Author's Notes: Just thought I'd give you all a reminder: Me....(Mario)....[Luigi]....+Peach+. Enjoy!
"No, please Mario. Don't do this…you're gonna be all right. Please… No!" Luigi sat up in bed with a start, then collapsed back on the pillow again, growling painfully from his bruised and broken ribs. He set his teeth and got up slowly.
"Mario?" He stopped and froze when he saw his brother asleep on the chair, not moving.
"Mario!!" he shouted. "Wake up! Please!!" But the elder plumber did not stir.
"No!" In his panic, the thinner plumber tried to get out of the sheets. He fumbled, tripped and fell to the ground. Slamming his head against the hard marble floor, he clutched his chest in agony.
"Mario! Why'd you fall asleep?" he cursed breathlessly. "Why'd you fall asleep?"
Toad and two other mushroom attendants come in, surprised looks on their faces to find Luigi on the floor.
"Luigi? What's wrong?" cried Toad.
"He fell asleep, dang it! Wake him up!" Hard as the little fungi tried, they couldn't rouse their dozing hero. Luigi shook his head, utterly dismayed.
"Oh, no. Bowser's got him too…"
[So now, I'm all alone. Got anything to say for yourself?]
*sigh* Yes. Just PLEASE, for the love of Benjamin Bratt, put me right side up again!
+Meh, I don't know…+
I plead the eighth amendment!
(Right, it's ok. She knows her civics. *rights the chair Robin Lee is still tied to*)
+Now why were you so P.O.'d??+
I'm….I'm sorry. I just….it's been such a stressful year, and I….had those bloody SAT's to study for-*breaks down, sobbing wildly*
(Really? Was that all?)
"Was that all"?!?!
[We thought it was something serious, like-]
Serious?!?!?! You don't think SAT's are serious??? You know what my dad will DO to me if I failed 'em? I'll be in a body cast for a month!
+Wait..failED? You took them?+
Yes, now untie me sirs!
(Sure, sure. But first we have a few conditions…*clears his throat and pulls out parchment, unrolling it. It's about as long as a house. He reads* "We, the plumbers and princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, do ordain and establish…)
Luigi sat at the table the next morning, idly looking out the window. He was scared out of his mind, but wouldn't admit it.
Admit to who? he thought. Toad? There's no one left. Peach is gone, Mario's gone......and I'm next. He gulped and shook his head, vowing to get to the bottom of the situation. He had to find the cause of this craziness.
Peach shivered, and Mario squeezed her closer. They were stuck in the cell together…somehow thankful. Thankful that they were not alone. "We're never going to get out," she mumbled, voice muffled against the plumber's shoulder.
He was in no better shape than his Princess. "Can't think like that. We've gotten out of these situations hundreds of times…"
"Mario, he's never been like this. So…so…"
"Murderous? Sadistic? Evil?" Bowser's deep rumble broke their quiet chatter. Peach hid herself in Mario's torn shirt, and the plumber held his tongue.
"So nice to see you two together. On my turf."
Mario didn't answer, but held Bowser's gaze bitterly. The turtle sneered, then motioned with his hands. Three Troopas appeared at the cell door, unlocking it.
"Time to go, Peach."
She shook her head hard, hugging Mario and starting to cry. "No…no."
Two Troopas grabbed the Princess, who still tried to clutch the bedraggled plumber, and dragged her out.
"No! I don't want to go!"
Mario stood up, clenching his fists but gasped after a swift kick in the stomach.
"Peach," he managed as she was carried screaming out of the cell. Mario stood up and reached the bars as they slammed the door. He stretched for Peach's hands and held it tightly. Searching for a reassuring word.
"You'll come back," he whispered.
"No, don't let me go there, Mario!" she sobbed hysterically. "Please!"
The Troopas yanked on her arm, and their hands parted forcibly.
"You'll come back!" he shouted after her, hoping it was true. But she wasn't listening. She screamed all the way to her room of terror, where the door shut loudly and echoed through the prison. Mario shut his eyes and lowered his head, shivering. He didn't notice Bowser until he had opened the door; the enormous turtle almost took up the entire cell space. Mario backed up slowly until he was cornered against the wall. He knew there was no way out; he was completely emptied of mushrooms, fire-flowers and the like.
Bowser approached him, cracking his knuckles and grinning maliciously.
"I've waited for this day for so long, plumber." And with those words Mario withered under the reptile's bone shattering punch. He tried to stand up again, but as Bowser's shadow began to smother him, he knew he didn't stand a chance.
Mindful of his bandaged chest, Luigi went to Peach's room and watched her sleep. If you call it sleeping, he thought sadly. I have to wake them up again!
He watched her peacefully slumbering, a scowl appearing on his face. "I don't think you can't hear me, Peach, but I'll find some way to get you guys out of there."
He started to piece everything together. Our dreams affect us in the 'outside world'…Peach's nightgown, my chest…… They haven't woken up, and we only have our dreams when we're sleeping. His face blanched slightly and he felt sick. They must be in hell.**
The lanky plumber sighed then got up to leave when something caught his eyes. He stopped mid stride and gently picked up the little plush cloud. Its smile made Luigi sick; he felt like tearing it to pieces. His hands trembled in rage, and he stared at it spitefully, as if it were the cause of all this trouble.
Suddenly, Luigi glare softened. He glanced at Peach, then back to the plush cloud. Then his eyes brightened.
"That's it!" he whispered. "That's it, I know it is!" He turned to leave, then looked back to Peach.
"Hang in there, Princess. Just hold on for a little longer, I'm coming. Oh," he added softly, lifting the cloud. "I hope you don't mind if I use this." He left and quietly shut the door.
All the mushroom attendants must have thought Luigi was insane. He kept his door closed and stayed in his room for hours. When one of them opened the door to check on him, he slammed it in their face and stalked back to his bed. Toad found it to be locked later in the day, and all the little mushroom could do was shrug helplessly.
"Just so he doesn't hurt himself," he worried, wringing his stubby hands.
It was getting late. Luigi just rolled his eyes to their pleading and begging; open the door, please come out, you haven't eaten a thing.
"Ah, let 'em worry. If they thought I was crazy, you'd think they'd leave me alone for good. Well it just goes to show ya…" He was mumbling to himself, leaning over something. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to remember every passageway of Bowser's castle. He slowly but surely constructed a way to reach his brother and the Princess. Sighing deeply, he stood up, inspecting his work, feeling satisfied.
A miniature model of the dark castle and everything surrounding it lay on the floor by Luigi's bed. A sad excuse for a stick figure of himself was inside the palace gates, in an area of the dungeon where he thought Mario and Peach to be. If Bowser snatches our minds once we're asleep, at least I can control where I end up…And that little guy is coming with me. Grinning to himself, he set the cloud next to his model.
He hadn't heard a sound outside his room, and the time read 12:34. They all must be sleeping, given up on the 'crazy plumber'. He opened the door and looked down, finding little Toad asleep in the hall, keeping a dutiful watch on the one hero that remained. Smiling sadly, Luigi gently picked him up and took him to his own tiny room. He laid him in his bed, and Toad stirred, talking in his sleep.
"Don't go, Luigi…"
Luigi bit his lip, kneeling by Toad's small bed. "I have to, little man. I gotta get my brother and your Princess. We can't have you going out of a job, now can we?" He patted his mushroom shaped head, stood up, wincing and holding his chest.
"I'll be back," he whispered with little assurance. "And I'll have Mario and Peach here with me, you'll see." He turned abruptly and left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Going to his own room, he looked once more at the small castle on his floor. Whispering a little prayer, he laid carefully on his bed, holding the plush cloud and placing it in his pocket.
Looking at the cloud made us have the bad dreams…I had better be right about that. The plan has to work, he thought as he laid his head on the pillow. It has to…
**Whoa now. You must be wondering where that came from, because I never use cursing in my stories. But in this case, I really mean it. And children who shouldn't hear the word shouldn't be reading this anyway. So shield your virgin eyes and deal with it. Sorry for making a big deal.
And next chapter gets reeeeeaaaaaly scary...and gory. It's all the curse's fault!! They MADE me do it O_o! Horrible....nightmare visions...!! *runs around the room, screaming, runs into wall and falls on floor*
hOpE yOu LiKeD tHiS...