Leisurely strolling down a dirt road leading from the eastern side of Toad Town, Luigi whistled a familiar tune to himself as he enjoyed the beautiful scenery he was passing. It was another gorgeous day in the Mushroom Kingdom. Clear, blue skies, luscious greenery all around, and the beautiful Midas River flowing alongside the road towards the south glistened in the sunlight. Luigi could hear the sound of blue birds chirping and watched as he passed by a large, yellow Wiggler-a caterpillar like creature-sleeping among a bed of flowers. It was just another great day to be alive for Luigi, and he happily took it all in.
Luigi had been up since early this morning. Mario had spent the night at Peach's castle, and after enjoying a nice, quiet evening by himself last night, he had decided that today he would take a little journey to see Daisy. It had been a few weeks since he saw her last-at a tennis tournament held at the castle-and Luigi had decided that he would surprise her with a visit and some flowers. He knew he could very easily have taken a quicker route there by warp pipe, but Luigi decided that a nice little adventure would be fun. Sarasaland was only about a two day journey from his home on foot, and Luigi decided he'd stop at Dry Dry Outpost and get himself a room on the way.
In general, Luigi was not usually the type of person that craved adventure or relished in being the hero who went out and saved the day. He for the most part left that up to Mario. As long as Luigi could remember, even back in the early days of their childhood, Mario had always been the one to seek adventure and excitement. Being of course the younger of the two brothers, Luigi always looked up to Mario, but would more often than not be dragged along with Mario on his many adventures. This sometimes caught Luigi in a bit of trouble from their parents, but Mario was always quick to defend his brother, almost always taking full responsibility for any kind of mischief or danger they would put themselves in.
Luigi preferred a more laid back approach to life. While he admired-and sometimes envied- his brother for his bravery, confidence, and sense of adventure, Luigi was more attracted to the simpler things in life. He often times would spend hours just walking around admiring nature, literally stopping to smell the roses. He loved reading, and would often spend hours lost in a good book. Luigi in some ways loved adventures, but would much rather read about the great journeys made by his favorite characters in books rather than go out and put himself in danger, or get lost.
All of that of course changed for Luigi after he and Mario had accidentally wound up in the Mushroom Kingdom what seems like a lifetime ago. Shortly after finding themselves lost in this strange new land, Luigi had accompanied his brother on the first of many adventures to save Princess Peach. Mario would often get most of the glory, always being the more outspoken and braver of the two brothers, but Luigi didn't really mind so much. Mario was always the driving force behind their success at foiling Bowser's plans, and Luigi was okay with being on the sidelines to back his brother up.
Sometimes however, he did tire of being hidden in his brother's shadow.
Luigi couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was about his brother's revered status as the Mushroom Kingdom's protector and savior that sometimes bothered him, but it did nonetheless. There were definitely a number of times that Luigi had really been the one to have saved the day, and he barely received credit for it. Normally this didn't bother him, but sometimes Luigi would tire of hearing about how great his brother is, as if Mario was the single reason for the entire kingdom's prosperity, safety, and peacefulness.
The other interesting aspect of this mild envy that Luigi was struggling with, was that he was now finding himself more and more frequently craving his own adventure and excitement. A concept that seemed so unfathomable at one time was now slowly itching away at him almost daily. He wanted some of the glory, to just once be in the limelight and to be recognized as a hero and not just Mario's little brother. Luigi often times felt bad about feeling that way, for he loved his brother and was very proud of his accomplishments and the selfless courage he would always show, but the other side of him grew a bit tired of it. Perhaps a darkness was growing inside of Luigi, a darkness from being stuck in his older brother's shadow for too long.
All of this aside, Luigi still very much admired, respected and loved his older brother. They had always been close, and Luigi knew that no matter what happened to them, they would always be there for each other. If the entire world was against them, they both knew that the other one would always be right there with him. He also knew how much Mario needed him. Luigi was quite surprised on many occasions when Mario would outwardly show that courageous, confident, selfless nature of his, but would later in private confide in Luigi, confessing to him his fears, reservations and grievances. There was no doubt in his mind that Mario needed him just as much as he needed Mario.
Luigi continued onward down the path, and adjusted the nap sack on his back. He had brought a few supplies with him, extra clothes, some food and a medical kit just in case of emergency. He also carried a few power-ups along, on the very slight chance he encountered some hostility from one of Bowser's many minions. The Mushroom Kingdom had been peaceful for quite some time now, but Luigi knew that it wouldn't last. The moment they let their guard down, Bowser, like clockwork would be on their toes. Luigi would not be unprepared for that eventuality.
As he ascended a small hill that looked over a gorgeous plain blanketed with lush greenery, flowers of all colors, and tall trees, Luigi could see far off in the distance where the landscape started to turn more barren. That was of course Dry Dry Desert, which after about a half days journey, would lead to the outskirts of Sarasaland. From there, Luigi knew it wouldn't take long to make it to Daisy's castle. The thought of seeing her again made Luigi smile. Those few weeks they had been apart felt like an eternity to Luigi, although he knew he couldn't tell her that. As badly as he wanted to, he wasn't so sure how she would take it.
Luigi sighed at that thought. He knew deep down he had feelings for her, but it was very hard for him to convey those emotions to her. Every time he tried, he found himself stumbling over his words, and in general would get an awkward feeling in the pit of his stomach.
She's a princess. He thought. What would a princess want with a simple plumber from Brooklyn?
Luigi knew that he was more than just a plumber now. However, he found it hard to reconcile in his brain why a princess would be even remotely interested in him. They were great friends sure, but Luigi was not so sure if they could ever be more than that. Although his brain would often tell him that, he couldn't help the feeling in his heart when he was around her. She made him happy, and they would often spend time alone together just talking for hours. Whenever Princess Peach would throw some kind of party or a tennis tournament or something, Daisy would always seek him out to be her partner or to just talk with. Luigi thought maybe this was a sign that she did have feelings for him too, but he just had too much trouble trying to read her.
As Luigi made his way down the hill, a small gust of breeze rustled his clothing, and Luigi adjusted his green hat. He was now entering a small thicket of trees, and he decided to take a quick rest on a fallen log. As he sat down, he once again looked around and admired the lovely scenery around him, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. There wasn't a single creature around, and all was quiet. He smiled again, letting the peaceful tranquility of nature sooth his nerves. He laid back against the trunk of a large oak tree, and soon found himself closing his eyes for a quick rest. No sooner did he shut his eyes then he heard a voice echoing through the trees.
"Hello!? HELP!" He heard a voice shout suddenly.
Luigi jumped up immediately in response to the sudden outburst. He looked around quickly in all directions and reached into his pocket, clutching the fire flower hidden there. Luigi knew if he were to suddenly encounter danger, he could quickly ingest the fire flower, and it would give him power to defend himself.
"Hello?! Is anyone there!?" He heard the voice shout again.
Luigi quickly glanced over to the direction the voice was coming from, and after a few seconds, could see a small figure emerging from between two trees. It appeared to be floating above the ground, and he soon realized that it was a Paratroopa. He took the fire flower out of his pocket, and quickly scarfed it down. Almost instantly, his overalls changed colors from a deep blue color to pure white, as did his green hat. Luigi could never figure out why the colors of his clothes would change, but nevertheless, he was grateful for the power the magical flower gave him.
He cautiously approached the area where the Paratroopa was flying from, and raised his hand.
"I just ate a fire flower and I'm not afraid to singe your wings off!" Luigi shouted at the Paratroopa.
The Paratroopa halted in its tracks, turning is head to the side appearing both perplexed and curious all at once.
"Mario?" It asked curiously.
Luigi sighed at that, and found himself getting frustrated.
"No, I'm his brother, Luigi." Luigi replied, agitated. "If you are hoping to achieve some kind of glory by giving me trouble, you're sadly mistaken. I have beaten much stronger foes than you!"
This response appeared to make the Paratroopa even more curious, and he started to approach Luigi even closer.
"Stop right there!" Luigi shouted "Unless you want to get burnt!"
The Paratroopa obliged, and continued to flap its wings, floating in the air in the same spot for a minute or so. It appeared deep in thought, and examined Luigi up and down.
"What are you looking at?" Luigi asked. He felt himself getting more frustrated by the second. Why would this creature not take him seriously? "I mean it, I am not afraid to use these…"
Luigi was cut off by the Paratroopa.
"Luigi, huh?" The Paratroopa asked curiously. "I didn't know Mario had a younger brother…"
Luigi sighed at that. He was about ready to toss a few fireballs at the creature just for the sarcastic remark, when he noticed something unusual.
"Your shell." Luigi said suddenly. "It's… glowing. And, what's with the shifting colors? It looks like a rainbow."
The Paratroopa looked over its shoulder, as if just seeing it for the first time.
"Oh, yes." The Paratroopa said. "I cast a little spell so I would stand out from the other Paratroopas. I was hoping to avoid unwanted hostility, but I guess it didn't work."
Luigi's frustration was soon replaced by genuine confusion and curiosity.
"A… spell?" Luigi asked curiously. "What are you a Magikoopa or something? Where is your broom?"
"Magikoopa?" The Paratroopa asked. "No, you see, I'm not a…" The Paratroopa seemed a bit confused as to what to say next. "Well, wait. So you're Mario's brother, have you seen him?"
Luigi shook his head.
"No, I haven't." Luigi said. "What makes you think I would tell you where he is anyway?"
The Paratroopa frowned.
"Look, Luigi was it? I am sorry if I startled you, but I mean you no harm. I could really use your help, actually." The Paratroopa said.
Luigi paused and stroked his mustache, deep in thought. What was he to do now? A Koopa who could use magic? The Koopa seemed generally harmless, but Luigi was not going to let his guard down, unwilling to let himself be caught in a trap. He hesitantly took a step forward.
"If you want my help, you need to answer my question." Luigi said sternly. "How can you use magic if you aren't a Magikoopa. Also, why should I trust you?"
The Paratroopa frowned at that and sighed. It scratched its long beak with its claws and appeared to be deep in thought. Conflicted, almost.
"Alright." The Paratroopa sighed. "My name is Twink. I am not really a Paratroopa. This is simply a form I am borrowing for a little bit while I am on this planet. You see, I am not from the Mushroom Kingdom, I am a Star Spirit."
Luigi could not see his face at the moment, but he was sure he looked like he had seen a ghost. A Star Spirit? What was a Star Spirit doing in the Mushroom Kingdom? And of all forms, why would it choose to inhabit a Paratroopa's body? It sounded extremely fishy to Luigi, but as he looked into the creatures eyes, he saw a softness that was normally absent from the hard, ruthless eyes of the Koopas.
"So that would explain the rainbow shell and the magic." Luigi said. "But why should I believe you? Or trust you at all for that matter?"
The Paratroopa sighed once again.
"Look, you don't have to believe me." The Paratroopa said rather despairingly, "But if you would accompany me to the spot where I left it, there is a creature that is hurt badly and needs help. I have no idea who this person is, but I pulled it out of the river, and it needs medical attention right away."
Luigi stood there for a moment trying to decide what to do, and after weighing the possibilities in his head, he nodded and decided to follow the creature. If worse came to worse and he was falling into a trap, he still held the flower power, as well as various other power-ups at his disposal.
"Alright, lead the way… Twink." He said.
Twink nodded gratefully and started flying out of the small thicket, waving Luigi forward.
"Thank you." Twink said. "Please, come this way, we must hurry!"
Luigi shrugged to himself and ran off to catch up with Twink. They walked out of the small thicket of trees, following the same path Luigi had been on before, the small dirt road alongside the Midas River. Luigi gazed along the river, getting lost in its constant motion, and in his thoughts. If this "Twink" was really who he said he was, what was he doing in the Mushroom Kingdom? Was there trouble in the Star Road? How would he know who Mario is? Could word really have spread all the way across the universe of Mario's great deeds? Luigi knew Mario had become very famous, but he did not think he was that famous.
"Twink, if you really are from the Star Road, what are you doing here?" Luigi asked curiously. "And, how do you know Mario?"
"I will explain that to you later" Twink replied looking back at him. "We are almost there, and it is a long story."
Luigi did not respond, but just continued to follow the Paratroopa's lead until they came to a single, large tree right at the river's shore. Underneath the tree, just as Twink had said, laid a creature that Luigi had never seen before. It had white, puffy skin, long arms, and pink hair. It wore large, blue and white striped pants held up with a leather belt and golden belt buckle. Engraved into the belt buckle was the word, "Mallow".
"Well, I guess you really were telling the truth." Luigi said, regarding Twink. "I am sorry I didn't believe you sooner. I think I can help him."
Twink gave a small smile and nodded back in appreciation.
Luigi got to work immediately, kneeling down on one knee to put an ear against the creature's chest. He could hear a faint heartbeat, and its breathing was labored. It had cuts and bruises all over its body, and had appeared to have suffered a bad beating of some kind. Luigi quickly took off his nap sack, and dug around for his emergency kit. Placing it on the ground right next to the creature, he opened it up and took a few herbs out. Retrieving a small cup from his nap sack, he crushed the herbs and mixed them together inside the cup, also adding a few red and green mushrooms into the mixture. He beat them for a while using a small wooden peg. Reaching for another small cup, he regarded Twink.
"Could you fetch me some water from the river Twink?" He asked the Paratroopa as he thrust the cup into his clawed hands.
"Sure, right away." Twink replied, nodding.
Luigi watched as the Paratroopa flew directly towards the river at a fast pace, flying in a perfect three hundred sixty degree circle over the river, coming down just close enough to the river where he dragged the cup across the surface of the water. In a few seconds, he was stopped right in front of Luigi, holding the cup out to him, grinning.
"Show off." Luigi said sarcastically taking the cup of water.
Twink blushed. "Sorry, I just couldn't help it." He said. "These creatures are surprisingly aerodynamic, and I am still trying to get my wings, so to speak."
Luigi shook his head, but quickly returned to his work. Using a small spoon, he mixed the water together with the concoction of herbs and mushrooms, and soon a thick, greenish brew formed. He leaned over the creature, gently tilted its head back, and poured the mixture into its mouth. After a few seconds, the entire contents of the cup were gone.
"Will this work?" Twink asked.
"It should, with all luck." Luigi said. "It is a good thing you found me when you did, otherwise this creature might have been too far gone for me to have been any real help."
"How did you know what to do?" Twink asked curiously. "I know Mario is a plumber, but I didn't think he would have a doctor for a brother."
Luigi sighed.
"I am no doctor," Luigi said. "In fact, my brother is a doctor too. I just picked up on a few things he learned. Well, and I read a few books too. This is actually a simple concoction of healing herbs, 1-up mushrooms, and a tiny bit of super mushroom to offset them."
"Well, thank you nonetheless, Dr. Luigi." Twink said, smiling.
Luigi rolled his eyes at that as he regarded Twink.
"This creature will need to rest for a while to give the medicine time to work." Luigi said. "We should wait until it wakes up so we can make sure it is okay. Plus, I would like to make sure it does not face any further danger. It looks like it was struck pretty hard in the face."
Twink nodded in response, his long, white feathered wings vigorously flapping in the air. Luigi was always amazed that Paratroopa's wings were able to support the weight of that shell on their backs. Even more interesting however, was the way that rainbow of colors on Twink's shell were constantly shifting, like a rainbow in the sunlight.
"Well, since it seems that we have some time to kill; can you explain what exactly you're doing here in the Mushroom Kingdom, Twink?" Luigi asked curiously. "How do you know my brother? And why did you choose a Paratroopa's body as your temporary form?"
Twink paused for a moment, and frowned. He lowered his head a little bit, as if he had just remembered something that he wanted to forget. He sighed as he spoke up.
"Well, as I said before, I am a Star Spirit from the Star Road. I journeyed here with a friend after our lands were attacked to seek help. You see, ten years ago, Mario had gone on an adventure with my companion to search for the seven missing star pieces after the Star Road was destroyed by this creep Smithy." He said. "Now Smithy has returned, and he…"
Twink shuddered and sighed heavily as tears started to run down his scaly, orange cheeks. He slowly descended onto the soft grass and sat down, shaking his head. After a few seconds, he regained his composure.
"He completely destroyed it this time…" He whispered solemnly.
Luigi felt a shockwave go through him. The Star Road was completely gone? Mario had explained to Luigi about that incident ten years ago and even mentioned to him about the Star Road and its important role in granting the wishes of all beings in the universe. Luigi knew that the situation had been dire, but this sounded even worse.
"It's completely destroyed?!" Luigi said, feeling shaken. "Is… Is there any hope at all, Twink?"
Twink wiped a tear from his eye, and suddenly his expression seemed to turn from day to night. Luigi thought he could see fire in those eyes, as Twink quickly stood up, and stared right back into his.
"Yes, there is!" Twink exclaimed determinedly. "As long as I draw breath, I will not stop until my home is recovered, and Smithy is destroyed!"
Luigi pondered this for a moment, crossing his arms as he stroked his mustache with a gloved hand. There was no doubt in his mind that Twink was telling the truth, but it certainly worried him. If the Star Road was truly gone, than no wishes could be granted. That affected not just the Mushroom Kingdom, but also the entire universe. Mario had told him all about Smithy, and how dangerous he was. If Mario was the reason for his defeat, would he try to seek revenge on him for thwarting his plans?
Too many questions and no answers. Luigi thought. I need to tell Mario about this right away.
"Twink," Luigi said. "You said you traveled to the Mushroom Kingdom with a friend. Where are they?"
Twink's expression once again changed to a look of confusion. He shook his head.
"We were separated on our descent to the Mushroom Kingdom." Twink said. "Something crashed into us, and we both fell from the sky uncontrollably. That is how I ended up in this form. The Paratroopa whose body I am now possessing broke my fall."
"So I am guessing we are going to have to try and find your friend, too." Luigi replied.
Twink started at that.
"We?" Twink said curiously. "You want to come with me?"
"Look Twink, I am sorry about earlier for thinking you a threat, but this situation has changed everything." Luigi said apologetically. "If what you say is true, than the universe is in big trouble, and I can't just lie down and let it happen. As soon as this creature wakes up, I will take you right to Mario. He will know what to do, he always does. Then we can try and find your friend."
Twink smiled, and nodded determinedly.
"Okay then, thank you Dr. Luigi!" He said appreciatively. "You are truly as noble of a man as your brother's reputation would have me believe."
Luigi groaned at that. Just once, would someone not compare him to his brother?
"Uughh…" A voice groaned behind him.
"You did it, Dr. Luigi!" Twink exclaimed happily. "It's waking up!"
Luigi looked down as the fluffy, cloud-like creature slowly opened its eyes, and he shook his head.
"I am not a doctor, Twink." Luigi said. "Stop calling me that…"
As the creature slowly came to, Luigi thought to himself about this new crisis, and the chain of events that had unfolded since he left the house this morning. He had left the house this morning hoping for a little adventure, but deep down in the pit of his stomach he knew that this would be the start of something much bigger. He felt that little ball in his belly start to grow bigger and bigger from both excitement and dread. Perhaps he could use a little medicine himself.