Disclaimer: I can't say that "Super Mario RPG" belongs to me apparentlythat'll be Nintendo and Square Enix's job. Hopefully they won't throw Psyche Bombs at my computer if they knew I was writing fanfiction though.
Quick Note: To avoid confusion and to preserve the sanities of the reader and the author, "Princess Toadstool", as called in the game, will be referred to as "Princess Peach." Now, I could go into a little history here, but let's not. Let's just say that she was always called Peach, even before "Yoshi Safari" and "Super Mario 64".
~
Hushit was the general impression of the world right now.
The Toads of Seaside Town fell in a deep slumber, along with it, their world.
Lights flickered off, and the chattering and pattering of feet was put to
a halt. A zephyr flown through the village, whispering a soothing lullaby
to a lethargic world. Blackness, darkness, silence; it was the night. Nothing
movednothing answered. But it wasn't evil, nor did it bespoke of a
horrible destiny. Rather, it represented a quiet peace after the sun blanketed
itself. Most importantly, it was when the stars appeared, shining their
significance upon the sleeping citizens of the Mushroom World.
A wooden doll lay on top of a window sill, his back pressed against the wall.
His legs were stretched out along the way; one bent upward with a hand resting
on its kneecap. Geno watched the world from that window, observing the
silhouettes of the houses and beyond, among other things. He closed his eyes
for a second, a rush of tranquility circulating him. It had been a long day
today and much had happened through it. Mario and everyone had met up with
a pirate captain named Jonathan "Johnny" Jones, who requested a duel solely
between him and the red-clad plumber over a Star Piece he owned. The fake
villagers of Seaside Town, ala the disguised form of one of Smithy's goons,
"Yaridovich", had been thwarted, the true Seasidians freed and the sacrificed
Star Piece recovered. Combat was enough to make anyone tired, but rest didn't
come easily for the puppet-like being. So there he was for long hours in
the night, until he was too fatigued to stare out anymore. It was like a
daily routine; everyone nestled under the covers, and there by the window
would be he, thinking and watching for time and awakening. It was often late
at the night, but what did it matter? It was like having the entire world
by yourself.
In ways, the marionette without strings actually had a master. He,
a being from the Star Road, had roped himself into a lifeless puppet, giving
it a soul and dominating over it in exchange, tugging and slaving orders
into the dolland himself. Suddenly the puppet was the master and the
master was the slaveit all contradicted each other and the two wound
up as one. Yet, while the doll and star were together as an individual, somewhere
there was still that conflict between the puppet and master, fighting for
the power of these invisible strings, which secretly had demons clawing their
way at the end of each. The doll thought of rest, to simply be oneself and
relax. The star however, was on a tight schedule, and he would never forget
his missionthat one day he would leave the puppet he breathed life
into, and where once harbored a mind and a soul, it was no more than just
thata simple wooden doll. It would be no one without a master now,
and would be shelved as a lifeless pawn forever; to be a forgotten memory
of what it once was.
Star Hill. There was something funny about seeing it again, if a bit
drasticmaybe even sad. It all looked the same: the earth blue as the
sky itself, wishes sprinkled about the landscape, and an overall mystical
feeling that came out of the place. Waves of nostalgia swept over Geno as
he looked around; it was like coming home several weeks later and finding
everything to be normal, except for the aura. It was a simple thing like
that that turned home into a strangerit was heaven turned limbo. It
was shocking to know that unwanted visitors and such had broken into the
Hill: geckos, moles, and thieves pillaged about the area, even the appearance
of an occasional Pulsar and Mastadoom, corrupting everything as a devil would
to a sanctuary. The star-turned-wishes lay there like diamonds, slowly dulling
and losing value because they couldn't be granted anymoreunless, of
course, it happened to be by chance. The mysticism was still there, yes
yet now it seemed to casually prepare its own funeral, waiting sadly but
doing so with faith, pleasing itself as long as it could before completely
being gnawed away. That Star Piece was a cry for helpnobody wanted
the land to fade away and the leftover wishes held all the hope that Star
Hill had left. Hope that one day, the land would return to its full glory;
hope that one day, it wouldn't have to be so sad anymore. Surely, somebody
will come and restore order to its world. Somebody, invited strangers,
would come as survivors
"Go get 'em, Geno! You're the main man!"
It was like the little boy knew him long before they even met. Somehow it
was like they were connected with each other; the doll was originally
his, after all. Gaz certainly did have an imagination, and spent a lot of
time at home with his plush versions of Mario, Peach, Bowser, and others,
acting out his own adventures for them as he went. He felt closest to his
wooden doll "Geno" though, and the young boy involved him as much as he could
into his plays. Sometimes he would even kick off Mario so his own doll could
be the hero. He didn't need to worry about the dark or other things that
crawled in the nighthe knew with his dolls nearby he would be protected,
and "Geno" was a guardian that assured safety for everyone. (Unfortunately,
this didn't save him from his mother's wrath when he broke her lamp last
week) All this and he never even heard about the Star Road at the time. Meeting
the boy for the first time was like seeing an old friend againlike
they always had been together, like a child and his not-so-imaginary
friend. He admired the star who came to life within the doll, and revered
him with faith and confidence, knowing he was real, knowing he was going
to find all the Star Pieces, and cheered him on so. Geno nodded in thought
and smiledhe was not going to let him down.
There were certainly many other people he met along the way too, and he wasn't
about to let the search for the Star Pieces go to waste. He felt especially
close to his allies, and not only that, they were getting closer to Smithy
and saving the world as well. Mario was bright and cheerful, and led things
with such ease that chaos seemed to part in waves and simmer down before
him. Mallow gained much more confidence in himself and his abilities, and
grown far more mature since they first met. Yes, King Bowser was ruthless
and rash, and they all would eventually become enemies again. Yet, he certainly
was a powerful addition to the team, and the wooden doll was quite surprised
by several occurrences that could be described as honorable, including how
the Koopa King treated several ex-members of the Koopa Troop when met up
with them. Then there was Princess Peachwhile he knew little of her
other than what was known at the Star Road, she helped in more ways than
he could possibly imagine. Just recently joining Mario and his friends after
the events in Marrymore, she still struggled with physical fighting, but
had the power to heal everyone with magic just like an angel that appeared
to keep watch over her weary travelers. He would certainly miss them all
when they reached the end, including the world he trodden on with them. There
were many wonderful, and fascinating, and strange things that they encountered
that were far different from home, and for a while felt lost and awkward.
Suddenly he was able to see the world differently, only from the eyes of
a wooden doll...
Home
that was one price he would have to pay. Once returned to the
Star Road, he would leave the wooden doll and never see his friends
againnot Mario, not the others, not Gaz, not anyone. This saddened
him, and he knew he'd miss them all very much. Yet at the same time, he missed
home too, and came so often to the window whenever he could to see the sky.
It was the perfect place to assemble his ponderings in the nightnot
only could he see the world, he could see the stars too, and somehow that
brought sense and order back to his mind, soothing him. Even if he grew homesick
from reminiscing of the Star Road one night, simply star-gazing brought him
near home, if at least for a moment.
There was something unusual about tonight, thoughjust small parts above
the village houses were the stars, which seemed exceptionally bright. Lifting
himself off the window sill, Geno quietly made his way down the stairs. Surely
it wouldn't hurt much too much to have a closer look. To his convenience,
the door was unlocked, so he came out. He too, became a walking silhouette
among the buildings, and disappeared just as quickly. He started up the stone
stairways, each step making a brief, hollow clap. As soon he reached the
top, the wind became more audible, recognized as a lonely and beckoning whisper.
Excitedly, it tenderly sent a salty aroma across the wooden doll's face,
inviting him before the sea.
Footsteps. He turned his head and it was just that moment his name was called
by the same visitor. It turned out to be Princess Peach, and she followed
to meet up with him by the shores of the ocean. To suit the needs of the
night however, she walked the earth in a long slender nightgown, which gently
brushed her legs with each step. Soaked in white, silver, and soft pink,
it shimmered brilliantly and though the moon was absent, it was like it commanded
its light to come and dance inside that very dress. The crown atop her head
had vanished, leaving her with just her long blonde hair. Her arms lay beside
her; long, free and ungloved.
"
Princess? What are you doing here this late?" he answered
curiously.
"I'm sorry to have followed you," she apologized, her head bowed in
embarrassment. "I was having a hard time sleeping, and then I saw you leaving
and was wondering where you were going. It would be a while before I'm
tiredmay I stay here for a while? It looks beautiful
tonight."
"Oh, go ahead," he nodded. "I don't mindyou just startled me a bit,
is all."
"Okay then. Thank you." she smiled in gratitude and stood beside him, witnessing
too the sights that lay before them.
"The sea is quite vast, isn't it?" she commented. "I don't think I've ever
seen it this dark before. It's so calm too, and the sky
it's no wonder
you've come to this place! It's so beautiful and peaceful
here."
"Sometimes, I wonder how the castle is doing, whether Toad, Grandma, Chancellor,
and the others are all right. But I didn't want to leave things the way they
were, especially with Smithy on his way taking over the world. I know if
we stick together we'll put a stop to him, and we'll find all the Star Pieces
too. And if anything bad happens to me, I can always count on Mario and the
others. And you too
"
Geno nodded silently. The princess cocked her head to the side, concern written
across her face. She felt captivated by the wooden doll for some reason;
an aura of serenity embraced her, including those of patience and wisdom
whenever she was near him. Curiosity bloomed about the princess, and nostalgia
came sweeping in memories long stored in the back of her mind. She didn't
know whether it was his odd child-like appearance that made her feel that
way, or the mysteriousness that seemed to loom over him. If anything, she
wanted to get to know him better; there had to be more to the star that enwrapped
himself within the doll. Perhaps it wasn't a good time to do so, yet to see
him look so depressed worried her
"Is there something wrong?"
"Ohnothing. I'm okay."
"Are you sure? You look sad for some reason."
"Really, it's nothing." He shook his head. "I
I was just thinking about
the Star Road, that's all."
"I see."
The two didn't talk for a while afterwards. They stood beside each other
and relaxed, both watching the ocean and the sky. The two sights seemed to
contradict themselves, yet mirror one another:
The sea was normally described as thunderous and angry, constantly raging
and crashing upon the shores and hating the landresenting
it. Yet the waves ushered softly against the small promontory, this one ashamed
and remorseful of all the fury it had burned upon that rock. It was a rippling
black quilt; drowning the flames and anger beneath. Nothing could be reached
beyond the sea; it was nothing more than a frozen blockade telling you had
reached the end of the worldan apathetic, boundless one. Yet, it was
the same place Johnny and his crew emerged from once more, and the evil that
fallen upon its shores was that of Yaridovicha dark, proud glow seemed
to illuminate from that.
Ghostly-dark clouds wisped about the horizon, spreading like fields of violet
snow. Yet, it couldn't go any further; it was no more than a shadow against
the great sky itself. There was a single, tiny, glittering orb above, and
several more like it circling around. The more one watched, the more they
appeared, multiplying and frolicking the sky like white rabbits. Eventually,
they had taken over the void that was the black sky; all but whatever little
space the clouds had left. Each of these stars was unique: some were smaller,
others larger. There were dull ones, and those whose light made the shadows
cower. There were lone stars too, and those that bunched together and created
clusters of constellations. There were all these orbs up there, shining and
smiling beyond a field of gloom. Such joy they were, and so magical and
free
"Geno? Do you mind if I ask you somethingabout the Star
Road?"
"No
why?"
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to or anything
I was just
curious about what it looked like, is all."
"Oh, it's beautiful up there, Princess
" he replied raptly.
"I don't know if I could describe much though
"
"Don't worry about it." she smiled. "You can tell me as much or as little
as you want. I won't mindeither way, I'd have something to think of
the Road by."
The princess seated in the grass and waited with anticipation, her fingers
crossed and resting in her lap.
"Let's see
where to begin?" he started. "Well
let's say you're
in this huge golden world that has rainbow smatterings here and there, these
spots in which hold the Star Road together. You see many fountains about,
springing pure, crystal-clear water and tiny stars along with it. The land
is one with outer space, meaning you could see your world from above, and
that would include comets, planets, and asteroids, among other
things."
"There are many different kinds of stars, including those in the fountains
and the sky, and then there are those like me; there is a sanctuary overlooking
the Road, and that's where we gathered wishes from all around to transform
them into shooting stars. Another sanctuary, which is something even I know
little about, is a very secret placeno one except those who enter it
knows where it is. This is where stars of much larger importance gather,
called Star Spirits, and every wish is transported to them first. The reason
why is because it's their job to inspect themto be sure they didn't
have selfish or wicked intentions inside before passing them on to us. Sometimes
though, on a very rare occasion, a wish could be so important or
immense that only the Star Spirits have the power to make it
true
"
"One of the most amazing things about the Star Road is when you're granting
wishes. Once they've been approved and turned into shooting stars, we set
them off and let them goStar Hill was right below us, and that's where
they all tumbled. It's the most dazzling sight, Princessjust watching
them fall is some of the most fascinating things I've ever witnessed. Knowing
I was also doing something wonderful and good in the process brings me so
much joy I cannot say it in words, even if I tried."
Geno paused for a moment and stared at the ground. His eyes were sad and
wistful when he continued:
"
We were the first to witness what Smithy planned for everyone, up
here and in the world below. When that huge sword struck through the Star
Road, it was true that plenty of complications arose because of it. But it
wasn't just the damage of the Road eitherthere was so much
more to it than that. It all happened so quickly when it passed
through, and there were some fellow stars I knew that ever since the crash,
I never saw them again. Whether they died, turned into monsters, or just
plain disappeared, I don't know. It lasted for what seemed to be several
seconds, but it was plenty enough to cause much destruction and pain, and
to know that Smithy was the one behind all this. It affected us
all greatly one way or anotherit become something we would never forget.
Not only that, we knew that the Star Road had been torn up, and none of us
would be able to grant wishes until it was repaired. Yet, no one knew where
its pieces had flown off to, and until then, there was nothing to keep the
Road held together
"
"I was just devastated something like this would happenanytime, anywhere,
to anybody. I couldn't stop thinking about the crash since, and I wanted
to do something that would repair the damage and bring wishes and
peace back. That's why I'm here, borrowing the form of this dollfinding
all seven Star Pieces won't be easy, but if it meant fixing the Star Road
and making things right again, it's a journey I am willing to
take."
The princess closed her eyes, ruminating all she had been told about the
Star Road, imagining just what sort of place it had been, following its
importance. She felt excitement jump in her when Geno spoke of the shooting
stars, and how they all fell upon Star Hill. She cringed from the impact
made after the sword crashedhow not only it him, but everyone else
too, even if one never heard of the Star Road. Her breath was taken away,
and she stared at the wooden doll, completely in astonishment.
"Geno, I
I don't know what to say."
"A lot has happened, that's for sure." he nodded. "I must say though, that
despite everything that's happened in the past, things are getting
better. The Star Road will recover, and I owe it all to you, Mario, Mallow,
and Bowser tooyou guys helped me out of more jams than I can count,
and who knows? If it weren't for you all, my search would've ended as quickly
as it began, in the Forest Maze before Bowyer. We've only done so much together,
and now we've only got two Star Pieces left! Thank you for all the help you've
given me, and I'll do what I can for you guys too!"
"It's nothing really...we wanted to stop Smithy, didn't we? And we are! Well,
step by step, I mean."
The wooden doll chuckled. "Yeah
we are."
She giggled. Then she stopped with a shocked look. "Oh my! Well, we aught
to go back to the inn now. It's very late
"
If indeed, it was latethe sky was a slight shade darker, and fatigue
leaned over the two like a rain-cloud. With half-closed eyes and a yawn,
the princess stood up and made her way towards the hotel, insomnia cured
and ready for a good night's sleep. She was, however, called back by Geno
midway.
"
Peach?"
"Yes Geno?"
"
Thank you."
"What? But I-"
"For coming. For following me and wanting to talk to me tonight. There were
quite some things on my mind before, and now I... I don't know how I'd feel
by now if you hadn't been here."
"Geno
"
Peach started back toward the wooden doll again, facing him once
more.
"I don't know what I've done to make you happy," she said. "But whatever
I did, I'm glad you're okay now. If you ever want to talk to me again, I'll
be more than happy tooI'll be waiting with open arms and ears! This
may not be much, but
take it as good luck for all future
travelsit'll be a big day tomorrow."
She bent forward and kissed him on the cheek. The wooden doll became very
still, timidly lifting his fingers to caress the very area her lips touched
in his already-blushing face. The princess went ahead and waved to him by
the stairways, beaming with contentment and anticipation.
"Let's go! I'll see you at the hotel!"
He smiled and nodded, following her.
The End
A/N: To begin with, I wanted to write something like this for a very long time. I absolutely adored Geno from SMRPG, and found him a very interesting and intelligent character that knows how to kick some tail. Unfortunately, it was hard for me to find much fanfiction about him, let alone any good ones. Those I did happened to like however, were usually only about a page long, which made me sad. Thus, after much planning, brainstorming, and hard work replaying SMRPG and taking notes, (and procrastinating in all these aspects), I brought my fanficcing fingers together, the computer and Microsoft Word, and typed away on the computer. After what seems to be a week later, including revision, paching! There you have the results and you've just about finished reading them. Well, almost.
Some of you will probably give me odd looks for one of the brief, final scenes of the fanfic, where there was that kiss (on the cheek, nonetheless). For some reason, I thought it would be cute for Geno and Peach to be together, even though in this fic there wasn't any serious romantic tension or anything like that. Now, it would be pointless to say that I've considered them from how they interact in the game, because they hardly do at all, if barely. Now before you throw stones at me, let me explainit's their personalities that drew me to them. There is Peach, who is all light-hearted, and then there's Geno, who is more serious and down-to-earth.Yet, they aren't complete foils of each other either, which makes it all flow and mesh together in a positive wayPeach seemed like the type Geno would trust and feel comfortable around, whereas Peach looked up to him for his wisdom and understanding. I find the relationship a cute concept, and found it something worth thinking about and experimenting in fanfiction.
I've put as much effort into this fic as I could, and I must say that I'm proud of the results. I look forward to your thoughts!