Princess Peach certainly wasn't a Toad. Actually, she clearly was of the same species than Luigi, but possessed more delicate traits. Where Luigi possessed short brown hairs under his cap, Peach possessed long blond hair that cascaded to her back. She was wearing a beautiful pink dress that Rarity would admire with a brooch that seemed to be a sapphire, and she also had sapphire hearings and some white clothe covering her arms. Of course, as a princess, she had a golden crown adorned with sapphires and rubie on her head.
She was sitting on a silver throne padded of red at the top of a staircase, and the guard led Apple Bloom to a sun symbole on the floor just in front of said staircase. When they stopped, she immediately bowed. This wasn't Equestria, but she still had to show respect to royalty.
But it was hard to not question her as to why she wasn't a Toad.
"Princess," began the guard. "This is Apple Bloom, as you asked."
Princess Peach gave a small giggle. "Rise, Apple Bloom," she said in a very melodic voice. When Apple Bloom rose, Peach also rose from her throne and walked down the stairs until she was just in front of the filly. She then put a knee on the floor to be at eye level, the princess being about two times taller than Apple Bloom, like Luigi.
"I must thank you for helping Luigi saving me, Mario, the Toads, and professor E. Gadd against King Boo. Luigi told me everything, how you fought King Boo despite all your injuries. You were very brave, and strong. How can I thank you, my little hero?"
Apple Bloom looked at her pleadingly. "Do ya've any mean to bring me back to mah dimension?"
"Oh..." Peach became very saddened. "That's right... Luigi told me that you came out of a portal. I'm sorry, the only thing related to dimensional travel we have is a magical book leading to a paper version of our world. I will ask the friendly Magikoopas we have if they can use their magic to get you back to your home."
"Thank ya princess," replied Apple Bloom with a sigh. It was better than nothing. "And... Uh... Do ya know where're mah Poltergust and mah belt?"
Peach got up with a smile and clapped her hands. "Yes. We left them to professor E. Gadd. We judged that it was safer to leave them to him. He knows his way with technology, and he was very interrested in your Poltergust and that gadget that was in your belt. They must be in his new laboratory, in the new hotel he built with our help." She giggled. "A new source of income for his studies and experiences, he said."
"Uh..." began to say Apple Bloom to herself. "Maybe Ah'd do the same with all the bits Ah got from Eternal Rest's hotel... Ah'm already super rich, but some income shouldn't hurt. Ah'd put it to good use..." After some thinking, she exclaimed "Like a movie studio for Director Cut! He'll need one!"
This got Peach curious, but before she could ask, she heard Apple Bloom's stomach growl, and the filly blushed. The princess giggled and said "How about we continue our discussion around some nice food? You didn't eat for over two weeks, after all."
"Hum... Eeyup..."
Peach was fascinated by everything she learned about Apple Bloom as the filly told her story while she ate. From a simple apple farmer child searching with her friends her place in the world, she became a rich and heroic ghost hunter now at war against some incarnation of Death. What happened to her was pretty much what happened to Luigi.
First, she had to explore a haunted mansion to save her loved ones.
Then she had to go through a whole haunted valley.
Finally, she had to climb a haunted hotel.
It was exactly Luigi's story, but Apple Bloom's was much more tragic and difficult. King Boo was a saint compared to that Thanatos. And even that Eternal Rest, who was supposed to be a counterpart of Hellen Gravely, was worst than anything Mario and Luigi fought (excepted maybe the Shroobs and the Dark Star). And now, because of that witch, this poor kid was stuck in this dimension, far from her family and her friends.
She hoped that the Magikoopas will be able to help.
Or, maybe... But it would probably take an eternity...
"Maybe prof E. Gadd could help you," said Peach. "If the Magikoopas aren't able to bring you back home, I mean. He's a little eccentric, but he's a real genius. He was able to invent a time machine, and in our world, he's the inventor of the Poltergust. Maybe, if we ask him, he could research dimensional travel, and he will somehow invent a machine that will bring you back to your home."
Apple Bloom was happy at first, but she quickly got second thoughts. "How long it'd take for him?"
Peach sighed. "I don't know... It would probably take him a few years." She then got up and went beside Apple Bloom to hug her. "I'm sorry."
"Thanks... Ah don't worry. Ah'm sure that, sooner or later, mah friends'll find a way to bring me back. Ah just hoped to find a solution for it to be sooner." After a pause, she changed topic. "So, this E. Gadd is the creator of the Poltergust that Luigi used?"
Peach returned to her place and nodded. "Yes. It was his latest version. He called it the Poltergust G-00, or Poltergoo for short."
"Uh. Ah suppose it's in reference to that tube containing Gooigi. It may be useful to've a slime clone."
"If you want to see him, I can contact him. Actually, he also wanted to talk to you about your Poltergust."
Apple Bloom nodded.
A letter was sent by Paratroopa to E. Gadd, and Peach went to talk to the Magikoopas to see if they could help apple Bloom return to her home. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom, at Peach's advice, used the rest of the day to explore the town around the castle, Toad Town, with two guards guiding her.
It was a nice town that reminded more of Ponyville than Canterlot. And in her exploration, she discovered a lot of things about this dimension.
Like in her world, there seemed to be a lot of species. She already knew the Toads, and Peach's species called humans, and she saw the Paratroopa when Peach gave to him the letter, a winged bipedal turtle. But in this town, she discovered many more, starting with the Koopas who were just Paratroopas without wings. Apparently, Magikoopas, who were rare, were Koopas who can use magic. They could be identified easily because they always wore a robe, a hat (pointed or not), and glasses. Another turtle species present that Apple Bloom could see sometime fly in the sky were Lakitus, turtles that flew in clouds.
Living clouds. Like, really. Clouds with faces. Because in this world, some clouds were alive. This would so mind blow the pegasi back in Equestria. How could water vapor be alive? And apparently, clouds weren't the only example of things that shouldn't be alive, well, alive. In the distance beyond the town, Apple Bloom could see hills with faces.
It almost made her faint. If Twilight even sees this...
Back in Toad Town, there were also the Goombas, some kind of living fungus on feet (she saw one with wings flying in the sky), some masked guys named Shy Guys, a few bipedal reptiles of various colors named Yoshis... Over there in front of a shop, a couple of bipedal moles, Monty Moles. Over here, a Boo was in a dark alley talking to a Koopa that looked different from the others, this one possessing a helmet and a hammer, a Hammer Bro. There was even a giant yellow carterpillar with a flower on the head, this one named Wiggler!
When she asked the guards, she learned two things. First, the kingdom they were in was named Mushroom Kingdom (she forgot to ask Peach). Secondly, there were hundreds of species living in this kingdom, and what she was seeing in Toad Town was just the tip of the iceberg. And that was just in the Mushroom Kingdom. This world had a lot of countries each with their own species and sub-species.
There were even alien species regularly visiting! ALIENS!
The guards were very amused by her reaction at this.
After this, she decided to stop exploring for now and to return to the castle. Peach told her that she would prepare a room for her for the night, and right now, she wanted to sleep. Too much mind blows at once, and she barely walked a few minutes out of the castle.
Sadly, while Magikoopas could work together to open portals to other dimensions, they couldn't open one specifically to Apple Bloom's dimension. They needed to know where her dimension was exactly in the great infinity of the multiverse, and they had no idea and no way to find out.
So this left E. Gadd, but frankly, Apple Bloom hadn't much hope. How could he find her dimension, after all? Well, she wasn't a scientist (even if she was starting to become one under Smart Spirit's tutelage), so she didn't know much about the subject. Maybe he knew of a way, or he will find one somehow. An unknown energy, or some physical law or other science mumbo jumbo. But again, this could take years of studies and researches. Apple Bloom hoped that her friends would find a way to her sooner somehow.
They received an answer from E. Gadd the morning of the next day, and the prof couldn't wait to meet Apple Bloom. To go to his lab rapidly, he instructed her to go to Luigi's mansion where he will be able to teleport her with something called the Pixelator. And so, after a good breakfast (the cooks of Peach's castle were as good as the cooks of Celestia's castle), Peach escorted Apple Bloom to Luigi's mansion. Before that, the princess made sure to warn him of their arrival with a letter. It was the perfect occasion for Apple Bloom to correctly meet the two heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom (and the world, and even the universe). Peach told her about the Mario Brothers and some of their adventures.
This Bowser guy was the most determined bad guy ever.
Luigi's mansion was far outside of town. Like Apple Bloom, Luigi built it after his first ghost hunting adventure. Well, apparently, it was E. Gadd who built it for Luigi as a thanks for helping him using the money Luigi found in the haunted manor which had been apparently an illusion created by King Boo to lure Mario and Luigi to capture them. One of the big difference between her story and Luigi's story. Her haunted mansion had been the real deal. She knew it because she had to blow it up. You can't blow up an illusion.
Luigi's mansion was more a secondary house for Luigi. He lived mainly with his brother Mario in a smaller, humbler house outside of town. Luigi essentially used the manor when he wanted some calm, like after an adventure. So, for vacation purpose. Of course, this meant that Luigi was probably in his smaller house with Mario, so as Apple Bloom and Peach departed from the castle with a couple of guards (not like they would be useful if Bowser decided to kidnap the princess for the 1548th time (yes, Peach counted)), Mario and Luigi were probably departing from their house out of town. The two groups will certainly meet each other on the way.
And this was what happened once Apple Bloom and Peach exited town. The Mario Brothers were waiting them on the way, both waving at them.
And Polterpup was with them!
But Apple Bloom's happiness at seeing the ghost dog didn't last long when she reminded herself that this Polterpup was very certainly NOT her Polterpup, but Luigi's Polterpup. Since Luigi got through the same adventure in the Evershade Valley than her, then she had no doubt that he probably adopted the Polterpup too.
Luigi was exactly like she remembered from that fight against King Boo, without the Poltergust of course. As for his brother, Mario looked a lot like him, moustache (groomed differently) and all. However, he was a little smaller and overweight, and anything green among Luigi's clothes was red for Mario. Also, instead of a L, there was a M in the front of his cap.
Judging that the Mario Brothers were enough of an escort, the guards returned to the castle.
After the greetings and presentations, Apple Bloom, Peach, Mario, and Luigi began their journey to Luigi's mansion together, Polterpup running around.
"Thank you for the help against King Boo," said Luigi to Apple Bloom. "This fight was much easier than the others I had against him thanks-a to you."
"Well, Ah couldn't leave ya to fight him by yerself when Ah'd act. Not like he gave me a choice when he attacked me." She gave Luigi a big smile. "Princess Peach told me everything. It's incredible how ya went to fight ghosts and all to save yer friends and especially to save yer brother despite ya being so scared of them. It's very courageous."
As Luigi seemed embarrassed by her praises, Mario gave a small slap on his back, almost making him topple. "That's-a my bro for you!" he said proudly. "But you must be very courageous too. You're just a child, and yet, you apparently hunt ghosts."
"Oh yeah, it was scary at first, being alone in a big haunted mansion full of ghosts, but now, Ah'm used to it. Ah even made a lot of friends among ghosts." She pointed at Polterpup. "Ah even've a Polterpup too!"
Hearing his name, Polterpup looked at Apple Bloom curiously.
"Really? There's a Polterpup in your dimension too?" asked Luigi.
"She told me she went through Evershade Valley too," informed Peach.
Apple Bloom nodded. "The manor, the valley, and the hotel, like ya, but with many differences apparently."
"Curious. You come from a different dimension, and yet, you went through the same things than Luigi?" asked Mario, confused.
Apple Bloom shrugged. "Ah've no idea how this is possible, but it happened."
They then passed the following minutes of the journey talking about their respective adventures, then about each others' world. Well, it was mostly Apple Bloom asking about this world as she looked around at the landscapes so alien. Hills with eyes. Mushrooms as high as mountains. Floating blocks. Pipes everywhere.
The most curious for her had to be those blocks with a '?' floating a little everywhere above the ground. They apparently possessed various objects. Mario and Luigi gave her some examples by hitting some of these blocks. They mainly gave gold coins, but one of them gave what she thought at first was the head of a Toad. It was actually just a red with white dots mushroom possessing eyes that was apparently one of the most common objects of the Mushroom Kingdom that were used to heal injuries, generally minor ones. But apparently, it wasn't one of those mushrooms that had been used to heal her as she was in a coma, but one called a 1-Up Mushroom, a much more effective mushroom used to wake up and heal unconscious people. They didn't work that well for people that close to death like she was, who had a major blood lost and who was in a coma, but it helped a lot. There were many other kinds of mushroom apparently. Mario listed a lot of them. There was one that could shrink you until you were no bigger than a mouse, or another that could turn you giant! There was one giving you a helmet with a propeller to propel yourself in the air and slowly float down, one that could turn you into a Boo, one that could turn you into a bee, or into a spring... There were so many!
And that was without speaking of all the other objects a block [?] could give. It almost made Apple Bloom dizzy. Flowers that could make you shoot fireballs or ice balls, feathers giving you a cape to fly, various costumes to give you special abilities, and so, so many other things...
And then, there were the pipes. Mario explained that they were the main mean of transport in the Mushroom Kingdom and in some other places. You enter a pipe, and a few seconds later, you come out of it somewhere else. Many were blocked however, filled with dirt. They could be dangerous too because they were often home of carnivorous plants named Piranha Plants, plants big enough to eat someone like Mario in one bite. And there was no way to know where a pipe will lead before using it, so they could lead somewhere dangerous like above a lake of lava and you wouldn't know before the last second.
Now, they were approaching such a pipe, but Luigi warned her that this one led not far of his manor, so it was safe. One by one, they jumped in it, and it easily became the weirdest experience for Apple Bloom. She wasn't falling, it was more like she was on an invisible elevator slowly moving down. Everything became black, and then, before she knew it, she exited the pipe with the others. Somehow, on the way, without her knowing, she had turned upside down to exit the pipe head first instead of hooves first.
Apple Bloom stared at the pipe a moment, trying to understand what the heck happened, then followed the princess and the brothers when they began to advance again. Luigi's mansion could be seen not far ahead, and it was smaller than Apple Bloom expected. It looked more like a big house than a manor, seemingly possessing two floors and not even being half the length of her own manor. Either Luigi found less money in his first adventure, or he decided to not use all of it. Knowing Luigi, it was probably the second. He probably thought that such a small manor was all he needed. Contrary to her who built her manor for the ghosts, this manor was built only for him. The only thing that this manor had in common with hers was that it was built on top of a small hill.
They passed the fence surrounding the manor, and Luigi used a key to open the door.
"Welcome!" said Luigi.
He guided them to the living room which possessed a fire place, a shelf with some books, some furniture, a small round table, and a chair facing some machine with a screen.
"What's this?" asked Apple Bloom.
"It's a television," answered Peach. "You don't have this in your dimension?"
"Nope."
"It's-a normally used to watch movies, but the prof will use it to telepixel you to his lab," informed Luigi.
Then the television suddenly turned on, showing the image of an old human almost entirely bald excepted for a tuft of hair at the top of his head and possessing huge round, weird glasses hiding his eyes.
«Exactly!» shouted the man. «So you're Apple Bloom? Glad to finally meet you, I looked forward to it. The Pixelator is activated. Just jump through the screen, and you will be teleported to my lab.»
"At least it isn't the old model from Evershade Valley. It was scary," said Luigi.
«There was nothing to be scared of. You always came out without missing a piece. By the way, the three of you are welcome in my hotel too if you want.»
"I'm sorry, professor, but I must return to the castle. I was only accompanying Apple Bloom," said Peach.
"Same. I was only guiding her to the manor," said Luigi before he turned to the filly. "It was nice meeting you Apple Bloom."
"Yes, it was a pleasure. I hope to see you again. I will keep a room for you if you decide to return to the castle," said Peach.
"And I could help you visit the kingdom," said Mario.
"Thank ya everyp... Uh, everyone. And thank y'all for yer help. Bye," said Apple Bloom with a wave.
"Bye!"
"Goodbye."
"Byebye!"
Apple Bloom turned back to the screen and put a hoof to test it. The hoof entered the screen that emitted a small light. Seeing that it worked, she jumped in the screen and disappeared in it before the television turned off.