Hi everyone, just wanted to say thank you for making it this far if you have. :) In case you haven't noticed, I'm definitely going for a more serious, sort of dark fic here in the Mario world. I also feel like I should mention that my story is humanoid!everyone, so Goombella is not a Goomba, but a young woman, Koops is a young man, etc. It definitely made writing the Four Heroes (The Wise Goomba, the Brave Toad, the Boo Heroine, and the Stalwart Koopa) much easier in the forms of Ingrid, Arthur, Serene, and Matthias respectively.
I hope that clears up any confusion. Thank you and have a great evening!
Aqua lights seared through Elodie's sleeping conscience, launching her out of her slumber. With a startled gasp, she blinked… only to find herself in front of the Door that she had sealed shut all those years ago.
Remarkably, the chamber had barely changed at all throughout what time had passed. The chamber was made of silver and white stone, much of which was still in place, save for a few floor-tiles that had been cracked or broken. The marble pillars remained immaculate, as detailed as they had been during the sanctum's construction. The Door too was untouched… and was now the Thousand-Year Door, just as the legend she had spread foretold.
Realizing what must have happened to wake her, Elodie gasped and looked at the pedestal, which would unlock the Map—
And there stood her hero: the man who must've been Mario.
"My champion," she mused, a gradual smile filling her face. Elodie could not see much from him at first glance, save for a sense of adventuring. She hoped that he was a strong, enduring character… he would need those qualities if he were to last throughout the journey. "You are Mario, are you not?"
Hearing her soft remark, the man—and a small young woman who stood beside him—glanced upward. Both seemed shocked to see Elodie's spirit floating above them.
"Uh, who are you?" asked the woman, her voice full of fire. Her dirty-blonde hair was hidden underneath a hard-helmet, and she looked at Elodie with brown eyes of curiosity and skepticism.
Elodie smiled, already amused by the woman's bold nature. She would be a good help to this Mario, of that, the spirit was certain. Curtseying more-so out of habit than courtesy, she said, "My name is Elodie Lancaster. I am the spirit bound to the Map you hold in your hands."
Mario looked down at the Map that he possessed. Elodie could already see the effects of her magic upon it—Arthur's castle in Petal Meadows had appeared, pointing Mario to the first of the seven Crystal Stars.
A chill ran across her ethereal spine at the remembrance of that dread castle…
"I never heard of any legend about a spirit bound to the Map," the woman replied distastefully. "Why should we trust you?"
Elodie willed herself lower, so she could look into the duo's eyes. Softly, she answered, "There is nothing I can answer you to that. All I can offer is my guidance and knowledge of the history behind this Map."
The woman looked at Mario, clearly waiting for his verdict. Mario himself was peering at Elodie strangely, as if he could see straight into her thoughts. Elodie was pleased by his instinct to listen and reflect before making a decision. In that way, he reminded her of Arthur…
After a nearly unbearable pause, he said, "Very well. What do you have to tell us about these Crystal Stars?"
"Mario!" hissed the woman. "Professor Frankly could answer that."
But Mario only gave the girl a look and she fell silent—he then redirected his gaze to Elodie, who noticed that Mario's eyes were blue like Arthur's as well.
A wistful smile tugged at Elodie's lips. "There are seven of them, crafted over a thousand years ago. To keep them out of reach of evil hands, four heroes and I divided them across the lands. They have laid dormant for a thousand years, awaiting someone to reunite them."
"But if your spirit is here, then where are the spirits of the other four heroes?" asked the woman.
A shadow cascaded over Elodie's shimmering face—her silver eyes dulled to a dreary grey.
"They all departed this life whilst scattering the Crystal Stars. I was the only one who survived the ordeal; the only one able to tie myself to the Map."
Mario's face morphed from curious to sympathetic—he obviously noted the emotion and pain in Elodie's expression and voice. It was then that he declared, "I think we should believe her, Goombella."
The woman—Goombella—looked astounded and opened her mouth as if to protest… but after a moment, she closed it and nodded.
Relieved that his companion had yielded to his decision, Mario chuckled, which made Elodie smile.
This was progressing far better than she had dared to hope.
"It was Elodie, wasn't it?" asked Mario. Seeing Elodie's nod, he then asked, "Where does this first Crystal Star lead us?"
Elodie pointed a shimmering finger to the castle that had appeared on the Map and responded, "This was once my home… Petal Meadows. It houses the Diamond Star, the first of the seven. I fear, however, that after a thousand years, evil may have infested the castle. You must be very careful; it could be dangerous."
Mario sighed and grumbled something to himself that sounded like, "When is it not dangerous?"
A whimsical smile etched onto Elodie's face—seeing that she had heard him, Mario blinked and took a sudden interest in the Map again.
But Elodie began daring to hope… clearly, this was not the first adventure that he had ever embarked on.
He seemed to glance at her questioningly, but before he could speak, Elodie's form flickered again. She knew that the essence of the Magical Map was beginning to wear off—urgently, she exclaimed, "There is not much time left for me to speak to you now. I wish you the best of luck, Mario and Goombella… I believe you are strong enough to begin your quest. I shall see you next when the Diamond Star is in your hands."
"W-wait!" exclaimed Goombella. "There are so many more questions!"
"In time, they shall be answered," Elodie said, trying to be comforting. Yet even as she spoke, her voice grew fainter, her vision more blurred. She could no longer see the comforting familiarity that was Mario's eyes—the eyes that reminded her of Arthur. "With no Crystal Stars in your hands, my power is weak. The more you collect, the longer I shall appear to guide you. But I promise that whilst I am with you, I shall do all in my power to help your cause."
"Will this quest lead me to find Princess Peach?" said Mario.
Elodie blinked. She had almost forgotten about the woman who had opened her jewelry box in the first place, and inadvertently began the battle to rid the world of shadow…
She was forced to make a quick decision. If she said no, there was a chance that Mario might forsake the journey and banish any hope the world had of survival. If she said yes, he might eventually discover the truth and feel betrayed.
But there was no real choice.
"Yes," Elodie exhaled, barely more than a whisper. "Yes, it will. Good luck."
And with that, she disappeared, faded again to dreams—yet this time, those dreams were memories.