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

Weegee, What're You Doing? MIMI! What're YOU Doing?

"Nastasia? Is that you?" Mr. L says upon spotting her. "May I walk with you for a moment?"

"Sure." Nastasia says.

"I wanted to tell you about my new job at the racetrack, and my first day at work today!"

"That is incredible." Nastasia says, despite already knowing thanks to Mimi. "I saw your engineering genius before everyone else did. How do you like it?"

"Truthfully? It was...weird."

"Not exactly what a boss would hope to hear." Nastasia notes. "Is it not what you were hoping for?"

"I'm really excited to be able to do something with my hands, but what my boss is asking me to do is kind of...not comfortable."

"Do you want to tell me about it? Perhaps I could give you a second opinion."

Mr. L nods, then tells her the whole thing.

After a beat, Nastasia says, "I agree with your boss. If there's a way for your racetrack to make more money while the kingdom is putting all its resources into helping rebuild the Sammer Kingdom, I say go for it. It would go a long way towards undoing your part in the damage done, and you'd get recognition as you, not as Mario's brother. You're already an engineer, show them what you can do."

"So I should do it?"

"Should is a strong word. Even with no memory, I trust you to take all of your options seriously."

"I understand all the pros. There wasn't a moment when I didn't. If that were to be what would happen. And I would do anything to undo what I've done and make my own name." Mr. L sighs. "But asking my brother for help on this, after I fought so hard to get away from his fame and reputation, it makes me want to hide in my house and never come back out. I don't want to do that, especially now that we're both in a good place now."

"What if I knew someone else you could ask for help?" Nastasia offers.

"Poor Mario." Toadsworth shakes his head sadly. "It finally seemed like he was back to his old self again."

"I know." Peach agrees. "But he's right. This is the only solution that won't hurt us in the long run. That's our Mario."

Just then, Mario walks into the conference room.

"Mario! We were just talking about you."

"Yes, Master Mario, the princess just filled me in! How did this Wario take the news?"

"He refused to get back on the committee." Mario sighs.

"What did he say?"

"He wanted to do both jobs. But I put my foot down, so that's that." Then he leaves, the matter decidedly dropped.

The next morning, when Mr. L wakes up, he sees a full breakfast spread on the table, and Mimi rifling through a stack of papers.

"Where did you find time to make breakfast?" Mr. L comments, but still bites into a waffle.

"I didn't. I grabbed some things from the café." Mimi says absently, not looking up from her papers. "Once I'm done with this case for Nastasia, I'm all yours."

"Please tell me you found something on this mystery guy." Mr. L begs.

"It's Wario." Mimi finally admits. "And I caught him talking to Bowser."

"Bowser and Wario? The guy on the Sammer Kingdom committee? What does he have to do with the Koopa King?"

"No idea." Mimi says apologetically. "But I'm gonna find out."