A/N: Again, I made some minor changes to the previous chapters, but you don't have to reread the whole thing to check them. It's just to restructure the author's notes and fix grammar mistakes.

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Nintendo and Sega own Mario and Sonic, respectively.

Chapter 14: Awakening Outburst

Sonic, Tails, and Colombo noticed the strange occurrence between the brothers. Mario held Luigi's hand and before he was about to leave, the younger one held their grasp tighter than before. Along with Mario, they glanced at Luigi, whose face remained scared, yet quiet for some reason. They even noticed his right eye twitching. As they leaned towards Luigi to check him once more, what surprised all four of them wasn't the sight of him fluttering his eye. Instead…

"AAAAAHHHH!"

Luigi swiftly rose his body, bulged his eyes wide open, and screamed at the top of his lungs. Tails jumped into Sonic's hands, catching the hedgehog off guard as they both flinched. Mario tumbled to the ground, letting go of Luigi. Colombo yelped and hopped off the bed to check on the fallen man. His heart was pounding at the scene.

Luigi was staring blankly in space as he panted from the nightmare he had. His vision, however, was blurry at first and he couldn't detect where he was or what just happened. After a moment of peace, despite the random jump scare, the green-hatted patient had his eyesight restored.

And the first thing he saw when he rotated his head to the left was Sonic, holding onto a frightened Tails. Then, he looked to his right and saw Mario and Colombo, startled on the hospital floor. He gazed back and forth to see else what was around him: the window showing a view of Toad Town, the IV stands hooked up to his veins, the heart monitor that tracked his heart rate (which slowed at its regular pace after the sudden screaming), the white bandages that wrapped around his various body parts, and the fact that he's lying in a hospital bed.

"Huh? What the… what are you guys doing here? Why am I… in a hospital?!" he stuttered.

Mario got on his feet and picked up the ghostly dog. With a serious tone, Mario came face-to-face with his brother. "Luigi, you were attacked at the night of your birthday. Sonic and Tails took us in to Dr. Toadley. He took care of us, but mostly you… because you were diagnosed with a coma."

Luigi was shocked. "A… coma?! For how long?!"

"Three days. You were out cold. I felt so bad for you. All of us do," Sonic answered as he set Tails down.

"We looked over you and couldn't help but worry. Myster Edge really did a number on you," Tails remarked.

"Myster Edge?" Luigi pondered. "Where have I heard that name? Wait a minute… Edge… yeah. It's that guy. That bastard! He hurt me with his electric shocks. And that's why I'm here, in the hospital."

The three friends noticed a strange, rare look on Luigi's face. He displayed rage, disgust, and every other negative feeling twisted in.

"Uhh, you alright, Luigi?" asked Sonic.

Luigi didn't have a chance because at that time, Dr. Toadley walked into the room and became flabbergasted.

"Well, what do we have here?" he started which made everyone turn their attention to him. "Is Luigi up and about from his coma? Indeed! Welcome back, young man!"

"Dr. Toadley! Can I get out of this hospital now?"

The physician was a bit startled at Luigi's request. "I'm sorry?"

"I have to go see Professor E. Gadd immediately. Can I be excused?"

"Now, hold on a moment…" Mario interrupted, putting his hands up in a 'stop' gesture. "Why do you need to see the professor?"

Luigi turned to his friends while the doctor stood in the background with bewilderment. "Sonic, Tails, Edge stole the two Chaos Emeralds from Eggman, right?"

"Uhh… yeah…" Sonic hesitated.

"Well, technically, he now has three. He snatched Shadow's when Edge kidnapped him," Tails added.

"Oh no. This isn't good at all," he said to himself. "And the others were captured as well: Yoshi, Amy, Knuckles, and Silver?"

The two bulged their eyes. "Yeah, but how did you know? You were unconscious at that time!" the cobalt hedgehog exclaimed.

"Since I was in a coma, I had a nightmare. And in that nightmare, I was in this weird location full of darkness and these purple shards. Next thing I knew, I saw Colombo. Later, he ran up to something I never expected: Myster Edge."

"Whoa, you saw Edge… in your nightmare?"

Luigi nodded at Tails. "Yes, and he told me a lot of things that made me nervous."

"What did he say?" Mario wondered.

"We were in this dark area called the Oblivion, which he says is imminent once he gets his hands on all seven Emeralds. He's searching for them to destroy all worlds. Not only that, but he told me that he abducted the rest of our friends. That's how I knew about their disappearance. Luckily, he didn't take you guys as well, or I'd be alone somewhere else to die or be separated from you."

Luigi was on the verge of crying as he stopped his story for a minute. Mario and the others were somewhat surprised to hear another 'end of all worlds' cliché, this one coming from the shadow figure. Noticing his emotions, Dr. Toadley walked up to the patient and handed him a handkerchief. Luigi obliged and wiped his watery eyes.

"After that, there was more bad news. He happened to destroy the Dark Moon of Evershade Valley."

Mario raised his eyelids. His brother's statement took him on a flashback montage of the Dark Moon quest when Luigi ventured through the valley to fight King Boo and retrieve the moon fragments. He shuddered at the memory when he got kidnapped, too.

"The Dark Moon? What the heck is that?" Tails queried.

"It's a purple celestial body that glows over the skies of Evershade Valley, a region outside of the Mushroom Kingdom. Years ago, King Boo destroyed the moon one night. The ghosts who live there became hostile when the influence of the Dark Moon was lost, for it's the reason why they're very friendly in nature. But since they've been under control by the ghost ruler, unbeknownst to me at first, Professor E. Gadd called me to recover the broken pieces spread throughout the valley, which introduced me to my second ghost hunt. And the second time I had to rescue Mario from being trapped in a painting."

Sonic and Tails turned to Mario, who nodded in agreement.

"It's true. When I got kidnapped by the king of ghosts again, I felt horrified. I've dealt with Boos before, but he gives me chills considering how unpredictable he is. Whenever his Boo minions carried my painting throughout the mansions, I've always seen that evil sneer and listen to the evil cackle of his, along with the mind-controlled ghosts. As I was hopelessly stuck, my thoughts ran to Luigi. I was more than scared because of his phasmophobia. (1) I didn't want him to die or get harmed trying to free me. But he faced his fears. He recovered the Dark Moon, returned the ghosts to normal, defeated King Boo, and saved my life. I was very proud of my brother for being so brave."

Mario gave him a smile as he finished his speech while Luigi blushed and tilted his cap to hide in embarrassment. Colombo leaped out of Mario's arms and licked the bedridden man to cheer him up. Luigi giggled slightly, remembering how he befriended the Polterpup after the ghosts were back into their hospitable state.

But he pushed the memories aside and frowned as he went back to his nightmare.

"Like I said, the Oblivion, the place I dreamed of, it was only a foreshadowing illusion. The 'Colombo' I saw was a hologram. But that's not the current problem. If Edge gets the Emeralds, then the worlds are in danger. And since he broke the Dark Moon, it must've served some purpose for his plan. But I didn't get spoiled of that information since he kept it discreet. Either way, it's bad news bears."

"So, is that why you need to see the professor? To see if he knows anything about the Dark Moon collapsing?"

"Yes, Sonic. Which is why I need to ask again." Luigi shifted his head from the hedgehog to the doctor who stood next to Mario. "Dr. Toadley, can I please be excused from the hospital? It's an emergency."

"Luigi, I'm afraid I can't," the Toad doctor responded.

"What? Why not?"

"Do I understand your urgent needs? I do. But isn't it best to take in some time to catch your breath and maintain your health? I recommend so."

The green-hatted patient narrowed his eyes. "You've been listening to me, and you won't let me go? Can't you just hook me to a wheelchair or something?"

"Mr. Luigi, I highly suggest you should continue taking it easy before you get yourself in danger again."

"Okay, now you're starting to sound like Toadsworth. He's been too contemplative over the Princess's well-being. And you're acting like him, only towards me." Mario and company detected some annoyance from his voice.

"Am I going to argue with you? No, I'm not in the mood for that. And do you think I want to put you at risk to further weaken your unstable body? Absolutely not. Seriously, I advise you to get some more bed rest. Even though you recovered from your coma, I am still unsure if it's the right idea to remove you this early."

Now Luigi was tired of this game. He was about to reach his breaking point. Anger started to build up inside him. It didn't go unnoticed as Sonic, Tails, and Mario all have concerned looks towards their friend. Even Colombo started to walk away from his owner with caution.

"Luigi, I see your frustration. But please, let's remain calm…" Mario tried to assure Luigi, but that apparently was the wrong thing to say.

"Remain calm?" He turned his angry face to Mario and raised his voice. "That goddamn son of a bitch who attacked us at the castle three days ago is slowly working his way on destroying our worlds. And you're telling me to remain calm?! I can't be thinking about myself! I'm not gonna be selfish and let my friends suffer, knowing they're gone. Who knows what that villain is doing to them? What if he already found the rest of the Emeralds?!" Everyone widened their eyes at his sudden outburst.

"Bro, I understand, but I'm not gonna let you get hurt after what happened to you. I have to agree with Dr. Toadley on this one."

"Oh, here we go again!"

"Now what are you talking about?"

"It's the same shit you do to me, Mario. You prefer to leave me alone so that I can stay safe from danger rather than helping others. But since you're so versatile and strong, it doesn't make a difference when you go out to save the worlds despite the conditions you've been in."

Mario was starting to get exasperated at his brother quarreling. "Luigi, this is different. You've been hurt and you were passed out for over 72 hours. You need to rebuild your health to its maximum."

"You're being overprotective," accused Luigi, folding his arms.

"I am not!" Mario retorted in defense. "I care so much about you and the last thing I want from you is to sustain your injuries and possibly make them worse than before!"

"You just contradicted yourself, big bro. You are overprotective."

Mario was now infuriated. "Luigi, I swear to the Star Spirits, I'm not going to let you get hurt again. I'll handle the situation while you heal here."

"So you can go and take in the fame and glory like you usually do, whether or not it's on purpose?"

The red-hatted man clenched his fists. "You know I don't take credit from where it's due. It's not my fault the Toads can't remember you for your qualities other than being afraid most of the time."

Sonic and Tails dropped some beads of sweat at Mario's harsh comment. They both thought that was the wrong thing to say. And they knew this conversation was going nowhere but trouble.

Luigi twitched his lips as he took in Mario's words. "So I'm nothing but a worthless person? Or a scaredy-cat? Or both?" He shook his head indignantly. "Sometimes I wonder why I even exist in this world. I also deliberate on why I have such an ignorant brother."

The hedgehog and fox looked at each other in worriment. They believed that Luigi crossed a line there. And they were right.

"That's the last straw, Weegie!" Mario angrily shouted and pointed a finger in front of his brother's face. "You are going to stay in that bed and rest up until you're truly revitalized! And if you're going to argue with me one more time, then I will…"

"Degrade me like everyone else does? Put me down even more than I have been before? Leave me behind so you're not there for me, like all the other times?" Luigi replied his interruptions in a calm voice this time. And by the looks on his face, he was stressed out and depressed. Deep down inside, however, he was extremely pissed off. He didn't want to blow his top; he was already starting to get a migraine from this discussion.

Mario's livid behavior loosened up when he heard those three words again. You're not there. Looking back at his actions, he was filled with regret for yelling at his younger brother like that. He was developing another flashback of memories when Luigi sung in sadness and isolation.

Dr. Toadley, Colombo, Tails, and Sonic didn't expect their mustached friends to veer off in the wrong direction. Given their brotherly relationship, they expected a carefree reunion once Luigi woke up from his coma.

Their expectations took a downfall unfortunately. It all started when the bedridden man screamed from a nightmare and talked about Myster Edge's evil plan on obliterating all worlds. Then out of nowhere, they've witnessed a dramatic fight between the brothers. They saw the stubborn, dominant side of Mario and the aggressive, demanding view of Luigi (which was MUCH different than his kind demeanor). The guys stood in silence as the room was full of awkward tension.

The disturbing silence was finally broken when Luigi sighed. "Fine. I'll go rest if that's what you want," he responded as his tone sounded like he was defeated, yet irritated. "But mark my words, it will probably be a regretful decision to not just me and you, but to everyone else as well." He turned his back to Mario as he scrunched up inside the sheets and pulled them over his head to block his view from anyone.

Feeling rejected and remorseful, Mario pleaded for an apology. "Luigi… I didn't mean to hurt your feelings… I just…"

He was cut off by Luigi again. "Leave."

Mario furrowed his brows. "I'm… I'm sorry?" he stammered.

"Leave. I want to be alone. Please don't bother me," he grouched with contempt.

Mario didn't listen to him though. He stood there, his feet planted on the tile floor, refusing to walk out the door. He frowned deeply, thinking he slammed Luigi's morale down to another low. That's what it looked like given the scene he was a part of.

"Luigi? Come on, man," said Sonic kindly. "Mario only wants you to be safe. Don't take it the wrong way. I, too, get overprotective of Tails because I love him to death. He's my best friend, and more importantly, my little brother. The same feeling goes to you two, as well. Mario loves you as a brother and will always do anything to keep your spirits up. If he does hurt your feelings, you know he didn't mean to do it on purpose. Don't you see that?"

Tails backed up the hedgehog. "Sonic's right. Mario is the older brother and is always there to help others, including you. He's not going to berate you for every mistake you've done or every argument you two engage in. Those things happen because he cares about you. They happen between us when I was still a little, helpless fox. Sonic would yell at me and I would fight with him, but only because he was either teaching me a lesson, or looking out for me in case I get into any trouble. That's kind of the responsibility as the bigger sibling."

"And believe us, we also want you to feel better. As much Edge is out there trying to find the Chaos Emeralds, we're not gonna leave you behind to sit in solemn silence alone. And we don't want you to endure another coma or anything severe. You scared us enough after being out for three days," Sonic commented.

"And I promise, Luigi," Mario stated. "We will rescue our friends. Daisy, Peach, Amy, and everyone else we know and love. We'll stop Edge from destroying all worlds. But for our sakes and yours, it's for the best if you're fully recovered."

After their friends finished their speech, Colombo empathetically strolled back to his caretaker and tried to snuggle with him under the covers. He sniveled at the sight of Luigi hiding his emotions and face from everyone. Nonetheless, Luigi didn't budge, saddening the Polterpup even more. The gang started to get discouraged, yet contrite for the man in green.

"Luigi, I promise. I will make it up to you. Just bear with me. And…" Mario started to choke up in his concluding statement. "…and I'm sorry I made you feel this way. You were right. I am overprotective of you. But it's not to make you feel secluded and miserable. It's because I love you, and I don't want to lose you, like I almost did on your birthday."

And then, Mario couldn't handle it. Even though he was in front of his brother, his Mobian friends and his personal doctor, he did something that no one expected: he cried. He let out a soft sob as he tilted his head down in shame and tensed his shoulders. The tears fell and made their way down to his black mustache.

Dr. Toadley placed his hand on Mario's right shoulder so he can get his attention. Then without a word, he gestured two fingers to everyone as a signal to leave the room.

Sonic and Tails nodded at the doctor and followed him. They both gazed at Luigi, still covering his entire body in disgrace. The two turned to Mario and each gave him a 'sorry' expression. The plumber maintained his frown and picked up Colombo, who in turn whined in sorrow. And so, they exited the room with Mario walking behind everyone. When he reached the doorway, he stopped momentarily and looked back at his heartbroken brother. Mario saw Luigi trembling beneath the blanket.

"I'm sorry, Luigi… I'm very sorry…" Mario, holding the Polterpup in his right hand, grabbed the knob with his left and closed the door. But before he shut it entirely, he could've sworn he heard the patient say something.

"Sniff… No, Mario… I'm sorry. Please forgive me… Daisy, Peach, everyone else… Please be safe…"

Quietness roamed throughout Room 206 and the Toadley Clinic for the rest of the day. Neither Mario, Colombo, Sonic, nor Tails came back to see Luigi knowing that the poor guy was depressed after his confrontation. Dr. Toadley still kept to his medical duties to check the patient every several hours to make sure his body was healing, but he avoided saying anything after the downward spiral of events that occurred that morning. He didn't want to upset him even more.

For Mario and company, they now know Myster Edge was bound to obliterate every piece of existence. They also learned about his plan after he destroyed the Dark Moon. Despite the dire consequences though, they refused to leave Luigi by himself in a cold, emotionless state of mind through his injuries. They wanted to support him and keep him company.

Unfortunately, that fell to pieces when he was desperate to put a stop to Edge's plan, yet everyone else agreed to wait for him to return healthy and strong. That led to Luigi having an emotional breakdown and forced everyone to leave him remote.

It was at that point they were starting to have second thoughts on the decision they made. Because who knows where Edge was hiding or where their friends were held prisoners at? And what would happen if they were too late to prevent him from collecting the Emeralds? Can Luigi recover from both his injuries and his sad thoughts? These questions raveled through their minds as the day passed on.

END OF CHAPTER

Luigi was completely out of character during the second half of this chapter. But was he right about the situation?

Also, do you think Mario and the others made a good choice to let Luigi recover in the hospital? Do you think it would benefit him and his friends? Or is this an advantage for Edge to use this time to find the Chaos Emeralds?

In the next one, we'll focus on the captives and revisit a character that hasn't been seen for a long time.

Review, follow/favorite, and I'll see you guys later!

Post-Chapter Notes:

(1): Phasmophobia- having a fear of ghosts. Confirmed in the Luigi's Mansion series, and in almost every other Mario game. The only exception is Luigi's Polterpup and the ghosts he can tolerate (when they're friendly and not harassing him).