Disclaimer: I don't own rights or the characters to Mario and Sonic as they belong to Nintendo and Sega, respectively.
Chapter 3: Reunited
Location: Toad Town
Just in the shopping area of Toad Town was a green pipe. Mario and Luigi have made their out of the underground tunnels to reach the main square. In the district were the multitude of Toad citizens, varying with different colored spots on their heads and different colored jackets, vests, and pants they were wearing. As soon as the brothers popped out from the pipe, one of them greeted the heroes.
"Morning, Mario! Morning, Luigi" yelled the red-dotted denizen. "How are you guys doing?"
"Hello, Toad!" Mario remarked. "We're visiting the castle to meet up with our friends from Mobius. Then we're gonna be celebrating Luigi's birthday with a humongous party tonight!"
"Is that so? Well, happy birthday, Luigi!" he said enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Toad!" Luigi blushed.
"Hey everybody, say happy birthday to our green fellow here!" Toad exclaimed to the others.
As the two brothers were walking, they were greeted by dozens of Toads, each of them wishing Luigi a happy birthday. The green plumber thanked everyone as he continued to blush, mostly because he's not used to receiving a lot of attention before.
Mario noticed the red cheeks on his face. "Come on, Luigi. There's no need to feel embarrassed. It's your big day today!"
"I know, Mario. It's just everything's focused on me this time. It may be my birthday, but it's very abnormal compared to everyone saying hi to just you."
Luigi continued walking with Mario by his side until they reached the bridge in front of Peach's Castle. They approached two Toad guards equipped with spears and shields.
"Morning, sirs!" the guards said together as they took a bow. "Princess Peach and the others are waiting for you inside."
The brothers thanked the guards as they gained entry to the large front doors. Two more guards were there as they opened the entrance. Inside was the large lobby with red carpets and a logo of Peach's crown displayed in the center. Throughout the lobby are more Toads helping with the decorations: banners, embroideries, streamers, balloons, party lights, lanterns, and an assortment of other green and blue products to represent Luigi's colored clothing.
"Wow, I can't wait to see what this looks like tonight. Being back at the castle really feels nice, right Mario?" Luigi asked with a large smile.
"It sure does, Luigi. This place will be complete when the party starts tonight," Mario grinned back.
They walked up to the staircase in the middle of the foyer where they found some of their friends talking with each other: Yoshi, Toadette, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong. Princess Peach was also with the group chatting with Daisy, her best friend and ruler of Sarasaland, and Toadsworth, her grandfather. The ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom was the first to notice the Mario Bros. reaching the bottom of the steps.
"Oh, they're here!" squealed Princess Peach with glee. She walked down the stairs to formally welcome Mario and Luigi. Daisy and Toadsworth followed her as they saw the two gentlemen.
"Good morning, Princess!" Mario and Luigi greeted as they bowed in front of her Highness.
Peach offered a curtsy to her friends. "Hello, both of you. Happy birthday, Luigi!"
"Aww, thank you Peach!" Luigi replied returning from his bow. Peach walked up to the taller bro and gave him a large hug and a kiss on the nose. Luigi blushed dreamily and scratched the back of his head. Mario couldn't help but chuckle at his brother.
"Hi, Luigi!" Daisy called as she approached the trio. "Happy birthday to you!" She, too, gave Luigi a strong hug and a kiss on the nose.
"Hehe, thank you Daisy! I really appreciate it!"
Toadsworth, followed by the other friends, greeted the brothers and each said "Happy Birthday" to Luigi. Like he did with the Toads, he thanked everyone for the gratitude.
"So I heard that Sonic and the rest of his friends should be arriving here soon." Peach told the brothers. "It'll be really nice to see him and the others."
The friendly green dinosaur chimed in. "Yoshi! Yeah, I remember we had such fun times during the Olympics! I can't wait until we go to Tokyo!" (1)
"Heh, don't get too excited, Yoshi!" Mario patted his friend's saddle. "Don't forget, we're probably gonna have to partake the Winter Olympics again."
"As much as enjoy the winter sports, I can't stand the freezing temperatures," complained Daisy. "It makes me wonder how Sonic and the others are able to stay warm."
"Ooh, well that's because they have all that fur on their bodies. Just like how Diddy and I stay in warm in the cold!" Donkey Kong explained.
"Even though I don't have as much fur as him or the others, at least I have my lucky red cap and my shirt!" Diddy Kong added in.
"So, do you know when the guys will be here?" Toadette asked curiously.
"They said they be here in about fifteen minutes since we finished our call this morning." Mario looked at his wristwatch. "Sonic called me before nine, but now it's fifteen after. I wonder why they're running late."
"I suppose it doesn't really matter when they arrive as long as they're here. I sure miss Sonic and Tails, especially," Luigi added in.
"Well I'm sure they'll be arriving in no time," Peach replied with confidence.
The princess's statement would turn out more than true. Toad came running into the castle. "Guys, good news! We just heard Sonic and the others will be arriving shortly. They should appear outside the Mushroom Warp Pipe!"
"Really? Alright! Come on, guys! Let's head outside and see them!" Yoshi jumped for joy as he started running out of the castle. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong both punched their chests in excitement and followed the dinosaur. Toadette trailed them, skipping merrily.
Toadsworth came up to the brothers and princesses. "Well now, I'll continuing helping out with the decorations and the upcoming party. You fellows can go out and see your friends."
"Thank you, Toadsworth. Well, what are we waiting for?" Daisy replied as she started heading for the door, followed by Peach, Luigi, and Mario. The four of them have managed to catch up to Yoshi and the others who were standing eagerly next to the blue pipe outside of the palace. And within a matter of seconds, the blue hedgehog jumped out and landed with style.
"Ahh, it feels great to be back in the Mushroom Kingdom!" Sonic said with a large smile on his face. Tails was the next to pop out from the pipe, followed Knuckles, Amy, and the rest of the Sonic team.
"Hey everybody! Glad to see you're here!" Mario smirked with both of his hands up.
"Mario! Great to see you again!" Sonic replied. The two friends exchanged a friendly handshake and hug as they were reunited once again.
"Hey Tails! How's it going with you and your inventions?" Luigi greeted.
"Luigi! I'm doing well, thanks. And happy birthday, too!" Tails followed with a handshake and hug as well.
"Thanks, Tails! I really appreciate it."
"Luigi!" Sonic called to the younger brother. "Happy birthday, man!" He, too, grasped his friend's hand and shook it, followed by a strong embrace.
"Thanks, Sonic! It's great to meet up with each other again."
"Of course! Why would we want to miss a special day for you?" Sonic replied as he put his arm over Luigi's shoulder.
The rest of the gang each exchanged their hellos to their friends of the Mushroom Kingdom until they broke off in groups. Yoshi, Knuckles, and Silver were in a conversation of their own. Cream, Cheese, Blaze, Rouge and Amy joined the two princesses, Toad, and Toadette. The giant ape and monkey were conversing with the Chaotix. And the Mario Bros. were discussing with the dynamic duo of Sonic and Tails.
"So have you guys gotten into any new adventures lately?" Tails wondered.
"Well last month, Bowser's army was planning yet another attack on the kingdom. And yet again, Luigi and I had to rescue the princess from him," Mario muttered. "But as of right now, nothing else is new."
"Man, as much as you enjoy adventures, you must feel pretty annoyed with the same scenario all over again, huh?" Sonic thought. He knew about the brothers having to save Peach countless times from the evil Koopa King.
"It does get tiring," Luigi agreed. "But no matter what, my brother is always there to rescue her and save the world from utter chaos. That's why he's the main hero of the Mushroom Kingdom!"
"Luigi, you know I couldn't have saved the world without your help sometimes." Mario comforted his brother to make him feel better.
"It's true. Sometimes you're there for your brother and the adventure pays off!" Tails backed up Mario. "You may think of yourself as a sidekick, but you're a hero, too!"
"I guess you can say that. Thanks." Luigi responded with a smile.
"It's no big deal. We just want to make our friend feel special," Sonic grinned.
As the guys continued their conversation, Peach's helpers were busy decorating the castle, cooking food, setting up musical equipment, and other tasks that the party needs. They knew that it would take some time for the Toads to finish with the final preparations.
"So what should we do now?" Tails asked. "It's gonna take some time for the celebration to begin tonight."
Princess Peach's group walked up to the four friends. "I have an idea. Why don't you guys travel to E. Gadd's place? I forgot to tell you this earlier, but the professor called me this morning saying that he has a special present for Luigi."
"Oh, shit..." Mario thought. When the princess mentioned the word 'present', his eyes bulged wide open. A bead of sweat also dripped from his forehead. Everyone seemed to notice his distress.
"Is something wrong, Mario?" Sonic questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, it's nothing," Mario lied. It was bad enough for most of the Mushroom Kingdom population to forget Luigi's name. Overall, he felt guilty for his younger bro being in his shadow throughout his whole life. But on this occasion, he forgot something else: a present for Luigi, on his birthday!
He continued with his fib, unaware that he was stuttering. "It's just that… Luigi will… have to walk through the Boo Woods to reach his lab."
Luigi immediately shuddered at the thought of walking through the creepy woods again. He remembered strolling through it the first time when he supposedly won a mansion in a contest he never entered, leading to his frightening mansion quest to save Mario. Sonic patted his shoulder to calm the green plumber.
"Don't worry, Luigi. We'll come with you if you want. We understand how you feel about ghosts and stuff like that. Even though I'm not afraid, we'll be there for you." Sonic assured.
"Yeah, and if Sonic's going, then I'll go with you too!" Tails added.
Luigi felt relaxed with the assistance of his friends. "Aww, I really appreciate it, guys. I would like some company. Plus, it's been ages since I've seen the professor. Are you coming, Mario?"
"Actually, I'm gonna go to Toad Town and… run a few errands I have. I hope you don't mind," the red plumber said with an apologetic look.
"Oh, ok." Luigi was slightly saddened. "If you're busy then I don't mind."
"Thanks, and sorry about that," Mario finished as he raced over to the shopping districts.
"Gee, Mario sure acted weird right there. I wonder what that was about," Amy pondered to Peach as she and the others looked at Mario running away until he was no longer in sight. The princess could only shake her head and placed her hands over her light blue brooch wondering what could be wrong.
"I would've expected him to be there for his brother, knowing that he's afraid of ghosts," Blaze pointed out.
"I'm sorry Blaze, but can you please not bring up that word again?" begged Luigi.
"What, ghosts?" Luigi, once again, quivered with a cold feeling going down his spine when the Mobian princess mentioned it. "Oh right, sorry."
"Well anyways, why don't you guys head out now? We decided to help Peach with the party planning and decorating so we can get the event ready tonight," insisted Daisy. "Don't worry, Luigi, my shining knight, you'll be okay and we'll make sure your birthday ends on a strong note. Mario will be back soon with whatever he has to do." The tomboy princess then planted a kiss on her love's nose, causing Luigi to blush.
"Okey-dokey, then. Thanks for helping out with the party, girls." Luigi then faced Tails and Sonic. "Well guys," he took a deep breath in. "Let's-a-go. To Boo Woods!" The two nodded and followed him down the path to Toad Town. They later traveled down the dirt road south of the main square. Miles away would be where Professor E. Gadd's lab was located.
Location: Bowser's Castle
On the other side of the Mushroom Kingdom lied the treacherous region of Dark Land. This area is the resting place of the fortified home to Bowser, the evil Koopa King. Throughout the castle, the henchman of Koopa Troopas, Hammer Bros., Dry Bones, Magikoopas, Koopatrols, and the seven Koopalings were out following their master's orders. They were stocking up on weapons, building airships, loading ammunition, or drawing out plans on how to attack the kingdom.
For years, Bowser has been kidnapping Princess Peach (for who knows how many times) to overthrow her off the throne to become the supreme leader of the Mushroom Kingdom, and possibly the entire world. Hell, he tried to rule the universe twice! However, his ruthless plans would always be hindered by Mario, traveling through various perilous worlds, dodging tough obstacles, and encountering tiring boss fights or enemy ambushes to rescue the princess and retain peace to its former glory. The Koopa King has had enough of the mustachioed plumbers for ruining his plans and always swore revenge on them. Unfortunately, nothing had gone his way. That is until what he's planning today.
Bowser was relaxing on his large throne after giving out commands to his army. To his right was his son, Bowser Jr., who was also sitting down on his small throne. As for the son, he's been completely bored for not doing anything, but his father reassured him by being vital to his plan to attack the castle again. Still, Jr. didn't seem motivated at the slightest as he rested his elbow on the armchair with his hand holding his head.
"Be patient, son," Bowser said glancing at him. "Soon, we'll be ready to launch and take over the castle and get Peach back. Besides, from what I heard, they're too busy planning Green 'Stache's party." The Koopa King had known Luigi's name for years considering he's the younger brother of his arch-nemesis. Sometimes he would help his brother on his adventures. Nonetheless, he tends to forget or mock him and called him different names, including Green 'Stache.
"I just don't know why we can't start the ambush now, or sooner rather than later," Jr. retorted with an impatient tone. "Can't we get the ships started now?"
"We will launch tonight, right when they won't expect us to. Those chumps are too busy having the day to celebrate Green Guy's birthday. Believe me, we're gonna destroy those pesky, mustached dimwits and their furry, little buddies, then we will snatch everyone up and keep them locked up until they surrender to my orders. GWAHAHAHA!"
"I still don't know why we can't go out now. Sitting around here is boring."
His son may be impatient, but Bowser was enthusiastic about his evil plan. Little did they know that someone else had a plan of their own for tonight.
END OF CHAPTER
Will Bowser and his troops successfully take down the Mario Bros.? We'll see about that later. Meanwhile, we'll catch up on Luigi, Tails, and Sonic meeting up with the Professor. We're also moments away from the big birthday party.
Please follow/favorite the story to catch up on the plot! Also, write a review so I can get some feedback! And as always, thanks for reading!
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): The next Summer Olympic Games will be set up in Tokyo, so I decided to reference this event. But honestly, I think we had enough Mario & Sonic installments of the Olympics. In my opinion, we had enough after London 2012. I forgot they even made one for Sochi 2014, and I've seen Rio 2016 and the gameplay looks like shit. But hey, might as well add this if Sega and Nintendo do continue this series. But I rather prefer a real Mario & Sonic crossover adventure. That would blow my mind if they team up to create a game like that.