So this was long in coming, thanks for being patient :)

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any thing related to the Super Mario Brothers Franchise or its affiliates. It belongs to Nintendo and its creators. I'm just taking some liberties for your enjoyment.

Chapter One

Here it was. That weird green absurdity that served as one of many gateways between this world and mine. So odd with all its rust and luminescence, completely in sync with the rest of the elements in this country. Or Kingdom, I should say. I couldn't stop staring at it, or more specifically, the person sitting on it. Her legs were slung over the lip of the thing, bare and light was her skin so I knew the bits of crusted metal were biting into her thighs. She didn't seem bothered in the least. Not by that; no, her expression was only perturbed because of my hesitance. But I wasn't ready for this.

"Something wrong?" She asked quietly.

"...No." I reluctantly replied.

"Then what's the problem?" She prompted.

I said, "I just want you to know what you're getting into. This world is nothing like the one I come from. Things are so much better here."

"You're really gonna' say that," She spoke wryly, "after all that's happened?"

She did have a point there. This place wasn't all sunshine and smiles either, but it was the Dark King that ultimately made it a horrible land to be in. Now that he's been gone for nearly a month things have calmed down. Unlike in Brooklyn where it's pretty rough all year round. The people can be friendly, kind even, but it's the filthy scumbags that have me worried. I don't want this girl to become somebody's prey, not again.

"Come on before I change my mind," I sighed.

She grinned, being in a much more excited mood than I was. She'd been looking forward to the move. I tried to convince her to stay here, or in Sarasaland, in that short window of time after things started getting back to normal. The girl yet insisted on living in Brooklyn with me so I had to let her come and see what it was like. Maybe in a few months she'll see that it's not all it's cracked up to be and we'll be back here instead.

"Do you want me to go first?" She spoke softly.

I shook my head, saying, "No. It's better I go."

And without preamble I gripped the ledge and hopped down the unsightly green thing, landing much less clumsily than I would have months before. For that I did have Ludwig to thank, although I'd never swell his ego and tell him that. I gazed around and made a face. This place smelled like moldy breast and old yeast; fittingly so, since this was an abandoned bakery and all.

"Daisy?" I called up into the black void in the ceiling.

"Yeah?"

"Drop your stuff down!" I yelled.

She did and I caught the two large cloth sacks she had her clothes and things stored in. After I'd shouldered her luggage, I told her to come down as well. Her landing was different than mine in that I didn't let her feet touch the floor, not at first. I stopped her before she hit the ground and then set her down easy. She smiled at me, that smile was so beautiful, then she made a face.

"Where are we?" She asked.

She was the brightest thing in this room in her canary-yellow sundress with the cap sleeves and flowing, pleated hem. Her hair was down and pulled back on the sides with two barrettes that looked like little sunbeams resting in a sea of dark locks. She held her hand against her face in response to the awful smell.

"Sorry, this place has been shut down since the 70's." I informed her, "It's one of the few places with a gateway in New York though, so I kinda' have to put up with it."

Daisy nodded.

I reached for her hand and led her out of there, out through one of the previously boarded up doors in the back. From there I took her around to the front and waited for evening traffic to let up so we could cross the street.

"What are those?" She pointed.

"Cars?" I spoke, unsure if that was what she was talking about.

"And there are...people in them?" She asked upon further scrutiny.

"Yup."

I smiled at the cute way she was scrunching up her mouth and nose to see better.

"So those aren't strange animals?" She asked.

Now I had to laugh. "No, they're uh, they're like carriages. Except you don't need horses because they run on gasoline."

"Ah." She nodded, "I think I understand. But why are they so dirty?"

Daisy fanned her hand at the exhaust that came out of some of the cars pulling off at the green light.

"That's just how they work." I sighed.

I ran a hand through my hair and noticed for the umpteenth time that it was longer now. I'd have to cut it soon.

When the light turned red, I took Daisy's hand again and guided towards the bus stop. She was in awe of that too.

"There's so many people," She spoke aloud, "Is that...safe?"

"Not really, but it's convenient." I told her honestly.

I probably shouldn't have told her that much, because now she took her time getting onto it. I didn't know which deities I'd pleased today that allowed for us to reach the bus stop just as the bus was pulling up, but I was glad for it nonetheless. I didn't feel like waiting until night time to get to my apartment.

"Do you own one of those carriages?" Daisy asked once we got on.

After I paid the driver with a crumpled bill I sat down near the front. I wrapped my arm around Daisy's waist when she sat beside me.

"Those are called vehicles," I told her, "And yeah I have one, I guess. It's really not much of one."

She just smiled at that and leaned her head on my shoulder. I guess riding the bus wasn't much different at all from riding in a coach. She didn't seem on edge at all. The girl gazed out the window beside me and marveled silently at the people and stores and things she saw.

"This is us," I told her when our stop came up.

She and I left the bus and I ushered her over to my meager apartments complex. To my immense surprise, my car was still in the lot. It was there, un-tampered with, still raggedy and mine. That was a huge shock. I would've thought somebody might have hot-wired it, or at the least I figured my landlord would have it towed. Speaking of him.

"This way," I guided Daisy towards the stairs.

We had to pass under the tunnel with the mailboxes first, then we got to them. Black and skinny and losing its paint those flights of steps were, and we scaled them quickly. I mostly wanted to get this over with. I went straight to my manager's office and knocked.

And knocked.

And knocked again.

"You think he's gone out?" Daisy inquired.

"He never goes out," I murmured and thought, the guy has no life.

Sure enough, the door swung open and someone flew right into my arms. Somebody little and slim and reeking of vanilla.

"Sorry, I didn't know who was knocking," Tanya spoke quickly, "I'm not supposed to open it for just anybody since you know what happened with the crazy dude from room 104, but I looked out the hole and saw it was you and...where have you been, Luigi?"

Those silver eyes, full of disbelief and a heady emotion I couldn't place, told me just how much she'd missed me.

...oh, Tanya, you silly girl...

Out the corner of my eye I saw Daisy stiffen beside me. I figured I'd better introduce them before she got the wrong idea between me and the 19 year old.

"Uh, Daisy, this is my landlord's niece, Tanya." I spoke without an ounce of enthusiasm, "Tanya where's your uncle?"

Tanya and Daisy met eyes, I could see that much, but something dismissive and aloof passed over Daisy's face before she glanced off to the side. Tanya just looked Daisy up and down a second and her eyes flashed with something unreadable. She stepped back from me and stood in the doorway, her countenance significantly muted.

"He's in the back." She replied to me in a much quieter tone.

I couldn't believe she'd backed off so quickly. Her grey eyes dragged slowly from me to Daisy and back again, understanding dawning in them. It was then that I truly looked at her and saw that it wasn't a tight, salacious getup she donned, but casual sweatpants and a loose t-shirt. Her coppery hair had gotten a bit longer like mine, and now snaked in tangles down to her tan shoulders.

"I'll go get him," She told me in that same quiet voice.

When she slammed the door shut, I knew she was hurt. I wasn't dull at these things like my brother, I knew how to read a girl to a certain extent, and those juvenile feelings Tanya harbored for me underneath all that lust were still feelings nonetheless, and right now they had just been shattered. I kinda' felt bad for her, but this had to happen one day. There would never be anything between us, she was barely out of girlhood and I was a grown man. And now that she could see I was involved, I hope she got the message.

There was a silence, a stiff silence, in the time it took for my landlord to swing the door back open. I hoped Daisy didn't think anything of this, Tanya was a young girl, my landlord's niece. That's it.

"So you really are back," My landlord stated, "Huh. Must've been some wedding, huh?"

I almost forgot about that. Before I left, I called him and explained the situation. How long ago was that? And to think, everything but a wedding went down since I left.

"Do I still have a room?" I asked frankly.

"You still got your key?" He responded just as curtly.

I blinked. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing." He told me, "You can start paying me again when the next month comes. Go ahead, get settled. I'll turn your water back on."

I couldn't believe he wasn't charging me back-pay; I mean, my landlord was as cheap as penny candy, it wasn't like him to just let that go.

"Don't just stand there," He told me, "Go on. If it were up to me, I'd have boxed your stuff up and had it ready for you down at St. Vincent De Paul's."

Now that sounds more like him, I thought.

"So why didn't you?" I asked, though I probably shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"It was that girl." He admitted, "She convinced me to hold it for you. Said, 'I know he'll be back', she did. And. Well. Here you are, so."

I frowned. That figures. Of course Tanya would want me to come back. The little stalker was probably bettin' on it with her fingers crossed. But I shouldn't be too hard on her, I did have my room still.

"And that car a'yours," My landlord continued.

"What about it?" I asked warily.

"I woulda' had that towed, but she'd go and camp out on it," He spoke, "Wouldn't let me do that either."

I didn't necessarily like the image of Tanya 'camping out' on my car, but I guess the main thing is that it's still here, unhindered. That's all that matters. But that made me think; how much influence did this petite girl have over her portly, broad-built uncle? Surely she didn't make him hold my stuff. He had to want to. Why? Did he actually care?

You mean I'm not just a paycheck to him? Ludicrous, I thought with a mild smile.

"Thanks," I told him gratefully.

He shrugged and said in a muttered tone, "I'm just glad you're alright, kid. You were gone so long and I...I didn't know what to think."

He gave me a meaningful look that sorta' made me feel uncomfortable, then went back into his office and shut the door. Now I felt like a jerk. Here I was, thinking the worst of the both of them, and they...

"Come on," I told Daisy softly, "I gotta' go somewhere right quick."

She was totally silent but nodded a bit and followed me out to the parking lot. I showed her to my car and dug in my pockets for my keys. Like my money, I had them at the ready for this morning's homecoming. I unlocked the doors and opened hers for her. I put her luggage in the back, then got into the front seat and started the car.

It was running still. That was something.

Daisy's face lit up at the sound of the engine, in an alarmed sort of way. She glanced over at me nervously.

"What is that?" she asked.

"It's just the car starting." I told her gently.

She nodded, but was very much ill at ease. I guess riding the bus was a lot more passive an experience than being in the passenger side of a car going at least 45-60 miles an hour. The girl grew more distressed as we traveled, so I took the liberty of reaching over and taking her hand.

"Shouldn't you be using both hands to steer this 'vehicle'?" She asked me cautiously.

I smiled and said, "Nah, it's cool. I've been driving a while."

And I helped her calm down by holding her hand, stroking the back of her knuckles with my thumb, and talking to her about the things she saw out the window and such. It distracted her. Soon she began to relax. Even sooner, we arrived at our destination. The downtown pizza joint. AKA, my job.

If I still had one, that is.

Like my landlord, my boss was under the impression that I'd be gone, at most, a week or two for a wedding. Since that wasn't the case, and I'd not called to let him know in the meantime what was going on, there was a high chance I might've been fired. Oh well. The sooner I get in there the sooner I'll know.

"What's this place?" Daisy asked me in a very distant voice.

I said, "My um, place of employment. A pizza parlor. Not as classy as the name might suggest, to be honest."

"Luigi, stop doing that." She insisted softly.

"What?" I frowned.

Daisy turned to me and said, "Don't discount things about your life anymore. I won't think less of you, no matter what. I just want to be a part of your world, whether it's classy or ostentatious or dirt-poor or what. So long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter to me."

Somewhere along the line of her speech, she'd dropped her gaze down into her lap. She'd touched me. I reached over and tucked my thumb under her chin, then kissed her forehead. When I pulled back, she looked stricken.

"What is it?" I asked immediately.

She shook her head and claimed, "N-nothing."

I decided to leave it at that for now, seeing as how I was eager to get this next experience over with. I got out and helped her out, then led her into the building. She was clinging to my arm as we crossed the street, sans crosswalk. I took her hand and kissed it gently before opening the door for her.

"You can just wait right here," I said, "This shouldn't take long."

I pulled out a chair for her and then headed straight to the back. I passed my former co-workers who regarded me as they would a stranger and headed towards the kitchen. There was plenty of heat brimming out from the ovens as I made a left towards the boss' hole-in-the-wall office. I knocked twice.

"It's open!" He called.

I came in and my boss had to do a double take.

"Whoa!" He grinned, "Talk about back from the dead! Where you been?"

I started to explain but he held up his hand suddenly.

"On second thought, never mind," He back-tracked. "I don't like to delve too deep in my employees' lives, things tend to get messy, you see things you ought not to, people get offed, eh...you know what I mean?"

...No.

I actually didn't. Hence that befuddled face I was probably sporting right about then.

He waved a hand and said, "So what'd you wanna' talk about?"

"My job." I replied.

Why else would I be here?

"Yeah, what about it?" He asked, looking down at some paperwork.

Is he for real?

"...Do I still have one?" I asked bluntly.

He glanced up and said, "Oh. Yeah, yeah sure. You uh, you still got your uniform, right?"

"Yeah." I replied.

"Can you come in next week?" He asked.

I was about to answer when he cut me off again.

"You know what, just wait until the next month is here." He amended, "That's good?"

"Sure."

"Good!" He declared, "I'll see you on the first, then."

"Right." I sighed.

This was a good thing. Yes, it was a terrible job and I didn't get paid nearly enough but I got paid, and that was what mattered. I was fine with my life before, so why should I complain now? I'll make do. I've got something I didn't have before to help me get through the dreariness, and the lovely balm was sitting right there near the entrance door.

"You're done?" She asked me, looking up when I got near her.

I nodded and led her back outside. "Yup. Turns out I still have a job."

"That's great," She said.

"Right."

"So um, this is home."

There wasn't much to present, but Daisy looked enchanted nonetheless. I was glad to see her smile. I feared I'd put her off with the Tanya incident this morning, but now she was following me around my apartment appraising each and every thing as if it were something out of Home and Garden. I couldn't see what she saw, it just looked like the same old cut-rate furnished apartment I was used to.

"Uh, bathroom's in there, this is the closet," I pointed out along this short tour. "This is actually the bedroom, not another closet like you might think."

She smiled and said, "It's not that small, Luigi. It's nice."

"If you say so," I shrugged.

I showed her the dresser and put her luggage near it. It only took me a moment to get a few bags from the kitchen, then empty my stuff into them according to which drawer they came out of. I put the bags on the shelf in my closet and rested her cloth sacks in the now-empty open drawer.

"I'll keep my stuff into my closet until I can get another set of shelves or some crates," I said. "You can have the dresser. And all the uh, towels are right here, across from the bathroom."

"What's that?" She suddenly asked.

I looked at the big thing she was pointing at and smiled.

"Oh, I think you might like that." I said, "It's the television. It plays movies and stuff, like a theatre."

"Oh," She remarked with interest.

Daisy rubbed her arms and said, "I think I want to take a shower and change clothes."

It was getting late into the evening by now. I would probably be doing the same thing soon.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I could eat."

"Hamburger Helper?" I gambled.

"What's that?"

"Inexpensive."

"Sounds delicious," She laughed.

"It's alright." I admitted. "Should be ready by the time you get done." I predicted.

"Kay," she responded, then headed to the bedroom.

While she was doing that, I went ahead and got started on our 'dinner'. I'd definitely have to go buy some groceries soon. In fact, I'll be making a lot of changes now that Daisy was here. But first I wanted to find out what was on her mind. The girl's been distracted all day, even before the Tanya incident. Something was bothering her.

The shower started running, so my attention went there for a moment.

Laundry would be different. Free time, working, all that would change now that Daisy's here. I'll have to help her get adjusted to this new life. Maybe that was what was bothering her.

Like I predicted, it didn't take long for the food to finish. Daisy was out before it was done though, clad in a pair of cloth shorts and and a t-shirt that said 'The Ramones'...wait a minute.

"Isn't that-"

"It's yours," She affirmed with a sly smile, "I really like it. You mind?"

"Not really." I told her.

Not at all, I thought.

Daisy sank down into a chair in the kitchen and I served her half of the pan of pasta. I put the rest on my plate and looked in the fridge. There was some milk, bad by now, and a jug of water I filtered, along with some Hawaiian Punch.

"Juice or water?" I asked.

"Juice." She answered.

I poured us both a cup and came to the table.

"I hope you don't mind the fact that everything's paper."

She shrugged, "Less dishes."

We ate, and I noticed right away that it was way too salty. The cheesiness was overbearing. And the ground meat was hot enough to scald my tongue. Daisy tore it up, though. She finished and grinned at me.

"That was really good!" She praised.

"Not too much salt?" I quirked a brow.

She shook her head, "No, Luigi. It was really good. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it." I said, "I don't really cook that much."

"Well now you won't have to," She told me, "I'm here."

"You don't have to do that." I said.

Daisy leaned over and kissed my cheek, "I know. But you know I like to cook."

"And you do it so well," I added.

Daisy's face flashed with some kind of recognition of something. She brushed it off and went to dump her 'dishes' in the trash. Then she went over to the couch. I followed her and turned off the kitchen light, bathing us in darkness. That didn't last because I turned on the tv soon after.

"Whoa," Daisy breathed at the sight and sound of it.

I gave her the remote and said, "These are for volume, and these are for the channels. Find something you like. I'm about to take a shower."

"Kay," She hummed absently, already getting into the television.

By the time I got out, dressed in loose pants and a t-shirt, she'd settled on cartoons. Interesting. I sank down onto the end of the couch and she climbed into my lap. I welcomed her there, loved the way her body was all soft curves and warmness. I kissed the top of her head and relaxed my arms around her.

"You smell good," I told her.

"You smell like soap and water," She said back, smiling.

"I'll take what I can get." I remarked. "What do you think?"

"Of what?"

"Brooklyn."

"I haven't seen much of it yet," She spoke slowly, "But it's very um, intriguing. It's a lot to take in."

"Yeah, it is." I said. "You got something on your mind?"

"Hm?"

"You been kinda' quiet today." I said, "are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"You wanna' talk about anything?" I tried once more.

Daisy gazed up at me with those pretty, light eyes and kissed the underside of my jaw.

"I'm okay." She claimed. "And I love you, by the way."

"You know I love you," I told her back.

A/N: And so concludes chapter one of the sequel. I did say I'd be coming out with one, sorry it took so long. My life is in major transition, to put it mildly, very, very mildly. I wish I could tell you some of the things that's been going on but I don't want to burden you.

Anyway.

How do you like it so far? Ha, I know it's quite early, but yeah. Things will start off relatively mildly. Treasure the light and fluffy moments, because when the darkness comes, I guarantee you it will not be pretty.

Not even kinda pretty if you just, like, put a bit of makeup here and there and change the lighting and...lol.

You get the picture. I don't wanna give anything away, so stay tuned for the next chapter!

Leave your thoughts and reviews and I'll see you next time!

~DymondGold~