Running down the long hill of Gusty Gulch, far away from the enraged Tubba Blubba chasing after them after taking away the key to the secret that made him invincible, Yakkey, the three mares, Goomba, Paratroopa, Koopa, Boo, and heroic plumber headed for the windmill at the foot of the hill. None of them dared to look back to see if the large and dangerous Clubba had managed to breach through the other seven tan Boos that held him off back in his manor. Bow didn't want to think about her brethren getting eaten just so they could finally discover what made Tubba Blubba so indestructible, but finally putting an end to the ghost-eating monster was her first priority now that they realized where it was hidden all this time.
"Running running running running running running!" Pinkie chanted as she passed by a few of her friends.
"Oh, I hope those Boos will be alright," Rarity said. "So brave and loyal, even for creatures that live to terrify others."
"Well, I'm definitely not going to give them a kiss like the princess when Mario saves her on a daily basis!" Bow said. "I'm gonna give them a good wallop if I heard any of them say they were eaten!"
As they reached the village, the other Boos wandering about wondering where their leader was going when they were headed up the manor, Yakkey poked his head out of Twilight's saddlebags as he tried to escape. He managed to jump out, only to be grabbed by Mario before he hit the ground.
"Ah! Hey!" Yakkey shouted. "Let go of me!"
"You're not getting out of this that easily!" Bow exclaimed, floating alongside Mario as she yelled at the magical talking key. "If you just cooperated with us, maybe we wouldn't have had to snatch you!"
"Cooperate with a ghost!? Heck no!" They finally reached the other end of the village and approached the windmill. Yakkey gasped in shock, trying to squirm out of the heroic plumber's hand, but to no avail. "O-Ok, I'll cooperate! But you will not like what you'll find in there!"
"So what's inside the windmill that's making Tubba Blubba invulnerable to everything that tries to hurt him!?" Goombario asked.
"...I-I can't say! But it's not going to be pretty!" Mario approached the door, holding Yakkey tightly. "M-Maybe you should just keep it closed! After all, some secrets are supposed to be left unknown if it's bad, right?"
"Just stick him in the lock so we can finally get some peace and quiet from this blabbermouth," Bow said.
Yakkey squirmed harder, but his face went straight into the lock, his cries muffled as he was turned, unlocking the door into the windmill. With the magical lock now gone, the barrier preventing any Boos through had disappeared as well. Mario dropped the talking key as he fled to safety.
"You didn't have to be rough with me!" he shouted before hiding behind a withered out tree.
"Next time, don't get us caught!" Bow yelled back.
"Ok, enough arguing with an animated key," Twilight chided. "Let's find out what made Tubba Blubba invincible before he reaches the windmill."
Mario took the lead as he grabbed the handle of the door. Opening it up, all they found inside of the structure was an old well that was boarded up.
"A well, huh?" Kooper pondered. "Must have been used back then when there might have actually been some sustainable life in Gusty Gulch."
"Ok, archaeology nerd. We don't need a theorized lecture on everything before we Boos took over this area," Boo said as she floated inside.
"I'm not a nerd," Kooper muttered to himself with a pout.
"Well, you kind of are," Bombette said.
Ignoring the sighing, slumped over Koopa, the others looked around, but the only thing of importance in the windmill was the sealed well. "So, this is it? An old well?" Rarity asked. "Is this what he's been keeping a secret?"
"I think there's more to it," Twilight said, examining the well. "Maybe the secret's hidden inside the well. It has to be dried up after who knows how long it was built."
"Good idea," Goombario said. "Mario, break through those boards."
With a nod, Mario leapt up onto the well and ground pounded through, falling into the well as he bounced off a spring laying right below. Seeing the coast as clear as the well lead through a dug out passageway, the others jumped or floated down inside.
"Whee!" Pinkie cheered as she bounced off the spring. "Boy, these springs are really fun! Who put them in strangely specific places?"
"Probably for those who can't jump as high as Mario or fly out," Parakarry said. "I've seen several others in different parts of the kingdom."
"That secret of his has got to be through those doors," Bow pointed out. "Ok, you bloated ghost-muncher. Let's see what you've been hiding from us all this time.
Entering through the door, they wound up in a corridor leading to yet another door. There was a sign that told them to keep out, but they ignored it and continued through into another corridor. Another sign had insistently urged them to not go any further, passing reading what the message had to say as they entered a third corridor, with yet another sign that gave them a final warning not to go through.
"Sheesh. Tubba Blubba is not that clever trying to keep others out," Kooper said. "But that means whatever the secret is, it has to be behind this door."
"Hey, wait," Twilight said, her ears perking up as she heard what sounded like a pulse echoing beside the door. "Does...anypony else hear a heart beating?"
Rarity and Pinkie's ears perked up as they approached the door, hearing the same beating heart sounds coming from the next room. "Oh my...Just what is making that?"
"A giant heart?" Pinkie asked, only to suddenly gasp as a thought came to her. "What if the secret is another monster that gave Tubba Blubba invincibility powers, and we entered its mouth!? The well was its mouth, and it's going to devour us with its heart!"
Everyone smacked their foreheads at Pinkie's ridiculous guess. "Pinkie, I seriously doubt this windmill is a living, breathing, magical monster."
"It's just a stupid building," Bow said. She approached the door, placing her hand on the handle. "And whatever's in here, we're going to destroy Tubba Blubba's key to his invulnerability."
Slowly opening the door, they all got a look at what waited them inside. They had reached the end of the dried up waterway for the well in a large room, a makeshift stone pedestal sitting at the far end where something red and pulsing sat upon it. Hearing the door open, the strange object turned around, a pair eyes with beady yellow irises looked at them.
"Huh!? Who's there!?" the pulsating creature said. "What!? Mario!?"
"What the heck is that thing?" Parakarry asked. "And...did it just sound like Tubba Blubba?"
From the shape of the creature, Twilight's face suddenly turned pale as it just dawned on her what it was, from its heart-like shape to the rhythmic pulsations of a heart beat every couple seconds. "Oh dear sweet Celestia! That's a heart! An actual organ! That can talk!"
"Oh my," Rarity uttered in disgust, everyone nearly gagging at the talking organ.
"Awww, man! That's just disgusting!" Goombario exclaimed. "Maybe Pinkie was right about the monster thing hiding in here! He keeps a living heart down here!"
"Not just any living heart," Bow said, the only one out of everyone not as turned down to see a disturbing sight such as this. "That's Tubba Blubba's heart."
"Good guess, little Boo," the heart said. "Seems like you got it figured out. Or some idiot up in the manor leaked out some information about me? That the Clubba out there is just a shell while I control his every move?"
"Actually, you just told us your purpose," Bow corrected, Tubba's Heart wincing as he blurted out his functions for Tubba Blubba. "All we knew was that the secret to Tubba Blubba's invulnerability was here, and now it's starting to make sense."
"But how?" Twilight asked, trying not to lose her lunch as she stared at the animated heart. "How is it that an organ used to pump blood through one's circulatory system can make someone invincible?"
"Uhh, Twilight?" The alicorn looked back at Kooper. "You do realize Bowser might have used the Star Rod on him to pull out his heart to make his body completely invincible, right?"
"...Oh. Right. That..." Looking back at the heart, she also noticed the strange patch that was on Tubba Blubba's chest, which looked like he had surgery done on him. "So, that explains that poorly stitched patch job on him."
"Without a heart, he has no feeling," Bow said. "But, that doesn't mean you're not safe from us. That's why you're hidden down here while you control that fatso, eating us Boos and terrorizing us!"
"And now that you know about my secret, I can't let any of you live!" Tubba's Heart proclaimed, letting out a gleeful cackle as he eyed Bow. "I'll start with you first, you tasty little morsel!"
The heart bounced off his pedestal, making the mares screech in horrified shock as he bounded toward Bow. He tried ramming into her with his body, but the Boo floated out of his way and gave him several hard slaps. After spinning around for several seconds, Tubba's Heart groaned as it got dizzy.
"You think I'm scared of you like this!?" Bow asked with a scoff. "I've got a vendetta against you for eating my friends! And how can you eat me when you don't even have a mouth as a beating heart!?"
Tubba's Heart shook itself from the dizzying spin, leering at the female Boo. "Oh, I will eat you soon." He then laughed as he seemed to be grinning by the look in his eyes. "My body has actually just rammed his way out of that blockade your little Boo friends tried to set up. And I've eaten all seven of them before they could even say my name in fear!"
Bow growled, pulling out her fan as she glowered at the heart. "Oh, that is it! I am sick and tired of your fat, tubby butt eating my brethren! Hope you enjoyed them, because those are the last Boos you're going to eat!"
Before she could charge into the heart and smack him around with her fan, Mario threw his hammer, smacking Tubba's Heart into his perch. Confused and snapped out of her rage, she watched the hammer fly back into the plumber's hand in a lavender aura as he stepped up beside her.
"You're not alone in this fight," Goombario said as he and the others joined them. "We're all going to fight this thing together. Just don't let him get to you."
"Kind of too late for that," Bow uttered, gripping her fan tightly. "Can't help it if I have to hear anymore Boos get gobbled by this thing's body."
Tubba's Heart groaned, shaking off the heavy blow from the tough mallet. "Urgh. That hurt. But I'm no ordinary, squishy little organ!" Letting out a long, exerted grunt, the evil heart began glowing, fully charging itself for his next attack. "There we go! Now, let's see who's gonna get it first."
"Oh great," Goombario groaned. "He's able to charge his strength just like the Hyper Goombas. This is probably gonna hurt."
Mario's eyes widened and glowed pink along with his Lucky Star, his random clairvoyant powers activated and gave him a vision. He foresaw the outcome of the charged attack Tubba's Heart, but instead of it being aimed at him or even Bow as his sights were more set on her, it headed for Rarity. His charged up attack involved a massive swarm of tiny versions of himself clinging onto the unicorn, practically squeezing the life out of her as she screamed in pain. The vision ended as he quickly warned Bow of the incoming danger to Rarity.
"What? You want me to turn Rarity invisible?" As they began hearing the pulsating heartbeat grow louder as Tubba's Heart was about to unleash his attack, Bow didn't question any further and flew toward Rarity.
Turning the both of them intangible just in time as hundreds of small hearts began flying into them as they appeared around the unicorn. The others dodged out of the way to avoid getting stuck by the miniature hearts, but as they passed right through Rarity and Bow, they disappeared in a puff of smoke. Tubba's Heart was flabbergasted that his attack missed, his subtle aiming at one of the three ponies somehow failing thanks to Bow's abilities as a Boo.
"Thank you, Bow," Rarity said as they returned to normal, the Boo slightly surprised that Mario's warning had been spot on. "How did you know that monster of a heart was going to attack me?"
"Ask Mario, because I have no clue how he knew," Bow said.
"Hooray for foresight!" Pinkie cheered. "Hey, wait a minute! He tried to attack one of us!"
"Well, I did have to be on the lookout for you three, but that dumb body of mine forgot where he put the stupid wanted poster!" he exclaimed.
"So, does that also make you Tubba Blubba's brain and his heart at the same time?" Pinkie questioned.
"Questions later! Fight now!" Kooper said as he tucked into his shell, firing himself right toward Tubba's Heart.
The heart leapt over Kooper, bounding around and charging headfirst into Mario. The plumber ducked as Tubba's Heart headed straight toward Goombario, ramming into him with a headbonk that knocked him over to Twilight. The alicorn blasted the heart with a beam of magic, sending it crashing into the wall, but he was resilient as he remained conscious.
"Wow, that is one tough heart," Twilight said.
"Why else do you think I'm responsible for keeping that body of mine from getting injured!?" Tubba's Heart bounced and tried to tackle the alicorn, but Bow intercepted him, giving the heart a powerful smack with her fan.
"Then let's make you a broken heart!" Bow shouted as she gave the heart another few hard slaps with her fan.
Tubba's Heart cried out as it spun even harder than just with Bow's hand, twirling around with his eyes spinning as he stumbled toward the others. Bombette body slammed into him, smacking him right into Parakarry's dive kick straight to the ground. As he recovered from his dizziness, he began charging for another swarm attack, this time staring straight at Mario. Mario was ready for it, clutching his hammer tightly as the swarm began. He began spinning around like a top, smacking away the tiny hearts in a little tornado with his hammer held out in front of him.
"Oh, come on!" the heart complained. "You guys just don't give up!"
"Nope," Bow said, appearing behind Tubba's Heart and began slapping him around again.
"Bow, smack him over here!" Rarity called out.
"With pleasure!" With one hard smack, Tubba's Heart was sent flying toward the white unicorn.
Rarity turned around and gave him a hard buck in the face toward Pinkie, not as strong of a kick as Rainbow's or Applejack's, but she was more than just a damsel in distress and can fight back. Pinkie reared herself up with her wooden mallet held in her mouth, uppercutting the heart up and sending him crashing into the ceiling. Using her magic, Twilight grabbed Kooper and Parakarry and spun them around her, picking up more speed as the Koopas' shells spun wildly. She gave them a toss, sending them flying straight into Tubba's Heart's stomach if the organ had organs of its own.
With a defeated wheeze, he fell to the ground, Kooper and Parakarry popping out of their shells as everyone was ready to give the heart another beating. Tubba's Heart groaned as it stood up, staring at his foes while unable to do much else to any of them. If he was beaten, then Tubba Blubba might fall unconscious too.
"Y-You guys are tough," Tubba's Heart said. "But, would you look at the time! I gotta go! YOINK!"
He bounced away from the group, running straight out the door. "Hey, get back here you coward!"
Bow lead the way as the others followed, not willing to let the villain get away so easily. Tubba's Heart was surprisingly fast as he escaped down the corridors, the heroes hot on his heels in the dried up reservoir that once held water for the well. Bouncing up out of the spring, the beaten heart ran outside, spotting Tubba Blubba waiting for him, knowing he had made his way down the hill of Gusty Gulch in the nick of time.
"It's time for us to reunite!" he said, bouncing over toward his shell and bouncing up high.
Tubba Blubba opened his mouth, catching his heart and swallowing it whole, returning his magically removed organ back into place. Mario, Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity exited the windmill, spotting the invincible Tubba Blubba waiting for them as he flexed his muscles.
"Aww, yeah!" Tubba Blubba cheered. "Finally back to my old self! Now that my heart and body are reunited again, there's no way any of you can stop me!"
The Mushroom Kingdom residents and Equestrians looked at each other with blank stairs, no longer terrified of facing Tubba Blubba now that he isn't as powerful as he used to be. "...Yeah. We're so terrified."
"After we beat up your heart, I seriously doubt you have that much strength in you anymore," Goombario said. "And you're not invincible anymore if you're heart's back in your body."
"You don't know that!" Tubba Blubba said, practically asking to get punched. Bow did just that, only giving the large Clubba a hard smack in the face. She sent him spinning as he yelped in pain, no longer invincible now with the stupid move his heart made. "Ow! W-What!? That hurt!?"
"Of course it hurt," Bow said, wielding her trusty fan and tapped it in her other hand, grinning deviously at him. "And so is this! For all my Boo brothers you ate, you giant lump of lard!"
Everyone winced as Bow smacked Tubba Blubba hard with all her might, sending him spinning around like an out of control top as he stood in place. All of them thought her fan was made out of metal after smacking him around and it never got dented even once. They let her take care of the "invincible" Clubba to get her revenge as she let out steam. After what appeared to have been the hundredth slap, she finally stopped, Tubba Blubba slowing to a halt with several bumps and red marks in the shape of her fan on his face, falling over in a daze as he was defeated.
"...Well...aside from his heart, Tubba Blubba was not all that powerful," Twilight noted. "I really can't believe we were that afraid of getting into a confrontation with him."
Bow floated back to the others with a smug grin on her face, satisfied and getting her vengeance. "Well, so much for all that talk of being impossible to take down now." Before she could gloat any further, they heard the Clubba groan as he sat up. Growling in annoyance, the female Boo turned around to give him another round of slaps across the face. "Not done yet, huh!? You want some more!?"
Instead of expecting him to stand back up with a second wind, Tubba Blubba's lips quivered and began bawling. This caught everyone by surprise, not expecting the large Clubba to break down after getting beaten up now that he was no longer invincible.
"He's...crying?" Bombette questioned.
"Y-You didn't have to hit me so hard!" Tubba Blubba wailed.
"...That was kind of the point!" Twilight exclaimed, utterly flabbergasted at how one of Bowser's strongest minions is acting like a little kid that tripped and scraped his knee. "You're our enemy!"
"I'm just a sensitive guy trapped in this big body!" he reasoned. "I won't do anything bad anymore! I'll even give back all the Boos I ate!"
Lifting his head up, the Clubba opened his mouth wide. He released the Boos held in his gut, all of them cheering as they were freed from the confined prison they were trapped in. Twilight had expected Tubba Blubba to have at least digested some of them, though he did eat ghosts, so it would have been physically impossible for one's intestinal juices to break down incorporeal spirits. Once the last of the Boos were released and returned back to their homes, Tubba Blubba closed his mouth, only for his cheeks to bulge as he spat out one last Boo, which happened to be Stanley.
"Gah!" Stanley shouted with a shudder. "Why was I the last one out!? Not cool!"
"...That went easier than I thought it would," Twilight said. "Guess Tubba Blubba really wasn't that strong after all."
"His heart was a nuisance, though," Kooper said.
"With my heart and body reunited, I'm not invincible anymore," the Clubba uttered. "I don't want to be invincible if I have to fight anyone the likes of you!"
Tubba Blubba ran back to his mansion in tears, his ghost eating finally coming to an end and vowing to himself to stay far away from the Boos in the village and mansion. Bow let out a cackle as she watched him run away.
"That's right! Know never to mess with us Boos!" Bow called out. "Well, that ought to show him he can't get back at us by being turned into an invincible beast."
"Wait, what did you just say?" Rarity asked. "'Get you back'? You knew of him before I ended up by your mansion?"
"Of course!" Bow answered proudly. "All of us Boos have! We've scared the living daylights out of him for years since he was really a big coward and an easy target." The others all groaned in exasperation and fell over. "Oh, don't be like that. We're not sorry for it, anyway."
"Maybe next time, don't tease your victims, otherwise they'll find a way to get back at you," Twilight lectured.
"And maybe you could have been more friendly toward somepony that sensitive," Pinkie added. "He ran away crying."
"Hey, he was eating us!" Bow argued. "All we did was scare him, and he goes around trying to kill us while Bowser made him invincible! We're the bigger victims here, not old lard butt!"
"...I guess that makes sense," Parakarry said. "At least he's no longer a problem anymore."
"That also means you owe us a Star Spirit," Twilight mentioned.
"Yes, yes, as we agreed," Bow said. "But, I think I'd like to stick around with you guys and travel with you."
"Really?" Bombette asked.
"I've been pretty bored in the mansion, and just sticking around the Forever Forest and Gusty Gulch is dreadfully agonizing," Bow said. "Granted, I enjoyed sneaking around the manor and finally unleashing a bit of my pent up rage. And who knows? You all might need a Boo on your side to help you sneak into Bowser's castle after getting the other Star Spirits. Not a bad idea, right?"
The others looked at each other, unable to help but agree that they'll need someone who can help them avoid detection from any guards in Bowser's castle or anywhere else as they search for the Star Spirits. Twilight was a little bit unsure with Bow's behavior, but seeing she did at least have a heart in her incorporeal form, she was pretty reliable after saving Rarity from Tubba's Heart's swarm attack.
"Well, I guess we may need someone who can help us with stealth," Twilight said. "At least until my magic has gotten back to its former strength where I can help turn us invisible. But, it's up to Mario."
The plumber immediately nodded his head, already on board with Bow's assistance with her heavy hitting and abilities. "Perfect! Now, for your reward."
Before Bow could yell at the top of her lungs for her butler, Bootler floated up to them with Skolar in his hands. "Lady Bow, I had just heard the good news from the freed Boos from the mansion who were eaten by Tubba Blubba. I was so worried about your safety, but you've all done it. Thank you so much for all you help, Mario. Here is the Star Spirit, as promised for your heroics."
"I'll take that for you, Bootler," Rarity said, using her magic to levitate Skolar's card over to her. She brought it over to Mario, placing the Star Spirit in her hoof and handed it to him. "Here you are, darling. Now, how exactly do we-?"
As soon as Mario touched it, Rarity gasped as the card began glowing. Mario's Lucky Star also shimmered a bright white light through his shirt as her magic was infused with Twilight's and Pinkie's, making one of the arms as white as the unicorn's coat. Skolar's card then hovered out of Rarity's hoof and Mario's hand, spinning rapidly as it flashed a blinding light. The Star Spirit's prison tore apart as he was freed, his spinning slowing to a halt as he stretched out his limbs.
"Uuuuurgh! Thank goodness I am finally out of there," Skolar said with a relieved sigh. "Never thought I would be exhausted trying to escape while trapped in a card and do nothing for the last few days." After stretching out the kinks to his body, Skolar readjusted his glasses as he faced Mario. "Even though my freedom could have been resulted much differently, either way, the outcome would be the same. Mario, rescuing me, I shall bestow upon you some of my power in case you ever get into trouble." Raising his small arms up, Skolar gave Mario some of his power, sprinkling the heroic plumber in a flurry of glowing stars as he gained a new ability granted by the Star Spirits. "My power is called Star Storm."
"PK Star Storm?" Pinkie asked, standing on her hind legs with her forelegs raised in the air as she wore a red baseball cap sideways, a horizontally striped blue and yellow shirt, baggy jean shorts, and a pair of red shoes.
"...What on earth does the 'PK' stand for?" Skolar questioned. "And how did you even-?"
"Don't ask," everyone responded instinctively when it came to asking anything involving Pinkie Pie.
"...Ok, then...In any case, my ability can rain shooting stars down on large groups of foes," Skolar continued, ignoring how Pinkie was now no longer wearing that strange, childish outfit in the blink of an eye. "Could be very handy taking care of annoying ambushes, though it will require a bit more power to activate, so use it only when you're in a jam." He turned to face Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity, the latter of the trio still quite surprised as to what that light was. "Once I have gained enough strength upon returning to Star Haven, I will see if I can assist in finding the rest of your friends."
"At the rate we're reuniting with each other after getting separated, we'll all probably be back together again around Chapter 6!" Pinkie said.
"Chapter 6 of what?" Skolar questioned, already getting a migraine just from Pinkie's rambling. "You know what? Never mind." Ignoring whatever Pinkie does or says, he faced the others again, sensing some grave news from the powerful magic upon his freedom. "I am afraid there is some bad news involving Bowser. His life force is growing stronger, but I do not know if he realizes it or not."
"So he's getting stronger and stronger thanks to holding onto the Star Rod," Goombario emphasized. "That means the longer it takes for us to find the other four Star Spirits and Twilight's other three missing friends, Bowser will probably end up becoming powerful enough to take over the entire world if he wanted to."
"And we don't have any time to waste," Kooper said. "If we can't stop him in time, he'll be too powerful for Mario to stop him, even with all of us helping."
"But if he uses the Star Rod's power on himself, we can still nullify its effects when all seven of us are together again," Skolar said. "I must return and recover, but I believe all of you just might be able to reach us in time. Maybe with the help of these six ponies and their unique magic, there is a chance our powers combined will be able to stop Bowser. Good luck, everyone!"
With that, Skolar flew back up into the sky and returned to Star Haven to regain his strength. Once the Star Spirit took his leave, Bow turned to Bootler, the elder ghost knowing just what she was going to request.
"Lady Bow, you wish to continue traveling with Mario, yes?" Bootler asked.
"What are you, psychic as well as overprotective?" Bow questioned.
"No, but I know that look in your eye," he said. "I always worried about your safety, make sure you never do anything too rash that'll get you hurt. But, you've done enough to prove to me you aren't the helpless little Boo I had looked after all these years. If you wish to go around and travel the kingdom to help Mario, I won't stop you. Just promise to come back home safely...For all our sakes."
Bow rolled her eyes in annoyance, but she understood how every one of her Boo brethren, including Bootler, were always concerned for her safety. "Hey, if I was able to smack around Tubba Blubba and his freakish heart without so much as a scratch, I can take on Bowser with my bows off. I'll be fine. You just makes sure everyone stays in line while I'm gone, Bootler." The older Boo nodded his head, promising to look after the mansion in her absence. "Alright, everyone. Let's get moving. We got a Koopa King to take down."
"Right. Let's hope we find Twink and figure out where to look next," Twilight said as the group began making their way into the Forever Forest and make their way back to Toad Town.
As they reentered the Forever Forest, the group passed through the gates outside of the mansion and headed into the twisting maze. "Not too much of a distance from the town," Bow said. "We just gotta take a random direction, go back, and we're there in less than a minute."
"And maybe I'll finally get a bath if anypony is kind enough to let us use their bathroom," Rarity said. "I hope they have something fragrant enough to wash out the musty stench of an abandoned manor with decades of dust piled up everywhere."
"Wah, wah, wah," Bow mocked. "Stop complaining."
"Rarity, we can't stop for any luxurious baths," Twilight reminded. "You can take a quick shower if someone in town is kind enough to do so, but we can't stop for too long. Bowser's getting stronger with every day that passes, and we need to find Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy along with the other four-"
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" a voice cried out. "AHH! Bugs! So many bugs!"
"What in the world was that?" Parakarry asked. "Is there someone who got lost in here?"
"I hate this stupid forest!" the voice called out again, which was beginning to sound familiar to Mario, Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, and Twilight. "EEK! Something touched my leg! WAHHH!" Running out of the bushes, they saw who the voice came from to some of their disbelief; Jr. Troopa. The eggshell-wearing Koopa had his eyes closed as he blindly ran straight toward them. He rammed into Rarity's leg, falling over on his back as he screamed out in a panic, covering his face with his hands. "NO! Don't eat me! I'm too young to be tasty!"
"Oh no," Goombario groaned. "Not him again."
"He's really persistent in getting revenge for you, Mario," Twilight said. "I wonder if he even managed to figure out how to get through this forest and its puzzling pathways."
Jr. Troopa moved his hands away as he looked up at Rarity. Staring at the beautiful, yet still dusty unicorn, the little Koopa's heart skipped a beat as his eyes turned into hearts, immediately infatuated by her curly hair and blue eyes, even if she was a pony like Twilight. Quickly standing up and putting on a braver facade, despite being terrified out of his mind just by wandering into the Forever Forest, he cleared his throat as he began trying to impress Rarity.
"Uhh, I mean, I'm not scared of this forest!" Jr. Troopa said as he flexed his arms. "Hah. Made it through without so much as a scratch. Pretty great for someone like me."
"...What is he doing?" Kooper asked.
"Oh, I know that look," Rarity said with a giggle. "I shouldn't even be surprised by the look on his face."
Twilight groaned and facehooved. "He's just like Spike with his crush on Rarity..."
"A crush?" Goombario questioned. "Seriously? And he called Twilight a dog last time we saw him...What is wrong with this twerp?"
Jr. Troopa ignored the others as his sights were set on Rarity, strutting up to her, to the unicorn's amusement. "Never you fear, miss. I, Jr. Troopa, will keep you safe from the dark, scary woods."
"Oh, thank you, but I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself, darling," Rarity said, humoring the Koopa.
"Nonsense!" Jr. Troopa interjected, taking Rarity's hoof, feeling his hand tremble through his false bravado. "I'm pretty strong and can beat anyone who comes at me with just one look! Much stronger than that dumb, mustached idiot, Mario." Mario sighed in exasperation as he shook his head, clearly forgetting his two losses against Mushroom Kingdom's resident hero. "A creature as pretty as you deserves a brave hero like me."
"Define 'brave'," Bombette said dryly.
"Well, I do appreciate your bravery, darling, but I don't think your assistance will be necessary," Rarity said to Jr. Troopa.
"Yeah, buzz off," Goombario said disdainfully. "We're in the middle of something important, and you're getting in our way."
"Can it, you sunburnt mushroom!" Jr. Troopa exclaimed. "I am trying to woo my future wife."
"Ok, this kid is messed up in the head far worse than Pinkie," Bow said. "Let's just beat the snot out of him and get moving."
"No one's getting between me and my beloved!" Stepping between Rarity and the rest of the group, he glared at them as a pair of bat wings sprouted out from his back, surprising them as he floated up in the air. "I still have a score to settle with you Mario, and I shall take whisk this woman away as mine!"
"...Oh dear, you're actually serious about this," Rarity uttered. "I don't believe you understand the concept of love, darling. Besides, you're a bit too young for me."
"Then beating Mario and his stupid friends shall be enough to proclaim my love for you!" Everyone smacked their foreheads as Jr. Troopa missed the point of Rarity letting him down gently. "This time, I'm sure to win now that I'm up in the air!"
"Yeah, you've got a couple of us who can actually fly," Bow said. "Not really smart, and you're already getting on my nerves."
"Boss fight time!" Pinkie cheered, pulling out her wooden hammer and leapt up to the flying Koopa.
Jr. Troopa dove out of the way, heading straight for Mario. The plumber dodged out of the way, only to get headbonked in the gut by Goombario.
"Just quit getting in our way!" Goombario shouted. "We have more important matters to deal with than your stupid grudge against us!"
"Not until I win!" Jr. Troopa argued.
Before he could fly back up, Twilight grabbed the annoying pest with her magic, keeping him grounded. "I swear, everything we say goes in one ear and out the other!"
"Allow me to jumpstart his underdeveloped brain cells!" Bow said, pulling out her fan and floated over to the grounded Koopa, giving him a few harsh smacks across the face.
"Ow! Who hits someone with a fan!?" Jr. Troopa exclaimed, his eyes rolling around in his head after he stopped spinning.
"Then how about an explosion at point blank range!?" Bombette lit her fuse and ran up to the dazed Koopa, blowing up and sending him flying across the forest.
Skidding to a halt, Jr. Troopa flew back up and hid in the foliage. He planned on catching them by surprise in the darkness, using Twilight's glowing horn as a beacon to tell where they were while he struggled not to freak out from the leaves and branches brushing against him. As everyone looked around to see where the annoying little Koopa was hiding, the Lucky Star Mario wore began glowing white. Curious to know what ability he would get from Rarity, his vision began flashing white, along with his eyes, as he began seeing through the dark forest as if it were daytime. Aside from seeing past the foliage and spotting Jr. Troopa flapping silently in between the trees, he also saw past the false pathways that lead them back to the entrance of Forever Forest.
Watching the bat-winged Koopa move closer to them, Mario readied his hammer. As soon as Jr. Troopa leapt out to attack them by surprise, he swung his arm, sending his hammer sailing straight into the Koopa's face, causing him to flip around as he crashed to the ground face first. Everyone else was caught by surprise, even Bow, and she was able to see better in the dark compared to the others.
"Whoa. Nice aim, Mario," Kooper complimented. "How did you see him coming?"
Mario pulled out his Lucky Star as he explained how he was able to see beyond the darkness in the forest and through the thick foliage to find Jr. Troopa. "So, Mario gained the power of perception from Rarity."
"He has?" Rarity asked in confusion. "Well, I guess that is true about me. I do have a keen eye, but only for fashion and gems...How exactly does that work?"
"We're not sure, but after saving a Star Spirit, Mario ends up receiving another power from us," Twilight explained. "Telekinesis with his hammer from me, and foresight from Pinkie and her Pinkie Sense."
"Huh. No wonder he asked me to help Rarity when Tubba's Heart attacked her with that mini-swarm he unleashed," Bow pondered. "Would have been nice to know the reason why beforehand, but you can't really expect to yell out strategies in a fight."
Jr. Troopa groaned, lifting his head as his face ached. He had no idea how Mario saw him through the thick, dark, and creepy woods, but he didn't want to stay in this forest any longer. Putting away his wings, he turned to his foes and continued acting brave for Rarity.
"D-Don't think you've won just yet!" he said. "This is just a draw! I don't want to overwhelm my white beauty with all of my awesome moves!"
Jr. Troopa fled, hoping not to get lost and finally find the exit after his defeat. The others let out a sigh of relief as he left.
"So, you guys have met the little guy before?" Parakarry asked. "I can see why he's a bit of a nuisance. But...infatuated with Rarity?"
Everyone looked at the unicorn, now no longer amused by Jr. Troopa's awkward romantic interest in her. "I really thought he was just being really nice, but he sounded like he was serious...At least Spike was a little bit more subtle, and it's adorable when he helps me, but that little boy was...obnoxious."
"And he called me a dog," Twilight said. "...Hey, wait a minute! Goombario, back at Mt. Rugged, did you come up with that Poochy idea because of that rude comment he made about me!?"
"...Uhh...kinda?" Goombario giggled nervously as Twilight groaned.
"Let's just get going," she grumbled as they continued on their way back to Toad Town, hopefully without running into Jr. Troopa again.
Up in the sky where Princess Peach's castle still rests on top of Bowser's floating fortress, Peach sat on her bed reading one of the many books the duo of guards she caught taking early breaks got for her. As she finished up a chapter, she placed a bookmark on the page and took a little break, sighing in boredom as she stood up. When Twink had come back after trying to find Mario, Twilight, and their friends, she was worried they might have already found out where the next Star Spirit might be found.
"Oh, I hope everyone makes it out ok," Peach said to herself.
"Sorry I couldn't find them, Peach," Twink apologized. "But I'm sure they might have found a way to beat Tubba Blubba. In the meantime, let's see if we can get anymore juicy gossip from the guards on anything that can help them."
"Good idea, Twink. I just hope none of them notice the secret passage." Peach approached the painting concealing the button and pressed it, opening the secret passage once again. "Maybe it's a good thing Bowser's so thick-headed that he doesn't realize I escaped without even alerting the guard at my bedroom door."
"Yeah," the little Star Kid agreed. "You'd think that'd make things suspicious after the second time that's happened."
"What!?" Bowser exclaimed, he and Kammy in the private room he had accidentally left his diary out from Peach's first attempt at escaping her room. "Are you kidding me!?"
"No, your grace," the elderly witch said. "Tubba Blubba was...beaten by Mario."
"...Ok. But, uhh, you told me using the Star Rod on him was...oh, I don't know, SUPPOSED TO MAKE HIM INVINCIBLE!?" Bowser shouted, nearly knocking Kammy over from his voice alone. "I just can't believe it! Mario somehow found out his secret and managed to beat him! Gah! I hate Mario with a passion!" As he stamped his foot angrily, neither Koopa noticed or heard the platform slowly spin around as Peach and Twink used the secret passage. The two did notice, silently gasping as they froze in place, surprised to not be noticed with how loud the platform was. "I am getting sick of him ruining my plans!"
"W-Well, we'll have to think of something quickly," Kammy suggested. "He's bound to be on his way to Shy Guy's Toy Box next."
Peach and Twink looked at each other, already getting a bead on where Mario can find the next Star Spirit. The duo slowly began to creep their way behind Bowser, hoping he and Kammy wouldn't spot them as Peach slowly approached the door.
"You're right," Bowser agreed. "We need to prepare something for his arrival. We need to find his own weakness and finally put an end to that pasta-devouring plumber." While Bowser pondered on what Mario would be weak against, he turned around and noticed Peach in the room. "Oh, hello, princess." Peach froze as she was caught, Bowser turning around a moment, giving Twink enough time to float up high to the ceiling just as he turned back around in shock. "P-Princess!? W-Wha-!? How the-!?"
"Not again!" Kammy complained. "For goodness sake! How did you even get out of your room!?"
Peach slowly turned around, giggling nervously as she waved at Bowser and Kammy. "H-Hello."
"I am going to fire those stupid-!" Bowser paused as he finally got an idea. Looking back at Peach, he grinned, chuckling ominously as he rubbed his hands together. "Actually, I think you can help me with something, princess."
"Uhh...help with what?" Peach asked, not liking the creepy look Bowser wore.
"I don't know how much you heard, but that doesn't really matter," he said. "However, you know Mario a lot better than we do, which means you must know about his weaknesses. Am I right?"
"Lord Bowser, are you seriously going to be asking her about Mario's weaknesses?" Kammy asked skeptically. "I don't think she's trustworthy enough to even give us any hints on stopping him."
"Oh, what can she even do from way up here?" Bowser asked. He then pulled out a sheet of paper from his shell with a list of different things to be placed in certain locations in Shy Guy's Toy Box. "It's not like she can give any information to Mario to stop us." Peach and Twink refrained themselves from smirking, the Koopa King having no idea just how much information they were giving to Mario just from his and his minions' loud mouths with them. "Now, princess, I just want you to check off one of these in each section. And make sure they are something Mario really despises."
He handed Peach the paper and gave her a pen, but as she read through the list, she gave a blank stare at the odd list of roadblocks for Mario.
Shy Guy's Toy Box Guards
Treasure Chest #1:
Goomba
Clubba
MushroomTreasure Chest #2:
Fuzzy
Hammer Bros.
Thunder RageTreasure Chest #3:
Pokey
Kooopatrol
Super Soda
Looking up at Bowser, she could see the smug grin on his face, clearly a "genius" by letting her pick who Mario would fight in the next area. "...Oh, gee," she said sarcastically. "This is really tough. I do not know what I should pick." Peach quickly checked the Mushroom, Thunder Rage, and Super Soda, making getting the next Star Spirit for Mario easy to get. "Here you go."
She handed the list back to Bowser, who didn't even bother reading it as he handed it to Kammy Koopa. "Thank you, Princess Peach. I knew you'd come around and finally help me with something. But, sadly, you're going to have to go back to your room."
Calling the guards, two Koopatrols walked into the room, surprised to see the princess was out yet again. At least they weren't scolded by Bowser this time as they escorted her back to her room, Twink following behind when the tyrant turned his back to the door. As Kammy looked over the list, she glowered at the decisions Peach had made, then gave her king a blank stare.
"...Seriously?" she asked. "You want to go with what she chose?"
"Of course!" Bowser said confidently, though it wavered as he grew nervous at what she picked. "...Uhh, she chose the tougher answers, right?" Turning the page around, he saw what Peach chose, to his disappointment. "...Oh."
"Yeah. A Mushroom, Thunder Rage, and a Super Soda. Guarding important chests laid out in Shy Guy's Toy Box. To stop Mario," Kammy constantly emphasized.
Bowser scratched his head, his idea turning out not to be the best one he's had involving Peach's decisions. "...I thought she would have been helpful to me after being stranded in the sky for about a week."
"Which is why I didn't want to trust her with something that was so simple for even you to make the right choices." Kammy let out a sigh, crossing out Peach's answers and making her own. "I'll set up the RIGHT guards to do the job, not a bunch of useless items sitting in the open for Mario to get like a free gift on Christmas."
The elderly Magikoopa exited the room and set off to Shy Guy's Toy Box to set the enemies up for Mario's arrival, leaving Bowser to his thoughts. "...Did I mix up my minion list with my grocery list while making that?" he asked himself. "I really thought Peach would be useful and finally be on my side, but I guess not." Pulling out the Star Rod, he leered at it as he couldn't use it to make Peach his. "For granting wishes, you're pretty lousy with the ones I really want, like Peach falling in love with me. I can't even hypnotize or brainwash her with you, either, huh?" Bowser sighed, tossing the rod in his hand a few times. "At least you can grant me the power to beat Mario, but how long will that last if that blasted plumber keeps finding the rest of those Star Spirits?"