Author's Note: Here I am again, for the second-to-last time in the storyline of 'Within the Cardboard Box'. I know everyone's busy with Christmas coming, and exams... but if you enjoyed, please drop a line or two. I really would appreciate that. This was such a sad chapter to write for me, although it doesn't contain very depressive themes. It's so long that it actually causes some lag when I load it up in WordPad. x.x 9000-something words for a chapter. Jesus, I'm a madwoman. This is long, very long. Be sure to have plenty of time.
The Smashers now part ways. So does Snake and Luigi. That's the way life goes on. Expect a few little twists on the whole ending, of course, that I do throw in by the handful in nearly every story of mine. I don't see it ending in November, or even December, though. So much crap to go through, and exams. x.x Some overly fluffy material ahead, but sadly, they will be apart anyhows. So for the nine out of thirteen people who voted 'they should like, totally get together' in my poll... sorry. Not happening. There's a scene, though, when they're parting that you might hate/like. Don't hurt me (whimpers).
I wrote this chapter listening to mostly 'Saying Goodbye' from that Sesame Street movie. That song could make me feel sorry for a bunch of puppets - why not game characters?
Enjoy, my dear readers. Epilogue will come soon, and then 'Within the Cardboard Box' will officially end. (For those of you kind of bored with fluffy WtCB and into more morbid stuff, may I interest you in another ficcie of mine, 'August Summer'?)
The morning of the fated day brightened; some Smashers were sluggish upon waking, having drunk too much the previous night, but most were up and early. After a quick breakfast in the bar (the staff were all tearful and some even messed up their orders), they all went back to their suites to pack up their last possessions. Snake sat on his bed, folded up his tight bodysuit and tucked it inside his bag - he couldn't well go around wearing that in public when he got back. He glanced around his room with a sad smile - this had been his home for seven months, the place where he'd truly enjoyed life away from the battlefield. He would miss it very much. The mercenary looked at his hands, which had conjured so many cardboard boxes out of thin air during the entire tournament; he would use that ability one last time before he lost it for good. He gently pulled out a cardboard box out of nowhere (this one was a little smaller than the others), glanced at it fondly and began to fill it with a few personal possessions, including his trusty Codec and that gift box that Luigi had given him so many weeks ago. It was empty now, but he kept it as a personal memoir. When he was done packing, he tightened his green bandanna around his forehead, slung his bag around his shoulder, picked up the box and walked smartly out of the suite.
"Good morning, Smashers." Snake paused in the act of locking the door, as Master Hand began an announcement. "You will soon be leaving for your own worlds. There are two methods of transport available; a direct portal will take you back to your own world, and is available for all Smashers. But if you have a vehicle, such as a plane, spaceship, jet and such, it is recommended to make use of them. Further details will be given soon. Please assemble at the lounge within half an hour. Take care to check your rooms for any personal belongings, and lock the doors when you're heading to the lounge. Thank you."
The mercenary smiled, albeit rather sadly. He knew that only he and Luigi did not possess a vehicle, or a plane of some sort; it looked as if that they would be saying a mass goodbye, as all of their other friends left before them. He swiped his keycard on the slot on the door, pocketed the card, and began to make his way to the lounge when a sudden thought stalled him.
What about Mario and Luigi? The latter would be fine; he would be able to meet him at the lounge, at least, and wait to go home. But Mario... shouldn't he at least make peace with him before departing this place for good?
Before he really knew what he was doing, he was making his way to the Mario brothers' suite, still holding the cardboard box. Even the mercenary himself didn't quite know why he was doing so, because he admittedly hadn't much to do with Mario anymore; but when he got there, he found that the red-clad plumber had already left. The suite door was open, the main living area cleaned out and swept; and there was no sign of life at all. Snake tilted his head to the side, wondering why Mario would leave without locking his suite - well, there was one way to find out. He cleared his throat to alert anyone of his presence, pushed open the door and went inside.
"Hello?" Snake called out, looking around all the rooms. "Anyone there?"
There was no answer given; but when Snake walked further into the suite, he found that all doors except for one was shut. The one door that was ajar was the one leading to Luigi's bedroom; he carefully crept across the floor to look inside. His stealth skills had not faded in the slightest during his stay here, and he was grateful for that.
Luigi was sitting on the bed, clutching a bag to his chest tightly and staring blankly into the air.
"Luigi?" Snake asked softly as he pushed open the door and went inside. The younger Mario brother looked up blankly, and for a while he didn't seem to actually recognize his friend; but then his expression softened, and he smiled in a rather sorrowful way.
"Hi, Snake." Luigi said quietly. He gestured to the cardboard box that the mercenary was holding. "Is that all you're taking?"
Snake nodded, putting down his cardboard box. "I can't exactly walk around in my world holding a Nikita, an RPG-7 on my back and bundles of C4 strapped to my belt. I sent most of my luggage ahead of me." Luigi nodded, but bit his lip and looked downwards, nervously brushing his hand over the bedsheets. The mercenary sat down quietly next to him.
"You'll be missing this place, I suppose?" the green-clad plumber nodded. "I know how you feel. I'll wake up in the mornings not knowing why I'm not sleeping in my cardboard box and why the coffee machine is absent. And then... I'll realize that I'm back home... but I'll know that I won't be back in this hotel. The friends I made here won't be near me anymore."
"I'll miss you an awful lot." Luigi replied, downhearted. "We spent so much time together..."
Snake nodded, but knew that he had to get Luigi back to the lounge as quickly as possible. If they were stalled - and he knew that Luigi would leave a lot earlier than he would - the green-clad plumber could miss his portal back home and could be stuck alone in the place. Saying nothing, he got up and brought his cardboard box to the bed; when the younger Mario brother looked over, the soldier simply picked him up and dropped him neatly inside the box, heaving it up in his arms and walking over to the door (staggering a little). The box was smaller than the ones they were used to meeting and having fun in, but it still fitted Luigi in somehow.
Luigi yelped. "Snake! I... I can get out by myself..."
"Come on. Back to the lounge." Snake replied gruffly, trying to disguise his own rather saddened feelings, but lowered himself down slightly to let the younger Mario brother lock the door of the suite. Luigi's hand trembled as he swiped the keycard on the slot on the door for what would be the very last time, but he managed to do it without dropping the keycard or showing any other sign of weak-mindedness. When he was done, he withdrew his arm and let the mercenary carry him in the cardboard box, leaning over the box slightly to place his head on Snake's shoulder. He knew that he really shouldn't act attached to him, not when they were close to saying goodbye, but he couldn't help it. Right now he wanted to hang on to all his friends and cry.
But he didn't.
When they arrived in front of the lounge doors, Snake gently let Luigi down from the box, closed it and continued on into the large room. All the other Smashers were there, exchanging addresses and saying their goodbyes; some were shaking each other's hands, some were hugging, some were kissing - and a notable number of them were crying. Snake knew that he and Luigi were the only ones to depart by portal - Captain Falcon was going home in his Falcon Flyer alongside Captain Olimar (who was taking that rickety spaceship), and Meta Knight was taking the Halberd with King Dedede and Kirby, offering Jigglypuff a ride along the way. That meant that four of their best friends would be departing at the same time, while he and Luigi simply had to wait around in this place to go home. It also meant that the four would be leaving first, so farewells were best said now.
"Any last-minute packages?" the Stafy at the reception desk asked as Snake came up to her with the box.
"Yes, please." Stafy handed him a roll of packing tape, and the mercenary quickly sealed the flaps of the box with it; his address was then confirmed on the computer. "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome." she carefully wrote down the address on the box and placed it on the floor with a dozen other boxes and packages. "It'll arrive within two days."
"Any chances of it arriving faster?"
The Stafy laughed. "Sorry, no go. Nice try, though. Have a nice voyage."
Snake nodded, a small grin on his face, and gave the Stafy a wave as he walked back to his friends. They were all sitting in one corner of the lounge, looking nervous; Olimar was repeatedly patting one of his Pikmin's head (the creature didn't seem to mind, fortunately), Meta Knight and Jigglypuff were silent, and even Captain Falcon was looking around, biting his lip and fidgeting. He sat up a little straighter as Snake and Luigi headed towards them.
"Hey," he said softly, "you two alright?"
They nodded - neither of them could think of anything much to say. They sat down with their friends, feeling nervous and jumpy - Luigi was repeatedly brushing back his hair, looking down at the carpet-lined floor, and the mercenary kept on fiddling with the end of his bandanna. Nobody said anything for a while.
Since when had they been so awkward? Shouldn't they be saying their goodbyes now? Or was the tension too thick?
"We thank you for waiting," Master Hand's voice boomed from the loudspeakers, feeling like a godsend to the six Smashers. "The tournament has officially ended, and it's now time for you to depart. Portals will be ready in half an hour. Smashers with vehicles or any other means of getting to their worlds will be leaving first - your means of transport will be ready outside the hotel, and you will be leaving the hotel shortly. Any Smashers hitching a ride will also leave at the same time." Jigglypuff giggled rather tearfully at this. "Please leave your keycards at the reception. We thank you for your participation in the tournament."
Captain Falcon stood up. "Well, I suppose we'd better all say our proper goodbyes," he said, with no obvious change in his expression, but his voice was trembling very slightly. "Come on... will you two come out with us?" Snake and Luigi nodded and got to their feet, heading outside with the other Smashers. Jigglypuff was wiping away tears behind them, Meta Knight was consoling her quietly, while Olimar's head was bent. Just about everyone in the lobby followed the people who would depart by vehicle.
The outside of the hotel was a strange sight; two Arwings, a Wolfen, the Falcon Flyer, and Olimar's spaceship was parked out on their respective places, while the Halberd was already mounted on a tall platform. As it had been an entire stage on its own, it needed some other commissioning and some repairs done before Meta Knight could fly it back to Dream Land again. Toon Link had decided not to take his ship back to his world, as it would require too much sailing; he was trailing behind the others, looking uncharacteristically depressed.
Master Hand was waiting outside. "There you are," he said as the Smashers drew close. "your vehicles are now ready. You have fifteen minutes to say goodbye and leave the hotel - but until then-" he 'walked' over to the nine Smashers who stood slightly apart from the others, and shook their hands heartily with his index and thumb. "I thank you very much for your participation in the tournament." Master Hand's voice was tinged with rare affection, and everybody had to smile; he then withdrew back into the hotel, while the others closed in on the nine people who were departing.
"Here's my address..." Captain Falcon was distributing a few cards amongst his closest friends, and he handed one each to Snake and Luigi. "You guys take care, all right? Write to me... I'll write back... and if I'm not racing, I'm going to try to use the portals in the hotel to come over for a visit."
"That would be lovely," Luigi said, and then he walked forwards to give the taller man a hug. Falcon hugged back tightly, looking as if he was trying not to cry (his eyes were obscured but his lips were tightly pressed together), and gently patted the green-clad plumber's shoulders. Snake stood near by, watching Olimar, Meta Knight and Jigglypuff say their goodbyes to the others.
When Luigi was done with the hug, the others came over. For a long while they stood there in silence, being too saddened to say anything else - but then Jigglypuff began to sob audibly, and then the awkwardness fell apart. Everyone was suddenly hugging each other; they were exchanging addresses and holding onto others in one last attempt to be close to them. Shaking hands appeared not to be enough - and honestly, who could blame them? Those who were now leaving, after all, had been part of the Smash community for months.
"Smashers not departing by vehicle, please stand back... the others will leave right now, one after the other..." came the announcement. The depearting Smashers followed this directive; Meta Knight led King Dedede, Kirby and Jigglypuff to the Halberd, Fox and Falco boarded their Arwings, and Wolf did the same. The Falcon Flyer and the Halberd would take off simultaneously, judging by the way they were placed. But Captain Falcon didn't move; he stood still on his place, right opposite Snake, his head bent slightly.
"Falcon?" Olimar called, but then he was silenced by what the racer did next.
Slowly, deliberately, Captain Falcon took off his helmet and tucked it under his arm, revealing his face in public for the first time. A collective gasp went around the crowd, along with a few murmurs, except for the racer's closest friends; he didn't seem to take notice, and faced Snake and the others, gazing at them with firm, bright blue eyes.
He then raised his right arm and stood upright, saluting every Smasher in the place.
This image was such a powerful one, from an unexpected person, that everyone was left feeling stunned. Luigi stared at Falcon, feeling rather overwhelmed; only Snake had the presence of mind to return the salute. Being a soldier, it was only expected of him to return the gesture.
"Have a safe journey. And don't you get yourself in trouble, all right?" he murmured in a low voice to the racer. Captain Falcon nodded; he dropped his salute, and grinned confidently at them all as he jumped up the Falcon Flyer.
"Goodbye, everybody!" Falcon called out as he turned on the engines. "I had a really good time with you all!"
From the Smashers there came the sounds of cheering and shouted replies to the taller captain's remarks. But the racer merely gave them his trademark smile, and without another word started up the Falcon Flyer - the Halberd followed closely behind as they glided smoothly across the ground, and lifted off into the air. Soon the others rose up to formation, leaving long trails of cloud behind them as they flew across the sky. The two Arwings and the Falcon Flyer flew once around the entire hotel, circling the grounds that had hosted them for so long, and when Snake and Luigi looked up they could see that Captain Falcon was giving them another quick salute and a wave. They responded by raising their arms and waving, mouthing a goodbye; Falcon seemed to be satisfied, and then he began flying back to his world, his engines on full gear.
The two watched until the Falcon Flyer and the Halberd were nothing more than two specks in the sky.
"Portals are now ready," Master Hand spoke from the loudspeakers yet again. "Smashers will now leave the hotel individually, due to portal capacity limits. If there are a group of Smashers from the same world, they will leave shortly after each other. It will take roughly ten minutes to prepare a single portal for a Smasher, and there are four of them in different rooms. When it is your turn to depart, your name and room number will be called out. Please proceed to the correct room, please." the Hand paused for a moment. "First up... Mr. Game and Watch in room C5, Pit in room C6, Samus in C7, and R.O.B. in C8. I repeat, Mr. Game and Watch in room C5, Pit in room C6, Samus in C7, and R.O.B. in C8... please proceed to said rooms right now. Friends may accompany them as far as inside the rooms themselves, but must stand seven feet away from the portals. This distance is marked off in all rooms with white tape, so take note, please."
Said Smashers immediately stood up, amongst final cheers and cries; everyone shouted and waved them goodbye, and half the room followed the four Smashers to the portal rooms. Snake and Luigi had remained in their seats, staring after the crowd rather blandly. The green-clad plumber sighed and slumped down on his seat, looking depressed.
"So that's how it goes, huh?" he said sadly, while taking one of Snake's hands in his own.
"Looks like it." Snake replied, but then sat up straight as he saw a familiar male figure in the distance. The man was clutching a large medical bag in one hand, holding a large cage with a handle in the other, and was wearing a smart black coat and a head-mirror...
"Dr. Mario!" the mercenary called out, standing up from his seat. The Doctor looked around and saw Snake and Luigi, before his face broke into a wide smile; he walked over to them, his steps steady and graceful. "you're leaving the hotel too?"
"Indeed I am," the Doctor replied calmly. "I shall be leaving after you're all gone, though. Need to watch out in case something goes wrong - not that I'm saying it will, of course," he added. Luigi nodded, accepting this explanation as perfectly logical. His eyes wandered down to the Doctor's bad leg, noticing the lack of the walking-stick.
Dr. Mario noted his gaze, and smiled again at the younger Mario brother. "I followed your advice and took those new megavitamins for today. They don't heal... but they make it so that this leg can support my weight without pain for a few hours. It's better than nothing, I suppose."
Luigi breathed a sigh of relief. "I'd say it's certainly done you good, Doctor. I'm glad to see you're feeling better. Mind you don't trip, though, your pet viruses won't like that..."
The Doctor laughed. "You're a cheeky young'un, you are! I'll be fine. But talking of pets... have either of you seen Crazy Hand?"
"No, why?"
"He must be still asleep, then," Dr. Mario said. "shame... he'd have brought those kittens to you... let you say goodbye to them..."
At the mention of the kittens, Luigi seemed to deflate slightly. "I know," he mumbled dejectedly, shuffling his feet. "I'd have loved to have them. But I suppose I'm asking way too much... they're not ours after all..."
"Would you really be willing to take care of them?" Dr. Mario asked, his voice calm and gentle, but his eyes were inquisitive. The mercenary didn't miss this slight change in expression. "can you provide a safe place for them to stay? Cats are beautiful to look at, but they do require a great deal of commitment. You need to think of their food, spend time with them, and groom them often..."
"I still would," Luigi answered, looking rather oddly at Dr. Mario. "they're Scottish Folds, aren't they? They're not too much trouble to look after. And I've got lots of space in my cottage."
Snake took a little more time to answer, being completely quiet throughout the younger Mario brother's speech, but he did provide a reply. "I... well, I live in an apartment. It's all by myself, though. Otacon lives next door, but I have enough space to accommodate a cat. It'll keep me company and I'll be able to take good care of it. But why do you ask, Doctor? You know it won't happen... Crazy Hand being... well, Crazy Hand, he's not too likely to let them go."
The Doctor chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't count on insanity alone to judge what either of the Hands are thinking. Who knows? Maybe it could happen." as he said this, the cage rattled slightly and a sound of soft chirping came from it. "that'll be the viruses. The poor things, travelling stirs them up so much... I'd best be going now. I need to be on standby until everyone leaves."
"I hope to see you again, Doctor." Snake held out his hand, and the older man shook it firmly; he did the same with Luigi, but then his expression turned mock-stern.
"I still expect to see you in my surgery in two weeks, Luigi, for your check-up. Don't you miss another appointment!"
Luigi laughed merrily, tipping his hat to Dr. Mario. "I won't, Doctor. I'll see you soon."
The older man said nothing, but he tipped his head-mirror in response, winking at the two in a mischievous manner. He then walked into a side room and closed the door, the viruses still chirping inside the handheld cage, as quiet, noble and serene as ever.
"Such a nice man." Snake said.
"I wonder if we'll have to lug that kind of cage all the time if we have pets," Luigi wondered out aloud as they sat back down. "we move around so much, me and Mario."
"Next up... the Ice Climbers in room C5, Pikachu in room C6, the Pokemon Trainer in C7, and Mario in C8. As Mario is part of a group of Smashers, the rest will leave afterwards in the same room, in the following order: Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi. Wario will leave separately afterwards. Please take note."
Luigi smiled sadly as he stood up. He'd known that he would be last; after all, he was second best, and had never been in a more important position than any of the others in his group. But somehow, he hardly minded - it simply meant more time with Snake, although now even that time was short. Snake stood up next to him.
"That's that, I suppose." Luigi murmured. "I've got to say goodbye to my brother. I know I'll be meeting him soon... it's just that we live apart from each other..."
"I'm coming too." Snake announced, much to the younger Mario brother's surprise. "I've got something to take care of with him. And don't you worry," he added upon looking at Luigi's expression. "I'm not going to beat him up or fight him."
"W-well... I could wait outside after saying goodbye to Mario... but that's just if you want me to-" Luigi stammered, following along as the mercenary began walking.
Snake smiled quietly at him. "If you won't mind," was all that he said.
The two remained silent as they followed the crowd to the portal rooms. The green-clad plumber pushed open the door to C8, finding that he, Snake, Princess Peach and Mario were the only people actually in the room. Mario had just said his (temporary) goodbye to Peach, as they would be meeting up again in less than an hour; he smiled softly at his brother, but when he looked at Snake, his expression turned rather questioning. But there was no more hatred nor anger visible, and Luigi relaxed slightly.
"Well, it's the end, then." Mario spoke, addressing his younger brother first.
"That's the way it was for the last two tournaments." Luigi replied. "Are you going to go back and rest straightaway, Mario?"
The red-clad plumber nodded. "I'm tired. I'd like to go back and sleep in my own bed. You'll be directed to the cottage, I suppose?"
"Uh-huh. I'd like to rest too. Anyway, I can't keep you waiting... I'll see you soon, Bro." Luigi murmured, hugged his brother tightly and left, giving Snake a rather uneasy glance.
Snake said nothing until Luigi had left the room; after the door clicked, he raised his head and looked at Mario, no resentment in his expression. Mario looked back at him, and his expression was also surprisingly neutral; they stared at each other for a few seconds before Snake finally spoke.
"You... are all right with it, then?" the mercenary said quietly. "Me... Luigi... being friends?"
"If Luigi's happy with it, I am." Mario answered equally quietly.
"Not Luigi," Snake stated. "you."
"If Luigi's happy with it, I am." the red-clad plumber repeated. Snake looked at him for a long while, before he smiled in a rather bittersweet manner. Mario returned the smile, before he turned away and began to walk towards the portal.
Snake watched him go. "See you around." he quietly said.
"And you too," the red-clad plumber replied. "... be good to Luigi, all right? I don't want him to get hurt."
"No worries about that." Snake answered. Mario nodded, walked ahead and then stepped through the portal; the room was enveloped in a brilliant flash of light, and he was gone.
Luigi was waiting for him outside, tapping his foot nervously - when the mercenary emerged from the room, looking mildly pleased, he jumped up. "Snake!"
"It's all been taken care of," the soldier said quietly. "and we didn't fight either. He was fine with it."
"Glad to hear that," Luigi seemed truly relieved to hear this. He took the mercenary's hand and walked down the hallway, feeling lighter and as if a weight had been lifted off his mind. "so is it alright between you and him now, then?"
Snake nodded. "We aren't enemies any more. That's for sure. It's good that we agreed not to snap at each other's throats any more..." he drifted off as they entered the lounge, only to find that their seats were ruffled and half overturned. "wait, what the hell-"
A scream sounded from the far side of the lounge, and then Crazy Hand (who had been frantically raking in one of the plant pots) dashed over to them.
"Oh... God," he gasped, ignoring the odd stares from the Smashers. "My bro didn't tell me you were leaving right now, and you two weren't here when I came over. To think I might have missed you two! No, that wouldn't do at all."
"Hey, it's all right," Luigi said, patting the back of the Hand and looking at him rather worriedly. "glad you made it in the end."
Crazy Hand drew in his breath and straightened up. His running and frantic search for the two Smashers had appeared to knock most of the insanity out of him. "Right. To business. I believe you told Giuseppe that you would have liked to take care of the kittens?"
"... Giuseppe?" Snake questioned. "I believe you're talking about Dr. Mario?"
"The one and only."
"We did," Luigi answered, looking confused. "but... why? Surely you don't mean-"
The giant Hand wriggled his fingers with mirth. "Sure I mean it! You've taken such good care of those critters, and you were great sports too. We owe you quite a lot. Goodness knows what it would have been like, looking after four hyperactive kittens with an antisocial mother at the side. You two'll make good kitten owners. Not to mention that they'll miss you terribly when you go without them - well, of course, if you can't actually afford to keep one, or haven't any space..." he gingerly produced two cages as he spoke, each with their respective kittens inside; they were both asleep. The two gasped; they hadn't thought that Dr. Mario had been serious when he'd questioned them about the kittens.
"Oh... my God..." Luigi finally spoke, staring up at the cages. "... I'd love to keep the tabby kitten... but... are you really sure, Crazy Hand? Are you sure you won't mind? I know how to take care of cats in general, and I have enough room for her - my cottage's kind of big for just one person anyway - but-"
Crazy Hand waved him off. "Don't you mind. We still have two kittens and their mother with us. We'd have had to give a couple of kittens away even if you'd left without them."
"Then... can we?"
The giant Hand lowered the cage with the ginger kitten down to the green-clad plumber, who took it in eager hands and thanked the former most sincerely. He kept looking into the cage in wonder, shaking his head as if he couldn't quite believe it. "What about you, Snake?"
The mercenary said nothing for a while, gazing at the grey kitten that lay inside the cage. But then, a slow smile spread across his face, and he nodded firmly.
"I'd love to have him," he said softly as he received the cage with the kitten inside. He didn't say very much, but his facial expression and careful manner of handling the cage showed his pleasure more than his words. "how can we ever thank you?"
"Oh, stop it!" Had Crazy Hand had a Crazy Face, he would have rolled his eyes and sighed; but he merely wriggled his fingers again. "you two're embarrassing me! Just take good care of the kits, okay? That's the best way to say thanks to us. I hope to see you around."
With that, he quickly scuttled away on his fingers, soon disappearing from view. As crazy as he was, he still had manners and didn't really like seeing people keep on thanking him; so he quickly removed himself from the lounge, secretly feeling rather pleased inside. He left the two Smashers behind him, both feeling oddly euphoric and confused; they sat down on their seats, looking into their cages.
"I can't believe it," Luigi said breathlessly. "they're ours. Oh God, I just can't believe it."
Snake chuckled, peering closely into his kitten's cage. The kitten lay there, in a lazy catnap, its paws folded up daintily beneath its body. "It was good that we talked to the Doctor, then. I'll have some company when I go back."
"Do you really live all by yourself, then?"
"Living with other people in the same contained space never really interested me that much. Made me feel uncomfortable. Otacon lives next door, so I'm not too lonely. It's all right - except when he has his Japanese music on full volume - but now a cat is a slightly different matter, right?" the soldier replied idly, placing the cage on his lap and leaning back. "I wonder what he'll be like when he grows up. All gauche and shy, I bet."
"What do you think my kitten would be like when she grows up?"
"Energetic? Playful, definitely." Snake answered. "why do you ask? You know what she's like."
Luigi nodded, but he was still staring at his sleeping kitten, not quite daring to reach inside and touch her fur. "Do you think she'll grow up to be a beautiful cat, Sna-" he stopped mid-question, and then suddenly fell silent, looking gloomily down at his lap. He no longer even looked at his kitten.
The mercenary didn't fail to notice this sudden lapse in the other's mood, and sat up. "What's wrong?"
Luigi sighed. "I really should call you Dave, shouldn't I? I'm the only one in the tournament you told me, and I..."
"I prefer 'Snake' in public," the mercenary answered, twirling the end of his bandanna around his finger. "but between us... 'Dave', why not?"
"You want to know why I keep on calling you Snake?"
"Why?"
The green-clad plumber sighed again, sniffling lightly. "Because it's a codename. Not a real name like 'Dave' is for yours. It allows you to remain anonymous to a degree. Things with names, they go away, you know that. I've seen so many people over the years whilst on adventures with Mario, and they never stay for long. Like Rosalina and my Luma. And everyone else. I know eventually Mario... Princess Peach and Bowser... they're all going to leave me behind. Everything with names of their own, they always go away," he was half crying at this point. Snake watched, feeling alarmed. "but I'm different, because the Chaos Heart is inside me and I have no idea what I'm meant to be. Mr. L or Luigi. Even though he hasn't bothered me for a couple of months, I still know he's there," he cried. "and he won't ever go away because he doesn't have a proper name to call his own. I tell you, Snake, if a person only has the bad things in life that stick by them, they go crazy. A person sees too many good people being taken away from them and they get sick."
"... and now that you're Dave and not Snake... we have to say goodbye. It's not fair. Why does everyone have to leave me?"
Snake opened his mouth to reply, but his words were immediately drowned out by the loudspeakers.
"Next up... Lucario in room C5, Lucas in C6, Diddy Kong in C7 and Luigi in C8... Please come to the rooms stated..."
"Oh God, talk of the devil," Luigi cried. "here it is. I have to leave now!" he wasn't crying, but certainly looked tearful and afraid. "Snake, please come with me. I'm not going by myself."
The mercenary nodded firmly, and helped the other man to his feet. The green-clad plumber picked up the cage with his sleeping ginger kitten, slung his bag over his back and stood awkwardly, not quite wanting to budge. "Come on."
They remained completely silent throughout the entire journey, tense and uncomfortable even when they entered room C8. The Hammer Bro maintaining the portals welcomed them, told Luigi that he would have to wait a little while and started work on the portal. Luigi only gave short nods and replies, feeling too shy to say anything, and he almost certainly couldn't talk to Snake, not after his outburst. Why did he have to say such things right before farewell? Luigi cursed himself for his tactlessness; he glanced over at the mercenary, who seemed noticeably nervous. He was flexing his fingers and biting his lip, not looking at the green-clad plumber.
The silence lasted a few more minutes.
"Snake, I'm sorry," Luigi finally whispered. "I... I didn't mean to say all that. I was just being silly, I wasn't thinking-"
"Luigi, look at me."
The mercenary's voice betrayed nothing, but he turned around and grasped the younger Mario brother's shoulders, his grip firm yet gentle; Luigi relaxed in the gentle grip, knowing that his friend would never hurt him. Surprising - this man was a mercenary who'd had only too much experience in such matters, yet he'd never actually hurt him.
"I want you to know this," Snake said quietly. "it doesn't matter whether I stay Snake or David. We're not parting for ever, Luigi - I'll always be here for you. I won't fade away. I'll stay with you in spirit," he coughed slightly as he spoke those rather awkward ('mushy', as he might have called it) words. "just not physically. I'll write to you. Don't you think that we're saying goodbye for ever."
"Promise?"
"I do," the mercenary said firmly, his grasp tight on Luigi's hand, pressing down with the sureness of his words. "and you have my address. If there are other vegetation with eyes in your world... erm... just don't... you know, send them... they kind of scare me."
Luigi managed a grin at this. "I won't. Come visit me every once in a while?"
"I will." Snake promised; Luigi held out his little finger to confirm this, and the mercenary took it this time without a hesitation, entwining his little finger around the green-clad plumber's. They both laughed softly at the memory of themselves promising like this for the very first time - had it been really that long since then? "I will, Luigi."
The younger Mario brother nodded, moving closer to the mercenary and embracing him in gratitude.
"Ti amo, Dave." Luigi murmured, easing himself into Snake's arms once more and laying his head on his shoulder. The mercenary smiled - a true, grateful smile - and leaned forwards to receive more physical contact. When the younger Mario brother nuzzled against his shoulder, he bent down and pressed his lips gently to the other's forehead in a soft, sincere kiss of farewell.
"Love you too, Luigi."
The younger Mario brother chuckled quietly, giving the other man one last tight squeeze before reluctantly breaking the embrace. But he was still holding onto the mercenary's hand. They stared at each other for a while - and then Snake realized just how much Luigi had changed during the last few months. When he'd first met the green-clad plumber, he had been a pale-skinned, rather depressed and nervous man who had next to no confidence whatsoever; yet now, the man looked optimistic and truly alive, with lightly tanned skin and bright blue eyes. Luigi no longer looked timid as he had before. He had entered the tournament as the second-best Mario brother, as 'Mr. Lean and Green', as that Hammer Bro said so many months ago - and now he was leaving as Luigi. Nobody else.
"Time's nearly up, guys," the Hammer Bro called from the back, who looked at the clock on the wall as he fiddled with some machinery. "say your goodbyes now, I'd say."
"I've got to leave, I suppose. I can't keep you here," Luigi said apologetically as he took a step foward; but still his grasp didn't slacken, and they looked at each other again. Eventually, the mercenary nodded wordlessly, and Luigi began walking towards the portal, only very reluctantly letting go of Snake's hand. The younger Mario brother was slipping away from him, after half a year - the mercenary felt rather panicked at this realization, and called to the other.
"Luigi."
"Hmm?" the green-clad plumber looked around, the bright light from the portal illuminating the side of his face. Snake opened his mouth; but then closed it again, as he found that he couldn't say anything. Sure, he could have said so many things, he could have even forcefully dragged Luigi from the portal - but he didn't. Instead, he found himself saying things that the other knew already-
"Take care... write to me..."
"I will," Luigi replied gently. "and you do the same for me, too."
The mercenary nodded. "... and... just be careful, all right? Be brave..."
The green-clad plumber turned around fully this time, and did something that Snake hadn't expected.
He smiled.
Yet it was not the soft, shy smile that the soldier was used to seeing. This one was genuine and vibrant, an expression that had never appeared on Luigi's face before; it was such a beautiful smile that Snake quite forgot to say anything. He just stared, wondering to himself when Luigi had changed like this. That smile alone spoke more than words.
But then Luigi had to turn back.
"Enter the portal within ten seconds, please..." the Hammer Bro instructed. The green-clad plumber sighed, and looked at Snake again.
"I'll miss you, Dave."
"I'll miss you too, Luigi."
There was silence for a further two seconds, and then the younger man whispered a sorrowful farewell.
"Bye."
Luigi then walked quickly towards the portal, holding onto his possessions tightly, and stepped inside. The room was instantly enveloped in a blinding, white light - Snake winced and had to shield his eyes - and when the flash of light faded away, the younger Mario brother had disappeared.
It was as if he had never existed.
Luigi was gone.
Snake didn't know how he managed to get himself back to the lounge. He sat there and stared blankly into space - there were no more Smashers for him to see off and say goodbye. All the friends that he had made here were either on their way back, or already in their worlds now. And as he was from a completely different world than the usual ones that Master Hand usually considered - along with Sonic - he would be the one leaving right at the end.
The mercenary looked next to him. The cage with the grey kitten was there - the creature inside seemed to be still asleep. Figuring that it wouldn't hurt, and partly to give himself some comfort, he slid open the cage door; it opened smoothly, and then he reached inside to gently take out the kitten from its bedding. It was definitely larger than the very first time Snake had seen it, and in a couple of weeks, it probably couldn't really be a 'kitten' anymore.
How time flew!
The little creature whimpered softly as it was taken away from the soft bedding. But the mercenary took it in his strong, large hands and stroked its coat, fingers caressing the scruff ever so gently, and the kitten settled down. It blinked a few times and slowly opened its wide, blue eyes, staring up at the man who would now be its owner.
"It's just you and me now," Snake murmured sadly to the grey kitten, who mewled and nuzzled into his chest. It was an act that was exactly like what Luigi had done so many times before - and the kitten's blue eyes bore a startling resemblance to the plumber's own ones - and he had to restrain himself, instead settling for clutching the kitten tighter in his arms. It folded its paws over its nose and curled up further into the warmth, not understanding what was going on. It didn't know that it was going to leave the hotel with him, nor did it know that Snake would now be his permanent owner - it was all just another adventure in an already-busy life for the innocent, small kitten.
Snake raised his head wearily and looked around. The lounge was mostly empty now; the second-to-last batch of Smashers had already filed out of the doors, eager to get back to their own worlds. At least it meant that he would be leaving in less than ten minutes. He really couldn't stand being here any longer. He buried his hand in the silky coat of his kitten, being uncharacteristically gentle - the past few months had taught him not to be so rough when he wasn't on a mission.
How long had it been since Luigi had gone? Ten minutes? Half an hour? It hardly seemed to matter. To Snake, it simply felt as if he had been waiting his whole lifetime in this lounge since Luigi had gone back to his own world. Well, at least it was almost time for him to leave. He picked up his bag absent-mindedly, slung the strap over his shoulder without really looking at it, and then gently placed his kitten back in the cage. He vaguely heard Master Hand announcing his name, along with Sonic's, and thanking them one last time for participating in the tournament.
He really should come to the next tournament. Luigi was almost definitely going to be there. But if he wasn't... and how long would it be before another was announced? A year? Two years? Luigi had said that the very first tournament came along when he was only a year into his life in the Mushroom Kingdom - so it was at an interval of two-or-so years. A long time to be waiting.
But he couldn't contemplate that now. He sighed and picked up the cage, walking out of the now-empty lounge and down the corridor to the portal room. As luck would have it, he was due in room C8. Where Luigi had left. The Hammer Bro looked up as he fiddled with something.
"You're here, good. I'm fixing your portal now."
Snake nodded. "Thanks. I'd like to go home and rest."
"You ready then, I suppose?" the Hammer Bro asked. "... but it'll still take a while to prepare your portal. Your world is further away than the others-" he chuckled. "-but not as far away as Sonic the Hedgehog's. It's a good thing that he's fast... make up for all the time he lost while waiting to go home..."
"Yeah," Snake replied blankly. "shame we all have to leave, though."
The Hammer Bro nodded sympathetically. "True, true. It was fun having all of you around. To think I'm going back to that dreary life where I get stomped on by Bowser every day..." he trailed off, pointing at the mercenary's bag. "you've got something sticking out there. Your bag unzipped or something?"
"Hmm?" Snake looked around. Sure enough, there was a kind of brown package sticking out from his bag, the zipper on the front partly undone - but was it even his? It was wedged in too firmly to have fallen into his bag by accident, but he didn't recognize it at all. "can I sit down for a few minutes?"
"Feel free."
Snake pulled down his bag and sat down on one of the chairs, pulling the package free. It was wrapped in brown paper, he noticed, and it wasn't a large one - only slightly bigger than the palm of his hand - and was fairly light. Wary, he pressed down gently on the surface with his finger, searching for any suspicious lumps or metalic components in case it was wired up to something. There were none - the only lumpy thing in there felt rather soft, softer than plastic explosives or his malleable C4. He withdrew his hand and looked hard at the package again.
His kitten watched him from its cage, mewing softly for attention.
"Easy now," he muttered absent-mindedly, and turned the package over. There was something written on it - it merely said 'To Snake'. There was no name written except for his own, but he recognized the handwriting. He stared hard at the writing, hardly daring to breathe; the younger Mario brother still had few tricks up his sleeve, didn't he, even though he was ever so far away from him now?
Snake looked up - the Hammer Bro was still busy. There would be enough time to look into the contents right now - it wasn't large enough to contain a large note or an item. He carefully peeled off the brown paper and let the contents drop out onto his lap - a piece of paper, two photos (lying facedown) and a bundle of cotton wrapped around something. He reached for the paper first - a few lines were written on it - and began to read, his fingers trembling slightly.
Dave,
I bet you thought this was a bomb. Nah - I'd never do that. I'm just enclosing those photos so that you won't forget what I look like. It happens so very often when you're apart from someone else for a time, don't you think? That, and just to remind you of that picnic. Falcon gave me my own copy - bless him. I'm going to treasure it forever. There'll be one more photo on that table in the mansion soon.
Look inside the cotton bundle, It's my last one, and I wanted you to have it. Good times, no?
You made me so happy, during our stay in this hotel. You made me feel happier than I've been for years. I owe it all to you. I won't hide anymore. I'm not going to cry anymore. And... I'll miss you a lot. You've grown in me so much.
I love you, Dave, and ciao. Write to me.
Luigi.
Snake said nothing; he was feeling too stunned and too confused to react. He kept his face carefully neutral (being a soldier, he was naturally experienced in hiding his emotions) as he placed down the note, and looked at the two photos. The instant he did, even he couldn't stop his eyes widening.
There was the photo that Falcon had taken at the picnic; the one of him and Luigi embracing in a friendly hug, smiling and both making a victory sign at the camera. He hadn't thought about it since that day - but the racer had been right, the picture was beautiful. They both looked quite ruffled as a result of Snake's temporary madness; but what struck the mercenary most was that he could see himself smiling brightly without a care in the world in that photo. Snake didn't recall ever having such an expression on his face before. And unbeknownest to him at the time, the younger Mario brother had actually been winking at the camera. It added a boyish, cheeky touch that the mercenary couldn't help but grin at.
The other photo was of Luigi, sitting on a sunlit table by himself - this was unusual, as all the photos that Snake had seen of Luigi featured somebody else with him (or Mr. L by himself, of course). And he hadn't looked very cheerful ever since he'd grown up. But this Luigi looked genuinely happy; he wasn't grinning, just smiling very slightly, but there was a soft quality in his expression that was neither sad nor melancholy. His eyes were softened and bright, his posture relaxed, and Snake (quite frankly) hadn't seen the younger Mario brother looking so calm and sweet. It was quite endearing. And it was, indeed, wonderful to know that he was the one had restored Luigi's happiness.
Where was Luigi now, he wondered as he looked at the photos. Was he back in his cottage and sleeping? Or was he unpacking all his souvenirs and memoirs from the tournament, smiling and brushing his hand over the ornaments carefully as he recalled fond memories? Had he framed the photo of Snake and himself already?
Snake put down the photos, picked up the bundle and began to unwrap the cotton from around it. He didn't quite know what he was expecting, but he did so nonetheless - and when the object finally fell out onto his palm, he looked at it for a long time.
"Your portal's ready," the Hammer Bro called, but Snake hardly even heard him. He was too busy staring at this one little object, reminding him of the very first present that the green-clad plumber had given him.
It was a 1-UP mushroom, glowing softly in his palm.
"Hello? Your portal... it's ready..." the voice called again. This shook him out of his trance, and he hurriedly packed the note and photos away, tucking them carefully in his bag. But he kept the 1-UP in his palm, feeling as if he were dreaming - was this actually happening?
"There you are..." the Hammer Bro muttered, but then he paused, gazing at the mercenary. "that green plumber who was in before - Luigi - he a friend of yours, I suppose?"
"Yeah," Snake managed to say. "a very good friend of mine. Best friend, I daresay," suddenly, and without quite knowing why, he let a chuckle. "and it'll stay that way."
"Glad to hear that. You ready, then?"
Someday... we'll see each other again... right?
The mercenary closed his eyes, letting one solitary tear trickle down his cheek; but he was smiling, truly smiling. He stood up and faced the portal, his inquisitive grey kit mewing in the handheld cage; he looked down at the kitten and smiled again.
"I'm ready," he said quietly. The Hammer Bro gestured towards the portal, and he walked towards it without fear; he was aware how normal he looked now, just like any other man. With the kitten in the cage, and a bag on his shoulders, he could have been a traveller who'd just come back from a jaunt across the country, or a man returning from the vet. No one would ever know that he was actually a mercenary who had spent more than half a year in a world light years away and had seen unbeliveable things. He looked perfectly ordinary.
But then, at the moment - with Luigi's one final gift in his hands - he felt more special and happy than ever.
He reached the portal, closed his eyes and stepped right through - kaleidoscope colours danced behind his eyelids for a short amount of time, and he felt warm all over. It was a tremendously bizarre, yet wonderful experience that lasted for a too-short period of time. All around him, odd sounds could be heard, first faint and quiet but steadily growing louder - cars, people talking, all the things he hadn't heard for months. He breathed in softly, once-familiar scents washing over him-
-then he was home.