A/N: Even though the Paper Mario universe isn't parallel with the mainline games, I'm already far too deep in this story to revise anything. Our heroes will be traveling to some locations that are 'interdimensional', but you'll have to imagine them in a 3D environment. At least, that's what I hoped you guys were doing ever since I introduced Grambi all the way back in Chapter 6.
Has it really been that long? Why, yes. It's been almost five years since I published the prologue, and I keep on slacking. Nevertheless, I want to thank everyone who has continued to read from day one or discovered this crossover not too long ago. Onto the next chapter!
Disclaimer: Mario and Sonic belong to Nintendo and Sega, respectively. But you probably all know that by now, huh?
Chapter 53: All About Trust
~Flipside
A blinding light pervaded a room decorated with purple décor and blue walls. The crystal ball that was displayed on the small table shined with multiple sparkles before several white streams exploded into the air. Mario, Sonic, Peach, Amy, and everyone else landed safely in Merluvlee's secondary home in Flipside. Suffice to say, the whole room was cramped up.
"Ow! Hey! Who elbowed me?!" bellowed Knuckles.
"Sorry! That might have been me!" replied Blaze.
"Give me some space here!" complained Silver.
"How about you get your quills out of my face?!" Vector grumbled as he pushed aggressively.
"Gah! Watch it! Those are my spikes, not Silver's!" Shadow hissed.
"Whoops. My bad!"
"That fortune-teller never told us about her place being this small," said Charmy. Luckily for him and Cheese, they were able to fly above the rest while everyone else felt claustrophobic.
"Sorry, we probably should've told you all before we warped here," Peach apologized.
Mario coughed a little from the rough landing, but he quickly composed himself. "Come on, guys. Let's all head outside-"
Once he mentioned exiting, the red plumber couldn't finish his sentence as everyone started shoving him like a mob of chaotic customers in the middle of a special shopping sale event. The door burst open as he and several people tumbled onto the ground, forming a massive dogpile.
"What I was going to say was to head outside slowly in a calm, proper manner," Mario wheezed as he was stuck at the base of the heap. "None of you were in a single-file line."
"That's only for rowdy school kids! In fact, it's more up to Sonic's speed, and I'm not talking about the way he runs," derided Knuckles.
"Gee, Knux. You're so considerate towards me," Sonic groaned at him. "Besides, you don't know how to listen to simple instructions more than me! You can't even build a stupid grill that one time we planned to have a barbecue!"
"Do I look like a grill master to you?"
"As if you haven't had your fair share of ignoring others as you speed away doing whatever you prefer," Shadow countered at his blue counterpart.
"Guys, can you please stop arguing and get up? My lungs can't breathe!" Daisy implored.
"Me, too! I feel like I'm suffocating!" yelled Vector.
"You're literally on top of the pile, you idiot," Espio rolled his eyes, sandwiched in between the crocodile and the silver hedgehog.
"Oh, right. Heh heh, my bad again."
"At least you're not at the bottom," Rouge groused, completely sprawled next to Mario.
One by one, the entire group quickly helped each other up, wiping the dust off their clothes and bodies. While Mario and Peach were hit with a wave of nostalgia, the rest of the team were enamored by the outlook of the town. Located on the second floor were several houses, an inn, a shop, and the elevator that led up to the top of Flipside Tower. Sonic and the gang were greeted by a few interesting citizens with pixel-like bodies who are alternatively known as the Flip-Flop Folk. Small introductions aside, Mario led the party over to the tower's foundation.
Along the way, he was surprised by a fellow face. Leaving the house right beside the skyscraper was a wizard donned with a blue cloak and a white mustache that reached down to his hidden feet. Although most of his face was concealed by the angular-shaped hood, Mario still recognized the man by his yellow eyes and clothing.
"Merlon!"
"Oh ho! What a pleasant surprise! Mario, it's been ages since I've seen you and your glorious mustache," Merlon happily greeted.
"Same here, except mine isn't as long as yours. In fact, is it lengthier than before?"
"Only by a smidge. I'm honestly impressed you noticed." He paused for a moment as he noticed another familiar face. "My goodness, is that Princess Peach?"
"Right in front of your eyes, Merlon! It's a pleasure to see you again," the woman curtsied.
Merlon responded with a respectful bow. "I couldn't agree more. I also see you have some interesting faces with you. Princess Daisy, I know we haven't exactly met properly, but I've heard many great things about you and your kingdom."
"Thanks, Merlon! Nice to meet you in person!"
"Of course, there are the Mobians right behind you."
"You know about us?" Sonic blinked.
"To be fair, Merluvlee gave me a heads-up about your situation. I couldn't help but wonder if she was telling the truth or not. Once I left my residence, all I had to do was look to my left and realize this wasn't a dream. She told me a lot of things about you, Sonic."
"Wow. That's incredible!"
"You have plenty of friends, too. Amy, Cream, Cheese, Knuckles, Rouge, Shadow, Silver, Blaze, Vector, Espio, and Charmy. You come from a different place far from the Mushroom Kingdom and Flipside. A beautiful place called Mobius. And you are here to uncover a Chaos Emerald that will bring you back to said home. Is that correct?"
"Right on the money!" Vector gave the wizard a thumbs-up.
"Merluvlee must've given you a lot of information to know about us. Either way, it's nice to meet you, Merlon," Amy smiled.
"My sentiments echo yours. Anyway, I welcome you all to Flipside. The design of this area isn't like your run-of-the-mill town. There are tiered levels in this bizarre city, and it's even got another nearby metropolis known as Flopside. Flopside is just a mirrored version of Flipside, but it's more shadowy and run-down with broken pillars, windows, and potholes throughout the region. My cousin, Nolrem, looks after the town and its citizens. By legend, it was developed by the Tribe of Ancients and the Tribe of Darkness to coincide as a duplicated equivalent to Flipside. Light wouldn't be a thing if there wasn't darkness; Flopside wouldn't survive without Flipside, and vice versa. As much as I wouldn't mind giving you a tour, it's highly unnecessary when you need to reach the top of Flipside Tower. As Merluvlee described earlier, there is a purple door that can rapidly warp you to The Underwhere, the supposed resting spot of the final Chaos Emerald."
"Cool! Now that we know where to go, we can book it and complete our collection in no time! Soon, E. Gadd can power up his teleporter!" Sonic smirked while pumping his fist.
"I'm fascinated by how you know all of this stuff," Blaze mentioned.
"Why thank you! I have studied a lot about prophecies, and believe it or not, Mario and Princess Peach were two of the four legendary heroes of the Light Prognosticus. They acquired the Pure Hearts to counteract the Chaos Heart and save the worlds from falling from destruction."
"Chaos Heart? Does that have any relationship to the Chaos Emeralds?" Knuckles raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, heavens no! It was part of another prophecy known as the Dark Prognosticus, which is based on the obliteration of all dimensions. Thankfully, Mario and Peach were courageous enough to defeat the dark power. Again, I would be happy to discuss more regarding the subject, but it's a long story. I don't want to bore or keep you here for long."
"Who were the other heroes, if you don't mind answering?" wondered Silver.
"Of course not. They were none other than Bowser and Luigi," Merlon described.
"Wait. You're telling me you joined forces with that ferocious turtle? And he actually aided you?" Espio glanced suspiciously at Mario.
"It was one of those rare occasions where I had to settle my differences with him and collaborate. Surprisingly, it wasn't the only time it happened."
"I mean, I also had my fair share of working with Eggman to prevent the world from falling into ruin by some other source," Sonic clarified. "There was the Lost Hex, a separate continent that was being drained of its life by the Zeti. He, Orbot, and Cubot traveled with me and Tails before he got kidnapped by them. Before that, Tails, Knuckles, Rouge, Eggman, and I traveled through the Space Colony ARK to prevent it from colliding into our planet. Shadow also joined us to defeat the Biolizard and Finalhazard, remember?"
"Yeah, except I was left out in the dust!" Amy crossed her arms over her chest.
"While we only met for a brief period, I wish you all luck to complete your mission. The Underwhere is a doorstep away, but who knows the contingencies or dangers that lurk within the dark realm?" Merlon mused.
"Do you still have the Chaos Emeralds with you?" Cream asked Mario just to be safe.
"Sure do!" Mario eagerly responded as he grabbed the purple and white gems out of his pocket. "Here, Sonic. You should take at least one."
"Thanks! I'll hold onto this one. You can keep the other."
Mario nodded as he handed the purple Chaos Emerald to the blue hedgehog. Sonic proceeded to secure it in his quills.
"Should we even trust you to hold possession of one of them?" Knuckles doubted.
"Seriously, Knuckles? You got to know Mario at the castle yesterday, and you're skeptical of him? The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, no less?" Amy put her hands on her hips.
"As a reminder, he led the way to break you out of Bowser's Castle," Daisy told the echidna.
"If he simply tries to pull a trick on us, I won't hesitate to give you a fistful of spikes in your face," he threatened.
"I will accept it, not that I will deceive you behind my back. Besides, didn't Sonic say you got manipulated by Eggman? Not once, but at least twice?" Mario jested.
Some of the Sonic gang humorously snickered at his gullibility. For Knuckles, he slowly turned his head at the Blue Blur with an incensed expression and a popped vein over his right temple. Sonic could only stand there, smile awkwardly, and shrug his shoulders.
"It was really nice to meet you again, Merlon," Peach grinned. "Maybe someday when we're done, we can pay you another visit."
"Either that or I can return to my original home in Toad Town and spend a few days there. I always liked the friendly Toads, even if some of them can distract me from my work," Merlon chuckled. "Anyway, I'll be off and let you heroes go. I've got a quick meeting with the chef, Saffron. By that, I mean I'm hungry for something delectable."
"No problem, Merlon. See you later!" Mario waved. The wizard winked at him before he headed off to the lower level.
"He seemed like a nice, intellectual guy," said Blaze.
"Yep, he sure is. Are we all ready now?" the plumber asked, receiving a unanimous answer from the group. "Great! But to give you a heads-up, the elevator is much smaller than Merluvlee's home. We'll have to go up in groups, or else we're all going to squeeze and suffocate ourselves if we do one trip altogether."
"Me first!" Sonic dashed in after calling the lift.
"At least let me get in there, too," Knuckles entered after him.
"Hey, I want to go in!" Charmy buzzed.
"Ow! Why are you pushing me?!" Espio grunted.
"Wait, wait! Settle down! One at a time!" Peach advised when the Mobians started shoving each other again.
Mario frowned as he slapped a hand over his forehead. "Mamma Mia..."
~The Underwhere
It was considered the antithesis of a safe haven. Or to be more accurate, it was the exact opposite of a divine, extraterrestrial place to spend an afterlife. To Mario, however, this dark world was a throwback. Not exactly in a good way.
He had already traversed through this realm twice, and it was currently his third round in The Underwhere. He recalled reuniting with Luigi here after being separated for so long. The brothers eventually found their way out with Bowser before running into a drowsy Princess Peach. Speaking of her, she wasn't too familiar with the lurid landscape compared to the blue, cloudy skies of the haven. Meanwhile, the gloomy dimension was relatively new to Daisy, Colombo, and the Mobians. After exiting the purple, dimensional door, they were immediately met with a creature made up of dark, rectangular shapes known as a Shayde.
"Well, hi there!" the shadowy resident greeted. "Gosh, you just can't stop showing your face around here, huh, Mario? Like I said the first time around, people don't arrive here twice!"
"Believe me, I'm a little tired of it. But we're here for a very important reason."
"Ah, yes. 'Cause your games ended this time, right? And I gotta say, how many people are with you this time? Did they all lose their lives, too?"
"I don't know where you got the idea, but we're not dead!" Daisy scowled, placing a hand on her right hip.
"Oh, is that true? Then why is that dog of yours a ghost?"
"Bark! Bark!" Colombo yapped enthusiastically.
"He's been a ghost for quite some time, and he's originally from another place," Mario explained vaguely. "Listen, I'm telling you my game isn't over yet. I already had tons of close calls before, and I swear to Grambi I'm not in denial. Besides, the only reason why I'm on my feet to this day is because of Luigi's sacrifice."
The Shayde blinked at his response. "Oh... OH! You mean your younger brother who looks just like you, only he's a bit taller, slimmer, and wears green instead of red, right?"
"Exactly! He's the reason why I was given another chance to survive and save the day. And right now, I'm on a quest with my friends to find something called a Chaos Emerald."
"A Chaos Emerald? Hmm, sounds interesting and vital. Although I can't say I've heard of one before."
"It looks sort of like this," Sonic showed him the purple gem. "We've already collected six of them, but there's a total of seven overall. The last one should be red."
"I see. Well, you might as well search high and low around this region. There are plenty of spots to explore, and you never know if it's hiding in a crevice or sitting in plain sight."
"High and low? What are you talking about?" questioned Silver.
"Oh, you'll see," the Shayde sneered. "Good luck finding it!"
As everyone awkwardly ambled past him, Rouge flapped her wings and flew up ahead next to the plumber. "Was that guy trying to play a joke on us?"
"Eh, call it a half-hearted joke or whatever you want. It was sort of similar to how he first greeted me here."
"Speaking of which, how do you know more about this place again? Didn't that Merlon guy talk about some sort of light prophecy trying to counteract a dark one?" Amy brought up.
"Yeah, he did. It was one crazy, long adventure that was unlike any other."
"How so?" Knuckles raised an eyebrow.
As the group headed towards the next section of The Underwhere, Mario went off for the next several minutes to explain the Light and Dark Prognosticus in full detail. He mentioned how Count Bleck started the madness by forcing Peach and Bowser to be wed. The Chaos Heart was summoned, immediately calling forth an ominous black hole called The Void. The man in red teamed up with Peach, Bowser, Luigi, and some special allies called the Pixls to prevent the worldwide calamity. Peach interjected at times to back up his story and elucidate why these events took place.
"You're telling me some bozo in a top hat and cloak was desperate to find his lover and thought everything was meaningless because he couldn't find her?" Shadow expressed doubt.
"As much as you think the whole set-up sounds ridiculous, we're not lying," Mario nodded.
"I never stooped to his level when I lost Maria. I had to be convinced to move on and fulfill my duty without her presence."
"It's honestly complicated, Shadow. To be fair, Mario would do anything in his power to rescue me from Bowser or whoever tried to kidnap me for their personal gain," Peach told him.
"What would happen if he was gone? Or if it was the other way around?" Vector thought.
"Ooh, I would definitely feel upset. I probably wouldn't be able to show my face to anyone if I had lost him. At the very least, I would lock myself in my room and wonder about the 'what ifs' where Mario wouldn't have suffered a cruel fate."
"As for me," the red-hatted man frowned, "Peach has been extremely kind and grateful towards me. It was always a pleasure to spend time with her no matter what we did or where we traveled. If she was gone, or if Bowser tried to take over her kingdom, I don't think I would be able to step foot in this world. It would take several months or years to move on, although it would be too difficult. The thing is, I already went through this phase in a different way."
"And that's because of your brother..." Cream whispered.
Looking down at the young bunny, he expressed a sad smile underneath his mustache. "Moving on from a loved one hurts badly. Yet it's a part of life that we all have to cope with. I understand your case with Tails."
"Yeah... Losing Tails was bad enough. Nearly losing Sonic, Amy, Cream, and Cheese was just as horrific when we found out they suddenly disappeared one day," mumbled Silver.
"While we didn't intend to crash into Bowser's fortress, we did everything we could to find and bring them back to Mobius. But who knew you had to help us escape from the chaos?" Espio remarked.
"By the way, in case our message wasn't clear from the get-go, thanks again for knocking those Koopas out," Blaze appreciated.
"Don't worry about it! We know a thing or two about kicking their butts!" Amy smirked.
"Anyway, going back to what Silver cited, experiencing a fatal loss is no walk in the park. You aren't going to get over it very quickly, but we all go at our own pace to fully accept the truth. As much as we would like to see our friend again, it all boils down to reality," the chameleon lowered his head in respect.
"I get what you mean," Daisy resonated. "When I found out about Luigi, I could only think of the last thing we did together. We were enjoying a picnic date by the river – sharing a fancy smorgasbord, a few glasses of Koopa Tea, and a delectable Couple's Cake he made. It was by far one of the best things we've done together! I always imagined what he would do for future dates. That is until I heard the news the day after... And when I found out Peach wasn't kidding, I completely lost it. After his funeral, I stayed at the castle to visit his grave in the gardens every now and then. By the time I returned to Sarasaland, managing my responsibilities was distressing when all I could do was think about Luigi in the back of my mind. Eventually, I slowly got some help from external sources and felt a little better than before. Albeit I was occasionally upset, I remained strong and valiant to help Mario and Sonic find a Chaos Emerald in my kingdom. Leading up to now, it's amazing how much progress they've made."
"Which brings us to finding the last one so we can go home!" cheered Charmy. "This should be a piece of cake at least, right?"
"Easy there, little dude," Sonic held his hands up at the fluttering bee. "We don't know where exactly the Chaos Emerald may be. I'm not detecting any energy from this one, so I don't think we're close."
"Nothing from this Chaos Emerald either," Mario uttered.
"Where should we go from here?" Knuckles glanced at his surroundings. "There's a winding path over the chasm down here, but I also see some pipes we climb up over there."
"Why don't we split up into two teams? Since Mr. Red and Big Blue are holding onto the Emeralds, they can each lead the way in hopes of getting a signal," suggested Rouge.
"Arf! Arf!" Colombo wagged his tail as he agreed with the bat.
"Sounds good!" Sonic gave her a thumbs-up.
"Very odd coming from you."
"What does that supposed to mean, Knuckie-poo?" the winged creature gave him an offended glare.
"What did you just call him?" Mario became confused.
"Oh, nothing! I just like to call others by nicknames sometimes. Case in point, I referred to Sonic as Big Blue and you as Mr. Red."
"So why the hell did I get stuck 'Knuckie-poo'?!"
"Knuckles, simmer down, will ya? We already settled our differences after the ol' shoving contest in the elevator and that fortune-teller's household," advised Vector.
The echidna rolled his eyes and shook his head, but he chose not to let his temper go out of control. By then, they all decided who was going to join the red and blue heroes. On Mario's side was Silver, Blaze, Knuckles, Charmy, Espio, Vector, and Colombo. For Sonic, he was paired with Amy, Cream, Cheese, Shadow, Rouge, Daisy, and Peach. While the latter group stayed behind, Mario carefully led his squad past the treacherous pits.
"Hey, uh... Mario, is that right?" Knuckles got his attention.
"Did you really forget his name, dude? Did you think the 'M' on his hat stood for 'Malignant Murderer'?" Silver frowned.
"Where did that even come from?" Blaze was more concerned at the hedgehog's comment.
"Uh... Actually, don't even think about it. Forget what I said."
"Yes, Knuckles?" Mario waved off the prior conversation as he faced the echidna.
"Listen, about what I said earlier, I'm not exactly the most social guy on the planet. Frankly, I'm usually skeptical when it comes to meeting new faces around me. Whether they were a thief trying to steal the Master Emerald or a random lurker looking for assistance, I can be defensive and hotheaded sometimes."
"Sometimes? When you first met Sonic, you wanted to drill holes into his head!" Charmy spat out.
"If you keep this up, Charmy, you're gonna find a hole or two through your helmet," warned Espio.
"Hey, Knuckles," Mario spoke before the guardian could react. "It's no worries, really. Sonic told me all about you one day when we were in the hospital. He explained how important your job was to protect the Master Emerald from your home planet. It was on some kind of special island, right?"
"Angel Island, to be precise."
"Right. I mean, I have to respect the amount of patience and loyalty you possess to fulfill your role. Although it may seem tedious, being a guardian is a huge responsibility, especially when you're protecting a valuable item from dangerous forces. I bet it's also a hassle to hold onto any of the seven Chaos Emeralds when it could fall into the wrong hands."
"You're definitely not wrong. Eggman has always been a pain in the butt when it comes to relying on his robots and swooping in at the worst possible moment. And whenever he gets a chance to fool me into thinking something's aloof, I just pounce on the opportunity if someone tries to backstab me."
"Hence why you always attack Sonic on numerous occasions," Blaze huffed.
"I don't always-"
"Knuckles," Mario stopped him. "Easy now. I understand your frustration. Believe me, I've been duped a few times where it makes me angry and foolish. You aren't the only one who has been through an embarrassing situation. Needless to say, we all have our terrible moments because we're not perfect. I don't think it's wrong if your first impressions are cordial. We may be strangers at first, but we can get to know each other very well. With time, we can become friends, just like Sonic and me."
"I guess you're right. To be fair, it took me a while to get used to Sonic and Tails when I first ran into them. The same thing goes for everyone who's been a part of our gang."
"Exactly! If we work together, we can build some trust between us. Besides, I've built a bridge with Amy, Cream, and Cheese when we saved them from Bowser and teamed up to find a Chaos Emerald. I swore from the very beginning I would help them return home no matter the dangers that lie ahead of us. If Bowser and Eggman try to interfere, I'm not going to give up and let them take the upper hand."
"Arf! Arf!" Colombo concurred with his speech.
"That kind of motivation is similar to how Sonic perseveres whenever he's on a mission against the doctor. He usually comes up with a viable solution and implements his skills to overpower him, even if he goes at different lengths to act all cocky and annoying."
Mario snickered a little. "Oh, I know what you mean, Knuckles. I barely spent about a month with so far, and I can even get tired of his constant puns and jibes."
In turn, the echidna couldn't help but smirk. "I'm glad we agree on something."
"Any progress on the Chaos Emerald?" Espio diverted to the main focus.
"Oh, right. Sorry!" Mario glanced down at the Chaos Emerald clutched in his left hand. "Hmm... At least for me, I don't feel anything at all. But maybe you guys might have an idea since they're not that foreign to you. Can you detect anything?"
The chameleon took it from the plumber and closed his eyes. After a short period, Espio shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't seem to respond. Anyone else want to have a go?"
"No, I believe you two," Blaze replied. "If it's not radiating, then we're nowhere near its location."
"But where could the Chaos Emerald be?" Charmy tapped his chin.
"Maybe Sonic and the others are having better luck than us," Vector presumed as he skipped over a chasm, nearly getting hurt by an unexpected entity. "Whoa! I swore I saw something jump from there!"
"If I'm correct, it was a Lava Bubble. In The Underwhere, they tend to pop up whenever someone approaches the pits or attempts to hop over."
"So why did it have to attack me?!"
"Because you were the first one to jump? You literally walked ahead in front of us," Silver pointed out.
"Yeah, none of us have tried to cross it! Look at where we are versus you!" Charmy yelled from the other side.
"Well then, I'm not making the leap of faith before anyone again! Now get over here before it comes back from the nadir and somehow lands on my noggin!"
"Ruff!" Colombo proceeded to pass the chasm without any hesitation. Vector narrowed his eyes as he was a little angry how the Lava Bubble didn't appear when the Polterpup made it easily.
Mario and the remainder took their time to watch out and avoid falling. They got past a pair of skeletons known as Dry Bones, evading some bones that they hurled at the heroes. Colombo was so eager that he accidentally ate one of them. To him, it was delicious. For the others, they were thankful he was there for protection. Entering the next area, the Mobians became cautious when a strange man in an orange hat and shirt stood by a purple river with a large boat docked near the edge.
"Um, who is this?" questioned Espio. "He doesn't look like those Shayde creatures."
"And he doesn't seem keen on assaulting us," Knuckles whispered.
"Unless that's what he wants us to think!" Charmy unintentionally screamed loudly.
"Charmy! Hush up!" Vector ordered, placing a finger over his lips.
"Welcome back, young traveler," the ferryman introduced, directing his words at Mario. "For the newbiesss, my name is Charold. I also welcome you to the River Twygz. If you are not aware, the watersss are made up of the tearssss of those who sssinned in their previousss livesss..."
"Does he normally talk like thisss? I mean, like this?" Blaze corrected. She received a silent nod and a helpless shrug from Mario.
"I thought Merluvlee's incantation was the weirdest thing I've heard from someone in this universe. Turns out I was wrong," Silver stretched his lips. "Then again, anything from Eggman's mouth or even Bowser's is either irritating or threatening. Or even both!"
"So, is this dude shady or something? Is he gonna try to scam us or tell us a story?" wondered Espio.
Mario didn't respond to him immediately. He let Charold do the talking.
"If you want to crossss this here river, I will accept a payment of four coinsss... If you think I'm being pricey for a simple deed, I won't argue if you want to swim through the Twygz yourself. If you're audacious enough that isss..."
"Mario, you've been the expert here. What do we do?" Vector turned to him.
"Don't worry, everyone. This river may look poisonous, but it isn't challenging to swim through. There isn't a current or anything."
"Ah, sounds easy enough! Make way! I'm about to dive in this baby!"
"Um, what about those down there?" Charmy pointed in the water.
"What is it, Charmy?" Blaze peeked over the edge as well. Her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of something that looked like an extendable, dead hand. "Oh my Chaos! What was that?!"
"Ooh, I forgot about those," Mario frowned, scratching his hair. "That's an Underhand, and there are plenty of them down in the abyss."
"What?! You could've warned us earlier, especially me! If I dove in a second earlier, I could've lost an arm or my gold chains!" Vector glowered.
"My bad, honest. Either way, I don't mind forking over a couple of coins. It's safer this way. For the record, I have sunk into the depths for a vital reason."
"What for? To come up with a secret handshake with those dead skins?" Knuckles raised an eyebrow.
"No," Mario rolled his eyes. "To be clear, I was told by Queen Jaydes that someone fell into the river and got lost. As I searched, it turned out to be my brother, Luigi."
"Whoa, really? That was during your adventure with the whole Prog- er... the future prophecy thingy Merlon mentioned about, right?"
"Exactly, Knuckles. Not only did finally get to reunite with him, but he was also our fourth hero to stop the darkness, which was what Merlon inferred earlier."
"I wonder..." Blaze placed a hand under her chin, contemplating deeply. "If you were able to swim and explore the depths of the river, could the Chaos Emerald be down there?"
"Oh, I don't want to think about it! That sounds creepy!" Charmy whined.
"Well, don't. In fact, the queen's palace should be up ahead. If we can't track the Emerald in this area or near her throne, we might resort to the underwater caverns. Or maybe Sonic and the others might have a lead with their Chaos Emerald."
"I know we've heard of her name for a bit, but we have never encountered this Jaydes figure. She's not cruel, is she?" Silver asked.
Mario paid his fee to the ferryman before he and his team boarded the boat. Once Charold stuffed the money in his pocket, he hopped on the stern and used his lengthy broom to travel across the river. The plumber gathered everyone around while coasting.
"A bit of advice for you all, do not interrupt her speech. If she weighs your sins, be as still and calm as possible. You do not want to start any tension with her. Otherwise, maybe showing my face in her kingdom might ease things up. But I have a hunch she's going to demand an explanation about why I'm here."
"We have made it," Charold mumbled. "Please disembark sssafely without tripping into the river. Hee hee hee..."
Ignoring the creepy laughter, Mario tipped his cap as he led everyone off the vessel. As they entered the next section of The Underwhere, he could spot the stony building that led to Queen Jaydes' resting spot. He closed his eyes, inhaled through his nostrils, gripped the white Emerald tightly in his palm, and marched forward into the palace.
END OF CHAPTER
I honestly couldn't help but throw Merlon this late into the crossover after brainstorming the arc for The Underwhere. He was one of my favorite NPCs in the Paper Mario series, and his major role in SPM motivated me to use him for a cameo. So far, I included Grambi, Luvbi, Jaydes, and Merluvlee. So why not Merlon? Now if I have to fit Merlee into this somehow, then so help me...
Part of the reason why I stalled this chapter out was to draw out some interactions between several Sonic characters with Mario since they haven't been close to him compared to Sonic, Amy, Cream, and Cheese. When you have tons of people in the plot, it's honestly difficult to include everyone in the action. But I'll make it work hopefully!
Thanks again for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed this one. With 2021 coming to an end soon, I am happy to say that I accomplished my goal of uploading more than four chapters of New Brotherhood this year... by one. Hey, I'll take it. Other than that, it's crazy that I'm nearing my fifth anniversary of posting fanfiction. I cannot thank you all enough for checking out my work. Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'll see you in 2022! This is TGN, signing off.