Chapter Four: Rise of a new kind of Evil

-Dark Lands-

Luigi woke up to darkness, waiting for his eyes to adjust. He noticed a simple black robe draped across his legs, getting up he realizes that he has no other choice but to try it on.

The robe itself has a hood that would cover most of his face and the style reminds him of something he would see Kammy or Kamek walk around in. Fully adjusting it he realized that it was made for someone who was much bigger than him, but he appreciates the thought anyway.

A knock at the door caught his attention, he almost forgetting that he lives here now and has the right to privacy. Finding his voice, he turns to the door "who is it?"

"Um… room service…" the disembodied voice from beyond the door seemed caught off guard. Luigi paused for a moment, wondering if he should put on the Mr. L mask, hesitating for a moment, Luigi slipped the offending fabric onto his face before he regained his composure; he cleared his voice "come in…"

The large wooden door creaked open to reveal a small koopa "King Bowser is expecting you to join him in the throne room…"

Luigi took a deep breath, paranoid if any of the servants here would find anything on him recognizable, deepened his voice "uh…yes, tell him I shall be here soon."

The koopa bowed "yes, sir."

The door quickly slammed behind him giving Luigi the chance to breathe. He stood there for a minute, until the feeling returned back into his finger tips. He couldn't help but to smile, maybe, things just might work out for the better. He thought back to Mario, and was happy that he gave him his hat.

…

"Good morning…Mr. L" Bowser greeted the youngest Mario brother. The king frowned at the robe Luigi was wearing "sorry about the robe. We'll find you more appropriate clothing once we get your measurements…"

Luigi glanced down at the robes again, letting Bowser continue "usually those robe are saved for funerals. I know it sounds weird, but in the Dark Lands, our practices differ from the Mushroom Kingdom. When a king or someone of importance dies, we wear these robes out of respect of their memory…"

Luigi nods again, looking around the throne room. Bowser carefully approaches him, worried that any sudden moves would make the smaller man nervous "I don't mean to give you a lesson, but if you are going to represent us, you have to know some customs…"

The younger brother smiled up at him "I can respect that..."

He continued to look around the room, he knew he had been in here before, but for completely different reasons, Luigi never got to appreciate the fine details that decorated the room. Including the elegant carvings that hung from the wall, if he knew how beautiful the throne room was, he would have never helped Mario destroy it so many times.

That feeling of guilt began to spread through his chest again, he hated the feeling. He shook the guilt away, instead he focuses on Bowser. "Does anybody else know about… you know…?" Luigi tugged at his mask slightly. Bowser nodded "Kamek knows, but he's the only one I can trust to keep your secret. None of my children know, for…obvious reasons…"

Luigi nodded with a sigh "I can figure…if I had known… I'm so sorry…" Luigi felt a hand on his shoulder, and for a moment, deep down, he still wished it was his brothers. He looks back up at Bowser.

"It's in the past now… you're doing a good thing, Mr. L."

Luigi tried to swallow the lump that formed in his throat; he wished Mario was here to tell him that. But at the same time he knew that Mario wouldn't be agreeing with Bowser, he never felt so alone. Luigi nodded again, giving the king his best smile "I know… the best thing is to look at what's ahead of us, right?"

Bowser gave him a strong pat on the back, almost causing Luigi to stumble "exactly, and what I see ahead is breakfast. Then, we'll get you fitted for a suit, how does that sound?"

Luigi smiled again "sounds great."

Bowser led Luigi with a hand on his back; Luigi looks back at the throne room one more time. Despite the hospitality and him now working for Bowser, deep down Luigi realizes that the uncomfortable nervous feeling might never go away. He then felt frustrated with himself, almost ashamed that he is working with Bowser now but at the same time ashamed that Mario didn't join Bowser either. Although Luigi knew something like that would never happen.

But Luigi also understands that if there is to be true peace between the kingdoms, some things have to change. He just prays to the stars that it doesn't blow up in his face later on. It was bad enough that Luigi was kicked out of the very kingdom he had spent so many years trying to protect, but it would be a real shame if he is also remembered as a failure here.

Luigi closed his eyes, fully trusting the koopa king beside him that he won't do anything when they're closed. The formal mushroom hero promised that he is not going to let these people down, and in turn not let Mario down.

For the first time, Luigi truly felt like he was given a real purpose; and he will not fail.

Not again...

End of Chapter