New Donk City, Many years Later.
*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP* Pauline's alarm clock went off with a loud and obnoxious ring. It was so loud she could it made her headaches start to kick in. Out of the massive pile of blankets on the bed stretched out a hand. It pushed the snooze button, but the alarm didn't turn off. She tapped the snooze button even harder, but no shutoff. Then the hand finally picked up the alarm clock and smashed it on the dresser, the alarm stopped.
Pauline stretched and stirred to life and sat up from her bed. She wore red silk pajamas and a sleeping mask over her eyes. Her chestnut brown hair was very messy due to all of her tossing and turning. She got up and stretched to life, she was wondering just one thing. 'What will today bring me?' She looked out the window of her apartment, it was a nice summer morning. The Pigeons were cooing and the flowers were starting to bloom.
She quickly got her morning routine out of the way, Shower, Brushed her teeth, and changed into her signature Scarlet red suit. She walked out of her room and walked down her hallway, passing a few framed items. Old Newspaper Articles Titled 'Local Plumber saves Woman from rampaging Gorilla!' and 'Former Mayor Forman Spike Arrested for Embezzlement and Neglagence'. Then there was her Diploma for Graduating Business School with honors. On top of a shelf in a small glass dome was the first toy she had ever designed for her Toy Company. It was a little robotic turtle with a windup key in its back.
She saw her phone vibrate and her ringtone was the New Donk City Anthem.
https/youtu.be/KmmNYTg-wSA
She picked it up and looked at the Caller ID. It was her assistant Ella. She quickly picked up her phone and answered.
"Good Morning Miss Pauline!" She said in her usually chipper voice.
"Good morning Ella. What's on today's agenda?"
"Well-" She pauses to look at something then resumed by saying "A book reading at New Donk Elementary School, Followed by a ribbon cutting opening the new Public Park, A Meeting with someone called...Kam-ech? Then finally a Meeting for the preparations for the New Donk City Music Festival." She said listing them all off
"Any Updates on the Rolling Blackouts?"
"The Repairman are trying their hardest, but as of right now there are no new updates Miss Pauline."
"Oh, That might be a problem later on. Keep me updated will you?"
"Of Course, Your Limousine will be here in a few short minutes." Ella said as she hung up.
She waited outside her apartment building, suitcase in hand.
The Book Reading to the Elementary Children went off without a hitch. She read a simple book called 'The Woman of the Stars'. It was a very bittersweet story, she even let one of the children sit next to her and read a few pages as well. She was a tad bit annoyed she had to read while all the reporters were continuously taking pictures and the flash was repeatedly in her and the children's eyes.
The Ribbon Cutting ceremony went off with a few hiccups here and there. The Scissors she used to cut the ribbon were incredibly dull to the point she had to cut a few times to completely cut it in half. Then there was the microphone issue witch made her go in and out of the sound. She was never good with technology.
They made it to the City Hall. The Fountain that was destroyed all those years ago had been replaced with a metal seal of the Earth and the Moon. On the front of the building was a historical landmark of sorts.
It was the site that Donkey Kong kidnapped Pauline. The crooked red girders now rusty and brittle, leftover barrels still standing, But the hammer used to smash the barrels was donated to the New Donk City Museum. In front of it was a Plaque that said 'Dedicated to the Jumpman, and a reminder of what New Donk City will never go back to.'-1981
She walked into the City Hall and took off her hat. Ella took her seat at her reception office. "Should I send Mr. Kam-eck in?" She asked.
"Give it a few minutes. I need to rest these bones." Pauline said as she sat in her desk chair. Feeling exhausted and kinda overworked. Sometimes the job of being Mayor of of the most popular City in the Metro Kingdom can take a lot out of a girl. Thank goodness her business partner Professor Evilin Gadd is looking after her Toy Company 'Pauline's Parcels'. Otherwise she would be completely overworked. She then briefly glanced at a specific drawer in her desk, that drawer has an item that belonged to someone from her past. She often kept it as a keepsake to remind her of two things. To remember where she came from and how hard she had to work to get where she is now, and to remember the thing she lost a long time ago.
She briefly opened the drawer and looked into it. The drawer typically had office supplies, a few discarded papers she forgot to give to Ella to file away, a small case of makeup in case she needed a quick touch up, then finally a red hat. She picked up the hat and looked inside of it and read the inscription written by the previous owner.
'To my 1-Up Girl! Always be the starlet I know you could be.'- Mario 'Jumpman' Mario
Some days, she had wished to beg him to stay that day she had to say goodbye. But she knew that would've been selfish on her part. She had to let him go with his brother to Iwatta knows where to find better opportunities with his brother. She just wished she kept in contact with him. Even if it were a letter a month.
"Miss Pauline!" She quickly shut the drawer "Can Mr. Kam-eck come in now, he's getting a little bit testy." Ella said. To Pauline she sounded a little bit intimidated.
"Oh, Of course. Send him in." She said
Pauline looked at the door as it opened. She sees a person wearing a Cyan colored suit. Somewhat of a standard for men in the business world. But the face was completely obscured by some kind of hood. The only visible part of his face were his glasses. Hands covered with black mittens and one hand was holding onto a cane with a glowing red gem embedded on the top. The stranger took a seat in front of Pauline's desk.
"Mr. Kam-eck" Pauline started.
"It's Kameck, actually." He said in a shrill masculine-ish voice.
"Mayor Pauline, I come from a Kingdom far away from here. I'm sure you heard of the Koopa Kingdom Correct?" Kamek asked
Pauline thought about it. She never really traveled to other kingdoms, nor has her Career as Mayor allowed her to learn at any point. That aspect was mainly covered by the Inter-Kingdom trading department.
"No, I haven't actually." She said
"Well then." He pulled a map out of seemingly nowhere and pointed out the Koopa Kingdom. It was a very long ways away across the ocean.
"I am the Royal Advisor to the Koopa Order and High ranking assistant to the Ruler of the Koopa Kingdom, King Bowser."
Pauline raised an eyebrow, She felt like half of those he made up.
"As of recent, King Bowser is getting married to a nearby kingdom's princess. The lovely Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom." He showed Pauline a picture of the Princess. Pauline looked at the picture and thought about how this Princess looks unrealistically beautiful. She looks like some character in a videogame!
"My King would like to use your city as advertisement for the wedding ceremony. He is willing to pay Top Coin for the advertisement." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single coin. He flipped it with his thumb and Pauline caught it. She looked at the coin and could feel the weight and feel of it. It was solid GOLD!
"How much ad space does this Leader of yours need?" She asked in a serious tone.
"All of it for the Next week."
"Absolutely Not." She said putting it down very fast.
Kamek went silent for a minute. She could hear his gloved hand tighten around his cane.
"Might I ask, why the sudden answer?" He asked, sounding with a very subtle tone of aggression.
Pauline sat up straight and said in her professional tone "I can allow a few ad spaces but not the entire city. That would be overwhelming to the citizens of New Donk not to mention incredibly unethical."
She flipped the gold coin, this time Kamek caught it.
"Well...how very unfortunate...My King will not be happy about this." He stood up from the chair and walked toward the office doors. "I should warn you now, my king will not take No for an answer. He can be very...persuasive." He opens the door. "Thank you for your time." He then left through the door but turned the wrong way.
Pauline got up and walked out to the hallway to tell him that was the wrong way. But all she found was an empty hallway, all she saw was some strange multicolored sparks in the air for a split second.
Pauline blinked for a few seconds in awe. Did Kamek really just...vanish?...Maybe she should switch to decaf.
"-And we will set up multiple jumbo screens all over the city, that way everyone in all different streets could see the performance of this year's singer...Whomever might that be. Do you approve Mayor Pauline?...Mayor Pauline?"
Pauline hasn't been paying attention to anything the event planner had said, this was usually the part of her job she particularly didn't enjoy. Dont get her wrong, she did like making big descisions, she just hated the whole boring meeting part.
"Mayor Pauline?" The planner asked a third time.
"Huh!? Oh yes it sounds like a wonderful plan." She said faking it.
"But Might I ask, Who's gonna be the main attraction?" Said the Head of Construction.
"I got a cousin that can do some pretty good Magic Tricks." Head of Sanitation suguested.
Everyone groaned at the idea.
"How about a stage play that portrays the History of New Donk?" The Head of Education suguested.
Everyone put thought into that. "Let's put a pin in that one." Pauline said
"Say...Miss Pauline. Didn't you sing in the Festival a long time ago?" Ella asked
Pauline quickly perked up after hearing that. She didn't want to remind everyone of that day! Mainly because it was very of traumatic for her.
"Oh yeah! She did! She sang with a lotta passion and a big and loud tone!" Head of Construction said as he remembered that day.
Pauline shot Ella a look. Ella mouthed the words 'Sorry'.
"That was one of the most profitable festivals of the 80's. Even after all the repairs from all the...damage our irresponsible previous Mayor had caused." Head of Education said
"Mayor Pauline? Would You do this performance again?" The Event planner asked.
Pauline looked at all of the anticipated faces of the City board. If there was one thing she hated doing, it was letting people down.
She let out a sigh and said "Alright, I'll do it."
"Excellent, I'll have flyers and posters printed immidiately." Head of Education said estatically.
What has Pauline got herself into?
Pauline Entered her apartment with an exhausted sigh. She took her hat off and put it on her hat rack. All she could think about at this very moment was to rest her head and go to sleep.
As she quickly changed into her pajamas, and as she thought back to how she now has to sing for the Festival. She could sing just fine...its just that since that day, she's been traumatized to sing in front of any major crowds. She always gets the bug in her brain that something will snatch her in the middle of the song and she begins to choke up.
As she lied down in her bed, she looked at a picture near her alarm clock. It was a picture of her and Mario when they went on their first date. It was at a restaraunt called 'Paizano's Italian Cuisine' She had the Fettuccine Alfredo with a side of salad. He had a simple plate of spaghetti. She remembered the food being terrible, but that didn't matter, the dinner started off as a 'Thank you' for saving her. But once she got to know him, she realized how good of a person he was. He was one of the many few honest men in the city of New Donk. All the guys she had dated before Mario were always jerks who were either complete gold diggers or simply just 'After that one thing.' But she was proven wrong when she met him. His plumbing business was one hundred percent legitimate, he takes care of his brother, then there was the fact that he risked his life to save her from an angry rampaging gorilla.
But sadly, her happiness couldn't last.
After Mario became famous for being 'The Jumpman'. His plumbing business completely skyrocketed. When Mario and Luigi made enough money, they decided to move on. It was really sad day for Pauline. But that day...is what lead her to the rest of her life.
She closed her eyes and slowly lulled herself to sleep.
Kamek was standing on top of one of the many tall buildings of New Donk. Now in his regular clothing. A lot of times he hated being the one doing things the diplomatic way. But of course, that responsibility always falls on him. His King will not be happy to hear this.
He pulled out his magic staff and waved it around in the air to channel his magic, when he charged it enough, he fired the spell at a nearby wall. It began to glow blue and the spell asked "Who would you like to Contact?"
"King Bowser." He said.
The screen flickered with static for a few seconds then it went dark. Piercing red eyes have opened up.
"Kamek, why have you disturbed my slumber?" A low, grumbling, deep voice asked
"My King, I have bad News. The Ruler of this 'New Donk City' had refused your offer. She didn't even want a single coin."
Bowser gave a low angry growl.
"We have tried it the diplomatic way, now we do this the Bowser way. Keep watch for further instruction. I will get it ready."
"What will you do Lord Bowser?"
"We will send in the Koopalings."
