"Sorry, but we don't have dresses," an archaeologist Toad said.
"Meeewww... Why?"
"This is an archaeology camp. The only dresses you will find are the ones found inside ruins, and we haven't found any in good enough state."
"Awwww... Then I guess that I will settle with whatever you can spare. Mew!"
A few minutes later, and Ai joined Mario and the others in the big tent in the center of the camp, now wearing an explorer outfit at her size (without a hat).
She took a pose. "Call me Professor Mew! Mew!"
This made some in the group giggle.
"Alright, "prof", where are these star pieces?" Apple Death asked.
Ai looked down at the map of the kingdom on the table around which everyone was.
"Well, you already know where one is: in the mountains, owned by the Felinois' leader, Bao Leo."
Kolorado nodded. "The Obscure Mountains."
"This is how you call them? They were once known as the Tiānkōng Mountains. Mew!"
"Oh, really? We thought that their name were lost to time!"
"Not for me! Mew! So, the Felinois' underground hideout is well hidden. But I remember where the entrance is, so I will be able to guide us to it once we have all the other star pieces. As for said pieces, one is inside the biggest hill south of here."
"Oh, the Silent Hill. There are lots of hostile Embers around that place, and this particular hill is the territory of a very large Ember who hates sound, because it always sleeps. Because of that, we weren't able to explore the place very much," Kolorado informed.
"Another is in that forest, East of here," Ai continued.
"The Black Forest. We avoid going there. Many entered it but never came out."
"A fourth piece is somewhere on the river that traverses the kingdom, behind a waterfall."
"The river is dried up. However, there is one place where a waterfall is still flowing, South West of here, water appearing out of nowhere at the top and disappearing at the bottom. No doubt the work of a powerful spirit. We call it the Phantom Waterfall."
"As for the last piece, it is somewhere in the ruins of the castle."
"Really? We explored the castle from top to bottom and haven't found anything."
"The pipe leading to the piece is hidden. The only way to reveal it is to find a hole for my medallion."
"Which must also be hidden," Peach said.
"That's right," Ai said. "This is actually the case for all the pieces. For all of them, we must use the medallion to reveal a pipe. Bao Leo used my medallion after he captured me to reveal the mountain pipe and get the piece he now has. Thankfully, the Felinois sleep a lot so I was able to get the medallion back as I escaped while many of them slept."
"So the medallion is the key you talked about," Toadsworth said.
"Exactly! Mew! Speaking of sleeping, I wouldn't mind resting a bit before we search the pieces. Last time I slept, it was in a cell."
"Understandable. A tent for you should be made by now," Kolorado said.
"Thank you! Mew!"
Ai didn't sleep long however, fearing that the Felinois would assault the camp to reach her.
Immediately upon waking up, she gathered Apple Death and Mario (who also used the occasion to rest a bit) to decide together which piece they should go after first.
"The closest is the castle, but I propose that we either start by the hill or the waterfall. They should be the easiest pieces to find. Mew!"
Apple Death and Mario agreed and decided to go to the hill first, which was the closest. So, after buying some Mushrooms for healing and some other objects, they left the camp by the South, Mario transporting a lantern. Apple Death and Ai could already see the hill in the distance (Felinois had good vision in the dark). It overlooked Felina's capital, which Ai said was named Māo Town.
"Open your eyes!"
He opened his eyes and gasped. The view from the top of the hill was magnificent!
"I love to come here," she said. "As you can see, the view is splendid. And it isn't far, and it's calm."
He nodded. "I love it. I will definitively come back here. It will be nice to be here, away from my father."
"This will be our hangout place, away from everything. But I have somewhere else to show you, and I'm sure that you will love it too."
"I can't wait to see it."
Before reaching the hill, the group traversed the river bed, with no bridge in sight only some stones that could be jumped on to reach the other side. Since the river was gone, they simply walked through.
As Kolorado said, Embers, ghosts that were floating blue fireballs (like Wisps), were numerous in the area near the hill. Being fireballs, physical contact with them was out of the question, or it resulted in bad burns.
When they arrived at the base of the hill, however, no more Embers came. Instead, total silence welcomed them. Well, it was very silent everywhere in the kingdom, but here, even ghosts didn't dare to make a sound.
Once they reached the summit of the hill, which only had a boulder, they encountered the reason that Kolorado warned about: the giant Ember. Who was sleeping, thankfully. Five times the size of Mario, with two long arms made of blue fire.
But as the group approached, the sound of their foot/hoofsteps awakened the Ember who immediately turned hostile and levitated countless stones, ready to throw them at the group.
As Mario grabbed his hammer and Ai readied her darkness powers, Apple Death turned into a ghost and stole the stones from the Ember's grip before she threw them at him, dealing a huge amount of damage. The Ember was then hit by some projectiles of darkness, and Mario ran toward him. The Ember, seeing him coming, went to punch him with his long arm, but Mario jumped, dodging the punch, and bonked the Ember on the head with his hammer. Apple Death then threw more stones at the Ember who dropped on the ground, eyes closed, weakened.
"It seems like he understood his lesson! Mew!" Ai said. "Now, time to put the medallion in the hole!"
"Ya already found it?" Apple Death asked.
Without answering, Ai skipped toward the only boulder present on the hill and placed the medallion in a hole. The next instant, a pipe came out of the ground beside the boulder.
"Yes, I did! Mew!"
"Ah should've guessed..."
"There they are!" they heard a shout from down the hill.
Looking down, the group saw a large group of Felinois led by Qiang Claws riding on birds approaching rapidly.
"Oh no! They found us! Mew!"
Apple Death groaned, but then stared at the defeated Ember. Then, she used her power on him, getting him under her control. She instructed him to deal with the Felinois.
"They found the pipe! Hurry up!" Qiang yelled.
The Ember placed himself between them and the heroes, stopping them.
"What?"
Then, the Ember levitated countless stones and threw them at the Felinois. Some used their arms to protect themselves from the stones only to be unseated by their birds that began to run around in panic. Others clung to their birds.
"Let's go while the Ember keeps them busy," Apple Death said.
"You are full of surprises, Apple Death. Mew!"
The three entered the pipe, leaving the Ember to fight the Felinois.
"No! Wait!" Qiang shouted, still on the back of his bird. He made his bird run toward the Ember, only for the Ember to breathe a stream of fire at it. The bird was covered in flames and escaped, and Qiang jumped from its back and charged toward the Ember. However, the Ember tanked his spear and countered with a powerful uppercut that sent Qiang flying far into the sky.
Seeing their leader defeated, the Felinois decided despite that to continue their assault. The Ember threw stones at them again, and while some were knocked out, others charged through and attacked the Ember. But the ghost spun with his arms out, sweeping the area around him with them and hitting all the Felinois, knocking even more out. The Ember dealt with the remaining ones by punching them one by one.
And so, the Ember won, but to really ensure his victory, he grabbed the Felinois, crumpled them into a paper ball, and made them roll down the hill.
The heroes jumped out of the pipe inside a large cavern. It really was just that: a big cavern. With glowing stones for the light. Nothing more.
Almost right away, they spotted the star piece, glowing black, embedded in a large boulder at the opposite side of the cavern.
Mario and Apple Death moved toward it, but Ai stopped them. "Wait! There's supposed to be a guardian!"
"A guardian?" both Apple Death and Mario questioned back.
At this moment, the boulder in which the piece was embedded began to float along with several other, smaller boulders. They then placed themselves against each others so they formed a humanoid body, with the largest boulder (with the star piece) being the chest. The newly formed stone golem towered over the group.
"And here it is! Mew!"
Apple Death sighed. "It would've been too easy, uh?"
"Mmh. The piece is what must be animating it, so if we manage to get it off, we will defeat it," Mario said.
"That's right! Mew!"
Apple Death turned into a ghost and blasted the golem with a shockwave of energy before it could do anything, causing the boulders forming it to separate and to crash against the wall behind them. The golem began to reform, its head floating up and firing black lasers from two holes forming the eyes, but Mario and Ai avoided the lasers and quickly jumped on its chest before it could get too high and worked together to remove it. It was very difficult, and Ai materialized a sword of darkness to use as a lever. After several seconds of struggle during which the golem finished to reform and threatened to pound them, the two managed to get the piece off. Almost right away, the golem collapsed.
"Well that was easy. I like it when it's easy. Mew!" Ai said. "And now, we have our first star piece! Or second, I guess, since I already have one."
Mario nodded. "Good job, Apple Death."
"Thanks!"
"And here it is!"
"It is... a waterfall?"
"That's right! Open your umbrella, we are going through!"
"Oh. So this is why we brought umbrellas? What, is there a secret cavern behind it?"
She giggled. "That's right!" She jumped through the waterfall.
He followed her, entering the cavern.
"Woah!"
"I know, right?"
"How did you find it?"
"When I saw the waterfall, I wondered if there was a secret cavern behind it like in stories. And look at that! There is one! Now, it can be our hideout! We will never be bothered by anybody here! I'm sure we will have lots of fun!"
"Yes! I'm sure!
They exited the pipe on the hill and left right away (Apple Death freeing the Ember from her control), their new destination being the Phantom Waterfall. It wasn't far, a bit more South and then West. To say the least, they quickly reached it. They first found the river bed, then they just had to follow it until they saw the waterfall. All the while, they fought various ghosts. Mostly Boos. Easily dispatched.
As Kolorado said, it was a waterfall. Just a waterfall. Without a river.
However, they were currently at the top of the waterfall, and there was no path leading to the bottom, so Apple Death levitated down Mario and Ai.
At the bottom. "Uh. After thinking about it, maybe the pipe is at the top of the waterfall. Should've searched first before levitating everyone down here."
"Nah. It's obvious that this waterfall is one of these waterfalls with a cavern hidden behind. Mew!"
"Ah guess that Ah should've guessed."
"But there is one problem: I don't like water! Mew! I don't want to be wet!"
"Because cats don't like water or because paper gets soggy?"
"Both! Mew!"
Apple Death giggled. "Then Ah'll create an opening in the water."
Apple Death then materialized a large pony skull and placed it in the waterfall, high up, snout pointed upward. The skull separated the water to the left and the right, creating a gap and revealing the cavern. There was some water dripping from the skull, but it shouldn't be a problem for Ai.
"Thank you! Mew! Well, time to go! Let's get another star piece!"
The three entered the cavern, remarking that the water that touched them disappeared immediately, leaving them entirely dry. However, they barely took a few steps into the cavern that they came face to face with a giant frog ghost.
"What are you doing in my home? Get out of here!" the frog shouted.
"Uhh... Sorry, Mr. Frog! Mew! We need to find a hole somewhere in your home!"
"Get out!"
"We won't be long! Give us five minutes!"
"I said get out! Last warning!"
Apple Death sighed. "Well, we tried to be nice."
The frog opened his mouth, ready to attack with his tongue.
But Apple Death attacked first the frog with dozens of beams of ghost energy, giving him no chance. Screaming in pain, the frog escaped into a wall.
The three waited a bit in case the frog returned for a surprise attack, but the frog seemed to be truly gone. Mario then pointed back at the entrance of the cavern, and they could see that the waterfall was gone.
So the frog was the one at the origin of the waterfall.
Ai found the hole for the medallion on the wall at the end of the cavern. Upon placing the medallion into it, the pipe appeared beside it. The three entered it.
Like for the first piece, the pipe led to a large cavern with glowing stones. Immediately, their attention was taken by a tree at the opposite end with the star piece embedded in it.
"So the guardian this time is a tree?" Mario questioned.
"Seems like it," Apple Death answered.
When the group approached, a root suddenly came out of the ground and wrapped itself around Ai's leg before it lifted her in the air upside down. Other roots attempted to do the same to Mario and Apple Death, but Mario avoided it by jumping while Apple Death turned into a ghost again. The root still wrapped itself around her ghost tail however, so she materialized a scythe made of purple energy and sliced it to free herself.
More roots came out of the ground and fired at the heroes black balls. Mario took a Fire Flower and absorbed its power, turning himself into Fire Mario. He then sent fireballs at the tree while avoiding the black balls. Ai materialized a black sword and cut the root holding her. Being a cat, she fell on her legs, and she immediately fired large black lasers at the tree. Apple Death used her purple scythe to cut more and more roots attempting to grab her and the others. Once roots stopped coming, she went after the tree itself and cut it down in one slash.
The tree down, the roots stopped attacking. Ai approached and materialized a black floating hand that she used to get the piece off of it.
"Yay! Now, we have three pieces! Mew! Three left! Halfway done!"
"It should take us no more than a few more hours," Apple Death said. "Where should we go next?"
"I think it's time we visit the castle. We will do the forest last. Mew! I have the feeling that the forest will be hard."
Mario nodded. "No doubt it will be easy to get lost in there. We will have to find a way to avoid this."
"I don't even have any idea where in the forest the hole for the medallion is. We may be in there for days."
"Don't worry. Ah'm sure we'll find a solution. For now, let's return to the camp," Apple Death said.
"I'm sorry my lord, I could do nothing."
Bao sighed. "It's not better in my side. Without the medallion, I couldn't reach the piece in the forest. And now, they must have gotten at least one piece, so you won't stand a chance against them anymore."
"Can I make a request, my lord?"
"Go on."
"Can I have the Lìliàng Armor? I should be able to defeat them with it."
Bao thought for a few seconds. "Very well. Take it. And you should probably await them at the forest."
"I will see first if they haven't gotten by the castle. If that's not the case, I could ambush them there."
"Yes. Go."
I wonder if the Silent Hill is full of mist, monsters, nightmares you hide in your mind and a strange pony wearing a pyramid helmet
It really depends on the skull. If you use a pony skull, the snout can be pointed upwards to make it all but certain there's a gap.
11693797
If only, but no. It's just a hill with total silence.
11693855
Thanks.
... something tells me mews plan has a flaw in it. If the corpse was liquified after draining the demons power into the star, why would tossing, what is in essence, it's full power, BACK into it's corpse supposed to destroy it? Sounds like a good way to REVIVE said demon to me.
11694062
Throwing the star supposed to kill him into his remains also seems to be a good plan.
11694067
*glances at the words ‘seems’ and grows a suspicious gaze*
11693969
Just a question but... Does Sweetie Belle plan to visit other Equestrias? She had many helps from her Twilights and the Discords and the others, if she recruit more to her team, she could get even more help, at the same time I guess she don't want them to be in the middle of her problems or to get it even more confusing, sure she managed to get Apple Death and Phantom but who knows what else she could find
11694140
I was actually thinking of doing something about that. Remember, Discord contacted other Discords (and other chaotic beings) through the Chaosnet, so the knowledge of oncoming threats has spread across many, many, MANY Equestrias (if said Discords and other chaotic beings decided to talk about this to their Main Six and Celestias). So there is the possibility that more Equestrias would want to join the alliance to help against the Subspace Army. But this would be a background thing, and I'm not sure how I would manage all that stuff. I'm not even sure if the other Celestias would want to involve their Equestrias into a war, even if it's to save multiple universes.
11694173
About how to manage, you could make it as one-shots in blog post like you did with Undertale, or make a story about things that happen in the background, while this story focus on the CMC and maybe Smash Characters
11688603
My best solution for the world implementation is questionable at best in this case.
Each Human World could be crossed with a different world for some of the fighters in Smash Ultimate.
Persona with Phantoms version of the Human World is an idea I've had for a bit.
Metal Gear Solid with Apple Death's version is a little more out there, but it was that or Bayonetta.
Sweetie Voids version of the Human world, however, I have a couple of ideas for:
1) one of the fighting games with representative fighters. (Ryu and Ken for Street Fighter, Kazuya Mishima for Tekken and Terry Bogard for Fatal Fury)
2) what if Heartless started appearing around Canterlot High School, prompting Sunset to ask Dream Warper to help, but Sweetie Void is the one to see it and forces the portal open to help?
11694191
I guess that I will see. I already have a lot of difficulty writing the current story, so starting a new one... The one shots may be good. Maybe omakes.
11694198
Mmh... I don't think that this will work. Remember that the humans of the EQ worlds have colored skin, which isn't the case of the other worlds.
11694233
hence why I called it "questionable at best."
EDIT: but in the interest of at least discussion, maybe the magic from the portal has Canterlot City and a portion of the area around affected in a way that masks itself or fades when leaving the area?
That opens a different can of worms entirely, though, so my sincere hope is that you don't go for it.
11693984
Sorry to jump topics every comment, but I would just like a bit of clarification.
Will you be editing to explain it or leave it as is for whatever reason?
My personal one being that she didn't notice during team building or realize it at the time of presenting Smily and the rest to her friends.
11694539
I already edited it.
11694723
ok.
Trailers for the Super Mario RPG remake and the new Princess Peach game, titled "Princess Peach: Showtime!" dropped in a Nintendo Direct today.
All I ask is your attention towards them and the Direct in whole, really.
11694758
I played the original Super Mario RPG, and I like that they added the actions like in the modern Mario RPG games. It will make the battles more dynamic. Also, the Princess Peach game looks very fun with the transformations and the various minigames that will result of them.
Very excited for the Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door remaster. Many must have cried at this. Best Paper Mario of the saga.
11694811
Princess Peach: Showtime! is my personal highlight, because I like unique ability-archetypes, and the idea of the costume providing both power and skill is one I'm surprised I never considered.
Though I highly doubt that the events or aftermath of the game itself will be appearing in this fic until after the ending is known publicly, for one reason or another.
If at all, which, considering how much you already have to deal with here, I kind of hope it doesn't happen.
I just had an idea for Fallout.
Why not add in a tribute to Fallout: Equestria?
11695911
I haven't read Fallout: Equestria, or any other story in this universe. It never interested me.
11695914
Fair enough.
Also my idea of Blackjack from Fallout: Equestria Horizons being the representative might not have gone over well, considering her drinking problem and... upbringing.
question:
Is the Pokemon world gonna make any more appearances as the setting in the story after the Paper Mario and Super Metroid arcs?
I don't see any reason for it to, but you're the author.
Alternatively, you can just not answer my question.
11696757
For the second saga of the story, no. For the future sagas, I don't know.
Thanks for pointing out the "its" instead of "his".
2 Questions:
1) Is it plausible for Sweetie Void to get her own keyblade?
2) If so, what do you think it would look like? I already know what its name should be, at least IMO.
11698157
1) I don't know.
2) No idea. Probably a black keyblade.
11698434
eh, more likely, it would be a new keyblade for Sora FROM Sweetie Void, anyway.
Either way, I think the name, "Hero at Heart" makes for a nice keyblade name, don't you?
11698627
Yeah, it's a great name!
I don't know if anyone already gave this idea but if you don't want to spend an entire year in the persona universe you could also do the events of Persona 5 strikers (Only lasts a summer vacation I believe) instead of the main Persona 5 game
I was watching a blind playtrough of Mario 64 and I wonder... Could Sweetie Belle or Apple Death have the patience to run for all the stars?
11698729
I need to get this out before it burns a whole in my head.
Sweetie Void takes one of the three Sunset's and their friends (after they discuss nicknames) to a new universe after making sure it's safe.
DD apparently feels like anime that day and ends up sending Sweetie Void into the Persona universe either right at the start of or a bit before the events of Strikers.
11698729
11698771
Maybe I will do that (not sure for the Sunsets and co), but I don't know. Still have to watch the walkthroughs.
11698740
They would have it easy, so I don't think that it would be a problem for them.
11698909
I was just getting it out so it didn't bug me all day.
EDIT: Also, looking back through the series represented in Smash Ultimate in some form or fashion, there are no shortage of universes to implement the Rainbooms into an adventure, with varying degrees of difficulty, though you might already know that.
Provided the human Rarity's get over the detail that a version of her little sister is RISKING LIFE AND LIMB on a daily basis.
11698909
Easy could be, but I could guess is more like the tedious thing of trying to find the stars, unless they take it as a vacation or a game, above all some stars that could be hard to find and more if they limit themselves.
11698909
If you are looking for a walkthrough I would recommend JohneAwesome he is the one who's let's play I watched.
11699498
Thanks.
11698913
They can just use that exact phrase and have her demonstrate her regenerative abilities. Maybe have Starlight mention the time she reduced Discord to atoms with no lasting effect (which is canon, by the way).