Replies

TheGameNguyener: While I agree with you about the story to some degree, I do feel as though the game is worth checking out if only for the avatar stages and customization as it is legitimately enjoyable to create your own character in the Sonic canon. Fun fact, Glasses from last chapter was my own self-insert. Anyway, we're at the final chapter now, so I guess we'll just see how things turn out for our heroes. Thank you for the review!

Pamitydesu01: A step in the right direction, but they're still not there quite yet. Thank you for the review!

Anon: Definitely, I feel like we could have seen more of what Sonic went through on the Death Egg, though I will say that I do enjoy everyone's different interpretations of what he went through. Thank you for the review!

Silver1612: Heh, yeah... I honestly had so many different idea's of what Sonic could have gone though, and at one point the entire story was going to be rated M before I toned it down a bit so it wouldn't be the odd story of the saga. A lot of things were cut, but ultimately I think it was for the best. Thank you for the review!

Infinite's Ruby: In my Forces canon Tails indeed did have a bit of a nervous breakdown after Sonic was captured, but was eventually found by the Resistance and took on a fighter/mechanic role. Especially since in this canon he's a teenager. Thank you for the review!

AN: Guys... I completely failed to mention last chapter that this chapter would finish off the story. I'm so sorry! But I won't waste your time with this AN, I'll see you at the end of the story.

~Chapter Eight: Can We or Can't We?~

Sonic was still asleep by the time Mario woke up. He had honestly been expecting Sonic to have nightmares, but he had seemingly slept the whole night with no issue at all. In all honesty, Mario thought he looked almost peaceful curled up in the sheets. He then quickly averted his eyes as they weren't together anymore and thus it seemed inappropriate to watch him sleep.

Mario wandered into the bathroom to do a quick clean-up and winced as he took in the marks on his skin that hurt when he poked at them. He sighed and changed into his traditional overalls and cap and splashed some water on his face before quietly exiting his bedroom and heading to the dining hall to get breakfast for him and Sonic.

A few Smashers were already in the dining hall, the Inklings sitting at the far end of the table scrolling through their phones once again while Shulk and Ike conversed with Marth and Roy. Samus got out of her chair when she spied Mario and wandered over. "Just a heads up, Master Hand said something about even more new Smashers showing up, so be prepared for that, alright?"

Mario gave Samus a grateful nod and a "grazie" before heading into the kitchen where Princess Peach and Mr. Game & Watch were making breakfast,

"Good morning Mario!" Peach sang brightly as he entered. She flipped a pancake onto a plate and placed it on a tray while Mr. Game & Watch added bacon and hashbrowns. "How are you this morning?"

"Alright..." Mario mumbled as more food was placed on the tray, followed by a cup of coffee with sugar packets and tiny milk cartons. "I actually need two trays this morning, I'm bringing one to Sonic."

"Oh, you're speaking?" Peach asked curiously as she began to prepare another tray. "What happened?"

Mario shifted uncomfortably and prayed that his clothes hid the dark marks on his neck and collarbone. There was no reason that anyone should know what he and Sonic had done. "We talked," he answered, which wasn't a lie. "And he stayed in my room last night because he's been suffering from some nightmares."

Peach quirked an eyebrow as she put the finishing touches on the second tray and pushed it towards Mario. Making sure Mr. Game & Watch was occupied she beckoned Mario to lean in closer. "You, um, have something on your neck..." she murmured, tapping the area on her own neck. Mario winced and pushed his collar up higher, his face red in embarrassment and shame.

"Grazie..." he whispered.

"Don't mention it," Peach whispered back. "I'm not going to pry and I'm certainly not going to tell."

Mario gave her a thankful smile and balanced both trays in his hands as he made his way out of the kitchen and through the dining hall, making sure to keep the left side of his neck well-hidden. He didn't want to think about what would happen if one of the younger Smashers saw and asked someone like Bayonetta about it, who was well-known for going into graphic detail about sensitive topics. Mario shuddered and made his way to the back door where he opened it with his hip and continued his way to the dorms. Stepping into his room he found the bed empty but heard the shower running, so Sonic was clearly up. He set the trays down on the desk and turned his eyes towards the bed; he needed to wash those sheets.

As he was stripping the bed he heard the shower turn off and after a few moments Sonic emerged from the bathroom with a towel slung over his shoulder. "Hey..." Mario greeted before gesturing towards the food. "I brought breakfast. I figured you probably didn't want to see the other Smashers, especially since..." he trailed off as his eyes fell to the marks he'd left on Sonic, guilt settling over him like a blanket. "Sorry..."

Sonic merely shrugged and grabbed a tray, stabbing his pancake with the plastic fork. "It's... really no big deal. I have a neckerchief I can hide these with so..."

A chill went down Mario's spine when Sonic mentioned a neckerchief, like what the other Sonic he'd met had worn. He wondered momentarily if he should mention that adventure to Sonic, but decided to shelf that topic for a later date. Things were already awkward enough at the moment.

The two ate breakfast in awkward silence, as even though they'd talked it didn't change the fact that they'd impulsively slept together. Eventually it was Sonic who sighed and broke the ice on the topic. "Do you still love me?" he quietly asked, the question catching Mario off-guard so badly that he choked on his coffee. "I mean, I know you. You're not the type to just hop into bed with someone. You said to me that you needed to fully love and trust someone before you took that step, so..."

"We were together a long time Sonic," Mario began. "We were partners and more importantly best friends. Feelings like that don't just vanish overnight, even when you're trying your hardest."

Sonic winced and glanced down at the carpet. Mario cocked his head curiously. "Why do you ask?" he murmured, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer. Sonic said nothing at first, continuing to stare down at the carpet. Finally he lifted his eyes to meet Mario's.

"I guess the same can be said for me then." he confessed quietly. Mario blinked, realizing that...

"You still have feelings for me too." he mumbled numbly, confirming his suspicions. Sonic robotically nodded and pushed the food on his plate around with his fork. "What do we do?" Mario asked. Sonic shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea. I mean, the logical thing would be to restart our relationship, but there's so much emotional baggage surrounding us now."

Mario nodded in agreement. "It makes things difficult," he mumbled. "Maybe... maybe it would be best for us to just be friends?"

Sonic's head snapped up at the suggestion before he hummed and stared into his coffee. He took a sip as he pondered Mario's proposition. "Friends?" he repeated. "Just friends?"

"Just friends," Mario confirmed. "That way... we can both heal."

Sonic forced a smile onto his face and nodded, trying to ignore the hollow pit in his stomach. "Yeah... friends. We can be... friends."

/~/

The other Smashers knew something had happened between them. It was obvious when they were speaking with each other but acting awkward around each other to the point where friendly physical contact like handshakes or fistbumps rarely happened between them.

When Mega Man and Pac-Man returned to the mansion the Primary Colour Crew was quickly reformed, but lacked the distinctive chemistry it had before. Mega Man noted how it felt as though Ice Man had chilled the entire room.

"It's like watching a trainwreck happen right before your eyes," Samus sighed to Captain Falcon. "Because they so obviously have feelings for each other but whatever happened with them is preventing them from becoming a couple again."

"It's tragic," Captain Falcon agreed. "But there's nothing more we can do. This is something they need to sort out for themselves now."

Samus watched as Sonic and Mario awkwardly shuffled around each other. Even back when they were rivals they hadn't gone to these extremes to avoid each other. "I guess so..." she mumbled. "But I'm positive they can work things out. They've been through so much together, and there's no way that their story is finished yet."

~End~

AN: So... Mario and Sonic have decided that friendship is the best route for them even though they've admitted to each other that they still love one another after all they've been through. Only time will tell if they can rekindle their romance, and it will take time as Smash Ultimate threw me for a bit of a loop and brought back Snake and Young Link who I wasn't expecting to come back to the series in the slightest, so I need to deal with them being back in canon before I move onto the final part in this saga. So basically what I'm gonna do is have a bit of a spinoff that takes place just after this story wraps up, and while Mario and Sonic will be around in the story it will focus more on Samus, Snake and Pit, and Sheik, Roy and Young Link. I already have an outline written up and a bit already written, so look forward to that in the future!

Thank you guys so much for reading, and I'll see you around!

~Steel