In the days and weeks following the official conclusion of the 2004 Power Tennis Tournament, the relationship between the Mario Bros further recovered from the latest hurdle it had faced. They spent as much time together as they could, whether they were looking after the Toads or taking on plumbing jobs. Mario's impulsive act was pushed further and further behind them as time went by, and it wasn't long before Luigi retrieved his trophy from the closet, polished it and proudly displayed it in his living room, confident that his bro wouldn't throw a salty fit whenever he saw it. In time, the Bros resolved never to speak of or think about the incident ever again, focusing their energies on what lay ahead of them, rather than what had already happened.

Mario's public image also repaired itself in the wake of the Power Tennis Tournament—somewhat. Though the majority of his fans were forgiving souls or were willing to let what happened slide, things were touch-and-go with Daisy for a while, and some tenuousness remains today. In addition, certain groups seeking to discredit Mario or denounce him as the real villain of the story continue to use the Power Tennis incident as their main ammunition against him. However, these groups are few and far between, and Mario is still celebrated as an all-loving, optimistic heroic everyman.

As for Skye, Carolyn, Cami, Phillip and Opal, they overall enjoyed their experience and extended their stay in the MK for two more months. In August 2004, it was time for them to depart, as Opal and Skye had to return to work, and Carolyn, Cami and Phillip had to get ready to go back to school. On the day of the five's departure, Toadsworth, Peach, Daisy and the Mario Bros met them at the train station in order to see them off.

"Well," sighed Opal. "Looks like it's back to reality for us."

"You said it," added Skye. "It was fun while it lasted, though."

"Indeed," Carolyn chimed in. "It was a pleasure to meet you all."

"Likewise," said Peach.

"Yeah," Daisy brightly added. "We really enjoyed playing with you guys. Keep practicing, okay?"

"Okay," said Cami.

"Now boarding on Track 27," crackled a voice over the PA system.

"That's us," said Opal, standing and picking up her luggage. "I—uh—I guess this is goodbye. For now."

"'For now'," repeated Luigi. "I like the sound of that. But you wanna know what sounds even better?"

"What?" asked Skye as she, too, gathered her luggage.

"'Until we meet again'," said Luigi.

Skye grinned like a fool. "You're right," she said. "That does sound better."

Peach, Daisy, Toadsworth and the Bros joined the departing visitors as they headed toward the waiting train. The conductor scanned their tickets, while the sleeping car attendant helped with their luggage.

"Thanks again for having us," said Opal.

"It was my pleasure, of course," said Toadsworth.

"Will we ever see you again?" asked Phillip.

"Anything is possible," replied Toadsworth, "and the door is always open for you."

One by one, the five denizens of the MK exchanged handshakes and hugs with the five departing visitors. And just before boarding the train, Opal allowed her gaze to sweep over Mario and Luigi.

"Take care of yourselves," she said, "and of each other."

"We will," the Bros said in unison.

Opal, Skye, Carolyn, Cami and Phillip smiled at them one last time before the train car's door closed. Five minutes later, the train sounded her horn and slowly began to chug down the track, pulling away from the depot. Toadsworth, Daisy, Peach and the Bros glimpsed the departing quintet through the windows of their respective sleeping compartments, waving goodbye. Heartily, they all returned the wave until the train disappeared from sight.

Peach then turned to the others. "Let's go home," she said.

"That's a great idea," said Mario.

Hand in hand, they exited the train depot, taking only the good memories with them and holding out hope that they'd see their new friends again.

The End

Thanks to all who read and review, and special thanks to nintendoscript15 for partially inspiring this story! Seriously, you should check out his works sometime!

See you guys next time! Stay safe!