A/N: A new achievement: 20+ favorites! Special thanks to the new users who added this story to their favorites list, alongside the people who've been reading and following Hidden Bravery over the last 9 ½ months!

Also, studying sucks, but that's part of the cycle of college. I'm just happy I finished this chapter despite how busy I was for the past two weeks.

And Happy Columbus Day, everyone.

*NOTE: The end of this chapter has been re-edited as of the release of Ch. 41.

Disclaimer: Still the same since the prologue. You get the picture.

Chapter 38: Doomsday Awakens

Location: Toad Town

Leading the pack of nine, Luigi plodded back to the castle where he must venture into the Mushroom Warp Pipe that would send them to Sonic's planet, Mobius. Colombo was walking by his side, followed by Amy, Peach, and Daisy behind them while Rouge, Blaze, Cream, and Cheese were in the back.

They reached Peach's Castle once again where a worried Toadsworth stood on the bridge, yet again, gripping his cane tightly. Toad and Toadette were also next to him. "Princess! Master Luigi! You have returned, thank goodness!"

"You know, Toadsworth, we're also here as well," Daisy reminded him with a small grunt.

"You are safe, right?"

"Toadsworth, please. Don't embarrass me like this. I'm a grown woman, and a princess. I believe I can look after myself sometimes."

"Anyways, we need to go to Mobius to rescue Mario and the others," Luigi explained. "They seemed to be captured in the Chemical Plant Zone."

"Ah, yes. The Chemical Pl-" The elderly mushroom man realized what he heard and started to become anxious, not that anyone was surprised at his reaction. "You don't mean to tell me that you're off to some toxic wasteland?! And for most of your girls, especially you, Princess, don't plan on joining, are you?!"

"Listen, Grandpa Fungus," Rouge swayed her hand like it was no big deal, "we can handle this ourselves. No need to worry when we know what the place looks like."

Said Toad became red-faced, causing the other two to hold him down. "Toadsworth, please calm down!" Toadette begged.

"Calm down?! 'No need to worry?!' I do not approve of this at all! Princess, I-"

"Toadsworth, I've made a formal decision to join and help Luigi rescue Mario. As much as you disagree with me, I will not back down. I may be responsible for looking after our kingdom, but I should also step up and defend myself. I can't just be the damsel in distress or the excluded one all the time. I'm traveling to Mobius, and that's final."

One look into Peach's eyes, and Toadsworth realized how serious the princess was. He twitched his white mustache for a second before sighing. Reluctantly, he accepted her terms.

"Okay, your Highness. Just please… Return to me safely once more. I couldn't bear myself to hear you get kidnapped once again. My heart just wouldn't take it."

"It baffles me that he hasn't experienced a heart attack from all those previous times," Rouge uttered quietly. Peach barely heard her and shook her head.

"We'll do our best to stay safe, Mr. Toadsworth, sir. And we'll help rescue all our friends as soon as we can!" promised Cream. Cheese backed her up with a few cries of his own, alongside some puppy eyes that was unbearable to go against the Chao.

"Don't worry. You can count on us! And later, we'll find a way to stop Myster Edge!" Amy smirked.

"But first, we need to return to our home," stated Blaze. "However, without Sonic or Tails, we lack a Chaos Emerald to unlock the pipe. And worst of all, Edge has all seven of them now. Not only that, but our original Power Star is apparently gone due to unforeseen circumstances," the cat glared at the bat.

"Oh, please," Rouge rolled her eyes and obscenely waved her hand again. "I was just admiring its beauty and glow that I decided to keep it."

"Yeah, and then you sold it to that jewelry shop for some cheap diamonds," she pointed at the bracelet around her gloved wrists and the necklace above her pink heart-shaped chest plate.

"They are not cheap! I bought them for a very good deal, if I say so myself. Besides, I bet you guys have some more in your collection. After all, Big Red is known for mass collecting those precious Stars. Same with Mr. Lean Green Machine over here."

Rouge's comment made Luigi gaze away from everyone, trying to hide the red blush on his cheeks. Blaze shook her head with a hand on her forehead. Toadsworth also shook disapprovingly.

"Do you have another one we could use, Mr. Toadsworth?" Cream politely asked.

"Of course! We always store a large amount in the castle for emergencies and for good reason. Just make sure you keep it for necessary measures though!" His instructions were more directed at Rouge than the entire party, but the point was straightforward to them.

"I'll go get it!" chimed the red-dotted retainer. A few minutes later, Toad pulled out two glowing Power Stars from his pocket; one to unlock the pipes and return back home while the other was an extra spare in case they lose the first. Luigi took them from his hands. "Here you go! Good luck freeing the others!"

"We're gonna need it alright," Daisy hoped.

"Go on, Luigi," Peach gestured.

The green plumber nodded and placed the Power Star in the five-point slot. With the equivalent power of a Chaos Emerald, Luigi entered in the code to unlock the pipe.

"Well, let's-a-go then. After you, ladies."

Being the gentleman he was, he allowed and waited for the girls to enter. Once all seven went underground, he motioned Colombo to follow them. He entered in last after removing the Power Star.

Before he locked up the pipe, Toadsworth gave one last cry. "Master Luigi! Please do be careful and help the princesses and misses at all costs!"

"I will, Toadsworth."

"You can do it, Luigi!" Toad cheered.

"We'll be here waiting for your return!" Toadette added.

Luigi waved his hand and shut the entrance, making his way to a different, yet familiar, world.

However, none of them noticed that Duplimore, hiding behind a tree in the castle grounds, was spying on them.

"So that's where he's heading. A whole new planet, and with a group of gals. Hmph… How unsettling to waste that man's time, but that's what the enemy would plan. Better call Duplicit."

Activating his wrist communicator, he contacted his buddy.

"This is Duplicit speaking. What's up, Duplimore?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm actually at the boss's headquarters right now. I came here to report the status of our mission."

"How convenient. I have an update on the green guy. He's traveling to another world to recover the fifth Dark Moon piece. If he succeeds, he'll definitely arrive at the Treacherous Mansion last. From there, we need to uncover the big secret to him. And that's where the boss comes in."

"I recently put the communicator on speaker. They're both in here, and they just listened to what you said earlier." Duplicit was standing in front of two people sitting at a table, his right arm extended out towards them.

"Really? Boss, this is Duplimore, reporting to you."

"I hear you loud and clear," a deep voice bellowed into the subject's communicator. "At this pace, we'll be able to meet him soon."

"Let's just hope it does happen soon rather than later," the other person spoke, this one being feminine.

"Don't worry, Sir and Madam. We won't fail you or our mission. Whenever he returns to the Mushroom Kingdom, I'll scope him before I depart to Evershade Valley. I'll meet up with you once he finishes his current goal."

The tall man nodded. "Acknowledged. Again, we appreciate you two for helping us out. You may go back to your posts."

"Yes, boss. I'll see you soon. Over and out," Duplimore ended the call.

Duplicit turned off his communicator and bowed to the individuals. "I presume you are now informed of what's going on?"

"We do. Now you may head back to the mansion and wait for the man in green to appear. When you catch sight of him, take him to us, and we'll settle it from there."

"Right, my Lord," Duplicit saluted in response. He headed out of the headquarters, leaving the other two alone.

"I can't believe it's come to this. We desperately need help to stop this madness," the woman pleaded, tightening her left hand into a fist.

The man glanced at his soulmate and gently placed his right hand over hers. She looked up to him, seeing his eyes entranced in a devoted stare.

"Do not worry, my love. I assure you, we will not let Myster Edge foil the universe. We just need time. We have to be patient, despite how tough it is to handle."

She stared back at him with a similar face. "If you say so, then I can only be confident in your words." She expressed a small grin, causing the hatted man to smile back.

"In due time, I'm positive that he will put an end to all this. He'll do it. He just won't know until later."

Location: Star Hill

"Okay. So that's what your motives are," Clawdio nodded his head, taking in the information.

"Now we know the full story," said Slimmer.

"And even though I already knew who your partner was, at least we'll be sure he'll return to be revitalized and help you for further domination," Alpha added.

At this time, Edge just finished explaining the truth on why he was constructing the Oblivion, who he was planning to resuscitate, and why he's targeting the man in green to take his place. Before he could say anything else, one of the Shadelings called to him.

"Myster Edge! We are finished with completing the ring of Dark Shards!"

The purple monster turned around and gazed at the finished product. A vast quantity of Shards entirely encircled the hill, glowing in a spectral shade of purple with several corrupted sparks emitting from the ring.

The shadow figure smirked more than he did several minutes ago. "HAHAHAHA! Excellent work, my robotic troops! Now step aside as I prepare the ritual."

The Shadelings obeyed their master and walked out of the way, standing behind the other three robots. Alpha, Slimmer, and Clawdio remained in their spots as they waited for Edge to become situated with his surroundings.

"Well guys, we accomplished our jobs and made our leader content after a long wait. And I've never seen him this satisfied ever since he took control," said Alpha.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. He gets his hopes and dreams up as they're about to come true. Now where's our reward?" Slimmer complained.

"Ugh, you're still on that stupid shit again?" Clawdio facepalmed. "I've told you this more than once before, and this better be the last time I'm going to say it. We're not being compensated or praised for our efforts. He'll only express just a sheer amount of enjoyment, to his benefit though. Us robots aren't going to bask in the glory or share the same feeling once the end of worlds commences. Only he will. This is his moment for an uprising. And there's no one who's going to stop him."

"Not even the green clad dude?"

"Not even the green clad dude."

"Quiet, you two," Alpha demanded in a hushed voice. "Myster Edge needs all the concentration he can get. And that requires both of you to shut your mouths."

"Well what about you? You were just talking to us."

"Don't be a smartass if you don't even have the intellect, idiot."

Despite the background chatter, the purple shadow stood in the center of the mountaintop, only focusing on himself and the Dark Shards that encircled him. The sparks glistened and became more reactive with the presence of the seven Chaos Emeralds. Edge spread his arms out wide, his right hand clutching the scepter tightly, and harnessed the negative power of the Shards.

He closed his eyes and began chanting some verses:

"With the seven Emeralds in my hand,

And the power of the Dark Shards,

Let Chaos reign and commence,

To all dimensions, near and far.

Bring forth the dark hole,

To consume everyone and everything,

Allow terror to unfold,

For the worlds to fall into Oblivion!"

"Jeez, how long has he taken to practice that piece of poetry, since nursery school?"

"Slimmer, shut your trap," Clawdio hissed.

The skinny robot rolled his bronze eyes. Alpha remained silent, but deep down he wanted both to shut up. If only he could express irritability rather than speak it verbally. He was a robot after all. He doesn't really express any true emotions. Maybe satisfaction when he follows his master's orders, but nothing else.

Meanwhile, after finishing his recitation, a purple, gleaming ring arose from the thousands of crystals and flew in midair. It slowly shrunk in size as it floated to the center, directly at Edge's staff. The circle surrounded the orb, causing the interaction with the Chaos Emeralds to become more responsive than before.

Myster Edge opened his eyes and gazed at his early creation. He began to laugh maniacally as he stared at the dark blue sky. (1)

"HAHAHAHA! It has all come together! Now, let the combined powers of the Emeralds and the Shards bring the Oblivion to life, as the destruction of all worlds will ensue!"

He lifted the scepter up high, letting out a mighty, boastful scream as a shocking streak of lightning shot into the air above. Alpha, Clawdio, Slimmer, and the Shadelings watched the show as Edge completed the last part of the ritual. The lightning tremored until the sky lit up in a purple essence from the spell. It covered the vast area above Star Hill and managed to travel to the other locations of the Mushroom Kingdom. Toad Town, Boo Woods, Mushroom City, and other places near and far. The citizens in all those places either managed to catch a glimpse of this darkness, or couldn't since it away in a blink of an eye. The sky returned to normal afterwards, but little did they know it was about to get worse.

The energy radiated from the Dark Shards and the Chaos Emeralds still shined around the Shadow Spirit. The lightning continuously struck the upper atmosphere, yet the region remained dark. But seconds later, Star Hill got even dimmer. An ominous orb, shimmering with black and purple sparks, emerged from the staff's orb. Edge grinned at the sight of this. It glided into the path of the lightning bolt and ascended to the clouds. When it reached the peak, the orb exploded. By then, a hole emitting those same two colors appeared in the starry sky, casting darkness and shadows over the majestic hill.

"HAHAHAHA! Minions! I did it! The Oblivion is now set in place! And soon, more of these dark holes will appear in every location of this pathetic world, as well as all dimensions!" Edge cackled triumphantly.

"Excellent work, Myster Edge," Alpha praised. "I am proud that you accomplished your dastardly plan."

"Yeah, except you put us into labor to help you out," Slimmer grumbled.

"And there he goes again with the complaints. Get a hold of yourself, twig legs," Clawdio whacked the chrome robot.

"OW!"

"Now, all that's left is to wait for the green man and take apart his soul. Once I completely get my hands on him, I'll be able to revive my partner and let him claim his body! Then we can watch the worlds fall into the deep, making us unstoppable for all eternity!"

"That is good, sir. But there is one question. How are you going to manipulate the plumber to your advantage?"

"Hmm… I'll have to consider a strategy, Alpha. I actually haven't really thought of that until you brought it up."

"Are you just going to hurt him like you've done before?"

"I will always attack him, Slim. It's part of the revenge I'm plotting against him. But I need to bring him to the heart of the Oblivion, once it's close to the destruction process, to bring him back to life."

"Why not just find him immediately and do it right then and there? What's the point of reviving your friend in the black hole?" Clawdio asked with confusion.

"Because he died in a similar place like the Oblivion. I want that mustache freak to expire in the same way he did. But before I do sacrifice his body, I need to revive him with another powerful artifact."

"Another one? Something more powerful than the Chaos Emeralds and the Dark Moon copies?" Slimmer tilted his head.

"Not as strong as these gems, since they have unlimited power when all seven are collected into one's possession. But, the negative energy of the Emeralds and the Shards will be sufficient enough to coax his perished soul. When successful, he will return. And together, we will execute my ultimate revenge against that pitiful plumber. HAHAHAHA!"

"I think he's gone delusional," Slimmer whispered to the other two.

"Well I think you're incompetent," Clawdio counteracted.

"Why, thank you." After a moment of silence, he realized what the orange robot said. "Hey!"

"Not to mention, idiotic."

"You're both idiotic, so shut the hell up, you two," grumbled Alpha.

The Shadelings behind them didn't bother saying a word. They stood there watching the three top-tiered robots fighting and their leader basking in the success that is an eventual doomsday.

Location: Station Square

Cheese, Cream, Amy, Blaze, and Rouge have made it back to Mobius, but only for a different reason. They need to rescue their friends, Eggman, and his robots in the Chemical Plant Zone. The four girls and the Chao led Luigi, Colombo, Peach, and Daisy through the bustling city, which was mostly restored after a week from Edge's invasion. A few buildings and sites still needed to be rebuilt from the ground up. However, everyone seemed to be normal, walking on the sidewalk, relaxing in the park, enjoying the beachside, driving to their destination, or whatever they're doing on a casual Friday morning.

"At least the city is restored to what it was before that evil monster attacked," said Cream.

"Chao Chao!" Cheese added with enthusiasm.

"As much as it seems nice to go shopping in this weather, we have to find Sonic and the gang," Amy mentioned.

"And as long as we don't get sidetracked by jewelry, maybe things will turn out okay," Blaze glared at Rouge.

"Oh, come off with that already, would you? A gorgeous woman like myself deserves fine diamonds every once in a while."

"But you had to acquire it by selling one of their most prized collectibles?"

"Hey, at least Grandpa was courteous enough to give us two this time."

"Because what if you decide to sell another one?" the Sol cat huffed.

"This is why Knuckles was belligerent back in Vanilla Dome." Amy reminded. "You're such a greedy being sometimes, you know that?"

"And I intend to be that kind of being," Rouge smirked.

"Girls, can we please get back to why we're here in the first place?" Daisy interrupted. "Mario, Sonic, and everyone else are still trapped to this minute. We need to find them, get the next Dark Moon piece, and take down Edge!"

"Exactly," Peach agreed. "I do admit, this is a nice day, but we don't have time to stand and admire its beauty. Edge could be on the verge of getting rid of all worlds."

"Um, I think he's already done that, Princess," Luigi said to her.

"What do you mean?"

"Look."

"Arf! Arf!"

Colombo barked in the direction where Luigi pointed. The other seven gazed at the sky to see something extraordinary, something disturbing that changed the scenery in Mobius. High above the skyscrapers, glowing near the bright sun, was a black and purple hole. Several pedestrians also managed to notice this anomaly. Some of them became scared, others started panicking, and the rest were both entranced and confused by its appearance.

"Huh? That looks like the Void!" Peach gasped.

"Yes, but this must be the Oblivion," Luigi narrowed his eyes. "Edge must have used the Chaos Emeralds and the Dark Shards to create this phenomenal hole."

"Out of curiosity, how long did this Void thing last before it went away?" Amy asked.

"Mario spent days to seek the Pure Hearts and contradict the Chaos Heart. And as time went by, the hole enlarges slowly. However, it did manage to consume a foreign kingdom during our travels, and it nearly consumed every other world before defeating Count Bleck and Super Dimentio."

"I barely could recall what happened during that final confrontation, but it was chaotic, no doubt about it. I nearly killed Mario, the princess, and even Bowser."

"But that wasn't your fault, Luigi. It was Dimentio who forced you so he could take control. He duped everyone, including Lord Blumiere."

"Blumiere?" Blaze, Cream, and Rouge repeated simultaneously. Cheese innocently tilted his head.

"That was Count Bleck's real name before he tried to get rid of all life," Luigi explained. "But eventually, he was reunited with his lover, Lady Timpani, otherwise known as Tippi who helped Mario throughout that adventure." (2)

Peach sighed sadly. "It's been so many years since we've seen the two since it was presumed they ceased by expressing their love for each other to dispel the Chaos Heart and prevent the worlds from falling apart. I sure miss Tip-, I mean Timpani. And Blumiere was just misunderstood for a certain reason. Despite his previous intentions, he's a true gentleman at heart. Wherever they are, I hope they're still living well and happily with each other."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Amy clasped her hands, similar to whenever she gazed at Sonic lovingly.

"Guys, we're getting off-topic again!" Daisy recapped. "We need to head to the Chemical Plant Zone before we're too late!"

"You're right! We have to save everyone!" cried Cream.

"We'll have to worry about the black hole for later. Let's move out!" Rouge made a fist.

"Alright. Let's go!" Blaze gestured.

"Bark! Bark!" Colombo yipped.

"Chao!" Cheese cheered.

The group of nine ran as fast as they could as they exited the city. Their next stop was going to be a dangerous place, as if the scenario wasn't dangerous enough. Because of that black hole looming in the sky, the demise of all dimensions was approaching fast.

For Luigi, he knew that the race against time has started. There was no time to dawdle. He must find his friends and collect the next Dark Moon piece as soon as possible. From there, he has to recover the last fragment, restore the Evershade ghosts, and confront Edge to take back the Chaos Emeralds and prevent him from destroying everything.

And of course, he could only wish it was that easy when he certainly knew that it wasn't.

END OF CHAPTER

Shit hit the fan real hard here, viewers. Myster Edge has successfully brought the Oblivion to life, and time is winding down. How long does Luigi and the others have to stop the Shadow Spirit? Will Edge truly get rid of all dimensions and revive his friend? Who exactly is the boss of Duplimore and Duplicit? And who was that mysterious woman with him?

Stay tuned when Luigi and the gang enter the Chemical Plant Zone. Please let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving a review! Don't forget to favorite and follow if you're attached to the story, and I'll see you guys in Ch. 39! This is TGN, signing off.

Post-Chapter Notes:

(1): Typically, Star Hill is perpetually dark like Evershade Valley. It seems to be that way in the games this location appeared in.

(2): Luigi does (somewhat) remember the concluding events of Super Paper Mario in this story, just for context. Even though my other fanfiction, New Brotherhood, contradicts this, these stories are not linked to one another.