Luigi fell to his knees in disbelief, the thick snow mounds now surrounding him up to his chest. There, laying before him on the frozen ground; encased in ice inside the small crystalline cavern was the broken ruins of a warp pipe. The pipe really did exist, but it had long since been destroyed by the harsh weather that plagued the mountain range. The warp pipe was unusable, possibly irreparable. It stood now only as a monument to the cruelty of time and nature.

Carved on the wall of the cavern, in a language long since forgotten, was a label identifying the warp pipe and its intended destination. Unfortunately Luigi couldn't translate the message and so it would remain unknown.

Staring at the broken bits of faded green pipe Luigi felt a pain in his heart. Mario could die from his injuries, and all they have to show for their efforts is a useless pipe.

"No... We came all this way for... nothing!" Luigi closed his eyes and forced himself to admit defeat. "Mario is... he's... if he dies... I'll never forgive myself!"

The howling wind suddenly amplified, sending a bone chilling cold through Luigi's body.

"I... I need to get back! I n-need to help M-Mario... C-can't let him... die!" Luigi instantly fell prone to the inhospitable cold.

Turning his head Luigi looked back toward the crevasse from whence he traveled. His footprints were already filled with the thick white snow that seemed eternally fall from the sky. Forcing himself to stand up Luigi walked with a heavy heart through the heavy snow.

"Mario will be s-so disappointed..." Luigi told himself. "H-how can I t-tell him?"

Luigi started to cough a little, the powerful wind stinging at his face and burning his lungs. Without his scarf the chill was beginning to affect his ability to breathe properly. Using one arm he tried to shield his eyes as he slowly marched back to the crevasse. The bright white snow and billowing sleet made it nearly impossible for Luigi to see, he stumbled and tripped with every clumsy step he took.

Practically blind Luigi put one hand out in front of him to try and navigate his way back to the crevasse. His hand abruptly met stone as he neared the entrance to the crevasse. Squinting his eyes he was able to make out the entrance to the descending pathway.

"Finally..." He coughed again. "H-hold on, Bro."

The trek down the path seemed to take an eternity. The cold cutting into Luigi's hands and face like a knife. His mind as racing with doubt and guilt, unsure of how to admit their failure to Mario. He wasn't even sure how to save Mario! He couldn't carry him back down the mountain through the blizzard, it'd kill them both! But he couldn't leave Mario behind either, and no one in their right mind would dare attempt any rescue up the mountain. The Mario Bros. were stranded and alone...

Luigi felt his shoe make contact with the relatively softer ground of the meadow and breathed a sigh of relief. He was exhausted and feeling desperate as he slowly trudged back to where Mario was still laying with the Snowshi leader. The leader was watching Luigi intently, as if it had known what Luigi had plan on doing long before he made his decision.

"M-Mario?" Luigi called his brother's name as he kneeled down next to him. "C-can you hear me?"

Mario was still very pale, his blackened eye still swollen and the cut below his eye looking painful, if not infected.

"L-look Mario, I'm... I'm sorry." Luigi apologized as he tried to use his hands to rub warmth into his arms. "Th-this is m-my fault. B-but I'll take c-care of y-you. I promise!"

The Snowshi leader opened its eyes and turned his head toward Luigi. It pressed his nose against Luigi's arm, nudging him gently.

"I... I'm going to n-need your help." Luigi admitted as he placed his hand on the Snowshi's nose. "P-plaase?" He asked through his chattering teeth, his voice stammering with each sentence he dared to speak.

The Snowshi leader nodded its head and let out a deep call that awoke the rest of the herd.

"Th-thank you!" Luigi felt a brief sense of relief before he started coughing again. He put his arm over his mouth to stifle the harsh cough. "S-sorry. Gross."

One by one the gentle giants rose from their slumber and stood throughout the meadow. The leader was by far the tallest of the Snowshis and towered above the rest.

"D-do you know where I c-can find some h-help?" Luigi asked the leader as he carefully pulled Mario to his side as he stood. "M-my brother n-needs help."

The leader looked toward the sky, toward the orange glow of the rising sun that struggled to break through the thick, dark snow clouds. It closed its eyes as it took in the scent that wafted in on the strong winds. Turning its gaze back to Luigi it nodded once and laid back down. With its nose it motioned toward its back.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Luigi couldn't help but gush over the acts of kindness displayed by the herd. "I'll never forget this, my friend!"

Slowly and carefully Luigi carried Mario over to the Snowshi's back and lifted Mario up and onto the warm pelt of the voluntary steed. Sitting Mario upright as if he were riding a normal Yoshi's saddle, Luigi then slowly laid Mario forward so he was laying down on the Snowshi's back. The Snowshi's broad neck would shield Mario from the wind and the warm pelt would ensure that the cold didn't weaken his body any further.

"Okay..." Luigi kept his hand on Mario's back. "I think that'll work."

The leader once again stood up, slowly. Luigi keeping his hand on Mario's back as the giant beast stood upright on the meadow. Letting out another loud bellow the other Snowshi's fell in line behind their compassionate leader.

Walking together the Snowshi herd, with Luigi at the leader's side, climbed up the crevasse trails back to the top of the mountains and into the raging blizzard.

Luigi pressed his body against the leader's side in an attempt to keep warm and to ensure that Mario wasn't going to fall. The harsh wind blew much harder than it had been before. Shards of ice strung Luigi's face and arms as he desperately tried to face the storm with what remaining confidence he had left.

Step by step Luigi could feel his body struggling against the storm; the cold numbing his hands, feet, ears and nose. A stinging cold began radiating up his legs and through his arms as forced himself to keep walking.

"Mario... J-just hang on, okay?" Luigi kept repeating aloud between coughs, more to himself than Mario at this point. "Just hang on..."

It was noon by the time the Snowshis peaked the mountain range and began to descent down the other side. The thick snow clouds prevented virtually all of the light and warmth of the sun from melting the relentless snow and ice. Luigi's cough resumed its chest wracking pain that made his whole body tremble with uncontrollable spasms.

The herd halted to scan the horizon and to rest, for only a fleeting moment.

"Are we... Are we..." Luigi suddenly trailed off as he collapsed, face first into the snow.

..to be continued...