T Plus 11 Days
With the sunrise came the joyous tidings. Koopa had once again been put in his place, and Peach and her heroes were on their way home. The occupants of the Smash Mansion breathed a collective sigh of relief before sending out congratulatory texts to the three, and Vanessa nearly cried. Even those who were irate of Luigi always winning over them before the nerf were glad he was okay. MH and CH organized a celebratory feast which everyone was welcome to attend, and as an act of contrition, Jimmy, Timmy, Remy and Rory pitched in.
Just after 12 noon, the Smashers lined up outside the mansion, their eyes scanning the horizon. And then, a speck appeared in the distance, which soon revealed itself as a car containing Peach, Mario and Luigi. The cheers started up as the car pulled up to the entrance and slowed to a stop.
Peach barely had a hair out of place. In fact, it appeared as if her hair had been freshly washed. Her slightly dilated pupils were the only evidence of the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. Outwardly, she looked okay, but who knows what Koopa had done with her during her stay in his castle?
Mario appeared all right, as well, considering that he'd fought his hulking archenemy for the umpteenth time. There were bruises on his face, dried blood and healing cuts, but nothing serious—as far as the Smashers could see. But he was smiling, knowing that he'd once again done his duty and freed his Princess from that monster's claws.
Luigi, however—
He'd gotten the worst of it.
Bruising and swelling marred his features, dried blood crusting along his eyebrows, mouth, nose and cheeks. Through his coveralls, they could see the outline of bandages wrapped around his midsection, and there were first-degree burns, too. It occurred to the Smashers that he'd taken the brunt of Koopa's wrath for Mario. A weary smile was on the man in green's face. He didn't care about the injuries or the pain. All he cared about was that he'd stepped up to the plate and defended his brother.
A Mii chauffeur opened the doors, and one-by-one, the trio exited the vehicle to a hail of applause as Peach's retainers led the way. Mario offered Peach his arm, and she accepted as they walked forward.
"All right, Mario!" someone shouted, and within seconds, people began crowding around the red-clad hero, shaking his hand and patting him on the back as he strolled past.
"Mario, thank you! Thank you so much!"
"You rock!"
"Is there anything you can't do?"
"You make the MK proud!"
"Way to go, Mario! You sure showed that big, bad turtle!"
"Awesome job, Mario!"
"Hats off to you, Mario!"
"Go, go, Mario! Three cheers for you!"
And so on.
They mobbed Peach, as well, expressing relief that she was safe and at least still in one piece following her latest encounter with Koopa. Peach blushed and smiled along with her hero.
They hardly even noticed Luigi.
He was right behind Mario and Peach, and yet they didn't notice.
And yet he walked silently, gamely smiling on as the crowd continued to hail his big bro. The wistfulness was only in his eyes.
They didn't notice that, either. Not that he minded. He never minded. He was used to this. He really was.
Luigi was fine. Luigi was okay.
1.1.1
A few hours later, after everyone had time to rest, Smashers, Toads and Super Mario fans alike gathered in the Smash Mansion's banquet hall, where several tables had been joined together into one big table. Mii helpers placed several large platters of food in front of them, followed by equally large pitchers of juices and sodas. MH hovered before the tables to give a brief address.
"Thank you for coming," he said. "Even though the tournament has experienced some disquieting events as of late, the news of Peach's rescue proves that there's still some goodness in this world, that there's still a shard of light piercing the darkness, that there's still a reason to believe. Good may not win over evil all of the time, but it's the instances that it does which truly count. And who to better demonstrate this than Super Mario? His big heart more than makes up for his small stature, and he's displayed a willingness to risk everything to fight for his principles. Two days ago, when the ruler of his new homeland was once again put in danger, he once again answered the call to action. And let's not forget Peach's own resolve, her resolve and her faith which kept her strong in the face of a monstrous captor. And late last night, the monster was once again beaten back, and the day was saved. It is said that the world is a wonderful place and worth fighting for. Thanks to Mario's selflessness, I have to agree with the second part. So on behalf of Super Smash Brothers and the Smash World—thank you, Mario."
Applause. Mario smiled at the people seated around him, yet he avoided MH's gaze. He didn't know what to think of the glove's little speech. But now wasn't the time to dwell on such things, was it?
MH connected his phone to a Bluetooth speaker and set his music playlists to play one after the other. The Smashers and other guests began helping themselves to the food and beverages.
Peach was seated next to Mario, a little freshening up having erased all traces of her nearly 33-hour stay in Koopa's castle. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the cheek.
"You did good," she said softly. "You did good, Mario."
"I wasn't about to leave you to his mercy," said Mario.
"He told me what that guy said to you," Peach went on, "and I just want you to know—none of that is true. Some friends of mine managed to text me, and they said that as soon as you got the news, your response was…" She snapped her fingers. "Even after what you'd endured hours ago, you were ready to fight for me. That was very noble of you." Another kiss, this time on the lips. "Thank you, Mario."
The memory of the encounter with those four still hurt, but Mario still took Peach's words to heart. "Oh, Peachy," he sighed dreamily, smiling back at her.
"I hope we're not interrupting."
Vanessa and her family had arrived, taking seats near the Mushroom Princess.
"Hi, Vanessa. Thanks for checking up on me."
"That's what friends do," replied Vanessa.
The two women hugged.
"Thank God you're all right," Vanessa breathed. "Anna started getting a little worried about you."
"I can handle Koopa," Peach said brightly, "but I appreciate the concern."
Anna beamed at Peach. "I'm so happy Mario saved you," she chirped.
"So am I," said Ethan. "Thanks, Mario. You're the best."
The teen and the plumber high-fived.
"Yeah. We'll always believe in you," Anna piped up.
"That really means a lot, Anna," said Mario, and it did. It really did!
"They're right, you know," said Peach. "It doesn't matter how long I spend with that turtle—a day, a week, a year—because I know you're right on his tail. It's made my captivity more—bearable. Thirty years after you came into my life, that will never change." She raised her glass. "To Mario."
"To Mario," chorused the guests.
Indeed, Mario was the man of the hour. Most of the Smashers sat around him, listening as he recounted his climactic fight with his archenemy and his trip through eight worlds which preceded it.
"Fantastic," said Fox. "Simply fantastic. Isn't he fantastic, you guys?"
Cheers of assent.
"What kind of man faces down a beast twice their size?" asked one Mario fan. "A legend. A f—ing legend! Here's to you, Mario!" He lifted his drink and took a swig.
They all laughed and gushed over Mario's feats, toasting to him every so often. But Luigi, seated with a few other Smashers, was largely left out of the conversations. Not once did they approach him, or raise a toast to him or ask him to recount his side of the venture. If they'd asked, then he would've told them how he'd really stepped up to the plate to protect his sibling, taking the brunt of Koopa's assault in his stead. How he'd disregarded his own safety and well-being and put Mario's at the forefront. How he was willing to surrender himself and spend the rest of his days as Koopa's personal punching bag—or face a particularly gruesome death—just to see Mario and Peach reunited and safe. How, as Koopa briefly got the upper hand over them, he'd looked Mario in the face and told him to focus entirely on rescuing Peach and not to worry about him. How he was prepared to take everything that turtle dished out just to give Mario a second chance.
But—they didn't care about things like that. Only about Mario, the hero everyone wanted to be. Even after what he'd done, Luigi barely got any shred of acknowledgement. But he'd still be loyal to Mario to the very end, because he loved him so much, and every hero needed a sidekick. Could anyone imagine Batman without Robin? Probably not.
Even with his fans gathered around him, Mario's eyes met Luigi's across the banquet hall, the elder seeing the younger's sadness and frustration. But Luigi smiled nonetheless and raised his own glass in a toast, as if to say, Enjoy this. You've earned it.
But someone else also took notice of Luigi's disposition.
Sitting with his friends, Falco's eyes wandered toward Luigi. He took in the way he leveled small forkfuls of food into his mouth and the distracted look in his eyes. Everyone was sidling up to converse with Mario, but they were barely giving Luigi the time of day. That was probably hurting something fierce.
Falco missed Luigi's company so much, further convinced that his outburst that day was uncalled for. In that elevator, Luigi had told him that he could never forget the words, and that their relationship would never be the way it once was, but he did hint that a reconciliation was possible. When that would happen, neither of them would know.
But Luigi looked so somber right now that it pained the avian. He had to take a chance.
Steeling himself, Falco rose, his plate and drink in hand, and stepped over to where Luigi was seated, picking at his food.
"Hey," Falco said quietly, getting Luigi's attention.
Luigi looked up. "Hey," he replied, a bit dully.
"Don't be mad," said Falco. "I don't mean to harass you, and I'm not here to gloat about your recent misfortunes. It's just—you look like you could use some company."
Slowly, Luigi smiled. "Thanks, Falco," he said.
Having obtained permission, Falco took a seat beside the man in green. A good start.
"A penny for your thoughts?" asked Falco once he'd settled in.
Luigi bit his lip, looking Falco over. He remembered when the avian had gotten in his face over his down throw, the feeling of betrayal. But gazing into his eyes, Luigi saw the remorse and the desire to start over. He'd explained the difficulty in that, but if Falco was reaching out to him—
It was only fair to take that risk, seeing that Luigi took initiative after they'd gotten stuck in the elevator.
"I fought my hardest in that castle," Luigi said quietly. "I almost died for him. I almost died for Peach. And at the end, they all run to him and give him all of the credit. For thirty years, they've done this. What do I have to do to finally convince them?"
"Luigi," said Falco. "Do you enjoy helping Mario?"
"Yes," said Luigi.
"Then shouldn't that be the only thing that matters?"
Luigi nodded. "I can keep the envy at bay because of that," he said, "but the feeling of being perpetually stuck in his shadow, trying to break free—it gets to me sometimes. I proved myself twice when I saved his life. When those four men ganged up on him, I rushed to his defense. And yet it's always the same—he gets everything and I…" He trailed off. "It's only temporary. The feeling passes, and then I move on with my life. Because Mario's life means more to me than petty jealousy."
"You did the right thing when you intervened that day," said Falco.
"MH disagrees," huffed Luigi.
"He shouldn't have suspended you," Falco agreed. "Furthermore, why did they target Mario in the first place?"
"Because he wants answers," explained Luigi. "Mario—he's been through so much for me. He got himself in trouble for me. And that was why I was initially upset that he beat up the two Steves. Because I don't want him to get expelled for my sake."
"Answers—to what?"
"I think you know, Falco." Luigi's tone began to frost over.
"Your—nerf. I…" said Falco. "Luigi, I'm sorry."
"For what? Are you saying you were involved in it, too?"
Falco dropped his gaze. "Oh, Luigi."
"You actually helped subvert this tournament rather than buckle down and practice?"
"Let's—let's not talk about this right now," said Falco. "You've had a pretty trying night."
"Either MH knows something about it—or CH does, which explains the attack on Mario," said Luigi, "but nothing will stop Mario from finding out if someone manipulated MH just to hurt me. The longer you keep this hidden, the worse it'll be for you."
"Considering what he did to the two Steves after they attacked you, I don't feel necessarily encouraged to tell him," Falco said nervously.
Luigi softened his stance a little. "He doesn't think you deserve another chance with me, but he won't interfere if I decide to renew our friendship," he said, "but you still need to tell him before he finds out on his own. I'll convince him not to attack you and to hear you out. But I don't think he'll forgive you so easily. I know I won't."
"Every day, I wish I hadn't blown up at you the way I did," sighed Falco. "It was immature, losing my temper over something so small. I wish I can undo the hurt I caused, but I can't. But I wanna make this right, and I want us to start fresh."
Luigi sighed. "Falco—I don't know if I can let you back in. If I get hurt again, then that's on me. And now the possibility that you participated in this plot…" He paused, and then his face lit up. Leaning into Falco's ear, he whispered, "One of the conspirators has arranged a meeting with me and my bro, where he promised to tell us everything. It takes place in nine days. I think you should attend, Falco. You'll have the chance to safely get everything off your chest. More conspirators will be present, as well."
Falco looked around. "I'll think about it, okay?"
"Okay," said Luigi.
"I just…"
"I know, Falco. I know," Luigi broke in.
"I'm just happy you made it back," offered Falco. "Despite our differences, you know I'll always come down on your side when Koopa strikes—because it's the right side."
Luigi smiled again, a warm smile. "Thank you, Falco. I appreciate that."
"I'll be there," Falco promised in a low voice. "And at that meeting, I'll tell all. I swear it."
"Okay," whispered Luigi.
Falco patted Luigi on the shoulder, took his food and drink and went back to his original seat.
1.1.1
Later in the feast, Jimmy, Timmy, Remy and Rory walked up to Mario, having psyched themselves up to perform their inevitable task. They found him engaged in intimate converse with Peach as they fed each other forkfuls of the cake she'd prepared for this occasion.
Remy cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said.
Mario and Peach looked up, lancing the quartet with a piercing stare.
"I just fought a hulking reptile—I'm not about to deal with your…" Mario sharply began, but Jimmy gently stopped him.
"We didn't come here to fight," he said. "We came to talk to you. Explain things."
"Well—you don't have to explain anything to me," said Mario. "How you made me feel when you said those things, when you continued beating and kicking me even when I was down, even though you knew that I was reeling from what had happened to my bro."
"Mario, please," said Remy. "We know we hurt you, and we're sorry. Just—give us a chance to make it right."
"You're sorry," Mario derisively repeated. "After what the two Steves did to Luigi, I was beside myself. I kept asking myself what I could've done to prevent it—to prevent this nerf, period. You took all of that and you turned it into a loaded weapon against me, and 'sorry' is all you have to say for it. Who was I to expect more?"
"Our blood was boiling…" began Timmy.
"And that made it okay?" Peach broke in, eyes flashing.
Mario stroked her hair. "I've got this," he said quietly.
"Please, forgive us," entreated Rory. "We promise…"
"Never to do it again," finished Mario. "If I had a gold coin for each time I heard that…"
"C'mon, Mario—things got a little out of control. We're trying to fix what we've broken," said Remy.
"That's your excuse—things got 'out of control'. Well guess what? It doesn't excuse what you did to me. It doesn't excuse what you said to me. I don't know what gave you the right to act like that, but given MH's tirade that night and then your little stunt—I feel like an inadequate brother. If that's what you wanted, then congratulations."
"We didn't—Mario, we didn't…" spluttered Remy.
"Save it," Mario said bluntly. "You don't deserve my forgiveness, and if I had my way, then you'd all be fired. You must've felt like real men when you had me cornered in that room. But your fun is over now—and I sincerely hope with all my heart that this haunts you for the rest of your lives."
Peach had a cold, regal glare for the four of them. "I think we're done here," she said sweetly.
Remy, Rory, Jimmy and Timmy opened their mouths for one final entreaty, but the stony faces before them dissuaded them from doing so. Thus resigned, they turned on their heels and filed out of the room.
Peach sighed deeply. "I hope that didn't ruin anything," she said.
"It almost did," Mario said truthfully, "but I didn't let it. How about some more cake?"
Peach couldn't have agreed more.
1.1.1
Before Jimmy, Remy, Timmy and Rory's apology attempt, Luigi had helped himself to some of the cake before retreating to his room, where he poured all of his thoughts onto his online blog while enjoying a glass of sweet wine. It helped somewhat, but even after he'd finished his entry, he was still quite wired. All of his clothes flew off in a blur, and then he slid into a pair of comfortable workout pants. Just the pants, the socks and nothing else.
His next course of action was to put on a playlist of 80s tunes, turning up the volume and then dancing away the rest of his angst and stress. He still sported some aches from the fight with Koopa, but they didn't matter. All that mattered that he was about to burst apart, and he needed an outlet. And dancing had always been the best option. He was suspended anyway—it wasn't like he had any matches to look forward to over the next week.
And when Luigi danced, he danced. Not for anyone's viewing pleasure, but for himself. He danced angrily, frenetically, his body weaving and rolling and shimmying to the beat, the muscles in his abs and core working the hardest as he quickly broke a sweat. His eyes closed as he let the rhythm take him, changing his motions as the songs changed, a smile slowly forming on his face as perspiration beaded on his face, arms, shoulders and upper body, shining and twinkling in the sunlight slatting through the windows.
For hours, Luigi danced nonstop. And when his 80s playlist ended, he paused to catch his breath, take a swig of water and switch out the 80s hits for some Latin and salsa music. At that point, he forgot about everything else—about Falco and MH and the suspension and the nerf and the doubts and frustration and memories—and just broke down his body as the sweat dripped and splashed. That felt good. He spent the rest of the day in his room, dancing and dancing, his torso winding and swaying and swishing to and fro. Once that playlist was finished, he played another and then another, dancing until he was all danced out.
Luigi flopped onto his bed, slathered in sweat, breathing heavily. His eyes fell on a small, white ghost dog watching him curiously—his beloved Polterpup. Polterpup apparently found his master's dancing entertaining, for his mouth was open in a huge smile, tongue hanging out.
The sight of his Polterpup melted Luigi as he wiped his face, neck and upper body. "Come here, doggie," he said.
With a happy woof, Polterpup leaped into Luigi's arms and licked his face. Luigi laughed. Who knew that someone so skittish around ghosts would wind up adopting a ghost puppy? But Polterpup didn't frighten him—when they first met, the spectral pooch was more of an annoyance. It didn't take long for Polterpup to snatch Luigi's heart, with him signing the adoption papers not long after their first encounter.
Now, Luigi lay on his bed, Polterpup curled up on his chest as he stared at the ceiling. His finger's stroked the ghost puppy's "fur" as he mused over how he could utilize this coming week. He wanted to aid Mario in his search for answers—but also, he needed some time for himself. So much had happened in such a short time. The nerf, the attack in the Training Area, the scrap with his brother, the fight in the empty lounge and now the harrowing fight with Koopa. The turtle had been especially ruthless, and Luigi could still hear his laughter as he attempted to use the green-clad plumber to "strike a bargain" with Mario, promising to stop inflicting punishment on him if he just walked away and let him be with Peach in peace. But Luigi had adamantly made the choice for Mario.
"Don't worry about me, Bro—just—save Peach…"
He returned to the present as Polterpup nuzzled against him. And when he looked into the paranormal pooch's eyes—
—he knew exactly where he wanted to go.
1.1.1
In Seattle, Washington, a young woman answered her cell phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, Amy! It's nice to hear your voice!"
"It's good to hear yours, Rory. How's working for Master Hand treating you?"
"It has its perks, but I just miss my little sister. Are you busy at the moment?"
"Not at all—in fact, my workload just lightened."
"Then—you'll be able to stop by? There are a few people I'd like you to meet."
"Sure, Rory! I'll catch the next flight out."
"Great! I'll see you soon, Amy."
"You too, Rory. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye."
"Bye."
Amy hung up and smiled to herself as she headed to the airport. She couldn't wait to see the fabled Smash Mansion!
1.1.1
And in their Baltimore apartment, the four Bennigan Brothers lounged around, still lost in their thoughts. They couldn't get last night's sights and sounds out of their heads. The rumpus and ruckus as Koopa and his minions prepared to fight the Mario Bros. The fight proper—hearing the sounds of Koopa exchanging furious attacks with Mario and Luigi as the four made their escape. Peach's voice, bravely cheering her rescuers on. And Luigi screaming as Koopa did something to him as the battle grew more ferocious. If Luigi had screamed like that—then Koopa must've inflicted a lot of pain.
But most of all, they remembered Mario's voice, frantically yelling Luigi's name. And Luigi's voice answering, telling him to prioritize Peach and get her back home while Mario steadfastly refused to leave his baby brother behind. And also—also—they remembered the man in green following Mario and Peach out of Koopa's Castle, the Toad retainers barely looking his way as they reunited with their Princess. Luigi had looked so—exhausted and hopeless.
It was the look in his eyes and on his face which made the Bennigan Brothers realize what they'd done. That this was no longer some harmless fun—that their antics were taking a toll on him. For what reason they were hurting him so, they didn't know anymore.
But they had to make this right. They had to.
As morning had turned into afternoon and then into evening, Vincent, Manny, Shane and Stuart realized what had to be done. They'd incur the wrath of a lot of people, but they'd also take the first step on the path to becoming better people. What other choice did they have, anyway?
They had to go to Master Hand and confess everything they'd done and how they'd manipulated him. They had to reveal the sordid details of Project Nerf before MH uncovered them on his own.
And after that, they had to admit everything to Luigi and pray that he'd be able to forgive them in time.
There was no other way.
The Bennigan Brothers exchanged a look, resolving to stop the senseless antagonism they'd helped start.
It would be a tough task to carry out.
But it would be done.
Please R&R.
