So I think I've finally decided how I'd want my Mario RPG to go.
Also, I really didn't MEAN for this to turn into a fan-fic, but I think it did. Sorry.
The Council of Forgotten Doom is made up of Ex-Mario Villains, that after being defeated, went on to do pretty much nothing. The Council of Forgotten Doom is formed by a shadowy, unseen figure. She is seen as a black silhoutte with glowing red eyes on a monitor. The Shadowy Woman has called upon past Mario foes: Wart, Tatanga, Wario, Smithy, Cackletta, Sir Grodus, Captain Syrup, and Princess Shroob.
The Shadowy Woman tells them that her goal is the same as theirs once was--to rule the Mushroom World and destroy Mario. She wins their support by stating that Bowser has failed too many times, and that it will be the job of the Council of Forgotten Doom to take Bowser out of the picture, and by combining their forces, finally do the job right. Wario, of course isn't impressed. The Shadowy Woman promises him riches beyond his wildest dreams, effectively winning Wario's support. The other past villains clamor for special prizes like Wario's, and the Shadowy Woman promises them that once they harness the power of the Ztars, they can have whatever their black hearts desire.
The assembled villains are mystified by this. The Shadowy Woman explains that Ztars are a sort of anti-Starman. Rather than make Mario invincible, they grant the wishes of evildoers. Ztars are created by the collected fear, anger and hate of a region, scattered around the world. The Shadowy Woman already has one, in her fortress, orbiting above the Mushroom World. She has used the power of the Ztar to call together the forgotten villains, and also to pinpoint the location of the Ztars in the Mushroom World.
There are Ztars in the Mushroom Kingdom (including some of the 7 kingdoms from SMB3, plus Luigi's Mansion in Boo Woods), Dinosaur Land, Yoshi's Island, Sarasaland, Kitchen Island, the DK Isles and the Beanbean Kingdom. Part of the council will go to find, protect and use the Ztars, while the rest of the council will go to Bowser's Castle to kidnap the King of the Koopas, to prevent him from interfering.
Wario and Captain Syrup (and her Black Sugar gang) are put in charge of capturing Mario in his sleep. The two rivals bicker the entire time, and in their incompetence only manage to capture Luigi. They hightail it to the Mushroom Castle, and easily overrun the Toad guards and capture Peach, and set up base in the castle. They're convinced that not only will this lure Mario to the castle (which it of course does) but also that they'll be able to overpower Mario. Mario is of course too tough for the combined forces of Wario, the Cap'n and her gang. Mario defeats Wario, but he runs off, screaming that he'll get his revenge. Captain Syrup barely participated in the fight, because she's fallen in love with Luigi (but in a subtle and funny way, so that the in-game characters don't take so much notice, but the player does), and as you rescue Luigi, she asks to join your party. Or as she says, you "become members of the greatest pirate gang to ever raid the seven seas!" She also denounces the Council, thirsting for chaos (and the love of Luigi) rather than a "new world order run by some shadow-wench!"
And from here, Mario, Luigi, and Captain Syrup would venture around the various regions in the Mushroom Universe (sometimes sailing aboard Syrup's ship, the S.S. Teacup), with each member of the Council of Forgotten Doom serving as each world boss. Peach stays behind to keep the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom calm and ready to fight, and Cap'n Syrup explains the Shadowy Figure's plans.
Rudy, Raphael the Raven, Tryclyde, Eyerok, Mouser, Belome, Hooktail, King Boo, Naval Piranha and the Shadow Queen will serve as sub-bosses not directly affiliated with the Council (though they may be manipulated by or working for Council members), and Wario will fill the recurring comic-villain role set forth by Croco, Troopa Jr, and Lord Crump in past Mario RPGs.
Eventually they'll trek to Yoshi's Island and Yoshi will join the party, as will Kamek, the ancient Magikoopa that somehow escaped the clutches of the Shadowy Woman and her Council of Forgotten Doom. Of course, Kamek, like Cap'n Syrup has motives of his own, and is just helping Mario to reach his own ends--sort of like when Bowser joined up with Mario and co. in Mario RPG... it's an uneasy partnership to say the least.
After many trials, the team finally makes it to the Shadowy Woman's orbiting base... as prisoners. They're thrown in a cell with none other than Bowser and the Koopalings. Bowser once again is forced to join his arch-nemesis, and the (rather large) group hatches a plan. Bowser and the Koopalings will create a diversion, which Mario and co. will use to escape during the confusion. Mario and his group fight to the control room of the fortress, where they are shocked to find that the Shadowy Woman is...
PAULINE!
DUN DUN DUUUUN. She never got over Mario shrugging her off way back when, and has been working at the ultimate revenge plot. She is soon joined by the surviving members of the Council who fled after fighting with Mario. She tells them that she has been using the time Mario and co. were "running around" to create the Ztar-powered Doomsday Device. The kidnapped Prof E. Gadd regretfully steps from behind the machine and starts it up, as commanded by Pauline.
Just when it seems like it couldn't get any worse, Bowser and the Koopalings barge in, in mid-fight with a few dozen Council guards (perhaps a motley crew of Shy-Guys, X-Nauts, Wanderin' Gooms, Shroobs, etc.) The brawl is out of control, and they crash into the Doomsday Device, destroying it. Pauline and the few surviving members of the Council go to investigate the wrecked machine, which blows up in their faces...
When the smoke clears, Pauline and the remaning Council-members have mutated into one giant bizarre creature with a Ztar in it's chest. The explosion also sends the fortress out of orbit, and on a collision course with the Mushroom Kingdom. And though Mario and the rest are freaking out, the Pauline-Shroob-Tatanga-Smithy monster declares that not only will it survive the crash, but it will be even stronger, and able to rampage through the Mushroom Kingdom, destroying everything in it's path, thanks to the power of the remaining Ztar. .
Mario and co. decide they have to fight it, and worry about escaping later. Bowser and co. are still wrapped up with fighting off an ever-increasing number of Council guards, allowing Mario and co. to fight the Pauline-Monster uninterrupted. The fight is a losing one... Mario and his party just aren't enough to fight off the mutated monstrosity. Until Bowser and the Koopalings jump in the fray. Their combined strength is enough to destroy the Pauline-Mutant. As it melts away, a ghostly Pauline and the Ztar remain. The ghostly Pauline apologizes and disappears.
The denizens of all corners of the Mushroom World set their eyes on the sky and watch as Pauline's burning, exploding fortress plummets out of orbit and straight at Peach's Castle. Night falls, and the horrible falling wreckage lights up the sky. Peach, still watching the sky, silently wishes on a star--as do other denizens of the Mushroom World. Soon the wishes build up, and the Ztar turns into a Star. The Star teleports Mario, Luigi and Yoshi to Peach's Castle, Captain Syrup to her ship, and sends Bowser, the Koopalings and Kamek to Bowser's Castle. The Star bursts out of the falling wreck and gets beneath it, stopping it just a few feet above Peach's Castle. It then rockets the fortress up into space, past Star Road (allowing for Geno to make a brief cameo) and into a black hole. The Star takes it's place among the heavens, and the player is treated to a lovely night time parade featuring ALL the characters (good, bad and ugly).
And that's how I'd have my Mario RPG go. Sans all the middle parts I didn't really want to cover. I'm sure that'd be full of wacky adventure hijinks and such. Maybe when they visit the DK Isles, DK joins your party (ala Kingdom Hearts) and there's a side-quest where you fight off K. Rool... There'd definitely HAVE to be appearances by at least DK, Diddy an DK Jr.
I'm not super sure about the ending, though. Alternate ideas I had included the Pauline-Monster surviving the crash, and the reformed Ztar persevering Mario and the gang (and Bowser and the kids), just so there could be an epic battle between a Godzilla sized Pauline-Monster and the entire population of the Mushroom World, and I also was thinking about having the fortress crash get deflected by the Star from Peach's Castle and sent into Bowser's--not only would it be funny (because Bowser could be like "ARRUUGGH!! MY CASTLE!!") but it could potentially set up a sequel where Bowser gets revenge, using stuff he salvaged from the wrecked fortress. I'd also considered one of the party members being a war-Toad (the little guard Toads with spears and capes you see in Paper Mario 1), but I couldn't think of any cool attacks for him, though maybe he could just be there to help out during Peach's Castle rescue at the beginning, like DK on the DK Isles (again, ala Kingdom Hearts).
But yeah, I seriously did not intend this to turn into fan-fic but I think it did.
