Chapter 9: Friends Forever
After they all finished their supper, Queen Ruby led the girls out on a walk through Crystallia accompanied by a few guards. Pearl's friends still received a few glares from weary passerbys, but the queen assured them that they were peaceful. The girls continued to chat amongst each other about their lives and whatnot.
"Fascinating! You know, I forgot to ask. What day of the year is Sparkle Night, anyways?" Brooke asked.
"Um…" Pearl glanced off to the side. She's never heard anyone ask that question before. "It's kind of hard to explain…"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… we measure each day of the year by every day after Sparkle Night. So Sparkle Night is just… Sparkle Night," Pearl said with a shrug.
"Hmm…" Brooke stroked her chin with her upper right hand. "Then let me rephrase that question; What month of the year is Sparkle Night in?"
Pearl just got even more confused. "Month?"
"You mean you don't have MONTHS in the Underworld?!" butted Belle. "Are you gonna say you don't have weeks either?!"
"Um… no. What are they?"
"To put it simply, they are time measurements we use on the surface. A week is a group of seven days and a month is a group of about four weeks. A month makes up a twelfth of a year," Brooke explained. "I'll tell you more some other time."
"I see I've still got a lot to learn." The princess giggled, as did the others with her.
"Oh, you don't know the half of it," said Belle. After a quick chuckle, the girl's face fell when she remembered something. "So, uh, Pearl… You really are a princess, huh?"
Brooke and Brittany's attention were caught as well. Pearl rubbed the back of her head, nervously. "Well… yeah… I am."
"I see… Were you ever planning on telling us?"
Pearl hung her head. "I wanted to a few times, but…" Did she really want to explain why she never told them? She had just made these new friends. She couldn't bear the thought of them not wanting to be her friends anymore… Then again, her mom was right there, and she can tell when someone's lying. She'd seen her decipher a lie before. Might as well rip the band-aid off right here and now.
The other girls grew concerned when they saw tears breaking out of the Underworld princess. Ruby turned around as well upon hearing her daughter's sniffling.
"E-Everyone in this k-kingdom loves me… but only because I'm their princess… Before I met you guys… n-no one ever tried to get to know me a-and… be my friend…"
Brooke took out and gave her a tissue. "I see… So you were afraid we'd no longer see you the same way if you told us?"
Pearl shook her head as she wiped her tears.
Ruby kneeled down to her daughter's level. "Oh, sweetie… Why didn't you say anything?"
"I… I guess I didn't wanna disappoint you… mama…" Pearl hugged her. "I didn't want you to think I don't enjoy being a princess, because I do. I love seeing others smile and making them happy, but I just…"
She cried some more before she could finish, but her mom continued to wipe her tears.
"But I don't get it," said Brittany. "If she's a princess, shouldn't making friends be the easiest thing ever? Y'know, like the popular kids at school but even more popular?"
"Not necessarily. Popular kids are at a higher level of the social ladder, but it's still possible for them to befriend kids that are lower on that ladder if they have the heart to do so. Sadly, a lot of them don't, but I digress." Brooke adjusted her glasses. "When it comes to befriending royalty, it's hard to see them as any more than the royalty they are because that's how everyone views them. Actually trying to get to know them personally can pose a big risk because that can put just as many eyes on you as the royalty itself. It happened when Mario first saved and befriended Princess Peach, and now he's arguably even more famous than her. Most people don't want that kind of attention."
"Huh…" replied Brittany.
After Ruby let Pearl go, Belle approached her. "Pearl, look… you being a princess and all is really cool, but that's not why I like you. You're sweet, funny, creative, and just a cool person in general. Who you are is what matters, and the whole princess thing is just the cherry on top."
Pearl was able to smile again after hearing that, even holding her hand to her heart because it was thumping at her chest like a loud drum. Though no words came to her except one question: "What's a cherry?"
Belle chuckled. "There she goes again."
Brooke came to her side. "What she's saying is that being a princess is just a nice little bonus to the amazing person you already are. And I stand by that too."
"Me three!" added Brittany.
They all hugged the princess, her tears now those of joy. "So… you're all not afraid of me making you all… famous?"
"I think we can handle it," claimed Brooke. "Though knowing Belle, she'll revel in it."
"Will not!"
Ruby was also brought to tears as well, her heart warm as an open fire and her arms clutching to it like a keepsake. "You four are so adorable, I just…"
The two guards accompanying them just stared.
"I wasn't expecting us to be escorting a soap opera today."
"Shut up and don't ruin this!"
Pearl let go of her friends after a minute or two of hugging. "So, I guess you three have to go home now?"
"Yeah. We have school tomorrow." Brittany did a double take after saying that. "You do have school here in the Underworld, right?"
"Yeah, but I don't go there. I do all my learning from home."
"Wow, lucky you," Belle prattled. "I wish I could stay home all day, every day."
"You'd still have to do schoolwork no matter what," reminded Brooke. "Not to mention, you'd no longer be able to annoy other students when you brag about your accomplishments to them.
"Never mind."
The girls took the lead in bringing the others to the pipe where they got here, taking the longer route since they were too tired for the minecarts again. At last, they reached their destination, a red crystal pipe.
Ruby stepped over and examined it. "Oh, wow. So this is how you met your friends, Pearl?"
Pearl nodded. Then Brooke stepped forward. "These pipes appear to be a rarity and the only type of warp pipe that can withstand the pressure this deep into the earth. That's why it took this long for us to discover each other."
"Well, I'm happy you found them, Pearl. You have my permission to visit your friends whenever you want. After your training each day, of course."
Pearl jumped for joy. "Thank you, mama! You're the best!"
Ruby then turned to the Honeyhiver visitors. "And as for you girls, Belle, Brooke, Brittany, you three have been such a delight to have around. You're welcome in the castle anytime!"
"It's our pleasure, Ms. Ruby." Brooke bowed, as did the other two.
Brittany was the first to enter the pipe, followed by Brooke. Just before Belle entered as well, she turned back to Pearl and held out her two right arms with her hands curled into fists. Pearl stared at her. Was she… punching the air? "What are you doing?"
"It's a fist bump!" answered Belle. "Just make a fist with your hand and bump it with mine."
Pearl tilted her head at this, but curled her arm into a fist like she said.
"Well, c'mon! Don't keep me waiting!" Belle said with a wink.
Pearl bumped her fist against Belle's. The Honeyhiver released her fists and made an explosion sound with her mouth, making Pearl giggle. "See ya around, bestie!" Belle then entered the pipe, and she was gone.
Pearl smiled. At long last, her life felt complete like a missing puzzle piece she couldn't find until now. She had friends that she could laugh, play, and share her joy with, and a whole new world above full of places to explore with potential for even more friends. She could not wait to go back there! What could she discover next?
"Now then, I believe it's time for bed, sweetie," said Ruby. Well, normally Pearl would be sad to go to bed, but now that she mentioned it, she did have a long day.
The little girl yawned. "Alright, mama."
Upon returning to the castle, Pearl took her new Mario and Peach plushies up to her room. She took a quick change into her PJs and crawled into bed where her mother tucked her in.
"Are Mario and Peach comfy, sweetie?"
"They sure are, mama!" Pearl hugged her plushies close.
Ruby giggled. "Good night, Pearl. I love you." Ruby kissed her forehead and with a clap of her hands, the torches went out and Pearl drifted off into dreamland.
Meanwhile…
Mario sat at the couch of his pad at 9pm flipping the channels. All he could find airing at this hour were some boring soap operas and reality shows. With nothing better to watch, he went over to the news channel where a brown-spotted Toad was speaking.
"…and that's why Remy Ratooey's Red-Hot Hot Sauce has no competition! Seriously, I'm still feeling the burn. Woo!" exclaimed the newsman as he flipped his scripts. "Next up is… oh, this one is juicy! First off, thank the Star Spirits! We haven't had a juicy story since Mario rescued our princess from that horrible moon wedding with Bowser, and returned all of the stolen objects to their respective kingdoms."
Mario perked up. "Huh. This should be interesting."
"Eyewitnesses have reported an unusual visitor in Toad Town today. An unidentified race never seen before to be specific."
The screen displayed several camera shots of an unusual looking being.
"The creature has been described as resembling a little girl with gray skin, a red dress, a glowing set of pink eyes and mouth, and red "hair" that looks sharp like underground crystals. Some believe it was some kind of magic spell brought to life. Others say it's an outer space alien visitor. Wouldn't be our first time dealing with those. The only thing we know for certain is that she was accompanied by a child Honeyhiver, who appeared to be showing her around."
Mario examined the photos taken. This girl did admittedly look strange, but he could also spot a look of genuine wonder in the girl's eyes that almost warmed his heart a bit. He knew in his gut that she must just be a friendly, curious little girl.
"We now interview some live witnesses."
"I'll admit I was a little nervous at first when I saw her. But I didn't want to come off as racist either, so I took her order," said Ice. T. Jr. "She seemed to act as if she'd never had ice cream before, and I'm just… what?! What child could live without ice cream?!"
"I thought that "hair" on her head was some deadly spiked helmet, and she almost poked me as she zoomed right past me!" complained another Toad. "Her parents should teach her not to run in public places!"
"Kid had a weird regional coin currency that I've never seen before. They looked like mounds of crystals," said another Toad. "During my lunch break, I scoured the internet trying to find these regional coins to no results! Is there a kingdom out there that we just don't know about? Where? How?"
The news transitioned to Peach's Castle where the princess herself was interviewed. "Security footage shows that the unusual girl and her friend were in my castle, but they didn't break any of my rules and just seemed to be having fun, so I wouldn't bother them. I'm just curious where that girl came from. She looks rather adorable, actually."
"Aaaaaand… that's i- Waaaaaaait, never mind." the reporter flips his scripts again. "As if that weren't enough, the unidentified creature was spotted in other kingdoms as well. Like the Flower Kingdom."
Pipe-Rock Plateau was still under the wing wonder effect, with the Talking Flower flying about uncontrollably.
"THEY NEVER GRABBED THE WONDER SEED! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
"Err… never mind, let's just skip to the Lake Kingdom. Onto you, Meridia."
A Lochlady reporter named Meridia was seen at the scene on Lake Lamode.
"Thank you, Leslie. I've tried interviewing a Lakitu who claimed to have seen them, but he barred his house and refused to come out. So I'm getting a word from our princess instead. Princess Aqua, would you care you explain your thoughts on the unidentified being?"
A preteen human girl with a freckled face, blue eyes, middle-length chocolate brown hair, and a blue dress with a wave-like pattern that had a color gradient transitioning into colors like green and purple towards the bottom, walked up to Merida's microphone.
"Well Meridia, I actually saw that girl and her flying friend too from my dome. I would've said hi, but my dome was too deep underwater," said Aqua. "I did ask FLUDD to try and identify her race, but to no results."
Aqua's machine on her back turned its head. "I can confirm. There is no record of a gray-skinned humanoid with crystal-like hair in any database."
"But I don't see a reason to worry. Mario once told me this: 'When you live in a world where you see and experience the extraordinary every day, the definitions of ordinary and extraordinary are reversed.'" quoted Aqua. "When you think about it, his words really hold merit because there are much stranger things out there that we're used to by now. I mean, look at my friend, Celia! She's a human/koopa hybrid! Um… no offence, Cece."
Another girl stepped into the scene. This time an older teenager with red eyes, yellow skin, red hair that transitioned into orange and then yellow, and a gray sweater.
The girl pretended to look offended but then laughed. "None taken, Aqua. Though I do want to take this moment to spread this message:" She put on a more serious face as she faced the camera. "Everyone, if you happen to encounter this mysterious girl, please… PLEEEEEASE don't give her a hard time just because she's different. Get to know her before you judge. I say this from experience, as my childhood had me getting bullied for being a hybrid, and I'd hate for this girl to experience the same. That's all from me."
Meridia took the mic back. "Well, there you have it. Back to you, Leslie."
"Thank you for the input, Meridia. Currently, investigations are going underway to find out just where this mysterious girl came from. If you see her, please report your sightings to the Mushroom Kingdom Archeology Department. Thank you, and good night!"
Mario shut off the TV after this and went into thought. Who is this girl, and should he be worried? Aqua certainly had the right idea that seeing strange new creatures is nothing surprising anymore, though the question still persisted in his head: Friend or Foe?
Before long, Luigi stepped in the pad with a letter and some groceries. "'Evening, bro!"
"Hey, Lu!" greeted the older brother. "Say, did you happen to see a strange gray-skinned girl with red hair and glowing eyes when you were out? I was just watching something about it on the news."
"Well, no. But I did hear some Toads talking about her. I even saw a bulletin board with some pictures. What do you suppose that is all about?"
Mario shrugged. "No idea. But I hope she's as innocent and friendly as she looks. I'm leaning towards believing she is, but you never know."
"Yeah. Oh, before I forget!" Luigi put down his groceries and opened up the letter. "I found this in the mailbox when I got home." Mario and Luigi both read the letter together.
Congratulations, Luigi!
You're the lucky winner of a free stay at a world-class hotel, The Last Resort!
We look forward to dazzling you with first-rate hospitality and service. Please be sure to invite any friends or family that you'd like to bring, as well!
-Hellen Gravely
Mario raised a brow. "Shouldn't that name be spelled with one L?"
"Meh, crazy names are all over the place in a world like this, but Wowie Zowie! A hotel! It's been awhile since we've had a vacation. One not crashed by Bowser, at least. Maybe this is finally our chance for one," said Luigi.
"I guess, but…" Mario looked over the letter again in suspicion. "Didn't we previously fall into a trap with a similar setup?"
"Is anyone actually dumb enough to try and trick us with the same trap twice?" countered Luigi.
"Fair point. I'll get to inviting some guests tomorrow. Imma beat." The plumber got up and headed to bed.
"Nighty night, bro!"
As Mario walked into his bedroom, he still thought about the girl. He may not know her yet, but he does hope that she is happy and safe wherever she is. And who knows? Maybe they'll cross paths one day.
The End
Wow, how good it feels to finish a story! Haven't felt this satisfied in a long time! Before anyone asks, no, this is not foreshadowing an adaptation of Luigi's Mansion 3 (at least not anytime soon)! This merely serves the purpose of clarifying where in the Mario timeline this story takes place. I'd like to sincerely thank PhDedede for the opportunity of making this story with his characters! They have been a blast to write! Pearl's adventures are far from over, in fact. He and I have been discussing lots of new ideas for stories with Pearl and friends, and we hope you look forward to them!
Voice cast:
Pearl - Claire Corlette
Ruby - Idina Menzel
Belle - E. G. Daily
Peach and Toads - Samantha Kelly
Mario and Luigi - Kevin Afghani
Talking Flower "Steve" and Jasper - Mick Wingert
Brooke - Shannon Chan-Kent
Brittany - Michelle Marie
Gold and Silver - Kevin Micheal Richardson
Obsidia - Donna Murphy
Aqua - Brittney Karbowski
Celia - Tara Strong
The Mario characters and location are owned by Nintendo
Pearl, Ruby, Belle, Brooke, Brittany, and both the Underworlder and Honeyhiver races along with their respective kingdoms are owned by PhDedede
Aqua belongs to me
Celia belongs to StarlitDuck
Thank you so much for reading my fanfic! See you next time!