Once the castle had gently settled back down to the ground, Mario bid his fellow partners farewell as they all split up and headed back to their homes. It was a sad farewell as their work was done, but they at least got themselves a souvenir from the six mares who helped them as well, all of them wearing pendants enchanted with their Equestrian magic that helped them in their fight against Bowser. Now that Bowser was defeated, the Star Rod had returned to its rightful place in Star Haven, peace returned to the Mushroom Kingdom, and Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends are back safe and sound in their world, a portal to their world resting safely in Peach's Castle, and kept under close watch as the princess promised.
A week had passed since things returned to normal, Mario taking his time relaxing at home from such a dangerous adventure. He had almost lost his life once, given a second chance thanks to the Star Spirits remaining power from their imprisoned states, and he didn't let it go to waste. Along with that, having the Mane Six getting split up by Bowser when he struck them with the Star Rod was also quite intense, the six ponies from another world lost in a world they don't know about and could have been in potential danger from the Koopa King's army. Thankfully, with their help, they were able to save the day and rescue the princess.
Luigi was elated to have him back home, Mario seeing him only once after he came back from the dead to assure his little brother that he was fine and needed to go off to save the world again. After his little vacation, he finally told Luigi what had happened since then, the green plumber staying quiet as he listened to every detail at their dining table. After several hours sitting through the long story, Luigi slowly raised a brow at his older brother as he included the six colorful talking ponies, creatures that were considered mythical in their world, and how important they were in a world that sounded like it came from a little girl's storybook.
"...So, that's what happened?" Luigi asked, Mario nodding his head in response. "...You took the Star Rod back from Bowser...with the help of a group of...ponies from another world...And, that pendant you're wearing has some of their magic that helped you in your adventure?" Mario nodded again. "...Mario, have you eaten too many Mushrooms or something? I know you've been on crazier adventures, but this sounds like you made it up when it got to the ponies.
"...Well, at least the kingdom is safe again. You always come through in the end, just like always." Luigi sighed and leaned against the table. "Why couldn't I come along? Maybe I'd believe you if I saw these 'ponies' with my own eyes." Mario let out a grunt, leering at his little brother. He then explained why he couldn't come: not only was it far too dangerous for him to let his brother get hurt, but someone also needed to stay and watch the house. Luigi let out a groan, feeling as if he was being scolded by a parent. "Alright, alright, I get it. It would be nice to actually be involved in your adventures every once in a while.
"Anyway, since you've been back for a while, I wonder what's happened to your friends who traveled with you." Mario hummed in thought, curious to know what the gang was up to, including the ponies back in Equestria.
"Goombaria! Get back here!" Goombario shouted, chasing after his sister around the front yard of their home while the younger Goomba giggled teasingly. She snatched Goombario's magic pendant from him when he wasn't looking, and he was trying to stop her before she got herself hurt if she accidentally used its magic. "That's not a toy! It's incredibly dangerous!"
"I got the pretty star!" she taunted. "You can't catch me!" Suddenly, the pendant lit up and shimmered a blue aura, the magical energy surrounding her feet and making her zip off faster than she ever ran possible. "AHHHHHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING!?!?!?!?!?"
"Just stop running!" Goombario advised, but his words fell on deaf ears as the little pink Goomba tripped over her feet, tumbling far across the grass until coming to a complete stop at the Goomnut tree near the house. Goombaria groaned, her eyes swirling in her head from spinning so much, the magic thankfully stopped when she had. Goombario let out a sigh and ran up to his sister, taking the pendant off her. "I told you so."
Once the world stopped spinning in Goombaria's head, she sat up and stared at the pretty pendant. "Where did you even get that, anyway? And why can't I have it?"
"I just told you it was dangerous, because you don't know how to use it properly," Goombario scolded. "It's more than just a necklace. This has the magic of six really close friends of mine, and they came from those ponies you and mom met, who are from another world."
"Ooooooooh," Goombaria said in awe.
"And I'm not asking them to give you one, too," he added, making his sister whine in protest.
"Hey, Goombario!" Turning around and looking up at the sky, Goombario spotted a familiar Paratroopa hover down into their home.
"Parakarry!" he called out, running up to the landing mail carrier to greet him. "Hey! How've you been, man!?"
"Oh, you know, the old grind," Parakarry said. "A mailman's work is never done. At least my boss was proud of my accomplishments."
"You didn't lose your mail again, did you?" Goombario teased.
"Nope. I've made sure that my bag is in pristine condition, and it's closed," the Koopa said, patting his mail bag.
Goombaria walked up to them, letting out a gasp of shock when she saw the same kind of pendant Parakarry had that her brother had. "Hey! You have one of those pretty star necklaces, too!"
"And he's not giving it to you," Goombario said. Goombaria huffed and pouted as she turned away. "My little sister, Goombaria. She got a taste of what our little Equestrian charms carried when she swiped mine."
"Oh. I see. Also, speaking of 'Equestrian'." Parakarry rummaged through his bag, pulling out a few pink envelopes out. "I've got some mail addressed to you and your family."
"Really?" Goombario asked. "From who?"
"Not sure, but judging by the handwriting, I can take a big guess as to who since I got the same one for myself." Parakarry delivered Goombario and his family's special letters, the cap-wearing Goomba looking at the envelope addressed to him. "I got to deliver some more letters. I'll see you later!"
"Later, Parakarry!" Goombario and Goombaria watched Parakarry fly off, heading to the east to continue delivering the mail on his route.
"So, what is it?" Goombaria asked. She grew a smug grin, thinking of another way to tease her big brother. "Is it your giiiirlfriend?"
"G-Goombaria, I don't have a girlfriend!" Goombario exclaimed, blushing slightly at the odd claim. "I haven't even met any other girl Goombas on my adventure!"
"Goombario's got a girlfriend! Goombario's got a girlfriend!" Goombaria singsonged, dancing around her brother.
"Oh, brother...I sure didn't miss you, sis." Ignoring the singing Goomba picking on him, Goombario opened up his letter. As soon as he lifted the flap, a burst of confetti shocked him and Goombaria, the younger Goomba shrieking in surprise as the older brother was now covered in streamers and confetti. Goombario blinked a few times, his shock turning into amusement as he began chuckling. "Ok. Now I know who sent this letter."
"Who? IS it a girlfriend?" Goombaria asked curiously.
"No, Goombaria," Goombario grumbled. He pulled out the paper inside the envelope and read its contents to himself. His eyes widened as it was a cordial invitation to Peach's Castle for a special occasion. "Whoa! No way! I've just been invited to Princess Peach's Castle for a party!"
"Really!? Lemme see!" Goombaria demanded.
"Here, open yours," Goombario said, handing his sister her letter. She struggled to open hers, but when she did, the same party favor explosion hit her in the face, all the letters apparently going to give the rest of their family a surprising blast of pieces of colorful paper and streamers. "I think we've all gotten invited to the castle! I need to tell the others! Mom! Dad! Gooma! Goompa! Guess what!?"
Goombario ran off into the house to tell his parents and grandparents the great news. Goombaria blinked a couple times, still covered in confetti, then sniff the bits of paper.
"Why does this smell like cotton candy?" she asked herself, taking a curious lick, only to cough out a piece of the confetti she caught on her tongue. "Bleck! Doesn't taste like cotton candy..."
Bombette relaxed under a tree as she spent her little vacation resting from the long journey she had with her friends. She wished Kooper was around, but he didn't want to say no when Kolorado asked him to join him on an expedition to the Crystal Palace. They already explored the area and had an idea of what sort of history the mirror ice palace had, but Kooper was dying to figure out what else they could find.
"Hmm...It's actually pretty boring doing nothing," Bombette said to herself. "At least I'm nowhere near that insane, love-sick Bob-omb who can't take no for a hint."
"Bombette!" Parakarry called out as he hovered in the sky.
Getting out from under the shade, she walked out so her bright pink body could be seen by the Paratroopa. Spotting her, Parakarry hovered down beside her.
"Parakarry! Long time, no see!" Bombette greeted.
"Same here," Parakarry said. "I can't stay long. Got a lot of mail to deliver. And I got yours and Kooper's with me."
"Mail? For us?" Parakarry handed Bombette her letter, but before he could fly over to Kooper's house, the Bob-omb stopped him. "Actually, you missed Kooper yesterday. He's off with Kolorado to the north to explore more of the Crystal Palace."
"Oh. Well, my route takes me up to Shiver City, so hopefully I'll catch him before they make it to the palace," Parakarry said.
"Oh! Parakarry!" Approaching the duo was Kolorado's wife, the female Koopa carrying a few groceries in her hands. "Just the mail carrier I was hoping to see."
"Hello, ma'am," Parakarry greeted. "Was there anything you need? I don't think I have any mail for you or Professor Kolorado today." Looking through his bag again, he actually did find something for Kolorado, finding it odd since he checked the addresses on the letters, and it was one of the pink letters he and Bombette had addressed to them. "Oh...I guess I do...Huh."
"Well, I'll just take that, then," the Koopa said, Parakarry giving Kolorado's wife the letter. "But, I do have a message I want you to pass on to my husband when you find him."
Parakarry and Bombette winced, the Koopa's tone and friendly expression unnerving them as they had a feeling Kolorado ran off on another expedition without telling his wife...again. "Uhh...Ok. W-What's...What's the message?"
Bow floated around her room in her dank, dusty mansion, finding herself unable to relax since her return. Her fellow Boos were glad to have her back safe and sound, especially Bootler, to her annoyance, but she appreciated the welcoming committee. Her home was peaceful now that Tubba Blubba wasn't going to be any trouble to them, though she had been bored doing nothing but sit around, coming up with new scare tactics for wanderers. While gently fanning herself, she looked down at her charm, getting a few glimpses of some cheeky pranks she'll pull off in the future, though it was confusing to tell whether it would happen immediately, hours from now, or even days or weeks. At least the latter times would be worth it as they would be the funniest.
"Miss?" Bootler called out as he entered Bow's room. "Your Paratroopa friend stopped by to deliver some mail."
"Parakarry stopped by?" Bow asked curiously as she turned to face her devoted butler. "Why couldn't he come in to give it to me personally?"
"His schedule is pretty packed and he has a lot of mail to deliver," Bootler said.
He floated up to his mistress and handed her the letter. Bow took it, and before she opened it up, her pendant shimmered pink, along with her eyes as she saw something. Once the pink aura vanished, she looked down at the letter, then grinned.
"Bootler, why don't you open it for me?" Bow asked, more like requested as she handed the letter back to Bootler.
"Uhh...Of course, M'lady Bow." Confused, Bootler opened the letter, only to get blasted by confetti and streamers that were somehow packed into the envelope. Bow cackled and rolled around, finding it hilarious as the elder Boo blinked his eyes. "...Well, good thing I'm a ghost, otherwise I would have died from a heart attack from that."
"Thank you, Foresight powers," Bow said to her pendant, giving it a grateful kiss. "That pony was not going to get me with something as childish as that." Turning intangible, Bootler made the surprising confetti and streamers that got on him fall through him, giving Bow the letter after cleaning himself off. She read the invitation, cackling excitedly after going through it. "Bootler, gather a few lucky Boos. We're off to a party hosted by Princess Peach."
Parakarry flew over Toad Town, his next destination being Shy Guy's Toy Box where he knew Watt had gone back to. He wasn't exactly sure where Watt was really from, but he figured the Toy Box was like a home to her. After finding the building, he walked inside, bounced off the spring, and jumped right in, shrinking down in the now massive location. He asked the nearby conductor of the toy train if he's seen Watt, which luckily wasn't too far as he pointed down the path where Parakarry last recalled seeing the Shy Guys with all the random stuff they stole.
He found Watt, along with the friendly Shy Guy who helped Rainbow Dash, Wiggy, the group chatting with each other now that the Shy Guys aren't causing much mischief anymore. And to make things stranger, Wiggy somehow managed to gain followers to his infatuation with the colors of the rainbow, the other Shy Guys wearing different multi-colored wigs while he wore a crude drawing of Rainbow Dash on his pink clothing. It was kind of awkward, but Wiggy was at least helping Watt keep the other Shy Guys in line.
"Watt! Mail call!" Parakarry called out.
"Parakarry!" Watt cheered, zipping over to the Paratroopa in a Li'l Sparky's type of hug, her contact against him making his spine tingle from the friendly electrical volts she gave off.
"Ok, easy before you give me an overexcited gap," he warned, Watt giggling sheepishly as she hovered away. "What, uhh...what did I walk in on?"
"The Rainbow Dash Fan Club!" Watt said, floating over to a nearby box of wigs, grabbing one as she flew back out as it sat on her head, though it made the hair all frizzy from her electric body. "Umm, you wanna join, Parakarry?"
"I'm...kinda busy," Parakarry said, his job a perfect excuse to not get involved with a club about a pegasus mare with an ego bigger than her flight speed. "I just came by to drop you off a letter." He pulled out a letter from his bag, accidentally pulling out a second one as well. When he looked at the name the other one was addressed to, it was for Wiggy. "Huh? Ok, I make sure to double check how many letters I was going to be delivering on my routes. I didn't see one for Wiggy."
Wiggy let out an excited noise, quickly snatching both letters as he opened his up, getting hit by a blast of confetti. Wiggy surprisingly ignored it, silently reading what was in his letter. Letting out a gasp, he excitedly told the other Shy Guys what was written to him, making the others in his newly made fan club cheer along with him. Parakarry didn't know what was going on, but he soon realized just who was responsible for these mysteriously appearing envelopes if the random confetti and streamers were anything to go by.
"Ooh! A party!" Watt translated. "At the princess's castle! Yay!"
"I guess I'm invited, too, since I have the same kind of envelope for me," Parakarry said. "I better hurry and deliver the rest so I can have some fun. I'll see you at the castle, Watt!"
"Bye, Parakarry!" Watt said, Wiggy and his Shy Guy friends waving the Paratroopa off as he quickly made his leave.
Sushie watched over the Yoshi Kids just outside the village, as her usual job entails, making sure the little scamps didn't wander too far away. They knew not to go too far after their latest escapade almost getting a couple of them killed. They were sad to know that Fluttershy had gone home, wishing they could have seen her off. The five young Yoshis were glad to hear she was back safe and sound, and that it was possible for her to come back to their world and visit whenever she gets a chance.
Parakarry flew overhead and spotted the Cheep Cheep in Jade Jungle, landing down a fair distance away so she didn't startle her. "Sushie!"
"Parakarry! It's been a while!" Sushie greeted. "Working hard, or hardly working?"
"I prefer working my darned hardest than slack off," Parakarry said, the two partners sharing a laugh. "I can't really stay long, but I've got mail for you."
"Anything from my daughter?" Sushie asked.
"No, but you'll see who it's from the moment you open it." Parakarry handed Sushie the invitation, said his farewells until the party, and flew off to continue on his route.
"Hmm...Who could it be from?" Sushie opened the envelope, yelping when she was hit by confetti that came from inside it. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, getting the Yoshi Kids' attention, finding her covered in colorful bits of paper.
"Miss Sushie? What happened?" the red Yoshi Kid asked curiously.
"We didn't pull any pranks!" the yellow one quickly said. "We swear!"
Sushie recovered from the shock, knowing full well the Yoshis weren't the ones who tricked her with the confetti. In fact, those five couldn't even come up with something this random, which meant this letter came from someone else she knew. Pulling out the invitation, she read it to herself, already excited for the party that she and the Yoshis were invited to at Peach's Castle.
"Boys, great news!" she announced. "We're all going to the mainland!"
Lakilester and Lakilulu laughed as the couple relaxed in the middle of Flower Fields, having themselves a romantic date under the clear skies of the floral lands. It was a relief for Lakilulu when her boyfriend told her the amazing news pertaining Bowser's defeat, though she doubted that the Koopa King wasn't going to give up in his schemes, as he always does. The last week, Lakilester spent his vacation days from his adventure hanging with his girlfriend, no longer stressing about their "work" and can settle down with no one to separate them, or their clouds.
"It is such a nice day today," Lakilulu commented.
"Doesn't Flower Fields always have nice weather?" Lakilester asked.
"Yes, but I think it's better seeing everything from a grounded perspective," she reiterated. "Maybe I should give up my cloud." Both Lakitus' clouds gasped in shock as they both looked up at Lakilulu. Even Lakilester was surprised, his glasses tipping over at the statement. "I'm just kidding!"
"Sheesh, Lu, don't do that," Lakilester muttered. "Always gotta scare the daylights out of me, whether it's something I stupidly said or not."
"Lakilester!" The Lakitu couple looked up as they spotted Parakarry fly down toward them.
"Parakarry! What's up, dude!?" Lakilester greeted. "Haven't you had a break since we beat Bowser?"
"A mailman's work is never done," the Paratroopa stated. "I don't need rest after I fly through rough weather when they're on my routes."
"Well, you should get yourself some rest, at least," the Lakitu suggested.
"I'll do that later today." Lakilester and Lakilulu looked at each other in confusion at Parakarry's statement. He then pulled out the pink envelope addressed to his friend. "All of us are invited to a special party hosted by Princess Peach."
"An invitation to the castle???" Lakilulu asked, both shocked and excited.
Lakilester took the envelope and opened it up, being startled by the party favor blast of confetti and streamers as they hit his face. "...Ok, let me guess. Did Pinkie send these invites? Or did the princess do this?"
"Can Peach pull off crazy things like this?" Parakarry answered with his own question. "Or somehow give me more letters after the load I already have was accounted for?"
"...Good point." Pulling out the letter, Lakilulu and her cloud silently giggling at the sight of their lovers covered in party decorations as he read the invitation. "This is quite an honor, though. A fancy party at Her Highness's castle. And everyone's going to be there?"
"I believe so. I gotta get going, but I'll see you two later! I still have a lot of letters to deliver!" Parakarry flew off to continue on his route, hoping to finish in time before the party starts.
"Later, Parakarry!" Lakilester called out with a wave.
"Please tell me you're not joking," Lakilulu begged. "Are we really going to go to a party at the castle?"
"Yup. Legit invitation and everything," Lakilester said. "Sounds like we've got ourselves another date today. That's not going to be too much, is it?"
"Are you kidding!? A formal party with the princess! At her castle!" Lakilulu started squealing, temporarily at a loss for words at her excitement. Lakilester and his cloud looked at each other with a smirk before looking back at Lakilulu. "Oh my gosh! I need to get ready! I have to put on makeup, find a decent dress! AHH! I don't have a dress! And I need to fix my hair!"
"Lulu," Lakilester calmly said, gently grabbing her shoulders, stopping her rambling. "You're beautiful just as you are. No need to doll yourself up for something fancy. Mario's going to be there, and he wears overalls and a red long-sleeved shirt. Peach doesn't mind how anyone looks, so don't freak out about looking pretty. Ok?"
Blushing slightly at her boyfriend's compliments, her glasses fogging up slightly from her heated cheeks, she adjusted them as she giggled nervously. "I'm really beautiful?" she asked, squeaking suddenly when Lakilester leaned closer and gave her a peck on the lips.
"More beautiful than all the flowers here in Flower Fields, babe," he said, making his girlfriend blush harder as she bit her bottom lip bashfully.
"Don't tell Rosie that," Wise Wisterwood said, surprising the couple as they almost forgot they were spending their date in front of the elder tree. "I sure wished we could come along, but being rooted to the ground is kind of hard to do."
"We'll make sure to mention you guys to everyone so you don't feel left out," Lakilester promised.
"Oh, you don't have to," Wisterwood said. "But we appreciate it. We hope to get some new guests to come in through the Flower Gate aside from Minh T."
"With how big of an event this party is, they'll probably be curious enough to walk through that door," Lakilester said. "Speaking of, let's get there before the crowd shows up and it gets too crowded."
"Ok!" Lakilulu said, the Lakitu couple floating together up to the door connected to Wise Wisterwood, quickly making their way to Toad Town via the enchanted doorway.
Up north in Shiver City, Kooper, Kolorado, and two of the famous explorer's assistants had their packs fully stocked for the trip up Shiver Mountain, their destination the Crystal Palace where legends of a cultural civilization once thrived who had worshiped the Stars. The group of Koopas gathered near the exit of town as they double-checked their gear.
"Alrighty, gentlemen!" Kolorado announced. "Time to scale Shiver Mountain and reach the magnificent Crystal Palace! Kooper, you're in charge of guiding us. Your experience there will be of the utmost importance."
"Leave it to me, professor," Kooper said. "I know that place like the back of my hand. I cannot wait to discover what other secrets we don't know about the Crystal Palace."
"Kooper!" Parakarry called out, panting slightly as he hovered down and landed beside his companion.
"Parakarry? What are you doing here?" Kooper asked.
"F-Finally caught you," Parakarry said, taking in a few deep breaths. "Sorry. I've been on a serious mail rush. I've got a letter for you."
"I do?" Parakarry handed Kooper his invitation, and when the blue-shelled Koopa opened the envelope, he flinched when he was hit by a blast of confetti. "Ahh! What the heck!?"
"Yeah, I have the same letter, but I know exactly what it is," Parakarry said. "And I didn't need my pendant's Foresight powers to help me see it coming."
"Lucky," Kooper grumbled. He pulled out the letter after brushing the confetti off him and read it silently. "Whoa! An invitation to a party at Peach's Castle!? For real!?"
"From what the others told me when some of them opened theirs, yeah," Parakarry said.
"Oh man! There's no way I want to miss this!" Kooper's excitement for the party suddenly disappeared as he looked back at Kolorado. "...But, I can't just turn down this expedition...I promised Prof. Kolorado."
"Oh, bladerdash, Kooper!" Kolorado exclaimed. "My dear boy, it would be terribly impolite to turn down such an invitation from someone of royalty to a formal gathering!"
"But-" Kooper tried to say, but Kolorado interrupted him.
"No buts, Kooper," he said. "Go to that party this instant! It would ruin the party if the hero of Koopa Village...nay, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom isn't there."
Despite how badly Kooper wanted to really go on an expedition with Kolorado, without the threat of the kingdom in the way, his mentor was dead serious about him attending the party. "...Wow...Are you sure about this, professor?"
"Yes, of course!" Kolorado said. "Now get going! Skedaddle!"
"Ok. Thanks, professor! I hope you guys will do ok without me!" Kooper ran off, stripping off his pack as he whooped and hollered while making his way back to Toad Town.
"Professor, are you sure we'll be alright without Kooper?" one of Kolorado's aides asked.
"Pishposh, of course we'll be alright!" Kolorado assured. "Besides, the fun of exploring someplace new is expecting the unexpected! Kooper deserves to have fun. He's still young."
"Oh, speaking of, I have a message for you, Kolorado," Parakarry said. The Paratroopa cleared his throat, pulling out a slip of paper with the archaeologist's message. "'Don't bother coming back home, you wandering buffoon! What a no-good husband!'...That was...a paraphrased message from your wife."
"Paraphrased?" the other aide asked.
"You did NOT want to hear the actual message, but I think it's close enough," Parakarry said, shuddering slightly as the words Kolorado's wife used were quite articulate. "You didn't even tell her you were going off on another expedition as soon as you came back from Lavalava Island, didn't you?"
"Pah-pah-pah-pah...Parakarry! Why didn't you tell me this in the first place!?" Kolorado exclaimed in shock. "Oh, I'm going to be in for it now. I'd better head back home immediately!"
The explorer then ran off faster than he caught his butt on fire in Mt. Lavalava to appease his angry wife, or take his beatings if it was too late. Parakarry let out a sigh and shook his head, then flew off to continue delivering more letters. The two aides were left by themselves as both Kooper's and Kolorado's full backpacks sat by their feet. They then looked at each other, wondering what to do next.
"You wanna try out that spa here in Shiver City?" the first Koopa asked.
"Eh. Why not?" the second said with a shrug, both Koopas lugging two sets of bags back to where they had stayed at the previous night to enjoy a relaxing spa day in place of the canceled expedition.
Back in the Mario Bros. household, the brothers relaxed in silence in at the dining table. The silence was disturbed as they heard their mailbox clank, Parakarry quickly stopping by to deliver his last letter before flying off, without even alerting the two of his presence. Luigi volunteered to get the mail, like he always does, coming back in with a pink envelope that was dropped off for them.
"Looks like you got another letter, Mario," Luigi said. "Must be a fan of yours, because the handwriting looks pretty...childish?" Giving his brother his mail, Mario looked at the pink envelope closely. His name was written pretty poorly, almost like a child hastily scrawled his name on it before being mindful of their neatness. Curious, he opened it, nearly knocked out of his seat as he was hit by a blast of confetti and streamers. Luigi yelped in shock, falling over in surprise as he saw his brother covered in decorative party bits. "W-What the-!? Where did that come from!?"
Mario blinked a few times, a grin growing on his face as he had an idea who exactly sent him this letter. Pulling out its contents, he unfolded the paper and read what was on it.
Dear Mario,
You and any family or friends are cordially invited to Princess Peach's Castle for a super-de-duper fantastical party today! It is a fenominally wondiferous occasion for not one, but two special events: one as a celebration to the brave heroes (You especially!) who defeated Bowser and his power over the Star Rod, and the other for two special kingdoms uniting together in friendship and harmony! There will be lots of goodies, friends old and new, music and dancing, party games, and much, much more! We hope to see you and Luigi there, and actually believes your story about us helping you on a dangerous, but super fun adventure!Sincerley,
You-know-who
Luigi peered over Mario's shoulder as he looked at the invitation. "Another party at the princess's castle? After it just got back on the ground last week? What is Peach thinking?" After Mario brushed the confetti off himself, making a mental note to clean up this mess, he corrected Luigi by stating who actually sent them the invitation. "Pinkie Pie? Isn't that the name of one of those pony creatures you mentioned? She sent this? And how was she able to make it burst with confetti when someone opens it up?" Mario simply told Luigi the usual mantra involving Pinkie Pie; never question Pinkie Pie. "That makes no sense! I have several questions!" Ignoring his brother's confusion, expecting him to understand when he finally meets his Equestrian friends, he hopped out of his seat and made his way out the door, accepting the invitation and ready to finally enjoy an exciting, non-kidnapping party. "W-Wait! Mario! Hold on a second!"
Mario dove into the Warp Pipe, Luigi chasing after him as the brothers made it to Toad Town's Entrance. They were surprised to see the town was actually quite crowded with not only residents who lived in the Mushroom Kingdom's capital city, but people from all around the kingdom. From the far east and west, far north and south, it was almost like everyone was invited to this grand party being held at the castle. Mario also recognized several of the people he and his friends have met on their journey as he and Luigi made their way to Peach's Castle. Some of them recognized him as they passed, waving to him and saying their hellos as he greeted them in kind.
Getting sidetracked by some of the visiting guests from all over the kingdom, the Mario Bros. arrived at the front entrance to the princess's castle. They were soon startled by a barking sound, a Chain Chomp bounced toward the brothers, both of them yelping as Mario was suddenly pounced, then licked to death by the heavy, animated iron ball.
"Chompy, heel, boy," a familiar voice called out, a green Nomadimouse with a brown keffiyeh pulling on the chain to bring the Chain Chomp back to his side. Mario sat up, wiping off the slobber drenching his clothes, happy to see Moustafa and Chompy again. "Nice to see you again, Mario. I'm not one for parties, but after receiving my invitation, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to see Pinkie Pie again."
"Who is Pinkie Pie?" Luigi questioned. "Don't tell me Mario put you up to this strange story of his. I find it hard to believe mythological creatures actually appeared and helped my brother save the kingdom."
"Oh, but it is true," Moustafa said. "In fact, I had rescued Pinkie Pie from the heat of the desert when I felt an odd magical disturbance out in Dry Dry Desert that day. She told me of her world, her problems, and in return for watching out for her, she and he friends have done me a great service by liberating the Dry Dry Ruins from Bowser's clutches." Chompy barked a few times, licking his lips to emphasize something the Nomadimouse forgot to mention. "Oh, yes. And her baked goods were to die for. Not a single crumb was left of the cake she left for me."
"...Something that has hooves was able to bake stuff?" Luigi asked skeptically. "And they were delicious?" Mario, Chompy, and Moustafa nodded, confusing the green plumber more. "...How?"
"A simple answer, my green friend; do not question Pinkie Pie," Moustafa said.
"Again with that!?" Luigi exclaimed. "How is it possible!? Just tell me and quit hiding secrets from me!"
"You'll see. I have a feeling we'll see her, and her friends, today." Moustafa and Chompy made their way to the front doors, stepping inside where the chatter of several guests drowned out what music was playing.
Mario lead Luigi in, the older brother able to see more familiar faces, including his friends who helped him on his journey with friends or family they invited. There was also Wiggy, the Yoshi Kids, Mayor Penguin and his wife, Merlon, Merle, and their family, and many more familiar faces who either knew the group or the Mane Six while split apart. This party was a lot bigger than the last one, and Mario had a pretty good idea who had the idea of inviting everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom.
"Master Mario! Master Luigi!" Toadsworth called out. The elder Toad and Peach's caretaker approached them, looking a little flustered at the grand event being held. "There you are! Right on time. Phew! This last week had been...quite surprising, and also a little stressful."
"Why? What's been going on?" Luigi asked.
"You'll see when the princess welcomes everyone." They didn't have to wait long as a couple Toads played an introductory tune on trumpets to get everyone's attention.
"Announcing, Her Royal Highness, Princess Peach!" one of them said, the duo stepping aside as the doors to the second floor of the castle opened.
Peach walked out and stood at the top of the stairs, the guests clapping as she made her entrance. She bowed her head, greeting everyone who could make it as she waited for their applause to stop.
"Greetings, everyone!" she said. "I'm glad to see everyone from across the Mushroom Kingdom to join me in celebrating this event today! As everyone was aware, Bowser had kidnapped me, and my castle, using the power of the Star Rod he stole from Star Haven to cause us all much trouble. But the Star Rod is back safe and sound where it belongs, and peace has once again returned. And the Stars above us shine even brighter than ever before, sending us their thanks for saving them and returning their treasured wand.
"I would also like to thank our heroes who braved through Bowser's forces and saved us all from this attempt to take over the Mushroom Kingdom: Mario, Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Watt, Sushie, and Lakilester." The crowd cheered as Peach announced the kingdom's heroes, Mario being the most modest as he tipped his hat while his partners either waved, beamed with pride, or simply nodded as everyone around them praised their efforts. "Not only them, but everyone else who had helped them on their journey who are here or couldn't make it today.
"However, there were also six others who had helped Mario as well, and these six actually come from another world," Peach continued, confusing some of the guests, but Mario and his friends knew exactly who she was mentioning. "Appearing before me through mysterious magic unique to them, they were here to witness Bowser stealing me and my castle away, fought valiantly against him, and wound up getting separated when their attempts had failed due to his invincibility with the Star Rod. But their bond of friendship didn't keep them apart forever as they were reunited and joined Mario and company to help us despite not knowing what dangers were in our world compared to theirs. They have found a way back home, and with a wish made by the Star Rod the Star Spirits allowed, there is a way for them to come and go as they please.
"So, without further ado, I would like to introduce everyone to these six very special guests as we welcome our new neighbors from another world!" Looking back to a couple of her guards, she gave them a nod, taking it as her signal as they walked through the doors. They came back a few seconds later, pushing out the mirror that lead to Equestria, showing her guests the extravagantly designed frame. "From the kingdom of Equestria, please officially welcome Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends!"
From her announcement, the mirror shimmered and rippled, shocking the guests and exciting the ones who knew them as the Mane Six stepped through. Chompy barked happily as he saw Pinkie, Moustafa keeping a firm grip on the Chain Chomp's chain to keep him from startling the Toad guards as he tried to bounce to her, Wiggy and his Rainbow Dash Fan Club freaked out and cheered at the pegasus's appearance in their native tongue, and the Yoshi Kids jumped for joy when they saw their other favorite babysitter, Fluttershy. Each mare wore a unique dress for the occasion, crafted by Rarity herself as each dress matched their fur and manes while also with a touch of Mushroom Kingdom patterns from her experience in the world. Luigi's jaw dropped as Mario's details on the Mane Six in his journey had turned out to be true, stunned silent while the older brother crossed his arms, giving his younger sibling a cocky grin as if telling him, "I told you so."
Peach and Twilight gave each other a curt nod before the alicorn stood beside the Mushroom Kingdom's princess to speak out to the crowd. "Hello, everypony! It is an honor to be here today, and this time, not unexpectedly by a slight error in my magical calculations." Twilight giggled at the small joke she made, though not everyone else found it funny, most of them highly confused and amazed by the six ponies among them. "But, in all seriousness, we are glad to be here for this party, planned out by Princess Peach to commemorate this day. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, and these are my friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Together, we are known as saviors of our own kingdom of Equestria, using the magic of friendship to fend off evil and bring peace to our world. And the same can be said for the Mushroom Kingdom as well.
"While trapped in your world, we found great friends who helped us when we were split apart, feeling lost in this strange world," Twilight continued. "I don't know what would have happened to us without them, otherwise we would have been Bowser's prisoners as well. But thanks to all of us, and the friends we made along our journey across the land, we managed to band together, rescue the seven Star Spirits, and put an end to Bowser's scheme."
"At least until the next time he tries to take over and kidnap Peach again!" Pinkie reminded Twilight.
"Right. He doesn't give up after a hundred tries." Clearing her throat, Twilight continued her speech. "Anyway, this party is more than just to remind everypony of our victory. For the past week, Princess Peach and I have had a few meetings about uniting our kingdoms. The Mushroom Kingdom and Equestria are now official neighboring kingdoms, and anypony wishing to visit our world is welcome to come."
"Yeah, just as long as no one tries anything funny," Rainbow added. "Just because our world looks peaceful doesn't mean we can't kick butt! So nopony cause any problems, or you'll have me to answer to!"
"Yes, thank you, Rainbow Dash," Twilight grumbled.
"And it goes the same with the ponies from Equestria able to come and visit our world whenever they want as well," Peach continued as Twilight leered at Rainbow Dash and her brash response toward any troublemakers, like Bowser or any of his soldiers. "Granted, we'll only be limiting our guests to the towns close to the magic portals connecting our worlds: Toad Town for Equestrians and Ponyville for us. I actually went there a couple days ago, and it's a delightful world, and I think Princess Twilight's castle is...much prettier than mine."
"Jealous?" Twilight asked.
"A little, but your niece distracted me while I met with the other rulers of your world," Peach giggled, recalling how energetic Flurry Heart was when she saw the princess during her meeting with Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Starlight Glimmer. There was also supposed to be Sunset Shimmer and her friends from another world who were just like the Mane Six, but they had to go back to their world or else anyone else might get confused as to who was who. "But I digress. I want to personally thank you girls for helping rescue me, even though you're royalty yourself and were completely new to what goes on in our world."
"Think nothing of it, Your Highness," Applejack said. "Y'all would have done the same for us if we were in your shoes."
"Except Twilight's not really the helpless damsel in distress kind of princess," Pinkie chimed in. "That would mostly be Celestia, Luna, and maybe Cadence...Oh, wait. We all got captured by Chrysalis and her changelings and got rescued by Starlight, Trixie, Thorax, and Discord...Never mind! We're all in the same boat!"
The rest of the girls let out a nervous laugh, though they hoped they didn't end up getting kidnapped or separated again. "Well, at least you're not like me; captured almost on a daily basis by someone who doesn't know what the word 'no' means," Peach said, then she turned back to their guests, Mario and his former party grinning with amusement. "But thank you again, and to Mario, his friends, and everyone who helped you all. I hope that both our kingdoms will forever remain friends, and that we both enjoy some peace and prosperity for a long time to come. This is my heartfelt wish." She then closed her eyes, silently praying that her wish will come true, knowing the Star Spirits may be watching and listening to her. Maybe even Twink as well. The mares prayed as well, along with Mario and co. "And now, let us celebrate! Enjoy the festivities, everyone!"
The crowd cheered and applauded as the party truly began, Pinkie having dragged in her party cannon and set it off, covering everyone in confetti. The girls made their way down the stairs, the mares mingling with the crowd as newcomers warmed up to their new guests and neighbors. Chompy pounced on Pinkie, who giggled happily as she was licked by the Chain Chomp. Wiggy and his fan club surrounded Rainbow Dash, having no idea what they were all saying to her as they complimented on her hair, dress, and awesomeness in their Shy Guy language. The Yoshi Kids ran up to Fluttershy, the pegasus catching them in a big hug as they expressed how much they missed her.
Toadsworth breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his head with a handkerchief as he sweated nervously at the populace's reaction. "Thank goodness that went well," the old Toad uttered. "I've been present for all those meetings, and if the Mushroom Kingdom was worse when it comes to dangerous creatures and villains like Bowser, Equestria has its similarities with its share of problems."
Peach and Twilight approached the Mario Bros. and Toadsworth, the alicorn and red-shirted plumber greeting each other with a friendly hug. "Great seeing you again, Mario," Twilight said. Mario nodded in agreement, then introduced the mare to Luigi, who was still in utter shock from seeing the ponies for the first time. "This is your brother?"
"Yes. That's Master Luigi," Toadsworth said. "On occasion, he does help Master Mario with stopping Bowser in his numerous schemes. Although, if he didn't leave before Bowser stole the castle, he would have been trapped in a cell like the rest of us."
"But, couldn't he have helped us fight?" Twilight asked curiously.
"I-I uhh...I'm not as brave as Mario," Luigi admitted. "At least, not by myself. He does most of the work."
"Don't sell yourself short, Luigi," Peach said. "Your contribution in the past with Mario is always helpful. Besides, Bowser could have seriously hurt you with the Star Rod, just like he had with Mario."
"H-How seriously hurt?" Luigi asked, looking greatly worried. Mario lowered his cap, clearing his throat nervously. The silence dawned on the younger brother, imagining exactly how seriously wounded Mario had gotten when he was missing that whole week. "...M-Mario...Did you...Did you actually die???"
"He was badly hurt, but he was still alive," Peach said. "...Before Bowser zapped him out of the castle and we helplessly watched him fall."
"W-What!?" Luigi shouted.
"Thankfully, the Star Spirits helped revive him, and our magic when we got hit as well landed him safely around Goombario's home," Twilight added, assuaging the younger brother's fears. "He has gone up against worse when you two confronted Bowser, right?"
"T-True, but still! I could have lost my brother!" Luigi exclaimed. Mario let out a sigh, reminding his brother that he also got into a few dangerous situations that got the older sibling worried sick. That was why he didn't want Luigi to come with him after he got his own butt handed to him by a cheapskate loser like Bowser using the power of the Star Rod. "Oh, sure! And you leave me alone to watch the house when I could have at least helped you out with rescuing the Star Spirits!"
"Ok, ok, let's not have you two get into a fight," Peach said. "This is supposed to be a fun party to celebrate the peace in the kingdom now and Equestria being our friendly neighbors. Mario was clearly concerned with your own safety, Luigi."
"...I guess...but I could have helped rather than just get stuck house-sitting," Luigi grumbled.
"Hey, you!" Pinkie chimed in, popping up out of nowhere and spooking Luigi. Her mane was sticking all over the place, her body drenched in Chain Chomp saliva. "Turn that frowny upside-downy and party! Here! Have some lemon and lime cupcakes!"
She then pulled out a tray of green and yellow cupcakes, though there were more green than yellow on the platter Pinkie mysteriously had out of nowhere. "When did you have time to make cupcakes?" Peach asked.
"Don't ask," Twilight said, reminding the princess of Pinkie's randomness.
"Eh, the lemons and limes aren't the same like the ones that grow in Dry Dry Desert, but they're still yummy!" Pinkie said. "Moustafa, that greedy mousey, really loves lemons."
"It is not my fault you made lemon treats this good," Moustafa called out, his cheeks splattered slightly with yellow frosting. "How much for another of those lemon cakes you made for me out of the lemons from Dry Dry Desert? I'll buy twenty."
"Twenty!? Moustafa, you're going to be a piggy if you eat twenty!" Pinkie chided. "...Ten bits per cake."
"Hmm...Bits are the Equestrian currency, yes?" Moustafa asked, Pinkie and Twilight nodding. "...Then I shall acquire some when I visit, and the deal will be sealed."
"Goodie! Wait until I tell Mr. and Mrs. Cake how much more popular Sugarcube Corner's gonna be with all the new visitors from the Mushroom Kingdom!" Pinkie cheered. "Ooh! And the twins are gonna love Chompy! And wait until he meets Gummy! Those two are going to hit it off big time!"
Pinkie bounced away to meet with new friends, Luigi snatching one of the cupcakes before she left. "...So, that is Pinkie Pie?" he asked. "...The...random one?"
"Yup. Pure randomness," Twilight said with a giggle. "You get used to her antics after a while. Just trust us when we say never question Pinkie Pie. Let her be herself."
"I still have several questions," Luigi muttered. He took a bite of the lime cupcake, pausing and looking down at the half-eaten pastry as his tongue made contact with the fluffy, lime-flavored sweet. Out of any of the baked goods he's tried, even from some commissioned dishes from Tayce T., this cupcake was out of this world, literally and figuratively. "...Wow...This is really good."
"Pinkie is quite the baker," Twilight said. "Although, I'm not sure how Ponyville's going to react if she brings Chompy over to our world. I know he's tame, but it's kind of scary having something that big acting like a dog barking and bouncing after somepony."
"Yeah...Definitely not a good idea," Luigi said, Mario agreeing wholeheartedly.
As Luigi finished his cupcake, the group of four wandered around the main foyer, Mario, Peach, and Twilight wanting to introduce the green plumber to the rest of the mares. They started with Rarity as she found Bow, Bootler, and a few other Boos from the mansion or Gusty Gulch who were lucky enough to be chosen to come to the party.
"So, are you finally happy now that you're back in your clean boutique and took a decent shower?" Bow teased after the other Boos asked how their unicorn guest was after she left.
"Ha ha, Bow. Very funny," Rarity sarcastically said. "...And yes, I am happy, thank you very much. Since I got back, I could barely stop designing new outfits, getting inspiration from the Mushroom Kingdom. And, despite your mansion's uncleanliness, I did create a small line involving Boos."
"is it invisible?" Bow asked with a smirk.
"No, but if you are curious, you can come to my boutique and see for yourself." Rarity noticed Twilight, Peach, and the Mario Bros. walk up to them. "Mario! So glad to see you again, darling!" she greeted as she hugged the plumber, then looked at Luigi as she pulled away. "And this is?"
"This is Mario's younger brother, Luigi," Twilight introduced, the green plumber looking away slightly, a little embarrassed to meet someone like Rarity with how elegant and radiant the mare was. "Luigi, this is Rarity."
"Well, I can surely see the resemblance between you two," Rarity said.
"Was it the clothes?" Luigi asked, giving the unicorn a monotone stare as he emphasized his clothing, then brushed his fingers against his mustache. "Or was it the mustache?"
"There is that, but I can see it from your facial features," she said. "And green definitely suits you. You know, I am curious to see what you both look like in a tux. Matching red and green outfits to compliment your styles and look nice for a fancy ball such as this. All I'd need is your measurements...and figure out how to make outfits for other species besides anything on four legs, but I think you two would look stunning with what I can make."
"Uh oh," Rainbow said, hovering over the group with her fanbase of Shy Guys following her, trying to jump up to her as they spoke in their native tongue. "You guys are gonna be in for a long, boring wait while getting pricked by pins and suffocate under rolls of measuring tape."
"Just because you can't stand in place for only a few minutes doesn't mean anypony else has that issue, Rainbow Dash," Rarity chided.
"I sat in a bunker hiding from General Guy's army for a week before I heard you guys were ok!" Rainbow exclaimed. "It was more frustrating than sitting in a hospital bed when I hurt my wing! I was bored out of my mind!"
"For only a couple hours," Twilight mentioned. "And without me introducing you to Daring Do, you would have kept whining and complaining about time moving so slowly."
"Speaking of, can't you read something else besides Daring Do?" Rarity asked. "There are other novels that have an adventure genre you might appreciate."
"How many other authors have you met that have stories based on their adventures?" Rainbow answered with her own question.
"There are books like that. They're called autobiographies," Peach said.
"Sounds boring." Rainbow hovered down in front of the Mario Bros., Wiggy and his friends surrounding her as she landed. She didn't pay them any mind, already used to fans before and after she became a Wonderbolt wanting her undivided attention. "So, who's this? Mario's twin or somepony who tried to dress as Mario but chose the wrong color?"
"This is Luigi, Mario's twin brother," Peach said, shocking the mares.
"Twin!?" the trio of ponies exclaimed.
"...Ok, THAT I couldn't tell from a glance," Rarity admitted.
"Yup. They're twins," Peach confirmed. "Mario's the oldest, though."
"Cool," Rainbow said. "What's up, dude?" She held her hoof out to Luigi, the younger Mario Bro. staring awkwardly at her. "Uhh, you're supposed to bump your fist with my hoof. Does your big brother have to show you how to do it?"
"N-No," Luigi said nervously. "I'm...still getting used to realizing my brother was right when he talked about you all..." He hesitantly held his hand up, balled it into a fist, then gently tapped Rainbow's hoof. "There. Happy?"
"Come on! You can do much better than that!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Give me a good hoof bump!" Luigi grumbled, giving the pegasus a harder bump to her hoof. "There! Just like that!"
"How do you deal with this one?" Luigi asked Mario, the older brother shrugging and simply answering he goes along with it. "I thought that was supposed to be Pinkie Pie. I'm confused."
"Rainbow Dash just has a big ego," Rarity said. "But when push comes to shove, she always comes out on top for her friends."
"I'm not the Element of Loyalty for nothing!" Rainbow boasted. She suddenly yelped as Wiggy tugged her tail, trying to get her attention. "Wiggy, don't yank my tail! I get enough of that from Applejack!"
While Rainbow was distracted by her Shy Guy fans, Twilight and Peach lead the Mario Bros. to the other side of the foyer so Luigi could personally meet the last of the Mane Six. Passing the crowd as guests greeted Peach and Mario, they found Fluttershy talking to the Yoshi Kids as she told them about her home in Equestria, and Applejack was chatting with Lakilester and Lakilulu, possibly wondering how the living flora in Flower Fields were faring.
"Fluttershy," Twilight called out, pausing the mare's story to the Yoshis as they all looked over at them. "Happy to see the Yoshis again?"
"Oh, yes, but I think they missed me a lot more than I missed them," Fluttershy said.
"Miss Fluttershy was telling us about her home," the dark blue Yoshi Kid said.
"I wonder if there's a lot of new delicious fruit in Equestria," the yellow Yoshi Kid wondered, licking his lips and patting his hungry belly.
"I think there's a buffet on the second floor with lots of delicious fruit from different parts of the kingdom," Peach said.
The Yoshi Kids gasped, letting out excited, hungry noises as they all scrambled up the stairs to eat their fill. "Oh my. I hope they save some for the other guests," Fluttershy said. She looked at Luigi, she tilted her head curiously. "Who's this?"
"This is Luigi," Twilight introduced, the green plumber too stunned as his heart felt like exploding from the innocent look Fluttershy had. "He's Mario's younger brother."
"Oh! I never knew Mario had a brother!" Fluttershy said. "Hello, Luigi. My name's Fluttershy. It's nice to meet you." Luigi didn't respond, beads of sweat running down his forehead as he stood as stiff as a board. "Umm...hello?" He then leaned back, crashing to the floor in a wide-awake coma, the two mares, princess, and older brother looking down at the shocked, green-clad plumber. "...Did I use my Stare by accident?"
"Uh oh! Fluttershy's cuteness strikes again!" Pinkie exclaimed out of nowhere. She leapt down from the ceiling, of all places, looking down at Luigi. "Stand back, everypony! I know CPR!"
Pinkie took in a deep breath, her cheeks bulging with air as she pressed her mouth over Luigi's, blowing air into him. Luigi's torso began comically inflating, his pupils shrinking as he was now wide awake, flailing his limbs to try to get the pink earth pony off him. When she finally moved away, Luigi hacked and spluttered, glaring at the random pony who gave him the kiss of life.
"Why did you do that!?" Luigi exclaimed.
"Saved you from suffering from the cutie-coma," Pinkie explained. "You're welcome! Now, if you'll excuse me, my ponies need me!"
Pinkie struck a pose, then Chompy lifted her on his head without even disturbing her stance, barking and bouncing away as her royal steed. While Luigi questioned what was wrong with Pinkie, Mario couldn't hold back his laughter at the hilarious situation his brother got in. Luigi wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt, hoping that was the only time he got CPR from a pony.
"I am never going to understand her," Luigi muttered, the girls giggling as he stood up. "What did she even mean by 'cutie-coma'? Is that a thing that exists in Equestria?...Or is that supposed to be a 'Pinkie Pie thing' I'm supposed to not question?"
"More like the latter," Twilight said. "Trust us, Luigi, you will get used to thinking that."
"I doubt I will," Luigi mumbled to himself.
After recovering from the "cutie-coma", as Pinkie put it, Luigi actually got to know Fluttershy a little bit before she hurried off to the second floor after hearing something crash, the Yoshi Kids no doubt causing some mischief. He didn't want to admit it, both as a man and in front of his own brother, but out of all the Mane Six, he thought Fluttershy was adorable. If she weren't sentient, he'd consider keeping her as a pet if possible. He didn't know if Mario had similar thoughts, but due to the fact these were ponies with colorful coats and big eyes, they should be suited for little girls to go crazy over, not fully-grown men.
They made their way over to Applejack, Goombario and his family, Kooper, Bombette, and Parakarry joining her and the Lakitu couple's conversation. Goombaria tried to climb up on Applejack's back for a ride, but was held back by Goombario. Even if Pinkie was ok giving her a ride on her back, he didn't want her interrupting Applejack while she was talking with their parents and his friends.
"...and don't get me started on mah little sister's shenanigans," Applejack said, in the middle of one of her stories from home. "Apple Bloom and her friends always make a mess, and a few times caused trouble for the whole town, let alone our home. One time, before she got her cutie mark, she made some kinda potion to give her one, only to curse herself and have cutie marks appearin' all over herself, makin' her do all sorts of random talents."
"Oh my!" Goomama gasped. "Was she alright?"
"Yeah, she was cured," Applejack assured. "Had to admit how she got them cutie marks to make a special flower our zebra friend, Zecora, had on her, then eat it to get rid of them all. Even though she has her cutie mark now, it was a pain to hear her whinin' about it all the time."
"Being the older sibling is a hard job," Goombario agreed. "Especially now that I have to watch Goombaria so she doesn't take my pendant again."
"But it's pretty!" Goombaria argued. "I want one!"
"I think I'm glad I'm an only child," Parakarry said. "I wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility of my job and looking after a sibling."
"Try being the younger sibling," Twilight interjected, getting the group's attention.
"Wait, you're a young sibling, too?" Luigi asked the alicorn.
"Yeah. I have an older brother," she said. "I think out of all my friends, I'm the only one who's the youngest in their family."
"And Rainbow's the only one who's an only child," Applejack said. She then approached Luigi and held her hoof out to him. "Howdy, partner. Name's Applejack."
"Luigi," the green plumber greeted, unsure if he was supposed to shake Applejack's hoof or bump it like with Rainbow Dash.
"Nice meetin' ya, Luigi." Applejack took Luigi's hand, then shook it hard, shaking the younger Mario Bro.'s arm. "Ya dress a lot like Mario? Y'all related or somethin'?"
"They are," Peach answered for them, Mario snickering as he watched his shuddering brother gripping his arm with a wince. "Mario's the oldest brother."
"No foolin'?" Applejack asked in surprise. She noticed Mario was a bit shorter than Luigi, but the plumber she and her friends traveled with certainly showed a bit more maturity. "Well, Ah can take a wild guess and say Mario seems to look after Luigi a lot when he gets into trouble, huh?"
"You have no idea," Luigi said. "Mario does most of the heroic work, and when I'm in a bind, he comes to my rescue."
"That means he takes his role as the older sibling very seriously," Applejack said.
"Yeah...That's true," Luigi said, getting a pat on the shoulder from his brother.
As the party continued on, Luigi had warmed up to the mares, along with the rest of the guests. It was hard for him to judge Pinkie Pie with her random antics, but he eventually got used to going through the motions of Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. The party went off to a fantastic start as many of the guests greeted Twilight, being the most important of the six ambassadors from Equestria along with being a princess while they asked about their world. Everyone had fun, enjoying the food the chefs made in the castle's kitchen, and even some games set up by Pinkie Pie, which the kids greatly enjoyed.
Eventually, night began to arrive sooner than everyone thought as the party lasted for a long while. The evening ended with a fireworks show as everyone stood out in the courtyard. Many of the colorful embers sprinkling down from the explosions in the sky took many different shapes, some of them taking the image of Mario or his companions' faces as they lit up. Pinkie had also managed to sneak a few fireworks in the show, some of them creating pictures of the Mane Six's cutie marks in the colorful sparks from the explosions. It was a perfect way to end a celebration as the group watched the sky light up together, feeling a sense of accomplishment as they reflected on their biggest adventure yet.
As it got later, guests began to leave and head to bed, hopefully able to be taken in by Toad Town's inns if they weren't overbooked. Once the last of them were gone, the only ones left were the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mane Six, and Mario's brother, the group relaxing with Peach for the evening while the castle's staff cleaned up.
"Man, that was the best party ever," Kooper said. "I guess the expedition was completely canceled. I thought I saw Prof. Kolorado and his wife at the party earlier."
"They must have gotten invited as well," Parakarry said. "I wonder who made invitations to everyone we met throughout the kingdom."
Everyone looked at Pinkie, the answer clearly obvious as the mare raised her hoof. "Guilty!"
"Yeah. Who else could stuff a confetti bomb in an envelope?" Bow asked. "By the way, I saw it coming, so you didn't get me. Courtesy of these lovely little trinkets."
"Umm, is there going to be another party in Equestria?" Watt asked curiously.
Pinkie gasped, looking at Twilight hopefully. "I'm not sure," Twilight said, making Pinkie grunt as that meant no. "It's only been a week since we returned home, and I'm sure the others' families are probably wondering why they acted strangely after we, as Princess Celestia put it, 'Went off on an important friendship mission that required all of us to be there.' That, and we kind of needed to unwind with all the excitement we all went through in the Mushroom Kingdom."
"But, they can visit Equestria whenever they want, right?" Fluttershy asked. "I promised the Yoshis they could come and see my home."
"Yes, and they could walk through the portal right now if they want to," Twilight said. "As great as this party was, I think we should wait for a while until we throw another one in our world."
"And write another speech on cue cards to try to enlighten everyone about this union between kingdoms from different worlds?" Peach asked. Mario and Luigi raised a brow, hearing Twilight actually wrote her entire speech on cue cards if she stumbled and forgot anything important to note to her audience. "I usually just go with it instead of worry about preparing."
"I can't help myself," Twilight admitted with a light blush. "Old habits die hard, and they do help me...most of the time."
"Well, I know what I'm gonna do tomorrow!" Goombario said. "As soon as dawn comes, I'm gonna jump right in that portal and take a look at Equestria myself!"
"And we'll introduce y'all to everypony in Ponyville," Applejack added. "Includin' the princesses, our families, and our other friends!"
"I think you'll all like it," Peach said. "It's quite nice, and I've met Celestia, Luna, and Cadence. Celestia and Luna are...actually taller than I thought they would be."
"How much taller?" Luigi asked.
"...About as tall as Bowser," Peach answered, shocking the Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants. Twilight and her friends were only about as tall as Mario, Twilight being slightly taller since she is an alicorn, but they couldn't imagine the likes of Celestia or Luna being as tall as the tyrant who never gives up trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. "Yeah...Pretty tall."
"...Ok, now I'm dying to meet her and see for myself," Bow said, Pinkie letting out a laugh at the pun she made, considering she is a ghost.
"That'll have to wait until tomorrow," Twilight said as she began to yawn. "It's getting late, and I'm exhausted. Even though Pinkie was the one who had the idea to plan the party, Peach and I had to actually make sure everything was set up right."
"I actually got myself a good night's rest, but you kept insisting on triple-checking everything," Peach said. "I think you need a break from being a princess for a while."
"She needs a break from being Twilight all the time," Rainbow said.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Twilight questioned, her friends laughing as she leered at the pegasus with an angry pout.
"Twilight, darling, you do overwork yourself far more than you realize," Rarity said. "Maybe you need a vacation."
"But I'm a princess. I can't ever go on vacations," Twilight argued.
"I think Princess Celestia would be a lot more stressed out than she normally would if she didn't take a break every once in a while," Peach said. "I mean, I do. Mario, Luigi, and I went to Yoshi's Island a long while ago for a vacation."
"And then you get kidnapped by Bowser and his young relatives when they set up shop there to take over the island," Luigi mentioned. "He even trapped some of the Yoshis and held them hostage."
"...We started our vacation after you two rescued me?" Peach replied nervously. The Mario Bros. gave her a blank stare, making the princess sigh in defeat. "We didn't stay long after they saved me. The vacation was sort of ruined."
"At least the Yoshis are ok," Fluttershy said.
"Yeah. They were safe and sound," Peach said. After a bit of silence, she had an idea. "Hey, how about Twilight and I go on a vacation? Get away from our royal duties for a while and go somewhere where there's no servants, meetings, paperwork, anything but a fun adventure?"
"Really?" Twilight asked. "But where to?"
"There's plenty of other places outside of the kingdom we can go to. I'll look into some other places and pick a good location for us to just relax," Peach said.
Twilight hummed in thought, curious about what else there is in this world. Even if learning about new places is technically not a method of relaxing, seeing new sights is one and visiting other kingdoms or continents can lead to endless possibilities. And Twilight does relax more when it comes to studying, despite how tiring it can be staring at a book for hours on end.
"Well...I think I'll take you up on that offer," Twilight finally said. "When you find a good place to visit, let me know, and I'll pack up some things and head out."
"Great! This is going to be exciting!" Peach cheered.
"Not without a chaperone!" Toadsworth said as he walked out of the castle's kitchen. "Don't think I didn't hear that, princess. After all the kidnappings that's been happening, I am not letting you out of my sight ever again! And I am not going to let you drag another princess, from a different world, no less, and have the both of you risk getting kidnapped! It can start a war!"
"We're not that crazy to declare war against someone who's evil in your world," Twilight said.
"Nevertheless, anywhere the princess goes, I go!" Toadsworth insisted. "And if you don't like it, I don't care! The princess is like a daughter to me, and I get deathly worried if she ends up anywhere out of my sight!"
Peach let out a sigh, unable to assuage her father figure, seeing how adamant he was about the matter. "Very well."
"Good. I hope whatever location you decide to pick is actually safe, clean, and free of any criminal activity," Toadsworth said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire to bed. I am quite exhausted from overseeing everything at the party."
Toadsworth left to his room in the castle to get some rest, the others taking his advice as they headed off to sleep as well. Mario's friend made their way out of the castle into town to their hotel rooms, the mares heading back through the portal to their homes in Equestria. As they waved goodbye to their Equestrian guests, Mario gasped as the Lucky Star lit up pink, his eyes glowing a similar aura as he was given a vision. He only got these if something was about to happen to Twilight or her friends, and they weren't in any peril if they were in the safety of Peach's Castle and were heading back into Twilight's in Equestria.
This vision, however, was something that horrified Mario. He found himself in some kind of crypt, candles surrounding the walls of the room lit up with a dark flame. In front of him was a coffin that was opening up, some mysterious person standing to the side as they watched a dark spirit of some kind rising up as it stared down at both Peach and Twilight, both princesses barely able to move as they seemed to be in a slight daze. Whatever this spirit was, it looked feminine from its facial features, even wearing a golden crown that contrasted with its purple ethereal, spiral body, small stars in its form. It looked at Peach first, but then looked down at Twilight. The feminine spirits lips curled into a sinister grin, then raised a pair of giant ethereal hands, grabbing the alicorn and made her yell in fear.
"W-What's happening!?" Twilight asked fearfully, unable to escape the spirit's hold.
"Twilight!" Mario heard the rest of the Mane Six yell behind him, along with several other unfamiliar voices.
Peach tried to stand up and help Twilight, but the alicorn screamed as a dark energy surrounded the mare, a shockwave of darkness pushing the Peach back pretty hard. Mario quickly caught the princess, but he couldn't look away as Twilight was crying out in agony as the darkness began to seep into her.
"N-No!" she pleaded. "G-Girls! Mario! HELP ME!!!!!"
With one last, painful cry, the room was blinded by a flash of light. When Mario could see again, everyone gasped, the darkness that engulfed Twilight turning her into something wicked. Her coat and mane was darker, her wings grown to a larger size, and her horn was sharper and curved, turning black as it radiated a dangerously powerful aura. Her eyes were closed with her head hung low, but as she began moving, a sinister, eerie chuckle echoed in the ominous crypt, her voice mixed with another female's, though more demonic as it made Mario's skin crawl.
"Such power," Twilight said aloud, her horn sparking as whatever spirit possessing the alicorn tested her Equestrian magic. "Much stronger than the pure-hearted princess you also tried to offer me." Twilight lifted her head, opening her eyes to reveal blood-red irises, grinning as she now had sharp fangs for teeth. "With this body, I will be able to conquer this pathetic world, and take my vengeance on you worthless mortals!"
The vision ended as the transformed Twilight cackled maniacally. Mario panted heavily, suddenly growing worried as it felt all too real, but he had no idea if it was going to happen now. Looking up at the mirror, the other ponies have already gone through, and Twilight was the last one. Panicking, he ran and bounded up the flight of steps, surprising Luigi and Peach as he quickly stopped the alicorn, blocking her way back home.
"Ahh! Mario, what are you doing!?" Twilight exclaimed, startled by him suddenly stopping her. He held his hands out, silently telling her not to go anywhere. He turned around, and without taking caution to the wind, he poked his head through the mirror. Instead of there being a crypt, he saw the main foyer of Twilight's castle, no darkly lit candles or coffin, and found the other mares too busy leaving to get some shut-eye. Moving his head back into his home world, he let out a sigh of relief, but pressed his hand to the Lucky Star hiding under his shirt. "Mario, what's the matter? You look like you saw a ghost...And it's not a random Boo hiding around here."
Mario didn't know how to explain what he saw. His Foresight power was only meant to help keep Twilight and her friends from getting hurt when it was going to happen, but this moment didn't happen. He wanted to tell her, but he also didn't want her to panic if it involved the alicorn getting possessed by some monstrous spirit, if it was a real vision. These powers were still so new to him, even with powers he's had longer than others, but with how realistic it seemed, the terror he felt, he couldn't help but feel like it was going to happen sooner or later.
"Bro, are you alright?" Luigi asked, he and Peach climbing up the stairs to find out what made his brother act strangely.
After he caught his breath and calmed down a little, he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head bashfully, claiming he thought that the mirror might end up taking them into another dangerous, unknown world. "...Seriously?" Twilight asked. "I made the wish using the Star Rod to take us back home. The first time, it was Equestria, and the several times I visited Peach this past week, it was still my world...Did you think the portal could have malfunctioned in some way?"
He nodded his head, letting out a sigh as he apologized, admitting he was just worried about them. Twilight understood why; getting transported to another world by complete accident, then split up by a crazed villain who had power that went over their head, ending up in some other part of the world with no way of knowing whether or not their friends were alright and if they could survive in the environment they landed in. Mario was a hero and cared deeply about the ones he saves, including new friends. She gave the plumber a hug, surprising him a bit, though the gesture helped ease his worries, if only a little.
Mario stepped aside after hugging Twilight, letting her through to the safety of her home. As soon as she disappeared through the rippling mirror portal, Mario and Luigi took their leave as they said goodbye to Peach, the princess soon growing worried by her savior's sudden fear.
"Mario, what happened earlier?" Luigi asked as the two brothers walked down the road back to the warp pipe connected to their home. Mario pulled out the Lucky Star, explaining the mysterious powers that came from it earlier in his story this morning, and saying he saw a vision about something awful happening to Twilight. "So, that future vision thing only happens if one of the ponies are about to get seriously hurt, and it's supposed to happen within seconds of it happening, but it didn't happen?" Mario nodded his head in response. "Hmm...Maybe that thing is broken and it's making you see things."
Mario doubted it was broken. As soon as they returned home, Luigi headed off to bed, but Mario stayed outside. He tested the other Equestrian magic powers to check if the Lucky Star was working just fine: flinging his hammer and calling it back to him with Twilight's levitation, spotting the owls in the trees around his home with Rarity's keen eyes, running at super speeds with Rainbow Dash's speed, and punching a nearby tree hard with Applejack's strength that knocked many of its leaves off its branches, even disturbing some of the sleeping wildlife as they leered at him. He apologized and quickly ran inside before they decided to maul him, testing Fluttershy's protection magic on the furnace as he put his hand on the hot surface. He didn't feel any burning sensation, so that proved his new magic was working fine, but it didn't explain the odd vision he had.
Maybe his vision was just a false alarm, just seeing things as the randomness of Pinkie's powers affecting his vision after using all six of the mares' powers all at once. Too tired to dwell on the matter further, Mario made his way to the bedroom, making sure not to disturb Luigi as he slept as he took off his hat and shoes, settling into the bottom bunk of their bed. He hoped that vision never happened, closing his eyes to get some sleep and maybe forget about the horrific image of a demonic Twilight Sparkle possessed by an evil spirit that could walk circles around Bowser and his harebrained schemes.