Friday, August 8, 2014

Super Paper Mario -- Interlude After Chapter 1

In Castle Bleck, Nastasia asks O'Chunks if the hero stomped him and sent him back here. O'Chunks begs forgiveness and says he failed the count. He's never felt less chunky in his life. "Bleh heh heh heh heh heh... So our hero is real... Yes... A force to be reckoned with... Nastasia, the prophecy. Consult it and learn where the hero will go next... We will lay a devious trap for him and bring him to his very KNEES! BLECK!" Nastasia reports that she sent Mimi to that site for that purpose. "This pleases Count Bleck. Excellent work, Nastasia. I have granted Mimi powers potent enough to ensure that she will obliterate this hero. Yes, he will be helpless against her. I depart! Alert Count Bleck when this "hero" is no more! BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!" After referring to himself in the first person for once, he flips and leaves. Nastasia will send a memo on that, but she has another item on her agenda: some of Bowser's minions are resisting assimilation, so she's going to squash the resistance. She tells O'Chunks to stay there and think about his recent job performance. This tweaks O'Chunks's chin hairs.

In someplace dark and spooky, Peach lies on the ground. She wakes up, wondering how she ended up napping there. She remembers Count Bleck making her marry Bowser and that Luigi did something. She calls out to both of them, but gets no response. She looks around, asking if anyone's there. Someone says she's the only one left standing of the wedding party. It's a Hammer Bro and a Koopa. They say she finally woke up. Peach asks if they're all right and they say they're fine, but they don't know what happened. The wedding was crazy. They can't find Bowser or the guy with a mustache that may have been wearing a green tuxedo. They don't know where they are now and most of the other minions have been brainwashed by Count Bleck's assistant. Everyone's half nuts and they're not safe here. They must clear the area quickly. The Hammer Bro assigns Private Koopa to escort Peach out of the area, while he goes help his men. Bowser would burn him to a crisp if he left a Koopa behind. He wishes them luck, then hails Bowser.

Private Koopa says they have to evacuate. Go through the door and someone says to give up. Peach and Private Koopa watch from above. Some brainwashed Koopas tell the Hammer Bro there is no hope for escape and that he should hail the glorious count. They tell him to not resist and submit to his rule, which he will love. The Hammer Bro calls this insubordination, as he's their captain. He tells a Koopa named Johnson to drop and give him twenty. Nastasia walks in, saying his orders mean nothing, as they've sworn their eternal allegiance to Count Bleck. She'll pencil him in for a 10 o'clock brainwashing. The Hammer Bro prepares to throw his hammer, saying she's messed with the wrong Koopa, as he serves Bowser. Nastasia slightly lifts her glasses to brainwash him. The Hammer Bro hails Bleck. Nastasia orders them to round up the problem minions who haven't sworn allegiance and they obey readily.

Private Koopa is freaking out that things are going downhill. He can't believe they broke the captain. He says they must clear the area or it's game over. Go left and through the door. Go down the stairs. You can jump and hold (2) to open up the parasol for a controlled descent. You can also hold "Down" on the Control Pad and she'll cover and protect herself with her parasol. Go through the door in the middle, as the one on the far left has enemies on the other side. It leads outside to a dead end. Peach suggests turning around and looking around some more. Nastasia announces that this is a dead end for them. There are brainwashed minions around her. Private Koopa tells Peach to take cover, as he is trained to handle scum like this. Nastasia brainwashes him and he gets a pair of sunglasses. Nastasia calls Peach lucky to survive the wedding explosion. Unfortunately, it's the end of the road for her and she needs to serve Count Bleck. Peach refuses, but Nastasia says her hypno-powers say otherwise. Before Nastasia can brainwash her, Peach disappears, in a familiar manner. That wasn't on Nastasia's schedule. She's pretty calm about it, saying it's not a deal breaker. The prophecy fulfillment is running smoothly without her and it doesn't matter where she runs, as all worlds will soon fall.

Another story is told, solely through words.
Timpani: (I remember that day well... The room was warm. The whole place was at peace.)
Blumiere: Ugh... Uuugh...
Timpani: You're awake at last?
Blumiere: Where... am I? This this... a human's home? Bleccch!
Timpani: Don't wiggle like that. I found you at the cliff base. You took quite a fall.
Blumiere: You're a human, correct? I don't... repulse you? I am of the Tribe of Darkness...
Timpani: Why would that matter? Anyone with a heart would not ignore an injured soul!
                (That was the day our paths crossed. That day... That was the day our tragedy was set in motion.)

Back in Flipside, Mario appears from the red door. Now that he has a Pure Heart from that area, he can visit specific sections in that chapter. Merlon is standing on the tower, saying they returned quickly. He can tell it went well. He'll meet Mario in his house for the details. Before going to Merlon's house, go to the first floor, to the shop with a sign with a pot on it. This is Saffron's Sweet Smiles. She can cook for you, but only one ingredient at a time. Give her a Fire Burst to cook and she'll make some Spicy Soup. Since it's a new recipe, she'll add it to the list. Go to Merlon's house and he'll say the Pure Heart Mario found is truly a piece of the Purity Heart. Tippi says Merlumina gave it to them. Merlon says she was one of his ancestors who wrote the Light Prognosticus to counteract the Dark Prognosticus. His ancestors also built this town, which is why the residents are here. A resident interrupts, stammering that a girl fell out of the sky. Merlon must come up to see her. Merlon suggests that Mario come along. Take the elevator to the third floor.

The resident says the girl fell out of nowhere. Peach is lying on the ground. Merlon doesn't recognize her, but Mario is startled. He explains the situation to Merlon, who says she had a rough time and is unconscious and shivering uncontrollably. Merlon tells Mario to go to Saffron's on the first floor for a warm, revitalizing recipe so they can question Peach when she revives. Give Peach the Spicy Soup and she wakes up, saying she dreamed about eating the most delicious food. She's happy to see Mario and asks where they are and who everyone is. Merlon takes them back inside his house.

Peach tells them what happened to her, which Merlon calls a tale of woe and troubles. She wonders about Luigi and Bowser, but concludes there's no way to know. Tippi wonders what to do next. Merlon says one Pure Heart leads to the next and that there are more Heart Pillars in Flipside. If a Pure Heart is set into a Heart Pillar, the door the world with the next Pure Heart appears. He mentions that this one may lead to the mysterious Merlee, one of the ancients, who is like his long-lost cousin. Like Bestovius, she guards an ancient, secret treasure, which may be a Pure Heart. The Light Prognosticus speaks of her magical powers. Peach asks about finding her and Merlon asks if she's going along. He says not to tax herself as she only just recovered. Peach won't sit here and let everyone else go off. She says that The Void is her fault, and Bowser's. Her mind's made up and she joins the party, so you can now control her. Tippi says they need to find the next Heart Pillar. Merlon finds it refreshing to see such a headstrong princess. He gives them the Old Key, which unlocks something in town. There are secrets in Flipside that even Merlon doesn't know about and he thinks this key can help uncover one of them. He thinks it can be used near his house. In the meanwhile, he'll continue reading the Light Prognosticus for clues.

Go outside Merlon's house. You can switch characters on the menu screen or on the quick menu screen by pressing (1) and (2) simultaneously. While Peach can slow her fall, she can't flip. If you're in 3D and switch to her, you'll flip back to 2D. Flip outside Merlon's house and you'll find a locked gate in front of the elevator to the tower. Unlock it, go through it, then flip and go to the outskirts of town. Take the pipe to the right to the First Floor Outskirts, then drop down the first gap to the left. You'll find a spring and two chests, one with a Merluvlee card and the other with a Merlon card. Spring back up and walk to the left. Flip to go out farther, then flip so you can reach the sign on top of the rocks. Switch to Peach, then jump and hover to the right until you reach the Heart Pillar. The orange gears from the orange Pure Heart make an orange door appear. Go through it to start the next chapter.

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