Chapter 1 Destruction

I still remember the day that Frostwall fell.

It had been a day like any other; cold, uneventful, boring. I had just been minding my own business at the bakery, in more ways than one.

Oh, sorry, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Sheila, Sheila Trooper. I am just an ordinary, run of the mill Koopa troopa girl. I was born and raised in the valley of Frostwall. Some might say that the cold of the city was overwhelming for them, but not me. I lived there my whole life, after all. Up until that point in time, I had never even seen the Koopa Kingdom.

Anyway, back to that day. I was running my bakery, like I would any other day. One thing that I remember vividly was how little customers I was getting. This was unusual, as customers usually flocked to my business. I made the best Brimstone pie this side of Sarasaland, so naturally, everybody wanted to taste it.

I remember thinking about how I wish I could go on vacation. My mom had always wanted to take me to the Koopa Kingdom, but never got the chance. I never really had any interest in going there, to be completely honest. It just seemed so flat, boring, and gray. Why would I want to go there when I had the beauty of Frostwall, the tranquility of Frostwall?

As I was thinking about these things, I remember hearing the bell chime above the door. I looked in that direction, and my spirits instantly lifted. It was Shellbert, my boyfriend. At that point in time, we had been dating for a total of five years. He was awesome. From his laugh to his love for snowboarding to his sense of humor; everything about him was perfect.

"Hey, Sheila," Shellbert said as he approached. He sniffed the air, and his warm, beautiful, unforgettable smile appeared on his face. "Do I smell Brimstone pie?"

I smiled.

"Of course. What else would it be?"

Shellbert laughed.

"I was thinking it could have been a fart."

I rolled my eyes.

"I'm a lady. I don't do what you call 'farting.'" I then turned to the oven. The Brimstone pie looked right about done. I took it out and placed it on the counter. "Do you want a piece?"

"Sure!" Shellbert said with bright, twinkling eyes. I cut him a piece, then I cut one for myself. The bright, molten stones underneath the crust were the perfect shade of orange. I watched as Shellbert took a bite. He looked absolutely star struck. That was something I appreciated about him; he always savored every bite of my pie every time he had it.

"This is amazing, honey."

I laughed.

"Thank you. That'll be ten bucks."

Shellbert looked disappointed.

"You mean I actually have to pay for this? Come on!"

"Well, technically this is for sale."

Shellbert chuckled.

"Alright. But I don't have ten coins on me at the moment." He smiled and reached into his hammerspace. "How about I pay with this instead?"

I gasped when I saw what he had pulled out. It was a diamond ring. The gem sparkled and shined like the full moon, and the golden band looked even more beautiful than any golden coin in the world.

"No way!" I said. Shellbert smiled and got down on one knee.

"Sheila Trooper, will you marry me?"

In that moment, I felt so much elation, so much joy. I can vividly remember the amount of love in Shellbert's eyes as he displayed that ring, that beautiful ring, to me. I wanted that moment to last forever. Finally, with a breathy, happy voice, I responded.

"Yes."

Shellbert smiled and slipped the ring right on my finger. He was smiling, his teeth glistening whiter than the snow outside.

"I knew you would say yes."

I laughed and hugged him. It was difficult to do because there was a counter that separated us at the time, but somehow I managed. Once I was done, I smiled at him.

"We have so much to do to plan!"

Shellbert nodded.

"Yes, we do. But for now…" he sat back up onto the chair…"let's just wait until the business day is over."

"Oh, you propose to me and now you want to wait until the business day is over?" I asked. "Oh no, mister. I am closing up shop and going home right now!"

Shellbert smiled. With that, I quickly turned off all the lights in the bakery. I didn't even bother cleaning up the leftover brimstone pie, or with putting the rest of the sweets away. I mean, come on! My boyfriend just proposed to me! The boyfriend whom I have loved for the past five years has finally popped the question! I was just too excited.

With that, Shellbert and I had left the bakery. That was when things took a turn for the worst. I remember seeing what looked like a seven year old dragon Koopa whizzing past us. He had wild, royal blue hair, a green head, and a blue shell. What was really frightening about this dragon Koopa was the fact that he was covered by blue flames, and his eyes were glowing a bright yellow. Shellbert and I stared.

"What is that?" I asked.

Suddenly, from behind us, the bakery caught fire. Blue flames danced around the building that housed my business. As the flames ate away at the bakery, I couldn't help but stare. It was disappearing right before my eyes, and there was nothing I could do.

Everything after that was a blur. I remember Shellbert grabbing my hand, leading me away from the building. Smoke was filling the sky, clogging it up. Buildings were turning to ash, and people were screaming blue bloody murder. I remember seeing people who had caught on fire, trying to put the flame out by rolling in the snow. The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils, making me sick.

"Sheila," Shellbert said. "You need to get out of the city!"

Shellbert was pushing me north, in the direction of the path that led out of the valley. I looked back at him.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I need to go help my mother. She is still in her house."

"But Shellbert…"

"Sheila, listen to me! You need to stay safe!" He took my hand. His scaly, warm hand felt so small in mine. "Please, Sheila. There is a warp pipe just outside of Frostwall. If you get there in time, you might be able to escape!"

Tears started pouring from my eyes, making the world around me even more blurry.

"I'm not leaving without you!"

"And I'm not leaving until I help my mom. Please, Sheila. I promise I'll join you later."

I stared at my fiance. He was pleading with his eyes. He looked so desperate to help. I nodded to show my agreement.

"Okay."

"Thank you," Shellbert said with a small smile. "Now, go! I'll join you as soon as I can."

With that, Shellbert and I parted ways. I started making my way up the north path. As I did, I couldn't help but think about the Koopa I saw whizzing past Shellbert and I. Why was he doing this? Who was he? How was he able to cause all of this destruction? Looking back at this event, these questions become so much more prominent in my mind. Sometimes, I just can't shake them. Sometimes, I still see that blue haired Koopa in my nightmares.

Buildings were turning black, people were screaming. It was chaos, completely uncontrollable chaos. But, by some miracle, I managed to make my way out of the valley in time. I coughed and sputtered, still trying to clear my lungs of the smoky air.

And that was when I heard it. The mountain started rumbling. I looked and saw snow cascading down the side, heading straight toward Frostwall. I could see the blue haired Koopa, a speck in the air. In that moment, I felt more fear than I had ever felt before. I ran with all my might, with all my being. I managed to make it to the warp pipe. I looked to see if there was anybody else around, anyone who lived in Frostwall. But there was no one else. I was the Lone survivor.

With that, I broke down in the snow and started to cry. I looked at the diamond ring that Shellbert had given me. He was now gone, buried in the snow along with our future together. We were going to get married. We were going to have kids. We were going to grow old together.

But now...he was gone. Just like my home.