It was an ordinary day in the Mushroom Kingdom. All of the Toads were hustling and bustling about like it was no one else's business. As for Mario and Luigi, they were busy fixing people's bathrooms and kitchen sinks for a living. It was business as usual for them. However, little did Mario know that the fate that awaited him later that night would change his life forever.
When night eventually fell, everybody got ready for bed. Mario and Luigi even bade each other a good night, but as Mario fell asleep, a mysterious figure carefully grabbed him and, with its free hand, firmly covered his bulbous nosed mustache with a chloroform-soaked rag. Mario struggled for a few seconds before passing out.
When Mario woke up, he looked around then down on the floor prior to realizing that someone had tied him up to a chair; the ropes that bound him to the chair were so tight he could barely move. As for his mouth, it was sealed shut by a duct tape. Then he looked around again and noticed a boombox, which sat casually near the prison door. Then as the prison door opened, the same figure waltzed in prior to silently revealing himself as Ludwig von Koopa. Accompanying him were his siblings and fellow Koopalings, including Bowser Jr. Just then, Larry Koopa held out a Stas Mikhaylov CD while Wendy O. Koopa proceeded to roughly tear the duct tape off of Mario's mouth, causing him to yelp in pain.
"Oh, shut up!" Wendy scoffed. "We're just getting started!"
Just then, Iggy pressed the "Open" button on the boombox, causing it to open the CD compartment instantly, after which Larry then inserted the CD in it. Afterwards, he carefully pressed the CD compartment of the boombox shut and as the cheerful music started, Ludwig then began to dance, snapping his clawed fingers while doing so, much to Mario's confusion. The song in question was "Vse Dlya tebya" and, just seconds later, Ludwig began to sing as well.
LUDWIG: (singing)
В моей судьбе есть только ты
Одна любовь и боль моя
С тобою повстречались мы
Родная женщина моя
То ли на радость, то ли на беду
Ты знай, что я тебя одну люблю
Ты знай, что я тебя одну люблю
Всё для тебя
Рассветы и туманы
Для тебя моря и океаны
Для тебя цветочные поляны
Для тебя!
Meanwhile, Iggy stood near the boombox while giving Mario a cold gaze.
"Welcome to our world, Mario," Iggy said sarcastically.
"How did you guys know my name?" Mario asked. "And what do you want from me?"
"Well," Iggy chuckled, "we thought you might enjoy some entertainment before we begin."
Ludwig continued to sing, his voice becoming more disturbing and oppressive to Mario's spirit. With each note that came from Ludwig's mouth, the feeling of fear and helplessness deepened within the poor plumber. The melody that should've been cheery and fun turned into a nightmare.
Iggy then approached Mario while carrying a bag full of sharp and shiny tools.
"We have plenty of time, Mario," Iggy said with a sinister grin, "so let's enjoy ever second, shall we?"
Ludwig sang with more enthusiasm while Iggy began to torture Mario slowly. Each cut, each pain inflicted was accompanied by the otherwise cheery music. The music that once filled the room with joy and enthusiasm now haunted every corner with more terror.
Time seemed to stop. Mario's screams, Ludwig's mad laughter and the melody of "Vse Dlya Tebya" blended thoroughly into a never-ending symphony of horror.
Poor Mario felt himself slowly losing consciousness. Though pain and fear consumed him, the endless music was the most torturous. Before total darkness overtook him, he heard Ludwig whisper in his ear.
"Good night, Mario," Ludwig whispered mockingly. "We'll see you in nightmares."
Though the music continued to play, the room returned to silence, with only the boombox playing "Vse Dlya Tebya" as a silent witness to the cruelty that had just occurred.
Mario eventually woke up again, his short body aching in every Koopalings had left him alone in the dark room and the never-ending music was the only sound to break the silence.
Mario's blue eyes adjusted to the darkness, searching for a way out. The music of "Vse Dlya Tebya" still played, making the atmosphere twice as oppressive as it was last time. The bindings around his wrists tightened and the pain intensified. However, a deep-seated fear gave Mario the strength to try again, so he wriggled and squirmed in a desperate attempt to free himself from the ropes.
Suddenly, the door at the far end of the room slammed open; bright light flooded in, making Mario's eyes hurt. The Koopalings then re-entered, their faces now colder and filled more more hatred.
"Hey, you're awake again, Mario!" Lemmy squealed.
"Didn't you enjoy the music that we played for you?" Ludwig said mockingly. We thought you'd like it!"
Iggy approached, holding a new tool in his hand that Mario couldn't identify in the dim light.
"So, shall we continue or what?" Iggy asked with a sadistic grin.
They began again, every cut, every blow accompanied by Ludwig's maniacal laughter and the strains of "Vse Dlya Tebya". Poor Mario had no idea how long he could endure. Every second felt like an hour while every minute felt like forevermore.
However, in his own mind, Mario was determined to survive. He thought of Princess Peach, of his brother Luigi, of his parents, of his uncles Tony and Arthur and his aunt Marie, of his niece Victoria, of his grandfather Vicenzo, of all of his friends who mutually depended on him. He had to endure, find a way to escape this horrendous torture and warn others.
The Koopalings seemed to relish every moment of Mario's suffering. They continued to torture him and test his limits.
"You know, Mario," Roy snarled as he grabbed Mario's face and brought it closer to his own, "this isn't about information! This is more about showing you who's boss! We want to make you understand how powerless you are in here and tis is OUR revenge for what you did to our dad and his army! As for you guys, it's play another music!"
"You got it!" Larry saluted like a soldier as he switched to another CD to replace "Vse Dlya Tebya".
Afterwards, the music that he chose was even more haunting and fear-inducing. The new music then began to play, filling the whole room with an even more oppressive atmosphere.
Mario, in his despair and agony, began to feel his consciousness fade away again. The music and the torture blended very well into his mind, creating an endless nightmare that he would never be able to wake up from. Before he slipped away again, he heard Ludwig's soft whisper.
"Don't think this is over, Mario," Ludwig whispered coldly, "because we'll keep coming back until you can't feel anything anymore."
With that, Mario once again slipped into darkness with his mind now filled with the horrific melodies and the images of his eight relentless tormentors. Yet only one thought remained clear in his mind: he had to survive. For Brooklyn, for the Mushroom Kingdom and everyone he loved so much, he had to survive.
As hours eventually passed, Mario woke up in the darkness again; this time, the room was silent and the music had stopped playing, so all he could hear was the sound of his heartbeat. He didn't know how long he had passed out, but his body felt weaker and the pain was deeper.
In the silence, the door to the far end of the room suddenly slammed open once more; the eight figures that Mario recognized entered again. However, this time, they brought something else. Morton Jr. carried a recording device while Bowser Jr. carried a camcorder.
"Mario," Ludwig said coldly, it's time to send a message to everyone you love, including the princess!"
With the help of Iggy and Wendy, Bowser Jr. set up the camcorder in front of Mario, who was still tightly bound to the chair, to ensure that every wound and mark of torture would be clearly visible to all. Morton Jr. then pressed the record button and ended up capturing the sounds of Mario's suffering and fear in addition to sadistic laughter erupting from the rest of the Koopalings.
"To Princess Peach and the entire Mushroom Kingdom," Morton Jr. said as he stared directly into the camcorder, "this is the fate that awaits you all if you continue to defy us and our dad! We will crush every hope, every courage and every life that dares to stand against us all, especially our dad! This is only the beginning!"
"Enjoy the music, Mario!" Iggy said with an unnatural smile. "This might be the last time you hear it."
As if on cue, he then signaled Larry to play "Vse Dlya Tebya" again on the boombox with the music loudly and hauntingly filling the room.
The recording then ended with the sound of Mario's painful screams mixed with the terrifying melody of the music. The Koopalings then sent the recording to the Mushroom Kingdom, making sure that Princess Peach would receive a clear and dreadful message.
In the Mushroom Kingdom, the Toad guards who found the recording were horrified by all of its contents. With trembling hands, they brought it over to Princess Peach and as she watched it, anger and sorrow filled her heart, so she vowed to see revenge and rescue Mario, whatever the cost. As for Luigi, he started crying uncontrollably after watching the footage himself.
But in the dark room where Mario was confined, the music still played and the suffering continued. Though his strength was nearly gone, his spirit remained unbroken. He knew Peach would come and until then, he would endure, even through this never-ending nightmare.
Meanwhile, Princess Peach commanded her elite forces to prepare themselves in addition to rallying the Kongs to do the same. That night, a high-risk rescue plan was carefully and meticulously laid out. Not only did Princess Peach want to rescue Mario, but she also wanted retribution. The Toads, including the Toad General, and the Kongs, including Donkey Kong, armed themselves with different weapons, led by Peach and King Cranky Kong.
Under the cover of night, Peach and Cranky's respective forces moved towards the Koopalings;' stronghold. Carefully, the respective troops infiltrated while avoiding traps and patrols. Peach herself stormed in with unstoppable rage, with her heart burning with the strong desire to rescue her beloved mustachioed plumber and destroy her enemies.
As the night grew deeper, the Koopalings were about to begin a new round of torturing Mario when, suddenly, a loud rumble stopped them. Out of nowhere, a cannonball was fired from the distance, hurtling towards the tallest signal tower near the building where they were holding Mario captive.
In an instant, the tower collapsed with a thunderous roar and its rubble crashed onto the building with Mario and the Koopalings inside. Panic ensured as dust and debris filled the room, forcing the Koopalings to flee from the collapsing structure.
Peach and her troops, along with Cranky, DK and their own troops, seized the opportunity, so they quickly stormed into the shattered building, searching for Mario among the debris.
"Mario!" Peach shouted as she tried to find her love interest amid the chaos.
One of the Toads, aided by the Kongs, managed to find Mario, who was lying weakly on the floor and covered in debris and dust. They carefully freed him from his bindings prior to carrying him out of the wreckage. Peach and Cranky then approached them with a worried look.
"Mustache, are you okay?" Peach asked.
Despite being weak, Mario managed a faint smile.
"I knew you'd come, Princess," he said in a hoarse voice.
With Mario safe in their care, Peach, along with Cranky, raised their respective hands and signaled their respective troops to retreat.
"We will return and we will finish this," Peach said with a heavy voice. "Those Koopalings will pay dearly for what they've done!"
On the journey home, Mario, despite his weakness, felt a sense of relief. He knew Princess Peach, alongside his family and the Mushroom Kingdom would stand behind him, ready to protect and fight alongside him. With renewed determination, he vowed to seek revenge against the Koopalings for every wound and every suffering they inflicted.
Author's Note:
Whew! What a dark start of the story!
Poor Mario! He was brutally tortured by the Koopalings. But don't worry, he'll go to therapy as soon as possible.
As for the lyrics in this chapter, it is in Russian and if any of you are reading this and you don't know or understand Russian, I recommend that you Goggle "Vse Dlya Tebya" by Stav Mikhaylov.