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:

Warned

Velvet patterns swirl in the fresh grass. The thick, red blood pouring out rapidly, ripples trickling down off the skin onto the ground. Dot after dot. Puddle after puddle. It slowly keeps oozing and the world keeps spiraling inside his brain.

White gloved hands reach out and wrap around his arm, his body slowly being dragged.

"Quick! Somebody help me pull him!"

The boxer's heels dig into the muddy surface as his eyelids begin to shut. His friends and the doctor tug as hard as they can around the oak tree before carrying him up three steps into the cold, claustrophobic living space.

They prop him up on the table, chanting out loud for him to open wide as his blood rapidly streams.

Doctor Mario presses his hands against his cheeks. "I don't know what to do!"

"But you're a doctor!" squeals Pacman. "Do something!"

Flustered, Doctor Mario dashes into his kitchen, snatching up a clean, white cloth. He scurries back and wraps it around the hand barely hanging from threads of skin and pulls as tight as he can.

"Tourniquet.." he mutters. "Stop the blood.."

Scarlet soaks the weak fabric and dampens the fibres, blobs of moisture dropping out like flies.

"Pull harder!" shrieks Pacman, leaping forward and latching onto the cloth. "He's loosing blood too quickly!"

"I am the doctor! Let go!" Doctor Mario demands. Like a game of tug-o-war, they twist and bend it like a ragdoll, both refusing to stop. They pull harder and harder, the fabric quickly thinning out with blood rippling down the cloth.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"Stop it!"

"I'm trying to save my best friend! You're just-"

They both come to an immediate halt as the cloth finally breaks free. Little Mac's thin flab of skin rips and his hand drops like an apple from a tree. They stand in horror, staring at the handless arm pumping out juice that flows across the table and dribbles off the edge onto the floor.

Toon Link lets out a gasp of some sort, slowly stepping backwards, behind Mario and out of view.

"What did you... How..." whispers Pacman.

The doctor chokes out a few words. "You.. you took his hand off!"

"What?!" Pacman screams.

Mario grabs the round, yellow ball and lifts him up into the air just before he attacks, him kicking and squealing.

"You promised us all that you would keep us safe! You promised me! You promised all of us!"

Mario slowly backs away into the shadows with the scrambling blob as the doctor kneals down at the table, his trembling hands sticking to the floor like glue in pools of crimson.

"As you may have heard, I have gathered you here today to give you unfortunate news.." the mayor says, standing tall on his wooden podium beside the oak tree, the noose dangling just feet beside him from a branch.

"Mac died from blood loss.."

The townsfolk stand in silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. Toon Link and Pacman both holding onto each other, Peach nervously standing a few feet away from Doctor Mario who has his face buried in his hands, Bowser and Link both together listening with their mouths wide open.

Mario flicks away a tear drop forming in his eye before turning his head back towards the group. A shiny, beaming light glistens in the distance and he stares from the corner of his eye at the sandbag standing in might, the metal substance still sitting inside.

"We're going to bury him after all this madness has ended. But I need to say something first. Someone is doing something in this town, and I'm going to find out who sooner than later," he continues. "This person killed Zelda, Falcon and now Mac. We can't afford to lose even one more soul. What will happen when there's just one of us left, huh? This town is falling to pieces. How will we be able to survive in a tiny group? We simply can't."

He continues to glare at them all, their eyes looking back at him.

Peach, Pacman, Bowser, Link, Toon Link and Doctor Mario. None of them are off. None seem suspicious. But he can't help but feel that one of them is doing this all. Pacman and Toon Link both rule out in his mind. Such young minds couldn't do anything evil. Peach and Link, both have hearts of gold. Neither could have done this. Bowser and Doctor Mario. Bowser too sweet to kill a living person. Doctor Mario and and the mayor himself have never had the best friendship, but he can't help but think he couldn't do anything to hurt another town member.

Then a thought hits him.

"This all started with Palutena. Whatever she did to Zelda passed on to one of you, but at least one of you are able to contain yourself. Once your true colors show, we'll be able to spot you out like a black circle on a white wall. We will all find out who you are, and you will pay!"

You'll find out who I am when the time has come!

He quickly clutches onto his head, letting out a groan of pain and he crouches down behind the podium as a screeching sound rings through his brain.

"Mario!" the townsfolk yell, blurry faces rushing over towards him.

The old well, you and I when the sun falls. Tell any of them and one of them pays.

"Mario? What's wrong?" a gentle voice whispers.

Her rosy cheeks blossom in his face and her shiny blue eyes widen.

"No.. It's here..." Mario stutters, Peach pulling him up to his feet. "Palutena and Zelda.. And whoever it is... The well..."

"Calm. Down," says Bowser. "Deep breaths, and speak slowly."

"He, she, it, whatever! Whoever it is, they want for me to meet them at the old well tonight! We need to stop them!"

"I think you should have a cup of tea.." purrs Peach.

"No! You think I'm going crazy!" yells Mario. "Please! You need to trust me! It will kill you all!"

The flicking flames crackle in front of him, sending tiny fireflies of fire off through the chimney.

"Drink up your mushroom soup," whispers Peach. "It has cooled down a bit."

"Tell me the truth about that bruise," orders Mario. "I'm done with all these secrets and lies. It's about time someone told the truth around here." Peach quickly sips on her tea, drinking for over ten seconds and coughing harshly afterwards.

"It's easy to tell when you're lying or acting," sighs Mario. "I want to hear the truth out of your own mouth." She spins her head around, sighing the moment she spots a shadow cast against the wall.

"He's in the kitchen. I don't think this the best place to have a chat like this..." whispers Peach.

"A chat like what?"

They both turn and stare into the eyes of Link.

"Nothing. We were just... leaving," mumbles Peach, grabbing Mario's hand and pulling him off the wooden stool. "We'll be back in a few minutes," she says, gently shutting the door behind her.

They walk down the steps and out into the cold, frosty air.

"Are you going to tell me now?" asks Mario.

"I just..."

"I get it. You need to relax while telling me."

"No, just.."

"Let's go hang out with Moorio. You can tell me then.."

They ring around the oak tree, passing Falcon's house where they wave to Bowser standing in the doorway, sweeping flesh into a little bundle. Mario unlocks his front door and they walk through the house after closing the door behind them, heading out through the back doorway into the small carden.

"Nice daisies," says Peach, looking at the rotting flowers in their patches.

"You hate them. It's fine," Mario says, sitting down on a small wooden bench beside Moorio's pen, Peach sitting down beside him. "So, the bruise?"

"Okay, I'm going to say this quickly and just get it over with," says Peach. Mario nods.

"He.." she whispers. "He just..." She lets out a sigh and crosses her arms, a tear forming in her eye. "I just can't say it.."

"I get it," Mario says. "I know how you-"

His voice is interrupted by a loud moo.

"He's probably hungry," laughs Mario, standing up and leaning over the pen. "Want you to see me milk him?"

Peach lets out a giggle. "Sure."

Mario climbs over the fence and into the pen, dragging an empty, rusty bucket underneath the cow and pulling up his sleeves. "It's easy. Watch," he says, reaching for the cow's udders.

"And you just... squeeze!" he continues, laughter coming from Peach.

"What the..."

No milk. Just blood. Lots of it.

The red liquid pours and the cow collapses on its side, blood flowing out like fresh waves.

"What the hell!" Mario roars, spinning around to stare at a dark figure standing in the doorway to his house. The door shuts with a large bang, Mario leaping back over the fence and pushing the door open. He steps inside the cold, darkened home, looking straight on ahead at the front door wide open.

"They were here. Whoever it was that is doing all this, they were here!" he screeches.

"Mario, look!"

He turns back around when he hears Peach's voice, looking at her pointing her hand over the fence and into the pen with a horrified look on her face. He quickly leaps forward, glances over the fence and stares at Moorio's lifeless body with deep slashes and wounds across his body spelling out words.

You told them. I warned you. Another cow will pay soon.

"What do we do now?!" pipes Peach.

"We wait," replies Mario, staring at the fleshy cuts with a blank, expressionless face. "We wait for their next move."

Author's Note:

#Cowgate2015 xD

Oh my... Ever since I introduced Moorio, I knew he was going to die!

Well hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed chapter five of Behind A Mask, Salem: Warned! And let me tell you, Mario sure was warned! So what did you think of this chapter? Whether you liked it or disliked it, please leave a review if you have time! I love reading your support and your thoughts because it makes me work harder, knowing that someone will be reading this soon!

And of course, I'm going to ask it again... WHO IS DOING ALL THIS?!

Here's a quick run through of all the characters: Mario, Doctor Mario, Peach, Pacman, Bowser, Link and Toon Link!

So who is doing it?! And let me just say this... Be suspect of everyone. Anyone could be the one behind this all in this story, so even your wildest guesses may come through. I have left a few hints behind, especially in some of the latest chapters, but I'm not going to give those away right here right now, am I?! No, you must speculate or wait for more :)

Salem is almost over with just two chapters left, and boy will they be intense! Lots of stuff will happen, and I can GUARANTEE you that the person behind all this will be revealed. Oh yes, they will come out from Behind A Mask... THAT'S THE NAME OF THE STORY! :D *Ba dum tis!*

Stay tuned for the sixth chapter of Salem! It's going to be the second last one and it's going to be full of build-up ;)

Thank you all so much for reading, byeeeee! :)