A/N: Hey... I've got to explain a few things, so this is gonna be awkward. First, I'm sorry for making you all wait for nearly three months for a new chapter. Lately, I've been busy with work and my new class that I've been taking since mid-January. Besides that, I was more focused on Revengeful Resistance and Hotel Horror which is a rewritten version of Luigi's Mansion 3. But I knew at some point I had to return to this. As I said earlier, I don't care if it takes me another three years (or more) to finish New Brotherhood. I just hope the coronavirus won't get to me or this would be unfinished on a bad note...
Secondly, I made a major mistake. I forgot I had the white Emerald in Bowser and Eggman's possession after Kamek took it from Sonic's friends. Then I mentioned the white Emerald during the fight against Metal Sonic and Metal Tails. I don't know how I fucked that up, but I did fuck it up. I went back and re-edited the last several chapters where they would find a green Chaos Emerald. Continuity errors at its finest... I apologize that I didn't catch this earlier.
In general, I needed to rethink my approach compared to when I wrote this from 2017-2018. I feel like most of my old ideas seem meaningless now, and I keep forgetting various plot points that are vital to the story as we progress. I hope I can do better, but we'll have to see.
Thanks for putting up with my BS. I'll stop talking now.
Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to Mario or Sonic whatsoever.
Chapter 45: Reflections
Mario let out a soft exhale as he watched his breath flow into the cold, brisk air of Shiver Mountain. The temperature started to dip in the middle of the day as he, Sonic, and Colombo packed their belongings and returned to their trek. However, the cold weather wasn't the only thing that bothered him.
For the past hour, there was nothing but silence between the red and blue heroes. No words have been said or exchanged between them since their awkward conversation in the morning. Mario didn't want to bother him if Sonic had gotten a bad night's sleep. Yet for some reason, he had a gut feeling that something else was up. He never expected his friend to react in such a disdainful manner. Was he being a jerk on purpose? No, Mario didn't think so. He has known Sonic for several weeks and he knew the Blue Blur wouldn't be mean unless there was a legitimate reason behind it.
Eggman was the first thing that crossed Mario's mind. After all, he nearly shot his archnemesis with a raging Bullet Bill. The doctor also built those Metal Sonic and Metal Tails robots. Although he had never seen or fought against the originals, he learned that they were improved versions of their counterparts. Just from that fact alone made Mario uncomfortable, to say the least. Presumably, he thought Eggman was not letting anything hold him back to get what he wanted. And what Eggman desires involved two things.
Number one, collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds.
Number two, killing Sonic.
If that wasn't difficult enough, Bowser and his minions have been helping him since they formed an alliance. On the plus side, things haven't gone their way as of today. However, Mario didn't keep his hopes high. He knew the evil Koopa King was both unpredictable and relentless. Knowing him, he and Dr. Eggman were probably saving something calamitous for them. It was a matter of what that plan is and when they would execute it. No matter what, the Chaos Emeralds cannot fall into the wrong hands. Mario made a vow that he would help his Mobian friends to get back home.
But the one he has been helping this entire time was being difficult. And for what reason? The plumber wished he knew the answer.
Huddling his arms over his jacket, Mario barely took a glance behind him where Sonic was. He was trudging very slowly up the snowy incline. His green eyes were planted at the white blanket, focusing on practically nothing. He just simply followed the plumber without speaking whatsoever. By the time they reached the summit, Mario couldn't take it any longer. He needed to break the ice, no pun intended.
"Sonic? You good back there?"
He didn't respond. Sonic simply had a disgruntled look on his face.
Mario sighed. "Sonic, I don't know what's bothering you. I would like to help, but not communicating with me is going to make things frustrating for both you and me."
The hedgehog rolled his eyes. "I just want to go home. You happy now?"
The man in red frowned. "I understand that. I bet you and your friends are homesick. But is that really the reason why you're cranky?"
"Who said I'm cranky?" he retorted in defense, clenching his fists.
"No, I didn't mean it like that," Mario held his hands in front of him. "It's just-"
"Look, it's been how long since I've been stuck on this world of yours? Weeks? Months? I lost track. But all that matters to me is that I want to go back to Mobius."
"Yes, I know. But Sonic-"
"Then why is it taking so long?!" he bellowed.
Colombo had been listening to their conversation while he was walking in front of the heroes. The Polterpup paused for a second to glance back at them. Sonic looked like he wanted to spin dash Mario to a pulp. Colombo never expected him to be exasperated. He wasn't the same friendly hedgehog when he first met him.
As for Mario, he was utterly shocked at his explosive comment. He found it hard to believe that he was being so hostile again.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Sonic huffed in annoyance. "Where is the next Emerald? I've been freezing ever since we got here, and I can't stand it!"
"Okay, Sonic. I know that the cold can be bothersome, but you don't have to make a big deal out of it."
"Are you assuming that I'm overreacting?"
Mario blinked before responding genuinely. "Maybe a little," he held his thumb and index finger up with a small space in between.
"Ugh. I can't believe you!" he started to speed walk past him.
"What? Sonic, what are you-"
"Hey! Less talking, more searching!" he shouted at the plumber.
Mario was at a loss for words yet again. He could only look down at Luigi's pet who had the same expression – upset and confused. None of this made any sense for them. It was like trying to solve a complicated garden maze and they couldn't find the exit. He felt lost and hopeless.
"Colombo, do you think I caused him to be angry?"
The Polterpup instantly shook his head, letting out a soft whine as he felt sorry for the man.
"I just..." His mouth quivered – not from the cold, but from Sonic's lack of empathy. "It's bringing me back to the day we first fought. Except, I'm trying to contain my anger. Yeah, I'm a little frustrated, but I'm more perplexed on why he's acting this way. Does he not appreciate my efforts for supporting him this whole time? Did our old adventures mean nothing at this point? Is he trying to manipulate me at the worst possible time? If he is, then why?"
He kept asking these kinds of questions that his mind was being filled with doubt. Sooner or later, he was going to figure out what the hell is going on.
"Dude! Let's hurry up!" Sonic called from twenty feet away.
Mario shook his head before he restarted his trek up the mountain. Colombo made sure he didn't leave his side. He wanted to be there for him when he needed it.
Back at Shiver City, the snow started to fall again from the cloudy skies. The warp pipe was completely covered in white flakes until a head popped out. He jumped out of the entrance, knocking all of the snow off.
"I'm telling you, Waluigi. Those doofuses are searching for another Chaos Emerald!" Wario grinned widely. He was currently sporting a thick, yellow vest, a purple sweater underneath, blue jeans, a purple beanie, and brown hiking boots. The fat man looked behind for a moment and realized his partner in crime wasn't next to him. "Eh, Waluigi? Are you down there?"
"Hold your horses!" a voice echoed from inside the pipe. The tall, purple man came out a second later. He had a thinner winter jacket in violet and a pair of tight, black jeans. "Sheesh, I was about to head inside the entrance, but your fat ass got in the way. And here's a suggestion, lighten up on the garlic, would ya?!" Waluigi waved his hand in front of his face (which was no longer covered in bee stings).
"Hey, my farts aren't that disgusting!"
"Your gas is deadly enough to kill an entire population!" His comment caused the nearby Bumpties to stare at the devious duo. They quickly dispersed to get away from them.
"Come on, you're overexaggerating. It's not like the flu or some deadly virus spreading around the world."
"Seriously, you're going to make a joke about that?" Waluigi gave him a disapproving glance.
"What?! You started it! I'm not the one who put my foot in my mouth!" Wario countered back.
"Ah, whatever. We need to stop quarreling. Now, what did you say about this Chaos Emerald thing?"
"Okay, remember how we visited Mario in the hospital a week ago?"
"Yeah. And?"
"He told me that he and that Sonic guy have been searching for these gems called the Chaos Emeralds. I thought to myself, 'They've got to be worth a fortune!' So I want to find at least one of them so I can make a profit! Yesterday, I overheard them talking about Shiver Mountain and the Crystal Palace, so we're gonna sneak behind them and try to find it before they do."
"Why didn't we follow them last night?"
"Uh, hello? Mona invited me to her place to show off her latest microgames! I couldn't turn her down from that!"
"What happens if they find that emerald first?"
"That's where our Bob-ombs come into play," he pointed at his large, beige knapsack that he was carrying. "Do you have your ammunition?"
Waluigi rotated around to show his blue backpack. "It's been with me this whole time."
"Perfect. Now let's get going!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" Waluigi stopped him. "You said you were gonna get some money out of this. Well, what about me? How much am I getting out of this?"
"Ah, it's simple. Whatever amount we get for selling one of those prized jewels, we'll split it fifty-fifty."
"Now that's what I'm talking about," the tall man smirked. "Alright, let's hurry. If we don't get out of this freezing snow, we're gonna become a pair of frozen cavemen."
Location: Crystal Palace
This enormous castle sat at the peak of Shiver Mountain, containing a labyrinth of rooms filled with many doors, statues, and mirrors. The first time Mario ventured through this area, he fought some deceiving Duplighosts, White Clubbas, Swoopulas, and Magikoopas. Not only that, but he and his old partners had to overcome the tricky puzzles before he reached the farthest region of the mountain where they fought the Crystal King, one of Bowser's former servants.
Earlier in the day, Kamek, Iggy, and Lemmy got a head start and entered the palace. They were able to scour the first several rooms in search of the next Chaos Emerald. None of them were lucky to discover it. Everyone also suspected that Mario and Sonic could be right on their tails at any time.
"We checked the rooms up north, and we couldn't find anything," said Lemmy as he and Iggy returned to the main vestibule.
"The rooms down south are also bare aside from those blood-sucking bats," Kamek gave his report.
"So, does that mean we have to check deeper into the castle?"
"It's the most logical thing to do, Iggy. It wasn't found outside the entrance either, so-" Kamek stopped when he heard a muffled voice from beyond the front doors.
"Finally! We made it here. Come on, Mario! I don't have all day!"
"Oh, crud," the Magikoopa uttered. "Sonic is here, which means Mario is coming as well."
"How do you know that's him?"
"I would recognize his voice since the Elite Trio and I faced him and the others in Mt. Yuruvius."
"We better run ahead so they won't catch us!" suggested Iggy. "The faster we find that Emerald, the quicker we can escape!"
"And even better, we'll add another one to the collection," Kamek pointed out. "At some point, they'll have to blow their tops off. I expect them to break a boundary or maybe even a mirror. Follow me, Koopalings!"
Kamek flew his broomstick and used his magic to hit a floor switch. After triggering it, the blue doors shifted up to reveal a set of red doors below. Iggy and Lemmy drove their Koopa Clown Cars into the next room while the Magikoopa went behind them. By then, Sonic opened the entrance and strolled into the foyer. He noticed how there was a glass partition separating the entire room, almost acting like a mirror. The giveaway was that he didn't see his reflection.
The front doors closed in front of Mario, nearly hitting him in his nose. Colombo didn't have to worry since he could pass through walls. But he was not impressed that the hedgehog carelessly left the entry unattended. He was about to bark at his poor behavior, but Mario reached out to him quietly, shaking his head as he didn't want to aggravate the situation.
"What's his deal?" Sonic pointed at the Polterpup.
"Nothing," Mario waved it off. "He might've seen something strange and got a bit defensive, just to be on the safe side."
"I don't need a dog, let alone a ghost, protect me from danger. I can handle things myself."
The plumber's tolerance was thinning with every new sentence that spilled out of the hedgehog's mouth. All of his comments only reminded him more of their squabble in the clinic. Mario knew that Sonic was capable since he got to know him better. His cockiness and arrogance were a few of his annoying traits, but he ignored all of that to see the better side of him. He saw the reasons why he was a respectable hero. But right now, he was the antithesis.
"Sonic, I need to ask you this again because I've been concerned for a while now. Are you okay? Is there something distracting you that's making you feel stressed?"
Another roll of the eyes. He dug his hands into the pockets of his blue parka.
"Was it the Bumpties we faced back at Shiver City? Did they trigger you when it reminded you of your encounter with Tails?"
"Don't bring that up again."
"I'm just saying. You were kind enough to talk about it last night. I understood how unfair it was for him. Even you dealt with the same torment, and I wouldn't blame you if it left a mental scar in your mind. Those kinds of memories are hard to let go when they've made a negative impact on your life."
"Pfft. No wonder you were a mess after Luigi died."
That was when Colombo snapped. His body leaned back, his eyes were narrowed, and his teeth were visible from growling.
"Oh, shut up, you stupid canine!"
"Sonic!" Mario was aghast. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Wrong with me?! Why are you taking so long to help me find the Chaos Emeralds?! If you would stop bugging me, we would've found all of them by now! But no! We're still here because you're just slowing me down!"
"What are you talking about? I have been helping you since the very beginning!"
"Oh really? You mean you forgot about the time you were busy mourning over your pathetic twin?"
"Don't even cross that line, Sonic," Mario warned him as he got close to his face. "For the record, I didn't know much about the Chaos Emeralds until Professor E. Gadd found one near his lab. After you explained about them to me, I took the liberty to help you and your friends get back home. And since we met, we had so many thrilling adventures over the past week!"
"You don't say? Enlighten me," the Blue Blur sighed deeply.
Mario could easily discern how sardonic he was. His left eye twitched as he couldn't stand bottling up his current feelings.
"We explored so much of Sarasaland and nearly got burned from an erupting volcano. We teamed up with Yoshi and overpowered Eggman's robotic clones of you and Tails. I taught you how to swim, and you used that knowledge to save me from drowning in Vanilla Lake. We spent countless hours talking about our own journeys as well as the nostalgic moments we shared with our little brothers. It took me weeks to realize that you're a compassionate person who wants to protect the people you care about, but this is completely different! Why have you changed all of a sudden? Is this a dirty game that you're playing to mess with my head? Are you trying to convince me that I'm not supportive of you? What happened to us, Sonic? What the fuck happened to you?!"
After the raging echoes died down within the palace, there was nothing but stunned silence. Mario felt like he was being betrayed... Being used to help someone he trusted and agreed to support no matter what gets thrown in their way. His eyes stung as they were on the verge of forming hot, angry tears.
Sonic's face, on the other hand, was stagnant. Without any sign of sympathy, the hedgehog ignored all of his questions, crossing his arms over his chest and closing his eyes.
Mario shook his head repeatedly. "Was all of this a lie? Were you lying the entire time that I was your friend?" he desperately wanted to know.
The Blue Blur groaned as he had enough of his interrogations. "Maybe, maybe not."
Colombo's face softened as he peeked at Mario's face. The man was absolutely broken. Sonic's words pierced him like an icicle that fell from the ceiling above.
"I can't believe you..." Mario whispered, his body trembling.
"If you're gonna cry crocodile tears in front of me, you're just wasting time. I'm better off finding the Chaos Emerald without you. Give the detector while you're at it. It'll be quick and easy so you won't distract me."
The red plumber was a little shocked to hear that, but he didn't argue back. He obliged by taking the Emerald Detector out of his backpack and handing it to him. Sonic swiped aggressively without any sort of thanks. He took a minute to tune the frequency before realizing that Mario remained standing with his eyes planted at him.
"What are you still doing here?"
Mario jolted from his voice. "S-Sorry," he stuttered. "I'll leave you alone if that's what you truly want."
"It took you this long to register the whole point, huh? About time," he huffed while heading straight for the red doors.
Mario watched him go without moving from his spot. Colombo whined as he nudged his head against his leg. The plumber glanced down at the Polterpup. A fresh tear dripped from his eyelid, plopping onto the dog's head. Both of them didn't know what to do at this point. But instead of leaving the Crystal Palace, Mario laid his back against the wall, sliding down sluggishly until he sat on the floor. The first thing he did was take out his journal and pen. Opening to a blank page, he began writing.
...
Dear Journal,
I'm so confused. Why did Sonic suddenly turn into a selfish brat? I thought my previous fights with him were hurtful, but this one stung even more. That's only because we actually formed a strong bond between us, something bigger than being teammates or best friends.
We bonded like brothers.
But recently, he dumped me... not in the dating sort of way. He abandoned me. It seemed like he was using me this whole time to find the Chaos Emeralds and then had enough of me. I don't know what I did wrong though! Every time he argued with me, I felt like he was making less sense. He had done nothing but baffle and isolate me. Case in point, he left me and Colombo by ourselves so that he could find the Chaos Emerald in the Crystal Palace. Alone. He explicitly stated that he doesn't need my help because I've been slowing him down.
Maybe he was experiencing a random mood swing. I don't know why this would happen, but that's my educated guess.
I just don't understand. I was devoted to helping him, Amy, Cream, and Cheese return to Mobius safe and sound. I chose to be there for him like Tails has done before we met.
In the end, he played me like a fiddle. He decided to throw me aside like a trash bag on the side of the street. I was nothing to him now.
I wanted to explode at him. I wanted to tell him that he was full of shit. If he doesn't need me, why should I need him? He doesn't care or respect me anymore, so I should do the same.
Yet... why am I having trouble doing it? This whole scuffle still doesn't make sense to me, especially at a time like this. It seemed way too unexpected.
Things have taken a major turn. I wished that this was a bad dream like our old arguments. But this was reality, and it aches my heart to soak it all in. I would call for Tails and see if he'd believe this stuff. However, a part of me says that it's not worth it. Maybe I should let Sonic go on his own and give him some space. Whether it's temporary or permanently, I'm still heartbroken.
Apparently, our friendship and brotherhood were all for naught.
~Mario
...
Colombo licked his cheek in an attempt to cheer him up. Mario slightly smiled, but it vanished in milliseconds. At the very least, he wanted to wait for the blue hedgehog until he found the Chaos Emerald. Regardless of Sonic's tirade, he didn't leave. There was a strange feeling in his heart that's keeping him from exiting the palace.
Elsewhere, Sonic was in a long hallway where his reflection actually appeared on the glass wall. He took a moment to admire himself. He slicked his quills back and pointed a finger. Surprisingly, the reflection didn't mirror his movements.
"Oh, yeah... How's it going, good lookin'? Or should I say, how's it like to be a total jerk to your 'friend', Sonic?"
On the outside, the Blue Blur was a heartless devil. But on the inside, the real Sonic was trapped. His conscience was doing everything he could to regain control of his mind and body. But his efforts were futile. Kamek's spell was keeping him hostage.
His true self was portrayed by the reflection. Sonic replied back in anger, balling his fists tightly. "You won't get away with this!"
"I think I already did. Heh, it's so satisfying to know you betrayed that useless plumber."
"No! He's my friend! I wouldn't treat him like that!"
"You might want to reconsider your last statement because that's completely false. If I remember correctly, you were better off by yourself. You didn't need him by your side."
"That's a total lie. I do need him! You just said that stuff to make me sound like an ass! If Mario knew the truth, he would stop you!"
"Yeah, right. I'll believe you the day when Omochao isn't annoying. Oh, wait. That's never. Now let's go and find a Chaos Emerald, shall we? I'm sure Dr. Eggman and Bowser would be pleased to hear that you opted to fulfill their needs," the possessed Sonic sneered.
"Over my dead body."
"Whatever. Besides, at least I got something that will definitely help them," he pulled out the Emerald Detector. "This will be a cakewalk. We can also use this for the last, undiscovered Chaos Emerald. Once I find Kamek, I'll gladly hand it to him for safekeeping."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I dare, Sonic the Traitor! Ha ha ha!"
While the reflection on the mirror faded away, Sonic was banging his internal prison, desperate to break free and get himself to normal. More importantly, he had to get Mario back after his demon wrecked his soul. In the palace's foyer, he witnessed and heard every single word that was spoken from their conversation. He never meant to say those words. In fact, he didn't. But the spell caused him to become this horrid monster for the sole purpose of breaking their friendship apart. He couldn't bear to lose his buddy when he truly needed him. At this point, however, Sonic couldn't save himself.
"Mario... Please help me..."
END OF CHAPTER
We're less than three months into 2020, and I'm already ashamed of myself. I made a reference to a raging epidemic and a fucking alternate skin of Wario from Mario Kart Tour. What is wrong with me? Everything, really.
But speaking of Wario, he and Waluigi are back since Ch. 23 as they're off to find the Chaos Emerald, too! Will their sneaky plan come to fruition, or will they completely 'bomb' it?
Meanwhile, Kamek, Iggy, and Lemmy are also seeking the Emerald while trying to stay hidden from the heroes. They've got a slight advantage since Mario doesn't know about the Magikoopa's spell. Unfortunately, 'Sonic' went off on his own, leaving him and Colombo behind. It's only a matter of time until the secret gets spoiled. But what will happen from here?
I'll see you guys in Ch. 46. Hopefully, I'll be more consistent with uploads, but I can't make any promises. Until then, take care and stay safe out there. This is TGN, signing off.
