Into the Darkness [Mario Au]

Prologue Part 1: Bitter Goodbyes

Ludwig Von Koopa turned away from the window to face 6 out of 7 of his siblings. He had just received a letter in the mail with the royal coat of arms on it, meaning it was very important. It was his father's handwriting. He could tell by the sloppy cursive he always signed documents with, unlike the neat print of a typewriter most other politicians used to talk with his father. Inside that envelope contained a message that would flip Ludwig's life forever.

Ludwig,
As you know, I and Junior have gone on vacation for the week, however, something rather unexpected came up. You warned me about my impulses, saying that they would be my downfall, and I didn't believe you. You were only 10 at the time, anyway. But you were right. I have made a grave mistake, one that will affect your life as well as your brothers and sister as well. I need you to scatter and hide. You've already heard rumors of an invasion, and one is coming. Pack the essentials, say your goodbyes, and then split up. Please. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when I should've been.

Sincerely,
Your dear father.

"Well? What does it say?" Wendy asked Ludwig as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Erm... you all remember the rumor of the Mushroom Kingdom invading us?" Ludwig asked his siblings, nervous about what their reactions would be after hearing that their father had doomed the kingdom.

"You're not going with this where I think you are," Roy said, clenching his fists in anger.

"I'm afraid so," Ludwig told Roy, waiting for the explosion.

The room fell silent for a few moments, before erupting.

Wendy was screaming how much she hated her daddy, even though she was crying, worried sick for him.

Larry just stood there, a blank expression on his face.

Roy yelled in anger and began to trash the room, flipping over furniture and punching the walls in anger.

Morton just looked at Ludwig with a confused expression on his face. He didn't feel as much hurt as he did loss.

Lemmy was incredibly sad and nestled his face in a pillow in an attempt to mute the sound of his sobs.

Iggy started laughing, not believing it was true. "Good one, Luddy! Never knew you could have a sense of humor!" But one look at Ludwig's face told him that he wasn't joking. The smile slowly morphed into shock, and he turned to try and comfort Lemmy.

As the voices quieted down, Ludwig cleared his throat to get his sibling's attention. "Even worse, father says we must split up to make it difficult for them to find us."

He braced himself for another eruption, fearing the worse. Instead, it began to rain. Most of the Koopalings began to cry, save for Ludwig and Roy. Ludwig again waited for the storm to calm down, before continuing. "We must leave at the quickest available time, so pack the bare essentials, then say your goodbyes."

Lemmy clung to the couch, shaking his head. "No! I'm not leaving!"

Ludwig stared at him, a hint of sympathy in his eyes. He walked over to Lemmy and put a hand on his shoulder. "But if you don't leave us for a little bit, you may never see us again. It'll all be over soon, and eventually, you can reunite with us," he reassured Lemmy in a soft voice.

Lemmy rubbed his nose and looked up at Ludwig, his eyes shining with tears. "Pinky promise?" He asked Ludwig, raising up his pinky.

"Pinky promise," Ludwig repeated, giving Lemmy a soft smile. He walked back to his position in front of the window to continue giving orders. "We will adjourn for ten minutes to pack up, before meeting up by the front door to leave. Do I make myself clear?" Ludwig asked the group in his "no bullcrap" voice.