World 1-3: Digression

2:00 PM

Mario and Luigi walked down the path north of Toadville towards the imposing mountain in the distance. At the top he could see the old fortresses that dotted the peaks, but that was not their destination. At the base of the mountain was an enormous iron door which led to the treasures within. The mines where the inhabitants of the southern lands obtained the varied magical gemstones used in all sorts of magicks. The white shine of these gems led the place to be dubbed the Vanilla Dome.

"I can't believe how lucky we are. To be summoned to the palace of Princess Toadstool herself," Luigi said, patting his chest with pride.

Mario had a bit of a better understanding of his surroundings than he had earlier, but there was still something vaguely off about everything. A dreamlike haze that enveloped his reality at the moment. The verdant plains began to thin as they grew near to the mountain. A ruined castle – remnant of the war that had claimed this territory, stood between them and the entrance.

"So we get through the Vanilla Dome and then what?" Mario asked.

"There's a dock on the north side of the dome where we can catch a ferry," Luigi explained. "It'll take us to a fishing village on the south side of the northern continent."

He began to fiddle with his map as he tried to make heads and tails of the strange writing that seemed to cover every inch of the parchment that wasn't dedicated to the lay of the land.

"The world is a vast place, Luigi," Mario sighed. "And we have a long way to go yet."

"I guess that's true, big bro," Luigi replied, shrugging and giving up the map for a lost cause. He furled it up and put it back in his pockets.

They walked over the ruined rubble of the castle. A great explosion from within had seen the end of this great structure. Some of the bricks still showed sear marks from the flames. Others had been blasted into shrapnel and only the shards remained. The ones that were otherwise intact were covered in moss and vines as nature tried to reclaim the land the castle had taken.

"You must feel like you're in a rut, Mario," Luigi said.

"What do you mean?" Mario asked. "We're on our way to the Princess's Castle right now. If anything we're leaving the rut behind."

"One castle, eh? That's all it takes to bring you back to your old happy self?" Luigi chuckled, an odd hollowness sapping the emotion behind it.

"Now I'm starting to worry about you," Mario said.

The great iron door to the Vanilla Dome was before them. Somehow they had cleared the distance between the ruins and the door in what felt like mere minutes. They swung open with a low creak tha echoed throughout the vast chamber within. Miles of open cave and mining tunnels within. A darkness lit only by the white shimmer of the magical gemstones.

"Are you afraid?" Luigi asked.

"Afraid of what?" Mario replied, suddenly filled with a dread that he'd never felt before, much less around his own brother.

"Afraid that the next time you go into the dark, you won't come out the other side," Luigi said simply.

Only it wasn't Luigi. There was a shadow in his place. A large reptilian head, an enormous shelled body. There was something else there that wasn't his brother, speaking to him through – or perhaps in place of – Luigi.

"Who are you?" Mario demanded. He reached into his pocket, but he was missing his power mushroom. His hands only felt a few koopa coins.

"Your time is running out, Mario. I just wanted to see you one last time before the cycle completes. You've been through this so many times before. Each recursion you get lost a little more. This will be the end of you and I want you to remember that I was the one who put you here," the creature let out a hideous shrieking laugh.

The doors to the dome shut behind Mario. Darkness overtook him and where once there was a shadow there were only the two glowing red eyes of the beast that had claimed Luigi. He felt a sharp claw carve into his right arm.

2:00 PM

Mario awoke as the van came to a halt. He looked to his left and saw Luigi putting the vehicle in park. He met Mario's gaze and let out a small chuckle.

"You shoulda had more coffee bro. Falling asleep on the job like that?" Luigi teased, opening his door.

Mario opened his own and felt a surge of pain in his arm. His shirt sleeve was covered in blood. He rolled up his shirt as far as he could and saw a massive gouge in his arm.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted. "Help!"

He didn't know what else to shout. Luigi rounded the van and looked perplexed.

"Did you trip or something?" He asked.

"No, damn it, can't you see my-"

Mario looked down to highlight the pulsing wound in his arm. Except there was none. There was a tiny cut and a small dribble of blood, but far from the enormous life-threatening fountain he'd seen before.

"A little dramatic, eh?" Luigi replied, reaching into his work bag and pulling out a small first aid kit.

He applied the small bandage without another word. Luigi had apparently decided to just roll with whatever else Mario had to offer today and for his part Mario thought that was for the best. So far two miracles had occurred today and he wasn't looking forward to the next three hours worth of explaining whatever else his mind had in store for him.

He had decided to take some mushrooms to calm himself down – and that clearly did not work. He was more on edge than ever before. This became even worse when he remembered another horrific part of his dream. He reached into his overalls pockets for the baggie, but it was missing. He might have left it in the bathroom, out in the open and if Daisy discovered it.

"Hey... I think I left something back at the office, any chance we can head back?" Mario asked.

"It can't be that important and besides it took us 45 minutes to get here. All our tools are in the van, whatever you need we probably have," Luigi explained.

"I guess you're right," Mario replied leaning back against the van.

Well. If Daisy did find his stash there was always the chance he could deny it. That's assuming he left it in there and hadn't hidden it someplace else where sober him couldn't find it. He supposed there was nothing to do for it now but to do his job and worry internally for the next several hours.

"Come on, Mario, let's get to work," Luigi said, opening the back doors of the van.