#brothership great conductor

[mysteryman-17]

THAT'S RIGHT BITCHES, I'M BACK WITH A VENGEANCE >:D My first new AU concept in three-and-a-half years, and it's my longest one by a country mile! This started as @art-tea-chill and I discussing how undercooked Adaphne (and thus her route) is in Brothership, and things spiraled delightfully out of control from there. Was a ton of fun working with her on this variation of the AU, and I hope y'all enjoy!! :3 P.S. Keep an eye on Ari's AO3 page. At some point, there's going to be some *Add-Ons* to this duology of AUs. >;)

Also HOLY SHIT HUGE THANKS GOES TO @yoyosdoodles FOR THE AWESOME CONCEPT SKETCHES I LINK IN THIS WRITE-UP, THEY DID A FANTASTIC JOB BRINGING CERTAIN CONCEPTS TO LIFE AAAAAGH!!!

[c-lavanda]

“Sometimes it’s good to be alone, but still… being connected to someone else means you can do things you can't do alone.”

[sludge-wizard]

[pianokantzart]

Y'know, it's kinda funny how fans looked at Zokket with his red and green wires and wire cutter design and were like, "Oh crap, what if he forces the brothers to fight each other?!" And then it's like Zokket went, "What a great idea, I'll do just that." But then the uncontrolled bro manages to knock the controlled bro back to his senses with just a single counterattack, and Zokket's just...

Zokket: I will be controlling your brother now that he has been properly glohmed Mario/Luigi (unglohming themselves): Nuh uh

Zokket: ...The fuck you mean "nuh uh"?

[technikki]

i think these two should try to blow each other up looney tunes style

[peanut-tyrug]

CAUTION: This post contains spoilers from Mario and Luigi: Brothership. If you haven’t beaten the game yet, don’t read beyond the cut

—

I feel like not enough people have talked about the symbolism and themes within Brothership

I noticed it as I played. It unfurled before me… and I couldn’t help but be absolutely impressed by it. This is by far the most in depth M&L story I’ve ever seen

I would also like to mention that this is based on my own personal interpretations/opnions

~~~

— Theming and Symbolism in Characters and the World —

Most M&L games have a theme to the world we visit, this is most noticeable in Superstar Saga and Dream Team. Superstar Saga’s theme is humor and laughter, while Dream Team’s is sleep.

Both games have their own original species to match with these themes. The Beanish and Pi’illos. There’s not much to it other than that. There isn’t any reason for why these peoples were chosen, outside of theming

Brothership feels the same way for a time. It doesn’t seem like there’s a reason for why the Concordians are all cords or outlets outside of theming… but there’s more to it

Late into the story, Bonds become more prevalent in the plot. Yes, it’s a pun, but it’s also symbolic. Bonds refer to relationships between characters, Mario and Luigi included. Connections (also a pun) are part of this symbolism as well

Connections and Bonds are generally the same thing. And they both add a symbolic reason as to why the people behind Brothership chose for the Concordians to be plugs or outlets or cords

Not only is it theming, it’s also symbolism

~~~

— The Power of Friendship, but cooler —

“The Power of Friendship” is a trope that’s used a lot in shows, generally being used for younger audiences. The trope has been clowned on due to how corny it can be

I will not deny that Brothership is in the same boat… but what makes it feel unique is that the “power of friendship” trope, in this game’s instance, has symbolism

As mentioned before, Bonds are symbolic of relationships between characters. This makes the story feel nowhere near as corny or cheesy (Imo) as it would if it *didn’t* have this symbolism

~~~

— In-depth characters… the Bros. included —

Most M&L games don’t go too far in depth with their characters. Not that they always need to… but character depth is always welcome

Brothership goes far beyond what any game in the series has done, and gives most of the main cast some level of depth. They were given more to enhance their characters, and make them more interesting

This also goes back to Bonds, which also allow for more interesting characters. Willma and her family, Chilliam and Burnadette, Connie and Cozette, Junior and Buddy, and the IDLE Crew (plus Peach and Starlow) are all notable examples… and so are the Bros

M&L’s whole gimmick is fixating on the Bros. and their brotherly bond. It isn’t just the original characters that are tied into the story by Bonds, it’s also Mario and Luigi. Part of the whole plot is their powerful bond, and how easily they are able connect other Bonds

~~~

— An Unexpected, yet welcome, Turn of Events —

This isn’t necessarily a theme, but something I thought was really cool and eye-opening

Something that I didn’t expect to do was visit the Extension Corps when gathering Bonds… because why would you? Why would you go back to the people who wanted you gone and ask for their Bond Power? Why would the plot have you do that?

The Great Conductor says that Bonds don’t just come from good people… he’s right. It’s not just good guys who have bonds. It was a point in the story I didn’t expect at all, but gladly welcomed. It’s honestly very profound and bold to me

When we go back to the Extension Corps, we see them grow as characters. After the Bros. walloped them, they went back to Slippenglide and reformed, being tired of doing evil

Never did I expect them to have any ounce of depth…. But they do, and it’s great :)

~~~

— A Combo of Nature and Tech —

This is more on the smaller side, but I thought it was cool

Brothership combines tech (plugs, outlets) with nature (plants, trees), two things that don’t necessarily go together, but makes them compatible. They aren’t always used in positive ways either

Connie and Cozette utilize nature in a positive and healthy way, protecting and caring for the Uni-Tree, while Reclusa does the opposite

Reclusa summons the flowers that stick onto people’s heads and creates their own isolated paradise. He creates the Soli-Tree. I may be over analyzing this, but I like to think this ties into real life, in a way

Nature, or specifically plant growth, can be both positive and negative. Not all plants are good for organic life, some are harmful or deadly, much like the Doom Blooms or Weeping Reclusa

—

This isn’t really too organized, but I just really wanted to discuss all of this and get it out of my head

Thank you for coming to my silly Ted-Talk :)

[studio-kurami-rumi]

Sketches of character humonizations!

[rainbogen]

"You'd do all this just to make your pet egg happy? Don't you have any better hobbies? Like knitting, cooking, or watching paint dry?"

You know, it's a good thing that Connie wasn't the one who found Reclusa's egg, otherwise Concordia would have been really doomed.

This poor girl 😟😥😢

The Great Conductor: "I can smell the electricity in your brain!"

First the ability to open dream portals and now Luigi Logic?

Dang, Luigi's unique energy wavelength gets him all the fun stuf!

(But then again, he can't touch a magic book without putting its inhabitants at risk of universal annihilation, so I guess it evens out.)

[luigixfanxayjay]

i finally did it.

after almost 60 entire hours of gameplay... and numerous mental breakdowns...

i completed brothership. and BOY do i have far too many thoughts.

some thoughts and game review in tags (SPOILER WARNING AHEAD)

[jelly-fish-wishes]

Finished the game…and I have SO MANY THOUGHTS!!!!

Spoilers below!

Gameplay was standard for an RPG. Bros moves new and old were great! But there were other features that were great, like the second camera in the Fake Mushroom Kingdom! That was an amazing mechanic that was unfortunately used for that one moment. Luigi selecting with the A button is still a thing that bothers me, but it doesn’t affect the game and story, so it gets a pass. Exploration was fun! Everything felt balanced to me and the story was PHENOMENAL! Now for the story…

The game WAS DEFINITELY a little slow at first, but it took its time to give us a little world building before we got to the REALLY good parts starting with Desolatt Island and the introduction of Zokket.

Boy was HE a real menace. Intimidating. We didn’t know his motives until the end of the second ACT. And by then, his motives were beginning to reveal themselves to be strange. What was the point of secluding everyone? Being purposefully forgetful of the names of his allies and enemies?

The Extension Corps were not just likable. They were LOVEABLE!!! Ten with his “similar to Fawful’s arc, but not quite” complex, Ecks being the little twat that he is, and Shun being the silent, but smart and brawny one, uuughhh they’re all great. And their battle was definitely one of the most memorable of them all!

Team IDLE was adorable. At first I thought they’d be trouble makers, but they were quite the opposite. I kinda wish they’d stop with the obesity jokes with Ellow. And Loog was…just there ngl. Their bond with Peach was great tho!

Starlow.

I’m kidding, she was mostly there for cameos and references to other games, other than that she had no reason to be there. It would have been wrong to not include her anyway. She was an important character in the previous games, so her absence would have caused an uproar the way people wondered why Toadsworth was gone after a certain point in the entire franchise.

I can see how they really wanted to bring back the Firebrand and Thunderhand, but couldn’t for some reason, so they replaced them with the Firebrand and Ice Flowers. And PERHAPS the Thunderhand was ALSO replaced with Luigi’s Bros Attack “Zapperator.” I wonder why they couldn’t bring it back. If they did, would Heatfreeze, Skorcheen and Slippenglide have had Fire and Thunder Concordians instead? I get excited thinking about it.

Bowser coming in to kickstart the 3rd ACT was EXCELLENT! The action, the cinematography, the way Bowser changed targets the minute he saw the Bros. This koopa was a major inconvenience in a good way. Besides, if it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t have found the Great Conductor, who I assume is the one who can technically go in and out of the Warp Zone AT WILL without a pipe! His attack in the Bros Attack says a lot about his abilities hehehe.

The reveal of Zokket as Cozette came as a surprise to me since Zokket calls himself a HE while Cozette is a SHE. Bro got so brainwashed that she forgot her own pronouns (this isn’t my joke, but it’s still true). Cozette showing remorse over actions beyond control made me attached to her. And then we are introduced to the one and lonely only: RECLUSA. OH BOY DO I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ON TUIS BASTARD.

Reclusa, Reclusa…where do I even BEGIN???

He is the MOST SUCCESSFUL Villain in the franchise. He has destroyed countless of worlds and plans to keep going. He got a reaction out of Mario because he not only threatened the Mushroom Kingdom, but the entire world it’s on. The last time I saw Mario react in such an emotional manner was when had to leave Luigi behind with Dimentio in Super Paper Mario.

Speaking of SPM, can we talk about the similarities with it and Brothership? Villain is a guy in a tophat with three minions. Minions are beloved by everyone in the fandom. True villain is a zesty frilly bastard who disposes the one in a tophat and uses plants to control people and becomes a giant freak monster boss in the end and dies by the hands of love and friendship??????? History repeats itself…and I’m happy about that.

But…the ending…holy cow…

Reclusa clinging to what life he had left in him felt very somber. He had no regrets and yet he seemed remorseful in the way he was stuttering. His death…kinda hurt a little…kind of a shame he is definitely a character we’ll never see again like Dimentio or Fawful.

I was also expecting Cozette to purposely stay behind because of the guilt she had. Was it just me? No? Hmmm.

Also

I knew they were going to say goodbye but I suppose deep down I brushed off the idea that they’d never see each other again.

Ireen saying goodbye to Peach???

Or Snoutlet with the Bros…the widdle tear he shed…man……..

Like, man…Junior and Buddy…come on man…OOOUUUGHHH….that one hurt….

This game

Wow

10/10

[peaches2217]

It has been a hot minute since I rambled in your inbox, so here’s something I’m puzzling through regarding *that* scene in Brothership (obviously, spoilers)

The flowers seem to be trapping people in worlds of their own—isolated, alone. It’s established that they’re cut off from literally everyone. And yet, the Bros end up together in one?

This is either:

A screwup of the writing team (most likely, considering gameplay must remain consistent, but GOD I would hate it)

A screwup of Reclusa, knowing the Bros would feel incomplete without each other

Mario and Luigi are in fact, in separate worlds, going through their own trial to break out of the isolation, and while we see one Bro’s POV of it we don’t see the other (SUPREME angst possibility there), OR

Mario and Luigi’s bond is Just That Strong. So much so that, in the possibility of something that was supposed to break their bond, their minds still reached out to each other and made sure they would at least be together in their dream world

I think I like the third possibility best, but whatddya think?

JAAAAAAAAAAAAADE THESE ARE ALL SO GOOD

But! I’m personally Team 2. The flowers obviously are capable of reading a person’s memories/thoughts and creating a hyper-realistic idealized world for them. Given how powerful Mario and Luigi’s bond is, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine the flowers (and, by extension, Reclusa) would realize that they’d immediately start fighting back if they were given a fake version of their brother. After all, “the bros are able to tell each other apart from identical fakes” is something that’s established in their trial with the Great Conductor.

Reclusa himself goes into their dream to spy on them and adjust the scenario as he deems fit, so I think he knew exactly how risky that venture was, but clearly it wasn’t without merit. Both bros are perfectly willing to ignore how strange the whole situation is in favor of just relaxing and enjoying being back “home”. As long as they’re together, they’re at ease.

I’m personally of the belief that, even if Reclusa hadn’t gotten ham-fisted with trying to perfect their dream world and thus raise their suspicions, they would’ve eventually figured it out and fought back anyway. Apparition!Peach imploring them to stay as one final line of defense shows that the flowers/Reclusa know just how much she means to both bros, and it would only be a matter of time before they realized that their beloved Princess wasn’t quite herself. In a best-case scenario for Reclusa, the most he could’ve done was slow them down; even so, had he been more careful, he probably could have slowed them enough to where, by the time they broke free, they would’ve been too late to stop him anyway. Unfortunately (for him anyway), he saw it was possible to trick them, convinced himself he could keep them trapped permanently with enough fine-tuning, and his overconfidence leads to his downfall.

Which is to say, I don’t at all believe it was just an inconsistency with the writing. I think it was calculated and damn brilliant.

[mysteryman-17]

This track was a ton of fun to do! It admittedly started as a joke @flonbowe made on call while @art-tea-chill and I were discussing certain aspects of the Medusa Route AU, then I was like "...wait shit that would actually go so damn hard." Six days of production later, and this was the result!

Am incredibly happy with how this turned out, but I had to compress the audio a bit for it to fit here on Tumblr. Y'all should defo listen to it in full quality over on my SoundCloud!

In addition, I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and show some of @yoyosdoodles' wonderful concept art for the AU under the cut! They've really helped bring some core ideas to life, and done so incredibly. Really hope to collaborate with them again in the future, one way or another!

The first image is Yoyo's concept art for the two Heatfreeze guardians' true forms. They really emphasized their respective hot and cold traits, as well as their SHEER SIZE, wonderfully here. Also fun fact: in the base game, the Heatfreeze guardians straight up don't have names!! So for the Medusa Route AU, I gave them names myself. The ice one is named Great Cryonicist, and the fire one's Great Pyromaniac. Figured utilizing the same "Great" theming as Great Conductor would make sense, given all three are essentially gods.

The second image, which I also used for MEGALOVANIA's SC/Tumblr thumbnail (albeit cropped,) is Yoyo's depiction of the title screen's state after the Medusa Route's ending.

The third image actually has a bit of a story behind it as well! There's a thread for the Medusa Route AU on Corpcord, and a lot of us wound up throwing around and elaborating on ideas for merch related to the route. Yoyo wound up making that design you see based on our ramblings there!

[bowletta]

my thoughts on brothership!

(major spoilers edition!)

Please beat the game before reading

(click here for No spoilers version)

The first thing i need to address:

YOU.

the moment i saw him. It was all over. The collar, the dress, the spiked cloak...

- My God. I love reclusa. I love his little noises, his silly faces. I love it. We havent seen a twist final boss since pit (...ok techically bis too but. To a lesser degree). I love the angst between him and cozette. I wish he showed his true power more..? As cool as he is hes kind of underwhelming, especially compared to the lore tidbits we get on him. Too bad we will never see him again lol 💔

- the final boss fight itself was really underwhelming tbh. All this build up and I had him knocked out in like 10 turns without dying once. It doesnt help the music (while i like it!) doesnt stand up to the likes of the grand finale or even paper jam's final boss theme.

- I cannot believe there wasnt a single fawful cameo in the entire game. Like the fact cackletta fans ate So good yet there wasnt so much as a whisper of by far the most popular m&l character was.. baffling.

- reefs. As small as they were, i really liked the character choices. Zeekeeper and peasley were strange but incredibly based picks. Everyone got a little somethimg to eat, no matter what your favorite game is : )

what I dont understand about reefs is.. are they from mario and luigis world? Or were they natively in concordia prior? How do they know about peasley and the shroobs? Who made them? How? Why? The implications are all over the place.

-cozette. You poor thing. I love her. This kind of applies to the whole game but I wish they didnt just tell us the plot. Her reveal wouldve felt so much more significant if the great conductor didnt just spill the beans right before.

I forgot to mention it before but as much as I like snoutlet... he holds the players hand too much. Please. Let me figure out the puzzle myself. Let me connect the plot myself without you dumbing it down for my pea sized brain. Pleas.

- technikki and adaphne. I know the game heavily implies adaphnikki is endgame i just dont know how I feel about it... adaphne is just so mean to her for no reason. Even if they get along by the end, technikki shouldnt just lie down like a dog for her! She was so mean to her! And never even apologized! Idk im glad theres like 5 different ladies we can ship technikki with but this one is pushed so hard ingame..

- kind of a minor plothole but chilliam and burnadettes wedding. I thought it was really interesting how they portrayed the two as deeply in love, even if their own people refuse to accept it, but then the next cutscene later theyre all fine with it? Ok lol

Theres probably more I cant think of atm i just really wanted to talk about reclusa ❤️

[pianokantzart]

CAN I GET A HELL YEAH!!!

[auroraknux]

So you know how there are Dream Team enemies in Brothership, which somehow includes enemies that only appeared in the dream world before? And you know how the Great Conductor says something about Luigi's energy resonating with Concordia? I've been wondering for a while if these things are related somehow.

[peanut-tyrug]

Brothership Fanfic: Beyond the Mask

Only the one who bore Zokket’s mask knows the truth of what created such a being… all of what created him, and what brought upon the beginning of the end to Concordia.

~~~

WARNING: This contains MAJOR spoilers for Mario and Luigi: Brothership. If you haven’t beaten the game yet, I would suggest doing that first.

The characters and settings in this fic belong to Nintendo and Acquire Corp. I simply made this for fun.

It is my duty as a Wattanist to protect what makes this world whole. If not for me, our home, our Uni-Tree… it would all be put in jeopardy.

…But by my hands, the world has been split. So many Bonds have been broken… I simply cannot forgive myself…

…If only I didn’t stumble upon that egg…

I expected to be looking after the Great Lighthouses that afternoon. I was close to complete, over half way through my work that day, before I would head back to the Uni-Tree… but then I had stumbled upon it…

I hadn’t seen anything like it. An egg of some kind. A dark and foreboding aura emanated from it, making me feel as if I should turn back… but I didn’t.

I suddenly felt as if it was pulling me toward it, no matter how much I wished to move away. I tried to force my body back, but I kept moving forward, almost reaching my hand out toward the egg.

“Hehehehee!!” I heard the egg laugh cheekily. “Come on! Come here! You know you want to!”

Despite my meager attempts to resist this pull, I was just inches away from the egg… and I had suddenly blacked out.

I lost awareness for only but a moment… before suddenly regaining my consciousness. Everything around me was shaded in a deep red. I looked down at my trembling hands, dazed and confused.

…I tried to process what had happened to me… but I almost couldn’t remember, as if those memories were being forcefully plucked out from my mind and placed somewhere else… some place I could never recover them.

As these memories left me… I heard a voice call to me. Speak to me…

“Solitude is Sublime…” The voice said.

Solitude is Sublime…

Solitude is Sublime…

Solitude is Sublime…

Over and over, this phrase repeated like a broken record. As I heard it echo and bounce off the walls of my consciousness, I lost all focus.

I was hypnotized. Lost in a trance I could never escape from. The more I heard that damned phrase… the more prominent he became in my mind.

…The more I lost myself…

“FWA-HA-HA-HA!!!” He cackled. “…So easy to control… my favorite kind of toy! …What could I possibly name you? Cozette is too… friendly…”

This beast of a God spat out names that I could barely process in my hypnotized state. I could hear all of what he said about me as his new doll… but I simply couldn’t process it all.

“Ahh… I know!” Said the Beast with a small yet menacing chuckle. “…Zokket… Zokket!”

At that name, my head swung upward, as if hearing something call to me from the heavens… and before my eyes, he appeared…

…Reclusa…

The true embodiment of solitude, just about as old as the revered Great Conductor… and the Conductor’s complete opposite.

Reclusa wants nothing more than to have Concordia forever remain in complete solitude… and he will do anything to achieve such a world.

No matter what it may do to others.

Reclusa then spoke to me, his large smile and big eyes glaring down upon me… his tone stern and certain of what he wanted to do with me.

“Solitude is Sublime, my friend!” He said. “…Spread that message ALL through Concordia! Tear them all apart, and free me from my prison!”

He then disappeared just as quickly as a mask appeared before my dazed eyes. In my hypnotized state, I couldn’t help but listen to this God… and placed the mask upon my face.

A new set of clothes covered my Wattanist uniform… a cloak covered my body and a large top hat perched itself onto my head… by this point, Cozette was entirely gone.

No longer was I a protector of Concordia and the Bonds that lay under the Uni-Tree… I hated Bonds. I despised togetherness… all of what Reclusa would want in a puppet of his.

…I was Zokket…

—

The egg… it continues to speak to me.

It preaches more of its virtues unto my mind, as if it were a pastor. An entity I can’t help but be utterly enthralled by… his plans are immaculate.

Bring Concordia into a never ending state of solitude. There are no Bonds, no connections. Everyone is alone, and in their own little world… none of it is real.

A simulation made to separate them from what they don’t need. No one needs Bonds to live a good life. We don’t need friends or family.

“Why have connections, when you can live in peace all by yourself?” The egg would ask me. “In your own world, in the exact way you want it… isn’t that fun?”

I couldn’t understand why I had never pondered it before… but I cared not. All I cared about was listening to his virtues. And wishing to bring upon the world he wanted.

I will break this world, piece by piece, Bond by Bond… until the world is finally ready for his unveiling.

It is all Reclusa’s will.

The rebirth of Reclusa is imminent. Nothing stands in my way.

~~~

…Every person carries Glohm with them. Only a little. But if the Glohm is emphasized and made part of your entire psyche… it becomes extremely difficult to control, and makes one destructive… like I had become, due to Reclusa’s meddling.

Reclusa may have controlled me through converting my Glohm into energy… but all of my actions were still my doing. Despite Cozette being completely absent from my conscious at that time… even after Reclusa lost his control over me, I still recalled everything that I did.

I broke the continent. I destroyed the Uni-Tree. I brought upon the spread of Glohm. I broke so many Bonds… I caused people who aren’t even from Concordia to enter a world never seen by them… I put everyone in danger… I put her in danger…

…When I had first arrived on Shipshape, I had seen her… my student…

Connie…

Even if I was glad to see her, on the verge of crying tears of happiness and relief… I couldn’t help but want to sob out of horrible guilt.

Connie is but a child… so young, and I put her through all this trouble, this mental turmoil. My heart felt broken beyond repair. As she ran up to me, crying hard… I felt so glad, and yet so awful…

I soon collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, both mental and physical. I don’t know what happened after that… maybe not what happened on Shipshape, but in my mind.

…I know all too well…

I had fallen into an intensely deep sleep… I wasn’t certain if I’d wake up. At one point, however, I thought I had.

I truly thought I did.

I was met with a crowd of my people standing around me, all of their berating and bashing they directed towards me slamming into my ears and crashing onto my heart and mind like a pile of bricks.

“You’re a terrible excuse of a Wattanist!”

“How will we ever rebuild!? …It’s all because of you!”

Their words hurt me, and cut into me deep, deep into my very soul… but the one that hurt the most…

The berating suddenly stopped and was replaced with a soft whimper. I looked outward, and the crowd was gone… only she stood there.

“…Ms. Cozette…” Said Connie. “Why did you do it…?”

Connie’s face was covered in tears. She looked immensely tired and worn out. Her eyes appeared puffy, as if she had been crying for a prolonged period of time.

I could only blankly stare back at her, completely shaken… but felt as if I shouldn’t have been surprised.

I did this. I did this to her…

I deserved it.

“…Why did you do it…?” Connie asked again, a soft whimper escaping her.

I simply had no response. I didn’t know how to… and then she suddenly faded away, just like the crowd. I was completely alone.

I felt like I wanted to cry. Wallow in my own grief… before I had woken up…

~~~

“…Ngh…” I suddenly grunted awake.

“Ms. Cozette!” Connie exclaimed as I awoke.

I had awoken upon a small bed, confused and groggy. I had forgotten what had happened before collapsing for a moment… it all felt like a blur.

I turned my head slightly, and saw Connie looking up at me… along with the Mario Bros… a pair I once despised. Each of them appeared genuinely concerned for me.

“…Connie?” I asked, groggy. “Where… where am I?”

As I woke, I slowly remembered… I was on Shipshape. And I had reunited with my student.

…Whom I couldn’t help but feel hated me, in some way.

I then looked up… and my worries from my nightmare had temporarily withered away. What laid above me… I couldn’t be more proud of Connie.

“Oh! Look at this tree…” I said in awe. “It’s a Uni-Tree… Connie, you’ve done a wonderful job with it.”

I then began to speak of the Uni-Tree’s light and guidance as they traversed Concordia’s seas… I couldn’t be more grateful for the Mario Bros., or more proud of Connie.

…But this didn’t last long.

I was quickly reminded of what I caused while under Reclusa’s influence. I couldn’t help but lament over them and admit to what I did… Connie seemed to feel deeply sorry for me.

My mind simply couldn’t accept it.

As I relented and begin to spill Reclusa’s plan, the Mario Bros. were suddenly pulled away by another member of Shipshape’s crew… a young sailor boy… another young one I forced trouble on to.

The boy begged the brothers to come with him and he urgently began to explain the trouble… before an odd flower erupted from the ground behind him and latched itself onto the boy’s head like a leech.

The plant then lifted the boy off the ground, keeping him suspended in the air. The young navigator became unresponsive for a moment… before a gleeful set of digitized eyes appeared on the flower, and the boy began to speak.

He began to speak of his father, and wanting to learn about Ocean Maps… my stomach twisted as I heard the boy speak of something that wasn’t actually there.

I did this… I caused this…

Other flowers then began to sprout around Shipshape, clamping upon the heads of innocents all around the island ship. Making them all see things that weren’t real.

'An immersive experience where there’s nothing but fun!' Reclusa had called it.

I watched all that transpired, the Mario Bros. and their little piggy companion trying to understand what is happening. Connie and the other innocents on the ship panicking…

I couldn’t help but imagine where else these flowers were appearing, who else had they affected… so many Bonds were in jeopardy, and it was all because of me…

As I continued to relent in the horror around me, I heard a horribly familiar cackle above Shipshape…

“Oh, this is just delightful! Isn’t being bound to others such a pain?” Reclusa bellows, his voice endlessly echoing into the sky. “It’s better living in your own world and doing what you like all alone!”

He then began to ramble on about solitude, and how much better it is to be isolated from everyone else… one can only wonder why he’d want such a thing…

It’s all to watch the world burn.

He loves to watch worlds fall apart. He loves seeing people cluelessly die at his hands… all he is, and ever will be, is a sick and twisted individual. A truly malevolent being.

…As if I was much different… as Zokket…

“Ohhh, I just had an idea!” Reclusa blurts out. “The Mushroom Kingdom sounds like a fun world! Perhaps I’ll pay it a visit!”

I heard the Mario Bros. immediately become defensive, especially the older brother, Mario. I could easily tell they both deeply detested the idea of their home being taken over… and its people left to wither away.

He then went on to speaking of the tree that had replaced Fortress Zokket and now stood as the Center of Concordia… there was a barrier around it, no way of getting in.

Reclusa then disappeared in a flash, the sound of voice echoing out once again, followed by the eerie sound of static.

~~~

“So, then…” I began as the four spoke what we all witnessed. “Reclusa’s wasting no time…”

“We worked so hard to link all the islands!” Said Connie, a deep sorrow coating her voice.

My heart twisted at Connie’s sadness… this feeling worsened as she eventually questioned how Mario and Luigi were going to get past the barrier. None of them knew how…

Until I spoke.

“…The Power of Bonds…” I said, prompting the four before my bed to turn their heads toward me.

“What?” Connie questioned.

“If we envelope ourselves with the Power of Bonds… we can punch through the barrier.” I said weakly. I then turned to face the watering can that sat beside my bed. “That… watering can…”

Connie turned to the can, appearing uncertain. “What… your Bonding Can?”

“Connie… give me your hand.” I said, holding out my hand towards Connie.

Connie looked confused, but still grabbed onto my hand. I looked at her as genuinely as I could, sure of my words and what they meant.

“The Power of Bonds is the strength to resist isolation.” I say with a firm tone, despite my tiredness. “We will fill this can with it.”

“My Bond with my Ms. Cozette…” Connie said softly.

After a few moments, a bright light circles around my dear student and I, representing the pure and true Bond we shared.

Connie wasn’t just a student to me. She was the daughter I never knew I had… or needed. She has always found ways to impress me, and I could never be more proud of her.

…But… in the recesses of my mind, I couldn’t help but feel that she must’ve still been disappointed in me…

I tried not to let this feeling consume me as the Bond energy entered my Bonding Can and filled the small section at the center of the can’s pattern with its energy.

I then explained to the heroes and Connie that once the pattern is full, they should have enough Bond Power to reach Reclusa. They all understood and began to speak of who else they could go to for Bond Power… before another islander upon Shipshape stepped in.

He spoke of a Prince and Princess… Princess Burnadette of Skorcheen, and Prince Chilliam of Slippenglide. They were trying to save innocents from the flowers.

After the news had been relayed to them, the Mario Bros. and their little companion set off to their homelands to find them.

…As they all left, I had begun to fall back asleep. I could tell Connie was still at my side, looking up at me from where she stood.

“…Please get better, Ms. Cozette…” Connie said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

—

…Why did you do it…?

…Why did you do it…?

…Why did you do it…?

Each time I heard her say it… I just wanted it to stop.

I couldn’t take hearing her ask that question any longer… and yet, I told myself I deserved it. That I should just take it as it was.

I deserved it.

I then suddenly awoke, quickly rising slightly in my bed. I slowly laid my head back down and sighed… this guilt, this grief… I couldn’t take it anymore.

I turned my head slightly to look at the group of people at the center of Shipshape… the Mario Bros. and their friend had done a lot while I rested.

They had spoke of being almost done gathering Bonds… I was relieved. This nightmare could be put behind us.

…But that relief quickly disappeared… for I felt as if I was watching someone else do my work for me. These heroes, whom I had never truly had the opportunity to meet, were fixing the problems I had started.

It shouldn’t be them to fix this… it should be me.

I need to atone for what I did. I can’t stand idly by, laying in bed, as this world falls apart because of the continent I broke and the Bonds I severed.

The Bonds that all of them worked so hard to bring back together…

I just couldn’t do that to them… I can’t let them be severed again…

But before that… I wanted to see it again. What I used to tend to so carefully…

I was somewhat doubtful that I’d ever see it again.

I proceeded to turn to my side, grunting a little. I realized I was still injured… but I couldn’t rest. Not anymore. I turned further, allowing my feet to settle on the ground.

I leaped from the bed, prompting my feet to smack against the grass. I winced, but still tried to prop myself up and balance. I took a deep breath, and headed for the big cannon at Shipshape’s edge.

It was the only way to get to the Great Lighthouses. On the way up the hill to the cannon; I looked out beyond Shipshape, and spotted the deep violet sea of Gulchrock. One of the Bonds they needed was near here, I would imagine.

I could get where I needed to be without much hassle… thank goodness. No one would know… except, possibly Connie.

I didn’t care as long as I could get where I needed to be.

I headed to the cannon, and locked eyes with the Gulchrock Sea Great Lighthouse through the its spyglass. The cannon then suddenly propelled me backward and shoved me inside it… is this what the brothers felt like every time they used this cannon?

I was compacted tightly inside the cannon, there was absolutely no room to move. I was then shot out of the cannon just as quickly as I was shoved inside. I propelled through the air, barely able to process what had happened.

The Gulchrock Lighthouse was approaching my sight at tremendous speeds. I wanted to try and land safely, but I didn’t.

I landed on the ground with a hard and mighty thud. I bounced and rolled as I came to a stop just before the stairs that led up to the Lighthouse’s entrance. I was surprised that I was still conscious.

After I attempted a few calming breaths, I slowly rose to my feet. My landing didn’t help the discomfort I was already in before. I almost fell back down to floor, grabbing my arm. Despite my pain, I trudged forward.

I slowly stumbled up the stairs, being careful not to lose my balance. I approached the Lighthouse’s entrance, and went inside.

…Nothing but a cold wind met with me. Before now, this Lighthouse was so noisy, bustling with workers gathering Glohm, and Zok Troops patrolling around… and before that, the Lighthouse was a serene, calming place to be.

Only now, with Reclusa’s World on the horizon, everything here felt… dead. As if every ounce of Connectar that flowed through it had been drained.

…I wonder who did that…

I stepped on the elevator, and began to lift upstairs. Up to the Top Floor of the Lighthouse. The higher I went, the more cold and dead the Lighthouse felt.

As I reached the top, I recalled how it used to be checking on the Lighthouses… a warm breeze gently blew with the scent of sea salt. But here…

There was nothing.

Just as much nothing as there was downstairs.

I felt a chill go down my spine as I walked off the elevator. I felt as if I was standing in Slippenglide, it was so cold… the rain didn’t assist in the temperature either. I stepped to the Lighthouse’s bloom, and it too felt extremely cold, even without touching it.

The dark red sky didn’t help either. It only emphasized my feelings in the moment.

Guilt.

I had tended to this Lighthouse, and all the others, before I had become Zokket… my heart sunk as I stared upon my failure…

Being here only reminded me of what I had become, and what it made me feel… and what it made me understand.

I had to fix this mess myself.

I almost didn’t care if I died trying…

As I stood in solitude, I heard someone speak from behind me. I jumped, and turned back… only to see a familiar red and green pair.

“Mario, Luigi— why are you here?” I asked, perplexed.

Mario then explains their presence to me…

…Oh…

“Ah, Connie. Of course.” I said, not too surprised. I took a deep breath before diving further into my purpose here, feeling they wanted to know. “…This is where it happened. Where I… became Zokket.”

I left out no detail. I spilled everything to the brothers. All of my guilt. All of my shame. No stone was left unturned.

I told them what I wanted to do… how I would atone…

“I’m going to face Reclusa.” I said, knowing what I must do.

Immediately after I finished my words, the brothers tried to suggest they come with me… but…

“…And you cannot come with me.” I said. “I don’t know if Reclusa still has some control over me. But if my presence can make a difference… if I can weaken Reclusa, it will be worth it.”

I then turned up to face the Lighthouse, the Bros. doing the same shortly after me… I simply couldn’t emphasize how much I had once enjoyed tending to it.

…But that doesn’t mean I didn’t fail to treat it, and be there to take care of it. I simply felt too ashamed to not bring it up. To further remind myself of my mistakes…

“…Take care of the Uni-Tree for me. And make sure the Great Lighthouses light every part of this world.” I said, my tone bitter. “You’ll have to be the Wattanist in my place.”

…After all, why not? The brothers and their friend did much more than I did.

They didn’t fail, like I did… why should I even call myself a Wattanist anymore?

I further lamented on my grief… I simply couldn’t help it anymore. I was simply rambling now… but in the mist of my self-grievances… a light shone through.

“…Concordia was separated, but even then, the islands WANTED to be together again. Through the work of Connie and the island residents…” I said, grateful for what they had done. “…And also that tree…”

Despite everything, the Bonds of not just the islands, but others both within and outside of Concordia brought everyone and everything together.

I couldn’t let that go to waste again.

“I’m going to put an end to all this…” I said, certain of what my fate was.

The brothers then tried to talk me out of it… saying it was a suicide mission to go alone…

“Please don’t say anything to Connie about this. I don’t want to make her worry unnecessarily.” I said… almost upset to not want Connie to know the truth, or where I was, or what I was going to do.

I had put enough stress on her already.

I immediately walked away, wanting to head back downstairs and get away from the brothers, who tried to follow me down. After a few steps, they stopped, leaving me alone.

…I was glad. I didn’t want them to go with me. This job is mine, and mine alone… although, I began to wonder…

There was no way to get into Reclusa’s fortress without Bond Power… if the brothers had stopped their search for Bonds to find me, which I presume they must’ve… then the barrier wouldn’t have been broken yet.

As I pondered this thought and headed back down to the bottom floor… I heard a cackle echo through the wind. A sound that seemed to be meant for my ears alone.

“FWA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!” I heard Reclusa cackle from seemingly nowhere. “You want to face me so bad? Why don’t I just bring you to my keep myself?”

I was then suddenly encased in a dark red orb… the same ball of Glohm I used to get around as Zokket. I feared that Reclusa may still have control over me… that this was my doing.

…That I was becoming him again…

But the orb quickly disappeared… and I was met with an awful, gut wrenching sight.

Reclusa had morphed Fortress Zokket into his own, more twisted iteration. Living plants exhaling Glohm gas lined the area I stood in. The gas made me nauseous, despite how far away from it I seemed to be.

“Welcome to the Soli-Tree!” Reclusa announces. “I hope you enjoy your stay! Since you’ll be here for a looooooong time!”

…He hadn’t changed at all. Still a sick, twisted creature. A creature bent on bringing civilizations to ruin through genocide… all for a good laugh.

“Awwww, don’t be so bitter!” Said Reclusa in a nonchalant and playful tone. “You get to take me down! I’ll go easy on you!”

He could read my mind, I was now certain. He knew how disgusted I was by him. How appalled I was at how he acted… it made me want to face him more.

I wanted to enter… but I stopped in my tracks for a moment.

“…Awwwwww, don’t tell me you’re scared, Cozzy!” Said Reclusa. “I didn’t bring you all the way here just so that you could stand there! Come on in!”

He was right …I was afraid.

A part of me hesitated to go inside… something in me made me stop… but I knew I couldn’t just leave. This was my duty. I had to fulfill it. No matter what Reclusa would do to toy with me.

The entrance to Soli-Tree swung open, allowing myself entrance into Reclusa’s fortress. I took a deep breath, and ran inside, swallowing my fears.

“…I’ll be waiting… FWA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!” Reclusa said coldly.

—

I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.

It isn’t the hardest task to get through the Soli-Tree. Its layout still remains the same as Fortress Zokket… I hate that I remember the layout of this place…

That’s not why I feel my sanity slipping, however… I don’t know where, but there are speakers lodged in the walls of the Soli-Tree. Distorted circus music plays from these speakers, droning in and out of tune.

The sound would drive one mad… it’s already doing so to me. I just want to find Reclusa, wherever he’s hiding, and face him.

Another odd thing I had noticed was that there weren’t of any his henchmen around… or what used to be mine. The halls were barren of troops, only flowers and vines that lined the walls and floor.

After walking slightly further, a peculiar room had come upon me. A circular room with several doors branching into other rooms. In the middle of it all were keys, all locked into their positions in the floor… and an elevator.

I gasped at the sight of the elevator. I rushed to it, and stood upon it. After taking my stop upon the mechanic mover, it started to descend.

The demented music was replaced with eerie silence… it’s better than the music, at least.

The elevator clattered to the floor with a loud and mechanical bang. After it stopped, I took in the area in front of me… it was a long hallway that lead to an exit at its far end. That’s all it was, with a few circular platforms wedged in.

I stepped forward into the hallway, and stopped at a platform. The more I looked at it, the more it resembled an arena of sorts. It made my stomach turn a bit.

“…Reclusa?” I called. “Reclusa!!”

“What!? What is it!? …Oh, forgive me for the cold entrance, Cozzy!” Said Reclusa as a hologram, still trying to be playful. “My troops have kept calling me for things all day… it gets annoying.”

“Stop with your games!” I exclaimed, finally through with his antics. “You brought me here to face you, as such is my motive!”

Reclusa goes quiet for a second, before a small giggle escapes him. “…Ah, if you want to play like that… let’s play! FWA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!” His hologram then disappeared, his laugh bouncing off the walls.

Then, out of the blue, a humongous fleet of Reclusa’s minions and Zok Troops fall from the sky above… it was huge, it seemed infinite…

…There was no way… but I can’t leave…

Before I could ever try to throw any kind of hit, I am immediately hit by an enemy up front, a small hovering television screen…?

I am given no chance to attack from there… I keep getting hit. Whether it was my metal piercing my skin, rings of electricity shocking and bruising me… I couldn’t do a thing. They wouldn’t stop.

After a long while, the minions eventually stopped and retreated to the sky… leaving me barely conscious. I felt like I could barely breathe. My skin burned and ears rang. I was motionless as I saw the real, true Reclusa finally descend above me.

“…R-Reclusa…” I stammered. “…Coward…” I tried to say before a rough cough left me.

A sickening chortle escaped Reclusa’s televised teeth as he looked down upon me. “Awwww, look at you. You look like a sick dog!” He snaps. “…And you haven’t even seen the worst of your pummeling!”

He then raised up an arm, and in his palm, a fire ball appeared. He thrusted it down to the ground, and I had no time to escape it. There was no part of my body that wasn’t temporarily engulfed in flames. I shrieked, but it wasn’t like Reclusa would listen…

He threw another ball, a sphere of ice. My body went from blazing hot to freezing cold, as if I had switched between the hot and cold borders of Heatfreeze.

He did this repeatedly for what felt like forever. Then, he took an unexpected turn… I should’ve expected this from such an unpredictable being.

He threw an orb of pure dark energy at me. As it hit me, I felt extremely cold… I hated it.

It reminded me of him… how cold, how sinister, how evil I used to feel. He was taunting me with this attack, I was certain… but I could barely muster a single word.

“…S…Stop…” I stammered, incredibly weak.

To my surprise, he seemed to be done with his attacks. I could just barely see the proud and smug look on his face… it sickened me.

“Ahh, it felt nice to get that out of my system!” Said Reclusa. “…Again, annoying minions are bad minions…”

I then saw him look down at me, that same large smile plastered on his screen. “You’ve been a fun toy to play with, you know that, Cozzy?” He said. “Not only did I brainwash you, I just beat you to a pulp! You couldn’t do a thing! It’s always fun to have complete control over what you play with!”

…I wanted him to stop talking. All he was doing was taunting me. He was flaunting his victory, rubbing it in… all to make me feel worse.

…I hate to admit it had worked.

I had lost. I was lying on the floor, my life hanging by a thread… all of what I wanted to fix, keep safe…

All of what I wanted to atone for, all of the Bonds I wanted to protect… all of what I did and thought to get myself here was for naught.

“…And maybe after all you did…” Reclusa begins, taking a long pause as he inches his face closer to mine. “You deserve it… FWA-HA-HA-HAAA!!!”

As Reclusa disappeared in a sudden, sharp hum of static… I couldn’t help but be absolutely heartbroken.

I was dying. I had beaten down to absolutely nothing. I was never able to mend what I had broken. Only these small-eyed screens staring back at me and my failures… his eyes…

Maybe… If I hadn’t gone alone…

…Why did I come here alone…?

…Why did I do this at all…?

I need someone… anyone…

To help me…

…Help…

~~~

…

…

…!?

“My mentor!”

The faint and hazy sound of Connie’s voice immediately woke me from my mental absence. I had been awake, but… my mind had drifted. I was in so much pain, so unfathomably numb…

If I had closed my eyes… If I had succumbed…

I needed help.

“Ugh…” I tried to say something, but I couldn’t…

“Please! Hang in there!” I barely heard Connie beg.

“…Con…nie…” I barely managed to say.

“Oh!” Connie exclaimed, relieved that I was okay… but I could tell she was still in a panic.

“…I… I… have… made… a mistake… uuugh…” I stammered, barely able to make sentences by this point. “I tried to stop Reclusa on my own, but… forgive… me…”

“…Oh, no…” Connie said, sounding horrified… I felt horrible making worry for me even more than she already had… “…Mario… my mentor… I need to…”

Mario then says she’s fine, and lets her stay with me… I was somewhat thankful, but also horrified… If I died, Connie…

She’d see my end…

“Mario! Luigi!” Connie calls out as the brothers turn to leave. “…Please, be careful.”

“Oh, yeah!” Both the Bros. say in unison before turning away and headed out from the next part of the hallway.

The area Connie and I lay in became extremely quiet after that…

~~~

I had begun to lose track of time.

It had felt like hours since Connie and I had last seen the Bros… the Soli-Tree still stood tall, Reclusa had yet to be defeated…

Were they alright…?

As I laid there, Connie had watched over me. She helped me stayed awake when I would begin to slip, and kept me company… I was grateful for her help.

The silence was peaceful… but this peace was suddenly interrupted by a loud bang from outside.

Connie turned back toward the hallway ahead, appearing full of dread. I awoke at the sound of her panic.

“Mario! Luigi! I have to do something…” Said Connie. Despite her want to go to the brothers, she seemed hesitant… she wanted to stay with me.

“Go to them…” I said softly. “You’re a Wattanist… your hope… connects people…”

“Ms. Cozette…” Said Connie… she didn’t want to leave me here.

It was here when an epiphany struck me… my thoughts were clear.

…Oh, Connie… how I had been so wrong… these nightmares plagued my mind, made me think I was hated by everyone… by you, of all people… you could never hate anyone, I’ve known you long enough to know that.

These dreams made me think horrible, untruthful things. They made me lose my senses. My guilt made me spiral… what I had done to end this nightmare... I could’ve perished… if not for your help.

…I truly wished I could’ve said all of this to you… but my weakness had restricted me…

All I could do to show her I was certain she could leave… was give as warm of a smile I could possibly muster with what little strength I had left.

She looked back at me with confidence and nodded, certain of what her task was. She turned away and took my Bonding Can that sat nearby, and walked away.

I watched as she trudged further into the hallway… my smile couldn’t help but grow wider.

“You’re going to make… a splendid Wattanist.” I said quietly… I cannot emphasize how amazed I was by her. How far she had come…

…But my amazement dwindled as a poisonous Glohm smog filled the room… and I had fallen completely unconscious…

~~~

“…!!”

“…oz…!”

“Ms. …ette!”

“Ms. Cozette!!”

I gasped at the sudden sound of Connie’s panicked voice. My eyes shot open, and I turned to look at her.

“…C-Connie…?” I asked. “…Reclusa… I-is he…?”

I then spotted Mario and Luigi were standing behind Connie… my suspicions were confirmed here. Reclusa was no more… I would’ve felt relieved if not for the loud crashing noises from outside…

“Ms. Cozette! The Soli-Tree!!” Connie exclaims. “It’s collapsing!!”

I gasped again, fear crossing my features. “…W-we have to… g-get out of—!” I tried to get up… but I had forgotten about how much pain I was in. I winced, and fell back down to my knees.

The others stood at my side, trying to slowly help me up. I eventually found my footing, and Luigi helped propel me forward with the others as we made our escape.

No matter how far we’d run, the sounds of the Soli-Tree’s fall were clear as day. It took ages for us to finally find our way out… but there wasn’t any way for us to escape without jumping from the Soli-Tree and descending down toward the Stormstar Sea.

As we stood at the fortress’ edge, uncertain of how to proceed, the destruction from the Soli-Tree had tore up what used to be Fortress Zokket… and it was heading directly for us.

All we could was jump…

We all took a leap together, only for a destructive blast to occur from behind and separate the four of us. I had been flung the furthest, Connie was the closest to me. I heard Mario call out for Connie and grab her hand, then I grabbed Connie’s…

…Where was Luigi…?

“Mario!!” We all heard Luigi call out for his brother. He was trying his hardest to get to us, but was struggling immensely.

“Luigi!!” Mario called out back, reaching a hand out for his brother.

They both tried desperately to reach other, Luigi just barely slacking… before they finally caught one another. As their hands clasped, a bright glow emanated from them… the Power of Bonds…

Our fall immediately began to slow as we all connected hands, and a bright aura shone around us. As we descended upon Shipshape, I hadn’t even noticed that the red sky had cleared… a clear, bright blue sky had replaced Reclusa’s blood red heavens.

I had also noticed the crowd standing at Shipshape’s edge, all of them cheering for the brothers’ return, a few faces I recognized, but most I didn’t…

Despite this, I could feel just how strong their Bonds for each other all were… they were incredibly strong, and they had brought them all together. I couldn’t help but smile at this realization.

I was immediately met with greetings from the small crowd. All of them, especially a regal woman in pink, wanted to get to know me. It was a relief to see that none of them were upset with me.

…They all deeply cared for me… just like Connie and the brothers. To think I thought that they’d despise me… oh, how wrong I was. How blind I had been…

To them, I was not Zokket. Our motives are not the same. We may have shared a body… but I am not Zokket…

I am me.

I couldn’t help but smile… I felt like I could’ve cried right then.

~~~

Saying goodbye is hard… I haven’t had to do it in years, but it doesn’t matter how many times you do it. It’s always heart-wrenching.

Of course, saying goodbye to Mario and Luigi was no different.

I truly wish I got to know them better. I had barely spoken to them before I had ventured through the Soli-Tree… but what I did know was how powerful their Bond was.

So powerful that the Great Conductor saw them fit to save Concordia. So powerful, that their Bond brought other Bonds together… it filled me with joy.

After goodbyes were said, we all witnessed the rebirth of Concordia… a tear had been brought to my eye as we watched the islands drift closer to Shipshape and join together with it. Especially so as the Uni-Tree had been restored to its former glory.

Everyone celebrated the return of Concordia, conversing with each other after finally being able to meet up. My wish to see Concordia restored was finally fulfilled… to think I likely wouldn’t have seen it happen, if not for the brothers and Connie.

All of us then watched as the Great Conductor opened a gateway back to the brothers’ home. The Bros. and their friends all gave us a warm farewell as they lifted into the air and began to head home… some odd creatures and turtle king followed suit after them… I never learned who the giant turtle was…

The gateway then closed, and the Great Conductor parted from the Center of Concordia… a sudden silence had washed over all of us.

We all began to speak of the land’s time being separated, and how thankful we were for the brothers… and how much we’d miss them.

As I recalled my short time with them… I remembered my pledge. My promise I had shared with them.

'I pledge to guide the children who will shape our future.'

…I will never forget it. I will never forget them…

Thank you, Mario Bros… I couldn’t be more thankful. Especially to you, Connie. You helped me see the error of my ways… I’m so, very glad to you were willing to help keep me alive.

All of you have helped me regain my true sense of self… and I couldn’t be happier…

Thank you.

- END -