Mario and Luigi: Darkness In Light

Chapter 11: Promise

"Well, the princess saw that you were sleeping in the library. We both talked for a bit, and I decided to bring you back here where you can get more comfortable."

"I'm starting to have a little deja vu here." He said. "But...I feel like something else happened."

"Heh...you could say that." Luigi said. "B-But don't worry! I-It's nothing important!" Mario could tell that by Luigi's stuttering...there was more than what he was saying.

"Luigi? If you're hiding something, you can tell me." Mario said as he put his hand on his shoulder.

"I-I'm not hiding anything!" Luigi said. "Not at-"

"I see Mario has awaken at last."

"Who said that?!" Mario tensed as he looked around for the voice.

"Mario, it's okay." Luigi assured. "It's just Lucian."

"Lucian?!" Mario said shocked. "The Light god?!"

"So, you remember me."

When the two brothers turned around, they saw a white transparent star float towards them as it was slowly rotating as well.

"Hey Lucian.." Luigi said nervously. Mario looked back and forth between the two for a moment as he put his hand on the back of his neck.

"Did I miss something here?" He asked.

"My apologies, Mario. I never expected you to remember my name. However, at the same time, I am honored you do."

"But...I thought you and Salem had to stay in your vessels." He said. "That's what it said in the books I read!"

"You cannot believe every detail you see. It's true that books can contain valuable knowledge...but that sentence is false. Me and Salem can take any form as we wish...but it is only temporary. It is to make us more...comfortable you can say."

"I...see." Mario said. "What exactly happened while I was sleeping?"

Luigi looked at Lucian for a moment, and he sighed as he closed his eyes for a moment.

"Well, we talked for a bit as I said, and he...told me more about who they are." Luigi said

"What type of things?" Mario asked. Luigi looked away nervously as he rubbed his arm.

"Lucian and Salem aren't who we think they are." He said. "The fact about choosing other people as vessels...it wasn't their choice. They didn't want that."

"Wait, if it wasn't their choice, then..."

"It's their punishment, Mario." Luigi said. "Because of that fight they had with each other, they...lost their humanity."

"Whoa.." Mario bowed his head down for a moment, and he put his hand on his chest. "I didn't think it was actually a punishment for them. I'm so sorry, Lucian."

"As I told Luigi, Mario, you and him do not have a connection towards that event. The only solution we have is to only accept it...and continue forward."

"But wait, who punished you and Salem?" He asked. Luigi tensed a little trying to come up with an excuse not to say the answer, but to his relief, Lucian came up with one already.

"I am afraid I cannot answer that for you, because we have also lost our memory of who has punished us. The last detail we recall is feeling huge amounts of pain...and that is it."