"The boat..."
The Princess Peach, as it was named, was stationary in the ocean with smoke pluming the sky above it. Bobby said they needed to find that ship because he had an 'Olivia-saving item' inside of it somewhere. They had already found the box when something crashed through the window and stolen it. Bobby said they needed to head to the main deck to fight the thing back for the box.
"I really hoped it wouldn't still be here." Bobby ran to the elevator. "Come on, Mario! We shouldn't waste any more time!"
Mario followed Bobby to the main deck. All the Toads they had found were terrified of something that had attacked the ship. When Mario reached the main deck, he saw exactly what had traumatized those Toads so.
It was a giant Paper Macho Blooper.
"The Gooper Blooper! I knew I recognized those Paper Macho Soldiers from somewhere!" Bobby rushed towards the monster. "We can't let it terrorize any more people! Come on, Mario! Let's stop this freak!"
It was just like fighting any other Paper Macho Soldier, except this one actually fought back instead of just trying to ram you. After beating it, it exploded into confetti and Toads. The box thudded onto the deck and Bobby began typing in the code. The big yellow box gave them a slightly smaller red box.
"We got it! Now we can save Olivia!"
They headed back to Sweetpaper Valley as fast as they could. Bobby told Mario to stay back and stood right in front of the boulder, the red box by his feet.
"I'm sorry for being so quiet about my past. You see, my friends and I were on a vacation cruise on that ship. Some of us had to sleep on the floor of the VIP Stateroom but hey, it was the best! But..." He looked away from Mario. "That Gooper Blooper attacked us. We did our best to defend the ship, but that's when my fuse got knocked loose. The sea took my fuse, and my memories."
"Oh, Bobby..."
"I washed up at Toad Town, no memories and no clue what to do. I went out to find my memories, and that's when you met me. You see, my friend got scrapped in an accident. The only thing that remained is what I keep in this box." He opened the box and placed the fuse into his head. "Thanks bud."
Mario's eyes widened. "Wait-"
"Mario, thank you for everything. I know what I'm about to do but, it feels like we'll see each other again in the near future. Have you met Bombette?"
Mario nodded.
"Well, she's my sister! If she can survive an explosion, I'm sure I can too!" He faced the boulder again. "I hope I do..." Mario heard a quiet sniff come from the Bob-om. "Goodbye, Mario. Tell Olivia how heroic I was, okay?"
"Bobby?"
"Promise me, Mario."
Mario's heart sank. "I promise."
"Great. And if I don't come back, tell her that I love her and would die a thousand times for her." The fuse lit.
"Wait, no! Bobby!"
He gave Mario one last, sad smile. "And don't cry when I'm gone. That'll make it worse for her, okay? She needs to learn how to be strong."
The explosion forced Mario back as he had tried to stop Bobby. When the smoke cleared, Olivia lie in a small crater, confetti all around her. Mario fought the tears, he had to. Bobby didn't want him to cry. He had to be strong for Olivia. He went to her crumpled paper and hammered her straight.
She got up. "Wow! I heard a huge explosion and now the rock's gone! Did you find some sort of explosive hammer, Mario?"
He couldn't keep eye contact. He dabbed his finger under his eye to remove a stray tear from his face before Olivia saw.
"Mario?" She looked around. "Are you okay?"
Mario sniffed quietly.
"...Where's Bobby?" She stared at the burnt floor where Bobby exploded. "Wait, there was this loud explosion and the rock is gone and...Bobby is-he's..." Tears welled up in her eyes. "NO! It can't be!" She fled, sobbing, into the cave.
"Olivia-!"
Mario ran after her. Getting directions from the Monty Moles inside the cave, he found her sobbing in a dimly lit room. He sat down on the log next to her and let his tears fall, still staying silent.
"B-Bobby...Why did he do that? He was so important to me...and now he's gone." She cried into her hands. "I-I don't know how I can go on without him...He was so special. He was nothing like the other Bob-oms. He was so nice, so...loving."
Mario let her greive for a few minutes before sliding off the log. He was feeling better, and now she need to as well. He put the Goomba mask on and called her name. She lifted her face from her hands. He walked in a goofy, blind circle; the Goomba mask flopping around loosely with his movements. He stopped, facing her, as the eyebrows fell to one side.
"This isn't fair."
Mario stood straight again.
"I want Bobby back...And you're trying to make me laugh?"
Mario nodded, the mask flopping around again. "Bobby wouldn't like seeing you this way. He would want you to laugh, and continue. He lost his memories because of your brother, and he wants you to stop him."
She stared at her slightly soggy hands. She moved them to her chest and got off the log.
"No, you're right. Bobby wouldn't want me to be this way, and neither do you. I have to be strong like he is...was, and you are now. I feel a little better now. I guess grieving for a few minutes was what I needed. Thank you, Mario." She looked at the cave roof above them. "And you too, Bobby." She smiled. "We need to stop my brother, no matter what." She went to enter his pocket, but bumped against his hat. "But take that thing off first! I can't take you seriously!"
Mario returned her smile. "Let's stop your-a brother."
The Monty Moles had thought Olivia was a 'crying bee'. They were pleased to see that Mario had cheered her up. Past the Monty Mole den was a small shop where a Toad had boot-shaped cars on sale.
"Mario! Ova 'ere!"
Mario walked over to the counter.
"Yeaaaah, 'ere's Mario! Good ta see ya! Do ya wanna buy a Boot Car Type B? Tey're on sale since nobody was comin' 'ere since that crazy 'ur'le guy came down tis' way."
"Huh...?" Olivia asked slowly.
Mario looked at the cars behind him. "Yahoo!" He sealed the deal with a jump.
"Since ya THE Mario, ya get ya car 'ree. 'Ere's the 'ey. It only works in the desert, so ya shoul'n't bring it anyplace else. It ain't built for roads." He handed Mario a whistle along with the keys. "The w'is'le is for callin' it while in the desert. It'll come runnin'!"
"Thanks!" Olivia said. "I didn't understand a single thing you said but, thanks!"
"'Elcome, sista!"
Mario drove out of the cave and into the desert. He began shivering. Why was it so cold?
"Why's it so cold?" Olivia asked, repeating Mario's thoughts into words.
Mario shrugged. "The only other-a time the desert was this-a cold was in Tostarena!"
Olivia looked up. "What? There's a giant black hole where the sun should be! How did that even happen? You'll burn up if you got close enough for that!"
Olivia was right. There was a gaping hole leading to the pitch-black nothingness beyond the sky. The sun was nowhere to be found.
"Let's-a drive around and-a see if we find anything."
"Good idea."
There was an odd Toad-like statue in the area, but they couldn't do anything about it for now; and they kept moving. They visited a town called Shroom City and learned about a professor Toad that was studying the ancient text in the area. Mario also had to play an extremely rigged game to free Luigi after he had freed the professor Toad from a Paper Macho Pokey.
"I did it this time, Mario! I found the key to Peach's castle for real this time!" He held up a golden key with a blue label on it. "I-a played this game and got stuck inside that jar. Weird, huh?"
"Ooh, Luigi...This still isn't the key to Peach's castle..."
"What?! But they said it was a suite key and Peach is the sweetest person I know! I'm-a not giving up though! I promise I'll-a find for you, big bro!" He rushed off.
"That's the key!" The Toad said. "They said the room needed cleaning..." He huffed. "But, we can enter that room now and see the rest of the mural!"
"Oh, I forgot to ask what your name is," Olivia stated.
"Oho! I'm Stephen!"
"How did you get eaten by that cactus, anyways?"
"Hmm...Where to begin? It started when a yellow Shy Guy and a large, black thing came over to me. I thought he was my partner so I tried to get him to fold back when..."
"Oh? Whaaa! What happened to you? You're all origami!"
"Is that an issue?"
"Um, yes. You're supposed to help me with my studies, remember?"
"And so I am." The Shy Guy unfolded into Olly. "Well, speak! Don't keep the king waiting!"
"Who are you?"
"I am King Olly, and I'm here to study the ancient script just as you are. Now tell me, where can I find the Fire Vellumental?"
"Fire Vellumental? I never heard about anything with that name! Why, if this is connected to the Ancient Ones, then you really could help me!"
Stephen led Olly to the mural in the Hotel and let Olly study it for a while.
"Ah, I see. That makes sense...yes, I get it." He rubbed a hand against the wall near the door. "But it ends, as all things must. One minute." He shoved himself under the door.
Stephen waited patiently for a few minutes for Olly to return. When Olly came back, he seemed a little upset.
"Are you okay?"
"Follow me."
"O-okay!"
He followed the Origami King into the desert near the sun alter.
"You wanted to come here, right?"
"Why, yes I did! How did you guess?"
Olly turned. "Hole Punch! Get over here!"
A giant yellow hole punch came flying over at quick speeds. It landed hard, knocking Stephen over. It began dancing in place.
"What is it, little man?"
"Punch out the sun!"
"What?" Stephen asked. "But that's impossible! And that giant monstrosity is made of plastic, so it'll melt within 1,000,000 feet of it!"
"Hm, that'll be a problem then."
"Nope! There's a ritual for it!"
"Hm? Really?"
"A ritual?" Stephen asked, dusting the sand from his clothes.
"Yeah! In the place with the streamer! The groovy temple-themed party house!"
"Show me."
"But what about my studies?" Stephen demanded.
"Oh yeah, I still have YOU to deal with. Paper Macho Soldier, RISE!" He raised his left arm.
The ground beneath Stephen began to rumble, and a giant paper mache Pokey erupted from the sand. It launched Stephen into the air, and as he fell towards its open mouth he heard Olly say:
"Fools like you are nothing but scrap paper."
"...And that was the last I heard of the purple-clad royal. He kind of looked like you, in a way."
"Olly. What's he doing here, and why did he want the sun? Ooh, what's he plotting? I just have to know!"
Stephen looked at the mural. "Well then! This depicts an ancient ceremony! Why, it looks like a type of dance!"
"Ooh! I always wanted to try dancing! I wanna dance! When do I get to dance?"
"When I teach you how to do it!"
"Boo!"
After spending five minutes trying to teach Olivia how to do the traditional song-and-dance, they headed to a group of statues in the main desert. Mario turned them all to face the center of the circle and a microphone erupted from the ground. Olivia went over to it.
"Ooh, now I'm feeling all nervous!"
"You got this," Stephen supported.
"Yah!"
Once Olivia completed the song, the ground began rumbling again and a large rock slid up from the sand. The sand spilled off of it as it revealed to be a cave; the entrance the face of some type of bird.
"I'll uh, stay out here." Stephen sat down on the ground. "Somebody need to make sure your vehicle isn't stolen and a Folded Soldier doesn't sneak in."
"Sounds good to me!" Olivia waved as they entered. "See you soon!"