Marine's Halloween
"See, if I was like Mario, I could whack you with my super powerful raccoon tail!" Marine chirps at me as we walk with a cool evening breeze nibbling on our backs.
She playfully turns and lightly brushes her brown and black ringed tail against my calves.
Downtown Station Square is usually quiet for seven o'clock at night.
A few cars occasionally drive by, but the sidewalk is deserted.
"And you could use that raccoon tail to soar through the sky too, right?" I nudge her slightly.
"It would be so cool to be a video game character." Marine sighs as she leans her head to the side.
It brushes against my shoulder with a faint touch.
We walk in and out of the dull yellow glow of the sparsely spaced street lamps.
"Yeah yeah, too bad I don't have to be a video game character to be able to fly." I smirk as I twist my tails together and buzz around her a few times before settling back to the ground.
"But I couldn't stand to wear these hideous overalls and eat Italian food all the time." She scoffs as she pulls at the straps on her denim outfit, turning her head up slightly at the thought of her least favorite type of cuisine.
"Just so I've got this straight, you love Mario, but you hate Italian food and the clothes he wears?" I ask her.
"Exactly."
I blink at her silently.
"What do you like about him then?"
"He's just so awesome. He's like the underdog. The little guy. Plus his hat! His hat is absolutely legendary!"
She points to the poofy red cap with a red M emblazoned inside a white circle loosely sitting on top of her head.
"And of course his raccooniness is off the chain." Marine continues.
I blink at her again.
"Off the chain?"
"Oh….I mean…sweet! Phat! As cool as the other side of the pillow! Which one is right? I'm still trying to learn the slang you guys use here in your world."
*
I should point out that ever since Marine returned with us to Station Square, she has despised Italian food to a degree that would take so much detail to describe, I shouldn't waste anymore words on it than I already have, but I'll try.
She could barely gulp down three bites of Amy's spaghetti and meatballs before politely refusing to eat anymore.
She held her nose and tried to swallow some of that ravioli from a can, but even I admit those taste pretty terrible.
But when she got sick after eating some of Cream's lasagna, that was the last straw for me.
How can anyone not like lasagna?!?!
Just imagine…..
The sweet tomato sauce with beef and a little tang of onion!
The gooey, bubbly mozzarella cheese!
The soft, warm, melt in your mouth noodles!
Mama Mia! What's wrong with this girl?!
But I digress, so Marine doesn't like Italian food.
Sorry for the interruption
*
"I'd rather dress up like a dingo and eat Oreos dipped in milk than Italian!" Marine turns to look at me before sticking her tongue out.
"Hold up!" I stop almost immediately.
My grey fighter pilot suit rustles lightly.
I take my goggles off my forehead because they're making my fur itch.
Marine continues walking as if nothing had happened.
"What?" She stops and looks at me playfully, already knowing she's said something to surprise me.
"You don't like Oreos?" I gawk at her.
"Oreos are terrible! They're dry and hard and don't taste like chocolate at all."
"You gotta admit the cream in the middle is good though…"
"Meh…..it's okay." She shrugs.
"Okay?!" I repeat incredulously. "It's like God's greatest gift to our taste buds!"
"No, that would be salmon Tails."
"Talk about meh…"
We continue arguing about what foods are good, bad, and a secret experiment meant to annihilate society until we arrive at Rouge's building.
We show the doorman our dark purple wristbands and he ushers us inside.
"Fourteenth floor." He says with a short smile as he points us toward the elevator before heading out again.
"What room?" I ask as he walks away.
"You've never been here before have you?" He laughs lightly without turning around.
Marine and I exchange a confused glance before heading inside the elevator.
The elevator is like one of those in a hospital that's big enough to fit several carts inside, along with all the passengers.
The numbers ting away silently as it rises upward.
Our ride comes to a smooth stop and the doors silently whoosh open.
An expansive space opens up before us as the long glass windows that line the walls display an unobstructed view of the city in the early evening light.
"This must be one of Rouge's famous Party Pads." I comment. "That's why that doorman was laughing when we asked what room number."
Party Pads are one of the options Rouge's clubs are most famous for. She has entire floors and warehouses rented out that she uses as bases for her most important events and clientele.
I didn't think she'd go to the trouble of hosting our little Halloween party at one though.
"I can't believe she would think of us as this important." Marine says.
"Rouge can be pretty secretive, maybe even deceptive sometimes, but she's got a caring side underneath."
"And how would yooouuu know?" Marine nudges me repeatedly.
"No No No! Nothing like that! I just mean….she likes running her business now. She's not all about going on jewel heists and stealing rare artifacts anymore."
"Aww…..did mean ol' Rouge break Tails' little heart?" Marine puts both hands on my shoulders and turns so that we're facing each other.
"You know Tails, you shouldn't go after girls that are so much older than you." Marine tisks me as she wags her pointer finger at me.
"I didn't go after Rouge!"
"You should like someone like Cream or Amy or me." She tells me candidly.
I immediately avert my eyes from her.
"Hey Tails! Marine!"
Thankfully we're interrupted by Amy's voice, calling from the doorway.
"Marine! Get out! You like Mario too?" Amy stares in disbelief at Marine's costume.
I turn to look at Amy, who is wearing a fake black turtle shell on her back and front with a black cap with a white M on it.
She's carrying her hammer, but she's painted it black with white lining.
"Let me guess, you're a closet Mario fan too?" I roll my eyes. "What are you supposed to be though?"
Amy and Marine both drop their mouths open and gawk at me in amazement.
"Amy, I haven't lived here very long. Is Tails just messing with me, or does he really not know what you're dressed as? I love your costume! You look just like Mario when he has his hammer suit on from Super Mario Bros. 3!" Marine squeals, running around to feel the shell costume Amy has on.
"Hey Tails!" Cream's gentle voice calls from behind me.
I turn away from the Mario-polooza behind me, hoping to talk to someone normal for a change.
Sadly, I don't get my wish.
"N-n-n-no!! Not you too Cream?!" I gasp, covering my eyes.
"What is it Tails? You don't like my costume?" I slide open two of my fingers to peek through.
Cream is wearing a pair of white overalls with obnoxiously brass colored buttons and a white hat with a red M on it. She's even holding a big orange flower she must've brought from her shop.
"Isn't it clever Tails? I brought my own Fire Flower!" Cream looks at me warmly.
I slap my hand over my face in defeat.
"Cream!" Amy calls from behind us.
Marine and Amy both squeal over Cream's costume.
"You are so cute! You look just like fire power Mario!" The three of them ooohh and ahhh over their creations.
I step away from the three girls and walk over to one of the long, rectangular tables draped with a thick black cloth.
The food looks delicious, even in the spooky lighting.
I get a little plate and pile on a couple of chicken strips and scoop out a ladle full of sweet pink punch.
I take a test sip and am rewarded with its nectar sweet flavor.
I wonder where Rouge is anyway? I think lightly. She is the host after all.
I'm about to take another sip when I feel my arm grabbed by Marine.
"So Tails, which one of us do you think most looks like Mario?" She asks hurriedly before standing in a line beside the other two costumed Marios.
"Umm….I couldn't really say. I'm not a big Mario fan. I don't know his work very well." I try to avoid having to say out loud which of the three I like the most…. I mean….who's costume is the best.
All three gasp at me openly.
"Wha do you mean you're not familiar with his work?" Amy spits out.
"He's totally strewth!" Marine steps forward forcefully.
"Watch it! There goes your Australian slang again." I remind her.
"I don't bladdy care if I'm using Russian slang! You have to learn more about Mario! He's like the most influential character in the history of characters!"
"C'mon Tails, I have all the old games on my virtual console and Mario Galaxy at my house! Let's go play!" Cream begins tugging on my left arm.
What have I gotten myself into?! I think, panic stricken at how quickly I've lost control of the situation.
"Do you guys like salmon? I'll bake some and make some rice to go with it!" Marine giddily offers as the three of them are literally dragging me toward the elevator.
"Or better yet, sushi! My mom always has some fresh seaweed to wrap it in! This is gonna be great!" Cream informs them.
No! Not sushi! Anything but sushi! I think frantically.
"Somebody save me!" I plead as Marine presses in on the down elevator button.
The sensor dings and the doors open swiftly.
"Hold it right there girls!" I hear a soothing voice call from above.
I glance up toward the rafters and see Rouge release her legs from hanging upside down.
She swoops down and snaps me up in her arms, extracting me from Cream and Amy's grasp.
Her wings flap steadily as she hovers above them.
"You can't go off and take my little Tailsy somewhere he doesn't want to go. That's called kidnapping." She smirks before wagging her finger at them.
"We're not kidnapping anybody. We were just going to educate Tails on what a great video game character Super Mario is." Amy puts her hands on her hips in frustration.
"Well, I don't think Tails wants to go." Rouge says defiantly.
"We say he does!" Marine and Cream bark loudly.
"Too bad! Cuz you can't have him!"
Shouldn't I have more of a say in this? I think whimsically.
Rouge bursts off again, flying toward the windows of the room.
I quickly notice she isn't slowing down as she turns and goes legs first through the glass.
It crackles with thousands of shattering pieces raining down around us like quartz colored glitter.
I'm now holding onto Rouge for dear life as she zips around the corner of the massive building I had been comfortably standing in, drinking punch no more than ten minutes ago.
I look back to see Cream flapping her ears furiously as she trails after us.
"Thank you for saving me." I tell Rouge honestly.
"No problem hun. You're worth saving." She winks at me quickly. "Now hold on!"
Rouge folds her wings against her body as she enters a steep dive.
I feel my stomach collapse as we continue to gain speed.
Rouge suddenly pops open her wings again and makes a sharp left turn.
She jerks right and into an open window.
We tumble across the hardwood floor of a darkened room.
I feel Rouge release me from her grasp.
She hurries over to the window and shuts it firmly before clicking a small lock on each side in place.
She pulls the thick, dark colored curtains closed before quietly crawling back toward me.
I can only see a faint row of moonlight at the bottom of the curtains seeping through.
"Follow me." Rouge whispers gingerly as we edge further from the window.
I hear her hand roaming over the wooden door until she finds the knob.
She expertly turns it without making a sound.
I follow her into the hallway, still moving one leg and one arm at a time.
"Okay, I think we should be safe now." She says matter-of-factly as she stands up and flicks a dim light on the far end of the hallway on.
She leads me into a living room with a long, chocolate colored couch and a thick, poofy beige colored chair.
"What is this place?" I ask her.
"Don't worry sweetie. We're not breaking or entering or anything." Rouge says as she pushes the button at the base of a lamp. "It's one of my apartments."
"Oh okay. Thanks again for helping me out there. I don't what's gotten into the three of them." I say as I flail out on the couch.
"I know. The nerve of them to try and make you play Mario Galaxy and all of that." Rouge shakes her head. "Tisk tisk tisk! Shame on them!"
"Yeah, I was just standing there enjoying my punch. I mean, earlier Marine was normal…well…comparatively normal, but once the three of them got together, it's like they were under some kind of Mario magic or someth—."
"Everyone knows Mario Kart Wii is the game you have to play Tails!" Rouge's eyes flare red as she turns on a TV and forcefully places a Wiimote and Wii steering wheel in my hands.
"Nooooooo!"
*
"Ahhnnhhh!"
I wake up with my heart beating so fast, it's almost hurting me.
I place my hand over my chest as I lie down and try to take slower, gentler breaths.
"It was just a dream." I say calmly after a few seconds.
I throw back the dull black covers of my bed as I stand up and stretch lazily.
I look at the clock and see it's barely eight o'clock.
I slowly trudge over to my blind covered bedroom window and peek out of them to see a cloudy sky.
Not the best weather for our gang's Halloween party tonight.
I still can't believe Marine wanted me to pick her up so we can go together! I think giddily.
I wonder what costume Marine will wear?
She couldn't actually dress up like Mario could she? I think nervously.
Nahh….I reassure myself. She doesn't even know who Super Mario is.
I swallow nervously.
Right?
The End
Author's Note: Just for the record, I would like to point out that I do like Super Mario (and Super Mario games) and sushi and rice and salmon and Italian food. I don't like Oreos though. They are terrible.
My main inspiration behind writing this was trying to come up with a Halloween story and the idea of Marine being a raccoon and idolizing Mario was a funny idea (in my mind at least). I also got a request to write a Marine/Cream friendship story and while this doesn't really satisfy that request, I hope to go in the direction soon. Any reviews and ideas or suggestions for future chapters or stories are always appreciated. Thanks for reading and happy writing!