Paper Mario: Brotherhood is Harmony

by wingdingaling

Chapter 5: Ill Wind Blowing

Ponyville was usually a cheery place. But ever since the explosion in Canterlot, everypony had been on edge.
Now, as a light shone from within the Golden Oaks Library, the nearby ponies paused to watch. Their awe varied from wariness to wonder. Whatever was happening in their local library, it surely was not natural.
Inside, Mario, Luigi, Peach, Spike, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Big Macintosh and Granny Smith watched the image on the magical map. The projection of the mountain range seemed to beckon them to it. Wherever that was, they all knew it was where their journey would begin.
"I guess that's my cue to leave," Mario said, as he hitched up his overalls and sucked in his gut.
"Now? But, we don't even know where that is," Peach pointed out.
"I do. That's the Saddlesore Mountains," Spike said.
"Then that's where I'm going next," the plumber resolutely said.
Everything was falling into its usual place. Mario had something to find, and a place to find it. Now, it was time for the plumber to answer the call to action.
“Yer goin’ where? Now, hold on there just one second, youngun. I had my fair share o’ long journeys, an’ I’m tellin’ ya that you ain’t goin’ nowhere just yet,” Granny Smith said.
“Don’t worry about me, nonna. I got everything under control here,” Mario said, as he walked toward the door.
No sooner did he finish speaking did Mario trip over one of the stacks of books Spike had gotten out before he entered the library.
Peach sighed quietly, before she knelt down to help her fallen boyfriend to his feet.
“She’s right, Mario. You should probably prepare yourself, before going to those mountains," the Mushroom princess said.
“Yeah. And besides that, you got nobody to go with you,” Luigi added.
“Aw, you guys worry too much. I’ve worked with less, and still came out okay,” Mario assured the others.
“But, you don’t know what you’ll be facing in these places. This country is very different than the Mushroom Kingdom. Who knows what you’ll be up against here,” Peach reasoned.
Mario thought a moment about what Peach had said. He was so used to this routine by this point, that he hadn’t stopped to think just how greatly different Equestria could be from his home. Going it alone without help was sure to be a handicap and a liability to himself. He would need a guide. Someone knowledgeable of the land, who could tell him about the dangers to avoid, and pull him out of a tight spot. Someone capable, who could handle themselves in a fight. Someone who was with him since the beginning of the story, who had already shown these qualities, and had an ability to ‘tattle,’ or something quite similar--
“I’ll go!” Spike abruptly spoke up.
Everyone in the room jumped from the dragon’s sudden outburst. Granny Smith’s old legs folded beneath her, and had to be straightened out by Big Macintosh.
Peach was the most surprised of all. After losing sight of him at the Gala, she was not prepared to let him rush into danger again.
“Spike, no. I promised Twilight that I would keep you safe, and--” Peach began, before she was cut off.
“I know it’s dangerous. But, I have just as much reason to go as anypony else. Twilight--” Spike faltered a moment, when he recalled the last moment he saw her. “Twilight’s been looking after me since I was hatched. She’s always been there for me, and…” Spike trailed off again, recalling the hostile feelings between them before arriving in Canterlot. But, for what they were feeling then, it could not erase what had been there in the many years before. “I just have to do it. I couldn’t say I was her friend if I didn’t.”
“Regardless, I still have my own responsibilities to uphold,” Peach said.
Spike’s mind raced for a reason to go with Mario.
“But, none of you know Equestria like we do. Mario would be lost without somepony to guide him. I’ve already faced the Koopa Troop. I can handle myself,” Spike said.
It was true. Spike had held his own against the empowered Koopa Troop. For the turmoil they had faced the night before, Peach thought that they all seemed a little bit stronger by the morning. However, she still could not in good conscience break the promise she made.
“Why don’t I look after him?” Mario suggested.
“Would you do that?” Peach asked.
“Sure. I’ve looked after youngsters before. One of them that had just hatched even helped me rescue you from the Shadow Queen, remember?”
It was true. Mario did have quite a touch when it came to children. Even in the most dangerous situations, he always managed to keep them safe. Though she wished for Spike’s safety, her sensibilities for aid in Mario’s quest, and the trust in her boyfriend helped her to reluctantly make up her mind.
“Alright,” Peach conceded, “Mario, I’m putting Spike in your care. And I trust you to look after him the same way I would.”
“Hey, you don’t have anything to worry about. I’m great with kids,” the plumber assured.
“This means no deliberately running to danger, no having him do anything you could do yourself--” Peach said.
“No leaving him behind while you do all the work,” Luigi chimed in.
“No actin’ like you gotta do everything, just ‘cause yer older,” Apple Bloom added.
“Yeah,” Luigi said.
“Alright, already! Just let me get going!” Mario said.
Spike knew this was his big chance. He was hardly ever allowed to go on adventures before, and now he was traveling with one of the world’s most renowned heroes.
His excitement overthrew him. The dragon jumped onto the table, and triumphantly raised his fist.
“Yeah! Let’s do this!” he said

"Now wait just a durn minute," Granny Smith interrupted.
The sudden interjection made Spike lose his balance, and fall off the table.
Mario winced. So far, it didn’t seem like a good start to looking after the dragon. The look on Granny’s face made the plumber think that she felt the same way.
“If yer gonna mosey off to some outpost fer Celestia-knows-what, ya ain’t goin’ without supplies,” the old mare finished.
“Sorry, Granny. But, we don’t have time to shop,” Spike said, as Mario picked him up and set him on his feet.
"Which is why old Granny's gonna give ya these. On the house," Granny said as she reached into her mane, and produced a plate of apple fritters, a few slices of apple pie, and a pan of apple crisp. "Never leave home without 'em. An' you'd be smart to do the same."
"Hey, thanks. First the cannoli, then this. It's my lucky day," Mario said, feeling slightly better, despite the turmoil that surely awaited him.
"You just hustle yer bustles out there, porky. And if'n ya ever need anything, y'all just stop by Sweet Apple Acres. Or, my grandkids can sell ya their wares from the apple stand," Granny said
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh said. It was plain to see that Granny had forgotten the issue of Applejack's absence, and was still unsure how to tell her about it.
Everything seemed set, and Spike was ready to embark on the journey.
"Alright! We're finally ready to go," the dragon said as he rushed out the door.
"Hey! Wait up!" Mario called, as he ran after him. Before he even left the door, he stopped briefly to talk to the others. "Okay, I'm heading out now. Peach, stay safe while I'm gone."
"Of course I will," Peach answered.
"Big Macintosh, keep some supplies for me if I need them."
"Eeyup," the large stallion answered.
"And Luigi... You... hold things down while I'm gone."
Luigi only answered with a groan as he slumped into a chair, once again ready to be left out.
"See you guys later," and Mario left the room.
Now that Mario had gone, things were truly underway.
Peach thought that now would be a good time to start aiding Mario in her own way. Even though she was not as experienced in the same field as her beloved plumber, she knew she could just as easily help him from afar, just as she had done before.
"Now then, I think it's time we all started trying to learn more of what's happening," Peach said as she sat down to read more of the book that Spike had gotten.
“How?” Sweetie Belle wondered.
“I suppose we’ll start by trying to find any books about magic, or about dragons,” the Mushroom princess answered.
It didn’t sound like much, but the fillies agreed, not knowing what else they could do at the moment.
“Let’s go look for more books on the shelves,” Scootaloo said, as she Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom trotted toward the many books that were lain about.
With the others busy, Granny and Big Macintosh took it upon themselves to go do what they could, and set up their apple stand.
Everybody was doing their part. Everybody, but Luigi, whose sole task was to ‘hold things down’ while his brother was gone.
He knew he could be a more useful asset than what it seemed everyone else thought of him. But, there was not much else for him to do, other than look through the books with the others. So, with a sigh, Luigi picked up the nearest book and started reading.
Even as he tried to take his mind off of getting shafted for what felt like the hundredth time since he went to Peach’s castle, his eyes lingered on the magical map on the table.
Mario was always taking the initiative for the next adventure, and never bothered to ask little brother Luigi to go along. It was things like that which made Luigi feel as if he only had fans for pity’s sake.
That was, except for fans like Fluttershy, who genuinely admired and related to him.
As he looked at the foggy, blotted out parts of the map, Luigi imagined what more there was to be seen there, and whether Mario could handle it all on his own this time. For the sake of the new friends he made in Equestria, he hoped so.

Once they were outside, Mario and Spike immediately began making their plans to reach their destination.
“When we get to the mountains, I’m going to give whatever’s waiting for us there what-for! They’re going to wish they never messed with Equestria!” Spike said, as he quickened his pace ahead.
He was stopped by Mario’s hand on top of his head.
“First thing’s first, paisano: we got to find a way to get there,” the plumber said.
“Uh, yeah. Right,” Spike said, realizing then just how far ahead of himself he was getting. “So, how do you usually get to where you’re going?”
“I usually just take what gets me there the fastest. Even if it means just walking.”
“Walking!? The Saddlesore Mountains are miles from here! Our feet would crimp by the time we reached them!” the dragon said.
“Okay, too far. You got a green pipe set up somewhere around here?” Mario asked.
“We only just started installing them, after your princess started visiting ours. Even if we found one, I don’t know if it would go anywhere useful.”
“Well, we have to think of something. If we don’t this kingdom’s doomed.”
The plumber’s words struck a chord to Spike. He knew what was on the line, after watching his friends save his home so many times, he knew time was of the essence. Fortunately, there was always the one service that took anypony anywhere.
“I know just the thing! Come on! Let’s go to the train station!” Spike declared, as he ran ahead.
“Hey! Hey! Hold up! I can jump high, but I stink at running!” Mario called after the young dragon.

There was a loud chugging at the Ponyville train station, as the most recently arrived locomotive pulled away.
Now that the train was leaving, the attendant at the booth was able to take some time to play his new favorite game on his 3DS. He used his magic to start up the tiny console, and got ready to get lost in a world of haunted mansions and tricky ghosts.
“Wait! Wait! Hold that train!” a voice called out.
The stallion attending the booth placed his 3DS under his counter, and looked up to address the newcomers.
The first thing he noticed was a human in blue overalls jogging toward him. But, the attendant was taken completely by surprise when all of a sudden, a tiny dragon leapt up, and plastered himself against the glass of his booth.
“Where’s that train going?!” Spike said.
“That train’s going to Manehattan. Sorry, but you’ll have to wait if you want to get there without walking,” the attendant answered.
“That’s okay. We just need to get to the Saddlesore Mountains, anyway,” Mario said.
The attendant glanced curiously at both of the hopeful travelers before him.
“What do you want to go to the mountains for? Word has it there’s a whole lot of weird stuff going on there, since Canterlot blew up,” the attendant answered.
“That’s why we’re going,” Mario huffed, trying to catch his breath. “When does the train for the mountains leave?”
“Not for another month. We only send supplies to the outpost up there when the schedule calls for it. Last shipment for them was a week ago, so you boys are out of luck.”
Things were starting to look pretty bleak. But, Mario knew that where there was a will, there was a way.
“Is there any other way we can get there? Balloons? Taxis? A huge bird?” the plumber asked.
The attendant stared briefly at Mario for a moment, before he answered.
“I don’t know about any birds, but there’s a half-finished green pipe around here that’s supposed to go to the Saddlesore Outpost. But, that thing’s not supposed to be done, until two weeks from now.”
Spike didn’t know why he thought of it before. Twilight had been corresponding with the Royal Sisters for weeks for a way to save fuel on the Friendship Express. After meeting their new friend from the Mushroom Kingdom, it seemed they had found a way to better allocate their resources on the railway.
“This is great! Where’s that pipe?” Spike said.
“The construction crew’s been installing it over there. But, I don’t know where they keep the switch to bring it up,” the attendant answered.
Mario looked to where the attendant had pointed, and saw a familiar sight of a yellow square with a darker yellow circle in the center. There was their ticket to continuing their adventure.
“Okay, let me think: if they were going to keep a switch somewhere, it would have to be somewhere out of the way, where nopony would accidentally set it off. A spot that nopony goes to very often--” Spike said.
Mario had done this drill before. He already knew the exact train of thought the dragon was riding, and looked to the nearest tree by the pipe’s pad.
As Spike carried on, Mario walked over to the tree without the dragon’s notice. He looked up into the branches, and saw something dome-shaped and colored blue. That was what he would need.
Taking his hammer from his pocket, Mario wound up his arms, and swung hard at the trunk.
Spike jumped from the sudden noise, and saw the plumber standing beneath the tree as flecks of green confetti fell from the branches.
“What are you doing?” the dragon asked.
“I’m getting our switch down,” Mario said, as he swung again.
More confetti fell from the tree, and the plumber could see the blue object jump down to the lower branches.
One more hit would do it. Just the same as always, these things were done in threes.
Mario hit the tree’s trunk again, and the object fell. But, it as not what he had expected.
Instead of a blue switch, what fell from the tree was a stark blue egg, almost as big as Spike was.
“Mamma mia! What’s that doing in this tree?” Mario said.
“Some huge bird laid it there, I guess. But, wherever it is now, it’s not going to get us to the Saddlesore Mountains,” Spike said.
Mario grumbled at the dragon’s response.
“But, anyway, I think you should check the roof of the train station. I think I can see something shining up there,” Spike continued.
When the plumber looked, he saw the dragon was indeed correct. There was something blue and shining on top of the train station.
“Always listen to the tattletail,” Mario thought to himself.
Mario walked to the side of the train station, followed by Spike, and jumped onto the crates, luggages and trolleys that were stacked there. With only a few short jumps, they were on the roof, and the blue switch was in their sights.
Wasting no time, Mario drew his hammer again, and whacked the switch firmly on top.
There was a brief rumble down on the ground below. The dark circle on the yellow square peeled away like a sticker, and allowed the green, cardboard pipe to sprout from the ground like a sapling.
“Now, we’re in business,” Mario said, as he pocketed his hammer. “Come on, paisan. Let’s get to those mountains.”
Mario jumped down from the top of the roof, and started walking to the pipe. Behind him, he heard a loud thud, and saw Spike had landed on his face.
“Oh, shoot. You okay?” Mario asked, as he picked Spike up, cracked him like a rug to shake the dust from him, and set him on his feet.
“Yeah. I guess I’m just not as good at jumping as you are,” Spike said, shaking his head.
“Don’t let it get you down, paisano. Even I had a few stumbles when I started. Heck, I couldn’t even fall from my own height without needing a 1-up shroom,” the plumber said.
They walked over to the green pipe. Spike jumped up to the pipe’s lip and looked inside.
“So, how do these pipes work," Spike asked, having never used one himself.
"It's easy. Just jump in and let the pipe do the rest. Like this," Mario said.
The plumber jumped to the top of the pipe, and went spinning down.
It seemed simple enough to Spike. He climbed up to the top, and warily looked into the dark void inside. In a moment, his mind flashed to the peril all of Equestria was in, and dove in without another thought.
The dragon went spinning down, and disappeared after the plumber.
At the attendant’s booth, the stallion had been playing his 3DS, and in a moment noticed the resemblance of the game’s protagonist to the human he was just speaking to.
"Hey, wasn't that..." the attendant wondered aloud. He looked at his 3DS, then mentally compared the two characters he had seen. "Naw. That guy didn't have a vacuum cleaner. Looked like a Luigi fan though. Just needs a green shirt, and he's a dead ringer."

In the distant Saddlesore Mountains, a gusty breeze blew from the peaks, to the mountain faces, to the winding trails where few would ever tread.
One breeze found its way down to the foot of the mountain, where the cardboard ground started to bulge upward.
In a moment, the bulging ground lifted, as if it were cut away in a perfect circle. A green pipe rose from the ground, and the cardboard ground atop it blew away in the wind.
Seconds later, Mario jumped from the opening in the pipe, and landed on the ground.
Now that he had arrived, the plumber was able to take in his surroundings, as his body flapped in the breeze. The first thing that he noticed was that they were not anywhere near the outpost on the mountains, but at the foot of the corrugated mountain itself. Shortly after, he was followed by Spike, who popped out of the pipe, and landed on his rump.
"How'd you like the pipe, paisan," Mario asked the young dragon.
"That was better than flying," Spike said, as he straightened his tail, which had been crimped when he landed.
"You know what's better than that? Traveling by whale."
"You rode on a whale's back," Spike said with a twinkle in his eye, "What was that like?"
Mario was always willing to convey a story to a fan, so he decided to oblige Spike. Sometimes, when a pipe was broken, or still under construction, the people riding them only ended up near where they intended to go. Much like how the plumber once intended to take a faulty underground pipe to Petalburg, but ended up in Petal Meadows. Passing the time by talking to Spike would be enough to keep him occupied during the trek.
Until calamity inevitably struck.
The breeze began blowing harder, shaking Mario and Spike harder.
“Feels like the winds picking up. We better move quick,” Mario said.
And that was all the plumber had time to say, when a furious gale blew from the mountain with a loud whoosh.
“WA-AH-AH-AAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!" Mario shouted, as he was spun around by the wind.
Spike dug his claws into the ground, and braced himself against the sudden squall.
Every second the wind passed, it felt as it it would blow the paint out of their bodies. Mario drew his hammer, and slammed it to the ground, using the weight of it to stop himself from spinning anymore.
“I think the guy at the train station understated how bad it was here!” Mario shouted to Spike over the wind.
But, they couldn’t let the wind stop them. They had come to the Saddlesore Mountains to uncover the secrets that the map had revealed to them, and they would not be stopped by the hazardous wind.
As they trudged onward the trail, there came a sound of flapping wings. Looking to the source, Mario and Spike saw a formidable sight.
High above on the trail, near a sheer face of a mountain, a lone griffin was flapping her wings against the powerful gusts. Such a thing would have seemed suicidal to any spectator, but this griffin seemed to be flying against the wind just as powerfully, as if she had more strength within her wings than what was natural.
Mario thought they were in luck. Someone else was on the mountain, who may have been able to help them. If only the griffin hadn’t been suddenly attacked.
From around one of the cardboard peaks, something large and black came careening toward the lone griffin. Whatever it was, its shape was at once familiar and foreign to Mario, and the way that it crashed into the griffin brought back all too many memories of being blown away by an errant bullet bill.
It’s work done, the flying projectile flew back around the mountain from whence it came, and disappeared.
The lone griffin started blowing away on the breeze like a piece of loose leaf. And she was quickly falling toward the direction of the dragon and the plumber.
“Hurry up, paisan! We got to help her!” Mario said, as he trudged on as best he could.
Spike quickly followed, holding onto Mario’s leg, as they made their way up the mountain trail.
As the wind battered them from the front, Mario took hold of his dragon companion, and barely managed to jump up to the nearest rocky ledge.
With each perilous jump, the dragon and plumber made their way up the face of the sheer wall. Looking down, Spike saw how high up they had gone, and felt his edges shudder against the wind.
Soon, they were at an appropriate height to intercept the unfortunate griffin. Mario held tightly to the wall, and extended his other arm out, hammer in hand.
“Grab on!” the plumber shouted to the oncoming griffin.
Spike quickly caught on to the plumber’s plan, and decided to lend his helping claw. He started by climbing up onto Mario’s shoulder.
“Hey! What are you doing!?” the plumber shouted.
Spike crawled out to the edge of the hammer, and reached out to the griffin, as she blew toward them. Flapping in the breeze, he tried to steady himself as best he could
“Here!” the dragon shouted.
Once the griffin was upon them Spike reached out further, and felt his claw clasped tightly by griffin’s talons.
There was not even a glance of affirmed gratitude. The very second the griffin was stabilized and oriented, she flapped her wings and went flying into the wind. With Spike still holding onto her.
Mario quickly grabbed onto Spike with his free hand, and went flying away with him.
The plumber and dragon shouted loudly as they were flown through the windy passages of the mountain. Were there no wind, it seemed they could have flown at a speed Spike knew would make Rainbow Dash jealous.
Looking up, Mario saw the face of the griffin giving them their ride. Her beak was clenched, and her eyes were narrowed. She was determined to get up the mountain at any cost, no matter what came her way.
Over the howling wind, a loud rumble was heard. Looking to the source, all three fliers saw the cardboard of the mountain breaking off, revealing the corrugation underneath as the heavy chunks fell down.
Mario used his weapon arm to ready his hammer to bat away the oncoming hazard, only to find it was not necessary.
With a sudden swerve, the griffin deftly dodged the oncoming boulders, and whirled her way through the avalanche.
As soon as she had passed by the wall of rock, the next one the griffin passed by started falling apart again.
It was dizzying and disorienting for the two passengers, who began to suspect that there was nothing natural about the avalanche that had just happened. Neither Mario nor Spike knew which was more dangerous: braving the mountain on their own, or holding onto the griffin.
But soon, the griffin flew past the danger again. Spike heard her chuckle victoriously, as if there were nothing on the mountain that could challenge her. Until the winds stopped abruptly.
With the sudden lull in resistance, the griffin was able to speed ahead full throttle, and had no way of perceiving the wall she flew into with a loud thud.
Three deep indentations were made in the wall, each in the shape of a plumber, a dragon and a griffin. And with an audible peel, they all fell off and went drifting to the ground below.
Mario had landed on his head, and his foot twitched weakly. But, it was only seconds that he was able to fold over to his feet.
“Mamma mia...There goes half of my spine right there…” Mario groaned, as he cracked his back. It was not enough to stop it completely from aching, though.
Nearby, Spike too stood up, and shook his head lucid.
“I still have all of my paint, don’t I?” the dragon wondered.
“Don’t worry, paisan. You’re as unhurt as when you just hatched,” the plumber assured.
“I don’t remember hatching being this painful…”
Nearby, deep, ragged breaths were heard. Looking to the source, the two saw the griffin standing up. Now that they had a quick reprieve Mario and Spike were able to look over the newcomer.
From what Spike could discern, she was quite young. Almost the same age as Twilight, if not a year or two older. Her fur and her feathers were colored tan and brown, which made the orange vest and white scarf she wore stand out greatly. But, that was not what worried Spike. They way her beak was clenched, and how her talons were dug into the ground made her seem as if she were about to attack. And with the impressive speed and maneuverability she had demonstrated, she would surely prove to be a formidable opponent.
Mario was about to go check on the griffin, before Spike stopped him.
“I think we should be careful here,” the dragon whispered.
The plumber nodded, and simply addressed her, while Spike cautiously hid behind his legs.
“Hey. Are you okay?” he said.
The griffin shook her body, ruffling her feathers and fluffing her fur.
“Yeah. I’m good,” she said.”Thanks for the help.”
“Actually, he’s the one who had the idea to climb way out and grab you,” Mario said, indicating Spike.
" Well, thanks again."
The dragon peered out from behind Mario, and saw the griffin look directly at him. He didn’t know why, but he felt a shiver down his scales when she did.
“Come on, little dude. I’m not going to hurt you. Come out and say hi,” the griffin said.
Just looking at her, Spike could feel something rattling under his scales. Whatever it was, it made him slowly retreat behind Mario.
The griffin simply smiled, before continuing their pleasantries.
“So, I’m betting you two aren’t just here for the scenery, are you?” she said.
“Yeah. We came here looking for something. We just don’t know what yet,” Mario answered.
“Nopony seems to. Some more guys came by here looking for that thing, before you got here.”
“Is that who knocked you out of the air?” Spike asked, peering out from behind Mario.
“No. Those guys are probably getting blown around somewhere on the mountain. I don’t know what the hay that other thing was.”
“I think it would be a good idea if you stayed with us. Just in case we run into some more danger around here,” Mario suggested.
“That’s alright. Every explorer has to make their mark somehow. And I’m going to make mine by finishing this expedition solo,” the griffin said, before spreading her wings. “Really nice meeting you guys, but I got to motor. Later.”
And with a flap of her wings, the griffin was gone.
The wind started rustling in the distance, and Mario and Spike knew they had to get going.
It was only after their first couple of steps that they heard the griffin screaming.
Readying themselves for the worst, the plumber and dragon rushed to the aid of the griffin.