Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

The Birdys at the doorway are gone, meaning we can go back and forth into the palace!

I almost forgot that I had a Flower Jar! I use the item after buying more mushrooms and syrup at the item shop!

But, I have Mario turn back after leaving the item shop, since I think I remember looking at the map of this area that there's a Surprise Block in the shop...

Aha! There is one, with a Frog Coin inside!

I have Mario rest at the inn and save before taking on the palace again!

Inside the palace, I head straight ahead, where I have my first encounter with the fan monster, or the Pinwheel!

Back at Birdo's room, where Birdo tells us not to forget about Birdo! Is Birdo waxing lyrical at us for fun?

We head straight ahead using the key Birdo gave us to unlock the door forward.

But, an angry Pinwheel blows Mario away down to the chambers east and below! Poor Mario...

After coming back and facing the Pinwheel, Mario levels up, and learns Ultra Flame, yes!

I boost his attack and defense!

Mallow levels up too, learning Star Rain! I increase his magical stats!

There's a Jawful practicing his fork work, blocking out way toward the door.

I look through the map again, noticing there's a hidden chest block above the chest block on the top of this room. Inside is another Frog Coin! So that makes it 10 now.

Avoiding the Jawful's fork, we're now in the next room, which is an empty hallway, but there's a note near a locked door in the middle of the hall.

---

Mallow calls to Mario, and has us read the note!

"King Nimbus is resting in bed.
Absolutely no running in the halls.
Queen Valentina"

Mallow's going to be reunited with his biological family!

But he can't get into the room because it's locked, and Valentina probably has the key...

Bowser pitches in to barge the doors open!

But Mallow stops him! Mallow's thinking not to make too much noise if he really is ill. He suggests another plan: to go to Valentina and get the truth about King Nimbus.

Bowser's still weeping over being stopped midway in his door-busting rampage...hee...

But Bowser turns to Mario, very angry that he's been found out crying, and to "never EVER talk to the leader of the Koopa Troop like that" again.

A Shy Away flies and sees Mario, but ignores him to report to Valentina, about something...

Before the throne, a Heavy Troopa blocks the doorway.

I decide to switch Mallow for Bowser for this battle alone.

And Bowser learns Bowser Crush! I give him a physical stat boost.

Fearing a boss fight, I save my progress before heading to confront Valentina!

---

Now the Shy Away goes to meet Valentina, informing that Mario, the "Mario who defeated Smilax," is in the palace.

Valentina: "Mario...!? What...does a 'Mario' look like?"

The Shy Away describes Mario as an "it," and mentions his "Bushy mustache, long sideburns, [and] pair of 'mean looking' legs!"

Valentina notices her recognition of Mario from before, then the statue of Mario appears before her, like an unseen thought bubble, giving her the "V" sign.

The Shy Away's restless, and asks what their next move is...

So Valentina did lock up the king! The King probably wasn't ill after all!

And she laughs her rich woman's laugh, but Dodo pecks at her to get her attention. She...doesn't take too kindly to it.

Dodo turns his head, to tell Valentina that Mario's here.

Mallow's angry! He demands that she give the key to where the King's locked up immediately!

He charges at her, but slips on the step!

Valentina calls Mallow rude, and asks who Mallow is.

Mallow: "I'm the REAL prince, that's who!"

She really hates it when people listen in on her private conversation. Mallow points out that her private conversation could be heard from a "10 mile radius!"

Valentina decides to hightail it out of the castle.

My god, what an adultist coward she is...

The Shy Away and Dodo follow suit.

---

We chase after them!

In the long hall of Bluebird sentries now, where I save my progress at the nearby block.

The Bluebirds are known for their icy spells!

The Troopa Shell's stunned one of the Bluebirds!

Scanning them, they call us "magnificent" for some reason.

There's also a chest block high above. And a yellow platform block leading up to it!

Inside's a Star! I use it to knock Bluebirds away, and Dodo too!

Outside now, where there's nothing but sky!

Mario falls down from the clouds, and down to the hot spring entrance below!

Now to get back to Valentina, who's now running back into the palace!

All the townspeople now flock to Queen Valentina, asking if the King's recovery is going well, along with what's happened with the Queen, and the "Prince."

Valentina can't hold the pressure of being a leader of the people anymore...

She jumps and slams the ground, silencing the crowd.

She tries to call Dodo...who's nowhere to be seen.

Mario raises his fists, and it's battle time!

---

Valentina floats down gently in her "dramatic" entrance.

Valentina: "Dodo! Dodo! Come here this minute!"

He comes forth!

Valentina: "Don't just sit there! HELP ME!"

Dodo now abducts Peach, taking her away from the rest of the party, and it's now a one-on-fight against Dodo!

I have Peach use up one Red Essence, making her invulnerable for now!

Dodo uses Flutter Hush, which silences Peach!

Eventually, Peach gets Dodo to run away!

Now, it's Mallow and Mario vs. Valentina!

She performs a Water Blast as her first salvo, no good!

Scanning her: "I tell ya, he's NOTHING!" She's probably gloating that she could finish off Mario quickly!

A few turns later, Dodo returns!

Along with Peach!

The battle's as tough as Birdo's "playtime," since Dodo has a Multistrike attack, and Valentina has her arsenal of spells!

Scanning Dodo, he's starving...poor Dodo...

Now Valentina unleashes Petal Blast...oh no...

We finally finish her off!

Valentina: "The show's over, folks! Dodo...! Let's get outta here!! Well, everyone...until we meet again!"

Dodo carries her away. She does her rich woman laugh as she flies away...

Peach levels up, learning Psych Bomb! I increase her health.

---

Mallow's not too pleased that she got away, since she has the key to open King Nimbus's chamber!

Then the key drops from the sky, knocking Mallow out!

Mallow picks up the key and runs into the palace!

Mario, knowing that Mallow's going to be filled with emotion, pulls out Peach's parasol...

The sky clears up after awhile, and Mallow arrives where the actual King and Queen await at the throne!

King Nimbus's mustache is as super bushy as Mario's, or maybe even more...

Mallow introduces everyone else to his parents!

King Nimbus gives all of us his gratitude, and introduces himself as Mallow's father.

Queen Nimbus says hello to everyone, and thanks us for looking after Mallow.

King Nimbus asks for Peach's autograph, and the Queen tells him not to embarrass Mallow...hee...

King Nimbus thanks Mario, but realizes he's the Mario! The "Jumping Mario!" He now wants his autograph!

Queen Nimbus tells the king "that's enough."

King Nimbus then asks Mario to jump. Mario does a jump, with some gymnastics!

The King goes down the list of characters, awed by the fame of Mallow's allies, he also wants Bowser's autograph too!

After Mallow introduces Geno, Queen Nimbus mentions a large star that fell into a volcano...

Everyone reacts in shock.

---

King Nimbus knows it's tough since there's a dragon involved. Oh god...

King Nimbus almost goes into his flashbacks, which Queen Nimbus ignores and tells the party to find a person named Hinopio in the volcano.

She tells Mallow to be careful.

King Nimbus tells Mallow he's proud of him. Awwww...

We now head out through the back to get the chests there...the chest block that had a Star now has a Flower inside!

I fail since I fell at the wrong spot, and I decide to try again.

Back at the palace, all the statues of Valentina are replaced with likenesses of King Nimbus!

At the room where Birdo used to nest, there are now statues of us!

One of the citizens points out Geno's statue looks a bit "unworldly."

We talk to the now-rehired guard in the chamber where the king and queen were locked up.

Mallow thanks him, and he tells us not to mention it, telling Mallow that he did the work of rescuing the King.

He gives Mallow a parting gift: a Flower Jar!

I fail to get the treasures again!

After saving, I find out the Royal Bus is still being repaired...

Another failed attempt at getting the treasures later, I decide to go to the hot spring. Now that Mallow has been confirmed as the real prince, we can pass forward.

The guards warn us not to fall into the volcano below...