AN – Hello everyone! Thank you DeadEdBoy and Shadow49 for reviewing again! The second chapter is now fully functioning on the site. This chapter might be a little short, but it is setting the story up for the 1st chapter in the game: The Journey to Koopa Bros. Fortress! Enjoy.
Chapter Three – Atop Shooting Star Summit
"This is impossible," Double D said, bewildered. All of the Peach Creek kids sat in the local inn of Toad Town, with Mario and his goomba friend, Goombario. Mario sat at a table, facing all of the kids. He had just finished telling them the story of his world.
"So let me get this straight," Nazz said, scratching her head. "Right now, all of us are in a central city that links a whole kingdom together?"
"And this kingdom is inhabited by various creatures, such as, er…toads?" Double D said.
"And this kingdom in which you live is ruled over by a Princess by the name of Peach?" Rolf said.
"That's about right," Mario said.
"So…how do we get back home?" Jimmy asked.
"Thata may be a different problem," Mario said
"It seems very strange that you were all transported from your world to ours, but it also seems like a coincidence. As Mario told you earlier, our world is in the middle of a kingdom wide crisis. The Princess's castle lifted up of the ground and right into the sky, all thanks to Bowser. He is the most terrible villain in all of the Mushroom Kingdom." Goombario explained. "Now we are heading to Shooting Star Summit, just as Mario was instructed to do by the head Star Spirit."
"What should we do?" Johnny said. Everyone looked at Double D.
"Well, if Shooting Star Summit is the closest place to the sky, as Mario said, then we might want to check that place out. Frequently warp holes connecting dimensions are linked to the sky, so I've heard."
"OK, then, that settles it," Eddy said. "We're goin with ya to this star place, Mario." The other kids nodded in agreement.
"OK, well, the summit isa just on the other side of Peach's…well, where the princess's castle used to be," Mario said.
"Awesome, let's go!" Nazz said enthusiastically.
As the group left the calm of the inn, they noticed that despite the setting sun and the growing darkness, Toad Town still bustled as if it were daytime. Toads with worried expressions rushed this way or that, going in and out of buildings and chatting quietly. Double D looked up to the night sky, and noticed that the stars were not arranged in constellations he was familiar with.
"Amazing! We must be solar systems, even galaxies away from home!" he exclaimed.
"Gee, that makes me feel a lot better!" Sarah said.
"What makes ya say that, sockhead?" Eddy said, shoving his hand in his pockets as he walked.
"Look at the sky! None of the familiar constellations are even present!" he said.
"Wow, I guess your ri-"Eddy started, but as he focused on the sky, he failed to notice the large star gate that the group had approached. Eddy collided with the cold metal.
"Ouch! What the-!" he shouted, rubbing his face.
"Shooting Star Summit is on the other side of this gate," Mario said, pushing the gate open. The kids gasped at the sight beyond the gate.
An extremely large hole with bits of wall stretched along what looked like should have been a green lawn. A small fountain sat spewing water, broken and bent. A small toad walked this way and that with a look of great distress on his face. The group continued on through a couple of toppled pillars and over a small bridge. Suddenly, a large star shot passed the group.
"My word!" Double D exclaimed, looking up to the sky as more stars descended to the ground around them.
"I guess Shooting Star Summit lives up to its name, huh Plank?" Johnny said, holding Plank up to his ear. "Plank says that there's a surprise at the top of the mountain!"
"How would that board know anything about where we're going?" Goombario asked.
"Don't listen to him. He's a real weird kid if you know what I mean," Kevin said. Nazz scowled.
Sure enough, at he top of Shooting Star Summit sat a star that looked quite old. He was moving in and out of focus, however, and almost seemed like a bad movie projection.
"What's that weird shimmery thing?" Sarah asked. "Is that a ghost?"
"AHH! Ghost! Please don't hurt me!" Jimmy squealed, cowering in fear and covering his face with his hands.
"Ghost? I am nothing of the sort. Now please pipe down young one, we haven't much energy left. Welcome, all of you. We've been expecting you," the lone star said.
Suddenly, six other stars similar to the first one appeared around the top of the summit.
"We are the seven star spirits. We're going to tell something incredibly important. Please listen carefully…"
"…and in order to get the Star Rod back, and to rescue Princess Peach, we need all of your help…" Suddenly all of the star spirits faded, but came back, barely visible. "Please…you are our last hope…and we will…" As the head star spirit spoke, the stars all faded completely, leaving Mario and the group alone atop Shooting Star Summit. Goombario turned to Mario.
"Wow. This is a lot more serious than I thought," he said, looking at the sky.
"I know! I wonder if the princess will be alright," Nazz said.
"The princess? What about us getting home? Those star things didn't even tell us anything that could help us!" Eddy said, kicking the ground with his shoe.
"Well, it seems that this world is in a predicament. Maybe if we help Mario on his quest to retrieve the Star Rod, defeat Bowser, and save the princess, we will find the way home," Double D said over the chatter of the others. The other Peach Creek kids nodded in agreement.
"Rolf supposes that he cannot allow a world to waste to nothing. Rolf shall do it!" he said. The others agreed.
"That's great! Let'sa get back to Toad Town, and we can start our adventure from there," Mario said as he and the others started back down the steep path from the top of Shooting Star Summit.
AN – So there you have it. In the next chapter, the gang will be headed to Koopa Bros. Fortress to rescue the first star spirit. Please read and review this so I can get that next chapter to you faster!