A Not So Happy Ending

Bowser's Castle – Two Days Earlier

"Alright, Bowser! Your reign of terror on the Mushroom Kingdom ends now!" Mario yelled as he neared the end of the bridge that hung over a river of seething red lava. The evil Koopa King was at the other end of the bridge, glaring at his opponent with an equally disintegrating glance as he readied for another fire attack. He took in a deep breath and let Mario have it as fire shot its way across the dark dungeon chamber. Luckily, Mario was able to dodge the oncoming fire and avoid becoming scorched with his superior athletic abilities. By this point, sweat was running down Mario's face as he neared the evil Koopa King to deliver a powerful punch. Bowser swiped at the plumber, but missed. He was instead greeted with a swift kick in the head from Mario's boot. Angered by his own failure, Bowser opened one of his large hands and managed to grab the plumber before he was able to get past him and into the room where Princess Peach was being held.

"Not so fast, plumber!" Bowser sneered.

"Let go of me, you damned lizard!" Mario said. Bowser's grip begin to tighten and Mario could not breathe.

"You may have gotten this far, but you won't make it to the princess this time around!" said the Koopa King. "I am going to end this right now."

"How?" Mario managed to ask with the little air that was in his lungs.

"I am going to toss you into the lava below the bridge, but not before I chop your head off with my axe! You remember it? You used it against me numerous times in the past, but now it is my turn to use it on you permanently. MWAHAHAHAHAHA! Don't you just love irony?" Bowser reached down to the ground for the sharp weapon, but was surprised to see that it was not there.

"WHAT?! WHERE IS MY AXE?!" Bowser roared as he frantically searched for it.

"Looking for this?" echoed a voice a voice from above. Bowser looked up and saw the other plumber standing in a doorway overlooking the tall lava chamber. He was carrying the axe in his right hand.

"Luigi!" Mario yelled.

"You stupid green-clad plumber!" Bowser yelled. "Bring me back that axe, or I'll personally throw your brother into the lava! I'm not afraid to do it!"

"Enough of the bull-crap, Bowser!" Luigi shouted. "You know you're going to lose again. You might as well toss yourself into the lava!"

"Very funny…NOW GIVE ME THAT FREAKIN' AXE!"

"In your dreams."

Overhead was a long metal chain supporting an overhead fire chandelier. In that moment, Luigi quickly detached the chain from the wall with the axe and watched as it landed on top of the evil lizard king. Mario freed himself from Bowser's grasp and Luigi made his way down to the bridge by performing one of his signature forward somersaults. He landed on both of his feet.

"Luigi! Quick!" Mario yelled. "Get off the bridge before Bowser gets back up!"

Luigi ran across the wooden beams and jumped over to where Mario was standing and effortlessly snapped the ropes of the bridge with the axe causing Bowser to plummet into the lava below. Bowser screamed in agony as the liquid rock scalded his scaly reptilian skin and burned him to a black crisp. The screaming eventually subsided and the brothers breathed a huge sigh of relief, realizing that their quest was over and Bowser had been defeated. Both of them have waited too long for this moment. Mario turned to his brother.

"You did it, brother. You saved the world!" Mario said, giving his brother a huge hug. Luigi returned the favor. Ever since they started going after the evil dictator, it had been their dream to take him down once and for all for the sake of the Mushroom Kingdom. It had finally happened. BOWSER WAS DEAD.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Luigi said. "I never thought this day would ever come!"

"Mario! Luigi! Get me out of here!" yelled a voice from the closed off room nearby. It was the princess. Mario and Luigi wasted no time in busting the door open and rushed inside to her aid. The elegantly-dressed Peach rushed over to the brothers in tears. Words could not describe the happiness that she felt.

"Oh, thank you!" Peach said, embracing Mario as if he was going away for an extended period of time. "How could I ever repay you two for your exemplary deed?"

"No need. We're just happy that you're safe." Mario said. "Bowser won't be kidnapping you anymore. He's dead."

"Oh, Mario…" Peach said, leaning closer to the red-clad plumber. He did the same and they both felt their lips lock together. After a few moments, they stared at each other for a few moments until they both started making their way out the doorway. Luigi followed, though not in the brightest of spirits. The reason: Mario and Peach's romance.

It happened every time the brothers saved Peach from Bowser. Mario and the princess would make out and lock lips in front of Luigi after each final battle and he would always be the one getting nothing out of it, nothing except a stronger need for more attention and appreciation. The truth is that Luigi had deep feelings for the princess as well, but his incredible shyness combined with Mario's overshadowing popularity made him vulnerable to lack of self-esteem. As a result, no one among the general public truly recognized Luigi as Mario's partner in their heroic deeds, but rather just a simple side-kick. Now that Bowser was gone, Luigi thought that he may get a chance to impress Peach. But as he watched her and Mario kiss in the doorway, he faced reality and knew that Peach was out of his league. She had chosen his brother over him and it seemed to him that he would never get another chance at love.

Anger coupled with jealousy started to creep into Luigi's mind as he struggled to cope with his inner rage, which soon melted into intense melancholy. It was something that only became more intense after each adventure. Why does Mario always get the girl? Luigi thought. Hell, I was the one that killed Bowser!

"Are you coming, Luigi?" Peach asked.

"Yeah, I guess." he replied, tried to hide his feelings.

"What's the matter, Luigi?" Mario asked.

"Nothing." Luigi lied. "I'm just really tired. Let's get out of here."

Luigi looked up at his brother and felt the jealousy inside of him grow. He almost wanted to punch him in the face, but he somehow managed to refrain from doing so. He followed the two lovebirds out of doorway and into the lava room where they managed to find a hidden passage leading outside where their boat ride back to the Mushroom Kingdom was waiting for them.

Present Day

It was mid-morning over the Mushroom Kingdom coastline and Luigi watched as Peach's Castle started coming into better focus as the boat neared the docks. Looking across the open ocean, he remembered how impressive the castle looked the first time he ever ventured near it. Even in the years since he first saw it, it was still an impressive sight. It stood as a triumphant testament of the Mushroom Kingdom's long history, a reminder of the many great moments that have happened in its past. The expansive green garden and the giant maple trees seen lining the stone trail were enough to make any professional landscaper envious. Beautiful white daisies and yellow daffodils decorated the outline of the path and medium-sized trees loaded with ripe peaches which were being picked out in the nearby harvesting yard, located beyond the stony path in front of the castle and out in the grassy field. Luigi knew that there would be a huge welcoming party when they arrive, and it would not be for him either. He did not want anything to do with his brother since they left the Darklands, especially since last night when he heard moaning and banging coming from Mario's sleeping quarters. It was obvious that Mario and Peach were doing more than just making out that night. For all Luigi knew, they could be doing it again right now, since he was the only person sitting out on the deck and he has not seen either of them for the past half hour.

Just then, Mario and Peach walked out onto the deck and sat next to Luigi. Luigi did not say a word.

"Looks like we're almost home." Mario said.

"Yep." Luigi replied, not even looking at his brother.

"Is everything alright, Luigi? You don't seem like yourself today."

"I'm alright! Just leave me alone!" Luigi snapped.

"Alright! Alright! Geez, Luigi…Just because you killed Bowser doesn't mean you have to treat your brother like crap."

Luigi turned around and looked at Mario with a somewhat disgusted look on his face.

"You think that is the reason why I'm snapping at you?!" Luigi said.

"Mario! Luigi! Stop it!" Peach yelled. "You two are acting like little children!"

Luigi turned his back on his brother and pretended like he was staring into the water, but Mario knew that there was something on his mind. He tried to reach out to him, but Luigi simply ushered him away and made his way into the cabin, where he then went directly to his quarters. Both Peach and Mario looked at each other, unable to explain what had just happened. They both knew one thing: Luigi was not happy.

"What the hell was that all about?!" Mario asked.

"I don't know." Peach said. "Maybe he's just tired?"

"No…He's usually not this cranky when he's tired." Mario replied. "There's something else going on, and I want to know what it is."

"Give him some time to calm down first." Peach said. "I don't think he wants to talk to you right now."

"But why?" Mario asked. "What did I do to make him so angry?"

"Maybe I should talk to him." Peach said. "He'll probably listen to me."

"You can try, but I won't guarantee anything." Mario replied.

Peach walked inside the boat cabin and made her way down the hall until she reached the door leading into Luigi's quarters. She knocked on the door to let him know she was there, but there was no reply. She tried again.

"Luigi!" Peach said. "May I come in?"

No response. She tried knocking again, but still there was silence. Is he in the bathroom? Peach looked down the hall towards the restroom, only to find that the door was wide open and unoccupied. She turned back towards Luigi's door.

"Luigi? Are you in there?" she asked. "Hello?"

Peach finally allowed herself to open the door and stepped inside to find Luigi sitting on the bed with his head buried in his arms as if he were crying. He did not even look up to say anything, for he was too upset to talk to anyone, even the princess herself. Peach knew that there was something on his mind, but she was afraid to ask, since Mario had mentioned to her that there would be no guarantees in learning the truth behind his sudden depression. Finally, after a moment of silence and taking a deep breath, Peach sat on the bed beside Luigi and proceeded to start a conversation with the younger Mario Brother.

"Is everything alright, Luigi?" Peach asked.

"No." he replied. "I don't want to talk about it. It's something that's been on my mind for the past two days. It's been ripping at my heart ever since my brother and I started rescuing you from Bowser."

"Well, maybe I can help you feel better." Peach said. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"I can't. It's too sensitive." Luigi replied. "Besides, I don't want to hurt your feelings, princess. It would only make things worse than they already are."

"What are you talking about?" Peach said. "There's nothing wrong with the way things are right now! You and Mario saved me from Bowser and killed him once and for all. Don't you realize what that means? It means that the Mushroom Kingdom has many peaceful years ahead of it. You should be proud for what you did…"

"I would if Mario didn't always take all of the credit…" Luigi replied. "It happens every single time we go on these adventures. Him and I both do our deeds for the kingdom, and then he just comes out in front of the blind crowd and takes every single bit of credit he can get, including all the things I did to help. When they look at me, all they see is a sorry excuse of a sidekick and not the hero I really was. Why? I don't get it."

"Luigi…"

By this point, Luigi was beginning to raise his voice and anger was starting to taint his rant.

"Why does my brother always get recognized for everything?! If it weren't for me, he would probably be hanging over a spike pit in some isolated backwater country infested with Bowser's evil cronies! I SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS AN EQUALLY HEROIC PERSON! HELL, I WAS THE ONE THAT KILLED BOWSER!"

"Luigi…"

"But you know what's going to happen when we reach the shore? Everyone is going to flock to my brother and make over him and credit him as the defeater of the evil Koopa King!"

Luigi started to weep a little as his tone simmered down.

"Next thing I know, you two will be running up to the castle to do the wild thing in the bedroom again, just like what happened last night. Me, I'll be stuck in my house wondering why the hell I'm even alive on this planet! I might even end up considering to kill myself…It's not like anyone would care…"

"Luigi!" Peach yelled. "You…I don't even know what to say to that! But I can tell you that you are being unpredictable! How could you say those things?! Why would you even consider killing yourself?! You have too much to live for!"

"I'm so sorry…" Luigi said, his eyes starting to water a little more. He tried to hide his sadness, but it did not work. "I wish I could tell you what's really on my mind, but I just can't. It would interfere with your relationship with Mario."

"Why can't you just tell me?" Peach asked in a somewhat frustrated tone. "What makes this thought on your mind so sensitive?"

Luigi's eyes were now dripping with tears. As much as he did not want to say it, his sadness and angst toward his brother ultimately got the best of him. He reached the breaking point and started crying in front of Peach.

"Peach…" Luigi cried. "I love you."

Peach gasped. It all made sense now, but deep down it knocked the wind out of her chest. She was suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and regret. She did not know what to think of Luigi's confession.

"Luigi…I didn't know…"

"I'm so sorry, princess…" Luigi said. "I couldn't keep it a secret anymore. I should've told you when I had the chance."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Peach asked in a slightly quivered voice.

"Mario got to you first. I was too shy…" Luigi replied. He continued to sob and Peach could only stand and say nothing as sadness started to creep into her like a contagious disease. She felt bad for Luigi, but at the same time, she was struggling to figure out to explain all of this to Mario. She loved him and Mario loved her, but so did Luigi. She and Luigi were good friends, but now that she knew his true feelings for her, she found herself in a dilemma. If Peach remained with Mario, she was afraid Luigi would do something bad to himself. As much as she wanted Luigi to be happy, there was nothing Peach could do unless she broke Mario's heart in the process. She made her way for the door as tears started pouring down her face.

"Peach? Where are you going?" Luigi asked.

"I have to think…" she replied as she made her way back onto the boat deck.

What have I done?! Luigi thought. I should've kept my mouth shut.

Mario was sitting in one of the outdoor lounge chairs when Peach approached him from the boat cabin. He was surprised when he saw her walk out with a negative expression on her face. Obviously things did not go well with Luigi, but Mario felt like asking anyway just to be sure that it was not anything else.

"So, Peach. What did Luigi say when you asked him what problem was."

Peach's mind was still racing to find the proper response, but she was not having any success.

"He didn't want to talk about it." Peach lied. "He said that it was too sensitive for him to explain." Well, at least that was truthful. "I tried to help him, but he was too upset to talk about anything with me."

"Just give him some time, he'll come through eventually." Mario replied. "My brother has always been like this whenever he got upset."

"I see." Peach said. She was about to walk over to the other side of the boat to get a better view of the castle when Mario stopped her.

"What is it, Mario?" she asked.

"Peach, I have a surprise for you." Mario said. "I was going to keep it a surprise until we got back to the castle, but my heart just couldn't bear to wait any longer. I've waited a long time for this…"

Mario reached into one of the front pockets of his overalls and pulled out a small white box. He got up from his chair and kneeled in front of Peach before he opened it, revealing a beautiful diamond ring that was crafted by one of the finest jewelers in the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi was still fresh in her mind, but she knew what was about to happen.

"Mario…"

"Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom," Mario said, "will you marry me?"

Hey, everyone. I went ahead and started a brand new story and there are already a lot of things going on in the first chapter. What do you think?

I tried to explain a little bit of this at the end of the summary, but the character limit prevented me from doing so. Basically, the reason why Luigi was so angry and depressed to begin with was because of the jealousy he has towards his brother. For one, Mario always received the credit after each of their adventures and secondly, he always got the girl... Seems reasonable enough. I mean, who wouldn't get mad after hearing moaning and banging on the next room, knowing that your brother or best friend or someone you knew was having fun with the girl of your dreams? I've been in similar situations myself.

The next few chapters will lead into the main plot of the story. This story has nothing in common with the other three Mario stories I have already posted, since it follows a different timeline. Let me know what you think! If people decide they want to see more, I will gladly add more chapters. In the meantime, I will be waiting for some reviews, so don't hesitate to voice your opinion! This is merely an experimental piece of writing at the moment, but may grow into something more. We'll see what happens :)

saturn95