Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to characters from Mario or ROTSH.
Chapter 1: The Start of a New Adventure
In Rogueport
Mario had received a request for help from Goombella, an old friend who had aided him in the fight against the evil Shadow Queen. It was a simple task, nothing too dangerous. She had discovered a hidden collection of books in the old ruins beneath Rogueport, a bustling port town known for its mysterious past, and needed his help organizing them. Mario had arrived with his brother Luigi and their girlfriends, Princesse Peach and Princess Daisy. Despite Mario being the only one asked to come, the three also insisted on coming along. Goombella didn't mind; the more help, the faster they could complete the task. Goombella led the three into Professor Frankly's basement, where they were keeping all the books.
"Mamamia, this is a lot," Mario exclaimed, his eyes widening at the sight of the towering stacks of books.
"Yeah, it is. But since we now know that the old city used to belong to the Shadow Queen, can you imagine the knowledge hidden within these tomes!" Goombella asked, her voice filled with excitement and a hint of anticipation.
"Perhaps they could. Or perhaps these could all be the Shadow Queen's cooking journals," Peach said.
"Well, still! They are worth studying, even if they only contain the Shadow Queen's favorite parfait."
"Sorry, Goombella. I'm just kidding." Peach said with a giggle.
"Right. There are still other books we need to bring up. So, start organizing these for now. There are Roman Numerals on their spines. We assumed these were used to mark the dates they were made. Just organize them by those numbers." Goombella said before leaving.
Mario looked at the books and then back to his friends.
"Welp, let's-a get started."
With that, the four began to separate the books into groups. The work was going smoothly, albeit a bit boring. But the four managed to entertain themselves by guessing what the books were about since they were written in a language unknown to them. "I bet this one's a recipe book," Luigi joked, holding up a particularly thick volume. "More like a spellbook," Mario countered with a grin. They kept going until Luigi found a strange book.
"Huh?"
"What is it, bro?"
Mario asked as Luigi held up the book.
"I can read this."
Everyone looked at the book as well.
"Yeah, so could I," Daisy revealed.
"Strange. I wonder why this book isn't written in that strange language," Peach said.
"Maybe she didn't write it. This seems to be a storybook. 'The Four Cardinal Heroes,'" Luigi read aloud, his voice filled with curiosity and excitement as he started to read the book.
The world has lived in peace for many years.
But an ancient prophecy was foretold that would shatter that peace.
The Waves of Calamity. A terrible event that summons monstrous beasts to destroy the world.
But hope is not lost; the prophecy also foretold four great heroes to save us.
The Hero of the Spear, the Hero of the Sword, the Hero of the Bow, and the Hero of the Shield.
These four heroes will be the key to defeating the Waves of Calamity and securing everlasting peace.
Luigi then turned the page, but it was blank.
"What the?"
"Hmm, the Shadow Queen never finished this book. Or this was written by someone else before she sunk the whole kingdom," Peach speculated, referring to the powerful and evil figure who had once ruled over the land with an iron fist.
"Oh well. Back to work!" Daisy said.
Luigi just shrugged and put the book back. He tried to walk to the next pile of books, but something was wrong. His legs were moving, but he wasn't going anywhere.
"Huh?"
Luigi looked back to see that the book was open and glowing. And it was pulling him towards it!
"Ah! Help!" Luigi shouted, his voice filled with panic and fear as he tried to fight against the book's pull. His legs were flailing, his body was being dragged towards the book, and he was desperately reaching out for something to hold on to.
"Luigi!" Mario shouted as he leaped to his brother.
He managed to grab Luigi's arm, his fingers digging into Luigi's clothes as he tried to pull him away. Still, the book's pull was relentless, and Mario was now dragged in with Luigi. His feet slid across the dusty floor, his body straining against the invisible force; the situation was becoming dire, the danger palpable.
"Mamamia! What the heck is that book!" Mario shouted.
"Oh no!"
"Hold on, guys!"
Peach and Daisy yelled as they leaped in to help their boyfriends. But they couldn't beat the book's pull, and soon, both plumbers and princesses were pulled inside it. The book then lost its glow and fell back to the ground. The room was silent until the door from upstairs opened.
"Hey, guys. Zess T. made snacks for us," Goombella said as she came down with a plate of food, only to find no one there. "Guys? Where'd you go?"
Goombella was left wondering about the whereabouts of her friends, Mario and the others, who were being flung across space and time.
"Mamamia!"
"Where is this book taking us!?"
"I don't know!"
Luigi, Daisy, and Peach yelled. Fear is evident in their voices.
"It's going to be okay, everyone! As long as we're together, everything will be okay," Mario said, his voice filled with determination and a hint of reassurance, trying to calm his friend's fears. He then grabbed Luigi's arm, with Luigi grabbing Daisy's, Daisy grabbing Peach, and Peach completing the circle by grabbing Mario's other arm.
"Right. As long as we're together." Luigi said with a smile.
The group smiled at each other before they felt another pull. Soon, the group found themselves in a dark room, surrounded by men in long, flowing robes, their faces hidden beneath hoods, their hands clutching ancient tomes and staffs.
"It worked! The summoning ritual worked!" One of the men said.
"Summoning ritual?" Mario and the others thought.
"But why are there seven of them?" One of the robed men asked the other.
Mario wondered about the man's words when he noticed three other individuals in the room. He then saw their weapons: a spear, a sword, and a bow.
"Hmm, why does that seem familiar?" Mario said to himself.
That's when he saw what Luigi had stuck to his arm: a shield. It was a peculiar sight, as Luigi was not known for carrying a shield. Mario was about to ask Luigi about the shield, but one of the robed men spoke up.
"Please, great heroes, help us. We have made great efforts to summon you all here, "one of the robed men pleaded. Mario and the others exchanged glances, their expressions mixing confusion, concern, and determination.
"You can forget about it." The man with the spear said. He was a tall man with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail.
"I agree. Don't you feel bad about taking us from our world without consent? This is basically kidnapping." The man with the bow added. He was a young man who appeared to be in high school, with short, curly, light-brown hair.
"You guys will probably throw us away once we save the world. If that's the case, then we will have a problem," the man with the sword said. He also appeared of high school age and had short, flat, black hair.
Mario and the others just shook their heads at their attitudes. What if these people truly needed help? Were they going to turn their backs on them just because of the inconvenience of being summoned?
"Worry not, great heroes. We will reward you all handsomely for your work. The king will explain everything else once we meet him."
"Well, why didn't you say that earlier? Take us to him already." The blonde man said.
Our four SuperStars were already annoyed by his attitude and actions. Before following the robed men, the man made a flirtatious wink toward Peach and Daisy. They ignored it and stayed by their boyfriends' sides. As they were walking up the stairs, the brown-haired man spoke up.
"So, is this your first time outside of Japan?" He asked.
"Japan?" Daisy asked while tilting her head in confusion.
"Yeah. Wait, are you four not from Japan?"
"No, we are not. But to answer your question, we all travel a lot." Peach answered.
The group continued as the three strangers talked amongst themselves. Soon, they arrived at the throne room where the king was waiting on his throne. Next to him was a more enormous, empty throne. Peach wondered where the queen was and if she had more power than the king.
"So, are these the heroes of legend?" The king asked.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The king smiled as he rose from his throne.
"Hello, great heroes! Welcome to Melromarc! I am her king, AultcrayXXXII. Please, tell me your names."
Mario stepped forward to introduce himself, already used to these situations.
"Hello, I'm-a Mario."
"I'm-a Luigi."
"I am Princess Peach."
"Yo, I'm Daisy! Also, a princess."
The four said. The king raised an eyebrow at them.
"I see. Tell me, why are you here? The summoning should have only brought the Cardinal Hero."
"Cardinal Hero?" Daisy asked.
"Yes. A hero who holds one of the legendary weapons."
"He's talking about Luigi. Look at the shield stuck to his arm." Mario said.
Daisy, Peach, and Luigi looked at the shield attached to his arm.
"What the, when did this get here?" Luigi asked.
"It was probably attached to you while traveling through that vortex thingy." Daisy surmised.
"I see. As for how we all got here, I can only assume it was because we tried to stop Luigi from being summoned and were dragged here with him." Peach explained.
"What!? You tried to stop the summoning?" Aultcray asked in shock.
"Hey! A magic book tries to kidnap my boyfriend, and you expect me not to do anything about it!?" Daisy asked in an annoyed tone.
"I see. Of course, you were trying to help someone you cared for. Completely understandable. But understand, we were not trying to harm him. We need the four heroes to save us from the Waves of Calamity."
"Hmm, okay then."
The four seemed to accept Aultcray's explanation, much to his relief.
"Right, now let us continue. Your names now, fellow heroes."
"I'm Kitamura Motoyasu, a twenty-one-year-old college student." The spearman said.
"I am Kawasumi Itsuki, a seventeen-year-old high school student." The bowman said.
"Amaki Ren. Sixteen and in high school as well." The swordsman said.
"Mario, Peach, Daisy, Motoyasu, Itsuki, Ren, and Luigi. Splendid."
The four SuperStars noticed how Aultcray moved Luigi's name to the back. Daisy was about to say something, but Peach grabbed her shoulder. Daisy looked back to see Peach shaking her head. Daisy just huffed and stayed silent.
"Right. I assume you wish to know what the Waves of Calamity are. They are tears in the sky that bring forth terrible beasts that lay waste to all they come across. We have already dealt with one but suffered terrible losses, and the Waves will only get stronger. Faced with such a threat, we knew our only hope at salvation lay with the Cardinal Heroes. And so, we summoned you all to save us in our time of need." Aultcray explained.
Mario, Peach, Luigi, and Daisy nodded in understanding. Sounds like the standard adventure for them.
"I hope you don't expect us to do this for free," Motoyasu said.
The four were shocked by his attitude towards this kingdom's plight and even more shocked to see the other two heroes agree with him.
"Of course not, Sir Motoyasu. We will provide the four heroes and their parties monthly funds and rewards based on their performance. Also, once the Waves are taken care of, we will provide you all with the titles you deserve." Aultcray answered.
"That's more like it."
"Then count me in your highness."
Motoyasu and Itsuki said. Mario just facepalmed at their behavior.
"So, how do we continue? Do we form a party with each other?" Ren asked.
"Unfortunately, you cannot. The weapon holders cannot be near each other when gathering experience points. The weapons will have adverse reactions to each other. Your status magic should explain it in more detail." Aultcray explained.
"Status what?" Motoyasu said in confusion.
"Are you serious? There's a little blue square in the corner of your vision. Just focus on it." Ren said in annoyance.
Everyone did that, and their status screens were displayed in front of them. Even though they weren't Cardinal Heroes, Mario, Peach, and Daisy had access to this.
Mario Mario
Star Child, Plumber, Hero of Light, Athlete, Doctor, Architect, Adventurer...
Lv: 999
New World Lv: 1
Luigi Mario
Shield Hero, Star Child, Plumber, Hero of Light, Athlete, Adventurer, Ghost Hunter...
Lv: 999
New World Lv: 1
Princess Peach
Star Child, Princess, Hero of Light, Athlete, Diplomat, Adventure, Actor...
Lv: 999
New World Lv: 1
Princess Daisy
Princess, Diplomat, Adventurer, Athlete, Brawler...
Lv: 800
New World Lv: 1
The four looked at their titles and levels, glad that their experiences carried over from their world. Mario noticed Ren looking at their levels in frustration. He saw his screen and noticed that his level was one.
"Sorry, kid, but we've been doing this much longer than you have," Mario said in his head.
"Hey. Why are your levels higher than mine?" Daisy asked Peach.
"Well, we did fight Dimentio and win," Peach answered.
"Oh yeah, that guy who could erase and remake the universes. Darn it! I should've been there."
"I'd rather you weren't. I don't want you to see me at my worst." Luigi said, remembering when Dimentio fused with him to become Super Dimentio.
"That wasn't your fault, babe," Daisy said while hugging Luigi.
While this was happening, the other three heroes took note of their words.
"Wait, erasing and remaking universes?"
"They have to be kidding, right?"
"I don't think so. Their levels are extremely high. I think they've done this before."
Itsuki, Motoyasu, and Ren said in disbelief. The king coughed loudly to get their attention again.
"Good. Now that you have confirmed your hero status, my maids will take you to the banquet hall. Then they will show you to your room. Tomorrow, I will assemble mighty adventurers to help you on your quest."
"May we get a separate room?" Peach asked.
"But, of course, Lady Peach. I will immediately let my maids know to prepare another room for you and Lady Daisy.
"And Mario and Luigi as well. We four will sleep together."
"What!?"
Aultcray and Motoyasu said in shock.
"Well, they are our boyfriends. It only makes sense they would sleep with us."
"Huy!? Boyfriends!?" Motoyasu's mouth hung open upon hearing that.
"Ouch. Guess they're out of your reach now, Motoyasu." Itsuki said with a grin. He may have only known Motoyasu for an hour, but his attitude and behavior towards the princesses made it obvious he was a playboy/skirt chaser.
The group was led to the banquet hall to eat.
"Man, good food and drink? Being a hero is the best!" Itsuki said as he drank some wine.
Ren nodded in agreement while Motoyasu laughed jovially at Itsuki's statement.
"Of course it is. They need us to beat the Waves, so it makes sense that they provide us the best service possible."
Mario and the others just rolled their eyes at his attitude. You save people because it's the right thing to do, not because you expect a reward. Motoyasu then sent another wink to Peach and Daisy, one they did not reciprocate. Daisy, in response, held on to Luigi's arm and began to nuzzle against him. Motoyasu, annoyed by this, decided to be more forward in his attempts to woo the princesses.
"So, where do you two lovely princesses come from?"
Peach just gave Motoyasu a judgemental glare while Daisy continued to ignore him.
"Um, is something wrong?" Motoyasu nervously asked.
"Why ask just us?" Peach responded.
"What do you mean?"
"What about them? Shouldn't your question also be pointed to them since they came with us?" Peach continued, pointing to Mario and Luigi.
"Um, well, you see, I thought it would be more proper to address you and Daisy first before those two. Ladies first, after all." Motoyasu stuttered out.
"Okay. What are their names?"
"Huh?"
"Their names? I hope you remember them. We just went through introductions."
"Oh, yes, I remember their names. They're, um, umm."
Everyone wasn't too surprised he didn't remember. He seemed to be the kind of guy to forget anyone who wasn't a woman or of use to him.
"Ugh, it's Mario and Luigi, you idiot! Just look at their caps. They're practically branded." Itsuki said in annoyance.
"Why are your caps like that? Is it a fad where you're from?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, I'm curious about that too," Motoyasu said, trying to push past his embarrassing moment earlier.
"It makes sense you'd be curious. First, let us explain where we are from. Me, my bro Luigi, and Princess Peach come from the Mushroom Kingdom." Mario explained.
"Mushroom Kingdom?"
"I've never heard of that place before."
Motoyasu and Itsuki said. Ren just stayed silent, listening to Mario's explanation.
"Makes sense. I believe you three come from a world different than ours."
"What makes you say that?" Itsuki asked.
"Because none of you recognized Mario. He's very famous back in our world. Almost no one hasn't heard of him or his adventures." Peach answered.
"Okay. And why are you so famous? What did you do on those adventures?" Ren asked.
"Many things, mostly saving the Mushroom Kingdom, the world, and the universe," Mario explained.
Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu were stunned by this.
"Excuse me, but you said you saved the universe. Do you mean the actual universe?"
"Yes, Itsuki. Many villains have tried to either conquer or destroy the universe."
"And 'you' were the first person people thought of to stop them?" Motoyasu asked sarcastically, not believing Mario's story.
"Yep. I've done a lot in my time at the Mushroom Kingdom. Defeated evil tyrants, fought living weapons, beaten gods, and so on." Mario answered as he took another bite of his food.
"Yeah, right. Like you take on gods with that body, please."
"Motoyasu."
"Yes, Peach!?"
"Don't say such disrespectful things about Mario in front of me ever again, or I'll make you pay for it. GOT IT!?" Peach said while glaring daggers at Motoyasu. Motoyasu was shaken by her outburst and stumbled back into his chair.
"It's-a okay, Peach; he's from a different world and doesn't know me. Plus, my body doesn't exactly look like it was made to fight gods. Most people imagine Heracles-like figures with massive abs and muscles." Mario said.
Peach calmed down after hearing this, much to Motoyasu's relief, and sat back down.
"Still, if you want proof, we could duel on the balcony."
"Heh, bring it, fatty."
"What did I just say!?"
Motoyasu flinched at Peach's words, but Mario placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's-a fine; I'll get him back for that."
"Wait, before you fight, you still haven't explained your clothes or where Daisy's from," Itsuki said.
"Oh, right. Well, saving the world is just something I do because it needs to be done. Our main job is plumbing, and these clothes help make our business stand out," Mario answered, pointing to him and Luigi.
"Huh? You're plumbers?" Ren asked in shock.
"Yep, here."
Mario then handed Ren his business card.
Super Mario Bros. Plumbing
You got a clog; we got a job.
"Huh, I wasn't expecting that."
"Me neither."
Ren and Itsuki said as they examined the card. Motoyasu began to laugh uncontrollably.
"Oh, man. Are you serious? A plumber? The great hero of the Mushroom Kingdom is a plumber!? That's rich!"
Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy were already annoyed by his antics, but now they were at their limit with him.
"Hey, Motoyasu, I suggest you stop taunting him," Ren said.
"Huh? Why?"
"Did you forget? These four have crazy high levels. I believe Mario has fought gods before," Itsuki added.
"Hmph, I don't believe that. There has to be a mistake. There's no way someone that fat has such a high level." Motoyasu arrogantly stated.
Peach has had enough and is about to do something to Motoyasu, but Mario gets up first.
"Let's start our little duel if you believe that."
"Hmph, gladly, fatty."
The two went to the balcony, with the others following them. Itsuki and Ren shook their heads all the way.
"He's going get stomped, isn't he?"
"If he's lucky. With how he's acted, I wouldn't blame Mario if he destroyed Motoyasu and took the spear for himself."
Itsuki and Ren said. Mario and Motoyasu stood opposite each other while Peach, Luigi, Daisy, Ren, and Itsuki watched from the sidelines.
"Peach! Watch how I decimate this loser!" Motoyasu said, trying to woo Peach to his side.
Peach just ignored him and turned to Mario.
"Kick his butt, Mario!" She yelled, much to Motoyasu's disappointment.
"Damn it! Why does she like a fatty like him!? Whatever! I'll show how much better I am. Then she'll come running into my arms." Motoyasu said with a grin. He readied his spear and faced Mario. "You can still back out now, so you don't embarrass yourself."
"I'm fine. Besides, this is an excellent chance to put you in your place, you punk brat," Mario said while stretching.
Mario's remark ticked Motoyasu, and he couldn't wait to start the fight. Peach and the other heroes acted as witnesses and judges while some maids and other individuals watched with interest.
"Ready? Begin!"
Peach threw her arm down, and Motoyasu rushed forward, intent on spearing Mario. Mario saw this coming a mile away and easily sidestepped the attack.
"Too easy."
"Huh?"
Motoyasu was shocked that Mario had evaded his attack.
"So, you're faster than you look, fatty. But let's see you keep that up!"
Motoyasu unleashed a barrage of spear thrusts, but Mario had no trouble evading the assault.
"Looks like Mario is going to win this duel."
"Not surprising. If his level is anything to go by, and his stories, he is far more experienced than any of us. I'm curious if he's willing to give some pointers on fighting.
Itsuki and Ren commented.
"We'll be more than happy to give you some tips," Luigi said.
"That would be much appreciated."
Itsuki said, with Ren nodding in agreement. Back with the fight, Motoyasu was still trying to hit Mario, but Mario dodged all his attacks.
"No way, this doesn't make any sense. You're... a fatty. You shouldn't... be able... to move... like that." Motoyasu said in between breaths.
"That's your first mistake, kid. Don't underestimate your opponent. Even the weakest-looking creatures could be hiding terrifying power," Mario said, remembering the Amazy Dayzees.
"That's... a load... of crap!"
Mario just shook his head at Motoyasu's attitude. Perhaps this beating will straighten him out.
"Alright then, you done?"
"Huh?"
"If so, then it's-a my turn."
Mario raised his fist and rushed at Motoyasu. His approach was too fast for Motoyasu to react, and Mario swept out his legs before he knew it. Before Motoyasu could hit the ground, Mario punched him in the face and into the ground. Mario held back so he didn't destroy the balcony or kill Motoyasu, but cracks formed beneath Motoyasu's body, and he was out cold. As Mario pulled back his fist, he noticed the spear absorbing some energy from him. He wondered what that was about but decided not to dwell on it as he was fine.
"He's out cold. I think that's my win." Mario said to the group.
Peach nodded before she walked up to Mario and raised his hand in victory.
"And the victor is Mario!"
Everyone clapped, including the servants, at Mario's display of skill.
"I think he needs medical attention," Mario said, pointing to Motoyasu, who was still out.
"Right! We'll take him to the infirmary."
Some maids came and carried Motoyasu away. Another Maid walked up to the group.
"If you are finished, I will take you to your rooms," she said, bowing.
"Lead the way, please," Peach responded with a smile.
The maid led the group to their rooms. Meanwhile, a cloaked figure came out from behind a corner. Once the coast was clear, she walked up to the crack left behind by Mario's attack. She intently examined the crack before turning to where Mario and the others went.
"Such power for one who is not a wielder of a Cardinal Weapon. I must inform the queen at once."
She quickly left to inform the queen of these surprising developments. The maid led Ren and Itsuki to their room first. Then, she led Mario and the others to their room. The room was big, with a couch and two queen-sized beds. Once the maid left the room, Daisy threw herself on one of the beds.
"Oh, man. What a long day." She groaned out.
"True, who would have expected that reorganizing some books would lead to a new adventure," Peach said.
"Eh, nothing we're not used to already," Mario added.
"True. Still, this is better than most adventures we've been on already. No one's been kidnapped yet. No objects of power have been stolen yet. The Waves have started, but this is a better start than most of our adventures," Peach explained, with Mario and Daisy nodding in agreement.
Mario looked at Luigi, who was busy reading something on the menu of his shield.
"What you reading, bro?"
"Hmm? Oh, just some rules about the Legendary Weapons, Mario. According to these rules, I can't use anything except a shield."
Luigi pulled out his hammer but was shocked by the shield to let go.
"Yep, there it is. I can't use anything except shields. But,"
Luigi grabbed the hammer again. But instead of trying to use it as a weapon, he held it to the gem of his shield. It absorbed some essence from the hammer and transformed. It was now a black shield with a large hammer in the middle and smaller hammers in its corners.
[Hammer Shield unlocked. Plus five resistance to blunt attacks with each level gained. Can throw hammers from the shield's gem or user's hand.]
Luigi looked at his new shield, liking its design.
"Neat. Looks like I can feed things to my shield to upgrade it."
"Cool! What else should we try?" Daisy asked.
Luigi examined his stats while Daisy, Mario, and Peach looked around the room for objects to feed Luigi's shield. He noticed they were all high, except for one, his attack stat. It was a measly one. But he did see an asterisk next to the attack stat. He focused on it, and a new notification appeared.
[Union with Star Power complete. Now, the user can enhance any stats with Star Power.]
Luigi saw a bar labeled Star Gauge appear underneath his health and mana bars. He assumed this was because he was a Star Child and had immense power within him like the others. This power was usually used with his power-ups or special attacks. Knowing that he could now use it to enhance his stats was interesting. After absorbing a few items, the group went to sleep. Most of the items were average. The only one that stood out was the mirror shield Luigi got from absorbing a handheld mirror. It grants resistance to magic and allows Luigi to reflect any magic attack with the shield. This was a handy ability.
The morning had come, and after breakfast, all four heroes and Luigi's friends were summoned to the throne room. There, they saw a group of adventurers summoned by the king.
"Welcome, great heroes! We have gathered willing adventurers eager to aid you in your quests."
Mario examined the adventurers before them.
"Okay. There seems to be enough for all four heroes. So, how do we pick them? Do we go in order?" Mario asked.
"No, Sir Mario, they will pick you! Now go, mighty adventurers, and choose your hero!"
The adventures walked up to the hero they wished to join—four for Ren, five for Itsuki, four for Motoyasu, and none for Luigi.
"Huh? What's-a going on?" Luigi asked.
"Hmm, this is odd. I wonder why no one has chosen to join the Shield Hero," Aultcray said.
Peach noticed the look in his eye and suspected he had something to do with this. That's when a servant walks up to him and whispers something in his ear.
"Ah. It appears that rumors have already spread about the Shield Hero. Rumors state that he and his brother are nothing more than mere plumbers. This seems to be why no adventurers wish to join the Shield."
Motoyasu chuckled at this but stopped when he noticed Mario glaring at him. He remembered how easily he had been bested the previous night and did not want to anger Mario.
"Eh, it's fine. I mean, he already has a party with us!" Mario stated as he, Peach, and Daisy surrounded Luigi.
"Wait, Peach, are you sure you and Daisy wish to do this? I heard the Waves are dangerous, and you will surely be in danger. My party still has room, and I promise I will protect you both." Motoyasu said in an attempt to woo Peach and Daisy.
Peach just glared at him before smiling. However, this smile held no warmth, and Motoyasu was unnerved by it.
"Motoyasu, you remember that Mario is my lover, and Daisy is Luigi's, correct?"
"Um, yeah?"
"So why would we abandon them, whom we've known for years, for a boy we barely met?"
"Well, um, you see,"
"Plus, you say you can protect us, but didn't Mario royally trounce you last night?"
"He got lucky!"
"Sure, sure. Then there's your attitude."
"My attitude?"
"Yes. The way you constantly hit on me and Daisy despite knowing we are both in a relationship is the action of a childish boy. Why would we abandon a strong, responsible man for a childish boy?"
That last part hurt Motoyasu's pride, and he looked down silently. Both Ren and Itsuki were shaking their heads at this. It appears Motoyasu hadn't learned anything from his beating last night.
"That's what I thought. Since we must gather party members independently, we should receive some extra funding.
"Oh, yes! Of course, Lady Peach. To aid the Shield Hero's efforts in recruiting party members, he shall receive eight hundred silver just this once, while the other three heroes will receive six hundred silver." Aultcray announced.
Four servants came out with silver bags, giving each hero one.
"Now then, does anyone else wish to switch parties now?"
"Excuse me!"
Everyone turned to a woman with red hair who was with Motoyasu's team.
"I would like to join the Shield's party."
"What!? Are you sure?" Motoyasu asked.
"Yes. I feel bad they have no one to help guide them in this foreign land. I want to help them with this."
"Well, if that is your choice."
"Thank you."
The redhead jogged to Luigi's group and introduced herself.
"Hello there. I am Myne Sophia, and I hope you will accept me."
"Okie dokie. Welcome to the team." Luigi said with a smile.
While she appeared happy to join them, Daisy had suspicions about this woman. There was just something off about her.
"Now, is there anyone else who wishes to change parties?" Aultcray asked. No one spoke up, happy with their choices. "Very well. Now go begin your quest, mighty heroes!"
With that, the groups left to start their adventure.
That ends the chapter. Thank you all for reading it. As for why I started this, I realized with my Four Cardinal Heroines story that the three other heroes were a significant part of the plot in the original ROTSH. So, I wanted to make different stories with just one franchise crossing over with ROTSH. I chose to start with my favorite, Mario. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave a review, and have a nice day.