In an abandoned area of the underground sewer pipe system a young teenage Luigi hurried with his school bag heavy on his back to the spot he'd been visiting since late autumn. It was the first day of summer break and he wanted to tell his secret friend. Well…IF his friend was there in the charred and warped pipe he'd come across months prior.
He'd been chased and cornered by bullies and hastily dragged down to the sewers so Mario wouldn't find them. They only picked on him because he was meek, a "loser", and some of their girlfriends kept ogling Mario so that pissed them off. But since Mario was a "someone " in school, they couldn't touch him without getting serious repercussions, unlike with Luigi, who would most likely say nothing to keep the peace. Lucky for him, though, before he could get hurt too badly or worse, they were chased off by a threatening growl and a surge of fire coming out from a pipe, the fire so big it singed the pipe and warped it red, to the point some bits of it began to melt. A deep voice threatened them that they'd be next.
Then they peed themselves and ran away. Luigi was far too frightened to run so he could only whimper while the voice on the other side tried soothing him when he realized Luigi wasn't running or at least couldn't run.
He halted with a scared yelp as a few feet in front of him a large blast of fire came from the pipe he'd come to know, breaking him from his reverie. "Dammit, stop playing with pyrotechnics down here, Bowser! You'll set the whole place a blaze." He scolded as he got his heart rate back down.
He walked over, hearing a huff from his friend. He actually hadn't "seen" his friend before, the other unable to come out the other side of the pipe due to its wonky shape and when Luigi would look through himself, it was so dark all he could see were ruby red eyes. An odd eye color but every person was unique. "I take it today wasn't a good one, huh? Hai bisogno che ti presti orecchio?" He asked in Italian, waiting to see if Bowser wanted a translation. Sometimes the short tempered boy would and others not so much. He wondered if the boy would let him get closer that day. Bowser tended to like his space from Luigi though they spoke and played cards. He had to buy a new deck every so often as the other boy had a liking to set them on fire if he was losing.
Bowser huffed again, Luigi seeing smoke come trickling out. "It was fine, I suppose. Think I'm going through another growth spurt. Kamek's been more strict about my studies too so…had to sneak out." He grumbled, voice a little deep and gravelly.
Luigi smiled, hoping his friend saw. "You don't get a break even if you're home schooled? Summer vacation just started today for me and mio fratello. Oh! I still have some leftover snacks my Ma packed me. Wanna share?" He began to rummage through his pack, taking out books and notebooks and pencils and pens to reach what he wanted.
He heard Bowser chuckle and try and shuffle more towards the teen. "Sure. Haven't had lunch since that's when I ran. I can never tell time right between when you'll get here or not. Maybe we should try and set dates out, but if something comes up then the other is screwed. Hey, what's "mio fratello"? And what you said before?"
Laughing lightly, Luigi took out the containers along with a plastic knife to spread the chocolate-hazelnut mixture onto some bread pieces. "Yeah, that would be troublesome, so we should stick to what we've been doing all this time, plus it's fun taking a chance to see if you're here. It means "my brother", and I asked before if you wanted me to listen to what happened. I could bring you an Italian translation book next time?" He took out a thermos of orange juice as well. "We can share this. Can you reach?"
The sound of something sharp running along the metal made Luigi cringe and he tried not covering his ears but it seemed to have worked as once the noise stopped, the red eyes were closer-and bigger- than Luigi realized.
Bowser really must've been hungry for them to be this close after so long. "Sorry, I'm almost too big for this thing. Thanks for the snack." Bowser reached a hand out to take the treat laid out in front of him and Luigi was shocked to see such a large hand. A scaly and clawed hand with a spiked wrist band.
He blinked a few times, seeing if he was mistaking it, but no, he wasn't. He heard Bowser continue. "No one where I live has ever heard of this "Italian" you speak of. I can't find any books on it either." Bowser huffed in annoyance, a small growl escaping his lips. "I'll try not to burn it if you do. I wanna know what you're saying without you explaining it." He grumbled, trying the lid full of orange juice. "Mmm. Tastes good."
Luigi blinked some more. "What are you? Is that really your hand? You're ginormous!" He gasped, eyes big in curiosity and amazement. He wanted to touch but wasn't sure if that was rude.
Bowser laughed. "I'm a Koopa. What are you? Some sort of Toad? In hindsight we should've asked these things months ago, ha ha ha."
He heard Bowser grunt and the sharp noise on metal again until he heard Bowser hiss in defeat, unable to move closer. Luigi puffed out his cheeks. "I'm not a Toad! Do I look like one to you? I'm a human. Which you apparently aren't. I just assumed you were a grumpy guy so I didn't ask." Luigi got closer since Bowser couldn't and he laid his smaller hands on Bowser's still outstretched one. It was hot to the touch but the scales were smooth. He didn't know other creatures existed. He was still waiting to wake up and see he'd dozed in class or something at the new revelation.
"I've never heard of a human before." Bowser hummed, tilting his hand so it was palm up.
Luigi shook his head with a small smile and being tempted, he placed his hand in the other's, the koopa curious of how the human's skin felt. "I've never heard of a koopa. So we're even. You know…I can come by more often and earlier since break started. Oh! Maybe I can come to you!" His eyes sparkled.
Seeming to not realize, Bowser had started rubbing his thumb against Luigi's hand, thinking. "Mmm…I don't think so, for a few reasons. One, you might get lost if you try without me. Two, I'm pretty sure your skin would burn quickly where I live without protection. And three…I kind of enjoy this. No one else knows about you. It's peaceful…not being known like I am back home."
Luigi blushed, scratching his nose with his free hand. "I know what you mean about that third thing." There was a moment of silence between them before Luigi cleared his throat. "Where could you live where it'd burn me? There's no deserts around here."
Releasing his hand, Bowser sighed. "Don't get any ideas, but this is a portal. I accidentally came across it but then liked how I was alone so I kept doing it. Kamek has been teaching me about the rarity of them. They used to be abundant until it was realized how dangerous it could be so word about them stopped and the knowledge was lost. Where I live it's nothing but volcanoes and lava. Rock and fire everywhere, but there are things that thrive there and it can be beautiful. Maybe…" his voice turned a little meek, "maybe I could show you one day. Don't come through when I'm not here, okay? You could get lost." He warned, grabbing Luigi's hand again and squeezing it, liking the contact now that he realized how nice it was.
Luigi laughed. "I'm too much of a chicken. Ah, "coward", in other terms. I wouldn't even be down here that often if I didn't think you were. A portal, huh? Sounds like magic. But I suppose you're this weird koopa creature, so it's not outside the realm of possibility. Wow-wee, I'm learning a lot today! Wait." Luigi gulped, taking a moment when a realization hit him. "Nothing dangerous can get through, right?" He worried, not quite shaking yet but getting close as his mind went to possibilities of an array of monsters that could come through and destroy everything he knew and loved.
A deep chuckle broke him out of it and he blushed, feeling smoke hit his face. "No one else knows about this portal and even if they did, I'm the most dangerous thing to come out of it. So, no need to be frightened, Luigi." The chuckle broke off into a purr.
Luigi smiled back at his friend. "Nah. You're not dangerous at all." He tried getting closer, holding the large hand in both of his and rubbing the scales and fingers, unaware of the soft look on the koopa's face.
———————-
They spent the next few months similarly, Bowser sometimes bringing books to show Luigi what kind of creatures lived in his homeland along with a sketch of what a "toad" was in his realm of which Luigi scoffed, offended but laughed when it made Bowser laugh too and Luigi showing Bowser pictures of the city and bringing a beginners book on Italian while he failed to show Bowser how to successfully pronounce some words. They'd share food and stories and as the days went on, Luigi grew bolder and would get closer and closer to the pipe with urgency to get closer to Bowser.
"Bowser? Are you here today? I brought a large container of leftovers from last night for you to try and we can play with these fake mustaches. My brother has his club stuff today. Oh, and I brought a flashlight so I can see you, not just your eyes. I feel dumb it took me this long to do it, heh-heh." Luigi rambled excitedly as he approached the pipe. When he looked in, the sound from Bowser was farther away. "Bowser? Is something wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"I'll be alright. I just don't want to risk hurting you so stay there. I'll move up more." He grumbled, sounding sad as he turned and began to move.
Luigi had to cover his ears from the scraping to come but once he felt the rumbling of the ground stop, he removed them. "Why would you think you could hurt me? You can't leave this side of the pipe." He laughed a little to lighten the mood and tried getting closer. A growl stopped him. "What happened? C'mon, Bowser."
There was silence for a little longer until Bowser sighed. "What did you want to show me?" He asked, dodging the issue.
Letting out an annoyed huff, Luigi let Bowser hide the reason for his sour mood. For now. "Fake mustaches. A lot of manly men have them so I wanted to get your opinion on which style makes me look the most manly. I've barely grown anything at all yet since I'm not old enough but I thought if I knew what kind to grow, I could work on it and you can try some too. Can koopas grow facial hair? Do you have hair? Anyway, that can be for another time." He paused, taking the leftovers out of the heated bag, having heated it up before leaving. "I brought you food too. I helped Ma last night and wanted to see what you thought." He handed it to the koopa while he rummaged through the mustaches to see which to try first. He was also avoiding telling his friend some upsetting news too. He wasn't able to see his friend in a couple weeks so he couldn't tell him before.
He went through most of the bag, Bowser's opinions mostly laughs or grunts as he ate. Until Luigi tried on a simple one that curled upward a tad at the tips. "Ah. That one." He reached a hand out, pinching the tips and letting out a light chuckle. "I like that one. Makes you look cute." He curled his hand under Luigi's jaw, accidentally nicking him under his chin which when Luigi tsk-ed, Bowser pulled his hand away. "Didn't mean to hurt you."
Luigi rubbed the spot and rolled his eyes. "Your claws are just sharp, it's to be expected. But a mustache isn't supposed to be cute, you lug, it's supposed to look manly." He ripped it off, pouting until he realized Bowser hadn't spoken, but the red eyes he'd come to be lured by held regret. "Hey. I'm fine." He put a hand on the closest thing he could, being his foot. "Once I start growing facial hair I'll probably nick myself with a razor on accident anyway. It's not even bleeding anymore. I haven't seen you like this. C'mon." He crawled more towards Bowser, setting aside the dish and pressing forward even as he heard Bowser try and back away, the pipe echoing the noise.
He heard him gulp and let out another sigh, deciding to give in. "I lost my temper yesterday. I destroyed a good chunk of the castle and others got hurt. Not badly, but still. Then…" Bowser growled and Luigi laid a hand on a scaly knee. "Then…last night…I dreamt I hurt you. You almost died…because of me." His voice was hushed, laced with regret and pain.
Luigi rummaged for his flashlight and turned it on, not speaking, and set it down so he could see Bowser. It wasn't just his voice. Luigi could see his face scrunched. A yellow muzzle, fangs poking out of his mouth, gold and green scales along his face and body with a mop of fiery red hair. He supposed that answered that. "Did you apologize for hurting them?" He tried getting closer, feeling the need to comfort his friend he'd grown so attached to and wanted to ignore the bit about the dream. It felt personal.
Bowser nodded. "Yes. Kamek was appalled I did, being the next king, but you taught me if you hurt someone and you didn't mean to, then you apologize. They forgave me, but I'm not sure if it was genuine or if they did it because they fear me deep down." He held his hand up, lost in thought as he stared at it. "I might not be able to see you for a while either. My classes are getting longer and my responsibilities are growing."
Luigi took it in, feeling a lump in his throat. He moved to where he was sat up against Bowser, reaching his hands out, asking for Bowser's own (at least one hand), which he received. "We're moving to another part of Brooklyn. I could probably still make it here, but it would be more dangerous than it is already. It's pretty far from here, you almost couldn't call the area Brooklyn anymore. I'd fight past my fear, though, if I could continue seeing you." He hadn't wanted to acknowledge it, but hiding something from Bowser, something like this, felt wrong.
He felt Bowser's grip tighten. "When will you be moving?" His voice was quiet, for him.
Luigi couldn't look at him. "Next week. With the family's help, packing has went by quickly. I…I didn't wanna tell you at first but then I couldn't see you." He forced out, quickly wiping his eyes as they started to have a familiar burn to them. "Why does it hurt?" He asked, clenching his shirt where his chest was. He's said "goodbye" to his classmates and friends around their neighborhood. It hurt, but not like this.
"Mine does too." Bowser replied, using his other hand to turn Luigi's face towards him. "Can you stay longer today?" He asked in a whisper, trying not to let the hurt make his temper flare.
Luigi nodded. He wasn't actually supposed to be gone too long, having lied and said he was headed to the market down the street, but he felt he could be selfish for a bit. Mario would get over it. His face was released and he laid his head on Bowser's knee, soaking up the heat and scent of firewood on a winter morning. Ashes as it dwindled. "Become a great king, okay? Then, they won't fear you. Like I don't." He kept his eyes forward, hearing the traffic above. He'd never really noticed how loud it was before. He was always having too much fun with Bowser.
Neither spoke, but both knew this was their last meeting. Either for now or forever, they didn't know.
Bowser began to stroke his head, touching Luigi as much as he could without seeming weird. He liked touching the human. He was soft and not just his body. "Just remember, I'm the most dangerous thing out here. So when you're afraid, know that it wasn't as scary as me. I don't know what you'll do with your life, but I bet you'll be wonderful." He said with a grin. "Maybe you'll be come that ghost hunter thing you've talked about?"
Luigi bit his lip to stifle a snicker. "I'll try. But…my brother is always better at everything. Except maybe grades, but he usually copies my notes." He tried hiding his face even though Bowser couldn't see it anyway. "And some don't even believe in ghosts and ghouls, so I doubt I'll be amazing."
Bowser hummed. "You know, the only person I know is you. Luigi is the one I think is amazing. So next time you feel less than, just remember that Bowser thinks Luigi is the best. I'm a king so I'm right." He used his knuckle to try and push Luigi's face to him, trying to cheer up his friend even though he felt just as down.
All he got was ocean blue eyes full of tears and a red face, brows furrowed angrily. "What good does that matter if I'll never see you again?! Why won't you let me risk it and come back here? I've only known you for over half a year so why am I so…attached to you?" He deflated, looking to his own lap. "Sorry."
Bowser's gaze was soft and full of sadness. "You said yourself. It's dangerous and since I can't meet you, I can't protect you. As much as saying that pisses me off, I'm not taking the chance with your life. Please, Luigi. Even when I'm gone, don't come down here or try and go through. Besides, we both have things we have to do with no way to communicate when the other will be here. With our lives getting busier, it'll be even harder to see the other." He lifted Luigi's chin to face him. "And you know it."
Luigi's eyes flitted across Bowser's face. "When did you become so rational? Where did that short tempered lizard go?" He tried joking, wiping his face even though it temporarily stopped the tears.
Bowser rolled his eyes. "Maybe I've been around YOU too long, scrawny human. Besides…if I did, I'd hurt you for real."
"At least with burns or scars, I could prove you were real." Luigi said, going based on his current feelings, not realizing how much of a painful possibility it was, but didn't expect red eyes locking on his, full of shock and anger. The sound of spikes against metal was deafening as the pipe groaned in protest to the large koopa trying to move on impulse, embers sparking in his throat.
"DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN! DO YOU WANT ME TO HURT YOU?! DO YOU WANT ME TO CRUSH YOU UNDER MY CLAWS OR SET YOUR BODY AFLAME AND SLOWLY WATCH YOU-!!!" Bowser stopped himself, hands retracting quick as lightning, panting as his body shook. Smoke came out of his mouth with every breath and Luigi thought himself lucky it could easily be dragged to the outside of the pipe where he couldn't breathe it in.
"Bowser." he began, once they let themselves calm a bit, only for Bowser to lift him with ease, not giving Luigi a moment to ask, he placed his head against Luigi's, trying to memorize his scent, taking in lungfuls from the dip of his neck.
Luigi couldn't bring himself to speak as his face felt like it was on fire, no doubt red to his ears and down his neck. He gripped Bowser's horns, his arms shaking. It felt…more intimate than anything he'd experienced before. Not that anything to do with the koopa prince was something he'd experienced in his life.
Most of his friends were more sporty, which he didn't mind but it was nice having someone who indulged him and wasn't embarrassed by it. They didn't care for being silly (unless it was being rough with the other) or reading.
When Bowser opened his eyes again, he set Luigi down, blushing himself and eyes blazing red like the red of peppermint candy. "We need to return. If it gets too dark out there, I'd be worried sick if you made it home or not. We can't have that or else I'd destroy the portal."
Luigi frowned, not wanting to leave it like it was, but knew they couldn't put it off for forever. He opened his mouth to speak, but found he couldn't. He reluctantly released the horns as he was set down.
"Here. If you need to hold onto me so badly." Bowser laughed, removing one of his spiked wrist bands and handing it to Luigi. It was too big to be a wrist band but too small to be a belt on the human. He began to back out of the pipe after he ran a knuckle against Luigi's face one more time, when Luigi yelled out, panic gripping him by his throat and heart.
There was something he wanted to do, though he definitely knew it wasn't something you do with someone you just feel friendship towards. He didn't want to acknowledge the feeling. Didn't want to name it. Didn't have time to.
"WAIT!" He ran the few feet, taking off his worn green baseball cap with an embroidered "L" his Nonna did and he jumped, grabbing onto Bowser's arm and reaching his hand out with the one not holding the large arm, face still red, he tried pulling Bowser's face down, only able to reach his snout which he put a quick and chaste kiss to before letting go, landing with a clank on the pipe.
He turned his back, too embarrassed to face the koopa prince. "T-that-that was a-a thing humans do! Their f-first kiss is con-considered important so-so-so take care of it! And my hat!" He stuttered and rambled, running out of the pipe and only stopping to stuff his things in his bag before he ran away, the wrist band around his arm like a bandage, face red and sweaty and some tears still fell, his heart in unbearable pain. But that could've been because of how fast he was running, right?
—————-———
"Are ya sure you've eaten enough, baby?" A sweet voice called him from his stupor.
Luigi blinked, having been spaced out while his family chatted and droned on about this n that. He smiled tiredly to his mom. "I'm alright, Ma. Just a long day."
Mario looked to him a bit worried but wolfed down his meal. "You can say that again. So, you should eat more, Weegee. You need to gain that energy you lost while we worked today." He nodded, gulping down his wine with a smile. "You've been out of it for a few days."
Luigi sighed again, pushing his plate away. 10 years to the day it'd been since and no matter how hard he tried, Luigi couldn't get Bowser out of his head. Usually in dreams every so often and when summer would come around or when something truly frightened him to the point of almost fainting, he'd remember the koopa prince's confident declaration, which strangely and embarrassingly helped. Just when he would remember, the heartache would come back so fiercely it was as if it was fresh again. That was the only downside.
"I'm alright, really. We have a job tomorrow right?" He asked Mario, standing up to put his plate away and kiss his Ma's cheek goodnight.
Mario nodded around another bite, brow raised in worry before he swallowed and cleared his throat, tired of the routine his brother seemed to go in each year. "Weegee, you've been like this ever since that summer we were 14-years old. Every year, you're sighing a lot, you barely eat, your sleep is iffy at best. It's like you're mourning a girl that got away or something, but that can't be it since you haven't dated that serious." He pointed out, seeing Luigi freeze, a conflicted and confused look on his face which peeked Mario's curiosity but then wasn't the time.
"I'm fine, Mario. Come on, I just get into slumps, is all. That's normal right? Goodnight." Was all he replied, taking a deep breath and waving goodnight to everyone else, leaving Mario to further worry with no way to help.
-——————
The job WAS supposed to be fixing the pipes under a house. The owners didn't say anything about a buried well.
So, when a rabid family of raccoons felt their territory being invaded, they attacked the brothers. The results? Broken pipes filling the ground with water then old and moldy wood breaking under their feet as they stepped over the opening of the well, the tunnel not your typical one as inside was more metal than cobblestone, and fell through with water rushing in after them.
There was a light and then they were floating amongst colorful clouds in what seemed to be a current.
"WHAT THE BROKEN SPAGHETTI IS GOING ON?!" Luigi screamed, body shaking from the water that followed them and his fear. 'Remember what Bowser said, remember what Bowser said!' Luigi tried thinking but it didn't help at the time. It only made him wish the stupid koopa prince was there then to grab him.
"Luigi! Grab my hand, hurry!" Mario yelled, face pale and scratched from the raccoons and he held his arms out, trying to reach his brother.
Taking a deep breath, Luigi tried meeting Mario halfway and held onto his brother's hands for dear life. The relief was short lived as they entered a pipe sticking out of the clouds and the water followed after them, filling their lungs as it engulfed them.
The brothers came out with a bad case of vertigo and hacking up water, their bodies landing harshly on grass.
"*Gasp*! M-Mario! M-M-Mario! Fratello! Are you okay?!" Luigi sat up fast after he expelled the water, the action causing his head to feel like it was hit with a bat repeatedly. He shakily crawled over to Mario after, who was hacking but couldn't move to his side so Luigi helped, seeing a lot of water being expelled along with his breakfast. "Grazie al cielo. Respira lentamente, fratello." He sighed in relief once Mario was breathing somewhat normal again.
As Mario got his bearings, cussing in Italian about the raccoons and irresponsible house owners, Luigi took a look at their surroundings.
There were various colors and sizes of toadstool mushrooms sticking out here and there along an expanse of area, along with trees and lush green grass, even butterflies. Far beyond the hills of mushrooms and grass, he noticed what looked like a castle; white walls and a red top with what looked like a city around it. "Uh, Mario? I-uh-don't think we're in Brooklyn anymore."
Mario lifted his head and let out a sound of disgust. "Mushrooms. Of course, mushrooms. It's always something to do with mushrooms."
Luigi couldn't help but give a small smile at that.
"Hi there, strangers who just came out of the sky." A voice made both brothers jump, Luigi letting out an embarrassing yelp and Mario yelling.
Mario stood in front of Luigi despite being the shorter one and they looked to the one who called out to them, Luigi freezing when his brain caught up to what he was seeing.
The being in question was a short mushroom-looking person with a red and white toadstool cap as a…cap? And a blue and gold vest and white…pants? Could Luigi call those pants? He couldn't tell if the thing had legs or just feet. But he'd seen something similar to the mushroom-man before. Not in person, but in a book and a drawing.
Luigi facepalmed, the scenery making it painfully obvious. They were in The Mushroom Kingdom! Bowser told him that's where toads resided. 'Hold up. Where Bowser said they…I'M IN BOWSER'S REALM?!' He did it a few more times, each harder than the last, mostly to make sure he wasn't dreaming all this. It earned him a couple looks from the other two so he stopped. "I'm seeing if we're dreaming." He didn't see a land of rock and fire on his first look, but first priority was seeing what was happening.
"Ha, ha, ha, let's check!" The toad used the stick he had and whacked Mario hard.
"Ow! Why me?!" Mario yelled, slightly freaking out on top of just being hit in the legs.
"You were closer and I'm pretty sure the green one will have a red hand print on his face for a while with how hard he's hitting himself. So, come with me. I'll take you to the princess. It should be fine since you guys look like her. Well, kinda like her." He shrugged, leading the way.
They looked to each other, unsure, before deciding they didn't have much other choice in the matter. "So, uh, what's your name? I'm Mario and this is my brother, Luigi." Mario broke the silence, hoping to get more information.
The toad leading the way was humming. "I'm Toad. Nice to meet you guys. Oh, don't touch that." He had looked over his shoulder to see Luigi looking at a plant with an odd face and a mouth full of teeth.
Luigi pulled his hand away, just in time too as it snapped at him. He let out a small scream. 'Bowser said Piranha Plants were harmless as babies!' He thought, but then realized Bowser had smiled mischievously afterwards so maybe he was pulling Luigi's leg that time. His chest felt warm and ached.
———————
"-and that's the border of The Mushroom Kingdom. Don't go northwest though, that's where the Dark Lands are. You don't wanna go there, that's where the most evil and cruel ruler in all the lands lives. Got it?" Toad said as they got closer and closer to the castle, the brothers having to keep up while getting easily distracted by all the obstacles and small toads in their way.
"Uh…right. That doesn't tell us how to get home." Mario brought up. All he asked was how they could get home and where they even were and the small creature began telling them the kingdoms that surrounded where they were and about the current kingdom they were in.
Unlike his more athletic brother, Luigi was having a harder time following them so he couldn't hear the conversation that well until Toad spoke of The Dark Lands. That peeked his interest (though he didn't hear about Bowser) and as he went to hear more, a loud group of toads went by him. "What are The-" he began to ask when they made it to the top of the castle stairs, two guards there.
Then the next few hours of events were a whirlwind to say the least. They met the princess. Princess Peach to be exact, which from how his brother was acting with little blushes now and again, it was obvious he thought she was pretty. Luigi thought it understandable. She was a golden blonde with heart shaped bangs and cyan eyes. She was brave and wasn't afraid to protect her toads, even from two strangers that were human like her.
They introduced themselves and explained their situation which Peach and her advisor, Toadstool said they'd assist in trying to help them find a way home but until then, there wasn't much they could do.
So, the brothers offered to work for her and the kingdom until they could find a way.
With all the chaos, Luigi had forgotten to ask about The Dark Lands.
He only remembered when they were put "under observation" since even though they came to an agreement, it didn't mean they could be easily trusted around the kingdom and sent to rooms of their own in the castle and they passed a map.
There was only one land that looked how Bowser described it, but if he were honest, just by the map itself, Luigi couldn't see how it was beautiful. It looked scary and hot. He could get blisters just from imagining. Bowser was probably right, he'd burn easily there. With a sigh, he dug into his pocket and put his forehead to the band he'd kept there. It clashed and was a little bulky but he kept it for comfort since even to this day if he sniffed it, he could smell the firewood and ash.
He wore overalls most of the time due to work so he couldn't use it as a belt. The leather was well worn and the spikes had lost some shine due to age but as long as it didn't break, Luigi was happy. Or so he convinced himself.
"Are you not headed to settle in, Luigi?" Peach asked as she walked down the hall to her own quarters. It was getting late and Luigi was tired.
He gave her a smile and a small wave. "Soon. I just noticed this map was all. If you don't mind me asking, how far is it to travel there?" He pointed to the place of fire and stone, the embroidery underneath saying "The Dark Lands".
Her sweet smile turned to a frown. "A long time considering you'd have to travel by road and then either air or water, but I wouldn't suggest attempting. None of my toads would be willing to go there and King Bowser wouldn't appreciate strangers on his land. He'd chew you up and toss you into lava. Not the friendliest monster." She explained. It was obvious she was trying to be vague as to not tempt him to try but Luigi knew all too well how his koopa prince could be.
Unappreciative to strangers? Yeah, understandable since he practically burned some kids to a crisp just for being in the vicinity of where he was resting, AKA: running away from duties.
The mental image of Bowser's large teeth and hot breath on any part of Luigi below the jaw had Luigi trying to store that image away fast before his face could give him away. But…a monster? No. No way! He wanted to tell her she was wrong, that she didn't know what she was saying at all, but then that would reveal he knew of this world and he hadn't revealed that to ANYONE. Not even Mario.
Not even Mario. Luigi looked down. Why hadn't he? Oh, yeah, he didn't want his dearest brother to think he was crazy.
"Luigi? What's wrong?" She asked, realizing he was quiet for a while.
"Hm?" He shook his head and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, got lost in my head. Uh, yeah, I hear you. Goodnight, Princess, and thank you for taking us in." He gave her a little bow, not sure if that was overdoing it.
She smiled back. "Of course." Then she continued on her way.
He watched her go, knowing he had to decide if he was going to tell Mario the truth. He'd hidden it for 10 years, after all.
How was he going to see Bowser now that he was there? There were many doubts, but seeing Bowser again, wasn't one of them.