This time, it's a little different. I love exploring this universe, using all the information made available to us by the movie. It's so much fun and allows me to get away from it all!

Once again, I invite you to tell me what you think, it's very important to me. It's the most motivating thing! Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

PS : I'm sorry if there are any description errors but I've never been to Brooklyn! I relied on the internet for information. So please no offense, don't hit me!

This OS is all about friendship. No ambiguity!


Hello Brooklyn!

"Ready?"

Cinder stared at the black hole in the green pipe in front of her. As if absorbed by it, she couldn't look away from this infinite blackness that led to a whole other world. A place she'd never set foot in before. Was there anything more exciting than the unknown? At once frightening and intriguing... A place where imagination was allowed, where everything was interpretation after the many tales brought back from the world above, as she liked to call it. A place where people didn't ride rainbows or have big colorful castles... A world full of mysteries. Her curiosity finally got the better of her fear as she finally took a decisive step forward. Nervously swallowing the apprehension that was slowly beginning to take hold of her, the fiery-haired girl shifted her gaze to the two brothers on either side of the pipe that was the source of so many questions.

"Ready." She nodded once with a determined look.

Without hesitation, Cinder grabbed both Luigi's and Mario's outstretched hands and the three of them sank into the green pipe, which sucked them in with a familiar sound. The journey to this world was long enough, but far from boring. They travelled swiftly through multicolored nebulae and white clouds until landing on a hard, wet floor with a small yelp of pain at the brutality of their fall. Slumped over the two boys face down, Cinder slowly straightened up to look around her with wide, fascinated eyes. She let out a little "oh" of surprise when she noticed how dark and inhospitable the place she had landed in was. But where had she landed? Shifting to the side once back on her feet, she smoothed the folds of her red dress while the moaning brothers stretched their backs.

"So, this is what Brooklyn looks like? It's a pretty gloomy place." Bewildered, Cinder spun around to look above her at those many metal stairs going up. She didn't mean to be negative, but she hadn't expected anything so... Austere, to be honest. Especially not after what the boys had told her about their world. Where were those almost sky-high towers? Food merchants? The inhabitants? Hands at her hips, she frowned as Mario straightened his blue overalls with a small chuckle at the pain in his lower back.

"No, we're under Brooklyn. This is the sewers. And all you see there are the drains for the whole city." He indicated with a hint of pride while repositioning his red cap on his head.

"A word of advice, don't breathe too hard!" Luigi snaps two fingers with a little wink as Cinder's face contracts in disgust.

"Yuck, what's that disgusting smell ..." She groaned, then immediately covered her mouth with both hands as she began to follow the two plumbers towards the stairs. She much preferred the smell of sulfur from Bowser's castle to this!

"Told you!" Luigi sneered at her.

"The surface isn't far. We should hurry to reach it before an accident happens!" Mario raised his eyebrows with a mischievous little smile when he noticed how pale Cinder had turned, well, paler than usual. Never having set foot in a sewer before, the last thing she needed was to pass out from the stench... Grabbing the handrail of the stairs, the three climbed the many steps towards the exit doors that stood a few meters above their heads.

"Does anyone live here? In the sewers?" Cinder asked, turning to the left as a pipe released white smoke with an ominous rustle. This place gave her the creeps.

"Mhmm, no, not to my knowledge. Who'd want to live in the sewers?" Replied Luigi, who had come up behind her to close the walk and make sure she was following Mario through this labyrinth of pipes. He shrugged before grinning teasingly as he remembered something amusing; "well, except maybe Ninja Turtles ... But we've never come across any around here yet. Not once since we've been going back and forth between the two worlds. Right, Mario?"

"I think they're hiding, but they're watching us, I'm sure of it. They're probably somewhere in the sewers watching our every move ... lurking in the shadows." Mario played along as he squinted his eyes with a vague gesture of his hand at the immensity of this place, which no doubt hid many mysteries.

"Ninja turtles? Are they cousins of the Koopas?" Dazed but curious, Cinder stopped in the middle of the stairs and stared at the mustachioed man before her, eyes wide with amazement. She didn't dare look down at her feet, for the emptiness beneath the steps made her gag terribly at the darkness.

"I'm not sure?" Mario hesitated with an uncertain grimace to his brother below. He raised his hands to the latter, urging him to help him out of this impasse.

"They're half human and half turtle, so I don't think they're related in any way to the Koopas ... Can you imagine? The mix would be pretty weird, if not downright scary." Luigi laughed nervously while imitating his brother's shrug above.

Cinder's dazed expression deepened at this reply. She didn't know that mixing turtle and human was even possible! She'd just learned something interesting... However, at this last thought, her cheeks took on a dark hue as she resumed walking right behind Mario. This was rather embarrassing, as she'd never asked herself the question before. In any case, she would have loved to have met these turtles from Brooklyn! Maybe Bowser knew them? Cinder winced at the cold, damp handrail as she grabbed it to pull herself up the next set of stairs, not particularly liking this sinister place where only the sound of steam echoed. It was dull, misty. Disturbing. When they finally reached the exit door after a climb of several minutes, Cinder covered her face with the blinding light from the moment Mario pushed open the door.

A warm wind caressed her face, then blew her long curly hair back at the draught caused by the opening. The first thing she noticed was the scent of this much fresher air. A sweet mixture mixed with something she'd never smelled before... But it wasn't unpleasant. Just curious. Cinder withdrew her arm from her face to finally take in the elements around her as the two brothers took her with them to take her very first step into the city of Brooklyn. Her eyes filled with wonder at all the skyscrapers and stores of all kinds populating the high street. She was surprised by the noise of the strange vehicles on the street and the voices that spoke all at once, but there was life in every corner of the gigantic city. Fascinated by the architecture, so different from that of the world below, her mouth dropped open in astonishment as the stifling heat warmed her arms, numbed by the cold of the sewers.

"What is this place?" She found herself saying without addressing anyone in particular, overwhelmed by all the new things she was discovering at the same time. Having been kept in the dark, this was a first for her.

"Welcome to Brooklyn! Come on! We've got so much for you to discover!" Mario and Luigi waved to her to follow them after they started running down a busy street.

Cinder hurried to catch up so as not to get lost in the crowd of passersby. There were so many humans around! She'd never seen so many, Princess Peach and the two brothers being the only ones she'd come across so far. Curiously, she didn't see any other creatures... Not a single Koopa, nor a Toad, nor one of those little guys in the red tunic and white mask. No one else lived in this extraordinary world? And yet it was so welcoming! Apologizing briefly when she inadvertently bumped into a young woman, she stopped in front of the fruit and vegetable stalls a merchant was displaying on the street. Her apple-green eyes widened at all the delicious, divine-smelling fruit, their bright color making them even more appetizing.

"How can such a world exist above ours without anyone ever having discovered it?" Wondered Cinder, who had picked up a red apple to admire it from every angle. Shrugging her shoulders in puzzlement, Mario quickly retrieved the apple to return it to its place on the display with an apologetic look at the disgruntled merchant.

"I don't know the answer to this question. But maybe it's better this way? Let each world stay where it is. At least, it gives you one more tourist destination." The latter retorted with a wry smile, his tender gaze settling on the young girl whose eyes were full of stars. She marveled at every little thing, from a simple piece of fruit to the stray cat that passed between her legs. It warmed his heart to know that she was so appreciative of their world, which in their eyes was rather drab and gloomy, offering a whole new perspective.

"That's wonderful!" Cinder rejoiced as she spread her arms wide, narrowly missing hitting someone in the process.

"And you haven't seen everything yet! We absolutely must show you the bridge, you'll love it for sure!" Luigi assured with a confident nod, his smile widening as he met his friend's luminous gaze.

The three of them hurried towards the famous historic bridge linking Manhattan and Brooklyn. The traffic was heavy, the height dizzying, the view exceptional. As the longest steel bridge in the world, it was the pride of its inhabitants, especially Luigi and Mario who never ceased to praise it. Cinder leaned over the barrier to look at the turquoise water below where boats passed by, the irregular gusts blowing her hair and dress. She was a little afraid of heights, and even though she was used to them with Bower Castle, she found this a different sensation. This bridge wasn't surrounded by dark clouds that made it impossible to see the ground! The view was breathtaking... Her heart ached at the beauty of this world, at the way it instilled a sense of serenity in her every time she looked up at those silver towers in the distance.

The brothers took her to another street, a little less crowded this time, where there were stores selling a variety of clothes. Intrigued by one of them bearing the city's emblem, Cinder approached the window to check out the models in pastel t-shirts and baggy pants. She really liked the color. It looked so comfortable! As she wasn't really familiar with this type of clothing, she felt confused when Luigi took her hand and led her inside. Only to emerge a few minutes later with a new set of clothes that the two had bought for her as a special treat. And indeed, these clothes were incredibly comfortable to wear! Stretching out her new loose-fitting short-sleeved white t-shirt to look at the design on it, she admired the large letters written in pastel blue, as well as that red heart which she found adorable.

I love Brooklyn was inscribed.

"Now you look like a real tourist. You go totally unnoticed with that!" Satisfied, Luigi nodded quickly followed by Mario.

"How about a bite to eat? Guided tours are so boring! I know a great place where you can try some of the best Italian food in Brooklyn!" Announced the brother in the red cap, twisting his gloved finger around his neatly trimmed moustache. Then he sketched a smile as his slimmer counterpart exclaimed happily beside him.

"Pizza Punchout! Mama mia ... I'm salivating already! Oh Mario, she's got to try the pizza peperoni ... That little taste of fresh tomato is unique, those slices of sausage are cut to the millimeter so that each piece is the perfect thickness ... It's art to eat." He mused as he positioned his hands to his cheeks, his gaze lost in the blue sky as he imagined the delicious pizza he was about to order. He was about to groan with impatience however Cinder's confused look cut him off.

"Pizza peperoni?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side. Unsure what they were referring to.

"What?! You don't know what peperoni pizza is?" Both brothers horrified with wide shocked eyes, their dismayed expressions deepening at the negative shake of her head.

"In this case, there's not a minute to lose! We're going to introduce you to our traditional cuisine, a culinary experience you won't soon forget. Let's-a-go!" Mario hopped into the air before dragging the young girl along with him as they made their way through back alleys to a square they used to frequent, since they lived only a few blocks away. A quieter place away from the center.

As soon as they arrived, Cinder could smell something delicious in the air, something that reminded her of Koopa's Cook but with aromas she couldn't identify. It was a charming little restaurant, or rather pizzeria from what she could read on the atypical red-and-green front as they entered the welcoming building. Mario and Luigi greeted the pizzaiolo warmly behind an alcove on the left, while Cinder took notes of the premises with a slightly blissful mouth. The walls were made of red stone, little pennants in the colors of Italy hung from the ceiling, the floor resembled a black-and-white checkerboard, the armchairs had soft red benches, a multitude of frames of sportsmen and celebrities decorated the walls, old gaming terminals ... There was no denying that this place exuded joie de vivre.

The mustachioed brothers hurried to the back wall to proudly point out a rectangular print that had discolored the yellow wall, just above a framed piece of newspaper where the two were featured as Brooklyn's saviors.

"This wall is where we became famous!" Mario explained with a happy smile.

"We watched our very first commercial right here, on this screen!" Luigi continued enthusiastically, gesturing towards the brighter shape. Quickly realizing that something was missing for her to understand, he laughed in embarrassment; "hum, well, there used to be a TV on this wall ... But Pablo hasn't bought one back yet since the battle. It's a shame, we could have shown you our very first steps in the cinema!"

"Anyway, that's where it all began..." Mario slowly ran his fingers over the wall where the television once stood, his gaze lingering on the newspaper where he and his brother stood by their shoulders facing the photographer. Brooklyn's saviors ... A lot had happened since then.

Cinder frowned at the nostalgic faces of his two friends. Apparently, this place was full of memories for them, both good and bad. This place had great significance and she wondered if one day they would explain it all to her from the beginning, as their story interested her enormously. After a few brief further explanations on the origin of the pizzeria, the three of them sat down on one of the available benches and ordered peperoni pizzas. Having sold her a dream for nearly twenty long minutes, she was surprised when she finally received her dish, which gave off that incredible mouth-watering smell. They were right! She had never eaten anything so exquisite. She couldn't wait to tell Koopa Cook about it, so she could share it with Bowser and Junior. Without, of course, telling them the origin of the dish or who had recommended it to her. They might be offended or worse! They might not even taste the delicacy out of pride.

A real tragedy!

They chatted and laughed about everything and anything, Cinder's bursts of laughter quickly filling the restaurant. Luigi told her how he and his brother had shot their commercial, while Mario merely commented from time to time on the thrilling tale. Arms folded, his moustache twitched as Luigi spoke cheerfully about their business, which had been running smoothly since they'd saved Brooklyn. It was a huge publicity coup for them! Beating Bowser in front of everyone had more than one positive side. After enjoying their pizza, they took Cinder to the botanical gardens so she could see how beautiful their world could be with flowers. The young woman was ecstatic. Cherry blossom trees, a river, a heated greenhouse with exotic plants and curious structures everywhere. Mario explained that they were small replicas of historical monuments.

Running her hands over her mauve pants, Cinder crouched down to pet a small white dog, glancing gently at the creature as it wagged its tail happily. Behind her, Luigi hid behind his brother's back from the untrusting animal. Since Francis, he'd been even more afraid of dogs, because they could be really unpredictable and deceitful. And he hated unpredictability... Grabbing Cinder's arm to keep her from stopping every ten meters to pet every dog that passed by, Mario pulled her along to continue the tour. They had so much to show her... And so little time. Luigi pointed to a tall tower symbolizing New York. It was a pity they hadn't thought to take a camera, because Cinder's enchanted expressions really deserved to be immortalized, just to leave her a souvenir of this memorable outing.

Moving on to another street where the style of the buildings was a little more old-fashioned, she suddenly stopped in front of a shop window to stare in amazement at all those screens all reflecting the same thing. Simultaneously. A band was playing a song, the frenzied rhythm almost making her want to wiggle along with them. As soon as Mario and Luigi caught up with her, out of breath, she exclaimed.

"What's that?" Cinder pointed to the screens.

"Televisions. And that's a very famous rock band." Mario replied hastily with a puzzled shrug at her lack of knowledge before remembering that where she came from, they probably weren't familiar with this kind of technology.

"Hey, how about a donut?" Luigi suddenly called, gesticulating impatiently at the idea of having a strawberry-glazed donut, his favorite! However, at his brother's skeptical look, he complained; "Oh come on, Mario, we absolutely must give her a taste of this! You don't want to miss this opportunity, do you? This dessert is a must! An explosion of flavors that will delight our taste buds on this warm, sunny afternoon."

"All right then. But just one! I've got to watch my cholesterol ..." Mario sighed in defeat as his shoulders slumped, which made Cinder laugh beside him. His brother always had the right arguments anyway.

"I can't wait to taste it!" Their friend enthused with a little bounce of excitement quickly joined by Luigi just as impatient as she was.

Across the street, a hawker was making doughnuts in all sorts of colors, according to demand. Blue, pink, white, brown, green... There was absolutely everything! With or without filling, these little golden doughnuts fried in oil with a hole in the middle intrigued Cinder, who leaned over the small shop window to admire the pretty desserts apparently typical of this district renowned for its street food. There was a mad crowd around them, but more particularly overexcited children waiting to have their own personalized donut. Some of these children reminded her of Junior... And at the mere thought of her beloved little turtle, her heart clenched in her chest as she would have loved to take him with her into this fabulous world to discover all these things. But unfortunately, it was too dangerous. He wouldn't go unnoticed.

"Mhmmm, that one!" Cinder chose after pointing to a blue-colored donut with little pink sprinkles. Clapping her hands, she thanked the seller graciously then grabbed the donut to look through the gaping hole in the middle.

"You look like a Cyclops!" Luigi commented with a chuckle as he received his to mimic his red-haired friend's idiocy. Looking at his brother through the hole in the strawberry-glazed doughnut, the latter bit into his donut with a little groan of happiness at the sweet taste of sugar sprinkled on it.

Indeed, this dessert was just as delicious as pizza!

Cinder licked her fingers as the two mustachioed brothers devoured their doughnut in just a few bites. Wiping their moustaches to remove the sugar, they suddenly had an idea when they saw a machine at the corner of the street under a shady veil in a media store. They exchanged knowing glances, then grabbed Cinder and led her to this strange machine with a dark green curtain and photos on display. Without missing a beat, they rushed inside the photo booth. Confused at first, the girl finally understood what it was all about after the first flashes lit up the booth to take a series of photos. Now seated between the two boys making faces, she imitated them to take comic shots alongside them, finding this activity particularly fun to do. Oh, if only she could have something like that in her world! She'd have fun clowning around with Bowser Jr and the Koopalings.

Laughing out loud at the ridiculous photos, Cinder looked at each deformed face with a touch of adoration. Her emotional smile played at her lips as she delicately ran her thumb over the few photos Mario and Luigi had given her as souvenirs of the three of them on their trip. She was truly spoiled. Not only had they given her special clothes for coming here, but they were also giving her souvenirs that she would treasure once back home. Obviously, where no one would find them... A matter of precaution. Thanking the brothers with a gentle hug, she stowed her precious photos in the small bag containing her another clothes.

"Thanks to you, this day will always be engraved in my memory. I love your world! It's full of surprises and sweets. It's wonderful ... And the people are so nice! I'm so happy to have you as friends. Thank you for all these moments." Thanked Cinder with a faint nod as the cheeks of the two boys in overalls began to turn pink at all the compliments.

"I'd love to! Know that you'll always be welcome here in Brooklyn." Mario immediately replied while toying with his moustache from a bulging chest, the other hand in a fist at his hip.

"And that we'll always be here to show you around!" Luigi nodded frantically, his smile widening at his friend's little laugh.

"I don't doubt it." Amused, she shyly crossed her arms behind her back when suddenly a shadow covered her.

"Hey, if it isn't the super Marios brothers." A man voice said. Cinder's eyes widened at the sarcastic tone.

"Hi, Spike." Mario grumbled and crossed his arms with a disdainful sniff, insisting on the first name of his loathsome ex-employer. Great, now he was the only one missing...

"Who in the world is this lovely lady?" Spike leaned over to Cinder and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his left flank, his grin tensing the now trapped young woman. Stiffly, she clenched her jaw at the unpleasant scent stinging her nose, avoiding the gaze of the bearded man above her.

"it's none of your business." Mario contested between his teeth as Luigi's concerned gaze settled on his uncomfortable friend.

"You shouldn't be hanging out with those two losers, my pretty." Spike snarled, lowering his yellow sunglasses on the girl he was holding before pointing at the two annoyed mustachios.

"Here we go again..." Mario sighed, rolling his eyes.

"They're my friends, and I can't think of anyone braver than them." Cinder decided to speak up to make her disagreement known, wincing at this proximity and at the tools on her belt that were painfully digging into her hip. Not only was he encroaching on her personal space without any restraint, but he was insulting her friends in front of her? What a rude character. Finally managing to get out of his grip after several attempts, she slipped out of his reach to realize that he was reading what was on her T-shirt. So she stretched it proudly with a beaming smile.

"I love Brooklyn!" She exclaimed.

"But of course, you're a tourist! I should have guessed. I've never seen you around here before. I like redheads. I know a lot of nice places I could take you without those two bootlickers, if you know what I mean. Nothing ever happens here, it's to die for. Those guys aren't interesting. They're wimps! They've got nothing to do with people like us." Spike mocked cheerfully with a sneer so loud he clutched his stomach with his arm.

"Thanks but no thanks." Cinder instantly refused, running her hands over her clothes crumpled by the unwanted hug. She didn't want to get them dirty! She cared far too much about this gift for some idiot like him to spoil it.

"It wasn't that long ago that you respected us by thanking us for saving your butt. Do you remember that? Let's see, I think I even heard you advertising to us last week. What happened to that gratitude?" Mario shrugged with an arched eyebrow, annoyed to have crossed Spike's path because without him this day would have been perfect.

Nice.

"And even that I was there!" Luigi pointed proudly at his torso with his thumb, chin lifted.

"Make a little effort, it's the first time she's been here." Mario encouraged without that little hint of sarcasm after shrugging his shoulders in weariness.

"I liked that time when you were nice to us! Too bad it was so short..." Luigi admitted, his voice coming out more nervous than he would have liked. Stepping aside from his braver brother, he went to Cinder's side to make sure she was all right after that little altercation. But she quickly reassured him with another of her comforting smiles.

"What? Pff, I really don't know what they're talking about!" Spike shouted, turning to raise an eyebrow at Cinder from behind his yellow glasses. He laughed in embarrassment before regaining his seriousness with a clearing of his throat, his finger outstretched towards Mario unperturbed; "and first of all, I'd have made mincemeat of all those monsters! Without anyone's help!"

"Oh yeah? You want me to call the big guy back so we can sort this out?" Mario provoked with a cheeky grin.

"Are you talking about that big turtle? Ha! That's a good one. I don't fight pets, I fight real men." Spike boasted, showing off his muscles with a toothy grin, hoping to impress the girl in the process. However, he didn't expect the heated look or the indignant retort.

"You'll never be a match for Bowser. There's no one stronger, more powerful or more ferocious than him. Against him, you're tiny. A speck of dust! Less than nothing. His wrath would reduce you to ashes before you could even say wow. He's a great King and a-" Cinder revolted, her index finger pointing at Spike but unfortunately she couldn't finish her sentence as Mario and Luigi quickly interjected with an awkward smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Oh but it's getting late? We'll be going now. Nice talking to you!" The mustachioed man in the red cap said hurriedly with a snap of his finger.

"See you soon, Spike!" Luigi greeted, taking Cinder by the arms at the same time as his brother to get away from Spike as quickly as possible.

She had been on the verge of revealing important information! Things that would be better kept secret. Not to mention that Spike wasn't exactly a trustworthy person... Making sure they weren't being followed as they leaned against the wall of an opposite alleyway, the three laughed at the ridiculous situation, still embarrassed by the encounter. When they regained their composure, Mario and Luigi decided to show off their world's sunset before returning to the depths. Cinder liked it, so it was a good idea to end their eventful day. The three of them leaned against a bridge railing, waiting for the last rays of the sun to disappear behind the silver towers on the horizon. In contented silence, they admired the spectacle of color that this particular time of day brought. Yellow, orange and a hint of pink in this uncluttered sky, the colors blended together to make this sunset something unique.

She'll have plenty to talk about when she gets home.

End


Honestly, I wish I could be in Cinder's shoes! I hope to visit this place for real one day. Who knows, maybe I'll run into the brothers in that pizzeria?

Maybe next time, it'll be with Peach ;) why not.

Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this story and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comments and support.

VP