Chapter 27:

Mario sat at the desk in the den of his house in the Mushroom Kingdom. It had been two weeks since his adventure to Gaia and his battle against Sephiroth. The trip back to the Mushroom Kingdom had been uneventful, as was his dropping off Bowser, the Koopalings, and Kamek into the Koopa Kingdom, literally. Kevin had been less than thrilled at the way Mario had dropped his father, siblings, and Kamek off in the Koopa Kingdom but the plumber did not care. He also got the impression that Kevin was more displeased about how none of the other Koopas that had accompanied his father and siblings had made it back. However, Mario did not stay long enough to see whether his impression was correct or not. Kevin must have noticed, though, that Luigi was not with him but the Koopa Prince had not made any snide remarks about where Luigi was or what had happened to him. From what Mario could tell of the Prince, it would not have been like him.

After returning, he had had the unenviable task of alerting Princess Peach as to Luigi's fate, as well as his closest friends; Princess Daisy, Rosalina, and Professor Elvin Gadd, as well as adopt Luigi's Polterpup. Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, and Rosalina had been devastated when they heard the news. Professor E. Gadd had been silent but the plumber could tell that Luigi's death had been a shock to him, too. He also had to alert his parents back on Earth as to Luigi's fate, and that he had died not only saving Mario, but many worlds in the process.

In the days since his return, Mario had received sympathy cards from almost every ally he had encountered, as well as some from regular civilians. He had placed them in a pile on the dresser in his room. He had also received an unlabeled sympathy card that had no return address. Its contents had been rough and direct, too. He wondered if Bowser or Kevin had written it. He shook off the thought. Much of his anger towards Bowser had subsided as spies inside the Koopa Kingdom indicated that the one who had initially found and revived Sephiroth was a Magikoopa whom had later been killed in the attack on Princess Peach's castle. Mario could not help but think that Sephiroth had been the cause of that Magikoopa's demise.

Standing at Peach's side during security briefings, he had also heard from the spies that Bowser and the Koopa military was busy rebuilding his skyforce since they had lost almost all of their airships in the failed attack on Princess Peach's castle, as well as having lost many fighters, along with their best pilots. The ships and fighters would not be too hard to replace. Finding crews and pilots and training them up to that standard, though, would be a different story. But Mario would worry about that later. He had more important things to think about at the moment.

As he went about his work at the castle and doing his plumbing job, he saw that every flag in the kingdom was flown at half-staff in honor of his brother. Civilians that he passed on the road also gave their sympathies as to what had happened to Luigi. In addition to his plumbing work and helping to shore up and upgrade the defenses around Princess Peach's castle, Mario had also been planning the funeral for Luigi. The hardest part was coming up with a eulogy that did not last three hours, there were so many fine points about his brother. Eventually, he had decided to have it be about how courageous his brother was and accentuate the fact that no matter how cautious or timid he may have initially seemed, when the chips were down and everyone's back was to the wall, he would be there for them, as was accentuated in his sacrifice on Gaia.

When the day of Luigi's funeral had come, Mario had arrived early to get everything ready. As the funeral started, he was shocked at how many people had come to attend. Not only did friends, family, acquaintances appeared at the funeral, but many civilians who had never met him before in their lives. It had caused a tear to run down the plumber's cheek when he had come to see the entirety of the Mushroom Kingdom come to support him. He was thrilled that his parents had managed to make it since they were from, and were still living on, Earth. He also saw the dojo's Master and his best students, Lee and Chan. Merlon and his family had also attended the funeral, as well as the expected faces of Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Rosalina, Pauline, all of the partners that had gone to Gaia with him, as well as Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Even Aerith and Nanaki had attended the funeral. Mario suspected that they had hired Dribble Taxi to bring them to Hylia and the Mushroom Kingdom. He also found a cloaked figure standing in the back during the funeral that he could have sworn was Kevin Koopa, but he did not draw any attention to it, nor did he think too hard about it.

When the time came to give the eulogy, Mario had managed to give it without choking up or breaking down and crying, though it had not been easy. Thinking back on it, though, he had not really cried at all from Luigi's passing. The thing that had brought a tear to his eye was the support from the Mushroom Kingdom. Even his parents, who had had bad experiences with a previous administration in the Mushroom Kingdom, were moved to tears at the support the kingdom was giving Mario.

As for the reception, it had been at Princess Peach's castle and had had a buffet with an array of Mario and Luigi's favorite foods such as Lasagna, Spaghetti, Ravioli, Pizza, and other Italian favorites that the younger Mario Brother had loved so much. Mario sat at a table surrounded by his parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, along with Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Rosalina, with his partners adventuring partners sitting at the table next to him. Aerith and Nanaki had also visited his table to offer their support and sympathy over Luigi's death. They had also told Mario that his eulogy for Luigi had been magnificent and inspiring. The plumber thought back to the reception and had to admit that it was nice. He only hoped that when he eventually passed on, that his own funeral would be just as nice for those that survived him.

He sat back in his chair and gave a sigh as he finished thinking back on the funeral that had been over a week ago. He still missed Luigi, and knew that he always would. The emptiness that now existed inside would never truly be filled, but he was not about to stop living just because his brother had died. He still had his plumbing job and his work at Princess Peach's castle. He would not let his work slack off just because Luigi had died. That would have greatly disappointed his younger brother.

Checking the clock, Mario saw that it was not yet five o'clock so he had an hour or so before he would make dinner. Luigi's Polterpup gave a short bark and jumped into his lap, prompting the plumber to almost reflexively scratch under his chin, which caused the Polterpup to give a satisfied rumble. Still, he could not help but notice that the Polterpup was not as boisterous or energetic as he had once been.

After a few minutes, he heard a clank outside his house, and then the familiar voice of Parakarry call, "Mail call!" He had come later than Mario had expected.

The Polterpup jumped off of Mario's lap as the plumber got up and went to the front door. He made his way outside and saw Parakarry standing at his mailbox.

"Good to see you up and about," the Koopa Paratroopa mail carrier said. "How's everything been?" he then added quietly.

"As good as it could be considering the circumstances," Mario answered. "How's everything going with you?"

"Same old, same old," Parakarry responded. "The mail load has returned to normal, more or less, since the funeral. Speaking of which, I've got a couple letters for you." He then handed Mario the letters. One of the letters was from a place called the Super Smash Stadium, something that puzzled him.

"What's the Super Smash Stadium?" the plumber asked.

"I've never heard of it," Parakarry answered. "I was hoping you knew."

Mario shook his head in the negative. Either way, though, he opened the letter to read it, figuring that he was about to find out what the Super Smash Stadium. It read:

Dear Mario Mario:

Your daring exploits and feats have not gone unnoticed throughout the universe. As a result of your tremendous feats of not only defeating Bowser on countless occasions, but also defeating other enemies such as the former SOLDIER Sephiroth even after he had entered and merged with the Lifestream, you are cordially invited to participate in the first ever Super Smash Bros. Competition that will begin starting in May of next year. The Super Smash Bros. Competition is where the greatest of heroes from all around the multiverse assemble to see just who among the best is the best. There are many competitions ranging from fighting, to breaking the targets, to homerun contests, to stamina matches, and more. There will be great prizes for the winners of the competitions and contests. There is an attached pamphlet to further explain the various contests you may partake in in the Super Smash Bros. competition, as well as a return envelope for you to mail your response in. Please send us your response by the thirty-first of December of this year if you plan to attend. Should you wish to attend, we will mail you all the information regarding the location of the competition and how to get there. Should you wish to attend, your family will be automatically allowed to attend the competition as spectators, those who are, themselves, not participants. We hope that you will attend this prestigious event and bring your skills to this challenging competition.

from,

The Super Smash Stadium

P.S.: L is real.

Mario the folded up the letter and put it in his pocket. He would think about whether or not to attend later. He still had time to make that decision. He also did not know what to make of that 'L is real" but he would have time to think about it later.

He then took the second letter and noticed that it was from Aerith Gainsborough. His eyes flashed as he quickly opened the envelope and drew out the letter to read it. It read:

Dear Mario,

Again, I'm truly sorry about the loss of your brother, Luigi. He was a hero unlike any other. Anyway, I'm writing to you because when I returned back to Gaia, I went into the Lifestream once more to try to find Luigi's body or any trace of his remains. This time, it was a deep dive and I would not have gotten out without Nanaki and Cado's help. But that's not really important at the moment. What's important is that when I did that deep dive, I could find no trace of Luigi at all: not skin, hair, teeth, or clothing. Since Luigi is not of Gaia, he would not fade into the Lifestream upon his passing. Just to note, I also scanned the Lifestream's souls for any sign of Luigi. In addition, I scanned the Lifestream's currents to see if any could have carried him to certain locations where the Lifestream wells up near the surface. Again, no trace of Luigi's body was found at any of the Mako Springs or other areas where Mako can well up. What it means, I don't know. I will say, though, that I do believe in miracles. Pray for one, Mario. It just might come.

from,

Aerith Gainsborough

Mario folded up the letter and put it in his pocket. As he did so, a look of hope crossed his face, especially when he thought back to that "L is real" note. Could it be? Could Luigi actually be alive? Parakarry saw Mario's change of expression and asked, "What did it say?"

Mario had to take a moment to keep tears from coming to his eyes. Eventually, he answered, "That miracles happen and to pray for one."

"You think she's talking about Luigi?" Parakarry asked.

"Yes I do," Mario answered. "And I don't think it was a coincidence that I got the letter from this Super Smash Stadium the same day Aerith sent hers."

"What makes you say that?"

"Gut feeling," Mario answered. And his gut was never wrong. "And the fact that the postscript at the end of the letter from Super Smash Stadium said, 'L is real'."

The two paused a bit before Parakarry stepped forward and said, "There was one more thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" the plumber asked.

Before the Koopa Paratroopa could answer, though, telltale sound of someone exiting a pipe echoed around the landscape. Looking over at the Warp Pipe that was a short cut to Toad Town, Mario and Parakarry saw Princess Peach, wearing a long pink sleeveless dress; the same one she had worn on a trip to Isle Delfino that Mario, Toadsworth, and the Princess had gone on. During that trip, Bowser had told Bowser Jr. that Peach was his mother and he had disguised himself as a dark Mario and sprayed graffiti all around the island before being beaten by the plumber. Next to Peach stood Toadsworth. The two stepped off of the pipe and walked over to Mario.

"Good timing, Princess," Parakarry said. "I was concerned that I would have to tell Mario. We wanted it to be you."

"Tell me what?" Mario inquired.

"Tell you that we're all going on a two week trip to Isle Delfino on Sunday; me, Toadsworth, and all of your adventuring partners," Peach answered. "We were hoping you would come with us. Given everything that's happened, I think you could use a vacation with your friends. We've already made the arrangements should you say yes."

Mario could only smile. "Of course," he answered. "I'd love to come."

"Excellent!" Toadsworth exclaimed, causing the other three to smile.

"Be at the airport at nine o'clock in the morning on Sunday," Princess Peach told him.

"I will," Mario answered.

With that, the others departed and left Mario to pack for his vacation and to have Professor Elvin Gadd come over to watch the Polterpup while he was away. As he went inside, though, he could not help but think back to both Aerith's letter as well as the Super Smash Stadium's letter. There was no way that it was a coincidence. However, he would worry about that later. Right now, he had a vacation with his friends to prepare for.

Meanwhile, over on Smash World, innumerable light-years from either Hylia or Gaia, a large, tall man with green skin, orange hair, and wearing black armor looked into a computer monitor that showed a chamber and what looked like a sarcophagus of some sort. The sarcophagus looked like it was a combination of magic and technology. On another screen was the outline of a human in his mid-thirties with numerous line and readouts on it. The human had a medium build but the outline of a mustache was seen on the screen. Ganondorf recognized the human on the readout as being Luigi Mario, the younger brother of the hero Mario Mario. He studied the readouts and looked intensely at the sarcophagus. The Smash World replica of the Shrine of Resurrection had been made for situations like this, only for members of the Subspace Army, of which Luigi was not, yet.

He had been annoyed when Master Hand had ordered him to enter the Lifestream to pull Luigi out of it, preferably before he had succumbed to the Lifestream and potentially be broken down by it. Ganondorf had doubted that the Lifestream would have dissolved Luigi but Master Hand did not want to take that chance; that and even if it had not dissolved him, the currents could have taken him anywhere in the world, which would have made finding him far more difficult, if not impossible.

He continued to study the readouts when a door at the back of the room slid open. In came a man dressed in black armor with helmet with an orange visor. The newcomer approached Ganondorf quietly, though he was not trying to sneak up on the Gerudo King.

"How is he?" the armored man asked.

"He's healing," Ganondorf answered. "But it will take time. He was immersed in the Lifestream without protection for quite some time. I would be in the same condition had it not been for the Triforce of Power." He then held up his right hand and the gold outline of a triple triangle formed on the back of it, with the top triangle glowing gold. "Quite frankly, I'm surprised that a human lasted that long in the Lifestream without protection. Either way, the Shrine of Resurrection does not work quickly. It could be weeks or months before he wakes up." He then glowered at the newcomer. "Why have you come, John?"

"Master Hand requires our presence immediately," John answered.

"Why?" Ganondorf retorted. "When Luigi is revived, he will have no memory of who he was. This was the coup of the century! We'll be able to turn the Man in Green, one of the Deciding Four, to our side."

"I know what you mean," John answered with a shrug. "But still, Master Hand's orders stand."

"Again, why does Master Hand want me?"

"Apparently, Master Hand wants you to invite Bowser to join the Subspace Army. He's just had a disaster and Master Hand thinks he'll be receptive to our offer."

"Bowser's not as bad off as the others that answered our call affirmatively," Ganondorf retorted.

"I wouldn't be so sure," John countered. "He lost most of his sky navy and air force in that failed attack on Princess Peach's castle and later lost his strongest Koopatrols and Magikoopas on Gaia. That could have a significant effect on the Koopa Troop."

"But it's not like the Koopa Troop was destroyed in that fight."

"Either way, Master Hand won't take 'no' for an answer. You can come back to check on Luigi's status once this is finished."

"Very well," Ganondorf grumbled. Despite not liking or even respecting John, he did not want Master Hand to become angry with him. As such, he left the room with John following behind him. As he left, though, John took one last look at the console and readouts on the screens. As he did so, several buttons were pressed seemingly completely on their own. As he left the room, he risked a quick glance to the right, seeing a cat-like creature with a red jewel in the middle of its forehead. Its eyes had been glowing but when John looked at it, its eyes stopped glowing. John surreptitiously smiled and gave it a thumbs up before following Ganondorf to Master Hand. All that he could hope now was that his plan would work out and no one would notice what really happened inside the Shrine of Resurrection.

Meanwhile, inside the sarcophagus at the center of the Shrine of Resurrection, a voice spoke to the man inside the sarcophagus, saying, "Wake up."

At first, the man did not respond. He just lay there.

"Wake up!" the voice said again.

This time, it was louder and it seemed as if it got through to the man this time, for he opened his eyes but found that he was still submerged in water. As the man's eyes opened, the top of the sarcophagus opened and the man floated to the top. Once he did so, he sat up, raising his head and chest above the water.

Looking around, he saw that he was in an unfamiliar place, or at least, it seemed unfamiliar to him. Blinking his eyes a couple times, he attempted remember how he had gotten here. As he tried to think back, though, he could not remember at all how he had arrived at this location, or even how he could have been taken here. More so, and worryingly, he could not remember anything at all, it seemed. Thinking back to his name, he could not think of it. He could not remember his name, where he came from, how he had gotten here, nothing. His mind seemed to be a complete blank.

He then stood up and found that he was still able to stand. He then stepped out of the sarcophagus and found that he was still able to walk. He then took stock of himself and found that he was dressed only in boxer underwear. How did he know that the underwear that he was wearing was known as boxers but not his own name? He then tried to think back to his family but could not remember them, either. He did remember that he was a human, though. He also remembered that humans were from a planet called Earth. But he could not figure out why he remembered what species he was and what its homeworld was but could not remember his own name, family, what he did, assuming he did anything, or who his friends were.

He then looked around the chamber and saw a set of clothes consisting of a green shirt, blue overalls, and a green hat with a white emblem in the center with an L on the emblem. His eyes were drawn to the L on the hat and he wondered if it had any special meaning. Either way, he did not want to leave the room dressed only in boxers so he put on the shirt and overalls, along with a pair of sox and shoes that were next to the overalls. Finally, he put on the hat, figuring that it completed the outfit. After putting it on, he could not help but feel a sense of rightness about it. Now all he needed to do was find out where he was and, hopefully, in time, he would remember more of who he was.

Before attempting to leave, he scoured the room for anything that might help him remember either who he was, or how he got here. As he scoured the room, he found a series of caps similar to the one he was wearing but they were almost a translucent red and did not have any letters on them. There were other items that he found as well, such as a round device that could be worn on the chest an orange, yellow, and white flower with eyes, and a feather. Gripping the feather, a cape immediately appeared on his back. Not only that, but he felt as if he could now fly. He also made note of the round silver device he had taken, feeling that it could be useful later on.

Seeing nothing else in the room, he decided to depart. Heading over towards the door, he approached it but when he did so, it would not open. Puzzled, he took a step back and took a seemingly careless step to his left. In doing so, he stepped on a floor panel that caused a panel on the wall to slide back and reveal a green pipe. As if knowing that the pipe was a Warp Pipe, and that it was his ticket out of the room, he went through the pipe.

He emerged from the other end of the pipe and found himself in a dark corridor. Looking around the corridor, he saw nothing of note and proceeded to make his way through the corridor to the door on the other side. Once he approached the door, he made his way through.

On the other side, he found that the door opened up into a small stairwell that seemed to lead outside. He cautiously approached the exit that led outside and when he did, he caught sight of a shadow being cast over the exit. He then ducked back a few steps, waiting for the shadow to move before heading out. Once the shadow had moved, though, he proceeded to exit the chamber and step out into the world.

When he stepped out, he found himself standing in the midst of a forest that seemed to go on in all directions as far as the eye could see. He had no idea where he was or where he should go. Looking back at where he had come from, he saw what he viewed as only a small underground shrine. Still, he knew that the pipe must have taken him to that shrine from a different location. For a second, he wanted to head back to see if he should have stayed, but something in his mind told him that he had made the right decision, and that someone had purposefully laid out those items to help him escape, especially since the Warp Pipe looked like it had been hidden on purpose. While he figured he may have had a friend wherever he had been, it was clear that the friend wanted him out of that shrine, even if something there could help him remember who he was. Either way, he knew that it would be no use staying in one place for any length of time so he closed his eyes for a moment and picked a random direction.

After opening his eyes, he looked forward and began to walk through the forest, hoping to find a trail. As he walked, though, a thought came to his mind. He needed a name to give should someone ask his name since he did not want to tell a stranger that he could not remember his own name. Thinking back to the L on his cap, he felt he had the perfect name: Mister L. As he thought of the name, he felt a power inside of him that he brought forth in the form of electricity crackling between his fingers. As he saw the electricity, he amended his name. He was Mister L., the Green Thunder.