//------------------------------//
// Siege on Bowser's Ca-...He's Back Again!? That's It! I'm Done! 
// Story: My Little Paper Mario 
// by Codex92 
//------------------------------//

"Ok, guys. It's the home stretch," Twilight said as she looked over the map. They were getting close to the top of Bowser's floating fortress, only a long hall, a short room, and a climb up a flight of stairs until they reached the roof and the entrance to Peach's Castle. "Let's hope we breached through Bowser's last lines of defense."

As they walked down the long hallway, about halfway through, the party stopped when they saw someone at the other end. All of them gasped in surprise when they saw Princess Peach, her hands pressed against the door as she panted like she had escaped from her own castle.

"Princess Peach!?" the Mane Six exclaimed, the princess turning around in shock, only to be relieved when she saw her saviors.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she said. They ran up to her, Mario greatly concerned as he asked her if he was ok. "I'm fine, Mario. I'm just so glad you're here to rescue me."

"What about Bowser?" Goombario asked. "How did you manage to get out of the castle?"

"I saw a chance to flee and took it," Peach said, although Applejack raised a brow, somehow able to tell what she was saying was a lie. "No need to fight anymore now that I'm safe, right? Let's head back home."

"But we can't just leave!" Twilight insisted. "Bowser has the Star Rod! We have to stop him before he gets too powerful!"

"Oh, we don't have to worry about that," Peach said. "I also snatched that Star Rod and threw it out the window."

Jaws dropped in shock, hearing Peach do something that crazy to a powerful artifact, but Applejack's gut feeling seemed to be true as she raised a brow. "...Ya did what now?"

"Yeah. Just threw it out the nearest open window so he won't ever have to use it again." Now the rest of the group began to grow suspicious. Mario knew full well Peach was a smart girl, able to have outsmarted Bowser and his guards in the past couple weeks and get them information to where the next Star Spirit was if they didn't know where to go next. Even the Mane Six knew Peach wasn't this airheaded, and they knew her for only a couple hours before Bowser intervened. "Now, let's go before anymore of Bowser's soldiers show up and take me away again."

Peach tried to walk past them, but Applejack cut her off. "Now hold on just an apple pickin' minute, 'Princess Peach'," she said. "If ya knew how powerful the Star Rod was, and if ya threw it how, then how come ya didn't think somepony else in the Mushroom Kingdom would misuse the free wishes it can grant?"

"...Uhh...W-Well, it probably fell in the middle of town," Peach reasoned. "I don't have a good throwing arm."

Applejack hummed curiously, keeping a stern glare on the princess, making sure to watch for any facial twitches when she spoke. "...Ok...Ya do know who we are, right 'Peach'? Mah friends and Ah met ya durin' that party y'all were throwin' when we ended up in your castle by Twilight's spell that went haywire."

"O-Oh, yes! Of course I remember that!" Peach said, grinning nervously.

"Then ya must know our names," Applejack said. "We knew about each other for a while before Mario showed up."

"Well, of course I know your names!" Peach looked at the mares and was about to say their names, only to pause as she had no clue. They waited for a response, but when they were met with silence after a while, it was clearly obvious that something was really wrong. "...Uhh...I-I do know your names, and it's quite obvious what they are!...Because I know you six...animals?"

"We're ponies," Applejack corrected. As Peach turned to face Applejack, she was met with a hard buck in the stomach by the apple farmer, knocking the wind out of her and sending her smacking into the wall in a crumpled heap. "And y'all ain't the princess!"

A puff of smoke suddenly billowed around Peach, revealing a Duplighost as he groaned in agony. "W-What gave me away?"

"I believe the first thing that screwed you over was how you said you escaped from Bowser," Lakilester said. "Someone who knew what was going on up there told us Bowser knew we were coming, so that meant he's got her tied up in her castle. Peach couldn't have just found a way to 'escape' as soon as we breached the front gates."

"And 'throwing the Star Rod out the nearest open window'?" Kooper restated. "Seriously? Peach wouldn't even think of throwing it away if she did manage to swipe it out of Bowser's claws! She'd use it against him and end his takeover!"

"And you called us animals!" Rarity shrieked. "She knew our names and who we are, and you have the nerve to call us animals like every other ungrateful follower of that horrid brute you call your king!"

"You were going to trick us and lure us away, but as soon as our backs were turned, you were going to ambush us with your Duplighost friends," Twilight added.

Behind them, three more puffs of smoke revealed the Duplighosts as they hid among the walls like chameleons, their king's backup plan clearly failing. "Well, that hit's the nail on the head," Bow said.

Clearly outnumbered and heavily outmatched, even if they transformed into one of them to try confuse them as they attacked, they hurried past the group and grabbed their wheezing friend, letting out a creepy wail of fear as they ran away. "Can we finally stop facing things that turn into anypony?" Rainbow pleaded. "I'm getting sick of tricks and disguises trying to throw us off!"

"Well, let's hope that's all we'll have to face," Bombette said.

"No. There's worse," Kooper said, having a gut feeling they'll encounter the Koopa Bros. again.

They passed through the door the Duplighost impersonating Peach was near and continued onward. The next room had the same exact design where they confronted the guard door, hopefully encountering it and its crazy schemes to try to stop them.

"You all again?" the door questioned. "I guess nothing's going to stop you at this point. But, this is going to be the end of your little adventure."

"Whatever test you've got planned for us here, then bring it on!" Rainbow goaded.

"Well your luck has surely run out," the door said with a smirk. "Come on out, boys! Time to knock some heads in!"

Jumping in as they hid in the shadows in the corners of the room, four familiar Koopa Troopas stood in their way as they landed in a row. "Surprise, Kooper!" Red Ninjakoopa greeted, he, Black, Yellow, and Green standing up and posed in their signature stance.

"...Oh...These bozos," Bombette grumbled. "Forgot about them."

"You'll be remembering us well enough when we floor you, you ticking time bomb!" Red exclaimed, pointing his finger at Bombette. "Won't cause us anymore problems after we rip off your key and fuse from your round, pink body."

"Try me, slave driver!" she exclaimed, her fuse sparking a little as she prepared herself to run up to the Koopas and blow up on them.

"If you can beat the Koopa Bros., then maybe I'll let you pass," the guard door said. "I highly doubt you'll be able to beat them, though."

Twilight, Kooper, Goombario, Bombette, and Mario looked at each other, highly doubting that the first of Bowser's toughest followers could stop them again, and with there being more allies in their group. "...You're kidding us, right?" Goombario questioned aloud. "The Koopa Bros. are going to try to stop us? Seriously? I don't know if we should laugh at them or pity them."

"Zip it, you burnt-up mushroom!" Black said.

"We're way different than the last time!" Yellow added.

"Since Kammy got us out of that cell those Bob-ombs trapped us in, we've been training our tails off every single day!" Green boasted.

"Bet you thought we would be stuck in there forever, right, Kooper?" Red asked.

"I had a feeling it wouldn't last long," Kooper said. "Those Lakitu in Flower Fields mentioned you guys. But even if you've gotten stronger, it doesn't matter. You're still going down, and we're passing through that door."

Red growled, taking the challenge as both Koopas stared each other down. "I told you I was going to get my revenge," he said. Red then pulled out the blue bandanna Kooper had dropped into the cell after their defeat. "Not only for you kicking our butts over that cell, but for leaving us. I'm not even going to try to ask you to come back anymore after you gave this up." He gripped the bandanna in both hands, tearing it in half, then threw the torn halves at Kooper. "You made your choice."

"I made my choice years ago." Kooper lowered himself into a fighting stance, no longer caring about the accessory he gave up that ended his faith in his former friends.

"Bring it on," Red uttered, he and the other Koopa Bros. getting in their stances as they prepared for a deadly rematch. "We're no longer the Koopa Bros. We're the Super Ultra Mighty Koopa Bros., the Great!"

"That's even more ridiculous than your own group name alone," Bow commented.

"Uhh, working title?" Yellow responded.

"UUUAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!"



Before the fight even began, everyone looked back at the doorway the heroes had just entered. "Uhh, what was that?" the door asked.

"Oh Sweet Suffering Shy Guys!" Goombario whined, recognizing the annoying yell. "You cannot be serious!"

The door burst open as none other than Jr. Troopa barged in, screaming wildly during his dynamic entry. The mares and Mushroom Kingdom heroes leapt to the side, avoiding the irate Koopa child as he ran in. The Koopa Bros. were caught off guard as he ran toward them, the four Koopas screaming as Jr. Troopa ended up pummeling them, a cloud of dust kicking up around the brawl. The group looked at each other, completely flabbergasted by the young Koopa's appearance, while the door stared, highly confused at what was happening. After getting a thorough beating, Jr. Troopa flung the Koopa Bros. across the room, sending them smacking into the wall and falling over each other in a crumpled heap.

"Finally! I've found you once again, Mario!" Jr. Troopa exclaimed, pointing at the plumber.

"Not again," everyone groaned in irritation, Mario facepalming at the worst possible time for the eggshelled Koopa Troopa to appear.

"Jr. Troopa, go away!" Goombario exclaimed. "We're in the middle of saving the Mushroom Kingdom, and we don't need your stupid grudge getting in our way!"

"Just how many times are you going to keep doing this, even after you keep losing?" Twilight asked, practically pleading the Koopa to stop hunting Mario down. "Don't you ever learn to quit while you're ahead?"

"How about when he's supposed to quit when he barely got ahead in the first place?" Bow questioned.

"I'm not back down until I get my revenge! REVENGE!!!!" Jr. Troopa shouted. "I'm settling my score with you once and for all, Mario! And not one of your friends is going to interfere this time, like that purple llama!"

"Ok, do those who lack any cognitive thought constantly hear the correct thing and it goes out the other ear?" Twilight questioned, her eye twitching angrily. "How many times do we have to tell you we're not any creature you call us when we keep telling you WE'RE PONIES!?!?!?!?"

"Like I care what you are!" Jr. Troopa said. He looked at Rarity, his attitude making a complete U-turn as he gazed at the unicorn with a lovestruck gaze. "Except for you, my white goddess from the heavens."

"Your flattery isn't winning you any favors," Rarity said, giving the Koopa a blank stare. "You keep attacking my friends, so why should I even show you any respect when you don't show the same to them?"

"Fear not, my angel! I'll sweep you off your feet and keep you away from those donkeys!" Jr. Troopa said, making Rarity growl in irritation.

"I do not like you at all, you boorish little ingrate!" Rarity shouted. "You are nothing but a little monster getting in our way when there are more important matters WE have to deal with to keep everypony in this kingdom from suffering under Bowser's tyranny! And he could crush you under his giant feet because he's more powerful than you are!" The Koopa tried to speak, but Rarity kept his lips shut with her magic as she continued scolding him. "No! I am not going to hear anymore of your 'smooth talk', because none of it has, or ever will, win me over! Not a single female will even come close to you with that spoiled attitude of yours! So, you listen to me very clearly: I will never, EVER, like an immature child like you, not even in a thousand years!"

Jr. Troopa could move his mouth again, but he was stunned silent. He lowered his head dejectedly, greatly disappointed as something finally went through the insane Koopa child's head.

"...I-I see," he muttered. After hanging his head in sadness for only a brief minute, he looked up and glared at Mario, pointing a finger at him again. "Now I see why you don't share my affections! Mario stole your heart from me!"

Everyone fell over and let out a yell in exasperation, their hope talking down Jr. Troopa failing immediately. Even the door with Bowser's face had no idea how to react, still shocked to see a small Koopa, still in his egg, had beaten the tar out of the Koopa Bros. without even getting the chance to see their improved skills since their defeat.

"So much for that," Rainbow groaned.

"He's not gonna listen," Pinkie said. "He's the kind of antagonist who thinks they're better, despite losing so many times. I think it's known as 'Gary Oak Syndrome'."

"Who in the heck is 'Gary Oak'?" Parakarry asked.

They all stood back up, still flabbergasted by Jr. Troopa's ignorance. "Well, even if Mario is like a heroic knight, but without the shining armor to go with him, he'd rather steal Peach's heart away than mine. No offense, darling."

Mario shrugged it off, knowing they were just friends, but Jr. Troopa didn't take the nickname Rarity gave the plumber. "'Darling'!? That's it! You're gonna get it, Mario!" Pulling out his staff, Jr. Troopa used his magic, dragging Mario away from his friends, then sealed the two of them in a wide barrier, giving them plenty of room for their duel. Twilight tried to dispel the invisible barrier, but her magic ended up failing as it stayed up. "This barrier's not going down until one of us goes down, so you can take your magic and shove it right back in that swirly, ice cream cone horn of yours!"

"Where did you learn spells like these!?" Twilight exclaimed, slightly amazed, but more incredibly annoyed. "And how did you break out of that ice you were in!? You should have suffered from hypothermia, or maybe frostbite!"

"Getting revenge gives me the strength to do anything!" Jr. Troopa reasoned, making the alicorn groan and hang her head, giving up trying to get any real answers or civil responses from the Koopa. Putting his staff away, Jr. Troopa brought up his fists, giving a few quick jabs at the air. "Only one of us is walking out of this fight, Mario, and I'm not gonna lose this time!"

Mario sighed and shook his head, but if they needed to progress forward, he indulged the Koopa. Lifting his own fists up, he was ready to fight Jr. Troopa, hopefully for the last time, and maybe try to let go of his grudge and help them in their cause, considering how powerful he became after their last few encounters. After staring each other down, they both rushed forward and threw their first punch, their fists colliding each other with equal force.

Fists and feet began flying as the duo tried hitting their opponent while blocking or dodging the other's strikes. Mario was really surprised by what Jr. Troopa was capable, able to learn and grow powerful in such a short amount of time, but his potential as a good guy was held back by his attitude and stubbornness. Mario blocked another punch, this time firmly gripping Jr. Troopa's arm, then spun around and flung him across the room. The Koopa hit the ground, but flipped back on his feet and ran back with a yell, jumping up and dive kicking the plumber. Mario blocked the foot with both arms, shoving the young Koopa back.

He took out his hammer, giving it a hard toss at the Koopa. Jr. Troopa ducked in his eggshell, avoiding the powerful hammer, but Mario pulled it back with his levitation, gloves glowing purple as he pulled it back toward him like a boomerang. Instead of expecting Jr. Troopa to get hit by the returning mallet, he popped out and grabbed onto the handle, using the momentum to get sent back to Mario and tried to headbutt him. Mario quickly dropped his telekinetic hold, diving away from the flying Koopa, dodging by mere inches.

Picking his hammer back up, Mario charged after Jr. Troopa, who rolled back up on his feet, only to turn around and meet a hammer smacking him hard in the face. He was sent flying off from the impact, slamming into the barrier, groaning in pain as he fell to his knees. The party stuck outside cheered as Mario finally got a hit on Jr. Troopa, but Mario didn't celebrate just yet, knowing the fight was just beginning.

"Urgh...You and that dumb hammer of yours," Jr. Troopa growled, standing up and shaking his head from the slight daze he had from the heavy blow. "I'm not going down that easy!"

Letting out a yell, Jr. Troopa sprouted his wings and the spike top on his shell hat, flapping up in the air and swooped at Mario. Mario's feet and hands glowed blue, his speed increasing to match Jr. Troopa's, backflipping under him to avoid a flying kick to his face. Swerving back around, Jr. Troopa sped off and rammed into Mario, the plumber quickly going on the defensive as he blocked the Koopa's flurry of kicks. Mario grabbed his young opponent's leg, slamming him down on the ground. He leapt up, Jr. Troopa tilting his head for Mario to prick his feet against the spike on his head, but the protective yellow aura around his feet, merging with the blue of his enhanced speed, ignored the sharp point as Mario bounced on his skull. Bounding off for another trounce, Jr. Troopa shook off the blow, flapping his wings hard and tackled Mario, slamming his back against the ceiling while punching his chest repeatedly.

Slightly winded, Mario gripped both hands together, slamming them down on Jr. Troopa's back in a hammer slam, stunning him slightly as he let go of the plumber. The duo dropped and landed back on the ground, gaining their second wind as they rushed each other again, but with Mario's magical speed matching that of Rainbow Dash's, Jr. Troopa was overwhelmed by the onslaught of punches and kicks that looked like a blur to him. Mario finished his swift combos with a powerful uppercut to the Koopa's jaw, leaping up to increase the pain as the sound of coins popping up from Jr. Troopa rang out as he flipped helplessly in the air until crashing to the ground.

"Hey, Mario could have gotten free money out of baddies if he did that all the time!" Pinkie noted as she saw some coins littered around the battlefield. "We could have been stinkin' rich, but not the Stinkin' Rich like Filthy Rich's grandfather, because he was a pony and not money."

"Thank you for the colorful commentary, Pinkie Pie," Bombette said sarcastically.

"Umm, pony names are kinda weird if someone's named 'Filthy Rich'," Watt said. "It's kinda mean."

"Parents can give their foals any name if it fits them," Applejack said. "Ya should know what Filthy's wife, Spoiled Rich, her old name used to be Spoiled Milk before they got married."

Bow snorted at the hilarious name. "Does she have the nickname 'Spoiled Rotten' if she splurges on her husband's money?"

"No, but she should when Ah found out she's the reason why her daughter, Diamond Tiara, kept pickin' on mah sister and her friends," Applejack said.

Jr. Troopa stood back up, grunting with each movement he made, but he definitely wasn't finished. "I'm...not losing again!" he shouted. His wings and spiked head were now gone as he pulled out his staff again, using magic as his last resort. "I am going to destroy you! I don't care if I have to be cheap and blast you with magic, I just want to win!"

With several waves, Jr. Troopa fired several geometrical magic spells at Mario. He dodged and leapt over the spells, unable to get close with the amount of magic the Koopa was able to unleash. Even as he tried, Jr. Troopa aimed right at his feet, the blast of magic exploding and sending him back a bit while also hurting him in the process. Mario decided to deflect the Koopa's spells, using his hammer as it shimmered in a sparkle of light and swung at the spells coming for him. Bouncing them back and startling Jr. Troopa, he began avoiding his own magic spells as they were struck back at him. Growling angrily, Jr. Troopa held his staff up in the air after ceasing his spells as he charged up an incredibly powerful one that will assure him a win over Mario's five, one of those wins actually belonging to Twilight in their magic duel, but he didn't care about the alicorn.

Mario could practically see the massive ball of magical energy hover over Jr. Troopa, gripping his hammer tightly as he prepared himself to knock it back. The young Koopa let out a powerful yell, sending it flying straight toward the plumber. Mario swung and made contact, both hammer and swirling energy of colorful geometric shapes meeting at a stalemate, Mario grunted as he struggled to push it back. Jr. Troopa only made it worse as he fired more weaker spells into it, making it grow bigger and more powerful, practically pushing Mario back, his back nearly reaching the barrier.

"Mario!" everyone cried out in horror, some unable to watch as they hoped he'll make it out alive.

"Come on, Mario! You can do it!" Pinkie cheered. "Bowser's worse than a puny baby Koopa!"

"Hey! Who you calling a baby!?" Jr. Troopa exclaimed.

While Jr. Troopa was distracted by being called a baby, Mario grit his teeth, not planning on dying, or nearly dying, again. Peach needed him, the Mushroom Kingdom needed him, and his friends needed him. Bowser needs to be stopped, and he wasn't going to let a little kid with a spoiled, selfish, and ungrateful attitude bent on revenge over stepping in his territory do him in. He pushed back with all his might, combining all six of the magical energies from the Mane Six in his Lucky Star, hoping beyond hope they would give him something to help him win. His chest glowed brightly from the necklace, all six colorful auras wrapping around his hands in a rainbow. The close contact of his hands against the giant sphere of magic as he held it off with his hammer surprised him as he felt the energy from inside it slowly being absorbed in his hands.

Curious, but being cautious, he lifted a hand up to the sphere, feeling it being absorbed in his palm, giving him strength as it got weaker. Dropping his hammer once it was weak enough, he held up his other hand and continued absorbing it until there was nothing left of it. Everyone in the room, aside from the knocked out Koopa Bros., stared in shock, while Jr. Troopa's eye twitched, his jaw literally hitting the ground.

"D-Did he just...?" Sushie asked, finding her voice for a moment as they all pondered what had just happened.

"B-B-B-But...t-that's...That was my..." Jr. Troopa uttered, pointing his staff shakily at Mario, the plumber clenching his fists tightly as his hands glowed brighter and brighter from the contained spell he absorbed. "H-How!? HOW!? WHAT IS GOING ON!?" While he threw a temper tantrum, Mario leered at the Koopa, finishing this fight for good. He brought his hands down to his right side and widened his stance, creating a small ball of the same magical energy from Jr. Troopa he had just absorbed. His hands began to dim slightly as he compressed the magic into the sphere, growing bigger and bigger as he prepared to unleash it back at the young Koopa Troopa. With a powerful yell, Mario thrust his arms forward, sending off a swirling vortex of geometrical shapes at his foe, spinning wider and growing out, making it impossible for him to escape. "No no no no nononononononononono!"

Jr. Troopa couldn't evade it, struck hard by the power of his own spell as it blew up around him. He was sent flying from the blast, smacking into the barrier before ricocheting forward, bouncing painfully against the stone floor until he skid to a complete stop face down, body singed while his staff bounced off into a corner. He didn't move, not even a single twitch of his foot, the barrier around him and Mario disappearing upon his defeat. Mario looked down at the defeated Koopa, staring down at his hands as the rainbow aura faded away, flexing his fingers as the absorbed magical energy was used up from his attack.

"...Is he...dead?" Rainbow asked. "Did you kill him, Mario?"

Mario kneeled down in front of Jr. Troopa, flipping the Koopa over, finding him unconscious. He was still breathing, to his relief, even though he's had his fair share of killing some of Bowser's men in the past, but even though Jr. Troopa was a nuisance, he didn't want to kill a kid. He assured everyone that he was just knocked out, to their relief.

"He's...a really tough kid," Kooper said. "Maybe if he was willing to trust us more, he could have been fighting on our side."

"He's just a spoiled brat, though," Goombario said. "He keeps harassing my family and thinks that empty patch of grass a bit of a ways behind our house is his playground."

"Are we just gonna leave him here while we move forward?" Lakilester asked.

The Mane Six looked at each other. They knew they shouldn't leave Jr. Troopa alone while he was unconscious, even after all the terrible things he's done. They silently came to a decision, Twilight pulling out a pink mushroom with heart-shaped spots. She was told this was a Life Shroom, a special mushroom to help revitalize someone from unconsciousness where regular Mushrooms would do nothing to help. Opening his mouth, she placed the head of the Life Shroom to his lips, the taste making him munch down on the piece as he chewed it. Squinting his eyes open, Jr. Troopa looked at what he was eating as he came around, grabbing it out of the alicorn's aura and nearly stuffed the whole mushroom in his mouth. After munching on it as if he were starving, Jr. Troopa swallowed the Life Shroom, feeling his energy coming back.

He sat up, blinking a few times as he was surrounded by who were supposed to be his enemies. "...What are you all doing?"

"Helping you," Twilight said.

"I don't need your pity!" Jr. Troopa shouted, flailing his arms around, making everyone back away.

"Even after we try to be nice to him, he's still a little brat," Parakarry uttered.

"I can't believe I lost again!" Jr. Troopa whined. He stood up, nearly falling over after just getting revived, but he fought against his weakness and went to grab his staff. Mario prepared to grab his hammer in case Jr. Troopa decided to attack them again. "I'm going to get my revenge on you one day, Mario!" He then leered at Rarity, his heart breaking after learning the "truth" about her "relationship" with Mario. "Of all the cruel fate for the love of my life to side with the likes of Mario! I will never find true love again!"

And with that, he fled back the way he came, making his way out of the fortress and planning to seek another way to grow stronger and finally destroy his rival. They stood there in silence, staring at the doorway.

"Well, so much for that," Bow said. "Waste of a Life Shroom if you ask me."

"...Wow." Almost completely forgetting that there was more than just them in the room, everyone turned back to the Bowser guard door, who found his voice after not only watching Jr. Troopa barge in and knock out the Koopa Bros., who were still piled up in a corner, but Mario surprisingly defeating Jr. Troopa with powers he didn't expect from the plumber at all. "Mario...beat up that kid...But, he didn't beat the Koopa Bros.; that other Koopa had...So, does that mean Mario beat up the Koopa Bros.?...No, wait, he didn't lay a finger on them, but the kid did, and they're beaten, so...GAAAAAAH!!!" it screamed in frustration, going cross-eyes as it confused itself. "Forget it! It's too confusing! It doesn't make a difference anyway. Mario technically won.

"Go on through. It doesn't really matter in the long run when you face Lord Bowser. He's invincible, and you all won't even stand a chance. I'll let you guys have the honor of getting beaten up by him personally." The door let out a roar, turning as still as a statue and allowing them to pass.

Now with nothing else barring their path any longer, they hoped, the heroes made their way to the door. Kooper looked back at his former friends, Red slowly coming around as he grunted in pain.

"W-What the heck just happened?" he asked. "...We lost?"

"Yeah...to a Koopa kid wearing an eggshell," Kooper responded. "We technically won, so there's no need to fight us since you're already beaten." Kooper dug his hand in his shell, pulling out a few normal Mushroom. He tossed them at Red, the edible fungus with a face bouncing to a stop in front of the confused Ninjakoopa. "You four need to leave. I have a bad feeling this fortress is gonna get destroyed when we stop Bowser. They always do when Mario comes to save the princess."

"Tsk...You think you can win?" Red asked, scoffing at the ludicrous assumption. "He's invincible. You won't even be able to touch him."

"That's why we have all seven Star Spirits on our side," Kooper said. "Should have chosen a different career than this, guys...You're going to lose when you work for the wrong crowd."

Kooper turned and walked away, waving his hand at his former friend as he caught up with the others. He didn't see Red sneer at him, snatching one of the Mushrooms and ate it to regain his strength. Once he caught up, the party climbed up the last flight of stairs and made their way outside. They were now at the top of Bowser's floating fortress, Pinkie looking down curiously by the edge to see they were further away from the ground than when they started. And right in front of them was Peach's Castle, where the Koopa King himself is waiting for them with a captured Princess Peach in his clutches.

"Well, this is it," Twilight said. "One more climb."

"At least we'll get to see what else was inside the castle," Rarity said. "Didn't have much of a chance with the party we crashed and Bowser showing up out of nowhere."

"But when we win, we'll throw a really big party!" Pinkie cheered. "And I'll do all the decorating!"

"Ah sure hope this Star Beam will work on Bowser if he uses that Star Rod again," Applejack uttered.

Steeling themselves for a tough final fight, they approached the front doors of Peach's Castle, Mario taking the lead as he lead everyone inside. The main foyer of the castle was barely lit, making the castle feel almost like it was haunted. They stayed cautious for any enemies patrolling the floors, but it appeared as though all of Bowser's troops were set up in his fortress. Climbing up the steps to the second floor, Mario first approached the doorway that lead to Peach's room, keeping everyone along the walls while he planned on barging in if Bowser was in her room with the princess. After counting to three, he slammed the door open and ran inside, but to his disappointment and slight relief, they weren't in the bedroom.

"Wow. Princess Peach sure does love pink, doesn't she?" Goombario noted, what with the pink carpeting, the pink couch by the wall near the door, the pink bedsheets, and several assortments of pink dresses hung up on a rack.

"How many of the same pink dresses can one girl have?" Parakarry asked.

"They're not all just one shade of pink, darling," Rarity said, looking over the princess's line. "This one is coral, and this is salmon, light rose, peach, and...Oh, well, this one here is definitely pink."

"What's the difference?" Kooper asked as the males and a few of the girls in the group can't tell the difference in the shades of pink. "It's all the same color; pink."

"Ok, we can argue about dresses later!" Rainbow exclaimed. "We've got a princess to save!"

Rarity huffed as the lecture on differing shades of color was put on hold, but Peach is more important than fashion at this very moment. They exited the room and continued up the stairs. Once they reached the end of the third floor, Mario and the Mane Six recognized the long hallway where the ponies wound up from Twilight's spell and Bowser's party crashing entry through the bigger window in the middle. And as luck would have it, they found Bowser in his clown copter, Kammy Koopa on her broom, and the princess dangling from the ceiling by a rope as she squirmed about.

"Peach!" the ponies called out.

The princess looked up, gasping in joy as her saviors had finally arrived. "Girls! Mario!"

"So, you finally arrived," Bowser said with a laugh. "I've been waiting for you, Mario! I'm kinda surprised you made it this far. You've been a big thorn in my side for far too long, and now we're going to finish this!"

"And we're ready for a round two with you!" Rainbow exclaimed, pounding her forehooves together. "Release the princess, or prepare for a whooping!"

"Gwa ha ha ha ha ha! This is gonna be too easy!" Bowser jumped out of his copter while the heroes met the Koopa King halfway, both sides stopping by the shattered window Bowser crashed through over a week ago. "Need I remind you, and your new little helpers, that I'm invincible? You can't even touch me!"

"Well, that's going to change today!" Twilight said, both sides getting into fighting position. "You won't stay invincible forever, Bowser!"

"You gonna try that little 'friendship beam' thing on me again?" Bowser asked, letting out another laugh, mocking the alicorn and her friends. "Good luck with that!"

"Oh, there's a beam alright," Twilight said, glancing at Mario as he looked at her, both of them smirking as the alicorn's horn sparked while the plumber clenched his fists. "And this time, it will render you powerless."

"Then let's end this!" Bowser said.

The final battle is about to commence, and Peach is forced to watch helplessly while Kammy kept a close eyes on the Mane Six, observing their magic closely in case her backup plan ended up being unsuccessful.