AN: Hey, everyone! I suggest you pay close attention to this chapter, as some details from it will come back in future stories!

Chapter 17 Vivian: Shadow Servant

The air was silent and still. Iggy stared at the former Shadow siren with wide eyes. He noticed Vivian fiddle with her cotton candy pink hair and blush a maroon tone. She kept her eyes away from the party as if she was afraid that they might try to eat her.

But that didn't faze Iggy. It was finally starting to sink into him who exactly was standing right in front of him. As a consequence, his heart was hammering. His mouth was starting to curve into a smile while his eyes stayed locked in their wide position.

"Oh my developer," he said quietly. Suddenly, he sprung toward Vivian. "Oh, thank the stars, thank the lumas, THANK THE GOOD LORD IN HEAVEN ABOVE!" He giggled giddily. "It is such a pleasure to finally lay eyes on you!"

Iggy tried to grab hold of Vivian's hand and give it a generous shake. However, when he did, Vivian cowered back. She curled up into a little ball and held her hands to her head, shivering and quivering.

"Oh please! Please don't hurt me!"

Iggy felt like he had been slapped. He stared down at Vivian's cowering form, her shaking posture.

"What? No, I do not want to hurt you. I simply wish to offer you a form of greeting common among my kind."

Vivian looked up at Iggy. Her golden eyes stared at him with a mystique quality. She was trembling, and intensely so.

"Oh. Okay," she said quietly.

With that, Vivian took Iggy's outstretched hand and gave it a shake. Her grip was what could only be described as a limp noodle grip. She displayed no confidence, no desire to get attached, not even the desire to experience contact with people. As soon as the handshake was done, she pulled away and hid her hands behind her back. Iggy backed up toward the rest of the party, allowing Peach to step forward.

"Miss Vivian, we are ever so grateful to have found you. We come to you in dire need!"

A questioning gaze entered Vivian's expression.

"Dire need?"

"Yes, very much so," said Morton. He stepped toward the quivering shadow girl. "Our world is in danger."

A distraught expression flew across Vivian's face, a textbook example of one. She put her hand up to her mouth and started to nibble on her nails.

"Ohhhh," she moaned. "I knew this day would come. I know I never should have left my sisters."

"Why do you say that? Your sisters are evil!" Lemmy said.

Vivian nodded. Iggy noticed the trees start to sway around them, and he became a little restless.

"They are. The are the most evil, nasty set of meanies that the world has ever seen. The Shadow Queen was very proud of them in particular."

Iggy felt a chill spider walk down his spine. It was so cold, in fact, that it seemed to freeze his mouth shut. He could practically taste frost forming on his lips.

"You've met the Shadow Queen?" asked Ludwig, the very question that Iggy had the desire to ask.

"Oh yes," Vivian said with a nod. "She was our lord and master. We entered into her service because we believed that she was the rightful owner of the Mushroom World. After all, it was made with her in mind."

Iggy, despite himself, let out a smile.

"And it was a very beautiful gift." His mouth turned into a frown. "Too bad she turned evil and brought corruption to such a paradise."

Vivian showed her agreement by giving a tiny, almost nonexistent nod.

"Yes. It was such a shame. That is why I turned against my sisters. Our goal as the Shadow Sirens was to cover the world in darkness. We were told to wait for the birth of the Shadow Queen's son before we did so, as the darkness she gave us the power to spread would recreate the Mushroom World the way that she wanted for her dark prince."

Iggy nearly reeled back. Wait, the Shadow Queen had a son? He had never heard that part of the legend before. How could he have not known about this; did he just fall asleep in the middle of reading the book? That was unacceptable for him! Surely, he should reread the legend of the Mushroom World's creation for mention of a son…

"That is what is happening right now," Pom Pom cut in, drawing Iggy back down to the present. "The Shadow Sirens are spreading darkness all over the world. They have already covered the Koopa and Mushroom Kingdoms, and they aren't going to stop anytime soon."

Vivian looked fearful, frightened, and...guilty?

"Oh, this is awful! I knew I should have hidden their box somewhere more discrete!"

Mario gasped.

"You were the one who imprisoned them?"

Vivian nodded again.

"Yes. I hoped that it would prevent them from fulfilling the Shadow Queen's dark work." Vivian shuddered and started to whimper like a sick puppy dog. "Oh, but of course it was pointless! My magic is not powerful enough to match up against theirs! It never was!"

Iggy stepped forward. He gazed at the Shadow Girl.

"Vivian…"

Vivian backed away at the mention of her name. This caused Iggy to stop walking and back up.

"I think you realize why we need your help now "

Vivian continued to shudder.

"I do." She shook her head. "But unfortunately, I cannot aid you. Your journey here has been entirely in vain."

"What?" Lemmy shrieked. "But the darkness! We have to stop it!"

Vivian shook her head again.

"I am sorry. Truly I am. But I am afraid that the time has come. If the Shadow Sirens have truly been released, and the darkness has truly started to overtake the world, then there is nothing I can do. There is nothing anyone can do."

A silence befell the scene. Then Iggy started to feel bile rising up to his throat. He gritted his teeth.

"You're telling me that you are unwilling to help us! How can you say that? This world is our home! We cannot just sit back and let it die! You do realize that if this world goes, we all go with it! Including you!"

Tears started to form in Vivian's golden eyes.

"I know that! Stop yelling at me!"

"Oh I have every right to yell at you!" Iggy said. "I have every right to be angry! Are you saying you really aren't going to at least make an attempt to set things straight? You're a coward!"

At that last word, Vivian started to bawl like a baby. She buried her head in her hands, unwilling to look at anyone.

"Iggy…" Wendy said.

Iggy noticed that Pom Pom was starting to glare at him.

"Nice going, Koopstein," she said with an angry tone. "You really expect shouting at her and making her cry is going to convince her? Now we're all doomed!"