The house was quiet when I got back.

Too quiet.

I almost wandered if Mario wasn't there after all, but as I slowly opened the door, there he was, arms crossed, glaring at me.

"Uh…hi, Bro," I said.

He said nothing.

"I…uh…I'm really sorry about what happened earlier. Can we just forget it happened?"

Still nothing.

His face was set in scowl, so I guessed that it was a no.

Glancing around, I spied a red suitcase on the floor; jam packed with clothing and belongings.

Was he throwing me out?

"What's that?" I asked.

Mario raised his eyebrows as if to say "What's what?"

"That suitcase."

Pause.

"I'm leaving."

"Why?"

"You know why!" he exploded suddenly.

He shoved past me, and started grabbing things from the shelf behind me. Did he really need them? Or was it an excuse not to look at me?

"Bro, please. What happened back there…I didn't mean for it to happen!"

"Oh really?!"

"Yes!"

"Coward can't even face up to taking the blame!"

I flinched. He knew that there was no name I hated being called more than 'coward'.

He pushed past me again, grabbing his suitcase and heading for the door. I ran after him in a desperate attempt to make him see reason.

"Bro, you don't have to be like this!"

"Oh, don't I?!" He was shouting now. "My girlfriend just cheated on me with my brother, how am I supposed to act? Happy?"

I chewed my lip, he had a point.

"Well let me tell you something," he went on. "You and your precious girlfriend better watch out. And that stupid kid too."

My mouth dropped open. "H-how do you know about Rosalina?"

He fixed me with a dark look. "I know more than you think."

As he turned to leave, I grabbed his shoulder.

"OK, blame me," I said. "For all of it. You can even punch me again, if you like. But please, don't hurt Peach or Rosa, please."

He said nothing, but fixed me with a long glare, a glare that said 'Face it, you can't stop me.'

As Mario shrugged my hand off his shoulder, and barged out of the front door, not looking back, I could do nothing, except call after him helplessly.

"Bro."

My voice was an empty echo.

Never in my life did I think that this brother of mine would become an enemy.

And it was my fault.

Sure, I didn't think much of him, despite what I'd say in the games, but he was still my brother.

I didn't know what to think. What to feel.

"Don't call me that!" Mario snapped. "You're not my brother any more."