Hi there. I'm the author of this story. Thanks so much for clicking on it and taking a look, first off! I really appreciate it, even if you don't stick around for very long.

I've loved Paper Mario for a long time. I have great memories of the first two titles and their quirky characters, amazing locales, and gripping plotlines. They're some of the best games Nintendo has ever put out, period, and I want to take a shot at doing one of my own. I haven't used this website to publish anything in a looooooooong time, but I've felt inspired to sit down and write something, so I want to see how far I can take this idea I've had.

This story is more or less a direct sequel to Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, so it will follow the "old school" Paper Mario formula more than anything. Any games that take place after Thousand Year Door ought to be considered null-and-void for this series, so toss your visions of stickers and paint cans out the window as I throw things back to 2004. And please, feel free to comment on or critique this any way you wish. Like I said, I haven't done this in a long time, so any help my readers can give me will be a grand help indeed.

Without further ado, let's get to it!

Hello there!

I'm going to tell you a story...

A story about a shining light that pierces through despair...

And brings hope to all who gaze upon it.

Centuries ago, in a far off land, a war had been raging...

Engulfing the continent in horrible destruction.

The clashes became so violent, and the damage so devastating...

That many believed the world as they knew it was coming to an end.

Then, one day, in the midst of a mighty battle...

A brilliant, beautiful beacon of light erupted from the battlefield.

The two warring sides dropped their weapons at once, and searched for its source...

And found a small crystal they came to call The Rainbow Prism.

It finally brought peace to the war-torn land...

A peace that has lasted since that fateful day.

That very day, they built a temple to house the Rainbow Prism...

Where it has laid dormant ever since.

This is not where our story ends, however...

It is merely where our story begins.

"Intruders in the temple, Merlumen! They've broken through- AGH!"

A voice cried out from behind the closed door as the great wizard, dressed in his white ceremonial robes, stood in front of the case protecting the small crystal behind him. He and his two guards took up fighting poses. He quickly turned to a third guard standing near a hidden doorway. "Did you hide the Scope somewhere safe?"

"Y-Yes, sir, as you requested," he responded meekly.

"Good..." He paused, before turning back to the commotion going on outside. "You three must get out of here. It sounds like he isn't alone this time. I don't want you getting hurt."

"But sir! We must protect the Rainbow Prism. If Kaffard gets his hands on it, you know what he'll-"

"He will not get his hands on it. I will make sure of it. You must leave, all of you. Now!" A loud bang on the main door signified it was time to run. The three guards looked sheepishly back towards Merlumen before slipping into the hidden hall.

"Stay safe, sir..." one of them called before shutting the passageway behind them. That only left the wise leader inside the room. Meanwhile, outside of the door, he could hear two voices. One belonged to a sworn enemy of his who had attempted to swipe the Rainbow Prism from him time and time again. But the other was low, gravelly, unfamiliar. And pretty crass, to boot.

"So that's it, huh? Sheesh! This whole trip was LAME! You had me thinking we were busting into some ancient vault for an amazing treasure, not robbing some kiddie bank! Are you trying to pull my shell or something?" the second voice asked, as the rythmic stomp of a heavy foot started to echo into the room.

"Not at all, not at all. As soon as you bust down this little obstacle, I'll show you exactly what I intend to do with that amazing treasure I've been talking about," the first voice replied.

The second butted in again with a guffaw. "Ha! This little toothpick of a door? This is nothing for the Koopa King! Just like everything else we've done in here so far!" There was a moment's pause before the door came flying off of its hinges, toward Merlumen and his outstretched staff.

A beam of light erupted from its tip, shattering the projectile into splinters. As the dust settled, Merlumen could see a familiar, thin figure dressed in black robes, standing alongside a hulking turtle monster he had never met before. "...Kaffard. I see you've somehow made a friend. That's new for you."

"Heh heh heh... and you're all alone in your dim little vault. Did your guards run out on you with their tails between their legs?" The sinister sorcerer slightly shifted his red-tinged hood, revealing unkempt purple hair poking out, and a wicked grin plastered onto his shadowy face. "I must say, your defenses this time seem to be a bit... lacking, compared to years' past," he flitted as he slowly sauntered forward.

"You still haven't gotten past me, you know, just like every other time you've tried this." Merlumen replied coldly, spreading his feet apart in a wide stance with his staff pointed towards his enemy. "Are you going to get your lackey over there to do that for you?"

The turtle monster stamped his foot and gritted his fangs. "Hey, the King of Koopas is nobody's lackey! The only chump around here is going to be you in five minutes!"

"I enjoy the enthusiasm, my good friend," Kaffard commented. "You see, my dear Merlumen, this is my new business partner... he prefers to be called Bowser." Merlumen's eyes widened. He heard of a monster named Bowser who stole the Star Rod from its perch on Star Haven, and nearly conquered the world.

"He and I will finally be taking that Rainbow Prism off of your filthy, grubby hands." A blast of dark magic shot out of Kaffard's staff, which was quickly parried by the good wizard. But a fireball from Bowser slammed into his side right after, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"HehehahaHA! Two really IS better than one when it comes to beating you around! Come, Bowser... let's take what's rightfully ours. We'll have that Princess of yours under your arm in no time once I get my hands on this artifact," Kaffard bragged.

"It's about time you said that," Bowser grumbled. "I can't believe you took so long to come up with a plan to take this place out... I barely fought anyone! And here I thought this was gonna be hard." The two strode up to the unsealed container that housed the legendary Rainbow Prism, and were greeted with...

An empty case.

"...Are you serious? You dragged me out here for an empty case?!"

"What? WHAAAAAAAAAAT?!" The evil wizard fumed at the sight of the vacant container, his rage directed towards the singed Merlumen. "Where is it, you miserable wretch?! I'll shred your head to strips if it's been disposed of!"

"Ha... Well... It's about to be." Merlumen staggered to his feet, and held the relatively tiny prism above his head... before smashing it into the ground. Immediately, a surge of light flashed through the vault, and the split pieces rocketed through the roof, launching themselves into the cool night air as Kaffard and Bowser stared up in shock.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU INSOLENT BEANBRAIN!" Kaffard writhed in pain as the shards disappeared through the clouds. "How could you break such a priceless artifact so casually!? All those weeks of planning... I was so close!"

"It was the only way I could protect it from you... and I have succeeded in doing so. Now... you'll never be able to use its-" he struggled to answer before Kaffard grabbed his collar, shaking him about.

"You have defied me at every turn. I am going to make sure this is the last time you will ever-" His voice was cut off by a storm of feet cascading from outside the room. Cursing his bad luck, he dropped Merlumen to the ground.

"Crud! Of course more guardsmen have gotta show up..." Bowser groaned. "I don't know if I can fight all of the guys they've got coming by my own."

"You won't have to, Bowser. We're leaving," Kaffard shrugged, leaving his bigger partner shell-shocked. "I am not going to tolerate attempts to be thrown into a dingy jail cell out here... We'll have to deal with this awful setback in time, which is a luxury we can't afford at the moment."

"Grrrr... Fine! But this better not be a massive waste of my time, you got that?" Bowser stomped over to Kaffard, who enshrouded them into a blanket of darkness. Before descending, the evil wizard glared towards Merlumen, still in pain.

"You are going to regret this, you old fool. You'll see." The two partners-in-crime soon disappeared beneath the shadows right before the full force of the temple guards bustled into the vault room.

"Sir Merlumen! Are you all right?" Two of them rushed to his aid as the rest soon set to work securing the area.

"Yes... Yes... I'm all right... *Cough!*... But I fear we are in more trouble than ever before..." the wizard sighed. "...I will need a pen and paper. I have a letter to write."