Greetings Fan Fictioneers! (UPDATE 09-04-2019) Thanks to Stardown for Proofreading.
I've always admired Mario fan fictions and I figured why not embark on one myself. It's my first time delving into the realm of fan fiction, so do bear with me.

A few things of note before we start off:

This story will feature action, realistic language, and some horror elements. The canon it follows is Paper Mario—M&LSS- PMTTYD- M&LBIS- SuperPM-M&LDT, in addition to Wario Master of Disguise and a few other titles.

Mario and Luigi will speak fluent English, otherwise we can't have a story, although they will use a few Italian expressions. Vivian is also female from the start.

Thoughts are italicized. Flashbacks are bold-italicized.

Lastly, goes without saying, I own nothing of the Mario verse.

Chapter 1: Reunion to Union

A calm, clear sky stretched out over the Mushroom Kingdom. A beautiful day such as this was quotidian, but still welcomed by the majority. Peepers flew about casually, while a few Pelicrumps circled around various houses, probably up to no good.

Luigi yawned as he stretched his right arm out over his head, since his left hand was occupied with holding a bag of goods. He had dropped by the store to pick up a few supplies, as he and his brother were expecting a guest. It was natural for Mario to be visited on a weekly basis as long as he wasn't on an adventure. He was excellent at keeping in touch with his past partners, and they would often visit him. Sometimes they would plan a party and visit together.

This time around, it was a close friend of Mario's, and, like most of his friends, they weren't what Luigi would consider normal. Whether their quirky natures or their supernatural origins, each of them promised a personage that would not be easily forgotten.

The friend in question was perhaps one of the most unique of the bunch. Between her crippling lack of confidence and the tendency to apologize a lot, she stuck out from the usually loud and forthcoming groups Mario traveled with. To Luigi, she was a lot more approachable than most, even though she found him an overwhelming presence in his own right.

This would be my second time meeting her solo… I wonder if she would like any of this…

He raised his head and gazed upon the sky, enraptured for a moment by its inviting and serene blue hue. Having been fouled by corruptive forces one too many times taught Luigi to revel in its purity, for it might be taken for granted otherwise and whisked away without warning. He couldn't appreciate it for long, however, since he had things to attend to. He fixed his hat, walked over to the warp pipe, and hopped in.

Garlp-Garlp-Garlp

It was almost noon. He was supposed to wake up early in the morning, but he had stayed up late playing video games.

It's a good thing I still woke up before Mario did. He would have been furious.

Luigi stepped off the pipe and rubbed his forehead. "Ugh, I still don't like pipe travel," he lamented, shaking his head a bit. He walked over to the mailbox, put the bag of groceries down, and quickly rummaged through the clogged box. Let's see… Mario, Mario, Mario, bill, Mario...

Luigi shuffled through the various fan mail that Mario received on a daily basis and the usual bills.

No regal pink envelopes, no adventures, Luigi mused, letting out a half-suppressed chuckle. It had been a few months since the whole Antasma fiasco and the showdown with Bowser, but he wasn't quite ready for another adventure just yet. A few more weeks of peace and quiet would hit the spot. Although, at this point, Luigi knew that that would be asking for too much from the universe.

He finally made it to the front door and opened it. There was no need to lock it as Mario was still home, not that anyone would dare go in there.

"Mario! I'm home!" he shouted, closing the door behind him. He expected a reply from his older brother, but none came.

"Mario?"

Luigi poked his head through the kitchen door. Sure enough, Mario was seated at their dining table, groggily hovering over the almost untouched breakfast that Luigi had prepared before leaving. He was surrounded by a few comic books. It was a sight unbefitting of the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, a sight that was normal to both Luigi and anyone that had traveled with Mario for lengthy periods.

"Mannaggia la miseria…" Luigi sighed, putting the bag of groceries on a nearby table. He then prodded Mario gently. "Wake up, lazy. Your friend is almost here!"

"Write a strongly… worded letter to the Mushroom Times," the red-clad plumber drawled in his sleep, and yawned. "... In the morning…" He slumped forward over the table, squashing his breakfast with his face.

Che seccatura… Luigi let out a deeper sigh. He shook his head and mumbled, "I guess it is that time again."

He made his way to the basement. A few seconds later, he returned with the tools necessary for the job: a plunger, a bucket of water, and an alarm clock. "This is going to get ugly."

"Gee, it's already 11:33. Did you forget about today?" Luigi asked with mild exasperation. It had taken a great effort to get Mario to wake up. He had almost gotten burned when his older brother had shot fire his way.

"I couldn't fall asleep, so I started reading some of my old comics."

"Let me guess! Dirk Drain-Head?"

Mario grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, I forgot how engaging it was," Mario said, his smile widening in embarrassment. "But really, I was sort of worried about today." Mario's expression bounced back to thoughtful as he looked down on the smothered breakfast.

"You? Worried? Hahaha!" Luigi couldn't help but laugh out loud. "It's not often I hear you use that word, Mario." Luigi's comment drew an angry scowl from his older brother. "Sorry, bro, just joking," he added hastily. "You're still concerned about her situation, right?"

"That's the gist of it. She says it is much better now, but compared to what exactly?" Mario had told Luigi all details pertaining to his adventure in the Morchella region's Rogueport. Being ambiguously related to a world-destroying demon was assuredly not an easy thing.

"Needless to say, I need you take it easy with her. Don't come off too strong."

"Strong? Me? Now that's a laugh," Luigi smiled. "Last time she came alone had her shaking at the thought of a handshake."

"It's understandable. She was meeting a superstar and an accomplished writer, all by herself," Mario smiled back, somewhat mischievously. The Super Luigi series was masterfully written, despite being terribly inaccurate. It wasn't something Luigi would be proud of. The Waffle Kingdom was no more than an old shame, a shame that popped up every once in a while when his former 'partners' showed up.

"If you say so, bro. You can count on me, regardless of your jabs at my sake." Luigi rolled his eyes as he nodded in understanding, pouring some wine into the rice he was stirring. He was preparing a mushroom risotto. It was a favorite of the duo, and something Luigi was great at. It did take a while to cook, however.

"That aside, do you plan to greet the lady as a slob with breakfast on his face and mustache, or as a plumber? Go change into something more appropriate," Luigi said, prompting Mario to jump off the chair and run to the bathroom.

A few minutes later, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom came back. He had donned a pair of blue jeans, a red T-shirt which showcased his ripped arms, and his signature red cap.

"I would say you're looking sharp, but you're more of an obtuse kind of shape," Luigi snickered, giving Mario a thumbs-up. "You probably would look better off in green. It goes great with everything."

"The Massif bros ain't got beef on me, bro," Mario retorted, rolling his eyes at his brother's sarcastic comment and flexing his muscles.

"No thank you. I prefer being lean."

"I'll just consider what you said a compliment in that case."

Both of them started laughing until the sound of the doorbell interrupted them.

"Looks like she's on time, unlike someone we know. Go get her, tiger," Luigi said encouragingly.

Mario nodded. He then walked over and clapped his younger sibling on the back. "As if you are on time yourself. You have to hurry up."

"You can't rush art, neither can you rush a genuine risotto!" Luigi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That, and I'm as much a Mario as you are." Mario simply chuckled and darted to the door.

He quickly glanced over the mirror by the entrance. Hair, check. Cap, check. Glorious mustache, checkeroon. Alright, here we go!

Mario opened the door and was greeted by a very pleasant blast from the past. One of his former companions and dearest ally in one of his most grueling adventures: Vivian, the Shadow Siren.

"Mario, it's so delightful to see you!" she greeted, starting to make for a hug.

"It's great to see you too, Vivian," Mario replied, holding her close to him. Hugging a Shadow Siren was always an interesting experience for Mario. He could never get used to it despite Vivian indulging in many-a-hugs over the course of their adventure together. It felt like being submerged in a fluffy yet somewhat solid cloud. Vivian's sweet fragrance made the entire experience even better.

"Say! Have you gotten taller, or am I just dying in?" Mario pulled back to give his shadowy companion a better look. Her appearance was slightly altered from the last time. Other than her height, her pink hair had grown considerably, and she still wore the same red and white striped witch hat, along with similarly patterned evening gloves and a scarf tied around her neck. While Mario's interest in fashion was, by all means, almost a nonentity, he could still appreciate her stylish look.

"I-I suppose I did…" Vivian answered, covering her mouth with her hand and shyly averting her gaze.

"Eh, welcome to the club of everybody taller than Mario then," Mario laughed heartily and welcomed her in. "Come right in! Luigi's waiting."

He closed the door behind his friend and led her inside. She had been there a few times before, but only once alone with the Marios. The other times were group gatherings.

"Hey there!" Luigi greeted. "Vivian, right? Glad you could make it."

"Th-thank you. Happy to be here…" Vivian replied, shrinking into herself. It was her second time meeting Luigi, and she wasn't quite used to him. She was still a bit socially awkward, especially around big personalities like the 'Green Thunder'.

"Like I was saying earlier," Mario continued. "It is great seeing you again. How was the trip from Twilight Town?"

"Not too bad, thanks to the new warp pipe network," the siren explained, "Having to go through Rogueport is still a bit unnerving, however."

"I could have come to fetch you if you wanted," Luigi added, sampling a bit of the rice, then adding a pinch of salt.

"I-I didn't want to trouble anyone—" Vivian floundered, "L-lunch smells great though. What is it?"

"Good ol' mushroom risotto! Luigi here is an expert!" Mario explained, tapping his brother on the shoulder a smidgen too hard. Tread carefully. It was more a less a sign that Luigi should tone it down with her until she got more comfortable.

"Careful with the gorilla strength, bro. I'm not built for it," Luigi chuckled with a tinge of exasperation, before bursting into laughter with Mario.

They really get along, Vivian mused, thinking back on her own sisters. While it was a lot better than before, their relationship remained strictly professional. Beldam was a lot older and hard to deal with, while Marilyn never opened up to anyone.

"Alright! It's done!" Luigi announced, turning the stove off. "Grab onto your hats, because this is going to blow you away!"

"We shall see how much this 'blows'." Mario nudged his brother with his elbow, all while trying to keep himself from laughing. Vivian couldn't help but smile.

Somewhere within the confines of the planet's core…

I have … living! The Dark Star refuses such foolish foolishness of deathness! Fawful stuck to the planet like lice of a street rat who becomes Sultan! Stupid mustaches! I am here, thinking of you! Idiots of foolishness! Shadows are still Fawful's to command! I LAUGH AT DEFEAT! Here Fawful not go. The disappearing, only YOU! Fink-rats! I am feeling revenge! I am needing to feel it more, I am needing more of time! The world needs to feel it…before Fawful leaves on a journey of rejoinment with the Great One...

Time passed quickly, and Mario, Luigi, and Vivian traded stories about how their lives had been since their last meeting. The Marios regaled the Siren with the tale of the bat king and the realm of dreams. It sounded as outlandish a tale as any other in their repertoire. She listened to them with complete interest and starry eyes, eager to relieve their adventure in her thoughts. In turn, she talked about the changes that occurred in her life since the fall of the Queen, from the treatment of her sisters, to her own small advances in her personality. She also mentioned how she was working on her shadow abilities in case something presented itself. She felt the need to be useful and actually be better able to help out more.

"Anyway, that's how the Fire and Thunder gods bestowed us with our elemental powers. It was quite the rid—" Mario explained when he suddenly got interrupted by a loud tearing noise.

"What was that!?" Luigi shouted, covering his ears as the noise seemed to intensify.

Another loud sound was heard. This time it was followed by violent tremors. The entire house started to shake, causing several paintings to fall off the walls and break.

"Th-this isn't supposed to happen, is it?" Vivian said, partially submerging herself in the shadows. The Mario brothers shook their heads. This was new and very different from a normal earthquake, something almost unheard of in the area to begin with, as long a certain king didn't build a large castle under the current one.

Shortly afterwards, black smoke erupted from the ground. It felt like it was seeping into the sky, smearing it with a murky, depressing dark-purple coat of shadows. The duo looked over to their shadowy friend, silently hoping for an answer from one acquainted with the shadows.

"I-I don't know what's going on…" she said, sinking even deeper into her own shadows. She felt some sort of presence from the surrounding darkness, but nothing relatable. It was vastly different from what she was used to, something more sinister and oppressive in nature.

A mere five minutes later, the entire planet was wrapped in the dark shroud. The rays of sunlight were completely blocked out. With the tremors stopping, Mario stood up. He lit his hand on fire to illuminate the area.

"Everybody alright?" he asked, checking the situation of both his companions.

"I'm alright… I think," Vivian answered, her voice barely audible.

"Still alive, I reckon," came Luigi's reply. He seemed to realize that something big was going on, something he'd have to partake in fixing. It was both a good thing and a bad thing. Usually he would feel dejected, getting left out of Mario's adventures, but when he actually got dragged along, he regretted his decision almost immediately. Not necessarily out of fear, but mostly out of Mario's insistence on going all out, fighting almost everything coming their way.

"Let's take a look outside. Maybe we'll find something," Mario suggested. The other two looked at each other and nodded.

As they tried to make their way to the door, the ceiling cracked and started caving in. Vivian lunged instinctively at the brothers, dragging them down in the shadows as the roof of the house collapsed.

"Um, Mario?" Vivian tugged at his shirt and asked, "Are you guys alright?"

"Thanks to you, we are." Mario gave her a thumbs-up and looked around, re-igniting his hand to at least see Vivian and Luigi's faces. It had been years since his last descent to the shadows, disregarding the nightmare within the Dreamworld that he was plunged into, courtesy of Antasma.

"So, this is what it feels like to be in the shadows…" Luigi mused, observing his surroundings himself. He pictured it as a more sinister place, at least judging from what Mario told him. The reality of it was actually pretty pleasant for Luigi. It was then that he noticed a pair of red lenses with an orange swirl glowing in the bottom of the shadows. "Eh, Mario, I think you should take a look down there," he sighed, pointing downwards.

All eyes were on the pit of shadows. Mario's stomach sank—at this point it was almost a habit.

"Those lenses… you don't think?" Luigi trailed off.

"It's exactly what I'm thinking," Mario replied, clenching his fist that was still on fire.

"Guys… Is everything alright?" Vivian asked, concerned.

"I say to you WELCOME! Welcome to Fawful's world of shadows that is new!" Fawful announced gleefully in his ear-grating voice, his ear to ear pearly toothed smile emerging from the darkness. Luigi grabbed the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. The universe has proven me right once again.

Vivian was still confused. She had heard the brothers mention this Fawful individual before, but this was her first time seeing him, or what's left of him anyway. His lenses looked cracked, and even within the darkness of the shadows, it was very apparent that he was disintegrating by the minute.

"Excitement! So very much excitement! You feeling it? Fawful also feeling it! I have much fury with my remembering… Red and Green put the fog of rage in my head. My mind goes crazy again. Meet NEW FURY OF FAWFUL!" Fawful burst out cackling maniacally. His eyes shone with a bright light, eventually converging into a powerful beam that fired towards the gang. It was extremely fast, faster than what they could react to while in the shadows, barring Vivian.

"Mario! No!" Vivian yelled out, quickly zipping through the shadows, she re-appeared from under the brothers in a quick motion.

Unfortunately, the beam powered through them. They squirmed in pain as the beam seared their flesh, reducing it to a sticky gooey substance that crept over their bodies. Vivian seemed much worse off as her body her entire body seemed to melt.

"Mario! Vivian! Hang in there!" Luigi huddled over, bracing himself as the beam kept pushing them outwards.

"All who resist will be drizzled by rage dressing like a salad of evil with cheese from a famous cow made of jewels!" Fawful guffawed, emitting a sinister crimson ray of light that covered every possible surface. "Now for your exit, with DRAMA!"

The beam intensified, finally ripping the shadows open and flinging the trio out at an alarming speed. Luigi got separated from them as he flew in a different direction. Mario, however, extended his arm and held Vivian by her hand. Her now viscous body slowly crept upon his own, encasing it in a cocoon of sorts.

They then promptly lost consciousness mere moments before they crash landed…

Yet another update with a sizable word addition ~400.

If you made it this far down here, thank you for reading: D

Next chapter will have action, so very action! Cheers!