Before the hero of the kingdom could plan an escape, Bowser used his flames. Mario jumped away from it. King Boo disappeared for a moment. To Mario, it felt like him and Bowser. The hero of the Mushroom Kingdom was about to attack the Koopa King when all of the sudden, King Boo reappeared and used his gem to blast back Mario. Mario groaned, seeing that the king of boos blew him towards Mr. L. The masked bandit punched him right in the stomach. Mario was in pain. The three of them kept attacking him from all sides. The hero felt like he couldn't keep up.

King Boo stated, "Is this really handling all of us at once? Ha!"

Bowser added, "Bwhaha! I told you this was gonna be fun!"

Mr. L replied, "You got anything to say, sir-jumps-a-lot?"

Mario gritted his teeth. He didn't want to admit it but he needed help. He looked around and saw a warp pipe in the other direction. He knew what he had to do.

The plumber responded, "Just one thing, L. L-ater!"

As he said that, he activated his Firebrand. He used it to make a fireball, blinding the three bad guys. When they regained their sight, Mario had gone down the warp pipe.

King Boo noted, "Well, that's interesting."

Bowser mused, "Doesn't he know that pipe can't go out of the nightmare world...?"

Mr. L smirked, "Guess not. Hope he enjoys his worst nightmares."

Mario was too far away to hear them. And even if he did, he couldn't hear much anyhow.

...

"...Mario?"

He groaned, opening his eyes. There, in front of him, was his girlfriend.

"Peach...?" The plumber asked, still a bit roughed up.

Peach answered, "Yes, its me. Are you alright? Dumb question I know."

Mario admitted, "I've been better." He looked around and asked, "Peach, where is Luigi?"

Before the mushroom princess could answer, they heard a commotion. Mario perked up as Violet was tossed into the room. She recovered quickly but to Mario's utter horror, Mr. L was there.

He breathed, "You followed me!"

Mr. L ignored Mario as he turned to Violet, "Seems I win again, body-as-cold-ice."

Violet panted, "I-in your dreams!"

The masked bandit smirked, "Enjoy the Underwhere!"

As he said that, he activated his Thunderhand. Violet got ready for anything. To her surprise, the attack never came. Mario protected her.

Violet and Peach cried out, "Mario!"

Peach used her umbrella to shoo away Mr. L. She then turned to Mario.

He groaned, "Ow..."

Peach asked, "Does that answer your question?"

Mario admitted, "Too well. How long has he been like that?"

Peach explained, "Ever since the Chaos Heart incident. When Violet went after Mr. L, they both wound up in the Underwhere. Luigi never turned back..."

Mario flinched. He thought, 'That's not what happened...' As the plumber was trying not to cry, a heavy mist came in. The scenery changed to outside of...the mansion. The one that Luigi and Violet had saved him from. Speaking of Violet, she just came out of the mansion. And for some reason, she was wearing the Poltergust 3000.

Mario asked, "Violet? What is it? What's the matter...?"

Violet looked up at him, tears rolling down her face. "Y-your brother... has failed... H-he is a painting!"

Mario looked in utter horror as the ice wielder showed him the painting. Mario took several steps back, trying not to throw up. He thought, 'Oh Grambi... that's not what happened either!' The same mist came in again. This time, it brought him back to the castle. There, to his horror, was a very small statue of Luigi. It read, 'To the hero that never was.'

Mario was puzzled, "What the...?"

Peach came over to him, "Hey Mario. Mourning your brother?"

Mario stammered, "W-what happened?"

Peach raised a brow but answered, "He died to Bowser the first time you saved me. Remember?"

Mario turned white as a ghost. He thought, 'That didn't happen either...did it?'

He changed the subject, "Wait, what about Violet?"

Peach perked up, "Who?"

Mario ran off as soon as she said that. He went to the place where Luigi said he saved Violet. But there was nothing there. Just ice in the area. Mario almost threw up seeing what color it was.

He groaned, "No...this can't be..."

"I have always been in your shadow."

Mario perked up, seeing Luigi there. His upper torso was burned badly, as if he stood in front of Bowser's fire with a metal manhole.

Mario breathed, "Luigi!"

Luigi was sad, "I was so scared that I hid in a trash bin. I was a coward. But then I saw you and the condition you were in, still fighting Bowser. Even though you didn't have a chance..." At this point, Luigi was crying. He added, "I went to go help you. Like you said, nothing can hurt us as long as we stay together..."

Luigi faded into a green light. Mario was sobbing now, as he saw that he was back in Brooklyn. He knew exactly where he was. He was home.

"Mario?"

To his shock, his father was there. But he wasn't a spirit. Neither was his mother.

He asked, "Papa? Mama? Where's Luigi?"

His father raised a brow, "Who?"

That broke the man in red. He started to cry. Before he could ask his parents anything, he heard Luigi's voice again.

"I rather not exist anymore..."

Mario was crying. Luigi wasn't thinking that, was he?

"Mario?"

Mario was still crying but turned, seeing Peach there. And she didn't look happy to see him.

The hero of the kingdom asked, "Peach? What is it? What's wrong?"

The princess gritted her teeth, "Don't even look at me. Ever since Luigi went missing, all you do is drink!"

Mario repeated, "Drink? I never even touched the stuff..."

Peach disappeared into a pink light. Mario didn't know what to make of it.

...

Wishmaker1028: So to explain the obvious, I reference the Super Mario Bros. Movie. I also reference a story of mine, A Fallen Hero. Please read and review! And always think outside of the box!