"This is were the Mini Red paint star led us. Ruddy Road!" Huey sought to orient Mario and the Travelers. "Let's look for the next paint star!"
"We are outside the town plaza already?" Castti looked back and forth, confused. "The mini paint star transported us with a mere touch!"
"It will sure save alot of time treking across the island. Let's keep it up." Throne spoke
"Ooh, I wonder if they take wishes, like the ones in the night sky!" Ochette said.
"They are powerful, but not THAT powerful." Huey responded. "I would've wished for an infinite supply of coins back in the day... but they are still really, really important!"
And so, the party made their way down Ruddy Road. Bashing blocks, beating baddies, and filling in Colorless Spots where ever they could find. A particular large Spot enveloped a house on the way, and after the crew colored it in, its door flew open. Several Toads came tumbling out of the building, and thanked the heroes for rescuing them. However, there was another surprise waiting behind the Toad tsunami. After the Toads cleared out, a youthful girl in a flowering dress fell through the door.
"Agnea!" A lump formed on Hikari's throat. He rushed over to the girls aid, but she picked herself up.
"I'm a-ok, Hikari!" Agnea spoke playful. Her cheeks started to blush red.
"Uh-oh! Is this love I'm smelling between you to?" Huey joined in with a lecherous whistle.
Agnea recoiled backwards in terror. "E-Eep! What kind of monster is that?"
"He's Hueley! Doesn't smell like one, so he's our friend." Ochette replied.
"Heuy may seem to be a little eccentric, but he means well." Hikari casted an annoyed glance at the floating paintcan.
"Come on, man! You didn't ask her out or anything? I remember that there's a romantic cafe somewhere down the road..."
"A-Absolutely not!" Hikari awkwardly stuttered. "Wait, Agnea..."
"I was going to see to that homey restaurant anyways." She responded. "There's nothing like it back in Solistia! The thick, fragrant aroma of coffee has this warm energy like a Tavern. But, it's different!"
"Ah, she gets it! If there's anything the Primsa Isles are known for, it's our broad spectrum of caffeinated beverages!" Huey cheered. "Did you try any?"
"I wish! A bunch of mushroom-headed monsters started calling me a Princess, and locked me up in this house." Agnea sighed.
One of said "monsters" decided to show himself, popping out from a wardrobe.
"I apologize!" The Toad spoke solemnly. "We thought you were THE Princess, Peach Toadstool. All Toads, even born outside the Mushroom Kingdom, recognize her as our ultimate leader. By her side is usually Mario, so when we saw you walking all by yourselves, we had to, er, take initiative."
"One monarch rules all of you?" Hikari spoke, somewhat concerned.
"I'm not 100% sure on the details, but the last time the kingdom tried to run an election, the Koopas hijacked it. This is simply not the world for democracy~ Ah, getting on on a tangent again! Here, take these Battle Cards! I hope it makes up for everything."
The Toad handed Agnea several colorless cards with icons of various animals.
"A Card Set? I've never been one for card games..."
"They are Battle Cards, Miss Agnea!" Huey responded. "Let me just get this out of the way first and the rest you fill her in!"
He doused the girl with every color of the rainbow, enhancing her dagger and her dance moves with the power of paint.
Soon after, the party left the Toad's house a further traveled down Ruddy Road. They run into a gang of Shy Guys playing a catchy, yet ominous tune with straws.
"Even the music here is different! If only Mom were alive to witness these performers." Agnea starting moving her hips to beat of the music. She was so entranced, the SHy Guys used their instruments to suck up a large portion of the grounds paint. Ruddy Road was seeming a lot less Red.
"Oh my! So they are ones stealing this lands color!" Agnea snapped out of her funk. "And it was the masked men who brought the artifacts to Solistia, and froze over my home."
She ball up her there first. Come on guys! We can't let them get away with the paint!"
"You speak my language, Agnea! Let's-a go!"
The party hunted down the Slurp Guys throughout the path. While some of them were willing to directly fight the heroes, others behaved more like Sly Guys. At the farthest reaches of Ruddy Road, the gang passes by a seemingly innocent sign, warning about the presence of the Slurp Guys. Mahina landed on top of the sign, and begin to peck and hiss at it.
"What's wrong, Mahina?" Ochette sniffed the sign, and shook her head. "Nice try, sneaky monster! You smell of freshly stolen paint!"
Disappointed, the Shy Guy detached himself from my side. "Way to kill the moment! I was totally going to jump you guys, but I guess Mario isn't the only one with a giant sniffer nowadays. Just great..." He slumped in shame.
"Well, the least you could do is return the Mini Paint Star's color, little red man." Agnea suggested to the downbeat Shy Guy. He immediately perked up at the mere sight of the woman.
"Whatever you say, princess!" He started following around, obediently.
"Right this way, little prince." She responded.
While it was highly suspicious that a monster of all things was completely enthralled, Agnea merely played along. Perhaps the ones in this new world were more sapient than Solistia's monsters. Ochette hadn't turned any of the brown mushrooms or paint thieves into jerky yet, despite all the carnage they brought to her island with the mysterious artifacts. The Beastling could seriously show some restraint for someone who talks about food nonstop.
But of course, when presented his her first cup of coffee, the Beastling burnt her tongue.
The others stopped at a coffee shop run by a Toad. A bunch of Shy Guys were also waiting inline for their drinks, and when they caught sight of Agnea, they started murmuring under their breath.
"Why you slowing down? The Star's not too far." The one following Agnea spoke quickly.
"Ah, sorry! Just admiring the smell! Its my first time at a coffee stand, afterall."
"First time? That greedy Toad running the shop will totally to rip you off. Let me buy a cup for you..."
The other Shy Guys gave the 2 distasteful looks.
"Ah, lets get going! It's right up the steps!"
In a hurry, the Shy Guy climbed up the stairs and splashed the pale star with red paint. Once its colors returned, it became much more shiny.
"Good as new!" His voice became more venomous. "Or is it... the end of the road?"
Cue the awkward gust of wind.
"Uh, guys? We rehearsed this at Sunglow Ridge!" The Shy Guy shouted in frustration to his associates. "What's the big hold up?"
While the heroes enjoy their hard-earned cups of coffee...
"Thanks for the drinks, Huey." Throne spoke. "Ate you going to finish yours? How do you even eat?"
"That's a good question! You see..."
Before Huey could answer that biting question, the Shy Guys lined up at the Cafe suddenly ran off to the mini paint star.
"Hey, where are they going? Trying to snatch the Paint Star while we are on a coffee break? Not on my watch!"
"Agnea's outnumbered! I shall idle no more!" Hikari proclaimed, leaping out of his seat in pirsuit of the Shy Guys.
Fortunately, Agnea was never in any real danger, as the 4 Shy Guys got into a massive furball with their friend.
"Huh? They're fighting amongst their selves?" Hikari scratched his head.
"I came up with a better plan, guys!" The assaulted Shy Guy spoke up. "Dress the bimbo up like Princess Peach and pass her off to Bowser! We'll be his righthand guys!"
"Shudup! We all knew you wanted to take her for yourselves!"
The minions continued to squabble, completely oblivious to the rest of approaching party.
"Monsters beating each other up? That's new." Ochette commented. "Wait... I hearing that they wanted to capture you, Agnea. But why would they fight each other? Are they fighting over... you?"
"Yeah. It's really not as cute as I expected." Agnea spoke dismissively.
"Then let's make haste, while the enemy is distracted!" Hikari announced, with everyone else agreeing.
The next location the Mini Paint Star brought the party seemed to be in the middle of a wooden pathway built over a giant lake. It would've been the perfect rest stop, but the airship from before flew across the lake, reminding the heroes of their goal. A Toad stowaway fell off frpm the bucket, further instilling a sense of urgency.
Unfortunately, there was a completely impassable gate in the way.
"Grr! Now's not the time for a stupid gate!" Ochette banged on the doors, much to Huey's displeasure.
"Wait! That's the Cherry Gate! Almost didn't recognize this place, with all this wood. And the fact that the poor thing is rusting away... Anyways, as your impromptu tour guide, please treat the landmarks with more respect. Pretty please?"
"Oh, sorry Hueley." The beastling curled her ears.
"Have any better ideas? The masked men sealed the doors closed with an adhesive." Throne suggested.
"Stealing the paint is one, but hideous tape being plastered over everything is... gah!" Huey grunted. "Looks like I will have to bust out my secret technique. See how those metal panels on the gate form a staircase?"
"I think I understand what you mean, Huey. But how exactly will that help us?" Castti questioned.
"Clear cut lines are the perfect target for the Cutout Technique!"
"Uh, didn't you just tell Ochette not to damage the gate?" Agnea asked. "If we have to break it down, I promise to rebuilt it once we're past!"
Huey shook his head in disbelief. "Mario, do you get it? These guys are dense!"
"This isn't the first time I've bended dimensions like a pasta noodle." He responded. "Let's-a go!"
By the whims of Huey, everything was transported into a subspace of sorts. Linear was the best way to describe it. Left or right, with the 3rd dimension being completely absent.
"Where did you bring us?" Cattsi asked, concerned.
"Yeah, and where did all the pretty colors come from?" Ochette gawked at the otherworldly visuals.
"Are we beyond space and time? This is the power of the Gods!" Hikari exclaimed.
"And I was starting to believe you were all talk, paint can." Throne spoke.
The travelers were very bewildered at their current predicament. Mario? It was just another day in the life of the Mushroom Kingdom's hero.
"Eh, lets just say that this warp zone is between dimensions, ok?" The Travelers nodded in response, surrendering in the face of this bizarre phenomenon.
"Alright!" Huey celebrated "Now that everyone is on the same page, just proceed up the 'steps' and..."
Agnea tripped on the very first one.
"Oh geeze, she seems really out of it in here!" He commented.
"Sorry! I may not be the most coordinated gal at times, but something about this place makes me want to... *Urp*"
Thankfully, before the unspeakable to happened, Huey ended his Cut-Out ability. Once in the real world, everyone was feeling far more whole. The butterflies in Agnea's stomach passed by without further issue.
Up ahead was a series of water wheels, which conveniently had gaping holes large enough to walk through. Huey could barely hide his displease in the state of these cultural icons.
Before he could elaborate, a new foe showed their face to our heroes. 4 Shy Guys sought to bunch themselves up in such a way to make it seem as if they were a single, buffer guy. They bullied another of of their kin into the river when he refused to join them.
"Mama-mia, they are atleast 4 times as strong as before!" Mario exclaimed.
"You're right. That battle formation appears to be multiplying their power." Hikari states. "I was wondering when I would need to use more of my strengh..."
Hikari started to emit an aura of blue lightning around himself. Drawing his Battle Card, he struck the Shy Guy Stack four times in quick succession with his sword, easily ending the threat.
"Whoa! Did you see that blue glow surrounding Hikari?" Huey giddily aaked Mario, who nodded. He expected a follow up from the paint can.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm genuinely... Ohhhh, now you need my help? Listen up, I believe the Travelers are using these Boost Points to power themselves up..." He gestured to the non existent Points. "The more you use at once, the stronger your Cards get! Though I have a feeling that going all in all the time with BP won't get you very far."
"Pardon me? What in the world are you talking about?" Hikari inquired.
"Ahaha, nothing! Just keep it up, mister!" Huey replied.
After the Shy Guy foursome was felled, the fifth Shy Guy emerged from the nearby river. He thanked the heroes, and planned to reward their compassion further, but the Shy Guy tripped back into the drink. Only the Star Sprites and Solistian Gods know of his prize.
Moving on, our hero encounter a lone pair of shoes far too small for any human. Ochette hated any footwear becides open-toed sandals, so that ruled out her fellow Beastlings. There was only one culprit left...
"It's the Toad who fell from the skies. He's hanging on fir dear life over there!" Castti, holding her hat down to keep it from flying away, called out the mushroom-headed person drifting in the breeze. Breeze, as in the worst tropical storm our seafaring Travelers handled. The tree the Toad was attached to was stripped of all its leaves, and the sane for most of its clothing.
"Erm, is he just wearing a diaper?" Agnea questioned.
"Heh. Now you noticed?" Throne replied, causing Agnea to blush from embarassment.
"Without their vests and shoes, Toads really do look like overgrown babies. But I wasn't tryin to be rude to them!" Sge pouted back.
"Everyone please!" Castti shouted over the wind. "We must find the source of this terrible storm and destroy it!"
Our heroes advanced force in their quest to put a cease to the winds. Coming across seeming a deadend, Mario used Huey's "Cut Out" ability to warp the Travelers across. With that, they soon cane across the source of their wind problems...
"Whoa, and I thought I was your biggest fan, Mario!" Huey laughed, and so did Mario.
Meanwhile, the Travelers were none to pleased at the sight of the mysterious object.
"Gee, guess they aren't big fans about Things." He followed in in a less excited voice.
"It's the very reason why we came to the Prisma Isles." Hikari explained, setpping forward. "When those... artifacts first appeared in Solistia, chaos followed. My people in Ku tried to harness their power. The infighting grew out of control, and my kingdom was split once more."
"Yellow sea monsters caused quite a ruckus off in the Great Sea." Castti recalled. "I spoke with a few sailors in Canalbrine, and they said that the creatures resembled giant ducks."
"My hometown was iced over by an outa-season snowstorm!" Agnea said.
"A serial killer went on a spree back in New Delsa. No one has seen the killer, but the city-goers know of his, or its, weapon. Dual blades." Throne responded.
"We found a large crooked thingie the humans made to fish! The Great Hook!" Ochette replied. "Oh, you came up with the name first, Hueley? 'Things'?"
"Surely you can enlighten us about these mysterious objects, then. Such as their origin" Castti questioned.
The paint can closed his eyes and mumbled. "Hmm... nonflat... beyond our understanding of dimensions..." "Nope." He declared out loud. "I'm no expert in Thingology."
"The island's guardian doesn't know where the Things come from?" Castti gasped in disbelief.
"No... Wellgrove..." Agnea cried.
Ochette's sharp ears, however, picked up the quiet part. "Nonflat? What does Hueley mean?" She thought to herself.
"Oh come on, I was out for, maybe, a century or two. Lost a couple vital memories here of their. This lid really isn't as tight as it seems!" He responded. "But, I remember how to contain them. Once we stop the paint thieves, I promise to clean up the mess the Things left in your land. Now, Mario, give that fan a big squeeze!"
Mario nodded, hoisted the "Fan" into the air, and wrung it out like a dirty washcloth. The final product was a card, no different from the ones the heroes had been collecting.
"The wind at your fingertips... I once knew a close friend who could do the same." Hikari mentioned. "I trust that you won't use this power irresponsibly, Mario."
"Relax! This isn't my first time handling spicy meatballs!" He replied. "There was the Great Sticker Comet Festival awhile back. Bowser tried to steal the comet's power for himself. I had to use the Things to put him back in his place!"
The Travelers gave the plumber confused, almost worrisome looks.
"...Let's help that Toad find his missing clothes." Huey rerailed the heroes back on their original quest. Clearly, a person's missing garments were far more important than reality-warping objects of destruction!
The Toad in question had a rather bold sense of "Justice". However, he could not resume his duties until his jacket and Journal were found.
The journal, surprisingly, was not too far away from the Toad. A Red Shy Guy hot his hands on it first, and like any soul who finds a secret journal, read the contents out loud.
"From the shadows of... darkness, a hero arises to protect those who cannot protect themselves. This hero harnesses the power of justice to strike fear into the hearts of the wicked. Plus, he looks really, REALLY cool, and everyone wants to be best friends with him."
"Sounds like him alright." Throne rolled her eyes.
The Shy Guy heard her voice, and reacted, or overacted, in shock.
"When the bad guys appear... he fights with no fear!"
Throne swiped the book off him in a purple flash.
"Ah man... that comic book had all sorts of cool moves a hero would use." He spoke, disappointed. "I'll never under how you guys memorize all of them! Thanks, fleshfaces!"
He stormed off in a rage.
"If that little guy wanted to learn some moves, he should have stuck around. Could've shown him a thing or 2!" Agnea replied, doing a spin.
"I don't think the Shy Guy was talking about your moves, Agnea." Throne replied, studying the book. "Not alot of words in here. Mostly fighting, and garnish colors. Ugh... it's hard on the eyes."
"Ooh, let me look!" Ochette leaped onto the Thief's shoulder. "WHOOSH! BANG! POW! Whoa, I thought all books were boring like Papa's! Where can find more like this?"
"Ahem."
Castti's arms were crossed. "It is rather rude for you two to be peering into a man's private life."
"S-Sorry, Castti!" Ochette apologized, landing on the ground with all fours.
"It doesn't add up. The Toad and the caped figure in these pages are completely different." Cattsi growled lowly at Throne. "But, if he says its his, I can't argue."
Throne passed the book to Castti, who promptly snatched it out of her hands. Our heroes not soon after, ran into yet another "heroic" individual, a Purple Toad claiming to the leader of the Rescue Squad V. 5 squadrons, each representing a color of the rainbow, served to protect the Prisma Isles from danger and assist those in need. A tall, red Thing was sitting out of reach on a cliff. The Purple Toad had a plan in mind, but he needed his 3 other squad members to pull it off.
"We'll find the rest of your friends, Shroom Head!" Ochette spoke. While leaving, she saw a Mini Paint Star floating over the lake. "Will you help us with the Pain Star after?"
"Negative! The Grand Blue Paint is the property of the Rescue Squad V, branch Blue..." The Toad started. "Say, is this because of depth perception, or is the Paint Star smaller than usual?"
"An army of monsters attacked the Prisma Isles. They split up the Grand Paint Stars across the island and plan to steal its paint." Castti explained to the Toad. "Our companion Mario said that they called themselves the Koopa Troop."
The Purple Toad began to flail his tiny arms like a mad man. "BOWSER!? He's invading the islands?"
"Uh, sir, did you not see the creepy masked monsters running around with paint buckets?" Agnea replied, but the Toad ignored her.
"This is a code R.A.I.N.B.O.W! We have to assemble the colors at once!" He paused, looked around, then sighed. "Oh yeah, my squadmates. Even at full strength, my Purple Squad is less than half of your party's size."
"Alright, then we will find ALL of your friends!" Ochette offered.
"We will have to search every corner of this place to find the Paint Stars. We'll bump into your squad on the way." Throne spoke.
"Great! Thank the Stars, woman!" The Toad cheered.
Our heroes left to return a "Journal" and tiny clothing to the first justice Toad they encountered. On the way, something peeled at the back of Huey's mind like old paint.
"Great. The Toads of Prisma are doing MY job now? I really need to up my game, before... Scrap it."
He didn't wish to complete the dreadful thought.
Once the Toad's possessions were returned, he was eager to assist our heroes with the far-flung Paint Star. So eager, in fact, that the "superpowers" described in his journal manifested as a magical key protruding from his head. Bizarre, screwy visuals followed suit. Poor Agnea lost her lunch from the Toad's colors of madness. When they faded away, the Mini Paint Star was now in reach. Thankfully, our heros' heads remained attached to their respective bodies. It was almost anticlimactic, in a way.
Mario grabbed the Paint Star, and he and the Travelers were guided to their next point of interest. With all this talk about heroes, the plumber couldn't help but wonder where the villains were hiding. In his adventures in Rogueport and Flipsville, there always seemed to be another group of baddies behind the scenes. They had nothing to do with Bowser, but were infinitely more dangerous. However, by now, one of the members of the secret society should have shown themselves. The X-Nauts and Count Bleck circle never seemed to get the "secret" part down, revealing themselves shortly after he touched down in new ground. Mario assumed he was in the clear.
He and the Travelers missed a certain brown-haired woman spying on them from behind the cliff. The shadow enveloped the upper portion of her head.
"They arrived, as planned. The bringers of light, slayers of Vide. Oh, my Goddess, they shall not succeed again..." Tanzy whispered spitefully.