I laid my head down on the pillow, my eyes wide in terror. I felt tears forming in my eyes, and I couldn't do a thing about them. My entire body hurt with the last round of coughs. My muscles refused to cooperate if I tried to move. I closed my eyes, and automatically, they open again. The picture of that horrible grin…

Can you hear me? A voice called out to me. I froze. I didn't even breath I was so scared. I looked around, using only my eyes and not moving my head at all. HA! I am everywhere and nowhere, yet you cannot see me. I am a part of you. I didn't do anything. It is rather amusing to watch you 'pretend' to be brave. You'll never compare to me.

Who are you? I asked finally getting that it was a voice in my head.

I am Luigi. Who are you?

Wait a sec-

HA! You really are pathetic. Don't you see? We are connected. We are one.

What in the world are you talking about?

Nothing. The voice had stopped.

Okay, not only was that the strangest thing that has happened to me today, I couldn't even move. I tried to put the ice pack back on my chest, but my arm refused to cooperate. I gave out an over dramatic sigh.

"Can you move at all?" Daisy asked me. She was sitting to my right.

"No." I responded. "I can move my jaw and vocal cords to make words, but that's about it." I gave her a sideways glance, "Why ask?"

"I am just worried about you." She responded her voice reflecting the feeling, "Ever since Rose left, nothing but horrible things has happened."

"So, you're saying that she needs to come back?"

She shook her head, "I think it is something worse."

"She didn't do anything to me…well, that would harm me that is. She gave me medicine before she left if that is what you are talking about."

For a girlfriend, Daisy is a bit of a mother towards me. Not the constant nagging, but the overprotective factor. Yes, everyone knows that she is the active one and defies all laws of 'how to be a princess' and such. That's one of the reasons I fell in love with her. Once upon a time, Mario and she had a thing, but due to differences, they split; nothing gut-wrenching. They talked and they both decided that it was time to split. Mario fell in love with Peach and they had been dating for…10 years? I'm not sure. It's been too long. Mario has always saved Peach from god knows what, and Daisy from…problems.

I'll leave it there.

I felt Daisy move the ice pack back on my (now swollen) chest. I sucked in air through my teeth, making a hissing sound. I breathed in too much too fast and as a result, another round of coughs occurred. I closed my eyes, trying to get the pain to stop. I felt a hot liquid drain down my throat. My body lurched and I bolted upright, coughing fresh blood in my hands. Suddenly a wet washcloth was pressed against my hands. I moved them so the cloth could reach my mouth. My body burned, but I was cold. I felt Daisy wrap another blanket around me and whispering words to me in my ear. She was telling me to 'take it easy' and 'relax' and the sort of things that would comfort a child scared of the monster under the bed. My body shivered violently. The washcloth was replaced, and I felt Mario's hand on my back. I felt lightheaded.

"Mario…" I whispered weakly. He told me not to speak, "I'm dying." Both he and Daisy stopped what they were doing.

"What do you mean, Luigi?" Mario asked concerned and confused.

I opened my eyes. "I'm cold, but my body is hot. I want to lie down, close my eyes and never open them again. I sleep, but I don't feel rested."

"It sounds like a cold." He responded as he pushed me lightly on my back, "You'll feel better in a day or two. You must have been coughing rather violently the past few days in order for blood to occur." He placed a hot washcloth on my forehead and Daisy was cleaning off my hands, "Just take it easy for a few, okay? If you don't recover, we'll get you a doctor." I nodded, closing my eyes again. I coughed lightly, trying to break the congestion in my chest. I felt the washcloth be replaced by a cold one, and then I fell asleep.

Luigi…Luigi… open your eyes…

I groaned in pain as I opened them. Pitch. Black. I couldn't see a thing.

Luigi…

"What?" I moaned in pain.

…Luigi…Mario…

What? I called out in my mind.

There we go. The voice taunted. You must remember to talk to me through your mind. We are connected.

Oh, you again? Great, just great.

You don't sound pleased.

Am I dead?

The voice laughed a wicked laugh. It strangely sounded like me, only darker and more serious. No you're not, unfortunately. We are in the realm of your mind. Take us to a place where we can talk face to face. Someplace where…I can't be seen.

Umm…alright then.

I closed my eyes again. I thought of one of my favorite spots: the top of Star Hill. Last time I was there, my brother and I teamed up with ourselves from the past to destroy the Shroobs and their Princesses. The entire journey was nerve-wracking; both for me and Baby Luigi. I opened my eyes and the scene that lay out before me was just as I remembered. How is this?

Blink three times. Slowly…

I did. When I opened my eyes for the third time, nothing looked different. I looked around, but there was nothing strange; no person, no new object…nothing. I did a complete 360, but couldn't find the owner of the voice. The laughter came again; not Fawful's (thank god) but the one that was like mine. The white, starry path that extended out in front of me is where I saw him; the owner of the voice. I watched him walk up the path.

"Stay where you are." He said, his powerful voice ringing. "I will come to you." I didn't move. A couple minutes later, the man was in front of me. He smiled a sideways, wicked smile and his deep blue eyes pierced through me. "Recognize me?"

He held up his hands, like he was shrugging, and dark green and black flames flickered in his hands. The smile still remained on him, his eyes never left mine. The way he was standing (an offensive stance) stuck out to me. He broke his stance, getting impatient with me.

"Come on. Do you honestly not recognize me?" Silence. He shouted in frustration, "Are you serious right now?" I stepped back, my confidence draining from me and fear replacing it. My mind was racing. It had occurred to me who I was talking to. He smiled. "Now you get it. Good. I thought we had parted ways all those years ago."

How in the world is this happening?" I asked, fear shaking my voice. No use trying to hide now. "You can't…"

"We are in your mind, remember?" he sneered at me, and the world around us began to quiver and wave like water. He started to melt with the rest of the background. "…but not for much longer. You're waking up." I couldn't make him out anymore. The world swirled together. I closed my eyes and fell to my knees. My stomach churned with the swirling of the world and I felt like I was falling. When I opened my eyes, the world was black again I blinked, and suddenly changed places. I went from dream to reality.

The time is yet to come. So close, but so far away. I can taste it. Be afraid, Luigi, for when the day comes, only one of us will live.

I shivered as a cold chill ran through my spine.

I sat up slowly, careful not to hurt my chest anymore than it did. The pain has ceased increasingly, and my mind was crystal clear. I breathed slowly, deeply and exhaled slowly. It felt good to breathe normally and not feeling a catch in my chest and the need to cough up a lung (or two) in the process. I examined myself, and noticed that the swelling had decreased. It was no longer covered in the pretty colors of brown, blue or purple, either. I blinked a couple times and turned to read my clock. In bright, bold red numbers, it read 3:30 am. I groaned in frustration as I lay down on my back again. I stared at the ceiling, spacing out.

I have no idea how long I was lying there on my back, but I know for sure I didn't fall asleep. The encounter within my dream was too creepy for me to handle. I thought through it again, thinking specifically the conversation we had after he had shown himself. Unfortunately, before I could get through the entire dream, a little yellow Luma got in my line of vision, distracting me. I smiled and he flew down next to me, nuzzling next to my neck.

"Mama." Luma whispered to me.

"Hi, Luma." I responded quietly. The little guy looked at me, his little beady eyes showing fear, "What's wrong?"

"Mama's flower crying." Luma spoke quietly, "Star bits coming from eyes. Luma can't stop them coming. Flower pushes away Luma. Luma find Mama."

I sat up. "Can Luma bring the flower here? Mama can stop flower's crying."

Luma nodded, and zoomed out the door. I managed to get up, and put on a decent pair of pants (not overalls, thank you very much) before Luma came back, dragging Daisy with him. The poor girl collapsed and lay on her side. I did the one thing that is natural for me in this situation:

I panicked.

I approached her, trying not to show my feelings, and knelt down as to not frighten her. I touched the side of her face and our eyes met. In one fluid motion, she sat up, held me and proceeded to ball her eyes out. I held her close to me as she buried her face into the space between my shoulder and my neck.

"Shh…" I soothed, "There is no need for this crying nonsense. I'm here now." She lifted her head and looked at me with the saddest eyes I have ever seen. I sat down and she sat in my lap. This was what my mother used to do to me when I would cry; I would sit in her lap and cry my little eyes out.

It worked for me. It worked for Daisy as well.

Her cry wasn't as loud and pain-filled as it had been earlier. Now was the time I couldn't control my panic. She looked at me again, and I could tell that she recognized the panic attack I was having.

"Don't be upset with me." Daisy said sorrow still thick in her voice.

"Why would I be?" I asked her. We made eye contact, "You didn't do anything wrong, sweetheart."

She gave me a look of confusion, "Did I wake you?" her eyes were filling with tears again, "I didn't mean to…"

"Babe." I stood up and sat her down on the side of my bed. I pulled up my desk chair and sat across from her, knowing that if I sat next to her, things would not end well. "I woke up from a dream. I had been trying to sleep for…" I looked at my clock. It read 5:00 am "almost an hour and a half. You didn't wake me." A smile started to turn up on her lips, "Go on ahead and smile, baby. You know I love it when you do."

"You're flirting with me." She said her voice more still.

"So what if I am." I said with a sly smirk, "Is it a crime if I do?"

"At this late it is." She responded quickly, "You know how Mario is…"

I snorted, "Like he has any sympathy for the other two people who are in this house." I looked at Luma, "Well, three."

Silence.

"Mama?" I looked up at Luma, "Flower okay?"

Daisy smiled, "Better."

Luma flew in between us, looking at her, then at me, and her again. He turned to me with a glare, "Flower still crying."

I couldn't help but laugh. Daisy even laughed a little. "Why don't we go downstairs? I can make you a cup of coffee." I stood up, grabbed my nightshirt, and started to put it on. Then Daisy caught me off guard by kissing me. I closed my eyes and kissed her back lightly. She pulled away.

"Luigi." Daisy whispered.

Her voice was filled to the brim with lust.

…Shit.