Chapter 12: Life or Death
The man in green shoved past a couple of koopas as he ran down the hall. One of them shouted at him to watch where he was going, but he ignored him. There was no way. No way. Dimentio was lying to him. It couldn't be true. Mr. L barged into Count Bleck's bedroom. Luckily, he was sitting in bed, writing in his journal. "Count!"
Count Bleck stopped, giving him a glance. "Yes, Mr. L?"
"There's something I need to tell you!"
"Well, whatever it is, can't it wait? Count Bleck is busy."
Mr. L shook his head. "No, it can't! I need to tell you right now!"
Count Bleck sighed. He closed his journal and set it on his night stand. "Go on then. Out with it."
"Dimentio is-Going to betray you." His eyes widened. Mr. L managed to get the first couple of words out, but his throat tightened before he could say the rest. He rubbed his throat, fear and anxiety bubbling inside of him.
Meanwhile, the Count blinked. "Yes? Dimentio is what?"
"He's trying to-" Just then, his cheeks grew hot. His stomach rumbled. His saliva grew sweet. It was as if he would get sick at any minute. "I mean, let me start over. He-lied to me and he's lying to you too!" The man in green shook his head. "Count, you have to listen!"
He sighed, reaching for his journal again. "Mr. L, if you need to talk about relationship troubles, please find someone else. Count Bleck is the last person that could help you right now."
"No, this isn't about that! I can't talk right now, but it's very urgent! Read my lips!"
Count Bleck stared at his servant, clearly not amused. Mr. L sighed. "Do you have any paper?"
"Are you certain that you cannot just tell-?"
"Please, Count!"
The leader frowned, but gave him a paper and pencil. The man in green wrote as fast he could, explaining the situation, before handing the paper over. Count Bleck only looked at the paper for literally two seconds before putting it down and giving the man in green a hard look. When Mr. L got a glimpse of the paper, he gasped. Nothing but scribbles...but he could have sworn he wrote actual words!
Mr. L looked back the Count. The blue-skinned man crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into a nearby trash bin before turning his attention back to his journal. "Do not waste Count Bleck's time like this again. Please leave. He is going through personal matters at the moment. If you must speak with someone about this, the Count is certain Mimi has some free time on her hands."
The mechanic stared in disbelief, then groaned, running his hands through his hair. "It's not her! It's not me either! It's you!" He said, pointing. Count Bleck narrowed his eyes. Mr. L turned away, embarrassment and misery coloring his cheeks pink. "N-No! Wait! That's not what I meant! You're amazing! It's just-"
Count Bleck sighed. "Nastasia! Could you come here for a moment?"
He groaned. "Oh, forget it!"
With that, Mr. L left the room. He barely acknowledged Nastasia, who approached upon hearing the Count. She turned her head back, watching him leave, then looked back to her master. "What's his problem?"
The Count rubbed his temples. "Count Bleck doesn't know. He's having disagreements with Dimentio, the Count presumes."
Nastasia shrugged. "I'm sure they'll work it out."
"Let's hope so. They deserve to be happy together." With that, Count Bleck grabbed his pencil and continued writing. "My dearest Timpani, it's been quite awhile now. My heart grows more distant with each passing day, but I've never forgotten you. I wish we could meet again one day, but sadly it is not to be..."
Meanwhile, Mr. L went into his own bedroom and shut the door behind him. Taking a breath, he ran a hand through his hair. What should he do? The Count didn't believe him. He wouldn't even listen. Surely, Nastasia felt the same.
It wasn't their fault. No. Dimentio had cast a spell on him. Not only that, but he told such ridiculous lies! Mr. L felt like such a fool. There was no way Dimentio told him anything that resembled the truth. Nothing at all.
Mr. L began to pace around the room. "No. Wait. That can't be right. I mean, some of it had to be real. I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I have a brother and a mother and father who I love very much, but I'm not-" He gulped. "I-I'm not Luigi..."
He took a deep breath, trying to let his past come naturally. He had a father who worked to keep his family afloat. His mother worked as a waitress. They wanted something more out of life, just like their offspring. Mario wanted to be a hero. And Luigi wanted to do whatever Mario wanted...
"Luigi was an overachiever..." Mr. L whispered. He smirked. "The teacher's pet, I presume. He was the type who everyone picked on and Mario always had to come save his ass. Luigi was afraid of ghosts especially. And the dark. That's why going into a haunted mansion to save his bro was probably his hardest, yet proudest accomplishment."
"His cousins, Wario and Waluigi, always picked on him. Mario tried his best to encourage him, but when he saved Pauline, the cameras and limelight seemed to swallow him whole. It didn't help that Mario joked with the paparazzi while Luigi just shut himself inside the house all day. That's why..." He gulped. "That's why I had to believe in myself. Take care of myself and work to be the best version of me. Because if I couldn't do the work...Then I'd just be like everyone else, working a dreary 9 to 5...And I'd never leave my brother's shadow..."
Mr. L let out a long sigh, turning to look at himself at the mirror. That was when three quick realizations knocked the wind right out of him. First, he knew a lot about Luigi that not even Dimentio had mentioned. Second, he began to tell Luigi's story as if it was his own, even using first person pronouns and speaking in an Italian accent. Third, his eyes were now a startling shade of blue.
The mechanic gasped. As it so happened, he forgot his mask in Dimentio's bedroom. With his new blue eyes, Mr. L was now a spitting image of Luigi. That was when he realized that he couldn't compromise. Either Dimentio was feeding him lies this whole time or he really was Luigi Mario...
His hands shook again. This time, the man in green couldn't go to the Count or Nastasia. Or Dimentio. Or O'Chunks. Not even Mimi. They either already knew or would never look at him the same. Worst of all, he didn't have his brother. His flesh and blood brother. Mr. L never felt so vulnerable...
"D-Dimentio was telling the truth..." He muttered. "I-I'm Luigi..." He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Oh, what am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" There was no way of winning in this situation. If he helped the heroes, he would betray the only family he could truly remember. If he did nothing, he would hurt his real family...
Mr. L took a deep breath. He chose the only solution that didn't seem to hurt anyone. "I'll have to wait and see." He closed his eyes. "Wait until the Count gives us another order..." Finally, he whispered, "Until then, I'll just pretend to be oblivious. Like I've never heard of who I really am..."
He felt hesitant around lunch time, but Mr. L headed downstairs anyway. He tried to remember how he met Nastasia for the first time, but only vague images came to mind. The princess and King Incompetent were getting married. He shook his head. No, that can't be right...Those two goombas were there. How do they tie into this?
When he approached the dining room, the others were there. Nastasia glared when she noticed him. "You're late. Again."
Mr. L grew tense. Nastasia stared angrily from under her glasses, as if she would shock him if he made the slightest wrong move. No. No, that couldn't be right. Mr. L rubbed his eyes and looked at her again. She only watched with a disapproving frown.
The man in green took his usual place at the table. Thankfully, someone set a bowl in front of him. He glanced down at his food. It was full of brown broth, meat, carrots, and lots of Brussels sprout bits. He chuckled. Looking to O'Chunks, he asked, "Beef and Brussels sprout stew?"
"Aye. After all, I know ye love meh stew," O'Chunks muttered sarcastically.
Mr. L sighed. He didn't think it was as bad as he described during that training session, but he could see O'Chunks still felt upset about that. "You gotta learn to take a joke." O'Chunks didn't respond. Next, Mr. L glanced at Dimentio, trying to read his thoughts. The magician slurped his soup, not even looking in his direction. The man in green narrowed his eyes.
Mimi broke the silence. "So, Nassy! Where's the Count?"
"He won't be eating with us. He's not feeling too well."
"Oh dear!" Dimentio chimed in, looking up. "I hope he feels better soon!"
"Yeah, I agree with Dimmy for once!"
"Oh, come now! Where's ye faith? Our Count's not one te back down! He'll get bettah soon enough!" O'Chunks said.
"Exactly. O'Chunks is right," Nastasia agreed. "Don't worry about him. Speaking of the Count, he has been studying the Dark Prognosticus a lot lately. The Light Prognosticus as well. It turns out this hero situation might take care of itself."
Mr. L furrowed his brows. O'Chunks showed a spark of interest. "Really? What does teh book say, lass?"
"At the duel of the Hundred, the hero will meet with dark powers of purest chaos. If you fall to the Hundred, the chaos world grows and the Purity heart fades. And as that happens, the hero will fall to the world where all games are ended," She quoted. She quickly added, "That's from the Light Prognosticus."
Mr. L froze. He put his spoon down, losing his appetite.
"Oh, I get it!" Mimi said. "So the heroes will try to fight a hundred baddies and then they'll lose!"
"Then the Chaos Heart will destroy that world and everyone in it, including them!" Dimentio agreed. "Marvelous!"
"It's too bad, really," O'Chunks said. He cracked his knuckles. "I was looking forward teh gettin' chunky on 'em!"
"Speak for yourself! I haven't had any action in forever!" Mimi cried.
Mr. L forced himself to speak. "W-Wait! That can't be right!" He turned. "Nastasia, are you sure that's what it says?"
Nastasia shrugged. "I'm pretty sure. Who knows? Maybe it already came true."
His eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat. Meanwhile, the others cheered. Gigging, Mimi said, "We should totally celebrate this!"
"I agree! The Count's vision is that much closer to becoming a reality!" Dimentio turned. "Don't you think so, Mr. L?"
Mr. L ran his hands through his hair. "N-No. That can't be true!"
The minions looked among themselves. "What be teh matter with yeh, laddie?" O'Chunks asked, sounding concerned for once.
With a tilt of her head, Mimi asked, "Is it because you can't fight them again?"
"It will be easier this way, Mr. L," Dimentio whispered. "You'll see!"
He buried his face in his hands. "N-No. No, it won't..."
"L? Are you doing okay?" Nastasia asked.
"No, I'm..." Before he could finish, Mr. L heard a deafening SMASH! It reminded him of a lightning strike, scorching whatever it touched. He froze, not being able to move for a moment. He felt a twinge of fear, looking around the table. Suddenly, he didn't recognize anyone there. Their names were so close, but too far from his reach. He knew the blue girl from somewhere. Wait. Of course! She ganged up on him! And then...and then...
Luigi stared at his hands. They felt so alien to him, like they weren't even his. Where was he? What was he doing? Was Mario...Really gone? The room started to spin and he started to feel lightheaded. He muttered, "I-I'm..." He fell. They all shouted the first initial of his name, these total strangers.
A goomba caught him, bringing him back to reality. "Are you alright, Lui-Er...Mr. L?"
Luigi glanced at the goomba. His eyes were a light shade of crimson. Gary. He was there when it happened!
Luigi stood. "Y-You! S-Stay away from me!"
"L, it be alright..." The muscle man started.
"No! No, it's not alright!" Luigi looked around the table. The jester's smile scared him the most. He clenched his fists. "What is wrong with you people? Rejoicing in the death of an innocent man! Don't you know that Mario is...is my..." Tearing up, Luigi stood and ran away from Gary.
"Mr. L, wait!" The blue girl called. He ignored her, finding it more difficult to run as he got farther and farther away. However, thoughts of hatred made him keep going. I'm not one of them! I was never meant to be one of them! They're all liars! I hate them! I hate all of them!
The man in green twisted the doorknob and yanked the door open. Count Bleck looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Mr. L, Count Bleck already told you. He's busy at the moment. Are you really in dire need of assistance right now?"
Angry tears spilled down Luigi's cheeks. "You..." He clenched his fists even tighter, feeling them shake.
Count Bleck blinked. "Mr. L?"
"HOW COULD YOU!?" Luigi rushed towards the Count. The latter leaped into the air and levitated, watching his former minion with narrowed eyes. Luigi sprung into the air and punched Count Bleck in the face. The man cried out. Luigi tried to punch him again. This time, his hand smashed into a barrier. A strange vibration went up and down his spine, sending him back down. Luigi hit the ground, groaning as pain soared through his back.
He sat up, glaring. "Why? Why did you let my brother die!?"
"Your brother, Mr. L?" Count Bleck floated back down, landing gently on the floor. "Count Bleck sees you've learned the truth." Luigi cried out and ran towards him, slamming into the barrier. A sharp sting. The man in green cried out, squeezing his hand.
Just then, the blue girl ran into the room. "Mr. L, stop!"
"Shut up!" He snapped. "I'm not your puppet anymore! I know who I really am!"
She gasped. "What? No! That's impossible! No one breaks free from my hypnosis!"
The green girl followed. The Scotsman appeared right beside her.
"L!" The girl cried.
"What's gotten into yeh, lad!?" Her friend added.
Luigi kicked. He punched again. He slammed into the barrier. Nothing worked, the pain growing with each attempt. Count Bleck stared from the safety of his barrier. Every time a stranger tried to pull him away, Luigi pushed them aside and kept up the fight.
Only the jester remained in the doorway. The green girl cried, "Don't just stand there! Do something!"
Smiling, he replied, "I'm not sure if I can."
Count Bleck raised his scepter. Suddenly, Luigi floated in the air. He thrashed and cursed, but nothing made a difference. A strong force sent him flying into the wall. SMASH! Luigi fell, every inch of his body throbbing. Taking a few steps forward, Count Bleck said, "You might as well stop now, Mr. L. You are outclassed here."
The human looked up pitifully. He sounded weak when he asked, "Why did you kill him? He did nothing to you! All he ever wanted was to be hero! To make people's lives better! How could you take that away from him? Away from me?"
Count Bleck turned away. "Mario was the hero of the Light Prognosticus. He had to be stopped."
The man in green trembled. "I hate you. You're the most horrible person I've ever met! You're willing to destroy everything just because of some girl!"
The leader's eyes grew wide. SMACK! Luigi cried out. Slowly, he put a hand to his face. His cheek burned. The impact left a mark, no doubt. Even the Count's followers cringed, except the jester, who stared with no emotion. "That is enough," Count Bleck said coldly.
"No..." That was when everything piled on top of him. Luigi loved these strangers, but he hated them too. He was made for the Light Prognosticus or the dark one or both. Contrary ideas swirled in his head about who he should be and how he should feel. He only knew one thing for certain: his older brother, the one of his dreams, was gone forever. "No, mio fratello...Prego!" With that, Luigi burst into tears and hid his face.
Count Bleck turned. "Nastasia." The blue girl flinched and stood straighter. "Apparently, Mr. L knows of things that don't concern him. You must help him get back on track."
She hesitated. "But...Count…"
"Did Count Bleck stutter, Nastasia?"
Nastasia frowned, staring at the floor. "Yes. Right away, sir."
"Wait a minute!" The Scotsman spoke up. "Yeh mean te tell me that our Mr. L was nothin' but a brainwashed slave all along!?"
"Count Bleck wouldn't say slave. We certainly gave him more rights than one," He said. "The Count likes to think of him as a servant. Yes, one of Count Bleck's servants..."
Luigi looked up, feeling intense bursts of pain in his hands.
Nastasia was the only one to notice. She whispered, "Count..."
"And once he returns to that state, Count Bleck wants none of you to speak of this…"
The man in green stood. The pain grew more intense, like knives digging into his hands. For once, Luigi wasn't scared. A bitter, dark seed took root inside of his heart, welcoming the pain. "Count Bleck..."
"Luigi, don't!" Nastasia cried.
The man in green rushed towards him, his hands full of powerful green electricity. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"
Count Bleck turned towards him. Luigi rushed forward and shoved his hands in his direction, allowing his deadly potential to destroy him. The sheer amount of power lasted only for a few seconds; after that, he felt his energy drain instantly. Kneeling down, he tried to catch his breath. Beads of sweat trailed down his face. He glanced at the others. All of them looked at him in complete shock. Even the jester stared with wide eyes.
THUMP! Luigi turned and gasped. Nastasia withered on the ground, her skin a roasted brown. Her chest didn't move. Her glasses were scorched, the frames shattered. Her purple hair fell loose from its neat bun. No one said a word.
Quickly, the moment returned to focus. Mr. L felt everything catch up to him. "N-Nastasia? What? What did I...?" He stared at his hands. He looked at the Count, who seemed just as shocked as the rest of them. The man in green trembled. "I-It wasn't me...It was..." He stopped. How could he possibly explain what overtook him? The darkness begged for its master. Chaos ran through his veins, killing her. The one he thought of as a beloved older sister...
Running his hands through his hair, Mr. L let out a sorrowful scream.
Mr. L woke from his nightmare with a start. He gasped for breath, sweat trailing down his face. Jolting out of bed, the man in green ran out of his room. He went downstairs, stumbling down the last step, but quickly recovering and continuing to run. The mechanic ran into the hall, not knowing where to go. He looked around, feeling smaller than his surroundings. He was so fragile that the slightest touch could make him shatter into pieces. Losing his will to stay standing, Mr. L crumbled. He squeezed his knees tightly and let the tears fall freely.
He ignored the footsteps until he heard a certain voice. "L?"
He gasped and looked up. Her skin was a soft dark blue. Her glasses were perfectly in place. Her purple hair was tied into a messy bun. She tilted her head slightly. "Nastasia?" He whispered.
She smiled. "Hey. I didn't expect you to recover so quickly. How-?"
Before she could finish, he stood and hugged her tightly. "You're alive," He whispered. "Oh, Grambi! You're alive! I'm so sorry!"
For a moment, Nastasia didn't speak. "You must've had a bad dream..."
Mr. L let go and looked directly at her. "What happened?"
"You passed out during lunch," Nastasia explained. "Everyone was so worried about you!" She turned to the side. "Luckily, the goombas took you to your room. You were snoozing ever since. I thought you would sleep for awhile longer, at least until morning."
Suddenly, Mr. L remembered. His brother. "M-Mario?" He gulped. "The hero in red?"
She blinked. "He's fine. At least, he is for now." Mr. L couldn't help it. He let out a sigh of relief. Even so, Nastasia showed mostly concern. "L, I was just joking earlier! I guess I didn't do a good job of showing it. That isn't what made you pass out...Is it?"
He shook his head, forcing a smile. "No. No, of course not! Don't worry. Everything is fine, girlie!"
Nastasia narrowed her eyes. "Mr. L, I know you. You can't fool me with that talk."
The mechanic cringed. Turning away, he whispered, "Please don't call me that."
"Why not? It's your name, isn't it?"
He sighed, small pieces of that day returning. She was the one who gave him that name. "No, it's not. You know that as well as I do, Nastasia."
She furrowed her brows. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Mr. L stared at her. "The newspaper with the Mario brothers standing alongside Princess Peach. You destroyed it. Or someone destroyed it for you." Her eyes widened. The man in green wiped his face. "Every time I mention my past, you avoid it. And there's nothing in the library about that fourth hero. I've looked."
She was at a loss for words. "That's because-"
"It's me?" He interrupted. She gasped. Mr. L bit his lip, knowing this confirmed everything Dimentio told him. "Nastasia…I'm Luigi. Aren't I?" She didn't speak, so he went on. "I know that Mario's my older bro. I may have created Brobot in my image, but I really missed my twin. And...You made him out to be my enemy."
Nastasia noticed his sky blue eyes. She muttered, "Who told you?"
He shook his head. "That's not important. Why didn't you tell me? Why couldn't I know about Luigi?" In truth, he knew the reason why she couldn't tell him. If he knew, Mr. L would never side with them. Still, his heart ached, knowing his family lied to him.
She let out a sorrowful sigh. "I'm sorry, Mr. L. Really, I am. There's just no other way." With that, she turned. "Gary. Kevin. Hold him down, please."
"Yes, ma'am!" They said in unison. Mr. L gasped, but they both approached from the shadows. SLAM! They pushed him against the wall. Mr. L cringed, then noticed Nastasia. She started to lower her glasses...
ZAP! It was that vibration again, making him feel more like a metal spring. "Wh-What are you doing!?"
"Who are you? Tell me who you are!" She demanded sharply.
"I'm L-Luigi…"
ZAP! Her power stung this time. He winced. "Nastasia...This hurts!"
"T-Tell me. What is your n-name?"
All at once, Mr. L realized what she was doing. He had overcome everything. She was only resetting him, like he was a toy being bought back to factory conditions. He thrashed, but the two goombas held their grip. "N-No. Stop it, please! Mario needs-"
ZAP! This one sucked the energy out of him. Suddenly, he lost the will to fight. Nastasia was right. He was the man in green of the Dark Prognosticus. The Count's best and most loyal minion. He was above the others. He was skilled and intelligent. No one held a candle to his power. He was...
"Now, what is your name?" She asked.
He blinked and gave a weak smile. "You should know, girlie. I'm one of the Count's best."
"I want to hear you say it," Nastasia said. Why did she sound so upset?
Mr. L smirked. "Alright. The name's Mr. L, the Green Thunder. Although...I'm getting sick of being at the same level of the Count's other minions. I'm the only one specifically called for in the prophecy, you know."
Nastasia stared. "And the hero? What do you think of him?"
His eyes widened. His hands shook. "The hero..." He glared, clenching his fists. He shouted, "I hate him!"
She nodded. "Hmm…"
Mr. L looked around the room. Two goombas watched from either side of him. One of them had red eyes and the other had plain brown ones. He glanced back at Nastasia. "How did I get here?" He rubbed his head. "I mean...Isn't it late?"
"You had a bad dream. That's all. Come on. I'll take you back to your room."
The man in green nodded. As he left, he thought he heard the goombas talking to one another. "It's a shame...He was so close."
"I know it. But we need him, Gary. Come on. I'm tired."
Mr. L frowned. Pitiful low-lives. He followed Nastasia to his room, knowing he could trust her. He always thought of her as a beloved older sister.
Canonically, Wario and Waluigi are two buddies who like to mess with the Mario Bros, although the four of them are not related by blood. But whatever. My alternate universe, though it only slightly deviates from canon and makes up stories to fill up the time.
I'm also planning on revising Swirls of Black and Green, which is the main story, because I made a lot of it up as I went and it kinda shows. Plus, I want to make the ties to this story stronger. I wrote the original one-shot around the time of Chapter 4 in SBG, so L explaining his backstory lines up, but the Lmentio thing was mostly a plot twist to some. This story had a rough outline that I tweaked along the way, so I feel it runs a lot smoother.
Also, I got a job! (I'm an Office Assistant for the Writing Center when I get back to school.) I plan to volunteer some as well over the break. (Update from Spring 2020: I got fired from that job after like six weeks.)
Next Time: Back to the game! (Don't know how long I'll keep up these "Next Time" pieces.)
-Colorful and Free
