Song: FF6--Forever Rachel

 

 

Chapter 11: Heroes Live Forever

~*~*~*~Mushroom Kingdom, Halloween 31st, 8:09PM~*~*~*~

"TRICK 'R TREAT!!!!" a small group of Toads, Koopas, Goombas, and others held out their bags in front of a mushroom retainer.

"Here ya go." Toad handed out some delicious candy to the kids as they prepared themselves to go to the next "house" in the neighborhood. Toad's happy expression soon died after the door closed. He turned toward two plumbers, "agents" who freely volunteered and were assigned along with other MORE reliable soldiers for a task that had been issued since the leaves had first fallen in autumn. "Any news of them?" He waited for an answer but they shook their heads in a sign of "no". Toad hung his mushroom head in disappointment.

"It just ain't the same without those idiots!! Without that imbecile Luigi, I have got no one to let my piranha plant nibble on!" A lanky and extremely skinny plumber dressed in black overalls and a purple shirt leaned against a pillar, "I wonder what he looked like when that plant popped out and bit off his oversized nose...must've been hilarious." he lightly sneered. Toad oddly stared at the two brothers.

"Dang that Mario!" the elf-like ears of a rather corpulent plumber twitched as he stuffed some candy into his mouth and gulped it down in an instant. "Running off without letting me take away his last allowance...." Toad understood their comments. For some bizarre reason, Wario and Waluigi were also missing Mario and Luigi.

"I'm surprised you two actually volunteered to search for them. That you CARE for Mario and Luigi.."

"WE?!" Wario got up and gave a stern look at the small Toad, "And CARE for Mario or Luigi?! What a laugh!

"Pff! Don't get all mushy with us!" Waluigi crossed his arms while throwing a mean expression. "We're just annoyed by them.........!"

"Right.." It just seems so strange.. It has only been 10 days ago when the Mario brothers were still home. What was he to tell Peach? Reporting another unsuccessful search will only add to her depression. Not only her, to everyone across the kingdom. Was that all he could tell her? He recalled something Mario once said.

{"Hey Toad! Tell Peach, I'll be back later tonight. I'm going to meet Luigi at his new mansion. It's supposed to be a really big place! She'll probably get mad at me for not telling her in person, but I have my ways to get around it. ^_^ I'll catch you later Toad!"}

"I hope somebody finds them, anything leading to them. They can't have disappeared." Waluigi and Wario were silent in their own thoughts. Small sparks of tears streamed down the retainer's face "They just can't!"

~*~*~*~Mushroom Kingdom, November 27th, 6:30PM~*~*~*~

"Everyone!" Princess Peach stood up raising a glass of fruit juice. "Happy Thanksgiving!" Cheers rang in the giant dinning hall of the Mushroom Castle. Each guest received a slice of the well seasoned turkey and some drinks to go along as they sat down for their princess to finish her reception. "I welcome every one here tonight." The guests clapped out of politeness and stopped when she resumed. "I'm sure there are many things we have our thanks for. May we be thankful for what we have..." her thoughts were suddenly interrupted. When she remembered, she was taken by her own words ".and for what we once had..." Peach tried not to let herself be seen in such a pitiful state.

"Peach..." a brunette princess dressed in a royal yellowish dress noticed Peach's change in action. Peach forced her tears back, clutching the table cloth to suppress her grief, but it was too much for her. "E-excuse me." Her reception ended rather abruptly when she left the dinning room. Though it didn't really surprised anyone for all knew of the lost of the Mario Brothers...

"Princess..." Toad quietly called her name. He had empathy for her he gripped his little hands. "Toadsworth," he turned toward Peach's eldest retainer. "I-I don't know how much longer we can live like this. Although she's hiding it, we all know she's the one most affected by their absence. " "We'll get over it.eventually. It'll be difficult for her, but our princess it strong. She will cope with it and so must we."

"Yeah..." Toad left the room as well. He found himself standing in the lone hallway of the castle. Toad brought out a little worn-out slip of paper that had the last scribbles of one of the Marios.

{"Guys! I've just won a huge mansion! I'm really eager on checking it out with Mario! I'll be seeing him there. Sorry, about not taking you with me. Hey, how about we all celebrate Christmas at my place? It'll be blast!!" ~Luigi}

"We can't loose our hopes on them." The voice of the Sarasarian Princess sounded in his ears.

"I know." Toad turned toward (the real) Princess Daisy. "But we've sent out our best agents. And still, they haven't found anything!

"Toad we can't give up." She lowered herself to his level while let her tears flow herself. "Not now. Not until we have found prove that Mario and Luigi are dead!"

~*~*~*~Mushroom Kingdom, December 24th, 6:30PM~*~*~*~

Snow fell from the murky sky for the first time in the year. In was the night of Christmas Eve, a day of joy, happiness and being together with one's family. Little toads were busy embellishing their princess's castle for the great festival. Family and friends gathered together at the palace for the holiday. But for the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, it was a time of grief and sorrow.

A gorgeous blonde princess, a cheery person with a smile like the sunshine on a tropical island, lay sobbing at the edge of her royal bed. She has been shedding tears ever since an odd professor arrived at her castle and reported to her of the death of the two most trivial heroes her kingdom could've wished for. Not to forget that one was especially dear to her. Mario and Luigi have been claimed missing. A search for them has been issued across the kingdom. For 2 months, there were no traces of them, nothing but the only effaced possessions left behind. Two weary hats...with no owners...

The Mario Brothers have been officially claimed dead after the incident in the mansion within Forever Forest.

"Peach?" her loyal retainer knocked on her door. "I'm sorry for what you're going through, but I'm sure that-"

"Please, go away," she pleaded. "I want to be left alone." She had stayed in her room, and had looked the door to avoid any contact with anyone. . "Princess, please join us at the dinner. It's Christmas Eve. You must eat something," Toadsworth pleaded. There was no reply other than the soft weeps of the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"What do we do? She has been in her room ever since you arrived here and informed us of this devastating news." The toads turned toward the only survivor of the haunted residence.

"I apologize; I have just now become aware of their importance and link to the Mushroom kingdom. I'm sorry I haven't come any sooner." Professor E.Gadd threw his eyes onto the floor, ashamed. "There was no stopping to those youngsters."

~*~*~*~ 11:15PM~*~*~*~

Inside Peach's room, she had fallen asleep out of exhaustion from crying her unbroken grief over her kingdom's lost, her lost... "Mario..*sob*.Luigi.why?" She dug her head into her pillows, shaking uncontrollably. "Where are you? What has become of you?" Peach was left in her sorrow "Why haven't you returned? Leaving us.leaving me behind?" Her mind fought for answers to her questions. But nothing seemed to answer her pleas. Why have the Marios executed something that killed them along with their enemy?

"Princess."

She shot up alarmed, scared of the voice that rang in her ear. Nobody but herself was in her room. Peach stood up carefully looking around her comfortable room.

"Who-who's there?"

A rumbling vibration shook the ground, causing Peach to be thrown off her trance. She hurried toward the window only to see "BOWSER!?" approaching her castle. Peach slowly stepped back. "Wha-what should I do?!" Peach brought her hands up and covered her face in horror.

"Princess!" the voice of her retainer voiced behind her locked door. Toad was flattened against the wall when Peach stormed out of her room and Toadsworth desperately called after her. "Princess! Where are you going?! Please, you mustn't move about by yourself!" She didn't care. There was something that drove her on leaving her safe castle and her foolish act on taking Bowser on her own. Did she plan on getting herself killed?! On suicide?!

"PRINCESS PEACH!!!" Toad exclaimed.

It had already grown dark and cold outside. The stars hid behind the clouds to show their disapproval of the evil that lurked within the castle's borders. Bowser stood alone in Peach's small labyrinth garden until the princess herself appeared behind a well cut bush.

"What do you want, Bowser?!" There was really no need to question his presence for all knew his plans on ruling over Peach's kingdom and taking her prisoner. He stirred when her hostile voice was heard. No guards had attempted attacking the King of the Koopas. It wasn't unusual, for many feared the powerful adversary of the Mushroom Kingdom. *Why is he all by himself? Where are his troops?* Bowser had brought along no armies or guards with him. *Or maybe he did and hid them somewhere preparing for an ambush!* A small breeze picked up playing with her hair.

"Peach.." She jumped, afraid and confused at the same time. *This isn't Bowser's voice! What is going on?* Bowser's voice didn't carry its usual rough and acid tone. Instead, it contained the soft lullaby of a siren (?!) It did not match at all! She carefully scrutinized him. *Kamek must have changed his voice to bemuse me, to put me under a spell!"

"Peach...what is it that you're really wishing for?" he questioned her. His dry eyes fixed on her.

"Huh? Wha-what do you mean?" Peach grew uncomfortable.

"How do you still remember them?"

"Are you talking about." it was painful for her to speak the names of her fallen heroes,"..Mario and Luigi?" She was right. Bowser was referring to his arch enemies. "I-Is this a trick?" Nothing in Peach's head seem to understand until it thought of his reminiscence as mockery. "You reptilian monster!!? Are you trying to break my soul?! Don't you have a heart!?" She clutched her heart, crying once more.

"Princess!" Toad, E.Gadd, Toadsworth and others arrived at the scene. The guards raised their weapons in combat position while her loyal friends comforted her.

"I have not intension on doing so, princess. I am not rejoicing on the lost of the Mario Brothers," she raised her head and stared into his eyes. "I truly don't." How? How come his voice had trust? What was in his voice that assured her no evil deeds? "Answer me truly Princess Peach. How do you remember them?"

"How do I remember them? How could I forget?!"

"Princess!!!!" Peach approached Bowser without realizing the dangers it could posed on her. "They were the ones no one could ever erase from their memories!" She brought up the red dirty hat marked with an "M". "Mario..he used to protect my kingdom along with his sweet brother, Luigi. They have always been keeping us safe from danger." Her dubious expression fell onto Bowser, who listened. "always." She lightly touched the hat. "Heh. he once tried baking a strawberry cake for me, it'll usually taste funny and sometimes burned up. But he his pasta made up for it." She forced her smile. "And Luigi. He may not show his bravery like Mario. Some say he's a 'fraighty-cat, but he is special on his own. Luigi's very smart and creative. He can come up with some of the most bizarre ideas at parties." She allowed her long hair to cover her pitiful face. "King Boo has taken them away...far away.."Bowser was silent, not daring to move or do anything that could've caused the princess to break down. "I miss them."A tear dropped onto the ground, "I miss them so much."

~*~*~*~ 12:00AM-Midnight~*~*~*~

After some time had passed, Peach gathered her senses, "Heh.why am I actually telling you this..You, the nemesis of my kingdom?"

"This is all I needed to know." She was still puzzled by his presence. "What is it that you most dearly wish for Princess Peach?" he asked once more.

"I-"She tightly clutched the hats. "Mario...Luigi.I.I want to see them...I want to see them well and healthy here beside me."

"I see.." Snow began falling in the dark. The small flocks of crystal- shaped ice fell in front of Peach. They were thick enough that it blurred everyone's sight.

"...Peach..." Her mind snapped at the familiar voice.

"I had to hear it with your own words that you longed for them." Bowser's form loosed.

"Heh." another voice sounded the air.

"Could it be?!" Toad glanced around.

"You mean to say-!? " E.Gadd gasped.

"They remember you." Serenity's sincere voice echoed. Bowser's form had dispersed and forth came the princess of the haunted mansion of Forever Forest. She had disguised herself as Bowser, to draw Peach out, to realize her wish, to make it become reality...

When Peach's vision cleared...she didn't believe her eyes. She wouldn't. It was as awkward as seeing dead souls!! There, just couple feet away, stood the figures of two hat-less plumbers. Their hair was a pure mess, their cloths ragged and burned. One smiled while the other grinned.

"Merry Christmas, Peach, "Mario greeted in his usual tone.

"Hope you haven't been missing us for too long." The others rubbed their eyes. She was speechless, simply mumbling words, "You're back...you're back." They nodded," You really are!!!!" She couldn't hold it back anymore. With one quick snap, Peach burst out of emotion. "MARIO!!!! LUIGI!!!! YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!" Her body momentum literally knocked the newly revived plumbers over. She didn't care if her dress was going to get wet from the snow. She was happy. It was all that mattered to her. They were alive and well.

"Whoa, Peach!! Calm down!"

"How could I?! "She hugged them like there was no tomorrow,"You have been missing for such along time without any traces! Where have you been?!"

"They couldn't return," Serenity's ghostly figure blew in the wind. "Their fight with King Boo proved fatal."

E.Gadd, who was the only true survivor, stepped forth, "You mean they died?! But why didn't you bring them back to us."

"I couldn't."

~*~*~*~ *Flashback* ~*~*~*~

{"Ready Weege?"}

{"Whenever you are!"}

"I watched from afar within my painting. I saw King Boo terrorizing the entire mansion, utilizing Bowser's form along to display his wrath." The thunderous rumbling atop the building promised nothing to their liking. Serenity pounded on her prison wall, attempting an escape. "I heard Kind Boo's roar but it was in agony, in pain."

"I don't remember anything after that," Luigi scratched the back of his head.

"There was the rushing of water, and at the same time the sizzling of fire, then a destructive explosion that seized the mansion, razing wiping off every little thing,"

"WHAT?!" Mario exclaimed. " What in the world did we do?"

"I escaped my prison, but before me lay the mansion, in ruins. Rocks, fallen pillars, and the roof that once stood by the moon shrunk to the size of small hill. Among the rumble of dust and stones, it was a miracle the two had survived.but..."

{"*groan*.wha-?}

"They both fell victim to amnesia, the lost of memory."

{"Wher-who am I.?"}

"I had sympathy for them. I had to nurse them back to health," Mario and Luigi lay in sheets of rags. Mario trembled in the cold under the think branches of the forest. Serenity struggled taking care of them. Luigi beset with high fever squeezed his eyes while forming words of, {"Who am I?"} and others that asked for his identity. The princess held his hands, offering her warmth until it loosened, laying there motionless. "A few days later they passed away as souls with no memories of their lives. I could not revive them, "she looked at Peach, "until someone in the living world wish them back. Remember them; remind them of who they were. "

Peach got up and dusted off the fresh snow. "I don't know how much to thank you for bringing Mario and Luigi back."

"I have already received the gratitude one could wish for." Serenity bowed like a princess respects another royal family. Peach thought for a moment, how to show her thanks when she remembered today's special celebration.

"Wait! Tonight is Christmas Eve. Please join us at the dinner. You wi-"

"I'm sorry. I have to return to my family." Serenity politely declined. Peach understood and wished her a great time with her family, as she will with hers. Toadsworth, Luigi, E.Gadd, Mario, Toad, and Peach made their way out of the garden, a little exhausted due the strange incidents, but never to celebrate their own party with their own family. "Luigi?" she stopped him when the others were already entering the castle.

"Yes, Serenity." He turned around to face her and jumped when he realized how close she was actually standing from his face! "Uhm..," he felt his temperature rising, feeling quite uncomfortable being pushed to this little space between them.

"Thank you. For all the things you and your brother have done. Our mansion can once again become our home." Her ghostly hand reached out touching, his cheek, slowly moving her fingers down to his lips.

"Well...uh..," his face turned crimson red,"i-it was nothing," he smiled. "I have to thank you for revi-"

"You know," her face neared his. Now Luigi became REALLY uneasy! He felt steam rising within in while the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach made him somewhat sick, but he held his position as best as he could.

"Se-Serenity?" he stuttered. Her voice whispered something into his ear.

"This has been the best Christmas I had ever had. Daisy is very lucky to have someone like you devoted to her."

"Eh? "He blushed even more. "Wai- hold on! There's nothing be-

"Farewell, "her picture slowly began dissolving, "I'll never forget you, Luigi." She had already left the royal garden before Luigi could finish. He stood there for a while. Thinking, when he gazed up into the sky. The stars were beautiful tonight, sparkling in the black-blue-ish sky, while the small flakes of snow fell to the ground. Luigi stared at the heavenly light the stars emitted. He signed, as he also left the garden himself to join his family. "There's no better place to spend Christmas," Mario, Peach and the others stood by the castle entrance, calling Luigi, "then home.."

*~*~*~Home sweet home~*~*~*

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A/N:

 

DANG IT!!!! CHEEESSSYY!!! I can't write endings!! RAHHHHHHHHHH!!! JUST BECAUSE I FREAKIN" RUSHED I NOW HAVE ONE OF THE CRAPPIEST ENDING EEEEEEEEVVVVVVVVEEEEEERRRRR!!!! I was supposed to have put this up yesterday, X-Mas EVE!!! But nooo~ I couldn't 'cause, well you know how brothers push you off the computer. -_-

Bowser MUST have heard that Mario and Weege were gone, so why didn't he freakin' conquer the Mushroom Kingdom and "married" Peach?....He has pride too!....I guess..

Sorry for not writing the fighting scene. Did I make up for it? So, were you wondering what that "wasn't going to be pretty" thing was? I thought I couldn't write an ending to it. Silly eh? That's it! I'm hanging my writing days on the wall now. No more writing muhahahahahaha!!!! It's back to the drawing board with me!

(Oh wait a minute! I still have others stories to finish. Dratz!!! No, no! I quit! )

 

Luigi's Mansion; Tale of the Haunted Residence
 
Chapter 10          Chapter 11