"Are you sure about this? Speak up, X-Naut!" Grodus said.
In the X-Naut leader's lair, Grodus was alone with an X-Naut soldier, but the uniform was different from the usual red and white. This one wore blue suit with a black X along the front, but also wore a white lab coat and had a clipboard in his hand.
"Yes, sir, I am quite sure," the X-Naut answered as he read through the notes on his clipboard. "I've pored over all of our research of the Thousand-Year Door. And it appears the sealing power has definitely been weakening, like Beldam said."
Impressed by the good news, Grodus smirked. "Finally, the treasure of legend. The ancient power of darkness will soon be ours," he uttered to himself. "Listen, and listen well! Keep giving the Crystal Star search top priority! Of course, that also includes the elimination of Mario! Meddling scum..."
"And the Equestrians who are accompanying him? Are we still refraining from causing them any harm?" the X-Naut asked.
"...That all depends if they become just as much of a nuisance as Mario," Grodus said after some thought. "The other ponies are the Elements of Harmony, but with their sixth Element and royal princess held hostage, they won't pose too much of a threat with their most powerful magic. As long as they are unaware that Princess Twilight Sparkle is imprisoned, we won't be facing a political dilemma with the other royal princesses in their kingdom. Their magic can be an issue-" He then pulled out a remote from his robe, waving it a little to his scientific member of his army. "-unless you can contain it, too."
"Yes, sir," the soldier said, giving his leader their signature cross-armed salute, then walked out to continue their research.
Once Grodus was alone, he began to laugh in a sinister tone. "Soon, I will have the power that has slept for over a millennia," he said to himself. "And when that glorious day dawns, I will throw this world, and even the world of Equestria, into the depths of terror. No one will be able to stop us." Putting away the remote that handled Twilight's inhibitor ring, he looked back at his computer console, pulling up some information of Equestria they had managed to gather. "Not even that world's magic will stop what lies behind that door. All will kneel before the X-Naut regime, and then I, Grodus, will build a new world! A perfect, ideal world...Yes. A world made by me, about me, for me!"
His laughter intensified into cackling, wiping away a document about the Elements of Harmony, the ponies who were chosen by those same mystical artifacts and their powers, and their heroics in the last few years. The one that remained was Twilight's, filled with more files than the rest of her friends. Grodus left the terminal to his office, eager to open the Thousand-Year Door soon, even with all the setbacks from Mario and his friends.
Twilight stared into space, feeling numb and unmotivated from the helplessness she was experiencing. After discovering what the X-Nauts planned to do to the world, both this one and her own world, by using whatever power lies deep within the Thousand-Year Door. TEC seemed to be helping them, but telling them in that dull, robotic tone from his speakers already broke the trust she and Peach had for the supercomputer. He could help them escape, but he obeys Grodus as a part of his programming, and he has the nerve to learn about friendship from the two princesses after hiding something this serious from them. However, as angry and frustrated as she was with him, she was powerless thanks to the inhibitor ring secured tightly around the base of her horn.
Peach sat beside Twilight, her attempts to reassure her that everything was going to be fine all in vain. She tried to give her hope that her friends and Mario would eventually find them and get them out of the X-Naut base, rubbed her head and mane like she was comforting a forlorn pet, but she wasn't able to make her feel better. Twilight always had a way to plan for any scenario, but without her magic, split up from her friends, and trapped in a base neither of them knew where it was located, her hopes were completely dashed and she emotionally defeated. TEC was trying to be helpful, but he had a poor way of showing it, even though he was just a computer.
While Peach gently stroked Twilight's head as her rested in the Mushroom Kingdom princess's lap, they both heard the door to their room slide open on its own. "TEC's calling us," Peach uttered.
Twilight's helpless gaze turned into a leer, staring down the opened hallway leading to the supercomputer. "What does he want with us now?" she questioned. "We're supposed to be prisoners. Isn't it against his 'programming' to help us and our friends?"
"I know you're still mad at him, but he might have something else to tell us so we can tell Mario," Peach said. "I don't know why he's helping us if he's meant to serve Grodus. But...if there's any way to stop the X-Nauts, TEC is the only one who can help us right now."
Twilight glowered at the hall for a moment before letting out a disgruntled huff. "...Fine." Sitting up, Twilight ruffled her wings, begrudgingly climbing out of bed and headed toward the opened doorway. "If he holds anything else from me about Grodus destroying or taking over my world, I'll break his screen with my hooves."
Peach stood up and hurried after Twilight, hoping the alicorn wouldn't get them in more trouble than they've already gotten themselves into. The short walk into the supercomputer's room was left with tension for Twilight as both princesses looked at the camera TEC was watching them with.
Hello, princesses.
"What do you want?" Twilight questioned, wanting to get straight to the point of TEC's request for their audience. TEC didn't make a response, confusing Peach, but irritating Twilight. "Well!? Say something!" No response. "What, do you want me to sing a song and dance for you to get you to talk? How about a friendship lesson from the Princess of Friendship? Or better yet, tell me what else your leader plans to do to my world, my friends, and my FAMILY!?"
...............I am...conflicted...
"Oh, what do you know? A creation who doesn't have a heart finally grew a conscious," Twilight grumbled. "Too late for that."
"Twilight, calm down," Peach chided, gently resting her hand on the irate alicorn's head, reminding her not to lash out recklessly. "TEC, what's bothering you?"
...Which is more important? Carrying out an order or protecting a critical person? Or, rather, critical people?
Both princesses looked at each other, unsure what TEC was talking about. "...Did I hit something important last time?" Twilight asked nervously, part of her regretting almost revealing to Grodus or his soldiers that she and Peach had snuck out of their "cell".
I exist for the sole purpose of a certain person...I wish to exist for the purpose of others...I do not know what to do...
"TEC?" Peach asked, suddenly growing worried when the computer didn't respond after he went on his surprisingly self-conscious rambling.
No...Never mind. Please forget my musings. I do not know why...but it makes me feel unpleasant if I make either of you worry. Especially after our last meeting.
Twilight frowned, but she felt conflicted about TEC after he basically admitted he felt bad for holding back such information about the X-Naut's plans that he couldn't tell because of his parameters. "Really?" Twilight asked.
Yes. I do apologize, Twilight. I did not mean to withhold what I do or do not know. I am just a computer given specific rules and roles built into me.
"...I'm still sore about everything we learned about last time...but I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt if you're still letting us communicate with our friends," Twilight said. "So, why did you really call us? Just to say sorry?"
I want to give you two a quiz.
"Huh? A quiz?" Peach questioned.
Yes. I will give you five questions with multiple choice answers that will appear on my monitor. Answer them all correctly, and I will allow you to use the communicator as usual.
Peach and Twilight glanced at each other, neither of them having any clue to TEC's intentions today. "Are you sure you're not...accidentally broken? If I hit something really important the other day, then we need to try to figure that out before Grodus does," Twilight said, not wanting to get another dose of electrical shocks from her horn as punishment for busting the enemy base's supercomputer.
I am fully functional. There are no errors or bugs within my OS or any physical hardware. Now, question one.
What will happen if you collect seven Crystal Stars?
- Your wish is granted
- The Thousand-Year Door opens
- A thousand coins appear
Fully trusting that TEC was indeed fine, Peach and Twilight stared at the first question. "Uh, the Thousand-Year Door opens?" Peach answered.
Correct. The second question.
What is the goal of Grodus, leader of the X-Nauts?
- To conquer worlds
- To get rich
- To become a superhero
Twilight grimaced at the second question, considering the obvious answer was what they had learned not that long ago. "To conquer both this world and mine," the alicorn answered.
Correct. The third question.
What is the legendary treasure that waits behind the Thousand-Year Door?
- 100,000,000 coins
- An extremely rare badge
- A 1000-year-old demon's soul
After reading the question and the three answers, Twilight and Peach gasped in surprise at the last answer. The first two seemed a bit too farfetched of an answer for a giant door that's existed unopened for a millennia, but the last one they HOPED wasn't the correct response.
"T-TEC? W-What...?" Peach stammered, unable to express her distress in her shock.
"I-Is that really...?" Twilight trailed off, having read that legend about the Thousand-Year Door over and over since they were stuck here, but there was no hint of there ever mentioning what lies behind that door aside from rumors and historic value.
Please answer the question.
Gulping nervously, Peach spoke up next. "...A...one thousand year old demon soul?"
Correct. The fourth question.
What does Sir Grodus wish to do with this ancient demon's soul?
- Cherish it always
- Bring the demon back to life
- Hang out with it
If there was anything in fictional tales about the villain summoning a demon Twilight had ever read, no one would be crazy enough to fall for or even befriend a demon with supernatural powers. "He wants to bring it back to life," Twilight answered.
Correct. The final question.
What is required to seal up the demon again?
- A legendary sword
- A magic spell
- Crystal Stars
The last question and the answer puzzled Twilight, even after the bombshell of information around what "treasure" lies behind the Thousand-Year Door. The X-Nauts were searching for the Crystals Stars to open up the Thousand-Year Door, but they also had a part in sealing this demon from what TEC was hinting at with his quiz. It was probably for the best that the treasure was just a rumor so no one would be crazy enough to find out what it really is. However, Grodus seems dead set on gathering the Crystal Stars, not even concerned about the repercussions of the eventual demon stabbing him in the back if he revives it.
"Is it...the Crystal Stars?" Peach answered.
Correct. You two have answered all five questions correctly. You may now use the communicator.
Peach approached the console, still caught off guard with what they learned in TEC's quiz. While the princess typed away to send a message to Mario, Twilight stared at the supercomputer. She felt his gaze on her, even though it was hard to tell what the security cameras he used were looking at.
"...TEC...Why...?" she asked.
What is the matter, Twilight?
"...You're supposed to be the enemy, and yet you're helping us," Twilight said. "We're prisoners here, but you're letting us wander around, helping you gather information you don't know, and allowing us to tell our friends what we do find out while your creator is unaware of what's considered treason. And to top it all off, you give us a quiz to tell us more about what's behind the Thousand-Year Door instead of just being flat-out blunt about it like Grodus's plans." Peach's typing slowed slightly as she looked over her shoulder. She saw Twilight getting more frustrated with TEC's meetings giving them more bad news than good. "Is this just another game for you? Learning how to be friends? Having us risk getting caught just so you could understand more of your master's world domination schemes!? Are you just toying with us for your sick, twisted entertainment!?"
The room went silent, both princesses waiting for a response from the computer. After several minutes, Twilight lowered her head, scowling irritably.
I did not intend to upset you, Twilight. I...I apologize if my lack of information, and revealing them at the worst of time irks you. Your anger the last time was part of the confliction I have experienced...
Twilight looked back up at the security camera, confused. Despite the robotic, monotone voice coming from TEC, it almost seemed like he was actually feeling guilty. Twilight had no knowledge on advanced machinery like TEC, but being made of many parts and similar to that of golems that she's read of in a few spellbooks, they weren't meant to have a will, a soul, or even a heart; they were "created" for a sole purpose given to them by their creator. But if Grodus was the one who created TEC, why was he risking leaking the X-Naut's information to who was supposed to be his enemies?
Princess Peach, are you finished with your message?
Snapping out of her daze, Peach looked back at the console. "A-Almost," she said before resuming her typing until she was finally finished. "Ok. I'm done now."
TEC sent the message with a successful beep after a few seconds.
The message has been sent. You may return to your room now.
Peach and Twilight reluctantly took their leave, taking in what TEC "told" them, and dreading the outcome of what will happen when Mario and their friends find the remaining Crystal Stars. As they reached the door, they both looked back at TEC, still uncertain with what he truly wants out of them. They continued on their way and went back to their room before any X-Nauts discovered they went missing. Twilight walked over to her bed, sitting down, and after a long pause of staring blankly at a wall, she glanced at the book holding the legend of the millennial doorway and the ancient city below Rogueport sitting on her bed.
"A demon...over a thousand years old," Twilight uttered. Grabbing the book in her hooves, she blindly flipped through the pages. She's read this only book in their room so many times, she knows it inside out, and was desperate to see if she missed a page that got stuck together or got torn out by a delinquent who thought it would be funny to defile a book of legends. "Grodus is planning to use...a demon...for world domination...Is he insane?"
Peach saw the frantic look in Twilight's eyes as she repeatedly flipped through the pages. "Twilight, it'll be alright," she gently said.
"'Alright'? You think everything will be 'alright'!?" Twilight slammed the book shut, grimacing in fear as her eye twitched. "HOW!? Has Mario ever faced a demon before!? I don't think Bowser would hold candle to something flung straight out of Tartarus!" Twilight began to hyperventilate, unable to focus on the breathing exercises Cadence taught her to destress when she has a panic attack. Peach tried to calm her down, but the alicorn already leapt off her bed, flopping the book on the floor, and began to pace around nervously. "I've faced the darkness of a princess, a chaotic deity, a bug pony queen, a stallion who might come CLOSE to being a demon, even a magic-stealing centaur! And why, for the love of Celestia, Luna, and Faust above, does there have to be some evil monster who existed a millennia ago, was sealed away for that time, and eventually comes back to take over or destroy the world!? IS IT SOME SORT OF COINCIDENTAL PROPHECY IN ANY WORLD TO HAVE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS WITH A VILLAIN FOR THAT SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"
Peach quickly grabbed Twilight, holding her still and as gently as possible. "Twilight, calm down," Peach shushed, giving the alicorn calming rubs along her head and neck. Twilight's hooves flailed slightly as her pacing was ruined, and her hyperventilating began to slow down a little bit by the Mushroom Kingdom princess's gentle soothing motions. After some time, Twilight finally calmed down enough to listen to Peach. "Whatever this demon may be, Grodus can't release it without the Crystal Stars. And from their progress, they must have more of the Crystal Stars than the X-Nauts do. They won't bring it back to life if they don't have all seven, right?"
Slowly, Twilight nodded in agreement, but she was still terrified. "R-Right," Twilight mumbled.
"We just need to have faith in our friends that they'll get the rest of the Crystal Stars and keep that door from opening," Peach said. Gently, Peach guided the stressed alicorn back to bed. Sitting down, she helped Twilight climb up, and rest her head back in the princess's lap. "But, if what TEC told us was all true, even if the Thousand-Year Door does get opened, the Crystal Stars can also seal the demon back up again. It's like the Star Spirits cancelling out the Star Rod's power from Bowser."
"...Maybe," Twilight mumbled. "But...we're not dealing with a fire-breathing turtle; we're talking about a monster with unimaginable power that could probably put Sombra's dark magic to shame."
Peach went back to rubbing Twilight's head to calm her back down. "It won't happen. Mario will find out where we are, save us, and put an end to the X-Naut's plans." Even though Peach was trying to assure Twilight that things will be ok, she was just as nervous as the alicorn. Between the two of them, someone had to stay positive and be strong for the other. And in Twilight's desperation, her resolve was waning more and more with each day. Eventually, Twilight was lulled to sleep by the comforting petting, mentally and psychologically exhausted being a prisoner to an evil future overlord. Peach was used to being imprisoned, but it still made her anxious to know if her savior was alright when fighting a tough foe. "At least, I hope so."
Bowser and Kammy Koopa made their way through Rogueport, terrifying citizens who have heard of the big, bad Koopa tyrant and his right hand mage overseas as they screamed and ran for their lives. The duo strolled through the city to the travel platform with the Cheep Cheep blimp and the bullet train.
"So where exactly are you taking me, you old hag?" Bowser questioned.
"I've received reports of a great secret in the floating town of Glitzville!" Kammy said.
"Glitzville? Wasn't I just there a while ago?" Bowser mumbled as he scratched his head.
Ignoring her lord's aloud thoughts, Kammy looked around for a mode of transportation, even though she and Bowser can actually get around through the air with their own means. Spotting the massive Cheep Cheep blimp in the distance, she approached the entrance to the warp pipe leading to the airfield. The Cheep Cheep conductor glanced at them, only to gape his mouth open and closed repeatedly in fear like a fish out of water and gasping for air.
"You there! Two tickets to the blimp!" Kammy demanded. "One Great and Evil King! And one Sweet, Young Thing!"
To add to the title she gave herself, Kammy tried to strike an alluring pose, but with her old age, she wouldn't get a blade of grass excited. The Cheep Cheep shook, more focused on the bored Koopa King behind the elderly Koopa.
"B-B-Bowser!? The evil king Bowser!?" he exclaimed. "And a deluded old hag! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I HAVE TWO CHILDREN!"
Scared for his life, the Cheep Cheep conductor hopped away, bounding over the small fence keeping passengers from getting close to the tracks for the bullet train. Kammy stared at the fleeing conductor, feeling insulted that her charm didn't work on a youthful worker.
"...I must be losing my touch," she mumbled. "And did he call me a deluded old hag!? How dare you, you whippersnapper!?" Kammy turned around to complain to Bowser about how rude the youth of this generation was, but there was no sign of the towering, spike-shelled Koopa King. "Uhh, Lord Bowser? Where'd you go?"
Flying above her, Bowser sat in his patented Koopa Clown Car, smirking down at his advisor. "I'm heading up to Glitzville in style! You can take that wimpy blimpy while I take my own ride!" Bowser gloated. "I snuck into that place no problem. You just go easy on those old limbs of yours, grandma!"
Bowser laughed as he flew off, the rotors running his aerial vehicle whirring loudly and fading as he rose higher into the sky. "Wait! Lord Bowser!" Kammy called out, but he was already long gone. "Awww...Now my Special Dirigible Deluxe Brown Bag Kammy Lunch is going to go to waste..."
Further on ahead, Bowser sat comfortably in his clown car with his arms crossed, eyeing the massive floating city of fighting entertainment in the distance. "Ahh. I love flying menacingly through the skies," he sighed. "The wind blowing through my fiery mane, watching every single person beneath me as I fly over their terrified heads-" Bowser's train of thought was suddenly derailed when his copter car suddenly jerked and made unfortunate clanking sounds. "W-What the? That's...not a good sound." He began hearing sputtering, quickly glancing down at his vehicle's controls. "Uhh, that blinking light doesn't look good." The clown copter began to slow down, the engine letting out one final, dying sputter before his vehicle came to a stop midair. "...Oh no."
Bowser let out a roar as he and his ride began falling. He was unfortunate his clown car's technical malfunction barely got him out far enough out to Rogueport, and he was plummeting down in the middle of the ocean. Bowser fell into the water with a huge splash, sinking down into the water as he slipped out of his seat, his now waterlogged vehicle sinking all the way down to the bottom of the ocean. Blinking, Bowser's shocked daze turned into an annoyed scowl as he blew bubbles out his nose in a huff, only to realize he needed oxygen to breathe. Flailing his arms and legs, Bowser swam his heavy body up to the surface, breaching the water and letting out a huge gasp of air.
Hacking up seawater, he treaded water for a moment, wondering where his clown car crash landed. At least he wasn't too far from Rogueport, but it didn't help that he had to swim about a mile back to the docks. Grumbling, he let out a grunt when he felt something bite his tail. Ducking his head underwater, he found the culprit: a weird crossbreed of a fish and a Chain Chomp gnawing at his tail. Growling, Bowser grabbed the mechanically-built sea creature with his powerful claws, hearing it let out a yelp like a dog when he squeezed its head really hard. Giving it one menacing scowl, he let go of it, teaching its place in the food chain as he watched it swim away in fear. Even under the sea or high above the clouds, Bowser felt a little bit of an ego boost knowing he scares all sorts of creatures above or below ground level.
Panting heavily, Bowser swam back to Rogueport, already hating the ocean and wishing he could turn it into steam with his fire breath. He felt more of those biting fish, even had a Blooper or two tried to strangle his tough limbs, slowing him down and making his workout back to dry land more tiring. Finally, after an hour of struggle, Bowser made it to the stone docks. Grasping the ledge, he pulled himself up with a grunt, ignoring the sounds of terror coming from some of the dockworkers as they fled from his presence. Once he was back on dry land, Bowser heaved and wheezed, his arms and legs burning along with his lungs, collapsed on his belly.
"Ok...I think...I've had...my swimming in...for the rest of the year," Bowser panted. After catching his breath, he stood back up, wincing at his sore limbs with each movement. "What happened to my clown car? It was perfectly fine when I left the castle...Did I gain weight?"
"Lord Bowser!" Leering blankly, Bowser turned around, spotting Kammy Koopa floating down to him on her broomstick. She also brought with her some souvenirs from Glitzville, carrying several colorful balloons in her free hand and wore a paper headband that had Rawk Hawk's face, which were meant for the kids to wear while they watched the fits in the Glitz Pit. "I've been looking all over for you! Where have you been, Your Sogginess?"
Bowser silently leered at Kammy, blinking slowly, as if his drenched body gave enough of a hint as to what happened to him. "...Swimming," he grumbled sarcastically.
"Really? Neat! As for me...Glitzville was FANTASTIC!" Kammy cheered, ignorant of her leader's growing ire. "The matches I saw were so cool! I was overcome with excitement! Why, even at my age, I was shaking what my mama gave me! And then there were the hot dogs!" Kammy licked her lips at the taste of Glitzville's prized hot dogs. "I wished there was that secret ingredient they advertised added to it, but never change what isn't broken! How about you, Lord Bowser? Did you have fun?"
Bowser's eyebrow twitched, his voice rumbling in a low, frustrated growl, and his fists clenched tightly, straining the muscles in his tired biceps. Kammy was still unaware that her king was angry and irritated at her, barely concerned that his vehicle suddenly broke down and sent him crashing into the ocean. The grin on her face from her fun day finally made the Koopa King snap, letting out a roar and blew a powerful stream of flames out of his maw and toward Kammy. After half a minute of fire-breathing screaming, Bowser stopped, gritting his teeth, and glared at a singed Magikoopa, completely stunned. Her balloons popped from the intense heat, her little hat was burnt to ashes, along with her broomstick, and she fell over on the dock, twitching and groaning in pain.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK, YOU OLD PRUNE!?" Bowser exclaimed. "My clown car broke down on me and I fell into the ocean! I had to swim back here, and I got bitten by hungry, metallic, Chain Chomp cross-bred fish, wrangled by Bloopers, and I'm exhausted swimming back to shore!"
"...So, that's a no?" Kammy asked in her daze.
Bowser facepalmed, growling in frustration. "Great. I wanted to take a little bit of a break and have some fun, but no. It's over." Grabbing Kammy's arm, Bowser dragged the elderly Koopa witch behind him. "We're getting some more information on the Crystal Stars and Princess Peach. Of all the rotten luck for my clown car to break down. It's going to take a while for my minions to send a new one."
Kammy shook her head, barely phased by being dragged along by her king, but when she looked up, she thought she saw a familiar shape flying down toward them. "Hey, look! It seems like they heard your demands from across the seas, Your Grouchiness!"
"Hmm?" Coming to a stop, Bowser dropped Kammy, turned around, and looked up.
Squinting his eyes, he saw a vehicle that was similar in shape to his Koopa Clown Car, but it seemed a bit too small compared to his size. There was someone inside as they waved wildly, and the Koopa King's eyes widened when he heard a childish laugh of excitement from that person.
"Papa! Finally found you!" the rider cheered, making Bowser's jaw drop in surprise.
"J-Junior!?" he exclaimed.
The smaller version of the Koopa Clown Car hovered down and landed on the dock. Hopping out was a young spike-shelled Koopa who has a similar resemblance to Bowser. He had the matching scales and green shell, but his red hair was tied back in a ponytail, only the fang protruding from his upper left jaw was fully grown, and around his neck was a bib-like bandanna with a crude child's drawing of a mouth baring sharp fangs similar to Bowser's maw.
"Y-Young Lord Bowser Junior!? What are you doing here!?" Kammy exclaimed.
"Papa, you went on a fun adventure, and you didn't bring me with you!?" Junior exclaimed, stamping his feet in a tantrum. "That's not fair! You went after the Star Rod, and you left me alone at the castle all bored while you were with Princess Peach!"
Bowser sighed, running his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "Alright. Which one of the guards blabbed about the Crystal Stars to you?"
"I overheard everything the other day, so I just snuck out and headed in the direction of your Koopa Clown Car with mine when I had the chance!" Junior said proudly. Kammy looked like she was about to have a heart attack while Bowser seemed a little miffed having his son deciding to wander off to find and join him. Then again, with their luck so far, especially his, Bowser could use another set of eyes that didn't need magnified glasses to see better. "So, did you find any of those fancy Crystal Stars yet, papa?"
"No, not yet," Bowser said. "We were about to get back to searching, son. And if you want to help, then you don't wander too far. Mario and his little pet friends are in this region, too." Junior let out a retching sound. He heard about the ponies who helped Mario beat his dad last time, and their colorful features and their magic of friendship. "So if we run into them, I'm getting the first swing at Mario. Got it?"
"Ok, papa!" Junior said.
Junior hopped back into his mini-Clown Car, hopping excitedly in his seat as he gets to go off on an adventure with his dad. "L-Lord Bowser, are you sure about this?" Kammy asked under her breath, out of earshot of Junior. "What if he gets lost? I know he's a tough boy, but-"
"If it'll keep him from whining and throwing a tantrum for leaving him behind, I'm going to let him have fun," Bowser hissed back to Kammy. "Besides, if I can't have fun, then I'm not letting my son miss out if he's feeling ready to take on the mantle as my heir in the years to come. I mean, we got Mario arrested in Isle Delphino when we kidnapped Peach when she and Mario went on THEIR vacation, and he did perfectly fine on his own."
"Well, if you say so," Kammy sighed.
"Come on, Junior! We're going to gather some more info on the Crystal Stars!" Bowser called out as he marched into Rogueport.
Junior giggled gleefully as he followed after his father, Kammy slumping along behind them after her broomstick got burned away by Bowser's fire. "Maybe I'm getting too old for this..."
Mario and company trekked their way back to Twilight Town from Creepy Steeple after finally putting an end to the monster residing deep in the haunted church, the duplicating Duplighost, Doopliss. Thanks to Vivian, the former Shadow Siren helped clear Mario's name when Doopliss disguised himself as the plumber while stealing his identity and turning him into a shadow. As ditsy as she was, her ability over fire was very helpful getting them back to town. They soon arrived back in town and stopped by Mayor Dour's home, who was given a much needed rundown on who he personally thanked after everyone got tricked by Doopliss.
"I can't believe that was a fake Mario all that time," the mayor said, clearly embarrassed at the mistaken identity of the plumber he graciously thanked. "I'm so sorry, Mario. Can you forgive me?" Mario shrugged it off, completely understanding the mix-up with Doopliss if the same thing would happen if someone else was switched. "Oh! You are a much bigger man than I, Mario! A true hero! You and your friends have brought a shining ray of light to our dim little town!"
"Ironic, because sources of light can blind you very easily," Starlight mentioned.
"Please come back and visit whenever you can," Dour said to the group. "And, this time, it will be a feast truly dedicated for your heroism."
"With lots of fruit?" Scrappy asked, drooling slightly after eating the spread the mayor had before.
"And then some," Dour promised.
As eager as Scrappy was to sample some more delectable fruit, Fluttershy had to drag her adoptive Yoshi child back. "Just make sure to save some for everypony else," she reminded Scrappy.
The group said their goodbyes to Mayor Dour and made their way to the warp pipe leading back to Rogueport's sewers. "Time to head back to the Thousand-Year Door and see where the next Crystal Star is," Goombella said.
"Vivian, we're going to need to write your name down on you so you can pass through this particular warp pipe," Starlight said.
"Oh, that's ok. I wrote my name in my hat in case I lost it," Vivian assured. She took off her hat to show everyone where she wrote her name, startling her new friends when they got a look at her face without it mostly being obscured by her hat. "See? Right here...Uhh, what? Why is everyone looking at me?"
Not wanting to be rude, everyone quickly snapped out of their stupors and gave the former Siren a fake grin. "N-Nothing, darling! We're...just surprised by how...radiant you look without your hat on!" Rarity said.
"Oh," Vivian mumbled, embarrassed with a shy grin. "Should I leave it off?"
"No no no!" Flurrie quickly said. "I mean...I-I'm so jealous by how much prettier you look compared to the rest of us ladies! You wouldn't want to make other women jealous and try to steal your good looks, right?"
"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Vivian placed her hat back on her head, completely ignorant to the relieved expressions on her new friends' faces. They didn't want to be rude to her like her sisters had been if they said the wrong thing. She was already sensitive enough about her self-confidence no thanks to Beldam and her senile insults. After her hat was fully adjusted, Vivian waltzed over to the pipe. "Let's get going."
After disappearing down the pipe, the others all sighed, dodging a bullet. "W-What did we just see?" Koops asked. "Is Vivian...Is she not really a-?"
"Nope!" Pinkie quickly shoved her hoof against Koops's lips, then looked out in the distance. "Vivian is DEFINITELY one hundred percent a girl! There is no proof in another translation of the game we're crossed over with hints at Vivian being anything BUT a girl!Sometimes, those little things lost in translation would only cause controversial issues back in the day when LGBTQ stuff wasn't frowned upon."
"I think Koops was probably talking about her lack of eyes," Rainbow said. "Even with all that pink hair, how does she even see?"
"...Yes! Let's go with that!" Pinkie said. "She has no eyes under her hat and she sees with her nose!"
Mario just shook his head at Pinkie's odd statement, reminding everyone to treat Vivian nicer now that she was a part of the group and their friend. Once they came to terms with whatever they witnessed underneath the former Shadow Siren's hat, the rest of the group jumped into the warp pipe to join up with Vivian. Just before they walked out of the room with Twilight Town's warp pipe, Mario's Mailbox SP began ringing a familiar ringtone.
"Hey, sounds like Peach and Twilight managed to send another message," Applejack said.
Pulling out his device, Mario flipped it open and read the new message aloud.
My dear Mario,
I have finally learned what the legendary treasure is. It is the spirit of a demon! The X-Nauts plan to revive this thousand-year-old monster and use its power to take over not only our world, but Equestria, too! They're collecting the Crystal Stars so they can open the Thousand-Year Door! But there is some good news: the Crystal Stars are not only able to release this demon, but they can also be used to lock it away! You must not let them get the Crystal Stars! Please, Mario...You must put a stop to their horrible plans!
-Princess Peach-
Everyone gasped at the unfortunate news of what this supposed treasure that laid behind the door they were trying to open. "A demon!? THAT'S what the X-Nauts are after!?" Starlight exclaimed.
"Are they crazy!?" Rainbow exclaimed. "And they think they can take over our world, too!? I'll show those dorks who they think they're messing with!"
"Ohh, Professor Frankly's gonna have a field day when he finds out about this," Goombella said.
As Mario put away his Mailbox SP, feeling just as on edge as everyone else was about the situation, he noticed Vivian was a bit lost in thought. Seeing how she and her older sisters were working for the X-Nauts, there had to be something that she knew about what else the X-Nauts were planning on doing once they gathered the Crystal Stars. Getting Vivian's attention, he asked her what she knew about the X-Nauts, gathering everyone else's attention toward her for some more information.
"Umm...I-I...don't know what else I can tell you," Vivian mumbled nervously. "Beldam never tells me her plans, and when she does, she...she just yells at me for being dumb...and I wouldn't understand."
"Well, anything would help if this evil Grodus leader wants to take over both of our worlds," Fluttershy said.
"Y-Yeah," Koops gulped nervously. "And I thought Hooktail would have been the least of our worries."
Vivian looked at her new friends, still worried about how they'd think about her after learning what she knew, but gaining their trust, she took a breath to steady her nerves. "All I've ever done was follow Beldam and do what she wanted, taking her verbal abuse all the while. We know Grodus wants to open the door, and hired us to help find and gather the Crystal Stars." She paused, bringing a finger to her lip and bit it nervously. "...B-Beldam...also lingered around Rogueport for a while, offering passersby a special treasure chest only able to be opened by a pure-hearted maiden...And...she pointed out to the X-Nauts who they needed to kidnap, which were both of your friends."
"Beldam helped kidnap Peach and Twilight!?" the Equestrians exclaimed in shock.
"T-Then you must know where they're being held!" Rainbow said.
"Right! You're somehow able to teleport to and from different places through the shadows!" Starlight said. "You have to tell us where they both are! We can save them, get those Crystal Stars, and prevent that door from ever being opened!"
Vivian backed up against the wall, already feeling overwhelmed. "I-I...I don't..." Whimpering, feeling disappointed in herself, Vivian lowered her hat over her face in shame. "I don't know where they're hiding."
"WHAT!?" Rainbow exclaimed, making Vivian wince and shed a few tears. "You gotta be kidding me! You've been to their hideout, and you don't know!? What's the matter with you!?"
"Rainbow Dash!" Flurrie scolded. "Don't pressure the poor thing!"
"And don't yell at her! She's had enough of that from those who were her own family!" Rarity added.
"I-I'm sorry," Vivian apologized, trembling slightly as she choked back a sob. "I-I only know where we m-met Grodus. Not where it really is, o-or where your friends are...I-I always f-f-followed Beldam and Marilyn wherever we went..."
Despite Rainbow voicing everyone's frustrations with an annoyed grunt, Applejack quickly yanked the pegasus back down to the ground. "Dash, don't push her around and treat her like she's dumb," she scolded.
"But she-!" Another hard yank made Rainbow yelp, getting really sick of being the only one having her tail harshly pulled to get her attention, holding her back, or shutting her up. "Will you stop that!?"
"Does Rainbow Dash need a time-out, Mama Fluttershy?" Scrappy asked.
"She might if she keeps upsetting Vivian when she's done as much as she can for us with her horrible sisters," Fluttershy said, giving her best friend a warning glare, otherwise she might allow Scrappy to trap Rainbow into an egg to get her to learn.
It might not have been her Stare, but Rainbow's fur stood on end whenever she saw Fluttershy seemed dead serious on her being put in "time-out". Rainbow kept her mouth shut, still unable to believe they had someone who worked for the enemy group now on their side, but have nothing useful to give them about their kidnapped royal friends. Mario went over to Vivian's aid, helping the distressed Shadow Siren calm down and gently rubbed her back. Thankfully being backed by her new bestest friend, Vivian sniffled and wiped away her tears.
"I'm really sorry, everyone," Vivian apologized again. "I really wish I could be more helpful."
"At least we know who was responsible for getting the princesses kidnapped," Goombella said. "And they had the map before mailing it to Mario, which shows where the Crystal Stars are located, and they're getting desperate now that we have four of them."
"And you're more helpful than you think," Rarity added. "You helped Mario get his identity back and rescued Pinkie from getting harmed by that dreaded Doopliss. Don't let what your sisters say always weigh you down. Be comfortable with yourself and do what makes you feel good."
Smiling, Vivian nodded her head. "O-Ok." She giggled sheepishly, a faint blush on her cheeks. "It's...really strange being complimented. I'm used to just...agreeing with my mistakes."
"Even though lot of them weren't your fault from the beginning," Starlight said.
"R-Right," Vivian mumbled.
"Let's head for the door and see where the map tells us to go next," Goombella said.
The group filed out of the small space of Twilight Town's entrance, though Vivian lingered slightly. "Behind that door...is a demon's spirit...Why...does that sound familiar?"
Shaking her head, Vivian brushed the strange thought aside and hurried after her new companions. Thankfully, getting a feel of where everything was within the sewers, it didn't take them long to reach the Thousand-Year Door. Vivian stared in awe as she looked at the massive red doors for the first time. While marveling at the doors and the etching all over it, Mario stepped onto the center dais, holding out the Ruby Star. The Crystal Star hovered out of his hand as the lights around the dais lit up, and the mystical star floated over its place in the circle. The map soon floated from Mario's backpack and hovered over the plumber, shining brilliantly to reveal the next location and also distract Vivian with its blinding light.
On the map, the next Crystal Star's location was south of Rogueport in the middle of the ocean. Waves began popping out, along with an island, some palm trees, and a stone skull with an eyepatch carved into the structure, clearly depicting possible pirate activity. Shimmering into existence on the map was the next Crystal Star in a blue sapphire color. The map floated back down in the plumber's hands, everyone gathering around him to see while Vivian rubbed her eyes from the surprising flashing lights.
"Oooh! It's out on an island!" Pinkie cheered. "Finally! We get to hunt for real treasure like pirates!"
"That's odd. I don't recall seeing islands anywhere south of Rogueport when we were cruising here a few days ago," Starlight mentioned.
"Maybe it's farther out than the map makes it appear to be," Goombella pondered. "Either way, let's get to Professor Frankly to see if he might have an idea about this island. And...tell him the bad news about this door."
Everyone glanced at the massive door, dreading to see what demon of similar size lies behind it.
"WH-WH-WHAAAAT!?" Frankly shrieked, left just as baffled and shocked as the others when Mario showed him Peach's latest email. "The legendary treasure is actually the spirit of an ancient demon!?"
"Yup. And the X-Nauts plan to use that demon to take over this world, and our own after that," Starlight said. "We may have the Elements of Harmony that could probably help stop it along with the Crystal Stars, but without Twilight as the Element of Magic, we're completely defenseless."
"Hmm...I see," Frankly mumbled. "...Sadly, it does seem to be consistent with what I've discovered."
"What do you mean, professor?" Goombella asked curiously.
"Well, it is a bit of a rather long lecture, so you'd best listen well," the Goomba said. He then glanced elsewhere, and behind his swirly glasses, much to Pinkie's surprise, he addressed to an invisible audience only she was able to see. "And you all out there reading this! You better keep them peepers focused on what I'm about to say, too! This is VERY important!"
Confused, the others looked around, having no idea what Frankly was talking about, or WHOM he was talking to. "Uhh, who are you talking to?" Koops asked.
Zipping over to the Goomba professor, Pinkie nearly bowled him over and looked startled. "You can SEE them!?" she exclaimed.
"Huh? See who?" Frankly asked as if he had completely forgotten he had just broken the fourth wall for a brief moment.
"The readers!" Her hooves shot out to the screen, violently shaking it to emphasize the mystery audience Frankly just advised. "Right here! Reading every single word written by the author! You know, everything I'm saying is being put in written form to tell the story we're in right at this very moment!?"
"What!? Are you calling me senile!?" Frankly exclaimed. "I'm not THAT old and delirious!...At least I hope not."
Pinkie let go of the invisible screen, awestruck by this new knowledge. "Discord and I aren't the only ones who can see the fourth wall after all..."
Starlight dragged Pinkie back with the group, giving Professor Frankly his personal space back. "I think what happened in Twilight Town has really messed with your head today, Pinkie. Why don't you take a nap or something?" Starlight said.
"N-No. I'm good. Pinkie will be good," the pink earth pony mumbled.
Clearing his throat, Frankly prepared to give his thesis to his adventurous colleagues about the ancient demon as the Thousand-Year Door's treasure. "Now, in the legend, there was a great cataclysm, and it might have referred to this very demon we're talking about." Grabbing the book about the legend, Frankly opened the pages to show an illustration of the former city beneath Rogueport and being destroyed by a mysterious demonic force. "It says that a monster destroyed the large town that once stood on in this very area. It ALSO says that the seven Crystal Stars were actually CREATED by this monster, AND it used their power to control the world."
Everyone gasped in shock. "Wait, that demon MADE the Crystal Stars!?" Rainbow exclaimed.
Mario pulled out the four Crystal Stars they already have from his backpack. He hasn't used their powers just yet after holding them in his hand, but he didn't feel any sort of evil force within them. The Crystal Stars were a boon and a bane to this monster, which only left more questions as to why this demon thought it was a smart idea to create the very gem stars that could defeat it.
"According to the legend, the demon was defeated in the end by four heroes," Frankly continued. "But only the beast's physical form was destroyed; it's spirit could not be eradicated. So the four heroes used the Crystal Stars, which they stole from the demon, and cast it into the depths of a vast maze, and sealed up the exit. From this description, I gather that the Crystal Stars cannot distinguish good from evil. So if they are all united, they could either seal away the demon or resurrect it."
"R-Right!" Goombella said. "Back in Glitzville, Grubba used the Crystal Star for his own personal gain to be younger and stronger by taking other fighters' lives!"
"And that Doopliss cretin used the Crystal Star he had in order to nearly permanently take away Mario's identity!" Flurrie added. "Anyone can use the Crystal Hearts, whether they have just one or more of them."
"They could be dangerous in anypony's hooves," Applejack uttered.
"Well, we have four of them. Why not just leave the rest of them alone and search for Peach and Twilight?" Rarity asked.
"I have pondered on that thought as well, but upon further analysis in my research, we can't stop collecting them," Frankly chimed in.
"Why?" Fluttershy asked. "The Thousand-Year Door can't open without all of them, right? So the demon won't escape?"
"Uhh, that is correct, however, there's a slight probability that the seal around the Thousand-Year Door is weakening," Frankly explained. "It seems that the Crystal Stars hold the power to seal the beast for a thousand years."
"And, knowing our unfortunate luck with one thousand year old legends, this year is probably the thousandth year, and that door will open one way or another," Starlight sighed. "Great. So we have to be prepared to face this thing, whether we stop the X-Nauts or find the last three Crystal Stars."
"And we have the next location pointed out on the map," Scrappy pointed out.
Mario put the Crystal Stars back in his pack, relieved to know that he'll use their powers justly, then pulled out the Magical Map. He laid it down on Frankly's desk for him to look over while he went to find a geological map of the region. While the Goomba triangulated the exact location of this island out at sea, Vivian inched over to the desk, noticing the book on the legend Frankly left out. She stared at the illustration of what the demon was depicted to look like. She thought the legend sounded familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it as she was drawing a blank.
"Ok. According to the map, the next Crystal Star appears to be somewhere on Keelhaul Key." Frankly's voice snapped Vivian out of her daze, slowly shuffling back to join the others. "Not familiar with that island, though I have heard countless...unsavory rumors."
"Uhh...W-What kind of rumors?" Koops asked.
"Oh, the usual: vengeful spirits full of hatred, evil curses, bloodthirsty pirates possibly hiding there, etc." Koops grimaced, wishing he didn't ask as he slunk his head deeper and deeper in his shell. "If you want more information, I'd ask the sea salts down by the harbor. They're much more seaworthy than me."
"Awesome! We could run into pirates!" Rainbow cheered.
"Let's not and say we did," Starlight said. "Hopefully we'll get some of the harbor workers to give us some clue getting there without a ship to travel to Keelhaul Key."
"How about we try the inn first? Most of the sailors rest there after getting back to shore," Goombella said.
"And we can get ourselves a snack, too!" Pinkie added.
"Pinkie, we just ate back at Mayor Dour's place," Rarity said.
"But it's been almost a year since the last update in this story! I'm starving!" Pinkie whined, pouting like a sad puppy begging for food.
Everyone silently stared at Pinkie for a few awkward seconds. "...Right," Goombella mumbled. "Might as well stock up for the voyage to Keelhaul Key anyways. It'll probably take us a few days to get there."
"Yay! Food time!" Pinkie hummed and hopped out of Frankly's study, heading to the inn ahead of the others.
The rest of the group followed her, knowing Mario would probably want something to eat after Doopliss's body-snatching snafu. As they filed out, Vivian lagged behind, looking over at Frankly's desk where the illustration remained opened. Frankly noticed the former Shadow Siren eyeing the book with a distant gaze.
"Is there something wrong, miss?" he asked.
"H-Huh?" Vivian quickly shook her head, grinning nervously. "S-Sorry. Just...lost in thought."
She slipped into the ground, using her shadow warping to catch up with her friends. Vivian couldn't get that illustration of the demon out of her mind; what was this demon spirit, and why does it seem like she knew it in some strange way?