Mario and Luigi: Darkness In Light

Chapter 27: Held Onto Pain

Mario grunted in pain as he got hit against one of the cliffs as he started coughing as he put his hand on his stomach he looked up at his attacker as Peach tried to calm him down.

"L-Luigi! Why did you-" "STAY OUT OF THIS, TOADSTOOL!" Luigi exclaimed as Peach's eyes widened in surprise as she felt s little hurt.

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Bowser glared at Luigi as he shifted him a little, but Luigi didn't care. The only target he was focused on...was his brother.

"Luigi! What's gotten into you?!" He asked, trying to recover from the punch.

"What's gotten into me?!" He asked offended. "What's gotten into you?! You promised you wouldn't put yourself in front of us, you said you would try! But what did you do instead? YOU PUT YOUR LIFE AT RISK JUST BECAUSE OF A STUPID SPELL!"

"I was trying to protect you!" Mario exclaimed. "You thought I was just going to let that hit you?! I don't want anything to happen to you! I dedicated my life to protect you!"

"By 'dedicating' you mean 'SACRIFICING'!" Luigi said. "That's your excuse all the time! 'Just trying to protect me'! I'm not a kid, Mario! I can take care of myself!"

"I know that! I know you're strong, I know you can fight, I know you're brave! I KNOW THAT, ALRIGHT?!" Mario said, now starting to have anger rise in his voice. "I DON'T NEED YOU TO REMIND ME OF THAT!"

"Well, obviously I do!" Luigi shot "Did you really take that hit because you were trying to protect me, or do you not trust me to fight back?!"

"L-Luigi! No!" Mario shook his head. "I-I do trust you! I really do! But I wouldn't have done it if maybe you actually did something instead of stand there!"

"Yeah! Something! Instead of jumping in front of me, you could've pushed me! Just because you can't control your demons doesn't mean you go and try to KILL YOURSELF!"

"You think that's what this is about?!" Mario stood up and looked directly at his brother's eyes. "It's nothing like that! It's not Oiram, it's not Salem! It's the stupid time limit! I don't want you to die, Luigi! But that's not my point!" Mario forcefully pointed his finger at Luigi's chest.

"You think you can just walk around in the light like nothing's happening! You don't have anything to worry about with your power! You can actually look at the bright side of things! You're not the one who can't control it!"

"Yet we're both on that time limit!" Luigi reminded him. "You think I'm not worried about that?! I'm scared to death by that! I don't want to die, Mario. I DON'T! Why can't you get that through your thick head?!"

"Luigi, we don't have time for this!" Starlow said, getting between the two angry brothers. "We're running out of time! Can't you two argue about this la-AH!"

Mario blasted her with a dark fireball as she hit the wall as she grunted in pain.

"STARLOW!" Dreambert immediately flew to her side as everyone had shocked looks on their faces. Luigi clenched his hands into fists as he grit his teeth.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" Luigi pinned Mario against the cliff with his arm as he grunted a little.

"They don't understand, Luigi!" He said. "This doesn't involve them! It's just you and me! Actually scratch that! It's just me! I'm the one the dark wants!"

"Then let me actually help you!" Luigi exclaimed. "Why won't you let me?! I want to be there with you! THAT'S WHAT A BROTHER'S SUPPOSE TO DO!"

"THEN MAYBE I'D BE BETTER OFF IF I NEVER HAD A USELESS AND NOBODY BROTHER LIKE YOU!"