animegamefanatic
Oh, it'll be more than good this time. Trust me.
Bobby
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is actually my second favorite in the Paper Mario series.
CVGWJames
Thank you so much!
LiamTheYoshi
It was terrifying, but it was helpful at the same time.
mariobroultimate
While the Black Chest Demon did help the Bros, I have to give her credit for scaring them to death.
…
Chapter 6: The Crystal Stars' Power
It's 9:42 AM; Professor Frankly, the Mario Bros, and Goombella have been studying the Magical Map for the last few minutes. Eventually, Professor Frankly figured out what the mysterious power given to Mario and Luigi was.
"Aha! Now I see!" Professor Frankly declared.
"You understand it, Professor?" Goombella asked.
"Of course I do, my dear. Firstly, about that light we saw shining on Mario and Luigi… By my reckoning, they can now perform what is known as a 'Star Spell'."
"A 'Star Spell'?" Mario asked. "How does it work?"
"Firstly, what you've been given is what's called 'Tasty Treat'," Professor Frankly explained. "It's a spell that if recited correctly, you'll be cured of any attack that could immobilize you; poison is one example. There's no need to move your hands, legs, or whatever. All you gotta say is…'Sucrosa Chow!'"
Mario and Luigi laughed at the spell's words.
"W-what…?!" Mario asked between laughs. "A-are you…?"
"Yes, it does sound funny, but that spell can save your life in a dire situation. Imagine you have low blood sugar and you eat a chocolate bar to give yourself enough energy to keep going. 'Tasty Treat' does the same," Professor Frankly said.
Mario and Luigi calmed down while Professor Frankly talked about the spell's purpose.
"Is there a thing that shows how much power the spell needs to help us?" Luigi asked.
"There is. Look at your right arm."
Mario and Luigi held their right arms forward and saw a faint orange dot on their wrists.
"Using 'Tasty Treat' costs one unit of Star Power, which is what the orange dot resembles," Professor Frankly said.
"Hmm… It's like the powers the Star Spirits gave us," Mario remarked. "But there's no need for a wristband."
"Yeah. Sounds cool, huh?" Goombella asked.
"There's one more thing to mention. After using the spell, it'll take a short time for your Star Power to fill back up to full capacity. I'd say in less than a minute. I think that's all you need to know about the Star Spell."
"Thank you, Professor Frankly," Mario thanked Professor Frankly. "We'll make sure to use the spell properly."
"Good for you! Now let's look at the Magical Map and see what we can learn about the..."
Just as Professor Frankly got back to the Magical Map, he became amazed at the castle and silver star on the top right corner.
"WOW! ASTOUNDING! This map has radar-like functions! It now shows the location of a Crystal Star! It looks like the first Crystal Star is to be found in a place called the Petal Meadows."
"Petal Meadows?" Goombella asked.
"Yes. The area is a vast meadow that lies far to the east of Rogueport. To tell you the truth... I've always thought that place was a tad suspicious. The name Petal Meadows did come up from time to time in my research," Professor Frankly said.
"Okay. Is there a quick way to get to Petal Meadows?" Mario asked.
"I'm fairly certain that somewhere beneath the city is a pipe to Petal Meadows. If you could just find that, you'd get there instantly. Pipe travel's efficient!"
"You can say that again," Luigi said while Professor Frankly closed his book.
"Um… By the way, Mario and Luigi…" Professor Frankly started to say, having realized something. "Where did you get that map, anyway?"
"Princess Peach," Mario answered. "She mailed it to us yesterday."
"Really? Her Highness sent this to you?" Professor Frankly gasped. He rummaged through his desk. "This wouldn't be her, would it?" He showed a picture of Peach resembling her artwork from Mario Party 3.
"That's definitely her," Mario said.
"Speaking of which, Princess Peach came to see me the other day. She wanted to learn about the treasure… I told her about the Crystal Stars and my suspicions about Petal Meadows... It doesn't seem likely, but perhaps she tried to go to Petal Meadows on her own..."
"But I thought she got kidnapped or something," Luigi said. "Maybe me and Mario were being paranoid."
"I guess so," Mario agreed.
"You know, Professor, there was another suspicious group asking about the same thing," Goombella butted in.
"Hrmm... I can't imagine Princess Peach getting involved with them..." Professor Frankly said. "We'll worry about that later. For now, it's all settled, and it's off to Petal Meadows you three go!"
As Professor Frankly gave Mario back the Magical Map, Luigi asked, "Aren't you coming, Professor?"
"No. I'll stay in town and ask around about Princess Peach and that suspicious gang," Professor Frankly replied. "Besides, I doubt a shriveled old Goomba like me could handle the trials of the road. Of course, if anything happens and you need some advice, come see me, okay?"
"You got it, Professor!" Goombella said with determination. "Ready, Mario and Luigi?"
"Let's-a go!" Mario and Luigi exclaimed. The three exited Professor Frankly's place and went down the Warp Pipe back to Rogueport Sewers.
"So, we went down that pipe next to the fence," Mario said. "Let's see what's down there." He pointed straight ahead before he, Luigi, and Goombella resumed their trek. They came across a tall stone doorway and went through it into a small room with a gray Warp Pipe.
"This must be the way to Petal Meadows," Goombella wondered out loud. "The only way to find out is to travel through it."
"Obviously," Mario commented. He went in the Warp Pipe first followed by Luigi and Goombella.