As Mario's angry, embittered and almost hate filled voice echoed endlessly throughout the blackened labyrinth his orange fireball extinguished itself leaving only the green glow of Luigi's fire in its wake. The rage and frustration emanating from every fiber of Mario's being was palpable, if not frightening.

"Mario..." Luigi was speaking in a soft calm tone in hopes of easing his brother's pent up anger. "Everything will be okay. We-"

"How do you know this?" Mario demanded harshly as he took a defiant stance and got right in Luigi's face. "How do you know ANYTHING about what's happening?!"

"I... uh..."

"You don't know ANYTHING." Mario spat as he turned his back to Luigi and clenched his hands into white knuckled fists. "You never will."

Luigi was obviously hurt by Mario's words. Silenced by Mario's uncharacteristically cruel outburst Luigi just stood idle and took in every brutally demeaning remark without a single protest.

"You think you know what I'm feeling? Do you honestly have ANY idea of what it's like to have the whole world resting on your shoulders?!"

Refusing to argue with his brother Luigi was kept his silence.

"I'm the one who has to rescue the Princess. I'M the one who has to save the Mushroom Kingdom. I'M THE ONE EVERYONE IS COUNTING ON!"

Luigi frowned and let the satchel strap slip down his shoulder. Taking the leather parcel in his hands he laid it on the ground at Mario's feet. "You're right." He finally spoke, his words hollow and filled with a sense of uselessness. "It's always been about you. No one else in this world can get by in their lives without you."

Mario finally turned his gaze and peered over his shoulder to look at Luigi, only to see a faint green glow that illuminated his silhouette as he walked away from the unnecessary reprimand.

"Lu..." Mario stopped himself for calling for his brother when he caught sight of the satchel on the ground resting between where he and Luigi has just been standing. "Luigi..."

Igniting a second orange fireball Mario found himself alone in the darkness with the six Glass Shards and absolutely nothing else. Disgusted with himself he shut his eyes in shame and took the strap of the satchel in his hand. Hefting the parcel over his own shoulder he turned back toward the wall that had cut off his journey and punched it once with a powerful, stress filled fist.

"I'm an idiot..."

Luigi backtracked the dark pathway with only the green glow of his fireball to act as both guide and company. As he stepped further and further away from his fuming brother he resisted every urge to look back at Mario.

"He's just mad." Luigi told himself as he continued onward, keeping close to the wall as he walked aimlessly through the black maze. "He didn't mean it. Did he?"

Never before had Luigi seen Mario so upset, so hostile.

"I know he's under pressure but he's not the only one!" Luigi argued to himself as he turned a corner and ventured deeper into the heart of the maze. "He acts like I don't care. I care about the Princess just as much as he does! I care about the Mushroom Kingdom and everyone who lives in Toad Town, too. It's not all his responsibility..." He came to a gentle stop as he came to a four-way crossing. "Why doesn't he trust me?"

Unsure of where to go or where Luigi had gone Mario chose to walk the nearest branching path and trek through the maze, alone.

"Luigi... Where did you go?" He wondered out loud as he walked the winding trail with the orange glow his fireball to see no more than a few feet in front of him. "I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it..."

Mario aimlessly walked through the maze, taking which ever break in the path he crossed first.

"It's not like you did anything wrong." Mario was repeating every horrible word he said to Luigi over and over again in his mind. "You just don't understand what I'm going through."

Turning a sharp corner Mario suddenly found himself without walls, without a sense of place. He was standing on the outer perimeter of the expansive center of the maze. It was large square opening that stretched for miles in all four directions, but this impressive distance was completely obscured by the surrounding blackness.

Mario stood at the end of the path for only a few seconds before stepping deeper in the center, walking in a perfectly straight line.

"No one knows that I'm going through." Mario continued to analyze and debate his previous actions. "How can they? They aren't the one that gets called upon to save the day when Bowser attacks or Cackletta or Dimentio..." He felt a heat rise up his neck as his anger returned. "Why am I the only one who can do anything?! Why is it always ME who has to deal with the craziness?! How did anyone in this blasted Kingdom even survive one day before me and Luigi-"

Mario stopped mid-stride as a horrible feeling of revelation and guilt weighed down his heart. "Me and Luigi..." He had come to a stop at the edge of a large circular marble and stone fountain, complete with clear water that was so still it looked like polished glass. "Luigi has been by my side since day one. He's the one who's always had my back."

He looked at his reflection staring back at him from the water. Taking his fist he punched the reflection angrily, the water splashing up into his face.

"Who turns their back on their own brother?" He sighed wearily and pulled his sore fist from the water. "Who actually believes that the entire fate of the world is their own responsibility."

Mario sat on the edge of the fountain and let his fireball burn out, blanketing him in the vast darkness that seemed as deep as the darkness he now felt inside his own heart, unaware that someone was watching him.

"It's not his fault, it's not my fault, it's not anyone's fault. This was caused by Ruin. Once she's stopped everything and everyone can resume their normal lives. Princess Peach will be free and her Kingdom will be safe. And Luigi and I..." He put his face between his hands as he rested his elbows atop of his knees. "If Luigi even wants anything to do with me; we can go back to the Pipe House and finally find our way back home."

A faint green glow lit up the fountain as a gentle hand rested on Mario's shoulder. "This is our home, bro."

"Luigi?!" Mario opened his eyes and looked up into Luigi's kind, forgiving face.

"And we will find a way to save our home and the Princess. Just keep your hope alive."

Mario nodded and put his hand on Luigi's arm. "Forgive me?"

"What's to forgive? We're brothers." Luigi sat beside Mario on the edge of the fountain. "Fighting is normal!"

"Thanks Weege. L amore fraterno."*

A sudden shaking of the ground took Mario and Luigi by surprise. They jumped from the fountain, Mario igniting another fireball mid leap, and stood back from the fountain as a marble spire began rising from the center of the water.

"Mario?!" Luigi was having trouble keeping his cool as a towering structure rose from the darkness right before him. "What's happening?!"

...to be continued...

Translation: "Brotherly Love".