This chapter, we're going to see some Mario x Daisy action. However, Luigi also seems to have a crush on Daisy. This can't end well...
By the way, I'm working on a Left Brain, Right Brain animatic with Luigi and Mr. L. It's still a work in progress, but if you wanna check it out, it's on Youtube. I'd appreciate it if you left a comment so I would know that you watched it. :)
The rest of freshmen year came and went. Before they knew it, Mario and Luigi were sophomores. The two were excited at first, but disappointed when they compared their schedules. Mario and Luigi stood inside the school, near the front doors. Mario kept reading his schedule over and over, but it stayed the same every time. He and his brother didn't have any classes together. He put down his schedule and sighed.
Luigi smiled sadly. "It was bound to happen at some point, Mario."
Mario pouted. "But why did it have to happen now?"
"We might still have lunch together."
"Maybe."
Luigi stroked his chin, examining his brother. He seemed different somehow. "You know, Mario, I think you're getting taller."
Mario beamed. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
The boy in red put his hand at the top of his forehead, then compared his height with his brother. He frowned and put his hand back to his side. "You're still taller than me."
Luigi compared their heights. Mario was right; he was still taller. "Oh. I guess I got taller this summer too."
Mario crossed his arms and went back to pouting. "Promise you're not gonna get any taller, okay?"
Luigi laughed. "Mario, I can't help how much I grow. Why don't you work on getting taller instead?"
Suddenly, a girl their age approached them. She was waving and wearing a friendly grin. "Hey, guys!"
Luigi blushed. "Hey, Daisy."
The two had gotten to know each other quite a bit since the day Mario sprained his ankle. It turned out Luigi and Daisy had a lot in common. They were both interested in tennis, video games, action movies, and even comics. They also shared a healthy fear of ghosts. It took him awhile to realize it, but Luigi had simply fallen head over heels for the brunette.
"Hey," Mario greeted. "Luigi and I found we don't have any classes together. It sucks."
"You're right. That does suck," Daisy agreed. "But hey, I just got my schedule back. Lemme see if I have any classes with you guys." The brunette took her schedule out from her pocket and unfolded it. Luigi handed her his schedule. She squinted, looking back and forth between both papers. Finally, she handed him his schedule back. "Looks like we both have art during seventh hour."
"We do? Awesome!" Luigi beamed.
Daisy giggled. Next, she compared her schedule with Mario. "We have Anatomy and Algebra 2 together."
Mario joined Daisy's side and peered at their schedules. "You're right! I can't wait to see you in class, Daisy!"
Daisy grinned and gave Mario his schedule back. "You won't have to wait long. We have Anatomy first thing in the morning."
Luigi bit his lip. He didn't like the fact that Mario had more time with Daisy. These feelings were new and a bit strange. He scratched the back of his head. "Well, um...I better get to class. I'll see you both later." Before either of them could say anything, Luigi turned and walked away.
Mario and Daisy looked at each other, confused, then shrugged and walked to class together. Maybe Luigi was just eager to start school again.
Two weeks later, Luigi checked the cast list for Death of a Salesman. He read the same names over and over, but no matter how many times he checked, he couldn't find his name anywhere on the list. After letting out a sigh of defeat, Luigi sat down with Mario. Thankfully, the brothers still had lunch together. Even better, Daisy was there too.
"Well, did you get in?" Daisy asked.
Luigi shook his head. "Nope."
Daisy's eyes widened. "What!? They didn't even give you a background part!?"
"Nothing. I guess I'm just not what they were looking for." Luigi sighed. "This time, Waluigi got the lead. He's playing Willy Loman."
"Well, Willy is a bit of a downer," Mario offered. "They were probably looking for someone grouchier and more depressing."
Luigi laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's true." Turning to Daisy, he added, "I saw that you got a part though."
"Yeah, I know. I checked the cast list this morning," Daisy replied.
Mario grew excited. "Really? Who are you playing, Daisy?"
The girl scrunched her nose. "Linda Loman. Can you believe I have to play as Waluigi's wife? Yuck!"
Mario shrugged. "At least you got a main part."
Daisy nodded. "Yeah, I'm still excited to be in the play. If I didn't, I would've turned down the role."
After eating for a few minutes, Mario turned to Luigi. "So, Wee-gee, are you excited for this weekend?"
Luigi's eyes lit up. "You know I am! That movie's gonna be so awesome!"
"What are you guys seeing?" Daisy asked.
"You know how they made Zombies vs. Aliens into a movie?" Mario said.
Daisy nodded. "Yeah, I saw the trailer a couple weeks ago! It looks great!"
Zombies vs. Aliens was the group's favorite video game. The premise was that aliens used toxic chemicals to turn every human on Earth into zombies, starting an intergalactic war between the two species. The main story was in a hack and slay style, but there was also a two player mode with mindless combat. The film had been three years in the making.
"The movie comes out this Saturday," Mario said. "Mama and Papa are letting us see it by ourselves!"
The girl's eyes widened. "Really? It's coming out this Saturday!?"
Luigi nodded. "Uh-huh." His cheeks grew hot. "You know, Daisy, I can buy you a ticket, if you're interested."
Daisy beamed. "Of course I'm interested! I love action movies, man!"
"The more the merrier," Mario said with a shrug. "You can come over on Saturday. The movie starts at seven, so we'll probably leave at about six thirty."
"Okay. I'll just have to ask my dad. Here's to hoping he says yes," Daisy said, crossing her fingers. The boys copied the gesture. After that, the girl stood from her seat and pushed in her chair. "I'll be right back. I need to use the restroom real quick." With that, she headed towards the girls' bathroom.
Mario grinned. "Isn't she amazing?"
Luigi nodded, love struck. "Yeah..."
The Crimson Flame cut through Ultraviolet's vines. They fell apart instantly. He rushed towards him. The latter shot magic beams at him. The red warrior dodged the beams and cut Ultraviolet's face. He cried in pain, blood trailing down his cheek.
The purple warrior glared. Using his magic, he turned his staff into a sword. He and The Crimson Flame began to duel. CLING! CLASH! They attacked and deflected the other's sword.
The Crimson Flame glanced at White Flower, giving a slight nod. They switched places. White Flower struck with her katana blades. Ultraviolet deflected with his sword. CLING! CLASH! They continued this routine, attacking and deflecting, until White Flower punched Ultraviolet in the nose. He groaned and stepped back.
Finally, he growled and wrapped White Flower in vines. The thorns cut her in several places. She cried out, her skin soaked in blood. She tried to cut through the vines, but they were too thick. The vines wrapped around her neck. She gasped for breath.
The Crimson Flame watched in horror. He ran to White Flower, trying to cut the vines with his sword. His weapon had the same effect; it wouldn't cut through. Ultraviolet smirked. He changed his sword back into its original form, then shot more beams.
It was the last minute of the game. The Toadstool toads were behind by just three points. 17-20. Wario dribbled the ball. Three players from the other team crowded around him. Daisy bounced up and down, waving her arms. "Wario, pass it to me!"
He nodded and passed the ball to Daisy. She dribbled it across the court, closer to the toads' basket. Once she was close enough, Daisy launched the ball into the hoop. Two points. Only thirty seconds left.
Next, the ball was passed to the Jackson jaguars. Coach Bradman blew his whistle. One of the jaguars dribbled the ball to her side of the court. Two toads crowded around her. She narrowed her eyes and tried to pass the ball to one of her teammates.
Mario got in the way and caught the ball. He dribbled across the court, back towards the toads' side. He threw the ball in the basket. Two more points. The score was now 21-20.
A low BEEP! went off. The game was over. The toads had won the season for the second year in the row.
The toads cheered and gave each other high-fives while the jaguars pouted and sulked. The band played the school song. Everyone in the bleachers stood and cheered. Everyone except Luigi. Sitting alone, he wondered why he wanted Mario to miss that winning shot.
It was last year all over again. Mario was the star player. Only this time, Luigi couldn't get a role in a play no matter how much he tried. He auditioned for many plays at the community theater, but was turned down every time.
As Luigi's parents drove him home, the boy in green stared out the window. Daisy was having a party, so Mario was spending the night at her house. Luckily, her dad let her go see Zombies vs. Aliens with them a couple weeks ago, but that wasn't all. She and Mario had been spending a lot more time together than usual. It wouldn't bother Luigi if he was included, but no. It was just them.
Once he got home, Luigi went to his room and let everything loose. He groaned and sat on his bed. "It's not fair," He muttered. "Why is Mario getting all the attention? What am I doing wrong?"
Don't say that, Luigi. You're not doing anything wrong. You're so much better than the rest of those swine.
Luigi's eyes widened. That voice. It sounded so similar to his own. He jumped and looked around. "W-What!? W-Who said that?"
Over here.
The boy in green looked and saw a shadow figure at the edge of the bed. The only feature Luigi could make out was his silver eyes. He backed up against the bed. "W-Who are you?"
The shadow laughed. Don't be afraid. I'm the part of yourself that you wish to keep away from others. I am your best kept secret. I am your shadow self.
"M-My shadow self?"
Yes. Everyone has one.
Luigi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "O-Okay, Shadow. Um...What are you doing here?"
I'd like to help you with your problem.
"My problem?"
The shadow nodded. Yes. It takes the form of an oblivious older brother. I'd like to take you to a place where you'll never have to deal with him again.
The boy in green shook his head. "I can't do that! I have a family here! I-I have Daisy!"
The figure laughed. It was a hallow, empty sound. How much longer can you hold on to your precious little flower?
Luigi turned away. "Please leave me alone. I have a lot on my mind."
The shadow sighed. Very well. I was just trying to help.
With that, the figure disappeared. Luigi stared at where it was, uncertain. He almost regretted turning its offer down.
A few days later, Luigi headed towards Mario's room with a bowl of popcorn. Daisy was spending the night again. The two of them were watching a movie together. Mario asked Luigi if he could get them some popcorn. As much as Luigi wanted to join them, he kept his distance. He was afraid of them saying no to him.
Luigi cracked the door open. "Mario, I got your-"
He froze. Mario and Daisy were locked in a passionate kiss.
The wind knocked out of him. Luigi put the bowl on a nearby desk and shut the door. The boy in green rushed to his room in tears. He yanked the door open and slammed it behind him. BAM! Sliding his back against the door, Luigi buried his face in his hands and sobbed quietly.
CRASH! Waluigi slammed Luigi into the locker. The latter slid against the cold metal and fell to the floor. He tried to get up, but his cousin kicked him in the chest. Luigi groaned and sunk back into the ground.
"Aw, what's wrong, little Wee-gee?" Waluigi grabbed Luigi by the shirt collar and made him look into his eyes. "Too scared to fight back?"
Luigi gulped. Blood leaked out of his split lips. "L-Leave me alone or I'll..."
"You'll what?" Waluigi sneered. He pushed him back into the locker. "You'll call for your big brother to come save you? Or will you start crying?"
Waluigi and his friends laughed. Luigi was silent. He started to tear up.
"Hey!" A voice called out. Daisy was on the other end of the hall. "What the hell is going on here?"
Luigi shook his head. "N-No, Daisy..."
Waluigi rolled his eyes. "Stay out of this, Sarasa."
"No! I won't stand by and let you pick on my friend!"
The boy in purple laughed. "This wimp is your friend!? Why would you want to be friends with someone so pathetic!?" The others laughed along with him.
Daisy clenched her fists. "Leave him alone."
Waluigi smirked. "Or what?"
The girl bared her teeth and growled. She walked up to Waluigi and punched him in the nose. The boys gasped. She turned her attention to the others. "Are you idiots gonna flap your lips or do as I say!?" With that, Waluigi and the others ran away.
Luigi wiped his tears and looked up. Daisy was holding a hand out for him. He took it and stood. "T-Thanks, Daisy..."
Daisy grinned. "No problem. I can't stand bullies." She grabbed Luigi's arm. "Come on."
She took Luigi to one of the gender-neutral bathrooms. There was only one toilet in it, so they didn't have to worry about privacy. The girl locked the door and cleaned Luigi's wounds. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse?"
The boy in green shook his head. "She might call my parents. I don't want them to get involved."
She wiped his bloody lips with a paper towel. "Well, maybe they should get involved. How long has this been going on?"
"About a week or so."
Daisy sighed. "Luigi..."
"We can go to the principal after this and tell him what's been happening," Luigi muttered. Waluigi and the others did this before school, when the halls were mostly empty, so this was the first time they were caught. He had been kept quiet about it so far; not even Mario knew this was going on. Still, he was tired of being picked on.
Daisy nodded. "They'll get detention at worst and suspension at best."
Luigi looked at his crush and winced. "Daisy...There's something I have to tell you."
"What is it?"
"There's this girl I like. I love her more than anything else in the world, but she doesn't feel the same way. What should I do?"
Daisy's eyes flashed with concern. "How do you know she doesn't feel the same way?"
"She has a boyfriend."
"Who is it? Maybe I can talk to her."
Luigi bit his lip. "You." Her eyes widened. He sighed and turned away. "I'm sorry."
Daisy shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just..." She sighed. "I made a commitment to your brother. I can't leave him."
"You don't have to. I just thought you should know."
She smiled sweetly. "Are we still friends?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Still friends."
With that, Daisy gave Luigi a hug. He was surprised at first, but returned the embrace. It was the closest he would ever get from Daisy.
The Crimson Flame saw the beams coming. His eyes grew wide. He dodged the beams. Next, he hurled fire at Ultraviolet. The purple warrior changed his staff into a shield and took cover. Next, he his shield back into a staff.
He shot more beams at The Crimson Flame. The red warrior dodged the first two, but the third one hit him in the chest. He felt his skin burn. He screamed and hit the hard dirt with a loud THUD!
Ultraviolet grinned. He stepped on The Crimson Flame's chest. The red warrior groaned. His staff began to glow. The Crimson Flame shut his eyes, preparing for the worst. BOOM!
Luigi picked at the spaghetti that he brought from home. Normally, he would be eager to eat at this time of day, but he didn't have much of an appetite now. The conversation he had with Daisy yesterday was still fresh in his mind.
As if on cue, Daisy sat down with Luigi. "Hey, Wee-gee."
Luigi tried to smile at her, but he couldn't. Not with those kind, sincere eyes staring back at him. Instead, he gave up and turned back to his lunch. "Hey. I'm really sorry about yesterday."
"Don't worry about it. Everything's fine."
He turned to her with a worried expression. "Are you sure?"
Daisy nodded. "Yeah, of course."
Just then, Mario came. He put his tray down next to Daisy and set his backpack aside. "Hi, Daisy!"
Daisy's smile faltered. "Oh. Hey, Mario."
Mario wore a look of concern. "You doing okay, sweetheart?"
"I'm fine." She stood. "I'm gonna go get some food. Be right back."
"Okay!" Mario replied. However, as soon as she left, he sighed and started eating his peas.
"What's wrong, Mario?" Luigi asked.
"I'm just worried about Daisy. She's been awfully quiet lately. I'm not sure what the problem is."
Luigi felt a wave of dread. His stomach tightened up. "She hasn't told you?"
Mario shook his head. "Nope. Whenever I ask, she dodges the question. I'm not sure how to get her to talk to me."
Luigi bit his lip. He knew exactly what the problem was. He was surprised that Daisy hadn't told Mario about what happened. "How long has she been acting like this?"
"Ever since yesterday," Mario lifted his gaze. "Speaking of which, Wario told me that Waluigi was picking on you. He got a week of detention. I forgot to mention it last night. You alright?"
"Yeah, Daisy helped me out." Luigi hesitated before saying the next part. "Mario, I think I know what the problem is."
"What is it?"
The boy in green sighed. "Yesterday...I told Daisy I liked her."
Mario's eyes widened. "What!?"
"I'm sorry! I couldn't help myself!"
"But she's my girlfriend! Why didn't you talk to me about this?"
"I didn't think you would take it well," Luigi replied, looking down. "It just sorta slipped out."
"But this could end our relationship!" Mario persisted. His tone was getting more irritated. "Why didn't you think before you told her?"
"Because..." The younger brother began. He tried to think of a good enough reason to satisfy Mario. Instead, he blurted out, "Because I'm tired of you getting all the attention!"
The boy in red scrunched his nose. He looked as if he had just sipped saltwater. "What?"
Luigi knew he was playing with fire, but couldn't stop. "You heard me! I'm tired of you getting Daisy and not me! I'm tired of you doing so well on the team while I don't get in any play I audition for! I'm tired of being seen as your kid brother all the time! We're twins, gosh-darn it!"
Mario glared, his patience running thin. "Luigi, this isn't about you! This is about how you almost took Daisy away from me! Do you even like her?"
Luigi rolled his eyes. What kind of a stupid question was that? "Of course I like her! If I didn't, then I never would have told her that!"
"Well, maybe you should've kept it to yourself! What? Did you feel so bad about yourself that you had to go out of your way to make my life worse?"
The younger brother glared. "I was never trying to make your life worse! God, all you ever think about is yourself!"
"Well, you know what!? I'm sick of you blaming me for all of your problems! This is just like that time in middle school when you were jealous because I was dating Pauline and you couldn't get a girlfriend!"
"I'm not angry at you because I can't get a girlfriend! You never listen to me!"
"JUST SHUT UP!" Mario shouted. He slapped Luigi across the face. The other students gasped. That was when Mario realized they had an audience. He looked at all the shocked faces, then at Luigi. He wore the same expression as the other students, only he also had pain in his eyes.
Mario's throat was filled with cotton. "Luigi, I'm..."
Before he could apologize, Luigi glared and slapped him back. Mario felt his remorse fade. He grabbed his brother and pinned him to the ground. The two started punching each other and pulling at their cowlicks. Students crowded around them, cheering the same word over and over. "FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" Mario and Luigi couldn't care less. The only thing that mattered to them was their own anger and pain.
The brothers didn't notice Daisy come back with her tray of food. "Mario? Luigi?"
Luigi kicked Mario in the stomach. Mario fell on the floor, his back sore. Luigi got on top of Mario and punched him in the face.
Daisy put her tray on the table and shoved past the crowd. "Guys, stop!" She grabbed her boyfriend and held him back. Mario struggled in her grip.
Peach watched the fight with concern in her eyes. "What's going on?" She asked Daisy.
"Peach, get a teacher! Hurry!" The tomboy cried. Peach nodded and left. Daisy turned her attention back to the boys. "What's gotten into you two?"
Mario tried to grab at Luigi. He didn't have much results. Just then, Peach came back with the teacher. She was a short woman who wore her brown hair in a bun. "What's going on here?" The teacher asked. She made her way past the students and broke Mario and Luigi apart. "Stop it! Both of you!"
The boys finally settled down. The teacher turned to the crowd. "All of you, move along." With that, the students slowly dispersed, murmuring about the fight. She turned back to the boys. "You two are coming with me."
A few minutes later, the boys sat in the counselor's office. The counselor was an older man with gray curly hair and dark blue eyes. He frowned. "So, let me get this straight. You two were fighting over a girl?"
Luigi shook his head. "We weren't fighting over that! It started out that way, but that's not what I'm mad about." He pointed to his brother. "I'm sick of him thinking that he's better than me."
"Well, I'm sick of you following me around like a lost puppy!" Mario snapped. "Why don't you get your own life?"
"Boys, that's enough," The counselor interrupted. "You've both earned three days of suspension. We expect more from our students, especially a pair of brothers."
Mario and Luigi looked at each other, glared, then looked away.
The Crimson Flame felt no pain. He slowly opened one eye. He gasped and opened both eyes, not believing what he saw. White Flower stood in between The Crimson Flame and Ultraviolet. Her orange eyes were impossibly wide. She dropped her katana blades. CLANG! She fell to the ground, her body limp. THUD!
The Crimson Flame stared in shock, then turned his attention towards Ultraviolet. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards him. The purple warrior stared at White Flower in shock. Before he had time to react, The Crimson Flame grabbed his right hand and squeezed it.
Ultraviolet cried out. His hand grew warm. That warmth quickly escalated to burning heat. The purple warrior screamed. The Crimson Flame let go of his hand. Ultraviolet stepped back. His skin was now a burnt red, some patches being dark brown. He screamed again in agony.
The Crimson Flame rushed to White Flower's side. He sat down and put her head on his lap. The red warrior stroked his her hair. Her chest was bleeding.
White Flower opened her eyes, taking shallow breaths. "G-Go on without me," She whispered. "I'm useless without my strength." As she said her next words, her orange eyes slowly turned blue. "You can't afford to waste any time on me. He needs you."
The Crimson Flame felt his stomach tighten. It shouldn't have to be this way. He shouldn't have to choose between him and the girl he loved, but it came to that. This was what she wanted.
The red warrior closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he gave a reluctant nod.
White Flower smiled. "Don't worry. We'll meet again in the other world."
The Crimson Flame nodded. He took her hand and planted a kiss on it. Then he stood and turned back to Ultraviolet. The purple warrior was still screaming, his staff abandoned. The red warrior picked up his staff. He would need it for later on. With that, he reluctantly left his love and enemy behind.
Needless to say, Mama and Papa didn't react well when they heard the boys were suspended. After both parents got home from work, Mama told the boys to come to the living room, saying she needed to speak with them. Both brothers knew what she really meant; they had to sit on the couch while their parents lectured them.
"We got a call from the school," Mama began. "Boys, how could you get into a fight? You're better than this!"
Neither of the brothers said anything.
Papa crossed his arms. "When do you serve your suspension?"
"It's in-school suspension," Mario muttered. "We have to go to the ISS room on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Apparently, we're spending three days there to get our work done instead of going to class."
Papa sighed. "Well, you're both grounded for the week. No going out, no having friends over. I'm sorry, but you need to learn your lesson."
Mario crossed his arms and glared at Luigi. The latter stared at the ground. Their parents were surprised at both of them, but they were more surprised at their younger son. Luigi was peaceful and hated fighting. Plus, they recently found out that Waluigi had been bullying him. Why would he want to inflict that same pain on his brother?
Luckily, their days in suspension went by fast. On Monday, the boys went back to class. Every now and then, students would come up to the brothers, asking about the fight.
"Did Mario really slap you in the face?"
"What was it like to beat up Luigi?"
Even Peach couldn't resist asking about it, only she was more polite than the others. "Are you guys okay?"
Aside from all the questions, there was one more crucial difference: Mario and Luigi avoided each other all day. They ignored each other whenever they passed by in the halls. At lunch, Mario sat with Daisy and a few mutual friends of theirs while Luigi ate alone.
During sixth hour, Luigi asked if he could use the restroom. His chemistry teacher, Professor E. Gadd, nodded and handed him the restroom pass. "Just don't take too long, Sonny."
He nodded and left the room. As he walked down the hall, he heard two familiar voices. He turned to one classroom in particular. The door to the Algebra classroom was open.
Luigi pressed his back against the wall. He poked his head in, making sure no one could see him. Mario and Daisy were talking to each other. The boy in green was too far away to make out what was being said, but he knew that they were happy together. He sighed and turned away.
Are you still sulking over your bitter loss?
Luigi's shadow was standing next to him. He sighed and turned away. This wasn't the first time his shadow self came unannounced. "I thought I told you not to talk to me at school."
Face it, Luigi. She doesn't want you. Nobody wants you here.
The boy in green groaned. "I'm not going to listen to you. Why don't you just go away?"
The shadow chuckled. Oh, Luigi. If they really want you here, why aren't you in the play?
"Well...That's because..."
Why does your cousin torment you non-stop? Why does Daisy love Mario and not you? Luigi was silent. The shadow smirked. She's blind to reality. Everyone here is. They all put Crimson on a pedestal while you're left in the dust.
Luigi blinked a few times. "Crimson?"
His cap, Luigi.
Luigi looked at Mario's red cap and frowned. "Oh. You meant that." He hesitated. "I-I don't know..."
I'm giving you an easy way out. You can stay here and be the laughing stock of Toadstool High, or you can be who you deserve to be. You can rule over all of them.
The boy in green bit his lip.
What's the matter? Would you rather watch your brother get all the attention? He hates you, Luigi. He only sees you as his wimpy little brother, a pest who follows him around. You have no place here. You belong with me. The shadow held out his hand. So, what do you say?
Luigi looked at Mario and Daisy one last time. Daisy laughed at something Mario said, then leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the nose.
Luigi turned away and took the shadow's hand. "Let's get out of here," He said in a low voice. "I'm sick of this place."
The shadow grinned. I couldn't agree with you more.
It had taken all day to get Daisy to accept Mario's apology. As the day went on, Mario realized that he meant it. He was really starting to miss Luigi. He decided that he would apologize the next time he saw him. After Daisy gave him a kiss on the nose, Mario thought he saw something. There was a cloud of darkness, just outside the classroom. "Huh?"
"What's wrong, Mario?" Daisy asked.
Mario looked back and saw nothing there. He grinned and shook his head. "Nothing. I thought I saw something."
The Crimson Flame entered the broken castle. He put Ultraviolet's staff beside the entrance, then went to find him. He made sure to take slow and steady steps. The ground was in a checkerboard design, green and white tiles spanning across the wide stretch of the floor. His footsteps echoed as he got further inside. The Crimson Flame felt like he was being watched again; only this time, he knew that it wasn't Goldrush or Ultraviolet.
Finally, The Crimson Flame stopped. He stared up at the figure who sat on his throne. The man wore a dark green tunic with black socks and shoes. He also wore a black cape that wrapped around his back and shoulders. He had thick brown hair and metallic silver eyes.
The Crimson Flame felt his heart pounding in his chest. It was him. The one he had been looking for. He was right there.
This man was his best friend. He had known him since they were born. This was the one he played video games with, rode bikes with, the one that he taught to swim. This was the actor who stood on the stage that one blissful night. Now, because of one simple mistake, his best friend became his worst enemy.
The Green Thunder.
Zombies vs. Aliens made a cameo in this story! Do you guys know what other story of mine that game is from?
If you're wondering whether or not I'm using Mr. L as Luigi's warrior counterpart (The Green Thunder), the answer is no. While I was inspired by Mr. L to use that name, it's not exactly the same interpretation here. For example, in my stories, Mr. L starts out as a negative influence on Luigi, but after the two work something out, their relationship becomes positive. The Green Thunder (Luigi's warrior counterpart) is the opposite. He is supposed to be Luigi's bravery and strength, but since Luigi is so insecure, he turns into a negative influence.
To anyone who's familiar with Black Rock Shooter, you'll notice I added a lot of stuff in this chapter. That's because in the OVA, I didn't think Yomi had enough of a reason to leave. Sure, being the third wheel in a friendship sucks, but I don't think many people would run away for that reason. Luigi had no success in acting, was being bullied, had a fallout with his brother, and lost his crush to someone else. He's going through a harder time here.
The next chapter might take awhile because I'm taking a break to work on my original story. Hopefully, it won't take too long since I already have the whole thing planned out.
-Colorful and Free