A/N: Probably one of the fastest times I've uploaded a new chapter for this story after the previous one, despite me taking a month. I wanted to expand more on The Underwhere arc... That didn't sound good, lol. Regardless, I left it on a cliffhanger, and we'll see what's going to happen when Metal Mario and Metal Luigi come face-to-face with our favorite man in green and two-tailed fox. Meanwhile, will Mario and Sonic have any luck locating the last Chaos Emerald?
Disclaimer: The Mario and Sonic franchises belong to Nintendo and Sega respectively. I don't hold accountability other than this fan-made crossover.
Chapter 55: Plumber's Leak
~The Overthere
Unbeknownst to the Guardian Angels, Mario, Sonic, and their friends were searching for the final Chaos Emerald. Well, they actually had an idea they were on pace to retrieve the last one. But what they didn't learn was that it was apparently located in the exact location they were sent to after their games were over.
Meanwhile, the green-hatted plumber was sitting on the edge of a cloud, basking in the sun shining high in the bright blue skies. He woke up after a long, well-needed nap, thanks to Tails' advice. Feeling replenished, Luigi took a moment to ponder on what to do next. He still felt guilty about his previous conversation with his older brother before he abruptly left the Mushroom Kingdom. They definitely weren't on good terms after Mario articulated his anger, and a part of him could not stop pinning the blame on himself. Selfless as he was, Luigi believed he ruined their brotherly connection that he had shared ever since the two were toddlers. It only took some choice words from Tails to lift his spirits a little. Although the fox helped him in the short term, the mustached man wasn't happy.
Maybe Mario moved past his outburst and thought he could've handled the situation better (to which he did). But without confirmation, Luigi figured he remained furious at him for thinking of something unnatural.
But was it really that unnatural? Or was it the cold, hard truth?
Why of all people were he and Tails blessed with a second chance? Even he had a tough time grasping this question.
No matter what he had done up to this point, the bottom line was that he should've never stepped foot in the Mushroom Kingdom following his sacrifice.
Because now, he could only think of the possibility that their secret was destined to be revealed. Not in a good way, of course. As long as Bowser and Eggman aren't aware of their presence, maybe the situation was diffused for the time being. If their friends discovered the truth of the Guardian Angels, he and Tails might be bombarded with questions. Not to mention, Mario and Sonic were primed to be interrogated profusely if that transpired. On the plus side, they could meet each other for the first time in what felt like an eternity. In reality, it had only been over a month since their passing.
But Luigi couldn't bring himself up to the idea of disobeying the unspoken law. It definitely wasn't worth being banished from The Overthere by intentionally giving out his artificial existence. He could see being caught out of an accident or something unexpected. The man just feared the image of Grambi and Jaydes shunning him for his lack of responsibility. On the other hand, Luigi was generally afraid he would make a terrible mistake that could cost him and Tails their afterlives. He also didn't want to jeopardize Mario and Sonic's games because of him. Yet the green plumber was unconfident on how to continue from his issue.
If the red and blue heroes call them for assistance, does he dare go back to face his older sibling? Does he face his fears and open up to Mario on how regretful he is right now? Does he chicken out instead?
"Luigi?"
He jolted from his name being spoken out loud. Behind him, the man was surprised to see the elderly Nimbi approach him.
"Are thou okay? Is something bothering thee at this moment?" Grambi politely asked.
"Um, yeah. Yeah, everything is alright."
The Nimbi's white, bushy eyebrows drooped with sorrow. "Judging from thy tone, I hast reasons not to believe thy claim. I don't mean to pry, but I was genuinely worried when thou neglected to greet Luvbi and me earlier today."
"Oh, right," Luigi's cheeks flushed red. "I'm sorry."
"Thou art forgiven. But pray tell, what is the matter?"
Like a criminal locked within an interrogation room, Luigi sweated bullets. He did not have the heart or courage to explain his doubts, especially to the one who created the Brotherhood Bracelets. If he thought telling Mario was difficult, facing Grambi was practically staring at Death holding his scythe, anticipating to strike his life yet again.
Quite the irony.
"Frankly, I hast been scrutinizing thy face for a while," the king continued. "Thy emotions and thoughts are putting thee into a state of turmoil and indecisiveness. It's almost as an thou hast a major on thy shoulder."
"I mean, you're not wrong," Luigi sighed.
"Would thou liketh to share, an thou don't mind?"
If he had been open to Mario and Tails in the past, he might as well let Grambi know about his inner demons. Standing up from the cloud, he clenched his fists and stared down at the Nimbi with a face full of regret.
"I think this was a mistake."
"A mistake?" Grambi reiterated.
"I was too selfish. All I really wanted was for Mario to be okay. I know I said that I dearly missed him and how I can't see him again with my games being over. You were generous to me by presenting me this Brotherhood Bracelet on my wrist, letting me earn the chance to show Mario that I'm alright after my death. You've done the same for Tails and Sonic, too. But now that we've been going back and forth with this whole 'Guardian Angel' business, I don't think I can take it anymore!"
"Luigi, what doeth thou mean?"
"I'm sorry, Grambi... But maybe this shouldn't have happened in the first place. We should've let Mario and Sonic handle their quest on their own without our help. Because not only am I worried that I may blow our cover, but part of this feels completely wrong. You and I both know the limits of life and death. Even Tails knows, too. Heck, Queen Jaydes of all people determines that with her powers and judgment. I can't say that I'm not grateful that you guys let us take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime prospect. I also can't believe you were contemplating sparing us another life. Yet like I said earlier, I've been having doubts on whether this was the right call or not."
Grambi kept quiet as he carefully listened to Luigi's anecdote. He was already aware of the lingering qualms he once had before he and Tails were promoted. It seemed evident how the potential consequences were haunting him. Even worse, they were plaguing his state of mind for a long period, longer than the Nimbi assumed.
"Afterward, I told Mario about my doubts. He then... He..." Luigi couldn't find the words to finish his sentence, but the Nimbi believed that the outcome wasn't good based on his emotions.
"Oh, heavens... Luigi, I'm terribly sorry."
"It's not your fault, sir. It's all mine. I should've never said anything."
"Please doeth not think liketh that. Heaven forbid thou would'st think thee deserve such a cruel punishment when thee were only trying to establish a moral high ground. While I doeth understand wherefore thou art struggling to settle between right and wrong, thou should'st hark to thy heart to stick withal the former. And I firmly believe thee hast accomplished that."
Sniffling, Luigi blinked some tears away. "Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Before they could continue the conversation, they heard Luigi's bracelet sound off with the Sibling Signal. From the image, the two could only see a wooden floor and a hint of someone's finger blocking the camera angle. It looked a little off to Luigi, but maybe Mario wanted to speak with him again. Even with this idea, he couldn't help but think something was not right.
"Doeth thou want to seeth him again?"
"I mean, am I allowed to? I already spoke to him several hours ago. I thought I couldn't really travel back and forth on the same day."
"But perchance thither is an important reason wherefore he is calling thee again. What an he wants to apologize to thee?"
"What if it's a lie or a mistake? Or what if-"
"Luigi..." Grambi floated closer to the angel, staring him straight into his nervous, blue eyes. "While I doeth not exactly know what happened between thou two, I can safely assume thou had an unexpected fallout. Obviously, thou felt guilty, but I bet Mario feels the same way. Taketh this moment to talk once more."
Maybe he was right. Maybe Mario realized his rage was uncalled for. Both of them were primed to share their regret for hurting each other's feelings. It could be beneficial to make up and restore their brotherly bond.
"Okay, Grambi. I'll go see him. I'm going to find Tails first before I leave."
"Doeth as thou would."
"Grazie," he tipped his cap and flew off to find the twin-tailed spirit. Grambi watched him go, hoping for the best.
Several minutes of searching went by until Luigi came across the library. He caught a glimpse of a pair of fluffy appendages fluttering behind a bookcase.
"Tails!"
Luigi failed to realize he was standing on a rolling ladder, cleaning the dust off the shelves. The fox was startled by the yell as he lost his balance, falling off the rung.
"Aah!"
"Eep!" Luigi rushed over and caught the kitsune.
"Phew... Thanks for the save, but next time don't scare me like that!"
"Sorry, Tails. I need you for a moment," he gently placed him down.
"What's up?"
"I got another call from Mario's bracelet. I was unsure what to do, but Grambi encouraged me to return to the kingdom."
"To apologize?" Tails presumed.
"Likely so."
"I mean, sure, I guess I'll come with you. After all, you do owe ten minutes from our last visit."
"Can't you just whack me with your tails as payback?"
Tails blinked with a neutral frown. Momentarily gazing into his eyes, he immediately shrugged and whipped his namesakes across his left cheek.
"OW!" The force felt just as hard as a hand slap.
"You clearly insisted," Tails sang cheekily.
"Ugh, Mamma Mia. I deserve that," he rubbed his face while hearing his friend chuckle. Once they were ready, the angels clasped their hands together and teleported to Mario's household. Yet neither of them was equipped to encounter a shocking revelation.
~The Underwhere
This was not good. This was not good at all.
While Mario and Sonic regrouped with the rest of the gang outside of Queen Jaydes' palace, they plodded forward to the entrance that led them towards the Underwhere Road. Rather than leading the party, the duo stayed behind everyone else, keeping themselves out of the way and far from the others. The main reason was how unstable Mario became the moment he stepped out of Jaydes' bedroom. He realized the mistake he made by throwing his Brotherhood Bracelet and leaving it at his house.
He couldn't dare to imagine someone discovering the relic by accident. Except... what if one of Bowser or Eggman's allies came across it?
No, that would imply someone breaking into his house. It should be safe and secure... right?
Or maybe-
"Mario?"
The plumber lost his focus as he heard the princess's voice. He and Sonic stopped walking as the tall blonde faced the former.
"You've been very silent since you rejoined. Did Jaydes say something important to you? Or is it kind of personal?"
"Personal... Um... Yeah, that's it. It's a little private between the three of us."
Technically, he wasn't lying. The queen was fully aware of the boundaries of life and death, as well as Luigi and Tails breaking those rules only for a certain purpose. Of course, he didn't mention or hint about the bracelet whatsoever.
Peach sort of wished she could help him, but she figured not to dig deep out of respect. Turning to the cobalt hedgehog, she said to him, "Sonic... This has been on the back of my mind. But I just now realized that you're wearing a bracelet. However, I feel like I've seen you don it for quite some time, especially since we traveled to Sarasaland."
It was honestly a shocker how no one – outside of them, their brothers, Queen Jaydes, and King Grambi – seemed to question it until now. Those bracelets remained a secret. Although Mario kept his hidden within his shirt, Sonic always sported his around the wrist, making it fully visible to anyone. Yet now was the time someone pointed it out? At this exact moment?
"Oh, this?" Sonic raised his arm towards her. "Yeah, Mario bought it for me!" he replied with ease.
"I did?" Mario whispered. "I mean, oh, yeah! I remember now!"
"Of course, Mario. How could you forget? You were showing me around the shops in Toad Town and decided to get me a cool gift!" Sonic winked subliminally.
"Yeah, that's right. Just a little trinket as some sort of symbol for our friendship," Mario played along.
"Oh, how nice of you, Mario! Anyway, sorry for being a distraction. We should probably hurry up so we don't stay too far behind," reminded Peach.
Mario and Sonic collectively showed a thumbs-up, grinning at her until she turned her back to them. They simultaneously sighed, both in relief and in exasperation. Of all the times they nearly exposed their brotherly link, this was probably the closest call they had experienced.
"Thanks for backing me up."
"Hey, what are bros for?" Sonic smirked before it turned back into a frown. "You gonna be okay?"
"I just can't believe how stupid I am!" he reprimanded. "How could I do such a thing? I really hope it's still there when I get back home."
"Easy, Mario! Look, I get you're a little nervous about this, but I'm sure it's gonna be fine. I highly doubt anyone is going to trespass your property."
Mario grimaced, his mustache twitching from his cheek movements. "That was literally the same thought I had recently. Either way, if someone finds out about it, I could somehow put all of our lives in danger."
"Pfft, what's the fun in having an adventure without danger? Even if some perilous force steps in between us, we'll be able to overcome it! Knowing you and your abilities, you got some firepower in your heart! And I'm not talking about the Fire Flower power-ups!"
"You're a weird, ambitious hedgehog."
"Heh, you forgot the words, good-looking and speedy."
"There's no denying the latter. But the first just drives your ego off a cliff."
Sonic laughed at his quip. "Ha! Quite a knee slapper!"
"Hey, guys! Hurry up, will ya?!" they heard Knuckles yell from the front of the pack. "We aren't babysitting here!"
"Sheesh, calm your quills, Knux!"
"Sorry, let's keep going. You ready?" Mario asked.
"Only if you are," Sonic nodded confidently.
~Mario's House
"Hey, Double-M! Come up here!" Metal Luigi called aloud. He was rummaging through Mario's bedroom until he discovered a strange item on the floor.
Metal Mario heard his call and hurried to his side. "What is it? You found the Emerald?!"
"No, but look at this," ML kneeled down and picked up something. It was a red, high-tech bracelet.
"What does that button do?"
"You wanna find out?"
"Why not? It could be important to give us an idea of where the Chaos Emerald might be found."
"I guess it's possible. Only one way to find out."
Metal Luigi proceeded to push the button on the bracelet. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen at all. He tried pressing it a few more times. After another minute or two, again, there was still nothing.
"Pfft. What a useless ornament," Metal Mario grumbled.
"Come on, let's just keep looking."
Except not too long after a light shined brightly in the middle of the room. The robots shielded their eyes for a brief moment until the brightness faded away. But once they opened their gleaming, red eyes, they spotted a pair of familiar figures in front of them.
To their left was a short, amber fox with two tails. The individual on the right was a slim man in green with blue overalls. But to Metal Luigi, it was like looking into a circus mirror.
It only took a second for the situation to sink in for all four of them.
"Uh oh..." Tails mumbled in terror.
"Fuck..." Luigi said in his head. He was bewildered, blindsided, but most of all, crushed. His worst nightmare that he had been dreading the entire time became a reality. Things didn't get any better when he heard the red doppelganger speak with a familiar, yet daunting, voice.
"What is this?!" Metal Mario boomed. "How exactly are you alive?"
"Looks like we have an impostor standing in front of us," Metal Luigi peered at the original source of his creation. Suddenly, he dashed his rocket boosters and managed to grab the spirit by the neck hole of his shirt, pinning him against the wall.
"Luigi!" Tails yelled, stretching his arm out. He didn't expect to be instantly backhanded by the Mario clone, experiencing a harsh clang in the back of his head. Groaning from the pain, the fox fell to his knees, clutching the damaged spot with his hands. MM proceeded to trap him in a chokehold.
"Our masters told us the gist that you, specifically, were supposed to be dead. But after some questionable concerns, there was reason to believe you were defying the limits. Dr. Eggman's subordinate, Metal Tails, postulated this idea, only to be backed up when he plucked a hair from you."
Luigi gagged as ML's fist grabbed his neck tightly, losing control of his breathing and vision. The moment he heard about the hair, the second he realized he was referring to their secret battle in the Forest of Illusion. Even when he was invisible, Metal Tails somehow detected his existence, confirming his previous beliefs.
His head didn't hurt for no reason back then.
It was because he got caught, and it happened again only with an actual pair of witnesses. He put himself and Tails in peril. The guilt and blame were crawling back into his skin.
Tails glanced up at his green companion. He could tell Luigi was dealing with self-reproach. But the yellow angel knew he didn't bring them into this situation on purpose. He didn't fault him for this. Simultaneously, he understood why Luigi was apprehensive not too long ago, and he could tell what he was going through.
What Tails didn't expect was the other thing in Luigi's mind.
Retaliation.
With his fists unrestrained, he punched his metal impersonator in his stomach. ML flew back several feet as Luigi was out of his grasp. With a deadly stare, he zoomed over to Metal Mario, twisting his robotic head to make him disoriented. The red robot lost his vision temporarily as he tried to adjust his body frame.
"GAH! I can't move my head!"
"You mess with my metal brother, you mess with me," Metal Luigi threatened.
He shot a laser beam from his blaster, prompting the real Luigi to leap up without the use of his wings. Then, he flapped them as he soared in midair before nosediving straight at the enemy. Both Luigis rolled around like a tumbleweed, smashing into the wall. The green-hatted angel followed up by restraining his arms down on the floor, but he was denied when ML headbutted into his face. Luigi's nose nearly got punctured as he stumbled back.
When Metal Mario realigned his head, he fired a blast at Tails. The young fox evaded to his left and flew around the bedroom despite the limited space. Waiting for an opening, he rotated his namesakes and drilled them against his metal physique. Sparks flew rapidly before Metal Mario pushed him out of the way. The fox hit the ground hard, grunting in slight pain. He seethed at the Mario impostor, growling with his teeth. Tails and Metal Mario fought tooth and nail, exchanging several punches at each other's arms and torsos. The former was meticulous to predict the android's actions, ducking and weaving at the perfect time to avoid more blows. Whenever he found a juncture to attack, Tails utilized his physical trait to keep himself at bay. Other times, he may throw several jabs at the red-hatted duplicate. Likewise with Luigi, his knuckles began to ache from pounding the solid metal. If only his familiar-sounding friend was here to back them up, but there were plenty of reasons why he wasn't.
Ever since Luigi initiated self-defense, the four have spent countless minutes dodging and striking while Mario's room became ransacked. A few portions of the walls had dents and holes left behind. The furniture nearly got incinerated by the robots' lasers. The Guardian Angels were struggling against them, especially when the red and blue protagonists were nowhere to be found. Luigi couldn't help but wonder where his sibling was as he was battling Eggman's newest inventions. If they discovered his Brotherhood Bracelet, then where was Mario? Where was Sonic? Apparently not in the house.
Luigi lost his concentration for a minute as Metal Luigi punched him square in the nose. He could've sworn he felt blood fly out of his nostrils from the rough thump. The angel soared out of Mario's room and landed in the hallway. As he struggled to get up with his elbows, his eyes widened as ML leaped at him like a tiger attacking its prey. The pair of Luigis rolled down the staircase and crashed into a table with a flower pot. Said object twirled around from the collision before it fell and shattered into pieces.
Upstairs, Tails' shoes skidded across the floor as he slid out into the hallway. Peering over the balustrade, his heart pounded as he spotted Luigi dazed out on the first floor.
"Luigi! Are you okay?"
"Ugh, damn it... Ack!" he croaked, realizing what was transpiring above him. Metal Luigi aimed his blaster directly at his face while pressing his metal boot onto his heaving chest. It wasn't as harmful as a Thwomp, but it sure felt like he was being squished by one.
"Attack me again, and I will fire at your furry partner."
"Hey!" Tails was retrained by MM's arm.
"I won't hesitate to shoot either," Metal Mario pointed his gun at the kitsune.
"Even if you turn invisible, we'll still be able to track you down. We might even have our leaders kill you a second time but for good riddance."
Frozen like an ice cube, he began panting out of desperation. If he were to ambush him again, Tails was bound to be a victim of Metal Luigi or even Metal Mario's blaster. He already made a complete mess out of his brother's home... and technically his house as well. Luigi didn't want it to accidentally burn to the ground. Plus, if the Toad population somehow heard the commotion going on, they might get caught by them, too.
However, he didn't stop there.
He swiped his leg and caused ML to trip. Luigi suddenly grabbed his hand blaster and directed it straight at Tails and MM on the second floor. With precise aim, Luigi pressed a trigger on his wrist and shot a laser at Metal Mario's face. The crimson robot glided back as he collided into the wall behind.
Tails was free from his grasp and took advantage of his powers. He slapped MM in the face, stunning him momentarily with his red eyes blinking repeatedly. Catching his breath, the kit exhaled and returned his gaze to the Luigis downstairs. He flew in pursuit as Metal Luigi began chasing the green angel.
Flapping his wings and soaring from one room to the next, the plumber was panicking to avoid his mechanical prowess. He freaked out a few times as he heard lasers emitting from his weapon, leaving blackened spots and smoke on the kitchen cabinets, picture frames, couch cushions, and more within the Mario Bros.' residence. Things continued to be so chaotic that Luigi escaped out the front as a last resort.
"Look out, Luigi!" Tails called out.
ML remained directly on his metaphorical tail, but the plumber surprised him by stopping in midair. He jabbed his shoes into his face.
"GAH!" ML shouted in pain, plummeting to the grass below. He landed near the pipe on the front lawn.
Tails was about to commend him for his sudden attack, but he was interrupted by another blast that nearly singed his bangs. Another laser fired in between the angels, forcing them to separate a few feet from each other.
"I'm not finished with you yet!" Metal Mario scowled, flying towards the duo.
"Luigi! Let's do a spin dash at him!"
"What? But I've never done one before! I'm not fast like you and Sonic!"
"Just trust me on this!" he offered his hand.
Metal Mario was gaining speed, so Luigi quickly reacted by joining forces with his angelic partner. Tails led the charge by spinning around at a high velocity. While Luigi felt somewhat sick to his stomach, he braced himself as they both sped right at the metallic foe. The three bumped into each other but remained in place with Metal Mario's head clashing against the green and yellow blur.
"I'm not... going to lose... to a pathetic weakling!"
Metal Mario was about to lose his speed until his comrade abruptly halted the head-on collision. He fired a plasma blast at the ball and burned Luigi's torso.
"EYAH!" he hissed. The raging burn made him lose his grip with Tails, unraveling from the spin dash.
"Luigi! Ugh!" Tails felt a fist against his left cheek, leaving a bruise on his white bruise.
Metal Mario internally grinned as then he proceeded to slam his fist on Luigi's head. The angel plunged like his metal impostor except Metal Luigi grabbed him before he could even faceplant into the grass. Despite the save, the automaton subsequently threw him onto the ground, pinning him on his stomach with his arms held down with immense pressure. Metal Mario floated down as he recaptured the fox in his arms. The angels were back to square one, but they were more enervated than before. Luigi's tactics did not come to fruition, and he failed yet again.
He was not only defeated, but he also looked defeated.
His vision became blurry for a moment until everything turned black. The last thing he heard was Tails crying out his name with an echo.
Luigi hadn't felt like this since that dreadful day.
~Underwhere Road
A cave-like corridor appeared dimly lit by the fiery torches hung on the walls. But the door at the end led them to the Underwhere Road. A D-Man in an orange-striped loincloth supervised the outer sanctum.
"Hey there, guests! The name's Darnell," he greeted. "I see the fellow man with the mustache is back again after a long vacation."
"I wouldn't exactly call it that," Mario shrugged.
"Anyway, I bet you guys are on your way up the road, huh?"
"We sure are! We're trying to find the last Chaos Emerald!" said Sonic.
"With that, we'll be one step closer to returning home!" Cream smiled.
"Chao! Chao!" Cheese squealed with joy.
"I see. I don't know anything about that, but Queen Jaydes gave me the word ahead of time that a large group of humans and animals plan on excavating the upcoming path. I will warn you though, it is very dark in there. I'm not kidding when I say that you might bump into something, whether it's a platform or an Underhand. So watch your faces!" Darnell chuckled.
"You're telling us that those Underhands also live in the dark?" Blaze gulped.
"Oh, joy. I didn't sign up for this field trip," Silver complained.
"At least for me, I have decent eyesight in low light levels. But if something comes at me, I'm flying the heck out of here!" Rouge remarked.
"Don't worry, everyone. I always keep some spare Fire Flowers in my pocket."
"Oh, that's right! I remember how you lit the way in Mt. Yuruvius. That was very handy," Amy complimented.
"And this will help us along the way up here," Daisy smirked. "You got one I can use?"
Mario nodded and handed one to the flower princess. She absorbed the powers, changing her yellow gown to a light-orange with red accents and panniers.
"Whoa," Vector was amazed. "I didn't know you can also use the power-ups. I thought Mario was the only one."
"Tsk, please. Even Luigi has used these powers to his benefit. If the bros can do it, then so can I!"
"That reminds me, can I also use a Fire Flower?" Peach asked.
"Sure thing!" Mario took another one from his pocket.
"Thank you!" Peach's attire switched to a white dress with red accents. "Wow, it's been a while since I used one of those. But I'll make sure to be of good use, too!"
"Mind if I use my pyrokinetic powers as well?" offered Blaze.
"Oh yeah! I forgot you were capable of that! Be my guest!" Mario encouraged her.
The violet cat grinned as she twirled her hands and wiggled her fingers, creating an orange ember flaring above her gloved palm.
"Wow, that was impressive to see!" Peach complimented.
"Thank you. I can definitely help light the way with you all. Plus, if we come across any sort of danger, I can manipulate the fire and strike foes with my Burst Dash technique."
"If that happens, then I'm not gonna complain," Mario chortled.
"Arf! Arf!" Colombo agreed, ready to head through the door. In fact, he jumped through the wall instead as he couldn't contain his eagerness.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get to searching!" Sonic cheered.
The group stumbled upon the first wave of darkness with Mario, Blaze, Daisy, and Peach leading the group. Sonic and the Mobians stayed in close contact so they wouldn't be separated at first. Several feet away was an unlit torch, but Mario threw a fireball at the wall, enlightening the entire room.
"At first, I was unable to see much through the darkness. Luigi and I once ran into Bowser after he was sent here, too. Back when we were temporary allies, he helped us with his fire breath to light up the torches," explained Mario.
"You mean Bowser was actually a good guy? Helping you of all people?" Knuckles doubted.
"We had to settle our differences at the time. The three of us used our abilities to work our way up the dark realm."
"Not gonna lie, but this is a lot more calming now that we can see where we're going," Espio commented.
"We better be quick though. The torches never seem to remain lit, even after we ignite them with a flame. But if we see more along the way, we'll light them up to prevent this place from being completely dark."
"Sounds reasonable," Shadow nodded. "I prefer not to bang my head into a wall."
"Or you know, land head-first into a fountain and become soaked from quill to toe," Sonic snickered, only to earn a punch from his hedgehog counterpart. "OW!"
"Thank goodness I can see you just for that."
They proceeded up a few platforms, but the Underhands were nowhere in sight as the place was fully lit. Otherwise, the creepy hand spirits lingered around, hoping to strangle any intruders or trespassers that step close to them. Mario and the princesses made sure to keep the torches aflame so they wouldn't be shrouded in a sea of black. Most of all, they didn't want to scare Cream, Cheese, or Charmy as they originally felt nervous navigating up the Underwhere Road.
Slowly but surely, Mario elevated up the platforms and guided the heroes to a stone walkway with a large door. The first time around, he encountered Dorguy the First, an animated doorway with orange eyes. He only allowed dependable travelers to proceed past his wall. Notably, he allowed any of the spirits who were given the gift of living in The Overthere to enter. But people like Mario were only strangers at first, and he was only given permission to continue if he had answered his trivia questions correctly. After proving his intelligence, Dorguy the First abided by his honor and permitted access. Realizing that Mario returned to the road, Dorguy the First simply allowed him and his friends to enter the next area without asking anything.
From what the red hero remembered, there were two more Dorguys up ahead. Dorguy the Second, who had red eyes, also asked questions to visitors. They were usually based on concentration and memorization with shapes and colors floating on a digital screen. Dorguy the Third, also with orange pupils, was located at the deepest part of Underwhere Road. Unlike the first two Dorguys, he had a different requirement for anyone who came up to him. Instead of figuring out answers, the animated door challenged Mario and friends to face his three-headed beast, the Underchomp, a trio of colored Chain Chomps attached to a single peg. Mario put his brain and skills to the test and succeeded in his first go-around up the Underwhere Road. Because of this, he was allowed to carry on to The Overthere and bring Luvbi back to her normal habitat.
In this case, he prayed the final Chaos Emerald was along the pathway.
So far, neither of their own Emeralds reacted strongly enough to indicate the missing red jewel. Searching far and wide through every crevice of the caverns, Mario wielded his fire powers to light up the next section of Underwhere Road, their shadows stretching out tall and wide on the walls.
"No reaction, huh?" Charmy flew up to the mustached man.
"I'm afraid I'm not," Mario glanced down at his other hand which held the white Emerald.
"Aw, man. I'm too freaked out about this. Next thing I know, one of those dirty hand goblins is going to rip my helmet off!"
"Ooh, I don't want them to hurt me or Cheese!" whimpered Cream, squeezing her blue companion.
"Chao..." Cheese shivered in her hug.
"How long is this road supposed to last?" questioned Shadow.
"It's been a while, but I remember it stretching out for miles, both in elevation and horizontal ground," answered Mario. "A few more sections are completely pitch black, so our fireballs should keep the next few sections bright moving forward."
"You're telling us we have to keep climbing up more platforms?" Silver dreaded.
"If I had to do it, so can you guys."
"Easy for you to say. I'm not that fit to jump around like a kangaroo! Heck, I'm a crocodile!" Vector wheezed.
"Wait, I thought you were an alligator," Daisy looked back at him.
"There's a clear difference between my kind of species and those inferior reptiles! I have a lot more bite than bark!"
"Meh, not really," Espio shrugged.
"Can we keep going? I'm not in the mood to linger around in the dark," Rouge advocated.
Most of the party agreed as Mario, Peach, Daisy, and Blaze continued their lead, igniting any unlit torches along the way. Scaling up a high tower of platforms, the group ran into some Dry Bones rising from the dead. A few knocks to the head almost deterred the white and red-clad plumber, but he retaliated by famously jumping on their noggins, scattering the disassembled body parts.
Cream and Charmy nearly got jump-scared by a horde of Dark Boos, which were similar to the regular ones but were colored purple. Sonic and Shadow worked together to pounce on the ghosts with a spin dash, causing them to wail in pain. Not wanting to stay out of the action, the other Mobians collaborated to clear the path ahead.
Silver stopped a Dry Bones from hurling bones at the team. As the skeleton was stalled, Blaze initiated her aforementioned move, launching herself straight at the enemy as her body was engulfed in flames. However, she didn't get burned by her powers at all. Instead, she incinerated the Dry Bones in one quick swoop.
Rouge kicked away another Dry Bones as his head became detached from the shell. The bat suddenly ducked when another bone came soaring at her head, nearly hitting her in the forehead. Peach and Daisy turned to the source as they spotted a different skeleton chucking bones on a higher platform. Nodding at each other, they aimed their fireballs and shot them directly at the skeletal adversary. Colombo went over to pounce on him and devour his bones as a treat. Albeit unnerving, he had at least helped the girls clear the next platform.
Charmy gulped as he tried to stay brave against the creepy inhabitants. With Espio and Vector's help, the trio knocked out a Dark Boo with a series of spin dashes followed by one of their signature team maneuvers, the Rocket Accel. Espio's speed, Vector's strength, and Charmy's flight were no match for the violet ghouls. The Chaotix successfully dealt damage to get them out of their way.
Amy stepped in with her Piko Piko Hammer, swaying the metal weapon to and fro whenever a ghost crept right behind. She remained a step ahead to pinpoint where the Dark Boos would pop out of nowhere. She even directed Cream to defend herself, allowing the bunny to fight back as she spun her floppy ears and smacked one of the ghosts who appeared right beside her. Cheese also joined the fracas as he pounced onto a Dark Boo's head, causing him to spin his eyes out. Knuckles hopped in with a mighty punch, sending the ghost backward as he crashed into the cavern wall. He delivered a few more uppercuts on another Dark Boo who failed to sneak a spooky attack on him.
Finally, the road up to Dorguy the Second was a lot easier to ascend now that the enemies were gone. Mario kept spitting fireballs from his hand to light up the torches, yet he was dissatisfied that the white Chaos Emerald hadn't reacted at all. Sonic's purple Emerald was just as dull, signifying that the red gem was nowhere close.
Not even entering a separate apartment helped either. Inside a pink door with hearts was a small living space occupied by a trio of elderly women named Hagra, Hagitha, and Hagnes. The place was furnished with a refrigerator, a microwave, tapestries hanging from the ceiling, colored lamps, and furniture that matched the ladies' clothing style. Upon asking for information, all the heroes unfortunately went through a boring segment of listening to their backstories, which only made several Mobians tired and impatient. Most notably, Sonic, Knuckles, Shadow, Vector, and Charmy wanted to get the heck out of here. Everyone had the same sentiment, but they did their best to behave until they were finally free to go. One thing was certain: the Chaos Emerald was not in the hags' apartment.
Before he knew it, Mario found himself in the final stretch of the Underwhere Road. It was more complex than the caverns as he and the others reached the outdoors of the dark realm. Climbing tall hills and lighting more sconces, the plumber warned the gang of some incoming obstacles rolling down the stone set of stairs from above. Before anyone could ask, the Mobians jumped back when a rolling, spiked orb known as a Spiny Tromp fell from the sky. More came tumbling down the incline, so they had to carefully circumvent the sharp obstacles.
By the time Mario and friends reached Dorguy the Third, the plumber came to a horrible realization. He knew that beyond the door would lead the way to The Overthere, where Luigi and Tails resided. Even worse, the team had yet to strike gold with the seventh Chaos Emerald. Not only were the Mobians getting tired of the darkness, but they were slowly losing their patience as they searched every square foot of the Underwhere Road. Knuckles immediately brought it up for attention.
"Okay, this is getting absurd. That Merlover person or whatever her name is specifically told us the last Chaos Emerald is in the Underwhere. But you're saying that this door leads us to the end of it? So where the heck is it?!"
"I understand you're getting tired and frustrated, Knuckles, but let's please calm down," Peach tried to diffuse the situation. "Maybe we can head on through and find the last one in the next area."
"We can only hope so," Blaze mumbled as her flame became smaller. "I've used up a lot of my energy already."
"Thanks for your help, but we'll take it from here," Daisy nodded.
Colombo sniffed past the humans and Mobians. He didn't detect any energy gleaming from the ground in the final cavern. The Polterpup almost went too far and nearly bumped his head on the wall, despite being a ghost. With him reaching a dead end, he was also disappointed that he couldn't find what they were looking for this whole time.
At the end of the tunnel, light seeped through a high ledge above everyone's heads. Mario gulped, knowing that this area led to a portal that would transport him to the blue, heavenly skies.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there, fellas!" a voice interrupted his stroll. The group stopped behind Mario and spotted another D-Man but with a red-striped loincloth. "The name's Derek, and I'm on duty to supervise anyone who's making their way to The Overthere. But something tells me you're not a bunch of creatures who lost their games."
"No, we're not. You see, we've gotten permission from Queen Jaydes that we can travel up the Underwhere Road. We're looking for a Chaos Emerald. It looks like this but red," Mario showed the henchman.
"Ah, okay. Looks very valuable."
"It may be, but it's also important to us," Amy added.
"We can't let any of these gems fall into the wrong hands, or else there could be chaos involved! No pun intended," Silver explained.
"Well, I can definitely say that I've never seen one before or around here," Derek replied. "And if you've come all this way up here without finding it, you're outta luck, buds."
"Don't tell us that! We didn't march all the way up this damn road for nothing!" Shadow grunted.
"Uh, language!" Vector blocked Charmy's ears.
"Hey, get off of me!"
"This is revenge for licking my hand!"
"Now what do we do? Is it even worth backtracking to the palace?" asked Espio.
"Hold on a second. I got the queen on speed dial here," Derek paused as he whipped out a cellular phone. He pushed some buttons and waited for a response. "Your Majesty, Mario and his tag team have reached the limits of the Underwhere Road."
Mario quietly asked for the phone, and the D-Man was kind enough to hand it off. "We looked everywhere. We've failed to locate it."
"You gotta be kidding me!" Knuckles bellowed, only to be shushed by everyone else.
"Mario, I don't know what else to say. If you can't find it in The Underwhere, then maybe the stars are not aligned to complete your objective," Jaydes interpreted. "You might have to-"
"Can we search The Overthere?"
"Mario, you do realize-"
"Yes, I know what you're going to say. Anyone besides me and Sonic is not allowed to see them. We can only keep this secret to ourselves. Yet I made a firm promise to send Sonic and the others back home safe and sound before Eggman and Bowser try to sneak in with another deadly scheme. I am not going to give up from here, and I need you to trust me. I know we've been told that the Chaos Emerald might be located here. However, what if Merluvlee was wrong? What if it's beyond The Underwhere?"
"Oh, heavens..." Jaydes trembled on the other line.
"Mario!" a feminine voice shrieked out.
"Wait... Is that Luvbi?" the queen recognized.
The plumber turned around, spotting the young Nimbi pushing his friends out of the way. She scurried over with her wings flapping faster than a dragonfly.
"Mario! We art in serious trouble!"
"Luvbi, are you really here? What is going on here? Why are you away from home again?"
"Mother, this is very important!" her daughter hissed at the speaker. "Mario, The Overthere is under attack!"
"What?!" Mario reacted, garnering some eyes from the group.
"I used Father's goblet to locate where thou were. How serendipitous that thee were venturing through The Underwhere. But right now, we need thy help! The Nimbis are being attacked! Father is in dire need, too!"
"So, why can't Luigi and Tails save them?" Mario whispered.
Luvbi never looked more desperate until today. "Because thy brothers got caught."
Mario felt his heart stop beating for a minute. He couldn't believe this was true. How did his younger bro and Sonic's buddy get discovered?
Was it because... someone actually found his Brotherhood Bracelet? Did one of Bowser and Eggman's cohorts break into his house? If they discovered their existence, were they also the reason behind the attacks on The Overthere?
"Mother," Luvbi moved closer to the phone. "We all know we're supposed to keep this private. But we cannot afford the angels to lose yet another life! Please, allow Mario to gaineth access to the skies!"
After a long pause, Mario thought there was no way she was going to approve of this action.
"Okay, then. Mario, I hate to put this sudden burden on your shoulders, but can you please help Grams and the poor Nimbis?"
He didn't expect that to be her answer, but the man quickly shook it off. "Don't worry. We'll save them. You can count on it."
"Although your friends will likely find out the truth, we'll... we'll figure out where to go from here."
"Not gonna lie, I'm already dreading it too. But thank you."
"Take care," wished Jaydes. "And Luvbi, be sure not to get yourself in danger!"
"Ugh, whatever, Mother," she groaned before Mario hung up the call. "Sorry for the random scare. Long timeth, no seeth, Mr. Hairy Man."
'Hairy' rolled his eyes and rushed back to Sonic and the others. He gave Derek his cell phone back before asking him to reach The Overthere.
"Wait, Mario. What's going on?" Sonic blinked.
"We're only going up from here," Mario narrowed his eyes.
Although Sonic was stunned, the others were mostly confused. Whatever the case was, their journey for the last Chaos Emerald was about to take a wicked turn. As for Mario, he was not ready to tell them the news. Chances were that they were going to find out on their own.
END OF CHAPTER
Well, things are somehow falling apart between the two sets of heroes. Luigi and Tails have been beaten up by Eggman's robots after they got unintentionally duped to warp back to the Mushroom Kingdom. The Chaos Emerald was actually not in The Underwhere. Could it actually be in The Overthere as Mario assumed? What kind of fracas unraveled in the heavenly locale? Will the others find out about the Guardian Angels?
So many new questions come into play, and I hope to answer them all as we dive deeper into the next chapter. Thank you again for the support and reviews on this crossover. I genuinely hope I can finish this someday, but I honestly don't see it happening any time soon or even this year. I'm currently dealing with outside factors that are slowing me down with writing, and I apologize for that. Until then, I hope to see you all soon in the next chapter of New Brotherhood! Take care, everyone. This is TGN, signing off.