I do NOT own any Mario characters. I owe this fanfic Idea to LuigiWife1551 and her story Non Mollare Mai. LuigiWife gave me the basic plot and I decided to use it. So go check out her fancfic here s/10860801/1/Non-Mollare-Mai
It was exactly three months since both Count Bleck and Dimentio were defeated but things were far from normal for the Mario brothers. Mario, once again, made a point to leave home and go to Peach's castle before his younger brother, Luigi, had even woken up. Ever since the incident with... Mr. L… Mario had a difficult time being near his younger brother so he tried to avoid him as much as possible.
He knew it was wrong to feel that way, he knew that it wasn't his brother at that time, so why? Why was he doing it? He sortta knew why; he was scared. Scared that he would accidentally tell his baby brother the one thing he knew would destroy him. Afraid of letting his anger get the better of him and take it out on someone who didn't deserve it.
However, he never realized that flat out avoiding Luigi hurt just as much, if not more. It also gave Luigi plenty of time to think about the reasons why his brother was so distant. It also left him wanting answers more than anything... However could he handle them?
Peach was reading in her library when she looked up and noticed the red hero standing in the doorway. He wore an aggravated expression, but she knew it wasn't for her.
"Hello, Mario." She said sadly, motioning him to sit with slowly made his way to the table and took a seat opposite to the princess and slammed his head into his folded arms on the table.
She knew how hard it was on Mario to avoid Luigi. He had been becoming more and more stressed keeping such a big secret from his own brother and she had tried to convince him a few times to tell Luigi about it. She also stated that it would make things worse the longer he kept it from him. No surprise to her though, Mario was stubborn; something in this case, she knew would end up hurting both him and the person he was trying to protect.
She knew she had no right to intervene since she was still a little nervous around the green brother from time to time, though she did her best to hide her uneasiness around Luigi. She just sometimes felt that one wrong move would bring the horrible Mr. L back and he would once again try to kill Mario and maybe even her or her people. Even Bowser had once or twice showed his concern around the younger of the two heros. But she soon realized her fears were silly.
No matter what happened, Luigi was still Luigi; caring, innocent, naive, clumsy and most of all kinder than any person she had ever met. Now Peach just wanted all this to be behind them, but she knew that would never happen until Mario finally told his brother what he wanted to know.
"Mario, why don't you just tell him?" She asked, still determined to change his mind. He shook his head, still keeping his face hidden in his arms.
Peach sighed heavily, closed her book and put it down. "Do you want to talk about it with me at least." They already discussed it before plenty of times, but it seemed to be the only thing that could help calm the stressed hero out long enough to at least look at his brother.
"What's there to talk about. We both know what went down. Bowser knows what happened. Luigi was turned into an evil minion who tried to destroy the entire world. Then we managed to defeat him and turn him back to normal. What else is there?" He ranted, by now he was standing and his face was bright red. Peach only then realized how stressed the hero in red was and decided to calm him down. She then knew that if Mario were to tell Luigi, he might do it in a way that would seriously hurt the sensitive man.
Speaking of the devil, Peach thought to herself as Luigi cautiously entered the room. Luigi looked like he hadn't slept well in days, maybe even weeks. His eyes were duller than usual and he had several gray bags under his droopy eyes. His skin was slightly paler, not noticeable to people who didn't know him before hand. Peach knew Mario noticed Luigi's poor condition because he looked away guiltily.
Without word Luigi grabbed a random book off of a nearby shelf and sat at a different table.
"Hey, bro." Mario broke the silence, the uncertainty clear in his voice. "What's the matter? Are you feeling well? You look a little ill." He kept asking, never receiving an answer. After a few moments he finally took a deep breath.
"What were you talking about? Before I got here." He asked. Peach looked at Mario who just looked to the floor, trying to think of something to say.
"We were talking about how it's strange that Bowser hasn't tried taking over the kingdom in a while." Mario answered, Luigi nodded and went back to reading. Mario and Peach let out a sigh of relief, thinking he really bought it. Little did they know, Luigi wasn't buying it at all.
That night Mario found himself being cornered but his taller brother. Luigi, though frail looking, put up a determined stance. "Mario, tell me what happened at Bleck's castle. Why can't I remember everything?" He half yelled, hoping that would make his brother finally understand how much he wanted to know.
Luigi knew that Mario was avoiding him because of something that happened. Something that he just couldn't remember. He really wanted to know what was making his brother distance his self from him. Luigi even noticed how Peach would slightly tense up when he entered the room. There was even the time they were about to return home from the adventure and Bowser kept making worried glances at him, as if he was nervous.
Instead of giving him an answer Mario just laughed. "I told you, we thought it was weird that Bowser hasn't attempted to attack the mushroom kingdom or try to kidnap the princess. You know how he's always trying to marry her, so it's kind of weird. Almost uncomforting."
Luigi didn't look convinced instead of fighting a losing battle he decided to switch the question, "Fine if you don't want to tell me the truth about that then tell me this." He paused, working up his courage. "Why are you always avoiding me?" Mario looked shocked.
"What do you mean? I haven-" he started only to be cut off.
"Don't lie to me! Ever since we got back from saving the dimensions from the chaos hearts you've been leaving before I even wake up, and most times you don't even get home until I go to sleep. You barely speak or even look at me. Even Peach acts like she's scared of me or something. Mario, I want to know why."
Mario remains quiet for a moment. He finally pushes Luigi out of his way. "Look, just let it go. it's late and you're tired. It's nothing you need to worry about anyway. You should go to sleep, you look like you need a good nights sleep." He became more annoyed than anything. He wasn't annoyed at Luigi, but at his self for not being able to just let it all go.
Luigi looked at Mario in his bed, facing away from the green plummer. He sighed and slid under his covers. But he was far from a 'good nights sleep'. Most of that night he laid awake staring at the ceiling and thinking. As he had done for the last few months.
A few rainy nights later
Luigi looked around, he knew this place. He only remembered being there for a long time before being found and rescued by his brother. It was the underwhere.
This time it was different. Everywhere he looked he saw only a man in dark green and black. He wore a reversed L on his hat and had a black mask over his silver eyes. Images of the dark green man and a flying jester began playing before him.
One was of the green man fighting Mario, but losing both times. Then the jester seemed to destroy mario and then the green man.
Then the green man stood alone, facing Luigi. A wicked smile formed on his lips. "Where were you, Luigi? Why can't you remember? I know why."
"Who are you? Why did you try to kill my brother? Why can't I remember everything?" Luigi asked desperately.
The man laughed wickedly and vanished as he mouthed the word 'you'.
Luigi stood in the dark, shocked as Mario appeared before him.
"Mario!" Luigi sighed until he realized his brother was glaring at him menacingly at him. "Bro, whats wrong?"
He scoffed and growled, "You are no brother of mine, traitor! You disgust me. How dare you try to kill me then act like you don't even remember. You should have just stayed in the the Underwhere!"
Luigi felt tears run down his face as he sprung up from his sleep. He began sobbing, Mario's words still ringing in his mind.
Mario awoke to the sound of his brother's crying. He sluggishly pulled himself out of bed and walked over to Luigi. He was more or less annoyed because this had been going on since the night Luigi had cornered him, looking for answers, and Mario was too tired to keep it up. He would wake up either screaming and crying, and it would take a couple hours of arguing, Mario about the nightmare and Luigi about answers, before they would finally give up and go back to sleep.
"Okay, enough is enough!" Mario hollered, not meaning to beforehand, but at the moment he was too tired to care or even notice his outburst made Luigi's tears stop immediately in shock." What is going on? You've been waking me up in the middle of the night, either screaming or bawling your eyes out. What's wrong?" The last part held more concern than anything.
Luigi answered honestly after a bit of silence became unbearable. "I don't know. I can't remember everything after I wake up."
"Do you really expect me to believe that!?" Mario yelled angrily.
"Fine! I can remember a man in dark green and black trying to kill everyone, but this time I saw you, and you told me I was a traitor and I should have stayed in the Underwhere. Why can't you tell me what happened there? Why do I keep seeing him? Why should I have stayed behind?" Mario visually flinched. Luigi could feel the tears coming back.
"Forget it! You really wanna know that bad? Fine! I'll tell you!" He yelled, unable to keep it all in any longer. "Yes, I wanted to leave you there! I was sick and tired of you messing everything up everywhere we go! That man in green, he was you! Because you were weak, Bleck's henchman was able to brainwash you and make you fight against me. You kept attacking us and stealing the hearts we managed to find, causing the world to nearly be destroyed!"
"No! I-" Luigi cried inaudibly.
Mario ignored him and continued anyway, unable to stop his self. "The reason why you don't even remember anything after defeating Bleck is because you became Mr. L again. And Dimentio fused the chaos hearts with you to create a freak of nature! Even though we won against it and destroyed Dimentio, as long as you're alive he will be able to still come back. Meaning the chaos hearts aren't completely gone either. Nothing and no one is safe as long as you're still alive!" Luigi had long since collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
The memories began flooding his mind and he gripped his head in pain, choking down painful screams. By this time Mario had realized his mistake and backed away in horror at what he had done. He stared down at his broken brother and mentally cursed his self as he ran out the door.
Luigi stayed in the room the rest of the night, curled up in a ball and sobbing until no more tears would dare fall.
"He's right. I should just die." He finally said as he walked almost trance-like out of their house. He had no destination in mind, but subconsciously headed in the direction of one of the tallest cliffs in the Mushroom Kingdom, Peak Cliff. He never even heard the concerned Toad call out his name.
Mario ran outside to catch his breath and try to comprehend everything that had just went down. He decided to take a walk to and back from Toad Town to calm down, which was about an hours walk the short way and two hours the long way. Mario decided to take the long way. After walking about halfway there a dark thought crossed his mind.
"Oh no. What if he decides to…" His eyes widen and he takes towards the house at full speed.
"Oh god, No!Please, no! Luigi!"
Luigi sat near the edge of Peak Cliff, staring down at the endless sea that lie before him. "As long as you're alive he will be able to still come back. Nothing and no one is safe as long as you're still alive!"
He kept repeating the words Mario told him over and over in his head. He let out a loud sigh and thought aloud. "It would be better for everyone if I just died right now, wouldn't it?" Silent tears began rolling down his face. He stood up and attempted to mentally prepare himself.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and took a step closer to the edge.
"Luigi!" Mario called as he ran into their empty house. His first thought was the bedroom he left Luigi in. When he entered the room he found no Luigi. He rushed to the bathroom and the rest of the house but still Luigi was nowhere to be seen. "Where are you, Weegee?" He whispered disheartedly. Suddenly he heard a frantic knock at the door. Mario ran outside and looked around. "Luigi!" He yelled, but became disheartened when he noticed it was just Toad.
"Mario, You have to go quickly! It's Luigi!" Mario's eyes widened as he felt his heart drop.
"What's wrong? What happened to Luigi?" He asked frantically.
"I was on my way to come and get you for the princess when I saw Luigi leave the house. I called out his name a bunch of times, but he never replied. So I tried to catch up with him, but he was so fast. He looked so sad so I kept trying to catch up to him for a while. But I ran back here as soon as I realized…" He started to gasp for air.
"Realized what!" Mario was shaking the small toad. "He's heading towards Peak Cliff!" Toad cried. Mario felt the air leave him. He didn't waste a second after he comprehended the statement.
He raced down the trail faster than he ever ran before in his life. "No, Weegee! Please Be okay! Don't do it!" He yelled in his head. "Wait for me, I'm coming!"
It took Mario a total of ten minutes to make it to the base of the cliff, a trip that would normally take half an hour to reach by walking. He felt relief wash over him when he noticed a green dressed figure still sitting at the top of the cliff. But he couldn't stop there, he pushed his self to run more until he finally made it to the top.
But he didn't have time to rejoice when he heard…
"It would be better for everyone if I just died right now, wouldn't it?" Unable to answer, Mario watched as Luigi stood up and sighed. Mario's eyes widened in shock as he took slow, small steps closer to the edge.
"Luigi" Mario barely whispered as he ran forward, hoping to reach his brother in time. Suddenly Luigi dropped to his knees, sobs escaping his throat; as soon as the sobs started, they stopped and he looked to the sky.
Mario made it to Luigi, he dropped to his knees and wrapped the green clad plumber in an embrace. It seemed to Mario that Luigi was too wrapped up in his own world that he didn't even notice the embrace he was receiving from his brother. He took one look into his brother's eyes to find them dull and lifeless, something that he had never been seen in them before.
Everything was silent and Luigi remained unresponsive, at least until he spoke again, "Luigi, I'm so sor-"
Luigi cut him off. "Would everyone really be better off if I just died right now?" So he does notice me. Mario thought, immediately replaced with guilt." I don't think anyone would even notice." He said nonchalantly, almost as if he weren't even speaking. Mario lets go of the younger man and sat next to him.
"..." Mario wanted to say differently, but he didn't know if he had the right to, he felt like he didn't. After all, he had done this to his brother, what right did he have to tell him not to think that way? Luigi gave him a hollow smile and empty chuckle. They sit quietly for what seemed to be hours.
"I almost did it...jumped, I mean." Luigi informed, his voice still indifferent. Mario stared at his brother with sadness, he didn't want to tell him he was there.
Luigi began laughing as if somethings was drop dead funny. "I couldn't even get close enough to the edge to see over it. The second I opened my eyes I chickened out." His laughter continued. "I'm nothing but a coward. I can't even make take my own life to keep everyone else safe. Even when I know the world would be much safer and everyone would be happier if I do it. I still just can't bring myself to do it. I'm so pathetic!" He slammed his fists to the ground, his laughter gone and tears falling from his face.
Mario finally spoke,"You are not a coward. I should have never said any of that stuff the way I did. I was so tired and frustrated from keeping all from you that it just exploded."
"But it was all the truth no matter how you say it." Luigi added. "Face it. I'm always getting in the way, I'm scared of just about everything. I'm so weak I allowed myself to be used that way, and I can't help but hate myself for it. You were right to want to leave me in the underwhere. I just wish you would have." Mario snapped back, calmer than before.
"No! I was wrong for what I said! You are the bravest, kindest and strongest person I know. You save me more than once before. You were terrified of ghosts but you still took them on to rescue me because I was too stupid to go in that mansion prepared. And about the underwhere~ I didn't even know you were in the Underwhere until I had found you. Even after I saw you there I still wanted to take you with me, that's why I took you with me. And nobody could have resisted Nastasia. It wasn't just you, even Peach was used. Almost everything that came out of my mouth back there were untrue, senseless ramblings! I'm the idiot for not saying it like it really was. You do NOT nor have you ever deserved to die! If Mr. L or Dimentio ever come back, I'll protect you no matter what!" Luigi stared at his brother in disbelief. He was unsure if he should trust what his brother had just told him.
However, when Mario stood up and looked confidently at him, Luigi decided to trust him. Mario reached out his hand and Luigi hesitantly grabbed it. Luigi was then pulled into one last embrace, this one he was well aware of and returned the hug.
"Promise me that no matter what, you'll never give up." Mario begged.
Luigi sat silently, deciding whether or not to trust what his brother said.
"Please, Weegie." Luigi could see the guilt he felt in his eyes, but he knew he was sincere.
Luigi nodded. "Promise."
"Mario." Luigi, added. "I'm sorry for everything."
"Don't be, you had no control over what happened to you."
"But I-"
"No buts. I said it wasn't your fault. Trust me." Luigi nodded.
"Let's go home." Mario offered.
"Okay." The two stood up and turned to walk home until something caught their eyes.
Princess Peach knew Mario was bound to blow up very soon so she sent Toad to keep an eye out on the two in order to prevent any tragedies from occurring. When he returned and informed her on the events that had unfolded, Peach was finally to rest soundly, knowing everything would be just fine between the two heros.
She stared out the window of her room, the only room with a perfect view of Peak Cliff, and off in the distance she watched as two dots stood up and began walking down hill.
"Thank goodness, everything seems to be alright now. She said aloud. Before she turned to head back inside, Peach noticed an array of colors making its way up from behind the cliff. The two dots seemed to notice as well because they seemed to had stopped walking as well.
Peach smiled happily as she stared out and watched the sunrise with her two best friends.
"Hey, look at that." Mario pointed towards a beautiful sunrise full of many shades of reds, and oranges. The light reflected off of the water, causing a stunning sight that anyone would love to see.
"Beautiful." Luigi smiled. After staring at the sunrise until the sun was fully up, they decided to go home and get some shut eye.
Together, the two brothers headed back home, joking around and having fun as they used to.
I really like how it how it turned out. As I was writing it I wasn't so sure. Please leave a comment, tip, idea, thoughts on how it could be better, ect., on it. Any one of them are really appreciated.