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Chapter Text

Three days after the Battle of Brooklyn, Princess Peach returned to the human city. Officially she was there to meet with Mayor Pauline and establish trade and travel guidelines, but unofficially she arrived a few hours early so Mario and Luigi could give her a tour of their neighborhood. The mushrooms, piranha plants, and question blocks had all been removed, carried either back to the Mushroom Kingdom or to one of the human laboratories. There were still signs that the  fortress from another world had crashed into it, however. The roads were deeply fractured, some of the storefronts had broken windows, and a few of the lampposts were twisted. But it could have been much worse. The three of them kept reminding each other of this fact.

While crossing one of the cracked streets that was closed to traffic, Peach looked down and saw a round sewer cover, and she remembered how Luigi had bravely shielded Mario from Bowser's fire breath. After the exhilaration of the battle had ended, she'd finally had time to process how she'd almost lost Mario twice. If it hadn't been for Luigi's heroism, and Donkey Kong's resourcefulness, she would never have seen Mario again, and she would have blamed herself for allowing him to come with her before he was ready. Even though had known each other for barely more than a week, Mario showed her true companionship on a level she hadn't known she needed. Here at last was someone who understood her in a way no Toad ever could, who was like her, yet distinct in ways that complimented her. Mario was headstrong, dynamic, and took big risks. Peach was more deliberate and a little less willing to take risks, and although she was a woman of action, she preferred to resolve problems through diplomacy if it was an option. She thought that together, she and Mario provided balance for each other. It was as if they were pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

“Princess?” Luigi said softly. “Are you all right?”

He jolted Peach from her train of thought, and she shook her head. “Please, Luigi, call me Peach. I'd say you've earned it. And yes, I'm fine,” she lied with a smile. “I was just thinking.”

Luigi and Mario stared expectantly at her.

“What were you thinking about?” prompted Mario.

“I was just thinking that I can't believe you two haven't trained together in combat before.” It wasn't a total falsehood – she had spent some moments marveling at the way the brothers had perfectly coordinated their attacks to take down all the Koopa troops, Hammer Bros, Goombas, and other minions.

To Peach's relief, the two men glanced at each other and beamed.

“I never did anything like that before,” said Luigi, turning his head back to face Peach. “I think it was all the Super Star. It made me feel connected to Mario, like I could read his mind and anticipate his movements.” He tapped his forehead.

“Yeah, I felt that too,” said Mario. “Although, we did have a little bit of training.”

“We did?” Luigi frowned. “When?”

“Karate lessons, when we were six. Of course, we got kicked out.”

Luigi nudged his twin's arm. “You mean you got kicked out! I quit because I didn't wanna learn karate without you.”

Peach's mouth twitched. “Okay, I have to hear this story. First of all, what's karate?”

“It's a type of martial arts,” explained Mario, slicing the air with his hand. “You have martial arts in the Mushroom Kingdom, right?”

“Using your body to subdue your opponent? Yeah, I know a thing or two about that.”

Mario leveled a knowing stare at her. “You're some sort of kung fu master, aren't you.”

Peach averted her gaze. “It's called fung-jitsu.”

“I knew it!” Mario beamed in triumph. “I could tell by the way you flipped me onto my back.”

“Don't let me distract you! I want to hear what happened,” said Peach, laughing.

“Well, when we were six, there was this kid who used to bully me, and Mario hit him and got in trouble,” explained Luigi, making a fist.

“Of course, the bully didn't get in trouble.” Mario rolled his eyes.

“Because our teacher didn't see what he did, she just saw Mario sucker-punching the bully.”

“And we told her that the other kid tore Luigi's picture, but she didn't care.”

“So our parents decided to sign us up for karate lessons, so I could learn to defend myself and Mario could learn self-discipline,” said Luigi, holding up both hands in a defensive position. “Win-win.”

“Only it didn't turn out the way our parents planned,” added Mario. “See, there was this kid who was much bigger than anyone else,” Mario raised his hand above his head to indicate the kid's height, although he was so short that his hand didn't even reach Peach's eye level, “and Lu defeated him while they were training in combat.”

“Beginner's luck.” Luigi shrugged.

“Maybe so, but everyone was pretty impressed. The other kid was almost twice your size!”

Luigi smiled, his cheeks and ears turning a faint shade of pink. “Well, anyway, he must have felt embarrassed that the class wimp had beaten him, so he decided to get me back after the lesson.”

“Yeah, when we were in the hallway heading out to the parking lot, the kid grabs Luigi and slams him against the wall.”

Peach winced. “That wasn't nice.”

As if reliving the moment, Mario clenched his fists. “That's an understatement. He was walking a few steps behind me, and the bigger kid snuck up behind Luigi while we weren't looking. Right, Lu?” Mario looked at him for confirmation.

Luigi nodded, hunching his shoulders as he stared at the road. Peach wondered if he, too, were reliving the moment.

“He shoved my face against the wall. It's a wonder he didn't break my nose.” He rubbed his nose as if the memory still pained him. “I tried to remember my training to break his grip, but he pinned my arms to my sides, and I panicked. He told me I just got lucky that time and next time I wouldn't be so lucky.”

Mario's eyes widened. “I don't remember that.”

“He said it quiet, I don't think anyone else heard.”

Mario shook his head. “You know, I think he might have thought you were a threat.”

“What?” asked Luigi, blinking.

“Think about it. The other kid wouldn't have had to sneak attack you and threaten you if he thought he could beat you fair and square.”

“I never thought of that.”

Peach smiled. “I think Mario's right. I saw how you fought Bowser and his minions. I'm sure you have a natural talent.”

Luigi gave her a shy smile. “I don't know about that. I've always been accident prone.”

Peach tilted her head. “Well, maybe if you had more training you could avoid accidents,” she suggested.

“Yeah, there's things you can do to improve your balance and hand-eye coordination.” Mario patted his brother's back. “You'll get there someday.”

“So how did you get kicked out of the class, Mustache?” asked Peach. She had an educated guess, but she wanted details.

“Right, so, all I heard was the slam against the wall. I mean I could tell it was flesh hitting a hard surface.” Mario slapped his palms together for emphasis. “I turn around and see the kid pressing my brother against the wall, and I just reacted without thinking. I jumped up and pulled his hair.” Mario made a fist. “That got him to let go of Luigi. I thought he was gonna shove me too, but instead he started crying like a baby and saying he and Luigi were just playing!”

Peach folded her arms and shook her head. “He sounds like a coward.”

“Most bullies are,” said Luigi, shrugging one shoulder.

“Where were the adults?” she asked, frowning.

“The karate instructor was in the gymnasium – he ran into the hallway when he heard the bully cry,” said Luigi.

“Don't tell me, he didn't get in trouble.” Peach's frown deepened at the injustice of it.

“Oh, he got kicked out too,” said Mario. “Luigi had red marks on his nose and cheek from being slammed against the wall.”

“I'm glad he was punished, but I'm sorry your lessons didn't work out.” Peach didn't say what she was really thinking, however. When Mario had first told her how he always protected his younger brother, she hadn't realized that he'd had to defend him from other humans. The Toads had told her their legends of noble, brave humans, painting them as champions of goodness and righteousness. But the human nature that the brothers inadvertently described was more like the Kongs, or even the Koopas.

But Mario and Luigi weren't cruel. Mario was big-hearted and selfless, and Luigi was sweet and sensitive. Their parents seemed nice too, although she'd only briefly spoken with them. In the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario had mentioned that he hadn't been getting along with his father, but that didn't necessarily mean he was a bad guy.

But what if they were exceptions to the rule? Were humans bad?

“It's not your fault,” said Mario, bringing her back to the discussion.

“I know, but I still feel bad that it happened.” Then Peach smiled as an idea began to form in her brain. “How would you like to train in the Mushroom Kingdom, with power-ups?”

The brothers' eyes widened in surprise as they glanced at each other.

“You want us to go back?” Luigi asked nervously. “What if we get separated again?” He grabbed Mario's hand.

Peach blinked. “Oh. I can understand why you're worried about that. But I've gone back and forth without any problems.”

“But you're used to warp pipes. Luigi's only gone through it twice.” Mario held up two fingers.

Peach thought for a moment. It made sense that they would be anxious about going through the warp zone. It was likely traumatic for them the first time, especially after what happened to poor Luigi.

“What if I went with you?” she suggested, spreading both hands. “We could even tie ourselves together with a rope, so we won't get separated.”

Mario's blue eyes lit up. “Good idea, Peach. That could work.” He turned back to his twin. “How about it, Lu? You'd love the Mushroom Kingdom! It has a giant mushroom forest and the city is so bright and clean – well, until Bowser got to it – and all the Toads are so friendly!”

Luigi laughed. “Why do you love mushrooms all of a sudden?”

“I still hate the taste, but I'm starting to like everything else about 'em.” Mario beamed. “They helped me rescue you, after all.” He grabbed his brother's shoulder.

Peach grinned at him. “I'm happy you feel that way.”

“I guess most of your world isn't as bad as the Darklands,” said Luigi with a hesitant smile. “Maybe we could go if we had harnesses, like they use for ziplining? And we could clip them together?” He suggested. “Just thinking out loud here.”

“Whatever makes you feel comfortable.” Peach placed one hand on Luigi's shoulder and the other on Mario's.

The brothers looked at each other, and they seemed to communicate with only their expressions, making Peach believe they truly did have a twin connection.

“Okie-dokie,” said Luigi, turning to meet Peach's eyes. “Let's do it.”

“Great!” Peach pulled her hand away from Luigi, but kept her other hand on Mario's shoulder as she added, “Toad will be so happy to see you, and he can show you his special project.”

“Why won't you just tell me what it is?” Mario raised his eyebrows. “What's the big secret?”

Peach bit her lip and smiled. “It's an incentive for you to come back.”

A look of wonder bloomed across Mario's round face. “You really want us to go back with you, don't you.”

“Of course I do! Did you think I was saying it just to be nice?” Peach tilted her head back.

“It's been kind of a pattern.” Mario shrugged.

“Well, I'm not saying it just to be nice this time!” Peach's tone was indignant, but a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “I miss having you there.” She squeezed his shoulder.

Mario rested his hand on her arm, and Peach felt his warmth even through the fabric.

“And I missed you when you were gone,” he said softly. Was it Peach's imagination, or was Mario's face turning pink?

“Sorry to interrupt,” said Luigi, “but Ma wanted me to remind you that we're supposed to meet for lunch soon.”

Mario eyed his brother, his brow furrowed. “You're not interrupting.”

“Really?” Luigi jerked his head toward Peach. “It seemed like you two were having a moment, y'know?”

And then Peach was certain that Mario's face was crimson - so much that it was starting to match his shirt.

“I guess we were,” admitted Mario. “But it's fine. What time is it?”

“Eleven forty-five.” Luigi held up his communication device, which Peach had learned was called a phone.

“All right, we'd better head over to Punch-Out if we want to get there by noon.” He put his other hand over Peach's hand where it rested on his shoulder and met her gaze. “Ready to go?”

“I'm always ready.” She smirked at him.

Mario slowly lowered his hands, and Peach squeezed his shoulder one last time before dropping her arm to her side. She wanted to hold his hand, but she thought it would be a bit too bold and affectionate, at least in this moment. Instead, she followed Mario and Luigi down the broken sidewalk, past the never-ending brick buildings that were all connected. Seeing all the brick storefronts was weird to Peach, because she associated bricks with the floating blocks of her world.

Peach peeked at one of the store windows when something in the reflection caught her eye. Every muscle in her body tensed. She couldn't be sure – it might have been a small human, or it might have been one of this world's turtles. But it looked an awful lot like a Koopa. Even though the Koopas had all surrendered to her and Cranky Kong, this one might have had bad intentions.

“Hi Luigi!”

“Hi!” Luigi waved before he fully registered who he was waving at. “Aaaah!” He jumped a foot in the air. Because it was a green-shelled Koopa standing across the street, waving both arms. Oddly, he was wearing a blue hat with an orange N overlaid with a curly Y.

Mario stepped forward to shield his brother from the Koopa.

“It's okay!” The Koopa made his way across the street toward them and held out his hands as if the three humans were frightened animals. “Don't you recognize me? I was one of Bowser's prisoners.”

Luigi relaxed his stance, stepping around his brother to get a closer look. “Oh yeah, I remember! You were against the Ice Kingdom invasion.”

Peach's eyes grew round. She'd seen Koopas and Goombas in the cages, but she hadn't stopped to wonder why they were in there, since she'd been focused on keeping them from being burned to death and saving her own people. It warmed her heart to know that some of the Koopas and Goombas had valiantly opposed Bowser's invasions.

“Yeah, that's right!” said the Koopa, clenching his fists in front of his chest.

“I – I'm sorry, I forgot your name.” Luigi rubbed his neck.

“That's okay. I'm Sheldon.”

“Sheldon,” repeated Luigi, holding out his hand toward the Koopa. “It's good to finally shake your hand, or, uh, claws or whatever.”

“Likewise,” said Sheldon, grasping the plumber's hand and pumping it up and down. “And I'm glad you're with your brother again.”

Luigi let out a sigh of relief, sounding more at ease as he released the Koopa's claws. “Me too pal.”

“I should've known you weren't a bad guy.” Mario grinned and gestured toward Sheldon's hat. “You're a Mets fan!”

“Oh this? A nice human gave it to me.” The Koopa removed his hat and fondly regarded it. “No one ever gave me anything before, at least not without expecting anything in return.” He placed it back over his head. “I think I'm gonna stay in Brookland!”

“Brooklyn,” corrected the brothers in unison.

The Koopa furrowed his brow. “Brooklyn? That doesn't make any sense. What's a lyn?”

Peach hid a smile at his reaction. “I agree – Brookland makes more sense.”

Sheldon acknowledged her with a bow of his head. “Your highness, we tried to stop the invasion – the other dissenters and I – but there weren't enough of us.”

“I'm sure you did all you could.” Peach interlaced her fingers. “You acted courageously, knowing what Bowser did to those who defy him.”

“Thank you,” said Sheldon, clasping his hands behind his back, “but I'm no hero, not like Luigi. I'm not as brave as he is.”

“Oh, I don't know about that.” Luigi looked down and scuffed the toe of his work boot on the sidewalk.

"Well I do! The way you threw yourself in front of Bowser's fire breath with only a thin sheet of metal, that was incredible!" The Koopa spread his arms. "And before that, you were stuck in the hottest cage, you were really sweaty and I don't see how you could have slept at all. I think you humans need more water than us Koopas, right? But the guards gave you the same amount as everyone else. But even through all that, you never lost hope.”

During Sheldon's little speech, Luigi squirmed, while Mario's expression grew more horrified with each sentence.

Mario gaped at his brother. “You didn't sleep at all?”

“Uh, look at the time, it's eleven fifty-five,” said Luigi, holding up his phone. “We'd better get going if we want to meet Ma in time.”

“Lu, we have time. Talk to me. Did they even feed you?”

“Do we have to talk about this now? I'm alive,” said Luigi, his tone uncharacteristically short as he put his phone back in his pocket. “Let's leave it at that.”

“Leave it at that!?” Mario raised his voice, his entire body stiff. “How can you leave it at that?”

“I can leave it at that because I don't want you to freak out,” said Luigi in a quiet, strained voice.

“I won't freak out!” On the contrary, Mario sounded like he was one sentence away from freaking out.

Peach intuitively reached for Mario's hand, wrapping her fingers around it. He looked at her with wide, haunted eyes. Peach searched for the right words to say. She felt terrible for what Luigi had suffered through, but however bad she felt, she had no doubt that Mario was feeling a hundred times worse. She imagined how she would feel if Toadsworth had been suspended over an active volcano in a small cage that conducted heat, forced to breathe toxic fumes, with nothing to eat and barely enough water to stay alive. The image made her stomach twist.

“I understand,” she said, gazing into Mario's eyes. “You wish you could've been there to protect him. Or,” she added, thinking out loud, “if you couldn't have protected him, you could've at least shared in his suffering.” She glanced at Luigi and saw him give her a look of gratitude as he held his hands together in front of his chest.

“Yeah, of course,” Mario said hoarsely. “He's my brother.”

Peach still felt like her words were inadequate, so she silently squeezed his hand. Meanwhile, Sheldon shuffled his feet, looking abashed.

“I didn't know you hadn't told your brother, Luigi,” said the Koopa. “I didn't mean for him to find out this way.”

Luigi sighed. “Don't worry about it.”

“Well – you're better now, right?” Sheldon tapped his claws together.

“Oh yeah,” said Luigi, standing up straighter. “The Super Star healed me and made me hydrated again. My knees don't even hurt anymore.”

Mario gently pulled his hand out of Peach's grasp and looked his brother up and down. “Mamma mia! You're saying the Super Star cured your bad knees?”

“Looks that way so far.” Luigi bent his knees and straightened them.

“When did your knees get hurt?” asked Sheldon.

“Is this another childhood story?” asked Peach hopefully, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

Luigi laughed, making Peach feel like the worst of the tension had passed. “It's not as interesting as the karate story. When I was ten I climbed on a big pile of gravel at a construction site and I fell and slid down on my knees. I've had to wear knee braces ever since.” He shrugged. “Accident-prone, like I said.”

Peach cringed in sympathy. She'd had sprains before, but never any permanent injury.

“Are you wearing your knee braces today?” asked Mario.

“No, yesterday I forgot to wear them, and I realized I didn't need them anymore.” Luigi sliced the air sideways with his hand.

Mario grinned and spread his hands. “E un miracolo!(1) You'll finally be able to keep up with me!”

Luigi chuckled again.

“Well, if the Super Star can make you invulnerable to heat and blunt force, it's not surprising that it healed your knees.” Peach smiled at Luigi.

“I'm glad you two got the Super Star instead of Bowser,” said Sheldon. “I'm sure none of us would still be here if you hadn't.”

It was a sobering thought.

“Yes,” agreed Peach. Then, to lighten the mood, she added, “I'd say the exact right people used the Super Star at the exact right time.” She smiled, first at Mario and then at Luigi. The brothers returned her smile, and Peach glowed inside, warmth spreading through her core, seeing that her words had the desired effect.

“I'll say!” agreed Sheldon.

She smiled down at him. “Sheldon, when you return to our world, you're welcome to visit the Mushroom Kingdom, and so are any other Koopas and Goombas who will be peaceful and abide by our laws.”

“Thank you, your highness!” Sheldon bowed his head once more. “I'd love to come visit you!”

Peach opened her mouth. She hadn't meant it as a personal invitation, unlike her offer to Mario and Luigi. Then she began to think of an idea. What if she had an awards ceremony to honor everyone who had fought against Bowser, including the former prisoners of war? That would boost morale after the trauma of Bowser's attack, giving people a chance to breathe and celebrate.

She smiled again. “I'll discuss the details with the royal counsel.”

Peach, Mario and Luigi waved goodbye to Sheldon and continued to travel along the broken sidewalk until they reached a restaurant front with a translucent sheet of plastic covering its shattered window. A large sign above the door and window said “Punch-out!! Pizzeria,” and a smaller sign on the door boldly declared “Yes, We're Open!” Before they approached the door, Mario and Luigi's mother opened it from the inside and waved enthusiastically.

“Yoohoo! Boys!” she trilled.

“Ay-ooohh!” Mario and Luigi waved back before quickening their pace. They met her at the door, where she wrapped an arm around each of her sons. They had her eyes, Peach noticed, although they favored their father in the rest of their appearance. It was fascinating to observe shared family traits in other humans.

I wonder which parent I look more like?

The stray thought came to her, and she filed it away to take out some other time.

“Ma, we just saw each other this morning!” said Mario with a laugh.

“Does a mother need a reason to hug her bambini?”(2) She tightened her hold on her sons for a moment before releasing them and waving at Peach. “Buona giournata, principessa!"(3)

She beckoned to Peach, and the princess followed Mario, Luigi and their mother into the restaurant. The first thing she noticed was the savory aroma. She'd never had pizza before, but if it tasted as delicious as it smelled, she knew she was going to love it.

***

Punch-out Pizzeria was a vintage restaurant that had, in Mario's opinion, the best pizza in Brooklyn, unless he counted his mother's homemade pizza. It had been Mario and Luigi's favorite since they were kids, and Mario felt responsible for it, not just because of his emotional attachment to it, but also because he had caused Bowser's fortress to get sucked through the warp pipe to Brooklyn, and he'd broken their window when Bowser had hit him and sent him flying through it.

It could have been much worse. He repeated the phrase in his head like a mantra.

Mario had told his family and friends what he'd been up to while he was in the Mushroom Kingdom. He hadn't told them all the details, not even Luigi. And Mario knew for a fact that Luigi hadn't told him everything about what had happened in the Darklands, thanks to the friendly Koopa. The brothers had always shared everything before they were separated. The only secrets they had kept from each other were birthday and Christmas presents, and even then they were usually bad at it. But since they'd been reunited, there were certain topics they avoided, details left out. Mario had his own reasons for glossing over some parts. He'd been vague about his fight with Donkey Kong because he didn't want to give his family another reason to tease him. But there were other parts he didn't even want to think about, much less talk about. Like Peach had said, he'd nearly been killed twice. However, Mario had explained how he redirected the Bomber Bill from the Mushroom Kingdom to the warp pipe in the side of a hill, and how the next thing he knew he was de-powered in his Brooklyn neighborhood. After hearing this, his father had asked Mario what he thought would happen. Mario had told him the truth, that he didn't know what would happen and he didn't have time to ask Peach or Toad or DK how the Bomber Bill would impact the warp pipe. In the back of his head he hoped that the Bomber Bill would get stuck in the warp zone forever, but instead it exploded in the warp zone.

His father had calmly accepted this answer. It sounds like you did the best you could with what you had at the time. I don't think I could've done any better if I was in your place.

It was high praise, by his father's standards. And that was another change Mario was still getting accustomed to. Ever since Mario and Luigi had returned, their father had been far less critical than he once was. It wasn't that Mario was complaining – far from it. It had been his father of all people who had gotten Mario to open up about the guilt he felt for bringing his brother down. Mario's father had told him not to blame himself, which still astonished Mario.

The hostess led Mario, Luigi, their mother, and Peach to an empty booth, and as the hostess hustled away, Peach bent down toward the three shorter people.

“I brought some gold coins for payment,” she said in a loud whisper.

“No, dear!” Mario's mother said quickly, holding up her hand. “I'll pay for everything.”

“Oh, are you sure?” Peach held her hand to her chest. “If they don't accept gold coins here, I can pay you back later.”

“Princess,” said his mother, gently taking Peach's free hand in both of hers, “if it wasn't for your help, I would have lost my boys forever. Buying you lunch is the least I can do to thank you.”

Peach's jaw dropped, her eyes growing huge. Then she reached down and patted Mrs. Mario's hand.

“Of course. Thank you.”

Mario's mother beamed. “Grazie. Let's have a seat.”

Smiling fondly, Mario glanced from his mother to his . . . good friend, Peach. It made his heart swell to see them being so kind and generous to each other. Not that there was any doubt. His mother was gregarious and nurturing, and Peach was charming, considerate, supportive, graceful, and beautiful inside and out. But this meeting exceeded his expectations.

Peach and Mario's mother slid into one side of the booth, while Mario and Luigi sat on the other. Then one of the servers, Nicole, came to take their orders.

“So, Princess, what do you think of Brooklyn so far?” she asked conversationally.

“It's not what I expected,” said Peach. “There's a lot more gray and brown than I'm used to.”

Nicole looked nonplussed, raising an eyebrow, but Mario chuckled, knowing exactly how their city looked compared to the Mushroom Kingdom.

“But there's something comfortable about it, like it's almost familiar, but I don't know when I've seen it,” added Peach, glancing around the room. “And the humans are really something! Everyone I've met has been so nice to me. And there are so many different shapes, sizes, colors, and ages! We have a lot more variety than the Toads and most of the other intelligent species, and I think that's amazing! But of course, I think my Toads are amazing too,” she gushed.

“I didn't understand that last part, but okay.” Nicole sounded like she was sorry she asked for Peach's opinion of Brooklyn, but was too professional to say so. “Do you need time to decide what to order?”

“No, I think we're ready,” said Mario's mother.

“Extra mushrooms, right?” Luigi's sharp elbow dug into Mario's arm.

Mario gave him a mild shove. “You're hilarious,” he said dryly.

“What?” Luigi held up his hands. “You said you were starting to like 'em!”

“Not that much.”

They ended up ordering a large pizza with pepperoni on one half and plain cheese on the other, as well as sodas for everyone.

As they waited for their food, Mario's mother faced Peach. “So, is Mario really the first human you ever saw?”

“He was. I couldn't believe it at first,” said Peach, giving her head a little shake. “I never thought I would see another human in my life.”

“Then how did you even know what a human was, if you were the only one?” Mario's mother asked curiously.

“I might not be the only one in my world.”

Mario gaped at her. “You never told me that.”

Peach shrugged. “It didn't seem important compared to stopping Bowser.”

“You said might?” Luigi raised his eyebrows.

“That's right.” Peach nodded. “The mysterious kingdom of Sarasaland has a human dynasty ruling it, or at least it used to. A severe storm has surrounded it for seventy years, making travel to and from the kingdom impossible. Everyone thinks that the storm is magic, but no one knows what – or who – caused it, or if there are any survivors left.” She looked down at her hands. “I always wished there was a way for me to find out.”

“That's terrible.” Mario's mother shook her head in dismay. “Those poor people.”

Luigi hunched his shoulders. “Do – do you think that could happen to the Mushroom Kingdom?”

Peach's blue eyes widened. “Oh, no! I mean, probably not.” She waved both hands uncertainly. “It hasn't happened yet.”

“So you're saying there's a chance?” Luigi angled his eyebrows up toward his hairline.

“You seem very worried about the Mushroom Kingdom, caro.(4) I mean even more than usual,” said their mother.

“Princess Peach invited Mario and me to go visit the Mushroom Kingdom.” Apparently Luigi had forgotten about the request to call her Peach. “I need to know what I'd be getting myself into.”

Peach raised her eyebrows and pursed her pink lips a little more than normal, but she said nothing.

“Oh?” To Mario's surprise, his mother smiled and glanced at him and his brother before turning to face Peach. “That's very nice of you, dear. I think that's a wonderful idea.”

“Really?” asked Mario. “After hearing about the magical storm?”

“I'm sure you can steer clear of the storm. You did very well the first time you were there.” His mother held her palm up toward him.

Luigi laughed, and Mario detected a hint of nervousness. “Ma, we were gone for more than three days and you're trying to get rid of us again?” he joked. Mario was certain that the humorous remark was a cover for Luigi's anxiety.

“You know that's not true!” His mother wagged her finger in mock sternness. “I'm not telling you to leave right this second! You can leave whenever you like. I just think it would be a good opportunity to expand your horizons. You'd be like the great Italian explorers traveling to a new world!” Her expression softened as she continued, “I always knew you boys were destined for greater things than staying in our family apartment for the rest of your lives.”

Mario smiled. Their mother had always been their biggest cheerleader.

“I know, Ma,” he said. “Thanks. We'll - We're thinking about it.”

Luigi still appeared to be uncertain, but Nicole brought their drinks and pizza before he had a chance to say anything, and then everyone put the upcoming trip on the backburner. Mario and Luigi took off their gloves and grabbed slices of pizza. Peach watched the twins for a few seconds before tugging off her gloves and taking a slice of her own. She took a dainty bite, and her face blossomed into a blissful expression, her eyes shining. A little “mmm” slipped out of her lips, and she swiftly covered her mouth, looking embarrassed.

“It's good, right?” Mario's mother grinned at her.

Peach swallowed her bite of pizza. “So good! The sauce and cheese with the crust is just the perfect combination of flavors!” She took another, larger bite.

“Do they have pizza in the Mushroom Kingdom?” asked Luigi.

Peach chewed for two seconds and gulped. “No, nothing like this.” She took a sip of cola, and her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, this is so sweet and bubbly!” She took another drink from her straw. “Is this a dessert drink? It's like pure sugar with a hint of vanilla and . . . and something else, maybe cinnamon?”

Mario chuckled. It was adorable the way she marveled at simple things he had always taken for granted.

“Is this how I acted when I was in your world?” he asked her.

“No, you hated our food,” Peach answered immediately.

“Not all of it. The bananas were good.” Mario bit into his pizza, savoring the pepperoni.

“Bananas?” asked Luigi before answering his own question. “Oh, right, the monkeys.”

“Princess, would you like to join us for dinner at our home?” asked his mother.

Everyone stared at her.

“Tonight?” asked Peach.

“Not tonight, I need more time to buy some ingredients. But we can have a big dinner ready tomorrow.” Mario's mother spread her hands.

“I'd love to have dinner with you,” said Peach. “I'll need to notify the royal counsel to rearrange my schedule a bit, but it shouldn't be a problem.”

Luigi nudged Mario's arm with his bony elbow once more. Mario shot him a look that was meant to convey “What are you doing?” Luigi wagged his eyebrows at him. Mario shook his head. Whatever his brother was reacting to, Mario would worry about it later.

“Fantastico!” Their mother clapped her hands together. “Would six o'clock work for you?”

“I'm sure it will be fine,” said Peach.

Mario had mixed feelings about this. On one hand, he would get to spend more time with Peach, and she was getting along well with his mother. On the other hand, Peach would be introduced to his annoying uncles. He resolved to have a talk with them before dinner the next day.

Next time in “Growing on Me” . . .

“Princess-a Peach, she-a wants a little Italian, eh?” asked Luigi with an exaggerated accent.

Mario laughed. “Come on, Lu. She likes me as a friend, that's it.”

“Oh yeah?” Luigi pitched up his voice and comically batted his eyelashes. “I miss you sooo much, Mustache!” Then he switched to his impression of Mario. “I miss you more, Peach!”

“We did not sound like that!”

Still smiling, Luigi crossed his arms. “Admit it bro, you thought Peach was in the room for a second. I saw the way she was looking at you. She likes you.” Luigi reached out with both hands and poked them one after the other into his brother's stomach, knowing full well that he was the only one who could get away with doing it.

Mario smiled, holding in another laugh. “What makes you so sure?”

“She came here hours earlier than she had to, just so she could spend time with you.”

“Us,” corrected Mario.

“Yeah, but it's mostly because of you. And she's rearranging her schedule just so she can have dinner at our home. Do you have any idea what a big deal that must be for the ruler of a country?”

Mario's smile faded as he seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before he replied, “She's probably just doing that to be nice. It's kind of her thing, in case you haven't noticed.”

Luigi nodded. “Oh, I noticed. I noticed that she's a lot nicer to you than anyone else!”

“Even if that's true, and I'm not saying it is,” said Mario, holding up his hand, “she'd never go out with me.”

“What?” Luigi frowned. “Says who?”

Mario looked at the floor as if he found something interesting there. “When we were on the rainbow road, Donkey Kong thought I was flirting with Peach, and he said a princess would never go out with me. I hate to admit it, but he was right.” He sighed. “I'm just a plumber from Brooklyn. What do I have to offer a princess?”

Chapter Text

There weren't many motor vehicles in the Mushroom Kingdom, since the Toads preferred to travel by warp pipe and moving platforms. Still, Princess Peach was familiar with vehicular transportation, having learned to ride a motorcycle thanks to the Kongs. However, the limousine that Mayor Pauline sent to take Peach to the mayoral office was entirely different from any of the Kong's karts. It was designed more for comfort than speed, with wide seats and an interior that was kept at a comfortable temperature.

What impressed Peach most about the human world, other than the humans themselves, was the architecture.

“How do you build them so high without adjusting the frequency of the building materials? Are you sure you don't have anti-gravity technology here?”

Mario and Luigi had insisted that they had no way of making bricks and blocks float in the air in this world, but Peach had trouble believing it.

The driver, whose name was Jaime, said, “I've never heard of that. They just used steel frames to build them.”

Jaime went on to tell Peach everything he knew about the history of Manhattan. He explained that he drove rich tourists from all over this world and chatted with any passenger who wanted to talk. Peach was happy to converse all the way to the mayor's office, for although Mario and Luigi had explained some of how the human world worked, Jaime shared insights and details that she never would have thought to ask about. When Jaime parked the car and opened the door for her, Peach offered him a gold coin.

He gave the coin a skeptical look. “Miss, the city taxes are paying for the ride. You don't owe me anything.”

“Oh. Well . . .” She stepped out of the limousine and held the coin toward him. “Consider it payment for the information.”

He shook his head. “I don't want payment for information. I like to talk. I'll be waiting for you when you finish your meeting, and I can tell you more about the city on the way back to Brooklyn.”

“Well all right then. Thanks.” Peach smiled at him and climbed up the steps, walked between the columns, and entered one of the doors. The mayor's office was almost as grand as her castle, although it seemed washed out compared to the pink and stained glass of her home, but it suited the style in New York City.

Mayor Pauline met Peach in the foyer. She was taller than Peach and appeared to be a few years older than her, looking professional in her red blazer and matching pants.

“Welcome to Manhattan, your Highness.” The mayor spoke in the same accent as most of Brooklyn's residents. “Is it a breach of protocol to shake your hand?”

“Not at all.” Peach held out her hand toward Pauline, who shook it with a firm but gentle grip.
“Good. I didn't have time to practice my curtsy.”

Peach searched the mayor's face for a sign that she was joking, but instead she wore an apologetic smile.

“Handshakes are perfectly fine, Madam Mayor.” Peach smiled back to reassure her. “Honestly, I'm just glad this is going better than my last meeting with a foreign leader.”
“The big angry turtle?”

Peach wanted to laugh, but years of discipline helped her maintain control over her diaphragm. “Well, yes, but it would be an insult to even compare you to him. I was actually referring to the King of the Jungle Kingdom.”

“Is that the elderly ape gentleman?” Pauline lowered her voice. “Would he be offended if I call him that?”

Peach grinned, shaking her head. “I don't think so. Although he always acts a little offended by everything. His name is Cranky after all.”

“Good to know. Won't you step into my office? Then you can tell me all about it, your Highness.”

Mayor Pauline's office was as stately as the rest of the building, with tall windows framed by pale gold drapes. Pauline padded across the royal blue and white carpet and sat down behind an ornate wooden desk. At the mayor's gesture, Peach sat down in the chair across from her.

“So,” said Pauline after they both settled into their seats, “tell me about your meeting with King Cranky.”

Peach told her about traveling to the Jungle Kingdom to demand an audience with Cranky Kong, backtracking to explain the threat Bowser posed to her kingdom and ultimately all the other kingdoms. This led to a discussion of the differences and similarities between the two worlds.

“I'll be honest with you, your Highness. I have concerns about introducing your technology to our world,” said Pauline.

Peach raised her eyebrows. “Oh? But your world already has technology that my world doesn't have. You have all these interactive screens, all the information in the world at your fingertips, cameras recording everything, and probably other things I haven't heard of yet.”

“Which is exactly why I hesitate to introduce even more new technology to this world,” elaborated Pauline. “We didn't have this level of technology when I was a little girl, and I'm only twenty-nine. We're still learning what these devices are doing to our brains. We don't learn and memorize and retain information the way we used to. I can only speculate what these Power-ups would do to our society. What if animals got to them? The rats are bad enough in this city. Can you imagine a bunch of super strong, super fast rats running around?”

“As long as the rats here don't talk, I think you should be fine.” Peach waved her hand in dismissal. “They don't effect the regular beasts in my world.”

Pauline blinked. “Really?”

“Oh yes.” Peach's eyes lit up as she thought of an example. “In my world there's an entire field of Fire Flowers! Insects land on them and animals brush past them and nothing happens until an intelligent being touches one of the flowers. Then the flower burns up and gives the being the ability to shoot fireballs.”
The mayor's eyes widened. “That's incredible! Does it hurt you?”

Peach shrugged. “Not in my experience. And Mario was fine using the Power-ups too.” She smiled and allowed herself a giggle. “The first night he was in my world, he ate at least twenty Super Mushrooms. I wouldn't let him come with me to stop Bowser and rescue his brother unless he ate the mushrooms and completed my training course. He was so determined, he kept at it until sunrise. He almost completed it, but he got chomped by a Piranha Plant at the very end right when the sun rose.”

Pauline winced, but not at the mention of the Piranha Plant. “That must have been horrible for him. He hates mushrooms.”

Peach's mouth formed an “O” as she stared at the mayor. “You know him?”

Pauline glanced out the window with a sad smile before turning back to face Peach. “Yes, Mario and I have a history.”

Peach didn't fully comprehend. “Are – Were you close?”

The other woman nodded. “We were engaged.”

Peach must still have appeared surprised, because Pauline added, “I know, we were an unlikely couple. I was at University earning my Master's degree, he was a construction worker on campus. They were always renovating halls and dormitories when I went there. He asked me if I wanted to have dinner with him and I was so impressed that he politely asked me instead of catcalling like the others that I said yes. And we really hit it off. He proposed to me on the anniversary of our first date. It was so romantic, I said yes.” Pauline smiled fondly at the memory, and Peach's heart beat faster, as she sat on the edge of her seat. Who knew Mario had a romantic side? But she was certain that whatever happened between Mario and Pauline, they couldn't be married. Surely he would be living with Pauline if they were married, and Peach knew he lived with his parents.

Pauline's smile faded as she appeared downcast. “But then I graduated with my Master's degree, and I started to have doubts. I began to focus on my political career, and he had a dream of starting a business with Luigi that wasn't even close to becoming a reality at the time. It felt like we were worlds apart.”

The phrasing jumped out at Peach. If Pauline didn't think she could marry Mario because she felt like they were worlds apart, what chance did Peach have with Mario? Then her face flooded with warmth as she mentally checked herself. Slow down, Peach. She didn't even know if Mario liked her the way she liked him. It was enough that they were friends, and there was no benefit to thinking about anything beyond that.

“And he was four years younger than me and still living with his parents. He supported my decision to run for Mayor and said he would help campaign, but I didn't think he really understood what he was getting into. Looking back on it, I probably underestimated him. Like everyone else.” Pauline shook her head with a rueful expression. “So I broke off the engagement and gave him back the ring he gave me. He couldn't accept it at first. I'm sorry to say I said some mean things to push him away, things I regret.” She sighed. “I'm not surprised he didn't tell you about our past.”

Peach waited to hear if the mayor would continue her story, but Pauline fell silent.

“I see,” Peach said softly. “Thank you for telling me.” She hesitated for a moment. It was a bold question, but Pauline had showed that she was willing to share personal details, and Peach had to know the answer for her own peace of mind.

“Do you still have feelings for him?”

Pauline took a deep breath. “I've moved on, and I imagine he probably has too. But I still think of him from time to time. Especially now that he and Luigi are in the news.”

Peach barely contained a sigh of relief. As much as she told herself that she and Mario were just friends, she couldn't abide the thought of him getting back together with Pauline.

Mario and Luigi had a flexible schedule ever since they quit the Wrecking Crew, and they had even more flexibility after they returned from the other world (they really should find out what that world was called). With their tools lost and their van inoperable, the brothers had declined all plumbing calls until they could get everything they needed to get their business up and running again.

“You said the monkeys built custom go-carts really fast,” said Luigi as they made their way toward the crash site.

“Yeah, it was all automated. They assembled my Kart in just a few minutes, like it was no big deal to them.” Mario waved his hand.

Luigi's eyes lit up. “You think they could make us a new van if we went back to their world?”

Mario stared at him. “I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure they would if we asked. They might not even charge us for it.” He rubbed his chin. “Biggest problem would be finding out what kind of fuel they use and whether it would be compatible with our world. And I'm not sure if we could get it through the Warp Pipe.”

Luigi shrugged. “A lot of big things have come through the Pipe. A van should fit easily.”

“What if that was just because of the Bomber Bill? It might not work again.”

“Only one way to find out.”

“You really thinking of doing this?” asked Mario, jumping over a fallen lamp post.

Luigi stepped over the lamp post with more caution than his brother. “I'm still not sure if I want to, but I'm starting to warm up to the idea.”

“Aren't you scared?”

“Of course I'm scared, but, well, I should probably start facing my fears more.” Luigi paused. “What about you? Are you scared?”

Mario gave him a cheeky grin. “Who me?” His smile faded as his expression became serious. “A little bit, yeah. But I've never let fear hold me back. And I think it'll be less scary with Peach. She knows what she's doing.”

“You trust her with your life?”

“Yeah. And I trust her with your life. She'd never let anything bad happen to us.”

“She's pretty special to you, huh?” Luigi smiled and wagged his eyebrows.

Mario playfully pushed Luigi's hat down over his eyes. “Don't start that!”

“What?” Luigi straightened his hat. “You're the one who brought her up!”

“So you're gonna talk about how 'special' our relationship is every time I mention Peach?”

“Until you admit the truth, yeah.”

“I've already told you the truth.” Mario gave his brother a deadpan stare. “She's a good friend. That's it.”

“Oh yeah?” Luigi pitched up his voice and comically batted his eyelashes. “Oh Mario, I miss you sooo much!” Then he switched to his impression of Mario. “I miss you more, Peach!”

“We did not sound like that!”

Still smiling, Luigi crossed his arms. “Admit it, bro, you thought Peach was here with us. I saw the way she was looking at you. She likes you.” Luigi reached out with both hands and poked them one after the other into his brother's stomach, knowing full well that he was the only one who could get away with it.

Mario smiled, holding in another laugh. “What makes you so sure?”

“She came here hours earlier than she had to, just so she could spend time with you.”

“Us,” corrected Mario.

“Yeah, but it's mostly because of you. And she's rearranging her schedule just so she can have dinner at our home. Do you have any idea what a big deal that must be for the ruler of a country?”

Mario's smile fell as he seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before he replied, “She's probably just doing it to be nice. It's kind of her thing, in case you haven't noticed.”

Luigi nodded. “Oh, I noticed. I noticed that she's a lot nicer to you than anyone else!”

“Even if that's true, and I'm not saying it is,” said Mario, holding up his hand, “she'd never go out with me.”

“What?” Luigi frowned. “Says who?”

Mario looked at the floor as if he found something interesting there. “When we were on the rainbow road, Donkey Kong thought I was flirting with Peach, and he said a princess would never go out with me. I hate to admit it, but he was right.” He let out a sigh. “I'm just a plumber from Brooklyn. What do I have to offer a princess?” Mario shook his head as he spread his hands.

As Mario spoke, Luigi felt indignation on his twin brother's behalf. Luigi knew that Mario took every negative comment to heart, that he would often reference the criticisms with a glum expression. If only Mario could see himself the way Luigi saw him. For as long as he could remember, Luigi had looked up to his older brother, despite Luigi being taller. Mario was courageous, bold, and loyal till the end. He just needed a little encouragement to counteract the negative comments.

“What does Donkey Kong know about princesses?” Luigi waved his hand dismissively. “What does he know about you?” He lightly shoved Mario's shoulder. “How much time did he spend with you and Peach? What, two days at most?”

Mario raised his head, looking upward in thought. “It was all a blur. Probably a day, maybe a little longer.”

“See? How could he know that Peach would never go out with you?” Luigi gave him a reassuring smile.

Mario shrugged, still looking doubtful.

"And you asked what you have to offer her, but I don't think she cares about the kind of stuff you can buy her. No billionaire ever saved her kingdom from a giant missile."

Mario shook his head. "I didn't do that to get her to date me."

"I'm sure she knows that." Luigi paused, choosing his words with care. "She calmed you down when you were a little intense. No other girl could do that, not even Pauline," he added quietly.

Mario's frown deepened as he shook his head. “Nope, not gonna go through that again.” He jogged ahead of Luigi and climbed into the cab of an empty front loader.

Luigi huffed, sure that he had messed up by mentioning Mario's ex-fiancée, even though he had no doubt that his brother was already thinking about her. He would have to wait for another opportunity to persuade Mario to ask Peach out. His brother was going to be happy whether he wanted to or not!