A/N: It's been another long wait, and I bet most of you were anticipating this chapter. So here it is! Special thanks to everyone for helping this story reach over 50 reviews and 4000 hits!
Disclaimer: I don't own the Mario or Sonic franchises at all. I only take credit for the plot idea.
Chapter 13: A Surprise Reunion (Part 1)
Location: Mario's House
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The bedside alarm clock went off at eight in the morning. Mario winced and slowly opened his eyes, taking in the sunlight that barely shined through the blackout curtains. He lazily reached his right arm over his body and shut off the digital clock.
He breathed through his nose deeply before he tossed the red bed sheets off him. Sitting up, he jumped out of bed and put on his fuzzy slippers. Walking over to the bathroom, he spent his morning hygienic routine by brushing his teeth, removing his pajamas, and proceeding to shower. At least the hot water made him feel relaxed.
After ten minutes of washing his hair and bare body, he dried off and wrapped a towel over his lower half and returned to his bedroom. He ruffled through his dresser to pick up another set of his usual attire. First his red plaid boxers, then a red shirt, followed by the blue overalls, a pair of socks, and his gloves. Afterwards, he went back to his bed to grab his beloved hat off one of the posts. Later, he put on his brown work boots. He glanced at the mirror to see his reflection. For a small second, he smiled. But it changed to a neutral frown, a straight line from under his black mustache.
Now that he was fully dressed, he headed downstairs to prepare a small breakfast. Just two toasted pieces of bread with a Honey Syrup spread on top, and a glass of milk. He could've brewed another kettle of tea, but he was low on Mushrooms.
He ate at the kitchen table, alone… again. Normally, his younger brother would sit across in the chair that was currently vacant. He'd accompany him for their morning meals before heading off to see the princess or completing their errands. However, the seat made his heart feel the same way: empty. It wasn't the same when there's just one of them.
"And this is what Luigi feels whenever I leave him alone at the house," he thought sadly. He stared up at the ceiling. "Oh, Luigi… Why? Why did it have to be you?"
Mario finished his plate and drank the last of his milk. He washed his dishes and set them in the drying rack. Glancing at the clock, reading 8:36 a.m., he decided to go to the living room. Taking a seat on the couch, he turned on the lamp, grabbed his journal, and opened to a fresh page. He clicked the pen and began writing a new entry.
…
Month X, Day O (1)
Dear Journal,
So, you may be wondering what has happened between the time I left and the time I'm writing this right now. Wait a minute, I'm asking a JOURNAL. Ugh, well since this is already written in ink, there's no going back now. Unless I cross everything off right now. Wait, why I am even writing this?!
…
Mario looked back at this paragraph with utter confusion and stupidity. He shook his head.
"Sometimes I'm an idiot," he muttered.
He tore off the page like it was obsolete and threw it in the trash.
"Let's start over and try not to mess this up again."
He started writing on a new piece of paper.
…
Month X, Day O
Dear Journal,
Let's forget what I tried to write the last time. Anyways, just after I finished my previous entry last night, I returned to Peach's Castle to ask for my guitar I lent to Toadette.
But as I was about to enter, I opened the doors and out came a speeding hedgehog. Sonic, to be exact. We tumbled onto the bridge and recovered. At first, I was mad. But I tried to ignore Sonic for personal reasons. However, he stopped me for something.
He wanted to apologize. He apologized for hurting my feelings and not knowing about my past. Apparently, he learned about Luigi from Princess Peach. After he finished his entire spiel, that's when something changed in my heart. I treated Sonic like crap when I went berserk in front of him and everyone else. All because of me being unable to box up my feelings. I let my emotions get the best of me, but more like my ego. In the end, I had to apologize for my poor behavior, too.
After Sonic listened, he comforted me. I was surprised, to be honest. Turns out that he's more sympathetic and serious about the matters than I thought. Maybe that's why he cared so much about Tails. If he was only a kid, going into the line of fighting against a notorious doctor, he must be overprotective of him. And it's not just the fox he cared about; he's concerned for all his friends, whether he shows it off or not. I can relate to him in that sense. We conceal our feelings, but deep down our main concern is keeping the people we know and love safe.
…
Mario took a second to realize what he wrote this time. That last phrase. He read it once, and he read it again. Every time he repeated it in his head, he grimaced by gripping the pen tightly. He shut his eyes in shame.
"It's too bad I couldn't protect the one I knew my entire life. I'm sorry, Weege."
He opened and blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to prevent the tears from forming.
…
After apologizing to one another, it seems safe to say that we officially buried the hatchet. We calmed ourselves down, shook hands, and became friends. From that moment, I never felt this happy in a long time. But despite all that, Sonic is still currently in a tough situation.
He needs to find his friends after being transported to our world. I promised to search with him. I couldn't just let him go on his own if he's not familiar with our world. And I couldn't bear to think if they were gone like his best friend. That would not only upset him, but me as well. I don't want to fail him like I failed Luigi. I'm determined to help in any way possible, even if I die trying.
Anyways, I should wrap this up now. I have to leave for the castle to pray for Luigi once more before Daisy leaves for her plane. Once I'm done, I'll head out with Sonic and begin our journey. I think the first place I want to visit is E. Gadd's lab. I haven't seen the professor since the funeral, but maybe he could help us. Not just for finding his friends, but for finding a way back home. He's so smart and technical, I have an inkling he could trick something out, like a teleporter or anything like that. After all, he has been reliable in most cases, especially for Luigi.
Okay, I'm starting to get ahead of myself. At the very least, I feel much better than I was hours ago.
~Mario
…
The red plumber set down the journal, leaned against the back cushion, and looked up. (2) He remained silent for a while. All he did was stare at the ceiling. Momentarily, he shifted his gaze over at a framed photo of Luigi that stood above the living room furnace. He turned off the lamp and got off the couch, stretching his arms. He walked over and picked up the picture. There, he could see Luigi's ecstatic face with an open mouth smile. It made Mario curve his lips up a little, but it went back down as the painful memories returned.
He set down the photo and strolled to the window. Looking outside at his front yard, he shifted his head up to view the sky, supposedly where the man in green was looking from high up. Mario decided to make another small prayer to himself.
"Luigi," he whispered, "I'm very glad that you're my brother. You make my life complete. But without you, it hurts me to walk and live every day when I know you're not here. If I could, I'd like to see you again. Even if it was for a couple minutes, it would make my day to talk to you once more."
An alarm went off from the downstairs clock, playing only three-quarters of the bell melody denoting that it was fifteen minutes until nine o'clock.
"I'd better be off now." He turned back to the window. "Luigi, Daisy and I will see you before she returns to Sarasaland. Stay strong, bro, and I'll try as well."
After grabbing his keys of the rack, he exited and locked his front door, making his way to the green warp pipe. Entering inside, he trekked back to the heart of Toad Town.
Location: Peach's Castle
Mario finally arrived at the castle, just several seconds away from the bell tower ringing to indicate the ninth hour. The Toad guards outside the castle doors bowed to him and allowed him entrance. He ambled inside, and the first thing he saw were a set of orange-colored luggage at the front of the lobby. It didn't take him two seconds to know that those were Daisy's bags. She was already prepared to leave for her upcoming airplane ride.
He walked past the suitcases and a couple of colored Toads who ran by. They were busy working and cleaning up the castle, the same old business they do every other day. He reached Daisy's guest room and knocked thrice.
"Just a minute," the tomboy princess responded.
"Take your time," Mario called from outside the door. He leaned against the wall beside her door as he waited for Daisy to finish her business. While waiting, he heard a high-pitched voice coming from the hallway.
"Hey, Mario!" It was none other than Toad, one of Peach's retainers.
"Morning, Toad. How's it going?"
"Fairly well. Just helping Princess Daisy take her bags down to the front. How about you?" he cautiously asked.
Mario shrugged. "I've been better than I was, that's a fact."
"Are you and Daisy going to, um…" Toad waved his finger around, suggesting what they're going to do even though he couldn't come up with the words.
"Yes," Mario knew what he was referring. "We'll be visiting his grave together again. Same old stuff as we've done over the last week."
Toad sadly frowned. "I'm sorry, Mario. I know how much you miss him. I do, too."
Mario shook his head. "No worries, Toad. I can't do anything about it anymore. Although I'd like to see him again soon, if there was a way."
"Well, who knows? Maybe something special will happen," Toad tried to be optimistic.
"Yeah, you never know what could happen. Just like Sonic surprisingly appearing into our world."
"Oh yeah, I heard about him, and I've seen his face when he was blazing around town. But I've never met him personally."
"You should get to know him. At first, I had my doubts against him. But we talked it out after having some… issues between us. At the moment, we're friends, at least."
"That sounds cool!"
Mario nodded, then looked down each end of the corridor. "I know you said you never met him, but have you at least seen him this morning?"
"I did hear he was up and running early, literally. He's probably running around the kingdom as we're speaking." Mario understood and bobbed his head again. Toad then asked another question. "Hey, I heard rumors that he wanted to find someone. Is that true?"
"Yes. His friends Amy, Cream, and Cheese. If he warped to our dimension from his enemy's accident, then they should be here, too. Even Eggman."
"Eggman?"
"Sonic's archnemesis. He's basically the Bowser of his world."
"Oh."
The two heard Daisy's door open and she walked out of the room with another suitcase.
"Good morning, Mario," she greeted.
"Morning to you, too, Daisy."
"Is that the last one?" Toad pointed.
"Mm-hmm. Thanks again for helping."
"No problem. Anyways, good luck, guys," he spoke before leaving the hallway with the luggage.
"You ready to go?" Mario looked at her.
Daisy stared at the floor before responding. "I guess. Even though I'll be back in my homeland, I'll still pray to him at all times."
Mario slowly grasped her gloved hand and interlocked fingers to assure her. It was tough for the both of them, but he thought they needed comfort.
Daisy saw Mario's blue eyes, indicating that he had the same feelings in regard to their green friend. It made Daisy slightly curve her lips up, happy that Mario was trying to console her. They walked hand in hand down to the backyard garden.
Moments later, Sonic returned to the castle after his morning run, an activity he hadn't done for so long (unless you counted the afternoon run yesterday). Nonetheless, it was another stress reliever, to get his blood pumping and his adrenaline high. After all, he needed to refocus on his new goal: finding Amy, Cream, and Cheese.
Additionally, he needed to figure out a way to get back home. As much as he was impressed with the Mushroom Kingdom, everyone back home must be wondering where he was. To learn that he's missing in action could be consequential, or even questionable. Since he attempted suicide out of all things, what if his other friends assumed he tried to kill himself a second time? Sonic didn't want them to think otherwise when the reason he was gone was because of Eggman's accident. He had to find a way, but he could only wonder how at the moment.
He re-entered the castle lobby to see the Toads still busy at work. He managed to find himself in the kitchen where he saw a couple Toad chefs and the pink princess.
"Morning, Peach," he greeted.
She turned around to find the blue hedgehog. "Oh, good morning, Sonic! Did you have a good night's sleep?"
He nodded. "Yeah, and it's been a while since I've gotten some well-deserved rest."
Peach understood given the circumstances. He was in the same boat as Mario, and she can could see how both heroes were stressed from their personal tragedies.
"Can I make you something to eat, at least?" she offered kindly.
"I would like that. You got any chili dogs?"
"Hmm… Let me check if we have the ingredients. I'll be right back."
As Peach walked over to the refrigerator, Sonic looked at his surroundings. "By the way, where's Mario?"
"I'd expect him to be in the garden. Because, you know."
"Oh, yeah. I see."
"But Mario should be done soon, and then you two can head out to find your friends. Toadsworth and I will go around Toad Town to ask if they've seen them."
"Cool. Although I'm not the kind of guy who you would call 'patient', I can wait until he's done."
Peach nodded as she stared at the contents inside. "Ooh, looks like we do have the stuff for chili dogs! I'll start making them right now."
"Perfect!" Sonic gave a thumbs-up. "I think I'm going to explore the castle again."
"Okay. Take your time, Sonic."
Sonic left the kitchen, leaving a trail of blue behind. He ventured through the large residence, checking out the same rooms as before and scoping out the library since he never technically saw it himself.
At one point, he did reach the exit to the gardens. And within the distance, the hedgehog spotted the man in red kneeling on the grass next to the orange princess. Both sat in front of the stone monument where their green friend laid. Sonic placed his hand on a pillar, staring at the scene in front of him. It reminded him of how he and Cream would join together in front of Tails' grave to pray for him. It was always heartbreaking to visit their deceased friend, knowing there was no way to bring him back. Mario was also in his shoes where he'd do anything to see his younger brother once more.
But as of now, fate wasn't on their side. Instead, they each suffered a sad, unfortunate outcome that tore their hearts to pieces. Having trouble to pick them up and restore them together, it was tough to recover from the heartbreaks that bestowed them.
Sonic sighed sadly and returned to the kitchen. By the time he came back, Peach completed a batch of chili dogs for the hedgehog. She happened to notice his upset face though.
"Sonic, are you alright?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine."
Peach wasn't unsure, but she didn't want to stress out the situation even further. "Well, I finished making these for you," she held a plate of hot chili dogs in front of him.
The hedgehog tossed one in the air and caught it with his other hand. After one bite, he smirked.
"Mmm! This is delicious! You did a nice job, Princess."
Peach giggled. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it."
"You must be very talented at cooking, kind of like Amy."
"I appreciate the compliment, but the cooking is usually done by the Toads here. I'm more of a baker though. I usually make cakes for Mario whenever we throw a party, or after he saves me from Bowser."
Sonic gobbled up the rest of the first chili dog and grabbed another one. "Oh really? So you reward him with sweets?"
"Yeah. But sometimes, I just wish I could be better at defending myself." She looked away from Sonic, her blue eyes glued the floor. "I typically don't fight unless I have to force myself into combat. And Toadsworth becomes overprotective whenever I'm in the line of fire. However, I'm more upset at myself for getting myself captured very easily and frequently. I still appreciate Mario for rescuing me, but I just feel like I'm not good enough for him."
Sonic frowned when he listened to the princess's statement. "Do you care about Mario a lot?"
Peach glanced slightly at him as she set the plate down on a nearby table. "I do, ever since he saved me during his first adventure."
"Well, I'm sure he appreciates you no matter what. Just being yourself is good enough for Mario."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
Peach silently stood there, but managed to smile. "Thank you, Sonic. I never thought you would be so insightful."
Sonic shrugged and chuckled as he took a third chili dog. "Hey, what can I say? I did the same thing when I made up with Mario yesterday. I had to overcome the mistakes I caused."
"I think Mario and Daisy are almost done with their prayers. We should meet them in the front of the castle."
Sonic nodded and followed the princess, awaiting the other two to finish their moment of silence.
A couple minutes have passed, but Daisy was ready to leave. She walked outside with Mario and some Toads carrying her bags to the Mushroom Carriage. They met up with Peach, Sonic, and Toadsworth who recently joined them.
"Princess Daisy, you have all of your belongings with you, I presume?" the elderly Toad checked.
"Yes. All my suitcases and bags are packed up and ready for transport. Thanks again for accompanying me, Mario."
"You're welcome," the red man bowed.
"Sonic," she turned to the Blue Blur, "despite my confrontations, it has been an honor to meet you. Good luck on finding your friends."
"Thanks, Daisy. I'm gonna need it."
Daisy then turned to her pink friend. "Thanks for letting me stay here for the week," she gave a small embrace. "Please pray to Luigi for me."
"I will, Daisy," Peach promised.
"Your luggage is all packed up, your Highness!" one of the Toads yelled.
"Thanks again. Well, I'm off to Sarasaland. I hope to see you all again soon."
The four gave their farewells to the flower princess as the Mushroom Carriage departed off towards the Mushroom Airport.
After waving goodbye, Mario turned to the hedgehog. "Sorry to make you wait, Sonic. You ready to search for your friends?"
Sonic faced him with a small smirk. "Definitely. I sure hope they're still alright."
"I hope so, as well," said Peach.
"Good luck, Masters Sonic and Mario! We'll do our best to ask anyone from near and far. If we receive any news, we'll report to you as soon as possible!" Toadsworth mentioned.
The heroes nodded and left the castle grounds.
"Where to first, Mario?" Sonic asked.
"I was thinking of heading down south to Boo Woods. A friend of Luigi's might aid us out. Not just for finding your friends, but for helping you get back home."
"Alright, let's go!"
Meanwhile, the princess and brown Toad were about to go around Toad Town until two individuals came up to them.
"Excuse us! Your Highness!"
Peach and Toadsworth turned around to see a pair of Toads. One had green dots and a well-groomed mustache; the other was yellow and boasted some hair, a physical trait that most of the denizens don't have.
"Hmm? Yes, sirs?" Toadsworth fiddled with his eyeglasses.
"Is there something you need?" Peach wondered.
"Yeah," the yellow mushroom responded. "Do you happened to know where Sonic is?"
The two were confused by the question. "I'm sorry? Sonic?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Why do you need to find him?" Toadsworth raised an eyebrow.
The yellow Toad started to stutter before his green friend spoke up. "Um, we have heard rumors that he's with Mario. And knowing he's the hero of this place, we just wanted to see him, as we're fans."
"Oh, do you happen to be foreign Toads?" Peach questioned.
"Uh, yes! Yes, we are! We resided from Little Fungitown, and we are on vacation traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom when we heard word of a blue hedgehog in this world." (3)
The yellow Toad looked at Green with a confused face, but the latter twitched his mustache, indicating to improvise.
"Well, to answer your question, they're heading to Boo Woods," Peach pointed to the southern direction.
The green Toad started to shake when the princess mentioned the location. "B-Boo W-Woods?"
"Yes. Is there something wrong?" Toadsworth tilted his head.
"U-uh, n-n-nothing! It's just that… I heard there's scary Boos living in that forest."
"But if they're heading there, then we have to follow them!" Yellow exclaimed.
"Right. Um, thanks again for your help." Green and Yellow bowed to the duo before leaving.
"I wonder what that was about," Peach placed a hand on her chin.
"Well they did mention they wanted to see Master Mario. Even though they're immigrants, they still must have heard of him. They'd probably would want to meet him in person," Toadsworth stated.
"True, but I wonder why the yellow Toad asked about Sonic first."
Toadsworth shrugged. "That I don't know. But right now, let's ask the townspeople if they've seen his buddies."
Peach nodded and walked beside him. However, those two Toads seemed very peculiar to her, especially the green one. Before she could make any more assumptions, she decided to put that aside and returned to her top priority.
Location: Boo Woods
Sonic was walking next to Mario up the path to a large mansion and a shed found on the front lawn. Although this place was generally spooky, it wasn't that bad since the sky was partly cloudy.
"So who's this friend of yours?" he asked.
"His name is Professor Elvin Gadd, or E. Gadd for short. He helped my brother rescue me twice from a ghost king named King Boo."
Sonic was surprised. "Really? I didn't expect you to be a damsel in distress."
Mario rolled his eyes. "Very funny. But in all seriousness, if it wasn't for Luigi, I'd say King Boo would be ruling the Mushroom Kingdom and every other region by now, even Bowser's realm. He's one of the reasons why he's a hero to this world."
"I can see," Sonic mumbled. "What exactly does this professor do?"
"He's an inventor who makes crazy gadgets and inventions."
Sonic had a twinge in his heart. He looked at the ground as they continued walking. "Kinda reminds me of Tails."
Mario looked at him with a guilty face. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"It's cool. It's that I mentioned how Tails is such an expert on making devices and building things, even though he was eight years old and growing. I'm just disappointed I failed as an older brother to protect him. It just isn't right for someone younger to die before the one who's older." (4)
Mario didn't respond, but he understood his concern. He easily related to Sonic, except he felt more sympathetic considering Sonic only knew Tails for a couple years before he died at such a young age. And that was unfair to them, just for their inseparable bond to break so quickly and unexpectedly.
"Anyways, his hideout is up ahead in that small building there," he pointed.
"Okay. So let's-"
"Hey!"
The two stopped in their tracks when they heard a scream.
"What was that?"
"I don't know," Mario responded. "But it sounded like a Toad."
"Mario!"
The heroes turned around to see two Toads running up to them. They happened to be the same ones who spoke to the princess.
"Phew! We finally… caught up… to you," the green one panted.
"Um, okay?" Mario scratched his head.
"Who are you guys anyway? And do you need something?" Sonic put a hand on his hip.
"Yeah. We're just happy to see you again! I never thought it would work, but it did!" the yellow Toad exclaimed.
"See us again?" they both questioned simultaneously.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Green Toad looked at his surroundings, despite being somewhat uncomfortable being in the forest. "You see, we actually know each other."
"We do?" Mario raised an eyebrow.
"Uh-huh," Yellow Toad smiled. "Technically, Green knows you, Mario. And I know you, Sonic. But it's nice to meet the other, too!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Sonic raised his palms up. "What the hell is going on here? You know me?" he pointed at the yellow Toad. "I've only been here for an entire day and you somehow know me?"
"And you," Mario directed at Green, "I've seen many Toads in the Mushroom Kingdom, very few with green dots and a mustache. I don't know if I recognize you specifically."
"And what do you mean by meeting the other?"
"Well, we might as well tell you the truth," said Green.
"Or rather, show you our true selves," corrected Yellow.
"Show us?"
"Do you see these bracelets we're wearing?" Green Toad showed his right wrist, the same with Yellow Toad.
"Yeah… what about them?"
"Well, Sonic, someone designed these for us to travel from one place to another. More specifically, to the place where you guys are."
"And we found out that you were in Mario's world."
Mario sputtered in bewilderment. "How do you even know all of this?"
"Just watch and see," the yellow Toad beamed.
They both pressed a button on their bracelets, creating auras that glimmered over their bodies. Mario and Sonic were stunned, yet still confused about this revelation. Soon, the Toads were covered by a white light that forced the red and blue heroes to block it. When the shine disappeared, two new figures emerged. Both were faint yet visible for them to see. When Mario and Sonic lowered their hands, their eyes were wide open.
"W-What?! L-Luigi?!"
"T-Tails?! I-Is that really you?!"
The two figures simply smiled from ear to ear. "It's great to see you again," they replied together.
To say Mario and Sonic were shocked was an understatement. They weren't just surprised, but speechless. Luigi and Tails had to laugh at their facial expressions. It was quite worth it to witness their reactions to a surprise brotherly reunion.
END OF CHAPTER
'What?! You're telling me that this is to be continued?!' That's probably what you might be thinking of, and I'm sorry that I'm ending it here. On the plus side, this chapter finished on a high note. We'll pick up with these four at the start of Ch. 14, where the reunion resumes in Part 2.
Thanks for being patient with this update! Please leave a review based on your reactions to their meet-up, follow/favorite for more chapters, and I'll see you guys next time! This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): The calendar days will have no order or any significance to this story. I'm just making up these random dates.
(2): I mentioned this in Hidden Bravery, but for those who don't know, Nintendo announced that Mario is no longer a plumber. Regardless, I'm making the same decision that I don't want to edit out that word after being this far into the story, alongside the fact that I don't care about this news.
(3): I was referencing the Toads who resided in Little Fungitown, north of the Beanbean Kingdom. This location is found in M&L: Superstar Saga. But as you know, these people I included aren't Toads.
(4): I'm currently taking a college elective that reflects the issues and concepts of dying. One recent topic we learned focuses on children and the effects of them experiencing death. And an aspect is based off the parent or older guardian expressing guilt whenever a child, or a younger relative, dies. There are other feelings and emotions that come into play, and I wanted to incorporate my knowledge into this story (despite how upsetting it is).