....erm, that's better? Alrighty then. I gotta thank Koji n Jes for forcing me to write this ^_^....and Pisces for convincing me to write past 8 chapters, to "be all that I can be." Enjoy.
"Mario, don't. Please don't do this!" Luigi begged, growing more and more frantic. He tried to wipe away the rivulet of blood that ran from his brother's mouth with his sleeve, but more red liquid trailed out.
He jumped when Mario clenched his hand so tightly he could have broken it, gasping suddenly, eyes wide open. His face was pale, and he looked straight ahead of him, towards the ceiling.
"Where is he?" he rasped hoarsely.
"Who? Who, Mario?"
"The man…who……" He cut himself off, eyes squeezing shut and his face contorting in pain. He moaned in agony and held Luigi's hand tighter, tears tracing a silver line down his cheek. "He'll get you…too…" Luigi glanced at Mario's torn, blood soaked shirt but just as quickly looked away again. He swallowed hard, throat feeling suddenly dry.
"There's no one here, just Weegee. You're gonna be fine. I just….need to, to get you out." In spite of his words, Luigi gave the room a quick glance just to make sure he was the only one.
Mario set his teeth and whimpered, "He'll…get you too…go…"
"No, it's just me, Mario. Just you and Weegee." Mario's breath grew rapid, and he coughed, more blood coming out of his mouth. "Just…just you an'….and Weegee," the younger plumber repeated faintly. Mario chest rose, and he sighed, relaxing, his grip on his brother's hand loosening at a frightful speed. Luigi clasped his hand more.
"No, no. Don't do this now. Come on, Mario."
He didn't respond.
Luigi turned his head, looking towards the door. "Someone help me!" he screamed, his raucous voice echoing through the large room. "Please!" He turned back to Mario. His eyes were closed as if sleeping, but Luigi had a feeling he wasn't resting at all.
"No…Mario…" He reached for his brother's wrist, but the pain was too much. No way he could check his brother's own pulse and see if he were truly dead. He drew away with a startled sob, Mario's limp hand slipping from his. He sat by him silently, staring in shock.
No, he can't be dead. No.
Then he fell silent at the sudden realization of the situation. His eyes fell to the floor, dazed.
"This is your worst nightmare, Luigi. Isn't it?" Bowser's voice, although soft, echoed loudly through the cold, solid room. Luigi just barely nodded, stunned.
"You don't want to lose your brother do you?"
The younger plumber shook his head, still in shock. "Well, much as I'd like to apologize, I can't. But I can put you back in your own room, keep you here forever, and remind you so often how Mario's untimely death was your fault."
My fault? Luigi wondered, looking up a moment. The thought had never occurred to him.
"You didn't get here in time. You couldn't open the door."
He's right, the young Mario thought as his eyes drifted to the floor again. It is my fault. If only I'd…
"Yes, we could go on forever if 'if onlys'." Bowser chuckled.
Gradually he stood up shakily, looming over his brother's inert form. A painful twinge in his chest as he straightened up and he winced, shutting his eyes tightly and holding his tender ribs.
"Why would you do this?" he asked through clenched teeth, begging to know.
"Is there any need to know? Just consider this therapy, helping you to overcome your fears."
Luigi could have cried like a little boy, as a child shedding tears over the cruelness of a school bully. He stood there for a moment or two, looking down at Mario, disbelieving eyes narrowing more and more until they were thin, vengeful slits.
"No," he growled. "No! It wasn't my fault! You did this!"
When no one answered, he pulled something small, gray and fuzzy out of his pocket.
"Know what this is Bowser?" he yelled. "Well, I do! It was our ticket into this mess! It brought us here in the first place! And this is our ticket out!"
Just then the Koopa King himself appeared at the door, flanked with four large hammer brothers and holding the Princess securely by the back of her neck.
"I know what it is," Bowser growled. "It's her ticket to a swift death, and yours to see it happen."
Luigi shook his head. "No more, Bowser! Now it's our ticket out of here." He pointed to a thin, white thread at the base of the cloud pillow and grabbed it between thumb and forefinger.
"All I have to do is pull," he threatened.
"All I have to is squeeze," Bowser replied calmly, his large green hand shrinking as it tightened around Peach's small neck, just enough to unnerve her. She gave a frightened gasp, and pulled helplessly at his fingers with her thin, delicate hands.
"Luigi," she whispered, terrified. Her eyes moved to the floor, to Mario's ravaged body. Her eyes grew even wider. "What…what did you do?"
Luigi looked behind him, and his heart jumped when he realized what she meant. "No, Peach, I didn't…I didn't do this." He saw his hand, knees, shirt….covered in his brother's blood. Luigi saw the fear in her eyes, and stood frozen. "You've got to believe me Peach. I didn't do this." He took a step closer to her, but stopped when she drew away as far as she was able with a turtle holding her neck. "Peach, I didn't do this!"
"Drop the cloud now, plumber. Or she dies."
Luigi looked from Mario to Bowser to Peach to the Troopas and back to Bowser. This was not part of his plan. But he couldn't lose Peach, too. With bleary vision and a heavy heart, Luigi held out the plush toy in the palm of his red and calloused hand. Almost as soon as it was snatched away from his grasp a clawed hand collided with his sore chest, and he fell to the ground in blinding pain, gasping for breath.
"Change of plans, Kamek." That was the last thing Luigi heard before he blacked out.
[Okay, first she tortures us in our sleep, then she leaves us to rot in some God-forsaken place…]
(She's gone too far!)
+Won't someone please think of the children??+
(She was never this…gruesome before. She must have snapped or something.)
[Or she's being influenced by whatever else she reads...]
::All look towards a certain, unnamed author who smiles nervously::
Mystery Person: I like to think of it as….inspiration?