I was originally planning on uploading this at another time after I had put more stories up, but whatever. I'll start it up now and keep going on with it. Oh, and I do not own Mario or anything like that, that's property of Nintendo. Now, onto the story!

Paper Mario

The Keys to the Cursed Isle

Prologue

The sun shone brightly down on Mario, the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the clouds floated gently below. Mario was taking a much needed vacation. He was on his way to a fabulous city called Skysound, a city said to resonate with the music of harmony and peace. The city was located on an island. But the island was not on the ocean. It was far above the clouds, one of many floating islands in a region of the sky known as the Skysea. These were nowhere near the Mushroom Kingdom, though. Mario had to travel through quite a few lands in order to find a hot air balloon that would take him to this wondrous city. Unfortunately, he would be alone on this trip. Princess Peach was unable to join him due to some issues which required immediate attention. But she made him promise to tell her all about his trip when he came back.

"Ahoy, sir! Over there! Do you see it?" the pilot of the balloon said. "We are approaching your destination. Please gather your belongings and prepare to dock."

Mario scanned the horizon and saw what the man had referred to. An irregularly shaped chunk of land was floating off in the distance. Buildings rose higher into the sky from it, as if they were climbing higher into the everlasting sea of air. It reminded him of a similar place, more or less the same, but smaller, a floating tourist attraction called Glitzville.

Mario leaned on the edge of the basket, letting the cool wind brush against his face. He was looking forward to this vacation.

Ten minutes later, the balloon was preparing to land on Skysound.

"Please prepare to disembark, sir. We will dock momentarily." the pilot reminded him.

Mario nodded to him and stared at the beauty of the city below him while he still had the aerial view.

The southern area of the island seemed to be a district for shipping. Blimps of all shapes and sizes were docked almost haphazardly while their crew members rushed around loading and unloading cargo. The eastern and southeastern part of the city was residential. People walked up and down the streets and kids played in their yards. The island was too small to have any use for cars. Instead of a driveway, each house had a place to lock their bikes to. But the western side seemed shadier. Most of the houses were run down and covered in graffiti. Mario watched as two ant sized people cornered another. They seemed to beat him up and then they ran away, leaving him on the floor. Mario didn't want any trouble, so he made a mental note to stay away from there. The north end of the city seemed peaceful and serene. A large cathedral stretched high into the air and towered above every other building. Park benches were placed at different spots and the grass looked healthy and green. A few families had set down picnic blankets and were enjoying the wonderful weather. Windmills were erected in the parks, obviously acting as the city's source of power. But the heart of the city was the liveliest area. Large buildings stood tall and proud, their shadows covering the people of the city and shading them from the sun. People hurried about in order to get to business meetings or run to coffee shops to make the most of their lunch breaks. Mario also spotted the hotel he would be staying at. It looked incredibly deluxe, a little out of his price range actually. But he would deal with that later.

Mario sighed contently. He had nothing to worry about. No princesses to save, no koopas to stomp, and no worlds to rescue from impending doom. Everything was going to be perfect.

Then Mario heard a scream, shrill and frightened. He looked around him and even down at the town, but he couldn't find the source. Where was it coming from?

Then it hit him, literally. The person who had been screaming dropped out of the sky and landed on him.

"Ooohhhh…" she moaned as she recovered from her drop. She got up and stared at Mario, who was currently lying on the floor.

"Omigosh!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to land on you, honest! If I had known you were there, I would have tried to not land on you. But then I probably would have fallen all the way down through the sky….but at least one of us would be happy!"

Mario stood up and straightened his hat which had become crooked after the impact. Then he stared at the person who had fallen on him.

She was a young Boo girl, probably in her mid teens. She was an odd coloration for a Boo, a sort of brownish yellowish color like that of a Ruff Puff. An exotic flower was perched on her head and two silver bracelets were wrapped around her wrists

The Boo looked very flustered and was still talking a mile a minute.

"…and you know how that is, it can get quite embarrassing. One time something like that happened to me, except my dad put his hand in a toaster and nearly-"

Mario interrupted her, not sure what she was saying.

"Huh? Oh, I'm so sorry! I usually start talking and get carried away and I just can't stop. Anyways, my name is Isaboo. Who are you?" she said, extending her hand.

Mario shook her hand and introduced himself. Isaboo gasped again and her eyes lit up.

"You're THE Mario! The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom? The guy who always beats up baddies and saves the princess!"

Mario nodded.

"Wow. If everything I've read about you is true, then maybe that means you could help us…" she muttered to herself.

Mario was about to ask her what she meant by that, but was cut off by yet another visitor falling from the sky.

This one was a koopa, but he was wearing a strange uniform. He wore a blue bandana that covered the top of his head. Opaque white goggles covered his eyes, and he wore a cape. The cape was blue on the top and white on the bottom, the two colors intersecting in the middle to meet at a gold star, most likely the symbol of the organization he belonged to.

The figure pointed accusingly at Isaboo. She scowled at him, but hesitantly floated back.

"Nice try! But you'll have to try harder than that if you want to escape the Skysound Restoration Committee!"

Without thinking, Mario stepped in to defend her.

"Don't get involved with this tubby!" he sneered. "Just hand her over and we'll leave nice and quietly."

Mario raised his hammer in response.

"Alright then. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!"

The koopa gave a sharp two note whistle and another figure dropped down. This one was a goomba wearing the same uniform.

The battle began. The koopa tucked into his shell and shot himself at Mario. He deflected the blow with his hammer and then koopa was sent back in the direction he was launched from, nearly falling off of the balloon. The goomba went in for a headbonk, but Mario defended against the attack. He used his signature move and jumped on the goomba. He gave a grunt of pain and was down for the count.

"Watch out!" Isaboo warned. Mario turned to see the koopa attacking him again.

He couldn't dodge the attack. The shell went crashing into the mustached plumbers stomach and he fell onto his back.

"Hah! Take that! That'll teach you to mess with-URK!"

Mario sat up to see the koopa being smacked by Isaboo. One, two, three times. She put a lot of power into the final strike and the koopa was sent spinning. He fell to the ground, but was back on his feet a moment later.

"Yeowch! Hey, that's not fair! You two can't just team up!"

The goomba ran to his side, looking equally beat.

"Dude, I think we should make, like, a tactical retreat or something. We can report back to Relna and tell her that they have a powerful new ally. Seriously, I don't wanna fight this guy."

The koopa didn't look happy about running away from the fight, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Grrrr. Fine. Listen up, mustache man. You may have bested us here, but don't think you've seen the last of us. We'll be back, and then it will be your turn to lose!"

The koopa gave another whistle and a rope ladder appeared near the edge of the balloon. The two figures jumped on and were pulled into a blimp hovering above. Then the blimp floated off towards the western side of Skysound.

Mario turned toward Isaboo and made sure she wasn't hurt.

"Oh, don't worry Mario, I'm fine. But that koopa looked like he hit you pretty hard. Are you okay?"

Mario nodded.

"That's a relief. But that wouldn't have happened if I weren't here. Sorry…"

Mario shook his head. It wasn't her fault. He had decided to get involved. But he was wondering why those goons were chasing her.

"I guess I do owe you an explanation. Let me start from the very beginning."

"As I told you, my name is Isaboo. I came to the island of Skysound in order to research more about the Cursed Isle. You may have heard the story. The Cursed Isle is a floating island rumored to exist somewhere in the Skysea. Legends tell of a group of nomads who found the island and investigated it. On the surface, there was nothing except a gaping hole. The nomads were naturally curious, so they decided to check it out. When they went inside, they couldn't see anything in front of them, and they were all separated by walls. However, they could see one another's paths, as if it had been lit up for only their eyes. But before they could lead each other out of the maze, voices spoke in their heads. The voices convinced them to betray one another, and that's just what they did. They each led each other into traps and pits, and soon none of them remained. Except two. They were twins who had lived their whole lives together and were inseparable. They lead each other out of the labyrinth and set out to warn people about the cursed isle. They told anyone who would listen about every last detail, including a room which they believed held treasure. Soon word spread about the mythical treasure, and everyone wanted it. Treasure hunters set out to find it, but most could not even find the isle, and those who did never returned. People were outraged and accused the twins of lying. The twins soon discovered that six ancient treasures known as the Silver Keys had to be collected in order to open the door to the room housing the treasure. The twins were in possession of all of the keys, but that didn't last long. Thieves stole from them, and other thieves stole from them, and some might have misplaced or sold them for large amounts of cash. Either way, the keys were separated and traveled from owner to owner over the course of roughly one thousand years. Only a few people still believe in the legends or search for the keys. I'm one of them."

Mario was surprised. Isaboo didn't seem like a treasure hunter.

"Well, I'm not exactly searching for the keys myself. Reldan, the fortune teller of the city, is also helping me find them. We've been working together for the past few weeks, him reading ancient texts, me asking around town about any information regarding the keys, that kind of stuff. I'll introduce you to him."

But Mario didn't want to hunt for treasure. He was on vacation! Plus, the last time he was asked to go on a treasure hunt, things didn't go so well…

"But you might be the only one who can help us." She sighed, clearly crestfallen. "Please just hear us out. This isn't just some treasure hunt. Lives are at stake!"

Lives? Now Mario was curious. She could easily be lying, of course, but the earnestness in her voice and the worried look in her eyes made him decide to listen to what she had to say.

"You'll help us? Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, Mario! I knew that you would help us!"

But Mario hadn't said anything about actually helping yet! But he couldn't stop and tell her since the pilot was speaking again.

"We are about to land. Please gather your belongings and watch your step as you disembark. Thank you for choosing Shy Guy Airways."

After settling down at the port of Skysound, Isaboo started talking nonstop. She told him all about the city, the sights, and the people. She seemed to know about everything and everyone in Skysound. The city wasn't astoundingly large, but knowing the information about everyone and everything was by no means a small feat.

By the time they reached the cathedral, Mario was surprised to still see her mouth attached to her face and not fallen off from overuse.

"This is the last area of Skysound, the Crescendo Cathedral. It was named that because of the giant bell that used to be located at the top of the spire. It was once used to signal the time of day or events and stuff. It was a really weird bell, too. When it rang, it was nearly inaudible if you were close to it, but it would get louder as the sound traveled farther out. And the sound could travel for miles! Unfortunately, the bell disappeared one day and no one even bothered to look for it. It's a shame, really…" she said sadly. "But enough about that! Let's go in!" the boo perked up instantly.

The interior of the cathedral was even more impressive than the exterior.

The walls were snowy white and the ornate floor was tiled, each tile the same exact distance away from another. There were huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They swayed gently like leaves in the wind even though there was no breeze. Everything about the building was so precise and perfect that Mario couldn't find a single flaw. The architects must have put extreme care into the design.

Mario and Isaboo stood very still for a moment and admired the beauty, almost afraid that if they moved then it would fade away. They were pulled out of the spell after a few moments and they began to walk towards the end of the room. When they reached the other side, they saw a figure standing in front of a table, the light from the enormous window in front of him casting a long shadow down the middle of the room.

He turned towards them and said, "Ah, Isaboo! You've returned. And you have brought a friend. Who might you be, sir?"

The man who spoke to Mario was young and enveloped in an oversized, dark blue robe. Mario couldn't make out any details of his face except for two yellow eyes. Straight blond hair protruded from the hood of th robe and stretched down almost to his eyes. He wore a pendant around his neck. It was a purple sphere with an emblem of a spinning moon inside.

Mario introduced himself.

"You are Mario? What an honor to make your acquaintance!" he said, bowing to Mario. "How may I be of assistance to you, O Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom?"

Isaboo piped in. "Actually, Reldan, I brought Mario here because I thought he would be able to help us."

"Indeed. Good thinking, Isaboo! So, shall I explain our predicament to you, Mario?"

Mario nodded.

"Very well." He said. "But first, let me formally introduce myself. I am Reldan, fortune teller of Skysound and head of Skysound's council. You've met my assistant, Isaboo. She has helped me tremendously with my research on the Cursed Isle and the Silver Keys. Now, let me tell you why we are searching for them."

"I believe Isaboo has already told you the story of the Cursed Isle, correct? Our research has led to the discovery of the treasure which is spoken of in the legends actually being a bomb. And I'm talking about a HUGE bomb, here. One capable of wiping out the entire Skysea alone.

Mario was shocked. A bomb? That changed a lot of things. But Reldan was still talking.

"We are not sure who made it or for what reason, but we do know that it is locked away in the 'treasure' chamber and set to explode. Soon. We don't have much time. I was about to give up, but with you here, Mario, we can definitely prevent this catastrophe from taking place. With your skill in collecting rare objects like the Crystal Stars and Shine Sprites, this should be easy."

Mario was still unsure about jumping into this new adventure.

"I see that you are hesitant. Perhaps you require some proof?"

With that, Reldan drew a shiny silver object from his robes and held it out to Mario. It was a key with a diamond embedded in the handle.

"This is one of the Silver Keys. I have been guarding this since I first learned of the danger that was to befall the sky. It holds immense power and will lead you to the next key as well. Sadly, this is all the proof I can show you."

But it was all the proof that Mario needed. He could feel a strange and mysterious power emanating from the key. He sensed the key urging him to accept the journey that had been assigned to him, to collect all of the keys and stop the future calamity from occurring.

Reldan placed the key in Mario's hand and, after a moment of hesitation, Mario closed it into his fist.

"Thank you Mario. With you working with us, I'm sure there is hope for us all." Reldan said happily.

"This is great! We should get started right away since we don't have much time. So Reldan, how do we find the rest of the keys?" Isaboo asked.

"It's quite simple actually. Just do as I instruct you to do, Mario. First hold the key out in front of you." The fortune teller directed.

"Good. Now simply turn it to the right."

Mario did, but nothing happened. Just as he thought that the Reldan was messing with him, a brilliant light filled the room.

A large keyhole shaped plane of light floated in front of him. The light died down to reveal an image of a different island. This one had a large castle in the center of an old fashioned looking town. A large, dull colored mountain rested at one end of the island like a sleeping giant.

The image of the island disappeared and was replaced with a picture of a map. It showed them which direction to head in to reach the island from their current location.

After that, the giant keyhole vanished, changing everything back to normal.

"The key has just shown you where the next Silver key lies." Reldan explained. " It is in-"

"EXCALLIBUS! EEEEEK!" Isaboo shrieked. "That place is chock FULL of history! This is going to be so exciting!"

"Indeed." Reldan sighed, opening his eyes again after he was sure Isaboo was done screaming. "Now, you two should depart for Excallibus at once. I will stay here and try to find out as much as possible about the Cursed Isle and the Silver Keys as I can."

"Great! C'mon Mario! Times-a-watsting!" Isaboo cried as she dragged Mario out of the Crescendo Catherdal.

"Good luck to you two!" Reldan called after them. He made sure they were gone, then turned back to the wanted poster he had been designing. The person in the picture on it looked very similar to him, but with some differences.

"Oh dear sister. If you interfere with this plan once again, I'll have to put a stop to you." he muttered. "But you wouldn't make your dear twin brother do that to you, now would you?"

Well, that's the end of chapter one! Hope you enjoyed it. I should be posting another chapter of this in a few weeks or so. By the way, I decided to stay true to the Paper Mario spirit by keeping Mario from talking, but still having people understand what he says. Hopefully you all understand. Anyways, please review! I love to hear what you all think about my stories. Until next time.