Chapter One - Injury and Paranoia.

Thud.

A pained grunt escaped the man's lips, as he was thrown aside once again. He weakly opened his eyes to see the smug face of his longtime arch-rival in front of his own.

"What's wrong plumber boy? Can't get a hit?"

The tyrant cackled, before nonchalantly whacking the man abreast with a swing of his scaled tail, the twisted expression on his face contorting with glee at the sound of the man's whimpers. The man pitifully cried out, as bones in his body fractured and cracked, tissues torn. Face flushed with severe pain, the man's breathing became more laboured as his nervous system went into overdrive. He swore that his leg had bent into an acute angle, almost mocking an interpretive art piece, the tears on his clothing resembling cross-hatching, as blood slowly seeped from every hachure.

The man tried his utmost to keep himself from screaming and writhing on the throne room floor, from becoming a parody of a fish out of water.

He didn't want to give the reptilian king that pleasure.

"I think it's game over for you Mario. You had a good run."

The tyrant smirked, his demeanour and expression dominant and controlling as he prepared a final, devastating attack, the fire in his gaping maw growing hotter and more lethal by the second, the hues of cardinal and vermillion flames clashing with the jagged whites of the monster's teeth. Mario opened his eyes weakly to gaze at a woman in pink, who watched the denouement in horror, her eyes watering as she weakly grasped the cold, iron bars of her hanging prison. The man gazed at the cage; the warm pink ribbon, tied delicately to the cage lid, jeered at him, mocked him.

You couldn't save your little Princess, so frail and weak.

He ignored the apparent taunts and smiled weakly at her, mouthing a few last words of endearment before closing his eyes and preparing for the end, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth as he started to feel the sheer heat of the embers on his exposed skin.

There was so much left unsaid, so much we needed to know about each other...Peach, I'm sorry. I tried my best.

Please forgive me.

"FRATELLO!"

He found himself rolled forcefully onto his side, out of range of the turtle tyrant, and with the familiar figure of his brother looming protectively over him, acting as his personal 'protective bubble'. His brother winced, knees buckling slightly as he took the brunt of the fire attack, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Mario stared wide eyed at his brother, his own eyes tearing slightly upon realising the pain his brother must be in.

All because of his recklessness.

"Ah green 'stache's made his entrance! You're too late greenie. It ends today...and I'll be having the last laugh."

The koopa's laugh sliced through the air, and the younger brother stood shakily. He took another glance at his older, beaten brother and his eyes hardened.

I won't break our promise, Fratello.

Turning to the koopa, he scowled, shooting daggers of pure, unbridled hatred towards the King of the Darklands.

"You'll not lay another claw on him."

The Koopa leered, before taunting and ridiculing the younger brother even more, trying to break the younger man's spirit. Luigi's anger only increased as the Koopa threw more and more insults his way, jeering at him and laughing, an amused look in his piercing, crimson eyes.

"Green stache, Why don't you run on home? Can't you do the washing up or something? Your brother and I have business, and you're just getting in the way y'know."

The younger man, unable to hold in his anger any longer, let out a loud cry as he bounded towards the giant figure of the Koopa, arms flailing and charged with crackling electricity. Unleashing the full power of the thunderhand, he punched the the Koopa king's jaw square-on. The tyrant shuddered and jolted as insane amounts of voltage coursed throughout his body, his muscles spasming under the current, body folding into unnatural shapes as the voltage wracked his system. He flopped to the floor, barely conscious, his eyes only open wide long enough to see the man in green looming over him, a vengeful look etched onto his face.

"You'll never hurt him again."

A sharp pain ran through the king's body, spreading like wildfire as his nerves went into a state of shock. Blood pooled beneath his body as he realised what the young man had done to him, as he noticed the sharpened edge of an aged hammer handle sticking out of his gut. He groaned and moaned, weakly shifting and turning his body over and flipping onto his shell, trying to pull the weapon out of his lower abdomen. Luigi simply watched, studying the king's distressed actions with a deadpan gaze, staring at the tyrant until he stopped moving, seemingly haven fallen into the realms of unconsciousness. Or, perhaps he was dead.

Luigi couldn't give a damn either way. He deserved it. Deserved it for hurting Fratello.

Satisfied, the brother turned towards his injured sibling, bundling him into his arms. Tears started to run freely down his cheeks, and he couldn't help but sniff slightly, cradling his brother's body close to his chest. The older brother, teetering on the edge of consciousness, ran a hand down his sibling's cheek, blood following the path his fingertips took on the contours of the man's face.

"Hey bro...you did it...great job..."

He smiled solemnly at Luigi.

"Maybe...you should take him on next time...not me..haha..."

Luigi shook his head vigorously at his brother's comment, tightening his grip around his body and staring him in the eyes.

"N-no way Mario! That's your job, not mine! I s-stay at home and cheer you on, or try to help you on adventures...I'm not...I'm not like you are...and that's fine! That's how I like it! That's why-"

Luigi found himself interrupted by a rough, rasping coughing fit, and glanced down at his brother to see him hunched over and coughing into his hands, crimson specks dotting his once pristine white gloves, the stains spreading out along the fabric like flowers beginning to bloom.

"O-oh no Mario, y-you need to get that checked out bro...c'mon, we'll go now..."

Luigi tried to pick up his brother carefully, only to get gently pushed away.

"The princess. She's still here...I can't-we can't leave her..."

The man in green watched with sorrow as his brother struggled to stand, legs trembling as he tried to keep balanced on his feet. Luigi shook his head and firmly grabbed his brother's shoulder, wincing when he heard a small whimper of pain from the other.

"I'll get her bro. Just stay put, okay? L-look, I think she's fainted...but she's fine. I'll..I'll go get her. Um..."

The younger brother gently lay his sibling down on the floor, rushing towards the princess' cage. Mario silently stared after him, frowning somewhat. He glanced back towards Bowser, who was still laying motionless, the hammer handle still protruding from his body.

"That was aggressive, for him at least...he could've...killed him."

The older sibling frowned at this thought. It was true, Luigi rarely inflicted such damage on enemies they had faced in the past, it was always up to Mario to land the finishing blow, or very rarely, the killing blow.

Mario shuddered. Was Luigi capable of killing like that? Maybe. Mario hated to kill, however, he felt the safety of the residents and princess of the kingdom he loved so dearly was far more important than his own conscience, and he would do anything to make sure they were all happy and safe. Luigi, on the other hand, could never seem to get past his nerves when facing enemies. Mario had thought it impossible for his brother to even land a severe hit in his life; that was, until now. Gazing at the Koopa king, it became very clear that in the right circumstances, Luigi would go for blood.

That scared Mario.

There was no remorse, only a cold, steeled glare as he plunged the sharpened wooden handle into the koopa's body, and the small smirk that made its way onto the young man's face was contorted and dark.

He's not helpless.

The older brother shuddered again at the memory, before coughing heavily, spitting blood in large clots into his hands as his eyes watered. Another wave of pain wracked his body, and the man had to curl up in on himself in the foetal position in order to cope with the new assault on his neurons. His head suddenly felt a lot lighter as the world swayed, and he found himself lying motionless against the cold, unforgiving ground. Eyelids closing, the last of his energy left his body...

A delicate pair of arms propping his body up kept him in a conscious state, and a small, feminine sob caught his attention. Opening his eyes, Mario raised his head to see the woman in pink cradling him and crying, her hair tangled and matted, dress dishevelled and creased.

"Thank goodness you're alright, thank goodness you're alright..."

The women slowly wiped her eyes as she smiled softly down at him. Her pallid porcelain face was marred by streaks of jet black mascara, running down her face like streams, her soft baby blues contoured by puffy red veins. The shadows of the lava and torchlight in the chamber cast upon her visage, almost making her cheeks seem hollow and frail, despite the warm redness of blush powdered on top of them. Her pale lips were devoid of any colour, save for a few specks of blood trailing along her bottom lip from where she had bitten it in anxiety.

"If you were killed, I wouldn't have known what to do..."

Mario grimaced. He really was that close to death, brushing against the grim reaper's fingertips. He cursed himself for letting his guard down, glowering at the floor. If Luigi hadn't have been in the castle, he surely would've been killed. The elder brother stared at the floor in silence, eyes glazed and glassy, lost in thought. The woman, concerned, tenderly cupped his face, lifting it up to meet her eyes.

"Please don't beat yourself up over it...it's the first time in years that this has ever happened. You're amazing, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You and your brother are the best things to happen to this kingdom, and to me."

Mario's eyes widened somewhat. He flicked his gaze over her face, noting her genuine expression. Stumbling over his words, he muttered;

"Peach, I don't...I don't...deserve your respect. I could've...been fine...if I hadn't have...gotten cocky."

Peach sighed. She brought a dainty gloved hand to his hair, slowly running her fingers through the chocolate locks. Mario swore that he could hear her muttering "silly, silly man" under her breath as she massaged his scalp, her fingers moving in circular motions. The man in red found himself closing his eyes slowly, as the touch of the princess' fingers lulled him into a dream-like trance.

"Ahem."

An awkward cough broke the moment, and Mario saw himself returning to the planes of reality. His brother stood awkwardly a few metres from him and the princess, arms crossed and leaning over to one side, his gaze focused on the floor. Peach slowly rose, gently aiding Mario also, paying special attention to his injuries.

"Bro needs to see someone, we really...h-haven't got the time to just s-sit around."

Luigi's voice wavered slightly, and his gaze remained plastered to the floor, and Mario swore he could hear a slightly...harsh intonation in his voice, a certain bitterness. Peach, oblivious to Luigi's seemingly odd address, nodded and hummed slightly in agreement, motioning for Luigi to leave with them. She started walking slowly towards the main exit to the throne room, occasionally letting out a little squeak when Mario stumbled and rushing to stabilise him, before she realised that Luigi wasn't following her. She furrowed her brow in concern, turning round. Had he seen something she hadn't? Was there danger ahead? Why didn't he say anything if there was? Peach let her eyes wander to spot the younger brother in green.

He was just standing in the same spot, motionless. His gaze, unlike before, was lifted, his eyes boring into Peach's own pair. Those eyes...they weren't soft and kind-natured like they usually were...they were glassy, frightened, devoid of any warmth. Peach found herself shuddering under Luigi's piercing scrutiny; there was paranoia in that long stare, one that Peach found herself reeling back from. The man in green slowly moved towards her, his steps heavy and clumsy, as if he was struggling to walk. Peach let out a soft, worried mumble, trying to catch Mario's attention as Luigi continued to walk towards them, in the same stiff fashion. The injured man sluggishly regarded the princess, before looking over to his brother, eyes tired and dulled. Luigi, upon making eye contact with his brother, abruptly stopped in his tracks, pupils constricted. He shook his head rapidly, tugging on his hair slightly and biting his lip, before scurrying up to his brother.

"W-why are we wasting time?! We've got to go!"

He threw a concerned and worried gaze at the princess, before tugging her arm gently and clearly demonstrating his intentions. Peach was about to question the younger brother's earlier behaviour, but a particularly horrid and raspy coughing fit from Mario convinced her that it could wait until afterwards.

"What a strange man..." She thought to herself as she followed Luigi out of the castle.

Mario awoke to find himself wired up to various medical machines, the constant monotone beep ringing in his ears. A single, weak ray of morning sunshine shone on the older brother's face, and he weakly raised a hand to shield his eyes. The strong smell of bleach and cleaning chemicals assaulted his senses, the sheer strength of the odour irritating his nasal passages. He almost wanted to sneeze, but couldn't find the energy to do so. He let his eyes scan the room; the immaculate white walls, the collection of cards and flowers at his bedside, the IV drip...just how badly had he injured himself, anyway? It was clear he was in the infirmary, but Mario honestly couldn't remember how he had gotten there.

The last thing he could recall was the tender touch of the Princess.

The Princess...he wondered if she had gotten back to the castle safely, whether she was enjoying afternoon tea with the toad retainers right now, or if she had been kidnapped again already...Mario really hoped it wasn't the latter. Then again...he knew that Bowser wouldn't be attempting a kidnapping anytime soon. The Koopa King had suffered quite a heavy defeat at the hands of his brother, and although he had magic on his side to heal his physical injuries, Mario knew that the Koopa King would have sustained a large blow to his pride and ego; only time could heal those wounds.

"Fratello...?"

Mario jumped slightly at his brother's voice, rolling over onto his side to face the concerned face of Luigi. He hadn't even heard the door open!

Overcoming his initial shock, Mario smiled softly at his brother, reaching his hand out towards him. Luigi reached out and clasped it, running his thumb up and down his brother's palm, his eyes lowered towards the ground.

"I was so worried, fratello. I thought you were gonna...I thought you were gonna die or...or something like that..."

Luigi's voice broke slightly, and Mario could tell he was on the verge of tears.

"Don't ever do that again, Mar! Okay?! If you go, then I'll have no one! No one! I can't let you go; I won't ever let you go! It's you and me, you and me against...against..."

The younger brother's voice trailed off slightly, as he pondered his words. He raised his gaze, locking eyes with his twin. He gripped slightly harder onto the elder's hand, and his whole body trembled slightly. Mario took pity on his brother, speaking up in a strained, quiet voice.

"I won't leave you...bro. Not ever. O-Okay? Yesterday...that was a...mistake. I learnt my lesson."

He grinned warmly at his brother, chuckling slightly.

"S'pose not even "Super Mario" is invincible, huh?"

Luigi broke into a small smile at the comment, pulling up a chair from the corner of the room and positioning himself at his wounded brother's bedside. He took a hold of Mario's hand again, holding it to his chest, keeping his eyes lowered. He took a shaky breath, and squeezed his brother's hand again. Mario could feel the pounding of his brother's heart on his fingertips.

"I nearly lost you, Fratello. You were doing fine on the way here, but then you had this horrible coughing fit, worse than the ones before, and you couldn't breathe...everything went quiet, I couldn't focus on anything apart from how you were doing. The doc's words just flew right over me, I was just...I was j-just so scared..."

The younger brother sniffed, tightening his grip on his brother's hand, before sighing and letting it go.

"It was so scary...and I know I'm pretty...scared of everything but this was...this was different, Mario, this was..."

Luigi was interrupted by a soft shushing, and glanced sideways towards his brother. A sympathetic smile on his face, Mario coughed lightly before rolling onto his back and gazing at the ceiling of the small room, eyes trailing along the right angles of the square tiles.

"I know how you feel."

Luigi, who had previously been twiddling his thumbs and mindlessly staring at the floor, jerked his head up. He was about to question his brother's statement when the aforementioned's voice ran through the air.

"When I rescue Peach...sometimes I imagine what would happen if I didn't get there in time or...if I failed at a boss. Every time I do, it rips me apart, because it's not just her who would be...affected."

The elder twin's eyes lowered, and without thinking he began picking at a loose thread on his lightly patterned hospital gown. It seemed almost mocking really, the happy mushroom pattern in a place with so much suffering.

"I worry about you too, bro. What would...you do if Bowser got his way..? What would happen to the world...? It really gets me. Bowser...he can be so cruel. He wouldn't...he wouldn't be merciful with you...I wouldn't ever want to see you in pain like that. I wouldn't want to see you..."

Mario's voice wavered slightly; his frame shook as he coughed heavily into his hands. He lethargically groaned, before slowly whispering;

"I wouldn't want to see you die."

The younger twin's expression turned to one of shock, and he couldn't help but let out a gasp. Luigi knew that Mario cared about him; hell, to put up with his many fears and nightmares must've taken real love...but he had never known that Mario was scared of losing him. He was scared of losing his brother.

Just like me...

"That...that means a lot to me, Mario...I never knew that you..."

Another shush, and Luigi brought his eyes to meet his brother's amused ones. He grinned somewhat, before sitting up. Luigi winced as he saw his brother's strained expression, and the shakiness of his arms as he supported his body on the barren, simple hospital bed. His right arm seemed weaker than his left, and Luigi had to guess that perhaps it was because of the IV drip.

Poor Fratello.

Luigi himself had been quite lucky. He had suffered quite severe burns on his back; however, thanks to the cooling 'Cream of an Ice Flower' he had been reasonably comfortable. When the cream wore off, the younger brother would be washed with another bout of pain.

He just applied it again in those cases.

It's then Luigi realised something that had never really crossed his mind before. Something that really, he had just taken for granted, something he felt was just meant to be.

Fratello isn't invincible. He's human too. He could get hurt and leave me, just like that.

A chill ran down his spine at that thought. No. He couldn't let that happen, he wouldn't let that happen, nothing in the entire world would ever separate him from Mario. Not Peach, not Bowser, no-one.

He gazed over at Mario, who had lazily flopped down on the thin mattress again, his eyes closed, expression blank. Luigi sadly smiled at his brother, slowly standing up from the rigid chair and traversing the chokingly clean room. Reaching the large panel window, Luigi rested his hands on the window, watching the world go by; watching the joyous families in the park, little toad children laughing and playing...

Luigi found himself sneering slightly at the sight.

They have no idea what we go through for their happiness. What he goes through.

This bitterness surprised the young man. He had never felt that way about the citizens' joy before; in fact, he had felt proud that they were able to go about their days contentedly, even with an ever looming threat hanging over their vulnerable lives. Yet here he was, cursing these families for simply enjoying their lives!

Perhaps it's because Fratello's suffering for it.

The man lowered his head. It was true, these people knew nothing of his brother's suffering. Was that their fault? The younger brother couldn't answer the question, however, one thing had become abundantly clear in his mind.

Fratello, it's you and me against the world.

He would never let Mario get hurt again. His brother, whilst brave and strong, was reckless; he needed to be helped, to be protected.

"I'll take care of you Fratello. I promise. No one will ever hurt you again. Ever."

Once Luigi had whispered his own, personal pact to himself, he reached into his dungaree pocket. After rummaging around a little, he brought out a small, locket style container. The container itself was aged and worn, rusting slightly on the circular edges, the golden colour dulled. The man popped open the container; sitting lone in the centre was a small thread, about 10 cm long, its chartreuse colour bright, and vivid. Full of energy. The man gently grasped the delicate thread, laying it along his palm. Looking out of the window again, he slowly clenched his fist, and held it up to his chest, to his heart.

"I promise."

Promessa.

A/N: So there was chapter one! Hopefully it formatted correctly, had to upload from my phone since I'm in Thailand right now, and my laptop is out of commission!

A quick thanks to all you readers who have reviewed, favourited, followed or even just read this story! It really means a lot, and I hope you stick around!

- OrpheusFirefly