The Story of the Life of a Hero
Mario's Past
By Saul
a.k.a. Mario's Alterego
On a dimension parallel to Earth, a place named Mushroom World existed. Twins, pretty different to be, were delivered to a house. They were named Mario and Luigi after a premonition of the Toad High Priest of the small village, which was confirmed with the caps they wore. But the boys mysteriously disappeared just the day before their toadstool baptism, where they would be given their own unique spore to wear each.
The following day, a cloaked figure appeared over the village. It seemed to summon all his might to the horror of the inhabitants. Then, a huge fire turned the entire village to ashes. The mage, a magikoopa indeed, died by the use of a spell too powerful for him to use. Nothing was left of the village, which never was really known in the whole of the Mushroom World. Many villagers were never seen again, including the priest and the twins' parents. The magikoopa, having left an order of koopa mages to guard the future of his own domain, perished happily thinking he had got rid of the only menace his premonitions had told him there was to the Koopa Kingdom. His name was Kamek.
.
On a similar village on the country of Italy, Earth of this dimension, the rain showered heavily. Despair rained on a family house. The Italian couple living in there had tried to have children from many years ago, and finally the woman had gotten pregnant, but the baby had just aborted. The woman cried and locked up on her room, she was arriving at her thirties and it would be even harder for her to bore children. The man didn't know what to do, the big house he had made build was so lonely, when he heard a knock on the door.
The Italian carpenter opened the door. A flash of lightning revealed a short man, with a mustache and a weird big mushroom hat on his head standing on the door. He carried a pair of babies, wrapped in cloths on his arms. "My name's Toad the Fourth. I beg you to take care of these babies; their names are Mario and Luigi. They are in great danger in their homeland and have a destiny to fulfill. Please, take them," the man said giving the babies to the confused Italian. He staggered back, but saw the carpenter take the babies and close the door. The mushroomian wearily walked to a nearby river. The incredibly long trip, following the bare indications of a high priest, had taken way too much of him. He said, "This is for your future, son," before falling on the raging waters of the river.
The Mario Brothers grew up with no idea of the destiny they had even before of their birth, neither the lives it had taken to save them. The Italian carpenter took them as his own children, giving the needed joy at the house. No one in the family, ever, not even in private, mentioned the incident they were adopted. Mario and Luigi were very tied, and always went playing together. They always went to a nearby dead tree, and jumped among the branches. They both did this every day, many hours. Both developed an astonishing jumping ability with the years, a little lesser for Mario, whom loved Italian food and put on a couple of good pounds.
They looked Italian and grew up there, they were even alike his father, but why? No one ever suspected. But after the brothers were big enough to be on their own, Mario decided his future was in America. Luigi also dreamed of that place, New York to be exact. They moved to Brooklyn, found with some clothes that matched perfectly the caps they had since they could remember and opened a small carpentry store.
A few months passed. Mario fell in love with a girl from Little Italy he had known by the construction site he and Luigi were working at. Her name was: Pauline. Mario couldn't help a sigh every time he pronounced that name. It was Mario's first love, and he discovered he was pretty romantic indeed. He managed to bring her some flowers every day and they started dating.
But one morning, while Luigi had been sent to get some materials, Mario arrived to the construction site only to see a giant ape standing on top of the construction, holding Pauline trapped, defenseless. Mario didn't even hesitate to go there and start running up the construction. "Go jump man!" one of the watching workers cried, when Mario did one of his trademark jumps surpassing his own height to get to one of the rails.
The Kong noticed this and immediately started throwing barrels at him. Mario managed to get up to Pauline, but the stubborn monkey just took her again and went to another construction setting. Mario followed the monkey, braving the dangers he released three more times, until he cornered him atop an unfinished tower. Mario intelligently removed the supports that held the ape's ground, making it fall headfirst onto the heavy metal below.
Mario hurried to Pauline, and she did something he'd remember only too well in the upcoming years. She bowed and gave him a little kiss on his cheek (They were dating anyway). "Thank you Mario." she said. Mario, being actually shy, blushed. That would be the greatest moment Mario and Pauline had, because after that the relationship went down.
.
Pauline, having being one of the bravest girls Mario had seen, was now very scared sometimes. She got closer to Mario, but it was some kind of dependence, not what Mario liked, though he didn't really mind. She was traumatized. But when it was known "Donkey Kong", as it had been named could not be kept in the zoo, and would be released in the nearest ecosystem suitable for him (which was not pretty near anyway) that did it. Pauline decided to return to Italy.
"I will go with you." Was the only thing Mario could answer.
"But, you have a job, a life here. That's why you came."
"The main thing in my life is you Pauline. After finding you there's not much else to look."
Pauline smiled and gave Mario a single sweet caress. "But we're from different towns in Italy. Where will you stay? You can't change your life just because of me!"
"But I don't want to lose you!"
"Mario, please understand... I want to get away of all this. I think I'll just be a simple town girl with my parents."
"But Pauline... why can't we keep together?"
"Mario, it's better this way. I just want... to start again."
"But why? Is that monkey that has you afraid? Don't you know I'll be there for you?"
"Mario... no... I don't know..."
"Pauline," Mario said a phrase he would only say once in his life. "I love you."
Pauline moved her hand to her heart at the impact. She then put a finger over Mario's tender mouth and mustache. "I'm sorry Mario... I didn't know... but I'm sorry."
"Pauline..."
"I'm sorry..." Pauline went running off the street, crying, just as it started to rain. Mario never truly saw her again. He never knew where did she go. He was hurt, because he, Mario, he did love her! No one ever knew if Mario really got over this.
.
Mario arrived to the store destroyed. Luigi didn't even have to ask, but he neither was expecting it. He tried to comfort his brother as best as he could, but he wouldn't listen. "He'll pay" was Mario's response. Luigi was scared at the look on his brother's eyes. In general he was something he never had been and hopefully wouldn't again. He seemed evil.
Next day, without Luigi even noticing until it was too late, Mario loaded on the business truck all kind of materials. Ropes, big locks, whips, bananas. He even placed over the truck a steel cage as big as the truck itself. He headed for the jungle he knew the monkey had been placed into.
Mario managed to trap the giant monkey on the cage. He laughed as it cried in desperation. Mario came to think that if he got rid of the ape, Pauline would be back. Maybe he never really understood why she left him. Deep in his thoughts, Mario noticed a smaller monkey, somehow wearing a white baby suit, climbing to the place they were. Mario turned to emergency measures. He released the trained animals he had bought, called Snapjaws, but no use. The little monkey hastily dodged them, and freed the big one. Mario was forced to run.
But Mario's thirst for revenge wouldn't settle that easily. He trapped Donkey Kong again, being careful in bringing a bigger supply of Snapjaws and standing in a more inaccessible place, but to no avail. The junior monkey succeed again in freeing his father, as Mario later knew. As his enemy did before, he tried again and again, until the gigantic ape trapped him in its big hand when freed.
"Stop!" A gentle voice, but with an adequate tone, was heard. "Please set him down!" Mario recognized Luigi's voice. He had followed him all over. Luigi got closer and seemed to plead with the Kong to leave Mario. To the latter's surprise, the monkey looked at him then set him down, leaving with his son.
"Luigi..."
"Mario," interrupted the mentioned. "It's over. Don't ruin your life. You possibly know about it a lot more than me about it, but one thing I do know is that no woman is worth the world losing you."
Mario realized the monkey wasn't a villain after all, was he whom should be careful of not becoming one. He gave his brother a hug. "Let's go back."
.
Yet, Mario didn't recover so easily. He turned on to his work, but changed it. He quit the construction, along with his brother, and didn't really want to go out in the open unless necessary. They both dedicated themselves to the job of the plumber and the store was named "Mario Brothers' Plumbing" since Mario had got quite some recognition after facing a giant monkey by himself. Mario and Luigi found them very skilled in this craft, which joined with Mario's dedication, made them a name in the business.
Mario and Luigi were frequently hired for city jobs. They went deeper and deeper into the city's sewer system to places they didn't even know to exist. One day, in the most intimate of the pipes below Brooklyn, the brothers noted in astonishment a wild turtle-like creature coming out one of the pipes above them.
"What's that... shell creeper?" Luigi asked.
"I have no idea, brother." Mario answered, but when the creature gestured to attack them he knew he would have to do something. Then, more creatures started pouring out of the pipes. He and his brother, seemingly defenseless against the claws and beaks of the giant turtles, crabs and flies, found that they could flip them over by hitting them from below, then they could kick them off the way when they couldn't bite back.
The brothers were able to clean the area by using that technique, but meaning to find both the source of those creatures and get rid of them, got deeper and deeper into the sewer system, to places they hardly anyone knew. When they finished with the last of the monsters, lost forever in that unbelievable maze, they had arrived to the same place Toad the Fourth had came out decades ago. The entrance to the Mushroom World.
They found and entered the Mushroom Kingdom, explaining they came from far away and were lost. The Mushroom People didn't know of the prophecy, but welcomed the visitors. Mario and Luigi were surprised to meet this small people whom wore spore-like hats on their heads. There is nothing special about the Mushroom people, they could be classified as Homo Sapiens, only that by some reason, probably the dimension, they were likely to be short, generally small at everything and bald. That's why they hid they head with the spores calling themselves the Mushroom People, inhabitants of a place where mushroom grew to many sizes and had many different powers.
Princess Toadstool was to meet the strange visitors. The brothers had been told that the royal family was different from most Mushroom people, maybe that's what made them royal. A strange disease had killed most of the royal family members, so the princess was especially important to protect. Until she were of age to be queen, the chancellor governed over the land. The Princess learned how to rule and was usually very lonely.
"Hello. You must be Mario and Luigi." She said. She was charming and beautiful indeed, improved by that cute dress of hers. But Mario couldn't help only thinking of the remembrance she had to Pauline. When a man like Mario loves, he loves forever and with all his heart. And may never get up from a broken heart.
"Yes, we are." Luigi said, as his brother had kept quiet.
The attention of the Princess was drawn by an old woman, with gray spores, that spoke to her briefly. "Thanks, grandma," she said when the woman retired.
Luigi was perplexed. "If you'd excuse my intermission, your majesty, we thought you had no family."
"Oh, yes, they are gone." She said expressionlessly, all sadness hidden behind that trained face of hers. "She is just my nanny, but I have grew fond of calling her grandma. And I don't request those kind of formalities, though everyone insists on calling me Princess Toadstool."
Mario and Luigi stood at the castle, being people very far from their homes, and became good friends with the princess. Princess Peach Toadstool XVI could sometimes grow tired of the same small people calling her majesty and welcomed the change. And yes, Mario became much more talkative and trusty shortly.
But any happiness came to an abrupt end. The Koopa Kingdom, finally lead by the Mighty Bowser, attacked and kidnapped the princess, along with the seven mushroom retainers that tried to protect her. The brothers had came to know one of them, Toad the fifth, young and orphan of father since younger age.
"We must help them, Luigi!"
"I agree with you, brother, they helped and welcomed us, but what can we do?"
"We beat things like them back there in the pipes! We must try. I have to save the princess!"
"Mario... do you... like her? I saw the way you stared at her when we met."
"Luigi, it's no time to think in that. I don't know. Let's go!"
The brothers found their jumping ability enhanced in this new atmosphere. Almost effortlessly, Mario jumped over an enemy known as Goomba and crushed it under his feet. They also found by experience that there were items that would improve them, like the Super Mushroom (or was it called Magic Honge by then?) and the Fire Flower. They adapted easily and worked optimally, doing needed moves like punching above of them as they jumped automatically. This had a reason, no one knew it, but they were the destined ones, born to do this.
The point is that, after many trials, Mario was able to reach the last stand of Bowser, and defeat him almost getting crushed. The princess saw this, and marveled at the bravery of a man who risked himself just for her. Mario certainly wasn't the impersonation of good looks, but his actions made her, in the very least, admire him. "Thank you Mario." She said when he came to her, and out of gratitude, she leaned down and kissed him in the face, as a form of reward.
But to Mario, it reminded him of his lost forever love, Pauline. And his heart hurt. He was indeed fragile in the emotional sense. And his scarred heart wouldn't allow him to see what happened in the next months, when his continuos risking and adventuring to save the princess most of the times made her grow fonder of him every time. Out of any suitors she could have had, (not that she had much choice other than mushrooms) she would have chosen her protector Mario of all. But still, even if he noticed, Mario wouldn't risk his peace and happiness to love again.
And so it went, many spins gave their lives and that way was built up, the story of a hero. What awaits the future for them?
.
"Mario!
The power of the stars is restored to the castle.
And it's all thanks to you!
Thank you Mario.
We have to do something special for you..."
________________________________________________________________________
That's it. Hope you liked my work. As I hope you noticed, my theory is that those "things" about Mario that strange us and may cause us even make fun of, are the products of gaps left in order to hide the dark side of a seemingly perfect world. Luigi fans, sorry for giving Mario the protagonism, but I tried to mend it by making Luigi save his brother when needed. Don't ask me why did I qoute the end of SM64, I just felt like it. PLEASE send me your comments about the story, I trust it being in this excellent site will make it be read by a lot of people. See ya!
Saul a.k.a. Mario's Alterego
(esaulgd@telcel.net.ve)