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

Time Jump! But Don't Worry, It's Still All About the Bros!

Mario's just cleaning up his house for company when he hears a knock on the door.

"Hey, bro." Mario smiles, stepping back to let him in. "Wasn't expecting you until later, what with all the Cup after parties and everyone wanting to get a picture with the track's newest mechanic."

"Yeah, I was gonna do that." Luigi sits down on the couch, patting his bulky pocket where Mario can see something is hidden. "But I actually got another flash. I remembered the van breaking down, and we ran through the construction site to our first job. I was barely managing to keep up, but you made it a point to double back just so I could, even if it meant opening a gate or laying down a plank."

"You had bad knees. I wasn't gonna make you copy me." Mario explains, sitting next to him. "I think in a weird way, that may have been the best day of my life."

"Me too." Luigi says, surprising Mario. "And not because anyone told me about that day. But because of how the whole day made me feel. Excited about our commercial. Nervous because of Francis. Scared because I got sucked into that pipe. Happy, because you promised everything was gonna be okay. And through all of it, all I kept coming back to was the love. That I felt every second we were separated, and then double that when you saved me. It's like those two days I was forced into the shadows, and you brought me back out into the daylight. That's actually why I'm here. I have to do something."

"Weegee, you don't--"

"Yes I do." Luigi stops him, pulling out what turns out to be a bag of coins. "Most of the money I made for the cup went to Peach and the kingdom, like I promised it would, but I managed to scrape some off the top and bring it here."

He hands the bag to Mario, who reluctantly takes and opens it, gasping when he realizes, "Lu, there's like 3,000 coins in here!"

"I want you to have it."

"No." Mario shakes his head and tries to make Luigi take it back, but his stubborn little brother won't, "Yes. You and I both know you drained your whole savings just to help me with today, and now I'm paying you back. Take it."

"Weegee--"

"You don't get to 'Weegee' me unless it's to say, 'Weegee, thank you'." Luigi crosses his arms, but instead of budging, Mario puts the bag to the side and says, "Forget the coins. I wanna pick up where we left off the night of Mimi's wedding. After we..."

"Hugged." Luigi finishes.

"I asked what you remembering everything meant for you, and your life."

"You said you couldn't protect me this time."

"And then you said my name, then you." Mario's eyes go soft. "You what, Weegee? What were you about to tell me?"

Luigi looks off to the side as Mario keeps talking, "Now that you remember everything, does that mean you're rethinking your life without me?"

Luigi sighs, then looks right at Mario. "All of this is still so...new. I don't know if I can answer that yet. I was barely able to tell Mimi that I remembered everything when her fiancé was still in the hospital."

"I get things are still a little crazy." Mario nods. "But you need to know something."

"No, Mario--"

"I was going to leave the Mushroom Kingdom." Mario says in a rush, making Luigi gasp. "The little brother I'd known my entire life was as good as dead, and it felt like the bond, our bond that's always connected us, was breaking. I love my life and all the friends I've made here, but knowing you were here too and wanted nothing to do with me, I just couldn't."