Down by the Station

by Superfloxes

Snowball loved his master as much as any dog could, and would always wait for him by the train station. But what happens when Master mysteriously doesn't return one day? A backstory for Polterpup.

Author Notes - Inspired by TheGameNguyener's fanfic Plumber's Best Friend, and a certain true story. This connects to my story Luigi's Mansion: Tomb Service, but neither are necessary to read to understand the other.

DOWN BY THE STATION

The Mushroom Kingdom in the mid 30's was one heck of a place, yet not too different from its modern day counterpart. Princess Ume, daughter of Queen Mango and one of Peach's many ancestors, ruled with the same gentle fist well known in her family. The usual Toads enjoyed themselves with the same usual activities they do today. The technology may have been nothing compared to what we have now, but they were pretty advanced for their time. Their most famous piece of technology was easily a grand steam engine, with a train line leading all the way from Toad Town to Dry Dry Desert and beyond.

It was Snowball's favourite spot too.

'Arf arf!'

'That's right, Snowball! We're going to the train station again.'

Snowball knew they were approaching the station when he could smell the burning coals from inside the trains. It may have irritated him to begin with, but he loved it now. A few other Toads bought their tickets and waited for their trains, but this early in the morning there wasn't many other people.

'Sweet Grambi, I hate my job.' A red Toad sitting on a bench muttered. 'I mean, the pay is fantastic, but having to go out into a desert every day isn't exactly my idea of fun.'

The nearby green Toad shrugged her shoulders. 'Eh, preaching to the choir there. My in-laws live on Mount Rugged and get angry with me if I don't visit them at least once a week.' She shuddered. 'It's my living hell.'

Master, as Snowball liked to call him, stood out among the Toad residents thanks to being a human, and a rather recognisable one at that. Whenever Snowball waited for him, he didn't even need the scent to identify him. With that smooth moustache, big round nose, and sweet blue eyes, anyone would recognise him.

Master was no ordinary businessman, and that was obvious from his get-up. He was an archaeologist after all, which was one of the only real jobs over at Mount Rugged, and he would always make sure to bring home a bone for his adoring pet. He didn't bother cleaning himself up too often, so he always looked more like a plumber than a more 'professional' worker.

With his ticket in hand, Master stood behind the yellow line and awaited the arrival of the beloved K64. The time of the old girl's arrival came and went. Minutes flew by, and it made Snowball nervous.

'Yip yip?'

'Don't worry, Snowball.' Master said, stroking the top of his head. 'The ol' K64 is just late. She'll be here soon.'

It was one of Snowball's favourite things about Master - his enthusiasm. No matter what, Master would always keep himself on the bright side. Sure enough, ol' K64 arrived just a few minutes late.

'ALL ABOARD!' The conductor announced as he opened the doors. 'Next stop, Mount Rugged!'

The few Toads at the station this early crowded into the train, grumbling to themselves about having to get up so early. Except for Clairey T. That yellow Toad never seemed to be anything less than overjoyed, a trait that would be carried onto her descendants such as Parr T.

As excited as Snowball was to see the gorgeous engine arriving, the sight of it always made him sad. After all, it meant that Master would have to leave for his job. The little puppy hung his head and whimpered.

Master knelt to his level and cuddled him. 'I know it hurts wherever we separate, but it's okay. I'll be back to bring you a delicious bone, just like every other day! Think you can wait for me?'

This managed to perk his spirits. He sat there on his spot as he watched Master board the train. How it saddened him to watch him go, but their reunion at the end of the day filled him with enough anticipation to be worth it.

Master looked back through the open doors for as long as he could before they closed on him. Even then, when he took his seat, he made sure to sit by a window so he could wave his beloved pet off. Snowball waved to him back, his tail wagging like a turbine.

'Yip yip yip!'

Master was no happier about leaving his precious puppy behind. The little scamp was only five months old, and over those five months he had proven himself to be one of the sweetest dogs ever born. He sat back in his seat and sighed. The wait would all be worth it, and Snowball got to spend the time doing whatever the heck he wanted.

What Master didn't realise was that Snowball's idea of 'whatever the heck he wanted' was not at all what he expected. Snowball sat on his spot, even as the world continued to move around him. Even as the sun moved across the sky. Even as other trains arrived at the station. Even when a group of tourists from the Beanbean Kingdom arrived.

It was the same thing that dog did every single day when he waited for Master to return home. He didn't want to do anything else.

'Look at the cute little doggy, daddy!' A young Beanish child cried as she approached a waiting Snowball.

Her father held her hand, gently holding her back. 'Be careful, sweetie. He may bite.'

A nearby purple Toad, waiting on a bench and reading a newspaper, chuckled. 'What, Snowball? He'd never bite anyone! And anyway, when he's like this he'll barely realise you're here.'

The Beanish child broke free from her father's hand and gave the doggy a cuddle. As the Toad promised, Snowball didn't react at all, aside from a small quick lick on the cheek. After giving her a little kiss, Snowball continued to wait for Master's train to return.

The Beanish father looked at the dog weirdly. 'Is he always like that?' He asked.

'Not always.' The Toad said. 'Just when his owner leaves for his job. He's so determined to see his owner again, he won't even eat anything!'

'Oh my. And he's okay with that?'

'If he wanted to leave, he would.'

Snowball waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Anyone else would die from boredom before their friend got back, but Snowball never got bored waiting for his Master.

It took the usual several hours for Master's job to finish, right as the sun was setting, but the time had finally arrived. Snowball, for the first time since the K64 had departed, hopped up and down like a rowdy Chain-Chomp. He yipped just like one too, but a little more happy and less angry.

'YIP YIP! YIP YIP!'

Master was always the first one off, so he didn't have to wait long at all! The doors opened up, revealing right behind them…! An orange Toad wearing goggles? Well, that wasn't right. It didn't put Snowball's spirits down at all though – Master probably just dropped the special bone or something like that and needed to stay behind for a moment. And anyway, this Toad rushed out the doors the moment he could. Maybe that guy was just that excited to get out.

Snowball sat in his place and waited for the next passenger. Surely Master would be next! And… no, that wasn't Master either. Just some red-shelled Koopa Troopa cursing to herself, most likely due to all the scratches her job had given her.

A third passenger left the train, and while he wasn't Master either Snowball couldn't help but to put all his attention on him. Most the people coming back from their jobs in Mount Rugged were usually either excited to get home or exhausted from a hard day at work, but this goggle-wearing blue Toad seemed… sad. He sighed as he stepped out of the train, and gasped when he saw the puppy waiting for Master.

'Oh no…' He murmured. 'H-Hi Snowball.'

Snowball tilted his head in confusion and yipped. The Toad backed away, almost blocking the other passengers from leaving. When the other workers at Mount Rugged saw Snowball, the already-sad-looking passengers seemed all the more heartbroken.

A friendly Goomba tapped the Toad's leg with her foot. 'Are you gonna tell him, or should I?'

'I… I don't know.' The Toad replied, tapping his fingers together. 'I have no idea how he's gonna take the news. Maybe he's better off not knowing?'

Snowball whimpered. He had no idea what they could've been talking about, but they were apparently convinced that he couldn't hear them. Despite the obviously bad discussion they were having, the Toad just waved at him with a blatantly fake smile.

'Hey there, Snowball!' The Toad greeted.

The other passengers left without saying another word. With the final train of the day having arrived, the train station itself closed for the day. Snowball stayed in his spot though. The people running the station simply left him there, figuring that he would leave eventually.

Snowball did not leave though. He stayed in that spot all night. Master was just staying for the night to do some more work, obviously. He'd be back the next night. So, Snowball stayed put just in case he showed up early. Maybe he even missed the train again! No matter what had happened, the doggy refused to move from his spot, even when it began to rain.

Come the next morning, the early day passengers saw him still in his spot, drinking up the water from a nearby puddle. The Toad with the goggles pulled out his lunch from his backpack and handed Snowball a drumstick that he had planned to have for lunch. Snowball, though the smell enticed him, refused to eat until Master returned.

The friendly Goomba approached him. 'We gotta tell him.'

The Toad shook his head. 'I don't think it's worth it. Even if we tell him, he'll probably just stay here. I'm not sure if he's even listening to me.'

Snowball ignored them. They weren't important. All that mattered was waiting for Master to arrive that night. Throughout the day, many people had handed food to him, but he ignored every bit of it.

Eventually, the K64 returned once again after another day's trip to the mountain. Snowball waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But Master did not get off. The goggle-wearing Toad noticeably winced upon seeing him waiting there again.

'Oh my Grambi…' He muttered. 'Can you just… ARGH!'

The friendly Goomba ran past him. 'Alright, that's it. I'm telling him.'

'Wait, nonono!'

The Toad couldn't stop her, and she ran all the way up to the waiting puppy. With how aggressively she approached him, Snowball had to pay attention to her.

'Snowball, listen to me.' She said. 'Your owner? I hate to say this, but… there was an accident up at Mount Rugged. We were exploring a cave, looking at some interesting things inside it, when it suddenly collapsed. My Toad friend and I barely escaped, but many of the people inside didn't make it. Your owner was, unfortunately, one of them.'

Snowball whimpered in confusion.

'I'm so sorry, but… he's never coming back.'

The doggy snorted and pushed her away. Who was she to say that Master would never come back? Master always came back, no matter what. And he was going to stay there until he did!

'I told you.' The Toad said. 'That pup is stubborn.'

'Well, what can we do? We can't just let him stay here and starve to death!'

'We have to hope that he realises that his owner is gone, and he'll leave. If he doesn't…' He sighed. 'Sorry, but there's nothing we can do. Even if we drag him away and lock him in a cage, he'll find a way to return.'

No one at the train station wanted to leave him there, but they had no choice. Snowball did not move from his spot, refusing to go anything or do anything until his beloved Master returned.

A week had gone by. The red-shelled Koopa Troopa had gotten sick of seeing him there and picked him up.

'Alright, that's enough.' She said as she hoisted him up. 'You're coming home with me.'

Snowball was having none of that and bit into her arm.

'YOWCH!' She cried as she dropped him. 'Geez, you're usually a lot nicer than that.'

Two weeks had passed. Though he kept himself hydrated by drinking from the puddles that gathered on the station, he could feel starvation kicking it. His empty stomach begged for sustenance, but he ignored it. Whenever Master returned, he would be certain to feed him to the brim to make up for all the time he had been missing. Everyone at the train station had long since given up on trying to get him to move, as horrible as it was to watch him slowly starve.

'Get something you stupid mutt!' The goggled-Toad yelled as he shoved food into Snowball's face. 'Anything! EAT MY FACE OFF IF YOU HAVE TO!'

The Goomba used her teeth to drag the poor Toad away.

A month had gone by, and Snowball finally succumbed to starvation. His weak body couldn't hold on anymore, and he collapsed to the ground. He held onto his consciousness the hardest he ever did – he couldn't be unconscious when Master finally arrived.

Despite how hard he had fought, his eyes slowly closed as the sun set behind the horizon. His eyes did not open again.

The next morning, everyone was horrified and saddened, yet not surprised at all, to see Snowball's body lying by the train tracks. Ol' K64 was delayed for hours as the passengers refused to let the doggy go without a proper burial. They tracked down Master's old house, now occupied solely by his wife and daughter, and got his family's permission to bury Snowball in his backyard.

Snowball had not left the station, however. He stayed there, long after his body couldn't take it anymore. His soul remained on that spot, now no longer held back by the limitations of a mortal body. He needed no rest or food anymore, and still he spent his time waiting for Master to return.

He stayed for a decade, and only then did he decide to stop waiting for his Master. He had certainly not given up on Master, however. Of course not. If Master was going to take this long to show up, perhaps he had decided to travel and couldn't return to Toad Town anymore. Now free from his mortal shackles, Snowball wandered the globe in search of his beloved Master.

No sign of him in New Donk City. No hide of him in the Beanbean Kingdom. Absolutely nothing in Cramalot either. Maybe he was in the Belome Temple, or perhaps he took a trip to Sarasaland to meet up with Queen Rose. All these locations checked, and nothing.

He came across a dark and shadowy place known as Evershade Valley, where tons of other ghosts resided. Granted, none of them were animal ghosts like him, but still. With the fellow spirits in the air, occupying five beautiful and expansive mansions, he chose to give up on his search for just a bit to relax. His plans on migrating once again came to a stop when that Dark Moon in the sky suddenly shattered, and the only thought in his mind was to cause some trouble.

So imagine his shock when, while he was hanging out at the top of the Haunted Towers and chilling among all the plant life and trouble-making ghosts, he encountered a man in the pool with a key in his hand. Snowball's pupil-less eyes sparkled at the sight of him. It… it couldn't be.

Smooth moustache… big round nose… the sweetest blue eyes he had ever seen…

MASTER!

After all this time, Snowball had finally found Master again! Why on earth he was all the way out here in this ghostly valley was a mystery that the delighted puppy didn't care to know the answer of. Nothing else matter. MASTER HAD RETURNED!

Just one problem – thanks to whatever was coursing through his mind, he simply didn't have full control of his actions anymore. Even though his brain demanded that he give Master the cuddling of a lifetime, he just picked up the key and tossed it out the window. Much to Master's dismay.

'No no no!' Master yelled. 'Bad doggy!'

Master had never talked to him like that before, but it wasn't like Snowball could blame him. This behaviour was awful, but he couldn't fight against his subconscious urges. So he was delighted when Master chased after him to trap him in that fancy vacuum of his! Except he managed to break out somehow, once again to Master's dismay and possibly frustration.

Then they met again in that musty old clockwork factory! Except, once again, all that was on Snowball's mind was making trouble. And, like before, Master hunted him down and captured him in that vacuum cleaner. AND, once more like before, he broke out.

'Bad doggy!'

Their third encounter was in that horrifying mansion above that endless void. Snowball was now more certain than ever that this man was indeed Master, but all he did was send him on yet another goose chase. He was captured again, but this time for good. How badly he wanted to break out a third time to finally meet up with Master again after all these years!

One thing baffled Snowball though – why hadn't Master recognised him? Yes, he was a ghost now, but he was still the adorable white puppy that Master always knew. Snowball didn't put it past him. It had been several decades after all. As much as he didn't want to think about Master forgetting him, he knew that humans only had so much room in those brilliant brains of theirs for important information.

Then, the Dark Moon was restored, and Snowball was freed alongside all the other ghosts. The first thing he did once he was freed was not join in on the celebration but instead walk right up to Master and apologise. He felt great guilt for his actions and could barely look Master in the eye as he whimpered.

'Hello doggy…' Master greeted nervously.

Ignoring the rest of the world, Snowball jumped into Master's arms and cuddled with him for the first time in decades. There, he met a horrible realisation – that did not smell like Master at all. The scent was totally different; near unrecognisable. That's when it dawned on him…

This wasn't Master.

Not even close.

He didn't stop cuddling him though. This strange man cuddled him just the same way Master used to.

'I'm-a Luigi!' The man greeted after the celebratory photo had been taken, confirming Snowball's suspicions. 'And this is my big bro Mario. You seem kinda… lonely. Do you wanna come home with me?'

Snowball stopped to think about it for a moment. How long had it been since he had started waiting at that old train station? Nearly a century, he figured. How old was Master when he left? Late thirties at the youngest. How long could mortal humans live for again? Snowball cringed in Luigi's arms – if he wasn't gone before, then Master was definitely gone now.

But one look into Luigi's eyes, Snowball knew one thing.

He had found Master after all.

'I don't think you have a name, do ya boy? How about… Polterpup?'

'Uh, bro, isn't that his species' name?'

'Well, we know a Toad named Toad and a Yoshi named Yoshi. Is it really all that weird?'

'Alright, you got me there.'

Snowball was now no longer 'Snowball' but instead 'Polterpup'. Even though he knew that this man wasn't really his previous owner, he treated this new Master like he was. Every time Master left his house to go on a mission, Polterpup waited for him and did nothing else until he got home.

And, every day, Master would return. Polterpup would always wait until the day he never came back again.

Author Notes - In case it isn't obvious, this short story was inspired by the story of Hachikō, who I'm sure you've heard of. Some liberties were taken, but blah blah blah adaptation something something. If you haven't, I'll give you the gist of it. Hachikō was a dog who waited by a train station for nearly a decade after his owner died unexpectedly at work, and he even has a statue of himself to honour his loyalty and faithfulness.

Also inspired by TGN's aforementioned story, which also provided a backstory for Polterpup (which I won't spoil cos you need to read it yourself). I wanted my own backstory for Polterpup that didn't blatantly copy his, so this is mine.