> Paper Ponies
>  by Techno Flare
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Intro
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Well, it seems as though I am the only one who can stop Nightmare Moon." Twilight started packing supplies for the trip, swiftly sending things to her bag with her unicorn horn. "I have to do this alone, it is my duty to rescue the Princess."

"Oh no! There is no way we are going to let our friend go on a death defying mission without us coming along," declared Applejack, her friends standing tall, seemingly supporting that statement. 

"Yeah, you're gonna need Equestria's best flyer to help you in that place," Rainbow Dash said proudly as she started doing loops around the small area that was the treehouse library, Twilight's temporary home.

"Ugh, only if you insist." 

The mares quickly made it to the edge of the town, the massive Everfree Forest standing in front of them. Twilight gulped as she stared down the black hole in front of her. "Well gir-rls," Twilight said shakily, "let's hop to it."

"Okie-dokie-lokie," said the eternally enthusiastic Pinkie Pie. They set of into the forest, but not only after they were shrouded in the mystery of the forest did a flash light up the night. They were gone.




Music:Story of the Stolen Spirits
Try to pause for a bit in between lines, it'll sync up with the music better.

Today...
I am going to tell you the story of Star Spirits and Good Wishes
Far, far away, beyond the sky,
way above the clouds,
it's been said that there's a haven where the stars live.
In the sanctuary of Star Haven
there rests a fabled treasure called the Star Rod,
which has the power to grant all wishes.
Using this wondrous, the seven revered Star Spirits
watched over our peaceful world
carefully...very carefully.
And then...
Oh dear...what the...           KAMEK GOES HERE
Who stuck that weird thing into this story?
"Yeah, I did it!
"Gwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!!
"So I can at long last beat my arch enemy, Mario,
"I'll take this Star Rod!
"Do it Kammy Koopa!!"
NO YOU MUSTN'T DO THAT!!
"Yeah! Now let's try using it!"
Stop it! Cut it out, Bowser!!
You're changing the story!!
"Bwa ha ha ha... we did it!
"That was a piece o' cake!! Gwaa ha ha!"
Now Star Kids may rise to the Haven to deliver people's wishes...
...but those wishes will not come true.
Whatever can they do...?


Paper Ponies



Paper Mario is rightfully owned by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems
My Little Pony: FIM is rightfully owned by Hasbro Inc.



Story created by Jacked Apples



BIG thanks to my editor Twilight Mercer



Art done by Final Draft





Ten minutes earlier


"Mail call!"

Luigi walks down the oak wood steps of his front porch to his mailbox and sticks a hand in. To his anticipation, there is a letter there is a letter with an envelope, sealed with a pink heart sticker. Instantly, Luigi recognizes this as his brother's girlfriend's letter, and walks inside, an elated smile on his face. This could only mean one thing.
"Hey, Mario! We got a letter from Princess Peach!" Luigi walks around the dining table to the doorway of his bedroom where his brother is just done getting dress. Considering his mute brother, Luigi says, "I'll read this to you, okay?" No response. Typical. Luigi proceeds to open the piece of paper folded into three, perfectly equal pieces. "All right, let's see..." the fancy penmanship making him strain his eyes to make out the words.



I'm throwing a party today at my castle! Mario and Luigi, I would be honored if you both could attend. Many guests from different towns are hoping to meet you. There will be tasty sweets and all kinds of entertainment! I hope to see you here Soon!
Sincerely, Peach



Music COMMENCE:A Party at Peach's Castle

The two brothers eagerly step outside, down the stairs again, and hop into the warp pipe outside their house. The two proceed through the streets of Toad Town, passing the shop, the dojo, and the fortune teller's place before opening the unnecessarily large blue gates with the kingdom's symbol: a bright yellow star with two black ovals for eyes. A loud creak booms through the streets as they open and close behind them, leaving them to the soft sounds of the fountain in front beside a brick trail leading up to the castle. A significantly large body with two towers on the side, reaching the same height. Most of the building is white, but that stops as the red shingles on the roof meet the white. A double door with the same symbol as the gate leads to the castle.
As the doors make way for the two, the take the beautiful scenery that is the black and white tile floor, lined with a crimson red carpet. The light blue walls with occasional clouds made it seem like they were actually outdoors. "What a magnificent castle!" Luigi was looking all over the place getting his bearings. "I never get used to this place.
"It looks like a lot of guests are already here. You should probably go check on the Princess." Taking that advice, Mario starts his ascent of the castle. The first flight of stairs are a breeze. However, waiting at the second door is somebody bound to stop Mario at all costs.
"Greetings Mario! I am the Minister of Princess Peach's Castle." This Mario already knew, but the old hag had amnesia. The fact that he was able to run the castle was unimaginable. "It's good to see you here. When you're around, I feel like our kingdom is secure. Yup, our future looks bright!" Mario then took off - slowly at first, but soon it was a power walk - up to the next flight of stairs. 
As he was about to enter the next set of doors, when his favorite guard, Migh T., nodded his head and said under his breath, "Master Mario." Mario was pleased by this and wanted to hear more form Migh T., but he had better things to do. 

After two more flights, Mario finally found the Princess. She was waiting at the edge of the balcony, dressed in her favorite pink dress, her golden hair flowing smoothly down her back. Atop her head was a golden crown, made with only pure gold and encrusted with the finest jewels. "Oh, Mario! You came to the party to see me! You're so sweet! Thank you <3
"I was just resting up a bit. It gets tiring greeting all those guests out there! Nobody will bother us here, though. shall we relax and chat, just the two of us?" Mario nodded, happy that he could simply sit and talk with his love. "It was a lovely day today, so I'm sure it will be comfortable on the balcony right now. Would you accompany me Mario?" Mario was as light as a feather.
Music switch:Bowser Takes Off

The same could be said for when the castle started shaking. Mario didn't notice the changing scene outside the window in his frantic scramble to make sure the Princess was safe. They hid under a table until the earthquake stopped.  "Oh are you alright Mario? What in the world was that? They ran to the window to see what damage was done. To their dismay, all they could see was a starry night sky. Peach was taken aback. "Oh my! Look, Mario! It's still daytime, isn't it? ...But I can see stars."

Bowser made quite an appearance, smashing through the window. He hopped off his flying koopa clown car onto the velvet rug, creating a loud THUUDD. "Gwaa ha ha ha ha ha! Long time no see, Princess Peach!"

"...Bowser! But this can't be! It was you who made the ground shake just now, wasn't it! Whatever did you do?" Peach tried to sound demanding, but all that came out were like feeble cries of help.

"GWA HA HA HA! Yeah, that was me," stated Bowser, obviously full of himself. "I've lifted your castle up into the sky! It's sitting on top of my castle now! Weren't expecting that, huh? Ha! This castle's under my control now, my dear! Now you will obey ME!" Bowser took a couple steps closer to the Princess, until Mario decided it was time to show up.
"Huh!? What? It's...Mario!! What a shock! Ha! Not really! I expected you to show up right on que. You're just as annoying as ever. Unfortunately for you, there's nothing you can do this time." Bowser stood tall where he was, not seeming the least bit afraid of his arch enemy as he should.

"Haven't you learned your lesson by now, Bowser? You can never defeat Mario! Why don't you just give up already?" This time the Princess felt more sure of herself. She was confident Mario could protect her.

"True, true, I've had my problems in the past... But this time is different! This time I'm gonna win!" Bowser really shouldn't have been that headstrong. Mario was getting suspicious. What did Bowser plan to do this time? "Ok tough guy, let's go!" 

And with that, the battle started, Mario walked onto the stage that appeared out of nowhere, although it did remind him of the spot where he had been standing. "Mario, you can do it!" Mario was second guessing himself on that, but jumped in agreement. Mario saw that lights that floated above his head, telling him what to do. The icon of his shoe with the name "jump" underneath it was chosen. Mario did just that, a loud plonk sounding. A white star with the number one in red made itself present where Mario had just hit Bowser. Bowser then came up to him and gave him a good slap across the face, another star appearing with the number 'one' showing up inside it. The banner at the top pf the stage showed the drop in Hit Points, making the numbers by the heart 9/10. 
The same went on for three more rounds, when all of a sudden, on Bowser's turn to strike, this happened. "Good old Mario... always fighting." Bowser eased the tension on one leg and shifted to the other. "You're a thorn in my side. But today your pathetic little attacks won't beat me! Bowser reached for his shell, and came up holding a brown rod with a star shaped tip. "Take a look at this! This is what I stole from Star Haven! It's the Star Rod! This fine piece of work has the power to grant any wish in the whole wide world! And when I use the Star Rod to increase my strength, even you can't beat me, Mario!" 
A flash came from the cryptic rod in his hands, then a few stars surrounded Bowser. After that, he was glowing. He came up to Mario and gave him a slap - just like the first - and a white star came up, this time with two others. The star had a red number three inside this time, bringing Mario's HP down to 5/10. Mario could only do one thing, but when he landed on Bowser's head, there was no damage done to him. "Gwa ha ha ha ha ha! Is that all you've got? How sad! You'd best take some vitamins, 'cause that didn't hurt at all!"
Mario was dumbfounded! How did his attack do absolutely nothing? As Bowser came up and smacked him again, Mario lost faith. He couldn't lose, not in a time like this! If only there were some way to get that rod, or penetrate his defenses...
One last time, Mario bonked his head. But to no avail. "Yup, just as I expected. Mario's no match for the new me." How could Bowser have possibly gained the strength to overpower Mario? This time, he failed to protect his kingdom, his Princess, but most importantly, himself. "It's not even worth my time toying with you anymore, Mario. It's time to end this!" Bowser took a deep breath. Mario knew what was coming. Bowser leaned over. Mario had finally lost. Bowser opened his mouth. Mario uttered two words before the inevitable happened.
"Goodbye, Peach." He was then engulfed in a red hot flame.

"Oh no! Mario! Get up!" Peach vigorously shook Mario, but he was out cold.

"Yes! Oh yeah! I did it!" Bowser had begun the boasting. "I finally did it! I beat my old rival Mario! Yessss!"

Kammy Koopa spoke for the first time, "Congratulations on your victory, Your Viciousness! That's why you're the King!"

"Now that I have the Star Rod," Bowser concurred, "everything I wish will come true! No one can stop me now!" Bowser turned and smugly looked at the man lying on the floor. "Well, well , well... I guess I might as well get rid of Mario. He's no good to anyone now, that's for sure." Bowser raised the mighty weapon once again. It shone for a second, then a bolt of lightning came searing through the air, sending Mario out the window.

"Oh no! Mario---------!" Peach could only stare at the falling figure of Mario as the koopatroll got hold of her.

"You know," Bowser contemplated, "I don't want to fight Mario again... I know what to do! I'll wish for some new hero or heroes! I can just swap Mario and the new hero between dimensions, right Kammy?"

"Of course, Your Mightiness. Anything your heart desires, just wish it." Kammy Koopa was eager to find out if it worked.

"Alright, then. I wish Mario was swapped with a different hero!" The Star Rod flashed itself, then a bright light appeared where Mario was. "Huh! I think it worked! Who will challenge me now? It doesn't matter, though. I am INVINCIBLE"

Last song ( MY FAVORITE):Main Theme
> Prologue - Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.
> Prologue - Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Paper Ponies

Prologue - Part 2: The first of Many




Starting music: March Ahead

That feeling that Pinkie described earlier, the other five now knew what she meant. As they all slowly made their way to the ground beneath them, all they could think was 'Gosh, Pinkie Pie! Why did you have to do that?' 
All of them eventually laid flat on the ground, all of them jumping back up in unison. "Is everypony okay?" questioned Twilight. 
"I think so, Twi," replied Applejack. "I finally see what Pinkie meant by "fallin' like a feather". Can you count the girls up fer me? I have a bit of a headache." She rubbed her temples, obviously distorted by the descent.
Twilight did as Applejack asked. One, two, three, four, five... one was missing. "Girls," said Twilight, "where's Fluttershy?"
"I'm over here," came a voice that Twilight barely picked up. They started searching the area until it came again. "Under the rubble." They looked over towards a pile of wood. Must have been the deck that it was supposed to be there, thought Twilight. As Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight were removing the mound of wood, Rarity was fussing as usual.
"Oooooooh! No matter how many times I do my hair, something always seems to mess it up! If only we were back in Equestria where I could do my hair, put in some curls..." and on she went, Pinkie Pie listening the whole time.
After a couple minutes, the three ponies digging through the broken veranda managed to get Fluttershy out of the mound. She sprung to her feet as the last piece was cleared. "Thank you so much, but I'm worried about Angel." Her voice was muffled as she started to dig through her saddlebags. "There you are!" said the relaxing Fluttershy. Out hopped Angel onto Fluttershy's back. Crossing her arms, he started talking in bunny about how he didn't have any food. "Angel we don't have time right now," scolded Fluttershy, trying to calm the rabbit down.
"Alright, lets try to find our way back to the village and get rid of... whatever was in the way." Twilight led the march as the other five followed in a single file line behind her. As they got to the path, they saw a creature similar to the ones in the village, yet this had a green hat upon his head and big gray eyebrows. 
"Oh, my back..." he complained. "Hm, who's that? Oh, are you things finally awake? I told them you were living things. You should thank me." In your dreams, grandpa, thought Twilight. 
"Anywho, I remember a great crashing noise and then the veranda collapsed and I fell. Did you fall, too?"
"Yeah," replied Rainbow Dash. "Pinkie Pie pushed us right out the door."
"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?" questioned Pinkie, obviously upset.
"Umm, just once," answered Applejack. "That's the first time you told us."
"Ohh. Heehee! Sorry," said Pinkie with a shrug.
"Girls," Twilight intervened. "Let the thing talk." And with that, the old man resumed.
"Well, we're all ok, I think. Problem is, we can't get home right now because that block is in the way." The old man walked up to the block, the six ponies gathering around him. "This block... This block shouldn't be here. Well this is a problem for us." About all the girls were thinking in their heads 'no duh'. 
"Excuse me,"  Rarity interrupted. "The others up there were talking about a hammer of some sort, and we think you know where it is."
"Huh?" asked the man. "A hammer? Oh, of course! Um..." the man looked around. "Where did it go? I was using it to fix the veranda, so it's likely around here somewhere... Hm! Nowhere to be seen. I guess it might have fallen somewhere over there." The direction he was looking in suggested a park just west of them. "Well girls, we'd better look for it."
And with that, the girls proceeded to go look in the park. They walked over to  a spot where the path extended out into nothing. "Um, I don't mean to be a nuisance, but where do we go sir?" Applejack mused. The girls were wondering the same thing. 
"Oh that's right," the man remembered. "You are new to this world. Just walk onto the ledge and you will appear in a different area." 
"That's unbelievable!" Twilight snapped. "That defies everything that has to do with physics. Also, why should we listen to you?"
"Because I'm all you have. You are in a game, after all." The man was right. If they didn't believe him, then who could they ask for directions? Well, there was that one mushroom head thing... but he's long gone. 
"Alright, but let me go first. If I don't come back in thirty seconds, run away." Twilight braced herself as the girls nodded in unison. She let out a quick sigh. "Alright, let's do this." She walked onto the ledge and everything around her faded into black. The farther she walked, the dimmer the world was. "Just keep walking, just keep walking," she sang to herself. As she progressed through, the light started to come back to her, but there was a different scene. There was a fence beside her, some bushes, one of those 'save' blocks, and trees at every corner. She was dizzy from the experience and almost fell to her feet, but made out the surroundings - even if they were a little blurry. Knowing that she had to go back, she braced herself again and headed back down the path. I better get used to this, she thought, realizing just how many times she was going to go through this. 
On her arrival, her friends relaxed a little bit. "Oh, don't let your guard down," warned Twilight. "Going through there may be simple, but it takes a toll on your brain." The girls headed back through,all of them stumbling. Fluttershy was so affected, she fell to the ground.
"Fluttershy!" screamed Rainbow Dash. "Are you okay?" Fluttershy rolled over onto her arms and replied weakly.
"I'm fine, just let me catch my breath." Rainbow Dash was reluctant at first, but allowed Fluttershy some time to recuperate. Behind the pack, the old man spoke yet again.
"The Hammer has got to be somewhere close by. 
 It looks just like this. Look for bushes that might cover it up. If "!" appears over your head, press the A button to search the bush." 
"Umm... what do-" Twilight held a hoof in front of the confused Rainbow Dash.
"Just search the bushes." And with that they were off.
Applejack was the first to find something. She put a hoof through the bush, and out popped a golden coin. "No hammer here. But I did find somethin' that looks like a bit." 
"Good," Twilight replied. "Maybe that's what they use as currency." Now speaking to the rest of the group, "If any of you find one of those, just store them somewhere." The group heard and cohered the finding. The next to find one was Pinkie, then Rarity, next Rainbow Dash. But Twilight decided to search the bush farthest from the entrance. There she stuck a hoof through the bush... but this time she grabbed something. The bush fell down immediately and Twilight held the hammer in the air with her levitating spell, although she didn't call upon her powers by herself. A loud noise pierced the air as a box, similar to the one when they hit the save block, appeared above her.



You found the Hammer!
Mario can do the Hammer attack now!
You can smash a yellow block with this Hammer.



The man suddenly appeared behind Twilight and shouted, "Oh!! There we go! That's it! That's the Hammer! I'll wager that if you use that Hammer, you can break the block that's in our way. You can also use the Hammer to hit trees and make them sway. Sometimes stuff will fall out! You can use it by pressing the B button." 
Well if I can hit trees... Twilight proceeded to hit a tree in the far right corner. Using her arcane energy, she swung the Hammer - her head motioning with the Hammer - and hit the tree full force. Out came a dolly that looked like a person. "Oh! That looks like Goombaria's dolly. Oh, she'll be so happy that you found it!" 
"Well it seems like you've found the Hammer," stated Rarity. "Let's get this show on the road people! Places to see, princesses to save!" And with that, they moved towards the exit. The old man walked ahead of them, blocking the exit for a small bit.
"Hmmm... Well! We found the Hammer, so I guess we should head for home." The old man walked onto the path before the rest of the group could. A bellow vibrated through the air as the old man tumbled back into the park. "YYOUCH!!"

Music change: Jr. Troopa Theme

"Who are you guys!?" screeched a little yellow kid in a broken eggshell.
"Umm, EXCCUUUSE ME! But we are ladies, and that is how we would like to be treated!" Rarity demanded.
"Whatever! This is my playground, idiots! Nobody sets foot in here without my permission! Nobody! Prepare to start crying at the feet of Master Jr. Troopa!" Everything around the girls turned black.





The lights came on to behold a stage. "Are we supposed to go on there?" Fluttershy asked anxiously. I don't know,Fluttershy, Twilight thought. Seeing as how there is nothing else but thin air around us and the only thing we can see is that stage, I think just maybe we should go up there. As Twilight stepped up on the platform, the girls followed one by one, Fluttershy shaking out of her hooves.
The stage was somewhat like their previous surroundings, but it was all artificial. Even the trees looked like they were made of a flimsy plastic. The hard wood was painted green, with different squares their own shades of green. The bushes in the front of the stage looked primarily the same, however. And most of all, the border around the whole stage used yellow rods on a light green wood in the front. The old man was on the stage as well, probably to help them.
"Girls, this is Jr. Troopa. He's the boss of the neighborhood gang. A bit of a bully obviously. I know this is a brand new concept to you, but turn by turn battle should come easily. This kid's more bark than bite. You can beat him. Just boost yourself up and don't take any lip! I'll stay right here behind you and watch your progress." Kind of helpful, but I guess we'll soon see how this turns out.
A banner suddenly came from the top of the stage showing a heart with the symbol 'HP' Hit Points... Luckily it was showing a full 10/10. The next was a flower with the acronym 'FP' Flower Points? I'll find out what it means eventually. Third was an orb with a star spinning around, that read 0. The last was the bit-like coin that Applejack had found. This counter read 6. At least we're not broke, Twilight thought sarcastically.
A projector soon displayed some round light displayed in front of her that Twilight could change by just thinking about it. Those are probably the attacks I can do. Jump was displayed with a... shoe? That's what Twilight heard Lyra call it. The Hammer attack was displayed with, you guessed it, the Hammer. There was something that read 'items' but Twilight did not have any. Therefore, the flower it was represented by was gray. The last one was a red flag that uses 'strategies'. I'll figure that out later as well. There was a lot on her bucket list for this world, but there were things she had to know.
She decided to select the jump. A gloved finger started pointing at Jr. Troopa, and his name appeared in white with a blue highlight above Twilight. She mentally chose this as well. Applejack immediately started running toward the opposition. "What in the hay!? I can't control my body!" Something forced her to leap onto the enemy. As she landed, a large star appeared with a large "1" in red inside the star. 
"I think that's a damage indicator!" Twilight shouted over the blaring music. "We took away one of his 'Hit Points'. We have those, too. Ours are right there." She pointed with her horn to where the banner showed the 10/10. 
"Oh, excellent!" declared the old man behind them. "Good move! Go on!!" After he stopped talking, Jr.Troopa came over and jumped onto Twilight's back. The same star-like indicator appeared, but this time the banner above them changed. The HP counter changed from 10/10 to 9/10. I hope we get this over with... She knew that losing all of those would result in a game over. Celestia told her much about these worlds, but Twilight never knew how handy this information would be.
The projector showed up once again, but this time Twilight decided to choose the Hammer attack. Somehow, Rarity's arcane energy was summoned. Her horn forced the Hammer over to Jr. Troopa, and, with one powerful blast of magic, the Hammer swung back and hit Jr. Troopa full on. A star with the "1" showed up again. "Are you joking? There must be some mistake! That used up a whole lot of my energy and it only did 1 damage! I am disgusted!" 
"Grrr! I'm just getting warmed up!" and Jr. Troopa attacked again. Another round of attacks passed. After a jump attack by Rainbow Dash, Jr. Troopa decided to up the ante. "Alright, you asked for it! Say hello to Jr. Troopa's special attack! FULL POWER!! A purple ring formed around Jr. Troopa, and the VWOOUUUM sound came again. This time, as Jr. Troopa's attack landed, a star appeared with a little star beside it. The big star had the number "2" inside it. The girls' HP went down to 5/10. A sound started blaring, and the words 'danger' appeared above their heads.
"Let's take this little punk down!" shouted Twilight. The other five mares were taken aback at Twilight's sudden burst in anger. Twilight hefted the Hammer with her magic and took a swing at Jr. Troopa. He fell to the ground spinning. As he hit the wooden stage, orbs with stars in them came piling out. 
"Girls," intervened the old man yet again, "that was wonderful fighting. You got Star Points! You get Star Points every time you beat an enemy. Every time you save up 100 Star Points, you'll go up a level. Always try hard to get points!"
And with that, 20 Star Points were added to the banner. With some great music and a pose from Twilight, the girls walked off the stage in triumph. 
> Prologue - Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.
> Prologue - Part 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Paper Ponies

Prologue - Part 4: The End of the Beginning




Angry Music: Angry Bowser

Kamek strode in, on her magical flying broom, to the castle in the clouds. Hefted by Bowser's right below it, the Mushroom Castle was being overrun by Bowser and his troops. All over the area, the armored Koopas held flashlights and moved around every once in a while.
Kamek opened the door to what Bowser referred to as "Home Base". "Mighty King Bowser... I've been looking for you. A report Your Evilness: the new enemies defeated the Goomba King. They're heading for Toad Town now." Kamek went over to Bowser and made sure he was listening.
"What?" Bowser questioned. "Unbelievable! What was Goomba King thinking? I used the Star Rod to make him big because he begged me... And they whip him so easily? What a wimp!!" Bowser thought for a second. "Uh... Kammy Koopa! You are sure nobody can ever defeat us, right? 
"Please, please, Your Vileness! Try to be calm. Goomba King is small-time. I had a feeling he'd fail. It doesn't matter, because while you hold the Star Rod you are definitely invincible. You could beat those hooligans with one claw tied behind your back."
"Yes, yes. Very good! Gwaaa ha ha ha ha!!" He raised the Star Rod in triumph. Still, Bowser thought, if they could beat Goomba King, who else knows what they are capable of. We might have just brought in an even tougher enemy... I'm not so sure about this... "By the way, Kammy Koopa, those Star Spirits we captured don't have any way of giving the new threat their power, do they?"
"Please, don't worry yourself. Each is held separately. And, each is carefully guarded by your handpicked subjects. Even Mario couldn't save all seven of the Star Spirits." 
But what if they can? Bowser anxiously pondered. "Who's the closest Star Spirit to Mario? It's that one at Koopa Bros. Fortress, right? If the enemy somehow reaches there, can the Koopa Bros. defeat him?"
"King Bowser, you mustn't worry..." Kammy Koopa assured. The two in the room were alarmed (and all of a sudden a red ! appeared above them) and started looking around. 
From the edge of the screen came a high pitched "HI-YAA!" Four Koopas, all dressed in different colored shells, shoes, and bandanas, hopped into the room. Each of them held up a thumbs-up, a loud ping coming from all of them. The leader then spoke. "Here come the Koopa Bros.!!" His surfer accent startled the king. "Uh-huh! Oh yeah! We're the coolest of the cool!"
Bowser leaned a little closer to Kammy Koopa and whispered,"...Pssst! Kammy Koopa. Are you sure these guys can get the job done? That Goomba King was gigantic, and even he couldn't beat Mario."
Apparently the red Koopa had overheard Bowser's conversation. "Pssshaw! Get real, King Bowser! Yeah, the Goomba King was huge, but he was a total wimpola! We're nothing like him! See, what we've got going on is the power of teamwork (friendship). Together we can put the hurt on Mario in seconds flat!"
"Excellent! That's the spirit! Sell it, Koopa Bros.!! Show our king that special attack you do so well!" Kammy Koopa stood back, motioning to Bowser to do the same.
"Yes ma'am!" The leader turned to his group: Yellow, Black, and Green. "Ready, everybody!" 
Bowser stood in awe with his mouth open, even though it was open all the time. "Ooh...OOOH! That... this is... Ohhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"
"How'd you like it?" asked the leader, obviously trying to get on his good side. 
"Oh, YEAH! Excellent!! Really!! I'm not easily impressed, either! Mario won't have a chance if you finish him with that attack!"



"Does anypony know what we might do with this?" Twilight had just knocked a spring out of a tree right outside town. 
Applejack decided to make a statement. "I think there's something on that ledge up there." She pointed to the overhang above the walkway to town. Twilight wasn't sure how stable it was, and didn't want to find out.
"Are you sure Applejack? I mean, there are many other places to check for random stuff, but this isn't safe."
"Remember, Twilight," Applejack reminded Twilight. "We're in this here 'game' you say, and anything the creator wants goes. Now, if I were that person, that overhang'd be a perfect spot for hidin' somethin'. If you don't want to, then I will."
Applejack prepared for the jump, but Twilight stopped her. She didn't want somepony getting hurt in her arrogance. "No, I'll do it." She hit the spring. Flew up and came to a stop above the overhang. So this is what flying feels like. She would learn later that the experience she just had was nothing compared to flying.
Upon the center of the overhang, which Twilight had landed on quite safely, was a small brown chest. Obviously something inside of it, she walked over and engaged the action. Another cardboard shape appeared. This was the Hammer Throw Badge, which twilight thought maybe would be about throwing the Hammer. Twilight hopped down off the overhang. When Applejack asked about what she found, she replied, "Not anything worthwhile. And soon they strolled on into Toad Town.



Music Change: Shooting Star Summit

As the girls walked over the bridge, tainted purple by who know what, a star came falling straight out of the sky and landed right beside her. I guess this is why they call it Shooting Star Summit. As they ventured further towards the massive hill that appeared as a silhouette before them, the sky became darker, indicating some sort of special occasion. The path separated into two, and after a small debate, they decided to take the higher path. It turned out to be what they were looking for.
With a quick flick of her hair, Rarity pointed her horn in the direction opposite the stairs. "Over there, Rainbow Dash. I think there's another Star Piece." With a confused look, Rainbow Dash walked over to the spot Rarity had told her to go. In seconds she came back hefting the Star Piece with both forelegs, flying. Rarity quickly stole it from Rainbow Dash, a sense of relief coming to her face. Rarity quickly stored it.
Twilight, whilst hopping up over the step-like ledges, told them, "Alright, let's do this already. I can feel a lecture coming on." They swiftly got up the side of the mountain to reveal the Star Spirit from Twilight's dream. He was king of opaque, but solid enough to tell where he was. He was hovering above some sort of stone ritual place. It was perfectly carved and completely flat. The girls, and Goombario, went up to the star.
"Welcome girls... We've been waiting for you."
THIS IS IMPORTANT!



"We're the 7 Star Spirits." His other friends showed up on their designated pedestals. "Our job is to grant the wishes of good people from our home in Star Haven, a place high beyond the sky. We're going to tell you something incredibly important. Please listen carefully.
"The other day, Bowser and his followers invaded our peaceful Star Haven. They stole our prized treasure, the Star Rod, which we have cared for since the beginning of time."
The star to Eldstar's left spoke next. "The Star Rod..." the girl had a sweet voice, but she stammered, "...is powerful beyond all belief. It can grant any wish imaginable. For as long as we can remember, Bowser has been making wishes like, for instance..."I'd like to trounce Mario" pr "I want Princess Peach to like me." Of course, Stars ignore such selfish wishes. As a result his wishes were never granted."
A purple star, two spots from Eldstar's right, spoke next. "Bowser... that fiend... When he found out that we were ignoring his wishes, he came and stole the Star Rod so he could grant his own wishes. He seems content right now, maybe because he defeated Mario and captured the princess. Soon enough, though, I fear he will wish for more... and terrible things will happen."
"Which," Eldstar interrupted, "is where you come in. Bowser had wished for a new enemy to challenge him. The Star Rod decided to pick you, probably because it was the next dimension over, and swapped you with our hero, Mario. Bowser thought that bringing in a new enemy would spruce things up, but time may tell whether he wants his old rival back. 
"Due to this, your world may be in danger as well, considering how profound one of our kin in that world would be. A human in a world ruled by horses... As I do realize you were about to start your own mission, we can only hope that Mario doesn't do anything he shouldn't. If he manages to change how things are supposed to play out in your world, the whole dimension would come crumbling down, and you would be trapped here forever."
Humans... The whole dimension destroyed...  Twilight's thought were racing, and soon she got anxious. If these things actually happened, then why were they here?
"Please hold all questions to the end, Ms. Sparkle." Before her mouth even started to form a word, the wise star made her feelings numb down a bit. "Now, continue."
The star furthest away spoke out. His sailor voice bellowed in their ears. "It is our responsibility to keep the Star Rod safe and use it properly. We must get the Star Rod back from Bowser and return it to its rightful place! In order to do this, we need your help!"
A star equal distance from Eldstar spoke. "Sadly... right now you are not strong enough to challenge Bowser... he has made himself all-powerful by making wishes with the Star Rod. He is terrible to behold!"
A star with an eloquent accent, much like Rarity's, held up his book and spoke, "Once we Star Spirits are reunited in Star Haven, we can give you the power to fight Bowser even with his new found strength. With your help we can prevail!"
And now the pessimist of the group spoke. "We are..." The stars around them flickered in their holographic form. "Alas... we've nearly exhausted our power talking to you. Although it looks like we're there beside you, it is only an illusion. We're using all of our strength to communicate with you over a great distance. But even now our strength is fading... We've been caught and are being held by Bowser's followers in different places throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Please, you must rescue us!"
Eldstar once again spoke. "In order to take the Star Rod back from Bowser... and save the princesses... we need your help... Please... you are our last hope... and we will..." the light from the stars flickered out as the star was about to finish his sentence.
"NO!" Twilight ran to the spot the star had originally been. "What if Celestia doesn't come back? What if our world falls apart before we have time...? What... if..." Twilight began to violently sob.



Oh god, this music: Twink's Theme

The girls hurriedly trotted over the bridge. Time was of the essence, and they couldn't waste any more of it. The background yet again changed from night to day, and soon they saw the town. And then Twilight got hit.
"OUCH!!" A small star came zooming out of the sky. He was in a rush, and was delivering something. "Oh, sorry, sorry, so sorry! I'm in a huge hurry!!" 
Twilight thought of what might have supposed to happen in the game, what Celestia had called 'scripted events.' "Hey, are you looking for Mario?" 
The small star gave a look of confusion. "How did you know that?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Long story. Either way, the thing you're delivering should be given to me." Twilight grasped the small item with her magic. Twink was scared beyond belief - and worried. "So how does this thing work?" Twilight examined the amulet. It was a simple leather rope with a star in front. Twilight put it on, waiting for an answer.
"Well, it gives you access to "action commands. They help produce more damage during an attack and help block attacks and gain less damage. Just hit the A button when the command is supposed to be used." There was a little tear coming from Twink's eye. 
Twilight felt sorry for the little star. She asked, "So, what is your name?"
He barely even made eye contact. "I'm Twink, a Star Kid. I came from Princess Peach's Castle to deliver that and a message for Mario, but he's not here."
"Tell the princess that Mario is doing just fine. Also, I want you to know that you can trust us. We are going to save Princess Peach." Twilight stood back and got in a line with her friends. She saw a faint smile come from Twink, and Twilight smiled back, tilting her head ever so slightly.
"There you are!" A raspy voice came from behind and soon the girls saw something flying in on a magic broom. Instantly, Twink and Twilight realized what had happened.
"What?! It can't be... Were you following me!?"
"What a foolish Star Kid!!" the creature replied. Its beak came over its mouth, a small fang hanging out. Its blue cape was donned loosely, and didn't seem all that comfortable. "I knew that if I followed you, I'd find the enemy! If I defeat you right now, I'll be famous! I'll tell Kammy Koopa! She'll shower me with praise! She'll give me a raise! Here I come!" She swooped into the girls, their surroundings fading to black.



Fight muuuusic: Hey You!

The stage held quite a different style than the last time. It held a purple brick barrier around the backdrop. There were two stars, both with comets coming from behind them, spinning in place. It showed the small patches of blue grass along the violet floor. The bridge could be seen, and the front of the stage was covered in small purple leaves. 
The projector came up and Twilight saw the spot which she hadn't before. Right beside the projector, there was a Z button showing with two arrows. She decided to try and 'press' it. The ponies and Goombario switched spots. Good to know, good to know, thought Twilight. The action command aspect was completely knew, and it was good she didn't waste a Power Jump figuring out what to do. 
She picked head bonk with Goombario, and something came up at the bottom of the stage.


Press A right before landing on an enemy!


Goombario walked up to the enemy, and in the backdrop was an "A Button." As soon as Goombario's head collided with the creature's, a 'NICE' came up in boldface and Goombario went up, and came back down on the enemy's head once more. Okay, simple enough. 
She then went forward with a Power Jump, landing a powerful four damage. Now it was time to try defense. The opposition held up a wand and shot a beam of shapes toward Twilight. Instantly, she pressed A. She held up her forehoof before the attack even reached her. She let it down, and the attack hit her with a solid three damage. She was confused; that is what the stupid Star Kid told her, right? She then realized that it had to be when the attack made contact with her. 
She decided to go Hammer on this one, and a different command showed up. It showed a joystick tilting to the left. A timer came up when Twilight went up to the monster. She tilted it back until the brightest bulb lit up. The two points of damage from the blow sent the Magikoopa to the ground. 15 Star Points were earned.



When they got out of the battle, Twink was on her way to the stars. They heard a soft "Goodbye!" come from Twink's direction, but they weren't sure if the Star really enjoyed the time it had with them. 
They quickly trekked back to Toad Town.

Late music change: Toad Town

"Oh... girls!" said a taken aback mushroom headed man - which the ponies heard were called Toads - waiting right outside the door to the castle. "Merlon was just looking for you. He lives in that house with the spinning roof." Right in front of the six mares' eyes was exactly what they were looking for. "He asked me to go tell you to meet him at his house. I was just about to go look for you, but here you are! It's rare for Merlon to call somebody over to his house... He's a bit eccentric. Even when he has visitors, it's rare for him to come out of the house at all."
Twilight went up and kindly knocked on the door. The yellow stars on the purple bricks mesmerized Twilight until Merlon answered with, "Merlon is out!!" Confused, Twilight knocked again, harder this time. "Why do you keep knocking? I'm telling you he's out!!" was the response. Twilight decided to open up the door, but Merlon was too quick. Upon looking at the rest of the crew he said, "Oh, there you girls are! Wait... why are there only five of you?" Upon inspecting the landscape, he saw Twilight on the lawn. "What the...? Why is someone sleeping in front of my house? Wait a minute... oh it must be the other one." 
Twilight got up, groggy at first with a slight headache, and walked inside with Merlon.



"Okay, LISTEN UP!" shouted Rainbow Dash. Her endeavors were in vain, but her short temper got the best of her. "We need to go past you guys, so if you would please move OUT OF THE WAY this whole thing could be solved!" 
Somehow, Twilight was able to hear her own thinking over all of Rainbow's screaming. Something was... off about the Toads in front of her. There was a spell she had planned for this type of predicament, but was it the right spell or place? Would using it take up too much of her energy? If only Spike were here, she thought hopelessly. There was no other way around the four blocking their path, so she took action. "Rainbow Dash!" she hollered. Rainbow Dash turned around, anger written across her face. "Let me handle this." Reluctantly, Rainbow Dash went behind Twilight, still muttering under her breath. She took her stance, thought of the words she needed for the spell, and let the magic flow out of her. For a second, all she could see was the magenta aura surrounding her horn. A bright flash emanated from Twilight, causing her friends to stagger backwards. Soon all that stood in front of them were none other than the Koopa Bros.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!! screamed the leader as their spell broke. "How... How'd you guess it was us? We were perfectly disguised!!" He turned to his fellow Koopas. "Shucks! Black! Yellow! Green! We retreat!! ...for now..." And with that, they were off to their hideout. The six followed in hot pursuit.

> Prologue Extras
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Paper Ponies

Prologue Extras


Annnnnnd: Toad Town

The brick road beneath their hooves clicked and clacked with every step, or in Pinkie's case, hop. They had finally reached Toad Town. 

Twilight was skeptical about exploring the place, but it would help them find out things about this world. If they were going to get anywhere, they needed information. There was a toad at the entrance that had been staring at them for the past thirty seconds. Yet again, she had to ask an innocent, frightened soul about this place. 

"Excuse me sir," she asked politely, "is there a library in this town?" 

With a finger pointed toward a house to the north, he replied, "Russ T. has a lot of books, and is a bit of a bookworm, but that's the only thing we have."

"Thank you, that'll be fine." They started walking towards the house when Twilight was stopped by a blur of pink in front of her. Soon Pinkie Pie was literally bouncing off of one of the roofs, and soon went head first into the small pool. 

"Pinkie Pie!" yelled Twilight, trying to get Pinkie's attention. Bobbing her head out of the water, she spiraled upwards, spinning and squirting water out of her mouth. She was posed like a statue, and soon she started giggling. She did get out of the water, and shook herself dry in seconds, getting the others slightly wet.

"Ohh! Pinkie, please don't do that around me! It ruins my coat," Rarity whined. A few of them got a small amount of water on them, but other than that they were dry.

"Sugarcube," Applejack explained, "you can't go around just hopping in ponds and whatnot. You have to think about what other people will say."

"It seems like nopony else cares," she stated, looking around. "They're all just standing there." 

"Well, it still doesn't change that fact that you can't go 'round all wily nily." Applejack went forward to give Pinkie a tap on the shoulder, but Pinkie was soon distracted.

"Ooh! What's that green tube thingy?" She soon hopped onto it, finding that nothing happened, she sat down. That's when she began twisting down the pipe.

"She'll be fine," said Twilight with a sigh. "If she is stuck down there we can get her out later."



"Where do I begin..." trailed of the mushroom headed man. He thought of the history of the Mushroom Kingdom, how it was in its early stages, the first time the Princess got kidnapped, and everything the kingdom has come to know and love. Finally, he found an appropriate starting point.

"Mario, the Princess' loved one and savior of the Mushroom Kingdom, has forever been saving this world from the monstrous Bowser, King of the Koopas. He has tried to steal Princess Peach and destroy Mario, but he has always prevailed. For some reason, Mario has disappeared, and now we shall forever be under Bowser's rule unless someone else is brave enough to stop him.

"What Mario used in his previous defeat against Bowser were numerous, but most importantly he used items like Mushrooms and Fire Flowers to heal himself and hurt others respectively. To travel around the world were many things called Warp Pipes, green tubes that stick out of the ground. If you crouch whilst on one of these, you will be transported to another location. Where you end up, well that's what you'll find out when you get there.

"But most importantly, there are different worlds, each with a certain object or person to obtain. He traversed many and left nothing but dead enemies in his wake, and was triumphant in every way, always overcoming Bowser's tricks. 

"There were many trials along the way, but with strategic level ups and smart usage of items and FP, he was successful." Russ T. took a sip from the water bottle on his desk. "Is that everything you need to know?"

Twilight already was anxious about her question. The answer made her all the more shocked. "Why, I believe it leads to Mario's house, where he and his brother live."

Twilight was already out the door, but she managed to get in a, "Thanks for the help!" before she dragged her friends down the pipe.





Happy Music!: Mario's House

Escaping from a castle that was lifted out of the sky seconds later (which was still puzzling to how he did it), his brother lost in the forest, and now the electric bill had come. Luigi had been through enough this week.

When someone opened the door in front of him while he was reading his newspaper in the bathroom just sent him over the top.

"OHMYGOSH!! Mister I'm so sorry." A blur of pink slammed the door shut. Now, Luigi wasn't going to rush nature, but he really wanted to see who interrupted him at a time like this, and why.

When he went outside, he didn't want to believe his eyes. Coming out of the pipe that went to Toad Town were horses. Colorful, talking, horses. A fly got caught in his mouth before he realized it dropped to his porch.

"Oh, why did we have to go down this drain pipe again?" Rarity asked, a bit on edge. "The sewers are meant for feces and other waste. Not horses."

"Well maybe it would have been better if a hoof wasn't in my rib cage the whole time!" Rainbow Dash added. 

"Oh quit yer yappin'!" Applejack retorted. "We're here for Pinkie Pie, and then we get out."

Once all of them were out of the pipe, they went searching for Pinkie Pie. Twilight, being curious about what the Hammer could do outside of battle, went around smashing bushes and trees and whatever else she could. She came up to the porch and took a big swing. The wood didn't even budge an inch. She took her anger out on the bushes. From behind one of them came Pinkie Pie. She scared Twilight out of her wits before running back inside the house.

"Applejack and Rainbow Dash go get Pinkie," she instructed. 

"Only if I go in first," Rainbow Dash said, her competitive edge kicking in. 

"Only in yer dreams!" And off they raced into the house.

Fluttershy decided to let Angel loose and hop around for a spell. He had been cooped up for so long that it was only right to do so. So Fluttershy decided to have a talk with Rarity.

"Can you believe what is happening. First Celestia gets kidnapped, and then we get transported by some cryptic force into a world completely unlike our own. Luckily we have Twilight. Without her I don't think we'd have made it passed that first... err, what do they call those little brown things?"

"Goombas, I think," Flutterhshy responded.

"Ahh yes, those things. Sure we have AJ and RD, but they don't have the puzzle solving skills nor the leadership that Twilight has.

"Gosh, all of us were very skeptical about her at first, especially Rainbow Dash. Why she would go on and on about how 'She would destroy the town'. I for one think Twilight is a masterful unicorn and am glad we made acquaintance."

"Yes," said Fluttershy. "I think Twilight is like an angel sent down to us. 

"Speaking of Angel..." Fluttershy looked around, starting to get more worried by the second.

"Darling is something the matter?" Rarity questioned.

"Have you seen Angel? He was hopping around the yard, but now he's gone! OH what if something happened to him! What if a naked mole rat came out of his hole and snatched him up? Or what if-"

"Fluttershy, everything will be juuuust fine. Now go searching around the yard and see if you can find him. I'll even help."

"O-okay." Soon they were scattering around the yard, searching through every crevice possible.

Twilight was done with her smashing, and sat down next to Luigi on the steps of his porch. His head has in his hands, and Twilight felt the same way. "Rough day?" she asked the glum fellow.

"Would you consider losing your own brother to an evil, demented, fake king and almost being killed by him yourself a rough day? And then you people come around... Never a dull moment in this place."

"How so?" Twilight probed in further, trying to get some information about the conflicts of the kingdom.

"Well, Mario, my brother, is constantly trying to save the Princess from the clutches of Bowser. Only when we have kart races is when Mario isn't trying to stop Bowser. And guess who gets to sit back and watch the house while he's on adventures? This little brother right here. Why does Nintendo hate me...?”

"Who?"

Whoops. Luigi wasn't supposed to let that one slip. "Nobody," he replied with a sigh. "I just wish I could get some recognition."

"It's okay," Twilight consoled, although she wasn't true to her words. "So, has Mario ever, left the Kingdom before?"

"Well, one day we were hoping to do the border jump and go to the Bean Bean Kingdom next door, but no. We've been locked in battle with Bowser."

"Do you ever have parties or anything?" 

"Well actually, that's when Bowser struck, during a party. Ironic, right? But no, we barely have any freedoms."

Twilight thought for a second, and soon she thought about Equestria and what it would be like during constant war. She shuddered. But something confused her. Everyone seems to be safe, and life doesn't seem all that disrupted.

"So, does Bowser use any types of torture or anything? It seems like everyone is fine."

Luigi thought for a moment. "I guess we have gotten so used to Bowser taking over so often that it hasn't really affected the way we live other than our attitudes. He rules with fear. What other ways can he when he's ruling from a castle in the sky?"

A good question indeed. She was about to question the physics of a castle in the sky but was distracted by Rarity's voice. "Twilight! Fluttershy's gotten herself wedged in a pipe!"

"Never a dull moment," she repeated under her breath, empathizing with the man. He gave a chuckle as Twilight went over to the side of the house.

Fluttershy's hind quarters jutted out of one of the trio of pipes. Rarity was there, her magic tirelessly working on tugging Fluttershy out of the pipes. "Twilight darling, please come and lend me a hoof."

With the two of them working together, Fluttershy flopped down onto the grass. Immediately, she hoped forwards to once again go into the pipe.

Twilight blocked her path, knocking her to the ground once again. "Fluttershy, what are you doing?" Sending a glare her way, Twilight was irritated from the exhaustion of getting her out of the pipe.

"Angel is in there, could you help me get him out?" 

"Fluttershy, why didn't you just ask in the first place?" Rarity asked.

"I...I..." she trailed off, her face blushing. Soon enough, Angel gave her life once again. 

All was well, except for the fact that Pinkie Pie was still in the house.

"What is taking them so long?" Twilight then proceeded to go inside the house. She instantly her a sister-like bickering session taking place in the room on the other side of the wooden table.

"I told ya already! Pinkie Pie is just playing games with us! That's final!" And with that Applejack gave her hoof a stomp signaling and end to the argument. 

It also signaled to the floor that it should start flipping. Soon, all that was left was the spot where Applejack was. Luckily, her voice was still in tact. "What in the HAY was that all about?!" 

"I didn't do anything!" Rainbow Dash retorted. "Somehow the floorboards started spinning and you fell."

After a small wait, Twilight heard laughter coming from the basement. "Applejack, are you okay?" She asked between a talk and a shout. After the only reply was more laughter, Rainbow Dash gave the floor where AJ was standing a hard stomp. 

"Twilight, there's some guy's journal down here! It's hilarious!" Rainbow Dash now joined the fit of laughter.

"We can laugh about it later. We have to find Pinkie Pie and leave right now!" 

"Sheesh, what a killjoy," Rainbow Dash mumbled to Applejack.



"Hey, Parakarry," Luigi said to his mailman. 

"Hey, Luigi," the paratroopa asked, concern in his voice, "why is there a pink horse on top of your house?"

"Long story, I'd rather tell you another time." The three ponies inside the house exited at that moment, and Luigi told them where their friend was.

"PINKIE PIE!" Twilight screamed, "We know you're on the roof, please come down!"

"Okay!" she replied. A split second later she was standing on the front porch, the door closing behind her. 

"Pinkie Pie," Applejack said, "how in tarnation did you end up on that roof?"

"By the chimney, of course," she replied, a grin on her face.

With a nudge, Rainbow Dash muttered an, "I told you so," to Applejack. She sighed in return.

"Alright, it's time to go. Goodbye, Luigi, and thanks for the info."





Running.

She had to run.

To get there before anything could happen.

She needed to find her, and then get her to help.

Her world was about to fall right beneath her hooves. But that didn't stop her.

Her sister is powerful, she would help.

Celestia finally arrived at the old castle. She was panting. She hadn't gotten that much exercise since last year's Running of the Leaves Festival. More than anything, it was worth it. Luna - Nightmare Moon - wouldn't object to what she was about to say.

"Nightmare Moon!" she bellowed toward the castle. "It is I, your sister, Celestia. I come worth horrible news."

"What, that you are going to defeat me once again?" A cloud of purple smoke took form in front of her. Soon her sister was standing in front of her. "Celestia, I am more powerful than you will ever be. Also, I don't think you have the guts to send me back to the moon."

"Why should I when the foundation of our world is crumbling at our hooves!" Nightmare Moon was taken aback. "A human has come into the world, and we must not waste any time dilly-dallying. We must erase the human from this world."

"And when in your name did you think that I would help you?" Celestia had to admit, it was a fair question.

One she already had an answer to. "I will let you dispose of me in whatever way you like." Her head hung low to the ground. She was at Nightmare Moon's mercy. Her sister wouldn't let Nightmare Moon kill her. Buried somewhere deep in that shell, Luna was there. 

"Alright fine, but I call the shots." Nightmare Moon then took off. Celestia stayed back. "Are you coming, or must I get rid of you now?"

"Of course." Celestia let a tear roll off of her cheek. "Master."





Lyra grumbled to herself. She dragged her hooves along the dirt, and Bon Bon would have yet another thing to annoy her about. Her mane was frizzed out. The Everfree Forest to her right made her mood even worse. 

Taking a walk was basically the only way she could get a hold of herself in these situations. The Forest seemed to make her alert and alive. It helped her get a grip on reality. That is until a human shows up at the entrance.

"Wait, what?" She did a double take to make sure she wasn't imagining anything. She hid behind a bush, overcome with agitation. Her hooves began to shake all over. A real human. Was it alive?

To quell her own suspicions, she ran up to the person. She was so excited that she didn't realize she had stepped on his big nose until he started shifting awake. She jumped again, an ear to ear grin crossing her face. The overalls that wrapped up around his shoulders were now at full tension, and soon he was standing upright.

"Hello, sir!" Lyra exclaimed, the smile on her face not dying down for a second. "Welcome to Equestria. May I call you by a name?"

No reply. However, the look on his face portrayed extreme confusion. "Here, I'll get you to my house. There maybe you'll be able to talk."

And with that, they walked back into Ponyville, the moonlight guiding them. Little did Mario realize his hat was still back there.

"Drat!" exclaimed Nightmare Moon, but it was something of a whisper. "Of course, somepony just had to be there! And not just any, no we have to have the one pony obsessed with humans to find a human. This is just great!."

"Keep your voice down!" Celestia scolded. "We don't want anypony to know I'm here, remember?"

"Yes, of course. Now, what should be our plan of action now that the little tweet is in Ponyville?"

"You go first, I'm running dry."

"How about we blind everypony and snatch the human when they can't see?"

"And how do you expect we go about that?"

"Well just use the sun..." That's when she remembered her eternal night speech. "Oh, right."

Celestia gave her a glare. "How about we use that freeze time spell we were working on?"

"Celestia, that spell wasn't even half finished, and if it did work, imagine that amount of arcane energy needed to power that kind of spell. That's a surefire no."

"Do you have any better ideas?"

"Well, how about I go terrorize the town. I could go in causing havoc, and then grab the human from them in all the chaos."

Celestia thought for a moment. "Well, that's the best thing we have. So I get to sit back and relax while you put on a show."

"Agreed." They shook hooves, and a slight spark burst out from where they touched. Nightmare Moon didn't seem to notice. 

Celestia had just figured out how to reach her sister.