Prologue:
A Break in Time
––
Soluna Town
12:00 Noon
What… happened?
Is it the end of the world?
Am I dead? I don't feel dead…
Mario had no idea how long he had been out, or where he was. He was too afraid to open his eyes.
Those Guardians… they're really dead, aren't they? And those other ones…
Oh no… what happened to Peach and Luigi? I have to find them… I have to…
Preparing for the absolute worst, he forced his eyes open.
He was shocked.
Soluna Town looked perfectly normal, its inhabitants going about their lives perfectly innocently. The sun was shining down as everyone wandered around the streets, talking cheerfully to each other.
Completely stunned, Mario turned over and realized he was lying on the ground in front of the entrance to the Soluna Temple.
What am I doing out here? he wondered. How long have I been here? And… why hasn't anyone noticed me?
He looked up at the clock tower and saw that it read exactly 12 Noon.
What the – it's noon already? It was just after eight when I went in the Temple… it's been almost a day!
"Luigi? Peach? Where are you?" he called, looking around for them. But the others were nowhere to be seen; he was alone.
Finally, he turned back toward the Temple and saw someone he recognized.
His eyes narrowed. "YOU!"
"Uh oh," muttered the Goomba, still with the hammer in his mouth.
Mario dashed over and grabbed the hammer, but the Goomba refused to let go.
"All right, look," Mario hissed at him as he struggled with it, "I have no idea what's going on here, but I do know we both just saw those six Guardians get killed! This has just gotten way bigger than a stupid hammer! So would you just give it back?!"
As he spoke the last word, he thrust backward and finally pulled the hammer out of the Goomba's mouth, sending him staggering backwards.
"Ha! Finally," Mario sighed, stroking his hammer in relief.
"Screw you!" the Goomba spat. "I'll fight you for it, you fat hog!"
"You've gotta be kidding me," Mario groaned, but the Goomba meant business. Seeing no alternative, Mario entered the battle.
Thankfully, now matter how angry or violent this Goomba was, he wasn't any stronger than normal. He started off by running up to Mario and Headbonking him, which shook him up but didn't damage him too badly. Mario followed up with a Jump attack of his own. That alone would have been enough to finish off a regular Goomba, but this one didn't appear fazed.
"You'll have to do better than that," he sneered before delivering another Headbonk. Mario winced; this Goomba was a powerful fighter. He actually wasn't sure he would win…
The two of them continued trading blows until they were both struggling to stand. Mario noticed that a crowd had begun to form around them as they fought. Some people were watching in horror, while a few more immature members were egging the fighters on.
"Time to end this," Mario muttered. Deciding to give the Goomba a taste of karma, he ran up and delivered the finishing blow by whacking him squarely on the head with his hammer. The Goomba groaned and toppled over, finally defeated.
Several members of the crowd started cheering as Mario sighed to himself. "Now don't you ever bother me again," he warned the Goomba. "I have more important things to deal with."
Suddenly, the crowd began to part as two angry-looking Toads pushed their way to the front. Both of them were wearing policeman uniforms.
Mario saw them and blanched. Uh oh. I'm in trouble. That wasn't exactly self-defense…
Much to his surprise, though, the Toad policemen ignored him completely, instead walking straight over to the Goomba.
"You again?!" the first one demanded, hauling the Goomba to his feet. "Don't you ever stop causing trouble around here?! Now you're picking fights in the middle of the street!"
The Goomba replied by spitting in the Toad's face.
The second policeman walked up to Mario. "I must apologize, mister…"
"Mario."
"This Goomba has been wreaking havoc around here for months now. This isn't his furst run-in with the law. I must thank you for subduing him for us."
"Oh… no problem."
"However, I must still ask you to come down to the station with us," the policeman went on. "We'll need an eyewitness's account on what this fellow has just done."
"Oh, fine," Mario sighed resignedly. Maybe these guys could at least help him find Luigi and Peach.
––
Some time later, Mario found himself sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair in the front room of the police station. He could hear the policemen interrogating the Goomba from an adjacent room. The young Goomba's voice rang out loud and clear, and Mario was shocked at some of the words he blurted out.
What is wrong with that kid? he wondered to himself. I've never met anybody like him before. I doubt even Bowser is this much trouble.
He was really starting to worry about Luigi and Peach. He had to get out of here and find them as soon as he could. Even if the rest of the town appeared normal, they were missing, and that did nothing to allay his worry…
He glanced up at the clock on the wall, and was stunned to see that it read exactly 12 Noon.
That can't be right. It's been at least twenty minutes, he thought. It must be slow. Really slow…
At that moment, one of the Toad policemen stuck his head out the door. "Mister Mario, you're needed."
Reluctantly, Mario picked himself up and walked into the back room, which was empty except for a large table with a chair on either end. The Goomba was already occupying one, and he glared daggers at Mario as he sat down.
"Now, Mister Mario," said the first cop, "please tell us what this young man did when you first saw him."
"Whatever he says, it's a lie," the Goomba said sharply. "I'm innocent. I ain't done a thing wrong,"
"You'd better watch your mouth, Goomblaine," the second cop snapped at him.
Mario turned to him with a look of both shock and amusement. "Goomblaine? Your name's Goomblaine?" He made no attempt whatsoever to hide his laugh. "Oh yeah, that's a real gangster name all right."
The police had to restrain Goomblaine from throwing himself at him.
"Mister Mario, please," the first cop said impatiently.
"Oh, right. Sorry. Well, all right, my friends and my brother and I were getting shown around town by this local guy. He was showing us the Soluna Temple, and then all of a sudden this kid just jumps on me and makes off with my hammer."
"Mm hmm…" the cop was scribbling something down in his notebook. "And then what?"
"Well, I…" Mario quickly fell silent. The police would throw a fit if they found out he'd gone in the Soluna Temple… and he couldn't possibly tell them what he thought had happened after that. That he'd somehow entered the Temple of the Sun… and he'd seen someone murder the six Guardians of Day… that was outside the power of the police.
"Well, I tried to catch him, but he got away from me," he quickly invented, praying they would believe him. "So I went looking around town for him, but I didn't find him until just now. So the two of us went at it, and then, well, you guys showed up."
The cop nodded and continued to write. "All right Mister Mario, now when did you first see him. When did he take your hammer?"
"Well… that would have been last night, I suppose."
The cop glanced up from his notebook. "Last what?"
Mario blinked. "Last night?" he repeated.
The cop started looking impatient. "Mister Mario, this is a serious investigation. Not a time to be making up nonsense. Now when did you first see him?!"
"Nonsense? I – " Mario was getting confused. "I told you, it was last night! It was probably about a quarter after eight."
"Quarter after eight… eight in the morning, you mean?" the second cop spoke up.
The first one shook his head. "That's not possible. It's never eight in the morning here. It's always noon."
Mario thought his brain would split in two.
"You coppers are nuts!" Goomblaine cried out. "Whaddaya mean it's always noon?! It was night out, you freaks! The old man was right about that much at least!"
"Goomblaine, you have no idea how deep you are in right now," the first cop told him in a deathly serious voice. "You're being charged with theft and assault, on top of all the other charges you've accumulated over the past few months. I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut."
"But I didn't do anything!"
"Yeah? It's your word against his. Frankly, I trust this man more than you."
He turned to Mario. "Mister Mario, thank you for your time. You're free to go."
"Um… thank you…" Mario said quietly, still shaken by this revelation. He felt too frightened to stand back up.
"Goomblaine," the cop went on, "locking you up in juvie hasn't done a thing, and even if you had any money, a fine wouldn't do at all. There's only one thing I can think of to get a lesson through that thick head of yours."
Goomblaine glowered up at him.
"We're assigning you community service," said the cop. "You'll be helping out that guy."
He pointed directly at Mario.
"WHAT?!" Mario and Goomblaine both cried.
"I don't want him following me around!" Mario protested.
"You ain't getting me!" Goomblaine snarled. "No way am I helping that lug!"
"I'm sorry, but you don't have a choice," the cop replied, not sounding sorry at all. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you attacked him and stole from him. We're assigning you three months of community service, in the form of assisting this man in any task he requires of you. You'll be required to accompany him constantly."
"But I won't be here for three months!" Mario exclaimed.
"Fine, then. Goomblaine, assist this man for as long as he'll be staying here. When he leaves, we'll find something else for you."
"This is so unfair!" Goomblaine shrieked.
"Life's not fair, kid," the cop replied unsympathetically, shoving him over to Mario's side. "Mister Mario, if you have any trouble with him, just let us know."
And the next thing Mario knew, he and the Goomba had been led outside and left alone.
"Okay, kid. Now listen," he sighed, fighting to contain his impatience. "Something very wrong is going on here. You saw those Guardians getting killed as well as I did. And now people are saying it's always noon here. And they seem to have no concept of the idea of Night. Have you noticed?"
"Yeah? So?"
"So?! Like it or not, kid, this affects you as much as anyone else! This whole town is out of whack! Now I have to find my friends and figure out just what is going on around here. And like it or not, you're going to help. You've got no choice."
"Yeah, sure."
"If you don't, the police will find something even better for you to do," Mario said threateningly. "And I'm sure they'll be so happy to hear if you attack me again."
Goomblaine gave Mario what was probably the most spiteful, hate-filled look he had ever received, holding it for a good ten seconds before finally caving in.
"All right, fine," he huffed. "But I swear, I'll get back at you for this. You just wait."
"Fine with me," Mario said to his new partner.
Goomblaine Joined Mario's Party!
Goomblaine is a tough street Goomba who's nearly impossible to keep under control, but when he chooses to cooperate, his knowledge of Soluna Town and the outside world will be invaluable to Mario on his quest. He can give Mario information about any person, place, or thing in Chronoside. In battle, he can attack enemies with a nasty Headbonk, or use Tattle to reveal their stats and weaknesses.
"All right, mister genius, what do you suggest we do first?" Goomblaine growled.
Mario sighed, rubbing his forehead stiffly. This was going to be a long, hard vacation.
"We'd better find Rodolfo," he finally decided. "He'll know what to do."
Goomblaine didn't bother asking who Rodolfo was, and Mario wasn't in the mood to explain it to him. He just set off walking down the street, with Goomblaine following as far behind as possible.
Mario kept glancing uneasily around as he went. Everyone he passed by seemed to be completely normal. In fact, the whole town seemed normal. Looking around, there was nothing at all to suggest the horrible disaster that had just taken place.
Except for the fact that time was standing still.
"Mario? Oh, Mister Mario! There you are!"
"Huh?" Mario turned around to see an exhausted, disheveled-looking Rodolfo come staggering up to him. He leaned against the plumber, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Mario, I've been looking everywhere for you! Something has gone horribly wrong around here! I've completely lost track of those others you came here with, and – oh, I can't explain it, but there's something terrible going on, isn't there? I just know it!"
"Woah, woah, woah, calm down," Mario replied, trying to sound reassuring. He grabbed Rodolfo's hand and lowered it. "Don't worry, you found me. Now look. You're right, something terrible is going on. And I need your help figuring it out. I need you to tell me everything you remember about last night."
Just as Mario had feared, Rodolfo only responded with a confused look. "Last night?"
"It's when the sky gets dark, stupid!" Goomblaine shouted loudly enough to startle both of the adults. "Geez! Has everybody in this town gone mental?!"
Rodolfo only looked more puzzled. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. The sky getting dark? That never happens."
"Yes, it does," Mario sighed. "Look over here."
He guided Rodolfo over to one of the murals on a nearby wall. On one half was a brilliant orange and yellow and covered by a bright golden sun, while the other half was dark blue and covered by a silvery crescent moon, surrounded by glittering stars.
Mario pointed at the dark half. "Do you remember that?"
Rodolfo stared carefully at it. "I… I'm not sure…" he muttered, looking like he was half-remembering something he'd forgotten long ago.
"Well, listen. Up until today, it was like that for half of every day. The sun went down and the moon went up, and it was dark and you could see all the stars."
"Are… are you sure? That just doesn't sound possible…"
"Trust me, it is. But something's happened to make it so it's always the same time here. Always noon. And I know what it is."
Rodolfo straightened up. "Well, pray tell!"
Mario took a deep breath. This would not be pretty.
"I was in the Temple of the Sun," he said quickly. "And I saw the six Guardians of Day. They were all killed."
Rodolfo stared at him for one long, horrible moment, and then fainted on the spot.
––
"This is unthinkable! This is positively, utterly unthinkable! It's the end of the world, I tell you! Surely we shall all perish!"
It was half an hour later – at least it would have been, under normal circumstances – and Mario, Goomblaine and Rodolfo were all inside Rodolfo's cramped living room. Lining the walls were numerous bookshelves that were crammed and overflowing with aging, yellow books. Mario and Goomblaine were seated at a coffee table while Rodolfo was pacing back and forth, ranting and gesticulating madly.
"Who has ever heard of the Guardians being killed?! It's – it's a crime against life, that's what it is! Mario! Are you positive you saw this happen?"
"Yes," Mario sighed for what was probably the twentieth time.
"Look, man," Goomblaine said impatiently, "if you're not gonna do anything to help then just shut up and leave us alone."
"For your information, I'm trying to think of what to do!" Rodolfo barked at him. "It's just that a disaster of this magnitude has never occured before in living memory! All six Guardians of Day killed! There have been stories about what would happen if one were ever killed – and they aren't pretty – but all six!"
"What are those stories like? Maybe they'll give us a lead," Mario suggested.
"Oh, it's useless," Rodolfo moaned, leaning against a bookshelf. "All the stories say the same thing. That if a Guardian were ever to be killed, someone from this world would be chosen to take their place. That person would be chosen for their purity and bravery."
"Well, maybe that is what happened," said Mario, trying to be helpful. "I mean, maybe now six people from this world are going to become the new Guardians. And then we just have to find them, and… well, I don't know."
"That's very optimistic of you, Mario," Rodolfo sighed, "but how on earth are we going to find six completely random people? They're likely all over the world! And even they won't know who they are! How will we tell who they – OOMPH!"
He had just tripped over something and went flying into the air, crashing back to the ground and causing the bookshelves to shake.
"Are you okay?" Mario asked worriedly, standing up. Goomblaine just rolled his eyes.
Rodolfo slowly got back to his feet. He was rubbing his head with one hand, and was holding in his other hand the object that had tripped him. He was staring at it.
"That's a nifty-looking hourglass," Mario remarked.
"I've never seen this hourglass before in my life," Rodolfo protested. "I don't own such a thing. I would certainly remember buying this."
"Hmm… can I see it?"
Rodolfo obligingly handed it over to Mario. It certainly was the best-looking of its kind Mario had ever seen. Its stand was an intricately carved, shining gold, and its glass was smooth and flawless, without a mark on it. The sand inside it was a glittering silver color, as though it were starlight.
"Something tells me there's something to this hourglass," he said to himself. "I wonder – "
Without stopping to think, he turned the hourglass over, and the sand began to fall.
He was mesmerized. As the glittering sand cascaded through the glass, the entire hourglass seemed to emit an unearthly glow. Even Goomblaine was staring in interest.
Suddenly, the glow became blinding. Mario cried out in shock and tried to drop it, and Goomblaine tried to scramble backwards, but they were both too late.
There was a brilliant flash, and then everything vanished.
––––
A/N: I'm so evil with these cliffhangers, aren't I?
Thanks to everyone who has already reviewed! Honestly, I wasn't expecting to get any reviews at all for a while.
Also, what do you guys think of Goomblaine? Not every day Mario gets a partner who hates him, huh? :P