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

Well Now They Know!

"Sorry for the hold up." Mr. L says the second he closes the door.

"What did you tell Mimi?"

"That I'm working on a big job for someone who got hurt on the racetrack." Mr. L says exasperatedly. "She thinks I ordered parts off the black market and the sellers are after me."

"Well, she's going to be after you if she knows the truth."

"I know!" Mr. L says. "We need to pay Nastasia off. Whatever I make from the debut, it's hers."

"Peach heard me mention coins, so I brought up the debut too." Mario confesses.

"And she bought it?"

"I was going to ask her to sponsor you too, so yeah, she did. And she feels terrible for what's happening to me, so she offered any help I could ask for."

"That's great!" Mr. L exclaims.

"No it's not!"

"What? Why?"

"Because she's the princess!" Mario says like that explains everything. "I can't keep leaning on her to bail me out when the stakes are high."

"Then why am I here?" Mr. L demands.

"I was hoping you could talk to Nastasia one-on-one." Mario confesses, and Mr. L can't hide how he just full on freezes at the thought, "You're out of your mind."

"She said she wanted to make up for what she did to you."

"She's also Mimi's friend!" Mr. L reminds him.

"I just want this all to be over." Mario says back.

"Who else can we turn to that can even come close to the price tag Nastasia's asking us for, and not ask questions?"

Mimi walks through down as a shapeshifted Toad, muttering to herself as she carries Luigi's toolbox. "I'm just concerned he's got bad people after him. He doesn't have anyone else."

But then, something falls out of the box, so she picks up the piece of paper.

IF ONLY MIMI KNEW YOUR LIES ARE FAKER THAN HER DISGUISES.

"No." Mario shakes his head, after Mr. L tells him the latest idea. "Absolutely not."

His phone rings, and upon seeing who it is, he snaps, "Really? Nastasia's actually trying to intimidate us with text messages now?"

"Seriously?" Mr. L would laugh if the situation wasn't so dire. "It's early in the morning, and she's already demanding money?" When Mario says nothing, Mr. L brings it back, "Mario, she's serious. We have to do what I suggested. There's nothing else we can do."

Mario's still shaking his head, but Mr. L's not about to be dissuaded, "I'm going. Please be at the castle when I come back."

And stars help him, Mario is. In fact, he's back in the throne room, where an effort to repair the hole Mario tossed Bowser through can be seen.

And it's as he's forced to relive the events of that day that he nearly gets barreled over.

"Ow!" He quickly picks himself back up, then upon seeing who it is, he greets,

"Mimi? What're you doing here ?

"You're gonna start talking about whatever's going on with you and your brother. Now."

Mimi doesn't give him time to reply before she's demanding, "I said. Tell me. About. What you're doing. With your brother."