|
|
Post by NintendoMasterGC on May 27, 2006 22:53:23 GMT -5
I thought, hey, why not post this PWNing fanfic here, as well as on NSider Forums? If you want to see the previous 7 fanfics (which are all rather short, but will explain some of what happens here), click here to visit the Fanfic Connection Forums, which holds the entire series. Here we go! SHADOWS REVISITED!!! Oh, and, by the way, this baby won NSider's Fanfic of the Week Honorable Mention, too. Worth your while, huh? |
|
|
|
Post by NintendoMasterGC on May 27, 2006 22:54:03 GMT -5
Chapter 1 - The Secret
Mario and Peach strolled down the quiet halls of the royal museum. With them were Russ T., captain of the Mushroom Kingdom Royal Guard, and his wife, Rachel, also Peach's personal servant. The four gazed at ancient works of art until four o'clock in the evening.
"Rachel," Peach asked gently, "would you please go to the kitchen and make sure that Tace T. and Tess T. are using the proper ingredients? The special items we got for the banquet tonight?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Rachel replied sweetly as she squeezed Russ's hand and turned to leave. Russ decided he'd better check on the groundskeepers and left as well, leaving Mario and Peach alone in the museum's far west wing.
It was a place rarely visited by the average tourist, but in it were some of the best and rarest gems of art in the museum. A huge painting took up one whole wall in one of the rooms, accented by several ancient decorative vases. In another room, hundreds of fine jewels sat in their glass cases, bathed in light that reflected off their many-sided faces into dazzling patterns. But Peach bypassed it all and led Mario down a side hall into a dead end.
"Mario, since no one else is here - which is rare - I'm going to show you the Mushroom Kingdom's best-kept secret." The Princess pulled a tiny remote control from her dress pocket.
Mario whistled. "Wow, some secret."
"Silly. This isn't the secret; it leads to it." And before Mario could open his mouth for another question, she pushed a small red button on the remote. To Mario's surprise, the wall in front of them slid back into a recess in the wall, revealing a large room. Peach pulled Mario into the room and slid the wall shut behind them.
"What is it?" Mario asked. The room was empty.
"Shhh. You'll see," Peach whispered, and pushed another button. A glass case materialized in the center of the room, apparently having been hidden by a cloaking device. Inside it was a single white metal staff, about five feet tall, with a strange red jewel on its tip. The whole staff gave off a supernatural glow.
Mario walked up to the case and tapped on the glass. "What is it?" he asked again.
"That I don't know, Mario. It's been hidden in here for years, and no one could tell me what it was - no one that I trusted enough to ask, that is."
"Why?" Mario asked. "Why keep it so hush-hush? It's not evil, is it? Sure doesn't look like it."
"I don't know why. Something just tells me that it's safer kept a secret, for some reason. Wait!" Mario started as Peach finished her sentence. She put a finger to her lips. "Mario, get down. Now!" Both of them dove to the floor as something came right through the wall and shattered the glass case.
|
|
|
|
Post by NintendoMasterGC on May 27, 2006 22:56:21 GMT -5
Chapter 2 - The Life of the Party
Mario stood and looked at the case as Peach cowered on the floor. He stood battle-ready as he stared at the shattered glass display.
The staff was gone.
Peach got to her feet and stood trembling. "Oh, I KNEW there was something bad about that staff!"
"No, Peach, someone's stolen it. Someone who can go right through walls!"
"Let's get out of here, Mario. Something tells me that whoever-it-was will be back." The two quickly left the secret display room and rushed back to the great hall, where the banquet tables were already in place for that night's feast. Peach almost immediately spotted Rachel and hurriedly arranged for a change in the evening's schedule. The royal guards were ordered on double alert for anything suspicious.
That night, after the meal was over, the Princess stood to speak to the crowd. The after-dinner conversation immediately died out as Peach began to speak. "It's time I shared a secret with the Mushroom Kingdom," she began. Murmurs filled the hall as puzzled guests wondered what the secret could be. "Today, a rare artifact was stolen from the royal museum. This artifact has been kept hidden for almost fifty years in a secret room of the museum. It was a metallic white staff with a red-jeweled tip. Does anyone know this description?"
An elderly Toad stood and cleared his throat noisily. "Your Highness, that is the legendary Staff of Dreams. I know little of its origins and even less of its nature and purpose, but I do know that it wields great power. Only a wise one should be deemed worthy to hold the staff's power in his hands." The Toad sat down amid more murmuring.
"Thank you, Elder. I have no more information at this time, only that the theft was carried out by a mysterious personage who apparently can move through walls. That is how he accessed the hidden room. Please report any sightings of suspicious persons immediately." The Princess took Mario's arm and left the hall as the festivities started up again.
"Wait, Your Highness," Mario said suddenly as he picked up a note from the floor in the main hall. It was addressed to "Mario." He unfolded it and noted in puzzlement that it was blank. Suddenly, he noticed faint writing and bent closer. The heat from his breath revealed a message, written in unfamiliar handwriting.
"Beware of Takanyar!"
|
|
|
|
Post by NintendoMasterGC on May 27, 2006 22:57:51 GMT -5
Chapter 3 - Betrayal
"Huh," Mario said aloud as he reread the note.
"What is it, Mario?" Peach asked anxiously. Mario read her the message.
"I have no idea who or what this 'Takanyar' is, but it doesn't sound like it's cuddly and friendly, if you know what I mean." Mario crushed the note in his hand and pitched it out an open window into the courtyard. "Probably nothing to worry about." He and his princess continued their stroll.
The note skittered across the stones of the courtyard and came to rest against a large tree. A strange, black-tongued flame came from the paper ever so slightly until the entire thing was burnt to ashes. Then a strange form rose from the ashes and moved swiftly into the shadows of the courtyard walls.
"Luigi!" Mario called as he walked up to the house the next day.
No one answered.
Mario called again, and again got no answer. He rushed into the house to find Luigi lying face down on the floorboards, out cold. Rushing into the kitchen, Mario got a damp rag and put it on Luigi's face. The chill quickly roused him.
"Ahh! Oh, OW! My head!"
"Luigi, what happened?" Mario asked concernedly.
"My head! Yeowch! Oh - AAAAAAHHHH!!!" Luigi collapsed again and made no move to rise.
Mario tried to revive his younger brother, but to no avail. He gave up and sat in his chair by the fire, waiting.
A hand tapped Mario on the shoulder. He turned to see Luigi standing behind him. "Luigi! You OK?"
Luigi's eyes began to glow with an eerie purple light, and he seized Mario by the throat.
"Master... I will avenge you... Mario will die..."
"Gak! Luigi! Let... go! I can't... breathe..." Mario went limp in Luigi's iron grip, and Luigi hurled him to the floor.
There was a puff of black smoke in the room, and suddenly a black-robed figure appeared next to Luigi. He held a black staff tipped with a purple jewel. "Well done, Luigi. Finally Mario gets what's coming to him for last time. Take him away! We're going to pay Takanyar a visit with our guest, and won't he be happy to see Mario!"
|
|
|
|
Post by NintendoMasterGC on May 28, 2006 7:41:29 GMT -5
Chapter 4 - A Second Theft
"Oh, my back," Toadsworth groaned as he stretched after getting up the next morning. "I'm getting too old for such fun and games like last night's." He seized his cane and stumbled down the hall to see the Princess, noting with surprise that the halls were unusually empty.
A lone Toad came alongside Toadsworth and offered to help him down the hall. Toadsworth brushed him off and continued walking.
"I can't help you? Oh, that's all right, because you can still help me!" Toadsworth stopped and turned around to see that Toad morphing into a weird figure. His eyes were a dark red, as if they were burning. He was dressed in green and brown, with a hood that shadowed his facial features. And to top it all off, he held a white staff with a red jewel on its tip!
"P-Princess! He's here! It's the -" Toadsworth never got the chance to finish his sentence, because a field of energy shot from the staff and imprisoned him. He shouted as loud as he could, but the barrier was soundproof.
"Now, now, no need to get feisty. I only need a little assistance." The figure waved his hand and the barrier shrunk around Toadsworth and was absorbed into his body. Toadsworth stood just as he had before anything had happened - except for one thing.
He wasn't himself.
"What is your wish, master?" Toadsworth asked.
"Show me to the castle's Stars. And be quick! I have an appointment in ten minutes and must not be late!" The figure transformed into a Toad again and followed Toadsworth as he led the way to the resting place of the powerful Stars.
Mario awoke hours later to pitch black darkness. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face - that is, if he had been able to move it. For some reason he couldn't. His arms were pinned to his sides as if paralyzed. Mario's brain was screaming Get up! but his limbs wouldn't respond.
"Master, when will we conquer this pathetic kingdom?"
"Soon enough, Athos, soon enough. I nearly have the power I need. Now that the Stars are mine, and the Staff of Dreams is in my hands, all I need is one thing more, and the entire WORLD will be ours! Zaron!" A black-robed figure appeared, wielding his dark staff. "Your command, Lord Takanyar?"
"Take this -" he produced a small transparent crystal - "and give it to our friend downstairs. I'm sure he'll be delighted with the gift!" Takanyar laughed and motioned Zaron out.
Mario was growing sleepy. Not moving for long periods of time will do that to a person. He yawned and closed his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a hand on his chest. His eyes flew open, but he saw no one nearby. Then he noticed the crystal on his chest. As he looked at it, it began to glow brighter and brighter until he was blinded by the light...
Russ T. marched through the castle, a hundred trained soldiers at his heels. It was their job to make sure that no intruder was inside. As they searched hurriedly, one of the men chanced to look into the Star Chamber anw saw Toadsworth sprawled on the red tiles. A shout of warning was all that was needed to send the whole troop racing into the chamber. The men scoured the place while Russ revived Toadsworth.
Toadsworth sat up dizzily. "Wh..Where am I? What happened to -" He suddenly shot onto his feet. "The Stars! Where are the castle's Stars?"
Russ slowly looked around. Normally, the glass displays lining the room were filled with the Power Stars. But now - nothing. Only shattered glass.
|
|
