A/N: Special thanks to Mariogeek, FantasyLover88, and Anonymous Girl Gamer for adding Distance as a favorite story. Alongside AGG and Mariogeek, I also appreciate the reviews from Steel Fairy, Infinite's Ruby, FairyTalePrincess16, GirlOnDarkerSide, Oderus, and the three Guests.

Today, we're getting to the part where some of you guys will either be excited, disappointed, cringing, or maybe all three. (I don't know.) Also, keep in mind that the plot of this story still takes place prior to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, despite the fact that the game will be released this Friday. I also did some editing to fix the previous chapters. Other than that, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Mario and Nintendo are not owned by me. Spoilers to Super Mario Odyssey are referenced in this fanfic.

"You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control."

~Megan Chance (from 'The Spiritualist')

Chapter 4: Meeting with the Mayor

Location: Metro Kingdom

If anyone wanted to enjoy an urban lifestyle, this kingdom had it all. The Metro Kingdom was a bustling area full of city folk, taxicabs, skyscrapers, and just about anything that was typically found in a metropolis. All of it was found in the heart of the continent.

Also known as the 'The Big Banana' or 'The city that never leaps', New Donk City was the grandest place of the Metro Kingdom. Many tourists chose this spot to travel, mostly because they wanted to explore the landscape. Tons of buildings were scattered everywhere. The New Donk City Hall boasted as the tallest skyscraper of them all. The city also featured a Slots Room, an RC Car Room, a Projection Room with an 8-bit theater screen, and many other attractions. People enjoyed sitting on a bench and attracting some birds, walking around while basking in the sunlight, taking a fantastic view of the skyline regardless of the time of day, or playing a game of jump rope, as long as they didn't have to make one hundred consecutive jumps without messing up. (1)

What most people didn't know about this location was the fact that this was where Mario first met Pauline long before she became Mayor. Dating back to his oldest adventure, the red plumber had to climb multiple girders and ladders to reach the top where Pauline was held captive from Cranky Kong. (2) The two then shared a love interest for a while up until things didn't work out in the long run. Despite their former relationship, they remained as mutual friends, especially when she was invited to be the guest of honor for the grand opening of Super Mini Mario World. Donkey Kong became the main source of trouble when he followed in his grandfather's footsteps and kidnapped Pauline on numerous occasions. (3) The kidnappings didn't happen as frequent as Bowser snatching Peach, but Mario was always there to her rescue.

Then, years have gone by without any action. The two hadn't been in touch until he and Cappy arrived at New Donk City in the middle of a heavy rainstorm. At the moment, a Mechawiggler consumed the city's power after Bowser posted large advertisement posters of his wedding invitation all over the buildings. When Mario saw Pauline in distress (only for a different reason), a bit of nostalgia hit his heart. What he didn't expect was her taking on such a major role. But he had to admire her ambitions. After saving the city, gathering musicians to set up a band, and restoring the underground power plant, Pauline was very thankful of Mario's help that she decided to host a celebratory festival for him.

Between then and now, the only times Mario had seen Pauline was at Bowser's Moon Wedding and back at New Donk City when he and Cappy decided to search for more Power Moons. Again, it had been a long time since the two have talked with each other. This streak was about to end right now.

The Odyssey landed at its usual spot. Since Cappy wasn't with him, Mario couldn't use the spark pylon to teleport. Thankfully, there was a bridge that connected from the southern heliport to the central area, courtesy of the New Donkers' construction work. As he reached the Main Street Entrance, a couple of New Donkers noticed the plumber.

"Hello, Mario!" a tall man greeted him warmly. "Nice to see you on the streets of New Donk once again."

Mario smiled at his hospitality. "Thanks. It's great to be back."

"What brings you here today?" a blonde woman nearby asked him.

"I was wondering where Pauline is. I was hoping to talk to her for a minute."

"Ah, yes. The mayor! She should be at the city hall where she usually works at."

"She's been quite busy for the past few months. And she's already excited for the upcoming Smash Tournament coming up soon."

Mario nodded and tipped his cap. "Okay. Thanks for your help."

He decided to stroll along the sidewalk rather than run or take a ride on a motor scooter. He really admired the beauty of this urban setting. There was always something around every corner that caught Mario's eyes. And the friendly population made this place full of life and charisma.

By the time he reached the enormous skyscraper, he entered inside the plaza where he saw the Super Mario Players band practicing their music. They all gave a wave to him to which he returned the gesture. He headed over to the lobby. A female New Donker with short, dark brown hair sat behind the receptionist desk, taking a phone call.

"Okay, I'll make sure to tell the mayor as soon as possible. You have a great day. Thanks! Buh-bye." After she hung up the phone, she saw Mario approach the desk. "Good morning, Mario!"

"Hello, Ms. Julie," he read the nameplate in front of him.

"Please, you can just call me Julie. What can I do for you today?"

"I was wondering if I can speak to Mayor Pauline."

"Hmm... Let me check her schedule really quick." She started typing away on the computer. "How urgent do you need to see her?"

"Well, it's not that urgent. But I'd like to see her as soon as possible."

"Okay, give me one minute." The clicking sounds of the keyboard made Mario a bit uneasy. The look on the receptionist's face didn't make it any better. "It looks like most of her day is booked, unfortunately. She's supposed to have a meeting right now. Maybe if she is willing to cut some time off from her lunch break, which starts in about forty-five minutes, that's the best I can set up an appointment. Of course, I would need her authorization first."

"I don't mind waiting that long. I would really appreciate any sort of help."

"Okay. Let me give her a call." Julie picked up the phone and dialed the mayor's office number. Mario anxiously waited, but there was a long period of silence. "Her end of the line is currently busy at the moment."

"I guess she probably didn't want anything to interrupt her meeting. That's understandable."

"Sorry about that, Mario."

"It's okay. At least you tried to help."

"You could have a seat right behind you. Maybe I can contact her before her lunch hour."

"Thank you, Julie."

"My pleasure!"

Mario headed over to the chairs and made himself comfortable. He grabbed a newspaper from a nearby table titled The New Donk Times. (4) The top featured images of the New Donk City Hall, as well as the band and Pauline in her stylish red halter neck dress. The opening article explained the announcement that the New Donkers were building a stage for the fighters to combat on. Pauline and the Super Mario Players were going to be the entertainment party as they perform their music live during the battle. He skimmed through more of the section, reading the interviews and the details on how the stage will play out.

After a while, Mario slowly started to doze off. The newspaper eventually slipped out of his fingers as his head laid back against the wall.

Location: ?

Mario didn't know what happened. As soon as he woke up, all he could see was white. The place was bare, full of nothing.

"What the heck? Why am I here? Wasn't I in New Donk City?"

He spun around, hoping to find something. He had no idea where he was or why he was here in the first place. Then, out of the corner of his eyes, he saw something. Or rather, someone. There was a person standing from far away. Mario squinted as he held a hand over his eyes. He then realized it was someone he knew very well. He saw the back of a tall woman with long blonde hair, a pink dress, and a crown on her head. He didn't need to guess twice on who she was. It only made his heart race.

"Is that really her?" he started to doubt himself. He figured that this had to be a dream. Why wouldn't it be? Still, if this was real, he wanted to make the most out of it.

Mario decided to run towards her. He got closer up until he was twenty feet away. He slowed his pace and walked the rest of the way until he was at a respectable distance. When he stopped, Mario closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and got himself ready.

"Peach, I want to-" He paused when he realized that she wasn't standing in front of him anymore. "Huh? "Peach? Peach?! Where did you go?"

Out of nowhere, the blank environment slowly turned dark. As if things didn't get much creepier, flames appeared around him. He couldn't care less that he was sweating from the heat. He wanted to know what was going on.

"Mario!"

He turned around when he heard her voice. "Peach, where are you?!"

"Mario, help me!"

"Hang on, Peach! I'm coming!"

Daringly, he got himself a running start and leaped over the fire. He continued in the direction of where he heard the princess. More flames appeared from both sides of him, yet Mario kept running.

Suddenly, the floor rumbled beneath his feet. He tried to regain his balance, but it broke apart. He started screaming as he fell hundreds of feet into an endless abyss. Mario thought he was done for until he landed on his stomach.

"Mamma Mia..." he muttered, holding his head from the hard fall he experienced. After he fixed his hat and wiped the debris off his overalls, he paused. Taking in his surroundings once again, he found himself in a familiar place. Craters and ridges were found on the surface. A view of the home planet was behind him. The sound of a bell rung loudly from a faraway building.

He was back at Honeylune Ridge. He had returned to the Moon Kingdom.

"What the... Why am I back here?!"

Seconds later, he saw something he didn't expect. He witnessed himself. More specifically, the Mario who was dressed in his wedding outfit and flew from the spark pylon with Peach and the unconscious Bowser after escaping the inner depths of the moon.

"W-Why am I seeing this again?! I don't want to relive this!" He shut his eyelids and clenched his fists. "Come on, Mario! Wake up! This is definitely a dream, and you know it! Get out of this nightmare!"

When he reopened his eyes, he was about to faint. He saw himself walking over to Peach.

"What are you doing?! Don't try to propose, you idiota! You know what's going to happen!"

"You know they can't hear you, right?"

Mario froze. He carefully looked behind him. His eyes widened in shock. The princess in pink stood near him.

"P-Peach?! B-But how?! You're here, but you're also over there!" he pointed at the princess in the wedding dress.

"This is an illusion, Mario."

"So, are you-"

She shook her head. "I'm also not real. I'm just a figment of your imagination."

Mario was already confused enough that he had no freaking idea what to do. As if things didn't get worse, he heard Peach ranting at Bowser. Then, she heard him sternly talk to him. Well, his imaginary self. He was forced to see her leave the two of them as she strolled over to the Odyssey. His heart broke again as he relived that particular moment, only in a convoluted perspective.

He turned to face the fake Peach. "Why is this happening to me?"

The woman in pink shrugged. "You tell me. Why is this happening to you? Why can't you tell me how you feel, or more importantly, why have you been avoiding me?"

Mario became more guilty by the second. "It's not you, Peach. It's me. I caused a rift between us, and I was upset that I possibly ruined our relationship."

"If that's the case, then why can't you say that to the real me?"

Mario blinked with his mouth slightly open, unable to reply an answer.

"That's what I thought. Unless you're willing to admit your feelings, this is goodbye, Mario."

"No, Peach... Don't do this!"

Soon after, she disintegrated into dust. Mario tried to lunge at her, but he was too late.

"Peach, come back!"

Then, the moon and everything around him faded away. He began to fall once again. Only this time, he saw a massive black hole like the ones from his galaxy adventures. It was threatening to consume him forever.

"Peach, I'm sorry!" he shouted before he disappeared in the darkness.

"Mario? Mario?"

"No... No... P-Peach..."

"Mario! Mario, wake up!"

"Huh?!" The plumber jumped out of his seat and woke up with a startled look on his face. Julie looked over at him with concern.

"My goodness. At least you're now awake."

Mario took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "Did I fall asleep?"

"You did. I was busy looking over some files before I heard noises from you. You started to stir around and mumble. At first, I thought it wasn't that serious until you started to panic."

"I... I did?"

Julie nodded. "Are you okay?"

He placed the hat back on his head. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, if you want any good news, I spoke with the mayor, and she was kind enough to spend her lunch break with you. She only has thirty minutes before she must return to work."

He felt a bit relieved. "Oh, thank you so much for your help."

"It's my pleasure," Julie smiled. "You can head over to her office. It's down the hall, two doors to your right. Her name should be found outside her door."

"Perfect. Grazie again."

Mario didn't have any trouble finding Pauline's office. He approached the door with a rectangular golden plaque and her name engraved on it. He knocked and waited for a response.

"Come in."

Mario opened the door and saw his friend sitting behind her desk.

"Ah, Mario," Pauline grinned. "It's wonderful to see you again. You can close the door and take a seat." He nodded and did what he was told. She rotated in her office chair to grab a silver tray and placed it on her desk. "Would you like a finger sandwich? I've got chicken and cucumber, egg salad, and the traditional ham and cheese."

Since he hadn't eaten since breakfast, Mario politely grabbed a ham and cheese off the tray. Pauline chose chicken and cucumber to go along with the rest of her lunch: a banana, a bottle of iced coffee, and a fresh slice of chocolate cake, her favorite dessert when it's not store-bought or from a vendor. (5)

She took a bite out of her sandwich. "So, Mario, what did you want to talk about today?"

"Um, well, this is kind of personal, but I was hoping to get an honest opinion from you."

"You can ask me anything, Mario. After all, I am your friend."

He smiled a little knowing that Pauline was there to listen. "Do you remember the old days when we started dating?"

Pauline didn't expect to hear a question like that, but she thought long and hard to come up with an answer. "I mean, I kind of do. But ever since I decided to run for mayor, I don't reminisce about the past very often. Ever since Cranky captured me, I wanted to move past that traumatic moment. So, I built up the courage to practice talking to others, being a good leader, and making a difference to the community."

"And I've seen how you manage to accomplish that. You're still doing a fantastic job running this city."

"Thank you, Mario. Anyway, what does our past have to do with you being here?"

"Um, you see..."

"Hold on," she interrupted. "I apologize, but... you aren't trying to ask me to get back together, are you?"

"W-What? I-I mean... no. I didn't come here for that. Don't get me wrong. I don't mean that in a bad way. I've kind of moved on from that as well. I'm still happy that we're friends even though we don't talk a whole lot like we used to, especially since you've been running New Donk for a long time."

"Okay. Sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"No, you're fine. It's just that... are you aware of what happened at the wedding?"

"Which one?"

"You know, Bowser's wedding? The one that almost happened on the moon?"

"Oh, that. I do remember. Princess Peach was about to be married to that atrocious beast. You made it just in time before everything fell into place."

"Yeah. But do you know what happened after that?"

"I honestly cannot recall," she finished her chicken and cucumber and took a sip of her coffee.

Mario gulped and looked down at his lap. "After we escaped from the moon's core, I tried to propose to Peach. Then Bowser came in to ruin it, and I only made it worse. Because of that... she rejected me."

Although she wasn't a witness, Pauline had heard rumors of what happened after the moon wedding crashed. She didn't know the full details. However, she now remembered hearing something about a rejection. Pauline realized what Mario was talking about.

Minutes after she finished her sandwich and fruit, she went onto dessert. "So, you came here to talk about what occurred a year ago?"

"It's not just that. Every day, I have some sort of nightmare regarding the incident that makes me more guilty. I even told Cappy this when I visited him in Bonneton earlier today."

"Does Peach know about your nightmares?"

His face remained still. "I haven't had the courage to speak to her. I've seen her in basically every kingdom Cappy and I explored when we tried to catch up to Bowser's airship. And I would see her and Tiara enjoying themselves. Whenever I got close to them, or if they spotted us, they would call us over, start a small conversation, and give us a Power Moon. It's just that every time I did go up to them, Cappy was the one who did most of the talking on our side. I usually stayed quiet without looking at her face."

Pauline frowned, setting her fork down. "How long has that been going on?"

"Since she rejected me," Mario twiddled his thumbs.

"And has she ever noticed your behavior?"

"I'm pretty sure she has."

"What does that supposed to mean?"

"Whenever she tried to talk to me, I make up a dumb excuse to either not see her or leave. I just wanted to give her some space because I feel like I'm always creeping up at her, especially when Cappy and I found her in the other kingdoms. My initial thought was to stay away from Peach, but Cappy probably wanted to see his sister, so I didn't want to be disrespectful. Only in the tennis tournament have Peach and I been close to each other, and that's because we basically got paired up with each other by force. To this day, I can't bring myself to meet her face to face."

A light bulb popped up in Pauline's head. "So, you flew to both the Cap Kingdom and here so you can avoid her again and talk about your problems?"

Mario sighed as he covered his forehead. "Yes. All because I can't move on from my slip-up. I don't know how. That's what I wanted to ask you. How do I move on from this?" Mario leaned forward, gripping the brim of his hat tightly. "I screwed up. Everything about us fell apart. My chances of being with her, the friendship we shared since I first rescued her, and the fact that she doesn't love me anymore."

The mayor genuinely felt bad for Mario. She never really had a problem with Peach. At first, she was a bit jealous that he had seemed to find a potential soulmate. But it seemed that the only relationship they had was falling under the roles of hero and damsel in distress, respectively. Despite being his ex, she wanted Mario to be happy with who he wanted to be with. He deserved to live a life with a person he truly cared about and who felt the same way towards him. Peach was ideal, but Mario doesn't think so.

Then, Pauline remembered the last thing he said.

"What makes you say that she doesn't feel that way?"

Mario finally raised his head to face her. "What?"

"Why do you think Peach doesn't reciprocate your love?"

He blinked twice. "Isn't it obvious? I treated her like a prize, not a princess. I shoved a flower in her face because I was trying to marry her and outdo Bowser. Except, I didn't give her a choice. I wanted her to say 'yes'. After my misbehavior, she scolded my actions, which I rightfully deserve. That's why she doesn't love me, and our friendship is at an impasse."

"But how can you say that when you don't tell her how you're feeling?"

The plumber opened his mouth, only to close it soon after. It almost sounded similar to what the Peach in her dream asked him. As weird as it sounded, both were right.

"Let me ask you this. Do you remember when we set up the city festival and that I invited you to participate?"

"Of course."

"And do you recall the song that I sang during the event?"

"I do. Some of the lyrics are coming back to me."

"Well, speaking of the lyrics, do you know who they were directed towards?"

Mario didn't take long to answer. "Me?" he pointed at himself.

"Correct. The citizens and I wanted to repay you for your hard work of reshaping New Donk City back to its former glory before Bowser caused chaos. And the song I co-wrote with the band shared my feelings towards you, highlighting your personality, charm, and heroics."

"Really?"

"Yes. That night was one of the few moments I thought about you and what you have done to help me out. I figured I wanted to share my appreciation through one of my favorite hobbies. That is how I had the courage to explain my sentiments."

"Wow. I never thought of it that way."

Pauline bobbed her head as she finished the rest of her iced beverage. "Let me ask you another question. How much did you love Peach before she declined your proposal?"

Mario rested his cheek on his right knuckle, evaluating his true feelings. "I know we never really became a true couple. She would give me a peck on the nose or cheek on some occasions after I rescue her from trouble. But I loved her."

"How much though?"

"Very. Like I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her until I die."

"Mario, if you've been evading her for the past year, not only it is impolite, it's not the niftiest thing to do."

"I know. And the more I don't see her, the more I feel worse about it. I already made things terrible after my failed proposal."

"Honestly, if I put myself in your shoes, I would've been straight up to her and explain the predicament. Considering Peach isn't the kind of person who ignores others, I'm almost certain she would want to take the time to hear your reasoning. Running away from your problems won't solve them. It makes things more stressful. I think that's why you've retained your guilt and had those nightmares. Because what you think was best is actually hurting not just you, but Peach as well."

Mario understood her feedback. "I never meant to hurt her heart. But I'm doing it right now as we speak. And since I avoided her again, she must be worried sick of me."

"I concur with that. I know how much you two click together. Of course, relationships are never going to be perfect. There will be moments where you may have a disagreement, a bad moment, or some sort of tragedy that befalls upon you. One way you can restore that bond is to talk it out. And that's what you should do the next time you see Peach."

"That makes sense. I just need to not panic and stay calm so I can have a normal conversation with her."

"Exactly. Without being emotional or aggressive, be upfront like you have done many times."

"Yeah. I think I'll do that."

"However, you should also let her express her own feelings. Let Peach explain her thoughts as well. And maybe, if you're lucky, she might debunk your previous statement about her not loving you."

"Okay," Mario felt a bit uncomfortable about that part.

"And, this may sound odd... But if you really want to tie the knot, if you think you have the passion and the courage to directly ask her, then do it. You've tried to accomplish that before, and of course, things didn't go the way you planned. Give it another shot, and see how she reacts."

"But-"

"Let me finish. If she accepts, make her the happiest woman in the world. If she rejects, however, respect her decision on why she chose that option. Don't make a big deal out of it. Regardless of what she chooses, the most important thing is that you have to repair your friendship with her. That is your top priority."

Mario leaned back in his chair as he took in every single word she heard from his brunette friend. He felt like he gained some insight, which was what he wanted coming into this situation. Although the next step was going to be hard for him, he can't let his personal issues linger any longer. It was now or never, except the latter was not an option.

Taking a deep breath, Mario stood up from his seat, his face now filled with determination. "That's it. I'm going back to talk to Peach."

Pauline smiled. "I hoped I was able to help."

"You did. Cappy helped a little, too. But I think this conversation was also worth it."

"Just remain calm and stay focused. I'm positive that you'll be fine."

"I can't thank you enough, Pauline," Mario smiled brightly, extending his right hand to her.

She rose from her chair and returned the handshake. "You're very welcome, Mario. I have some extra cake if you would like a snack on the way home."

"That would be nice."

"I wish you the best of luck. I'll see you at the party tomorrow."

"Yes, you will. And thanks again."

Pauline walked over to open her door and allow Mario to exit. However, before he did, he stared up at her and gave her a small peck on her cheek. After he parted, a red blush appeared on both of their faces. Mario quickly cleared his throat and tipped his hat before mumbling one last goodbye. The mayor closed her door and leaned against the wood for a while. Shaking it off, she walked over to the large window. Looking at the clouds, she smiled to herself, emitting a giggle.

"I may not be his true 1-Up girl, but he'll always be everyone's 1-Up boy." (6)

Location: Mushroom Kingdom

Hours have gone by as the last of the decorations were being set up at the castle. Before the sun disappeared from the horizon, Peach allowed Luigi to leave early and take the rest of the night off.

After he returned home, he decided to clean up the house. At the same time, however, he wondered where his older brother was. With his handy Poltergust, he vacuumed up the dust in the living room and kitchen. He then went upstairs to tidy the attic, the bathroom, and his own room. He went to Mario's room last. The green man continued his usual routine, getting every nook and cranny.

When he reached under one of the drawers, the hose sucked up something. Luigi felt the vibration and turned off the machine. He grabbed what the Poltergust found and examined it. To his surprise, it was a black box with a ring encased inside.

END OF CHAPTER

I'm just going to leave this here before any of you try to pelt me with tomatoes or whatever you have to hurt me. This story is almost finished so only time will tell whether things will be fine between Mario and Peach, or if the future will remain bleak. Let me know how I did with this chapter. Review down below, follow/favorite, and I'll see you next time for another chapter of Distance. This is TGN, signing off.

Post-Chapter Notes:

(1): Most of the stuff that I referenced came from the game and Super Mario Wiki. Also, screw that stupid 100-jump challenge.

(2): Pauline was kidnapped by Cranky Kong (a.k.a. the original Donkey Kong) from the arcade game.

(3): The current Donkey Kong that we all know has been the antagonist and Pauline's kidnapper from the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, starting with March of the Minis.

(4): This is a play on 'The New York Times', an actual brand of newspaper.

(5): In the postgame, it is revealed from Pauline that she adores cake when it's 'good' and not packaged.

(6): *See lyrics to the song 'Jump Up, Super Star!'