mountain Base Camp anytime as well as access the Warp Pipe that lead to the base of Foal Mountains, no questions asked. It’s the least I can do to prove you survived the Adventure Tour.”

“Wow, uh, thanks, Cranky,” Mario said before pocketing the Mountain Pass.

“Goodbye, Mr. Mario,” Matilda bowed. “It was a pleasure meeting you. You and Spike go save Pinkie Pie and her friends, okay?” The group nodded. “Take care!” As the two Donkeys walked off, Spike turned to the others.

“So, on that cheery note,” the Dragon asked, “who’s up for finding Goombella and seeing if she has a location ready for us? Chances are she’ll be at the library.”

Ponyville Schoolhouse

Unfortunately, Goombella was not at the Library. Luckily, the Goomba had left a note with Owlowiscious saying that she would be at the school monitoring recess. So, the four had hauled it over to the schoolyard, where Goombella was observing the young foals, Toads, Mousers, and Koopas at play. Apple Bloom was the first to notice them.

“Howdy, Mario an’ Spike!” the yellow Earth Pony waved, snapping Goombella out of her reverie. “Are ya’ll here to see Miss Goombella?”

“Hi, Apple Bloom,” Spike smiled. “Yeah, actually, we are.” Soon enough, the young Toads looked to see the Mushroom Kingdom’s hero approaching.

“Wow,” one of the Toads asked, “is that… Mario? That’s so cool!”

“I want a mustache like that when I grow up!” a Koopa boy cheered.

“What’s he doing in Equestria?” a Mouser girl questioned.

“Oh, hey, Mario,” Goombella smiled. “I see you’re back… and you have a Diamond Dog partner, now! Let me guess, Temporary Bearer Number 2?”

“Hi!” the aforementioned Diamond Dog greeted. “I Diggsie! And yep, Temporary Bearer of Loyalty!”

“That almost makes you as cool as Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo complimented, glad to see her idol’s Element had been obtained. “Only somepony who’s loyal and dependable as her gets to wear that!”

“Aw man,” Sweetie Belle sighed. “I was hoping you’d get Rarity’s Element of Generosity next.”

“I thought ya three would be running Carousel Boutique,” Boomregard commented.

“We’re students before we’re Cutie Mark Crusader Shop Keepers,” Sweetie shrugged. “But Dad’s keeping the shop open. You got his letter, right?”

“Yeah, we did,” Spike nodded. “Anyways, we’re getting off track, here… Goombella, a moment of your time, please.”

The Goomba winced. “Ooh, bad time, guys. I still have to supervise recess, so we really can’t talk while I do my job. If you can wait about… ten more minutes, real time, the students will be going back inside. Hey, while you’re here, perhaps the person in front of the TV can put down the GamePad, and get a snack, go to the bathroom, or something. Don’t worry; you’ll hear a bell when we’re done.”

Mario’s group, having no choice, took a seat at a nearby table with Goombella. Spike gave her the Filly Cheese Sandwich, which she thanked the group for. They just sat there for the next ten minutes (which the author decided to cut out since we know you’d be bored out of your skull seeing Mario and Goombella take turns swapping stories while children ran around in the background, Goombella giving a pair of Unicorn colts (a blue one named Snips and a yellow one named Snails) an earful for falling on top of a Toad… from the school roof).

Once it was over, a bell rang, signaling recess was over. Goombella smiled, “Alright, students. It’s time to back inside for your afternoon class. Tell Miss Cheerilee that I need to have a word with Mr. Mario and friends, so she can begin the lesson.” The young ones quickly began heading back inside, leaving Goombella alone with Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie. “Okay, guys, I’m glad we’re down to four Elements. Unfortunately, a week has already passed, so my notes won’t really give us exact locations anymore since by now the Elements have had to move.”

“Well, what do we do?” Boomregard asked. “It ain’t like the next Element’s location is gonna pop up any second.” As if on cue, Mario’s Mailbox 3DS buzzed in his pocket. The plumber, curious, took out said device.

Dear Mario & Spike,

We’re glad to hear you guys are okay after defeating Carbon and Night Fortune. However, my sneaking around has uncovered the location of another Element of Harmony during my eavesdropping of a Colts of Nocturne meeting. Sirius Nebula has a contact in Applewood Studios who has a reason to suspect that an Element is somewhere there.

While this is good news, I’m afraid I have some bad news: this means that the Colts of Nocturne are on the move to recover the Element themselves. What’s even worse is that Sirius Nebula is overseeing the recovery of the Element. You have to beat the Colts of Nocturne to the Element!

We’re rooting for you two. Rarity especially, Spike… she’s worrying herself sick for you.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

“…Ah’ve got to use this power fer good,” the Boomerang Bro declared. “Okay, it’s ain’t like mah memory’s gonna come back any second.” After a few seconds with everyone staring at him, Boomregard sighed. “Dang Nabbit.”

“Twilight,” Spike breathed, pulling out the Fire Ruby Rarity let him hold onto. “Don’t worry, Twilight, Rarity… I’m coming to save you.”

“Uh, Spike,” Boomregard commented after getting over his own depression. “Hate to be a moment killer, but let’s stop worryin’ ’bout yer girlfriend’s necklace an’ focus on gittin’ to Applewood Studios… wherever that is.” As Spike blushed and put the Fire Ruby away, the Boomerang Bro thought aloud, “Hey, where is that?”

“I know where it is!” a young voice spoke up in a British accent. Soon enough, Mario and friends turned to see a young pinto Earth Pony colt walking up to them. “Pipsqueak at your service, Mr. Cowboy.”

“Hi, Pipsqueak,” Goombella said. “Shouldn’t you be going back inside with everyone else?”

“I was going to, Miss Goombella,” the colt apologized, “but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Sweetie Belle told me that the Elements were scattered around Equestria, the Princesses were trapped in Canterlot, and her sister was kidnapped alongside Miss Sparkle, Miss Pie, Miss Dash, and her friends. Is it true?”

“…I’m afraid so, Pipsqueak,” Spike sighed to the colt. He cheered up quickly, flashing his friend a smile. “But don’t worry. We’re on the case!”

“Okay,” the spotted colt nodded. “Well, anyway, Applewood Studios is in Los Pegasus, which is to the southwest of here, a little north of the San Palomino!”

“Someone paid attention in geography class,” Goombella commented to him. “Good job, Pipsqueak. Now, run along to class, okay? I’ll catch up with you in a moment, okay?”

“Yes, Miss Goombella,” Pipsqueak nodded. “Bye, Spike!” Pipsqueak then galloped off, catching up with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“I can see why you can’t join us, Goombella,” Mario said, watching the kids walk away. “These students love you.” Pulling out his map, he allowed Goombella to erase her previous mark on Fillydelphia and circle a location above the San Palomino that had a group of clouds near a small group of mountains labeled “Applewood”.

The Goomba nodded, “These students can be a pain sometimes, and there are moments I’d rather be back out there, involved in some ancient dig or even finally getting a chance to explore the Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. However, I remember our little Great Gonzales Jr. and how spunky kids are. Also, I’ve kinda dreamed of teaching children about what I do. So, I find it worth it, after all. Anyway, Mario, I don’t think I need to stress for you to be careful. This is the first time on this quest that you knew in advance that your enemies were going to be there. What’s worse is that the big bad guy is on his way. We need to find you a quick, covert way into Los Pegasus, and I don’t think the train is gonna be an option since we don’t know how many ponies will be traveling by train.”

“...Hmm,” Spike thought aloud, looking at the map. “What about Whitetail Woods?” The group looked at the Dragon, confused. “From Whitetail Woods, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump to Los Pegasus. Despite the name, Mario, it’s not an entire cloud city like Cloudsdale. If an Element landed up there, I don’t know how we’d be able to get to it.”

“Yeah, I think I remember Toadsworth saying he wanted to go there,” Mario replied. “Los Pegasus, I mean. He mentioned actors, stage performances, movies…”

“Right!” Diggsie nodded. “Mr. Pie told me that Applewood Studios is biggest film studio in Equestria. Element could be anywhere.”

“As well as the next Temporary Bearer,” Spike nodded. “Perhaps we’re going to get an actor! Or, better yet, actually ACT in one of the Applewood Films! Oh, Rainbow Dash would be so jealous...”

“Okay, so we have a place to start from and we realize that the Element is anywhere in the city,” Goombella confirmed. “Does anyone have a clue as to how to get to Whitetail Woods, though? ’Cause I’m totally stumped.” The other four thought about it, annoyed.

“The last time I was in Whitetail Woods,” Spike remembered, “I was in a hot air balloon with Pinkie Pie… I really was paying attention more to the annual Running of the Leaves rather than the path. My bad, guys.”

“Hold on,” Mario interrupted. “Wasn’t there someone in town who said that if we ever needed anything, ask her? Who was the one pony in the city who has been here since before Ponyville even existed?” The plumber, Goomba, and Dragon turned towards each other, all grinning. “Granny Smith!”

“If there’s a way into Whitetail Woods, she’d know,” Goombella said aloud. “Let’s see… I’d bet she’d be at Sweet Apple Acres. It’s only a couple weeks until Zap Apple Season, after all.”

“Okay, we’ll head there after running a few errands,” Mario said. “First off, we should probably check on the insane Spirit of Disharmony who’s living in Fluttershy’s Cottage.”

Fluttershy’s Cottage

When Mario’s group arrived at the timid Pegasus’ place of residence, they were surprised to see that it had once again changed. This time, the place looked like it suddenly turned into something out of the Land of Crag… or at least prehistoric times when cave ponies trotted Equestria and had to deal with dinosaur predators or something similar.

That and the roof had surprisingly many holes. At least the desert, the Piantas, and the giant bunny bouncer were all gone. Instead, two giant metallic Clefts were in the front yard.

“Well, if it ain’t Gonzales!” the red-booted Iron Cleft called out. “What are you doin’ here?”

“I don’t think Gonzales remembers us, does he, Bro?” the green-booted Cleft questioned.

“The Iron Clefts,” Mario said. “Let me guess, you’ve retired from the Glitz Pit or are taking some time off. Look, I’m not here to fight you two. We’re just passing through.”

“Ya couldn’t beat us, anyways, Gonzales!” the red Cleft replied. “Ya need your old Yoshi partner to even pierce our ridiculous defenses.”

“But you’re not the one we care for,” the green Cleft added. “After we left the Glitz Pit, we decided to look for work for a while. You can go in… just as long as ya ain’t a white rabbit.” The two Clefts parted from aside each other while Mario, Diggsie, Boomregard, and Spike wandered inside to see Discord wearing a miner’s hard hat and a loincloth.

“Oh, hi guys,” Discord said to them, looking around at anywhere but them. “How you doin’? Get a new Element back? Yes? That’s great. Oh, see you have a new partner. What’s your name, little puppy?”

“I called Diggsie,” the Diamond Dog scowled. “And I’m not little! I fourteen… in Diamond Dog years.”

“Good for you,” Discord said. “Now, then, have you seen Angel? That bratty little bunny and I are in the middle of a prank war, and well, it’s his move.”

“Wait, prank war?” Spike asked. “You think the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony would be revealing in creating Chaos and Disharmony unopposed since all six Bearers and the Princesses, the eight beings who have ever defeated you, are all incapacitated. Not playing a childish prank war against a foot-tall rabbit with an attitude problem.”

“Well, I have to admit that if you were talking to the old me, I’d be living it up. But, however, I don’t think I could do that without a good challenge, anymore. You see, before Celestia and Luna and before your friends, Spike, there was only one being who could ever challenge me. The only opponent I could ever say I had to take seriously in my life. The one pony who I had no option but to take as a true threat to me.”

“Who?” Spike asked.

“Ah-ah-ah,” Discord taunted. “You’ve got to earn that knowledge, little Dragon. Come back when you’re more of a hero and I’ll tell you. But, for now, I suppose it’s shopkeeper time for me.” He turned to Mario, and said, “So, did you just want to chat, or did you actually come back here for a spell courtesy of the Spirit of Chaos himself?”

Mario thought about it. On one hand, he had no idea if he could trust Discord. But, on the other hand, the battles were going to only get harder from here on out. High risks often yielded high rewards.

“Okay, let’s-a-do this.”

“Good to see you’re willing to enter the World of Insanity! How crazy do you want this trip, Mario? You’re using Mushroom currency, so I’ll set the prices by that. You can settle for a Topsy Turvy Trial for 10 Coins, a Wild Wonderland Weekend for 30, and the Sanity Slippage Special for 50.”

“…Can we just do the 10-Coin one?”

“One Topsy Turvy Trial coming right up!” Soon enough, as if on cue, Discord’s eyes began to become swirls. The next thing Mario knew, the entire room began to spin around, as if the cottage was possessed… that, or Discord lifted it off the ground just for the heck of it. Probably both. The next thing Mario saw, Discord’s head popped off, floating around him. Soon, with the sound of a piece of paper being ripped in half, the world erupted into a stream of colors and insanity before returning to normal, everything back in place.

“There you go!” Discord said as if nothing happened. “10 Coins, please!” The plumber blinked before handing Discord the coins.

Spike, who stared at what just happened, said, “Please never do that again.”

“No promises,” the Spirit of Disharmony replied. “That was kind of fun. Haven’t gotten to let loose like that in a while. If you ever need another boost, you know who to call. I’ll be here.”

“Okay, before we go,” Mario said, taking out his 3DS, “we found something that Spike claims is yours.” He then showed the picture of the Cotton Candy Cloud the group found in Fillydelphia.

“So… THAT’S where I put one of my clouds,” Discord muttered aloud. “Believe it or not, after my second defeat, some remnants of my chaos remained. After Fluttershy had reformed me, Celestia had been bugging me about cleaning up my old mess from the first time I had been released. I did it, but I had misplaced six of my Cotton Candy Clouds throughout Equestria.” With a sharp inhale, Discord mused, “She’s probably not going to be happy about finding those out… I have to clean this mess up before she thinks I’m slipping back into evil. That stick in the mud is still mad about the time I put live chickens in her tub.”

“Sounds like we moseyed onto a pie the Spirit of Chaos an’ Disharmony didn’t want us stickin’ our fingers into,” Boomregard said aloud.

“Cowboy,” Discord scowled, “I don’t think you want to threaten a being who happens to treat reality as his Toybox and plays with them like a five-year-old colt. Besides, with the Bearers gone and the Sisters sealed, I’m technically the most powerful creature in Equestria right now and could be the one thing preventing this place from going under should something happen to you. Now, I don’t want Celestia breathing down my throat whenever you all manage to free her, and you all may find use of my power sometime in the last chapters of this game, not counting DLC. So, here’s a thought: could you all do me a huge solid and find some way to clear those clouds? You’ll need somepony who could fly to do it, but… well, tell you what. If this sounds too cheap of a favor, I’ll make it worth your while.” He then whistled. “Here, Chomper!”

“ARF! ARF!” Soon enough, the Chomplet bounced down the stairs, landing next to Discord.

“So, here’s what we’ll do,” Discord said. “You see Chomper, here? Well, believe it or not, owning a Chain Chomp, even as a Chomplet, is actually kind of a big responsibility. They need plenty of exercise… and the furthest I can get with Chomper is Central Ponyville without causing a mass panic and ponies thinking I’m evil again. But you, Mario, look like you’ve handled a Chomp or two in your day. So, if you get rid of those Cotton Candy Clouds without breathing a word of it to Celestia, I’ll let you walk Chomper... and appease every fan of this game series who’s always wanted a Chain Chomp partner.”

“ARF!” Chomper yipped, agreeing to the idea.

“Well, that’s interesting,” Mario acknowledged. “We’ll keep an eye out for these clouds of yours.”

“Thanks,” Discord replied. “Well, don’t be a stranger, Mr. Mushroom Kingdom. Hey, I got a new idea for the next theme! Perhaps ‘Giant Monster Movie’!”

Mario’s group slowly walked away from the insane Spirit of Chaos. As soon as they got out of the house, though, a giant rock suddenly crashed through the roof, landing right on top of Discord, and startling the Iron Clefts away from the house.

“…Ugh… is that you, Tom the Diamond-Boulder…?” Discord groaned. “Oh-ho… well played, Angel. Well played.” The aforementioned white rabbit hopped up next to Mario and Spike, and looked at them with contempt. He then hopped back into the Cottage, leaving them confused.

“Okay,” Spike said after a few minutes. “It seems I underestimated this prank war.”

Everfree Forest

Discord’s spell proved to make battles… weird, for one. For not only did Mario’s bonuses seem to come at random, but also the enemies were affected as well.

But that wasn’t the reason why Mario brought his group back to the Everfree Forest. Nor was it the fact that Diggsie could sniff out Star Pieces that he would not have been able to find on his own… which they did. As well as a mysterious wooden panel that labeled “Danger: Entrance to the Everfree Pit of 100 Trials is below here. Enter said Pit at your own risk. I recommend you’re at least Level 30 before you even THINK about tackling this pit!”

No, Mario was now in Zecora’s Hut, Diggsie and Boomregard at his side as he watched the Zebra remove the petals from the six Florie’s Roots that the group had managed to find.

“And you sure this doesn’t kill them?” the Diamond Dog asked aloud. She was answered with the Florie’s Roots waking up to find themselves without their petals.

“AAAHH! MY PETALS! THEY’RE GONE!”

“AAAHH! THE DRAGON AND MUSTACHIOED PLUMBER MUST HAVE DONE THIS TO US TO STOP THE INVASION! RUN AWAY!” The next thing the six Flories did was run away, leaving them alone. Mario, Spike, Diggsie, and Boomregard looked at each other, confused.

“You all have my thanks,” Zecora said after the Flories abandoned their invasion plans and retreated. “With these petals, I can grant two partners the Super Rank.”

“Well, then,” Boomregard said, “Ah guess it’s time fer me an’ this little Diamond Dog to take a swig o’ this magical potion o’ yers.”

“Wait, it’s safe?” Diggsie asked. “I mean, it not smell as good…”

“Do not worry, little hound,” Zecora assured her. “The smell hides the great power that is to be found.” Diggsie and Boomregard looked at each other, the former intimidated by the brew and the latter thinking back to when Spike drank the potion.

“Iffn it weren’t fer the fact that Ah saw Spike kick back one o’ these potions o’ yers an’ git stronger with his flame, Ah would be skeptical, too. But, Ah guess it can’t hurt.”

“Fine then,” Diggsie sighed, taking a cup of Zecora’s potion with Boomregard. “Over teeth, and over gums, look out stomach, here it comes…” Diggsie and Boomregard both drank the potion… before Diggsie gagged a little and Boomregard shook his head. However, both were surrounded by the similar aura Spike was when he gained a rank.

Boomregard has increased to Super Rank! He can now master the Windy Toss, which can cause foes to become Dizzy while striking them!

Diggsie has also increased to Super Rank! Diggsie’s Drill Upper can now hide more than one party member, hiding up to two party members with her! She can now also dig up boulders to form Boulder Barricade, which protects any partner or Mario from attacks as long as the boulder can endure, also increasing defense!

“I only get barrier technique and ability to shield someone else, but you get another damaging technique?” Diggsie asked Boomregard in annoyance. “That is lame.”

“Look on the bright side, little lady,” Boomregard told her. “Once we figure out how we git Ultra Ranks, maybe yer next one will be better than mah skills. There’s more to a battle than offense.” He then turned to Zecora, and asked, “Uh, by the way, have ya figured out how to do Ultra Ranks yet?”

“I’m afraid I still do not know, my friendly Boomerang Bro,” Zecora shrugged.

“Well, thanks again, Zecora,” Mario nodded. “Now, guys, we better head back to Sweet Apple Acres. We need to talk to Granny Smith.” And that, of course, is what they will do in the next segment, where you will get a full author's note.

Post Chapter 2- Part 2

Ponyville— Magic Carriage

As the group was walking back through town, they saw another crowd gathering around something. It appeared to be some kind of stage wagon. While Mario was perfectly willing to go about his business, Spike stopped, looking at the wagon. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the Dragon muttered, walking towards the front. Mario, Boomregard, and Diggsie looked at each other before following him. Upon reaching the front, they saw the stage wagon suddenly folding out.

Soon enough, a disembodied voice called out, “Fillies and gentlecolts… and whatever the rest of you are so you don’t feel left out! Come one… come all… come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” As if on cue, a purple smoke cloud popped up, engulfing the stage. The next thing Mario knew, the smoke dissipated almost as soon as it came, revealing a light blue mare dressed in a purple wizard hat and cape with blue and yellow stars… kind of reminding him of the many Merlons he had to deal with on his adventures, save for the fact that she was a pony and a girl. And had fireworks shooting out from behind her stage rather than fancy magic lights, which was kind of a nice change of pace.

This Trixie flashed a smile to her audience, who seemed to applaud her. “Thank you, thank you…” the mare greeted. “No, seriously, thank you… Trixie didn’t think she would be allowed back here in Ponyville. Trixie apologizes once again for enslaving the entire town under the effects of the dreaded Alicorn Amulet.”

“Wait, what?” Mario asked aloud.

“That’s a long story,” Spike whispered. Turning to Trixie, he asked, “What exactly are you doing here, Trixie?”

“Well, if it isn’t Twilight Sparkle’s Dragon,” Trixie said as her hat was enveloped by a magenta aura, revealing her white and silver striped mane and her horn. The next thing the baby Dragon knew, he was enveloped in her magic, and brought on stage next to her. “Trixie has heard quite much about you since we last saw each other. Just recently before coming here, I’ve heard this dreadful rumor.” The next thing Mario’s group knew, a series of fireworks erupted, turning into six different colors of ponies that looked just like the Bearers.

“Twilight Sparkle and her five closest friends sans you,” Trixie began her little tale. Soon enough, a new firework exploded to reveal showed a cloaked figure wearing the black and blue cloak, clearly representing Sirius Nebula. “They were defeated and captured by a dark foe.” As if on cue, the Bearers were soon trapped in cages, panicking and trying to get out before the fireworks all faded, allowing Trixie to recreate a magical illusion of Canterlot. “Our beloved capital city fallen into darkness… our beloved Princesses trapped inside forever.” Trixie’s magic showed Canterlot being sealed in the black crystals of Sombra’s magic. “To make matters worse, our kingdom’s greatest defense has been scattered throughout the realm, leaving our nation with the risk of falling into complete disarray and open to conquest by the evil that is Sirius Nebula…” Trixie turned to Spike as her magic showed the lightshow that was the scattering of the Elements. As the audience looked at each other, amazed by Trixie’s performance and illusions, she whispered to Spike, “How is Trixie doing so far with her story? She wants to make this look good.”

“…Um, you’re hitting the nail on the head?” the Dragon asked, surprised that Trixie had gotten this generally right with her usual flare.

“Good,” the light blue Unicorn nodded. Turning to her audience, she cried out, “But there is still hope for us all, Ponyvillians! For there are still heroes who are in our midst!” Soon enough, the image representing Sirius Nebula appeared, seeming to laugh manically at his victory, only for two red and purple fireworks to burst, revealing the forms of Mario and Spike standing against Sirius. “These two, a man in red and a creature of purple and green, are destined to rise up, reignite the sacred defenses of Equestria, and conquer evil! And one of these heroes is on this very stage! Isn’t that right, Spike?”

“Wow,” the Dragon remarked, completely surprised with Trixie’s performance. “How did you do all of this?”

“Now, Spike,” Trixie giggled with a smug smile, “you should know that neither a lady nor a magician never reveals her secrets…” She then looked into the crowd, her eyes spotting Mario. “Ah! You there… the one in red with the mustache!”

“Me?” Mario asked, coming up to her stage. “What’s wrong?”

“You are the second hero, are you not?” Trixie asked. “You match his description… red clothes… blue overalls… mustache… smells of pasta and Mushrooms like the kingdom of your origin.” Trixie grinned. “Of course! You are the world-famous… LUIGI!”

Mario had face-faulted a lot of times in his day when someone said something unbelievably stupid. Sure, he wasn’t as famous in Equestria as he was back home in the Mushroom Kingdom. But to be mistaken for Luigi after so much build-up… well, that caused him to fall on his face so hard that the entire town somewhat shook.

“Really, Trixie?” Spike questioned. “That’s MARIO! How did you get that wrong?”

Trixie blinked in shock. “Oh, um… my bad… Trixie was kind of hoping for Luigi…” She then peaked behind the stage, where a green cape with an L on it was hung up on a pony-shaped mannequin next to a blue treasure chest. “Seriously, how did Trixie mess that up? Luigi wears green, not red… oh well, perhaps Trixie will get that signed another day.”

After a while, Trixie’s performance ended, leaving the blue Unicorn with Mario’s group. “So… you’re the one Trixie has been asked to help.”

“Wait, you’ve been asked to help us?” Spike asked. “By who? The last time you were in town, you banished Twilight to the Everfree Forest after a rigged Magic Duel and enslaved the general population under the affects of the Alicorn Amulet. You don't have a lot of friends here in Ponyville, Trixie, even if Twilight forgave you. She has a really hard time holding a grudge.”

“What’s the Alicorn Amulet?” Mario asked. “And, more importantly, you two know each other?”

“The Alicorn Amulet isn’t of any concern today,” Trixie replied. “And yes, we know each other. Trixie… or rather, I, owe Twilight Sparkle my life for freeing me from the Amulet’s sinister control. I also owe a spy from the inside of the Colts of Nocturne a favor for an incident long ago. It was to help you all. This kills two birds with one stone. Of course, though, a mare’s got to eat… so, my services will cost you. Trixie will grant you the first one for free.”

“First one?” Mario questioned. “Mama-mia… Explain to me what I’m going to be paying you for before I agree to anything.”

“Oh, right,” Trixie nodded. The next thing anyone knew, she pointed to part of the floor. “I have heard of the Super Mario Bros.’ famous jumping prowess, and I see you have acquired a pair of Super Boots. If you could please flip this part of the floor with a Ground Pound, Trixie would ever be grateful.” Mario shrugged, but used his Ground Pound anyways, flipping the panel to cause a round table, two chairs, a light blue table cloth, and a purple crystal ball to all spring out, and land neatly on the ground, setting themselves up. “Finally, Trixie’s Fortune-Telling Act can continue!”

“Wait, fortune telling?” Spike asked. “You’ve done that before?”

“It was a popular act when Trixie was just starting out! Using her magical talents acquired from years of travel, the Great and Powerful Trixie will now give you visions of anything you request! Be it the next step of your quest, the location of a troublesome flower, the ideal spot of your destined mark, or even the tears of the night sky… you name it, Trixie can find it for a reasonable price!”

“So, in general,” Mario spoke up, “if I ever need help finding either a Star Piece, a Florie’s Root, probably a Badge, or what to do next, I can come to you and in exchange for Coins, you’re going to provide semi-vague hints.”

“Well, when you put it that way, yeah. That’s kind of what I’m going to be doing in-between performances. So, then… what shall it be?”

“Hmm… I’ll humor you and say my quest.”

Trixie grinned before saying, “Very well! Now, prepare to witness the magical might of the Great and Powerful TRIXIE!” Soon enough, the world in the carriage began to glow around them, and the crystal ball dead in the center of the room floated in the air. Soon enough, the crystal ball projected an image on the back wall of the carriage, showing Granny Smith and Big Macintosh looking around Sweet Apple Acres frantically.

“It seems that these two ponies have lost something important to them,” Trixie remarked. “Perhaps if you aid them in their search, they may be able to aid you in your travels.”

“So, the Apples are having trouble?” Mario asked as the image faded. “Well, that’s the only thing we have for now. Thank you very much, Trixie. If I’m really lost, I know who to go to.”

“Oh, before you go,” Trixie spoke up, “Trixie has something for you… this one also on the house.” She then pointed to the treasure chest next to her mannequin. “Open the chest, please.” Boomregard, confused, popped the lid open, revealing a Jammin’ Jelly and a Close Call Badge.

“What in the world are these doin’ here?” Boomregard asked as he pulled them out for Mario. “How’d ya even git ’em, miss?”

“My dear cowboy Koopa,” Trixie smirked, “for shame! You should know that neither a magician nor a lady ever reveals her secrets! Isn't that right, Spike?”

“Well, I suppose you’re able to help us after all,” Spike nodded. “Thanks again, Trixie… I just wished I knew what you were getting out of this.”

“Besides Coins?” Trixie smirked. “That is of no concern to you, Spike. Now, the Great and Powerful Trixie must ask you all to leave. She has spent her energy helping you out for today.” The Dragon shook his head before the group began to walk out. “Oh, and Spike…” Spike looked at Trixie, who scowled with determination. “I know it’s been said several times… but save Twilight Sparkle.”

Spike nodded.

Sweet Apple Acres

After a visit to Carousel Boutique (which Mario obtained a weird badge labeled “Hoof Guard”, which according to Magnum that decreased damage caused by Pony-type enemies, as well as a Spark Driver Badge that dealt electric damage with Hammer swings), the plumber brought the group to see Sweet Apple Acres in disarray, Granny Smith and Big Macintosh looking around in the trees. “Consarn it, where’s that Gate Key!?” Granny Smith yelled. “How else are we gonna open up the trade route between Los Pegasus an’ Ponyville without that there key to git to Whitetail Woods?”

“Uh did we come at a bad time?” Spike asked as they walked up. Granny Smith looked up at Mario and Spike.

“Oh, hello, Spike, Mr. Mario,” Granny Smith greeted. “Sorry, but Ah’m ’fraid mah ol’ memory has got the best o’ me at one o’ the worst times. Ya see, Big Macintosh has a delivery to Los Pegasus due. Applejack would’ve run this here delivery, but with her bein’ kidnapped an’ everythin’… anyways, Big Macintosh needs to go through Whitetail Woods to make the delivery, since the food we’re gonna be haulin’ are too heavy fer train cargo without an extra fee. The problem, though, is that our Gate Key to Whitetail Woods has gone missin’. Ah ain’t got a clue as to where it went…”

“Well, ain’t that a coincidence!” Boomregard spoke up. “We here NEED to git to Whitetail Woods. Ya know, Ah can’t help but notice right as we need to git somewhere, somethin’ pops up like this that we need to figure out in order to git to the place. Especially since we just got someone who can smell out yer key.”

“You know, it almost like someone planned this,” Diggsie agreed. “But if it gets us to next location, sure, I help sniff it out.”

“Ya’ll wanna go to Whitetail Woods?” Granny Smith asked. “Well, Ah suppose this helps out both o’ us, an’ it wouldn’t hurt none if we had more hands lookin’ fer it.”

“Okay, this is going to be important,” Diggsie began. “Now, where was last place you saw Gate Key?”

“That would inside the barn in the next field o’er,” the old green Earth Pony answered, pointing to the west field. “First floor, even, near Big Macintosh’s plow.”

“Good,” the Diamond Dog nodded. “Perhaps I can track scent of key.” Mario’s group headed inside the barn where they saw a large, worn plow. Diggsie sniffed the area, where she caught a peculiar scent.

“What’s up, Diggsie?”

“You all smell cologne?” Diggsie asked. “Hold on… let’s ask old mare again…”

Heading back over to Granny Smith, Mario reported his findings. “Hmm… cologne you say?” the old green Earth Pony mused. She then opened her eyes wide, gasping in shock. “Now I remember! I let Filthy Rich borrow the Gate Key!”

“Uh Filthy Rich?” Mario asked.

“He’s the owner of Barnyard Bargains,” Granny Smith explained. “It’s a shop in town. I remembered I let him borrow some o’ mah keys, includin’ the Gate Key to make sure his repairs o’ the gate leadin’ into Whitetail Wood were finished. I never did git it back.”

“Well, looks like we’re going to have to go back into town to find his shop,” Spike replied.

“An’ yer gonna need to buy a Dizzy Dial an’ a Big Apple in that order,” Granny Smith added. The group looked at her. “Yeah, a Dizzy Dial an’ a Big Apple in that order. That’s our new password since the whole trade exchange between Mushroom Kingdom an’ Equestria began. This way, he’ll know Ah sent ya.”

“Well, that’s convenient,” Boomregard nodded before tipping his hat to her. “Thank ya kindly, Miss Smith. We’ll git right on that there key.”

Ponyville

Filthy Rich’s shop was not hard to find once they had directions. Once inside, they were rather impressed. Despite the barn-like exterior, the shop looked exquisite to say the least. A brown furred Earth Pony stallion with a black, slicked back mane and tail was running the store. He wore a red necktie with a blue and white collar, and his Cutie Mark was three money backs. No doubt Filthy Rich.

“Ah, you must be this Mario I’ve heard so much about,” the stallion greeted them as they entered his store. “You are the Mushroom Kingdom hero going around with Twilight Sparkle’s Dragon assistant in an effort to save Equestria. You’ve been building up a name for yourself with your heroics in Appleloosa’s west and the mountains near Fillydelphia.”

“Well, that’s nice to know my reputation finally proceeds me,” Mario smiled. “Filthy Rich, I presume?”

“Please,” the stallion insisted, “just call me ‘Rich’. I loathe my first name. So, anyways, what can I get for you, Mr. Mario? You’re here to buy something, yes?”

“Yes, actually,” the plumber nodded. “I’ll-a take… one Dizzy Dial and one Big Apple, please.” Rich’s eyes widened as Mario purchased both items in that order.

“Hmm… perhaps you wish to step into my office, sir,” Rich suggested. He then turned to a door in the back of the shop and walked in there, confusing the customers. Mario’s group followed him in the back, where Rich offered them a seat. “Not too many intentionally buy those items in that order,” he began. “How do you know my code?”

“Granny Smith sent us,” Spike began. The Dragon explained what they needed to Filthy Rich, who thought about it. He then smiled at them.

“Oh, the Gate Key?” Rich laughed before handing over the key. “I completely forgot to give this back to her! Tell her I offer my sincerest apologies. Her loss of Applejack is trouble enough on that poor mare and her family… I should not have caused her to worry like that. But are you all absolutely sure you wish to enter Whitetail Woods?”

“Yes,” Spike nodded. “It’s our only way into Los Pegasus with minimal detection from the Colts of Nocturne.”

“Spike,” Filthy Rich advised, “let me start by saying I understand what you’re going through, young Dragon, and I feel for your plight. Losing ponies to forces beyond your control is tough… I remember Applejack when she was just in diapers and my dad offered to babysit her for her parents. Speaking of her parents… her father was like a brother to me. We were practically raised together, and to see his game end… well, it was troubling, to say the least. However, I managed to get through it… but the grieving was far from easy.”

“What are you telling me?” Spike asked the stallion.

“I’m telling you that going on a heroic mission is barely any different from operating a business,” Filthy Rich replied. “I’ve had years of practice and a long family tradition to train me, so I know what I’m talking about when I say this. If you are certain you want to continue to help save your friends, I will not stop you. In fact, I wish to help anyway I can. But you have to be able to commit to this investment… and accept the consequences of what happens. There is no guarantee that you will be able to rescue your friends, let alone stop the Colts of Nocturne. I know this sounds harsh, especially considering that I too wish for their safety, but I just want you to make sure you still wish to do this.”

“…Of course I do,” Spike nodded. “You’re talking about my friends, here! And I’m going to bring them back.”

“I see,” Rich said. “Okay, about Whitetail Woods before you all go. I know it sounds peaceful in comparison to the Everfree Forest, but the woods have changed, recently. I don’t know why, but ever since I’ve seen that old Koopa lady on a broom flying near there, it’s gotten a bit more dangerous to go into with all of the Mushroom Kingdom monsters, Parasprites, and angry Griffons tend to roam there in the spring. Be careful.”

“Old Koopa lady on a broom?” Mario thought aloud. “…Mama-mia…”

“Uh, Mario…?” Diggsie asked.

“Guys, get ready to fight when we get back to Granny Smith. If that’s who I think it is, then we’re going to be in for one.” Turning back to Filthy, he said, “Thank you again, Mr. Rich.”

“Not a problem,” the business-stallion nodded. “If you ever need my help again, don’t be a stranger.”

“We won’t,” Boomregard assured him. “Thank ya kindly.” The group soon left the store and returned back to Sweet Apple Acres, passing Sugarcube Corner on the way.

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIITTTTT!” Derpy’s voice called out. The group turned to see the grey Pegasus flying over to them. “I forgot to repay you all for your help the other day. First off, I have…” she then pulled out a few letters. “Mhh frr yoo! (Mail for you!)” After Mario took the letters, she smiled. “Oh, and now, to pay you guys back for your help.” She then handed them a Blueberry Muffin. “There’s nothing like Muffins to help you get through the day, huh?”

“Wow, thanks, Derpy!” Spike grinned.

“No problem!” Derpy waved off. “Have a fun adventure, everypony!” The Pegasus then flew off for her work, leaving Mario’s group with three new letters from Clyde Pie, The New Yoke Times, and someone by the name of Shining Armor.

“Shining Armor?” Mario asked aloud. “Where have I heard that name before?”

“SHINING ARMOR!?” Spike gasped in horror. “Oh man… that’s Twilight’s older brother and Captain of the Royal Guard. What does his letter have to say?”

Dear Spike,

I don’t know how to address this, but I have learned about Twily’s kidnapping and the scattering of the Elements of Harmony. Had I known about the Colts of Nocturne before the attack, I would never had left Canterlot. Especially considering the fact that they’re using King Sombra’s magic to keep the Princesses at bay. I feel more at fault for this than with the Changeling Invasion at my wedding. Perhaps, in retrospect, I should have stayed in Canterlot rather than ask you to get Twily to relax for the day. But Cadance was complained that I have been on active duty for too long, lately.

I wish I could talk more, but Princess Celestia has ordered me and Cadance to confront my parents about the incident in Canterlot. If we run into each other, perhaps we can talk?

Sincerely,

Captain Shining Armor

“So, are you and him close?” Mario asked as the Dragon put the letter away.

“Not exactly,” Spike replied. “When I was growing up with Twilight, Shining Armor was in the Royal Guard. The only reason we even know each other is because we’re both connected to Twilight… he’s her older brother and I’m her assistant. The day we met, Mario, he asked me to stay behind so we could talk about getting Twilight to relax. And, well, that didn’t happen.”

“Yeah, that sad, but true,” Diggsie agreed. “So, anyways, new topic before things get too depressing! What did Mr. Pie want?”

Diggsie,

I hope this gets to you and Mario well. You know how Pinkamina knows all these game controls the player seems to have popping up for them? Yeah, believe it or not, that’s genetic. So, I can teach you and Mario how to use that new Special Move you earned… upon hindsight, I should have given you a brief overview while you all were still in Fillydelphia, but it slipped my mind.

Anyways, to use your new “Faithful Storm”, you and Mario both must be able to attack. Now, this move requires Diggsie to throw Mario up, and using her strength to chuck lightning bolts into the sky via the A, B, Y, or X Buttons depending on the color. Mario, after you have set up these bolts, will strike them down by hitting the responding direction on the Control Pad. If it’s successful, you’ll zap your foes with enough force to inflict Stop on them.

Sounds a bit complicated, but you SHOULD be able to practice these on the Elements Menu.

Oh, and before I forget, I placed something that should help in the letter.

Good luck,

Clyde Pie

“Star Pieces?” Mario asked after Spike took out two Star Pieces in the letter.

“Yep,” Diggsie nodded. “Good to know Mr. Pie is in our corner.”

“So, anythin’ new in the news?” Boomregard asked.

“Well,” Spike said as he read it, “there’s a report on Mohan’s arrest and the attack of Hootenanny… the Colts of Nocturne’s name is finally getting in the news. I guess this means Equestria is starting to know the details as to what happened in the attack. Also, there’s a gossip article about the actress playing the main antagonist for the Daring Do reboot movie… somepony who was famous for her stage appearances back near Mushroom Kingdom territory. Also, there’s been a lot of flak from the central fan-base about certain changes the movie’s writer and director have been taking with the film, such as the decision to not include most of Daring’s regular friends with her on this adventure and the idea to make the movie have nothing to do with Daring’s usual antagonist, Ahuizotl, in order to make the film viewable a younger generation who never grew up with the books.”

“Well, that’s not going to be good for movie,” Diggsie said. “Well, we delay long enough. Let’s give Granny Smith her key back.”

Sweet Apple Acres

“Ah! Ya have the Key,” Granny Smith said as she received it from Mario. “Thank ya kindly, ya’ll. Now we can open the Gate to Whitetail Woods… Big Macintosh, go an’ git yer cart ready.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh nodded, walking away from the group. As he did, the old green mare turned to the group.

“So yer next Element is in Los Pegasus?” she asked them. “A few Apples should be out that way. Ah’ll give ’em a call, an’ let ’em know yer a comin’.”

“Thanks, Granny Smith,” Spike nodded. “We owe you one.”

“Don’t ya worry ’bout it none,” Granny Smith nodded. “Spike, ya’ll are a friend to the Apple family, an’ yer mistress Twilight is cute… Ah was thinkin’ ’bout settin’ her up on a date with Big Macintosh.”

“…What.”

“Well, her, Fluttershy, or Miss Cheerilee,” Granny Smith confessed. “He’s shy ’round the mares, but keeps a level head… maybe best to start him slow on the datin’ path. Ah mean, the other girls in that group Applejack hangs out with are nice an’ all, but Rainbow needs to slow down ’fore she can consider datin’, Pinkie’s a wild one an’ is way too energetic fer Big Macintosh’s taste, an’, well, Ah’m not so sure Ah’d want to git in the way o’ ya an’ Rarity…” While Spike blinked at the thought of Twilight and Big Macintosh together, Diggsie and Boomregard looked at each other, not sure what to say.

“…Well, this conversation got weird,” Diggsie said after a moment. “Let’s drop it and seal it inside vault.”

“Can ya blame this ol’ mare fer wantin’ great-grandchildren ’fore her game ends?” Granny Smith shrugged. “But Ah suppose we can pretend this conversation never happened.” She then turned away. “Okay, well, we shouldn’t delay any longer. When yer ready to go, come head o’er to the southwest field. Ah’ll have the gate unlocked fer ya.” With that, the old mare began trotting over towards the southwest, leaving Mario’s group alone.

“So do you want to tell us what had you so worried earlier?” Spike asked Mario. “That old Koopa lady on a broom?”

“Look,” Mario explained, “in my experience, I’ve only encountered one woman that fits that description. And if she’s here... then that could only mean one thing.”

“That King Bowser has come to Equestria to attempt to kidnap Princess Peach?” a new voice spoke up.

“Exactly!” Mario nodded. “…Wait, which one of you said that?”

“Up here, Mario.”

“…Mama-mia.” The plumber’s group looked up to see Kammy Koopa riding her old broom, staring down at them.

“So, you said that the next Element of Harmony is in Los Pegasus?” she asked. “MWE-HE-HE! Excellent… I knew eavesdropping on you all would give me a clue.”

“Kammy Koopa…” Mario scowled. “Well, if you’re looking for Peach, you’re out of luck! There’s no way Bowser’s forces will reach her!”

“Not until the Elements of Harmony are gathered, at least,” Kammy corrected. “Bowser already knows of the Elements and of your quest to find them. We’ve already been to Canterlot and had no success in entering either. Doesn’t matter… Princess Peach can’t escape the city, and eventually the Elements will have to be gathered. You revealing to me the next location will allow me to inform King Bowser where to go next… I must inform him right away, so I’m afraid I can’t dispose of you right now. But I know someone who can, at the very least, allow me a head start.” She then zapped the ground, summoning a massive purple Clubba with orange hair, a spiky purple shell with a light blue patch on his chest.

“Huh? What am I doing here?” the large Clubba asked aloud. He then turned to see Mario, and gasped. “What the… MARIO!? What are you doing here!? And where IS here!?”

“I’m sure you’re familiar with Tubba Blubba?” Kammy asked with a mischievous smirk. “You two play nice, now… he’s a lot tougher than before.”

“Wait a minute,” Tubba Blubba asked Kammy. “Let me get this straight. You magically warped me who knows where right in the middle of a nap… just to fight Mario.”

“…Yes.”

“…You know, normally, I’d say no right away,” the Clubba replied. “I mean, last time I fought Mario, he beat me up really bad and had the ghosts chase me again… but now? Well, I’m angry that I’ve been dragged into this!” Turning to Mario as Kammy flew away, he said, “Mario! Prepare for pain!”

With that, Tubba Blubba charged, with the four barely able to dodge. Spike quickly Tattled on the big brute. “Okay, so this guy is Tubba Blubba, a powerful Clubba from the Forever Forest region in the Mushroom Kingdom. He was once one of Bowser’s prime lieutenants, now is a massive crybaby who hides in his old castle.”

“Hey!” Tubba Blubba scowled at the Dragon. “I’m actually a sensitive guy trapped in a massive body!”

“I’m just reading what the letter says!” Spike defended himself. “Seriously, this isn’t Princess Celestia’s style of writing… I think its Princess Daisy’s.”

“It’s still offensive!”

“Anyway,” Spike responded, “Tubba Blubba is a powerhouse, despite the whole… ‘sensitive guy’ thing. Not only can he Ground Pound us right into a Confused state, but he can also slap us around with his large hands and ram all of us. …Wait, what’s this about his Heart? If we damage his body enough, we can knock his Heart out and IT will attack one of us with an energy attack on top of ramming somepony before eventually retreating to Tubba’s body. Well, we have to beat that Heart, then, to defeat Tubba Blubba once and for all.”

“Somehow, I KNEW that would be the case,” Mario sighed before utilizing his new Super Hammer’s Spin Hammer technique, knocking Tubba Blubba back. Boomregard attacked with his Boomerang Toss and Diggsie her Pounce. Tubba Blubba countered that by charging, hitting all four of them. After getting up in great pain, Spike used his Dragon’s Ember to set Tubba Blubba aflame before Mario took his body down with a Power Bounce. When the large Clubba fell onto his back, he suddenly inhaled before spitting out a red Heart with beady yellow eyes staring at them.

“Uh-oh… it’s you!” the Heart spoke up to Mario. “Well, I’m not going to let you get the best of me again! Prepare to become a snack, Mario!”

The heart then began beating rapidly, glowing as it became wrapped in a bright aura. Diggsie turned to Mario, and asked, “Uh is this energy attack? I can help dodge it.” After Mario, Spike, and Boomregard each struck the Heart, Diggsie dug again, hiding Mario and Spike. Boomregard somehow managed to block most of the Heart’s special attack, but it did a pretty good chunk of damage. When Diggsie hit the Heart with her Drill Upper, the group noticed the Boomerang Bro’s injuries.

“You’ve got to stop trying to tank these fights,” Spike remarked to him.

“Hey, someone’s got to do this,” Boomregard said as he held up his Boomerang and began to spin it in his hands, causing an almost tornado effect around his Boomerang. When he threw it out, he hit the Heart with his Windy Toss, dazing it, allowing the group to get in a few extra attacks in before the Heart quickly jumped back into Tubba Blubba, healing his body up.

“Okay, time for another round!” Tubba grinned.

“Ugh, this annoying,” Diggsie groaned.

“Diggsie,” Mario said, “maybe it’s time for your new move.”

“You mean new Special Move? Can do!”

“Actually, just use your Boulder Barricade,” Mario replied. “We could use the defense.”

“Okay, fine,” Diggsie said before burrowing underground and tossing out boulders that surrounded her allies and herself, although Spike’s cracked a little.

The boulders endured Tubba’s next round of attacks for them, allowing the group to knock the Heart right out of Tubba Blubba. Spike used his Dragon’s Ember to set the heart aflame, making an obvious joke before Mario used his Power Bounce on the muscle, which rammed into Diggsie in response to the attacks, breaking her barricade. However, the following attacks were too much for the Heart, which collapsed on Tubba Blubba. It was over.

“Man, what a fight!” Spike sighed after they dusted themselves off. The Heart sprang up and hopped back into Tubba Blubba, who had tears in his eyes.

“WAAAAA!” the large Clubba cried. “I didn’t want to fight again… and now, I don’t even know where I am!” He then ran away from the farm, leaving four stunned people in his wake.

“…Mama-mia,” Mario groaned again. “Bowser is definitely involved, knows about the Elements, and thanks to this distraction, is ahead of us. We can’t waste anymore time here.”

“I suppose,” Spike shrugged. “If we’re ready to go, we should head to the southwest field. By the way, Mario, on our way, can you tell me about this Bowser guy? You make him sound like he’s bad news.”

“Bowser’s my arch nemesis,” Mario simplified. “He’s also known as King Koopa. An evil brute, Bowser and I have been enemies since we were both babies, and I had to be carried around by Yoshi's ancestors, then my future self, then Luigi and I went to the Real World to grow up, then came back to the Mushroom Kingdom and our rivalry with Bowser really kicked off. He’s also kidnapped Peach almost on a regular basis, about the same amount of times I’ve beaten him. But despite the amount of wins I’ve chalked up against Bowser, he’s no pushover.”

“Well, we also have Colts of Nocturne as well,” Diggsie mused. “Both sides after Elements… let’s hope they don’t team up.”

“Doubt it,” Mario replied. “Bowser hates anyone who gets in the way of him kidnapping Peach… and the power of the Elements is way too tempting to him to want to share. And even if Sirius is more cooperative with others, his henchmen Night Fortune and Carbon don't seem to get along very well. We’re going to be fighting both Bowser and Sirius, but they’ll be just as against each other as they are against us.”

“Darn,” Spike sighed. “Well, let’s go.” The group walked over to the southwest field, where Granny Smith unlocked the gate while Big Macintosh stood hitched to a huge cart full of barrels and buckets of apple products with room to spare.

“There ya’ll are,” Granny waved them over. “It sounded like some sort o’ commotion happened in front o’ the barn. Ya’ll okay?”

“We’ll be fine,” Mario nodded. "But if you see a giant, crying Clubba, inform the police."

"...What."

"It's a long story," Mario commented. "Anyways, we should get going, now."

“Well, if ya’ll are ready, hop onto the cart. Big Mac, ya have room fer ’em in there?”

“Eeyup,” the red stallion said. “Ah’ll git ya to Whitetail Woods, Mr. Mario. Ya ready to go?”

“Let’s-a-go!” the plumber nodded before jumping onto the cart and sitting next to a barrel. The others climbed into the cart as well. “Uh, by the way, are you sure you can carry all of us and this cart?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh nodded before beginning to trot. Sure enough, the cart began to move. However, as they began to roll, three small fillies began running towards the cart.

“WAAIITTT, BIG MACCC!” Apple Bloom called as she, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo galloped as fast as their little legs could carry them. Soon enough, the trio of fillies jumped on, landing next to Diggsie and Boomregard.

“What are you three doing here?” Spike questioned.

“You’re going to Los Pegasus, right?” Scootaloo asked. “Well, we are, too!”

“Don’t you girls have school?” Mario asked.

“It’s a three-day weekend,” Sweetie Belle answered. “And besides, we want to see if we can see the movie shoot for Daring Do! If we get autographs, Rarity, Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash will be impressed when you rescue them!”

“An’ Miss Goombella told us yer goin’ after the Colts o’ Nocturne,” Apple Bloom added. “Their leader’s gonna be there, right? Well, we were thinkin’… if the shop don’t work out, maybe our Cutie Marks are in bad guy catchin’! That way, we can find our sisters an’ save the world!”

“Girls,” Mario replied, “Sirius Nebula defeated Spike and I in seconds when he was at full strength. Even if he’s barely able to walk around, he’s still a powerful Unicorn. You should leave getting the Element to us.” He noticed the wagon was not stopping. “Uh, Big Macintosh? Shouldn’t you turn this wagon around?”

“Eenope,” Big Macintosh replied. “Somethin’ ya ought to know ’bout mah little sisters… they’re stubborn. Mean well, but they’re stubborn. ’Sides, this is the Cutie Mark Crusaders yer talkin’ ’bout. They’ll git to Los Pegasus eventually. This way, they at least have an adult with ’em.” As the wagon pulled towards the Whitetail Woods, Mario looked at the three little smiles looking up at him. He shook his head, hoping they would not be any trouble.

Author's Note

And we're back! This author's note shall be a short one.

1) So, as you all saw in these parts, Trixie and Filthy Rich are on the scene. Now, I find Trixie one of the most complicated characters to write for whenever she's a major character. I mean, whenever she's a main character, she's usually portrayed as either an overly sympathetic Woobie character that the Mane Six or others go out of their way to help, or an unlikeable jerk. It's stuff like Trixie's difficult-to-get-right characterization that makes me realize canon characters would be a bad idea as Mario's partners... sans Spike, because he is actually one of the closest characters to the Mane Six and would have the strongest reason to attempt to save them all. Therefore, Trixie is now a bundle up of Paper Mario 1's Merlon and other members of his family... particularly the one who does the fortune telling. Oh, and she has the other Transfer Chest so when we're playing as the Bearers, they can drop off items to Mario via her. She's useful!

Moving on! Filthy Rich, why are you so fun? Too bad Diamond Tiara is so bratty... but her father's nice. You know, I bet his shop has some of the best buyable items in Ponyville much later in the game. At least, until you're able to access Canterlot again (which would reasonably have the best shops in the game).

Tubba Blubba boss fight? Well, why not? I felt a classic boss from the original Paper Mario should return besides just the Koopa Bros. (don't worry, we'll fight them), and Tubba Blubba was the first one that came to mind. Besides Jr. Troopa and General Guy, but I have plans for those two.

2) So, there's not really much I can go over for locations other than the Schoolhouse was to show that Goombella is in fact working for Cheerilee. But, if you guys really want something, I suppose I should talk about our next chapter location.

Los Pegasus. Of all of the places I could have picked, you're probably wondering why a parody of Los Angeles meets Los Vegas? Wait, did I go over this? Maybe, maybe not. But still, Los Pegasus was only briefly mention in "It's About Time", and we know for a fact that movies are made in the FiMverse. So, going to explore the movies is a great idea for a Paper Mario story... nowhere near as scary as Gusty Gulch and Tubba Blubba, or awesome as wrestling in the Glitz Pit, or as nostalgic as Super Paper Mario's Bitlands, but hey! Movies! And WALUIGI TIME! WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

...Yes, Waluigi and Wario will make cameos, now anyone who asked, you're welcome.

3) You know, I'm actually kind of getting tired of explaining a lot of things. So, tell you what. If I get a constantly repeated question about why something is the way it is and I can properly justify it, that's what section 3 is going to be from now on.

Now before I go, let me ask if anyone here can figure out what the next partner is going to be? The only hint I can give is that he (and it is going to be male) can be anywhere, anything, or even anyONE. Think happy thoughts for this one and he'll be happy, too.

See you all, later!

Chapter 3 Part 1

Chapter 3: “Daring Do, the Gentlecolt and the Illusionist”

-MARIO-

Whitetail Woods

“And that’s how Luigi and I saved the Pi’illos, Peach, and the Dream World from Bowser… and Antasma,” Mario finished his story. “Mama-mia, this is kind of the reason I hate going on vacations with Peach… the world always ends up being in trouble and I spend more time saving the world and Princess Peach than enjoying my vacation. This is one of those moments.”

“I could have used a Dreamy Luigi when we went camping with Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo sighed. “Or a bunch of them… your brother sounds cool.”

“I know how you girls feel,” Mario agreed. “I miss my sibling, too.”

“Oh, here we are!” Apple Bloom cheered as they reached a clearing in the forest. Mario looked up from his relaxing seat to see that the yellow Earth Pony was right that they were in a forest. It was much brighter than the darkness of the Everfree. That was good, at least.

“So, Spike, any interesting stories about this place?” Diggsie asked. “You know, to pass time?”

“All I have is the Annual Running of the Leaves,” Spike said. “The main route for the race passes through here every autumn, causing the leaves to fall. Turning to Mario, he asked, “Mario, what do you guys do to change seasons in the Mushroom Kingdom? Any cool race or joint effort?”

“Uh, change seasons?” the plumber asked.

“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle added. “Equestria’s seasonal changes are pony-powered! I bet you guys do some super cool events!”

“…Uh, our seasons come and go in a cycle,” Mario said. “Nothing really special happens. Nature just takes its course.” Soon enough, the wagon stopped. “Uh, Big Macintosh? What’s wrong?”

“Road’s blocked,” the red Earth Pony answered. Mario’s group plus the Cutie Mark Crusaders all looked up to see the giant yellow block in the middle of the river right where a large portion of the bridge should have been… and an odd sight on top of it. A large blue and pinked striped conch shell was sitting on top of the block, with a fishing rod sticking out of its opening and the lure in the water.

“Aw phooey!” Apple Bloom scowled. “We got to git to Los Pegasus! Applejack’s kidnapper is there!”

“Yeah!” Scootaloo agreed. “Sirius will pay big time for kidnapping Rainbow Dash!”

“Don’t forget Rarity!” Sweetie added. “I know Spike won’t!”

“Hold on, gals,” Boomregard said as Mario and he climbed out of the cart. “Ah’m sure we can git this fixed.” Turning to Diggsie as she and Spike joined them, he said, “So, ya wanna use yer sniffer to find us a tunnel so we can git ’cross?”

“Wagon’s too big,” Diggsie said. “Can barely fit you guys underground.” Looking at the other side of the river, she noticed a large boulder. “If only we could move that into water… maybe make temporary platform so we get near block?”

“What I want to know is who put a large shell on that block,” Spike said as the three fillies climbed out, deciding to relax.

“Ah’ll git it,” Boomregard said, tracing a path up to the shell in his mind. He then tossed out his Boomerang, knocking the shell, fishing pole and all, into the river. Soon enough, the shell shot out of the water, a Nibbler biting on it, before landing in front of the group.

“OW! OW! OWWWWWWWWWWWW~!” a male voice spoke up, the shell hoping up and down. Soon enough, the Shell stood up, revealing that it was a Noki. This male Noki had a pair of glasses over his freckled face, a bucket hat shaped shell on his head, and a necklace with a green fish on it. He then shooed off the Nibbler, allowing it to splash into the water. “Oh man… I must have fallen asleep AGAIN! I knew fishing was relaxing, but to get pulled into the water because I fell asleep? Oh, silly Noah!”

“…Uh, hi?” Spike asked. “Mario, do you have any idea what this guy is? I mean, he’s clearly not from Equestria…”

“Oh, cool, a talking baby Dragon!” the Noki gasped. “Wait… Mario?” He then looked at the plumber. “Hey! I know you! I had cousins from Noki Bay you helped save! Thanks for that, by the way.”

“Noki Bay?” Sweetie Belle asked. “You mean you’re one of those rare Noki creatures Miss Goombella taught us about? There aren’t too many who come out of Isle Delfino… and Dad’s been there.”

“Yep,” the Noki smiled. “My name’s Noah, little filly! But… what brings Mario all of the way out here to Equestria? No offense to the ponies, but this isn’t a huge place for fishing.”

“None taken,” Scootaloo replied. “It’s not too easy getting a fishing Cutie Mark.”

“It’s a long story,” Mario told him. “But what are you doing here?”

“Trying new fishing spots, with minimal success,” Noah answered. “I’m tempted to head back to my house in Baltimare Bay. At least the fish bite there. Anyways, I better sink down and get my rod back. It’s kind of funny how easy it is to fall asleep here… well, better here than the thicker part of the woods. What with that weird, unnatural fog that makes the path nearly impossible to see the trail…”

“Wait, fog?” Mario asked. “Kammy Koopa… a fog? Really?”

“Anyways, better sink down…”

“Wait!” Spike yelled. “Um, Noah, right? We need to go deeper into Whitetail Woods. Do you have any idea how we can get rid of this block without falling into the water?”

“Oh, the block,” Noah realized. “Yeah, totally. I’ll be a temporary platform for you in the water. My shell’s sturdy enough to endure a jump. You can jump to the other side… but I can’t help you move that boulder into the water. You’d probably need the strength of a Giant Ant to move it. If you’re going into that fog, be careful. Monsters could be hiding in there.”

“Thanks for the advice,” the plumber said before Noah jumped into the water. Mario then hopped off of his shell before landing on another rock, eventually jumping to the other side. Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie all did the same.

“Whoowee, Mr. Mario!” Apple Bloom cheered. “Yer a natural at that jumpin’ stuff. Ya ever try out fer a rodeo?”

“No, but I’ve had years of experience being a Jumpman,” Mario chuckled.

“Are you guys going to be okay over there?” Spike called over. “We’ll go see if we can find something to move that rock and be right back!”

“We’ll be fine,” Sweetie Belle promised. “We have Apple Bloom’s big brother with us! Right, Big Macintosh?”

“Eeyup,” the red Earth Pony nodded.

“Don’t take too long!” Scootaloo told them.

Mario’s group ventured deeper into the Whitetail Woods, where they encountered creatures like Gloombas, Spiked Gloombas, Paragloombas, Ruff Puffs, and new enemies such as Parasprites, Fruit Bats, and Waddlewings (which Spike Tattled on to reveal they throw acorns and can dive bomb foes while in the air). They soon reached a foggy area just like Noah warned them about, where they began to encounter the poisonous, leaf covered enemies known as Monster Bushes. As they went deeper into the fog, Spike scowled.

“That Noah guy was right,” the Dragon mused. “I doubt that this fog was scheduled for today in Whitetail Woods, and I doubt this is a natural one…”

“It hard to see,” Diggsie said. “Mario, do you still have Lantern that nice Donkey lady gave you? Could use to see, even in tough weather…”

“Oh, right,” Mario remembered. The plumber pulled out the Lantern, allowing them a light source in the dense fog. The group trekked their way through it, coming onto a large boulder in the path similar to the one back at the beginning of the main trail. However, there was a large gray chest sitting next to it.

"Hello?” the chest spoke up in a deep masculine voice. “Is there anypony out there? I don’t know how long it’s been… it’s kind of cramped in here.”

“Uh, are mah ears playin’ tricks on me, or is that there chest talkin’?” Boomregard asked.

“Oh praise Celestia and Luna!” the chest cheered. “Somepony is finally answering me! Okay, don’t freak out… you are not hearing things. There is, in fact, a pony in this Cursed Chest.”

“Wait, why Cursed Chest?” Diggsie asked. “Why not Locked Treasure Chest?”

“Another Cursed Chest,” Spike realized. “Just like Wildfire in the San Palomino Desert…”

“You already rescued Wildfire!?” the chest asked. Soon enough, a bunch of fog blew out of the keyhole to the Chest. “OH COME ON! SHE GETS SAVED FIRST, AND SHE’S PROBABLY NOT EVEN LOOKING FOR ME! …Perhaps she’s looking for her ex, Arctic. Or maybe Arctic’s brother. If she’s making up for neglecting Rain’s feelings for her…”

“Uh, I’d hate to interrupt this VERY interesting rant,” Mario said, “but you’re one of the Papergami Ninja defeated by the Colts of Nocturne, right?”

“Yes,” the male pony inside the Chest said aloud. “My name is Heavy Cloud, master of clouds and stealth expert of the Papergami Clan. And yes, before you ask, I’m the one responsible for this fog lately. You see, a bunch of ponies found my chest and began dragging it through this forest while I fell asleep, and when I woke up to beg for their help, they got scared and dumped me here! And then there was the fact that they left the stupid key to break the seal of this chest at some Rock Farm halfway across the country!”

“What a coincidence!” Diggsie spoke up. “I happen to use to work at Rock Farm halfway across country! And we happen to find Key Mr. Pie had no use for!”

“…Are you serious?”

“Yep!”

“…She’s awfully energetic,” the stallion inside the chest pointed out. “Well, what the hoof are you all waiting for!? If you already have the key, don’t just sit here! Open this chest up! I promise to aid you!”

“Okay!” Diggsie smiled, taking the key from Mario before he could speak reason into her, and placed the key in the chest. Soon enough, the force of the entire fog blowing away knocked Diggsie back into the others, but left the Whitetail Woods cleared up, and revealed a Florie’s Root in the branches of a dead tree.

“Wait a minute,” the Florie’s Root asked, “what happened to the fog? Oh no, I’m exposed out here! What if that mustached man that has been going around capturing Flories finds me?”

When the four got back up, they saw the large Chest had turned black, and opened up, revealing a large gray ant crawling out. It then folded away to reveal a large male Pegasus with dark gray fur under a white jumpsuit. He had an equally white mane and tail.

“We are well met, travelers,” Heavy Cloud bowed to them. “I am in your debt.”

“Never had a ninja in mah debt as far as Ah can remember,” Boomregard commented. “So, this Arctic guy… he stuffed ya in that there box, right?”

“Yes,” Heavy Cloud nodded. “But enough about him. What happened to the others?”

“We have only saved Wildfire and now you,” Mario explained. “You see, if you guys also oppose Arctic and Sirius, I think we can work together. Too bad we can’t go further into Whitetail Woods with this boulder in the way. My Super Hammer can’t do anything about large boulders …”

“…Perhaps the strength of Ant Form will move this,” Heavy Cloud mused. “Do you know Papergami?”

“Yes,” Mario said before getting into the starting position. Heavy Cloud followed him.

“I see that you are an expert. Okay, remember this fold, traveler, and embrace the strength of Ants…” Soon enough, his fold turned him into a giant ant, which Mario and the others copied. Five ants were in the large clearing. “While in Ant Form, your strength will be multiplied by fifty times! You will be able to lift most heavy objects by pressing B near them… such as giant boulders. Also, you will be able to carry them while moving, as long as your stamina can hold on. I bet whatever skill Wildfire taught you didn’t have that!”

“Uh no, she didn’t,” Spike replied. “She did teach us how to walk over quicksand, squeeze through tight spaces, and oink.”

“…Just try out your new ability near the rock there,” Heavy Cloud told him. “Remember, it’s a Press of the B Button to lift heavy objects.” Mario walked over to the rock, and then grabbed it with his antlike forelegs… and pulled it up with ease.

“Wow!” the plumber cheered. “Uh, how do I put the rock down?”

“Well, if you’re placing an object, you can hit B again to simply drop it. But, if you’re going to be so bold as to toss it… Press the X Button!” Mario then tossed the rock, causing it to shatter into pieces. “Oh, one more thing before popping back to normal. You WILL have a stamina meter for this ability while carrying something, similar to using Paper Mode. As you move, your stamina with steadily drop over a period of time— the larger the object, the quicker your Stamina will dry up before you take one Heart Point of damage and drop the object automatically. It helps if you start with small objects, or try to have resting periods between lifting instead of trying to see how fast you can do it.”

“I see,” the plumber-turned-ant nodded. “So, what, can we pop back to normal with this so-called A Button?”

“I suppose,” Heavy Cloud shrugged before popping back to normal. Mario’s group did the same. “You have saved two of us now, travelers. Anyways, the fog is now cleared up, and you can continue deeper into the forest… I hope we see each other again!”

“So, what are you going to do now?” Spike asked. “I mean, Wildfire went to go train…”

“Hm,” the large stallion thought. “I suppose I’ll go do that, myself. That way, when I do see Arctic, I will be able to tear him in half with my bare hooves.”

“That’s awfully harsh, ain’t it?” Boomregard said. “Ah don’t know what went down with ya an’ that other guy, but…”

“Arctic was always dangerous,” Heavy Cloud replied. “He has secrets about our clan, and in our enemies’ hooves, they leave our clan vulnerable. I have no doubt that my people are in jeopardy… including my younger sister. She was another who he wooed off of her hooves. Anyways, I should go. Good luck, travelers… and be on the lookout for our three remaining companions if you can.” The Pegasus flew away, leaving Mario’s group alone.

“So, let’s-a go,” Mario said after a moment, turning back to the way they came. “I hate backtracking…”

“Wait,” Boomregard said, pointing to the Florie’s Root. “Alright, ya have two options. Door one, jump down here an’ surrender. Door two, Mario, Spike, or Ah git ya down.”

“…Oh no,” the Florie’s Root realized. “You’re the ones who have been interfering, aren’t you!? Well, I’m sure you all can’t stop our plans…”

“Ah don’t suggest ya go there,” Boomregard warned. “Ah mean, we’ve been gatherin’ a lot of yer kind, an’ Ah have a Boomerang.”

“…Oh the heck with this,” the Florie’s Root muttered. She then jumped out of the tree, into Spike’s claws. “I hate you people.”

“Don’t worry, we’ve gotten frustrated finding you too,” Spike said before bopping her on the head and stuffing her away. “Now, let’s go back to the others.

One backtracking later…

By the time Mario’s group returned to Big Macintosh and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the three fillies had set up what appeared to be a lemonade stand… with Badges. Noah, meanwhile, was now fishing on the opposite side of the river, Big Macintosh sitting next to him.

“…Uh, what are they doing?” Spike whispered.

“We’ll find out in a minute,” Mario said before turning into Ant Form. He lifted the boulder up before dropping it into the river, making a platform in the water, but revealing a hole in the ground.

“AH! FINALLY!” a voice spoke up. Soon enough, a massive yellow Wiggler crawled out, shocking the four out of their Ant Forms. “Hello, there! Did you guys move that boulder in Wiggler’s path?”

“Wait, you were under there?” Diggsie asked. “Didn’t smell you…”

“Yes, Wiggler’s home is underground, Miss!” the Wiggler smiled in a cheerful nature. “Wiggler moved to Whitetail Woods when Wiggler heard how lovely Equestria is… Earth Ponies know their flowers! But then this Magikoopa lady showed up and dropped a block on the bridge, causing boulder to fall down from nowhere. It trapped Wiggler underground!”

“Ooh, that’s harsh, Mr. Wiggler,” Sweetie Belle commented.

“Aw, little ponies!” the Wiggler smiled at the three fillies. “They’re so adorable…”

“Uh, I hate to interrupt, but we should fix the bridge,” Spike pointed out. Mario, now able to reach the block, twisted back before using his Spin Hammer to break it, causing the bridge to pop out of the water, making the river crossable.

“Alright, we can go!” Apple Bloom smiled. The smile turned into a frown. “Too bad we have to close up our new shop minutes after we set it up…”

“Wait, shop?” the Wiggler asked. He then crossed over the bridge, curiously looking at the little stand. “You’re opening a shop here in Whitetail Woods? Don’t you know this location is dangerous?”

“Well, sorta,” Apple Bloom answered. “This here’s probably the safest part o’ Whitetail Woods with all the creatures ’bout, but we wanted to help out Sweetie Belle’s pa with his Badge Shop.”

“You see, Mr. Wiggler,” Scootaloo explained, “we figured other ponies will be adventuring here, and could use a Badge or two that Sweetie’s Dad doesn’t have room for in the normal store. So, we’ve been figuring out how to advertise by figuring out where to put up stands. Also, for about 10 Mushroom Coins, we’d offer Apple Juice to refresh HP, 5 Coins for Sweet Tea to refresh FP, or 15 Coins for Lemonade to refresh both… We can’t do anything about Element Power, yet.”

“The problem, though, is that we don’t have enough hooves to work these stores,” Sweetie Belle replied. “We’re only grade school fillies, after all, and it’s just the three of us plus Mom and Dad…”

“Aw, you poor things,” the Wiggler gasped. “Hm… perhaps Wiggler can help! Wiggler has family all over Equestria! Wiggler is sure they can help you run your shops… just as long as your locations aren’t too scary.”

“Really?” Apple Bloom asked. “Yeehaw! Thank you Mr. Wiggler!”

“No problem,” Wiggler smiled. “Who does Wiggler have to go see to work this idea?”

“Talk to a Mr. Magnum at Carousel Boutique in Ponyville,” Scootaloo explained. “You can’t miss it!”

“Okay,” the Wiggler nodded. “Be careful, girls!” The Wiggler reared up to go—

“Hey, Mr. Wiggler,” Noah spoke up, “can I hitch a ride with you back to Ponyville? I’m going to hang out in town for a bit before setting off to Baltimare.”

“Sure!” the Wiggler smiled. “Hop on!” The Noki jumped on, before Wiggler took off.

“Well, there they go,” Diggsie said aloud. “Hey, I smell another Florie’s Root in his home.”

“AAAH! HOW DO THEY KEEP FINDING US!?”

“Mario, if ya need any Badges, we’re here fer ya,” Apple Bloom said. “If ya wanna move on, talk to Big Macintosh. We’ll close up fer now an’ head through the woods.” Mario decided to humor the girls and buy Lemonade for the party (considering they needed it). He also looked at the Badges they had in stock, which included Sound FX M (which made a sound of a mouse), Sleepy Stomp, and Hoof Guard P (which reduced damage from pony enemies for Mario’s partners). Inside the Wiggler’s home was indeed a Florie’s Root, which Spike collected after Mario conked the weed on the head. There was also a huge bed for the Wiggler, and a picture of multiple Wigglers. Yeah, the guy had a huge family.

After using a convenient spring to exit the Wiggler’s home, Mario’s group approached Big Macintosh. “Ready to go?” the red stallion asked.

“Eeyup,” Spike nodded before hopping in. The three Cutie Mark Crusaders joined the group before the wagon headed deeper into the forest, past where Mario learned Ant Form. The wagon soon arrived at a waterfall, where a group of Griffins were roaming. One of the Griffins spotted their cart, and three of them flew in front of Big Macintosh.

“And where do ya think you’re going with those yummy goods?” one of the Griffins asked the stallion, who did not flinch.

“Apple delivery,” Big Macintosh answered in a calm tone, unhitching himself from the wagon. “We’re gonna need to move through here, fellers.”

“Aw, really?” another Griffin asked. “Well, we’re in the mood for fruit… or pony, if you want to play that game!”

“Or ya could just git out o’ the way an’ save yerselves the trouble,” Apple Bloom warned from the safety of the wagon. “Ya’ll don’t wanna see Big Macintosh take off his yoke. Bad things tend to happen to jerks when mah big brother takes off his yoke…”

“Aw, isn’t that adorable?” the first Griffin asked, looking at the three fillies. “The big, bad, stallion is taking his sister and her friends on a hay bale ride, but replacing the hay with apples… those girls are so cute, I could just eat them up!”

“Can we please just git to the battle part?” Boomregard scowled to Mario, Spike, and Diggsie. “Ah mean, really…”

“…Big Macintosh, ya have mah permission to take yer yoke off,” Apple Bloom said aloud. The red stallion shrugged off the massive yoke, which shook the forest while Mario’s group jumped out of the wagon. Before they could even join in the fray, Big Macintosh moved at the speed of a Blue Shell in certain go-kart tournaments… which, in layman’s terms, was pretty fast. He was also just as devastating. Mario WOULD have felt bad for the Griffins, but four more approached his party.

“Spike, I believe you’re on?” the plumber said.

“These guys are Griffins,” the Dragon began his Tattle. “Part lion, part eagle, all awesomely dangerous. Griffins are fierce combatants. It’s usually wise to run if you ever find yourself outnumbered by these guys, but if you want to fight them… they can take to the air at anytime. But keeping them grounded is much harder than Pegasus type enemies since they can get back up the next turn. They can strike us with their front talons or nip and peck at us with their beaks. Or for one turn, they can pick up one of us and throw us into one of our allies the next. Knocking them out of the air is the key to stopping their airborne tricks!”

“Or we could finally put Diggsie’s new special attack to good use,” Mario suggested.

“FINALLY!” the Diamond Dog cheered in joy. She and Mario both touched the Element, and yelled, “FAITHFUL STORM!”

“How is a storm faithful?” Boomregard asked the Dragon next to him, as Diggsie threw Mario upwards, where a Lakitu with a fishing pole happened to catch him by the hem of his pants.

“At this point, I’ve given up on making sense as to how any of the Elements of Harmony work when they’re not all together,” Spike told the Boomerang Bro. “Keep in mind that the Elements never had an opportunity to act separately and are most useful when together, so I figured just to accept it.”

“Makes some sense, Ah reckon,” Boomregard agreed.

Mario got his Hammer out, ready to go as Diggsie burrowed underground. Soon enough, massive stone lightning bolts just fell from the sky, planting themselves in the ground. Except these were labeled with buttons and arrows in no particular order. Soon enough, Diggsie smacked a bolt up from underground, to which Mario slammed his Hammer down on it with the Lakitu guiding him, causing the bolt to hit one of the four Griffins. The two worked together to rain the powerful attack on the Griffins, KO’ing two, doing significant damage to a third, and causing a third to Stop in a painful pose. Boomregard’s Wild Arc took care of the Stopped one, but it left the third to claw Mario. But he was taken down easily.

By the time the group had taken care of their Griffins, Big Macintosh walked back to the cart with his yoke on, his Griffins taken down already. Spike and Mario gapped in awe. “This always happens when mah brother takes off his yoke to deal wit’ jerks,” Apple Bloom commented.

“…I can see why Granny Smith was willing to lend us your service if you weren’t so busy,” Mario commented.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh nodded. “Shall we git goin’ ’fore more o’ ’em show up?”

“Yeah, we should,” Boomregard nodded. “Still, someone oughta make sure the road’s cleared.” Using Pig Form and Diggsie’s digging power, Mario’s group managed to do just that, clearing the road to Los Pegasus in no time (and also battling enemies).

Los Pegasus— Town

The city was amazing. As Big Macintosh pulled the wagon into it, Mario had to admit he had not expected to see a more modern city in Equestria’s borders. In fact, if Mario had not known any better, he would have said the town looks a lot like Glitzville… if it was on the ground, about three times the size, and had movies and casinos instead of wrestling as its main attraction.

The plumber realized looking at the town that he had a lot of ground to cover.

“So what’s our first move now that we’re here, Mr. Mario?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, I was thinking my group would try to search the city for the first authority figure, ask if they have seen a comet or something similar fall out of the sky in the past week or so, and then figure out where to go next,” the plumber said. “It’s worked twice, now.”

“…Ya know, that pretty much is how we met,” Boomregard recalled. “But if it ain’t broken, no need to fix it.”

“Can we help?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Actually, I was thinking you girls could stay with Big Macintosh for his delivery,” Spike said. “Maybe you could ask anypony while you’re there. You know spread out, but not too far from each other.”

“That’s kinda helpin’,” Apple Bloom shrugged. “Ya okay wit’ that, Big Macintosh?”

“Eeyup,” the stallion nodded. “We’ll catch up with ya later. Good luck, ya’ll.” Big Macintosh began walking alongside the Cutie Mark Crusaders, leaving Mario’s group alone.

“Well, that takes care of that problem,” Mario said. “So, let’s-a-go.”

“Not to point out dumb move,” Diggsie asked, “but didn’t e-mail say something about Applewood Studios and that being a good spot to start looking?” All three males turned to the teenage Diamond Dog. “Just saying that easier than explaining same problem over and over again.”

“...I feel like an idiot,” Mario groaned.

“Me too,” Spike agreed.

“Still, we don’t know where in the hay Applewood Studios is,” Boomregard pointed out. “So we still need to go ask someone.”

Mario’s group reluctantly began strolling through town, talking to random citizens in search of directions. However, most of the people that were on the street were tourists who were just as lost as the adventurers. When they crossed over to the next block of the town, though, a shout startled them.

“HEY! WHAT’S YOUR DEAL, COPPERS!?” Mario’s group stopped to see a female Griffin being surrounded by what appeared to be police officer ponies. But one pony stood out from all of them. It was a male Earth Pony with dark blue fur, gray hooves, and a black mane and tail, both short. The stallion looked a little on the heavier side. His black mustache and matching beard were thick, almost establishing some dominance. His eyes were covered by sunglasses, making his dominant attitude almost standoffish. Hanging from his gray police uniform was a gray star badge, signaling that he was a sheriff. His Cutie Mark was a magnifying glass over a silver Power Star.

The stallion looked at the Griffin, shaking his head. “Don’t play dumb, Miss… I heard the stories that a group of Griffins were attacking ponies on the road. I’d like to ask you a few questions at Key Point.”

“No way! I’m not going to that place!” the Griffin scowled. “I didn’t do anything wrong! And I’d never be caught with those lameos!”

“Ma’am,” the sheriff scowled, “your refusal to cooperate makes you seem more suspicious than simply just answering the questions. It’ll only be an hour of your time, tops. Keep going with this, and I’ll run you in for disturbing the peace.”

“…Fine,” the Griffin scowled. “But this is a waste of Gilda Griffin’s time, donut boy!”

“The insults are not necessary,” the stallion said. “Two of you boys take her back to Key Point… I’ll catch up to you all in a moment.” He then turned towards Mario’s group, and strolled over to them while the Griffin (apparently Gilda) was escorted away.

“Uh, hello, officer,” Mario waved. “We’re looking for Applewood Studios… we need to go there…”

“Applewood Studios?” the officer asked. “I don’t think so, buddy.” Mario’s group looked at each other and then back at the sheriff.

“Is there a problem, sir?” Spike asked.

“Of course!” the sheriff said. “Do you think I’m going to let some group of strangers just waltz into this town’s main area of livelihood? Especially when they’re a Dragon, a human tourist, and a Diamond Dog?”

“At least he didn’t mention the Boomerang Bro—” Boomregard began.

“Well I wasn’t going to,” the sheriff spoke up, “but you look mighty suspicious, too, buddy!”

“Dang it.”

“Okay, we get it,” Diggsie commented. “We look out of ordinary in pony-based community. So, out of curiosity, why you come talk to us?”

“To ask what the four of you are doing walking on Sheriff Book Key’s street,” the sheriff answered. “And now that I know you’re planning to go to Applewood Studios, I have to ask what you plan to do in Applewood Studios?”

Mario’s group all looked at each other, nervous. Spike turned back to Book Key, and began, “Well—”

“OH, THERE YOU ARE, SPIKE!” a female voice spoke up. Mario’s group and Book Key all looked to see a Unicorn mare with an odd resemblance to Twilight Sparkle. Except this mare had a few key differences: she was older but had a youthful expression, had white fur, a purple and white stripped mane and tail, and three purple stars. The baby Dragon gasped as he looked at the mare. “So, these are your new friends you’ve written to me about?”

“…What?” Boomregard asked. “Uh, ma’am—”

She walked towards Boomregard, and whispered, “(Play along, I’m trying to help.)” Turning to Spike, she said aloud, “So, aren’t you going to introduce me at last?”

“Oh, hi, Mrs. Sparkle!” Spike waved. “Mario, Boomregard, Diggsie, this is Twilight Sparkle’s mom, Twilight Velvet, but almost everypony calls her ‘Velvet’ or ‘Mrs. Sparkle’. She’s a writer…”

“And I’ve been asked to write for a certain movie,” Velvet continued.

“Wait a minute, Mrs. Sparkle,” Book Key spoke up. “You know this Dragon?”

“He’s my baby girl’s assistant, almost part of my family!” Velvet said, rubbing Spike’s spines (much to his embarrassment). “In fact, I asked Spikey-wikey here to help find some extras for it. Looks like he’s delivered, Sheriff Book Key! I’m sure Spikey-wikey and his friends mean no harm to you or Los Pegasus.”

“…I see,” Book Key said in an unconvinced tone. “Well, then, Mrs. Sparkle, I’ll leave these four in your hooves.” Turning to Mario, he warned, “But you better watch yourself, buddy. You’re one of the few humans here, so if something has your fingers on it, I’ll know where to start looking.” He then stormed away, his fellow officers following.

“…Whew,” Velvet smiled once she was certain Book Key was gone, “that was TOO close!” Turning to Spike, she frowned. “Now, why didn’t you tell me you were coming, little mister!? Honestly, you’ve inherited Twily’s bad habit of not writing to me.”

“Wait, you two legitimately know each other?” Mario asked. “Well, that’s… actually great.”

“Well, she IS Twilight’s Mom,” Spike pointed out. “Anyways, Mrs. Sparkle, I didn’t know you were here…”

“Oh, don’t worry too much about it,” Velvet waved off. “In fact, me catching you here is really convenient for my job! Now, how about we get you all to Applewood Studios? It’s to the northwest of here. Follow me… we can talk there.” With that, the mare began to lead them through the city, completely unaware of the blue Boo uncloaking in an alleyway, of the pirate Unicorn hanging out in a crowd with a shopping bag hanging with her magic, or the pink capped Koopa standing on the street.

Author's Note

For those of you wondering why I didn't update this in October, I had a serious issue I needed to discuss back on Fanfiction.net with another story, Sonic Chao Chronicles. It may not have ponies in it, but it has Chao... and they're as cute as ponies, right? Go read it!

Now that I'm done shamelessly plugging myself, time for adventure!

1) So, we have a few characters to talk about and very little time to do so. First up is Noah... has anyone else besides me noticed Nokis pretty much disappearing from the Mario series after Super Mario Sunshine? I mean, come on... Nokis were extemely helpful! Anyways, Noah's meant to be a laidback individual, though he gets into trouble at times.

Next, we have Heavy Cloud! I swear, I could have named anything that would be fog related. Anyways, he's the second Papergami Ninja we have saved... and he can turn into an ant! I was clearly bored when I thought of Ant Form! Well, that or lazy. I mean, Mario moving stuff... could have been anything, even thought of making either a Rhino or an Elephant Form. But I didn't want to use too many mammals when I had Pig Form already. And no, you can't just stop using Pig Form... Ant Form unfortunately cannot squeeze through tight spaces. It just lifts stuff.

Anyways, speaking of Bugs... Wigglers! You have a problem? Throw a Wiggler at it! Honestly, I did not want to make Wigglers an enemy type. We deal with them too much in Mario & Luigi. Anyways, I'm sure a lot of people would be annoyed that most of the Badges you can buy with Coins are in one location during the Paper Mario games, and you'd have to trek all of the way back there just to get a new Badge if you can't find the proper one. This really sucked for me in Chapters 4-7 of TTYD when at certain points you can't go back and buy Badges in the middle of the Chapter (especially 5 and 6 where you have to complete the Chapter to be able to return to Rogueport). Well, if you're like me and would rather have Badges for sale in convenient locations, Wiggler's family will now be running Badge Shops in those locations on behalf of Carousel Boutique! It's pretty much an anti-frustration feature is all.

So, after battling Griffins and parting ways with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we bump into a familar looking Griffin... don't worry, I have plans for her. Oh, and we also bump into an overly suspicious police officer. Luckily though, Twilight Velvet, better known as Twilight Sparkle's MOM, comes and saves the day! Hooray for mothers! Go hug yours the next time you see her!

...I'm sorry, I'm a momma's boy. But anyways, unfortunately, due to the lack of actual dialogue in canon, we have no idea what Twilight's family members besides Shining Armor and Cadance are like, forcing me to rely on back-up sources. Also, according to the comics, Twilight Velvet DID write at least one Daring Do book, so she probably knows the source material.

2) Whitetail Woods has changed from it's last appearance as a racetrack for the annual Running of the Leaves to start the fall! You know, I'm surprised the weather Pegasi don't just fly into the trees and shake them like Fluttershy to get the leaves off. Seems a lot easier to avoid missing trees that way. Anyways, we've never seen this place in the other times of the year. And also, it's never invaded by Bowser's minions before, either.

And Los Pegasus ususally does not have to worry about becoming a four-way battleground. Well, I'm feeling evil to this city. And not because of the fact that it's Los Angeles of Equestria, either... it's just because someone can set up the city as some type of publicity stunt! I mean, how many times can you say that you've witnessed a battle between pony sky pirates, evil Koopas, cultists worshipping Nightmare Moon, and a small team consisting of a plumber, a Dragon, a Boomerang Bro, and a Diamond Dog?

...Okay, it's easier to say I'm a jerk.

My jerkery aside, I hope you guys have fun with this chapter! Happy Thanksgiving for those who live in the U.S!

Chapter 3 Part 2

Applewood Studios

Applewood Studios: where almost every famous play, documentary, musical, or movie in Equestria is written, built, filmed, and produced. Mario’s group, briefly joined by Twilight Velvet herself, found themselves standing outside its massive gates. Several sets, trailers, and ponies who helped produce these shows were scattered throughout the large lot. Mario spotted what appeared to be a large movie theater on the scene as well while Velvet walked over to what appeared to be a security panel. Mario could not help but notice that the bars in the gate were practically thin enough for him to slip through in Paper Mode, as well as Diggsie looking at the ground, almost as if she could sense a tunnel. The only thing NOT preventing them from taking the two more obvious ways in was the gang of tough-looking business Piantas in black suits.

“Give me a minute, Mr. Mario,” Velvet said. “I just need to clear us by security.” She then had a Key Card float out of her person, and swiped it, causing the gates to open up. “Hi, gentlecolts.”

“Ma’am,” one of the Piantas spoke up, “I know this is how ponies greet each other regardless of race, but we’re still Piantas.”

“I know, but it’s a force of habit,” Velvet apologized. “Anyways, this baby Dragon is Spike, my daughter’s assistant. You don’t mind him and his friends entering do you? They’re with me.”

“I don’t mind,” the Pianta said. “But I ain’t sure the boss will.” He then placed a hand to his ear. “Hey, Boss… Mrs. Sparkle here has guests, one of them claiming to be an assistant of her daughter. Yeah, unannounced… but Mrs. Sparkle here is giving me the Chain Chomplet pout, ya knows I can’t take that. …Wait… SHE’S on her way? She saw the camera feeds and is floating down here? And you’re coming with her?”

Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie all looked at each other, confused. Mario then asked, “Um, who’s ‘she’?”

“MARIO?” a female voice interrupted. Mario then looked to see a familiar looking Wind Spirit floating towards him. “It’s been AGES since I’ve seen you, my mustachioed gentleman! And you have such cute little new friends!”

“…Flurrie?” Mario asked in shock.

“Madam Flurrie?” the Pianta guard spoke up. “You know him?”

“Know him?” Flurrie spoke up. “Of course I know him! I’ve traveled with Mario once.”

“So, do you know Goombella?” Spike spoke up.

“But of course, darling!” Flurrie smiled. “How is she in that little town? Ponyville? Oh heavens, if she had written ahead that you all might be coming, we probably wouldn’t have this scenario playing out.”

“Alright, alright,” a male voice spoke up. “So what’s the problem wit all o’ this?” A light blue skinned Pianta with a white business suit and a green grass skirt. “…MARIO!?”

“Wait a minute,” Mario spoke up. “Frankie!? You’re here, too?”

“It’s okay, boys, we can let these guys in,” Frankie said. The two guards backed away almost immediately.

“Well, this certainly speeds up this process!” Velvet smiled. “Thank you again, Mr. Frankie.”

“Not a problem, Mrs. S,” the Pianta nodded. “Thank your boss for choosing the Pianta Syndicate to help with security for this picture of yours. Oh, and Flurrie, too… wouldn’t have gotten with Francesca without her and Mario, here. Anyways, Mario, I’ll get to makin’ a pass for yous so yous don’t have to go through this here scenario all over again.”

“…Well, that saves time,” Diggsie said as they entered.

“Don’t mind those boys,” Frankie spoke up, “they’re new. Anyways, Mario, what brings ya to pony-land?”

“I’m curious as to what brings you out here, myself,” Flurrie spoke up. “I’ve been trying to keep my identity a secret to my fans from back at our part of the world, so you probably wouldn’t have known I was here.”

“Well,” Mario nervously commented, “I’ll tell you guys, but only in private so this doesn’t become a huge problem.”

“Well, it’ll have to wait until after today’s shoot,” Flurrie spoke up. “Now that Twilight Velvet is here, I’m sure Red Carpet and Green Screen will want to get started.”

“An’ the pun names keep comin’,” Boomregard commented. Flurrie laughed with him as Frankie walked away.

“I have to agree, Mr. Boomerang Bro,” the Wind Spirit said. “But it’s easy to remember. Mario, you have such exquisite company. Where do you keep finding these people?”

“In Canterlot before a party, in Appleloosa with no memory, and being held hostage underground by spiders who imitate gangsters,” Mario confessed.

After a bit of walking, Flurrie said, “We need to head to Set 7 for the shoot, today. Almost everyone is already there. Mario, would you care to join today’s shoot?”

“What?” Mario asked.

“…Hmm, now that I think about it,” Velvet confessed, “I DID recruit these folks and Spike as extras on the spot. Perhaps we can use the help for the movie.”

“The movie?” Spike recalled. “What movie?”

“The Daring Do reboot, of course,” Flurrie explained. “I’ve been casted as the villainous mistress of weather this younger Daring faces in her first adventure, Augustine.”

“And you have no problems with playing a villain?” Mario asked.

“Please, Mario, I’m an actress,” Flurrie smiled. “I’ve played mainly heroic roles, yes, but sometimes it’s fun to play against type.” Mario and Spike both shrugged. “Anyways, we’ve had a need for a bit of extra help for this movie.”

“So what’s this franchise about?” Mario asked.

Velvet explained, “Daring Do is the titular archeologist Pegasus in a series of action adventure novels. When I was just a filly in magic college, the series was just getting started. I was hooked on the first book, and it really helped my writing career. I even met my husband at one of the book signings. Eventually, it became popular enough to develop into an expanded universe that has been added to by many writers, and even the original film franchise.”

“Wow,” Mario commented. “And this series has been going on since your college days?”

“Yes, it has,” Velvet smiled. “Many fans, me included, have been drawn to the sense of brains, brawn, and beauty that Daring Do brings to the box office… which is why the mares who read her books want to be her, and the stallions want to be with her.”

“So, what brought about this here reboot if her stories sell so well?” Boomregard asked. “Ah mean, Ah can understand a fresh start to bring a character back into the spotlight, but it sounds like Miss Do doesn’t need any help stayin’ relevant.”

Velvet explained, “Well, part of the reason is that A.K. Yearling, the author of the books, has announced her retirement from the films as the lead actress.”

“A.K. Yearling!?” Spike asked, a massive grin on his face. “Twilight LOVES her work!” Realizing that she was retiring, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Miss Yearling says she’s getting ‘too old’ to do all of the mandatory stunts that come with being the character, and the last filming she was in resulted in an actual wing accident— not just the one that was in the first book of the main series— that nearly ended her career. It just wouldn’t be the same characterization of Daring without her as the main actress. Yearling, however, is kind enough to stay on set and help mentor our new Daring Do. She even approved of my script.”

“The author did her own stunts?” Spike asked. “Heh… Rainbow and Twilight will totally want to hear that. They love the character.”

“You know, Spike,” Velvet pointed out, “I just realized you haven’t told me about my daughter Twily.”

“Um…” Spike began, nervous. “You see, Mrs. Sparkle—”

“Hey,” Diggsie spoke up to change the subject, “there sounds like other reasons for this reboot.”

“Well, to put it bluntly,” Flurrie explained, “ever since the cultural exchange between Mushroom and Equestria, many people wish to bring in a mixture of both of our lands in this performance. In this new continuity, Daring is fresh out of the academy, just as naïve as most Equestrians are to the Mushroom Kingdom’s antics. We’re basically new to these ponies, and they’re new to us.”

“If Bowser’s in this movie,” Mario scowled, “I might give it a bad rating.”

“Oh good heavens no!” Flurrie promised. “I’m playing the antagonistic Augustine, a fearsome spirit of the weather who has cursed the ancient kingdom of Fun’guis, which was the supposed ancestor of the Mushroom Kingdom today, with supernatural weather patterns that the poor Pegasus and her crew have no control over. Daring will have to rely on her wits, survival skills, and knowledge of Equestrian history to do battle with my minions. Bowser, of course, is not involved in this picture… maybe a sequel if this gets good enough ratings to green light one, but not this film.”

“Oh thank the Star Spirits,” Mario said. He whispered, “The situation’s bad already without Bowser acting.”

Ignoring that, Velvet said, “Unfortunately, a good proportion of the fan base does not think having a new Daring Do explore a different environment is a good idea. Some of the more vehement fans have even tried to attack the movie. That is the reason for the added security of the Pianta Syndicate.”

“I thought there was something up with that,” Mario commented. “Anyways, we should get this started.”

Inside the set, ponies and creatures of all sorts were setting up the scene. One of whom was an older Pegasus mare with tan fur and a grayscale mane wearing a pink cloak over her body. She smiled upon seeing Velvet. “Hey, Velvet,” she spoke up. “I see you and Flurrie found a few extras, didn’t you… and even a Dragon, too!”

“...A.K. YEARLING?” Spike breathed, recognized the mare. The mare gave him a tired smile before petting him on the head. Mario remembered Spike being a baby Dragon, after all.

“Fans still recognize me,” A.K. Yearling spoke up. “Well, that’s always nice. If you wish for an autograph, I’ll give you a moment of my time, later. But right now, we’re a little short-hooved.”

“Right,” Velvet recalled. “That’s what these guys are for.”

“Howdy, Spike,” Apple Bloom’s voice yelled over. Sure enough, the Cutie Mark Crusaders walked over, Apple Bloom wearing her mane in what appeared to be a ponytail without its bow similar to her older sister, Sweetie Belle wearing a blonde wig and her tail colored blonde, and Scootaloo’s fur a different color— tan similar to Yearling, but her mane a monochromatic wig. “…Ah guess we didn’t know that Big Macintosh’s delivery was gonna be at Applewood Studios, huh?”

“That would have been good to know earlier,” Mario shrugged. “But, hey… what are you girls doing?”

“These three little darlings are going to be doing a minor role for the beginning of the movie,” a new female voice spoke up. The group turned to see a red furred Unicorn approaching, her mane and tail being long dark brown and tied in fishtail braids and her eyes behind a pair of glasses while wearing a black director’s hat on her head. Her Cutie Mark was a movie camera. “Miss Apple Bloom and Miss Sweetie Belle are Daring Do’s childhood friends for when she finds the Fungi Amulet… and little Miss Scootaloo is going to be young Daring.”

“I have to give you credit where it’s due, Miss Red Carpet,” Yearling smiled as Red Carpet, in an aura of brown magic, floated a script in front of her, “you improvise very well. You know, this is something I’ll have to write down next book.”

“I figured we needed a good origin scene,” Red Carpet explained as Yearling took note. “No offense, A.K., but there is a lot of fan interpretation with your main star’s foalhood.” Turning to Mario’s group, she asked, “So… who do we have here?”

“A group of extras I thought we could use, one of whom I know personally and another whom Flurrie knows personally,” Velvet explained. “I know the Dragon… Flurrie knows the plumber, Mr. Mario.”

“I see,” Red Carpet said. “Green Screen? Do we have it in the budget to compensate these guys?"

“I’ll see what I can do,” a female voice yelled back.

“Green Screen?” Mario asked.

“My younger sister,” Red Carpet answered. “But only by five minutes. She likes background work… I like directing.”

“Is she green?” Mario asked.

“Yep.”

“Oh thank goodness, there’s another pair of red and green siblings in this country.”

Ignoring that, Red Carpet motioned them to follow her. “Okay, everypony, I know we called you all here out of the blue, but we could use the extra help. Girls, did you read the script Mr. Nightlight edited for you like I asked you to?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Scootaloo smiled. “I can’t believe I’m acting… maybe this is our destiny, girls! Cutie Mark Crusader Actresses!”

“Mama-mia,” Spike said, shaking his head.

“That’s-a my catchphrase,” Mario spoke up.

“Well, ‘Holy guacamole’ never caught on,” Spike defended himself. Turning to the red Unicorn, he asked, “So, what do you need us to do?”

Red Carpet looked at the group of four. “Hmm… I got it! How good are you at stunts, Mr… Mario, right?”

“Uh yeah,” the plumber nodded. “Well, I’m a seasoned adventurer who has defeated the entire Koopa Troop several times with usually just my brother at my back. Hence the title, ‘Super Mario Bros.’. However, I’ve also saved the world several times over, am good with improvised items, and have fought apocalyptic monsters.”

“I can vouch for all of that,” Flurrie added.

“…So, you’re pretty good,” the red Unicorn summarized.

“Yes.”

“Good, because Mr. Wario needs a new stunt double.”

“…What.”

“That’s right, Mario!” a male voice spoke up. Sure enough, a yellow and purple clad, more muscular (and heftier) version of Mario with a W on his cap walked over. “I finally got in one of these RPGs!”

“Wario… what are YOU doing here?” Mario asked.

“Well, I figured I could use the money and promote my new line of micro-games… by cameoing in one of your games!” Wario answered. Mario raised an eyebrow at this, while Wario turned to the screen. “Game and Wario! Buy it!” Turning back to Mario, he said, “But anyways, yeah, I’m acting, loser. Where’s your wimpy, ghost-fearing brother? Or did you trade him for a baby Dragon?”

“Leave Luigi— and by extension Spike— out of this!” Mario scowled. The hostility between the two was obvious.

“Uh, can we start?” Apple Bloom asked. Mario sighed, breaking eye contact with his greedy rival, looking at the kids and Red Carpet.

“So stunt double?” Mario asked.

“Yes,” Red Carpet explained. “You see, Mario, Wario’s previous stunt double, Mr. Waluigi, has disappeared. I have not a clue as to his whereabouts, and we’ve been missing him for the past few days. Anyways, you have done battles before, correct?” Mario nodded. “Some of these scenes are based off the Stage Battle system you are probably used to.”

“Wow,” Mario said. “So, I’d just be pretending to fight someone?”

“Yes,” Flurrie nodded. “We understand that real battles are not open-and-shut cases, so you are free to improvise most scenarios. But you’d have a script you have to adhere to! These battles have certain objectives you must meet in them and they have to end in a certain way!”

“It’s true,” Velvet agreed. “Mario, each scene in the movie has prerequisites for it written down. Not every scene has you victorious in the battle, or the battle even finishing. Some scenes have restrictions, or required moves being used. Some scenes put you by yourself, while others have you allying with a co-star. And of course, the biggest one… we only have so much film.”

“True,” Red Carpet said. “Between getting big stars from the Mushroom Kingdom like Flurrie, Wario, and now you, and the added security from the protests, we did not have a lot of budget for actual film, so we have to limit the number of turns we can allow in each battle. You must finish the scene’s conditions in the allotted time. If you mess up, we’ll have to re-film the scene. I’m afraid we’ll have to cut your pay for the failed scenes.”

“Ooh, harsh,” Spike said. “Well, what do we do?”

“You all, unfortunately, will be extras we’ll use from time-to-time in each scene,” Red Carpet confessed. “I’m sorry, Velvet, but I’ll have to ask for you to rewrite the script for these ones, okay?”

“I understand,” Velvet nodded. “Well, Mr. Mario, do you have any questions?”

“What exactly is Wario’s role?” Mario asked, looking at Wario.

“Wario is playing the mysterious figure of Fun’guis’ ancient hero, Mai’take,” Velvet explained. “Mai’take was once the leader of a group of warriors who fought the evil Augustine to save the world. In the end, he sacrificed his soul to seal Flurrie’s character, Augustine, from wreaking havoc on the world. However, rather than have his game end, he is cursed to wander the world for eternity until Augustine can be defeated once and for all. Of course, that’s all I can tell you about the character right now.”

“Okay, second question,” Mario said, “let’s negotiate our contract. Are these going to be contracts that by chance put me under your employ for life?”

“What kind of contracts would that be?” Red Carpet scoffed. “I’d never do that!”

“Hey, just making sure. I’ve met a few people who have run basically gladiator and slave rings.”

“…What.”

“It’s a long story,” Mario said. “Well, let’s-a go. What’s the first scene?”

“Wait,” Red Carpet interrupted. “Where are Bravado and Herpy? We can’t start without those two!”

“Bravado and Herpy?” Mario said. “Keep in mind I’ve never read this stuff.”

“Right,” Yearling recalled. “Believe it or not, in the series proper, they’re Daring’s two closest male friends besides her younger brother. Fans, of course, think these two wish to be more than friends with Daring. Bravado is a hapless flirt with her… while Herpy is so adorably nerdy but helpful when the audience needs a surrogate to understand what’s going on. Needless to say, fans who do support the reboot really wished for these two to be in. Luckily we have two skilled actors willing to fill the part.”

“They’re in position!” Green Screen called back.

“Good,” Red Carpet nodded. “Alright, quiet on the set! Everypony in position! It’s time we made magic!”

“Break a leg, Mario,” Spike nodded. “We’ll do our parts.”

Scene 1: Meet Young Daring Do!

Victory Objective: Defeat Ancient Stone Goomboss (Prop AWG-1) in 5 Turns!

Failure Objectives: Daring (Scootaloo) is KO’d; you are KO’d; 5 Turns pass

Secondary Objective: Perform an Appeal once!

Rolling!

On a green screen backdrop featuring a large lift where Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom stood, they were looking down at Young Daring (Scootaloo), who was lying on her stomach. “Are you okay down there?” Sweetie asked.

“Daring “stood up, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine,” the little Pegasus said. “I’ve had worse falls!”

“Stay there, Double D!” Apple Bloom ordered. “We’ll get your dad!” The two fillies turned away, and “trotted” from overlooking Daring. The little filly, curious, trotted down the hall to the right, looking around. Although it looked like a normal green screen backdrop to her, it would (in editing) show up to be some kind of underground ruin. Wario seemed to be covered in stone-like paint, trapped in a statue-like pose.

“Wow,” Daring breathed, looking around. “Is this some kind of tomb…?” She then spotted what appeared to be a giant stone Mushroom. “What’s this?” she asked, reaching a hoof out to touch it.

BOOM!

The filly gasped in horror as the Mushroom began to shake before flipping over… leaving a giant stone version of Mario’s old enemy, the Goomba King Goomboss.

“FOOLISH PONY… PREPARE FOR GAME OVER!” the stone Goomba (actually a robotic prop) yelled. Daring jumped back, running away from it, only to find herself at a dead-end, a wall in the way.

“Oh no!” Daring gasped. “I’m trapped!” Looking at her wings, she fluttered them as fast as she could while the stone Goomboss stomped over. However, they were too small to avail.

“LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM ME…” the stone Goomba laughed. “ANY LAST WORDS, MY LITTLE PONY?”

“NOT SO FAST!” a new voice (Wario) declared. All of the sudden, the Wario statue lit up, and jumped in between the filly and the stone Goomboss.

“IT’S YOU…”

“And CUT!” Red Carpet yelled. “Stunt double on set!” Scootaloo relaxed from her look at awe while Wario casually walked off screen. The lift was lowered, allowing a supervised Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to climb down. Mario walked on, covered in the same statuesque make-up.

“I look ridiculous,” Mario complained.

“Hey, you signed the contract,” Scootaloo pointed out. “I’m only here for one scene. So, you’re supposed to help me defeat that?”

“Yep,” Mario nodded. “I can still Jump and Hammer it, right?”

“The only condition is that we have to win and both be standing in five turns,” Scootaloo said, looking at the script. “But it says that you have to appeal once as a bonus objective.”

“We only threw those in as extra incentive,” Red Carpet said. “I’m sure our producers will send a bit more cash our way if we do something really eye-catching. You, of course, will receive an additional bonus for performing this feat. This is what Velvet thinks will catch the most attention in the trial screening. Of course, this bonus objective will change for each scene. You can take this time to switch Badges that will allow you to accomplish the scene the easiest. When you’re ready, talk to your co-star and we’ll get rolling.”

After adjusting his Badges for maximum damage potential, Mario nodded before facing the stone Goomboss.

ACTION!

Mario sunk into a fighting stance as the scene began while Daring (Scootaloo) gasped in surprise. “Uh… what?”

“You have to fight!” Mario yelled before performing a Jump followed by a Ground Pound. The prop took “damage”, but it was far from over. Scootaloo just ran up and gave it a bit of a buck. After that, it was the stone Goomboss’ turn, where he just walked up to Mario and hit him with its foot. He was able to block most of the damage, so it wasn’t too bad. Still, he had a new Spin Hammer that he wanted to try in battle. Twisting up his body, he unleashed it, knocking the stone Goomboss prop off screen… only for it to come from the other way and land back where it came from.

“How did that happen?” Velvet asked from behind the camera.

“Eh, just roll with it,” Spike suggested. “Battles are battles, after all. Besides, Mario has pretty much established that the Mushroom Kingdom, even by our standards, is weird. I mean, Twilight could become an Alicorn Princess and it would still make more sense than their country’s standards.”

“No talking on set,” Red Carpet whispered to them.

Back on stage, Daring bucked the prop once more. The stone Goomba once again kicked him, but Mario Superguarded against it, doing counter damage. He took this moment to do an appeal, allowing Daring to go in for the KO. The stone Goomboss, not able to take another hit, fell to the ground before turning back to the stone Mushroom.

“AND CUT!” Red Carpet said. “Green Screen, sister, did you get all that?” A light green Unicorn walked over, having a brown mane and tail in curls. She had a roll of film on a computer screen as a Cutie Mark.

“Got it, sis!” the younger Green Screen answered. “I’ll going to edit that action scene right away. Mario, good job.”

“I suppose I should get out of this for now and let Wario back on?”

“You took the words right out of my snout,” Red Carpet nodded. “Green Screen will send this to a private screening, and we’ll see what our producers will say. Welcome to Applewood Studios.”

“Ain’t one o’ the producers part o’ mah family?” Apple Bloom asked. “Seriously, this here script says ‘Golden Delicious’. Ah knew one o’ mah kin would be on this!”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll want to see this once it’s finished,” Red Carpet nodded. “Go ahead and get out of the costume, Mario. Wario, you’re on!”

Mario walked from in front of the camera, allowing Wario to join Scootaloo on screen. As he did, Velvet motioned him over. “Hey, Mario… that was great! Here’s something a little extra for you.” Mario was handed a brown Badge that looked like a stone mushroom on a boot. It was labeled “Boulder Stomp”. “That is something my husband found, once… he said a Luma gave it to him. Problem is that we have no need for it. Perhaps you can make use of it?”

“I think I can,” Mario nodded.

Meanwhile, on the set with the camera rolling, Daring (again, Scootaloo) looked up at the Mushroom, looking from behind Wario. “Wow… that thing came alive… what was it?” She then saw it glowing again, only to peel back and become a treasure chest. She looked at it while Wario backed away, his work done. Daring opened up the chest, pulling out a cloud-shaped Mushroom charm. “Hey, Mister… what’s this?” When she turned around, Wario’s character was gone.

“Daring!” a masculine voice spoke up. “Daring?”

Daring blinked, closing her eyes…

“And CUT! Scene!” Scootaloo cheered, trotting off the set. “And that was fantastic,” Red Carpet complimented the fillies. “You all were excellent.”

“Yay!” the three Cutie Mark Crusaders smiled, checking their flanks… only to be disappointed that their flanks were still blank. “Aw…”

"I'm afraid there really is not much in terms of Cutie Marks for acting," Red Carpet confessed.

“Maybe next time, young fillies,” Velvet said. “In the meantime, I’ll set you all and your guardian, Mr. Apple, up with a place to stay until you go home, at least.”

“Wow,” Sweetie Belle beamed. “Twilight’s Mom is awesome!”

Meanwhile, a Pegasus mare looking similar to a younger Yearling walked on the set, a shy smile on her face, but without a Cutie Mark. “Alright, Lumina,” Yearling instructed, “remember that you’re Daring, okay? I know that she’s a confident adventurer and knowledgeable archeologist in canon, but remember, she’s not as experienced.”

“Um, right,” the mare known as Lumina nodded. “Be curious, be adventurous… but most of all, Daring, right?”

“That’s the ticket, sweetheart,” Yearling smiled. “I can honestly see you being a good replacement for me in the future. You’re going to go far in this business.”

“Lumina?” Mario asked after he returned from his costume.

“She’s Yearling’s apprentice,” a dark blue Unicorn male said. He had a darker blue mane and tail, both straight and neat. His Cutie Mark was a crescent moon with a second crescent inside of it. “She’s shy, but has talent. She knows how to do her own stunts, but she’s also very gentle.” Lumina was joined by two stallions, one gray Unicorn with a red long, messy mane and glasses over his eyes while another was a dark gray Earth Pony that looked ready for adventure.

“Gentle, huh?” Spike mused. “You all don’t think…”

“Maybe, but Ah ain’t thinkin’ so,” Boomregard said.

“Too early to say,” Diggsie agreed.

“What are you all talking about?” the stallion asked.

“Oh, Night Light!” Spike gasped. “Uh, guys, this is Twilight’s Dad, Night Light, or Mr. Sparkle. Mr. Sparkle, these are my friends, Mario, Boomregard, and Diggsie. And yes… I know how weird they are.”

“Finally!” Night Light grinned. “And I thought Twily was the one with friend issues growing up. How many male friends did you have when you were with Princess Celestia and Twily?”

“Night!” Velvet scowled. “Don’t tease Spikey-wikey!”

“Sorry,” Night chuckled. “But seriously, though, Spike, glad to see you again. So, where’s Twily? Not like you to go anywhere without her.”

“I am owed a story, I believe,” Velvet agreed. Mario and Spike looked at each other.

“Well…” Mario began—

BOOM!

“What was that!?” Red Carpet asked. Flurrie floated over with Frankie after her.

“Too… many… Bob-Ombs…”

“Bob-Ombs?” Mario asked, gasping in horror.

“We’ve been tryin’ to chuck and blow them away,” Flurrie confessed, “but we still have too many of them.”

“Okay, stop,” Red Carpet asked. “What’s going on? Are you guys saying Bob-Ombs are attacking the studios?”

“Yes,” Frankie nodded. “Sorry, miss.”

“Oh, our insurance doesn’t cover explosions!” the Earth Pony next to Lumina scowled. His eyes then glowed… before exploding in a cloud of purple smoke, revealing a familiar looking Duplighost. He was wearing a blue party hat with red stars and a blue bowtie. “Seriously, I don’t have time or am being paid enough for this.”

“Doopliss!?” Mario asked. Turning to Flurrie, he asked, “You’re still working with him!?”

“Mario, is me working with Doopliss really a concern?” Flurrie asked. “Right now, we SHOULD be focusing on saving the studio!”

“Wait, what happened between ya’ll an’ that there Duplighost?” Boomregard asked.

“I’m afraid we do not have time for that, now, sir,” the Unicorn said. “We have to stop the Bob-Ombs. Defeating five each should do.”

“Caspian’s right, Slick!” Doopliss said in irritation. “We can talk about who stole who’s identity later! Right now, this gig is the best I’ve got! If we want to save this picture, we can’t let these Bob-Ombs blow it up!”

Mario motioned his team to head out of the studio… and spotted a series of Bob-Ombs running around, finding places to explode (and since they’re Bob-Ombs, explosions were only a minor inconvenience for them). After defeating five groups (Spike’s Dragon Ember doing more than enough to cause them to harmlessly explode in battle), they saved the studio as the Bob-Ombs quickly ran away… only to run into a group of gold-clad guards.

“Uh-oh,” one of the Bob-Ombs muttered.

“Uh-oh, indeed,” a male voice said right before a purple bubble surrounded them. The Bob-Ombs, seeing themselves captured, tried exploding… only to see that their explosive attacks, even when combined, did nothing. “I’m going to say that you all aren’t getting out of that. I specialize in shield spells… creating one that surrounded all of Canterlot is what earned me Captain of the Guard.” Sure enough, Shining Armor trotted over, the guards saluting him.

“Oh, hi, Shiny!” Velvet waved as she walked over with Night Light. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Hi, Mom, Dad,” Shining Armor smiled at his parents. “I saw this group of Bob-Ombs following somepony with high jumps, and had to follow. I’m glad I did. Is everypony okay?”

“Yes,” Night Light said. “Thanks to you, Mario, and Spike.” Shining looked at the two aforementioned heroes.

“So… you’re Mario, huh?” Shining said. He trotted over and extended a hoof. “Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, and Co-Ruler of the Crystal Empire. It’s a tough job, but it’s what I enjoy. Glad to meet somepony capable, Mr. Mario.”

“Uh, the same,” Mario nodded, shaking the offered hoof. “So, you’re who Spike said was Twilight’s older brother.”

“Yeah,” Shining said. Turning to his parents, he said, “Mom, Dad, has Spike given you the news?”

“What?” Velvet and Night Light both asked.

“Who did all of this!?” Wario scowled, looking around the movie lot. The place was rather damaged despite their best efforts to save the film studio.

“We’ll find out, sir,” Shining Armor promised. “We’ll open an investigation right away.”

“WHAA-HA-HA!” a male voice laughed. “There won’t be any need!” A tall, thin, mustachioed masked man landed in front of Mario’s group. He wore a purple hat similar to Mario, Luigi, and Wario’s but it had a black circle compared to those three with a blue crescent moon in the middle of the circle. This blue crescent moon was also on the man’s white gloves. Instead of overalls, he wore a black tuxedo suit with orange pointy shoes and a purple rose serving as his corsage. He also wore a purple shirt underneath the black jacket.

“What the… who are ya’ll?” Boomregard asked, looking at the man. “Are ya’ll… Colts of Nocturne!?”

“Of course!” the tuxedo-clad villain answered, taking his rose off and pointing the flower at Mario’s group. “You all can call me… W-Masque!”

“W-Masque?” Mario asked, confused. “What are you even doing here, trying to sabotage the movie?”

“Well, I heard from folks around town that this movie was going to be a ‘box-office bomb’,” W-Masque chuckled, placing his flower back. “So, I decided to save everyone the trouble by blowing the picture up! However, I’m not here to prevent the movie from making it to the big screen… I’m here for the Changeling!” The actors and the film crew all looked up in shock, Red Carpet and Green Screen the most shocked. The actor known as Caspian looked away, while Doopliss shot the Unicorn a look.

“Changeling?” Mario asked. “What Changeling?”

“Ah, that’s right! Changelings, a race of bug-like ponies that can disguise themselves like Duplighosts, and feed off of positive emotions like love! They once tried to take over Equestria, but failed and are considered enemies of the state! And I know for a fact that one is among you all! You just arrived on set today, Mario!” W-Masque laughed. “Yep! I’ve heard all about you… how you all are on a quest to get the Elements of Harmony before my group does! I know that one’s here on the studio as well! The Element of Kindness!”

“What!?” Velvet asked. “What do you mean… Twily said in her letters about her and her friends having the Elements of Harmony… what’s one doing here?”

“The fact that one’s here, and Spike’s here without Twily… you don’t mean something happened to Twily, do you?” Night Light scowled, looking at W-Masque. “Villain! What do you know about our daughter!?”

“WHAA-HA-HA!” W-Masque chuckled. “Why don’t you ask Mario and Spike? After all, according to my supervisors, they’re the ones on a quest to save her and her friends!” He then scrunched up before performing a Spring Jump, landing on the room of another building. “Listen up, crew of Daring Do… each day the Changeling among you does not turn itself into the authorities, you will be attacked by yours truly. If your Changeling has any sympathy, he will surrender soon!” He then whistled, where a cloaked equine-like creature with eagle like wings flew down next to him. A Griffon by the looks of it. “Come, Madame G! We ride!” He then jumped onto the Griffon, leaving Mario’s group stunned.

Author's Note

Well... it appears that I have been gone for so-long that I find that FIMFiction has a new style with stories, and I've been rendered completely non-canon. By the way, sorry for the late Hearth's Warming gift. I was busy entertaining my family (and taking care of my brother, who just had hip surgery).

1) Characters... my gosh, this was the toughest part. As you can see, Flurrie and Frankie from The Thousand-Year Door have returned. Yep... I really did like the Pianta Syndicate from that game. It was kind of funny to imagine Piantas as Italian mobsters. As for Flurrie, she is an actress. I couldn't help but use her. Her and Doopliss... Doopliss being everyone's favorite boss in that game.

A.K. Yearling... you know, I'm sure you all know she's the real Daring Do (making her adventure books in the series nonfiction). I WAS going to just rely on the TV Tropes Just for Fun page with Daring Do, but Yearling as the real Daring, I couldn't just keep her as Hairieon Trot (female pony Harrison Ford) like I was going to. Ah, well.

Yep. Wario is an actor in this story. And Waluigi (wherever he is) was his stunt double. Mario, meanwhile, meets Red Carpet and Green Screen, two ponies who are sisters in the movie industry... kind of like Mario and Luigi are plumbers. Red Carpet has a big heart, doesn't she? Allowing fillies to act and even willing to recruit jerks like Doopliss and Wario.

We also meet Yearling and Red Carpet's apprentices, Lumina and Caspian. We don't know a lot about Caspian, but we might soon...

Anyway, we also see Night Light. We know for a fact that Twilight's parents are good parents, but other than that, not a lot. But before they can find out Mario, Spike, and Shining Armor's story, we see W-Masque! Yep... he's meant to be familiar-looking, a la Mr. L. We'll see him and his ally, Madame G, again.

2) Applewood Studios is a huge movie lot. I don't know what Hollywood Studios looks like in real life... but imagine that.

3) The movie style looks similar to the movie scenarios of Pokemon Black 2/White 2, because I will flat-out say I borrowed that style. I also mixed it with Glitz Pit as well. I don't know why I wanted to do it this way, but I loved this activity in that game... I swear I wasted HOURS doing all of the movies I could before continuing with the plot.

So, why I've introduced W-Masque? Well, I wanted a villain that was similar to Mr. L, so I threw it in.

But now, a question for all of you: Who IS the Changeling amongst them? See if you can find out.

Well, that's all I got. Have a Happy Holidays, and see you all in 2014!

Chapter 3 Part 3

Applewood Studios— Sparkle Family Trailer

“…And that’s what’s unfortunately happened,” Spike finished his story to Twilight’s parents. After W-Masque’s attack, Shining Armor immediately began a case investigation, questioning everyone he could. Spike took this time to bring his group to Twilight’s parents’ trailer on set, allowing them to explain the bad news. Mario, meanwhile, was perfectly prepared to join the investigation as well, since dealing with the Changeling would get W-Masque off his back long enough to find the Element of Kindness.

Mario knew for a fact that his quartet was not the Changeling W-Masque was looking for, since his group recently got here as confirmed by Velvet, Flurrie, and everyone on set. There was also the fact that Mario’s partners stayed in almost immediate eyesight at all times. Still, he realized something:

He had NO idea what a real Changeling looked like.

Mario’s train of thought was interrupted by gentle sniffles. He looked up to see Velvet with tears staining her cheeks. “Oh… oh no… my poor baby filly… she’s in the hooves of some evil cult. Who knows what horrible, awful things the leader of that cult is doing to her…? TWWWIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLYYYY!” She broke down, her husband attempting to comfort her by floating a tissue up to his wife’s cheeks. Little did they know right now Twilight and her friends were being given the pony equivalent of a pedicure while being forced to watch a dreaded marathon of X-Nauts… whatever that was about.

It was torture… for everypony other than Twilight, who enjoyed the cool sci-fi stuff, and Rarity and Fluttershy who at least enjoyed the pedicure. If it wasn’t for the snacks offered with it, Rainbow and Applejack would have taken their chances and attempted to fight their way out of their room. Pinkie was just entertained.

“Uh, don’t ya worry, ma’am,” Boomregard said in an effort to cheer her up. “We’re gonna go an’ save her. This is a promise.”

“Yeah!” Diggsie agreed. “I already said I save Pinkamina! We save all of the Bearers!”

Mario took this moment to look around the trailer. It was rather big. In fact, big enough to be considered an apartment on set. It had two levels, a couple extra bedrooms besides the one for the couple, a kitchen, a couple bathrooms, and a large air mattress that was being blown up right now.

WHAM!

“HOLD IT, SHERIFF!” Shining’s voice interrupted as the door swung open, startling everyone in the room as Book Key barged in, several officers behind him.

“NOPONY MOVE!” Book Key yelled. “As far as I’m concerned, this whole bunch is under arrest for suspicion of either harboring or even being the Changeling!”

“What!?” Mario asked. “What makes you-a think that!?”

“Look, we can’t even trust that’s your real face, plumber,” Book Key scowled. “So, why should I believe you?”

I just got here today!
I’m Mario!
Burp!

Mario, for some reason, let out a belch.

“That’s not much of an argument,” Spike deadpanned.

Shining, having enough, walked into the trailer. “I’ve checked security footage… it’s through most of the studio. Mario, Spike, and their two friends have matching alibis of coming here just today. They’re clean.”

“Well, that clears you four,” Book Key growled, “but it DOESN’T clear these two!” He pointed a hoof at the couple. Shining Armor placed a hoof to his face.

“Mom, Dad,” Shining asked. “Could you explain to the officer how did I meet my wife?”

“Oh, Cadance?” Velvet giggled. “Well, you two were in high-school together! You ended up being high-school sweethearts… her being a crown princess, you being her royal guard… ah, so romantic!”

“The first thing I remember my son saying to her was ‘Hello’,” Night Light added. “Cadance was just recently hired to be Twily’s foal-sitter. He was really socially awkward. It’s a Sparkle Clan trait.”

“They’re my parents,” Shining said with an embarrassing groan. “And yeah… we’re all socially awkward like that.”

“Wait a minute,” Book Key said, “Cadance as in ‘Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’? You are married to a Princess?”

“Well, technically ‘Empress’ since she and I co-rule the Crystal Empire,” Shining elaborated. “But she hates ‘Empress’, and would rather be called just ‘Princess’.”

“Now that I think about it,” Spike asked, “Why isn’t Princess Peach a Queen?”

“We’re not having this conversation,” Mario stopped him.

“Anyway, Book Key,” Shining said, “I know this is your town, but this is my investigation I opened up. I hate to pull rank, but if a Changeling infiltrator is here, then this case just got a lot more personal to me.”

“How about everypony settles down?” a female voice spoke up with a gentle tone. Soon enough, most of the police officers bowed in respect, save for Book Key and Shining. To Mario’s surprise, a female Alicorn (come to think of it, were there any male Alicorns?) walked in, a gentle smile on her face. She certainly was smaller than either Celestia or Luna, for certain. She had a pink coat, just as pink as one of Peach’s dresses. Her wings were surprisingly tipped a shade of purple around her feathers. Her mane and tail were both long and curly, being striped in purple, a darker shade of pink, and yellow. She was wearing yellow regalia with her horseshoes and tiara, which had a purple jewel. Her Cutie Mark was a crystal-like heart surrounded by golden sparkles.

“Cadance?” Shining Armor asked. “Why are you doing here? There’s a Changeling loose!”

“I know,” Cadance said, keeping her kind smile. “I heard about it when I saw the police coming this way. Don’t worry, Shiny… I’ll be fine this time. After all, it’s only one Changeling that the criminal, W-Masque, is after. One Changeling isn’t as big of a threat as an entire swarm and their queen kidnapping me, replacing me, dumping me into a forgotten series of caverns, brainwashing you, infiltrating the capital city’s population, turning you and Twilight against each other, dumping Twilight in the same caverns with the hopes that one of us will end the other’s game, and then taking over the country for an emotion-based food source all on my wedding day.”

“And I thought I had weird adventures,” Mario muttered to himself.

“Okay,” Shining nodded. Turning back to Book Key, he said, “Listen, I understand your concern with the Changeling. Believe me when I say I understand the fear of one among us, since their queen got into my head and heart pretending to be my wife-to-be. But we don’t have time to be butting heads. One of us should look into W-Masque. He tried to blow up Applewood Studios with Bob-Ombs. I’m willing to release the Bob-Ombs into your custody, but we should each focus on a different part of the problem. Can I ask you to deal with W-Masque while I catch a Changeling? We’ll compare notes.”

“Divide and conquer,” Book Key mused. “And here I was thinking you Royal Guards got soft around Nightmare Moon a few years back. Fine, Captain. I’ll take your offer. I’ll have W-Masque behind bars in no time. See if your Guard won’t let a bug crawl past you.” Book Key turned out and walked out, his officers following.

“Whew,” Shining said. “Thought that jerk would never leave. And it allows me to focus as much attention on the Changeling here as necessary. Though why a movie set out here? If this is the precursor to a second Changeling invasion, then it’s a very meaningless point strategically. After all, nothing of major importance to the rest of Equestria is here in Los Pegasus. A better place to start would be the Weather Factory of Cloudsdale, the New Yoke Stock Exchange in Manehattan or the Shipyard of Baltimare.”

“It’s probably the last place anypony would look for a Changeling,” Spike theorized. “It allows them to be somepony else without risk of being called out on it.”

“Well, that’s one explanation,” Night Light said after he finished setting up the air mattress. “A refugee of the Changeling Swarm, perhaps? Nopony will know until we find it… provided they’ll want to talk.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here during your stay, dears,” Velvet said to everyone. “It’s the least we can do while you all are trying to save Twily… and also the fact that one of you is my son, another is his wife.”

“Thanks, Mom, Dad,” Shining said. “So, Cadance… surely you’re not just here to help my investigation, are you?”

“Oh, right,” the pink Alicorn smiled. “I saw that weird Koopa you were talking about. Bowser, you said his name was?”

“BOWSER!?” Mario gasped. “He’s… he’s here!?”

“Oh, you know him?” Cadance said. “You must be Spike’s friend, Mario. I’m sorry we’re just now meeting… I just wish it were under better circumstances, Mr. Mario.”

“I guess I’ll put the offer of joining the investigation on hold,” Mario said. “Look, if Bowser’s here, that cannot be a good sign. Where did you see him?”

“Downtown near Silver Screen and Gold Emmy’s theater,” Cadance recalled. “He and those other Koopas he was with are probably still there. I thought they were going to see the new movie coming out about these creatures call Pocket Monsters and a treasure hunt in a modern wild west setting… and several explosions.”

“Wait, whose theater?” Diggsie asked.

“Oh, those are Red Carpet and Green Screen’s parents,” Velvet explained. “They own the theater we’ve scheduled to have the debut performance at, the Hairieon Trot Theater.”

“Okay,” Mario said. “It’s time I had one less thing to worry about. Guys, I’m gonna need your help to deal with Bowser.”

“Alright, fine,” Spike nodded. “Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle, everypony, if you’ll excuse us…” Mario’s group left the studios, Mario practically running… only to bump into Frankie.

“Hey, Mario,” the Pianta nodded. “Leavin’ the set? Shouldn’t we wait until the police and Guards are done with their investigation? So many coppers here make me a bit nervous… we never had to worry 'bout this back in Rogueport.”

“I know,” Mario said. “There was absolutely no police force in Rogueport or the surrounding area. How that place survived before I-a showed up, I don't know, no offense. But I need to take care of something immediately, Frankie.”

“I’m not gonna stop ya, Mario,” Frankie said. “In fact, I was on my way to deliver this.” He gave Mario an Actor’s Pass. “That card should allow ya to get into Applewood Studios without security bein’ on your case, Mario.”

“Wow, thanks, Frankie.” Mario said, pocketing it. “We’ll be on our way.” With Diggsie’s help, the group dug their way to the other side of the gate, heading into town.

Applewood— Hairieon Trot Theater

Mario’s group, after quite a jog, showed up to see a group of people gathering up right in front of the theater. Squeezing through with Paper Form, Mario’s group gasped in shock to see a peculiar sight.

“I’m going to ask this one LAST time,” Bowser growled, looking at a blue and blacked cloaked Pegasus mare. “WHERE IS YOUR BOSS!?”

“I told you I don’t know,” the mare shrugged in a matter-of-fact tone. “He’s probably checked into a hotel somewhere, but I don’t remember which one. I’m just waiting for Boogular… he said he’d come back after locating somepony.”

“Man, you are flighty!” Bowser scowled. “Look, I have a problem with your Boss! The Elements of Harmony? The whole kidnapping Peach thing? TAKING OVER THE WORLD!? That’s all MY GIG!”

“Oh, Lord Sirius doesn’t want to take over the world,” the mare shook her head. “And we didn’t kidnap any Princesses. We just want NIGHTMARE MOON to take over the world, and to that end, we've kidnapped the Bearers!”

“Yeah, but you’ve interfered with ME kidnapping a Princess!” Bowser corrected.

She then gasped in excitement. “Hey! I just got an idea! Why don’t you join up with us and help us revive Nightmare Moon! This whole daytime thing is kind of stressful, isn't it? My sister's eyes can't handle this light, either... and I'm sure a scary monster like you can't really wander around in the day like this without getting looks of fear.”

“ARGH!” Bowser growled, stamping his foot, ignoring the mare’s suggestion. “You’re so annoying!” He then looked up to see Mario’s group. “Oh, FINALLY! An excuse to stop talking to you!” He then roared before jumping up to Mario’s group, causing the crowd near them to scatter. “Well, well, well… if it isn’t Mario! You guys come ALL of the way out here, and don’t invite ME on vacation!?”

“Hey, Peach informed me and Luigi last minute,” Mario defended himself. “And besides, my vacation’s pretty much canceled right now!”

“Well, that’s true,” Bowser said. “Because now, I’m going to cancel YOU!”

“Wait, THAT’S Mario!?” the mare asked. “Ohmygosh! There is Spike as well! I found them! Uh, should I tell Lord Sirius or try to fight them now?”

“Bowser,” Mario scowled, “We both know you can’t take me on in a fair fight by yourself!”

“Hey, you have buddies,” Bowser pointed out.

“Fair point,” the plumber agreed. “Still, you’re not gonna be able to get to Peach or beat me.”

“I suppose,” Bowser shrugged. “Well, not alone, at least. Isn’t that right, Roy?”

“Roy?” Mario asked. All of the sudden, the pink-shelled, sunglasses-wearing Koopaling landed in between Mario and Bowser.

“Heh-heh-heh,” Roy grinned. “King Dad thought it was time for a family reunion!” As if on cue, the other Koopalings showed up.

“Oh mama-mia,” Mario breathed. “All of you? You brought the whole group!?”

“And reporting to Lord Sirius wins out,” the mare said, flapping her wings. “Bye-bye, cute little Dragon! Take care of yourself until I beat you, okay?” She then flew away, causing Spike to raise an eyebrow.

“King Dad wanted to have a family vacation,” Bowser Jr. answered. “We may bicker and battle, but we’re a family!”

“Roy,” Bowser grinned, “how long has it been since you fought Mario?”

“Too long,” Roy answered. “King Dad, I’ll turn Mario and his little friends into confetti myself.”

“Are you sure, Roy?” Ludwig asked. “Ve can easily defeat him together, non?”

“You relax, music boy!” Roy chuckled. “I’ll handle this!”

“We’ll see about that,” Wendy rolled her eyes. “Fine… have fun. Meanwhile, we’ll do something productive, like find that Sirius guy. Where did that Pegasus girl go?”

“Go ahead,” Roy said. “This shouldn’t take too long,” Bowser and the others left, leaving Mario’s group with the powerhouse of the Koopalings, who pulled out a large black cannon in one hand, and a gray Magikoopa wand in the other. “I know how cliché it is, but let’s have a blast!”

Spike wasted no time Tattling on the Koopaling. “So, for everypony who isn’t Mario, this is Roy “Bully” Koopa, the third oldest Koopaling and Bowser’s toughest kid physically! He’s a believer of real men wear pink… not a bad philosophy. I mean, I hang out with mares more often. Anyway, he’s a heavy hitter with his shell, fire, and magic attacks, but that’s just all of the Koopalings! He also has the ability to use a powerful Ground Pound that can shake the ground and damage all of us, flipping Boomregard on his back! He also has a Bullet Bill Blaster as well, summoning the kamikaze attackers for his side. He can also charge attack us. This fight’s going to be one the toughest we’ve had so far!”

“Indeed it will be,” Roy chuckled, aiming his Bullet Bill Blaster at Spike before firing, summoning two Bullet Bills. Diggsie quickly put up her Boulder Barricade, knowing what would happen while Mario and Boomregard focused their attacks on Roy. The Boulder Barricade did not last the might of Roy’s Bullet Bills, leaving Spike exposed to Roy’s hard-hitting magic attack.

Mario, Diggsie, and Boomregard covered Spike, each attacking Roy at the same time. Roy, taking the attacks rather well, grunted before charging, knocking the three back.

“He’s tough, alright,” Boomregard admitted. “This kid sure packs a punch.”

“I’m not as weak as I was before, Mario!” Roy taunted. “None of us Koopalings are! Gone are the days where you, your brother, and two nameless Toads could just jump on our heads three times and we’d go down! You’re looking at the new and improved Roy Koopa, soon-to-be regent of Equestria!”

“Regent of Equestria?” Spike nitpicked before using a Jackhammer Tail on Roy’s head.

“Hey, the rest of the Koopalings and I have a bet going on,” Roy said. “Whoever is the one to KO Mario wins the right to rule Equestria when King Dad takes over the world!”

“Really?” Spike scowled. “You’ll have to get past me first!”

“With pleasure!” Roy said before jumping up and unleashing a Ground Pound, damaging all of the group with the shockwave… before a stage light fell on Spike’s head, electrocuting him and causing sparks to fly off his scales, signaling he was Stopped.

“Can’t… move…”

“Who the heck put those stage lights there, anyway?” Boomregard asked, on his back after being flipped.

“Great,” Mario groaned, “it’s just you and me, huh, Diggsie?”

“Yeah!” Diggsie nodded. “I set up a Boulder Barricade, you attack!” As she set up the barricade, Mario took this time to charge up a Spin Hammer, and sent Roy flying. When the Koopaling recovered from that, and charged into Mario, damaging his barricade.

“That won’t last forever, Mario!” Roy scowled. However, Spike recovered from being Stopped and Boomregard flipped back up.

“Ah’m okay,” the Boomerang Bro said before using his Windy Toss, doing some damage but Roy resisted. The Koopaling was soon hit by a Dragon’s Ember before Diggsie pounced on him. Mario decided to use the Boulder Stomp, gaining some kind of rock version of his usual outfit right as he jumped. He became a massive boulder, stomping Roy flat to end the fight.

“Wow, we actually did it!” Spike said as he high-fived Diggsie and Boomregard.

Roy groaned, “Ugh… you got lucky, Mario! I’m gonna beat ya, next time!” He got up, and jumped away.

“Well, we’ll have to find him and the other Koopalings,” Mario groaned. “In the meantime, we should probably return back to Applewood Studios.”

“Why do you want to head back so soon?” Spike asked.

“We should probably get back to finding the Changeling?” Mario reminded everyone.

“Oh, right,” Boomregard remembered. “We gotta round up that critter. The Colts o’ Nocturne want it, so we can’t let them get it.”

“So, what, we go back to studio and KO Changeling?” Diggsie asked. “It could be anybody.”

“Not exactly,” a male voice spoke up. Sure enough, Doopliss walked over. “Yo, Slick. So, let me guess: hunting down the Changeling, huh? Another wild adventure?”

“Doopliss,” Mario scowled.

“Relax, not here to steal your face again,” Doopliss chuckled. “However, just to let you know, the Changeling is NOT me.”

“How can we be so sure?” Mario asked.

“Changeling magic is similar to Duplighost magic,” Doopliss explained. “We both can take on different forms... just not another shape-shifter’s form.”

“If that’s true, then that’s three less people it could be,” Mario concluded. “Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and you. Also, Frankie, Flurrie, and Wario all recognized me so quickly, so they’re probably not the shape-shifter.”

“Still leaves a few people,” Diggsie said. “Little ponies know us, too, so, they out.”

“And I doubt a Changeling could get the jump on Big Macintosh,” Spike added. “Not to mention Cadance and Shining Armor would be a little more prepared and did not know about the Changeling until showing up.”

“Again, still leaves several potential suspects,” Boomregard said. “We gotta git to the bottom of this here mystery.”

Mario sighed, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thanks, Doopliss.”

“No problem—”

“I still don’t trust you.”

“Of course not,” Doopliss groaned.

Applewood Studios—Sparkle Family Trailer

Upon returning to the Studio, Mario’s group saw the Crusaders and Big Macintosh talking to the Royal Guards, the former group acknowledging them with a friendly wave. After passing them, they headed straight for the Sparkle Family Trailer, where they were greeted by the family.

“So, that Bowser guy isn’t going to be much trouble for now?” Shining asked.

“He’s still out there,” Mario said. “And even worse, the Colts of Nocturne know we’re here, now. I hope they don’t team up…”

“Then we don’t have a lot of time before they attack the studio again,” Shining Armor said. “The Element of Kindness—and its temporary Bearer—need to be found soon if we're going to save the kingdom.”

"Why is it that whenever Twilight is involved in anything I hear about," Cadance asked herself, "the fate of Equestria is in the balance? We really need to figure out just a day by ourselves relaxing. You know, like going to the Starswirl the Bearded Traveling Exhibit."

"You and Twily do both like Starswirl related stuff," Shining chuckled.

“Ya’ll don’t think the Changeling has it, already, do ya?” Boomregard offered.

“Why would you say that?” Spike asked.

“Well, think ’bout it,” Boomregard concluded. “Bad guy wants Changeling, bad guy also wants magical artifact which their leader plans to use to revive evil goddess who will plunge world into eternal night. Both happen to be somewhere on the studio grounds. An’ correct me if Ah’m wrong, but didn’t ya’ll say that there was a near Changeling invasion in Canterlot? If more Changelings wanted to take o’er Equestria again, wouldn’t it benefit them to make sure one of the few forces that could stop them DOESN’T git back in pony hooves? As fer the Temporary Bearer, if the Changeling overheard our conversations, they'll wanna find an' deal with 'em 'fore they 'come a threat.” Spike stared at Boomregard, who had a sheepish grin on his face.

“For somepony with amnesia, you make a point,” Spike agreed. “If we find the Changeling, we could find the Element. We should probably talk to the others around the studio.”

“We’ll be here if you need us,” Cadance said. “Any questions?” Mario raised his hand.

“So, why is it that I’m just now meeting a third Alicorn?” Mario asked.

“Trust me when I say I wasn’t born like this,” Cadance giggled. “I was actually a Pegasus back when I was a filly. Then I saved an Earth Pony village from a villain who used the Alicorn Amulet, then Aunt Celestia adopted me, and figured out how to make me an Alicorn. It was a benefit to get magic, since I really could not make of my talent of love very well as just a Pegasus.”

“Still, it would have been nice to know there were more Alicorns than Celestia and Luna,” Mario said.

“I’ve been ruling the Crystal Empire, which is just north of Equestria’s borders, with Shining as my Prince Consort,” Cadance explained. “I would have loved to meet Princesses Peach and Daisy, but the Crystal Empire has been busy getting prepared for the Equestria Games, and they required me to supervise the preparations. The only reason I’m not there right now is because I felt that searching for the Bearers of the Elements should take higher priority, and wished to do as much as I could to aid the search.”

“Don’t know much of Crystal Empire,” Diggsie said. “All I know is it huge city-state made of gems and have Crystal Ponies.”

“The Empire, believe it or not, was cursed by the fearsome King Sombra,” Spike explained. “The city’s denizens were conquered and enslaved by him, but he was defeated by Princesses Celestia and Luna over 1,000 years ago, turning him into shadow, but not before he caused the city to vanish until he could regain his full power. Shining, Cadance, the girls, and I had to defeat him permanently to free the city of his rule—hence my glass window.”

“That explains that,” Mario said.

“And it also explains the dark crystals trapping Canterlot,” Shining added. “They’re Sombra’s design, showing that had he had been further prepared for both Princess Celestia and Luna, he could be ruling all of Equestria. For Sirius to do that with the help of all of his mages… that’s a lot of dark magic. No wonder we need the Elements back, and soon.”

“Right, end of the world as we know it,” Mario brushed off. “I’ve been through several of these to know that we have to get moving. Might as well ask the obvious question.” Turning to Twilight and Shining’s parents, he asked, “Have you by any chance seen a giant glowing stone orb with a—Mama-mia, Spike?”

“Yo?” the Dragon said.

“Who is the original Bearer of the Element of Kindness, again?”

“Fluttershy,” Spike answered. “She has butterflies for her Cutie Mark. We're looking for an orb most likely glowing either pastel yellow or bright pink with a butterfly.”

“Yeah, let’s go with that,” Mario said. Night Light and Twilight Velvet looked at each other.

“That was an Element of Harmony?” Night Light asked.

“In its hibernated state, yep,” Boomregard said. “So ya’ll have seen it?”

“Indeed,” Velvet said. “It landed near Wario and Waluigi’s trailer when we were shooting some time ago. If anypony besides Red Carpet and Green Screen knew anything about it, it would be Wario and Waluigi… and Waluigi’s disappeared on us.”

“So that means I have to talk to Wario,” Mario groaned. “Let’s-a-get this over with.”

“If Wario grinds your gears so much,” Spike asked, “why don’t we talk to Red Carpet or Green Screen?”

“Because, sadly, Wario would have the least amount of reason to lie to me and the most likely reason to keep it. Wario’s a greedy guy.”

“Hopefully he doesn’t turn into a giant rampaging monster whenever he gets too greedy,” Spike said.

“What?” Mario asked.

“Yeah, that’s something I can do.”

“Ya mean, ya have a giant form that ya could’ve used on Hootenanny an’ ya didn’t do that!?” Boomregard asked. “What gives?”

“Three reasons,” Spike said. “1, my giant form is caused by giving into the Dragon’s primal desire for greed and riches, so it’s not like I can turn into a giant willingly. 2, the last time I did that, I robbed half of Ponyville, destroyed the other half, kidnapped Rarity, attacked the Wonderbolts and my friends, and when it wore off, Rarity and I nearly fell to our deaths, so I would have destroyed Fillydelphia if I did that again. 3, the six ponies that could probably stop me at that point-- Rarity especially-- are currently in Sirius Nebula’s hooves, so do you really want to look into making me a giant, fire-breathing monster without them to serve as my anchor back into reality before I destroy Equestria?”

“Still would be useful if ya learned how to use it and aim its rage,” Boomregard pointed out.

“This conversation is over,” Spike said. “We are not having it again. Let’s just go talk to Wario.”

Wario and Waluigi’s Trailer

“Hm, I don’t know, Mario,” Wario said after Mario came into his rather messy trailer. “I may or may not have seen your rock. Perhaps you can refresh my memory…”

“How many Coins?” Mario asked, knowing Wario’s greed would tighten his lips.

“I’m feeling lenient,” Wario shrugged, “so… 1,000 Coins will do!”

“Wario!” Mario scowled. “You know very well I never have a wallet that big!”

“Yeah, that would be yanking your chain,” Wario agreed. “Okay, how about… 100 Coins?”

“Well, that’s negotiable,” Mario said, forking over the money. “Now, tell us you remember the Element of Kindness.”

“Is that what that rock was?” Wario said. “Hmm… I think I’ve heard about those Elements of Harmony. Aren’t they a rare pony treasure and powerful magical artifacts? I could have made a mint off of one of those by selling it back to Equestria and bought an even bigger castle full of gold!”

“You have a castle?” Diggsie asked.

“I’ve had one since the end of Wario Land, a.k.a. Super Mario Land 3!” Wario recalled. “Of course, Nintendo forgot about it by the time the Wario Ware games got really selling, but I got so popular as an anti-Mario after Super Mario Land 2 that I got my own game series… and eventually a micro-game series.”

“Back to the Element of Kindness,” Mario said. “So, you don’t have it?”

“I did until Waluigi disappeared,” Wario answered. “By that point, I thought the rock was useless, so I threw it away. Ask Red Carpet about it, she probably knows what happened.”

“And you said Red Carpet was a bad idea,” Spike said as they walked out of the trailer.

“Do we even know where she would be right now?” Mario asked. His partners all blinked. “Yeah, I thought not.”

“Try her office,” Green Screen said as she walked up to them. Everyone looked at the green Unicorn.

“How much did you hear?” Mario asked.

“Enough to know that you’re after the Changeling and you're trying to find the Element of Harmony,” the pony said. “I’m sorry that this had to happen, all of you. But I assure you my sister and I am not the Changeling. If you need to talk to my sister, she’ll be at her office… I’ll take you to her. We just need to make sure she’s not in a meeting with Miss Yearling, Miss Lumina, or Caspian.”

“Why those three in particular?” Spike asked.

“Well, Miss Yearling has her secrets about Daring Do she’d rather not share with the public,” Green Screen answered, “Miss Lumina does not like making her conversations public—she’s skittish around new ponies such as yourselves, even if you all aren’t ponies—and Caspian… well, he has his reasons for privacy as well. So, ready to talk to Red Carpet?”

“Yes,” Mario nodded. The group followed the mare towards her sister’s office.

Author's Note

Well, I've been gone a while. I'm really sorry about that. I have for the past semester been working at an internship to finish up my Child Development & Family Studies major, two English classes for my minor, and I have been preparing for my graduation on Saturday. This has been the first time in months that I have been able to update anything at all... heck, I haven't even been able to get something on my birthday!

1) I felt Cadance was overdue with an introduction. She may be the least powerful of the Princesses pre-Season 3 Finale, but she's become quite the character. I'll be honest that I was going to save her for later (what with the Equestria Games being a plot point for just about everything Crystal Empire related for a while), but when I felt that I was including a Changeling, Cadance would want to be involved. Also, I'm pretty sure the Crystal Empire can watch itself for a while. I mean, every time Peach gets kidnapped or otherwise occupied, the Mushroom Kingdom manages to survive. Although the Mario & Luigi games suggest with a lackluster economy.

Speaking of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser time! He has been forced into a conversation with Gentle Breeze... who has annoyed him. Yeah, she's not exactly named, but I felt I needed to give her a reason to join the Colts of Nocturne. Anyway, Bowser is convinced by Roy to leave Mario to him. You know, I actually had no real order as to which Koopaling gets first dibs at Mario. Anyway, yep, I decided to arm Roy with both the Bullet Bill Blaster from New Super Mario Bros. U and his wand. I'm doing this for all of the Koopalings, by the way. But Jr. won't have the Mini-Koopa Clown Car. He'll have something even better.

Anyway, this part crosses off the following characters as Changeling suspects: The CMC, Wario, Doopliss, Twilight Velvet, Night Light, Frankie, and Flurrie. Can you guess who the Changeling is, still? It will be revealed in Part 4 following a battle with Boogular, followed by the Chapter Dungeon in 5 including the awaited first showdowns against Bowser and W-Masque (who may not be in that order), and the Chapter Boss in 6. I feel this Chapter will be too long if I do the whole dang movie subplot now, but in-game, you can come back after you have cleared the Chapter and do the movie scenes you missed.

2) Okay, I don't have a lot about locations this time around. However, I want to open this up to vote. I'll be honest: while the rest of the story is set in stone and will not work if I change locations, I can put Chapters 4 and 5 in either order and nothing about how the story's sixth chapter will change. In fact, the only thing that changes is which partner we'll get first. So, I will ask you guys which Element of Harmony do you want to go after first: Generosity or Laughter? The story requires the Element of Magic to be found last, though, so you guys have to wait for that.

3) I know you guys probably don't like how I have Mario acting towards Doopliss and (probably) Wario. However, think about their actions in the past. Doopliss literally stole his identity for no reason other than he saw how popular Mario was among his friends, leaving Mario at his arguably weakest in the series since he can't possibly hope to reclaim his identity without Vivian's help (and made us go through that dang forest FIVE times and Creepy Steeple thrice before the chapter ended), and that's before he joined the Shadow Sirens, nearly blew up a train, and impersonated Prof. Frankly in order to trick Mario's group into opening the Thousand-Year Door (someone should have raised an eyebrow about that scene when he claimed that Grodus had taken Peach inside the Palace of Shadow if the door still needed the Crystal Stars at that point to open, but nobody does). Meanwhile, Wario has been constantly greedy, goes out of his way to sabotage several of the sporting events in the Mario games alongside Waluigi, took over in Super Mario Land 2 by setting up the events of Super Mario Land 1, and instigated the conflict of Mario Party 2 allowing Bowser to take over. Would Mario have any reason to trust or like these two guys?

Well, that's about it. Have a great rest of the week. Next time you hear from me, I'll have graduated!

Chapter 3 Part 4

Applewood Studios—Red Carpet’s Office

Mario’s group first noticed that Red Carpet had some strange tastes. She had a series of gold statues, some of whom Mario could vaguely recognize—two being Beanish creatures, one a tall female witch, the other a dwarfish figure with swirly glasses, a sinister grin, and a cape, a creepy-looking jester, a robotic-looking sorcerer, a Shroobish-looking thing wearing Peach’s dress, a bat king, and a statue featuring the six Bearers. There was also a statue of a Unicorn mare with a sun-like Cutie Mark that had a bit of ying-yang going on, as well as a tall Earth Pony whose mane was going wild.

“How does she afford all of these statues?” Mario asked.

“I’ll be honest when I say I don’t know,” Green Screen said as she admired them. “But I do know is my sister is quite the collector. The Unicorn statue was donated by Princess Celestia… she looked really sad to see it go, but Celestia said she ‘had to move on’.”

“She has a Mane-iac statue!” Spike admired, looking at the wild mane.

“My sister’s first movie as a director,” Green Screen smiled. “It was Power Ponies live action. My first time with the special effects, myself. We did everything to avoid screwing it up… research the characters, actually encouraged the ham a little bit. The only major thing critics complained about was us completely getting rid of Humdrum, saying that ‘without him, the Power Ponies have no comedic foil and seemed forced to quip off each other and have dumb moments that were out-of-character just to extend the movie’.”

“While I’m no fan of Humdrum since he’s useless,” Spike grumbled, “they do have a point. The movie could have been ended half an hour early if Saddle Ranger didn’t allow herself to get angry on a moving airship when they needed to get the Alicornium Ring to Draconia Volcano so the Mane-iac couldn’t revive Count Flapula.”

“Ah ain’t even gonna pretend Ah understood that,” Boomregard said. “So, when do we see the pony in charge?”

“I’ll have to check on her,” Green Screen said. “Please, wait here.” She then walked up to the door leading into Red Carpet’s office, and knocked. “Sis? It’s me… can I come in?”

“Oh, Green Screen!” Red Carpet called. “Um, just a minute!” After a moment of whispering, she said, “Come on in, Sis!” The green Unicorn walked in, leaving Mario’s group to their lonesome.

“…So, we going in, right?” Diggsie asked.

“Diggsie!” Boomregard chided. “Green Screen told us to wait right here. Gotta give a lady her privacy, after all.”

“I’m lady, and I can smell something fishy,” Diggsie pointed out. “Also, I hear small voices from behind statue… and I smell… air.”

“Diggsie has a point, Boomregard,” Mario said. Looking at the statues, he mused, “I wonder…” He then swapped into Ant Form, lifting up the jester statue to reveal an air vent big enough for Pig Form… being covered by a set of wooden boards. “You’d think they would have something better than wooden boards. No wonder why Red Carpet has this covered up by gaudy gold statues.”

“I got it,” Spike said, inhaling before unleashing a breath of emerald fire. A few wooden boards turned to ashes later, Mario’s group turned into Pigs before crawling through the vent… briefly turning around to gather a Star Piece.

When they reached the vent grate that led to Red Carpet’s office, the group saw that Red Carpet was talking to a young orange coated Pegasus Mare with a curly, silver-haired mane and tail, and a Cutie Mark involving a spotlight and a star, and Caspian still in his costume as Herpy. Most likely this mare was Lumina.

“I’m worried about the movie, now,” Lumina said as she trotted back and forth in panic. “I mean, its one thing to pretend to be Daring Do… but to actually face real danger like Bob-Ombs running wild? Maybe we should postpone shooting until the real danger has passed?”

“I know you’re scared, Lumina,” Red Carpet nodded, “but we can’t let mad protestors like W-Masque get the better of us! We’re also so close, now. However, Mr. Mario, Shining Armor, and Book Key are all on the case right now.”

“I’m rather worried about those three, myself,” Caspian spoke up. The three mares turned to him. “The last time we saw Waluigi was when Book Key came to ask him a few questions about some type of crime he committed, so who knows what Book Key did to him. As for Shining Armor, if he’s hunting down the Changeling, then there’s no telling how far he’ll go to get it. And then, there’s Mario… he’s a nice gentlecolt, I can tell, but even gentlecolts like me have our limits.”

“You don’t think any of them suspect one of us to be the Changeling, do you, Caspian?” Lumina asked. “My uncle said he was there in Canterlot when it first happen… how they flew around, trying to snatch up ponies so they can store them and their love away for later consumption. They… nearly took over Canterlot. They even defeated the Bearers and Princess Celestia, or so I heard!”

“It’s true,” Caspian said. “However, Lumina… I’ll protect you.”

“And I’ll protect you both,” Red Carpet said. “Now, I want everypony to move away from that Changeling nonsense. We have another problem… which was why I called you here, Lumina. Do you…?”

“Yes, I still have that orb Mr. Wario threw away,” Lumina said. “I… I didn’t know that it was an Element of Harmony.”

“It’s alright, Lumina,” Caspian smiled. “I suggest we give it to Mario, his Dragon friend, the Boomerang Brother, and the Diamond Dog come the morning. We have no need for it, and Mario and his company will surely lure away W-Masque from us. We will then have to work around the Changeling crisis… though I’m sure once Mario’s group leaves, I’m sure the others’ investigations will prove fruitless and they will leave us alone. It’s been a long day, Lumina… how about after I finish my business here I walk you to your trailer?”

“Um… okay,” Lumina nodded with a blush. “Thank you, Caspian. You’re so sweet.” Caspian smiled. Lumina then turned to the other two, and politely bowed. Mario, sensing that they would be caught, quickly scrambled out of the vent, springing back into Pig Form and quickly forming an Ant to move the statue back. By the time he returned to normal, Lumina had trotted out of the office.

“Oh, um… hi!” she greeted. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” Lumina smiled. “You all are… Mario, Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie, right?”

“That’s us, ma’am,” Boomregard said with a tilt of his hat.

“I’ve… heard about your problem,” Lumina confessed. “You need the Element of Harmony, right? Well, I have it… I’ll be able to give it to you tomorrow. I just need to find it, first.”

“Take your time,” Spike smiled. “We’re in no hurry…”

“I thought we were—” Diggsie whispered, only for Spike to place a conveniently located apple into her mouth.

“Well, um, thank you for understanding,” Lumina said. “My trailer is not too far from Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle. Come tomorrow morning, okay?”

“Okay,” Mario nodded. The door to the office then opened, allowing Caspian to walk out of there.

“Mr. Mario, right?” the Unicorn asked. “Nice to meet you. I am Caspian.”

“So, how is working alongside Doopliss?” Mario asked.

“You’d be surprised that somepony like him can act so well once he gets into character,” Caspian said. “I guess it’s a Duplighost thing, but I have a similar problem.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Spike said. “I suppose that’s why you still look like Herpy?”

“Indeed,” Caspian said. “I never change face until my performance is complete.”

“I suppose when movie is over,” Diggsie mused, “you will show us your true face.”

“Perhaps,” Caspian shrugged. He walked up to Lumina, and said, “Shall I escort you to your trailer?”

“Thank you, again, for offering, Caspian,” the Pegasus blushed. “I’m sure this is an inconvenience for you… your trailer is on the opposite side of the studio from mine.”

“With all of the chaos happening,” the Unicorn insisted, “I’m sure it would be safer if ponies walked in groups. Especially gentle mares like you, Lumina.” Lumina’s blush deepened. “Perhaps after tomorrow’s shoot, we can go get a pizza? My treat?”

“Thank you,” the mare beamed, walking out of the door with him.

“That guy has swag,” Spike smirked. “Note to self, when we rescue Rarity, see if I can make a date like that."

“Mr. Mario, Mr. Spike, Mr. Boomregard, Miss Diggsie,” Green Screen called. “We’re ready to talk.” The group walked into the room, Mario eager to hear what lie Red Carpet would try to feed them.

“Mr. Mario,” Red Carpet greeted, “I apologize for the wait.”

“Not a problem,” Mario said. “So, um… the statues?”

“Oh, you like those?” Red Carpet smiled. “I have to admit that I collect them. My prize statue being the Bearers statue.”

“Though they have been expensive,” Green Screen said.

“Oh hush, you!” Red Carpet chided. Turning back to Mario, she admitted, “I will admit, I do love to look at these. Did you know that there was a movie in the Beanbean Kingdom that featured that very Beanish sorceress?”

“I know, Luigi and I KO'd Cackletta,” Mario muttered. “Anyway, back on topic.”

“Oh, right, the Element of Harmony,” Red Carpet remembered. “I honestly did not know that orb was an Element before I gave it to Wario. I didn’t know what it was until after Waluigi disappeared, Wario gave the Element to Lumina, and W-Masque attacked the studio. I can’t believe that the Bearers were... they’re alive, right?”

“Of course,” Spike said. “Sirius Nebula needs them to use the Elements, so it wouldn’t benefit him to end their games… yet. Still, I’d like to hurry up and rescue them as soon as possible. So, Lumina has it, right?”

“Yes,” Green Screen nodded. “She’ll be ready to give it to you upon the morrow.”

Boomregard asked, “Has she seen anything from it? Such as a transparent pony being projected from it saying she’s been chosen by prophecy as a Temporary Bearer?” Everyone looked at the Boomerang Bro, the two mares staring in confusion.

“…What?” Red Carpet asked.

“So that’s a no,” Diggsie said. “Darn, honestly hoping to get another girl as companion.”

“No, really, what’s going on?” the mare said. Diggsie’s tail began to wag.

“To make a long story short,” Mario explained, “Spike and I are not just looking for the Elements of Harmony. We’re looking for six souls who can become Temporary Bearers of Harmony so we can save the True Bearers and save all of Equestria. Boomregard and Diggsie here are two of them... so, yeah, we need four more Bearers.”

“Well, I can’t help you with your Bearer problem,” Red Carpet said after a moment, “but I CAN at least give you the Element of Kindness. It’s a shame we won’t be able to find the Changeling before you leave.”

“…Yeah,” Mario said, playing along. “I suppose that’s all we needed.”

“Thank you, Mr. Mario,” Red Carpet nodded. “Oh, I almost forgot! If you wish to see the footage of your battle edited by Green Screen, feel free to take this!” She gave Mario a Backstage Pass. “This will allow you access to the backstage of our parents’ theater, the Hairieon Trot. You’ll get to see the footage before the general public! Also, we’ll make sure you are properly paid for your work!”

“Wow, that’s useful,” Mario said. “So, any other acting work for me?”

“We’ll stay in touch,” Green Screen answered. “For now, it’s late. We bid you good night.” Mario’s group left the two Unicorns, most likely heading back to their cabin. As soon as she was sure they were gone, she sighed, “I thought they’d never leave.”

“Neither did I,” Red Carpet said. “Caspian’s right… Mario is not stupid. He may be onto the Changeling.”

“You don’t think they know who it is, do you?” Green Screen asked.

“Have them watched tomorrow morning,” Red Carpet suggested. “With any luck, they’ll just get the Element and leave. The last thing we need is Book Key coming here.”

Las Pegasus—Hairieon Trot Theater

A trio of cloaked figures moved throughout the town, looking at the movie theater, two equine shaped while the third, smaller figure floated. “Are you absolutely sure THIS is where you encountered Mario and Spike, Gentle Breeze?” Sirius asked as he looked at the theater.

“Yes,” Gentle Breeze said, lowering her hood. “But before I saw them, a giant angry Koopa asked for you.”

“Giant angry Koopa?” the third figure asked. “Wait… that could only be talking about Bowser!”

“Bowser?” Gentle Breeze asked. “Um… who’s Bowser?”

“I forget most of the Colts of Nocturne aren’t as well traveled in the Mushroom Kingdom as I,” Sirius nodded. “Also, you joined AFTER the horse armor incident, so you wouldn’t know about the tales of Bowser. Known as the Koopa King, Bowser is one of the Star Children alongside our current enemy Mario, and has conquered much of the Mushroom Kingdom several times over. In fact, prior to Mario, the only thing defeating Bowser in terms of muscle was a herd of Yoshis and aliens from outer space, but both instances happened when he was a baby. He has survived far more fatal scenarios than a normal Koopa or even an ALICORN could. I’m afraid most of the Colts of Nocturne would be easily crushed if Bowser were to bring his wrath upon us. In my currently weakened state, I would be no match for his might. So it’s a good thing we haven’t angered him, otherwise we would have to worry about his status as a foe. Otherwise, Gentle Breeze, you were lucky that Bowser was distracted by Mario.”

“Too bad that Bowser ISN’T in a good mood when it comes to aiding the Colts of Nocturne,” a new voice interrupted. A gray and blue cloaked pony walked over to them.

“Who are you?” Gentle Breeze asked.

“This is our benefactor,” Sirius answered. “He was the one who supplied us with the restraints on the Bearers. If not for his generous donation, the Bearers would be a problem. However…” Turning to the cloaked ally, he asked, “What do you mean Bowser is not in a good mood?”

The benefactor explained, “Police reports indicate this place as the sight of a battle between Mario’s group AND a powerful Koopa wearing… pink. Manly color aside, Bowser was irritated by the Colts of Nocturne for sealing off Canterlot… trapping one Princess Peach inside.” Sirius looked at the figure. “I told you that plan wouldn’t work.”

“It did for about 80 percent of it,” Sirius said. “Sure, we could have actually gotten the Elements as well as the Bearers had I remembered Twilight Sparkle’s wrath when it comes to her loved ones, but nopony could have predicted Bowser would join the fray.”

“Well, thanks to Bowser’s unpredictability, we now have a problem on top of the already obvious problem of Mario being here,” the benefactor replied. “So, onto business. Do you have the funds for my assistance or should I turn you in right now?”

“Of course I have the funds, my good friend,” Sirius said, floating a bag full of money in front of the benefactor, who took it. “But this is only half of it. I’m afraid I left the other half in my hotel room… I didn’t want to stand out by carrying so much money.”

“We’re wearing blue and black cloaks, though,” Boogular said.

“That is true, Boogular,” Sirius agreed. “However, my name is already infamous throughout Equestria. I’d rather not have ponies recognizing me.”

“Half isn’t going to cut it, Sirius,” the benefactor told him. “If you want that info or my help, I need the rest.”

“I promise you will get your money,” Sirius nodded. “I promise you on my clan and honor that I will pay you soon.”

“So, Mr. Mysterious Benefactor,” Boogular said, “where’s the Element of Harmony? I can retrieve it now while Sirius gets the rest of your bribe money.”

“Why would I part with my one ace in the hole?” the benefactor asked. “How do I know that you won’t just betray me?”

“Betray you?” Sirius asked. He weakly laughed. “My honor wouldn’t permit me to betray somepony who I consider a friend. And like I said: you’re a friend to me.” The benefactor stared at Sirius for a moment.

“Alright, here’s the location…” Sirius listened to the pony.

“So that’s where it is,” Sirius nodded. “Well, Boogular, you have some stealing to do.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be on it like a stomp on Goomba,” the Boo grinned. “But I’ll need a distraction.”

“I have just the man for the job,” the benefactor chuckled.

“Don’t you mean pony?” Gentle Breeze asked.

“No he doesn’t,” W-Masque said, leaning on a nearby wall. “So, you’re Lord Sirius, huh?”

“Those colors and that symbol,” Sirius realized. “You are a fellow brother, aren’t you?”

“Indeed, Seeker of the Eternal Night,” W-Masque bowed. “The name is W-Masque, a humble servant.”

Applewood Studios

Mario’s group woke up the following morning, seeing that the Crusaders and Big Macintosh had already left. “I take it you had a good night?” Velvet asked the group.

“Yeah,” Mario said. “I suppose we should get the Element of Kindness. Where is Lumina’s trailer?”

“Not that far from here,” Night Light answered. “Mario, Spike… I know it’s been said, but thank you both from the bottom of our hearts for going through the efforts to rescue our daughter.”

“You know I’d go through Tartarus if I had to for Twilight,” Spike nodded. “After this Element, we’ll be three away from the others… but we’ll still be four Temporary Bearers from rescuing Twilight, Rarity, and everypony else.”

“Ooh, Rarity,” Velvet giggled. “Is she that pretty white Unicorn mare Twily wrote about in her letters that you have a crush on…?”

“Mrs. Sparkle!” Spike blushed. Diggsie and even Cadance joined in on the laugh as she and Shining Armor came into the room.

“Anyway,” Mario asked, “are you sure it’s okay if we just go for the Element?”

“Of course,” Shining Armor said. “You handle the Elements, I’ll handle the rest.”

Mario’s group left the Sparkle family’s trailer, and heard a piercing scream of horror. Lumina was outside of her trailer, which was surrounded by several Jackalopes hopping around her. “Oh… um, Mr. Mario, good to see you… as you can see, I have my hooves full.”

“With bunnies?” Mario asked. As if on cue, the Jackalopes all turned to Mario and hissed, showing sharp canine teeth.

“Actually,” Spike corrected after a Tattle, “they’re Vampiric Jackalopes, a rare breed of Jackalope that is carnivorous and the arch enemy of Chupacabras—they will fight for food, Goats especially. They can bite to drain HP like Fuzzies, but you have to shake them off. Also, those antlers can ram us and even pierce defense, and also spiky enough that you and Diggsie shouldn’t jump on them.”

“Great, an enemy I can’t fight head on,” Diggsie groaned.

“Ah guess that’s why Ah’m here,” Boomregard said. “How did they get in here, anyway?”

“By who else but me!” W-Masque declared, jumping down to confront the group. “W-Masque!”

“Where did you even get a group of Jackalopes, anyway?” Mario asked.

“A Draconequus,” W-Masque answered. “There are carnivorous bunnies with antlers for everyone! But, of course, I could stop this… if you hand over the Changeling and the Element of Harmony!”

“Not gonna happen, partner,” Boomregard scowled. “Let’s git this varmint!”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!! JACKALOPES!” a scared Green Screen yelped as she ran from a herd of Vampiric Jackalopes.

“Worst vacation ever!” one of the members of the Traveling Sisters 3 screeched as she and her sister ran from more bunnies.

“Dude,” a blue Boo yelled up to W-Masque, holding an orb in his stubby little arms that had a glowing pink butterfly in it. “I know you’re new to the Colts of Nocturne, but you should at least warn ME before doing this!”

“Is that…!?” Spike asked. “The Element of Kindness!”

“Well, looks like I don’t have to steal that anymore!” W-Masque said. “Excellent, Boogular! You really are the expert thief Lord Sirius said you were!”

“Well, I’m getting out of here!” Boogular said. A few Jackalopes hopped in front of him, and growled. “Hey! Call off the bunnies!” Boogular floated away, taking the Element with him.

“Get back here!” Mario scowled, only for the Jackalopes to get in the way.

“Ah-ah-ah,” W-Masque said. “Can’t have you going after Boogular now, Mario. Don’t you have my mess to clean up?”

“Mario, help!” Flurrie said after blowing away a group of Jackalopes, only for more to come towards her.

Mario turned to W-Masque. “…Really?”

“I said bunnies for everyone, didn’t I?” W-Masque said. “Better hurry, Mr. Hero… they’re about 30 Jackalopes bouncing around.” W-Masque then sprung away, landing on Madam G. “When the Changeling is ready to give up, I’ll be waiting at Key Point!” he taunted before Madam G flew away.

As W-Masque, Madam G, and Boogular escaped with the Element of Kindness, Mario’s group was forced to handle the crisis of several angry Vampiric Jackalopes bouncing all over the place. He was joined in by Shining Armor (who assisted capture), Flurrie (who blew them over to Shining Armor), Frankie (who chucked them over) Twilight Velvet, Night Light, and Cadance (all who magically warped them over) and—surprisingly—A.K. Yearling (who used incredible flying speed to help with the round-up, showing why she played Daring before). By the end of it, Diggsie had several scrapes and Mario and Spike were pretty sore, but the bunnies were tightly locked up in Shining Armor’s bubble shield. Well, all but one when they counted.

“Wait, we’re one short?” Shining asked.

“Where could it be?” Spike asked. He then spotted it near Lumina, who despite her shaking was trying to be brave.

“Easy, Mr. Jackalope,” she begged it. “I’m sure you want to be with all of your friends…” The Jackalope tilted its head, blinking in confusion. “I’m sure you are just as confused and scared as I am.” The Jackalope calmed down. “There we go…”

CLUNK!

All of the sudden, a bola was wrapped around Lumina’s legs, causing her to trip and fall over. Before the Pegasus could regain her footing, a group of officers marched up to her, Book Key leading them. The Jackalope tried running, only for one of the officers to catch it. “No ordinary pony would attempt to bond with one of those ravenous Vampire Jackalopes!” Book Key declared with a scowl. “I knew I smelt something… off about you, Lumina! Or should I just call you a Changeling!?”

“Wait, Lumina’s the Changeling!?” Shining Armor asked as he walked over. “And are we really doing this right now!?”

“Yes and yes!” Book Key answered. “Notice how Lumina shies away from everypony else? How she hardly bonds with others save for Red Carpet, A.K. Yearling, and Caspian? She’s most likely been feeding off their naïve care for her!”

“No, she hasn’t!” Caspian declared before walking up to Book Key and Shining Armor. “I know Miss Lumina! She wouldn’t harm a fly!”

“That’s what she wants you to think, you dumb colt!” Book Key snapped at him. “She’s playing you… just like any Changeling worth their salt. They fake every emotion to get close to others! That way, they can snack off your happiness!”

“But what about Miss Yearling!?” Caspian argued. “Surely she’d know her student?” Yearling walked over.

“I assure you, officer,” Yearling said, “I’ve trained Lumina to take over my role as Daring. She’s innocent… she has the heart of a pony, and gentleness of a filly. She’d never be a Changeling.”

“Stop defending her!” Book Key told them. “Otherwise, I’ll run you both in for obstruction of justice!”

“Hey, guys,” Spike interrupted, “we can talk about who is the Changeling later. We need to stop W-Masque… who is heading to Key Point. Don’t you have access to Key Point?”

“He’s heading to the prison!?” Book Key asked. “In that case, I’ll deal with him there! As well as unmask this Changeling here!” Book Key turned to Lumina, who was being picked up by his officers. “Take her with us! We have ways of making her reveal herself!”

The officers nodded before dragging Lumina to a police carriage, and unceremoniously dumping her inside of it before galloping off. Mario’s group stared at this development.

"That's strange," Shining Armor mused. "My detective work said it was Caspian... could I have been off?"

“So… what just happened?” Boomregard asked to the rest of his group.

“I think Lumina just got arrested,” Diggsie answered. “Also… Caspian shaking. We should probably do something.”

“Yeah, probably,” Mario said before walking over to the shaking Unicorn. “Um… Caspian? Are you okay…?”

“…Changelings fake their emotions to get close to others…” Caspian repeated. “Do ponies really know nothing about us…?”

“Wait, what?” Mario and Shining asked. Caspian answered them by surrounding his body in green fires, which burned away his body. When the flames vanished, gone was the pony Caspian, but in his place was a black bug-like stallion with a crooked horn, bent wasp-like wings, a pair of fangs sticking out of his mouth, and yellow eyes that seemed alight with anger. His mane—if one could call it that—was also a faded yellow, with noticeable holes punched into it and his tail. Now that Mario thought about it, a few holes were also in his legs. Thank goodness they were all made of paper; otherwise Mario would be seriously worried for the pony’s health.

“I apologize to everypony for any acts of deception I pulled on you!” Caspian declared. “I promise I will turn myself over to the proper authorities once this is all over. However, a young mare is being wrongfully imprisoned for my crime of being alive! I must rectify this before it’s too late!” Caspian galloped off after the carriage.

“Shadowfang, no!” Red Carpet yelled after him. “Oh… why did this happen now…?”

Spike and Shining Armor stared in shock before turning to each other. “Did that just happen…?” Spike asked.

“Yeah…” Shining Armor answered. “It did.”

“What?” Mario asked.

“Um, Mario,” Cadance explained. “That was a Changeling.”

“Wait, that’s what a real Changeling looks like!?” the plumber asked. “…And here I was hoping for something scarier. Doopliss is scarier than that!”

“I don’t know whether I should be proud or insulted,” Doopliss said.

“Still,” Mario said, “so it was Caspian we were looking for…”

“Shadowfang,” Red Carpet’s voice corrected. The group looked at the red Unicorn, who looked down. “His name is really Shadowfang. He’s my… son….”

“Your son?” Shining Armor asked. “You adopted a Changeling?”

“A long, long time before the Royal Wedding,” Green Screen explained. “Shadowfang—who you know as ‘Caspian’—was found by my sister outside of Las Pegasus. Shadowfang was apparently kicked out of his hive as a larva—what Changelings call their foals. When she found out that he was capable of transforming into various ponies, she decided to get him into a place where he could make use of his ability: the movies. She renamed him ‘Caspian’ so he wouldn’t scare away other actors. This was made especially so once the Wedding happened.”

“I thought he looked different from the Changelings at the wedding!” Cadance recalled. “There was only one haired Changeling… the Queen.”

“Shadowfang never liked that Queen,” Red Carpet said aloud. “I made sure to raise him right… but when he heard about the Changeling Queen, he spat in anger and frustration, but found himself unable to go after her. The anti-Changeling laws sprouted up shortly after the wedding, and Shadowfang was forced to hide his face. I… Mario, Spike, Captain Shining Armor… I’m sorry I never told you, before. If you’re going after my son, tell him I’m sorry… and please, watch out for him.”

“I’m not sensing anything bad about him,” Cadance spoke up. “He seems nice for a Changeling… but I can sense he’s scared and concerned for Lumina.”

“Lumina has a crush on him,” Yearling smiled. “She’s told me before that he’s been a gentlecolt to her, and it shows. And now, he’s literally running into a trap.” She grabbed her shawl, and tossed it, revealing that she was wearing an explorer’s hat, shirt, and ditched her glasses. “Well, Daring… it’s time to help out in any way you can!”

“Wait a second,” Spike asked. “A.K. Yearling… is really… DARING DO!?”

“Yes,” Daring Do answered. “And before you ask, yes, all of those books I’ve written have happened. Just not the expanded universe.”

“Wow…” Spike breathed. “Twilight and Rainbow Dash would freak if they found out you’re real!”

“About that,” Daring interrupted. “Don’t tell them about me, okay? Anyway, I’ll fly ahead and see if I can scout Key Point out, perhaps stop W-Masque from getting away! You go and catch Caspian before he does something stupid!” The famous explorer took to the skies, flying after the retreating Colts of Nocturne.

Mario turned to the group, and asked, “Does anyone ELSE have any surprising secrets right now?” Nobody said anything. “Nevermind. Spike, Boomregard, and Diggsie, we should go find Caspian—I mean, ‘Shadowfang’.”

“I can’t believe we’re trying to catch a Changeling,” Spike said.

“I’d join you, Mario,” Shining Armor said, “but I have to coordinate the guards and secure the area. If you can catch those thieves, I’ll appreciate it. Besides, there are a few questions I have to ask that Changeling.”

Las Pegasus—Downtown District

Shadowfang did not get very far, as the plumber found out. Mario’s group headed downtown, where they saw—surprisingly—Rosie holding Boogular at sword point, the latter no longer holding the Element. These two were both in front of Shadowfang.

“So, where do you think you’re heading?” the pink Unicorn asked the Boo.

“I didn’t know there’d be a pirate here!” Boogular said. “I was hoping to buy time for Mario’s group… well, if you’re after the Element, it’s a little too late. W-Masque already has it, and is planning to meet Lord Sirius at Key Point.”

“Lord Sirius?” Rosie asked. “Sirius… why does that name sound familiar…” Shaking her head, the pirate Unicorn she said, “So, the Element’s at Key Point right now? Great! Swash? Buckle?” The two Pegasirates flew above her. “Good news, I know where the Element is. Bad news… it’s at Key Point.”

“Key Point?” Swash asked. “Isn’t that Sheriff Book Key’s dangerous prison? Why would the Element be there!?”

“These scallywags have it!” Rosie answered. “Look for somepony named ‘W-Masque’, gentlecolts.”

“Aye-aye, Captain!” Buckle saluted before he and Swash flew off.

“There,” Rosie smiled. “Now, about Mario… you’re in luck.” The Boo turned around to see Mario’s group, and gasped as he noticed the scowls.

“Oh, Mario!” the Boo breathed. “Um, give me a moment to get into character…” The Boo vanished, leaving Mario’s group with Rosie.

“So, Mario, Spike,” Rosie greeted, “you know where the Element is. I suppose if we were to battle now, without my crew, it would be completely one-sided… I suppose I should retreat. Good luck, gentlecolts and Diamond Dog.” Rosie’s horn shined bright before she disappeared in a flash.

“Well, she knows her magic for a pirate,” Spike complimented. “At least she let us know where the Element is… but why did she help us?”

“I have no idea,” Shadowfang said. “Well, if that Boo who stole Miss Lumina’s Element is gone, I suppose I have the way clear.”

“Wait, you’re not gonna steal the Element fer yer Changeling posse?” Boomregard asked. “Ah felt Red Carpet wasn’t lyin’ ’bout that!”

“I’m an outcast of Queen Chrysalis’ ‘swarm’, which she only gained through lies and usurpation,” Shadowfang answered with a scowl.

“Who?” Spike asked.

“The Changeling Queen responsible for the attack on the wedding,” Shadowfang answered. “I thought that was well known. I was part of a smaller hive of Changelings… my mother was advisor to the queen of our hive. During a summit deciding how to go about our relationship with other species—ponies in particular—my queen advocated a peaceful coexistence… my mother’s suggestion. We are dependent on other species’ emotions for survival, since they provide us with nourishment. If hate poisons us, how would we survive a war with other races in the long term? However, one Changeling wanted conquest, to harvest the ponies for their love, a dangerous plan—there is only so much love a pony has, and taking it all at once wouldn’t keep up the population forever. That Changeling is the one you know as the ‘Changeling Queen’, but I know as ‘Chrysalis’. She… she executed our queen, and personally ended my mother’s game after my mother hid me away. She proceeded to take control of several other hives, destroying those who agreed with my queen and mother’s philosophy. I was luckily found by Miss Red Carpet… my current mother.”

“Wow,” Diggsie said. “You sound like you had it rough…”

“I suppose I have,” Shadowfang sighed. He then looked up, and said, “Forgive me, Miss Diggsie. I’m normally not this angry… Miss Red Carpet raised me better, to be a gentlecolt. Instead, you all hear me unleash my rage like this.”

“It’s okay to get angry,” Mario said. “You have all reason to sound mad. I have a few anger issues myself that I have to work out… but right now, I feel we can both have someone to take our rage out on.”

“Are you suggesting battling as an anger management strategy?” Shadowfang asked. “What exactly are you fighting for, Mario?”

World Peace!
Thrills!
Money!
Because it’s fun!

“Right now, we’re trying to save the world,” Mario answered. “You see, there are a group of mares—the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony—who have been abducted by some really bad guys… bad guys who want to take over the world, and these bad guys have gone to the prison where Lumina is. We need to rescue them to save the world, but to do that we need to find the Elements of Harmony. We could use your help getting the Element back.”

“What!?” Spike asked.

“Why not?” Mario reasoned. “We’re gonna need all of the help we can get... and I recruit odd people, anyway.”

“Very well, Mario,” Shadowfang nodded. “We’ll form a temporary alliance… we’re going to the same place, anyway. Lumina and the Element of Kindness wait!”

Caspian—I mean, Shadowfang—joined the Party!

Shadowfang is quite the rogue Changeling. A gentlecolt through and through, he’ll offer to carry Mario and co. over dangerous, spiky terrain with the Y Button since he’s immune to the prickly terrain! However, he’s not without a few Changeling tricks, as touching a pony on the Game Pad’s Touch Screen will allow Caspian to scan and transform into that pony! Being a professional actor, Shadowfang will even mimic their voice and personality. This will allow you to get into places you wouldn’t otherwise.

Shadowfang is not without battle capabilities as well. His Changeling Buck kicks the enemy in front of him (his wings allowing him to hit flying enemies as well), and his Stage Fright can scare away weak enemies. Take note that Appealing with Shadowfang will heal him rather than build up Element Power.

“Okay, let’s go,” Shadowfang said after it was official.

“NOT… SO… FAST…” Boogular’s voice rang.

“Oh, right,” Spike remembered. “He was getting into character. So, he’s a Boo… right…?”

“Yeah…” Mario said, turning around. “If Luigi was here, he’d be worrying. He hates ghosts.”

That’s when Boogular appeared behind him. “BOOOOOOOOO!” Mario jumped as Boogular began the battle. “Heh, heh, heh! That was priceless! Now, let’s see how dangerous the Super Mario really is!”

Spike wasted no time Tattling. “That’s Boogular, a member of the Colts of Nocturne. It’s obvious that this guy is a Boo, meaning he can dodge our attacks whenever he turns invisible. His licks can inflict Stop on us, and that scream of his can damage all of us. Of course, there is the fact that he can smack us silly or even ram us to steal an item for his own use! Though I can’t help but feel this guy isn’t taking us seriously…”

Boomregard started with a Wild Toss, bonking Boomregard twice before Mario used his Power Bounce. After Diggsie used her Claw Pounce on him, Boogular had enough and vanished. Mario groaned in annoyance, but remembered that while he couldn’t hit Boogular for a time, he could at the least heal up from his last battle. He and Boomregard activated their Truth’s Relief, healing the party.

“How did you get the Elements to do that?” Shadowfang asked.

“It’s a long story,” Mario said. However, Boogular reappeared with a shriek, the sound waves damaging all of Mario’s party. Before he could lick any of them, though, Spike took him down with a Jackhammer Tail.

“Ah, I’ve been defeated!” Boogular yelled in a dramatic flair. “How embarrassing! It’s all up to Gentle Breeze to keep Lord Sirius safe from Mario, Bowser, and that pirate chick! And now, I vanish in shame!” He then faded away, leaving Mario’s group confused.

“…So, we should mosey on o’er to the prison ’fore Ah change mah mind,” Boomregard said to break the ice. “Anybody think he was goin’ easy on us?”

“I wouldn’t put it past a fellow actor,” Shadowfang answered. “So, shall we depart? Miss Lumina and the Element await, and we must strike a blow against Sirius Nebula.”

“Won’t you going in town cause a riot?” Mario pointed out. Shadowfang looked down at himself.

“You’re right,” the Changeling confessed. “I should probably not go into town like this…” He then looked around, trying to find something.

“What are you doing?” Spike asked.

“Seeing if I can spot a pony… there!” Shadowfang said, pointing to a nearby stallion with orange-yellow fur. “Hmm... he’ll do.”

“You’re not going to bite him and suck out his blood, are you?” Diggsie asked, horrified.

“Nonsense, my dear!” Shadowfang assured her. “Changelings aren’t vampire ponies… and even if we were vampires, they only have a craving for fruit juices. Ponies don’t normally eat meat, and not all Changelings can actually consume meat.”

“So, what are you gonna do?” Mario asked.

“Touch him on the Game Pad,” Shadowfang said. “Go on, pony holding the Game Pad… just poke him.” The pony seemed to glow a mild green, not that he noticed, and Shadowfang’s horn glowed as well. “Okay, time to get into character. There should be a Changeling Icon on the Touch Screen’s bottom left corner while I’m the partner. If you touch that…” Shadowfang was surrounded by dark green magic for a second before he became the stallion. “And now,” Shadowfang said, “my disguise is complete. Now, to get in character.” He then spoke in a different toned voice, “So, how do I look?”

“…Not bad,” Mario said. “So, you can imitate anyone?”

“Just about anyone,” Shadowfang said in his new voice. “If it’s a quadruped, I can imitate it. This is how I can go throughout town without raising a fuss… I must apologize for startling you all earlier.”

“Ah could’ve used this when Ah was mistaken fer an outlaw,” Boomregard pointed out.

“Sometimes, a little disguise goes a long way,” Shadowfang said. “Changing back is a simple option: just tap the button, and I’ll return to normal.” Shadowfang returned to normal. “Of course, I can only store a single disguise at a time. Copying another disguise will get rid of the current one. In order to stay in character like a true actor should, I must not use my special abilities, nor can I fight like a Changeling. However, I find this useful for getting into places we wouldn’t normally be allowed.”

“Ooh, spy stuff,” Diggsie said.

“I don’t suppose you could smuggle us inside that location?” Mario offered.

“If I put on a convincing performance, I should be able to get anypony straight through the front door of a heavily guarded castle,” Shadowfang answered. “Not that we should always do that, but the implication is there.”

“Alright,” Spike said. “To rescue the Element and get back Lumina, let’s break into Key Point alongside Daring Do!”

“That right there is a sentence Ah never thought Ah’d hear,” Boomregard quipped before the group dashed off. “Usually one has to break OUT o’ jail!”

Author's Note

Ladies and gentlemen... I am SO SORRY that I did not at all update this entire summer. Or since late spring, I forgot when. Some of you may or may not know that I just graduated college and I have been working on job hunting. I have also been working on a new fanfic on FanFiction.net involving Mega Man, and playing... Star Wars. I also briefly left the brony community for some time, trying to prioritize my writing time. But nobody here cares about my personal life, so, as an apology, this chapter is dedicated to all of you.

Okay, now that we've settled that for now and everyone's torches and pitchforks have been put down, let's get to the next part!

1) So, it seems that a lot of you have figured it out: Caspian was the Changeling. In the original draft, Lumina was going to be this shy filly who was the adoptive Changeling daughter of the director, but I realized quickly that Mario's party was going to have (not counting Spike, Mario himself, and Chomper) four girls and two guys I was originally just going to call him Caspian and be done with it, but someone suggested Shadowfang, and I said to myself, "Why not?" So, he's Caspian on the stage, and Shadowfang off of it. It's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Except Hyde's not really evil, either. Anyway, it's common that Mario has an illusionist partner in each of his parties. And while Diggsie is useful for getting around obstacles, Shadowfang gets you where you need to be through the front door when Diggsie isn't an option. In battle, Shadowfang will be doing some poison and/or dark type attacks (since Spike is the fire, Boomregard is wind, and Diggsie is earth), and as a passive ability, appeals will HEAL him rather than build up the Element Power gauge. Therefore if you feel like you need to endure tons of damage, Shadowfang is ideal for that since his other abilities aren't exactly suited for combat at this point.

And yes, A. K. Yearling is Daring Do. Fun fact, in the original draft, I was going to have Twilight Velvet storm Key Point and Mario's group, recently joined by Lumina (and supported by Flurrie), would have to keep up with her.

2) Key Point is our next destination. And yes, before anyone asks, its concept is loosely based off Alcatraz. Key Point will test Mario and his company since we'll finally be facing Nocturne Cultist enemies! It's about time we actually remembered the antagonist group fully... and really show why Pony enemies are demonic spiders. Hard-hitting enemies that come in groups and can take you both melee and ranged, hard to time your guards against, and usually are supporting each other... that's what I've made the Pony-type enemy class.

So, there we are... I am sorry, once again. I promise I'll get back to work on this story! Blade Squall out!

Intro Part 1

Ahem! Today…

I’m going to tell you the story of the Elements of Harmony.

A long time ago, a magical land far from the Mushroom Kingdom was founded by three tribes of talking ponies- the ground-based land cultivators known as the Earth Ponies, the flying weather masters known as the Pegasus ponies, and the magical sorcerers known as the Unicorn ponies. These pony tribes came together and named their peaceful land “Equestria”.

Soon, after years of hardship to keep their land afloat, two benevolent rulers emerged: two sisters, the elder a Princess of the Sun, and the younger a Princess of the Moon. These two ponies controlled the passage of time throughout the world. They also protected their land from various threats, such as the Spirit of Chaos and the sinister ruler of the Crystal Empire. However, despite their sibling bond, tensions soon rose between the two sisters. The younger sister felt neglected by her subjects, for they played in her elder sister’s day, and slept through her beautiful night she slaved to make.

One day, the moon Princess refused to lower the moon for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with the younger, but the latter refused, turning into a wicked mare of darkness, known as “Nightmare Moon”, vowing to cover the world in nighttime eternal. However, the elder sister had trick up her sleeves: six magical artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony.

With the Elements by her side, the elder sister defeated Nightmare Moon, sealing her inside of the moon for a thousand years. Meanwhile, the elder sister, taking responsibility of both day and night for a millennium, began to develop a way to save her sister’s fallen soul. By the time the 1,000 years were up, the elder sister had the perfect plan.

She found six brave ponies who embodied the spiritual virtues of the Elements of Harmony. A pony who valued the truth… a pony who could be gentle to all… a pony who could bring a smile to everyone… a pony who was willing to give with all of her heart when it mattered most… a pony who could never bring herself to abandon anyone close to her… and a pony who was the spark between all of them. Together, these six ponies banded together and saved the younger sister from herself in Equestria’s time of need, restoring the balance to the land.

However, legends speak that while Nightmare Moon’s physical form has been vanquished, fragments of her remain.

A few years have passed since Nightmare Moon, and these six mares have become fabled heroines throughout their land. The Mushroom Kingdom itself has heard of their greatness, but not exactly their names. Many just call them “The Elements of Harmony”. Some call them “The Mane Six”, a pun. But we, in the Mushroom Kingdom… we call them “Bearers”.

Should something happen to the Bearers, though, that makes them unable to keep the balance of Harmony, though… new Bearers will rise to take their place. And that, my friends, is where our story begins…

Unknown Area

Deep in the heart of an eerie set of ruins, a group of cloaked figures gathered in the dead of night. They made sure to be absolutely careful when coming to the ruins. For tonight’s ritual, they had to make sure that nopony saw, heard, or most importantly followed them. For if there were any suspected followers, there would be a lot of games ending tonight.

Luckily, for everyone in the room, not a single thing was out of place. No uninvited guests and the closest town was silent for the night, save for a nocturnal creature or two, but that really did not count for anything to be worried about.

“This is the place, yes?” one of the cloaked figures asked in a tone that spoke of power, pawing a particular spot with a hoof. The voice signified the creature as male. He was equine in shape, and rather tall and somewhat muscular. The hood of the cloak obscured his face from all present, but they knew that he held dominion over them all. “This is the exact spot where the Queen of Eternal Night fell?”

A smaller figure walked over to him, looking at the ground where they stood. It too was also equine in body shape, the build suggesting that the figure was male. He was smaller than an average adult stallion, and appeared to be rather thin. However, the small stallion was nothing if not smart.

“If the tale of her demise is true, my liege,” the smaller figure said in a higher pitched, almost nasally voice, marking the spot with a black X with his hoof, “then this is the exact spot where the Elemental Rainbow struck down our Queen. The Sun Princess’ guard may be thorough, but I did not get to my position by being a fool. This would have been the very spot of our Queen’s triumph if not… for her.”

“Patience, old friend,” the larger figure spoke. “We will make our Queen’s vanquishers rue their actions that night. Them AND the Princess of the Sun. However, we may need help, should tonight’s plan fail.”

“It WON’T, my liege,” the smaller insisted. “I have taken every calculation, every precaution, and every possible outcome, and crafted with them the perfect plan that will fulfill our goal tonight. I assure you, that it is one-hundred percent foal-proof.”

“Plans can always fail, my friend,” the larger figure pointed out. “Even your brilliance has limits. There is so much only one pony can do. And, even if we fail tonight, it’s alright… we still have a month before the next Full Moon.”

"A full month?” the smaller figure argued. “You really are pushing our luck that we will get another chance before then. If we are to do this, it has to be tonight, my liege.”

“Calm your nerves, old friend,” the taller figure suggested. “Your high blood pressure and constant calculations will be the endgame of you.”

“Provided the cursed Sun Regent’s minions do not find us first,” the smaller figure quipped. Turning towards the growing crowd, he pointed a hoof towards a taller figure, bipedal in nature. “Bring them here.”

“I have name, you know,” the bipedal figure grumbled while walking towards the duo.

“And the walls have ears, preventing anypony from so much as muttering any of our true names,” the smaller equine figure responded, looking at nowhere in particular. “Now, shut-up and place the fragments where I’ve marked. Every second we waste talking is a second we do not have to prepare for the ritual. The moon is about to be overhead.”

“Fine, fine,” the large creature groaned, placing midnight blue pieces of armor onto the X.

The smaller equine then began drawing something in the dirt around the fragments of armor, eventually resembling some sort of ritualistic summoning circle. Soon enough, the summoning circle was prepared. The larger equine then placed a broken, blood red horn with a black base in the center of the circle.

“Okay,” the large equine spoke up, “we just need one more tribute to allow this ritual to commence. Where is the vial?”

“I hope you realize how hard this was to obtain for this ritual tonight,” the smaller equine voiced. Soon enough, a sickly green aura lit up the room from beneath his hood, where a vial of a red liquid floated out from his cloak surrounded by the same aura. “Getting this from the right hospital was far from easy. As well as bribing the doctor into-”

“I appreciate your risk-taking, old friend,” the taller equine interrupted before his ally went off into a rant. “But you need to loosen up, sometime. You’ll work yourself into a game over.” With that, a snow white aura flashed from under his own hood, overtaking the green aura his smaller ally had on the vial, and floating it towards him. “I will handle the rest. Go and rest that brain of yours. Our Queen will forgive you, provided we succeed.”

“I will sleep when my games ends,” the smaller equine insisted. “And we will succeed if you hurry up the ritual.”

“Very well,” the taller equine shrugged. With that, he trotted over the broken fragments, holding the vial up high. “Hear me, O Bringer of Eternal Night!” he yelled into the night sky. “Years, my Brothers, Sisters, and I have worked throughout the world, preparing for your return! We have come together this very night, prepared to give you flesh and blood that is free from that pathetic Princess of the Night! I offer you three tributes, my Queen! The Fragments of your fallen armor in order to protect yourself against your enemies! The horn of the vile Crystal Usurper with which to cast his dark magic! And finally, the Life Essence of a Mare of Magic to enhance your spell-casting repertoire to surpass even the greatest wits! With these, my Queen, I pray that you take your rightfully earned continue from the Underwhere!”

“Must you be so overdramatic about it?” the bipedal creature groaned. “Just pour blood on armor shards and horn, already. Have not got all night.”

“As much as I hate agreeing with that mangy brute,” the smaller equine figure spoke up while looking at the night sky, the moon shining down upon them, “he does a point, my liege. We have to hurry this up while the moon is in perfect position. The clouds do not stay out of the way, here, and I’m not about to wait another month.”

“Must you kill the mood, old friend?” the larger equine sighed. With that, he then poured the contents of the vial straight onto the summoning circle, the fragments, and the horn, turning things a bright red. As the blood took to the objects, white glow from under the stallion’s hood increased, followed by the smaller equine’s hood lighting up with the sickly green.

“Come, brothers and sisters of the horn!” the large equine commanded. “Lend your strength to the spell. Together, we will overrule the Queen of the Underwhere’s judgment, and bring the true ruler of Equestria- nay, the true ruler of the World- back from that cursed domain!”

“Again,” the smaller equine commented, “we don’t have time for your overdramatic flair, my liege.” Turning to the crowd of cloaked ponies, he ordered, “All Unicorns, just contribute to the spell.”

“Why do you keep doing that, tonight?” the larger groaned.

Soon enough, they were aided by several ponies stepping forward, their hoods aglow with various colors. Soon, magic filled the air, and a series of beams seemed to rush out and strike the circle in full force. After a few moments of concentrated energy beams hitting a defenseless summoning circle, the shattered armor and the broken horn began to glow. And that is when everything turned white.

Soon, every Unicorn with the exception of the two equines who set up the ritual flew backwards, falling into a pile of flat paper ponies. As those Unicorns stood back up, the two merely coughed as the light faded, giving into smoke. As the smoke cleared, the two Unicorns stood side-by-side as it revealed…

A completed Unicorn war helmet, an equine breastplate, and armored horseshoes. The smaller of the two Unicorns stood, confused at the result of this ritual. Instead of a tall winged mare of darkness, he got a suit of black crystallized armor embedded with a light blue moon.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” a fellow cloaked yelled to no one in particular. “All of that planning and hype just to get armor!? Talk about a letdown!"

"I... I don't understand," the smaller unicorn spoke up. "I ran every calculation and outcome, researched the greatest rituals, prepared even the foulest magic, and I did it for months, and instead of our Queen, this ritual gives me a worthless pile of armor!?” The taller equine could not show it, but he was secretly smiling at his partner’s confusion and frustration. However, examining the armor, he could tell something did happen in the ritual.

“While we did not get our beloved Queen, old friend,” he said to the ranting unicorn, “I do believe we have gotten the means to work with a Plan B.” This stopped the short unicorn mid-rant.

“I beg your pardon, my liege?” he questioned. “Forgive me for the failure, but this suit of armor is worthless. It’s just a black-stained crystallized version of our Queen’s armor. Impractical for proper combat due to how easily broken crystals are after a period of time. ...Maybe we needed more blood. Yes, that's it. Or even something else. Hold on, I'll think of something, my liege. Something better than this useless armor.”

“Is the armor nothing more than decoration, old friend?” the larger equine asked. “Or is there something your eyes can’t see and your brain is so sleep-starved that it won’t allow you to think about how magical artifacts work?” The smaller unicorn tilted his head, unable to show intrigue otherwise with his hood on. “As I thought. Well, this IS our Queen’s old armor crystalized, but I sense that the Crystal Usurper’s special brand of dark magic embodies the armor as well as that particular unicorn blood sealing it all together. We have created a set of mail of true darkness, tonight."

The smaller unicorn, upon the realization of what had been accomplished, seemed to stare at the armor intently. "I see what you were discussing, my liege. Perhaps not all is lost. But we still need more magic to complete what we have started, tonight. I just know where we can get that power, my liege. One that will make our campaign to take Equestria back from the dreaded Regents of the Sun and Moon and the Bearers of the Elements all of the more ironic.” He then walked over, and whispered something into the larger pony's ear, preventing the others in the hall from hearing it.

“I see,” the taller unicorn answered, nodding. “But we do not act, tonight, old friend. For now, you return to Canterlot, and for the love of the Queen, get some SLEEP. I will handle the rest of the plan, and send you a letter detailing your instructions upon the morrow. We will have only a limited time to strike when the opportunity arrives and the castle at its most vulnerable.”

“I like this plan already,” the smaller unicorn grumbled in a sarcastic manner before turning around and trotting away. The larger unicorn turned towards his fellow allies.

“The rest of you, brothers and sisters,” he addressed those remaining. “We may have failed, tonight, but we will succeed another time. Everypony, you are dismissed. Everypony except you, big guy.” The bipedal creature remained while the others filed out.

“Um… sir?” he asked. “What wrong?”

“Nothing,” the large unicorn replied as a piece of parchment floated out from beneath his cloak alongside an ink soaked quill. As he began to write, he instructed, “But I need you to take this new armor to this location posthaste. Be careful as to not get spotted… your kind has been associated with brutes, thieves, and slavers, and I actually like you more than my friend does.”

“Uh, thank you, sir,” the creature bowed, taking the parchment with written instructions in his paws and putting it in his cloak. “Will be done quickly. Silent, too.”

“Good,” his superior nodded as he floated the armor towards the creature. “Now, off with you.”

“Yes, sir!” With that, the creature rushed off, carrying the suit of crystallized armor, leaving him alone.

“Soon, my Queen, you will return,” he breathed, looking at the moon. “The sun will be gone… and the only power in the world able to stop you will be in your hooves. Until next month, my Queen….” With that, he left, and the moon, as if it heard him, seemed to be blanketed by clouds. When ponies who saw the flash of light would later come to investigate, there would be no trace of anyone being here…

Paper Mario: The Land of Harmony

Loading save file… Please do not turn off the power.

No save file detected. Creating new save file… please do not turn off the power.

The save file has been created.

Starting new game in File 1.

Author's Note

Ladies and gentlemen... what in Celestia, Luna, and the Star Spirits' names have I DONE?

Yes, I've crossed that line and went there. Paper Mario. AKA one of the best RPG series in gaming, taking the world and making it all paper, and some downright good humor. And now I've gone and done the same thing to poor Equestria. Right before Christmas/Hearth's Warming, no less. I'm on Santa's naughty list for sure, this year.

Before you bring out the torches, pitchforks, and hammers, I'm fully aware that Paper Mario stories have been done before on this site. But those seem to be retellings of the first two games at best rather than an all-new story. I kind of wanted to raise the bar, so to speak, and bring an all new adventure of Mario in the MLP universe. Expect previous Mario characters, both from the main games and the Paper Mario series, to make cameo appearances. I'm sure you all know which characters I WANT to use... curses, there's no evil laugh icon.

And yes, I'm aware of how similar this intro is to that of a far greater story than mine (I'm looking at you, Past Sins by Pen Stroke). Intentional? Kind of, since many people (myself included) had read that story. But this is where the similarities start coming to an end... I hope. You all saw the end result, here, so I don't think I need to tell you... Nyx will NOT be in this story. At all. Sorry, Nyx lovers, that little alicorn filly will not be in this story. It's more copyright reasons than anything else, even though I've seen other people writing stories with her. I just don't want to get shanked over Nyx, so better to be safe than sorry, and say she will not be here. ...I think I just lost every single fan of Past Sins and/or Creeping Darkness with this paragraph. Moving on!

Please do not ask which Pony characters will appear. I will NOT answer those comments due to the fact that I want to keep things from being spoiled. Okay? Thanks.

On that note, please read/review! Thank you!

And now, to face my death with dignity, even though this Author's Notes that's ever happened to this site!

Prologue Part 2

-MARIO-

Ponyville

Mario, Spike, and Goombella walked through the town, heading through the town square. Goombella and Spike took turns telling Mario about the town, its citizens, and its traditions. To find out that Granny Smith’s actions led to the founding of Ponyville was quite enlightening. She no doubt knew everything that was needed to know about the town, so Mario would have to come back to her, later.

Suddenly, Spike stopped, gasping in shock before letting loose a brimstone smelling burp. From the burp, a scroll with Princess Celestia’s royal seal- a sun- appeared. Mario and Goombella blinked in surprise at the display while Spike caught it.

“…So do you think that’s how Gloomtail and Hooktail wrote to each other for over a millennium?” Goombella whispered. “Because if so, gross.”

Spike grinned, “I knew Princess Celestia would respond right away!” With that, he tore open the seal, and began reading the letter aloud. But to his surprise, Spike saw that it wasn't to him... or by Celestia, for that matter.

Dear Mario,

I’m glad to hear that you are okay. Princess Celestia is writing this, and I hope you get this well. Anyways, do not worry about me, Luigi, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Toadsworth, or Toadette. We are safe and sound in Canterlot with Princesses Celestia and Luna.

However, you will need to know that you are not able to enter Canterlot, right now. The Colts of Nocturne have imprisoned us inside the city using dark magic. I’d love to be by your side in order to save Twilight Sparkle and her friends like we were during the incident with the Chaos Heart, but as long as we are sealed inside Canterlot, I can’t be there for you. But we’ll attempt to help you out from here.

Anyways, Princess Celestia wants me to inform you of something… it is doubtful Sirius has the Elements. It’s quite possible that whatever happened right before the town was sealed that the Elements of Harmony scattered throughout Equestria due to one of Twilight’s spells preventing him from getting the Elements. If that is the case, then you MUST get to the Elements of Harmony before the Colts of Nocturne do! It is the first step to saving Twilight and her friends, as well as Equestria before disharmony takes over the land.

We will try to figure out if Sirius left any clues of his plans, as well as finding a way to discover where he’s holding them. Again, Mario, I must stress my desire for you and Spike to be careful. The fate of Equestria rests with the two of you.

Yours truly,

Princess Peach

Spike looked up at Mario, who had a relieved look on his face. “Peach is okay,” the plumber said aloud. “She’s not kidnapped this time around, just stuck in Canterlot… that’s better than usual.”

“Well,” Spike nodded, “that’s good to know. Also, it’s good to know that the Elements aren’t with Sirius Nebula. But… where in Equestria did they land?”

Goombella blinked, getting an idea. “Now, we TOTALLY need my notes!” the Goomba archeologist voiced. As Mario and Spike turned to her, Goombella explained, “The Colts of Nocturne attacked Canterlot about two days ago, right?” Mario and Spike nodded. “That light show I mentioned? The one above Canterlot? That was about the exact same day and time of the attack! These two events weren’t mere coincidences, boys! That must have been Twilight Sparkle’s work, scattering the Elements of Harmony throughout the land! If I was right, then the Elements have landed in six particular locations! Locations I theorized as possible landing zones for the Elements and therefore spots we have to investigate in order to stop Sirius Nebula! Score one for the University of Goom graduate and now professional archeologist grad student! GOOOO GOOMBAS!” Breathing a sigh of relief, she voiced, “I hate to pull a Pinkie Pie, but I’m sure there were people who thought putting me in this game to replace both Merlon and Professor Frankly was a bad idea! Showed them!”

Spike and Mario had to applaud Goombella’s mental work. Mario especially… though he was confused by Goombella’s words, the Goomba brought up a huge point. Her little “astrology sighting” was just confirmed by Peach as the most vital piece of news to this mystery. If they found the Elements, then that would at the very least hinder Sirius’ plans. At the very most, though, it would lead them right to the Bearers.

Soon enough, a large shop came into view. It looked like a giant gingerbread house with frosting and a cupcake as an upper level, so Mario found it hard to miss.

“There it is,” Goombella commented. Turning to Mario and Spike, she explained, “Now Mario, the owners of Sugarcube Corner are an easygoing couple. Pinkie Pie, the pink pony who we talked about before? She works and lives here under Mr. and Mrs. Cake, and they treat her like she’s their oldest daughter. They also have twin foals, too, and Pinkie Pie is their babysitter. So, when we go in there, Mario, and we break the news to them… could you do so gently? Last thing anypony needs is poor Mr. Cake having an awful fainting spell and the twins bursting into complete tears.”

“Yeah,” Spike agreed. “We have to handle this with more tact…”

“AAAAAAHH!” a female voice that sounded familiar to Mario screamed. Mario, Spike, and Goombella all looked ahead to see what appeared to be a large, muscular, black furred, shaggy, canine-like creature somewhat bigger than a pony. It had huge forearms with sharp looking claws, and stood on thin hind legs. The creature had an obvious underbite, and what appeared to be a spiked tail. But the clothes it wore- a midnight blue vest with gemstones sticking out of the front pocket, and a black, diamond studded collar with a white, crescent moon shaped gem hanging from it- signaled its allegiance. Two other similar creatures, smaller than it but wearing blue and black armor with full moons painted on them, flanked its sides.

The fact that they were terrorizing Apple Bloom, the two fillies Mario remembered from the picture, and an Earth Pony mare, made it worse. Looking at the mare, Mario spotted that she had magenta fur, for one thing. She also had three smiling flowers on her flank, but they were a far cry from her scared mood. Her mane and tail were striped with two different shades of pink.

“Leave my students alone!” the mare bravely commented, despite her shaking.

“Sorry, lady,” the larger of the three creatures voiced in a deep, gruff tone, signaling that he was male. “I have orders. Lord Sirius fail to get hooves on Elements of Harmony. So, I sent by Commander Night Fortune to find way of getting Bearers to talk. Best way? Take foals close to them! So, I hunt foals close to them! They mention Bearers by name, so they must be close. Now, out of way!”

“Wait,” the white filly questioned. “You know where my sister is? What did you do with Rarity!? Or Twilight!? Where did you take them!?”

“If teacher mare gets out of way, I take you all to them!” the creature snapped. Goombella scowled at this, and ran over.

“Leave Miss Cheerilee, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle alone, UGLY!” the sassy Goomba snapped, jumping up and delivering a nasty Headbonk to one of the smaller creatures.

“A Goomba?” the large creature asked as she jumped away from her Headbonk victim. Mario and Spike ran over, ready to fight.

“Hey,” the orange filly commented, “isn’t that mustached guy the one we fished out when trying for that fishing Cutie Mark?”

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom replied to her friend. “He saw what happened to Applejack an’ the others.”

“Wait…” the large creature interrupted. Looking at Mario and Spike, he placed one of his large hands to his chin. “Red clothes… blue overalls… awesome mustache… purple and green baby Dragon… aha!” Pointing to Mario and Spike, he said, “Second part of orders! Commander Night Fortune angry at Lord Sirius for not confirming witnesses’ games ended! Told me to bring back bodies! Well, I bring back bodies!” To his two minions, he snapped, “Dogs, deal with Goomba and teacher. I handle Mustache Man and baby Dragon!” He then howled into the air, before rushing towards Mario and Spike.

With that, the battle started as the large creature swiped at Mario while the other two went for Goombella and Cheerilee. While Goombella dodged her own attacker, she yelled over, “Mario, you and Spike both fell over a waterfall while crunched up. No doubt you’re still hurting a little. Do you need any refreshers for battles?”

“No, I’m good!” Mario replied. Turning to Spike, he asked, “Could you Tattle on him?”

“Oh, right!” Spike nodded. He quickly pulled out a scroll, wrote something down on it, rolled it up, and breathed out a flame, sending it away. Mario raised an eyebrow for it, but Spike inhaled sharply, burping out another scroll in record time. Spike caught it with a professional’s skill.

“Really?” Mario asked while Spike tore open the new scroll. “You’re going to Celestia for this?”

“Mario,” Spike explained without looking at the plumber, “there are a lot of creatures that only Princess Celestia would know. And we know where she is. Besides, I wanted this to look cool. Anyways, that thing is a Diamond Dog. Diamond Dogs are known for being the rivals of Dragons in terms of gem hoarding and treasure hunting. They’re also known for being thieves, pirates, raiders, and slavers. Diamond Dogs can rush us and scratch us with their sharp claws, but can also dig underground and attack that way, so the timing of guarding there is harder. What makes them ever a bigger threat is if we take too long, they can blow a whistle and possibly summon another Diamond Dog to their side. Still, Diamond Dogs are dumb beasts when you get down to it, otherwise they’d summon more instantly.”

“I not dumb!” the Diamond Dog growled before rushing at Spike. The baby Dragon was caught off guard and was hit with a powerful Scratch. Mario quickly got the Diamond Dog’s attention on him by performing his familiar Jump on the creature’s head. The Diamond Dog growled in pain, turning towards the plumber.

Mario managed to guard against the Diamond Dog’s next scratch attack, but he still felt some damage. The Diamond Dog was about to attack again, but Spike jumped up on his head, his tail pointed downwards, repeatedly jabbing the large beast’s head with his tail. Performing a decent Jackhammer Tail pretty well, Spike jumped off of him.

“That’s it!” the Diamond Dog growled. He then jumped up and slammed into the ground claws first before digging into the ground at speeds rivaling a Monty Mole from the Mushroom Kingdom, eventually submerging himself underground. Soon enough though, while Mario was trying to find any trace of his movements, the Diamond Dog popped up, clawing a startled Mario from below before jumping out of his hole.

While Mario was wincing in pain, Spike performed another Jackhammer Tail. Mario ran over, bringing out his Hammer, and whacked the Diamond Dog on the head. This was too much for the Diamond Dog, who collapsed in a heap.

Goombella, Apple Bloom, her friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo walked over, surprised by Mario and Spike’s work. “You still haven’t lost your touch, Mario,” Goombella smiled. “And not bad, either, Spike.”

“Goombella,” Mario asked, “what happened to the other two Diamond Dogs?”

“Oh, those guys?” Goombella asked. “Pfft… piece of cake.” Mario and Spike looked behind the group to see both of the lead Diamond Dog’s grunts dazed on the floor. “This Goomba hasn’t gotten too rusty, either, Mario.”

“Wait,” Goombella’s boss, Cheerilee, voiced, “you know this man, Goombella?”

“Oh yeah,” Goombella remarked. “He’s Mario! We used to travel together. Went after treasures called Crystal Stars, fought an evil army who wanted to take over the world, even did a little wrestling, too. Got a Yoshi friend out of that one.” Looking at the three Cutie Mark Crusaders, she asked, “I taught you all about Yoshis, right Sweetie Belle?”

“Yes, Miss Goombella,” the white filly, Sweetie Belle, voiced. “But I have to ask… what happened on that adventure of yours?”

“Let’s just say your student teacher isn’t an ordinary archeology grad student,” Goombella smirked. The orange filly, Scootaloo, looked at Goombella and Mario.

“Thanks, Miss Goombella,” the orange Pegasus remarked. “That was so cool! Almost like what Daring Do did in her books or Rainbow Dash doing a loopty-loop into a dive for her Sonic Rainboom!”

Mario chose not to question that, and turned to the Diamond Dog leader, who was getting up. “Alright, buddy,” Mario scowled. “Where are Twilight Sparkle and her friends? Or do you want to go a second round?”

The Diamond Dog scowled at that. “Like I tell you that, Mr. Mustache! Or fight again. But you and Dragon both will regret crossing claws with Colts of Nocturne! We meet again later, Mustache Man!” He then pulled out a blue dog whistle, inhaled, and blew into it, causing the two armored Diamond Dogs to jump up and run over to him. “Dogs! We retreat!”

“Yes, Captain Carbon!” one of the two Diamond Dogs obeyed. With that, Carbon and his two minions jumped up and dug a hole, spraying up a mound of dirt from the ground to prevent Mario and Spike from following.

“Great,” Spike groaned. “We couldn’t get anything from that guy. To see Diamond Dogs working with the Colts of Nocturne doesn’t bode well with the rest of Equestria.”

“Are you saying that because you’re a Dragon, or because it’s really bad?” Mario asked.

“I’m saying that because the last time I’ve dealt with Diamond Dogs,” Spike answered, “a gang of them kidnapped Rarity while she and I were doing some gem hunting for one of her dress orders for superstar Sapphire Shores in order to find gems for them. You see, Rarity’s talent involves the ability to sense gems and jewels with her magic, and Diamond Dogs are just as treasure happy as Dragons, so they kidnapped her to make her find gems for them. She got them to let her go, but if she didn’t… I don’t know what would have happened to her. Maybe Lord Sirius has bribed the Diamond Dogs into helping by promising them Rarity and her gem-finding spell?”

“Well, we won’t know that until we find them,” Mario remarked.

“Hold on a second,” Apple Bloom’s voice spoke up. “Spike, you an’ Mr. Mario here are gonna go rescue Applejack an’ everypony?”

“To quote your brother,” Spike answered, “Eeyup.”

“Wait,” Cheerilee voiced, “what happened to Applejack, Twilight, and everypony? What was that Diamond Dog talking about.”

Goombella sighed. “Okay, how about we all go into Sugarcube Corner, and I’ll tell you over lunch. On me.”

“Really, Miss Goombella?” Sweetie Belle asked, a smile on the filly’s face. Goombella nodded before leading the group into the shop. "You're the best student teacher we ever had!"

"She's been your only student teacher, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee remarked.

Sugarcube Corner

“WHAT!?” two new voices yelled. Inside the shop, Mario, Goombella, Spike, Cheerilee, and the three fillies sat down at a booth table inside the shop, where each of them took turns breaking the news to Cheerilee, and by accident the owning couple of Sugarcube Corner.

Both of them were Earth Ponies, the first thing Mario noticed about them. The stallion was on the lanky side compared to the buff Big Macintosh, and had yellow fur a darker shade than Fluttershy’s pastel yellow with orange freckles. His orange mane stuck out from beneath his red and white hat that reminded Mario of an ice cream truck driver’s cap. His other accessories, a white apron and a red and white bow tie, symbolized his status as a baker. His mark was three slices of carrot cake, which fit with his name, Carrot Cake.

As for the mare, she was plumper than any of the Bearers, from what Mario could tell. Her fur was a very light blue, for one. Her mane and tail were a swirl of two different shades of pink. She was wearing a pair of pink pearl shaped earrings, and a yellow apron with pink frills. Her mark was a trio of cupcakes, which also was similar to her name, Cup Cake.

“Just as Mario got through explaining,” Goombella gently told them. “Some jerks ambushed the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony- Pinkie Pie included- and kidnapped them. Mario and Spike tried to stop their leader, but… well, they got beaten, and Canterlot is sealed, so nobody can get in or out. It’s pointless to head to Canterlot to stage a rescue with that dark magic barrier in the way.”

“So THAT’S why you guys were balled up and why none of the trains can get to Canterlot,” Scootaloo remarked. “Wow. Sometimes, it just really stinks being paper, huh? Not everypony could survive being balled up and thrown into the river all the way from Canterlot.”

“Good thing you guys were there, huh?” Spike smiled. Turning to Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Spike calmly said, “So, unfortunately, Pinkie Pie’s been kidnapped… but don’t worry! Mario and I will save her and everypony else!”

Cup Cake and Carrot Cake looked at each other, eyes watering. Mario could tell they wanted so desperately to not believe him. To think this was some kind of joke Pinkie Pie was pulling and she would kick open the door to Sugarcube Corner with her best friends at her heels, say, "gotcha", and then throw a party for the sake of thowing a party. At least, that's the impression Mario got from Pinkie during his brief time in Canterlot. However, seeing that Pinkie Pie has been gone without warning for over forty-eight hours and none of her friends with the exception of Spike was able to refute that claim, the two had to assume the worst. That Spike and some mustached, red-capped human plumber was telling the truth. Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be found.

However, Spike's optimism and promise of Pinkie's rescue relieved them a bit.

"I hope so, dearie,” Cup Cake voiced. “Pinkie’s been like a daughter to us before Pumpkin and Pound Cake came along… and she’s their favorite pony besides us.” She turned to her husband, who nervously rubbed his hoof on the ground.

“I hope we can be gentle breaking it to the two,” Carrot Cake voiced. “Those two will be devastated to see the pony who is practically their older sister gone. And Pinkie's been working at the bakery and acting like a daughter for so many years, now... I can't imagine life without her around.” Looking at Mario, he asked, “There has to be something we can do to help you, Mr. Mario….”

“Uh, thanks,” Mario answered. “But you guys don’t have to do anything for me… I’m used to running around doing adventures like this.”

“Oh, I insist, dearie,” Cup Cake responded, her eyes watering. “Give us time to think of something, please.” Turning back to her husband, she said, “I hope Pinkie Pie and her friends are okay. They go on adventures almost all of the time, but never once did the possibility of them being kidnapped come up. There has to be some way to find them.”

“Yeah, speaking of that,” Goombella interjected. Turning to Cheerilee, she requested, “I know we were supposed to meet here to talk lesson plans, but... you see, that light show we saw over Canterlot the other day wasn’t a light show, Cheerilee. It was the scattering of the Elements of Harmony. Princess Celestia said so herself. I kind of need the notes of those possible crash sites if I’m going to help Mario get to the Elements before the Colts of Nocturne do and perform whatever they need Twilight and her friends for.”

“Oh, those?” Cheerilee recalled. She pulled a set of documents out from her person, and gave them to Goombella. “If you’re sure, Goombella…” Goombella started scanning the document, eager to find something. Perhaps even the locations of one of the Elements of Harmony, if they were lucky.

“Aha!” the Goomba said after a few moments of reading. Looking at Mario, she requested, “Do you have a Map of Equestria?” Mario pulled out his map that Peach had given him on the ride over, and handed it to Goombella. “Now, Mario, know that these locations are based off of what I saw that night and are only in theory. That’s one thing. The other, though, is that if my calculations are right, then the closest Element of Harmony to our known location is in the San Palomino Desert, which is near the desert town of Appleloosa to the south of here. I’ll mark it on your map.”

Mario looked at the map, glad that it was labeled. He saw right away that Ponyville and Canterlot were two of the most central parts of Equestria. He looked towards the south, spotting a quaint little western town labeled “Appleloosa” and the San Palomino Desert being to the west of that, circled in red. Mario sighed.

“Well, it’s no grasslands, but at least we’re not starting with an ice world,” Mario commented. “Spike, Goombella, we better get ready to go.”

“Um, Mario…” Goombella interjected. “Under normal circumstances, I’d be HONORED to go traveling with you again. However… I have to stay here and work with Miss Cheerilee, as well as work on my notes in case I miscalculated.”

“Are you saying that because you mean it,” Mario raised an eyebrow, “or are you saying that to get out of going traveling?”

“Mostly because I mean it,” Goombella confessed. “However, the part where last time we worked together ultimately cumulated in us facing an evil, thousand-year-old demon soul that possessed Princess Peach’s body and the treasure we were looking for turned out to be a Dried Shroom DOES come to mind when you bring it up.”

At this, Cheerilee, Carrot Cake, and Cup Cake all looked at each other, and back at the Goomba. Cup Cake spoke for them all when she said, “What.”

“It’s a long story,” Mario commented. Turning back to his old friend, Mario sighed, “It’s not going to be the same without you around, Goombella. You were always the smartest of the group when Ms. Mouz wasn’t around.”

“Hey,” the Goomba smirked. “Just because I’m not going out into the field anymore doesn’t mean I’m not helping you out. I’m just helping out from here. Anyways, I’d say the fastest way to Appleloosa would be by train, so let's get you boys train tickets.”

“Ah hate to be the bearer o’ bad news, Miss Goombella,” Apple Bloom announced, “but the mail pony delivered Granny Smith a letter from mah cousin Braeburn, who lives in Appleloosa. He told us the train station in Appleloosa needs repairs, an’ no trains are goin’ to an’ from Appleloosa fer a while. Mario an’ Spike can’t get to Appleloosa that way….”

“Ugh, great,” Goombella groaned. “Why is it that when we need to get someplace, something ALWAYS comes up forcing us to improvise? Well, does anybody have a Plan B?”

Spike and Mario began thinking, but neither came up with anything for a few moments. How could they get to Appleloosa? No doubt the Colts of Nocturne already had a head start on the hunt, even though according to that Diamond Dog Carbon, they had nothing. That was a good sign in their favor as Mario’s group had the biggest lead while the Colts of Nocturne were lost.

“If I may present a solution, then perhaps it might end your confusion,” a female voice spoke up in rhyme. Mario looked up from his table and saw what had to be the strangest looking citizen of Ponyville yet. For starters, it probably was because of the fact that she wasn’t a pony, but a pony-sized ZEBRA. Almost everywhere on the Zebra was either black or white. The only parts that weren’t were the golden jewelry that she wore around her ears, neck, and front left leg. She two had a mark on her flank: a black sun that was in a swirl pattern with triangles.

“Oh howdy, Zecora!” Apple Bloom spoke up. “What brings ya’ll here from the Everfree Forest?”

“I come seeking Twilight Sparkle to discuss a vision I had over tea,” Zecora explained. “However, she is gone, I see. And if my ears to your tale ring true, Spike and Mario here are planning a rescue?”

“So, you heard all of that?” Mario voiced. “And you know Twilight Sparkle and her friends?”

“But of course I know the six,” Zecora answered. “They have saved Ponyville from many a fix. But even heroes will at times need aid. It’s time for heroic deeds to be paid.” Turning towards the door, Zecora instructed, “If you need to head south to begin your quest, then a trip to the Everfree Forest would be best.”

With that, Zecora walked out, leaving the group to silence. Mr. and Mrs. Cake left the group alone, not even bothering to leave a bill due to their worry over Pinkie Pie and her friends. Mario and the others looked at each other, confused for a moment… until Spike remembered something.

“I’m an IDIOT,” the baby Dragon voiced aloud, placing his claw to his head. “Apple Bloom, didn’t Pinkie Pie and Applejack say there was a Green Pipe that took them from the Everfree Forest to near Appleloosa?”

The yellow filly seemed to recall this right away. “Oh, yeah! That there Pipe they were talking about just popped up from nowhere in the Forest! But then again, the Everfree Forest was always weird, so it could’ve always been there.”

“That Green Pipe you guys are talking about wouldn’t happen to be a Warp Pipe, would it?” Mario interjected. When the group looked at him, the plumber explained, “Back in the Mushroom Kingdom, Warp Pipes are used for travel all of the time. I’ve used them a lot during my adventures.”

“You really sound experienced, Mr. Mario,” Cheerilee complimented. “But then again, you and Goombella have been traveling before. Now, even with experience in adventuring, I wouldn’t recommend anypony willingly going into the Everfree Forest. However, seeing as Appleloosa’s train station is down, I’m afraid you don’t have much of a choice and going there. I just wish you and Spike the best.”

“Great,” Spike groaned, his confidence drooping. “In order to start our adventure, we have to go into the spooky Everfree Forest where the plants grow, the weather moves, and the animals take care of themselves.”

“That actually sounds normal to the Mushroom Kingdom,” Mario voiced with a smile. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine-”

“And its monster filled, too. I’ve heard a rumor that a rough gang of Goombas moved into the Everfree Forest, Headbonking everything that moves and stealing ponies’ money. And if we go deeper in, we’ll no doubt run into worse things… Parasprites, Manticores, Timberwolves, Ursa Minors… Hydras.” Mario’s smile turned into a frown. He didn’t know what Parasprites, Timberwolves, or Ursa Minors were, but he’d rather not find out if he didn’t have to.

“Well,” Mario shrugged, “like it or not, we need to find that Warp Pipe. Which way is the Everfree Forest?”

“The closet entrance should be south of the town square near Fluttershy’s cottage,” Spike voiced in a bitter tone. “With all of the animals Fluttershy has living there, it’s impossible to miss. No doubt those critters she has are in a fuss.”

“We’ll feed them,” Scootaloo volunteered. “We’ll even show you the way.”

“Thank you, girls,” Mario nodded, appreciative. “Well, let’s head out, Spike.”

“Hold on, Mario,” Goombella interrupted. “I have something from my travels that will help you out a lot more than it will me.” With that, she pulled out a silver, spiked, Hammer-looking Badge- Power Smash. “I thought of you when I found this, which was why I wrote that letter in the first place. You can have it.”

“Thanks, Goombella,” Mario nodded, taking the Badge. Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle looked at the Badge, curious.

“What is that thing?” Apple Bloom asked, looking at the Badge. “Some type of removable Cutie Mark?”

“Well,” Goombella explained in the tone of a teacher, “what I’ve given Mario is called a ‘Badge’. Badges where we’re from are equipable items that can grant their wearers amazing power. Some boost certain stats like your Attack Power or Heart Points (HP), while others grant you abilities like new moves. The Badge I just gave Mario, Power Smash, gives him a stronger Hammer attack. But one can’t simply use every single Badge they pick up, no. Most Badges require a certain amount of Badge Points, or BP, to wear.”

“Wow,” Sweetie Belle commented. “Badges sound so amazing.” Turning to her fellow Crusaders, she announced, “I have a new idea for us to try. We’re going to have to go to Rarity’s place for it to work… and maybe we can repay Mario and Spike! But first, Fluttershy’s cottage. Come on, Mario!” With that, Mario and Spike headed out after the Cutie Mark Crusaders, leaving Goombella and Cheerilee.

“Hey Goombella,” Cheerilee asked aloud. “Do you think Mario and Spike can save Twilight Sparkle and her friends?”

“If anyone can,” Goombella smiled, knowing Mario and his greatness, “it’s Mario. He’s saved the world on many occasions. It wouldn’t be above him to save even fellow heroes.”

Ponyville

The Cutie Mark Crusaders led Mario towards a quaint looking cottage, where several animals of various kinds- from bunny rabbits, particularly a white rabbit that eyed Mario carefully) to beavers to bats to falcons to eagles to even a giant bear, Fluttershy had it in her garden. Mario was impressed that such a timid pony could have all of these animals.

“Fluttershy is really good with animals,” Apple Bloom complimented the Pegasus despite her presence being who knows where. “She cares fer almost type o’ critter ya can imagine. Ah still don’t know why a timid pony would live this close to the Everfree Forest, though.”

Mario, upon the mentioning of the forest, could hear Spike gulping in slight fear, and turned towards the obvious entrance to the forest. Now, Mario had seen his fair share of freaky in his life. Heck, he successfully navigated the twisted tree lines of the Forever Forest near Toad Town, and that place went out of its way to get you lost. However, there was something… strange about the forest. It left a weird, indescribable taste in his mouth just by staring at it. He silently prayed that their walk was short and there wasn’t anything worse than Goombas between him and the Pipe to Appleloosa.

“Anyways,” Sweetie Belle announced while spreading some animal feed for the hungry animals, which they comically tore into, “this is as far as Mom and Dad will allow me to go without adult supervision.”

“Ah sure wish we o’ the Cutie Mark Crusaders could help more,” Apple Bloom said in a slightly depressed tone. “But… Ah guess Granny Smith an’ Big Macintosh wouldn’t want me running around an’ causin’ trouble. Spike, Ah’m countin’ on ya.”

“Spike,” Sweetie Belle questioned, “can you and Mr. Mario promise me that you’ll bring Rarity and everypony back safe and sound?”

“Of course,” Mario nodded.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly,” Spike declared with his arms going through a series of motions, “stick a cupcake in my eye.” The three fillies seemed to appreciate the two’s honesty of their intentions, as the smiles on their faces implied.

“Good to hear,” Scootaloo claimed. “Now, I think Zecora’s Hut is where you two should go towards. It’s not that deep in, Mario, and there’s no doubt Zecora has already seen the Pipe you guys mentioned before.”

“Take care, ya’ll!” Apple Bloom smiled.

“We’ll be ready for you guys when you come back!” Sweetie Belle called as she two walked into the Everfree Forest. As soon as the two were out of sight, Sweetie Belle sighed. “Oh Princess Celestia… please make sure Rarity comes home okay… and Spike brings her home.”

“They will, Sweetie Belle,” Scootaloo assured her. “Now, what’s this idea that requires Carousel Boutique?”

Everfree Forest

“I still can’t believe you can stomp on Spiked Goombas without getting hurt, Spike,” Mario voiced after Spike had taken out another Spiked Goomba that chose to attack them. They had not gotten far into the forests when a group of Goombas, thinking the two were pushovers, rushed them. The results of their attack were predictable- Mario and Spike took them down, easy. He hadn’t asked Spike to Tattle on the Goomba family tree, having fought them many times and in many forms before. It was a waste of perfectly good parchment to have him go over them. “I require a Badge for that.”

“Dragons have ridiculously thick scales,” Spike announced, proud of his species. “I’ve been Rarity’s pin cushion a few times, and I still didn’t feel a thing. By the way, is it odd that we can simply talk about this kind of stuff while in battles?”

“You have no idea how often my old teammates and I traded quips while fighting enemies,” Mario remarked, walking away from the KO’d Goombas who gave up a few coins and a Fire Flower. “It kind of made things interesting during the adventuring part.” Looking ahead, Mario spotted another tree that had been converted into a home. Jars and pots hung from the branches of the tree with the help of vines. Both a door and a couple windows were carved into the tree. Two ceremonial masks were also used as exterior decorations.

Standing in front of it, of course, was Zecora.

“It’s about time you arrive,” Zecora greeted them. “We must hurry if we wish to save our mutual friends’ lives.”

“Right,” Mario nodded. “So, uh, Zecora… I take it you know of a strange Green Pipe that leads to Appleloosa?”

“I know of the Pipe that you seek,” Zecora answered. “To get to it, one must not be meek. You must head from here left to a rainbow tree by which foul roars fill the wind. With a press of down, that is where your journey shall begin.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Spike interjected. “Roars plus foul which means stinky equal Timberwolves…”

“Did you forget my young friend, that you are quite the firebrand?” Zecora pointed out. “Timberwolves, need I remind you, are made of wood. By tapping the Timberwolves on the GamePad’s Touch Screen while not in battle, you’ll stun them quite good. You can also burn certain things like plants in your way and it may brighten your day.” Spike and Mario looked at each other, and then at her.

“…What?” Mario asked.

“It must be something Pinkie Pie mentioned to her once,” Spike whispered. “I’ll never for the rest of my life get where Pinkie Pie gets the idea of things like GamePads, Touch Screens, or Y Buttons… next thing you’ll know, you’ll get special Paper Powers for dungeon crawling that you’ll be able to cycle through on some sort of Right Analog Stick or something… but that’s ridiculous. What are we, in a video game? And if we were, who’d want to play as us?”

“I’d rather not think about it,” Mario reasoned. Turning to Zecora, he commented, “Thank you, Zecora. We’ll get out of your mane.”

“Before you go, I have a request,” the Zebra spoke. “I need some help putting a dream to rest.” Zecora pulled out a crude sketch of the strangest looking plant Mario had ever seen. Much of the plant was a bright green with the exception of the pink and red flower on top of it. Mario would have ignored that if the rest of the body wasn’t so weird. The way that the leaves grew off of it resembled a necklace, a skirt, and even a pair of arm. The two roots Mario could see even looked like legs.

“What is that?” Spike asked.

“This, my friends, is known as ‘Florie’s Root’,” Zecora explained. “A powerful weed, and stubborn, to boot.” Zecora then flipped the page, showing a giant version of the Florie’s Root towering over many a Toad and Pony. “My dream showed them growing big and strong… only to grow into giant monsters before long.” As if to prove her point, Zecora’s next picture showed the Florie’s Root now had a sinister expression on its face, hunched over a bunch of scared looking Toads and ponies. The Florie’s Root was also standing in the center of what could only be described as a dead garden. “They root in fertile land, acting supposedly pretty and kind. But they drain the nutrients out of the soil, paying starving plants no mind. Soon they grow into full Flories, eating the land. Then leave nothing but dried plants and sand.”

“I can already imagine the horror the Apple Family would have if they had to deal with these Flories,” Spike voiced.

“Already other places report them spreading across Equestria at an alarming rate. They’ll no doubt take over or destroy the kingdom if we are too late.”

“So,” Mario asked, “what do you want us to do about these giant plant monsters?”

“They are not yet quite large,” Zecora corrected. “But we must act while we are still in charge. Find these weeds, and uproot at least three. Then I request you bring them to me. Florie’s Root is stubborn, but the plant’s skull is not too thick. Fire from Spike or a whack from your Hammer will do the trick.”

“Understood, Zecora,” Spike nodded. “We’ll make sure those Florie’s Roots don’t get to do anything big.” Zecora smiled at the duo before handing Spike the picture of the Florie’s Root.

“Alas, I’ve taken up enough of your time today,” the Zebra apologized. “May good fortune travel your way.” With that, Zecora entered her hut, leaving Mario and Spike alone.

“Well,” Mario commented, “I never thought we’d be recruited to do a bit of gardening to save the world.”

“I’d doubt Zecora about this, too, if I didn’t know her skill with magical herbs, potions, plants, and the works,” Spike voiced. “Zecora’s able to live in the Everfree Forest quite comfortably because she knows it better than anypony else. She knows strange magic and illusions as well. I’ll take her word that these Florie’s Roots are bad news. Things are more than what they appear, here in Equestria.”

“I didn’t doubt her,” Mario reasoned. “I mean, I’ve dealt with plant creatures, before. Piranha Plants, mainly. Sometimes, the rare Amazee Dayzee. I’m just SURPRISED that we now have to add doing a lot of uprooting weeds that look pretty but can GROW in giant monsters if left to their own devices. Anyways, if we see these Florie’s Roots, let’s just take care of them. But right now, we need to get to Appleloosa.”

“Oh right,” Spike commented. “Warp Pipe, left of here, a foul-smelling roar in the wind, near a rainbow tree. Here we go!”

With that, Spike and Mario continued down the path to the left, dealing with more Goombas as they walked. Eventually, though, the two heard a sudden roar, followed by the stench of some of the foulest breath Mario could ever have smelled. While this meant that they were on the right trail, it also meant that they were in Timberwolf territory.

“Spike,” Mario voiced in mild disgust at the creatures’ breath, “did that Item Shop we forgot to stop in sell Tasty Tonics? Because if that’s what a Timberwolf’s roar smells like, I think it might be poisonous.”

“Timberwolves are made of wood,” Spike recalled. “Magically enchanted wood from the Everfree Forest, but wood nonetheless. Their breath just stinks worse than mine. They can’t poison anypony. At least, as far as I know….”

“Okay,” Mario commented. “But when we stop in Appleloosa, we’re stocking up on items. One of them better by Tasty Tonics. Better safe than sorry.” Soon enough, Mario and Spike came across a thick looking set of bushes in the direct path.

“Okay, that’s weird,” Spike remarked. “No way we’re getting through this…” Mario gave Spike a look, causing the Dragon to blush. “Oh, right… my Dragon Fire. Hope Princess Celestia doesn’t get this….” With that, Spike inhaled, and let loose a small plume of fire, which reduced the plants to ashes in an instant. “Well, that was easy.”

The two, after a bit more walking, stood in a simple clearing. They noticed a leafless tree with what appeared to be bat-like creatures hanging off of its branches, fast asleep. Mario would have written them off as Swoopers from the Mushroom Kingdom, but the bats looked… weird. One thing that was off about them was the various colors of the rainbow the bats were. Also, part of their bodies resembled some sort of fruit that was related to each color- a strawberry, an orange, a lemon, a lime, a blueberry, and a grape. It certainly made the tree look like a rainbow.

“Those are Fruit Bats,” Spike said, clearly using his Tattle. “They’re adorable and normally wouldn’t try to attack you, but don’t come near them with a fruit item on your person. They can sense fruit, and go crazy trying to take it. Not to mention where they are, we can’t reach them, anyways. Besides, we’re not here for them.” Pointing to the green Warp Pipe sticking out of the ground next to the tree, Spike continued, “We’re here for that.”

“Yes, we are,” the plumber agreed. Tiptoeing so not to disturb the Fruit Bats, the two slowly approached the Warp Pipe. Once Mario was in jumping distance, he crouched, ready to jump-

“ROOOOOOOAAAARRRR!”

The Fruit Bats immediately woke up, and began frantically flying around before heading towards the air, scattering away. Mario and Spike looked at each other, surprised by the turn of events… before a foul stench hit their noses.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Spike groaned. Soon enough, three wolf-like creatures jumped out of the bushes. Mario noticed right away that the three wolves looked entirely to be made of wood and leaves, even the sharp claws and fangs.

“So,” Mario asked aloud, despite it being a rhetorical question, “are those the-”

“Timberwolves?” Spike interrupted, having already used his Tattle. “Yes. As their name implies, they’re wolves made entirely of wood. Yet ponies naturally fear wolves, and Timberwolves are known to be deadly. They can rush us with either a fierce bite or pounce. What makes them really worse is they can rebuild themselves after a while if they fall in battle, so you have to take them all down at once or destroy the wood permanently. It makes sense since they can be taken down easily due to their low stamina.”

“Oh boy,” Mario groaned. He didn’t know what to do. But then he remembered something. He still had the Fire Flower from earlier. “Hey, Spike… wanna see how a Fire Flower works?”

“Um, not sure how that will help us, but okay…”

Mario dug a hole in the ground, and planted the aforementioned plant. The Fire Flower seemed to spring to life, and spewed out flames, hitting all three Timberwolves, reducing their bodies to piles of singed wood, green mist floating up from their remains. Spike stood in awe while Mario wiped his forehead free of sweat caused by the tension of the Timberwolf attack.

“Well, that was rather anti-climatic,” Mario voiced. “It's a good thing those Goombas dropped a Fire Flower earlier.”

“That was amazing, Mario!” Spike cheered. “The Mushroom Kingdom must have some awesome stuff! One day, I’ve got to visit it!”

“We’ll see if we can arrange that AFTER we’re done with rescuing your friends,” Mario replied. “For now, we better get down the Warp Pipe before more Timberwolves or something worse show up. Follow me, Spike.” With that, Mario jumped down the Warp Pipe, Spike following him down it.

While the two began their adventure, the wooden parts of the Timberwolves that still remained began to twitch, a green magical aura surrounding them....

Author's Note

And thus, the end of the Prologue! Right before the end of 2012!

Anyways, time for talking about stuff.

1) Introducing Goombella's boss, Miss Cheerilee! Cheerilee seems to be among the smartest character in Ponyville and one of the most care-taking of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She'll be helping Goombella with her research into the Elements, their locations, and all sorts of things Mario and Spike (as well as their future party members) will need in their quest.

Also introducing our first enemy Mario has to face- Carbon, a Diamond Dog. You see, Diamond Dogs are pretty cool foes, if one thinks so, and Carbon's the field captain of many of the Colts of Nocturne. He's honestly the second-to-last elite member of Sirius' inner circle I came up with in the planning stages of this story... heck, anybody who's a villain came after Arctic. With the exception of Sirius (and maybe Arctic), he's greatly underappreciated by many of his non Diamond Dog cultists. I almost feel bad for him.

Next, Carrot and Cup Cake! These two are really too nice for what happened to Pinkie Pie, who is way too nice of a pony to have been kidnapped. Somepony give these two a hug. Me being a massive jerk to these two, aside, I just want to show some genuine reactions to what has occurred. Of course, I'm assuming Apple Bloom has already told the other two Crusaders about the development, and they've already gotten their tears out so they could go rescue the Mane Six... only they can't. Anyways, the Cakes, in the game, will also be a similar help to Mario like a certain pair of Toads and a Flipside cook were...

Zecora. Well, we had to go to the Everfree Forest sometime in this story. I mean, I've practically all but said, "Appleloosa is going to be Chapter 1 and we have to go to the Pipe that started it all". I hope I have Zecora's rhyming thing right. Her dialogue is fun to listen to, hard to write for. Anyways, Zecora will serve a familiar role to those who played older Paper Mario games, especially with her sidequest she sends Mario on.

2) Ah, the Everfree Forest. Another popular site within the show. And a downright creepy place given the show's nature. It's only natural that we go here for the reason I've just mentioned in the previous paragraph.

3) So, our all-new Tattle ability? Spike gets Princess Celestia to help him out. A bit impractical, yes, but it's cool. And yeah, Spike's Tattles will get snarky when they count.

So, you're probably wondering: Why Appleloosa first? Well, to be honest, I wanted a bit of a change-up from the traditional first level style. Rather than another grass level, we have a western. Western with some desert exploration. I always had an appreciation of westerns and pirates. Also, Appleloosa is a somewhat closer location to Ponyville that Mario can reach and is more familiar. So, I'll give you a chance to guess who the first partner's species is. Here's a hint: "Though you may let it go, it will always come back to you."

So, the Florie's Root sidequest? Please refer yourself to G1 episode "Fugitive Flowers", and you'll understand just WHY Zecora is requesting Mario and Spike uproot these plants and calls them weeds. Listen to the witch doctor whose actions have saved many a life, guys! Also, Zecora's first appearance on this show came with a similar lesson the Flories episode in G1- the "don't judge a book by it's cover" lesson. Flories look nice, but are pure evil. Anyways, I wanted to reference G1 somehow, and since Tirek, the main antagonist of G1 is playing "Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Story", I figured I'd reference another group of villains that I'm a bit more familar with. That being said, the Flories will be the only G1 Villains that I intentionally reference.

Finally, the anti-climax against the Timberwolves? Did the recent episode "Spike at Your Service" not just show how big glass cannons the Timberwolves are? Seriously, when it comes to taking hits, Goombas are better than them! Gameplay wise, Timberwolves would only have 1 HP, but make up for it by being multiple wolves a group, can reconstruct themselves, and have 3 Attack. In short, they're MUCH weaker Dry Bones. They look touch, but are easy with Items. A Fire Flower or a Pow Block tears them apart. Don't worry. Mario will be using his Power Smash Badge, soon.

So, have a Happy New Year!

Chapter 1 Part 1

-MARIO-

San Palomino Desert

In the middle of a desert path with a tall cactus next to it stood a green Warp Pipe. From that Pipe emerged Mario and Spike, who both walked off of it and looked around. Sand and dry plains as far as the eye could see. Mario sighed.

“Spike… where are we?”

“From my guess,” the baby Dragon commented, “we must have ended up in the San Palomino Desert. If your friend Goombella was right-”

“Which in scenarios like this she is,” Mario inserted, remembering all of the times his Goomba allies’ intuition alone pointed them in the right direction.

“-then somewhere in this desert is our first Element of Harmony. Our adventure really does start here!” Inhaling in excitement, Spike breathed out a bit of fire. He was ready to go. “Anyways, I think if we go east from here, we SHOULD end up in Appleloosa. If anypony saw the Element falling into the desert, it would be somepony living there.”

“I guess that’s as good of a first move that we can make,” Mario agreed. “Let’s hope it’s not too far from here… we didn’t pack too many supplies.”

“I know,” Spike groaned. “Well, if we don’t find Appleloosa before sunset, hopefully we can go with Plan B.”

“What’s Plan B?” the plumber asked, somewhat surprised that they even HAD a Plan B.

“A few years ago,” Spike explained, “I was accidentally kidnapped by a tribe of Buffalo, who were in the middle of a land dispute between the settlers of Appleloosa when the girls and I were delivering Applejack’s favorite apple tree Bloomberg to the town to be replanted. They didn’t mean to take me, though. So, they gave me a few gems to snack on during my being ‘held prisoner’.”

“…Okay, this sounds like a huge story,” Mario remarked. Desperate to pass the time while the two began to walk, Mario asked, “So, what happened between these folks of Appleloosa and the Buffalo? Why were they fighting over land?”

“Oh, that story?” Spike chuckled. “Well, you’re in for quite the tale…”

During the walk and between battles against various types of Goombas and surprisingly red shelled Koopa Troopas who lived in the desert to attack people, Mario heard Spike tell the entire story. It was far easier to listen to than those of the Ancients and of his old Toad Town friend Merlon’s family, as there was something happening outside of the story that kept him awake. Mario heard of how the herd of Buffalo native to the San Palomino Desert area used the flatland where Appleloosa was built as their annual stampeding grounds. However, the residents of Appleloosa were an apple farmer community (and a few of the townsfolk were members of the extended Apple Family), so they needed the land for their apple trees. The Bearers of the Elements’ arrival was rather poorly timed, as tensions were at their highest since the town’s first harvest was at the same time of the annual Buffalo stampede, right as Applejack was scheduled to make the delivery. But what made the situation escalate into a full scale conflict surprisingly came from PINKIE PIE. Both of the leaders of both sides of the conflict hated her cheery song attempt to stop the feud so much that they decided war was the better option. Of course, there was a point in the story that the Buffaloes were about to call off their attack, but Pinkie Pie had to sing again, and the war began. Eventually, though, both sides came to an agreement: Appleloosa keeps the orchard, and in exchange the Buffalo get free apple pies, the “weapon of choice” for the settlers, during their annual stampedes through a cleared path. There was also a second agreement…

“Sheriff Silverstar agreed not to press charges against Pinkie Pie and by extension our entire group for starting the war with her singing in the first place, in the exchange that Pinkie never sings another word in Appleloosa AGAIN,” Spike finished. “Although Pinkie was depressed that she’s not allowed to break into song there, we promised her a party when we got back to cheer her up. Besides, it was either not allowed to sing or jail.”

Mario shook his head with a smirk on his face. Pinkie Pie really was funny in Spike’s story. Mario spotted a red Badge Block, and hit it, getting a Power Stomp Badge for later. Soon, though, the two came to a river in the middle of the desert. Well, it made sense that Appleloosa, if it was in fact in the desert, was near a source of water. However, there was no real way of crossing it.

“Now, hold on,” Spike scowled. Borrowing Mario’s map, Spike looked at it. “Appleloosa’s just on the other side of this river. Pinkie Pie managed to get to the other side of this somehow….”

“Yeah,” Mario agreed. “So, is there a switch nearby or something? Preferably a blue one? Those usually do something.” Mario and Spike began looking around the landscape, Mario rustling through a nearby bush. Spike then noticed a lone dead tree on the other side of the river, alongside a familiar looking green plant with a leafy necklace, arms, and grass skirt.

“Mario?” Spike spoke up, curious. “Isn’t that the Florie’s Root Zecora spoke of?” Mario stopped looking for the switch to see the Florie’s Root. Soon enough, the plant began to twitch.

“So, you know of us?” the Florie’s Root suddenly spoke. It had a sickly, somewhat feminine voice. “Please… I beg of you… no rain for days… soil dry… need water.”

“Uh,” Mario commented, “I hate to break it to you, but… we’re on the opposite side of the river. And I’ve sort of learned from experience that every time I go into water, I’m bitten by a Nibbler or something like that. We can’t help you from here.”

“Hold on,” the Florie’s Root spoke up. “Give me… a moment…” Soon enough, the ground began to shake, and the dead tree suddenly uprooted itself before falling over above the river, and splitting in half, forming a path. “There… I created a bridge. Now please… water… rich soil…” Mario raised an eyebrow about this, but reached into the river, cupping a bit of water in his hands. He prepared to take it over to the plant-

“Hold on, there, Mario,” Spike interjected. “I know this plant just made us a path, but Zecora warned us that Florie’s Root just acts pretty and nice. They use their charms to get ponies to drop their guard and care for them like any other plant. However, it’s all a ruse and they’re nothing more than the worst type of weed. Eventually, don’t they become giant plant monsters?” Mario raised an eyebrow about this, and turned to the startle'd plant.

“…Curses!” the Florie’s Root spat, angry. “Whoever that Zecora is saw through THIS!? How are we supposed to spread throughout Equestria if there are SMART ponies who see us for what we really are! They’re supposed to be a DUMB race that values CUTENESS!” Mario dropped the water at this confession. The Florie’s Root realized what she said, and swallowed. “Uh… you heard all of that, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Mario scowled. “Zecora was telling the truth about you plants, wasn’t she?”

“...Well… the jig is up, huh?” The Florie’s Root laughed as Mario and Spike approached her. Spike then tugged at the plant, only for her to resist his pulls. “Well, even if YOU know about us, Mustache and Dragon, you’re far too late! There are at least forty-two of us all over this dump. There’s no way you’re gonna find us all. And even if you did, you big red Mustache Man, there’s no way you’re gonna uproot us! We’re too strong for that. In fact, the only way you’d uproot me is if you had fire or could whack-”

WHACK!

"...No, Your Highness... I don't want any more maple syrup in my tea...." the Florie's Root mumbled.

Mario’s Hammer rested on the talkative plant’s head, squishing it in the ground. “You know,” Mario remarked, “if there’s one thing I HATE about villainous schemes, it’s that when they’re revealed, the villain just monologues. So, whacking this was kind of satisfying.”

“I agree,” Spike smirked as Mario took his Hammer off. Spike simply grabbed the now KO’d Florie’s Root, and yanked it out with a simple tug before storing the plant away. “If the rest of these plants are as talkative as this one, this is going to be satisfying.”

“Still,” Mario remarked. “I kind of feel bad. She made us a bridge. Yet she just admitted that Flories are out to take over Equestria….”

Spike thought aloud, “You don’t think that the Flories are working alongside the Colts of Nocturne, do you?”

“I doubt it,” Mario replied. “Plants need sunlight to live and thrive. The Colts of Nocturne, on the other hand, worship an all-powerful Alicorn who wanted to blanket the world in eternal night. Why would a plant race WILLINGLY support that?” Spike thought about that for a moment, and realized how much sense it made.

“Good point,” the baby Dragon said. “So, with that out of the way, how about we just head to Appleloosa and get some food in our bellies before sundown?”

“I couldn’t agree with you, more,” the plumber agreed. With that, Mario and Spike headed straight for town.

Appleloosa

Mario had quickly seen how the town had earned its name. Their entrance to Appleloosa around sunset had been through an apple orchard, where Mario could not help but notice had apple trees everywhere, and a path straight through them. Just like Spike said there was, proving that he had been to this town after all.

Mario and Spike also saw the various amounts of Earth Ponies and even Cows working the orchard alongside Koopas of various species. Koopa Troopas, Koopa Paratroopas like his mailman Parakarry, Hammer Bros, and even the rare Boomerang Bros.

Other than the apple orchard, Mario could have sworn he had walked into an old western movie. Appleloosa had the proper set-up of a western: a town with buildings of various types lined up on either side of the street (no doubt part of the path for the Buffaloes’ annual stampede), a saloon and inn down the street, a courthouse and jail nearby each other, horse-drawn carriages (which Mario found weird, considering many of the citizens were Earth Ponies), everyone in town, even the Koopas, was dressed to fit the western style (with many of the males and even some of the females wearing Stetson hats), and the sheriff of the town, if Mario couldn’t tell by his shining Badge, was approaching.

The sheriff, Silverstar, was an Earth Pony. He was a brown stallion with a neatly combed dark mane. Alongside the blue vest adorned by a silver star, Silverstar also wore a red bandana around his neck and a black and red hat. His Cutie Mark was also another Sheriff Badge. But what really impressed Mario about him was the black mustache that matched his own in luster.

“Howdy, gentlecolts,” the sheriff spoke up, his accent perfect with the town. “Nice o’ ya’ll to roll in town. Welcome to mah little town o’ Appleloosa. Ah’m Sheriff Silverstar….”

“Well,” Spike chuckled, “at least we don’t have to deal with Applejack’s cousin Braeburn greeting us first thing.”

“Applejack?” Silverstar voiced. Silverstar looked at the baby Dragon, blinking in surprise. “Well, Ah’ll be shocked. If it ain’t Braeburn’s cousin’s Dragon friend, Spike! Well, ain’t ya’ll a surprise! Braeburn didn’t go ’round town yellin’ his head off ’bout any visits. Fer a good reason, too- the train tracks gone an’ broke no thanks to some mischief, an' we currently makin' repairs.” Looking around, he asked, “So, where’s Applejack. An', more importantly… is the PINK one with ya, son?”

“Uh, no,” Spike replied. “It’s just me and Mario, Sheriff. It’s kind of part of a long story.”

“Mario?” the sheriff asked. He looked at the plumber, and scowled for a moment. “Well, yer mustache is definitely up to snuff, son. Ah reckon that Ah can trust ya if Spike does. But since there ain’t any humans in Equestria, Ah’m gonna guess yer from that there Mushroom Kingdom with all these Koopas and Toads new to these parts.”

“Yeah, actually,” Mario replied. “You see, I came here for a vacation with my friends, and that’s where I’ve met Spike… and Applejack. You see, the two of us- Spike and I, I mean- are in the middle of an adventure, but it’ll probably be easier to explain what we’re doing and why when everyone whose hearing this is sitting down.”

“Whoo boy,” Silverstar sighed. “Sounds like a doozy if ya’ll are askin’ me to sit before Ah even hear what ya’ll are doin’. An’ with everythin’ else goin’ on… Ah reckon Ah better get Braeburn. He’ll want to hear it if it involves Applejack. Meet me at the jailhouse when ya city boys are ready to talk. In the meantime, while Ah keep Braeburn from makin’ ya’ll wanna tear yer ears off, feel free to look around. Just don’t git any ideas o’ causin’ any trouble, ya hear?”

“Understood,” Mario responded. “Can we talk in the morning? We’ve had a pretty rough day of traveling. Traveling through the San Palomino Desert wasn’t easy.”

“Sure,” Silverstar commented. “Talk to the bartender at the Salk Lick Saloon- he ought to set you up with a room. A night at the inn should run ya a few coins a room, but it’ll be worth the relaxation. Ya’ll have a good night.” With that, Silverstar trotted away, leaving Mario and Spike alone and looking at each other.

“Silverstar sounded like he had another problem besides the one we need to tell him,” Spike voiced. “I sure hope it’s nothing big… we’ve already got to save the girls… and all of Equestria.”

“Spike,” Mario explained, “in my many years of adventuring, I’ve learned many things. One of those is that almost everywhere I go, there is a problem that needs solving, even if I have a problem of my own I need to work on. However, another thing I’ve learned is that if I help out someone else with their problem, then maybe they can help me. If we figure out what’s bothering the sheriff, then maybe he’ll help us find out if one of the Elements of Harmony landed in the desert. If not, then we’ll just head back to Ponyville in the morning with fresh supplies.”

“Good point,” Spike shrugged. “Well, the last time I was here WAS in the middle of a land dispute… maybe we came at the wrong time?”

“Well we won’t know that for sure until tomorrow,” Mario shrugged. With no further argument, the two headed for the inn.

Jailhouse…The Next Morning…

When Mario and Spike woke up the next morning, the two felt a lot better than they were at the end of the San Palomino Desert journey the day before. From there, after breakfast, Mario went to the General Store, where he proceeded to stock up on Mushrooms, Honey Syrups, Tasty Tonics, a couple POW Blocks, and a Sleepy Sheep, thanking the Stars that they sold Mushroom Kingdom products. When the plumber felt better prepared, he dragged Spike towards Silverstar’s office.

“I really, REALLY am not looking forward to this,” Spike protested.

“Silverstar’s our best bet for discovering what’s going on,” Mario voiced. “Also, the Element.”

“I know that,” Spike reminded him. “But it’s because of BRAEBURN I’m worried.”

“You don’t think he can handle finding out his cousin’s been kidnapped by a group of cultists?” Mario asked.

“It’s not that I’m afraid of,” Spike answered. “Do you remember Pinkie Pie?” Mario nodded. “Okay. Take her, dye her fur yellow, give her male characteristics, make her a member of the Apple Family, and make her a loving supporter of this place, and you have Braeburn. Once he starts talking, you’ll hardly get a word in, edgewise.”

When Mario got to the sheriff’s office, though, he was greeted by the sight of Silverstar alongside a yellow Earth Pony stallion. He had a long mane and tail with a mix of blonde and orange hair, with an apple as a Cutie Mark, making him part of the Apple Family. He also wore a brown Stetson on his head and an equally brown vest. No doubt in Mario’s mind as he and Spike walked in that this was Braeburn.

But that wasn’t the only thing happening in the jailhouse. For standing in front of the sheriff’s desk was a group of Koopa Troopas. With the exception of one of them, they all were dressed like archeologists. But besides that Koopa who didn’t dress like the others, the one that stood out in Mario’s mind was the archeologist Koopa Troopa that had a mustache on his lip, a yellow-brown shell, and a red pocket watch (at least Mario THOUGHT it was a pocket watch but never took a closer look) hanging from his neck.

“Now, Sheriff Silverstar,” the mustached Koopa begged the sheriff, “you simply MUST let us explore the desert! Who knows what rare and valuable treasures are in the land?”

“Fer the last time, Professor Kolorado,” Silverstar scowled, “yer little band o’ archeologists ain’t goin’ on there. Ah ain’t gonna be held responsible fer anythin’ that happens to ya’ll in the desert, whether it be Bandits, the Buffalo tribe gits angry at ya, o’ anythin’! Doubtful ya Koopa Troopas can handle it all!”

“I assure you,” the Koopa named Kolorado pointed out, turning to the unique Koopa there- a blue shelled, red bandana wearing Koopa with a bandage on his cheek. “My apprentice Kooper here is more than skilled enough for roughin’ the terrain. Why, he was the one who allowed us to get here with the trains shut down!”

Mario could not believe his own eyes. He thought he recognized the two Koopas, but to hear their names and see them here… it was amazing. More of his old friends had come to Equestria, too.

“Look here, Kolorado,” Silverstar explained. “Ah’m a patient stallion. Most of the time, Ah’m calm as calm can be. However, when a Koopa Troopa bursts into mah jail first thing in the mornin, beggin’ me up an' down to allow him and ragtag band o’ thieves disguised as archeologists to dig up the desert all before Ah had mah first cup o’ Joe? Well, Ah’m ’fraid even AH have limits. So, ’less ya’ll can give me a legit reason WHY Ah should let ya’ll dig the San Palomino up, then Ah suggest ya git outta mah jailhouse ’fore Ah lock ya up fer disturbin’ the peace!” Looking behind the Koopas, Silverstar spotted Mario and Spike. “’Sides, Ah have an appointment arranged last night, an’ Ah was in a bad mood about it, already.” The Koopas turned to see the duo, but Kooper’s eyes widened the largest.

“MARIO!?” the blue shelled Koopa asked. “Is that… you!? What are you doing out here in Equestria!”

“It’s a long story, Kooper,” Mario smirked. “A long, odd story.”

“Mario, old boy!” Kolorado greeted. “Of all of the faces I could’ve bumped into in the strangest of locations! How’ve you been, old chum? I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of who I am, do I?”

“No, you don’t, Prof. Kolorado,” Mario shook his head.

“Oh you’ve gotta be kiddin’ me,” Silverstar groaned. “Mr. Mario, please tell me ya don’t know these idiots… and Kooper.”

“I’m afraid I’d be lying, Sheriff,” Mario answered. “I don’t know what they’re doing here, but Kolorado, Kooper, and I kind of went on an adventure, once. Kooper and I stuck together longer, though.”

“Mario,” Kolorado explained, “my group and I are simply in the middle of a new series of explorations and adventures on a new continent. Ever since Equestria has opened up to visitors from around the globe, I simple could not resist exploring what could only be described to Mushroom Kingdom folk as ‘uncharted territory’.”

“Even though his wife’s absolutely livid about it,” Kooper added. “In fact, she refused to let Professor Kolorado leave Koopa Village unless I tagged along as his bodyguard and brought him home safe. If you’re on an adventure as well, and if you’re about to ask for me to come with you… I kind of can’t. I’d love to, but I can’t.”

“That’s a shame to hear,” Spike voiced. “It would have been fun to travel with one of Mario’s old buddies.” Kooper looked at Spike, and back at Mario.

“So, who’s the new guy, Mario?” Kooper asked. “You always seem to attract strange people to join you.”

“Yeah,” Mario commented. “He’s Spike, and he’s started helping me recently. We’re kind of in the middle of a journey, which is why we need to talk to Sheriff Silverstar and Braeburn-”

“Howdy, Spike!” the yellow stallion greeted, as if on cue. “Who’s yer new friend?” Before Mario could introduce himself, the stallion continued, “Well, anyways, welcome to AAAAAAPPLE-LOOSA!” With a whinny, he added, “Ah’ve gotta give ya’ll the grand tour of this here great town after yer business is done with the sheriff. We’ve got everythin’ ya’ll ever need fer survivin’ on the frontier. Wild west dances, mild west dances, -horse-drawn carriages, horse-drawn-horse-drawn carriages, salt an’ water, Apples, Apple Pies… ya name it, we’ve got it here in AAAAAAPPLE-LOOSA!”

“Um, Braeburn…” Spike spoke up.

“An’ ya’ll came at a good time, soon,” Braeburn continued. “It’s near the annual buffalo stampede, an’ we’ve got a huge crop yield this time ’round.”

“Braeburn…” Spike said in a louder tone.

“Perhaps ya’ll brought Applejack an’ her friends to come help!” Braeburn voiced aloud. “Where in tarnation is mah cousin, anyways? Ya know, Ah’ve always liked those mares she hangs out with….”

“BRAEBURN!” Spike roared, shaking the jailhouse, and shutting the chatty stallion up. “If you give us a second, we can tell you what’s going on!” Braeburn, intimidated by Spike, closed his mouth. “Thank you.”

“Well,” Sheriff Silverstar spoke up, his back turned from Braeburn, “that’s one way to shut him up." Turning back to the two, he commented, “Perhaps ya’ll like to fill us in on what in tarnation is goin’ on, now?”

“Right,” Mario nodded. “Well, for me, it all started back a few days ago in the Mushroom Kingdom….”

From there, Mario went on to tell his story of how he came to Equestria with his friends for a vacation/trade negotiation with Princess Celestia, how he met Applejack, her friends, and Spike, how the Colts of Nocturne attacked the castle to get to the Elements of Harmony, how Lord Sirius Nebula had been expecting the six Bearers to beat his cultists, how he had them ambushed, and how he and Spike failed to protect the Bearers. How Canterlot is now sealed by dark magic. How they ended up in Ponyville. How Goombella saw the light show that happened over Canterlot, and how the Elements of Harmony were scattered all throughout the kingdom.

“…And that’s kind of everything, Braeburn and Sheriff Silverstar,” Spike concluded. “So, we’re now on a quest to save Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, and everypony else.”

While Silverstar kept his expression calm and clean, Braeburn was clearly stunned. The yellow Earth Pony stared in silence, taking Mario’s story in about the kidnapping of his cousin and her friends. Kolorado was awestruck by the story, too, stunned in silence. Kooper had blinked in shock before shaking his head, knowing Mario. He had seen the weird scenarios that the plumber was thrown into, particularly the time they faced an “invincible Clubba” or the Crystal King in the Shiver Region. Silverstar looked at the duo, shaking his head.

“Well, boys, ya’ll have to forgive me if the saner part of mah brain screamed that yer bluffin’,” the sheriff said after a bit of thought. “That yer lyin' to me about the Bearers gettin' beat an' how the Elements o' Harmony are scattered throughout the kingdom. However, mah gut is sayin’ that there tale ya’ll just told me rings true an’ it’s the only thing that makes sense outta what happened in the desert a few days back.”

“What happened?” Mario asked.

Braeburn, shaking his head, explained, “A few nights ago, Ah was workin’ in the Apple fields when all of the sudden, this here orange comet shot down from the sky an’ crash landed in the San Palomino Desert. It probably was the Element o' Harmony mah cousin said she wore, once.”

“That very light show is what drove me and my team out to the desert region back when we were in Trottingham,” Kolorado voiced. “But it turns out you need a permit to dig in this desert, so we're stuck! Well, it seems like going to the highest authority in the land to get around this rough sheriff is officially out! Of all of the things to happen to Celestia, this couldn't have been a worse time!”

“Look here, buddy,” Silverstar remarked, annoyed. “Ah still ain’t ’bout to let yer team go runnin’ ’round in the desert. Especially knowin’ what yer after, now. Those there Elements of Harmony belong to the Bearers- Braeburn’s cousin an’ her friends.”

“Well, now that we know WHAT that comet really was,” Kolorado replied, “do you think I was going to just take it, sir? Why, of course not! Treasure that may be, but that treasure is far too valuable for me.” Turning to Braeburn, he asked, “Where exactly did you see the Element landing? Perhaps it will help Mario recover it for the fate of Equestria”

“Well,” Braeburn explained, “Sheriff Silverstar an’ Ah went into the desert where it crashed. Ah believe the site was somewhere close to the legendary underground Buffalo Burial Grounds, where a group o’ Bandits have set themselves up. We went to the site to find a huge crater, but there weren’t anythin’ in that there crater… well, anythin, but HIM.”

“Who’s… HIM?” Mario repeated. Braeburn and Silverstar looked at each other, before standing up.

“Follow us, boys,” the sheriff explained before heading to the cell block. Mario, Spike, Braeburn, Kolorado, and Kooper followed Silverstar into the block, where many of the cells were unoccupied… save for one.

In that one cell, lying on his stomach, there was a male Koopa. Mario squinted, but could tell that by his dark blue nearly black shell he was a Boomerang Bro. Rather than a hard helmet that Boomerang, Hammer, or Fire Bros where, he wore a black Stetson hat with a blue chunk of Koopa shell stitched into it and a white stampede string as his helmet’s straps. On the outside of his shell, he wore a tan shirt and black pants. His Boomerang, which was hanging on the rack outside of his cell, was a shiny orange.

Silverstar yelled, “Are we awake in there, Boomregard?” The Boomerang Bro opened his eyes, and looked at the group.

“…Ah’m still not sure that’s mah name, Sherriff,” the Boomerang Bro voiced. “But… we’re awake. Who are the new guys?”

“None o’ yer business, buddy,” Silverstar remarked. “An’ one o’ these days, yer gonna remember SOMETHIN’ to help us catch the rest o’ yer gang. Whatever plans ya’ll had fer Appleloosa, Ah’m not allowin’ them ’til mah game is over.” Turning back to Mario, he spoke, “Remember that there gang Braeburn an’ Ah spoke of? The ones who are shacked up in the Buffalo Burial Grounds? They’re a group o’ no-good Bandits who are known round these parts as the ‘Skull Boys’. This here is ‘Wild Spin Boomregard’, the Boomerang Bro second-in-command o’ the Skull Boys, only to their leader, a Shy Guy named ‘Black Mask’ Guylan. Ah know, his name’s not much, but he’s smart, an’ organizes attacks on the populace at key times. The train station shuttin' down? His hoofwork. If not fer that there Warp Pipe in the desert, we'd be cut off o' supplies an' income in a matter o' days with that train station gone. Guylan has plans fer Appleloosa… Ah can feel it. An’ with the annual stampede fast approachin’, it’s only a matter o’ time ’fore he strikes hard. Ah need to know what he has planned fer us in order to stop it.”

“Too bad the doc says Boomregard here has amnesia,” Braeburn interjected as they walked away from Boomregard’s cell. “If he didn’t, we’d have found a way into the Buffalo Burial Grounds by now an’ flushed out all of them trouble makers. We don’t even know what they’re up to.”

“Wait a moment,” Spike spoke up. “Let me get this all wrapped up. So, everypony here saw the Element of Harmony we’re looking for fall in the San Palomino Desert, right?”

“Yep,” Kooper voiced.

“You guys found the member of a notorious gang of Bandits that’s been terrorizing the town lying amnesiac in the crater landing zone of the Element of Harmony, but no Element?”

“To quote cousin Big Macintosh,” Braeburn answered, “Eeyup.”

“The gang in question is using the Buffalo tribe’s sacred Burial Grounds as their hideout, said hideout being underground?”

“That appears to be the case, young Dragon,” Kolorado added.

“And now, you have the second-in-command of the gang in your custody but no idea what they’re doing there, where the Buffalo Burial Grounds are, or what they’re planning, just that they no doubt have the Element of Harmony and their plan is most likely going to be somehow related to the Buffalo’s annual stampede through this area?”

“Hit the nail on the head, Spike,” Silverstar concluded. “We’re stuck, here… an’ we ain’t got much time to deal with the Skull Boys 'fore their plans come 'round.”

“So, a random bit of food for thought,” Spike spoke up. “Had ANYPONY here considered asking the Buffalo Tribe about their Burial Grounds?” Silverstar’s mustache twitched at that.

“Ah honestly did think o’ that, son,” Silverstar remarked. “However, Chief Thunderhooves ain’t an easy Buffalo to negotiate with when it comes to the secrets o’ his tribe. An’ with our harvest comin’ up alongside the stampede, Ah ain’t in an exact position to go runnin’ out into the eastern desert with an Apple Pie to get him to talk... o’ to his daughter, Little Strongheart.”

“I guess I’ll have to talk to him,” Mario voiced. “If it gets us anywhere, that is.”

“Now, son, Ah know why ya need the Element, but ya ain’t gotta go doin’ stuff fer me. Not to mention that the Buffalo tribe will hardly trust a stranger.”

“What about somepony whose familiar with them?” Spike asked. “When Chief Thunderhooves’ tribe kidnapped me a few years ago, they were quickly apologetic and liked me.” Silverstar thought about it for a moment.

“…Ah guess that’ll have to do,” the sheriff shrugged. “Go ’head towards the gate towards the east side o’ town, boys. The Buffalo tribe have made their camp in the east this year. Ah’ll bring a nice Apple Pie fer ya'll to deliver to him.”

“In the meantime, Mario,” Braeburn spoke up, “if there’s anythin’ ya wanna know ’bout AAAAAAPPLE-LOOSA or the Apple Family in general, that Spike can’t answer, Ah’ll be more than happy to answer any questions ya might have.”

“Uh, great,” Mario nodded.

“Well then, gentlemen,” Kolorado declared to his fellow Koopa Troopas, “I suppose we all must prepare ourselves. If we are to help Mario and the good citizens of Appleloosa in this time of need, we cannot do so without the proper supplies. I say a trip to the shop is in order!” With that, all of the Koopa Troopa archeologists but Kooper left.

“Mario,” the blue Koopa apologized, “I’m SO sorry that this is how we meet up again. You’re on a super important journey to save six damsels in distress… well, seven if you count Princess Peach, and I can’t help you this time around due to keeping Professor Kolorado from getting into trouble.”

“It’s alright, Kooper,” Mario smirked at his old friend. “You’re already helping me out BY keeping Kolorado out of the way. Just… make sure he doesn’t get involved in the Burial Grounds….”

“I’ll try, but you know Professsor Kolorado,” Kooper chuckled. “Always rushing towards danger no matter the risk. Even at Lava Piranha Plants that are on FIRE. If not for our resident Cheep Cheep and that Star Spirit, he would've been Spicy Koopa Soup!” Silverstar stared at the two for a moment.

“What,” the sheriff spoke up.

“It’s a long story,” Mario waved off. “Anyways, I’ll take of things with Spike, here.”

“Speaking of your new partner,” Kooper voiced, “he seems… eager to rescue the Elements of Harmony. Do I sense ‘crush’?”

“You do,” Mario answered. “On the white pony… Rarity.”

“That’s so cute,” Kooper smirked. “Make sure he gets to her, okay?”

“I will,” Mario replied. “He’s kind of grown on me.” Shaking Kooper’s hand, Mario sighed, “Too bad there will be one less Koopa around to help me hit switches I’m not able to reach.”

“Hmm,” Kooper thought aloud. “I think I might know a way you can get a Koopa to help you, if you want one. One that can help out all of us… just give me some time to talk to Silverstar.”

Mario shrugged, but walked out of the jailhouse with Spike, anyways. The baby Dragon looked at Mario, intrigued.

“So,” Spike asked, “how many people did you go on adventures with, anyways?”

“Honestly, several,” Mario replied. “Kooper was just my first Koopa partner. Like Goombella, he’s an archeologist.”

“He seems like a nice guy,” Spike voiced. “Anyways, we better get heading to the east gate. If we’re gonna get to the Buffalo Burial Grounds where that gang that has the Element is, we need to talk to Chief Thunderhooves.”

“Something tells me he’s not going to be exactly willing to part ways with the location of his people’s dead, even with a pie,” Mario voiced. “We’re going to have to find a way to convince him.”

“Well,” Spike hoped, “maybe we could convince him that we have a good reason….”

Author's Note

Ladies and gentlemen, Chapter 1 begins! And now, we get to do stuff... in the west!

1) Okay, now, you've probably spotted two of my favorite characters in the original Paper Mario... Prof. Kolorado the archeologist and his apprentice, Kooper. Oh, and the other Koopas, as well. But mainly those two! And you all thought GOOMBELLA was the only one who traveled to Equestria. Truth be told, before I ever considered being a teacher, when I was a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist... of course, the only archeology stuff I ever saw was in video games and movies, so the real job is rather... depressing. So, yeah, no Indiana Jones stuff for me...

But these guys get to do a lot of it! And Kooper I personally found to be really useful once he was Ultra Rank... who else besides me used his Fire Shell alot in the last two chapters. Anyways, Kolorado was without a doubt my favorite neutral NPC in the game (I say "neutral" as Kolorado wasn't a hero like everyone else in Mario's party (save for maybe Bow) and seemed to care only about his excavations plotwise, but was far from a villain like other characters and even tried to help you with one chapter), and he WOULD have as much reason to travel to Equestria as Goombella... they both were taught by the same teacher.

Anyways, Silverstar and Braeburn... I sure hope I have their personalities right. Can't have an Appleloosa chapter without these two guys. Silverstar didn't really talk much, but he seems like a reasonable authority figure and the best pony to talk to about Mario and Spike's quest. And Braeburn... well, the Apples are EVERYWHERE in Equestria. And I mean EVERYWHERE. In fact, I'm pretty sure we'll run into other Apples in later chapters... does anyone know how big of a family Granny Smith married into or how many foals she had? Had to be several besides Applejack's parent related to her by birth for a family that big. But back on topic, Braeburn loves his little town.

We're introduced to the name of Chapter 1's villain, Guylan! To be honest, I've been juggling around Chapter 1's boss for a WHILE, now. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 are set, I'm still in debate if I want to make a particular boss either Chapter 5 or 6, and I have an idea as to what to do for (possible) DLC arcs... which would be downloaded on WiiWare. But Chapter 1 I never got to fully decide until recently. And now, we have a Shy Guy Bandit leader.

Finally, the Florie's Root. Yep. I gave you guys that one for free, just to demonstrate how faux affably evil the Flories seemed to possess in the original show, only for it to not work due to how much Spike (and by extension the Mane Six if they were there) has come to trust Zecora's judgment (let's be honest, I'd trust the witch doctor who developed a cure for Poison Joke, a chipped tooth, Cutie Pox, and knew her way around strange magic if I saw it all myself, too). Not all of the Florie's Roots will be that easy for Mario's group to get, especially once we get to the Chapter dungeon. And yes, the Colts of Nocturne and the Flories have absolutely nothing to do with each other.

2) Welcome to AAAAAAAPPLE-LOOSA, everyone! Okay, yes, I had to do it. Appleloosa is considered the cowboy level. And a cool one, at that. I know it's video game tradition to start the player off with a grassland area. ...Yeah, screw that. No Grass land as World 1 for you! Besides, much of Super Paper Mario's first chapter is in the desert, and the Everfree Forest was kind of a grassland. ...Yeah, you guys aren't buying this, are you? Fine, we'll have a decent grass area later, okay? Okay. Don't bother me about it!

Speaking of the replacement of grassland, yeah. The San Palomino Desert is a vast area. You'd have a harder time navigating it if you wandered off of the path. And yes, there will be Bandits in later areas. You know Bandits? The guys who ram into you, steal your coins, then run away? I hated those guys. They'll be a harder foe to beat at this point, since most of Mario and even Spike's attacks can only damage a single foe. You'd need a foe who could hit all ground enemies at once...

3) So, I think I've explained/attempted to justify just about all of my decisions. Save for one... the Buffalo Burial Grounds. Yeah, I know it wasn't mentioned in the show. However, many of the dungeons in the story are probably going to be made from scratch. Why? Well with the exception of a few places, Equestria doesn't really have too many established monster-invested locations I could use. So, I'm forced my hand on this one. Besides, who doesn't like the idea of exploring the lost tomb of a Buffalo tribe? ...I've got to stop taking characters to places where dead things are in my stories. It's super awkward.

So, with that, hope you guys are enjoying!

4) Okay, so you've probably spotted the all-new title card. Again, thank InviciblePony2375 for it! Seriously, nice work!

Chapter 2 Part 3

Foal Mountains— Hollow Shades Base Camp

By the time the tour group reached Cranky’s old base camp, the sun was beginning to set. It was a good time to end the tour for the day, as the yawning of the twin foals in Cup Cake’s saddle pouches seemed to indicate.

The camp spot was actually well structured, featuring a few wooden cabins being manned by a few Donkeys and Piantas. Diggsie looked at the campground, surprised. “Wow… I almost forgot this campsite was here!”

“Well, here we are,” Cranky commented. “Don’t worry, everypony… we’re safe here during the night and there are enough beds to bunk the lot of us. If there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout my travels, having a roof over your head at night is a luxury you aren’t guaranteed. I suggest we take it. I’ll go ahead and talk to the managers and get us situated. You all stay here.”

After Cranky walked away, Spike turned to the others in Mario’s team. “So, we only have the Hollow Shades to deal with, right? That shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Not sure about that,” Diggsie interrupted. “Hollow Shades is rumored to be cousin of Everfree Forest, which is an already monster-filled forest. It always dark in Hollow Shades and easy to get lost if you don’t pay attention to certain signs. Furthermore, ever since Mushroom Kingdom and Equestria open trade routes, creatures like Piranha Plants, Fuzzies, and Piders make home in Hollow Shades. Also, local creatures are dangerous if go on wrong path. More big Gangster Spiders, Sparkasprites, and Owlbear Cubs, for instance.”

“…Owlbears?” Mario asked. “That’s… weird.”

“Oh, the Owlbears,” Spike sighed. “And here I was hoping those didn’t exist.”

“Well, we ain’t got much further to travel if Mario’s map rings true,” Boomregard commented, holding up said map. “We should be able to git to Fillydelphia an’ our next Element by lunchtime if we set out real early.”

“Why in such rush?” Diggsie asked.

“Because we only have so much time to save the world?” Spike offered. “We have to get the Elements back to my friends in only a short month or the world plunges into chaos and eventually destroys itself. Princess Peach and Discord, the only being who has ever actually STOLEN the Elements single-handed, were kind of specific.”

“Couldn’t Princess Luna fix the lunar cycle so the next full moon is delayed?” the Boomerang Bro suggested. “That way, we could have more time on our hands to round up all o’ the Elements.”

“Did you two forget Princess Luna is locked up in Canterlot and the princesses are barely able to keep control of the sun and the moon?” Spike retorted.

“Not to mention that even if Princess Luna WAS able to control the moon’s rotation and orbit sealed inside Canterlot,” Prosperous added as he trotted over, “it is not exactly in our best interests for her to do so, even if it was buying you all time. If Sirius Nebula really wishes for nighttime eternal, then forcing Princess Luna to hold the moon in place would ultimately end in his victory… and our world freezing.”

“The world freezing?” Spike asked in genuine shock and horror.

“I often forget, Spike, that despite how adult your concern is to this situation, you are but a child,” Prosperous shook his head. “As you are no doubt aware, I myself have heard the stories surrounding the legend of Nightmare Moon, and how she was what become of Princess Luna when she let her jealousy of how Celestia’s days had more attention given to them than her nights. Luna, in her rage and anger, vowed to make a world of eternal night… eternal darkness. It would be a world where ponies' nightmares could be given flesh. However, a world of eternal night would slowly lose heat… our world would soon turn to snow and ice… locked forever in an eternal winter. Just like the legend of the Windigoes in the ancient Hearth’s Warming long before Celestia and Luna came to power.” Sighing, Prosperous added, “Princess Luna can be excused for her actions due to how angry she was and how she only wanted her subjects to appreciate the night. But this Sirius Nebula? …He has to be a monster, almost as wicked as the blasted Crystal Usurper King Sombra!”

“Wow,” Spike breathed. “And to think a long time ago before Twilight and I came to Ponyville, I doubted the truth about those stories and legends.” Shaking his head, he scowled, “I can’t believe Sirius Nebula thinks making a world like that is okay! And he plans on using Twilight, Rarity, and the others to do it…!”

“We’ll stop him, Spike,” Mario vowed, calming the little Dragon down. “But right now, we need to focus on getting the five remaining Elements and their temporary Bearers before we can risk taking on Sirius to get the real Bearers back.”

“…Right,” Spike sighed.

“Hey, cheer up little guy!” Beeatriz smiled. “You’ll find those Elements in no time!” Soon enough, Cranky walked back over.

“Okay, everypony,” the old Donkey nodded, “We’ve just been given the okay. Matilda and I will hand out information on your bunks, and lights out is in a few hours. Grab something to eat before you go to bed. If you need to stock up on supplies for the final leg of our trip, there’s a small shop being run by one of the Piantas, but it’s closed right now. You’ll have to try in the morning.” Turning to the Cake family, he said, “I personally saw to setting up a crib for your twins, by the way. I figured you would like that after carrying them up a mountain all day.”

“That we would, thank you,” Cup Cake smiled as she looked at the tired Pound and Pumpkin Cake. Soon, Matilda gave everyone their cabins, and sent them off to explore the grounds. After a while, Mario’s team went to bed.

Hollow Shades

Mohan looked at the campsite, scowling in contempt behind his sunglasses. He knew Mario’s group was in there, resting. However, he knew the plumber was not to be trifled with, and he could not afford a direct confrontation with Mario now that Cranky suddenly stepped up and took over the tour. Not to worry… Cranky he still had an advantage over, and he could take Mario in a fair fight.

Though the plumber took on pirates, other Monty Moles, Clefts, and Diamond Dogs without stopping… and the fact that Mario had a Dragon, a Boomerang Bro, and a Diamond Dog meant four foes. He would have to be careful in getting the Element of Honesty back… but he lacked a proper means of doing so. An ambush in the forest would be risky by himself, so he had to find allies to help him take down Mario.

“I take it you’re still after that Element?” a male voice questioned in a nasally tone from behind the Monty Mole. Mohan, shocked someone was spying on him, turned around to see a short, black cloaked stallion.

“What the… who the heck are you!?” Mohan demanded.

“Just somepony who happens to know that your plan is doomed to fail,” the stallion quipped, angering Mohan. “You’re just like a mangy mutt I happen to have the displeasure of working with, only he knows when to fold them and heel unlike you. I’d give up now if I were you… let a real mastermind obtain the Elements.”

“Are you calling me stupid?” Mohan growled at the cloaked figure. The stallion’s hood made it hard to read his face.

“…Maybe.”

“Why you…!” Mohan scowled. He then stopped to realize something. “Wait… how did you know about the Element? I’ve never seen you before in my life!”

“I was hoping you would ask rather than just swing your arms at me,” the stallion replied. “This proves that you are a reasonable fellow than just some brutish thug who only uses his muscle to solve problems. You see, I work for an organization of what you would call… ‘Believers of a different faith than most of Equestria’. Most of us dread the day, and embrace the night. The sun of Equestria and its Princess of the Day forsake us, and the moon is too weak to stand to the day when it comes. We dedicate ourselves to bringing a night that never ends. My liege has already completed the first two phases of our master plan to make this happen. However, to achieve the next step, we require the Elements of Harmony. This leads to our conundrum, for lack of a better word.”

“So we have a problem?” Mohan scowled.

“Unfortunately so,” the stallion answered. “I cannot allow you to steal the Element for your own greed… and you probably will not tolerate somepony muscling in on obtaining the Element.”

“Finally, you start making sense,” Mohan scowled. “Ain’t no way am I losing that gem to some cloaked cultist!”

“I don’t know if you should simply dismiss my attempt to negotiate,” the stallion warned. “Unlike my liege, I rarely offer my enemies one chance to simply walk away before I end their games. You do NOT want to be my enemy, Mohan.” Mohan stared at the stallion saying his name without ever hearing it. “Just let Mario pass through the Hollow Shades and get to Fillydelphia where I will deal with him and his motley crew, and I will put in a decent word for you with my liege and make you an honorary member. Attack Mario at anytime, and you better have a Life Shroom, otherwise your life will be forfeit. This is your first and final warning.”

Mohan turned back to the campsite, looking at Mario’s cabin. “…And how will you know that I attacked Mario at all?” He then turned back to the stallion—

…only for there to be nothing there.

“That was weird,” Mohan shrugged. “…Mario… you ruined my business and stole that gem from me… I’m going to get it back.”

Hollow Shades Base Camp

The following morning after a quick breakfast and a restock of supplies, Cranky gathered the tour group together. “Good morning, everypony,” the old Donkey began. “Glad to see everypony’s up bright and early… I know it was a little hard sleeping with the twin foals.”

“We said we were sorry about Pumpkin and Pound Cake getting a little rowdy last night,” Carrot announced. “They’re not used to long trips.”

“I suppose we’ll have to live with it,” Cranky shrugged, looking at the two little ones in Cup Cake’s carrier pouches. “Anyways, the Hollow Shades are notably dark. Hence the Lanterns Matilda gave you before. But, lucky for us, there are ways to recharge your battery in the woods.” He then turned his attention to a strange little bug creature that seemed to glow as it fluttered into the campground.

“What is that?” Mario asked, looking at the adorable bug, which seemed to chirp.

“Isn’t that a Parasprite?” Spike asked before Tattling on it. “Mario, these bugs may be cute to you, but be careful! They'll ram into you in an attempt to steal food items of any type! If they succeed, chances are they'll hack up another Parasprite! We have to take them all down before they multiply!”

“Ya may want to change that Tattle of yours, kiddo,” Cranky chuckled. “It’s a Sparkasprite… a cousin to the Parasprite. However, they don’t multiply by stealing food items… but they can still zap you silly if you’re not careful. If you beat them in battle, they’ll charge up your Lantern battery for you.”

“Okay, let me try that again,” Spike sighed, reattempting his Tattle. “Okay, these are Sparkasprites… like Cranky said. Yeah, he pretty much covered what these guys can do, and their stats are pretty much ordinary Parasprites otherwise. However, he didn’t mention they can use a turn to charge up a shield of electricity which even I can’t get through without zapping myself, and can discharge it the next turn when they ram you… the ramming doing double damage than when they’re non-charged. Perhaps Boomregard’s Boomerang could damage them while they’re zapped… that or eating a Zap Shroom.”

“Always stings my fur,” Diggsie agreed.

“I’m only putting that out as a way to recharge your Lantern for free for the more adventurous of us,” Cranky replied. “Anyways, we have a bit of a hike through these woods and we should come to Fillydelphia. Everypony stay close.”

As Cranky led the tour into the woods, Prosperous let out a slight yawn. “Tired, Professor?” Boomregard asked the stallion. “Ah know those twins were a little rowdy due to all the travelin’ we did yesterday.”

“I’m afraid that I do not get much sleep anymore at night,” the stallion answered. “It is a problem I have had since the return of Princess Luna. Back before this crisis, I taught in the afternoons and evenings at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, so I had a rather unique sleeping schedule of sleeping during the day. I haven’t grown accustomed to reversing my sleep patterns. I’m normally a night owl.”

“I guess that way you called ‘Prosperous Dusk’,” Diggsie interjected. “You work better at night than you do day.”

“...I suppose so,” Prosperous shrugged. “Anyways, shall we be off?” Mario’s group soon entered the dark woods.

Hollow Shades

Mario had dealt with his fair share of dark forests in his day. But the Hollow Shades? It may as well have been nighttime with how dark it had become almost immediately after entering the place. The trees in the Hollow Shades were large enough to block out most sunlight, almost bigger than the Everfree Forest’s trees. The Piranha Plants nipping at everyone and the Piders hanging from the trees did not help, either, but Mario took care of them both. The Sparkasprites, however, stung the worst, leaving his mustache in bristles as they traveled through the woods.

“Alright, everypony,” Cranky instructed, “the secret of getting through the woods without getting lost is an easy one to remember: Diggsie, aren’t there certain signs to traveling around here?”

“Signs?” Diggsie asked, tilting her head. She then realized what Cranky was talking about. “Oh! You mean like certain paths in woods being different from the others? Yeah, that was always useful when I explored through here. Though sometimes I still get lost… lucky it just reach dead end. However, Owlbears. They no like me in their nests.”

“Right,” Cranky sighed. “So, remember… we should probably use our Lanterns to figure out which path is correct.”

“It is rather dark,” Matilda pointed out. Turning to Carrot and Cup Cake, she asked, “Are you all sure your twins are okay?”

“I hope so,” Cup Cake answered, looking at the two foals and the alligator on her. “Don’t worry my little ponies… Mama’s here…”

“Well, here we go,” Mario said before turning his Lantern on, casting a light on the background. A few Fuzzies bounced at him, but they were soon swatted away. Soon, however, Mario saw a strange sight of what appeared to be an ordinary bear cub… except for the feathers that stuck out instead of fur, the owl like beak, talons instead of claws, and the overall birdlike upper body.

“What in tarnation is that thang?” Boomregard asked as it approached.

“That’s an Owlbear Cub,” Spike answered once his Tattle was complete. “In short, a baby Owlbear. While all Owlbears hunt creatures bigger than Squeaks and are naturally aggressive, Owlbear Cubs are more playful and will attack with powerful… hugs. Let’s never give Fluttershy one of these. Since they’re only cubs, rarely will they attack with their beaks, but when they do, they pierce defense. We can still take them down, however… they’re not very tough.”

After a short battle which featured Diggsie being hugged repeatedly and Boomregard being beak jabbed twice, the Owlbear Cub ran off, rubbing its head in defeat and crying tears. “We probably should find the exit before its Momma comes after us,” Beeatriz suggested to the tour group.

“Can’t argue there,” Cranky replied. “We just need to find the unique sign…” Soon enough, Mario’s light shined on a grey statue of a large, fierce Owlbear. “Ah, there it is… everypony, this statue symbolizes the ancient Owlbear Matriarch, Hootenanny. While many ponies think the Diamond Dogs were mostly responsible for destroying much of the original caravan that founded Fillydelphia… those who perished on the Foal Mountain Trail were lucky that they DIDN’T meet Hootenanny. Legends say that she’s the size of an Ursa Minor and she now hibernates deep in the forest where no ordinary pony can reach her.”

“Wait, she’s still alive?” Mario asked.

“How long do Owlbears live for, anyways?” Beeatriz questioned.

“I’ve heard stories that Owlbears can live up to 1000 years in the wild, much of it asleep,” Prosperous answered. “The expedition was only 400 years ago… she must have been dangerous to all ponies who came through here… we as a race were not ready for her.”

“Hootenanny,” Diggsie shivered at the name. “Diamond Dogs named her in honor of our culture’s festivities. She scares me enough as statue. I hate to meet her for real.”

Boomregard added, “Somethin’ tells me that when Diamond Dogs name an Owlbear, yer in trouble if it gits loose. What’s stoppin’ her from gittin’ loose an’ gobblin’ up Fillydelphia?”

“Besides her long nap?” Cranky answered. “Virtually, nothing. However, there is one thing keeping her asleep… the great Fillydelphia Bell. For some odd reason, Owlbears just fall asleep when that bell rings at night… with it gone, I can’t help but worry about the town should Hootenanny awakens.”

“More reason to hurry up and get to Fillydelphia,” Mario concluded. “Let’s-a go.”

“Yeah,” Spike nodded. “Before the mother of all Owlbears wakes up.” As the group headed onto the next section of the path, Prosperous looked at the statue, a slight frown as he looked at it.

In the next area, after more enemies, Mario’s group came to the relief of a Heart Block, which allowed them to find the next right path (as they were only Item Blocks). In the next area, past Gangster Spiders, and Owlbear Cubs, the trees were the clue… one being a coniferous tree rather than a deciduous tree. However, there were a couple Florie’s Roots near the wrong trees. After Mario whacked them and Spike increased their total Florie’s Root count to six, the group then continued on the path where a glowing Mushroom lit their way instead of sleeping Sparkasprites. In the next area, when Mario’s Lantern almost flickered out, the tour group was blessed with the sight of Sparkasprites that filled up his Lantern. Mario then also discovered the Hammer Throw Badge, giving him a bit of an edge in combating aerial foes like the Piders.

Eventually, the group walked into a section of the woods with more statues of Hootenanny. However, the group came to see a giant statue of some weird insect creature with a large purple fluff ball hanging off of its head that most who never had been to the Rogueport region never seen before. Mario was perhaps the only one who knew what it was.

“A Puni statue?” the plumber asked, walking over to it. “I’m surprised this is here… could Punies had been to Equestria before?”

“Punies?” Spike asked. “What’s a Puni?”

“Punies are an insect race who live in this Great Boggly Tree in a monochrome forest called Boggly Woods,” Mario answered. “Until I came around, their race was tasked with guarding a Crystal Star. Ask Goombella the next time we drop by the library to tell you more about the Punies.”

“Hey, guys,” Boomregard asked, “is it just me… or is that statue… movin’?” Mario, Spike, and Diggsie all squinted to see it, but on the fluff ball was a light-purple grey Unicorn filly with a blonde mane and tail, gently snoring.

“There you are, my little muffin!” a female voice yelled, causing the filly to stir.

“What the…?” she asked, looking around at the tour group. Soon enough, Derpy flew over, a stern look on her face.

“Dinky, what did I tell you about wandering away from me when you come with me on work?” Derpy asked in a concerned tone.

“That it makes mommy worry beyond all rational thought and makes her clumsier than usual?” the filly Dinky answered in an apologetic tone. “Sorry… but I got tired…”

“Oh, I can’t stay mad at you!” Derpy smiled, hugging Dinky. She then noticed Mario’s group. “Oh, hi Mario, Spike, Mr. Boomregard! While I’m here, I have…” She then dug into her saddlebags, pulling out two more letters. “Mff frr yoo! (Mail for you!)”

“Oh, thanks, Derpy,” Spike nodded after he took the two letters, one from Dr. Karoline in Appleloosa and the other from Magnum in Ponyville. “Hi, Dinky!”

“Hi, Spike!” the Unicorn waved. “I heard you were on an adventure with somepony trying to save the world or something like that. Is it true?”

“Uh, sure, let’s go with that,” Mario nodded. “So, Derpy, is this…?”

“My daughter,” Derpy smiled as Dinky jumped onto her back. “Thanks again for finding her... even though you were never asked. Hey, next time you come to Ponyville, why don’t you trot over to Sugarcube Corner. I’ll be there when I’m not on shift.”

“Take care, Derpy,” Spike waved as the two flew off. He then pocketed the letters. “We don’t really have time to read them here. Maybe with better lighting, we’ll have an easier time reading them.”

Soon, they saw one of the paths with a Save Block on it revealing daylight, making everyone sigh in relief.

“I think we’re through the worst of it!” Beeatriz smiled. Turning to Diggsie and Cranky, she asked, “We ARE through the worst of it, right? I don’t want to push our luck.”

“Don’t worry,” Cranky smirked. “We just have a rock farm to walk past, and we should be on the road right into Fillydelphia. We’ll conclude the tour there.”

“I don’t think so,” a male voice interrupted. Soon enough, the ground exploded in front of the tour group, revealing Mohan. “Cranky… I’m disappointed in you.”

“Mohan…” Spike scowled. “I thought you learned your lesson when Captain Rose Heart shot you in a hole.”

“You fools think you can stop me with that!?” Mohan scoffed. “Ha! I’m way too tough for a cannonball to take me out! Now, then… I suggest you hand over the gem without a fight. Otherwise… I’ll have to get rough with you.”

“You have donuts for brains if you think we’re just going to give the Element over!” Spike declared.

“Mohan,” Mario insisted, “you do not want to do this. We NEED the Elements, both this one and the one in Fillydelphia.”

“Ya didn’t mention a gem in Fillydelphia, see,” a familiar voice remarked. Soon, a duo of baby wails rang out, causing everyone to turn around to see most of the tour group, Cup Cake, Pound Cake, Pumpkin Cake, Gummy, Matilda, and Beeatriz all webbed up, hanging from the trees. Only Prosperous, Cranky, Carrot, Spike, Boomregard, Diggsie, Mario, and Mohan were unaffected. Skittering next to them on the ground was the same group of Gangster Spiders that ambushed Diggsie. “This here is news information, see.”

“Help me!” Cup Cake screeched, struggling in the web.

“Cup Cake! Pumpkin! Pound!” Carrot gasped. He began galloping back to save his family, only to stop when webs were shot at his feet.

“Not so fast, see,” the leader of the Gangster Spiders scowled. “Make another move like that, slick, and the fat pony gets it!”

“Hey!” Carrot scowled. “Don’t talk about my wife like that! She’s more ‘fluffy’ than fat! And I happen to like mares on the fluffy side…”

“Thank you, Carrot,” Cup Cake smiled at her husband. “If I wasn’t so distressed and the foals weren’t in trouble, I’d kiss you right now…”

“Don’t worry,” Carrot called up, “we’ll get you down!”

“Aw, that’s so cute,” Mohan chuckled. Turning to Mario, he smirked, “I hope I got your attention, Mario… now, we can be gentlemen about this and you hand over the gem, make no attempts to follow me or recover it, and I’ll talk my hired hands here into letting them go. If you wanna play rough, still… well I have the poison advantage, the smarts advantage, and the numbers advantage. Isn’t that right, Cranky?”

“What’s right?” Cranky asked, nervous.

“Don’t forget… you owe me,” the Monty Mole answered. “Or did you forget our little arrangement. Now… take the Boomerang Bro’s gem, please. No heroics from anyone, or the fat lady gets it… alongside Matilda.”

“I’m FLUFFY!” Cup Cake insisted. Cranky scowled at Mohan.

“I knew you were dirty, Mohan… but threatening an innocent mare, her children, your own customers, AND my Matilda? That’s an all new low for you.” Cranky trotted over to Boomregard. The Donkey whispered, “Mario, Spike, Boomregard, Diggsie… I… I take no pleasure in doing this, you know? But… Mohan has me tied around his claw.”

“Why are you helping him do this?” Mario asked as Boomregard removed the Element of Honesty.

“He has something that belongs to me,” Cranky responded, taking the Element of Honesty. “Something that means more to me than any amount of Bits. Until I pay off this debt I owe him, he won’t bother letting me go. If I could, I’d quit this right now… but I’m not letting him take your Element. Can I trust you to deal with him after I move? I’ll give you the Element after he’s down for the count.”

“…I don’t know,” Mario responded.

“Look, just trust me, okay? I can stop him from getting his mitts on the Element, but I need to make it look convincing. I promise you’ll get it back.”

“…Okay, fine,” the plumber agreed. “But be careful.”

“Cranky, hurry up!” Mohan yelled over. Cranky took hold of the Element of Honesty, and trotted over to the Monty Mole. “Yes…”

“Alright, Mohan,” Cranky replied as the Monty Mole held it above his head in victory. Turning away from Mohan in disgust, he said, “Ya got your Element. Now, about everypony… cut them down and give me what I’m owed.”

“Yeah, about that,” Mohan replied. “You see, I already promised the Gangster Spiders in exchange for their help, they’d get a fraction of the profits and all of these workers for their gem operations. And since Matilda isn’t going to be around for you anymore, I fail to see what giving back your treasure would do…”

“You filthy double-crosser!” Beeatriz yelled. “You sold us all out!”

“And I’d do it again,” Mohan grinned. “It doesn’t matter what happens to anyone else as long as my wallet is fat at the end of the day. Now… you can go ahead, Spider Boys!”

“I knew there was something unlikable about you!” Prosperous declared. “I demand full refunds for everypony!” While the tour group was protesting, Cranky sighed.

“Somehow, I’d knew you’d pull something like this,” the Donkey said in a calm manner. He then raised his hind legs, and with precise aim, kicked the Element of Honesty out of Mohan’s greedy claws, sending it sailing through the air. Before anyone could register what had happened, Cranky dashed past Mohan at speeds one thought difficult for a Donkey Cranky’s age, grabbing the Element in his mouth before galloping back to buck the lead Gangster Spider in the face. When the Gangster Spider boss got up to retaliate, he was grabbed by Prosperous Dusk’s magic and thrown into his fellow Gangster Spiders and towards Mohan, who realized what had happened just in time to get buried in Gangster Spiders.

“Mario!” the teacher instructed, “I’m sure you want revenge against that Monty Mole! Now is the opportunity!”

“Hit him four times for me, my wife, and my children!” Carrot Cake instructed Mario as Mohan pulled himself out of the mess. “We’ll get the others!” The Monty Mole scowled as Mario’s group sank into fighting stances.

“So, this is how it’s gonna be?” he asked. “Please… you’re gonna be ruing messing with me in a few minutes, tops!” Turning to the Gangster Spiders, he yelled, “Get up, you worthless bugs! It’s high time we taught Mario a thing or two!”

Spike Tattled on Mohan to begin the Battle. “Okay, do I need to say his name? It’s Mohan, the Monty Mole ‘leader’ of our Equestrian Adventure Tour, revealed to be a conman with a bad attitude and worse luck: he has to deal with us! However, he’s quite strong for a Monty Mole. Not only can he throw several rocks at us in rapid succession, but dig underground to avoid attacks that don’t shake the ground AND dig through tree roots to get to higher ground beyond your jumps and my own. When he’s up there, he’ll dive-bomb us! Boomregard and Diggsie can hit him, though… or we could shake him off if we can shake the ground. Can I say this is going to be satisfying with how big of a nuisance he was getting here?”

“Definitely,” Boomregard agreed, brandishing his Boomerang, which he tossed at Mohan. The Monty Mole took it in the head, flinching in agony. And that was before Diggsie and Mario both stomped on him.

“Why you…!” Mohan grunted. “Okay! No more Mr. Nice Guy!”

“You were never a nice guy, Mohan!” Mario pointed out. Mohan answered that by pulling out a ton of rocks, and quickly throwing them at Mario, bonking him three times. And that was before the Gangster Spiders rushed at them, attempting to poison them. After the attack was done, Diggsie was poisoned, but Mario was also wounded.

“Great,” Boomregard groaned. “Gonna have to rely on our Items fer this rodeo to heal.” Diggsie, meanwhile, took one of the Tasty Tonics they bought and healed her Poisoning while Mario whacked the Gangster Spiders with his Hammer and Boomregard and Spike took two out of the fight. Mohan then dug underground, somehow popping out of a tree.

“Can’t hit me from up here!”

“Oh, really?” Mario asked.

WHAM!

One thrown Hammer certainly caused Mohan to eat his words. Boomregard added to it by using his Boomerang Toss, hitting Mohan twice while Diggsie and Spike either pounced or burned the Gangster Spiders, taking two more out of the fight, leaving Mohan and the boss Gangster Spider left.

“Alright, see,” the leader of the Gangster Spiders growled, “it’s time to play rough, see!” He then shot webbing upwards, climbing it to avoid the regular ground attacks. Mohan, meanwhile, jumped off the tree, and drilled down, slamming into Boomregard, doing a lot of damage.

“Ow…” the Boomerang Bro groaned. “Okay, we all know THAT was comin’, but still…”

“Had enough, yet!?” Mohan asked in a taunting tone. He was answered by Boomregard whacking him twice with his Boomerang. “You are going to regret that,” Mohan scowled.

Spike and Diggsie, meanwhile, both attacked the boss Gangster Spider, knocking him out of the fight. “Ow… see…” he groaned before collapsing.

“You really want to keep doing this?” Mario asked the Monty Mole. Mohan, answered him by digging underground, popping up near the trees again. “Okay, fine… time to bring you down.” He then held up his Hammer and brought it down, shaking the ground and causing Mohan to fall out of the tree. Between Diggsie’s Pounce, Boomregard’s Boomerang, and Spike’s Jackhammer Tail, Mohan collapsed in a heap, a jewelry box falling from his person alongside the money he had robbed the tour group of with his greedy tour.

“You… you cheated…” Mohan groaned in defeat. Soon enough, the last members of the tour group were brought down between Beeatriz and Prosperous. The Gangster Spiders, sensing they were beaten, skittered away in an attempt to save themselves, leaving Mohan at the mercy of his victims.

“Mohan,” Cranky scowled, “I have never been so disgusted with somepony in my life before I met you. Sure, I have been annoyed with ponies, but I never flat-out HATED somepony before you. You are dishonest, selfish, and a cheat. Be happy I’m refunding everypony’s tour funds that I can… you’ll have to pay off Beeatriz’ 1,400 Coins on your own.”

“Actually, I’m fine,” Beeatriz smiled. “You see, my Queen pays quite well for hard labor. I was more than happy to depart with that money, especially if it helped keep pirates at bay.”

“You are very generous,” Diggsie told Beeatriz. “Not to mention really kind.”

“Aw, thank you, dear!”

“Guys,” Mario asked, “as much as I’m proud to see you two getting along very nicely, we still have to do something about Mohan.”

“Don’t worry,” Prosperous Dusk spoke up. “We’re not very far from Fillydelphia, yes? Don’t worry... I can make sure he doesn’t bother anypony again. Besides, I may have dropped something back in the forest.”

“Are you sure you can deal with him on your own?” Cranky asked. “I’d be more than happy to hoof him over to the proper authorities. Not to mention its dangerous being in this forest alone.”

“I insist, Mr. Donkey,” Prosperous answered. “I am more than capable of handling myself, and I know my way around the forest, now. Consider me disciplining this fool as my way of thanking you for the tour.” Cranky sighed.

“Well, don’t take too long,” the male Donkey replied. Cranky walked over, picking up the jewelry box before turning to the group. “When we have proper light, everypony will get their money back.” This caused everyone to cheer as they left Mohan and Prosperous alone in the forest exit.

Mohan got up, seeing the group walking away. “Drats,” he groaned. “I had the Element in my claws again… and I let a Donkey kick it away from me! Well, not next time.”

“There won’t be a ‘next time’,” Prosperous interrupted. He then walked towards Mohan, magically restraining the Monty Mole and picking him up. “Come along… we have something to discuss… and something to find. Perhaps this will teach you to heed warnings.”

“Warnings…?” the Monty Mole asked. However, rather than explain, Prosperous kept trotting back into the woods, dragging him along.

Pie Family Rock Farm

“Here we are!” Diggsie cheered, wagging her tail as she looked around her. The tour group had come alongside a rather quaint looking farmhouse. It looked plain compared to the huge farm back in Ponyville… while there were crops and trees on it (with a few Star Pieces, mind you), the main feature was all of the various rocks around it. Small ones, large ones, some the size of a boulder, and some the shape of a smaller yellow block with eyes… as well as a colossal yellow block in front of a silo. Mario was not surprised to see a few friendly Diamond Dogs working the field.

“Called it,” Mario silently remarked, remembering how he said there would probably be friendly Diamond Dogs somewhere. Cranky, meanwhile, finished refunding everyone.

“Cranky,” Matilda smiled at her lover, “I’m surprised to see you moving like that. As well as you standing up to Mohan.”

“I had to do it,” Cranky replied. “He was an absolute jerk. And I wasn’t going to let him do it

“Well, this is it,” Carrot sighed. “It’s time to tell Clyde Pie what happened to Pinkie… this isn’t going to end well.” Turning to Mario, he asked, “Mario, you and Spike wouldn’t mind standing next to me when I give him the bad news, do you?”

“We have to talk to him, anyway,” Mario replied. “Pinkie is his daughter… and Diggsie is his employee. It will be easier if we take care of this now.”

“Before we do,” Spike asked, “shouldn’t we look at the letters we have?” Mario remembered that Karoline and Magnum. He opened the Karoline letter first.

Dear Boomregard,

I hope this letter gets to you safely. After you left town, things got peaceful again. Bandit attacks are less likely to happen. So far, I’ve been doing my best to spread your good name around. Not everypony in the west believes that Wild Spin Boomregard is a good guy, now… but Appleloosa certainly believes it due to us knowin' you're not the original Boomregard. It’s a start to redeeming your name.

Anyways, so far, my attempts to find your name or someone who knows who you were have proven fruitless. I’m sorry… but don’t worry. I’ve dedicated all of my spare time between daily needs and my duty as a doctor into figuring out who you are. It may be a little selfish, but… I hope once we find what you’re looking for, we can still be together.

With love,

Dr. Karoline Koopa

P.S.,

When I nursed you back to health, I used one of these attached to this letter. I figured it would never hurt to have another.

Mario then took out a Life Shroom. “Well, that’s nice for a rainy day,” the plumber smiled, pocketing it in case of emergency.

Boomregard, meanwhile, looked genuinely touched. "Shucks... the doc's really trying to git mah memory back. Maybe when this here adventure is said an' done an' Ah know who Ah am... we probably should figure it out later. Spike, ya don't mind holdin' onto it, do ya?"

“Not at all,” Spike nodded before tucking the letter away. "Now, about Magnum's..."

Dear Mario,

I would like to thank you for making the first purchase of our Badge Shop. It helps Sweetie Belle and her friends with their dream, and it’s nice to do something to keep my mind off of the fact that my oldest girl is who knows where. Know that we’re doing this for you hero types, and there is a benefit to this. While my Badge selection might seem random every time you come back into Ponyville, I usually keep what I have in-stock on the shelves. But so far, I’ve only gotten business in Ponyville. If I don’t branch out soon, I won’t be able to keep Rarity’s shop open while she’s gone.

However, Rarity has taught me if you want to sell something, you have to advertise it. Mario, you go into battles a lot, right? On your Badge Menu from now on, if you obtained a particular Badge from Carousel Boutique be highlighted with a “CB” symbol. If you perform a Stylish Action Command with Badge moves or KO an enemy with a Badge Move that is labeled with “CB”, that may increase our shop’s popularity with your audiences. If enough ponies like our Badges, we may get more buyers… and that means I can order rarer and more powerful Badges that you won’t be able to get anywhere else. However, remember to switch up your Badge use… a mix of Badges will increase popularity faster.

Furthermore, if you do this for me, I’m sure the missus won’t mind if I gave you a discount.

Thanks again,

Magnum

After Spike put away both letters for Mario, the trio turned to Cranky, who was walking towards them. “I didn’t forget about this,” the Donkey said, handing the Element of Honesty to Boomregard. “Sorry ya had to take a few licks. Hopefully nopony else will try to pry it from your wrist.”

“Ah hope not,” Boomregard said, looking the Element over before placing it back on. The Element began to glow again, signaling that it had been fully charged by the last battle. “We need to keep this on us if we’re gonna be able to return it to Miss Applejack. Thank ya kindly fer helpin’ us get it back— what in the world?”

“What is it?” Cranky asked, looking at the Element.

“It sorta… vibrated…” Mario, curious, touched the Element himself… and was shocked when he felt a light rumble. “Ya see? It ain’t done that ’fore.”

“You don’t think it’s reacting to the Element in Fillydelphia, do you?” Mario suggested. “Maybe this is the Element’s way of saying we’re close.”

“Hope it don’t rumble my arm off. Ain’t there an off switch somewhere?”

“It’s not like somepony put an Options Menu where you can control Rumble settings as well as Sound, Voiceovers for text, and Music Volume somewhere,” Spike shrugged. “If there was one, it would probably be in the same Menu Screen as Mario’s stats, Partners, Items, Badges, Adventure Journal, and Elements.”

“Uh, guys?” Carrot Cake interrupted. “Shouldn’t we get this out of the way?”

“Oh, right,” Mario remembered. “Let’s get started.”

“We’ll wait for you here,” Cranky nodded. Mario, Spike, Boomregard, Diggsie, and Carrot Cake began the short walk onto the property. One of the Diamond Dogs spotted them, and saw Diggsie.

“Oh, there you are, Diggsie!” he waved as she approached. “We get worried. You gone full day… what happened?”

“Funny story,” Diggsie laughed. “You remember funny Hoohoo Stone? I accidentally lost it in Foal Mountains. Found it again, only got attacked by Gangster Spiders. Don’t worry… I get rescued by these guys!” Pointing to Carrot, she corrected, “Well, he did not rescue me, but he has story to tell Mr. Pie.”

“Oh,” the Diamond Dog sighed. “Well… about that, Diggsie. Mr. Pie went into town to look for information on you on top of errands. He and Mrs. Pie won’t be back until end of day.”

“Well, that’s slightly inconvenient,” Carrot remarked. “I was hoping to talk to him about this thing… sooner. Did he say where he was going?”

“Most likely going to see that silly unveiling of thing to replace Fillydelphia Bell,” a second Diamond Dog replied. “We no care… no matter what it is, it never replace the bell. Better to work now… find gems in rocks. You, Mustache Man… I smell Hammer on you.” Mario took out his Hammer, letting the Diamond Dog observe it. “Hmm… Hammer too weak to break bigger rocks for gems. Perhaps Mr. Pie could make you stronger Hammer for smashing rocks. Maybe even for big yellow block some idiots put in front of silo other day.”

“We said we sorry!” two Diamond Dogs interjected.

“Oh, right,” Diggsie remembered. “We need in silo. There is weird Gray Key we found inside of it among other things.”

“Well, it looks like that’s where we’re gonna find him and our Element of Harmony,” Mario said after the two Diamond Dogs walked away.

“You think the Element is with the unveiling?” Spike asked as the group walked back to the main entrance.

“It’s one of the few places that would make sense unless the city’s Mayor has an idea where it would be,” the plumber reasoned. “And we would have to convince the Mayor to hand it over to us. We’ll find their office, and talk to them before attending the ceremony.”

“We probably catch Mr. and Mrs. Pie at unveiling,” Diggsie commented. “We tell them what going on there.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Boomregard shrugged. “We ain’t got a lot o’ time, though, if the unveiling is ’round sundown. Fillydelphia is a big place.”

“That’s true,” Carrot Cake sighed. “I was kind of hoping to get this off my chest now… and hope Pinkie’s father is an understanding stallion. Well, we probably should get to Fillydelphia.”

The five, upon rejoining the tour group, nodded at the others. “So, he’s not there?” Cup Cake asked her husband.

“Nope,” Carrot answered. “Sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Cranky…”

“It’s alright,” Cranky smiled. “You guys make the best Couple’s Cake I’ve ever tasted. Not to mention other things. Also, I couldn’t have taken my treasure back without your help.”

“So, Cranky,” Matilda asked, “what exactly is this treasure that Mohan had taken from you?” The male Donkey sighed as the crowd displayed curiosity.

“Well, Matilda, I wanted to surprise you…” He then opened the jewelry box, revealing a heart-shaped locket with a light blue sapphire gem in the middle, along with a diamond engagement ring. Everyone gasped in surprised. “Matilda, you know I love you with all of my heart, but we have never actually made it official. So, I had these made especially for you to prove that point. They cost me just about every Bit in my pockets before Mohan stole them from me. He then forced me to begin working to get every Bit back to pay for them. I was an idiot to let him trick me into that deal. So, Matilda… will you do this old fool the honor of marrying him?”

“Say yes!” Beeatriz and Diggsie cheered, both of them practically giddy for their own reasons.

“…Cranky, I think you know the answer,” Matilda replied, tears in her eyes. “Yes! A thousand times yes!” The female Donkey trotted over and kissed her lover. After the two broke the kiss, Matilda nuzzled Cranky, practically in tears.

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Cup Cake cooed. Pound and Pumpkin looked at each other, genuinely confused about what was going on. They also wanted to see the funny pirate mare again, but were too young to voice that in a full sentence.

“Alright,” Cranky stated as he turned towards Fillydelphia. “I believe I have a tour to finish! Come on, everypony! Fillydelphia and whatever you all want to do there await!” The group cheered for their tour guides’ engagement before they set off on the trail towards Fillydelphia.

Author's Note

Yeah, I'm still alive if you're concerned. I've just been busy as all heck. Funerals, finals, graduations, other projects, and my brother making me watch Game of Thrones with him. Yes, I watch it.

But today, forget all of that, because it's Paper Mario time!

1) So, yes... Owlbears. How to justify this...? Right, a few years ago, I played this random pony flash game where Applejack ended up being attacked by Owlbears. So, if anyone can find that game, just imagine the Owlbears looking like that, and you have our new enemy class... along with the new Sparkasprites, a recoloring of Parasprites given electricity. I'm lazy... you can tell with how I'm not even bothering justifying the Florie's Roots placement anymore. I swear, next chapter will have funnier Florie's Root interactions!

It appears we have more Derpy. Oh, and we threw in Dinky! Don't know why she was sleepy on the Puni statue that's a huge callback to TTYD. But here she was, and mom and daughter are reunited. And yes... Derpy has something for Mario once he returns to Ponyville.

So, we get to see a glimpse of some kind of legendary monster... Hootenanny. That's such a funny word. You know, before Mario Party 2, I never heard of it, and wondered what it meant. But anyways, now, it's the Owlbear to end ALL Owlbears.

Also, we get to finally fight Mohan, taking him out of the picture. So, if Mohan was just a boss, then who is the chapter's boss?

2) The Hollow Shades. I know we already have a dark forest in the Everfree, but again, I must stress we travel ground that's never been seen in the show before. We've been through Whitetail Wood, we've been to the Everfree Forest, we've even gone as north as the Crystal Empire (which is arguably one of the farthest distances our heroes have traveled on screen), but never has there, and probably never will, be an episode where the ponies end up in the Hollow Shades. So, there could be monsters that we haven't even seen yet in the show.

The difficulty in this location is that it's too dark to see where you're going without the Lantern, and you need to find Sparkasprites to keep it fully charged. In short, it's that underground cave section of Bowser's Castle meets the Forever Forest, both in the original Paper Mario... but with Owlbears and electrified Parasprites.

Meanwhile, the Pie Rock Farm... I done screwed this up. And I apologize. It had been too long since I saw "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", where each of the Mane Six took turns explaining their Cutie Mark stories (and by extension their origin stories) to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. In Pinkie's story, her rock farm... was just outside of Ponyville. In short, this should have been the first building we should have come across. The only reason I made it so far out of the way was because in the third season episode "Magic Duel" (which may as well had been named "Continuity the Episode"), Trixie's line about the Pie Rock Farm implied it was far from Ponyville and hardly ever heard of there. Also, none of the other members of the Mane Six have (as far as I can tell since I STILL haven't seen "Magical Mystery Cure" yet) gone to the Rock Farm to confirm or refute it's location.

For the sake of the story/game, assume that Clyde Pie and Sue Pie bought a new farm right outside of Fillydelphia. Again I apologize for my blunder.

3) So, yes, Prosperous Dusk FINALLY voices everyone's very realistic consequence of what would (and not "could") happen if Sirius wins. Sirius himself cannot confirm or refute that these are his exact intentions, but he does want the return of Nightmare Moon and a world of eternal night. Does he want to see ponies suffer? I'll leave that up to you.

So, is it just me, or is anyone else slightly creeped out by Night Fortune? You can tell he always has a plan, but with that hood covering his face, you cannot tell what he's planning. Furthermore, he's mastered Batman's technique of being able to disappear when someone isn't looking. You know, like a ninja... I just realized one of his allies is a ninja and this is probably where he picked it up.

So, we finally got to fight Mohan (as well as the Gangster Spiders who tried to kidnap Diggsie). But man, that was satisfying beyond belief. His diving attack was a pain, but other than that the only reason I found this difficult was because you were restricted from using the Element. I can't help but wonder what Prosperous is doing with Mohan.

Well, it looks like Clyde and Sue Pie are in town... and we really need Clyde to upgrade our Hammer. I don't know about the rest of you, but I want the goodies in the silo. That key sounds useful, and there could be rare items.

And yes, Cranky finally proposed to Matilda. I know there's no Romance tag so I should probably stop with all of this sappiness. But love isn't a major thing and there's no real main pairing... BoomregardXKaroline will probably be for the Boomerang Memory DLC, but I'm just making sure the official pairings are there. That's not exactly qualifying this for romance.

Well, next chapter we'll be doing a little exploring of Fillydelphia and then have arguably the most unique boss fight in the game. You'll see why when you see why.