"Shadow King!" shouted Vornei over the hush that had settled over the audience. "You have already met defeat! Acknowledge your loss and cast out any thought of reconquering this kingdom!"

The King smiled. "Ah, but here I am, Vornei. Surely you understand the legend. The 'keys of the soul in three parts' are my noble assistants, Zaron and Takanyar, and that traitor, Athos. When they united their power, the fragments of my soul were released from their bodies and revitalized u my /u body. I have come for the u other /u three soul keys."

"Other keys?" asked Lorban. "We have none such here!"

"Oh, but do you?" asked the Shadow King with a crafty smile on his face. "Zaron! Takanyar!" The Shadow King pointed straight at Princess Éclair. "Seize her!"

"No!" Éclair jumped up and ran for the exit. In a flash Zaron was there, blocking the door with a sadistic smile on his face. Éclair whirled around and ran away from him, only to be confronted by Takanyar. "Help! Nooooo!"

Takanyar seized Éclair's arms and bent them painfully behind her. "Nowhere to run, little princess, and nowhere to hide."

Suddenly Takanyar went flying forward and smashed into the wall. Mario pulled his fist back and grabbed Éclair, shoving her behind him. Luigi came at Zaron from the side as Mario charged straight at the black specter. Zaron only smiled and put out his hand. A shockwave erupted from his palm, knocking the brothers backward.

"Ha! Resistance is useless!" screeched Zaron as the brothers scrambled to their feet. "This world belongs to the Great One!"

Mario's answer was a ball of ice in Zaron's face. He still had the ice power granted him by the Sacred Orb eight years ago. Zaron wiped the ice from his face, visibly shaken by the coldness of it.

"If you truly wish to fight, you'll get your fill. But not here; not now." He vanished from sight, as did Takanyar. All eyes went to the platform, where the King still stood. The Shadow King smiled evilly, and his eyes burned red as he faded into nothingness.

"Toadsworth, please have the royal guards stationed outside the hall," said Peach breathlessly as she got up and rushed over to Éclair. "Éclair, are you all right?"

"I think so," she replied tremulously, then groaned as a jolt of pain shot up her left arm. "Ouch! I think he bent my arm a little too far."

Peach helped Éclair back to her seat. "Russ!" The captain of the guard rose and stepped forward. "Please check the royal museum. Takanyar looked like he had the Staff of Dreams again. It was placed back inside the museum's secret vault after he stole it the first time - check there." Russ saluted and raced out of the great hall.

Returning to the platform, the Princess announced, "Now that the danger is past, we will continue with the recitation. Daisy and I will now recite for you the Royal Legend." Princess Daisy came to the microphone and began to speak.

"On a faraway shore
Lies a treasure of lore
Whether real or no, it is not clear;
It shines in the light
With a glimmer so bright
In depths that make one fear.

"A king long ago
Laid this treasure low
And then pronounced a curse thereon:
'Who touches my gold
Whether young or old
Shall fall beneath a tonne.'"

Peach took the microphone and started the second half. Éclair slipped from her seat.

"The treasure is found
Far beneath the ground
In an ancient shrine to gods of stone;
The winding stair
That leadeth there
Is hid as three in one.

"The evil of old
That the future doth hold
Cannot disturb its resting place -
A force of good
That holdeth wood
Shall meet it face to face."

Éclair mounted the platform as Peach finished and took the microphone from her. Peach and Daisy, still on the platform, looked at Éclair in amazement as she began to recite the i third /i part of the legend. They hadn't even known that there was another part to it. Éclair recited in a firm, clear voice.

"The power in the chest
Has had its rest
But now comes time for it to rise;
Its shining blade
The good hath stayed
When lifted to the skies.

"Ten thousand men
From darkness, then,
Have risen from the earth -
Their tramping feet
Dread death do mete;
All life, their conqueror's worth.

"The two returned
Dark arts have learned
Their goal - to rule again;
Not thousand years
Nor million tears
Can quench their thirst to reign.

"The hidden one
Bright rays of sun
With prisms splits into the bow;
Eight guardians all
At beck and call
Keep watch o'er what they know."

"Éclair," breathed Peach, "why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Éclair returned the microphone to its stand. Turning, she looked at Peach with an inexplicable expression of quietness. "I didn't feel you needed to know. But after what happened tonight, I believe it's time you understood - understood the true depth of your legends."