So considering you're most likely reading this as the first thing, PLEASE continue to read before you exit out of this page! As I will mention in the Author's Note way down below, this story will have seasons. Season II will be coming soon, but you will NOT need to have read Season I (this season) to read it. You can read any that you want in any order as they all have different storylines! Very exciting indeed! Now... Let the prologue begin!

The appearance of one should not deem who one truly is. Sparkly eyes to a pretty smile, everything is false. A demon's true identity is always hidden behind a mask. But for the events that are about to unfold, identity is truly nowhere to be found. In this town, everything happens for a reason.

~ Behind A Mask ~

Season I, Salem

Prologue

The cold gales blow through the skies as a thick, rope noose hangs from the oak tree in the middle of the quiet village. All twelve houses stand tall in a ring, each facing towards the middle where the tree grows. Mayor Mario wakes up earlier than usual for the big day. A thin slice of bread and a glass of milk fresh from his cow is all he's hungry for. The feeling in his home is gloom, his mind locked onto everything that might possibly happen today. He fixes his collar in the mirror and puts on his top hat before leaving his house. Down the paved pathway and into the middle of the village, he rings the bell propped up on a wooden post. He watches as curtains pull back in every window and the townsfolk scurry outside not long after.

From Pacman to Peach, all twelve are here. They stand in a curved line, some standing hand in hand. The silence among the group is unbearable for most. After all, this is the time that the torture would possibly end, but it is also the day that their loved friend could be gone forever. Captain Falcon, the jailor, walks her out of the small jail next to the mayor's house with his head down, the prisoners' wrists bound together with cuffs. The town glares at her in disappointment, but Mario isn't having any of it. His face could offer death, just like his brother Luigi's stare. Falcon props her up on a small, wooden stool just beside the dangling noose that hangs from the towering tree.

"Lady Palutena, you face trial today for reports of witchcraft," Mario begins after coughing heavily. "In the conclusion that the vote deems you guilty of your accusations, you shall face execution. You may now plead your case."

Palutena lightly fixes the position of her golden headpiece. "Shall I get one last moment with my staff before my inevitable death?"

Some gasp, some shyly cry at what used to be their best friend, but once again Mario stares in anger. His eyebrows arching. "Plead your case," he growls. "Well, I am no witch. I am a Goddess. A Goddess of Light. I am not here to spread hatred. I am a pure soul here to spread good," she says. "But you think I'm a witch."

"You are a witch!" Zelda shouts out. "You made the cattle go crazy with your mind spells! You made Link watch as his house burned down, only to soon find that it was all an illusion! You're causing pain to everyone!"

Palutena chuckles. "Zelda, I thought we were best friends.."

"Yes, we were. But not anymore, you devil," Zelda replies. Palutena stops laughing an glares at her like a hawk. "Is that so?"

Her body fades and she shifts through the air, landing on the ground, the pair of handcuffs dropping onto the wooden stool. Everyone gasps, Mario slowly stepping backwards off of his podium.

"I beg for your apology..."

All eyes stare at Zelda. She feels the pressure building on her shoulders, but she's not going to let anyone tell her to apologize. "No, bitch witch. Hang her already!"

Falcon begins to approach the Goddess slowly, and she sticks her hand out towards him without stopping to turn to him.

"Just a moment..."

A green, swirling mist begins to flow and flicker from the tips of the womans' fingers. The smokey gas flows through the air, and when the woman shrieks from the top of her lungs, the substance shoots straight towards Zelda. Like a dagger to the heart, it makes her stumble backwards and collapse. She grasps on her chest as the magic covers her body.

In almost an instance, oxygen turns into a blazing fire. Life flashes before her eyes and the devil appears in her sight. Wielding an axe, the sharply-pointed, red wings disappear on his back and he lands on the earth's surface. Flames swallow her and she watches in horror as the entire town is engulfed in flames.

"Zelda, what's wrong? Are you okay?!" the town shriek, but she's in no state to listen. Her mouth fully open, her pupils shrunk into the size of ants; she looks like she's seen a ghost. Doctor Mario pushes his way past Toon Link and Pacman and stares in shock. "I- I don't know what's happening to her.."

The tension among the group grows, as they know that not even the most medically intelligent being among them doesn't know what's going on. Heads turn back towards Palutena and everyone immediately shouts one thing: "Hang the witch!"

They chant the verse over and over again as Bowser, Falcon and Little Mac push her up onto the stool and tighten the noose around her neck. Not a single tear drops from her eyes, only a dirty smirk on her face. Everyone falls silent as Mario begins to count downwards from five.

"Five, four-"

"Diabolus est hic. Diaboli est in eam. Diabolus simul dominentur!" she screams out in pain, almost like she's getting stabbed repeatedly.

"Diabolus est hic. Diaboli est-"

The stool is kicked from under her feet and the noose holds her up strongly. She claws at the rope pushing against her neck and she slowly begins to stop. Her face glows a light purple and her eyes fade black. Her pale skin crispens and cracks into ash, blowing off into the air. Darkness begins to fill the sky as her life is being taken. Her whole body crumbles from head to toe, and not anything remains of her.

"Somebody help me carry her!" Doctor Mario shouts. Zelda's loving husband Link and the doctor carry her twitching body into the doctor's house. Doctor Mario swipes the jars and cuttlery of his kitchen table onto the floor with one flick of his cape and they lay Zelda down.

"I recommend you stay for the night. We need to save her quickly," Doctor Mario says. "I have a spare room out the back for patients."

Link organizes with Pacman to let his son, Toon Link, stay for the night and he heads back to Doctor Mario's home.

"She'll be fine!" Pacman exclaims. "Trust me. She'll be back to herself by tomorrow morning."

"I'm not sure.." Toon Link says. "My mother has always got into sticky situations in her past, and I don't think she's going to get out of this one. Palutena was a witch and she place some sort of curse on her!"

Mario slowly steps inside his lifeless home, plonking down at his kitchen table. He taps repeatedly on the wood as he tries to make out what's just happened.

Palutena was a witch...

She done something bad to Zelda...

Now we're at risk of losing a town member...

He heads out into his back yard into the fenced off patch of land. His big cow Moorio sits on the wet grass, chewing slowly on the dying daisies. Mario would usually have something to shout at this point, but not today. What's the point? Everything's going too horribly that he could care less for daisies. But not if it was the slow, evergrowing peach tree that's barely spurted from the ground. He loves peaches.

Why does Doctor Mario get to marry Peach when he's only a side character?

A light pouring of rain falls from the sky and he heads back inside. He stares out the window off into the darkness.

Why is it so dark if it's only morning?

He's even more worried that it only got dark when Palutena was hung. He looks out past the old well where they fetch their water, and off into the distance. Clouds cover the tops of mountains as the rain gets heavier.

What if he could find more to this world than just this town? Who were here before him? The town had to be built by someone, after all. But by who?

It doesn't really matter to him, though. All he wants is a new place to live. A happy place to live.

He just wants to get away from Salem.

Author's Note:

Hello! I really hope you all enjoyed the prologue to this story! Unfortunately, this is just a sort of teaser/test chapter to see who is interested in it. Basically, if you liked this and want more, leave a quick review and follow/favorite the story. The review doesn't have to be lengthy, just one quick sentence giving me your opinions. I will be leaving this story up here for a few weeks as I have one other story I am writing as part of a contest and another story I need to finish which has been up for a few months now.

And just so you know, this story is going to be very unique. There are small teases and clues throughout this chapter which will lead to the plot of this story, but that's not to be revealed just yet. Let me just state that there's more than just the Palutena and Zelda incident. In fact, that's just a sub-plot.

This story is going to have a weird format. There will be SEASONS to this story. Yes, like seasons on a TV show. For the first season, it's all about... Salem! The next season will be interesting but I'm not going to give it away. I'm currently planning for there to be around seven chapters per season. Yes, the prologue counts as one of the seven chapters so there's only going to be six more in this season. Wait, MockingClove, only six more to tell a story?! Yes. These seasons are going to be pretty short.

Also, the title is 'Behind A Mask,' so all of these seasons will have a mystery/horror/drama theme going on. There's secrets.. Lies... Death... NO SPOILERS!

So I hope you all stay tuned for the first real chapter, and it will have POVs of the characters! This third person perspective is very new to me as I barely write with it, so please understand that this may not have been perfect. I'll be back in my old boots for the rest of this so the writing will be better, and there will be more character development.

Thank you all so much for reading this, bye!