Welcome Home

A few minutes later, the Mushroom Kingdom came into view. Mario, Luigi, and Peach were quite happy to be home. It had been a long three weeks, so everyone was relieved to see the Mushroom Kingdom in the distance.

"Just like how I left it," Peach said in a wistful tone, making it plainly obvious that she really wanted to go home. After what she went through she was really tired. Mario put his arms around her.

"You'll be home in no time," he said in an assuring tone. Luigi however, was strangely silent after his so called grand adventure. "Hey, Luigi," Mario said trying to entice his brother in conversation.

"Yeah bro?"

"Exactly what happened to Princess Eclair and you anyway?" As Mario asked the question, Peach was confused.

"Princess Eclair?" she asked.

"Some princess from the Waffle Kingdom or something. Since I went out to help you, he had to go on that rescue mission himself." Mario explained.

"Oh wow, aren't you the big hero," Peach said teasingly, showing how close these three were. "So, what happened?"

"I saved her," he said curtly.

"Funny," Mario said, "You don't sound too excited about it," Mario noted.

"Well, while I was on the journey I realized that I was going on it for the wrong reason. I just wanted to prove that you weren't the only hero in the family. I wanted to be known somewhere as Luigi, not 'that guy'," Luigi said sort of ashamed and humbled. Mario and Peach nodded as he spoke, "When I saved Princess Eclair, she offered me a place in her castle, but I couldn't take it. I told her that I had something important to me at home that I had to protect."

"Do you mean me or Daisy?" Mario asked his brother raising an eyebrow.

"Both actually," Luigi said meaningfully, and for a minute they left it at that, until... "DAISY!!!!!!" Luigi shouted suddenly, startling both Mario and Peach.

"Huh?" they both asked in unison.

"I forgot to tell her where I was going! And I don't have a cell phone!"

Who doesn't have a cell phone anymore, was what both Mario and Peach were thinking. They also felt bad for Luigi, because they both knew what to expect.

"Argh!" Luigi groaned as his head rested against the edge of the boat. "I am so screwed! Daisy's gonna kill me!"

There were no arguments from Mario and Peach on that. All they could do was go over and comfort Luigi as best as they could before they landed in the Mushroom Kingdom.

There was a large crowd waiting for them when the boat met the harbor. All the people from the Mushroom Kingdom were happy to see the local heroes and their beloved princess return from their long trip. When they exited the boat there were loud cheers for all three of them. This kept going until Peach raised her hands.

"Thank you everyone for meeting me here and making me feel so welcome. You have all reminded me of why I love this place and it's people. Thank you, everyone!" There was more cheering, which made Peach very emotional, because she suddenly started crying a little. She loved these people very much, since both her Mother and Father had died when she was very young, she felt that these people were her true family. "But the real person who deserves your cheers," she continued once everyone calmed down, "is none other than our dear Mario, who if it weren't for him, I may not have come home at all," she said and then turned to Mario, "Thank you Mario," she said with a loving smile, making Mario blush. There was another barrage of loud cheers. "Is there anything you would like to say to the crowd?" Peach asked Mario secretly.

"Actually, yes there is," he said eagerly, like he really wanted to say this. He then raised his hand, "Everyone, I have to say something," he then turned to Peach with a smile. "Princess, you have been through so much in the last three years, and I have watched over you through these years. I didn't know why I was drawn to you, not until today. I want to make sure that from here on I can always watch over and protect you, that's why..." he said as he reached into his pocket to pull out a black box.

"LUIGI!!!!!!" a loud female voice shouted as soon as Mario got the box in his hand. Mario slapped his forehead at his second failure. Suddenly his mood changed to sheer shock when Daisy of the Sarassa Kingdom plowed through the crowd toward where they were.

"Agh!!! Daisy!!!" Luigi screamed hen he saw her.

"Where were you! I called you fifteen times and you never picked up! Then I go to your house and what do I see, it's empty!" she shouted.

"Um... um...."

"Hello cousin Daisy." Peach said from behind Daisy. When Daisy saw Peach she screamed happily.

"Peach!" she said as she hugged him. "Oh, it's so great to see you!" She then turned to Mario, "And Mario!" she hugged him too.

"Hey Daisy, how are you doing?" Mario asked trying to hide how annoyed he was at her timing.

"Oh I'm fine. Except for a certain boyfriend!" she shot at an already scared Luigi. "Speaking of which, where have you been?!"

"I was just on a journey to save Princess Eclair of the Waffl-"

"Excuse me?! Princess Eclair?!"

"Uh oh." Luigi said realizing that he shouldn't have mentioned her name.

"So while I was over here worried sick about you, you were off on the other side of the world saving some other Princess?!"

"Well, technically I was just filling in for Mario and Waffle Kingdom isn't that-"

"I am the only Princess you need to concern yourself with, do I make myself clear?!"

"Yes ma'am," Luigi said in a defeated tone, realizing that he lost that argument.

"Oh," Daisy hugged Luigi tightly in a gesture to show how worried she was, and how she basically owned him. "Promise me you won't ever make me worry like that again."

"I-I promise," he said as confused as ever. With Daisy, you were never sure whether she was angry, or scared, since the two sort of looked the same.

"That's so sweet, isn't it Mario?" Peach asked Mario.

"It sure is. You two take care of each other now." he replied sort of laughing at his younger brother's predicament. Daisy smiled at Peach, Luigi just shot Mario a sharp look. Toadsworth, Peach's royal advisor came out of the boat finally and walked over to Peach.

"Princess, you must be exhausted after everything you went through," he said to her.

Princess Peach yawned a little before replying, "I am a little tired," she said while rubbing her eyes.

"I recommend we go back to the castle so you can rest. I already called the limo, so we can leave now if you want." Toadsworth continued.

"Okay, that sounds nice," Peach said to Toadsworth, and then turned to Mario, "I'm sorry, but whatever you wanted to tell me, could it wait until later?"

Mario didn't want to wait until later, it was eating him up inside. But he also couldn't refuse Peach. Truth was, she had him in the same way that Daisy had Luigi, just not as harshly. "Um, yeah, sure. I can wait. It isn't that important," he lied trying not to make Peach worry, which she tended to do a lot when it came to him.

"Okay then, so I'll see you tomorrow then?" Peach asked.

"Yeah, okay then." Mario said trying to hide how disappointed he was. Peach gave Mario a hug, and then walked into a white limo. Toadsworth walked up to Mario.

"Thank you so very much for saving our Princess again. I don't know what happened, and I probably don't want to know, but I am eternally grateful for what you did for us and for the world even." Toadsworth said to Mario, who looked positively miserable.

"Oh, uh, don't mention it sir." He said still looking at Peach in the limo. Toadsworth then walked into the limo and they drove off to the castle. When the crowd cleared away, Luigi and Daisy went over to Mario, sensing he was troubled.

"Are you okay bro?" Luigi asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Mario lied again trying not to sound too bummed out.

"Okay then, um, Daisy and I were going back to our house, so I'll see ya there?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll be there later."

"Okay Mario, see you later then. And welcome home." Daisy said with a smile.

"Thanks, see you two later." he waved to them as they walked off. Now that he was alone at the harbor, he pulled out that black box and looked inside. There was a golden ring inside with a lovely blue gem on the top that not only matched her eyes, but also went well with her pink dress. "Missed my chance again, huh?" He sighed to himself, "Damn it."

Mario put the ring back into his pocket and walked off.