Hey, guys. Wookywok here. This chapter, I'm trying something a bit different - the turn of events here (at least beyond 'Kooper joins the party') is, for the most part, completely different than it is in the main game. Please read, and please leave a review telling me what you think.

Disclaimer: This chapter contains heavy divergence from the main plot of Paper Mario. Don't say I didn't warn you. Because I did. Twice.

The voice that had caught everyone's attention was fairly squeaky, though not high-pitched - Ruby could almost liken it to the sound of something sliding down a pane of glass. All four members of the party turned to face the source.

Everybody turned to face the source of the voice. A blue-shelled Koopa was standing there where the door used to be. "Somebody? A little help?"

Mario stepped up to the entrance, followed by the others. "What can we help you with?"

The turtle's eyes widened. "Wait… aren't you… you are! You're Mario!" He stuck out a clawed hand and grinned. "I'm Kooper. Oh man, I'm so psyched to meet you! Us meeting here has got to be fate or something."

Mario returned the handshake. "Glad to meet you too. So, you said you needed help?"

Kooper fidgeted with his red wristband. "Yeah. I have a huge favor to ask you. You know how all those Fuzzies made their grand escape straight through my house here?"

Everybody nodded. Yang looked in behind the turtle - furniture was tipped, various decoration pieces lay on the ground shattered, crooked frames dangled precariously from the walls. "Yeah. Looks like they left a bit of a mess, too." She scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, but that can be cleaned. I've got more important problems. You see, when the hordes came crashing through here, one of those jerks decided it would be funny to steal my journal - which, next to my shell and my life, is the most important thing I own."

"What was in this journal?," asked Goombario.

"Only all the records of all the adventures I've ever been on! All those memories, all those records - all taken straight from me! That book means the world to me!" The turtle dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together. "Please, I'm begging you: get my journal back!"

Ruby stepped to the front of the group and gave a mock salute. "Don't you worry, Kooper! I, Ruby Rose, will see to it that we get you back your book!"

The Koopa leapt to his feet and cheered. "Yes! Oh, thank you thank you thank you! Follow me, I can show you which way they went."

After about ten minutes of running, the five arrived in the middle of a forest clearing. Kooper skidded to a halt, the other four following in suit. "Well, here's about where I gave up chasing them," said the Koopa. "With any luck, maybe the Fuzzy who took my journal is still here."

"MEEEEEEEORK!" Sure enough, from the bushes jumped a group of small black balls of fur - and the one at the head was carrying a blue binder. "Hey, you! Turtle Face!," he cried. "You want this?"

Kooper clenched his fist. "Yes! Yes I do!"

"Well TOO BAD! It's ours now! Meeeork!"

"No, it's not! It's mine!"

"No, it's ours!"

"Mine!"

"Ours!"

"Mine!"

"Ours!"

"ENOUGH!"

Everyone turned to face the new voice. Out of the bushes bounced the biggest Fuzzy Ruby had seen thus far - granted, he was still only about Ruby's height, but that was pretty big for a Fuzzy.

The smaller Fuzzies jumped and took a bow. "MEEORK! Grand Poobah! What're ya doing here?"

The larger ball of fuzz glowered at the smaller ones. "What wouldn't I be doin' here, with all you makin' such a racket! Meeeork!" He looked at Mario and his crew. "What seems to be troublin' ya, folks?"

Kooper pointed at the Fuzzies carrying the binder. "They took my journal!"

"Your journal? YOUR journal?" The Poobah suddenly burst into uproarious, meeorking laughter. "Kid, you don't know! Anything we take, it's ours! That fancy book is now the personal property of ME, the Fuzzy Poobah!"

The Koopa was practically in tears by now. He got down on his knees. "But, but, I've had that journal since I was little! Come on, please, you've gotta give it back!"

The big Fuzzy's expression changed from smug to annoyed. "Gee, you're persistent." Slowly, he looked at the binder, then at the pleading Kooper. "Tell ya what. I'll give it back to you…"

Kooper's eyes lit up.

"... IF one'a you guys can beat me in a duel."

Yang took a battle stance. "Sure, we'll take you on!"

The Poobah nodded. "Okay. You've got ten minutes to pick who ya want ta lose to me. Let me know when you've made your choice.."

Mario turned toward his traveling companions. "Well, anybody want to volunteer?"

Ruby stepped forward and unfolded Crescent Rose. "I'll do it."

Kooper dashed over to Ruby and hugged her. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you so much, Ruby! You have no idea how much this means to me."

Mario quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Mario nodded slowly. "Alright, then." He turned to the Poobah. "We've made our choice."

"Meeork? Already? Alrighty then. FUZZIES! WE GOT A FIGHT OVER HERE!"

Almost immediately, what very well may have been every single Fuzzy in the woods crowded around the clearing.

"Now, send yer guy forward."

Mario, Goombario, Yang, and Kooper stepped back, amassing themselves into the crowd. Ruby and the Poobah took battle stances.

Ruby and the Poobah charged at each other; the Poobah jumped over her head.

She stopped herself and pivoted, using the momentum to swing her scythe harder. It was a direct hit; he was sent soaring to the other side of the clearing.

The Poobah got up, launching himself into a full-body tackle, knocking Ruby backwards.

Ruby placed a hand on the ground to steady herself. She got up and dashed towards the Fuzzy, swinging Crescent Rose at him.

The Poobah rolled out of the way. "Hey!," he cried. "Look behind ya!"

Ruby gave him a silver-eyed glare. "I'm not falling for that one agai-" Suddenly, she saw yellowish-brown dirt race up straight to her face.

She turned her head, seeing a flash of black and red disappearing into the crowd. She felt the ground around her - Crescent Rose had been taken again. "Aw, shame. You really should've."

Ruby got up and dusted herself off. She pointed at the Poobah. "Hey! That's cheating!"

The big Fuzzy laughed. "It ain't cheatin' unless ya lose! And there's no way I can lose now! MEEEEORK!" He took a flying leap at Ruby.

Ruby sidestepped her opponent and ran to the other side of the arena.

The Poobah bounced into the sky after her, landing right in front of her. He gave an evil grin. "Not so brave without yer fancy little gardening tool, huh?"

"I'm plenty brave," Ruby replied. "Just… not really able to fight back here."

"Exactly. Tell ya what: how about ya give up right now?" A Fuzzy bounced up alongside the Poobah, carrying Ruby's weapon. "We get to keep the book and the fancy scythe-thingy, and you get to keep yer life." He bounced up to Ruby, staring her right in the face. "How's that sound?"

Ruby clenched her fist. "Never! I'm not giving up!"

The Poobah bounced backwards. "Alright, fine. Do it your way."

All of the Fuzzies began to close in around the two. "Don't count on makin' it out alive, though. Meeeork!"

The Fuzzy horde bounced closer and closer, and the area Ruby had was getting smaller and smaller…

...when all of a sudden, a flash of blue smacked straight into the Fuzzy holding Crescent Rose, knocking it out and making it drop its prize.

The blue skidded to a halt and emerged from its shell. "I'm here for you, Ruby!" He grabbed Crescent Rose and tossed it to her.

"Kooper? What are you doing here?"

"Well," said Kooper. "I asked for your help because I was afraid to take on these guys myself. But seeing how you were willing to challenge their leader, even while you were pretty much helpless - I realized that I have to take a stand! What kind of a Koopa am I if I can't even get my own stuff back from Fuzzies? So what if I'm scared? Bring it on!"

"Yes, yes. Very heartwarming," said the Poobah, "but I think ya mighta been better off had ya just stayed in yer little hidey-hole!"

Kooper took a look at the Fuzzy… and ducked inside his shell.

"Yeah, that's right! Ya don't stand a CHANCE against me! Go back to yer little home and hide! Meeeork!"

A muffled voice came from inside the shell. "Now, Ruby! Launch me at him!"

The Huntress-in-Training quirked an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Alright, if you say so." She swung her scythe at the shell as hard as she could, sending it sliding across the ground at high speeds straight at the big Fuzzy.

Kooper bounced off the Poobah, who yelped in pain.

The shell turned around back at him.

The Fuzzy jumped out of the way. The shell merely stopped.

The Poobah began laughing uproariously - until he noticed the shell beginning to spin rapidly in place.

Suddenly, the shell launched forward, straight into the Fuzzy Poobah's skull.

The Fuzzy Poobah fell to the ground, dazed. "Meeeeeeeeeeorkonoooo! No fair… ya cheated…" He passed out.

Kooper popped out of his shell and smirked. "We couldn't have - we won."

Mario, Yang, and Goombario ran up to where Ruby and Kooper were standing. "Go Kooper!," exclaimed Goombario.

Ruby gave the Koopa a high five. "Thanks. If it weren't for you, I'd probably… well, I don't know what they would've done to me, but you get my point."

"Aw, shucks…" Kooper scratched the back of his neck. "Thank you, too. Without you, I…" He paused. "I still haven't gotten my journal back, have I?"

"Oh, let me fix that," said Yang. She turned towards the crowd of Fuzzies. "Hey, you creeps," she roared, "how about you give that journal back before I do to all of you what that guy just did to your leader!"

The crowd parted, and a single Fuzzy stepped out into the clearing, carrying a blue binder. He placed it down onto the ground as gently as he could.

Kooper ran up to the journal and picked it up. "YES!" He pressed the item to his chest. "Oh, journal, I missed you so much! Thank you thank you thank you!"

The Fuzzy slowly bounced backwards… before darting back into the deep woods, the rest of his brethren following suit.

"Well," said Mario, stepping up to Kooper, "good to hear you're happy."

"Oh, you have no idea just how happy I am! I'm in your debt!" He suddenly stopped. "Hey… I have an idea." He turned to Ruby. "Would you happen to know Professor Kolorado?"

Ruby shook her head.

"He's a Koopa who lives around here," said Goombario. "He's a professor of archaeology - and a bit of an explorer."

The Koopa pointed at the Goomba. "That's the one! Well, you see, I happen to live right next door to him. I've been admiring that guy ever since I was in my egg!" He placed his journal inside his shell. "Nothing would make me happier than following in his footsteps. Traveling the world, solving mysteries… it's a dream come true!"

He fidgeted with his wristband. "So… do you think… maybe… could I…" He dropped to his knees. "Please, take me with you!"

Ruby raised her arms to the sky. "Of course we can!" She turned towards her party members. "Right?"

Yang folded her arms and nodded. "I don't see why not."

"The more, the merrier," said Mario.

Kooper jumped to his feet and cheered. "YES! YES! Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" He placed a hand to his chest. "I swear on my honor that I, Kooper, will follow you to the ends of the earth!"

"Yeah! Come on, now, we gotta get back to the village to stock up on items," said Goombario.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kooper ran off toward the direction of his house, followed closely by Ruby. Mario simply chuckled as he and the others followed after them.

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