A/N: Sorry for the delay people. I've been buzy as a beaver lately and I haven't been able to write much, and when I do, I'm writing in my original novels, working on getting them to publishable content. In the meanwhile I am away from my computer and I'm writing this chapter on a different computer. I like the keyboard on this one better then mine, lol!
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CHAPTER TWO: A DAY OF PLEASURE, A NIGHT OF TERROR
Luigi, Mario, Jennie, and Peach stood on the golf feild, carrying their equipment with them. It was a beautiful day, with cool weather and sunshine. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and there was a slightly bitter, yet pleasant scent of fresh-cut grass in the air. Luigi followed his brother, breathing deeply, then said, "so, how's it going, Mario?"
"Oh, pretty good," Mario said with a grin, "We're redesigning the house a bit, getting ready for kids, you know?"
"So how's that coming?" Luigi asked, excited that he was soon going to have a nephew or neice.
"We've cleared out a side of the house for a new room." Mario replied, his expression excited, happy, and nervous. "I really want a daughter, but no one can decide that. I'll be happy with whatever we get."
There was a comfortable silence as the brothers walked among the smooth grass, followed by their wives, then Mario asked, "so, what about you, Luigi? Any plans?"
"Not yet. We're still settling in." He scratched the back of his head where his hair protruded from under his hat. "Its just so nice to finally be away from all the fighting. It only makes me wonder what Bowser is up to these days. He's been very quiet lately. He hasn't attacked in years."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Mario asked, then the two brothers chuckled.
"Still," Luigi replied, catching his breath, "it feels almost awkward not having any lives to save."
"I hope you won't have to worry about saving lives anymore." Jennie spoke, after having her own conversation with Peach. "This is a time of peace. Things are finally going easy for us. Let's not ruin the moment."
The four walked to their first hole, and Mario began to set up his equipemnt and search for the right club. As usual, he was going first. Luigi didn't care- it was good for him to go first, so he knew what to beat. He watched Mario set up the golf ball, and then, he positioned himself in front of it, anylizing the green, careful to make the right move. He then swung his club, and there was a breif orange glow around his hands. Then, after a mighty swing, he smashed the club into the ball and sent it flying into the air.
"Wow, nice one, Mario!" Peach exclaimed.
"Thanks." Mario tipped his cap. "Let's go see how it turned out!"
As they began following the red-clad hero, they were unaware of watching eyes.
Stepping out of the shadow of a nearby tree, was Ironclaw. Over the course of the last two years he had spent it practicing Shadowblending- he found it almost too easy to master, because Opus had once taken his body, and some of Opus's consciousness was retained in Ironclaw's own, and he learned how Opus could Shadowblend. Shutting his eyes, he began to Mindchat to his cousin Malice.
"You're right. The red one is definately using some sort of strange power to hit the golf ball. Its a light red energy."
"I told you Ironclaw, there is no other explanation. Both the Mario Brothers have mastered Light Magic. Now, did you see how he did it?"
"There was nothing that he did. His hands began to glow. I'm not sure how he caused it to happen. He said nothing, did no guestures. He just raised his hand and swung."
"Hm..." Malice hummed in Ironclaw's mind. "This could be tricky. We must find out how to use Magic, or else we will never be able to control the course of night and day... this entire world is determined by that energy, the Light Magic. If we can use our own, the Dark Magic, we can conquer this world..."
"I wonder, has Mario or Luigi ever used Dark Magic?" Ironclaw wondered.
"No. I've never seen them do it..."
"Then who do you think can, Malice? If someone's actions determine the kind of magic they can use... who is able to master it?"
"I think those who proclaim to be good can only use Light Magic, and those who proclaim to be evil, or at least not good, can use Dark Magic, which we of course know is more powerful. Who do you think can do this, hm?"
Their mental conversation ceased for a few moments, then both of them said at the same time, "Magikoopas! The most loyal subjects of Lord Bowser!"
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Ironclaw and Malice kicked down the great metal doors to Bowser's castle and strode down the halls, their heads held high, their shoulders firm. They strode past Koopas who stared at them with fear, and did not attack. They walked to the main throne room, and discovered Lord Bowser, and his advisors.
At Bowser's feet stood his son, Junior, and next to him, Kamek and a few Magikoopas.
"What!? Who do you think you are, walking right into my castle like that!?" Demanded the Koopa King, spitting as he spoke, raving. "Kamek! Stop them!"
Kamek raised his magic wand and shot a blast of dark energy towards the dragons, sealing them inside a chamber. They made no attempt to leave.
"Lord Bowser, we come here seeking the secrets of magic. Dark magic." Malice spoke calmly.
"What...?" Bowser was suddenly interested.
Junior giggled in his high-pitched voice as he sat at his father's feet. He, like his dad, was green-scaled with a patch of red hair on his head. But, Junior wore a peculiar hankerchief around his neck, with some sort of growling face drawn on it in red and black paint. "Daddy, they want to join us!" He squeaked.
"Do you, now...?" Bowser grumbled, rubbing his leathery yellow chin, part of his body that was not concealed in scales. "Kamek has been using Dark Magic since he was born. He's a rare one. And he doesn't reveal his secrets to just anyone. In fact, hes one of the few people in this planet that knows about the secrets of Magic. And to think, the Mario Brothers have been running around with it since they were babies and yet no one bothers to wonder exactly where it came from. They only believe it was some sort of genetic birth defect. Fools."
Bowser stood up and began to approach the dragons, still in the force feild, and he growled, "So, you two will need to prove your worth."
Kamek cleared his throat, then said, "lord Bowser!? I am the one in charge of magic here! And I am not going to reveal my secrets to these two! We don't know what they're capable of- they could be weaklings!"
"That's why they need to prove themselves, Kamek... I've been wanting to attack Mario ever since he married my love. But I can't, because I know I'd lose, as I usually do." He spoke with such anger in his voice, then he said, "but if we were able to train more users of magic, just to see if they're strong enought handle it, then we may be able to have a chance against the Mario Brother's power of light."
"Hm..." Kamek hummed. "Well, they are powerful, but you are right, as usual, Lord Bowser."
The Koopa King grinned. "Now... let's put them through the tests... and then, we will strike. Now tell me, you two, what brings you to try and do this?"
"You only want revenge, Lord Bowser, but we want this planet. If we kill their king Mario, we can take control of this planet and prepare it for a new dominion of Moonshards. And I know exactly how to do it... except we need magic to accomplish this..."
Malice then began to reveal his plan to Bowser- a plan of utter destruction.
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A/N: It's very confusing, isn't it? I just can't seem to get out my ideas of light and dark magic in a tangible way so let me try to explain this. The good guys can only use Light Magic, not dark magic. By their actions in life, it determines what makes them good or evil. The bad guys can use Dark Magic but if they're redeemed they can no longer use it. Dark magic is actually weaker then Light Magic, but in numbers, it may be able to overcome the Light if they lose hope.
As for Malice's plan, I have this great idea that ties in with the last book, but I don't want to reveal it just yet and that's why I didn't have him actually speak the plan in this chapter. You'll have to wait 'till later.