Author's Note: I've been playing Mario games since he was "Jumpman" in Donkey Kong, so there's a lot of info from the games, books, toys, and anything else Nintendo makes with him. I understand the Super Mario Movie and cartoons are not canon, but I do use some of the cartoon lore in here for filler info. Also, according to Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario's creator, Mario is 5'1'' and 25 years old, such info I have used to make more sense of less profiled characters. So knowing this, please don't freak out about certain characters being so-so feet tall and so-so years old. I mean, if that stuff freaks you out then, spoiler alert, Mario is not a plumber anymore and I will make note of it in the story. Timeline wise, I'm placing this before the Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, Super Mario Odyssey, and Mario Party: The Top 100 games, those I have yet to properly think of ways to intergrade into this story, plus most of those games haven't even been released yet. But enough of me rambling, you want to lose yourself in a story, so here it is. Enjoy. ^_^

The sun once more shines its light upon the land and it's people this morning. Roosters alert all within range of their crowing that dawn has come. It's going to be a beautiful day. The birds are singing songs. The flowers are blowing sweet scents. On days like this, even in the burning hellish land of the Koopa, it is pleasant enough to bring a smile to one's face. The young Prince was one such these happy souls. His dreams were particularly delightful. Even upon waking, his good mood continued. Wriggling out of his Mama's arms he nuzzles her to see if she'll wake, granting him a good morning before he heads out to help his Papa. But she didn't move, only making slight sounds of discomfort and weariness.

"Mama? Mama."

"*sleepy* ...Hmmm?"

"I'm going to go now. Can I have a good luck kiss?"

"*sleepy* ...Sure."

Again, she made no effort to move. Mama must really be tired. Poor Mama. He helped her out and came to her, pressing her lips to his forehead, at least then he felt her pucker, so there's something.

"Thank you, Mama."

"*yawn* Love you, sweetie."

That made him smile. Sliding off the bed, the little Prince put on his shell and almost made it to the door. Yet...Something felt off. What if his Mama woke up before he came back and couldn't find him? She only knows the basic rooms. Silly Mama could get lost looking for him. Or worst...She could end up finding Roy or Ludwig and they'll try to be gross with her. Nope! Not having that! But how to fix this problem? Oh! His phone! He could leave it with her and she can call Papa to find them. Brilliant!

"Here, Mama. You need this more than me."

Slipping his phone onto his pillow, the young Prince smiles and takes his leave knowing he did good. Though what he doesn't see was her right eye opening slightly, the left eye unable to. She glances at the phone on the boy's pillow. Just staring at it before closing her eye again.

"*weakly* Such a good boy."

[Meanwhile: In the castle's lounge area]

The Koopalings and other minions are under the direction of Kamek as he orchestrates what will go down as the most moronic thing he's, unfortunately, going to put on his résumé.

"No, no, no! It's step, step, pivot, turn, step, turn, back pivot, step, step. Repeat three times, then twirl."

"Argh! This is so stupid!"

Roy is getting to that point of annoyance where he's weighing out if he should leave or not.

"This wouldn't be so bad if you'd stop tripping over your feet."

Wendy is not in a decent mood either, as she had only half the time needed for her to "get amazing".

"Did you even practice, brother? You knew about this for days."

Ludwig could care less for Roy's lack of grace, but to purposely disgrace the arts is unforgivable.

"Like shell am I wastin' my time learnin' anythin' to make that so-called Princess happy or make her like the old man."

"Morton don't want to dance for Peach either."

Morton was all for following orders, but this was degrading and just embarrassing in general.

"At least allow me to use pyrotechnics. Everything is better with explosions! *crazed giggles*"

Iggy was, for lack of better words, bored and nothing gets rid of boredom like blowing stuff up!

"If Iggy gets to use fireworks, then I want to use my ball."

Little Lemmy was told that his ball wasn't allowed for this, the poor boy feels naked without it by his side.

"Kamek, instead of dancing, can I be a disk jockey? I'm not really into all this moving around stuff."

Larry being the youngest, is always looking for a moment to shine, he'd like this to be his chance.

"Children! Please! If we do this as planned, then we never have to do it again. So can you all just stop."

Kamek was wishing Bowser had less faith in him at this point. Kammy didn't have to put up with this baloney. She was in charge of decorations and seating placement. All that required was using some magic to spiff up the place and making sure that the only table had the right chairs. The old bag didn't have to deal with this level of hell.

"Sorry, I'm late!"

Jr. enters the room.

"Where were you, my Prince? Practice started over an hour ago."

"Sorry. I woke up late and had to make sure Mama was okay."

"What do ya mean by that?"

Leave it to Roy to think the worst.

"Is sugar okay?"

Jr. and practically everyone else rolls their eyes.

"She's just sleepy, Roy. You think if something was really wrong I'd be here?"

Roy glares with a slight growl as Jr. takes his place on the stage.

"Okay then...If we can please...Please, try this again so we don't have to stay longer than we want to."

Kamek tries once more to bring order to the chaos.

"Where's Papa?"

"What?"

"Yeah, where is the old man? Shouldn't he be here to watch this little 'show'?"

"Lord Bowser will be present when he is needed to be. He is King. And as such, he still has many duties to perform before he can even think about coming here."

The children snicker.

"Yes, I said duty. Be mature."

Kamek raises his wand.

"Now let's take it from the top...And a one, and a two, and a three!"

[Meanwhile: Bowser's room]

The all-important King of the Koopa with so much work to be done laid still on his bed, but not in slumber. No. Sleep did little to comfort Bowser. And even in his waking did the memories of last night haunt him. He had struck the woman he professed love to. His shame was weighing him down like the heaviest of iron. Keeping him from moving even the slightest from the sheets. His eyes may be set upward to stare at the ceiling, yet that was not the vision that played in their sight. Over and over that split second moment played on a continuous loop. Aside from shame, the guilt was whispering things. Things that were eating at him little by little. Why? Because they were true. And that hurt even more.

'You are a fool.'

"I know."

'You are weak.'

"I know."

'You can not have her now. She is beyond you.'

"I...I might have a chance still."

'You lie to yourself.'

"She's forgiving. If I just give her time..."

'You hurt her. Confuse her. She is drifting from you.'

"That's not true!"

'Do you really love her?'

"Of course I do!"

'Then why do you still hold feelings for Princess Toadstool?'

"N-No I don't!"

'You have been after this woman for years. You have pined for her. You have brought her to the alter more than once. You still love her.'

"I hate that woman."

'You do. But that does not fully change the way your heart feels. Why else are you going to all this trouble? Why else do you think the girl said what she did? She is not blind. She sees your actions for what they mean. You speak of love to one yet favor another. That is why you are weak. You refuse to give yourself fully to one because you are afraid.'

"Afraid? Of what?"

'You fear that which you have already faced before. You fear commitment. You fear giving yourself completely to one in case something happens...Like it did with her.'

"Shut up!"

'So instead of loving someone truly, you hold back. You hold back and spread yourself out, keeping only close enough so that you expect to have a fallback. Why reel in your line from the plentiful sea even when you have a perfectly fine fish in your boat? That is what you tell yourself is it not? There's always another girl out there. But you made a critical error in seeking that girl. Peach may be one to seek favor in more than one gentleman caller, but not this girl. She does not open her heart to just anyone. Yet she did for you. And now you are betraying that rare trust by still favoring the Princess.'

"She knows it's just a farce. A sham wedding to get what is rightfully mine."

'The Princess.'

"No! I don't want her!"

'Then cancel this show. Call off this foolish peacockery and take her hand with no emotional ties. Claim the Mushroom Kingdom like a man of honor. With your heart in the hands of one girl and one alone. The one that will stand at your side and help you conquer this world because she knows it will make you happy.'

"Yeah, but..."

'But what?'

"...What if she still needs time to cool off? What if she's still upset by the time I tie the knot?"

'Then that is your fault.'

"You're not helping."

'You are a King. Yet you cower in your room like a soft-shelled hatchling. If you allow things to happen that are not in your favor than, indeed, that is your fault. Only you can change how things play out in your story. Do not let others write it for you.'

That clicked something deep behind the emotional slump in Bowser's mind.

"...You're right. You're absolutely right."

He sits up, his back popping from prolonged stillness.

"I have two choices. I can stay in like and sulk like a pathetic green fool. Or I can stand up and make things right, like a boss."

'And...?'

"And?"

'What of this frivolous charade? Will you stop it?'

"I would, but I've already put my time, that of my family's and my people's into this thing. I won't let it be for nothing."

'You are a fool. But that is a choice. And it is one that you alone make.'

The voice was right of course. But now wasn't the time for listening to it. Now was the time to prove it wrong. He was going to fix his mistake. By this hour now, his spitfire was most likely with his children. Probably encouraging them to do their best and working in a quiet laugh or two. If he can, he'd like to convince her to step out for a private chat. She'd have to. She wouldn't make a scene while the children are around. She's polite like that.

After getting in a few stretches, he puts his shell on and after psyching himself out to gather the courage needed to move his legs, he leaves his chamber to head for the castle's lounge area.

[Meanwhile: In Jr.'s room]

Waking is very unpleasant for me. As much as I don't want to wake up, I know I must. I can't lay here the whole day. Unfortunately, my choice to hide the smack by laying on it has proved to be a most painful choice. The swelling has shut my left eye and my cheek as my mouth feeling weird.

"*garbled* What the hell?"

Sitting up provides further proof of messed up stuff. The pillow is stuck to my face. Pulling it actually yanks on my skin. My only guess is that the skin broke and the pillow got caught up in the healing.

"*garbled* This is gonna suck."

I can pull it off, but the mess that may or may not happen will be bad. I can hide a lot from these people, but I can't hide all of this. I glace at Jr.'s cellphone and pick it up. I need help. I text a number.

[Ten minutes later]

*knock-knock-knock*

"*garbled* It's open."

The door slowly opens and Kammy enters with shock, quickly shutting the door.

"What happened?!"

"*garbled* I need you to keep a secret."

"You need me to what? Your speech is like you're talking with a mouth full of marbles."

I roll my eyes and use Jr.'s phone to text her.

"Huh? ...'I need you to keep a secret'."

She looks at me funny.

"That depends. What kind of secret are we talking about here? On a scale from one to ten."

I hold up both hands.

"A ten, huh? I'll ask once we get that pillow off your face."

She comes over, floating on her broom to be at level with me, and grabs the pillow.

"Now, this might sting a little."

I begin to regret this and then instantly do when she rips the pillow off my face with a tearing sound. No sound escapes me, but other things so. Like skin, blood, and tears. That quickly makes her shove the pillow back on my face.

"What the heck happened to you?"

I text her and hold the pillow so she can read it.

"...'Heal me. I'll tell after.' *scoff* I'm not a nurse, you know."

I text again.

"...'You're an expert in healing magic and I'm letting you in on something huge. Will you help or not?' Hmmm...On the one hand, I should report this. But on the other, if this is juicy enough, I can use it for blackmail. Okay, I'll help you."

Kammy pulls out her wand and I move the pillow as she blasts my face. The magic feels weird. Far different than that time she reversed Morton's spell. The swelling begins to reverse, the tears close and stop bleeding, and the discoloration changes back to its normal hue.

"There. It might take a little time, about fifteen minutes max, and you'll be right as rain again."

I move my mouth around and crack my jaw.

"Thanks, Kam-Kam."

"So..."

She puts on a very cheeky grin.

"Want to tell me how your face got so messed up?"

I sigh and look at the floor.

"Hmmm...Judging by that little clue in your behavior, I'd say something very personal happened, and not just you fell."

I nod.

"Oooh! This is juicy."

I look up and her giddy mood sours with the hurt expression I have.

"Human?"

"...He hit me."

She flinches.

"Who? The Prince?"

I shake my head.

"Don't tell me it was Roy? Sure, he's a thug. But that boy would never..."

I shake my head again and now she looks worried.

"It...It wasn't any of the kids, was it?"

I nod and rub my face, trying to keep my cool.

"It was late in the night..."

[Meanwhile: In the castle's lounge area]

Bowser opens the doors to the room. He is greeted with sights and sounds of work being done with an enthusiastic flair. Music. Dance. Song. Glitz. And even glam. This show is going to be very impressive, to say the least. Such a fact only hammers that "you are a fool" voice more into his mind. She must be going mad watching all this. To watch the lengths he has others going for to impress Peach. He deserves any lashing she has to give him for this thing.

"Your majesty!"

Kamek rushes over to his Lord.

"I'm glad you're here. I need you to go over the 'plan B' situation."

Oh right, he hired someone to trick Peach in case of a fallout in his persuasion plan.

"What's there to go over? He comes out when the signal is made. He does a little shtick. He dies. She cries and morns. She embraces I'm her only choice left. We marry. Done deal."

"Yes, but the lines need to be rehearsed in a realistic setting."

"*sigh* Fine. Who's going to play the role of Peach? Lynise?"

Kamek scoffs a chuckle.

"Her? Please. Like she would even agree to wear the dress even if she was here. I'll be playing Peach."

Wait, what?!

"What do you mean she's not here? And seriously? You'll look for any reason to wear that dress."

Kamek looks at him confused but blushing.

"I mean, she isn't here. The Prince informed us she was sleeping in his chambers and probably still is. As for the dress...I can't help that it makes me look good."

She's still in Jr.'s room? Okay...That's fine. He can meet her there and they can talk alone.

"Alright. Let's get this over with."

[Meanwhile: In Jr.'s room]

"...and that's when I asked for your help."

Kammy is stunned by my retelling of last night's events and learning that the Koopa King cares for me.

"I can't believe it..."

"I know. It's a lot to take in. Try being in my shoes when he suddenly just dropped that bombshell on me all out of the blue."

"What is with the males in this line?! Why can't they keep their wandering eyes with their own kind?!"

"...Yeah...That's not offensive at all."

"Oh! No offense to you, girl. You, I like. You're one of the good ones."

"Thank you."

"Besides that, I'm more amazed he hit you. It's not like him to strike a female intentionally. You know, outside of those wacky sporting games and kart racing. He never even uttered a curse when that she-devil shattered his heart."

"I don't blame him. He was under the influence and stress. I wasn't helping matters either. I was frustrated and was lashing out. I fueled a fire and got burned for it."

"Don't do that."

I look at her confused.

"Huh?"

"Don't make excuses for him. Bowser's a grown man. Drunk or not, he knew what he was doing. He had no right to do that. Whether you forgive him or not, you promise me you'll make that idiot pay for this."

"Kam-Kam?"

"I swear, I didn't raise that man to be this stupid. Honestly. Bowser is going to get a piece of my mind the next time I see his scaly hide!"

"Don't!"

She becomes confused.

"Don't mention any of this. Nothing said here leaves this room..."

I grip my knees and claw them a bit.

"I don't want the children to learn of this. It's a private matter between me and him. And it will be dealt privately as such. He has enough on his plate as is. There's no need to add gossip around the Kingdom."

"So you're going to let him off the hook?"

"I didn't say that. But I won't make him pay as you suggested. He has to earn me back. My respect is not easily gain. He will have to work hard to have it again. And the first step he needs to do is to look me in the eyes and apologize. Then...Then he can begin the long and parlous quest for redemption."

That earns a wicked smirk on her face.

"Heh...And here I was beginning to think you didn't any vindictiveness in you."

"Well, I am a woman after all. Not a very girly one, but still a woman none the less."

"Ah, the spunk of youth. Glad to see it's still around. So...Care to share just how you're going to make a King beg?"

"Come on now. A girl's allowed to keep some secrets."

"True. How does your face feel?"

"Like I didn't get hit by a truck."

"Good."

Now to make this even weirder.

"What's it like?"

"Uh?"

"The show? The one for Peach? What's it like?"

She frowns her brow.

"You needn't worry about that. Not like it should bother you. It's just something thrown together to make Peach be more willing."

"*sigh* I know."

She sits beside me.

"But it is bothering you...isn't it?"

I nod.

"...Do you...Do you care for him too?"

"I care for him. But I don't know if I love him. It's like...Part of me wants to. But then he does all these things for Peach and it keeps me from crossing over that friendship line. And then there's Roy..."

"You do know he's still a child, right?"

"More like an elder teen. Yet, if I can be honest, the dude is slowly winning me over."

"You can't be serious."

"Hey, at least he's been honest with his feelings and intentions from the start. He's not throwing himself at other girls. I'm his only target."

"And you share his feelings?"

"In terms of percentage from zero to a hundred, zero being no feeling and a hundred being in love...When it comes to Bowser, I have a 50% affection level. He had 70% before the smack. And when it comes to Roy, it's about 70%...Maybe 80% on a good day."

"Really? That high?"

"That's crush level. I did say he was slowly winning me over."

"Are you really going to go through with it? The boy's courtship I mean."

"At this rate..."

I stand up and retrieve my shell.

"At this rate, he's got a better shot than his old man."

That makes her snicker and I look at her funny.

"What's with the giggles?"

"You think Bowser's old? The man is old thirty-three."

I drop my shell in shock.

"For real? He's only three years older than me?"

"You didn't know?"

"No. I never asked him. But I figured he was older due to the information Iggy told me. How Koopas of their line age slowly. I assumed based on his young looks that his age was higher."

She nods.

"That's only partially true. Yes, they age slowly in their childhood. But when they hit those hormonal teen years, boy, they sprout faster than weeds. Then it slows back down to a crawl when they hit adulthood. It's happening to all of them, except Lemmy. The little boy just hasn't hit that right time yet."

I mime my mind exploding.

"You are easily amazed, aren't you?"

"Maybe. But I like to look at it as being enthusiastic about learning."

"That...That's cute."

I snicker and put my shell on.

"Well...Enough time should've pasted. Is it safe to leave without expecting others to freak out?"

She gets up and onto her broom.

"Yep. You're fine."

"Mind being a guide and take me to the kids?"

"Sure."

I go to open the door but don't.

"Human?"

"...Promise me, you'll say nothing about any of this."

"Do you really need me to make a promise?"

"It...It'll help reassure me if I hear verbal confirmation."

She pauses before whacking the top of my head with her wand.

"Ow!"

"I promise, you silly girl. Now open the door."

I guess trading a nasty hideous bruised face for a bump on the head isn't such a bad deal. This was good. In her own way, Kammy was like a mom I could talk to. I doubt she sees me as anything more than a goofy human, but a girl can dream. I just hope she's a woman of her word and keeps this secret.

[Meanwhile: In the castle's lounge area]

The doors fly open and the Koopa children run out. Fleeing for freedom. The great King rubs his face as he exits. The rehearsal was...Let's just say it was far from realistic, especially on Kamek's end. He swears all it takes to turn the ever professional wizard into a sassy dandy is a gown of lace and frills.

"Are you alright, my lord?"

"Just a slight pang. I'm fine. Uh...Kamek?"

"Yes?"

"You're still wearing the wig."

"Oh? *nervous laugh* I'm just going to return this to the prop room."

Kamek zooms away embarrassed and Bowser rolls his eyes while leaving. He's had enough of the staged craziness. Now it was time to deal with real seriousness. All that was needed was for him...

"Mama!"

...To find her.

"Hey there, sweetie."

Following the voices and rounding a corner, there he finds them. Thank god there is no sign of his idiocy on her. The last thing he needs is a huge mark that ruins her face and makes others question. Jr. is in her arms as usual, Kammy is taking her leave from the hall, the Koopalings flock around her, and he stood like a child peeking around a corner with not a single thought in his head of how to approach her.

"You gonna stand there like a creep or say hi?"

Well, that helps and proves he's still on her bad-side. She didn't even need to look in his direction to know he was there. Even the kids pick up on the vibes from her, as some back away ever so slightly.

"Heh...Guess you caught me."

"Nope. I caught this one."

She holds up Jr. and the boy giggles. Okay, she's not going to be hostel while the kids are around. That'll be his one saving grace. But how can he keep her like this if he were to be alone with her?

"Miss Lynn...Can we do something fun?"

"Yeah! Rehearsal is boring!"

"Oh? And what do you cuties suggest?"

"I've got a list if ya really wanna know, sugar~."

Morton shoves Roy and for a second he thought the boy was able to read his mind. Roy is being bolder. Making his wants known. And the part the bothered him most was that she seemed to allow this with no issue. Why? Was she indulging the boy out of spite? To make him feel bad for his attention to Peach? No, that can't be right. Still, she's not to his knowledge told Roy to cease with his advances. Could that mean she did see him as a possibility? Was Bowser really in a romantic rivalry with his son?

"It depends on the list, tough guy. And Morton, be nice. You know Roy likes to tease."

"Ya know ya like it, sweetheart~."

"Maybe I do. What are you going to do about it?"

Roy produces a chuckle that is anything but subtle in his intentions and Bowser pales in the realization. He really was in a romantic rivalry with one of his own children. Nope! Time to nip it in the bud now!

"Spit-...Lynsie?"

His voice held a tremble he hoped wasn't too noticeable. She looks at him lazily and he gulps.

"May I have a word with you?"

"You just said seven, how many more do you have to say?"

Her remarks were cutting him down with not much effort. She held the power in this situation of theirs and they both knew it too. Yet he had to try. He needed to do this. He just had to make the right choices.

"Quite a few."

That made her cock her eyes.

"Is this of importance?"

The children watch like this is a volleyball match. Each word spoken was a ball hit to the other side of the court. This next shot would determine the winner.

"It's a matter of life or death."

Bowser power spikes the ball. Lynsie is unfazed yet puts Jr. down.

"Very well then."

Bowser for the win!

"Be right back, sweeties."

She strolls over to him and he forgets how to move for a moment.

"Shall we?"

It may have just been him, but even her compliance made him nervous. He extended his hand but she eyed him funny and he felt stupid for thinking that would work. So he walked off and she followed. It gave it some distance before thinking of where to have this chat. No way would she agree to his room. Think man. Where is a safe room that she'll feel comfortable in and he'll be sure that no one can hear them? Hmmm...Maybe the treasure room?

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?"

He flinches and to his surprise she snickers.

"Just pick a room. It doesn't matter which."

Well, that's helpful. A random room then. He picks a door and they end up at Kamek's library.

"Nice choice. I've been meaning to come here."

"Y-You have?"

"Jr. needs new books to study."

At least she's teaching him properly and updating his studies.

"So...About those words you have to say to me that are a matter of life and death?"

Bowser runs a hand through his hair and composes himself.

"Look...About last night..."

"Yes?"

"I'm...I'm glad you're not hurt."

She leaned against a wall and folded her arms.

"The only reason you don't see the damage is that I had Kammy heal me. Believe me, it was bad."

That made his heart sink.

"I had no right to do that. I wasn't myself."

She gave him a weak glace before looking elsewhere, making him frown.

"I know nothing I say can take back what happened. Knowing I hurt you...It's been eating at me since the moment I saw you on the ground."

Her gaze was cast downward now in thought. He cautiously stepped closer a little bit.

"Lynsie...I will do anything to make amends with you. I don't want to lose you."

"Anything?"

He meant his words. Even if he might live to regret it, he meant them. She got off the wall and got right in his face. Her eyes staring into his soul and filling him with dread.

"I want you to look me in the eyes the same way I am with you and tell me you're sorry."

He blinks in shock a few times before grabbing her face and pressing his forehead against hers. Wanting her close and maintaining slightly awkward eye contact.

"How do I say the words 'I am sorry' when I know that words are not enough? And how can I ask you to forgive me when I know I can't forgive myself? If you need me to say those words, then I shall say them. I swear to you, I am sorry. If I could go back to that moment, I'd take the hit for you. Because only a freaking moron like me deserves to be smacked. Everything you said, it was all true. I'm an idiot. I am wasting time on someone that will never appreciate it. You are my spitfire. You're who I want. Not her. So please..."

His eyes begin to sparkle, water slowly pooling in them.

"Please forgive me. I know I don't deserve forgiveness and I don't expect you to forgive me immediately. I'll give you the time, all the time in the world and forever if needed, and I hope that one day you'll find it in your heart to see my sorrow. When you came into my life, you filled it with a sense love, and if you leave me there will be an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. I hate myself because I hurt the most amazing woman I've ever known! If you can, please, forgive me. I really need you in my life."

By now even her eyes were filling with tears.

"My King..."

"I have more issues then I could possibly count. And on my worst days, I'll go from happy to sad in seconds. I won't always like myself, and sometimes I'll even assume you don't like me either. I'll push you away and I might even drive you insane. Yet I promise you this, nobody could ever even think about loving you as much as I do. But those are just words. And words are meaningless when the pain I'm trying to heal was physical. There is much I need to do before I can even dream of knowing your embrace again. So with a bruised heart, a deflated ego, a sad soul, and a head hung low...I apologize to you, Lynsie. My little spitfire."

She was silent and he was content to remain like this so long as time allowed. At least let this moment last, he prayed. But then she moved, yet not away. His eyes widen in surprise when he felt those arms of hers wrap loosely around his neck.

"Bowser...To say one is sorry means you leave yourself open, to all manner of things are possible. Sorry is a question that begs forgiveness, because the metronome of a good heart won't settle until things are set right and true. Sorry doesn't take things back, but it pushes things forward. It bridges the gap. Sorry is a sacrament. It's an offering. A gift. And it's one that I accept."

There it was. That caring look he had come to know her for having. He had worried he would never see that expression again. His lands left her cheeks and embraced her to him as gently as he could.

"I love you."

"I know."

"Can you ever love someone like me?"

"Bowser...To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."

"...Is that a yes?"

"Baby steps. You have a long way to go before I say those words."

"So it's a maybe...Fair enough."

She giggles and pats the back of his head.

"You're a dork, you know that?"

"And you like me for it."

"I do. So come along, King dork. Before the kids think something major went down and go nuts. Honestly, saying it's a matter of life and death."

"Not my best choice of words, but can you blame me? It was the best I could come up with at the moment. Would you have listened to me otherwise?"

"Maybe. Depended on how you would've said it."

She finally pulls out of his hold and he inhales that lingering scent of hers before she's far enough to miss. He watches as she heads out and it takes him a moment to follow. This was good. This was progress. The bridge wasn't burned down but in need of a few repairs. Still, it's not like it wouldn't come under fire again. If he can't deal with the Roy issue, then there's no guarantee the boy wouldn't cut the ropes while he was over the abyss. Only hard part is, as a supportive parent, he doesn't want to crush the boy. But really, how else is this going to end? One of them will have the girl. Which one is the real question?

[Meanwhile: Soda Jungle village]

Dunk & Shoot had left the party. They mentioned something about catching a ride in a Tea Cup or Sweet Stuff, but that made little sense to the Mario Brothers. They had other things on their minds. Like for one, meeting up with an impatient rabbit thief for further information in bushes like a creep.

"*psst* Nabbit? You-a here?"

"You-a look like a dork whispering into a bush."

Nabbit pokes his head out.

"This bush has what you want. So don't go thinking you're too good to talk to some shrubbery."

Mario rolls his eyes and Luigi passes along some coin. Nabbit takes the offering and hands him a bag.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Nabbit ducks back into the bush and the whole plant scurries away into the jungle.

"So? What's in the bag?"

Luigi digs around in it.

"We've got a lot of healing items. Few attack boosters and revives. And...A note?"

Mario takes it from his brother's hand.

"Don't forget to wear the badges."

"Oh right! He gave us these to weaken Hooktail. I almost forgot about them."

Luigi reaches into his pocket and pulls out two badges. Mario takes one and puts it on, Luigi does the same with the other.

"There's more on the back...Castle Six's boss is Golden Diva."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Bunny boy didn't add anything else to it. Does he expect us to know what a Golden Diva is?"

"We could question people along the way?"

"...Are you-a suggesting that or asking?"

"Both?"

Mario just sighs.

"Let's just get this over with. We have a long walk to the castle."

Mario takes a few steps but stops. Each step sounding like a frog croaks. Luigi snickers to himself.

"Oh, I'm-a so taking this off."

"Come on, bro. It's not that bad."

Luigi dances around and makes cricket chirps with each move.

"See?"

Damn his goofiness. Even when he knows better to be cool in public, sometimes it's so easy to bro out.

"You call those moves? Where's the guy that bust moves so fly that they won the Music Keys back from Waluigi...Before Bowser took them and I had to wipe the floor with his shell."

Luigi smiles and slings the bag over his shoulder.

"Dance contest till we get there?"

"You-a are so on, bro. But don't-a think I'm-a gonna be easy to beat."

"Same here, Mario. Just be sure to know the only rule"

"What's that?"

Luigi makes the first move and takes the lead.

"Dance like nobody's watching!"

Mario smiles and shakes his head. For all his ego, Luigi is able to worm his innocence in sometimes. It's good for Mario. To be brought back down to a normal level of humble. Though even if now in a playful state, Mario is still Mario. And Mario doesn't like to lose...Especially to his brother. So yeah, he is not going to go easy on Luigi. Not break his legs crazy, but still pretty intense. Still...It's nice to be like this. To just be with his brother and forget the world for a little bit. It made him wonder...Why can't it always be like this?

Luigi, on the other hand, saw this as a means of reversing time on his brother. Make him do something that makes him relive the good old days. Back when they were told that all their fears would shrink when they got older, but now are insecure and care what people think more than how they feel. Back when they used to play pretend and give each other different names. Back when they would build a rocket ship and then they'd fly it far away. Back when they used to dream of outer space. Back when their momma sang them to sleep. Those were the days. Back when they'd throw stones from a creek that they'd used to roam and make little and tree-house homes. Back to a time when nothing really mattered. How he longed for those days again. Before the hero stuff. These moments where the time seemed to stop and they were just brothers again...These were the moments Luigi cherished the most.

As the brothers bust moves into the jungle's heart, they were far from unnoticed. A Paragoomba was watching them from the treetops. Pulling a walkie-talkie from his satchel, he syncs up with the correct signal line of communication.

"PG Scout #526 calling Base Commander. Come in base command...The brothers mustache are headed toward Castle Five. I repeat...The brothers mustache are headed toward Castle Five. Over."

There's a buzz on the other end before a click is made.

"PG Scout #526, this is Base Commando #864. We have received your report. Proceed with following the targets from a safe distance. Over."

"Any further order, sir? Over."

"If possible, remain out of sight and alert the castle. Backup support should be on the way there, if not, are already there in waiting. Over."

"Rodger that. Over."

"Any sightings of the purple rabbit? Over."

"Negative, sir. No signs currently of Nabbit in the area. Over."

"Understood. Anything further to report? Over."

"No, sir. Over."

"Understood. Base Commando #864, ending communication. Over."

"Roger that. PG Scout #526, ending the call and returning to duty. Over."

The line goes back to dead buzzing and the Paragoomba puts the walkie-talkie back in his bag before taking off into the sky. Goomba patrol are loyal to the Koopa Crown and act as Bowser's spy network f sorts. For who would ever suspect a Goomba of being a threat? Of course, you'd let your guard down. What can they possibly do? They have no arms or legs! They are just heads with feet. No threat what so ever. And that's why they work so perfectly as scouts. No one takes them seriously until it's too late.

Hello all you reading lovelies, tis I, the humble author. Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Family life and health got a bit hard recently. But I'm just happy to have this posted today. Wanna know why? Because today is my four year wedding anniversary! *giddy screams* I'm all happy and junk. But, yeah, thanks for the wait. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the many to come. So till next time, stay awesome all you wonderful lovelies. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hubby to smother with love. Laters!

Just in case there is still some questions to my logic, I'll help clear up a few things. Using the Official Nintendo chart (google super mario bros size chart and it's the first image you see) we can see how tall a lot of them are, though I had to guess height for the Koopalings based on screen images of them next to each other, plus Mario and Luigi. Now the Nintendo-approved statue poster claims it to be "life-sized", thus putting Mario's height at 155 cm (5'1"). Using that information along with this universal size chart, it's possible to estimate the height of all of the mainstays of the franchise. From shortest to tallest: a Goomba is 72 cm (2'4"); a Boo is 79 cm (2'7"); Baby Mario is 89 cm (2'11"); Baby Luigi is 90 cm (2'11"); a Shy Guy is 100 cm (3'3"); Toad, Toadette, and Toadsworth are 103 cm (3'5"); Diddy and Dixie Kong (on their knuckles) are 113 cm (3'8"); a Koopa Troopa is 120 cm (3'11"); a Dry Bones is 124 cm (4'1"); Bowser Jr. is 131 cm (4'4"); a Hammer Bro. is 142 cm (4'8"); a Bullet Bill is 148 cm (4'10") long and 96 cm (3'2") in diameter; a Wiggler is 159 cm (5'3") tall (not including the flower) and who knows how long; Wario and Birdo are 170 cm (5'7") (Birdo is 196 cm [6'5"] if you include her bow); Luigi and Yoshi are 175 cm (5'9"); Lakitu (including cloud) is 179 cm (5'10"); Daisy is 180 cm (5'11"); Donkey Kong (on his knuckles) and Peach (!) are 186 cm (6'1"); Waluigi (with his knees bent a bit) is 216 cm (7'1"); Bowser is 262 cm (8'7"); and Petey Piranha is a whopping 389 cm (12'9"). Normal Piranha Plants seem to vary in height depending on how long their bodies are, but the diameter of their heads is about 111 cm (3'8"). Now for the even harder part, character ages. When it comes to Jr.'s age and that of the Koopalings, I used their first game appearance as their birth year and added till now, this is why Jr. is 15 as Super Mario Sunshine came out 15 years ago and it's his first game. I'll explain why his age and his appearance don't seem to match later on, but after words I hope it'll make sense to you like it does to me.
If there are any questions, feel free to ask.