Chapter Text
“Mama Mia, what’s taking Luigi so long?” Mario muttered to himself as he stood at the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed and his right foot striking the worn cherry wood floor in a rapid clunky rhythm. He quickly glanced at the mini grandfather clock hanging on the threadbare cream-colored wall and shook his head with a heavy sigh before returning his attention to the flight of stairs.
“Luigi!” he shouted, “what are you doing?! It’s almost time for us to go! We don’t want to be late!”
“Hold your horses, Mario! I’m coming right now!” Luigi’s voice echoed irritably throughout the house. The younger twin raced out of his room and tripped before the first step. His body contorted into a human bowling ball as he struck each step on the way down.
Seeing the potential danger, Mario’s eyes and jaws widened in panic as he tried to slide out of the way. However, Luigi was approaching too fast, and his legs picked an unfitting time not to cooperate. Low on options, he instinctively thrusted his hands in front of him in an attempt to halt his wheel-like brother. Unfortunately, his efforts were for naught because Luigi crashed into his chest and sent both of them flying towards the front door. He tightly shut his eyes and clenched his teeth in response to the agonizing sensation his back and shoulders experienced upon slamming into said door. Upon opening his eyes, he witnessed Luigi already on his feet lending a hand with a guilty expression on his face.
“S-Sorry Mario,” Luigi stuttered as he pulled Mario up after the latter squeezed his hand. “You’re not hurt too bad, are you?”
“No, I’m fine,” Mario assured him although his upper back was telling him otherwise. Despite the discomfort, he flashed Luigi a wry grin. “Nothing can stop Mario, not even his clumsy brother!”
“Geez, thanks bro,” Luigi huffed as he awkwardly crossed his arms and gave Mario a view of his back.
“Aww Luigi, I was only kidding!” Mario chuckled as he dusted his overalls. He cocked an eyebrow as his grin grew wider. “What were you doing up there? Putting a year’s supply of wax in your mustache?”
“Ha ha, very funny Mario!” Luigi chuckled himself, followed by him sighing before turning to face Mario. “It’s just that I’m so nervous about everything.” He dropped his head with another sigh.
Mario placed a hand on Luigi’s shoulder with a sympathetic smile. “Believe me, I completely understand. It’s not every day two plumbers have cake and tea with a princess.”
After removing his hand from Luigi’s shoulder, Mario took time to reflect on everything that had transpired with them. A mere week ago, they were regular plumbers who were in the middle of examining a few pipes in the Brooklyn sewers. During their investigation, they stumbled across a rather large and unorthodox green pipe emitting a luminous rainbow light before sucking them in and transporting them to the Mushroom Kingdom. As soon as they arrived, they learned of the kingdom’s plight from some citizens. Bowser, king of the Koopas and ruler of the Dark Land, had kidnapped their beloved leader, Princess Peach Toadstool. Not one to stand idly with someone in need, Mario volunteered to embark on a rescue mission much to Luigi’s consternation. Despite his protests, Luigi accompanied him on the quest to, in his own words, ‘make sure he didn’t get into too much trouble’. After a lengthy grueling adventure and an arduous battle with Bowser, the brothers emerged victorious and liberated the princess from captivity. Upon returning to the Mushroom Kingdom, a celebration was held in their honor, and the princess herself rewarded them with medals that hung on the wall in a wooden frame next to the clock.
After the celebration, Princess Peach took some time to learn about them, with most of the inquiries being about where they’re from and how they arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom. She offered them some rooms in her castle until they found a way home since the pipe responsible for their displacement immediately disappeared. As much as they appreciated the offer, however, both brothers respectfully declined because they didn’t want to be a burden. Peach nodded her head in understanding and remembered there was an abandoned and somewhat dilapidated cottage just outside of Toad Town that the brothers could reside in. Thanks to some assistance from some industrious Toads, the Mario brothers had their own residence in the Mushroom Kingdom until they found a way to return to Brooklyn.
Two days ago, the princess invited the brothers for cake and tea at her castle via a mailed handwritten letter. Mario’s heart pounded rapidly against his chest after reading it and taking in its strawberry aroma, and he exuberantly informed Luigi shortly after. Luigi smiled at the news; however, the smile slowly became an apprehensive look as his body reacted as if a minor earthquake trembled under his feet. Mario calmed him down and assured him everything would be fine. Luigi took Mario at his word and kept his worry in check until now. As for the letter, Mario locked it in his personal safe that even Luigi didn’t know the code to. There was no way he would part with such a thing!
Returning to reality, Mario checked the clock a second time and realized the meeting was in thirty minutes. “Mama Mia!” he swiftly grabbed Luigi’s wrist. “We need to leave now!”
Luigi smirked before chuckling in amusement, causing Mario to furrow his brow in confusion. “What’s so funny, Luigi?”
“Oh, nothing,” Luigi teased. “It’s just that I’m the one who normally worries about being on time.”
Mario chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. “I guess we swapped personalities the last few seconds. Now, unless you have any more jokes, let’s-a go!”
The brothers grabbed their caps from the hooks near the door and placed them on their heads before exiting the house and jumping into the pipe that led them to Toad Town.
~~~
After mingling with some Toads in the bustling Toad Town, Mario and Luigi continued their short trek towards the castle. As he neared his terminus, Mario – despite visiting before – observed the grandiose model of architecture with significant reverence. With its dark pink roofs with pink pennant flags pointing east on the conic shaped roofs flapping in the breeze, pewter and white bricks filling the walls with cathedral shaped windows evenly aligning the floors, and a large wooden cathedral door, the place was a sight to behold. The item that stood out the most, however, was the large and colorful cathedral window portrait of Princess Peach that sat right above the main entrance. The castle was far more impressive than any of the buildings from his world, which was saying a lot considering he has visited places such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, and the Chrysler Building.
“Well, here we are,” Mario said as he and Luigi stopped short of the mini bridge over the castle’s moat. “Ready, Luigi?”
After taking a few steps, he noticed from the corner of his eye Luigi wasn’t beside him. He stopped and turned to see Luigi frozen in place quivering wide-eyed. Upon seeing Luigi in that condition, he raced towards him and skidded a few feet short.
“Luigi is everything OK?” he asked in a soft understanding voice.
“I wish I can say it is,” Luigi sputtered through chattering teeth, “but I’m not feeling too confident right now.”
Mario softly shook his head with a small smile. “I completely understand, but we can’t go back now. It would be rather rude to stand the princess up after accepting her invitation.”
“I know, Mario. It’s just that you know how terrible I am around women, especially beautiful ones. Not only is the princess very beautiful, but she is also that: a princess who rules an entire kingdom. I’m a hopeless wreck around normal women; I’ll be even worse around her. I know I’ll somehow embarrass myself in her presence.”
Mario sighed and placed a gentle hand on Luigi’s shoulder. “I can’t blame you one bit. To tell the truth, I’m nervous as well.”
Luigi’s jaw and eyes expanded to the size of Milano cookies. “But you’re always brave and confident! I’ve never known you to be nervous about anything!”
Mario chuckled to himself as he nodded. “While it’s true I appear to be confident, I can get tense on the inside. I just do my best to hide it. I nearly pooped my pants while rescuing Pauline from that huge gorilla, had a severe case of anxiety when we arrived here, and felt like everything I ate last year was threatening to come out on our mission to rescue the princess. You know what kept me going, however?”
“What?”
“The situations themselves. Although I internally felt like gelato in an ice cream maker, my nerves were second fiddle to the people in danger. Admittedly, there were times when I thought I was in way over my head. However, you know I can’t stand still when someone needs help. I’ll do everything I can to make things right.”
Mario chuckled as Luigi stared at him with high admiration. He smiled warmly while rubbing his younger twin’s shoulder. “You know Luigi, you’re brave as well. While you have your anxieties, you push them aside if it means doing the right thing. When I decided to go rescue the princess, you were by my side the whole time despite your fear. You even stood up to Bowser with me and had my back in case things went wrong. Truth is, I wouldn’t have defeated him without you. You’re as much of a hero as I am. I hope you know that.”
Luigi smiled as the bottom of his eyes watered slightly. “Thanks, Mario. I really needed that. That means a lot coming from you.”
“Anytime, Luigi!” Mario smiled as he hugged his brother, which Luigi happily returned. “Now, are we ready to overcome this latest challenge and have cake and tea with the princess?”
“Despite your pep talk, I’m still a little nervous,” Luigi smiled wryly. “Women can be much scarier than fire-breathing dragons.”
“I don’t blame you for that!” Mario placed his hand on his belly as he laughed. “I felt the same way when Pauline and I started dating.”
“Really?!” Luigi’s eyes widened at the confession.
Mario nodded his head. “I only asked her out to shut the guys up at the Wrecking Crew who dared me to do so. She absolutely floored me when she said yes; I never thought in a million years she would do so to someone like me. I was even more surprised we lasted together as long as we did.”
“At least you were in a relationship with someone,” Luigi lamented after a small smile. “I, on the other hand, haven’t been so lucky.”
Mario gently rubbed Luigi’s back in an attempt to comfort him. “Don’t beat yourself up over it too much, Luigi. I’m sure it’ll happen someday. Who knows, the princess might take a liking to you.”
“The day that happens is the day Spike offers his services for free,” Luigi chuckled.
“You never know, Luigi,” Mario chuckled in return. “After all, she invited us to the castle. I’d say that’s a good start. Who knows what could happen.”
“If you say so,” Luigi playfully rolled his eyes.
“Hey, I’m just saying,” Mario grinned. “We’ve wasted enough time out here. The princess is probably already expecting us. So, are you ready to do this?”
“I’m still not fully sure, but I’ll sure as heck try!” Luigi pumped a fist in the air with a renewed purpose.
“That’s what I want to hear!” Mario laughed as he patted Luigi on the back. “Let’s not keep her Highness waiting!”
Calming his own nerves, Mario stared at the front door before approaching it with Luigi beside him. He looked forward to seeing how everything would turn out.