//------------------------------//
// To The Basement 
// Story: Game Quest: Super Mario 64 
// by Phantom-Dragon 
//------------------------------//

“YAHOO!!!”

The familiar holler of Mario himself bellowed throughout the castle, by the time the group of heroes made their return since their latest battle with Bowser in the Dark World. The moment of their return, Mario reached into his pocket and pulled out they key earned as a prize for Bowser’s defeat.

“We’ve beat Bowser and got a key!” Pinkie Pie chirped happily.

“Yoshi!” Yoshi chirped in agreement.

“But we ain’t done yet, sugar cube,” Applejack remined. “Remember, we’ve still got a mighty bit of work to do. Many more stars to collect, our friends still trapped, waitin’ to be rescued…”

“And Bowser’s still has-a Princess-a-Peach!” Mario added.

“Mamma mia!” Luigi commented.

“Yoshi!”

“On a positive note, least we’re making great progress!” Pinkie chirped. “We’ve got 52 Power Stars, which leaves us exactly 98 Power Stars left! Easy-peasy!”

“… How long have you been keeping track of that amount, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked.

“Including the Power Stars we’ve yet to collect?” Spike asked. “Especially that Power Star Yoshi and I have yet to collect in Jolly Roger Bay.”

“Elementary my dear Watson!” Pinkie smiled. “We’ve been keeping track since Chapter One… give or take a few extra…”

“Enough with the chit-chat, y’all!” Applejack interrupted, getting every pony on track. “Our next agenda’s figuring where that there key goes. What d’ya think, Mario?”

“Hmm…” Mario pondered, studying the key. “Well, we did pass-a lock-a door on the way here. Maybe that’s-a where this-a key goes!”

“Worth a try!” Spike replied.

Spike and friends proceeded to leave the room, heading their way back to the castle’s main lobby. Taking a glance back, Luigi watched Bowser’s portrait as it shifted and changed back into the portrait of Princess Peach herself. Fluttershy noticed Luigi’s gaze and glanced back.

“To think that Bowser could easily deceive us,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“That-a Koopa will-a stop at nothing,” Luigi replied.

“What does he even want with the princess, anyway?” Rainbow Dash asked. “What she ever do to him?”

“It’s not-a what she did to him,” Luigi began. “It’s-a what he wants with her that-a matters to him…”

“Like what?”

“Uh… let’s-a say… he doesn’t take rejection too well…”

“Huh?”





“DARN IT!” Rainbow Dash grumbled. “The key doesn’t fit! So much for this door.”

“Then-a maybe the key fits-a doors, in the base-a-ment,” Mario realized.

“Let’s git on down to the basement, y’all!” Applejack declared.

“Yeah, let’s-a go!” Pinkie Pie chirped, leading the charge.

Along the way, Spike decided to pass some time by striking some conversation.

“So… if you don’t mind my asking,” Spike told Mario. “What kind of rejections did Bowser get?”

“Oh, he’s a… let’s-a say has a bit of a one-sided affection… for the princess,” Mario stated.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Instantly, the pink party pony skid to a halt. The other ponies and Luigi crashed behind the pony in her tracks.

“Are you saying, Bowser… has a crush… on the Princess?” Spike asked.

“Yoshi,” Yoshi nodded.

“It’s-a true,” Mario and Luigi nodded.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped.

“Uh, he does know that she’s not exactly his type, right?” Rainbow asked. “She’s not a Koopa…”

“Ain’t like we’ve never seen a hopeless romantic reptile before, Dash,” Applejack said.

Suffice to say, this did not go unnoticed by a certain little dragon who merely frowned in annoyance.

“Anyway…” Spike began, grumbling. “I take it the Princess didn’t exactly return his affections?”

“Nope!” Mario shook his head. “And being the stubborn-a Koopa he is, Bowser-a kidnapped Princess-a Peach and has-a-been-a doing it-a for a long time. Even-a before me and a-Luigi arrived in the Mushroom-a Kingdom.”

“Yikes!” Spike cringed. “I almost feel sorry for the big guy. But even I wouldn’t stoop that low over a rejection.”

“I doubt kidnappin’ would ever convince some creatures to fall in love with their captors,” Applejack voiced her opinion.

“Unless they’re experiencing Stockholm Syndrome,” Pinkie Pie brought up. “Like a princess who loves to read books and her best friends are talking furniture.”

“Speaking of which,” Rainbow began, changing the subject. “Bowser’s been kidnapping Princess Peach before you guys arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom?”

“Oh yeah!” Mario and Luigi agreed.

“So.. yer not from the Mushroom Kingdom?” Applejack asked. “Originally?”

“Nope!” Mario shook his head. “As I recall, Luigi and I were from a-Brooklyn, New York.”

“It’s in another world,” Luigi added. “It’s a nice-a place… when-a you don’t-a count the traffic.”

“How’d you guys come to the Mushroom Kingdom then?” Rainbow asked.

“Hmm…” Mario scratched his head. “It was-a long, long time ago. I think it was on-a Monday. Luigi and I were apprentice plumbers, when we were-a cleaning the clogged-a water sewers, beneath a gypsy fortune-a teller’s-a shop.”

See ‘Super Mario Trapped in the Perilous Pit

“Maybe a bit of-a magic leaked down into the sewers, or we must’ve-a turned the wrong-a pipe,” Mario continued. “But whatever-a happened, we were-a washed away and landed into what is-a called the Warp-a Zone.”

“The Warp-a Zone?!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed dramatically.

“We’ve been-a drifting through time and-a space for a long-a time,” Luigi added. “Until eventually, we landed in the Mushroom-a Kingdom.”

And without-a bus-a back to Brooklyn, Luigi and I decided to set up-a shop, until we find our way-a home,” Mario concluded.

“I’m guessing you fella haven’t had much luck finding the way home then?” Applejack asked.

“Nope,” Mario shook his head.

“Oh, that’s sad,” Fluttershy frowned. “You two must miss your home very much.”

“Oh, not at all,” Luigi shook his head. “Believe me, we-a missed it at first. But the Mushroom-a Kingdom has-a become a home to us, as well.”

“Oh yeah,” Mario nodded. “And the Princess and the Toads have all been-a real good to us. We’re all like-a family!”

“Yoshi!” Yoshi chirped, feeling left out.

“And-a Yoshi too!” Mario chuckled, patting Yoshi’s neck.

“Aw!” Fluttershy smiled. “You two are excellent brothers.”

“Thank you, Fluttershy!” Mario smiled. “Now, let’s-a go save our-a friends and a-Princess!”

With that settled, the heroes resumed their walk to the basement below. And yet, along the way, a confused Spike faced Yoshi.

“I thought you said Mario was found as a baby, on your island, a long time ago.”

In response, Yoshi merely shrugged, feeling just as confused as Spike was.




Upon arriving at the bottom of the steps, the heroes found themselves in front of the locked doors of the basement. Pulling out the key, Mario inserted the heroes’ prize from their first battle with Bowser into the lock, turning it open. Now with the door opened, the heroes walked into the basement finding another big door with a large Star imprinted to the lift, right next to a strange entry with a ramp, and a glass wall covering halfway. Ahead was a large hallway with walls of dark, mossy stones.

Approaching the big doors, the heroes were greeted by a fiery dark aura, with the voice of the Darkness echoing:

N̷̢̧̻̻̩̥̪͗̓͂̔͊͒ǫ̴͔͉͓̺̹̫̙̰̂̐̀̓̌̒ṋ̵̡͇̘͋̈́̊̌͗̒̐͊̾͝e̶̩̤̙̊͗̓̽̈́̐͘̕͠ ̷̘̯̘̈́̀̚ͅs̶̨̲̹̔̊̉͊̕͠ḧ̸̲̼͕̦̘̹̬̃a̶̧̙̩͕̅͒̉̄͘͝l̶͔̤̱̩͙̈̈́̈́̿͛̈͒̀͌l̷̲͚͉͎̳͍̫̥͓̝͂̐̑͌̅͘ ̸͎̮̘͖̫̙̦͉͉͎̏̒̇̄̋͋̚p̷̨̪̦̟͕̿a̷̛͔̘͗̓̃s̵̨̙̯͓̖̜͚̩͘s̵̳͖͔̪̣͍̺͎̮̻͒̏ ̵͈̹͖̲̺̬͓̘̬̎̓̚ͅu̷͕̔n̷͉̹͙͈̞͛̊͊̀̎̓̊͝͠t̸̘͇̦̒̄͜ͅḭ̷̡̜̱̝̖̻̮͇̋l̸̰̖̎͂͊̄̓͆͝͝ ̶̤̌̐̌̚͘t̷̖͙̊̐̋̊͝h̸̦̭̗̦̝͐̒̋̐̆͆͠ẻ̵̢̧̨̘͈̫̿͑͘ͅ ̸̨̣̲͖̞̦̲̠͚̈̄̎̿̂ņ̷̧̹̙͉̫̘͐͗͐̋́̆ṵ̵́̆̌͒̂m̴̺̱̘͈̍̄̽͋̕b̴͉̞͔̖̩̭͑̈́̂̃̏e̴̺̮̰͆͜͜͝r̵̡̥͇͖̙̐̀̒͋̂́ ̶͙̞̂̏͐͊ǫ̵͉̥̑́̏̄̿͝f̵̡̛͍̻̲̋̐̎̏̈́ ̸̛̠̊̈́͋͊̈̾̌͝͝s̸̢̧͙̪̞̞̠̼̣̲̉̾ẗ̵̛̬͖̫̖́̋͘͝ͅȧ̴̢̪̮̣̥̞̈̅̐̌̊̅̃r̸̡̜̬̎͛̌s̷̞̠͉̖̘̿͑̅ ̸̧̖̘̞̱̒̈́̒͆͘h̷͖͎̯́̆̍͘a̵͕̳͉͛͂̿̇̒̕̚v̵̢̪̥̜̖͉̮̈̿̀̒͌̚̚̚͠e̴̡̦͇͙̞̹̦͔͎̽͒̕ ̷̨̨̨͇̳̦̝̟̝͖͐̿̏́m̴̛̛̗̮̘̯̟̮̏̀͆̔̓̿̒͘͜a̷̧̢̠͎̱̲̟̠̜̰͛͊̍̂̔͝͝t̵̤͈̹̻͕̤̩͛c̴̡̻͓̘̈́͒̋͒̋̕h̸̭̘̞͔̽́̀̅͆̂é̵̡̛̾̿̈́̓͑̒̓͘͜d̷̨̼͔̝̙̮̽̽̓́̽͊̏̊͜ͅ.̵̱̳͒̅̎̿̐͛͌̽̀͘ ̴̨͔̺̯̲̭̗̙̄̈̓̋́͋͑͘͠T̵̛̰̯͂̀̅̍̌͝h̵͍̼̤̪̱͚͉̺͐́̊̃̕͝e̴̢̩̔̔͛̿́͗̚ͅ ̴̛̻̟̗̤̦̑̇̎̚n̶̤̰̣̠̐͒͂͑̽͛̓̽͛̚u̸̙̣͍̞̬̣̪̪̒̀̋͂̈̍̃m̵̱̈́̄̒̄́̇͂b̸̧͙̬̤̬̖̹͓̲̊͂́ͅę̷̬͗́͑͗r̵̛͕̗̥̥̤̼͕͉͋ṣ̵̨̩̯̓ ̴̢̮̘̖̽̿͒̒̓̔͒͛͂͘͜ͅo̴̙̻͑̀̕f̷͇̃͋̈͑̇͘̕ ̶̙̈́̈͝͝s̵̢͕̬͖̆̐͌̑̍́̕ė̶̛̯̣͕̑̾̿̒͂͗̊͜v̸͔̥̰̠̬̠̀̽̎͒̈́̉̕͜͝è̶̡̢͖̠̲͎̭̒͗͆̕͠͠ͅn̶͍̯̥̪͍͔͋̎̆̇̿ẗ̶͕̦̤̮̱̋̋̄̾͐͂̊͘y̸̞̣̪͍̞͚̟͍̞͍̿͌͌̾̀̂͋̽͝-̶̨͙̗̤͐̀͋͂̿̈́̄͝s̵͓̹͎͙͆͛͐̀̉̽̀̕i̶̞͎̯̒ͅx̵̢̮̤̾͌̈́̀́̉́̽̚ ̴̝͆̓̌̔̒̂̇m̸̳̙̳͈͚͈͍͈͎̹̔̊̾̈̊͐̆͘ư̶̭̖̳̮͇̓̈́͑̈́̀ș̵̭͎͈͒̎̌̈́̔̐̋͊̚͘͜t̸̮̬͂̀̌͊̓̄ ̸̧̼̝̟͈̱̪̺͚͘ͅḅ̵̊̔̊̓͠ę̶̻̰̙̹̺̦̭̯̋̋̀ ̴̖͓͖̱̯͋̔͊͛̋͜͝ͅm̸̠͚̺͚͍̦̺̦͕̈́ͅa̵̧̛̗̦͚̳̙͌̽͗̇ͅd̸͚͈͈͋͊̄͂͑̆͘͘͘e̸̡̳̭͍̗̜͓͓̗̊͌̓̍̿̽̄̓̕ͅ ̵͍̯̝̮̰̞̼̺̳͙́̃͛̾ẗ̷̛͎͖́̉͘o̷̧̩̭̮͚͉̻͍͚̮̓̋͑̔̇̇ ̶̨̲̪̝̱̝͓̯̳͋̃́̀p̶̛̻͎̗̗̜̏́̽͘ạ̸̡̳͇͚̳̞̺̩͈͐͑̐̄̌̒̕̚͠͠ŷ̸̡̭̣͎͓͚̟̣͖̗͂̃̕.̵̧͖͙̯͉̩͕̖͂̂͊͌͒̌̆͌͘͜͠ ̸̡̨̡̝̖̩̦͔̜͔̑̈̐̄̒͛̓͛̕͝Ś̴̹̟͇̠͙͔̰͊̿͗̐͊ę̸̛̮̘̘͇̫̉̔͛̄͛v̵̧̡̢̼͓͍̹͔͂͋̓e̸͉̟͈͑͋̿ņ̵̫̰̗̩̱͆͋͑͂̐̽̓͆̚t̴̺̯̻͓͓̂̔͊͆̑͝y̴̻̰̳͇̜̣͉̤̔̅̕͝ͅ-̵̦̔̄̓̆̈̀͗͋̂͋s̶̤̘̟̩̲̯͍̋į̸̺͚̖̕ͅx̸͇̭̰̲͈̦̏ ̸͍̖͓̭͖̺̩̙̍́͘ͅs̵͈̭̝̫̦̜͈͎͂̃̉͂͋͛̐͝ͅt̷͔̪̠͔͓̭́̈́̒͜͝͠a̴̫͛͌̂ȓ̸̡͙̪̜̜̤̋͒̐̃͒̄ͅs̷̹̘̜͂̂̏̚ ̵̨̧̨͎̙̞̺̥̭̰̂͛̇̋a̸̛̭̫̓̊͐̕͘n̷̫̝̗̤͉͗̀d̷̦̭̘͚̺͚͂͑̈́͐̿̉̂̃͘͝ ̴͉̌͒̈̒̀̆́̈̕t̵̡̘̗̖̻̖́͛̔̾̂́͘h̴̢̛̉̽̌̂̕͝è̵̦͉̦̱̭̓́̇̍̊͝ ̵̙̓̄̾̋̀d̴̥͓̝̲̖̳̰̜̼̮͋̈́̍͐̀́́̕͝ȏ̷̹̥̦͉͒̍͝õ̸͔̹̥̘͖͚̦̣͚͑̊̍̊̌̃ȓ̷͍͉͐s̵̡̛͓͎̹̗͚̘̋̌͆̂͘͘͜͠ͅͅ ̵̨̲̙̱̲̫̝͛͌͐̽̓̓́̌̈́̕ͅŝ̸̛͇̱̻̲̟̄̄̈́̐͑́h̵̖̲͖̜̘͇͕̊̈̇͜â̴̤ḽ̶̱͚̰̜͙̲̇̂̑̅͗̈́̈́̓̈́̕l̶̢̳̣̹͓̱͎̭̑̋̈́́̑́̎̈́̚̚ ̴̢̡͎̻͉̗̏̅̅̚ơ̴͇̫͍̌̂̒̓͛͒p̸͚̜̤̝̪͍͐͛̑̒̈̌̏e̸̡̢̛̙̝̪̠̰͚̮̒̒̇̇̈̉ṋ̶̡̦̖̹̬͍͙̦̆̑̓͛̾̃͝ ̴̛̳̫͍̯̜̭̓͂͑̑͊͝ͅa̴̢̛̫̭̗̐̔̄͑̈́́͜͠͝j̴̨͈̰̀͐̒a̸̡̪̗̻̭̘͛͌̋͒ͅr̶͈̹̟̪̭̱̙̫͓͈̈̌͊.̸̱̪̮̖̦͈̩̥̮̾̃ͅ



“Seventy-six stars?!” Spike exclaimed.

“Don’t worry,” Pinkie Pie smiled. “We’ve got 52 stars. That just leaves us 24 stars left!”

“That’s still a ton of stars to find, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash frowned.

“Then let’s get to work, y’all,” Applejack spoke. “Now which way to them stars?”

“Let’s see…” Pinkie pondered.

Pinkie Pie proceeded to sniff the air, pointing her nose toward the hall like a dog.

“They’re right… that-a way!”

Soon our heroes proceeded to venture down the dark hallway, staying close together just in case. Eventually, they came across a door, which opened up and revealed to find the basement floor flooded with water.

“Egad!” Luigi exclaimed.

“Mamma mia!” Mario shouted.

“Yoshi!” Yoshi chirped.

“What a mess!” Applejack exclaimed. “I ain’t ever seen a flood this badly than a rainy day at Sweet Apple Acres!”

“Well, flood or no flood, it’s no problem for two plumber bros,” Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Right Mario and Luigi?”

“No problem-o!” Mario smirked. “Let’s-a go check the pipelines in the—”

“AAAAAAAHH!!!”

Fluttershy’s shriek alerted the heroes into assuming their fighting stances.

“What is it, Flutters?” Rainbow asked.

“Th-Th-There’s a s-s-s-s-scary m-m-m-monster in front of us!” Fluttershy pointed.

Everyone and every pony followed Fluttershy’s hoof. Before their very eyes was the scary face of a fiery monster that resembled a skull.





“WWWAAAAAAAHHHH!!!” Luigi yelped in fear, clinging onto Fluttershy.

“ZOINKS!” Pinkie Pie yelped, leaping into Applejack’s hooves.

“Hmm…” Mario pondered.

The elder plumber waded through the water, approaching the monstrous face. Reaching his hand out, the face rippled just like the water.

“It’s just-a portrait,” Mario clarified.

The heroes released some sighs of relief upon clarifying the sight before them.

“I knew that!” Pinkie giggled, facing Applejack. “Put me down please. WAH!!!”

With a roll of her eyes, Applejack dropped Pinkie Pie into the water. Fluttershy and Luigi exchanged awkward glances before parting ways with blushes upon their cheeks.

“Just a portrait, huh?” Spike asked, reaching out. “Or a portrait to another course!”

The young dragon stuck his head into the painting, to see what possible world awaited him and his friends on the other side.

“Yowch!” Spike shrieked, reeling back. “It’s a scorcher in there!”

“Oh my…!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“So what?” Rainbow asked arrogantly. “It’s not like a little heat will stop us from getting a Star or two.”

“Dash, you don’t understand,” Spike shook his head. “There’s an entire land of lava behind that portrait! I can go in, no problem, being a dragon and all. “But the rest of you guys are as good as roast chicken. Uh, no offense.”

“None taken,” Pinkie Pie grinned.

Poor Fluttershy, on the other hoof, turned squeamish upon the mention of a dead chicken.

“There’s gotta be a way of getting’ them Power Stars without being burnt to a crisp, right?” Applejack asked. “As they say, when there’s a will, there’s a way!”

“Like a metal cap power-up!” Pinkie suggested. “Ooh!”

All of a sudden, Pinkie’s body vibrated vigorously turning her face to the right.

“My Pinkie senses are telling me the power and power stars are… that-a way!”

With her nose pointed, she drew the group to a door with a blank star imprinted on the front. The heroes proceeded to follow Pinkie into the next room discovering a large pool of strange dark liquid glistening in the room’s center.

“What’s this?” Spike asked.

Cautiously, Spike dipped his claws into the pool. The liquid rippled slightly on contact.

“The entrance to another course…”

A voice drew the heroes to the side where another Toad stood in the corner.

“Oh! Hi there, Toad!” Pinkie Pie greeted.

“Doesn’t it bother any of you that these Toads look alike?” Rainbow whispered to the brothers.

To which Mario and Luigi simply shrugged their shoulders.

“Know anything about what’s waiting for us in there?” Spike asked. “Aside from more Power Stars?”

“And a power-up we really need to progress the story forward?” Pinkie Pie added.

“Not much,” The Toad shook his head. “But I do have an important tip you need to know. Especially to you heroes wearing hats.”

“Like wut?” Applejack asked.

“Hold on to your hat!” The toad advised. “If you lose it, you’ll be injured easily. Lose your cap, and you’ll have to find it in the course where you lost it.”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped. “I’m one for hats, especially Rarity’s. But… are they really that important?”

“Judging from everything I’ve experienced, not surprising,” Spike commented, recalling recent experiences.

“Yoshi!” Yoshi nodded in agreement.

“Oh boy, it’s not looking good for Peach,” The Toad bemoaned. “She’s still trapped somewhere in the walls. Please everyone, you have to help her! And be careful! Bowser and his goons are everywhere in the castle walls. You’ve got to stop them!”

“Don’t worry, Toad,” Spike replied. “We’ll do whatever we can to help.”

“We’ll find those Power Stars and kick that Bowser’s butt where the sun don’t shine!” Rainbow Dash added.

“Yoshi!” Yoshi chirped in agreement.

“Oh yeah!” The brothers spoke in unison.

“I knew we can count on you!” Toad smiled. “Oh here, take this. I’ve been keeping it for you.”

The Toad held out a Power Star to the heroes, who didn’t hesitate to take it. Once again, the Power Star danced around them leading our heroes to celebrate.

“YEAH! We got a Power Star!” The group shouted.

“YOSHI!” Yoshi chirped in celebration.

53 Power Stars!

“Okay, enough dancing,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let’s go!”

And with a single jump, the whole group entered the pool of dark water to destinations unknown.





Meanwhile...


Twilight Sparkle had been stuck in her case for a very long time. She didn’t exactly know for how long, only this imprisonment felt like eternity. One thing was utterly certain: She missed her friends, especially Spike. She felt bad for leaving him behind and now it felt as though karma was punishing her for not being a good friend… again. Sadly, she slumped toward the floor as if submitting in defeat.

“Spike…” Twilight sighed. “I miss you so much.”

“You’ll be joining him very soon, Princess…”

Suddenly, Twilight Sparkle looked up with wide eyes spotting Bowser falling from the sky. He crashed upon the ground, the impact causing it to shake. Soon, the Koopa King slowly turned his head toward his prisoner to gaze upon her with wicked glee. The princess shuddered as the beast chuckled in the most sinister fashion.

“How do you like your prison?” Bowser snickered.

“I don’t know what you’re planning Bowser, but you won’t get away with this!” Twilight spoke bravely. “The others will find those power stars and together they’ll beat you!”

Suffice to say, the manner of which Bowser glared toward Twilight made her very nervous.

“Is that what you think little pony?” Bowser asked. “Even now, they are heading straight to my little maze. What they don’t realize is I’ve already released a toxic gas in their path. By the time they find their way out, your ‘friends’ will already be… dead.”

Bowser released a maniacal laugh, knowing his plan to destroy Mario and his puny friends once and for all was going to work. All Twilight could do was glare toward the Koopa King, but deep down hoped and prayed for her friend to prove the sinister brute wrong. For if they should fall now… Celestia help them.