Chapter 6:

Anonymous

Luigi was doing better, much to the relief of his friends, who were still visiting him constantly. Mario found one quiet moment with him after visiting hours one night. He was making notes on his clipboard when his baby brother spoke for the first time to the doctor.

"Are the others alright?"

Mario looked up. "How do you mean?"

"I heard you were talking with them a bit…" Luigi was sitting up against his pillows. The color had almost completely returned to his face. "Did they seem okay?"

"They're worried about you, if that's what you mean."

"That's not what I mean…"

Mario studied his face. Luigi's eyes were downcast, and he was lacing and unlacing his fingers. "You're asking if their worried about something else…" Mario realized. "The great hero…"

Luigi visibly swallowed, and tears gathered in his eyes. "Yes," he said weakly.

Mario turned back to his clipboard. "I don't think they're grieving as badly as the last time you were here."

"I wish they didn't have to worry about me on top of everything," Luigi said softly, but Mario heard him. He looked up again from his notes and saw that tears were flowing now past Luigi's shut eyes. "I'm causing nothing but more grief for them."

Mario had to hold back the urge to tell him he was worth that grief. Even now, as a new man, he wanted to reassure his baby brother. He wanted to tell him that he was as worthy of their worry as he was. Luigi… who never gave himself a second thought above anyone else. How can you call him selfish and needy? He mentally asked. Sure, he's needy… but not purposely.

"Prove it," the voice sneered.

But Mario didn't want to bring up the hero again. Luigi was still too fragile. If and when he asked Luigi about his brother, he would wait a long time before he did.

He finished his checks on Luigi, and his phone started ringing. He picked it up. "Hello?"

"Well, hi there, hun. You promised to call me!"

"Pauline!" Mario was happy to hear the woman's voice. "Sorry, a doctor's work is never done." He noticed that Luigi had looked up at him curiously, at the mention of his brother's ex's name.

"Well, will your work at least have a break? I'd like to go on a proper date."

Mario smiled. "'Course. I could get us a table at a romantic restaurant."

"Mm," she hummed happily. "That sounds delightful."

"I'll pick you up at 7:00. What's your address?"

Luigi was still peering at him curiously as he hung up. "Have a good night, sir," the doctor said, and he left quickly. To get to Pauline's in time, he had to hurry. He also needed to call in for a seat. Those wouldn't come easily at the restaurant he was thinking about.

.

His date with Pauline was the best time he'd ever had. He was able to relax with her, able to talk to her without pretending—other than pretending he wasn't truly Super Mario, but for some reason that was not hard for him. He was starting to fall for her all over again, and he hoped more than anything that she felt the same. It felt good to be loved without needing to be a superhero. Here was one person that appreciated him for his company. Peach didn't hold a candle to this woman.

When the date was over and he escorted her back home, he kissed her on the porch and realized, for the first time, that he had never properly kissed a girl before. It almost made him blush, hoping that he was doing it right. He must've been, because she leaned into him and barely let him go afterward.

He felt on top of the world as he got home that night. He lay on his bed with a wide grin across his face. He couldn't hope to fall asleep after that night. He ended up turning on the television, and found himself watching a story about the book he had recently read… the one his brother wrote.

The woman was standing outside the library, and a picture of the book was displayed in the top corner. "The librarian refuses to tell us where she got it, saying she was sworn to secrecy by the author him or herself. No one knows who penned this book, and none have stepped forward to claim the title of author."

"What?" Mario sat up.

"For now, the book remains anonymous, but its captivating story reveals Mario's earliest times, so it is believed that the Yoshis have helped in the writing of this story. They have not denied it, but also refuse to mention anything about it. Could they have written this story of Super Mario? We'll let you know the latest about this story as the news comes."

Mario couldn't believe it. Daisy had so blatantly and without hesitation told him that Luigi wrote it. Why did the public not know it? Were they so forgetful of the green brother that they would not even notice his name on the cover? Then he realized… the only thing on the cover was the title. His name; not the author's. Why the anonymity? Mario couldn't help but feel the urge to find out.

.

Mario walked into Luigi's room early that morning. He leaned against the doorframe and scanned his face. Luigi was awake, looking out the window from his bed. "Hate to bother you," Mario spoke finally.

Luigi jumped and looked over at him. "Uh… Hello, Doctor…"

"I saw the most curious thing on the television last night." He looked up at the television as if it would tell the story for him, then turned back to Luigi. "A woman was talking about a book about the hero… and about how the author was anonymous."

Luigi's eyes flashed with a bit of nervousness. He was saved from responding when Princess Peach walked in.

"Oh, hello," she greeted the doctor monotonously.

"Princess," Mario didn't take his eyes from Luigi. "Thing is…" he continued. "I know exactly who the author was. Daisy told me herself."

"Of course she would…" Luigi mumbled.

"Anonymous? Why?"

"Because it doesn't matter that I wrote it! The book is for m-my b-b-brother's sake!" Mario noticed it was still difficult for him to mention him. "Not mine! Let it sit as a history for the people of the Mushroom Kingdom. Let it stand as a tribute to their h-hero."

Peach nodded, as if she, too, knew that he had written it from the start. "Luigi always told the story of Mario. Some of the citizens, especially the children, may even recognize his way with words in the text. It would be a known secret, most likely."

Luigi shook his head. "I don't care about that… I just… I just wanted…" he trailed off.

Mario started the questioning with this topic, "You never told your brother about your work… authoring his story."

"No."

"Did you not think he'd approve?"

"I… I never considered it. He was busy enough. I never really thought about showing him anything I was doing."

"You should have, you know," Peach spoke up gently. "He would have loved it. He would have been honored."

"Him? Honored by me?"

"Of course. And he would've been so proud."

Luigi smiled. "I'd like… I'd like to think so."

Peach placed a hand on his. "Learn to know so."

Luigi swallowed down some emotions, Mario believed, and continued his smile, his eyes sparkling with both gratitude and hidden tears.

"Didn't you catch that at all?" the voice asked.

What?

"'Let it sit as a history for the people…' That's what he said. A 'history.' Didn't you claim Luigi would want it as a biography? For your sake… as a human being."

"A history…" Mario repeated aloud.

"What?" Peach asked.

He turned to Luigi. "It's a history. Even though it could be a biography."

"If that's how they categorized it, sure."

"But it's about your hero, right? A person?"

"It's about how he served to aid us through our history too," Peach answered.

"You wouldn't fight for it to be a biography? You would use that hero as a tool… a historical figure yet not worthy enough to be treated as a human being!"

Luigi's color drained from his face. "That's not—"

"Would you deny the book's purpose?"

Peach stood. "Luigi wrote it as a tribute to his brother from the start!"

"A tribute… waiting for the perfect ending, right? As if he was waiting for his brother to die… to be able to give it as a tribute… a memorial to what once was!"

"No…" Luigi whimpered. "No… he wouldn't think that, would he?" he addressed Peach with that question.

Peach turned to him, "No, of course not, Luigi. Your brother would see it for what it is."

"How could he?" Mario retorted. "He didn't even know it was being written! And now, it's revealed… when he's gone!"

Luigi shook his head violently. "No… no…" He swooned a bit and moaned.

"Stop it!" Peach snapped. "This isn't helping his health!"

Mario knew she was right, but at this point, he couldn't help it. This was the chance he had to talk to Luigi. He no longer was doing it to prove the voice wrong. He was doing it to find out the truth for himself. What did his brother really think of him? He was determined to find out.

He began, "Luigi, your brother was a hero. He raised you. You depended on him."

"Y-Yes," Luigi answered.

"Did you ever even consider that you may have been a burden to him?"

"A-A…" He hung his head. "Yes."

Mario wasn't expecting that answer. "What?"

"I was a burden. M-Mario raised me. I've always depended on him. I wish I didn't have to, but yes. I was."

"You never tried not to be, though."

He looked up. "Tried not to… be a burden?"

Mario nodded.

"I guess I… I never really… thought I could…"

"So you let him care for you, even as you became a grown man."

"Mario was his brother!" Peach defended. "Why wouldn't he?"

"So Mario was forced to raise his brother, protect him… all while he was a hero, saving and protecting you, Princess. All while he left his original life behind to fight for a cause… with no gratitude given him!"

The princess was about to snap back when he got a phone call.

He picked it up. "Hello?"

"I know you still technically have your vacation time, but we're a little swamped in the ER!" a doctor was on the other side. "Could you take the smaller cases?"

"Sure." He closed the phone and said. "I have to go." He left without another word, or letting them get another word in.

He was feeling broken. He couldn't figure it out. Was he just a hero? Just a guardian and a protector? Or was he loved for more? He didn't feel as comfortable with his friends and family as he did with Pauline. His brother was looking weaker and weaker in his eyes.

He went into the ER and saw Toadette with a bad cut on her leg. He called her back, thinking he could easily bandage her up without a problem. He still thought about his predicament while she watched him curiously. Finally, she said, "Pardon me, doctor, sir. Can I talk to you?"

Mario pulled himself from his thoughts. "Um… sure, kid."

"You've always seemed rather old yet new, sir."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, you seem like you've never done this doctoring stuff before now… yet you seem like a natural… and you're awfully old, so you're not fresh out of school."

"And what makes you know so much about doctoring?"

"I've seen it done… and it was… rather similar to your style, sir."

Mario froze. He could have sworn… she seemed like she was looking right through him. He stared at her.

"Not that long ago… I got a cut like this one." She pointed to her leg. "Only on my arm." She noted her wrist. "My brother freaked out, as he always does when I get hurt… and… a doctor bandaged me up."

Mario continued to stare.

"Tell me, sir. And please tell the truth… are you that doctor?"

She was truly wise beyond her years, Mario noted. She so slyly asked that question that Mario would not break the deal by remaining silent and ensuring her theory. He could tell her his identity without actually telling her. It was because she knew. She knew everything.

"We miss you, doctor."

"I have a lot to figure out, Toadette."

"As long as you come back to us." Toadette's eyes sparkled, though she did not smile. She looked at him with childish hunger, but he turned away. He couldn't face such innocence right now. She didn't know. She couldn't. How could she possibly understand the issues swimming around his mind right now?

She hopped off the table and thanked him. "Don't tell Toad, okay? No need for him to worry!" She grinned and headed for the hall. With one last look back over her shoulder, she left him there to his thoughts.