And now, we are back with the strangest story/crossover idea that I've ever come up with. Otherwise known as The Crimson Flame. I know this one wasn't really all that popular, but hey. I only had the ending left. Might as well finish what I've started, amirite? Plus, I've had most of this ending finished for awhile with only a few finishing touches needed. To those who enjoyed this strange little story, thanks for waiting for the real ending.

Also, I've bumped the rating up to T because even though this story was meant to be for older kids, I realize some of the fight scenes I wrote were actually pretty violent for children. So I changed it. I gotta really commit to the K+ rating before I choose to write a story...

"...ario...Mario!"

Mario opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Luigi, staring at him. He had a worried look on his face and...Wait. Luigi! Mario quickly sat up, causing his brother to flinch and scoot back. He noticed that he was at the park again, the wind was blowing gently. He watched the trees sway with the breeze against the dark sky.

Mario looked back at Luigi. He stared at him for a long moment before pinching himself as hard as he could. He only lasted a few seconds. "Ow!" He looked back at Luigi, who was now watching him with a mix of alarm and curiosity. "I-I'm not dreaming..."

Luigi grinned. "No. I'm here."

It took a moment for this to register. He had Luigi back. Mario beamed. "You're here...You're really here!" With that, he hugged his twin tightly. "You have no idea how much I've missed you, bro!"

Luigi hesitated before patting Mario back. "I've missed you too. I'm so sorry..."

After a long hug, Mario let go and searched for his counterpart. "Where is he?" He muttered.

"Your Other Self?" Luigi asked.

The boy in red turned, caught off guard. How did Luigi know? Mario nodded. The boy in green pointed. "He dropped me off there, then he let you go. You fell down right away. I tried to ask him what to do, but he was already gone..."

Mario took a moment to breathe. He wasn't sure what The Crimson Flame was doing now, but he hoped he was alright. Just then, he realized how weak he was. His whole body ached. "Luigi, are you tired?"

He smiled. "Very."

Mario stood and offered his brother a hand. "Then let's go home."

Luigi took his brother's hand and stood. Most of the walk home was silent until Luigi spoke up. "Hey, Mario?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, Luigi. It's okay."

The younger brother shook his head. "No, it's not. I ran away and caused so much trouble! I-"

"Shh..." Mario interrupted. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you."

Luigi lowered his head. "But it was me..."

The older twin sighed. Something told him this issue wasn't going away anytime soon, but he knew he couldn't fix it with a quick talk and he was exhausted. "Bro, can we talk about this tomorrow? I love you but I'm really tired right now. Plus, Mama and Papa are probably waiting up on me..."

Luigi's eyes widened. He nodded, tears in his eyes. At first, Mario wondered if what he said upset him. He was relieved when Luigi whispered, "Mama and Papa...It's been so long." Mario held his brother close as he walked back to the house with him. Once they arrived home, the boy in red knocked on the door.

Mama quickly answered. "Mario, there you are! What were you thinking, running out like that!? You could've..." She stopped when she noticed Luigi. Her eyes widened.

Luigi came forward and smiled sadly. "Hi, Mama. I'm home."

Mama stared at Luigi. She shook, tears rushing down her face. Within seconds, she started sobbing. Before the brothers could do anything, she grabbed Luigi and held him close. "Oh, my precious boy...My Luigi..."

"Mama..." He whispered.

Mario decided to let them have their moment. Ever since they were little, Luigi had been closer with Mama. He knew they needed time together.

Just then, Papa walked in. His eyes instantly grew wide. "L-Luigi..." He came closer and his face hardened. "Where have you been?"

Luigi turned as Mama let go of him. His face contorted into a look of pain and he sniffled. "Oh, Papa...I'm so sorry. I-I didn't mean it." Tearing up, he added, "I know you deserve an answer, but I can't tell you right now. Please, Papa, can we talk about this some other time?"

Papa's face softened. He sighed. "Come here, mio figlio." With that, Luigi came forward and buried his face into his father's shirt. Patting his back, Papa whispered, "I thought I lost you."

Mario let out a sigh of relief, a weight lifted from his shoulders. Luigi peered at him, tugging on his sleeve. Just like when he was younger. Mario couldn't turn Luigi down after everything and joined in on the embrace. It was both sorrowful and warm, a perfect blend of bittersweet.

When Papa dropped them off at school, Luigi hesitated more than on the first day of freshmen year. Mario had to reassure him that everything was alright before he stepped out. As Papa drove away, he looked around and noticed people whispering and pointing at him. Luigi felt his anxiety skyrocket. Without thinking, he reached for Mario's hand. If this were any other day, Mario would laugh it off and tell Luigi that nobody was looking at him. Today, however, Mario took his hand and lead him inside.

Once they went in, Luigi saw Peach and Daisy a few feet away. Peach nibbled on her perfectly manicured nails as Daisy tried to calm her down. Mario lit up upon seeing them. "Look! It's Peach and Daisy!"

"White Flower," He muttered.

Luigi hoped Mario wouldn't hear, but he heard anyway. His brother turned with a confused look on his face. "Hmm?"

The boy in green sighed and pointed to the brunette. "That's White Flower. I don't really know her friend's name. Green and I haven't seen her lately."

Mario frowned. "Luigi, you're thinking about the Other World again."

"Yeah..."

"Don't. Just think of the present."

Luigi nodded and held Mario's hand tighter, letting his brother drag him towards the girls. As soon as they noticed the boy in green, their eyes widened. Letting go of his hand, Mario waved at them. "Hello, ladies! Guess who I found?"

"Luigi..." Peach whispered. "You're really here..."

Luigi hesitated. "I...Well..."

Before he could finish, Peach gave him a hug. "I missed you. You had me so worried!"

Luigi felt an odd sense of comfort with the pretty blonde in his arms. He hugged her back. "I missed you too, Peach."

Daisy frowned and put her hands on her hips. "Uh, hello!? Where were you? We haven't seen you in a week!"

This was news to him. "A week? Huh. That's strange..."

Peach let go of Luigi. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head. "Nothing! I was...um..." He looked to Mario with fear in his eyes.

The boy in red came forward. "Wee-gee doesn't wanna talk about it right now. He'll tell you another time, okay?"

Luigi nodded. "Yeah! What he said!"

Peach grinned. "Of course. I'm just glad you're okay. Let me know if you need anything, alright?" Twirling a piece of hair, she added, "Excuse me, but I agreed to talk with a teacher about something. I'll see you three later!" With that, Peach turned and walked away.

Daisy stared at Luigi with narrowed eyes. She peered at Mario. Smiling, she asked, "Hey, sweetheart? Can you please give us a moment alone?"

The boy in red glanced at his brother. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Um...Sure. Just don't be too hard on him, okay? He's been through a lot."

She smiled. "Don't worry! I'm not gonna be too hard on him."

Mario looked back and forth between them before nodding and leaving them alone. Luigi frowned. Thanks for helping me out, bro. Still, he couldn't blame him. Luigi would have to face Daisy eventually anyway. Offering a weak smile, he decided to get right to it. "So, what's on your mind, Daisy?"

Daisy gave him a hard look before sighing. She turned away. "You really had me worried about you. All this time, I thought it was because I didn't like you back..."

Luigi felt a wave of guilt. "Oh, Daisy...I'm so sorry. It was part of why I left, but that wasn't the main reason!" He quickly added, "But you don't need to feel guilty! I support you being with my bro 100 percent! As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

The girl sighed. She hesitated, placing a piece of hair behind her ear. "You know you can tell me anything...Right?"

The boy in green thought back to his experiences in the Other World. He faked a smile. "Of course! You're my best friend!"

Daisy narrowed her eyes. "And I do mean anything. I know more than you might think." Luigi felt oddly nervous. She went quiet before adding, "I know about the Other World."

He gasped. In a hushed voice, he asked, "What!? Really!?"

She seemed taken back by his reaction. Staring at the floor, she added, "So...The world from my dream is real. And so is she. The person I was..."

Luigi nodded. "Her name is White Flower."

The girl laughed. "Our names are the same."

"How did you know?"

"I dreamed that I was fighting for Mario's sake, only he didn't quite look the same," Daisy explained. "It looked like there was some kind of spiral pattern in his eyes and he dressed like he came right out of a fantasy book. He wanted someone that he called Green."

She looked up at Luigi and smiled sheepishly. "I'm guessing that was you. Anyway, I was close to dying. I told him to go on and that we would meet in the Other World. When I woke up, I stopped worrying about you because I had a strong feeling that Mario had taken care of everything. And then you show up out of nowhere with Mario smiling like he won some big contest! As soon as I saw you, I knew it was more than just a dream."

Luigi tried to think of something to say. He grabbed Daisy and hugged her. "Thank you...If it wasn't for you, I'd still be gone."

"No problem. It's our little secret, okay?"

He smiled and nodded. It was painful to let her go when the first bell rang.

After school, Mario waited on a bench outside and stared at his phone. It was 3:20. Mario felt his heart race. What if Luigi left again? What would he do? That was when Luigi came out of the school. However, he was not alone. He was talking with Waluigi. Mario grew tense and watched the boy in purple with narrowed eyes.

Waluigi smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, talking quietly. Luigi laughed, patting him on the back. With that, both boys went separate ways. Luigi waved and went to Mario. "Hey, bro!"

"You had me worried, Luigi."

Luigi stopped. "Huh?"

Mario pulled out his phone and showed Luigi the time. "It's five minutes past when you would normally get here."

He laughed. "Mario, you don't have to worry about me. I told you that I'd never run away again. Besides, it's only five minutes."

"But still..." His eyes shifted towards Waluigi, who got in the passenger seat of Wario's new car. He pointed in his direction. "What was going on with him?"

Luigi looked at car. "Waluigi? He just said he was sorry is all. I don't really know what triggered it."

Mario hesitated before saying, "Did he seem genuine about it?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't he be genuine?"

"He was a real jerk. Are you just going to forgive all of that?"

Luigi frowned. "Don't get me wrong. I haven't forgiven him yet. At least not all the way. But if he's willing to come forward for his mistakes and try to make it up to me, then I don't see why he shouldn't get another chance."

Mario couldn't help but show a small smile. "Well, then, you're better than me in that regard."

Luigi laughed. "I'm not better than anyone. I'm not even that good a person."

His smile faded. "Yes, you are..."

The boy in green shook his head and walked away. "Come on. We better get to the bus." They walked to the bus stop quietly. When the bus arrived, Mario and Luigi got on and took their usual spot in the back. Luigi took the window spot and stared at the window, not saying a word. Meanwhile, Mario glanced at Luigi every now and then. He couldn't stop thinking about what his brother said. How could he not think he was a good person?

"Maybe I should just leave him alone," Mario thought. "He could use some space..."

As Luigi sat quietly, the older Mario brother decided to check his phone and play games for a bit. That worked fine until he heard Luigi's frantic breathing. Shocked, Mario turned and noticed his younger brother, shaking with tears in his eyes. "Wee-gee?" Mario touched his shoulder lightly. Luigi latched onto his brother, sobbing.

Mario looked around and noticed people looking their way. Luckily, it didn't take long for the bus to reach their stop. The second the bus doors opened, Mario grabbed Luigi's hand and hurried to the exit of the bus. Stepping outside, Mario lead Luigi to a nearby bench and sat down. "Shh...Wee-gee, it's okay..."

The boy in green shook his head. "N-No...No, I don't wanna. I don't wanna!" Luigi started hyperventilating. Mario did his best to comfort him as he had his panic attack. He told him to breathe and tried to talk with him. Luigi shook his head, tears in his eyes. "Just go away!"

Mario took a deep breath, trying his best to keep from snapping at him. "I'm not going to do that," He said calmly.

After a while, Luigi managed to get his breathing down. When he was calm enough, Mario asked, "What were you thinking about?"

Luigi was quiet. "I was remembering...Me and Green..." He looked around. Lowering his voice, he asked, "It's okay to talk about it here, right?"

Mario noticed that they were in a quiet area. A few cars passed by every now and then, but for once, the city was quiet. Mario nodded slowly. "Just keep your voice down, in case anyone comes by." Luigi nodded. Mario hesitated before asking, "Did Green hurt you?"

Luigi shook his head. "Not physically. He was a bit harsh at times, but that was it. Still...He wanted me to hurt people. I told him I wouldn't do it, so he just took control and that was the end of it. I hurt a lot of people in the Other World. I made Wario and Waluigi do my bidding, threatening their brother's life if they wouldn't comply. It was so awful..."

Mario was quiet. "Why did he take you away?"

"I wasn't feeling good," Luigi answered. "I was so jealous...Of you." Shaking his head, he went on, "I don't know. I just wasn't happy. And Green said I didn't belong here. I believed him. I thought if I could just disappear...Then things would be better somehow."

The boy in red put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "That's not true, Luigi. I love you so much. I can't imagine life without you, bro."

The boy in green turned away. "It's just hard. That's all. It's hard being me again. I'm used to being him..."

"Crimson and I were only fused for a week at most. I can't imagine how hard it must've been."

Luigi turned. "It's months in the other world."

Mario gasped. "Months? What was that like?"

"I-I was his victim." Luigi gulped. "I saw the worst parts of myself come to life. My anxieties, my insecurities, all the frustrations I've ever had..." He shook his head. "That's enough! I don't wanna talk about this anymore!"

Mario nodded. Without thinking, he asked one more question. "Do you think we should tell Mama and Papa?"

To his surprise, Luigi glared at him. "Don't you even think of telling them! They would never understand. Besides, if your kid mentioned all this stuff, would you believe them!?"

Mario blinked. "I-I'm sorry, bro..."

Luigi softened his expression. He started to open his mouth, but then he closed it. Shaking his head, he stood from the bench. "Let's get back to the house."

The boy in red followed without a word. As much as he wanted to help, there wasn't much he could do right now. He had to let Luigi sort through this himself. And after losing him once, he had to trust that his brother wouldn't do something stupid again. It was the hardest course of action Mario could possibly take.

Months later, Mario and Luigi were gradually getting back to their normal relationship, although there was still a rift there. Luigi knew some of it was his fault, but he had trouble reaching out to his brother. It would always go back to what he did when he was The Green Thunder, and honestly, Luigi didn't want to talk about that. He wasn't sure if he ever would be.

The Toads weren't doing so great. For once, the team's star player didn't do so well. With only a few minutes left in the last quarter, Luigi didn't think the Toads would win. Peach, on the other hand, was fully immersed in the game. "Come on, you two! Don't give up! We can still win this thing!"

Luigi chuckled. He could use someone like Peach these days. "You're sure optimistic. You know they aren't gonna win, right?"

Peach looked at Luigi with a hint of disapproval. "Come on, Wee-gee! At least try and stay positive!"

The boy in green smiled. Even Peach started calling him his childhood nickname. "Peach, the game's almost over."

"They could still win!"

Luigi smiled and ate some popcorn. The two watched the players in a comfortable silence. Occasionally, Luigi thought he saw Peach stealing glimpses of him, but he wrote it off as part of his imagination. Of course, that was until she spoke again. "Luigi..."

He turned. "Yes, Peach?"

Peach twirled a strand of hair with her finger. "I was wondering...Are you free this weekend?"

He blinked a few times. "I believe so. Why?"

"Well, I heard of this nice restaurant in town and...I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go eat with me sometime?"

Luigi's eyes widened, his cheeks growing hot. Before he knew it, he was laughing. Peach frowned. "What? What's so funny?"

"I never thought a girl would ask me out!" Smiling, he said, "Of course I'll go with you, Peach. You're the sweetest girl I know."

The blonde beamed. "Really? Oh, I'm so happy! Thank you!" Without any hesitation, Peach leaned over and gave Luigi a smooch on the cheek. Luigi laughed nervously. He remembered how they were both Romeo and Juliet in the play last year. Mario teased him about the two getting together. Luigi denied it at the time, but it looked like his brother was right. And there was nothing wrong with that. He was happy to be Peach's Romeo.

It had been so long since that day. A battle that The Crimson Flame hoped would end in reasoning and his fallen brother turning a new leaf. Instead, the exact opposite happened and the castle was still in ruins to show for it. He bent down and scooped up a small pile of ash from that day, which was now cold. He let the ash slide down his pale fingers.

He missed being with his counterpart. Mario was so lively and full of energy. Without him, The Crimson Flame felt numb and lonely. He was starting to see how detached from reality he had become. He wasn't supposed to rely on his emotions, being born into such a cruel, relentless world. But after his encounter with Mario, he felt some traces of emotion coming back to him. Sadness, bitterness, anger...How he missed Green. His younger brother. His spark. His worst enemy.

"M-Mario?" A small, trembling voice asked.

The Crimson Flame turned, letting out a small gasp. There was a boy standing a few feet away. He wore a black cloak and brown boots, but the red warrior saw a plain and strange outfit underneath. A dirty long-sleeved green shirt and dust-covered jeans. His eyes were glowing with a calm green light. He wiped a tear from his eye. When he opened them again, his eyes were sky blue. "N-No...That's not your name. It can't be. After all..."

The red warrior stood, approaching the boy. The child yawned. Staring up at the Crimson Flame, he whispered, "I'm looking for my brother. Have you seen him? He looked a lot like you, though he really smiled a lot more." He examined his surroundings. Letting out a sigh, he stared at the palms of his hands. He used a round of green electricity, which bounced between left and right. The red warrior gasped.

"Hmm...I'm tired of this magical world. The same old story. Day in, day out. Tales of someone who will fix everything and impossible things becoming real." He looked up with a smile. "I'm fine with the problems of day to day life. All I want is a normal, quiet life with a normal, quiet person."

The warrior grinned. "I'm far from normal. But I'd be happy to keep you company until you find your real brother. Tell me...Have you heard of one called The Green Thunder?"

The boy's eyes widened. He furrowed his brows. "You've heard of me?"

The red warrior chuckled. The boy tilted his head, confused. The warrior got down on one knee and offered a hand to the boy. "They call me The Crimson Flame. It's nice to see you again."

And that's the end! Thanks for being patient and waiting for the ending. Originally, I thought of Green coming back as the same age, but where's the fun in that when you can have a tiny Luigi/Green? Anyway, back to Thunder Storm! The next chapter should be posted really soon.

-Colorful and Free