Chapter 12: Touch of Hope
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Thunder continued to crackle throughout the dreary sky as the two disheartened heroes sat on the wet pavement, weeping in sorrow. A small, faint light flickered in the sky. It flew over to them, the plumber and Mushroom Retainer now drenched from the rain.
"Mario…!" Twink shouted through the loud thunderstorm. The two looked up, squinting from the pouring rain. "I've been looking all over for you…" He paused. "You've…heard, haven't you…?"
"Hi, Twink…" Mario replied glumly. The storm began to lighten a bit.
Twink looked at the ground. "I…um…I have a message from the Princess…"
Mario stared at him. "…What do you mean…?" he asked slowly, "She…"
"Shortly before she….." the little Star interrupted, "Uh…she told me to find you and tell you this…" Mario looked directly into Twink, his eyes searching the little Star. "She said that…she loves you…and she'll never forget you…" Mario painfully closed his eyes, placing a hand over his mouth to keep from sobbing.
"She said that it's not your fault," Twink continued, "and there was nothing that you could have done…" The plumber's whole body began to shudder from the immense agony. "Then she said to never give up hope, and that the prophecy you had told her has been fulfilled…"
Finally he could no longer contain the immeasurable amount of sorrow enveloping his soul as tears streamed down his face. "…Princess…! My beautiful princess…!" His heart ached with misery.
Toad sadly looked at Twink, slightly puzzled. "What prophecy…?"
"I'm not sure I know it very well…" he slowly replied, "Mario, you probably know it better than me. Would you be able to tell us…?" he asked kindly. Mario made himself calm back down again, wiping away his tears.
"…Um…well… A few days before Peach…" he pressed painfully, his eyes welling up again, "…was kidnapped, Merlon told me of a strange dream he had…" Mario tried hard to clear his mind. "He said…um…a voice told him this: that 'a child of Good and Evil will come…' Uh…that 'Good will perish and Evil will reign…' Um…uh…" He forced himself to focus. "Oh, and that 'the child will destroy the Evil and Good will prevail again…'" Mario looked up. "…But neither of us knew what it meant…"
Twink pursed his lips. "Peach told me that her daughter was this child…"
The thought absorbed into Mario's mind. "…Wait a minute… So that means… Peach represents 'Good' and Bowser represents 'Evil'…" His mind was whirling a mile a minute.
Toad thought for a moment. "Wait…'Evil will reign…' So, wait, Bowser's already conquered most of the Mushroom World…so…I guess 'Evil' *is* Bowser…" he slowly stated.
Mario gasped, "…Oh no…'Good will perish'… Peach is 'Good,' and she…she…" Unable to force the painful words, he closed his eyes in agony.
"I think we've figured it out…" the little Star whispered, "But… What does it mean by the last part…uh…'the child will destroy the Evil and Good will prevail once more'…? If you replace 'child', 'Good' and 'Evil' for their names…it just doesn't make sense…" He shook his head in perplexity.
"Maybe we're interpreting it wrong…" Toad suggested.
"Maybe… But this 'child' *has* to be her daughter… Who else has been born of one truly good and one truly evil…?"
Toad thought hard. "But…maybe we're looking into it too much… Could 'Good' and 'Evil' possibly mean our two kingdoms…?"
"Wait…maybe…" Twink paused in thought. "This child *is* born of the rulers of each of the two kingdoms…"
Mario looked up once again. "What about that 'Good will perish' part…?" He paused slowly. "I mean…Peach…she…" he trailed off sadly.
"But then how can 'Good' 'prevail once more'…?"
"…Ooh… This is so confusing…!" The Mushroom Retainer lamented, "By the time we figure it out, it'll have already happened…"
They all sighed dejectedly and picked themselves off the cold, wet ground. It had stopped raining a while ago. Twink sadly waved goodbye as the two heroes glumly walked back to the Mushroom Kingdom, their voices silent.
------------------------
Mario and Toad used the underground piping system to travel back home. Luigi, Yoshi and Daisy had dug a tunnel through their cave wall and found their way into the Toad Town Tunnels. Eventually the five of them unsuspectingly found each other, and it was a happy reunion. None of them had heard from the other since the terrible day the Mushroom Kingdom was captured. Glad as they were to see each other again, there was a silent aura of sadness felt from within each heart. All of the turmoil, deaths, destruction… There was no way to hide its impact.
And then there was Peach. She was their closest friend. Nothing would ever be the same without her in their lives.
Together, they helped comfort one another, driving each other on. They would make it through this—together.
Mario and Toad were overjoyed in learning of Luigi and Daisy's engagement. They made their way back to the small cave, which was a little crowded with five people. They huddled together, trying to find a way of continuing on with their lives amidst the unlikely odds of survival.
Eventually through the long, hard months, the special day had come. It wasn't very fancy, nor was anyone really dressed for the occasion, but it had to do.
The five gathered for the small wedding, the bride and groom each accepting with all of their hearts. Luigi and Daisy slowly leaned toward each other as their lips tenderly met. The others quietly cheered as they watched the joyous scene. They were now married. Nothing could ever break their two souls apart.
Together, they all waited in silence, wondering what was to come in their bleak, dark days that lay ahead.
(End Part 1)
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Thunder continued to crackle throughout the dreary sky as the two disheartened heroes sat on the wet pavement, weeping in sorrow. A small, faint light flickered in the sky. It flew over to them, the plumber and Mushroom Retainer now drenched from the rain.
"Mario…!" Twink shouted through the loud thunderstorm. The two looked up, squinting from the pouring rain. "I've been looking all over for you…" He paused. "You've…heard, haven't you…?"
"Hi, Twink…" Mario replied glumly. The storm began to lighten a bit.
Twink looked at the ground. "I…um…I have a message from the Princess…"
Mario stared at him. "…What do you mean…?" he asked slowly, "She…"
"Shortly before she….." the little Star interrupted, "Uh…she told me to find you and tell you this…" Mario looked directly into Twink, his eyes searching the little Star. "She said that…she loves you…and she'll never forget you…" Mario painfully closed his eyes, placing a hand over his mouth to keep from sobbing.
"She said that it's not your fault," Twink continued, "and there was nothing that you could have done…" The plumber's whole body began to shudder from the immense agony. "Then she said to never give up hope, and that the prophecy you had told her has been fulfilled…"
Finally he could no longer contain the immeasurable amount of sorrow enveloping his soul as tears streamed down his face. "…Princess…! My beautiful princess…!" His heart ached with misery.
Toad sadly looked at Twink, slightly puzzled. "What prophecy…?"
"I'm not sure I know it very well…" he slowly replied, "Mario, you probably know it better than me. Would you be able to tell us…?" he asked kindly. Mario made himself calm back down again, wiping away his tears.
"…Um…well… A few days before Peach…" he pressed painfully, his eyes welling up again, "…was kidnapped, Merlon told me of a strange dream he had…" Mario tried hard to clear his mind. "He said…um…a voice told him this: that 'a child of Good and Evil will come…' Uh…that 'Good will perish and Evil will reign…' Um…uh…" He forced himself to focus. "Oh, and that 'the child will destroy the Evil and Good will prevail again…'" Mario looked up. "…But neither of us knew what it meant…"
Twink pursed his lips. "Peach told me that her daughter was this child…"
The thought absorbed into Mario's mind. "…Wait a minute… So that means… Peach represents 'Good' and Bowser represents 'Evil'…" His mind was whirling a mile a minute.
Toad thought for a moment. "Wait…'Evil will reign…' So, wait, Bowser's already conquered most of the Mushroom World…so…I guess 'Evil' *is* Bowser…" he slowly stated.
Mario gasped, "…Oh no…'Good will perish'… Peach is 'Good,' and she…she…" Unable to force the painful words, he closed his eyes in agony.
"I think we've figured it out…" the little Star whispered, "But… What does it mean by the last part…uh…'the child will destroy the Evil and Good will prevail once more'…? If you replace 'child', 'Good' and 'Evil' for their names…it just doesn't make sense…" He shook his head in perplexity.
"Maybe we're interpreting it wrong…" Toad suggested.
"Maybe… But this 'child' *has* to be her daughter… Who else has been born of one truly good and one truly evil…?"
Toad thought hard. "But…maybe we're looking into it too much… Could 'Good' and 'Evil' possibly mean our two kingdoms…?"
"Wait…maybe…" Twink paused in thought. "This child *is* born of the rulers of each of the two kingdoms…"
Mario looked up once again. "What about that 'Good will perish' part…?" He paused slowly. "I mean…Peach…she…" he trailed off sadly.
"But then how can 'Good' 'prevail once more'…?"
"…Ooh… This is so confusing…!" The Mushroom Retainer lamented, "By the time we figure it out, it'll have already happened…"
They all sighed dejectedly and picked themselves off the cold, wet ground. It had stopped raining a while ago. Twink sadly waved goodbye as the two heroes glumly walked back to the Mushroom Kingdom, their voices silent.
------------------------
Mario and Toad used the underground piping system to travel back home. Luigi, Yoshi and Daisy had dug a tunnel through their cave wall and found their way into the Toad Town Tunnels. Eventually the five of them unsuspectingly found each other, and it was a happy reunion. None of them had heard from the other since the terrible day the Mushroom Kingdom was captured. Glad as they were to see each other again, there was a silent aura of sadness felt from within each heart. All of the turmoil, deaths, destruction… There was no way to hide its impact.
And then there was Peach. She was their closest friend. Nothing would ever be the same without her in their lives.
Together, they helped comfort one another, driving each other on. They would make it through this—together.
Mario and Toad were overjoyed in learning of Luigi and Daisy's engagement. They made their way back to the small cave, which was a little crowded with five people. They huddled together, trying to find a way of continuing on with their lives amidst the unlikely odds of survival.
Eventually through the long, hard months, the special day had come. It wasn't very fancy, nor was anyone really dressed for the occasion, but it had to do.
The five gathered for the small wedding, the bride and groom each accepting with all of their hearts. Luigi and Daisy slowly leaned toward each other as their lips tenderly met. The others quietly cheered as they watched the joyous scene. They were now married. Nothing could ever break their two souls apart.
Together, they all waited in silence, wondering what was to come in their bleak, dark days that lay ahead.
(End Part 1)