Chapter One: In the Rough
Climbing out of the dark depths that was the Rougeport Sewers, Majid and Vivian stepped into the town of rogues.
Around them was the sprawling maze that had been appropriately named "Rogueport." The sun shined down upon the shadows at last, startling them, especially Majid, for they had not seen sunlight in days.
"So where to next?" asked Vivian, who was blinking furiously, attempting to get used to the light.
Majid considered his options. Who was the most likely to have information to give them?
"Let's head to the local wizard. Perhaps he can divine my past, or tell us where to go next."
Vivian looked at him dubiously. "A wizard? My sister says they are just old phonies."
"Your sister says a lot of things," thought Majid. He had still not told her about his encounter with Beldam and Marilyn.
And he never planned to.
"Well it can't hurt to try," Maid insisted.
Vivian rolled her eyes but followed Majid into the town.
Day One:
The shadows stepped into the magician's house and were immediately greeted by a shock to their eyes. The room was covered in mysterious star shaped designs and curtains covered the walls. In the center was a large crystal ball sitting on a pedestal. Behind it was a mysterious cloaked figure.
Merlon.
"Hello there," Merlon said in a jolly fashion. "Have you come to upgrade your partner's rank?"
"Uh… no." Majid responded. "We are here to have our fortunes told. Preferably our past, but the future will do just as well."
Merlon was silent for a long minute. When he finally spoke, his voice was devoid of the joy he had expressed a moment ago. It was full of sadness, regret, and, underneath it all, anger.
"I don't tell fortunes anymore. Or pasts."
"Why not," Vivian asked, curiosity and a hint of smugness. Majid could tell she thought that Merlon couldn't tell fortunes in the first place.
"I don't think that's any of you business. Now if you please I am very busy-"
"Look," Majid interjected. "I really need to know something, so if took a small amount of your time to-"
"I TOLD YOU I DON'T TELL FORTUNES ANYMORE!" Merlon's voice was as loud as was possible for any human being or mushroom creature. Thunder cracked around them, bolts of lightening zapping in every direction. Wind emanated from it all, blowing a long, unavoidable gust at the two shadows. Merlon was in the center of it all, in the eye of the storm, eyes wild and full of fire.
And the storm passed.
The thunder stopped as Merlon fell, the lightening disappeared when his body hit the crystal ball, and the wind died down as the magician huffed and puffed in exhaustion.
"Go *huff* go to Merluvelee." Merlon said slowly, for his own sake not Majid's. "She lives in the sewers under the plaza. She can help. Now kindly," Merlon stood up, his strength returning quickly, "get out."
He slammed the door behind them a little harder than what was probably necessary.
0000oooo00000
"So we're listening to THAT nutjob?" Vivian shouted angrily. She had not stopped arguing since they left the magician. "C'mon Majid, we need to find a real lead!"
"We don't HAVE any other leads Vivian," Majid responded wearily, carefully avoiding a dead rat as they walked through the sewers. "It's going to get dark soon, and we'll need to find a place to stay and unpack. I'd like to get something done before we set out tomorrow."
"Fine. Whatever, " Vivian murmured.
Turning around the next corner, the shadows finally found what we are looking for.
The underground plaza livid up to its name (not that Majid remembered hearing about it), for it actually looked like a plaza. Surrounding the area were abandoned house and not-so-abandoned bars and shops. People were strolling the "streets," enjoying their simple time int their underground paradise.
The sad thing was how rundown it was. Water had flooded through, soaking almost half of the area. The places that weren't empty looked like they would cave in soon. And in the center was a broken down fountain, symbolizing the ruin that had befallen the once great town.
A large pedestal had fallen down, stopping the path of the shadows. Luckily. there was a small house that had a sign upon it: "The House of Merluvlee."
"Perfect," Majid thought happily as he reached for the doorknob.
"DO YOU HAVE ANY STAR PIECES FOR DAZZLE?" a shrill voice came from behind them. The shadows turned quickly and found a small man(?) standing there his wild, crazy eyes wide in anticipation. He (?) was wearing big, puffy clothes and a strange hat that had odd little sparkles drooping down from the ends.
Gathering his wits tighter, Majid answered "I'm afraid not. I really need to talk to Merluvlee, so-"
"YOU LIE TO DAZZLE!" the man (?) known as Dazzle screamed. "DAZZLE CAN SMELL THOSE PRECIOUS STAR PIECES YOU ARE KEEPING FROM DAZZLE! YES, YOU ARE BEING GREEDY, KEEPING THEM FROM DAZZLE. YOU ARE JEALOUS OF DAZZLE'S COLLECTION, DAZZLE CAN SMELL IT FROM YOU! JUST LIKE THE STAR PIECES YOU ARE KEEPING FROM HIM! IT IS WRONG, LIKE KEEPING PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY APART! IF YOU BE MEAN TO DAZZLE, DAZZLE WILL BE MEAN TO YOU!"
Dazzle push Majid out of the way and sat in front of Merluvlee's door.
Majid could sense that their was no stopping Dazzle, so he and Vivian slowly left the crazy obsessive (wo)man to him(her)self.
"Can I safely assume that you gave given up this ridiculous mission?" Vivian asked once they were a safe distance away. She hoping that Majid would stop wasting their time.
Much to Vivian's annoyance, Majid shook his head.
"No, I think we should look for those star pieces. My gut tells me we're going the right way."
Vivian rolled her eyes for the millionth time that day. "If you say so."
RANDOM INTERMISSION!
Hi everyone, SuperNerdmanGuy here. I interrupted your usual program to bring you an important message.
I am stuck. I have literally no idea how our heroes are going to find the star pieces.
In the end, I just decided to pull something out of nowhere. I apologize in advance for the BIG LIPPED ALLIGATOR MOMENT that is destined to appear.
Please don't be too mad with me.
END INTERMISSION
"So where are we going to look," Vivian asked. "It's not like we're going to fight a n enemy that comes from nowhere who will coincidentally have the item we are looking fo-"
"BLOOPER!" a strange, garbled voice shouted from above. Out of nowhere, a Blooper appeared, ready to fight.
BATTLE START
"You know, I hope we don't have to deal with weird battles at horribly staged times like this again," Majid noted.
Vivian nodded her head in earnest.
Blooper: 10/10
Majid: 20/20 Vivian: 15/15 FP: 12/15
The overgrown sea squid started the attacks by using his tentacles on Vivian.
Vivian: 11/15
Majid tried to JUMP on the Blooper, but it merely swatted him against a wall.
Majid: 17/20
"M-Majid!" Vivian cried. Majid looked up to see Vivian frozen where she stood.
"I can't move!" she shouted in fear.
"The Blooper's attack must have paralyzed her," Majid concluded. distracted by Vivian's plight, he didn't notice the tentacles coming towards him at a fast pace.
"Oof!" Majid: 13/20
After checking that he could still move his limbs, Majid quickly refocusd his energy to the Blooper. Raising his hands , Majid felt the energy flow throughout the tips of his fingers until the ball of flames appeared. Majid shot it forward towards the Blooper.
Blooper: 15/20
The Blooper yelled out in agony. Eventually it jumped into the water beside the "roads" and swam away.
Majid: 13/20 Vivian: 11/15 FP: 9/15
Majid has gained 15 star points. 45/100
BATTLE END
Majid walked over to where the Blooper had stood and picked up a growing shard that the creature had dropped.
"Do you think that's the star piece?," Vivian asked from behind him.
Free from the paralyzing poison (not the deadly kind), Vivian stood up carefully.
Majid nodded his head. "Are you okay?"
Vivian returned the nod. "Shall we go?" Vivian asked unaware of what had just happened.
"Yes," Majid spoke finally.
000ooo000
"YOU AGAIN!" Dazzle screamed. "DO YOU HAVE THE STAR PEICES THAT RIGHTFULLY BELONG TO DAZZLE?"
An exhausted Majid slowly placed the star piece in front of the man.
Dazzle stared, wide-eyed, at the shard before squealing in glee.
"YES! YES! THE STARS HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO DAZZLE! DAZZLE THANKS YOU!" Suddenly Dazzle stopped his odd skipping and turned to the shadows.
His voice was very quiet.
"Dazzle… will help you."
His hands began to glow a strange, bright red. As the colors danged on the man fingertips, Majid noticed that he and Vivian also began to glow that strange red color.
Once the energy that covered the shadows died down, Dazzle smiled his weird slasher smile.
"Dazzle has given you new power!" the creature explained. "Dazzle has given you the power to combine you and your partner's attacks!"
Vivian raised her eyebrows. "You had to give us a power to do that?"
Dazzle gave Vivian a strange look. "Of course!" he exclaimed, acting as if Vivian was an idiot.
Dazzle began to walk away from our heroes before Majid shouted "Don't you have to teach us how to use the move?"
Dazzle stared at Majid like he was crazy. "This isn't a video game." he respond bluntly.
He turned from our heroes and skipped away singing a odd little tune.
"Star pieces, star pieces beautiful and bright!
Star pieces, star pieces glowing in the night!"
"That is one weird dude," Vivian noted.
"That guy's a he?" Majid asked in shock
000ooo000
Majid carefully pushed open the door and stepped into Merluvlee's house.
"Hello my children," the mystic said in a singsong voice.
She beckoned the shadows forward. "What do the humble shadows of near and far require?"
Majid managed to stay calm in front of the mystic, but he did gulp before he responded. Although he couldn't see the woman's face, something about this woman seemed unnatural and… alluring. He hoped he could get out of here soon.
"We need our fortunes told. Or our past. Whatever's easier."
Majid could sense confusion coming from this woman. "Your past? I'm afraid I don't…" She paused.
"I see. Forgive me. I did not realize you were amnesiac.
Vivian gasped. "H-How did you know that?"
"I sensed it. I'm afraid that was all I could gleam from Mr…. shadow here. Now if you wish to have you're fortunes told, I know a man named Merlon who-"
"We talked to him already. He said he didn't do that anymore."
Merluvlee was silent for what seemed like an eternity until she rushed over to a nightstand and grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something quickly down on it. After putting it in an envelope, she turned back to the shadows and gave them the envelope.
"Give this to Merlon," she commanded. "And I will count it as payment for telling your fortune."
"So you'll tell my fortune?" Majid asked.
"Mystics such as Merlon or I are named for the skills we have the most success in. We usually retain our last name, but that's besides the point. Merlon is the expert fortune teller but since he is still in his current state… I will have to help you."
She walked over to her crystal ball. "It will take a little more energy out of me then when I gleam for sprites or stars, but I will do it. Now sit."
Obeying her orders, the shadows sat on the mat in front of her.
The mystic stared down at the crystal ball in front of her, and began to chant.
"Sahm ha hum do eh. Sahm ha hum lay. Sahm ha hum do eh. Sahm ha hum-
CCCCCRACK! Immediately and unexpectedly, the lights went out at the unknown sound. Simultaneously, Merluvlee fell to the ground as if she had been hits by a thousand volts of electricity.
Majid automatically jumped up and used his firebrand technique to light up the room. Beside Vivian was looking around wildly until Majid grabbed her shoulder where she began to relax.
Until she saw the mystic.
Merluvlee was rising from the ground, her arms above her shoulders, and her eyes rolled back into her head. Green smoke surrounded her, floating above them, and seeming over the cracked floor.
When she spoke, her voice no longer held the singsong quality it had before. Instead it was raspy voice, devoid of any emotion or feeling.
"East to West then West to East
avoid becoming the Dragon's feast.
The Bloopers of three
will end at the sea.
To regain an ally's trust
defeating the demon is a must.
Shadow, then thief
doctor, sailor who becomes the chief.
After you abandon your friends
you will make amends.
When the skies turn black
with old memories, you will come back.
Help the one you once fought
being a villain he will stop.
Defeat the evil
that comes from times of medieval.
And once the evil has been despised of
you will return home with your true love."
Merluvlee's eyes reappeared and the mist disappeared. Majid managed to catch her before she fell to the ground. A glance is all it took to tell she was unconscious.
Majid carried the mystic over to her bed, deciding that they would wait until she came to.
"W-What just happened," Vivian asked, clearly in shock of the new events.
Before Majid could answer, Merluvlee stirred and tried to sit up before her energy failed her.
Catching her breath, she turned her head to the shadows.
"I told a prophecy," she announced bluntly.
"A prophecy," Vivian questioned.
"Yes young shadow," the mystic replied. "A prophecy… they have no prophecies in over a decade."
"I-Is it good that we have been told a prophecy?" Majid asked hopefully.
"The last time a prophecy was told, the Koopa Clan called war upon the
Toads. You tell me."
Majid wisely deciding to not respond.
"That… thing that happened to me," Merluvlee began. "It was very exhausting. Before I pass out I need to tell you something."
Majid and Vivian leaned forward in expectation.
"If you two have just received a prophecy, bad things are rising. Terrible things. And judging by what I said…" she paused for a moment. "You are probably going to have to save the world from an evil spirit that gives death and destruction to all you cross it's path."
And with those last foreboding words, Merluvlee lost consciousness.
000ooo000
Hi everybody!
(Hello Dr. Nick.)
Now there is no one out there who can question if I know where this story is going. In your faces doubters! In your faces!
I'm trying not to explain things too much, but I do feel I need to let some people know a thing or two about where I go from here.
This story is going through the Paper Mario episodic format. You know, a Prolouge and then eight chapters of Plot Coupons. Okay, I'm going to downplay the plot coupons (Crystal Stars in this case) but they are still going to have a small impact.
Another thing, during this Paper-Mario-format-chapter the fan-fiction-chapters will take place over a day to day basis. Example, this chapter was day one.
The mystic people will be making a return appearance at some point.
Now remember folks, read and review.
...
What's that? You're looking for my trademark "NERDMAN AWAY!"?
No, I'm not going to do that. It was funny at first, but now it's just annoying.
NERDMA-
Nope not happening. Sorry.
*hit on head*
NERDMAN…. AWAAAAAAAAAAAY!
stupid joke.
EDIT: I am now staring a survey for this thing: Who do you think Merluvlee is talking about in the prophecy?