Super Mario and the Elements of Harmony

The seven heroes had just gone through one of the most stressful days that any of them had ever lived through.  They had been shipwrecked and wandered around an island looking for each other.  Now, after just arriving to Rogueport, they had to ready themselves to go free the remaining six Star Spirits, who were spread across this part of the kingdom.  They thanked Cortez for all of his help.  “Tis the least I can do,” was his friendly response.  For an evil, giant, floating skull, he proved to be a nice guy.

Mario led the group to Professor Frankly’s house, which was just a few minutes away from the docks.  Everyone, except for Mario, who was riding on Yoshi at this time, was just looking around at the town they were in.  It was run-down, full of graffiti and thieves, and had skulls on the picket fences.  The people there were a little better than the town itself, but it was still not a pleasant place to be.  “Rarity would not like this place one bit,” Spike said to the others on the way.

Rainbow Dash added, “Yeah, she would be all like ‘this place is ever so dirty, it’s going to make my hooves and mane a mess.  I forgot my tiara!  Oh darling, dresses, darling.  A lady like me should not even be seen in a place like this!’”  Rainbow, Spike, and Pinkie shared a laugh over this, while Twilight and Fluttershy looked at each other with a face of guilt.  They knew better than to make fun of their missing, fabulous friend.

Mario led the group to the house of Professor Frankly, an old brick house with a wooden door and one window with old wooden shutters.  As the heroes walked into the house, Twilight’s mouth dropped to the floor.  They went into the main room, and it was full of books.  There were books on the walls, on the floor, in the trash can; there were probably even books in the ceiling and in the toilet.  There were also old scrolls and maps mixed in.  The room was truly a paradise for Twilight, who hadn’t even read a book since the beginning of their journey.

Professor Frankly was focused deeply in his work.  It appeared that the older goomba with large, circular glasses and grey hair was writing something down.  His young, blond goomba assistant, who was wearing a hardhat with a flashlight on it and had an underbite, smiled as soon as she saw the sight of Mario.  “Oh, Mario, I am so shocked and happy to see you,” she yelled while hopping over towards Mario.  Professor Frankly was still deeply focused on his work, and he did not even notice that somebody walked in, let alone seven creatures.

Mario responded to the young female goomba, “Goombella, I a-missed you.  How have things been?”

Upon hearing the voice of Mario, Frankly threw his pencil in the air and shouted, “Oh goodness me!”

Goombella looked up at Mario, whom she hadn’t seen in a number of years, and told him, “Things have been going great!  Professor Frankly hired me as his assistant right after we saved the world from the evil Shadow Queen.  I have done and seen many different things.  We have gone on explorations to find hidden treasure and other things, and we have even written a few books together about our findings!”

“That-a sounds great,” Mario responded, and continued, “We are a-here for a reason very important.”

Frankly looked towards Mario and the others, “I presume that you seven are here for a matter of great urgency!”

Twilight Sparkle then opened up to explain the situation, “Yes, professor.  We are here because Discord, the master of chaos from our native Equestria, has teamed up with Bowser and kidnapped the princesses of both of our kingdoms, as well as my five friends.  Three of them are here and reunited with us.  Bowser and Discord are waiting for us inside the Palace of Shadow.”

“Well, that is a rather dangerous predicament,” Professor Frankly said while walking over to a stack of rolled up papers.  He picked up one, walked back to his desk, and opened it up.  It was the map that Mario had used to find the locations of the Crystal Stars to unlock the Thousand Year Door and the legendary treasure inside the Palace of Shadow.  He continued, “I’m sure, Mario, that you know all about the Thousand Year Door, but I will remind you for your friends’ sakes.  This is the map you used to find the seven Crystal Stars.  The whole reason why you came here was because of Princess Peach getting captured.  You thought it started as a rescue mission.  However, her kidnapping was crucial to the plot of Grodus, the leader of the Secret Society of the X-Nauts, who was told that by freeing the Shadow Queen he would be the one that could control her for his own wants.  They needed somebody who was pure of heart to open the box containing this map, and that is what Peach was.  The Shadow Queen was an evil spirit who wanted to control the world, but she was defeated by the legendary four heroes, who had used the power of the Crystal Stars to lock her away inside the Palace of Shadow, which is still behind the Thousand Year Door, deep below where we are right now.  The Crystal Stars were created by the Shadow Queen herself, along with an army of minions.  The four ancient heroes used their power against her to lock her away.  The heroes spread the Crystal Stars apart, hoping that they would never be found by people attempting to raise the Shadow Queen back to life.  However, the seal was only strong enough for a thousand years.  The queen’s minions spread the word that the Palace of Shadow held a great treasure in an attempt to make people try to break the seal that the heroes had locked her in.  On the thousandth year Mario gathered the stars together and used their powers to defeat the queen and save the world from her return.  Along the way he defeated many bosses, including Bowser and Grodus.”

“Wow, that is amazing,” Twilight said.  “I really wish that we had known about this earlier.  I would have been much more respectful to Mario.  He truly is a hero; one who will be remembered forever.”

“It’s-a okay, I don’t a-do it for fame,” Mario responded while tipping his cap.

Twilight continued, “But now Discord has changed the seal to the Thousand Year Door.  It can only be unlocked by the seven Star Spirits.  We can only assume that either our friend Rarity or Applejack is being held captive by him inside the Palace of Shadow.”

Professor Frankly added, “This map shows the locations of where the Crystal Stars were.  You can take a chance and hope that Discord has put the Star Spirits in the same locations.”

The ponies, along with Mario and Yoshi, looked at each other and nodded their heads in unison.  “That is what we are going to have to do,” Twilight said.

“Well, then, you should take along as much help as you need,” Professor Frankly said.  He turned to Goombella and continued, “Goombella, you may leave my side to join these heroes on their quest.  However, after they are done with whatever is waiting for them inside the Thousand Year Door, you must come back to me!   Please be safe.”

“I will be, boss,” Goombella told the professor.  For the time being, the group of heroes was now increased to eight as Goombella would assist them to gather the Star Spirits back together.  The Thousand Year Door awaited them.