Author's notes: I actually wrote a draft of the previous chapters (The Ending) almost as soon as I wrote the beginning of this story, some 16 years ago, and having an ending was what (occasionally) motivated me to finish this. The Ending was almost entirely rewritten, save for the flashes of the afterlife. I know it was not the perfectly happy end many of us always want, but I hope—in quality—it at least makes up for the terrible ending I gave to "Brotherly Love." (I was a coward. I admit it.)

Conclusion

(But not quite the end.)

"Hey, Weegie."

The elder Mario entered a grassy hideaway, parting the blossoming branches of a willow tree and looking hesitant, as if asking permission. He paused, then stepped inside, the pink and green drape behind him closing as a curtain. With a tired sound, he sat on the makeshift wooden bench, setting a small bundle on it next to him. The bench wobbled a little when she shifted his weight, but he seemed to be accustomed to it, and balanced himself to make up for it's imperfection.

"…It's been a while."

He spoke to the grass a just a yard from his feet, still new and bare in some places. The rain had helped the grass and the tree and green life in the kingdom back to life, but he knew they still had a ways to go.

It had been six months. He still found it difficult to speak to the poorly etched headstone of wood and brick. Peach swore they would replace it with an improvement within the year. Mario wasn't sure if that would make any difference to him. He sighed softly, his fingers fiddling with the leather straps on his prosthetic hook.

"It's uh, getting greener, here. Oliver and Jack are still working at harvesting. The gardens here, and the other worlds. We finally sent out a team to Giant World, for new power blocks, stars, food and stuff. Turns out that place isn't a wasteland. It's…almost a jungle. Full of Goombas, too. Guess that explains where they went. It had a lot of resources…most we could have used. "

He sniffed a bit, looking up into the tree above him, cascading around him like a cathedral.

"Peach is still working with Adeline and Tori on Unity Day. Or whatever she calls it. …Tori's the one that saved my life, the really gung-ho turtle, remember? I mean…you saved me, but, then she did. You know what I meant. …Anyway, it's still set for the day after, the last battle… She wants it to be an annual thing, I guess. I dunno if I like it. But, it means a lot to the allies, so…"

There was no answer, no judgement, no advice.

"Oh. We finally sent out some allies to Dark World. They're um…taking it down, brick by brick. Turtles, mostly. They're glad to see it gone. And we could use the building materials. The palace is starting to look better, like it used to."

"…there's still some rogue Troopas that went missing, in the battle. They probably think themselves terrorists, but they haven't really done much, beyond some vaguely threatening mail sent from wherever they're hiding. Kaden wants to hunt them down, to see if they can't be reformed. …He's calmed down a bit. You'd be proud of him. Did I tell you Peach made him co-captain of the guard?"

A warm, soft breeze whispered at the curtain of branches around him, tickling the hair around his ears.

"…I guess I did."

Mario swallowed, staring down at his shoes, then glancing up a little at the silent grave dotted with grass.

"…Celeste? She's beautiful. I think she looks like Peach, but every time I describe her, she says she looks like me. …it's probably the hair. It's darker. She's making all kinds of sounds, now. I mean, she does more than cry. Which is fun, I guess. We're still tired all the time. I think about mama a lot now, and the hell we put her through."

"…Peach is head over heels, she doesn't look as tired as she feels. I mean, I love her too. She's…completely and totally perfect. And she's a full hellion. The lungs in that girl, heh. Reminds me of you shrieking when you were…a baby."

He paused, and his voice fell to a resigned whisper.

"…Sometimes…I don't feel like a good father. Peach says I'm fine. But, we didn't have a good example, y'know? You would've helped. …You would've been a great uncle."

Mario licked his lips, swallowed, and spoke with renewed strength.

"I promise I'll bring her to see you. She'd love you. Just…not yet."

He reached for the bundled handkerchief beside him, and set it in his lap, as if considering something.

"…Peach says hi, of course. And Adeline. We're all okay. …We're just trying to get on."

Mario set his jaw stiffly and opened the bundle.

"I know. I promised I wouldn't. But, I went back to Brooklyn. Just for a few days. Celeste was sick last month, and we didn't have the right kind of medicine here. …I thought I might miss it. Brooklyn. …I don't. It's not home, anymore. It's not the same there without you …A-anyway, I found this."

A green hat unfolded from the bundle, eerily similar to the one Luigi used to wear. It was faded, of a different material—stiff tweed, rather than cotton—and lacked the embroidered "L".

"I don't know, I saw it in a consignment shop, it's stupid, but…"

A few tears fell onto it, small dots darkening the green fabric and spreading a little. He slid off the bench, taking a knee with a weary sound, and placed the hat where the mound met the headstone. His hand rested there, pressing it softly into the earth, then pulled it away to dash across his wet cheeks. He found his seat on the wood bench again, chuckling weakly to himself.

"…I know it won't keep out here, I'm not stupid. Maybe I'll get a new hat for you every time this one falls apart. …maybe I will…"

The hat slowly reformed a bit, but the impression of Mario's hand was still visible. He swallowed again.

"You…you found her, right? Daisy? I know I keep asking. It…just means a lot to me, to know you're not alone."

Another warm breeze tickled at the elder Mario, and he felt himself smiling a little.

"…'course you found her."

He took the handkerchief in his hand and crumpled it, stuffing it into his pocket. He leaned forward to stand, exhaling quietly, staring down at the hat.

"…no, don't worry about me. I'm not giving up, anymore. …You were right. The sun came back. And I think this time, it's here to stay."

He didn't hear the draped willow part behind him, but he heard the soft voice of Adeline.

"Mario? …I'm sorry."

He addressed her without looking at her. "Don't be."

"It can wait."

"Peach?"

"No. Kaden and Tori. They found a cell of rogues."

"…and?"

"…T-they want your advice."

Mario didn't move, but his posture seemed more tired. "…five more minutes."

"Okay. Sorry." The mushroom girl let her eyes fall from his back, to Luigi's headstone, then back at him, a little worried.

"…it's okay, Adeline. Go on. I'll be in, soon."

"Yes, sir."

Mario listened to her trot off though the slowly sprouting gardens, back into the castle. He sighed softly, voice faint and tired as he stood above his brother's grave.

"…they still think I'm the leader. They have two monarchs now, and they still look to me. …you were the one who stepped up. I don't…I still don't know what I'm doing. Sometimes I feel lost. …M-maybe we were opposites Weegie, but…can't have a North without a South."

His voice choked again, and took the handkerchief back out to cover his face with it. He shuddered quietly in his emotion for a minute, though to Mario it felt like an age. But then he suddenly stilled, inhaling deeply, and stuffing the kerchief back in his pocket with a slow, intentional exhalation. His eyes were still rimmed red, but his expression calmer. He backed up to the curtain of leaves and blossoms, giving his brother's grave a firm nod. But his voice remained a whisper.

"…I'll be okay. I'm not giving up anymore, remember? …you were right. We're like the sun. I'll keep rising. For Peach, and Celeste, our friends. …and you."

Mario blinked at the silent grave, grinning slightly, as if he alone heard an answer, then turned to part the floral curtain, wandering back to the palace alone.

A little wind stirred the willow again, like a soft sigh, casting blossoms on the grave, tiny pink petals standing out like a crown of laurels on the familiar green hat.