//------------------------------// // Hooktail's Castle // Story: My Little Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door // by Codex92 //------------------------------// Koops sighed as he stood at the sink, washing dishes after he and his girlfriend shared some lunch. Koopie was always worried about him, and he can understand her over-protectiveness and stubbornness over his crazy ideas, but she never gave him the chance to explain why and wind up guilt-tripping him to stay and keep his thoughts to himself. Koops wondered how much better everything would have been if his dad didn't go off to Hooktail's Castle. Maybe better? Maybe worse? It wouldn't matter since there wasn't a way to travel back in time, stop Koopley from going to the castle, and living as peacefully as possible with Hooktail still flying around. As he looked up out the window while drying his hands, he spotted Mario, Goombella, and the group of ponies making their way back into town. From the look of them, they must have found what they were looking for and were ready to trek up to Hooktail's Castle. Looking back in the living room, where Koopie Koo was waiting for him, he made up his mind, even if he dreaded to hear his girlfriend tell him how crazy he was. Breathing deeply to steel his growing nerves, he left the kitchen and headed toward the front door. "Uhh, Koopie?" he called out. "I'm gonna...head out." "To do what?" Koopie asked. "I...I think I forgot something at the store," Koops lied, hoping his girlfriend didn't hear how nervous he sounded. "I'll be right back, ok?" Koopie raised a brow curiously, making the Koopa sweat, already found out. "...Ok. But hurry back." "O-Ok. Love you." Koops left the door, letting out a sigh of relief, then ran after the adventuring group. Unbeknownst to him, Koopie walked over to the window and watched him running down the road. "You're not that forgetful, Koops," she muttered to herself. "...What are you really planning?" The party stopped by the store, making sure to stock up on enough items this time and not risk any future disastrous encounters with creatures like those Bristles. Starlight enchanted her bags to store an infinite amount of items, even though they couldn't get much with the amount of coins Mario had. Even the items mentioned in that quiz the Thwomp gave them back at Shhwonk Fortress had the exact total amount that was the right answer. "Next time we enter a new town, we'll explore every single inch of the place," Starlight voiced. "Just in case we run into anymore quizaholics." "That won't be a problem when we never ran into Chuck Quizmo at all throughout the Mushroom Kingdom!" Pinkie said. "Chuck who?" Goombella asked. "Is this another thing she's making up?" "Nope! He's real!" Pinkie said. "He's a big orange and purple worm creature with a top hat, and I bumped into him in Toad Town when I went to visit Tayce T. for some more yummy cakes. He gave me a quiz, bringing me to a fun game show, but I got the answer wrong so I didn't get a prize. I wonder what he and Vanna T. are doing now?" "...Ok. I'm just gonna nod my head and agree with knowing that," Goombella uttered, starting to grow more curious about this mysterious worm. Once everything was all set, they made their way out of Petalburg and out the front entrance to the direction of Hooktail's Castle. Before they could properly leave the gates, they were surprised to see Koops out on the road, waiting for them with a slightly more determined look on his face. "Hey, it's Koops," Applejack said. "What's the matter, sugarcube?" "Umm...I-I've been...waiting here for you guys so I could talk to you," Koops said, swallowing a huge lump of nervousness as he stood his ground. "I need...to ask you something, and you can say no if you want. I'll understand..." He approached them, struggling to not walk past them as he stopped before them. "I-I...was wondering...Would you...?" Koops stammered, but the others were patient to let him say his peace as his trepidation was about to win over. Frustrated, he finally belted it out as he fell to his knees and clasping his hands together. "Please take me with you to fight Hooktail! Please! I'm begging you!" "Huh!?" the group exclaimed, yet again startled by the Koopa's outburst. "S-Sorry," Koops apologized, standing back up nervously. "I didn't...mean to shout that." "Like the last time?" Fluttershy asked. "And you want to come with us?" Starlight questioned curiously. "You do realize how dangerous this is, right? Even we're crazy enough to get there to find an ancient Crystal Star." "I know, but...well...my dad went off to fight Hooktail a few years ago," Koops explained, the group knowing a few bits and pieces to the timid Koopa Troopa's past. "He never came back, and everyone assumed he was killed...I...really miss him." "So, you want to get back at Hooktail for killing your dad?" Rainbow asked. "I don't think it's worth it when you're going against a giant dragon that's ten times bigger than town." "This is more than just avenging my dad," Koops said. "...Well, maybe it does a little bit. But, if I'm being honest, I kinda want to finish what he started...For everyone's sake." "And what's the other reason?" Goombella asked curiously. "...Since my dad left and never came back, I was picked on a lot," Koops said. "Everyone looked down at me, the bullying slowly turning to pity on me, and they think I can't take care of myself..." He clenched his fists, giving the group a more confident gaze. "If I can beat Hooktail, maybe everyone will stop thinking I'm weak. I don't care how dangerous it is. I want to come with you guys...if you'll let me." The plumber, Goomba, and ponies looked at each other, silently wondering if they should let Koops join. Even though he wants vengeance against Hooktail for killing Koopley, he wants to face Hooktail to not only prove he was a strong Koopa, but also to keep everyone else from being eaten by the monstrous dragon. He was still pretty timid, but if he was like Fluttershy, there was some semblance of courage inside him, and the guard earlier said that Koops was pretty tough despite his silent nature. "Well, we do need a Koopa in the group," Pinkie voiced aloud. "Although he could have been helpful against those Bristley thingies in that old fort." "There might be more hiding in Hooktail's Castle," Goombella added. "Who knows what else we'll run into if we find the other Crystal Stars, too. But, if he is as good as others say, I'll have to see it to believe it." Mario was curious about Koops's skills after hearing how the Koopas in Petalburg can toss themselves back toward their foes. He might have different abilities than Kooper might have, even though Kooper was a lot more confident in himself despite his relationship to the Koopa Bros. in his youth. The girls all looked to him to make the decision, and willing to help Koops's confidence and bravery along with gaining a new ally, he held his hand out to the Koopa Troopa. "R-Really? You'll take me along?" Koops asked. Mario responded a nod, making him grin as he happily took the plumber's hand and shook it. "T-Thank you! I promise I won't let you all down...Umm, what were your names again?" "I don't think we introduced ourselves to you," Goombella said. "I'm-" "I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie interrupted, surprising Koops as she appeared out of nowhere and forced him to hide in his shell. She picked up the startled Koopa, showing him to the others as she introduced him for them, the Goomba letting out a sigh with a roll of her eyes. "That's Mario, Starlight Glimmer, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Goombella!" Pinkie then looked inside the neck of Koops's shell, popping her head inside while making him feel a bit uncomfortable with her face both pressed against his and squishing him inside his shell. "You must have felt so lonely, but now you have a lot of new friends! Isn't that good news!?" "Uhh...M-Maybe," Koops uttered. "...Can you...put me down, please?" "Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie popped her head out of Koops's shell, then lowered him down as he moved his limbs back through and stood up. "How did you fit your head in my shell?" Koops questioned to himself aloud. "One thing ya gotta know about Pinkie Pie, sugarcube," Applejack said. "Whatever she does, just accept it." "Oh...Ok," Koops mumbled. "...Well, let's get going." "Koops." The sweater-wearing Koopa winced, looking behind his new friends to find Koopie Koo approach them, not at all happy seeing him not where he promised her he was going. Koops gulped nervously as the group looked back at the female Koopa. "Uhh...H-Hi, Koopie." "I thought you said you forgot something at the store," Koopie said skeptically. "Surprisingly, you weren't at the store, and instead you're trying to join these travelers as they're going up to Hooktail's Castle, where we all know you're all signing a death wish by even coming close to that monstrous den of that dragon." "Uhh...Y-You heard...all of that?" Koops asked, his girlfriend nodding his head, which only made him panic more. "Who's this?" Goombella asked. "...M-My girlfriend, Koopie Koo," Koops introduced, hanging his head in shame to avoid the disappointing leer from his lover. "Well, Ms. Koopie, we need to go to Hooktail's Castle for a reason," Starlight explained. "We're looking for the Crystal Stars, and one of them is being held by Hooktail in its castle. We know how insane it is trying to go against a dragon. My friends and I aren't from here, but there are dragons where we come from, so we know it's not a fun time when you tick off the wrong dragon." "And you're letting my boyfriend go along? Even though he lost his dad to Hooktail's jaws?" Koopie questioned, crossing her arms over her chest while tapping her foot. "He could help us if we get into some trouble," Rainbow said. "We had a problem with-" "I am NOT losing Koops!" Koopie exclaimed. "This is so stupid! Please tell me this is all big joke, Koops! You're not that strong to take on a dragon on your own! Not even with travelers who don't even look like they can wrangle a dragon!" "...I know," Koops said. He looked up and walked over to her. "But I want to be tougher...I want to help everyone, stop losing everyone from Hooktail's flights for an easy lunch...I have to do this." "Koops, you don't HAVE to do this," Koopie reasoned, grasping Koops hands in hers as she gave him a worried gaze. "Going off somewhere dangerous just to get revenge? It's...It's just stupid." She leaned closer, pressing her cheek against Koops's as she hugged him. "I don't care if you're timid or cry. I don't care about all of that. I just want you to be you...Please, don't go..." Koops ignored the sighs from the girls behind him as they watched him and Koopie sharing a tender moment, feeling guilt tripped despite his girlfriend being genuinely concerned about his safety. He was willing to stay so he wouldn't worry her, but he wanted to leave with Mario and his party to not only assist them, but also stop Hooktail so no one would getting eaten by that dragon again, especially if Koopie was the next unfortunate victim. Letting out a sigh, he grabbed Koopie's shoulders, gently pushing her back a little. "Sorry, Koopie...I've made up my mind." His response shocked her, only to squeak in surprise when he cupped her cheeks, then gave her a kiss on the lips. Most of the girls in the group squealed at the cute, romantic gesture, a promise a hero makes to their loved one to return home without getting too badly hurt or killed. Koops pulled away, leaving Koopie slightly dazed and confused with a huge blush on her face. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be with Mario and the others. I think...we can do this." Koopie just stared, still reeling from how bold Koops had suddenly gotten, even if it was still a crazy idea. She finally snapped out of her daze, but instead of trusting him on his word, she glared at him, clenching her fists as she struggled to hold back tears as they welled up in her eyes. "Fine then! Ignore me and get yourself killed!" she shouted. Her outburst startled Koops, his girlfriend ducking in her shell and tossing herself toward him. The group yelped and jumped out of the angry Koopa girl's way, but Koops wasn't as lucky as he was hit, smacked in the side and spun rapidly in place. When he slowed to a halt, his head spun, but when he regained focus, he saw his girlfriend fling herself backward where she stopped, showing off the Petalburg Koopas' shell tossing technique to the visiting group, ramming him in the chest and knocking him on his back. "STUBBORN KOOPA!" Koops wheezed, Koopie running back into Petalburg, not wanting him to see her cry. The others were a bit shocked to see the end result of such a heartwarming promise. Mario walked up to the knocked over Koopa, helping him back up as Koops rubbed his sore underbelly. "Sorry, Koopie," Koops said to himself. He then sighed sadly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think she hates me now." "Are you kidding, darling?" Rarity questioned. "If that was considered hating your guts for doing something so dangerous, you need to get your eyes checked." Koops rubbed his injured eye, the white unicorn flinching after realizing what she said. "N-Not that your bad eye is actually that bad." "It's fine," Koops assured. "Been like that for a couple years...I'm used to it, though." "Rarity, are you sure Koops's girlfriend still likes him after she basically bowled him over?" Goombella questioned. "I may love a romance story or two, but what just happened isn't exactly true love." "If Twilight's sister-in-law, Cadence, were here, she would beg to differ," Rarity said. "She may have roughed Koops up, but the look in her eyes, struggling to hold back tears, that showed she was absolutely worried about his safety. Even though she ran off and hurt him, she'll accept his decision and await the moment her brave, strong, and confident hero will come back home to her." Koops blushed at Rarity's thoughts on how Koopie actually felt. He knew he wasn't hero material and Rarity might have exaggerated her reasons why his girlfriend knocked him senseless, but part of him believed that might actually be true. That only gave him more of a reason to do this for her and everyone else in town. Now joining a hero from across the seas, six mares from another world, and an archaeological Goomba student, Koops followed them off to Hooktail's Castle, facing every Koopa in Petalburg's fears for them and hopefully end them once and for all. On the road to the stone formations, Koops got to know more about the others. He was a bit surprised to know he was traveling with THE Super Mario from the Mushroom Kingdom, only hearing stories about the heroic plumber and never meeting him in person until now. He even appreciated how friendly the ponies were, though he felt sorry for them that they couldn't find their friend and one of the few princesses in their kingdom who joined Peach to this continent. Goombella was a little bit skeptical with him as a fighter, even he thought the same thing with her explorer's outfit, but when they battled a few Goombas and Koopas that crossed their path, they surprised each other with how versatile they were against certain foes. They could easily work together, with Goombella taking the flying Paragoombas and Parakoopas while he dealt with the grounded Goombas, especially the ones with spiked caps. They soon reached the circle of stones, looking out to Hooktail Castle in the distance. Koops trembled slightly, but swallowed his nerves, forcing himself to stay and prove to everyone and himself he wasn't weak. Starlight pulled out the stone keys they acquired from Shwwonk Fortress, using her magic to float the right keys into their respectful places. After placing them, everyone stepped back as the earth around them shook, both rocks with the key indents spinning around as they moved closer to the center, warp pipe-shaped rock, now creating a square formation as they revealed a pair of blue switches. Along with revealing the switched, the central stone had lit up symbols revealed in glowing blue lights. Goombella observed the hieroglyphic writing that appeared, pulling out one of her many almanacs she carried on her to translate the writing. "'Here beginneth the path to dread Hooktail's Castle. Weaklings, retreateth,'" she said aloud. "'Ye who seeketh to proceed: a power of two must hitteth both switches simultaneously. ***Addendum*** If ye are a Petalburg Koopa, huzzah! Your HOLD ability maketh this chore a snap!' Huh. Guess that explains why there are two switches." "I think even without Koops, we could have hit the switches at the same time by ourselves," Starlight noted. "No offense, Koops." "None taken," Koops said. "I understand." "Then let's open up the shortcut to the castle!" Pinkie said, grabbing Koops, then placed him over by the right switch. "Ducking time!" "Uhh, Pinkie?" Koops yelped as Pinkie bounced on him, forcing him in his shell. "Twenty-one!" Pinkie shouted, swinging her hammer and smacking Koops away from the switch. He quickly stopped himself, keeping his spinning momentum as he realized what Pinkie was trying to do, though he wished she asked him instead of doing things randomly. Then again, he was warned not to question her, so he just played along and waited for Pinkie's signal. The pink earth pony bounced over to the other switch, readying her hammer to slam it down. "And...HIT IT!" Taking that as the signal, Koops flung himself back toward his switch. As soon as he struck his, Pinkie smacked hers, causing both switches to disappear and crumble the warp pipe stone to reveal and actual warp pipe inside it. Standing back up, Koops rubbed his back as he watched a warp pipe out in the distance appear close to the old castle. "I could have helped if you just asked," he mumbled to himself. "That was pretty cool what you did, Koops," Rainbow complimented. "I don't think Kooper can pull off something like that, and he can catch on fire when he spins around fast enough." "...Uhh...thanks?" Koops said, feeling a bit less self-confident that a Koopa they knew was strong enough to spark himself into a flaming shell over his town's unique shell tossing ability. "It's now or never, everypony," Starlight said. "Time to reach Hooktail's Castle and find that Crystal Star." She jumped down the pipe first, the others following suit as they stood mere yards away from the front gates of the grand old castle ruins. Opening the old wooden doors and passing through the entrance, they saw just how huge the dragon's castle was: a tall spire big enough for the massive Hooktail to roost and, surprisingly, hold its weight, the stone structure worn out from age and even some from the dragon's abuse against intruders, though not too much to destroy it, a moat around the palace that was once used to keep intruders out back then, and what used to be a wooden bridge connecting the castle to the entrance, its pieces lingering in the moat while withered by time or destroyed by Hooktail. The ponies and Mario weren't as impressed as Goombella and Koops were, seeing their fair share of ruins and castles, though Koops was impressed out of fear, gulping loudly at the sight of Hooktail's lair. "Wow...Hooktail's Castle looked so much smaller from Petalburg," Koops said to himself. "And it's as scary as the stories say..." "You're not getting cold feet on us, are you?" Goombella asked. "N-No...B-Besides, how are we going to get across?" the Koopa asked. "The bridge is broken, and I don't think all of us can jump that so easily." Looking up, Starlight spotted a familiar looking platform jutting out from the entrance's guard tower. "Hey, there's another one of those flying boards that Mario was 'cursed' to use. We can use that to fly across." "And there was a spring back in the tower that can help us get to the top!" Pinkie stated, noticing it as they passed through to get a closer look at the castle. "W-Wait, fly across?" Koops questioned. Everyone ignored him and headed back, bouncing up to the upper platform in the tower. Koops followed, curious and confused by what Starlight meant. "Hold on a second. What's this about flying?" "It's actually more like gliding, darling," Rarity said. "You'll see." "Hope you wondered what it's like to be a Paratroopa," Goombella said. "It's quite an exhilarating experience!" "Uhh, no...I haven't?" Koops muttered. Finding it better to show him rather than explain, Mario pulled out his Lucky Star hidden in his shirt, then stepped onto the arrow platform. The sudden glow surprised Koops, having no idea what to expect as the plumber activated his new blessing as he decided to call it rather than a curse. A shockwave of light shot out around him, phasing through the others with Koops flinching as it hit him. When he opened his eyes, he gasped in awe as he saw the flightless ponies, Mario, and Goombella now with a pair of ethereal wings. "W-Whaaaaaaa...!?" "Pretty cool, right?" Pinkie said. "And you've got wings too, Koopsie!" "K-Koopsie???" Deterred by Pinkie's nickname for him, which actually sounded more like a girl's name, he did look behind him, his jaw dropping as he also had a pair of magical wings attached to his shell. Awed by the ethereal Paratroopa wings on his back, he reached a hand out to touch one, tensing up as he actually felt it and responded to his own touch like it was actual wings he was born with. "...Whoa...How is this possible?" "A blessing in disguise," Starlight explained. "Turned out there was this black chest that was supposed to curse Mario, but thanks to the magic absorbed in his Lucky Star pendant when he made a connection with Twilight and the girls while they were trapped in this world, it ended up giving Mario a useful spell to help us all get across far ledges. The only way to activate it is by using these specific panels...which is an odd coincidence if there are more of these scattered throughout the rest of this continent." "...Ok...I guess that makes sense?" Koops said, taking the unicorn's word for it as he looked back at his temporary wings. He looked back when he heard Pinkie squeal in excitement, the mare jumping off and gliding across to the other side of the broken bridge. He was at least assured that they actually worked, but flying over looked pretty difficult while the others took a running leap and flew over to safety. "Uhh, how do I use these?" "Just spread them out and jump for it," Rainbow said, both her and Fluttershy staying behind to teach Koops the basics of gliding. "Those aren't useful for flight, but it'll get the job done if you do it right." "And if you mess up, we'll help you," Fluttershy added. "...O-Ok." Taking a deep breath, Koops stepped back, flexing his wings out, still finding it odd he can move them at will, then ran forward and jumped. He flailed a little as he looked down at the moat, no doubt filled with Nibblers that infested the land's bodies of water, but Rainbow and Fluttershy kept him from plummeting as they straightened his body a little and helped him glide over. He made it across, but slid on his stomach from the odd landing, sighing in relief as the terrifying experience of temporary flight was over. "That's...kinda hard. I'd rather stick to the ground." "We might find more, so don't get too relaxed about that just yet," Goombella said, making Koops gulp nervously. Walking through the large purple doors of the castle, the party entered the main foyer. The interior had red diamond and star patterned stone flooring, cobwebs littering the corners of the many rooms from lack of care, and with bits of the castle barely held together or broken like the stairway railings and barred windows. What startled the group most, especially the ponies, were the bones of Koopas that already greeted them as they walked in. "Oh dear Celestia," Starlight uttered in disgust, seeing skeletal remains for the first time. "Are those...skeletons from Koopa Troopas?" "I'm afraid they are," Rarity said. "I dreaded seeing more of these things...and I hope they aren't alive." "Wait, alive!?" Starlight questioned in shock. "They can come to life!?" "They're known as Dry Bones," Goombella said, pulling out her trusty almanac of different creatures throughout the world. "No one knows what kind of dark magic brings Koopa skeletons to life, but the reanimated corpses can be pretty deadly in groups." "And Bowser used these things in his castle when we rescued Peach," Rainbow added. "We were just as shocked and disturbed by them. And Bony Beetles, too." "Oh, I hope they stay not moving," Fluttershy hoped as the group moved forward, staying away from the inanimated Dry Bones around them. There were a few Koopas who were wandering around as well, confusing them as they wondered what compelled some of these Koopas to explore such a dangerous castle, or if they were the helpless slaves of Hooktail and would be eaten if they fail to keep its home secure. Taking care of the "guards", they moved into the next room, a long and wide hall that had barely any light shining through, several bars blocking off a small row of the room, where a red key on the far end sat on the other side. Even if Starlight was able to use her magic to pull the key through the bars, there was no way it would fit, and she didn't want to exhaust her mana if they had to fight Hooktail, needing every single ounce of it if they had to defend themselves. There were more skeletons around, thankfully scattered about, but one particular pile of Koopa bones caught Koops's eye, to his horror. "...Oh...Oh no..." The others looked at what he saw, the pile of bones with a different colored pair of shoes resting by it, this one's blue while the rest were a dull evergreen. Koops walked over to the pile, recognizing those similarly colored shoes as he fell on his knees. "...T-This skeleton...Those shoes...M-My dad...They're the same ones he..." Tears welled up in the Koopa's eyes as he faced the worst case scenario of his father's fate. "There's no doubt...T-This is m-my...my..." Koops broke down and began crying. Everyone felt sorry for him as he mourned his father's remains, Pinkie approaching Koops and held him as he cried his eyes out. "Sorry for your loss, Koops," Starlight said as she and the others bowed their heads, paying their respects for Koops's father and many other victims of Hooktail's hunger. Koops sniffled, grateful to have his new friends be there for him in his time of need. He sniffled, calming down as Pinkie continued hugging him. Looking down at the corpse, he spotted something in the inanimate Dry Bones's hand. "W-What's that?" Koops uttered to himself. Pinkie noticed what Koops was looking at, which happened to be a slightly ruffled piece of paper held in the skeleton's clutches. "I wonder what it says." Letting go of the mourning Koopa, Pinkie grabbed the letter, letting out a grimace while sticking her tongue out as she tried to shake it out of the dead body's hand. She managed to pry it free, though she was hesitant to read it. "...Uhh, maybe you should read it, Koops. Maybe it's something your daddy wrote for you if he didn't come back." "I-I don't know," Koops mumbled nervously, dreading to hear his father's final woods on paper. "It might help bring you some closure," Starlight said. "I mean, I have some issues with my dad where he constantly treats me like a filly. But if anything happened to him and I didn't know, I would be devastated if he didn't say anything about me before kicking the bucket." Whimpering in dread, Koops took in a deep breath and sighed heavily, taking the letter from Pinkie and read what was written on it. "'I came to this castle to destroy Hooktail, but I'm stuck and can go no further. So, in this letter, I shall note Hooktail's weaknesses for those who follow.'" Everyone was a bit surprised to know Hooktail actually had a weakness, but if there was an easy way to handle Hooktail, any help is useful when it comes to something as dangerous as a dragon that terrorizes the area. "'The dread Hooktail cannot tolerate creatures that begin with 'cr' and end with 'icket'. Hidden somewhere in this castle is an item related to Hooktail's weakness. If one is to have any hope of defeating Hooktail, one must first find that item.'" "A creature beginning with 'cr' and ending with 'icket'?" Rainbow questioned. "Why can't he just say cricket?" "And Hooktail...doesn't like crickets???" Goombella questioned skeptically. "How can a massive dragon towering several stories high be afraid of a tiny little bug? That's not going to help us." "Maybe Hooktail accidentally ate one, and with the little cricket so scared, it jumped around trying to find a way out and gave it a tummy ache?" Fluttershy theorized. Everyone looked at each other, finding Fluttershy's guess highly unlikely to happen. "I don't think Hooktail would even feel something that small punching its stomach lining as it bounces around to find an escape route, darling," Rarity said. "Sorry, Fluttershy, but I doubt that would work either," Starlight said. "If we find this item, maybe we'll see what it does, but if it doesn't work on Hooktail, we'll have to go all out on it instead." Koops sighed at the hopeless hint, continuing reading what his father wrote down. "'One last thing: if faced with ultimate doom, the fiend will use any trick to save itself. If you hope to defeat it, do not give in to your kinder nature and fall for its tricks.'" "So, don't believe what it says if we get it on the ropes," Applejack paraphrased. "Won't be too hard to ignore its lies." "'Alas, I do not have the strength to continue writing,'" Koops continued to read, beginning to choke up as the last of his father's words were reaching the end. "'Already, mist veils my eyes...My last words go to my son, Kolorado; I love you, and I'm so proud of who you've become.'" Koops blinked, then looked back at the last line, reading it over and over to himself while the others stared in confusion. "...Wait, Kolorado?" Rainbow asked. "You mean Kolorado Koopa, the bumbling explorer Kooper idolizes?" Rarity questioned. "So...Koops, this isn't your father's bones after all?" "...Uhhhhhhhhh..." Koops stared at the letter, slightly relieved that this wasn't his father, though his cheeks were bright red in embarrassment. "...I...guess not..." Whining, he brought his hands to his face as he dropped the letter, feeling absolutely ridiculous crying in front of his friends for no reason. "I've never felt so embarrassed in all my life." "Don't worry, Koopsie," Pinkie said, patting the Koopa on the head. "It's ok to feel sad sometimes, even for somepony else. But how are we gonna break the news to Kolorado that HIS daddy died here?" "Maybe we'll tell him if we see him again," Rainbow said. "Wonder how well he'll take it." "A lot better than how his wife telling him off," Applejack said. Koops stood up, then looked over to the other side of the room. "Hey, maybe that might be my dad's body." He walked over to a Dry Bones body that was red and pink. Just as he leaned over to check, the bones began rattling, startling Koops as he backed away, watching the body reform into a living skeleton. "Blarf harf harf harf!" the Koopa skeleton laughed. "You all do not value your lives much if you've come to this castle to disturb us." "Oh sweet Celestia, they really can come to life!" Starlight screamed. "You will go no farther, and from this moment on...You'll be nothing but bones! Attack, my Dull Bones army!!!!" Suddenly raining down on them were hundreds upon thousands of Koopa skeletons, all of them alive and covering nearly every inch of the room. The Dull Bones began pushing everyone back while the red skeleton laughed as he watched his minions shoving the intruders away. "Ewwww! Get your icky, bony paws off of me!" Rarity squealed. "How are there so many of these Dry Bones!" "Not Dry Bones; Dull Bones!" Goombella corrected, her book out even as she was being handled around by the Dull Bones army pushing and shoving them around. "Judging by the grayness of their bones, they're not as tough as a Dry Bones's is! And that red one's apparently a Red Bones, far tougher than the Dull Bones!" "So you're saying these skeletons are a bit brittle!?" Rainbow asked. Letting out a yell, she managed to break free and buck her legs hard, sending several Dull Bones behind her flying back, scattering them into piles of bones. "Hah! They're not so tough after all! Let's mow them down!" "I've got a better idea!" Pinkie said, swinging her hammer wildly to give herself some space. She then pulled out her party cannon, stuffing her hammer inside the barrel, smirking with manic glee as the Dull Bones rattled in shock, confusion, and terror all at once. "Say hello to my little friend!...Or, not so little. Little big friend?" "Pinkie, just fire your party cannon already!" Starlight shouted, blasting Dull Bones away from her with several strong beams of magic. "Okie dokie lokie, artichokie!" Pressing the button on her cannon, she fired her hammer with a blast of confetti, bowling through a wide row of Dull Bones, their pieces clattering all over the place as she left an open path to the Red Bones standing by the doorway. "Where did THAT come from!?" the Red Bones exclaimed. His worries over the unexpected antics of the pink mare were distracted by another hammer that was flung toward him, mowing down more skeletons as the tougher hammer stopped right at the Red Bones's feet. Down the other break in Dull Bones was Mario, charging forward as he punched past foes, his fists glowing orange as he broke the Dull Bones in his way apart with his enhanced strength. "Uh oh." Grabbing some of his bones, the Red Bones tossed them at Mario to throw him off. The plumber easily dodged them, slid under one more as he grabbed his hammer, then swung it hard into the Red Bones. The impact sent the red skeleton Koopa into the bars, still intact as his bones were far stronger than the Dull Bones'. "Incoming!" Rainbow warned, flapping in the air and zooming through the Dull Bones, giving a path for Applejack to reach the head of the skeleton army. "Get him, Applejack!" "On it!" Applejack charged forward, letting out a whoop as she got enough speed, then spun around and bucked the dazed Red Bones hard in the abdomen, making it groan out in agony before it was finally broke into pieces. With their leader beaten, the Dull Bones army fled, leaving the large room with only a few actual dead Koopa skeletons behind. Able to progress forward, the group walked through the doors, making a note of that key behind the bars for later when they find another way without having Starlight or Rarity expend their magic when they'll need it for anymore Dull Bones in the castle and Hooktail. The next room had more skeletons on the floor, some Dull Bones popping up as they played dead to try to ambush them, but they were easy to beat without a whole horde of them. There was a key on a ledge in the center of the room, which was easy to grab with Rainbow Dash snagging it, needing it to open the locked door before them up a small flight of steps. There were some blocks nearby, two stone ones a few meters split apart with a yellow sand one on top of one, and two black ones with square outlines on the front with an arrow pointing up, both different sizes and different colors, which appear to match the ones on a lower ledge that, upon hitting, makes them move in the direction the arrow's facing. Passing through the next room into another, ignoring the steps leading to a large black box similar to the two others in the last room until later, entering what appeared to be a dungeon, three cells with bars that once kept prisoners held inside: the left one with a red badge with a white music note sitting on the ground, the middle one with a Koopa skeleton, and the right one empty with a hidden passage to another room. Looking around the empty dungeon section of the castle, Mario spotted the passage in the farthest cell, but the bars were pretty strong, even while using the increased strength from his Equestria-infused Lucky Star to try to pry the metal bars apart. "Hmm...Doesn't seem like there's much around here," Goombella said. "Just a weird music note badge sitting in one of the cells." Mario pointed out the secret passage, bringing the others over as they saw a glimpse of the other side. "How are we gonna get through there?" "I could teleport us through, but that'll cost me a lot of magic power I can't afford to waste while we're literally in a dragon's den," Starlight said. "There's a switch over here," Koops said, pointing to a red switch on the other side of an oddly placed fence. The Koopa walked around and pushed the switch, which opened up the cell bars to the far right room. The bars soon slammed shut mere seconds after the switch was pressed. "Whoa...Uhh, guess it doesn't open for that long." Mario volunteered to go through to see what was inside while the others stayed behind to wait and open the cell when he returns. Ready to go through, Koops pressed the switch again, the plumber racing inside, then walked through to the next room. There was another black cursed chest similar to the one back in Rogueport's Sewers sitting in the middle of the room, watching it twitch as the monster inside it would try to beg for someone to release it from its long imprisonment. Deciding to humor this one, he approached the locked chest. "Hello!" the spiritual monster exclaimed with joy. "Oh, it's been such a long time since anyone's come to visit me! You have no idea how bored I am!" Mario acknowledged the "talking" chest, shocking the creature. "Whoa! You can actually hear me? Then that means...you must be the legendary hero who's destined to free me...Or not. Honestly, I think anyone with ears can hear me. But it is fun to zing people with the 'legendary hero' bit! "But, seriously, can you let me out of here? I've been locked in here for so long I'm getting constantly cramped up. The key should be nearby. Just unlock it, open it up, and I'm free! Easy-peasy!" Mario crossed his arms against his chest, warning the chest not to curse him if he does, even though he knows he will and its attempt to do so will fail and be purified into something else. "W-What!? Curse you!? Noooo! That's absolutely ridiculous! Come on! I'm stuck in a fancy black box! You gotta be a slimeball to curse someone who's going to free you! I mean, seriously, you free me, I'll help you. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, that whole shebang." Mario sighed, shook his head, then agreed to help the monster out. There was a door leading further through the castle, seeing it was possibly where the black key might be located. Inside was another large room, though it was empty aside from a wooden chest, no furniture, stairways, or other doorways. The only odd thing of note was the floor, which was laid out with normal stone tiles and specifically laid out panels with holes in them. Mario had a bad feeling that this was where spikes would rise up to try to impale him, though how they were triggered was a mystery as the floor looked like a giant maze. Being cautious, Mario approached the chest and opened it, finding the black key for the black chest. The moment he snatched the key out from the chest, his guess was right as spikes shot up from the paneled sections of the floor. The floor began to shake a little, and as he looked up, he yelped as the ceiling was lowering down, spikes also jutting out from it as they threatened to crush and impale him all at once. Mario didn't want to risk jumping over the spikes if they shot up under him, leaving him no choice but to traverse through the spike maze until he reached the door. He should have paid attention to the floor and mapped out the maze so he wouldn't end up stuck at a dead end. Luckily, he managed to reach the door without any problem, running through as the ground finally stopped shaking as he escaped, the trap resetting itself for another brain-dead thief wanting to steal any treasure. Twirling the key in his hand, the chest noticed Mario's return and shook excitedly. "Hey, you found it!" the spirit said. Mario unlocked it, tossing the key aside and pulled his Lucky Star out. "WHEE HEE HEE HEE HEE! YOU FOOL!!!!!!!" The chest opened, enveloping Mario in black smoke as he was transported into a familiar dark void. The face of the cursing spirit showed himself, cackling sinisterly as he stared down at the "foolish" plumber. "What an utter idiot you are for actually trusting me! This castle had traps set up specifically to keep morons like you from escaping if they think they can sneak off with any treasures hidden away! Especially the likes of me! "Now, for 'rescuing' me, I'm going to give you a curse, absolutely free of charge! Oogly-googly-boo!" Light flashed around Mario as the monster cursed him, but his Lucky Star protected him from the curse, absorbing it and turning it into a blessing as it glowed brightly. "Huh? What the heck was that? Was that supposed to happen?...Well, anyway, how does it feel to be cursed!?" the spirit cackled, recovering from its confusion. "This curse will turn you as flat as paper! Go ahead and try it out so you can see how dumb you look going from 3D to 2D!" Curious knowing he can activate this blessing at will, Mario decided to try it out. With his pendant shining, instead of turning two-dimensional, his body began to turn intangible, shocking the spirit as he jaw dropped, not expecting his curse to do that. "W-What!? N-No! That's not what it was supposed to do! "How did this happen!?" Mario explained that he and his friends met a chest and a monstrous spirit similar to him who tried to curse him, only for it to turn into something quite helpful and not as humiliating. Even though it was different, the effects of the curse still lingered as the wings only allowed him and his friends to glide across with specific panels. "...Oh...So that's why you knew I was going to curse you...and you let me anyway..." The spirit let out a sigh, feeling like he was the one who got tricked instead of Mario. "Well, if that's the case, even if you're intangible, you can only pass through objects with a tiny enough gap that only something made of paper can pass through...What a let down. And I thought I'd have more fun cursing someone foolish enough to open this chest. I'm outta here." The spirit faded away as the void disappeared, freeing Mario, now gaining a new blessing. "Mario, what's going on over there!?" Starlight called out. "Did you find anything over there!?" Mario walked back into the cell, but he stopped Koops from opening the door for him, wanting to show everyone his new blessing. Clutching his Lucky Star, the plumber turned intangible, surprising everyone at his new ability and phasing through the bars like a Boo. "Whoa! Awesome!" Rainbow said. "Wait, how did you do that?" Mario told them about another black chest that was in the other room, and nearly dodging a bullet when he was caught in the spike trap where the key for said chest was. While still intangible, he pressed his hand against the solid stone wall nearby. Like the spirit told him, he wasn't able to phase through everything, otherwise he would have fallen through the floor at any moment, so only places thin enough for a piece of paper to slide through would only work. "Well, that's one good thing about those monsters in those chests; their curses are only going to be a burden on them if Mario frees them," Goombella said. "You think that can work on us just like the flight panels?" Mario shrugged his shoulders, but he was willing to test that theory out. Holding up his pendant, the Lucky Star flashed and released a shockwave, giving the others the same intangible form of the blessing he just received. The group looked at their limbs in awe, then Pinkie, being the overly curious one, phased her hoof through the metal bars of one of the cells. "Well, what do you know? All of the curses work on all of us it seems." While still intangible, Pinkie walked into the cell with the music note badge, grabbed it, then walked through it, bringing the badge with her. "So, what good is a badge like this if it's all locked up?" Pinkie asked curiously, then gasped and dropped it. "It must be cursed! Quick, Mario, use your Lucky Star to make it pure! Where's the holy water!?" "Pinkie, it's not cursed," Starlight said. The unicorn picked up the badge, eyeing it curiously. "I wonder what it does." "I think I recognize this kind of badge," Goombella muttered to herself. "There's badges sold in a shop in Rogueport that's above the item shop there, but I hear they're pretty expensive. No idea what they do, but some of them can do some pretty cool stuff through some magical enchantments or something." The ponies watched Pinkie, the mare blinking a few times as her friends waited for her to do something. "...Well?" Rainbow asked. "You're not going to take the badge and toss it like you did with those similar ones we found back in the Crystal Palace?" "Nah, I'm going to allow this since badges are apparently this important in this chapter," Pinkie said, then looked out to something the others couldn't see with a leer. "Besides, badges are everywhere in this sequel! We can't even escape from seeing at least one enemy in a fight with a badge on them we could steal or win if they drop it, not to mention the endless amount of the same badge we can find and stack! Should have called the game 'Paper Mario: Endless Badges (Starring The Thousand Year Door) The Game: The Movie: The Fanfiction'!" Koops blinked, scratching his head, while Goombella puffed her cheeks, constantly muttering to herself to ignore Pinkie if she goes off on a tangent. "...Uhh, Pinkie, who were you talking to?" he dared to ask. "Just...pass that as Pinkie being Pinkie," Rarity said. "I honestly don't know who she speaks to when she stares at nothing like that." "...Ok," Koops mumbled. Mario took the badge from Starlight's aura, pinning it on his shirt to test the music note badge. Nothing seemed to happen after a moment, but as they waited, a Paragoomba came flying in through the broken window. Not thinking before flying into Mario, the plumber pulled out his hammer and smacked the flying Goomba away. As his mallet struck the random foe, there was an odd cricket chirping sound upon impact, confusing the group from the random sound effect that came out of what should have been a thud. "...Uhh, what just happened?" Rarity asked. "Oh no! Is there a little cricket hopping around?" Fluttershy asked, fearing for the nonexistent insect as she looked around for it. Mario stared at his hammer, smacking it against the ground, which let out the same cricket sound earlier. "Ahh! Mario, don't hurt the poor thing!" "Umm, Fluttershy, I don't think there is a cricket around here," Koops said. "I think the sound came from Mario." Goombella hummed curiously, rummaging through her books until she found what she was looking for. "Ah. That makes sense. That badge is known as a Sound Effect Badge, making any noises sound like something else than it should." "And it sounds like cricket chirping?" Rainbow questioned. "...Wait. Is this the item Kolorado's dead dad hinted us on?" "Probably," Starlight said. "Lame," Rainbow groaned. "How's that going to help us with Hooktail? Annoy it to death when we beat it up?" Mario took off the badge, but kept it in his pocket just in case it would help them. Now with a new blessing, the group headed back through the rooms to the one where they fought the Red Bones and his Dull Bones army, turning intangible and phased through the bars, taking the key with him before backtracking to the junction where the dungeon was. Everyone climbed up on the black box at the top of the stairs, Mario tossing his hammer at the smaller one nearby and hitting it, making it glow as the block underneath them rose up like an elevator. Up more flights of stairs, they found another locked door, the group glad they went back to nab that key as they used it and walked onto the upper balcony in the previous room. The walkway was broken apart, but there were a couple switches that revealed the hidden platforms, one closeby with a simple hit while another halfway across was reached by Koops's shell toss. There wasn't a switch to reveal the third section, but there was an opened window leading out to a safe enough ledge to the other side with another opened window. Making it across into the next room, they rode up on yet another large black box, after dealing with some more foes that got in their way. The upper walkway the floating elevator stopped on had two doors, the right one locked while the left was opened. The party walked in the available doorway, which happened to be a weapons storage room with old spears, cannonballs, and shields, still in fairly good condition as they sat on the racks or in crates. There were some chests on the other side of the storage space, though they were caught off guard they saw someone inside, rummaging through one of them. That someone was a white mouse, similar to the mice in Dry Dry Desert back in the kingdom, only without wearing any desert clothing. The mouse was clearly feminine by its body structure, wearing red heels, a red mask over her eyes, and her tail was curled in the shape of a heart as it wagged with glee. "Ooh-la-la," the mouse uttered to herself. "Come to mama, my pretty." "Hey, who are you!?" Rainbow called out, the mouse's tail going stiff before she leapt away from the chest to stare down her enemies. "...Well, well, well. Never in my life did I expect to find other thieves in this barren castle." The mouse then eyed Mario, the group ready to take on the mysterious mouse. "Oooh. And who's this big ol' hunk of cheese? Love the mustache, handsome." Mario balked, pointing to himself to confirm the mouse was talking about him, who did so by giving him a wink. "Uhh, who exactly are you?" Goombella questioned, slowly beginning to feel irritated by the other intruder in Hooktail's Castle. "Why, I am Ms. Mowz, the globe-trotting thief!" Ms. Mowz introduced with a flair, though none of them seem to know who she is. "Never heard of me? Well, good. That means I'm doing my job well." "And just why are you here in such a dangerous place?" Rarity asked. "I heard rumors of a rare and valuable badge I was dying to get my paws on," Ms. Mowz explained. "Though, now it's my turn to ask what brings the likes of you here?" "W-Well, we're here to beat Hooktail," Koops said. "And...get the Crystal Star it has...S-So, don't try anything funny if you think you'll take it from us." Ms. Mowz brought a paw to her muzzle, tittering in amusement as her eyes glinted mischievously. "A Crystal Star, you say? I didn't know something like THAT was hiding in this castle...How intriguing. One little thing about treasure hunting, little Koopa: keep something you know from others hearing, otherwise they'll take what you're searching for right under your nose." Koops gulped, backing away slightly as he ducked his head in his shell in embarrassment for leaking out such precious information. "Oh, no don't lose your self-confidence so easily, sweetie. I'm only messing with you. I was just looking for the badge, and since I've found it, I'll leave the Crystal Star for you all." The party voiced their confusion to the mouse thief's offering, which is unlike anything a thief would say. "What do you mean by-?" Suddenly, Ms Mowz rushed toward the group faster than they could blink. She stopped in front of Mario, startling him, then made him freeze up when she leapt up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Sorry, but I've got to get going, cutie," she said to Mario, giving him a wink before flipping backwards, landing in the opened window in the room. Before she leapt outside, she turned back to face the group, most of them stunned by her parting gift for Mario while still questioning what her true morals were. "Oh,almost forgot one little thing. There's a little secret I heard about: somewhere in this castle is a special badge that'll help you beat Hooktail. Don't know what kind of badge it is, but I'm sure it would cost millions of coins if it's able to fell such a dangerous beast of a dragon here in this part of the continent. Maybe you found it, maybe not, but I'd recommend getting that badge." Curious, Mario pulled out the badge, making Ms. Mowz's nose wrinkle as she sniffed the air at the sight of it. "Ohhh. Looks like you did find it after all." "Seriously? This badge that makes cricket sounds when you hit something?" Rainbow questioned. "How is this supposed to help us!?" "Now, now, dearie, don't question the value of a badge just by looks or by impracticality," Ms. Mowz advised. "It's how you use it that gives you the best results." She chuckled, then winked and blew Mario a kiss. "Take care, handsome. Let's meet again real soon." She leapt out and left the castle, searching for more badges elsewhere to pawn off. "Some thief," Applejack said with a whistle. "How come she didn't want to try to get the Crystal Star if those are far more valuable than badges?" "Some people have their own priorities I guess," Goombella said. "No idea who that Squeek was, but I don't like her one bit." "She seemed nice!" Pinkie said. "And I loved her theme song." She swayed her hips as she hummed out a song she could only hear, only to pause at what kind of mouse Ms. Mowz was. "Wait, a Squeek? I thought they were Nomadimousies." "A Nomadimouse is what a Squeek's called when they're travelers, especially in natural terrain like forests, deserts, etc.," Goombella explained. "Their species is technically called Squeeks, and they're mostly tricky and resort to thievery for a quick coin." "Are you sure you're not sour because Ms. Mowz stole a kiss from Mario after you gave him one earlier for rescuing you?" Starlight asked with a smirk. Goombella stammered, her cheeks turning pink as she huffed and turned away. "Wow, Mario, you really do get all the mares, huh?" Rainbow teased the plumber, nudging his side while he gently shoved the pegasus away from him with an annoyed sigh. Koops poked his head out from his shell's neck, letting out a groan in disappointment. "The first time I decide to open my big mouth, and I could have cost you guys that Crystal Star...Sorry." "Don't worry about it, Koops," Starlight said. "At least Ms. Mowz isn't all that interested in the Crystal Star. I doubt she'd last a minute with Hooktail, even if she swiped it out of its claws." "What's in the other chests she didn't bother to take?" Fluttershy asked curiously. Starlight used her magic to open the remaining three chests and pulled them out. "A Mushroom, some Honey Syrup, and one of the castle's keys. Good thing she didn't swipe that from us." Taking the key and helpful items, the group continued onward through the castle, opening up the locked door and continued making their way to the top. The next doorway was on a ledge that was devoid of any stairs, but it wasn't that high for them to climb up, even with there being a flight panel up on the broken rafters that was reachable by more of the floating blocks. Mario lifted the others up onto the ledge while Rainbow and Fluttershy helped pull them up, then leapt up after them as they headed through to another stairwell. Rainbow flew on ahead, spotting a key on a ledge on the other side of an active lift block, taking it and meeting the others as they climbed up the stairs. Once at the top and by the next locked door, they were back outside near the top of the castle, just a simple walk over the stone bridge leading to the large spire where Hooktail resides. On the walk across, facing Koopas and Paratroopas in their way, Koops suddenly felt trepidation kick in as they were getting closer and closer to Hooktail. He was nervous, frightened, his heart pounding in his chest as they were about to meet the dreaded dragon that caused so much terror in Petal Meadows, and ate so many Koopas who were unfortunate to be Hooktail's snack. As much as he wanted to turn back now, he wasn't going to abandon what he promised himself, what he promised Koopie Koo. And he wasn't facing this challenge alone either. He has his friends with him, all but one experienced in taking on dangerous foes towering them by several stories. Putting his trust in them as they allowed him to come with them for their own reasons for being here, he was ready to face Hooktail, avenge his father, save everyone else in Petalburg from being the next victims from the dragon's hunting, and retrieve the Crystal Star for his new friends to help them on their quest. Koops was scared, no doubt about that, but he wasn't alone, determined to end Hooktail once and for all.