(As Long as We're Together) Everything's Gonna Be Okay

Mario Starts in Denial, then Speedruns Straight to Acceptance

Papers in hand, Mario's feet take him back to the Mushroom Kingdom, and after that, into a café, where Toad just happens to be eating an egg scramble.

"Hey, Toad."

Toad turns around, breaking out into a smile. "Hey there! How about that ballgame yesterday, huh?"

Mario shrugs, "Wouldn't know. I wasn't there."

Toad gapes, "What? You're always either watching it or in it. "

"Normally you're right." Mario nods in confirmation. "But my heart's not really in it lately. Didn't feel up to pretending."

"Ah, I get it." Toad nods. "Saving the universe from being sucked into a black hole will do that, huh?"

"That, and this." Mario holds up the papers, handing them over.

Toad looks them over, eyes going wide. "He sold his shares of the company? Oh no, I'm so sorry, Mario."

Mario just nods, as Toad goes on, "I don't understand. I thought things were going great after you brought him home."

"Can't be so great when I'm the only one that remembers everything." Mario says.

"But that doesn't mean anything." Toad tries to assure him. "He needs time, same as everyone else. We're all still healing."

Mario shakes his head, "Toad, I've done everything humanly possible to keep that in mind. But to him, all that means is going it alone." Mario takes the papers back. "And that price was me."

He sits across from Toad at his booth. "Look, it's like..." he shakes his head, then tries again. "Against all odds, even after getting killed and sent to the Underwhere, he still changed sides to help us stop Count Bleck and Dimentio. And he miraculously believed me when I told him about our life, before and after coming to the Mushroom Kingdom."

Toad nods, to show he's following, so Mario laughs bitterly, "But, oops, jokes on me. Turns out my little brother was hiding a deep-seated resentment towards me that Nastasia took full advantage of to make him the perfect minion for Bleck's world-ending plan, and by extension the perfect vessel for the Chaos Heart."

Toad sighs. "Resentment. Something a lot of villains that have attacked us over."

Mario glares at him, so Toad says quickly, "No, no, I just mean that--"

"Please don't tell me there's another way that doesn't have to end in resentment." Mario stops him.

"No, I was just going to say, resentment can only fuel the fire for so long before you get lazy. That's when you need to pay attention." Toad says, then taps the papers in Mario's hand. "But seriously, these papers don't mean anything in the long run. If your gut's telling you something different, listen to it. Give him time, and there's no reason your brother won't come back around."

"Let's hope you're onto something there." Mario only says, before getting up and leaving the café.

Later, he's sitting at his desk at home, unable to stop the lurch in his stomach at the thought of how technically it's Luigi's desk, as he goes over the papers one more time, tracing a finger over Luigi's signature on the dotted line.

He lets it sting, then pulls out an envelope, writing out the address.

"Hey hey hey!" A sudden call startles Mario out of his funk. "If it isn't the famous Super Mario!"

Mario rolls his eyes, not even looking up as Donkey Kong comes into the room.

"What's the matter, you get served?" Donkey Kong laughs. "Matter of time, with your incompetence."