Super Mario Bros. 3 - The Subspace Emissary

Chapter 51: The Ruined Kingdom

The Ruined Kingdom, Universe-3021111

Rohan woke up with a groan and slowly opened his eyes. He found himself surrounded by dead trees and dense fog but they were oddly moving. As he came to his senses, he realized his hands were tied up. He quickly regained his composure and looked around to see him sitting in an open wagon with two guards whipping the horses in the front. "W-Where am I??" he whispered. "I...I remember America opening a portal...and...King Rohan...WAIT! KING ROHAN!! DAMNIT!! Why did I trust him?!?! I...I trusted him...I..."

"Hey, you." a voice said. Rohan suddenly turned his attention to a bearded man across from him. "You're finally awake." the man smiled and explained, "The guards found you out on the road unconscious and with an iron stick next to you."

"My staff...Where is it?"

"It's right here." a guard replied, holding Rohan's staff. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of it."

"W-What's with the ropes?!?"

"It's a safety precaution." the bearded man replied.

"Here's your crown." a man beside Rohan said and gave the prince his crown back. "Me and Gerald here were playing with it a little while you were out."

"Okay..." Rohan calmed down and sighed. "So...What's your name?"

"Arthur." the bearded man replied and shook Rohan's hand.

"Prince Rohan Toadstool."

"And the man next to me is Gerald and the guy next to you is River."

"So...What are you guys in for?"

"I tried to cross the border here illegally," Arthur replied.

"I got caught trying to capture a sacred animal of the queen of Worcestershire," Gerald said.

"I got caught stealing gold from the king and tried dumping it in the river, hence the name," River added.

"Okay..." Rohan replied. "...Looks like you've done bad things..."

Suddenly, there was a bump in the road for a bit and Rohan groaned. "Where are these guards taking us?" he asked.

"Oh, they're taking us...to the Ruined Kingdom..." Arthur replied.

The cart rolled past crumbled gates and Rohan saw that they were taking him to what seemed like a desolate kingdom. The kingdom looked completely ruined and not in the greatest stability. Children were coughing and maidens and men were begging for change or people to buy their merch. Rohan looked around and asked, "What is this place?"

"As I said." Arthur sighed. "This is the Ruined Kingdom. However, the locals call it Crumbleden. This kingdom is a grim reminder of past conflicts. Back then, these people had machines that helped Crumbleden grow and relied on a dragon named the Lord of Lightning. The people used the dragon's lightning magic to help power the machines and there was no problem...until one day, the Lord of Lightning just attacked, destroying the kingdom and reducing it to what it is today. He still lives and attacks these poor people occasionally...and no one knows why the dragon attacked."

"Damn..." Rohan uttered.

The cart stopped and the guards said, "Okay. Get in a line and we'll take you to the king."

They proceeded to tie the four men's ropes together and dragged them into the castle. Rohan sighed and then Gerald said, "You know...you never told us why you're here."

"Oh," Rohan was shocked that he never told River, Arthur, and Gerald why he was there. "This may sound crazy but...I'm from another universe."

"It's okay," Arthur said. "I met a girl like you that came from another universe. She was around this high, had dark skin, and was dressed not like I'm any of us."