A/N: So if you read my story "Shadow of Doubt: Mafia in the Mushroom Kingdom!" then this is a sequel to that. I hope you enjoy it! Please read the first story before reading this one, otherwise things won't make sense.

This is also part of my big Halloween extravaganzaficapalooza. Whatever it's called. Enjoy :DD

Shadow of Despair: Mafia in Rogueport!

Night Zero: The Warning

Point of View – Goombella

As the vermillion hues of the dying sun bled into the black reaches of the night, Goombella made her way back to the dingy one-bedroom house she had rented out for herself on the East outskirts of Rogueport. Waddling along the dusty road, she passed Gus wordlessly. Ishnail's henchman only let through Eastside residents without a toll, but that he didn't mean he was always nice about. He let out a low whistle as she passed, something like a catcall. Disgusted, Goombella made a sharp clicking sound with her tongue in an effort to dismiss Gus' foul manners. The look of pure disgust on her face must've been enough to ward off the craw for the time being. Sighing inwardly, Goombella reached her house, turned the key in the lock, and bustled inside.

Once in, she swiftly closed the door behind herself and clasped the four deadbolts that stood in a row against the door. Satisfied with her protection for the night, Goombella shuffled over to her desk, where a haphazard arrangement of books and papers lay scattered across the wooden table. She treasured these books dearly. There was a guide to archaeology written and given to her by Kooper, Kolorado's protégé. She even had books by Kolorado himself. He was something of a celebrity in the world of history, archaeology, and exploration. Goombella wished she could only be as lucky as her friend Kooper to work directly underneath the esteemed Kolorado. Sighing once more, outwardly this time, she collapsed into the chair and undid her messy orange ponytail. Taking off her helmet, she let her messy river of hair cascade down the sides of her mushroom head. It had been a long day. First, she'd gone up to UGoom to attend a lecture on the discovery of some old dragon bones near Hooktail's Castle. Then, she had gone to lunch with Madame Flurrie and Vivian at Flurrie's house in the Boggly Woods. After that she had helped Ms. Mowz arrange a few brand new shiny badges for display and finally she paid a visit to Professor Frankly to discuss how Kolorado and his men had found a tunnel within Dry Dry Ruins leading deeper into the inner tombs.

She wished she was part of that expedition. She was sure Kooper was right there by Kolorado's side, flashlight in hand. Dreaming about the koopa made her blush a little.

Her daydreams about Kooper and the expedition into Dry Dry Ruins were interrupted by a curious sight in the far corners of her peripheral vision. Within the pile of mail that laid at the foot of her door, slipped in through the tiny slit at the bottom of the door, was a black envelope. Odd. Not many people used colored envelopes. In fact, Goombella didn't know the last time she had even seen someone use a colored envelope, not to mention a black one. But then…something tickled the back of her brain, something that awoke a deep memory within the corners of her mind. Her thoughts took her to the diabolical game that had taken place with Mushroom City one year ago. The game that Mario and the Princess had been forced to play. The game that had taken so many lives, from people she had hardly known like Dry Bones to someone as influential and powerful as Rosalina of the Comet Observatory. Innocent bystanders and dear friends had lost their lives in the twisted game that Luigi had crafted. Goombella still couldn't believe that it had actually come to pass.

Rumor had it that the Princess had moved to Sarasaland to be with Daisy. She'd abdicated her throne. There was no need for a replacement, the castle had been torn down anyway. The Mushroom Kingdom was a republic, Peach's statehood as a monarch was simply for show. The Princess had signed a concordant agreeing to cease the necessity of such a flashy figure and had taken solace with her cousin in some unreachable desert kingdom. Far from murder, and far from the memories. Likewise, Yoshi was living on, well, Yoshi's Island. He was spending every day with family, cherishing every little moment he'd gotten to spend with them.

Mario, on the other hand, hadn't survived his fight with Luigi. After they toppled out of the second story, Mario had indeed valiantly ended the nightmare that plagued Mushroom City, but he had ended his life as well. The fall killed both brothers, culminating the game of doubt and deceit that they had been forced to play in a mixture of familial blood. The whole story was so depressing and horrifying to Goombella that she couldn't bear to believe it held truth. But it did. It was real. And now, her mind was hearkening back to the statements Yoshi had made to the press. The only statements he had ever disclosed.

"It began one night," Yoshi said, his eyes failing to meet the camera. "We all…we just got these black envelopes. Next thing y'know…we were killing each other."

Black envelopes. Surely, that's what he had said. But if that were true, and the mafia from the game in Mushroom City had sent their players…their targets, envelopes encased in black…what was this letter at the foot of her door? Apprehension and a tiny bit of fear rose up Goombella's throat. She felt her core quake with anxiety. This must be a joke? There was only one way to find out. Rising from her seat, she scrambled to the door and rooted through the pile of mail. She tossed junk this way and bills that way, her eyes finally alighting on the sole black envelope with golden embroidery. The seal was bound with red wax, a fashionable M marking the fold.

M.

Mafia.

Goombella quickly banished the thought. A prank is what this was. Snatching the letter off the floor, she tossed it on her desk and quickly rooted through her drawers for a letter opener. Not in the first drawer. Ah, in the second one. Grabbing the letter opener, she expertly slid it through the seal, breaking the wax and opening the letter. Inside was a typed manuscript on a single piece of plain white stationary. The font was like an old typewriter. The message her eyes began to scour and her mind began to digest did not settle well.

If you are reading this, you've been chosen to participate in something wonderful! You're one of the lucky ones! You, of all people, have been chosen to compete in our little game. Yes, a recreation one might call it. We've decided to band together for the simple of fun of watching you and all of your friends squirm! But, we won't be so sloppy this time. Luigi had so many holes in his plan, but we've patched them all up! This time…we won't leave behind so many breadcrumbs. This time…there's nothing standing in our way. This time…we'll win.

Go to Podley's Bar in Rogueport at precisely midnight tonight. If you're not there, we'll assume you've denied our request, and anyone who denies will be met with a punishment. A punishment most vile. So come! Yes, come and come gladly! We don't want to see any frowns, do we? It'll be a good time, just trust us. Go to Podley's and all will be explained! Don't be a minute late!

Warmest Regards,

The Mafia

No. N-no. Nonononono! This couldn't be happening! No, not to Goombella! Not after everything that had transpired within Mushroom City a year ago. However, she had to take this letter seriously. What if something terrible happened if she didn't follow through? The letter said anyone who didn't come would receive some sort of terrible punishment, so Goombella felt forced to go there. Nervous and full of fear, she checked the time. It was 10:30 PM. She had a little bit of time.

Deciding to take a shower, Goombella cleaned herself off and changed into clean clothes. She then went through some of her homework from UGoom until the dreaded time approached. It was 11:55 PM. Shaking, Goombella cautiously approached the front door. She turned the knob, peering out into the street as if someone with a knife would be waiting for her right then and there. Sighing with relief, she stepped out into the road, turned around, and locked her door. Shoving her keys into her coat pocket, Goombella bundled herself up and made her way to Podley's Inn and Bar.

Once she reached her destination, she could hear animated voices coming from within the bar. Podley's normally stayed open pretty late, but it was never this lively at night. Perplexed, Goombella entered the bar and was completely shocked to find herself face to face with her closest friends from her adventures around the kingdom.

"Goombella!" came Koopie Koo's voice. She turned to her goomba friend, embracing her with a hug. "We were beginning to get worried about you!"

"W-why?" Goombella asked, eyes not focused on Koopie Koo. Instead, she digested who was in the bar. There was Podley of course, shining a mug behind the counter with a solemn look on his face. Other than the barkeep, there was Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Watt, Bow, Sushie, and Lakilester. To her right sat Madame Flurrie and Vivian. Koops was right beside Koopie Koo, giving Goombella a look of worry and fear. Parakarry was speaking with Admiral Bobbery in a low tone. Ms. Mowz and Spike (this is what I name the kid Yoshi from Glitzville, and he shall be called Spike throughout the story) were speaking at their own table. That was everyone in the bar.

"Y-you guys…" Goombella said in a low voice. "What are you doing here?"

"The answer's simple, isn't it?" Goombario asked her, his blue cap hanging low on his head. "We all got letters…just like you, I presume?"

Goombella nodded. "I…I was instructed to meet here at midnight…but I didn't know who I'd be meeting."

Flurrie nodded in response. "As we all of us, dearie. We all got these terrible letters…oh how my heart splits just thinking about it! They must surely be jokes…surely! Someone here is playing a joke! I'm sure!" The actress gave everyone an expectant look, but no one said a thing.

"Well, it's rubbish is what it is!" Bobbery said at last. "If none of us here have anything to say, and no one wants to fess up, we might as well go home!" Several heads nodded in agreement, but Podley spoke up from behind the bar.

"P-please," he said in a shaky voice. "I've been instructed to read this to you…I-I…my family…they're in danger," he told them. He received sixteen looks of horror.

"Podley my good man!" Bobbery exclaimed. "What!? Who has your family?"

"A-according to this letter…" Podley said, "five of you."

Everyone's jaw dropped, nearly hitting the floor. Podley just went ahead and read the letter.

"D-Dear players," he read, trying to rid himself of the shaky voice and collect his thoughts, "by now, all of you should be congregated in Podley's bar. Good. If you comply to these rules, nothing will happen to Podley or his family. Be good little listeners now. The threat of this mafia, well, this second mafia, is a very real one. We're going to replicate the horrific events of Mushroom City, and we're going to do it soooo much better than Luigi's little band of misfits did! You see, we've got no journal. We've got no big reveal! We're not dumb like that poor, psychotic plumber. So here's the deal. We're going to play a game. Every morning, one of you will die. You'll spend the day investigating the city and the nearby places for clues. When the sun sets, meet in the center of Rogueport by the hanging station. There, you'll have a while to debate your findings and settle on a verdict. The choice is…who to execute? Each day you may make use of the public noose and hang your chosen victim. But beware! You only have one day to waive your right to lynch no one! The way an execution works is by voting. If someone has a majority vote on their head…it's off to the gallows with you! Hahaha! Oh, and don't think about running. You see, you may be wondering who's doing this to you. But the truth is, the mafia is fivefold, and we…including the very person who's writing this letter…are in this very room. And we can assure you it's not Podley or Koopie Koo! Hahaha! See you at the gallows, suckers!

Podley did his best to read the letter, but by the time he was done, tears streamed down his face. "W-which ones…w-w-who…why are five of you doing this? W-what means…w-w-what end?" Podley asked sadly.

"This can't be serious!" Kooper protested, catching Goombella's eyes. There he was. The one she so admired. Despite the horrible situation they were in at present, joke or not, she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter. She knew what to do. If this was real, if this macabre murder game was somehow real, she would team up with Kooper. He was a bright and shining individual with tons of promise, future, and youth. There was no way he'd do something like this. If she aligned with him, she would survive for sure.

If this game were true, that is.

Everyone began to make concurrent statements with Kooper.

"Yeah!" Lakilester cried out. "Come on! This isn't for real! Who here is playing such a dirty trick!"

"I demand you show yourself at once!" Lady Bow commanded. Everyone began to issue similar orders, save for the more timid types. Koops, Vivian, Flurrie, and Koopie Koo all stood by Goombella. None of the five of them said a word as the others began shouting back and forth.

"I…I think this might be real," Koops said slowly.

"K-Koopie Koo is exempt?" Vivian asked the female Koopa.

"Yeah," she said, swallowing hard. "I came with Koops when he told me about the letter. Even if this is a joke, I'm not letting him out of my sight."

"B-but, you're not part of this! I-if this is real…someone might kill you just to get to Koops," Flurrie pointed out with a shaky warble to her tone.

"S-so what do we do?" Goombella asked her friends. No one seemed to be taking this seriously.

"We do the only thing we can do," Koops told her. "We go home. If it's a joke, we'll know soon enough. If it's not…well, we'll know that too."

"I…I don't think I can sleep alone in that mansion of mine deep in the woods!" Flurrie exclaimed. "Goombella dear, you shouldn't stay here alone in Rogueport either. Would you like to spend the night at my house?"

"Uh…sure," Goombella said, shrugging. It was nice of Flurrie to offer her home as sanctuary. "What about Bobbery? He lives here alone."

Flurrie waved a hand. "That fierce sailor? He'll be fine here by himself. I'm sure of it. But you, darling, I'm afraid you'd be too helpless to fend off some midnight murderer! No, I shan't take the chance!"

Goombella found her words a bit endearing and insulting at the same time, but she supposed the wind spirit was right. Bit by bit, the large group of friends began to break up.

"You're more than welcome to stay in my mansion in the Forever Forest," Goombella overheard Bow tell Watt.

"Thank you!" the electrical gal said with a small smile. "B-but…the Shy Guys in the Toy Box will protect me. I think I'll be fine."

Other comments such as the one Watt made floated through the air. People here and there offering a place to stay followed by assurances of safety. It went this way until everyone but the five near the door remained.

"Well, we'll be seeing you guys," Koops said to the other three. "Don't get hurt, ok? We'll all meet up tomorrow, right?"

Vivian nodded. "It's a promise. I won't be late!" She gave everyone a reassuring smile before descending into the shadow realm. Koops and Koopie Koo bid Goombella and Flurrie goodbye. The actress and the archaeologist watched them fade into the distance.

"Well are you ready, dear?" Flurrie asked Goombella in that motherly tone she possessed. "The pipe to the Boggly Woods is right below us in the sewers. Or, would you rather travel by the other pipe?"

"We can go to that one," Goombella said, referencing the first pipe in the sewers. Flurrie nodded. Together, Goombella and the wind spirit made their way throughout the sewers and reached the pipe that brought them out at the Great Boggly Tree. After a quiet trek through the woods, they reached Flurrie's house. Entering silently, the two of them entered Flurrie's bedroom.

"It's a joke…right?" Flurrie asked Goombella with wide eyes. Goombella wasn't sure what to say. Flurrie was an older woman. She was a motherly figure, but right now, Flurrie looked like she needed her own mother. If someone in their group of friends was cruel enough to take a joke this far, they weren't a friend of Goombella's. But something made her consider the little game as something more than a joke…something made her consider it reality.

Podley. The barkeep had looked so sad. He said his family had been taken hostage. His expression was so real…Goombella was sure he was telling the truth. If Podley's family had been taken…then…this was all going to happen, wasn't it. Goombella was quite sure of that.

"I'm sure it's just a cruel prank," Goombella told Flurrie, trying to sound reassuring. However, she didn't even believe her own lie. Flurrie gave her a slow nod, trying to believe in what Goombella was saying. Floating across the room, Flurrie switched off the lamp.

"Goodnight Goombella, tomorrow, I'm sure we'll all get to the bottom of this."

"I know we will," Goombella said, trying to remain strong for her friend. But something told her that tomorrow morning, when all of them met in the center of Rogueport…

One of them would be missing.