Author's Notes: While I didn't get an overwhelming amount of reviews since last updating, they did come very quickly, and were kind and encouraging enough to keep the ball rolling. Such behavior should be rewarded. Thanks, y'all! School starts in a week though, so updates might be slower after that...we'll see.

Stuff actually happens in this chapter. No flashbacks or violence etc. Just a big fat cliffhanger. I hope its not too choppy.

The Sun Always Rises

::Chapter 9::

"The palace?"

"That's right."

They had gone over the plan at least three times already. Mario told his brother he was satisfied with it although inside he was a quaking mass of nerves.

They would go the long-forgotten Mushroom Kingdom castle in hope that the pipe room would not be completely destroyed. From there they would find the pipe that was closest to Dark World, and from there they would rescue the Princess. Luigi made it sound so easy, like a vacation. To Mario, it sounded spontaneous and poorly-planned. He hoped his brother was more nervous than he looked.

Luigi had even mentioned scoping the palace and the area surrounding it in hope that it would suffice as a new living quarters. Only one day spent in the small shelter, and already Mario thought he might be claustrophobic. Moving into the castle, should it be stable, was logically sound, but he wasn't sure he was ready just yet. Was that thing even standing?

The mushrooms nearly swallowed their tongues upon hearing they might have to live in the castle now. Jack hid himself in Adeline's embrace.

"The palace?" Oliver choked out once more.

Mario just nodded.

"But, we don't know what's in there!" Kaden protested, his tough exterior shedding to show his hidden fears.

"That's why we're going," reminded Luigi. "To make sure it's okay."

"B-b-but the g-g-"

"The what?" Mario asked impatiently.

"G-g-ghosts," Jack whispered.

Mario turned to look at his brother. Neither one had thought of that, yet neither one had seen a single spectre at the nightmare. Assuming the best, Luigi shrugged. "There aren't any ghosts anymore." They had better things to worry about than bothersome Boos.

The silence that followed was awkward, and Mario got up to leave, not because he was anxious to visit the past, but because he thought if he stayed, the mushrooms would try to talk him out of it. He couldn't stand looking at their frightened faces anymore. He knew he would be easily swayed.

-

-

It was night when they left. Neither of them was really sure why they chose to do this at night. True, they could conceal themselves in the darkness, but lately, the darkness was something to hide from, not hide within.

The brothers trumped across the dry land for almost an hour until the shadow of the castle became close enough to recognize. They stood and stared for a while; they had never really seen the product of Bowser's destruction on Peach's home. It was an ugly black mess, burnt nearly to the ground save for two turrets that pointed meekly into the sky, and the rest was buried rubble.

Swallowing, Mario walked across the rotting bridge over the once existent moat, clicking on his cold, heavy flashlight. The grand doors-so large and thick and once impassible- boasted enormous splinters from when Bowser had stormed the castle. They carefully crept through the hole, not knowing what to expect next.

Like most of the first floor, the ceiling of the hallway was the hazy evening sky. The ground was littered with pieces of brick and stone and stained glass. Splinters of wood were burnt black as the night. Mario wasn't feeling at home just yet. Besides the lone towers, there was no visible third floor. Luigi made his way to the stairs that led upwards. His brother followed.

"Hey, Mario?" Luigi called out during their ascent.

"Yeah?"

"…Remember back in Brooklyn, when mama made lime Jell-O fruit salad and you told me it was alien brains?"

A beat. "…yeah?"

"I don't know, I just remember that. …I thought it was funny."

Allowing himself to chuckle nervously, Mario shook his head. "It still is. You didn't touch that stuff for years."

"That's 'cause mama would save it for years."

Mario laughed aloud, startling himself with the echo it created in the spiral staircase. Grinning a little, he tried to keep up with Luigi.

"I remember the stairs…at the library. They were like this but they were iron. One time you went to the top floor with a bath towel around your neck and shouted to everyone that you could fly."

He heard Luigi laugh to himself. "Yeah, after you were through being embarrassed, you tried to get me down. I think that's when I found out you were scared of heights."

Mario didn't stifle his snorted. "That's when I became afraid of heights, thank you very much."

He was about to stop and catch his breath when he reached the last stair. Luigi directed his flashlight down the hall, empty and dusty from years of disregard. Mario suddenly forgot every funny story he ever shared with his brother as they made the slow march down the corridor. Luigi must have forgotten his memories too, because his demeanor was suddenly so quiet, so somber, as if they were walking through a cemetery.

They reached the end of the hall, neither of them recalling what lay behind the door in front of them. Luigi twisted the dusty brass knob and pushed the door open.

Inside lay a bed; an old mattress with its covers still on but messy. Thin, ragged curtains wafted with a tiny breeze that graced through the only large window. Luigi stepped inside and Mario followed at a distance. He passed a mirror, so filthy he couldn't see his reflection until he wiped at it with his fist. Even then, he didn't like what he saw.

Something tinkled like bells under his foot, and he jumped back, holding his breath. He stooped and pointed his flashlight at the object, turning it over with his hook.

A wooden box, a music box, so small it could fit in his whole hand. Its pink satin cover was deteriorating off, patches of wooden structure showing through. He nudged it again and a melodious song continued from where it was interrupted. A song fit for a Princess.

Princess Peach's music box.

His heart began to ache, and he turned to leave the room, his hand rubbing at his forehead. He couldn't bear to be there any longer. He wondered though; if he weren't strong enough to see her old room, would he be strong enough to save her?

"...Why'd you take us up here, Weege?"

Luigi turned to his brother with a sad gaze. "I'm sorry."

"You know the pipes are downstairs, drain-brain."

"I said I was sorry, Mario."

"...Forget it. Let's just go."

Mario's mind was hazed with anger, and before he know it he arrived at the basement door, his flashlight beam bouncing with every cautious, hurried step over the rubble. He shined his flashlight down the stairs. Only empty, stony space lay dead center in the ray of light, and it tugged on his nerves once more.

"Come on," Luigi urged nervously, stepping forward. He felt like running away too, but they had to keep searching. After just one step, the stone itself crumbled beneath his feet. He felt Mario's hand catch his shirt, then felt himself slip away as he fell with the stairs. His flashlight fell out of his hand and rolled across the cold concrete floor.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted. He fumbled with his own flashlight, pointing it down and searching the darkness for his brother. He saw his scarecrow form stir, then stuck his flashlight in his pocket and blindly began to climb down the jagged wall face.

"I'm coming!"

He spoke just in time, because his grip was lost, and fell to the floor on his back. His body argued against him as he eased himself up; this is not what some fifty year old man should be doing! Go back home and sit in your chair with some coffee…

Luigi groaned and held his head, blinking the stars away. He followed the beam of his fallen flashlight, and watched Mario's feet come closer, bending down and handing the light to Luigi.

"We got to be careful," he whispered, more for himself than his brother.

"Mario, we can't get out," Luigi cursed, pointing his light to the missing staircase.

Mario scratched his neck thoughtfully with his claw, a casual action that unsettled his brother as he turned, searching the nigh barren room. Suddenly his light stopped.

"There. Pipes." They crept over and looked inside.

"Which is which?"

"I don't know, Luigi."

The two searched for some sort of signs to clue them into which pipe led where, but the only marked ones were Desert World, Water World, Pipe World...and Dark World.

Neither of them moved.

This is what they were looking for, yet their feet remained glued to the dank stone floor.

Luigi looked to Mario, and was surprised to see his brother step forward, grasping the edge of the pipe. He closed his eyes, and dived inside.

Luigi waited a beat, then began to hate the sudden solitude, and he wordlessly followed soon after.

-

-

Mario peered through the dark, leaning his hand against the end of the pipe, and stared at the castle ahead of him. He hadn't seen it since the whole mess began; when he first 'escaped', he didn't look back. His brother blocked his view when shaggy dark hair popped out of the pipe, thin hands grasping the edge and pulling himself out.

"Thanks for lending me a hand." His wry, nervous joke was lost on his brother, who could only stare and shiver.

This pipe was awfully close to the castle.

He had to save Peach.

But they were awfully close.

So close to Peach...

He felt his brother nudge him, and he walked beside him automatically. Mario's thoughts carried him away, and before he knew it they were at the black stone wall. He heard his brother say something about this is where he had escaped, how he had gotten out, but he didn't answer. He stared at the loose bricks, feeling his heart burst through his chest, hearing it beat faster and faster until he couldn't stand it any longer.

…gears grinding…always pushing…bone crushing…always screaming

"Luigi." He grabbed his brother's hand, anxiously pleased that he had not yet moved.

"Yeah?" He sounded almost just as tremulous.

"I…I can't." Mario took a breath of air and swallowed it, struck with a sudden plague of lightheadedness. "I can't go in."

He saw the same kind of fear he was experiencing on Luigi's face, and once again he just wanted to go home, say it never happened, and move on with life. Luigi clasped his hand tighter to keep it from shaking, and finally whispered fearfully, "It's okay…I'll go."

Mario shook his head; his terror overwhelmed his sense of thought entirely and he grasped Luigi's hand again. "No. Don't."

"It's okay." His brother's voice was terrified and hushed. "If I don't come out in an hour, just go to the shelter. Just go, okay?"

This was terrible; Luigi looked like a martyr. "I'm sorry…"

"Just wait here. If I don't c-come back, just go, all right?" He didn't wait for Mario to say goodbye. He wrenched his hand from his brother's and crept to the bricks, pulling them out and silently slipping through the hole he had made. Mario closed his eyes, his body trembling, and leaned against the castle wall.

Luigi was gone.