Hello and Merry Christmas! Look, I know this is late and all (I accidentally deleted the file and was forced to rewrite the whole thing...) but here it is! This'll be a three shot, and it'll end by new year. Yes. It's late. I get it. Really late.
Anyway, there shall be a guest appearance here. She's from a series you most probably know all too well. She's from Madz the Penguin's Madz and Starlow series. Yep, you know it! It's Madz! Her character was created by Madz the Penguin, so I give all the credit to her existence.
Read on, favorite this, and review please!
It was nighttime in Toad Town. The dark skies were tinted grey from the frigid mist. There were no stars out. The sky was replaced by stormy clouds that brought on strong winter winds and heavy snowfall.
The wind howled, as if a god of wind was having a tantrum. Snow fell from the sky like rain would in a strong hurricane. The Mushroom Kingdom was being battered by a storm.
Toad Town was forced to keep its doors shut, homes locking up to shelter their owners from the harsh storm. Streetlights were left on, but it did little to pierce through the gale of frost. Snow covered everything thickly, snow on some streets reaching 10 inches deep. Colorful star lanterns and Christmas lights that outlined homes and streets waved and flapped under the storm's fury, threatening to be stripped and torn off.
Only someone so foolish would be out at a time like this. Surprisingly, no Toad was out, despite the rather unintelligible reputation most of the Toad species have.
Everyone was in their homes, chatting and catching up with visiting relatives and friends, drinking hot chocolate, resting by a fire, or just doing what they normally would do. Warmth and joy filled everyone's homes, not one of them with a hint of negativity. It was approaching Christmas, after all. Everybody had a reason to be cheery.
But back outside, peering through a misty window of a Toad's home, were two glowing red eyes. They narrowed observantly as it watched the people inside laugh and celebrate, enjoying each other's company.
'These people are really enjoying themselves', the owner of the eyes mused enviously.
He sighed softly, blowing steam on the glass. He turned dejectedly, knowing he was not welcome.
The Dark Star moved away from the window, having seen enough. He had already visited many of the homes of Toad Town, lurking through the empty streets and peering through the windows, observing the occupants within. It was pitiful... An ancient relic, roaming around deserted streets in the middle of a storm, jealously watching people inside cozy homes celebrating like there was no problem in the world.
He floated down the streets, unfazed by the howling winds and the battering snow. His hull was frozen over, a sheet of ice covering his body except for his eyes. He eyed the star lanterns, flashing reds, yellows, greens, and whites, and he snorted dismissively. The cheery colors and lights seemed to bribe and taunt the ancient relic into smiling. But the Dark Star was all but happy, right now.
As an "evil" ancient and destructive relic, people felt that he did not deserve to be given attention, unless he started to destroy the kingdom... again. To people, he would always be evil and uncaring, undeserving of kindness and understanding. Because of that, he did not have friends. Everyone was either too wary, afraid, or they just plainly despise him. If no one wanted to be friends with him, what more would it take to gain a family?
He can't blame them. It was true. He was dangerous, and just one glare from him could be an omen of death and destruction. Nobody dared to come close to his personal bubble, and if otherwise, it was to try and destroy him.
Those who tried were idiots.
By far, he only knew a few people he could come close to, even though they barely trusted each other. They tolerated him, but he knew it was only out of respect. At least, that's what he thinks.
Mario, Luigi, Starlow, Princess Peach, Madz, Dr. Toadley and his intern, and Phil... they were the only ones he could approach without expecting to be pushed away.
His glowing red eyes caught Toadley's Clinic, closed for the storm and the upcoming holiday. Christmas lights that outlined the building blinked at him, barely visible through the storm. The interior lights were dimmed or off, an obvious sign the clinic was closed. The Dark Star snorted, knowing full well the doctor was in there. Probably even his intern accompanied him.
After a few minutes of staring at the building, contemplating wether to enter or move away, the Dark Star rumbled, finalizing its decision.
He approached the doors, the glass frozen over. There was a bronzed chain and a lock clamping the two doors together by the knobs. It was locked.
The Dark Star narrowed its eyes. He extended his senses to the other side of the doors, calling the shadows of the unlit room over. The shadows blended together and formed a hazy, unfamiliar shape. It floated and it began to envelop the chains.
With a satisfied grunt from the Dark Star, the chains fell off. Even through the howling winds, the Dark Star heard the chains clanking off the tiled floor of the clinic. He invited himself inside, pushing the door open effortlessly even with the ice freezing the hinges. The door swung back closed, leaving the Dark Star to explore the clinic.
Familiarized red eyes scanned the place. Rows of metal waiting chairs took up most of the room. A counter stood in the corner, facing the metal chairs. On it, there was a cashier, a snowglobe, a cup-turned-pencil-holder, a book, and a few misplaced pens. Behind the counter, there were shelves, holding medical books, novels, and a few encyclopedias. On the other corner, nearest the door, there was another row of metal waiting chairs, right next to an umbrella shelf. There were few potted plants, placed around the corners. Everything was highlighted by colorful christmas lights, blinking and changing colors to an inaudible rhythm.
The Dark Star breathed out slowly. He eyed the wooden door at the opposite side of the room. Warm yellow light escaped from it, and the sounds of scuffling indicated there was activity on the other side. The Dark Star recognized the door led to Dr. Toadley's office.
With a stuttering hiss that resembled a chuckle, the Dark Star melted into the shadows.
Meanwhile...
Dr. Toadley was in his office, the fortune-telling room. He grumbled angrily as he studied his crystal ball. The ball was shattered, cracks marring it. A particularly large crack went from the bottom of the sphere to the top of it. A portion of the crystal ball was also chipped off. He growled as he lifted the ball up, and it began to crumble.
Upon noticing the shards of crystals threatening to break off the ball, the doctor eased it back into its place. He sighed as he thought of ways to get another crystal ball. It wasn't something that could be easily gotten from a market or an online shop. He earned it the hard way, earning the orb from an unsung adventure he had went to. Although he didn't exactly recall how he got it, he remembered it wasn't easy.
And unfortunately for the doctor, precious things are lost easily.
Earlier that day, he accidentally knocked down his crystal ball after a talking penguin came into his office and started chasing a Yellow Virus. It sounds pretty random, but when it comes to Miracle Cures chasing down "cute" Yellow Viruses, everything is weird.
Dr. Toadley sighed. "Am I sad that my crystal ball is broken? Maybe I am, maybe not... Is it annoying to have a bad mood on a cheery holiday like Christmas? It most certainly is..."
Dr. Toadley turned around to make himself some coffee. He jumped some feet into the air as glowing red eyes glared at him. The owner of the eyes materialized until it formed the shape of the Dark Star.
The Dark Star chuckled. "A little jumpy tonight, doctor?"
Dr. Toadley regained himself and glared back at the Dark Star. "Am I jumpy? No, I am not! Was I only surprised of your sudden appearance? I most certainly am! And do I ask what you are doing here, Dark Star? Yes, I do!
The Dark Star hissed. "I prefer the name the plumbers and the others call me by, doctor," he warned.
Dr. Toadley rolled his eyes. "Do I care? No, I do not." He walked past the Dark Star, whose gaze followed him. "Now, will you excuse me as I make myself coffee? Yes, you will," the doctor said as he disappeared to another room.
The Dark Star snorted and turned back to observe Dr. Toadley's office.
Shelves lined the walls, some of them were damaged and unorganized. All of them carried potions, books, and some other things the Dark Star couldn't recognize. The floor was littered with pages, books, and some broken bottles. A ceiling light illuminated the room, casting a yellowish glow. Below it was a table. On the table was a stand, holding what was supposed to be the fortune telling crystal ball.
The Dark Star quirked a metaphoric eyebrow up as he noticed the damage caused to the crystal ball and the room. 'What happened here this time, doctor?'
"Scuro, what are you doing here?"
The Dark Star whirled around and faced the owner of the voice. He tensed, his eyes glowing brighter and his tendrils extending longer. When he realized it was just Dr. Toadley's intern, he relaxed. "Intern..." He greeted.
"Hello, Scuro," the intern greeted back, her smile warm and inviting. Her smile disappeared when she noticed the layer of ice covering him. "I'm going to have to warm you up. I'll give you a blanket and some-"
"No," the Dark Star, now properly named Scuro, interrupted. "No thank you. I am fine. It is only ice. Temperature does not bother me as long as I will the dark power to allow it," he assured her.
Reluctantly, the intern relaxed and stopped herself from grabbing something to warm him up. "So,what brings you here to the clinic?" She asked kindly.
"I simply wish to visit. And this is one of the few places I could enter without being feared or pointed accusingly at." Scuro answered, a ghost of a smile grazing his mouthless features. He faced the shattered ball and the cluttered mess of the office. "What happened here?"
The intern snorted humorously despite the messy state of the office, as if it happened in a regular basis. "I'll give you two words, and it's up to you to piece the puzzle together. Madz and Virus."
The Dark Star snorted. "It is a miracle the rest of the clinic was spared."
The intern giggled. "Yes... Indeed."
Dr. Toadley walked back in, a cup of steaming coffee in his hands. "Dark Star, do I ask why you have visited here of all places? Yes I do. Do I think you also could have gone to Peach's Castle instead? Indeed I do."
The Dark Star rumbled. "I have already gone there. The princess is busy overlooking preparations for Christmas in the castle. The Toads there are extremely wary of me, going as far as readying the Castle's defenses for my approach. I was not needed."
The intern patted the Dark Star, an apologetic expression adorning her face. "I'm sorry, Scuro. The Toads are just afraid of you and what you're capable of," she said, careful not to mention about the time he tried to destroy the world. "Besides, you're always welcome here..."
Scuro snorted. "I am not welcome anywhere... I am too dangerous and too destructive. My presence is an omen of destruction and darkness... As hard as I try to fit in, everyone pushes me away out of fear... I do not belong... No one cares..."
"Scuro, don't say that!" The intern scolded, not wanting to look at the Dark Star beating itself up with self-pity. "There are people who care for you! What about us? Me, Madz, Mario, Luigi, Starlow, the princess, and even Dr. Toadley! Scuro... you are in a difficult position as a reputed destroyer, but that does not mean everything is just shadows and darkness!"
"Do I care for you? No, I do not," Dr. Toadley interjected. His intern glared at him, mentally scolding him that now is not the right time.
The Dark Star growled. "To me it is. I am the Dark Star... Shadows are my domain."
Dr. Toadley took a sip of his coffee. "Dark Star, are we saying you must act positive? We most certainly do."
The Dark Star rumbled deeply, causing nearby glass to rattle. "And what is positive about being despised and unwanted, doctor?" He spat out.
Dr. Toadley and his intern fell silent.
"Forgive me," the Dark Star growled. "I must leave. Do not feel sorry for me. It degrades my resilience... Farewell."
The room dimmed momentarily as the Dark Star teleported away, using the shadows to transport him outside.
The intern gave a sad sigh. "When will he realize? When will he realize that there is more to the world than just hatred and gloom?"
"Must we forget it, for now? Indeed we must," Dr. Toadley suggested. "Do I think his problems will be solved in time? I most certainly do... Every problem has a solution," he said as he took another sip.
"Maybe... you're right, doctor," the intern said as she began to tidy and organize the cluttered office. She sighed as she wondered where the Dark Star would take shelter at a time like this.
The Dark Star materialized at the back of Toadley's clinic. The instant he appeared, the howling storm battered his hull mercilessly. Scuro ignored it, and continued to roam the empty streets of Toad Town.