Diarchy by Ninetails2000/RVroovie99 Chapter 5: Collapse and Collusion


Luigi was laying in bed, unable to sleep. He had a really great time with Bowser today. Talking, sharing feelings, sharing meals, sharing time together. It was an absolute treat to be with someone like that without any sort of condescension or vitriol...and that worried him. What did this mean for him? Is Bowser trying to lure him into a false sense of security? Does he simply want a friend as much as Luigi does? Or could it mean...that the friends he thinks he has are less friendly than a tyrant like Bowser?

As all of this swirled around in his head it always came back to their parting words earlier. How sincere and genuine Bowser sounded. How much care he could see in Bowser's eyes. He had never seen anything like that out of Bowser for anyone other than his kids. Despite knowing it was his kidnapper that it was coming from, the gentle expression made him feel...safe? It made him feel like his feelings would be looked after. Just as he was going over everything in his mind again, desperately looking for cracks in a mask, there was a soft knock at his door.

"Hmm?" Luigi rose up out of bed and cautiously stepped to the door. Slowly, the door creaked open and a big snout poked inside. "Bowser!?" Why was Bowser here at THIS time of night!? And why was he being so quiet?

"SHH! I'm supposed to be plotting in my study." Bowser was thankful for the door separating him and Luigi. The plumber couldn't see how much he was blushing thinking about how foolish he was acting. "Come on, let's go."

"G-go where?" Luigi cautiously stepped back from the door.

"To talk." Bowser peeked inside at the plumber. "I promised you we would talk about things."

Luigi's heart skipped a beat as he saw how sincere Bowser looked. "Oh..." He threw all caution to the wind once again. "Okay...let's go."

Night time in the Dark Kingdom, contrary to all logic, was quite beautiful. The moon and stars above would reflect off of the clouded skies, shine down trough the occasional breaks and join with the glow of the volcanic surroundings giving the kingdom a blanket of aurora-like twilight. The guards were busy patrolling the more vital perimeters (Or more likely at this time of night, snoozing on the job) so the courtyard was abandoned. Silently, softly, Bowser and Luigi set down within the field of flowers that they'd both become attached to. Breathing in the spicy scent once again filled both of them with calm and ease.

"Now then..." Bowser started in, picking his words carefully so as to not cause Luigi to shy away again. "I want you to tell me what you meant earlier. And why you always seem to clam up when I hit certain subjects..."

"And how do I know you won't use this against me once I'm out of here?" Luigi grumbled to himself, hoping that direct accusation would make Bowser's charade fall apart.

"...I've been lonely..." Bowser looked away. "I've been cast aside. I have my family but really that's all I have..." Bowser stopped for a moment to reconsider where he was going with this, whether it was worth the risk to appear vulnerable over something so minuscule...but no, he wanted Luigi to trust him. To communicate with him. He didn't even know when he had gotten so invested in this...thing...he and Luigi had, but he'd be damned if he let it slip through his fingers.

"When I look in your eyes in those moments...I see me...My loneliness...My pain...And it pisses me off..." Bowser grumbled, staring hard at Luigi. "You're a Mario Brother. A leader in the Mushroom Kingdom and a great guy from what I've seen. You shouldn't have to feel that way..." Bowser looked up to the sky, trying to find a way to close out his thoughts. "Call it curiosity...Call it concern...But I don't want to see you suffering."

Bowser heaved out a sigh, the emotions behind his words being almost too overbearing. "You're here as my political prisoner and it's my obligation to make sure you're as comfortable as possible...So please..." Bowser gave Luigi a small smile. "Tell me...tell me why you feel that way...and maybe I can help...From one lonely man to another..."

"...Whatever plan you have going on, it won't work..." Luigi grumbled sadly, getting to his feet and looking away from Bowser. "Treating me so kindly...Treating me like...a person..."

Bowser wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come to him.

"Twenty years...Over twenty years I've spent as the second brother. The afterthought. The other one...Green Mario. And then you come along, lock me up and then try to treat me like I matter. Whatever plan you've come up with to draw me in, it's too fishy for me to believe." Slowly, Luigi move to head back inside to his room.

He had to say something! As much as it would benefit him to have Luigi think it's part of his master plan, he despised the idea of Luigi not trusting him with his feelings...for some reason. "There's no plan for this. I didn't plan to be here."

After deliberating on how to continue, Bowser opted for barreling in without a thought, as he usually does. "I didn't plan to sneak out of my own fuckin' castle in the middle of the fuckin' night like some fuckin' teenager just to talk to you, but here we are! Here I am."

"Why would you bother if it WASN'T part of some plan?" Luigi turned back and gave Bowser a hurt look. "I don't matter. Mario matters. Peach matters. I'm nothing!"

"Like HELL you're nothing!" Bowser barked back at Luigi, getting to his feet. "You've kicked my ass more times than I can count! You have skills Mario can only hope to mimic and you've got style that Mario can only dream of having! You don't have to act like you're nothing the way I do!"

"I AM NOTHING!" Luigi shouted back at Bowser, getting in his face. "Nothing but a shadow! Nothing but a reflection of Mario! I was nothing to anybody in Brooklyn and I'm nothing here in the Mushroom Kingdom!"

"Are you serious? Are you listening to yourself!?" Bowser looked bewildered at Luigi's continued self-deprecation. "Who in their fucking INSIGNIFICANT MIND would call YOU nothing!?"

"EVERYONE!" Luigi shouted at Bowser, slamming a fist against Bowser's plated chest in frustration. "NOBODY gives a DAMN about me! Even after saving their lives, even after the sacrifices I make...no matter what..."

He choked, trying to keep a sob inside. "No matter what I do..." His vision grew blurry with tears. "I'm worthless...to everyone..." Luigi felt lower than the mantle beneath the earth, darker than even the depths of space. Here he was, breaking down in front of his worst enemy. He couldn't care enough to hold back his sobbing and his body shuddered with pain.

"Well here you go..." Luigi bitterly spoke. "You pushed me to this...I hope you got what you wanted." He dejectedly turned away. "Do whatever you want, I don't care anymore...I just wish I was-" Luigi stopped himself from finishing that thought. He wasn't that far gone yet. "...I don't care what you do with me if you're going to keep up this game..."

". . ." Although he appeared solid from the outside, Bowser was absolutely conflicted inside. This was his most hated enemy...or at least the brother of his most hated enemy...but here he was, feeling absolutely devastated over the pain and heartache that was hidden right in plain sight. His hopes for his kingdom hung in the balance, but right now...right now he felt that there was something more important. But how important? "...Luigi...I..."

"What?" Luigi turned to face the koopa, still having pride enough to look his tormentor in the face.

Bowser's entire body was at war with itself trying to decide what to do next. He could laugh. He could just walk away. He could even just pat Luigi on the shoulder to try and comfort him a bit. None of it seemed appropriate. There was only one option that felt right to him...but the fact that it felt so right told him it was wrong..."Fucking shit..." He grumbled at the conflict inside of him.

"Hmm?" Luigi studied the koopa. His eyes, they were like a whirlpool of conflict. His entire face was contorted in confusion. He was trembling..."Bowser?"

Bowser's eyes met Luigi's. Oh god, the pain just radiated from the little man! He hated it! And like all things that Bowser hated, he had to destroy it. "To hell with it!" Bowser roared, his mind made up.

"What are you-waah!" Luigi was beside himself as the mighty and terrifying king fell to his knees with a slam, threw his arms around the plumber and pulled him in to a tight, protective hug.

"I don't care WHO thinks you're nothing! It doesn't matter one fucking bit!" Bowser hugged the plumber with all his might, hoping to somehow squeeze the pain out of him. "You're worth something! You matter! Don't EVER think for a SECOND that because some fuckheaded Toads don't worship the ground you walk on that you're not worth worshiping!"

Bowser's cheeks felt moist. Great, now HE was crying. "This pain is meant only for people like ME, bastards who don't belong anywhere. You're their savior and guardian. You deserve the best."

"Bowser..." Luigi's tears started to slow down. He could feel the warmth radiating from Bowser. The strength of his hug and the raw compassion that flowed through it. "So...This isn't a game?" Luigi hugged the koopa back.

"I don't care who you think you have to be, Luigi. I don't give a shit who your brother is or whatever kind of ass-backwards logic that kingdom is using." Bowser pulled back, trying his best to stare Luigi down through his tears. "If nobody else wants to be here with you, I gladly will be."

"What? You mean like..." Luigi didn't want to believe what Bowser was saying...because it was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I tried to act like all that earlier didn't mean anything to me...and like I knew better...But here I am...and I can't believe I'm saying this after only a week..." Bowser smiled softly down at the plumber. "But I gotta say...you're probably the best friend I've ever had..."

"M-me? Your best friend?" Luigi's cheeks went pink at the kind words. "You're kidding right?"

"Like I said before...all I have is my family and my servants..." Bowser's tears began to subside as the situation was beginning to calm back down. "I never had someone who talked to me...who challenges me...who...understands me like you do...And it's only been surface level shit! I can't even imagine what it would be like if we were, like, actual buddies."

Bowser smiled a sincere, wide smile. "I want to get to know you better Luigi. So that we can be even better friends..." Bowser blushed a bit. "I suppose...I needed this as much as you did..."

"I suppose you're right..." Luigi wanted to think it over but honestly what was there to even think about? "...I'd like to get to know you better too..." Luigi smiled softly. "At least...until I'm free."

"Aah...right..." Bowser kicked himself mentally. Luigi was still a kidnapped prisoner. "Let's...just see how this goes while you're here..." Bowser shyly looked away. "And...I don't know, maybe I'll try kidnapping someone else..."

"I don't know, the room service here is pretty nice. I wouldn't mind being kidnapped by you again..." Luigi shyly spoke. "You know...as long as I don't get blindsided by a koopa this time around..."

"Heh...Right..." Finally releasing the plumber from his grasp and raising back to his feet, Bowser was nothing but smiles. "Look, it's...pretty late..." Awkwardly, Bowser held out a hand. "How about I get you back to bed and we can...hang out tomorrow? For real this time." The king awkwardly looked everywhere but at his new friend. "Get to...know the real us together?"

Luigi chuckled softly to himself. He'd never in his life in this kingdom been asked to hang out like this. Not even by his alleged squeeze Daisy. "Sure, Bowser." Softly, he took the Koopa's hand. He expected a firm shake, but instead found the koopa gripping his hand softly, knitting their fingers. He didn't really mind it too much though, and let it slide. "It's been a long day. I could use the rest..." Slowly, he began walking back in the direction of his 'prison cell.'

"Yeah, me too..." Slowly, carefully, Bowser kept stride with Luigi, keeping his hand firmly clasped onto the plumber's. "Let me tell you, this has been one hell of a week." Bowser chuckled to himself.

"I know, I've been part of it." Luigi rolled his eyes at Bowser but was sure to keep his tone light enough to let the koopa know it was a joke.

Bowser nodded in agreement. "At least...so far...it's been pretty beneficial..." He gave Luigi's hand a soft grip to emphasize his point.

"Yeah..." Luigi smiled and found himself gripping on to Bowser's hand in return.

Neither of them said another word as they walked into the castle hand-in-hand, avoiding the night watchmen and troops so as to not ruin the moment. Finally they reached Luigi's cell, door still cracked open from when they left. Bowser rolled his eyes. He was going to give his troops one hell of a stripping down over their shitty security practices at night.

"Well..." Luigi turned to Bowser. "...See you...tomorrow?"

"Y-yeah..." Bowser nodded awkwardly, staring down at the plumber. "I'll be looking forward to it."

"Me too..." Luigi looked up at the koopa and once again they locked eyes. They were different now. Bowser's eyes looked so much brighter now, more vibrant and wild. "Well...Goodnight Bowser."

Luigi's eyes were even more devastating than before. That confidence that only showed up in flashes before was absolutely blinding now. "Ahem...Goodnight...Luigi..." Before he could get lost in Luigi's dazzling blue eyes, he finally took his hand back and stepped away from the door. "I hope you...rest well..."

"You too..." Luigi stepped inside his room, watched Bowser close and lock the door and felt the vibrations of Bowser's footsteps as they faded away. Slowly, he walked over to the bed and sat. His hand was still warm from Bowser's grip. He could help but smile. "Maybe...it is that simple..." With a chuckle, he tucked himself into bed and nodded off to a peaceful sleep.

Bowser arrived in his own private quarters. Sitting at his desk at the corner of the room, everything that just happened hit him like a truck. He didn't even attempt to keep his tears from falling freely. Despite his tears, he smiled a proud, fulfilled smile.

Things were going off the rails from his plan no doubt, but he couldn't really give a damn. He had someone now that he could call his friend...After years of chasing after a shadow in vain, he had someone besides his family that he could truly care about and who could hopefully come to care about him.