//------------------------------// // Prologue - Part 1 // Story: Paper Ponies // by Techno Flare //------------------------------// Paper Ponies Prologue - Part 1: Waking Up Deep in a forest west of Toad Town... Music and SFX:Fading Star Spirits Pause here for a few seconds. (A sound that I can only describe as) PLOO-OO-OOFFF. "Wait... wasn't Mario supposed to fall to this EXACT spot?" A holographic image of a mellow orange star searched over the six ponies as they lie on the grass, unconscious. "...if he's not here, then where could he be?" There was much strain in her voice do to her concern. At the front of the seven beings, a soft yellow star with a white, flowing mustache spoke next. "You are correct, but that doesn't matter now. I do remember a prophecy about the Six Colored Ones, but I did not think it would happen at a time like this." A yellow green star with black, short facial hair spoke. This was the obvious pessimist of the group. "Oh, what shall we do? First the Princess gets kidnapped yet again by Bowser, and now there are these awkward creatures roaming this world. Our main priority should be to find out where Mario is, not dawdle around these things." A slight whisper could be heard from the group, but not deciphered. "Mario is not in this world anymore." It came down like a ton of bricks as a unified gasp came from the other six in the circle. "He has been replaced by these, if memory serves right. Either way, we couldn't find Mario even if we were not imprisoned. These six-" he takes a closer look at the six on the ground "-horses are our last hope." The first star readied himself and went back up to the circle of stars floating in the air. "Alright everyone," said the star with a strengthened heart. "Let's give them as much power as we can." A round of those PLOO-OO-OOFFF noises came, but in quick succession, all sounding like a planned unison. A series of sparkling white stars appeared over the mares as the sounds were heard. "Good job, but I think that's all we can do for now. Girls, please get up... please." And with that, the first star disappeared with the same sound effect, shortly followed by the others. A petite female goomba, that was sent to search the area, was just strolling through the forest when she stumbled upon the six mares. "It sounded like a tree hit the ground over here!" exclaimed the girl. She waltzed over to the six... whatever they were on the ground. "WOW!" she squealed excitedly. "New over-sized pony dolls for ME?" The little goomba was hopping like a rabbit she was so happy. "But how am I going to get these home...? DAD! GOOM-PA! GOOM-BAR-III-OO!" The Toad House in Goomba Village (And once again, that annoying sound effect.) The star from earlier appeared to have faded into Twilight's dream. "Twilight... that is your name, correct? Can you hear me?" Twilight attempted a response, but her breath came up short. "I am Eldstar, a Star Spirit... I have something very important to tell you... It concerns the Princess... and all the Mushroom Kingdom..." Oh goody, thought Twilight sarcastically, more about the Princess... but Mushroom Kingdom? Where is that? "I know you are confused, but you must believe me... Come to a place called Shooting Star Summit... There, I can explain to you everything you need to know..." Music Shift:Goomba Village Twilight's dream soon blended into reality as she awoke into a brightly lit room with one bed and one small window. That was when she realized she was on the bottom of the pile of horses. "Girls," her voice raspy from not being used, "you need to get off of me." She started shoving and kicking, but it was of no use. Until the girls woke up, she was trapped in their prison. Not soon after, she saw Rainbow Dash fidgeting awake. Rainbow Dash soon took in her surroundings, and was even more displeased than Twilight. "Alright," said the irritated Rainbow Dash. "UP AND AT 'EM! INTO THE EV-ER-free... Forest?" Rainbow Dash must have realized now that they were no longer where they were before the bright light came. "Can somepony please tell me what is going on?" The others started to arouse and were soon on the ground, rolling over each other. They almost knocked down the two milk jars that were on a shelf of the wooden interior. The soft blue carpet was a nice refuge for a couple seconds... until the bristles poked her to full alertness. Twilight took a quick look around. Are we in some tree hut in the Everfree? she thought. If this isn't... where are we? A small (although they were only a little bit taller than it) mushroom headed person walked into the house. Finally, I can get some answers. "Oh... you things are alive..." the small man's voice trailed off as Twilight walked up to him. "Goombaria," said the man, his voice now shaking with fear, " is very sorry for t-taking you here. Sh-she was only t-trying to help. If we-" Twilight had heard enough. "Sir, I am not sure where I am, who brought us here, or why we wound up here. If you could please answer my questions in a timely fashion, that would be helpful." Short and to the point, just how she liked it. The man, now gaining his composure, looked Twilight in the eye and started talking. "You are currently in Goomba Village in the Mushroom Kingdom. A little goomba by the name of Goombaria found you and took you here in trying to have you as play toys. Goompa, her grandfather, said that you were alive. Nobody believed him, but he insisted that you stay here in the public Toad House. Anything else?" Twilight's mind was buzzing with questions, but one came to the forefront, "How long have we been here?" "Well, let's see..." the man's voice diverted as he thought back to the day they appeared. "You were found five days ago." Twilight's friends had now gathered around her. All of their jaws simultaneously dropped. "So you're telling me," Twilight stated, "that we have been found and been placed in this 'Toad House,' and been unconscious for five days?" Twilight was starting to think this was some kind of prank. "Am I speaking another language? As far as I know, you were understanding me a few seconds ago." The man walked around them to clean up a spot on the floor. He had become used to being around these mysterious creatures, and wasn't afraid to start pulling their legs. "Is that all?" Twilight was about to explode. This couldn't be real. She was in a place she had never heard of with a man with a fungus for a head giving her the answers. " I have many things I would like to say," she declared. The man leaned against the wall, eager to see what was in store. "I have an important duty," stated Twilight as she started pacing back and forth. "As my Princess's number 1 student and apprentice, I also have to protect her when she is in danger. She has been taken away by a catastrophic pony that hasn't arisen in one thousand years, and now I have to go and find her. I cannot do this in a world I have never been to or know anything about. You sir have been kind enough as to give me many answers I needed, so answer me this: is there anyway that I can possibly get back to my world? I believe there was something in this world that caused it to happen, so this world can get us back." The man processed the information in his head. Her friends were simply staring at Twilight. None of them even uttered a small sarcastic whisper... *cough* Rainbow. Rainbow Dash swiveled her head around, confused. She then turned to Rarity and mumbled a few small words under her breath. "Well," replied the man, "it seems as though there's nothing I could do. However, there are these seven mystical beings called the seven Star Spirits. They have the power to grant any wish in the world. Your best bet is to try and reach them." The man proceeded to exit the small house. "Wait!" Twilight darted in front of the man, landing not an inch too short from banging into the door. "Two more questions. A; has anypony gone into this house since we were placed here?" The man was quick to answer. "The only creature allowed in this house is myself and anyone who is staying in it. Why do you ask that?" Twilight was reluctant at first, but answered to the man because of how many questions she had asked. "I saw a star shaped being with a long white beard appear in here, I think. He told me to go to Shooting Star Summit, which was my next question. He said the answer to my problems could be answered there. So as I was saying, B; where is Shooting Star Summit?" "It all makes sense now!" the man proclaimed. "What you saw was a Star Spirit. There are two things that could have happened. You either are totally experiencing delusions and dreams about them, or they have contacted you for something very important. The latter is most likely, as you have never seen the star before, but still... "As for your question, When you leave here through the east gate, there is a trail. Follow that trail all the way to a place called Toad Town. There, you head east another block until you come across a big blue gate with a star symbol on it. There is, or what is now the remains of, Princess Peach's castle. From there go east again and you will reach an area with purple roads. From there you should be able to see the summit." Twilight was glad she still had her unicorn powers, because she still had a parchment and pen in her saddlebags. She was writing down the directions this whole time. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to take care of elsewhere. Now that you are awake, I can handle them." The man brushed by Twilight, opened the door in one fluid motion, stepped out, and BAMMM! went the door. He was gone... for now. Little did they know, he would be with the every step of the way Well he sure was an interesting character, Twilight thought. She thought about what the man had told her, and realized that he knew everything she asked him. Does everypony in this world have that kind of information? And where do they get it from? Twilight shook away the thought. He gave you the directions, now you just have to get there. Five days is long enough. She turned around to see her friends' gaping mouths. "Wait... why are you guys all flat?" she questioned. "Told you so, Rarity," Rainbow Dash reiterated as a short but sharp gasp went up from Rarity. "This could be good or bad, you never know. Maybe I'll be able to fly faster," declared Rainbow Dash, an excited look on her face. "There, there, sugarcube," whispered Applejack, trying to console her grief stricken companion. "You're still you, see?" Applejack raised a hoof to a mirror to her left. Rarity was delighted to see her mane was not disrupted in any fashion or form. "Oh, thank you darling," responded Rarity to Applejack. "You saved me from an utterly astonishing meltdown. I felt my mascara running for a second." "Drama queen," Rainbow Dash mumbled under her breath so that only Twilight could hear. Twilight smirked, but soon her face faded back to a neutral state as she saw the other two mares across the room. They may have changed physically, but mentally; Pinkie Pie was still crazy old Pinkie. "Hey guys! Wanna see how far I can leap now?" Pinkie steadied herself. Pause. Longer Pause. Five Minutes Later Her friends were doing something by themselves now. Twilight was sorting through her saddlebags. Rarity was brushing and restyling her mane. Applejack was eating a couple fresh apples; five days asleep had made her hungry. Rainbow Dash had been trying to freshen up her wings. Fluttershy was trying to cheer up Angel, whom she had brought along for no apparent reason. However, Pinkie was still in that position. That is until she recoiled. If you have heard the terms bouncing of the walls, you never take it literally. It was one hundred percent literal this time. Every time she would crash into a wall or a ceiling, a loud THHHUUDDD could be heard for miles. The Goomba family was so disturbed by this, they had to check on them. As the father and son came closer, then begin to realize what wrongdoing they have done by bringing these creatures into their village. That's when they opened the door. Pinkie Pie shot out like a freight train (because 'bullet' is just too mainstream... and violent). She was about to go flying into thin air, where there was absolutely nothing, but something stopped her. A forcefield of sorts, froze her in her tracks. She was in mid-air, so she was bracing herself for the fall. But instead of immediately crashing to the ground, she fell like a feather, back and forth, until she stuck up in the ground like a javelin. Her friends rapidly came to her rescue. "PINKIE PIE!" they shouted in unison. they all made an effort to pull her out of the ground. After a few tugs and much pulling, they managed to release her from her dirt prison. "Pinkie, are you alright?" Twilight was searching her body for bruises or scrapes. "Just fine, actually." Pinkie followed by jumping to her rightful position; standing tall on all fours, happily bouncing in place. "I fell like a feather, FEEEEYUUUU and landed safely." But it was really fun! Let's try again!" Pinkie was about to go back to a tightened spring pose, but Twilight interrupted her. "No, no, Pinkie," Twilight said, an exasperated chuckle escaping her. "You don't have to, we saw the first time." "Okie-dokie-lokie!" replied an elated Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash was already off on her own, exploring like she usually does. "What does this block do?" she asked, pointing to a rainbow water-color block. It had stars floating inside it, and a solid white 'S' on the front. Rainbow Dash tried punching, bucking, and even diving head first into it, but to no avail. Her friends were gathered around the block now, gawking at the wondrous creation.Almost nothing could withstand one of Rainbow Dash's nose dives, even Twilight knew that. She decided to try herself. She walked to a spot under the block where she could clearly see it, her horn almost touching it. She touched it with her horn, all her friends waiting for something to happen. A sharp DA-DING that pierced the humid air. What happened next is something that even Twilight shuttered at. Hit this block to save your game progress. When the game is over, your status will return to what it was the last time you saved, and you can continue to play. When you find this block along the way, remember to hit it to save! Do you want to save? Save Don't Save Twilight had figured it out. They were in a place where anything the creators decided they wanted could happen. A place where even the strongest of ponies dread. A place where every single being that goes out of their own risks the ultimate trials and perils. They were the playing pieces of a game. NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO! NO!! Twilight could barely process what she had just figured out. Princess Celestia had warned her about swapping dimensions in the chance she might end up in one like this. It's probably not what I think it is, but the block... it was in every way what Celestia had told her about it. "Twilight, you need to calm down!" Applejack demanded. Getting control of her friend was not the easiest task in Equestria. "Can you hear me?" Twilight heard her quite clearly, but just was going through such a state of shock. She couldn't seem to stop going on and on in her mind. It was like a she was on a rollercoaster ride, only it never ended. She wanted ever so badly to answer to Applejack, but her mind was set on one thing: Get. Home. NOW! If only she could just stand still for one second and take control... "GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF, TWILIGHT!" Rarity was shouting in her face. "You have to stop thinking about... whatever it is that's making you go insane." Her face was so demanding and strict Twilight stopped in her tracks and obeyed. "Now, nopony knows what is going on in that head of yours, so would you be kind enough to tell us?" Rarity backed and joined the other five mares standing in front of her. "We. Are in. A GAME! Somepony has created this place so that whatever they wanted goes. We have to get out of here in one shot. If we save, it means we will keep coming back to this place, and never return home. Our souls will be tied to the game, and instead of being in control of our bodies, something will make our movements for us. What we have to do is what this game exactly tells us to. And after we save this world, we have to go back and save ours." "Oh boy!" squealed Pinkie Pie. "Two for the price of one!" Pinkie started frantically hopping around the group. "So what we need to do is to start searching for that place called Toad Town." Twilight looked around at the strange beings around them. "Maybe one of these lovely people know." Twilight optimistically went up to the father of the family. She did little to notice the others members of his family that were just simply gawking at the ponies. "Hello sir. Do you know how I could possibly get to a place called Toad Town?" The creature did the best to muster what courage he had and spoke. "The path to Toad Town is right through this gate, which I luckily just fixed from the recent earthquake." The man moved aside. "Please go ahead." The group started toward the gate, when out of nowhere came a hoarse kackle. Here She Comes...:Kammy Koopa's Theme "EEH HEHEHEHEHE! Not on my watch Mar-" the person had come flying down on a broomstick with purple sweeping hay, which emitted a purple ring every five yards or so, then disappeared. "Well, it looks like the King truly did switch out Mario with the hero of another world. Well, whoever you may be, you are not getting to Toad Town. Take this!" And with that, she raised her wand in the air and then came a strange effect. A yellow block with eyes started to grow out of nothing, growing in side purple rings, and every time another ring joined, there came a VUUUOOOOMM sound. There, the block was placed right on the gate. "Good luck getting around that!" "You little old hag, we can just jump over it." Rainbow Dash followed her statement with an attempt to simply leap over the block, but it ended just like Pinkie's trial to go over the edge of nothing. A wall - invisible, but that hardest thing in the world - put her on wait. "Heh heheheh, you must be new to this. And I am not a hag! I am a beautiful koopa with a beautiful name; Kammy Koopa." She tried to look as prideful as Rarity on her broomstick, but ended up tipping the end over, flipping her upside-down. "If that's what you want to think, then so be it." Rarity stood in her place just as Kammy had tried to do; prideful and pretty. "Grrrr, I am the right hand man of King Bowser, who has just stolen the Princess, and he shall do things to you that you could never dream of doing!" And off she flew, her purple rings going with a space blaster sound effect. "Nobody say 'gate' to me..." The father was absolutely steamed. The six ponies knew better than to push him, so they backed away slowly. "Goompa should be out there fixing the veranda, using his hammer. If you could get that from him, you could probably smash this block and get going." He was short and to the point. Twilight could only imagine what was going on inside his tiny little brain. The girls did as the man said and walked into the house. Everything beyond the walls suddenly turned black instead of the light blue sky color there was originally. The door flattened behind them, and new furniture sprung up. Twilight spotted the door leading to the back of the house. I have a bad feeling about all this. Unfortunately, she should have followed her gut. When she opened the door, a gasp was released from her mouth as she held everyone back. "OOOHH! Can I see?" Pinkie was determined to see what was behind that door. She pushed all five of them out the door... And onto thin air.