Angry9guy
Thanks! And we're over halfway through the adventure.
breath20k
At some point, I had to include the whole backstory from the beginning. The little tidbits from Professor Frankly weren't enough.
LiamTheYoshi
Half of it was Grodus's reflection on when he first met Beldam; the other half was about the Heroic Four sealing the Shadow Queen a thousand years prior. I remember the "Pranks a Lot" episode too, but it was best for Peach not to make any noise such as trying to scare the X-Nauts. Very soon, the tables will turn on Beldam, so don't worry about her abusing Vivian any longer.
mariobroultimate
I had to research hard about both the Thousand-Year Door lore and world domination; the latter part was to answer your question of why Grodus chose to conquer the world. And yeah, great job to Peach for sneaking around like that. If only the potion made her outfit and crown invisible too.
Nataly Guardado
I found the line funny too when I brought it up during brainstorming.
...
Chapter 41: Three Days of Excess
It's 3:15 PM, more than 12 hours since the Black Skull departed Keelhaul Key. For the last hour or so, the Mario Bros updated Bombette on what's been going on since their last adventure together.
"Wow. That's a lot of stuff that went down," Bombette remarked.
"Yeah. Crazy how it went from Princess Peach's parents' deaths to me trapped in the painting and us being framed for polluting an island," Mario agreed.
"And Mario officially got over his phobia of pianos last summer," Luigi added in. "But to be clear, he wasn't afraid of them for eight years straight. It was for a few months after he retrieved the Power Stars, and then it happened again thanks to King Boo."
Luigi was referring to when King Boo used the Mad Piano against Mario in the painting, bringing back his piano phobia until after he won the Cheep Cheep Falls Open (Mario's therapist Dr. Reilly helped cure the phobia).
"But now, I listen to piano music frequently, and I even play it in my spare time," Mario said.
"Good for you," Bombette remarked.
"Hey! We're back in port!" a Toad called from the main deck.
The Mario Bros and Bombette exited the captain's cabin to see that the Black Skull had parked at Rogueport Harbor.
"At last we return, slathered in glory, to my hometown: sweet Rogueport!" Flavio announced amongst the crew chattering. "Of course, it is only because of my courageous efforts that we return at all, ah? But, of course, you all know that, and know it well..."
"Yes, yes," another Toad answered. "But please excuse us; perhaps chance will bring us all together again someday."
All the Toads proceeded to disembark the ship, leaving the Mario Bros, Bobbery, Cortez, and Flavio by themselves.
"Well, that was harsh. They just left immediately," Flavio said. He turned to the group. "Such is life, my friends. You are anxious to continue your own adventure also, ah?"
"Yup," Luigi replied with a nod.
"One day you may surpass the great and fabulous Flavio in greatness and fabulousness. It is not likely, I assure you, but you should, how you say, shoot for the stars, ah? If ever you should reach the pinnacle, remember to shout 'FLAVIO!' to the wind!"
"Are you coming with us, sir?" Mario asked Bobbery.
"Old boy, I'm afraid I can't," Bobbery answered. "You see, I'm the crew's navigator, and Flavio counts on me every voyage. What if he plans to set sail again in a few days? Who else is capable of navigating a ship like me?"
Mario understood immediately. Bobbery's reason made total sense. "You're right. Plus, you're an admiral, so you have the final word."
"Yes, I do. But overall, what a voyage this has been."
"De acuerdo, (Agreed.)" Cortez said. "And please pardon me for being hostile against you. I realized it was a misunderstanding all along."
"Estas perdonado, Cortez, (You're forgiven, Cortez.)" Luigi reassured Cortez in Spanish.
"Hey, you giant skull. Your time in the spotlight is done," Flavio butted in. "Get over yourself."
Cortez immediately faded away.
"Well, my adoring fans have gone, so I will be excusing myself now, as well. If you see me in town, I would permit you to say hello to me. May we meet again, ah?"
"Someday soon," Mario replied.
"Well, until next time, Mario and Luigi," Bobbery bid the Mario Bros goodbye. He disembarked the Black Skull along with Flavio.
"I thought Admiral Bobbery would be interested in the Crystal Stars and their importance," Mario disappointingly told Luigi. "Guess not."
"It's not that he's not interested, Mario," Luigi said. "Military men have commitments they need to attend to. For all I know, it's hard for them to take time out of their schedule."
"Okay. I guess we'll go to the-"
"Mario!" Bombette called out, stopping Mario mid-sentence. She was standing next to the stairs leading to the center of Rogueport.
The Mario Bros disembarked the Black Skull and met up with Bombette.
"Hi, Bombette," Mario greeted Bombette. "Weren't you going home with Buster?"
"I was, but after you and Luigi told me about the Crystal Stars and the Thousand-Year Door, I was like, 'Wow! That's an even bigger adventure than I thought!'" Bombette said. "I want to see it for myself."
"You do?" Mario asked.
"Yeah! So, what do you say I tag along with you?" Bombette offered. "Come on! It'll be just like old times!"
For Mario, he was happy to see Bombette for the first time in four years. And hearing Bombette ask to rejoin the team made him smile big.
"Does that mean yes?"
"Welcome back, mi amico, (Welcome back, my friend.)" Mario replied.
"Oh yeah! We're doing it again!" Bombette squealed, jumping for joy. "I'm very excited!"
"So are we," Luigi said.
"Don't worry. Buster knows I'm going. He's not concerned at all." Bombette looked at the top of the stairs. "Where do we go first?"
Before Mario could answer Bombette's question, him and Luigi's phones received a group text.
"Hold on a sec. Someone texted us."
This time, Luigi read the text out loud, "Mario and Luigi, I have good news! I don't know where I'm being held, but there's an odd computer called TEC here. By cooperating with this TEC, I've managed to obtain some of these fiends' data. TEC is currently analyzing it. And as strange as it may sound, I trust him. Once his analysis is done, I should be able to provide you with details of their plans. I'll text you again once I learn more. Be safe, guys."
"That must be Princess Peach!" Bombette interjected. "Is she gonna be okay?"
"She will," Luigi said. "Princess Peach has gotten braver over the years, so she doesn't stand scared and do nothing. She'll do anything to protect herself if alone."
"We'd best get to work too," Mario added in. "Let's-a go."
Mario and Luigi led Bombette through Rogueport and down the Warp Pipe to the sewers below. Eventually, they arrived at the room with the Thousand-Year Door.
"Oh golly!" Bombette gasped upon seeing the Thousand-Year Door. "And I thought such legends were fictional until today! It's so pretty!"
"Over here." Mario directed Bombette and Luigi to the Crystal Star platform's pedestal and stood on it. "What you'll see next is even prettier."
Next, Mario took out the blue Crystal Star and held it in front, turning on the cyan light display.
The Crystal Star floated to the bottom left open star and the Magical Map rose out of Mario's overalls pocket, glowing white.
Star-shaped glitter also appeared within the glow. A thin cyan circle faded in and lowered until it touched the Magical Map. The room then brightened up, causing everyone to shield their eyes.
Three seconds later, a star-shaped orb exploded outward and a bang sounded across the room with a final white flash. The room darkened to its normal state and the cyan lights disappeared along with the Crystal Star. The Magical Map dropped into Mario's hands again.
On the right side of the map was a temple with a water fountain in front of it. A shiny orange star also appeared above the temple.
"What's that building there?" Bombette questioned.
"I don't know," Mario replied. "But luckily, there's someone who's knowledgeable with stuff like this."
...
Back in Rogueport, Mario and friends entered Professor Frankly's office. As always, the professor was studying very hard.
"Hi, Professor," Mario greeted Professor Frankly.
"Oh! Well, hello again," Professor Frankly returned the greeting. "How did it go at Keelhaul Key?"
"A lot went down," Luigi answered. "We got shipwrecked in the middle of the night, we fought a bunch of blue fireballs, and even confronted Cortez. But Cortez wasn't as bad as we thought."
"Yeah. He's a good guy, really," Bombette added in.
"Interesting," Professor Frankly remarked. "You must be another one of Mario and Luigi's friends?"
"An old friend, to be exact. I adventured with them years ago and we made a super team together. Now I want to help find the Crystal Stars."
Mario gave Professor Frankly the Magical Map. "There's this building on the right side of the map. Is it a museum or something?"
Professor Frankly studied the map for a moment before realizing what the location was. "That's Poshley Heights. It's a posh, relaxed village that reeks of money. And I mean that only the rich and famous call that place home. The building you see is a shrine to the stars called Poshley Sanctum. No fearsome monsters or dangerous dungeons, either! It's just a tourist attraction!"
"Sounds fun!" Bombette exclaimed. "It's like going on a mini vacation."
"Speaking of vacations, you get to ride the most famous train of all! The Excess Express!"
"Are you serious?" Mario asked. "A train trip across the countryside?"
"Yes! After a luxurious steam engine excursion, the next Crystal Star will be yours! Getting those Crystal Stars has been backbreaking work, but this time will be a cinch!"
"Wait. You said 'luxurious'," Luigi said. "Does that mean we have to have wealth or fame to ride that train?"
"As long as you have the money, it'll be straightforward," Professor Frankly replied as he gave Mario the map back. "Don't worry about talking to Don Pianta or some other person you have to get the tickets from. Just purchase them at the ticket counter."
"Hey. Side note: at the Glitz Pit, we won a combined total of nearly 22,000 Coins," Mario stated.
"Excellent! If I recall correctly, each Excess Express ticket ranges from 600 to 900 Coins depending on what class you choose."
"Before we go, Professor, what's the next Star Spell we obtained?" Luigi asked.
"The Sapphire Star you received is able to heal you way more than the 'Tasty Treat' spell. It's called 'Sweet Feast', and all you have to say is 'Shuga Yum!' Be aware that 'Sweet Feast' uses five Star Power units, so utilize that spell only if absolutely necessary."
"We may not have much time left, so you must hurry," Professor Frankly continued. "I'll gather all the information I can. You guys just handle your end of things."
"All right-y. We'll be back soon," Mario said before leading Luigi and Bombette back outside.
"Thank God we don't have to deal with those mafia guys," Luigi sighed with relief. "They creep me out so bad."
"I think we should pack our stuff up since it might be a long trip," Mario pointed out. "Who knows how long until we get to Poshley Heights?"
And so, everyone walked to the Inn, where the Mario Bros packed their suitcases. They would need their various outfits to change into during the train trip.
Walking to the west end of Rogueport, Mario asked for directions on how to get to the Excess Express. He was told to go through the archway leading to the Glitzville blimp station, but keep going straight until they see a train ticket counter.
Within a few minutes, everyone found the ticket counter, where Mario planned on purchasing the tickets. He viewed the class options above the receptionist.
"We'll do three second class tickets for 750 Coins each," Mario told the receptionist.
"Yes, sir," the receptionist said. She printed out three second class tickets, making sure to write Mario, Luigi, and Bombette's names on each ticket per Mario's request.
"You three will go to Passenger Car 2. The train will arrive in a few moments and the boarding process lasts about 30 minutes. Departure time will be at 4:00 PM."
"Thank you," Mario thanked the receptionist before receiving the tickets.
For now, the group waited next to their assigned boarding station.
Three minutes later, a black and gold train comprising five cars plus a locomotive pulled up at the train station. It was the Excess Express.
"Wow! Look at that train!" Mario said. "It's shiny on the outside."
"But even fancier on the inside," Luigi added in.
Suddenly, before the doors opened, a distant evil laugh sounded from far away.
"What was that laugh?" Bombette wondered.
"Um..." Mario thought he remembered that laugh, but couldn't recall it immediately. "I don't know. We must be hearing things."
The train doors opened and a Lakitu wearing a suit approached the group. "Hello there. I presume you are boarding for our trip to Poshley Heights?"
"Yes, we are," Luigi replied.
"In that case, tickets, please."
Mario handed the Lakitu the tickets; the Lakitu punched each ticket to admit the Mario Bros and Bombette onboard.
"A train attendant will show you your cabin once we're on our way," the Lakitu stated.
"Thanks," Mario said, leading Luigi and Bombette into the Excess Express.
Taking a train trip to Poshley Heights for the next Crystal Star sounds simple. No tricks, no traps, no- On second thought, is it actually simple? There could be this slim chance of something out of the ordinary.