Luigi never intended to keep Bowser's letter after reading it once. He just simply forgot to put it away. If Mario had seen it, he would have insisted on throwing it away, or burning it with a fire flower. But Luigi didn't feel the need to waste a paper. Especially something so lovely and special.
Lovely wasn't a word that he ever thought he would use for Bowser. He didn't think anyone would have a proper word to describe him that didn't seem negative, haunting, or worse. But something had changed, and whether he would be the one to admit it or not, Luigi was going to get to the bottom of it, no matter what.
Though perhaps he was being silly. After all, Bowser most likely threw away Luigi's letter to him. It was only a letter.
It wasn't just the letter. Even before he received it, he recalled his last encounter with Bowser. Bowser had seemed appalled that he was taken against his will, and had insisted he be brought home. Which he did, personally. Though their discussion was cut short by Mario intervening, it was still...nice.
Not only that, but in the forest, when he had caught a secret glimpse of Bowser as a parent, a goofy dorky dad---it was jaw dropping at how relaxed he was. Not to mention how caring he was towards his children.
Though their last talk Bowser had denied ever being considered sweet, and even Luigi was wary still, no one could deny that Bowser loved his kids. And he had witnessed it with his own eyes.
But he was worried. Worried that something would make Bowser turn against him, choose his dark kingdom over being good. Then what? Was Luigi supposed to move on with his confused feelings forever?
That didn't even scratch the surface of how the kingdom would react if they found out Luigi had kept a secret letter from their sworn enemy. Let alone Mario...
Mario had spent time defending the Mushroom Kingdom, and Luigi over Bowser's actions weren't so easy to forgive. At times he found it hard to accept it himself.
He yawned. He couldn't possibly figure everything out right now. Not when it was late, and he was tired. Sleep sounded nice right about now.
He hid the letter away at last, and got ready for bed.
~☆~
Through the twists and turns of the stony paths, Luigi's only guide was the misty skies leading him around the forest. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of the full moon dipping into view, illuminating the spindly trees that were tall and bony in appearance---- like long claws ready to grab him.
Although he was shaking, he felt a sudden rush of heat from the warm glow of the lava rivers. He knew this place. He no longer knew his way or how he got there, but he knew where he was at least.
The Darklands was a familiar, yet still terrifying environment. Due to him falling through the mysterious warp pipe in the Brooklyn sewers many months ago, it ended up being the first place in the new world that he landed in. This time, he did not have his tools, let alone a flashlight, but thanks to the lava's glow, he managed to find his way. He just had to keep moving. If he stopped, he knew something scary would pop up, like a ghost or a ghoul or a---
A pair of glowing yellow eyes.
Luigi yelped, backing into the nearest tree. Just like before, across from him was a skeletal turtle in the darkness. Its bones creaked when it opened its jaws, but the moment he blinked, it disappeared.
"H- hello?" The tremble in his voice made him wish he could be as brave as Mario for once. Surely after spending some time in the Darklands, he wouldn't be so scared by now.
He did not dare move forward for fear of alerting the Dry Bones of his presence. Not that he could even if he tried. The lava rivers nearby seemed to be rising and the forest seemed to be getting smaller. He was trapped where he was. And worse, the shadowy patch he had been watching moved slightly.
And then more Dry Bones emerged from the earthy soil. Slowly and slowly approaching him with its rattling joints clawing out at arms reach.
"Your highness..." croaked the gravelly voice.
Luigi released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. It was the Dry Bones who was talking to him. "Huh?"
"Your highness," The Dry Bones repeated patiently. "Please don't be alarmed, it's only us. Have you lost your way?"
"Woah woah woah, hold on, back up," He stood up straighter, refusing to put his guard down. "What did you call me?"
"Your highness?"
"What's with this 'your highness' thing? Did I, ah, miss something?"
Though they showed no visual sign of confusion, the Dry Bones still seemed startled by the question. "Apologies sir, but despite you not having a formal title yet, Lord Bowser has insisted we refer to you as such. "
That nearly made him jump back in alarm. "My - what?" Had he heard that wrong? It didn't make any sense. Bowser and him...they weren't...and Luigi certainly wasn't a royal.
"Come along, the king has requested to see you."
Luigi had no choice but to follow the Dry Bones, seeing as staying in the dark forest wasn't ideal. He remembered traveling to the kingdom took a long time, hours even by hot air balloon. But in a matter of seconds, he was standing in the castle's throne room. The Dry Bones had scattered away to leave them alone.
Bowser sat on his throne, arms resting on each side, spiked shell arched slightly as he leaned forward. His flaming red hair glistened brighter from the light of the lava reflecting on his surprisingly muscular plastron and arms. Luigi found himself gawking.
"Bowser?"
"Luigi..." He whispered. "It's you."
He was taken aback by how soft he sounded, almost vulnerable. It was unlike the Koopa king's normal demeanor. "It'sa me." He said with a chuckle.
Bowser rose from his throne and walked towards him, holding his claw out to lift Luigi in his arms, which he gladly accepted. "I missed you." He lowered his head down so that they were at eye level.
"I missed you too." He said back, cupping part of Bowser's cheek. He didn't know who moved first, but before he knew it, their lips had touched for a short, yet still passionate kiss---unlike that of an awkward first kiss that Luigi was used to. It felt deprived of any emotions and passion. It felt...fake. He didn't even react when they pulled away. Bowser remained still,
"We'll be together, I promise. Everything will be okay."
Those words left him feeling wary, as Bowser's face contorted and faded into an illusion. Inky black darkness surrounded Luigi once again, but instead of the forest, it was a sea of nothing. The castle had disappeared, Bowser no longer there. Everything was gone, and just like that he was alone again.
Luigi tried to pinch himself, but his arms wouldn't move.
"Hello? What's going on? I'm seriously confused!" He called out, his trembling voice echoing behind him. "Bowser? Please!"
No one answered this time. It was quiet. Too quiet.
But then he saw him.
Luigi saw a flash of red and blue appearing beyond the darkness. His eyes went wide as the figure became more recognizable. He could almost cry tears of joy at seeing his brother's iconic mustache. At least he wasn't alone anymore.
"Mario!" He called out, stumbling towards his brother. "Oh thank goodness, I'm so glad to see you. Where are we?"
Mario however, did not move, nor react to Luigi's question.
"Mario?" Luigi waved his hand in front of him. "Eh, hello? Anybody home?"
His expression switched from neutral, almost robotic, to angry. In fact, he stood glaring at Luigi in such a horrible way, that it almost caused him to jump back in fright. He had seen that face before. He had seen Mario shoot daggers at their old boss Spike back in Brooklyn, and more recently at Bowser. But never at Luigi before.
He hardly remembered ever fighting with his twin, let alone be angry at him. What could have caused this?
"Mario?" He repeated. "Is...is everything okay?"
"I know what you've done," He finally uttered.
"Wh...what? What do you mean?"
Mario scoffed, a surprisingly cruel action unlike himself. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? That you would keep this up forever?" He gestured around to the endless void behind him.
"I don't understand."
"Don't play innocent. You love that monster." He spat, and then added for clarification. "Bowser."
"Wh..what?" He laughed nervously. "No I don't."
He chuckled. "You've always been a terrible liar."
"How did you find out?"
"You may have thought you were being sneaky, but anyone with a brain could have figured it out. Admit it. You love him."
Luigi's heart dropped. "No, it's not like that!"
"Oh, so you don't love him?" Mario's lips quirked upwards into a condescending smirk.
"What- no, don't put words in my mouth!" He said quickly. "I know he's done bad things in the past, but he's changing, I swear."
"How can you of all people forgive him?" Mario was circling around him. "After everything he's done to our friends? To you?"
"I'm willing to give him a chance to redeem himself."
"You can't redeem someone like that!" He argued. "He's evil, he's tricking you because you're too naive to see past his terrible actions."
Even if the words were partially true, it still stung. He was too naive for his own good. But didn't Mario trust his judgment a little? Not to mention how dismissive he sounded.
"And you're too stubborn to realize that I'm not excusing his behavior!" He retorted. "I'm only trying my best to see if he can change. Stop dismissing me, and treat me like an adult!"
Mario's eyes seemed to soften. "Oh Luigi, you what I meant. I'm only doing this because I care about you."
And there it was.
"You're wrong," He said, his voice quiet, but firm. "I know you're looking out for me, but this isn't the way to do it."
"Please, you're helpless without me," he responded. "I've been saving you since we got here!"
"I didn't need you to help me that second time if you would only listen," Luigi's jaw clenched in frustration. "Bowser is a mess, I realize that. But I've seen him do good, and I think he's capable of changing."
Mario stared at him, clearly wounded by his words. He didn't raise his voice or snap at him, but his cold stare was enough to leave Luigi on edge. "So this is it then."
"What?"
His glare deepened. "You're choosing him over me? Your brother?"
"No! No, Mario, how can you even say that? We're the Mario Brothers, you always come first."
"Do I? Because all of a sudden you've decided to keep making excuses for Bowser. He could harm you, hurt you. Not only that, but if you stay with him, you'll be betraying everyone!"
"Why does it have to be that way?" Luigi countered. "What if there was a way to solve this once and for all?"
Mario shook his head. "I'm begging you to stop with this once and for all. You won't be held accountable for his past actions if you just leave him. Please." He held his hand out.
"I...I...don't do this. I will always choose you, no matter what! All I said was I want to give him a chance!"
He retracted his hand, letting it fall limp beside his hip. "From the way you're defending him, it's clear you already made your choice!" He turned away, fading from Luigi's vision.
"Mario! Please...brother!"
"Don't call me that," He snarled. "You are not my brother."
He tried reaching out once more, but Mario was gone too.
He was screaming into the empty abyss.
~•~
Luigi woke up with a start, panting as though he had just finished running a marathon. Immediately he switched on his bedside lamp. His bleary eyes finally adjusted to the light.
[That was...weird. Terrifying and weird at the same time.]
He ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair, hoping he didn't wake Mario. But clearly he had not only been screaming in his dreams, but in real life too.
"Lu!" Mario bolted into the room, kicking the door open and carrying a pillow over his head. "Are you okay? I heard you screaming and I came as soon as I could!" It was clear that he had, considering he was still in a half awake, half asleep state. His hair was askew and his eyes were barely open.
Luigi stiffened at the sight of him, but his shoulders relaxed. "Sorry, ah, didn't mean to wake you."
He hid a yawn behind his hand, waving him off. "S'okay. Are you alright?"
"Just a nightmare, no big deal." He shivered. "You go ahead, get back to sleep."
He pretended to think for a moment, before plopping down next to Luigi. "Nope, I'm good, I'll stay." He frowned, placing a hand to ease Luigi's trembling knees. "You're still shaking...it must have been bad."
"Eh, nah it was fine ..." Mario raised an eyebrow at his blatant fib. "Okay, it was pretty bad. Maybe I'm overdramatic, I mean, it's just a dream."
It was only a dream, but there was a slight chance that it could become true. He couldn't possibly imagine Mario ever hating him like that, or rather he never wanted to.
"Hey, you're not being overdramatic," He placed a hand on Luigi's shoulder, whispering soothingly. "And that's what big brothers do. Gotta be there for my little bro."
He rolled his eyes. "Six minutes. You're older than me by six minutes."
"And every minute counts to me!" Then his expression turned more genuine. "Seriously though, you've comforted me a million times too."
That itself was true. Throughout the years, they had been there for each other. For Luigi, it was frequent night terrors, and for Mario it was thunderstorms, and later on a discovery in his teen years that made him more prone to anxiety attacks. Either way, they never felt embarrassed to comfort one another. But this was different. How could Luigi possibly tell him that the thing that he was scared of was his own brother. Not to mention being consoled like a little kid again for something as silly as a bad dream at his age felt humiliating.
Mario seemed to have read his mind. "No matter how old we get, we'll always be there for each other. Capisci?"
Luigi chuckled. "Capisci."
"Can I tell ya something?" Mario asked, waiting for Luigi to nod. "I need you to promise you won't tell anybody this."
"I won't."
"Especially not Peach!"
He rolled his eyes. "I swear I won't tell anyone, which includes Peach."
Mario took a deep breath. "Okay, so...I still have nightmares too. I even had one recently."
"You did?"
"Mm, a few but I didn't want to burden you. You've already been through so much."
"What? Mario, that's ridiculous!"
"I know, I know..." He gripped a loose string from his pajama pants, curling his hands into a fist.
"What did you dream about?"
"I dreamt that I lost you, that you were taken by Bowser and I couldn't do anything! I was just...helpless."
Hearing that made Luigi shift uncomfortably. He had already thought he lost Mario before. He couldn't imagine losing him for real, like in their shared nightmares.
Somehow the thought of Mario hating him made him feel even worse.
"I'm sorry. I wish you told me you were having nightmares."
Mario gave him a pointed look. "I'm not here to make you feel bad, I'm here to let you know that it's gonna be okay. We got this, even if things are messy right now."
"And if we don't?"
"Then we'll figure it out."
"You always know what to say, don't you?"
Mario shrugged easily. "Eh, it's kinda my thing, being a genius at reading people. But hey, do you wanna talk about it? The nightmare, I mean."
"Ah..." Luigi hoped Mario didn't notice the flash of panic in his eyes. "No, I'm good." He yawned. "I think I better get back to bed."
"You and me both." He agreed, picking up the pillow he had tossed on the ground.
Luigi cocked his head to one side, finally noticing it properly. "Why did you bring a pillow in here anyway?"
"Oh, well, when I heard you screaming I grabbed the first thing I saw to...defend you?" He mumbled. "Er, just in case."
"You heard me screaming, and thought a pillow would be a suitable weapon?"
He flushed. "I didn't have any power ups stashed nearby!"
"No, no, I think you might be onto something. Next time the Koopa Kingdom attacks, you should consider using the pillow instead."
"Ah, fai silenzio." Mario chuckled to himself, waving him off. He paused at the doorway. "Do you want me to say?"
"Nah, I'm good."
"Okie doke. Night Weegee."
"Night."
Mario smiled once more, before returning to his bedroom.
Truthfully, it wasn't the idea of losing Mario that freaked him out the most. It definitely scared him, no doubt about it. But it wasn't all that bothered him. As Luigi lay on his back and stared at the painted ceiling, one part of his nightmare stayed stuck in his mind. Or really, it was the better part of his dream.
He had kissed Bowser. Him! Shy, anxious, awkward pathetic Luigi had kissed the King of the Koopas!
Why had his mind conjured up such a wonderful, intimate, and vaguely specific image? The fantasy of kissing him was one thing, but actually experiencing it was another. It felt so real too. He remembered reading somewhere that dreams were an indication of what he wanted deep down. He did not know how to test that theory and would rather not.
"Don't panic," He whispered to himself, rolling over. "It was just a dream. Just a dream. It's not like...it means anything."
He found himself unable to fall back asleep even after forcing himself to believe this.