Chapter 3 Another Missed Opportunity
"This turned out to be really fun. Thanks for inviting us, Peach."
Princess Peach giggled, her face turning the same color as her dress. "Anytime, Mario."
Mario smiled. This princess was hands down the loveliest woman in the world. Her hair, like a rose-scented golden sun. Her eyes, like the evanescent bluebell. Her laugh….her face….her personality. Oh, her sweet, loveable personality! She was strong, and graceful, and motherly, and beautiful…
"Mario, are you okay?"
Mario blinked before giggling and taking off his hat. Pinching the rim, he tried to force his lovestruck chortles to cease. He gently took her hand, loving the feel of her fingers wrapping around his. "Peach…I have something to ask you."
Peach said nothing. She just blinked, staring at Mario with a blushing, wide eyed face. Mario gave her the sweetest of all grins.
"If it's okay with you…" he giggled one last time before clearing his throat. "Would you like to go out with…"
Unfortunately, the beautiful, romantic moment was ruined by the sound of the castle door opening behind them. Luigi, Mario's younger brother, and Aqua, Peach's younger sister, walked out into the evening air. Aqua raised an eyebrow when she saw Mario holding the Princess's hand. Luigi did a double take.
"Oh!" He sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Sorry guys, didn't mean to interrupt…"
Mario looked into Peach's crystalline eyes one last time before letting go of her hand in defeat. "No, it's okay," he said as he hung his head.
Luigi now approached the Mushroom Kingdom's Princess. "Thank you so much for inviting us to the party!" He laughed. "I can't remember the last time I had that much fun!"
Aqua snorted. "Possibly because last time you got black out drunk off the Chuckola Cola."
Luigi flashed her a glare. "Aqua…!" His face fell just as suddenly as it had risen, and he twiddled his thumbs in a feeble position. "Just because it happened doesn't mean you need to remind me."
Aqua shook her head and swept her chocolate brown hair back. "Anyway, great party, Peach." She reached behind her and patted FLUDD, who was on her back, on the head. The cheery little liquidizing device tilted its head up and squeed.
"I want more calamari!" He screeched. "GET ME MORE CALAMARI!"
Aqua shook her head. "Man, I almost regret having E Gadd put that eating feature on you." She grabbed hold of Peach's hand, giving it a shake that was formal. Almost too formal considering that they were sisters. "I hope we can do this again soon."
Peach beamed. "I do too." She embraced Aqua in a hug. The Lake Kingdom's Princess returned it, but only after a minute of standing reluctantly still. Once she was let go, she turned her head away from the others, staring off down the moonlit path.
"Well, I guess I better get going." She groaned as her shoulders slumped. "Hopefully I can get home and get some sleep before sunrise." With that, she made her way down the path to the warp pipe that would take her home.
Peach looked at her sister's retreating back, her brow furrowed. "Huh. I wonder what's up with her."
"Beats me," Luigi said with a shrug. He turned to Mario, who had beads of sweat rolling down his cheek and getting stuck to his lovestruck eyebrows. "Well, Mario and I had better get going. Right, bro?"
Mario's face sank like it had been submerged in quicksand. "Uh, sure." He cast the Princess a despondent face and waved. "Goodbye, Princess." He sniffled. "I will count the days until I see you again."
Peach waved back. "Goodbye Mario. I'll…" She winced. "Probably be concerned about what you just said." She quickly went inside after that, making sure that the door was tightly closed behind her.
Mario's shoulders slumped as he and Luigi walked down the path. The moonlight was the perfect guide on this memorized stroll. The lights on the Toad houses went off one by one, and the Toads made their way inside with sagging eyes. Mario himself kept his shoulders in a drooping position, mourning the loss of the beautiful moment he had with the princess. He was so close. SO close to asking her out.
"Bro, are you okay?"
Luigi's concerned question stirred some irritation in Mario's heart. He turned toward him with his arms crossed. "Thanks a lot."
Luigi blinked. "Did I…did I do something wrong?"
Mario huffed. "I was just about to ask Peach out on a date. Then you and Aqua stumbled into the picture and completely wrecked it."
Luigi scratched the back of his head; a common habit of his whenever he got nervous. "Man, I'm sorry." He chuckled. "Next time, I'll send one of my spies out to make sure you aren't preoccupied, deal?"
Mario raised an eyebrow at the joke. "Not funny."
Luigi's shoulders slumped. "Sorry." They continued on with their walk a little bit before Luigi spoke again. "Man, you and Peach have been on the brink of becoming an item for years, now."
Mario sighed. "I know." He shook his head. "I always get so close! So close to taking the first step! And yet, it never happens! It's like I'm cursed!"
Luigi put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "You're not cursed bro."
Mario stopped walking and gave his brother a grouchy face. "Oh, you think so, huh?" He took in a deep breath, causing Luigi to let out a frustrated sigh.
"Oh great, here we go again," the green plumber grumbled.
"November 11th, 2009!" Mario spoke with a raised voice. "Princess Peach's birthday. I had gone through all the trouble of collecting the rarest power ups to give to her as a present! We were just minutes away from me cutting the first piece of cake and asking her out. But then suddenly…WOAH!" Mario spoke that last word with so much gusto and volume that it actually caused Luigi to jump back. "The Koopalings LEAP out of the cake and kidnap her! And once I save her and get her back safe and sound….she says she's too tired to speak!"
Luigi chuckled. "Yeah. Being kidnapped by a giant, fire breathing turtle dragon sure does exhaust people."
Mario took another breath. "June 23, 1996! Peach invites me over to the castle for cake, only for her to get sealed into the walls by Bowser. And once I rescue her and am about to ask her out…she blows me off with that same cake! Granted, it was delicious, but still! Way to steal my mojo away from me, Princess!
And let's not even talk about my trip to rescue her on the MOON! Seriously, you would think that me going to literal space and back to rescue her would be enough to make her see that I'm right for her. But NOOOOO, she turns both me AND Bowser down!" He shook his head. "Hear that Luigi? She thinks I'm on the same level as the guy who kidnaps her."
Luigi chuckled, going back to routinely scratch the back of his head. "I don't know if THAT should be your takeaway…"
Mario huffed. "It doesn't matter what your takeaway is. If those events, as well as what happened tonight are any indication…" he sighed. "It seems me and Princess Peach are never meant to be."
Luigi laughed. "That's not true! You can get her; I KNOW you can!" He lifted his brother's gaze away from the ground by the chin. "You just need to find the right time."
Mario pursed his lips. "It seems there's never a right time." He resumed with walking down the path to the house. "Nothing will bring me close to her. No saving her, spending time with her, no eating her admittedly delicious cakes will EVER let us take the next step!" he turned back to Luigi. "You know what I'm talking about?"
The green clad plumber did not respond. He just looked up into the night sky with an interested look.
Mario walked over to him. "Um, hello? Are you even listening?" He waved his hand in front of Luigi's face. "Hello! Earth to Luigi!" The younger Mario brother didn't even flinch, causing Mario to let out another huff. "Seriously." He turned his gaze to where his brother was looking. "What are you even…?"
Mario's mouth gawked open when he looked up into the sky. A shooting star of some kind, one with a shiny pink tail, was slowly sailing across the sky. Both Mario brothers watch it sail down to the horizon line with an air of wonder.
"What…what is that?" Luigi asked.
"I…I don't know." Mario shivered. "Whatever it is, I hope it isn't bad."
