There I was, in all my glory, a fair ruler if ever there was one. The task before me was long and arduous, but I had no fear. I was ready. With the ascension complete and the coronation still to come, I looked upon my people- for the first time, that day, these were my people- and promised them a new age of wealth and happiness; that we as a race would emerge from the darkness, that the pestilence upon the land would be vanquished, and my people would forever prosper.
Where did it all go wrong?
In hindsight, I suppose I am just as much to blame for the downfall of our homeland as anyone else- the Goombas, Peach, even Mario. Yet it should never have come to this, it didn't have to end this way. Rather than live up to my duties as king, I was the victim of a chain reaction- caught in a never-ending chain of fools, and me, believing I could still put the world right- I was the lead fool, the weakest link in the chain.
All we needed to ensure our invincibility was the complete and total alliance of the Goombas, who of course had just fought a power struggle with the Mushroom Kingdom. But once again, diplomacy fails us, and as an increasingly large amount of their race sided with that same kingdom, I weighed my options. In the end, I did the only thing I thought I could do to put things right. How wrong I was- if I only knew what was to come of that plan, believe me, I'd have dashed it in an instant.
I decided it was best to give the frail system of diplomacy a second chance by arranging to meet Peach, the Mushroom Kingdom princess, at my castle to discuss the fate of the Goombas and our national borders in private. And… well, who can really say what arose from that confrontation? Perhaps the Mushroom Kingdom really did interpret my plea as an attack, or perhaps that princess had planned to stab me in the back right from the start of that meeting.
No one knows what happened then. What followed led my people to utter ruin.
For without warning, the Mushroom Kingdom staged an all-out attack on the Koopas. Toads were running amok in the once-peaceful streets of this Koopa Kingdom. And of course, that Mario… that wretched Mario… when I first encountered this face, little did I know that face would go on to haunt my dreams.
When I looked back on what remained of my kingdom, it was all I could do to conceal my sorrows. Men, women and children slaughtered, and to what end? How could I have let this happen?
But I know better now. Diplomacy is a failed system. The only answer is war- even resorting to kidnapping a few princesses. Yet in spite of everything, I still believe in a glorious future for the Koopas- and perhaps, I am just as much a fool for doing so as anyone else.