"...at night, low 'Edward' hits the coasts with a storm front moving in from the south..."

Yawning longly, Mario pressed the button on the remote and the screen went blank after one last flicker. Then he rubbed his face, massaged his eyes and glanced nervously at the wall clock: three minutes past ten and still no sign of his brother. At the same time, he played with his fingers and pushed himself deeper into the armchair while his head was running through various scenarios: Did Luigi merely get lost and neglected to charge his mobile phone? Did he even get mugged on his way home and lay injured, forgotten by everyone except his family, in an alley? Or did the ship capsize and the ghost hunter fought for his life in the blue wasteland? Mario knew him as an excellent swimmer, so he didn't believe in premature death by drowning. But the fear that Luigi would fall victim to a predator or freeze to death didn't want to let go of him. Today belonged to the summer. Tomorrow, however, autumn had announced itself. If his little brother should indeed float in the cold water...

Shaking his head, he tried to strip away the gloomy implications. Luigi was fine! He had already been through worse. Someone like him, who had already freed the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom three times from the clutches of this ghost king, wouldn't surrender to the depths just like that! He would rather let himself be cuddled to death by Jeremiah! Speaking of Jeremiah.

Since the thoroughly failed act with the postman, the pale silvery light behind the portal to the entrance area had only stirred sporadically at best. The red dog bowl lay well-stocked next to it, as Luigi had instructed. As it looked, however, Jeremiah hadn't even touched the food. Did ghosts actually possess organs? His brother insisted that the dog would jump at this food like a shipwrecked man at a lifebelt. And there it was. Untouched.

The man in red, grief-stricken, buried his face in his hands. What could he do with Luigi's friend, his "Best Boy" as it was engraved on the bowl? He wasn't ill either, otherwise he would have noticed the greenish colouring long ago. Again, everything depended on his master - just like Peach would still be trapped in the painting without him. Mario was the first on the roof, but despaired when he realised that he wasn't capable of rescue. That powerlessness, being able to do absolutely nothing, nothing at all... after he was used to being able to overcome every enemy, every challenge during his adventures, no matter how hopeless the situation might seem.

He leaned to the left and stretched his neck. As was to be expected, Jeremiah rested curled up on the dirty doormat, his eyes closed. Mario had already thought about washing the mat, but didn't want to shoo the little one away against his will. Above all, he didn't want to wake him from his sleep. At a fleeting glance it even seemed peaceful; just like every dog went to its place after a long day. Whether in his basket, next to or on the bed to enjoy the closeness and warmth of his human, wherever he felt most comfortable at the moment. Jeremiah's mouth, however, pulled backwards, was slightly bent down at the flews, and his leg twitched. It was only a matter of time before he jumped up.

Was there really nothing he could do for him? At least cheer him up a little? Maybe by showing him that he did everything in his power to give Luigi the necessary support? But who else was offering help for potential disasters at this time of day? If someone was involved in an accident on the street, one always called for an ambulance. Was there anyone who had the sea in their jurisdiction?

Just as the scales fell from his eyes, he pulled his cap down in embarrassment. He could have hit himself: Why hadn't he thought of that before? The mere thought of not having helped the Ghostbuster earlier tore at his conscience and made his hands tremble. The plumber had to hurry!

Without further ado, he reached for his phone. It was of slim, wafer-thin stature and also equipped with an internet connection and a camera. Practicality in everyday life combined in a small package for a huge amount of money. Although the constant availability got on his nerves, he felt compelled as an eternal hero to accept this as a necessary evil. Sometimes he couldn't help but envy Luigi for his phone, which was reduced to the bare minimum. Living in seclusion also offered its own advantages.

First of all, Mario called up "Woogle". He was presented with a bright yellow - he preferred to call it "eye cancer yellow" - search engine, whose name was underlined by Wario's distinctive nose and jagged beard. Why his IT specialists apparently had to randomly add cloves of garlic to it seemingly remained his personal secret. All competing programs had already been taken over by his company and had been given exactly the same design.

Despite this, Bowser's archenemy typed "coastguard toad town", into the array and sent his inquiry with a crossed thumb. To his knowledge, the town owned one, but according to the newspapers, it was chronically underfunded and insufficiently equipped for operations at sea. Nevertheless, it was his best option at the time. The main thing was that they started searching without delay!

Their number was quickly found. He immediately touched it on the screen and was then asked by a dialogue box, "Call number?"

Mario's index finger dutifully snapped to the confirming button; shortly before contact, however, he faltered. If the rescuers asked the necessary questions, and they would, what answers would, could he give them? Except that Luigi didn't return from his trip and his disappearance was only an indication of an accident, he was unable to give them any concrete information. The oceans around the Mushroom Kingdom were vast - with no approximate location, the rescue operation resembled a search for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

A faint glow of desperate hope ignited in Mario, and he dialled his brother's number instead. Perhaps he really had just arrived late. Perhaps he had accidentally switched off his phone. Perhaps it was all a bad dream. Something, something he could cling to, that could nurture the glow. Connecting, please hold...

He waited, staring at the three dots without blinking. First one, then two, then three, and again from the beginning. It beeped, but Jeremiah didn't seem to mind.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up…!" he muttered like a mantra. "Pick up, pick up..."

"Hello!" At that moment, the plumber's breath gave out. Was that Luigi or the answering machine?

"This is Luigi Mario's mailbox! Unfortunately, I'm not available right now, but feel free to leave a message after the be…" A distorted barking suddenly hissed through the loudspeaker and Mario's head dashed away under a painful groan. "Uh, beep. I'll call you back as fast as I can. Have a nice day and see you soon!"

He sat there in silence, looking down at the ground, letting the time window for a message pass by. The audio recorder promised many things - both good and bad. And so it fuelled his previous theses about Luigi's whereabouts. For example that he was beaten unconscious and relieved of his telephone, which could now be everywhere. He looked up with a wrinkled forehead. Really everywhere? Didn't the sea stand out due to being one big dead zone? Something told him that he couldn't have reached the device if it had been on a ship. Thoughtfully he closed his eyelids. Could it be that the couch potato had never boarded one? Or had he long since returned and partied in the tavern until late at night? The kingdom's hero shook his head in indignation at this absurd idea. Luigi was responsible enough to limit the consumption of alcohol to special occasions and even then he drank very little. The day he would find his brother lying in a corner, drunk as a skunk, would hopefully only exist in his nightmares. So where else could the man in green be?

But as soon as his thoughts spit out more possibilities, he surrendered and quickly typed in the number of the local police station. Perhaps they could give him further advice.

His mobile phone flew up when a heart-rending howl sounded from the entrance area and Mario almost fell off his chair while hastily catching it.

"Jeremiah!" he shouted in horror, put the device on the seat, jumped up and ran next door. "Are you okay?!" The transparent creature sat upright, shaking, turning its round head around as if driven and panting heavily - until its half-open eyes stopped at Mario. It wasn't that the latter couldn't stand him, quite the contrary; but Jeremiah's empty gaze always made him feel uneasy. Probably because the plumber could never say who or what he was looking at. In this respect, it was somewhat unfortunate that the dog had lost his pupils. Mario still remembered how a terrified Luigi had called him in the morning two days after the escapades in Evershade Valley and begged him in to come - Jeremiah's eyes were blank and the young man feared he would cause some mischief and steal keys again. What Mario had discovered after a wild ride through the city with a few ran red lights however was a ghost relaxing on the armrest next to his wrily smiling owner, watching cartoons with him. It was reassuring to learn that the Dark Moon wasn't absolutely necessary. Although this presented the professor with new mysteries.

Immediately Jeremiah showed him his typical wide grin with his tongue sticking out and wagged his tail. After that, he cantered excitedly whimpering towards him and before Mario knew it, the Polterpup's paws rested on his shoulders and he instantly felt his warm, wet tongue on his cheeks. Overwhelmed by this storm of joy, he stood motionless, enduring Jeremiah's strange affection with a deep humming sound. Left, right, over the nose, again left and right, because why not, and anyway: Why so cheerful? He wasn't Luigi! Apart from that, he didn't like to be jumped on and being licked just like that. With his brother, Jeremiah could do as he liked, but Mario preferred a healthy distance.

That's why he tried to gently push the dog away from him - easier said than done, because the ghost simply pulled him back and furthermore, he was much taller than him when standing on his hind legs, so the hero had to look up. Even Luigi was outgrown by the Polterpup already: a remarkable achievement for such a young animal. He neither wanted to test Jeremiah's strength nor be knocked down by him. Therefore, words had to do it.

"Jeremiah, enough." The house ghost, definitely too devoted for his taste, paused for a moment but then continued to rub his face against Mario's own, exhaling loudly. Now he became louder, "Stop it! Enough, I said!" As if struck by glaring light, Jeremiah froze and stared at him perplexed from the corners. His eyes were still slightly open: could it be that he was still half asleep? The plumber immediately followed suit and calmly said to him, "I'm sorry, but..." Quickly using the break he shoved him back by the chest and let him down carefully. "I'm not your beloved Luigi."

At first, the dog stared at him whimpering confusedly. Then he shook himself and tore his eyelids open as far as they went. He blinked twice, then it dawned on him. Saddened, he lowered his head and turned his back to a mopey Mario, whereupon he calmly walked to the doormat, curled up and watched Peach's lifelong rescuer tiredly. Mario looked back, wanting to express his solidarity, but turned around when remorse flogged his conscience. Wishing Jeremiah wouldn't look at him. So he wiped his face with one arm and leaned against the portal with the other. Should he say something to him? But what? Jeremiah himself must have come to the conclusion in the meantime that his master must have been the victim of an accident or crime, which is why the usual appeals to stand firm would have only caused stress.

So he quietly went back to the armchair. Time for the cavalry.

Quickly seated, he dialled the emergency call and waited again. If only every second didn't count!

"Toad Town Police Department, Jus T., good evening?" The first step had been taken, Mario had reached someone! Though the official sounded, according to the monotonous tone of his voice, unenthusiastic about having to work so late. But as a friend and helper, it was part of his virtuous duty, for better or worse, to ensure that he was always on standby.

Then the older brother blurted it straightly out, "Hello, my name is Mario and..."

"You are who?" the policeman immediately interrupted him strangely delighted, almost as if he was replaced. Before answering, Mario covered his eyes with the flat of his hand. It was another one of those days.

"Yes, Mario. Listen, I..."

"One moment, please!" His conversation partner paused and Mario listened. First, his ears heard the squeaking wheels of a chair and then again the words of the policeman, this time turned away from the receiver. "Yeah boy, I've got Mario on the line!" Another voice intervened, but it was too unclear to be understood. "Yes, the Mario! Peach's lover with the legendary jump and all!" Gradually and slightly deterred, the plumber considered hanging up without further ado. If he ever had to show someone else how working on a professional level didn't look like, Jus T. would have been his man. It's bad enough that he was already described as "Peach's lover", even though he hadn't advanced that far with her yet. She surely would have flipped furiously at this claim. But one lucky day...

"So what can one do for the great hero?" Jus T. friendly tried to establish a basis for any further help, whereby he chortled femininely here and there. He'd better not write those dirty stories about the man in red and the princess!

"Well, I miss my brother. He wanted to go out to sea with a ship at noon today and come back in the evening. Unfortunately, he is still not here and he is not answering his phone. So I'm afraid something must have happened to him."

Silence. Surprised, Mario checked if his phone hadn't run out of battery in the middle of the talk: Fifty per cent and the connection was still strong. Did he say something wrong?

"You have a brother?" Growling furiously, Mario let his head fall onto the backrest. At this rate, they would never find Luigi alive!

"Now isn't the time for stale jokes!" he ranted, "Can you help me or not?!"

"Uh, uh, s-sure! Sure, um, well..." It rustled unpleasantly loudly until it suddenly stopped. "All right, you want to file a missing person's report?" Soothed, he nodded.

"Thank you. So it's about Luigi Mario. The legendary stay-at-home, green guy, you know."

"Yes..." Once again, the official maintained his silence and let out at most a faint murmur. "Yes, I think it rings a bell. The fella with the vacuum cleaner, right?" For safety's sake, Mario felt compelled to make one thing clear, "If you've got a gentleman dressed in green with a marvellous moustache in your head instead of an old professor, then you're right."

"Uh, no?" A pillow to scream on, please! Mario thought he'd seen a lot of things, but that someone did just manage to confuse the inventor with his brother was news to him. Maybe he should let Luigi take the lead in adventures for once, so that his popularity and fame increased.

"Ugh, last try: take me, colour the cap and shirt green, swap the M on the cap for an L, make me a little thinner and taller and you have Luigi. Just remember that I borrowed him my tropical shirt and sunglasses." Eagerly, the policeman's pen scratched across the paper, accompanied by an inharmonic humming that seemed to signal confirmation. He then added, "Besides, he's not answering the phone except the machine, so I think he might still be at the port."

"You'd better leave that to our boys and girls," Jus T. decisively put a stop to further speculation, "There are so many factors to consider that these assumptions have little meaning." From then on the hero made no sound at all. Despite the casual manner of the official, it seemed to him as if the lawman knew what he was talking about and what he was doing. Perhaps he belonged to those who had clear quirks, but at the same time were incredibly skilled in their work?

"All right, it's noted," Jus T. informed shortly afterwards, and thus conjured a relieved smile on Mario's face. "If he hasn't shown up by the middle of next week, please call again, then..."

"Are you serious?!" Mario's sudden outcry left the officer speechless and, in passing, called Jeremiah to the scene, who nervously stuck his head out from behind the portal.

Meanwhile, Jus T. regained his composure and calmly explained, "Well, of course. Currently, there is no concrete suspicion that Luigi has been the victim of a crime or accident. He might as well be strolling around the city, visiting friends or celebrating."

"He could also be fighting for his life at sea!" Mario threw furiously at him, hoping his interlocutor would take the matter more seriously.

"Correct. Emphasis on could. Just like a lot of other, far less dangerous things right now. But if it makes you feel any better, most missing person's reports are settled within a week. So it's possible that your brother will still arrive, even if it's after midnight." Peach's friend didn't give up that easily.

"But he went by boat!"

"And which one? Do you also want to call in the coastguard and have them search for a boat that may have been anchored hours ago, is on its way to another port or is simply late. I'm sure it would have radioed in if it was in trouble"

"But I know he's in danger!" Once again there was radio silence on the other side. What was wrong with the man's constant withdrawal? Didn't he understand that any delay would jeopardize a timely rescue? Moreover, would he please stop sighing? Now even the ghost dog had dared to approach the armchair, sat down at Mario's feet and watched the goings-on attentively. The hero was already dreading having to tell him that the police weren't going to search for Luigi at all.

"Mr Mario. Please allow me to be frank with you."

"But..." Mario contradicted reflexively, but at that moment his throat was blocked. He'd talked faster than his brain could come up with a phrase, and as he realized disgruntled, he ran out of everything he had. Since he also got the feeling that he banged his head repeatedly against a massive steel wall, Mario gave him their head huffily. He had obviously misjudged his professionalism, just as the policeman didn't respond to his objection and continued soberly, "Thank you. So, just for your understanding: Every day dozens of missing person's reports come in, some more urgent than the others, for example when children are involved. Of course, everyone demands that we start the search immediately, preferably yesterday. But we are understaffed and therefore have to decide according to priority. And as far as I can tell, your brother is at the bottom of the list. Your prominent status won't change that." Deliberately ignoring that last remark, Mario then tried a different approach and asked, "Well, but what about the coastguard?

"What about them? Unless you know which ship Luigi is travelling on, they will tell you exactly the same thing. They have better things to do than searching the sea for a vehicle." The telephone lay restlessly in his hand, while the plumber, breathing faster and faster, struggled to find words for his powerlessness. If neither the police nor the coastguard could help - who else? "Look, I understand your concern. But I can't recommend anything more than waiting."

Waiting. Waiting! Mario refrained from laughing just in time. How long had they both been waiting without any sign of life from the ghost hunter? And now wait even more? He felt like he was in the wrong movie! In a moment, anger and despair knocked reason off the wheel and took over the helm.

"What am I paying taxes for, if you paisanos are just sitting around on your butts and..."

"Then I assume that your matter has been resolved," Jus T. simply spoke unaffectedly in between, "Therefore, I wish you a pleasant evening according to the circumstances and would like to remind you to call again if your brother doesn't appear by the middle of next week. Bye!"

"No, please don't hang..." A short ringing and except for the crackling of the fire in the fireplace, the howling of the wind outside and the incoming and outgoing air, peace returned to the living room. Away with the fury, reunited with the helplessness.

So he sat there motionless at first, staring blankly into the void, while his hand sank slowly to the seat. Had the Polterpup observed him with his big eyes before, he whined quietly in view of Mario's face and hanged his head in depression.

"I'm sorry, Jeremiah." He looked up in surprise, right into the hero's contrite face. "Please forgive me that I couldn't do anything to help your Luigi. If we at least knew which ship he's on, then the coastguard could look for him." Then a smile appeared on his mouth, trembling for shape and Mario grinned. In the interim, Jeremiah looked on the ground and rhythmically tapped the carpet with his tail. "When you think about it, it's actually quite funny. I was able to save Peach, Daisy, Pauline, even the whole universe during my adventures. But my own brother? No."

More drifting than intended, Mario looked through the big window to the front garden. Normally, the moon would have to give its light, but instead, the world outside was bathed in a dense blackness. As far as he was concerned, the boundaries of reality didn't go beyond the front door. Apart from the two small islands at the gate, thanks to the lanterns. All he had left was Luigi's house, his pet and the inhabitants of other realities he could reach by his telephone. Maybe he should order pizza to meet someone else in flesh and blood? Was there a delivery at this time of day? How should they find the stay-at-home in this darkness?

Suddenly an aggressive barking echoed off the walls. The volume was only exceeded by Mario's own scream and the squeaking of the armchair when he landed back on the upholstery.

"Jeremiah, what… hm?" This time the dog stood on all fours, his tail set vertically upwards. What fascinated the plumber, on the other hand, was the firm, yes, determined look of the animal. He would have to lie if he didn't recognize himself in it: That's exactly how he had always confronted Bowser in the decisive battle of his latest mad idea. Had non-verbally told him not to run away but to fight and taste defeat like a man. Had given him an ultimatum to either hand over his hostage or feel his wrath. Or, as Jeremiah probably put it in this situation, "Mario, how can you just sit around and cry while Luigi is in danger out there and needs our help? So get up and live up to your reputation as a hero!"

For a few conscious breaths, Mario let him look deep into his eyes and was inspired by his courage. Then he smiled and his face imitated the ghost's features. "You're right," he admitted and stood up. "It's no use to just whine and hope he'll return." The man in red tugged at his beard and thought. "Let's-a go to the harbour. Surely we'll find Luigi quicker if we investigate on our own, instead of letting the mills of justice grind."

After these words and an affirmative woof, the dog trotted to the door with Mario in tow and demonstratively pressed his paws against it. Immediately the plumber stretched out his open hand to the handle - and pulled it back up under Jeremiah's baffled whimper. He had forgotten one very important thing.

"Go to the car, I just have to take some security measures." Fleetingly, the Polterpup peered into the living room, then eyed Mario slightly smiling and finally jumped through the door, barking cheerfully. A white cloud that vanished at a rapid pace was all that ever testified to Jeremiah's presence.

Now he could devote himself entirely to his plan.

For the time being, he went back into the living room and switched on the second standard lamp next to the fireplace. Then he drew the curtains and turned the TV on. Just in time to catch a chaotically cut trailer with pompous orchestral music for the latest pirate adventure. However, the scene of the gigantic blooper was enough for him to shake his head and wave it away. This would definitely be the usual fantasy nonsense, where he always wondered if people were really watching it for the plot and characters or just because of the effects. Well, to each his own.

Lastly the ceiling lamp in the entrance area. If someone wanted to break in, all roads led inevitably through here. As unlikely as such an occurrence was - a small house far from the shot at the edge of a mighty forest and Luigi didn't own much anyway - he didn't want to challenge his luck. Better to be on the safe side. He already made a mental note to pay for the costs of the additional electricity consumption.

He ignored all the other rooms: the kitchen contained no valuables whatsoever, the hatch to the cellar at the back of the house was firmly locked and going straight up to the top floor would have attracted too much-unwanted attention. Only Luigi's car could still provide protection; his brother, however, had insisted on driving to town himself instead of being brought by him. The towing services, including the parking attendants, must have had the easiest catch today.

Finally, he removed the house key from the hole and put it in his pocket. Once again making sure that he hadn't left anything out, he stepped out of the building, locking behind him.

A chilly wind embraced him as soon as he left the protective walls. He regretted leaving his jacket at home, as it found its way through his clothes to the bare skin underneath. As if that wasn't enough, a brown leaf flew against his cheek. During the day there was no sign of the approaching autumn, then at the latest after sunset. Even the moon had to struggle with the clouds that had recently come up, at most, it was only visible as a faintly shimmering disc in the sky.

The lighting from the living room and the two lanterns on the fence posts were enough for Mario to walk the paved and curved path without an accident. His brother wasn't exactly happy to see his lawn disfigured by shoeprints and trampled plants, so the hero took great care not to stray an inch.

Next to the mailbox, his vehicle was waiting for him, the cockpit already lit by Jeremiah's silver body. A sleek sports car including a small back seat, painted all in red and with enough ground clearance not to lose the bumpers when facing a dirt road. Already the dog stuck his head through the side window and instructed the hero by means of impatient barking to hurry up.

"I'll be right there, hold on!" He made the last few metres in a run, almost tripped and then opened his car by remote control key. Immediately the vehicle turned into a lighthouse in the middle of this dark sea, flashing twice and its headlights chasing away the darkness. Jeremiah, however, curiously turned to the lights - apparently, he didn't know this function from Luigi's own one.

Soon Mario was seated in the driver's seat, the Polterpup calmly to his left and his eyes turned to the road, mimicking the good co-driver.

"Well, here we go," mumbled the plumber and turned the key. The interior trembled, the engine stirred grimly from sleep and after a short roar, it begged for the next ride peacefully bubbling.

"Hang on, Luigi! We are coming!" Jeremiah growled deeply and persistently. He might look harmless, partly because he had no teeth and enjoyed nothing more than playing with Luigi and receiving his affection. Mario though had no doubt that he too would turn into a wild beast if anyone threatened him or his master. Together nobody should mess with them!

Mario carefully pressed the right pedal. Slowly the needle of the rev counter worked its way up the digits and the bodywork rolled forward sluggishly, after which the hero increased the pressure steadily until they reached a comfortable cruising speed - approximately twenty kilometres per hour. The fastest he felt he could go without having to worry about the chassis falling apart due to the rough terrain.

Then they disappeared into the heart of the forest on the only way through the trees.