The bells rung out and Mario Gregory Manfredi Junior closed his eyes tightly. The next thing he knew, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in Flipside. With him were Violet Jasmine Calico (Luigi's girlfriend and Mario's best friend), Princess Peach Blossom Toadstool (Mario's girlfriend and Luigi's best friend), King Bowser (no introduction needed there), and Luigi James Manfredi (Mario's twin brother). Also with them were a fallen Nastasia, O'Chunks, and Mimi. Merlon was also there, looking up at the sky.

"It seems that the Void has finally left the sky..." He commented, mostly to himself.

"All thanks to the count..." Mimi muttered. "Golly, I'm gonna miss him..."

"I'm gonna miss him too, lass. He was the count, after 'll." O'Chunks stated. Mimi nodded sadly and before she was about to come over to Luigi, she had noticed that Nastasia was back on her feet. O'Chunks commented, "Great leapin' bog monkeys! Nastasia, she draws breath once again lads! Nastasia! 'EY! Nastasia! Miracle o' miracles! GRA-GOOGLY-HEY-HOORAH!"

"I... um... am alive?" She stammered.

Peach started to say, "Thanks to Tippi, er, Timpani... And now she's in the Overthere with her love..."

"Mario!" Violet cried out, scared out of her mind.

Peach turned around, seeing that Luigi had changed back to Mr. L. Even though his clothes were tattered and scars all over his body - he surprisingly had enough strength to pin Mario to the wall. Bowser saw this and, while part of him wanted Mr. L to take Mario out, the other part wanted the honor all to himself.

"Hey, back off loser!" Bowser huffed, about to huff a fireball straight at them.

Mario held up his hand, making Bowser stop. Bowser looked at him, a bit surprised. Mario didn't want to be saved? Mario then turned to Mr. L, his eyes filled with tears.

"Luigi... please... come back to me..." Mario pleaded.

"He can't hear you, sir-jumps-a-lot! I will be the one to avenge the count!" Mr. L promised, the obvious tears in his eyes.

"Then you should know that it isn't his fault the count is gone!" Mimi pointed out.

"Aye, she's right lad. It was that rotten Dimentio!" O'Chunks agreed.

Mr. L turned to them, the tears in his eyes. The other minions could tell that he pledged allegance to the count more than he did to the jester. Mr. L dropped Mario to the ground and the man in red quickly gathered his air. Mr. L returned back to Luigi, whom immediately dropped to the ground, in an exhausted huff.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted out, worried.

...

The Toads quickly went to work to patching up the heroes, even Bowser and the minions of Count Bleck. Mario felt instantly guilty seeing his baby brother hooked up to all those machines... How... how could have this had happened? Peach, Violet, and Bowser all came in to see Luigi. Bowser knew that the truce was over but even he was worried about Green Stache.

The minute Violet walked in, Mario's protective instinct kicked in as he realized something. She knew. She figured it out before he did. He walked over to her and grabbed her shirt, violently.

"Mario!" Peach protested.

"What are you doing?!" Bowser questioned.

"Yeah, let me go!" Violet demanded.

"Why?! Why didn't you tell me that he was Mr. L?!" Mario huffed.

The silence that followed was terrible. Violet couldn't answer that. She knew that she had to tell Mario but she thought it wouldn't be important.

"Malleo..." Came Luigi's broken voice from the hospital bed. "L - let her go..."

Mario did as he asked. Violet adjusted her shirt and Mario turned to Luigi. He was broken, there was nothing in his eyes anymore. There was no sparkle of hope, there was... nothing. He would be fine, physically, but as mentally...

"When did you wake up?" Mario asked softly.

"Just now..." Luigi admitted, somewhat truthfully.

Mario said nothing to that. "Mr. L attacked me after Blumiere and Timpani risked their lives for us. I have every right to get some kind of answers."

Luigi instantly paled. He did that...? He, sadly, remembered what Dimentio had done to them. That was the one problem with sharing a mind with Mr. L, he had his memories. So he knew how Nastasia got him to emerge. He remembered everything. It tormented him to know that he caused that much pain to the ones he loved...

...

The nurse had chased everyone out that afternoon, so that they could change the linens in the room. When the group had returned (Bowser had gone back home to make Bowser Jr. lunch), Luigi was gone. Violet saw that empty bed and instantly turned her head away from Mario. She tearfully walked away from the man in red. Peach saw this and went after her. It left Mario alone for the first time in awhile.

On that day, Mario was never the same again.

...

Over the years, Violet had become a powerful and successful protector to Peach. Peach had become more of a powerful ruler, no longer needing Mario to protect her. She barely needed Violet but Violet hardly left her side. Mario and Peach's relationship was a bit strained. But it was still strong. Bowser still tried every antic to get Peach back but to no avail.

That was until one summer day, where Bowser had successfully captured Peach. While it wasn't an easy fight, Mario and Violet had gone out for the first time in 10 long years to go after Peach. Mario had shaved down his mustache a bit, was still wearing his signature hat, a red long sleeved hoodie with a golden mushroom on the right shoulder, light blue jeans, and red sneakers.

Violet still had her shoulder length hair, wearing a blue snowflake necklace, a regal purple dress shirt with a golden mushroom on the right shoulder, black regal caprice, and white sneakers. Peach had curly blonde hair, forced to changing into the exact dress from 10 years ago. Holding back the tears in her eyes, the tiara on her head suddenly revealed to be alive.

Before she could ask a question, she saw that Mario and Violet had boarded the flying ship. Her hands were bonded by a piranha plant.

"Violet! Mario!" She cried out, joyously.

"Ah, welcome to my airship." Bowser stated cockily.

Violet was the first to notice Peach's wedding dress. She wrinkled her nose in disapproval. "Really Bowser? You bringing up old wounds? That's low even for you."

"Let her go, Bowser!" Mario demanded.

"Not today, Mario!" Bowser told him, throwing his hat at Mario and Violet.

Both of them ducked but the hat managed to knock off Mario's signature hat. Just as Mario was about to take on Bowser, the hat made a boomerang back to the airship, knocking Mario off the side and his hat into the propeller.

"MARIO!" The two girls cried out, in worry.

The airship took off, with Bowser now focusing on the girl in violet...

What they didn't notice was a Bonneton had got a piece of his signature hat...

...

Wishmaker1028: Well there we have it! Hope you all enjoy the start of this story! Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!