New York, 1985
"...so it isn't just your fault. It's mine. I just needed someone different. Leon, he's tall, he's got a house near the beach. Remember how I wanted to see the ocean? Yeah. Not that'd you'd have the time to go. And what if we did? You'd bring that kid brother of yours. It's just... It won't work. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Mario."
The message clicked off, leaving the quiet to beat at Mario's brain. It forced him to open his eyes, and a frown creased his checks. He stared at the answering machine for a moment, than pressed the 'play' button again.
"Mario, it's Lisa. I have to tell you..."
He wasn't really listening to the words at this point. It was just the sound of her voice, the one he'd enjoyed the past six months, that he wanted to hear. He rested his face in one hand, reaching into his pocket with another. The message continued.
"...I can't see you anymore. I like you Mario, I do.. it isn't your fault..."
He pulled out two airplane tickets. He unhappily chuckled at the fact he had waited two hours in line to buy these things. Not to mention it was the result of about 8 weeks hard work. "Miami" was written across them in big bold letters, with in smaller print "First Class." He looked at them, then tossed them over his shoulder. They flipped and fluttered in the air, falling to the floor. Mario rested his head on the table.
"...if we did? You'd bring that kid brother-"
There was a jangle of keys at the door. Mario's head snapped up as he heard the dead-bolt turning. He stood up sharply, reaching over and slapping the off button to the answering machine. The door opened and he heard someone come in, the footsteps enough to be a tell-tale sign of who it was to Mario. Luigi was humming lightly and there was a clunk of shoes being tossed off. Mario wiped his eyes quickly and stood, trying to look normal, and Luigi rounded the corner to the small living room of their apartment.
"Hey, Mario!" he called. "Snagged us some pizza. I thought you deserved a proper 'Good Riddance' meal before you left me here in New York, all alone..." He drug out the last two words with a laugh.
Mario tried to smile, watching the lanky figure of his younger brother holding the large pizza box. Luigi noticed this, and raised an eyebrow. "What's with you? Miss me already?" Luigi asked placing the pizza box on the table and opening it. Mario opened his mouth to retort, but stopped as something on the floor caught Luigi's eye. The younger brother bent down and picked the tickets off the floor.
Mario nearly fell over his chair trying to grab the tickets from Luigi. "Oh, there they are! Thank you, Weegee!" he cried in excitement, sounding fake even in his own ears. "Yeah, what would I do without you..."
Luigi pulled back from Mario, holding the tickets close. "Nuh-uh. What's going on?" He asked, eyeing his brother. "You wouldn't loose these, not after 8 weeks of no food in the fridge, just for her."
Mario furred his eyebrows. "Weegee, there's nothing wrong." He stuck out his hand, the gesture enough of a demand. "Tickets. Now." Mario sent a fleeting glance towards the answering machine, caught himself and looked back to his brother.
Luigi caught the glance. Mario was hiding something, and Luigi had the feeling it was something embarassing. Feeling he had to fullfill his duty as a younger sibling, he smirked, tossed the tickets to Mario and bolted towards the phone. Panic seized Mario and, ignoring the tickets, lunged towards his brothers feet. "Wait!"
Luigi tried to evade him, struggling his legs out of Mario's grasp enough to make it to the answering machine. Mario scrambled back to his feet as Luigi reached it and was caught off guard as Mario tackled him from the side. This took both of the brothers down, as well as the stand with the phone. In a fit of arms and legs, the two wrestled on the floor. They rolled, Luigi trying to use his longer legs to his advantage and kick his brother of him, but Mario's weight and large size compaired to the thinner younger brother put Luigi at a disadvantage. Eventually Mario gained the upper hand, after a few more rolls, pined both of Luigi's arms down.
Panting heavily, Mario kneeled above his younger brother. They hadn't wrestled like this since they were kids, and his age was starting to show. He then looked down, expecting Luigi to look pretty sullen for being pinned. Instead Luigi looked up at him with another smirk. Mario was confused and then he saw; Luigi held the answering machine in his right hand.
"No, no!" Mario cried, lunging again. Too slow, too late, for Luigi hit the button with a victory laugh. Mario winced as Lisa's message played again, watching the expression on Luigi's face change. The realization that what his brother had been hiding was not some mushy-lovey-dovey message slowly played through his ears. Defeated, Mario sat to the side, and Luigi, watching the answering machine with every word, slid up beside him. The message ended, leaving the brothers in silence.
----
The castle was nothing but panic. Lighting cracked outside as the guards ran, looking for an sign of the intruders. Servants cried, searching rooms and halls and back passage ways. The cry was the same all over. The princess was gone.
One little guy was running around, too. But he wasn't in panic. Not yet. He remembered what the princess told him to do if something this horrible where to happen. But first he had to get to the tower. As the rain poured outside the windows, he wondered if it would be possible to do.
The old door squealed as he pushed it open. He ran to the window and looked up at the cloudy sky. Squinting his eyes, he swore he could see some night sky between the ugly, grey masses. His eyes strained, he swore he could make out the faint outline of one star. He took a quick breath and closed his eyes tight, the image of the star formed in his mind.
"Please, oh, please, send us someone to help." Toad prayed. "Send us a hero to save the princess."
----
Mario rested his head on his knees. Luigi looked over and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. He didn't demand why he hadn't been told or get pissed at the comments Lisa had made about him. A few moments passed, and Luigi stood up and walked to the kitchen sink. Turned on the water and cupped his hands underneath. Water still pouring out, he drank the refreshing drink, cupped another handful and splashed it to his face. He lazily watching the sink, water dripping from his face.
Luigi blinked. The water wasn't draining. He turned off the faucet. The water stayed still in the sink. He raised his eyebrows slightly and lightly mumbled, "Think there's a clog."
Within seconds there was a clamoring below him. He looked down to see Mario already halfway under the sink, tools in hand. "Geeze, Mario." Luigi sighed. He shrugged and leaned on the counter, watching his brother work.
Mario said nothing, thankful for a bit of distraction. Pulling himself under the sink, he turned onto his back, looking up at the pipes to the sink. Ah, this felt better.
Relaxing his arms, Mario was about to get to work when he felt a tugging on the back of his head. He tried to ignore it, but the tugging got harder. Grumbling he rolled his eyes and went to flip over to look for the distraction. Instead found himself slipping, and then falling. "Wh-o-a-oaaaahhh!" he yelled, grabbing for the pipes above his head, but somehow found them beond his reach. It suddenly became very dark.
Luigi stared in disbelief as his brother seemed to side under the sink. In panic that the floorboards had given away and Mario was now a floor below the apartment, Luigi fell to his knees and pulled himself under the sink. "Mario?!" he called, looking around for a hole even though there obviously was not one. "Mario?! Marieeee-" Luigi felt something under his hand give way, "Oh, shiiiiit!" and was suddenly falling as well, the cabinet door swinging shut behind him.
The air rushed up at him, cold and wet. Luigi reached out for something to hold on to, but all his flailing hands could feel was smooth, wet metal. It was like he was falling down a huge, empty pipe. He couldn't see, and it was getting hard to breath.
Then he heard a very odd noise. Then there was light. He felt gravity tug at him harder and passed out even before he touched the ground.
.
.
"..what are...?"
"...look like...princess.."
"...back to the castle..."
"I'm not sure..."
Luigi heard voices above his head. His eyes didn't want to open, but he forced them anyways. Slowly the world came into focus above him. To his side he could see Mario, who wasn't moving. A figure above him moved into his line of site.
It... It had a mushroom on it's head.
It smiled.
Luigi passed out again.
"...so it isn't just your fault. It's mine. I just needed someone different. Leon, he's tall, he's got a house near the beach. Remember how I wanted to see the ocean? Yeah. Not that'd you'd have the time to go. And what if we did? You'd bring that kid brother of yours. It's just... It won't work. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Mario."
The message clicked off, leaving the quiet to beat at Mario's brain. It forced him to open his eyes, and a frown creased his checks. He stared at the answering machine for a moment, than pressed the 'play' button again.
"Mario, it's Lisa. I have to tell you..."
He wasn't really listening to the words at this point. It was just the sound of her voice, the one he'd enjoyed the past six months, that he wanted to hear. He rested his face in one hand, reaching into his pocket with another. The message continued.
"...I can't see you anymore. I like you Mario, I do.. it isn't your fault..."
He pulled out two airplane tickets. He unhappily chuckled at the fact he had waited two hours in line to buy these things. Not to mention it was the result of about 8 weeks hard work. "Miami" was written across them in big bold letters, with in smaller print "First Class." He looked at them, then tossed them over his shoulder. They flipped and fluttered in the air, falling to the floor. Mario rested his head on the table.
"...if we did? You'd bring that kid brother-"
There was a jangle of keys at the door. Mario's head snapped up as he heard the dead-bolt turning. He stood up sharply, reaching over and slapping the off button to the answering machine. The door opened and he heard someone come in, the footsteps enough to be a tell-tale sign of who it was to Mario. Luigi was humming lightly and there was a clunk of shoes being tossed off. Mario wiped his eyes quickly and stood, trying to look normal, and Luigi rounded the corner to the small living room of their apartment.
"Hey, Mario!" he called. "Snagged us some pizza. I thought you deserved a proper 'Good Riddance' meal before you left me here in New York, all alone..." He drug out the last two words with a laugh.
Mario tried to smile, watching the lanky figure of his younger brother holding the large pizza box. Luigi noticed this, and raised an eyebrow. "What's with you? Miss me already?" Luigi asked placing the pizza box on the table and opening it. Mario opened his mouth to retort, but stopped as something on the floor caught Luigi's eye. The younger brother bent down and picked the tickets off the floor.
Mario nearly fell over his chair trying to grab the tickets from Luigi. "Oh, there they are! Thank you, Weegee!" he cried in excitement, sounding fake even in his own ears. "Yeah, what would I do without you..."
Luigi pulled back from Mario, holding the tickets close. "Nuh-uh. What's going on?" He asked, eyeing his brother. "You wouldn't loose these, not after 8 weeks of no food in the fridge, just for her."
Mario furred his eyebrows. "Weegee, there's nothing wrong." He stuck out his hand, the gesture enough of a demand. "Tickets. Now." Mario sent a fleeting glance towards the answering machine, caught himself and looked back to his brother.
Luigi caught the glance. Mario was hiding something, and Luigi had the feeling it was something embarassing. Feeling he had to fullfill his duty as a younger sibling, he smirked, tossed the tickets to Mario and bolted towards the phone. Panic seized Mario and, ignoring the tickets, lunged towards his brothers feet. "Wait!"
Luigi tried to evade him, struggling his legs out of Mario's grasp enough to make it to the answering machine. Mario scrambled back to his feet as Luigi reached it and was caught off guard as Mario tackled him from the side. This took both of the brothers down, as well as the stand with the phone. In a fit of arms and legs, the two wrestled on the floor. They rolled, Luigi trying to use his longer legs to his advantage and kick his brother of him, but Mario's weight and large size compaired to the thinner younger brother put Luigi at a disadvantage. Eventually Mario gained the upper hand, after a few more rolls, pined both of Luigi's arms down.
Panting heavily, Mario kneeled above his younger brother. They hadn't wrestled like this since they were kids, and his age was starting to show. He then looked down, expecting Luigi to look pretty sullen for being pinned. Instead Luigi looked up at him with another smirk. Mario was confused and then he saw; Luigi held the answering machine in his right hand.
"No, no!" Mario cried, lunging again. Too slow, too late, for Luigi hit the button with a victory laugh. Mario winced as Lisa's message played again, watching the expression on Luigi's face change. The realization that what his brother had been hiding was not some mushy-lovey-dovey message slowly played through his ears. Defeated, Mario sat to the side, and Luigi, watching the answering machine with every word, slid up beside him. The message ended, leaving the brothers in silence.
----
The castle was nothing but panic. Lighting cracked outside as the guards ran, looking for an sign of the intruders. Servants cried, searching rooms and halls and back passage ways. The cry was the same all over. The princess was gone.
One little guy was running around, too. But he wasn't in panic. Not yet. He remembered what the princess told him to do if something this horrible where to happen. But first he had to get to the tower. As the rain poured outside the windows, he wondered if it would be possible to do.
The old door squealed as he pushed it open. He ran to the window and looked up at the cloudy sky. Squinting his eyes, he swore he could see some night sky between the ugly, grey masses. His eyes strained, he swore he could make out the faint outline of one star. He took a quick breath and closed his eyes tight, the image of the star formed in his mind.
"Please, oh, please, send us someone to help." Toad prayed. "Send us a hero to save the princess."
----
Mario rested his head on his knees. Luigi looked over and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. He didn't demand why he hadn't been told or get pissed at the comments Lisa had made about him. A few moments passed, and Luigi stood up and walked to the kitchen sink. Turned on the water and cupped his hands underneath. Water still pouring out, he drank the refreshing drink, cupped another handful and splashed it to his face. He lazily watching the sink, water dripping from his face.
Luigi blinked. The water wasn't draining. He turned off the faucet. The water stayed still in the sink. He raised his eyebrows slightly and lightly mumbled, "Think there's a clog."
Within seconds there was a clamoring below him. He looked down to see Mario already halfway under the sink, tools in hand. "Geeze, Mario." Luigi sighed. He shrugged and leaned on the counter, watching his brother work.
Mario said nothing, thankful for a bit of distraction. Pulling himself under the sink, he turned onto his back, looking up at the pipes to the sink. Ah, this felt better.
Relaxing his arms, Mario was about to get to work when he felt a tugging on the back of his head. He tried to ignore it, but the tugging got harder. Grumbling he rolled his eyes and went to flip over to look for the distraction. Instead found himself slipping, and then falling. "Wh-o-a-oaaaahhh!" he yelled, grabbing for the pipes above his head, but somehow found them beond his reach. It suddenly became very dark.
Luigi stared in disbelief as his brother seemed to side under the sink. In panic that the floorboards had given away and Mario was now a floor below the apartment, Luigi fell to his knees and pulled himself under the sink. "Mario?!" he called, looking around for a hole even though there obviously was not one. "Mario?! Marieeee-" Luigi felt something under his hand give way, "Oh, shiiiiit!" and was suddenly falling as well, the cabinet door swinging shut behind him.
The air rushed up at him, cold and wet. Luigi reached out for something to hold on to, but all his flailing hands could feel was smooth, wet metal. It was like he was falling down a huge, empty pipe. He couldn't see, and it was getting hard to breath.
Then he heard a very odd noise. Then there was light. He felt gravity tug at him harder and passed out even before he touched the ground.
.
.
"..what are...?"
"...look like...princess.."
"...back to the castle..."
"I'm not sure..."
Luigi heard voices above his head. His eyes didn't want to open, but he forced them anyways. Slowly the world came into focus above him. To his side he could see Mario, who wasn't moving. A figure above him moved into his line of site.
It... It had a mushroom on it's head.
It smiled.
Luigi passed out again.