Chapter Text
The castle's garden was beautiful but Luigi expected nothing less of what was to be the main ceremony for a royal wedding. Everywhere he looked there were flowers covering tables, decorating in between porcelain tea sets and dinner plates. It was like una fiaba - a fairy tale. Canape tents and wooden pergolas piled high with various shades of pink and white, streamers, lanterns, and even more pretty flowers. As lovely as it all was, Luigi was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed by how quickly the usually quiet gardens had been overhauled and filled, setup to accommodate what felt like the entire kingdom.
All day he'd been tagging along behind the Princess, doing little odd jobs so that he could feel more useful. He'd moved chairs, tables, and planters. He had fixed a leak in the fountain. Recently Luigi had been taste testing enough lemonade and strawberry cake to last him a lifetime. The intensely sweet desserts had started to make him feel a little sick after the first few samples and he was more than happy to leave the table behind, passing on any more pink icing and fruit tarts. Luigi knew Mario would have loved getting to try so many sweets. It would have been impossible to drag his brother away from them all if he were here. Luigi wished Mario was there with them.
If Luigi was getting secondhand wedding jitters by standing around watching the toads run about, he couldn't imagine how Mario was handling himself through all this. Maybe that was why he volunteered to take on a last minute mission to another land. It was a small job. Nothing dangerous that would keep him away long. But Mario had looked relieved during his departure, sack on his back and the anxious foot bounce under control for the first time all week.
Luigi felt a bit sorry for him. As much as he knew Mario loved Peach, getting married into royalty couldn't be easy.
Luigi chased after the Princess as she micromanaged every little detail of each well placed decoration. They both wanted his brother there, he could tell. She looked a little flustered too but kept all her emotions under control with a smile.
Luigi wanted to be of more help but there was less and less for him to do as the day dragged on. He buried his face into the pretty smelling bouquet of flowers he'd been carrying around with him for the last while. Ever since they were handed off to him he refuse to put it down. No one had been able to wrangle them from his grip. Peach stopped trying. She giggled and told him to look after the bouquet for the rest of the afternoon. So, he did. He carried it around the garden, getting loose flower petals everywhere.
There was a chance she was just humouring him, or maybe she could tell how Luigi felt. Even if the amount of toads running about under foot made him anxious, there was this dreamy far off look in his eye as he paced about the garden. A too big smile on his face as he silently pretended that he was the one getting married like this, with a big ceremony with all his friends.
However, those happy hopeful feelings were drowned out rather quickly when he looked at the Princess's bouquet clutched tightly to his chest. It was enormous and heavy, weighed down by copious amounts of peonies, lilacs and pastel pink roses. It was too much, like everything she did. Still, he wanted them all the same. A deep rooted stab of jealousy cut through his chest as he held the flowers closer, crushing a fern branch under his chin. He was unwilling to let them go and hated to admit to himself the reason why.
There was this belief ingrained into him from a young age that because Mario was the oldest, he would get married first. Luigi was the younger. So he had to wait his turn. If and whenever that turn was going to happen.
There weren't many romantic options for him in the Mushroom Kingdom. The closest place with other humans was Metro Kingdom. Not that he imagined there would be many suitors fighting for his hand there either, or in any world they travelled to. No matter where they went, Luigi was just Luigi. He was never someone's first choice. People didn't rush to get to know him. He wasn't super talented like Mario or pretty like Peach.
He wasn't sure who he was waiting for or why he bothered to hope there was someone looking for him.
Luigi tried not to be bitter and followed quietly behind Peach. He watched her direct toads around the garden as they strung up more twinkling lights and made everything come together just as she wanted it to be.
He had snickered to himself when this whole wedding planning chaos started. Apparently there was no such thing as a long engagement in the Mushroom Kingdom. It felt like only a few days ago that Peach had decided it was time she and Mario got married. This decision was followed by an abrupt proposal over dinner that left Mario choking on his food. Of course he said 'yes' to her. He was head over heals. And once he caught his breath, he excited to tell everyone.
The following days were immediately filled with Peach's need to get everything ready.
Luigi found this particularly funny. He lightly teased her that she was moving at Bowser speed over this wedding. She was less than impressed with him at the time but it was undeniably quick how everything was happening.
Luigi swallowed his jealousy and said what anyone else would in his situation.
“Bellisima,” he told the Princess.
Peach turned away from a small side project and smiled politely at Luigi. She appreciated the compliment but told him she had to go check on something, asking if he would excuse her for a moment. He nodded and gave her a big, 'Okie Dokie'.
The second Peach walked away Luigi let out a large relieved sigh. He hadn't wanted to say anything at the risk of sounding like he was complaining but today had already been a lot for him. A moment to himself would be very much appreciated. As Peach left, Luigi started to back away into a quiet corner where the large hydrangea bushes hid him from sight. This corner of the garden was thankfully free of any construction toads. He ignored the distance murmur of voices and let himself take a long sniff of the nice flowers around him. For a very brief moment, the stress of the day melted away and Luigi felt himself relax.
A small rustling in the bushes near by made Luigi jump, startled enough to yelp. He turned in the direction to see the branches of the hydrangeas shake. Curiously, Luigi leaned in closer to see what was the cause. At first, he didn't see anything but the large puffs of the flowers. Then, two koopas fell out, sending the lot of them tumbling to the grass.
Luigi caught himself before he was completely bowled over. He bounced back to his feet and watched the two koopas tangle around one another as they tried to stand. They struggled and roll onto their backs. They kicked and made loud whining sounds. Luigi would have been more concerned about sudden appearance of koopas at the castle but they looked to be stuck.
“Stai bene?” Luigi offered out a hand.
The koopas ignored his offer help. Instead they grabbed onto the other, rocking back and forth to get off their shells and clamber to their feet. It was all a clumsy mess and Luigi had to step back so to not accidentally get hit.
When they were back on their feet the two turned towards him quickly. The two koopas seemed to be a silly bunch and he offered them a big polite smile and asked again if they were okay.
“Mario!” One of them said with excitement, pointing a finger.
A common mistake. One that Luigi was use to. He shook his head but didn't have much time to go about correcting them. The other koopa had fished out a small packet from inside his shell. It was small and squishy like a beanbag. Luigi looked at it for a second before it was thrown at him hard. He gave a surprised cry and braced himself.
Not wanting to drop Peach's flowers he turned to try and protect them. The small pack hit him in the shoulder and exploded like a water balloon with a little gentle pop. Bright purple powder burst out in a cloud, covering Luigi in it. Powder dusted over his face and caught in his moustache. It was unavoidable that he breathed it in. He could feel the powder at the back of his throat, starting to burn and make his eyes water.
Then, Luigi sneezed.
He sneezed a few times in a row as the powder settled around him. They were high-pitched and almost sent him falling backwards with each one. By the time he was done Luigi felt very lightheaded and swayed on his feet. The world around him had gone heavily blurred and sparkly from the tears gathering in his eyes.
Luigi clamped his eyes shut to clear them but his head swam when he did and found that he was unable to open his eyes again. It felt like all his blood gone to his feet. A clawed hand took hold of his upper arm but Luigi was on the ground before he even knew what was going on, knocked out cold.
Bowser was in a foul mood. He'd heard the announcement of Mario and Peach's upcoming wedding and had been grinding his teeth ever since. For days he'd been trying to pull together something resembling a plan to interrupt the wedding or stop it entirely. But each new idea buried him deeper into a heavy state of resentment until he didn't see a point anymore. For all he cared the wedding could come and go, and he wouldn't lift a finger to try to do anything about it. Convincing Peach to become his queen was a lost cause already. Not that she ever deserved the title, he had come to think bitterly.
He sunk low on his throne, claws scraping against the arm rests until grooves were left behind. She had rejected him in every way. But to choose that little meatball, it was infuriating. A snarl gurgled up in his throat. Bowser could feel the beginning of a fireball forming in his chest. Thin streams of smoke started to curl around the edges of his gums, coming out of his mouth with each deep breath.
Beside the throne Kamek was dutifully standing close by. He'd been watching his king get progressively angrier. At the first sign of smoke he took a discreet step to the side.
He deliberated on what to say to offer as a distraction. He saw the way the smoke was becoming more prevalent as his king's temper worsened. It was around this point when Bowser turned explosive and violent towards the castle's furniture. It was just a matter of time before there was something to nudge him over the edge and the room burst into flames. There were still holes in the castle from last time.
Kamek adjusted his glasses. He was about to clear his throat when the doors to the throne room were knocked open. It grabbed both of their attention instantly. They looked up to see two clumsy koopa troopas stumbling over one another to get into the room first.
Kamek visibly twitched at the noise they made. The doors rattled and they two yelped and argued between them. This certainly would be the final straw to set Bowser off. Kamek dared a glance over and saw the way Bowser's nails dug deeper into his throne. They were going to have to replace yet another wall.
The two imbeciles fumbled and tripped their way down the long hall to make it before the throne. Behind them they drag a large sack. It didn't seem overly heavy but they were pulling it along with some trouble. When they got close enough, the sack was dropped and forgotten as they rushed forward. Both koopas saluted their king.
“Lord Bowser!” They cried in unison.
“We've got it, sir.”
“Just the thing.”
Bowser slammed a fist against the armrest. The sound echoed through the room, shutting the two up immediately. He took a slow seething breath. A dark threatening smoke blew out between his clenched teeth.
“What are you two going on about?” he asked.
The two started to nervously ramble over one another in explanation. Bowser rolled his eyes, not really listening. Anything coherent sentence didn't strike him as interesting. He let his head fall into one open palm. He looked between the two in front of him, then sack they proceeded to show off with widely ecstatic arm gestures.
“We went and got him!”
“Just for you!”
The sack was roughly dragged forward another few feet. The fabric rippled as something inside moved slightly. They got more excitable as they pulled the knot loose.
“Mario!”
Bowser was on his feet before the knot was even fully undone. The fabric wrinkled and sunk as the ties let go. The misplaced frustration he'd been feeling turned to sheer energy over the prospect of the capture of his biggest enemy. He could maim, torture, hold him for ransom. He didn't know what he'd do. Yet.
Bowser clapped his hands and rubbed them together. What a wonderful turn of events!
He watched the bag wrinkle and sink to the floor. The half covered body inside stretched out slowly. A fluffy head of brown hair was the first thing free. The familiar hat had been knocked off, now crushed under the folded limbs still stuck inside. Copious amounts of broken pink flowers spilled out around him, petals getting all over the floor. Big blue eyes blinked back the pull of sleep, looking up at the crowd of koopas staring down at him. A confused, tired expression met Bowser's.
Bowser felt his morals grind.
“You idiots!” He hollered. He pointed a clawed finger at the man at his feet. “This is not Mario!”
The two koopas looked down at the half conscious human still curled up on the floor. To them it sure looked like Mario. Same overalls and the same silly hat. He had the moustache. For some reason he was just dressed in green. That didn't make him a different person, surely. And he's been with the Princess, so of course it had to be Mario. The two frowned and looked at one another.
“He's not?” One of them asked, confused.
Kamek waddled his way forward. He raised his wand, ready to knock them both over the head.
“Shall I handle them for you, sire?”
That was a tempting idea. Bowser was about to give permission when the younger Mario brother at his feet started whining. It was a small sound, high-pitched and sounded uncomfortable. Bowser looked down, frowning at the way the plumber tried to sit up and stretch. Yawning and mewling like a tired cat. It had been a while since he'd seen the green sprout. Almost long enough that Bowser couldn't quite remember his name. Greenie. Green Bean. Had something to do with pasta or something. Linguine. Whatever... it would come to him eventually.
Bowser watched him closely, suspicious over every little movement he made. Luigi stretched like he just woke up from a long nap, though he didn't particularly look well rested. His hair was a mess and his eyes looked glazed over. He was still only half crawled out from the sack he'd been dragged here in. Pink flower petals covered his clothes along with a strange purple dust. It sparkled in the throne room's torch light. Bits sprinkled onto the floor when he moved.
“What's he covered in?” Bower kept his distance from the mysterious purple dust cloud. Whatever it was was definitely the cause of this odd behaviour in the younger Mario brother. The little twerp hadn't done more than shake his hair out and look around in a daze. Normally he would taken one look at Bowser and shrieked like the coward they all knew him to be.
Kamek scurried over to investigate, prompted by Bowser's question. He leaned in close to Luigi, squinting. He adjusted his glasses and poked at him with the end of his wand. Loose dust was disturbed from his clothes and hair. Luigi sneezed as it tickled his nose. Kamek quickly flinched back to avoid he small poof of purple sprinkles.
He still found himself humming with some interest as he inspected Luigi's face and the dust on his wand. Shockingly, it was rather impressive that the two arguably dimwitted troopers had pulled off a successful kidnapping on their own, or thought up such a plan by themselves.
“It seems that he has poisoned mushroom powder all over him.” Kamek shuffled around Luigi in a wide circle careful not to get too close. The powder was the only really threat here. With the way Luigi was struggling to even stay sitting up, he wouldn't be putting up much of a fight any time soon. The old koopa snorted at what he saw and gave Luigi a little prodding poke to the shoulder. “He's not all there, is he?”
Bowser leaned down blowing a full gust of hot air across Luigi's face. The purple powder cleared off his skin. Luigi blinked the blur from his eyes. He looked up to Bowser and mirrored his slight frown. The two looked at each other in confusion with Bowser waiting for the younger Mario brother to start screaming and cowering when he realized where he was. Instead, his head tipped to the side. Then he smiled, lop sided and sleepy. With a great deal of effort Luigi pushed himself up onto his knees and sat there, still hugging a mangled arm full of pink flowers tightly in his arms.
“Who are you?”
Bowser took a full step back. He hadn't expected to be taken by surprise like this but he couldn't honestly believe his ears. Sparing a look towards Kamek it seemed they both were rather shocked. While it was possible that this was all some desperate ploy to save his backside, it didn't seem like something the green man would do.
Lie or not, a part of Bowser took it more as an insult. As if anyone could forget someone like him. Bowser growled, feeling the heated flare of his temper. He pointed a finger down at Luigi.
“Don't you mess with me. I'm in no mood.”
Finally. There was that familiar squeak of fear. Luigi fell backwards over himself. There was this flailing dance of waving arms and legs before he clumsily rolled over on the floor, limbs sprawling through the mess of flowers.
This was a waste of Bowser's time. His own men hadn't brought him the correct brother and he couldn't imagine how keeping this one would benefit him.
What was there to gain besides a vengeful Mario breaking down his door when he found out his brother was missing. That is, if he weren't already on his way.
Bowser was so tired of this game. He had half a mind to dropkick the snivelling wimp out of the castle and let him walk back to the Mushroom Kingdom. The pathetic scared whining at his feet was only serving to annoy him further. Bowser sighed and rubbed at his temple.
“Sire, maybe we should-” Kamek tried to intervened.
“Silence.” Bowser ordered. He didn't want to hear it, most of all from his advisor. “Greenie, I demand you explain yourself. Where is Mario?”
“W-who?” Luigi tried to curl up smaller, covering his face with the flowers.
“Mario! You know exactly who I'm talking about!”
“I don't know who that is...”
“Sire, if I may-” Kamek interrupted again.
“What?” Bowser turned to him. “What do you want?”
The intense outburst forced Kamek into a bow. He grovelled and snuck up along side his king to speak to him privately. His voice remained low, encouraging Bowser to do the same. He tried to say his piece but it was harder to keep his king's full attention. Bowser wouldn't turn his back to Luigi for a second.
“Sire!” Kamek waved his wand in front of his face.
“What?”
“I do not think this is a joke,” he told him. Clearly not what Bowser wanted to hear.
“What are you going on about?” Bowser was frustrated. He growled between clenched teeth.
This time when Kamek lifted up his want it was to show the purple powder covering the tip. Bowser squinted down at it like it was suppose to mean something important.
“This powder is from a poisoned mushroom.” Kamek's interest was obvious. He smiled and inspected the powder. “It's actually quite impressive. I don't know how these two came up with something so clever.”
Bowser grumbled. Poisoned mushrooms were always such a gamble. Its strength was practically a roll of the dice and was often entirely not worth it. They had the ability to make someone severely sick, or just weaken them for a short period of time.
According to what Kamek was now telling him, from what they could see anyway, breathing in the powder had a very strong effect which couldn't have been expected. They didn't even know the full extent of what the mushroom had done besides some mild drowsiness and what seemed to be apparent memory loss. Kamek was fascinated and suggested they keep Luigi under observation.
Bowser didn't want to keep him around. He also didn't know what to do with the information being thrown at him. Luigi's memory could kick in after a few hours or a few days. It was only a matter of time. Then Mario was going to show up.
He forced himself to take a long breath to calm down. Unfortunately he couldn't hold back the swirl of smoke that came from his flared nostrils on the exhale.
“Listen, Greenie-” Bowser turned to where he'd left Luigi huddled on the floor. He still had a few questions of his own to ask, just to test how strong this supposed memory loss was. Except, when he turned around, the spot was vacant of the little green plumber.
Bowser felt his annoyance getting the better of him. The spot might be empty but there was a trail of flowers littered through his throne room to show exactly where Luigi had been. The pink petals were left in a zigzag from one end of the room to the other. Luigi was wandering about, head tipped up as he looked around in amazement.
Bowser was speechless. He sighed heavily and dropped his head. He brought a hand up to pinch at his eyes.
When he opened them again he only saw the pastel pink flowers left behind around his feet. They were clearly from the Mushroom Kingdom. He bent down and pick one off the stone floor. All at once the colours reminded Bowser of Peach. His immediate response was an extreme surge of jealousy and anger. Thoughts of blonde hair and a pretty face set off a physical response to blow fire. One small huff and the delicate little flower was reduced to ash in his palm.
It wasn't as nearly satisfying as throwing a fireball across the room but watching the pink flower turn to nothing in his hand did leave him feeling a little lighter.
He'd been after Peach for so long that he started to hate the very idea of her. All the warm happy feelings he'd once had associated with his Princess were spoiled and rotten. She was as spiteful as she was beautiful.
Bowser told himself that this was all Mario's fault, that if he could remove the meddling plumber from the equation then things would be different. Not that he believed it.
When he came back from his thoughts Bowser saw Kamek steering Luigi back across the room like he was trying to wrangle a small child. Luigi didn't want to sit still when there was so much to see. There was something sweet and innocent in the way he walked around in a daze, eyes wide and smiling like an idiot.
Bowser had to admit it was tempting to want to take complete advantage of the situation. Even if it would be for his own amusement to feed Luigi lie after lie about his beloved brother, send him home and just sit back as the chaos unfold in front of him. At the same time he had to agree it was for the best they keep Luigi under close watch. This memory loss could be extremely temporary. They didn't want to risk a surprise attack or being caught off guard. Not that Bowser had ever seen Luigi fight before. Looking at him, he didn't seem like much. But neither did Mario until you saw him in action.
Kamek and Bowser shared a glance. No words needed to be said about what they would have to do next. They were going to have to put Luigi somewhere. He couldn't be left alone to wander the castle.
Bowser thought the dungeon would be enough. Then Luigi looked at him with this happy expression and he immediately reconsidered. He couldn't explain it but there was something about the way Luigi looked at him. The little worm had the brightest smile that felt like Bowser was looking into the sun. It was too much for him to handle. Bowser wanted to shove him behind the nearest locked door where he didn't have to look at him.
He waved a hand at his advisor and said in a low rumble,
“We'll keep him to the tower.”
Kamek opened and closed his mouth, surprised. The tower was Peach's room. Everything in the tower was kept to her liking, furnished for her comfort and was kept ready at all times for her next 'impromptu visit'.
He looked to his king in question.
“But, sire-”
“Do as I say.” Bowser fixed Kamek with a heavy stare. There was no objection. Then, quietly, so it would stay between them he added, “Remove anything that might be too familiar.”
“How should I-”
“I don't know. Throw everything out the window for all I care. Make yourself useful and figure it out.”
It was strange for Bowser to be so dismissive of Peach's tower, so Kamek's hesitation was more than understandable. Typically no one was ever allowed in there besides the Princess or Bowser. Nothing was ever moved or touched without his permission. Bowser was extremely territorial of anything related to Peach. So, to have orders to throw anything reminding him of her away was a shock.
Kamek stood still, waiting for a secondary command that would specify what his meaning was behind saying such things, but none came. The castle had no shortage of guest rooms but Bowser didn't seem to care. He'd said the tower.
“Have it ready by the time we arrive. Understood?”
“Yes, sire.” Not wanting to make his king angrier, Kamek disappeared right away.
One sharp look sent the pair of loitering koopa troopas running from the room out of fear. And suddenly the two were left alone.
Bowser grumbled to himself. This would have been so much easier if he'd been brought the correct brother. Bowser felt no guilt over throwing a mindless Mario into a cell. He shouldn't feel bad about doing so to his brother either but there had been that brief moment. Now, looking down made Bowser uncomfortable and squirm.
When he turned to look back at Luigi he was being ignored. The little green bean had started to pick up some of the flowers left all over the floor. He was crouched down, meticulously looking them all over and collecting whatever still had a stem, arranging them neatly in his arm.
Bowser didn't see the point in caring about silly flowers. It made him wonder whether Luigi was always this ridiculous or if the poisoned mushroom had turned his brain to goo.
“Hey, Greenie!” Bowser tried again. If his own looming presence wasn't going to be enough to get his attention, then he'd speak up. Though he caught himself before he really started to yell and bark orders as if Luigi was one of his guards. It wouldn't do any good to send the guy into a panic. Then Luigi might start fighting back and Bowser wanted to keep him compliant.
A fight would only make Bowser's headache worse. He bit back his temper and kept his tone soft. For him, that came out as a low grumble, muddling his words together but that didn't seem to make it hard for Luigi to understand. Bowser pointed at himself.
“Do you know who I am?” The shake of the head and a small apology was the response. Bowser puffed up his chest and held his head high. “I am, Bowser. King Koopa.”
It was unnecessary to be formal, but he was a king and that status demanded admiration and respect. Creatures coward before him. He was feared. Luigi perked up and looked at him with the largest eyes Bowser had ever seen. He wasn't scared or running away. Instead, he actually looked flustered and excited. Luigi's smile lit up his face with this little pink colour. Bowser felt himself becoming tongue tied.
One little smile. Not just any smile. Bowser hadn't seen someone look at him like that before. All that awestruck attention being turned towards him was baffling and strange. Bowser made an embarrassed sound and swallowed.
This was also the first time he ever noticed that the younger Mario brother had these blue eyes, bigger and brighter than Peach's ever were. He cleared his throat.
A small voice thankfully broke him out of this weird train of thought.
“And who am I?”
“Oh...” That Bowser didn't know how to respond to. He still couldn't remember his name and that was going to be a problem. “You? You are... You're my... Never mine. Come. I'll show you to your room...”
Bowser light touched Luigi's shoulder with the tip of his claws. He hoped it was gentle enough to guide him out of the room and not cause him to panic.
“My room?” Luigi followed with a small spring in his step. “Do I live here with you?”
“Uh... sure,” Bowser grumbled.
Ever since leaving the throne room, Luigi never left Bowser's side. He trudge along, staying close and never trying to wander away. Bowser kept side eyeing him as they went, expecting something to happen but it never did. Probably because he saw the way Luigi struggled to keep up even though they weren't walking very fast. Luigi's legs wobbled and looked a bit unstable on his own feet. Bowser slowed his steps and let a hand rest over Luigi's back.
He didn't know how to handle how much bigger he was in comparison to Luigi. Bowser had always known he was larger than a human but the full span of his hand covered the distance of Luigi's shoulders. Of course Mario was a shot stack of imbecile, but his brother wasn't much taller. The top of his fluffy brown hair only came up to the centre of Bowser's chest. He only noticed this because of the way he'd unintentionally pulled Luigi closer under his arm. Bowser told himself that it was to keep the guy from falling over or from taking off, but the truth was he didn't actually know the reason.
Bowser kept quiet, trying not to draw attention to how uncharacteristically embarrassed he was behaving. He also didn't want to think about it himself.
Luigi shuffled from one foot to the other, walking the halls that looked vaguely familiar to him. Unfortunately, it didn't feel comforting or like home. The castle was strange, too dark and very warm, like a mid summer heatwave. The experience was more like walking through a dream. There was a distance voice in his head making him uneasy and wanted him to leave. It made him feel unsafe every time they turned a corner and he didn't know what would be there.
Didn't he really live here? Apparently so, because he had a room.
The weight of an arm around him felt protective and warm. All the spooky fears of the dark drifted away.
Luigi looked up at the large koopa at his side. Bowser was very tall. Tall enough that Luigi could feel his presence without the touch at his back. The claws poking gently against his shoulder were scary in their own way, but they only gave him this funny little feeling inside that made Luigi happy to press further into him. It had to be okay after all. Bowser hadn't moved his arm away yet.
There were many questions he wanted to ask, about where they were to one another, about who he was, but Bowser didn't look like he was in a talkative mood. Not that he was too disappointed. They had both been lost in thought for the last few minutes. The koopa looked tired too, frustrated and doing a horrible job at hiding it. There was a scowl on his face but it wasn't angry now. Luigi felt badly, like he was causing everyone problems just by being there.
Luigi hoped that being a little closer would offer some kind of reassurance, silently wanting Bowser to know not to worry because he was there. The claws flinched on his shoulder but didn't pull away. This gave Luigi all kinds of ideas about what their relationship might be. He didn't want to start assuming anything too quickly but tell that to his wild imagination.
Luigi looked down at the small bundle of flowers that he'd been holding this whole time. He couldn't remember why he had them or where they came from. The mixture of colours ranged in carious shades of pink which was odd. Personally he preferred greens and yellows over pink. Still, they were pretty and certainly not from around here. The hallways of the castle were dark, stone, and lit by torches. Not exactly the place to grow flowers. Had he gone off to get them or where they given to him?
The idea of Bowser bringing him flowers made his chest feel all warm and bubbly, but Luigi doubted that was how he'd gotten them. Something in his mind came up with the image of a large garden and a sunny afternoon. There had been decorations and more flowers. He could still taste sweet treats on his tongue. Something reminded him of a party.
“Greenie. This way.”
'Greenie' couldn't possibly be his real name but Luigi automatically responded to it like it was. He simply figured it was a nickname. One he didn't mind.
Luigi let Bowser lightly push him up a steep flight of stairs that wound and curved upwards, the end never in sight for what felt like forever.
By the time they reached the last step Luigi's legs were tired and shaking. He stopped on the small landing. The only thing there was a single door, slightly ajar and waiting for them to come in. Bowser pushed it open and stood back, gesturing for Luigi to go in first.
“Is this my room?” He asked curiously. Bowser just nodded waved him inside again.
Luigi eagerly went in to have a look around. He turned in every direction, doing a spin to take in the grand room with its curved rounded walls and high ceiling all at once. It was definitely large and well furnished. It was lovely. Although he had hoped seeing his bedroom would remind him of something.
Nothing struck him as particularly familiar. He liked the room and wished it gave him the same warm feelings of being at home as a small touch to the shoulder had.
His excitement was dragged down for long.
Bowser almost couldn't look, just in case there was still too much of Peach left behind to haunt the sole tower room. Quickly he glanced around and felt himself sigh with a touch of relief or satisfaction. Stepping through the door wasn't tainted with years of heavy regrets and disappointments.
There was no pink or peachy tones anywhere that he could see. Kamek had done a bang up job at recolouring the furniture with his magic. All the frills and gold trims were removed, replaced with soft creams and shades of green. Everything was no decorated in colours closer suites to the Koopa Kingdom.
And closer to the shade of green that Luigi was wearing on his shirt. Surely, he would approve. No, not 'approve'. Bowser didn't need Luigi to like the room. He just needed him to believe that it was his.
The room on first glance was relatively the same, only in a different colour. There hadn't been much in need of change. Peach never left anything personal behind. All the gifts Bowser showered her in were always neatly put away for when she came back. Bowser had a horribly impulsive thought to tear open the wardrobe just to double check that the remaining dresses were disposed of. Even if they remained, maybe Luigi would believe they were his own. Luigi and Peach were both human shaped. It made sense to him that they would wear the same clothes. Bowser refuse to give in though.
He refuse to budge from his position by the door. All the while following Luigi around the room with his eyes as the man scampered from the cluttered vanity to the four post bed. Nothing in the room seemed to excite him more than the bed with its many pillows and layers upon layers of blankets. Luigi looked like he wanted to throw himself over the bed and bury deep under all the pillows like it was his very own nest. He had this little bounce to his step where he raised himself up onto his toes. And his hair flopped around in a knotted mess. The absence of the hat making it more obvious that it would normally be well kept.
Luigi wouldn't stop smiling whenever he looked back at him.
Bowser blinked, realizing that he was staring.
He turned all too quickly only to catch the eye of Kammy, not Kamek. Of course, it was just like Kamek to delegate the task of 'decorating' to someone else.
A shiver of self conscious awareness went though him. He huffed on a breath and crossed his arms. Kammy scuttled in closer, awaiting further instructions but Bowser waved her off. He had nothing to say to her. The job was done here and he couldn't keep staring at Luigi another moment longer.
“I have to go,” he grumbled, turning away. He avoided looking at Luigi specifically as he fled the room rather abruptly.
The two watched him lumber out the door and disappear down the stairs. The stomping of his feet on the steps drifted further away.
Kammy hummed and excused Bowser's sudden exit. She saw how Luigi watched the door, disappointed that he'd gone so soon. She waddled over to the vanity where she had left out a tray of hot tea. Luigi followed her closely, watching her pour him a small cup full.
“Here, deary, drink this. You'll feel better.” She passed him the teacup and offered to take the flowers he'd been carrying. His hands tightened a little but she smiled patiently. It took some gentle coxing to get Luigi to let them go. Only after Kammy promised they would be safe did he agree. The flowers were left on the vanity next to the tea tray. There they wouldn't be crushed or broken.
Without the flowers in his arms Luigi fidgeted uncomfortably. He took the teacup and tried not to tap his nails against the porcelain. He lifted it to his face to breath in the smell of freshly brewed tea. It was a bright sweet smell and it reminded him of - what he imagined to be – home. Luigi held onto the cup with both hands and blew at the stead steam coming off the top.
He liked the idea that this was his home. Everyone he met treated him with such care and softness. Luigi smiled and thanked the elderly koopa for the tea.
He didn't know where to start asking questions. His attention was still all over the place. Luigi looked around the room. None of it looked familiar to him even though he was told that this was his room. Was it a new room or had it always been his? How long had he lived here?
Kammy must have seen some concern on his face because she ushered him to sit on the bed and told him to continue drinking his tea. Luigi let her sweep him aside.
“Th-this is my room?” He asked softly.
“Yes, of course. As you left it,” she said.
“Did I go somewhere?”
Kammy fumbled with her answer, awkwardly hesitating. She scrambled around him, straightening pillows and pretending like he'd never asked. All that she said was that everyone was happy he was home.
Luigi looked to the door. Bowser didn't seem happy. In fact, he felt Bowser was trying to get away from him as quickly as possible. He'd barely said goodbye or anything since their brief moment alone in the throne room. Luigi felt like Bowser didn't even want to be alone with him. His face fell into a sad sort of expression over that thought. He wanted to mope about it, dig himself a hole under all the pillows and sulk, but a claw waved in front of his face to get his attention.
“Don't mind him. He's just a little grumpy today.”
“P-pardon?” Luigi frowned. He'd been staring at the door hadn't he? Luigi looked away, afraid he might blush.
He wouldn't have described Bowser as 'grumpy' earlier. There had been too much yelling. Was it because Luigi couldn't remember him? He must have done something, even though he couldn't say what that 'something' was. Guilt made his stomach uneasy. Luigi didn't think he could drink any more tea. He held the cup in his lap.
“Lord Bowser can be big and scary, but don't worry, deary. He's a real softy.”
He hoped that was true. Luigi fiddled with the teacup as he listened to her reassurance.
He wasn't trying to spill any of the tea but all his jittering tipped it sideways. Tea got on his pant leg and Kammy immediately started to fuss over him, suggesting he take a bath and change. She was very motherly which was nice. It wasn't just the lack of memory, but he couldn't remember the last time someone cared for him like their own kid like this. It was sweet. He chuckled a little and got up off the bed as she took the teacup away.
The bed had been so plush and he regretted having to get up. He wanted to crawl back into it and pull apart the mountain of pillows and blankets until he'd made the largest pillow fort he'd ever made. Then he'd bury himself inside and sleep for hours. His body was tired and sore but he couldn't stop restlessly moving about the room. Everything was so distracting that he didn't know what to look at first.
A few thoughts stayed pressing on his mind. Luigi didn't know how to ask them politely. He clapped his hands together and turned towards Kammy. He stuttered and nervously bounced on his toes.
“Scusi... but, who are you?”
He was happy she didn't look offended. The question made her smile. She fawned over him, pulling him down into a front bend so she could ruffle his bangs.
“Just call me, Kammy. And you are, Luigi, of course.”
Luigi blinked. Yes! That was his name. He sighed with relief and a wide grin spread over his face.
“Si, yes. Th-thank you.” He appreciated that someone could finally tell him.
“Goodness, you are filthy... Let me draw you a bath.”
“Uh, you don't have to-”
“Nonsense.”
Luigi definitely would have protested further but couldn't. She'd already walked off on him.
He felt awkward standing around a room alone as Kammy disappeared through an archway into what he only assumed would be a bathroom. She continued to call to him from the next room.
“Then after that you can get some rest. I'll let Lord Bowser know how you're doing.”
Luigi played with his fingers. He started to walk about the room one more time while he was alone. Everything felt too rich for him, like he was suppose to be royalty but that didn't seem right. He thought to himself that he preferred a small house in the country. Something with a big garden where he could sit and watch the birds.
“We know each other then,” he supposed out loud.
“Yes, quite well.” Kammy heard him well enough through the open doorway.
“I am sorry that I can't remember you...”
“I was told. You don't have to be sorry.”
Luigi pulled open one of the vanity drawers. He was thinking that he'd find the usual stuff, brushes or combs. The drawer was organized with a number of velvety soft jewellery boxes. Only half the boxes were opened. The rest were still partly wrapped with crisp neat bows. They looked like presents. He could resist looking into just one box.
Luigi plucked one of the already unwrapped boxes from the draw. The lid popped open. He didn't consider himself to be a jewellery person but the bracelet inside the box was quite lovely. He liked the tone of gold and the delicate little detailed that went into the thin band.
Setting the box, he went for another. This one had a similar necklace. Luigi wanted to take everything out and try it on right away. He lightly snickered to himself.
“Your bath is almost ready!”
Luigi flinched and muffled the sound of the jewellery box snapping shut with his hands. In a hurry he put the box away and closed the drawer as quietly as he could. Even if it was his room, he didn't want to be caught snooping through drawers.
He stepped back, pretending he'd touched nothing. Kammy still hadn't come out from the bathroom yet so he waited for her. As a pause in their conversation lasted a while too long for his comfort Luigi started to mutter under his breath and sigh. He looked back towards the stairs.
He still didn't like how Bowser had left in such a rush. He huffed low and sad.
“And... L-lord Bowser...” Saying his title felt weird. Luigi stuttered it out all the same, glad no one was watching him flush and become so embarrassed. “Are we... me and him... Are we close?”
“Yes, I would say so...” Something else she said was cut off and Luigi didn't catch it. Before he could ask she told him, “Try to relax for now. You'll give yourself a headache if you think too hard.”
“One more question...” Luigi stepped up to the doorway in between the two rooms. Kammy came waddling out to meet him. She smiled at him and pattered her hands dry on her robe.
“Yes, deary?”
“Uhm... could you tell me. Who is Mario? B-Bowser was very mad that I couldn't tell him where he was.”
“Oh... I see. Well... Mario is your brother.” She paused for a moment. “Unfortunately, there's this unfriendly rivalry between those two. They don't get along.”
“He doesn't live here too?”
“Heavens, no.” Kammy laughed brightly as she turned away again. Then her muttering slipped and he heard her say something that jogged his memory a little too quickly. It was like a small pin prick headache that made him wince. “He lives in the Mushroom Kingdom.”
Luigi remembered rolling hills covered in wildflowers, long winding paths that connected villages, and the big blue stretch of the sky. In the middle of it was this small house that he knew was his. It had been his and his brother, he thought – at least he was pretty sure it was. It had a garden outside where he grew vegetables and flowers. Not like the bouquet laying on the vanity, but big sunflowers and morning glories.
A sudden sense of longing crept on Luigi that he couldn't explain. The small house had been his home, yet he was here. His brother wasn't with him. Luigi didn't fully know who his brother was or where he could be.
Luigi sucked in a sharp breath like he couldn't breathe.
The Mushroom Kingdom must be far away to be so different form where he was now. Not that he didn't like his room or its nice things, he told himself. There was a charm to it that he found himself enjoying. Luigi only wondered what could have taken him from his family and a home. Whatever the reason, it must have been something very important. And he couldn't remember.
Kammy moved away from the bath once it was overflowing with colourful bubble bath. She clicked her claws together happily. Thankfully she didn't notice the blurry eyed stare on Luigi's face as he fell silent. She trotted by and nudge him towards the bath.
“Don't fret, dearie. Lord Bowser is going to take good care of you.” Kammy patted his arm. “Enjoy your bath. I'll be back soon with some dinner for you. Oh, and we'll have to find you some clean clothes. Mustn't forget that.”
Luigi nodded, not knowing what else to do as she chattered away. It was easy for her to tell him not to worry. Whether or not he would be able to was entirely different. He was still so restless and confused about everything. As much as he wanted to feel at home, nothing felt right. Everything he remembered was just out of reach and the more he tried to grab onto what little he remember the faster it slipped through his fingers.
Luigi started to chew on his lip. He was beginning to get a little short of breath but tried not to let it show. He held onto the wall, meaning to go into the next room but he couldn't get his feet to budge.
Then Luigi's attention came back to the bouquet messily falling apart on the vanity.
Suddenly Luigi felt like he'd been punched square in the chest.
A rush of memories, like grainy movie film, came flooding back to him. He remember the background noise of gathered voices. He remembered the taste of strawberries, cakes and tarts. All the sweet things topped with whipped cream. Flowers and streamers.
He remembered what must have been a party. Even then he'd been missing his brother.
He remember seeing koopas too.
These memories came with an overwhelming longing that made his stomach flip and he stumbled, feeling a little queasy. Looking the pink flowers made him feel worse. Oh! No wonder why Bowser was so upset that he couldn't remember.
Luigi covered his mouth trying to hold in his surprise gasp but it came out more like a startled yelp.
Kammy stopped abruptly. She had only been a few steps away but came right back to his side. Whatever it was that she was saying didn't make it to his ears. Luigi flailed his hands around, making large ridiculously gestures that only he understood in his hysterics. He almost tripped over his own feet as he started to pacing about.
“Oh Gosh! How could I forget!”
“Are you alright?”
“Yes!” Was he though? “No...”
“Did you remember something?” Kammy tipped her head to the side and watched Luigi nod slowly. His hands fell away from his face slowly but he still kept them balled up under his chin.
He should be happy that he remembered all this. Luigi should be over the moon and giddy. He should be kicking his feet and laughing. It was a good memory, one that made his chest all warm and hopeful.
The only thing keeping him from completely jumping for joy was the aching sympathy he now felt towards Bowser.
“Luigi?”
He looked down at Kammy and couldn't stop a bright red colouring from taking over his face. When he put his palms to his cheeks he could feel the radiating heat of his embarrassment.
“Bowser, he- I mean... lui è mio...”
“What did you remember?”
“Noi siamo...” Luigi smiled so wide his face hurt. “We're married.”