//------------------------------// // 16: Long Journey’s End? // Story: Paper Mario: Elements & Stars // by ThePegaKris //------------------------------// 9:45AM Mushroom Kingdom Thursday As the rest of Mario’s team entered the warp pipe to Princess Peach’s castle, they all tripped upon exiting the pipe when they found out that debris was the first thing they came in contact with. Everyone all piled up in the dark like a messy gathering. ”Owowow!” Luigi murmured. “Is everyone alright?” ”Yeah, I think so.” Spike replied. “What happened to the lights?” ”I don’t know, Spikey-Wikey, but Twilight and I can light up the room.” Rarity said as her horn glowed. ”Let’s keep going.” as Twilight’s horn also glowed. ”Mario...” Rainbow Dash echoed. “What was that?” ”How many times is the ground going to shake under our feet?” Professor E. Gadd wondered. ”Whatever it is, it must have to do with Mario!” Cappy exclaimed. ”Luigi, you and Mario know this place by heart, do you?” Twilight questioned. ”Yeah, but even I get lost sometimes down here! We just need to find the front doors and get outside.” ”We’ll be right behind ya, partner.” A.J winked. The group ran up the same staircase that Toadsworth was hiding under. Their footsteps didn’t seem to wake him up from his apparent sleep, however. When they raced to the top, they found the front doors knocked on their side. ”Oh...my...” Fluttershy gasped. ”When did Bowser get huge all of a sudden?” Spike scratched his head. “Also, look up in the sky!” ”Is it a bird?” Fluttershy inquired. ”Is it a plane?” E. Gadd asked. ”No, that’s Mario!” Twilight called out. “And he’s...riding a dragon?” ”Sweet Celestia, there’s three dragons!” Rarity stated. ”Had enough yet?” Giga Bowser smirked. ”This...isn’t...over...” Gloomtail huffed. ”Hold the phone, brother.” Hooktail paused. “Do you see those people down there?” ”...Ahem. Well, well, if it isn’t Mario’s brother, Luigi! I thought he’d never come out of his shadow...” ”Looks like he brought food for us as well, haha!” Hooktail laughed. ”You stay away from them this instant!” Giga Bowser yelled. ”Guys, hop on!” ”Bowser!” The group greeted. The giant Koopa King laid out a hand on the ground as he started to carry the group in his palm and brought them up to his eye level. The other two Tail Dragons were already weakened from Bowser’s previous attacks. ”Thanks for the lift, buddy!” Rainbow praised. ”You guys get the red one.” Giga Bowser said. ”I’m going to finish off her lousy brother.” ”You got it, Bowser!” Twilight cheered. “Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, let’s fly everyone over there!” ”Roger!” The two Pegasus ponies nodded. ”This...is madness!” Bonetail groaned. “Let me go or you will be punished!” ”Not if I have to say anything about it, Bonetail!” Raccoon Mario retaliated. ”Huh? Who’s that down there?” ”Luigi, Twilight?” Raccoon Mario wandered. ”Hehehe, you brought more friends?” Bonetail giggled. “Well, it’s about time I add them to our feast! If I can’t kill you Mario, then I’ll just make you kill yourself!” ”Wwooaahhh!!!” Mario panicked. “What are you doing?” Bonetail finally managed to regain control of his flight and stopped for a second. Although Mario was still holding on to his antennae, he couldn’t control where Bonetail was going anymore. The eldest dragon sibling started to nosedive straight down while Mario was still holding on, in an attempt to kill him with a crash landing. ”If I’m going down, I’m taking you down with me!” Bonetail grinned determinedly. ”I...I can’t control this!” Mario cried. “Eeeeeeek!!!” ”I will not be beaten by a bunch of tiny ponies!” Hooktail declared. “Brother, no!!!” ”...Avenge me, sister...” as Gloomtail took one last jab to his stomach. ”Take this!” as Twilight shot an energy beam. ”Take this too, you hideous dragon!” Rarity shouted as she also shot an energy beam. ”Hey, I heard that!” Spike minded. ”We will destroy you...if that’s okay with you!” Fluttershy tempted. ”Incoming!!!” as Pinkie shot herself out of her party cannon. Pinkie was curled up into a cannonball and headed straight for Hooktail’s antennae, to which she looked excited about. Meanwhile, Luigi had been temporarily using Cappy to throw his cap back and forth as an attack. ”I don’t even want to look down!” The professor shivered. ”NOOOOOO!!!!!!!” Hooktail screamed at the top of her lungs. “I...have failed, you two...” The youngest dragon sibling started to tumble out of commission as the rest of the group managed to reach the ground safely. The effects of Bowser’s Mega Mushroom also started to disappear as he started shrinking after defeating Gloomtail with ease. ”Are you guys okay?” Bowser checked. ”Yeah, we’re fine, thanks!” Twilight replied. “Where’s Mario?” ”Uhh, guys?” Spike stuttered. “I think you might want to look up...” ”LOOK OUT!!!!!!” Raccoon Mario screamed at the top of his lungs. ”Say your prayers, Mario!!!” Bonetail proclaimed. Everyone else ran for safety as the nosediving dragon and Mario hit the ground on a big impact. The ground almost had some sort of explosion as it left a huge crater in the midst of the crash landing. The dragon had all of his bones broken, meaning that Mario defeated him. However, as for Mario himself... ”Ack!” Bowser coughed. “I can’t see anything through this smoke!” ”Well, I think Mario saved the day again!” Fluttershy exclaimed. ”He should be coming out of there any second now!” Rainbow smiled. ”Way to go, Mario!” Cappy howled. ”Okay sugarcube, you can come out now!” A.J voiced. ”Let’s go celebrate!” Pinkie exhilarated. ”...M-Mario?” Luigi shuddered. ”Oh no...” Twilight gasped. “Quick, let’s get down there!” ”Mm-hmm!” Everyone else joined in. Everyone headed down the big crater to go find Mario in the bone pile left by the dragon’s crash landing. They kept searching and searching, and they came across the red plumber. His current condition wasn’t looking very good, though. ”Mario, it’s me, Twilight! Are you alright?” T-Twilight...is that...you? Did... Did we...win?” ”Yes, and we’re here to get you to safety!” Twilight exclaimed. “Just hang in there, okay?” ”Stay with me, bro!” Luigi instructed. ”Thanks for helping me out with that Mega Mushroom, Mario.” Bowser reminded. “Now, I must repay you.” ”T-That’s...okay...” Mario breathed scarcely. “I...appreciate you guys...coming here, but...I’m...fine...” ”You won’t be fine lying around like this!” Rainbow bickered. “C’mon, all you need is a good rest and we’ll go find King Sombra right afterwards!” ”I’m going to saddle you up, Mario.” Twilight said. “You can’t walk around in this condition.” ”N-No, that’s fine, Twilight... I...don’t think...I can go on anymore...” ”You mean like this, silly?” Pinkie asked. “That’s exactly we’re going to patch you up!” ”You’ll be fine, Mario.” A.J reassured. ”I know this hurts, but you might need to bear the pain for a bit.” Rarity explained. ”No no...” Mario hacked. “I mean, this...is my last stop...” ”Don’t say that, Mario!” Cappy startled. “You’re starting to freak me out now!” ”Bro, please...” Luigi started sobbing. ”...Guys, this...was a wonderful journey, but...you’re going to have to go on...without me...” ”WHAT???” Everyone else panicked. ”But Mario, we can’t defeat King Sombra without you!” Bowser pleaded. “You must get back up! Princess Peach is still out there, I know she is!” ”It’s not too late, my boy!” Professor E. Gadd reassured. ”Tell...Princess Peach...that I’m...sorry...I...failed her... I...loved...her...” ”What can we do to make you feel better, Mario?” Spike worried. ”Nothing... Look, I... have a feeling Sombra has already taken Peach away for good, so...I’m just going to go live in peace...with her.” ”Princess Peach is still alive, Mario!” Luigi corrected. “All you have to do is destroy the Shadow Queen once again!” ”Luigi, I...need you...to come closer...” ”Yes, what is it, bro?” ”You...are the best...brother that I could ever ask for... I want you...to protect Princess Peach from now on...” ”Y-You can’t be serious...” Luigi continued crying. ”Bowser, come here...” Mario requested. ”I’m here if you need anything pal.” ”You...must also protect Princess Peach... I know that she probably won’t like it when she returns to normal, but...I believe in you...” ”I’ll be there, Mario...” as Bowser started to shed a tear. ”T-Twilight...” ”Yes Mario?” The Princess of Friendship wondered. ”Go save Equestria... You...and your friends...are my friends...and heroes...” ”Anything for the Mushroom Kingdom’s greatest hero!” Twilight sobbed. ”I’m gonna... I’m gonna miss you... All of you... I...” The red plumber’s eyes slowly started to close. Twilight felt the last of his heart beating, but at last, Mario had no more pulse. He was...officially dead, much to everyone’s immediate depression. He lost his raccoon tail and ears after Bonetail’s crash landing, too. ”MMMAAARRRIIIOOO!!!!!!!!!” Luigi cried excessively.