A/N: Brace yourselves. This is a long introductory Author's Note.
Despite my hiatus, I want to thank every single person who either left a favorite, followed the story, wrote a review, and/or just read the first chapter of my latest short story. It's a long list of people, but I want to thank those who already like it so far (as of this update).
FairyTalePrincess16, Infinite's Ruby, Marcela Cerda Garcia, Oderus, SpiderDom321, StarrySkyFall, Steel Fairy, and seraangelqc, thanks for being the first eight users to add Distance to your Favorite Stories list, most notably within the first twenty-four hours when I released this story. It is the most I've ever gotten in that period of time for the first chapter of any of my works, mostly because I uploaded it on the one-year anniversary of Super Mario Odyssey.
Beowulf the Divine Emperor, GirlOnDarkerSide, Kitkatkatester, TrimusicaDrag00n90, CrashBandit450, Pikminfan, NMochi, and CrazyCartoonz, thanks as well for adding this fanfic as a favorite.
Not only that, thanks to SagaOfJenny, Tiger of Darkness, DameFlemmarde, Anonymous Girl Gamer, Mariogeek, and everyone else who left a follow.
Lastly, thanks to FairyTalePrincess16, Oderus, Infinite's Ruby, Steel Fairy, SpiderDom321, Anonymous Girl Gamer, James Birdsong, XenoGamer186, and the four Guests for writing a review. Whether it's positive feedback, constructive criticism, or first impressions/thoughts, they all mean a lot to me.
Whew. I'm so glad I managed to get through all that. Seriously, I appreciate the support from you guys. As a side note, I made some edits to the first chapter, which includes something added after the disclaimer. The same will be done for every other chapter exclusively for this story. Now let's not waste any more time. Onto the next chapter!
Disclaimer: Major spoilers to Super Mario Odyssey are found here. I don't own anything in the Mario franchise.
"If you ask why I'm distant, oh, I'm running away."
~Halsey (from 'Alone')
Chapter 2: Guilt Trip
At the castle, all of the Toads continued their work to set up for tomorrow's party. Streamers, balloons, tables, and other props were being arranged in the lobby. Luigi, who was helping with the decorations, was very excited about it. After all, this was a surprise event for Princess Daisy. She received an invitation to join the next Smash Bros. event, and Princess Peach was the one who proposed the idea to celebrate this occasion. (1) Even though it was only over a month away until all the qualified fighters actually leave their world to travel to the Smash Mansion, everyone thought it would be nice to throw a party for Daisy.
Many citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom and around the world agreed to join the festivities, which included most of the fighters who participated in at least one tournament in the past. The list included Yoshi, Rosalina, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong. As for the last two, they weren't so thrilled that their reptilian rival, King K. Rool, also got an inclusion to the Smash Bros. tournament. Pauline, who wasn't much a fighter, instead was asked to perform as background music and allow New Donk City to be eligible as a battlefield. She gladly accepted the offer and decided to attend Daisy's surprise party.
Despite the fact that there were some bad relations between certain fighters, Bowser, Jr., the Koopalings, and Wario also received invites to the party. It didn't take long, but word was immediately received that Wario declined to attend the party because he thought Waluigi would start another outburst since he was only invited back to the Smash tourneys as an assistant fighter. If he went, then Waluigi had almost no choice but to come as well. The last thing Wario wanted was to have his purple partner wreck the celebration on purpose. (2)
As for the Koopa King, Bowser also rejected the invitation, which forced all the Koopa Kids to be unable to attend as well. Bowser may had been a part of the gang's sports competitions and kart races, but he was not the kind of person, or rather Koopa, who enjoyed parties, especially when he's usually the one ruining them. (3)
Regardless, everything was shaping up to be perfect. Luigi was eager to see the look on Daisy's face when she sees what they have planned for her. However, he noticed that his older brother had yet to arrive at the castle. He took a moment to step outside. Checking his surroundings, he didn't see a single trace of him or his red hat nearby.
"Mario, when are you coming over?" he whispered to himself.
Not wanting to slack off, Luigi returned to his duties. He was embellishing a large banner reading 'Congratulations Daisy!' with flowers glued around the border. At one point, he had a question of where he should hang it up. He decided to ask Peach for her opinion. Once the green-clad man got to her bedroom door, he knocked twice.
"Hello? Princess Peach?"
He didn't receive a response. He tried knocking again.
"Peach?"
Luigi didn't want to be rude by entering her room without permission, so he stayed out in the hallway. But it was such a long period of awkward silence that he was starting to get tired of waiting. He gave the door three more knocks.
"Princess Peach? Are you th-" The door suddenly opened, interrupting his question.
"Oh, Luigi. I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you." Technically, she was lying. Earlier, she tried to call Mario. But after he abruptly hung up on her, she was caught in a state of confusion and sadness. Never had she ever thought that he would do such a thing. It wasn't like him to end a phone call without responding.
"It's no problem, Peach. I was going to ask you if you want the big banner to be hung in the lobby or outside the castle." He waited for an answer, but he caught Peach staring at nothing. "Princess?" he waved a hand in front of her.
"Huh? What?"
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, um..." she was having trouble speaking.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Uh, no. Everything's alright."
Luigi looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm positive."
"Only if you say so. Can you answer my question now?"
"Oh, right. What was it again?"
"I was wondering if you want the big banner in the castle lobby or outside."
"The banner? I think in the lobby would be best."
"Okay, sounds good. Thanks for your help."
Peach saw him about to leave, but she stopped him. "Wait! Luigi?"
He turned around. "Yes, Princess?"
"Where's Mario?"
Luigi frowned after she asked him that. "I thought he would be here by now. Earlier this morning, I saw him look very tired."
"You did?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "He also sounded irritated about something. When I tried to ask, he told me to leave me alone."
Peach blinked, trying to conceal her shock. "He said that to you?"
Another nod came from Luigi. "At least he apologized. The thing is, I didn't want to rush him if he was in a bad mood. So, I told him to take his time before leaving. Mario told me that he'll be late, but he should come over at some point. I just don't know what's taking him so long. Do you happen to know, by any chance?"
"Of course not." The way she answered that sounded defensive. "Sorry."
"Princess?"
Peach closed her eyes before sighing. She leaned against the side of the door. "I don't know, Luigi. Mario really doesn't seem like himself for the past... several months. I believe something's wrong with him."
"I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that."
"You're concerned as well?"
"Of course I am! He's my brother!"
"It's just that... he doesn't seem to talk to me that much. He doesn't see me a whole lot, either. Besides the tennis tournament we had at the Kingdom of Bask, we've never really been close with one another for so long."
"I've noticed that as well. And please, don't remind of that again. I already made the mistake of grabbing Lucien unknowingly." (4)
"Sorry, Luigi. Anyways, just this morning, I called Mario to see why he hasn't arrived yet. When I spoke, he didn't reply once. All I heard was nothing on his end of the line."
"Really?" Luigi's eyes widened a little.
"Yeah. And whenever I do get the chance to talk to him, he tries to change the subject. I keep asking him why he's avoiding my conversations, and it honestly hurts my heart that he doesn't seem to care anymore. I'm very concerned, Luigi."
"Do you want me to go back home and check on him?"
"You don't mind doing that?"
"No. If something went wrong, I should've figured it out by brotherly instinct. I mean, I've had this feeling for a while, but I think there's something we don't know about. I'll go ahead and find him. I'll report back to you as soon as I can."
"Thank you, Luigi. I sincerely appreciate your help."
"Anytime, Princess. I'll be back shortly."
Luigi gave a bow before he ran down the hall until he was out of sight. Peach laid her right hand on her cheek with her left supporting the elbow. Shaking her head, she was at a loss. Mario has acted strangely whenever she sees him, which was completely different than every other encounter in the past. She just didn't know why. Walking over to her balcony, she stared outside, seeing everyone in good spirits as they continued to prepare for Daisy's party. She barely saw Luigi leaving Toad Town as he made his way towards the Mario Bros.' home. Peach later looked up at the sky. The clouds slowly rolled across the morning sky. Clasping her hands over her chest, she made a silent prayer.
"Mario, what is going on? Why are you avoiding me?"
Location: Cap Kingdom
The Cap Kingdom was a monochromatic region filled with tons of locals known as Bonneters. These citizens were generally hat-like spirits. And fittingly enough, most of their home was associated with hats; the lampposts, the airships, the famous landmark known as Top-Hat Tower, heck, the entire continent was shaped like a top hat.
In the heart of this kingdom, all of this was found in the main location of Bonneton, a land full of dark vegetation surrounded by thick clouds of fog. It was also the same location where a special Bonneter had a run-in with a mustachioed man in red. He was currently spending some leisure time with his little sister in the Central Plaza.
"Big Brother, is it true that you'll be joining Mario in that big fighting event?" asked Tiara. (5)
"I sure am, Little Sis! Not only that, Princess Peach sent me a letter last week saying that she'll be thrilled to have me attend the party tomorrow. They're celebrating her friend's inclusion to the Smash community."
"That sounds wonderful!"
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Princess Peach mentioned I can bring a guest to the party."
Tiara gasped with excitement. "Wait, does that mean..."
"That's right, Tiara! I'm taking you with me!"
"Oh, thank you, Big Brother!" she grabbed ahold of Cappy's arms and spun around in circles. "I'm sure you'll do well! You and Mario are a great team together!"
"I'll be sure to help him out as much as I can. And-"
Cappy paused for a second when he noticed something in the distance. It was something he was very familiar with.
"What's wrong, Cappy?"
"Why, it's the Odyssey!" he pointed up at the sky.
"Oh, you're right! But wait, isn't that your and Mario's airship?"
"Indeed. Which leads me to wonder; why is it approaching our home again?"
"Maybe Mario and Princess Peach want to pay us a visit."
"I guess that sounds logical. Let's go over and greet them!"
"Okay! Right behind you, Big Bro!"
The two Bonneters floated over the hills towards the usual landing spot. Once the Odyssey reached the ground, Mario opened the door and started to walk out. He slightly jumped and leaned back when he saw two pairs of eyes in front of him.
"Oh, Mamma Mia! Cappy! Tiara!"
"Hello, Mario!" they both greeted.
"You kind of freaked me out a little. I didn't expect to see you so soon."
"Sorry about that," Cappy apologized.
"Is Princess Peach in there as well?" Tiara was so eager that she flew past Mario and went inside the airship. She also managed to miss Mario wearing a frown.
"Mario? What's the matter?" Cappy noticed his face. Although Mario hardly let his emotions be seen in public, the last time the top-hatted spirit saw him like this was when he first ran into him, exactly one year ago when he explained that Bowser ruined his home and kidnapped Tiara.
He remained quiet as Tiara exited the interior. "She's not in here," she furrowed her eyebrows. "Why is Peach not with you, Mario?"
The red plumber let out a long sigh. "I... went alone."
Blank stares came from the Bonneters. "That's it?" Cappy was dubious.
"Actually, Cappy, I need to talk to you. In private."
Tiara was confused and a little hurt that Mario wanted her to be excluded from the conversation. Cappy comforted her by patting her head. "Don't worry, Tiara. We'll get back to you as soon as possible. Why don't you go buy some ice cream?"
"Alright. Do you want anything, Big Bro?"
"Sure. I'll take a vanilla cone. Two scoops, please."
"Mario? Would you like any?"
"Grazie, but I'm good, thank you."
"Are you sure?" She received a silent nod. "Okay. I'll see you guys later."
Once Tiara left the two alone, Mario laid a hand on his forehead. "I didn't mean to make your sister upset."
"I'm sure she knows you're not trying to be rude. If this is personal matters, then it's understandable. But speaking of that, what exactly do you want to see me for?"
"Come inside. We'll talk from there."
With the door shut and locked up, Mario took his seat in the chair on the left while Cappy occupied the other closest to the wardrobe and mirror. Lying against the mushroom-decorated pillows, the two got comfortable before they started to talk.
"So, Mario, tell me. What's on your mind?" Cappy felt like he was being a therapist considering Mario was not in a very cheerful mood.
"Cappy, do you know what day it is?"
"Saturday, right? I did check my calendar this morning."
"Well, yes. But I meant the date."
"Why, of course I know! It happens to be the same day you and I first met each other one year ago! I saw you lying on your stomach, unconscious. I tapped you to see if you would wake up, and you did. But you kind of startled me and I ran away from you," he embarrassingly chuckled. Mario actually got a laugh from that, too. "It was also the day we embarked on the biggest journey of our entire lives. Never have I ever experienced such thrills and scenery in a matter of hours. We traveled all around the world and saw tons of friendly faces and unfriendly faces, if you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I do," he retained his smile.
"We stuck together like a well-oiled machine, collecting tens and hundreds of Power Moons so we could catch up to Bowser, stop the wedding, and save Peach and Tiara."
And the name of that one person brought Mario back to reality as he almost forgot the reason why he wanted to see Cappy in the first place. His grin disappeared under his black, bushy mustache.
His friend saw the change of emotion on his face. "Did I say something wrong?"
Mario quickly lifted his head toward him. "Oh, not at all, Cappy. It's just that..."
"What? You can tell me anything, Mario."
"Well..." he twiddled his thumbs for a while. "You remember what happened after we defeated Bowser, right?"
Cappy instantly knew where this was going. "Yeah. I vividly remember everything. The escape from the Moon's core was quite epic, actually. But, you're thinking about something else instead, correct?"
Mario nodded before he laid his head back on the chair. Another memory was about to haunt his mind. It was that moment where he ruined his chances to be with her forever.
~Flashback
...
Location: Moon Kingdom
Honeylune Ridge. This was the final destination of Bowser's journey as he prepared his marriage with Peach. But after Mario managed to defeat him, he was relieved to see Peach free from the ring she was trapped in. As it dissipated, she floated safely to the ground like every other moment when she was suspended in midair. By the time her high heels touched the arena's surface, she clasped her hands and stared at her hero in white. (That's because he was wearing a wedding outfit, courtesy of Cappy.)
"Mario..." she smiled from afar.
"Peach..."
Seeing her just made his heart melt. He had seen instances of Peach in the Lochlady Dress that Bowser stole from the Lake Kingdom. But he never got the chance to admire her beauty. She looked absolutely stunning. Mario believed that now was the perfect time to make a move.
Mario ran over to his lover. He was getting closer to her. But soon after, a block of moon rock landed directly in between Mario and Peach. Suddenly, the place started to rumble. Cappy and Tiara's eyes appeared as they looked around with the others. Bowser still remained unconscious as stars circled over his head. Then, more moon rocks crashed behind Peach, causing her to jump and yelp with Mario. Five more dropped to the arena, surrounding them all.
Scared for her life, she called out to him. "Mario!"
He turned around and tried to sprint over to her. "Peach!" (6)
"Cappy!" Tiara yelled for her brother.
"Tiara!" he returned.
Unfortunately, the entire floor fell apart with the moon rocks. Mario, Peach, Cappy, and Tiara plummeted to the dark abyss below with Bowser, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Slowly but surely, his senses started working again. Blinking his eyes open, Mario finally had the energy back to push off from the ground. He's had plenty of instances of experiencing large falls that he still couldn't believe he hasn't broken any bones in his body.
Cappy's eyes fluttered open on his top hat. Looking down, he had to ask him. "You alright, Mario?"
An exasperated sigh left his lips. "Barely. Why is it so hot again?"
"Probably because we're back in this underground dungeon."
Mario looked around. "But this doesn't look familiar to me." He managed to find Peach down the path.
"Ow..." Cappy groaned. "Are those two alright?!"
As Mario walked over, the rock he originally stood on started crumbling into the lava sea. Not wanting to fall off, he hurried over to Peach who was pacing back and forth.
"Peach!"
"Mario! Oh my, I thought I almost lost you again. I didn't even see you from over there."
"Well, I'm here now. But we need to find a way to get out of here."
With the place crumbling again, Peach began to worry once more. "Mario, what are we going to do?"
Mario put a hand on his chin, thinking to himself. He was interrupted by Cappy who took a glance at Bowser laying nearby them, still unconscious from his defeat.
"Mario! Throw me!"
"Where?"
"At him!"
He blinked. "Are you serious?"
"No time for questions! Just do it!"
Mario was reluctant, but he listened to his hat companion. Cappy reverted to the Mario cap and stuck himself between Bowser's horns.
"Come on!" urged Cappy.
Mario started to rise up from the ground. His entire body went into Bowser's head, causing the Koopa King to flinch and grunt. After Peach was startled, she looked up at Tiara.
"What just happened?"
"It's my brother's special ability to capture things. Whoever controls him can take the life form of a person or object as long as he's attached to something."
"So you mean, Mario has possessed... Bowser?"
"Your guess is correct."
Meanwhile, Mario was yelling as he was being sucked into another dark expanse towards a large sphere of yellow light. Images of his previous encounters with Bowser and visuals of Princess Peach in the wedding dress flew past him as he got closer to the beacon. Eventually, he found himself at the end once the light absorbed his entire soul.
Back in the real world, Peach saw Bowser's body starting to move again. Curiously enough, she was convinced by Tiara that Mario was somehow in there. Hoping to get confirmation, she hesitantly got closer to Bowser who now had Mario's signature mustache on his muzzle.
"Hey, Mario? A-Are you there?"
To her disbelief, she didn't see the fearsome, red eyes Bowser had. She was reassured by the clear blue pupils, which happened to be Mario's. 'Bowser' looked at her and nodded, prompting a smile on her face.
"Oh, my. This is quite a turn of events. But in this situation, maybe it'll be easier to escape."
The Koopa grunted with determination as he slowly got up on his feet. Then, he lowered his left claw. He guided Peach over and lifted her to stand on his left shoulder. She held his horn tightly and 'Bowser' roared loudly.
"Whoa! Alright! Let's go, Mario!"
For once in her life, she was being carried by the Koopa who had abducted her countless times for who knows how long. Only this time, 'he' was helping her get out of a tough situation.
After some perilous platforming and hardcore destruction, Mario managed to guide Bowser, Peach, Cappy, and Tiara out of the moon's underground dungeon. Escaping through the power of the spark pylon, they flew far away from the Wedding Hall and landed in an awkward fashion. Mario, Peach, and Bowser went flying in different directions. Thankfully, Mario had a somewhat soft landing on Bowser's head before scuffling on the surface. To his left, Peach floated safely, sighing of relief that they were out of that close call. The two walked towards each other.
"Wow. What an experience that was," Mario mumbled, shrugging his shoulders.
"Yeah. It sure was," Peach giggled.
Later, Cappy and Tiara flew off their partners' heads, grabbing each other's hands after being separated for so long.
"Cappy!"
"Tiara!"
The Bonneters were so delighted they spun around together and laughed in pure joy.
"Teehee, it looks like we're not the only ones who've reunited with someone."
"Yeah. I always feel that way whenever I see your face." Mario paused when he said that. Peach stared down at him. Thankfully for him, she didn't look shocked by his statement. She was still smiling. And she still looked gorgeous in the Lochlady Dress. "Oh, boy. It's either now or never. Just do it. Ask her the question."
"Mario?" she caught him dazing.
He shook his head. "Oh, sorry. Um, Peach? Do you remember how I did all that stuff for you before Bowser... took you away?"
Her smile slightly faded. "Yes?"
Mario shifted his body to directly face her. "You see, I didn't do it to just make you happy. I wanted to do it in return for what you mean to me."
"Oh?" her curiosity piqued.
"I said that you're one of my best friends in the whole universe, and I would do anything to help you get back home safely if you were taken away by force or some unfortunate event. Truly, I hate it whenever we get separated. I want to live a life knowing that you're always by my side. Not just as a friend, but as something more than that, too."
Peach's eyes bulged. Back when Mario took a knee in front of her at the Mushroom Kingdom, her intuition told her that he was about to propose to her. And now that it's happening again, she was anxiously waiting for the most important part of the process.
Mario walked over and reached for something in his back pocket. Cappy and Tiara watched with anticipation. "Princess Peach Toadstool," he began to kneel down, "will you mar-OW!"
Neither Mario, Peach, or even Cappy and Tiara saw it coming. Bowser regained consciousness and shoved Mario out of the way. He brought out the Soirée Bouquet he took from the Wooded Kingdom and offered it to her.
"For you, my precious."
Mario looked over in shock and anger. How dare did he interrupt his chance at proposing?! And it happened a second time! What made it unsettling was the fact that Peach was entranced by the flowers.
Then, he made the worst mistake of his life.
Forgetting about the ring and his manners, his ego got the better of him as he grabbed the closest Rocket Flower and ran up to Peach, nudging Bowser in the arm. "Peach, will you-"
"Hey! Back off, plumber!" the Koopa slapped the back of Mario's head.
"Don't get in my way!"
The two rivals kept pushing against each other as they shoved the flowers in front of Peach's face. The princess was disturbed by the impulsive moves they made that she didn't know what to do. Cappy and Tiara cringed in the background, feeling scared that something bad was going to occur soon.
And it did.
"ENOUGH!" she angrily stopped both men. "Bowser, you tried to force my hand into marriage. I never wanted to marry you in the first place!"
The plumber in white seemed a bit relieved, up until she stated his name.
"And you, Mario..."
His face went pale at her stern voice.
"I expected better of you. I thought you were very mature. Instead, I see you fighting with Bowser as if I was a trophy." The ire was still there, but she looked more disappointed and hurt. "I never thought you would act like this."
Mario was speechless. Even Bowser was staggered at Peach's words.
"Ouch... That's gotta hurt," Cappy felt sympathetic.
"And because of that, I won't accept either of your 'gifts' or your hands in marriage. Honestly, I need a break from all this drama. Now, if you please excuse me..."
She sauntered past both Mario and Bowser with stunned faces and mouths agape. Peach sighed and looked at the Bonneters.
"Come on, Tiara. Come on, Cappy."
With a bit of hesitation, they sluggishly followed Peach to the Odyssey. And behind them, Bowser sat down in utter despair. Mario, who held a hand against his spiked shell, was even more disappointed. He closed his eyes, his head tilted down and shaking as if he was guilty about something.
And boy, was he guilty.
"Did I really just do that?! What was I thinking?! I... I..." Mario never felt this emotional in his entire life. "Why? Why am I such a fool?!" Unbeknownst to anyone but himself, a teardrop released from his eyes.
When Peach made her way to the deck, she called out to the upset plumber and Koopa. Mario managed to wipe his eyes before lifting his face up.
"Hey! Let's go home!" Peach shouted while waving her hand.
The Odyssey started its engine and began to rise from the surface. As it was about to leave the moon, Bowser and Mario didn't want to get left behind, especially the latter (considering it's technically HIS airship).
Despite the moon's low gravity, Mario managed to run fast enough to get close. With a huge leap, he didn't have enough height to reach the deck. But he reacted with Bowser jumping as well. He pushed his feet off his head and used the momentum to make it aboard. As for poor Bowser, he fell back onto the Moon, all alone after his moon wedding went to shambles.
But now that Mario was on the Odyssey with Peach, it created a very awkward moment between them. Not a single word was spoken. Eventually, he gestured to Cappy to revert to his usual red hat and threw him at the door to open it up. Still keeping his mouth shut, he raised his hand, allowing Peach to enter inside. Peach maintained a frown, but she quietly gave a 'Thank you' to him. He barely heard her whisper. Regardless, he got the message.
It didn't mean that water was under the bridge.
Mario let Cappy go and told him to join Tiara and Peach and rest after a long, tiring adventure. Cappy asked if he wanted to join. To his discontent, he was given a silent shake of the head. Not wanting to disrespect his friend, the Bonneter floated inside. Mario told him to shut the door, to which Cappy obliged. The mustached man walked over to the side of the Odyssey, standing in front of the hat-shaped window and gripping the white railing. He looked at the lunar frontier as the Odyssey prepared to head back to the world below.
Its captivating appearance would make anyone stare in awe. But not even the wondrous view helped Mario wipe away the regret that became frozen in his heart and mind.
~End of flashback (7)
Mario aimlessly stared at nothing for so long that he didn't realize Cappy was tapping him on the shoulder for the past few minutes.
"Hey, Mario? Mario! Are you awake?"
He shuddered and blinked his eyes before he regained his focus. He removed his hat and brushed his brown locks of hair with his hand.
"Mamma Mia... I'm sorry, Cappy."
"Don't apologize. I understand that it isn't the best thing to reminisce about."
"The problem is that I can't get it out of my head. Even after a year, you would think I have forgotten about it and moved on from the past. But it still triggers in my brain that I've been getting nightmares about it."
That intrigued Cappy. "You do?"
"Yes. And I've been avoiding her many times that I've lost count. The tennis tournament we had in the Kingdom of Bask was an exception, only because I got paired up with her and I didn't want to hurt her feelings by refusing."
Although Cappy didn't have a visible mouth, he was pitiful at Mario's well-being. "Is that why you traveled here alone?"
"Only to give her some space, mostly because I'm afraid to speak to her. My mistake was why I haven't been the same as I was before we rescued her and Tiara." He looked down at his lap. "I'm sorry, Cappy. Can I have a moment to myself?"
"Absolutely. Take as long as you need. I'll go find Tiara and tell her to wait for you. We'll probably linger around the Central Plaza."
"Okay. Thank you for talking."
"Anytime, pal," Cappy patted his shoulder. He flew over to the entrance and stopped to glimpse at Mario before leaving. He didn't bother raising his head. His eyes firmly planted below. Saddened by his friend's behavior, he quietly shut the door.
Mario covered his face with his hand. The index finger and thumb squeezed the sides of his eyes towards the bridge of his nose. It hadn't been ten seconds in since Cappy left the ship. But during that time, the plumber released a small sob from his mouth.
END OF CHAPTER
And so, we come to the end of this chapter. Mario still can't find a way to get the bad memories out of his brain. Plus, Peach is unaware that his guilt is the reason why he keeps running away from her, thus extending his distance from her. How will things unravel for both characters?
Let me know what you think down below. Please correct me for any issues on grammar, spelling, etc. Leave a follow/favorite if you like it so far and want to read more. Until then, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in Ch. 3! This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): This was basically the purpose of the party. I decided to cross paths (in a way) with the upcoming release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
(2): Poor Waluigi gets no love from Sakurai. To be honest though, the fact that he was revealed to be an Assist Trophy made it more hilarious to me.
Additionally, the supposed timeline of this story takes place before the Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct back on 11/1/18. Considering Piranha Plant's introduction to the roster was announced after the one-year anniversary of Super Mario Odyssey, that is why I didn't mention this at all. King K. Rool, however, was an exception.
(3): Bowser has generally been the primary antagonist in a vast majority of the Mario Party games. But at least he got to be playable in Super Mario Party and actually left his role of dealing misfortune to other players for the first time in the series.
(4): In the Adventure mode of Mario Tennis Aces, Mario and Peach were a doubles pair facing Bowser and Jr. in a championship match. This happened at the start before Luigi got possessed by the Infinity Rack-, I mean, Lucien, a legendary tennis racket that can control people.
(5): As of this upload, Cappy has joined Mario to be part of his fighting maneuvers. His Bonneter form also appears to be a Spirit for the new 'Spirits' mode. (But he has yet to become a character tag for the Mario characters on FFN. SMH.)
(6): Legitimately, I'm pretty sure this is the first time Mario called out Peach's name since Charles Martinet provided the voice of him. (Correct me if I'm wrong.) To be honest, it still baffles me to this day.
(7): Here is my expansion on the final part of the story. Of course, everyone's got an opinion about the actual ending, and not everyone is satisfied with it. My take on it? It's understandable that Peach would give a response to Mario and Bowser like that. Mario could've handled the situation better, but Nintendo needed something to happen for the conclusion, even if it meant a bitter rejection. I just didn't like how Peach decided to take off on Mario's airship, conspiring the idea to leave Mario on the moon with Bowser. But then again, what else can they do? I'm pretty sure that people have better ideas for the finale, but I'm not that creative enough to change the plot around. Nevertheless, the conclusion shouldn't distract us from the fact that Super Mario Odyssey was a fantastic game.