-...-
Walking through the fog Mario and Olly end up in an area that had three different trees that look not like the others that have been in the forest. And there was a large stump in the middle.
Mario seeing there wasn't much in this area he and Olly head on their way but...
When they tried to walk down the right area they just...
Ended up right back at that same place.
"Hold on. Weren't we just here?" Olly asked confused.
Mario looking back decides to go down the right area again but...It ended with the same result back at the place with the three trees and the stump.
"Is this placed cursed or something? Or do we need to go certain way to get out?"
"Wait but there's only two paths so maybe not. This is making my head spin maybe we should sit down on that stump over there Mario." Olly points over to the large stump in the middle of the forest.
Mario nodded confused by how they could of keep ending up at the same area. It would be best to sit down and think about this.
But once they sat down on the stump a voice yelled at them.
"HEY! WHO'S THERE?!"
Mario and Olly jump at the sudden yell and both get off the stump to look around to see who had just yelled at them.
It didn't seem to be anyone around until they saw one of the three trees starting to move.
"You can't sit on ol' Grandsappy's head, Mister!" The different tree now had eyes and was moving.
Then the middle tree started moving. " That's right! He's the elder of this forest. Show some respect! He's got twigs older'n you!"
Then finally the third tree was moving. "So what if he's been logged by those nasty little Toads? He's still the man, Honey."
Mario and Olly look over at the stump that they were sitting on sprouted eyes before letting out a cough.
"Yes, yes... Thank you, darlings. Bless your bark."
Mario just stands there not knowing to react to a talking stump.
"You! Why are you here? I really don't have the strength to yell at you flat paper folk...Or even teach you some manners..." The elder stump cough and hacks as he tried to get his words out.
"Ol' Grandsappy hasn't been the same since they cutted him down."
"Yes! It's the flat paper folks fault! Shame on you!"
"And Grandsappy rules these woods so if you want to leave you need his permission. So you better get comfy because you're going to be here FOREVER!"
Olly freaks out on what the last tree just said. "Wait forever!? Not that!"
Olly turns to Grandsappy. " Grandsappy I'm sorry that some flat paper folk cutted you down if we could help you in anyway we'll be glad to."
Mario nods agreeing with Olly if they help Grandsappy got maybe he'll let them leave.
"Hmm if what you say if true. Alright if you two help me restore my energy then I'll let you leave this place."
" Do you have any ideas how we can do that?" Olly asked unsure how to restore his energy.
"You need to find something called a 'Soul Seed' We'll let you go a bit further into the forest so you can find it and feed it to Grandsappy ok?"
The two of them nodded as they went down the right path.
-...-
This time they didn't end up in the same area this time but in a different part of the forest.
"Mario? You know that seed you found. Could that be the Soul Seed?"
Mario pulled out the seed he picked up earlier and looked at it. "But it looks shriveled. Maybe that spring we saw could revive it."
Mario nods as they head on their way to find the spring.
Along the way down the path some of the trees started talking and sprouted some eyes deciding to not hide themselves anymore.
Walking past one of them there was some shaking in their leaves and a Folded Soldier falls out of one of the trees and charges for Mario.
"Look out Mario!" Olly yelled.
Mario holds his hammer tightly and slams right at the Folded Soldier. And the Folded Soldier puffed into confetti and Mario puts the confetti into the confetti bag.
"How did the Folded Soldiers get into the forest already? This is really worrying." Olly looks ahead and his mood changes quickly.
"Mario! Look! It's the spring!" Mario looked to where Olly is pointing and sees the large sparkling spring.
Mario and Olly stare at the spring. "Whoa it's so sparkly close up. Well Mario throw that seed in and we got ourselves a Soul Seed."
Mario nodded pulling out the seed and throws the seed into the water. The water glows as the seed hits the water and the seed gets thrown out of the water with a new form and it was no longer shriveled.
Mario picks up the seed and puts it back into his pocket.
"Yes. Now we can give the seed to Grandsa-" Olly was interrupted by a low pitch cry in the distance.
"URRRGGGGHHHH!"
And trees started to panic saying something about Grandsappy being hurt.
"Mario did you hear that? That was Grandsappy! Come on we gotta hurry!"
Mario nods as he and Olly head the way back to Grandsappy as fast as they could.
-...-
Mario and Olly out of breathe made it back to Grandsappy. "Grandsappy! Are yo- Oh...Oh no..." Olly and Mario looked in horror as they saw Grandsappy...His face the torn off like the ground was...
The three trees choked back a sob seeing the state of Grandsappy.
"H-How could...Those things...Do that to Grandsappy..?"
Olly got closer to Grandsappy. "Poor Grandsappy... Mario what do we do?"
Mario pulled out the confetti bag. He remembered how it fixed up the path maybe it could help fix up Grandsappy.
He grabs a handful of confetti and starts throwing it onto the hole on Grandsappy and once the confetti fills up the hole a bright glow admits from it.
With the hole on his face was restored. His face reappeared.
"Huh..? What happened..? It felt like some rapscallion was trying to whittlin' me down again... Was it all a dream..? I guess it's just my memory going downhill again..."
The trees within the forest gave cheers of joy.
"Grandsappy's back y'all!"
"Our elder is ok! Woo hoo!"
"Oh what a blessed day it is!"
"Great job Mario now we just need to give him the seed." Olly cheered.
Mario slowly approached Grandsappy and showed him the Soul Seed.
Grandsappy opens his mouth and Mario places the seed into his mouth and the stump began to chew the seed.
"Did it work? How are you feeling Grandsappy?" Olly asked.
"It's doing somethin'! Watch out." Grandsappy says as the forest lit up with color and flowers sprouted on the ground. Along with music playing from no where as Grandsappy started singing with the three trees acting as his backup singers.
Yes!
Feelin' kinda sappy now!
(Sappy sappy)
It's like I'm super happy now!
(Happy happy)
I'm feelin' big and burly and it musta surely been you!
(Oh, Sappy keep on singin' like the good old days, oh yeah!)
(Here I go now...)
(Here I go now...)
(Here I go now...)
Wow!
As they finished their song something started to appear on top of Grandsappy.
And it was a small sprout.
But the ground started to vibrate and a huge trunk sprouted on top of Grandsappy as a bright glow admitted from his and as the light dissipated everyone looked in awe as they saw Grandsappy no longer a stump but a full grown tree once more.
"Whoa...I did not expect that but...You look great Grandsappy!" Olly cheered.
"Now that's what I'm talkin' about! That little seed helped and tightened up my timbers and put the funk back in my trunk! I'm young again!"
The large tree looks down at Mario and Olly. "Thank you for your help you two. I see no need in keepin' y'all here any longer. Ey shrubs! Make way for my Main Mustache and his li'l friend here."
Immediately after the order was given some shrubs behind Grandsappy moved out of the way creating a pathway out.
Mario and Olly gave a wave goodbye to Grandsappy and the trees. "Bye Grandsappy!" As they left the forest.
-...-