The story so far
The story so far…
Serviceman, the official mailman and resident freak of the Don Kingdom, joins Bo-bobo's party after Don Patch finds three letters he dropped. One of them, which was addressed to Bo-bobo, actually held a hidden message inside, but that'll return sometime in the future. The party finally reaches the harsh Crimson Desert, and on the way, a sandstorm forces the team to separate into the harsh, unknown terrain. With Sir Bo-bobo all alone and with a new treasure at his side, can he find his lost friends before it's too late!?
Okay, I'll be updating faster soon, because school for me is ending June 13, so hang tight! It seems long, but that's because I live in the northeast, where because the weather is temperate, school ends in June and starts in September.
Enough said! Schweet!
Chapter 2
The Mystery of the Ruins of Exodus
(Part 3: Deception is the ultimate poison! Just what is the mystery of the desert!?)
Emerald Village
Rem was sleeping on the bench near the western gate of Emerald Village, the sunlight beating on her milky skin. She was the only one outside, along with the mages Hydrate and Hiragi, who were in a hushed conversation under the emerald nut tree.
"Shhh! Can anyone hear us?" Hiragi asked his older master.
"Don't worry, everyone's away, and the poor gal's asleep. Gotta say that I feel bad for her, with that illness of hers," Hydrate whispered back.
After checking for any other signs of life once more, Hydrate used his two hands to summon a crystal ball with a large haze of purple and violet smoke swirling around it inside. He chuckled quietly as the haze slowly formed what looked like an image of the Crimson Desert. In the image was Bo-bobo, now with the Pure Heart Pulse Ruby in his hand. He was slowly following the path that the ruby was pulsating towards.
"So…he's found the first piece of the puzzle…that ruby will lead him to Fynbos Outpost, but unless he solves the riddle given by that cretin, I doubt that he'll either make it to my ruins or even find his friends." Hydrate cackled again.
"That ruby will lead him to the ruins, though, so don't you think that you should prepare a 'welcome committee,' or something?" Hiragi asked.
"Do not fear, boy. The bandits who thrive in the desert are more than enough for him. In fact, they're holding my pupil's pupil hostage and knowing them, they're probably going to try to copulate with her at some point. She's a pretty one, that's for sure."
"Man, you sure are a clever man, aren't you, Magus Hydrate…"
Hiragi looked at the smirking man again.
"Or should I say, King Hydrate III, one of the first rulers of the Don Kingdom?"
"Shaddup! You'll spoil everything!" Hydrate gagged Hiragi's mouth.
"Sorry…"
"It's true though, as you said. After being stuck as a dead soul in that dreaded place for so long, this cause that Master Softon is creating will surely reap the benefits of the kingdom…"
"Maybe…" Unknown to his other master, Hiragi also cackled to himself. It seemed to be for a different reason, however…
The two of them began to laugh quietly in mental triumph together…
Crimson Desert (Bo-bobo)
"Okay…just a little further…"
The pulses on the Pure Heart Pulse Ruby began to grow fainter and fainter as Bo-bobo reached his needed destination. His intended direction was eastward, where as he walked, he noticed several palm trees that were in that part of the desert. A desert wayfarer was sleeping beneath one of them. Bo-bobo could feel that something important was near, and he was especially hoping that civilization was perhaps nearby.
"Okayy, now all I gotta do is keep heading east, and maybe Sephiroth will be waiting on the other side."
"Yer outta luck, kid," a desert wayfarer noted. "He's just beelined for a port-a-potty 'cause of his dern laxatives. Poor bastard, he was so tired of killing away at Cloud too."
"Aww…I wanna meet Sepphy…" Bo-bobo pouted as he lagged onward.
As he walked, Bo-bobo jolted upright. The scent of spices spiked up his senses. Where there were spices, there was food. And where there was food, there was a town just ahead. The Pure Heart Pulse Ruby had stopped pulsating. Bo-bobo knew that he had arrived at his destination. He put a huge smile on his face and dashed into the Fynbos Outpost.
Crimson Desert (Don Patch)
Don Patch was still dysfunctional and abandoned on the ground. However, his systems were able to start running on a series of backup supporters. Unfortunately, their quality of technological use wasn't all that great.
Don Patch tried to send S.O.S messages to anyone who was stupid enough to enter the desert.
"Is anyone out there?"
No respond.
"There has to be someone out there. There just HAS to be!"
No respond.
"Yep. Any minute now, I'll be safe and sipping down an ice cold fresh martini, shaken not stirred…"
No respond.
"Could they have possibly forgotten about me?"
No Respond.
"Yup. It's official. I'm screwed."
Crimson Desert (Serviceman)
"…………………………………"
"SQUAK! SQUAK!"
"…………………………………"
"Hey! Don't touch my marshmallows! I paid good stolen money for those!"
"…………………………………."
"You want some!? YOU WANT SOME!? Then come and get it!!"
"………………………………..."
"I-I just wanted to tell you that…I really love you, Lantis…"
"………………………………….."
"Uhh, Hikaru? Perhaps we can profess love later? We appear to be in the wrong story…"
"We don't even have our own section on Fanfiction, Lantis. We may as well stay here while we have the time…"
"Aww, I hate mushy crap…"
"……………………………………"
"Where's my raisin rum ice cream!? I want it NOW!"
"……………………………………"
"Hey, what's this sheeted mailman doing here? He looks unconscious…"
"……………………………………."
"You want to plunder his mailbag and roast his body? I'm bored."
"Sure, why not?"
"……………………………………."
Crimson Desert (Namero)
Namero's eyes were as wide as the sky as he began to float within the desert whirlwind into parts unknown. Even though the gust was spinning rapidly, he felt calm for unusual reasons; it was as if he wasn't moving at all. He felt like he was floating in an air of heavenly space as the wind that was carrying him began to slow down. The wind began to hum as it stopped; Namero drowsily fell asleep as the wind gently placed him on top of a small plateau of smooth granite that hosted uncut ruby mineral stones.
The youthful count had landed in the northwestern corner of the Crimson Desert, which did not go any further outward. This part of the desert, surprisingly, was extremely calm and not as hot as the rest of the desert. The breezes were cool and the winds hummed in an almost musical tone. The ground was as sandy as the rest of the desert; however, unlike the golden orange sands he had seen so far, this sand was a darker shade of vermilion with a large amount of red ruby oxide mixed within its brilliant rustic shade. Cactus flowers and tiger lilies were dotting several parts of the area. The flaming beauty of the area fused with the brilliant orange, yellow, and rust-colored sunset that was forming overhead.
A long dream was forming in Namero's head, and as one would guess, they're mainly composed of memories.
Dream Sequence Mode
"Mother…"
/CRASH!/
"Mother…!"
/CRACKLE!/
"Mother!"
/KA-BOOM!/
"MOTHER!!"
The sound of rising flames could be heard overhead as an incoming combustion ground ship began to explode. A little black-haired boy was pushed off onto the ground by a woman in her twenties. She dashed down to meet him one last time. She put her hand over the boy's tear-filled face, and smiled a sorrowful smile. She knew she wouldn't see him again.
"Mother…" the boy choked.
"Namero…my one and only son…I am the one who gave birth to you, and I love you more than any treasure I could have found or any powerful position given to me…please…before I go…call me your mama…" the woman's long, dark violet hair fell in a wisp over her burned face. Blood from old scars began to drip on her hands as the ship began to fall further. Tears fell from her eyes.
"But…Mother…"
"Please, Namero…I will never see you again after tonight…" the woman began to cry herself. The child Namero was heartbroken. He reached for a hug and embraced his mother.
"M…Mama…"
The ship began to crash and cause havoc in the surrounding area. Time was running out.
"My child…my position as the Countess of the Sapphire Region will be handed down to you as soon as I go…I must save my people, who are trapped on this ship…"
"Mama! Why can't I help you!? Where are you going!?"
"My son…you have a long way to go before you become a powerful warrior…please be strong for me…for I will never see you again…"
"Why…?"
The ship began to implode. Namero's mother gently tossed her son at a safe distance, allowing him to gently land on a pile of hay. He stood up as he saw his mother walk into the hellish inferno, risking herself to save her comrades.
"Mama! Mama!!"
"Namero… please…follow your heart…and…do not-"
The flames overcame the woman's body. As they embraced the area, they overcame her, and Namero's mother was no more…
"MAMA!!"
End Sequence
Namero slowly opened his onyx black eyes. They shined like black pearls in the oncoming sunset above. The memory he had just experienced was one of the most painful moments in his life, a moment he never wanted to remember.
As the thought vanished into the distance, Namero laid on his side motionless, tears silently pouring from his eyes.
"Mother…Mama…"
He began to choke on his tears, failing to resist his struggle at holding them back. And what was more, he was all alone, stuck in the middle (or more literally the northwestern corner) of a vast, burning desert. He lost his wallet, which had held all his valuables, and he had no idea where his companions were.
Namero had realized ultimately that no matter how strong he would become, or no matter how much he invents, or no matter how nihilistic he would become, he knew that his heart was completely and utterly empty. He was alone. He had no one.
He was miserable.
He knew that he had turned away many during his lifetime. He didn't like being alone, but he didn't want to over-indulge himself by surrounding himself with so many people either. The thing that confused him most was why…
"Your kingdom!"
"What!?"
"Your kingdom! Your power! Take back your power!"
The instant the whispering voice spoke, Namero began to shudder. His eyes went blank. Something in his mind was speaking to him. Whatever it was, it scared Namero. He didn't like it at all…
"Namero-kun!"
Namero regained himself.
"Namero-kun! Don't give up!"
Namero could hear her voice, a voice he knew all too well. His expression softened, and his heart was at rest. He could hear Beauty's voice echoing in his mind, particularly that night during their celebration in Sapphire Village…
Namero Flashback Mode
"I hope He-kun's okay…" Beauty said in worry.
"I'm sure he will be. Why are you so worried about him?"
"He saved me from being raped by Zuno, one of the Zanmetsu-Gan Ninjas. He's also been very kind to me. I owe him a lot."
"Well, if it's from rape I don't think I can blame you for wanting to thank him so much. He's a bit of a trainaholic and somewhat odd, you know."
"Even so, I feel as if we're going to be great friends…and I want to be your friend too, Namero-kun." Beauty said with kindness, holding his hand.
Namero's cheeks turned a little pink. "Oh…of course."
End Flashback
Namero had felt an odd sense of warmth ever since Bo-bobo and his party came into his life, especially Beauty. Something odd began to beat within his soul whenever she spoke words of kindness to him.
Namero's face glowed a faint shade of champagne pink as he put a hand over his heart and saw her smiling face.
"What…is this feeling…?"
/CRUNCH!/
Namero felt something crunch under his foot. He slowly leveled himself to the ground and dug into the sand with his knightsword. He managed to unearth what looked like a document from ages past.
"Huh? What…is this?" Namero gazed at the torn ivory paper as sand fell away from it. He gingerly opened it up, and found that there was faded ink on the paper, much like on the letter that Bo-bobo had received.
The Will of the Third…
It is here that I………………………………………………………………………
To send to my darling subjects……………………………………………………
Neglected then for my own sake of power……………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………….
I will forever be………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………Leviathan III…..
/B-BUMP/
"Ah!?"
Namero began to stutter. His heart began to pound heavily. As he read what appeared to be the will of someone who was long deceased, something began to rush into his head again…it was that same unknown voice from before…
"Your kingdom! Your power! Do not neglect your destiny…!!"
"Shut up! What do you want!?" Namero screamed in vain as the voice he had heard began to laugh. As the voice died down, Namero slumped to the ground. He was completely lost and confused.
"What…just what the devil is going on here? Why is this happening!?"
Namero laid down on the ground in defeat. As the night sky shone a deep shade of dark purple, he looked up above and realized his own tiredness.
"This will…maybe it's a piece of the puzzle of the Ruins of Exodus? Maybe…but I need some rest…"
Namero snuggled up to the side of the rock he had landed on. He grabbed a giant mound of sand, piled it over himself, and slowly fell asleep…
Crimson Desert (Beauty)
Beauty was now gagged and tied to a palm tree, being the new bait for a pack of bandits that were eating supper. She began to panic again, trying to think of an escape method.
"C'mon Beauty, think…there has to be a way to escape from these dirty schmoes…I don't want to wind up like poor Wario after Wario Land 4 when a creepy-looking baby princess kissed him…oh, wait…I forgot…you can change the princess' forms…but in any case, I DEFINITELY don't want to wind up like Wario…I don't want to weigh 308 pounds and have a giant pink nose!"
"Hah hah, hey there hot stuff! How are we, tonight?" a bandit with a large beard and even larger stomach laughed haughtily in Beauty's face. Spit emerged from his mouth and landed on the girl, causing her to make a disgusted face.
"Oy, we haven't caught a lassie like 'is one 'ere in ages. We're gunna be havin' sum fun t'night, rightie boys?" a man wearing a white mast with black stripes going down the eyes said.
"Righty-o, boss!"
Beauty stared at the gluttonous men in sheer disgust. She appeared as if she were about to puke when she realized that one of them was cosplaying as Sakura Haruno…
"Oy, lassie…have ya ever made love with a man before?"
"I'm going to tell you right now, I'm so not interested!" Beauty spoke through her gag.
The man in the mask stared for a moment, then laughed. "Haha! Good one! Not interested, what a joke! Well, wether ya wanna or not, we've found no maiden for us in ages, and we want to make sum love to ya, cutie pie. Yer a fine drop o' honey, yes ya are. Jest letus finish our meats 'ere, and we'll give ya the time of yer life, sugar plum! Yea ha!" The bandits continued their not-so convivial drinking and eating. A look of mortification came across Beauty's face.
"Beautiful…just beautiful…I'm in the same exact situation as I was in the last chapter, only I'm gonna be taken by older drunk men than by idiotic teenage ninja! But I also have the chance to escape! Now think…think…what can I do…oh!"
Beauty noticed that one of the bandits' daggers was at her side. She struggled to move her tied arms and carefully grabbed it. She winced as the blade cut her finger, but continued nonetheless. She maneuvered the blade to cut the rope that bound her wrists, then the rope that held her body in place. She reached for her staff quietly, and whispered an incantation.
"Aurum, Argentums, et Prisma, jaculetur.
(Gold, Silver, and Crimson, assail the enemy.
Flet, une vente.
Blow, gust of wind.
Flans saltatio pulverera!
Dance of wind-blown dirt!)
A small, pinkish wind quietly wrapped itself around Beauty's hand, and began to quietly blast away at the bandits. It became stronger and stronger, and the confused bandits finally caught on as the mad dust that had formed kicked onto them, blowing them away. Beauty freed herself in triumph, and began to dash east as far from that place as she could!
"That was close…now I have to find a place to sleep for the night and then try to find Bo-bobo in the morning…"
Beauty kept on walking through the hot nighttime sands. She spotted a stone cactus near a large palm tree nearby. Green grass was also growing nearby.
"Wow…could I possibly be near an oasis? It's not a mirage, is it?" Beauty looked at her surroundings again, and saw that it was the genuine thing. "The night is surprisingly warm…I think I'll sleep here tonight!" Beauty said as she plopped herself down under the palm tree.
"I wouldn't be so hasty to relax, if I were you."
Beauty jumped in surprise. She turned around to see a desert wayfarer in a leather overcoat that concealed the lower half of his face. A giant, brown leather hat covered most of the top of his face. Long white hair with jagged split end spikes flowed from his hat, and it matched the color of his puffed-out white pants. Leather boots completed his look, along with a giant, peculiar-looking blade sheathed behind him.
"They're after you, you know."
Beauty turned around and saw the bandits coming after her with bloodlust. She gasped in fright and backed into the palm tree. The wayfarer stood beside her.
"Do you need assistance, young lady?"
Beauty shook her head no. "It's impolite to ask a stranger to do something I have to do."
"If you wish."
The bandits were swarming the area, and Beauty hadn't realized that there were much more than there were back at their campsite. The area was completely surrounded.
"Aww, man…I don't have enough magical power to fight off all of these goons! What do I do!?" Beauty panicked.
"If all else fails, use aggression. How about I show you?" the wayfarer drew his blade, which actually was a pair of giant scissors, and he dashed forth into the crowd of (partially) horny bandits.
"Is he using scissors as a blade!? How random!" Beauty thought with a bewildered expression on her face.
In a trice, the wayfarer took down a faction of the bandits, leaving their blood to spill as he licked his scissors clean. Beauty watched at him in amazement.
"Okay, young lady. Show them what you've got!"
Beauty nodded her head uneasily. She drew her Cloud Staff and readied it like a dueling rod. As the bandits approached, she began to beat them down in an awkward yet graceful manner, almost akin to one of the warriors of Soul Calibur.
"Hyaa! Take this! And this!" Beauty shouted as she swung her staff, damaging her opponents. A swirl of dust danced around her body as she spun like a wisp of air, spreading through the moonlight. Her advances were halted as the bandit in the mask clashed is broadsword to her.
"Oy! So yer gunna take it the hard way, eh missy? Very well! If ye lose, then yer all mine fer the night with me!"
"I don't think so!" Beauty shouted. The two began to clash fiercely as the desert wayfarer took down the rest of the bandits. As the dance came to a slow, Beauty became overpowered by her opponent. He held her down and put his blade by her throat. She was defeated.
"Hah! No lassie 'l ever stand to the might of me broadsword! I guess this means that ye'll be a-sleepin' with me t'night! Hah!" The bandit began to take Beauty away with him, and Beauty began to panic again.
"Oh…oh no, I…oh…someone…no, I can't give up! Now what do I-!? Oh, I can't…Bo-bobo…He-kun…Oniichan…someone help me!"
Beauty saw how loosely she was being dragged. The bandit was being careless about his prey…
"Wait…that's it! I can escape from him! I can't give up! I CAN'T--!!"
/FLASH!/
As Beauty let out a yell, the pendant that was tucked inside her shirt began to glow a shade of brilliant light sapphire blue. She stared in shock as her pendant's glowing light shocked her captor and blew him into the great beyond. The light flashed brightly, shooting forth into the sky and up into the starlight, causing a bright sparkle that could be seen throughout the entire Don Kingdom, and possibly a little of the rest of the world too!
In various regions across the kingdom and a little of the rest of Aushura…
"Oh, my! What is that?"
"Look mommy! It's pretty!"
"Something's beginning, that's for sure…but I can't tell if it's a blessing or an omen…"
"Is that a new star being born?"
"What a brilliant shade of blue it is…"
"WHO WANTS COOKIES!?"
"Has the evil wizard finally come upon us!? Or could it be that someone is saving us!?"
"Look, sweetie! It's raining men!"
"Shaddup! You're such an ass!"
"I feel a strong surge of power…what could it be?"
Throughout the entire hubbub, Hanpen L. Fishcake saw the brilliant light for himself. He was almost twice as shocked as the citizens who were viewing it.
"That light…it's coming from the Crimson Desert…could it be…!?"
Heaven of Gloria
The people of the world below weren't the only ones viewing the spectacle. The spirits and stars of Gloria Heaven were also witnessing the event. The spirits were no less baffled than the people.
"What does this mean? This energy is unfamiliar to me..." one spirit said.
"It's foreign to us…which must mean that someone from the Don Kingdom must be creating it!" said another.
"Okay, I'm really tired, can we just go to sleep so I don't have to take my athlete's foot cream in the morning?" an old spirit complained.
The High Spirit Ignis was among the witnesses himself. His eyes were wide with revelation shock. He returned to the sanctuary of the heaven and gazed into the Crystal of Fortude. The projected image that came was the source of the light, which was indeed, Beauty's pendant. The light was slowly fading, and Beauty hadn't moved an inch. The spirit gasped.
"I was right…I knew it! Umbrae was wrong! It IS true!"
Ignis looked up into the starry sky. He knew something, and it was something important.
Crimson Desert (Beauty)
The light from the pendant finally faded, and Beauty slumped to the ground in shock. She caressed the pendant across her neck. It was circular with a golden outside that resembled bladed wings. The gem was a clean-cut, pale, alice blue crystal gem, and took on a swirling pattern. Beauty gazed at it in awe.
"Is this…really…what Oniichan gave to me so long ago? It's amazing…but…what was that light?"
After she spoke, the pendant began to glow again, this time more faintly. It gathered a ruby red light that pointed east.
"What is it telling me?" Beauty wandered as she got up and headed east. The pendant kept up its glow as Beauty moved onward.
"Is it telling me…to keep going this way…?" Beauty asked herself as she kept moving into the desert night.
As she walked into the distance, the wayfarer was watching her with clouded eyes…
Fynbos Outpost
Bo-bobo had entered the Fynbos Outpost, the desert town located at the easternmost part of the Crimson Desert. After a long, grueling trek across the blazing sands, he needed a rest. But first, he needed info…
"Where's Wario!? I need to see him! I said where's Wario!? Talk!!"
Bo-bobo beat up a local merchant that was selling apples nearby on his ongoing power-hunt for Wario. He wanted an autographed motorcycle from him, and he wanted it NOW.
"WAAAHAHAH! I wanna see Wario! I wanna get his motorcycle so that I can rescue Waluigi from being a spin-off series character! Why does nobody care about him!? He needs his own game, dammit!" Bo-bobo's emotional rampage obliterated the peace of the town. The outpost was in for one hell of a night with this buffoon around.
"Take…THIS!"
Out of nowhere, a tiny dart shot forth and stuck itself into Bo-bobo's rearse. He had a look of dumb shock on his face, then fell asleep. The man who shot the dart picked him up and dragged him to the inn, where Bo-bobo would be sleeping tonight.
That man just so happened to be the desert wayfarer that helped Beauty out earlier.
"Agh…I hate idiots…especially a man who acts like a doofus…they make me sick…"
The frustrated wayfarer scribbled down a note and slid it under Bo-bobo's pillow. He then paid the innkeeper for Bo-bobo's room and left the inn.
Elsewhere…
"Hmm-hmm-hmm…so…are we ready yet?"
"Not quite. The king hasn't arrived yet…"
"And neither has the last of our Big 4…"
Three cackles could be heard ringing through the walls of an underground lair.
"She will return in time…probably didn't get the message yet. But it's a good thing that she's been posing as that gardener named LOVER'S BLOSSOM for so long."
"True."
"Who cares!? The king is about to return! And from what I've heard, several pieces of the puzzle are being bought together…"
"True, that is also."
"And one of them was, from what the spirits above have said, a bright light from a pendant."
"That, too is also true…"
"That can only mean that the time is near…"
The laughs continued. Footsteps could be heard tapping.
"Ahh, my master's heavenly kings. Where's our lone heavenly queen?"
"She still hasn't arrived yet, sire."
"No worries. If she had the power to rise to the surface and live there for so long, what's another while of waiting going to do?"
"It actually pumps my adrenaline…I'm itching for a fight!"
"Hold on, boy. You just wait."
"Mmm…nnmmnnh…-glub-"
One of the shadows walked over to what looked like a diamond-shaped prison containing dark greenish water, holding a drowning prisoner inside."
"If the ones collecting the pieces DO find us…I think we have the perfect bait, don't you?"
"Oh, yes indeed…"
More laughs rang, as the four men gazed at their white, spiky-haired teenage prisoner…
End of Part 3.
-Most of the party is safe…but one is not. Who was kidnapped (you all probably know)? What do the dreams of the party and mysteries of the desert all mean? And who is the desert wayfarer that helped Beauty and Bo-bobo? Read on and find out…
-If you've noticed, I'm straying away from the original Paper Mario story a bit. If you don't mind, I'll keep doing it, and for those of you who love the original story, that's returning soon too.
-Oh yeah, I'll promise to turn down the "near-rape" factor as best as I can; I know it's a Teen-rated story. I'll get rid of it for almost all of the remaining chapters! Sorry about that...
FOOTNOTES
-A Fynbos (Meaning "Fine bush" in Afrikaans) is the natural shrubland or vegetation that grows along the Western Cape of South Africa. The vegetation has an unusual way of developing, mainly growing during the winter rainfall. Another interesting fact is that the flowers cannot germinate without the intense heat of fire. The main flower that grows among the Fynbos is the protea flower, along with the leaf species of rooibos and honeybush.
-The manga/anime reference during Serviceman's desert relocation was Magic Knight Rayearth, which was created during the mid-90's. There are no fanfictions of the series made, despite its high popularity.
-According to the official Wario Land game strategy guide, Wario weighs 308 pounds.
-LOVER'S BLOSSOM is from the third part of the Prologue, in case you've forgotten. Check back to see who she's played by.
-Alice blue is an icy, very light and pale shade of blue.