A/N: Hey guys! This is TheGameNguyener here! And right off the bat, I want to make things clear before you guys start reading. This story has no relationship or ties with my first story, Hidden Bravery, whatsoever. This is a separate fanfiction as I came up with the story idea around the time I uploaded Ch. 6 of HB.

Any numbers in bold, italics, and parentheses are explained in the Post-Chapter Notes at the bottom of the page. Ex.- (1)

And with that, please enjoy my second story: New Brotherhood! (Rated T for language, dark scenes, and most importantly, character deaths.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any rights or claims to the Mario and Sonic characters or franchises. They belong to Nintendo and Sega, respectively.

Prologue: Brotherly Backstories

What makes up a typical family? Usually the first thing that comes to mind is a mother, a father, kids, and relatives to those people. Some may also include their pets, too. Well, not all families are made up like that. Some of them could just be a group of people who are willing to take care and love one another no matter what, even if they're not biologically related. Despite the roadblocks, difficulties, and emotions they face, their family will be there for others to let them know that they're not alone.

Having a family makes an individual feel more comfortable, that they're not isolated from the real world. To be with someone they love and care for creates a great sensation for them. This applies to everyone, not just parents. It counts for friends, children, even the employees of your work place. One could say: "They're like family to me."

Siblings are also part of family. And usually, with at least two of them, what would be their roles? Normally, the older one would always look after the younger. He or she would make sure the little brother or sister doesn't get hurt or feel bad from anything: bullying, losing a game, getting bad grades, or being yelled at. On other occasions, the little one might be there to comfort his/her older sibling. They, too, aren't the only ones who have feelings. They could talk it out, cry on one's shoulder, or give each other a warming hug. Sibling relationships are one of the strongest bonds (in my opinion) and it's exemplified in this story.

Two individuals each have a strong connection with a certain someone. They both share the same type of companionship: brotherhood.

One was a young man, clothed in red, whose only family member was his younger twin brother. His name was Mario 'Jumpman' Mario. His little bro was named Luigi Mario. The man in green may be taller and thinner, but he wasn't as brave as his older sibling. He was timid, awkward, and fearful of almost everything. Nonetheless, he was always in the loving hands of Mario. He would be overprotective of Luigi at times, but the same works the other way where he would be cautious of Mario's state of mind. The two were not just devoted brothers, they were best friends.

The other individual was a blue, anthropomorphic hedgehog who goes by the name of Sonic. He was always energetic, tending to show off his cocky attitude whenever he wanted to. He, too, has a younger brother, but in a different way. The younger one was a yellow fox with a birth defect, having two tails instead of one. Because of this, he was known as Tails (his initial name was Miles Prower). After several years, they developed the best of friendships. Better yet, they formed an unbreakable cordial bond. Even though they weren't related by blood, Sonic and Tails treated each other like brothers would.

Going back to Mario and Luigi, they lived with each other for a long time in the city of Brooklyn. The brothers started living alone, just the two of them, after their parents passed away from a fatal car accident.

Years after the devastating loss, they found themselves in the land of a faraway kingdom, led by a beautiful princess, known as Peach Toadstool. The two were destined to be the heroes of the fantasy land and managed to defeat the evil turtle king named Bowser and rescue the fair ruler. From that point on, Mario would go on many adventures to rescue Peach, showing off his bravery and determination to save the kingdom and what came to be his lover.

As for Luigi, he would get left behind at the siblings' new home most of the time, feeling depressed and alone that he wasn't with his brother to help him. Usually the man in green felt isolated, thinking that Mario didn't want him in his adventures. And even if he was with Mario and helped him to defeat Bowser and save the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi would almost always be in his brother's shadow, to be overlooked, forgotten, and disregarded in almost in any conversation and celebration.

From Mario's perspective, he was conflicted. Yes, he felt bad for leaving Luigi alone, but he was overprotective under one circumstance. He didn't want his little brother to hurt in battle or make a critical mistake that could cost his life.

Looking at a different point of view, Mario would like Luigi to accompany him in his adventures. Sometimes he felt that his brother needed to prove that he, too, can be a brave hero like himself. Unfortunately, Luigi hasn't received the credit he deserved as most of the attention was towards Mario. This made Mario feel sympathetic for the green plumber because he would like Luigi to be recognized and not have all the Toads gather around him and him alone.

Then, there's a third side; he becomes part of the bandwagon and forgets to include or acknowledge his only family member. One example happened after Mario was rescued by his younger brother from King Boo in the haunted mansion adventure. He went on vacation with Princess Peach and her advisors on a summer vacation, without even bothering to ask Luigi if he wanted to come. (1) After he returned, he was given the silent treatment from the green-clothed man for a week, as he shut himself down for being upset and angry that he wasn't invited. At least he didn't hold his grudge for too long.

The other instance was when Mario failed to recognize the green-clad man when he became a brainwashed minion of a former enemy. Back when he turned into Mr. L, an evil persona of Luigi, Mario had to defeat him twice, shaming him for his defeats. Beforehand, he had a feeling that he knew the Green Thunder looked familiar, but he couldn't put his nose across it. Mario felt bad, however, because he felt somewhat remorseful for hurting the masked minion. It wasn't until after the heroes of the Light Prognosticus defeated Count Bleck when Mario and the others found out about the true identity of Mr. L. Dimentio, the former jester minion who turned his back against the Count, was the one to reveal the truth. Mr. L... was none other than Luigi. After the departure of Lady Timpani and Count Bleck, and the defeat of Dimentio, Mario made a pact with Peach and Bowser to never bring this up to Luigi, for he lost his memory that he was once an evil assistant to the ex-wielder of the Dark Prognosticus. (2)

Mario, overall, didn't want his clumsy brother to get hurt which is why he leaves him alone, yet he couldn't hold back his guilt. He wanted to be there for Luigi whenever he got depressed. The man in red eventually found out that his brother had gotten used to his isolation to the point where he didn't want to be with anyone else. Sometimes his heart doesn't take in his misery too seriously. But on small occasions, his mind does.

Sporadically, he felt like he was on the verge of suicide, as if he was standing on a cliff, waiting to take the plunge to the jagged rocks below where a swarm of harsh ocean waves were crashing. Sadly, Luigi would fake his happiness and force a smile whenever something or someone puts him on edge, even though he's generally a kindhearted person who likes to show his strong smile.

In turn, Mario would talk to him almost every night to comfort the poor man as he teared up on his shoulder. He would rub Luigi's back during their embrace and say soothing words and phrases in Italian. The last thing the red man wanted was to lower his baby bro's self-esteem. Luigi would thank Mario every time and call him the best brother ever, knowing that he'll be there for him whenever he can. Mario would take those words to heart, but he knew that statement wasn't true. He did feel bad for making Luigi feel sad and alone for most of his life. Nevertheless, he made a promise to his younger brother: to make sure he was safe.

As for Sonic, he had to thank fate for finding such a good friend and a loving little brother. Long ago, the blue hedgehog landed on Westside Island (where Tails originally lived) when his plane's engine malfunctioned. He was irritated at first, but decided to explore the vast land. He found a bustling city, full of animals walking around in professional suits and dresses or casual clothes. Sonic caught a glimpse of a chili-dog stand and couldn't help but stop for lunch.

There were multiple occasions were the hedgehog was immediately recognized while walking in the town. A lot people formed an insane crowd, holding pens and pads desperately asking for his autograph or cameras to take photos. Sonic almost lost his lunch, a bag of ten chili dogs, as the people surrounded him.

He didn't mind making people happy, but sometimes he wished he could stay away from the celebrity status and find someone to hang out with as friends. Sure, he met tons of fans, but they weren't technically well known to him. In fact, he never had a best friend, or anyone. He lost his parents at a young age when Dr. Robotnik terrorized his home land, Christmas Island. It wasn't until he was seven years old when he decided to train himself and use his special speed to get revenge on the one who took his family away from him.

But going back to his brotherly bonds, Sonic was heading back to his broken biplane as he walked into the dense jungle. That's when he heard a loud scream. Sonic ran towards the source and found it. There were three teenagers, a tiger, a jaguar, and a coyote, surrounding a little fox. With curiosity, Sonic hid behind a tree and listened to the confrontation. The bullies started harassing the young, innocent kit by beating him up, calling him names, and throwing him into the ground until he started crying. It didn't take long for the kitsune to let out his tears as he begged the trio to stop. To no avail, the bullies were about to continue until Sonic came and taught them a lesson. Showing no mercy, he wiped them all out and they ran away from the blue hedgehog.

Immediately, Sonic took notice of the poor, yellow fox, who was curled up in a ball, whimpering as the tears continued to flow down his closed pupils. He noticed the scars, bruises, and even the dried blood and dirt that covered his fur. Kneeling down to him, Sonic asked if the fox was okay. The little kit peaked his head up slowly to glance at the hedgehog's caring, emerald eyes. Although he didn't know him nor did he trust him, the fox nodded uncomfortably.

After talking for a while and even offering some of his lunch, Sonic made the kit feel slightly better than before, now knowing about his name and his unique twin tails which started the nickname. Knowing Tails was homeless, yet a talented mechanic (who even surprised him when he fixed his biplane), and had no one with him, the blue hero smiled as he had an idea; he decided to take care of the young kit by taking him into his home! That was the start of something new for the both Sonic and Tails: their resilient friendship. They also had something they thought they would never have again: a family. The hedgehog and the fox always cared for each other if one of them was down. It was the unbreakable bond they shared that kept the two together. (3)

Like the red plumber, Sonic was overprotective of his brother. There were times that he ended up regretting his actions, which includes yelling at him. If he treated the fox with an angry tone, it would take just a few minutes to calm himself. But it may take a couple of hours, or even until the following morning when he realized his mistake. Sonic would feel bad for treating the fox like that.

And if something bad were to happen to Tails, he would never forgive himself. If the fox gets kidnapped by Eggman or any enemy, Sonic wouldn't bear to think of what would happen to his best friend. He could suffer more than just being bullied and kicked around. And on some of his adventures, the thoughts rang true. Some would leave Tails scarred up with dried blood visible on his fur, tears that once escaped his blue eyes, and bruises found throughout his once unstable body. Due to this, Sonic would blame himself for not protecting Tails in the first place. He wouldn't know what to do if he had to go back to being all alone again.

Otherwise, if Tails was in a sorrowful mood, Sonic would offer the kitsune his shoulder whenever he was about to cry. He was so young at that time that it was understandable why he would feel sad after what he has been through. Because of that, the fox would sob as his head was cradled close to the hedgehog's neck or chest. Sonic would calmly shush the kit, rub his back, and caress his bushy appendages from behind as an attempt to soothe his pain and emotions. In the end, Tails would ask Sonic if he could sleep with him, to which he was okay with. It made the fox feel happy, knowing that his older brother loved him as his new family.

Based off this, you now know about the background of these two families: two different sets of brothers. Mario and Luigi are among the same bloodline whereas Sonic and Tails are of different species, but is considered family with the fox being adopted. But at this point, you're probably wondering why I'm discussing about Mario and Sonic's relationship with their respective brothers. You also may be wondering where the hell this story is going...

…Well, brace yourselves. Because not all things end up well for the characters I mentioned above. Why? Because I'm about to reveal the story of how they discovered that the bonds are not invincible. They may be long-lasting, but things will change completely, to the point where life will never be the same. As a result though, a door becomes wide open to give these heroes a new reason to stay strong and live life to the fullest.

This is the story of how Mario and Sonic crossed paths with each other. This is the story of how they started a new relationship…

…A new bond. A new brotherhood, after their own brothers were lost.

END OF CHAPTER

Well, that marks the prologue of New Brotherhood. What do you guys think? Where will this story go? Find out in Ch. 1.

Please leave a review, follow/favorite the story for new chapters, and I'll see you guys later. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great day!

-TheGameNguyener

Post-Chapter Notes:

(1): This is going back to the prior events of Super Mario Sunshine, which occurred after the end of Luigi's Mansion, both games that debuted on the GameCube.

(2): These events occurred in Super Paper Mario for the Wii. (The last sentence, however, was something I made up. It is not confirmed in the game itself.)

(3): I took a stab at a summarized rendition of how Sonic met Tails, and how he took in the fox, which started their brotherhood and friendship (around the timeline of Sonic the Hedgehog 2). I didn't want to get into too much detail, but I hope it worked out!