(A/N: So in that last chapter, Mario bought a ring for Peach and went home to Luigi, and Luigi wants to know who is fooling Bowser. Let's start this chapter and see what happens when he finds out!)
"Oh boy, here we go... Tempo per la parte difficile... Time for the hard part..." thought Mario, looking nervous. And unfortunately for Mario, Luigi noticed.
"Mario, who was it?" Luigi asked, not sure if he was going to like the answer. Seeing Mario nervous was definitely not a good sign.
"Well... if I'm going to tell you properly... then let's-a start at the beginning..." Mario started.
"Dovresti. You should. It's-a the best place to start." Luigi noted.
"We... we asked Toadette if we could... borrow her... her Super Crown... to pull this off... I think I... mentioned... that item to you... back when Toadette and the Toad Brigade... found it and... showed us what it does..." Mario added, sounding just as nervous as he looked.
"You have mentioned that power-up before... And if you're borrowing it, then it means that someone other than Toadette must be using it for the trick." said Luigi. He looked into Mario's eyes and asked, "Chi è? Who is it?"
Mario looked really uncomfortable now, which told Luigi that the answer was not going to be good. The younger brother watched as Mario swallowed and nervously said, "It's-a... D-Daisy..."
"...Did you just say... Daisy? As in... Princess Daisy, the woman of my dreams?" Luigi asked, hoping he did not hear that answer correctly.
Mario knew that Luigi's reaction was not going to be good, and despite being known for his courage, he couldn't bring himself to verbally answer the question, or even look his brother in the eyes. He looked at the floor, but Luigi still saw him nodding his head yes as he did. This told Luigi that Mario was telling the truth. Daisy had been sent to Bowser.
The room was quiet. Too quiet for Mario and Cappy's liking... and then...
"QUELLO CHE AL MONDO POTREBBE AVERE POSSESSO DI FARE QUALCOSA DI COSÌ INCREDIBILMENTE STUPIDO?! WHAT IN THE WORLD COULD HAVE POSSESSED YOU TO DO SOMETHING SO INCREDIBLY STUPID?!" Luigi shouted, scaring his brother and Cappy. The latter was so scared that he turned back into Mario's hat.
"Luigi, you know as well as I do that we couldn't send Toadette to trick Bowser! If we did, it wouldn't take long for Bowser to discover that he had been duped! And do you know what he would've done to her?! I'll tell you what he would've done to her! He would've killed Toadette; that's what he would've done to her!" Mario explained.
"You do have a point..." Luigi said, before asking, "But since when is sending mia ragazza, my girl, to Bowser a good idea?!"
"Luigi, in case you're forgetting, Daisy is a tomboy; she's a big girl! She can hold her own against Bowser! You know that! And had you come with us, you would've seen that she tricked him good! He really believed she was Peach when he saw her in the Super Crown!" Mario said.
"Oh, did he?" Luigi asked.
"He most certainly did! I'm sure that she's currently making Bowser pay after all the horrible things he did to Peach while she was with him!" Mario said.
"And he's not suspecting?" Luigi asked.
"She said the idea was to have some fun with Bowser until she reveals herself at the wedding, as in, no fun for him!" Mario said.
Luigi thought about that.
"Plus, I heard tell that Bowser is afraid of Daisy..." Cappy put in.
Then Luigi remembered the time Daisy slugged Bowser, claiming that 'he was in her way'.
"That's right... He did become scared of her after she slugged him..." Luigi said, the memory returning to him.
"Yes! He won't hurt Daisy! He's too afraid of her to fight back! Her idea is to mess with him, then scare the daylights out of him at the wedding! After she stops him, we'll go get her, and then you can find out what she did to him. Okie-dokie?" Mario asked.
"Okie-dokie." Luigi said with a sigh. He still wasn't too happy that his girl was out with Bowser, but if what Mario and Cappy said was true, then maybe it wasn't going to be such a bad thing like he thought.
"So... can I go upstairs and take my shower now?" Mario asked.
"Yes, bro, you can go shower." said Luigi.
"Mario, is it okay if I stay down here and talk to your brother while you take your shower?" Cappy asked, turning back into his Bonneter self.
"Yes, you can talk to him... if he wants to." Mario replied as he made his way out of the kitchen.
"I don't mind." said Luigi, giving Cappy a small, friendly smile.
"So, Luigi... Mario said that this mansion really belongs to you." Cappy said to Luigi once Mario was out of the room.
"It does." Luigi replied as he reached into the cupboard and got out two plates, which he set on the table.
"You're not going to kick Mario out for what he did, are you?" Cappy asked.
"No. He and I tend to get on each other's nerves every now and again, but we always hug and make up in the end, because we're fratelli gemelli, twin brothers. We have a very special bond, and we care about each other, no matter what." Luigi said as he took two glasses out of the cupboard and set them beside each plate.
"That's good." said Cappy. Then he asked, "So, how did you end up getting this glorious mansion in the first place? Do you think you can tell me?"
"Well, now that is an interesting story..." Luigi said as he produced the napkins and forks, setting them neatly on the table. Then he sat down at the table and got ready to tell Cappy the story of how he got his mansion.
Once he was upstairs, Mario went right to his bedroom. He took the black velvet ring box out of the pocket of his overalls and put it in the top drawer of his nightstand, for safe-keeping. Then he took off his shoes and his gloves before grabbing some clean clothes from his closet and dresser.
On the way out of his room, he passed by the linen closet, where he grabbed a washcloth and a towel. He stopped by Luigi's room and saw Polterpup sitting on the bed in there, having been awoken from his nap when Luigi yelled.
"Ciao, Doggy." Mario said, seeing the puppy.
When Mario said that, the dog looked at him, leaped off the bed, and ran to the plumber, knocking him down and causing him to drop his clothes, the washcloth, and the bath towel. Polterpup then proceeded to shower his master's brother in dog drool by licking his face, and even though Mario hadn't been prepared for this, he was grateful that this was happening before his shower, rather than after.
"Hey! Taglialo fuori! Cut that out!" Mario said, laughing as he tried to push the dog away so he could at least sit up.
Eventually, the dog stopped and just looked at Mario, panting happily while wagging his tail.
"Good boy. Now go back to Luigi's room and lie down." Mario said, patting the dog's head.
The dog rushed off to obey.
"Mama-mia. Ghost dogs. You can't live with them, you can't live without them." Mario chuckled to himself as he got to his feet, gathered his things, and walked into the bathroom to take his shower.
Several minutes later, Mario had finished taking a long, hot shower, and he felt so fresh and new. He dried himself off, brushed his hair, combed his mustache, and got dressed in his clean clothes. Then he returned to his bedroom, put his shoes and gloves back on, walked over to his nightstand, recovered the black velvet ring box, and put it in his pocket.
When Mario left his room, he went back to the bathroom to gather up his towel, washcloth, and yesterday's clothes, which he dropped off in the laundry room before going to the kitchen, where he found Luigi sitting at the table and talking with Cappy. To Mario, it sounded like Luigi was wrapping up some story.
"Of course, I invited Mario to move in with me when this mansion was completed, but he was very nervous about doing so. After what he had been through in that fake mansion, I didn't blame him; but I didn't exactly fancy the idea of living alone. And you know what? He didn't like the idea of living alone, either, but he also didn't want to live in the mansion. I didn't know where he planned to live, because he very well couldn't live with Peach unless he married her, and neither of them were making wedding plans that I knew of. He weighed his options while staying at Peach's Castle for a few nights before deciding that perhaps it would be for the best if he moved in with me." Luigi was saying to Cappy.
"You were very brave, Luigi, going after Mario like that. I bet Tiara would do the same for me if I was in her place." Cappy said.
"Sono sicuro che lo farebbe. I'm sure she would. I think she also had a feeling that the two of us were coming to rescue her as well as Peach." Mario said, getting their attention.
Cappy and Luigi turned and saw Mario standing in the doorway.
"Oh! Mario, we didn't see you come in!" said Cappy.
"When did you get done taking your shower, bro?" Luigi asked.
"Not too long ago, and Doggy is still in your room, Luigi. He was very happy to see me." Mario said as he joined his brother at the table.
"While you were in there, the timer went off, so the lasagna is ready for eating." Luigi told Mario.
"Good. I'm ravenous." Mario replied.
"How can you be hungry again? You just ate breakfast not too long ago." Cappy pointed out.
"It's one of those things about Mario that I haven't been able to figure out, even though we're twins and I've known him all my life. But I won't complain if he eats slowly and politely, like he does when we dine at Peach's Castle." Luigi said.
"I do that because she's royalty, and I know how to behave in front of people like that. I did so when we were staying at her castle after the first time we saved her from Bowser. Remember, when we finished up our first adventure here, we were trying to find a way to get back to Brooklyn, and Peach let us stay at her castle until we built that little place until we found out way home." said Mario.
"I do remember that. Then we moved back into the home we left and expanded it upon realizing that we'd never been happier than when we were staying in the Mushroom Kingdom. Now what do you want to drink with your lasagna?" Luigi asked.
"What do we have?" Mario asked.
"Well, I did prepare some cherry Kool-Aid this morning..." Luigi said, thinking out loud.
"I'll take a glass of Kool-Aid." Mario replied with a smile.
Luigi saw no harm in that, so he and Mario had Kool-Aid to drink. After pouring the drinks, Luigi dished up the lasagna, and Mario planned to do as Luigi said. He was pretending that Peach was dining with them, and he ate very slowly and politely.
"Now Mario, Cappy mentioned that he has a sister that needed rescuing, too. Is she staying at the castle with Peach?" Luigi asked.
"No, actually. Bowser refused to let Tiara join Peach when he let her go. And what's worse, he yelled at Tiara and made her cry!" Cappy said, getting mad as he remembered the way Bowser frightened Tiara right in front of him. Seeing someone upset his sweet little sister always made Cappy's blood boil.
"Certo. Of course. He's as much of a jerk as King Boo is, except King Boo has a penchant for turning my friends and brother into paintings. He has a serious painting fetish." Luigi said to Cappy.
"Also, Luigi, I had a thought. What if Bowser tried to marry Peach again, only to find out that she was already engaged to someone who isn't him? He might not try to marry her then." Mario said to his brother.
"Mario, I know that if anyone should be marrying Peach, then it really should be you, but if you're thinking of marrying Peach just to make Bowser leave her alone..." Luigi started.
"No, not entirely. The main reason I'm marrying her is because I really do love her, Luigi. And I've been wanting to marry her for quite some time. I know now that I should have asked her to marry me a long time ago." Mario said.
"I know you love her, Mario. Ma il matrimonio è serio. But marriage is serious. It's not something you can throw away when you see fit." Luigi said.
"I'm serious about her, Luigi. I love Peach so much that I'd give anything to spend the rest of my life with her. I can promise that I will be a good husband, who will always love her and treat her with the respect she deserves. And I'd never break my marriage vows because I promise to love her even after forever ends." Mario said.
"Okay, now that's poetry." Cappy said to himself.
"If you really feel that way about Peach, and you know that she loves you back, then go for it." said Luigi, before asking, "Now, since we know that you love her and want to marry her, just when are you planning on asking Peach the big question?"
"Stasera. Tonight." Mario said.
"Bro, I'm not trying to put you down or anything, but do you really think Peach will be up for giving a positive answer to your marriage proposal after Bowser attempted to marry her?" Luigi asked.
"Yeah, Luigi does have a point; it might be too soon... What if Peach shoots you down like a duck when you ask her?" said Cappy.
"I know there's the chance of that happening... But if Bowser is still feeling okay enough to continue chasing after Peach when Daisy gets done with him, I've got to. I can't risk Bowser trying to marry her again. Peach has been through more than enough during her time on his airship. Do you realize that he wouldn't even let her have a say in that sham wedding of his?" Mario asked.
Luigi and Cappy thought about that.
"Good point. Yeah, you'd better ask her the question." Luigi said.
"Getting engaged to marry you, someone she loves, just might be enough to cheer her up." Cappy said.
"Exactly. So I'm going to do it." Mario said as he finished eating. Sure enough, he had eaten slowly and politely.
"Buon lavoro. Good job, Mario." Luigi praised.
"Grazie, fratello. Thanks, bro." Mario replied.
"And mind you, if you marry Peach, you're going to need to remember to eat like that more often." said Luigi.
"I'm more than willing to do that for her." said Mario.
After lunch, Mario and Cappy told Luigi all about their adventure.
"I can't believe Bowser tried to kill you in front of Peach. Doesn't he realize that that's a good way to turn her off?" Luigi asked.
"No. He thinks that if I can't beat him, maybe she'll like him better, I guess. But he needs to find someone who actually could like him. Kidnapping Peach isn't going to make her like him, and forcing her into marriage... that right there is un rompicapo, a deal-breaker." said Mario.
"Add to that the fact she didn't get a say in the wedding plans. I remember you telling the annoying female rabbit who said you weren't invited that she was wrong about that because the bride invited you to the wedding." Cappy said.
"Only she didn't believe me. The worst part is, she was right not to. I just said that to try and get her to shut up. And even if Peach really did invite me, it would be so that I could rescue her from a fate she didn't deserve." Mario said.
"Almeno sei vivo. At least you're alive, Mario. If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do. We're twins, two halves of a whole." Luigi said.
"Yeah. But I won't let myself die yet. Not when I know that Bowser is still out there, making plans to capture my girl." Mario said.
"I'm glad you refuse to give up." said Luigi, giving Mario a hug, which he gladly returned.
Cappy wished more than ever that his sister could've been saved, too. What if Bowser was still tormenting her while she was being looked after by Daisy?
After dinner, Mario brushed his teeth, rinsed with Scope, applied some manly cologne, brushed his hair and combed his mustache once again. He checked his reflection critically, grinned, and got ready to go back to Peach's Castle, fully intending to be engaged to Princess Peach before the night ended.
"You're going to do it?" Luigi asked.
"Yup. I've got the ring, too." Mario said.
"When did you get her a ring?" Luigi asked.
"Before I came home." Mario replied.
"Can I see the ring?" Luigi asked.
"Okie-dokie." said Mario. He pulled out the box and opened it, showing Luigi the ring. Luigi had to admit that the ring was beautiful, and worthy of a princess like Peach.
"She's not going to turn you down when she sees that." Luigi said.
"That's what I'm hoping." Mario replied.
"Buona fortuna. Good luck." Luigi said.
"Thanks, Luigi." Mario responded.
The two shared a hug, but before they left, Cappy asked if he could come along.
"I don't know, Cappy... I was hoping it was just going to be me and Peach..." Mario said.
"Please? I promise to keep quiet." Cappy begged.
"Okay, then." Mario said, seeing there was no way around this.
So Cappy disguised himself as Mario's hat.
"See ya, bro!" Luigi called as Mario exited the mansion.
"A dopo, fratello! See ya later, bro." Mario called back, waving to his brother before continuing on his way to the castle, ready to see his sweetheart and ask her for her hand in marriage.
In the next chapter, Mario and Peach will be seeing each other again. What's going to happen? You're just going to have to stay tuned to find out!
