Mario & Luigi: The Two Super Bros

by VittorioFGC

A series of one-shots starring Mario and Luigi! Our two favourite brothers are twins, and their bond has always been very strong. Let's see some of their moments together, in adventures, sports or even something more mundane. You can do requests if you want to, unless it's an idea I already used in a previous chapter. Rematches will be exceptions.

8. A True Winner

A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Mario and Luigi went to the Independence Day party, which they introduced to the Mushroom Kingdom, and had a barbecue party with their friends in the garden of Peach's Castle. A group of Boos attacked everyone, but Luigi managed to defeat them before things got worse. This chapter will be based on Mario Kart Tour's Mario vs Luigi Tour, the third of its name, which ended two weeks ago. Let's begin.

---

Chapter 8: A True Winner

It was a Wednesday morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. The sky was partly cloudy, but the sun was shining over the kingdom. The day had come for the start of a Team Rally, in which everyone split into two teams competing with each other with their karts to collect as many team tokens as possible. Team Rallies lasted two weeks, with the final score calculated based on the percentage of team tokens collected by both teams, and the team with the most team tokens won the challenge.(1)

This Team Rally was the tenth one, and this time, Mario and Luigi were supposed to compete against each other. The latter was very nervous. Their teams had already faced off twice, but Luigi had lost both times. In the first challenge, he lost by a decent margin, 61% to 39%. He also lost the rematch, and the worst thing was that he had lost just barely, as the final score was 51% to 49%.

''What if I lose again?'' Luigi wondered. He was out to prepare himself mentally, but he feared the end results. He still remembered well how the second time had ended.

(Flashback)

The second Team Rally between Mario and Luigi was over, and everyone gathered at Mario Kart Stadium.(2) Lakitu counted the team tokens to check who had won. ''OK, that was a close challenge. The winning team barely won, 51% to 49%.'' he said.

Everyone watched the giant screen with trepidation as Lakitu continued to calculate.

''I wonder who will win.'' said Toadette.

Lakitu began to announce the results. ''The winning team is...''

(''Trophy Presentation- Mario Kart 64 OST'')

Luigi swallowed nervously as a drum roll was heard. He waited anxiously for the results, and his breathing became faster. Mario was quieter, but occasionally exchanged glances with his brother to see if he was okay.

Everyone in the audience exchanged glances as they looked closely at the giant screen.

''MARIO'S TEAM! MARIO WON!'' declared Lakitu, and the giant screen showed the image of Mario, with his logo, the M on his hat.

Mario had won for the second time, and there was a loud outburst of applause from the audience.

''YES! I WIN!'' Mario cheered, jumping into the air and celebrating with his friends.

Luigi sighed in disappointment. He had lost again, and he had lost by a narrow margin this time! Not wanting to sound like a bad sport, he gave Mario a round of applause, trying to force himself to smile.

''Congratulations, Mario.'' said Peach, and kissed Mario on the cheek, making him blush.

Mario chuckled nervously. ''Thank you, Peach.'' he said. Several Toads congratulated him, as usual.

''You're the best, Mario!''

''We knew you were going to win!''

''You're unbeatable, Mario!''

''Long live Mario!''

Hearing these voices, Luigi couldn't keep the facade anymore and looked aside. It reminded him of too many things, because when he and Mario saved Peach, it always happened like this: Mario ended up receiving all the credit for the actions of both, and only he was hailed as a hero, while Luigi barely received credit for his actions, if any at all. He was used to all this, but it always hurt him. He wanted to prove to everyone that he was on par with Mario, but he was not like his brother, and consequently he was never on the same level as him in the eyes of others. Sure, his girlfriend Daisy always defended him, but she ruled over Sarasaland and couldn't always go to the Mushroom Kingdom, and Peach rewarded the bros in the same way when they saved her, with a kiss and a cake, but she was romantically involved with Mario, not with him, so it didn't make much difference. Mario loved him very much and always thought he deserved more, but he couldn't do much about it.

''I'm sorry. Maybe I'm not a good team captain.'' said Luigi sadly.

''Don't say that, Luigi! You did your best!'' Daisy objected.

''We lost, I know, but you did good anyway.'' Toadette added. Luigi nodded, but said nothing.

The award ceremony intensified Luigi's negative thoughts. Mario raised a golden trophy with a scarlet red and gold badge on it that had was a team token with his symbol, while his brother received the consolation prize, a slightly smaller silver trophy with a green and silver badge and a team token with his symbol, the L on his hat.

(''Trophy Presentation- Mario Kart 64 OST-s'')

(''Losing Results- Mario Kart Double Dash! OST'')

Luigi was sad and very disappointed, but tried to be happy for Mario. ''Congratulations on the victory, Mario.'' he said.

''Thanks, bro.'' said Mario.

Peach saw out of the corner of her eye Luigi walking away. ''Luigi? Where are you going?'' he asked.

Luigi didn't answer and left without saying a word.

''What's the matter with him?'' a red Toad complained.

''He's sad because he lost the Team Rally to Mario again.'' Toad replied

Mario sighed. ''And this time, he almost made it. Because of that 1%, he failed to win. I feel sorry for Luigi.'' said Mario. Starlow, who was in the audience, was also a little worried, and talked to Peach about it.

(''Losing Results- Mario Kart Double Dash! OST-s'')

(''Cutscene: Sad- Sonic Colors DS OST'')

Luigi came home alone and put the prize he had won along with his trophies in his and Mario's room. The results of this Team Rally were yet another proof that he would be in Mario's shadow. Come to think of it, he felt that his performance in races was waning with time, and he began to question his abilities. He didn't know if he would have a third chance.

''I can't believe it... I was so close...'' murmured the man in green, moving his thumb and index a couple of inches apart. ''Maybe I'm not good enough...''

The plumber in green felt tears in his eyes, and cried silently on his bed for five minutes. He didn't even realize the time had passed until he heard the door open and someone shook his shoulder, calling him. ''Luigi? Luigi?''

Luigi turned and saw Mario's worried face. ''Oh. It's you, Mario.'' he murmured.

''Luigi, are you feeling okay? You were down when the final results were announced, and you left without talking to anyone. Is something wrong?'' asked Mario.

''How could I feel? I lost the team rally again. No one else has lost twice in a row.'' Luigi explained sadly.

''It's normal to lose, you know.'' said Mario.

''I know!'' sighed Luigi. ''It's that I can never prove that I'm on par with you. I thought that if I won this Team Rally, maybe I could prove it, but I was wrong. I haven't had team rallies against anyone else to compensate, so now I'm with no wins.''

Feeling bad for his brother, Mario put his hand on his shoulder. ''You shouldn't pay attention to what others think of you, Luigi. I lost a Team Rally too. Peach and I competed in two different teams and I lost 52% to 48%. Also, in the last Team Rally, she lost to Bowser with the same result.'' he said, trying to console him.

''Mario, this is different! Bowser had already destroyed Donkey Kong by a score of 67% to 33%, and Peach won against Daisy by 65% to 35% before she even competed with you in the Team rally!" Replied Luigi.

''And neither Daisy nor Donkey Kong have had any other team rallies so far. The same goes for Toadette, who lost to Toad by 52% to 48%, and Wario, who lost to Waluigi by 53% to 47%. Daisy was very disappointed, but she took it well. Donkey Kong, on the other hand... Not so much. He was furious, and had accused Bowser of rigging the races. He only calmed down when Diddy gave him the consolation prize. This was the third Team rìRally in total, and now all Team Rallies have consolation prizes.'' said Mario. ''Also, when Waluigi won against Wario, you were on the winning team.''

''Yeah, and then he rubbed the victory in my face!'' complained Luigi.

Mario remembered it too, and thinking back, he sighed. ''I know. It was horrible.'' he said.

While Toadette was happy with the participation and had complimented Toad when she won, but things had gone differently in the team challenge between Wario and Waluigi. Wario had complimented Waluigi on the victory even though he was not very happy with the result, but Waluigi spoiled everything by bragging about his victory and rubbing it on Luigi, Daisy and Toadette's faces, as they had lost their Team Rallies. Donkey Kong also received the same treatment, but unlike Luigi, Daisy and Toadette, he was on the losing team, and when Waluigi began to mock him and provoke him for his lack of intelligence, Donkey Kong went on a rampage, to the point that it took several Toads to stop him before a brawl broke out, and Diddy was also furious at how he had treated his uncle, who was also his best friend. Daisy was so disgusted by Waluigi's obnoxious behavior that she slapped him in the face and yelled at him that he disgusted her, and Mario was very mad at him for humiliating his brother.

"I've heard that Peach and Bowser will have a rematch. Is it true?'' asked Luigi, trying not to remember this humiliation.

''Yes. Peach lost the first time, and she wants to try again.'' replied Mario.

Luigi didn't feel much better. Hearing that Peach will have a rimatch against Bowser only made him feel more insecure.

''What's wrong, Luigi?'' asked Mario.

The younger twin sighed. ''I was thinking about something. What if Peach wins the rematch? If Peach wins, she will succeed where I failed. And if she succeeds, it will only make me more insecure. I lost to you twice, while Peach beat you. You, Peach, and Bowser have two wins each, while I don't have a single win. I don't know if I'll have another chance in another team rally against your team, and even if it were, I could probably lose again.'' he admitted.

''Of course you'll have another chance, Luigi. Sooner or later, we'll have another team rally, and maybe you'll make it this time.'' said Mario.

Luigi felt a little better. ''Thank you, Mario.'' he said, hugging Mario.

''Prego, Luigi. Prego.'' said Mario, returning the hug and stroking his brother's hair.

(''Cutscene: Sad- Sonic Colors DS OST'')

(End flashback)

Luigi sighed sadly. During the second Team Rally between Peach and Bowser, he wondered if Peach would really win. He was right. Peach won the rematch, narrowly defeating Bowser, 51% to 49%, achieving her third victory. He was happy that the beautiful princess had won, and let her know about it, getting rewarded with a kiss on the nose, but the result intensified his weaknesses. He couldn't look at the Toads in the face, and some of them made fun of him about it. As much as he ignored them, he knew it was true because Peach had succeeded where he hadn't, so he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her, but since he didn't want to give the impression that he was a bad friend, he hid everything and didn't complain. In the first time Peach and Bowser faced off, Yoshi had somehow ended up on Bowser's team, and it didn't make sense to him because they were the exact opposite of each other: Bowser was very bad-tempered and only thought of himself, while Yoshi was just like Mario, cheerful, friendly and with a sunny personality. Apparently, maybe it was a mistake, since in the rematch, he was part of Peach's team.(3) Not wanting to keep the others waiting, Luigi went to Peach's Castle.

---

(''Princess Peach's Castle- Super Mario Odyssey OST'')

''There you are. You made us wait.'' said Daisy, when Luigi reached Peach's castle.

''Sorry, I was lost in thought.'' Luigi apologized.

''It's all right, Luigi.'' replied Peach. ''Now the teams will be formed.''

Teams were formed, and Mario's teammates included Peach, Toad, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad, Yoshi, Pauline, Nabbit, Wario (with whom he didn't get along, though he always tried to be nice to him), and Poochy.

Luigi's teammates included Daisy, Koopa, Toadette, Shy Guy, Donkey Kong, Diddy, his girlfriend Dixie, Funky Kong, Rosalina, Birdo, a red-shelled Lakitu who had been competing with them for some time(4) and Monty Mole. However, he didn't like having certain three people on the team: Bowser, Waluigi and King Boo. Bowser pestered him about how he would defeat Mario and bragged all the time, King Boo was his nemesis and tormented him relentlessly, and he could not stand Waluigi, who was a whiner and always complained.

Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings were also on his team, and he struggled to put up with them. Morton was a brute with little brains, Roy wasn't much better, Wendy had a bad temper and tended to act like a spoiled child, Iggy looked half-crazy and Ludwig had a big ego, due in part to the fact that he was the oldest of the Koopalings. Not to mention Bowser Jr., who was not only a real nuisance, but just like his father, was way too obsessed with Peach. Larry and Lemmy were more tolerable, but they also had their flaws. The former was the youngest of the seven and tended to get angry easily, while the latter was a goofball who did not always understand certain things, with a tendency to misinterpret what he felt and get lost in his world.

As the teams were being completed, Luigi thought about the day before, when he had opened up to Mario about something.

(''Princess Peach's Castle- Super Mario Odyssey OST-s'')

(Flashback)

The day before...

(''Goodnight- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky OST'')

It was Tuesday night. Mario had offered to cook dinner for Luigi and had made him a plate of spaghetti alla puttanesca. The Team Rally would start the next day, and Luigi decided to go to bed immediately after eating to be readier. However, when Mario went to the bedroom an hour later, Luigi was still awake, sitting on the bed in his pajamas. ''Hey, Luigi. Can't sleep?'' he asked.

''No. I have so many things to think about that I can't fall asleep.'' Luigi replied.

''Tell me everything then.'' said Mario, as he undressed and began to put on his pajamas.

''I'm very nervous about the Team Rally, Mario. I'm scared I might lose again.'' said Luigi.

''Why do you say that?'' asked Mario, taking off his hat and buttoning his pajamas as he approached his brother.

"Because Peach won against Bowser in the previous Team Rally. She took her revenge, and this is the third time your team and mine will compete. The Team Rally starts tomorrow, and if I lose again, I... I will become the laughing stock of the whole Mushroom Kingdom.'' said Luigi sadly.

''You are not weak, Luigi.'' said Mario, gently putting a hand on Luigi's shoulder. ''Is there something are you hiding from me?'' he asked, worried.

Luigi sighed. ''And that's okay, I'll tell you everything. I noticed that my performance in the races had been getting worse for a while. I thought it was my choice of karts, bikes, ATVs or tires, so I tried to change my approach, but it didn't work, and the more time passed, the more I noticed that with time I was getting worse and worse. Since I lost the team rally rematch against you, I've started to question my skills.'' he explained. ''I mean, if I keep doing bad results for so long, why keep embarassing myself?''

Mario gasped in shock. It wasn't what he thought, wasn't it? ''Don't tell me that...'' he exclaimed.

''Yes. If I finish this team rally with another defeat, I will stop taking part in races.'' admitted Luigi.

''What?! You won't mean it, will you?!'' exclaimed Mario, horrified. Did Luigi really intend to do that?

''I'm not kidding, Mario. I mean it. If lose this team rally too, I will retire from racing. Petey Piranha will take my place, and maybe he would do better than me.'' said Luigi.

The brother in red was paralyzed by shock. Hearing that Luigi was planning to retire from racing had shaken him so much that he didn't know what to say. It took a whole minute for him to ask another question. ''When was the first time you considered this?'' he asked.

''Three weeks ago.'' the younger brother replied. His tone was full of sadness.

''Isn't it because I celebrated too much when I beat you?'' asked Mario again, increasingly worried.

''No, that's not the reason. In these team rallies, I was the exact opposite of Peach, and only in the negative sense. I lost twice, she won three times. Unlike me, she won against your team when I didn't, and not only that: she also won against Bowser after losing to him before, while I lost to you twice in a row.'' explained Luigi. He tried to continue, but struggled to find the right words. ''I... I mean... I don't know how to say it.''

''It's OK, Luigi. Tell me everything.'' said Mario gently.

''I admit it, I felt a little jealous of Peach when she won the Team Rally against Bowser. I'm happy for her, really, and I let her know about it, but... the fact that Peach was successful in everything and I didn't succeed at anything... It hurt me. I was sure she would win, and the worst part is that I was right.''

As he said this, Luigi's voice began to break. Mario began to think that these feelings were familiar. ''Why didn't you tell us anything?'' he asked. ''You could have confided in me or Peach.''

''No. The princess has already enough trouble to think about as it is, and she doesn't need me to go bother her with this. If she found out, it would hurt his feelings, and I don't want to be a bad friend. I didn't want to say anything to you either because I was afraid that you would get angry at me, and if everyone finds out that I am envious of others because they are more successful than me, I will become an outcast and no one will like me anymore.'' replied Luigi.

Now Mario understood. Whatever he did, Luigi had always been in his shadow, as he had never been as popular or successful as he was despite doing the same, and because of this unequal treatment, he couldn't help but feel jealous of him. However, he almost never complained about it in public, always hiding his jealousy because he did not want to ruin his relationship with his brother. He spread his arms, and Luigi threw himself between them.

''I'm sorry, Mario. I shouldn't say that.'' Luigi sobbed, crying on Mario's shoulder. ''You must be pretty disappointed in me, I know.''

Mario did not like to hear Luigi think so little about himself. ''No, Luigi, I'm not mad at you. Why would I be disappointed in you?'' he asked.

''Everyone admires you, Mario. Why would everyone want to be with me when you're there? I'm not like you.'' replied Luigi.

Mario stroked his brother's brown hair. ''Little bro, you don't have to be like me. Your chance will come.'' he reassured him.

''How can you be so sure? I've already lost to you twice, and I'm sure I'll lose the third time too.''

''Because it's the third time. You know how they say, third time's the charm.''

''I hope you're right... But given my recent results, I'm pessimistic.''

Mario gently shushed his brother and hugged him tighter, letting him rest his head on his neck until he stopped crying. ''Do you want us to talk about it with the others?'' he asked, when Luigi pulled away from the hug.

''No, not now. I'll tell them, but not immediately.'' said Luigi, resting his hands on Mario's shoulders. ''Listen to me, Mario. The Team Rally lasts two weeks, and I'm not going to tell them everything until the awards ceremony. Promise me not to say anything to anyone about it until then.''

''Could you explain to me why you want to keep it a secret?'' asked Mario.

''Because I don't want to be pitied. Also, I ask you another thing. Please don't be influenced by what I told you tonight. You have to compete as you usually do, I wouldn't want to win just because you raced badly due to of the shock of what I told you. Promise me.'' replied Luigi, in a serious tone.

''I promise.'' promised Mario. As a sign of the promise made, Mario and Luigi shook hands.

After this conversation, Luigi felt calmer, and got under the covers. ''Thank you, big bro. I feel a little better.'' he murmured.

''You're welcome, Lu.'' said Mario.

''Would you give me a goodnight kiss?'' asked Luigi. ''I still feel a bit tense.''

''All right, all right.'' Mario approached the green bed and gave Luigi a goodnight kiss. ''Night-night, Luigi. Good luck.'' he said softly, before turning off the lamp. When he got into his red bed and prepared to sleep, he heard Luigi voice whispering something to him as he fell asleep.

''Night-night, Mario... I love you...''

The brother in red smiled. If it weren't for the fact that he was in his bed, he would have given Luigi another kiss on the forehead. Instead, he leaned over the other side and held his brother's hand, noticing that he was lying on his side, facing him. ''I love you too, Luigi...'' he whispered. Before long, he slept soundly.

(''Goodnight- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky OST-s'')

(End flashback)

(''Princess Peach's Castle- Super Mario Odyssey OST'')

Even though he had confided in Mario, which made him feel better and more ready for the challenges that awaited him, Luigi was still nervous. He was afraid of losing and looking like an idiot again. ''Nervous?'' asked Rosalina.

''A little. Maybe more than a little. I've already lost twice, and I don't want it to happen to me again.'' replied Luigi.

''Don't think about it. Focus on the races, OK?'' Daisy reassured him.

''We can do it, Luigi. Just do your best.'' said Toadette.

Mario must have noticed Luigi's state of mind, as he put his hand on his shoulder. ''Good luck, Luigi.'' he told him.

''Thanks. Good luck to you too, Mario.'' said Luigi, and the two brothers shook hands.

''Here we go! The third Team Rally between Mario and Luigi starts now!'' declared Lakitu.

''Good luck to everyone!'' said Starlow.

(''Princess Peach's Castle- Super Mario Odyssey OST-s'')

(''Luigi Raceway- Mario Kart 7 OST'')

The first race of the Team Rally took place on Mario Raceway. It was a pretty basic circuit, with a pipe dividing the track into two halves. Everyone was on a Pipe Frame of different colors depending on the driver, like a red one for Mario and a green one for Luigi.

During the race, Mario was in the lead, and he and Luigi competed for first place. Meanwhile, the captains of their respective teams gave directions to their teammates.

''Toadette, throw your Red Shell!'' shouted Luigi.

Toadette, who was fourth, did this, and hit Nabbit with the Red Shell. ''Excuse me, coming through!'' she said.

Pauline found a Bob-omb and threw it at Shy Guy, who was hit and hurled away, while Monty Mole obtained a Mushroom and passed Toad.

''Faster, Yoshi!'' shouted Mario.

Yoshi used a Mushroom to dash off the track and jump off a ramp, moving up by two positions. Meanwhile, Rosalina was third, not far from Luigi.

''This time, I'll win this team rally!'' declared Luigi.

''We'll see!'' replied Mario.

The brothers were elbow to elbow, and the last lap ended at the photo finish. The first race was won by Luigi.

(''Luigi Raceway- Mario Kart 7 OST-s'')

''Great! I won a race!'' exulted Luigi.

(''Peach Circuit- Mario Kart Tour OST'')

Other races took place not only on Mario Raceway, but also on Waluigi Stadium, Luigi Raceway and a circuit around Peach's Castle. Luigi finished the first day with, but to his shock, Mario immediately made a comeback and took a 70% to 30% lead the next day. He shortened the distances, but over the days, the score stabilized. The score was around 55% to 45% for Mario, and although Luigi recovered slightly, not much changed.

The more days passed, the more nervous and insecure the man in green became. After a strong start in the first three days, his performance slowly began to wane, making him increasingly tense. In the second half of the team rally, he had become so competitive that he threw his objects frantically, trying to hit the competitors of the opposing team, but he sometimes hit his teammate by mistake.

At three days to the end, Luigi had also had the misfortune to get hit by a Spiny Shell after the last turn, and he finished from first place to sixth place. Professor E. Gadd was in the audience with Polterpup, watching in concern.

(''Luigi Raceway- Mario Kart 7 OST-s'')

---

''This is bad, guys! How are we going to win if we don't catch up?!'' shouted Luigi.

''What do you think we're doing, you imbecile?!'' snapped Waluigi.

''If we lose this time, it will be your fault!'' yelled Wendy.

''I don't want to lose this competition because of your incompetence!'' Ludwig added.

''Let me tell you, you suck as a leader!'' said Bowser Jr.

King Boo gave Luigi a glare like he wanted to kill him right now, Morton and Roy seemed to want nothing more than to beat him and Bowser roared in his face.

''Don't blame Luigi!'' shouted Daisy. ''If you don't want to cooperate with him, then leave!''

Bowser, his son, and the Koopalings turned around sulkingly, with King Boo looking as if he wanted to attack someone with his black magic a Lemmy and Larry watched in confusion. Meanwhile, Shy Guy and Monty Mole were discussing what to do(5), talking to Koopa.

''We can still do it, Luigi. There is still time.'' said Rosalina calmly.

''Rosalina, the award ceremony is Wednesday morning. Now it's Saturday, and it's only three days left, so we don't have much time.'' Luigi pointed out to her.

''I know, but we may still have a chance. It's not over yet, so we can still do it.'' Toadette reassured him.

Luigi suddenly raised his voice. ''Listen, you don't have a clue. You don't have one clue!'' he snapped.

''What's the matter with this?'' asked Larry, confused.

''Do you have any idea what happens if I lose this Team Rally?'' Luigi asked heatedly. ''Every race here was to prove that I was worthy of being considered on par with Mario. On par! But no, I can never do this! I humiliate myself in public all the time, I fail every time! And I also lost the Team Rally to Mario. TWICE!''

No one knew what to say. The girls stood silent in shock, while the others, apart from Larry and Lemmy, had an illegible expression.

''Ever since I've been here, it always ends like this, always in Mario's shadow! I am always left on the sidelines, this is the status quo! No matter what I do, I can't get out of it!''

What Luigi didn't know was that the giant screen in Waluigi Stadium was still active, so Lakitu was recording for Mario Kart TV, and everyone in the audience was hearing his outburst. Also, Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Starlow and Professor E. Gadd were eavesdropping on the conversation. Toad, Blue, Yellow Toad, who were all dressed in red, blue and yellow pit crew outfits, Polterpup and Pauline were also here, and everyone looked with concern. Mario in particular stopped looking, because he didn't like the subject.

''This Team Rally is my last chance. Last! Game Over! And if I lose, I'll never have another chance!'' shouted Luigi. ''If any of you knew what it feels like to be overshadowed by someone, you would know what I'm talking about, but you're not, so you don't know!''

As he finished speaking, the man in green turned around and kicked a pile of wheels, causing them to roll all over the place. Mario and his friends, on the other side of the track, didn't expect it because they were too busy talking to each other.

''INCOMING!'' Starlow suddenly screamed. Six wheels were rolling straight towards them.

Hearing the warning, everyone began to dodge and dodge the oncoming wheels. However, Mario was hit by one of the wheels, and when he got up, his head was spinning. Everyone shuddered at the impact.

''Ow... that must have hurt!'' Yellow Toad exclaimed.

''Hey, Mario, are you okay?'' asked Peach, worried.

''I'm fine. I was just taken aback.'' replied Mario.

(''I heard someone screaming.'') said Yoshi.

''It's Luigi. I'm worried about him. I know him well, and he doesn't usually get angry like that.'' said Professor E. Gadd and Polterpup began to whine.

''Does he really feel that way?'' asked Pauline.

''Unfortunately, yes.'' replied Peach.

''But how? Mario, how long has Luigi felt this way?'' asked Pauline, confused.

''It's a long story, Pauline. It all started when we arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom and saved Peach for the first time. We always save her when Bowser kidnaps her, but my brother has never been very popular here. Don't get me wrong, he's a good brother and would do anything for me, but our personalities are different. He has always been more timid and insecure than me, he is easily frightened, he is clumsy and is afraid of ghosts, and both for this reason, and for the fact that he was my sidekick, he is considered by many to be inferior to me instead of my equal. Because of our difference in popularity, he feels a little jealous, but he almost never complains about it because he doesn't want to make things worse. This causes him stress and low self-esteem.'' Mario explained sadly.

''It's not even fair to Luigi. I mean, he does just as much as Mario, yet he receives little to no reward.'' said Toad Blu.

''Oh, and the last time Luigi publicly showed that he was unhappy with this, a terrible thing happened. We won't tell you everything because it's too traumatic a memory for Mario.'' Starlow added.

Meanwhile, Luigi's outburst had left everyone frightened, except Rosalina, who remained calm and collected, Bowser, King Boo and Waluigi, who made a face as if they were enjoying his misfortunes.

''Do I have to take my golf club?!'' Daisy threatened, and they stopped.

Luigi saw Lakitu flying over him, and when he saw the camera, he got mad at with him too. ''Lakitu, did you record me?!'' he blurted out.

''Why, is there a problem?'' asked Lakitu.

''Look what you've done! If they didn't see what happened, they would hear me! I'll humiliate myself in front of everyone because of you! Delete the recording, NOW!'' Luigi screamed.

''OK, OK, whatever you want!'' exclaimed Lakitu in a panic, turning off the camera and deleting the recording of the scene from before.

''That was weird.'' Birdo commented.

Breathing heavily, Luigi calmed down. His anger faded and was replaced by regret. He was very ashamed of having made such a scene. ''I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me.'' he murmured.

''Luigi... it doesn't matter.'' said Daisy.

''Maybe I'm not a good team captain. But what I said is true. I don't know if any of you know what it's like to be overshadowed.'' said Luigi, disgusted with himself.

To everyone's surprise, it was Lemmy who approached. ''I know how it feels.'' he said.

''Lemmy...?'' Luigi murmured, surprised.

''I would like to talk to you in private.'' Lemmy said.

''Luigi, are you sure it's a good idea?'' asked Toadette.

"I wouldn't want to make it seem like I don't trust you, but Lemmy is a Koopaling. As far as I know, he could stab you in the back when you least expect it.'' said Daisy.

''I don't think he's lying,'' Luigi assured her. ''Do you mind if Lemmy and I go talk in private, guys?'' he later asked.

''OK, go ahead.'' Birdo replied.

''If you say so, I trust you.'' said Toadette.

''Okay. But if something happens to you, tell me.'' added Daisy.

''Come, Lemmy. Let's go talk in private.'' said Luigi.

Lemmy nodded. Of all the Koopalings, he was the smallest, while Morton was the largest. He was so small that he only reached Mario's knee and barely reached Luigi's tibia. The human gently took his hand and led him to another part of the track, where he verified that no one was there.

"OK, Lemmy. Tell me.'' said Luigi.

''My siblings always say I'm the oddball of the family. It's funny, since I think it's Iggy.'' said Lemmy.

''I can see why! He looks half-crazy, honestly!'' giggled Luigi.

Lemmy burst out laughing. ''Yes, I know! He's very smart, but he really has a bunch of loose screws.'' he said. ''Anyway, plans to conquer the world do not interest me much, I prefer the circus.''

''So why do you help Bowser? Out of loyalty to him?'' Luigi asked.

''Partly, at least I think. But he wouldn't be happy at all if he found out that someone had betrayed him.'' replied Lemmy.

''Ever since I ended up in the Mushroom Kingdom, I've always been in Mario's shadow. He's a caring older brother and I love him very much, but I can never be considered on par with him. Maybe it's because I'm flawed compared to him.'' replied Luigi.

''But being flawed isn't supposed to be a good thing?'' asked Lemmy. ''Everyone has their flaws.''

"Yes, it's true, but we're talking about a man everyone admires. Everyone wants to be like Mario, and I... I'm not memorable here.''

''So what? You are different from Mario. Wouldn't that be a good thing?''

''I thought so for a while, but... I often hate being who I am. I am not as brave, resolute or determined as my brother. It's no wonder I'm in his shadow. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I'm disgusted by who I am.''

Lemmy didn't know what to say. He thought carefully about what to say, and then opened his mouth. ''To be considered on the same level as Mario... Is it really that important to you?'' he asked.

''Good question. I don't want to make things worse between me and him, and I don't want to sound spoiled or selfish, so I don't complain much. Of course, I have friends and people who love me, but it's not the same thing.'' replied Luigi.

''I don't know if winning a team rally would help you with that. Larry says that sports are very different from saving the world, and you do it all the time.'' said Lemmy.

''Maybe it's true, but I've lost twice in a row, and I always try to prove that I deserve to be considered a true hero.'' said Luigi sadly, taking Lemmy in his arms. ''That's why I have to win this team rally. If I lose again, I don't know what I would do. I know that winning sports competitions or tournaments won't help me much, but on the other hand, I can't give up the competition, not now.''

''At least you're determined.'' Lemmy noted.

''When you have a brother like Mario, it's very difficult to stand out. He is so strong and brave, and he never lets any signs of weakness shine through. Everyone thinks that he's perfect, and I... I'm just a spineless coward who only whines all the time. That's what everyone thinks of me, and they're right. I'm not like Mario at all.'' said Luigi.

''You save the world all the time, you make it look easy,'' said Lemmy.

''No, Lemmy. It is not easy to be a hero. Being a hero is a big responsibility. For starters, a hero must be an inspiration to the people they have to protect. If you show even a moment of weakness in public, the morale of the people suffers negatively. The worst is when you have to fight: show weakness even for a moment and you're dead. I'm not Mario, and I'll never be like him.'' Luigi explained gloomily.

''Let's just think about racing now, OK?'' Lemmy said. ''At least your brother doesn't care about these things. Now we just have to finish these last three days of racing.''

Luigi felt better. The stress that had accumulated over the days was now gone. ''You're right. Thanks, Lemmy I feel better now. Now let's go back to the others before they suspect anything.'' he said.

''OK. I have to admit, it was nice to talk to you.'' said Lemmy, and the two went back to the pits.

Meanwhile, all the other participants had gathered, discussing what had happened.

''I wonder if it's taken from Luigi.'' Red Lakitu commented

''Maybe it's the stress of competition?'' Toadette proposed.

''I think he's putting too much pressure on himself.'' said Daisy.

That's when Luigi returned, and to everyone's surprise, he was carrying Lemmy in his arms.

''Here he is, Luigi is back!'' shouted Toad.

(''Hold on. Why is Lemmy with him?'') Yoshi asked.

''They agreed to speak in private,'' Koopa said.

Luigi gently placed Lemmy in Larry's arms, but Bowser gave him such a dirty look that Peach had a feeling like he wanted to tear him apart right now.

''Hey, bro. I heard you screaming and I was worried about you. Are you feeling okay?'' asked Mario.

''I'm alright, Mario. I was just stressed.'' replied Luigi.

''You know, we saw tires rolling towards us when we heard you screaming. Mario was hit by one of them.'' said Peach.

Luigi reacted with sudden shock. ''Oh, no...! It's my fault! I was so frustrated that I kicked a stack of wheels!'' he exclaimed. ''I'm sorry, Mario! Please forgive me!''

''Hey, it's not your fault, Luigi. No one expected it. It's all right.'' said Mario, and to his brother's surprise, patted him gently on the cheek.

''So, you're okay now?'' asked Professor E. Gadd.

''I'm fine now. Talking to Lemmy made me feel a little better.'' replied Luigi.

''Actually, hearing that Lemmy was with you made me feel uncomfortable.'' said Mario.

''But he didn't do anything. You know, Lemmy and I have more in common than I thought.'' said Luigi.

''Now let's focus on the races.'' said Daisy.

Luigi nodded. Some Toads looked at him funny because his scene from before, but everyone ignored them.

---

(''Starman- Mario Kart Wii OST'')

The next two days passed in a flash. Luigi tried to lead his team to victory as he could, taking as many team tokens as possible. He was fully focused on racing, with a new determination to win at any cost.

Bowser's aggressive driving and indiscriminate use of items against other participants had mixed repercussions for their team, but they all tried to give it their all.

(''Starman- Mario Kart Wii OST-s'')

(''Peach Circuit- Mario Kart Tour OST'')

The last day of the team rally was a rainy Tuesday, and Luigi was determined but nervous. ''We gotta make it, guys! I must win this Team Rally, no matter the cost!'' he said.

In the afternoon, it was time for the final race, which took place on an airfield with two hangars and a control tower, and an airship depicting Luigi was flying over the runway. It was a pretty advanced circuit, full of sharp turns that tested the drivers' drifting skills.

Mario and Luigi were on their Standard Karts, Peach on her Royale and Lakitu on the Cloud 9, while Bowser drove the Koopa King and Waluigi had a brand new version of the Waluigi Racer, the Waluigi Racer Mk. 2.

Luigi tried to take advantage of the tight turns to drift and get a miniturbo, but Mario fought with him for first place. The race was intense, between rain and frantic throwing of objects, especially from Bowser, King Boo, Wario and Waluigi.

Donkey Kong left some banana peels on the street, and Pauline couldn't avoid one of them. Slipping on one of these banana peels and the rain-soaked asphalt caused her to lose control of her kart, a red taxi. ''Whoa, slippery!'' she exclaimed.

Blue Toad and Yellow Toad also found themselves struggling with the obstacles of the track, and had to drift often to avoid slipping on the rain puddles. ''Watch out for the puddles, everyone!'' said Mario.

The mischievous Nabbit grabbed a Spiny Shell, and Luigi was hit by it, losing a lot of ground. ''Shoot!'' he exclaimed in frustration. He got a Triple Mushroom, which allowed him to reduce the disadvantage, but he had lost some positions.

Bowser threw a Red Shell at Mario, but Peach passed in front of him, with the result targeting her. However, she had taken a Heart earlier and managed to use it in time, neutralizing the Red Shell. ''Not today, Bowser!'' she declared.

Koopa, Shy Guy and Monty Mole began to race more offensively, throwing different shells at opponents in front of them.

''Catch me if you can!'' said Monty Mole.

Over the course of the race, Bowser began to play dirty, using the weight of his kart to push opponents off the track and make them spin out.

''Hey!'' shouted Daisy in disapproval.

Wario and Waluigi also played rough, pushing their opponents and throwing Bob-ombs in their faces.

''Come on, take the team tokens!'' Luigi told his teammates.

''Take the team tokens too!'' said Mario.

(''Peach Circuit- Mario Kart Tour OST-s'')

(''GBA Peach/Luigi Circuit (Final Lap)- Mario Kart DS OST'')

At the end of the first lap, Luigi was third, behind Mario and Yoshi and ahead of Peach, but after slipping on a pool of rain and skidding off the track, he was struck by Lightning, which shrunk him and slowed him down a lot. It took some time to return to normal because the duration time was longer for opponents in higher positions, and by the time he returned to normal, he had already lost many positions. On the second lap, he was in the bottom five and needed to catch up immediately.

Daisy overtook Blue Toad with a surprise drift. ''I'll send you a postcard from the finish line! See ya!'' she said.

''We'll see about that!'' Blue Toad replied.

Luigi took a Super Star, becoming invincible and faster while hitting his opponents from Mario's team, thus getting some team tokens. ''Sorry, but I have a competition to win!'' he said.

Some competitors with heavy karts struggled to stay on the track, as their lack of handling prevented them from staying on track without losing control, and Daisy immediately overtook them. ''So long, losers!'' she taunted them.

''Luigi, try to make a comeback if you can, okay?'' asked Toadette.

''I will, but I can't guarantee that I will win.'' Luigi replied, pressing on the accelerator. A short distance from him, Rosalina and Monty Mole had used the Dash Rings and a Mushroom Cannon respectively, allowing them and some nearby teammates to dash forward.

(''GBA Peach/Luigi Circuit (Final Lap)- Mario Kart DS OST-s'')

(''The Big Race- Cars OST'')

Thanks to the help received from his teammates, Luigi recovered the ground he had lost earlier, tearing down at full speed, and the crowd cheered. The second lap ended, and when he was on the third and final lap, he was in third place, next to Peach, and Yoshi was a short distance from them, while Mario was still in first place.

''OK, last lap! It's all coming down to this!'' said Luigi.

''Now we'll see who wins among us!'' declared Mario.

Bowser, who was fifth before, did not give up. He pressed on the accelerator with his big foot and swerved sharply to try to hit Mario, but as he was trying to cut off his brother's way, he hit Luigi.

Due to the strong impact, Luigi was pushed off the track, screaming in terror as he went spinning, and his brother and his friends reacted with shock.

(''Luigi!'') Yoshi cried out.

''Luigi! Luigi, watch out for the barrier!'' shouted Mario, concerned.

Bowser also threw a Red Shell, which targeted Luigi. But the taller brother was ready. ''No, no, no, no! Not this time!'' he declared. Halfway through the runway, he furiously turned the wheel until he could regain control and managed to drift to the left, much to everyone's surprise.

''Wow...'' Daisy murmured, amazed.

''Unbelievable...'' Mario gasped.

Thanks to the drift on dirt, Luigi managed to get back on track and got a miniturbo that led him to the first position.

''Go, go, go, GO!'' screamed Luigi excitedly, pressing his foot on the accelerator and darting by at top speed. Lakitu was on the other side, at the finish line, and when he saw him, he raised the checkered flag. The crowd cheered. Luigi was going to win!

For his part, Mario smiled. Maybe he wouldn't win, but that meant that maybe it was the right time for Luigi, and it was fine for him because he thought that his brother deserved the victory, at least this time.

In the last two turns, however, something happened that no one expected. Bowser suddenly popped up, catching the pilots around him, including the Toads, off-guard. He had used a Mega Mushroom, making his kart gigantic. ''I am not gonna lose to you again, Mario!'' he roared, and used a Mushroom as he drifted during the last corner, lunging at at Mario's kart.

That's when the unexpected happened. Mario was unable to react in time and Bowser violently hit his kart between its side and the back side. The impact was so strong that he lost control and the kart was thrown away. He fell from the kart halfway through the fall after being thrown into the air, screaming as he crashed. Everyone reacted in horror.

''No! Mario!'' yelled Peach, horrified.

(''Not this! Mario!'') shouted Yoshi.

''MARIOOOOOOO!'' screamed Luigi.

The kart rolled over several times and hit the barrier with its side, and Mario fell on the damp grass. He got up with a headache and put his hat back on, then got back on his standard kart. The kart was badly damaged, full of dents, with smoke coming out of its hood and tailpipes, and the engine had shut down. His logo was not damaged, but he couldn't drive with the engine off. He turned the kart keys, but the engine did not start. He tried again, but again, it didn't work. ''Come on... Start!'' he scoffed.

It was all futile. Mario's kart was too damaged, and he couldn't finish the race now, which was very frustrating for him. ''No matter. Luigi rightly won the race anyway. He deserves to win something, even this Team Rally...'' he thought, coughing from the smoke.

But fate seemed to have other plans. Too shocked by what had happened, Luigi didn't want to end the race like this. He pressed the brakes hard, stopping abruptly at a few steps from the finish line and didn't move. Lakitu watched in confusion as everyone passed Luigi, who seemed to have deliberately thrown the victory away.

It was Yoshi who won the race, while Peach finished second, followed by Daisy, then Toad and Toadette, while Pauline finished in sixth place. All the racers crossed the finish line, but Luigi stood still, leaving Lakitu even more confused, and they remained stationary a short distance from the finish line. Even though he had won the race, Yoshi did not celebrate at all, which was not usual, since he had a sunny and cheerful personality, and no one else felt like celebrating either, considering what had happened to Mario. Peach in particular looked like she was going to cry.

''What's he up to?'' Red Lakitu asked.

Professor E. Gadd was in the audience, with Polterpup in his lap. He had an expression mixed with concern for Mario and confusion as to why Luigi had not finished the race and had stopped when he was still in first position. Did he suddenly lose the willingness to compete?

The answer came shortly after, when Luigi reversed towards the dirt grass. He didn't want to finish the race, not without leaving Mario behind. He continued to reverse until he passed behind him.

''Luigi? What are you doing?'' asked Mario, confused.

''You have to finish the race.'' replied Luigi. He pressed his foot on the accelerator, slowly moving his kart and gently pushing his brother's kart forward.

''You could just cross the finish line. It's not worth coming back for me.'' said Mario.

''Naw. You're always worth it for me.'' said Luigi.

Everyone watched in amazement as Luigi slowly led his brother to the finish line. Lakitu was very excited to see them coming, and when they crossed the finish line, he frantically swung the checkered flag as the crowd cheered itself hoarse, hailing Luigi's gesture.

(''The Big Race- Cars OST-s'')

''Here they are! Luigi is here! And Mario's with him!'' shouted Toad.

Mario got out of his kart. He had some bruises on his face and his head was spinning. Among his friends he focused on one person, and that was Peach.

''Mario... I was so worried...'' Peach murmured, relieved that Mario was okay.

''Peach... It's all right. I'm here.'' Mario whispered, hugging her and reassuring her.

Peach repeatedly kissed Mario's cheeks, and when she stopped, he blushed furiously, and his face was filled with kiss marks left by her pink lipstick. ''What a relief... I'm so glad you're fine...'' she said.

Luigi gave Mario a mushroom. ''Hey, Mario, you don't look so good. Eat this.'' he told him.

Mario ate the mushroom and the bruises on his face disappeared. ''Thank you.'' he said.

''Was it really worth finishing in last place?'' asked Wario.

''Hey, everything is worth it if it's about my brother.'' replied Luigi.

''You really have a caring brother, Mario.'' said Pauline, and Mario smiled.

Peach approached Luigi and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ''Thank you, Luigi.'' she said.

''You're welcome.'' said Luigi. After that, he attached Mario's kart to a hook and left in silence.

For a while, Mario got lost in thought. ''Everything OK, Mario?'' asked Yellow Toad.

''I'm fine. I couldn't have finished the race if it wasn't for Luigi.'' Mario replied.

''Why not?'' asked Peach.

''My kart was too damaged. I think the engine was broken. Maybe Luigi went to fix it.'' said Mario.

''Maybe. Some Toads, however, suspect him. Some say that Luigi planned today's accident and that what happened two days ago was deliberate to try to hurt you.'' said Blue Toad.

''Seriously? These guys believe everything!'' Daisy commented.

It was no secret that the Toads were gullible, believing conspiracy theories and fake news and often falling into the traps of disinformation, and it was bad enough that Luigi was not very popular with them. At times, some of them discredited him by spreading rumors about him because of his hidden jealousy towards Mario.

''Mamma mia...'' muttered Mario.

---

Luigi came home and took Mario's kart to the garage. He spent the rest of the day anxious for the next day. If what happened at the end of that race would happen again, he would have done it again for the sake of his brother, but he wondered if it would cost him the team rally. That night, he stayed awake for hours. He couldn't fall asleep.

The next day was Wednesday again. Luigi wished it hadn't come so soon, but the time had come. That morning at 8 AM, everyone met at Mario Kart Stadium for the awards ceremony. Professor E. Gadd was also there, along with Polterpup, and Starlow had come with Peach.

''Well, listen to me, everyone. This Team Rally between Mario and Luigi was fought like the previous rematch: the winning team won by a slight margin, by 52% to 48%.'' said Lakitu.

While the team medals were being calculated, Luigi felt his heart leap into his throat and beat wildly. ''Don't tell me I'll lose again, don't tell me I'll lose again, don't tell me I'll lose again...'' he thought.

Mario noticed this and looked at Luigi with concern. Instead of looking at the big screen, he gave Lakitu a look that said ''Please don't hurt his sensibility, Lakitu.'', and he wasn't sure if winning this Team Rally was worth it.

''So, who won?'' asked Wario.

A drum roll was heard, and Luigi began to sweat profusely. He felt the tension was killing him.

The drum roll stopped, and Mario wondered if he had won again.

''Did I lose again?'' asked Luigi in a low voice.

''I'm really sorry to disappoint you, Luigi, but you lost again.'' replied Lakitu, as Mario's image and logo appeared on the big screen. He hadn't even raised his voice. ''Mario wins.''

(''Battle Lose- Mario Kart DS OST'')

''Oh, no... not again...'' Luigi murmured, facepalming and collapsing to the ground. It was the third time he had faced Mario in a Team Rally and he had lost once again. The worst part was that it was his third consecutive.

The crowd cheered at Mario's victory, his third in total in a Team Rally. He smiled and waved at the audience, but his smile quickly faded.

''Mario, why that long face? You won! You should celebrate!'' said a purple Toad.

Peach congratulated Mario by giving him a kiss on the nose, but it didn't make him feel better. This made her realize that something was wrong, because he loved being kissed by her. ''Mario? Mario, are you feeling okay? Aren't you happy for the victory?'' she asked in concern.

''I am happy, Peach. But at what cost?'' replied Mario, pointing to Luigi and his team.

Luigi sat dejectedly, while Bowser, his son, Ludwig, Morton, Wendy and Roy made a scene, openly blaming him for the loss, as well as Waluigi, who was making a big drama out of it. Larry and Lemmy were in a crying fit and Professor E. Gadd had to suck King Boo into his Poltergust to prevent him from trying to curse anyone. Daisy, Toadette and his teammates such as Shy Guy, Koopa, the Kongs and Monty Mole stood close to him to try to comfort him, as well as Yoshi, Peach, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad and Poochy.

(''Battle Lose- Mario Kart DS OST-s'')

(''No Trophy For You!- Mario Kart Wii OST'')

The award ceremony gave Mario further concerns. Luigi congratulated him and personally gave him the winner's trophy, but after this, he turned his back on everyone and went into a corner, clenching his fists, and he didn't even touch the consolation prize trophy. He seemed very upset.

''Luigi? You okay, my boy?'' asked Professor E. Gadd.

But Luigi didn't answer, too upset by the loss. His mood seemed contagious, as Mario wasn't in the mood to celebrate. He slowly raised his trophy, and everyone could see the sad and uninterested look on his face. It was as if he didn't want to be there, and Toadsworth and Starlow noticed it too.

''Don't make that face. You should be happy that you won as always.'' a red Toad said to Mario.

''What? I can't even show concern for my brother?'' asked Mario, not appreciating the question.

''I don't see why you should bother having him stuck to you. There is an abyss between you and your brother. You are an ace in everything, and he... well, he's clumsy and has pretty much no spine.'' the red Toad replied.

Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad, Toadsworth and Starlow turned around. They didn't seem happy with the answer, but when Mario tried to retort, he was interrupted.

''Your brother didn't deserve the win anyway. Not after what he did. That wheel that crushed you? It's his work.'' said a yellow Toad, accusing Luigi.

Luigi had apparently heard this, as he had turned around and looked shocked.

''That's not true! It was an accident! Luigi didn't even know we were there, and those wheels were on the other side of the track, so we didn't expect them to make it this far! We don't blame him for what happened.'' replied Blue Toad.

''And what about when Bowser crashed you? He must have planned it with him, and the only reason he would have saved you is to save face.'' said the purple Toad from before.

''Luigi could barely stand having Bowser on the team! Why would he plan everything with him to get me disqualified?!'' snapped Mario, incredulous and offended by these accusations.

''Because he said that, and I quote, ''I must win this Team Rally, no matter the cost!'' before the race! He said it himself!'' replied the red Toad. ''Everyone knows he's jealous of Mario!''

Luigi cringed and covered his ears. Was it all true? He tried not to think about it, but gave in to no time. They were right, he paled in comparison to Mario.

''These accusations have no base!'' exclaimed Toadette. ''It doesn't make any sense!''

''Seriously, Mario, I thought that as brothers, you were more alike. But he can never do anything right, he is a clumsy coward. Compared to you, he is nothing.'' said the purple Toad from before. This shocked Mario, to the point that he turned to Luigi, hoping he hadn't heard him, and the purple Toad doubled down on that. ''In fact, if I were in your place, I would be ashamed of him. His scenes and cowardice ruin your good name. He is not worthy of you, not as a sidekick and not even as a brother. He can't even win a team competition against you. If he doesn't become braver and resolute in the face of danger, then he doesn't deserve to be considered a hero like you.''

These words hit Mario like a punch to the chest, and he seriously hoped that his brother didn't hear these words. Unfortunately for him, he heard that, as he heard him sobbing, then Luigi ran away with his eyes closed, crying loudly.

(''No Trophy For You!- Mario Kart Wii OST-s'')

''What a sore loser.'' the red Toad commented. No one was happy.

''You see what the three of you did?!'' Toadsworth yelled.

(''You can't just kick Luigi when he's down!'') Yoshi added.

''Hou could you guys you be so callous?!' snapped Daisy, and Mario also gave an angry look to the Toads that did this. Many Toads, though not all, instead of talking about how Luigi had given up the victory to help him finish the race, were slandering him for things that weren't his fault.

The others were shocked by what had happened. Luigi had not only lost his third consecutive Team Rally, but had also been humiliated in public by the Toads.

(''Dearly Beloved- Kingdom Hearts II OST'')

''Poor Luigi. He took the loss really hard.'' said Peach.

''Hey, anyone would be upset after three defeats in a row in team competitions.'' Mario replied.

''Why was he so upset?'' asked Koopa.

Mario sighed. ''I wanted to tell you later, but it's a long story. When he lost his rematch against me in the Team Rally, Luigi began to question his abilities. I spoke to him the day before the start of this Team Rally, and he confessed to me that he is not sure he wants to continue because he did not want to humiliate himself further with more defeats.

Daisy flinched. ''Don't tell me that...''

''Yes. He told me... He told me that if he lost again... he would stop taking part in races.'' replied Mario, hesitantly.

It didn't take long for everyone to react, and many were shocked.

''No way!'' exclaimed Toadsworth.

(''But how?!'') shouted Yoshi.

''This is ridiculous! This is nonsense!'' complained Daisy.

''And who will replace him?'' asked Toadette.

''Luigi told me that Petey Piranha will succeed him and replace him.'' replied Mario.

''But Petey Piranha has just started!'' said Red Lakitu.

''He said he's going to train him personally, and maybe he'd do better than him.'' said the plumber.

Although Rosalina remained calm and collected outside, deep down, she was a little shaken, because it had happened like this, all of a sudden. ''Why does he want to retire so suddenly?'' he asked.

''Yeah, this doesn't make sense! He has been competing with us in racing and sports for ages!'' Wario added.

''Luigi wanted to retire from racing because he was unhappy with his performance.'' said Mario.

''Why didn't you tell us sooner?'' asked Peach. ''We could have lifted his spirits.''

''Because he asked me to keep it a secret in these two weeks. I promised him that I would tell you everything only after the end of the team rally. If you want to know, he considered retiring a month ago.'' explained Mario. "Peach, about Team Rallies, there's something I have to tell you about your rematch against Bowser. The day before the start of this Team Rally, he opened up to me, and told me how you won the rematch against Bowser after already defeating me another Team Rally. Previously, he feared that you would succeed, and he was right. When he spoke to me, he admitted that he felt a little jealous of you because you had succeeded in everything he had failed.''

Peach was caught off-guard. ''Did he keep this a secret too?'' she asked.

''Yes. For several reasons. He didn't tell you anything because he didn't want to be a bad friend and hurt your feelings, he was afraid that I would get angry with him for saying something he would call horrible and he didn't want everyone to know. He said that admitting it would mean not only causing a scandal of enormous proportions, but also that everyone would hate him if they found out.'' replied Mario.

After this double discovery, the atmosphere was filled with discomfort. Diddy was so tense that Dixie had to hold his hand. Peach was filled with shock from what Mario had revealed to her. She was troubled not so much by what Luigi had admitted, but by what his fears had put in his head, and hearing all this almost made her cry. Some Toads opened their mouths to say some more offensive comments addressed to Luigi for how this revelation made him guilty of contempt, but Mario gave them a glare so furious that they kept silent.

''Starlow, you didn't believe what those Toads said about him, right? Right?!'' Mario blurted out. He still seemed quite peeved about what had happened.

''No! Sure, he gets scared easily and he admitted himself that he sometimes feels a little jealous of you because he is not seen as a real hero like you, but... betraying you of all things? I know Luigi, I've been with you and him more than once in our adventures, and he would never do such a thing. He would never go this far.'' replied Starlow.

''Sorry. I'm very worried about Luigi, and I'm still a little tense about what happened.'' the hero in red said.

''Let's go to your house. We have to convince him to keep running.'' proposed Peach.

''Good idea.'' Mario replied, taking the trophy intended for Luigi. ''He didn't even take this, so we're going to give it to him.''

Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the Koopalings decided to leave, except for Lemmy, who decided to come, and Waluigi also left, but Larry looked back one last time before following his siblings. As for Wario, he refused at first because he had planned to spend the morning at the gym, but agreed to come with Mario when he told him that it would not take too long.

(''Dearly Beloved- Kingdom Hearts II OST-s'')

---

A few minutes later...

Everyone arrived at Mario's house, and since he shared the house with Luigi, they were sure that he had returned there.

''OK, you all stay here. I will go inside to comfort him until he feels like going out. When we go out, don't fuss over Luigi or you will scare him, you know he's shy. Understood?'' asked Mario.

''Yes, Mario.'' they all replied.

Mario passed the trophy to Peach, entered the house and began looking for his brother. ''Luigi? Where are you? Luigi?'' called. He was neither in their room nor in the bathroom as he thought. However, when he went to the kitchen, he felt something. He listened attentively and heard that they were sobs, which he followed until he reached the garage. He peeked through the lock and saw Luigi kneeling in front of the wall, crying loudly. Unable to bear to hear him so desperate, he knocked on the door.

''Go away.'' Luigi whined.

''Luigi? It's-a me, your brother.'' said Mario. ''Can I come in?''

''Come in.'' replied Luigi in a broken voice.

(''Loss of Me- Final Fantasy IX OST'')

Mario opened the door and saw Luigi on the ground, surrounded by a pool of his own tears and with his hat a short distance away, as if he had been crying for at least half an hour. ''Lu... Are you okay?'' he asked, kneeling in front of him. But Luigi didn't answer, muttering about how he had lost again. ''Come on, cheer up! What's wrong with losing a few races?''

''Losing a few races, that's what? I lost three competitions! Three in a row! I lost three whole Team Rallies in a Row! At this rate, beating you and proving myself as your equal will be a dream that I should get out of my head.'' Luigi whimpered.

Mario did not know what to say, not wanting to further hurt his brother's feelings, so he opened his arms, and Luigi threw himself between them, hugging him tightly and crying on his chest. He felt his hands clinging tightly to his overalls, and returned the hug.

''Mario... I'm sorry.'' murmured Luigi.

''Sorry for what?'' asked Mario.

''Not being like you.'' replied Luigi.

The shorter brother understood what he was referring to. ''Don't listen to what they say. They don't know you.'' he said.

''But they're right! I'm so clumsy that spending a day without making a mess is impossible! I can't even win against you in a team competition! I'm not like you!'' Luigi groaned.

''You are as good and versatile as I am! Just because you're going through a period of bad performance, doesn't mean you're weak!'' exclaimed Mario.

But Luigi was too desperate for his negative streak to stop. ''I mean it! I'm doing very badly in these races, in Team Rallies and the tours we do for the races, it's always been like that from the beginning! First, I lost my keys, then I got lost in the circuit, missing out the first races, and now I keep performing poorly!(6)'' Luigi cried.

''Luigi...'' Mario said in a serious tone, as if to tell him to stop beating himself up.

However, the younger brother couldn't stop. ''Who am I kidding? Everyone knows that I am in your shadow and that I am envious of you! It is true that I am easily frightened! It is true that I am a whiner! I'm not worthy to be your brother, and I'm nobody, just a stupid, clumsy coward who can't do anything right!''

"Luigi, stop.''

Hearing his brother raise his voice and say these two words in a stern tone, Luigi broke away.

''Luigi, you can't go on like this! You have to stop beating yourself up like that!'' Mario scolded him.

Luigi was stopped by another wave of sobs, and Mario felt guilty for shouting. ''I'm sorry, little bro. I shouldn't have raised my voice like that. I mean it though. You're living in the comparison everyone makes between you and me, and I didn't like how you said you're not worthy to be my brother. You hurt my feelings.'' he said calmly, resting his hands on his brother's shoulders.

''I'm sorry, Mario! Why do I have to look bad in front of everyone? No one would want to play sports or race with me anymore after the stupid scene I did on Saturday!'' said Luigi, full of regret.

''Listen to me. You are not stupid. You can't just give up races because of a series of defeats.'' said Mario. ''Nobody wants you to retire.''

But Luigi was too sad to calm down, murmuring ''I'm sorry'' over and over again for even thinking such a horrible thing. Mario stayed close to him, stroking his hair, wiping his tears with his thumbs and assuring him that it wasn't his fault.

''Why do you think you are unworthy of me, Lu?'' asked Mario.

"Because I'm not brave, determined and resolute like you, and I'm not like Toad, Peach, or Yoshi. And you heard what those Toads said about me.'' said Luigi.

''Luigi, listen to me. I would never be ashamed of you. You are a nice guy with a heart of gold. Even if you get scared easily, you never let your fears stop you. You're better than you think.'' said Mario.

''But why don't they see that?'' asked the man in green.

''Because they only know you on a surface level. I know you better than anyone.'' Mario replied.

''When I was with Lemmy, I told him about it.''

''Really?''

''Yes. I feel too different from you, and this sometimes disgusts me. But Lemmy told me that he often seemed to be the oddball among his siblings. Bowser's plans, for example, don't interest him much, and he's more interested in the circus and playing with his ball."

''You're different from me, it's true. But that can be a good thing! That is what sets us apart. Come on, cry no more, little bro.''

(''Loss of Me- Final Fantasy IX OST-s'')

Luigi stopped crying, and after these words, Mario gave him a kiss on the cheek. The gesture of affection helped him calm down, and they got back on their feet after a five-minute hug.

''If you're looking for your kart, it's here.'' said Luigi, pointing to something covered by a blue cloth. ''Ta-dah!'' He lifted the cloth, revealing Mario's fixed red Standard Kart.

(''Family- Super Mario Galaxy OST'')

''You fixed it! Let me see if it works!'' exclaimed Mario in excitement. He got into the kart and turned the keys. Successfully turned on the engine pressed slightly on the accelerator. The kart moved slightly forward, and when he realized that everything was working normally, he cheered. ''YES! It works!''

''It's nothing, Mario.'' said Luigi.

''When did you fix it?'' asked Mario.

''Last night. Your kart was badly damaged, and when I tested it, it didn't work because the engine was broken. The accelerator was also damaged. I stayed up all night to fix it.'' replied Luigi. As soon as he finished explaining, he suddenly felt out of breath. Mario had given him a big bro hug around his waist, squeezing him so tightly that he almost suffocated him.

''Thank you so much, Luigi! Thank you! THANK YOU!'' cried Mario joyfully.

''ACK! Mario! Not so tight! You'll break my ribs!'' Luigi groaned.

''Oh! Sorry!'' said Mario. He loosened his hug slightly, but kept holding him tightly.

''What's wrong, Mario?'' asked Luigi. ''You look overwhelmed.''

''You gave up the victory for me, and now you've fixed my kart. Thank you.'' replied Mario, moved, and thanked Luigi with an affectionate kiss on the nose. ''I love you so much, Luigi.''

''I love you too, Mario.'' said Luigi.

Mario almost wanted to cry, even though he didn't have tears in his eyes. One of the things he loved most about Luigi was his selfless and selfless nature. He was not always sure of himself and was easily frightened, but he was a benevolent, loyal hero with a heart of gold.

''Luigi, listen to me. You can't retire because of a series of defeats. I told everyone about your intentions.'' said Mario.

Luigipanicked. ''Mario! Don't tell me that... Oh, what- what will they think of me?!'' he stammered.

''Relax, I only told them that after the awarding ceremony, as promised.'' Mario reassured him. ''Everyone is worried about your decision, and they wouldn't want you to do that,'' he added.

''Are you serious?'' asked Luigi. He was relieved that his brother had kept his promise, but he was not entirely convinced.

''Of course. Come with me. They're all out.'' said Mario.

''And Peach? Does she know how I felt?'' asked Luigi.

''Yes. I told her everything. She was in tears when she found out.'' she replied.

Now the taller but younger brother felt guilty. ''Oh, no, I hurt her feelings.'' he said, disgusted with himself.

''No, no, Luigi, she wasn't crying because the fact that you got jealous of her hurt her feelings. She was crying because she was shocked by your negative thoughts. She feels bad for you.'' Mario explained, putting his hand on Luigi's shoulder. ''Come on, let's go. They're all waiting for you outside the house.''

Louis nodded and put his hat back on. The two brothers left the house, and as Mario had said, all their friends were waiting for them outside.

Seeing his master, Polterpup jumped into Luigi's arms and licked his face. ''Hey, doggy.'' giggled Luigi.

''Luigi... is it true what Mario told us?'' Professor E. Gadd asked.

Luigi sighed. ''Yes, it's true. After my disappointing performances in this last period, I lost the desire to rase.'' he replied.

''But is ridiculous! You've always been with us in all these competitions, and now you want to give up everything like that?!'' spat Wario.

''Wario, Luigi is going through a negative period. Try to understand.'' said Mario.

''I don't like to admit it, but he's not entirely wrong. Luigi, it doesn't seem right to retire from racing just because of a series of losses. Your friends wouldn't like you to retire just because you don't want to look bad.'' Starlow replied.

''Yes, that would be too weird.'' said Lemmy.

''You don't understand, Starlow. I have been ignored and neglected by everyone here for so long that no one would notice my absence.'' said Luigi.

''No, we don't. We were all shocked when Mario told us everything.'' said Toad.

''You say it only because you pity me. I don't want the burden of other people's pity.'' replied Luigi.

(''Luigi, you missed the point. You have always taken part in all these events, and everyone would be saddened by your absence.'') said Yoshi.

Luigi sighed and turned to Lakitu and his teammates. ''I'm sorry for the scene I made on Saturday. I was a bad team captain, and I took it out on you too, Lakitu. Please forgive me.'' he said.

''You're not a bad team captain. You were just stressed, that's all.'' said Toadette.

''You are forgiven, Luigi. It's partly my fault because I recorded your outburst, and I shouldn't have done it.'' Lakitu added.

Luigi then turned to Peach. ''Peach, I'm sorry for what I thought about you. The fact that you beat Mario and won the rematch against Bowser in previous team rallies when I failed in both things made me feel a little jealous. I didn't want to hurt you, and I didn't want to damage my relationship with you and Mario. I was afraid of how everyone would react, and thinking about these things, I felt selfish. This is not the way to address a princess.'' he told her.

To his surprise, Peach smiled at him. ''You don't have to apologize. I didn't want to make you feel inadequate, and I never felt offended by what you thought, nor was I angry with you. I was sad and worried about what you were going to do. Thank you for being honest with me.'' she said. She hugged him with her free arm and kissed him on the cheek.

''I don't want you to retire. I want to continue playing sports. I don't think I would do it without you.'' added Daisy, kissing Luigi on the nose, and this made him blush.

''I don't know...'' Luigi murmured.

''Don't retire, please. It won't be the same without you, and I don't say that just because I'm your brother.'' Mario begged him.

''Master Luigi... do it for us.'' said Toadsworth.

(''Family- Super Mario Galaxy OST-s'')

''Should I keep racing?'' asked Luigi.

''YES!'' Everyone shouted loudly. Even Rosalina had raised her voice more than usual.

The man in green sighed. ''All right, you win. I will not retire.'' he replied.

''HOORAY!'' they all celebrated, and Nabbit and the Kongs gave Luigi a thumbs up, a sign that they had appreciated the gesture.

Daisy came up with the silver trophy. ''Hey, Luigi. This was the trophy intended for you, but you didn't take it.'' she said.

Luigi only nodded. Lakitu offered to take it inside, on the shelves where the bros' trophies were. However, instead of putting Luigi's trophy along with the others, he put it on the shelf where Mario's trophies were, and this surprised everyone except Mario himself when they saw him from the window.

(''World 3- Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST'')

Luigi was even more surprised when his brother touched his shoulder with his index finger, so he turned around. Mario was handing him the trophy he had won in the team rally, and Peach had held it while they were at home.

''Take it, Lu.'' said Mario.

''But this is yours.'' said Luigi, confused.

''You deserve the trophy.'' replied Mario.

''Mario, you won the team rally fair and square. You know the rules. The winning team is not the one that wins the most races, but the one that has the most team tokens at the end. Even if I had finished first, I would have lost anyway.'' replied Luigi.

''Winning isn't just about getting first place. You gave up on winning the last race and finished it in last place to help me reach the finish line. You were the moral winner, so the real winner is you, not me.''

''You mean...'' Luigi murmured, amazed.

''Yes, Luigi. Even though I won, you are my winner, my number 1. You deserve it.'' replied Mario gently, smiling at him.

Luigi returned the smile, moved by his brother's gesture. He wrapped his arms around Mario's neck, hugging him tightly. ''Thank you, Mario...'' he said. Mario hugged him just as tightly, while holding the trophy with one hand.

Their friends looked at this touching exchange with a smile, and Yoshi stroked Poochy.

''Can I say that I envy you?'' asked Lemmy.

Mario and Luigi broke away, surprised. They kept one arm around the other, but were confused by what they had heard.

''What do you mean, Lemmy?'' asked Luigi.

''To be honest, I envy your bond. Sure, I have five brothers and a sister, and we're not on bad terms, but that's nothing compared to what you have.'' replied Lemmy. ''You two are so close. You always have so much trust in each other. You never hesitate to show affection to each other in public.''

''Well, we're twins, dear Lemmy. Twins always have a very strong bond, stronger than usual compared to many siblings.'' said Luigi, giving Lemmy a gentle pat.

''That's why I say it.'' Lemmy said.

''Hey, Lemmy. Thank you for keeping Luigi company in his time of need. As his older brother, I really appreciate it.'' said Mario.

Lemmy nodded. ''I have to go now. I have to eat breakfast, and I can't delay any longer or Ludwig will scold me. See ya!'' With these words, he entered his shell and rolled away at high speed.

''See, Luigi? They love you. You are and have something that everyone would wish for. A good brother.'' said Mario. ''Now, let's share the trophy!''

Luigi nodded, and the brothers lifted the trophy together. After this, however, he stopped smiling, as if he wasn't sure he deserved it. ''I don't know if I'll have another chance, or if I'll win. For now, I'm going to take a break from racing.'' he said.

Everyone reacted with disappointment. He wasn't going to quit, was he?

''No, I will not retire. I just need a break from racing to figure out what went wrong. I'll be away for just a while, don't worry. I will take a break for a month, and in the meantime, I will train hard.'' reassured Luigi.

Mario frowned. He didn't like to do events without Luigi because it wasn't the same, but it was his decision. ''If you say so...'' he said.

''Well, now I'm going back inside. Love you, Mario.'' said Luigi.

''I love you too, Luigi.'' said Mario in response. Luigi entered the house and closed the door, but not before giving his brother a quick peck on the cheek.

''It's getting late now. I have to go to the gym.'' said Wario, and he headed for the gym in Toad Town.

Mario's gaze became sad. He knew that Luigi hadn't fully recovered yet, and that this defeat would have negative consequences on his self-confidence. His little bro didn't blame him for his defeat, and the proof was his gesture of affection just before he returned, but there was something about the way he had given him his brotherly kiss that worried him, as if he was in a hurry to leave. He would gladly give him an affectionate kiss on the cheek himself, and if he did not go back inside, he would give him a big bro hug, holding him in his arms for hours and all night to let him know that he would always be by his side

''Mario? Are you okay?'' asked Starlow.

''I was thinking about Luigi. He feels a little better, but this was a painful loss for him, and now he doesn't feel like racing anymore. I don't like taking part in events without him, it doesn't feel right.'' replied Mario.

''I don't like that either, but we can't do much about it.'' said Peach.

''I know, I hate it. Playing sports and racing is not the same without Luigi.'' agreed Daisy.

''This is more serious than you think, my friends. Luigi and I show affection to each other all the time, but this time, it seemed as if he was in a hurry. It's like he doesn't want to be with us anymore. I want to be close to him. I want to hold him tight and never let him go. I want him to know that we love him.'' said Mario sadly. As he said this, he had taken pen and paper and was scribbling something.

(''And we will stand by him. Keep taking care of your brother. Luigi knows you love him very much.'') said Yoshi.

(''World 3- Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST-s'')

---

(''World 1 Map- New Super Mario Bros. Wii OST'')

Meanwhile, Luigi was in the bathroom, taking a shower. He really appreciated Mario's gesture, but he wasn't really sure he deserved the trophy. After all, he didn't win. Or maybe it was his insecurities that spoke for him, but it had always been like that. He came out of the bathroom, took the trophy and put it in the shelf with his trophies, but seeing Mario's symbol, he always felt it out of place.

Due to his increasingly declining performance, he did not feel like taking part in other races, at least for a while. He was about to go to the garage to work out when he saw a letter on his desk. There was a stamp with the red M on Mario's hat on it, so he knew that he was the one who sent him. Going down to the kitchen, he opened it and began to read it.

''To my dearest little bro

Are you feeling okay, Luigi? You were like you wanted to leave. I noticed something was wrong, and I thought you were sad, so I sent you this letter.

I don't like the fact that you decided to not take part in races for now, but if that's what you want, do as you please.

I don't know if it will be enough, but our friends will be close to you. We'll stay by your side until you fully recover.

And of course, I'm there too. I will always stay with you. I'll hug you tightly, I'll hold you in my arms without letting you go and I'll give you all my brotherly love in every gesture of affection. I'll make you breakfast, we will play together and I'll spend as much time with you as I can.

Hugs and a kiss for you, Lu.

Love,

Your big bro, Mario''

Luigi smiled as he read the letter. ''Oh, Mario. Mario, Mario, Mario... You're so sweet...'' he thought. Lemmy was right when he said that the bond between him and Mario was something that would be the envy of everyone. They were always together, inseparable, and they shared an unbreakable bond. He was so glad to have a wonderful brother like him. He was protective, caring and a great person. While thinking this, he heard a noise and saw that the window was now open.

(''World 1 Map- New Super Mario Bros. Wii OST-s'')

(''Home- Undertale OST'')

Mario had climbed over the window and was sitting on the windowsill. ''Hey, Luigi!'' he greeted him.

''Hey, Mario. I saw your letter.'' said Luigi, approaching him.

''Good. How is my favorite little brother?'' asked Mario, running his hand under Luigi's hat to stroke his hair.

''Come on, Mario, I'm your only little bro!'' giggled Luigi. ''To be honest, it could be better. ''I feel a bit off, and I'm serious when I said I'm going to take a break from racing. Maybe I do need some help.''

''Aw, come here, little bro!'' said Mario, spreading his arms. Luigi approached and received a tight hug around his neck from his brother, who affectionately kissed him on the forehead.

''Mario...!'' Luigi groaned, but he smiled and returned the hug. When he put his mind on something, Mario never backed down, and he was determined to make him grasp the message.

''Just to be sure, but is it true that you want to take a break from racing for a month?'' asked Mario.

''Yes. I have to figure out what's wrong.'' replied Luigi.

''I don't like that, but I respect your opinion.''

''Thanks for understanding, Mario.''

''You're welcome.''

While Mario let his brother know that he understood his choice even though he did not agree with it, he kept hugging him and stroking his hair, patted him on the back and pressed his forehead against his. The younger brother greatly appreciated the gestures of affection.

''What are you going to do today?'' asked Luigi.

''I'm going to spend time with Peach today. We have planned a date for the afternoon, and we'll also spend the evening together.'' replied Mario.

''Good. Enjoy the evening.'' said Luigi.

The older brother noticed that his tone had insecurities. ''What's wrong? Does this defeat still trouble you?'' he asked, worried.

''Yeah, a little.'' sighed Luigi. ''It's clear that I've been going through a period of bad performance for a while, and... I don't know if I'll be able to get out of it. I don't know if I'll be able to win another team rally, let alone a rematch against you. It's not just in races, I'm doing very poorly in general in team competitions, and I just think that maybe the problem is me, that I'm not good enough.''

''Brother, we all have a period where our performance declines. Don't let this negative series have a negative effect on you.'' said Mario.

''And how am I going to do it?'' asked Luigi.

''Don't worry about losing again. Even if you lose, at least you will lose with the knowledge that you have tried. Try and try again until you succeed.'' said Mario, encouraging him.

''Thank you, Mario... Thank you... You're a great big bro, no, the best big bro in the world.'' murmured Luigi, with tears in his eyes from emotion, and hugged Mario tighter. ''I love you so much.''

''Awww, Lu... I love you so much.'' said Mario, cupping on his brother's cheeks in his hands and gently wiping his tears with his thumbs before giving him an affection-filled kiss on the nose.

Luigi felt his brother's mustache gently tickle his skin, and melted into the hug, laughing. Mario, however, broke away because he had to get off the window, to his disappointment, and went back outside.

(''Home- Undertale OST-s'')

(''Family- Super Mario Galaxy OST'')

''Remember what I told you, OK?'' asked Mario, grabbing Luigi's hands.

''I'll remember it, Mario. I'm so glad you're always by my side.'' replied Luigi, resting his head on the windowsill.

''Of course. I am your brother, and it is my duty stay by you.'' said Mario, smiling.

''I'll go training starting. Too bad you won't be there to see me today.'' said Luigi, a little sad.

''Oh, don't worry about that, Lu. I will attend all your training session starting tomorrow. Okay?'' Mario proposed, as he combed his fingers through the chocolate locks on the back of his brother's head. He felt Luigi's hands lift him off the ground, and when he saw that he was hugging him again, he returned the gesture with pleasure, wrapping his arms around his neck.

''Mario... I really appreciate it. You're such a caring brother.'' said Luigi, smiling slightly. He put Mario down, but they didn't let go.

''The same goes for you. Train hard for when you come back. I will always be there while you train.'' Mario told him, smiling at him.

The younger brother was moved. ''Oh, thank you, big brother. You're the best.'' he murmured, holding Mario even tighter.

''What are you going to do this morning?'' asked Mario.

''I would like to rest a bit in the living room before making lunch, I couldn't sleep last night. I stayed up all night to fix your kart, and now I'm a bit tired.'' replied Luigi.

''You already did a lot when you helped me finish the race, and by repairing my kart, you surpassed yourself. Enjoy some rest, you've earned it.'' said Mario.

''Thank you.''

''Oh, you deserve it. Now I'm going for a walk.''

''Have fun then.''

Mario could go at any time, but he wanted to talk to Luigi a little longer. ''Hey, Luigi, before I go, I have to tell you something.'' he said.

''What is it?'' asked Luigi.

''Regardless of how the next races or a rematch end, don't beat yourself up. Keep trying until you succeed. I want to see you win. I want you to make me proud of you. I don't care what they say about you or what they say about you.'' said Mario.

''Do you really think so?'' asked Luigi, surprised.

''Of course!'' Mario replied, giving him a thumbs up with a warm smile under his black mustache.

Luigi was so moved that he was about to cry, and he wiped his eyes. ''Oh, Mario... you're so nice...'' he sobbed.

''And you're a very good brother, Luigi. OK, now I'm going for a walk.'' his brother replied.

Mario turned to leave, but Luigi put his hand on his shoulder.

''Luigi, what's wrong?'' he asked.

''Could you give me one last hug before you go?'' asked Luigi.

''Awwwww, of course! I would be happy to hug you! Come here, you big softie!'' said Mario gently, and the brothers gave each other one last hug.

Luigi sighed blissfully, enjoying the hug while it lasted. When he felt down, there was no better cure than being in Mario's arms and a brother's love. His arms were warm and gentle, and every little touch from him calmed him.

Mario's smile widened. When he hugged Luigi, he was sometimes grateful that he was taller, as he could easily rest his head on his chest and feel his heart beating.

''No matter what anybody thinks of you, you will always be a true winner to me.'' Mario whispered.

''Oh, thank you, Mario... I love you... I love you so much...'' Luigi murmured.

''I love you too, bro.'' said Mario.

The hug lasted five minutes, as Luigi was still hesitant to interrupt it. but Mario kept smiling, and instead of getting annoyed that he was wasting his time or embarrassed because his brother still didn't want to let him go, he seemed happy to spend some more time in his arms. When they broke away, they had their hands on each other's shoulders, and Luigi smiled sincerely.

''Well then, I'm going now. You feel already better, so I don't think I should be here any longer.'' said Mario.

''Okay... Enjoy your walk.'' said Luigi, and kissed Mario on both cheeks as a sign of affection. ''Love you.''

''Love you too.'' Mario told him.

Now the bros were slowly beginning to part, but Mario hadn't fully made up his mind, not yet. He gently cupped Luigi's head in his hands and mustered all his brotherly love in his next gesture, pressing a last, tender kiss to his forehead. They then held hands, and Mario began to walk away and turn around slowly, until he let go of his hand.

''See you for lunch, Mario!'' Luigi called him, waving at Mario when he was far enough.

''See you later, Luigi!'' replied Mario, waving back.

(''Family- Super Mario Galaxy OST-s'')

(''Milky Way Wishes (Title) Kirby Super Star Ultra OST'')

After the conversation with Mario, Luigi felt better. Not completely, but now he felt more confident and more ready to face the next challenges. He was so grateful to have such a caring older brother, and when he lay down on his couch to rest, he could imagine Mario holding him in his arms and cuddling him once again.

The walk was pleasant, but Mario couldn't fully enjoy it because he was still a little worried about Luigi. Although comforting him had made him feel better, he knew that his negative streak had severely damaged his confidence in himself and his abilities, to the point that he no longer felt like competing for now. He also wondered if he would keep playing golf and tennis with him and others, and if this effect went beyond competitions and had extended to other sports.

While he was thinking this, the hero in red stopped and broke the fourth wall. ''Oh! Hey, buddies! Glad to see that you are following our adventures!'' he exclaimed, and then frowned. ''And you came at the right time too, as I want to give you a message. I'm kinda worried about Luigi. He is going through a bad time in terms of performance in races, and he lost the Team Rally for the third time in a row. He has no plans to retire, but he won't take part in the races for a while. I can understand that this series of defeats negatively affected his self-esteem and confidence in his abilities. He decided to take a break from racing for a month, and I know he still didn't fully recover when I spoke to him. He really needs a confidence boost. I want to be by his side during his training. Our friends would do so too, and I would greatly appreciate it if you would help me too. Will you help me?''

''Grazie, amici! What's the moral of this story? Winners are not necessarily those who get the first place, but also those who show good sportsmanship. And if you can't win, keep trying, because sooner or later, you'll make it! Keep supporting me and Luigi! A hug for you! See you next time!''

Mario winked and smiled. He would always remain at Luigi's side, and it was a promise, a promise he intended to keep.

(''Milky Way Wishes (Title) Kirby Super Star Ultra OST-s'')

---

A/N: OK, maybe this chapter dragged on for too long, but I wanted to do something about the recent Mario vs Luigi Tour. Poor Luigi. He didn't make it, and he's going through a period of poor results in races. Good thing he has an understanding and caring older brother! They are both very good brothers! Oh yeah, by the way, Luigi's 40th anniversary is this week! I think that this chapter could be a great starting point for a future story or a possible future one-shot about a rematch or another Team Rally with Luigi, but I'll have to wait some time for that. Did you enjoy this chapter? Let me know. I hope you don't mind its long length. See you soon!

(1): The main feature of Mario Kart Tour are tours: they start every two weeks between Tuesday and Wednesday, depending on the time zone, and the tracks change with each tour. Some of these tours have Team Rallies, where players choose a team between the two challenging characters and the winning team is the team that has obtained the most team tokens, which can be obtained if a player uses a character from the team of their choice. At the end of team rallies, players from both teams get rewards, but the winning team gets the best rewards. Team Rallies happen every six or seven tours, thus every three months, and were introduced in November of 2020, with the first Mario vs Luigi tour.

(2): Mario Kart Stadium is the first track of the Mushroom Cup in Mario Kart 8.

(3): It was actually the case, with Yoshi ending up on Bowser's team for some weird reason, and then on Peach's team. Maybe there was a mistake, since this was corrected in the second Peach vs Bowser Tour. However, the two Peach vs Bowser Tours both took place in the same year, in 2022, just seven months apart, as the first one was in May, while the second one was between November and December.

(4): In Mario Kart games starting with Mario Kart 7, there is a Lakitu as a playable character, and he is a lightweight character. This Lakitu is a separate character from the referee Lakitu featured in the various spin-offs, including the Mario Kart series, as his shell is red instead of green.

(5): In Mario Superstar Baseball and its sequel Mario Super Sluggers, Monty Mole is part of Mario's team. In Mario Super Sluggers, he has good chemistry with three characters: Shy Guy, Goomba and Paragoomba, as well as Brown Miis, and he has no bad chemistry with anyone.

(6): Mario Kart Tour receives constant updates with each tour, but in the initial launch, some characters from the demo were missing, and the most glaring absence was that Luigi was not present among the initial characters. According to the game's Twitter profile, it happened because he had forgotten his keys and then got lost. He was only introduced in the game's third tour, the 2019 Halloween Tour, alongside King Boo, a month after the initial launch.