FicWad

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late. Dude at the bakery had misplaced the order. But I got the goods!"

"That's great, Yoshi. Now we just need Toad with the - hey, you're here!"

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, Luigi. The store I was at didn't have any whipped cream in stock at the moment, for some weird reason. Had to head down to another place downtown for it. Heh, you would think they'd have whipped cream and all..."

"It's no problem. We got it at least. So, guys, is everything all set?"

"Yeah, everything's good. We got all the decorations up."

"Food and goodies are ready to go!"

"All presents have been bought, and that party room's still ours for the taking."

"Party essentials are good to go."

"That's perfect. Now we just need to get him."

"Luigi...you sure he's up for the party? Last I saw him, he still looked pretty stiff. Maybe he's still thinking about...you know...that night?"

"He's fine, don't worry about it. He's just been thinking about the baby, that's all. Deciding on names and such. We spent last night looking up names, but he hasn't found any he likes yet."

"Oh...that's good to hear. I mean, I'd hate for the guest of honor to be all mopey and whiny at his party."

"Daisy!"

"What? It's true!"

"Alright, enough gab. I'm gonna go find him. Meanwhile, you guys get into position. But remember: no jumping and screaming. You all know how easily he gets scared, and the last thing we need is to accidentally trigger the baby's arrival before its time."

"Got it!"

"Don't worry about a thing; we got this, Luigi. Now - go get him."

+++

Luigi had to search high and low for Mario until one Toad had told him that he had last been seen at the castle gardens. Once Luigi had gotten there, he found the little wolf sitting by himself in a certain flower patch, talking with some butterflies.

"Hey there, Mario," Luigi said as he came up to his brother.

Mario jumped in surprise, but then he eased down once he turned and saw Luigi. "Oh...hi, Weegee. I was just talking with some of my friends," he said, gesturing to the fluttering butterflies.

Luigi was very much relieved to see the small smile on his brother's face. It was a better sight than the serious face he had for the past few days. "That's nice. What are they talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, they're asking about my belly," Mario replied, blushing a bit. "I told them it was my baby, and then they got all excited and happy!"

Luigi was no butterfly whisperer, but he could easily see the happiness radiating from the tiny flying creatures. "Aww, that's sweet," he said, smiling. Then he turned back to his brother. "...Say, Mario, I was wondering if you could come with me. I need your help with something."

"Oh, sure, Weegee. What is it?" Mario asked as he tried his best to stand without falling over. Luckily, his brother was there to help him up.

"I'll let you know on the way. Kind of a long story," Luigi said casually as he led his brother inside the castle.

+++

Some time later, Luigi was leading Mario down an unfamiliar-looking corridor. Doors stood on either side, with little balloon symbols and numbers engraved on the wood.

"So, what do you need help with?" Mario asked, curious.

"Um...actually, what I need help with is in that room," Luigi said, pointing to the room at the far end of the hall.

"Oh, okay. Let's go, then," Mario said as he started heading down the hall.

Luigi was quick to follow him. "Gee, I hope there isn't anything weird at the end of the hall!" he said in a particularly loud voice. The echoes of his voices practically bounced off the walls.

Mario turned back to look at his brother. "What?"

"Nothing, just keep going. We're almost there," Luigi quickly said with a fake smile as he continued walking Mario down the hall. Luckily, the little wolf merely shrugged in confusion and kept going.

As they came up to the room at the end of the hall, Luigi grabbed the door handle and fiddled with it. "Oh, dear, I do believe the door is jammed!" he said again in that same loud voice.

"Oh, should I get someone to help?" Mario asked, with a note of concern in his voice. "I-I can get someone if you wa -"

"Wait! Never mind. Looks like it's good after all," Luigi quickly said as he opened the door, with a big fake grin on his face. "See? It's open!"

The two brothers walked inside. It was completely dark; only the light from the hallway showed a dim view.

"I can't see anything..." Mario said, looking around. Then he turned to Luigi. "What did you need help with, again?"

+++

At that moment, a click sounded and the lights suddenly flickered on. Both Mario and Luigi had to blink to adjust to the sudden change.

"Surprise!" Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad and Toadsworth cheered happily. They all had balloons and confetti in their hands, which they were quick to toss at the two brothers.

Luigi grinned, knowing this was coming, but Mario was wide-eyed, completely blown away. "What...!" he managed to say as he looked around the room. Pink and blue banners with symbols of babies, binkies, blankets and things like that were hung from the ceiling. Some of the tables were covered in party supplies, with others sporting snacks and drinks. One other table carried a plethora of presents, all nicely wrapped and in-tune with the pink-and-blue theme. Various balloons dangled from the ceiling, and more banners were strung alongside the wall. This all looked like a party...but what for? He didn't think it was anyone's birthday today.

Mario swallowed, managing to find his voice again. "Wh-What is this...?" he asked breathlessly. "Why is...?"

Daisy bounced right up to him. "It's your baby shower, dummy!" she said excitedly as she bopped his head with a balloon that she still carried in her hands. "Ta-daa~!"

"Baby shower...? But the baby's not out of me yet..." Mario replied, confused by this term. "We're not giving the baby a shower, are we...?"

Peach walked up to him and hugged him gently before saying, "Oh, no, honey. A baby shower is just a name. It's sorta like a small party that we throw for some people to celebrate the fact that they're having babies."

"Yep! Congratulations, mommy-to-be!" Daisy chirped as she shared a side-hug with the little wolf. "So, what's it gonna be, huh? Is Auntie Daisy gonna have a niece or a nephew? You gotta tell me, man, I'm itching with excitement!"

"Daisy, I already told you that Mario wants it to be a surprise," Luigi said with a smile, rolling his eyes.

The floral princess visibly groaned. "Awwww! I wanted to know!" she whined. Then she immediately brightened up again. "Well, it doesn't matter, because I know for sure that my present's gonna be the best one!"

"Uh, I don't think so! Mine's gonna be the best!" Yoshi exclaimed as he came up to Daisy. He then turned to Mario and pointed towards the table that had all the presents sitting on it. "It's that big one right there in the middle! You're gonna love it, I'm sure!"

"What about me?" Toad piped up as he ran over as well. "I think mine's gonna be the best one!"

"Nuh-uh! I already said mine's the best one!" Daisy contradicted. She then turned to Mario. "Come on, tell them! Tell them mine's the best!"

"Um..." Mario said, a little confused. "B-But I haven't even op -"

"Everyone, settle down," Toadsworth said with a quiver of his mustache as he, too, walked over to the group. "This is a baby shower for Mario, not a contest to see which present is the best one...besides, I know mine'll be the best."

"Toadsworth!" everyone except Mario said.

Toadsworth chuckled lightly. "I'm joking," he said. "Now, let us all settle down, so the festivities can begin."