A/N: Hello! This is my first published fanfic. If it is popular enough, I hope to update somewhat often, but I can't make any promises due to personal life. Other than that, I present to you the first chapter of Empire of Shade, a twist on the ending of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

WARNING: Spoilers for TTYD, if you haven't played it and don't want to know the ending, take caution before reading this.

Mario and all Mario-related entities are property of Nintendo. I own nothing except for the plot.

With that out of the way, please enjoy! Reviews are appreciated, constructive criticism is welcomed!

Prologue

Long ago, there was a peaceful seaside town by the name of Rogueport.

Long ago, the town was threatened by the soul of a demon, bent on casting the world into darkness.

Long ago, seven stars made of the finest gemstones were imbued with the power to defeat the demon.

Long ago, the demon was sealed in her palace under the town, with the stars acting as the lock to its door. The stars were cast away, some given to honored groups of civilization and others simply placed as far away from the town as possible.

Long ago, the world was at peace.

Long ago, however, is much different than now.

Recently, the stars have been collected by an unexpected individual. Short, slightly chubby, but with a knack for combat, Mario Mario collected the seven Crystal Stars against all odds. With him were seven individuals, each of a different species and their own unique skills.

There was Goombella, a highly intelligent goomba with not only brains, but a nasty headbonk to boot. Koops, a cowardly koopa who originally started travelling to impress his girlfriend, but has since regained his confidence by tackling some of the most fearsome monsters in the land. Flurrie, the legendary actress and wind spirit, who could create winds of hurricane-level magnitude to whisk away her opponents. Yoshi, a newborn – well, Yoshi – with a fiery spirit and surprising strength for his young age. Vivian, the so-called Shadow Siren who was originally tasked to fight Mario, switching sides after learning the meaning of true friendship. Bobbery, the salty sea bomb who could, when pushed, quite literally cause an earthquake due to his explosion. Lastly, Ms. Mowz, the sly, cunning badge thief who specialized in finding the most valuable objects.

Together, these eight individuals were taking a rest in what they assumed to be the basement of the Palace of Shadow, where the demon's soul was said to be sealed. The had just finished a nasty fight against Bowser and Kammy Koopa, and though they were victorious, it was by a very small margin.

After drinking the last few drops of his jammin' jelly, Mario rallied his allies.

"I know this has been a long journey, guys," he began. "Heck, even I didn't expect all of this to happen. But that's not important right now. What is important is that Grodus has Peach right behind these doors, and we need to get her out of here. Are you with me?"

The partners whooped and cheered, ready to leave their mark in history.

Mario smiled. "Alright then, let's-a go!" he shouted, kicking open the doors. They revealed a large, oval-shaped room that was lit only by candlelight. It didn't take them long to spot Grodus, who had taken Peach to a small, coffin-shaped altar.

"EEEEEEEEEEEK!" Peach screamed, struggling against her bonds.

"Too bad for you, Mario!" Grodus shouted. "You're too late!"

Standing strong, Mario and his partners moved into a fighting stance, ready for whatever Grodus could throw at them.

"Gaack ack ack!" laughed Grodus. "Look well! In the coffin behind me sleeps the 'legendary treasure!' This tomb holds the soul of that ancient demon, the wielder of destruction… It will possess Peach's body… And bring to life the most powerful witch in millennia!"

"P-Possess Peach!?" shouted Yoshi. "The heck are you talking about? What demon?"

"M-Mario…" Peach muttered, her strength leaving her. "I… I'm sorry… I shouldn't have sent you that map… this is all my fault…"

"SILENCE!" Grodus yelled. "Now, this world will meet its fate! Arise! Arise, my Shadow Queen!"

Grodus pounded his scepter on the ground. Instantly, the candles' flames changed color, going from a normal red-orange to an evil jet black that emitted a purple glow. With a flash of light, the cover of the tomb slid off, causing a whirlwind of dark smoke to rise out of it. Mario and company had to brace themselves against the strong wind.

From within the tornado of darkness a figure could be seen rising out of the tomb. It was extremely tall, nearly reaching the roof of the large room. It was a dark purple in color and had several pinkish curls extending from its head. Atop the head was a large, golden crown, embedded with rubies. Two large purple hands followed the main body out of the coffin. The heroes looked up in fear of what they were faced with.

"Who… Has called me back?" the figure spoke. Its voice was quiet, much quieter than anyone expected, but had a malicious undertone to it.

"It is I, my Shadow Queen!" Grodus announced, undisturbed by the fact that he was talking to a literal demon.

"You…" The figure looked down at Grodus in what appeared to be disgust, but it was quickly replaced with the blank expression it had before. "… Very well. Is the vessel prepared?"

Grodus signaled towards peach with his scepter. "It is here! The girl that lies before you!"

The demon's mouth curved upwards in a cruel smile. "Yes… A fine vessel… Now…" It began slowly bending over Peach's now unconscious form. With another whirlwind of dark energy and a bright flash of light, the demonic figure disappeared.

Mario and company could only stare in shock at what it had become.

What was before two distinct entities had now become one, as the demon rose from the floor in Peach's body. Somehow, her clothes had changed, now much darker and more sinister. Though she had Peach's face, the once kind blue eyes and loving smile were replaced with a deep red glare and an evil grin.

"Muh huh huh… Witness my rebirth…" the possessed Peach said. She tried moving around, but appeared to have some difficulty. "Hmm… it appears my soul has not yet fully accustomed to this vessel… No matter…"

"Yes, my glorious queen!" cackled Grodus. "Destroy these fools!"

The demon looked at him in confusion. "Excuse me? You dare command ME? What sort of creature do you think you are?"

Grodus began panicking. "I-I'm the one who awakened you! You're supposed to obey the one who revives you! What are you doing!?"

The demon did not reply. Instead, she rose her arms, calling down a bolt of red lightning. Mario and his partners jumped back, startled by the raw power the demon held. Grodus's android body was destroyed, leaving only his head.

"Such lower beings will not command me. Learn your place, scum." With another lightning strike, Grodus was destroyed.

Mario and friends regained their composure. "Hey! I'm not going to let you do this!" shouted Mario.

The demon glanced over in his direction. "You? A common man? At least the other one was a general of sorts. You're nothing to me."

Mario took an aggressive step forward. "If you want to steal Peach's body and cover the world in darkness, you'll have to get through us!" he yelled. The rest of the group let out a chorus of "yeah!"

The demon laughed. "You appear to be very… Strong-willed. I need more subjects like you for my rule. I am going to offer you this once. Take your place by my side and I will… Refrain from turning you to ash."

Mario shook his head.

The demon sighed. "Of course. You still stand against me. Well, if you're looking for a fight… I'd be glad to oblige!" With another raise of her arms, the demon called back her original form, protecting her vessel inside a cloak of dark energy.

Taking a fighting stance, Mario motioned for his partners to join him. "Here we go!" he shouted. They charged at her, still holding on to that confidence that they could overcome anything they were faced with.

Oh, were they ever wrong.

The demon had powers beyond what the heroes could keep up with, whether it be a well-placed laser beam or an unsuspecting shadow hand creeping up behind them, only to slap them against the ground while the demon's other attacks did the work for them.

After a significant beating, Mario was the only one left conscious. His seven partners lay behind him, bruised and bleeding, while he was crouched on his hands and knees, wondering how he was ever going to get out of this one.

Then, it hit him.

From his inventory he pulled the seven Crystal Stars, which began to react to the demon's dark energy.

"… What? What is the meaning of this?" shouted the demon. She could only watch, terrified, as they circled around her, encasing her in some kind of sphere of light.

Shakily, Mario stood up. He did it. He won. Just like always, the red-capped plumber had saved the world. He could already hear Peach's comforting voice, thanking him for saving her, while they-

CRACK!

Jolted out of his trance, Mario looked up. The demon was no longer surrounded by the stars. Instead, they were in pieces on the ground, their once beautiful colors now dulled and lifeless.

"Hm… And to think that was all I had to do back then…" the demon mused. She turned towards Mario, grinning maliciously. "Now that your precious little gemstones are useless, maybe you'll rethink my offer…"

Mario, eyes wide from shock, shook his head out of reflex, only to get slapped by a shadow hand.

"I don't think that's the answer we're looking for, now is it?" the demon said, cruelly imitating an adult speaking to a young child. "No… this time, you're not getting a choice."

"M-Mario?"

He turned around to find his friends awake once more. Rushing over to them, he crouched down and spoke in a whisper. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry… just run… get out of here… at least you can still be free for a while…"

Terrified, they followed Mario's orders, rushing out of the room as fast as they could.

The demon let out an evil chuckle. "Yes… Very good… Now come, servant. I have much to do."

Mario took one last glance at the exit door, trying to see if he could dash out while he still had the chance.

"Oh no, that won't do… rest, my servant…" The demon released some kind of spell, knocking Mario unconscious.

It was over. He had lost.

The world would be under the control of the Empire of Shade.