Donkey Kong: The Fan-Adapted Novelization

Prologue: Benvenuto a Nuova Donk

By now, Mario and Luigi had heard the story of their parents' arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom several times over. If there was one thing Giovanni and Francesca had drilled into their twin sons' heads since birth, it was that immigration was nothing new to la famiglia diSegale. What they hadn't expected, however, was that Mario and Luigi would end up in the same situation as their parents, more or less.

***

It all began when Giovanni and Francesca lost their home and their families in a tragic house fire, barely a year after they got married. To make matters worse, the latter was newly pregnant. Having to wander the city streets of Florence in poverty, their twin boys would have been born into the same situation if they stayed. Falling through a hollow tree stump into a strange new world, however, motivated them to work hard for a better future for their new family.

And work they did. Seven months after fully settling into a small village at the foothills of the mountains, Mario (and Luigi, seven minutes later) were born in slightly more fortunate circumstances. Ever since, they had lived quite comfortably in their little house, despite their parents working most hours of the day, with Giovanni as a plumber and Francesca as a seamstress. The entire family began learning English not long afterwards, when Mario and Luigi befriended the daughter of the king and queen as young toddlers. When the twins were old enough, their mother began homeschooling them with the help of the royal family's steward. Around the same time, they also began learning the trades and cultural traditions of their family. By 13, Mario and Luigi had learned the basics of sewing, cooking, and even began training as plumbing apprentices under their father.

While their plumbing apprenticeships helped them develop their professional skills, there weren't enough jobs at home. Furthermore, whatever else was available didn't utilize all of their skill sets. Worst of all, the jobs couldn't provide income that provided the family the most financial security.

Growing more and more desperate, the brothers had to look elsewhere for work, not just outside their little town, but outside the country. As far as incomes and remittances were concerned, New Donk, an up-and-coming city in the Metropolitan Nation out west, fit the bill perfectly. Of course, there were trade-offs; the country was in a whole other hemisphere, and its status as a newly flourishing metropolis attracted many tourists and potential new residents. As a result, the brothers had to act fast.

***

The brothers were now 18, with physical and emotional weights burrowing deep within both of them. The flight tickets to New Donk were expensive, and the many suitcases they had bogged them down even more. A tearful goodbye from their parents at the Mushroom City Airport and a turbulent 8-hour flight didn't make it any better. It wasn't until they caught their taxi out of the airport when they realized the magnitude of the situation they were in.

They really were foreigners, alone in a burgeoning, unfamiliar urban area with nobody but each other as their only support. Somehow the plight of their parents made a lot more sense now that they were walking in their footsteps.

Luigi shifted uneasily in his seat on the ride to New Donk City Hall. This was a fast-paced metropolis, after all, populated with even more fast-paced people. Such environments were not exactly the most forgiving to those in need; nothing at all like the comforting hospitality of the quaint little suburbs and sleepy small towns back home.

As was expected, Mario was the exact opposite, staring wide-eyed at the throngs of busy crowds, the ambient construction noise, and the brightly lit neon signs dotting every other building. He turned to face his twin. "È fantastico, Luigi! Questa città è enorme!"

The green-clad brother recognized an all-too familiar look on his twin's face, the little glint in his brown eyes followed by an impish smirk that often signaled mischief in the not-too-distant future. He braced for the worst. "Oh, no, big bro. Non pensarci nemmeno."

In an instant, his expression morphed into one of confusion. "Think about what?"

"We can't make waves here! I get that this city is enormous, but that doesn't mean people won't notice whenever we cause trouble. Remember what mamma e babbo said before we flew here: 'La famiglia–'"

"'La famiglia è sempre prima.' I know, Weegee, I know." He nestled his chin into the crook of his arm, which rested at the foot of the taxi window. "We might only be here for a few years, but that doesn't mean we can't make some memories while we're here, yeah?"

"And I assume by 'memories', you refer to causing more trouble," Luigi mumbled, barely audible under his breath. "We haven't even filled out our paperwork yet, Mario!"

"It's not trouble!" Mario reached over and yanked off Luigi's cap, ruffling the dark, wavy hair underneath. "Lighten up! It's not like we've never been to a city before!"

"Mushroom City is different, though," he answered, grabbing back his cap and jamming it back on his head. "It's older, it has more history, and it's a lot less sprawling than this."

"But we've grown used to it the more we went there! So who's to say we won't get used to this just as quick?"

Luigi shifted in his seat again. As cautious as he was about things like this, he had to admit that Mario's words had some truth to them. After all, they had memorized the inner workings of Mushroom City by the time they became teenagers. And as one of the oldest developed cities in the world, it had to have lent inspiration to most other urban areas around the globe, right?

The smallest semblance of a smile flitted across his face as he looked out his window, watching the buildings zip by before his eyes. "Chissà? Maybe we'll know sooner than we think..."

***

Five minutes later, the taxi pulled up to the city hall. After lugging their suitcases from the trunk, the brothers paid the driver, and the vehicle sped off to its next destination.

They curiously eyed the skyscraper that lay before them. It towered above them by at least a hundred feet, and by the looks of the red girders lining the outside, it seemed that the building in question wasn't finished with its construction just yet. "Did that book back home say how tall City Hall would be once it was completed?" Mario asked.

He shrugged. "Probably within the next 5 years or so."

"How tall do you think it will be by then?"

"I'd say...about 300 feet," Luigi said. "Right now, Peach's castle is probably taller than this." He eyed his brother, a knowing smirk on his face. "I feel like you should know better than anyone, considering how many times you tried to make me climb to the top with you when we were younger."

Mario let out a chuckle. He remembered those days very fondly. The princess even accompanied them a few times, but the three of them had to stop when Toadsworth caught Peach attempting to scale the tallest tower. "Odds are, you're right," he answered.

With a final knowing glance exchanged between the two, they reached for their bags and headed for the entrance to city hall. "Benvenuto a Nuova Donk", the red-clad twin mused aloud, trying to quietly contain the growing excitement in his voice. "And welcome to adventure..."