Author's Note: Hey, everyone! The name's Easymac120, or just Mac for short. I originally retired from fanfiction writing 6 or 7 months ago, but recently, my interest in Mario games was renewed, and I asked myself "Why not write another fic?" I used to play and beat "Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door" and "Super Paper Mario" on my Wii until I sold them in 09 (a move I regretted), but with influence from them and research on the first PM game (the N64 one which I didn't play), I came up with an idea for a story of my own.
Here it is, starting with a Prologue, and Chapters 1 through 8 will each be divided into four segments (like in "Super Paper Mario"), with interludes in-between them as per tradition. That's about all I have to say for now, so I hope you read and enjoy Paper Mario: Chamber of Mirrors!
We see a purple storybook on a turquoise background. The book is decorated with yellow.
"Hello! This time, we'll be reading the story of the Chamber of Mirrors." says the narrator, whose paper hands open the book to the first page. It shows a map of a kingdom, featuring a central capital situated on a bay, with its castle to the north and a stone tower to the castle's east. Another port lies south across the bay on a peninsula, and a forest of tall trees is located east of the stone tower. To the west of the capital is a river flowing into the bay, and beyond the river is the kingdom's western coastline, which has another small peninsula. Across from the west coast, in the northwest corner of the map, is the neighboring desert kingdom of Sarasaland. In the map's southeast corner is a tropical beach with cliffs and caves north of it, with the cliffs being separated from the tall-tree forest by a small strait. West of the beach is another sea that spans the rest of the map's southern section, and an island with a jungle and volcano sits in the southwest corner. And lastly, towards the northeast corner is a mountain range, which spawns the river and spans the northern section of the map until meeting the west coast that separates it from Sarasaland.
"Long ago, a great kingdom once existed." reads the narrator. "It flourished in great prosperity, and its inhabitants lived together in peace and harmony."
The page turns, showing the bustling capital of the aforementioned kingdom. It was medieval in appearance, and the inhabitants included Toads, Koopas, Goombas, Shy Guys, Bob-ombs, Lakitus, Doogans, Bub-ulbs, Dayzees and Beanish. In the background stands the castle.
The page turns, showing a room filled with several people of various aforementioned races, all wearing wizard hats and robes. The narrator continues:
"A number of those who resided in the kingdom were practitioners of magic. They used that magic for entertainment, performing miracles, fortune-telling, and many other amazing and wonderful things."
The following pages show some magicians battling a giant Piranha Plant with numerous thorny vines and buds attacking through underground, then a 3-headed dragon with tusks and horns.
"At times, their magic was also used to defend the kingdom, and the king created a special force to counter any and all invaders. The members of that force were trained extensively in the use of combat magic to protect their homeland. One of these defenders, however, took things a step further..."
The next page shows a tall, shadowy figure with horns, glowing yellow eyes, and a long, ornate scepter tipped with a red jewel.
"Utilizing the power of dark magic, that mad wizard began a reign of chaos. He laid waste to the kingdom with the intent to reform it and conquer other lands, and eventually rule the world and even the universe."
The page turns, showing four glowing lights descending upon the shadowy wizard, and the next few pages detail a battle between them:
"However, his conquest came to a halt when the Star Guardians were called forth by the citizens of the kingdom who resisted his regime. The Guardians restrained the wizard and split his soul into seven parts, turning his body to stone. The pieces of his soul were then sealed into seven mirrors that the Gaurdians created, and they were all locked away along with the stone body inside a secret chamber below the kingdom's prison tower."
The prison, which is the stone tower east of the kingdom's capital, is then shown.
"The incarcerated sorcerer of darkness would remain imprisoned within that chamber for centuries to come. That is, until one day..."
PAPER MARIO: CHAMBER OF MIRRORS
It's another sunny day in the Mushroom Kingdom as Parakarry soars through the air, delivering mail to the citizens of the Kingdom. He descends low, and takes some mail from his bag to put into the Mario brothers' mailbox in front of their house.
Luigi comes out the front door and waves to Parakarry, who waves back before flying back up into the sky. Luigi proceeds to collect the mail and look through it as he went back inside the house.
Inside, Mario is drinking coffee at the kitchen table.
"Hey bro, look! A letter from the Princess!" Luigi shows a letter from Peach as he enters the kitchen, and he opens it. He and Mario read the contents:
"Dear Mario and Luigi,
I have invited you two to go on a vacation cruise to Shimmer Shores with me on my yacht. I hope you guys can make it!
-Peach"
"A cruise? That sounds awesome!" Luigi exclaims. "You in, bro?"
Mario nods yes, and a short time later...
"Lets-a go!" Mario shouts excitedly as he leaps out of his chair.
PROLOGUE: THE DARKNESS UNLEASHED
Mario is seen with Princess Peach, Toadsworth, and four other Toads on the bow of Peach's yacht, which is cruising across the deep blue waters of the ocean. Peach has her parasol up.
"I'm glad you and Luigi were able to come, Mario!" Peach tells Mario.
"This is so cool!" exclaims one of the Toads. "I've never been to Shimmer Shores before! Have you, Mario?"
Mario nods no, and Toadsworth responds with "Neither have I. All I have seen were pictures."
"Toadette has the brochure right here." Luigi tells them as he and Toadette walk up to them from behind. Toadette shows the brochure to them.
"It has a beach is like those on Isle Delfino, and without all those nasty Cataquacks." Toadette says. "And look here. Fortune-tellers live there, too!"
"I wonder what my fortune will be." says Peach.
"I'll ask who will be my one true love." says a Toad.
"Master Mario, have you any fortunes in mind?" Toadsworth asks Mario, who starts thinking about it. Just then, the wind starts to blow.
"Wha-" the brochure is blown out of Toadette's hands and away over the water, and the wind picks up more. Peach's parasol is blown out of her hands.
"My parasol!" Peach tries reaching over the yacht's railing to retrieve her parasol, but it's too far off now, and dark clouds start filling up the sky.
"What's happening?" Toadette asks.
"A storm is coming in." answers one of the Toads as the dark clouds fill the sky completely. Torrential rain starts pouring down, and waves start to rock the yacht back and forth.
"Whoaaaa!" everyone tries keeping their balance as the yacht is rocked from side to side, but Luigi and two Toads are knocked over and nearly slide off the yacht's side. Fortunately, they grab the railings before falling off, and Mario and the other two Toads hurry to help them.
"Princess, get inside quickly!" Toadsworth urges Peach, who heeds his words and struggles against the wind to get back inside the yacht.
It's at this point that a tall, shadowy figure with horns and yellow eyes appears in the stormy sky. a Toad asks "WHAT'S THAT?"
The shadowy figure raises its arms upward, raising a large wall of water from the ocean below, lifting up the yacht with it. The figure then swings its arms forward and down, sending the wall of water surging as a tsunami, and Peach's yacht gets washed away in it along with all of its screaming occupants.
Afterwards, the shadowy figure looks at its hands.
"My power... it seems to have withered even more than I thought." it says, and it warps out of sight.
There is darkness, and all we hear is Mario's grunts of pain.
"Mario... Mario! Are you alright?" someone asks in the darkness, which is really Mario's closed eyes. He opens them and sees Toadette, who smiles upon seeing him awaken. He gets up, and sees that they are in a wooded area that's a short way up from a coastline below.
Seeing the coast makes Mario jump in alarm at the remembrance of Peach and the others on her yacht. He asks Toadette about them.
"Over there. Peach is unconscious." Toadette tells Mario in worry as she leads him to what's left of the yacht, which is laying on its side on the rocky slope leading up from the ocean. The Toads and Toadsworth are gathered around the unconscious Peach, with one Toad trying to revive her via CPR.
"Oh no. Will she make it." asks one of the watching Toads. Toadsworth sees Mario.
"Master Mario? Thank goodness you're here!" Toadsworth brings Mario and Toadette over. "The princess won't wake up."
"What do we do?" a Toad asks. Then Luigi comes.
"Guys, I saw a city over this way." Luigi points back the way he came. The Toads pick up Peach, and they, Toadsworth, Toadette and Mario follow Luigi along a path.
"Help!... Hellllp!" a voice calls, stopping everyone in their tracks. A Toad asks "What was that?"
"There!" Toadette points into some trees, where the voice shouts "HELP US!"
Mario and Luigi check it out, and they see a large spider web between the trees. Stuck in the web are two girls. One is a female Toad with a white-spotted purple cap and is wearing glasses and orange earrings along with orange skirtalls over a long-sleeved black shirt and black shoes with white soles. The other is an orange Flutter with a pink nose, a white flower atop her head, red-rimmed green spots on the sides of her two body segments, purple shoes, and pink wings with purple patterns.
"Guys, hurry before the Arantula comes down." shouts the bespectacled Toad girl as Mario and Luigi head over.
"Mario, use your hammer." Luigi tells Mario, who hits the trunk of one of the trees supporting the web three times. Leaves fall from above, and a large Arantula drops down on a silk thread.
"There he is!" the Flutter cries in alarm, and the big Arantula faces her. She goes "Eek!"
"I'll save you!" Luigi jumps between the Flutter and the Arantula, only for the latter to knock him into the web as its third victim! Luigi goes "Ah crud!"
"In response, Mario jumps on the Arantula, turning its attention to him. It shoots a spurt of webbing at him, but Mario jumps over it and onto its rear repeatedly, making it drop to the ground. It charges at Mario, who evades the attack.
"Hit it with the hammer!" the Toad girl suggests, and Mario runs at the Arantula and hits it in the face with its hammer. This does the Arantula in, and it falls defeated.
"YES!" the Toad, Flutter and Luigi cheer, and Mario proceeds to get them down off the web.
"Thank you, Mario!" the Flutter thanks, then she turns to Luigi. "And you, I'm really touched how you jumped in the way for me!"
"I failed miserably." Luigi sulks, but the Flutter comforts him: "It's the effort that counts, and I barely even know you. I'm Glitters."
"And my name is Russula." says the Toad girl, after picking up a green book from the ground nearby. She fixes her glasses: "Pleasure to meet you two, Mario and Luigi!"
"You know my name?" Luigi asks in surprise.
"Yes. I'm working with Professor Elvin Gadd in Bloomington for a term. He told me all about you guys, and Goombella also told me about you, Mario." Russula answers and smiles at Mario, turning away to blush a bit. But she hits herself and regains her composure, then turns back: "So uh, what brings you here?"
"We were cruising to Shimmer Shores with Princess Peach when this thing appeared and caused a storm that washed us over here." Luigi explains. "Peach is out cold because of it."
"Oh dear." Glitters responds, and Russula asks "Where is she now?"
"Over here." Toadette comes and motions Russula and Glitters to Peach and the other Toads. Russula heads over with Glitters and the brothers.
"There's a clinic in Bloomington. Follow me." Russula leads everyone along a path through the woods. They turn left at an intersection, except Luigi who freezes. Glitters flies back to him.
"Why'd you stop?" she asks, only to get grabbed by Luigi, and he pulls her with him into a bush.
"Keep quiet and look over there." Luigi points down the path straight ahead from the intersection. It leads to a clearing before a steep slope that has an old stone tower on top. The slope itself has an arch-shaped doorway that leads to under the tower, but the point of interest is the group of three figures coming out of it.
They are Bowser, Bowser Jr., and Kammy Koopa!
"So where do you think he went, Papa?" asks Bowser Jr.
"Heck if I know." Bowser answers, unsure. "Kamiles didn't tell me about that part at all."
"Maybe he forgot. He is an old fart, after all." Kammy says.
"How ironic, Granny." Bowser Jr. replies, to which Kammy asks "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What were they doing below the prison tower?" Glitters asks Luigi in the bush.
"Beats me, but if it's them, it's nothing good." Luigi answers. "The big one is Bowser. The little one is his son Junior, and the old witch is Kammy Koopa. They wreak all kinds of havoc back where I came from, and I won't let them do so here."
Luigi jumps out of the bush, to which Glitters asks "What are you doing?"
"These guys are bad news. Get back to the others and tell them." Luigi tells Glitters as he's noticed by Bowser Jr.
"HEY! It's Luigi!" he shouts, pointing out Luigi for Bowser and Kammy. Bowser shouts "Him again? Quick, let's get him before his meddling brother shows up."
"But Luigi, you can't take them all on by yourself." Glitters tries talking sense into Luigi, but he ignores her and jumps towards the Koopas. Glitters remains hidden in the bush as she watches the battle, but soon, Luigi is heard screaming in defeat...
Meanwhile, the city of Bloomington, the city Luigi saw and Russula spoke of, appears. It's a coastal city with numerous apartment buildings and shops. They line the city's four main avenues and central plaza, which, from an aerial view, resemble the petals and center of a flower. The avenues and the connected alleys branching from them are made of stone pavement and lined with flowers. Walking and doing business throughout the streets are people of various species, consisting mainly of Toads, Goombas, Koopas, Shy Guys, Lakitus, Bob-ombs, Dayzees, Bulb-ulbs and Doogans. Less common are Craws and Mousers, which hang out in the back alleys.
In the city's central plaza is the green, which is ringed by rows of flowers around its perimeter and around the fountain statue in the center. The fountain statue resembles a giant tulip flower with four smaller ones around its base. Just west of the plaza, in the west avenue, is the "ALOVERA CLINIC." Mario, Toadsworth, Toadette, Russula and the other Toads are waiting in a waiting room inside.
The silence is then broken when a blue Shy Guy, wearing a doctor's outfit and carrying a clipboard, enters the waiting room.
"How is she, Dr. Guy?" Russula asks about Peach.
"The princess suffered a few cuts and fractures, but nothing life-threatening." Dr. Guy answers. "I will be going back to see her again as soon as she regains consciousness."
"Whew!" Toadsworth sighs in relief.
"How long will she be here?" asks another Toad.
"Three to four days, give or take. In other words, not terribly long if that's what you're fearing." Dr. Guy answers. Toadette steps up to Russula.
"Thank you, Russula! We wouldn't have gotten her here if not for you!" Toadette thanks her fellow female Toad.
"The credit goes to Mario and Luigi for saving me." Russula points to Mario, who's relieved to hear Peach's status. But at this point, Luigi's absence is noticed.
"Speaking of Luigi, where is he?..." Russula asks, and shortly after that, Glitters flies in.
"Guys, Luigi was captured." she tells Mario and the Toads. They jump in shock.
"What became of Master Luigi?" asks Toadsworth.
"He spotted these three guys out by the old prison tower outside the east entrance of town." Glitters explains. "He called one of them Bowser, and the others were his son and a witch. He fought them because they were up to no good, but he hardly lasted a minute. They knocked him out cold, and the witch flew off with him."
"Bowser? BOWSER? EVERYONE PANIC!" all the Toads except Toadworth and Russula start running frantically in circles.
"Bowser..." Russula parrots. "Bowser... Yes, Goombella told me about him, too. She saw him fight Mario in Glitzville and that shadowy place behind the Thousand-Year Door. Glitters, are he and his son still there?"
"They were when I left to come here." Glitters answers. "I'll lead the way if you guys follow me."
"Miss Russula and Master Mario can tag along." Toadsworth replies. "I'll stay here with the Princess."
Glitters leads Mario and Russula out of the clinic, through the central plaza and east avenue, and back into the wooded crossroads. There, they take the north path to where Luigi fought Bowser, Junior and Kammy. Unfortunately, Bowser and his son already left.
"They're gone." Glitters says, and Mario lets out a despaired "Ohhhhh..."
"They escaped aboard a great airship." says a voice behind the three. They turn around and see an old man and a younger lady. The old man has a long, curling white mustache with more hair framing his face. He's wearing a long blue robe with a green star pendant and a cowl that hides his whole face except his eyes and moustache. He's also using a cane to walk, and his feet shake while doing so. The lady is also wearing a long robe, but hers is magenta with a blue star pendant and without a cowl, instead having her face hidden by a large pink, vieled hat, under which her brown hair is seen flowing down.
"Merlon! Merlucia!" exclaim Russula and Glitters, the former proceeding to ask "What are you doing out here, Merlon? You're too old and sick to be leaving your bed."
"We were meant to come. I saw it in my crystal ball." Merlucia says. "Father was spoken to in a dream by the oracle again. He said this one was very important."
"Indeed, it is." Merlon says before coughing a few times. He paces towards Mario with his cane, his feet shaking slightly as he does so. He says Mario's name: "Mario."
Mario is surprised at how Merlon knows his name, so Russula fills him in: "Merlon and his daughter Merlucia here are our local fortune-tellers, and even though Merlon's health has been declining for years due to aging, he still sees the past and the future through dreams."
"And my latest one regards you." Merlon tells Mario. "Follow me into that tunnel there."
Merlon leads Mario into the tunnel through the arch-shaped doorway that Bowser and his minions exited out of earlier. Russula and Merlucia begin to follow, but before they do, Glitters tells them "I'm going to go find Bowser's ship. Pass it on, and Russula, tell Speckles that I may be late for dinner."
Russula and Merlucia nod yes, and Glitters ascends into the air.
Merlon and Mario walk down the torch-lit tunnel together, and Russula and Merlucia quickly catch up.
"Here we are. This is it." Merlon says as they reach the end of the tunnel, and they enter a large, circular, tomb-like room with an empty pedestal on an altar in the center, which is surrounded by seven more altars on the walls. Each wall altar has a star-shaped indentation in it. Mario looks around the room in amazement.
"This here chamber... is the Chamber of Mirrors." Merlon says, coughing a bit.
"So this is what it looks like." Russula says. "The professor and I tried coming in here not too long ago, but the passageway was blocked off by a wall."
"I will get to that part soon." Merlon explains: "A statue stood on that altar in the center. It was the petrified body of a malevolent sorcerer who conquered the kingdom that existed here centuries ago. His soul was pulled out and split into seven parts by the Star Guardians when the people of the kingdom called upon them to end his reign."
"I heard rumors that the Guardians built this place." Russula says.
"That is correct." Merlon confirms. "After using the power of their Star Talisman to subdue the sorcerer and split his soul, they created seven Star Mirrors to contain the divided parts of his soul, and subsequently sealed the mirrors and his stone body off inside this chamber to keep them inside and keep any outsiders out. Unfortunately, a band of evildoers, led by a fearsome king who is descended from the sorcerer, got their hands on the Star Talisman, which the king himself used to undo the seals on his imprisoned ancestor and resurrect him."
"You mean?..." Russula asks, gravely.
"That dark sorcerer has been set loose upon the world once more." Merlon declares. "But hope has not yet been lost. Because you, Mario, are the one whom the oracle said would find and collect the seven Star Mirrors that the king's minions have scattered throughout the land. You are also the one who would defeat the dark sorcerer with the mirrors to save the world and the universe."
Russula looks to Mario: "Well, Mario, you're the chosen one, it seems. So, um... will you do it?"
Mario thinks for a moment, but, being the good guy he is, answers "Yes!"
"Great! I knew you would!" Russula exclaims after a jump of joy. "But keep in mind that it will be be a long and treacherous journey. You're gonna need all the help you can get, so I'm coming with you. I'm quite knowledgeable with this area, and I'm sure it'll come in handy should you ever find yourself in a pinch."
Russula has joined Mario's party!
"Ah yes, your contribution will be much appreciated, dear girl." Merlon tells Russula, then coughs. "But before you and Mario set off, we have something for him. Merlucia, shall you do the honor, please?"
Merlucia steps back a bit to use a magic spell that creates a swirly portal above her head. It summons a scroll into the chamber, and it drops into Merlucia's hands. She unrolls the scroll to reveal that it's a map. It looks almost identical to the map on the storybook's first page, but more updated.
"Bring this map up to the central altar." Merlucia gives Mario the map, and he takes it up to the central altar. There, the map glows white and floats into midair, much to Mario's surprise. The map then shines brighter and brighter to near-blinding intensity, then starts to slowly fade, and four floating figures come into view.
They are the Star Guardians, all glowing like in the storybook. They have round yellow heads with small stars perched atop them, with each having a different-colored star: red, orange, blue and purple. They have black eyes, with the orange and purple Guardians also having eyelashes since they're females, and they have no visible mouths. The Guardians also wear flowing white robes with long sleeves that cover their hands, and they have no visible feet, either.
"N-no way..." Russula looks on in amazement, as does Mario.
"Is it him? The mustached one named Mario?" asks the blue-starred Guardian, squinting at Mario.
"He must be. I am sure of it." answers the red-starred Guardian, who floats down to Mario. "Speak. Your name is Mario, correct?"
"Yes." Mario answers.
"Good, as expected." replies the red-starred Guardian. "We, the Star Guardians, have awaited for you to find and bring that map here."
"Each of us have left imprints of our energy within the map, and we have set it to activate projected images of us four once brought here to this chamber." explains the orange-starred Guardian.
"Projected images?" asks Russula. "I thought I was looking at your real selves."
"Well... With the Star Talisman having been stolen from us by the evil king and his army, there is little we can still do against them or against the dark sorcerer." the red-starred Guardian explains. "However, that is the reason we used this map here. There is still one other thing that we can do."
"Our energy imprints have also been set to locate the Star Mirrors on the map for you to find them." explains the purple-starred Guardian.
"And with that..." the red-starred Guardian points at the map, and it makes a small flash. It then returns to Mario, who looks into it with Russula. The first Star Mirror, which has orange rims, is shown to be located in the port city located south across the bay from Bloomington.
"That's Honeymush Harbor." Russula identifies the port city.
"Yes. The first Star Mirror is hidden there." says the red-starred Guardian as he and the other Guardian's projections begin to fade. "Return it to this chamber, and we will see you again once you do."
"The best of luck, we wish you." says the blue-starred Guardian before his and the others' projections fade out completely.
"Well Mario, my daughter and I have done all we could for now." Merlon says. "If you need us-"
Merlon suddenly cringes forward with a coughing spasm.
"Father!" Merlucia hurries to Merlon's side, and helps him stand with her arm. She looks to Mario and Russula: "We must return home. Father needs his medication. We will be there should you need further assistance."
Merlucia helps Merlon out of the chamber, and Russula looks back to Mario.
"Hey Mario, you know, there's a train in Bloomington that will take us straight to Honeymush Harbor." she tells Mario. "It will be arriving in approximately ten minutes, so if we move quick enough, we can go see Professor Gadd before we board it. He's been working on a few things that could really help us out on our journey."
Mario bobs in agreement, and they make their way out of the Chamber of Mirrors.
To be Continued...
That's all for the Prologue. Chapter 1-1 will be uploaded either on or before next Wednesday. If before Wednesday, then 1-2 will be up the following Saturday or Sunday. The segments will be fairly sort, around half as long as the Prologue at most. Until then, adios guys.