A/N: We are finally here: the epilogue to this sixty-chapter adventure. We will see how fate takes place over the course of this section. Unlike past chapters, the Post-Chapter Notes will follow immediately after the end. Then, I'll put up the last Author's Note as I have some personal thanks to a few people who have reviewed/supported this story from day one to the time this gets uploaded.

Let's not waste any more time, shall we? Welcome to the epilogue of Hidden Bravery! Hope you all enjoy this one!

Disclaimer: The story was developed by me, and I take credit for the plot and my original characters. The Mario and Sonic franchises, characters, and other content are respectively owned by Nintendo and Sega.

Epilogue: From Coward to Hero

Location: Toadley Clinic

A light shined down on the individual's left eye. The eyelid was held down by a finger. His blue pupil twitched for a second before it finally moved.

"What's this now? Why, I say he's finally awake," said the doctor.

"Really?" Daisy asked with newfound hope.

The human opened his other eye, blinking repeatedly. Dr. Toadley carefully released his left eyelid to give him some space. Eventually, he opened both of his eyes and took in his surroundings. Finding himself inside the same hospital room he was in before, Dr. Toadley was to his left, the princesses were on the couch, Colombo sat in between them, Sonic and Tails took the wooden chairs, and Mario stood to his right.

"Luigi? Can you hear me?" Toadley questioned.

"Oh... Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, Luigi," Mario answered.

Luigi slowly sat up and looked over at his brother. "M-Mario... Y-You're alive..."

"I am. Listen, Luigi, I know everything."

"Everything? About what?"

"Blumiere and Timpani explained what happened to me and what you, Sonic, Tails, and Colombo had to do in the Oblivion."

"Blumiere and Timpani? But how?"

"They said that they warped here to the Mushroom Kingdom," explained Tails.

"Then they found you at the top of Star Hill and brought you here," Peach clarified.

"But the good thing is that you're back, and the Oblivion is gone," said Sonic.

"Arf!" Colombo barked.

Luigi looked down at his lap. "M-Mario, I... I'm sorry."

"What for?" he was confused.

"I had to hurt you when you got possessed. I was forced to physically fight against my own brother."

Mario shook his head. "You shouldn't be apologizing. You did what was right, and that's saving me and all the worlds. I'm thankful for you, bro. We all are."

Luigi blushed at his comment. "Hey, where are the others?"

"Where are your other friends?" Dr. Toadley slightly copied his question. "They're all in the waiting room. Meanwhile, the evil spirit is behind that curtain, laying on the other bed. He's got two guests looking over him."

"I almost forgot... Myster Edge..." Luigi perceived some silhouettes from behind. He saw three figures, one lying down and two standing up. He recognized the Lady, the Count, and the Shadow Spirit.

"Normally, this would be too many people here to visit some patients. Why is this the case? Everyone was worried for you, especially all of these people," Toadley acknowledged. "And then you have the older sibling of another victim, despite the fact that victim is also your enemy."

"By the way, did you decide to save Edge?" Sonic wondered.

"I... I did," Luigi answered truthfully.

Unexpectedly, the curtain that divided the room was pulled away to reveal the Count, staring at Luigi. His face was neutral but peaking with curiosity.

"What happened?" he simply asked.

"I..." Luigi hesitated. He then realized that he and Edge were the only ones who knew what occurred in the dark dimension. But since the latter was still knocked out, he thought he should discuss the situation. "It's a long story, but I remember everything."

"Go ahead, Luigi," urged Timpani.

"I'll leave the room to give you folks some privacy," Dr. Toadley walked away and shut the door.

Luigi took a deep breath. "So, this happened after I fought Mario and sent him, Colombo, Tails, and Sonic back to E. Gadd's lab. The Oblivion was basically a copy of the Mushroom Kingdom, and I went to Star Hill to find Edge. We had our battle, going back and forth with our attacks. Edge later had the advantage and kept using the powers from his scepter...

"Just when he thought I was going to give up, I started to think of positive things for a change. I thought back to what you guys said to me. You had confidence in me when I didn't feel the same. But because of those feelings, I had the motivation to retaliate. So I used my Thunderhand to shoot the scepter like Blumiere told me to."

"Did the strategy work?"

"It did. But then, I told Edge about you and your feelings for him."

"How'd he take it?"

Luigi frowned. "He said he didn't care about you. He didn't think of you as his brother."

Blumiere's expression didn't falter. "So I figured." Timpani walked over to rub his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Count."

"It's fine, Luigi. At least you fulfilled my request. That is all I asked for. I just didn't ask for you to bring him back though."

"Why is he unconscious in the first place?" Tails thought.

"That actually brings up what happened after our brawl. Edge trapped me in a prison of Dark Shards so I couldn't escape or interfere with him. He finally used the Chaos Heart duplicate to revive Dimentio."

"What happened next?" Mario pressed forward.

"To my surprise, and to Edge's as well, Dimentio betrayed him."

"He did what?" Peach furrowed her eyebrows.

"Dimentio fooled Edge. He made him spend years to collect the Chaos Emeralds and create the Dark Shards so he could power up the copy that was in my heart. And once he returned, Dimentio instantly stabbed Edge in the back. He made Edge turn into Mr. E under the influence of the Floro Sprout. Then, he took his body and combined it with the Chaos Heart and himself to form Super Dimentio 2.0, just like the first one when he used the original Chaos Heart and myself."

The others either went wide-eyed, gasped, or both. Mario felt a shiver down his spine, and Blumiere lowered his gaze to the ground.

"I knew I was forced to fight him. But my Thunderhand wasn't adequate to inflict damage on him. Then, I did something crazy."

"What'd you do, Luigi?" Daisy leaned forward on the cushion.

"Edge dropped his scepter when he got brainwashed. And since it was on the ground, I grabbed it and shot a bolt of thunder from it."

Sonic shook his head rapidly, processing what Luigi just explained. "Wait, what? You used Edge's staff and actually controlled it?"

"I was just as surprised as you are right now, Sonic. But it's true."

"How is that plausible?" the fox conjectured.

"Since Edge's staff, plus the powers of the Chaos Emeralds and the Dark Shards, were linked to me, I guessed I was able to influence it to hurt Dimentio."

"And it worked?" Timpani tilted her head.

"Yes, it did. Rather than using my Thunderhand alone, I think I charged up my powers with the scepter to shoot thunderbolts from the glass orb with the Emeralds inside. And as I got used to it, I was able to take him down."

"And, is Dimentio gone forever?" Mario wanted confirmation.

"He almost got away with it, if I didn't do anything about that. I made sure I destroyed the entire figure of Super Dimentio. I presume he's officially gone for good."

"Well, that's a relief," Peach sighed. "Is there anything else to know?"

Luigi nodded. "Afterward, Edge and the Chaos Heart copy appeared after Super Dimentio was completely thwarted. Then I chose to keep Edge safe and protect him in my final Shriek Shield. I shot a thunderbolt at the Chaos Heart copy, and it exploded. I was out unconscious after that, but I presumed it caused the Oblivion to disappear everywhere. As for us, we probably got spit out of the black hole and returned to Star Hill. I don't know what happened to his scepter, and I'm not sure if the Emeralds survived the blast."

"I have the scepter with me," Blumiere revealed it from the inside of his cape. "And the Chaos Emeralds are still inside."

"I would expect them to scatter after they were used up," Tails believed.

"At least they're recovered and out of his hands," Sonic looked on the bright side. "We just have to figure out what to do with them later."

"But why did you spare his life, especially after what he had done to you?" Mario didn't understand.

Luigi had the reason for it, but he was having trouble to say it out loud. "Um..."

"Luigi?"

"B-Because he was Blumiere's brother, I wanted to give the Count one last chance to see him before the possibility of him dying."

"You did that for me?" Blumiere blinked.

"I... I did. And not only that, before Dimentio brainwashed Edge, he implicitly stated that he had feelings for you after you went your separate ways."

The Count turned around to see Edge once more. His mind was roaming with mixed feelings.

"Was that the wrong thing to do?"

Blumiere shifted back at the green plumber. "I honestly don't know how to respond to that."

"Neither do I," Mario agreed.

"Or all of us," Peach added.

"Arf! Grr!" Colombo growled at the Shadow Spirit. And that's because he saw him moving.

"Is he awake?" assumed Daisy.

"Ugh..." Myster Edge grunted. He looked to his left and did a double take. There he stood, in his top hat and cape. The Shadow Spirit narrowed his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here?! Where am I?!" He proceeded to cough violently.

"You're in the hospital," Luigi told him from the other side.

"You..." he peered to his left. "Why am I here? Why is he here?"

Luigi took the time to describe the same story about what happened to him in the Oblivion, how he defeated Super Dimentio, and why he saved him from dying in the dark dimension.

Edge stared at the plumber with confusion rather than shock. "I don't understand why you did that."

"I wanted you to be with your brother at least one more time, hoping you would reconcile. I told you about what Blumiere said to me prior to our fight. And Dimentio inferred the idea that you actually missed him."

The purple shadow glanced at his older brother, who gave him a sympathetic frown. "What? Are you going to belittle me like I did to you in the past? You gonna gloat that you were a better villain than me? Go on, say it. Tell me what's on your mind."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, that's right. You- Huh? What did you say?"

"I'm pretty sure Luigi told you first. But I need to say it directly from my own mouth to you. Before all this chaos started, back before I turned into Count Bleck, I was angry at you because your thoughts on me being with Timpani were apathetic. I sought revenge after she was taken from me, although I prevented you from being wiped out with the rest of the tribe. Still, we were distant, and I didn't think of you as part of my family. I eventually regretted my actions when the heroes defeated me and I reunited with Timpani. As time went on, I think back at those moments when I shunned you from my life. I didn't think I was going to miss you. But I did."

"You... missed me?"

The Count lowered the brim of his hat to shield his face. "There's no point to hide it. After years of separation, our reunion was long overdue. I wanted to confess that I wasn't a good brother to you. The last thing I wanted was for us to die, thinking that we hate each other. But you are my little sibling, and I'm sorry."

"Blumiere..." Edge acknowledged him by his name for the first time. "I never thought you would say that to me. Not in a million years."

"It's the one thing I needed to get off my chest. And now, I can say that I hope you accept my message and apology, even if you don't reciprocate the same feeling."

The shadow coughed. "Well, I can't believe I'm about to say this. But, I'm sorry as well. For two reasons. Number one, I'm sorry for my selfishness. I only followed under the influence of power, which is why I teamed up with Dimentio. However, I should've known better not to trust a word out of his damn mouth. The traitor almost got away with it."

"At least we both think of him that way."

"Yeah. But as for number two, I also treated you poorly as my brother. You may have fallen for someone who's completely different from us, but she is what makes you happy. I never realized how miserable you felt after Father banished her. It made you feel alone, kind of like myself when I wanted to bring back that jester. I should've accepted your relationship, even if it's not the norm."

Edge paused as he coughed again. He laid his head back on the headrest with a face that looked sick.

"Are you alright, Edge?" Blumiere was concerned.

He shook his head. "No. I got brainwashed as his servant. And in the process, I lost so much energy. I felt weak. And that's only the second time it happened."

"When did it happen the first time?" queried Timpani.

"Initially, I felt weak and outmatched... when he fought me," he weakly pointed at the green man.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I underestimated your strength. I always kept putting you down, whether it's calling you weak or torturing you with my lightning powers. But during our battle at Star Hill in the Oblivion, you managed to outwit me. I was furious then. But looking back, I commend you for your perseverance."

Luigi blinked in surprise. Never had he ever been complimented by his enemy before. "Thanks, I guess."

"Another thing I have to be grateful for is that you chose to save me when I could've died back there. If you didn't spare my life, I would've never seen Blumiere again."

The Count kneeled down to grab his hand, clenching it tightly. "And now you're here."

"Yeah, I am. But not for long."

Blumiere frowned. "What do you mean?"

Another cough escaped Edge's lips. "I'm drained. I don't feel great. And... I accept my fate."

"Your fate?"

"I'm going to expire."

"Edge? Are you-"

"Blumiere, listen," Edge rasped. "Despite our conflicts, you'll always be my big brother. I'm actually glad I got the chance to talk to you once more. Take care of the woman you love. You did say she completed your world. And now, you can move on with her in your life."

"Edge..."

"And you, Luigi," Edge turned to him, "you have proven me wrong. You may have shown cowardice on the outside. But somewhere inside, you have displayed bravery and power. You bested me, and you became a hero for not just your world, but the whole universe."

Luigi was unable to find the words to respond.

"Even though you saved me, I guess I was meant to die. Besides, no one can be immortal. Not Dimentio, and not even me. And my time is about to come."

"Edge. I'll always love you," the Count whispered.

"And I feel the same way, now that I exposed my true thoughts. For once, I'm glad I lost. Good job, Luigi. And goodbye, Blumiere."

The shadow closed his eyes as he let out his last breath. His heart stopped beating, and he didn't move. Blumiere, coming to terms, lowered his head. After taking some to cope, he stood up straight with a neutral face. But deep inside, he was a little heartbroken.

"I'll go get the doctor," Timpani offered.

"Thank you, dear."

The white-haired lady solemnly walked out of the room, leaving just the Count, Luigi, and his friends who were in awe of the conversations and events that transpired.

"Count?" Luigi got his attention. "Are you okay?"

Blumiere shifted to him. He presented a weak smile. "Yes. I'm fine. I'll need some more time to take this in. But, you did me more than just a favor. You gave me a chance to talk to him again. Thank you, Luigi." (1)

"You're welcome, Blumiere."

The Count kindly decided to give him some time with his friends. He pulled the curtain over to hide Edge's body and ambled out the door.

"How are you feeling, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"Fine, but a bit conflicted. I can't believe he actually said that to me."

"Neither did I. But you must have changed his views after Dimentio betrayed him. He was actually proud of your efforts, as am I. Luigi, you are a hero."

His cheeks blushed in red as he gave a shy smile. "Thanks, Mario."

Daisy stood up and walked to the other side of the bed. "It's great to have you back home," she kissed him.

His blush remained on his face. "Thank you, Daisy."

"Ruff! Ruff!" Colombo hopped onto the bed and panted happily at his owner. Luigi followed with a chuckle, petting him on the head.

"Hey, Sonic."

"Yeah, Tails?"

"What should we do with the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Well first, we need to get them out of the scepter. We can split them up with our friends, just in case Eggman tries to take them all from us."

"What about the Dark Moon?" mentioned Peach.

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," Luigi realized. "I gave Sonic the final fragment. Where is it?"

"I gave it to E. Gadd," the Blue Blur replied. "But he didn't clean it off yet because we were healing Mario at the time."

"I'm pretty sure we can go to his lab though. That way, the Dark Moon can be restored once again. But first, can you walk, Luigi?"

"I think so, Mario." The plumber removed the blanket and carefully slid off the edge. Still in his plumber's attire, he felt fine. "This time, I didn't need the Chaos Emeralds or the Dark Moon pieces to heal me. I just needed rest."

"Here's the Poltergust, Luigi," Tails handed him the vacuum. "I assume the Tough Possessor is still inside."

"Thanks, Tails. I'll get this to E. Gadd as soon as possible."

As the group walked out, Luigi was the last to leave. He stopped at the door to look behind. Although he couldn't see, he took a moment to think of the one who antagonized him nearly two weeks ago.

"Edge... We had several bad moments between us, and I wasn't happy with what you did. But, thank you for your last words to me. And, I'm glad you got to speak with Blumiere before you went away."

Once Luigi left the room, he was met with another surprise. All of his other friends were waiting in the hallway, excited to see him awake and well. Yoshi, Amy, Blaze, Rouge, the Chaotix, and everyone else who ventured with him applauded his appearance. Even though Shadow, Wario, and Waluigi stood there doing nothing, they were internally glad to see him.

"Yoshi! Great to see you again, buddy!" Yoshi hopped.

"We're so happy you're here, Mr. Luigi!" said Cream.

"Chao Chao!" Cheese added.

"Thanks, guys. Golly, I'm glad to see you all as well."

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you!" Amy smiled.

"That's because you defeated Myster Edge!" Charmy spread his arms out.

"And the Oblivion is nowhere to be found," Espio smirked.

"Which means you saved all the worlds! The Mushroom Kingdom, Mobius, and just about every other place!" Vector roared.

"I got to say, you were the one who stepped up big," Shadow gave a slight nod.

"Thanks, everybody."

"By the way, what happened to that shadow guy?" Rouge asked.

Luigi slouched his shoulders. "He had an opportunity to resolve his issues with Blumiere, and he took advantage of it. And surprisingly, he admitted that I was tough enough to beat him."

"And you sure were!" Sonic winked.

"Now, he's gone."

"Wait. Do you mean..."

Luigi nodded at Wario. "Yes. That's right." He didn't need to be straightforward to let everyone know.

"I mean, at least that means he won't cause trouble," Waluigi thought.

"Is the Count okay with it?" Toad questioned.

"He's okay. He just needed time to handle the situation."

"Well, sonny, I'm proud of you," E. Gadd praised. "Everyone is, too. But we do have some unfinished business to take care of."

"I know what you mean. We better go back to Evershade."

"Zephyr and Colombo will tag along with us so they can regroup with the ghosts once they're back to normal."

"Are you going with us, Mario?"

"Actually, I realized I have a last-second errand to do. But I'll see you first thing when you return. Just meet me at the castle."

Luigi wasn't sure where he was going, but he reluctantly agreed. "Okay, I'll see you soon, bro."

Before they left, E. Gadd was stopped by Mario. "Keep him busy for as long as possible."

"You got it, Mario," he murmured back.

When the four strolled away to find Dr. Toadley, Mario gathered everyone in for a group huddle. "Okay, here's the plan..."

Location: Evershade Valley

Pixelating to the bunker, they returned to E. Gadd's main hub in Evershade. The professor was carrying the canister from his basement and transferred the group of hostile ghosts into the Ghost Container in his underground Vault. Afterward, he returned to the main floor. Luigi placed the Poltergust's hose into the tunnel to send the Tough Possessor down to the others. Once that was done, Gadd brought out his original Energy Suppressor. After the machine cleaned the final Dark Moon fragment, the party walked outside into the cool air.

"Ready, Luigi?"

"Yeah, I am."

Luigi and E. Gadd dug into their pockets to pull out the remaining Dark Moon pieces. They both gave Zephyr one so that the three would have two fragments, holding one in each of their hands. With Colombo watching, they spread their arms in the center of the circle they formed. By then, the pieces glimmered with a positive glow. They floated in midair, aligning in a crescent shape. Soon, they combined to restore the Dark Moon to its former state.

Luigi was in amazement like the first time he repaired the celestial body. Colombo wagged his tail, Zephyr smiled with his mouth open, and E. Gadd chuckled to himself.

The purple crescent soared to the black sky of stars and shined brighter than before. A flash of light appeared before it spread throughout the valley. The ghosts that were trapped in the container, along with those roaming in Evershade was struck by the Dark Moon's aura, turning the ghosts friendly once again. E. Gadd grabbed a remote with two buttons, revealing a Boo icon on the top and a Greenie on the bottom. (And heaven only knows why the hell E. Gadd has a button that releases those troublesome spirits.)

Mindfully pressing the button with the Greenie on it, the Ghost Container opened to allow the ghosts to be freed. All the Greenies, Slammers, Hiders, Sneakers, and Possessors happily flied to the skies of Evershade. They floated down to greet and thank Luigi for saving them.

"Wonderful! The Dark Moon is restored, and the ghosts are no longer unfriendly! Excellent work, Luigi!"

He sighed in relief. "Thanks, Professor. I'm glad we could save them."

A duo of Greenies joined Zephyr to carry Luigi and throw him in the air in celebration. All the ghosts played around with E. Gadd and Colombo joining the fun. It lasted for a long while, which made it better for Mario and company as they were busy with their own business.

Location: Toad Town

Luigi, Colombo, and E. Gadd said goodbye to Zephyr and the Evershade ghosts before they returned to Boo Woods. The professor stalled Luigi by cleaning up the lab together and putting the Poltergust 6000 away. When they were done, the three made their way towards Peach's Castle with the sun setting along the horizon.

"Thanks for giving me the equipment to complete this quest, Professor."

"You're welcome, Luigi. Glad I could assist you once again with your ghost-catching skills."

"Bark! Bark!"

Once they made it to the bridge, Luigi opened the front entrance. Then, he was utterly shocked.

"Surprise!" all of Luigi's friends shouted. The castle was redecorated, only this occasion was for Luigi's heroics. Everyone was there, including Mario, Sonic, the rest of the gang, and even Blumiere, Timpani, Duplimore, and Duplicit.

"What is this?" Luigi still had his mouth agape.

"Welcome back, little bro!" Mario greeted him, patting him on the back. "This is a party for you!"

"For me?" he blinked twice.

"Of course! This kind of makes up for your birthday party that got ruined by Bowser and Edge, but this party is specifically for you saving the worlds!"

"Really?"

"Sure is!"

"Wow... I'm speechless."

"Come on! What are we standing around here for? Let's party!" Sonic shouted with a raised fist.

Everyone spent the night having fun at the party, eating food, dancing to music, and chatting with friends. Some of the people took the time to talk with Luigi, who discussed his fight against Super Dimentio to those who didn't know.

"Really? You fought Dimentio like that?" Toadette was amazed.

"I can't believe it!" Blaze gasped.

"That's amazing!" Knuckles grinned.

"Master Luigi, I was kind of scared that you weren't going to come back," said Toadsworth.

"So was I, Toadsworth. But thankfully, I survived from the Oblivion."

"You must have kicked butt back then!" Donkey Kong, who arrived later at the party with Diddy Kong, gave a thumbs-up to the green plumber.

"That's great to hear that you beat that shadow guy!" Diddy cheered.

"Luigi," Timpani called from behind. "We just want to thank you again for what you have done. You were really brave out there."

"You're welcome, Timpani," he bowed in front of the Lady and the Count. "I appreciate the compliment."

"We all know you have some fight in you. All you had to do was stay calm and focused," said Duplimore.

"By doing so, you had confidence to overcome all the odds," Duplicit told him.

"How are you faring, Count?"

"Much better than I was before. While your friends have set up this party for you, we buried Edge's body at the Mushroom Cemetery, with permission from the princess. I want to thank you once again for allowing us to see each other."

"It was my pleasure, Count, especially after Dimentio showed his true colors."

"Well, I suppose we shall get going. I'll be spending the rest of my life with Timpani, starting anew after all this."

"As for us, we no longer need to assist them. But if you ever need some spies, give us a call," Duplimore offered.

"We'll see about that. Thanks though."

"Take care, Luigi. And that goes for your friends, too," Timpani waved goodbye.

"Goodbye," he returned the gesture.

Blumiere waved his scepter to shine a light over the four of them. By then, they were gone from the castle. Everyone dispersed to go back to having fun at the party. Meanwhile, Luigi took a seat at an empty table, wanting to get some rest. Colombo walked over and let out a small whine.

"Hey, Colombo. Come on up, boy," he patted his lap.

The Polterpup eagerly hopped up to Luigi and licked his face. Laughing, Luigi laid back to relax. It didn't last long when he heard Tails.

"Luigi!"

"Hi, Tails. What's up?"

"There's something outside for you! Come on!"

"What is it?"

"You'll see!"

Luigi and Colombo exited the castle to follow the kitsune. There, he saw Mario, Sonic, Peach, and Daisy on the castle bridge. There was also something covered with a tarp.

"What's going on?"

"It's another surprise for you, Luigi!" Daisy beamed.

"Oh, guys. You don't have to. The party is fine enough."

"Just wait, Luigi," Sonic laughed. "Maybe this will change your mind."

"Ready, everyone?" Peach was prepared as the others grabbed a part of the sheet. "1... 2... 3!"

They yanked off the cover and revealed what was hiding underneath. It was a brand-new vehicle, built with a backseat platform in the style of a two-person kart. (2)

"Mamma Mia..." Luigi's mouth nearly hit the ground.

"Happy belated birthday, Luigi," Mario congratulated.

"Mario... But why?"

"Remember on the day of your birthday, when I left you before Sonic and Tails joined your walk to see Professor E. Gadd?"

"Yeah?"

"To be honest, I forgot to get you a present. I searched around Toad Town to think of some ideas. And then I thought, since you've gotten better at Mario Kart, why not give you a new vehicle for racing? I asked a team of Toad mechanics to build this for you, and I thought it turned out to be great! I just hope you like it."

Luigi looked like he was about to cry, but with joyful tears. "Whoa. This is... incredible. But I don't like it. I love it. Thank you, Mario."

The red plumber went over to hug his little bro. The others grinned at their embrace.

"You did well, fratello," Mario whispered in Luigi's ear. "You're always brave to me."

"Grazie, bro." They eventually let each other go.

"Uh, I don't want to be the guy to ruin this moment," Sonic interrupted, "but let's see you drive this baby around!"

"Yeah! Try it out, Luigi!" Tails shouted.

"Arf!"

"Yeah, go on, Luigi! I'll hop right behind you!"

"Okey-dokey!"

The brothers jumped in with Luigi in the driver's seat and Mario taking the back.

"You ready, bro?"

"I'm ready!" Luigi turned on the ignition. The kart sped off a high speed that he was having trouble steering. "Um, Mario, I think we're going too fast!"

"Uh oh! Watch out!" They drifted sharply to avoid a building.

"What kind of engine did those Toads install into the kart?" Daisy wondered.

"It's anything bigger than 200cc, than that seems to be the answer," Peach replied.

"By my estimations, it seems like it's a 300cc engine!" exclaimed Tails.

"Guys! Look out!" Sonic yelled.

"AAAHHH!" the brothers screamed. Luigi lost control of the wheel and crashed into a short wall. The two went flying out of the vehicle. Peach and Daisy had their hands covering their mouths in fear. Luigi face planted into the grass, and Mario landed safely... on top of his brother. For the umpteenth time. Everyone ran over to them.

"Oh my goodness! Are you two okay?" Peach was worried.

Mario exhaled heavily, catching his breath. "Ooh, I think so, Peach. Where's Luigi?"

"Uh, Mario?" Sonic pointed down.

"Oh! Sorry, bro!" Mario jumped off of him. Luigi's head and eyeballs were spinning, dazed out from the crash.

"Luigi, are you alright?" Daisy held his shoulders.

Shaking his head, he exhaled. "Yeah, I'm good. But I'm so clumsy that I got to get better at driving at 200cc."

"Actually, I think you were going at 300cc," corrected Tails.

"Well in that case, I guess I need practice, huh?" Everyone laughed at his joke.

"Come on, Luigi. Let's go take this to the Toads so they can repair the kart and change the engine. And don't worry, bro. You're still fine for the way you are. But it's an added bonus to prove that you can be a hero."

"He's right, Luigi," Sonic smirked. "You definitely proved everyone that you're strong and reliable to help others! Who cares if you screw up? Everybody isn't perfect after all!"

"Yeah! We all make mistakes sometimes. But at the right moment, we can always work together as partners," said Tails.

"We'll be there for each other as friends, too!" beamed Peach.

"No matter what, we always think of you as a hero, Luigi," Daisy complimented.

"And for me, you will always be my brother until the end," Mario wrapped his arm around Luigi's shoulders.

"Bark! Bark!" Colombo jumped up and licked Luigi's face.

"Man, I'm so lucky to be around people like you. And because of your support, I feel more confident and braver than I was before."

The heroes walked into the heart of Toad Town as the sun began to disappear in the Mushroom Kingdom. Indeed, from what the green plumber said, he felt grateful to have such amazing friends who both support and accept him for who he is. Despite his flaws, there were reasons to admire about the younger Mario brother. And his most recent adventure was a prime example.

Luigi had hope for the future that he will remain strong for any kind of danger that hinders his path. But even if he expresses fear, uncertainty, or any other negative emotions, all he had to do was believe in himself. And that's what he planned to do. Because he'll always have a hint of hidden bravery in his heart.

END OF STORY

Post-Chapter Notes:

(1): I wasn't going to be too cruel, so I wanted a moment where Blumiere and Edge reunite to talk once more before the latter died. And yes, it is confirmed that he was the one who passes away.

(2): The two-person go-kart is reminiscent of the game Mario Kart: Double Dash! I hope it'll return for a new Mario Kart game for Switch, hopefully calling it 'Mario Kart: Switch Up', or something along the lines of that where you get to swap the characters' roles between driving and dealing items.

And as for the final scene, I wanted to write a little humor to end on a good note, even if Luigi got caught up in the middle of bad luck again. (Sorry, Luigi!)

I can't believe it. My first story, Hidden Bravery, is officially completed on FanFiction. Over nineteen months ago, I was beginning something new on this website because I wanted to try it out. And even though my first several chapters were underwhelming, I wanted to pick up the pace and make the plot more action-packed to set up what I brainstormed in the prologue. Fifty-eight chapters and an epilogue later, here I am with the final A/N of this journey. Would I consider this story perfect? Honestly, no, because this story probably could've been done without the Sonic characters, but I did it anyway. There were also some flaws here and there, but I'm too lazy to go through them all. Regardless, let me take this moment to personally thank some people out there since I rarely did it throughout the story.

Steel Fairy- You were the first person to read and review every chapter I posted, and I mean EVERY single chapter. Your initial feedback was the reason why I continued to write this fanfic, back in the days when I originally put this in the Mario & Sonic crossover section. If it wasn't for you, I don't even think I would update this story regularly or at all. I truly appreciate your reviews since day one! Thank you very much!

Tiger of Darkness- The second reader to review every chapter, I also liked your feedback and reviews as well! You were another reason why I continued to write HB every now and then until the moment I completed this story. And I appreciate you for that!

FairyTalePrincess16- I wanted to say that you were one of the few authors that gave me the inspiration to write my own fanfiction, most notably from your Galaxy Heroes saga. I'm a big fan of Mario, and I like Sonic (when the games aren't terrible), and having both of these franchise icons together is just a cool collaboration in general, which is why I chose to implement the characters from both series in this story. You motivated me, and I thank you for that!

Pikminfan- You were the first person to leave a review for HB, and I appreciate that along with your other reviews! Thank you!

Infinite's Ruby, SpiderDom321- To two of my best friends I most recently met on FFN, I also thank you for your support late in the story. What really mattered was to hear how much you enjoyed Hidden Bravery. As for the latter, I'm happy to give you inspiration to write a Mario story of your own. But for both of you, I have enjoyed your Sonic Forces rewrites to this point, and I'll read them until they're completed, just like what you've done for me. Thank you, too!

Tsukimine12, GirlOnDarkerSide, NormanWhitesmith, MalevolentDarkness16, CyanGaveUp42 (formerly TemUltimate), Guest, Q- Whether you have reviewed once, a few times, or every chapter, I'm glad to hear that you all enjoyed the story. Thanks for your support!

And to everyone else who has either left a positive review or constructive criticism, added a favorite or follow on this story prior to the epilogue, or just read the story, you have my utmost thanks for making this story bigger than I ever imagined. With over 300 reviews, 22,000+ hits, and just under 50 favorites and 40 followers, I am happy with those numbers for a regular Mario story featuring the Sonic characters.

If you want to check out more of my stories, I have two at the moment. One is titled New Brotherhood which is an actual Mario & Sonic crossover that takes place after two horrendous tragedies. From there, the red and blue heroes eventually meet up to learn about themselves and form a special bond. The other is named Revengeful Resistance, a rewrite of Sonic Forces with some twists that are different than what was shown in the game. If you want to check those out, feel free to do so. I appreciate you for reading any of those as well.

Anyways, I really hope you all enjoyed the true finale. For the last time, I will be closing out of this story. Feel free to review your thoughts on the final chapter, point out anything I might have missed in the plot or errors to fix, and leave a favorite if you enjoyed the story! To everyone out there, thank you for reading Hidden Bravery! This is TheGameNguyener, signing off!