Mario & Luigi

Prologue Pt. 2: Isolated but Beautiful

The Mushroom Kingdom, isolated but beautiful.

Hundreds of years ago, the plague had devastated Europe and killed millions of people. All hope was lost and the end of the world seemed so near. If the healthy would've stayed any longer on the surface they would have perished with the rest of humanity. With no other solution in sight, all around Europe, hundreds of those who were still not afflicted by the plague gathered their families, traveled far away from the cities where infection would thrive, and dug into the ground, hoping to find shelter beneath. They dug deep, until the light of day was but a flicker. The journey underground seemed endless, until...

"Aye, light!" Shouted one digger to the rest. "There's light below us!"

Excitement swelled as the pilgrims dug faster and faster. Then, the light from below lit up the tunnel, the pilgrims all came running out and they found themselves inside of a shallow cave which opened up to a lush, green countryside with tall, grassy plateaus and giant mushroom trees. A herd of tall herbivorous dragons ran freely across an open field in the distance. 

"Our new home!" The eager pilgrims cried out in amazement.

The pilgrims built their kingdom in the new world and migrated out to different other lands to spread their influence. The pilgrims set up branches in these lands, the first of these branches was called Sarasaland which was built upon the ruins of an ancient desert city. the kingdom of the giants was called Goliath, the kingdom scattered across a cluster of tropical islands was Oceanus, the kingdom that rested the heavens was Elysium, the kingdom frozen in ice and snow was Chionia and the capital city from which the Mushroom King watched over all the land rested in the Mushroom Kingdom, named for the mushroom-shaped trees the pilgrims discovered upon first looking out onto their new home and the indigenous, mushroom-like people with whom they made peace, the Goomba. 

About two centuries pass and the Mushroom Kingdom has stood the test of time through sickness, natural disasters, native conflicts and even civil war. However, one seemingly impassible hurdle for the kingdom has also survived the years: the Koopa Kingdom.

The Koopa were a race of reptilian creatures who reveled in bloodshed and war. Their leader was the murderous King Koopa, who legends say came down from the heavens wielding dark magic at his fingertips. He transformed prisoners of war into hideous creatures and used them as personal pets and war beasts.

The Mushroom Kingdom learned a new form of magic from the stars above. Learning this magic was strictly forbidden from all but the Mushroom Kingdom's royal family, so that those special techniques would not fall into the wrong hands. With this new magic, the Mushroom King defended the kingdom and defeated King Koopa.

The Koopa, seeing their leader fallen, surrendered and swore never to threaten the Mushroom Kingdom again. Therefore, the Mushroom Kingdom allowed the Koopa their freedom while keeping them under close watch. For a generation, the Koopa lived peacebly with the Mushroom Kingdom. However, the son of King Koopa, Ignatius, had learned his father's dark arts to keep his legacy alive. He passed down his knowledge onto future generations; then, it was during the reign of Ignatius' descendant Kamek, son of Roy, that the cold tension between the Mushroom and Koopa kingdoms had finally heated.

There was never a more terrifying sorcerer than Kamek since the original King Koopa. Kamek had rearmed and reinvigorated the kingdom to go out and finish the war they had started centuries ago. This time, the Koopa, with redefined purpose and twice fold enhanced strength, had the upper-hand in battle and the Mushroom Kingdom started to crumble.

Not wanting to see the war lost, Queen Rosalina Toadstool beseached her husband the king for the both of them to personally rally the troops in combat. He refused, not wanting to risk his and her life for the sake of the kingdom and their infant daughter, Peach. The queen, however, was willing to sacrifice herself for the kingdom.

"If we die, we die for the freeedom of our kingdom from destruction. Our daughter, young as she may be, will not rule over a wasteland.

Reluctantly, the king, giving in to the queen's stubbornness, agreed to accompany his queen into battle against the Koopa.

Their efforts were not in vain. For though both the king and queen were killed in battle, they had confronted and killed Kamek together, thus awarding the Mushroom Kingdom a narrow victory against the Koopa Kingdom.

The young Princess Peach-Blossom Toadstool reigns over the Mushroom Kingdom under the guidance of her right-hand counselor and caretaker Toadsworth. She has not come of the age of queenhood, which is twenty-two years of age, nor been engaged to future King.

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The Princess sat quietly at the balcony of her chambers, drinking tea and watching the white clouds float through the sky. She looked up and wondered what was still left of the world on the surface. Was it still rotting with pestilence and desolation? Had all the rest of humanity been wiped out? Had a cure been found, but no one from the surface came down to tell the good news?

"Do excuse my intrusion, Princess!" Toadsworth called from the other side of the door. "King Bowser of Goliath would like to have a personal conference with you. Are you available as of now?"

Toadsworth's call shook Peach out of her concentration. "Y-Yes Toadsworth. Let me take a few moments for proper preparation." She got up out of her chair at the tea table and exited the balcony.

"The Mushroom Kingdom. It seems so beautiful, yet so isolated." She whispered to herself. "I wonder what's been above us for so long?"