There will be some changes to the story and plot hole fixes. Most notably, the 2D-3D mechanic is gone, Mario talks, and this fanfic will be generally darker than the game already was. This is my first fanfic so I would like some constructive criticism.
I do not own Super Paper Mario or any of its characters, nor am I making any money from them. They are property of Nintendo and Intelligent Systems
Ahem! Today I'll tell you the story of the lost book of prophecies. This prophetic book was a mysterious tome full of stories of future events. Of course, many people craved this book, wishing to glimpse their futures. But no person, after obtaining this amazing book, ever found happiness. The reason? The book held frightful secrets not meant for people's eyes. That book came to be called the Dark Prognosticus and was sealed away. This is the tale of that forgotten book's last owner. It is a tale of love.
...
It was a sunny day at Mario and Luigi's abode. The birds of the nearby forest sang happily in the distance. The few clouds in the sky were fluffy and white, with no sign of rain or other unpleasant weather. The bushes and plants decorating the house were lush green and healthy, as was the door that served as the entrance of the place. Indeed, it was a peaceful, perfect day for the Mario Bros, which did not go unnoticed by a certain green-capped fellow.
"Wow, sure is peaceful today, eh Bro?" Luigi said in response to a yawn from his elder brother, who was drinking a 'Shroom Shake in his lunch chair. Mario finished his drink, wiping off any residual wetness from his well-groomed mustache, and responded.
"You said it Bro. This day is the most relaxing I've gotten in a while." Mario tossed the 'Shroom Shake in the trash can. No princess kidnappings, no go-kart races, no crazy adventures.
"Makes a guy feel lucky, having a peaceful day." Luigi paused as if expecting something as if expecting something. "Yup, reeeal peaceful, it's almost a little bit boring." Luigi turned his head from side-to-side, as if expecting something to burst out at him then and there. "It makes you want a…" Luigi paused again, trying to formulate a word that could match his desires, until Mario beat him to it.
"KERBLOOEY!" Mario's hands suddenly rose up in the air and his body left the back of the chair.
"Yeah that" Luigi stated flatly.
"Some sort of shocking event to get our gears grinding." Mario began to lean back in the chair, putting his gloved fist on his chin, contemplating what events could come. "I know what you mean. It can be easy to get restless when you're used to big adventures. How about heading over to the castle?"
"Great idea Bro! It has been a while, I'm sure the Princess would be happy to see us."
The Bros. then opened the door and left their home, unaware that their simple trek to Peach's Castle on a peaceful day, would turn into their grandest adventure yet.
….
About 10 minutes from Mushopolis, the capital of the Mushroom Kingdom, the Bros. saw a toad running down the hill they were climbing. While the Toad did appear to be in a great hurry, and the Bros. had a hint of curiosity as to what he little mushroom was worried about, they figured seeing the lovely Princess Peach was more important. They weren't going to go and find out what the Toad was upset over.
"Mario!" the Toad's squeaky voice rang out.
Looks like they were going to find out after all.
"What is it?" Mario asked, trying to hide his annoyed expression. "We're gonna go see Peach so I'd like you to make it quick," the red-clad plumber sighed.
"That's just the thing," the Toad clarified to Mario. "Princess Peach has been kidnapped!"
The Bros. immediately showed shock on their faces as if they were wondering who could have done such a thing, which quickly wore off after they realized who has done such a thing (dozens of times). Their shock that they once wore was replaced by exasperation as they face-palmed in pure annoyance.
"Three days," Mario said flatly. "Three. Days. Between kidnappings." the plumber's voice began to pick up. "I swear, that lug does not know when to quit" Mario began to take his hand off of his face and bunch it into a fist. "How many times has this been, Luigi?"
"Let me check" Luigi got out a pad of paper he always kept with him in the pocket of his overalls. No one knew how this paper stayed tucked so firmly in his overalls, let alone all the other items Luigi regularly brings. "This is the 58th time" Luigi said to his brother after observing the 57 tallies on the paper, to which Luigi added one with his pen.
"Well, let's-a-go" Mario halfheartedly said his trademark expression as he turned towards the direction of Bowser's Castle in the Koopa Kingdom. This would be a massive detour from the evening Mario wanted with the pink princess, but maybe something could be salvaged from it. The Bros. began their trek.
….
"This is just sad." Mario brought up to his brother.
The Bros. had just successfully infiltrated the lava-filled castle. Full to the brim with spikes, Fire Bars, crushers, and minions of Bowser, it seemed near-impossible to get through. "Seemed" being the keyword. The Bros. actually got in through the unlocked gate that was guarded by just two koopatrols, who were "elite" koopa minions. They were fooled by simple makeshift cloaks made from towels Mario and Luigi disguised themselves with. The towels even had a red M and a green L on them respectively, and the Bros. mustaches were fully visible. Yet somehow, the Bros. had managed to sneak all the way to Bowser's throne room without fighting a single thick-headed minion.
Now that they were in the throne room, they took time to notice its decorations. A line of velvet carpeting with Bowser's signature insignia in yellow painted constantly throughout led to a set of steps and a throne of stone which had similar carpeting. Two grey stone pillars near the throne had Bowser's menacing face chiseled on them. Mario knew from previous experience that these pillars could launch fireballs and green, mid-intensity lasers from their maws. The room hadn't changed much in the past several kidnappings. In fact, the pillars were the last new addition added and they were set up on the 46th kidnapping.
Bowser was seated in his throne, fanned by magikoopas on either side. A crowd of his minions were gathered near the throne in a tight cluster, clearly awaiting their king's commands.
"Is that Mario?" a green-shelled koopa asked another within earshot of the Bros.
"Oh finally, somebody actually competent" whispered Luigi to Mario, who nodded in response.
"No it can't be." another responded. "Their mustaches don't go with the logos on their cloaks."
The Bros. were completely dumbfounded. They did switch the towels around for kicks, with the M on Luigi and the L on Mario, but didn't expect anyone to actually fall for their tricks because of it. The Bros. were about ready to reveal themselves, when…
"Listen well, my elite minion task force!" growled the Koopa King while rising from his throne. "It's time to initiate my awesome plot to invade Mushroom Castle!"
The Bros. were getting confused. Hadn't he already invaded the castle?
"Today is the day that I make my beloved Princess Peach all mine! If that wasn't enough, I'll also stomp her little mustache buddies!" and indeed, he would confront them sooner than he thought.
There was more of this long generic speech that Bowser had planned, but the Bros. were sick of it already and wanted answers right now: Where was Peach? Why was Bowser invading Mushroom Castle a second time? Why was his security so bad?
"Hey Bowser!" Mario yelled out, tearing his makeshift cloak off along with his brother.
Bowser turned, facing the two brothers in the sea of minions, and saw the very archrival that always ruined his plans… and Luigi. The Koopa King was stunned for a second, but eventually the anger in his red eyes overpowered the surprise and he scowled. The king then leaped into the air and crashed down next to the Bros, causing the minions nearby to flee in terror and the stone walls of the castle to shake. "Mario and Luigi?" he grunted. "How did you get in here?"
"The front gate was unlocked." Mario said plainly, but with a hint of smugness.
Bowser's eyes went wide, shocked by his minions' stupidity, before he stomped the floor in frustration.
"How many times have I told those idiots?! If you're the last one in, lock the gate!" The minion who guessed Mario's true identity got a guilty look on his face, as the heroes noticed. It seemed he wasn't so smart after all.
"Release the princess!" Mario demanded, ignoring the koopa's ranting. He took a step forward and clenched his fists, preparing to fight his nemesis yet another time. Luigi, standing alongside him, took a battle-ready stance as well, stoked to be fighting Bowser with his brother.
Luigi was not always by Mario's side in adventures. He was at first a coward, who merely wrote about Mario's exciting adventures and battles in his journal. Mario discovered this during the 35th kidnapping when Bowser took control of the Star Rod, and he gave Luigi a good pep talk. That talk, as well as Mario being kidnapped by King Boo a few months later, was what truly inspired Luigi to join his brother in his epic battles.
"Wwwhat," Bowser stammered. "We-we were only now about to launch our attack," he explained.
"If that's the case, then where…"
"BLEH HEH HEH HEH!"
Suddenly, there was a small explosion of dark purple energy between the Bros. and Bowser in the air. Mario, Luigi, Bowser and his minions all stared up there in awe but were unhurt. At the center of the explosion was a strange blue-skinned being. He looked upper-class, given he had a top hat and monocle as well as an enormously high red collar on his head. Beneath that was an orange cape that covered most of his body and gradually faded to a dark blue as it went down. However, the darkest blue of his cape was not as dark as his midnight face. The eye not covered by the aforementioned monocle glowed red, contrasting with the deep blue of his head. He also had a strange, creepy smile like a jack-o-lantern's that put everyone on edge, Mario included. The blue man waved his jeweled staff fixated in his gloved hand and revealed Princess Peach, trapped within an ethereal barrier next to him.
"Peach!" Mario, Luigi, and Bowser yelled simultaneously.
"Your princess has been taken… by Count Bleck!"
"Count… Bleck?" Mario questioned, having never heard of such a name before.
"The chosen executor of the Dark Prognosticus… is Count Bleck!" Bleck continued. The fine fellow prophesied to come to this dimension… is also Count Bleck!"
"I'll tell you who doesn't make even a little bit of sense… Count Bleck!" Bowser responded imitating Bleck's style of speaking and making the trapped princess chuckle a little. "Release the princess right this instant! Only I get to kidnap her!"
"Release the princess to us so we can take her back to her castle!" Mario yelled out both to Bleck and Bowser.
"Yeah!" Luigi unnecessarily yelled out, trying to imitate his twin brother.
"Count Bleck says never! This princess is integral to fulfilling the prophecies!" Bleck yelled back, assuring the Bros. and Bowser that they would have to take her back by force. "She will be brought to Castle Bleck and used to destroy all worlds… by Count Bleck!"
"Alright we know your name's Count Bleck already. You don't have to say it every five seconds!" the koopa king hissed. "Now you better bring Peach down here, or else!" he continued, lowering his gravelly voice even further.
"Bleh heh heh heh. Your princess shall not be returned…by Count Bleck. In fact, Bowser, evil king of the koopas, Count Bleck will take you too." Bleck said. He pulled open his long cape, and revealed…
Nothing.
Not just nothing, but Nothing. The Nothing underneath the mad count's cape was unlike anything anyone in the castle barring Bleck himself had ever seen before. It truly felt like an absence of all things. It was a Nothing beyond color, beyond dimensions, and beyond the Bros. full comprehension. It was as if the universe itself didn't exist, replaced by pure, unfiltered Nothingness. The Bros. and Bowser couldn't help but gawk, amazed and terrified and confused all at the same time.
Suddenly, those at the castle felt the Nothingness pull them in. It was a powerful pull, easily sweeping most minions off their feet and sucking them in, as well as vacuuming up the two monarchs. Reacting quickly, Mario and Luigi anchored their boots to the carpeted ground, but Luigi was just not quite strong enough to resist the hungry Nothing and was sent in as well. After just a few seconds, Mario was the only one left, and even he could feel the immense pull of the Nothingness straining him and wearing him down, but be persevered until the Nothingness finally relented.
"Hmm… Count Bleck notices your strength." Bleck stated.
Mario was not amused or complimented by this in the slightest, and began to unleash the sacred Firebrand technique he had learned in Oho Oasis. Opening his palm, the plumber summoned a mighty ball of fire. Then he put his hand back, next to his face, charging up and superheating the fireball to great extents. Finally, Mario threw the blazing fire at Bleck, ready to see it incinerate him for what he had done.
Even as the fireball sped ever closer to him, Bleck still kept that menacing, creepy smile. He was unafraid of the searing flame, knowing even it was no threat to him. Once it got within a few feet of him, burning the velvet carpet as it went, Bleck simply redirected the fireball to his right using his staff, causing a massive explosion that crumbled the stone wall to dust.
"Count Bleck is impressed. An attack of this magnitude has not been unleashed against Count Bleck in a long time."
"Shut up and fight!" the one who unleashed the attack interrupted, furious at Bleck.
"There will be no fight… with Count Bleck. Count Bleck has a prophecy to fulfill." With that, Bleck teleported again, this time leaving Bowser's now-deserted castle.
"No!" Mario yelled as he contemplated what he could possibly do next. He had no idea of Bleck's whereabouts or where he took Peach and Luigi. He mentioned a "Castle Bleck", but Mario had absolutely no idea of where it was. Even if he got there, Mario wondered how he could defeat that dastardly count who effortlessly deflected his highly powerful Firebrand attack like it was nothing. How would Mario even begin?
As if to answer his question, a mysterious rainbow butterfly materialized in the room.
"Who are you?" the shaken plumber asked with a mix of anger and intrigue.
"My name is Tippi. I am what is known as a Pixl." Her voice was soft but high-pitched, much like Princess Peach's. "Mario… I came to find you."
Mario's suspicion rose. If this "Pixl" was coming to find him then she could have been sent by Bleck to finish him, yet it did not seem as if she wanted to attack him or that she worked for the count. Her luminous, light colors contrasted that of Bleck's and she seemed much kinder than the evil count. Maybe she could even help the plumber fight against the world-destroyer.
"You know Count Bleck, do you not?" the Pixl asked.
This was the moment of truth. Was she with or against Count Bleck, and would Mario have to take her down?
"Yes."
"Bleck captured a princess and a dark king, correct?"
"Indeed it is"
"Oh no," even though the Pixl's words carried grave tone, Mario felt more at ease knowing that she was against the count. "Then that means The Void will be formed any minute. You must come with me if we are to stop Bleck and save your friends." Tippi continued. Now touch me and I will take you to Flipside, where you can learn how to defeat Bleck."
With slight hesitation, Mario laid his gloved hand upon the butterfly's wings and felt he was being pulled into another dimension. Unlike the last time with Bleck, this time felt calmer and less violent. A gentle, nudging pull rather than a starving maw, and Mario knew he had made the right choice.
They warped out of the dimension, leaving no one in Bowser's Castle.