Chapter 5

Truths and Dares

Daisy was determined to break Luigi out of his trance. She had never seen him so… blank. He was scared to death right now, and Mario hadn't done anything about it. So she had to. And she knew how. So after Peach retired to her room, she knocked on Luigi's door.

He opened it, visibly concerned. "Everything okay, Daisy?" he asked.

"Walk with me," she said.

They went out to the courtyard, where they spent every night the week after they met. Daisy gestured for him to sit at the fountain. He sat beside her and they looked at the moon in silence. The chill of winter hadn't completely set in, but the stone fountain was like sitting on ice.

"Luigi… you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, you know."

Luigi nodded. "You always tell me that…"

"Because it's true." She turned to him now, her face serious. "You need to know that you had a greater role in that last journey of yours than Mario and Peach would have you know."

"What do you mean?"

Daisy worked out her words in her head. "You were a force to be reckoned with."

"I don't remember being any such thing…"

"You may not… but if you asked Peach or Mario, they'd tell you the same thing."

"Why haven't they, then?"

"Because… it's more complicated than that… But you don't need to worry about that part."

"What part?"

"Don't worry about it."

Luigi looked at Daisy skeptically. "Daisy… I appreciate it and all… but—"

"It's the truth, Luigi. You are strong… and you have confidence inside you… or at least the right to be confident!"

"C-Confident?"

Daisy was standing now. "Weeg… there is so much inside you! And it can break free if you let it! I mean, don't let it all out, sure, but—"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a whole other side of you… a confident, powerful… force to be reckoned with!"

Luigi blinked at her.

"…genius… inventive… cunning…"

He still just blinked.

"Luigi…" she sighed and sat down, defeated. "You have it inside you, I swear…"

Luigi gave a half-hearted smile and put his hand on hers. "Thanks, Daisy."

With a yawn, he went back to his room, leaving Daisy to look up at the moon alone. A cloud had been hiding it, but as she watched, it slowly unveiled the full orb.

.

"I'll guess…" Mario rubbed his stache. "I would say that you're tired of losing and want to switch sides… but based on our encounter, I'd say that is not the correct assumption. So… about that encounter… you had us… you could've defeated us for good… no extra lives, no coming back. But… you didn't. You hesitated. You didn't want to kill us. Peach was nowhere in sight, so obviously you weren't sparing anyone for her sake."

Bowser gulped.

"Bowser… it's not hard to imagine that after teaming up with us so many times… you've actually grown to… like us a little."

Bowser scoffed. "Bah! I'd never like you plumbers!"

"Like us or not… you care."

"…Do not…"

"Sure." Mario winked. "Don't worry… you're secret is safe with me…" And he left.

Bowser wanted to scream. Because Mario was right.

.

The nightmare had been too real. Not only that, it had been familiar. As if he was reliving something that actually happened. But it made no sense… right?

Luigi wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his gloves before putting them on. Everything Daisy had told him last night… That dream… it was as if he tried to let those traits Daisy was talking about break free like she said… But it wasn't just confidence that he felt… He felt… evil. But why did that feeling feel so familiar?

He found himself at the table for breakfast before he was fully awake. Mario was waving a hand in front of his face. "You still sleeping, Weeg?" he asked.

Luigi blinked. "Yeah…" He smiled. "I guess so."

It was only a dream…

.

Bowser wished it was just a dream… but he had all but revealed his secret to Mario. Oh, yes, there was no doubt Mario knew. And now, worst of all, he was starting to wonder why he should keep it a secret at all. Kammy was his servant, after all. Wouldn't she just go with whatever he wished and desired? That was her job.

He gathered up all his courage and approached the old koopa. "Kammy… I need to address something with you…"

"So formal, Your Badness…" she peered at him behind her glasses. "What's the occasion?"

"Well… I've been thinking… I mean, sure the princess is desirable with the whole 'taking over her kingdom' thing… and Mario is a pain and avenge-worthy for my father… but… well…"

"Yes…?"

Bowser slouched. "I don't know… My heart's just not in it anymore."

"Hm…" Kammy's eyes narrowed. She looked her king up and down. "I have a thought."

"Yes?"

"There's a plan I've been working on… it's almost ready, actually… I'm sure that these… feelings… will fade soon enough. In the meantime, just wreak some havoc as you enjoy, kidnap the princess a little… go about your thing… I'll tell you when your surprise is ready."

Bowser inwardly sighed, then gave a fake smirk. "Alright."

But he wasn't feeling it at all. Instead of wreaking havoc, he walked through his kingdom. He never felt like kidnapping Peach, and he never even entered the Mushroom Kingdom. Days passed before Mario found him again, and to his dismay, he found himself kart racing with the heroes. Away from Kammy's watch, he actually started visiting the Mushroom Kingdom as a guest, not an invader. He was even invited to a party in his honor. Bowser was, by all appearances, a good-guy now.

.

Every night Daisy had been talking Luigi up. And every morning the green plumber had been awakening in a pool of his own sweat. It was the same dream, crisper and clearer every night. The horrified expression on his face would not go unnoticed… so he gave the excuse of his pallor to be illness and stayed in bed for a couple days.

But he had to come downstairs eventually.

And when he did, his pallor didn't need an excuse.

"ACK! MARIO!"

Mario came running. "Oh… Luigi… you're feeling better?"

"M-Mario… wh-what is… he doing in the castle?"

Mario looked at Bowser, who was holding back laughter for so easily scaring the younger brother. "Oh… don't worry, Luigi… he won't hurt you. He's one of us now."

"O-One of us?" Luigi inched closer to Mario's back.

"Yeah…" Mario trailed off. Luigi was not going to easily adjust to Bowser being there. He patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Weeg. I'm right here."

Luigi gulped and followed Mario and Bowser to the entrance hall.

"Hi, Mister Bowser!" Toadette smiled. "Back again?"

Bowser grumbled. Luigi stared at Toadette. Mister Bowser? He cracked a smile but did his best to refrain from chuckling. He had a feeling Bowser would not appreciate that.

"I was just leaving, actually…" Bowser answered. "I need to get back so Kammy doesn't get suspicious… She's still not too keen on the whole 'joining forces' thing."

"She'll warm up to us," Mario grinned. He ushered Bowser out the door, then returned to his brother in the lounge area. Peach was taking care of some diplomatic things with Toadsworth, and Daisy had gone home a couple days ago.

"Mario…" Luigi started. "I… I have a question… about our last adventure…"

Mario tensed, but he tried his best to hide it. "Yeah?"

It didn't go unnoticed by Luigi. "Well… Daisy was talking about how even though there was a half of the adventure I wasn't part of… I had… I don't know… an experience of my own during that time…?"

"Did she?" Mario was clenching his teeth now. What part of 'let it go' did she not understand?

"Thing is… I feel like… I mean… I think…" He scratched his head through his new cap. "I feel like I remember something…"

"You do?" Mario sat forward on his chair. "What do you remember?"

Luigi looked at him, and Mario's heart sank. Tears were already filling his eyes. Mario knew exactly what he remembered… everything.