AN: This is the first time I am rewriting one of my stories, and (spoilers) it won't be the last. I also plan on rewriting Power Surge, although I can't say when you guys will see that.

A few months ago, I had announced on my profile that I would be rewriting Soul Swap. At the time I was debating how much I meant that, but after careful consideration, I decided that this was something I had to do. I am not happy with the original, and I realize I can improve upon it. I will be keeping the original up though, so you guys can compare and contrast. So, without further ado, here is Soul Swap Redux.

Chapter 1 Snatcher in the Night

It was nights like these that put a person over the edge. The absence of the moon didn't go unnoticed, nor did the absence of sound. The streets of Stonebrim were the embodiment of unsettling on this moonless, silent night, and anybody with an inkling of sanity was sleeping in their house with the doors shut tight.

Of course, in his bed sleeping was exactly where a poor koopa troopa wanted to be. He worked in a toy store, a pleasant location under some circumstances but an absolutely frightening one under others. The darkness outside was creeping into the building, as the toy store did not have any electricity. The only light was the blue light of the troopa's phone, and even that wasn't enough to keep his inner fears at bay.

The troopa saw that it was 11:58 on his phone. His boss had told him that he could go home after midnight or whenever he finished cleaning the floors, whichever happened last. The troopa had finished dusting and polishing the floor about half an hour ago, so now he was having a staring contest with the screen. The last two minutes were the worst by far, as it felt like they were intentionally dragging themselves out.

11:59. The troopa checked the toy shelves one last time, just to be safe. The store sold a variety of different toys, but the ones that the troopa found most fascinating were the Koopaling plushies. The store had stocked Koopaling plushies after they had taken a customer survey. Many koopa children looked up to them on some level, which was funny when contrasted with the human and toad children who obviously did not.

12:00, midnight. The end of the shift.

"Finally," the troopa said. He let out a relieved laugh. "I am out of here."

The troopa got up from his stool and walked down the aisles, using his phone as a flashlight. He was just about to turn the corner and see the door when he heard the ringing of a bell. The troopa could hear the door being opened, and then closing abruptly. He didn't hear anyone come in, but he could hear someone moving down the aisles. Actually, it didn't really sound like a person; it sounded like a passing wind. Out of morbid curiosity, the troopa followed the sound. He thought he saw a figure moving down the aisle, but they moved too quickly for the troopa to get a full glance.

"Hey mister, the store closed two hours ago."

The closer he got to the mysterious figure, the more his unease grew. Soon that unease grew into fear, and that fear grew into dread.

"Maybe if you like you can check back in after sunrise?"

The koopa troopa turned the corner, a corner that lead him to a dead end. He shined his flashlight forward, and felt his heart stop. The figure wasn't a person. It was a shadow, a purple shadow. The shadow faced the koopa troopa, and he could see that it was his exact height and build.

"What the…?"

A ball of purple light formed in the shadows's hand, and it aimed it at the koopa troopa. The pain only lasted for a minute at most, but it was so intense that it felt like an eternity. Before he knew it, the koopa troopa was on his hands and knees panting.

"Oh, I'd love to take you up on that offer…"

The koopa troopa slowly looked up in fear, and when he did, he couldn't help but scream. He was looking at himself. Not a mirror, not a doppelganger; he was actually looking at himself! And the worst part? That version of himself was grinning at him cruelly.

"But I'm afraid that I'll be working here at this time."

The voice that came out of the troopa's throat wasn't his. It was deeper, grittier, more sinister and conniving. The koopa troopa, in a panic, examined his own hands. They were opaque, transparent. It looked like he had become a hologram projection. The troopa looked and saw that his entire body was in a similar state. Except….

The troopa gawked at the figure that had stolen his body. There was only one creature in the Mushroom World with this kind of power. The troopa hadn't believed it was real. He didn't want to believe it was real.

"You're...you're a…!"

The snatcher grinned evilly at the troopa. That was all that the troopa had needed to confirm that his fears were correct. He scrambled to his feet and ran out of the store.

"Help! Someone help me! Please!"

He ran like he had never run before. He yelled like his life depended on it. For this creature...it was the most feared monster of all. It was the stuff of nightmares and horror stories. It had no good in its heart, in fact, it could be argued that it didn't have a heart at all. It was the harbinger of mischief, the imp of disharmony. And it had to be stopped.

…

The snatcher studied his new body with a smug hint of satisfaction. It wasn't anything special; the toy store employee was just a run of the mill koopa troopa. But that was fine. At least for now.

"Don't you worry little koopa troopa," the snatcher said as his victim ran off into the night. "You will get back what's rightfully yours in no time at all."

The snatcher walked back down the aisles. He found the aisle where the Koopaling plushies were being sold. His eyes scanned over them all before finally falling on a plushie of Ludwig. The snatcher stared at it greedily, hungrily.

"And I will get something I have been wanting for a long time. Something very special."