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Chapter Text

It had been a year since Luigi had been driven from his home in the Mushroom Kingdom, to this small village in Sarasaland. He still missed Mario, of course, and he still thought of him often. He was worried about him, entrenched in war against Bowser. But Mario could take care of himself. Meanwhile, Luigi had found a home here. And there were others here to focus his attention on.

Polterpup barked at him, reminding him he was here, flying beside him. Luigi chuckled fondly as he watching Polterpup flying through the air, flying circles around him. Then, Polterpup darted forward, leaving Luigi to follow him.

"Woah, puppy! Slow down!"

It was all in good humor, though. Since Luigi was separated from Mario, Polterpup had always been there to cheer him up whenever he began to miss his brother. Even if it meant being a little rascal.

Polterpup brought him right into town.

The small village was called Harmony Town. It was named by Princess Daisy, its founder. When the refugees from the war in the Mushroom Kingdom started flooding in, Daisy had seen the need to create sanctuary towns like this to hold them all. There were a few local bombshell Koopas here too, but this village mainly housed Koopa and human survivors of the war. Located in Chai Kingdom, it allowed its citizens a second chance to live in harmony with each other, in stark contrast to the situation up north.

Luigi was one of those refugees. When Luigi had gotten hurt on the battlefield, Mario had been beside himself with worry, refusing to let him return to the battlefield. At first, Luigi had been relieved, but when he saw the devastation being wrought out there, he felt he had to get out there and help. Mario had blown up at him, and Luigi had run away. He'd felt it was the only solution.

Surrounding him now, a patchwork of human wooden thatched roof houses and Koopa stone courtyard complexes lay across the land. Everyone knew each other and got along well. It was the antidote of everything that had driven him from his old home.

Three Koopas stopped him in the street.

"The professor's looking for you," one of them told him.

Polterpup stopped playing, hovering at Luigi's side, who petted him on the head.

"What's wrong?" asked Luigi.

"Something was spotted at the edge of town. Something dangerous."

Luigi shook, old fears resurfacing. But Polterpup was already bounding forward towards the lab. Luigi ran after him.

Before he could catch him, Polterpup disappeared through E Gadd's front door. With a sigh, Luigi followed him through it. Polterpup barked enthusiastically when Luigi entered.

"Well, look what the pooch dragged in," quipped E Gadd. "Ready to get to work?"

"What's wrong?"

"Well, there's no need to be such a sook about it. I've spotted a mysterious creature to the north of Harmony Town. I'm reading ghostly signatures, and something else... You'd better go check it out."

E Gadd turned to his monitor, and revealed the creature he had spotted. A trail of black ooze, and rising from it...

"King Bob-omb!" cried Luigi in shock.

"It's a Shadow Fury, a form of ghostly being too strong for any Poltergust machine. So I'm giving you another machine to defend our town!"

With this declaration, Gadd pulled out a new machine Luigi had never seen before.

"The F.L.U.D.D.! This machine is quite simple. It has two nozzles, the spray nozzle and the hover nozzle. To shoot and fire at a target, use the spray nozzle. To hover above a target and shoot water from above, use the hover nozzle. You will need to jump above the target for this to work. Refill in any body of water. It's an old machine, and I'm afraid I don't carry the new and improved nozzles..."

Luigi started shaking in fear. He'd never taken on a ghost this dangerous this quickly, especially not with a machine he'd never used and had no practice in. Oh, he was doomed!

"Remember, don't touch the creature, whatever you do. Just spray the black ooze and you should be fine."

Luigi was shaking his head, but it was too late. E Gadd was already talking again, and Luigi knew that he was in too deep.

The professor handed him a couple things, and Luigi nodded and put them in his pockets.

"I have eyes on the creature, so I'm sending you there now."

And with that, Luigi's atoms turned to pixels, and he was flying through the Pixelator.

He came to a heavy landing in a wide open field north of town. Behind the creature was a forest. In front of Luigi was a solid mass in the shape of King Bob-omb. It looked like it was made of paint. It's eyes were yellow, not their usual white.

Luigi panicked. Any thoughts in his head, any of his carefully crafted techniques to manage his anxiety, flew out of his head. It was very much his heart in control now, and he began running in circles around the creature, carefully avoiding touching the paint with his shoes.

"Please, please," Luigi begged the creature, "leave our village alone!"

Soon, Polterpup joined at his side, and Luigi took heart. He stopped running, and sucked in a deep breath. Okay, Luigi told himself. He could do this...

Luigi armed the spray nozzle on the F.L.U.D.D., and fired. The King Bob-omb lookalike started to charge at Luigi.

Switch! Luigi jumped as high in the air as he could, and engaged the hover nozzle. He started to the circle the beast again, cutting it off from the trail it left behind.

Luigi looked the beast square in the eyes. Before Luigi could react, the creatures slimy hand grabbed his arm, and flung him backwards.

His back connected with clean grass as he landed and slid partially down the hill, before Luigi stopped himself by digging his feet and hands into the ground. He jumped back up.

Luigi looked at his arm. There was black attached. Tears spiked at his eyes.

No time. He had to deal with this beast.

Luigi switched back to the spray nozzle. He kept well back and sprayed the monster.

The townsfolk came to his aid, throwing buckets of water at the monster.

A familiar jingle sounded. Luigi paused in spraying to answer it.

"Yello?" he answered.

It was E Gadd. "Try using your flashlight on that thing. Light repels shadow. Use your highest setting."

Luigi wasted no time. He found his flashlight in his pocket and shined it on the creature.

The creature, just meters from him, stopped in it tracks. It recoiled.

"Now blast it with water!" encouraged E Gadd.

Luigi hung up the DS, and focused all his energy.

He alternated between blasting it with water and light. Together, he drove back the creature!

King Bob-omb retreated into its puddle.

Luigi and the townspeople together cleaned up the muck the creature and dragged in towards the town, until there was just a puddle on the ground.

King Bob-omb emerged from it, weak.

Luigi felt weak at the same moment. His arm flared up, and he dropped to his knees.

A couple of Koopas rushed to his side.

"Don't touch the wound," Luigi warned them before they could touch him. "It's evil."

So they instead helped him throw mud on it.

Kammy Koopa flew into the fold. She addressed the fallen creature, whose eyes had faded from yellow to blue. "Rest now, King. We promise to honor you in the spot you have fallen. Please don't bear us any hatred."

King Bob-omb spoke with an eerie voice that chilled Luigi to the core.

"Disgusting creatures! Soon you will feel my hatred and suffer what I have suffered."

The Bob-omb exploded, well enough back to spare the townsfolk, but sudden enough to send a shockwave through Luigi. He stared at the empty space in shock, the spirit's final words rocking him to his core.

The townsfolk carried Luigi away. Polterpup followed at his side, and Kammy Koopa behind.

Luigi was carried into Kammy's house complex. Her house stood opposite the entrance. Luigi was taken into an adjoining house to the left, to have his wound treated. Kammy didn't make an appearance there, but that night Luigi, along with Kammy's Koopas, Princess Daisy, and E Gadd, Luigi entered the main house and the others gathered around.

Luigi sat before Kammy. The others sat along the walls.

Kammy addressed Luigi. "I have consulted this afternoon with the spirits. They have told me of your fate going forward. Luigi, there is evil at work in the land to the north. It's your fate to go there and see what you can see with eyes unclouded by hate. You may find a way to lift the curse."

"C-c-curse?"

"Show the room your wound."

Luigi's arm had been dressed with bandages that afternoon. Now, Luigi pulled back his sleeve, and unwrapped the dressings. There, in a spiral pattern wrapped around his forearm, pink flesh had turned black.

Gasps filled the room.

"That is no ordinary wound," spoke Kammy, "it is a curse. Unless you can find a cure, it will consume you, body and soul, before finally killing you. But, if you're brave enough to venture to the lands of the north, you have a chance to spare yourself this fate."

"I would finally see Mario again?" said Luigi.

"If you hope to see him again, don't forget, it's dangerous up there, Luigi. The place you once called home is being torn apart, and your Mario might not be the man you once knew. He betrayed you once."

It was not a pleasant memory. Still, the good memories far outweighed the bad.

"He may not have been there for me when I needed him, but I'm determined to be there for him. He's my brother, after all. And abandoning me... isn't in his nature. I know he'll be glad to see me again..."

"Naïve as ever, Luigi."

At this, Kammy pulled out a ball of iron and placed it before Luigi.

"This was found in the wreckage. This proves that what we fought today wasn't merely a spirit. It was the real King Bob-omb. When Bob-ombs die, they leave behind their molten iron core. Without this, they cannot regenerate themselves. This core means the real King Bob-omb is truly dead. It seems it wanted to destroy one last thing before it died."

"Oh no..." said Luigi, shaking his head.

He looked down at his wound. This is what King Bob-omb wanted, to spread hatred and destruction. Luigi couldn't let that happen. He looked back up at Kammy with a determined look.

"I suppose this means you're going," she said.

"If I have any chance of saving the world and my soul, I must."

"So be it."

Luigi could feel the weight of the world threatening to crush him under its weight. But he didn't have a choice. He stood up, left the stone house and left the complex. He walked to his own thatched roof house, and packed up his things. He was about to leave, when he saw E Gadd standing in his doorway.

"I know this may be the last time we see each other, Luigi. But I don't want you to go out into the world unarmed. So I'm giving you the F.L.U.D.D., in case you run into any more ghosts."

"What about you?" asked Luigi.

"I've been working on a new prototype. It's called the Poltergust G-00. I'll be fine. Take it."

E Gadd handed the F.L.U.D.D. over. Humbly, Luigi accepted it, and strapped the machine onto his back.

"I don't know if I can do this without you. You've always been here when I needed you. I couldn't have done anything without you. I've never not had your support, and I don't know if I can do it without you. Won't you come with me?"

"Young man, I know you have it in you, whether I'm there or not. You're smart, you can think for yourself. You won't be alone. You got that pooch following you around everywhere. There isn't only danger out there, son, regardless of what Kammy says. You have friends out there, too. Try relying on them."

"Okay," said Luigi, disappointed.

"Take heart, boy. I've taught you everything I can. But I can't go with you. This is my home now. Just as it has been for you."

"I understand," said Luigi. He grabbed his suitcase. "Ciao, professor."

"Goodbye, Luigi. Stay safe out there."

Luigi headed out, with his F.L.U.D.D. on his back, suitcase in hand, and Polterpup by his side. He knew he would be headed north, so he looked for the direction of where King Bob-omb had been defeated and headed towards it, when he heard a shout from behind him.

"Wait, Luigi!"

Luigi turned around. It was Daisy.

"Since you're leaving the village, I made you something," she said.

She reached out her hand and opened it. It was an orange crystal, tied to a necklace. "This should be safe for you to wear. I made it with you specially in mind. If anyone ever tries to hurt you out there, just think of me, and you'll be able to use my crystal smash ability."

Luigi took the necklace, and put it around his neck.

"Thank you, Daisy."

"With this, you'll never forget about me."

"As if I'll ever forget about you, Daisy. You gave me a home when I lost mine. You're like a sister to me. Thank you, Daisy, for everything."

And with that, he left his second home, and started his journey back to his first home, the Mushroom Kingdom.

Chapter Text

Luigi picked up the trail King Bob-omb had left behind and started the cleanup. He travelled for weeks, following and cleaning up the trail. He travelled from the Chai Kingdom, south into the Darklands. Close now to the place he once called home: the Mushroom Kingdom.

It was strange, finding himself in old familiar landscapes. But he continued to follow the trail. Perhaps it would take him in the right direction.

When he met a Toad in an unknown village, he had served as a guide, and had joined him for a night. Luigi had questioned him, but he had known nothing about any curse.

He continued to the south until he suddenly realized where he was. All around him, black woods. He was in the Dark Lands.

In fact, this piece of land looked exceptionally familiar — it was Evershade Valley.

Luigi began to shiver. At this very moment, Shadows could be surrounding him. They could attack him, and Luigi didn't know with any certainty that he had enough water to get himself out of here alive.

He looked into the sky. There was a terrible fog in the sky, blocking out the Dark Moon. That had to mean that the ghosts here weren't friendly. And when he looked at his surroundings, it looked like a battlefield.

Luigi took a deep breath. Getting his fear under control for the moment, he searched the land, looking for survivors.

He found Toad, carried him to one spot. Then he found Mario on the shores of a river, and pulled him next to Toad.

His panic exploded out of him in that moment.

"Mario!" he cried, holding his brother in a tight embrace. "Are you alright? Tell me you're alright!"

Mario struggled, but didn't wake. This put Luigi into a panic. Sweating, looking around, Luigi began to wonder if Mario would ever wake up!

Polterpup came to be by his side. Petting him, Luigi took heart.

Then he spotted something. Tiptoeing away from Mario, he peeked over a fallen log to see who it was.

He gasped. It was Bowser! He was accompanied by Kamek, and a few of his Troopas. Kamek was hurt, and Bowser was bandaging his wound.

Luigi had never seen Bowser like this before. So gentle, so caring... In that moment, the world fell away. Bowser filled his vision, and an unfamiliar feeling took hold of Luigi. It filled him up, and left him wanting more.

Bowser caught him staring. He glared back.

Those eyes. Luigi had never noticed them before, had only ever seen Bowser's monstrous body. Luigi's heart pounded as he stared into them. Those eyes were deep red, the color of burning lava, fiery and passionate. He felt captivated by those eyes, transfixed. Like they held everything Luigi could never be. Bold. Forthcoming. Strong.

But those eyes were glaring daggers into him. He felt his heart tearing in two, at the loss of all that Luigi had never known, but ached for.

It was clear now that Bowser had seen him. Luigi jumped up in fright, landing on the log he'd been cowering behind. He trembled as he tried to speak.

"B-Bowser! I... Did you do something to Mario?"

He didn't know why he said it. He panicked. Something about the look in Bowser's eyes sent him into a spin. He tried thinking straight, but he just couldn't. So he reminded himself of Mario, and why he was here. He used it as a shield to protect himself.

It was an old pattern. Bowser was the bad guy and Luigi his opposition– or part of it, anyway. But it somehow didn't feel real anymore. It was like the whole world had shifted with just a glance.

But Bowser merely growled. "Go away."

And with that Kamek got up, and transported them all away.

"...Luigi?"

Luigi turned around. Mario was sitting up now, looking at him. Luigi ran to his side, supporting his back as Mario looked up at him. His voice was weak.

"Is it really you, Luigi?"

Luigi was crying now. "Oh, Mario! You scared me half to death!"

Mario gave him a crooked smile. "At least I didn't scare you to death."

Luigi pouted crossly. "Not funny."

"I'm so sorry, Luigi. Just trying to lighten the mood. Truth is, I've been worried about you. I know I'm not perfect, but I never meant you to leave for good. I just wanted to protect you."

"I know," said Luigi. "Let's a-go, Mario."

They looked across to Toad. He still hadn't woken up. Luigi checked he was still breathing. Toad breathed weakly into Luigi's ear. Good.

Luigi spotted some ghosts floating nearby. He looked into their eyes, trying to determine how friendly they were. It wasn't entirely clear, but at least the ghosts weren't attacking them.

"Hello, little guys," said Luigi. "Can you lead us out of here?"

The ghosts started floating away. Luigi carried Mario over his shoulder and his suitcase in his other hand. Polterpup carried Toad on his back. Together, they followed the ghosts.

They led them into Treacherous Castle. The ghosts floated across the entrance and Polterpup followed them. Luigi used the hover nozzle on F.L.U.D.D. to pass over the gaps. It was a delicate balance.

The ghosts led them into the castle and into the east corridor.

"Hey, little guys. Are you bringing us out of danger or into it?" asked Luigi.

But he had no choice. He had to press on.

"Please, Luigi. It's a trap," said Mario.

They had entered the jungle exhibit. Ahead of him, Luigi saw three Boos and King Boo behind them. They saw Luigi, and the machine on his back, and fled.

Luigi dropped Mario and his suitcase, as his wound started attacking him. Luigi ran for the waterfall, and sank his wound into the water. The pain dulled, but it was still there, ever present.

"Bro... are you alright?" asked Mario.

"Just... fine, bro," Luigi lied.

When the wound settled down, Luigi removed his arm from the water with a big sigh.

"I know that sigh. What's going on?"

Luigi ignored Mario. Instead, he stepped into the stream and reloaded the F.L.U.D.D.

"Hey, I've seen that before. Is that F.L.U.D.D.?"

Luigi looked up in surprise. Mario shrugged.

"What? I've been around, you know."

"Let's just get out of here."

"Luigi, I can tell there's something wrong."

"Look around, Mario. Everything's wrong. Let's not talk about it here. We'll discuss it once we return to Peach's Castle."

Luigi retrieved his suitcase, threw Mario over his shoulder, and jumped down to the second level, and Polterpup followed him with Toad. Luigi took his flashlight from his case and closed it again. Then he powered up the portal, sent Polterpup and Toad through, and followed them through it.

They ended up outside, behind the castle. Luigi looked around in confusion.

Of course. The portals must have changed destinations since he was here last.

He shouldered Mario, and followed the ghosts north out of the Dark Lands. They disappeared when light filtered into the forest once more.

Mario and Luigi, along with Polterpup and Toad, emerged from the forest, and there it was: Peach's Castle, just beyond Toad Town.

Mario jumped off Luigi's shoulder, then winced from pain. "There it is, Luigi! Let's a-go!"

"Take it easy, Mario. You're gonna hurt yourself."

"Come on, bro! Let's a-go!"

With a sigh, Luigi followed Mario, suitcase in hand, and Polterpup followed him with Toad.

Soon, they were entering Toad Town, and the Toads gathered around them.

"Mario, where have you been?"

"What happened, Mario?"

And then one Toad in particular stormed through the crowd. It was Toadette.

"Mario! Do realize how long you've been gone? Princess Peach was worried sick! And I know I haven't been able to get a decent night's sleep while you've been gone!"

"Now, now..." interrupted Toadsworth. "At least he arrived in one piece. I shall inform the princess at once—"

"And you!" Toadette now leveled her accusations against Toadsworth. "What use have you been all this time? You haven't done a lick of work to try to find him!"

"That's unfair."

Finally, Toadette deflated in her anger and turned to Luigi.

"Thank you for saving Mario, Luigi. I was beginning to think he'd never come home."

"You're welcome, Miss Toadette."

Finally, Peach arrived, walking up to the group of Toads. Behind the excitement in her face, lurked deep sadness. She looked like she might cry.

"Mario? Oh! I'm sure glad you're alright! I was so getting worried!"

"Nothing to worry about, princess! I'm here now. Although, I could use a rest."

"Of course. Feel free to come on up to my castle. Oh! And I see you brought Luigi, too. Hello, Luigi. I thought we'd never find you again!"

"Actually, princess, it was more like Luigi brought me back."

"Well, what a delightful surprise. Well, you're all invited up to my castle, your friends included! I'll see you there!"

With that, Peach left, Toadsworth following behind her.

Chapter Text

At Peach's castle, Mario and Luigi sat down to dinner with mostly yellow and green Toads. A group of pink Toads also hovered by, their interest peaked by the returning heroes.

"Things have been pretty bad since you've been gone, Luigi," a green Toad told Luigi. "When Bowser came to town, we all thought it'd be fine. Mario'd save Princess Peach, and we'd carry on as before. I'm sure you remember that battle."

Luigi remembered it like it was yesterday. Images flashed before his eyes.

"Things were never the same after that battle," said another Toad, beside Luigi. "Both sides took huge casualties. But we survived, and surviving meant getting things back to normal."

"As you know, Peach's castle runs on Power Stars. But we'd used them all fighting the battle. So we had to search across the land in order to find them again."

"But Bowser was lying in wait to lead him to them so he could use them instead. So, skirmishes have broken out all across the kingdoms. It means nothing goes back to normal."

"Mario and Toad were sent to the Dark Lands to find another one. But clearly he never found it, and then he didn't come back."

"That is until you came along, Luigi."

"I saw Bowser out there, too," said Luigi.

The Toads clamoured at that. "Did he have the Star?" one of them asked.

"No. He looked like he'd taken damage, too."

The toads took a collective sigh of relief.

"Phew. Can you imagine if Bowser got a Star? He could turn the tide of the battle!"

"Can you imagine? Power Moons and Stars? We're barely keeping it together as it is!"

"Well, Power Stars have been pretty elusive. Sometimes missions fail."

"They've been doing that a lot lately," said a yellow Toad. "It's getting hard believe we could ever win."

"Don't talk like that," said Mario. "As long as Peach is here, we can make anything possible for her!"

Murmurs of agreement blended with those of doubt.

"There have been successful missions," Mario continued. "Remember Bob-omb Battlefield?"

"What happened there?" asked Luigi.

"Things were dire," told a green Toad. "Our forces were separated across the kingdom. It was just Peach and the Toad Brigade. They followed a lead to Bob-omb Battlefield..."

Darkness had washed over Bob-omb Battlefield. Fog hung above them in the sky. As Peach and the Toads charged the Battlefield, Bob-ombs charged them left and right. Explosions lit up the fields, flashing light upon the scene.

Peach cried buckets of tears, as she charged through the Bob-ombs, defusing them and knocking them out of the way. This created a path through them...

...a path she took right to the top.

King Bob-omb stood before her. He charged her. Once, twice, three times he tried to explode next to her, but each time she put out the heat with her tears. Then his whole body collapsed into the ground, leaving no trace behind him. Then, up from the ground popped a Power Star!

The Toads cheered, re-energized by this story. Sounds of their glee filled the room with good humor and boisterous shouts.

But not Luigi. His hand closed over the ball of iron in his pocket. That night, they had created a monster. King Bob-omb had come back to life through this iron, and travelled all the way across to his small village.

Luigi thought of King Bob-omb. How full of hatred he had been. How his anger must've burned. How that anger grew into darkness. How far he had come just to find someone to kill. How he had almost destroyed Luigi's home.

The Toads were whooping and hollering, as they relived their victory. But it only rang hollow to Luigi.

Mario noticed. "What's wrong, Luigi?"

"Just thinking... how full of hate he had to have been... to have his home invaded like that," said Luigi, grief in his voice. After all, he had nearly shared the same fate.

"But Luigi," said Mario. "That's how it always goes."

Luigi realized he was right. That's how it'd always been before. Luigi realized, with a pang of remorse, that he'd always been a part of it. Well, no more.

The princess showed up. Immediately, Mario got excited, and jumped up onto his feet. "Finally, princess! Let's a-go!"

"Actually, Mario... I want to talk to Luigi."

"Oh," said Mario, disappointed. "Right. I suppose he has been gone a long time..."

"Thank you for understanding, Mario. I promise, I'll talk to you next."

Luigi got up and followed the princess into the next room.

"First of all, Luigi, I want to thank you for bringing Mario and Captain Toad back home. You wouldn't believe how out of my mind with worry I've been."

Luigi would. He thought of the Toad's story. How her tears had rained down in buckets.

"I can imagine," Luigi replied.

"But I have to ask... how are you here? What happened to you that meant you were gone for so long?"

So Luigi told her the story.

"So that's why I've come," Luigi concluded. "To see with eyes unclouded by hate."

"Eyes unclouded...?" said Peach. Then she smiled.

"Come with me, Luigi," she said. "I'm going to share with you all of my secrets..."

Princess Peach led Luigi down to her own secret garden under the castle. The underground pocket had three lights to allow the plants to grow. It also had a stone path that cut through the middle of the garden, that led to a little toadstool-shaped house. On one side of the path was a field full of ice flowers, and on the other side were fire flowers.

"Come with me if you want to learn my secrets," said Peach.

Peach entered the house. Luigi followed her inside.

Inside, the Toad Brigade were gathered around. Toadette wasn't here, but Captain Toad was laid up to the right, recovering his strength, and the others were working.

"We've been trying to get the formula right. The ice flowers have the potential to destroy the shrouds of darkness covering our lands," Peach explained to Luigi. "The problem is that currently are only able to slow down the shadows. I'm the only one in the kingdom who has water powers, but I'm not enough to hold back the darkness on my own. I need the Toads' help. If we could create water flowers, then my whole kingdom could work together to destroy the darkness."

Luigi saw that the Toads were working with seeds.

"Have you had any luck?" she asked the Toads.

"The icy core in the seeds just won't melt," explained a yellow Toad.

"And when they do, the seed doesn't maintain its integrity. It's a delicate balance."

"We're trying to engineer water flowers to solve the problem," Peach explained.

"Doesn't it bother you that the war you're waging is hurting people and destroying their homes? Don't you have any shame? Now you're making more weapons for an army?"

"Yes, it true I killed King Bob-omb, and I'm sorry you suffer. But it's also true my kingdom is under attack. I must defend it."

"It's not self defense when you're heading out in the world and attacking others for your own selfish gain."

Anger flowed through his body. Then his arm moved of its own accord. It pulled back as if to punch her.

Thinking fast, Luigi used his other hand to block the punch, fist smashing to palm.

"Do you want to hurt me, Luigi?"

"It's the curse," said Luigi. "You know I'd never want to hurt you, princess..." He tried pushing back on his cursed arm, trying to get it back under control. "The curse contains King Bob-omb's wounded soul. He wants to hurt you for all the hurt you caused him. I can't say I blame him."

"Don't judge Princess Peach too harshly," said Captain Toad from his bed. "She saved us when no one else could. When the black paint threatened to claim us, her tears saved us. When enemies closed in around us, her flames protected us. She's doing her best out there. It's just that the problem's bigger than her. But she does want the best for us."

Sympathy calmed Luigi's cursed arm. He put it down.

"The ice flowers, in the Toads' hands, have defended the castle so far. They stopped the Shadows in their tracks. Then I used fire to melt them, and the melted water destroyed them. It's a big job, but I do it to keep us protected. Take a walk with me, Luigi."

They left the house, and Peach took up a fire flower. Then they took a side tunnel out of the garden.

"My elemental powers are powered by my emotions. Tears come from my sadness. Fire comes from my anger. But things have gotten so dire lately, that I haven't been able to access my positive emotions, peace for wind, and happiness for earth. I don't know if I'll ever feel peace and happiness again. But at least I can defend my kingdom and fight the darkness."

Luigi contemplated all this.

They reached the end of the tunnel. Peach opened the door with a Power Star. It opened up to outside.

After absorbing the fire flower, she shot fireballs out into the night. Shadows fled from the fire.

"The Kongs have been taken," she said. "They're only Shadows now. Every night they come to attack the castle. That's the darkness that comes, those are the shadows I had to fight with fire and ice. I have to blast them back with fire or they'll encroach on us again. And then there's Bowser."

"Bowser?" asked Luigi.

He flashed back to when he'd seen Bowser in the Dark Lands. He remembered how he'd felt. The look in Bowser's eyes.

"He used to be King of the Lava Kingdom," Peach said. "These days he spends more time in the mountains and the valley beyond, rallying his troops for another big attack. He kidnapped me and got beaten by Mario one too many times. Now he seeks revenge, and he won't leave until he gets it. These days, it seems he's more king of the mountain than king of a kingdom."

She looked up at the Dark Moon, shrouded in fog, and Luigi followed her gaze to it.

"We think that's the cause of all this darkness. It still hangs in the sky, still whole, but somehow it's been corrupted. If only I could fly up to it and heal it with my tears... but there'd need to be peace in order for me to do it. And Bowser's still out there, threatening our peace and waging war on us. If I could only defeat him, everything could go back to the way it was..."

Peach turned to Luigi.

"It could heal you, Luigi. It has that power. But first, we have to fix it. Stay here, and help me fight Bowser. With him defeated, we can get you cured."

Luigi looked into the princess's eyes. They were pleading with him.

Then he looked back out over the landscape. Somewhere out there, was Bowser. He had to find him. It was the only way to end this nightmare.

"Sorry, princess. But if Bowser is the key to all this, then I have to go out there and find him.

She smiled at him. "I hope you do. Then maybe we can end all this!"

Luigi thought of those eyes. How beautiful they were...

"Here's hoping..."

Chapter Text

Luigi wandered into a room of the castle. It was a factory. They were making coins.

Four pink Toads were lined up on either side of teetering board, pushing either side of it up and down. Luigi approached Toadette, who was resting off to the side. She sat up at his approach.

"Hey, Toadette. So this is what you do?"

"Part-time. Otherwise, I join the Toad Brigade in our duties to the princess."

Luigi gestured to the coin-making see-saw. "Can I try?"

"Uh, I don't..."

Luigi wandered over and repeated the question. The pink Toad looked unsure. Then Toadette appeared at Luigi's side.

"Might as well give him a go."

Luigi subbed in. Immediately, he pressed hard into the seesaw. The tiny Toads suddenly were sent off their rhythm, unbalanced into riding the seesaw.

"Impressive," said Toadette, "but you won't be able to keep up that momentum for long."

She was right. Luigi quickly tired, and subbed the original Toad back in.

He hung around with the Toads for a few minutes, before excusing himself to leave. The Toads who were resting followed him to the door. He bid them farewell, and told them he'd be headed out in the morning.

"Are you sure you can't stay?" asked one.

"You know I'd love to, there's someone else out there I must find."

"Are you gonna bring Yoshi home? Please do!"

Luigi didn't want to say anything. He rubbed his neck awkwardly and shrugged.

"You are! That's great!"

Luigi paused. He could hear something...

Stomping on the roof.

"He's here."

Luigi said goodbye and rushed off.

He followed the sound of the stomping into another room. Then Bowser came crashing down through the roof.

Wasting no time, Bowser swiped his claws at Luigi, who jumped back and back.

"Bowser, please! I don't wanna hurt you!"

Bowser scoffed and knocked Luigi down, exiting out through the door.

Luigi chased after him. Bowser jumped up through another hole in the roof. Luigi followed the stomping until the main hall.

Another hole in the roof. Bowser at the top of the stairs.

Peach and her Toads stood near Luigi.

"Good," he heard Peach tell Toadsworth, "we've got him cornered. When he jumps down, take a bunch of Toads and blast him."

Luigi looked up at Bowser, who was readying himself to move.

"Bowser, no!"

Bowser didn't listen. He jumped from the barrister, aiming at Peach.

A wall of Toads and Toadworth at the front blocked him, each one powered up with fire flowers. They aimed...

"No!" cried Luigi. He sent a jet of water from his F.L.U.D.D. machine, dowsing the flames.

Bowser leaped over the Toads. Peach backed up as he came down, and now they were facing each other one to one. The Toads surrounded the both of them.

Peach was already powered up from the fire flower earlier. That meant that she could shoot fire as well as he could.

Bowser breathed flames at her. She dodged.

She shot fireballs at him. He sidestepped.

As Luigi watched from the side, he could feel their hate coiling through him. Their hate moved through him, sending black Shadows up from his cursed arm. They were only making things worse! They were creating the Shadows... Their hate! It set his teeth on edge.

Luigi moved towards them.

Toadsworth stood in his way. He was eyeing the black tendrils coming up from Luigi's arm. "You've betrayed milady! You're a spy for the Shadows, aren't you?"

He was holding Perry in attack mode, readying to use Chargebrella on him.

Luigi touched Perry, and the darkness in his cursed arm forced Perry to fold back in on himself. Luigi passed Toadsworth, who simply gaped after him.

Pushing through the Toads, Luigi made it to the middle of the circle, where Peach and Bowser were fighting. He dowsed the flames with his spray nozzle, and stood between them.

"What are you doing?" Peach cried furiously, bursting into flames.

"Bowser's life is mine," said Luigi.

"I'm sure he'll make a charming husband," she quipped.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, Greenie," shot Bowser.

"Look, everyone!" cried Luigi, as the black tendrils consumed all three of them. "This is what hatred looks like. This is what it does when it catches hold of you. It's eating me alive, and very soon now it will kill me! Fear and anger only make it grow faster."

"How dare you—" cried the princess.

Luigi let his cursed hand do the talking. He knocked out Peach, then Bowser.

"No one treats Princess Peach like that!" cried a pink Toad. He took out a fire flower and powered up with it. "Move and I fire!"

Luigi leaned Bowser off his shoulder and walked away.

The pink Toad struggled with herself.

"What are you doing?" cried another Toad.

It was enough to set him off. He fired. The fireball burst the water container in the F.L.U.D.D., which started dripping water. Luigi felt the fireball move through him.

Luigi glanced back at him. Then, with the strength of ten men combined, Luigi hoisted Bowser over his back, granted extra strength from the curse, and made for the door.

Toadsworth stood in front of him. "You shall not leave! We can't let you take Bowser!"

"Get out of the way, Toadsworth," said Luigi.

"No! You simply shan't!"

Luigi gently pushed Toadsworth aside, and walked to the door. He put his hand on it.

"You can't open that door!" a Toad cried behind him. "It's sealed with a power star!"

But Luigi could feel the trace of one inside him. It was in his arm. He pushed that residual power into the door.

There were gasps behind him as the seal slowly started to vanish. Bit by bit the seal disappeared from the door, until it was gone. All traces of the Star in his body has disappeared with it. Luigi opened the door.

Koopa Troopas rushed at the door.

"Stop!" cried Luigi. "I have your king!"

The Troopas came to a stop before the door. Luigi looked behind him. Polterpup bounded into the room.

"Come on, puppy," said Luigi.

Polterpup leaped out the front door. Luigi followed him, closing the door behind him.

Kamek used his magic to float Bowser off Luigi's back. Polterpup copied the action, lifting Luigi up off the ground.

As the Troopas walked away, Luigi and Polterpup followed them.

They were some way up the mountain when Luigi collapsed from exhaustion, falling off Polterpup. By now, Bowser was revived, and demanded to be let down. Kamek did.

He rushed to Luigi's side. The Troopas had their spears to his throat.

"Leave him be! He's mine!" ordered Bowser.

They removed their spears and backed up. Bowser crouched by Luigi, checking him over. The machine on his back was broken. And there was a hole cut through him. Fire cauterized the wound, but it still looked severe.

"His own people attacked him," mumbled Bowser. "He's hurt."

Kamek looked at him. "What will you do, Your Ugliness?"

Bowser growled, remembering who he's supposed to be. He pounced on the tiny green man, and demanded of him, "Why did you stop me from killing her?"

"Didn't want you hurt," the little human mumbled.

Bowser stripped him of the machine and flipped him on his back. "No one is going to stop me from having my revenge!"

"I knew from the moment I first saw you..."

"Princess Peach has betrayed me for the last time! I won't let you stop me from killing her!"

"No," breathed Luigi. "Live."

"I'll slit your throat! That'll shut you up!" Bowser growled, pressing his claws into Luigi's neck.

His eyes again. They glistened with passion.

"You're beautiful," Luigi said.

Bowser reeled back, his eyes now full of shock, and... fear.

"What's wrong?" asked one of his Koopatrols. "Do you want us to kill him?"

Bowser's reply was cut off by the flinging of fruit. They looked up the rocks to find the Kongs standing there.

But they weren't the Kongs, not really. They were more like Shadow Kongs.

"Give us human," said Shadow Donkey.

"What do you want with this human?" demanded Bowser.

"We want possess him," said Shadow Donkey. "He would be perfect weapon against Peach."

Bowser looked down at Luigi. This small green man had called him beautiful. No one had ever done that before. He looked back up at Shadow Donkey. He did want Peach dead. But more than that, he wanted to be loved. Maybe with Luigi...

"Go away," Bowser growled. "He's mine."

With that, he blew fire at the Shadow apes. They scattered.

Kamek turned to Bowser. "What should we do?"

"Don't worry about them. I'll deal with the human. You guys head back to base."

The Koopatrols left. Kamek hesitated. "Is this about love, Your Possessiveness?"

Bowser looked down at Luigi. "I don't know. Maybe. Now get out of here."

Kamek nodded and left without another word.

Bowser turned. He saw Luigi's ghost dog, Polterpup.

He tried a smile. "Hello, pup. You're the Luigi's friend, right? It's okay. I'm a friend."

Tentatively, Polterpup came closer.

"That's right. Attaboy..."

Polterpup panted at him. He trusted him.

"Okay, good," said Bowser. "Come with me. Let's see what we can do for your friend..."

Chapter Text

Bowser took him into Treacherous Castle, to the only one who could heal his wound. King Boo. The problem was, the King hated Luigi's guts. But it was Luigi's only chance to survive.

The trail to the castle was indeed treacherous, to anyone smaller than his size. But Bowser just leaped over the gaps. As he reached the door, he took out the key from his shell and turned it in the lock. The door opened.

Pitch blackness filled the doorway. He was here.

"My lord," spoke Bowser. "I have brought you your archenemy. But before you kill him, hear me! He would be the perfect weapon against Peach. Heal his wound, and her kingdom is yours."

Polterpup whimpered. King Boo appeared out of the blackness to Bowser.

"You have done well," said King Boo. "I shall consider it."

King Boo faded into the dark. The main hall reappeared.

Bowser looked down at Polterpup. "Don't worry," he assured him. "This is just the price we pay. Watch over him for me, will you?"

Bowser carried Luigi to the Jungle Exhibit. This was one of Boo's regular haunts. Bowser placed him beside the river.

"I'll be back in the morning. We'll know by then what he decided."

Polterpup whined as Bowser moved to leave. Bowser looked down at him. "I know it's a risk. But if we don't take it, we lose him anyway. Just trust me."

Polterpup went silent. And Bowser left.

The night dragged on. Luigi turned in his sleep.

He saw him. King Boo. His menacing eyes, much different to Bowser's. Purple, glowing. Filled with a darkness even Bowser didn't possess. Hollow. Hating.

Those eyes pierced his soul. They reached down into Luigi's heart, to see what what they could find. No malice. Fear. Desire. They reached down to twist them. But, no. Love. Love kept him strong.

But there was another presence here. The spirit of King Bob-omb. Much better. Fear. And hate. So much hate. The need to destroy. There was potential here...

Luigi woke up.

Soon, Bowser was hovering over him. Relief washed over him.

Those eyes were back. How he'd missed them. Those eyes held both gentleness and boldness, care and ambition. There was a humanity... a softness behind them. It was comforting.

"Looks like you survived the night," said Bowser.

"Yes. But how?"

"I did what I could. Got King Boo to spare you."

Luigi looked down at his chest. The hole was gone.

He looked at his arm. Still there. And spreading.

"The wound. But not the curse."

"Small victories."

"But why did you do that?"

"I didn't want you hurt."

Luigi smiled. Maybe this meant...

"You should thank Polterpup, too. He stayed by your side all night. He watched over you."

Luigi smiled over at Polterpup. "Good puppy."

Polterpup barked. He seemed to appreciate that.

"You should eat something. I brought you something," said Bowser.

It was beef jerky. Bowser fed it to him.

But Luigi was still too weak to chew it. It fell from his mouth.

Bowser picked up the mouthful and chewed it himself. He pressed his lips to Luigi and gently passed the chewed up food into Luigi's mouth. He swallowed.

Bowser kept feeding Luigi like this. A smile came to Luigi's lips.

"Hell of a time for first kisses."

"This doesn't count," said Bowser. "I'm just feeding you."

"Still."

They were interrupted by an explosion to the right. Bob-ombs marched through a new hole in the wall.

More to the left. Kamek zoomed through the room behind, then landed beside Bowser.

"I tried to warn them, Your Stubbornness," said Kamek. "They wouldn't listen to me."

"They no longer have a home..." Luigi reasoned.

"Why is there a human here?" one of the Bob-ombs demanded. "They are evil. We are here to rally against them to save our land."

"Humans are everywhere these days. Go back to your mountain, kill them there," said Kamek.

"We'll kill this one here, and then go save our home. Why is he here?"

"King Boo spared his life, and healed a fatal wound. This man is not our enemy!" snapped Bowser.

"Lies!" cried the Bob-ombs. "King Boo saved his pathetic life? But he couldn't save our dear king? King Bob-omb was a brave and noble leader! Wasn't he guardian of the mountain? Why not spare him?"

"Life and death are his alone, or have you forgotten?" replied Kamek.

"You lie! You must've begged King Boo to save his life! But you did beg for King Bob-omb? Did you?"

"King Bob-omb was afraid to die. Now I, too, carry poison inside me," replied Kamek. "Your king fled, and darkness took him. I remain and contemplate my death."

Bowser's whipped around to Kamek. He was shocked.

"What? No! You can't die! I forbid you!" cried Bowser.

"It's too late for me. I'm sorry to have failed you."

"I'm sure King Boo—"

"—has other priorities than saving me. I've been proud to serve you, Your Clinginess, but my time will soon come."

"You're not fooling anyone! I'm sure you came here to beg for his help!" cried the Bob-ombs.

"I met your King Bob-omb, far away in Sarasaland," said Luigi. "He had turned into a Shadow Fury, and came to destroy my village. I was forced to kill him, and in return, I got this."

Luigi showed his arm to the Bob-ombs.

"It's proof of what I say. And it's also proof that, while King Boo spared my life, he didn't spare my soul. This curse will tear my soul apart and then kill me. So, I'm still dying."

The Bob-ombs parted. A new Bob-omb came to the fore. It was Admiral Bobbery.

"Let me see."

Luigi held out his cursed arm to the Admiral. He tuned into it.

"You speak the truth. I can still sense his spirit in you. And... his hatred. I mourn for the king. It should never have come to this."

"What will you do?"

"It will not stop our plans. We will ambush the humans where they lurk."

"But they'll decimate you," said Kamek.

"We grow weak and dumb. Soon we will be little more than cannon fodder for the humans. Better to go out fighting."

Bowser nodded. That was something he could respect.

"Aren't you just giving them what they want?" asked Kamek.

"We did not ask for your help," answered Bobbery. "You have no obligation."

As the Bob-ombs passed them, a purple haze overtook Bowser's vision. Replacing the Bob-omb army, across the river, King Boo showed himself to Bowser. Keep your promise.

He vanished.

"Come on," Bowser told Kamek. "Let's head back to base. Bring Luigi."

"You would take the human to our hideout?"

"I trust him."

"I hope you're not wrong about this, Your Foolishness..."

Once again, Kamek raised Luigi with his magic and left the room. Polterpup followed. Bowser picked up Luigi's smashed machine and followed them out.

Once they'd returned to base, Luigi was left to rest in a makeshift cave high on a mountain. It was Bowser's Cave. A short way away, the Koopa Troopas had their camp deep in the trees.

Polterpup was there to watch over him. But Bowser had also tasked his henchmen to keep an eye on him.

Then Bowser went out to war.

He returned late in the evening. He got his report from the henchmen then returned to Luigi's side. Polterpup was laying beside him.

This could all just be a fool's errand. There was no room for love or beauty when one was waging war. He needed to close himself off to it, not open himself up. And yet, this human was somehow different to everyone else in the Mushroom Kingdom. He had been cursed, so why wasn't he giving in to the hate like everyone else? How could he still be so kind?

Bowser laid down beside him. He stared at his sleeping form. He looked so peaceful. So beautiful. How could such beauty exist in such an ugly world?

Eyes drifting closed, he put up one last struggle before his walls fell and he drifted off to sleep.

When Luigi woke up, Bowser was sleeping beside him. He looked happy, smiling in his sleep. It was cute. Luigi wondered what he was dreaming about.

After a few weeks rest, Luigi was feeling much stronger. He also was struggling to fall back to sleep.

He opened his eyes. Bowser was sleeping next to him. So he decided to watch Bowser for a while.

Bowser had a beautiful smile. He'd never noticed it before. Perhaps because he'd never seen it before. It shone like the sun. Luigi just wanted to pocket this moment and keep it forever. Every second of this smile was precious, so much more because it was so rare. Even if he never saw it again, he wanted to keep this memory till his dying breath.

And then the moment was gone. The smile vanished.

It was like a spell was broken. Sadness washed over Luigi. He remembered the distance that separated them. Bowser wasn't smiling for him. They weren't together.

Luigi closed his eyes, holding to the memory, clinging to it for dear life. Then the moment passed, and he let go.

He got up and wandered away. He had to get his mind off of Bowser. It was depressing, how distant they were from each other, knowing how unlikely that Bowser could ever love him back.

"Trouble sleeping?"

Luigi looked up. Kamek was perched above him on a rock.

"Yeah..."

"Have you recovered?" asked Kamek. "You know, you could also jump down from here and end it all."

"No, thanks."

"What difference does it make? You're going to die anyway. That mark will spread and kill you."

"Is that what you're going to do? Just give up?"

"No. I dream of killing Peach. I want her to suffer. I want to see my magic tearing her apart. I want it to be the last thing she ever feels."

"That's horrible. Can't Peach and Bowser just get along? Why can't the Mushroom and the Lava Kingdoms just live in harmony?"

"Once war has started, it's difficult to stop. Besides, they have history. This war will end things one way or the other."

"And what if Bowser dies? Can you really just accept that?"

"He is our king. If he dies, Junior will take over."

"But he's just a boy! You can't let King Bowser die now?"

"I have no intention of letting him die! With the last of my strength, I will fight for the Lava Kingdom! And will you join us, or will you go back to them?"

"I won't fight with either of you. What would that solve? Then the Shadows would continue to spread..."

"What else is there? You'll let that mark kill you? So be it. Leave in the morning, or I'll kill you. If you're still here tomorrow tonight, I'll kill you myself. It'd be a mercy killing, anyway. I won't let you infect Bowser. We need him strong."

With that, Kamek floated away. And Luigi returned to bed.

Bowser was awake now. "You okay?" he asked.

"Fine," said Luigi. "Thanks to you and King Boo. Funny world."

Bowser smiled to himself, and went back to sleep.

There's that smile, thought Luigi. He settled back down.

As Luigi settled back down, he thought of all the things he and Kamek had discussed. Mercy. Harmony. Junior.

Junior. Luigi hadn't thought about his role in all of this. Even if Bowser died, he was to be the insurance of the Lava Kingdom. He must be lonely at home, locked up in that castle. And his paintbrush...

Luigi's eyes snapped open. His paintbrush. Could that be the cause of all this, these shadows?

He looked across at Bowser, peacefully sleeping. Was that why this place, high in the mountains, was untouched? Did Junior paint the world but avoided his dad? It made sense. After all, he loved his dad. He wouldn't want him to suffer.

"Go to sleep, little man," said Bowser, his eyes still closed.

Luigi closed his eyes. And he went to sleep, with thoughts of Junior swirling in his mind.

When he awoke in the morning, Bowser was gone. But he had left out Luigi's things: his F.L.U.D.D. machine, repaired and sealed with some kind of light brown glue, his necklace, and his flashlight. He put on his things and grabbed his flashlight.

A Koopatrol stood at the entrance. "This way," he said.

Luigi looked to the side to check Polterpup was there. He was. Together, they followed the Koopatrol.

He led them to the nearest river. "Thank you," Luigi told him.

Luigi looked down at his orange crystal. He could've avoided getting mortally wounded if he'd just remembered Daisy. But she had been right; he forgot her.

He didn't deserve this necklace. He decided instead that he should give it to Bowser. Let it protect him instead.

All Luigi had to do was put his intentions into it, right? So he squeezed the crystal in his non-cursed hand, and thought only of Bowser. He felt the power in the crystal shift.

He opened his eyes. The Koopatrol was looking at him.

"Do me one last favour," he called to the Koopatrol. "Give King Bowser this for me."

He threw the necklace to the Koopatrol, who caught it in mid-air. Then the Koopatrol left.

Now, Luigi had to track down Junior. And to do that, he had to venture into the Dark Woods...

He clicked on the flashlight, and started heading in that direction.

The Koopatrol caught up to Bowser. He and Kamek were overlooking Peach and her blue Toads on the battlefield.

"Lord Bowser. It's from Luigi."

The Koopatrol handed over the necklace.

His eyes turned from hateful to touched as he laid eyes on it. "How thoughtful. It's just my color," said Bowser, and put the necklace on.

He turned back to the battlefield. Peach was burning the mountainside. That was sure to bring the Bob-ombs right to them. It was a trap.

"I'm going to go fight with them. You stay here and see if you can manipulate things from afar."

"Yes, Your Cunningness."

Bowser ran off.

The Shadows were on the move. Luigi followed them to Peach's Castle, when he was caught by a small group of blue Toads.

"Hey! What are you doing here? You'll bring the Shadows right to the castle!"

"I'm not bringing them—"

"I don't want to hear it! Surrender at once! We'll bring you to Princess Peach herself! Let her deal with you."

"I'm sorry, I don't have time—"

"You'll make time!"

"I'm sorry for this..."

Luigi charged at them and knocked them aside. Then he ran for the castle.

The Shadows were stopped by the moat. Luigi jumped into the water.

From the ramparts, the pink Toads looked over at him.

"Luigi! You're back!"

Luigi looked up and smiled upon seeing them. "Great to see you! I was following these Shadows, and it seems they're attacking the castle again!"

"Princess Peach is out of the castle at the moment! We'll hold the Shadows off until she returns!"

"I was following them to find the source. I might have a lead..."

"Try the battlefield. If the source is anywhere, it should be there."

Then Mario popped his head out from the ramparts. "It's a-me, Mario!"

"Good to see you, bro!" cried Luigi.

"I have your suitcase!"

"Thanks, bro! Throw it here!"

Mario threw it over and Luigi caught it.

"I have to go now, hopefully I'll come back when all this clears!"

"You're confident you can fix this?"

"Not really, but I have to try!"

"Good luck, bro!"

"Thanks, you too!"

And with that, Luigi packed away his flashlight, and used F.L.U.D.D. to hover past the Shadows, then ran for the battlefield once he was passed them.

As Luigi ran hard up the hill, some blue Toads spotted him and blasted fireballs at him. Luigi jumped over each one.

This was getting ridiculous! They should be on the same side!

Then a fireball hit Polterpup, and he whimpered.

"Puppy!" cried Luigi.

Anger surged through him. As the curse spread up to his hand, Luigi fought back. He whizzed across the battlefield, knocking out Toads left and right. He also picked up extra fire flowers on his way.

He came back down to Polterpup. "Are you okay, puppy?"

Polterpup whined but floated up and licked his face.

"Okay, let's go."

Polterpup was slowed down by the injury, but still followed him.

As Luigi stepped on the battlefield, he saw the remnants of bodies. There were iron lumps everywhere, and the bodies of blue Toads were piled in an open mass grave. But no Shadows, and no Junior.

The red Toads stopped him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for the source of the Shadows. If I find it, maybe this fighting might stop."

"Is that Luigi?" said a voice from behind them.

Green Toads emerged from behind the red Toads, familiar faces. They came down to greet him.

"What happened here?" asked Luigi.

"The Bob-ombs charged the mountain, together with Bowser and Admiral Bobbery. Peach fought with fire, overwhelming the Bob-ombs and blowing them sky high."

"There's a Shadow in her, I'm sure of it. She can only access negative emotions. She can't feel peace or happiness anymore..."

He thought of Bowser. How happy he'd looked in his sleep. Blessedly free from Shadows.

Then he thought of the frown that'd followed it. As if still haunted by something. Perhaps that was a hint. Perhaps learning that could tell him where Junior might be hiding.

He climbed out of the grave. In the wreckage, he spotted Yoshi. Perhaps he could lead him to Bowser. He went down to go help him.

"What are you doing?"

"Yoshi can help me find Bowser. There's something I need to ask him."

"You're not going anywhere!" cried a red Toad.

He shot a fireball at him. Luigi dodged. And another one. He dodged again.

That's when the green Toads ganged up on the red Toads, and beat them up.

"Go!" said a green Toad. "We'll hold them off."

Luigi got on Yoshi. Polterpup floated beside him. Luigi switched to spray nozzle cleaned up Polterpup good as new.

"Wish I'd thought of that before. Now, go. See if you can find Junior. Like Bowser but smaller."

Polterpup darted off.

Luigi turned to Yoshi.

"Do you trust me, Yoshi?"

He nodded.

"Then take me to Bowser."

Yoshi took off running.

Chapter Text

Bowser, Bobbery, and a Troopa were in the Dark Lands. The Troopa and Bobbery were injured, yet Bowser remained unscathed, thanks to Luigi's thoughtful gift. They were headed to Treacherous Castle.

"Come on, we're nearly there..." said Bowser. "King Boo will heal you..."

Fruit rained down from the trees. Kongs. But where were their Shadows?

"This your fault," said Donkey.

"How is this our fault?" said Bowser.

"Because of you, this place dying. Something coming, neither human nor animal..."

"What do you mean, 'neither human nor animal'?"

The Kongs fled, along with everything around them.

Neither human nor animal... He had to have meant King Boo. Perhaps this was his fault. Boo probably felt Bowser had betrayed him by not keeping his promise to use Luigi to take down Peach. There would be no healing in the Treacherous Castle today.

Then, off in the distance, he saw it. A Bob-omb. But it wasn't an ordinary Bob-omb. There were weird cut outs around the eyes, and a red glow from within. It was a fake.

More of them appeared around the first. There were a swarm of them.

Bobbery got up.

"My warriors, back from the dead. Oh, Scarlette, if only you could return to me as well..."

"Wait, no. It's a trick," said Bowser. "Those aren't your warriors, they're Toad pretenders."

Bobbery started charging through the wood. Bowser ran beside him. The fake Bob-ombs followed.

"Come with me, my warriors!" cried Bobbery. "Together, we have a second chance at victory! King Boo will make us strong again... and together, we'll wipe out both humans and Toads once and for all! And then maybe I'll see my beautiful Scarlette again..."

Bowser's Troopa ran parallel to Bowser.

"Sir, come back! Bobbery is doomed!" he cried.

"No, I won't let him turn into a Shadow like King Bob-omb did! Go back, tell Kamek what is happening here! He'll know what to do!"

The Troopa ran off. Now Bowser was alone with Bobbery.

They ran on for a little distance, until Bobbery stopped again. His burst of energy had tired him out. He lay on the ground, resting.

That was when the fakes tried it. They came forward to attack him. Bowser guarded him, sending them back with some slashes of his claws.

That's when Bobbery went dark. Shadows spread over his body.

"No! Stop this, Bobbery! You can fight it!"

Bowser desperately tried to wipe the paint off of Bobbery, but he got sucked into it instead.

"Luigi!" cried Bowser. His crystal smash ability cut through the paint, but not enough to save himself. The light in the crystal were too dimmed by the darkness.

Luigi heard Bowser's voice calling his name. He followed the call.

A line of yellow and red Toads were marching through the forest. When Luigi got to the front of the line, he found Peach and Captain Toad leading the charge.

Luigi got off Yoshi. "Go on ahead," he told him. Then he turned to Peach.

"What are you doing?" cried Luigi. "Your castle is under attack. The Shadows have stormed it while you were away."

"My Toads can handle themselves. I've taught them well. And they've got Mario to protect them."

"And what are you doing here that's so important? Chasing Bowser?"

"Bowser can wait. I'm after the crystal that King Boo wears on his crown. Toadsworth has told me that it is how Boo corrupted the Dark Moon. It can heal you and destroy Bowser! Will you join me?"

"Right now, I'm chasing Shadows. I believe it's the key to ending this, not chasing absolute power! If I can stop the Shadows, I stop the war."

"Nothing can stop this war! Either he dies or I do! He's kidnapped me too many times for me to let him get away with it anymore. And if you were in your right mind, you'd hate him too!"

"If you were in your right mind, you'd see that peace is far more valuable than hatred. I only wish for peace between the two kingdoms."

"Join me, Luigi. Don't you want to heal your curse?"

"I do. But there are more important things."

And with that, he ran off.

Treacherous Castle looked like it had been bombed. It had a massive bomb hole in its front entrance, not to mention the others he knew were there. Luigi ran off the Main Hall, and into the Jungle Exhibit.

Kamek lay deathly still by the stream. Luigi ran up to him.

"Kamek! Are you alright?"

The Magikoopa didn't say much, but his eyes rolled as he tracked Luigi.

"Where's Bowser?"

The Magikoopa looked up, across the stream, and Luigi followed the direction his eyes were pointing. Through a gaping hole in the wall, Admiral Bobbery arrived...

But he wasn't Admiral Bobbery... it was Shadow Bobbery. And out of his right shoulder, a spike that reminded him of...

Bowser!

Surrounding him, a strange group of Bob-ombs entering the room. They didn't look like Shadows, but they didn't look quite right either. They looked... twisted.

Familiar voices whispered to him through where eyes should be.

"Get out of here! You'll ruin the plan!"

"What plan?" replied Luigi.

They didn't answer him, just pushed him around. Luigi pushed back. He had other, more pressing concerns. He turned to Bobbery.

"Please, I beg of you... release Bowser to me! Give him back to me!"

Bobbery looked unmoved, almost robotic. It was like he didn't even see Luigi, let alone feel his pain. It wasn't him anymore.

Luigi was shaking. He didn't want to do this. But for Bowser... he must.

Jumping onto Shadow Bobbery, he dug through the black paint, looking for Bowser. He had to be here somewhere... he just knew he had to be!

He saw a leg. He pulled. Bowser could barely budge.

Orange crystals shot through the muck. That made it a little easier. He thought of Daisy. And Bowser. They were both so strong. He had to be strong for them.

He yanked hard, and was thrown back into the stream by the sliding paint. He rolled so that the F.L.U.D.D. wasn't damaged.

The F.L.U.D.D.!

A little voice inside him asked, Luigi, can you save the man you love?

Luigi stood up. All around him, red Toads were scattering out the blast hole Luigi had come from, leaving discarded Bob-omb costumes behind.

In front of him, a beast. Already, Kamek had joined the fray, shooting spells at the beast. But soon, black paint stung him from the inside, spewing out his mouth. He was dying.

Luigi's turn. He turned on the spray nozzle.

He aimed. He fired.

Water blasted Bobbery. Bit by bit, the paint fell away. Bowser fell to the ground.

"Papa!" a child's voice cried out.

A presence rose up behind Luigi. A shiver ran down Luigi's back.

He turned around. King Boo.

Luigi gasped. Breathless, he switched targets.

But before he could do anything, Boo floated over his head. He absorbed Bobbery's darkness. Then he killed both him and Kamek.

"No!" the child cried. Luigi recognized the voice at last: Junior.

Then a fireball flew past, knocking Boo down. Peach.

The jewel atop Boo's crown was knocked to the ground. Yellow Toads emerged to snatch it up and pack it away.

At the same time, Junior had emerged, painting King Boo black, tears streaming from his eyes. King Boo rose again as a Shadow, desperately trying to snatch the jewel back.

Everything was happening all at once. Luigi didn't know where to turn.

Then, he saw Bowser, still on the ground. Luigi ran to him. The only thing that made sense right now.

"Bowser! Are you alright?"

Bowser lifted his head to meet Luigi's gaze. He gave him a crooked smile.

"Better now, Greenie. But..."

He stood shakily to his feet. He showed Luigi his arms.

"I have your curse now too."

Tears formed in Luigi's eyes. He wailed in grief.

"I... I... I never wanted... this to happen... to you, Bowser."

"Luigi."

Luigi looked up at him in shock. "You... know my name?"

"'Course I do! You think I dealt with you for this long with knowing a thing like that? I just like to tease you!"

Luigi barked out a laugh. Then he grinned up at Bowser.

"Come on, let's get out of here before anything else goes wrong."

"No, wait," said Luigi. "Look."

They both turned to look at the scene before them. Boo was in the centre, dark tendrils stretched to the four walls. Junior was backed into a corner, terror in his eyes. Peach was on the ground, a flood of tears pooling under her, keeping her distant separated from the darkness, Toadsworth clinging to her side.

"We have to help them."

Bowser went to Junior without hesitation.

Luigi went to Peach and Toadsworth. He cleared a path to them using the spray nozzle on his F.L.U.D.D., and led them back to the bomb hole. Bowser returned with Junior.

He turned to Luigi with a scowl on his face. "Why did you save her?"

"We have to save everyone."

"No," growled Bowser, "you're on her side! You have been all along!"

Luigi spoke to Bowser from the heart. "Look around you, Bowser. Is this the world that any of us wanted? It's not the world that I want. But to make that better world, we need all of us. We need to put aside what we want to get what we deserve: a world we all can live in. So, will you help me?"

Luigi held out his hand.

Bowser took it. "I will."

Chapter Text

It was at that moment that Polterpup and Yoshi arrived. Polterpup bowled over Luigi with kisses, and Luigi laughed with enjoyment.

When he got up, he sorted everyone out. He sent away Peach with Polterpup and Toadsworth on Yoshi. Then Bowser put Junior on his shoulders, and he and Luigi raced each other outside the mansion. They didn't stop until they made it to solid ground outside.

"Where to now, Luigi?"

"Peach's castle. We've gotta warn them. And then we've gotta track down the Toads that stole Boo's diamond."

"Well, lead the way."

They reached the Castle before Peach. The land looked decimated. One mountain was stripped bare by explosions. The other was being withered and destroyed by Boo's darkness. But at least the Shadows that were invading when last he came here had vanished.

Luigi called out to Toadette. She peeked her head out.

"What's going on, Luigi?"

"It's King Boo! He become a Shadow! Evacuate everyone to the water. It'll slow him down!"

That was when Peach arrived, with Toadsworth in tow. As the Toads evacuated to the moat, she could see it wasn't wide enough for everyone. So she ordered every able-bodied Toad to grab a flower from the secret garden and hold off the Shadows for as long as possible.

Meanwhile, Bowser had spotted the red Toads. Leaving his son with Peach and hoping for his safety, he and Luigi headed up the wasted hill after the Toads.

Luigi was faster than the Toads, and whizzed past them, blocking their path.

"Hey, Luigi!" said Captain Toad, who was leading three yellow Toads that had the diamond all boxed up. "Glad to see you're alive."

"Hey, you too. Now, would you mind handing over the diamond?"

"We need this to win the war!"

"Don't waste your breath on them!" growled Bowser. "Let's just take it!"

As Bowser lunged at Toad, Toad leaped up out of the way, and kicked Bowser in the jaw. Soon the other Toads had joined in the fighting, kicking and punching at Bowser and Luigi.

Then the Shadows started closing in around them, and the box started rolling down the hill. Toad chased after it, followed by Luigi, Bowser, and one of the Toads. All four of them ended up on a rock, a sea of darkness surrounding them.

It was time to talk.

"What do you want with the diamond?" asked Toad.

"We have to give it back," answered Luigi.

"Give it back!" cried Toad. "You'd be giving a force of evil ultimate power! You'd doom us all!"

"Not like this," said Luigi. "Can you show it to me?"

Toad hesitated. But ultimately, he opened the box and handed the diamond to Luigi.

It was cloudy. Black smoke whirled inside.

"Just like I thought."

And with the spray nozzle, he cleaned the diamond. The smoke cleared.

"Good as new."

The black sea around them turned gray.

"It's working!" said the yellow Toad.

"Not yet," said Bowser. "It's drained of color, but it's still there."

"I have to clean up King Boo. Oh, if only I had stronger nozzles!"

"I might just be able to help you out there," said Bowser. He pulled two nozzles from his shell.

"But how?" cried Luigi.

"Toadsworth. He thought they might come in handy."

Luigi's face lit up in an open-faced smile. "You're amazing, Bowser, thank you!"

Luigi handed the diamond to Bowser. He took the nozzles and fitted them to his F.L.U.D.D. "Hold that until I get back."

"Are you sure you should–" began Toad.

"I won't be long," Luigi assured him. "Wait here."

And with that, he blasted high into the air with a powerful blast of water. In mid-air, he blasted backward and forward over Boo, sending enormous gushes of water over him, reducing him in size until he was just down to regular size. One more upward blast of water washed all the excess away.

Luigi landed back on his rock. He took the diamond back from Bowser, and handed it to the now purified Boo.

Boo took to the skies, until he'd reached the height of the Dark Moon. White light shone in the skies, and the fog was cleared away. The Dark Moon shined again. And all the Shadows across the land disappeared.

The Toads ran back to their castle.

Below them, Toads had paused in their fight. A combination of fire and and ice flowers had created water to fight the Shadows. Now the Shadows were gone, and the Toads stood there, stunned.

The Shadows in Luigi and Bowser's bodies disappeared too. Luigi was finally free, and Bowser was, too.

And then a second figure took to the skies, with blonde hair and a pink dress. It was Peach.

Peach was flying. Peace had returned to her heart.

She flew clear up to the Dark Moon. A blast of power reverberated. And then all the land grew green. The land was blooming again. Happiness had returned to her heart.

As she elegantly floated back down to earth, Luigi felt it. Peace and happiness filled the air and the ground.

And then something miraculous happened. Kamek was flying on his broom, towards them. He came and reunited with Bowser.

"But... but how?"

"King Boo granted back my life. He vaporized the Shadows from my body. And now, I'm proud to serve you again, Your Miraculousness."

"Is Bobbery still alive?" asked Luigi.

"No. But he would've wanted it this way. Living without his wife was too painful for him."

"I guess I should be headed back to the Lava Kingdom now," said Bowser.

"You're leaving?" said Luigi.

"I don't belong here, Luigi. Besides, this whole war was a waste of time. I'll never forgive Peach for breaking my heart. Best not to waste any more time on her."

"Maybe I could come visit you some time."

Bowser smiled at Luigi. "I'd like that, Luigi. I'd like that very much."

Chapter Text

Luigi had stayed at the castle, helping with repairs. Although the stones of the castle had stayed firm, the roof had been torn off, and vines covered everything.

And then there was the gardening. So much of what had existed beyond the castle was in disrepair, and that too had to be restored. It was a big job.

So, a few months had passed without Luigi being able to visit Bowser. It was a relief when he felt Kamek's cackling filling the air.

Around him, everyone was panicking. But Luigi was calm. He smiled.

Kamek swept him off his feet, adding him to the front of his broomstick.

Okay, now Luigi was panicking. It was very precarious, and they got very high. He was shaking and covering his eyes

"Relax, My Precious Cargo. The Boss wants to see you. He'd never forgive me if you got hurt. You're safe with me."

Luigi let his body relax. The shudders lessened. He peeked past his hands. The world around him actually looked quite pretty.

He removed his hands from his face. He was still shivering, but they had become still in the air, and it gave Luigi a moment to look around him. He wrapped both hands around the broom handle to steady himself.

Luigi had never seen the mountaintop from above before. All around him were green mountainsides. It was stunning.

Below him, he heard Mario's voice. Some nonsense about saving him. Luigi yelled back.

"Don't wait up, bro! I'll be back before you know it!"

Mario looked stunned. He blinked.

And with that, Kamek flew away from the Mushroom Kingdom.

Luigi marveled at all the sights passing below him. And then finally, they landed at Bowser's Castle in the Lava Kingdom.

"Thank you for rescuing me," said Luigi. "I love it in the Mushroom Kingdom, but I wasn't able to get away. They kept me too busy."

Kamek, who was leading the way to Bowser's throne room, looked back for a moment, shocked. "You're welcome," he replied. "No one's ever thanked me for kidnapping them before."

"Well, this time, it was consensual."

"That's nice..." said Kamek.

They arrived in Bowser's throne room. A smile came to his face.

Kamek came before him, bowing. "I have returned with who you asked for, Your Impatientness."

"I see that, Kamek. Thank you."

Another look of shock.

"Leave us."

Kamek did as he was bid, and left the room. Now, Luigi was left alone with Bowser.

"You never came," said Bowser to Luigi.

"I wanted to. But Peach kept putting me to work. And Mario was being too clingy. I'm glad to be here now. Thanks for sending Kamek to get me."

A look of surprise. "You're welcome. I thought you'd abandoned me. Or forgotten about me. Or maybe... you never wanted to see me in the first place. Maybe you'd blown me off."

Luigi came forward, and held his hand. "Of course not. I'd never do any of those things. I love you."

Surprise turned to shock. "You really do?"

"I really do."

"I've... never had my love reciprocated before. It's a strange feeling."

"You love me, too?"

"I... How is it so easy for you to say it? It isn't so easy for me."

"You don't have to say it right now, if you don't want to. It's enough to know it. You'll say it in your own time. In the meantime, let's spend time together. I've never spent time in your castle at my own leisure before."

"Then there's a first for both of us."

"In the future, maybe you could send Kamek for me again. Just don't wait so long next time. It's not so easy loving you from afar."

"On that, we agree."

Bowser stood up. And hand in hand, they left to explore the castle.