Part I: A New Beginning

Chapter IV: The Other Brother

"You know what? I really like the name 'The Miracle.' It seems to fit with what it represents, plus it sounds good."

"Really? I find it a little tacky. I mean, can you picture Mario saying: 'This is The Miracle, prepare to surrender'?"

"Oh come on. You and I both know this isn't a ship of combat. It's a ship of exploration and peace. Give the name a chance."

"I just think it sounds a little cheesy. I mean, I know that these past few years have not been easy for Plit, and that the Nimbians really struggled for four years even more than we did, but doesn't 'The Miracle' seem a little bit overly hopeful to you? I mean there's no guarantee that you guys are going to find any life out there. I hate to say it but this planet could just be a barren wasteland and we're the only life on it. We haven't heard from the Koopas for almost two years either, and even though we never confirmed it I'm pretty sure that they couldn't even pose a threat to a pair of Wigglers. We crippled them, so we don't need protection from the Koopas either."

"Are you saying you think this whole mission was a mistake?"

"I'm not saying that. On the contrary I think it's quite a good idea, and exciting too, but I think that too many people, the Mushroom Kingdom included, are getting a little too excited. They'll be let down if you come back with no one from the outside world to help us rebuild. And in my opinion, that is a very likely scenario."

"Well, I know that we'll rebuild from the Koopa Troop's tyranny eventually, but having someone to help us and provide workers and resources would be wonderful. It is definitely worth a try. You honestly don't think that there's any other life on Plit? You know what the probabilities are of that? Consider the information we have obtained in the last decade I find that extremely hard to believe."

"Perhaps you're right."

"Anyway, let's just forget about it for now. I already have to deal with this damn ship enough." Luigi smiled, showing that he was only half serious about his tiredness.

"I know," Rose replied. She took a moment to look out of the window in front of her to look out at the vast lands of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Luigi joined her. "Incredible, isn't it? When my brother and I first came to this wondrous land it was almost like stepping into a dream. I couldn't believe it at first. One minute I was working on fixing a pipe, and the next minute I was standing next to some guy with a Mushroom for a head. I still remember Mario saying 'you didn't put any drugs in the punch did you?'" He and Rose both laughed.

"I didn't want to stay here at all at first. Yeah, that's right. When Mario and I agreed to help exile Bowser and the Koopa Troop from the Mushroom Kingdom we planned to go back to Earth immediately. A lot of people forget that."

"Oh, stop being so hard on yourself," Rose said.

"Well, it's true. I won't speak for my brother, but I really wanted to go back to Earth. I honestly didn't like it here at all. It was too different, and one of the great human weaknesses is being afraid of anything different. Plus Earth was where we were born, or at least I thought so at the time. I wanted to go back desperately, but once I saw the wonderful people and lands of this planet, I knew that I had to help protect it from any threat possible. Once I did I realized that I wasn't really leaving much back on Earth anyway." Luigi paused for a second, almost reliving something from around that time.

"All I really had was a crappy plumbing job, no family, and little friends. The only person I really had was my brother. Once I had made friends here, I was convinced that I had to stay. Am I ever glad that I did." He smiled, and kissed his wife of only three months. They had met while both of them were vacationing in Seaside Town, which is far southwest of The Mushroom Kingdom.

The room they were now in had only a few pictures of the two of them together. Both had lost their previous spouses in the Koopa War. The wooden walls that now stood where great stone walls once did reminded them of the cost of that war.

Once she and Luigi had stopped kissing, Rose spoke. "When I first moved here from Sarasaland I thought I was starting a new era of my life. Little did I know that my dream would come all too true. I still remember seeing an entire quarter of the Mushroom Kingdom go up in flames before my eyes on only my second day living here. As you know, the next few years for me were never the same. They weren't the same for anyone."

Luigi knew he had to get to the Mushroom Castle soon for his meeting with The Chancellor. Rose seemed to read his mind.

"Don't you have to be heading off soon?"

"Yes, I should probably leave now just in case. These times are crucial, as you know. If anything goes wrong with this project the hope of the entire continent will be crushed. Plus if I miss this meeting the Chancellor will have my head."

"Yeah, a lot of pressure is on him as well," Rose said. "Not as much as the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom though."

"Thanks," Luigi responded. "I should be back in about three hours. Chow." He left out of the door of one of the many Mushroom Kingdom houses that were just to the East of the capital of the great land. Being Luigi, one of the biggest heroes of Plit, he also got one of the biggest houses.

Although he lived relatively close to the castle compared to some others, it still took him about ten minutes to get to the Mushroom Kingdom Castle.

After shutting the door of his house and putting on his green coat he left onto the stone pathway of his village. After a few twists and turns around a few houses and pathways Luigi reached the main pathway that led to the Mushroom Kingdom capital. He stopped off at a local store to pick up some supplies including quite a few Honey Syrups.

He noticed that the fog of the previous night was beginning to clear off, but dark clouds were now taking their place. Sure enough, about a minute later it began to pour down heavy rain over the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi wondered if King Nimbus was in the area. He laughed to himself at the thought of seeing his old friend, who he would see in under a month.

After being getting about halfway to the Mushroom Kingdom he noticed a large figure moving across the pathway diagonally in front of him.

Luigi checked his watch and noticed he still had plenty of time before his meeting with the Chancellor. He went to look to see what the large animal was. As he broke off with the pathway he saw it again just in front of him. He thought it looked familiar, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. As he splashed through the many puddles that were in the mud and grass he was standing upon, he spotted the eyes of the creature just ahead of him. He nearly fell over in shock.

"No, it can't be."

As the creature walked up closer to him Luigi recognized what he thought must have been a trick being played by his mind. The yellow flaming eyes of the figure in front of him gazed right into his, almost sucking the life out of him. Luigi saw many other smaller creatures looking similar to the larger creature come into view. That moment he finally admitted the truth to himself.

He was staring right into the eyes of King Bowser Koopa.