My Little Paper Mario

by Codex92

Starborn Valley...And He's Back Again, Isn't He?

The path along the northern region of the Mushroom Kingdom was surprisingly peaceful as the party walked down the road. It was odd, considering they usually encountered some roadblocks of enemies impeding their progress to get from one location to the other, but there wasn't a single enemy in sight.

"Huh. This feels way to good to be true," Kooper commented. "The road is...empty."

"Maybe we're finally catching a break," Twilight figured, taking the opportunity to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

"Hey hey hey hey!" a voice called out from behind the trees on the outside of the path.

Most of the group let out an exasperated groan, knowing the owner of the voice while Twilight let out a groan as she jinxed their good fortune. "So much for that." Jumping out from behind the trees and blocking their way forward was none other than Jr. Troopa, once again seeking revenge after his last failed attempts. "Jr. Troopa. What a surprise."

"I've been waiting for you!" the eggshell-wearing Koopa said, taking a moment to shudder as he moved in place trying to warm himself up. "Brrrr! I'm freezing. I was starting to get desperate, but I knew I would meet you all here!" He noticed a couple more members were added to their group. "...Ok, seriously, how many more of you are there? Is Mario building some kind of army to stop me! This stupid, freezing cold place is already irritating enough!"

"Uhh, who's this little feller?" Applejack asked.

"Jr. Troopa, and he's becoming a big nuisance," Twilight answered. "Apparently, he wants revenge against Mario for entering his playground, and he isn't going to stop until he tries to beat him."

"And he's supposed to appear at the end of every odd numbered chapter, not before we really started!" Pinkie exclaimed. She then pulled out a script, flipping past several pages as she skimmed over everything. "He's breaking the flow of the rival who randomly shows up to annoy and/or stop us from progressing while also testing the player's skills so far in the game!"

"Umm, what game?" Watt asked curiously, floating over to Pinkie to look at what she was reading, but the pink party pony threw it away with a scowl, the pages disappearing in the snow. "Aww..."

"So, what you guys are saying is that you've fought him several times already, and he isn't gonna quit until he finally does win," Lakilester paraphrased, Mario and Goombario nodding their heads as they both know more about Jr. Troopa than the others. "Well, that's probably not going to end. And we even outnumber him."

"It doesn't matter if there are a hundred of you! Or even a thousand!" Jr. Troopa exclaimed. He shuddered again, wincing at the freezing cold after waiting for hours until they crossed paths. "Ok, I'm too cold to make any insults! I'm just going to start fighting, beat Mario in record time, then find someplace warm!"

"Good. The sooner we start, the faster we can get to Starborn Valley," Bow said, pulling out her fan and tapped it in her other hand. "I'm starting to get annoyed by this little twerp anyway."

"Does he even realize how dire everythin' is with the Mushroom Kingdom?" Applejack questioned.

"Apparently not," Rainbow said. "Twilight's probably tried explaining it to him over and over, but he's too stubborn to listen and just gets in the way."

"And Fluttershy couldn't even try to reason with him?" Applejack asked.

"No," Fluttershy answered. "Not even Rarity, and he seems to like her."

"'Like' how?" As Applejack looked at the young Koopa, she began piecing together what Fluttershy meant as Jr Troopa seemed to glance at Rarity every so often. "...Oh...Ah see. He's like Spike with his crush on her."

"And unlike our little Spikey-wikey, this little turtle is actually bothersome and tries to hurt everypony," Rarity added. "As cute as it was at first, with him stopping us every chance we meet, it has become annoying."

"This time's gonna end differently!" Jr. Troopa proclaimed. "I've learned some really cool techniques after that blunder of mine back at the docks, but I'm not gonna fly this time." Reaching behind him, the Koopa pulled out a wooden staff. "Check this out! I've been learning a little magic on the side, so now any of those crazy magic stunts you pull on me, I'll counter them back with my own!"

"Since when did you learn how to do magic in less than a day!?" Twilight exclaimed. "You don't even have the intelligence to wield any if you can't learn to quit while you're ahead!"

"Oh shut your big trap!" Jr. Troopa waved his wand, then swung it down and aimed it at Twilight. Suddenly, the alicorn's lips were magically zipped shut, letting out a surprised yelp as she fumbled around her muzzle, unable to remove the magical zipper with her hooves. "Ha ha! How do ya like that!?"

Growling, Twilight lit up her horn, removing the spell from herself and was now able to speak again. "It's like I'm dealing with another Trixie. Mario, give me your hammer." Before the plumber could ask why, Twilight snatched it off him and stomped forward. "I'm going to show this little brat not to mess with somepony like me. Especially when it comes to magic."

"Hey, my beef is with Mario! Not an overgrown dog with wings and a stupid horn!" Jr. Troopa said.

"I AM A PONY, YOU IGNORANT REPTILE!" Twilight shouted, using the Royal Canterlot Voice as the trees bent back from the power of her voice, even making Jr. Troopa stumble backward a little.

Twilight fired a blast of magic at the stunned Koopa, sending him tumbling back across the road until he skid to a halt on his butt. Jr. Troopa stood up and ran back, swinging his wand and firing geometrical spells similar to what Kameks and Magikoopas used to injure their foes, both sides magic connecting and cancelling each other out. The others stepped back as they watched the magical duel, the Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants incredibly shocked by Twilight's booming voice.

"What was that???" Kooper asked, both slightly out of fear and mostly out of curiosity.

"Something that the alicorn princesses have called the 'Royal Canterlot Voice'," Rarity explained. "It was used over a millennia ago back in Equestria as a way to address their subjects, though that only a couple centuries after Princess Luna was banished."

"She used it a lot when she got back, and it was painful for the ears," Rainbow added, rubbing a hoof into an ear as she heard a faint ringing from Twilight's royal shout. "Not sure how they do it, but it's either magic or their own will."

"They never explained how it happens?" Parakarry questioned.

"Well, we never asked," Rainbow reasoned. "Not everypony wants to question Princess Celestia and wind up offending her to be banished for asking."

"Wow. Either she's really that powerful, or you ponies hold her that high on a pedestal and fear her like she's a goddess or something," Bow said.

"She can move the sun, so...I guess we have thought of that for a reeeeeeeeeally long time," Pinkie said.

A stray blast of magic nearly shot over their heads, everyone yelping in shock as they ducked and backed away further from the magical duel taking place. Seeing how Twilight's deciding to handle this alone, they'll provide backup as soon as both alicorn and Koopa run out of mana to unleash. Twilight even teleported close to Jr. Troopa to bash him on the head with Mario's powerful hammer, managing to get a couple hits in on occasion before he shoved her back with a burst of magic from his staff.

Their magic spells seemed to be evenly matched, surprising the party by just how tough Jr. Troopa was in both physical and magical based combat. Whatever kind of Koopa he was meant to be, all of them hoped he wouldn't take up an offer from Bowser to join his army, otherwise it would end up in disaster if they ran into him over and over again. It didn't help at times that Jr. Troopa knew spells that could regenerate his health, further irritating Twilight with his amateurish magic casting on par with a powerful wizard's magical strength like her own. Luckily, he only had enough magic to pull those off only a few times, and Twilight's magic was far superior to his.

Twilight continued teleporting or flying out of each magic spell flung her way, retaliating with her own while also distracting Jr. Troopa by flinging piles of snow at him from the sides. She was really back at full strength now if it was any indication compared to how weak she was no thanks to Bowser and the Star Rod. But that was also due to the cold weather, where Jr. Troopa had stood out in the freezing air for hours waiting for them to ambush, and his exhaustion was showing along with the weather slowing him down more.

"Just! Hold! Still!" Jr. Troopa shouted, flinging more spells with each word he emphasized.

Twilight simply blocked the magic with a barrier around herself, deflecting them back at the Koopa as they struck him, making him stagger backward. "Why don't you just give up!?" Twilight exclaimed, teleporting in front of him, smacking his staff out of his hand, then gave him a hard whack on the head with the hammer. Jr. Troopa still stood, stuck in a daze as the impact made his body shudder from his head to his feet. As soon as he began wobbling, Twilight turned around and bucked the young Koopa hard, sending him flying across the road, smacking hard into a nearby tree while shaking the snow out of its branches, and slowly sliding down the trunk until he fell on his stomach with a thud. Panting heavily, she tossed Mario's hammer back at him, who quickly caught it as she walked up to the semi-conscious Koopa. "We're trying to save the Mushroom Kingdom, and you keep getting in our way. Just go home and stop pursuing us if you know what's good for you."

Jr. Troopa let out a groan, too dazed to pay attention as a massive bump on his head formed from Twilight's last smack with the metal-crushing hammer. Twilight began moving forward, the others soon following with Applejack and Lakilester lagging behind slightly as they looked at the eggshell-wearing Koopa.

"Uhh, ya think we should at least help him?" Applejack suggested. "If he's left here, he's gonna freeze to death."

"He's survived getting blown up by Bombette, zapped by Watt, swam several miles across the sea and back from Toad Town Port to Lavalava Island, and he's managed to survive standing still waiting for us in the cold," Goombario listed. "I doubt turning into a block of ice won't even hurt him. Besides, he's been messing with my family ever since he showed up, so if we can get rid of him and prevent him from impeding us from what we're supposed to be doing, then good riddance."

"We may be nice, but Jr. Troopa's gotten on my last nerves," Twilight said. "The longer he keeps distracting us, the stronger Bowser gets. We can't afford to waste more time."

Seeing Twilight's and Goombario's points, Applejack looked back at the unconscious Koopa before turning away, hoping the poor kid will finally stop and give up chasing them. Continuing onward, they reached the end of the pathway and found themselves in an open space, where they saw six snowmen standing in a row against an ice wall. They wore orange and yellow-striped scarves around their necks and a blue bucket on their heads as a hat, although two of them were missing an article to make them all even: the third from the left missing the scarf, while the farthest on the right was missing the bucket. The snowmen didn't seem all that important for the time being, so the party continued onward to the east, where Starborn Valley resided.

On the slightly hilly road ahead, they finally encountered some unsightly foes, able to see the small village not too far away in the distance. There were Frost Piranhas that acted similarly to the Putrid Piranha Plants back on Lavalava Island, although Goombario warned them about their ice breath able to freeze their prey and confirming Twilight that there were indeed Piranha Plants that survived in the tundra region. It was simple enough to avoid them, but the other enemies roaming around were entirely different, which were known as Gulpits. They had a really big mouth and tongue, almost like a large, black penguin, although they weren't really cute and adorable. They were always around groups of rocks, using them as projectiles when they wanted to pick a fight, picking them up in their mouths and spitting them out at them. Depending on the size of the rock they nabbed with their tongue, it could hurt quite a bit if it hit any of the party in the face.

After dealing with the Piranha Plants and Gulpits that got in their way, they reached the edge of Starborn Valley, only to be stopped as a mysterious, ominous sounding voice rang out around them. "Ooooooooooooh!"

"W-What was that?" Fluttershy asked, then screamed as a mysterious, ghostly figure appeared before them, its body a nightly black and sparkled with sprinkles of red and green lights that reflected off its body.

"Tuuuuurn baaaaaack," the ghost moaned. "Cooooome nooooo fartherrrrrr, or I will eaaaaat yoooouuuuuu." As intimidating as the ghost was, Bow wasn't buying it, especially when they could all hear multiple voices speaking in sync while trying to sound scary. "Whaaaaat do you think? Scaaaary, aren't I?"

"...Is this some kind of joke?" Bow asked. "If you're some kind of ghost, you're doing a poor job. I'M a ghost, and I know more about haunting than you."

"Doooo you daaaaare doubt meeeee!? Feeeeeeel myyyyy furious wraaaaaaath!" The ghost raised its arms and let out a roar, sending shooting stars raining down on the party, making them flinch as they were about to get hit.

However, what should have felt like burning pain that weighed a ton striking them down, the stars barely did anything. It felt like small patters of rain smacking them as the falling stars fell weakly to the ground as they bounced off the group like a rubber ball. Confused, they looked at the ghost, who seemed proud of their move to try to run them out of Starborn Valley.

"...Umm...Was that it?" Rainbow asked.

"I don't think this ghost is all that intimidating as it appeared," Kooper said.

"That's because it's not a ghost. It's a bunch of dumb kids in a disguise," Bow said.

"W-What are you talking about?" the ghost asked, failing to sound spooky as it looked nervously at the Boo. Bow disappeared, scaring the "monster" as it looked around, then she appeared in front of it, letting out an eerie shriek with a terrifying face, making several voices all scream out in fear. "AHHH! RUN AWAY!"

The disguise dropped as the illusion failed, revealing several Star Kids making up the mysterious ghost. It was a surprise to all of them seeing so many Star Kids at once, and baffled them by how they wanted to drive out intruders by pretending to be a scary monster. The young Stars screamed as they flew into the town, fleeing from the scary Boo to hide from her.

"Star Kids? What are they doing down here?" Twilight asked with great curiosity. "I thought Stars were supposed to live up in the sky, in Star Haven?"

"Uhh, I have no idea," Goombario said, shocking everyone as the Goomba was considered the walking encyclopedia of knowledge. "I don't think Goompa told me much about Starborn Valley, or what was here. I thought it was just a little town and Ninji reside there as well."

Now that another, less annoying roadblock was out of their way, the party entered the village, only a few homes scattered about the hilly town, but aside from there being more Ninjis than the one who was searching for them, there were a lot more Star Kids than the ones who tried to stop them. Everyone stared in awe at the amount of young Stars living here, some of them almost similar to Twink, but unlike him, they didn't seem to want to fly up into the sky.

"So many Star Kids," Parakarry said in awe.

"And plenty more to come in the future." They turned their attention to someone approaching them, the cloaked figure almost exactly like Merlon, though he seemed younger and had a shorter mustache. "Greetings, Mario and co. Welcome to Starborn Valley."

"Hey, Merlon didn't tell us he had a twin brother!" Pinkie said. "But your mustache isn't as long or bushy. And you're younger...And you're not really his twin."

The younger wizard chuckled and shook his head. "That is because Merlon is my father. I am his son, Merle. I am in charge of taking care of the Star Kids here, along with the Ninji."

"Star Kids are raised down here?" Rarity asked. "But...how is that possible? Aren't they born...in the sky?"

"There is a lot to explain, but let us talk inside my home. It's a bit too cold out here to concentrate. Follow me, everyone." Merle turned and lead the group as they followed him, passing by Ninji either playing with the Star Kids or teaching them something, some of the ones who tried to keep them from entering hiding when they saw Bow. "I do apologize for the rude reception the Star Kids gave you. They frighten Bowser's minions from every coming into the village and keep the valley safe."

"Well, if their poor disguise is enough to scare Bowser's incompetent men, they're either doing their jobs right or they're just plain lucky," Bow commented. "Pretending to be a wailing ghost haunting the land isn't going to fool Boos since we'd know if they're really undead or not."

"It is a smart plan, though," Kooper noted. "Keep those who wish to harm the Stars from discovering where they're being raised."

They soon arrived at Merle's home, the wizard letting them inside the simple home as they filed in, lighting the fireplace with a snap of his fingers as the flames ignited the stacked wood. "Everyone, heed well to what I'm about to tell you. This frozen land is Starborn Valley. It is named this because this is where Stars are born and raised before rising up into the sky...But, ever since Bowser stole the Star Rod from Star Haven, the power of the land there has weakened, and Star Kids are unable to rise into the sky."

"How awful," Fluttershy uttered.

"So Bowser's also hurting the Stars because of his selfishness, too," Twilight growled.

"Stubborn, spoiled, and heartless," Sushie said, tsking as she shook her head in disappointment. "I don't know who his parents were, but I'm sure he deserved to be properly punished if he misbehaved as a child. If I babysat him and he acted up, he'll definitely get himself blasted with water and straight into a corner."

"Yes, it is tragic," Merle said. "However, there was one Star Kid who managed to ascend just before Star Haven's power waned during Bowser's invasion. I pray he reached Star Haven safely."

"Was his name Twink?" Pinkie asked, surprising the wizard, but he nodded his head. "Oh! We've met him a few times! He's helping the princess by helping us get info on where the next Star Spirits are!...Well, kind of, since we only got a little help."

"Well, good on him," Merle said, sighing in relief. "He was a special little Star Kid. I know he has such potential in him to being a great Star, maybe even that of a Star Spirit. But, speaking of Star Spirits, I asked one of the Ninji to seek my father and bring Mario here for a reason; I have found where the last of the Star Spirits is being held captive."

"You do!? Where!?" Twilight exclaimed, Merle getting everyone's attention now.

"It came to me in a dream," Merle began explaining. "A vision of the last Star Spirit begging me for help." Looking out the window, he stared at the top of the mountain not too far from Starborn Valley, near where the group had passed the group of snowmen and the massive wall. "If my vision is true, then the last Star Spirit is held at the summit of Shiver Mountain north of here, which is where the Crystal Palace lies."

"The Crystal Palace?" Kooper asked curiously. "Hmm...I think I've read about a place like that before."

"The Crystal Palace was originally built to honor the Stars many years ago, but as time had passed, its location and purpose had slowly faded from memories of the locals in the region," Merle said. "And no one remembers how to reach it. However, there is a way, and it involves specific items that have been passed down in these lands." He walked over to a dresser in the corner of the room, pulling out an orange and yellow-striped scarf similar to the ones worn on the snowmen. Walking back to the group, he held it out to them. "This scarf has been handed down through many generations in Starborn Valley. I wish I knew what to do with it, but I unfortunately have no clue."

Twilight levitated the scarf out of Merle's hands, inspecting it as she began to theorizing how they can reach Shiver Mountain. "So, along with this scarf, there's another item we need, and that second item is probably back in Shiver City, right?"

"Exactly," Merle agreed. "Without those two items, the way to open the path to the Crystal Palace will continue to be hidden. But I fear for the Star Kids who are stuck here. If things continue as they are now, they may never be able to rise to Star Haven. You all must expel Bowser from the sky, save the princess, and take back the Star Rod, for their sake."

"No problem!" Rainbow assured. "He caught us off guard last time, but next time, he's going down!"

"He's already caused enough harm to everypony in the kingdom," Rarity said.

"And if he actually decides to think about using the Star Rod to find a way into our world, if it's possible for it to grant such a wish, then all of Equestria wouldn't stand a chance," Twilight added, though Mario seemed to laugh and shake his head, finding it hard to believe Bowser would be smart enough to invade another world when he's too dead set on winning Peach over while taking control of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Yeah, Bowser's not smart enough to think about invading other kingdoms," Lakilester said. "I don't think he'd need anymore power than the Star Rod he's already got giving him more with each wish he makes."

"Which is all the more reason why we need to hurry before he starts getting power hungry." Thanking Merle, the group set off to make their way back to Shiver City.

Before they could get far, Merle walked out of his house after them. "Wait, there's one more thing!" he quickly said, everyone stopping as they looked back at the wizard. "I almost forgot to tell you about a small shrine that's on the path to the Crystal Palace when you climb the mountain. There was a legend handed down in the valley regarding the shrine's secret: 'Truth lies not only in the eyes. Sometimes, even walls may lie.'"

"That sounds like a riddle," Goombario noted, keeping the rhyme in mind.

"...I don't get it," Pinkie said, Rainbow scratching her own head as she shared her pink pony friend's confusion.

"Confusing, yes, but you'll have to find this shrine and solve its mystery in order to reach the Crystal Palace," Merle said. "I wish you all the best of luck, and stay safe."

"Don't worry, Merle," Twilight said.

The wizard headed back inside, leaving the others to continue on their way to reach the Crystal Palace and rescue the final Star Spirit.

---

As they walked down the path back to Shiver City, the party spotted Jr. Troopa where they last saw him, now frozen in a block of ice while still face down in his daze. Now that they saw him in that state, the ponies felt kind of bad for him, hoping he didn't actually die. But after how stubborn the little Koopa could be, they expected him to find a way to break out of the ice, run off somewhere, then find them by some miracle and try to fight them...again.

Back inside the penguin city, Twilight suggested the first place they check to find the second item needed to open the way to Shiver Mountain and reach the Crystal Palace was the mayor's house. If they were passed down by generations, it would surely have been passed down to those who took charge of the city or town. If not, then maybe he would be able to find out who was given the second item.

Back at the mayor's house, Mario knocked on the door, and the mayor's wife opened the door. "Oh! Well, hello...again. What brings you back so soon?"

"We need to speak with the mayor again," Twilight said. "And we better hope he didn't fall down and knock himself out again."

"No, no! He's fine!" the female penguin said. She suddenly began to sweat nervously, then ran off to the door to her husband's study, opening the door and sighing in relief before closing it. "Yes, he's fine. One hundred percent conscious."

"I was...actually joking about that, though I wouldn't be surprised if we walked in to see him conked out again." With permission to be let inside again, the walked in the mayor's study, finding him going through a few books on his shelves. "Mr. Mayor, we're back."

"Well, fancy seeing you back so soon!" the mayor greeted. "Did you make it to Starborn Valley, or were you blocked by the guard?"

"No, we reached the valley," Goombario said. "We were stopped by an annoying little runt mere yards away from the entrance of the city, but he's a frozen statue now after Twilight showed him how much better at magic she was than him."

"...Ah...I see," the mayor said, slightly confused but letting the statement slide.

"We met Merle, and he told us how to find the last Star Spirit," Bombette said. "But in order to get there, we need two items handed down both from Starborn Valley and here in Shiver City. You don't by any chance have it, do you?"

"Hmmm...I believe there is something like that I was given by my father when I was old enough. Let's see where I put that darn thing." The mayor moved over to a cabinet and opened the doors, rummaging through the messy interior as he pulled out other useless objects he's hoarded. "No...No, that's not it. Oh, hey! I was looking all over for that last year!" Twilight and Rarity cringed as their OCDs began nagging at them, wanting to do anything to help organize the random mess the mayor had and find what they needed faster. "Aha! Here it is!" He pulled out a blue bucket, waddling back to the group and showed them the hand-me-down item. "Not sure how this whole legend about this bucket and the scarf from Starborn Valley is supposed to work, but I think you all can figure it out better than I can."

"So, the secret to continuin' on to the Crystal Palace is by usin' a scarf and a bucket," Applejack said, paraphrasing how the two strangest of items were used as keys. "...Where do we even put them?"

"There were those snowmen back between the city and valley," Kooper pondered aloud, the Crystal Palace sounding like an ancient ruin never been explored as his archaeological mind began racing. "Two of them were missing something, one a bucket hat and the other a scarf...I have a feeling the way to Shiver Mountain is beyond those snowmen, and if we put the scarf and bucket on the ones missing their respective 'clothing', it just might open the way forward!"

"Well, it's worth a shot. Thanks again, Mayor Penguin." The group said goodbye to the penguin couple again and headed off back to the snowmen.

After another calm stroll and passing by Jr. Troopa's still frozen form, they reached the six snowmen. Taking the two items, Twilight wrapped the scarf around the bare neck of the third one from the left, and placed the bucket on the head of the one far on the right. They waited for a moment for something to happen, only to be startled when they heard voices come from the snowmen.

"Wow! A cool bucket hat! Thanks!" the sixth snowman said.

"A warm scarf! Thank you!" the third snowman said.

"Talking snowmen? Now I think I've seen everything," Parakarry commented.

"What a kind group you are!" all six snowmen said. "As a reward for your kindness, we shall tell you our secret!" Simultaneously, the snowmen jumped and moved out of the way, making everyone stumble slightly as their landings managed to shake the earth around them. After a few bounces, standing three-by-three now, the wall that was behind them split open into double doors, revealing the hidden passageway leading up to Shiver Mountain. "Please pass through here. With many thanks and blessings from the snowmen!"

Baffled and speechless, the group stared down the pathway as they could see the base of the mountain not too far from where they stood. Kooper grinned a moment later, his explorer's intuition spot on as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Alright! Time to climb up this mountain and discover another ancient ruin!" Kooper cheered. "I wonder what people several centuries ago had done to worship the Stars back then. What offerings they made, how the Crystal Palace is structured, everything!"

"Easy, Kooper," Goombario said, trying to calm his Koopa friend down. "You can uncover the mysteries of the Crystal Palace once peace is brought back to the kingdom."

"Uhh, right," Kooper apologized, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Star Spirits and the Mushroom Kingdom first...And then a thorough exploration."

"I wonder if the Crystal Palace is almost the same as the one in the Crystal empire back home," Rarity pondered aloud, tittering a little as she can only imagine the gems and crystals that might have made the Crystal Palace. "Though, not as extravagant, I hope it's a sight to behold."

"Let's just be careful," Twilight warned. "We have no idea what we're going to face up there. Whoever's protecting the Star Spirit might be one of Bowser's strongest."

The others nodded in agreement, focused on what challenges will await them on the climb up and inside the Crystal Palace on Shiver Mountain's summit. Tightening his cap, Mario lead the way with the others following behind, only one Star Spirit to rescue before confronting Bowser and taking the Star Rod out of his greedy claws. Mario didn't want to admit that he was nervous, but even with the worst of situations storming his prior castles in the past, he always pulled through and rescued Peach in the end. But with no knowledge on who their next powerful opponent will be at the end of the Crystal Palace, they'll have to wait and see as they prepared themselves for what's to come.

Comments

[GamePlayer64]

NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I lost a bet.

[Starlight Nova]

Bowser, Mario, and Peach aside, if the main characters from Paper Mario were voiced, what would they sound like?

[ZombieMan]

He pulled out a blue bucket, waddling back to the group and showed them the hand-me-down item.

[StarzGecko]

🤔 I hope to see Bowser take over Equestria. Would be fun to read!

[Xanatos Speed Chess]

8764400

For example, I've always read Parakarry's lines in a Sunburst-like voice.

[Aisling of Dreams]

8764400

Goombario: Benjamin Diskin (Numbuh 2 from Codename: Kids Next Door)

Kooper: Rob Paulsen (Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Bombette: Lisa Ortiz/Cindy Robinson (Amy Rose from Sonic the Hedgehog)

Parakarry: Taron Egerton (Johnny from Sing)

Bow: Grey Delisle (Jeanne from Bayonetta)

Watt: Sam Lavagnino ( Catbug from Bravest Warriors)

Sushie: Aysha Salim (Ana from Overwatch)

Lakilester: Christopher Sabat (Yamcha from classic Dragon Ball)

[Starcat5]

Sad little factoid: Bowser is an orphan. He was raised by his Magikoopa royal retainers.

[Codex92]

8773433
It kinda makes you wonder if he really did have parents, and why the Magikoopas made Bowser the heir to the Koopa Kingdom. A big mistake if Kamek had to watch over a spoiled brat who grew up to be an even bigger spoiled brat who constantly gets his tail handed to him by a plumber three times smaller than him.

[JediAlexColbent]

Still think Jr Troopa as a surprise final party member would have been interesting.

But maybe when I get myself into gear, you’ll see my version that i’ve had stored for years.