Paper Shadow : The Thousand Year Door

Okay, like I said, this is going to be the ENTIRE game. Which means these chapters are going to be LONG! I'll notify you beforehand if there's going to be anything naughty in a chapter, so you horndogs can skip right to it, okay? This chapter is very tame, and very boring. It's just a lot of backround info, basically.















The sun had just peaked the grass-laden hills and colorful, wondrous mountains of the Mushroom Kingdom. Birds chirped and sang in the crisp morning air and flowers tentatively opened their petals to face the glorious sun. Trees swayed in a gentle breeze and an atmosphere of calm and beauty hovered all around the peaceful little house. A tall man opened the door and stepped outside, smiling at the world around him and taking a deep breath of cool, clean air.



His hat and shirt were green as the dew-specked grass that coated the ground, and his mustache wriggled slightly as a butterfly fluttered around his head. As it flitted away, a larger shape arrived from over the treetops. The winged messenger, Parakarry, landed gracefully next to the green man and smiled, holding out a couple of letters. “Morning, Luigi. Mail call!” He called out cheerfully.



Luigi took the letters and waved exuberantly as Parakarry soared back across the skies. “See ya, buddy!” He grinned and looked down at the envelopes in his hand. One addressed to him from some guy named Crepe, one from Princess Peach addressed to…



“Shadow!” The back room of the house was still as pitch as night, with the curtains pulled over the windows and the lights determinedly off. Luigi flung open the door and light poured in from the kitchen. The figure laying in the bottom of two bunk beds hissed loudly and pulled the covers back over its head. “Shadooooow!” Luigi cried out in a sing-song voice. “Maaaaail for you! It’s from Peach!”



Shadow grumbled something about not caring and Peach being a goofy loon, but didn’t move to get up. So Luigi tore the blanket from the bed and pulled the curtains aside. “Wake up! WAKE UUUUP!” He called out with such an innocent, child-like voice that Shadow just wanted to reach out and throttle him.



His feet hit the floor as he all but fell from the bed. “I hate morning.” A little boy grumbled. He looked no more than ten, and Luigi was certain that his sapphire-blue eyes were gleaming with malice. He just couldn’t see them behind the knotted, twisting hair that covered the boy’s face. He stumbled off to the mirror and started pulling the tangles from his face. “Why am I up?” He moaned.



“Because you’ve got mail, cuz!” He waved the letter around with limitless energy. “From Peach! You know, she sent you up here so you’d be more active and healthy. But all you do is sleep.”



“Sleep is healthy.” The boy spoke in a small voice and turned to look at the freakishly energetic green man who was doing a little happy dance. “Mario can’t stand you either.”



“Shhh! I’m gonna read it to ya!” He giggled and tore into the envelope with all the grace of a drunken elephant. Pulling forth a letter, he took a girly stance and cleared his throat, attempting to sound like Peach.



“Hello there, Mario. I am now on holiday, traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom. In my travels, I came into possession of a mystical map. A treasure map, actually. It was inside a box I got from an old merchant in a town called Rogueport. But since it would be too difficult for me to try to go find treasure all by myself… I thought you could help me hunt for it! You will, of course, won’t you? I’ve included the map with this letter, so please bring it with you when you come. I’ll meet you at Rogueport. (That means you MUST come!)

Peach.”



Shadow crossed his arms over his bare chest and stared at his star-covered boxers. “You sound more like Peach than Peach does.” He groaned and stretched out a little bit. “I really don’t have a choice, do I?”



“Nope.” Luigi jeered. “That sounded like a royal order to me!” He reached back into the envelope and pulled out a wrinkled, folded piece of parchment. “Hey, this must be the map. Check it out!”



Shadow looked at the map and wrinkled his brow. “This doesn’t look like a map to me. There’s no starting point, no ending point, no nothing. It’s just a picture of Rogueport and the area around it.” He sighed and tied his hair back in a rushed ponytail. “This is just another trick of hers to force me outside and into some exercise.” He glared at the window with his giant blue eyes that showed more maturity than that of his energetic cousin. “She’s such a prissy little bit-“





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rogueport~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





“Excuse me… Sir?” A gentle, almost frightened voice, poked into his slumber. “Please wake up, sir! The town you’d been speaking of has come into view. Look. That’s Rogueport.”



Shadow poked open an eye to see a shy toad girl pointing out across the ocean towards an ugly little sea town. “You see? We’ll arrive shortly. Please prepare to disembark.”



Shadow groaned and set up his backpack, retying his dark hair. He lifted his backpack and slung it across his shoulders carelessly. He nodded at the girl who smiled tentatively and bolted back to wherever it was she had come from.



He stretched and watched the ship’s loading ramp lower towards the dock. “I must apologize, sir. Our arrival was delayed just a bit by rough weather.” Shadow turned to see the old gentleman who was captain of the ship. He shrugged and began to disembark when the captain grabbed his shoulder loosely. “Are you quite sure you want to disembark here?”



Shadow nodded and continued. “I… did tell you all the sordid tales about Rogueport on our way here, did I not?” Shadow sighed and nodded again with an air of impatience. “Well… I mean… All right then. But, you be careful, Sir. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” The boat left the dock at a much faster pace than it had entered, as if the ocean itself was attempting to flee the horrid city that was laid before him.



Grimacing slightly, he couldn’t blame it. Graffiti and vomit marked every corner and wall of the run-down pier. Sailors and pirates turned from their work to glare at him before continuing with their duties. He sort of stood out. He was small, that was true, and looked like little more than a child. His denim overalls splayed over a light blue shirt that covered almost all of his incredibly pale skin. He had no muscle to speak of, and he felt even smaller in comparison to these huge, muscular workmen.



Moving forward cautiously, he had to duck out of the way of several bomb-ombs carrying heavy loads. They grunted their annoyance at him, but he kept on. He turned towards the sound of groaning. Someone was behind a crate off in an out-of-the-way corner. He noticed with disgust a sign that said, ‘BJ 10 coins’. This town was disgusting indeed. Even so, he had to grin at the thought of Peach walking through here.



“Hey! What do you want?! Get away from me, freak!” He was pulled from his musings by the voice of a frightened girl. Spinning around to look, he saw a teenage goomba girl pulling away from a mysterious figure wearing a bizarre uniform. The uniform itself was rather colorful and gaudy, and it covered the aggressor’s body entirely, leaving not even a scrap of skin visible.



“Oh, come off it, you airhead! I know it’s tough for you, but don’t play dumb with me!” Now, everyone on the pier was turned to watch the struggle, though it was obvious that no one was going to make a move to help. “I’ve seen you walking around town asking for information about the Crystal Stars. Well, now I’m doing the asking, so be a good girl and tell us what you know! Right now!”



The man stepped towards her again and tried to grab her, but she pulled back. Two smaller men wearing similar uniforms pulled up beside him, leaving the girl with nowhere to go but down the pier. “Never! I don’t have anything to say to you creeps! Ewww!” She cried out toughly with a slightly preppy accent. She backed up further, and the men on the docks all pulled away, not wanting to be part of the fight.



The man sighed and pulled ahead of his cohorts. “I suppose it wouldn’t be right if a sassy little lass like you met with an untimely demise…” He mused aloud. He then burst into a fit of hideous laughter that made Shadow wince entirely. “Buh! Buh! Buh huh huh! Boys, we’re taking this firebrand to our fortress!”



The other two men nodded and spoke in unison. “As you command, Lord Crump. We’re on it!”



The girl looked around in horror, eyes pleading for someone to help. “N-No! Stop right there, you weirdos! I’ll scream! Really!”



Shadow looked closely at the girl, and saw… something. It happened to him from time to time. Certain people were just special. Like Peach and Toadsworth and Luigi. Even Bowser had it. This girl had it, too. Whatever it was, it seemed as if only he could notice it, and he only ever befriended people who owned it. ‘Well, now.’ He thought to himself. ‘If she’s special, I can’t just watch her get kidnapped, now can I?’



The girl beamed with relief as Shadow marched forward and stood beside her, glaring at the man ahead. She laughed nervously and called out at Lord Crump, “Like I’d go anywhere with smelly lunatics like you! Hmph! Not likely!” She taunted him a little, then backed up as he seemed to swell with rage.



He stepped forward and gave Shadow an intimidating look. “What do you think YOU’RE doing, chump? You think you can screw up my plans?” Shadow simply nodded and smiled, and Crump stuttered for a moment. “Gah… It’s always something… Looks like I’m going to have to give you a little taste of the old CRUMP-A-BOMB!”



At this point, Lord Crump came dashing forward and swung out at Shadow, who rolled out of the way just in time. “He’s strong… but he moves slow.” He mumbled to himself. Picking himself up, he fumbled for a moment with the sides of his shoes. “Let’s see how he likes this.” Shadow leapt with inhuman strength and landed square on Crump’s head, then flipped off and threw a kick at him before he landed.



The kick didn’t connect, but Crump staggered backwards anyway. “Wh-Whuh?” He cried, then looked around at the sailors cheering for the kid who’d just sat there and dared to make a fool of him. “Why, you!” He dived at the child again, who simply took a step to the side and raised a hand. A giant glowing green hammer materialized from nowhere and the kid took a swing, connecting with the already airborne Crump.



Crump fell to the ground and groaned, lifting himself to glare angrily at Shadow. The girl was now standing next to him with a look of incredulousness painted across her face. “Okay, you got a couple decent licks in. I’ll give you that.” Crump panted as he straightened his goggles. “But unfortunately for you, that means… IT’S GO TIME!” He bellowed and what must have been hundreds of uniformed soldiers came pouring out from every dark nook and cranny for a thousand miles.



“PUNISH HIM!!!” Crump screamed, and the soldiers all charged in at once, crying battle cries and swinging their fists wildly. Shadow and the girl cried out and ducked.



The girl managed to pull her way out of the crowd without injury. Looking back, she saw Shadow had almost done the same. “Quick!” She called at him. “This way!” They pulled their way out and looked back at the charging soldiers who… hadn’t noticed they had left yet. “What a bunch of loons.” The girl snipped. “Let’s just sneak out of here. What do you say?”



Shadow merely nodded, and he and the girl moved up a set of creaking, wooden stairs towards the Rogueport town square. Once there, they settled down off in a corner and watched as the confused soldiers took off, saying something about ‘the fortress’. “Wow, kid! You totally saved me!” The girl smiled over at Shadow, who smiled back and shrugged. “Thanks. I have just GOT to give you a little reward.” She leaned over and pecked him quickly on the cheek, blushing a little.



She cleared her throat a little and took a step back, holding out her hand. “My name’s Goombella. I’m a student at the University of Goom. Nice to meet ya!” Shadow grinned and shook her hand. “So, uh… who are you?”



Shadow spoke in little more than a whisper. “Shadow.”



“Shadow? That’s a weird name.” She giggled, cocking her head slightly.



He laughed a little as well, crossing his arms. “Yeah, I guess… So’s Goombella.”



She shrugged. “Fair enough. Don’t talk much, do ya? You’re sorta quiet for such a bright little kid.”



Shadow sighed and tried his best to explain. “First, I’m not a kid. I’m sixteen. I’m just small. And… um… I only talk to people that are… special.”



“Special…” She echoed in confusion. “So, does that mean I’m special?” She beamed a little, choosing to take it as a positive thing.



He grinned at her optimism and took a closer look at her. Goombas were naturally small, so that put them at about the same height. She wore a bright red tie over a light tan shirt, that was the same color as the hardhat on her head. A hole had been made in the back to allow a fluffy blonde ponytail to poke though. As preppy as her clothes were, her face was entirely tomboyish. Her dark brown eyes had an intense glare to them, and one of her bottom fangs was poking up out of her mouth in a half-cute half-tough manner. The only makeup she wore was a touch of blush, and it made her cheekbones look high and defiant.



“Yeah. Special. I like you. You’re nice.” He stopped examining her looks and took another look at who she was as a person.



“Cool! Anyway, no offense, but you look like you just rolled into town, right?” She asked out of nowhere, causing Shadow to nod quickly. “So did I. And as for me, I already HATE it here! There are freaks and weirdos EVERYWHERE! It’s nasty!” She made a grossed out face and continued. “I mean, I know the place is called Rogueport, so I should have expected it, but sheesh! I’d never come to a place like this if there weren’t some legendary treasure here.”



Shadow’s eyes lit up. “Oh, you’re a treasure hunter? That’s why I’m here, too.”



Goombella grinned. “I’m an archeologist. But yeah, I’m looking for the treasure, too.”



“Awesome.” Shadow spoke, rummaging through his backpack. “You see…” He began, pulling out a piece of parchment.



“Whoa whoa WHOA, bucko!” She cried as he unfolded it, eyes wider than the ocean he’d just sailed. “Whatcha got there?” She leaned in closer to look at it closer and gasped. “Is that really a treasure map? You HAVE to tell me where you got that!” She demanded.



He folded it back up and slid it into his wallet, tucking the whole thing back into his pocket. “Princess Peach.” He stated simply.



“Princess Pea-“ She was interrupted by another voice calling loudly.



“Great hoogly-boogly! If it isn’t Master Shadow! Bit of a coincidence, bumping into one another in this sort of place, hm? Ho ho! So tell me, Master Shadow. What in the world brings you to this wretched little burg?” An ancient toad marched up to the pair, completely ignoring Goombella and speaking so quickly, there was no time for an interruption. He had a bushy, white mustache and a brown spotted hat, which was rather unusual.



Shadow sighed. No one really liked Toadsworth, but he had the best intentions. “Peach sent for me…”



“Really?” He interrupted, as was his way. “Princess Peach wanted to meet you here?” He picked up Shadow’s hat and ruffled his hair in an annoying manner.



“Yes.” Shadow grunted, stepping back and covering his pitch black shaggy mess with the light blue hat made to resemble Mario’s. “Where is she?” He asked simply.



“Intriguing.” Toadsworth mumbled. “See, I was about to ask you that. We stopped off here to acquire a spot of fuel for our ship, don’t you know. I only took my eye off her for a moment, but as soon as I did, she vanished.” He threw his hands into the air in defeat.



“What?!” Shadow and Goombella cried out in unison, causing the elder toad to flinch.



He shrugged and cleared his throat before continuing. “Well, you know how headstrong she is, Shadow. I just assumed she’d be back momentarily. But at this point, I fear we must embrace the possibility that she may never return. I’ve been at a loss as to what to do. I’ve been fraught with worry. Fraught, I tell you! But I’m feeling better with you here, Master Shadow. Surely we’ll find her. Surely!” The old man just wouldn’t shut up.



Shadow and Goombella each prepared to speak, but neither got the chance. “But I know my place, Master Shadow. And this is not it. I leave this task to you.”



Toadsworth nodded at Shadow, who blanched. “Me?” He asked stupidly.



Toadsworth nodded again and turned towards a building that seemed marginally better kept than the rest of the town. “I believe I’ll recline in the inn right over there and enjoy a spot of tea, perhaps. If you need to speak to me, you can find me right over there. Just drop on INN! Ho ho!” Toadsworth laughed at his own joke, but the two just stared on blankly.



“Yes, well, anyway… A little rest there is good for you. I must say though… the rest of this town is a little… rough. Yes. Rough, indeed.” He trailed off and started towards the inn, nearly falling to his feet as a couple of well-dressed piantas pushed their way through.



Goombella and Shadow watched in silence for a moment as the piantas surrounded and beat a petty thug down to the ground. It was a while before either spoke. “Wait a minute!” Goombella cried in a burst of realization. “Princess Peach sent you that map? Well, where did she go?”



Shadow shrugged and pondered aloud. “Maybe… she got tired of waiting and went to find the treasure on her own? My boat did come in late.”



“Maybe…” Goombella echoed thoughtlessly. “Anyway, one of my professors lives in town. He might know something about Princess Peach. We should go see him.”



Shadow shrugged. “Well, I guess. I don’t know anyone here at all. I suppose that’s a good place to start. Where does he live?”



Goombella’s victorious smile faded and she stumbled across her words. “See, I just got to town myself, so I don’t really know where he lives…” She thought for a moment, then pulled a little computer-like device out of her pocket. “Here’s what he looks like.” She pressed a couple of buttons, and a picture of an ancient goomba teaching a class came up.



Shadow smiled and looked up at her. “What’s that?” He motioned towards her hand-held thingy.



She shrugged. “Oh, it’s just my C-FANG. That’s a Computer For Archeological Nerdy Goombas. It’s a collection of data gathered by all the history geeks back at U-Goom. It’s handy. I take a picture, and anyone else who’s currently on-line can supply me data about what I’m seeing.”



“Oh.” Shadow murmured, not really understanding at all. “Umm… There’s one more thing… If you’re coming with me, you’ll need to know how to defend yourself.” He stated plainly.



She shrugged. “Sure. I can bonk a loser or two.” Her expression brightened and she looked at the strange glove that encompassed Shadow’s right hand. “How do you do that? With the jumping? And the hammer?”



Shadow grinned and ran his fingers over an insignia on his glove. “Professor E-Gadd. He made me these shoes that create a wave of force when I jump. It let’s me jump high and blow people away.” He snapped his wrist and the green hammer grew from the center of his palm. “And this glove creates a collection of photons in the shape of a hammer. It’s pretty great.” Realizing something, he reached back into his backpack and pulled out a couple of headphones. “Here.” He said, handing her one. “This way, I can talk to you, even if there are other people around.” He watched a goomba walk by and look at them strangely.





Goombella nodded and slipped it over her ear. “Cool. And I’ll be your voice. If you want to tell someone something, I can do it for ya!” She grinned and they caught gazes again.



The journey was starting, and they both knew that they were in it together to the very end.