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“Dannazione!”His feet were sore from the constant running. Knees feeling like their ligaments were going to give way at any second from all the jumping. His knuckles feeling the brunt from all the brick walls he punched, with the gloves providing very little cushion; he was surprised his hands weren’t fractured from the abuse they endured. Ribs smarting from the hits he took from the Bullet Bills, astonished none of them were cracked because those Bullet Bills were not made from cotton. Sweat glistening down his face, coating his impressive mustache with a glossy sheen. Blue eyes were weary from the endless training he’s endured up to this point.“Dannazione!” he repeated, slamming his already aching fist into the ground while down on one knee. His head was drooped in defeat. He was one to never give up, but it appeared that this was one obstacle he literally wasn’t going to overcome. He was always impulsive and somewhat stubborn, and this time it appears those traits came back to bite him.It was only a few hours ago when Mario found himself in this strange land known as the Mushroom Kingdom. It was nothing like he’s ever seen before, even in media such as books and movies. This mysterious place certainly lived up to its title. There were mushroom houses spread across the land, inhabited by none other than mushroom people. Speaking of mushroom people, the first person he met when he first arrived was Toad. Toad was an outgoing and energetic little guy who instantly befriended him and showed him around the place after Mario explained how he arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom. Shortly after that, Toad led him to the castle of the ruler of Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach Toadstool. He told him if there was anyone to help him get back home, it was her.Upon reaching the castle, after barely making some hair-raising jumps and getting dizzy from traveling through the warp pipes, Mario was introduced to the princess herself. He expected her to look like the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom, so he was taken aback that she was human just like him. He also couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was. Outside of that, Toad told him how kind-hearted she was, and he able to witness some of it when speaking to her. However, he couldn’t help but notice she seemed to be worried about something. Always willing to lend a hand when he could, Mario asked Peach if there was anything he could do to help. Peach told him about how a monster named Bowser was traveling to different kingdoms to steal these magical items called Power Stars so he could rule the world. Not only that, Bowser has always been an adversary to her and the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario felt the need to help her stop Bowser from achieving his nefarious goals. Peach was reluctant at first because he was a stranger to her land and that she didn’t want to drag him into her battle. However, she figured she could use all the help she could get and decided to recruit him so to speak. The first thing she did was show him a training course to help others get used to the rougher terrains of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario confidently, and maybe a little too cockily, told her he could handle the course. It looked simple enough, right?Back to the present, Mario found out the course was anything but simple. He seriously underestimated its difficulty, the athletic feats needed to conquer it. His aching body was living proof of that. However, it wasn’t the physical pain that bothered him. After every time he failed the course, he would look at Peach to see her with a look of uncertainty and maybe disappointment in her face. That bothered him more than any ache in his body. Eventually, Peach left him alone to give him some space. Mario felt awful that he couldn’t master the course under her watch. He felt that he let her down after assuring her he would beat this thing. It was dark outside; however, he continued to run the training course. Unfortunately, it didn’t appear he was making much progress no matter how many times he ran it, leading to some intense frustration and the situation he’s in now.Mario was one to never turn his back on someone in need, but he didn’t know what to do. He had always succeeded in whatever endeavor he put his mind to. This, however, was the first time he didn’t think he could prosper. This was the first time he realized he had limits, and that there were times when there was nothing that could be done to break them. He wanted to walk into the castle and apologize to Peach for getting her hopes so high. He was ready to admit failure. He realized he was who he was: an ordinary plumber from Brooklyn who found himself in an extraordinary circumstance. He wished he was back in Brooklyn working on kitchen sinks and toilets, eating his favorite pastas, and most of all, hanging out with his brother Luigi.
Luigi…
A strong realization hit Mario. Luigi also traveled in the pipe that led him to the Mushroom Kingdom. However, there was a split road in the pipe, and Luigi ended up traveling down the other road. Mario only got a glance at where Luigi went, and he didn’t like what he saw. The place looked ominous with its dark colors and unpleasant atmosphere. The worst thing he saw, however, was a face that resembled Bowser’s if the cardboard printout at the end of the course was any indication. He remembered Peach telling him that Bowser resides in the Dark Lands, which looked similar to the pipe Luigi went down. If that’s the case, Mario knew his brother was in grave danger. This made Mario angry with himself. He believes it’s his fault for his brother’s predicament. If only he was able to hold on to Luigi’s hand tighter at the pipe split, Luigi would be here in the Mushroom Kingdom with him instead of the Dark Lands. A single tear dropped silently from his eye, believing he let Luigi down. He promised he would look after him whenever he could, and he believed he failed.Suddenly Mario stood tall with a new resolve. It was late in the evening and his body was still aching all over, but that no longer mattered to him. The only thing on his mind was completing this training course. If he couldn’t get through this blasted thing, how would he be able to stand up to Bowser and his army? He took a deep breath before starting the course again. His feet were aching something fierce, but Mario pushed the pain aside and attacked the course with a renewed vigor. A titanic battle between his mind and body was waging, and as of now the mind had the upper edge. The first time through, he didn’t make it to the end. However, that didn’t discourage him. In fact, the next three times he fell short of his goal, but he wasn’t stopping any time soon. This was no longer about himself. As he went through the course, he thought about the people of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad included. He thought about Princess Peach, and how hospitable she was along with her own determination to protect her kingdom. Lastly, he thought about his brother. He was going to get him back or he would die trying. The subsequent attempt saw Mario going through the course at will. It was as if everything slowed down for him, and he was able to react to what the course threw at him. He went through every obstacle – whether it was the donut platforms, the fake fire bars, those blasted Bullet Bills, brick walls, or the Bowser cutouts – with ease. He finally made it to the end; however, he was not satisfied, for his spirit was still blazing hot. He went through the training course again to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. He repeated the course numerous times (he lost count at some point), and each time he breezed through it. The last time he went through it, he punched the Bowser cutout so hard it exploded into a bunch of tiny fragments.Mario was so busy going through the course he didn’t realize it was morning. After finishing it the final time, he smiled as he watched the sun rise. However, his body finally gave way after the rigorous activity, resulting in him collapsing on the course.---Little did Mario know there was someone watching him repeatedly tackle the course with great interest. Princess Peach witnessed everything from the platform that held a flagpole. It’s just that Mario was so focused on his training that he didn’t notice her at all.As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she doubted that Mario would be able to complete the training course. The effort was there, but it looked like he would never get the hang of it. It wasn’t his fault; after all, he wasn’t from this world and wasn’t used to its gravity and different layouts. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t concerned; in fact, at one point she sighed loudly in frustration and lowered her head over the platform after one of his failed attempts. She regretted doing that and hoped Mario didn’t see it. Nonetheless, she decided to call it a night and planned to tell Mario he didn’t have to put himself through the course anymore. Furthermore, she would tell him he didn't have to assist her in her fight with Bowser. She thought Mario would stop, rest, and maybe pick it back up in the morning; however, he continued to go through the course. As much as she wanted him to rest and at least let his body recover, there was something she saw in Mario that stopped her dead in the tracks.He looked worn and defeated and appeared to be ready to call it a night. He even yelled out something in a language she wasn’t familiar with, but there was no doubt it was out of frustration. However, Peach saw him stand up despite how sore he was, but it was his eyes that drew her attention. They were blue puddles of raw determination. They were magnets that attracted her consciousness. She didn’t know what caused him to flip that switch, but she knew it was something very important to him. She watched him attack the course over and over despite not having the most ideal results the first few times. Then, something happened, and she saw Mario get better at the course. She thought he would finally stop, but she saw him do it multiple times. He didn’t want to just complete the course; he wanted to dominate it. Peach felt hopeful at Mario’s progress. She realized his determination would be a great asset in their fight against Bowser. She smiled inwardly at the thought. However, she couldn’t help but worry that Mario was pushing himself too hard and was afraid he would wear himself out. That unfortunately was the case after she witnessed him collapse on the course after completing it for the final time. She gasped out loud immediately and placed her hands over her mouth. She then fetched Toad to help retrieve Mario from the course.---“W-where am I?”The last thing Mario remembered was him collapsing on the training course. His eyes weren’t open, but he knew he was no longer on the course. It felt like he was underneath some silk sheets and a warm comforter. Instead of the hard unforgiving grounds of the training course, he was lying on a soft comfortable mattress. He knew he was in a bed; he'd wager he was in his guest room inside of Princess Peach's castle. He tried to sit up, but a gentle yet firm hand was placed on his chest.“No need to exert yourself, Mario. You need to rest.”Speaking of Princess Peach, Mario recognized the soothing voice. He opened his eyes and saw the beautiful face of the princess herself, looking at him with concern in her big beautiful blue eyes.“Ah, Princess,” Mario said tiredly while laying back down. He felt the top of his head and noticed his signature red cap wasn’t there. He looked to the side and saw that it was sitting on the table next to his bed.“I know I shouldn’t ask, but how are you feeling?” Peach inquired softly.“To be honest, I feel like I’ve been run over by at least twenty plumber vans,” Mario laughed weakly. “Other than that, I’m just fine.”Peach laughed despite herself at Mario’s answer. She had to admire his sense of humor despite the position he was in. That quickly gave way as she suddenly became serious. “What possessed you to do the obstacle course through the night?” She was curious to know what the driving force behind this man was.“Oh, you were watching,” Mario said, still sounding weak. It was more of a statement than question. Peach slowly nodded her head. A slight blush formed in Mario’s face before he continued: “I thought about giving up, to be honest. However, I thought about how beautiful this place is and how I want to keep it that way. I thought about you Princess, and how much you care for the well-being of your people and kingdom.” Peach’s cheeks turned light pink at that statement. “Last but certainly not least, I thought about Luigi.”“Luigi? Oh, that’s right he’s your brother you talked about earlier today.”Mario weakly nodded his head. “Luigi is a resilient guy, but if Bowser is as formidable as you say he is, I fear he may be in great trouble. I let him down by not holding him tight enough while falling through the pipes. It’s my fault he’s in the Dark Lands in the first place. I have no intentions of stopping until I know he’s safe.”Peach looked at Mario with a greater amount of respect and admiration. Based on what he said, she inferred that his love for the people he cares about is the source behind his strong will. She squeezed his hand gently and gave him a warm smile.“I promise I will help you find your brother if it’s the last thing I do,” Peach stated with some strong resolve of her own.“And I will help you take down that Bowser and protect this world,” Mario matched her resolve. He suddenly winced in pain from his soreness.“I think it’s time for you to get some rest now,” Peach said. “We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.” She wanted to leave today, for time was the essence because she didn’t know how far Bowser has made in his progress. However, she knew Mario was in no shape to be doing anything, figuring a full day would be enough for him to recover and for her to plan her journey. She needed him at full strength if they were going to stop Bowser. She also thought about seeing if she could recruit the Kongs to assist her, but again that would have to wait until tomorrow.Mario opened his mouth to protest, but Peach placed a finger on his lips. “Princess’s orders!” she stated firmly but had a smile on her face. Mario couldn’t help but return the smile.“As you wish, Your Highness.” Mario closed his eyes to try to get some sleep. He eventually started snoring lightly after a minute or so.Peach couldn’t help but notice how adorable Mario looked when he slept. A yawn suddenly escaped from her lips, reminding her that she was up all night herself. A quick nap would do her wonders, then she could start planning for tomorrow’s trip. She brushed Mario’s hair back and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. Mario’s lips curled into a smile right after the kiss, causing Peach to smile herself. There was no doubt his dreams would be pleasant.“Rest well, Mario,” she softly whispered before leaving the room.