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Foreign planets glowed as the stars danced around in the night sky above. The strange burning scent of fiery flowers filled the plumber’s nostrils as a gentle breeze went about them. It might have been cold if not for the heat that the strange foliage offered; flowers that by all logic should burn everything it touches and instead contained their magic flames within its petals. Nighttime was beautiful in that strange land Mario decided, and yet his gut twisted with every passing moment. They should keep moving, he thought to himself. A plan that neither the princess nor his self-proclaimed mushroom friend did not agree with. It was too dangerous, the princess had said. A notion that the plumber supposed he should agree with given the nature of his surroundings. Afterall, just that day he had nearly been swallowed by a giant fish, eaten by a flower-beast, and twice he nearly slipped off the edge of a cliff. Mario couldn’t help but scoff, recalling all the times that he used to say Brooklyn was a dangerous place.
Soft footsteps began to approach but Mario didn’t even bother looking up. The princess had left to retrieve more firewood, a task he offered to help with but was swiftly denied. Insisting that he take the time to rest before their big journey tomorrow. At the sound of the wood falling from her arms and into the flames Mario sat up from his place in the meadow, eliciting a chuckle from the princess.
“You were supposed to get some sleep,” she scolded playfully. Mario merely shrugged.
“I don’t think that I am going to get much sleep tonight,” he admitted, pulling his knees into his chest. The princess nodded with a frown, most likely recalling their conversation from only an hour ago when she had made him a promise that they would rescue his brother. As much as Mario wanted to believe her, he wasn’t certain that it was a promise she would be able to keep. Quickly shaking off the terrible thought, Mario nodded to the soft grass, “Why don’t you get some sleep yourself, Princess. I can take watch.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. However, only a moment later her expression fell. “But I’m not so sure that I’ll get any sleep tonight either.”
Mario gazed at the princess and startled at what he saw. At a passing glance there was nothing out of the ordinary, but when his gaze lingered he could see the hint of pink in her cheeks and the redness in her eyes. She had been crying, he realized, but why? Mario gripped his hat nervously, uncertain of what to say or if it was even proper to say anything at all. The tears had been wiped away long before she had reached their meadow, and there was now a forced smile masking whatever had been hurting. Surely any mention of him noticing would only cause her further discomfort?
The princess took a seat nearby, curling her knees into her chest similar to him. Mario swallowed nervously, preparing himself to ask the question on his mind. Are you alright, Princess? He recited at least a half-dozen times. Why was such a simple question so difficult to form?
“It’s a beautiful night,” the princess stated amidst the silence. Mario wanted to groan at his failure but forced himself to smile.
“Oh, yes, I suppose it is,” he agreed. For a while he gazed back up at the stars, trying and failing once again to find a single constellation that was familiar to him. The sensical part of him was still expecting to wake from that crazy dream at any moment. Ma’ was no doubt sick with worry at their absence. And then a terrible thought crossed his mind and Mario felt his gut twist again as he imagined returning home with news that Luigi was lost. Perhaps forever. Mom’s cries alone would destroy him, let alone his father’s disgust in his first-born.
Mario’s heart sank deeply within his chest; with the pain of his father’s parting words still gnawing at his heart. The worst part of it is, you’re bringing your brother down with you. His stomach threatened to hurl what little food he had eaten earlier that day. It was his own fault that Luigi was gone, and Mario could only imagine how terrified his brother was in that dark land. Stuck with some terrible monster that terrified the mushroom people to no end. Even the princess, as brave as she appeared couldn’t hide the hint of fear in her voice at the mere mention of the monster’s name. Whoever this Bowser was, Mario would tear him limb from limb if he laid a hand on his little brother.
“Are you alright?”
Mario flinched, glancing back to meet the princess’ gaze. I was supposed to be asking you that, he reminded himself. He merely sighed in response and was grateful when the princess appeared to understand his silence.
“I know you’re anxious about waiting until morning, believe me I am too. But we don’t have much further and I don’t think that it would be wise to show up unannounced at such a late hour. The Kong’s would likely never see us,” she explained.
Mario met her gaze. She was young, certainly younger than him though not by much. And yet she possessed more wisdom than most people of any age from his own world. Every decision the princess made was in careful consideration for her toads, as she so lovingly called them, and she walked with a confidence that made him believe he could survive this crazy journey.
“I suppose you’re right,” he finally conceded; releasing a groan he had been suppressing for nearly an hour. “I just hate feeling so helpless.”
The princess frowned and her gaze became fixated on the fire. And then she whispered softly,“I understand.”
Mario’s heart dipped once again as tears gathered at her eyelids. Suddenly he felt selfish for confiding in her while ignoring whatever was eating at the princess. He swallowed hard before forcing the question that he should have asked earlier.
“Is everything alright, Princess?”
The woman tensed and glanced at him in surprise, as if only just realizing how poorly she wore that mask. She quickly blinked away the tears that had given her away and forced a smile.
“Oh, of course!” She lied before glancing to their side. There was a clear sense of relief when she observed Toad snoring in the grass several feet away and a moment later, she sighed. “I guess I’m just worried about tomorrow. I’ve been princess of the Mushroom Kingdom for several years now, but… well, I’ve never had to do anything like this before. Our kingdom has always been at peace. Bowser has always made threats but never like this…” The princess paused for a moment and her brow furrowed in frustration. “The biggest decision I’ve ever made was planning new roads and buildings for the toads. I have never had to interact with other leaders before, what if say something to offend the Kongs?! What if I fail?”
Mario sat frozen as he watched her. A tear finally escaped her careful hold as it slid along her cheek. For a brief moment he wondered if he should reach for her hand but quickly decided against it; fearing that the gesture would be misunderstood as inappropriate. Afterall, if he had ever tried to touch the princess from his own world he would likely be executed. Though such an act could never be conceived by the young woman before him, he still reminded himself that he was merely a lowly plumber from Brooklyn. Mario had no right to touch a princess. He nearly smirked, he didn’t even have the right to even to speak to a princess let alone allow her to confide in him.
The princess glanced back at Toad through tear filled eyes, smiling sadly. “If the Kong’s won’t help us, I don’t think we can stand against Bowser. My people are not warriors.”
Mario pondered for a moment, suppressing a chuckle.
“Oh, I’m not so sure about that. I’ve got the bruises to prove it,” he reminded with a smile. The princess managed to chuckle at that. “I do not think that you will fail, you’re better at this princess thing that you realize.”
The woman smirked while wiping away the tear.
“No? What makes you think so?” She asked.
“Well, for starters you’re smart. You had a plan to find allies right from the beginning and you didn’t hesitate to take to the road. Plus, you are brave for them, a lesser leader would be wringing their hands and have their kingdom in an uproar,” he offered; grateful to watch the princess relax just a little. “Your toads trust and adore you. I don’t think that they wouldn’t make you their leader if they didn’t think you could handle it.”
“But if I can’t get the army, this journey will have been for nothing. I will have to return to them empty-handed.”
Mario merely shrugged.
“You can only do your best, princess. No matter what happens, they will know that you did everything you could.”
The princess shook her head.
“But what if it’s not good enough?” she insisted.
Mario was surprised by the question. From the moment he had met her she exuded confidence. Never would he have guessed such insecurities were hiding within that gentle heart. Perhaps, he thought, they weren’t so different from each other afterall. And yet, the plumber couldn’t help but stare at her. Why on earth did his opinion matter to this magnificent woman? He thought. And why did he wish to give her the answer she so desperately wanted? He should tell her that it would all turn out okay, that Mario could single-handedly defeat this mighty Bowser character that was so feared by all who heard his name. However, he was terrified of making her a promise that he couldn’t keep.
“Then we’ll find a way to fix it. Hey, I’m good at fixing things,” he proclaimed with a smile. “Usually it’s just pipes and bathrooms but, you know. What is a kingdom if not a bunch of swirling pipes and toilets in need of fixing?”
It was a terrible metaphor, Mario thought, but it was all he had. Thankfully, the princess began laughing and he felt pleased with himself for eliciting such a sound. He waited for her laughter to soften before meeting her with a careful gaze. Pouring as much care into his stare as Mario made her a promise that he knew could be kept.
“Whatever happens, Princess, you’re not alone.”
The princess simply stared at him. Her eyes relayed an array of emotions that he couldn’t comprehend, but the one thing for certain was the obvious relief of knowing she had an ally. The princess smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Peach,” she replied. “My name is Peach.”
“Peach,” he repeated softly. “Nice to meet you, Peach. Well, officially I suppose.”
Instinctively, Mario reached out his hand. The princess stared at his open palm, her brow wrinkling in confusion. Embarrassed, the plumber retracted his hand.
“You don’t have handshakes in the Mushroom Kingdom?” he asked.
“What’s a handshake?” she asked.
“Oh, uh, well where I’m from when we meet someone, we shake their hand,” he shrugged. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want.”
“We just shake hands?” she asked with a puzzled expression. “Like this?”
Peach held out her hand, mimicking his behavior from only a moment ago. Mario began to reach but paused just short of her fingers. “You’re not going to throw me over your head again are you?”
The princess began laughing. “You frightened me! I had never seen another human before.”
Mario shared a laugh, amused by her defense. He was still chuckling when taking her hand. The princess watched them carefully; either intrigued or terrified that her palm was resting within his. Mario made the gesture brief, just in case it was the latter. “And there you go, a handshake.”
“That’s it? What a strange greeting,” the princess chuckled again. Mario smiled before releasing her hand. Peach cradled her hand within her lap, and he couldn’t help but watch the pink hue returning in her cheeks. Coming to his senses, Mario startled at what he had done; remembering that it was inappropriate for someone like him to be enacting such a touch.
“So, you’ve really never seen another human before?” He asked hurriedly, desperate for the princess to forget that he had been so foolish. Peach merely shrugged.
“Nope. It is rare for my toads to travel. If there are others out there, I haven’t had the chance to meet them.” She shrugged. “Are you and your brother the only humans of your world?”
Mario couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Oh no, humans in my world are even more plentiful than your toads.”
Her face contorted in genuine shock. “Really? What’s it like?”
Mario paused for a moment, perplexed by the question. Peach’s world had seemed so unusual for him that it never occurred that his own world would be just as strange to her.
“Well, I guess it’s sort of like here. Kind of crowded at times. My brother and I live at home with my ma and dad. Plus, we take care of my grandpa and then there is Uncle Arthur and Tony, Aunt Marie and my cousin. We don’t exactly get a lot of peace and quiet, but you get used to it.”
The princess chuckled, “it sounds lovely.”
“I suppose it can be.” Mario tried to smile. However, the last memory of his family stung from the back of his mind. “Sometimes, that is.”
Peach began to study him. “What do you mean?”
Deep down, Mario knew it was wrong to unload his troubles on her. However, he also knew that there would be no turning back now.
“They all think I’m a joke,” he admitted with a whisper and the princess flinched.
“Surely that isn’t true?” she offered quietly.
“My dad’s been disappointed ever since I dropped out of college,” Mario admitted. Realizing that it was the first time he had vocalized such a thought aloud. “I was studying to become a doctor, but the money dried up after three years. Plus, I wanted to be with my brother and he can’t handle the sight of blood. My dad wanted me to finish school, but I left to work with Luigi at a wrecking company. It was good pay but our boss was always on Lou for something. So then we both pooled all the money we had left to start our plumbing company and well, finding clients is harder than I thought. Now dad’s angry at me for dragging Luigi down with me. The worst part is… he’s right.”
“Mario…” the princess tried to interrupt.
“The whole reason we got sucked into that pipe was because of me and now Luigi is off is some Dark Lands with a crazy monster. If he…” Mario stopped, nearly choking on the swell of his throat. He wouldn’t say the words; he couldn’t. “Whatever happens to him is my fault.”
Tricks of the mind could be cruel as a vision flashed before him. For a brief moment Mario saw himself holding the limp body of his brother. He tried closing his eyes tightly, banishing the terrible image from his mind. However, the damage had been done as his memory taunted him with that cruel image.
A hand fell softly atop his own. Stirring the plumber from his awful thoughts. The princess waited patiently for him to meet her gaze before taking both hands into hers. She was smiling at him and there was far more affection in those eyes than he could ever deserve.
“I’ve never had a sibling before. If I did, I would be ever grateful if I had one like you. I am certain that Luigi is comforted knowing that he has someone out there willing to go to the ends of the earth for him.”
The words were sweet and comforting. Mario knew he’d dwell on them later once his anxiety found its way to the surface again. However, in that moment all he could focus on was the softness of her hands. It was an innocent touch, a friendly touch that certainly meant nothing more than an offer of comfort. And yet his heart raced anyway, overwhelmed by the heat of her palms. He should say something, he realized, anything to break the silence. And yet he sat motionless, staring back at the princess.
“So, what are you guys doing?”
Both Mario and the princess startled apart in an instant. Turning to glance at Toad who was now lying on his side with his head propped up on his palm, wearing the most amused expression that might have seemed comical to the plumber in any other moment. Instead, his cheeks reddened as he briefly debated burying his head into the dirt.
“Nothing! We were just, uh, talking about the plan for tomorrow.” Mario stuttered through an answer.
“Yeah?” Toad smiled with narrowed eyes. “And what did you come up with?”
“Oh, you know, we’re just going to walk up there and knock on the door and… y-you know I think it’s time for bed. We should all get some rest, it’s very important. I would know, I was almost a doctor.”
“Yes, that is a great idea.” Peach rose with him and together they each fumbled off into their own make-shift beds.
“Whatever you say, Doctor Mario!” Toad smirked before rolling back into his bed.
“Goodnight, Toad,” Peach chuckled. A moment later she stated softly. “Goodnight Mario.”
Mario laid on his back staring once again at the sky. His heart was still fumbling from both embarrassment and something else he had never experienced. Something that he wasn’t quite ready to put a name to. Mario folded his arms around his chest, comforted by the way his hands still burned from her touch.
“Buona note, Princess.”