Summary: Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was an evil kingdom with a young prince sitting on top. Even with a devoted lookalike serving him and most of the kingdom's wealth, the selfish prince could never be content. However, when he declares war on a neighboring kingdom, the people reach their breaking point. What greater punishment for this wicked heart than death? Based on Vocaloid's Story of Evil. MarioxPauline with a side of PeachxPauline. Rated T for character death.

It was a beautiful summer day when our story began. In the kingdom of Sidonia, the queen of the land had given birth to two twin boys. Queen Lillian wore an expression of weary joy on her face as she held her newborn sons. King Marco stood beside her. With a smile, he said, "Welcome to this world, Mario and Louie."

However, this joy was short lived. While changing the boys' diapers, a maid had discovered a birthmark on the back of Louie's neck in the shape of a bird. This instantly reminded her of an ancient prophecy, which the kingdom dreaded.

A royal child with the mark of a bird

His frame lean and tall

Beware for in his lifetime

This lovely kingdom will fall

This brought fear among the castle staff, but the boy's parents weren't deterred. King Marco scoffed at the thought of his baby bringing harm. "It's just a poem. Something written by our enemies to scare us, most likely those dirty Netsumas." Still, he saw how the prophecy affected the staff and ordered them to keep the birthmark a secret.

It was a good thing for the twins, as Mario and Louie were inseparable. Though Mario had a radiant and outgoing personality, Louie was more reserved and shy. Still, their opposite personalities balanced out and the boys simply loved each other.

Unfortunately, no one could have prepared for what came next. When Mario and Louie were five years old, a plague swept the kingdom of Sidonia, taking their father with it. Mario, who had a strong bond with his father, was never quite the same after that. Tears ran down his face at the funeral, but aside from that, he became quiet and reserved. Not even Louie could make him smile.

Porfirio Martinelli was a loyal soldier who knew the king and queen well. Along with the loss of his friend, the plague took his beautiful wife. He sat in a bar while he hired help to look after his son. Taking a gulp of his beer, he sighed and looked around. His eyes landed upon a table of three privates that he helped train.

"This is terrible. The plague has taken our family and friends, yet the Queen is doing nothing about it," The tallest one muttered.

"I bet she has the cure," The second one added. He was the youngest with red hair and freckles.

"No, if she did, then King Marco wouldn't have died. She's not power hungry or greedy…" The last one said. He had a long scar on his cheek.

Porfirio watched the men, having nothing better to do. The redhead narrowed his eyes. "I think I know the cause of all of this. It's that boy of hers, Louie…"

The tall one laughed. "For a second, I thought you were talking about Mario. Sometimes, I forget that little runt is even hers."

Porfirio frowned. He had spoken with Louie a few times. The boy was polite and even quite friendly.

"You may be onto something. Do you remember the prophecy?" The one with the scar added.

"Maybe if we got rid of him...Then everything will return to the way it once was," The tall one said.

"There's a chance," The scarred man agreed. "Besides, who would care if he died?"

Porfirio stared at them before taking a long drink, finishing his beer. He stood and left. The soldier wasn't sure if they were serious or if the alcohol was making them say things they didn't mean. Either way, he had to speak to the queen about this. Who knew how many people agreed with them? As he headed to the castle, he formed a plan to save Louie's life.

That evening, Porfirio went into her quarters and bowed. "Milady."

Queen Lillian looked up. Prince Louie was present as well, cuddled up next to his mother as she read a book to him. She smiled. "Ah, Porfirio. Just give us a minute."

"I'm afraid this is urgent," He said with a frown. "May I speak to you in private?"

"Very well." Lillian smiled at Louie. "Give us a moment, my dear."

The boy got up and left the room. As soon as he shut the door, Lillian stood with a concerned look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Milady, I overheard a small group of privates talking. They spoke of assassinating Louie."

Her eyes widened. "What!? Just speaking of such a thing is enough to be considered treason!" Her look hardened. "I want these men thrown in the dungeon at once!"

Porfirio frowned. "I will see to it that these men are punished. Unfortunately, that will not solve the problem of that innocent child being blamed for something he has nothing to do with. You know that he has the mark."

"But the prophecy isn't true! What proof do you have of these things being more than just mere coincidence?"

"My queen, if we don't do something about this, Louie could get hurt. Killed, even. We must do something to protect him."

Lillian's look softened. She sighed. "What do you suggest I do?"

Porfirio took a deep breath, knowing she wouldn't receive this well. "I would like to adopt him."

She gasped. "What!?"

"I shall give him an alias and raise him as my son."

Lillian stared in silence for a moment. "Why would you suggest something like that!? I can't just give him up! Mario loves his brother with all his heart and so do I! I've already lost one love of my life; why must I lose another!?"

"I understand where you're coming from. I have son of my own at home. Not to mention...Tragedy has taken my wife away. However, if we don't do something now, Louie will suffer for it."

"But Mario will miss him so much and he'll grow even more upset!"

Porfirio grinned. "Not necessarily. Our sorceress, Madame Kamilla, can alter the memories of the townspeople...And your son's as well."

The door creaked. Their eyes landed on the small Prince Louie. He blinked, tears in his eyes. "Mama?"

Lillian turned. "Louie? How much of that did you hear!?"

Apparently, he heard enough. Louie burst into tears. "I-I don't want Mario to forget me! He's my brother. I love him!"

The queen opened her arms. "Oh, come here, my son. My Louie."

Louie went to his mother and cried. After calming down a bit, he turned to the soldier. "Will Mama forget me too?"

"No. I will ask Kamilla to leave the queen's memories unaffected."

Lillian took a deep breath. When she spoke again, she was quiet. "I'll have to think about this. I need a moment. Alone."

Porfirio approached the boy. "My liege. I believe it's time for bed anyhow."

They both left the room, but they couldn't miss the sound of the queen sobbing alone.

The next morning, Porfirio was there to wake the prince. "Louie." The boy opened his eyes sleepily. The man gave a melancholy grin. "We have to go. The queen believes you will be safer with me."

Louie froze. Suddenly, he was wide awake.

Porfirio gave him a box. "Change into these, and quickly. Kamilla will change your brother's memories as soon as he wakes up. Everyone except your mother and I will have to forget about you, I'm afraid."

Louie winced, but nodded and took the clothing. The soldier left the room so Louie could change. The boy did so and glanced at his sleeping brother one last time. He went to him and hugged him.

Mario opened his eyes and smiled. "Hi, Louie."

Louie forced himself to smile back. "Hi."

"What are you doing up so early? It's still dark…"

"I know. I just wanted to let you know that I love you."

Mario yawned and closed his eyes again. "I love you too, Louie."

The boy in green bit his lip. "I have to go...But I'll be back, okay?"

"When?"

"Soon."

Mario grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders. He must have assumed Louie was only going to get a drink or maybe he was too tired to question it. Whatever the reason, he only replied, "Okay. Bye, Louie."

Tearing up, Louie said, "Bye." He left the room and saw Porfirio waiting for him outside the door. "Let's go."

The soldier took the young prince to the ballroom, where his mother was waiting. Her eyes were red and puffy. Lillian gave her son a warm embrace. "I'll write to you as soon as I can. Don't forget your mother loves you very much."

"I'll miss you, Mama," Louie replied. He let go and turned away, leaving the castle. As soon as he got into the carriage, Louie began to cry once more.

The man in purple wrapped an arm around him. "Don't worry. It will be alright. You and your family will reunite one day. Think of this as a short trip. Or even a new life."

Louie calmed down, reduced to sniffling. "A new life?"

"Yes. Speaking of which, a new life needs a new name."

"I suppose so..."

Porfirio thought for a moment. "What do you think of Luigi?"

While Louie, now called Luigi, adjusted to life outside of the palace, Mario lived a life of luxury. It broke the queen's heart for Mario to have no memory of his brother, but he grew close to his small dinosaur, Yoshi, as if to make up for it. Lillian wrote to Luigi often and even visited him a few times a year while concealing her identity in front of Porfirio's son, Waluigi. The boy in green didn't get along with him nearly as well as his real brother, but Luigi did his best to get on Waluigi's good side. At the very least, he kept out of his way.

However, even with Luigi gone, the country was still poor and worn down from the plague and numerous taxes. In an effort to save the kingdom, Queen Lillian ordered invasions on their enemies: the Netsuma Clan and the kingdom of Adiremeth, known for its wealth. The Netsumas were driven out while the annexation of Adiremeth was successful.

Unfortunately, this meant that King Richard and Queen Rose died in the invasion along with hundreds of loyal subjects. As far as the living knew, the Sidonian general, Bowser Koopa, was cruel enough to murder Princess Azalea, who was only a child. However, there wasn't much they could do and they too had to adjust.

In nine years time, Mario and Luigi had grown to be handsome young men. Luigi's heart shattered when he heard that Queen Lillian was assassinated by a citizen of Adiremeth. This meant that now Mario was the head of government, even at 14 years old. However, out of respect for his mother, he put the coronation on hold until his eighteenth birthday.

The assassin was caught and Mario instantly had him executed at the public square. Though the man was responsible for the death of a woman he loved, Luigi averted his eyes as the blade whistled down. He noticed a bird in the sky as he heard the deafening CHOP!

A week after the assassin's execution, Porfirio approached Luigi. "My son."

Luigi turned. "Yes, Papa?"

"I'm worried for Mario. Not only has he lost his mother, but now he's in charge of Sidonia."

The boy narrowed his eyes. It always made him jealous that he had to be away from his brother while Porfirio got to see Mario all the time. As much as it pained her for them to be apart, the queen thought it would be too suspicious to invite a peasant to spend time among the royal family. "He has a parliament of lords. He won't be king until he's an adult."

"But ultimately, Mario has the final say in everything. He has grown quite harsh in the time you've been away. He's not quite the boy you remember, Luigi."

Luigi frowned and turned away. "Why are you telling me this?"

"The assassin was the queen's servant for a short period of time. The prince needs someone to take his place. I believe you may be just what he needs."

The boy in green felt his heart soar. However, it sunk when he remembered the truth. "He won't remember me."

"But you're not like him. You're kind and gentle and-"

Luigi couldn't stand to hear this anymore. "Okay. I-I'll do it. I'll serve him, if only to see him again."

"He still can't know who you are."

"That's fine," He lied.

His heart raced as he returned to his former home. He stepped out of the carriage, holding Porfirio's hand like he hadn't grown since the last time he was there. He was nervous around everyone he met, as if someone might recognize him and try to hurt him. However, when he saw someone he thought he recognized, they stared back blankly with no recognition in return.

As they approached the palace room, Luigi did his best to keep his emotions inside. He managed to keep his face blank while his stomach turned. He hoped he wouldn't get sick. Still, what would he say? What could he say after all these years? He couldn't just greet him as if nothing had ever happened between them! No. That was exactly what he had to do. The better question was...How could he pretend that he had never known that innocent boy in red?

Porfirio opened the door to the throne room and Luigi walked in beside him. This was where Mama and I said goodbye. He shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the present. He noticed a boy sitting on the throne who had a similar face as him. He sat with his head slumped against the front of his hand, a bored expression on his face. The boy wore fine red attire and a gold crown on his head. One could even see the beginnings of a mustache sprouting on his upper lip.

Mario's eyes met his own. Luigi bit his lip. The prince sat up straighter, his eyes focused on his twin. "Is that him?"

"Yes," Porfirio replied. He gestured to Luigi. "Prince Mario, meet my adoptive son, Luigi."

Luigi bowed. "My prince." As he lowered his head, he couldn't help but tear up. He resisted the urge to go up to his brother and give him a giant hug. He had grown so much in so little time.

Mario grinned. He stood and ran up to Luigi. The boy in green grew tense, but Mario beamed at him. "Porfirio, do you see the resemblance between us?"

The soldier grinned knowingly. "I would be lying if I said I didn't."

"Have him fitted at once!"

The man in purple nodded. "Yes, sir!"

With that, Porfirio took Luigi to a bubbly maid named Mimi. A skilled fashion designer, the girl had clothes tailored for the prince himself. Taking his measurements, Mimi asked, "Luigi, have you noticed how much you look like the prince?"

Luigi scratched the back of his head. "Some people have noticed. Even the prince commented on it!"

Mimi grinned. "Well, be careful around him. He has a bit of a temper sometimes. He's called me a babbling idiot once or twice."

The boy in green furrowed his brows. He couldn't imagine the cheerful man in the throne room calling her that, but he chose to take the maid's word for it. He would have to be careful around an angry Mario.

When Luigi returned to the throne room, Mario clapped his hands with glee. "Oh, you look great, Luigi!"

Luigi grinned. "You think so?"

Mario nodded. "Uh-huh!" He grinned deviously and walked closer to him. "In fact…" He tapped his shoulder and ran away, laughing. "Tag! You're it!"

Luigi grew tense. "What!? Mario! Er...My prince!" Not sure what to do, he ran after Mario. The prince who was supposed to be cold had laughed joyfully. Porfirio watched, confused. Soon, Luigi caught up to Mario and grinned. "Tag!" He said, tapping him on the back and running away. He felt like a small child again.

The prince frowned. "Luigi!" He said with the stomp of his foot. He chased after him. "Come back or I'll have you beheaded!"

Luigi froze. "Y-You don't really mean that, do you?"

Just then, Mario tackled Luigi in a hug. The new servant cried out before looking at his master. Mario smiled. "I'm dead serious!" With that, he burst out laughing. Luigi couldn't help but join, happy tears in his eyes.

Porfirio decided to intervene. "My liege, it's 3 o'clock."

Mario gasped and stood, getting off of Luigi. "Oh my! It's tea time!"

Luigi stood and brushed himself off. "Allow me, my prince!"

The boy clapped his hands. "Thank you, Luigi! Oh, and please prepare brioche as well! Pretty please!"

"Anything for you!" Luigi said with a smile. And this time, I won't let anything tear us apart.

Donkey Kong was released on July 9th, 1981 in Japan and July 31st, 1981 in America, so I figured a summer birthday would suit the twins.

In the original story, Len's character, Prince Alexiel, had to go by the name Allen. That's why I made up the name Louie for Luigi. I'm not sure why the twins separated in the original version, but I think the mark thing appears in one version of the story.

Porfirio means purple in Italian. Though Wario is usually Waluigi's brother in my stories, I decided to make them friends in this one.

Although I made up my own kingdom names (or took them from a kingdom generator), I left the Netsuma Clan the same. A member of the clan will be important later. And no, Bowser didn't murder a child. He's mean, but not THAT mean. Princess Azalea will appear in this, albeit under...A different name. (However, I do love the name Azalea. I think I'll adopt a girl one day and change her name to that.)

-Colorful and Free