A/N: Originally, I planned to have Luigi and Tails' funerals take place in the same chapter, but decided to split them like I did with their passings. Today we're shifting back to Mario and the others who are about to commend the man in green.
*NOTE: I edited this chapter and the first Post-Chapter Note to change the relationship between Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. This change was denoted by NormanWhitesmith, and I decided to go by his word, even though he mentioned this months ago.
Disclaimer: Mario and Sonic, as well as the other characters, are owned by Nintendo and Sega. I only own the story plot and idea.
Chapter 3: Rest in Peace, Luigi
Location: Toad Town
Mario slowly strolled through the town square by himself. His gaze shifted from the blue, partly cloudy sky to the brick-covered paths. He didn't look up to see anyone. His eyes were strictly planted at the ground.
Several Toads were in the background staring at the saddened man. In return, they all had faces expressed of pity, sorrow, and regret. At first, the majority of the Toads barely recognized Luigi for fighting alongside the red hero. It wasn't until after his untimely death did they realize how brave and daring he was to sacrifice his life for the main hero. But they all knew now that he was indeed one throughout his time in the Mushroom Kingdom. And unfortunately, it was too late to praise him for his heroics. All they could do is grieve for Luigi and feel sorry for Mario.
The mustached man made his way to the Mushroom Temple, several zones south of Peach's Castle. As he finally looked up, he saw everyone he knew there. Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Professor Elvin Gadd, Colombo, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad, Toadette, Toadsworth, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and even his rival counterparts Wario and Waluigi. (1) Everyone was suited up in appropriate clothes as they gathered in front of the funeral home. They all turned their attention to Mario when he walked up to them.
Princess Peach was the first to notice Mario. Normally, her royal clothes consisted of a pink sundress with a blue brooch, white gloves that went reached her upper arms and near the puffed sleeves that covered her shoulders, and a pair of pink heels. But on this occasion, she wore a black dress that went down over her knees and long sleeves extending down to her elbows, a sunhat replacing her usual royal crown, pantyhose that covered from waist to toe, and black high heels for her footwear.
When Mario stopped in front of everyone, she wasted no time but to run up to him and give him a much-needed hug. Mario barely budged as the princess wrapped her arms around him, but he returned the embracement since they both desired some comfort.
After a long wait, Peach reluctantly let go and looked down at her special one. "Good morning, Mario," she greeted sadly.
He bowed in front of her. "Morning to you, too, Peach," he replied.
Daisy was the next to approach Mario. Similar to Peach, she had the same attire, except her dress was sleeveless and she had a yellow rose attached to her sunhat. "Hello, Mario," she softly spoke.
Mario also bowed in front of the Sarasaland ruler. "Hello, Princess Daisy," he simply said.
"So… did you sleep well last night?" she awkwardly asked.
"No, I haven't," Mario sighed.
"Had another bad night?" Peach wondered.
Mario nodded. "Frankly, I tossed and turned in my bed. I had little sleep, yet again. I just couldn't stop thinking about him. And every time and I walk past his room, I just want to see him lying in his bed sleeping peacefully… But now he's sleeping elsewhere… I miss him so much."
As he trailed off from his words, a single tear escaped his eye. He quickly used the sleeve of his black suit to wipe it away and dry his face. Daisy also had a few tears fall from her face thinking about her love… Luigi… The two of them were the most crushed out of everyone. Even though Daisy wasn't a witness unlike her blonde friend, she was immediately heartbroken when Peach addressed the devastating news. They both wanted him back. For Mario, he wanted his brother; for Daisy, she wanted her special one.
Peach sympathized for her two friends. Peach also couldn't help but let out a drop. Peach and Luigi were not together as a couple, but they were great friends. She remembered the moment when he confessed his feelings for the Mushroom Kingdom princess before Daisy stepped into his life.
She felt bad for him since everyone knew she and Mario were technically an item together. To Luigi, he understood and wanted nothing else but to be happy for the both of them. And he would completely forget about being a relationship with Peach ever since she introduced him to the Sarasaland princess.
The princess always appreciated Luigi for his unselfishness for putting other people's happiness in front of his own; it reminded of her own hospitality where she desired the peaceful citizens to be happy before focusing on her own needs. Yet, she couldn't help but express empathy whenever the man in green was depressed in those situations. The furthest they became were best friends, but in a positive way. But now, they were distant with one another. Just like Mario and Daisy.
The elderly professor and the Polterpup strolled up to Mario and the princesses. Instead of wearing his traditional white lab coat, he had an undershirt covered by a black suit, a green tie, gray trousers, and brown dress shoes. Colombo still wore his red collar with the addition of a green bow attached near his name tag.
E. Gadd took the plumber's hand and held it tightly with both of his. "Sonny boy, I am deeply distraught. When I was told about his untimely passing, I had no words to describe what just happened to the young chap. I'm terribly sorry. And I miss him deeply. Such a noble, brave man, and a determined ghost hunter, too."
"Thank you for coming, Professor Gadd. I know how much Luigi meant to you ever since he went on the mansion quest to rescue me."
The professor adjusted with his glasses and sniffed slightly. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his eyes.
"Oh, Mario… why did he have to go so quickly? He had a bright future ahead of him, only for it to get shattered in the blink of a ghost's eye."
"I don't know, Professor. I don't know…" he replied melancholy.
Colombo whimpered sadly in front of the two. Mario picked up the Polterpup and held him tightly in his arms. Since Luigi passed away, Colombo was taken care of by the professor given his history with the ghosts of Evershade Valley. Since he was a ghost, he could possibly connect with Luigi's spirit in the afterlife. Nevertheless, to hear that his adoptive owner was gone, Colombo was inconsolable.
Yoshi walked up to his human buddy. Dressed in the same brown boots but also with a suit and blue-green tie, he nudged his nose to Mario. Yoshi whined sadly, repeating his native Yoshi language which translated into 'I'm sorry, Mario. I miss my best friend, too.'. In return, he patted the friendly dinosaur.
Birdo walked next to Yoshi as she reached for his vacant hand. The pink dinosaur's outfit consisted of a large white bow in replacement of her red one, and a gray sleeveless dress, imprinted with a floral rose pattern that went down to her shins. She spoke in her language, but also gave her regards to the fallen plumber.
Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong also approached Mario in a calm manner. The large ape wore a dark gray jacket and a red tie without his initials; the chimp, who wasn't wearing his trademark red cap, had a long-sleeved black shirt and an external vest with white and gray stripes. DK has had his own mishaps against Mario, but they've had a better relationship together than before. And Diddy was there for moral support since he had friendly rival ties with Luigi. Along with Yoshi and Birdo, they yearned for Luigi.
The three Toad retainers of the princess also gathered around the group. Toad and Toadsworth replaced their sleeveless colored vests with white-and-blue striped undershirts and dark suits. Toadette sported a small black gown and a veil above her pink mushroom top. They all had saddened looks on their faces.
Last, but not least, Wario and Waluigi were there, but the duo decided to stand on the sidelines. They each had white undershirts with ties in their respective colors, matching black suits and trousers, and brown dress shoes. Like Mario, they did not wear their signature caps.
Since they had an unfriendly rivalry with the Mario Bros., it created awkward tension whenever the two try to harass them with their tricks. But since they heard the word that Luigi passed away from his sacrifice, they were conflicted. Out of character, to say the least.
At first, they were surprised that Luigi would do such a thing since he's not known to be as courageous as Mario. Secondly, they were shocked that he did such a thing that costed his own life. As much as they had fun mocking the young, fearful plumber, they wouldn't go off the ends of the earth to kill him, let alone harm him that could result in deadly consequences. They'd just pull simple, cheesy pranks to mess with his mind.
That's why they had a slight touch of sympathy for Luigi. Despite being a formidable, underrated person and the easiest to pick on, he was arguably the most mature out of all the mustachioed guys. And to have that sudden epiphany that he's gone, their lives felt empty. It made competitions seem worthless without having to face him in either grand prix racing, parties, or sports. They thought that it wouldn't be the same without having him as a dark horse participant. And the pranks they might pull on Mario won't give them the same satisfaction compared to fooling both brothers.
In a way, Wario and Waluigi were indifferent; sure, they disliked Luigi, but not to a hateful extent where they wanted him to die. Initially, the two thought it was a joke when they heard the green plumber suffered from something harsh; but now, it was like a boulder crushed their souls when they realized he was truly dead.
Along with the normal Mario party, they were hundreds of citizens from the Mushroom Kingdom, other royal lands, and neighboring or faraway locations where Mario had traveled to. The large crowd was composed of friendly Toads, Goombas, Koopas, Piantas, Nokis, Bob-ombs, Shy Guys, Ghosts, and other species in his world. Mario was surprised to see this many people to mourn for the green hero.
Amongst the guests were some faces that Mario barely recognized. In a congregated group, he spotted Blooey the Blooper, Jerry the Bob-omb, Torque the Buzzy Beetle, Hayzee the Dayzee, and Screamy, a white droplet entity (whose species is unknown). Mario knew those guys as Luigi's partners when he went on his own journey to rescue Princess Eclair of the Waffle Kingdom. (2)
Eventually, they all walked up to Mario and his friends. Blooey first introduced himself.
"Good morning, Mario. Morning, everybody," said the Blooper.
"Hello, guys. How's it going?" the mustached man asked.
"Life's been fair. Luckily I haven't fallen any volcanoes lately," he joked. "But in all seriousness, I'm terribly sorry for both you and your brother's loss."
"Thank you, Blooey."
"I have to be honest, I truly loathed Luigi for his clumsiness and I always swore I would get him back for making me fall in lava. However, I never got my chance, and it's too late. Sigh, I was going to punish him by dragging him into water as payback. Sadly, he suffered a worse punishment. And now I regret my negative feelings toward him. I never thought Luigi would do such a courageous act…"
Mario shivered at Blooey's speech. He knew how Luigi can be for his awkwardness and that resulted in starting unnecessary fights or earning public ridicule from everyone. From that, Luigi would be bullied or embarrassed for his actions, but Mario knew that they were never done on purpose. It's not Luigi's fault if he couldn't control a sneeze or accidentally fall flat on his feet. But to hear his compassion and sorrow for his younger brother, he once again felt uncomfortable to reminisce the time Luigi pushed him out of the death ray's path.
"As I was saying, I'm deeply sorry to hear about the news," continued the tan Blooper. "Everyone else has heard about it and were completely shocked and saddened."
"It's true," Hayzee replied. "He's been under the radar so many times that I was hoping he'd get the spotlight of the show. But I never thought the light would shine down on him after performing such a thing for his role. He's better as a fighter than an actor. I know that from experience."
"It was horrid enough to see your brother wear a dress to act as a sacrifice for a snake in our journey. But to hear him actually be a sacrifice to spare your life, the man has some tough guts. He went out KER-BLOOEY, you know?" commented Jerry.
"He always had the determination in eyes every time I saw him race in your Mario Kart tournaments. He may be a screw-up at times, but I've seen him bounce back numerous times to take the gold. And I can never get the death stare out of my mind," replied Torque.
"As much I didn't learn more about him throughout our time during his quest, I always looked up to Luigi as a caring man. He sure had his heart set for Princess Eclair before realizing the trap played by the Chestnut King. And to have it broken when he found out the ploy, he accepted it. Because he only cared about other people's feelings over his," commended Screamy.
"And that's who Luigi truly is: a kind, considerate man. Clumsy, but considerate," concluded Blooey.
Mario closed his eyes and breathed in deeply after listening to his brother's allies. Their speeches made him miss Luigi even more. But he was happy to know that there are people who knew and cared for the younger hero, even though they all disliked him initially.
"Are you alright, Mario?" Peach worriedly asked.
Mario still had his eyes shut. As he opened them, they looked red and watery. He used his sleeve to dry them again. He slightly choked as he let out a small breath. Then he covered his mouth with his gloved hand, indicating that he wasn't able to answer without having another emotional breakdown.
Peach placed her hands above Mario's shoulders and rubbed them gently. "Please, Mario. Luigi would want you to be strong. For him."
Mario sniffed once as he casted his head down. After taking a deep breath and wiped away the tears that started to fall, he looked at everyone who gave him sympathetic looks, with the exception of Wario and Waluigi.
"Let's get this over with," he stated.
Conveniently, a Toad priest opened the temple doors with a solemn appearance. "Citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom and other realms, you may now enter the building. Please form a single file line and fill up every available spot. Everyone else is subjected to standing on the side aisles as we begin the eulogy."
Mario nodded at everyone to assure that he'll try to keep his emotions concealed. However, the gang was worried about his current state. A band of Toads stood in front of the doors and handed every single person an awareness ribbon. The accessory was green with white letters imprinted across the front that read 'RIP Luigi, A True Hero'.
Yoshi, Birdo, Donkey Kong, Diddy, and the Toads were the first to head inside. E. Gadd, Colombo, Daisy, Peach, and Mario followed pursuit. Before Mario entered the building, he was stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder. What surprised him was that it was Wario's.
The short, fat man stared at the man with the red tie for a few seconds before shifting his head down and grunted in disappointment. And for the first time today, and probably in their history together, he said something that Mario never would have thought of in a million years.
"I'm sorry, Mario. I miss Luigi as much as you do," he said in an uncomfortable manner. Waluigi closed his eyes and turned his head slightly. He, too, was unsettled with the loss of Luigi despite being one of his main adversaries. But he refused to say anything. Mario nodded back and the three made their way inside.
The plumber walked down the center aisle with benches set up on the left and right. He saw his friends pile up in the front two rows. The dinosaurs and primates sat on the left, who were later accompanied by all five of Luigi's former partners. Mario saw Peach, Daisy, the professor with the Polterpup in his lap, and the Toads sitting on the right bench and scooched his way to the middle as Wario and Waluigi filled the remaining space, sitting near the aisle. The other guests filled up the benches one by one until every single spot was taken. The rest took up the walkways on both sides of the room.
Looking up to the front of the funeral home, everyone saw the coffin that Mario's brother was lying in. The deceased was redressed in a new set of his usual attire: a long-sleeved green shirt, dark blue overalls, brown work shoes, and his most prized article of clothing, his green hat with a large 'L'. As much as Mario wanted to keep his bro's hat as a memory, he changed his mind thinking that his possession should be buried with him since it has so much sentiment to Luigi, similar to Mario and his own red cap.
As everyone settled in with their green ribbons, the priest began his speech in front of the podium placed to the left of Luigi's coffin.
"Thank you everyone for coming here today. As you may know, we are gathered to give our regards to a noble gentleman who gave up his own life to save another. In fact, he saved a lot of people's lives. He did what he could to protect the Mushroom Kingdom from falling under the hands of the evil Koopa King. But, we all knew it cost him the most valuable thing on the planet: his living spirit."
After the Toad minister talked for several more minutes, he shifted his gaze specifically to Mario. Noticing the priest's indication, the mustached man stood up from his spot and walked up to the podium. The Toad bowed to him and laid his hand on his arm, assuring him to remain confident and focused as he delivered his eulogy. Mario nodded to him as the priest headed down to the bench where Yoshi and the rest of Mario's friends were.
Mario looked to his left and viewed the large painting of his younger sibling, sitting on a fancy easel close to the coffin. Taking out a piece of paper from inside his jacket, he cleared his throat and delivered his long panegyric.
"Luigi Mario. He was my baby brother throughout my entire life. We have always stuck together as a family whenever one of us wasn't kidnapped or in trouble. Before we transported from our original home in Brooklyn to the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi and I were simply plumbers, yet strangers to this area. We later found out that we were the destined heroes to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser so that she could restore the curse he planted on the kingdom…
"After rescuing her, the two of us became accustomed to the Toad population and the humble citizens from other places we've visited. We made a lot of good friends from our adventures. And whenever Luigi was by my side, I knew that he was a hero, no matter what. The only problem was that he didn't receive the recognition he deserved. The sad part is that he didn't mind or he got jealous. Because all he got was belittlement that he's just a sidekick or a scaredy-cat. Well if you thought of him like that in the first place, you're wrong…
"What Luigi has done to the community is offer his own help to make everyone else happy. He isn't selfish or greedy to satisfy his desires. He puts everyone else in front of him to show the kind of person he is. And when he goes into battle, sometimes he shows off his courageous side and strength to protect this kingdom. But did anyone recognize him initially? Not particularly. Most of you only praised or focused on me and me only. And that's what upsets not just Luigi, but me as well…
"From what happened last week, you suddenly realize why he was destined as one of the heroes and protectors of this land. It's hard work to protect a kingdom and a fair ruler with just two people, one of whom is deemed to be weak and scared of everything. But he didn't express any fear when he pushed me out of the death ray that should have killed me…"
Mario paused from his speech as he closed his eyes and tilted his head down. Peach held a handkerchief tightly in her hands as some tears threatened to fall. She hated to see Mario look distraught, especially since he blamed himself for losing Luigi when she knew it was never his fault. Because Luigi made a bold choice to save him.
After taking a few deep breaths and seeing most of his friends feeling emotional, he resumed speaking.
"Luigi… Never in a million years would I thought he'd sacrificed his life for everyone here, including myself since I was initially the victim. And when I saw him in his broken state, I lost it. The strong feeling and bond that we've shared for 26 years is now broken. But it's still here, floating around. I feel like his soul, his angel, is standing right next to me," he explained as he looked at the painting once more.
"If he was right beside me, the first thing I want to do is thank him personally once again. I want to appreciate him for being the best brother I could ever had. The best partner who has fought with me for years. The best hero for doing something that I probably couldn't…
"Since the tragedy, I couldn't sleep properly. I toss and turn in bed every night thinking about him. Whenever I entered his bedroom, I wanted to see him with the big smile of his. I wanted to have another peaceful conversation with him, to hear his calm, gentle voice. He was always a great listener to my words, and I'd always be there for him whenever he felt alone or depressed. If he needed a hand, I'd offered mine. I wish I could do it back when we were fighting in the castle…"
Mario gripped his hands on the podium more fiercely than before.
"Now, here we are, standing and sitting in here to praise Luigi for his heroics. And to see this many people here to give your regards to my little bro, I want to thank every single one of you. I have received multiple letters, telegrams, and personal greetings from you guys sending your thoughts and prayers to him. I'm sincerely happy that you showed respect to Luigi, to give him credit to where it's due, for what's he done for our world. I appreciate your support as me and my friends are coping through this tough loss…
"Professor Gadd, Colombo, Yoshi, and Princess Peach have been some of Luigi's best friends. Professor Gadd, for helping and supporting Luigi to confront his fear of ghosts and drive his determination to rescue me from King Boo twice. Colombo, for being his amiable adopted pet since Luigi restored the Dark Moon. Yoshi, for being a friendly partner to form a dynamic green duo. And Peach, for sharing a strong, loving heart and being compassionate whenever he accompanied me, and made her feel better from his benevolent demeanor…
"As for Daisy, she was a key figure, too. She was the love of his life. I was proud of the two of them whenever they shared a strong relationship. I want to thank her for making my brother feel less isolated and happier than before…"
The five whom were mentioned in Mario's speech each had tears in their eyes, which caused others nearby to cry as well. Wario and Waluigi tried their best not to join the emotional parade, but they faced the music as many negative feelings started to roam in their veins.
"To everyone else who have joined Luigi's adventures or met him in person, I want to thank you guys again for showing your respect for coming here to properly thank him for what he has contributed to the Mushroom Kingdom, the princesses, the many citizens, and more."
Mario looked up to the ceiling, hopefully calling out to a certain someone.
"And to Luigi, if you could hear me right now, I want to commend you once more for being a true hero, for being brave for what you've done. I pray to Grambi that he accepted you into the Overthere and not in the world of ended games. Because you deserve to rest in a peaceful haven for the sacrifice you made. I made a promise to look out after you so you could be happy. I'm very sorry that I broke it, and I beg for your forgiveness. Please look out after me and everyone. Please guide us so we can live in happiness. And most importantly, thank you for being my brother."
Mario returned his attention to the hundreds of visitors who stood and sat in his view. But his vision was blurry as his eyes were filled with hot tears.
"Now, I would like to ask everyone if you could join me in a moment of silence…"
And so they did. Everyone tilted their heads forward, closed their eyes, and sent their thoughts and prayers once again to the man in green. His body may be laying in the coffin found at the front and center of the temple, but his spirit from above was gaining the love and support he never thought he earned.
The entire building was in repose for a whole minute. When Mario thought that was enough time, he reopened his eyes and bowed in front of the podium.
"Thank you," he responded with a crack in his voice.
He stepped down from the stage and rejoined his friends and cousins on the bench. As he took his seat, Wario looked at him with a face of reassurance. He didn't say anything, but his face expressed a statement. A positive one that read 'You did a good job.'
Mario nodded to him as his 'thank-you' response. He looked to his right and noticed Peach and Daisy with tears dropping down their faces. Mario also saw E. Gadd whose hands were placed firmly on top of Colombo as the two stared at the coffin. He deeply sighed as he felt helpless to recover their broken hearts.
All of his friends, Luigi's companions, and the numerous guests who attended the funeral had the same feeling of compassion and sorrow towards the deceased man in green. They thought his game ended too quickly, too soon. They wished they could bring the man back to life, but not even the many 1-Up Mushrooms could revive him. Bowser's death ray proved to be powerful enough to kill someone. Alas, that casualty had to be Luigi. After 26 young, aspiring years, his life came to a sudden end. May his loving soul rest in peace… (3)
END OF CHAPTER
Goodness, this was not an easy chapter to write. I may have gotten that out of the way, but I still have to go back to Tails in the next one. So yes, Luigi is officially commended for his actions and he will no longer be with us… will he?
I hope I did well writing Mario's eulogy to his brother. If there are any concerns with it, please leave a review or PM me, and I'll look over your feedback.
As always, thanks for reading and I'll see in Chapter 4 for Tails' funeral.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): Even though this story and Hidden Bravery are NOT in the same timeline or universe, I decided to add E. Gadd and the Polterpup, Colombo, in this chapter. The Polterpup's name is the same as the one I gave him in my first fanfiction.
*I originally wrote under the impression that Wario and Waluigi were related to Mario and Luigi as cousins, but went against after looking back at this chapter. So, under NormanWhitesmith's statement, I changed their relationship as 'unfriendly rivals'.
(2): In Paper Mario: TTYD, Luigi had his own adventure to collect broken pieces of a compass to rescue Princess Eclair. The five characters were Luigi's cohorts who had strong, negative feelings for him for exaggerating his stories on how his journey went and when they were the real witnesses and knew what went wrong. Regardless, they helped Luigi in his quest and became (somewhat) decent friends with him. I wanted to include these guys as an Easter Egg.
(3): To explain this situation, even if Luigi was admitted to Dr. Toadley (the famous doctor in Toad Town), it would be useless since the impact was devastatingly strong to end someone's life. Luigi took the blow and would be unable to recover, even if he was treated with 1-Up Mushrooms for revival. I know this doesn't make sense, but I will remind you that this is my storyline. I've already planned for Luigi to be dead as much as I hate to say that.
This was not mentioned in the plot, but Mario did get tended by the doctor after sustaining those injuries against Bowser. Since he didn't get hurt by the laser, his injuries were healed already. With that, Mario's okay physically, but not emotionally. And you know why. If you don't, you should read Chapter 1.
~RIP Luigi (in FanFiction)
