Super Mario Bros. : The Missing Ones

1~ The dawn of a new adventure

After a long day of work at Princess Peach's castle, the Mario brothers were finally able to go back home and rest.

"And another day of work completed!" Mario exclaimed before stretching out, the bones in his back cracking a bit as he rolled his shoulders and raised his arms.

"We did a great job, didn't we?" Luigi asked with a light smile, the toolbox hanging on his right side. He wiped away the few beads of sweat rolling down his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Like always, Lu! Didn't you see how delighted Peach was to see her new fountain?" He nudged his little brother affectionately.

"Heheh, you're right! I'm glad that she likes it!" Luigi chuckled.

Their light-hearted conversation continued until they arrived home. They both wiped their feet on the "Home Sweet Home" doormat before coming in. Once inside, they changed their work shoes for their slippers, comfier and softer. Mario headed towards the fireplace in the living room to light a fire while Luigi stepped into the kitchen to make a nice dinner.

"What would you like to eat tonight, bro? The usual?" Luigi asked, turning his head towards his brother.

"The usual," Mario repeated while putting logs and twigs inside the fireplace.

"Okay, no problem!"

Luigi put his green "Kiss the Cook" apron on. Princess Peach had given him this apron as a gift for his birthday. He absolutely loved it; it was simple, yet comfortable, and the princess had even embroidered a plate of spaghetti on the small front pocket.

He filled a saucepan with tap water and put it on the burner in order to gently boil the water. In the meantime, he started to make the bolognese sauce with fresh tomatoes and some good minced meat.

After lighting a small fire to warm up the room, Mario headed for the stereo and turned it on before placing a CD inside. As soon as he pressed the button, jazz music began playing. Cheerfully, the two brothers sang along the melody that was now filling the living room.

"Need some help?" Mario asked his brother as he joined him in the kitchen.

"No it's fine, I'm managing, thanks a lot. You can go get some rest, you definitely deserve it," his brother answered calmly with a smile.

Mario nodded before going back to the living room and sitting down in his comfortable armchair. He watched his little brother cook for the both of them, and he had a smile on his face. Luigi had always been an amazing cook and Mario was so proud of him for that, he never was a great cook himself.

Luigi soon finished making dinner. He added one last touch: a thin layer of parmesan cheese and parsley, before grabbing both plates of spaghetti bolognese with a couple of forks and knives and walking towards the living room, being extra careful not to spill anything.

"Here you go." Luigi handed out a plate to his brother before sitting down in his armchair.

"Thank you so much, Lu!" Mario smiled widely.

The two brothers peacefully ate dinner, the jazz music in the background made the atmosphere so calm and relaxing. They both loved evenings like this, where every bad thoughts and stressful moments of their day seemed to vanish. Plus, the food was always delicious.

After finishing dinner, they decided to go to sleep. They wished each other good night before going into their own bedroom, changing their clothes for pajamas and laying down on their bed. They both dozed off in a fraction of second.

★

The next day, each brother had a specific schedule. After grabbing breakfast together, they both opened their address book to find out when and where they were supposed to be heading.