The wind howled menacingly as Luigi braved the trail that passed through the Western woods known as "Haven Forest". The trees were still thick with green leaves that filled the branches, though the leaves had become sheathed in a layer of thin ice due to the unexpected blizzard. Snowflakes created near whiteout conditions as Luigi struggled to stay on the winding trail as it led him through the forest and to HavenBrooke Village on the other side.

The vibrant red Piranha Plants that lived in the forest had withered from the sudden onslaught of the cold and were left dormant beneath the layers of ice and snow that covered the entire Mushroom Kingdom beneath a blanket of pure whiteness.

Breathing hard as he took laborious steps through the increasingly deep and cold snow, Luigi squinted through the diminishing daylight into the darkening forest.

"Can't stop..." Luigi told himself, barely able to hear his own words over the roar of the wind that stung his ears with ice. "Won't stop..."

The relentless cold had quickly numbed his hands and his feet and now the numbness was spreading up his legs and through his arms. Blowing his warmer breath into his hands Luigi attempted to stave off the cold for just a moment longer as he continued to journey forth. Large hills and hidden valleys threatened to hinder his already limited progress with a single misstep. On top of the bombarding wind and relentless cold, trekking uphill also pitted the green clad hero against gravity as well!

The treeline began to thin as Luigi took a gentle turn on the trail, the snow bound signs were disappearing quickly but Luigi's keen eyes could still find them long the trail. Through the treeline Luigi could see HavenBrook Village nestled at the foot of the mountains beyond a great frozen lake at the end of the trail.

"There!" Luigi felt a twinge of excitement as he laid his gaze upon the modest village. "I'm going to make it!"

Pushing aside the tree branches drooping down from the weight of the snow, Luigi peered down the trail and nearly gasped. "Oh no..."

The trail was treacherous even without the snow or ice! It sloped downward at an extreme angle and displayed many sharp drops into the canyon far below. By the time Luigi reached the bottom of the trail and made his way into HavenBrooke Village it'd be too dark to travel back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Thinking quickly Luigi turned his focus back to the village and scanned the expansive frozen lake that rested between him and HavenBrooke. Tentatively putting one foot onto the icy surface of the lake Luigi slowly applied his weight to check the solidity of the ice itself. It didn't crack beneath his boot. Balancing carefully Luigi put his other foot onto the lake and stood up straight, ready to jump back onto the trail in the event the ice couldn't support his full weight. The ice didn't crack.

"Okay..." Taking one slow step after the other Luigi patiently crossed the frozen surface to reach the village on the other side. "Slow and steady. This can work."

Step by precarious step Luigi crossed the frozen lake, his gaze fixed up HavenBrooke Village just on the other side. The wind had tremendous force. With each gust pushing against Luigi's body he could feel his boots sliding backward ever so slightly with each step forward. The surface of the icy lake only chilled his already cold body further.

Beyond the village the sunlight began to fade as dusk loomed over the West.

"No! I have to get back before dark!" Luigi realized with a near panic strangling his heart. "I won't be able to find my way back in the dark!"

Increasing has pace from a brisk walk to light jog Luigi tried to focus more on the village and less on the potentially unstable ice surface of the lake beneath his boots.

The wind blew harder, stinging his eyes with tiny shards of ice. Barely able to see Luigi put a hand up to shield his eyes as he marched onward. As soon as his boots reached the snowy bank on the other side he stumbled forward and nearly lost his balance.

"Made it!" Luigi exclaimed proudly as he found his way into the village. "Just need to find the village clinic!"

Mario sat beside Princess Peach's bed and watched helplessly as she continued to shiver violently in her fitful state of slumber. Princess Daisy was fairing just as badly, as she too was shivering violently. Many blankets were draped over both of the Princesses, and a powerful space heater was placed in the center of the room. Barely able to withstand the heat Mario had taken off the white lab coat and laid over the back of his chair and used his arm to wipe the beading sweat from his forehead.

"It's like a sauna in here," he exclaimed out loud even though he knew neither Peach or Daisy could hear him. "but you two look like you've been stranded somewhere in the arctic."

Leaning forward in his chair Mario rested his elbows on his knees while his hands hung limply over his knees. The wait was becoming unbearable as each patient admitted with this allergy; an illness that Dr. Toadley managed to finally put a name to; Spore Pneumonia, had only grown weaker as the infection grew stronger.

"Luigi... Where are you, bro?" Mario asked himself as he brought his hands to his face and rested his head against the palms of his hands.

"Mario!" Dr. Toadley rushed into the room and put his hand on Mario's shoulder. "We have some news!"

Mario looked up and locked eyes with the anxious doctor. "What's going on? Do we have an antidote?"

"Not yet." Dr. Toadley confirmed with a slight smirk. "I just received word from my colleague, Dr. Reishi from HavenBrooke Village! Luigi is there!"

"What?!" Mario shot up from his seat, his blue eyes wide with both worry and wonder. "He actually made it through the blizzard?!"

Nodding with a sense of approval Dr. Toadley continued. "Yes! He has the inoculate and is on his way back to Toad Town as we speak!"

Mario's eyes lowered to the floor as they began filling with tears of relief. "Way to go, Luigi. Good job!"

With a leather satchel provided by Dr. Reishi draped over his shoulder, Luigi filled the bag with as many vials of the precious inoculate that HavenBrooke Village could provide in such short notice. Taking only a moment to warm himself in the waiting room of the modest clinic Luigi watched nervously as the sun continued to lower in the sky. While the sun dipped lower so did the temperature.

"This is all we have." Dr. Reishi handed the last of the vials to Luigi's outstretched hands. "Best of luck to you my friend. Please give my regards to Dr. Toadley, Mario and of course the Princesses."

"I will." Luigi promised with a firm hand shake after tucking away the final dozen glass vials. "And thank you for everything!"

"Take care. And be sure to stick to the trail! It's a precarious climb but as soon as you reach the top you can slide back down a great hill and through the forest much quicker than you would be able to on foot!"

"Right!" Luigi acknowledge as he exited the clinic and turned onto the aforementioned trail. "Almost there Daisy..." Luigi put his hand back in his pocket and gripped the small gift he had planned to give her the night before. "I made a promise!"

...to be continued...