Characters

Calypso : This sweet lady is Nep's girlfriend as well as a mother to be... However her egg was stolen by a Red Thief for no apparent reason... Her boyfriend left to find the perp but has yet to return... We have to help them save their baby.

Bowser : Here's that big lug again... He has the Shine Lens we need... Let's kick some shell !

HP is 80, Attack is 4, Defense is 2

Be careful of his firebreath, it's pretty powerful. What's more he can poison you with its bite... That kids, is why dental hygiene is important !

Nep : This strong and independant deep sea Cheep Cheep is Calypso's boyfriend and soon he'll also be a father. He may be brusque and sometimes rude, but he's a good guy.

Field Ability : Light 
Attacks : 
- Belly Flop : Jumps in the air and falls on one enemy.

- Squirt : Spits water at an enemy.
- Lure : Attracts the enemies with its light.They will attack him instead of Mario during the following turn.
- Water Blessing : Spits water at every enemy.

Mario Interlude

The group bids farewell to Alizée and Monterey Jack (who decided to remain in the Wind Shrine to study it) and returns to Port Alabast. They go back the Tower of the Shine Sprites and insert the Teal Shine Lens in the corresponding socket. A beam of light comes out of the beacon and light the following destination : The Thundrum Reefs... Solenne also learns a new technique : Celestial Fury (average attack level).

Back in town, they hear people talking about strange rumors. Apparently, a flying ship have been seen going towards the Thundrum Reefs... They wonder what it could mean when they run into Luigi, saying he ran into an old  Lil'Mouser who mistook him for Mario. He adds he looked like a mechanic. The group remembers Mozza and decides to pay him a visit.

There, they find the mouse running franctically all around his workshop... He notices Mario and stops. He's shaking. 

Mozza asks Mario if he's heard of the boat seen flying towards the Thundrums Reef. He explains that he thinks it may have been Bowser. He explains when he was being held hostage by the koopa king, he heard him saying he would find IT at the Thundrum Reefs and he would finally beat Mario to IT. He also adds that Bowser wanted his ClownCopter to be able to withstand the fiercest storm Mozza didn't have time to complete it so the koopa king had to return to his castle to find a more suitable ship.

Finally, he tells Mario&co to follow him as he goes to the basement of his workshop. There, he introduces the group to his latest creation : the Marine Pop 2.0. This ship submarine be able to withstand the tremendous current near the reefs and urges the group to stopping Bowser. Solenne asks why he's helping them and he simply answers that "whatever that koopa is doing, it certainly is bad news..." He must be stopped and that's why Mario's there.

The group thanks him for his help and jumps into the submarine.

The chapter starts with a shooting minigame : the ship must avoid whirlpools and strong currents by going up and down and by shooting the enemies coming their way (Cheep Cheep, Blooper, Urchin, Diver Goombas). They eventually reach a dead-end and decide to go up...

The Marine Pop comes out in an underwater cave. Fortunately, an opening in the wall allows them to go outside...

Welcome to the Thundrum Reefs, black pointy rocks are popping out of the water everywhere, there's a storm going on... It's also seems full of wrecked ships. The enemies here are fish, clefts, embers and wisps. A perfect place to spend the coziest vacations. They have no idea where Bowser is... They notice hexagonal platforms they can walk on that are going up to the top of the cliff. They climb to the top and reach a plateau. There's a small path surrounded by dead grass and trees. By following it, they reach a stone lookout. From there, they can see a floating ship in the distance being rocked by the winds... and judging by the hideous figurehead, this ships certainly belongs to Bowser. They also notices a large shadow swimming under the sea.

There's a small ledge on the side that allows to group to go further and to reach another part of the cliff. By going down the path they reach another cavern which is full of water (kinda like Cortez's Hideout in PP TTYD but shorter). They eventually reach a room filled of water when they're stopped by someone.

"Hold it!" The voice says. "Where is it? Give it back now and no one will get hurt!"

Mario looks around and notices a cheep-cheep which seems kinda angry. The plumber asks him what he's talking about but that simply angers the fish even more.

BATTLE TIME !!!

Even after being beaten, the fish continues to ask the group to give it back and to call them thieves. Solenne gets angry and tells him they don't know what he's talking about and that he shouldn't go accusing people like this.

The fish looks at her angrily when suddenly another fish comes in.

"Please stop!" She asks. "I'm sorry Nep's attacked you."

She explains she and the other fish are boyfriend/girlfriend and they live in the nearby village of DropBass, located deeper into the cave (yeah, civilized Cheep-Cheeps do not live underwater). She guides them to a village full of various Cheep-Cheeps (normal ones, big berthas, deep sea cheep cheep, etc.) and bloopers and to their house.

She introduces herself as Calypso and explains their baby, or rather egg had been stolen by a thief. She explains she saw it going away but could not recognize him. All she saw was that it wore red and blue and was small. Apparently, the same guy has been stealing things in the town.

"Which fits this guy's perfectly" Nep grunts while looking at Mario. 

Calypso sighs and explains him it wasn't Mario, the true culprit was smaller than the plumber. Nep gets angry.

"I've heard a strange submarine has been seen roaming around the reefs, I'm gonna take a look."

He leaves the house angrily. His girlfriend seems worried, the group tells her they will find him and help them in their search. She thanks them but says they cannot, the current is too strong for non-fish to swim and even Akazam's transformations would be useless. Solenne says if they could bring their submarine inside the reefs then it would be easier to explore the reef.

They leave the village and returns to the submarine and another shooting minigames begins. At the end, the group emerges in a near the village and can access the other part of the reefs. They returns underwater and explores the sea a bit but no traces of Nep... They eventually reach a giant, green submarine with Bowser's face on it... They enter it with theirs...

Dungeon : Bowser's Submarine

Strangely enough, there are not many guards inside. Some Koopa Troopas, Koopatrols, Buzzy Beetle, Bob-Ombs... By exploring a little more, they end up in a dark room with no light, they can't see anything. The goes onward in the dark, without knowing where they would end up. Suddenly, the rooms turns brighter as they're approached by the source of the light. Nep appears right in front of them and asks what they're doing... They explains they came to investigate Bowser's ship but got lost... Nep explains he thinks his egg might be there, he heard some Koopas talking about a gooie, red marble. What's more, they're having a little party (apparently they didn't have enough electricity so they rewired the system, causing blackouts in various parts rooms) because they found a shiny thingamajig... They explain that's what they've been looking for and sighs. They may be able to help each other...

NEP JOINS YOUR PARTY !!!

The fish say they must find keys to gain access to the upper level and reach the command room, where the party is going on. The puzzles in the submarine are light-based, stealth missions (the group must play Solid Mario, avoiding beams of light or lazers will shoot them and send them to the beginning of the room they're in) and the partners to climb/walk on/activate/etc. various machines, steam pipes, etc. and reach the keys.

In the room of the final key, Fearless B. is here waiting for them. He says his men told him about Mario and he came alone (and without Bowser or Kammy knowing) to deal with the plumber and hopefully get a promotion. Nep asks him about the egg and admits stealing it (along with various other items from town) because it seemed pretty.

MINI-BOSS TIME ! AND THIS MINI-BOSS IS ANGRY AT MARIO (for ridiculing him in Chp. 3) !

The team fight Fearless B. and some of his Bob-Omb crew (not a big deal). Sometimes, he'll summon Bob-Omb that'll explode on the next turn (however their fuses can be put out by Nep's Squirt or they can be destroyed by any fire attack (Solenne's for example). Anyway, after the fight Fearless B. runs away (crying :3) and leave the final key.

On their way to the command room, a message announces the rising of the ship... Apparently Fearless B. has warn Bowser... Anyway they reach the command room, only minions are there... Seems like the party is over. After battling some goons, they go out on the deck... Bowser, Kammy and a tired Fearless B. are waiting for them. Besides them is the Black Shine Lens and Nep's egg.

Bowser is annoyed and tells Mario he won't be stealing Kammy's birthday gift this time!

BOSS BATTLE TIME (Bowser, Kammy and Fearless B.)

YOU GOT A SHINE LENS (and an egg)

At the end of the battle, Bowser's team in knocked down and Mario and Nep retrieve what is theirs. Suddenly, they hear a laughter behind them... Fearless B. has woke up and is laughing evilly. He takes out a remote control and presses the button. A countdown appears on the screen... Apparently it was the self-destruct button. The team has 2 minutes to return to their submarine (while battling panicking minions).

As they leave Bowser's ship, the Koopa king gets up and asks his Bob-Omb minion what is the commotion about... He explains (proudly) he made Mario run away by activating the self-destruct sequence... Bowser gasps (and wonders why he gave him the remote). The ship explodes, sending the trio back to their flying boat...

END OF CHAPTER!

Peach stares intensely at the carving... That girl depicted on the picture, she looks just like...

"That girl was found in the village of the 9 stones... Housing special powers, she was the catalyst that allowed the Shine Spirits to merge their souls with the stones... Thus forming the 9 Shine Lenses..." The voice added. "She's also responsible for the creation of the Tower of the Shine Sprites. She gathered the people that had survived the great cataclysm and under her command, they built their tower... Around the Dark Lighthouse."

"Dark Lighthouse?" Peach wondered...

"Yes, the Dark Lighthouse... It was developped by the Amarillant scientists to allow a father to make use of his rebellious daughter's power... All those who were touched by its glorious darkness would have their soul drained and become mere puppets..." The voice began to giggle evilly. "Puppets that would bring more darkness and destruction to this doomed world."

"Who are you?" Peach shouted, waking Ray and Dave up.

"Have you already forgotten me, princess?" Coldfang appeared from behind the door, gloating. "Allow me to continue... However, some souls were too strong to be drained and gathered in a small village, becoming these darn stones!"

Ray and Dave jumped in the way.

"Well, what have we here?" He laughed. "A powerless guardian and my traitor of a son... Or rather his traitor of a son!"

"What?" They both gasped.

Coldfang rammed into them, knocking them unconscious and took Peach with him.

"Come on Princess, we are expected somewhere else, mwahaha".

Paper Mario, Mario, Bowser, etc. (c) Nintendo
Art and OC (c) Me