After the fight with Croco you return to the Mushroom Kingdom and find it overrun by shyguys on pogo sticks. Once you beat Mack their boss you collect a Star Piece. To move on you must enter the Kero Sewers and deep within them you fight a hungry boss named Belome. Once you defeat him you eventually make your way to Tadpole Pond and then once you do some stuff there you continue on to Rose Town. Where another bad guy is shooting arrows at the town freezing people in their tracks.

Once you enter the forest you meet Bowyer who is shooting them and Geno joins you. I'm not going to reveal the details. You have to play the game for those.

BOWYER: 997! 998! 999! 1000! Nya ha ha! 1000 arrows! For cover they run, nya! FUN this is, yes. Nya! Another 1000 will I shoot!

MALLOW: Mario, who IS that guy? He must be the one shooting arrows at Rose Town!

(Mario nods)

BOWYER: Happy I am, nya! Look... LOOK at their expressions when freeze they do!

FLUNKIES: Woo hoo! They're standing like statues!

BOWYER: Nya! More practice do I need!

MALLOW: Oh no! He's not stopping! We've got to do something!

(Mario agrees and starts running at Bowyer)

MALLOW: Who do you think you are, Bruce Lee? You can't just go in there with your fists flying!

(Mario stops)

MALLOW: There're too many of 'em. We'll be creamed!

(Mario taps foot thoughtfully)

MALLOW: (Jumping up and turning around) Oh no, someone's coming! Let's hide and see if we can learn anything.

(Mallow and Mario hide behind a stump.)

(Flunky pushing huge star piece enters.)

FLUNKY: Look what I found, Bowyer!

BOWYER: What? WHAT? Disturb me you must not! Practicing, I am. More arrows must I shoot! More statues must I make, nya!

???:
Stop!

(??? flies down from sky)

???: Hold it right there! You don't know what you're doing. RETURN that star to me!

BOWYER: Gnya, NYA!? A stranger you are... and strange looking at that! Teach you, we must, who's in charge!

(Cool music starts in)

BOWYER: Nya?! And who might you be?

???: I serve...a higher authority... That Star Piece belongs to everyone. You can't keep it.

BOWYER: Nya! NYA! Angry I am! Nya! A lesson I will teach you!

(Commences to shoot many wonderful arrows)

???: Hey! Chill out!

MALLOW: Mario! It's dangerous out there! You're gonna help, huh? Whack that weirdo... Save the guy in blue...

(Mario nods)

Me too! I will do what I can! But...from over here!

(Mario falls on his face)

(Arrow disturbs them. They run towards Bowyer.)

MALLOW: (dodging arrows) I'm NOT afraid. And I'm NOT gonna cry!

(Mallow trips on arrow and falls flat on his face) Yeouch!

(Mario jumps into battle)

???: (fuming) Stop it! That's enough. (whacks Bowyer a good one)

BOWYER: Gunya! Nya!!! Strong you are. But stronger am I! Hurt you, I will! So long, nya! Part, now, we must!

(Aims arrow at ???)

Nya nya NYA!!

(Mario jumps in and deflects arrow, thus rescuing ??? from potential danger.)

???: Thanks for the help! But...who are you?

(Mallow arrives)

MALLOW: Mario! You just... DITCHED me back there! (looks at ???) Huh? Don't I know you? You look...familiar!

???: (shakes head) So! You're THE Mario! WE know about you!

(Mario nods)

(Bowyer stomps unhappily)

BOWYER: Knock knock! Nya! Insulted, I am!

(all three attack him)

BOWYER: NYAAA!! Now 3 against one! Nyat FAIR! Fix it, I will, nya! Shoot an arrow, I shall. When a target it hits, that Button...LOCKED!

(Magic, Attack, and Supply buttons fall.)

After a long and arduous battle, Bowyer heads up to that big shooting range in the sky...

???: Thanks for the help. You really got me out of a jam. Why are you staring at me? You know I'm more than just a doll, don't you?

(Mario and Mallow look at each other and nod.)

???: (lifts hands to the sky) Have you guessed the truth? I'm a visitor from above, and this is a form I'm borrowing briefly.

(Mario and Mallow look at each other and jump. Mallow runs to ???)

MALLOW: You mean, like, from the sky or something?

???: (laughing) Higher than that, I'm afraid! Do you two know anything about the "Star Road"?

(Mario and Mallow shake their heads)

???: Completely in the dark, eh? Well, it's a big mess up there right now, and it concerns you too! Let me explain... You've heard of wishing upon a shooting star?

(Mario and Mallow nod)

???: At the "Star Road", your wish is transformed into a star. When it's granted, it then turns into a shooting star and falls down to earth. So you see, the Star Road plays an integral role in granting wishes. But ever since a sword destroyed the "Star Road", everything's come to a halt. No Stars have been made since. The way things stand, yours is a world where wishes can't come true anymore.

(Mario and Mallow jump! Mallow runs to the Star Piece.)

MALLOW: Are you saying THIS Star is a part of your "Starway?"

???: That's "STAR ROAD", my fluffy little friend... Yes, that star is a borken piece of the Star Road. I'm here to find them all, and repair the Star Road.

???:
The broken Star Pieces... There are 7 altogether. For peace to return... We must get rid of Smithy, find the Star Pieces, and repair the Star Road...

???: I'm "(Heart)(Musical note)!?", but it's hard to pronounce so... Call me "Geno", after the doll. I chose him because he looked the strongest out of all the dolls.

GENO: Now grab the star, Mario!

(Mario does so.)

GENO: Come on! Let's get this show on the road.

"Geno", who is searching for the
pieces of the Star Road, joins
Mario and Mallow.
Things are definitely looking up!

FLUNKY: Ooh, I heard everything! Who would have known that star was so important? I've got to inform Smithy!

(tears off in a big hurry)

The secret to the shooting stars
has been unraveled.
Find the Star Pieces,
and bring peace back
to Mario's world.