Hello everyone!

Okay, so I've re-done this story twice and I decided to stop it because I didn't like the storyline and I hated how I wrote it... still makes me cringe in fear...

So, hopefully for the last time, I will be rewriting this story and finishing it for real this time! I will be re-writing and editing this story along with my current work, 'Threshold'.

As for this story, the title, story and OC will be completely changed, and hopefully, I get this plot flowing the way I want so this story can get finished.

With that being said, please enjoy! I own nothing except my characters and this story plot- again.

Chapter 1

Blast from the Past

It was during the hot, sticky summers that Mario wished he had a pool. With the weather topping temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, it was no wonder hardly anyone was out. Even Bowser had to get away from his scorching hot lava-pits, and went to Ice Land for a vacation. There was nothing but peace and quiet, which sounded odd in this kingdom, but it was something Mario wouldn't complain about.

It was also days like these that Mario enjoyed. Regardless of the heat, Luigi was often cleaning, cooking or tending to his plants and flowers in the garden, and Mario could sleep all he wanted. Besides that, he and his brother got to spend time together-something he never really did too often since their last adventure in the nightmarish mansion.

One night at the Mario residence, the temperatures had cooled outside, but not enough to the red-capped plumber's liking. He marched downstairs, grumbling and complaining about the insufferable heat and humidity in his room.

He planned to have some ice cream and sleep downstairs for the night, when he was met with a surprise.

"Weege? I thought you were asleep!" Said person jumped from where he had been sitting on his favorite couch, sipping on some hot tea and starting into space with the TV on. He relaxed when he saw it was only Mario.

"Nope. I... I was having a hard time sleeping." he said softly, setting his cup down. Mario noticed the hesitation in his brother's voice, and before he decided to say anything, he went for the kitchen and got a bowl of vanilla gelato.

"Want some, bro?" Luigi shook his head no, and rested his head in his hands. He stared at the screen, lost in thought. Mario shoved a spoonful of the cold treat in his mouth as he watched his brother's actions.

"Weege?" Luigi jumped yet again. "H-Huh? Yeah?"

"You... you okay?"

Luigi nodded and pulled his feet up on the couch. "Yeah. Just hot, really."

Temporarily forgetting the worried look in his brother's eyes, Mario started ranting. "It's hotter than Bowser's castles up there, Weege! I swear I'm about to strip naked and sleep downstairs! MAMA MIA!" He concluded the rant by eating another three spoonfuls of gelato. Luigi was caught of guard with what his brother had said, and started at him, slack-jawed. Mario ate away until he heard his brother laughing.

"What?!"

"I never... want to hear you say that again!" Luigi laughed, so hard tears came to his eyes and he had to grab his sides. Mario was stumped at first, but quickly joined in on the laughter, trying not to drop his bowl.

After a few laughing minutes, the two brothers calmed down. Mario set his bowl down and stretched out on the long couch, and Luigi continued staring at the TV screen, once again lost in thought. Mario had to think, 'When was the last time he'd seem him like that?'

'Two years... it's been two whole years, and he's been taking everything so... quiet. We both had nightmares, but Luigi... I know he had to go through far more than that. That ghost was his biggest fear and he was forced to fight it alone. I'm glad he's happy now, but I feel like he's holding so much more back from me...'

"Mario... I just thought of something." Luigi piped up fifteen peaceful minutes later. "Yeah?"

"We never fixed our air conditions, did we?" Mario hummed in thought and shook his head no. "You know, I don't think we did. That might have done us some darn good right now!"

"I thought so." Luigi lightly chuckled.

The silence befell them once more before Mario took another glance at his younger brother, who seemed to be curling in on himself despite the temperature being hotter than normal. "Luigi. What's wrong?"

"H-Huh? Nothing is wrong! Why do you ask?" he stumbled with his words before he looked away sheepishly.

"That's not true. You're shivering and it's boiling hot down here. What's going on?"

Luigi pulled hard on his pajama shirt and said in a quiet voice, "Nothing, Mario... its nothing."

That was another thing Mario had begun to notice. Since the whole event had happened, Luigi had gotten more... introverted, if that was the word. He refused to get out of the house unless the temperatures warranted for a long sleeve sweater or hoodie, and when he did wear a short sleeve shirt, he looked like he wanted to hide under a rock.

"... it's the mansion, isn't it." Mario said, never taking his eyes off his brother. Luigi shrank more into the couch and his night shirt, saying nothing.

"Its okay to think about it, Weegie." his brother assured him gently. "You went through something most people wouldn't come out of sane. Not to mention it was your worst fear manifested."

Luigi bit his lip. "I hate thinking about it..." he whispered. "I just wanna forget about it, but I can't, Mario! I can't! I keep seeing him, I keep seeing you, I keep seeing blood, I-I-"

"Wait Weege, I-"

"No, Mario! I had enough!" Luigi cried out, burying his face in his sleeves. He shuddered.

"I just can't anymore, Mario. I'm so tired of feeling like I'm helpless..." Mario felt the anger and distress radiating off his little brother and looked away.

"I know, Weegie. I know..." Mario whispered gently.

Luigi wiped his face and looked away from his brother, choosing instead to stare at the bright television in front of him. He felt ashamed due to his actions, especially in front of his stronger brother.

"I hate this..." he muttered loud enough to catch Mario's attention.

"Hate what?"

Luigi closed his eyes, trying to will himself to stop letting tears roll down his cheeks. "I feel pathetic. You've taken this better than me, and you were the one who was captured for so long. I hate that I get scared but I can't help it now. I keep thinking..."

"Thinking what?"

"That he'll come back, and that he'll hurt you..." Luigi finally whispered out.

Mario got up and walked over to his younger brother, enveloping him in a strong hug. Luigi felt trapped but liked the feel of his brother's arms about him. "I'm not as strong as you think I am, Luigi. I may not show it, but I was scared too. There's nothing wrong with feeling afraid, as long as you know you can overcome it with time."

Smiling, he held Luigi a little tighter. "You taught me that, little brother."

Luigi sighed and leaned into his brother's chest, listening to his breathing and the heart he thought had stopped the night he was captured.

"I don't want to think about it anymore... I don't but I can't stop doing it..." Luigi whispered, more to himself than anything. Mario said nothing.

Pulling back, Mario gave his brother a soft smile before he headed back to the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of soda and a bottle of water for Luigi before washing his bowl out. When he returned, he handed Luigi the bottle of water. Luigi took it with a tiny 'thanks' muttered under his breath. Mario sat back on the couch, and the brothers settled in to watch a random movie that started rolling.

About an hour or so into the movie, Mario snapped his fingers. "Weege, I almost forgot. That nutty professor called earlier today. He left a message for you. I wrote it and left it upstairs for you."

Luigi visibly paled. If the professor had to call and left a message that Mario had to write down... it must've been serious. "W-what? What happened? Is he okay?" he asked shakily.

"I... I'm not sure. It sounded serious, though." Mario said, his eyes suddenly narrowing. He felt Luigi was nervous and probably stressed from all that happened from the past two years, and he was still trying not to show any of it. "Listen, I will talk-"

Luigi's hands started to shake, and he hugged himself, shaking his head. "No. No, I... I will read it... thank you."

The younger brother stood up, but stumbled heavily, almost crashing into the table. Mario got up to move to help him, but Luigi held up his hand and continued on in silence. Mario looked on worriedly. 'He's not just scared. He's trying not to freak out. Luigi...'

When Luigi reached his room, as his brother said, a lone piece of paper sat on his nightstand. As he read it, his hands weren't the only parts trembling in fear. 'Not again...' he thought weakly as he scanned the note, sinking slowly to the bed. 'Please not again...'

'Luigi m'boy,

I am so sorry to have to trouble you again. But you need to hear me out!

A rather strange...entity seems to have arisen, m'boy. It seems to be in cahoots with King Boo, which is another problem. He managed to escape yet again. I am so sorry I was not careful, but he has escaped and it seems like another ghost has as well.

Luigi, I don't know how I missed it, but it is here! King Boo and... something which I have never seen before...

It must have formed sometime after you defeated King Boo. The mansion, I mean. I have never sensed such a strong paranormal activity and that ghost is not the only one who wants revenge.

Apprently, I was left a note- a warning, of sorts- by the evil ghost and a person calling himself 'Kenta'. It was simple, yet...

I am worried not only about you, m'boy. But those other brothers- Wario? His younger brother, the really skinny one... he is in danger, Luigi. As are you and your brother.

I do not understand what King Boo wants with those two boys, nor how he managed to escape. I do not know who this 'Kenta' character is, or his intentions.

Please, if you can, come by my laboratory tomorrow afternoon. Bring Mario and bring those two boys as well. We must figure out what is going on and how to possible stop it before it is too late.

Be careful, m'boy. Take care.

From,

Professor E. Gadd

Luigi placed the note down, and collapsed on his bed, his head in his hands. His body wouldn't stop shaking, and he whimpered at the sheer thought of having to see his frightening enemy once again.

"Why... why us... why me..." he whispered in fear, pulling on strands of his hair. His heart began racing, and he found himself having a hard time breathing. It scared him more, and he cried out his brother's name.

"Mario! MARIO, PLEASE! HELP ME!"

His older brother had flew up the stairs, running into the bedroom and finding his baby brother wrapped tightly in his sheets, shaking and whimpering, tears trailing down his cheeks.

"Luigi! Luigi, calamti! Guardami! Che รจ successo?!" Mario demanded, trying his best to talk to him. Luigi clung to Mario and took deep, noisy breaths, trying to make his headache go away.

"Make this go away, Mario... please... just make it go away..." he sobbed. Sighing, Mario soothed his brother, rubbing his head, running his fingers through his hair as Luigi hiccupped and nestled closer to his brother.

'Luigi... I wish I knew how else to help you... but I can't fight this battle for you. You have to fight your fears, but I can't stand seeing you like this! Why you?! That damn ghost is going to pay!'

It was when Mario's hands slid up his shirt that he paused. He gently ran his fingers up his back, feeling uneven skin on the delicate flesh. His expression shifted from shock to guilt and he asked his brother the one question Luigi didn't want to answer.

"Luigi... tell me you didn't get this from that damn ghost..." he muttered. His brother let out a pained moan and closed his eyes, but didn't respond.

"Luigi? Who did this to you?"

"Just stop, please... I don't want to talk about it..." Luigi pleaded softly, hoping his brother would drop the conversation. But as Mario ran his fingers over the smaller, raised bumps, he felt three bigger ones. They felt soft, as if they hadn't healed properly, and Mario's guilt turned into anger.

"Luigi, who the hell did this to you?!" he hissed out, tears now rolling down his face. 'That damn bastard... he hurt him! He almost killed him! And Luigi didn't tell me?!'

Feeling his brother's hand trembling, Luigi gave in and weakly responded. "O-One of King Boo's ghosts..." He couldn't face his brother after keeping such a painful secret, and quickly hid his face in his brother's chest.

Mario wasn't having it. He forced Luigi to look him in the face. "Why didn't you tell me?! You almost died!"

"I know! But I couldn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry about me!"

Mario froze. "Why... why would you think that...? You're my brother; I'm supposed to worry about you!" he exclaimed.

"It was my fault you ended up in that mess, Mario! You don't get it! I didn't want him to hurt you again! I can't bear him taking you away from me again! I can't!" Luigi finally admitted, sobbing all over again. Mario pulled him close.

"You think I wanted to lose you too, Luigi? Do you honestly think I wanted to bury my only family? You're all I have left, and you know that." Mario said quietly. He kept running his fingers up and down Luigi's back.

"I couldn't... I couldn't think that you died in that hell hole, scared and alone like that. I refused to believe it. Until one of those damn ghosts brought your hat. It was soaked in your blood, and I just.. I couldn't breathe. You had been killed... that was what that ghost king gloated. I barely heard anything else other than you were dead and I couldn't see you!"

Luigi gripped his brother's hand for all he was worth and stayed nestled in his arms, but didn't talk for a while. He was enjoying the feel of his brother's soft fingers against his skin. Mario rested his head on Luigi's and inhaled his brother's shampoo scent. It smelled like green apples, one of his brother's favorite shampoo scents.

"I wondered... for the longest time, I wondered if you called out for me, asking me to save you, to protect you. I wouldn't have known... I wouldn't have known you were here and you came to save me..." Mario closed his eyes in thought.

"I cried, Luigi. I cried until I passed out. I didn't want to wake up and face the reality of you being... dead..."

Luigi hiccuped and wiped his eyes. "It hurt... that pain was unbearable and all I wanted to do was give in to that warmth and sleep... but I remembered I still had someone to fight for. I had to save you first... I had to make sure you were alright..." Luigi explained, his voice low and somewhat drained.

"I never thought I could be brave, Mario. But I... I did it. I just wanted you to be safe... even if I didn't live, you had to be alright..."

Mario inhaled, shuddered, and exhaled. "When I finally saw you, barely standing, but alive, I had never felt such a happier moment in my life. I didn't want to let you go. I didn't want to think it was real..."

His fingers gently traced his little brother's cheek. "I was just thankful you were alive, Luigi." Mario whispered. Luigi nodded. "I know... I was, too."

Mario and Luigi sat quietly for a few more moments, each lost in a their own little world. Then Mario asked, "Do you... want to talk about that note?"

Luigi quickly shook his head no. "Please don't bring it up right now... I'm tired..."

Mario nodded and allowed his brother to lay down, fatigue cleaning catching up to him. He continued to rub his brother's back and shoulder soothingly as he lulled his sleepless brother into Dreamland.

"Dormire, Luigi. Io sono proprio qui. Dormire." he breathed quietly. Luigi's eyes closed as he finally allowed himself the luxury of sleep, with his big brother keeping watch over him.

Mario's expression turned into one of angered thoughts as he continued picturing his suffering little brother in the control of those ghouls that almost took his life.

'Luigi's been shaking like this for so long now, and I didn't notice it! He's been trying to hold it all in, but he doesn't have to do that anymore. And those scars... that explains why he's been acting to secretive...' Mario thought, raising the back of his brother's nightshirt to see them himself.

He watched Luigi shiver and a tiny squeak escape him before he quieted down. Mario himself gasped at the severity of those three long wounds. It looked as if someone tore his back open, and the smaller 'bumpy' ones he felt were from smaller wounds. He could see more than one ghost played a part in his suffering, which angered Mario all the more.

'It wasn't just King Boo... it was more... but he won't tell me everything right now. Oh Luigi... you were so brave... you still are, little bro...'

Mario looked behind him as he prepared to let his brother rest, and noticed the note resting on the table. "What do you want with my brother, E. Gadd? Hasn't he been through enough?" he spoke, annoyed. He shook his head, dimmed the light in his room, and allowed his brother to finally sleep.

And complete! The first chapter of this story has been completely edited! I think this one came out a lot better than the last one, that's for sure.

Translations: 'Luigi, calm down! Look at me! What happened?!'

'Sleep, Luigi. I will be right here. Sleep.'

Well, let me know what you think of this new chapter. Until next chapter, everyone!