1 year later, Mario and Link continue on their journey to stop Luigi once and for all
Link and Mario had been traveling for months, going from kingdom to kingdom living as vagabonds, searching for Luigi. Luigi had left chaos and ruins in his wake, cities burned, towns destroyed, and people killed. They kept telling themselves that each desolate, destroyed place would be the last, but they were wrong. Our heroes ran into the same problem every time. They would miss Luigi by mere days, it was almost as if Luigi knew and was mocking them. Not even the enclosed instruction book could help them out.
Mario and Link set up camp outside a recently destroyed village. Toasters toasting toast were everywhere. They set up a rudimentary tent and gathered firewood for the night.
"Did you bring a light" asked Link, even though deep down he knew the answer already.
The times had been tough on both of them, Link especially. Doubts began to creep into his mind the more they witnessed the destruction caused by Luigi.
"Mario, I think it's time we stop and talk about this. After seeing all the destruction caused by your brother, I…I don't see how we along could stop him".
Mario sat in thought while eating his TOAST.
Finally he sat up and said:
Luigi has done things I can't explain
He is a villain who won't stop 'til dead
He is a fiend and he has all the blame.
He'll kill all, even if they are in bed
I vow to stop him, no matter the cost
We are the ones who can stop him once more
If we were to fall then all would be lost
And our passion to stop him is in our core
Link, you and your sword shall help the world now
I am but Jump Man, can't do this alone
Our courage will pull us through, no quest'n how.
We can do this, it is not set in stone.
Yet he is my brother, can I do this?
Only if I receive the princess' kiss.
Any doubt that Link had before was gone; he was inspired by the speech made by his seemingly dauntless comrade.
Deep down, Mario wasn't too sure. He had spent countless hours researching methods in which to stop his god-like brother. Every source he came upon ended in a dead end. The ritual that freed his brother from imprisonment had made him near invincible. But Mario would never give up. He spent many nights just staring up at the stars wondering why.
Link awoke at day break to witness Mario reading some ancient looking book.
"Another sleepless night, Mario?"
Mario didn't even bother to answer.
"Come on, we have to get moving quickly or else we'll fall farther behind."
So our heroes trucked through onto the next town, unaware that someone had been watching them.