"TOADSTOOOOL!"
The ground beneath his burning feet shook, the smell of gunpowder and molten lava intoxicated his lungs, chaos and destruction rang in his ears in a jarring cacophony. Behind him, the mighty castle of the Koopa King crumbled into debris and rubble and the unholy curses of the beast himself echoed in the far horizon behind him, only muted by the ear-piercing explosions of desperately shot Bullets and Banzai Bills. Mario did not care about a single thing, not his pain, not his peril, not death chasing him from behind. The only thing in his mind was to run, as far as he could and as further as he could. All for the safety of the fair maiden that he carried in his arms, who held her head against his shoulder in hope to see only the end of the nightmare they were stuck in.
"MARIOOOO!"
The monster could roar at the top of his lungs, Mario did not listen. There was nothing in his mind other than running for dear life, mostly for her. In spite of his fatal wounds, Mario ran, far beyond the capabilities of his physical strength.
His rescue plan was a complete bust. The plumber could be well prepared for anything the Koopa King had for him, yet so much fell down in his attempt. Nothing came out as planned and Mario saw himself in more jeopardy than ever. His recklessness and the unfortunate circumstances led him to sustain heavy burns, deadly blows, scarring gashes and great fatigue. He pushed through to the very end, and so, his fight led to the fall of the castle itself. As heavy stones threatened to crush everything in their fall, what made his blood freeze in terror was the princess herself being caught in the collapse with them. In the confusion and desperation, he grabbed her and made his way out, almost as if he was the one kidnapping her.
She held to him for safety, and he held to his adrenaline like a lifeline. His strength to run was nothing but an emergency supply granted by a primal flight instinct, he knew that once it was gone, he was done for. There was nothing in his mind, no sound, no touch, not smell, he could only run. The very second he allowed himself to focus away from his objective, he turned his head to face back as a damming noise chilled his spine. He could not make sense of what kind of noise it was, but he knew very well that it meant danger, for it was the sound of a flying broom.
"I'm not letting you get away!" Kamek shouted with wrath behind him. His worn out broom could barely hold a steady flight from his own beat down and he was in course of crashing down, hovering lower and lower like a dying fly. Knowing he would crash eventually, Mario turned back his head and kept on sprinting. It could have been the end of his worries, but the corner of his eye as he turned his head front caught a very faint ray of red light. Mario gasped for air and the princess let go a scream.
BOOM!
It was a blast; he didn't have to look out to know it was aimed straight at him. Its trail rang in his ears like a firework on its way to blow up. His window for decision was of merely a few seconds and each step he took only lowered the count. Mario's body was moving on his own as his mind went completely blank; adrenaline spiked, overwhelming all of his senses. He held Peach tighter, he had to protect her no matter what. Before the explosion could reach him, Mario made a leap of faith, a literal jump towards the unknown.
CRASH!
The explosion stunned his eardrums while he barely escaped its blast, Mario felt his back burning and the air punch him violently from behind, but it was that punch what he needed. The blast gave him a boost that sent him and the princess flying far away, granting them that extra advantage on their run to safety. Nothing came out as planned and so he injured himself greatly, but the plumber could still make use of the situation even if it meant breaking his whole body apart.
With a loud thud, Mario landed in his two feet. He felt the shock of the landing run through his nerves from the bottom to the top, awakening all of his injuries at once for brief second. But adrenaline kept pumping, and even if he felt his feet completely broken, he continued to run and run and run...
The scenery made a beautiful twilight and the clouds of the Darklands dissipated, the barren soil was now lively grass, the air was much lighter to breath as well. They were safe, but for all his blank mind knew, Mario still needed to run. His senses were numb; he could only run with strength he didn't have any more. I was all for her sake, he could not stop until she was safe and sound, even when she protested for reasons beyond his comprehension, he knew he could not-
"Mario, look! It's a village!" Peach shouted while pointing forward. Suddenly his senses picked up lights and smoke in the distance. It was a village, a place to stay and rest. "We're safe!"
They were safe, they were truly safe. The thought made him smile and his mind straightened for a moment, senses awakened. "We're safe..." he said once, then twice in whisper while the thought of safety polluted his mind, and then a third time as gravity claimed him.
His senses were awake, and with them, each and every single one of this injuries ravaged his worn out body. Mario collapse in the grass with the princess falling from his arms. His adrenaline diminished into nothing and his bravado was all gone, all he could do was scream in pain. His tears fell in the grass; he could not bear the immense agony of his wounds, Mario could barely move his own body. Breathing became more and more painful by the second, his lungs were in so much pain he wanted to rip them off. Peach immediately crawled to his side, lifting his upper body, much to his pain. She screamed desperate words at him, muffle words he could not make sense of. His vision blurred, his mind drifted, her angelic blue eyes were the only color he could grasp, and even it was turning dark among everything else.
"I can't move..." Mario uttered, unbeknownst if he actually said that or not. "I can't feel my body..."
His eyes were becoming heavier and his senses dimmed again, the screaming became louder, yet undecipherable all the same. His wounds overwhelmed him into succumbing, he could not hold on much longer. As much as he desperately wanted to hold on to those beautiful eyes of hers, he could not see them anymore, for even those became a blur.
A slow blink made him see a figure of pink and yellow run away towards the yellow lights from afar. His heart sunk as she ran further from him and he extended his arm, seeking her touch again.
"Don't... go..."
It was the last thing he saw, before he succumbed to his injuries and his consciousness faded away.
"Pea... chy..."
A familiar smell caught him while his senses muffled. Mario breathed in, embracing the appetizing and deeply nostalgic scent in spite of the weakening of his lungs. He didn't need to open his eyes, nor he really knew if he had them opened or not, but what caught his vision was enough to make him forget about his pain. He rose in awe and felt himself a child once more. It was Mamma's lasagna recipe, awaiting him, melted cheese covered the many layers of pasta and meat, he couldn't not wait to take a bite and so he cut a slice and into his mouth it went. It was hot, very hot, but absolutely delicious nonetheless, the flavors spiked and danced all over this mouth it was a delight never experienced before. Laughter filled his ears, sounds of loved ones enjoying themselves, giving the mundane meaning. Luigi's impatient face as mamma served his portion was oddly amusing to him, he would enjoy their meal as much as he did, for they were brothers.
It was then when he realized, as reality warped itself before his eyes and memories of family meals flew in his mind like a flash, that he didn't have much longer.
The once wonderful smell of freshly cooked home meals became rotten, piercing his nose and eyes with a harsh stinger, such putrid stink was unbearable. When he opened his eyes, Mario was welcomed by a grotesque scene. A shabby toilet, filled to the brim with manmade horrors he wished he didn't remember so vividly. But he couldn't forget, it was his first day on such dreadful line of work. His only silver lining that day, while dealing with entitled people and disgusting sceneries, was Luigi's beyond terrified face at such sight. Mario laughed the dread of his first day away, setting himself to think that he could push through everything no matter what, all for the sake of a brighter future for him, his brother and those close to him.
His conviction led him to a life of ups and downs, one life that diminished as memories came through. He held to his strength to the very end, but it was then when he wondered for how long he could keep holding onto it.
But he needed such strength more than ever, for when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a situation he could not back away from. For the first time in years, he found himself dreading for his life. The metallic bridge wobbled and the air became heavier, a dizzying smell disoriented him along with the scorching heat coming from below. He couldn't describe it at the moment, but he came to know later that such smell was the one of burning lava. A monstrous chuckled taunted him from the other side, an evil twice his size towered him. The beast charged forward and, almost as if time itself slowed down, he slid below the monster as he jumped at him. Before he knew it, the bridge behind him was no more and the beast was carried away in the burning sea below. Mario felt his heart race, thumps ringing in his ears with no end. But then he turned around, facing the one that fearful beast was so desperate to hold onto.
Just one look was all that he needed for his heart to stop. That face, it was all that he could remember, the face of the one that stole his heart. Memories of each other came flying, the many smiles she gifted him, the very words she said to him with much love… his own feelings for her came to him, the tangle they were and how he was beginning to embrace them.
He could not feel his body anymore, his senses were not real, his mind decayed, but all that he cared about at that moment was her. He accepted his fate, knowing very well that he would not open his eyes ever again. But even so, he could not help but yearn to see her one last time.
It could have been a dream, or a delusion, but what stood in front of him was not a memory. Her blinding figure shone upon him close by, like a divine being. A familiar scent of lavender and strawberries soothed his already numb body and he felt at peace, much like those days she was by his side. His wish was granted, even if it was just a dream.
It was her. It was really her, holding him so close he could hear her unsteady breathing. It confused him, for her whispers felt full of sadness, like mourning. He focused on the light that blinded him and he found shape in it, Mario saw her face, tearing drops of light with a crooked, pained smile. His heart sunk seeing her despair.
"Please… don't die on me…"
And so she broke into tears, sobbing in desperation for what it was beyond his own grasp. Although he could not feel his heart beat, he felt how it shattered at the sound of her sorrow. He wanted to stop it, caress her and tell her that everything would be alright, but his body did not respond, his words did not come out. Even at just inches away from her, Mario could not reach her.
"What am I supposed to do without you...?"
His senses slowly dimmed, it was futile to try and push forward even if every dying nerve of his body wanted to desperately hold her and chase away her pain. He could not. Regrettably, he understood that he had no strength left for her.
"There's so much I want to tell you... so much I want to live with you by my side..."
At the very least he wanted to enjoy his last moments feeling her so close, he held to it knowing there was nothing else he could do. He tried to summon all of his remaining strength, if there was any, to allow himself to utter those words he was always so hesitant to say to her. Just three words, he would not ask for anything else. But his voice could not come out, he had no strength left. He regretted that even if there was no real consequence once death claimed him, he could not even tell her about how much he loved her.
"You have to push forward... you have to live..."
But there was really nothing he could do, other than bask in the presence of his beloved one. Even if it was his final moment and even if it was just a dream, he had nothing left.
"Please... Don't leave me..."
"...Mario..."
"...My dear Mario..."
The sobbing slowly died down, all noise was gone, her presence was no more, all that there was for him was the void of a dying mind, flashing through memories rapidly. Faces, feelings, moments, they all flew away in the void. In the flight of his mind, he felt a spark, one last bit of energy left in him. Finally, he could say those words he wanted to say for so long. But he couldn't, his lips were kept shut before he could even attempt to open them.
The last of his energy was used to focus on the soft pressure applied on his lips, a soothing feeling that put his turbulent mind to rest once and for all. It was a kiss from his beloved one. In the moment it came to him that it was nothing but a dream, much like all those kisses that came before, never mind how real it felt, his mind was already drifting away he couldn't tell what was real anymore.
But he was happy, happy that the vague thought of her kissing him was be the last thing he would experience as he died. It could have been real, or it could have been a dream, it made no difference. The outcome was the same, and he was happy nonetheless.
In his final moments, Mario allowed his last breath to be stolen. He embraced her who was his angel, his beloved, his special one... his princess.
But then, that little spark of life became stronger, his memories returned to him. Instead of feeling his body numb into nothing, his senses awakened one by one and he felt his wounds, as well a cooling sensation coming from his nape. It was refreshing, it invaded his body with a relieving feeling, almost as wonderful as the softness that shut his lips and the little pressure that released them.
He had strength, he had feel, death was so close and yet he stood merely dazed. He wanted to wake up and see her beautiful eyes, and so awakened to bask in her beautiful light. True to his dream, she had her face just inches away from his, with an expression of pain beyond words, but upon meeting his tired eyes, she quickly rose in surprise, confusion and, most notably, joy. Once again, she cried.
"Mario…!" Peach immediately embraced him with a tight hug, completely forgetting that his body was greatly injured. He reminded her of it with a shout, followed by a whimper. For the first time, he could not bear the damaged he sustained. The princess quickly let him go. "I-I… I'm so sorry!"
His vision was dim, and he could barely move his head, but Mario found himself sitting with his back in the soft headboard of a small bed. The shades of shabby brown in the closed, cramped room told him it was some kind of shack. In front of him was the princess, tears falling down her face without end. It pained him so much to see her cry in sorrow. He was weak, breathing was difficult and trying to make words come out even more so, but he had the strength to reach out to her when he thought he lost it for good, he could call her.
"Peachy… don't cry, please-"
"I thought I had lost you…" she interrupted.
He stood in silence, her words reverbed in his mind like ripples in still water. Seeing her squinting red eyes as they cried made him realize that it was not pain what came from her, but relief.
"I'm so happy…" As wrong as it was, Mario felt his heart warm up by her sobbing and the words she stuttered between her unsteady breaths. But it couldn't be wrong, for the princess was overwhelmed by emotions of happiness and relief, knowing that he was alive. He came to see it in her eyes and the sweetness of her words. "I'm so happy you didn't leave me…"
Without realizing it, he had lifted his arm to reach out to her. Mario's hand was further from grasping her, but as he began to feel the pain of his careless movement, her hands wrapped around his and Peach rested her head in the back of his hand. The soft grip of her delicate hands could chase his pain away, it almost felt refreshing the same way it felt in his dream. A thought came to him, his heart began to beat faster, more alive than ever. She stopped crying, her breathing was still rather troubled, but slowly, she calmed down.
As silence made its way between the two of them, he focused on her slow breathing, the cooling grip of her hands relieving the pain of his own. His dream felt more real than ever once he put his mind into it. Perhaps it was nothing more than an illusion of his dying mind, but the faint, albeit familiar sensation of her touch returned him to that one that reanimated him. It returned him to that kiss, one that felt more real than those he received from her in the many dreams he had of each other. "Was that real too?" he couldn't help but wonder
Regardless, Mario felt in his heart that he was born again. And the one that granted him a chance to continue forward was resting her head in his hand, breathing steadily.
He smiled, for he never doubted it. She had the title of a princess, but more than ever Mario thought Peach was an angel.
