//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: My Little Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door 
// by Codex92 
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It has been several months since the Mushroom Kingdom and Equestria had formed a neighborly bond with each other after the crazy adventure Princess Twilight Sparkle and her friends had gone through to rescue Princess Peach and join forces with Mario and their fellow allies. Ever since the announcement at the party after Bowser was beaten once again, even with the invincibility gained by the power of the legendary Star Rod from Star Haven, the magic portal Twilight wished for that connected both of their worlds has been used frequently by citizens from both worlds. Ponies crossed over to see the new world, curious with how their Princess of Friendship described the delicacies in the Mushroom Kingdom and the people there, while denizens of the neighboring kingdom visit and got a look at the colorful world filled with magic and talking equines that were considered mythological creatures in their world. At first, the first meetings were a bit awkward, but eventually, the two sides quickly became friendly and got to know each other better.

During that time, the friends who helped Mario and the Mane Six stop Bowser came by on occasion to visit their pony friends and see the world for themselves. Granted, on both sides, they didn't dare venture further from the main towns where the portals were held, but that was all they needed. Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Watt, Sushie, and Lakilester visited each of the mares' homes, meeting their families who were around on their visit, tasted the food they had, though they skipped anything involving hay or flowers since they can't digest flowers, and learned a lot more about their world than they thought they already knew from what they told them.

After only a couple months, word of mouth had spread throughout both worlds, there was a big demand for trade goods as they caught interest between traders. Twilight and Peach came to an agreement and allowed the transfer of goods from both sides, now ponies enjoying the delicacies of Mushroom Kingdom Mushrooms, either raw or cooked in recipes passed over from the kingdom, even giving them a try in their own pony recipes. The Toads and other residents in the neighboring kingdom in return would receive different kinds of gems, books, fashion ideas, and many more, both princesses making sure that both sides would get an equal amount of what they exchange, especially when it involved their different types of currency.

Now, Twilight was in the middle of chatting with Kooper as he stopped by again, giving her details of his expedition with Kolorado to the Crystal Palace...after the explorer was rightfully given a severe punishment from his wife after failing to yet again remind her of his latest expedition. "...and to make things more astounding, I visited Eldstar in Star Haven to get some more info, and it turned out that he was what interested the worshipers of the stars when he was just a Star Kid!"

"Seriously?" Twilight asked in astonishment.

"Yeah! He showed off his powers, which impressed the people that much that they built the Crystal Palace as a shrine to the Stars!" Kooper exclaimed, both eager learners excited about this great discovery.

"Wow! Even the eldest of leaders make some silly mistakes that greatly altered a civilization," Twilight pondered aloud.

"I kinda wish we discovered this sooner, but our expedition was put on hold when Pinkie sent out all those invites," Kooper said. "...And it was delayed because Prof. Kolorado...well-"

"He didn't tell his wife again," Twilight said, the Koopa nodding his head as the alicorn hit the nail on the head.

"Got in so much trouble that she had to physically tie him up in his own house and kept him at home for a month," he explained. "He learned his lesson after that...The look of terror on his face. If I ever marry a cute Koopa, I am never going to go behind her back without telling her where I'm going. And if she can beat me in a shell toss, then I know not to push her buttons."

As the two close friends talked, Spike was busy down in the foyer cleaning the floor. It was a surprise meeting the Toads who walk through the new portal when the treaty came into effect, but he got used to it quite well. He even enjoyed the Mushrooms Twilight brought when the girls finally returned home, sweeter than any other mushroom he's tasted, even trying out these strange fiery plants called Fire Flowers. They were said to grant someone the ability to shoot fireballs from their hands upon consuming one, though he was a dragon and could breathe fire, and the fact the flower did nothing but taste spicy. While humming a tune, a Toad walked through, dressed like an official as he held a letter in his hand.

"Welcome to Equestria," Spike said on instinct, usually the first to greet newcomers or returning guests from the Mushroom Kingdom. When he looked at the Toad, he recognized him as the messenger between Twilight and Peach. "Oh! Hey, Crier T."

"Hi, Spike," Crier greeted. "I've got a message from Her Highness, Princess Peach for Her Highness, Princess Twilight."

"You know, you can just call her Twilight," Spike said. "She doesn't usually assert her authority as a princess. And neither does Peach, actually." Crier giggled nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he forgot, though he knew it was rude not to address the princess without her title. "Twilight's in the throne room with Kooper. I swear, those two can be twins if they keep talking about those ruins in the Mushroom Kingdom they explored."

The Toad nodded and made his way to Twilight's throne room. He walked in and found the princess on her throne while Kooper sat in the one beside her as they conversed with each other.

"Excuse me, Princess Twilight," Crier said, getting the mare's attention. "The princess has asked me to deliver you this letter."

"Thank you, Crier T.," Twilight said, the Toad bowing to the alicorn before taking his leave back to the Mushroom Kingdom. She opened the letter, Kooper curious about what was written as he stood up and looked over Twilight's shoulder. "Peach finally found a place for our princess vacation!"

"Cool. You get to explore more of what our world has to offer," Kooper said, happy for the hard-working mare.

"And I definitely need one," Twilight uttered with a groan. "Being a princess is much more exhausting than running around an entire kingdom to save the day from a repeat tyrant."

"Probably a lot more fun, too," Kooper said. "What about saving your world from your own villains? Like that one pony bug thing. Chrysalis?"

"Ugh. That was a mess when she invaded my brother and sister-in-law's wedding," Twilight said. "I'm still a bit miffed that we got tricked by her again, but luckily, Starlight was able to save us and stop her along with Trixie, Thorax, and even Discord. And with the metamorphic change the changelings made, they're a much more peaceful kingdom. They're even adapting to some pony cultures and holidays and making them their own!"

"Well, if she shows herself or if any trouble comes, you can give us a call and we'll back you guys up," the Koopa promised with a wink. "So, where are you and Peach going to?"

"She said it was in another continent across the sea in your world," Twilight said, looking over the letter again. "The port town of Rogueport is where we'll land once we get on a ship. Dreary sounding name, but I'm sure whatever the land has in store, it's going to be the greatest vacation spot ever!"





"...This is the worst vacation spot ever!" Twilight exclaimed. After arriving in front of Peach's Castle, gathering their belongings, making their way to Toad Town's port, and a long boat ride on the princess's private vessel, they had arrived at the town of Rogueport. Just as the name had suggested, the town was pretty shady, a pure contrast to how it looked in the distance. The place was filthy with garbage floating around the port in the sea, the walls and homes were decrepit, even though they were still standing and the citizens living there still used them, while those same citizens looked shady and sneaky, most of the residents being Toads, Goombas, Bandits, and new kinds of people Twilight had never seen before. As soon as the group disembarked, the alicorn and Toadsworth let out a groan at the state of their vacation spot chosen by Peach. "I was expecting something like a fancy resort, not the slums of another kingdom!"

"I must agree with Princess Twilight," Toadsworth said. "Princess Peach, what on earth made you think that this disgusting port was the right place for a vacation deserving of royalty?"

"I want to go somewhere to relax, not be pampered like a princess," Peach reasoned. "Besides, if there were any other place in the Mushroom Kingdom we went to, none of us would be able to enjoy our time. So, I thought somewhere no one would recognize us would work, so I chose this place."

Twilight hunched over and sighed miserably. "So much for this being a fun and relaxing adventure."

"We can still explore the continent," Peach said. "I'm sure there's gotta be something exciting around here."

"Sure. Like catching a disease or being dragged in a dark alleyway by a vagabond threatening to hold you hostage for all the coins in your treasury," Toadsworth muttered, making sure to keep a close eye on the princesses so nothing bad happens to them. Stepping off the docks and making their way to the main square, passing by dock workers as they gathered shipments from across the globe, the got a better look at the junction leading to different sections of the town. In the middle of the road, of all things, was a gallows with a noose hung down from the wooden rafter, though it was thankfully not in use, some signs depicting which building was which ranging from inns to shops. Before getting any farther, a Bandit walked up to them, nudging Toadsworth and nearly tripping the old Toad over. "Hey! I say, watch where you're going!"

"I'm walkin' here!" the Bandit yelled back, then disappeared down the road on their right.

"Ungrateful hooligan," Toadsworth muttered. He grunted, suddenly feeling lighter as he searched his pockets. "W-What? Where's my wallet? Where did it-?...That thief! He stole my wallet! You two stay here while I chase that wallet snatcher!" The old Toad ran off as fast as his elderly body could, chasing after the Bandit who robbed him blind. "Stop! Thief! Where are the guards when you need them!?"

"Well, this is a great start," Twilight muttered. "Not even a minute since we've arrived, and one of us got robbed."

"Toadsworth may have lost his wallet...but he didn't lose his money," Peach said. Grabbing one of her bags, she opened up a small slot, revealing several coins packed neatly inside. "I knew something like this would happen, so while Toadsworth was napping, I snuck his money out and hid it for safekeeping. He thinks I splurge on my allowance, but he's the one who likes to spend too much on random things." Peach giggled at Twilight's shocked expression, zipping the slot back closed so no other shady people tried to pilfer their coins. "When you're kidnapped by Bowser, you come up with sneaky ways to get him angry."

"Thank goodness for that. At least that Bandit was a bit of a distraction to give us some alone time." Without their chaperone, both princesses decided to explore a little. There wasn't much to see in Rogueport that wasn't in dire need of repairs, along with the trash that littered corners of the port town and always being cautious around shady characters slinking around the alleyways. "I suggest we stay together. I don't know if we might get mugged or kidnapped by somepony."

"As long as it's not Bowser, I can handle myself," Peach said confidently.

After they checked themselves into the nearby inn while getting a good look at what Rogueport sort of had, they headed back outside to check the other side of town, where they heard there was a station with a train and a hot air balloon. On their way over to the western side of Rogueport, the duo spotted a mysterious salesperson concealed in a brown cloak. On a carpet were several trinkets and a couple chests, one of them standing out among the older baubles spread out in front of the seller.

"Hello, dearies," an elderly female voice said, beckoning the princesses over. "Care to buy anything? I have a wide assortment of knickknacks and doodads."

Peach and Twilight looked at each other at the strange offer, both really unsure about the random objects sitting before the elderly woman. None of them seemed even remotely close to being a worthy souvenir for their trip, and Twilight loved antiques if they had some history to them. Out of all of them, however, one stood out among them, which happened to be a chest, which could either hold a mysterious gem or something that might be of value.

"Ooh. What's in there?" Peach asked, pointing at the red chest.

"Ahh." The woman grabbed the chest and lifted it up to let them see it clearer. "It is said that this box holds a map that shows where a legendary treasure sleeps. But it has a magical lock on it, and it will only open for a pure and noble heart. As you two can see, it won't so much as budge if one such as myself touches it." She tried to open the box, but even with how hard she tugged, the top didn't open. "How about this? If the box opens for either of you, then you may have whatever is inside. It probably won't be of any use to me anyway." The woman held the box out to them allowing them to touch it. "Take this box in your hands and see what happens."

"I think I can try to open the lock with my magic," Twilight said. "Just let me examine the spell keeping the lock contained..." Twilight levitated the box out of the elderly woman's hands, probing the lock to get a feel for the magic seal placed on it. She stuck her tongue out, staring intensely as she tried to pick the lock while looking over the seal's algorithm, but gave up with a look of shock on her face. "...Oh my gosh...This seal is so complex. I think it would take me months to try to even crack it open just a tiny bit if we bought the box itself."

"Maybe I can try to open it," Peach suggested. Twilight gave her the box, she and the elderly woman watching as she placed her hand on the top. Surprisingly, it opened up for Peach, blinding the princess as the light from inside of it shone for a moment. Once it faded, she squinted her eyes and looked inside, reaching a hand in and pulled out an old map. On the map, it showed the locations of the continent they were on, Rogueport being the central location of seven other major locations: above the port town a forest of varying shades of gray with a giant tree at the center, a small town to the east with a castle looming over it on a hill, a posh city lead by a trail of train tracks south of that town, a big stadium floating above the sky, an island to the south of Rogueport that looked like the perfect spot for pirates to hunker down or bury their treasure, a creepy forest with an abandoned mansion in the background of the thick trees to the west, and north of that was a snowy town overlooked by the moon and a couple constellations, though there appeared to be a small base at the top left section of the moon. "Wow. It's a map of the region."

"Really?" Twilight asked. She took a look for herself as they both saw what other places were beyond Rogueport. "Wow. There are definitely so many other places that are better than this port town worth exploring."

"Well, I guess if we opened the chest, we can have this-" When Peach looked up to reiterate the elderly shopkeeper's deal, she was suddenly gone, leaving behind her belongings while the two princesses looked at the map. "...Where'd she go?"

"She just...left? And without her stuff?" Twilight questioned skeptically. It didn't appear that anyone else walking about in Rogueport even noticed the elderly woman after she vanished. Twilight spotted a Goomba walking by while reading a book, a female one by her pink skin, eyelashes, and orange ponytail, wearing a pith helmet with a light and a gray outfit with a red ascot. Curious about the legendary treasure the woman explained that could be found with said map, she hoped she would lead her to a library of sorts. "Excuse me, miss?"

"Hmm?" She looked up, then yelped in surprise as the person she didn't expect to get her attention was a purple pony with wings and a horn.

"Sorry to disturb you, but do you by any chance know if there's a library around here?" Twilight asked. "...And hopefully it's not as filthy as the rest of this town."

"Oh...Well, I was kind of on my way to see my professor on the east side of town," the Goomba said after recovering from the surprising shock of meeting the alicorn. "I'm sure he'll allow you to borrow a book on anything he might have."

"Great, lead the way," Twilight said. "Peach, wait for me at the inn. I'll be right back."

"Ok. Don't get too engrossed in their books," Peach teased, Twilight turning back to stick her tongue out at her before continuing on following the Goomba assisting her.





Inside the Rogueport Inn, Peach sat at a table in the bar on the first floor, Toadsworth having joined her after taking back his wallet from the Bandit when he didn't find any money inside. As grateful as he was for the princess to keep his savings from being stolen, he did chide her for taking his money without his permission, even if it kept him from being robbed. He began worrying about where Twilight went, but the alicorn had returned a second after exclaiming his concerns, now scolding her for walking off without the two princesses being together. Twilight rolled her eyes as she was treated like a filly, wondering if this is how Celestia had felt around her subjects in the past when she wanted to do something that wasn't acceptable for a princess to do. The Goomba who helped her found her a history book of the region, though her professor wasn't in his study at the moment, so she let her borrow the book until she was done.

As it got late, Toadsworth retired to the beds upstairs, professing his disdain for the poor state of the hovel with a dripping ceiling and small cracks in the walls before settling into one of the beds for the night. Twilight was busy reading through the book, Peach ordering them an odd drink none of them had ever heard of called Chuckola Cola, which was more like a bubbly soda than an alcoholic beverage since it was served in a bar. It was difficult for Twilight to read the important facts in the book when there was one odd looking guy in a red captain's uniform constantly singing some random song over and over, a red gem in the shape of a skull on his table as if showing off the sparkling gemstone.

"Mmm...This isn't all that bad," Peach commented as she took a sip of the new drink. "I wonder why it's called Chuckola Cola."

"Probably something Pinkie would make up if it actually did make her chuckle," Twilight said, both princesses giggling as the alicorn took a swig of her drink, intrigued by the flavor as well. In the book she borrowed, Twilight found a legend that had some relevance to the mysterious map the elderly woman gave them when Peach was able to open the box. "Well, at least that lady was being honest about there being a legendary treasure that can be found with this old map."

"Really?" Peach asked curiously.

"Yeah. There's a legend about Rogueport that ties with the map," Twilight said as she paraphrased what was written. "There was a prosperous town before this town today was even built, and it looked quite beautiful from the illustration." She showed the Mushroom Kingdom princess what this prosperous town looked like, where it looked more like a magnificent castle than a grand city of the past. As she flipped over to the next page, however, it depicted what had happened to it; lightning bolts raining down from the sky, waves crashing heavily against the sides of the magnificent castle, and possible quakes crumbling the towers and tearing the larger building in the background to pieces, almost like it was sinking to the bottom of the ocean. "There was some sort of cataclysm that destroyed the place, though, almost like it was the end of the world."

"Oh my goodness," Peach uttered in shock. "How did that happen?"

"It doesn't really say, but I have a feeling that this kind of natural destruction wasn't all that natural if it could destroy such a wonderful city like this," Twilight guessed, flipping over the pages to show some more illustrations, a small fishing settlement after the chaotic destruction of the apocalypse, then the town of Rogueport on the next. "After the town had sunk into the earth after that one night of weathered destruction, many years later, stories about the town were written as a fairy tale, and people began to build a town over it. Rumors have spread about there being the ancient city hidden beneath them, along with a magnificent treasure that laid deep inside its ruins. And if what that woman told us is true, then this map might actually lead us to the key to uncover that treasure."

"Wow. Did I pick the right spot for a vacation or what?" Peach asked, Twilight giving the princess a blank stare. "What? Don't you want some excitement?"

"I was hoping to relax, not go on another adventure," Twilight muttered. Looking back down at the map, she couldn't help admitting that discovering what this treasure was does sound fun, including exploring what could be ancient ruins of a grand city many years ago. "...Although...it could be fun discovering something about this ancient city."

"See? I knew you would love it," Peach said, then she had an idea. "Hey, why don't we invite Mario and your friends to come along? It could be dangerous, and having Mario to protect us could help us travel further beyond Rogueport."

"Maybe...You think Toadsworth will allow it?" Twilight asked.

"As long as someone strong enough can watch out for me, I'm free to go wherever I want as long as I'm within seeing distance." Peach let out a huff, taking another sip from her Cola. "I always hate being treated like a child. You get kidnapped a few times by a giant Koopa, and you can't go anywhere without a leash tied to your waist."

"You do have me, although with how difficult our first experience was, it might be tougher around here," Twilight pondered. "Let's send them a letter. With more of us in a group, we could convince Toadsworth to stop foalsitting us and let us enjoy our vacation." Twilight then levitated a few pieces of paper and her quill and ink set from upstairs. "Good thing I always come prepared for stuff like this, though I usually bring these for making notes and stuff for anything of interest, but I digress."

Peach giggled, taking a piece of paper and borrowing one of Twilight's quills as they both wrote a letter to their respected recipients; Peach writing to Mario and Twilight writing to Starlight. Once they finished, they sealed their letters in envelopes, another large pile Twilight packed for who knows what, then with her magic, she zapped them using the same kind of magic Celestia used to send her letters via Spike, although with Peach's letter, she simply sent it to the post office back in Toad Town, where it would be quickly sorted out and delivered by the mail carrier and dear friend, Parakarry. What Twilight didn't notice, however, was that Peach had also delivered the map to Mario in the letter as well, being cautious with how shifty some of the residents were in Rogueport and it could be easily stolen if they weren't careful.

While they spent the rest of the evening chatting, the bartender, an older, bean-headed person about as tall as a Toad with glasses and a gray mustache and owner of the bar, came over and gave them a couple more bottles of Chuckola Cola. "Here you go, ladies."

"Uhh, we didn't order another round," Twilight mentioned.

"Someone ordered you our special brand on them," he said. As he turned to see who ordered them their most expensive brand of Chuckola Cola, but couldn't find any sign of them. "Huh. Odd. He was just at the bar a second ago...Oh well, it's been paid for."

"Well, can't turn down a free beverage," Peach said with a shrug. The bartender placed their new bottles down and took their empty ones to throw away, both princesses taking one as they gave the special brand a whiff. "Oof! Wow, that smells pretty strong!"

"Yeah!" Twilight agreed, hacking a little as the scent hit her nostrils. "Is this even safe to drink?"

"If it's allowed to be sold, I believe it is safe to consume." Peach was just as unsure, but she was curious to know how this tasted if it was claimed to be better than the original. "...Well, here's to the future of our kingdoms."

"And our taste buds and intestines after drinking this," Twilight added, both princesses giggling at the last part of their toast as they clinked their bottles and took a sip. Despite the aroma, it was actually quite delicious, this brand of Cola probably worth a pretty hefty price for just a glass, let alone a bottle. "Mmm...Real fizzy. And a little fruity."

"Yeah. It's really good," Peach agreed as she took another sip. "If I could, I would love to import this soda and have it sold in the kingdom." They both soon downed their bottles, their thirst satisfied as they would love to order more of that kind of Chuckola Cola in the future. In only a couple minutes after drinking their second bottle, both princesses suddenly got sleepy, unable to stay awake despite it only being around ten o'clock in the evening. "Wow...Must be some strong Cola to make me drowsy."

"Mhmm," Twilight mumbled sleepily, letting out a yawn as her eyes drooped, almost nodding off and hitting her head off the table. "Oh goodness...I guess I'm more tired than I thought. I'm gonna head to bed."

"Me too," Peach said, rubbing her eyes to try to avoid passing out in the middle of the barroom.

Both princesses tiredly ascended the stairs, Twilight carrying the book she borrowed with her to bed. Ignoring Toadsworth as he slumbered, they both picked a bed and laid down, their eyes immediately closing as they dozed off, the alicorn cuddling the book like a stuffed doll as they fell into a very deep sleep. Hours later, when the bar was closed and most of the town was asleep, the trio were left alone in the inn as they slept. A door that connected from the inn on the second floor out onto a walkway that reached the roof of another building, the doorknob slowly twisted open, a wide, dark figure stepped inside, a pair of glasses glimmered under the moonlight as they snuck inside the inn. Letting out a chuckle, he loomed over both Peach and Twilight, gesturing his hand to the door in a beckoning motion, several more figures shorter than the first with similar glasses crept in to join their leader.

"There they are," the leader said. "Just like that witch said." The shorter followers surrounded Peach and Twilight, but the leader held his hand up, stopping a group from carrying Twilight. "Wait. She mentioned this one is able to use magic." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a ring, carefully approaching the sleeping alicorn as he pushed the ring through her horn. Once it was firmly set at the base on her forehead, the ring tightened, not too tight but snug enough not to cause discomfort, the mare mumbling as she shifted from the odd sensation. "There. The only way that's coming off is it's allowed by Lord Grodus. Now, to see if it works."

He gave the alicorn's horn a light flick to cause some sort of reaction, Twilight flinching as her sleeping instinct was to telekinetically push away whoever hit her horn. "No," she mumbled, her aura shimmering for a second before it failed, rolling over while hugging the book tightly to her chest. "You're not...taking my...Smarty Pants, Discord..."

The group around the alicorn looked at each other, having no clue what she's talking about, but her magic was sealed so she wouldn't cause any problems. Now that it was safe to take Twilight, both groups lifted the princesses over their heads and carried them out of the inn. They couldn't pry the book out of Twilight's hooves, so they let her hold onto it as the group left, their kidnapping of the two princesses pulled off without a hitch. The leader left behind a note by Toadsworth's bed, making sure he doesn't panic when doesn't find them anywhere in the room, or in Rogueport. As soon as he exited the inn, he let out a bellowing chuckle as he chased after his minions, the first step in their lord's plan only just beginning.