Post by Mimsie-chan on May 13, 2010 13:18:48 GMT -5
The Super Bros. Legacy
Long before in a land called the Mushroom Kingdom, a time before heroes were made and fighting ensued, there was peace and harmony among all creatures and mutual respect for one another. This land was under the rule of a kind hearted king, who loved all of his people. It was a beautiful place filled with a hope of haven to those needing a place to belong. Some thought it was a paradise to last well over 1,000 years.
However, peace does not last forever. It is destiny’s unwritten rule. And unfortunately, destiny came to the once peaceful kingdom in a most sinister form.
A woman.
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Prologue
The king had found what most of us could ever hope to find in life. True love. Although already betrothed to a most beautiful, rich, and powerful woman, it was mainly for his people’s sake. But the woman he truly loved was poor, not a cent to her name. But her soul was rich and you could see her love for life in her eyes. She was an immigrant, hailing from a foreign land, thus she stayed in the village outside the castle. She was not royal. He could never, ever marry her, as he wished to. He wanted so much to be with her though, and his love would prove to matter most of all. At nights he would sneak out of his castle, away from his royal duties and his servants and guards to be with her. He visited her at nights in secrecy for nearly 4 years. During this period, he was married properly to the woman he was betrothed to and of course subjected to creating an heir to the throne with her. The kingdom was overjoyed at the prospect of the birth of the king’s child, as children were considered a great blessing for the land and it’s years to come. The king however, came across even more surprising news. His love, who lived in the villa, had also become pregnant, just months after his queen had announced her pregnancy. His two children were mere months apart! He was quite worried, naturally at the prospect of a child no one could know about. What could he say? His kingdom would frown upon his act of adultery and surely he would be exiled if anyone knew.
His other child had to stay a secret. For his sake, and this sake of his love and child, it must.
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His first child was born. His queen was the first to birth. It was a beautiful baby girl. Her eyes were a pure blue filled with wonder. Her life would be a fortunate one. The king was overjoyed at his daughter’s birth. He had smiled down at her as she lay in his arms.
“What shall we name her, My Excellence?” The queen had said, moving to his side.
He contemplated for a moment. “Those delicious treats….do you remember them? At one of the banquets. I loved them so much.”
The queen smiled, reaching over to tap his chin. “How could I forget? You ate them all and left none for our guests.”
“What were they called again?”
“Mm…peaches I believe.”
He smiled down at his little wonder who blinked up at him curiously.
“Peach. Peach is a fine name, a fine one indeed. It will certainly suit you, my little one.”
The villa was composed mostly of immigrants from other kingdoms or land. It’s where they settled to find work. It was always bustling with people. Upon the birth of his daughter, the king’s visits there became less and less frequent. When he did visit her, he was desperately apologetic, feeling terrible at leaving his love alone in her pregnancy but she would merely smile and tell him to think nothing of it. She had worked hard all her life, and she had always done everything by herself. It was nothing different, she explained. On one particular night however, she had been in terrible labor. It was on that night she gave a miraculous birth to not one son, but two.
And so the king led two lives with two families. To reveal either would be catastrophic. He was torn between his kingdom and the woman he truly loved but he especially wanted the best for his sons and daughter.
Peach was an adorable child, always learning and thinking. She had blonde locks, which the queen took pride in showing off, as they were similar to her own as a child. She would dress her up in beautiful frilly dresses and parade her about their guests and show off her daughter’s manners. Her mother instilled proper behavior in her at a small age, grooming her and primping her for a life of royalty, as acceptable for any princess.
His older son was much more mischievous. He was always crawling into places he shouldn’t, always coming home dirty. He was a spitting image of his father though, his hair being a chestnut brown color. He was always playing, and always got along well with the other boys of the villa. He was terribly adventurous. But he was always a good boy, honest and trustworthy. The king knew he would turn out to be a good son.
His younger brother, separated by only minutes apart was a bit more timid. He followed his eldest everywhere and constantly clung to his arm. He was shy, frightened easily, but the King knew that in time he too would grow up to be a fine young man.
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The queen grew suspicious of the king’s nightly disappearances after a while. But it wasn’t soon after that his visits outside the castle grew less and less, since he had grown sick in his older age. It had quieted the queen’s ponderings, but the king’s servant knew otherwise. A young Toad male known as Toadsworth was the king’s worthy advisor, and magician to the court. The king trusted him more than anyone. In one of his nightly escapades, Toadsworth had caught him sneaking into his room. The king had no choice but to explain himself, because he could not lie to his advisor, and friend. The Toad merely had nodded, and was confirmed of his own suspicions, but did not frown upon his king. He knew that the queen was not as beautiful as all had thought. She was beautiful on the outside, a perfect lady to the public, but inside, he knew she was vain, crude, and wicked. She wanted riches and glory and for all to bow before her. She was terribly conceited. And she was very prejudiced against the races of her kingdom. She wanted perfection, but her husband was much more open hearted.
The king decided that to stop the queen from suspecting him, that he should visit the villa one final time. Toadsworth agreed that he should part ways at that time, for the betterment of everyone involved. On this night however, the queen had sent out a guard to follow her husband.
“M-my lady.” Toadsworth started. “Is it really necessary to spy on him? I’m sure everything is fine.” He rubbed his hands nervously against the seams of his pockets, praying that the guard would get lost on the king’s trail.
“One can never take too many precautions, Toadsworth. If everything is fine, then there will be nothing turned up.” She arched an eyebrow at him, her mouth pulling into a thin line.
“As you wish….your highness.” He murmured.
The King had given his final goodbyes to his lover. She understood the risks involved, and blessed him in his life. For the sake of anybody finding out, the King begged her to keep their father unrevealed, hopeful for time to erase their memories. With a final kiss to his mistress and his sons, he left. The guard however, had seen all he needed and was gone long before him.
The Queen was furious. Enraged. How dare he, that cur, go behind her back and with a peasant no doubt! She grit her perfect teeth and curled her perfectly manicured hands into fists of seething anger. She vowed that he would pay for betraying her in such a vile manner and it was on that night that the queen’s heart became encased in a concrete so thick and hard, not even her precious daughter could penetrate it. Her colors shown on that night, she fled to the farthest wing of the castle, to a tower not even the toad servants went. She would make him pay, oh yes.
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In the highest tower in the farthest wing lived a terrifying sorcerer. He was skilled in dark magic, a practice most foul and unknown to most. He lived in the tower for years, crafting his skill with his fellow apprentices, designing terrible machines for warfare, and constantly scheming up designs. He was brilliant, in all honesty. His knack for inventing such advanced technology was ingenious. Although it was in secrecy, for people at this time could not understand such brilliance, and so he was cast off in insanity. The queen however thought otherwise and so kept him in the kingdom, hidden and doing her bidding. It was on this night, she came to his door.
“My lady,” He growled in a deep tone. “What brings you to my humble abode?” He wrung his clawed hands over one another. He was a foul, frightful looking creature with blood red eyes and a hulking body. One would be surprised at the depth of brilliance hidden in such a monstrosity.
“I require your assistance.” She hissed. “You will carry out a task for me.”
“Of course my lady.” His eyebrows rose. His koopa apprentices nearby stopped their work at hand to listen eagerly. “Anything you wish.” He added hastily.
“The details are not important, but for my own reasons I wish for you to dispose of a troublesome pestilence for me.”
“Pestilence my lady? And what would that be?” He swallowed loudly.
Her lip curled as she noticed the several koopa eyes on her. The sorcerer grunted, looking behind him. “BACK TO WORK YOU PUS WARTS!!” He barked out, smoke trailing out of his nostrils, and they scurried off in a skittish manner.
“Forgive me my lady, they can be so irritating.” He said in apology.
“Fine.” She answered in a bored tone. “However I believe I too have an irritating group to deal with.”
“And who would that be Your Majesty?” He grimaced.
“I need you to dispose of…..our King.” Her lips curled into a wicked grin. The sorcerer merely stared on, as if misunderstanding her.
“P-pardon?” He finally coughed out.
“The King.” She spat out venomously at him. “What did you think I said, you twit? DON’T answer that.” She hissed as his mouth opened to interject. “I don’t care what you think nor do I care how it’s done but you will dispose of the King promptly and efficiently.”
“But my lady! You’re asking me to rid the kingdom of the most powerful….the kindest…-”
“KINDEST?!” She sneered, dropping her head back to laugh wickedly. “You know nothing of his ‘kindness.’ Anyone who throws a scrap of meat at you foul creatures is considered ‘kind,’ because let’s face the truth, your race is a pathetic bunch, the lowest on the food chain next to your neighboring ‘goombas.’”
He almost lowered his head if not for his pride. Her words stabbed him like nothing else could. To be in a race that was despised so was utterly horrific. Where in this time period had the koopas fell so low in society? They were once such a proud race…
“Stop IGNORING me you fool!” The queen snapped him from his thoughts.
“I wasn’t Your Highness.” He lied in a mocking tone. “But I do apologize Queenie, that I can’t carry out this great and repulsive task for you for free.” He waggled a clawed finger at her. “In fact, your request would cost something of a great expense.”
“What is it that you want?” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to stay with you tonight so don’t even let it cross your mind.”
“Aww. Now, now. I wouldn’t have even thought about that.” He gave her a condescending look, running a scaly hand through his dark red hair. “But now that you’ve brought it up…”
“Never.” She spat, disgusted. “I’ve told you it could never work. You’re a vile koopa, and I…” She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. “…am a lady. You’ll do as I command if you know what’s good for you. Who saved you from your banishment, hmm? Who allowed you and your frightful koopa race to reside in this kingdom, hmm?”
“The King.”
“ME YOU DOLT!” She screeched. “I was the one who allowed you to stay here! I allowed you to invent! I gave you a place to lay your filthy head at night! And what thanks do I receive? YOU GIVE ME NOTHING!” She swiped her fist through a nearby table, knocking gears and plans from it violently. “If you don’t do this for me I’ll have you staked personally!”
An eruption of flames shot from the beast’s mouth angrily. “You wretch! You miserable wicked wretch! You should hold your tongue when talking to me! I’ve invented machines for you and your miserable toadlings for YEARS and you keep me locked up here like your PET.” He bellowed in disgust. “You forget who’s skilled in the dark koopa magic! I could FRY you if I wanted to!”
“You could not, for you know I am protected against your so called dark magic.” She mocked. “I could have you executed. Your magic books and amulets would be burned and you’d be beaten so hard you wouldn’t remember any of your spells. Your ungratefulness is sickening, but I suppose I shouldn’t have put it past a koopa.”
“You little-” His fists were curled, and he could taste magma in his mouth. He wanted nothing more than to twist her little body until it broke in two.
“Or…I could kill your son.”
He froze.
“Ahh, so the beast has a heart after all.” She trailed a long painted fingernail down his scaly chest. “Who would have guessed? Well me, that’s who.” She gave a short chuckle. “I know how much you love your son, how precious he is to you. One life for another. Kill my King and your son lives. Fail…”She glared daggers at him. “And your son will die.”
“You….” Words escaped him . “You cannot-”
“Have it done by tomorrow, or else.” She hissed, spinning on her heels. “Or I swear to everything that I am, I will torture your son in a most painful way. He’ll be an example to all of you koopas. Do. Not. Fail. Me.” With that, she slammed the door viciously, leaving the koopa sorcerer to wallow in his solitude.
And so, the King was dead. And the mushroom people mourned with all of their hearts, because this king, their king, the kindest and most generous of all kings, was poisoned. The servants there at the time recalled the horrific scenes of the King flailing about, spouting foam from his gaping mouth, as his goblet of drink fell to the floor. His eyes rolled back in his head and he began to tremble.
The queen couldn’t have looked more like the dear mourning widow the day he was placed in the coffin. Everyone felt so sorry for her, for her tears and her sadness.
And in the comforts of her own bedroom, away from all of the grieving guests and servants who mourned the loss of their great king, she threw off her veil and cackled until she passed out from her madness.
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“I’ve murdered your King.” The sorcerer replied in nervousness. “You remember your promise, don’t you?”
“Of course and I am true to my word. I will not harm your pathetic….son.” She glared at the child sitting on his lap, a large arm wrapped around his middle. He was a small koopa, but a spitting image of his father. His hair was a bright red and his body looked round, especially with his shell on. He glared back at her, realizing she was talking about him. He never liked the queen, and didn’t understand why his father did what she told him to do.
“Your brat is safe. However…”
“However?” He raised an eyebrow, and his son leaned forward in his lap to listen curiously.
“Well I’ve been thinking…..This is the perfect crime…”
“Yes….” He nodded, wondering where this was going.
“And….I’ve managed to pull it off.”
“Uh….huh….” He murmured in response.
“But there’s just one….small problem.”
“What…?”
“You know what I’ve done.” She glared at him fiercely, an evil smirk gracing her features.”And we just can’t have that now, can we?”
“What….but….I…..I wouldn’t tell Your Highness! I never even leave this tower!” His eyes were large, with shock. “Who would I tell? If you’re worried about the magikoopas, you needn’t be…I can lock them up!”
“Not good enough. You’re all a filthy burden in my kingdom and now I’ve got the perfect excuse to get rid of you.”
“My Lady?!”
“I’m going to banish you all.” She gave off a wicked smile. “And there’s nothing you can do. This is MY kingdom now. Once I inform the Toad people of your heinous act, your poisoning of their king, you’ll be thrown out of this kingdom into nothingness.”
His eyes widened, finally catching on. “You…you evil witch!!” He roared. “ALL THESE YEARS I’VE WORKED FOR YOU AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?!”
“Silence! I’ve been looking to rid my kingdom of your filthy race for YEARS and now I can finally do it. I was going to wait for the King to simply get sicker, but you’ve sped up the process! I will rule as the sole queen of the Mushroom Kingdom and my only daughter as the heir!” She threw back her head, cackling evilly. The sorcerer stood and took the chance to strike. He raised his claw, chanting a spell. She turned her attention back to him and raised her own hand, stopping the spell from forming. “You really should know better, using your dark magic against me. After all…who was it that told you about it?” She laughed again, forming her own spell and casting it at him. He fell back, feeling the sting. He clutched at his chest, heaving. “And now, I believe it’s time I’ve gotten rid of all of you. I have no further use for such hideousness in my perfect kingdom.”
The koopas were banished almost immediately. The Queen announced that they were responsible for their beloved King’s death. The Toads were enraged, and mass hysteria occurred everywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom. Fighting ensued, and koopas were cast out of the kingdom, out of the villas. There were fires and yelling and murder everywhere. The King’s lover had mourned over the loss of her King, and had kept her doors shut and locked tightly for fear of her life and the lives of her children being threatened. Insanity filled every corner of the kingdom.
“Sir.” A young magikoopa said lightly, shaking the sorcerer from his thoughts. They looked down from the tower at the hysteria and knew that they would be coming for them soon, too.
“Kamek…” He let out a heaving sigh, eyebrows furrowed. “I should’ve seen this coming. I could have destroyed her but….”
“You couldn’t have known, sir. She used the amulet against you. With it you could never harm her.”
“I created it because….I thought….” He waved a claw through the air. “Doesn’t matter.” He dismissed. “She lied to me. She betrayed me.”
“She betrayed us all, sir. She promised us a better life here.”
“I wanted power. I wanted to…” He grit his monstrous fangs. “Kill those sniveling fungus people. Pay them back for what they did to us. I thought she was going to keep her end…”
“It’s gotten out of hand now.” Kamek said sadly. “There’s nothing more we can do.”
“I know.”
“The magikoopas and I can only hold so many of them off. There are so many…and the weapons they have….”
“The weapons I gave them.” He sneered, a trail of smoke billowing from his mouth.
“We’ll be run out.”
“Kamek…I know what I’ve done. I know what I’ve given to this kingdom. What I’ve given to her. And for nothing. But if anything….” His red eyes focused on the court yard far below, a crowd of guards and people screaming and running towards the main gate of the castle.
“Save my kid. Don’t let them kill him. He’s…all I have left in this world.”
“With great honor sir. I shall.”
And with that, the sorcerer’s fate was sealed.
The Queen was able to do away with the koopas, banishing them to a far off land known as the Darklands. Poor, hungry, beaten, and nothing left, they trudged on, hoping for anything that they would be saved. The sorcerer was not lucky enough to escape with them, and so Kamek, his beloved servant did as he promised, and saved his son, his heir in hopes that their own kingdom could one day rebuild itself.
The Queen had thought she’d won. The kingdom was hers and hers alone, to be ruled by her. Everything in her kingdom would be perfect.
But she had forgot that deep in the villa, lay her dead husband’s lover, curled up with two twin boys, shielding them from her wrath. It would be the greatest mistake she would have ever made.
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Chapter One
“Marioooo! Wait up bro!”
A young man ran down the dirt path, tripping occasionally to keep up with his companion. He was a tall skinny male in his twenties. He was very skittish at times, therefore never too far away from his older brother. His older brother was the brave one, his protector, and his guidance.
Mario rolled his eyes at his younger brother’s clumsiness as he turned around to see him tripping and falling into a nearby bush. Two women walked by and chuckled at the scene. He slapped a hand to his forehead watching him redden immensely as he struggled to free himself from the twigs caught on his pants.
He watched his brother’s helplessness before looking down at his watch. Great, they were nearly 20 minutes late for their appointment! He didn’t need to remind his brother of how much they needed this job. Jobs didn’t come easy in the Mushroom Kingdom since so many immigrants lived there fighting for work. It was almost impossible to make a living in the villa. Mario, the brave one, the protector, and the guidance of the family, was also unfortunately the source of income. He did what his stepfather did, as it was the family business. Plumbing.
It wasn’t the prettiest of jobs, mind you, but it did provide an income. Everyone had plumbing problems, but it was a matter of at what time the piping would finally break down. Sometimes it would be months before another job would come up! Luigi, his younger brother, was his apprentice, still learning the family trade. Although he was eager and intelligent at times, he could be extremely clumsy and bashful .
“Uhm sorry, bro…I sorta tripped…” Luigi rubbed the back of his neck nervously out of habit.
“It’s-a no problem, Luigi. We’re-a gonna be late though.” Mario replied sternly, hoping they wouldn’t upset the client. They really did need this money.
Luigi’s shoulders slumped over at the thought of disappointing his older brother, and costing them their first job of the month. Their mom didn’t work, and their stepfather was getting too old to leave the house much. Everything relied on them!
“Leave it to me, Mario! I know a short-cut!” Luigi offered, hoping to make up for his delay in the time.
Mario rolled his eyes and glanced at his wristwatch again. The last thing he needed was one of Luigi’s “detours” but they needed to make up for lost time. Then again, Luigi’s route could end up taking them LONGER.
One look at his younger brother’s eager face though crumbled his plea of, ‘Let’s just follow the regular trail!’ and he gave in, following him onto a dirt road near a Mushroom Villa shop.
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Meanwhile, the castle was in utter celebration, for the birthday of their glorious princess. She had just turned eighteen, and there was a parade all up and down the castle path. Trumpets bleated and confetti was tossed everywhere. It was a happy occasion that signified the growth of their princess into a young woman, who someday might rule over them.
Peach had fortunately, turned out nothing at all like her mother. She was kind to those in need and hopeful for a better future for immigrant workers. She never turned up her nose at those different from her. And she was beautiful as well. For the most part, she was left alone in her room. The Queen had trained her in royal-like behavior. However, after the King’s death, her daughter was no longer a primary interest, as she reminded her so much of her husband. She grew distasteful of her own daughter and took to leaving her in Toadsworth’s care. He loved Peach so much, that he complied, and was happy to do so. It was the last shred he had of his friend, the King. He had never told her the truth, of his adultery. He felt it best to not cause her any pain or heartbreak over her father. In truth, the Queen hadn’t allowed anyone to mention the former King. Over time, he was almost forgotten.
Peach was so curious as to why. She wanted to know more about her father. She was contained so often. Growing up in such an environment never caused her to question it. She simply thought, that was what all princesses had to do. Stay inside and learn how to be princesses.
She couldn’t have been more wrong.
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About a few miles away nested the Darklands, deemed a fitting name by the Queen herself. No one from the Mushroom Kingdom went there of their own free will. If they did something to anger the Queen, they were banished there, to live with the koopas, goombas, and any other she deemed unfit to live in her kingdom. Since then, they seemed to have formed their own kingdom, although it was hard to adapt as most of the land was built around an active volcano. Magma ran everywhere.
Kamek had tried his best to form something out of nothing, so to speak, as well as keep his word to his former Lord, who had been killed almost twenty years to date. He raised the orphaned dragonkoopa child to the best of his ability, which wasn’t much seeing as how he’d never been a father before. The boy was almost like his father in every way, and filled with even more anger upon hearing Kamek reveal his legacy to him. He grew hateful of the Queen who had killed his father, and cast them out to rot in these lands. He decided, that when he grew older, he’s repay her for all the trouble she’d caused. He became the ruler of the Darklands, as his father was so greatly looked up to by the koopas who had been banished there with him. He decided that his name would always be remembered throughout Plit, as he would conquer every kingdom that stood in his way. Koopas would no longer be cast out and away and looked down upon. He’d gather an army to storm the Mushroom Kingdom and take revenge. His name would be known throughout every corner of the world. King Bowser, they would say, before they died.
Long before in a land called the Mushroom Kingdom, a time before heroes were made and fighting ensued, there was peace and harmony among all creatures and mutual respect for one another. This land was under the rule of a kind hearted king, who loved all of his people. It was a beautiful place filled with a hope of haven to those needing a place to belong. Some thought it was a paradise to last well over 1,000 years.
However, peace does not last forever. It is destiny’s unwritten rule. And unfortunately, destiny came to the once peaceful kingdom in a most sinister form.
A woman.
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Prologue
The king had found what most of us could ever hope to find in life. True love. Although already betrothed to a most beautiful, rich, and powerful woman, it was mainly for his people’s sake. But the woman he truly loved was poor, not a cent to her name. But her soul was rich and you could see her love for life in her eyes. She was an immigrant, hailing from a foreign land, thus she stayed in the village outside the castle. She was not royal. He could never, ever marry her, as he wished to. He wanted so much to be with her though, and his love would prove to matter most of all. At nights he would sneak out of his castle, away from his royal duties and his servants and guards to be with her. He visited her at nights in secrecy for nearly 4 years. During this period, he was married properly to the woman he was betrothed to and of course subjected to creating an heir to the throne with her. The kingdom was overjoyed at the prospect of the birth of the king’s child, as children were considered a great blessing for the land and it’s years to come. The king however, came across even more surprising news. His love, who lived in the villa, had also become pregnant, just months after his queen had announced her pregnancy. His two children were mere months apart! He was quite worried, naturally at the prospect of a child no one could know about. What could he say? His kingdom would frown upon his act of adultery and surely he would be exiled if anyone knew.
His other child had to stay a secret. For his sake, and this sake of his love and child, it must.
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His first child was born. His queen was the first to birth. It was a beautiful baby girl. Her eyes were a pure blue filled with wonder. Her life would be a fortunate one. The king was overjoyed at his daughter’s birth. He had smiled down at her as she lay in his arms.
“What shall we name her, My Excellence?” The queen had said, moving to his side.
He contemplated for a moment. “Those delicious treats….do you remember them? At one of the banquets. I loved them so much.”
The queen smiled, reaching over to tap his chin. “How could I forget? You ate them all and left none for our guests.”
“What were they called again?”
“Mm…peaches I believe.”
He smiled down at his little wonder who blinked up at him curiously.
“Peach. Peach is a fine name, a fine one indeed. It will certainly suit you, my little one.”
The villa was composed mostly of immigrants from other kingdoms or land. It’s where they settled to find work. It was always bustling with people. Upon the birth of his daughter, the king’s visits there became less and less frequent. When he did visit her, he was desperately apologetic, feeling terrible at leaving his love alone in her pregnancy but she would merely smile and tell him to think nothing of it. She had worked hard all her life, and she had always done everything by herself. It was nothing different, she explained. On one particular night however, she had been in terrible labor. It was on that night she gave a miraculous birth to not one son, but two.
And so the king led two lives with two families. To reveal either would be catastrophic. He was torn between his kingdom and the woman he truly loved but he especially wanted the best for his sons and daughter.
Peach was an adorable child, always learning and thinking. She had blonde locks, which the queen took pride in showing off, as they were similar to her own as a child. She would dress her up in beautiful frilly dresses and parade her about their guests and show off her daughter’s manners. Her mother instilled proper behavior in her at a small age, grooming her and primping her for a life of royalty, as acceptable for any princess.
His older son was much more mischievous. He was always crawling into places he shouldn’t, always coming home dirty. He was a spitting image of his father though, his hair being a chestnut brown color. He was always playing, and always got along well with the other boys of the villa. He was terribly adventurous. But he was always a good boy, honest and trustworthy. The king knew he would turn out to be a good son.
His younger brother, separated by only minutes apart was a bit more timid. He followed his eldest everywhere and constantly clung to his arm. He was shy, frightened easily, but the King knew that in time he too would grow up to be a fine young man.
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The queen grew suspicious of the king’s nightly disappearances after a while. But it wasn’t soon after that his visits outside the castle grew less and less, since he had grown sick in his older age. It had quieted the queen’s ponderings, but the king’s servant knew otherwise. A young Toad male known as Toadsworth was the king’s worthy advisor, and magician to the court. The king trusted him more than anyone. In one of his nightly escapades, Toadsworth had caught him sneaking into his room. The king had no choice but to explain himself, because he could not lie to his advisor, and friend. The Toad merely had nodded, and was confirmed of his own suspicions, but did not frown upon his king. He knew that the queen was not as beautiful as all had thought. She was beautiful on the outside, a perfect lady to the public, but inside, he knew she was vain, crude, and wicked. She wanted riches and glory and for all to bow before her. She was terribly conceited. And she was very prejudiced against the races of her kingdom. She wanted perfection, but her husband was much more open hearted.
The king decided that to stop the queen from suspecting him, that he should visit the villa one final time. Toadsworth agreed that he should part ways at that time, for the betterment of everyone involved. On this night however, the queen had sent out a guard to follow her husband.
“M-my lady.” Toadsworth started. “Is it really necessary to spy on him? I’m sure everything is fine.” He rubbed his hands nervously against the seams of his pockets, praying that the guard would get lost on the king’s trail.
“One can never take too many precautions, Toadsworth. If everything is fine, then there will be nothing turned up.” She arched an eyebrow at him, her mouth pulling into a thin line.
“As you wish….your highness.” He murmured.
The King had given his final goodbyes to his lover. She understood the risks involved, and blessed him in his life. For the sake of anybody finding out, the King begged her to keep their father unrevealed, hopeful for time to erase their memories. With a final kiss to his mistress and his sons, he left. The guard however, had seen all he needed and was gone long before him.
The Queen was furious. Enraged. How dare he, that cur, go behind her back and with a peasant no doubt! She grit her perfect teeth and curled her perfectly manicured hands into fists of seething anger. She vowed that he would pay for betraying her in such a vile manner and it was on that night that the queen’s heart became encased in a concrete so thick and hard, not even her precious daughter could penetrate it. Her colors shown on that night, she fled to the farthest wing of the castle, to a tower not even the toad servants went. She would make him pay, oh yes.
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In the highest tower in the farthest wing lived a terrifying sorcerer. He was skilled in dark magic, a practice most foul and unknown to most. He lived in the tower for years, crafting his skill with his fellow apprentices, designing terrible machines for warfare, and constantly scheming up designs. He was brilliant, in all honesty. His knack for inventing such advanced technology was ingenious. Although it was in secrecy, for people at this time could not understand such brilliance, and so he was cast off in insanity. The queen however thought otherwise and so kept him in the kingdom, hidden and doing her bidding. It was on this night, she came to his door.
“My lady,” He growled in a deep tone. “What brings you to my humble abode?” He wrung his clawed hands over one another. He was a foul, frightful looking creature with blood red eyes and a hulking body. One would be surprised at the depth of brilliance hidden in such a monstrosity.
“I require your assistance.” She hissed. “You will carry out a task for me.”
“Of course my lady.” His eyebrows rose. His koopa apprentices nearby stopped their work at hand to listen eagerly. “Anything you wish.” He added hastily.
“The details are not important, but for my own reasons I wish for you to dispose of a troublesome pestilence for me.”
“Pestilence my lady? And what would that be?” He swallowed loudly.
Her lip curled as she noticed the several koopa eyes on her. The sorcerer grunted, looking behind him. “BACK TO WORK YOU PUS WARTS!!” He barked out, smoke trailing out of his nostrils, and they scurried off in a skittish manner.
“Forgive me my lady, they can be so irritating.” He said in apology.
“Fine.” She answered in a bored tone. “However I believe I too have an irritating group to deal with.”
“And who would that be Your Majesty?” He grimaced.
“I need you to dispose of…..our King.” Her lips curled into a wicked grin. The sorcerer merely stared on, as if misunderstanding her.
“P-pardon?” He finally coughed out.
“The King.” She spat out venomously at him. “What did you think I said, you twit? DON’T answer that.” She hissed as his mouth opened to interject. “I don’t care what you think nor do I care how it’s done but you will dispose of the King promptly and efficiently.”
“But my lady! You’re asking me to rid the kingdom of the most powerful….the kindest…-”
“KINDEST?!” She sneered, dropping her head back to laugh wickedly. “You know nothing of his ‘kindness.’ Anyone who throws a scrap of meat at you foul creatures is considered ‘kind,’ because let’s face the truth, your race is a pathetic bunch, the lowest on the food chain next to your neighboring ‘goombas.’”
He almost lowered his head if not for his pride. Her words stabbed him like nothing else could. To be in a race that was despised so was utterly horrific. Where in this time period had the koopas fell so low in society? They were once such a proud race…
“Stop IGNORING me you fool!” The queen snapped him from his thoughts.
“I wasn’t Your Highness.” He lied in a mocking tone. “But I do apologize Queenie, that I can’t carry out this great and repulsive task for you for free.” He waggled a clawed finger at her. “In fact, your request would cost something of a great expense.”
“What is it that you want?” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to stay with you tonight so don’t even let it cross your mind.”
“Aww. Now, now. I wouldn’t have even thought about that.” He gave her a condescending look, running a scaly hand through his dark red hair. “But now that you’ve brought it up…”
“Never.” She spat, disgusted. “I’ve told you it could never work. You’re a vile koopa, and I…” She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair. “…am a lady. You’ll do as I command if you know what’s good for you. Who saved you from your banishment, hmm? Who allowed you and your frightful koopa race to reside in this kingdom, hmm?”
“The King.”
“ME YOU DOLT!” She screeched. “I was the one who allowed you to stay here! I allowed you to invent! I gave you a place to lay your filthy head at night! And what thanks do I receive? YOU GIVE ME NOTHING!” She swiped her fist through a nearby table, knocking gears and plans from it violently. “If you don’t do this for me I’ll have you staked personally!”
An eruption of flames shot from the beast’s mouth angrily. “You wretch! You miserable wicked wretch! You should hold your tongue when talking to me! I’ve invented machines for you and your miserable toadlings for YEARS and you keep me locked up here like your PET.” He bellowed in disgust. “You forget who’s skilled in the dark koopa magic! I could FRY you if I wanted to!”
“You could not, for you know I am protected against your so called dark magic.” She mocked. “I could have you executed. Your magic books and amulets would be burned and you’d be beaten so hard you wouldn’t remember any of your spells. Your ungratefulness is sickening, but I suppose I shouldn’t have put it past a koopa.”
“You little-” His fists were curled, and he could taste magma in his mouth. He wanted nothing more than to twist her little body until it broke in two.
“Or…I could kill your son.”
He froze.
“Ahh, so the beast has a heart after all.” She trailed a long painted fingernail down his scaly chest. “Who would have guessed? Well me, that’s who.” She gave a short chuckle. “I know how much you love your son, how precious he is to you. One life for another. Kill my King and your son lives. Fail…”She glared daggers at him. “And your son will die.”
“You….” Words escaped him . “You cannot-”
“Have it done by tomorrow, or else.” She hissed, spinning on her heels. “Or I swear to everything that I am, I will torture your son in a most painful way. He’ll be an example to all of you koopas. Do. Not. Fail. Me.” With that, she slammed the door viciously, leaving the koopa sorcerer to wallow in his solitude.
And so, the King was dead. And the mushroom people mourned with all of their hearts, because this king, their king, the kindest and most generous of all kings, was poisoned. The servants there at the time recalled the horrific scenes of the King flailing about, spouting foam from his gaping mouth, as his goblet of drink fell to the floor. His eyes rolled back in his head and he began to tremble.
The queen couldn’t have looked more like the dear mourning widow the day he was placed in the coffin. Everyone felt so sorry for her, for her tears and her sadness.
And in the comforts of her own bedroom, away from all of the grieving guests and servants who mourned the loss of their great king, she threw off her veil and cackled until she passed out from her madness.
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“I’ve murdered your King.” The sorcerer replied in nervousness. “You remember your promise, don’t you?”
“Of course and I am true to my word. I will not harm your pathetic….son.” She glared at the child sitting on his lap, a large arm wrapped around his middle. He was a small koopa, but a spitting image of his father. His hair was a bright red and his body looked round, especially with his shell on. He glared back at her, realizing she was talking about him. He never liked the queen, and didn’t understand why his father did what she told him to do.
“Your brat is safe. However…”
“However?” He raised an eyebrow, and his son leaned forward in his lap to listen curiously.
“Well I’ve been thinking…..This is the perfect crime…”
“Yes….” He nodded, wondering where this was going.
“And….I’ve managed to pull it off.”
“Uh….huh….” He murmured in response.
“But there’s just one….small problem.”
“What…?”
“You know what I’ve done.” She glared at him fiercely, an evil smirk gracing her features.”And we just can’t have that now, can we?”
“What….but….I…..I wouldn’t tell Your Highness! I never even leave this tower!” His eyes were large, with shock. “Who would I tell? If you’re worried about the magikoopas, you needn’t be…I can lock them up!”
“Not good enough. You’re all a filthy burden in my kingdom and now I’ve got the perfect excuse to get rid of you.”
“My Lady?!”
“I’m going to banish you all.” She gave off a wicked smile. “And there’s nothing you can do. This is MY kingdom now. Once I inform the Toad people of your heinous act, your poisoning of their king, you’ll be thrown out of this kingdom into nothingness.”
His eyes widened, finally catching on. “You…you evil witch!!” He roared. “ALL THESE YEARS I’VE WORKED FOR YOU AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?!”
“Silence! I’ve been looking to rid my kingdom of your filthy race for YEARS and now I can finally do it. I was going to wait for the King to simply get sicker, but you’ve sped up the process! I will rule as the sole queen of the Mushroom Kingdom and my only daughter as the heir!” She threw back her head, cackling evilly. The sorcerer stood and took the chance to strike. He raised his claw, chanting a spell. She turned her attention back to him and raised her own hand, stopping the spell from forming. “You really should know better, using your dark magic against me. After all…who was it that told you about it?” She laughed again, forming her own spell and casting it at him. He fell back, feeling the sting. He clutched at his chest, heaving. “And now, I believe it’s time I’ve gotten rid of all of you. I have no further use for such hideousness in my perfect kingdom.”
The koopas were banished almost immediately. The Queen announced that they were responsible for their beloved King’s death. The Toads were enraged, and mass hysteria occurred everywhere in the Mushroom Kingdom. Fighting ensued, and koopas were cast out of the kingdom, out of the villas. There were fires and yelling and murder everywhere. The King’s lover had mourned over the loss of her King, and had kept her doors shut and locked tightly for fear of her life and the lives of her children being threatened. Insanity filled every corner of the kingdom.
“Sir.” A young magikoopa said lightly, shaking the sorcerer from his thoughts. They looked down from the tower at the hysteria and knew that they would be coming for them soon, too.
“Kamek…” He let out a heaving sigh, eyebrows furrowed. “I should’ve seen this coming. I could have destroyed her but….”
“You couldn’t have known, sir. She used the amulet against you. With it you could never harm her.”
“I created it because….I thought….” He waved a claw through the air. “Doesn’t matter.” He dismissed. “She lied to me. She betrayed me.”
“She betrayed us all, sir. She promised us a better life here.”
“I wanted power. I wanted to…” He grit his monstrous fangs. “Kill those sniveling fungus people. Pay them back for what they did to us. I thought she was going to keep her end…”
“It’s gotten out of hand now.” Kamek said sadly. “There’s nothing more we can do.”
“I know.”
“The magikoopas and I can only hold so many of them off. There are so many…and the weapons they have….”
“The weapons I gave them.” He sneered, a trail of smoke billowing from his mouth.
“We’ll be run out.”
“Kamek…I know what I’ve done. I know what I’ve given to this kingdom. What I’ve given to her. And for nothing. But if anything….” His red eyes focused on the court yard far below, a crowd of guards and people screaming and running towards the main gate of the castle.
“Save my kid. Don’t let them kill him. He’s…all I have left in this world.”
“With great honor sir. I shall.”
And with that, the sorcerer’s fate was sealed.
The Queen was able to do away with the koopas, banishing them to a far off land known as the Darklands. Poor, hungry, beaten, and nothing left, they trudged on, hoping for anything that they would be saved. The sorcerer was not lucky enough to escape with them, and so Kamek, his beloved servant did as he promised, and saved his son, his heir in hopes that their own kingdom could one day rebuild itself.
The Queen had thought she’d won. The kingdom was hers and hers alone, to be ruled by her. Everything in her kingdom would be perfect.
But she had forgot that deep in the villa, lay her dead husband’s lover, curled up with two twin boys, shielding them from her wrath. It would be the greatest mistake she would have ever made.
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Chapter One
“Marioooo! Wait up bro!”
A young man ran down the dirt path, tripping occasionally to keep up with his companion. He was a tall skinny male in his twenties. He was very skittish at times, therefore never too far away from his older brother. His older brother was the brave one, his protector, and his guidance.
Mario rolled his eyes at his younger brother’s clumsiness as he turned around to see him tripping and falling into a nearby bush. Two women walked by and chuckled at the scene. He slapped a hand to his forehead watching him redden immensely as he struggled to free himself from the twigs caught on his pants.
He watched his brother’s helplessness before looking down at his watch. Great, they were nearly 20 minutes late for their appointment! He didn’t need to remind his brother of how much they needed this job. Jobs didn’t come easy in the Mushroom Kingdom since so many immigrants lived there fighting for work. It was almost impossible to make a living in the villa. Mario, the brave one, the protector, and the guidance of the family, was also unfortunately the source of income. He did what his stepfather did, as it was the family business. Plumbing.
It wasn’t the prettiest of jobs, mind you, but it did provide an income. Everyone had plumbing problems, but it was a matter of at what time the piping would finally break down. Sometimes it would be months before another job would come up! Luigi, his younger brother, was his apprentice, still learning the family trade. Although he was eager and intelligent at times, he could be extremely clumsy and bashful .
“Uhm sorry, bro…I sorta tripped…” Luigi rubbed the back of his neck nervously out of habit.
“It’s-a no problem, Luigi. We’re-a gonna be late though.” Mario replied sternly, hoping they wouldn’t upset the client. They really did need this money.
Luigi’s shoulders slumped over at the thought of disappointing his older brother, and costing them their first job of the month. Their mom didn’t work, and their stepfather was getting too old to leave the house much. Everything relied on them!
“Leave it to me, Mario! I know a short-cut!” Luigi offered, hoping to make up for his delay in the time.
Mario rolled his eyes and glanced at his wristwatch again. The last thing he needed was one of Luigi’s “detours” but they needed to make up for lost time. Then again, Luigi’s route could end up taking them LONGER.
One look at his younger brother’s eager face though crumbled his plea of, ‘Let’s just follow the regular trail!’ and he gave in, following him onto a dirt road near a Mushroom Villa shop.
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Meanwhile, the castle was in utter celebration, for the birthday of their glorious princess. She had just turned eighteen, and there was a parade all up and down the castle path. Trumpets bleated and confetti was tossed everywhere. It was a happy occasion that signified the growth of their princess into a young woman, who someday might rule over them.
Peach had fortunately, turned out nothing at all like her mother. She was kind to those in need and hopeful for a better future for immigrant workers. She never turned up her nose at those different from her. And she was beautiful as well. For the most part, she was left alone in her room. The Queen had trained her in royal-like behavior. However, after the King’s death, her daughter was no longer a primary interest, as she reminded her so much of her husband. She grew distasteful of her own daughter and took to leaving her in Toadsworth’s care. He loved Peach so much, that he complied, and was happy to do so. It was the last shred he had of his friend, the King. He had never told her the truth, of his adultery. He felt it best to not cause her any pain or heartbreak over her father. In truth, the Queen hadn’t allowed anyone to mention the former King. Over time, he was almost forgotten.
Peach was so curious as to why. She wanted to know more about her father. She was contained so often. Growing up in such an environment never caused her to question it. She simply thought, that was what all princesses had to do. Stay inside and learn how to be princesses.
She couldn’t have been more wrong.
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About a few miles away nested the Darklands, deemed a fitting name by the Queen herself. No one from the Mushroom Kingdom went there of their own free will. If they did something to anger the Queen, they were banished there, to live with the koopas, goombas, and any other she deemed unfit to live in her kingdom. Since then, they seemed to have formed their own kingdom, although it was hard to adapt as most of the land was built around an active volcano. Magma ran everywhere.
Kamek had tried his best to form something out of nothing, so to speak, as well as keep his word to his former Lord, who had been killed almost twenty years to date. He raised the orphaned dragonkoopa child to the best of his ability, which wasn’t much seeing as how he’d never been a father before. The boy was almost like his father in every way, and filled with even more anger upon hearing Kamek reveal his legacy to him. He grew hateful of the Queen who had killed his father, and cast them out to rot in these lands. He decided, that when he grew older, he’s repay her for all the trouble she’d caused. He became the ruler of the Darklands, as his father was so greatly looked up to by the koopas who had been banished there with him. He decided that his name would always be remembered throughout Plit, as he would conquer every kingdom that stood in his way. Koopas would no longer be cast out and away and looked down upon. He’d gather an army to storm the Mushroom Kingdom and take revenge. His name would be known throughout every corner of the world. King Bowser, they would say, before they died.
