A/N: I know, I know... About four months since you posted a new chapter, TGN? I'm lazy, alright? I'll try to keep it short and simple.

I appreciate all the old readers for sticking around and the newcomers for discovering this crossover. Whether you have left a favorite/follow, reviewed, or simply read the story, it means a lot to me. Let's get back to it, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Mario or Sonic at all. I'm just trying to write fanfiction after going on another hiatus for this story.

Chapter 51: Life is Complicated

~The Overthere

An unprecedented departure from the Mushroom Kingdom was the last thing on Tails' itinerary. In fact, it was unplanned to begin with. Something sparked between Luigi and Mario's private conversation, and neither he nor Sonic knew the full details on why the older Mario brother was hotter than a Fire Flower. The second Tails and Luigi emerged in the heavenly world, he snagged his hand away from the green angel's and gave him a confronting gaze.

"Luigi! What was that about?!"

The plumber knew he wasn't going to escape this situation easily. He had a bad feeling the fox was going to interrogate him right out of the gate. Yet he didn't dare to face the young spirit. After a period of silence, Tails became flustered.

"Luigi, did you hear me?" he waved a hand in front of his face.

Rudely pushing away his gloved hand, Luigi returned his expression, glaring straight at his blue pupils. The tables turned as Tails leaned back with uneasiness. Albeit he was somewhat intimidated, he wanted Luigi to address the elephant in the room.

"I'm not going to talk about it now."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Tails, you're already smart from what you've told me and what I've seen out of you. Based on what I said, you should know what I meant."

"Luigi, I don't-"

"I'm moving past this conversation," he interjected. "I really don't want to deal with this at the moment."

As he started to walk away, the kitsune narrowed his eyes and spun his tails quickly. As he hovered in the air, Luigi was forced to stop as the fox remained in midair, blocking his way. No matter where the green angel tried to move – whether left, right, down below, or high above – as he wanted some peace and isolation, Tails refused to budge. Not even his angelic wings can help him escape.

"Get out of my way, Tails," Luigi muttered.

"Not until you tell me why Mario lashed out at you!" demanded Tails. "Stop being so stubborn and dismissive!"

"I am not either of those things... I'm more cowardly and stupid," he whispered the last sentence to himself, soft enough where Tails wasn't able to perceive it. He tilted his head down and to the right, squeezed his eyes shut, and clenched his fists.

Tails hated how adamant he was acting, similar to how Sonic tried to conceal his personal thoughts when things weren't okay. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic. Nevertheless, the fox remained unwavering from his spot. All he desired was a direct answer from his friend.

"Luigi..."

Another deep sigh came from the Italian. He lifted the hat off his head and rubbed his sleeve across his forehead. But secretly, he was trying to dab off the wet tears that were forming in his eyelids. Luigi almost started hyperventilating as the anxiety was eating him up on the inside. He had usually been nervous and scared of many things since he grew up with Mario. From the circumstances he was facing today, however, he was arguably more worried about the mistakes he induced – even though he wasn't really at fault.

By the time he composed himself, or at least tried to, Luigi motioned the fox to follow him. Tails remained flying with his wings and namesakes as he was led to a private chamber. Along the way, they passed Luvbi and Grambi, who greeted the angels at one of the shrines. But the mustached man was so distracted by his own matters that he unintentionally ignored them. Tails whispered a brief apology and proceeded to trail behind as the Nimbis were left confused yet worried.

Soon, Luigi brought Tails and himself back to the library. He shut the doors and remained silent, his hands gripping the wood-crafted handles. His back remained facing Tails who was now standing in the middle of the room. Scratching the bangs on his forehead, he patiently waited for his heavenly companion to explain why they were currently here. Imitating his surrogate brother's antics, Tails folded his arms and tapped his shoe repeatedly at a consistent pace. He even shook his head as the frustration was slowly peering back into his head. The longer Luigi stalled, the more impatient Tails was getting.

Just when he was about to step forward and approach him a second time, Tails barely noticed the green-clad angel shuddering his body. He cautiously tip-toed over to him, one small step at a time. As he was just a few feet away, Tails heard him choke back. Blinking his eyelids, he spotted Luigi lowering his head, his shoulders hunched back.

Not even a second later, Luigi failed to suppress his feelings once again.

"I failed him..." he murmured with a shaky voice.

Tails froze as he almost reached a hand out to him. Unable to move or comprehend, he slowly lowered his arm down to his hip, gazing helplessly at the guardian as he broke down. He heard him mumbling some words in his native language. Although the fox wasn't fluent in Italian, he took the context clues and realized how miserable Luigi was right now. The reason behind it was still unknown, but all of his ire was instantly replaced with sorrow. At that point, Tails couldn't bear to let him cry without a shoulder. He gently tapped the plumber on the shoulder, silently convinced him to spin around, and wrapped his arms around his friend. The angels stood there for several minutes as the kitsune allowed Luigi to let it all out.

"Hey, it's okay," Tails whispered, sliding his gloved hand across his overalls. "Shhh, I'm here for you," he acted like Sonic after all those years of bawling on his shoulder.

Luigi gulped and struggled to stop bawling. His entire body quivered more than a Wiggler embracing a chilly zephyr high above Maple Treeway. Tails' embrace reminded him of the warm hugs he had shared with Mario. He could only thank him silently as the man was unable to talk at the moment.

Both of them knew he was in a rough spot after his older brother condemned him. It was only a matter of time until Luigi could recover from his emotional distress.

~Toad Town

Peach, Daisy, and the Toads were courteous to prepare a hearty breakfast for the Mobians after they all got an actual night's worth of sleep. They took their time with their morning meal, savoring each dish until they were empty. The pink princess made sure Sonic's friends were ready to go as they planned their trip to E. Gadd's lab in Boo Woods.

The only one who wasn't with the others was the Blue Blur himself. He was nowhere to be found in the castle, and not a single person could find him. That was because Sonic went for a morning jog, as per usual, only to find out Tails was temporarily visiting the Mushroom Kingdom. The kitsune had explained that Luigi needed to talk to Mario about something privately. Sonic's brain cycled back to when the younger brother was uneasy before he left Shiver City, so he understood the reason why Tails was searching for him.

The Inseparable Duo shared some small talk in the grassy plains outside of the kingdom. But when it was close to the one-hour mark, Tails wanted to pay Mario a quick hello before he and Luigi had to leave. Once Sonic and Tails reached the pipe that led to his home undetected, they unexpectedly witnessed the chaos that unfolded in front of them. The hedgehog gawked with widened eyes as he heard Mario unleash his own rage, directly at his younger brother. He even had the gall to hurl a baseball at him in an attempt to not only hurt him but also vent his frustrations.

It was a chilling moment to soak in as Sonic never expected Mario to be this angry. Granted, he got a taste of his ire after they first met, but that situation was settled way back in the past. Here, it was hard to comprehend what transpired. He had no clue what the Mario Bros. were referring to before he and Tails arrived. Luigi's abrupt egress raised an eyebrow for him. Even worse, his friend in red refused to talk about it as he locked himself in the cottage.

Fast forward to right now, Sonic had left the residence with Luigi's pet Polterpup by his side. Both of them ambled slowly and miserably as they left the once incensed plumber behind. While Colombo was the only one who knew the words that came out of the brothers' mouths, he wasn't capable of communicating the story to the hedgehog. All he could do was utter an echoing whimper.

Sonic did his best to crack a small smile. He paused from his stroll and crouched down to scratch the dog's head. Colombo's tail wagged a little as he appreciated the kind gesture. It was hardly a distraction to keep their minds off the dilemma. By then, they both heard a familiar voice.

"Morning, Sonic!" Amy waved at him.

He maintained the smile on his face but mostly because he was trying to hide his dubiety. He saw all of his friends walking up to them near Toad Town's central square. That was when Peach noticed a missing piece of the puzzle.

"Hey, Sonic, where is Mario? Wasn't he supposed to come with you both?"

Immediately, the grin dissolved as he was left standing with a neutral frown. Other than Peach and Amy, he noticed Daisy, Cream, and Cheese with concerned looks. The rest of his allies had a mix of confusion, uneasiness, or aloofness – the last of which depicted Shadow as he crossed his arms over his white-furred chest. After another period of awkward silence, Peach spoke up once more.

"Sonic? Is something wrong with Mario?"

Breaking out of his temporary phase, Sonic shook his head rapidly and blinked in front of the princess. He genuinely didn't know how to answer without spilling the beans about Luigi and Tails. Although he was quick to come up with some fibs in the past, the hedgehog felt as nervous as a criminal being judged and put on the spot in an interrogation room. Even then, he wasn't able to confess the truth for obvious reasons. Sonic was left speechless with his jaw jarring a bit.

"Sonic?" Amy got his attention. "You keep daydreaming or something. Did you even hear Peach's question?"

"U-Uh... Sorry. Yeah, I keep blacking out for a while."

"Why is that?" Cream tilted her head innocently. Cheese emitted a soft 'Chao' while he was held in her arms.

His emerald pupils briefly shifted to his top-left, peeking over at the sky above. In his head, Sonic was trying to picture Tails' face in the clouds as a motivational booster. He kept distracting himself to the point where most of his friends either grew impatient or became more worried than anticipated.

"Sonic, we can tell something is wrong with you. What's going on?" Knuckles spoke up.

Finally, the hedgehog responded to his pals. "Look, I can't really explain the whole gist right now. Let's just head over to E. Gadd's lab, please?"

"But what about Mario?" Daisy furrowed her eyebrows.

"He's the reason why I'm having trouble finding the right words to say," he asserted.

"Oh, dear..." Peach fretted before she instantaneously thought of the worst. "Please don't tell me you got into another fight with him."

"No, no! It's not exactly-" He stopped mid-sentence. "Come on, guys! Enough is enough. I'm sure Mario will catch up with us soon."

"What makes you say that?" Shadow remained doubtful.

"Okay, I can't guarantee anything," Sonic gave up. "But to put it shortly, he needs some time alone. If I go back there and bother him again, or if any of you guys try to coax him, I genuinely think he'll hit a breaking point. Now, can we please go with no further questions?"

His urgency made most of the group apprehensive that something fishy or disturbing happened when the hedgehog wasn't around. Whatever occurred at Mario's house must have been a deal-breaker if the red-clad hero desired nothing but isolation. Nonetheless, most of the gang knew how irascible he can be. They chose wisely not to push his buttons any further.

Colombo caught a couple of glances from Peach and Daisy. Similarly, he dropped his head down and closed his eyes. Another soft whine was heard out loud.

A part of Sonic urged him to illuminate the previous events to everyone. Yet his rationale pulled him back from doing something stupid. He couldn't endanger his little buddy's life – for a second time, no less. Plus, he couldn't do the same thing to his friend's blood sibling. Because who knew what kind of chaos might ensue afterward? The hedgehog seethed inaudibly before his mind shifted back to the red plumber.

"Mario... I really hope you're alright..."

~Mario's House

He didn't know how long it had been since he raged at Luigi. But the wetness that covered his face wasn't his tears. Instead, it was sweat. Mario was getting pretty hot and bothered since this morning. Also, it was getting pretty warm in his bedroom. He calmed himself down after a long nap, but it didn't make him feel any better at all.

Looking outside of his window, several gray clouds started to roll by, creating an overcast. As he switched his gaze over at his bedside clock, Mario found out he had been lying in bed for almost three hours. The plumber slid off his mattress and strolled into the bathroom, turning on the sink's faucet. Cupping his gloved hands with some cold water, he splashed it on his cheeks, cleansing the sweat away. Mario reached over on the wall rack to snatch a washcloth. After drying himself, he stared at his own reflection. He perceived a little redness on the surface of his eyes. He didn't take two seconds to determine the irritation came from his recent breakdown.

His stomach rumbled, indicating that he was getting hungry for some lunch.

"Maybe some food can help me get my mind off everything," he mumbled. "It usually hasn't failed in the past."

Mario took his time heading downstairs. Along the wall were some photographs of himself and Luigi. One picture featured the man in green struggling to carry Mario on his shoulder for a piggyback ride. The second frame depicted the men at a local restaurant. Luigi's face was covered in spaghetti after Colombo jumped onto the table and accidentally sent his plate flying; Mario was sitting next to him, chuckling and pointing at the mess. The third photo showed the Mario Bros. dressed in formal outfits with tuxedos and ties of their respective colors. It was on the night of the Mushroom Ball, and they had a great time dancing with Peach and Daisy.

A few more pictures were arranged in a diagonal pattern, parallel with the banister, as he slowly descended the steps. Mario reminisced about those memories he shared with Luigi. Without a doubt in his mind, they were the glory days whenever he had fun with his family and friends.

Unfortunately, he was pining to spend another moment with him. The most recent one ended on a very sour note.

"Mamma Mia... Come on, Mario," the man scowled to himself. "Get your head out of the gutter, will ya?"

He made his way to the kitchen and opened his refrigerator. Peering at the contents inside, Mario eventually set his eyes on the remainder of his pizza, enclosed in a sealable, plastic container. Too lazy and unmotivated to cook anything else, he pulled out the leftovers and placed the last two slices on an oven tray with aluminum foil. Placing it in the oven, he waited several minutes to heat his food up. In the meantime, he poured himself a glass of orange juice to drown his sorrows. Technically speaking, Mario was simply parched.

"Ahh..." he finished his beverage before placing the cup in the sink. His face immediately went from refreshed to regretful. "Ugh, why did I do that? Why was I so stupid? He's my little bro, for crying out loud."

His mind detoured back to his offensive speech before Luigi left the residence. Contemplating his actions, he couldn't believe he resorted to sheer anger and resentment.

Maybe Luigi was right after all. The idea of death had been on the back of Mario's mind. In fact, it was typically the last thing he thought of every time he went on a journey. He had been damn lucky the worst he suffered were some injuries, especially on the night when Luigi ceded himself to save Mario. The man in red was too enamored by the thought of seeing his face on occasion if needed. Yet based on what Luigi told him, it was true how the circumstances were unfair for him and Sonic to keep this secret to themselves. Their other friends were still unaware of the spirits' presence. They practically moved on from their losses, even if the pain lingered deep in their hearts. Yet he and the Blue Blur had not passed that final phase.

"Mamma Mia," he cursed to himself. "I should've been a better brother to him. He needed me to understand, and all I did was shun him. I definitely could've handled that better," he mused.

A loud 'ding' from the oven interrupted his thoughts, indicating that his food was hot and ready. Mario carefully pulled out the metal rack with an oven glove. Placing the reheated pizza slices on a plate, he quietly ate in silence while admiring the melted, bubbling cheese pull. It somewhat distracted him from his guilt. Once he finished his meal, the man lazily placed the dirty dish in the sink, choosing to wash it at another time. He decided to catch up with his friends since he knew they were on their way to E. Gadd's laboratory. Without hesitation, he exited the house, locked the front door, and ran over to the green pipe.

During his travels, he reminded himself to apologize to Sonic for his unexpected anger. As for what he and Luigi were discussing beforehand, he preferred to wait for the right moment to explain the ordeal. And at some point, he had to make up with his younger bro – hopefully sooner than later.

Luigi had finally released every single teardrop he had. Internally, he appreciated the kitsune for being there when he was unable to talk. Tails was patient, waiting for almost a half-hour since he broke down. Eventually, the angel in green released from the embrace and wiped his moist, reddened eyes.

He was now sitting in one of the recliners, taking several deep breaths to alleviate himself. Tails grabbed a stool near one of the library's shelves and set it to the side next to his friend so he can close by. The fox amiably laid his gloved hand over Luigi's, gently squeezing in between the digits to assure him he was not going to leave his side. While the plumber felt guilty for stalling out the time, he was ready to admit what happened. But not before a quick apology.

"I'm sorry about everything, Tails. It's all my fault," he moped.

"Hey, don't say that, Luigi. If anyone is going to be the king of self-blame, it should be me. I do it all the time if I want to avoid disclosing personal information."

"Because you aren't selfish."

"Neither are you."

Luigi exhaled through his nostrils, stretching his lips to the side. By then, he was a little more confident than how he felt recently. Nevertheless, he wasn't entirely calm on the inside. He faced Tails momentarily; pairs of blue pupils scanned at one another. One could perceive curiosity. The other discerned a hint of hesitation.

The latter angel asked as his namesakes fluttered from behind, "What happened?"

A few more seconds elapsed before the plumber recapped the events in front of their house. From his self-doubts about their roles as Guardian Angels, to the dangerous possibility that they somehow got busted, to the general concept of acceptance when someone loses a lifelong family member or friend...

Luigi described the last part where Mario didn't see eye to eye with his opinion. Ironically, the plumber was currently in that phase as he couldn't look straight at Tails when he confessed it.

Tails was speechless. He was unable to form words to speak. So, his next reaction was to tighten the grasp over his friend's hand. Luigi didn't budge, accepting the kind gesture.

"Wait a minute," the kitsune whispered. "Before we traveled to Shiver Mountain, is that why you were acting timid in front of me and Grambi?"

The man slowly tilted his head, taking a quick peek before his eyes shifted down to his lap. "I wasn't acting timid. I was timid. I couldn't vent to him or you, and I couldn't find it in my heart to explain it to Mario with you and Sonic by our side. Because... it's just too personal between me and my famiglia. And don't get me wrong, but what if Sonic reacted the same way?"

Tails slowly removed his hand off the recliner and stood up from the stool. He directly stood in front of the man, being directly at eye level with him. A serious yet solemn expression was present.

"Listen, Luigi, I know Sonic can be a bit hot-tempered, depending on what grinds his gears. But deep down, he can be understanding and supportive. He'd be willing to sacrifice a bit of his pride to help anyone who's in trouble or feeling down. I know so much from my experience ever since he accepted me as a buddy. So what if he's on the same boat as Mario? Maybe they can't see your side lucidly. But we don't know for sure...

"To be fair, I really do miss Sonic. I miss all my friends, too. It's tough to endure the hereafter knowing that I cut my own life too short just to save the one who transformed it from a living hell to a dream come true. And I'm indebted to Grambi for allowing me to see him again. Not only that, but I also got the chance to experience some more thrilling adventures like we usually do...

"At the same time, however, all those points you made are justified. And I get it. I can't argue that people like Amy, Cream, Knuckles, and everyone else I know on Mobius can't know about our secret. We have to do everything in our power to keep ourselves hidden from them, yet we're sanctioned to assist Sonic and Mario against Eggman and Bowser's troops. But you brought up the fact how everyone else has moved on for the most part other than our brothers, and that really puts things into perspective. It's a typical circle of life. As much as you don't want to lose or leave your loved ones, it's bound to happen at some point...

"For us, we knew when our time was going to be up. Because we made that decision to spare them. So yeah, I understand why you were nervous. Once you told Mario everything, the truth pierced hard like a dagger."

After Tails' long speech, all Luigi could do was nod his head in shame. He breathed deeply out of his nose again, trembling in his seat.

"Hey, I won't blame you if you're still upset. And I'm sure Mario never meant to harm or yell at you. It's what brothers do sometimes. We can disagree and argue. At the end of the day, we usually feel guilty for what we've done. Mario definitely doesn't seem like a guy who gets mad at someone forever."

"Unless you're Bowser," Luigi couldn't help but smirk a little.

"Or Eggman, if you're Sonic," Tails joked, causing his friend to giggle slightly. "As I was saying, I really think Mario won't hold a grudge against you."

"You really think so?"

"Positive," the fox firmly declared. "Why don't we get some rest? I think you deserve a long-needed nap."

"Ahhh," Luigi stretched his arms and yawned. "Yeah, maybe a nice siesta can put me at ease."

"Taking some time off is definitely a healthy thing to do. And if you ever need to talk about anything on your mind, I'm all ears."

"Thank you, Tails. I really appreciate it."

As he got off the recliner, the green-hatted angel let out a heavy sigh, but it was more of a relaxed one. Tails' encouraging words provided him with a sound state of mind. He was feeling much better than earlier, but there was still some tension between him and his older sibling. Taking in his friend's advice, he planned to throw his pessimism aside and decompress for the time being. Maybe then, he can have a candid talk with Mario and apologize for triggering their verbal fight.

END OF CHAPTER

Hey, I know it's been a while. I finished one of the most stressful semesters of online school I've ever had. Work is still busy. I've been all over the place to the point where I needed some time alone to myself. I apologize for being so lazy with this story. Hopefully, I can pick things up again as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, I will address the fact that I'm taking a vacation (as if I haven't had one away from Fanfiction this year...), and I don't see myself writing at all during that time. It'll take place over the first two weeks of September, and then I'll be back to my normal routine at home. Other than that, I really got nothing else to say other than I'm sorry once again for being so bad with uploads lately. Hope you all take care, and I'll see you in the next chapter of New Brotherhood. This is TGN, signing off.