Disclaimer: I do not own Paper Mario this is just for fun and entertainment, that is all!
A/N: This seems to me like it has a lot of dialogue, but I think it fits okay. Well, I hope anyway.


Episode 2: The Curious Case of Koopa Village

They were almost home. Kooper never realized how much he'd missed being able to go to sleep in his own bed. Actually, he hadn't slept in his bed since he went off with Mario. He hopped Bombette took good care of his house. Why wouldn't she? They were all friends. After defeating Bowser, the bob-ombs were able to move back near the fortress, but some of them stayed behind in the village. Bombette stayed to watch over Kooper's house while he was gone since was going to be traveling with Kolorado for awhile.

"Well, my dear boy, we're almost home. Ah, the anticipation of seeing my lovely wife again," said Kolorado, walking a little ways ahead.

Kooper smiled and said, "She won't be mad at you, will she?"

"Oh, just a little upset. She'll be madder when I tell her that we're going to depart for the Waffle Kingdom in a few days."

"There's the village!" He said happily, walking faster and passing off Kolorado.

Running into the village, he noticed something was wrong. No one was out. It was a fine day, a bit breezy and not at all too late out, just barely after lunch. This was eerie, and not welcoming at all.

"A bit of a ghost town isn't it," said Kolorado, looking around, "Nothing to be afraid of though, Kooper, old bean. I will visit with my wife and get to the bottom of this."

The old koopa walked off to his house. Deciding there was nothing else to do, he went to his house. Bombette might know what was going on. The village was never bustling like Toad Town, but it always seemed alive. He walked to his house and opened the door.

"Bombette!? Oh, Bombette!? It's me, Kooper! I'm home from Shiver City!"

The small, pink bob-omb slowly walked out from the kitchen.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. We've all missed you and Kolorado in the village."

"I missed you guys, too." He paused, then said, "Bombette, is there something wrong in the village?"

"What? No. Why?"

"Well, it's a nice day out and no one's around. Did something happen? Is Bowser back? Did the Koopa Brothers come?"

She shook her head, her blonde fuse swinging back and forth, "Nothing's happening. Some people are feeling under the weather is all."

"Come," said Kooper, "Lets sit on the couch and talk."

Bombette silently followed Kooper to his small living room. There was something very wrong with her. She was never this quiet, especially if someone was sick.

"You can sit," he said, falling back on his couch.

"I'd rather stand, thank you."

"How are things here?"

"Fine."

"How's the elder doing?"

"He's fine."

"How are you doing?" Asked the young koopa, now standing up.

"Fine! Everything is fine!" She snapped, "I'm going to take a walk now."

"Where? Do you want me to come?"

"I would like to go alone."

"Okay…" he said, watching her walk out the back door.

Did she normally take walks in the woods. He thought about following her, but then decided not to. Whatever she was feeling, she needed her time. If this was some kind of cold, he didn't like it.

Kooper got up from the couch, a little bit later and walked out the front door to stop by the shop. He was only going to be in town a few days before leaving again, and this time he knew he'd be gone for quite some time, so he wanted to get some stationary for the road to keep in touch. Walking down the road, he figured he should stop by to make sure Kolorado and his wife were okay.

He walked into the small shop. No one was at the counter. No matter though. He could wait. It was better than waiting to see if Bombette was okay. While going through the stationary a koopa dashed out from the storeroom door.

"I'm so sorry," he said locking it, "We have a lot of inventory this month."

"It's okay," he said, picking out three different sets.

"Is this all for today, sir?"

"Yes." He turned to leave, then said, "Have you noticed anything….wrong lately?"

"No, not at all."

Kooper shrugged, and walked out. He walked up the path to Kolorado's house, only to stop at the sound of faint voices.

"What did you do to my wife!?" He heard Kolorado yell.

"I told you, just give us back everything you took, and you'll see her again"

"Never, you beast!"

That was it. The older koopa may have been a little eccentric at times, but this was his hero and Kooper's come to love him for it. He opened the door and ran in. It was a short figure in a white sheet next to him. The white sheet looked at Kooper and gasped, then turned into Kolorado.

"A duplighost!"

He took no time rushing into action. Kooper went into his shell and let it spin, then raced toward the ghost. Hitting him head on, he became a sheet once again.

"What did you do here?"

"We just want to strike a deal, is all. Our stuff for your friends."

"What?" Kooper said, confused.

"You both took things from the castle. They rightly belong to the Crystal King. We're taking it all back for him."

"We need those," Kooper said, frustrated that he didn't see it earlier.

"You'll never find your friends."

"Oh yeah well I-" He stopped, and remembered what the storekeeper said, could he have meant that they were all in there?, "You know what? I'll go get what I took from you."

The koopa was off before the duplighost could say a word. There was no real action plan, just run in and get to the door. He turned into the store to find it empty again. He sprinted to the back door and swung it open.

"Oh!" said a female voice, "Kooper! Help us!"

He looked to see Bombette and all of the others tied to each other. Three duplighosts as koopas came back at once. Before untying the ropes he jumped into his shell and flew toward the imposters, hitting all three of them, and knocking them on to their shells. The three had a hard time getting up but more ran into the back room.

"Come untie me now!" demanded Bombette, "You are not going to be the only one fighting!"

"Just hold on please."

He hopped into his shell again, and spun fast toward them, knocking them off their feet one by one. Two got up and spun in their own shells and zoomed toward him. If he moved they would've hit the koopas that we captured, so he went into his shell as they both hit him.

"Are you okay?" Bombette asked.

"Fine," he said, pulling out of his shell.

"Fear not! I, Kolorado will help you with this battle!" He said from the door and ran toward the duplighosts.

One turned into him ran to meet him. Surprisingly Kolorado went into his shell and spun toward the duplighost, hitting him before he could hide in his shell. The other one ran toward Kolorado. Taking the opportunity, Kooper turned and started to untie them.

"Where did he learn to do that?" Asked Bombette.

"I taught him a few things," replied Kooper, "So what's next?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure the rest of them aren't too far away."

"Make sure the one that's trying to get Kolorado doesn't notice me. I'll go blow up the rest outside. It took five of them to try and tie me down."

"Okay," he said, angling himself toward the koopa that was closing in on Kolorado, who was in his shell.

Kooper shot off in his shell and hit the fake koopa into the wall. He turned into a duplighost and and flew toward Kooper as his limbs and head left his shell. The young koopa fell back on his shell, as the duplighost stood over him.

"Now all we want is what belongs to the Crystal King. You all too-"

He stopped as there was a loud noise, and the building rumbled. Bombette ran back in, ready to fight whoever was next. The duplighost looked scared and backed away.

"You better run! Unless you want to get blown up too?"

He looked at her, then Kooper, and looked at the other duplighosts, who were just starting to stir.

"Retreat!" he yelled and ran off, the others standing as fast they could and running out.

Kooper rolled over to his stomach and stood up.

"I have feeling they won't come back," said the pink bob-omb.

"I hope not. B it they were that intent on getting those items back-"

"Kolorado!" His wife exclaimed, happily g to hug him. "You saved us!"

"Yes, my dear," he hugged her back, "With some help from young Kooper and his friend here. Now how about some tea and a relaxing nap."

Kooper and Bombette laughed, following Kolorado and his wife.


*Kooper and Bombette pop up*
Kooper: Thanks for tuning into this episode of Paper Mario!
Bombette: Now watch out for episode three coming your way next week!
Kooper: You forgot to tell them what the title was.
Bombette: Oh, did I? Together then?

Kooper: Sure.
Kooper and Bombette: Coming up next week is episode three, Parakarry the Matchmaker!