Sergeant guy: Sir! We recieved a call from the vampire! I repeat, we received a call!
Bowser, waking up: What? What did he tell you?
Sergeant guy: He is now at your front door! He said he didn't like to wait! He demands to get received soon!
Bowser: Ugh! Let him enter!
Sergeant guy: No... he wants your highness to go to him!
Bowser: Hey! I'm the king! I'm the one that makes the rules! Not some blood sucker! Tell him to enter!
Sergeant guy: ..... Right away, Sir!
The Vampire, who you probably know: So I see I have to deal with a tough soul, am I right?
Bowser: Whatever! What's the big deal?
Hackula: Well see... I admire your work as a villain. I was thinking... if you wouldbe interested in a deal of my foundation.
Bowser: Then tell me! What is that deal?
Hackula: Lend me your army, and your help, and so, when I take over the world, We'll split the loot!
Bowser: Wait! You mean, I can rule on half of the universe?
Hackula: Exactly!
Bowser: I.. I... OF COURSE!!! My minions are yours! Make good use of them! They have never managed to defeat Mario, but I'm sure that, if united with your army, we're unstoppable!
Hackula: Now that is something I am pleased to hear! May our alliance take place! Assemble your minions tomorrow, in my fortress! We will discuss a plan!
At Fort Hackula:
Victor: I'm almost done!
Hector: Great. I have that other stuff. Should we proceed?
Victor: Yes! Put in the drawings. I will bring them to life with my magic!
Hector throws in a pot some doodle drawings and Victor uses his magic on the paper pile. A thin skinny silhouette appears, its red eyes open, and are full of messed up codes.
Skinny Silhouette: Who summons me? Who is my master to whom I shall obey?
Victor: We do! Do us a favor and find the code stars!
Skinny Silhouette: Code stars! My sworn enemies! I will capture them all and bring them here! I shall then dispose of them!
Hector: Not yet! We need them for something, THEN we will let you destroy them!
Skinny Silhouette: Got it! I will not fail you!
Now at the Broman palace. The head of the army, Brassus, is planning something.
Brassus: If I understand correctly, then the almighty Mario is allied with the legendary thief, and also destroyed the black flower?
Chuck: 100%, Ô Brassus! We can even report the presence of a green version of him and a bunch of other unidentified individuals.
Brassus: I see. They will not get away woth this as long as I am alive. Track them down!
Chuck: There is... something else, Sir.
Brassus: What now?
Chuck: All of the slaves at that gladiator school you went to to watch a battle are escaping at the moment. They are going through villages, robbing every house, freeing every slave and destroy every symbol of honor to the empire on their way!
Brassus: What?! Who is the head of this army?
Chuck: They say it's some Star Spirit legend they call Startacus. I'm not entirely sure, but he seems to be the one you watched in a battle.
Brassus: I don't remember anyone with that name, even though it sounds familiar! Send cohorts to find these impudent beings! Slaves they were, slaves they will always be!
Now that we got the villain interludes done, let's get back to Mario's.
Asmodeus: Mario, as the vice-prince of the Puzzeeles, I declare you that all the kidnapped people are set free! You can now leave the island!
Luigi: Thank you! We really appreciate it!
Asmodeus: Oh! And before you leave!
He comes closer to Lucifer.
Asmodeus: Lucifer, Princess. These people love you and care about you, please come back safe and love these subjects back! We all wait impatiently for your return!
Lucifer: Oh.... Asmodeus... Thank you.... Everyone. I wish you the best! Good luck with whatever you're up to!
Planktopus: Hey Mario! Just one more thing! I have a friend in the cloudy courts that knows about these code stars! I'll call him with my Shellphone, just warning him you're coming!
Stayzee: So, my dear? Should we first head back to this place you stache-heads know as the Champs-Eclypsées?
Mario: Oh yeah!
They are once again stopped before leaving, this time by Lucifer's baby brother. He quickly swims towards his sister, who he is lucky he has, and gives her a quick, soft hug.
Once back to Sulafhat island, the judge declares Mario free to go and allows him to leave.
They get the 7th code star (hey, 7... in an ocean... we just got through the seventh sea!) and install it into the cave of functions. After that, they go and tell Merlon they need to get to the cloudy courts.
Merlon: Hmmm... interesting! I know a friend there! He runs the shrine! So to get there, you simply need to find the vine.
Goombeddy: Vine?
Merlon: Yes! I know it is hidden somewhere in Toad Town! The area is just above! This will be easy!
Kooplea: Yeah, but Toad Town was a long time ago, and we don't know where it is compared to this place!
Merlon: Oh no! I completely forgot! No worries though. You can still ask Snifle!
Snifle: Toad Town?! You want to get there, pal? This is far away! Even I can't sense it! But if you ask some toads here, you should be able to pull it of!
Kooplea: That doesn't sound hard! Let's go Mario!
If you ask some toads, a specific one will tell you: I know! The train station is over there! You can go to Toad town. But the tickets are expensive, so good luck with that!
A ticket costs 100 coins, and seing you are 9. Then pay 900 coins. Don't worry though, gaining money here is easier than in other games, so you'll be fine!
In either case, get those tickets, and go to Toad Town. The castle is currently being rebuilt.
Toadsworth: Master Mario! Master Luigi! Thank goodness you're ok! I was seriously worried! I almost also got a heart attack!
Luigi: Sorry for the scare, then! We're here because we are collecting code stars, and one of them is above the town!
Toadsworth: I see! I know some hidden block on top of the castle before it blew up! It must still be there, since it only appears if hit by you!
Mario and Luigi and the partners climb up the construction site, and find the block. And with that, we're finally done with the interlude! Yayyy!
Here is cloudy courts, peaceful colony of angels that are not looking for any sort of harm. So however so sensitive, a simple act of mere impoliteness would offend their pure hearts.
???: So I see I wasn't lied to!
An angel with tentacles talks to them!
???: My friend told me someone whose description was like yours! I am Plangelus! Pleased to meet you, Mario. I know the reason why you need the stars. Let me guide you to it.
They walk for some time, before arriving at a majestic shrine. In front of it is found an old man, unconscious.
Penny: So... why are we looking at some guy?
Rockbert: Please don't tell me we lost it!
Plangelus: Alas... yes, we did. This man is none other than Merltue, the savior of the world. After he died, he was brought here, because of his heroism, and is now to live happily ever after his reanimation. But it seems he was attacked. I can't understand. He is invincible! How could he lose against the forces of evil? I don't know! He had the code star, so you need to find the attacker to get it back!
Merltue: Huhh? What just happened? I remember a skeletal creature jumping on me!
Nina: Skeletal? I thought angels lived here!
Plangelus: It must be the army of skeletons! It is an army of poor souls that weren't worthy enough to get the privileges! They want the code star for revenge!
Nina: Okayy... but can't both of you groups like make peace er something? Your angels, right?
Plangelus: Yes... but I fear that the ones who didn't get a good post-death reincarnation deserve it, we can't just let them live happily for the rest of eternity!
Merltue: Beware on your quest, visitors! On your way, you will face multiple challenges. May your consciousness be your guide.
Lancebob: Fear not, marvelous being! It will!
Plangelus: So the road of the undead is located there! Its door is sealed however, it wants you to do something to open.
On your way, you fight Skellobit troopers, Skwheels and Angiabolics, all members of this army. Basically now you just go through some cloudy maze. It takes a while to figure out how to get out.
You eventually reach the door, which is, like Plangelus said, sealed.
The door: Hey there! Mario! Don't you dare forget I exist, Heh?
Mario: ???
The door: Remember? It's me! The talking door from Timberland? You were with little brown pipsqueak and the blond lady! I see your staff has increased remarkably!
Goombeddy: Hey! Who you calling pipsqueak? I survived 64 shark attacks!
The door: No need to yell like that! You just need to get the master's word here so I open for you! See, nothing so hard!
Kooplea: Let me guess! After we do that, you'll ask us questions?
The door: Well, what can you expect from a bad boy like me? Of course! But do not worry, I will be more forgiving than before.
You go back to the shrine. It is seen getting attacked by some undead troops.
Skellobit 1: Ok, Bone Leader checking in. Bone 1, Bone 2, Bone 3. Do you copy?
Bone #1: Bone 1 checking in. I'm in a narrow hallway and angel guards are approaching from both ways. Can you send in reinforcements?
Bone Leader: Roght away!
Bone #2: Bone 2 checking in! I'm attacking the angels from behind! Prepare for a combo, Bone 1!
Bone #3: Bone 3 checking in! I'm nervous about this! Should we do it?
Bone Leader: Sigh... Here we go again with the diplomacy! It is a highly sophisticated plan, Bone 3. The army depends on succes!
Bone #1: Bone 1 and 2 here... We found some interesting papers! They seem to be the key to open the door!
Bone Leader: Great! Once everyone is free, we will conquer this highland! Shall they know the pain we go through!
Bone #3: Bone 3 here, Bone leader! I am captured!
Bone leader: Ugh...... Go back in people, we need to save the most soldiers possible!
Bone #2: Sir, I am afraid a man with overalls who I recognize is Mario is after us! I repeat, we're pursued!
Mario is chasing the two skellobits (Bone 1 and 2) and is trying to get the authorization to go through the door. However, the other two come out just then to aid them.
Bone Leader: Mortal! Let the two live... even though they are already dead! We are not looking for trouble, for the angels started it!
Lucifer: What do you mean THEY started it? Don't you see: angels are good and the "undead" are bad. But of course, since you are the bad guys, you see the good guys as bad guys, and that actually makes sense... What did I just say?
Stayzee: Back off, you monsters! We simply want a code star! The thing you might've stolen!
Bone Leader: Then you want a face to face, if I correctly understand!
The four skellobits are fought (Chapter 4 again pretty much?). They are defeated. They flee. Bone 3, the yellow one looks at Mario a second, before running away himself too. You also get the paper.
Merltue: Oh! Thank the heavens you came back! I was starting to think everything was lost! So you needed that paper? Take it!
The door: So, hand me the paper over.
Mario: *Gives him the paper*.
The door: Good. Good. Now answer these questions, and you can pass!
Lancebob: A quiz! Oh my! This is getting complex!
Just like in Timberland, if you don't answer enough questions right, you have to fight enemies, that become stronger the more wrong answers you give.
The door: Then pass!
Rockbert: Hmmm... I want to know what you are, though. If you met Mario before, then how did you get here? Aren't doors supposed to... not move?
The door: I'm a door spirit, I can move freely. But my job is to keep myself shut. Whenever there's someone that tries to go through a door, I go in it. My name, which I didn't tell you before, is Danus.
The door to the road is opened.
The landscape is pitiful. Spirits are seen stuck on the ground, can't move freely, are crying because of their conditions. The worst part is, they have to go through this for eternity. All of a sudden, everyone is wondering: Who are the bad guys? Are good guys supposed to be enjoying eternal paradise while their neighbors have no future? Isn't that just dark and sad?
So anyway, let's not get cheesy here, everyone. We're here for the code star! We have no time for mourning! Let's go inside!
Luigi: I, for one, sure am not looking forward to this!
Rockbert: I can't really blame you! This place is just cuh-reepy!
Penny: Okayy... So what do we do now? Because if we don't know, we might just wander through this wasteland endlessly for our whole lives!
What's creepy is, you actually CAN wander aimlessly. There's no limit. You just keep walking. There are no save blocks. You might as well not come back unless you reset the game. The music becomes lower and lower the more you go through this darkness, and the athmosphere becomes really unsettling, at a point you feel something is going to appear on the screen and scare you out of your entire mind. If you check your map at this location, it is written, "Nowhere". Are you just lost for life? Apparently yes. Thankfully, this isn't required in the story!
You just follow the path. It's the most legit thing to do, so, why not? After all, it's the only thing you can do... unless you want to go "Nowhere"...
You eventually reach a ruins area, which seems to be a hideout for the skeletons' army.
Bone Leader: Ok, troops we failed. But we are not done yet! Here's what we are gonna do! Bone 3, you stay woth me, while the other two Bones split upnear the shrine! And then.... Hey! You there!
Mario: ...
Bone Leader: You must be the plumber we asked for! We have a clogged one in the other B-room! It's the biggest clog in a while, so I can just wish you good luck!
Once again, Mario is taken away from his partners (and they say Peach is the one that gets kidnapped all the time!).
Mario however sneaks through hallways carefully walking on the sides of the outside wall. Solid Mario we got here.
Anyway, he hears of the skellobits' plans and hurries to tell everyone! But a guard stops him!
Guard: Halt! You! Stache Dude!
Mario: ...
Guard: Weren't you supposed to unclogg the toilet? It's still in clogged mode!
You are forced to unclog the toilet, and the look on Mario's face doesn't say it's a good thing. You begin some minigame where you have to whack the toilet at the right timing.
On the bright side, the guard gives you a reward if you do it successfully, so now we're even!
On the way out, though, the group of Skellobits are seen waiting for you.
Bone Leader: So you thought you could get away with this, plumber! Don't worry, we'll be easy on you for fixing us the toilet! Now prepare to join this world, Mario! As a prisoner!
Bone 3: Yeah man! You don't want to pick a ff-fight with us! We're...tough!
A battle is engaged with you again, and you also win! The skeletons flee. Except for Bone 3, the yellow one and... more protected one. A coward we assume? Anyway, you now have your partners back.
Bone 3: You know, I just realized something! You are strong! If you team up with us, we'll be able to be happy!
Lucifer: I'm not so sure! I don't see what do we get for helping you!
Bone 3: By helping us, you give happiness to all the souls that are destined to spend their post-lives here! Including you!
Goombeddy: Not too convinced, but I do feel guilty for not doing it. GAHHHH THIS IS SO CONFUSING!!!
You should choose to either agree or not, hence the name of the chapter. Problem is, you don't know who's evil, and who's good!
Anyway, let's choose "No". This happens:
Bone 3: Oh no! Man! This is so unfair! Is it really your final answer?
Mario: Yes!
After that, he tries to convince you even more, making you feel more guilty. You have no other option than accepting. So yeah, the same results in whatever way you choose. So now you're on the skeleton side, but is it the good side?
If you choose yes from the beginning, an angel spy reports it to Merltue.
Bone 3: Oh thank you! Thank you so much! We'll be the best alliance ever! I am kinda scared, to be completely honest, but I'm happy! Call me Spike! (He has a spiny helmet.)
Bone 3 joins your party! His spear is strong enough to cut strong ropes, paper... and paper.
So now you go to the hideout, and the others are informed you are now on their side.
Bone Leader: Wonderful! Should we begin the raid?
Bone 1: Yes sir! We have Mario woth us! We will win!
Bone 2: Absolutely!
Spike: Let's do it!
Bone Leader: And Bone 3, I want to congratulate you! You are helping!
Spike: Thanks, Sir!
You rise against the angels. You invade the shrine.
Kooplea: I still am confused... are we supposed to do this?
Plangelus: Yes...
The party: ???
Plangelus: An evil being has corrupted Merltue's mind! I noticed it when his eyes became red and full of glitches! It all happened today! He made the cursed spirits suffer, convinced the skeletons they needed revenge, all in one day! Go stop him! The code star is with him!
Nina: So the angels were bad guys... I saw this coming!
You travel through the shrine, full of angels that are obeying to their master, who is not himself anymore. When you reach the core of the shrine.
A voice that's coming from Merltue: So YOU'RE that code star collector! I don't want any troubles, but I simply have a duty to accomplish. Hand me over the ones you have! And I'll let you live!
Stayzee: That voice does not seem to be the savior's! It must be the corrupting component!
The spirit (Aka Skinny Silhouette from the interlude): You don't seem like handing them over! You will be consumed!
The Skinny Silhouette reveals itself. It is a phantom which is horribly drawn and is glitched.
Shadoodle: In my true form, I can fight best! Let this old man perish while we fight!
BOSS CHAPTER 8: SHADOODLE.
Tattle: That is Shadoodle, a corrupting spirit that has disappeared thousands of years ago. Someone must've summoned it and it came back! Max HP is 100, ATT is 7. This creepy fellow will attack with powerful shockwaves and nightmarish attacks. He can pretty much also paralyse you. Only good thing is, he is weak to special moves, so use all of your SP!!!
Shadoodle vanishes, promising to come back.