//------------------------------//
// Prologue - Part 3 
// Story: Paper Ponies 
// by Techno Flare 
//------------------------------//


Paper Ponies

Prologue - Part 3: The Journey to Toad Town




You don't have to listen to this again: March Ahead

As the light came back around them, they found they were back in the park. Twilight felt triumphant. WOW! she thought. Whoever has this job normally is lucky; they get to be people up and get fit while doing it. The heart that was regularly in her chest was ready to completely break out of its brib bone cage. That's when she realized the eggshell they just beat was still there. I thought that little twerp went up in stars. Guess I was wrong. The kid started whining and complaining, as most do after they've been proved wrong.
Flailing his arms and almost teary eyed, Jr. Troopa squeaked, "Shoooooot!! I was winning, too! I'll be back... whoever you are!" The child ran down the mysterious teleporting path, mumbling to himself the whole way. He then reappeared and fire his final words back at the girls. "I mean it, I'll be back!!" and off he ran again. 
"Do you really think he will?" asked Fluttershy quietly. "He was a big meanie, and I don't want him near my Angel! He gets very anxious around those types of people." The girls just stared at the headstrong Angel hiding behind Fluttershy's mane. This bunny, from what Twilight had briefly been told, was always complaining and demanding. Yet, when a bully comes by, he hides from bullies. Twilight was simply speechless. 
Rarity broke the pregnant silence. "Are we going to start moving anytime soon?" she asked, obviously disgusted. I don't want to be here when that little brat comes back." The rest agreed with her and started moving to the exit. After going through the black path, Fluttershy got a bit light headed. In the end she was fine, but a little distorted for few moments. They all shuffled up to the yellow block that had originally been blocking their path.
"Alright, Twilight," Rainbow dash stated. "The Hammer is with you, so crush that thing!" Twilight was a step ahead of her. She was just as ticked off about these blocks as Rainbow Dash - and probably the rest of them - that she was prepared to take pride in demolishing this block. With a swift motion of her head in unison with the Hammer, she swung with all the arcane energy she could muster. 
It was probably too much. After the Hammer crashed into the block, Twilight couldn't keep it from swinging over the heads of the mares around her. She finally grasped it and pulled it back into her hoof range. She was about to reach for the Hammer when it took a turn for the worse - and her face. As her head met the Hammer, she flew backwards. Landing on her back with a sharp CRRRR - roll the r's - CRRRRAAAACKKK! She groveled in the dirt path as her friends' shock was lifted. They ran, or in Rainbow's case flew, to Twilight's side.
"Twilight!" Pinkie started. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! OH. MY. GOSH! Twilight, are you okay!? All I saw was you with the Hammer and the Hammer was all like 'swiiing' and the block was all 'BUUPHDADPUBBUM' and then you were there and the Hammer hit you're face and then-" Twilight had had enough.
"PINKIE PIE!" shouted Twilight, shoving a hoof in Pinkie's mouth. She didn't care about anything as long as she stopped talking. Then she came to her senses and jerked her hoof back, brushing it along the grass beneath her. 
"What?" Pinkie asked, puzzled.
"I'm fine, Pinkie. What we have to do now is get back to the village and clear up that path to Toad Town." Twilight rubbed her head as she tried to imagine what a 'toad' was. "Let's get a move on." As they entered the new area, they saw another block. This one was clear, for the most part, and blue on the edges. Inside, there was a small, sparkling - literally, pieces of little shiny things just appeared around the thing - similar to the one that was displayed during the battle. Twilight broke from the group to investigate. Rainbow Dash wasn't going to be shown up again, and sped past Twilight to get underneath the cube.
"Alright, how does this thing exactly work?" she questioned. Before Twilight could explain to Rainbow Dash poked her hoof upwards and pushed the block. Twilight immediately went up on her hind legs and flailed her arms in the air like a bicycle as sparkles created a ring around her. The banner came down once again in the background. The HP counter rapidly went up. After the meter refilled, the banner disappeared. Twilight went down to her regular position, stunned. A yexy box showed up again.


If you hit this block, your HP (Heart Points) will fully recover.


"Woah Twilight," Rainbow Dash began. "I'm sorry I did that. I didn't know that would happen." Rainbow Dash's apology was sincere, Twilight knew that, but she was still blowing off steam from that... whatever just happened.
"It's... fine, Rainbow. Just, warn me before you do it again." Twilight just tried to remember what Celestia told her. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. And so on. But something occurred to Twilight. Whenever she couldn't control herself, it made her made. It was like it also controlled her emotions. "Also," she said, "whenever I get... uncontrollable like that, write it down or something. It seems like each time I get more... stunned by it. It's like I'm becoming part of the game." The girls were just simply staring at her. They couldn't speak, and she had said all she needed. 
"I will, I guess," volunteered Rarity. Even the old man was just shocked at this point. Twilight making an inference like that was just bizarre to the others. If she was part of the game, then how would they ever save Celestia? Twilight had to go back with them. Also, what would she do here. If there was anything that could possibly go wrong - which was probably a lot - that was the worst.
Off to their left was a a few step-like ledges that led to a blue and gold spring. "Oh boy! What does that do?" 
"No Pinkie!" Twilight shouted. Before she could get the words out, however, Pinkie was already on the spring. It instantly suffered under her weight. Like a spring is meant to do (at least I think), it recoiled, sending Pinkie soaring yet again. Rainbow Dash went flying after her, trying to get her before she started her descent. Unfortunately for Rainbow Dash, Pinkie landed on a camouflaged ledge. Sent back to the bottom, Rainbow Dash started again. Applejack stopped her.
"Don' you understand that it ain't gonna work? Just use the dern spring!" 
Rainbow Dash, her expression sour because of Applejack's statement, said, "Well you shouldn't have gone to Twilight's  last night, maybe you wouldn't be so helpless now." Applejack taunted Rainbow Dash by kicking her leg back. Rainbow Dash hovered in the air and laughed. Applejack was about to rush Dash, but Twilight intervened. 
"GIRLS!!" Twilight stepped in between them. Applejack's frustration left, but Rainbow Dash was still chuckling a little bit. "I don't know what this is all about - nor do I want to - but we have to get moving. Having these episodes will not help us. Now, if we may, a long road lies ahead of us. If we want to get back to Equestria, then get moving!" 
As if on cue, Pinkie dropped from the ledge above them. "Hey guys! Look at what I found." Pinkie held out a flower the size of her head. It had orange tulip petals and two leaves at the bottom of the stem. Like all the other things in this world, this had two oval, black eyes in the middle of the image. Another text box appeared.


You got an item! You'll use items in this game to attack enemies, recover HP (Heart Points), and to do a few other things. Press left C to see what items you have now.


After a quick thought, an image came up before them. It said 'items' at the top and showed the flower they previously were shown. Beside that was it's name, "Fire Flower," and it showed the damage count of 3. "I believe this thing does 3 Heart Points of damage. It's good you found that Pinkie Pie. We might use that later." Twilight pondered on what the little flower could possibly do. "Alright, enough chit-chat, let's move for once." They soon teleported across another pathway.

"Heads up, girls! I see bad Goombas ahead. They're loyal to Bowser. If they see you, they'll attack you without hesitation. If you can successfully attack an enemy in the field with a Jump or Hammer, you'll get the First Strike when you enter the battle. Striking first really helps when it comes to battling."
"So basically," Twilight began, "if you attack an enemy in the field, which I'm guessing is what we are in now, then we get a free attack on the enemy when the battle first begins." The man nodded his head. "And pretty much anything that sees us will either attack us, which means they're an enemy, or just do nothing, which means they're neutral." 
"I think you're finally getting the hang of this," replied the old Goomba. 
While they were conversing, Rainbow Dash flew above them to a ledge with a jewel. Rarity had pointed it out to Rainbow Dash, and soon she was bringing down the glowing rock. A text box formed right in front of their face.


It's a glowing Star Piece! Wait and see what this is for.

 
"Oh, well I guess we might as well just wait and see," Rarity declared. "I will be in charge of finding these. Rainbow Dash will fetch them for me." Rarity and Rainbow Dash turned to each other and nodded. 
"Well, let's not wait for long," Twilight said, her heart pumping again. A Goomba was headed straight toward her. Twilight hefted her Hammer with her magic and took a big swing.



Or This: Goomba Village

"Never worry, kids. Here I am," shouted the old Goomba. "Thanks to the girls, I made it back alright." The girls walked up to the gate and tried to open it. Locked. "Oh, is that thing locked? Let me open it up for you." A rattle of the keys, the clink of the lock catching, and the creak of the ancient gate. They were back in the village again. Awaiting the old thing were his two grandchildren. All of them were ecstatic to see each other. They soon started a conversation.
"Goompa!" exclaimed Goombario. "Where've you been? I looked outside and... wow! Both you and the veranda were just plain gone!"
Goombaria continued "Goompa, I was very, very worried about you! Really worried!"
"Sorry, kids," Goompa consoled, " I apologize. I didn't mean to make you fret. You just take it easy, now. I'm back safe and sound." Goompa walked to the front of the Goomba family house, the rest following. "Now! Before I forget, I've decided to give you something, girls. Wait here a minute." Goompa walked inside the house, leaving the ponies with the two child Goombas.
"Huh?" Goombario looked confused, staring at something sticking out of Twilight's saddlebag. "Hey... That dolly you've got... That's the one Goombaria lost! She was looking all over for it. Would you give it back to her?"
"Of course!" Twilight said, wanting to make the little girl happy. She did just almost lose her grandfather. Twilight handed the doll back to Goombaria.
"It's my dolly! Dolly, dolly! You're back!! Thank you so much!<3 I'm so happy... My sweet dolly! Don't you ever get lost again! Here's a present from me! Look at the pretty glitter!" Goombaria handed over another Star Piece to Twilight. Rarity grabbed it with her magic and tucked it away in her saddlebag.
"Wow, you girls can fight. You did save Goompa from all those other Goombas. I study self-defense by reading books by the masters and listening to Dad and Goompa." Twilight was suddenly interested. "And I also exercise every day so I can be strong! It's starting to show, too! I'm getting big muscles!"
Goombaria felt the need to help his brother. "Yeah, Goombario's head is hard as a rock now! Tee hee! When he does his Headbonk move, it really, really hurts!"
Now Goombario was trying to show off. "Oh, be quiet, Goombaria! You're embarrassing me! Of course, it IS true..."
Twilight turned to the girls and discussed some things about battling. "Alright, let's get some things straight. Regular Goombas: 2 HP, 1 Attack power. Spiked Goomba: 2 HP, 2 Attack Power. Can NOT be jumped on," Twilight stated furiously, sending a look over to Pinkie Pie. Applejack did the same. "Paragoombas: 2 HP, 1 Attack power. Cannot be hit by the Hammer attack." 
"First Strike," Rainbow Dash said, "is very useful and prevents us from being hit by an enemy. Well, as long as there's only one."
"Which reminds me, "Applejack continued. "There can be any enemy along with the one you see in the field." 
"Items can be found in the field," said Pinkie Pie. "Items can either give us HP or do damage to one or more enemies, depending on the item."
The girls were confused. "Pinkie, how did you figure that out?" Twilight questioned.
"Well, it's simply," Pinkie replied. "I read the box that went up across the sky when I picked up the Fire Flower. OH! I forgot to ask; can I be in charge of items?"
"Well I can't see why not," Twilight said. "You do know how they work. But whenever you find one, please tell me."
"Okie-dokie-lokie!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
"Also, I think I know what these Star Pieces are going to be for." The girls turned to Rarity, whom then began. "These aren't currency to the rest of the people here, but this is valuable to somebody. During one of the fades to black after a battle, I saw the sign that lead to Shooting Star Summit, but there was a path beside it that went somewhere. I say that we go there before we go to the Summit."
"Alright, sounds like a plan." Twilight turned to the door that squeaked open once again. It revealed a Goompa with something behind his back. 
"Sorry to have kept you all waiting," said the Goomba. He walked up to Twilight. "I want to give this to you." He handed a piece of cardboard with a pin attached to it. It looked like a shoe, but had two spikes on the bottom of the blue green badge. A text box appeared with a small, "You got the Power Jump Badge!." Goompa continued.
"This is called a Badge. If you wear this, you'll be able to do a Power Jump, which means you'll do a lot more damage with your Jump attack. But listen here and listen well. You'll only be able to do it if you're wearing the Badge. You'd better try it first. Putting Badges on and taking them off is a vital skill. Would you like a quick lesson in how to use Badges you collect during your travels?"
"Well., why not?" Twilight asked the girls. They responded with a shrug. "Yes, we would like a tutorial."
"Alright, first press the Start button." With a quick thought, a menu appeared in the sky. It showed everything that the girls had acquired so far, as well as their stats. "Now go over to the 'Badges' section." A finger appeared on the menu and pressed the place Twilight had wanted. "Now go to the Power Jump Badge and put it on." Twilight did as so. When she did, a small figure of the cardboard piece they were just holding appeared on Applejack, as well as Rainbow Dash. "Now take it off." The Badges on the other two disappeared as Twilight thought of taking it off. The Badge was nowhere to be seen. "Now press the Start button again." The menu disappeared from the sky. It's fairly simple, thought Twilight. At least it's not as confusing as Celestia's ten minute training sessions. 
"Now remember," said Goompa, "you need FP (Flower Points) to use the Power Jump technique. Do you remember that block we saw on the way back to the village? The one with the heart inside of it. Well, these blocks will restore not only HP but also FP. They're lifesavers, girls! Use them whenever your HP or FP reserves are getting low.
"By the by, girls, I heard from Gooma... You're taking it upon yourself to try to rescue the Princess from Bowser's clutches."
The rest of the girls were discombobulated. "Just roll with it," mumbled Twilight over her shoulder.
"Well, I bet you girls will do just fine. I hope you'll be able to do it." Goombario looked down in defeat.
"Hush, now, Goombario. Girls, please take the Hammer. It should serve you well. If I were just a bit younger, I'd accompany you on your trip. I'd have done some damage! The years have started to weigh on me, though. I tell you this lower back pain..." The girls laughed. It didn't even look he had a body. 
"Adventure... you're so lucky! Princess-rescuing is so cool! I really want to be an adventurer, too, someday!"
Goombario wanted in. "Me too!!"
"Oh! Here's an idea! Goombario... Perhaps the timing is perfect. You are no longer a child, and evil times are upon us. I'm sure the girls will agree... You should accompany them."
"What!? Really!? May I go, Goompa!? May I really go!? YES!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah!!! Girls! You won't regret this!" A text box appeared.

Happy Music change:New Partner



Goombario joined your party!! Press down C to have him tell you about people, places or things nearby. When you're interested, just ask him! He can also help in battles with his Headbonk or he can tell you about an enemy's features and HP using his Tattle ability!



"Girls," said the old Goomba, "I know Goombario will prove to be a worthy companion. ...Well, I think it's about time for my nap. I'll be in the house. Good-byes have a way of making this old Goomba get weepy." And with that, he went inside. 
"This is gonna be awesome! Hey, it looks like your HP is a little low. Maybe you should take a rest at the Toad House."




"Okay, enough chit-chat!" Rainbow Dash demanded. "We have to get on the road. A 20 minute nap shouldn't have gotten you that tired."
"Oh, quit your yappin'! We're movin' just fine, thank ya very much!" Applejack strutted out the door. The rest of them followed, lethargic and drowsy. They walked over to the yellow block that crushed the gate. A few minutes ago, this thing caused so much trouble. I guess they are evil after all. 
"Alright Twilight," said Rarity. "Give it all you've got." They took a step back, remembering last time she hit a block. 
"Don't worry guys. I'm gonna go straight up and straight down." She kept her word. As the smaller blocks vanished, the father of the family spoke. "There we go! Problem solved. I have a feeling your road will be lined with difficulties , so try not to overdo it. Be watchful, yet stay cool. A calm mind is the wisest. Oh, hang on now, girls. You aren't wearing the Badge Goompa gave you. That won't do anything unless you wear it. I think you better put it on before you go."
"Alright, just give me a second girls." Twilight pulled up the screen in the sky. She did the action she had previously been taught. As she did so, she realized that nothing else around her moved. Not even she could! She could still talk with her friends, however, and she planned to use this during the trip to get out of sticky situations in the future.
"Well, let's see what else lies ahead of us." Twilight said. On they trecked down the path.



Just to introduce the battle music:Battle Fanfare

"WOAH!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Twilight you sure know how to bring it with that hammer!" Twilight had just mowed through six enemies straight. They were on the trail to Toad Town, now. It was only a short while, but it sure seemed like a solid 20 minutes. They just got out of a battle, and now were upon the end of the trail. Before that, there were two things. The first was a red block, the second was a sign with a mushroom.
"Thanks, Dash," said Twilight abruptly. She was panting and sat down along the narrow path for a much needed break. The trees behind her were calming, but she just felt antsy. There was nothing she could do about it. 
"Now, what does this here block do?" asked Applejack to herself. She lifted one hoof up and jabbed at the red cube, which had a question mark. The mark dissipated when she hit it, and out of the top popped a cardboard shape. This was a dark brown-red octagon with a golden swirl thing. Upon picking it up, they learned that it is the Close Call Badge. This decreases the chance of getting hit, but only slightly, when in danger (5 HP or less). Twilight put on the Badge and moved on to the sign.
"Oh, Twilight, watch this!" shrieked Pinkie Pie. "Read the sign!" Twilight did so. The text box read "Eat a Mushroom to regain your energy! When HP gets low, eat a Mushroom with Left C." The mushroom on the sign peeled off and went onto the field of play. They picked it up. "Twilight, we don't need it now, but can you make sure that the Mushroom is there?"
"Okay," Twilight answered. She thought of pressing a button, and the Items menu came up again. The Mushroom, along with the Fire Flower, was there. She removed the screen from the sky and moved on.
"Hey, can I press the block this time? PLEEEEASE, please, please?" Pinkie was bobbing up and down, right in front of Twilight's face. 
"I believe that deserve a turn to hit a block," Rarity declared. "After all, I am the one with the jewelry." She walked up to the block and was about to hit it until Rainbow Dash decided to but in. 
"Hey, I'm the designated block hitter! Twilight said so." And thus the quarrel began. Twilight was put in the middle of things, hooves were being shoved, and then there was Fluttershy. She was simply alone with her bunny. She barely spoke to anyone other than Rainbow Dash, and all she had was her bunny; not even her dignity. Twilight decided to take a stand for Fluttershy.
"GIRLS!" Twilight shouted, trying to get their attention. "I think Fluttershy should hit the block this time." The other four took a double take at Twilight for a second, taken aback at the thought. They all felt sorry for Fluttershy and soon made a path for her. She slowly made her way to the heart block and stood under it.
"Ready, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight had a flashback of what happened last time. She braced herself for the possession.
"I'm ready." Fluttershy extended her hoof and tapped the block.



EPIC MUSIC CHANGE: Hey You!

BOINK! With a tap on the head, Goombario knocked out the first of two brothers. Having him was a big help, Twilight had learned. With him, they could get another attack off before their turn ended. 6 HP wasn't that bad, considering there was a Heart Block behind them. They had done a considerable amount of damage to both Goomba Bros., but the fight wasn't over yet.
"Blue, Blue Goomba!!!! GAAAAH! My little brother! You'll pay for that!" Red Goomba was the only one standing. He stood tall above the girls, probably 6 inches or so, and he did intimidate them. This, however, only lessened their opinion of him. 
With a vengeance for his little brother, another headbonk landed on Twilight's back. A few joints popped as the Goomba made it's way to the ground. After the enemy made his way to his position, a high pitched PUPUPU sounded and a blue box with the words danger formed above her head, and just as quickly it went away. Twilight looked at the banner above her head, anxiety striking her. 5/10 HP left. This better end soon, Twilight thought worriedly. I know there's the Heart Block back there, but what happens when we get a Game Over? Twilight shook away the thought. If she started second guessing herself, things wouldn't go her way.
Twilight moved the projector over to the 'Hammer' slide. With a thought, she was using her magic and hit the dark red monster yet again. No dice. The old lump stood standing tall. Goombaria waddled up to the creature, jumped, and landed on top of it. another 1 damage appeared. It was still alive. If this goes on much longer, we're done for. How many HP does this thing have anyway?
After the Goomba and Twilight sent attacks at each other, it was Goombario's turn. With a final bonk, the Red Goomba spun around and dissipated in front of them. A solid 20 Star Points were earned for that battle. "I can't wait to see what happens when we level up," Rainbow Dash wondered out loud. "We're really close." Twilight looked up at the banner where the orbs were. She hadn't noticed that they were only 17 away from their first level up. As the lights faded out, she was curious as to what else might be ahead of them.
She soon got her answer.



Oh boy: Gates Of Goomba Castle

As the lights came back from walking onto a new area - which the girls were plenty used to by now - they saw a very ominous sky that looked similar to the other areas, but this was shaded much darker. A small brick building with a bronze colored, arched door. A tower jutted out from the top, looming over the six mares. And Goombario.
They walked up to the building and stopped, wondering how to get around it. Goombario spoke up. "Hey, look! See that building over there?" Twilight couldn't even conjure a sarcastic comment. "I'm pretty sure there used to be a bridge on the other side. I wonder what happened to it." 
A thud shook the ground. Only slightly the first time. But it came again. This time it was stronger, practically lifting the girls off their feet. A few leaves fell off the trees. Again it struck, even stronger. After that, the Goomba Bros. were on the building. They were followed by an even bigger opponent.
The creature that appeared before them was a Goomba ten times larger than normal. He wore a crown upon his head and fangs jutting out of his mouth. His lower body was covered by a red and white striped... underwear? (Ok, yeah let's go with that. It's the only thing our sources can come up with.) His eyes were crossed most of the time, and was very daunting.. 
Even his voice was out of proportion. "I was warned that Mario was AWOL in this land, and that new heroes were to be expected. So it was true! You've made it this far. I respect you for that. Unfortunately, this is as far as you'll ever get. Because I, the great and powerful King Goomba-" (where have I heard that before? btw, this was taken directly out of the game. Coincidence? I think not!) "- will see to it that you advance no farther!"
"I'd like to see you try!" retorted Rainbow Dash. As the three Goombas jumped down from the building, the lights faded out. This was going to be a true test of their skill.

The first boss:Goomba King's Decree

The stage appeared once again. The tree from the scene before them was now on the stage, as well as the dirt path. Even though the Goomba Bros. were defeated in the previous battle, they were on the stage as well. They were the first to start the smack talk. "Beat him up King Goomba!!" shouted the red brother. "We've got your back!"
"Leave him to me!" scolded the king. He obviously had a purpose to destroying them single-handedly, but Twilight didn't have time to think about that right now.
"Hey Twilight! I think maybe we ought to take out the Goomba Bros. first, don't you think? They must be pretty weak since we just finished beating them up back there." Twilight cringed. She wasn't trying to cause anypony considerable harm, but she was destroying innocent little creatures. STOP THAT! she chastised herself. You have a good reason for doing so! She questioned herself no further. 
"Twilight, is it time?" Pinkie asked enthusiastically. Twilight erased all thoughts of feeling sorry for them. All she wanted now was to get out of this land.
"Let it rip, Pinkie." Twilight moved the projector to the 'Items' slide. She opened up the menu and selected Fire Flower. Pinkie stepped forward and held up the orange tulip. She planted it on the ground. The rest of the scene got dark, and the Fire Flower bent at the stem. Little balls of orange fire came spewing out all over the place. The three enemies appeared burnt from the attack, and soon the stars that detected the damage appeared over them. The Goomba Bros. fell from only the three damage. King Goomba was still there, but it was obvious that blow did a lot to him. 
He was quick to retaliate. A hop from the king shook the ground again. From the tree above the six girls, a sea urchin shaped nut fell from the tree above them. 2 damage points were dealt from the move. Twilight looked at the tree above the King's head. Well played, but now I have an idea. On her turn, she used the Hammer. There was an 'X' on the tree beside her. She took one swing of her Hammer and hit the tree. A similar nut, bigger this time, fell onto the King's crown. Another 3 damage was done. Hopefully this ends soon. After Goombario's attack, it was the King's move.
The King came up and twirled his body around. with a quick kick of his foot, a 1 showed above Twilight. A simple attack for a simple opponent. 
"Applejack!" Twilight shouted over the music. "You ready?" With a nod from Applejack, she chose the Power Jump attack. Applejack trotted over, a ghost of herself behind her, and jumped on the King's forehead. Another three damage. The King fell victim to the powerful attacks. A staggering 30 Star Points were earned. You know what that means.
Twilight's HP and FP fully healed. In boldface, orange letters were the words "LEVEL UP!" in the scene behind them. Three squares - representing HP, FP, and BP (Badge Points) - appeared. A spotlight shone on whichever Twilight wanted. "Alright, which one should we choose?" Twilight asked the group.
"I think HP," Applejack suggested. "Who knows what other vermin we might face out there. This is only the beginning."
"I agree," said the other four in unison.
"Let's see here..." Twilight's voice trailed off as she thought of the action to do. The spotlight moved over to the HP square and it started flashing. The banner above them showed this by raising the HP to 15/15. The scene soon faded out to black.



"Hey Twilight!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "I think I found something." Rainbow Dash sifted her hoof through the bush. Out popped a blue gel-like button with an exclamation point inside. Upon listening through the door, Twilight learned that there was some switch they needed to find. After Rarity suggested they checked the tree - finding a Star Piece - they looked in the grass in front of the fort. "What should we do?"
"They did say 'hit' the switch, so maybe the Hammer?" Twilight then walked over to the button and gave it a whack-down with her trusty Hammer. King Goomba hopped onto the building.
"Hey, uh... girls! Good fight and all that! I must warn you however... If you happen to find a strange switch somewhere, you should definitely not press it. It's dangerous. Understand?"
"You're a little too late on that," Twilight replied.
"......you what? YOU ALREADY PRESSED IT?!" A violent tremor began shaking the ground. "OH NOO! The King then sunk away back into the fort. The top of the tower (some people call it the 'crown' of the tower) shifted slightly and hit the ground rolling. The windows, or what seemed like windows, swung and fell to the fort. The walls of the protruding tower then flipped down and revealed the King standing on top of... Whatever it was, it sprung out and landed neatly in between the crevice of the gap. The King Goomba was sent soaring through the air. He disappeared with a flash in the sky.
"Look! The bridge!! Now we can cross it and continue our journey. Alright!" They went through the open fortress, across the bridge, and down another teleporting path to what awaited them next.