//------------------------------// // Fluttershy Adopts a Piranha Plant and Gushes Over a Polterpup // Story: Of Plumbers and Ponies: Kingdom Quest // by pokerninja2 //------------------------------// Once Mario, Twilight, and Spike finally made it out of the forest, the castle Mario spoke of came into view. Or, at least whatever was left of it. Peach's once beautiful castle had been reduced to shambles, all that remained intact was the middle tower that had a stained glass image of the princess on it. "Princess Peach!" Mario called out. "I found us some help!" Peach stopped whatever she was doing and saw the approaching trio. She ran up to Mario to greet them. "Am I glad you returned safe and sound!" Peach said. "And who might these be?" "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle," the purple alicorn said as she bowed. "And I'm Spike, her number one assistant, at your service!" the dragon followed. "Well, nice to meet you both!" Peach said. "I'm Princess Peach, ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. I have to say, I didn't expect to see Mario come back with a talking horse and a child dragon." "Ahem... pony..." Twilight corrected. "Ah, yes, my apologies," Peach said as she bowed. "Well I was surprised too, but she had no idea what Fire Flowers or ? Blocks were so I think we're all in the same boat," Mario said. "Now that we have introductions out of the way," Peach said. "Me and Mario have been using this as a base of operations while we try to find out what happened to us and how our worlds were merged together." "Well, me and Spike would be happy to help out," Twilight said. "Great!" Peach said as she clapped. "We could use some more helping hands... er... figuratively speaking. Me and the Toads will provide the two of you a room to stay in. In the meantime, we have a small shop behind the castle where you can buy any items you need." "Thanks, princess," Mario said as he tipped his hat. "We'll be hitting the shop and then its off to find the rest of our friends." "One of my Toad scouts spotted a yellow flying creature out in the woods," Peach said. "The description they gave is very similar to Ms. Twilight Sparkle, so that might be a place to start." "That's probably Fluttershy!" Spike said. "Thank you for your help, princess," Twilight smiled. "We're all in this together," Peach smiled back. "I'll try to help from here however I can, you just keep looking for your friends. Do protect them, OK Mario?" "No Goombas or Koopas are gonna lay a finger on them," Mario assured with a thumbs up. "Excellent!" Peach said. And with that, Mario, Twilight and Spike waved goodbye and went around the base to find a shop, run by a Toad. Twilight immediately saw a Fire Flower and wanted to purchase it, but saw a couple other items that could be useful as well. Red and green mushrooms with white spots on their caps, a flower similar to the Fire Flower, only blue, a yellow star, and a brown leaf with stripes. Were all of these power-ups like Mario explained? Did all of them have their own powers? Twilight couldn't wait to study these when she had the chance! "How much for the Fire Flower?" Twilight asked. "Eight Coins," the Toad answered cheerfully. Using her magic, Twilight pulled out eight of her bits and handed them to the Toad. He looked at her and shook his head. "Sorry ma'am," he said. "We don't accept this currency." "Don't worry Twilight, I got you covered," Mario said. He pulled out a giant stack of Coins, which were much larger and shiner than bits, and handed them to the Toad. "I'll take one of each, please!" "Thanks, Mario!" the Toad said as he handed him the purchased items. Mario stowed them away in his pocket. They waved the shopkeeper goodbye and headed into the forest. "So how exactly can you fit so many Coins in your pocket?" Twilight asked. "Yeah, those were like three times as big as bits!" Spike followed. "...I just try not to think about it," Mario said. The trio headed back into the forest, if Peach was right then Fluttershy was somewhere in these woods. The trek wasn't too difficult, just a couple Goombas standing in the way that Mario could easily squash and a few Koopa Troopas here and there. He explained these creatures were allied with Bowser, a tyrant that constantly tried to kidnap Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Twilight then explained her entire history of saving Equestria from villain after villain with her friends. Turns out they had more in common than they initially thought. "So you really had to face off against an elementary-age kid?" Mario asked in disbelief. "Yeah, it was... kind of weird," Twilight answered. "I mean, at least Bowser Jr. actually looks like a fighter," Mario answered. "And he's always got that Jr. Clown Car or paintbrush with him. I can't imagine how someone like that could even put up a fight." "You'd be surprised," Spike said with a chuckle. It took awhile for him to notice he was flying in place, so he tried to speed up and catch up with the other two. However, he seemed to be held back by something. He turned around and saw a red venus flytrap-looking creature holding his tail in its jaws. "Hey, let go!" Spike called out, trying to pull his tail out. Mario and Twilight turned around and saw what was happening. "Guys, help!" Spike cried. "It's got my tail!" "What is THAT thing!?" Twilight asked. "It's a Piranha Plant!" Mario said. "Carnivorous plant that eats anything it can reach!" Wasting no time, Mario leaped into the air and tried to stomp on it. He normally couldn't because of their sharp teeth, but it being distracted by Spike's tail left its head completely exposed. He was about to land on it until- "STOP!" Mario was caught off-guard by the scream and landed on Spike instead, which popped his tail right out of the Piranha Plant's mouth. He looked up and saw a yellow pony with long pink mane run up to the group, immediately hugging the plant and holding it close to her. "Why would you try to stomp on this poor, innocent creature?" she asked. "Wait, Fluttershy?" Twilight said as she ran up to her. "Is that really you!?" "T-Twilight Sparkle!" Fluttershy gasped, immediately running up to hug her. "You're safe! I thought you were lost and alone! And Spike, you're here too!" "Well, I was lost," Twilight said. "But Mario here helped me out." "Alright, step away from the plant, Fluttershy," Mario warned. "That thing is dangerous and needs to be taken care of-" "No! Please don't hurt him!" Fluttershy begged. "Mr. Piranha Plant is a really nice plant and wouldn't hurt a fly!" "He tried to eat me..." Spike said as he held onto his sore tail. The Piranha Plant snapped its jaws a few times, which Fluttershy understood and could translate. "He says your tail just looked like a tasty chicken wing," Fluttershy said. "He didn't mean to hurt anyone." "And you can tell what it's saying... how exactly?" Mario asked as he took his hat off and scratched the top of his head. "That's Fluttershy's thing," Twilight said with a giggle. "She can talk to and care for animals. We don't know what they're saying, but she can translate for us." "Alright, better question: why are you friends with it?" Mario followed. "Well, I was all alone in these woods," Fluttershy said as she recounted the events. "I was scared, and I didn't know where to go! But then I found Mr. Piranha Plant laying on the ground, and he looked miserable. I looked around and found a nearby river, so I brought him some water. He thanked me dearly and promised to be my friend as thanks. I've been flying around the forest looking for berries for him to eat ever since." "That's our Fluttershy!" Spike laughed. "She can tame any creature into being friendly, even plants!" Piranha Plant snapped cheerfully. "What'd he say that time?" Mario asked. "He says that I was the first one to ever show him kindness, and is really thankful I helped him," Fluttershy translated. "Are these things really your enemies?" Twilight asked. She approached the Piranha Plant and rubbed its head, getting a soft purr in response. "They look kinda cute." "I think he likes you, Twilight Sparkle," Fluttershy said. Mario tried to approach him like Twilight, but only got an angry snap in response. Fluttershy gasped and held her hoof over her mouth. "I... I am not going to repeat that..." Fluttershy uttered. "Well... anyway..." Mario said. "We're trying to look for our friends, and one of my guys said they saw you flying around the forest." "And if you're here, that means everypony else is here as well!" Twilight said. "You should come along so you can help us out." "Of course I'll come along," Fluttershy said. The Piranha Plant held his head down sadly. "Awww, can Mr. Piranha Plant come along too?" Fluttershy asked. "What, that thing!?" Mario responded, flabbergasted. "You saw what he almost did to Spike!" The Piranha Plant answered with two snaps. "Mr. Piranha Plant, say you won't bite Mario either," Fluttershy said sternly. The Piranha Plant sighed like a young child and snapped bitterly. "There, he promises to not bite anyone!" Fluttershy said. "OK, but how is he gonna come with us?" Mario asked. "He's rooted to the ground!" "Oh, I have a solution!" Fluttershy said as she pulled out a small, brown pot. She scooped up the Piranha Plant in it and put it on her back. He snapped in approval. "I found it in the forest while looking for berries, now he can come along with us." "She's not gonna budge when it comes to her animal friends," Twilight whispered to Mario. "It would be easier on all of us if you just went with it." "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine," Mario sighed in defeat, rolling his eyes. "He can come along." "Yay!" Fluttershy cheered. The Piranha Plant made a victorious snap. Mario could tell this was gonna be a long adventure. With Fluttershy and her Piranha Plant companion joining the party, the team of five headed back to Peach. Twilight explained that the worlds of Equestria and the Mushroom Kingdom were somehow merged, and they needed to find a way to restore harmony to them. The yellow mare understood the gravity of the situation and agreed to help in any way she could. Meanwhile, Spike and the Piranha Plant immediately hit it off: while Spike rode on Twilight's back and the plant on Fluttershy's, the dragon was showing him one of his favorite comic books. The plant was entranced by the story, or at least as entranced as a Piranha Plant could be. Mario lead the way all the while, kicking Koopa shells and stomping Goombas along the way. That was, until, something white tackled him. His new pony friends stopped in their tracks. "You OK, Mario?" Twilight asked. Mario was to distracted by whatever was attacking him. He quickly recognized the barks and constant licking of his face: it was Luigi's pet Polterpup! "Down boy, down!" Mario commanded between breaths. The Polterpup gave one final lick before hopping off him and looking at the ponies, wagging his tail and panting hard. "Aw, what an adorable little-" Twilight began before Fluttershy interrupted her. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" the pegasus squealed. She dashed toward the ghost dog and kneeled at him. She held her hoof out to let the Polterpup sniff her. Pleased with her scent, he jumped up and licked her face. "He's so adorable!" Fluttershy said as she held the Polterpup in her hooves. "You are just the most precious thing!" The Piranha Plant still on her back growled in jealousy and crossed his leaves. Mario couldn't contain his smile. "She usually like this?" Mario asked. "No, she's usually very shy and calm," Twilight answered. "Unless she meets a new type animal." "Mario, what breed is it!? You must tell me!" Fluttershy demanded. "Oh, that's a Polterpup," Mario said. "They come from haunted woods back in my world. This one belongs to my brother Luigi." The Polterpup instantly perked up at the word "Luigi". He hopped out of Fluttershy's hooves and began barking loudly, pointing his nose across the forest. "What is it boy?" Mario asked. "Hey, 'Shy, what's he saying?" The Polterpup barked some more, and Fluttershy was able to translate him perfectly. "He's saying he knows where this Luigi pony-er... person is!" "Good boy!" Mario said as he petted the Polterpup's head. "Lead the way, little guy!" The ghost dog gave a happy bark and ran across the forest, the other five doing their best to catch up. "He's a happy little helper, isn't he?" Twilight asked, chuckling a bit. "Oh yeah, the second Luigi brought the little guy home I knew he'd be a big help on our adventures," Mario explained. "Did you know he once helped Luigi sniff us out when we went missing in a haunted hotel?" "Really?" Twilight asked. "Yeah," Mario continued. "And if you think that's cool, you should see the giant dog my friend Yoshi has. He once swam across an entire ocean of lava just to help him get across. He's practically invincible!" "That's AWESOME!" Spike said. "I bet Fluttershy would love to see him!" "...I think she's seen enough new animals for a lifetime," Twilight said with a giggle. Of all of them, Fluttershy was the one keeping up with Polterpup the most. She was absolutely enamored for the creature, and wanted to know everything possible about him. She gasped when she saw him jump into a tree and phase right through it. "Goodness, you can do that to?" Fluttershy asked. "I simply HAVE to have a Polterpup of my own!" The Piranha Plant have another huff of disapproval. Fluttershy turned back with a look of concern. "Oh don't worry Mr. Piranha Plant," she said, nuzzling the potted plant's head. "You're still my friend, and nothing is going to change that. In fact, I think I'll keep you in my cottage when this is all over. Would you like that?" That eased its feelings a bit, and it gave a happy growl. The mare smiled and continued following the Polterpup. As the five chased the Polterpup through the woods, the trees around them started getting darker and have less leaves on them. The ground below their legs had dirt as opposed to grass, and the sky suddenly became dark and cloudy. It wasn't long before everyone noticed these changes, and they quickly slowed down to observe their new surroundings. "What IS this place?" Spike asked. "It's... it's scary..." Fluttershy said as she clung to Piranha Plant for comfort. "Wait..." Mario said as memories came flying back to him. The trees, the dead grass and dirt, the crows watching them from the branches, the dark, cloudy sky. He knew where he was. He knew why the Polterpup led them here, and knew exactly what it meant. The Mansion. "Girls, this is Boo Woods," Mario said as he turned to them, doing his best to keep his anger in control. "A big, haunted mansion lies in the heart of these woods, and I think that's where Luigi is being kept." "Oh dear..." Fluttershy said as her grip on the Piranha Plant grew tighter. She did not like the idea of going in a haunted mansion at all. "Well, it can't be anything we haven't dealt with before, right?" Twilight said. "I saw you taking out those Goombas, Koopas, and Piraaaaaaaaa-" the alicorn stopped herself from saying "Piranha Plant" when the flower next to her started growling. Fluttershy slowly nodded her head as if to say "Do. Not. Say that." She took that as a warning. "-Pirates!" she finished. "I saw you taking all those out, it looked like you could do it with your eyes closed." "Those are small fries," Mario explained. "They're hardly an obstacle and easy to defeat. But the ghosts in this mansion... they're something else..." He did his best to remain calm, but memories of those blasted ghouls taking him by surprise and trapping him in a painting... leaving his cowardly and scared twin brother all alone to look for him... it filled him with a sense of anger almost nothing else could. "They're dangerous," he finished. "We'll need to stick together if we wanna rescue Luigi from this mansion." Just then, the Polterpup barked from across the woods, and the group followed it. The eventually found the ghostly dog in front of a large shack, and he phased right through the door. "Ah-ha! E. Gadd!" Mario said. "He can help us out!" "E. who?" Twilight asked. "Just follow me," Mario replied as he opened the door. Inside the shack was what seemed to be a laboratory, filled with a bunch of machines, potions, tonics, and test tubes. At one of the big monitors, they found a strange old man in a white coat typing on a comically large keyboard. The Polterpup barked and pulled on his coat. "Settle down, you!" E. Gadd said. He looked to the side and saw Mario standing there, with the Polterpup barking happily. "Ah, Mario, if it isn't you!" E. Gadd greeted as he hopped off his seat to greet the heroic plumber. "About time someone I'm familiar with showed up in this mish-mash mess of a land!" "Good to see you too, E. Gadd," Mario said, shaking his hand. The professor then noticed the ponies and small dragon standing behind Mario. Adjusting his glasses, he went over to investigate. He held up one of Twilight's hooves and scratched the bottom of it, causing a slight giggle in response. He then stroked her mane, noticing the magenta streaks in it. He turned to see the other mare, and tugged gently at one of her wings. Lastly, he poked Spike in the head, causing him to reel back in shock. "And who might these equine specimens be?" E. Gadd asked. "I'm Twilight Sparkle," the alicorn greeted. "And that's Fluttershy, and this dragon is Spike." "It talks, too!" E. Gadd clapped. "I've never seen creatures quite like these before. Equine mares with technicolor fur who have feathered wings. I could definitely keep you three in my lab for research!" "Um... uh..." Fluttershy stammered as she backed away from the strange professor. "Oh I jest, I jest," E. Gadd said. "I could perform unsavory and grueling tests on you any other time. For now, Mario, we have serious business at hand. It's a good thing you showed up in time!" "Luigi's stuck in the mansion, isn't he?" Mario asked. "Indeed he is," E. Gadd said, pushing some buttons on his keyboard. An image of Luigi running away screaming from pursuing ghosts came up. "He and his little Polterpup ended up in these same woods as I did when that giant twister hit. Seeing this as an opportunity for ghost research, I persuaded him to go into the mansion once more and capture any exotic new ghosts he could find! This... didn't go entirely as planned, as now he's stuck in the mansion with no way out. His ghost pupper went to look for help, and lo and behold, he found the best help possible!" "We're in the middle of a crisis between two kingdoms merging and the thing you focus on is researching ghosts?" Mario asked. "Well, I didn't realize what was happening until AFTER I sent Luigi inside," E. Gadd said in defense. "According to my findings, some weird teleportation error happened within the Mushroom Kingdom that sent everything into a funk, and here we are now, two worlds merged into one!" "Wait, you know what happened to Equestria and the Mushroom Kingdom?" Twilight asked. "I just told you what happened, did I not? Hohohoho!" E. Gadd laughed. "But now is not the time for recap, you kids must venture into the mansion and save Luigi!" "But isn't it dangerous?" Fluttershy asked. "Oh, EXTREMELY dangerous!" E. Gadd said. "I would be very surprised if any of you make it out in one piece." "EEP!" Fluttershy yelped as she hid behind Twilight. "Can... can I just stay here... with Mr. Piranha Plant?" The flower was apparently bored and was sleeping through the entire conversation. "You're just like Luigi, aren't you?" E. Gadd laughed. "Polterpup here will show you where to look for him. I would have equipped you three with my newest invention, the Poltergust 7002, but errm... Luigi took my only working model." "Whatever, let's just get this over with," Mario responded. And with that, everyone exited the lab (though Twilight had to drag Fluttershy out of it) and followed the excited Polterpup through some giant gates and inside the haunted mansion. Mario paused for a bit at the mansion's front door before he felt a claw on his shoulder. He turned and saw Spike. "Hey, we're with you," Spike said. "You helped me find Fluttershy and Spike," Twilight followed. "I think it's time I repay the favor!" "I'll... I'll come too..." Fluttershy said, still a bit uneasy with the idea of exploring a haunted mansion. "Mr. Piranha Plant will be with us as well." "Thanks guys," Mario answered. He turned to the mansion doors and took a deep breath, adjusting his cap. "We're coming for you, bro."