My Father and I

PROLOGUE

*Anything italicized is someone's thought or someone is singing

It was a beautiful day in the Mushroom Kingdom. A beautiful day indeed, for a new heir was on its way.

"AH!" Princess Peach Toadstool/Mario screamed in pain. All the nurse Toads and Toadettes ran to aid the pregnant princess. Mario Mario, Peach's husband, was waiting in the hallway outside of Peach's bed room door. He was pacing back and forth, until his younger twin brother, Luigi walked in with his girlfriend, the princess of Sarasaland, Princess Daisy Floral.

"I got your text, bro. How's Peach doing?" Luigi asked.

"AHHH!" They heard Peach scream from the other end of the door.

"That answers my question."

Mario sighed as he leaned his back against the wall. "Luigi, what if I'm not ready to be a father?" He asked.

"Mario, you are so ready!?" Daisy said, very enthusiastic.

"Yeah, bro. Look how great I turned out!" Luigi added.

Mario chuckled a little and nodded. He was grateful to have a brother who was always there for him. After all, he was there for Luigi when he needed it.

After a while of waiting, it was silent. Dr. Toadly walked out and told Mario that he could go in to see Peach and his new baby girl.

Mario took a deep breathe and walked into the room, and saw Peach holding a little baby in her arms, wrapped in a hot pink blanket and sleeping. That made Mario smile and walk closer to Peach.

"Mario, meet your daughter." Peach said with a perky smile.

"Hi-ya, kiddo." Mario said, in a quiet tone. The baby's eyes opened up and the minute she saw her dad, she giggled happily.

"She likes you!" Peach exclaimed.

"Yeah, she does. What are we naming her?"

This caught Peach off guard. She thought it was going to be a boy, but having a girl was even better. She was thinking of naming her Jordan, considering it was a boy's name and girl's name, but the minute she saw her violet purple eyes, that's when she knew what she looked like, and what her name was going to be. "How about Melodie?" She asked.

"Melodie…I like it!" Mario said in a yell.

"I'm glad." Peach said. She looked back at Baby Melodie, and said. "Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom…Princess Melodie Mario."

~6 years later~

Mario was the captain of the boat, heading to Sarasaland, to visit his brother and his new wife, Daisy. 6 year old Melodie Mario was with him, and so was her mother, Peach. Melodie kept going to the railing of the boat to look at the cheep cheeps splashing in the ocean.

"Melodie, be careful!" Peach called over to her.

"I'll be fine, mommy!" Melodie yelled back. Splash! Melodie looked back out to sea, and saw a person in the ocean, and once it dove back into the water, Melodie saw a fin come up. Her eyes were wide like saucers, and her mouth was wide with a smile of excitement. A merman! She thought.

"Hey Melodie, how about some music?!" Mario called over to his daughter.

Melodie looked over at her dad, and smiled normally. "Okay!" She ran to the other end of the boat, and was getting ready to sing. The whole crew of Toads and Toadettes had gone to the center of the boat, and were ready for a show. Peach and Mario stayed by the steering wheel, but they could hear perfectly fine.

Just as Melodie went to sing, she felt scared. All eyes were on her, and that made her nervous. Mario could see this, and told Peach to steer the boat for the time being. He walked to the part of the boat where Melodie was standing, and placed a hand on her shoulder as he knelt down to her level.

Melodie looked up at her father, just staring at him, with awestruck eyes like it was her first time looking at her father up close.

(SONG: "Red Robin"—Clark Richard)

Mario smiled at his little girl as one of the musical Toads started playing the guitar they just happened to have on the boat. Peach chuckled at the music that Toad was playing, because she knew this song from when her father sang it to her. Somehow, Mario knew it too.

She is just a baby; she's my little girl,

She looks like her mommy, sportin' little curls,

She's got lot to learn though, she is sure to know,

That I'll quietly spot her, anywhere she goes.

But now our little lady's out with daddy for the day,

She fought the odds but couldn't stay awake,

As I place her in the car, she's out like a light,

Cuz she knows I'll get her home alright.

Peach was forming tears in her eyes. She knew that Mario was ready to be dad, because he was doing such a good job at it. He and Melodie had a special bond. Melodie was giggling like a little 6 year old would. Mario kept smiling, until he sensed something was going to happen. He and Toad practiced this for a while, and Mario had a special signal to let him know when to go straight to the last verse. Mario gave the signal to Toad, and the musical Toad nodded, as he started the last verse.

If time could only give me, a moment to reflect,

The smile on all that has been, to treasure what is left,

Though I won't always be here, this you surely know,

That I'll quietly spot you, anywhere you go.

And when we are apart remember it is not the end,

You know enough to know we'll meet again,

I'll be waiting by the gate, standing just inside,

Till I know you've made it home alright, yeah…

Till I know you've made it home alright.

(End of song)

Melodie wrapped her arms around Mario's neck and hugged him, making Mario hug her right back.

"I love you, daddy." Melodie said.

Mario grinned at his little girl's voice. "I love you too, Melodie." He replied.

That was the last song Mario ever sang for his little girl. And that was the last time Melodie ever saw or said 'I love you' to her dad.

Melodie was crying into Peach's chest. She had just lost a good friend, and a father. He had activated the emergency floatable raft, and all the Toads and Toadettes, along with Princess Peach and Melodie jumped on. Mario was about to jump on, when his shoe-lass got caught on a loose floor board. Melodie was screaming for him to hurry, but the lass wouldn't budge. It was too the point where it was too late, and the whole ship went under sea, taking Mario down with it.

"Hey, where's Mario?" Luigi asked the moment the raft made it to Sarasaland in one piece.

"The boat was attacked and it began to sink…" Melodie began to explain through sobs.

"What?" Daisy said, in shock. Luigi's face was so awestricken for he never thought he'd hear the tale…of his brother's death.

"Mario's shoe-lass got caught and the boat…took him down." Peach continued, trying to be strong for Melodie's sake.

"Oh, Melodie…" Daisy began.

Melodie looked up from her mother's chest and looked straight ahead to where Daisy was speaking from, but she didn't see Daisy. Instead, she saw a big egg like blimp with a big hulky dragon like man in it, flying away. The scene changed to an aerial view, showing Mario at the bottom of the blimp, unconscious. Melodie looked shocked at what she was seeing, but didn't know how she was seeing this. Was her father trying to tell her something? What did this mean?

Melodie was brought back to reality the moment she felt a hand on her back. She snapped out of the 'vision' and looked behind her, to see her uncle Luigi, showing sympathy. Melodie broke down and began to cry again, but this time, into Luigi's chest.

"There, there…I miss him too." Luigi said, hugging Melodie right back, as a tear fell down his own cheek.

~END OF PROLOGUE~