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Mario kept his gaze turned to the salty-green sea below the ship, allowing anything he could think of to take hold. From the pleasant chatter of the Concordians who had formed a sort of family unit from their adventure, to the sea water slapping against the bow. It was all so captivating, just the right place to gather his thoughts.
He had to admit… he quite liked being out on the open sea like this, as dire the circumstances he faced were. He had never seen a place like Concordia in all his life, not even on the many adventures he and his brother had over the years. Even his ventures on the Odyssey seemed miniscule compared to this, as hard as it was to believe. He wanted to feel delighted by such an adventure… he should have been.
But as he gazed up at the moonlight gleaming over him, all he could feel was longing.
He didn’t want the daylight to come, knowing what it would mean for him…
… and Peach…
… and Luigi…
He could already see the sky beginning to grow lighter as the stars flickered out, each subsequent disappearance feeling like a stab to the heart each time. He knew he had to make a decision sooner or later once dawn broke… oh how he wished somebody would slow it down just this once!
Neither choice was ideal, however dire he knew it was to do it. They all had to chip in to save Concordia, and Mario was to take leadership. He had always been the one to guide others on their path (current in this case, he supposed), taking on the role as the brave hero, fearless and determined to nothing but the safety of others. That was his image… the way he wanted it to be. He was the one to swoop in, keeping the fair Princess Peach safe from harm. He was the one to fight alongside his courageous brother, Luigi. He was the one… the one who did everything it took to keep everyone safe… no matter the cost.
Who would have guessed that that would have been his downfall?
“Hey… Mario, are you okay…?”
All of a sudden, Mario jolted, nearly tumbling off the cliffside he was perched upon, thankfully bracing himself against the soft grass just in time. He spun around, only to find a familiar face staring at him from a distance with sympathy.
That goldenrod hair…
That beautiful fuschia pink dress…
… and those plump, cherry red lips…
“Oh… it’s just you, Peachy…” Mario breathed a sigh of relief, holding a hand over his heart. “Mm… wh-what are you doing up so early?”
“I should ask you the same thing, Mustache,” she giggled wryly as she approached further, eyeing him suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you’ve been out here all night. We’ve all got a big day tomorrow… it’s best we don’t have our hero falling asleep on his feet.”
There was that word again…
Hero.
Just the word repeating itself made Mario bristle.
Thankfully, he managed to regain composure, forcing a smile as he uttered, “No… just thought I’d take a look at the seas… they’re so beautiful out here. We don’t get nothin’ like this back in the Mushroom Kingdom, eh?”
“No… no, we don’t unfortunately,” Peach shook her head, smiling. “It’s certainly different than what I’m used to… I’ll bet it’s so nice here when you have the chance to enjoy it.”
“Heh… you say that like you’re going away!” Mario chuckled, feeling his heart sting.
“Well… one must be prepared. We can’t all go on exciting adventures all the time. We all have to do our part for the kingdom… whether it’s our own, or not.”
“Mm… I guess you’re right,” Mario shrugged. He quickly tried to change the subject, not wanting to be reminded of the painful decision he was forced to make, “Y’know… you should come by when it starts to get dark. It’s so pretty when the moon hits… hehe… Lu always falls asleep in my lap once the stars start to come out… it’d give us a little alone time, wouldn’t you say?”
“I suppose it would…” Peach trailed off, raising an eyebrow as she took her place beside him, her hand clasped over his. “But we’d just have to see about that… there’s no telling when-”
“No telling when what? Whether it’ll be nice enough to even look at the stars? It’s plenty clear out here at night! Just the sea, the sky… it’s all amazing!”
“No, I mean-”
“Of course, if ya don’t like that, we could always have some of the food on deck. Lu managed to find a whole bunch-a fruits that are just de -licious! Ooh… I bet he’d make the best fruit salad with ‘em if he could… y’know, if we still had time. I wouldn’t recommend the starfruits though. Those always make me swell up in my-”
“Mario,” Peach’s tone rang sharp in his ears as her eyebrows narrowed.
That did it…
All at once, Mario fell silent, letting his forced smile drop as he tugged at his gloves nervously, unable to look her in the eyes anymore, feeling his own start to sting from the realization that there was no escaping this predicament. They all knew it… he knew it… they all did.
That didn’t make it any less harder…
…
…
…
“I’m sorry…” he said softly, biting his lip nervously as he stared down at the sea, his eyes now starting to water, no matter how much he tried to hold back. At his side, he felt Peach’s other hand graze his back, slipping under his overall strap as she gently massaged his shoulder… right in the spot he always liked most. Still, unlike all those other times, he couldn’t bring himself to smile… something she noticed right away as she sighed. He felt her rest her cheek against the nape of his neck, her long blonde hair tickling the exposed skin as it fell over him like golden curtains. He was sure that if he were to dare look up at her… she’d be wearing that same forlorn expression just like him.
“I know how hard this must be for you…” she whispered, her fingers tracing the stitchings of his button-up. “Believe me… this isn’t an easy decision for any of us… if there was another way, I’d gladly recommend it… but as it stands, we-”
“N-No…” Mario whispered back, clenching his fists as though threatening his tears to dare fall. “I know… it’s just… why you? Why him…? ”
…
…
…
“Mario…”
“No… why? Why did it have to be either of you? I don’t want to send either of you out there…! I’ve seen what those sky-rats are capable of… and I don’t want to come back on this ship with your ashes…! We don’t even know where they’re taking those people…!”
“That’s why we’re doing this, Mario,” Peach stated firmly. “Do you think I want to do this, too? Of course not… it doesn’t matter how many times you’re captured by some creep… it’s still terrifying.”
“Then… why did you… offer?”
At that question, Peach only sighed as she nuzzled closer at his side. In a weakened tone, she merely stated, “Because… it’s what you do when someone needs help… sometimes, we do things that are difficult… if it means getting them out alive. I’m more than willing to follow through with it, as scary as it is. And if I’m scared… it’s okay for you to feel scared, too… it’s not an easy decision.”
“I’m not-”
“Don’t start with me,” Peach snapped again. “I know for a fact that you’re not a fan of this either. I could tell by the way you looked at Technikki that you were scared of making this decision. That’s why we all gave you until morning to make your decision… it’s not an easy thing to do, and we all know that. Like I said… if there was an alternative, we would gladly take it. The last thing we want is for anyone to make a decision that concerns the people they love most…”
“You mean you …”
“Correct… and Luigi,” Peach nodded. “Believe me, Mario… I don’t like Luigi going on this mission much, either… he’s practically my little brother because of you. And then you… I don’t want you to be alone either… that’s why I’m willing to go over Luigi. I may not be the best candidate… you know how my kidnappings go. But I’ll still try my best.”
“No… I couldn’t do that… not to you…”
“I understand… but honey, we can’t just sit by and do nothing. We need to make a decision… the IDLE team are far too young and we’d rather not let them get hurt, Connie and Starlow both need to oversee everyone here on the ship, and Technikki promised to ensure of the mission’s safety. There really is no other choice.”
“Well, then just send me! I’m more than capable!”
Peach sighed again.
“Mario… be reasonable. We can’t do that, either. You’re our strongest member… you’re the one who gives out the orders. We need you to be on there for the rescue mission. No other person is capable.”
Mario wanted to argue against her… yell, even! Yell that, no, she was wrong! There had to be a way to make things better! There had to be a way out of making such a drastic choice! There had to be a way to get out of losing…
…
No…
“Y-You’re right…” he sadly relented, feeling his throat beginning to close up as more tears filled his eyes. His voice sounded tiny and weak… like a small, scared child. He hated himself for daring to show such weakness… but he couldn’t keep it down any longer.
What did it matter…?
By the stars above, he was grateful for Peach’s tenderness and patience with how she approached him. When he fell silent, he felt her warm embrace surround him, comforting him with all she had within her. He wished he could say something to her, but words were beyond him. He felt like a ghost floating among the stars, watching his own body sit idly by in the sea, helpless to do anything but look upon the drifting form, the waves slapping against his pale, exhausted features as he sank further down into the depth. He looked so small both up there and down there. That’s all he ever felt he was.
Small and helpless.
That’s all he ever saw himself, as much as he tried to mask it with his fists and brawn… he still held fear in his heart the whole time.
It seemed like hours as Peach simply held him in her arms, comforting him all the while as he remained silent, only staring out at the salty seas, longing for an escape. He saw the daylight gleaming against the water now, a sign that morning had, unfortunately, broken through at long last. He remembered how, when he was younger, he used to long for the morning light, the only thing to banish the shadow monsters plaguing the night.
Now, all he wanted was to fight dawn.
Grip it by the hair, show it just how much its presence hurt him… just anything to stop himself from saying goodbye. Even if it was only temporary… he couldn’t let either of them go.
They were his world…
“Honey… it’s morning, now…” Peach sighed, gripping his hand nervously. To his displeasure, he could feel her fingers trembling, though her voice remained strong and composed. “They’ll be expecting us by the Uni-Tree… we should probably head over there. Please… do what you feel is the best decision for you. Don’t think about our feelings. Luigi and I will be okay going there. Only do what you feel is the best decision… that’s all you can do.”
That was all she said as she got up, gingerly helping Mario to his feet. As she did, Mario finally looked up to the sunlight ship, now alive with color and activity as everyone began to wake up.
Connie humming as she watered a few flowers surrounding the Uni-Tree, happy as ever…
… the IDLE kids bickering over their leader as usual…
… Starlow flitting to and fro between the stands, seemingly admiring the toads’ work…
…
And him…
There he was… still sleepy from the night before as he rubbed his tired eyes, adjusting his green cap just right as Snoutlet nestled underneath. Just like always, Luigi grabbed a piece of bread from the brothers’ shared knapsack, holding up his hat to allow Snoutlet something.
…
Mario remembered how Luigi managed to find a way out of the difficult decisions they both had faced in the past few days. He was still puzzled by how Luigi’s mind worked, but he always found himself impressed, nonetheless… not that anything Luigi did wasn’t short of incredible. Sure, he was scared easily, but he had something no one else could measure up to… no, not even Peach.
Luigi was never exactly one to call himself brave; on the contrary, he was usually the last person to say as much. It didn’t help that seemingly everyone back home seemed to agree, something Mario hated with a passion. He knew how capable his brother was, however timid he may have been. He was the bravest person he had the pleasure of knowing… even better being related to!
With a heart and mind as big as his… he could do whatever it took.
…
…
…
“I know what to do now…” Mario finally stated, closing his eyes firmly as the decision now rang clear.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Are you sure about this, Luigi?”
“M-Mhm.”
Mario looked up at his brother as he smiled sympathetically down at him. His eyes glimmered with the same sweetness the older brother had come to adore him for… it was almost sad to see.
“You know Peach wouldn’t say anything against you if you changed your mind,” he repeated, squeezing Luigi’s hand as emphasis. “We both know you… we just want to make sure you’re okay with this. I’m sure you can do it… but I wanna know that you-”
“M-Mario… I’ll be o-o-okay…!”
That was all the confirmation Mario needed from his brother. One look at his face… he was confident that he had it in him. He didn’t like the decision, still, but if Luigi was anything like he built him up to be, he was sure he could do it. Even still, as they found the fountain plaza of Merrygo Island, they silently uttered their mantra, promising one another that things would work out.
Just in case…
“Hey, where’d you say it was?!” Snoutlet called from the bridge overlooking the sea, circling the area pensively with his tiny wings.
A loud ‘caw’ sound answered them as both brothers looked up to find snaptors just above, hunting for their prey… something Luigi was all too quick to catch onto.
“R-R-Right th-there!” he called out. “M-M-Maybe d-don’t get too cl-close, S-S-Snoutlet…!”
“Oh, right!”
Quickly as he could, Snoutlet zipped over to Luigi and flew under his hat, earning a small chuckle from the plumber as he lovingly patted the new lump. Just as he was ready to head over, he was stopped as Mario grabbed him around the waist, no longer able to hold back as he met those snaptors again…
… was this all worth doing…?
“M-M-Mario…?” Luigi questioned. “I… I k-k-kinda g-g-gotta g-go now…”
“I know…” Mario replied, holding back the lump in his throat. “Just… just for the road, is all… f-f-for old t-time’s sake…?”
As expected, Mario felt a familiar set of arms embrace around him, accompanied by a small laugh as Luigi whispered, “Alrighty t-tough guy… f-f-for old time’s sake.”
Mario almost didn’t want to let go as Luigi held him tight. Almost desperately, he clung to him like a scared child. He couldn’t help feeling afraid of the unknown… but in a way, it almost felt like a relief having Luigi there through it all. Like Peach said… maybe it was better to let it go…
Speaking of Peach…
Mario suddenly jumped as he felt a familiar figure press against his side, accompanied by the strong whiff of vanilla and cherry blossoms… and that familiar curtain of blonde locks brushing against his nose. It was only until she found Luigi’s frame that she spoke, “Luigi… thank you for all of this… you’re so brave…”
“Hehe… it’s k-k-kinda my th-thing…!”
Snoutlet then popped out of Luigi’s hat and replied, “You can count on us! Ready to set sail, Luigi?”
“I g-guess so.”
That was all it took for all of them to head their separate ways, as hard as it was for Mario to finally let Luigi leave his grasp. It felt like torture, but he knew it was for the best, especially as Peach placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.
“You’re doing the right thing, honey… he’ll be okay.”
“I know… I know…”
“Just remember… we’re all keeping watch. There’s no way that we’ll let anything bad happen to-”
“Hey! Luigi! Get back here! Where are you going?!”
Peach and Mario stiffened as they heard rampant footsteps running towards them from behind, followed by the sound of panting…
… they’d recognize that sound anywhere…
“Luigi!” Mario cried.
Sure enough, standing before them, there was Luigi… except he no longer wore that confident smile he left with. His face was as white as a ghost, and his every limb trembled as though he were trudging through Shiver Mountain. His breathing was much heavier and his skin glistened with sweat, and even his eyes gleamed with fresh tears as he timidly came upon them.
“Luigi?! Sweetie, what’s wrong?!” Peach gasped, placing her hands on his shoulders in an attempt to calm him down.
“I… c-c-c-can’t… d-d… d-d…” he tried to say between gasping breaths, all to no avail.
“Whoa whoa whoa, easy Lulu…!” Mario soothed, placing a hand on his back just as he had always done in circumstances such as these. “Breathe, my bro, breathe…! What’s goin’ on?”
That question was swiftly answered as Snoutlet suddenly turned up, collapsing on the ground as he panted, “We… have a… situation… cold feet… geez, Luigi, how are you… so… fast…?!”
Mario looked up at Luigi in sympathy.
“Is that what it is, bro…?” he asked gently.
“M-M-Mhm…”
…
“What’s this? You don’t want to go after all?” Technikki’s voice called from behind.
Luigi shook his head rapidly.
“I understand your wanting to back out at the last moment,” Technikki nodded. “It’s a maximum undertaking… but let me tell you what I detect… perhaps you may be of assistance, Mario?”
“Huh?” Mario asked.
“I see traces of bravery gleaming in your eyes,” Technikki said, cutting Mario off before he had a chance to say anything. As Luigi, too, opened his mouth to speak, she added, “No, not tears of fear. Bravery. Trace amounts. We’re all here for you… isn’t that right, young ones?”
The three of them turned to find the IDLE kids all clamoring up to them, all cheering Luigi on in their own way. It was hard to decipher just what they were saying, but a few words rang true.
“Good luck, Luigi!”
“You got this… Luigi!”
“Whatever…! I guess you’re the hero now…”
Even Starlow chimed in as she fluttered above them, “Yeah! This is your big moment! Show us what you’re actually made of!”
Mario had to admit… it was nice hearing Starlow be supportive of Luigi now.
As he turned to Luigi, he found that he had calmed down considerably. He still looked scared, but his eyes glistened with newfound pride as he looked upon everyone around him, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. As he looked to Mario for his input… who was he to deny him such?
“You heard ‘em, bro… you got this,” he smiled proudly. “You’re worth more than you give yourself credit for. Remember how you took down that brute back on Rumbla Island?”
“M-Mhm…”
“And that guy… uh… Tin? Tan…?”
“T-T-Ten?”
“Whatever. You were the one who helped bring those baddies to their knees! You’re stronger than you realize… and it’s okay to feel afraid,” he then glanced up at Peach and smiled broadly. As he said his next few words, he never once looked away from her… but it all meant the same. “Y’know… someone actually told me it’s okay for you to feel that way… it’s not an easy decision. But… you’re doing it because you wanna do what you think is right… right?”
Luigi thought for a moment.
“... y-y-yeah…” his face then lit up. “Y-Yeah!”
Mario smiled confidently.
“That’s my bro! Now… you ready to take on those snaptors?!”
“Y-Yeah!!!” Luigi cheered. As he turned to leave, he suddenly stopped to examine the outlook before turning back to the crew, “Um… I th-think I m-m-might need a little h-help though…”
“Whaddya mean…?”
“... I n-n-need y-you to s-s-stop m-me f-f-from g-getting out… a-again…”
Mario rolled his eyes as he granted his brother one last hug.
“Sure thing…”