Sometimes, you just didn't grow up quite right. The causes of it may be different: mutations, looking softer than the rest, your color, life events, temptations, and such. That doesn't change one thing though. Who you are truly. While you may be someone you didn't mean to be, that doesn't mean you're not there at all. It might take just a little touch or words or many actions to unleash them from the cage that you bound them in. The question is, are you willing to change? Some may not be ready while others are hesitating, but today they shall start. The eight will find the key and unlock the soul within them, letting them free and out into the world.
It was a rumbling he could distinctly remember. There was definitely a shatter and then he felt pain. Afterwards, all that was left was the loss of feeling. It was strange, he could say. He felt.. gone. That was the word. Falling through a sky of limitless stars and then wasting away like pixie dust going in the wind. Then, something fell upon him in large amounts. While wisdom would be very helpful, it was more of something like the aforementioned pixie dust. It too disappeared similarly until it felt as if it was never there. An illusion maybe? No, illusions deal with the sight. All he saw was darkness surrounding him. It didn't come back again until what felt like a mere second but centuries as well afterwards. That's not entirely the truth though. This time he didn't exactly feel something. He heard something. It was faint and many of the words slipped by him but he knew that it was important somehow. Then something happened-
The world around him gained color.
Yes, he was so sure of it. It didn't all happen at once. First a star with a mustache appeared before him. The grey hair was the first thing that he could see besides black. Very slowly the yellow turned to fade throughout the entire star who seemed extremely distant in both voice and appearance. As if he wasn't truly there. He spoke of Shooting Star Summit and the princess before he was gone like all of the things before and the darkness embraced him once more. Then it happened again. He could see the neutral colors around him and one by one from warm to cool did the colors of the spectrum appear growing more lively and vibrant. It wasn't too soon until he could calmly say everything was back and he was breathing. He slowly sat up and realized that he had been lying on a bed. A clean and fresh bed besides the pieces of hair that fell off and a few dirt smudges from his shoes. It was comforting to know he was still alive somehow. It felt so supernatural though that it made him have some doubts about it. He turned to his shoulder and moved it about. Huh, it was as if nothing ever happened. He felt newer and more alive than he had before. Not a single scratch or ache. He hopped off the bed and sure enough- nothing. No pain whatsoever. It made him skeptical but that thought was not given too much time to be fleshed out before another voice rang out after the door opened.
"Oh...Mario! I'm so happy to see you awake! You haven't opened your eyes for days and days! Everyone's been worried sick!" they exclaimed. It was a toad much like the ones he had seen at the castle. It was a bit difficult to distinguish this one from some of the others, but knew not to bring it up. In time he'd learn each and every one. It'd do him good to be polite at least. He looked about confusedly and it seemed as if the other picked up on it. "This place? This is Goomba Village. It's a tiny Village that's just west of Toad Town. The only residents are me and a single family of Goombas," he explained before he put on a soft smile.
"The Goombas in the family are just the the nicest folks you'll ever meet. They're the ones who found you unconscious in the forest and carried you here to get better." So that cleared up a few things. There was a pause before the plumber felt as if he should say something himself. This was rewarded with a puzzled expression on the toad.
"Huh...? A Star with a mustache? You're saying a star told you to go to Shooting Star Summit? No, I saw nothing like that. And I sure didn't see anyone come in or out of this house. I wonder, Mario... Maybe you just had a dream?" The plumber cocked his head to the side. "Although maybe not... It could have been some sort of message from a Star Spirit. They live in Star Haven. Shooting Star Summit is the nearest place to Star Haven, so that would make sense... Who knows? In any case, I'm glad to see you've recovered. I know the Goombas would be happy if you paid them a visit," he concluded. Mario gave a deep sigh and nodded, grinning as a token of appreciation before he made his way out of the dimly lit home and into the village.
They weren't kidding when they said this place was a tiny village. It couldn't have been that much bigger than the property he owned himself. The weather was nice with a light and gentle breeze. It had become extremely cloudy over the last few days and there was a light rain covering the entire village in a cool and welcoming shade as if a gigantic umbrella had been placed over the entire earth but there were still holes and rips through it. Perhaps that similie wasn't that good in describing the situation. In any case, he noticed the house next door and saw a few people outside. He'd assume these were goombas based on the toad's description though he'd have to fight them to make sure. That he'd rather not do, especially if these were the nice people that helped him out. One middle-aged man was near a simplistic gate. He had darker skin than the rest and had a bushy black moustache. The plumber would assume he spent a lot of the time in the sun to get such a skin tone compared to his family. Walking towards the gate, he examined it and found it to look a little crooked. The middle-aged man's eyes lit up as he saw him approach and began to speak. "Howdy, Mario! Feeling better? Feel free to rest in our house." Mario shook his head with a grin and pointed towards the path that followed the gate.
"You what? You have to leave right now?" The red-clad hero quickly added in the location of his destination. "...Oh, Shooting Star Summit. Something important, no doubt. Well, I believe that the summit is near Toad Town." After this, the goomba sighed. "You'll have to wait a bit. I have to fix this gate before you can head out to the east. That earthquake the other day really did a job on it. Did you feel that quake? Shoot! I thought the sky was falling. Just relax and don't worry. I'll have this fixed in a jiffy," the man beamed and Mario nodded. Well, if he'd have to wait, he might as well greet the other folks around. Entering the home, he noticed the greenery with the vines hanging off this way and that way near the ceiling. Pots, vases, and jars were scattered around the entire building and each seemed to hold something different than the other. In front of the entrance was an elderly and wrinkly woman with fine grey hair and light freckles most notably on her round dark cheeks. There was a nicely polished table in the center and a large bench behind it. Blue mats had been taken out along with a big bluish-grey vase with peach flowers in the center. Near the somewhat rusted furnace off to the side was a chair similar to the bench. In the back were tidy cabinets no doubt holding the possessions of the family. Wooden boxes and vases and parts of what seemed to be a fence lined the top along with the vines. The entire house held a very warm and homely feel overall as if you'd come back to your loved ones after a long rainy day and a steamy bowl of soup was waiting for with the smiles of your comrades. The entire house was wooden and there was yet another door near the furnace. The plumber grinned and tipped his hat to the old woman before continuing out the door, his curiosity sparking inside of him. It led him to a veranda outside. It was simple enough with pieces of cloth hanging in the breeze despite the rain. A man had his back towards him and was crouching on a stone stand. Approaching the man, the other jumped and whipped around.
"Ooh, you startled me! Hm, yes, Mario, isn't it? So you've awakened at last! Good! I knew you'd pull through! Call me Goompa. I'm the Goomba grandfather, so...I'm Goompa. I'm sorry, but would you mind giving me the details later? I'm pretty busy fixing the veranda," Goompa sheepishly stated as he weakly shook Mario's gloved hand before returning to his own work. Mario nodded and left the home before he stopped by a little girl with a bright yellow bow on her head. She wore a pretty dress and has big, bright eyes with a head of tangled brown hair. "Oh! Mariooo! My dad was looking for you! He said to tell you that he finished fixing the gate." She stood up straight and tall with a grin, her fists on her hips as she stared up boldly. She then eased her muscles, letting her arms droop down with a softer tone in her voice. "So I guess now you can travel east to Toad Town and Shooting Star Summit, huh?" He stared down for a few moments before he knelt down, chuckling to himself and ruffled her hair, nodding. "Hey hey! Quit that!" she pouted. "Anyway, don't you have a place to get going to? My big brother said your adventures were ones nobody could wait for! Including him and you!"
Huh, the little girl had an older brother? He wouldn't have been able to guess. He looked around for any sign to prove the other's statement correct but not a single thing could do so. He must have been looking around for quite some time because Goombaria had flicked him in the forehead to snap him out of it. "Gee, mister, you don't really seem so serious about everything like he made you out to be. He wasn't lying, now was he? If he was, I'm gonna..!" He stared at her before letting out a hearty laugh and shook his head. It seemed like this kid she was talking about was okay. Though his lack of appearance here was quite puzzling. He didn't have the heart to ask himself before he ended up standing up and strided over to Goompapa while the child followed behind him.
No, it didn't seem bad at all. Life seemed to be sipping a cup of tea the way things were going.