Paper Ed

Chapter 6: Magic and Deception

After hearing what they needed to accomplish, the four heroes were on their way back to Toad Town with new goals in mind. Mario was most worried for the sake of the princess and his kingdom, the thoughts never being able to escape his mind. Everyone else was able to at least share his sentiments, as they also had experienced loss, most likely with the exception of Goombario.

Goombario tried to be more positive towards his idol, who was walking with a rather solemn expression on his face.

"Don't feel too bad, Mario. I'm pretty sure Bowser wouldn't do anything harmful to the princess, otherwise he'd hear it from the stars when we finish this quest. I'm inexperienced, but I will do everything I can to help you!"

Mario turned to him and smiled. "Thanks, Goombario. I needed a pick-me-up after all I've been through."

With Shooting Star Summit out of view, they were heading back on the trail. Stars were endlessly flying through the sky, so at least the group was treated to a spectacle of brightness. As they were walking, Mario was suddenly whacked on the head by a flying object. The others stopped instantly when they saw him rubbing his head. They thought it was a shooting star, but it was a yellow Star Kid!

Twink recovered from the collision but realized what he had just done. He frowned after he saw that everyone started to stare at him awkwardly. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I was just in a huge hurry to meet you! You are Mario, correct? My name is Twink! I'm a Star Kid from Star Haven! I was sent by Princess Peach to grant her wish."

Mario widened his eyes as his face formed into a smile. He wiped the dust off of himself and replied, "Pleased to meet you, Twink! I am Mario, and these are my friends here. This is the first time I've ever met a Star Kid, and I'd like to get to know more of your kind."

Twink smiled brightly and replied, "No problem! Thing is, I'm going to work really hard to become a Star Spirit someday! I just want to see people's wishes come true and be able to help others!"

Eddy was the first to step up to the plate, wanting to make his presence known to the celestial being even if he was a bit smaller. Eddy pointed to himself and proudly announced, "I'm Eddy! The coolest one in town. Nice to meet ya, star guy. You're going places, for sure."

Rolf lightly patted Twink on the head, which to the Star Kid felt slightly strange. "Rolf''s name is Rolf! I have never seen your kind, even in Rolf's mythology. I am humbled by your ability to grant wishes!"

Goombario shyly said, "I'm Goombario! It's really nice to meet you, Twink. From what I know, star kids are revered highly and raised well in Starborn Valley before they move to Star Haven. You have so much potential to become a great Star Spirit with that attitude!

Twink smiled. "Nice to meet you all! Anyway Mario, I've been sent here to give you something from the princess! She wanted me to tell you that she's completely fine." He explained, showing off the Lucky Star behind his back to Mario, who took the necklace over his head.

"Hm... this is a Lucky Star, isn't it? Thank you! It's a rare item that is supposed to bring good luck from the stars! You've been so helpful, Twink..." Mario said amiably.

Eddy grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Does that mean we're gonna get more moolah? You're not so bad, Twinkie boy!"

Twink blushed, slightly embarrassed. "Thank you... it means so much that I was able to help someone. Oh! Princess Peach is also roomed in with some girls called the Kanker Sisters. Are any of you supposed to be one of their boyfriends?"

Eddy had a "say what?" expression before gritting his teeth. He tried to avoid the subject altogether by urging the group to move along, but Rolf caught on and started to be a bit playful.

"Casanova Ed-boy here, yes? Ed-boy here has been smitten by one of the Kanker Sisters!" Rolf said with a wide grin, causing Eddy to shout in retortion.

"WHAT! He's lying, I swear! None of them are my girlfriends! They're all gross hacks." Eddy protested, gagging himself.

Goombario said worriedly, "Are you sure that isn't a bit too harsh? I mean, I don't know..."

Eddy said bluntly, "Trust me kid, you don't wanna meet them."

Twink was confused, but ultimately said, "Um... I guess you are. Well, they did say that they'll be looking for you once they escape the castle! Although with such tight security, I don't know if that's possible..."

Eddy blew a raspberry. "Pfft! I hope they stay trapped up there. Tell 'em I said that."

After a few more minutes of idle conversation, Mario decided it was time to go. "It was fun getting to know you, Twink! Thanks for everything. We are going to rescue all of the Star Spirits now! Tell Peach I am fine, as well."

Twink smiled. "Got it!" He started to fly away, but he came crashing towards the ground, recoiling in pain. A blast of magic had just been fired from the wand of a magician.

"Twink! Are you okay?" Goombario asked with concern.

This magician was a Koopa wearing a blue cloak, riding on a levitating broomstick and laughing sinisterly. "Hehehe... what a foolish Star Kid! I knew that if I followed your trail and your luminescent yellow glow, it would lead me to Mario! Once I defeat him, Kammy Koopa will be so happy! She'll shower me with praise, she'll give me a raise! And a raise really pays! It pays for all of my working days! I will be able to vacation at the bay! Uh... I like mocking jays?" The Koopa failed to rhyme.

"Shut up," Eddy said irritably.

Rolf stood up proudly, raising a fist at the Koopa. "Rolf has had enough of your flandoodle, magic-wielding one! Prepare yourself for a merciless thrashing! You see, Mario-boy is not the only one you should be fighting! The one you should be fighting... is ROLF!"

The son of a shepherd tried to land a flying uppercut at the Koopa, but he levitated himself upwards on his broom to dodge the attack, continuing to laugh condescendingly.

"Ha ha! You think you are a match for me, you ruffian? How would you like this?" The Koopa pulled out a magic wand and shot out a multi-colored beam of magic at Rolf, who unexpectedly took a hit. He fell onto the ground, and clutched his arm.

"Get up, Rolf!" Eddy shouted, trying to pep him up. Rolf quickly got back onto his feet but continued to rub his elbow in pain.

Goombario was quickly flipping through his Tattle Log as the fight began, trying to be of assistance. "That's a Magikoopa! He's a Koopa trained in the arts of sorcery. You can knock him off of his broom by jumping on him a few times! He can do anything from blasts of energy to granting his teammates invulnerability!"

Mario nodded. "I'm on the job!" He leaped at the Magikoopa and struck twice with his boots, inflicting some damage and knocking him off of the broomstick.

Eddy laughed. "Hah! My turn!" Before he could land a blow, Rolf punched him on the forehead and sent him several feet down into the ground.

"No, Ed-boy! It was Rolf's turn to exact his revenge!" Rolf stated. He grabbed both of his shoes and lunged towards the Magikoopa, who simply stared in astonishment. Rolf landed several strikes onto his face before he retreated backwards. The farmer was satisfied in at least being able to retaliate, however.

The Magikoopa gritted his teeth. "Grr... you think this is over? Take this, Mario!" He fired a beam of magic towards Mario, who simply held his ground and guarded the attack in order to reduce the impact.

"Hmph, you aren't so tough! Get him, Goombario!" The duo charged at the Magikoopa as he stood there, mouth agape. Mario swung his hammer at his Goomba friend, launching him into the air. Goombario used his muscles to propel himself forward and land a powerful head bonk onto the Magikoopa, following it up with another one! Impressed by the attack, Mario leaped off of Goombario as he was descending and lifted his hammer high into the air, smashing it downwards on the fiend's head. The Magikoopa was defeated, lying unconscious on the ground. Twink approached the four afterwards.

"Well done, you guys! That was some amazing teamwork! All of you are as strong as can be- I believe that you'll be able to rescue all the Star Spirits at this rate!" Twink cheered, smiling widely.

Mario gave a thumbs-up. "Not a problem, Twink. We'll be seeing you later!"

Twink nodded and flew off back to Peach's castle, relaying Mario and Eddy's reply as a sworn obligation for himself. Through this, he felt happy knowing that he would be able to grant small wishes that people had, which were small steps towards becoming a great star.

Eddy had finally recovered from his traumatic experience, although still a bit dazed. "Hold up... that's my waffle!... Wait, WHAT? You guys already finished him? I didn't even get a hit in! Good job, Rolfy-boy." Eddy said sarcastically, rubbing his forehead.

"Thank you, Ed-boy! Rolf appreciates your thoughtfulness," Rolf replied, apparently not remembering what he did to Eddy earlier, "Shall we continue?"

Goombario nodded. "We should head back to Toad Town and explore a bit. I wish the Star Spirits had time to tell us where they all were," He said with mild disappointment.

The four of them arrived shortly in Toad Town after a brief walk. They were in high spirits after receiving confirmation that the Princess was safe and their mission objective was cleared up. Still, knowing where to go next was another challenge altogether.

Eddy was eyeing the buildings and citizens, grinning like a maniac. "So when we get a Star Spirit, how about we get a break? I've got some suckers - I mean Toads to uh, meet! It's a pretty cool place you live in, Mario boy!"

Mario shrugged. "We do need a break once in a while. Now is not the time, though - we need to look for help!"

As they passed through the star door into Toad Town, a fellow Toad citizen near the mysterious spinning house walked up to them.

"Hey, Mario! Mario! The guy in the spinning house, named Merlon, wants to talk to you. He's an old shaman that tells prophecies; people say that he's always accurate on his predictions!" The Toad explained, gesturing towards the house.

Goombario looked at Mario and the others, before deciding that this would probably be best. "We don't have any other leads, so we might as well talk to him and figure out how he can help us." Goombario stated as he knocked on the door.

"Merlon is not home!" A gruff voice shouted from the door.

Eddy blew a raspberry. "Like we'd believe that you're his grandpa or something! Open the door, hamlet!" He knocked on the door again.

"Did I not say Merlon isn't home? Leave!"

Mario sighed. "I seriously doubt that a shaman would leave his house untouched. Come out here, we wish to speak to you!"

Eddy groaned and knocked on the door loudly, slamming his fist into the wall.

"HE IS NOT HOME!" The man replied yet again.

Rolf and Eddy were practically steaming with anger. "Enough of this tomfoolery! We wish to make your acquaintance!"

Eddy yelled in frustration, "THAT'S IT! WE'RE BUSTING IN WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" Eddy started to pound on the door when he was suddenly slammed into the wall as the door flied open. Goombario and Mario presumed that the man standing in front of them was Merlon, in the flesh. They decided to greet him with a wave as Rolf bowed down to the shaman, admiring his profession. Merlon was a small man concealed in a purple cloak; only his yellow eyes were visible, and he also possessed a long mustache that surpassed Mario's.

Merlon widened his eyes and realized who those people were from his prophecy. "Oh, it's you folks! I am indeed Merlon, and I have been waiting to speak with you. Come in and let me tell you all a story. ... Hm? Oh dear, did I miss somebody?" Merlon greeted them before looking down and seeing that Eddy's face was planted into the grass.

"Don't I get enough slapstick in the show? This is getting old, I swear!" Eddy groaned.

Goombario and Mario lightly chuckled as the four of them entered inside. They all gathered around a table with a crystal ball, politely giving their attention to the prophetic wizard.

Merlon coughed. "Ahem... where shall I begin? My name is Merlon, of course. I am a wizard. I was visited by an oracle the other day, and I discovered something very important. It concerns you and your friends. But before I begin, there are things of which I must discuss. Where should I start?

Merlon then told a very long story, to say the least, that summarized his entire life. He discussed how he became a wizard, his origins, people he had met, and battles that he endured. Eventually, though, it came to the point where it would endlessly drag on. Even the most patient ones would not have been able to handle the ever-so boring tone of speech and trivial details. Time continued to pass as he went on; the four began to grow weary of his stories. At some point, Eddy began to blink rapidly as he saw the light fading from his eyes. Then he began to snore quite loudly - at this point, he had no qualms about being blatantly disrespectful towards his superior.

Merlon had finally concluded his story; only Goombario was able to last the entire duration of his anecdotes, being taught to respect his elders no matter what. It felt like a long time, but in reality, only a half hour had passed when Merlon himself stopped being lost in thought and looked up.

"Hey! Mario, kids! Were you all even listening to me?" Goombario nodded proudly while Mario and Rolf quickly woke up, shaking their heads rapidly. Eddy was still passed out on the table, leaving drool stains as he was daydreaming.

Merlon nodded slowly. "Oh... okay. So anyway, now you know that I can be of help to you. If you ever get lost during your adventure, you can come to me. I will be able to guide you towards your path for a small price."

Mario smiled. "Seems like a fair deal. So where are we heading next, Merlon?"

The talk about money made Eddy wake up hastily, however. He shook a fist at the wizard, irate about his deal. "Hold on there, old man! Are we talking cash or what? I'll let you know that I'm not letting anyone scam me around here!"

Merlon laughed lightly. "Hm, I would say five coins is about right. Anyways, right now, your main goal is to save Princess Peach as quickly as possible, but... your first path must be towards the fortress of several Koopa Bros. There is a Star Spirit being imprisoned at Koopa Bros. Fortress, which you will find on the path directly east from Toad Town."

Rolf was confused. "Rolf is confused. What are these, how-you-say, Koopas?"

Goombario flipped through his Tattle Log quickly and showed an image of one in his book. "These kind of Koopas work for Bowser because they wear dark sunglasses. They are a bit tougher than ordinary Goombas."

Merlon nodded. "Correct, young Goomba. Now you must go! Venture off and save our city from Bowser's tyranny!"

Feeling a bit more motivated than usual, the four of them left Merlon's house and promptly made their way east of the building. Mario and Goombario as well as Eddy and Rolf were having their own personal conversations.

Goombario asked worriedly, "Mario, do you think these so-called Koopa Bros. and their fortress will be tough? For all we know, we might be bombarded at the entrance by an army of enemies."

Mario shrugged. "Beats me, though it's nothing I'm not used to. We just have to fight harder! Before we get to the fortress though, I heard east from here is a road called Pleasant Path. I haven't been around there before but I heard the name might be a bit misleading."

During his doze-off at Merlon's, Eddy was beginning to ponder the misfortunes of the rest of the kids, as well as his two pals. He wondered if the ship sent them completely off course, or if they were even in the dimension at all. "Man, Rolfy-boy... I wonder where Ed and Double D are. Don'tcha think that they might be around here or something?"

Rolf shook his head. "I am unsure, but Rolf guarantees that your companions as well as mine shall be found! Never give hope, pancake-headed Ed boy! My great Nano once told me that through the turmoil of the sea, there will always be a way to find dry land if we continue to steer the boat!"

Eddy resisted laughing but he knew that Rolf was right.

However, they had more concerning matters to deal with right in front of them. Blocking the east exit out of Toad Town were several strange-looking Toads. They resembled ordinary ones, but had dark gray caps and devilish smirks opposed to those with white caps and amiable appearances. Mario was the first one to notice that something was immediately off, although he kept this to himself for now.

"Hey, what's going on? ... Um, excuse me, my friends and I are headed to Koopa Bros. Fortress to rescue a Star Spirit. Will you let us through?" Mario asked politely, holding his hands behind his back.

The Toads immediately shook their head in unison.

"You don't wanna go out there. It's way too dangerous." A red-spotted Toad stated, nodding his head repeatedly.

"Going to Koopa Bros. Fortress would be a huge mistake. You're risking your life there, pal!" Another Toad chimed in, adding to their reasoning.

Mario frowned while Rolf started to become anxious. "Please let us through, Toad-boys! We are heroes that must save the Star Spirit in order to save the Princess!" Rolf explained, hoping to convey the message.

Still, the gang of Toads still appeared to not have listened to him, carrying their malicious grins. "Definitely, definitely don't go. It's for your own good, stretch." Another replied, adamant on his position that they shouldn't pass.

Eddy was about ready to pull his hairs out. "Look, squirts! We don't got time for this! Move it or lose it!"

The green-spotted Toad just looked at him funny. "Are you kidding me, shrimp? You're the one who'd probably last about five seconds before running back here. And then we'll say we told you so!"

At that comment, Eddy's face turned red. "That's not true!"

Rolf was also being supportive towards his comrade, rolling up his sleeves. His face was filled with anger as he stared down the Toads, who remained perfectly fixed in their position to block the path. "Must Rolf knock some sense in those noodles you call a head? Prepare yourselves for a duel!"

The leader Toad simply said, "Bring it on, tough guy."

Mario tried to restrain Eddy and Rolf with his hands, but they seemed more emotionally vexed than ever as their path was being impeded.

Goombario looked worriedly at his idol. "Mario, this is going to get ugly. I don't think the citizens here would appreciate a fight. Let's go ask Merlon for help - those Toads look suspicious, anyway. I've never seen one with gray colors, let alone four."

Mario nodded. "Good idea! I had something similar in mind. Let's-a-go!"

The two heroes quickly made their way into Merlon's house, whom was rather surprised that they had returned so fastidiously after leaving.

"Mama-mia! Merlon, there are four suspicious Toads out there blocking our path! They are starting a fight with my two comrades and we don't know how to stop this!" Mario explained, trying to give a nod to the urgency of this matter.

Merlon widened his eyes. "Hm... is that so? Very well. I will make my way outside as fast as I can and settle this once and for all. Follow me, you two."

The wizard left the book he was reading on his table before proceeding out through the door. Mario and Goombario followed along and saw that Eddy and Rolf were miraculously able to restrain themselves from attacking, albeit the insults still being thrown at them.

The red Toad stopped jabbering with Eddy and Rolf and looked upwards to see the other two heroes, along with Merlon trailing behind them. He still maintained his smug attitude. "I told you that you can't pass through here! Now take off!"

Merlon narrowed his eyes suspiciously upon first inspection of them. "Hm... you aren't Toads, are you?"

The yellow Toad gulped but still remained calm. "Uh, we don't know what you're talking about! I mean, just ask anyone! We're just cute, ordinary Toads hanging out. Right guys?" The others nodded hastily in agreement.

"Sure you are," Goombario mumbled sarcastically.

Merlon had already figured it out, much to their dismay. "I see through your lies... reveal your true selves!" Merlon began to gather a large amount of energy into his hands, creating strong amounts of air pressure that forced Goombario and Mario to step out of the way. The wizard was incredibly focused yet calm, demonstrating his experience. He then released that power by lifting his hands into the air, causing lightning to blast out from the sky! Despite it being a clear day, the four Toads were struck dead on with a bolt, unveiling their disguise. They were revealed to be none other than the Koopa Bros!

"Aaargh!" They shouted in pain, recoiling backwards. Rolf and Eddy were now even more prepared to give them a pummeling after they had been deceived.

"That's so amazing," Mario thought, "I never expected that he would be this powerful. I guess there are people out there that are even a match for me." Mario stared at the wizard in admiration, Goombario reciprocating the action as well.

Merlon looked unsurprised. "Aha! Just as I thought, you are none other than the Koopa Bros!"

Red Koopa was astonished. "How... how'd you guess it was us? We were perfectly disguised! Um... shucks! Black! Yellow! Green! We retreat! ... for now."

The four of them ran off in the blink of an eye, leaving a past of dust trails behind. At least now the path was opened, and the heroes knew who they were up against.

Merlon turned towards the group. "Everyone! Those imposters are none other than the Koopa Bros! You must pursue them all the way to their hideout, the Koopa Bros. Fortress. It will be a difficult road, but I believe you all can do it."

Before leaving, however, Merlon also had one more thing to say: "Oh, I almost forgot! There's a part of your fortune that I haven't revealed. In order to make it to Koopa Bros. Fortress, you must receive the help from a blue-shelled Koopa. I'm not sure what this all means, but the good citizens of Koopa Village may know who this man or woman is."

Even after a minute of gathering his thoughts, Eddy was still gritting his teeth. "Those Koopa Bros. had the nerve to fleece ME? Well, two can play at that game! When I get my hands on them, I will-" Eddy was interrupted by Rolf, who covered his mouth.

"Rolf understands your feelings, Ed-boy! But we must proceed forward and not let them distract us. I too long to defeat them, but we must find that blue-shelled Koopa." Rolf stated, pointing his finger into the air as a proclamation.

Mario agreed. "Rolf is right, we must proceed. Let's-a-go, everybody!"

The four of them entered Pleasant Path with determination, wondering what dangers would lie ahead. Even as the name stated, none of them could be too sure that the road would exactly be comfortable.

They were several feet away from Toad Town and were officially on the trail, crossing a small bridge that marked the gateway to a new land. Immediately in front of the heroes was a plethora of green. There were several mountains and clouds hanging over in the distance, demonstrating the region's typography. Trees, plants, bushes, and leaves were everpresent along the road - the river hanging off to the right of them made the scenery quite breathtaking, to say the least.

"Hm, this doesn't seem too bad so far..." Goombario commented as he took a look around. Compared to what he believed Mario had encountered in his previous adventures, this must have been quite literally a walk in the park.

"Heads up, everybody!" Eddy suddenly shouted. Mario was distracted and wasn't able to react in time when he was suddenly hit by a shell to the back! A Koopa Troopa emerged with sunglasses and a red shell, along with chains on its neck and arms. This gave it a very punk-like appearance, appropriate for being one of Bowser's minions. Two Goombas also emerged from the bushes, ready for action.

Goombario looked at Mario with concern. "Are you okay, Mario?"

Mario gave a thumbs-up. "I've been through worse. Get them, guys!"

Rolf immediately went after one of the Goombas, clearing it quickly with a few pounds of his shoe. Eddy on the other hand charged at the Koopa with a fist, but surprisingly, it didn't even budge! The Ed boy stared at his hand, confused.

"What the heck, Goombario? What's with this guy? It's like my attack didn't even hurt him!" Eddy complained, still oblivious to the Koopa's appearance.

Goombario flipped through his Tattle Log and found the entry. "Those Koopa Troopas are a bit tougher than your ordinary enemy. They have a weak back side though, so try flipping it with an airborne attack!"

A Goomba charged after Goombario as he was reading, but Mario readied his hammer and pummeled it into the ground. The remaining Koopa then went after Rolf by rolling into its shell, but he managed to guard against the attack to reduce the impact. Goombario saw this then as an opportunity to deal some damage, so he made use of his head strength and slammed the Koopa with two successful head bonks. Rolf then went forward and proceeded to beat it a few times with his shoes, defeating it for good.

Eddy proceeded to scavenge all of the coins that were dropped by the enemies, stuffing them into a convenient wallet that he remembered to bring. He made sure not to let it slip up this time, though.

"Cash! And it's all mine!" Eddy said, enveloped with mania at the prospect of all the coins he has earned since arriving in the world.

Rolf wiped his hair, feeling sweat drip down his shoulders as the heat of battle brought excitement for his body and mind. "Rolf is too strong for his own good! Although I have not faced such a battle since my duel with Ed boy here! So, where to next, Mario boy?"

Mario shrugged. "I suppose we keep going. Hey Goombario, we need to be more careful. It seems like enemies are all around us."

Goombario nodded and sighed. "It's sad to think that this could have been a safe place... Bowser's influence has to be why this path isn't so pleasant anymore."

"Hah! I'd say bring it on!" Eddy boasted, flexing his arms. The four of them continued along the trail, which seemed very linear and direct. They wondered how long it would be until they reached the fortress, or at least Koopa Village. While walking, Eddy ran over towards a red question mark block hovering in the sky and bonked badge was a blue outline of a Goomba with a red heart on it.

"Bah! This badge probably isn't worth nothing. I say we sell it for money!" Eddy suggested, holding the badge out to Goombario.

Mario then explained, "Remember Eddy, badges aren't worth anything for most citizens in Toad Town. Although they could be sold for a good price somewhere, I'd rather use them for battle."

Goombario looked through his Badge section of the Tattle Log and located the badge in no time. "This is the Peekaboo badge. When you wear it, you'll be able to see the status and health conditions of your enemies. It can be useful for seeing how well we're doing in a fight. You need three badge points to use it."

Eddy reluctantly put it on near his shirt collar, seeing that he was the only one able to equip it at this time. Rolf also found a mystical jar in another block, in the shape of Bowser's face. He found it very strange as he had not seen the villain before. Mario started to laugh at how hideous it was, but remembered that it was sold in stores.

"Ha ha! That's a fright jar, with Bowser's face! When you set it on the ground, a frightening, demonic image of Bowser will be projected. It was used as a prank in Toad Town but it can actually scare enemies away." Mario explained lightheartedly. The others found the jar rather humorous as well.

Eddy grabbed the jar and took an inspection of it. "Bwahaha! What kind of face is this? Man, he's sure no chick magnet, that's for sure."

"Definitely not," Goombario added.

The four of them proceeded forward through Pleasant Path, which had so far been a more cumbersome road than they expected. Rolf wiped the sweat from his hair as they collectively were starting to become lethargic.

"Rolf hopes that the Koopa Bros. Fortress is a fierce battle, for this is... no match for Rolf!" Rolf stated in between pants.

Mario shook his head. "I'd prefer if it were easy, to be honest. Time is more important right now than ever. Let's keep going, everybody!"

The four of them passed through a field with bushes off to the side. Just then, Eddy thought he heard some movement from within them. He saw a leaf drop from one of the trees, indicating an overlooking presence. "Um guys, look! We might have some company!" Eddy said nervously, pointing towards the bushes.

Mario, Goombario, and Rolf tilted their heads off to the side. Two Koopa Troopas, Spiked Goombas, and Paragoombas ambushed the four heroes in a circle, circumventing and impeding their path. They were in a cornered position; Mario knew that it would be futile to run away from this battle. He readjusted himself to be in a combat stance with his hammer, preparing to charge at them.

Eddy smirked, however. This was finally the opportunity to prove himself, and he wouldn't let it go to waste. "You guys wanna rumble? Hold on there, partners! I had my own school of Kung Fu and I'm not afraid to bust out some moves!"

Goombario analyzed their dilemma and quickly devised a strategy. "Alright, guys! We've got to take out these guys one by one. The Spiked Goombas should be handled by Mario, since he has the hammer-"

"Rolf has no time for this!" Rolf shouted, interrupting Goombario's plan. He suddenly pulled out the fright jar and placed in onto the ground. The enemies stared at it oddly and prepared to attack. However, a spectral wraith was slowly emerging from the jar in the form of a blue wisp. The wisp suddenly flashed into a ghastly image of Bowser as it jumped out in front of the enemies with a bellowing roar and terrifying appearance!

The Koopas and Goombas screamed loudly and leaped into the river by instinct. The term "jumping out of their shells" was literal in this situation. Even Eddy and Goombario jumped a little bit, surprised by the effect of the jar. Rolf smiled proudly and kept walking along as the others stared in confusion.

"Um... that was a bit weird, but convenient." Mario remarked, staring at the enemies that were paddling away through the stream.

"That was pretty smart thinking on Rolf's part, though!" Goombario added.

Eddy blew a raspberry. "Puh-lease! The only thing I've gotta say is that Bowser is one ugly dude!" He exclaimed as the three pressed on, rejuvenated by Rolf's intuition.

End of Chapter

A/N: New chapter! It's kind of shabby but I'll continue to revise it. Right now my main focuses are character interaction and trying to make interesting dialogue. Hope you enjoyed!