A/N: New story I typed up with my friend, Dewott17. Since Dewott thinks the first version was too dark, I might rewrite this in the future. This chapter is written by yours truly, Catapily. This is the third time I'm posting this, since the first two times everything turned into coding...

This message is Dewott17 certified.


Prologue

The library was one place that most residents in Castle Koopa wouldn't want to go. Sure, it was old and dusty, and most weren't interested in reading, and it also had creepy helmets that stare into your soul, but there are other reasons. These reasons vary between different individuals, but this is the main reason.

The Book of Malevolence. What is it, you ask? The twin book of the Dark Prognosticus. Written by the same author, the Malevolence Book holds a dark, dimensional power able to warp the most powerful of evil spirits, alive or dead, to the reader's location. Unlike the Dark Prognosticus, the Malevolence Books does not grant the reader dark powers, but rather tracks the reader and slowly guides the villainous creatures towards the reader, stopping the reader on doing anything considered his or her normal lifestyle, and fighting the dark spirits. They would keep the reader alive, but may traumatized then for awhile. Some say Iggy had already encountered the Shadows, a name for the evil spirits.

Everyone in the castle at least knows that much. Ludwig, however would know much more when he stumbled about the book that was merely a rumour according to the residents of the castle...

Which is just about now. Ludwig opened the door to the library, looking behind him to make sure none of his siblings were following him. He wanted to escape the carnage that was Larry challenging everyone at Wii sports. He walked to the end of the library, looking for a book that he wanted to read. As he looked up at the shelf, he saw a couple of books that had previously read, and one that seemed quite interesting, titled "Dark Truth Lies in the Soul," and pulled it out of its shelf. Although, the moment he touched the book, he felt something dark. He brushed it off as the darkness of this library. After all, it was only him, Iggy and Kamek that often came in here, and Iggy would often scare his younger siblings off unintentionally.

"Intersting..." Ludwig muttered, as he scanned the front and back pages of the book. The front looked like a diary, being brown and had a bookmark sticking out of it. The back was entirely different. It looked burnt, but in places that weren't burnt, it was still pitch black, and the edges were lined in purple. He opened it and started reading.

"Hello. Where the Book of Malevolence goes, this diary may follow. I am the author of this book, the Book of Malevolence, and the Dark Prognosticus. The Book of Malevolence is my art, magic is my talent, and the Shadows shall follow you," Ludwig wanted to close the book, but his hands stayed in place. "But, since those words have entered your mind, this endless curse of dark magic shall continue. My book shall gather and send all of the most devilish and destructive creatures of this universe and beyond, roaming with their own evil purposes. If you think that if you keep the book closed, you would avoid such horrible fate? Of course not, as this prophecy will open the book someday, and you shall be the target."

"My magic is formidable, isn't it? Even the most powerful, most talented mages cannot stop me! Oh? Who am I, you ask? That is one of the truths you shall learn and hide from those closest to you... One last note, if you tell anyone about this, the Void shall open and all worlds shall end. However, some may unintentionally find their way into this chaos cycle that I so enjoy, like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day."

"This book... Is cursed..," Ludwig finally realized, as the dark feeling that seeped into his soul finally came to be identified. Then, the whole library started shaking, some books falling from their shelves. He let the diary slip from his hands and onto the ground, causing a peculiar, purple pattern to cast itself onto the floor, and a secret trapdoor opened. He felt a strong evil emanating from beneath the trapdoor. Then, a note caught his attention, the paper laying on the stairs for who knows how long.

"This was issued by his highness, the most evil King Morton Koopa. Any users besides the royal family shall be punished.

Signed,

Kamella, loyal follower of King Morton Koopa."

As Ludwig quietly walked down the stairs, eerie torches magically lighting up, he saw a pedestal at the end of the corridor. On the pedestal was a book that looked similar to the back of the diary that Ludwig had found. The front cover was a mix of dark purple and navy blue, ominous black on the sides, with a purple diamond and rectangle in the middle. The inside of the diamond was coloured red, with some triangles at the top, and a blue circle topped with an oval shaped obsidian stone. He decided to bring the book up for studying. When he reached the top of the stairs, he heard the jumbling of the lock. Ludwig ducked behind a bookshelf just as Larry walked in, holding something that looked like a bobby pin.

"I know he's somewhere in here..," Larry muttered, as the Koopaling looked around bookshelves, and Ludwig slowly creeping away from him, he went to the trapdoor and quickly stepped into the darkness, looking as Larry rounded the corner. "BOO- Aghhhh!"

Larry tripped over a stack of books, trying to scare what he thought was Ludwig, causing the books to tumble down the stairs. One of the books hit Ludwig in the face, causing him to drop the Book of Malevolence.

"No! Larry! What were you thinking?!" Ludwig cried, as the book lay open, words scribbled on the two pages visible.

"My curse has begun."

"What? What did I do?" Larry asked. Purple-black smoke started spewing out of the book, causing Larry to run off with a frightened scream. Out of the book, he saw the shadows of the Shadows. Then, as all the smoke subsided, he hid the book in his own research shelf and heard a thump. He walked over to where he heard the thump. There, he saw two bodies laying on the floor.

The first was a pink puffball, laying face down on the floor, with red feet. Nothing very special. The second, however, was much more interesting. It was another puffball, coloured navy blue, with bat wings and a mask, purple feet and gloves. The second, Ludwig noted, looked like he was a seasoned warrior. Then a groan came, presumably from the older bat-winged puffball. He looked around, confused, then pulled the pink puffball up, waking him up with a jolt.

Are these some of the Shadows?


A/N: The Book of Malevolence summons enemies from previous Mario and Kirby games, who are sent with the will to destroy the world, kinda. Try guessing who they are. There's five of them, and try guessing the author of the Book of Malevolence and the Dark Prognosticus...