breath20k
At first glance, it's an awesome way to go to the sixth Crystal Star. But you never know what to expect.
LiamTheYoshi
I understand why you rushed with the review. School always comes first in the teen years. And I've planned on Bombette rejoining Mario's party ever since the beginning.
mariobroultimate
That's a good point about the invisibility potion. I've never seen a piano-type enemy in any of the Mario games outside of Super Mario 64 and its NDS remake, but what matters most is Mario's fine with pianos. I'm sorry you were disappointed about Bobbery not being a part of the team. I was initially upset when I saw your review, I'll admit that. Regardless, the Excess Express will be departing right now.
Nataly Guardado
Mario: *hugs you back* Thank you so much, Nataly. I knew I had to get over my phobia someday, and it's all thanks to my therapist. It was hard at first, given I underwent exposure therapy. First, I had to focus on a piano for a good amount of time to get used to the sight of it. Then, I listened to some piano music to get used to the sound of it. And I was able to play some songs of my choice in the end, one of them being the Princess Diana version of "Candle in the Wind". Dr. Reilly even said I sounded like Elton John while singing it!
Oderus
Great to see you're excited about the adventure!
...
Chapter 42: Sticky Situation
It's been an hour since the Excess Express departed Rogueport on its three-day journey to Poshley Heights. Per the conductor's announcement upon departure, the train's arrival should be on Wednesday, the 28th at high noon.
At the present time, the Mario Bros and Bombette were in Cabin 005 of Passenger Car 2. There was a bunk bed on the top-left end, a nightstand & lamp in front of the bunk bed, a dresser just left of the window, and a red couch facing the bunk bed.
"This is just as deluxe as the Glitz Pit champion's room," Mario remarked, looking around the cabin.
"What was the champion's room like?" Bombette asked.
"Pretty much a hotel room for fighters," Luigi replied. "And let me tell you: Mario and Jeremy were very excited upon entry. This, however, looks like a place for an actor."
Just then, a piece of paper fell from the ceiling air vent and floated to the floor. Everyone became perplexed at the paper's sudden appearance.
"Huh? Where did that come from?" Mario wondered, looking briefly at the air vent.
Luigi picked up the paper and read what was written on it, "'Don't go to Poshley Heights! Get off the train now, or a sticky, yummy doom awaits it!'"
"Whoa! What a freaky threat!" Bombette remarked. "Whose work could it be?"
"What do you think, bro?" Luigi asked Mario, not sure about who wrote the note. Mario shrugged with uncertainty.
"I say we find out who's here before figuring out what their name is," Mario suggested.
"Sure thing," Luigi agreed. He stepped aside to let Mario go first. "After you."
"Thanks."
With that, the Mario Bros and Bombette left the cabin into the main fuselage. They started by going toward the front of the train.
The group did not check the first four cabins so as to not disturb the passengers onboard.
At the front end of Passenger Car 1 was the entrance to the locomotive. Unfortunately, there was a sign on the door saying, "Authorized Personnel Only".
"Well, let's see what's in the other cars," Mario said.
They went back the way they came, but entered the car behind Passenger Car 2: the Dining Car.
Six dining tables with two chairs each comprised the front end of the Dining Car. The kitchen was located in the middle behind two retractable doors, and a small market was stationed in the back end.
It wasn't dinner time yet, hence why the Dining Car was empty. There were some whirring noises coming from the kitchen, though. Obviously, the meals were being prepped ahead of time.
After taking a few minutes to explore the Dining Car, and do some window shopping at the market, Mario and friends proceeded to Passenger Car 3.
Cabins 006 through 008 were closed off just like the first four cabins, so there wasn't much to see.
But a Toad wearing a black and red suit guarded the door leading to the Baggage Car.
Mario approached the Toad. "Excuse me, sir?"
"Oh! Good evening to you," the Toad greeted Mario. "I'm the conductor of the Excess Express. And I trust you must be Mr. Mario from Cabin 005, right?"
"Funny thing is 'Mario' is my last name too," Mario pointed out. "And so is my brother Luigi's last name."
Luigi waved hello to the conductor while Bombette winked at him.
"Never knew that," the conductor chuckled. "You guys make yourself at home."
"Uh, I did wanna tell you something, which is why I'm here. A few minutes ago, this note fell from our cabin's ceiling and mentioned a 'sticky, yummy doom'. It's like an order to leave the train or face that doom."
"Oh dear!" the conductor exclaimed. "I see! If I hear anything else, I will let you know immediately!"
"Okey-dokey," Mario replied. He led Luigi and Bombette back into the Dining Car.
Immediately after they entered the car, they heard some voices coming from the kitchen.
Mario shushed Luigi and Bombette before tiptoeing to the kitchen doors. He pressed his right ear against the door, trying to make out what was being spoken.
"Hmm. Yes. I can say without the slightest hesitation that this smells like a case to me. But what shall we call it, that is the question before us. Yes, what to call it?" a young male voice announced.
Mario beckoned Luigi and Bombette to join him.
"Listen," Mario whispered.
"I know! 'The Case of the Pot of Fudgemellow Delight That Vanished Suddenly and Mysteriously'! Indeed. That will do nicely," the male voice went on.
Mario slowly opened the kitchen doors and walked inside. A blue Ratooey, two Toads, a beige-colored Cheep Cheep, and a blue Bumpty wearing a detective outfit were gathered in the center of the kitchen.
Luigi and Bombette entered the kitchen too.
"My dear train passengers... This is a full-fledged mystery, one that impacts you all!" the Bumpty said.
"A MYSTERY?!" the passengers sans the Mario Bros and Bombette cried.
"A mystery, you just said?" the Cheep Cheep asked. "And... Exactly what kind of dish is that?"
"To go off-topic briefly, I'm Pennington Iceburst. You likely would not guess it, but I am a detective. At the risk of immodesty, you might say I have a certain nose for these things. And this little conundrum, my dear fellow passengers...poses no challenge...to me."
Some of the passengers oohed in response.
"The central clue of this case, and also the most vital one, as it happens... Is that our perpetrator took the whole pot, fudge and all!" Pennington said. "And this...esteemed friends...leads me to believe that the one responsible..."
Pennington looked around the kitchen and quickly set his eyes on the Toad with purple ponytails.
"It's YOU, you gluttonous woman!"
"ME?! Are you nuts?!" the purple-ponytailed Toad gasped. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"
"Scratch that. Forget it," Pennington nervously chuckled. "I felt I needed to practice my accusation skills; you understand. Yes, sorry."
The purple-ponytailed Toad shook her head no, likely indicating she won't forgive Pennington.
"Very good," Pennington said after clearing his throat. "Now, let us get serious, shall we? This, I believe, will be a case worthy of my intellect!"
"Let me get this straight... So, what we know so far..." the Ratooey chimed in. "...is that we don't know who the culprit is... And, uh... I guess that's about it, right?"
"Aw, this scene is for total squares!" the Toad with blonde hair and sunglasses interjected. "Screw everyone! I'm going back to my room!"
"Hrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmph! You there!" Pennington said angrily, stopping the Toad from leaving the kitchen. "In a bit of a hurry to get back to your room, eh? You, sir, are highly suspicious! I have just broken this case! The true culprit, I believe...is Zip Toad, the actor!"
"Zip Toad? The Zip Toad?" the purple-ponytailed Toad questioned. "Nooo way, Mr. Detective-Person! You're just making stuff up, phony!"
Everyone gasped at the verbal insult; Mario even put his hand over his mouth.
"Phony...? I'm a PHONY?!" Pennington said in a sad tone of voice. "I can't say I deserved such a verbal thrashing, but... Well, then... Who did do it?"
While Pennington rambled about who stole the fudge pot, the Mario Bros looked at him with sympathy.
"Poor guy..." Luigi muttered.
"This puzzle deepens with every darn step..." Pennington finished with his head hung to the floor.
"Let's-a go," Mario whispered before exiting the kitchen. Luigi and Bombette followed him out.
"We got to help Pennington out," Bombette said. "He's desperate to solve the mystery."
"And yet those people mock him for it," Luigi added in. "He doesn't deserve the hate."
"Yeah. They should give him a chance," Mario agreed. "I would."
"Look!" Bombette butted in, eyeballing some brown stains on the carpet. "Is that what I think it is?"
Mario kneeled to inspect the stains, and figured out the answer immediately. "I think it's spilled fudge. Whoever grabbed the pot must've not been careful."
"I wonder where the trail leads to," Luigi wondered. This time, he led the way back toward the front of the train.
The trail extended all the way to Passenger Car 2 and diverted to the door leading to Cabin 003.
Mario chose not to knock on the door and tested the doorknob. To his surprise, it was unlocked.
"Heyheyhey!" a fat Toad with a German accent exclaimed as Mario and friends showed themselves. The area around his lips was covered with melted chocolate. "Vhat do you vant?!"
Before anyone could answer, the Toad let out a loud belch.
"Excuse you," Mario said.
"Sorry about zat," the Toad apologized. "Let me ask calmly. Vhat are you doing here?"
"This detective said someone stole a pot of fudge and left markings on the carpet," Luigi explained.
"And you're here to do vhat? Blame za chubby guy, Augustus T.? NOT NICE! I wouldn't know anything about that! No!"
While Augustus yelled, Mario walked toward the bathroom to find another clue. Upon turning the light on, he found a pot with a layer of chocolate running up the inside.
...
"People spill stuff! And zere's nothing in here, so no need to look!" Augustus continued. "You von't-"
"Look what I found, Gloopy," Mario said, holding out the pot. Augustus's eyes widened with disbelief.
"Nein! Nein! (No! No!) How did you know?!"
Mario pointed to the bathroom mirror, prompting Augustus to look at his reflection.
Augustus groaned upon seeing the chocolate on his face. "Okay! I'm sorry! I ate it all! It vas me!"
"We'll be taking this back, thank you," Mario said.
Before Mario and friends could leave the cabin, someone knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Pennington entered the cabin.
"I heard all that! And lo and behold, here we have a big man weighing in at 270 pounds, wearing overalls that barely fit his body! And what is that on your face?"
"I vas hungry!" Augustus said. "I vanted dessert first!"
"So, you were enamored of the fudge that you wanted to steal it to devour it before dinner?" Pennington asked. "And you stole the entire pot when the chef was seasoning the salmon? Answer!"
"Yes! Yes, that's right! I'm so sorry, but it vas a brief moment of veakness! Dumm ich! (Stupid me!)"
"I don't know what the last words you said were, but I appreciate the honesty," Pennington said. "And please return the pot to the chef, if you would. I dread the fact of her not wanting to make the fudge again."
Augustus reluctantly took the pot and left the cabin.
"With that, justice has been served!" Pennington declared. "Very satisfying! May this terrible crime never recur!" He turned to Mario. "And you, my dear sir... My keen sleuthing instincts identified you as the correct person to collar the ruffian!"
"With pleasure," Mario stated.
"Now, about the note that fell into your room... I know of it. As the lone detective on this train, the conductor confided in me. But we cannot speak here. Meet me in Cabin 006 so that we may discuss this in private."
Pennington quickly left the cabin too with Mario and friends following him.
Luigi glanced at the fudge trail on the way to Pennington's cabin. I hope Augustus cleans that up.
Upon arriving at his cabin, Pennington let the Mario Bros and Bombette in first before locking the door.
"Aha! I have been waiting! I was rather impressed with your work on this last case, I must admit," Pennington said. "However, I do not think the one you apprehended is our sticky, yummy malcontent... I have deduced this from the lack of any incriminating clues in his room... In any case, I must say... I believe you have a certain knack for detective work."
"Do I?" Mario asked.
"Looks like it to me. Therefore, I shall take you on as my new assistant! Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Pennington Iceburst, a detective from Poshley Heights. I'm known in some circles as 'The Penguin With the Improbably Large Brain'. I am sure you have heard of me, so that is all I will say on the subject. And as for your name..."
Mario was about to introduce himself, but Pennington stopped him.
"Wait! I demand you do not tell me. I shall deduce your identity!"
Don't do it, please... Mario said to himself, not wanting Pennington to mispronounce his name.
"That mustache... That nose..." Pennington examined Mario for a moment. "Hohoho! All too easy! You, sir, are quite obviously the famed Mario, correct?"
Upon Pennington saying his name correctly, Mario sighed with relief. "Yup. It's-a me."
"Well, great to-"
Before Pennington could extend his flipper to shake Mario's hand, he eyeballed Luigi and jumped back a bit, shocked at the man in green's presence.
"No way! You brought your brother Luigi with you?!"
"I always accompany him everywhere he goes," Luigi said.
Pennington excitedly hurried up to Luigi and shook his hand. "Dude, I'm a huge fan! I know all about you! In fact, I'm a member of the Luigi Fan Club!"
"Aw, that's so nice to have a fan club about me. Thank you."
"You're not angry about that, right, Mario?"
"Of course not," Mario said with a smile. "I love that Luigi gets a lot of attention."
"Luigi, can I have your autograph? Please?" Pennington asked, clasping his flippers together.
"Absolutely. I promise I'll sign you one soon," Luigi replied.
"Thank you so much! You're the best, homie!"
Luigi blushed at Pennington's compliment. "Hehe. You're welcome, Pennington."
"Now, about this threat..." Pennington said, moving on to the next topic. "Our man has declared his intent to yummify the train... A sticky, tasty explosion... That family of Bob-ombs! They are definitely suspect! We will reduce this case to rudimentary facts and deduce the truth!"
Pennington looked at his watch to see what time it was.
"Actually, let's put a pin in that until after dinner. That first call should be announced any second now."
Right on cue, the conductor announced over a loudspeaker in the ceiling, "Attention, passengers. This is the first call for dinner in the Dining Car. The first call for dinner in the Dining Car."
...
It's now 6:10 PM. The Mario Bros, Bombette, and Pennington have finished up their dinner. Each had grilled salmon with a side of buttery garlic green beans.
And guess what dessert was? It was the Fudgemellow Delight: a ramekin of semisolid fudge topped with marshmallow crème and a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.
"I'm sorry the passengers in the kitchen made fun of you, Pennington," Mario said. "You're absolutely not a phony."
"Thank you, Mario. You're the first person to acknowledge me as a professional," Pennington responded. "What will it take to convince the others?"
"Actions speak louder than words," Luigi explained. "The more you focus on solving any mystery at all, the more likely people will come to know you as a professional."
Pennington took a moment to let Luigi's advice sink in. "You're right. I shouldn't be obsessed with talking to people about what I do."
"It's not about obsession, Pennington," Luigi said. "It's about proving everyone wrong."
Everyone stood back up, ready to continue solving the mystery.
"Remember the Bob-omb family," Pennington reminded the Mario Bros and Bombette.
"All right-y," Mario replied.
...
Mario and friends went back to Passenger Car 3 in search of whoever the Bob-omb family is.
Upon walking past Pennington's cabin, the group heard some chattering coming from Cabin 008. Again, Mario leaned close to the door.
"I think we should get little Bub the Advanced Learners Classic Series of Bob-ombery!" a female voice declared.
"Two words: cheap and boring!" the woman's co-passenger replied. "Think more luxurious, dear! Perhaps a car or a house!"
That's something the parents would get for themselves, Mario thought. Not for a little kid to take care of.
"Bub is too small for such things, Goldbob!"
See?
"Stop thinking of your own social status!" the woman went on. "He needs something that will further his education, not spoil him! Honestly!"
Suddenly, the door started to open, making Mario hurry out of the way. A young bronze Bob-omb walked out of the cabin.
"I don't want any of that stuff they're talking about..." the young Bob-omb murmured.
"Hey there, Bub," Mario greeted the Bob-omb.
Bub turned to see Mario; his face lit up. "González! It's you! You're the champion of the Glitz Pit!"
"So am I," Luigi added in.
"Ibáñez! Oh, another one of my dreams came true!" Bub exclaimed.
"Nice to meet you, kid," Mario said. He was okay with being called González since Grubba knew who he and Luigi were from the start. Grubba just wanted them to have ring names for the fight event.
"Are you and Ibáñez still fighting?"
"Unfortunately, no," Luigi answered. "We're working with a detective named Pennington."
"A detective? Cool!" Bub remarked. "Think you can detect what I really want for my birthday?"
"Oh, your birthday's coming up?" Mario asked.
"Yeah! I'm turning six in four days!"
"Happy early birthday, Bub."
"Thank you, González!" Bub thanked Mario.
"Would you like a powerup statuette?" Luigi offered. "You know, something to display in your room?"
"Good answer, but that's not it."
"How about a video game handheld?" Mario guessed.
"Close too," Bub answered. "What I really want is an autograph, but not an ordinary one. When I grow up, I want to be a train engineer. If you can get me an autograph from the train engineer, that would make me happy!"
"You got it, Bub," Mario said. "But don't tell your parents about it. It's a secret between us."
"Okay."
Bub decided to wait outside his cabin for the train engineer's autograph while the Mario Bros and Bombette set off for the locomotive.
"I hope the door's unlocked."
Mario was referring to the locomotive entrance that had the "Authorized Personnel Only" sign on it. He tried the knob after reaching the entrance, which was surprisingly unlocked too.
There wasn't any time to look around the locomotive since the train engineer's autograph was higher priority.
"Hello?" Mario said, getting the train engineer's attention.
"Hi, sir," the train engineer greeted Mario.
"I understand I'm not allowed in the locomotive, but I wanted to ask for a favor," Mario said.
"Absolutely. What do you need?"
"There's this kid in Cabin 008 who wants to be an engineer like you, and wants your autograph for his 6th birthday present."
"Why, I'd do anything for a small child's birthday! Even though I've never written an autograph before," the train engineer said. "One moment, please."
The train engineer took out a piece of paper and pen; he drew a picture of the Excess Express and wrote his signature on top.
"Here you are, sir." The train engineer handed the autograph to Mario.
"Thanks a lot," Mario thanked the train engineer before immediately setting off for Cabin 008.
The roundtrip to and from the locomotive was only a couple minutes, and Bub had stood patiently for the autograph.
"Is that the autograph?" Bub asked, seeing the autograph in Mario's hand.
"You betcha," Mario said as he handed the autograph to Bub.
"Yes! That's just what I wanted! You and Ibáñez are good detectives!"
"It's only our first day, by the by," Luigi pointed out.
"I know. I promise I'll take good care of it," Bub promised the Mario Bros. "Although I don't know how long it'll be until my parents find out."
"If they do ask what you have, don't lie to them," Mario instructed Bub.
"I promise that too." Bub hid the autograph before going back into his cabin.
...
"So, it was an autograph, huh?" Pennington asked.
"For the kid's birthday," Mario replied.
"Mmm...yes. Just as I suspected..." For a moment, Pennington thought of what was next. "Oh! The conductor just came by looking for you two. This smells of a new mystery!"
"If you're a detective, why don't you help us solve the mystery too?" Bombette asked.
Pennington froze, shocked by Bombette's question. "Um... I... You know... That's...one of those mysteries I've been unable to solve so far."
"That's okay," Luigi said. "You'll figure it out."
"I hope I do."
Mario and friends left Pennington's cabin again; this time, to search for the conductor.
The man in red had an inkling the conductor was still guarding the Baggage Car, so he led Luigi and Bombette to that location.
And there the conductor was, still at his post.
"Mr. Mario and Mr. Luigi!" the conductor exclaimed. "I'm glad you spoke to me because I just remembered something suspicious!"
"What's that?" Mario asked.
"I found myself one blanket short when I was handing them out to passengers. I gave the last passenger my own blanket to make up for it, but it's vexing... I have exact blanket counts. It means someone came on board without a ticket... That stowaway just might be your suspect. Not only that, but if I don't get my blanket back, I'll be too chilly to sleep tonight. If you could look for the unticketed passenger and get that blanket...that'd be grateful."
"Call us 'Team Blanket P.I.'" Luigi stated. His comment made Bombette and the conductor laugh. But Mario didn't find it funny.
"Didn't expect that kind of answer. But thank you, honestly!" the conductor thanked the Mario Bros. "Well, I have to keep watch here, but I'll be waiting for the good news!"
Again, the Mario Bros and Bombette walked toward the front end of the train, briefly stopping outside each cabin to listen for audial clues.
When they got to Cabin 004, they heard some faint oohing from inside the cabin.
Luigi got creeped out a bit, believing there was at least one ghost in there.
"We don't know yet, Luigi," Mario said. "It's probably a real person pretending to be one."
Mario went and opened the cabin door, only to find nobody in the cabin. Everything looked as if the inside was brand-new and untouched.
Luigi didn't shiver with fear this time since he already encountered a bunch of ghosts during the last several days, on top of being frightened by the first two Black Chest Demons. But he was still worried about being jumpscared.
Before anyone could split up and start searching the cabin, the oohing sounded again followed by the sound of a door creaking open.
Luigi turned to see if the cabin door opened by itself, but saw a ghostly Toad with a black & yellow-spotted mushroom cap. He shrieked right at first sight.
"So, that's how you found me. By screaming," the ghostly Toad said.
"Sorry... You came out of nowhere..." Luigi answered. Mario and Bombette turned to see the ghostly Toad.
"Because I'm a ghost. Specifically, the name is Ghost T. And I've been cursed to haunt this place!" Ghost T. let out an evil laugh, which didn't faze anyone. "Shoot. It's hard to scare the wits out of anybody."
"Can you help us find a blanket?" Bombette requested. "Not the blankets from the bunk bed."
"Well, yes. The conductor did leave one here. He didn't realize that I'm a ghost. Why do you want the blanket, though?"
"We were told by a detective named Pennington that someone orchestrated a 'yummy, sticky threat'," Mario explained. "Do you know about it?"
"No, I don't. I would never threaten anyone with sweets or whatever," Ghost T. replied. "And I can't even hold physical objects like pens and paper."
"We just want the blanket, Ghost," Mario said.
"All right, then. I'll tell you where it is if you do something for me. What do you say?"
"We'll help you," Bombette said.
"Good. Now here's the deal," Ghost T. began. "I think my luggage is still in the Baggage Car... And inside my bag is a diary I kept since my earliest childhood days... And my fear that someone would find it and read it has kept me tied to this world! I can't leave this room, so can you please find it and bring it here? If you do that, I'll show you where the blanket is."
"Deal," Mario declared.
But before the Mario Bros and Bombette could exit Ghost T.'s cabin... "Don't you DARE read my diary! If you do...a horrible fate awaits you!" Ghost T. let out another evil laugh.
"Very scary," Mario said with sarcasm.
...
Back in Passenger Car 3, Mario and friends met up with the conductor to ask for access to the Baggage Car.
"Did you find the blanket?" the conductor asked.
"Not yet. There was a ghost in the cabin-"
"WHAT?! A ghost?!" the conductor interrupted Mario. "How did it get on the train in the first place?! You know how creepy that sounds?"
"Don't worry. The ghost's not going to get you," Mario reassured the conductor. "He just wants us to get his diary from his suitcase first."
"Oh. I guess you don't say no to ghosts, so I understand." The conductor unlocked the entrance to the Baggage Car, letting the group walk inside.
The Baggage Car was loaded with suitcases and also contained boxes of food for the kitchen.
Most of the suitcases were black or brown colored with the exception of Mario and Luigi's red & green suitcases.
Everyone looked all around the Baggage Car, even checking for a tag that might have the name "Ghost T." on it.
"There's a white one." Luigi pointed to a white suitcase in the top right corner of the car. Attached to the handle was a black tag, but it didn't have a name on it.
Mario kneeled in front of the suitcase and slowly opened it, making sure not to let any clothes fall out. Sifting through the clothes, Mario managed to pull out a beige-colored book.
"I think that's the diary," Mario said.
"Don't open it, Mario," Bombette reminded Mario.
"I'm not. I'm just holding it."
Mario quickly zipped up the suitcase and beckoned Luigi and Bombette to follow him back to Ghost T.'s cabin.
...
"Is this your diary?" Mario asked Ghost T.
Ghost T. examined the book in Mario's hand. "Yes, this is my diary. You didn't read it, right?"
"No. I just took it out of your suitcase. Didn't open it," Mario answered.
"You sound sincere enough for me to believe you." Ghost T. smiled. "Set the diary on my bed and I'll give you the blanket."
While Mario set the diary on the bottom bunk bed, Ghost T. opened the top dresser drawer and took out a dark pink blanket. He handed the blanket to Mario.
"If you had read it, you and your friends might be spirits like me right now."
No one responded to Ghost T.'s threat.
"Okay. I'm not the kind of ghost that turns people to spirits. I was probably kidding."
"You were," Bombette said.
"You know, I was gonna go peacefully on from this world..." Ghost T. stated. "...but this place is so great. I'll just stay here a little while longer, if that's okay with you."
"We're not affiliated with the train staff," Mario said before turning to leave the cabin one more time.
...
"So, Mr. Mario and Mr. Luigi, how did it go?" the conductor asked.
"Simple trade," Luigi replied as Mario handed the conductor the blanket.
"Oh, thank you so much! Now I'll be comfortable tonight! Of course, our yummy and sticky mischief-maker is still at large..."
"Where is he?" Mario questioned.
"All I can say is he's in hiding. Nowhere in sight yet." The conductor looked at his watch. It was almost 7:00 PM. "It's getting late. Perhaps you should just turn in for the night."
"Yeah. We've done a lot today," Luigi said. "We even were at it really early in the morning."
"You mean at, like, 1 AM?"
"All night long," Bombette chimed in.
"Wow. You must've been very busy, so you deserve a long rest," the conductor said. "If anything happens, I'll report it to you immediately. Do not worry about a thing."
"Thanks," Mario thanked the conductor.
...
It's 7:50 PM. Mario was in his night clothes, laying on the bottom bunk bed. His cap sat on the dresser.
Suddenly, the cabin door opened and Luigi walked in with a cup of decaf coffee.
"Hey," Mario said in a tired tone of voice.
"Hey, bro. Are you tired?" Luigi asked.
"Yeah. We spent the wee hours finding the fifth Crystal Star and didn't sleep a wink."
Luigi set down his coffee and kneeled at Mario's bedside.
"Well, before you go to bed, I want to have a talk with you. And it's something I should've gone into further detail earlier."
"Okay. What is it?"
"Remember at the Glitz Pit when I said that each tomorrow is a new day?" Luigi asked.
Mario nodded his head.
"We always learn something new every day, whether it's a life lesson or a fun fact. I can't be more proud of you taking in all those lessons you've learned in years' past and becoming a better person. Speaking of which, I was looking up some quotes about change and I want to share one with you."
Luigi took out a sheet of paper with some quotes written on it. He looked at the first quote at the top.
"'The past is unalterable in any event. The future is the only thing we can change. Learning the lessons of the past is the only way to shape the present and the future.' It basically summarizes what one objective in life is. And you should be proud of yourself for achieving that too."
Mario mulled over the quote Luigi read, but sported an anxious look on his face. "No."
"What do you mean, no?"
"I don't feel proud of myself."
"Why not?" Luigi put away his quote paper.
"I can't fathom mastering controlling my emotions," Mario said, puzzling Luigi.
"Who said you should master controlling your emotions?"
"I don't know... I just... I'm still worried about having another outburst or breaking something without thinking."
"Listen, I know there's no guarantee of you never throwing a tantrum again," Luigi assured Mario. "But that's okay. We all have our occasional outbursts and we learn from them. And if you need to remove yourself from the situation, no one will stop you. Go somewhere peaceful until you're calm again. It's a good way to relieve your stress, and I saw you've done that frequently. That's why I'm happy for you."
A moment of silence passed before Mario spoke up again. "You know, I'm glad that Pennington said our names correctly when he met us. I thought he would mess them up."
"Don't let the name mispronunciation get to you, bro. It's not a big deal."
Luigi's comment made Mario a bit more agitated; he started to hark back to when the Puni elder and Mayor Kroop misnamed him. "But I hate when people do that. It angers me. It- Everyone should know who we are."
"Mario, there's a few reasons why some people say your name wrong," Luigi explained. "Really old people have hearing problems and tend to perceive it as another name. The Petalburg mayor and the Puni elder, to name a few. Others have bad short-term memories and can't remember-"
Luigi stopped himself, seeing Mario angrily gripping the mattress. "Hey. Hey. We're not seeing those elders again. I promise." He took a stress ball out of his suitcase. "Here."
Luigi gently opened Mario's left hand and set the stress ball in his palm. Mario immediately squeezed the stress ball.
"In case you don't remember, the Puni elder corrected himself."
"I don't care..." Mario ranted through gritted teeth. "He still said our names wrong..."
"I know, bro. I know it bothers you," Luigi coaxed Mario. "How about this: tomorrow morning, you can talk to Pennington about what you don't like. The more he gets to know about you, the better."
"What if he doesn't listen...? What if he turns his back on me...?"
"Then there's nothing you can do about it. That's that."
Mario finally relaxed, letting go of the mattress. The stress ball dropped on the floor too. "I'm sorry, Luigi..." he mumbled.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Mario. You're doing fine," Luigi said. "Like I said, I'm proud of you for improving your behavior even if it's hard at first. Just give people the benefit of the doubt and things will be good."
"I'll try..."
"I know you will," Luigi said with a smile. He picked up the stress ball and laid it on the dresser next to Mario's cap.
Mario let out a yawn. "I'm gonna go to sleep..."
"I think that's for the best."
Mario sat up and hugged Luigi. "I love you, Luigi..."
"I love you too, Mario. More than anyone in the whole world. And remember I'm always here for you if you're ever upset. If you need someone to stand by you, it's your little brother."
"Thank you..."
"You're welcome," Luigi said. He laid Mario back on the bed and tucked him in.
"I don't know when I'll wake up..." Mario whispered.
"Get as much sleep as you want. We'll wait until you wake up."
"Okay... Good night..."
"Good night, Mario," Luigi replied as Mario rolled on his right side. He stood back up and turned off the lamp.