Still worried about Tippi's condition, Mario and friends opened the fifth door. They still needed to find three Pure Hearts... But the imminent destruction of the world was approaching at an alarming pace. Would Mario have enough time to save the day? And what foul trick would Count Bleck and his goons come up with next? This adventure grew more dangerous... and thrilling with every step!

Chapter 5-1: Downtown of Drag

They arrived at a stone valley. "Where are we? The view is nice from midair, but I can't see the Pure Heart... Wait... midair?" Tippi asked. They noticed this and then all fell to the ground. Mario and Peach laughed.

"Bowser's Arms!" They called at Bowser. "Oh shut up, both of you!" Bowser yelled. "Oh! Cragga wagga woo!" A caveman called out loud. "Cragga wagga doo GOO!" The second caveman explained. The heroes landed between the two cavemen, which a couple others gathered around them.

The first one jumped back. "OH CRAG!" He shouted. "Wh-what in Crag?" The second asked. The heroes got up and looked at them. Tippi floated down. "Are you alright?" She asked them. "Woah, Skarn... Did you see that?" The first caveman asked Skarn. "Yah, Jasperoid... thought I was losing my crag, brah. Person shaped weird, huh? Wait! You think maybe.. person sent down by Big Rock Who Watches?!" Skarn asked.

"This hairface brah? Thought Big Rock would send someone... cooler." Jasperoid replied. The cavemen grabbed each of the heroes and carried them off. "AHHHH!! Ha! Ha! Bowser's Arms!" Mario yelled and laughed out loud.

"Will you quit it?! Are my arms really that important?!" Bowser shouted. Mario laughed out loud as they were brought to the chief. Tippi followed them. "You unhand them right now!" She demanded. They were soon brought to the chief of the village. "You meet Marbald, chief of all Cragnons." Jasperoid said. "H-hi?" Mario asked Marbald.

"You seem like you manage selves well. Cragnons make request of you." Marbald said. "A request? What kind of request?" Peach asked. "Cragnons were once peaceful people. We held long peace. That is until new people show up. Nerd Cragnon call them Floro Sapiens. They raid home... They kidnap Cragnon... They give peace no chance..." Marbald explained.

"The Floral Sapiens?" Peach asked. "Yes. Cragnons must do something, or Cragnons be... EXTINCT BRAH! You smash Floro Sapiens... You rescue kidnapped brahs... You hook Cragnons up..." Marbald said. "Sure thing, Brah!" Mario replied to him. Peach nodded too.

Luigi and Bowser nodded. "Really? You're not cragging my chain? You brahs are the best..." Marbald said happily. "Yah, serious, no cragging! Big Rock Who Watches sent you for Cragnons, for sure!" Skarn replied.

The door opened and a Cragnon barged in. "Tuh-tuh-terrible Brah! King Croacus returns!" He shouted. "Wh-whaaat?!" Marbald cried out. "Village Cragnons kidnapped! Please... Cragnons need hooking up, brah..." He explained. "Servants of Big Rock who watches... You heard that right, kind brahs? P-p-please! You help! You hook up Cragnons! Hook up, PLEEEASE!" Marbald cried out. The random villager ran out.

Mario and the other heroes run out and saw the Floro Sapiens with some villagers. "Stop right there!" Mario shouted. One of them turned to them. "Hey, check out that breed! Never seen that kind before. Must be rare." The Floro Sapien said. "You never seen a human before, well, look at we what can do!" Mario shouted, defeating the Floro Sapiens. Tippi flew to them. "I heard from some of those thugs that their leader has the Pure Heart." Tippi told the heroes.

"Well, if we want the Pure Heart, we'll have to beat up their king..." Mario said, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah, we'll give him a Bowser-brand knuckle sandwich." Bowser said, he pounded his fists together.

They pressed onwards, chasing after them, avoiding Muths and cracking codes until they made it to the next area.

In Pursuit of the abducted Cragnons, Mario and Co. headed for the Gap of Crag. What did the Floro Sapiens want? And where was King Croacus with the Pure Heart? Despite their hustling pace, our heroes never caught eight of the Floro Sapiens. But Mario didn't give up. He knew his fleet feet would catch them eventually...

Chapter 5-2: Pixls, Tablets and Drag

"There! We've caught up with the fiends..." Tippi said. But then they blocked their entry way with a giant yellow block. The heroes explored the valley until they came across a familiar figure.

"GRA-BLACKEY!" A voice called out. O'Chunks stomped in front of the heroes. "Yeh thought you could sike me out by making me wait and lose me concentration? Y'all are cheaters!" O'Chunks said out loud. Mario and the heroes looked around, and noticed O'Chunks.

"Oh great, you again!" Mario shouted. "Who's that?" Peach asked. "This is O'Chunks, one of Count Bleck's henchmen..." Mario explained.

"We ran into him before. He's just a big pushover." Tippi explained. "Hah! I could beat this guy with two arms tied behind my back!" Bowser taunted. "Oh, yeh think so lad? Why don't I smack that ego o' yers down a peg?!" O'Chunks yelled. "Salutations O'Chunks." A voice called out, Dimentio appeared.

Mario and Peach got very angry when Dimentio shown up again. "Hey! We seen that bunny named ''Ms.L" and she looks like Lianna! Is that her?!" Peach demanded. Mario really wanted to kick Dimentio's butt again.

"Oh, you've met my new friend? Isn't she swell? I've grown quite fond of her." Dimentio replied. "No! She's not swell! She is probably terrified of fighting us and you probably scarred her for life!" Mario snapped.

"I think she rather enjoys not having to worry about working." Dimentio said. Mario attempt to run up to Dimentio again, but Peach held him back again. "This isn't my fight. I just thought my magic would help." Dimentio said, he transported them to his dimension.

"Safe fighting O'Chunks. Ciao!" Dimentio called out, he disappeared. "Huh... This ain't so bad. Yer going down stachey boy!" O'Chunks shouted.

Mario and the crew battle O'Chunks and soon defeated him. "Blargh it all! Not once, but twice yeh defeat me! This brought shame to me... So go on, finish me off..." O'Chunks groaned. Mario was shocked that O'Chunks wanted to die.

"I'm serious! Me time has come... I have no regrets! Well, maybe one... But this ain't the time fer details... Just end me game!" O'Chunks begged. As much as Mario wanted to kill one of the guys that took their friend, he didn't want to since he felt like that was wrong.

"Salutations O'Chunks!" A familiar voice called, Dimentio reappeared. "Di-dimentio! Would yeh mind givin us some private time?" O'Chunks asked him. "Dimentio! Next time we meet, you better give us back our friend, OR ELSE!" Mario snapped.

He really wished he had a hammer to pound Dimentio into the ground. "Or else what?" Dimentio asked. "You're gonna pay!" Mario shouted. "We shall see... Ciao!" They warped away and the heroes returned to the mountains.

Mario grumbled as he kicked the ground. "Don't worry Lianna, we'll save you... we promise..." Mario said out loud. "We should continue." Tippi replied. They soon gathered up the three tablets and climbed up the tall mountain, they encountered a hammer shaped figure.

"Hey! Yo! Whuh? I'm gettin' nothin'... So... You...ignorin' me? Or was that a yes? Better try one more time... PLEASE TALK TO ME!" The Pixl begged. "Fine!" Mario and Peach say.

"Nice! Sounds good. Been a while since I heard voices. Been a while since I talked. Gotta tell people how ya feel or they dunno... Gotta talk or no one hears ya! So listen, weird question... You guys got a motto or what? Whisper it to me, huh?" Cudge asked them.

"Say Bunnies! Show our pride for our friend, Lianna and honor her by saying "Bunnies". Peach said. "Yes! Bunnies!" Luigi said. "Whatever." Bowser groaned and he rolled his eyes. "At a boy, Luigi!" Mario said happily. "Oh yeah... That's perfect! I am LOVIN' that! Real good wordin', real good timin'! Hang on a sec." He said, then he flew around. "BUNNIES! Ooh boy, that felt good. I gotta stay on this feel-good train. I'm sticking with you!" He called out loud.

The hammer shaped Pixl named Cudge joined Mario. Mario felt happy and used Cudge to get open the yellow block and headed onwards to the next area. "Whoo! Yeah! That's the power of a hammer! Use it well." Cudge said happily.

After repelling O'Chunks, Mario and Co. followed the Floro Sapiens underground.. Was the hideout of the Floro Sapiens just ahead? "Wow, it's dark! And narrow!" "Hey, who just kicked me?!" "Sorry. All me." Our heroes followed the long, dark corridor, listening to the echoes of their voices. As they groped their way along, the light at the end of the tunnel grew brighter... They had finally arrived at the inner sanctums of the Floro Sapiens... The Cragnons kidnapped from Downtown of Drag had to be around somewhere...

Chapter 5-3: A Crag in the Dark

Mario used Cudge to go down into a mine area. Up ahead, they encountered an explorer, of sorts. "Coming to you live...from the foul darkness: the home of the Floro Sapoen. Lesser Cragnons would weep softly. No one has set foot in this cave and emerged alive. But some make history with sheer gall and will power...and Flint Cragley is such a man!" The man named Flint Cragley called out, he seemed to be practicing a monologue. "Hello?" Mario asked him.

"Cragley ho! Suddenly...out of the cave mists... mysterious, slavering creatures lurched into view! Did they hope to dine on fillet of Cragley? Would our hero meet their mandibles?" He asked out loud "M-manibles?! Where?" Luigi cried out in a panic, he looked around, panicked. Mario looked around confused.

"Find out after this commercial break! ... Great, cut, print, wrap it. Now what do you dolts want? What are you doing here?" He asked the heroes. "Who are you?" Mario asked.

"Who am I? I'm Flint Cragley! Television superstar! Have you been living under a rock or something?" He asked them. "Oh... I'm Mario, and this is my brother Luigi and our friends, Peach and Bowser. We have to save the world and find King Croacus because he has a Pure Heart..." Mario explained. "Ah, so you're adventurers?" He asked. Mario nodded.

"Ah, excellent! Nice to see more of us out there. Call me Flint. Best cragtrotter of all time! I host a weekly show. Unfortunately, my crew wandered off somewhere... So unprofessional. Listen, if you run into them, tell them I'm waiting here, ok? They've got the key to get me deeper into this cave." He said.

Mario nodded and headed out to find Flint Cragley's crewmen. They soon found one of the two camera Cragnons.

"Hey, you are not mind controlled? You escaped from "Processing Center", brah? Monzo maybe ought to take director there. Maybe sprout on head mellow him out..." The crewman named Monzo said.

"Whuh? You know director?" He asked. Mario nods and responds. "So That where he was.... Aww... He told Monzo, "Wait here!" Monzo bet he forgot one second later. Job of Monzo really lame. Thanks, Brah. Monzo head back now." Monzo said, heading back to Flint.

There were a few Cragnons with sprouts coming out of their heads. They noticed the Cragnons with those sprouts. "Wait... what are those sprouts on top of those guys' heads?" Mario asked. "Oh my... Isn't that painful?" Luigi asked worried, he stood closer to his brother.

"Yeah... Probably..." Mario said nervously. "So they put a plant in their heads? That's... unsettling..." Bowser said. Mario nodded, holding close to Luigi. "L-let's just go... I don't want to hurt them..." Luigi said nervously. Mario nodded and they avoided them, they soon came across the other member of the crew.

"Woah! Where in Crag you guys come from? ...Serious. Who are you, brah?" The second camera man asked. "Whuh? You know where director is?" The second member asked. Mario nodded and responded.

"Oh, that where he is... Thanks. Hornfels head back now now. But first... you see other crew Cragnons? With little sprout on top of head? Floro Sapiens using sprouts to mind-control Cragnons.... they see you, they attack! Don't let your guard down, brah! Crag you later!" Hornfels said, meeting up with Flint. "M-mind control? That's horrible!" Luigi said, shocked.

"It's like how, she was brainwashed..." Mario said nervously. "Oh... yeah..." Mario said sadly, not meaning to worry Luigi more. "Mmm..." Luigi replied upset, he looked down.

Mario believed they shouldn't mention about Lianna for a while, keep it off his mind... "Let's get going already." Tippi said. They headed back to Flint and his crew.

"And cut. Ok, let's head to the last door. You got the key?" Flint asked his men. "Whuzzat?! You cragging me? You never gave key.." Monzo said. "What?! Well, do you have the key?" He asked his other worker. "Whuh? What key?" Hornfels asked. "You're kidding me. The key I gave you!" Flint said out loud. "No brah, HAD key, not HAVE key..." Hornfels replied. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Nah, brah! See... Cragley say 'You lose this, so Cragley can hold on to it. Cragley got key, brah." Hornfels replied. "What? I never said that." He said. He motioned towards his pocket.

"Hm?" Flint asked, he pulled out the key. "Cragley ho! A miracle struck! As if by magic, the long-lost key had returned to my pocket!" He said out loud. "Thank goodness the key was here the whole time!" Mario said happily. "Now we may travel further down the mines!" Flint said. "Come on, let's move!" He said. They headed deeper into the mines. They headed onto the next area, the final area of this world.

"You want REAL danger?! How about my fuel with the foul Rainbowzilla?!" As the heroes descended into the Floro Caverns, Flint Cragley entertained them all. "Boss. BOSS! Cragnons heard that story 255 times, brah... You making my crag hurt. Brah, if you count the time we weren't tied up, then it 256 times." Mario and Co. glanced over at the weary faces of Flint's crew as they delved deeper. But a light grew... Was it a ray of hope from the Pure Heart, or an evil illusion?

Chapter 5-4: The Menace of King Croacus

The heroes and Flint's crew had more chats with each other. They soon finished their finger and they decided to continue exploring. Flint and his crew went ahead. They travel through the area until they come across a Pixl and a cragnon.

"Wh-who are you?" The Pixl asked. "EEEEKK! F-f-Found us!" The Cragnon cried out loud. "Grabbo thought this was good hiding spot, since key was lost, brah!" He cried out. "Yes, this is unexpected... But so is a storm of rain... Such is the way of things. There are no absolutes..." She responded. "Wh-What do we do, brah?" He asked her. Mario approached them curiously.

"Come, come, be at peace. Calm your raging inner sea. Let us meditate on this..." She replied to him. "You're probably right, brah.......................... Got it!" He called out. Gabbro turned to Mario. "E-evil brahs! You take Gabbro. Gabbro give up... but her, you do not hurt Pixl!" He cried out. The pixl looked shocked. "But you..." She said in shock.

"No. Let Gabbro speak, brah. You kept Gabbro company... you helped Gabbro hide... Gabbro owe you big, brah... Big debt for Pixl! Gabbro time ending, but Gabbro really want you to live free..." He said to Dottie.

"Come, now, ease your mind. Let the muffle the wails of your frightened soul... Do not be hasty in fear! Look closer... They are not of the Floro Sapien!" She called out loud. "What? Who are you Brahs! Could you... You come to save Gabbro?" He asked. "Well, I guess... This is interesting... Just like Flint Cragley, you've avoided falling under the control of the Floro Sapiens..." Tippi replied.

"What? Flint here, too?" He asked. Mario nodded. "Gabbro HUGE Cragley fan! Cragley do something, brah! Cragley come save us all!" He called out.

"Well, isn't that welcome news! Why don't you go find Flint? For I must bid you farewell." Dottie said to him. "What?! Why?! You not come with Gabbro?!" He asked nervously. "Humans and Pixls... or Cragnons and Pixls, for that matter... shouldn't linger long together. Only heroes who know how to utilize Pixls properly can travel with them... Please, heed my words now... It's best for you this way." Dottie said. "Oh, crag..." He said.

"Come now, let me assist you in your departure from here. Let your aura shrink... When it diminisges, you can return to the village where the one you seek awaits." Dottie said, she focused and shrank Gabbro. He got shrunked.

"Thank you, great Pixl brah.... Gabbro not forget you!" He called, running to safety into a tiny door. "Farewell! Go frolic beneath the sun, where you are meant to live. Rain still falls in my heart. The taken souls cry out... Why do they cry such tears? You must stop this torrent. Fate brought us together. Great hero of 1500 years... Now you must take me there... To the deep, dark underbelly of the earth..." She said, Dottie joined Mario.

They used Dottie to help get their ways through the security areas, until they heard a voice. "Ah ha ha. So! At long last, you've come to play, like late-sleeping toddlers!" A familiar voice called. "Dimentio... and O'Chunks..." Tippi said.

"OH NO! NOT YOU TWO AGAIN!" Mario groaned in annoyance after he saw the two of them again. Peach went up to them. "Give us back Lianna! You scarred her badly! Give her back!" Peach demanded.

"Oh? You do not seem happy. Is it the tiredness of the Pure Heart collecting? I would imagine it is. I am not violent by nature, you know. I'd prefer to settle this peacefully, in fact. If you wished to go back to your world, I could do that for you." Dimentio said calmly.

"I don't care if you are acting "peaceful" you don't seem to be after you harmed our friend!" Mario snapped at Dimentio. "On the contrary, I had nothing to do with her mind rewriting at all. You remember the count's assistant at the wedding, do you?" Dimentio asked.

"That pink haired lady who almost brainwashed me?" Peach asked. "Yes. It was her doing." Dimentio replied. "It was her..." Peach said suspiciously. She felt like something was up with him. These people were really shady....

"So you can see that I'm not at fault here. How about this? I'll even bring your bunny friend with you home, safe and sound. Back to normal." Dimentio offered. "Y-you will?" Peach asked curiously. Mario was wondering if he should trust him. "Really?" Luigi asked, he was desperate at this point.

Tippi turned to them. "Don't listen to him! If you go back, we'll never stop the void, and all worlds will be destroyed!" Tippi warned them. Mario sighed, as much as he wanted to save Lianna, he couldn't trust him. "No... we can't... the fate of the world depends on us... we're going to collect the Pure Hearts and then get Lianna when we attack...." Mario said.

"So it must be... Shall we begin?" He asked the heroes, Dimentio brought them to his dimension. "Here we go again..." Mario groaned. "Ah, so you've caught on have you? Same fight, same outcome... And that is why..." Dimentio said, he snapped his fingers and a floro sprout grew from O'Chunks' head.

"Bro-colli!" O'Chunks shouted. "Lovely green hat, wouldn't you say?" Dimentio asked. "It's one of those... sprouts..." Mario said. Peach gasped. "Precisely! I've requested a few sprouts from a friend to liven O'Chunks up a bit. I call the boy 'O'Cabbage'! Introduce yourself!" Dimentio said happily. O'Chunks pounded his chest. "CAB-BAGE!" O'Chunks shouted. Mario got into an attack stance.

"Ah ha ha. Simply adorable. Now remember kids: eat your vegetables to grow big! Except in this case, a veggie will eat YOU! Ciao!" He said, Dimentio disappeared. "AS-PARA-GUS!" O'Chunks shouted.

Mario and the good guys battled O'Cabbage and defeated him. "Buh... Buh... BRO-CCOLI!" O'Chunks shouted. They were brought back to the Floro Sapien base. "Hrrrrrrgh..." The floro sprout fell off his head. "'Ey! What in gravy am I doin' in 'ere?! Hunh? An' what are YOU doin' in 'ere as well?! Oh, I get the picture! You lot want teh challenge the new, improved O'Chunks! Yeh got pepper in yer pants, I'll give yeh that! But this time, yeh WILL get ruined!" O'Chunks said out loud.

Mario tried to explain that they just fought him, but then a grumbling noise was heard. "Whuh-oj... Me belly's growlin' like a starvin' dog! Warrior rule number one: Never fight on an empty stomach! 'Tis madness! Sorry, but we've got teh call it a day! Can't go buckin' the warrior rules! Chunks away!" O'Chunks called it loud, he exited the scene.

Mario looked at the Floro Sprout on the ground. "This sprout is the same as on the Cragnons. It's nearly dead though." Tippi said. "Do you think it's safe if we put it on?" Mario asked.

Bowser shook his head. "Oh no, I am not putting that on!" He said in worry. "It might help you be safe. You could blend in with the other Cragnons, so we don't have to risk encountering them." Tippi said.

Mario nodded and put the sprout onto his head, fortunately, he was not brainwashed. "Mario? Are you brainwashed?" Luigi asked him nervously.

"No... I am completely fine..." Mario said. He jumped happily up and down. "It works! It works!" He called out. "I am not brainwashed!" He said happily. "That's great Mario. This could come in handy..." Tippi said.

Mario handed each of the others spare Floro Sprouts like his and Peach put hers on, they ventured into the pipe. They made their way through security and proceeded forward.

Mario and friends soon arrived at a different area after solving puzzles, there, they saw King Croacus. "Where, oh where are my pretties?! Pretties... Beautiful things... Ooo-wee! Bring them to me... More! More! More! ...Ooo? What are THESE hideous, clashing things?" King Croacus announced. Mario approached the king and felt insulted by his message.

"Ooooo-weeeee-oooooooooo! So you must be the intruders I've heard so much about... Well, I will NOT forgive the great thrashening of my beautiful kingdom! NOO-WEE-OO! ...Thus you are warned!" He warned.

"We know you have a Pure Heart, and we would need it to save all the worlds!" Mario tried to explain. "So you want it's beauty too? How DARE you get on your high horse! I shall never give it to filthy rats like you! I rarely stoop to this, but I'll destroy you myself! Consider it an honor." King Croacus said, he transformed.

The battle began, with the heroes working together to help take down the giant flower king. Soon, he was defeated, and wilted. "K-KING CROACUS!" A voice called out, a group of Floro Sapiens charged in.

"BOWSER'S ARMS!" Mario called as they got spun around, he laughed. "I swear, I'm this close to frying you!" Bowser shouted and stomped his foot.

They got back and they saw a group of Floro Sapiens rush towards their king. "What... WOAH! What did you guys DO, huh?" The red Floro Sapien asked. "We have defeated your king. Get over it..." Bowser grunted. "Hey shut up! You don't get it at all!" The red one shouted.
"He was a really, really nice guy!" A yellow one shouted. "What? What are you talking about?" Tippi asked.

"WATER, man! I'm talking about WATER! The Cragnons were polluting our water! Those dudes were tossing trash into the river! We had to DRINK that stuff!" The Red Floro Sapien called out. "We took your people since they polluted our water supply! We had to drink that!" The yellow one cried out.

"So... Then... Oh." Tippi said.

"Of course! I knew it all along!" Flint and his crew came through the doors. "Cragley ho! Emergency report from the Floro front lines! Environmental pollution drives Floro Sapiens mad! Whither will they rampage? So the villagers throwing garbage in the river was the reason for this whole thing? Well... I tried to tell these guys, but my thoughts were too far ahead of their time..." Flint Cragley said.

"This play well with Green Cragnon crowd..." Hornfels said. "Ratings EXPLODE, brah! It like "Crag on Ice" meets "Baron von Craggiton!" Monzo replied.

"Whaling on our king aside, you guys are totally heroes. You should take this." The red Floro Sapien said, holding up the Pure Heart. "One of our earliest kings received this to safeguard until the heroes arrival. Our people have kept that promise for, like, 1,500 years or something crazy like that... I'm sure our wilted king here would be stoked that this duty is done." The Floro Sapien said, giving Mario and company the Blue Pure Heart.

"Men of true grit witness life what other can only seen through vision. That is what moves me to travel into the belly of the beast week after week. Thanks again for watching, until next time CRAGLEY HO!" Having wrapping their latest shoot, Flint and crew went back to Downtown of Crag. Mario and friends clutched the sixth Pure Heart as they walked back toward Flipside. Our heroes have taken a new step toward overturning the prophecy of destruction..