Prologue: After the Storm

"You're awake! Thank God."

Luigi turned his head to the side, and a red blur came into view. He blinked slowly, and Mario's face appeared out of the haze. His older brother was smiling, but Luigi could see the hat scrunched up in Mario's tight fists.

"You're in the hospital," Mario continued gently. "Bowser captured you and, well, you're safe now. That's what counts."

Luigi felt uneasy at his brother's last remark. He closed his eyes and tried to piece together what had happened, but all he could remember at first was cold, darkness, and pain. Other memories followed, and suddenly his brain seemed to click in. He began to remember the night of his abduction, a wonderful, terrible night. In the days that followed, Bowser would attempt to obliterate any good memories and replace them with horrors beyond Luigi's imagination. Luigi shuddered.

"Are you cold? Do you need me to get you another blanket?"

Luigi parted his dry, cracked lips. It felt like several days had gone by since he had been able to talk. "No," he croaked.

Luigi went back to thinking. There was a missing piece to this memory puzzle. Something, or maybe someone else was involved in all of this. Then it came to him.

"Waluigi," he uttered.

Mario twisted his hat in his hands again. "He'll be fine. He's home, resting. He told me about what happened the night Bowser took you captive. He's lucky to be alive, all things considered. Don't worry about him, though. You need to rest and get better. You gave me quite a scare, little bro. You were out for three days, and no one was sure when you were going to wake up."

Luigi opened his eyes and took a long look at his brother. He had dark circles under his eyes, and his clothing was rumpled. His hair was messy, and his moustache drooped. Luigi wondered if he had been sitting in that same chair the whole time he had been unconscious.

The door to Luigi's room opened, and Princess Peach glided in. She looked well-rested and proper in a tastefully cut pink floral summer dress. She leaned in to give Mario a kiss on the cheek, and her new engagement and wedding ring set glinted in the light coming in from the east-facing window. They had been on their honeymoon when everything had happened. Luigi felt a stab of guilt knowing that they had left the island resort early so they could pick up the pieces. Mario placed his hand lightly over Peach's as she rested it on his shoulder. Peach's eyes fell on Luigi.

"You're awake," she stated. There was no warmth in her voice, and Luigi couldn't blame her. Luigi nodded, then gasped. That small motion sent pain rippling through his body.

"Whoa, take it easy there, Luigi," Mario interjected. Peach turned to her new husband.

"Honey, we're going to be late, and you can't address our subjects looking like that."

Mario sighed. He had always known that marrying Peach meant he would have a hand in ruling the Mushroom Kingdom, but he hadn't known that his duties would start so soon and with such a grave message to the people. He was tasked with telling them about the recent Bowser sighting, the abduction of his brother, and Luigi's condition. He was definitely not ready to face it all yet, but he didn't seem to have much choice.

Peach noticed Mario's reaction, and her voice softened. "I know this will be difficult, but I'll be by your side no matter what happens, and I promise you can come straight back here when we're done. Luigi is in good hands here, I made sure of it." She squeezed his shoulder.

"Okay," Mario replied. "We'll be back. Hang in there, Weegie."

Luigi attempted a smile, which resulted in a painful grimace. "I will."

Mario allowed Peach to lead him out of the room, and Luigi was left with his own thoughts. More memories came flooding back to him, and he was powerless to stop them, even the most painful ones. One voice stood out among the rest, saying the same thing over and over again.

"I think I love you."