Chapter 155: Felina Castle
"So, we put that sword and that shield here and..."
The wall behind the armor opened, revealing the treasury.
"Tadaa!"
"Of course the treasure is in a secret room."
"Yeah. Father likes keeping his gold well hidden. But it means that nobody ever guards it, and servants rarely come here, so we can play here."
"Yeah. I will be the dragon hoarding the gold, and you will be the knight trying to slay me to get it back. Oh! Look! A crown!" She put the crown on her head. "Now, I'm the queen!"
He laughed. "If only."
Before long, Apple Death, Mario, and Ai were back at the camp. While they passed here, they took the occasion to tell everybody about their progress, and where they were going now.
"You are going to Felina Castle? Some of our guys are here, including Kooper and Goombella. They could help you search for the hole for the medallion," Kolorado said. "Actually, I could come with you and help too."
"Oki doki," Mario said.
"I wish to help too!" Peach said.
So, after convincing Toadsworth that it was alright for Peach to join Mario in exploring an ancient castle, the group exited the camp and went through Māo Town, having to fight some ghosts as always. They exited the town and followed the path to Felina Castle, a huge partially collapsed building which was missing the top floors.
A smaller camp was before the castle's entrance, which was actually empty.
"Uh? The camp is empty. Where are the archaeologists?" Ai asked. "Could it be that something bad happened to them? Mew!"
"Let's not jump to conclusion!" Kolorado said. "Maybe they are just inside the castle?"
"I hope this is just that," Peach said, worried.
At this, the group entered the castle.
"If there's anywhere we can find a pipe, it's in the basement. Mew!"
Kolorado led them to the stairs to the basement. They then explored the basement until they heard voices. Following them, they arrived to a storage room where there were nine archaeologists present, all turned toward an armor holding a sword and a shield. Around the armor, on the ground, were many more swords and shields of various quality. Just in front of the armor were a blue-shelled Koopa with a red bandana and a Goomba with a blond ponytail wearing a helmet and a matching outfit with a red scarf. The Koopa, took off the shield from the armor, and the Goomba, placed a new shield in its place.
A moment of silence followed.
"Still not it," the Koopa said.
Everyone else groaned, especially the Goomba.
"Kooper? Goombella? Everyone? What are you doing?" Kolorado asked, gaining everyone's attention.
"Oh! Professor!" one of the archaeologists began.
"Professor!" several others exclaimed.
"Professor and... Mario?!" Goombella shouted. "Oh my gosh! It is Mario! And Princess Peach is here too!"
"That's right. The professor told us that he invited you to come," Kooper said. "Well, you, Mario. Looks like the princess followed you here. Wait... Is that a Felinoi at your side?"
Ai waved at everyone. "I'm Ai Mew! Nice to meet you! Mew!"
"And who is the little horse at your side?" Goombella asked.
"Ah'm Apple Bloom! But call me Apple Death!"
"It's nice to see you again Kooper, Goombella," Peach said.
"Yes, nice to see you again miss Goombella," Toadsworth said. "And delighted to meet you mister Kooper. I heard a lot about you. I'm Toadsworth."
Once the reunion and presentations were done, Kolorado explained Ai and Apple Death's presence, then asked again what the archaeologists had been doing.
"We found the camp empty. For a moment, we were worried," the prof said.
"Well, you see, professor, we made a map of the castle," Kooper started.
"Thanks to it, we found out that there must be a hidden room in the basement," an archaeologist continued.
"So we searched around, and I discovered a hidden mechanism in this armor," another archaeologist said.
"It's really simple. If we put the right sword and the right shield on this armor, this should open the passage to the secret room," Goombella said. "So we transported here all the swords and all the shields we found in this castle and started to put them on the armor. But finding the right combination is revealing to be a very long task."
"Isn't there a clue somewhere that can help finding the right sword and shield?" Peach asked.
"We haven't found one," an archaeologist answered.
"We all try to think of something, but we can't find anything," another archaeologist said. "We examined all the swords and shields, but nothing."
"And we hope that the right sword and shield aren't buried under the rubble," yet another said.
"You don't have to worry about that. My ancestor had to enter the secret room to hide the star piece, so she had to have the sword and the shield," Ai said. "And speaking of..." She walked among the swords and shields until she picked up a wooden sword. Then, she moved more and picked up a wooden shield. "A wooden sword and a wooden shield. Isn't it suspicious among all these fancy swords and shields?"
"Told you," one of the archaeologists said to the others.
"No. It can't be that simple, right?" Goombella asked.
"Sometimes, solutions are simple," Mario said. "Let's test them."
Kooper took off the sword and the shield on the armor, and Ai placed the wooden sword and wooden shield in their place. There was a click! and the wall behind the armor opened, revealing a large room with a huge pile of treasures with some chests.
"Jackpot!" Kooper shouted in joy.
"So it really was that simple!" Goombella groaned.
"The wealth of Felina's royal family!" Kolorado exclaimed. "I can't believe we found it! Thank you, Ai!"
"And!" Ai walked to one of the walls in the new room and put her medallion in a hole, revealing a pipe. "The pipe to the next star piece! Mew!"
"I'm glad we found it so easily and rapidly," Peach said. "Now, I guess that I will await you here. Good luck."
Apple Death, Mario and Ai nodded before they surrounded the pipe, ready to jump in it.
"Wait!" Goombella stopped them. "Allow me to come with you! Like in good old time!"
Kooper nodded. "Me too!"
Mario nodded.
"Welcome to the group," Apple Death said.
At this, Apple Death, Mario, Ai, Kooper, and Goombella jumped into the pipe.
They arrived in a cavern and immediately saw what will certainly be the guardian: the skeleton of a dragon.
"Oh! A Draggadon skeleton!" Goombella said.
"I think that I see the star piece in its muzzle," Kooper said.
"Yeah, that's the star piece. Mew!"
"Well, be ready guys," Apple Death said.
"Don't worry. That's not the first dragon I fought," Goombella said.
The group approached, causing the skeleton to animate, its eyes glowing black. The dragon then took a huge breathe, and Apple Death quickly teared off a piece of the ground in order for everyone to take cover. The dragon then breathed black flames powerful enough to melt the ground. Thankfully, the piece of ground was enough to protect everyone.
"There is a problem," Goombella said. "We won't be able to reach its head if it is standing on its hind legs like that. At least, Hooktail and Gloomtail had been on their four legs."
Once the black flames stopped coming, Apple Death used ice to cool down the heated ground, then created for herself her own dragon skeleton which she took possession of. She then punched the Draggadon with its claws (the arms of her skeleton being much longer than the ones of the Draggadon), sending it crashing on the wall behind. Ai materialized a giant black fist and repeatedly punched the Draggadon with it.
The Draggadon recovered despite the punches and charged toward Apple Death, only for Kooper to enter his shell and charge into its leg, making it trip and crash on the floor. Mario immediately jumped, grabbed the star piece, and pulled, pressing his legs on the muzzle. Goombella jumped under him and bit into his overall to pull him down. They were quickly joined by Kooper who jumped and caught Goombella by the legs to also pull.
However, the Draggadon began to get up only for Apple Death to stomp on its skull with her dragon's leg, keeping it down. Ai materialized a smaller black fist and used it to help Mario removing the star piece. Too bad for the Draggadon that its arms were too small to reach and stop them.
With everyone's help, it didn't take long to remove the star piece from the muzzle, and the skeleton stopped moving. Mario, however, fell right on Goombella and Kooper, crushing the Goomba between his butt and the Koopa.
With their enemy defeated, Apple Death got out of her skeleton dragon which then disappeared, and she joined everyone.
"So that makes it four?"
"Yes. Two left," Ai answered. "Meww... But the last two pieces won't be easy..."
"Yeah. The forest will be hard," Kooper said. "But, somehow, I know that we will succeed."
Ai nodded. "To the forest! Mew!"
The group exited the pipe back in the treasury where they found the archaeologists busy examining the treasure. Princess Peach and Toadsworth were just observing while having small talks with them.
Kooper and Goombella told the archaeologists that they will continue following Mario and the others until their adventure ended, then they will return to help the archaeologists.
But before they could go to the Black Forest, the group had to escort Peach back to the camp.
So they left the castle.
However, they barely made a few steps that someone landed before them.
That someone was Qiang Claws wearing a white armor with a red half circle decorating the helmet, like a rising sun. This armor looked heavier than the ones usually used by the Felinois.
Ai gasped. "The Lìliàng Armor!"
"Uh oh." Apple Death immediately turned into a ghost.
"Isn't that the armor that makes you super strong?" Goombella asked.
"Yes, that's this armor," Ai said.
"I did well to wait here a bit," Qiang began. "Now, I finally have you. Prepare to return in your cell, Ai!"
Qiang suddenly charged toward Ai, spear pointed toward her, at a speed that took everyone by surprise. Ai barely had time to put up a shield made of darkness to stop the spear.
Everyone immediately went on the offensive while Peach and Toadsworth moved away. Apple Death sprouted bones under Qiang who jumped away only to be hit by Kooper in his shell. However, he was barely phased by it and he kicked the shell, sending it flying right toward Mario who ducked to avoid it.
Ai sent a big quantity of black fire at Qiang who twirled his spear very rapidly to repel them. Apple Death attacked with purple electricity which paralyzed Qiang, resulting in him getting burned by the black fire. When Ai stopped sending flames, this allowed Mario and Goombella to attack while Qiang was still paralyzed by Apple Death's electricity. However, after some hits, with a roar, Qiang broke out of the paralysis and punched Mario in the belly hard, sending him flying. He then countered one of Goombella's headbutts with his own headbutt that overpowered hers and sent her away.
Apple Death continued to send electricity, but Qiang was just ignoring it as he focused back on Ai whose shadow extended toward him. The shadow then came out of the ground in the form of a spike that Qiang blocked with his spear. Apple Death stopped sending electricity and instead began to send dozens of fireballs. Qiang was hit by some, but then, he charged toward Ai, spear ready again to pierce her, avoiding many of the fireballs this way. Like the previous time, Ai put up a black shield, only for Qiang to move around and attack from her left. Ai barely blocked him with a black sword, but Qiang still managed to knock her off balance. She was saved by forcing Qiang to jump away because of another shadow spike. She then sent more shadows at him, as well as black fireballs and black sharp wind-like waves.
Mario got him with his hammer, and Apple Death sent energy scythes. Kooper returned and rammed Qiang with his shell. Goombella headbutted him. Qiang twirled his spear to force them back, but they resumed their assault as soon as he stopped.
But then, Qiang talked to them. "Stop helping that girl! I don't know what she told you, but she is lying!"
"Do ya really think that we will believe ya?"
"You trusted her right away just because she looks like a frail young girl! But do you know that that same frail young girl is the one who destroyed Felina?"
This stopped everyone's assault as they all looked at Qiang in wonder, excepted Ai who looked at him in horror.
"No way!" Goombella shouted. "There's no way she is that old!"
"She who used the Demon Star was turned immortal by its power. Don't believe me? I'll show you!"
Suddenly, for the third time, Qiang charged toward Ai who quickly put up a black shield. Instead of moving around like before like Ai expected, Qiang jumped above her. Then, while in the air, Qiang threw his spear at Ai before he was hit by a shockwave of energy from Apple Death. In the blink of an eye, the spear impaled Ai. It went right through her and planted itself in the ground, some of the handle still poking out of her torso.
"AI!!!" everyone shouted, including Peach and Toadsworth.
Shock appeared on Ai's face as she registered what happened. Then pain. Then rage.
Then, she sent more sharp black wind at Qiang, pouring more power, so the wind formed a tornado that took Qiang off guard and sent him flying far in the horizon while cutting him all over his body.
Then, she fell on her side, losing consciousness.
"Ai!"
"Ai!"
Everyone ran toward her. Mario broke the spear and carefully removed the handle from Ai's torso.
"She is just unconscious," Toadsworth observed. "She shouldn't be alive. The spear went right through her heart. How is this possible?"
"Now is not the moment to ask questions," Peach said. "Ai needs to be healed. Do we have a 1up Mushroom?"
Apple Death shook her head. "No. The archaeologists don't sell them."
"Uh. Look. The wound is disappearing," Kooper said, and everyone saw that the hole in Ai's torso was closing, little by little.
Everyone exchanged glances.
"Now that I think about it, the few wounds she got until now are all gone, and she didn't even eat a Mushroom," Mario said.
"Then... I guess that we will just have to wait for her to wake up. Let's transport her to the camp," Goombella said.
Everyone else nodded.
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Bonus points if she tries to summon Crakkthulx only to have Apple Death start laughing.
11699848
Yeah. Lol!
"Come, Crakkthulx!"
"Sorry, but he won't be coming anytime soon.
The joke was supposed to be that the summoning fails because Apple Death already killed him.
11699857
Yeah, I understood that afterward.
11699841
That would work, but it would also freak the Rainbooms out, no matter how it's presented, whether by an incidental injury or intentional harm.
In the former case, she gets seriously wounded then literally walks it off.
In the latter case, she is intentionally causing self-harm to prove the point.
Either way, Rarity faints.
11698645
He doesn't even remember putting Hero at Heart in the story in a way.
(Chapter 3, when Blue, Professor Oak, and the latter's assistants were asking Sweetie Belle |Void| about her, thinking her to be a Pokemon, claiming that to be the name of her ability. If you want to talk about it.)
I knew her method to “destroying the demon star” was fishy. This is another cliche trope where the heroes are tricked into unleashing a horrible evil by a minion of said evil (that or they were expecting greatness/command of it or to put down the evil themselves, overestimating their prowess and being killed/eaten/absorbed for it).
And even after that, they don't suspect they could be wrong
Not gonna lie, I kinda hope the Era of the Wild (Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom) is at least seen in this story, even if not in the current saga.
11701002
It has to be, because that Link is in Smash Ultimate.
so.... apparently, there is a theory that the Paldean "time" machine isn't related to time directly, but rather is pulling the Paradox Pokemon from other universes using vague parameters, using the example I heard presented, Walking Wake was pretty much someone plugging in the idea of what a Suicune would look like if, by THAT worlds standard, it was prehistoric.
In other words.... Paldea might be possible with some finagling.
EDIT: I figured a link to the video i saw that theory from would help.
11701754
I still don't know if I will do Paldea. I will see.
11701756
I don't think Paldea's worth it, I'm just presenting the theory to put it out there as possible.
I just had something that I found somewhat funny pass through my mind for this story.
What if the events of the Pikmin games occurred in an abandoned city or neighborhood on one of the three versions of the Human Equus?
Like, Olimar starts describing the location he was exploring when his ship crashed, only for Twilight (whichever one is present) to interrupt and state that she remembers the description as part of an old abandoned neighborhood Sunset told her about for some reason or something, and Olimar starts berating himself for assuming the whole planet to be abandoned based off of the status of a small part of it.
11702129
The problem is that, in one of the Pikmin, we explore several continents. And these continents are our continents, but at different places.
11702398
Point taken.
OK, so this won't be relevant until Pikmin, and even then I question Lucar actually using the hound itself, but regardless:
I did some quick mental math on size of the Ancient Sirehound compared to the canonical size of the playable characters.
The Ancient Sirehound is likely the size of a Shih Tzu puppy. (source: Pikmin Wiki)
Sweetie Void is roughly the size of a German Shepard puppy. (Source: My family has owned a German Shepard for the past 5 years. He is a good boy, most of the time.)
Therefore, if Sweetie Void happens to find the Sirehound first, she could make it a real good boy, rather than a lonely creature violently defending the first being to show it companionship.
If Fluttershy doesn't automatically try to claim him for herself.
EDIT: Well, I never said what I was mathing out mattered.
Theory that I want to share here.
Bowser being incapable of beating Mario and Luigi, and yet standing as higher than gods (The Dark Star in Superstar Saga, for reference) when working with them is indicative that The Star Children, of which Bowser is one, shouldn't use their power for selfish means.
Because let's be honest the only time we see them fight is when Bowser is after Peach.
EDIT: Wario does poke a hole in this theory, IMO, actually, but he's.... Wario... do we even count him as a hero or villain?
11702924
I would say a antihero.
11702961
good enough.
This video has Copy abilities themed after Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Bosses, excluding Dedede and Meta Knight.
I don't suppose you need more upgrades for Kirby's abilities?
11704329
Could be useful for later. Thanks.
11704333
my pleasure.
11704330
I agree
Something that's been bothering me for a while.
Banjo-Kazooie.
Getting Kazooie on board will be as simple as telling her there's plenty of adventure to be had.
Banjo, on the other hand, will be harder to convince, short of Gruntilda getting recruited by the Subspace army. Which, knowing this story is a distinct possibility.
11706475
Having never played a Banjo-Kazooie game, I don't know their personalities that well.
11706540
and then there's that.
11706541
There is a lot of characters that I don't know the personalities because I never played their games or watched a walkthrough. This is why I will have to watch a lot of them (and also to see their stories), starting with Fire Emblem for Marth and Roy, which will take time.
11706551
well, take it one step at a time, start at Fire Emblem, and move from there.
That's the best advice I have, at least.
11706475
The Subspace Army has multiple petty assholes who are willing to go after friends or family, and Sweetie Void et al know this. Kazooie joining makes Banjo a target so he might as well fight.
11707823
Knowing Banjo's personality, that would be his justification, too....
11707923
If you're going to die, die with your boots on.
Team Attack that i find myself imagining my OC's using that I think fits this story, and specifically Sweetie Void and Phantom.
One strikes or tosses the victim in the air, then the other takes them and drives them back to the ground.
I call it, "Ascension Denied."
11709328
I like that name.