A/N: This has nothing to do with the story. But if you want, go to my profile and vote on my first poll on what games you are excited for the Nintendo Switch! Since Nintendo released the console on Friday, I wanted to create a poll on what titles you're anticipating, whether they were already released on launch day, or if they'll be out later in 2017.
My top 3 are:
(1): Super Mario Odyssey
(2): The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
(3): Splatoon 2
*NOTE: This chapter has been re-edited as of 5/3/18, mostly because I didn't like what I had the first two times, especially the flashback. The chapter title also changed.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mario & Sonic. They're from Nintendo and Sega, etc.
Chapter 13: The Bond's Still Strong
~3 days later, 8:00 a.m.
Back inside Room 206, Mario and Sonic were seated in the two chairs across from Luigi's hospital bed. The former received newly replaced bandages after he took a shower. He still had the same gown he was given since he was admitted into the clinic. Every several minutes, he dazed his attention between the sunrise outside and Luigi who was still stuck in his coma.
Over the past three days, the doctor/fortune teller checked the unconscious man periodically. He used his stethoscope to listen to his beating heart and breathing from the lungs. His staff would replace his old bandages with new, clean ones. They double-checked the IVs to make sure Luigi was receiving the proper fluids.
Obviously, Mario was worried about him. But that's not the only thing running through his mind. The man in red was thinking about Princess Peach. Being kidnapped for the umpteenth time must be tiring for both of them, but this abduction was instigated by a new perpetrator. And not only did this evil figure take Peach away, but he also snatched Yoshi, Daisy, the Toads, and the rest of Sonic's friends. He knew they all had to be rescued. Sonic and Tails would likely help as well, but they knew he wouldn't budge and leave Luigi behind.
While Mario was stuck in deep thoughts, Sonic decided to watch some television. The first thing that popped up was a live news report.
"Oh! This is the news station that interviewed Dr. Toadley and us!"
After the introduction, the screen transitioned to a green-dotted Toad with a black mustache and a brown leather jacket sitting behind his news desk.
"It is 8 a.m. sharp with the sun rising above the Mushroom Kingdom. Good morning everyone, this is Chad T., reporting to you on Mushroom Morning Live. Today, we have a lead on the incident that occurred in the kingdom three days ago on the night of the birthday party held at Peach's Castle for the man in green, the younger Mario brother, Luigi. Our news reporter, Linda T. will explain further details about the situation."
"Thank you, Chad. I am here reporting in front of the well-known Mushroom Castle. At the scene of the crime, the Mario Bros. and their allies were fighting against Bowser and his kids who invaded Toad Town that night. After the ambush, the ruler of the realm, Princess Peach, along with several of her friends from this world as well Sonic's home, Mobius, have been kidnapped by a strange entity. The downward spiral of events continued when the birthday man himself was severely injured from electric attacks by the same mysterious figure. Our main hero, Mario, was also hurt in battle when he sustained an injured left calf and a slashed chest from his Koopa archnemesis."
"After evading the purple shadow, the brothers were taken to the Toadley Clinic, courtesy of the other heroes, Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower, a.k.a Tails the Fox. Over the course of the three-day period, Dr. Toadley and his staff took control to nurse the mustached heroes and the slightly injured kitsune back to full health. Reports from the famous physician have been released."
Dr. Toadley was shown next on the channel. "Mario lost some blood, but we managed to restore his condition. Thankfully, it was the only major thing he suffered other than the pulled calf. Tails is doing fine with his hand that got burnt. However, Luigi was in worse shape, for he is in a coma. I predicted he would be back in a few days when I discovered this. His friends were devastated with the news. Nonetheless, the man's going on strong and he's holding his own. All we could hope for is a fast recovery."
The TV cut back to several shots of the castle and the remains of what happened as Linda talked over the transition. "While residents in the kingdom grieve for the loss of their princess, they have joined together to repair the town buildings. They also managed to send gifts to Luigi as a sign of their condolence, not just for his birthday, but to wish him well. Going back to the kidnapping, however, eyewitnesses Sonic and Tails reported the identity of the abductor who took Princess Peach and her friends."
"Hey look, Mario! It's me and Tails!" Sonic pointed to the TV, trying to get his attention.
The screen cut to the two characters as the hedgehog exclaimed into the microphone.
"When we saw this dude, he looked taller than Bowser! He wore a black cloak and held a powerful scepter that contained some of the Chaos Emeralds from our world!"
"I overheard him introducing himself. He identified himself as a Shadow Spirit and that his name was 'Myster Edge', Myster with a 'y'. Then, he harassed Luigi! He was using the Chaos Emeralds, the ones he apparently took from Eggman," the yellow fox told the reporter.
"Not only did he take the princess, but he also snatched Amy, Knuckles, and everyone else who joined Luigi's party. Even Egghead's robots and Bowser were in the mix of this. Luckily, we made it out of the scene. But Tails and I had to carry the bros and escape from Edge before he tried to harm them even more. Beforehand, the shadow figure slammed Luigi to the ground. Unfortunately, we were too slow. I felt extremely guilty because with my speed, I should've been fast to run up and catch him from his fall. Now he's here, badly broken. But thank goodness he's still alive," Sonic added.
The camera shifted back to Tails. "One thing's for sure, we don't where he's holding them hostage. Secondly, since he took our friend, Shadow, Edge has another Chaos Emerald in his hands, giving him three. We don't know why he wants them, but it cannot be good. Luigi's still sleeping from his comatose state. And Mario is the most worried out all of us. We can't help but feel bad for both brothers."
*CLICK*
Mario turned off the television. Because of this, the hedgehog was disappointed.
"Aw! What the hell was that for, Mario? We were on TV!"
"Need I remind you of what's really important, and that's watching over Luigi, who's still unconscious?" he grunted with a scowl.
Sonic gave him a sorrowful look. "Oh, you're right. Sorry, Mario."
Mario looked back at his friend and sighed. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just… terrified, you know? His heart may be beating right now. But if it wasn't, I would have lost him forever. I would be the only one in my family, and I can't think of a life without him." He looked away for a second and tipped his cap down. He twiddled his thumbs as he felt uneasy.
Sonic put his hand over his shoulder for comfort. "It's okay, Mario. It's gonna be okay."
The plumber took in his gesture and leaned on his shoulder. He closed his eyes as the hedgehog patted him to alleviate his misery.
Tails entered the room with a tray of breakfast for his friends. He had a feeling Mario was still distressed, so he kept his facial expression as neutral as possible. Colombo followed the fox as he balanced another platter of food on his back.
"Here you go, guys. It's on the house from Dr. Toadley's staff." Tails set the plates on the stand-up tables in front of their chairs. The breakfast platters had scrambled eggs, sausages, and hash browns. He also handed them glasses of orange juice.
"Thanks, Tails," Sonic and Mario said blankly.
The yellow kit went over to the vacant couch and took the tray off the Polterpup's back. "Thanks again for helping, Colombo."
"Bark!" the ghost dog responded. Colombo jumped up on the cushion and was given a dog bowl with some golden bones.
The three heroes quietly ate their breakfast while Colombo gnawed on his treats. After a few minutes of silence, Mario broke into conversation.
"So, did Dr. Toadley find anything new with Luigi's status?"
Tails was about to eat a sausage link before he paused and answered. "Nothing. It's the same thing. We have to wait until he wakes up. How about you guys?"
"We were watching the morning news and they were discussing about Edge and the invasion. I got to see myself on TV. Too bad you missed it, Tails," Sonic replied.
"Oh, well I got a glimpse of us when another room was streaming that channel. I didn't really pay attention though since Colombo and I were delivering the food."
"So, they just pre-taped your reactions beforehand and added it to the news report?" Mario asked the fox.
"Basically, yeah."
"By the way, Mario, why did you decline getting interviewed? Were you nervous or something?" Sonic wondered as he ate a hash brown.
When he heard the question, Mario narrowed his eyes. He stared at his plate while he played around with his food.
"Mario? Hello?" Sonic waved his gloved hand in front of him.
He shook his head and looked up. "Sorry, Sonic."
The hedgehog started to get concerned about his friend again. "Are you okay?" he asked sympathetically.
"No, I'm not," he sighed. "Truth be told, I didn't want those guys up in my faces. I've already had to deal with the media too much in my previous adventures."
"What exactly happened?" questioned Tails as he picked up a hash brown.
"Every time I take part of an interview, it's either me getting the unwanted attention and Luigi being pulled away to the sidelines, or I get ridiculed for not protecting the Mushroom Kingdom. Sometimes, I despise the public eye and the paparazzi. I can't always save the fucking place on my own."
Tails and Sonic were frozen when he swore with disgust written on his face. But they let him continue.
"Although I've had my own perilous quests, I would ask Luigi to join me on some of them. That's coming from either being forced into the journey or he offered a hand. But whenever we come back to rescue Peach or save the world, all the Toads, the news teams, and my fans would share their unlimited praise to me...
"As for Luigi, he rarely gets any recognition for the stuff he's done. He would take down Bowser without my assistance, yet everyone focused on me like I did it on my own. What they don't know is that he's helpful. And that's what makes me angry."
After spitting those words out with venom, he remained quiet for a few minutes while the others patiently waited as they ate their food. When he spoke again, Mario's voice got lower and moodier.
"The only times where Luigi was praised and accepted for his heroics was when he saved me from King Boo in both of his mansion quests. However, they weren't long-lasting and almost every Toad forgot about him, his name, or who he looks like within a week...
"Seriously, it's not that difficult to remember my brother. He's basically me, but taller, skinnier, and less stubborn. He wears green instead of red, so he's not a clone of me. The Toad community may be kind, but it sickens me whenever they mistake my brother as someone else or condemn him as a nobody… Then again, it's sort of my fault for him to be stuck in my shadow."
Sonic finished his glass of orange juice and spoke. "What do you mean you were the one to make him stuck in your shadow? Why do they just ignore him like he's nonexistent?"
Mario looked down at his plate which stayed the same since he started talking about the past.
"When we landed here in this kingdom, I was looked upon to be the main hero of the Mushroom Kingdom whereas Luigi was considered the secondary player, or sidekick. But as time passed, I've started to leave him behind and forget about him, the same way the Toads ignored him.
"One instance was when I went on vacation with Princess Peach to Isle Delfino, just to relax from my previous adventures. We were accompanied by Toadsworth and her Toad retainers as 'protection'. That vacation went into a downfall when I got framed for polluting the island and she got kidnapped by Bowser's son, the first time I've seen the little son of a bitch. But do you know what was worse than all of that?"
Sonic and Tails looked at each other before they returned their gaze to the saddened plumber sitting between them. Colombo slowly walked up to him and cuddled in his lap.
"It happened after Luigi rescued me the first time. I didn't even invite him to join me. Even though he wasn't the one who spent hours to clean up Jr.'s graffiti, he never got to experience a tropical vacation like I did when I finally recovered the Shine Sprites."
He took a bite of his eggs which have gone cold. He shuddered and went back to his story.
"When we returned to the kingdom, Luigi didn't speak with me for a week. It didn't take me long to know why he acted like that. I just left him alone without being courteous and asked him if he wanted to join our getaway. Instead, I took it as a romantic trip with Peach. That's one instance where he lied about being happy and hid his feelings from me. Whenever he did that, I felt troubled by his behavior. I feel guilty, too, especially when I'm the one who caused him to have those negative thoughts. And that has happened numerous times, mostly because I wanted him safe and away from danger so he wouldn't get hurt. But I should have let him do what he wanted so he could become the person he aspired to be, rather than isolate him."
Sonic breathed in deeply as he took Mario's words to heart and compared that to his relationship with Tails. Similarly, he left the fox at his own home when Tails was still a young, vulnerable kid. Every time Eggman had a new army of robots to invade Mobius, Sonic was overprotective of the fox and told him to stay safe, much to Tails' dismay. And whenever the kitsune disobeyed him, he would get furious for his actions, only to regret yelling at him and making his little brother cry. Tails meant everything to Sonic since he took him from Westside Island and away from those damn bullies. He loved him to death and would kill to make sure he didn't get hurt. Yet whenever he left Miles behind or made him upset in general, he'd be remorseful, just like how Mario felt whenever he dismissed Luigi.
Mario leaned back as his head touched the wall. Colombo looked up at the red-hatted man and sniffed his chin. Mario flinched and patted his head, giving the dog a sad smile. It was replaced by another frown below his mustache.
"I can see why you really care about Luigi. And I don't blame you for leaving him behind. It reminds of Sonic taking care of me when it just the two of us. We've been through the same scenario," Tails claimed with a few tears in his eyes.
"Yeah, but I've seen you gain respect after the public saw your specialty: flying, with those two exquisite tails of yours," Mario pointed out. "You've also done a lot as a mechanic and a kid genius, as well. People from your world have recognized and remembered you because you're unique. They know Sonic because of his speed and bravery. But as for Luigi, no one thinks of him deeply. They call him a sidekick, or a humble hero who isn't courageous. I get the credit; he gets the disrespect. I'm part of the reason why he's stuck in that hole."
"Hey, don't say that. You've done a lot of good things to your brother. Those people don't perceive who Luigi truly is," assured Sonic.
"That's basically what I mentioned before. They don't see the man I made him today. They don't know the character he built since he trudged through his first adventure alone. And when he does show some heroic qualities, I'm usually not there to acknowledge it...
"A great example happened about a month ago. It was another one of those days after we've rescued Peach. She decided to throw another party. And like almost every other one, I was the center of attention. And for some reason, it took my mind off Luigi at the moment. It was like that until I found out he left the event early. And when I found him, he did something that I have never seen him do. It made me realize how dejected he was. It was a brokenhearted mess."
Sonic and Tails stopped eating as they were interested in learning part of Mario's past. They didn't bother talking as they silently signaled the man to continue. Mario looked up to the ceiling as he started to replay the sad memory in his mind.
~Flashback, 1 month ago
Mario was escorting Princess Peach to the castle with Luigi following closely behind. The brothers finished another multi-world adventure to rescue Her Highness from King Bowser. When they entered Toad Town, Mario was greeted by the multitude of Toads who cheered for him for getting their ruler back. He and Peach smiled at the sight of the vibrant town. One or two Toads acknowledged Luigi, but that was about it as most of the attention was towards the red hero.
Speaking of which, the man in green offered a couple of small smiles and hand waves to those who praised him. Other than that, he felt lonely. That's including the fact that he kept his distance from the couple ahead of him. He didn't want to stand beside them as the awkward third wheel. And the man in green was scared to enter their conversation because he might interrupt their moment together. He didn't want to embarrass his brother, the princess, or himself.
"Again, I really appreciate your help, Mario," Peach gratified. "I always get scared whenever Bowser invades the kingdom and takes me away. You make me feel safe."
"It's a pleasure to hear that from you, Princess," Mario smiled as he held her hand. "We're always there to help you. Isn't that right, Luigi?"
The green-hatted man shifted his view from the ground to his brother. He was a bit startled from hearing his name. "Oh, um... yeah. Always. We're there for you."
Peach scanned the innocent look on her friend's face and frowned. "Luigi, are you okay?"
"Oh... y-yeah. Don't worry about me, Princess. I-I'm okay. Truly," he lied.
Peach didn't believe him at first, but she also didn't want to interrogate him further in case something was wrong. As much as she cared about Mario, she couldn't forget about Luigi because he was one of her best friends. Mario also sensed something negative coming from his younger brother. But he pushed it aside.
~The following day
Princess Peach decided to set up a party to celebrate the Mario Bros.' success from defeating Bowser and rescuing her again. So, she sent out invitations last night to Toads and other citizens from the friendly neighboring and faraway locations of Koopa Village, Dry Dry Outpost, Shiver City, and more. (1)
Then, it was the night of the party. The inside of the castle was bustling with guests of different species in Mario's worlds: friendly Toads, Koopas, Bob-ombs, Mousers, and Bumpties (or Penguins). They were loving the food, dancing to the lively music, and chatting with each other. Peach would have invited Daisy to spend some time with Luigi, but the tomboy was away on vacation at the time. But even if she did visit, it wouldn't make the man happier than he was then.
Luigi was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at the guests enjoying themselves in the lobby. He was there alone since Mario and Peach were at the private balcony outside the Princess's room to enjoy the view and take a break from meeting the visitors. He sighed deeply with a glass of punch in his hand.
"It's always like this whenever I'm involved in this endless cycle," he pondered. "First, we rescue Peach. Then we return and only Mario gets the credit while I'm in the background as a simpleton. We have cake, much to Mario's delight. And on occasion, the princess throws a party. And as usual, I'm the same pathetic introvert who's too shy to talk, and no one acknowledges me. Why can't I be like my older brother? Why am I such a scaredy-cat?"
Luigi gulped the drink in one swallow, wiped his mouth his sleeve, and proceeded down the stairs.
"It's not even worth being here if I'm not going to have a good time. Besides, no one's gonna bother if I just left the place. They won't recognize my disappearance."
His thoughts were wrong when he withdrew from the event. Toadsworth caught him walking out the front doors. The elderly Toad was troubled by this.
"I wonder why Master Luigi is leaving," he thought. "He sure looks gloomy."
"Hello, Toadsworth."
The elder Toad paused his contemplation when he heard a female voice and turned around to see the princess standing with the red hero.
"Oh, Princess Peach! Master Mario! I see you're back from your meet-and-greet break."
"Yes, Toadsworth. We are," Mario answered. "Say, have you seen Luigi? I've been searching for him."
He blinked at his question. "Um, well…"
"Is something wrong?" Peach inquired.
"I happened to catch him leaving the castle just recently." That made them widen their eyes, especially Mario.
"Where did he go?" he asked Toadsworth.
"I'm not quite sure. This is going off on an assumption, but while he seemed to have gone, he looked very unhappy."
"Oh no. I hope he's alright. I better go find him."
"Do you want me to join you, Mario?"
"Thank you, Peach. But I rather look for him on my own. I'm sorry, but I think I should take my leave now."
"It's perfectly fine, really. Can I see you tomorrow?" she inquired.
"Tomorrow sounds good. Good night, Toadsworth. Good night, Peach."
"Good night, Mario, and good luck," Peach gave a quick kiss on Mario's cheek before he left the party.
Mario ran out of the castle to search the main square and the outskirts of Toad Town. He asked the Toad population if anyone has seen his little bro, but to no avail. Mario was running out of places to explore, until he realized the last place he would check.
"Our home," he muttered.
The red-clad plumber jumped into the warp pipe that led to their house. By the time he reached the front lawn, he could hear something faint from inside. He walked over to the porch and peeked inside the window. There, he saw Luigi, sitting in on a piano bench and playing a melancholy tune.
It was a song that both he and Mario knew very well, especially the man in red. He remembered how this tune played in his head during his first ever journey in space, flying and exploring the galaxies with his star-like partner, Luma. It was reminiscent whenever he encountered an emotional moment. From reading the book in Rosalina's library, to when Luma and the other stars sacrificed themselves to counteract the black hole from Bowser's Galaxy Reactor in the center of the universe, the song gave Mario chills down his spine and into his heart. (2) And to hear his brother play it with a frown on his face ached him even more.
When Luigi let the last note linger for a while, he removed his fingers from the keys. He sighed to himself.
"Mario did all the work against Bowser, and he deserved the credit. No one's going to look up to a coward like me, especially if I hardly do anything besides sit in the sidelines, run away, and be scared of everything. I'd be better off watching after the house like I do most of the time. I'm just not worth it. I'm not worthy to anyone."
"Not even me?"
Luigi jumped a little at the voice. He slowly turned around to see his older bro standing at the front door.
"M-Mario? H-How did you get in here?" he stuttered while clumsily getting off the bench.
"It's our house, Weege. I do have a key, you know."
Luigi felt embarrassed. "Oh, right..."
"It's okay. That doesn't matter anyway. Luigi, can I ask you something?"
He was hesitant at first, but he complied. "Sure. What is it?"
Mario's eyebrows dropped in deep concern. "Why are you saying that stuff about yourself? Do you really think I don't have faith in you?"
The green man stood for a while without saying anything. Lowering his face to the floor, he breathed in deeply.
"All I want is to be appreciated, too. I know, it's egotistical of myself. But, the only reason why I'm not is because... I'm nothing like you. You're so strong, brave, and helpful. I'm just... scared, weak, and lost in the shadows. I always wanted to be like you. But it turns out I never will. I'm a letdown to everyone, including you."
Luigi was going to continue, but Mario had enough of hearing him demean himself. He rushed over to place his hands on his shoulders. Luigi tilted his head up to see Mario staring at him with a serious, yet sympathetic look. And to his surprise, Mario hugged him. He didn't know how to respond.
"Never once in my life have you let me down, fratello. Nor have I have ever felt like you aren't worthy to me." Mario pulled away to face him again. "You don't have to be like me to be a hero or be recognized by everyone. I like you when you're just yourself. Peach and Daisy like you that way. Who cares if you're not me? I still love you, no matter what."
Luigi was developing tears in his sad eyes. "D-Do you... r-really mean that, b-big bro?"
"Every single word of it. Luigi, I'm lucky to have you be part of my life. Because if I was alone, things wouldn't have been as fun or adventurous. All the journeys we've made, all the kart races we drove, all the parties we had fun in, it wouldn't be the same without you. You add value to our lives, including mine. But that's mostly because you're my best friend and my family."
By then, Luigi quivered his lips until a faint sign of a smile appeared. Mario grinned as well, knowing that his brother trusted him. They embraced in the living room for a long time, making sure they wouldn't let their brotherly bond collapse.
"Th-Thank you, Mario. Ti amo, fratello."
"You're welcome, Luigi. Ti amo, anch'io." (3)
~End of flashback
"It haunts me to this day whenever I feel like I'm never supportive of him and whenever he doesn't believe in himself. He tends to have low self-esteem whenever he's inconsolable. I promised him that I would always be by his side. I just don't want him to leave my life so soon."
Mario lowered his hat again to conceal his face. Sonic, Tails, and Colombo felt compassionate for their friend. They understood the point he made earlier and all he could think about is making sure Luigi was okay, both physically and emotionally.
After another minute of tranquility, the four heard a soft groan.
"You should've ate more of your breakfast, Mario. No wonder your stomach's growling," Sonic uttered.
Mario gave him a confused expression. "That wasn't me." The guys heard the same noise again.
Tails was baffled. "Well, what was that noise?"
"It's not me, that's for sure. Maybe the ghost dog's growling from something. Maybe he's sensing Edge nearby." Colombo barked angrily to the hedgehog's response. He was indicating that Sonic was wrong. "Sorry, dude."
"It's not coming from anyone of us. I didn't recognize anything outside our room or out the window. So where is it…"
Mario got interrupted by the sounds and it was at that point where the gang finally found the source. The four glanced at Luigi who was stirring in his sleep.
"Guys, I think he might be waking up!" Tails exclaimed as he stood up from the couch.
Sonic hopped out of his chair and joined Tails on Luigi's left side. Colombo jumped out of Mario's lap and landed on the hospital bed. Mario ran up to his brother's right and noticed the scared look in his sleep. It reminded him of the times Luigi had those nightmares when they were saving the petrified Pi'illo folk. (4)
"Luigi… Luigi…" Sonic called out to him. Colombo whimpered to his owner as he sniffed his broken chest.
"Please… wake up… We need you…" begged Tails.
"Bro… are you okay?" Mario pleaded for an answer.
There was nothing coming from Luigi other than the soft grunts before he went back to a period of silence. The group gathered around his bed were getting anxious by the minute, hoping that their friend would wake up after hearing from him. But it seemed to be a misunderstanding.
Mario sighed heavily as he thought Luigi remained in his comatose condition. He was about to release his grip and head back to his chair. But he was denied.
The red-hatted man looked over at Luigi and gazed back at his hand. He could have sworn the grip got tighter, but he wasn't the one applying force. No, it seemed that Mario got a response… a signal from his brother… a sign that he's back…
END OF CHAPTER
Find out what happens next in Chapter 14. Is Luigi coming out of his coma? Or is it just a false alarm?
Please review, follow/favorite, and I'll see you guys next Monday.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): I chose several locations that originated from Paper Mario (Nintendo 64).
(2): I decided to rewrite most of the flashback since the old one seemed very irrelevant and poorly structured. Also, I replaced a song that was used in a Mario game: 'Luma' from Super Mario Galaxy. I would recommend listening to this song played by the Video Game Pianist, who did a fantastic piano cover of this song.
(3): The two Italian phrases are translated to 'I love you, bro' and 'I love you, too' respectively. (This is an additional PCN.)
(4): Mario and Luigi had to rescue Pi'illos from M&L: Dream Team (3DS). During some of the dreamy adventures, Luigi would be frightened when his dreamy form and Mario had to fight some giant bosses.