A/N: Hey guys, White here. Happy Sunday and to WWE fans out there, hope you enjoyed the Money In The Bank event. But this isn't about WWE this time. It's about the fabled Mario series, more specifically, Paper Mario. Here's hoping everybody enjoys it!
Lady Bow was floating the floor of her mansion deep within Forever Forest in a panic, getting the news of Tubba Blubba was wreaking havoc under Bowser's control and there was no doubt in her mind that he was going to send the savage monster on her and her people when the devious Koopa King felt it was right. She needed a hero and she needed one fast or else the Boos weren't going to stand a chance.
Meanwhile on the outskirts of Goomba Village, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario laid gravely injured.. He'd engaged in an impromptu fight with Bowser inside Princess Peach's castle, but unlike the past, this time Mario was brutally defeated thanks to Bowser increasing his strength with the Star Rod he'd previously stolen from Star Haven...
Lady Bow then stopped and landed on the foot of her bed. She usually wasn't into prayers but for a time like this she would love to have the help of the Star Spirits at a time like this as she clasped her hands together in prayer. "Star Spirits please. I never ask for anything at all so please just do this one thing for me. Send me and my people a hero to protect me and my Boos from Tubba Blubba. That's all I want."
Skolar, the noble Star Spirit she had found lost in Forever Forest used what strength he had to come into the room. "My lady, it would be my honor to grant such a noble and kind-hearted wish, but alas, I cannot." He answered sadly.
The leader of the Boos was already surprised that a Star Spirit descened down to answer her prayer personally but to get let down like this, it made her confused and upset, "What? Why..Why not?" She asked.
"Dearest Bow, it is out of my hands for one major reason." Skolar answered.
"What's the reason?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the purple Star Spirit. This was Lady Bow's first time actually praying to the Star Spirits and she got nothing in return for it. She was an unhappy little Boo because of this.
"Because as I'm sure you've heard, our precious Star Rod is in the filthy hands of that fiend, Bowser." Skolar answered as calmly as he could.
"That's right I've heard about it, and without it you can't grant wishes." Bow said with a growl in frustration. That arrogant Koopa King was now two steps ahead of her. "There must be something you can do about it." She added softly.
"Well...just one moment, I'm sensing my fellow Spirits." Skolar answered quietly.
Lady Bow watched him with interest. Who was he trying to sense?
Skolar concentrated, bringing up images of himself and his fellow spirits although they were only holograms along with a very famous red-capped man in blue overalls..
"Is that...Mario?" Lady Boo asked in curiousity. Her Boos have told her of a man who looks just like the one she was looking at, red 'M' cap and all.
"Indeed it is. However, he's been severely injured as you can see, presumably from a battle with that fiend.." Skolar murmured solemnly.
"There must be something we can do to help him." Lady Bow said with some worry in her voice for the powerful plumber.
"My spirits and I can revive him. Observe." He said proudly.
The female Boo watched Skolar's images intently, wondering just how was he going to pull this off.
Eldstar and the rest of the spirits gradually gave bursts of their power to Mario before fading away..
"Is he okay?" Lady Bow asked as soon as the blast of power from the stars ended.
"He should recover soon." Skolar answered.
"That's great!" Lady Bow said with cheer in her voice. "So can he defeat Bowser and get your Star Rod back?" She asked innocently.
"Unfortunately, it's not that easy my Lady." Skolar answered sadly.
"It's not?" Lady Bow's cheerful tone faded at the sound of that.
"No. Shall I tell you why?" Skolar asked gently.
"Yes, please do." Lady Bow replied gently.
"You know how powerful our sacred Star Rod is, yes?" Skolar answered.
"Yes." She answered, wondering where was he going with this.
"Due to the Star Rod's incredible magic, it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that Bowser is effectively immortal. When Mario reaches Shooting Star Summit, it will all be clear to you, dearest Lady Bow." Skolar explained.
"I hope your right." Lady Bow said. She was going to have to put a lot of trust in Mario for the sake of her fellow Boos but she wasn't used to simply waiting on things to happen out of her control. "Is there anything I can do to help him?" She asked softly.
Skolar shook his head. "At the present time, no. It's far too dangerous for a Boo to travel unarmed. You should remain here and let Mario attempt to find you. At the moment, he is in Goomba Village, where he will befriend a young blue-capped Goomba named Goombario who will aid him on his quest to find you and the rest of us Star Spirits. I may be severely weakened but I can still sense him. For your own safety, dear Lady Bow, please stay here." Skolar answered.
Lady Bow raised an eyebrow. "Listen I know you're a Star Spirit and everything but I'm the strongest Boo there is. If anybody can look for Mario, find him, and come back safely, it's me." She said with pride. She respected Skolar but she wasn't some scared little girl who was happy to wait around and do nothing in times of need. She was a powerful Boo. She could look for Mario safely.
Skolar let out the Star's equal to a chuckle. "Sassy and strong-willed, not unlike the fair maiden herself. But my dear, as powerful as you are, how can you possibly survive outside the Mansion?" He asked gently.
"Because I am the strongest Boo there is. I'm strong enough to fight for myself and look for Mario myself, plain and simple." Lady Boo said with pride. She didn't care that she only occasionally left her peaceful estate or that the Boos she ruled did virtually all her work and fighting for her, she was trying to prove a point to this Purple Star Spirit.
"I'm well aware of your strength my Lady, but it's a very dangerous journey even to Toad Town for you." Skolar answered.
"I'm sorry but for something this big I have to look for Mario myself. I'll be sure to let my Boos know that I'll be gone." Bow insisted.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! I FORBID THIS!" Came a voice all-too familar to the sassy Boo.
"Bootler? How much of this did you hear?" Lady Bow asked upon hearing her most trusted servant's voice.
"Your desire to leave. I cannot allow this!" The eldery Boo yelled.
"Why not?" Lady Bow asked, as her pride was showing to her servant.
"It is far too dangerous!" Bootler yelled.
Lady Bow first had to deal with Skolar telling her to stay here and now her own Bootler. It was time to show these guys that was capable of defending herself. To prove this she started growing in size, getting bigger by the second until she was monsterous in stature and had the fangs to match. "I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!" She growled, the formerly cute, small, Boo screamed through her attempt to spook the star spirit and her Bootler, just to prove a point.
Both Skolar and Bootler jumped in fright and surprise.
Assuming they got the message Lady Bow shrunk back to her normal, small-looking self with a light smirk on her face. "Any questions?" She chuckled.
"No, my Lady. Are you sure you can do this?" They asked.
"I am." Lady Boo answered. "Please trust me." She insisted.
"We trust you." They smiled.
"Good." Lady Boo said before hugging her Bootler. If she was going to leave the mansion on this journey it only felt right if she hugged her trusted servant who cared for her dearly, just in case she didn't come back.
"As its too dangerous for a Spirit like myself, I'll stay here with Bootler. When you find Mario, would you come back so he knows I'm safe here?" Skolar asked.
"Of course I will, Skolar." She said in understanding, grabbing her trusty fan now. "I'll be back before you know it." She said and smiled at them, showing confidence in herself.
"By the way, this Tubba Blubba that troubles you, can you tell me more about him? Perhaps I can gather intel for you in your absence." Skolar suggested.
"He's a huge blue Clubba with great strength and power. My fellow Boos used to love tormenting him and scaring him but now that Bowser has given him such new and raw power he's making my Boos pay already." Lady Bow said. She already heard news of multiple Boos getting eaten whole by Tubba Blubba.
"They've been eaten yes?" Skolar asked.
"Yes, more and more of my Boos are being eaten everyday by that creature." Lady Bow answered, her voice calm but grave.
"Hmm...perplexing. Has anyone discovered a weakness?" Skolar asked.
"No, at least not that I've heard." Lady Bow said. As far as she was knew the rampaging Tubba Blubba was unstoppable.
"Hmm..vexing. Well myself and the Boos will try to find information for you, my Lady." Skolar answered kindly.
"Please do." Lady Bow smiled. "The more information you can find on Tubba or even Bowser the better." She added with a giggle.
"We'll do whatever we can. Now you should pack, you have a dangerous journey ahead." Skolar advised.
"I will, thank you Bootler and Skolar. I will be back." The pretty Boo reassured, smiling at them both.
Skolar smiled at her, before he sensed something. "Wait my Lady. Mario has just arrived at Shooting Star Summit." He explained, producing an astral projection for the three of them.
Bow nodded, floating beside them.
As Mario and a blue-capped Goomba Bow assumed was Goombario ascended to the top of Shooting Star Summit, Bow saw an elderly yellow star with a thick white mustache and understanding, compassionate dark green eyes, but he seemed to be fading in and out. "Skolar, whos the yellow star up there?" She asked.
Skolar smiled. "That's Eldstar. As his name suggests, he's the oldest of us Star Spirits and the wisest. Everyone in Star Haven looks up to him, as do the rest of us Star Spirits. He's our leader." He explained.
Bow nodded in understanding as Mario approached the wise old Star.
"Welcome Mario...We've been waiting for you." Eldstar spoke, his voice soft and almost tired.
He then floated back to the Star circle directly behind him and the other 6 Star Spirits appeared next to him in their circles.
"We're the 7 Star Spirits. 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." Eldstar spoke softly yet kindly.
Mario nodded. "Please-a go on." He answered calmly.
"The other day, Bowser and his followers invaded our peaceful Star Haven. They stole our prized treasure, the Star Rod, which we've cared for since the beginning of time." Eldstar explained which caused Mario and Goombario to reel back in horror.
Sensing their worries, Eldstar smiled warmly at them and the two calmed down.
"The Star Rod...is powerful beyond belief. It can grant any wish. For as long as we can remember, Bowser has been making wishes like, for instance..."I'd like to trounce Mario" or "I want Princess Peach to like me." Of course, Stars ignore such selfish wishes. As a result, his wishes were never granted." Mamar, the 2nd of the 7 spoke, her voice warm and kind. She looked like a traditional Star except for the pretty pink bow in her uppermost point.
"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, mainly because he defeated you and captured the princess. Soon enough, though, I fear he will wish for more...and then terrible things will happen." Skolar's astral counterpart answered. Skolar was a light purple Star with thick brown eyebrows, and a handle-bar like brown mustache. Unlike most Stars whose eyes could be seen, Skolar's were obscured by his light blue glasses, probably for visonary aid.
Mario and Goombario were listening intently, not making a sound. They knew this information was vitally important.
"It is the responsibility of the 7 Star Spirits 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, Mario, we need your help!" Muskular the 4th Spirit spoke up. He was a light blue Star, wearing a sailor's hat.
"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!" Misstar the 6th Spirit answered. Misstar was a light pink star wearing a yellow ribbon around her with dark cheerful purple eyes.
"Once we 7 Star Spirits are reunited in Star Haven, we can give you the power to fight Bowser even with his newfound strength. With our help, you can prevail!" The 6th Star Klevar exclaimed. Klevar was a young yellow Star, holding a book under his arm, wearing a pink bowtie while also having pink rosy cheeks.
"Mario...we are..." Kalmar the final spirit began to say before his form began to drastically fade in and out.
"Alas...We've nearly exhausted our power to talk 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, Mario, first of all, you must rescue us!" Kalmar explained. He had a thick brown mustache and warm, caring blue eyes.
"In order to take the Star Rod back from Bowser...and save Princess Peach...we need your help...Please, Mario...You are our last hope...and we will..." Eldstar began to say before he and his fellow spirits finally faded away completely..
"Mario...it looks like things are a lot more serious than I thought.." Goombario mused, wiping a stray tear.
The Star Spirits story had moved the usually tough confident Goomba kid to tears.
"Do you think the princess is going to be all right? I'm really worried about her." Goombario mused.
"I'm-a worried too, but Bowser will-a keep her safe while we journey." Mario reassured.
Bow was in tears at the Star Spirits story. She knew things were quite dire but she had no idea things were this bad..
With a heavy heart, she went to pack. She had a very difficult journey to undertake...
To be continued..