Chapter Text
After everything had calmed down, there were some things that simply didn’t sit right with Luigi.
Peach’s castle was rebuilt in its former glory and new innovative ideas that let it shine even brighter in the heart of the Kingdom than before. The citizens were happy about the upgraded castle, as it towered high and mighty over the Kingdom like a dome of security.
Rosaline and her little Luma children had all departed for now, having to go back into space. During her time visiting, she had explained to them the purpose of the young stars and what their destiny was. It was sad but also refreshing, especially since the Lumas themselves seemed to be so excited to one day become stars and galaxies to help the universe grow and keep expanding. They had all grieved when they bid their goodbyes, but it was clear that they would come visit a lot from now on. Unfortunately, Rosalina and the Lumas belonged in space, and they couldn’t leave permanently, as they also kept the cosmos safe.
Sending them off was bittersweet but mostly a cause to celebrate. Afterwards, things snapped back into place like a magnetic puzzle. Peach continued her duties as responsible as before, although her overall demeanor seemed to be- happier. With her past finally uncovered, it was no surprise. She dedicated some of her time to writing letters to her sister, telling her about her time in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Yoshi built himself a tiny “house” near Peach’s castle with a chimney and the thick branches and leaves of apple trees as his roof. He seemed happy to live his outdoor life. Not that he was often at home since he loved visiting his friends and strolling around the Mushroom Kingdom, helping and snacking away free food.
Toad, similar to Peach, settled back into his old routine of assisting Peach and dedicating his free time to his hobby of cooking. When he wasn’t doing a task for the Princess, he was out there chilling with Mario and Luigi. And when they were busy with their own jobs- Well, no one could accuse him of becoming friends with Yoshi if there were no witnesses present. At first, he hadn’t gotten the hype about a new friend in the group that felt like he was stealing his spot- but after getting to know him and spending time with him alone. He really started to like Yoshi. And if he started making apple crumble for Yoshi and himself, nobody needed to know. It was their favorite dessert.
Mario and Luigi went back to their plumbing service in the Mushroom Kingdom. There were many people always asking for their help, even for small jobs that honestly never required a professionally trained plumber. The brothers supposed the mushroom people just wanted them to stop by for a chat, as they would always be invited for a snack or lunch. The Toads were very kind and gave them all kinds of small gifts as a token of their gratitude. When they weren’t working, they were always at the castle, spending time with Peach. Especially Mario, who let himself be dragged into every shenanigan the Princess could think of. When Peach had said she wanted to go water rafting on the most dangerous river in the Kingdom, Mario hadn’t batted an eye. Toad and Yoshi seemingly were as crazy and tired of living as they tagged along without a thought. Yoshi couldn’t even swim. Luigi, being the reasonable one of them all (at least that’s what he liked to think), volunteered as the protector of their personal things. So, he stayed behind at the bottom of the tour in a tiny café shop with the bags of his friends, sipping on his Macha Latté contently.
Luigi figured that he didn’t need action-packed activities every day. Obviously, he enjoyed going on adventures and experiencing thrilling occurrences. However, he also liked to take things very slowly. And ordinary. Their whole life in the Mushroom Kingdom was anything but normal and calm. He was thankful for how happy Mario was- how much more energy he vibrated with each morning and how much more joy he felt in general. As for Luigi- He didn’t much care where they lived as long as he could have his needed amount of tranquility in between.
Although that peacefulness sometimes seemed to come at the price of loneliness. He realized that he was living a much slower pace than everyone around him. He had to put in more effort to keep up, and that brought him to feel worn out at the end of the day. If only one of them could be satisfied with mundane tasks- like playing video games and doing laundry. Yeah, sometimes for him, that was more than enough action for his poor heart and scared head.
Come to think of it- he really started to miss that book club. The book club was still every Tuesday- but without Bowser, it felt- emptier. He remembered Bowser being so tiny that he always kept him on his shoulder or lap. Luigi would open the pages and hold the book, so Bowser could also read with him. Unlike everyone else, they were the only ones shipping the two male leads together and gushing about their chemistry. None of them cared that the main character had a girlfriend assigned to him later. It was more fun letting the imagination run wild. And Bowser wasn’t too afraid to speak his mind, so despite his shrunken state, he spoke with the vigor of his old size when he boasted about his favorite ship, ranting about how they should become canon. The others laughed, and Luigi sank a little in his chair, only because he agreed and was intimidated by the others' thinking that was ridiculous.
It was weird, but part of the reason Luigi liked Bowser was that he spoke his mind. He wasn’t afraid to strive against the stream, even when he was alone doing so. He was determined and never gave up. His spirit was impressive, and his qualities reminded him of his brother Mario. The difference being that Bowser was heavily misguided and trapped in his own cycle of issues. He needed help and was drowning, and after getting to know Bowser, he felt like he was the only one who figured that out.
The fearsome Koopa King wasn’t so scary if he was tiny, so he had no problem facing him. Paying him basic respect and treating him with kindness despite his awful attitude did the trick in breaking Bowser’s walls down. He soon became docile. And wasn’t that an adorable thought? Who knew the Koopa King enjoyed getting head pats? Judging by Bowser’s expression each time, he probably never knew himself, which made sense since his usual height made it impossible for anyone to give him scratches like that. Luigi caught himself staring longingly at his palm, where Bowser once fit perfectly.
He sighed in self-pity. Of course, things had to go south. He hadn’t expected Bowser to have a son who was 10 times more threatening than the King himself. All while being 10 times younger, it seemed. He actually had no idea how old Bowser Junior was, but since he looked so tiny next to Bowser, he couldn’t be very old. He wondered where the mother was. Luigi knew for a fact that Bowser wasn’t married and was chronically single as he’d described himself once. Then again, he also hadn’t known about Junior’s existence.
Perhaps he hadn’t known Bowser as well as he had thought. And that fact hurt, since he’d also been hurt by having to fight him again. What was worse was sending the father-son duo into prison far away… It still rubbed him the wrong way.
Bowser had the potential to be good. He simply shouldn’t be allowed back to be King. That Kingdom was influencing him. As for Junior, the kid was a victim of his father’s parenting as far as Luigi was concerned. Luigi liked Bowser -maybe a little too much behind closed doors- but he would never make excuses for the rude Koopa. Especially, at the cost of a child.
Thinking back on it, he finds it a little alarming that Peach and Mario were just okay with sending a child to prison. Maybe he was still stuck in his boring Brooklyn-New-York-Human-world mentality, but it was revolting to think a child was stuck in a prison cell with his criminal father, who also currently was just a pile of bones. He’d be traumatized for a lifetime. They put Bowser and his child in a gloomy, depressing place and expect them to better and change. That seemed wrong. And his little knowledge about child services told him that this felt kind of illegal. Not that he actually ever bothered asking for laws in the Mushroom Kingdom.
So far, he doubted the legal system was solid. After all, Peach took care of most stuff with Toad and now also them. And he and Mario were plumbers. To protect himself from overthinking, he chose to ignore it. Mario was better at that. And he was stuck every night having a moral dilemma that kept him awake.
That child shouldn’t be in prison. He still thought it. Because if Bowser was able to change temporarily, Junior had the potential to change permanently. Instead, he rotted in a cell with his father, who probably taught him more of his hatred for the Mushroom Kingdom. He let a hand drag over his face, before taking a long sip of his latté.
It wasn’t his business. The decision was Peach’s to make, and trying to argue against the Princess made him feel anxious. But it was the right thing to do. And wasn’t that the root of the problem? It was the right thing to do. Besides, Bowser would want his son to be out of that prison, too. He should talk to Mario. He needed a battle plan. And, eh- convince him of his idea first.
Speak of the devil- he soon heard the booming voices of his friends enter. Mario was the first to walk forward and wave wildly. Luigi smiled warmly at his brother.
“We flipped over TWICE!” Mario laughed, dripping wet and leaving a trail of droplets behind. Luigi chuckled and shook his head; even more glad he didn’t join them.
“But we managed to get down just fine otherwise.” Peach giggled, also very wet, her hair tied in a bun to keep the wet strands from her face.
“YOSHI!” …Luigi didn’t bother to understand that. But it sounded happy, so he nodded, pleased.
“I hope the camera recorded our falls, it was so funny!” Toad hummed as he wrung his camera headset down from his mushroom head.
Luigi laughed again and then pointed at the puddle they were actively leaving. “That sounds- terrifying, but you should wait outside. You’re still dripping wet! Maybe we should get back so you can change.” He suggested finishing the last gulp of his coffee while the others nodded.
“Good idea, Bro. I think I have a rock in my underwear-“ Mario huffed, and Luigi made sure to avoid their touches in favor of not also getting drenched.