Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

 "Take a deep breath. You'll be absolutely fine."

Mario followed his new wife's advice, shaking the nervous tingles out of his fingers and turning his head to ensure his brother was faring equally well. He frowned, noting how Luigi was scratching his knuckles—a nervous habit that his big brother had spent many a year trying to break, given how often he accidentally drew blood.

He reached for his twin's hands, gently releasing them from each other and squeezing the one he kept in his grip, rubbing his thumb over the tiny scabs and suddenly having something much more important to worry about than his first international conference as king.

"We talked about this, Lu."

His brother looked down, only just seeming to notice what he had been doing, and Peach crossed over to him to take his other arm, rubbing it gently.

"You don't have to talk, Sweetheart," she assured her best friend. "I promise. We just have to make a united appearance. Mario is going to have to make some statements and answer some questions, but I won't give them the chance to address you; I give you my word."

Mario gulped, still not feeling ready to address the neighboring kingdoms as any sort of official leader and wishing Peach would make him the same promise. She seemed to take note of his discomfort, as she smiled gently, not releasing Luigi but reaching out her hand to take one of Mario's in her own, completing their little family circle.

"Don't worry; I'll do most of the talking. We do have to care about public opinion, after all."

Her consort scowled, wondering to which degree he should be offended, but it coaxed a smile out of his brother, so he let it go.

"I'll really just get to sit there with you guys? I won't have to talk?"

"Nope," Peach beamed, trying to convey some peace to her brother-in-law. "Just like we practiced yesterday—smile, wave, and sit down. And, it's okay to not want to talk, so no feeling guilty. It's not fair to expect you to have to embrace politics just because your brother dragged you into a royal life."

"You make it sound like a bad thing!"

"It's not a bad thing, Dear," Peach soothed her husband, "but it is the truth. Luigi didn't sign up for this and I feel guilty enough for all of us that he has to be uncomfortable, just because you and I made him royal by default."

Mario shook his head, unwilling to see his brother's promotion to the cushiest life possible as anything but an upgrade.

"Well, I certainly signed up for giving him the life he deserves. Not to mention how much of a burden it takes off my mind that I now have every resource available to keep him as protected as I see fit."

Luigi and Peach shared a glance, Mario reading the silent conversation and speaking up to defend himself.

"Ten bodyguards is not excessive!"

"We talked you down to ten."

"See? Things can always be worse."

A trumpet's blast heralded the start of the meeting, both Mario and Luigi flinching at a sound to which they would have to quickly acclimate and Peach brushing a wrinkle out of her dress with practiced elegance, taking her position on Mario's other side and linking her arm with his. Luigi tried to pull his hand away from his brother's, looking shy and unsure, but the older twin refused to release him, about to establish early on that the Mushroom Kingdom's new monarch would not be restraining his shows of affection to his brother, for any reason, and anyone who thought it odd would have to adjust to the situation just as quickly as he had to adjust to his new title.

"Deep breaths," Peach reminded in a murmur, as the doors were opening. "Just be natural. We're just making an appearance as the royal family."

Mario felt a strange sense of detachment when he was introduced as "king consort," as well as when Luigi's name was preceded by the honor of "prince." Even Peach, accustomed though he was to hearing her called by her rank as princess, had been promoted to queen through their marriage, and it was a surreal experience. Regardless, he held his chin high and let his wife take the lead in guiding him through the archway, holding fast to Luigi's hand, unwilling to let his little brother's self-consciousness convince him that propriety might indicate that he should trail a step behind.

Truly, one of the hardest adjustments to their new life had been convincing Luigi that he not only was now expected to sit at level with royalty, but that he was good enough to do so. He and Mario still struggled with his lack of self-worth, but the older brother was hopeful they had made some progress over the last few weeks. At the very least, bowing to his brother had been a mistake that had only required one horrified correction. Not to mention, he had finally stopped protesting the room he was given, which adjoined his and Peach's own and rivaled it, in terms of lavishness. Mario wouldn't have accepted any other arrangement, enjoying the convenience of a single door of separation that allowed him to stay with Luigi whenever either of them felt overwhelmed by all the changes and needed the familiar comfort of each other's embrace.

Peach had been beyond understanding, firmly stating to them both that she was embellishing their bond, not coming between or replacing it, and had even privately confided to Mario that she was both aware and comfortable with the fact that Luigi's position, in his life and in his heart, would never slip from first place, by anyone or under any circumstance, and that she would have words to share, should he ever feel guilty about that. He hadn't thought it possible to love her more, but she had proven him wrong.

Of course, he had offered his own reassurances to his brother, as well.

'This doesn't change anything,' he had insisted. 'We're going to be just as inseparable as we've always been. Closer, even.'

'I know. I'm not worried about that, and I'm so happy for you,' Luigi had responded in that sweet way of his, smiling gently. 'We always said we'd find wives that understood what we are to each other, and I think you hit the jackpot.'

'You're just saying that because she likes you more than she likes me.'

'That's not true!'

'Of course, it is! She admitted it!'

'Well, if I ever get married, maybe my wife will be just as much your ally as Peach is mine.'

'Nah. If you ever get married, I'm gonna be outnumbered three to one.'

'I don't think you have to worry about that, anytime soon. It's not like I've met anyone—especially anyone who'd be willing to move into a room next to my big brother and sister-in-law.'

'I'm sure she's out there. And, all she'll have to do, to date you, is meet my standards.'

'...Mamma Mia, I'm gonna be single for the rest of my life.'

As practiced, Luigi simply smiled and waved, though his knuckles had turned white around Mario's hand. Both brothers nodded politely to the bowing Toads as they approached the large table in the center of the room, already attended by the lands' different monarchs, including the Kong king and prince, as well as the Penguin king, the princes Peasley and Florian, and about half a dozen others Mario still couldn't name with any accuracy, even after studying the flashcards Peach had prepared.

"Thank you all for making the journey out of your homelands," the queen addressed cordially as the three took their seats around the table. "You honor the Mushroom Kingdom with your presence, and I hope you all feel welcome."

"Most gracious," King Penguin replied, glancing over to the last empty seat with a frown, "though, I fear we now face the conundrum of whether to cater to your final guest's tardiness or begin without him."

"Yes, I'm afraid I didn't receive notice that Emperor Balzar would be delayed, but I urge you all to remember that his agreement to meet with us, at all, is an incredibly rare honor." She glanced at the clock, clearly conflicted. "However, I don't wish to keep you all past our agreed upon session. I move that we begin."

"Hear, hear."

"Most agreeable."

"An unfortunate force majeure."

"I'm down."

Mario awarded DK a flat look, the gorilla prince shrugging without shame.

The sound of Cranky Kong smacking his son upside the head was drowned out by the slam of the doors as they were thrown open, revealing an older human man who carried himself with a lifetime of regal pride, flinging his cloak out of the way and taking the final seat at the table, twitching his white whiskers and snapping for a Toad butler to bring him a glass of wine.

Peach rose and bowed her head, Mario and Luigi taking their cue from her and mimicking the movement.

"Emperor Balzar-"

"I've only come to this meeting to offer a lucrative trade agreement," he cut her off, accepting his wine. "Otherwise, I've no use in political conversation, nor interest in the concerns of the smaller neighboring kingdoms."

Mario kept his scowl of annoyance in check, urging Luigi to do the same with a subtle kick under the table.

"As you all know, Sarasaland has led this world in production of valuable resources, and though we have never before considered the need for importation of any of your kingdoms' goods, I find myself in the rare position to pose the offer of an accord."

Mario noted how seriously the rest of the monarchs were taking the emperor's words—even DK. Peach had a small frown on her face and her fingers were clasped together—a sure sign that they wanted to fidget. He recalled her mention of Sarasaland a time or two in the past, mostly regarding the elusive emperor, who refused exportation or alliance with every other land, with a type of arrogance that could be backed up by a sheer lack of need. The empire was rich and lush, Peach had stressed, far richer than any of their own, and no one in his right mind would challenge their army; even Bowser had never even tried. In short, no one knew much about them—a name on a map, to be passed over, upon any discussion of trade.

Balzar stared into his wine glass, a bitter look in his eyes as he began.

"Not long ago, a small village on the outskirts of my kingdom, Easton, fell into despair. A thick fog draped over the town, in response to a vindictive witch's curse, and none of my citizens have been allowed to leave. They suffer, hunted by creatures of nightmare. So many brave knights have I sent to retrieve the treasure the woman stole; the treasure she guards behind the lives of my people—all of my soldiers...good men...lost."

Luigi shifted in his chair, Mario squeezing his hand in comfort.

"Not one who has set foot in that cursed village has ever returned, unable to even offer a report of the terrors witnessed and, perhaps, better prepare the next man. To this day, I can offer no information but the impenetrable wall of mist and the distant screams reported to be heard as night falls. Some report the toll of a bell. Many urge me to give up hope of ever reclaiming what that cursed woman stole from me." He paused, massaging his brow with genuine distress, at least as far as Mario could tell. "I wish to lose not another of my men; my duty is to protect my citizens, first. Thus, we come to my offer."

The emperor stood, hoping to impart his sincerity with a forced show of humility as he tipped his head downward.

"An alliance."

Peach sucked in a breath, a round of quiet murmurs being chased around the table.

"Exportation of goods, resource trading, and access to the world's strongest army, all offered to whomever retrieves my treasure and returns it to me, unharmed. I've no favorites. I've nothing to gain from any of you. The same offer will be given to King Bowser, as I understand he is unwelcome at this table, but of sufficient strength to possibly claim success."

"You cannot possibly ally with Bowser!"

The Penguin king burst out the protest before Mario could, the red twin's blood running cold at the thought of the Darklands being backed by the strength of Sarasaland. It would be massacre and complete chaos.

Balzar slammed his hand against the table, the sound echoing.

"I will ally with whomever succeeds! If none of you wish to take up the challenge, I have no choice but to approach your enemy. Consider it a courtesy that I chose to speak to you first."

Mario knew what had to be done. He ignored how pale both Luigi and Peach had grown and opened his mouth to speak up, but his wife beat him to it, getting to her feet with less than her usual grace and calling for an immediate ten-minute recess for the monarchs to consider the offer in private. Without waiting for the words to even sink in, she had pulled Mario up by the hand and practically forced him into a quiet alcove set off from the hallway.

"Don't even think about it."

Her voice shook, fear and anger motivating her.

"I don't have a choice-"

"You heard what he said about that ghost village," she hissed. "No one has come back!"

"If no one takes his offer, he'll go to Bowser! Our kingdom will be the first one he targets after he gets their army!"

"Maybe..." she seemed pained. "Maybe, we should let Bowser volunteer...and hope he fails."

Mario lost his train of thought, having not expected that.

"...But, what if he doesn't? What if he finds whatever this treasure is and figures out a way to get it back to Balzar? We'd never be safe, again."

"Another ruler from our table could volunteer?"

The new king opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the right words.

"Everyone at that table is my height or shorter—beans and bugs, no offence to them—except DK, and DK's not exactly the brightest banana in the bunch."

"It won't just take intelligence; It'll take strength. DK is stronger than any of us, besides Bowser."

"What if he doesn't want to volunteer? He doesn't need to. The Kong Kingdom isn't exactly drowning."

She brought her fingers to her chin, lost in thought for several moments before she shook her head, eyes hard.

"I don't care who volunteers, but it's not going to be you."

"Peach-"

"No! I can't lose my husband! Luigi can't lose his brother! We can't lose our king!"

"But, what if I succeeded? We'd never have to worry about Bowser's attacks, again!"

"I don't care! It's not worth it! Let anyone else volunteer, and we will form an alliance with whomever is victorious; that'll be easier, anyway."

"What if it's Bowser?"

"...We'll figure it out-"

"My queen, my king," Toadsworth shuffled into view, well-aware of all of Peach's hiding spots, "I bring news from the conference room. A contender has signed a contract with Emperor Balzar, agreeing to take up his challenge."

Peach breathed an obvious sigh of relief, hand over her chest as she panted.

"Thank goodness."

"Who is it?"

Mario dreaded the answer. Though he was grateful that one of their friends or acquaintances had blocked the enlistment of Bowser, he empathized with whichever poor soul had signed his life away, having admittedly little faith that anyone at that table would be successful. Still, the Mushroom Kingdom would offer any help or resources they could to tilt the scales in the challenger's favor.

Toadsworth adjusted his glasses, shifting his weight.

"...Please, try not to lose your composure, and note that I was in full disagreement with his choice, but he simply wouldn't be talked out of it—pressing a thumbprint onto that binding contract before I could stop him. Nasty magic, that emperor carries—ensuring that whoever volunteered was bound to his word and couldn't back out, once the signature of blood was transacted-"

"Toadsworth," Peach stepped forward, a hand landing on Mario's shoulder and a tremble in her tone, "who agreed to go to the village?"

Mario couldn't speak, feeling so very cold and rooted to the floor as denial flooded his mind.

The queen's oldest adviser sighed, tipping his head.

"...Prince Luigi."

"You've got guts, Kid."

Everything in Luigi wanted to flinch when the gorilla king thumped him on the back, but he resisted the temptation.

"And a hero's heart," Peasley added.

"Indeed," King Penguin removed his crown to hold to his chest, as if in polite mourning, and it didn't make the green twin feel any better. "A true warrior."

Mumbles of agreement spread across the table, but Luigi had eyes only for Balzar, who was rolling up the bloody parchment with a calculating stare as he looked the new prince up and down.

"Tell me, Boy, are you betrothed?"

He choked, having not expected the question, but he managed to clear his throat and utter a quiet confirmation that he wasn't.

"Good," was all the emperor said in return, shoving the paper into the inner pocket of his cloak. "We shall be allies in more than friendship. Succeed, and you will marry my daughter."

"What?!"

"LUIGI!"

The slam of the doors silenced all conversations and drew everyone's attention, the emperor unfazed but raising an eyebrow at the disruption. Luigi, on the other hand, took a reflexive step back, rattling the table with his clumsiness when he saw the look on his brother's face, especially as it grew closer with each determined stomp.

Without a care to proper etiquette, Mario grabbed his brother's arm, dragging him towards the hall as if he were a misbehaving toddler and Peach was quickly behind, pushing him along with a quick and rather snappish bid over her shoulder to please excuse them for a moment. She barely got the doors closed by the time Mario shoved his twin against the wall, holding him by the collar and shaking him.

"Why?! Why would you do that?! What's wrong with you?!"

"I had to!" Luigi pushed at him, but it was pointless. "No one else was speaking up! I overheard them all talking to each other and none of them were gonna volunteer, so it was either gonna be you or Bowser, and I couldn't let it be you!"

"I wouldn't have let him volunteer!"

Peach stepped forward, scowling at her brother-in-law with a kind of fury that rivaled even his brother's.

"That's why I took him out here—to make sure he didn't! If it had even occurred to me that you would make such a stupid decision, you'd have been out here on your ear ten minutes ago!"

Luigi finally was able to shove his twin away, though they both still crowded him, Mario's fists clenched to the point of shaking.

"I don't care what you have to do."

The younger twin raised his eyes at his brother's menacing growl.

"I don't care what bridges we burn. I don't care if he runs straight to Bowser. You're voiding that contract."

"I can't." He held up his still-bleeding thumb. "It's blood magic. If I break my word, I'll die, anyway."

Mario shoved him, again, cursing loudly in Italian and pulling at his hair as he paced. Peach, for her part, crossed her arms and fixed him with a more disappointed glare than he would have thought anyone capable of producing.

"Idiota!"

"Hey!" Luigi protested, feeling name-calling to be just a step too far.

"Not you! I'm talking about me! I should've just volunteered then and there!"

"Oh, that would've been a solution? Leaving the kingdom without a king and leaving Peach a widow? At least, you have something to lose!"

Mario's fist stopped just short of striking him in the chin, though it didn't even occur to him to flinch. Instead, his brother shoved a trembling finger into his face, eyes dark.

"Don't you ever say that, again. Stelle, I thought we'd made progress." He'd never sounded so heartbroken. "How could you say that? How could you do that? Do you care about me, at all?!"

"Why do you think I volunteered?! If you went into that ghost town and never came back, I'd just...let myself die."

"What about me-"

"You have someone else to live for. You'd pull through, for Peach's sake; I know you would."

"No, he wouldn't," Peach shook her head, gaze certain. "Even if he tried, he couldn't. You know that, Luigi. If you died," she choked on the word, "Mario would be right behind you, by his own hand or from a broken heart—whichever took him more quickly. And, if I lost you both, I wouldn't be far behind."

Luigi didn't get a chance to respond to that, Mario shoving past him and opening the door to the conference room, his twin and wife sharing a look of confusion before following.

"Balzar!"

The emperor turned, a scowl on his face.

"I prefer to be addressed by my title-"

"Let me see the contract."

"What are you doing?!"

Luigi pulled on the arm he had extended, but Mario shook him off, the Sarasaland ruler hesitating a moment before handing over the scroll.

"I do warn you, it is binding," he drawled, watching Mario unroll it and lay it on the table. "Attempting to destroy it will end in your brother's death."

The red king tensed up but ignored him, directing his eyes to Luigi.

"Did you even read this?"

"Of course, I did! What do you- what are you doing?!"

Quicker than Luigi could react, Mario grabbed the emperor's wine glass, smashing it into sharpened edges and piercing his thumb with the most jagged shard before pressing the bleeding digit over Luigi's own thumbprint.

"Mario!"

Peach darted forward, hand over her mouth, the rest of the royals gossiping in less than subtle whispers, but Luigi was speechless, unable to believe what he was witnessing.

"There," Mario's voice trembled as he tossed the contract back. "You have a new contender, so you can let him off the hook."

"Hm," Balzar huffed, amused. "I'm afraid that, noble as your intentions were, it doesn't change anything. You see," he flattened the scroll once more, beckoning Mario forward, "if you had read my words from behind a veil of reason, rather than blind emotion, you would have noticed the clause that clearly states a second challenger may be added, not used as a replacement. I anticipated some form of competition, but I hadn't planned on it coming between two brothers from the same kingdom. At the very least, I thank you for your signature, as I now have twice the chance of a successful retrieval."

Luigi regained his voice when Peach stormed forward, shoving Mario into his brother and causing them each to let out a grunt.

"If that's how you want to play this game, then so be it."

"Peach, no!"

"Peach!"

She ignored them both, other than to whisper a vague accusation of them being the ones to start this, pulling off her glove and cutting her thumb a second before Mario grabbed her and pulled her away, but it was too late. Her blood had dripped onto the page, right beside the agreement from the other two members of her family.

Mario was gaping and Luigi's world was spinning. When he had offered to take up Balzar's challenge, he, perhaps naively, had believed he was saving his family. Now, he had just doomed them, as a whole. When his brother turned to him, eyes wide and disbelieving, Luigi was sure he was about to once again feel his twin's wrath, but Mario just squared his chin, after a moment of thought, an arm still around Peach as he stepped to the left and wrapped his other around Luigi, holding them both in a death grip and leading them a little ways away so that they wouldn't be overheard. Thankfully, everyone else took their retreat as the initiation of another recess and broke off into their own conversations, giving them further privacy.

"...Well, we make a trio, don't we?" Mario whispered the words for their ears only, his voice hollow. "I guess we could all stand to be a little less trigger-happy when it comes to trying to protect each other. On the other hand, I feel better, somehow."

"Me, too," Peach muttered back, taking a deep breath. "At least, if we go, we'll go together. And, if we're successful, it'll be our kingdom's single most beneficial treaty."

They looked at their third member, who shook his head, trying to keep his tears from escaping.

"I didn't want this. I just wanted you both to be safe."

"Luigi-"

"That was the whole point of me volunteering! You two are too important to lose!"

Mario's grip on him tightened to the point of pain, a miserable scowl on his face.

"Stop it," he hissed. "Just stop it! After a lifetime of growing up with me, you still don't know me well enough that you can't anticipate how far I'll go for you?! There isn't a limit! There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, and that scares me, because apparently, there isn't anything you won't do to test that!"

"I just-"

"How many times do I have to prove to you that when I say, 'ti voglio bene più della vita,' I mean it literally?"

Luigi could only stand in silence, overwhelmed and ashamed, but when Mario coaxed him down to press their foreheads together, he did so without hesitation.

"Va bene," he murmured. "We'll be together. We'll be okay. I'm not mad at you, anymore."

"I don't deserve you not to be mad at me. I got all three of us into this mess!"

Peach took his other arm, squeezing it and laying her head on his shoulder.

"You made your choice, and we made ours. It's not your fault we love you so much, but it is your responsibility to deal with it."

Their hands joined, the blood of three thumbs smearing across pale knuckles.

Peach sighed, the atmosphere of high emotions finally seeming to settle.

"A successful first conference, I'd say. And, to think, I was worried you two wouldn't make yourselves memorable. Well done, Boys. Well done."

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

"How's Toadsworth?"

Peach looked uncomfortable at Luigi's hesitant question, clearing her throat and clasping her hands in front of her as they walked.

"...Recovering."

"Don't worry, Bro," Mario hiked his bag further up his shoulder, "he's madder at me than at you."

"And he's angrier with me than with either of you. He insists he's too old to act as regent. He says I acted rashly and that, if we don't succeed, I'll have doomed the Mushroom Kingdom to anarchy, as well as broken his heart."

"Then, I guess it's a good thing we're gonna succeed," Mario shrugged, strutting ahead and attempting conversation with their guide—an Easton soldier Luigi could only describe as made of stone, with a personality to match.

He slowed down a bit, Peach glancing his way and copying, frowning at him in question.

"I'm just worried about him," the younger brother admitted, flicking his head in his twin's direction. "He's optimistic to the point of clueless."

The queen smiled gently, her next words soft.

"It's mostly for you, you know. He does it for me, too, but he feels like he can forcibly make the situation less dangerous for us if he refuses to acknowledge anything can go wrong. Though, look who I'm telling. You know this, already."

Indeed, he did. However, something needed to be established, and he wasn't sure when he would get another chance to talk to his sister-in-law alone.

"Peach, can you promise me something?"

"Of course."

"If it's a choice between him or me...don't let him pick me."

Her steps paused, expression wilting, but she quickly lifted her head and kept going.

"As if I could stop him," her tone could easily be described as bitter. "His hierarchy of priorities doesn't list himself higher than third, and I fear that yours deems you inferior to houseflies. I just don't understand. You have every evidence in the world that you're loved, and you still can't see the value in yourself."

"Peach-"

"Frankly, it's somewhat insulting that you trivialize what Mario and I hold in such high regard. He would die for you, and yet, you're constantly making statements or taking actions that suggest you don't understand how much it hurts him when you put yourself down."

"I know it hurts him."

"Then, why?"

She stopped, no longer seeming to care if they caught Mario's attention.

"Why do you think that way?"

"It's not something I'm choosing! It's a problem with my mind, or- with my personality, and I can't even say what causes it. I feel like-...like I just have a dark shadow that follows me and tells me that nothing I ever do will make me worthy of what I was given—of the...perfect brother I was given. I'm extremely pessimistic; I admit that. I just can't," he paused, trying to find the right words, "...believe that Mario loves me for any reason beyond the fact that he's used to me and he's an extremely loyal person. There's nothing about me that deserves how much he loves me, and a part of me will always wait for the day that he figures that out, just like everyone else already has or inevitably will."

Peach's eyes were wide and she blinked a few times before glancing away, voice hoarse.

"What about me, then? I love you, and I have no obligation to."

"Yes, you do. If you didn't love me, Mario wouldn't love you."

"Well, you just have an answer for everything, don't you?"

He winced, her words sharp in his ears.

"You see, though? That's part of the problem! I have a negative justification for everything, and sometimes, I can even kind of convince myself that my mindset is unhealthy, but I can never hold onto that doubt! But, Mario sees right through me whenever I decide I'm going to pretend to be okay, for his sake, and he gets even more worried, so there's no point in pretending to be a better person than I really am. At least, when I'm honest, he knows I'm not hiding how bad it is. He told me he doesn't ever want me to do that."

'Doesn't want' was honestly a generous stretch. 'Threatened' was probably more accurate.

The words hovered in the air, both Luigi and Peach waving off Mario when he turned his focus in their direction from a little way ahead, frowning in question and borderline concern. After a moment, though, he accepted their smiles and continued walking with the soldier.

"What can I do?" Peach faced her new brother, gaze despondent and tone quiet. "How can I help you be kind to yourself?"

He shook his head.

"No offence, Sorellona, but if Mario is having this much trouble changing my thought process, I doubt anyone else can come close. Just know, the fact that I trust you enough to let you in is actually a huge step in the right direction, for me. It's certainly farther than anyone else, outside my family, has gotten. Actually," he thought a moment, steps slowing, "it's farther than anyone else besides Mario has ever gotten. I know it's a problem. I know it's annoying. I'm sorry. I can't help it, Peach. I'd change, if I could. Mamma Mia, I've tried hard, for Mario's sake, but everything just gets worse, every time I fail, and that's part of the whole problem."

They continued walking, passing over a hill, dark with rain clouds.

"Tell me, at the very least, that you know just how much you mean to Mario, even if you can't see why, and what it would do to him, if he lost you."

"I know. I may not understand it, but if he needs me, to be the best he can be, then I know I'm not completely worthless."

"...I suppose, that's the best I'm going to get. Don't think this is over, though," she set her jaw. "We're family, now. I have our entire lives to help your brother change your mind about yourself, and all you've done, today, is give me a challenge. You know how I feel about that. So help me, Luigi, I don't care how long it takes or what I put you through; I'm going to see you truly happy."

"Great. As if Mario didn't have enough reasons to have married you."

Their conversation ended there, Mario jogging back over to them and trying to catch his breath, pointing ahead.

"We're here. Balzar said we wouldn't be able to miss it, and...well..."

Luigi and Peach gawked at the mountainous dome of swirling fog, thunder rumbling above the unnatural structure. All three stood in silence for a moment, taking in the reality of their agreement. Everything about the mist warned of danger, the very air crackling around them. The soldier caught their focus, snapping to attention and lifted a stony hand to his sword, raising it to the dome in salute to his fallen brethren and leaving the impression of a lonely, mourning survivor.

Mario led the way and they inched forward, noting that the man had frozen in place, mistakable for a statue carved in remembrance. He didn't speak and they didn't try to engage him, understanding the need for him to pay his respects in a manner that honored his people.

"Okay," the king held out his arms, stopping his wife and brother from further approaching, as soon as they reached the barrier of fog, "I'll go first. Do not follow me until I tell you it's okay. When I decide it's safe, I'll give you two some sort of signal- hey!"

Luigi and Peach shared a nod halfway through his plan, both stepping forward and into the mist.

The younger twin shivered, feeling as though he were passing through a wall made entirely of tangible whispers, their words desperate but unintelligible, causing him to close his eyes as the volume became painful, nearly deafening him before suddenly ceasing to a deadly silence. 

He opened his eyes.

The roads were grey and warped, the houses broken and abandoned. At first glance, one would think the entire town to be made of stone, but small glints seemed to sparkle under the grime, catching the dimmed light from the setting sun. Luigi looked down, scraping his foot across one of the cobblestones and confirming his theory. Under the dirt and lack of care, under the blades of grassy overgrowth, it became apparent that at least a third of the blocks used to pave the road were made of solid gold. With his new knowledge, he stepped closer to one of the smaller cottages, brushing a hand over the side and confirming that the same could be said for the architecture. 

How rich was Sarasaland, that what seemed to be its poorest village maintained the wealth to construct with such valuable resources? If anything, Peach had underestimated how much of an advantage it would be for the Mushroom Kingdom to call them an ally. Furthermore, he hadn't shared with Mario that short conversation with the emperor about his apparent betrothal to his daughter. Given his brother's temper, the discussion wouldn't have ended well, but the careless displays of riches reminded him of the fact that, should he agree, he would only strengthen their ties further. Despite the slim hope he had always carried that he would find someone he could truly trust and welcome into their family unit, as well as Peach had acclimated to Mario and himself, if he married Balzar's daughter, not that he deluded himself into thinking he was anywhere near good enough for a future empress, his brother would never have another care in the world—not from Bowser—not from anyone.

He would have to leave.

He would have to join Sarasaland.

Mario would be safe.

...But, would they be able to cope?

His fingers caught on something, snagging his attention back to the odd word he now noticed had been carved into several of the golden bars—'Teron.'

"What did I just say?!"

So lost in thought, Luigi didn't even notice his twin's approach until his arm was grabbed and he was dragged over to where Peach was peeking through a different window, her arm soon caught in the same death grip.

Mario's eyes blazed.

"I told you two to wait for me! What if there was something dangerous right inside here?! And, you spread out as soon as you got away from me! Stay together!"

"Oh, hush," Peach broke away from his grip, kissing his cheek to soften the dismissal. "We're more than capable. You don't have to be such a hero."

"I'm responsible for you two," he called after her, squeezing Luigi's arm tighter and pulling him along as he followed her route of careful exploration. "That means I'm in charge!"

"Of course, you're in charge," she soothed, dutifully returning to stand behind him. "I'm sorry. Lead the way."

"...Okay," he nodded, hesitantly letting go of his brother and regaining his composure. "Okay, good. Um..."

"That way looks promising," Peach pointed down an alleyway that appeared to exit to a main street.

"Right. All right," he clapped his hands together, facing his family, "we're staying together. Don't wander off, understand?"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

"Of course, Dear."

"Good...We're going that way, and I'm going first."

He walked off, confidently leading them down the alley.

"Whatever you say," Peach smiled, winking at Luigi as they followed.

"Sheesh, become a king and all of a sudden, you think you're the boss," the younger twin muttered, quiet enough to avoid catching Mario's ears, but Peach gave him a gentle swat for his snark.

Mario wondered how well he was convincing his loved ones that he was as calm and collected as they had come to expect of him. He couldn't bear to let them find out that it was all a front for their sake. They needed him to be the strong one—the leader. However, they didn't make it any easier when they disregarded his caution and wandered off before he could catch either one of them. For a moment, he had almost lost his careful composure, but he liked to think he recovered well.

He could see them now, trailing after him, sharing some sort of joke at his expense and linking their pinkies for a moment before separating, both smiling when they noticed him looking their way.

The town, itself, had fallen from his focus when he was scrambling to locate Luigi and Peach, and, to be honest, he hadn't even absorbed the sight of it, until now. The place was dilapidated, quite frankly, and he didn't know if it had always been such a site of destruction, if it was some homeland stylization he didn't understand, or if the emperor simply didn't know that those villagers, who held so much of his concern, were nowhere to be seen.

"Don't you think...we'd have seen someone by now?"

His words echoed down the main street, bouncing around with the sounds of shutters slapping against the sides of their houses, caught in the wind. A torn, orange flag—a Sarasaland flag—hung limply from its pole, where it resided in the center of what seemed to be the remains of a circular marketplace.

"This is so sad," Peach remarked, bending down to pick up a wooden doll that lay on the side of the road. "Balzar said it had only been a month since this happened, but looking at it now..."

"It looks like no one's touched this place in years," her husband finished, agreeing.

He kept his eyes on Luigi, who was bold enough to break away from them by a few steps to investigate, Mario calculating how much distance left him comfortable before he would have to pull his brother back within arm's reach. His brother traced his fingers over a few golden blocks that lined the buildings, almost like he were writing something, with a small frown on his face before moving on, peering into one of the market stalls, which seemed like it had once sold stained glass—its merchandise now dirty and shattered along the cobblestones.

Mario opened his mouth to say he was wandering too far, but his twin distracted him by gasping in fear, scrambling backwards and paling to the point that Mario bolted to his side to steady him.

"What?! What did you see?!"

Luigi couldn't speak, blinking quickly, knees threatening to buckle. Mario gently eased him over to Peach, who held him close for both their comfort and stepped back, eyes noticeably frightened.

Taking a deep breath, Mario steeled his nerves, gesturing for his family to stay away and walking forward, himself, to investigate. With a forceful exhale, he peered into the same stall that had spooked his brother, ready to defend himself, but not ready for the sight that greeted him. Honestly, it took everything he had not to copy his twin's actions.

Back in Brooklyn, he'd watched his fair share of horrors and thrillers, many of them depicting monstrous creatures designed in what tried to be terrifying concepts, but watching an animated prop from a theater seat and finding himself six inches from what looked to be one of those same types of monsters were two entirely different things.

It wasn't attacking. It was frozen, even, locked in a crouched position in the shadows, but with its face turned up to the sky's foggy barrier. Mario would describe it as humanoid, but built from a kind of translucent glass that seemed to encase a formation of jagged stone, the sharper shards of rock even piercing through, in some places, leaving cracks in the outer layer. Its body was emaciated, draped in ripped clothing ill-fitted to its form, and its fingers trailed far beyond a normal length, the ends calcified and sharp, threads of fabric caught on the points. Its face, however, Mario found to be the most horrifying, with an orange blindfold wrapped around its head and an unnaturally-wide mouth, the inside crowded with further calcification that left it in a constant gape, unable to close. Shards of what looked like colorful, fractured glass protruded through its mouth, resembling something close to grotesquely-misaligned teeth and sharpened into points, the sides of its forced grin pulled back to where its ears should have been and pinned in place with golden bolts, each studded with a single ruby.

Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard the toll of a church bell, but he ignored it, more focused on the creature.

"Mario-"

"Don't come over here," he snapped over his shoulder, desperate to convey the command in as harsh a manner as necessary to scare them into obedience.

The bell tolled again.

"It's...just, stay away."

The fog seemed to grow thicker, shadows stretching as the sun fully set, limiting his field of vision. The sound of the bell grew louder.

"...Mario."

His brother's voice finally had him turning, about to address their insistence when claws grabbed at his arm, causing him to shout in surprise and fall back, inadvertently pulling himself out of its grip.

That thing was alive, choking out a deafening coughing sound that resembled an alarm and trying to crawl through the window space of the market stall.

Two sets of hands dragged him to his feet and he wrapped his arms around his brother and wife, twisting in a circle and staring, horrified, at the sight of dozens of those nightmarish forms breaking through the doors and pulling themselves through the windows, each and every one letting out that same garbled, repetitive choke upon spotting them.

Peach kicked at one that got particularly close, Mario backing her away from the danger, only for Luigi to yelp as one grabbed his ankle, yanking it away just in time to avoid its attempted bite.

There was something. He had to do something. They were closing in and quickly trapping them. Luigi and Peach were counting on him to protect them, even if they didn't realize it. 

The air was now so thick with moisture that it was becoming nearly impossible to see, their senses soon limited to listening for their odd chuffs and waiting for their shadows to come within two feet before they could fight them off with any accuracy. There had to be some way-

"The roof! Quick!"

Mario had never been more grateful for his ability to accurately memorize new spaces. He kicked away a monster reaching for his brother's eyes and dragged his family over to what he knew to be some life-saving crate placements, his heart pounding in gratitude when he spotted them—just high enough to reach the rooftops.

"Climb! Hurry!"

He pushed his family forward, spinning around and holding out his arms to guard them, unwilling to climb, himself, until they had safely made it to the top.

"Mario!"

Dodging in time to avoid a bite to his shoulder, he accidentally stumbled into the crates, jostling them out of position and causing Luigi to shout out as he dangled, his foothold now gone.

"LU!"

His brother swung his leg out of the way of swiping claws, but one of the taller creatures managed to catch hold of his foot, pulling and causing him to nearly lose his grip, despite Peach's strained attempts to hold onto him, the queen crying out for her husband's aid.

The threat to his family cleared his mind enough that he found the idea to reach into his satchel, pulling out a mushroom and shoving it into his mouth, not even waiting for the power-up to take full effect before taking advantage of the buff to his height and strength, beating away the monsters with ease and fighting his way over to the creature that held his twin, punching it with extreme prejudice and surprising it into letting go. Without a moment to spare, he pushed Luigi up onto the roof, clearing the jump, himself, right after and pulling his panting wife and brother out of reach of their claws and enraged caws.

"Th-Thank you," Luigi breathed, still trembling.

"Come on! We have to keep moving!"

They slipped and staggered, unable to see where they were headed. The fog closed in further, but everywhere they turned, they faced the horrific chitters of more of those monsters, their claws scraping across the edges of the roof, even if they weren't able to climb up to their level.

"Where are we going?! They're everywhere and we're just heading deeper into the town!"

Mario couldn't address Peach's concern, his only thought set on getting them somewhere safe. Truly, the place seemed like a circular maze, with no particular rhyme or reason to the placement of the houses. Upon reaching a particularly large gap, he hooked an arm around each of them and jumped, barely making it across, and the way they tripped and rolled was enough of a blow to end his power-up, losing them their only advantage.

Somewhere up ahead, Mario caught sight of a shadowy figure, seemingly watching them for a moment before dashing to the right, almost like it was beckoning them to follow.

Peach tried to stand up and yelped, her ankle twisted, but Mario didn't have time to fish out a mushroom for her, or even feel guilty about the rough landing, simply scooping her up and yelling at Luigi to hold onto him and not let go.

He pushed forward, turning right and spotting another glimpse of the shadow, now leading him straight back towards the edge of the fog barrier.

"Where are we going?!"

"I don't know- just- just trust me!"

The figure waited for them to barely catch up, Mario wondering if Luigi and Peach were even seeing what he was seeing, before it disappeared over the edge of the roof, bolting away to the left.

Luigi loudly questioned the state of his brother's sanity when Mario followed, Peach saying nothing—just squeezing her eyes closed and burying her face in his shoulder, trusting him but unable to watch, should it go south. The king hesitantly led them to drop onto a balcony, low enough to the ground for them to avoid injury when they slid down to the cobblestone road. Luigi pressed his fingers against the fog, perhaps thinking an attempted escape was the plan, but his hand couldn't pass through, meeting what looked like an impenetrable glass barrier that encased the entire dome.

Mario's eyes turned back to where he had last seen the figure, spotting the entrance to a wooden cellar and yelling at Luigi to get the door.

His brother obeyed, Mario handing Peach over to him and urging him to get inside, following them in and slamming the doors a moment before they were rattled, claws audibly scraping against it and those horrible, cut-off screeches sounding just behind it.

The king held onto the latch, knuckles turning white, unable to fully trust that the lock would be enough to keep them safe, but a few moments later, the sounds stopped entirely, leaving only the pounding in his ears and his family's panting breaths.

With shaking fingers, he hesitantly let go, finally finding the courage to accept their tentative safety and turn away to check on his brother and wife. Luigi had already given Peach a healing mushroom, the two standing rooted to the spot, holding hands, both of them pale and trembling.

Mario crossed over to them and pulled them close, the three sinking to the ground and letting a few tears escape as they tried to calm themselves and each other.

"It's okay," he soothed, kissing each of their heads. "It's okay. We're safe, now. Did either of you get hurt?"

"No. Just the ankle, but it's fine, now."

"Luigi?"

"Just...just rattled."

Mario held him tighter, pressing his face into the crook of his brother's neck and taking a few shuddering breaths.

"I'm sorry I doubted where you were leading us. How did you know this cellar was here?"

"I didn't. I was following- you two didn't see it?"

Peach pulled away slightly, frowning, messy hair stuck to her forehead with sweat.

"See what?"

"Someone...someone was leading us here."

"Who?"

"I don't know, Lu! Proper introductions had to be put on hold!"

He squeezed his twin again, this time in apology for the short tone, and gave him another quick kiss on the forehead.

"I'm sorry. No, I don't know. It looked like a human, but, then again, so did those...things. Whatever it was, it saved us."

"Or, it led us to a trap."

"Peach, didn't we just talk about how I'm the pessimistic one, around here? Can't we just be grateful that we're not dead?"

"I'm sorry," she breathed, finally regaining the strength to stand up. "We seem safe, for now, but I thought we were safe in the market, too. I suppose, my trust in our surroundings has been severely shaken."

She stepped away, running her hand over the walls and exploring the crates and barrels, both brothers watching and ready to help, should she find herself in unexpected trouble.

"It's quite dark in here."

"Let's see if we can find a lantern, or something. If it's safe, we'll spend the night."

Mario rose, also pulling Luigi up to his feet.

The younger twin brushed off his overalls, bouncing on his heels and obviously reluctant to venture away from the protection of his big brother, given last time's surprise. Mario recognized his fear, taking his hand and not giving him the opportunity to protest being led around like a child.

"Come on," he murmured, "I need you by me, right now."

It wasn't a lie, but Luigi seemed to take it as some unnecessary kindness, wrapping his other hand around his brother's wrist, his eyes grateful.

Mario tipped their heads together for a moment, leading him along.

"Finding anything, Peach?"

"A lot of dust," she joined them, clinging to Mario's other arm. "A lot of nothing, actually."

"Stay close-"

"Oh!"

Both Mario and Peach jumped at their third party's exclamation, Luigi dropping his twin's hand and scrambling for his satchel.

"I almost forgot!"

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

"No, I knew it would come in handy!"

Getting to his knees and fumbling with the straps, he finally flipped open the cover and dug around, absolutely thrilled when he found what he was looking for. His hand retracted, firmly gripping a flashlight.

"Aha!"

So excited was he, he forgot to aim the beam somewhere other than directly into his brother's eyes as he flicked it on, Peach ignoring her consort's cursing to praise Luigi for his wise packing decisions.

"Thanks! It's been really useful in the past, so I've just gotten into the habit of throwing it in my bag whenever we go off on an expedition!"

"Such good thinking. Mario!"

"Mother- what?"

He stumbled back towards them, pressing his fingers into his watering eyes.

"You packed those blankets, right? The ones we took on our honeymoon?"

"I packed," he dropped his satchel to the ground with a thud, "whatever you told me to pack."

Peach got to her knees, rifling through his bag and pulling out a couple of thick quilts.

"Good, you brought the camping equipment. I brought the food; Luigi has the survival kit. We should be set."

"These are nice," Luigi commented, running a hand over the warm quilts.

"They were a honeymoon gift from your parents. We stopped by your old place before we left for Italy."

"Ah. I thought I recognized Ma's work."

"Speaking of which, I'm not sure I stressed enough what a fantastic job you did as regent, while we were gone."

Luigi gave Peach an exasperated smile, the queen lifting her eyebrows, unapologetic.

"You were only gone for a week and nothing happened."

"Well, it was originally two weeks," she set about arranging the blankets into a makeshift bed, "but Mario was starting to remind me of an abandoned puppy, being away from you for so long, so we ended it early."

"Peach!"

Luigi's eyes lit up in delight at the new teasing material she had just presented, her gift missing nothing but a bow.

"What? I didn't know that!"

"I was worried that Bowser would retaliate, now that you're finally as unavailable as you are uninterested! It was scaring me that Lu was there, all alone!"

"Not alone," he corrected, lifting a finger. "With ten bodyguards."

"Stai zitto."

"If I recall, you said that being away from him for so long was like trying to live with a knife in your heart."

She grinned, batting her eyes and pressing a dramatic hand to her chest before she was completely unable to contain her giggles.

"Peach."

"Aw, Fratellone!"

Luigi pulled him down to their level and hugged him tightly, Mario grumbling but returning the embrace. His brother pressed a hand to the back of his head, turning and kissing his temple before speaking gently.

"Come un dolore acuto al centro del torace, giusto? Ti toglie il fiato?"

He snuggled closer.

"Ero così sollevato quando sei tornato a casa presto."

The older twin smiled, laying his head against his sibling's and deciding not to be so defensive. He had nothing to hide from Luigi. It was just that his crippling separation anxiety was somehow more embarrassing when it was pointed out by his wife, especially in regards to the fact that he couldn't even give her a full honeymoon. Not that he hadn't tried, but the distance and duration away from his twin had been enough to start making him physically sick. He supposed he could only be awed that he had found a woman whose reaction had been to find his codependency with Luigi both adorable and understandable...and, somewhat funny, apparently.

A low growl from the corner had them springing to their feet, Mario pushing in front of the others and snagging his brother's flashlight, swinging it in the direction of the noise.

"...Who's there? 

A shadow seems to shift, the growl sounding again, but closer. Mario held an arm out in front of Luigi, Peach stepping behind him and gripping his shoulder, the family of three taking a tentative step back and the older brother already planning their escape route.

"Consider me offended that I wasn't extended an invitation to the wedding."

Mario's stomach dropped, recognizing the voice a moment before Bowser stepped into the flashlight's path, smoke curling from his nostrils and eyes burning red.

"Although, I would have expected the new king to have better manners than to flaunt his relationship in front of his competition. I suppose, given your background, class is somewhat of a mystery to you."

"What are you doing here?"

He kept his voice low and steady, unwilling to let Bowser faze him.

"Simply taking up a challenge, same as you," Bowser circled them, Mario moving with him, turning to ensure he stayed in front of his family at all times. "Given my...disappointment...with the one who got away," he growled in Peach's direction, the queen meeting his eyes in defiance, "I came to the conclusion that you had done me a favor, with your rejection. I realized my problem was that I had set my sights too low and thus, reached out to a certain emperor. After all, the Mushroom Kingdom is merely a footrest for the throne of Sarasaland. Imagine my interest when His Imperial Majesty responded to my inquiry with a problem he had yet to solve. Of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Not to mention, I hear he has a daughter," he chuckled, swiping back his hair, "and I also hear she's available—a true desert flower, worthy of a king."

"Balzar promised her to you?"

Mario blindly swatted at Luigi for drawing Bowser's focus, unwilling to take his eyes off their enemy.

The Koopa king sized up the younger brother, looking him up and down, and Mario pulled his twin behind him just as Bowser threw his head back and laughed.

"And, here I thought competing with the red one was below me!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

The red brother stepped forward, his reflex to square up with anyone who had anything to say about Luigi.

"Very well, Greenie," Bowser ignored Mario, smirking at the younger twin, "I enjoy watching my opponents flail in the mud. But know this, if you back out, and we all know you will, the princess is mine, and marriage is stronger than a handshake."

Mario opened his mouth to demand an explanation, but Luigi distracted him with a hand falling heavily onto his shoulder, in need of support, and the older one was surprised enough to take his gaze off Bowser in order to face his twin, scared at the pale shock on Luigi's face and the way he seemed to be having trouble keeping himself upright.

He wrapped an arm around his waist, trying to keep him steady without drawing attention, and Peach took the opportunity to step in front of them both, muttering over her shoulder for him to take Luigi somewhere to sit down. Reluctant as he was to leave her alone to guard Bowser's position, Luigi needed him more and he knew Peach could handle herself. He ignored the Koopa's taunts and led his brother to a dark corner where they were out of sight and unlikely to be overheard, but where he could still keep an eye on his wife, snagging Peach's satchel as he went.

"Sit down," he urged quietly, easing his twin to the ground when he started to sag in his grip. "Whoa! Easy, easy, Bro."

Smothering his fear, he knelt in front of his brother, cupping his face and patting it gently, noticing how his eyes were unfocused and drifting.

"Hey! Luigi, you with me? Hey!"

No response.

Properly scared, Mario dug in his wife's rucksack and withdrew a bottle of water, wrapping an arm around his twin's shoulders and supporting his head in the crook of his neck. He shakily tipped the water into his hand and patted it around his brother's nape and pulse, hoping for a reaction. 

"Come on, Bro," a trickle ran down the side of his collar and Mario couldn't mask the tremble in his tone, "come back to me."

A minute passed, but Luigi eventually flinched at the cold, wet touch, blinking a few times and lifting his head.

Mario tried to steady his breathing, recapping the bottle and giving his brother a moment to further return to his senses before patting his cheek again, calling his name.

"Luigi?"

Hazy eyes met his own and he tried for a smile. It wobbled, matching the tremor in his hands and the shake of his voice.

"Hi, there. Are you okay?"

He blinked, frowning a little in confusion.

"...Yeah...Wha-...we were over there?"

He pointed vaguely, finger unsteady, and Mario caught it, pulling it back down.

"Good spatial awareness, Bro. Now, can you impress me with some quality storytelling?"

The older one pulled his twin closer, encouraging him to lay his head back down against his shoulder until he fully got his bearings. Luigi readily sank against him, sighing into his neck and lifting an uncoordinated hand to confusedly wipe at the water droplets gathered on his own.

"Did you pour water on me?"

"I couldn't think of anything else to do to wake you up. Bowser said something to you and you just kinda...spaced out, I guess? You weren't responding to me." He pressed a frantic kiss against his brother's sweaty locks. "Lu, you scared me."

"...I'm sorry."

"What happened? Why'd you react like that?"

"...I need to tell you something."

Mario felt himself tense up. Despite the fact that those words, spoken in that tone, were never what one wanted to hear, in any circumstance, if whatever it was could be bad enough to make his little brother practically black out, he was quite sure he didn't want to hear it.

"...Wh-What?"

"Before you dragged me out of the conference room," Luigi slowly lifted his head, woozy and desperate eyes meeting his brother's gaze of fear, "Balzar told me something. After I agreed to his treaty," he licked his lips, breaths coming in short pants, "...he told me that, if I succeeded, I would marry his daughter. Wasn't much of a request—more like a statement. I think I'm engaged." He chuckled hollowly. "Congratulate me?"

Mario froze, his immediate reaction being fury at Balzar's audacity that he would try to make his brother marry someone he didn't know or love, but Luigi had thought it through even further.

"Before Bowser showed up, it was just something in the back of my mind—something that didn't even necessarily have to happen, because we could always talk him into us just being allies, but...if we all live...if Bowser marries his daughter...their bond will trump ours. We'll be crushed."

Suddenly, his reaction was starting to make a lot more sense.

"Balzar might prefer marrying her to our kingdom, just because it's bigger. Bowser's is stronger, but Sarasaland doesn't need the strength and there's less to trade. I-I'd just have to agree."

Mario could feel his own heart rate picking up.

"You see?" Luigi's voice was desperate. "Either we die here, or-...or...I have to go through with it, to prevent Bowser from getting Sarasaland. If I go through with it...I'll have to live there...I- I'll have to leave you-"

"No!" The word was out before he could even back it up with an argument. "No, you're not leaving me. That's not an option."

He held him tighter, as if he could physically keep him from getting pulled away in the tornado of this deepening chaos.

"Then, what do we do?!"

"I-...don't know. I don't know, but you're not moving away from me. That's the only suggestion that isn't even on the table."

Luigi covered his eyes, shoulders shaking.

"We never should've gotten caught up in royal politics. We're pawns, now, and I hate it!"

Truly, Mario had never understood the logic of a chess board more than he did, in that moment—the king sits idle, prestigious, but powerless.

"Peach might be able to think of something—some loophole."

"I don't want to live in Sarasaland. I don't want to leave you; I can't!"

"Shh," Mario rocked them back and forth. "Luigi, you know I would follow you anywhere. Whatever happens, we stay together."

"You're the Mushroom Kingdom's ruler. You can't just leave and follow me."

"Watch me."

"Mario-"

"I'd leave Peach. I'd abdicate; you know I would. There wouldn't be any hard feelings between us." He squeezed his eyes closed. "If I don't get struck down for saying it out loud, she already knows I love you more."

The admission was both sour and oddly freeing—subjectively wrong and objectively honest—something he already knew and something he was now ready to openly accept.

Luigi's eyes were wide, his hand rising to hover over Mario's mouth, as if tempted to somehow shove the words back into secrecy, but he eventually closed his fist and dropped his hand, burying his face into the crook of his brother's neck.

"Don't say that, again."

"It's true-"

"I know, but I feel like a bad friend to her."

"You're not. I wouldn't have married her if she didn't understand us, or if she didn't already know that you're my priority and always will be. Don't you dare feel guilty. She knew what she was getting, with me; I didn't hide anything."

"That's- regardless, I'm not letting you leave her. You love her."

"I'm not saying it's not the absolute last resort. Trust me, Lu, I'd rather cut off an arm than leave her. It would kill me to walk away from her, but if it's you or her...you already know who I'm picking. I won't say it again, because it bothers you, but I don't think I even have to, or ever had to."

Luigi took a shuddering breath, saying nothing, but curling into him, and he tightened his hold.

Things seemed to calm, for a moment, and he could hear the low mutters of Peach's conversation with Bowser, but before he could focus on trying to listen in, his brother spoke up again.

"I just realized, I don't think that would solve anything. If you abdicated, I wouldn't technically be a 'prince,' anymore, and Balzar's not the type to let some plumber marry his daughter. Bowser would still take her and use their army to destroy us. He doesn't even want Peach, anymore. We humiliated him. He wants us obliterated."

Mario sucked in a breath, a chill running down his spine as he quickly found himself running out of backup plans.

"M-Maybe, Balzar will hear us out about Bowser and refuse to let him marry her?"

"He already knows what Bowser's like! He doesn't care! He can afford to not care, because his empire is too strong for retaliation! Not to mention, Bowser wouldn't dream of hurting his daughter, because then he'd be crushed! Face it, Fratellone. We're stuck. There's n-no way out!"

The older one squeezed the back of his twin's neck when he started to hyperventilate, the pressure always having helped calm him.

"I-...I suppose...the last, last resort," he swallowed, "would be to evacuate the kingdom and take Peach back to Brooklyn."

"She'd never leave her people."

"She would for me—for us. She may resent me for it, but she'd do it."

"You could live with that? With her resenting you?"

"At this point, I'd settle for any situation where the three of us are together and alive."

"...I'm sorry, Mario."

The red twin glanced down, Luigi's eyes brimming with tears and regret.

"I'm sorry I got us into this, when I signed that contract."

Mario shook his head, not about to let him blame himself unfairly.

"I got us into this when I decided to marry into royalty. Peach said the politics were brutal, but I didn't understand how the game was played. I thought I could love her, enjoy the upgrade to our life, give you everything, and brute force my way through the responsibilities, without worrying about consequences." He shook his head, his tone turning bitter with self-directed disdain. "And, I dragged you into it, too. I talked you into accepting your royal title, and now you're being used as someone's bargaining chip, just because Balzar didn't hear 'Luigi;' he just heard 'prince.'"

"It's not your fault-"

"Yes, it is, and I'm not letting you pay for something I did." He made his decision, then. "You're not marrying her, Lu. That's the end of it."

"...Wouldn't it be ironic if I actually liked her?"

"She's Balzar's daughter. If I had to guess, she's the same uptight, snooty, spoiled daddy's girl with no sense of humor. Not your type, at all."

"Oh, yeah?" Luigi smiled at him, expression amused. "Well, if you had to pick out my perfect partner, who would she be?"

"I dunno. Maybe, the angels are still putting the finishing touches on her."

His brother's eyes softened, turning away.

"I wouldn't have thought anyone was good enough for you, either. Peach surprised me by making the cut."

"Surprised me that anyone made your cut, too. No one had even gotten past your first interview, until she came along, so she must have said something right."

He was reminded of something—an errant thought he hadn't had the opportunity to pursue to conclusion, until now.

"Speaking of which, when I proposed to her, she told me she was going to talk to you before she said 'yes.' I told her that I'd already gotten your approval, but she wanted to ask you something. What was that about?"

"Oh." Luigi sat up, blushing lightly and chuckling in remembrance. "Yeah, that was when I knew for sure she was the one for you."

"Really?"

"She said she already knew you wouldn't have proposed if you hadn't had my blessing to ask, but she also wanted my blessing to say 'yes.'"

Mario felt his heart swell with affection for his wife, his emotions beginning to act up as he pressed his fingers into the corner of his eye.

"...She did?"

"She said she knew our hearts are entwined beyond anything she had ever seen before, so adding her own to the mix deserved my approval, too."

Again, he thought it hadn't been possible to love her more. Even if she could never truly understand what he and Luigi were to each other—intertwined souls, sharing a heart—she acknowledged the essence of it and respected it more deeply than anyone else ever had, in their entire life.

"Wh-What did you say?"

"I told her to get back up that hill and tell my brother 'yes' before his knee goes numb."

Mario let out a surprised laugh, remembering a moment later to stay quiet and avoid drawing Bowser's attention. Luigi may have recovered, but he still felt the need to shield him from the monster's gaze. Ironic how they escaped those creatures, only to end up in the same basement with something arguably worse.

In that same moment, Peach reappeared, carrying the two stray satchels and quilts with her and hurriedly wrapping one around Luigi, fussing over him and asking if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm all right," he assured her, redder than a tomato. "Sorry, Peach. That was embarrassing-"

"Hey, you had every reason to be shocked," Mario cut in, noticing his wife's confusion. "I'll tell you later."

"I'm sure Bowser had plenty to say about me collapsing-"

"Never mind Bowser," the queen was next to cut him off, waving a dismissive hand, though her eyes held a certain kind of anger that told Mario there was plenty she was keeping to herself, and he appreciated her discretion. "If we cared about his opinion, he'd have been invited to the council meeting."

She lifted her chin in a way that they had come to understand meant she was done with a subject, her hands moving to tuck the blanket around her brother-in-law.

"Anyway, I've spoken to him, and I made it clear that we will accept none of his usual nonsense. If he's going to be here, he's going to be on his best behavior and either help us or leave us alone."

Mario cast his gaze over to the opposite corner, those menacing red eyes meeting his own from the shadows before slowly closing.

"Which did he choose?"

Peach seemed put out, pursing her lips and keeping herself busy with the arrangement of the second blanket, using it to cover all three of them and making herself comfortable in the crook of Mario's other arm before laying her head on his shoulder.

"He said he wants to collaborate. He'll join us tomorrow, on the condition that he won't take any orders from us."

"Aw, Peach," Luigi complained, banging his head against his twin's collarbone, "why'd you give him that option? I don't wanna go with him!"

"It's better than not knowing where he is."

"Yeah, but this place was bad enough before he showed up. What if he stabs us in the back?"

"Peach is right," Mario volunteered his opinion. "It's gonna be miserable, but it's better to know where he is and what he's doing—fewer opportunities for him to betray us. Besides, if we run into those things again, we have the perfect distraction while we get away. I guarantee turtle meat beats human on flavor."

He got a swat in the ribs for being crude, Luigi receiving the same treatment for snorting at his implication, though he noticed it was a significantly lighter tap.

"We may not like him, but that doesn't give us permission to start a war. We put up with him and get this done as quickly as possible."

"Fair enough."

Mario adjusted himself into a relatively comfortable position, Luigi and Peach settled in each arm, their heads pressed together and resting on his chest.

"I'll take first watch-"

"No."

"You won't wake us up for our turns."

He sputtered, their objections coming faster than the end of his sentence.

"I'm taking first watch," Peach decided, leaving no room for argument. "Luigi's the earliest riser. Mario, you take second, and Lu can take over when he wakes up."

"Agreed."

The king sighed, defeated, but didn't bother to protest, simply laying his head atop Luigi's and closing his eyes, hoping the next rising sun would bring with it both answers and a better day.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

Mario took longer than usual to fall asleep the second time, despite so many of Luigi's quiet mutterings that he would be sorry, in the morning. Apparently, it was harder to leave his younger brother as the sole watchman than it was to practically sleepwalk throughout another long day, though Luigi didn't take it personally. It wasn't a lack of trust that kept his drifting lids from closing fully; it was a deep-seated suspicion that Bowser had a trick up his sleeve, and Mario wasn't convinced that his twin wasn't the monster's target.

Luigi knew his brother would argue that the younger one was both the Koopa's current competition, for the Sarasaland princess's hand, and the most detrimental weakness of Mario's, which he couldn't possibly hide. Luigi, in turn, would counter that Bowser knew harming any of them would stir up their politics, as the Mushroom Kingdom had allied with every surrounding land, and regicide would be seen as a declaration of war. He wouldn't win—not against every other monarch at that council table. He wouldn't dare try.

If he had Sarasaland, however...

Feeling restless, mind still trying to lure him back to future troubles he knew he had to currently ignore, for the sake of their survival, Luigi carefully wiggled out from under his sleeping brother's arm, knowing Mario and Peach would tag team his demise, should they find out what he was doing. More importantly, Bowser was still asleep, and the younger twin used that to his advantage, remaining unnoticed as he approached the latch, slowly unhooking the lock and cautiously peeking outside, hoping to find no trace of those horrible creatures.

Releasing a relieved breath, he glanced behind him once more, ensuring no one had moved, and exited the basement just as the sun rose.

He had ten minutes, at most, to clear his head and get back to the cellar before his brother or Peach woke up. The morning light seemed strange, casting odd shadows on the stones and gold as a bell tolled in the distance. Glancing up, he noted how the sunshine shone through the dome, like pinpricks instead of solid beams, but he supposed that could somehow be attributed to the unique configuration of the barrier.

Everything was quiet. Those things from yesterday were nowhere in sight, but something told him that they didn't have the intelligence to act beyond basic instinct and try to fool their victims or set traps.

He ventured forward by a few steps, cautiously-alert for any sightings of those creatures, but he knew he and his family couldn't stay in a bunker forever. Eventually, they would have to leave, regardless of whether the danger still lurked. Though, the fact that he was single-handedly testing the current safety of their surroundings was something about which Mario would undoubtedly have a strong opinion, and Luigi sincerely vowed he would return in time to never hear it.

The cobblestone road was draped in a thick mist, leaving only about ten feet of visual space in any given direction, which would prove to be a problem. If they couldn't see, they couldn't effectively search for answers, and they certainly had a disadvantage, when it came to spotting a potential threat. Regardless, he chanced a few more steps, making sure the cellar door remained in his line of sight, and peered into the closest window, noting the dangling glass ornaments from the ceiling, casting sad shadows instead of the colorful light he had no doubt once reflected from the faded prisms. Inspecting the state of the room, he could almost imagine how it once was—lavish and comfortable, with a circular pit carved into the stone floor's center, likely used for an evening fire, and wooden furniture lining the corners-

He sucked in a breath when he caught sight of one of the creatures and only just stopped himself from enacting a repeat performance from last night, his brain taking an extra moment to register that it wasn't moving.

In fact, it seemed smaller than the others, hunched in a corner of the house and clutching something to its chest—something seemingly made of fabric and vaguely human-shaped. If Luigi were to guess, it looked like an old and filthy cloth doll, whose dress had been torn apart to create the blindfold covering the creature's eyes. Leaning closer—observing from a new angle—he knew he was right. That same blue and white pattern, that hung from the monster's face, was left fraying from one rogue sleeve still clinging to the doll's arm.

Sensing no danger, but feeling an inexplicable sense of sadness for this lonely creature, he pressed a hand to the door, taking the bold chance that these beings somehow couldn't move in the light of day, but a word stopped him. That same word that he had seen chiseled into so many of the gold blocks was also haphazardly etched into the golden plaque on the door, crudely covering the faded but carefully-carved name of the family he assumed once lived there.

'Teron.'

Why 'Teron?' What did it mean?

Frowning in confusion, he abandoned the house, deciding to venture to the next. Upon their door, and written on every golden block that paved the building, was that same word, scratched into the most valuable parts of the architecture, no glittering building block left unmarked.

He stepped down from the porch, properly befuddled, but, if nothing else, he supposed they now had a lead. Backing away, ready to return to the cellar before his twin blew a blood vessel, he froze, spotting an extremely familiar silhouette in the fog.

"...M-Mario?"

Something was wrong. If his brother were truly there, he would not be idly watching. He would be shaking his twin by the shoulders, demanding to know how it was possible to be so reckless.

A surge of courage, or, perhaps, deadly curiosity, carried him forward by the few steps necessary to allow the figure's features to take shape.

Luigi felt the chill of eeriness ripple down his spine, staring into the blank face of this imposter, but it wasn't attacking. It wasn't saying anything. It was simply regarding him, expression carefully neutral. He felt his breathing pick up the pace, resisting the urge to turn and run.

"...Do you know what 'Teron' means?"

It didn't respond, Luigi swallowing thickly.

"Were you the one who led us to the cellar?"

Again, nothing. He tried a different approach, standing his ground.

"I know you're not my brother. You can't fool me, with him. I'll never not know my brother."

Of that, he was more certain than of anything else. The same as with the creature, he somehow wasn't sensing danger from this silent doppelgänger, but he couldn't be sure if it was all just part of the trick. He kept his distance, watching it watch him, until it slowly backed up, into the wall of fog, and disappeared from sight. He shivered, the odd sight leaving him extremely unsettled and only leading to more unanswered questions.

However, he took note of its direction, wondering how he could lead his family down the same path without telling them how he knew, or if he even should.

What if the figure wasn't trying to guide them to answers?

What if it truly were dangerous—it's most deadly trick to somehow convince bystanders that it was benign? How could he be responsible for coercing his beloved brother and sister-in-law to unknowingly pursue something that could possibly harm them, just because they trusted his opinion? No, he would have to tell them what he saw and that he had ventured outside without them, bearing whatever anger they threw his way. On the other hand-

"LUIGI!"

-maybe, they already knew.

He ran back to the cellar.

"I'm fine!" he shouted, as soon as he was within earshot, wincing at the panicked accusations being thrown Bowser's way and the mad scuffle he could hear, resulting in several tumbling crates as his name was bellowed with varying degrees of tremulous fear.

The cellar doors burst open just as he was about to touch them, Mario freezing, a wild look in his eyes, before he appeared to choke on his own tongue, scrambling forward and nearly knocking his brother over with the force of his embrace. Peach joined a few seconds later, squeezing out the only breath the younger twin had left in his lungs.

She recovered first, smacking him upside the head.

"Ow."

"What's wrong with you?!"

"I-"

Mario pulled away, repeating her actions before yanking his brother back into his arms.

"Answer her!"

"Ow! I'm trying-"

Peach cupped his face, kissing his cheek and then lightly slapping him in the shoulder.

"You scared us to death!"

"I'm sorry-"

Mario cut him off.

"Sorry's not good enough! Apologize to us, right now!"

"...I'm sorry-"

"There," his twin panted, finally releasing him and nodding his head in approval. "There, that's better."

He cradled Luigi's face, looking him over for injury before tugging him down to his level, kissing his forehead gently before smacking his other shoulder, much less gently.

"...Ow."

"Ti sta bene. Get in here. We need to figure out our plan."

Mario took his hand, guiding him back down into the bunker, Peach trailing, almost like she didn't trust he wouldn't be struck with another urge to wander off, as if he even could, given his brother's grip.

"Still convinced I ate him?"

Luigi was proud of Mario for ignoring Bowser's smug question, the beast having crossed his arms and relaxed against the wall while the other king and queen were frantically searching for their prince.

"Let's just get to work."

Mario flipped over a crate, offering it to Peach and Luigi to share before turning over a second, closer to Bowser, and sitting down.

"Okay, so those things seem to have gone-"

"No, they're still there."

The younger brother hurried to explain when his saw his twin's eyes widen in resurfacing worry, his thoughts obvious when his gaze switched rapidly between Luigi and the cellar door.

"I mean, they're there, but they're not active. They're frozen, like they were when we first found them. I don't think they move during the day."

"Quite a stretch," Bowser grumbled, leaning forward and pressing his fingers to his chin, ruby eyes scanning the younger brother. "And, if you're wrong, you'll have killed us all. Are you sure, Greenie? You'd stake your brother's life on it?"

"That's enough," Peach spoke up before Mario's temper could boil over. "It's not possible, at this time, to have more than a hypothesis, but it's a very sound one, and, honestly, all we have to go off, as of this moment."

"Why don't you go do a test run around the perimeter, if you want more evidence, before we get going?"

"Mario-"

"No, I think it's a great idea. If he wants a solid theory, let him be the one to go experiment. All in favor of sending Bowser out first, say 'aye.'"

He raised a hand, Peach dropping her head into her own, massaging what had to be the start of a migraine, as Luigi cast his vote.

"Aye."

Bowser chuckled, scraping his claws together to sharpen them.

"We're an autocratic monarchy, Red. I don't know how you do things in your world, but around here, the king doesn't bow to the will of the people."

Their hands slowly lowered and Luigi couldn't help but remember Peach's lessons on the rules of their elective monarchal government before the wedding, he and Mario having to sit at desks, feeling like they were back in high school, while she tried to facilitate their integration into an entirely different system than they had ever experienced. Similarly, she was happy to sit and listen while he and his twin explained how things worked in America, asking more questions than even they could answer and leading to a group field trip to Brooklyn to buy her some books on constitutional republics.

"What's the matter?" Bowser further probed. "Royalty lessons didn't take? See what happens when you marry below your station, Peach? He doesn't even know how his own governing system works. I give your kingdom five months before it burns to the ground...Eh, six, just because I'm feeling particularly generous and you're quite a gifted little princess."

"She's a queen, actually," Luigi couldn't help but pipe up, teeth grinding.

In hindsight, the correction didn't matter and probably even worsened the situation, but he couldn't help it. A year ago, he would have never had the courage to speak against his tormenter, but here, sitting between the two people he loved most and who loved him just as dearly, he was feeling uncharacteristically emboldened.

"Mm. That, she is," Bowser returned, grinning at her and licking his lips.

Mario shot to his feet, Luigi having to strain the speed of his reflexes to be able to grab him before he could go in for an unsuccessful tackle, wincing at the steady stream of curses his brother was raining down on their enemy and hoping Bowser hadn't picked up any Italian in the three days he had held him captive.

"And, here I thought the Kongs were uncivilized."

"Bowser," Peach spoke above Mario's swearing and Luigi's grunts of effort, getting to her own feet, "I stand by my conditions yesterday. If you cannot offer anything but condescension and inappropriate comments, you are officially on your own and we will solve this town's issues without you."

"Or, not at all," he countered, leaning back. "I'll bet you don't even know where to start."

"How about we start by trying to get my foot removed from your-"

"Mario!"

Despite their new status as royalty, Mario, in particular, was still a Brooklyn blue-collar at heart, and he and Luigi had both made sure that Peach was familiar with the more colorful streets of New York before either of them had been comfortable letting her explore them, even accompanied by one or both of them.

"'Know where to start,' my back pockets. Like you know where to go?"

"I may have an idea. I may even be inclined to share it, if someone is willing to apologize for truly boorish behavior."

Luigi wasn't sure why Bowser was pretending to be so sophisticated, but if the goal was to get on their nerves, it was working.

"All right," Mario crossed his arms. "I'm waiting."

"For my kingdom to freeze over, apparently, if you think I'm apologizing."

"What's the matter? Royalty lessons didn't take? Too small a space in that head to fit in anything about proper conduct?"

"Coming from the only one of us who doesn't have to duck to leave this room-"

"I have a lead," Luigi spoke up, tugging his brother further away from the beast. "We don't need to grovel for any of your hints. I think I already know where to start."

"Fantastic," Peach leapt on the opportunity to end this meeting and was already heading for the exit. "Lead the way. Bowser," she called over her shoulder, "accompany us, or don't. I truly don't care, if I'm honest. Your feelings and choices are less consequential to me than learning whether this door is made of oak or pine."

"I think I'll join," he responded, smirking at Mario's grumble of disapproval as he followed her to the hatch. "After all, a queen should have some real protection. It's dangerous, out there."

"Hey, Bowser?"

The Koopa turned, continuing to walk as he raised his eyebrows in Mario's direction, the former plumber keeping silent until the other bumped into a low beam, growling and rubbing his forehead.

"You've gotta be careful, in here. Lotsa beams," the red twin commented, pushing Luigi ahead to keep himself a barrier between his little brother and the monster, as they walked around him to follow Peach.

"But, I feel it's my kingly duty to put our differences aside and remind you to duck, yourself."

The first thing Luigi noticed, upon exiting the basement a second time, was that the fog had nearly completely lifted, leaving a fairly clear view of the entire street and surrounding alleys. The figure, he now noted, had retreated inward, towards the center of town.

"Where to, Lu?"

Mario was still in a bad mood, but he was trying to put it aside, for the sake of his family, and Peach was helping significantly by holding his hand.

"Well..."

He wasn't quite sure where to start. His brother was going to freak out, regardless of how he broke the news of the imposter, but he still wanted to word it gently. Not to mention, Bowser was doing his best to try to intimidate him, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows with obvious impatience.

"There's this name, or something, that keeps popping up everywhere," might as well start small, he figured, "in the gold blocks and on the doors. 'Teron.' I don't know what it means, but it's written so consistently that it might have something to do with what's going on."

"That's your supposed lead? How useless."

Peach squeezed Mario's hand before he could clap back at Bowser, cutting him off, but not without directing her own cold glare the Koopa's way.

"Considering no one else, in this entire group, was sagacious enough to look for small details, I'd say it's pretty foolish to disregard something so odd and deliberate in a place full of unanswered questions. Unless you'd like to dazzle us with your own supposed ideas," she snapped the word, "you may consider stowing your opinions in the same place you keep any redeeming qualities you may have—out of the sight of any respectable company and somewhat lacking in sunshine."

Luigi took a moment to appreciate how elegantly both his brother and sister-in-law were able to essentially tell someone to "eff off," so to speak. Truly, a match made in heaven. Mario also seemed to think so, if his lovesick grin was any indication, and Luigi had to wonder if the Brooklyn back alleys had left their linguistic influence on proper royal etiquette, creating some strange monster of diction that swore like a sailor and sipped its tea with an extended pinky.

"There's more," he spoke quickly, seeing Bowser open his mouth to respond. "There was, um...a person, in the fog."

"The same one that led us to safety?"

"I don't know. He didn't talk, or anything. I tried to ask him some questions, but he just kept staring at me, then walked away. That way."

He pointed towards the heart of this circular village.

"But, he was a person? What kind? Human?"

Sighing, but having anticipated his brother's questions, he briefly wondered if he should change the subject or come up with some generic facial features to exaggerate.

"Human," he started with the basics, "and, uh...dark hair. Short."

"Sounds like your brother. Did he also have an incurably-stupid face?"

"Shut up, Bowser. What else, Bro?"

"Nothing," he turned away, hating his own dishonesty, but able to convince himself that he just didn't trust the details around their enemy, not that he was concerned about his twin's reaction. "It was foggy and he backed away before I could get any closer."

"...You approached him?"

His twin's low accusation made him wince, and while he wasn't keen on a lecture, it was better than continuing on with the current line of questioning.

"Yeah. I didn't get so close that I couldn't run away, though."

"You approached some weird, silent stranger, in a town full of unpredictable hazards, by yourself. Are you insane?"

"No, I just care more about getting answers than I do about getting hurt."

He slapped a hand over his mouth, having no clue why he said that out loud.

Peach let out a small, pained sound, bringing a fist to her lips and turning away, but Mario's expression was blank, almost like he had expected the response. His eyes flicked over to Bowser before casting downward, and Luigi had seen that face before, on the rare occasion his brother was embarrassed by something his twin had said or done but was still unwilling to take any side against him.

He stepped forward, breathing heavily, and grabbed Luigi's arm, pulling him down to mutter into his ear.

"If it's gotten to that point, I need you to tell me, right now."

Oh...that—the subject only ever vaguely referenced, as the only time Luigi had spoken the words outright, his twin had grown nauseated to the point of throwing up.

"No! No, it's not that! You know how I am, Mario. I'm sorry I said that-"

"Yeah," the older one huffed, releasing him and even pushing a little, "that you said it. Not sorry that you're always thinking it. Not sorry for what you put me through, every day."

A pain shot through his chest at the quick reminder of what a burden he was on his family.

"...I- I can't help it."

His hand came up to scratch at his knuckles, its owner feeling particularly vulnerable.

Mario glanced back at Bowser once more, noting the smug grin and rapt attention directed their way, and took his brother's hand, leading him into a little alcove and out of earshot.

"Knuckles," he reminded, suddenly looking so tired and defeated that Luigi felt an even greater guilt nip at his mind, forcing him to immediately drop his hands. "Let's not do this. Please, Lu. Not in front of him."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know," the tone was almost snappish, Mario taking a deep breath and resting his fist against his mouth, trying to center himself before he continued. "...You never mean to. It's not your fault—I know that."

Maybe, it was the way he seemed almost angry at himself, but Luigi was fairly sure he wasn't the only one his twin was trying to convince.

"Just-...just, tell your shadow to take a vacation, while we're here. I'm sick of it telling you you're not good enough, but if Bowser finds out you have AVPD, he's going to make it ten times worse; you know he will. He'll do his best to wreck all the progress we've made...or, I guess, I thought we'd made."

"...I've been trying to be better. I've been taking leaps and chances, like we talked about."

"The wrong kind of leaps, Fratellino. We agreed that you would make an effort to step out of your comfort zone, but not like this. Please, please, don't use our talks against me and make this my fault. You know what I meant when we discussed you taking more risks, and when you say stuff like what you just said, it just makes me...so...scared," his breath shuddered, "that it's gotten to that point."

"It's not," Luigi hurried to reassure. "I promise. No thoughts like that. Please know that; I would tell you, Mario."

"You swear to me? You swear you'd tell me?"

"Yes. I wouldn't do that to you."

He blinked, sniffing subtly and running a palm under each eye as his next words wobbled.

"...Okay. I trust you. No bad thoughts?"

"Not those. Just, the same."

"No better?"

He wouldn't lie—not about this.

"...No."

Mario's face fell, the younger twin still having something else to add—a small ray of hope.

"But, no worse, either."

His brother nodded, not necessarily pleased, but definitely more soothed.

"Scelgo te. Ti voglio bene. Scelgo di volerti bene, per te."

Luigi smiled, recognizing the same ending Mario gave every one of their evening talks—the same phrase shared to conclude the thirty minutes they spent in "session" at the end of every day, rain or shine, without fail, lying on his bed, discussing his mindset and how he felt about the last twenty-four hours.

He truly didn't deserve such an amazing broth- no.

No, those thoughts didn't help.

He truly was blessed with an amazing brother.

"Ti credo. Ti voglio bene. Ti credo mi vuoi bene, per mi."

Mario smiled back, eyes a little bright, and squeezed his hand, flicking his head in the direction of the main road and tugging him along, only for them to walk directly into what seemed to be an argument between Bowser and Peach.

The older twin released Luigi, keeping him behind as he hurried forward.

"Hey! Hey!" Both gave him their attention, glaring and red in the face. "What's going on here?"

Bowser looked past him, eyes boring into Luigi's.

"What happened, Green Gills? Your big brother have to pull out the smelling salts, again?"

Mario's fists clenched and he took another step forward.

"You got anything productive to contribute?"

"He's trying to leave," Peach reported, crossing her arms. "He says we're holding him up and he'd have this whole thing solved by the end of the day if we let him take point."

"Really?...Okay, then."

Both Peach and Luigi snapped their gazes to Mario, stunned.

"What are you doing-"

"Bowser, you've got until the sun sets. You lead, we'll follow, and if you can't do what you promised, you concede."

"'Concede?'"

"You continue to live in your kingdom and we continue to live in ours. No war. No issues. Take Balzar's daughter as your prize, or whatever, but leave us alone."

For several moments, the Koopa regarded him, eyes dark, and it might have been Luigi's imagination that the temperature around them seemed to rise by a few degrees. Eventually, though, Bowser shook his head and inhaled deeply, stepping to the side.

"Ah, I see what you're trying to do, but, unsurprisingly, you're doing it all wrong. Allow me to demonstrate. Royalty lesson number one—threatening your enemies. You have to be the one with the bargaining chip. Take your brother, for instance."

Before any of them could speak, he had bolted over to the younger twin, snatching him up and holding him in front of Mario and Peach, squeezing hard enough to make him wince and lose his breath.

Beneath the influx of bad memories, he could see that Peach was furious, trying to keep herself calm, but Mario had completely crumbled, looking like he was seconds away from begging for his twin to be released. He couldn't hide the vulnerability of his terror, even from Bowser, and Luigi had to turn his eyes away, unable to witness the shame he brought upon his small family by critically weakening their otherwise indestructible capofamiglia.

"For example, I could say, 'let me take point, or I crush him.' And you would say..."

He raised a sarcastic hand to his ear, waiting.

"...You can take point."

"Very good. See, Peach? He can be trained, with the right motivation. I should've been his royal mentor."

The queen said nothing, fingers turning white as she gripped her husband's arm.

"I could also say-"

"Please."

Luigi's eyes snapped open at the quiet word, even Bowser seeming surprised, but the Koopa's shock soon twisted into a sick elation.

"What was that? You'll have to speak up."

"...Please, let him go."

He let the silence stretch on for a while, a low growl in his throat as he regarded each of them.

"...Get on your knees and ask, again."

"Mario, don't-"

"Quiet!"

Luigi couldn't stop the cry of pain that was forced out of his mouth when Bowser tightened his fist, unexpectedly.

His brother was already complying, dropping to the ground, head hanging, and Peach followed him down, maintaining her glare but clearly unwilling to say what she wanted to say.

"Go on, Mario! Share with the class! Teacher says speak up!"

"Bowser-"

"'King' Bowser."

Mario's lips pinched, only for a second, before his expression fell back to resigned fear and dull humiliation. Luigi had never hated this monster more, in his entire life.

"...King Bowser...please, let my brother go."

"Peach? Anything to add?"

"...Please, King Bowser."

He growled, again.

"Say that I would have been a better husband and a stronger king."

"..."

"Say it!"

"You...would have been a better husband," she whispered, sounding so pained, "and a stronger king."

His grip tightened further, Luigi feeling as though his very skin were heating up under the Koopa's fingers. Outwardly, though, he could see Bowser was smiling, enjoying this spectacle with calm malintent.

"Good, good. You're both such good students, or, maybe, I'm just a good teacher...Yes, that's what it is. Now, Mario, do you have anything to add?"

"...You would've been a better husband and stronger king than I am."

The Koopa nodded, snorting a huff of smoke from his nose as he lifted his chin.

"Peach should've taught you the very first rule about being king. The target you paint on someone's back is proportionate to how much you love him."

He walked forward, dangling Luigi just out of reach when Mario raised a trembling hand to try to touch him. 

"And, how much you love him is proportionate to how much power you offer your enemy. It's all about power, in this game. How the proud and mighty fall, when they have something to lose; isn't that right, Little King? It's fun to poke a beast, right up until you get bitten."

Perhaps, just to emphasize, he snapped at Luigi's face, causing all three of them to flinch and Mario's hands to instinctively reach out in longing, wordlessly begging for his twin to be returned to him.

"Are you starting to realize that you don't hold any cards here, Mario? I've been incredibly patient, as any proper king should be, but I'll only tolerate so much disrespect, before I put you in your place, for good. Leave the negotiations to the real rulers."

He lifted Luigi to his eyesight.

"As for you, what can I say? You can't hide behind your big brother forever. And, when it comes to the Sarasaland princess, I believe, unfortunately, Balzar would prefer she married a real man."

With that, he tossed Luigi to the ground, letting him roll across the stone and reminding him painfully of the first time they had met. Before he could even think, a set of strong hands was on him, pulling him upright and into the familiar safety of his brother's chest as it trembled and heaved, Peach's delicate fingers brushing through his hair and dabbing at the new blood spilling from his nose as Bowser stomped away, towards the center of town, without sparing them another thought.

He hated Bowser. Mario had never before believed he had the capacity to truly hate anybody, but he was wrong. He hated Bowser. The humiliation of the reminder that he had been so cocky to someone who could genuinely hurt them was smothered only by the rage at the demonstrative method Bowser had chosen to exhibit that reminder.

Willing his heartbeat to slow under Luigi's ear, he held his twin close, rattled and insecure.

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, surprisingly. He didn't squeeze me as hard as the first time he did it."

Mario sucked in a breath, wondering if his brother was trying to make him feel better and simply failing, or if he was offering genuine feedback on Bowser's grip strength.

"I'm sorry."

The older one was startled out of whatever he was about to say next, pulling away from Luigi to frown at him and getting distracted by the blood still running steadily under his nose, despite Peach's handkerchief already being completely stained as she continued to dab.

He added his own sleeve to the mix, holding it there and sincerely hoping his twin's nose wasn't broken. The fight to get Luigi to actually use one of their limited mushrooms would not find itself sorted into his mental file on "good times."

"Sorry for what?"

"For humiliating you both. He made you get on your knees and say those...awful things-"

"What was so awful?" Peach wanted to know, her tone stern. "The fact that Bowser proved the only power he'll ever hold over us is taken by exploiting something that he'll never have? He can't make something true by forcing someone to say it. We do whatever we have to do, to protect each other, and we're not ashamed of the fact that our love runs deeper than our pride—something he'll never understand."

She tilted her head, frowning at Luigi's nose, then began digging in her bag, the younger brother's eyes still beseeching as he stared at his twin.

"Please, just let me feel guilty, this once. I wasn't on my guard, and I can't stand being used against you-"

He nearly choked on the mushroom Peach stuffed into his mouth when he was distracted, keeping her hand over his lips as he scowled at her.

"Swallow it," she commanded, leaving no room for argument. "Now."

Sighing in annoyance, he obeyed, noticeably relieved when his nose righted itself and the blood stopped flowing.

"We can't waste those," came the predictable scolding, the second she moved her palm. "We've already used two. What if something happens and we really need one? It's not like we can get more, until we get out of here!"

"And, if we're distracted by broken noses and twisted ankles, there won't be any point in saving them, because we'll already be dead," Mario countered.

Luigi got to his feet, looking off in the direction that Bowser had taken.

"We need to catch up to him. He can't be the one to solve this and win Sarasaland."

The older twin rose, offering his wife a hand up.

"What was that about Balzar's daughter?"

Mario could see his brother wince at Peach's question, though he should have known her curiosity was unavoidable.

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?"

Luigi took a deep breath, starting to walk.

"...Balzar told me that...if we're successful, he'll make me marry his daughter."

"What?! He can't do that!"

"Hence, our conundrum," Mario muttered, keeping an eye out for any more of those jagged creatures, as they traveled the winding streets. "He'd have to live in Sarasaland, but if he refuses, Bowser will marry her, instead, and destroy us."

"...Who said Bowser's the only other available option?"

Luigi whipped his head back, eyes more hopeful than Mario had seen in three days.

"What do you mean?"

"Bowser may have something to offer, in terms of power, but as I see it, Prince Peasley is both available and comes with the fact that his kingdom is allied with ours and everyone else’s, which, combined, is stronger than Bowser's. It would not be a strategically-good decision for Balzar to choose Bowser's sole kingdom over eleven united kingdoms, regardless of his empire's own individual strength. We have more to offer, in terms of trade and fertile land, and territory is power. Bowser was right about one thing," she scowled, staring ahead. "It is all about power; at least, for some of these rulers. You can relax, Luigi. I've been told I have a silver tongue. Just leave the negotiations to me. I'm not letting you two leave me; I love you too much."

The gaze she cast in Mario's direction was both knowing and resigned, and she gave him a determined nod before clasping her hands together and picking up the pace, clearly not wanting to talk, any further.

"Peach-"

Mario caught Luigi's hand when he reached out to her, slowing them both as they watched her turn a corner.

"Let her- just, let her think for a few minutes, Lu."

"...Do you think she knows what you said, last night? About you leaving her?"

The older twin swallowed past the lump in his throat.

"Well, like I told you, she already knows I would pick you over her. She doesn't blame you, Bro—not at all. She doesn't blame me, either, which is beyond what I deserve. She's okay with me loving you more, because she knows I can't help it...Doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt, sometimes, when she knows that, if something doesn't get solved, it could break up our family."

"What she said made a lot of sense, though," Luigi's tone was incredibly hopeful. "Peasley could marry her and we could avoid all of this!"

"Except, Balzar didn't offer her to Peasley; he offered her to you."

"He's treating her like a prize horse."

"Yep. Welcome to royal politics."

"Mario?"

Both turned, Peach approaching them, from a connecting alleyway.

"Can I talk to you?"

She didn't give him the opportunity to answer, already turning onto a different street and sitting on a low wall, waiting for him to join her.

He sighed, glancing at his brother, who was already walking ahead to give them some privacy.

"Don't go too far," Mario instructed, heading over to his wife. "We'll catch up soon."

"I'm going to head up this main road, to the side here, and see if I can find any other places to hide from those things, when they come back."

"O-Okay, just," he bounced on his heels, not entirely comfortable with him being out of sight, "don't walk so far that I can't hear you, if you shout! And, don't go near Bowser!"

Luigi lifted a hand, signaling agreement, and turned a different corner, hand brushing the walls and probably looking for more instances of that word he had discovered.

Mario pinched his lips, knowing he wasn't in for a pleasant conversation, but Peach seemed stoic when he sat beside her, staring ahead and running her fingers over her knuckles.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just," she bit her lip, eyes darting over to his own before falling back to her lap, "wanted to talk to you about...all this."

"You think you won't be able to convince Balzar?"

She frowned, looking away.

"I'm just worried that he'll be stubborn. I didn't want to worry Luigi, but it wouldn't surprise me if we weren't able to convince Balzar to let this go. If he decided his daughter is going to marry your brother, then I'm very concerned that there's no way out of this that doesn't end with our family falling apart."

He was a little taken aback by her pessimism, but he supposed he couldn't blame her for reacting so negatively to this mess of a situation.

"Maybe, his daughter won't want to marry anybody."

"They're a centralized imperial monarchy. His daughter will do what she's told."

Closing his eyes, timing his breathing, he tried to keep his composure.

"I'm not letting Luigi marry someone he doesn't love. That's the end of it."

"Good," she returned, shoulders relaxing. "It's not fair to him, or to her. What do we do, if Balzar insists?"

"Maybe, he'll understand-"

"No," she cut him off, shaking her head. "Like I said, he's stubborn."

"How do you know he won't be reasonable? Have you dealt with him, before?"

"I've heard stories. Trust me when I say, if he doesn't get his way, there will be consequences."

"Well, that's just too bad. I'll take you and Luigi back to Brooklyn, if I have to."

"...And leave my people behind?"

He didn't have an answer for that, Peach obviously not expecting him to and turning her head forward, slumping a little and clearing her throat.

"...I suppose, that's the life of a princess, isn't it? Despite what the fairytales tell you, you can't have everything you want."

They sat together, sharing a few minutes of quiet introspection before Mario spoke up, again.

"...For the record, I have everything I want. I'm not saying I don't love our kingdom or people, but, the only things that I truly treasure are you and Luigi. We could live in a box by the highway, and I'd still have a reason to smile every morning, as long as you two are with me."

She looked at him, eyes bright.

"You really feel that way, don't you?"

"You know I do."

Blinking a few times, she looked away, shrugging, and seemed to get lost in some deeper thoughts that she wasn't willing to share, at that moment. Eventually, though, she spoke, choosing her words haltingly.

"You know, most people look at a princess and see the crown, instead of the person. It's rare to find someone who loves you, instead of only seeing what you can offer."

"Well, I can't say I'm any better. Remember the first time we met?"

He smiled fondly, squeezing her wrist.

"I believe it started with you flipping me over your head and then me threatening you if you didn't help me save Luigi. Does that count as me only seeing you for what you had to offer?"

She snorted, immediately covering her mouth and turning pink.

"When I wanted to talk to you, it was just to hear your plan on shaking Balzar off your brother's case. You weren't supposed to make me laugh."

"I'm good at making people laugh—usually at me, but let's not get into that therapy session."

For a moment, she simply regarded him, smiling slightly and tilting her head.

"...Luigi and I are lucky to have you."

"It's the other way around, but I appreciate it."

"You're easy to talk to."

He huffed a confused laugh, having never heard that compliment from her.

"Thanks, Peach."

She shook away the rest of her musings, sighing and resting her hands on her knees.

"So, it's settled, then? You won't let Luigi marry her?"

"No. It's ridiculous. He's supposedly 'engaged,' and we don't even know the name of the supposed 'bride.'"

"I do." 

Her eyes found his.

"It's 'Daisy.'"

As Luigi walked, he couldn't help but try to imagine what Peach had needed to say to his brother, so secretly and urgently, unless it was to try to convince him to let the youngest of their trio marry Balzar's daughter and for Mario to remain in the Mushroom Kingdom with her-

He shook those thoughts away, ashamed of himself for thinking so lowly of her, or that she would try to split him away from his twin. As one of the only people who realized that his struggles were matched by Mario's own, and that their codependency created a symbiotic relationship between their unique difficulties that allowed them to more easily deal with the world, she had never expressed a desire to separate them, and he wouldn't allow himself to believe that would change, for any reason—even if his marriage to Balzar's daughter would ensure that the Mushroom Kingdom thrived in prosperity and peace for as long as it stood.

Some things just weren't worth it.

So distracted was he, that he nearly missed a very familiar figure standing a short distance from him, but seeing her had him stopping dead in his tracks, his heart beginning to gallop.

"...Peach?!"

She turned her head his way, abandoning the broken pottery she was examining, and frowned.

"Where's Mario? I thought you two would be attached at the hip."

While he thought her tone to be a little uncharacteristically cold, he had bigger things to worry about, striding over to her.

"Wha-...I-..."

Was he losing his mind?

He whipped his head around, about to run back to his brother, but a blanket of fog draped over them, limiting their vision to about five feet ahead of them. A chill ran down his spine and he faced Peach, suspicion curling its fingers around his mind as he recalled what he had seen just an hour ago.

"...Are you really my sister-in-law?"

She scowled, looking genuinely offended.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Tell me something only Peach and I would know."

"Luigi, what are you talking about-"

She stepped forward, but he backed away, raising his hands and ignoring the hurt that crossed her face.

"Just tell me! Please!"

Her eyes were wide and she was beginning to look legitimately scared, but she furrowed her brow and tried to think.

"...Wh-When Mario proposed to me, remember? It was on the hill?"

He nodded, needing more.

"I told him to wait a minute and ran down to where you were watching."

She smiled, the memory strengthening her.

"And, I asked you if you would give me your blessing for me to say 'yes,' because your heart is entwined with his," she lifted her pinky in a gesture significant to him, alone, "...and I asked your permission to let mine in, too."

Luigi briefly hooked his finger with hers before choking on his own terror.

"Mario!"

He took off running, Peach hot on his heels.

"Luigi, what is going on?!"

"It's my fault! I should've told you all sooner, but Bowser-"

"Luigi! Focus!"

"There's something in here, with us!"

He shivered, again.

"There's something that can wear our faces and try to trick us! It looked like Mario, when I first saw it, but it couldn't fool me with him! Now, it looks like you!"

"And, it's with Mario?!"

"Yes!"

"Luigi!"

How she managed to smack him upside the head, while running, was beyond him, but he couldn't say he didn't deserve it.

"That should have been your lead! Not 'Teron!'"

"I know! I know, it's all my fault, but he's okay! Trust me, Peach, I'd know if he were hurt!"

"I know you would."

He couldn't admit to himself that they were lost in the fog, but Peach did it for him, pulling him to a halt beside her as they panted and trying to figure out which way to turn, Luigi growing dizzy and nauseated with fear for his twin.

"He's okay," the queen soothed, noticing his tears and near-hyperventilation. "He's okay, Luigi. He can handle himself."

"It's my fault! I didn't warn him! I left him!"

"You were keeping information from Bowser."

"...If anything happens to him-"

"It won't," she snapped. "He's fine! He's Mario!"

Luigi shook his head, feeling like his throat were closing, in response to his guilt. Taking a few wobbly steps forward, he vaguely noticed he was walking across what felt like rickety planks, hearing the crackles and snaps under his shoes.

"...Luigi, do you hear-"

The ground fell out from beneath his feet, breaking into cacophonous splinters as he plummeted, barely having time to gasp as he fell into the cold, damp darkness, and hearing Peach scream his name, seconds before he smacked into the stone ground and lost his senses.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

Mario knew the exact moment something went very wrong. He and Peach had been discussing the dynamics of working around Bowser when he felt a sudden hollowness in his stomach and sharp pain in his heart, his mind muffling over with alarm.

"What's wrong?"

Peach frowned, obviously concerned, but he couldn't even think. One hand came up to clutch at his chest as he keened, doubling over.

"Mario!"

"...Something happened to him."

"What?"

"Something happened to Luigi! I can't feel him!"

He bolted to his feet, trusting her to follow, and fought his way through the fog, cursing its density and his own stupidity for letting his twin wander off, alone.

"Mario, wait!"

"Come on! We have to hurry!"

He wasn't dead. He had to hold onto that. There was no doubt in his mind that if his soulmate were dead, he would be, too—heart stopping, on the spot, to match its other half. This was a distinct, cognitive absence, felt exclusively when Luigi was unconscious, and it terrified him. His heart pounded, his ears rang, and he couldn't help but remember the last time he had felt such an acute void of despair.

Luigi had been fixing a leak in their old roof and had somehow managed to kick over the ladder. Being the problem-solver that he was, he had thought it entirely reasonable to simply drop down to the ground instead of waiting for his brother to return home from grocery shopping. Needless to say, when Mario had felt something sick and unexplainable and sprinted home to a barely-arousable brother, lying in a halo of his own blood and struggling to remember his own name or tell, with any accuracy, how many fingers his twin was holding up, it had been a very bad day. It was also the day Luigi had been banned from ladders, roofs, cliffs, unsupervised staircases, and standing on anything taller than two feet. But, given the look he received from his big brother, when he had later dared complain about his new boundaries, it had been a debate that had only been brought up for consideration once and never revisited.

He stopped for a moment, relying on his senses to point him in the right direction, and twisted to the left, reaching in front of himself to avoid running straight into any walls or barriers, obstructed from his sight by the fog, and blocking a direct path to his brother.

"He's close," he panted. "He's..."

Underground?

Pausing again, he spared a moment to furrow his brows at the cobblestones and gold bricks, getting onto his knees and running trembling fingers over the architecture.

"...He's somewhere under here. I know it. We've gotta find a way down, Peach...Peach?"

Turning his head this way and that, he realized he might have run ahead a little too far, stomach dropping as he now not only had an injured little brother to find, but a lost wife, as well.

"Peach?! Peach, where are you?!"

She didn't answer.

He scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily and having no clue what to do. He would never have a better opportunity than right now to locate Peach, but at the same time, he had no idea how hurt Luigi was, and if he didn't keep going, he could lose him permanently. But, could he really abandon his wife to this town, not knowing the extent of the danger?

His head turned to the right, feeling the familiar tug on his heart that he knew to be his senses reaching out for his brother. To his left, he was fairly certain he had come from the north.

Luigi or Peach.

His brother or his wife.

He felt like his throat were closing at the impossible decision. Could he live with himself for purposely leaving one of them behind?

Heart giving another throb of pain at whatever condition ailed his brother, he took a shuddering breath, whispering an apology to the wind and sprinting to the right. He would find Peach—failure wasn't an option—but he had to find Luigi, first.

Maybe, Bowser was right that he would have been a better husband, but Mario could live with losing that title, however painful it may be, as long as he kept the one about being a loyal brother. 

Before light or sound filtered through the fog in his brain, he first registered the splitting headache and vague nausea he had come to associate with head injuries. Swallowing a few times, trying to will the discomfort away by force alone, he struggled to remember what happened, his mind eventually coming up with a shard of a memory that included breaking wooden panels, a swooping sensation in his stomach, and someone screaming his name.

"...igi?"

Brow furrowing, he licked his lips and wiggled his fingers and toes, trying to get his senses back online.

"Luigi?...hear me?"

Wet fabric slapped against his forehead, and the shock forced his eyes open, his dark surroundings blurring around him as water droplets soaked his hair and ran down into his ears, in what was quite an uncomfortable situation, but he didn't yet have the dexterity to wipe them away, nor the words to ask whomever was with him to do it for him.

Suddenly, there was a lot of pink and yellow in his line of sight, and he forced himself to focus on his sister-in-law's pale face, her mouth shaping around the muffled sentence of asking if he was okay, and he did his best to respond.

"...Y'...ky."

Good enough. She'd witnessed enough of his clumsiness that, if she wasn't already fluent in 'concussionese,' she could, at least, get by with the basics.

He felt the jostle of his satchel a moment before another mushroom was being pushed into his mouth, but he couldn't help the bitterness that flooded his mind that they had now used three of the ten they had brought, and they hadn't even made any progress, yet.

Mario would certainly-

Mario.

"M'rio!"

The mushroom kicked in just in time to fend off the wave of dizziness that would have surely occurred from him sitting up so fast.

"Shh, it's okay," Peach tried to soothe, hands out in a calming gesture as she reassured him. "You said you would know if he were hurt, right?"

He did.

He meant it.

He would know.

At the moment, though, he could only nod his head, words unable to rise above the panic choking him.

"Okay," his best friend continued, getting to her feet and brushing off her dress, wringing out her glove before shoving it into her bag. "Hold onto that. Right now, we just need to find a way out of here."

Breathing deeply, forcing himself to worry about one thing at a time, he looked up, trying to judge how far he had fallen and wincing at the length of the drop—definitely more than two feet. Mario had undoubtedly felt his brief absence and was going to kill him, accordingly, or, at the very least, constrain his height allowance down to a single foot.

He stood on shaky legs, taking in the rest of his surroundings and coming to the conclusion that they were in some kind of basement, dark and circular, with a single, torch-lit tunnel leading to the left.

"Think that's our best bet?"

Pointing, he pulled Peach's attention away from the broken ceiling.

"I suppose. I don't really see any way to climb back out."

"What do you think this place is?"

She coughed.

"Dusty."

He gave her a flat look, taking the initiative to start walking and making sure she was trailing behind.

"I meant, what's it used for?"

"...Hiding."

"'Hiding,'" he frowned, turning back fully to look at her, "why do you say that?"

She revealed nothing else, eyes blank, and simply pointed ahead, directing his attention to the hundreds of frozen creatures that lined the walls, or simply sat against them, waiting for that bell to toll. He sucked in a breath, resisting the urge to back away. Perhaps, they should take their chances with breaking a new jumping record and clearing that broken ceiling.

"...P-Peach? H-How long until night?"

Pulling ahead, she grabbed his arm, urging him forward.

"Not long enough to not hurry."

He was okay. He was healed—that was the only explanation for the sudden absence of the older brother's symptoms, and Mario bent over, hands on his knees, and tried to catch his breath while simultaneously calming his heart. He still needed to find his brother and figure out what happened, already preparing multiple outlines for the appropriate lecture, but for the life of him, he couldn't understand why his usual-pinpoint sense on his sibling's whereabouts seemed to be leading him astray. He felt like he was walking in curved lines, his brother's soul so very close by, but his search continued to prove fruitless, frustrating him to no end.

Not to mention, Peach was still lost, and he couldn't quite smother the guilt he felt, upon leaving her behind in the fog. It was strange that she hadn't kept up with him, but, at the same time, he was tormented by the fear that something might have happened to her, that would have prevented her from doing so, and he would be none the wiser. He had always questioned whether to label it a curse that he felt every bump and bruise his clumsy brother obtained, but, on the other hand, he had now come to the definitive conclusion that it was worse to simply not know.

"She can handle herself," he repeated, on a mantra, trying to drown out the majority of his brain's reminders that he had abandoned his wife to danger. "She's a queen; she's capable. I trust her. She's fine! And, he's fine, too. They're both fine."

If he said it enough times, he might actually believe it. It was worth a shot.

"Luigi? Come on! We have to hurry!"

As they rushed along the winding corridors, hoping they didn't somehow get lost and squeezing past all the immobilized monsters, Luigi couldn't help but look at them—truly look at them—and think about that small one he had seen through the window, clutching a ragged doll like it was the only comfort left in the world.

"Luigi?"

"...They just look so...sad."

"What do you mean?"

Peach came up beside him, frowning in confusion, and he struggled to explain himself, knowing he would probably sound stupid and being grateful that it was just his best friend around to hear his thoughts.

"The creatures." 

He brushed his fingers over the bandana that covered the head of one who seemed to be locked in a state of mourning, hands over where its eyes should have been and form crouched against the wall.

"...Luigi, we don't have time for this."

"Who do you think they were? Why do they all look so hopeless?"

"Wouldn't you? Look at the state of them."

She gestured to a few huddled together, but he could tell that her soft heart understood his sympathy, her own eyes brimming with compassion as she seemed to really think about them, for the first time, as anything other than a simple danger and mystery.

He sighed, releasing the end of the torn rag tied around the figure's head.

"I just wish we knew what happened."

"Maybe, nothing happened. Maybe, they were born this way. Why do you feel so sorry for them? They tried to kill us."

It was a good question, and not one he was entirely willing to answer. He thought about pointing out that they didn't know for sure that they had been trying to kill them, but quickly disregarded that as a weak argument, given he couldn't exactly say that their actions had indicated good will. He'd been told, before, that he was too sensitive, but he supposed it was one thing to empathize with something and another to empathize with something that had tried to kill you and your family.

"They just don't seem malicious, when they're like this. I have to wonder if they're just acting on instinct."

"Regardless, that instinct could get us killed."

"I'm not saying I enjoy being in the same room- I just mean-..."

All of a sudden, it seemed more prudent to abandon this entire line of thought and focus on getting out of this tunnel system.

"...Never mind."

He walked ahead, hoping Peach would forget it and follow, but she didn't.

"...Mean what?"

He turned, finding her staring at him with soft and curious eyes, hands clasped in front of her.

"Well...Mario told you what the therapist told us, right? That I have AVPD?"

She frowned, but nodded.

"He mentioned it. I can't say I entirely understood."

"It's really hard for me to trust people. I don't feel...good enough for anyone, and I isolate myself, as a defensive method."

She was quiet, thinking for a few minutes.

"Are you projecting onto the Husks?"

"'Husks?'"

"Well," she shrugged, straightening the cloth sleeve that had fallen over one of their shoulders, "'monsters' doesn't sound entirely accurate. They almost seem hollow, like they're missing something."

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding along and thrilled that someone seemed to completely understand his bizarre point of view, "yeah, that's a good way to put it. It's almost like they're mourning something they lost. I just...wish I could help them find it."

Smiling at the ground, eyes bright, she nodded, gesturing for him to continue talking.

"What does this specific empathy have to do with what your therapist said?"

"I just-...I guess, I just feel sorry for anything that feels like it has to hide away, even if it's just as a way to survive. I kind of...get it, in a weird way. They seem lonely, even though they're surrounded by their own kind. They can't talk to each other, they don't even really see each other...they just seem lost and...broken."

"You're not broken, Luigi."

"That's how it feels, sometimes."

He kept walking, listening to her footsteps behind him as he felt they shouldn't waste any more time by lingering.

"Like, you're broken?"

"Like, there's some cure that should be easy to reach and could make my life so much easier, but I just can't get my hands on it. If I could just get rid of this shadow that follows me everywhere and never lets me have any peace without reminding me that I'm not good enough, I could be happy. I could actually trust somebody. I could take away Mario's constant worry about me. I could make friends," he choked, "with Mario's friends, and trust them to accept me, instead of always pushing them away. I could make everything so much easier, if I could just shake off the bad thoughts, but I just can't break free!"

He covered his eyes, burying his face in his hands and taking a moment to turn away from her and regather his composure.

"...I'm sorry, Peach. I shouldn't be burdening you with this. It's bad enough Mario has to deal with me."

"It's not a burden. I think your kindness and empathy are some of the most unique things about you, and I admire them."

She glanced around, lifting her chin.

"I think it takes a very kind man to look at these malformed creatures and wonder if they're simply as trapped as we are."

He huffed, smiling and cleared his throat.

"Thanks. You know I don't mean you, when I say I don't trust anyone, right? You and Mario are the only people I trust."

She didn't say anything, for a moment, looking sad for him and pinching her lips before smiling back and nodding.

"...I know. Though, I'll admit that I don't really know what I've done to earn it, and it makes me nervous that someday, I'll lose it."

He shook his head, continuing along.

"I don't think you need to ever worry about that. As long as you love Mario, you'll have my trust."

"That's good to know."

They shared one last smile before Luigi pulled ahead, carefully navigating around the "Husks." For several hours, they shared a comfortable but focused silence, both closely considering the branching paths and wondering it one would lead to daylight, but they had yet to find any luck.

Eventually, they came across another circular room, this one leading off to five surrounding tunnels, and even Peach was starting to look worried, turning Luigi's wrist to check his watch and frowning at the information it gave.

"...Luigi, it's going to be sunset soon, and I don't think we've made any progress. What are we going to do? We need a plan if those Husks come to life and we're still down here."

"You're asking me?!"

She swallowed, breaths quick.

"Did you bring any power-ups that would help?"

He was already shaking his head.

"Mario has them. I just have the healing ones. What did you bring?"

"Not anything useful, in this situation."

Biting her lip, she considered their options, sighing deeply and closing her eyes.

"You're not going to like this-"

"No."

She blinked.

"'No,' what?"

"I already know what you're going to say, and we're not splitting up."

"Luigi, if we don't figure a way out of here, we'll both die! Look, just," frustrated, she approached one of the tunnels, at random, "pick one and keep walking for exactly five minutes before turning around and we'll meet back here. We'll do the same for the others, and if all of them are the same, we'll go together. If one of them is promising, we'll have investigated them in half the time it would have otherwise taken."

He hated that she was making so much sense. In every story he'd ever watched or read, splitting up was never a good idea, but he was starting to think that she had a point about there being no other options, and they were quickly running out of time.

"...Five minutes? You promise?"

"Absolutely. Do we need to pinky swear?"

Shoving her shoulder for the cheeky reply, he reminded himself to stop scratching at his knuckles as he approached a tunnel to the left, taking a deep breath and stepping through, watching with a heavy heart as Peach offered him a reassuring smile before walking down her own path.

Mario could say, with absolute certainty, that he hated fog. He was also aware that the list of things he despised was steadily growing, thanks to this place, and it was starting to make him a little bitter. The frustration was only compounded by the fact that he still felt he was somehow following Luigi's path, but couldn't figure out why he had yet to come across him, walking around in circles throughout the town and only managing to get himself more lost, as every road looked the same, from what little he could see.

The creatures were still in hiding, but he remained cautious, keeping an eye out for easy escape routes, should he find himself surrounded before he could find his family and provide them a safe place to hunker down, until the next sunrise.

He kept trying to call out for both his brother and Peach, but neither were answering him, leaving him completely unsettled and alone. 

Heck, he even tried calling out to Bowser once or twice, but when that resulted in nothing but a now-familiar silence, he chalked it up to an...unfortunate loss and decided not to attempt it, again. If he were more honest with himself than he was willing to be with Luigi and Peach, a solution to the betrothal conundrum could quite easily be solved if Bowser simply never made it out of the ghost town. Not that Mario would actively do anything to ensure that happened—he wasn't a murderer—but he was somewhat ashamed to admit that if the Koopa King found himself in danger, it wouldn't be high on Mario's list of priorities to help, if it even made the top ten.

With each passing hour, he felt himself grow more desperate. He knew Luigi was, at least, on the move and healed from whatever injury he had managed to sustain, but he had no idea where the monsters were or if any of the three of them would be hunted down and killed before they could reunite.

Closing his eyes, panting, he had to stop for a minute to gather himself, leaning against a building and allowing himself to lose just a few tears, for the sake of his inward panic, as he buried his face in his hands, having never felt so lost and helpless.

"Please," he begged quietly, "please, just let them be okay. Let us find each other. Let us live through this."

Three deep breaths.

...Two deep breaths.

......One deep breath.

He opened his eyes, wondering if he was stuck in some kind of alternate reality of wishful thinking when the fog seemed to lift, revealing the winding, circular streets and the faded stones and gold.

"...What?"

"Are you lost, Dear?"

Startled, he threw himself away from the wall and backed up, eyes widening at the sight in front of him.

One of the houses—nothing grand, nothing particularly small, nothing of any particular importance or distinction from the others in the row—was bright and new, stone walls an immaculate white, scattered gold bars glittering, porch swept, door and windows intact, and even fresh flowers hanging from planters on the sills. Just looking at it, alone, one would never know of the time-worn destruction that lay all around it, making it a completely out-of-place representation of what the town used to be—a piece of the past dropped right in the middle of the village's future.

Upon the porch, and even stranger, was a woman—human, in terms of general form, but with skin that seemed carved from the smoothest stone, making her appear like a living statue as she stared at him with curious concern.

She seemed fairly wealthy, an orange robe donning her frame and hem studded with various rubies, diamonds, and emeralds, but he had to wonder if she was an exception, or if this was just the standard of living for the average citizen of Sarasaland.

"I said, are you lost?"

He shook himself free of his rambling thoughts, bringing them back to the most pressing question.

"Who are you?"

She frowned, the miniscule cracks around her eyes and mouth growing more pronounced.

"You seem fairly frazzled, so I think I'll ignore the fact that I believe you were on my property."

She stepped forward, inspecting him, and as she did, he had a better opportunity to notice more about her.

There was no "hair" on her head, per se, but he came to the conclusion that she, and likely the other villagers, when they lived, carved out different "styles" onto their heads, her own resembling what he could only compare to simulated waves, twisting into a complex pattern of chiseled designs in the back. On each side of her head, where her ears should have been, there were simply two rubies pierced into either side.

She circled him, scrutinizing every angle, before facing him, once more.

"You're not from around here."

"I'm from Br- the Mushroom Kingdom."

Chances were, she didn't know what "Brooklyn" was, and that explanation wasn't worth his time.

"And, what are you doing in our little town? Do you have nothing better to do than to lean on an old woman's house and scuff up the architecture?"

"I- no, I'm just- I'm looking for my twin brother and my wife. They're lost."

Tilting her head, she regarded him with golden pupils set in obsidian eyes.

"Are they lost, or are you?"

He wasn't sure how that mattered. As long as they were apart, they were lost. As long as they were together, they were home; it was a concept he wasn't sure she would understand.

"...Both, I guess. Can you- do you have a map, or something? Anything I could use to help me get around this place?"

This bizarre encounter, which was her very existence in an otherwise broken town, would have to be revisited, but right now, she ranked no higher than third on his priority list of unanswered questions.

"I wouldn't carry a map of my own village, unless you think we Eastons are so hard-headed that we refuse to even learn our way around our own towns?"

"What? No! That's not what I meant-"

She smiled, the cracks in her face like wrinkles on an aged human woman, and he was starting to understand that she might be considered an elder, among their people.

"I'm only teasing. It's been a while since I was able to joke around with a young man, and a handsome one, at that."

He blushed, but she didn't seem to notice, turning and slowly pulling herself up the steps to her house, relying heavily on the banister. Turning around, she held out a hand, beckoning him.

"Come in and join me for a cup of tea. Perhaps, I can help you."

Not really wanting to waste time on tea, but also fresh out of any other leads, he declined her offered hand but reluctantly followed, noting the prominence of jewels and gold, decorating her home in the way someone, back in his world, might use a porcelain figure or seashell motif. Dangling glass ornaments hung from the ceiling, creating colorful prisms along the walls. However, possibly unique to her, alone, were the hundreds of books that lined the walls and lay stacked on the ground in neat piles—all leather-bound and a mystery of genre, given that not a single one seemed to have a title.

She led him to a wooden table near a window, inviting him to sit and rushing off to the basement for her "best china," as she "hadn't entertained guests in such a long time."

His gaze wandered, trying to fixate on any object he could trade for or even swipe, that might help him find his family, but besides the books and jewels and flowers and impeccable housekeeping, he found absolutely nothing, startling when a tea set was placed before him, each cup representing a different flower and the pot painted with stems and branches.

"Pick a cup," she chirped, sitting opposite him, and he blindly reached for the one that had subconsciously caught his eye, more than the others—chipped and cracked in an otherwise flawless set.

"Not that one."

He almost flinched at the harsh snap, surprised when the porcelain was ripped from his hands and thrown across the room to shatter, one of the pieces skittering towards him and coming to a stop by his foot, sporting nothing but a few thin, white petals and the hint of a yellow center.

"I meant to throw it out years ago. Here," she offered the lilac, "this one is proper."

"...Thank you?"

Erratic behavior seemingly forgotten, she smiled sweetly and filled his cup, asking his preference on cream and sugar.

"None, thanks. Look, did you say you could help me?"

She stared at him over the rim of her own cup, taking a slow sip before reaching for one of the countless books that surrounded them, flipping it to a blank page in the center and reaching for the quill she kept in a nearby drawer.

"I think you would make a fantastically-unpredictable addition to my story."

"What?"

He was five seconds away from getting up and leaving, writing this whole encounter off as a weird waste of time, or else, some sort of fever dream, brought on by fear-induced hallucinations.

"What are you talking about?"

"My book. It's a delightfully thrilling story, but I'm afraid I've hit a bit of writer's block. Do you ever experience that?"

"I'm not a writer-"

He was already rising from the table as she cut him off, waving a dismissive hand.

"Then, you wouldn't understand. I would highly recommend it, though. The pen is, of course, simply a funnel for complex emotion, narrowing down overwhelming feelings into cohesive words and gathering scattered thoughts into the colander of order, sifting out the negativity and leaving only the world in which you choose to live—a world of your own design."

Her quill raised to her chin, possibly tickling it, though he couldn't even tell if she could feel it, through her mineral facade.

"I think I'd like to live in one of my worlds, someday. I would create a peaceful land—a just land." Her tone dipped in volume, possibly no longer talking to him. "...No one would ever be alone. Poor, lonely boy."

Perhaps subconsciously, she seemed to reach for his hand, but he pulled away, also subconsciously. Her brows furrowed for a moment and she almost looked frustrated, but she crossed her stony hands over her book and turned her gaze to the window.

"Look," he sat back down, hoping to reason with her, "I really need to find my brother and wife before those things come back to life, so could you please-"

"What things?"

She seemed genuinely confused and he tripped over a few sentences before getting one out.

"Wh- y- the creatures! Those disfigured, creepy things, with the bandages over their eyes!"

"...The Husks?"

Sure. 

Husks.

Why not?

"Yeah, the...Husks. They seem to come out during the night-"

"Oh, you silly boy," she giggled, gesturing to her book collection, "I don't know how you guessed so accurately, before it was even published, but I'm certainly no stranger to fans. You young boys have such wild imaginations, pretending those monsters are real."

...What?

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed, setting down her quill and smiling at him like a teacher would a kindergartener for doing something utterly wrong but accidentally endearing.

"You perfectly described the antagonists of my latest story. How did you know? Did the news leak?"

"I don't know what you're talking-"

"The book, Dear Boy, the book!" She rose, pacing the room and gesturing wildly, as if she were making perfect sense and he were being purposely dense. "My manuscript! Surely, you got your hands on it, if you know that much! I placed those monsters in the setting of a village cloaked in fog, trapped under a curse that forbids anyone to leave, but you're not getting another glimpse. Oh, no."

Returning to the table, she slammed the cover down with a resounding 'thud' that rattled the table and spilled the tea.

"No, you'll have to pry this out of my cold fingers or wait, just like everyone else has to wait for my books."

Mario found himself debating between two opposing scenarios. Either, she was crazy, or simply opportunistic to a fault and had milked enough cash cows that she knew when to capitalize on a story. He honestly didn't know which he'd prefer.

"What's your name?"

She glared at him suspiciously, holding her book to her chest like it were a sick child and looking him up and down for any sign of mal-intent.

"'Wintara.' Yours?"

"'Mario.'"

Slowly sitting down, he raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"I don't want to steal your book," he gently assured, though he had every intention of later snatching it for any answers it may have, "I'm just a...fan. I'm sorry, I got a little too eager to read your next manuscript, so I peeked while you were, uh...getting the tea."

He waited for it to work, prayed it would work, and eventually let out a sigh of relief when her posture loosened and she sat back down, carefully placing her treasure out of reach.

"I suppose I can forgive your deception—the price of being an author, after all."

"Yes. Thank you."

She took another sip of her tea, clueless to Mario's mental struggle over how to word his questions just right and figure out what was going on. Did she really not know what was happening, all around her? Did she think she was somehow struck by inspiration to create a mystery surrounding a cursed village and grotesque "Husks," having no clue that she, herself, was actually trapped in one of her own stories, as she had just fantasized?

Was she simply insane?

"All right," she spoke up, breaking him out of his thoughts, "I can see that you're a fan of my work, and I'll answer you a single question about my manuscript. Just one, though. Go on; ask me anything."

...That was easy.

He should try, more often, the method of shutting up, doing nothing, and waiting for things to work out in his favor; it certainly seemed to work for Luigi.

"How could someone break the curse on the village?"

"My, my, you go straight for the spoiled ending, don't you?"

"You said 'anything.'"

He wasn't going to let her back out of this.

"Yes, but if I tell you that, then where's the fun of discovery? How about this," she leaned forward, "I'll give you a hint."

He sucked in a breath, hoping for more but unwilling to lose this chance of gaining any sort of lead.

"The story begins with a well. The story ends with a well."

...Again, what?

He got more reliable guidance out of a magic eight ball.

"What kind of a 'hint' is that?!"

Unable to control his outburst, she sat back, frowning in disapproval while he internally cursed his short temper.

"I'm starting to regret telling you anything, at all. I'm afraid that's all you're getting. You're just going to have to wait for my book to reach the shops."

"But-"

"Good day, Mario. Thank you for joining me for tea, and I believe you know your way to the front door. Try not to stumble upon any more manuscripts, on your way out."

She stood, picking up her book and retreating down to the basement, locking the door behind her and leaving Mario stunned and confused, unable to process the surreal nature of that entire encounter. 

A "well," she said.

It starts and ends with a "well."

He supposed it was better than nothing.

He had to find Luigi and Peach, and then...then, they would steal that book.

Rising from his seat, about to make his way out the door, something stopped him in his tracks, causing him to turn around.

That drawer that had held the quill—there was more in there than just writing supplies. There had been paper, too—used paper.

Carefully, so as not to make noise, he crossed over to her side of the table and slid open the container, holding his breath and slowly pushing aside various quills and bottles of ink. Beneath them all lay a few notes, ideas scratched out and others underlined, and he released his breath, hoping beyond hope that he had found something—anything—useful.

The sound of footsteps traveling back up the stairs had him abandoning his original goal of making no incriminating racket, and he snatched every note he could get his hands on, slamming the drawer and bolting out the front door just as the basement knob began to turn.

Five minutes became ten.

Ten minutes became thirty.

Thirty minutes dragged on to an hour.

Within that hour, Luigi found himself sprinting up and down the different tunnels, desperately calling for Peach and berating himself mercilessly for agreeing to split up. Mario had always trusted him to take care of her, in his own absence, as much as he trusted Peach to take care of his twin. Only, she had actually withheld her end of the unspoken agreement, climbing into this pit after him and taking care of him until he woke up, despite the danger to herself. How could he live with himself, if anything happened to her? What would he tell his brother? How would either of them ever recover?

He collapsed against the wall, drawing in painful gasps of air after spending at least forty-five minutes just running and yelling for his sister-in-law. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as he slid down to the ground, trying to calm himself and burying his face in his hands. After multiple failed attempts at box breathing, he took to scratching at this knuckles, little dots of blood soaking through his glove at the rough treatment, but no one was there to tell him to stop, and he had no right to tell himself to stop, after losing his entire family to his own stupidity.

First, leaving Mario with that unknown danger, then falling into this confusing tunnel system, because he hadn't been paying attention, only to drag Peach down, too, before wasting another one of their mushrooms. Then, to top it all off, losing her in this maze, just two hours away from sunset and almost certain death.

It was all his fault.

He could only hope that she had found a way out and simply left. At least, she would be safe and his life could have been of some use, if only as a distraction for the Husks while she used those few minutes of delay as the time she needed to escape.

More time passed, Luigi feeling no inclination to get up and keep looking for a way out, if it was no longer an option to leave with his best friend.

"...Peach?"

No answer.

He curled into himself, locking his arms around his knees and dropping his forehead onto the tops of them, taking shuddering breaths and wanting nothing more than for his big brother to find him, hug him, and tell him everything was going to be all right.

Listlessly, he turned over his wrist, checking his watch, and felt his stomach sink at the realization that they were no more than an hour from sunset—maybe, less. Reluctantly, he got back onto his feet, deciding that being torn apart while looking for Peach would be a more noble end to his story than sitting against a wall, feeling sorry for himself and utterly defeated, as he died.

In all the confusion, he couldn't even tell if he had entered this tunnel from the left or the right, mentally punishing himself for his absent-mindedness, which wasn't doing anyone any favors. Taking his best guess, he turned right, calling out for Peach in a hoarse voice, cracking with a combination of exhaustion and uncontrolled anxiety.

He wasn't sure how long he walked, turning down random pathways, for lack of a better idea, and watching the Husks with trepidatious suspicion, unsure if he would even hear the bell toll, down here, or if his only warning, that night had fallen, would be his own screams as he was torn to pieces.

Upon coming across yet another circular room, set with seven branching paths, he dropped to his knees, ready to give up, and turned over a shaking wrist, petrified in place and only able to listen to the blood pound in his ears and try to swallow the rock in his throat as he could do nothing but watch the last few minutes tick down, second by second, until a familiar toll seemed to echo through the tunnels, muffled by distance, but amplified by the relentless grip of fear.

The bell had rung and night had officially fallen.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

The bell was tolling. Night had officially begun.

Mario skidded to a stop in the middle of the street, stolen notes clutched in his sweaty fist as he whipped his head around, trying to catch sight of those things.

His breath billowed out from his mouth in frozen clouds, dancing in the frigid air, and he felt a chill run down his spine when he spotted one of the Husks, draped in shadow and ambling slowly across one of the alleys, having not seemed to have seen him as it quietly passed by his line of sight.

Feet moving of their own accord, he backed away, keeping his head on a constant swivel to avoid any surprise encounters. He had yet to be discovered, even as more came out of hiding to meander about the streets, turning covered eyes up to the pinpricks of moonlight that shone through the barrier.

Mario wasn't sure about his best bet for avoiding detection, wondering if he should climb onto a roof and wait it out, but his thoughts quickly turned back to his brother and wife—their unknown whereabouts. Were they safe? Luigi was, for now, but he felt a spike of anxiety shoot through his heart, that he wasn't entirely sure was his own. Briefly, he considered running back to Wintara's house, unable to believe she survived there for so many years, unharmed, due to simple luck. She must have found some way to keep them off of her porch-

A choked, desperate chuffing behind him broke him out of his current line of thought, and based on the fact that he felt its breath on his neck, he didn't even bother turning around—simply sprinting forward and wishing he weren't alerting every Husk he passed that he was alone, pursued, helpless, and completely lost.

A chorus of their chittering sounded behind him and he forced himself not to look back, gasping for air and willing himself to run faster than the small army now chasing him. He wasn't even sure where he was going, just trying to shake them and mourning the fact that he could no longer feel his twin's presence as acutely, the two having separated by a further distance than he had allowed, throughout the entire day.

He felt the displaced air of claws swiping at his back, tearing threads out of his overalls, and the adrenaline boost of survival instinct pushed his feet even faster.

They were close.

They were getting closer.

After just one more moment of not knowing, he couldn't take it anymore, giving in to the whim of the hairs standing up along the back of his neck and turning his head to judge how close they were.

"Oomf!"

One misplaced stone. It only took one misplaced stone to catch his foot and send him sprawling painfully to his hands and knees. Quickly flipping onto his back, seeing them close the few feet of a gap he had managed to leave between them, he had no time to try to get to his feet or even process the fact that he was about to die.

The last image in his head was of Luigi and Peach, laughing together, and he closed his eyes, wanting to preserve it as the final thought in his mind before he was torn apart.

Seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

Heart racing, he opened one eye and scrambled away, struck with renewed motivation to escape.

They hadn't left. In fact, they were surrounding him in somewhat of an arc, screaming in short bursts and raking their fingers over their heads, pounding at the ground and stomping their feet as they reached for him, either unwilling or unable to venture any closer.

Almost unable to believe it, he slowly got to his feet, wondering what on earth had just happened and cautiously looking for any explanation for this barrier within a barrier. Nothing stood out—no change, no line—not even a difference in the cobblestones to map out this boundary he had, quite literally, stumbled across. A crunching under his shoes had him glancing down, frowning at the scattered grains of what looked like colored sand surrounding the area. Was that what it was? Could they not touch sand?

Regardless of the reason, he wasn't about to complain, leaning his hand on the wall of a nearby well and trying to catch his breath. More Husks were circling, drawn in by the screams of their kin, but even so, they wouldn't step beyond a ten-foot radius, in any direction. Completely surrounded, but somehow safe, at least for now, he decided he had no option but to stay within this invisible barrier until morning, promising himself that he wouldn't let another day pass without finding Luigi and Peach.

The well was conveniently placed, considering his near-empty bottle, and he continued to deep breathe as he pulled the rope, drawing up the bucket and nearly dipping his container to refill it, but something made him pause.

"The story begins with a well. The story ends with a well."

...It wasn't some miscellaneous line that couldn't be breached.

...It wasn't him, they were unwilling to approach.

...It was the well.

He backed away, letting the bucket splash back into the bottom, and tried to sense any degree of danger, previously hidden. For all intents and purposes, it seemed like a perfectly harmless vessel for storing water. Upon closer, but cautious, inspection, he noted that its unassuming nature seemed just innocuous enough to trick someone, with no previous hint to its significance, into overlooking an ominous aura that seemed to resonate from the sloshing water below, echoing up the stone walls and reminding him of a human's tormented moans, the rope swaying in the wind.

It was plain stone, no golden bricks used in its construction, and even might have been described as penurious, save for the three single jewels set along the rounded edge, creating a perfect triangle—a ruby, a diamond, and an emerald.

He backed away, wanting nothing to do with it, and sat down, keeping an eye out for any hidden danger, but otherwise, resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon, nor was he able to do anything but worry himself sick over Luigi and Peach, so he decided now would be as good a time as any to distract himself by reading over Wintara's discarded notes, hoping his luck would extend to presenting a reasonable answer to even one of the thousand questions he had.

"PEACH! Peach, where are you?!"

It didn't matter if he was heard. They already knew he was there, their rapid footsteps and telltale chittering giving them away as much as Luigi's yelling was highlighting his own location.

He bolted down tunnels, hearing them pressing in from all sides, but unable to hide, let alone escape, the confined space. Still, he found no sign of Peach, just praying he wouldn't locate her via hearing her scream in pain.

Nearly tripping over a broken stone, he stumbled into another round cavern, listening to the creatures screech and choke as they flooded the other tunnels. He had to go back. There wasn't another option-

"Green Stache?"

Stunned, he turned his head, spotting none other than Bowser hunched against the wall, panting heavily and clutching his side, obviously injured.

"Bow- wh-what happened?"

The footsteps were coming closer, Luigi realizing they had no time for explanations and grabbing his enemy's arm, trying to tug him along, but Bowser wouldn't move.

"Come on! What are you doing?! We have to run!"

"...I can't," he eventually growled, leveling those red eyes on the former plumber. "Those...things...dug their claws into me. I barely got away...I can't move."

Breathing heavily, Luigi's attention shot up to the tunnels, spotting the shadows of the Husks as they crept closer. Eyes flicking rapidly between Bowser and the branching pathways, he dug into his satchel with a shaky hand, withdrawing a mushroom.

"Here. Quick!"

The Koopa scowled, almost like he suspected a trick.

"One of your precious mushrooms? You're going to waste it on your enemy?"

"I'm not like you," he responded through a closing throat, fingers trembling. "I'm not a murderer. Just take it."

Their eyes stayed locked for a moment before Bowser's drifted away, staring blankly at the wall.

"Come on!" Luigi urged, already moving to backtrack. "Take it! We're running out of time!"

Still, the king said nothing, continuing to stare into the distance, as if they weren't about to be surrounded.

"...Bowser!"

Nothing.

Unable to wait any longer, without getting himself killed, he rolled the mushroom into the Koopa's reach, who didn't even acknowledge it, and began backing away, shaking his head.

"Don't do this. Don't give up, like this. We may not see eye to eye, but your people need you. Don't be so proud that you won't heal yourself, just because I'm the one who gave it to you. I won't tell anyone."

"...Most people would find delight in seeing their enemies at their lowest—or, defeated."

The human's palms itched with sweat, anxious gaze on the tunnels.

"I don't think 'most' people would. I like to think people have mercy."

The Koopa huffed, unfurling a claw to lift the mushroom to his eyes.

"Is that what this is?" His eyes shone with some sort of contemplation, reflected in the firelight. "Mercy?"

"I'm not gonna stay here and die, Bowser. I can't help you, if you're not gonna try to save yourself!"

The Koopa stared, eyeing him up and down, but eventually turned back to the wall, letting the mushroom hang from his hand without any indication that he was about to eat it.

"Bowser!"

Again, he didn't move, except to mutter, "Run away, Little Prince. Nothing to see, here."

Choking on air, conflicted with so many different emotions, the only feeling strong enough to pull him away from anyone about to give up, even Bowser, was the knowledge that Mario needed him even more than the Darklands needed their king.

Still, the shock of the situation brought tears to his eyes as he turned around and ran, unable to do anything else to convince the Koopa to accept help. He covered his ears, not wanting to hear Bowser's roars of agony as he was caught, and charged ahead, no clue where he was going, but only heading in the opposite direction of any chittering sounds he detected.

Mario, endangered by the imposter.

Peach, lost in a winding maze of enemies.

Bowser...possibly dead.

He could barely take it, tears clouding his vision to the point that he couldn't even see ahead, tripping painfully and falling to his hands and knees.

"...Peach?"

Croaking out the name, ears ringing with a nearly-overpowering anxiety, he wanted nothing more than to curl up and block out the world, pushed ahead only by the cut-off shrieks filtering into the space behind him.

He dragged himself to his feet, ignoring his shredded knees and palms, and kept stumbling along, truly wondering how much further he could go without his luck running out, certain that this night would end, sooner or later, with him surrounded by Husks, never to be reunited with his brother or sister-in-law before he was torn to shreds, meeting his demise, alone, in these cold, dark tunnels.

Another round room was waiting for him, at the end, and he stopped, just for a minute, to catch his breath and gather his haywire thoughts.

One breath.

...Two breaths.

......Three breaths.

The rustle of fabric caught his ear, and for the first time in hours, he felt something close to hope.

"...Peach?" 

He ventured towards the path he was eighty percent certain was the origin of the noise.

"Peach, is that you? Peach?! PEA- mmph!"

Gasping, he didn't even have time to struggle against the hand clasped around his mouth, having dragged him into a different corridor by the time he regained his bearings and pushed the wrist away.

"What the-"

"Shh!" The person's other hand came up to slap over his lips. "Quiet!"

Eyes wide, he was able to just peek from the shadows of their cover, watching the Husk hurry along, draped in what looked like curtains, which rustled with each step. It wasn't Peach. His heart sank with despair and he squeezed his eyes closed, fighting against the pain of disappointment. Eventually, the creature gave up on finding him, letting out a confused chitter before dragging itself and its garb down a different path.

They were safe, for now.

"You've gotta have the biggest mouth I've ever heard. I could hear you all the way from the perimeter! And I thought they were loud. At least, they have the excuse of being bloodthirsty monsters. You're just loud."

Lids slipping back open, he turned his focus on whomever was holding him captive. The voice, alone, informed him that it was a girl, and he couldn't help the embarrassment from rising up that he had been taken down so easily. She seemed to have forgotten that her hand was still covering his mouth and he tapped at her wrist, hoping she would let go if he gestured as politely as possible.

"Are you gonna give away our position, again?"

He shook his head, meaning it. After this many hours of not hearing from Peach, there was no point in continuing to scream for her. He could only hope she had escaped to safety—no, he didn't just hope. He believed it, wholeheartedly. Otherwise, he would just go insane with guilt and grief.

"Okay." He felt his captor's hair tickle his temple as she nodded. "I don't trust you."

Frowning, wondering if he was just crazy or if that sentence had an extra word that didn't belong, he barely had time to think too hard before he was released.

Backing away, massaging his jaw with a scowl, he couldn't really see her, as she was still crouched in the shadows, but he was able to, at least, make out that she was human, which, in and of itself, was rare.

"...You're a human?"

He could barely tell, but he thought she was giving him an incredulous look.

"Really? That's the first thing you ask? Not, 'how do we get out of here?'"

There was that hope, again, barely daring to rise up.

"Do you know how to get out of here?"

"Nope."

His shoulders slumped.

"But," she got to her feet, brushing off her pants, "not to worry. I know how to crochet."

...Was he missing something?

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing. I just didn't want you to be under the impression that I was completely useless."

Temper officially simmering, he tried to walk away, muttering a somewhat-sincere "thanks" to her for saving him from that Husk, but he was further surprised when he was grabbed by the collar and dragged back into the shadows.

"I'm just messing with you, Green Guy."

She didn't seem to notice his flinch at any nickname related to his favorite color, thoughts drifting back to Bowser and his unknown fate.

"I know this tunnel system like the back of my hand. Stick with me. I'll get you out."

With that, she bent down to retrieve a long stick that he hadn't previously noticed, decked with dozens of short, colorful strings, with a longer one tied to the top—more vibrant than the others. She gestured for him to follow, walking further away from the chittering voices.

Realizing he had been standing in place for several seconds and that she wasn't waiting for him, he jogged forward to catch up. However, the moment she stepped into the torchlight and turned, allowing him his first real view of her, he froze, stunned into place.

...Whoa.

He thought he'd never see another woman as beautiful as Peach.

At that thought, he quickly shook it out of his head, berating himself for admiring her physical appearance instead of focusing on the fact that she had not only saved his life, but also, apparently, knew how to get out of this maze.

Now was not the time to focus on those intelligent eyes...or those strong, yet gentle hands...or that confident stance-

Reflexes acting of their own accord, he smacked himself in the face, eyes widening when he realized that she had just witnessed his odd mannerisms cranked up to eleven. Pinching his lips and closing his eyes, waiting for whatever scathing comment he deserved and already preparing his speech, begging her to ignore him and just point him in the right direction, if she was no longer willing to act as a guide, he stood still and waited for her well-deserved judgment.

How shallow was he?

More importantly, how rude?

"...You seem like the kind of guy who apologizes for sneezing."

He opened his eyes in time to notice her amusement and genuine curiosity. Her words had certainly been more playful than derogatory, and it appeared he had braced himself for nothing.

"I'm sorry," he spoke on instinct, having nothing else prepared to offer this unexpected social interaction. "I know, I'm acting weird—I'm getting help—please, just ignore me-"

"Who said anything about 'weird?'"

She leaned on her stick, frowning at him with an intrigued smile.

"I was focused on how pretty you are, instead of what I should be focused on, so I'm sorry."

She batted her eyes with exaggeration, tilting her head.

"Aw, Sweetie. You think I'm pretty?"

He couldn't see his face, but he didn't need a mirror to know he'd gone beet red.

"What? No! I mean- yes, but- no, I shouldn't have said that! I mean-"

'Sometimes, the best option is to just stop talking. You can't undo a car crash,' had been Mario's top-tier advice for talking to women, and he decided to implement it now, covering his face and hoping it would turn back to its regular color by the time he dropped his hands.

"Smooth," she nodded her approval, twirling her stick back into her grip and continuing forward. "Thanks, for what I'm choosing to believe was a compliment."

"It was!"

He ran forward, once more trying to catch up.

"I mean, I should've said this before, but thank you; I really mean it. I've been lost in here all day."

"Wow. I'd say you've probably sightseen the whole town, then. Shame it was from underneath it."

Something else struck him, then, that probably should have also come to mind sooner.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. What do you think?"

"You're trying to save the village?"

She snorted, shaking her head.

"It's kinda my responsibility. I was tired of watching my people disappear, trying to solve the puzzle of this place, so I decided to do it, myself. I doubt Father was too happy, but I like to think he'll forgive me, someday...I hope."

She tilted her head in contemplation before coming to some conclusion, shaking her auburn hair quickly and continuing on her way.

"I left him a note. He'll be fine."

...She wasn't, was she?

She couldn't be, but still...

"...Are you Balzar's daughter?"

He couldn't be right. What were the odds?

However, before he could convince himself he was wrong, she paused in her steps, a light scowl on her face as she flicked her head over her shoulder to look him up and down.

"I believe you mean, her royal highness."

"I-I'm sorry-"

She turned, just to smack him in the shoulder, a wide smile on her face and mischief in her eyes.

"Kidding. Again. Lighten up. My name's 'Daisy,' by the way. What about you? What do they call you?"

'Flabbergasted,' came to mind.

"...Uh..."

She didn't wait for an answer, starting back on her path and leaving him to scramble after her, her intention clear. She wasn't going to wait for him; he would have to keep up.

"I-I mean-...um..."

"Okay, we'll start easier. Where are you from?"

"Um-"

"Still too hard? Okay, let's go back to basics. What's two plus two?"

"'Luigi!'"

He got the answer out!

...Wait. That wasn't right.

"...Okay, let's go back to identifying colors."

"No, I- I meant my name-"

She started laughing, shoulders shaking as she shot him a grin over her shoulder.

"You're too easy to mess with, Luigi. I'll bet you're a joy to prank."

Mario certainly thought so.

"I just-..."

"And, if you just don't wanna talk," she shrugged, "that's okay, too. No pressure. Just know, I have a bad habit of saying whatever's on my mind, so, anything I wanna say to you, good or bad, not to worry; it'll be right to your face. I won't hold anything back."

She said it so factually.

"...Thanks?"

Was it weird that that was a huge relief to someone who agonized over what people might secretly think of him?

Maybe.

She grinned an impish smile, leaning on her stick.

"Wanna know what I think of you? First impression?"

"Not really."

He barely refrained from slapping himself in the forehead.

Why did he say that? Why did he have to be so awkward?

Daisy shrugged, returning to her brisk stroll through the tunnels.

"Well, I was gonna say that I think you're cute, but if you don't wanna hear it, that's fine."

...He was cute?

"Wait," he ran to catch up. "Wait, wait, wait, I wanna hear it."

"Nope," she shook her head. "Missed your chance. Now, you've gotta wait for the second impression."

"What's your second impression?"

"Same as the first."

She must have found his bewildered scowl endearing, because she barely covered an unladylike snort, chortling into her hand as she led the way.

"I'm sorry," she giggled. "Don't worry! You're cute, all right? You're cute. Trust me, if I didn't like you, I'd have left you where I found you, and it's probably bad royal form to admit that, but what're you gonna do?" She shrugged, once more. "At least, I'm honest, right?"

Great. Unhinged honesty just introduced itself to incurable gaucheness. What could go wrong? Then again, who was he to judge anyone else about unconventional behavior?

He could say, though, with absolute certainty, that she wasn't anything like he had expected...and he was kind of okay with that.

Wintara's notes were rambling and unclear, Mario's eyes dry from reading over incomplete sentences, botched phrases, and countless nonsensical ideas that he couldn't attribute to any part of their given situation. To his frustration, nothing mentioned the well, the town, or the Husks, focusing, instead, on some vague references to 'taking the hand of the Siren.'

He had no clue what to make of it, tossing the pages in a simmering rage and watching them flutter down to the cobblestones and gold, amid the chittering of the crowd that surrounded him.

"What do I do, huh?"

Perhaps, he was going a bit crazy, directing that question to the monsters. Then again, he missed his small family like a physical ache and was desperate for conversation. And, in their absence, he had limited options.

"What am I supposed to take from that," he flicked his fingers disgustedly at the scattered pile of papers, "huh? Nothing? Nothing about you guys? Nothing about this broken-down town? Nothing about how to keep my family safe? Right? Nothing?!"

He rose to his feet, clutching at his hair and pacing—needing to walk—needing to move. He couldn't stand inaction, especially when it forced a separation between himself and the two people he swore to protect with his life.

Luigi was alive; he knew that much. Right now, it was quite possibly the only thing keeping him from losing his mind, completely.

"Just until morning," he muttered to himself. "Just have to wait until morning, then I'll find them...handcuff us together so we can't get separated."

His brother and wife would probably object to that last idea, but while alone, he could say it—say anything he wanted, really.

Pausing, that ideation taking root in his mind, he lifted his head to the dome, took a deep breath, and shouted a certain mother of forbidden words, which made even the Husks quiet down, possibly in shock. Unkingly? Certainly. Justified? Definitely. Ma would wash out his mouth with soap and Peach would make him sleep in Luigi's room for a week? Probably.

Worth it?

Well, it made him feel better.

Dropping back to the sandy cobblestones, spreadeagle and closing his scratching eyes in exhaustion, he decided to try to sleep until morning, finding himself utterly devoid of any better options.

"Where are you taking me?"

Daisy cast a confused glance over her shoulder, jerking her thumb in the direction they were heading.

"Out? Did you hit your head, or something?"

He paused.

"Actually, yeah, but that's not why I asked. I need to find my sister-in-law. She's lost in here, too. We separated, and I never found her. I have to find her!"

"Huh," Daisy frowned, hesitating for only a moment before continuing to walk. "Maybe, she found an exit?"

"She wouldn't have left me behind."

"Well, what does she look like?"

"Blonde. Pink."

"...And?"

"Isn't that enough? The only other human around here is my brother, and he's not blond or pink."

"You lost both of them?"

He winced, not needing to be reminded of his failures. Though defaulting to scratching at his knuckles, he quickly dropped his hand when he noticed her staring at his slightly-bloodied glove.

"It's okay," she reassured, after a moment. "Trust me. There's only one true monster in this village, and she doesn't live down here."

A shadow passed over her eyes as she turned away and Luigi was suddenly struck with the realization that there was so much he should ask her. She was the heir to this empire and likely knew this village better than anyone else, save the actual residents and possibly her father.

"Daisy," he walked forward a few steps, standing at her side, "...what's going on with this town? What monster are you talking about? The doppelgänger?"

The princess smiled bitterly.

"Oh. She showed herself to you, too? Who did she look like?"

Luigi gulped, feeling a chill run down his spine. Was he finally going to get some answers?

"My twin brother. Then, my cognata."

Daisy opened her mouth to respond, but some nearby chitters interrupted whatever she was about to say. Quickly, she took his arm and hurried him around a few corners before shoving him, tripping, into a small storeroom that boasted a simple bed, several jugs of water, some non-perishable food, and a circular map of the town that was pinned to the wall—ripped along one edge and with several crossed out houses marring the already-faded print.

"How long have you been down here?"

He spoke up only after the resonation from the heavy lock stopped echoing around the confined space.

"About two weeks," she reported, sounding tired as she flipped over the stool that he had knocked over when he entered, proceeding to slump onto it with a sigh. "Come to think of it, that might be why you're here. I haven't seen an outsider of Sarasaland since...well, since that Darklands buck-snout showed up and decided he was going to 'win my hand,' as he put it. He's not too fond of the 'other humans,' by the way. Is that you and your family? It's you and your family, isn't it? Yeah, he hates you guys...with a passion."

"You set up camp down here?"

Not that he was an expert of the town, but he had to imagine there were better options.

Daisy's lips thinned, and for a moment, he was worried he had offended her, but she quickly squashed the fear that her anger was directed at him.

"Anywhere's better than where she is."

Luigi's ears caught the sound of what could only be several Husks scraping across the walls and lumbering past the door. He tensed, but Daisy didn't seem too worried, only sparing the wooden panel a glance before returning her attention to her stick. She had pulled off the longest string and was twirling it between her fingers, her gaze and thoughts elsewhere. The green twin ignored the feeling of foreboding that seemed to send every nerve tingling, sitting down on the bed and trying to calm his nerves.

"Why do you think you're why we're here?"

"Because, my father sent you, didn't he? He offered you guys something, in exchange for bringing me home?"

...Oh.

Balzar's "treasure."

Now, it made sense why he was so desperate to lift this curse that he offered anyone who succeeded an alliance with the strongest empire in their world.

Daisy's eyes snapped to his own, sharp and accusing, but also resigned, as if she already knew and accepted that she was the bargaining chip. He didn't refute her claim, and her stare eventually trailed back down to her fidget-string.

"He must have gotten my note. I told him I'd be fine. I told him I'd figure it out. That was the deal, but he just couldn't-"

She cut herself off, pinching her lips and shaking her head.

A pang of sympathy for her pulsed within his heart. She didn't ask for any of this and was just trying to help her people. In return for her courage, she was traded away to the first prince her father pinpointed as single. Had she put together the rest of the agreement? Probably not, as she hadn't abandoned him or kicked him out to the Husks.

"...Couldn't what?"

"Nothing," was the annoyed mutter. "Don't worry about it. You've obviously got bigger things to worry about."

Right. His lost brother, his lost sister-in-law, his possibly-dead enemy, countless Husks that roamed the tunnels and had the claws and drive to kill them all, and now that doppelgänger that Daisy seemed to know all about, somehow.

"Daisy?" He scooted forward on the bed, hoping to revisit the subject they had abandoned a few passageways ago. "Who is that doppelgänger? You know who she is? Do you know what's going on with this village?"

"I don't know how to break the curse, if that's what you're asking. Trust me, I've done nothing but try to figure it out since I got trapped here."

"So...did the doppelgänger show herself to you, too?"

Eyes locked on his, she considered his question for a moment before casting her gaze over to a few books stacked in the corner—their leather covers blank.

"I may have run into her, a few times. All I know is that she lures you in...her kindness, her stories...she knows how to trick you into trusting her."

She sighed, muttering something else.

"What?" 

He didn't catch that last word.

"I said, she's called a 'Siren.' At least, that's the name she wrote in all those books," she flicked her head in the direction of the stash. "I don't know what to make of her. She knows I'm onto her, though—hates me. Won't let me near her."

Breaths growing shallow, he had to blink back tears. He had left Mario alone with something volatile, and though he intrinsically knew his twin was safe, it couldn't stop the shame from rising up that he had left him alone with no warning of a much greater danger that lurked in this dome than the senseless huntings of the Husks.

He swallowed painfully, face burning with guilt and anger at himself.

"You think she's the one causing all this?"

Daisy huffed, spitting on the ground in disdain, which caught him off guard. She was certainly passionate, if not genteel.

"There's a single house in this village that's immaculate, and she lives there, safe from the creatures. Of course, she did this! What else could I think? I just need a little more time to figure out why. Or...or how."

He thought for a moment, considering that word that had stuck in his subconscious and wouldn't stop reminding him that it was somehow important.

"'Teron.'"

"What?"

She looked up, frowning.

"That's the word I've seen carved everywhere—on the walls, in the gold. Do you know what it means?"

Blinking a few times, that furrow between her brows deepening, she shook her head.

"No," came the disappointing answer, causing his shoulders to slump. "But," she got to her feet, "it's probably not a bad place to start, if you said it's written everywhere. Gotta mean something, right?"

With a small smile, she stretched out her back and stepped over to the door, peeking through one of the cracks.

"Coast is clear," she announced. "Let's try to get a few hours of sleep. In the morning, we'll go find your brother and piñata, or whatever it was you called her, then we'll figure out what this 'Teron' is all about."

"'Cognata,'" the correction slipped out without his permission. 

It's not like it mattered. When was she ever going to learn Italian?

"Wait. You want us to work with you?"

He wasn't entirely sure why that surprised him, except for the fact that she had seemed almost ruthlessly-independent, up until meeting him.

"Hey, I'd take anyone my father sends in to save me, other than that blunt-spiked, brimstone-breathing hygiene-hazard."

The smile that threatened his lips with an inappropriate reaction to her description, given Bowser's possible fate, nearly won out over his decency. 

"...Daisy?"

"Yeah?"

Should he tell her what he saw? Would she even care? Honestly, for her, it would likely be an unfortunate relief—for Mario, as well.

And, for Peach.

And, for him.

Was he a horrible person? Possibly.

"...Never mind."

Regardless of moral questioning, now was not the time to bring up his quandary. He would tell them what happened after he ensured that his family was safe. For now, all he could do was try to rest and pray they would find each other, tomorrow.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

Mario opened his eyes to a tolling bell and dull, misty sunlight, not even realizing he had managed to fall asleep. Back aching from the cobblestones, he sat up, blinking blearily at the empty streets and that well, planted directly within his line of sight, seemingly-innocuous. 

Right...the village.

He shook the sand off his hands and rubbed at his sore eyes, wishing to escape back into his dream, where Luigi and Peach were safe and happy, sharing a strawberry cake with him in one of the many mushroom fields surrounding their home—fields he had often admired, but never appreciated, until now.

He wanted to go home.

The guilt settled heavily on his shoulders, worsened by that single moment of confusion and wrongness he had felt upon waking up alone. Never, in his life, had he not had either Luigi or Peach near him when he rose in the morning.

What a failure, he was, at keeping his promise that nothing would happen to them, under his watch. Would Peach even absolve him for abandoning her safety to chase his brother's? Or, did the reach of her understanding surpass that of her forgiveness?

Rising to his aching feet, he shook off any negativity that could add weight to his current quest. It didn't matter, now. Even if his wife never forgave him, that concern would have to be abandoned as inconsequential until he found them both and saw, with his own eyes, that they were alive and safe. Little droplets of rainwater managed to slide through the pinpricks of the barrier, dripping onto every fourth or so cobblestone, and he hugged himself, feeling the chill, even if the accompanying wind was absent within the dome.

He hoped Luigi and Peach were warm. 

He hoped they had managed to sleep. 

He hoped they weren't scared.

He hoped they weren't hurt.

He hoped a lot of things.

Above all, he hoped that, if this town claimed even one more victim, he would find it possible to influence its choice.

Picking a random direction, he trudged ahead, senses reaching out for his twin.

"Luigi? Peach! Can you hear me?!"

At this point, he had been conditioned not to expect a response, which was why he genuinely tripped when something caught his ear—something very familiar.

...His wife was calling his name, in the distance.

"Peach?! PEACH!"

He never thought he could sprint so fast. Even when he was being chased the night before, the motivation to run towards something was stronger than the instinct to run away.

"PEACH! ANSWER ME!"

Rounding a corner, skidding to a stop amid what seemed to be the edge of a graveyard, his breath caught in his lungs at the sight of something he had always admired—always appreciated—but never as much, in his entire life, as he did in that moment.

She was tired.

She was dirty.

She had a scratch along her face and a torn dress.

She was shaken and cold and ragged.

She was beautiful.

"Peach! Oh, loda Dio, Peach!"

Both staggered forward, stumbling into the headstones, teary eyes only set on each other, and the moment they met, he had her in his arms, babbling what he believed, later, were apologies of interspersed English and Italian while covering her face in kisses. She, also, was going on, rambling through muffled sobs about some sort of maze and getting lost and not being able to find "her boys." He cupped her cheeks, only half-listening, and kissed her with the passion of a dying man, silencing them both, if just for a moment.

"...Ti amo," was the first thing he whispered, upon pulling away. "Ti amo, tesoro mio bellisimo."

She ran gentle fingers through the dark hair on the back of his neck, gazing at him with the kind of affection only she could show. Though not fluent in Italian, certain things had been said enough times to promise fortuitous understanding, and she kissed him, again.

"Ti amo," she echoed back, just before a small frown dulled the light in her eyes. "Mario...Luigi?"

It was like someone had shoved a small dagger into the heart of the moment—small trails of blood marring what was otherwise beautiful.

"He's alive. He's okay, for now."

"But-"

"Peach, please," he choked, closing his eyes, unable to focus on the misery that was his still-missing brother, when he had just been presented this gift of shining hope, "just...hold me. Please- I need-"

She understood, cutting him off and pulling him close, letting him bury his face into her shoulder and deeply inhale her unique scent of vanilla and cherry blossoms.

"I'm sorry." 

The topic couldn't be avoided, any longer. He felt as though he were rotting from the inside with shame.

"I abandoned you. I'm so sorry!"

"Shh," she soothed, combing down his unruly hair, after always claiming that his upturned curls were as unmanageable as they were adorable. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!"

Overcome with guilt, he pulled away, staring deeply into her eyes.

"I'm your husband! I'm supposed to protect you with my life, and I left you behind!"

Perhaps, she didn't know the extent of it. Maybe, she thought they had simply been separated, and he hadn't actively chosen to run away from her and towards his brother.

She just shook her head and smiled, running a thumb over his cheek. Her sapphires held no trace of a grudge, nor did they lack understanding, which was when he realized—she knew was he did. She knew, and she forgave him.

...He truly didn't deserve her.

"Peach...how do you do it? How- you-...how can you forgive me for not putting you first? I never understood how you could still marry me when-..."

Could he really say it to her face?

She deserved nothing but honesty.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to bring to light what had previously remained an unspoken truth, but she beat him to it.

"When you love Luigi more than you love me?"

He winced, hanging his head in guilt and forcing himself to refrain from sputtering any lies or platitudes, in the hopes of sparing her feelings. With nothing else to say, he just nodded—barely a bob of the head.

She cupped his face, gently bringing it back up to the light that was her smile.

"We both love you as much as you love us. If I can't help it that Luigi somehow loves you even more than I do, then who am I to complain when you feel the same?" Her eyes shone with sincerity. "I married a flawed man, and I didn't just sign up for his strengths, so he shouldn't be so afraid to show me his weaknesses. I'm here for all of it."

Leaning in, she kissed him one more time.

"I'm here forever."

He couldn't speak, his words and mind failing him, but she seemed to understand, pulling him in close, once more, and letting them both simply soak up the joy of their reunion. Eventually, though, he had to know.

"What happened to you? Where did you go?"

"I wandered, mostly, trying to find you and Luigi, or even Bowser, but I couldn't find any of you. I called out, but no one answered. When night came, I managed to hide in one of the mausoleums, but I did notice that there were these strange sort of blue flames hovering over the graves. I didn't touch them. I wasn't sure what they were."

She glanced around, Mario also taking note that whatever they were had since vanished. He could be grateful she didn't approach them, though; he didn't trust anything around this place.

"However, this morning, I-...actually, there was something I wanted to show you. I want to show Luigi, too, when we find him."

"What is it?"

Pinching her lips, she took his hand and led him through some of the quiet, arced layouts of what he now realized were glass tombstones, the grass unkempt and the carved words either faded or cracked. Obviously, no one had kept up maintenance for this place in years, except for one patch, surrounding one of only a few mausoleums, its walls out-of-place and made from a type of opaque stained glass that seemed almost garish, as it was the only color that remained in a sea of faded hues.

Frowning, Mario stepped closer, eyes drawn to the name on the plaque Peach was now pointing out.

'Teron.'

"Psst. Hey, Luigi?"

Said former-plumber groaned, feeling his mistake of only allowing himself half an hour of sleep and turning on his side to face the wall, pulling the blanket Daisy had loaned him over his head to try to block out the world.

"C'mon! It's morning," came her continued pestering—awfully chipper for only having gotten an hour more sleep than he had, himself.

Then again, she had slept on the bed while he took the floor, so he could pretend that's what made the difference, instead of the possibility that he was just slow.

Eyes drifting back shut of their own accord, he wasn't prepared for her to smack him in the ribs with her stick, though he also couldn't say it wasn't effective.

"OW!"

"Serves you right. You're the one who wanted to get an early start. Need another? I've got more."

Out of the corner of his watering eye, he spotted the stick coming down for the killing blow, but he managed to intercept it, snagging it away and tossing it out of her reach before he was awake enough to consider the possible breach of royal etiquette it may be to steal your "fiancée's" weapon out of her hands, if such a clause in royal etiquette even existed.

"There, we go!" she cheered. "That's the act-first-think-never guy who wanted to be out of here as soon as the sun rose!"

Reaching under his arms, she demonstrated either incredible strength or unparalleled resolve as she singlehandedly lifted him onto his feet with an exaggerated groan, shoving his bag into his hands and going back for her stick.

"C'mon, Green Bean; we're outta here. Let's go find your brother and piñata."

"'Cognata,'" he muttered, reminded of his priorities but still half-asleep as he hurried after her.

"He's close, Peach," Mario tugged his wife along, having not been able to bring himself to let go of her hand since they found each other. "I can feel it."

"What about Bowser-"

"I don't care where he is," he snapped, cutting her off. "We're finding Luigi and then we're getting out of here—whatever it takes. Bowser can stay and try to impress Balzar, or whatever it is he's trying to do here, but I can't take this!"

"Mario, we have a blood oath, remember? We can't just leave!"

He froze, having completely forgotten the moment in which he pressed his blood into that parchment, trying to take Luigi's place. It seemed like so long ago. Reason finally seemed to catch up with him, also reminding him that stating that he would find a way out of the barrier and actually finding a way out of the barrier without lifting the curse were two entirely different things.

He couldn't simply will away the fact that they were both physically trapped and bound to their word that they would solve this.

"It'll be okay," Peach assured him, running her thumb over his tensed shoulder as she followed his thought process. "We'll be fine. After we find Luigi, we won't let ourselves be separated, again."

"...Y-"

"No," she cut him off, "we're not wearing handcuffs. We don't even have handcuffs, so don't ask, again."

Daisy frowned when Luigi surpassed her, picking up speed as she made the mistake that he was somehow racing her, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"My brother's close," he explained, panting, all traces of fatigue traded in for hope and excitement. "I can feel him."

Straight ahead was a sight he had almost given up wishing he would ever see, again—a set of stairs leading to some misty sunlight.

"We're nearly there! He's so close!"

Peach nodded, trying to catch her breath with the pace her husband was setting, but unwilling to slow down. She didn't question if he knew for sure where he was going; she simply followed.

Mario turned a few corners, heart nearly beating out of his chest as he came across a set of stairs that seemed to lead underground.

He was close. Luigi took the stairs four at a time, heart pounding. He was so close. He was-

There.

"MARIO!"

He was right there, emerging from the stairwell, healthy and uninjured, smiling and laughing with a delight that only grew into teary-eyed shock when Peach called out his name, bolting towards their surprised prince and throwing herself into his arms. Someone else was coming out of the tunnel, as well—a blur of yellow and orange—but Luigi's eyes were soon fixed only on Mario, who hadn't moved, the younger twin's gaze growing tender as Peach stepped back to allow them a clear path to each other.

Mario felt the impact in his knees as he dropped to the cobblestones, unable to speak around the lump in his throat as his eyes fell, next, to the ground.

Within a moment, his perfect match was kneeling in front of him, taking his face into those warm hands and tipping their foreheads together. Slowly, Mario's fingers locked around the ones cupping his cheeks and he closed his eyes.

Neither of them spoke; they didn't need to. The rain continued to fall and time continued to pass, but the two brothers remained where they were, silent and still—quietly allowing their souls the time they needed to find and reconnect the tie that had been severed—knotting together the frayed threads of the only breakable string that existed in their adamantine bond.

Mario wasn't sure how long they stayed on the ground, but he eventually found the strength to pull away, his heart mended. He took Luigi's face into his own hands and pressed a deep kiss—a promise— against his forehead before getting to his feet, offering his twin a hand that was happily accepted.

Everything was okay, now. He could think clearly, now. He was whole, again.

With renewed thought, his memory guided his gaze back to the stranger who had emerged with his brother. She was a girl—a beautiful one, he had to admit—decked in yellow and orange hues with an emerald brooch pinned to the collar of her shirt, staring at them with a contemplative frown on her face and her arms crossed, a stick covered in colorful strings clutched in one hand. Instinctively, Mario wrapped an arm around his twin's shoulders, having never been comfortable with anyone studying his brother with such focused contemplation. Whether or not her intentions were purely benign, the message was clear—if she had something to say about their unconventional reunion, she could say it to him.

Peach took a step closer to her boys, also watching the girl, but taking Luigi's hand in solidarity as she smiled politely.

"Hello. I don't believe we've met."

The stranger's eyes shot over to the queen, still hard, but she eventually broke out into a smile.

"You must be the piñata."

Both Peach and Mario blinked.

"Wh-"

"'Cognata,'" Luigi sighed. "C'mon, Daisy. You're just doing it to irritate me, at this point."

Wait. 'Daisy?'

"'Daisy?'"

Mario shared a flustered gaze with his wife before turning wide eyes to his brother for confirmation. For his part, Luigi seemed slightly cowed, but he gave just enough of a nod to cause his twin's mind to implode.

Chasing after his scattering thoughts and resisting the urge to go give the girl a transparent threat about staying away from his sweet, innocent, baby brother, Mario detached himself from his family and stepped forward, only addressing Luigi's frantic swipe at his hand with a reassuring nod to them both before they silently allowed him to continue forward.

Daisy's gaze remained fixed on his own as he approached, not showing the slightest hint of intimidation. He came to a stop, looking her up and down and coming to the conclusion that she was strong, confident, and, as he noticed before, beautiful, but those qualities barely scratched the surface of his criteria for approval.

He held out a hand, keeping his eyes locked on the cerulean irises staring back.

"I'm Luigi's big brother." 

Might as well start with the most important fact. She didn't need to know this was her first interview.

"Nice to meet you; I'm Mario. And, you're Daisy? You're Balzar's daughter?"

She glanced down at his hand but didn't uncross her arms, tilting her head to the side and squinting her eyes at him.

"...Your mustache looks like a feather duster."

He dropped his hand, jaw unhinging for a moment as he sputtered.

"Y- What?"

"Sorry. I had to get that off my chest, or I'd have blurted it out at an even more inopportune moment." She shifted her weight. "Anyway, you don't have to tell me who you are. Your brother's got the biggest mouth I've ever heard, and I probably know more about you and your wife than I'd learn from you in six months. Also, I'm very well-acquainted with Bowser, and he spares no detail when it comes to pointing out you guys' flaws, so you really don't have to go through the whole 'forced pleasantries' thing."

...What could he even say to that? He was expecting a haughty sniff and possibly an overly-formal shake of the hand, if Balzar's snooty interactions were any template of generational prediction.

"Um...how did you meet my brother?"

"I saved his hide from getting himself mauled, via said big mouth. He's got a concussion, by the way-"

"Daisy!"

Luigi's shout was ignored.

"-and he only slept for half an hour, so instead of quizzing me," she leaned in, whispering like she was imparting some great secret, "your time might be better spent explaining to him why people who don't let themselves rest have a bad time."

There was plenty more he wanted to say, but some things took priority and he whipped around with a furious glare.

"Luigi! You have a concussion?!"

"I'm fine! I took a mushroom!"

Even Peach wasn't satisfied, smacking his shoulder lightly and muttering something to him that he was quick to try to refute, looking confused and rubbing at his arm, but Mario wasn't done.

"And, you didn't sleep last night?!"

"Yes!"

"Nope," Daisy cut in, shaking her head. "Like I said, only for half an hour. He's gonna run out of juice, here, so why don't we move this meet-n-greet somewhere he can lie down?"

"You-"

She held up a hand, which surprised Mario enough that he stopped talking and listened, noting the genuine concern in her eyes.

"Look, I know you don't trust anybody with him, and I get it. He's too nice for his own good. However, if you wanna keep testing out whether I'm good enough, I'm not gonna let you do it at his expense." She flicked her head in Luigi's direction. "Get him somewhere he can take a nap and then, I'll answer your questions."

For several moments, only the sound of scattered rain hitting the ground filled the dome, Luigi and Peach's eyes darting back and forth between Mario and Daisy's impasse, until eventually, the older brother blinked, nodding to the princess.

"Okay. I like you."

Daisy turned out to be a fantastic guide, leading them directly back to the well in the center of the village, plopping down on the ground as she declared it the "safest place in town" and pulling the longest string off of her stick to fiddle with it. Mario, for his part, shut down all of Luigi's protests that they needed to talk more than he needed to sleep, stressing that they would have plenty of time to talk after he was rested, which led to their current situation—Mario leaning against the well with Luigi clinging to him like an octopus, as if he imagined his brother had any intention of letting him go, battered by relief and having quickly lost his battle with exhaustion.

Peach made herself comfortable, covering her husband and brother-in-law with a blanket from her bag and sitting on Luigi's other side, facing Daisy, who seemed much more interested in her string than any conversation they may start.

Mario broke the ice.

"Thank you."

The princess looked up, waiting for an explanation.

"For saving him...Thank you. You can't even know how much he means to me."

Daisy's lips parted, just slightly, but she quickly closed them and just nodded, returning her attention to her string.

"And," Peach added, "thank you for leading him back to us. I hope you understand how grateful we are that you took care of him when we couldn't."

The brunette's eyes trailed down to Luigi, and for once, Mario didn't feel the need to shield him from someone else's gaze.

"...He's cute," she said, at last, a corner of her lip turning up.

"He is cute," Peach chuckled in agreement, gently stroking a strand of hair out of her honorary brother's face before her smile turned a bit playful. "And, fairly easy on the eyes, too, I think?"

"Mm," Daisy hummed appreciatively, "no argument, there."

"Your taste?"

"...I guess, you could say that."

"That second language he speaks is called 'Italian.' Very melodic, don't you agree?"

"Hey, you don't have to convince me that he's hot. I've got eyes; they work."

Mario squirmed, suddenly uncomfortable with this line of discussion, but Peach rested a hand on his arm, gaze subtle but sharp, silently telling him to leave this particular topic to her. Pinching his lips firmly, he stayed quiet and let them have their girl talk, grateful that Luigi was asleep, or he'd be redder than a tomato.

Peach continued with gentle prodding, trying to uncover more of Daisy's motivation for helping their youngest family member, as well as her intentions towards him, Mario soon realized. His wife wouldn't hurt a fly, unless that fly hurt her cognato, in which case, what happened in the village stayed in the village, so best to find out now just how much, and in what way, Daisy liked Luigi.

Because, Luigi already liked her—he couldn't hide that from his brother—and Mario also wasn't about to let his gentle heart be shattered; he'd come too far.

"You know, the first thing I noticed about Mario was how determined he was—what a devoted brother he was. I have to say, I was attracted to his personality, right from the start. Luigi, I met later, and he was definitely different, but I immediately understood why his brother was willing to walk to the ends of the earth for him. He just has that something special, you know?"

Daisy watched them carefully, her response only coming after a moment of contemplation.

"I didn't just save him because I think he's cute, if that's what you're trying to figure out. I saved him because he's got a good heart."

Peach nodded, her smile soft.

"That, he does."

Daisy pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them.

"You might wanna check his knuckles, by the way. He broke some skin, this time."

"'This time?'" Mario frowned, carefully lifting his twin's hand and feeling a pang in his heart at the dried spots of blood on his glove. "He did it in front of you? He tries not to do that."

He must trust her.

At that thought, Mario paused, unable to even remember the last time Luigi trusted anybody who wasn't his brother or cognata. Was he already too late to protect him, in case Daisy broke that tentative faith? Even if nothing came of their attraction to each other—given her distance and his own determination to find a way out of their so-called "engagement"—Luigi could still come away from this with the fact that someone outside of his immediate family genuinely liked who he was. It would be a giant leap forward for his confidence...or about ten steps back, if Daisy didn't handle this correctly.

"Well, technically, he did that before I ran into him. He was looking for you."

Mario looked up, but Daisy's eyes were on Peach, who frowned.

"Why me? I mean, I’m sure he was as worried about me as I was about him, but he would have been looking for Mario, first.”

The princess's mouth opened and closed a few times.

"Because..."

She cursed, causing Peach's eyes to widen and Mario's lips to twitch upward, just momentarily. He may have said it earlier, but it took someone more confident than he to say it in front of his wife.

"You weren't the one down there, were you?"

"I was never underground," Peach answered slowly, both she and Mario growing concerned.

"Well, then, that's a problem."

"Why?"

"Because, that means the Siren was posing as you and got really close to Luigi. He thought it was you helping him, after he fell."

Mario paled, pulling his twin closer. He didn't know what the "Siren" was, but the tone of the references in that woman's notes had been ominous. Was Daisy implying that she could transform into other people? In that case, had some malevolent monster been hovering over Luigi when he was unconscious and completely vulnerable? He couldn't think about that, now.

"Wait a minute," Peach held up her hands, looking a little panicked, "what are you talking about? 'Siren?' What's a Siren?"

"Are you talking about that woman who lives in the house, over to the east?"

Daisy's eyes darkened.

"...That was no woman."

Mario shivered, a chill running down his spine.

"...Daisy...tell us everything you know."

She bit her lip, casting one last glance over to Luigi before carefully retying her string to her stick, clutching tightly what Mario quickly recognized was her comfort object. Luigi had given up several, against his twin's wishes, in exchange for scratching his knuckles, which he believed to be an option that was better hidden from people's gossip. Maybe, she could be a good influence for his mental health, if nothing else.

Taking a while to sort her thoughts, she eventually began speaking.

"I've been here for two weeks...I met Wintara a few days in, and she seemed incredibly kind and welcoming—inviting me in for tea and telling me about her books. I thought, for sure, that she'd have some answers, but when I started questioning her...she started to get angry."

Mario stiffened, recalling his own nearly identical experience. Daisy tugged on the long string with a particularly loud huff of frustration and Luigi frowned in his sleep, shifting closer to his brother. The princess waited for him to settle before releasing her fidget toy and continuing.

"She made me leave, and since then, I've managed to swipe a few of her books, but none of them have been helpful. I was hoping for some kind of spell reversal recipe or- I dunno, something. Anyway, I've figured out that she has everything useful written in that manuscript she locks in her basement—the whole story, actually—but she's definitely on the lookout for me."

Peach leaned forward.

"Who is she? Daisy, if I know anything about royal politics, it's that the princess is extremely well-versed in every aspect of even the least populated village. She can transform into other people? How do you know?"

The brunette's stare drifted—haunted.

"...She looked like my father, when I first figured out what she could do—how she tricks people into following her deep into her web. Luigi saw her, too. He told me that she looked like you, first," she flicked her head in Mario's direction, "and then, she tricked him into thinking she was you," her eyes drifted over to Peach. "She led him somewhere he would fall, then tried to get him lost in that underground maze. I dunno why he didn't tell you guys that there was some sort of imposter in here with us, but you can ask him when he wakes up."

Mario would most certainly be doing that.

"And, I do know about the town," Daisy continued, sitting back on her hands and looking slightly affronted that Peach would imply that she may not. "This village was my favorite, out of the entirety of Easton, which was why I barreled in without thinking, certain I could solve everything, after all of our best soldiers failed."

'The fog was the response of a vindictive witch's curse,' Balzar had told them, before the agreement was signed.

Mario couldn't believe he hadn't put it together sooner. Then again, he showed himself some grace—Luigi and Peach had been missing, at the time, and not much else had been occupying his mind.

"Why, though? Why did she do this? This was her own town! Why would she curse it?"

He thought he might have imagined Daisy's eyes darting quickly to the well behind them before returning to him. Squinting suspiciously, he also glanced behind, feeling the chill of foreboding that seemed to resonate from within that source of water.

"What's wrong with it?" came the question he felt no need to elaborate upon; she knew what he was talking about.

Daisy swallowed, shifting uncomfortably.

"What did she tell you?"

"That the story begins and ends with a well. What the h-" he caught himself before he could complete an unkingly rhyme, taking a deep breath. "What the heck is wrong with that well?"

For a while, he wasn't sure she was going to answer him, but eventually, she decided to quietly share her knowledge.

"...It used to be considered the 'Treasure of Easton.' It was one of the sole reasons our empire is so rich...Before all of this started, people would travel from all over our kingdoms, bringing their sick family and friends to this village."

She regarded the reservoir with a bitter smile.

"The well used to heal the sick; any ailment could be cured, just with a single sip. Now...well, now it's just as cursed as the rest of this town."

Turning away, she closed her eyes, perhaps in pain at the defilement of one of Sarasaland's most valuable resources.

"I don't know why Wintara would do this to her own village—her own people—but, at this point, I don't even care. I just want this curse lifted and for her to face my father's justice. I can't sit around, anymore, and do nothing."

"What do you suggest?"

Daisy was ready for Peach's question, setting her jaw.

"I suggest getting some more rest. I don't think any of us are ready for what we have to do, and I don't know how much of a fight she's going to put up. Get some more sleep—the monsters won't come near the well, so we're safe, for now. We have a lot of planning to do, when we wake up, but all I know is that we're stealing that book from Wintara...Tonight."

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

Luigi's eyes opened slowly and he let out a sigh of contentment that even he didn't fully understand, until the memories of the past day came crashing back down upon him and he shot upright, feeling that familiar panic of isolation until the fact that he had found his beloved brother and cognata not only caught up with the bad memories, but trampled them into the dirt.

Feeling his heart slow and fighting back the tears of utter relief, he carefully pulled away the blanket that was covering Mario and himself, tucking it back around his exhausted brother and sister-in-law and quietly rising to his feet. He didn't see their bags, realizing they must be in use as pillows and having to abandon his quest for a water bottle or else risk waking them up. 

Daisy lay a few yards away, completely wrapped up in a quilt that was undoubtedly offered by Peach and also napping peacefully, which led Luigi to the conclusion that he had missed some important part of their conversation. The sun would be setting within a few hours, if the soft orange and purple light filtering through the dome was any indication, and he found himself stepping away from his family. No more than a few feet, of course, but enough to give himself room to breathe without having to worry about waking them.

Bowser's fate still played in his head, tormenting him. Had he truly just given up? Was it possible he was still alive? In the years he had known the Koopa King, his pride had been one of his defining characteristics, along with his rage. Lying on the floor and accepting defeat was against everything Luigi had ever known about him, and yet, he had no evidence to suggest his enemy had been tricking him. And even if he had been, what would have been the purpose?

And Peach...Had he truly been tricked? She had seemed so relieved to see him, but had mentioned nothing about their parting or why she had never returned to him. She was his best friend! He called her his sister! He prided himself on knowing her nearly as well as he knew Mario, and yet, he found it a growingly-indisputable reality that he had been blindsided. How stupid was he? Such a level of blatant incompetence and neglect for details was a new record, even for him.

He just felt so used and ashamed.

And then, there was Daisy. Sure, Mario had said he liked her, but liking someone as a person and liking the person to whom your brother was unwillingly "engaged" were two different things.

...Then again, he liked her.

He leaned his elbows on the well, burying his face in his hands. He never meant for this to happen. His last crush had been on a girl from high school, but since then, since he had worsened, he had sworn off the possibility of ever letting himself believe a girl could like him back. He had nothing to offer. Besides, nothing would ultimately happen between them, because Mario was going to find a way to break off their engagement, and he wanted him to. As much as he felt himself drawn to Daisy—as easy as it would be to enjoy the fact that a smart and confident woman—everything he wasn't—could potentially become his wife, the idea of having a consort, whom he genuinely found interesting and attractive, withered under the reality that he couldn't pursue her and keep his family intact.

He couldn't have everything, and if he couldn't have everything, he was content with what he had.

"Knuckles."

The sound of anyone else breaking into his thoughts would have made him flinch in surprise, but at this voice, he relaxed, dropping his hand and smiling as Mario leaned his elbows on the well, eyes on the misty light around them.

They didn't speak for a few minutes, letting their souls enjoy the fact that they were no longer apart, but eventually, Mario scooted closer, nudging his shoulder.

"So...Daisy."

Luigi pinched his lips, having expected this topic to come up, first.

"Yeah...Daisy."

"She likes you."

"She said that?"

Only when Mario chuckled did the younger twin realize he sounded just a little too excited, blushing a light pink.

"It's kinda obvious, Bro. I haven't seen anyone challenge me about anything regarding your well-being since...actually, no one's ever done that. I'm pretty sure Ma came to me for advice when you got too low of an Apgar score."

Luigi shoved him, which led to his brother wrapping an arm around his neck and pulling him down to press a kiss against his hair.

"She scored major points with me, for that. She likes you, and she put your health above making a good first impression with me, even though she knew I'm our capofamiglia. She knew how much she needed my approval, to get anywhere near you, but she took a chance, and it paid off. I respect that. The fact that she saved your life and brought you back to me in one piece...Do I even have to tell you how high that puts her, in my ranks?"

Luigi smile was genuine, but quickly faded when reality came crashing down.

"It can't go anywhere. She doesn't even know we're 'engaged.'"

"You didn't tell her?"

He shook his head, sighing and letting it drop onto Mario's shoulder, needing the comfort. His twin wrapped an arm around him.

"Why not?"

"Didn't want her to stab me with her string-stick."

Mario pinched his arm—gently, but with enough force to convey his disapproval.

  "That's not funny."

"Wasn't trying to be. Marriage is a completely different ballpark than a crush, and thinking I'm cute is a little less of a commitment than expecting her to be happy that her father signed her life away to mine."

Knowing him as he did, Mario understood that he didn't want to talk about this anymore, and a moment later, Luigi knew there was something else that was important to discuss—something he couldn't keep hidden, any longer.

"I think Bowser's dead."

His twin froze, arm tightening, and Luigi closed his eyes, turning his face into his sibling's shoulder and trying to rid himself of the memories.

"...Y-You...saw him?"

"He was in the tunnels. The Husks hurt him, and he was just lying there...accepting it. I even gave him a mushroom, but he wouldn't take it! He just sat there and let himself get overrun! I just don't understand-"

"Shh," Mario turned him so that he could cling to him fully, wrapping his arms around him, "it's okay."

"...I couldn't stay and watch...How could he do that?"

"...I don't know."

The older brother's voice was weak. He was clearly in shock and Luigi hated to spring this on him, on top of everything they had just gone through, especially now that he was still expecting Mario to be the stronger half of them when he, himself, had been the one with ample time to process the information.

"I'm sorry," he pulled away, wiping at his face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't- I mean, you had to know, but...my timing isn't great."

"Hey. You tell me anything, any time, understand? You know that."

Mario batted his hands away, catching the last of his tears with more tenderness than he was showing to himself.

"Did you tell Daisy?"

"No. I needed to talk to you, first. I didn't know how she'd react."

"Well...it doesn't matter, right now."

"But-"

"Nothing we can do about it."

"...You're not too upset."

Mario sighed, shrugging and shaking his head at the ground.

"I don't think I'm completely unjustified in not mourning the monster who tried to kill my twin and marry my wife. I'm a flawed person. Peach told me I need to be okay with accepting that."

"Oh, when Peach tells you that, you listen," Luigi teased, eyes still a little wet.

"I spent twenty years trying to get you to stop biting your nails and it took her two days and one stern lecture. Don't question the woman's ways, Lu."

"I don't. She scares me when she's on a quest to make us better people."

"Yeah, me, too."

"...Were you okay? By yourself?"

"No. Did you expect me to be?"

"...You didn't...get hurt, did you?"

"No."

Luigi released a long-built-up breath of relief. Even though he would have felt his brother's pain, hearing the confirmation that he hadn't been injured was a balm on his soul.

"What happened to you?"

"Not much," Mario shrugged. "I felt you get knocked out, ran off without a plan, proved I was a better brother than husband, met the woman who cast the spell on the village, ticked her off, ran for my life, discovered this well, figured out that my wife is a more forgiving person than I deserve, found you, argued with your girlfriend, then took a nap. Pretty tame for us, honestly."

"She's not my girlfriend."

"What about you? What happened?"

"Well, I fell through a hole, poured my heart out to a monster that looked like my sister-in-law, got lost in a maze, ran for my life, got kidnapped by my fiancée, found you, got betrayed by my fiancée, then took a nap."

Mario nodded along, only picking out one part of his monologue.

"Did you get enough sleep?"

"Probably not, but I don't think I can sleep more, anyway. I've got too much on my mind."

"Mm."

"...Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yes."

"Liar."

"Hey, if you're staying up, then I can stay up with you."

"No," Luigi shook his head, already pushing him back over to where the girls were still sleeping, "if I'm staying up, then it's my own fault if I'm tired later. You need to get another hour or two. You're exhausted."

"But-"

"Mario."

"...Fine."

The younger one was a little surprised at the easy agreement. Undoubtedly, his brother had been physically and emotionally run down to shreds, but he wasn't complaining about his unusual compliance; he was glad.

"Don't wander off," Mario felt the need to threaten, raising an accusing finger, but Luigi rolled his eyes.

"You really think I want a repeat of yesterday? I'm not going anywhere."

"Good."

For a minute, the older twin remained where he stood, Luigi opening his mouth to ask what was wrong, but Mario quickly pulled him into a crushing hug, dampening his shoulder.

"...I missed you so much. I was so worried about you...felt you get hurt...couldn't find you or help you."

The green brother hugged him back, equally grateful for this moment.

"I know. I missed you, too."

"Don't ever do that to me, again."

"I won't." He held his twin tighter. "I promise."

Eventually letting go, Mario gave him a sweet smile, squeezing his hand and running a thumb over his scabbed knuckles before returning to where Peach lay sleeping, tugging the blanket over himself and pulling his wife close, though his gaze remained on his brother.

Luigi returned to the well, aware of Mario's stare and slowly drifting eyes, making sure he remained within his brother's line of sight until his lids finally closed and he returned to a deep sleep, the younger brother continuing to watch the sun sink further in the sky.

So lost in thought, he missed the low growl that was breathed against the back of his neck until it was too late. Without even having time to gasp, his mouth was covered and he was dragged away from his family, almost too shocked to even struggle until he was rammed against the side of one of the houses, knocking the breath out of his lungs and stealing his ability to even call out his brother's name.

"Not a word."

He froze, his returning voice falling silent, once more. Even in the shadows, he could make out that shape; he recognized that voice—that strength.

And he could hardly believe it.

Red eyes bored into his own and a puff of smoke was snorted into the cold air.

"Wha-...how-"

"I see you met my fiancée."

Swallowing hard, Luigi's eyes darted over to the well, where Mario and Peach remained asleep, and a little to the right lay Daisy, still curled up in her borrowed blanket.

"...I thought you were dead."

He wasn't even trying to stall; he was just so confused.

The Koopa growled, tightening his grip, and Luigi winced, feeling his claws cut into his skin.

"You're going to help me."

"Wh-Why would I do that? You tricked me! I thought you had given up! I thought-"

Another slam into the side of the house and he gasped, losing his courage and his words. However, another cold thought permeated this moment and he had to be sure. After all, he had been tricked, before.

"Prove you're Bowser."

His enemy scowled, caught off-guard, but a slow smile curled on his lips.

"You're not in any place to be making demands, Little Prince."

"How do I know you're not the imposter?" Luigi choked the words out against the force of the hand around his throat. "How do I know you're not the Siren?"

Bowser was silent for a moment before leaning in to whisper into the younger twin's ear.

"...We'll see how tough Mario is when he watches me kill his brother."

Luigi felt a chill run down his spine, those horrible words bringing back even worse memories.

"Wh-What do you w-want?"

"You know what I want."

Daisy. He wanted Daisy- no, he wanted Sarasaland.

"Daisy would never give her empire to you. She loves her people too much."

He wasn't sure where he was finding this confidence. Perhaps, he was just too fed up to care that provoking the one holding him captive would not be in his best interest.

"Daisy doesn't have a choice, especially since I'm going to be the one to break this curse for her father, and you're going to help me."

"And if I don't?"

Bowser stared at him, possibly surprised that he would be stupid enough to ask when his vulnerable family lay sleeping just steps away. Luigi gulped, wishing he could suck the words back into nonexistence when his enemy's burning eyes trailed over to Mario and Peach.

"...Do you really have to ask?"

"...What do you want me to do?"

The Koopa smirked, pleased with his easy compliance.

"Your family and the princess have a plan to steal a certain book from a certain witch—a book that may just tell us how to break this curse."

"...You want me to give it to you?"

"That's not enough. If I've learned anything about your brother," he spat out the word, "I know that if he even glances at that book, he'll figure out everything she wants to keep hidden. You retrieve it and you bring it to me, before anyone in your little party has a chance at it. This quest is mine, you understand? Balzar's empire and his daughter are mine, and I'm not letting you, your brother, or that spoiled queen ruin my life, again!"

Bowser squeezed his fist, Luigi feeling like his very bones were creaking under the monster's strength. The fact was emphasized, then, that the Koopa would never forgive the three of them for Peach choosing Mario. He would never leave them in peace.

Luigi was slightly ashamed to admit that a weight had returned to his shoulders—absent when he had thought Bowser was dead, as horrible as the death would have been.

"I'm waiting for you to say you understand."

The prince gasped, short of breath under his grip.

"...I understand."

"You let them believe what you saw, back in those tunnels."

It was a set-up. It took Luigi a moment to figure out the motive, but of course, Bowser had set the scene to play out in his favor, biding his time and waiting for the younger twin to spread the news of his supposed "demise" and for Mario to see the truth in his eyes. Perhaps, the Koopa was smarter than he had previously believed. His brother would have seen straight through one of his lies, but Mario now believed Bowser dead. Not only that, he would certainly convey the information to Peach, and probably Daisy, if he felt he needed to. Their guards were officially down.

Another trick. He was so tired of being manipulated.

"...I-I won't tell them you're alive."

"Good, because if you fail me; if you say anything to them," he flicked his head in the other three's direction, "more than two heads will roll, and I'm not talking about yours."

Luigi's eyes widened, a familiar panic ringing in his ears that was usually reserved exclusively for when Mario or Peach was threatened. He wouldn't. He wanted to marry her!

"Y-You really think Balzar would give you Sarasaland if you killed his daughter?!"

Bowser leaned in, once more, his breath like brimstone, burning Luigi's face and ears.

"I said I would kill her...I never said I would take the fall. No, I have someone much better in mind, for that."

He was serious. Ignoring the fact that Luigi refused to live, for even one second, in a world that didn't include his brother, destroying his entire reason to breathe wasn't enough; he would go a step further and kill an innocent girl who was just trying to save her village—a girl over whom the younger twin found himself growing unexpectedly protective.

How could he possibly reason with a monster who exhibited this caliber of malevolence?

Luigi felt his heart begin to pound. As if her death wouldn't be horrible enough, the question was also posed of whom Balzar would believe. The emperor made a specific point to dissociate himself from the other kingdoms—their reputations wouldn't help them. All he knew of them was how they presented themselves to him, directly—the Koopa King, who had shown express interest in his daughter and who had traveled to their land multiple times to try to prove himself worthy, and the plumber-turned-prince who, along with his family, was actively trying to find a way out of a matrimonial alliance with Sarasaland. Bowser had played his cards right, and Luigi had no choice but to fold.

His next words pained him greatly, but he had to say them—for Mario's sake, for Peach's sake...for Daisy's sake.

"...I'll get you that book."

His enemy's growl rumbled in his throat, satisfied.

"Good boy. And, for the record," his grin was depraved and targeted to the younger brother's specific insecurities, "she would never pick you."

"I know."

Bowser's eyes widened a bit, surprised that the blow hadn't struck, but Luigi just sighed and closed his eyes. There was no point in trying to convince him of something he already believed, which his enemy soon seemed to realize, dropping him to the ground in disgust.

"As soon as you have that book, you bring it back to this well. I'll be waiting. And keep in mind that anyone you tell, should you choose to do so, won't live to see another day. There's a reason I chose you, Green Stache, and it's not because you rise above, in the competence department."

He didn't have to explain further; Luigi could read between the lines. The weakest link was the easiest to break, and he had never exactly been known for his resolve. Mario would have put an end to this threat before it even started. Peach would have had the courage to rally the others, despite Bowser's warnings. Daisy...well, Daisy probably would have just kicked him where it hurt and walked away, but Luigi couldn't find the will to do any of that. He wasn't cut out for confrontation. And, by the time he pushed himself to his feet, the Koopa was gone, along with any hope he had for a better day.

Luigi was trying to pay attention—he knew how important it was that he did—but he just couldn't focus on his brother's words.

He sat between Peach and Daisy, Mario pacing as he described the layout of Wintara's house and started handing out roles, having taken charge of this heist before anyone else could volunteer or even vote, which Luigi supposed made sense. His twin had always been good at taking charge—solving problems. If it weren't such a risk or if Luigi weren't such a coward, he might have come clean about Bowser's threats. However, the sick feeling in his stomach and the sweat beading along his forehead intensified each time he even considered putting any of them in danger by telling the truth, even if it ended up being a smarter thing to do than trying to figure a way out by himself-

"Luigi?"

His head snapped up, swallowing uncomfortably when he realized all three were looking at him.

"...What?"

Daisy tilted her head, contemplating him for a moment before turning back to Mario.

"Luigi's not paying attention," she tattled.

"I am paying attention!"

"Are not."

"I am, too-"

Peach cleared her throat, Luigi flushing red when he realized what age group usually partook in this quality of argumentation, and neither he nor Daisy belonged to it.

"You're awfully pale, Sweetheart," the queen commented, pulling him closer to her and dabbing at his forehead with a concerned frown. "Are you okay?"

"Are you sick?" Mario confronted.

"No," Luigi muttered, uncomfortable, as always, with being the center of attention.

"No, you're not okay, or no, you're not sick?"

Daisy scooted forward, grabbing his wrist and pulling his nails away from his knuckles.

"And cut that out. There are more normal ways to be weird."

He tucked his hands under his arms, scowling at her for calling him out.

"I just wanna get this over with. We don't know how dangerous this woman is, so forgive me for not being thrilled that we're about to steal from her."

"You've got the easiest job," Daisy retorted. "Your brother and I are the ones who're gonna do the stealing. You've just gotta be the lookout."

"What? When was that decided?!"

"About two minutes ago," Mario contributed, his expression flat.

Luigi sputtered.

"What about Peach? What's her job?"

"Distraction...from a safe distance."

"So, in other words, Peach and I are getting benched while you two do the dangerous part?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Daisy slapped him on the back, causing him to jerk forward and Peach to sigh in disapproval at the rough treatment, especially from a fellow lady. "Congrats, Green Bean. You're all caught up."

That would mean that Mario and Daisy would get their hands on the book before he could. He really should have been paying attention.

"What if I help Mario find it and Daisy's the lookout-"

"No."

Mario shut him down before he could even finish the question, leaving him somewhat annoyed.

"Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous."

"So? Daisy's a princess and you have her doing it."

"You're not doing the dangerous part, Luigi, so drop it. You and Peach aren't going in the house. Period."

"But-"

"Don't fight it," his sister-in-law whispered to him, shaking her head and looking just as exasperated as he felt. "He's in 'Seventy-Two Phase.'"

Oh.

'Seventy-Two Phase.' Their code for, 'he nearly lost one or both of us, so he's going to be unbearably overprotective for the next seventy-two hours and the best way to deal with it is to go with it.'

Mario scowled, not speaking their language but understanding the gist of it.

"I still don't think this is the best idea," Peach muttered, dragging her husband's bag over to her reach and drawing out a Fire Flower. "What if we can't control it?"

Luigi gaped.

"That's the plan?! We're setting something on fire?!"

"Were you paying attention, at all?"

"No," he snapped at Daisy, "okay? I wasn't. I'm sorry- I-..."

Words failed him, but Mario stepped forward and took a seat in front of them, glancing gravely between the girls.

"He's distracted, and I don't blame him. We think...we think Bowser's dead."

Peach's hand clapped over her mouth and she looked at Luigi in alarm, silently asking if it was true.

"What happened?"

"Luigi saw him, when he was in those tunnels. He was hurt, and he...just kinda...gave up. I still don't know why. It wasn't like him."

Luigi curled in on himself, feeling sick and wanting nothing more than to blurt out everything that was actually true.

"...That's horrible," Peach said slowly. "He was our enemy, but...it's just so horrible. I never wanted this."

"Speak for yourself."

"Daisy!"

"What?"

The Sarasaland princess glared at the queen, daring her to disagree with her honesty.

"He was cruel! He tried to kill Luigi! He bragged about torturing him to my father, more than once! He tried to force you to marry him, and then, he was going to force me to marry him, because you had the ability to say no! I don't! If my father decides I'm going to marry someone, then I've got no say in it!"

Luigi felt himself grow a slightly sicker shade of green, Mario steadying him with a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Even so," Peach spoke calmly, a palm over her chest to ground herself, "we shouldn't revel in death and destruction, regardless of whether or not someone deserves to be grieved. Someone, somewhere, at some point, undoubtedly cared about Bowser, and if we have no sympathy for him, then we should, at least, extend a bit of empathy towards whoever is left, in this world, who may have called him a friend."

"Well," the brunette huffed, glaring at the ground, "you're a better person than I am, because I'm glad he's gone."

"It's not about being a better person, Daisy. It's about having some basic compassion. You're this empire's princess; you're the example—the heir. People want their rulers to be strong, but also to know when to extend some mercy. You're not upset, and I don't blame you, but trying to let go of your anger is for your sake, not his."

She took Mario's hand, then Luigi's.

"He hurt all of us—you, Luigi...but he can't harm us, anymore. For that, I'm grateful, but I'm mourning for the innocent person who made the first wrong choice, not the guilty person who made the rest of them."

Silence permeated the space, for a few moments. Then, shaking her head, Daisy rose to her feet and collected her stick, walking over to one of the shorter houses and climbing up onto the rooftop to watch the sunset.

Peach sighed, downcast eyes darting between her boys.

"Did I overstep?"

"About not always saying what you're thinking? No," came Mario's quick opinion. "But, I still think you forget that forgiveness is easier for you than for most people."

Peach opened her mouth, about to start her usual counterargument about there being no such thing as 'too kind,' but she thought better of it before the words could escape—sighing, instead.

"I didn't mean to lecture her, but...she is a bit brash. I appreciate her honesty, of course, but she's going to be ruling, one day, and she has to be able to stop herself from saying what she's feeling, even if that feeling is completely understandable. One of the first things I had to learn was when to hold my tongue, to avoid conflict."

She turned to her brother-in-law.

"Luigi, I'm sorry. I know you like her, and I do, too. I didn't mean to start a fight-"

"No, don't apologize, Peach. She told me she knows she can be a bit too honest, sometimes. She knows it's something she should work on, and actually, I think you'd be a good friend for her. You kind of even each other out. It took a while for you to be a little more honest with us when things weren't okay with you, ya know?"

Her smile was weak and a little unsure, undoubtedly recalling every time they had to force her to admit to some less than positive feelings. Negativity went against everything she stood for, after all, and he knew it still left a bitter taste in her mouth whenever she had to concede that there might be some problem that couldn't be fixed with enough motivation.

With that, he got to his feet, brushing his fingers over his knuckles and staring up at Daisy's back, wondering if he would be overstepping his own bounds by talking to her. She had opened up to him, before—at least, a little bit. Would she turn him away, now?

"Go on."

He looked down, both Mario and Peach smiling with gentle encouragement as his brother made the "shoo" gesture.

"I think you'd be even better for her, in terms of demonstrating kindness," the queen mused. "She's already done the same for you—showing you that confidence isn't exclusive to 'normal.'"

Taking a deep breath, he released his knuckles and turned to them, waiting for Mario's nod of approval before following Daisy onto the rooftop.

He approached slowly, in case she told him to leave or gave him a look that portrayed the same implication, but she didn't—only glancing at him briefly before scooting over in a silent invitation.

Biting his lip, he sat down, watching the sun cast orange rays across the village, reflecting off the gold and making the town shine, like a glimpse of what it had been, in its prime.

"You think I'm wrong?"

A bit surprised, he turned to her when she finally decided to break the silence, her arms folded over her knees and her chin resting atop them.

"I think...I think you're justified. 'Wrong' is a little more subjective."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you forgive Bowser?"

...Forgive Bowser?

To be honest, he'd never really thought about it. He was a monster—that was an indisputable fact to anyone with the capability of abstract thought or the moral compass of a three-year-old.

"I...don't know."

 His indecision wasn't enough; that was clear. She was waiting for him to support either her or Peach, not necessarily to win the argument, but to force his honesty—with himself, if no one else.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he thought back to every way he and his family had suffered at Bowser's hand.

...

"I'm about to marry a princess and rule the world."

...

"DO YOU KNOW HIM?!"

...

"MARIO! You ruined my wedding! I was finally gonna be happy!"

...

Did he feel a shred of pity?

"I think my family deserves for me to let go of the person he could have turned me into."

She blinked, looking him up and down with a little furrow between her brows.

"So, you forgive him."

It wasn't a question, but he still shrugged, shaking his head.

"I guess, you can call it forgiveness. He's tried so hard to ruin my family's and my life, just because he lost Peach. Mario hasn't forgiven him."

"Then, why didn't he get the lecture?"

"Oh, he has. Trust me."

Almost spilling the beans that his brother had spent more than one night in his little brother's room, due to these very same arguments with Peach, he held his tongue just in time. He didn't think Mario would appreciate him sharing such details about their life, just yet.

"My brother has a hard time letting things go, and he also has anger issues. Peach...can be a little bit naïve, if I'm being brutally honest. She thinks everyone can be as nice as she is and hands out second chances like they're candy. Yet, somehow, they work. They balance each other out, and they've both become better people since they've been together."

Daisy turned her head back to the sunset, pensive.

"I would've thought it'd be easier, now that he's dead, but I can't help it that I just feel so bitter."

Except, he wasn't dead. Luigi bit his tongue to keep his fact a secret.

"How do you do it?" the princess inquired. "How do you not let what he did to you change you?"

"Well, like I said," he smiled at her, wrapping his arms around his legs and rocking back and forth, "you have to love someone else more than you're capable of hating the person who hurt you. He brought out the worst in me, but he doesn't get to keep the best of me. I guess, forgiveness just happens to be part of the best of me."

"You're literally too stubborn to not let it go, you walking oxymoron."

"You're lucky I know what that is, or I'd be quite offended."

She chuckled, eyes returning to the village. A soft smile teased the corners of her lips.

"I really did love this town. It was beautiful, when it was young. I wish you could've seen it, then."

"I can imagine it, I think," he replied, following her gaze. "A lot of gold; a lot of rocks...More rocks."

She snorted.

"Hey, they can't help it. Eastons make terrific soldiers, I'll have you know. They're almost completely made of stone, with glass-like hearts, but they're practically indestructible. Eighty percent of my father's army is made up of Eastons; it's partly why we're so strong."

He sat back on his hands, fondly watching her speak with such passion about the people she obviously loved.

"They're not just known for that, though. I'll bet you can't guess the number one occupation they're known for."

"Um..." He hurried to search his mental filing cabinet, trying to recall the footnotes Peach's lessons had contained, regarding Sarasaland. "Fishing? No, wait, that's Muda."

She grinned, giving him another try.

"...Architecture?"

That was a good guess, right? They certainly seemed to love their circular patterns—maybe, they were known for them.

"I'll give it to you. Glassmaking."

He blinked, having not expected that.

"Really?"

"Yep. They had festivals and entire traditions built around the craft. You might notice how prevalent glasswork is, around here, so I guess you could say...a lot of gold, a lot of rocks, a lot of glass," she shrugged, pinching her nose in acknowledgment of his point, "and more rocks."

Looking over the town, he could almost picture it—colorful pennants hung from what were now broken lines, and a natural wind catching on the flags, allowing them to fly freely. Faded banners and broken glass littered the ground, resting pitifully on the once-vibrant gold and cobblestones. The people's ghosts were the most noticeable to his imagination, bustling through abandoned streets without any indication of what would become of their beloved town.

"What was this village called?"

She huffed.

"You're the first person to ever ask me that."

"I just realized that I never even wondered, until I thought about it, just now. People deserve to have the things they loved be remembered."

She let her smile fade, casting a glance back to where Mario and Peach were sitting by the well, talking. Luigi noticed her gaze but didn't intervene or apologize for reminding her of the semi-argument, letting her work through whatever she felt about Peach's stern but well-meaning advice to her.

"'Terotoko,'" she said quietly, frowning a little, like she hadn't said the name in years and it sounded odd on her tongue. "Known for the Vaikoloa Well, for gold, rocks, glass, more rocks, and birthplace of the Kaomiori."

He frowned.

"What's the Kaomiori?"

"Roughly translated, it's called 'pressure dancing.' It was one of their favorite festivals. The children would run around, dyeing sand in their favorite colors and tossing it to the ground, over there," she pointed to the center of town. "They'd scatter it around and the adults would do the Kaomiori, stomping on it and turning it into little shards of glass. They're stone, you know, so they had just the right amount of weight to throw around to make it happen. The children would collect the shards and throw more sand, and the elder artisans would begin crafting the stained glass into decorations to sell or to make their houses beautiful...I loved it here. I attended so many Kaomiori festivals, before Wintara cursed the town."

Her tone drifted to a lower pitch, her eyes bitter.

"...Your sister-in-law has a really forgiving heart."

"Yes, she does."

"...I'm not as forgiving."

"I know."

"People have said, before, that I'm heartless."

Luigi frowned at the harsh judgement, wondering from whom it was delivered.

"I don't think that's true."

"...You don't?"

Sapphire eyes turned to him, glistening with a little more of that vulnerability she had, earlier, only let him glimpse.

"No. I think you're passionate, and you don't always know how to turn that into a positive emotion instead of a negative one, because the negative ones are easier to understand."

Her smile was small and watery, but very much real.

"...I'm working on it."

"You'll get there."

"You seem pretty sure."

"You seem pretty determined."

"Mm...Stop scratching your knuckles."

He dropped his hands.

"Stop being so blunt."

"...Touché."

They sat for a while, Daisy enjoying the memories and Luigi imagining them with her. He looked her way when she smirked, grinning at him with a bad idea gleaming in her eye.

"C'mon, Green Bean. We've got a good hour before the sun's down low enough that Wintara will notice the fire, and I know just how to fill the time."

Gulping, he allowed her to drag him by the wrist down the rooftop and back to the center of town, where Mario and Peach rose to their feet, waiting for her to make the first statement.

"You're right," she said to the queen, honestly shocking all three of them. "I need to control my mouth better. I don't think it's fair of you to expect me to mourn for a monster, but I acknowledge that I've got a lot of growing up to do, before I'm mature enough to know how to run my empire in a way that will honor my people. You seem to have that down, already, and I respect that."

Peach obviously didn't know quite what to say, clasping her hands in front of her dress and nodding with a pleased smile.

"Thank you, Daisy. That means a lot to me."

"And you," she shot her gaze over to Mario, wrapping an arm around Luigi, "protect this precious green bean. But, do it later, because right now, I'm gonna teach him how to dance the Kaomiori."

"The what?"

"You're what?"

"Yeah," she nodded, completely confident, "right now. Nothing better to do, right? C'mon. You'll be great, but if you're not great, that's okay, too."

She paused.

"Was that an okay level of honesty?"

Luigi nodded.

"Makes me feel better, actually, because I'm telling you right now that I'm gonna be bad."

"That's fine. I'm telling you right now that if you're as bad as you think you're gonna be, I'm gonna laugh at you. It's both an unstoppable force and my remuneration for the free dance lesson."

"...Fair enough."

Mario was content to sit and watch the other three do their best to take their thoughts off of their troubles. He didn't mind relaxing in the remnants of this particular festival—happy, at least, to finally have an explanation for all the sand, even if it was a somewhat sad one, given Terotoko's fate.

Daisy was certainly getting into the spirit of the dance—stomping down with all her might and only managing to catch Luigi's foot twice, under her own. Passion compensated for any gaps in talent. To his credit, his brother showed far more grace than he had warned he could display, especially when Peach joined in, picking it up quickly and guiding him more accurately than even Daisy could. Mario had been coerced into joining one round, but given the fact that the Sarasaland princess had found his fumbling even more entertaining than Luigi's, the remainder of his contribution boiled down to encouraging his twin, clapping for his wife, and reiterating to Daisy that Luigi was far from the worst dancer they'd ever seen.

"No one's trying to take that title from you. Relax."

He decided to watch in silence, after that.

Seeing his brother and wife's smiles warmed his heart and soothed that overprotective beast that was only ever calmed by witnessing their happiness. Daisy was good for Luigi; he had to admit that. He couldn't remember the last time his twin felt so comfortable around a stranger. And, after the resolution of their spat, the two girls seemed to be enjoying fussing over his brother and discussing things like proper dancing posture and the history of traditions. His wife didn't really have any female friends. He still recalled how his cousin had ended up fulfilling the role as her maid of honor, so he supposed another princess, around her age, had the potential to fill a void that he and Luigi completed for each other, but couldn't quite provide for her. At least, not in the same way.

He rested his chin on his hands, his heart and mind pulling him in different directions as he watched his twin stomp and grin, carefree and confident under Daisy's influence. They were growing closer—possibly beyond just a little crush, at this point—but it wouldn't last. What would happen when the dome came down and they found themselves greeted by the real world—a world separated by land, borders, and royal responsibility?

His thoughts were interrupted when Daisy tripped on a loose stone, stumbling into Luigi, who was quick to steady her, both laughing at this turn in clumsiness, but their easy smiles soon began to fade into a more serious, unnamed emotion, Luigi suddenly realizing he hadn't let go of her and Daisy noticing that she hadn't pulled away. Her eyes trailed up and down his face as she blushed.

Blinking quickly, he released her and stepped back, offering a gentle bid to be more careful, and she bit her lip, turning around and quickly drawing Peach into a demonstration on the next step of the dance, but Luigi had gone still, just watching her—a look in his eyes Mario had never seen before.

A moment later, he managed to tear his gaze away, accidentally meeting his brother's. He froze, knowing his sibling could see right through him, and shifted his weight, unsure how to process this foreign, turbulent feeling that he had never navigated before, despite all of Mario's attempts to prepare him that it may, one day, happen. However, needing guidance from the person he trusted most, he immediately let his shields down, silently allowing his twin to read into his soul and find what he already knew.

'What do I do?'

Mario could hear his thoughts, his heart aching for him as he beckoned him over.

Luigi obeyed without delay, taking a seat beside his twin and leaning against him, looking utterly miserable and lost. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Mario always imagined the day his brother found someone who ignited that unique feeling in his heart—the one Mario knew each time he looked at Peach—and it was always contemplated in a tone of joy, never sorrow.

Never heartbreak. 

He wrapped an arm around his shoulders, kissing his temple and whispering the comfort only a big brother could provide.

"It'll be okay. No matter what happens, you'll always have your fratellone."

...Even if his fratellone had to fulfill a promise that he made, back when they first entered Terotoko. Then again, there was always room for four, in Brooklyn.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

"Have you told Luigi about Teron's mausoleum?"

Mario looked up from digging in his bag, noting the dwindling supply of water.

"Huh?"

Peach pinched her lips, pulling him a little further away from where Daisy was showing a silent and knuckle-scratching Luigi how to carve an apple into a spiral shape—not an entirely useful skill, but the younger twin was clearly entranced.

The queen's eyes trailed over them for a moment, her gaze knowing, before she shook her head free of side thoughts and focused her attention to their immediate problems.

"Did you get a chance to tell him about Teron? That we found his grave?"

Mario sighed, flicking his head over to the pair to emphasize his brother's recent shift in priorities.

"Not yet. He's been a little...preoccupied."

Peach's eyes softened with concern and she took to pulling on her fingers—a nervous habit she only rarely exhibited.

"He's so distracted...He can't get hurt, Mario—physically or emotionally. We can't let him get hurt. What are we going to do? It was one thing when it seemed like an innocent infatuation, but this is becoming something entirely different. Do we discourage this?"

For one of the first times in his life, he didn't have a straight answer about guiding his brother down the correct path, and it both frustrated and worried him.

"I don't know." It hurt to admit. "I mean- he- what kind of brother would I be if he actually found his 'Peach' and I discouraged it because the politics were inconvenient?"

"It's not just 'inconvenient,' though! He would have to leave!"

"I know!"

Luigi and Daisy turned in their direction, startled by his outburst, but he waved them off with an apologetic smile that his twin seemed to accept, because after just a moment of scrutiny, he returned to their conversation.

Mario rubbed at his eyes and building headache, redirecting his focus on Peach with the intent to apologize for snapping, but he was startled to find her head down, eyes glassy with tears and hands clutching her arms tightly. He reached out for her on instinct, but she pulled away, confusing him further.

"Peach..."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, regaining her composure and staring off into the distance. He was starting to notice the dark circles under her eyes and a more defined pallor, emphasizing his helpless pain at not being able to just send them both home and leave him to deal with this horrible place.

"Well...maybe it will work out, somehow."

"I'm sorry-"

"I know. I'm not mad at you," she leaned in and pecked his lips to prove it. "I'm just a little on edge, I suppose. I want the uncertainty of this theft to be over with, and I want to be out of this cursed village...I want to see our home again."

His heart ached as he pulled her into his arms, letting her crumble a little and rely on the strength he reserved for his family.

"I know. I want that, too."

"I want to lie on our favorite hill, watching a sunset that isn't shrouded behind a dome of fog. I want to sit with Luigi, in our 'Thursday Nook' in the library, and read each other's recommendations, knowing it's safe if we both fall asleep, because you're the only one who'll come find us. I want the three of us to have breakfast and walk through our town, seeing our friends and finding ways to improve our kingdom...I want to appreciate what we had."

"We will." He kissed the top of her head. "Soon."

"...Don't let Luigi get hurt."

"Do I ever?"

She smiled, pulling away and running a palm under her eye.

"I know you still find it hard to believe, but I really am glad that you have someone who loves you even more than I do. It may be strange, for a different wife, but it's a comfort to me. We can't let anything happen to him."

Not saying anything more, she walked away, probably to clear her head as the sun set further and their mission grew more imminent. Mario watched her go, eventually turning his attention over to Luigi and Daisy, who was now laughing at something the younger twin had done or said. The Sarasaland princess truly was nothing like he expected, and becoming more involved in their life-for-three than he ever could have anticipated, but something remained missing from her knowledge—something crucial.

She didn't seem too happy that her father would consider orchestrating a marriage to Bowser, and now that the Koopa was dead...

He had a fact that he needed to discuss with her, alone, to take in her reaction before she could use it to harm his brother. Of course, Luigi would either consider it a betrayal or a favor, but Mario drowned out his guilt under his responsibility to protect his brother, by any means necessary. Daisy's response would be telling—his much-needed guidance—his answer about whether or not to discourage his twin from letting his affection for her grow. 

It wasn't dishonest. It wasn't like he was hoping for a particular reaction just so that he could justify keeping their original family together; he wasn't that selfish. He just needed to know the truth.

Luigi would thank him, one day.

...He really would.

...

...

...

"...I can't even tell if she's in there."

"Oh, she's in there," Daisy's fingers curled on the ridge of the roof. "She never leaves. She sits there, day and night, writing in her book and never leaving her house."

Peach bit her lip, all four of them ducking down a little when a candle illuminated one of the windows.

"Told you," the princess huffed, grinning triumphantly at the queen before nearly launching herself over the stone shingles. "Okay, let's SET THIS FIRE!"

Mario barely managed to catch hold of her, dragging her down behind the rooftop when her less-than-stealthy shout prompted quick footsteps and a jiggling door handle.

Luigi and Peach held their breath, eyes darting, perhaps subconsciously, to Mario, nervously waiting for his lead while Daisy just glared, accepting the hand he had clapped over her mouth with little to no resistance, thankfully. Eventually, the footsteps faded and Mario released both his breath and the princess, willing his heart to stop pounding.

"We've got one chance at this," he grumbled. "We have to follow the plan."

It was hard enough when he was only responsible for Luigi and Peach, but Daisy was a loose cannon; keeping her alive would be a battle against natural selection, itself, it would seem. Between her recklessness, Luigi's incurable bad luck, and Peach's tendency to extend mercy to even the most corrupted monsters, he was lucky he even had any nerves left to shred, on this mission.

He chanced a peek over the roof, gesturing for the other three to stay hidden, and tried to make out any shapes or shadows through the window. The sun was setting into dusk—enough darkness to distract with fire while allowing a small window to evade the Husks. At least, that's what they hoped. He felt the nervous tingles running down his spine, trying to ignore all the ways this could go wrong and focus, instead, on how soon they may be leaving this village, should they succeed.

Of course, nothing was without risk.

He had a pessimist, an optimist, and an arsonist on his team, and he felt personally responsible for all of them.

"Okay," his breathing was heavy, his heart was galloping, and he could feel the sweat beading on his brow, "...Peach, you ready?"

The queen nodded solemnly, activating her Fire Flower and already clutching her Ice Flower close to her chest, ready to slow the fire, should it start to grow out of their control. Carefully, she climbed off the roof, the other three watching as she made her way to the small field behind Wintara's house, Mario's throat tightening as he lost sight of her.

He closed his eyes, giving his panic a count of three to dissipate before turning his attention to Luigi, who looked fairly sick. Truthfully, he hadn't seemed well since Daisy announced it was time to put their plan into action, growing paler with each step and not saying a word.

"...Lu?"

The distracted twin snapped his eyes up, almost seeming to gag before hunkering down behind the roof, Mario wishing he had time to soothe his brother's nerves, but a small flame could already be seen in the distance, spreading quickly.

"...C'mon," both Mario and Daisy gripped the shingles tightly, willing Wintara to notice their distraction and take the bait.

For several agonizing moments, each little movement within the house would spark their hope, only to die out into a false alarm; she wasn't even looking out the window. Luigi started sweating, turning to his brother as the three watched the flames grow larger, risking a loss of control with each passing second. Before long, Peach would have to make the decision to push forward or start stifling the flames.

"What do we do?!"

Mario opened his mouth, not even sure how he was about to answer his twin's question, when Daisy grabbed a broken chunk of a shingle, pinching her lips defiantly and throwing with all her strength at the woman's window, shattering it with pinpoint accuracy.

The king barely had time to duck down and ensure his two companions did the same, Wintara bursting out of her house with a shout that faded into a concerned question as she finally noticed the fire.

Mario peeked his eyes over the top, unable to contain a sigh of relief when she collected a colorful walking stick and hurried into the distance to investigate this threat to her home.

"Let's go."

Daisy was the one to say it, sliding down off the roof and only waiting for Mario's feet to touch the ground before hurrying across the street to the house. The red twin slowed just a little, turning his eyes back up to his precious brother and sharing a small nod of shaky determination, Luigi's eyes hardening and returning to where Wintara had fled, waiting to warn them of her return.

Sucking in a deep breath, Mario followed Daisy into the house, wondering which emotion would claim the end of this day.

Daisy was already tearing open drawers and emptying cabinets of their pots and pans by the time Mario crossed the threshold, wincing at every crash.

"You wanna keep it down?!" he couldn't help but snap, nerves on edge now that both Luigi and Peach were out of his sight and out of reach of his immediate protection.

"Are you gonna help, or what?!" the princess clapped back, shoving past him and stepping on the broken tea cup Wintara had shattered, upon Mario's first introduction to her.

She frowned at the pieces, eyes raking over them and lips pinching white as she hurried forward, running upstairs while calling over her shoulder, "Get looking for a key to that basement! We don't have a lot of time!"

Mario's eyes trailed over to the flimsy wooden door, his immediate instinct to break it down rather than waste time looking for a key. Rushing over to the panel, he felt only a pang of regret for smashing up this woman's house when all he had was another stranger's word that she was a monster, but he also wasn't about to leave his brother and wife alone any longer than he had to.

Readying himself, he rammed his shoulder into the wood, wincing at the pain that ran up his arm, but it didn't deter him enough not to try again. It didn't budge the second time, either, but it did draw Daisy out of the loft to lean over the spiral railing and scowl at him.

"What was that about not making any noise?"

"Just come down here and help me," he grunted, trying again. "We don't have enough time to look for a key!"

To her credit, she didn't argue, sprinting back down the stairs and joining his count of three, ramming her own shoulder along with his. She began cursing up a storm, dashing over to the back window and gazing around frantically for a moment before returning to Mario.

"She's still occupied. C'mon! Again!"

Flustered, she didn't wait for his count, running into the door with a groan a second before he copied, both rubbing their sore shoulders.

Mario swore under his breath, trying not to let the panic in her eyes sway his confidence.

"Go look for the key," he muttered, sweating and readying himself to try kicking it down, but she was frowning at the knob, tilting her head in consideration for a moment before reaching over and turning it, the door swinging open easily.

They met each other's eyes, Mario pinching his lips.

"...We don't tell Peach."

"Or Luigi."

"Agreed."

He went first, ensuring there was no hidden trap before beckoning her down to the dusty basement, where hundreds of books lay in piles and boxes, all without titles, and he felt his heart sink. There was no way they would find the right one in time, even with both of them searching.

Daisy seemed to come to the same conclusion, staring blankly into the room.

"...We could always knock her out and tie her up," she suggested, tone flat, and Mario couldn't tell if she was joking.

"Isn't she made of stone? How would that even- never mind, just- just help me, will you?"

Now scowling, the princess stomped down the remaining steps, throwing open the first book she found and growling at its unsatisfactory identity.

"You saw it, didn't you? What did it look like?"

He lifted his head, annoyed.

"It looked like a brown book," he revealed bluntly, Daisy nodding her head at the complete lack of originality among any of the novels.

Mario sighed, rushing through multiple pages of different books and hurriedly scanning for any words related to Husks, wells, Sirens, or curses. He didn't have time to linger, but one word seemed to stand out within each novel, regardless of its theme or completion status—'Teron.' Hundreds of different stories—different plots, different genres—but only one star. One of them even held nothing but the singular name, scrawled across every page.

Despite their time crunch, he couldn't help the question that escaped.

"Daisy, who's Teron?"

She paused, frowning over her shoulder at him.

"I don't know. Why?"

"It just looks like Wintara's obsessed with him. He's buried in the graveyard, but-..." 

They didn't have time for this. He shook his head, berating himself for getting distracted.

"Did you find anything?"

Daisy tossed a book over her shoulder, carelessly showing her frustration.

"Nope."

Wintara would be back soon, he had no doubt. Peach wouldn't let the fire get out of control, and down in the basement, they wouldn't be able to hear Luigi's warnings that the woman was returning.

He wasn't sure if fear was sharpening his senses or if he had a steady mind to thank for his next idea, but something important struck him, in the metaphorical clock's final few moments. Every book here was old—covered in dust. It would be their most valuable clue.

"Daisy," he hissed, startling her, "it won't be dusty! Look around for any clean covers, quick!"

He scrambled to follow his own advice, nervous eyes subconsciously flicking up to the stairs every few seconds, certain they were about to be ambushed. He shoved aside several boxes, high on adrenaline, but his fingers froze when he heard a muffled but familiar scream.

His heart stopped.

"Peach!"

He bolted for the stairs, all other priorities now abandoned, but Daisy caught him by the wrist, dragging him back with strength he wouldn't have assumed she possessed.

"Let go!"

"It's Wintara!" she shouted, her grip turning his hand numb. "She's copying Peach's voice to trick you!"

To add to his torment, Luigi's cry of pain rang through the house, nearly sending him to his knees.

"Let go! I don't care!" Tears blinded him. "I don't care if it's a trick! I have to make sure!"

If anything happened to them-

"Can't you feel it?!" Daisy threw her weight back, sending him crashing into some of the boxes, knocking over countless books. "If Luigi were hurt, wouldn't you feel it?!"

Shakily getting to his feet, heart bursting with pain when another scream from his brother echoed across the walls, he was able to spare a moment to reach into his soul and brush his mind across the brighter half—the half that was purely Luigi.

...Intact...Whole...Safe.

He breathed, his reason catching up and smothering reckless impulses.

Daisy was blocking the stairwell, hands spread out tentatively to once again play goalie, should he attempt another impersonation of a rogue soccer ball, but he shook his head at her, signaling he had both heard and listened.

She hesitantly returned to her search and Mario scrubbed a hand over his eyes, still out of breath from panic. His eyes trailed along the floor, to the books he had scattered, and snagged on one—pristine and new, hidden amongst a stack of dusty bindings. Almost believing it to be an illusion, he reached down, scooping it up and flipping to a random page, immediately noticing several references to the Husks and some paragraphs even mentioning the Siren-

"You found it!"

Daisy snagged it out of his hands, grinning a little manically with excitement.

"Come on! Let's-"

Her dash up the stairs came to a complete halt, form freezing in place at the sight of a dark figure standing at the top, watching them silently.

"...Luigi?"

Mario hurried forward, pulse pounding, and frowned in confusion and horror.

"Give me the book."

"...Wintara," Daisy hissed in realization, stepping back and clutching their prize close to her chest. "Get out of our way."

"Give me the book, and no harm will come to the queen or prince."

Mario gripped the fabric of his shirt, feeling his heart clench.

"...Give it to her, Daisy."

"But-"

"It's over."

He didn't engage in a debate, pulling the book from her shock-slackened hands and holding it out to his brother's shadow. A gloved hand reached for it, but Mario pulled back, just slightly.

"Tell me now," his voice shook, "are Luigi and Peach safe?"

Silence met his question.

"Please answer me," he whispered. "You can have the book, but I have to know. Are they safe?"

"...For now."

Mario nodded, accepting the answer with a lump in his throat and handing over the book, not expecting the door to crash down on them, plunging them into darkness as the click of a lock sounded from the outside.

...

...

...

"If everyone dies and the world burns, I'm blaming you."

Mario sighed, letting his head fall back against the wall. Daisy had uttered some form of the same sentiment every two minutes for the past twenty, though he supposed she was calming down; she was no longer cursing him out, at least.

"I had to do it," he spoke up for the tenth time. "You might as well know something about me right now—I'm helpless if my brother or wife are threatened. I roll over like a dog, but it's not something I can help. I wouldn't risk their lives for anything—not for the entire rest of the world. I know that makes me selfish, but it is what it is."

"You'd sentence this entire village to death-"

"Yes," he didn't even let her finish. "I'd do it, myself. Understand this," his eyes bore into hers, "there is nothing I wouldn't do for them and nothing I wouldn't sacrifice for them."

Her eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, fiery and disturbed.

"What if it were Luigi or Peach," she challenged, possibly thinking she'd caught him in an impossible lie. "What then?"

"Luigi."

He didn't hesitate, wondering, for a moment, why he was being so honest. Maybe subconsciously he just knew he needed her to understand their dynamic. Maybe even more vaguely, he wanted to know if she could ever be a part of it.

"Really?"

She plopped down, facing him.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"And Peach-"

"She knows."

"...Huh."

"Luigi also loves me more than he could ever love anyone else."

She turned her gaze to him, frowning in the dim light that sneaked in through the crack under the door.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm not stupid, Daisy." This wasn't how he wanted to have this conversation, but maybe there would be no better time. "I can see how he looks at you, and I've seen how you look at him. He'd given up on ever finding someone he could love because of...issues that I'm not gonna go into."

"You mean his AVPD?"

He snapped his eyes to her, silently demanding she explain herself.

"He told me, okay?"

"When?"

"Today, when you went off to talk to your wife."

Mario sighed, massaging his eyes.

"Don't spread that around," he warned tiredly. "I'm surprised he told you, but you have to treat it as a privilege, you understand? Too many people could hurt him with it, if they knew. Too many people already have."

"Believe it or not, I do know how to keep a secret," she snapped, wrapping her arms around her legs and glaring at the wall. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt him, you know."

"Well, I don't know," he replied honestly. "I just met you, and yeah, I like you, but I have to think of my brother first."

"So...why tell me that he has feelings for me if you're also gonna say that he could never love anyone as much as he loves you?"

"Because I want to know how you feel about that."

He felt no reason to lie or beat around the bush. If Daisy was going to reject Luigi based on his fratellone forever remaining the most important person in his life, it was better they knew now, and that Mario knew first.

Allowing her a few minutes to process what he'd said, he glanced up at the door, wondering if he should have just one more try at kicking it down-

"I like your brother a lot."

He turned back to Daisy, who refused to look at him, pulling out that long green string she had stashed in her pocket and smiling slightly at the color as she twirled it in her hands.

"...How much?"

"What do you mean?"

Mario took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"Would you marry him?"

"Marry him?!" She choked, her string pulled taut. "That's going a little fast, don't you think?"

He didn't like how strangled she sounded, but he knew he had to extend some mercy, due to springing the idea onto her so suddenly.

"Not for royalty. Balzar was considering making you marry Bowser, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, but that would've been an arrangement," she spat bitterly. "Thank goodness it didn't come to that. I don't care what Peach thinks; I'm not about to be upset that I can't be forced to marry a monster."

"...What if your father already promised your hand to someone else?"

Her fingers never paused, but her expression quickly flattened into some sort of realization, and Mario knew then that he wouldn't have to shed any further light on this. She understood.

He watched her, almost able to witness the whirlwind of her thoughts as she stared ahead, fingers working frantically on her string.

"...Daisy?"

She jerked her head, blinking at him and breathing quickly.

"Are you okay?"

Swallowing audibly, she glared.

"You didn't tell me that so I would be 'okay.'"

Mario closed his mouth, unable to defend himself against her accusation.

"I just wanted you to have all the facts before you and Luigi go too far. I don't have any ulterior motive other than protecting my brother; I never do."

"No ulterior motive. Right."

She huffed, fingers picked up speed and practically fraying the ends of her string.

"You don't want me to run screaming from Luigi so that you can keep your perfect family the way you like it? Where people marry for love and back out of responsibility?"

Mario frowned, taken aback.

"How did we back out of responsibility?"

"Royalty marries for sacrifice, not love, except you and your wife decided to force the sacrifice onto someone else so that you could have the impossible. Now, you don't even want your brother to have what you have-"

"That's not true."

"Really?"

"No. I just want what's best for Luigi."

"And if I give Father my approval of his choice?"

He lifted his head, unable to tell for sure, but it seemed more like a dare than a question.

"...I-...I want what's best for him."

Her glittering eyes seemed to stare down into his soul, and for the first time, he could see that same ruthless ice that froze Balzar's heart and molded his fleshy fist into one of iron.

"Sarasaland is far richer and stronger than the Mushroom Kingdom," she spoke calmly, testing him. "Luigi would want for nothing, as my emperor consort. An army of stone would be his protection and a palace of gold would be his home. What do you consider is best for him?"

He set his jaw, having had an answer to this question since the day he was born.

"Me. I'm what's best for him. I always have been, and I always will be."

She studied him for a while, tilting her head to the side and treating her string much more gently.

"...Luigi would be a good emperor," she mused softly. "He's able to see things that most people won't, and he's much more merciful than I could ever hope to be."

A small huff of laughter escaped her and she turned her head away.

"He would rule my people well, and honestly...he would be the best thing I could offer them, as their princess."

Mario felt the acid of his stomach rise up into his throat, having never considered this conversation could backfire on him so easily. If he were truthful with himself, the most selfish part of him was hoping Daisy would be scared off by her unknowing betrothal, but now that logic had caught up to emotion, he was reintroduced to the much larger part of his brain, which was quick to remind him that any woman would thank her lucky stars to snag the heart of his brother.

"You're gonna go through with it, aren't you?" He nearly choked on his own words. "You're gonna tell your father that you'll marry him."

You're going to try to take him away from me. You're going to start a war that everyone will lose.

She came down from her cloud of thought, biting at her nails and regarding him carefully.

"We're royalty. It's nothing personal; it's just responsibility. That should have been the first lesson Peach taught you...after she learned it, herself, that is."

He didn't have time to ask what she meant, as the door to the basement was flung open and he squinted at the harsh light, scrambling to his feet to ready himself for a fight, but he nearly slumped back down to the ground in relief when his wife came rushing inside, his brother following close behind.

"Are you in here- oh, thank goodness!"

Peach threw her arms around him, and he couldn't help but bury his face in her shoulder, letting the traces of vanilla and cherry blossoms soothe his troubled mind. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Luigi offering Daisy a hand up, gently asking if she was all right, but she only stared at his offer, slowly rising to her feet without his help and granting him a tiny, enigmatic smile before climbing back up the stairs without a word.

Luigi stared at her back, confused, but Mario had a more immediate concern that needed to be addressed.

"Where's Wintara?"

"She was getting too close to the house," Peach explained, short of breath. "Luigi and I had to get creative and lure her away, but we don't have much time. The fire's out and it's nearly dark. Did you find the book?"

Mario's eyes darted to his brother before landing back on his wife.

"...No. No, she must be keeping it somewhere else."

The queen's face fell, scrunching up in frustration before her features smoothed with a deep breath.

"Okay. All right, we'll just find another way. We always do."

Turning around, she squeezed Luigi's shoulder, beckoning them both to hurry out of the basement and follow Daisy back to the well so they could regroup and plan out their next move.

The younger twin turned to follow, but Mario caught his wrist, pulling him back and into his arms, surprising him, but a second later, he relaxed and sank into the embrace, clutching his twin like he were drowning in sorrow and had found his only comfort.

"Who's threatening you?"

Try as he did to keep his voice calming, the very fact that he had to ask the question made his blood boil, and the growl came through in his tone.

"Wh-What? Nobody!"

Luigi tried to pull away, but Mario held him tighter, forbidding his escape until he got an answer.

"Who. Is. Threatening you?"

"...No one."

The older brother sighed and kissed his temple, resting a hand on the back of his head and whispering in his ear, "It's okay. I don't know why you took it, but I trust you. It's gonna be okay."

Luigi froze in his arms, backing away with a note of fear in his eyes, and it broke his twin's heart.

"Mario? Luigi?"

Peach called down to them from above, urging them to hurry, but Mario called back a hasty lie that they were on their way and squeezed his brother's clammy hand.

"Whoever made you do it is dead, you understand me?"

For some reason, Luigi seemed to find that mildly amusing, huffing and running a shaky hand over his eyes and mouth.

"C'mon. We need to go."

Unsatisfied, but fully aware of their time crunch, Mario nodded, following his brother up the stairs and glancing at the basement door as something else occurred to him.

"You didn't really lock it, did you?"

Luigi didn't answer, bowing his head, but the older twin was simply annoyed that it had taken him so long to figure out that his brother wouldn't have truly locked them in. The realization could have saved him a sore foot. He supposed the shock of the situation had been stifling his common sense-

The toll of a bell froze him in his tracks, Luigi paling further, nearly hyperventilating as they both ran to the door, finding Peach clutching her hands to her mouth, eyes locked on a group of Husks who had made it into the street but had yet to notice them. Mario carefully eased his family behind him, holding his arms back and around them both as he quietly backed them away.

"Don't let go of me," he whispered, barely audible, but he knew they heard, clutching at the straps of his overalls and letting him lead the way down the opposite street.

Luigi suddenly sucked in a breath.

"...Daisy."

Mario pinched his lips, holding back a curse, and looked around frantically, but he found no trace of the princess. Peach suddenly gasped and pressed closer, the king's gaze snapping behind them to find three more Husks slowly moving in from the right, trapping them in.

"You know another way to the well?"

Though his words were spoken almost too softly to hear, Peach nodded, her heart pounding against his back as she slowly guided them towards a side street.

"What about Daisy?"

"She knows her way around," Mario responded to his brother, his own priorities fairly transparent to them both. "She'll be fine."

"We can't just leave her-"

"Luigi," he snapped, quietly, "that's enough! Don't get distracted!"

No sooner had he spoken than a scream rang out from ahead, followed by the alarmed chitterings of the Husks as they rushed towards the sound.

"Daisy!"

"Luigi!"

Mario's hand grasped air as his brother bolted past him, running towards the cry. He and Peach quickly followed, no longer caring about staying quiet—only about keeping Luigi within sight as he darted through alleys and took chances with risky jumps and shortcuts.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Daisy's terrified voice could be heard in the distance. "No-...no, get away from me! I'm your princess!"

She screamed again, Luigi running faster.

One of the Husks noticed them passing and swiped at them from the left, but Peach pulled Mario away in time to avoid decapitation, though he didn't even have time to thank her, all three skidding to a halt when they finally reached the center of town, only to meet a horrifying sight.

"Looking for someone, Red?"

Mario felt his breathing pick up, stepping forward and raising his arms to shield Luigi and Peach, both of whom had gone completely pale.

All around them, the Husks moaned and scraped at their barrier, their desperate flailings almost making it look as though they were bowing to the monster sitting so casually against the well.

"You look like you've seen a ghost. Well done, Green," he grinned over Mario's left shoulder. "You played your part perfectly."

When he rose to his feet, Mario stepped back, ensuring his family did the same.

"...Y-You're-..."

"Quite well, thank you," he tipped his head to Peach, as if this were some polite encounter.

"What the f-"

"Language, Red Stache," the Koopa tutted. "It's not proper for a king to swear, you know."

"I think we could forgive him, this time," Peach spat. "We thought you were dead!"

Bowser chuckled, circling them, and Mario made sure to keep himself in front, though he couldn't help but notice that the Husks now parted as the Koopa stepped over the line of their boundary, shrinking back and away as they allowed him to pass, unharmed.

"All of you but Green Stache, isn't that right, Luigi? Such a helpful little thief."

Mario clenched his fists, the question of who threatened his brother now making itself clear. Peach frowned, glancing towards her best friend, who looked a little sick, but she just shook her head and glared at Bowser.

"Whatever mind game you're trying to play requires a weak will, and you won't find that on our side."

"Why aren't they attacking you?"

Luigi's quiet question wasn't aimed to distract from Bowser's taunts, but was one Mario felt they all needed answered.

The Koopa's red eyes burned as he regarded the younger prince, and for a moment, it didn't seem as though he would answer, but eventually, he smirked.

"It's all thanks to you, Luigi. You might almost say I...had all the answers."

Luigi staggered, covering his mouth, and Mario turned to steady him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay," he hushed. "It's okay. None of us blame you."

Peach embraced them both, never taking her eyes off the sneering Koopa, and brushed Luigi's hair away to plant a kiss on his forehead.

"It's okay, Sweetheart," she echoed. "Whatever happened, it's not your fault."

"You two make me sick," Bowser muttered, turning to the Husks. "Throw them in the grave. I have work to do and a princess to court."

Mario shouted as his wrist was yanked, tipping him off-balance as one of the creatures pinned his arms behind his back, dragging him over to the other side of the barrier. Luigi and Peach called out for him, darting forward out of instinct, but before he could yell at them to stay within the well's border of safety, they were both grabbed and forced into identical positions of submission, Peach crying out as the Husk's claws scraped into her collar.

"Let them go!" Mario fought to free himself, nearly dislocating his shoulder with the force of his jerks. "BOWSER! You and I have unfinished business, but leave them out of it!"

He couldn't help but shiver as the monster that held him leaned in, icy breath in his ear as it keened and rattled.

The Koopa paid him no heed, stepping around his and Peach's struggling to meet Luigi's lax devastation. If he weren't being held, Mario wasn't even sure if he would still be standing—head bowed and eyes distant. Almost delicately, Bowser placed a claw under his chin, lifting his head.

"Thank you, Luigi." He nearly sounded genuine. "I mean it. Without you, I would have never found out what I needed to know...Well, without you and that woman, that is."

"...You don't have to do this. You can come back from this."

Bowser frowned, taken aback, and for a moment, Mario almost thought he saw his will waver, eyes circling their situation before his jaw tightened.

"I consider it a flaw on your end that you expect any different from me."

"Please," Luigi whispered, "if you know how to break the curse, just let them go. You can have me-"

"NO!"

"Quiet, Mario," the Koopa snapped. "We're bargaining. You were saying?"

Luigi licked his chapped lips, breaths shallow.

"I know you want Sarasaland...but I'm the one betrothed to Daisy...I'm the one standing in your way. Mario and Peach have nothing to do with Balzar's crown."

Bowser gestured for the Husks to clap their claws over Mario and Peach's mouths when their protests burst forth, the beast leaning in and breathing his brimstone into Luigi's face, ember eyes peering down into his soul.

"You're right. So what's your offer?"

"A blood oath. A blood oath like the one we signed when we took Balzar's challenge. You can't touch Mario or Peach. If you marry Daisy, you can't hurt her. You can't hurt any of them or any of their people."

A low growl rose from the monster's throat as he glanced back at the other king and queen, considering. His eyes didn't leave them as he continued their negotiations.

"And what do I receive, in return?"

"Me."

Mario keened against the hand over his mouth, trying to bite through glass and stone to make the Husk release him, but it made no difference.

Bowser chuffed, facing the green twin and looking him up and down.

"You?"

"Trap me. Torture me. Kill me. I don't care."

"...Tempting. You have been a rather green thorn in my side for quite some time."

Mario could barely hear past the ringing in his ears, blinking away the tears in his vision as his panic nearly forced his heart to beat out of his chest. He moaned and kicked, trying to get their attention, but Luigi couldn't bear to look at him and Bowser simply pretended he didn't exist.

"I notice you included the princess in your deal. Could it be that the troubled little prince found a spark of desire in his heart?"

The Koopa stalked him, gripping his shoulder from the back and whispering into his ear.

"Do you honestly think she sees you as anything but a pawn who doesn't have what it takes to be a king?"

Luigi jerked his head to the right, away from his breath and his words.

"Do we have a deal or not?"

The question was mumbled through gritted teeth and Bowser thought for a moment, staring at the younger twin with nothing but a small furrow between his brows before he growled, making sure his gaze met Mario's frantic eyes as he answered.

"...Deal."

A muffled scream rose up from the center of town, but Bowser spoke above it.

"Take them to the mausoleum and make sure they stay locked in."

"Wait!" Luigi struggled as they were dragged away. "What have you done with Daisy?!"

The Koopa was already walking away, but he spared a moment to turn his head, staring at them and holding up a single claw, from which a green string dangled.

Luigi couldn't think straight, his mind scrambled with worry for his family and fear for Daisy. Mario and Peach were putting up a fight as they were forced through the streets and into a graveyard, glass tombstones alight with a single blue flame that hovered over each of them, illuminated in the night. He didn't know what his brother was going to say to him, once they were free, and he was almost afraid to find out, but what other choice did he have?

This was all his fault.

Everyone always forgave him too easily, and he didn't deserve their mercy, any more than he deserved their affection.

He had been the one to give the book to Bowser. He had been the one to hide the Koopa's life and intentions from his family, and now, if anything were to happen to Mario, Peach, Daisy, or any of their people, he would have no one but himself to blame. Offering his life was a small and admittedly pathetic trade and honestly, he couldn't believe Bowser had even accepted such a low payment for his conditions, but he was grateful, nonetheless.

The Husks couldn't quite get organized, each of them choking through their calcified throats and knocking their captives into walls, tripping on stones and moaning up to the sky, as if they had no desire to obey but no thought clear enough to suggest they shouldn't. Mario was already glaring at him, huffing angrily through the claw pressed over his mouth, and Peach just looked pale and ill, quickly giving up her fight and walking more willingly, after she had accidentally run into just one too many corners.

The creak of a door had the younger twin leaving his troubled thoughts and rejoining his surroundings, glancing up in time for his eyes to widen at the name etched into the plaque of the mausoleum. To be honest, he had almost forgotten about Teron, but seeing the name so clearly—so distinctly purposeful—he couldn't help but enjoy the small flicker of validation that he hadn't been losing his mind.

Mario was shoved through first, catching Peach when she was forced after him, but Luigi was released much more gently. As soon as his arms were freed, the creatures made no move to push him inside, regarding him with an almost human awareness. 

A hand brushed over his wrist, but he didn't feel the need to pull away; it wasn't hurting him. Some of them bowed low to the ground, raking their hands over their faces and reaching for his own. If he didn't know better, he would say they almost seemed to be looking to him for help. A quiet, almost sad groan of pain escaped one, slow claws extending towards his eyes when the younger twin felt himself pulled back, his brother quickly standing in front of him. The Husk broke out of its small moment of tranquility, hissing through its throat at Mario as several of them slammed the doors, the sound of a bolt sliding shut echoing through the stained glass walls.

Mario beat his fist against the door, trying the handle, just in case, but they were truly locked in, Peach clutching her arms and turning away when her husband smashed his fist into the wall, creating a tiny crack, but nothing substantial enough to justify the method as a possible means of escape.

"...Luigi," he panted, shaking his head and refusing to turn around to face his brother, "what did I do wrong?"

The green twin gaped, having expected a lot of questions, but that one had never even occurred to him as a possibility.

"Wh-What do you mean? You haven't done anything wrong! This is all my fault; I'm the one who deserves to pay the price-"

Mario whipped around, grabbing him by the overall straps and shoving him into the wall, not hard enough to hurt him, but enough to startle him into silence. The king's eyes glittered with tears, catching the moonlight that streamed through the glass and cast the tomb in dozens of colors.

"...I've done everything," Mario whispered, his voice cracking. "I've done everything I can think of to prove to you that I love you unconditionally, but it doesn't matter, does it? You still think you can just sign away your life and it doesn't matter. You still think I wouldn't rather be dead than live without you. What do I do, huh?" He shoved him away, face pinched in despair. "What do I do to convince you that you're not inferior and that I need you?! What's it gonna take to fix your inadequacy issues?! WHAT DO I DO, HUH?! HOW DO I FIX YOU?! JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO! WHAT AM I MISSING?!"

Luigi curled up, covering his ears as his twin shouted in his face, grabbing and shaking him.

"Why can't I help you?! Years! It's been years! Why doesn't anything I do or say WORK?!"

"Mario-"

Peach pulled him away gently, but he even pulled away from her, raking his hands down his face and pacing frantically, shoulders shaking.

"I try," he choked. "Every day, I try to be there for you...Every day, nothing changes. I don't know what to do, anymore. You're breaking my heart, Lu, you know that?"

He paused, breathing hard and showing his tear-stained face to his twin, twisted up with hopelessness.

"...You've broken my heart."

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

Luigi wasn't sure how long he sat in a corner of the mausoleum, numbly listening to his brother quietly rant to Peach, even if he was too upset to let the actual words filter through. Occasionally, he would catch descriptions like "helpless" or "powerless," and the more self-deprecating part of him would accept them as his own, even if, deep down, he knew his twin would never describe him with anything but glowing praise, even now, at his lowest.

Peach would jump in occasionally, when Mario would get too carried away, but for the most part, she simply let him speak his mind. A rare sob would come through, and it pierced Luigi's heart like a knife, causing him to wince, cover his eyes, and wonder how he ended up as such a burden. Then came the endless cycle of reminding himself that self-directed negativity was what caused this, and that he should be kinder to himself, but he challenged anyone who loved another as much as he loved Mario to sit there, listening to his twin weep over perceived failures, and not wish the world would simply swallow him up and put an end to this horrible, gut-wrenching guilt.

Unable to take it anymore, he shoved himself to his feet and paced, Peach meeting his eyes with sympathetic understanding, but he couldn't bear to look at her, either. He had caused more emotional damage to them both than he had any right to inflict on anybody; especially those who loved him so deeply. His hand had already been scratching at his knuckles before he could grow aware of its movement, drawing blood from once-healed scabs by the time he registered the pain and looked down, little spots of red now adding to the brown stains on his glove.

Miserably, he dropped his hands and turned to the marble coffin that lay as the focal point in the room, leaning against it and bowing his head as he tried to keep his own tears and nausea at bay, wondering when things had gone so wrong and wishing he could just get over his own problems and give Mario the brother he deserved-

No.

Bad thought.

He choked, tugging desperately at his hair, and dropped his head onto Teron's sarcophagus, welcoming the dull pain as a second of distraction from the chaos he added to his twin's life-

No!

Bad thought!

He sniffed, opening his eyes.

A flicker of blue caught the edge of his vision and he tilted up his watering gaze, swallowing hard at the sight of one of those blue flames that had captured his attention when they were being forced to walk through the graveyard. It didn't seem harmful. If anything, it was rather pretty—lighting up the small space in shades of blue and almost seeming to emit low, intoxicating whispers, beckoning Luigi to reach out a hand and touch it.

He blinked, suddenly realizing his fingers were already inching forward, and pulled back his hand, snapping his attention over to Mario, who was now sitting with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring blankly at the wall with tears drying on his cheeks while Peach murmured reassurances into his ear and stroked his hair. Luigi sighed, content that his brother was being cared for properly, and returned his attention to the wispy blue flame, its temptation to touch growing stronger.

The world darkened, narrowing his field of vision to nothing but the fire before him and muffling the sounds in his ears to filter all but the whispers, urging him to reach out and "find the truth."

Luigi felt his breaths grow shallow, his mind dizzy and heart pumping too hard, but with nothing left to lose and a will that had been shattered down to nothing but the flimsy stubs that had held it up for years, he obeyed, reaching out and brushing trembling fingers over the cyan flame.

Water.

...

"Anything for you."

...

...

Drowning.

...

...

...

"Will you keep your promise?"

...

...

...

...

Darkness.

...

...

...

...

...

"You asked for proof."

...

...

...

...

...

...

Dying.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Will you love me now?"

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"...Co-...-n!"

"...-igi!"

"Br-...the!"

"Pl-..."

"LUIGI! BREATHE!"

Coughing burned. Breathing burned. He couldn't open his eyes, but his stomach lurched as he was forced onto his side, vomiting water. Something was smacking him hard in the back, causing another heave as his nausea rose against him, bile and more water spilling from his mouth as he retched.

"Ke-...p cou-..."

Finally cracking his eyes open, they burned in the dim, colorful light, black spots dancing in front of them as he tried and failed to suck in enough oxygen to dispel the tingling sensation in his limbs and the dizziness assaulting him. However, each deep breath was cut short by another round of gagging and spitting out water. The hand beating on his back would surely leave bruises, but that was the least of his concerns. Vaguely, he noted a blur of pink kneeling in the mess he made, running clammy fingers frantically through his hair and speaking in muffled, urgent tones to the one behind him—the only person who didn't need to announce his presence to claim recognition. His heart always could tell, even before his mind, when his brother was near.

Finally, finally, the nausea receded and he was able to take a tentative breath without playing catch-up for air. He kept his eyes closed, breathing quickly and shallowly, but he must have made some visible improvement, because Mario was now turning him onto his back and practically collapsing on top of him, pressing his face into his chest, and Luigi could feel his twin's heart pounding at an unhealthy rate against his arm.

The red sibling muttered a few strangled Italian curses into the sweat-soaked fabric of the younger one's shirt, his own hair damp with anxiety and the effort it undoubtedly took to manually force phantom water out of lungs that had taken a brief vacation from their sole responsibility. Mario's shoulders shook, subtly at first, but quickly picking up the pace and intensity until he was outright sobbing, fingers clenched white against Luigi's overalls.

Peach looked about as horrible as it was possible for someone so beautiful to appear—eyes sunken, damp hair askew, face ashen, and dress essentially ruined, but then she smiled at him like she had entered a contest with the sun and leaned down, kissing his forehead and allowing a few tears to drip onto his skin. He blinked at her, not quite conscious enough to talk, but he hoped she understood that he was grateful for her and loved her. Her hand smoothed back his hair and he knew she received his message, allowing him to now focus on the broken man staring across from him with red-rimmed eyes.

"...'M not even gonna ask," Mario spoke up at last, voice raspy, as if he'd been screaming. "'M not gonna ask what the heck you did this time, or what even happened...Only you could find a way to drown on dry land."

"...Wh-..."

"There was no warning," Peach whispered, haunted. "We didn't even see what happened—just heard you collapse. At first, we both thought you had just passed out, but while we were taking care of you, we realized you...weren't breathing."

"You turned blue," Mario chimed in, chin still resting on his twin's chest, staring at nothing and speaking with no inflection, like he had to distance himself from the memory just to have the strength to reveal it. "Your heart stopped and water kept spilling out of your mouth every time I did compressions. Rescue breaths were useless...You just wouldn't breathe."

"...Sorry."

He wasn't sure why that single word broke his brother's fragile mental state, but Mario started to laugh, eyes a little manic as he gently pulled his sibling into a sitting position and lifted him, carrying him away from the regurgitated water as Peach stayed in place, giving them a moment alone while also covering her face and releasing a deep, shuddering breath, taking the same moment to compose herself.

"'Sorry,' huh? Good. Great. That covers it. Yeah, that makes it okay."

The older brother chose a corner and sank gracelessly to the ground like his legs had just given out, Luigi expecting to be lowered down beside him, but instead, found himself dropped into his twin's lap and cradled like a baby, Mario wrapping both arms around him and pressing his face into the crook of his neck as he rocked him, still letting out the occasional stifled sob.

"Mario...sorry."

He didn't have the capacity to say anything more. He knew it wasn't enough, but it was all he had, and he hoped his brother would take everything he could offer into account when considering his forgiveness.

"No, I'm sorry," he murmured, out of breath and running a trembling hand over his eyes. "Everything I said...so stupid...I almost l-...almost lost you, and that would've been the last thing I said to you."

"...Sorry."

"You haven't broken my heart," he said quickly, like the words needed to be given life before even the possibility of tragedy could occur again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. There's only one way you could break my heart, and you just gave me a demonstration that I didn't need and didn't ask for."

"'M sorry-"

"Shh," Mario pressed his lips against the younger one's temple, still rocking them soothingly. "I realized something, when I was over here, feeling sorry for myself." 

He pressed their foreheads together, Luigi able to see all the honesty, all the fear, and above all, the overwhelming adoration in his cerulean eyes. Mario kept touching his face—smoothing back his hair and wiping away the traces of sweat and lingering water, as if he had to keep reassuring himself that the skin under his hands was warm and living.

"I realized, I can't change your opinion about yourself."

'No,' Luigi couldn't help but shake his head, tears burning his eyes, 'don't say that.'

It felt like giving up. It felt like he had finally found the edge of Mario's patience and learned that the world he had always known to be round and everlasting had suddenly revealed itself as flat.

'If you give up on me, then I have to give up on myself, and I'm not ready to do that. Not yet.'

The nausea returned and he closed his eyes, turning his head away, but Mario cupped his cheeks, tipping their heads together once more and waiting until he met his gaze to speak again.

"It's me. I've been going about this all wrong. I know now that I can't force you to see yourself differently, but what I can do is convince you that nothing...nothing will ever change how I see you. And I'm gonna devote my whole life to making sure you know that, every day."

Luigi's eyes widened, a small, hopeful smile spreading across Mario's face.

"I see you, Fratellino. I see you, and if you ever want a break from looking at yourself through your own eyes, then you can just have a look through mine. I promise you the view is worth it."

 He pulled him close and nuzzled against him affectionately, whispering, "We're gonna get through this. I promise, we'll get through this. You're not signing your life away to Bowser; we'll find a way out, like we always do. As long as we're together, right? We'll find a way. Scelgo te. Ti voglio bene. Scelgo di volerti bene, per te."

The younger twin smiled, heart healing and warm droplets spilling down his cheeks. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve Mario, but maybe some gifts were just delivered to remind people how to be grateful.

...Yes.

...Good thought.

"Ti credo. Ti voglio bene. Ti credo mi vuoi bene, per mi."

They sat for a while, wrapped in an embrace and rocking back and forth, and Luigi would have been content to stay that way, lost in an infinite loop of, "just one more minute," but he knew he had to address what he had experienced, only a few moments ago.

"...Mario?"

"Hm?"

"...I think I heard Teron."

His brother froze, pulling away and frowning at him with concern as Peach joined them, kneeling down and resting a hand on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

Luigi bit his lip, glancing behind them at the coffin and the seemingly-innocuous blue flame that danced above it, bringing life to the rest of the colors that shone through the mausoleum's glass.

"I'm willing to bet those wisps are memories. I noticed them throughout the whole graveyard; didn't you?"

"No." "Yes."

Mario and Peach spoke at once, both somberly waiting for him to continue.

"I thought I heard it whispering. It was like it was calling to me," he watched the little fire burn brighter, quickly turning his head away when the room began to darken and his hearing started to muffle, "asking me to 'find the truth.'"

"So you touched it." Mario's tone and face were flat. "Weird blue ball of fire tells you to touch it and learn the secrets of the universe, and you trust it and end up drowning in a closed building with no water...Yeah, that sounds like you."

Peach smacked his shoulder, ignoring his indignant squawk.

"What did you find out?"

"He was talking to someone- something about proof, keeping a promise, and asking if they 'loved him yet.'"

His best friend brought a hand to her mouth, visibly troubled.

"That's so sad."

"What does you drowning have to do with it?"

Clearly, Mario only took one thing away from the situation, and it wasn't something he was going to let go anytime soon, if ever.

"I wonder if that's how he died."

"Possibly," Peach backed his theory. "'Proof,' you said? I wonder...no, that's horrible."

"Then it's probably true. What've you got?" Mario asked tiredly, massaging his forehead.

She hesitated, tugging on her fingers and looking pained.

"...I wonder if he was trying to win someone's affection, or at least their attention, and took it too far, or...or if he took it exactly as far as he meant to."

Luigi shivered and felt his gaze be drawn back to the flame, its tendrils curling into little beckoning fingers that tried to lure him back into its trap.

"...I suppose," he began slowly, "there's only one way to try to find out-"

"No."

"Mario-"

"No. End of discussion."

"There was no discussion."

"We nearly couldn't get you back the first time."

"We know what's coming now. If you're there, ready to pull me back if my heart stops again-"

"Do you hear yourself?! No! It's not happening!"

"I wasn't dead long enough for it to count! Just let me see if I can learn anything else!"

"Lord," Mario lifted his eyes and hands up to the heavens, "give this boy an ounce of self-preservation. I don't even care what gets shoved out to make room for it!"

"Mario," Peach cut in calmly, "take some deep breaths before you pop a blood vessel, and you," she turned sharply to Luigi, "are going to sit there and think about how you would feel if Mario did to you what you did to us, then asked to have another go at it, because it didn't kill him 'long enough to count' the first time!"

The younger twin dipped his head, feeling a little sheepish. Honestly, if their positions had been reversed, he would have been of no use, having already succumbed to a heart attack from stress the minute he realized his brother wasn't breathing.

"I'm sorry, Mario." He truly meant it that time. "I'm sorry, Peach."

The queen nodded, still frowning with lingering anxiety.

"Thank you. It helps a lot when you can turn the tables and put yourself in our shoes."

"No, I know."

Getting to his feet was a group activity, both his family members hovering to make sure he could properly stand, and even when he proved he could, Mario wouldn't let go of his arm. Luigi gestured helplessly to the wisp.

"I just feel like some of the answers are right there, and...I owe it to all of us to figure this out, so we can go home. I- I need to make amends."

Mario and Peach shared a look, the latter being the one to speak up.

"Luigi, we don't blame you for hiding the fact that Bowser is alive, or for giving him the book. We know you must have had your reasons."

"He threatened you," the red twin spoke up, scowling at the wall. "I know he did. Don't deny it."

"Okay, he threatened me. Actually, he threatened you—all of you." He shook his head. "I should've seen through his tricks, though. Why did I think giving him the book would be the end of it? I should've told you what he was planning, and maybe we could've done something. At least you would've been prepared."

"All right, hindsight," Mario finally trusted his balance enough to let him go. "Yeah, you should've, but you were protecting us. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same thing. We can't blame you for not thinking rationally when your family is on the line; we're all guilty of that. It's time to let it go and stop punishing yourself."

Peach nodded in agreement and Luigi felt his heart swell, lunging forward and wrapping them both in a hug that they readily returned.

"I love you guys."

"We love you, too," Mario murmured, Peach stroking his hair and squeezing them both tighter, a small, trembling breath escaping her.

"...But you're still not touching that flame."

Luigi pulled away, frowning with offense.

"I wasn't gonna ask-"

His brother shushed him suddenly, clapping a hand over his mouth with serious eyes now focused on the door. Luigi followed his gaze, feeling his heart start to race, and noticed the shadow, steadily coming closer and making no effort to stifle the noise of its footsteps. Peach's eyes widened and she clutched at her boys protectively, Mario holding his breath until the knob started to turn, at which point he yanked his wife and twin backwards, stashing them behind the sarcophagus and diving out of sight, himself, just as the door creaked open.

All three remained perfectly still, Mario practically crushing them to his body as they tried to limit the frequency of their breaths, listening to the slow footsteps come to a halt in front of the coffin. The figure didn't speak, but Luigi thought he could distinguish the sound of stone running across marble. It seemed to pause, then a few steps were taken to their right, the younger twin's eyes widening when he realized the stranger was standing right where he had coughed up all that water. From the looks on Mario and Peach's faces, they had come to the same realization.

"...It wasn't enough to steal my magnum opus and give it to that monster," a woman's low, steady voice resonated through the quiet space. "...You had to desecrate his grave, too? Haven't you disrespected his memory enough?"

Luigi was almost ready to reveal himself, accepting that their cover was blown, but Mario held him down, shaking his head frantically.

"Hide, if it pleases your coward hearts," Wintara continued, returning to the sarcophagus and laying her hand upon the top with a small clatter. "Forgive me, Teron," her tone shifted from ice to grief. "I shouldn't have allowed this invasion...Enough was enough."

Mario took a deep breath, slowly beginning to shift to the left of the coffin, inching towards the door and ensuring his family copied his movements. Peach followed readily, Luigi biting his lip and doing the same while listening to the Siren croon to the grave. They had almost made it to the edge of the sarcophagus when the door slammed shut, startling them all.

"Bad little rats," Wintara tutted, like she were scolding naughty children. "Whoever said I would be the one to let you out?"

"You don't even want us here," Mario growled at last, finally giving up the illusion of their absence. "Why not let us go?"

"Let you go?"

She stepped into view at last, tilting her head curiously at him and repeating the question as if it were some unreasonable concept.

"After all the trouble you three have caused?"

Peach was sweating and breathing heavily, fingers reaching for their hands and squeezing tightly as Wintara's obsidian eyes bore down on them, gold irises catching the moonlight and glowing like an animal's, reflected in the night.

"We just want to go home," the queen whispered. "We don't mean you or any of the people in this village any harm."

The Siren's focus shifted to her and she seemed to study her closely.

"...I think you already know that you're not going anywhere, my dear."

Peach sucked in a breath but Mario got to his feet, glaring at the woman eye to eye.

"It doesn't have to be all of us," he began quickly. "Let my brother and wife leave this place and I'll accept whatever punishment you think is fitting."

"Mario!"

'That hypocrite! That son of a-'

Luigi scrambled to his feet.

"What's the matter with you?!"

Wintara hummed, regarding him curiously but not saying a word.

Peach rose quickly as well, digging her nails into Mario's arm hard enough to make him flinch and muttering something in his ear that Luigi couldn't ascertain with complete accuracy, but it certainly didn't sound like the most ladylike description of his actions or her opinions about them.

Wintara watched them like they were putting on a show specifically for her pleasure and clasped her hands together, smiling darkly at Mario.

"How about a cup of tea?"

The king scowled, obviously sensing a trap.

"What's the catch?"

"Tea for one," she clarified. "Your choice who gets to leave."

Mario's face crumpled with indecision, looking back and forth between Luigi and Peach as he weighed the threat of Wintara against the uncertainty of remaining Bowser's prisoner. He pinched his lips, eyes darting between his family and their glass cage, then back to the Siren, who waited patiently for his decision.

"...How do I know you won't kill whoever goes with you?"

"I would never waste a pot of tea with poison," she scoffed, as if he were being ridiculous. "After all, untainted water is scarce around here."

"What do you want?" Luigi finally found the courage to speak up, though his voice was weak.

"Just a pleasant conversation," she responded vaguely.

"And afterwards? What's your angle? What happens after he has tea with you? You let him go?"

She sighed, obviously frustrated with Mario's suspicion, though the way he had structured the questions gave away his thought process. All that was left was for her to confirm that she wouldn't harm Luigi and then, the younger twin would be freed.

"Of course. You're not my prisoners, after all."

Mario nodded slowly, looking a little sick, then turned to his brother, pulling him close.

"Don't drink the tea," he whispered. "Look for your chance, any chance, and then get away, but don't let her catch on."

Luigi felt his previous nausea return to him, growing dizzy with anxiety as he shook his head.

"No- no, why don't you go? You can let us out! You'd be better-"

"I don't know when we're going to get a better chance or when Bowser will come back. I don't know what he's planning to do to us," Mario returned, even quieter in his ear. "I need you to be free."

With that, he pushed his twin towards the door, not hard enough to make him stumble, but with enough force that his choice was made obvious.

"If you...hurt him," the older brother warned, pointing at Wintara with far more ominous threat than any of their enemies had ever shown them, "I will tear you apart with my bare hands and bury your heart as far from Teron's grave as any of these worlds allow."

Luigi wasn't sure if threatening her was their best course of action, but the woman didn't seem offended. If anything, her gaze saddened and drifted over to the coffin.

"If you realize that separation is a worse punishment than death, then you never needed to steal my book. I hope your love for him serves you well."

With that, she strolled from the tomb, Luigi casting one last hesitant glance over his shoulder and receiving nervous but forcefully-encouraging smiles from both his family members before slowly following, wincing as he stepped onto the dewy grass and the door slammed shut behind him, Wintara bolting the lock.

"Why are you doing this? Why not just let them out? All we want is to leave!"

She stared at him, not answering, and continued to step through the fog that shrouded the graveyard, the very mist seeming to part for her.

"Come. Walk with me."

He hesitated, wanting nothing more than to run back to the mausoleum and unlock the door, but then he remembered the Husks, eyes drawn to where they wandered over the grounds, moaning their despair up to the dome while also lingering close to the specific grave, as if under orders to stand guard. However, at any point that they caught a glimpse of Wintara, they keened and shrank away, covering their heads as if expecting punishment.

"...How could you do this to your own people?"

Luigi whispered the thought aloud, not quite meaning to voice the question.

"What has the princess told you about Terotoko?"

He blinked, not expecting the change in subject.

"She told us about the customs and the people," he spoke up, after a moment of contemplation whether to tell the truth. "And about how the well was the treasure of the town. She said it used to bring healing and it helped make the empire rich, until you cursed it."

"...I see."

She gave away nothing, her voice and face completely blank as she walked the course back to her home.

"And what of our personal history? What did she tell you of us?"

'Us?'

"...She told us you hate her, and everyone else who ever tried to break the curse."

"But not why? Never 'why,' with that girl," she grumbled, shaking her head, tone now bitter.

"What are you talking about?"

Luigi's steps slowed out of instinct, increasing their distance, but she paused, waiting for him to catch up.

"She's here because of what you did to her people!"

"Oh, I know she is," Wintara purred, casting a withering smile over her shoulder. "Poor girl just can't figure it out. Decided she would prove that she could find a back door when I welcomed her through the front. I've seen a lot of people fail to finish my story, but her case is the most pathetic—all the pieces at her disposal and all the knowledge she could want, waiting at the tips of her fingers, but still unable to do what it takes. Pride really does smother success."

"You're one to talk about why," he challenged her. "Why did you even cast this spell in the first place? Did it have something to do with Teron-"

"Don't speak his name!"

Another involuntary step back when she rounded on him, eyes glowing.

"This town never deserved that boy. No one deserved him!"

Luigi didn't respond right away, waiting for her to calm herself and regain her composure, which she did after a minute.

"I know you looked where you had no business looking," she said calmly, straightening. "And I know what you saw."

"I just wanted to understand."

"And what did you understand?"

"I know he drowned."

Well, he didn't know that, but he figured it was a good enough guess to state with confidence.

"I know he was trying to prove something and he ended up dying...I just don't know what that has to do with you."

Her eyes glimmered, staring at him with a kind of devastation he had only ever seen once—back in that mausoleum when Mario was waiting to find out if his twin's heart would ever beat again.

"...Everything," she whispered at last. "It has everything to do with me."

Mario knew he was probably driving Peach insane with his pacing, but he couldn't help it. He kept second-guessing his decision to send Luigi out with that woman after they had done so much to avoid her. She had cast the spell over the entire village, so she was obviously a powerful witch. What would she do to his twin? Why did he send his brother off with her, all alone?!

"...What was I thinking-"

"Stop questioning yourself," Peach sighed, a tinge of frustration in her tone. "We've been over this. He's safer on the outside than sitting in here, waiting for whenever Bowser decides to collect on their 'agreement.'"

Still, Mario had chewed at least two nails raw, making the tips of his fingers bleed as his mind spun with different scenarios, each more horrible than the last.

"First he promises his life to Bowser, then he drowns, and now I've sent him off with possibly the most powerful and unstable person we've ever met! How could I- what was I-?!"

"Shh."

Peach was suddenly in front of him, catching his face in her hands and forcing him to focus on something calming and beautiful.

"I know you're worried. I am, too, but you made the right choice. I promise you, you made the right choice. He'll be far safer out there than in here. Out there, he can get away and possibly even find out where Bowser is keeping Daisy."

Mario shook his head, ears still ringing and stomach roiling.

"...I knowingly sent my baby brother off alone with someone I know can hurt him." The words poisoned him. "...I haven't ever done that in my entire life!"

She pulled him close, letting him fall apart for what felt like the tenth time that night.

"I'm supposed to protect him," he whimpered pathetically, hating himself for forcing her to be the strong one when she was also sick with worry. "What'll I do if something happens to him? It'll be my fault!"

"Shh," she hushed him again, graciously foregoing comment on the dampness soaking into her shoulder.

She knew what a hard night he'd been having, though Luigi's crowning achievement in taking years off his life had been the drowning stunt—it had never been topped and likely never would. He knew the nightmares would plague him for weeks and that his brother could say goodbye to sleeping in solitude for at least a month, and even now, he felt like the jitters still hadn't left him. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard the sound of his twin, yanking him out of his morose thoughts by hitting the floor with no warning, followed by the sight of him lying there, lifeless, and then having to relive those sickening fifteen seconds it took to confirm what he already knew, down in the deepest fathoms of his soul—that his other half was no longer breathing.

He opened his eyes, feeling ill.

"Mario," Peach soothed, stroking the back of his head, "no one would ever accuse you of not putting him first. You did what you had to do, and it was the right decision. I stand by it one hundred percent."

Smiling sweetly, if not worriedly, she pulled away, kissing his nose and hugging herself tightly as she circled the coffin, regarding that little blue flame with a furrow between her brows.

"I still don't know what possessed him to touch it, but...maybe it was an important puzzle piece that was missing."

"It still doesn't help us. So what if we know Teron drowned? Wintara loved him, obviously, but what does it have to do with us breaking the barrier and getting out of here?"

"We know she had a weak spot," Peach insisted, tilting her head in consideration. "That makes her more human. And humans are easier to defeat than ideas. Before, she was this unstoppable force with an unknown amount of power and no clear motivation, but now, she'll be a bit easier to manipulate, if it comes to that."

Mario frowned, hating that his pure-hearted wife now had to think in terms of tricks and manipulation to get what they needed, but he supposed he could be grateful that she was adapting to their situation and letting it appropriately harden her, at least for the time being. Still, he couldn't help but think about how Luigi felt there was more to be learned about Teron, and how the wisp had beckoned him in—urging him to accept its visions.

He studied the flame, waiting to feel a tug on his mind, but there was none. As far as he could tell, it was just a magical fire with no sentience and no purpose, other than to warm or maybe illuminate.

Still...

"Do you think Lu was right?"

"About what?"

Peach massaged her temple, squinting around the headache she kept insisting was tiny.

"About there being more to the memory? About...needing to see it again?"

She snapped her head up, eyes darker and more sunken than ever before.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, and he actually took a step back, frightened.

"I was just-"

"No! If you touch that flame, I swear-"

"Luigi wouldn't ever have to know."

"I would know! Don't I matter, too?!"

"Of course you matter! I just want to get us out of here!" He kicked at the coffin in frustration, not caring if it was disrespectful. "I wanna go home! I want to see the sunset and walk through the town with you and Luigi! I want to see our friends and find you two reading in your favorite, hidden nook in the library! I want to wake up and see your face, smiling at me after you've slept peacefully instead of painfully—lying on the dirt and fighting off nightmares! I want to lie in the meadow with Luigi and watch the clouds! I want to give you both back the sun! I have to get us out and I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen!"

"Mario, DON'T!"

Heart pounding, jaw set, he reached out and stuck his hand into the flame, immediately bombarded with fragments of tormented memories and goading voices.

"...-have what it takes."

...

...

"...-isn't that far. Don't be-"

...

"When you come back, I'll m-"

...

...

...

"...-love me. I need to show him proof."

...

...

...

...

"...-prove it to me."

"MARIO! MARIO, PLEASE!"

He blinked, jolting back to reality to find himself viewing the world from a much higher platform than he remembered, Peach sobbing and shaking him. After a moment, he realized that he was standing atop the coffin, staring ahead into seemingly nothing, and that his wife had likely been trying to jostle him out of his catatonic state for as long as it felt it had taken him to force Luigi's heart to continue beating. He blinked again, stumbling a little and flexing his slightly numb arm, only to slide off the sarcophagus and fumble onto his knees as his lack of coordination caught up with him.

He felt like he was chasing his own breath, shaking the lingering, dizzying memories out of his head and focusing on the muffled voice of his terrified wife, begging him to look at her and acknowledge her frantic calls.

"...I-I'm okay," he breathed, his words broken but clear. "I'm here...I'm sorry."

Her blue eyes gleamed in the moonlight, desperate and enraged, and she wasted no time in smacking him in the arms and shoulders, cursing him out with a vocabulary that he honestly hadn't even known had made the cut into her verbal repertoire. Apparently, all those words he thought had been successfully muttered under his breath hadn't been missed; they'd just been ignored.

"How could you?!" she screamed at him, more distraught than he had ever previously seen. "I TOLD you not to! What if your heart had stopped?! I'm not strong enough to compress as hard as you did for Luigi! Or as hard as Luigi could have done for you! What is wrong with you?! How could you do that to me?!"

In hindsight...that had been pretty stupid. Maybe some of Luigi's lack of self-preservation was learned behavior.

"I-I'm sorry, amore mio- I wasn't thinking. I was just-...I didn't think that through."

"Didn't think it through?!"

She smacked his shoulder again, weaker this time, as her breaths came out in choked, strangled sobs and she covered her face, shaking. He reached for her, but she scrambled away, practically vibrating with anger.

"Don't! You jus- just stay away from me until I calm down...I can't believe you did that!"

Mario hung his head, ashamed, but still meekly trying to justify his actions, if only to himself. After all, he had been able to learn something else—something certain to prove useful. Teron had been talking to someone, in that memory, and the voice, though muffled, was undeniably familiar.

Despite all the new questions and all the missing pieces, something had become abundantly clear...

Daisy had lied.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

Luigi sat upon one of the rooftops, hugging his knees and breathing slowly, letting the cold air brush over his face and release from his throat in misty clouds as he watched the mausoleum from afar. The pinpricks of moonlight shone over the hundreds of surveilling Husks that ambled around Teron's tomb, mindlessly standing guard and forbidding any attempt to release his family even a second before the sun rose.

"You're not drinking your tea."

"...Sorry. I-I just...I'm worried about my brother."

"You're clutching your chest."

"It just really hurt for a minute there...It's going away now. Thank you for the tea, but I-I'm not very thirsty."

"Mm. I find that hard to believe...unless you drank the well water."

"No."

"Good. Desperation does things to people. Personally, I would rather be buried, but I suppose when given the choice, more would rather lose themselves and hold out blind hope for freedom. Seems foolish to me."

"Why is that foolish? Because they don't want to die?"

"No need to snap, Boy. These villagers never were known for their fortitude, and now, it is simply reflected in their choices. They have no one to blame but themselves."

He rubbed a hand over his chest, wincing at the lingering pain from when Mario had relentlessly forced his heart to beat, as well as the twinge of fear that remained about his twin having possibly hurt himself, even momentarily. From his vantage point, he could see the well, innocuous in the distance, and Bowser's sleeping frame, guarded by various Husks, whom he swore turned in his direction several times, only for their heads to drift the other way, preserving the illusion that he had gone unnoticed.

"You're blaming them for this? All of them? What did they do to you?"

"Sometimes, it's a matter of what one did not do. I was once regarded, by even the emperor, himself, as a treasured mage. They called me Kwenolelo, and the people respected me. My talents brought a certain charm, not only to the imperial family, but to the empire, itself, and especially Terotoko. I accepted any and all requests to commission their stories and watch fragments of their own worlds be given life through my words...Yes, I see you looking at them. Thousands of small tales inked by my pen, bringing joy to a village that would exploit one's singular talent for their own amusement and forget the person behind the quill."

"You can bring stories to life, just by writing them?"

"Put your eyes back into their sockets. My powers are limited, before you get any ideas about the impossible."

"I-I wasn't-"

"Besides, how long can one be expected to weave pleasant dreams into the tangible tapestry of reality, upon finding out that the seamstress cannot rely upon those who provide the threads to speak the truth? I gave them a chance. I gave them all a chance, and they let me down."

He hadn't seen Daisy since they had separated. So many questions swirled in the tornado of his mind, and he needed her side of things.

He needed to know who was lying to him.

"That's why Daisy wanted to steal your book, isn't it? She wanted to change the ending?"

"Or the beginning. Her efforts were in vain, as is typical for her. She hasn't the gift and my book's ending has yet to be decided."

"You could do it, though? You could write that the curse was broken and we all left safely?"

"I could."

"Then why-"

"I'm certain you've noticed that my book is no longer in my possession. Something to do with a fire and a broken window?"

"..."

"Don't look at me like that, Boy. You knew what you were doing when you handed my life's final pages over to the monster."

"Daisy said-"

"Well, she did you no favors, did she? After your brother learned of my book, I expected him to share the information, but I admit I did not account for the craftiness of my leading lady. Clever fox, always knows what part to play."

"You weren't going to help us, anyway."

"How do you know? You never asked me. You only believed her and her inferior tales."

"What tales? She told us the truth-"

"She told you her side of the truth. You were simply bedazzled by a beautiful girl who seemed to have all the answers. Did you ever imagine that her explanations were just a bit too guided, to lead you to the 'X' she drew in the sand? Did it never bother you that she appeared with no forewarning to offer much-needed aid to a confused, lost, and struggling family, who only wanted to take the safest road, for the sakes of each other?"

"She-"

"Knew what to say. Knew this town. Knew our lore. Knew of the Vaikoloa Well...She knew our people, Child...She knew one, particularly well."

He closed his eyes, turning his face up to the sky and wishing the doubt would leave him. If only he knew where she was, he could free her and give her the chance to convince him Wintara was leading him astray—playing tricks with his mind. However, the streets were lined with Husks, and venturing through them alone would be too high of a risk. Better to wait and sort out his thoughts until morning, then free his family and let them decide what was their next best course of action.

...Yes, that's what he told himself.

"The tea has gone cold."

"..."

"Go, Child. I keep my word, and you are not my prisoner."

"Why did you do this? What did you really want to tell me?"

"Nothing of importance. Maybe I just wanted to have tea with a boy who reminded me of someone not long lost."

"Te-..."

"...Say his name."

"...Teron?"

"Yes...Yes, Teron. He deserved so much more."

"And the people in this village didn't?"

"...Indeed. You are kinder than most...You may just be the fly this spider was waiting for."

"What?"

"I granted your twin a question, so I believe it only fair to allow you the same courtesy. Ask me one query, which I will answer truthfully, then be on your way."

"Y-"

"The question you ask holds more weight than you realize. Be wise, Child. Let your words linger behind your thoughts, so that they may always keep them in view."

"..."

"..."

"...Are you okay?"

"You-...You nearly wasted your question so carelessly. I said to think carefully-"

"I did. That's my question. Are you okay?"

"..."

"..."

"...Why do you ask this?"

"I know from experience that asking someone 'why' can be pointless. Some things just need to be understood more than they need to be fixed."

"...No words can take away certain pains, Child. If they did..."

"..."

"...You're quiet, Boy."

"...I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize for time spent sorting thoughts. I prefer organized conversation, anyway."

"Not for that. I'm sorry that even with all your magic, you can't write yourself into the story you want to live."

He told himself she couldn't be trusted—a master manipulator. Daisy had warned them that she was dangerous, but the princess had underestimated the weight of her powers of persuasion. All this time released from her abode, and he had spent those precious moments mulling over potential misunderstandings and allowing someone he was starting to deeply care for linger in a prison guarded by his worst enemy. Luigi shook his head, ashamed of himself for falling for it, and even more so for the tiny niggle of doubt that refused to leave him, no matter how many memories of Daisy's desperation countered it.

Sliding off the roof while avoiding making too much noise, he kept his eyes on the Husks, who took immediate notice of his actions, confirming that he had never fooled them in the first place. As one rushed to croak out a warning to Bowser, Luigi sucked in a breath and hid, barely risking a peek from behind the stone walls of his cover.

The Koopa rose from under a blanket Luigi now noticed was stolen from Peach's rucksack and turned in circles, clearly searching, and the prince let out a breath when his enemy audibly berated the poor creature for waking him for no reason. As sorry as he felt for the Husk's state of inarticulation, Luigi was grateful that it could hardly give its disruption a reason that Bowser could understand. At least the king didn't seem inclined to harm it, simply shouting out an order to keep watch over his prisoners while he checked on his "bride."

Luigi perked up, hoping to be led to her prison—from a safe distance, of course. Backing away, he bumped into something hard and froze, tentatively turning his head and feeling the blood drain from his face as one of the Husks seemed to stare right through him, even through covered eyes. Luigi almost forgot to breathe, wondering if he had just lost the only chance they would have for keeping the upper hand as his eyes trailed up and down the creature, from its short stature to the ragged doll that hung from its arm.

A wave of sympathy rushed over his mind and he breathed out slowly, holding up his hands.

"It's okay," he whispered. "I want to help you. I want to help all of you."

It tilted its head, raising a single claw and tracing it down its broken cheek.

"Yes," Luigi nodded, even though he realized it probably couldn't tell. "I know you're hurting. I want to give you your lives back, but I need help. Can-...can you help me?"

It chittered, stepping closer, and he took an instinctive step back as it regarded him, slowly reaching towards him. He forced himself to stay still as cold fingers encased in cracked glass brushed over his face. He closed his eyes, letting the Husk explore, and a moment later, a high keen rose from it as it stepped back, clutching its head and ambling away while leaving him unharmed.

Luigi watched it go, mind stuck on the interaction and the fact that he had successfully lived through it, but he then remembered Bowser and that the Koopa was getting away. His heart jumped in his chest and he hurried to catch up, dodging between buildings and avoiding detection from any less-sentimental creature as he struggled to keep Bowser in his line of sight. He had learned the layout of the town well enough, by that point, to realize they were heading back to the underground tunnels, and he waited for his enemy's form to disappear down the stairs before silently sneaking after him.

Mario leaned against the glass wall of their prison, staring over at the little blue flame that had caused the biggest fight in his marriage to date. Peach was curled up in the opposite corner, looking cold and distraught as she slowly blinked at the streams of colorful moonlight piercing through their cage. He ached to say something—to apologize again, but she had made it clear that she needed space, and he would respect it, no matter how much he longed to wrap her up in his arms and act as both pillow and blanket as she tried and failed to sleep for just a few hours.

His mind turned back to the voices he had heard—the memories. Disjointed and confusing, he was certain of only one fact, and that was Daisy's involvement. She had lied to his face when she claimed she had no information on Teron. If anything, she had known him better than most people likely ever would. Just the thought of her dishonesty made his heart and fists clench in equal measure. He had practically given his blessing to Luigi to pursue her, if only for the boost of confidence it may provide, but now he was questioning everything.

She had seemed so honest. She had seemed so helpful. All her knowledge and long-overdue answers were going to be their key out of there; at least, that's what he had hoped. Was she leading them astray, or was she simply hiding a very uncomfortable truth?

Regardless, his trust was shaken and he reminded himself again why he only trusted two people with the duet of treasures he held most dear—Luigi with Peach and Peach with Luigi. 

"...Mario?"

He scrambled to his feet before she had even completed the word, rushing over to her as he tried not to let himself get lost in too much hope.

"Y-Yeah? I'm here."

"...Hold me."

The king wasted no time obeying, sitting down and opening his arms for her to settle in against his chest, her skin cold from leaning against the glass.

"I don't want to fight. Who knows what could happen or how long we even have? I'm not going to spend any of our moments pushing you away."

"...I-"

"What you did was stupid," she lifted red-rimmed eyes to glare at him, ensuring he knew she meant it. "So stupid...You're lucky I love Luigi more than I want to punish you, or else he and I would be having a very unfortunate conversation the instant he comes back for us."

Mario paled, snapping his mouth shut as his wife softened, running a finger over his overall buttons.

"What did you see?"

"In the memory? It wasn't really a vision—more...voices...feelings."

"Tell me."

"...Daisy knew Teron."

Peach frowned.

"Well, that's good, isn't it? She can tell us why Wintara-"

"No, you don't understand," he tried to keep his frustration from spilling out onto the wrong target. "She lied to me. I asked her who he was and she told me, point-blank, that she didn't know."

"Oh. Maybe she forgot? Ashamed as I am to admit it, I've forgotten many names of people who feel they know me well. As their princess, she might have met him and just not remembered."

Mario closed his eyes, unsure if he wished he could be more optimistic or if he wished Peach would be more realistic.

"This wasn't the kind of relationship that she'd just forget," he muttered bitterly. "She said something about 'proof' and 'love.' It sounded like Teron was going somewhere and she was waiting for him to come back...come back to her."

"...Oh."

"Yeah."

Peach sat up, brows furrowed in confusion.

"We can't jump to conclusions until we confront her about it," she insisted firmly. "If she loved him, maybe the memory was just too painful to relive."

"I'm not giving my blessing to a liar."

"Ah," Peach's face smoothed in realization, giving him a little smile, "so that's what this is about. You thought you found someone not quite good enough for Luigi, but clearly perfect for him, so good enough that you'd reluctantly accept it, and now that you've found a flaw, she no longer qualifies for his affection?"

"That's not it!"

"Oh, really?" 

Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Really," he lifted his chin, defiant. "If she does hurt him, I have proper resources and already know how I'd use them, but this isn't about that. I just want us all to keep a little distance until we know she wasn't lying about anything else—anything really important. All of our information came from her, alone, and we believed everything she said because we were desperate. If she lied about one thing, who's to say that anything she told us was the truth?"

Peach sighed, reclining back against him, even if she still felt stiff from the discomfort of their confinement, hiding her eyes in the crook of his shoulder.

"I suppose that's fair."

"Thank you."

He wrapped himself around her, scowling at his own uselessness when he failed to warm her chilled frame, even after vigorously rubbing her arms.

"I'm sorry I can't make you more comfortable, Amore."

"Don't apologize," she murmured, laying a gentle hand over his mouth to shush him. "You're doing everything you can. I haven't said this enough, on this little adventure of ours, but Luigi and I both think you're doing a good job."

"Of what? Getting captured, trusting strangers, and picking favorites?"

"No, in keeping us safe. You already know there's nowhere your brother and I feel safer than with you, and we trust you implicitly."

She snuggled closer.

"You're in charge," the words were now spoken sincerely rather than playfully. "You always were. You're the leader of our family and we respect your judgement, so if you want us all to keep our distance from Daisy until she proves we can trust her, we will."

"...I'm not sure I can convince Luigi. Smitten people don't always see what's right in front of them."

"You really think he won't listen to his big brother?"

Mario sighed, trying to get comfortable on the icy floor and provide enough protection for Peach to allow her to stay warm while they waited.

"I think there are a lot of things we need to talk about. I'm not writing off Daisy until she explains herself, but I can't worry about that right now. The only thing on my mind is where Luigi is and whether he's safe."

"He's safe, Mario. He's okay."

"I know. I know he's okay...for now."

Tilting his head back against the wall, he closed his eyes, pained at his helplessness.

"Make good choices, Bro," he whispered a quiet plea. "Don't do what you'd normally do until I can be there to talk you out of it."

Either Bowser knew exactly where he was going, or he was simply lost with confidence; Luigi couldn't tell which. He felt he had been trailing and ducking into small alcoves for over half an hour, hoping to be led to the princess, but the Koopa was twisting down unexpected paths and taking so many odd turns that Luigi was beginning to grow suspicious that the beast knew he was being followed and was leading his enemy into some sort of trap.

Every once in a while, the king would glance over his shoulder, giving Luigi little time to hide from view, before letting out a grunt and continuing on. By the time his heart would stop pounding, Luigi would always spare a moment to try to remember the way back, but eventually, it became pointless. Just like the first time he found himself in this maze, he would be relying on Daisy to lead him out.

If he even was allowed the chance to free her, of course.

Looking around, he couldn't help but notice that this path, despite its repetitive nature, looked familiar, the feeling aided by a distant sound of fabric being dragged along the floor. His suspicions were confirmed when a Husk, donned in heavy curtains, ambled across the branching corridors, igniting his déjà vu, as he soon recognized this place as where he had met Daisy for the first time; more accurately, where she had stopped him from getting himself killed due to blind hope that he had found Peach.

A rush of adrenaline ran through him when he realized he had allowed himself to become distracted and could no longer see Bowser. 

"No," he muttered. "No no no no!"

Darting out from behind the wall, no longer even concerned about giving away his location, he found himself completely alone.

Again—he was lost in the tunnels again. Trying not to hyperventilate, he leaned in to listen down the different paths, picking one at random when he failed to hear his enemy's footsteps and slowly inching down the hall the lone Husk had just abandoned.

He was only grateful Bowser had sent the majority of the creatures up above to guard his family, or else he surely would have been caught in these previously-infested tunnels.

"You'll find your way out," he whispered to himself, desperate to convince the shadow following him that he hadn't made a mistake that would cost him everyone he cared about, just by being stupid enough to get distracted. "You can retrace your steps. Mario would tell you that you can."

Each footfall was a commitment to his indecision and he had to hold his chest to try to calm himself, brushing his fingers over the walls and hoping beyond any reasonable assumption that he was going the right way. Never did he imagine that he would find himself hoping to run into Bowser, of all people. 

As he continued on, he slowly gave up hope of finding Daisy, cursing himself for thinking he could do anything on his own, especially now that Mario and Peach were counting on him to free them as soon as the sun rose. He wouldn't be there and Mario would be terrified, coming up with fifteen reasons why he was delayed, all of them wrong and each of them worse than the last.

Luigi scrubbed a hand over his eyes, disgusted with himself for messing this up and letting everyone down. His hand instinctively went to his knuckles but paused, not only Mario's concerned face, but Peach and Daisy's also flashing in front of his eyes, causing him to take a deep breath and slowly lower his fingers. He clenched his fists instead, marching on until he came across an archway leading into a large, circular room with no other exits—a dead end.

He nearly turned around, but something made him curious, leading to a cautious step forward, then another...and another.

The torches on the wall were lit, casting the room in an eerie, uncomfortable glow, and only when he fully entered did he realize the purpose of the space. Ten glass coffins lay in two neat rows, each missing a lid, but after morbid wonder dared him to venture closer, he scrambled back upon peeking into the closest sarcophagus. A body resided within, as he had gravely expected—a soldier of Balzar's laid to rest, but what caused fear to spike in his heart was the fact that he was still breathing.

No other movement twitched in his form, just a silent, slow, steady breath that rose from his chest every few seconds. Tied to the fingers resting over his heart was a frayed yellow string.

Luigi clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to calm his frazzled mind, and only when the ringing in his ears faded did he hear the footsteps coming his way. With barely time to think, he dove behind one of the coffins, reminded of his recent actions in hiding from Wintara, but the terror in those memories had been lessened due to the presence of his family. Here, he was completely alone and had no idea what to do when Bowser's familiar growl sounded from the doorway, the beast coming to a slow halt within the room.

"...I can smell you," he rumbled, stepping over to the wall and closing a fist over one of the torches, darkening the space.

Luigi moved around the coffin the further Bowser ventured into the room, remembering Mario quietly forcing him to listen to footsteps and judge angles that would keep him hidden. He held his breath, wishing his brother were there to take control.

The Koopa extinguished another torch, the shadows stretching across the room.

"I could smell you the whole time you followed me."

The younger twin trembled, Bowser's dark form warped through the glass of the sarcophagus, but he swore he could clearly see the red glow in his eyes as they turned to where he remained hidden.

"You weren't supposed to come this way," the monster continued, dousing another torch. "Some things aren't meant for you to see. Did you get lost, Little Prince?"

One flame remained and Bowser's hand hovered over the fire, ready to cast them into complete darkness.

"...I hope you know how to run," was the only warning Luigi got before the last of the light was extinguished.

The king's roar rattled the glass of the coffins, causing a crack to form in the one concealing Luigi as he rushed to his feet, sprinting down the hall through the dark with heavy footsteps trailing after him, shaking the ground with their force.

He had no direction and no time to plan out a proper escape, his only goal to get away.

Running faster than he ever had before, his single glance over his shoulder proved to be a horrific mistake as he tripped over heavy fabric, slamming his knees into the earth as the Husk chittered at him, dragging its curtains aside and reaching for his eyes as he rolled out of the way.

"I can hear you!"

Bowser's taunting voice echoed down the halls.

"I can see the trail you left behind!"

"Please," Luigi panted, gazing up at the broken face of his only hope as it regarded him carefully. "Please, help me! I'm trying to free you but he's going to kill me!"

For a moment, he wanted to believe it understood, twisting its head to the side as if listening to the monster's threats as they came closer. Luigi had no time to wonder if the Husk would aid him, chase him, or simply leave him to die. He continued to run, ignoring the throbbing in his knees and taking random turns, trying to lose his pursuer.

He had no idea how long or how far he ran, but he hadn't heard those thundering footsteps in nearly ten minutes. His lungs burned, his legs shaking with exhaustion, and he allowed himself just a few seconds to lean his hand against the wall, desperate to catch his breath and wishing he had some water. Though, with the dwindling supplies that Mario was trying to hide from both him and Peach, he knew even if it was offered, he would have to resist. This night was not being kind to him.

"...Luigi?"

Lifting his head, his blurring vision caught sight of something he would have otherwise run right past, his heart fluttering with hope upon spotting the barred door of a storehouse, just steps ahead from where he had been forced to stop.

"D-Daisy?" he spoke breathlessly, stumbling forward. "Are you there? A-Are you really there-"

"Don't open the door!"

"What?"

His hands were already on that heavy bar, noisily lifting it from its place.

"He can hear you! He'll-..."

"...Daisy?"

A sharp pain smashed into his temple and he fell to the ground, a sick feeling rising in his stomach as his vision darkened, barely registering the hands reaching for him before his awareness faded away.

Mario shot upright, dislodging Peach, who had just fallen asleep and was now frantically asking what was wrong, cupping her husband's face as the older twin stared ahead, swallowing down nausea and not even caring that seemingly-baseless tears had started to roll down his cheeks. Though, what might have been seen as baseless to anyone else wasn't lost on his wife, who paled further.

"...Luigi?" she whispered the question.

Mario let out a shuddering breath and barely nodded, burying his face into the queen's collar when she enveloped him in an embrace.

"Deep breaths," she soothed, knowing his pain, even if she couldn't understand it personally. "He'll be okay."

"...He's hurt."

"I know. I know, Love. He'll be okay. He's strong."

"I-I sent him out there."

"It's not your fault."

He pulled her close, muffling his cries in her shoulder as his heart twisted nearly beyond his capacity to keep breathing.

"Luigi," he whimpered, "...get up."

"...Get up."

His head throbbed. Opening his eyes took more effort than he could currently expend, but those words were the first that reached beyond the dreams and pulled him back to reality.

Something cold and wet was dabbing at his temple and the shock of it finally forced his eyes to open a crack, letting in painful light that blurred the browns and yellows filling his foggy vision.

"I'm sorry," the princess's voice was still muffled, but he could feel the honesty behind her words. "I never wanted you to get hurt. I'm so sorry."

"...D'sy?"

"I'm here, Green Bean," she sighed, causing another spike of pain through his head when she wiped more blood from his temple. "You and your heroics. Your brother is gonna kill you, you know."

"...M'rio."

"Yeah, that guy. What were you thinking? I told you not to open the door! That lock is so loud that Bowser would've heard it even if he hadn't already been down here!"

"Tr'ng...free you."

"...I know," she sounded regretful—possibly even angry. "I know you were...I'm so sorry."

"N't...fault."

She didn't respond, giving him time to regain his bearings before he carefully sat up, mourning the mushroom available to him the last time he wasn't paying attention and got his head smashed in because of it. Daisy was right about one thing—Mario was going to kill him.

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Mario-"

"Hug, mushroom," he counted the events out on his fingers, "hug, death."

"Do I get to give him a goodbye hug, too?"

"Fine. Hug, mushroom, hug, hug, death."

"Mario..."

"He's mad."

"Who?"

"My brother. I scared him, now he's mad at me."

She frowned, but didn't request he give some explanation that exonerated his sanity. He supposed the couple of days she'd spent with them had been enough to prove he and Mario weren't average siblings.

"How's your head?" she asked instead.

"It hurts, but I'll live."

Swinging his legs over the side of her cot, he eyed the closed door, freshly frustrated with himself. Wintara had offered a chance at escape, and now they were all locked in because of him.

Maybe it was the reminder of Wintara and their conversation, or maybe he was just still reeling from getting attacked, but when Daisy reached for him, he pulled away, startling her.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I just-...I'm sorry."

She looked hurt, slowly pulling her hands back in with a small furrow between her brows, and he felt the guilt set in for having upset her. As far as he knew, she had been nothing but helpful, and now he was taking a witch's words to heart and pushing away the princess who only wanted to save her town and her people.

"Daisy-"

"No, I understand," she cut him off, turning away and clutching her arms tightly. "Bowser told me where he locked you guys up...I know you were in Teron's tomb and probably touched the Wisp."

"What's a Wisp?"

"When people die here," she sank down onto an overturned crate, staring down at the floor, "one of our mages is able to cast a Wisp over the grave. Usually, it's for the sake of the family, so they can relive a few moments of memories or hear their loved one's voice when they need it to help them deal with the pain. Though...when the death is tragic, people usually elect not to have a Wisp, since it usually captures only painful memories. Everyone except Wintara, that is. I think she commissioned it just to torment me."

"Wait," Luigi leaned forward, headache forgotten, "all I felt was drowning. What did that have to do with you?"

Her eyes widened, mouth parting and closing like she had already said too much, but he wasn't about to let this go.

"Daisy, what does Teron's death have to do with you?"

For several moments, they stared at each other, and he became sure she wasn't going to tell him more, but eventually, she surprised him, her voice still strong, even if it bore a crack or two.

"...It was an accident. Wintara never forgave me, and she never let go. She never moved on."

Luigi blinked, trying to organize his scattering thoughts and pick relevant questions.

"She came into the mausoleum and let me out-"

"Oh," Daisy's tone sharpened drastically, "that's why you pulled away from me. What did she tell you? That I'm the devil?"

"No, she just-" he paused, wondering how much he should share before coming to the conclusion that he had nothing to lose by hiding the truth, "...she made me question your intentions. I don't want to, Daisy," he spoke up quickly when he saw her face crumble, "but you have to admit that you just kinda came out of nowhere and knew exactly what we needed to do."

"And that's it? One conversation with the witch who did this—the witch who cursed my people and won't let any of us leave because she can't get over her grief—and suddenly, I'm your enemy? What do you think I'm hiding?! Maybe the fact that Bowser was alive this whole time and you betrayed us to give him the book we risked our necks for?! That kind of secret?!"

He flinched back, curling in on himself as shame overwhelmed him.

"He threatened all of you," his defense for himself was weakly-spoken. "I was just trying to protect you-"

"Well, you hid him and I hid the fact that I knew Teron. I think we're even." Her eyes trailed over him. "In fact, I think you hid more than I did."

Luigi couldn't even argue with that. Sure, he had asked her when they first met if she knew Teron, and she had denied it, but why should she owe him an explanation? If Teron truly was just a bad memory of a bad accident, then it wasn't any of his concern. Bowser, on the other hand...

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Bowser-"

"No, I'm sorry," she ran her hands over her face, joining him on the bed. "He told me what you offered to keep us all safe."

Her eyes, bright with unshed tears, met his own, flickering in the dim torchlight.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"That..." she licked her lips, "you'd offer yourself in exchange for immunity for Mario, Peach, and...and me?"

Nodding through a shuddering breath, he wasn't expecting her to gently lean her head against his shoulder.

"...You deserve better than this," her words were quiet, almost as if she were speaking to herself. "You deserve to be free."

He shook his head, turning his face from her.

"After the things I've done, I'm not sure I deserve anything. I dragged my family here against their will, I bargained with the beast, and now, I've gotten us all captured. I deserve whatever he has planned for me."

"That's not true-"

"Yes, it is."

Gently pulling away, he rose to his feet, unable to meet her eyes.

"I haven't made one good decision since I got here. I've just put everyone in more danger than they would've been if I hadn't been in the way-"

"You found me."

A hand on his shoulder forced him to turn around.

"Was I a mistake, too?"

Desperation flooded him, spilling out into words he never would have normally spoken.

"How do I know you're not what Wintara thinks you are?"

Her gaze cracked with despair before some of that fire returned.

"You don't. You just have common sense. Why would it benefit me to hurt you? How would it help me to not free my people and escape this place?"

He had to admit that he couldn't imagine a good reason that she wouldn't be working towards the same goal as him and his family. She was just as trapped as they were and had far more personal ties to Terotoko than he, Mario, and Peach ever would.

"Please, Luigi," she implored him, squeezing his shoulders, "don't let her turn you against me! She blames me for her son's death, but that doesn't mean we deserve what she's done to us!"

"She said she would have helped us if we'd gone to her-"

"She's lying! Why would you believe her?! She lost her mind the moment she lost Teron!"

"Daisy-"

"I'm not your enemy!" she panted, shaking him desperately. "I'm just trying to save my people! And until now..." she paused, her stare drifting up and down his face, then softening as if she were coming to some realization, "...until now...I'd never met...someone like you."

He blinked, his own breaths picking up as he stared back at her.

"...Someone like me?"

In his past experience, being singled out was never a compliment, but yet, this time, he understood what she meant.

'Someone like him.'

'Someone like her.'

Fingers curling around the straps of his overalls, she started leaning in, almost subconsciously, and he didn't pull away. Just an inch remained between them when she blinked and let go, hands raised like she was horrified with herself.

"Daisy-"

"I'm not tricking you," she whispered, tears spilling over her cheeks. "I don't want you to think that I am! This isn't a trick!"

Instinctively, he reached for her, but she copied his earlier actions and backed away, shaking her head at him and scrubbing angrily at her eyes. She mumbled something into her hands that he didn't catch.

"What?"

"I said why did you have to be so kind?! I don't want you to die!"

"Daisy, I don't even know what Bowser has planned-"

"This is her fault! This is all her fault! An- And my fault! You shouldn't have to deal with our mistakes! This isn't fair!"

He didn't try to tell her to calm down, letting her kick at the crate and shout out her curses until she tired herself out and sank down onto the cot, tears drying as she stared ahead at the wall, now lost in thought. Luigi carefully stepped forward, slowly lowering himself down beside her and waiting for her to make the next move.

"...You nearly let me do it."

"Do what?"

"You know what."

His cheeks heated, blushing harder when she glanced his way.

"W-Would it have been such a bad thing?" he found himself asking, a little shaky.

"Emotions were high. It wouldn't have meant as much," she shrugged, also flushing subtly, "unless you still wouldn't object, now that we've both calmed down a bit."

"...I never objected."

He added a somewhat forced chuckle, just in case she was joking, then nearly swallowed his own tongue when she suddenly leaned into him, pressing her lips gently against his before quickly pulling away. His brain was still failing the rebooting process when he finally noticed the way she was looking at him, though he found he couldn't quite read her thoughts.

"What?"

Her eyes shone—soft yet focused—a tiny smile touching just the corners of her pinched lips as her brow line suddenly smoothed, mouth flattening, jaw setting, and a single tear trailing down her cheek.

She shook her head, turning her face away.

"Nothing. It's nothing."

Biting her lip, she still refused to look at him.

"Y-You should try to sleep until dawn. There's not much else to do while we're stuck here."

"What about Bowser-"

"Don't worry about him. I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore."

He wasn't quite sure that was a promise she could make, but her confidence was clear. Still...

"You should sleep, too. Who knows what's coming tomorrow?"

The princess remained silent for a moment before nodding quickly.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. We both need to be rested."

That, of course, presented a new problem.

"So, uh-..."

He let out an 'oomph' as she nudged him onto his back, forcing him to stretch out on his side as she curled up behind him.

"Go to sleep, Green Bean."

"Daisy-"

"Shh," she reached a hand around, fumbling over his face for a few seconds and managing to smack him in the nose before pressing her fingers over his mouth, "you're done talking. Time to rest now."

His blush returned with a vengeance, his fingers curling around each other before she reached down and grabbed his wrist, shaking them apart.

"And don't scratch your knuckles."

Heart easing into a slow cadence, mind soothed with the reminder that some people cared about him more than they cared about his mistakes, he found himself relaxing, eyes drifting closed to the steady sound of Daisy's warm breathing against his back.

They would find a way out of this.

All of them.

...Somehow.

Peach had fallen back asleep, but Mario couldn't relax, his heart still clenching with every pulse of pain he felt from his brother, even though he could tell his twin was now safe, if not healed. He sighed in frustration, letting his head fall back against the glass and watching the warped figures of the Husks slowly traverse this endless night. Though he knew he would regret the lack of sleep in the morning, he just couldn't seem to-

A click from the door had him tensing, having no time to do more than clutch Peach protectively as the panel carefully creaked open, allowing a wave of fog to roll over the grave and mask the figure stepping in from the shadows.

Mario felt his heart rate pick up speed as a single beam of moonlight shone across a doppelgänger bearing his own face, the silent figure glancing down at Peach and raising a finger to its lips.

"...Wintara?"

The witch didn't respond, gesturing for him to follow and stepping back out of their prison.

He didn't know what to make of this unexpected visit from himself, or if he should prepare to fight and defend his wife, but when he reached down to wake her, Wintara hissed, shaking her head and motioning to the door until he understood that he, and he alone, was invited to follow.

Most of him wanted to protest, staying put or else waking up Peach, but glancing down at her pinched face, lost in nightmares, and remembering the dull horror of Luigi's short absence from his mind's bond, he remembered one of the reasons his family relied on him to make the hard decisions. He took risks. He took chances. Peach would be safe in this tomb, and if Wintara was allowing him to leave, even if her reasons were beyond vague and her methods downright bizarre, he had to make the most of the opportunity presented.

The simple truth was that he could do more with freedom than he could with containment, and if Peach were awake or Luigi were there, both would tell him to go.

Carefully easing his wife to the ground, he rose to his feet, making sure his scowl spoke clearly of what he thought about the witch making him leave her behind, but Wintara was unfazed, staring back at him blankly with his own eyes before strolling out into the night.

Mario followed silently, watching the Husks shrink back to make way for the Siren and glancing over his shoulder to ensure none of them were attempting to reach Peach in his absence. They weren't. He relaxed, just slightly.

"Where are we going?" 

The question eventually slipped past his lips, after he had allowed her to guide him along several back alleys of the town.

She didn't answer, walking a few more paces before coming to a stop in front of a plain wall. Mario frowned, not understanding, until her finger elongated into a sharp claw, scratching into the stone and causing a horrible, scraping clatter that forced his hands over his ears and had him closing his eyes against the few sparks that flew his way.

It seemed to go on far too long, but eventually, the sound cut off, Mario tentatively opening his eyes and lowering his hands as he read what she wrote.

"'He deserves to live.'"

An uneasy feeling settled in his heart, nausea sickening his stomach.

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean?"

She shook her head, grunting, and returned to the wall. This time, he covered his ears but didn't look away.

"'Don't...let...him...go...down.........the same path.' I don't- I don't know what you mean! Can't you just talk to me?!"

Fear began creeping in, his double's eyes glittering with urgency in the dark as she wrote again. He didn't bother covering his ears this time.

"'It...wasn't...love.' What wasn't?! Just talk-"

She raked stone claws over the wall, cutting off his shout and forcing him to watch her next movements. He felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest.

"'She...killed...Teron.'"

The Siren's finger paused at the end, her breaths quickening before she scratched out the first word, rewriting her sentence and causing Mario to grow completely numb, his lungs squeezing and throat closing around his shock and fear. For a moment, he couldn't even speak, the words in the wall sickening him down to his soul.

...

...

...

"'Daisy killed Teron.'"

"...Save him," were the only words whispered by this creature, grabbing Mario's wrist, turning over his hand, and dropping into his palm a single green string.

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

The tolling bell and muted sunlight of dawn filtering through the mist was Mario's cue to hurry back to the mausoleum, his mind still reeling from what Wintara had told him about Daisy. His worry over Luigi, previously muffled beneath the reassurance that he was okay, now overwhelmed his senses, making it hard to think around the deafening alarm screaming at him to get his twin out of this town by whatever means necessary. Wintara had seemed adamant, giving him something he was willing to bet—willing to hope—was a key through the fog, or at least a ticket for one, not that he had any sort of proof or evidence. He was running blind, but half-baked assumptions were the only things keeping him going, especially if they were on the ticking clock he was beginning to believe they were. Bowser had read that book and knew what it would take to lift the fog, and if his brother's death had anything to do with breaking Wintara's curse, it was only a matter of time before the monster returned to collect on his promise.

Mario tucked the green string into his pocket and ran faster than when he had been chased by the threat of death or capture.

"Peach," he dodged the frozen Husks, calling her name before he even threw open the door. "Peach, come on! We've gotta go!"

His wife remained where she lay, not responding to his frantic call, her concerning pallor further highlighted in the new light of day.

"...Peach?"

A tingle of fear ran down his spine as he crouched beside her, shaking her shoulder with building urgency.

"Peach? Peach, wake up!"

Heart in his throat, he ripped off his gloves and turned her onto her back, vision wavering with nauseating worry as he checked her pulse, taking note of the slow beat, her breaths unlabored but equally slow. Her skin was like ice under his palpations—firm and ungiving—and unnaturally stiff. He scrubbed manically at his eyes, furious that tears were slowing him down, and tried shaking her again, his voice cracking further with each failed attempt to rouse her.

When panic finally died down to make way for action, he remembered their bags, still lying by the well where they had been left, and he took off without a second thought. He knocked down several Husks in his rush, but his pinpoint focus didn't allow for distractions. If Bowser, himself, was still guarding them and the healing items they held within, Mario vaguely wondered if his expression alone would be enough of a warning for him to let the human pass unhindered, or if the Koopa would just have to regret posing as a barrier.

Thankfully, the bags remained unwatched and unopened, allowing Mario to complete this solo relay race free of any obstacle unfortunate enough to stand in his way.

"It's okay," he soothed his wife and himself, skidding to his knees beside her and already tearing open Luigi's bag with shaking fingers. "It's okay, Amore, I'm gonna help you."

Down in the bottom, hidden in a pocket lost on anyone who didn't already know of its existence, was something special. They had only packed one of their precious three little green mushrooms, each praying they wouldn't ever have to use it, and Mario breathed a sigh of equal disdain and relief as he pulled it from its hiding place, the power in it causing his fingers to tingle. He had only ever had to use one of these before—a memory he and Luigi rejected in tandem—and he hated their purpose as much as he valued their use.

"Okay, come on."

He lifted Peach to lean against his chest without issue, worrying absently if she had grown lighter in her illness or if he had just grown stronger in his anxiety.

"Open up...open- there we go."

A dark memory threatened to creep up. Fear...shock...a bloodied body lying deathly still on the sand-

"No!"

He shook his head, cutting off his own thoughts. Remembering what happened two years ago wouldn't help him now and he wasn't about to let a successful streak of denial be broken by picturing his face where hers currently lay.

"...Come on, Peach...Please."

Minutes ticked by, a noticeable patch of an odd texture receding on her forehead and it may have been his imagination that some color had returned to her cheeks, but the most invaluable evidence that she was improving was presented when heavy eyes opened just a crack, immediately squinting at the sun but eventually focusing on the voice calling impatiently for her attention.

"...M'rio?"

He nearly sobbed, keeping his emotions under control by sheer willpower alone as he cradled her closer, arms numb with relief.

"Peach," came a gasp of her name, barely distinguishable from his other heavy breaths, "what happened?! Are you okay? I-I had to use the green one!"

She frowned slowly, eyes just a bit clearer.

"...W'sted...'t."

His head snapped up.

"The heck you mean I wasted it?! You wouldn't wake up!"

"C'lm-"

"No, I won't calm down! I'm sick of this town! I'm sick of these threats against the people I love! Now you're sick, Luigi's in danger, and I'm barely holding on here!"

Shakily, her hand rose to rest on his cheek, causing him to wince when her sharp nails accidentally caught on his temple.

"...N't...s'ck."

"What?"

She swallowed, looking pained and stiff, but her gaze held nothing but a deep sorrow and reluctant understanding.

"...N't sick," she whispered again, her arm falling. "...Turning."

Something cold took hold of his heart.

"Turning? Wh-What does that mean? Turning?!"

"D'n't waste...m'shrooms...Drank...th' well...water." She gasped out a shallow breath. "Separated...lost a bottle...d'dn't know...f'lled...other...'m sorry, Amore."

When she shuddered in his arms, her own seeming to contract, he held her closer, shaking his head.

"No, no, you're not turning," came frantic denial. "You're not! You're just sick."

'She's been squinting her eyes in the light.'

"M'rio-"

'Stiff and cold. Sharp nails. That pallor you tried to convince yourself wasn't that pronounced is unnatural.'

"You're not, Peach! You're gonna be fine."

'She said she didn't know how much time you two had left.'

"...Amore."

'You knew she wasn't well. You didn't ask. You didn't want to admit one more thing was out of your control.'

"YOU'RE NOT TURNING INTO ONE OF THEM!"

So help him, he truly didn't mean to shout at her, but he couldn't even process what he was hearing. It couldn't be possible. He wasn't about to lose his wife to whatever curse had claimed the villagers. They had plenty of water! They had each packed three large bottles, so even if she had accidentally dropped one, she should have still had most of one and another full-

"...No."

Luigi. Mario had mindlessly swiped one of her bottles to use on Luigi when they had first encountered Bowser and his threats.

...He never replaced it.

"Oh, no."

"M'rio...it's okay."

His fault.

His fault.

His fault.

"No. No no no no NO!"

"Mario," she forced her words to be clear, trying to break through his panic, but he could barely hear over the roar in his ears or see past the tears flooding his vision, "...it's okay. I d-don't w'nt you...blame 'self...I-I want you to save Luigi."

"Peach, please tell me this is some sort of sick prank! I can't-...I can't-"

'I can't lose my wife. I can't be the reason I did.'

"...Please!"

"Mario-"

"You told me I was doing a good job," he choked, voice breaking and arms shaking. "You told me I was protecting you both! I-I can't have failed!"

He didn't fail. He succeeded. He won. He was supposed to be her hero.

"I can't h-have failed!"

"Didn't...fail, Love...Reality isn't...kind...isn't fair."

She winced.

"We h've t' be...kind and fair...make up for...wh't...world lacks...Too late...f'r me," she whispered more brokenly now, as if speaking caused her pain, "b't...c'n save Luigi...Get him out of here...Please, M'rio...save...my boys. S've...my heart."

Her spirit was fading, like a dying fire upon which he had thrown one last branch, flickering a slow descent into darkness.

"...Peach-"

"Promise...save...our Lu."

"...I-I promise."

"Ti amo," she smiled, the skin around her lips cracking and tiny trails of blood running down like tears as her eyes slipped closed, her form growing stiff in his arms. "...Ti amo."

He didn't move, staring down at his queen as her skin started to lapidify, starting from her head and spreading down, chipping around longer fingers than he remembered and slowly draining her face of the last of its color, almost giving her the appearance of a porcelain doll. She didn't move. She didn't respond. She lay silent in his arms, present with him in the night and snatched away with the dawn before he could even prepare himself for the notion that he may not always have her at his side to guide him and help him see the world in a better light.

No more wisdom.

No more silent strength.

No more optimism or gentle embrace.

She was still.

She was hollow.

She was just a husk of herself, and he didn't even have the time to give her any comfort beyond his own denial. It was clear to him that she had known for a while—days. She hadn't said anything. 

So fast.

It just happened so fast.

And now, time was back to moving slowly, now that it had achieved its worst purpose and stolen his last moments with her humanity.

Without a clear thought in his mind, he laid her on the ground, mechanically opening her own rucksack and withdrawing a blanket that he draped over her, pressing a palm to that icy cheek before replacing it with his lips, kissing her gently and leaning back, preferring the filter slotted over his eyes to view her as sleeping peacefully.

Maybe there was more to her positive outlook than he had previously given credit. After all, what was so great about reality?

He hiked his own bag over his shoulder, rose to his feet, turned on his heel, and stepped out into the misty air, closing the door behind him and staring ahead. Luigi had once observed that he lost all emotion on the few occasions he was enraged beyond mental processing, and he frowned as he realized his twin was right. He didn't feel anything.

There was only one thing on his mind—one focus—one goal, and everything else had become meaningless.

He strolled back towards the center of town, eyes set ahead. Bowser no longer mattered. Wintara no longer mattered. The mystery of this village and the feud between the princess and the witch no longer held any weight in his mind.

"Get Luigi out of here," she had urged.

It was her last wish, bidden for all their sakes.

"Save Luigi."

Stepping up to the entrance of the tunnels, he sensed his twin's half of their soul residing somewhere in that maze.

"Save my heart."

One stair at a time, he allowed his mind to hone in on the only thing that mattered now—the only thing he had left.

He had already failed her.

Heaven help anything now that tried to stop him from saving his brother.

Luigi woke up with a hollow feeling in his heart and tears drying on his cheeks, but he couldn't pinpoint the source. His connection with his twin was somehow muted, yet grieved, and he sat up quickly, an otherwise unexplainable fear overtaking his mind.

"Luigi?"

Daisy was already awake, pacing in their tiny space and biting her nails, her fingers bloody on one side from her actions. She kept glancing at the door like she was waiting for something.

"What's wrong?"

"I-...I dunno," he answered honestly, getting to his feet and trying to shake out the nervous energy causing his limbs to tingle, "but something happened. Something bad."

"Like what?"

He was still trying to figure that out, himself. Only one thing was absolutely clear.

"We need to get out of here. I need to find Mario and Peach."

"We're locked in," she reminded bluntly.

"I know that!"

After a few seconds, he muttered an apology for snapping and approached the door, banging on the panel and ignoring Daisy when she yanked on his arm, frantically demanding to know what he was thinking.

"Bowser! Bowser, open the door!"

"Luigi! Stop!"

"All I need is for that door to open," his words were clipped and anxious. "Even a chance at getting away and finding out why my brother's hurting so badly is a chance I have to take. BOWSER!"

When he went for the handle, mindlessly hopeful it would somehow have been left unlocked, she grabbed his wrists, forcing him to face her.

"If he comes back here now, he'll try to kill you! We need a plan to attack him when he opens that door, and you're not giving me time to come up with one! We've got one shot at this!"

A rational brain would have agreed with her, but he had woken up without one. Mario's pain was echoing through him, pulses of panic chiming in his head like a ringing bell, and he couldn't reconcile the need for an actual plan with his current state of shared distress. The best Daisy would be able to hope for was reluctant compliance, but help was unfortunately out the window. She seemed to know that, however, leading him back to the bed and forcing him to sit down while mumbling something about surprise attacks and wishing she hadn't left her stick by the well.

Luigi let her plan, clutching his head and regretting the series of poor choices that had carried him away from his brother last night. This wasn't the usual phantom pain he experienced whenever Mario decided to scare him to death by getting himself hurt; this was different.

This was new.

"Daisy-"

He wasn't quite sure what he was about to say, but it was forgotten altogether when something tugged at his heart—a unique connection, almost physical, whose distance was suddenly shortening, but he almost didn't dare hope. Before he could think, he was back at the door, pressing himself against the panel as if subconsciously trying to further close the distance between himself and his other half. He took a deep breath. He was certain of few things in his life, but this was one of those few.

"MARIO!"

The princess wouldn't approve of his actions, but they were a price well-paid, as the distance became static for a second before shortening, growing closer...closer...closer.

He stepped back when that heavy door rattled, thrown open like it was nothing, and there stood his twin, panting heavily like he had just run a mile and frowning when his usual quick head to toe assessment of his little brother ended with the dried blood on his temple.

"Mario," Luigi could breathe again, "You got free!" 

'How' didn't feel like an important question at the current moment. 

"D-Don't worry, I'm okay-"

The words were cut off by the older twin storming into the room, jaw set and looking almost frightening, at least to anyone else, charging at his brother and grabbing him in hug that stole away all the air that had just been returned to him when he had been assured Mario was physically healthy. Frowning slightly, he hugged his brother back just as firmly, still not understanding why his heart felt such an acute pain, until he suddenly noticed a very obvious absence.

"Mario," that flutter in his chest became more pronounced, "...where's Peach?"

He gasped when he was squeezed tighter, but Mario didn't answer, which nearly caused him to hyperventilate.

"Mario! M-Mario, where's Peach?!"

"...Alive."

The word was clipped and cold, and the very fact that he had chosen it to describe her condition was as frightening as it was reassuring.

"Is she hurt?!"

His brother didn't say anything else, pulling away and locking his hand into an inescapable grip before tugging him towards the door, but Luigi needed more answers.

"Where is she? What happened?!"

"She turned."

The answer didn't come from his twin, but it did cause Mario to pause in his tracks, Daisy stepping out after them and looking a little pale.

"...Didn't she?"

Luigi looked back and forth between them, confused.

"'Turned?' What do you mean turn-"

"Desperation does things to people. Personally, I would rather be buried, but I suppose when given the choice, more would rather lose themselves and hold out blind hope for freedom. Seems foolish to me."

...No

...She couldn't have.

"...Mario?"

His brother didn't deny it, which was enough of a confession as if it had been said out loud, and Luigi let out a sort of keen, curling in on himself as Mario let go of him briefly to walk up to Daisy.

"Did you know?"

"Why would you think I knew?"

She sounded pained for their situation, yet hurt that he would ask. Luigi leaned against the wall, trying to stifle his tears and take deep breaths as his mental state fluctuated between denial and despair.

"Pretty good guess for someone who wasn't there to witness it."

"I know what happens to people who stay in this town too long. Eventually, running out of water looks like a worse fate than taking your chances with the well."

Luigi forced himself to straighten, a voice in his head that sounded a lot like his sister-in-law telling him he had to be strong right now, for all of them, and he faced his twin and the princess as they stared each other down. Mario's face was still set in that understandable scowl, but it softened a little when he nodded his head, gaze falling to the floor.

"I'm sorry, Daisy. I'm a little on edge, to say the least."

She frowned, taking a step back that Luigi didn't quite understand, but then she blinked a few times and smiled shakily.

"Y-You don't have to apologize. I-I never wanted this to happen."

"Mm. Did you two leave anything in that room, or can we go?"

She turned, glancing around the small space and shaking her head quickly.

"No...we didn't."

"Can you check?"

Luigi didn't understand the look Daisy cast over her shoulder at his brother, nor was he able to read Mario's cold stare back at her, but somehow, it seemed they were in tune with each other. Daisy didn't move for a moment, but then just smiled sadly at the younger twin before stepping back into the room, clutching her arms tightly, and Luigi winced in shock when his brother slammed the door closed.

Only when he lifted that heavy beam, which had been cast aside, to bar it did Luigi find his voice, sprinting forward.

"What are you doing?!"

Mario locked the door without a word, grabbing his twin's hand again and squeezing the feeling out of it as he started dragging him through the corridor, Luigi's feet catching on the dirt and gravel as he struggled to pull them back.

"Daisy!"

"It's okay, Luigi. I'm not your enemy, Mario!"

She raised her voice as the older brother won against their tug of war, forcing more distance between them.

"I'm trying to help you!"

"We can't leave her there! What are you doing?!"

"MARIO! REMEMBER WHAT I SAID!"

So many screaming thoughts were muffling Luigi's ability to reason. His grief over Peach was drowning everything else, but the confusion over his brother's bizarre actions, as well as concern for Daisy was nearly overheating his brain. He fell behind in their march, Mario uncharacteristically brutal as he almost jerked his arm out of his socket to force him to keep up and keep going.

All the while, Luigi kept babbling, probably incoherently, about going back for Daisy, asking why Mario had left her behind, asking where Peach was, and wanting naïve reassurance from his big brother that she was going to be okay.

Only when he tugged on their hands one too many times, trying in vain to get Mario to blindly follow his lead and go back for Daisy did his twin snap, pulling him back so hard that he fell to his knees.

"Stop fighting me!" Mario bellowed into his face, causing Luigi to flinch at the unprecedented event of his twin causing him any sort of harm. "Get up. We're leaving. Now."

Not waiting for his instructions to be followed, Mario grabbed his brother under the arms and lifted him onto his feet with a single bout of strength, but when he reached for his hand, Luigi pulled away, feeling an unfamiliar fire igniting in his heart.

"...No."

"What?"

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me why you trapped Daisy and left her behind."

"We don't have time for this," Mario growled, reaching for him again, but Luigi dodged. "I'll tell you on the way! Get over here!"

"No-"

The older twin was quicker than his junior, catching him by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. 

"I'm not doing this right now," he spoke dangerously, eyes dark. "I can't take anything else going wrong today. Daisy's a murderer. She killed Teron."

Shock sent a shiver down his spine as denial made a reappearance to overwhelm his mind.

"Wha-...no...no, she said it was an accident!"

"I don't have the energy to find out if she lied. I don't care, anymore. You're coming with me and you're getting out of this miserable town. So. Help. Me-"

Luigi yanked himself out of his hold and backed away, Mario's eyes tracking his movements like a tiger stalking prey.

"What do you mean 'you're getting out of this town?'" he panted, heart pounding as he picked up on a detail he was quite sure Mario let slip accidentally. "Why wouldn't you say 'we?'"

His twin didn't respond, courage flaring in the younger one as he set his jaw and turned around, about to go back and demand answers from Daisy, but he was tackled. Instinct kicked in and he jerked upright, knocking his assailant off his back and dodging out of the way when Mario came in for another attempt. Luigi ducked under his arm, pushing him off balance from behind and backing away, raising his hands.

"What aren't you telling me?!"

Mario glared, straightening and circling, and Luigi recognized his move set, mirroring his stances with practiced ease.

"Wintara let me out last night," he spoke stiffly, inching closer. "She told me that you'd be next if you didn't get away from Daisy. There's something wrong here; don't you feel it?! She's tricking you!"

"And Wintara isn't?! How do you know which one to believe?!"

"I don't! All I know is what she told me, but I can't just take chances, anymore! Not with you!"

He lunged, Luigi quick, but not quicker than his brother, who got his arms around him, pinning his own to his sides as Mario tried to force him to keep walking forward. Desperation lent the younger sibling additional strength and he bent over, freeing one arm just enough to wrap around his brother's back and twist him off his feet, using the momentum to somewhat gently drop Mario to the ground. He tried to move, but again, his brother was faster, catching him by the leg and dropping him once more to his already-sore knees.

"You're not making this any easier! Don't make me fight you!"

"Me?! You started it!"

Luigi tried to scramble away but Mario yanked him back, dragging him across the dirt.

"Just talk to me! Why do you think I'm gonna die?!"

"We haven't been able to figure out what ultimately breaks this curse, but I'm starting to think it has something to do with a sacrifice! Something to do with you! You and Teron!"

Mario flipped him onto his back and pinned him down but Luigi shoved him off. He knew his twin wasn't using his full strength, but he almost wanted him to. They were both devastated and infuriated—pushed to the absolute end of their ropes—and needed a physical outlet for their emotions, however unhealthy their methods seemed from a purely psychiatric standpoint.

"We can't just leave! We have to break the curse! We have to save Peach and Daisy-"

"Were you even listening to me?! I think this curse breaks with you dying!"

"So what?!"

The sound of the first punch resounded across the walls of the tunnels and Luigi clutched his lip in shock, tasting blood as they both stumbled to their feet.

Mario, for his part, spared a moment on shock and horror before his eyes hardened again and he reached for his brother's hand, as if he expected that to have ended the fight and any further argument. Luigi smacked his fingers out of the way, glaring back, and the older twin saw something in his eyes that had him clenching his jaw, setting his feet into a wide stance.

Luigi lunged, Mario dodging easily and pushing him over, causing him to trip and leaving himself open for his twin to catch his arm behind his back, shoving him into the wall.

"I've had it," he spat. "I'm sorry I hit you, but you know what?! I can't! I just can't, anymore!"

The younger one centered himself and brought up his free elbow, catching Mario in the ribs and causing him to double over enough that he let him go. He tried to reverse their positions but the older one was too quick, swiping a leg under his own and knocking him onto his back. Mario used the few seconds he spent stunned to pin him down, wrestling with him when Luigi gathered his senses enough to fight back and they rolled across the dirt, each struggling to gain dominance in a fairly equal match of desperate strength and neither commenting on the tears streaming down both their cheeks.

"I'll knock you out again if I have to," Mario threatened, gaining the upper hand. "You know I can! I'm getting you out of here!"

"I don't care if you need to beat me up to feel better! Do it! I know how wrecked you are over Peach, and I feel the same way, but I'm not letting you throw me out of this town if I can help save her!"

He jerked them to the right, now on top and holding the advantage for a few seconds.

"I don't even know how you think you'd do it! We're stuck! I'll do whatever it takes to free you guys, including being their sacrifice, and I don't care what you say!"

Mario growled, rolling them again and shoving his twin into the dirt with an arm across his chest, forcing him down.

"YOU'RE ALL I HAVE LEFT!" 

His scream echoed through the maze, leading to a dull silence as Luigi stared up at him with wide eyes, feeling his brother's tears drip onto his face and mix with his own.

"I TOLD HER I'D GET YOU OUT! I SAID I'D PICK YOU OVER ANYTHING, INCLUDING HER! YOU THINK THAT WAS JUST EMPTY WORDS?!"

Devastation flooded in where anger dissipated and he trembled, his hold on his brother softening.

"I don't care if you're the key to ending all of this. You're all I've got left," he whispered again—a broken man. "I need you to live...I-I just need you."

Luigi pushed his arm away, letting him fall flat against him, and clutched him desperately, both pressing their faces into each other's shoulders as they held each other together.

A deafening rumble sounded through the corridors and they pulled back, staring at each other in concern before Mario shoved himself to his feet, pulling Luigi up next and holding an arm out to shield him as they stared into the darkness of the tunnel, from which the sound originated.

"...What-"

Luigi's delayed question was cut off by slow, pounding footsteps coming towards them, his breaths coming in short gasps when a pair of red eyes illuminated the black void of the corridor, coming closer until Bowser's frame, large enough to brush the top of the ceiling and nearly touch the walls, came to a halt before them, the Koopa grunting a lungful of smoke and staring them both down with a grave frown.

"You two really should consider who's around when you start shouting like that, and don't bother bragging about how you got free. It's time to collect. Luigi is coming with me."

Even if Mario weren't in his current state of mind, the younger twin would have still mentally commented that Bowser should have known them well enough by then to rethink that declaration.

For his part, the older brother simply took a deep breath and shrugged his bag off his shoulders, digging inside.

"You picked the wrong day, Bowser," he muttered darkly. "You picked the wrong day, the wrong moment, and the wrong thing to say to my face."

His hand emerged, crushing something warmly-colored, and a surge of power flowed over his frame, dyeing his clothes in shades of red and white as he raised a fiery fist, glaring his enemy down and readying himself to finally fight back.

"Luigi. Run."

Something surprisingly calm settled over the green brother—something stubborn—something strong. He didn't obey, but pulled his twin's bag close, reaching in with blind precision and closing his fingers over something cold and blue.

"Luigi?"

Mario's concerned frown followed his movements, but the younger one just smiled grimly, eyes alight with passion as he straightened, his clothes' hues shifting to match the power-up he had just absorbed as a layer of ice encased his fist.

"I'm on your side, remember?"

He faced his twin, ensuring their eyes met and Mario could see what he already knew—see past the fights and the arguments and the disagreements and everything else that only mattered in fleeting moments that pierced no deeper than skin, never to reach the blood they shared.

"...I'm always on your side."

~TO BE CONTINUED~

Chapter Text

"We don't have to do this," Bowser spoke in a low, almost reluctant tone, and Luigi couldn't help but notice how his eyes held less malice than they normally did, like he had actually grown tired of their usual song and dance.

Mario's fist lowered slightly, his jaw clenching and brows furrowing deeper as he looked the Koopa up and down, searching for a trick.

"Nobody wins this game," the dark king continued, circling them slowly.

Mario kept his arm out as he followed his enemy's movements, keeping Luigi slightly behind him, regardless of the Koopa's position.

"How many times have you done this? Nobody ever wins."

"Wanna bet?"

Luigi winced when his brother's flaming hands grew hotter, the one thrown out to protect him causing his own skin to redden a bit.

"I've just lost my wife and now you wanna test how far I'll go for my brother? I'll kill you, Bowser."

The younger twin felt a jolt of alarm at the sincerity of Mario's words. They had beaten Bowser and his seemingly-endless army of cronies incapacitated countless times, but had never maimed—never killed.

"I mean it. I won't hold back. You don't want to fight, then let us through, otherwise, all bets are off. I just split my own brother's lip, so what do you think I'll do to you?"

Bowser's eyes snapped over to Luigi, only to be blocked by Mario then stepping directly in front of him. The monster's gaze redirected to the older twin before drifting over his head to the younger.

"I heard your argument. Only one of you is willing to do what needs to be done, so at the very least, I'm on one of your sides. I can't have the other one messing this up. Your brother just needs to see reason."

"Oh, I need to see reason?! What's with the sudden diplomacy?! Did the heartless murderer finally grow a conscience?!"

The Koopa's eyes flared and he charged forward one step, Mario shoving his twin back but remaining where he stood, glaring up at the monster. Bowser loomed over him, the air around them growing wavy as both opponents' matched anger and abilities heated the room to an uncomfortable temperature.

"You read the book, Bowser," Luigi somehow found the courage to step between them, icy hands pushing them apart and cooling the environment just slightly as Mario tugged on his arm in clear disapproval of his actions. "If you wanna reason, then let's reason. What do I have to do-"

"No-"

"Mario, just shut up for a minute and hear him out! Let's hear it before we dismiss it. What do we have to do and what does it have to do with me?"

The direct question seemed to throw their enemy off a little as he blinked down at the human, the red glow of his eyes dimming. He didn't answer immediately and Luigi set his jaw. Tired of the games, tired of the threats, and tired of his part in this being discussed between two people who loved and hated him on equal footing, he asked again, not breaking eye contact.

"What. Do. I. Have. To. Do?"

"...You're the 'Siren's Sacrifice.' Teron's death requires blood recompense."

Luigi took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes. He already knew the answer—he knew that he knew—but to hear it confirmed so bluntly was still startling. However, if the price to escape this village had been one most were willing to pay, the curse would have broken a long time ago. It still seemed odd, though, that no one in Balzar's empire—undoubtedly his strongest, bravest men—had been able to claim that loyalty to their emperor and princess, or even compassion for their own people, was enough to outweigh the value they held in their own lives. Had no one been willing?

A thought struck him, then.

An abundance of character hadn't overcome the fear of self-loss, but a lack of worth saw nothing to lose. Balzar hadn't traveled to their castle to issue the challenge among the strongest heads of state in their world; he'd traveled to the Mushroom Kingdom to issue the challenge to him.

"...Okay," he forced himself to remain calm, "...Okay...Why-"

Bowser roared in pain as a ball of volcanic flame was launched directly into his eyes. Luigi stumbled back, genuinely surprised, but a desperate cry of pure rage preceded a leap from behind as Mario sailed over his head, boosted by his power-up, and drove his fist into their enemy's face, sending him flying back to hit the wall with a concerning rumble, a large crack visible when the monster slid to the ground, massaging his nose and panting with anger as he glared at his foe, rising to his feet.

"Whatever happened to reason? I'm starting to see why h-"

Mario didn't wait for him to finish. Ignoring Luigi's shouts for him to not start this if they didn't have to, he ran forward, slamming his other fist into Bowser's eye and going for a third punch, but he was intercepted, the monster catching his hand and tossing him back several feet.

The older twin didn't hit the ground hard enough to lose his power-up, but the dull pierce of pain Luigi felt upon spotting the blood now dripping from his nose had his own fists swirling with enraged frost, his anger turned to the beast now marching towards his injured brother. Without further thought, he launched a ball of ice at Bowser's head, causing him to grunt and redirect his focus, but giving Mario time to get to his feet and throw multiple attacks in quick succession.

Bowser's own fire leaked out the sides of his bleeding mouth. He grunted and rolled out of the way of Mario's aim, breathing a stream of flame at his opponent that Luigi met with a wall of ice, quickly erected in front of his narrowly-dodging brother. The shards of power now clinging to his gloves, ranging from harmless flurries to razored icicles, depending on the purpose of their activation, were enough of an advantage that he leapt forward, cutting into Bowser's cheek with the sharpened, crystalline water and redirecting his attack at the wall, which burned out one of the lights, darkening the room, but saved what was left of the younger brother's glacial defense.

Bowser growled, catching Luigi's fist and squeezing, melting the ice down his arm and causing him to cry out in pain as the monster gazed into his eyes, something dark and desperate lingering in those embers. He let go, dropping his opponent to the ground, and punched through the ice wall separating him from Mario, likely expecting the red twin to be lingering behind it, but the smaller king was nowhere to be found.

Luigi lifted his head from where he was dropped, cradling his hand for just a minute as the pain faded, and watched his brother drop from a wide divot in the ceiling, landing on Bowser's back and pulling hard on his spikes, trying to tip him.

The Koopa bellowed out some sort of curse from his own kingdom, swinging in a circle and trying to dislodge Mario as the older brother pressed a fiery palm into the monster's shell, letting it burn a scalding white that could only be accomplished through a channel of unparalleled emotion. Bowser cried out, no doubt feeling his skin cook under his spiny barrier, and rammed his back into the wall, taking out another light with Mario's smaller form, but causing the older brother to grunt and let go.

The room was now completely dark, Luigi panting with anxiety as he scrambled for his twin, desperate fingers soon finding and clinging to a familiar warmth and fabric, then dragging it out of the way as the temperature suddenly rose, the fire in Bowser's throat giving just barely enough light and warning to allow them both to roll in time.

Claws swung wildly in their general direction, catching on the stone walls and showering the brothers in sparks as Mario's hand found Luigi's own, the heat and ice in both their palms melding into one controlled temperature.

Mario dragged them both upright and Bowser's glowing eyes zeroed in on the sound of their movement.

"There you are," he growled, inhaling deeply.

"Watch out!"

Mario shoved them apart, allowing the fire to pass between them, and Luigi caught sight of his sweaty, injured twin over the river of flames, who met his eyes with a brief exchange of legitimate concern before his stare hardened once more, teeth gritted as he lit up his own fists, illuminating their arena and slamming his foot into the ground, causing a shockwave of fire that sent Bowser falling back and Luigi stumbling back.

The monster recovered quickly and charged forward, swinging his claws, but Mario dodged and ducked, sliding under his attacks and countering with his own in a display of skill that reminded Luigi why his brother was head of their kingdom's army, even before he ascended to the rank of consort monarch.

Luigi stayed back, having no way to cast his own light source, and could only watch through spurts of fire and sparks, briefly flashing in the darkness to illuminate hints of success on both sides. He didn't dare throw out an attack of his own, too worried he'd hit Mario, even if twenty-five years of experience was enough of an indicator that he knew, deep down, he would not miss his target if his twin were in the line of fire.

He couldn't tell if his imagination was overstimulated or if the power of their bond truly extended into the supernatural, but as he observed the duel, hands clammy, frozen sharp and ready, he visualized his twin's movements in the dark—a silhouette in a contour line of light—the absence of their enemy to his fraternal senses indicating a mesmerizing, solo dance of passion. His heart pounded, anxiety flaring as he watched his brother fight so competently, so confidently...so desperately.

However, situations still proved they could turn on the tide.

Mario had the upper hand—had for the last minute or so—turning to dig his fingers into Bowser's eye and disorient him, but he didn't account for the Koopa whipping his tail in distress, just the wrong way to catch the red king in the side and send him rolling into a wall, his power-up flickering away as he lay there, stunned.

"Mario! NO!"

Luigi screamed out his name, following his trajectory through the darkness with a type of accuracy reserved only for twins. His brother didn't respond, the air knocked from his lungs, and two red eyes turned the younger sibling's way, burning with something a less frazzled mind may have even called regret.

"...Time to go, Luigi."

Even Mario couldn't find the breath to protest as Bowser stepped towards the green twin, Luigi's visual cues limited to those glowing irises fixed in his direction, growing larger—coming closer.

In the corner of his eye, he pictured his brother struggling to recover, to get up, to protect his only family, but in the heart of heroic intentions resided only a human, with human flaws and human limitations, and he just wasn't fast enough.

With no branching path of options left available to him, Luigi succumbed to pure instinct, clenching his fists and baiting out Bowser by turning around and sprinting down one of the tunnels.

"Get back here," the Koopa rumbled quietly at first. "I said GET BACK HERE!"

Luigi only waited to hear the footsteps pounding after him before twisting around and freezing the ground below him, diving out of the way as Bowser skidded into his trap, slipping immediately and letting out a surprised shout. The prince panted, clutching his chest and leaving his enemy to crash heavily into the wall, then fall to the ground in a heap, but the fact that his plan hadn't fully been thought through came to light as he suddenly remembered why Bowser's impact with the structure of the underground space had caused him initial alarm.

That same rumble sounded again, significantly louder—significantly more menacing—and he only had a moment to realize what was happening.

*CRACK*

The sound heralded a terrified yelp as a piece of the ceiling crashed down, inches from his foot. His eyes widened, burning in the sudden misty sunlight now cast across the tunnels.

*CRACK*

*CRACK*

*CRACK*

He backed away as pebbles scattered across his shoes, then turned and bolted, gasping desperately for air as a series of deafening crashes chased him back the way he came. He couldn't see and couldn't think beyond reaching his brother, throwing an elbow over his eyes to protect from the dust and running blindly, faster than he ever had before.

"MARIO!" he screamed his warning over the thunder, somehow knowing his twin would hear. "IT'S COMING DOWN! LOOK OUT! MARIO, PLEASE!"

Skidding to a halt in their initial arena, a quiet but worried call had him turning with pinpoint accuracy, aiming his ice at the crumbling ceiling and freezing the cracks in a mismatched design of arctic chaos.

"Luigi," Mario's voice trembled around his name. "Luigi, you have to move!"

The younger twin shook his head, not even flinching now when rubble rained down on him, cutting up his skin and causing his eyes to water. He continued throwing his strongest attacks, relying on their defense to slow the damage and shield his brother, at least a little bit. 

At least enough to keep him alive.

Even if he, himself, were buried, it would be preferable to watching his brother suffer the same fate. He could lie among the rocks, pierced through the heart and blood watering the earth below him, and it would still hurt less than losing his twin.

"LUIGI," Mario gasped out, more terrified than the younger sibling ever would have imagined he could sound, "MOVE!"

Of course, in the heart of desperation also resided a mere human, with human flaws and human limitations.

And he just wasn't fast enough.

*CRASH*

The world he returned to was quiet. Cramped and dusty, Luigi winced when each small movement sent a shock of stinging pain throughout his entire body. Slowly opening his eyes, he felt the memories come back, his heart lurching in alarm as he recalled what happened.

Foggy sunlight caressed the pile of rubble where he lay slightly buried and sore, his power-up having dissipated immediately, but probably having acted as the last barrier between him and death, so he could only be grateful. However, nothing mattered except a man in red, who was noticeably missing from his side, and as much as he felt he couldn't bear to move, blood leaking from countless small punctures and skinny form one big bruise, he groaned, forcing himself to sit upright and push aside the rocks resting atop him.

The dust had yet to fully settle, and his first call of his brother's name resulted in a coughing fit that would have muted Mario's response, even if it had come his way.

He winced, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain and crawling out of the small pocket of protection that had somehow found him, a boulder twice the size of his head resting just to the side, landing only two feet away from ending his life.

"Ma-rio," he choked, trying not to cough but failing miserably as he slid down the hill of debris, tapping into his fraternal senses to help guide him.

A tug on his heart pulled him to the left and he followed the intangible string that connected him to his brother, tripping and shuffling over the sharp rocks and spotting Bowser lying just a little ways away. He paused for a moment, watching, and mortal enemy or not, when his shell rose and fell with clear life, Luigi still felt a sense of relief settle over his shoulders upon the confirmation that he and his brother weren't killers, regardless of Mario's threats.

"Mario," he called again, ripped gloves searching through the fog and dust before bloody fingers dipped into something cold—like a melted icicle.

"Mario? Mario!"

Fatigue and aches forgotten, Luigi dug into the rocks and dripping remnants of ice, heart beating loudly in his ears as he brushed over a frozen barrier that had caused most of the debris to roll away from his brother. He let out a hysterical laugh, forever grateful that he had aimed correctly, and kept digging for what felt like hours, pushing his muscles to the absolute limits of their capabilities.

With one final deep breath, one last cry of effort, and the dregs of his strength, he pushed away a jagged piece of the ceiling that was tenting his twin, even as his vision darkened threateningly with strain. His brother lay below it and Luigi's arms gave out, his nauseating exhaustion causing him to fall on top of Mario's chest, panting painfully.

For several minutes, he couldn't move, just letting himself be soothed by that steady heartbeat under his temple and the soothing whoosh of resilient lungs, like the ocean in his ear. He closed his eyes, ready to drift back into the darkness, but sudden coughing jolted him, dislodging him, and he winced in a pain that was immediately forgotten when Mario's fingers ran through his dusty hair.

"...'m gonna k'll you," the older brother slurred, squinting up into the pinpricks of sun shining through the dome. "I t'ld you t' move."

"I did move."

"Wh't were you thinking?"

Mario's loquacious mastery returned quickly, given that a lecture to his brother was on the line.

"I w's thinking you were gonna get crushed."

The older twin panted heavily, chest rising and falling quickly under Luigi's head.

"...You could've died."

"So could you. Don't you dare tell me you wouldn't have done the same thing."

Twisting his face around, Luigi met his twin's glower with one of his own, silently reminding him that both brothers were unapologetic hypocrites, and he wasn't about to let the firstborn forget it anytime soon.

A moment later, Mario's face softened, as it always eventually did when he was focused on his brother, and he cupped his twin's cheek, frowning sadly at a cut under his eye that he brushed over with a thumb.

"...How hurt are you?"

Luigi shook his head, immediately regretting not using his words when the world tilted again and he had to fight against the tunnel vision and ringing in his ears that threatened to steal him away.

"Is that my answer?"

Mario's distressed, bitter voice was the first thing to come through clearly after Luigi could focus on more than just the bile rising in his throat.

"I'll be okay," he muttered. "We have mushrooms. You see? This is why I didn't want to waste any on broken noses-"

"Don't start," Mario cut him off, shifting his weight and groaning. "So not in the mood."

"...Are you okay?"

Carefully, his brother eased him to the side so he wasn't weighing him down, trying to wiggle out from under the rest of the rubble with growing frustration.

"Mario?"

Luigi's question was tinged with fear as his brother tugged relentlessly on one side, sweating with effort.

"Mar-"

"My foot's stuck," he grunted, straining hard. "It's u-under something."

Luigi immediately went to work, focusing on his goal and shifting the rest of the rubble off his twin to identify the culprit of his capture. Both brothers soon spotted the issue in the form of a large boulder wedging Mario's foot by the ankle against another piece of the ceiling, longer than both of them combined and likely too heavy for even Bowser to move.

Properly alarmed, Luigi shoved at the boulder with everything he had, but it wouldn't budge. He sweated and pushed with all his might, Mario's aid ephemeral at best before he was calling for his twin to stop.

Luigi ignored him, unable to think past the fact that this was something he could have prevented with just one more ice attack, but he had failed.

He always failed.

"Stop!" Mario reached forward as much as he was able, trying to catch any part of his clothes and tug him back. "It's not going to move! You're hurting yourself!"

The younger twin shook the sweat and tears out of his eyes and kept pushing, ignoring his limits until they came back to harshly remind him of their existence. Sound faded around him, his vision blackening, and he was vaguely aware of falling towards his brother, who, even in his awkward, trapped position, managed to catch him and ease him down onto his chest. 

Seconds or minutes later—he wasn't sure—muted silence gave way to dull ringing and he was able to open his eyes, recognizing Mario's steady arms around him, keeping him secure, and the telltale, frantic beat under his ear of a heart hiding fear.

"...Are you awake?"

Only able to nod slightly, his confirmation was enough for Mario to release an obvious, shuddering sigh of relief, holding him closer.

"Thank goodness. Jus-Just lie here for a minute. Get your bearings."

"Wh're's th' 'told y' so?'"

"Oh, don't you worry," he muttered darkly. "If I'd known you'd be so anxious for another lecture, you didn't have to go through all these theatrics. I would have happily obliged."

"...Need t' free your foot-"

"Don't even think about it."

Mario squeezed his arms around his brother, preventing any escape attempts until he recovered more thoroughly.

"Mario-"

"No. It's stuck. That's all there is to it."

"Mar-"

"No. Drop it. Where's Bowser?"

Luigi shifted slowly off his twin, pushing himself up carefully on his arms and squinting over to his brother's head and to the left.

"Over there. Thank goodness it was just this area that collapsed, or it would've fallen on Daisy, too."

Mario tried to turn his head and check, but his pinned foot wouldn't allow the right angle and he ended up falling back with a grunt, hurting and annoyed.

"We could've finished him."

"Oh, yeah. We had 'im on the ropes."

The king scowled up at his sibling's dry sarcasm before something solemn settled in his eyes.

"You know what has to happen, don't you?"

Luigi didn't like that look on his face.

"...What?"

"You're gonna get out of here before Bowser wakes up. You're gonna find your bag in Teron's mausoleum, with-...with Peach," he choked on the name, having to pause for a few seconds and blink dust out of his eyes, "and you're gonna heal yourself- don't shake your head at me. I can't move, Lu," he tugged on his leg again for emphasis, gaze now pleading. "I can't move. You're gonna have to go without me."

"I'm not leaving you here alone!"

Luigi got to his feet, anger and adrenaline over this particular request boosting him more than any flower or mushroom ever could.

"Are you insane?! I-I'll just find your bag," he rolled over a small hill of rocks, pebbles cascading down as he scrambled into the heart of the rubble. "I'll find your bag and get another flower, then I'll be strong enough to free you!"

"Luigi, it's buried, if the power-ups even survived-"

"I don't care! I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you-"

A groan from their left had Luigi's eyes snapping over to Bowser as he shifted, not getting up but definitely stirring. Mario's eyes had widened, face draining of what little color he had left and making the cuts and bruises stand out even more prominently across his skin.

He swallowed hard, thinking for a moment before digging into his pocket with seemingly great difficulty at the awkward angle.

"Luigi," he panted, "come here."

The younger twin obeyed without much thought, falling to his knees beside his brother when Mario, now sweating with effort but successful, took his hand and closed something into his palm, Luigi opening his fingers and frowning down at the frayed green string.

"...Is this Daisy's?"

"Wintara gave it to me."

"But...how did she even get it?" he questioned quietly, frowning at Bowser in confusion. "He had it. And if she even did get it from him, somehow, why give it to you?"

"I don't know, and we don't have time to care. Listen," he cupped his twin's hands in his own, staring into his eyes with a set that matched, "you have to listen. You asked me before how I thought I was gonna get you out of here, and I think this is it. I'm thinking you might be able to get out if you have this string. I-I dunno; it's a long shot, but I need you to try. Please, Lu."

A horrible feeling settled over him upon realizing the implications. Stony eyes met his brother's, cold as ice.

"...What. About. You."

"...Luigi-"

"You'd better not be implying that I get out of here while you either die from dehydration or turn into a Husk. You'd better not."

"Luigi-"

"You'd better not!"

"Shh," Mario grabbed his face, cupping it gently, and the hush may have been mistaken for a warning against waking Bowser, but Luigi immediately recognized it for its intended soothing nature. 

"Lu," his eyes were glassy as he tipped their foreheads together, "...I was never getting out of here. Shh," he cut off the instant protest, pressing a hand onto his sibling's shoulder and weighing him down, "don't say it. Balzar needs his pound of flesh to keep up our end of the contract. You and I always knew I wouldn't let that be you. We promised him success or three deaths...We-...We didn't succeed," slowly, he turned resigned eyes over his shoulder, roughly where Bowser lay, "...but he'll get his three deaths, anyway."

"Y- You can't," Luigi struggled to speak past the lump in his throat, tears blinding him. "It d-doesn't work like that! He won't-...He won't accept-"

"I know you think I didn't read that contract, but I did."

Mario closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm for the sake of his brother. Everything, always, for the sake of his brother.

"It didn't name names; it counted signatures. Three signatures, four people, three losses...one survivor."

Luigi wiped bitterly at the tears on his face, hissing out his next question.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

"No," his twin denied quickly. "'Plan A' was to break the curse. This...this was just my 'plan B.'"

The green prince stared down at the string in his palm, saturating it with salty droplets that leaked directly from his broken heart.

"...You can't do this to me," he whispered. "You can't...do this."

More movement to his left should have warranted his attention, but he couldn't possibly care less. Let Bowser wake up. Let the Koopa kill him. 

Peach was lost. Daisy no longer held Mario's trust, and Mario...

Mario...

Nothing mattered, anymore.

His brother reached a hand behind his head, pulling him close and kissing each pale cheek before pressing his lips to his forehead, letting them linger as he spoke.

"This is how you show me you love me. This is all I want, for the rest of my life. Maybe someday, someone will come along and break the curse, and then I'll see you again."

"I-I'm the Siren's Sacrifice," he repeated Bowser's words back brokenly. "I'm the one who's supposed to break this curse! If I leave, a-and you become a Husk, then...I-...I-I'll never see you again!"

With his darkest and most petrifying fear now spoken aloud, he burst out into sobs, dropping his head onto his brother's chest and muffling his screams of agony at the prospect of living without his brother. Mario closed his arms around him, holding him together as he had done for his elder when Peach's fate had overwhelmed him with grief.

"Please," Luigi begged, having never in his life known his brother to be so cruel as to ask something like this of him. "Please, don't ask me to do this! I don't want to do this! I'd rather be dead or a Husk with you than try to live with half a heart!"

There had to be another way.

He would not accept this.

As the movement on his left grew more frequent, Mario reluctantly pushed him away, drying his tears with torn up thumbs and glancing frantically behind himself.

His voice shook when he spoke, his words urgent.

"I love you. Listen to me," he pulled him close, cyan eyes sparkling with despair, grief, and above all, an adoration that transcended understanding. "I love you. I will never leave you. I'm right here," a palm pressed into the bloody stains of a shattered heart. "I'm right here, wherever you go. I p-promise you, we'll see each other again. Y-You believe me?"

Streams continued to leak down his cheeks, obscuring his vision, and he couldn't even speak around this crushing agony he had never felt before. Even when they had first stumbled into this magical world, when he had been captured and Mario had stopped at nothing to save him, he had never felt anything like this. That pain of separation was hope.

This pain was goodbye.

A dam of emotion broke and Mario let his own tears cascade without barrier.

Face clenched in just as great a pain as he was inflicting, he couldn't help but pull Luigi in for one more hug, kissing his temple desperately as heavy breaths and groans of pain sounded over his shoulder.

"Ti voglio bene," he cried, pushing his brother away. "Go. Go now!"

"Mario- I-...I-"

"Go, Fratellino!"

"...Ti voglio bene."

He couldn't even be sure Mario heard the words as well as felt them before he turned and ran, stumbling over the rocks and clutching the green string in a white-knuckled palm. His sobs choked him and his tears kept causing him to trip as he couldn't keep track of his surroundings—everything a blur in the fog and devastation that rattled every nerve in his body, echoing into his mind and making him wonder how he would even be able to take one more step with this weight of grief threatening to flatten him into the sand.

Pure will guided him to Teron's mausoleum, and his breaths grew heavy as he leaned on the door, having no idea what horror he was about find trapped in Peach's body. He didn't open the panels as much as fall through them, landing on his side and opening his eyes to his sister-in-law's frozen face, petrified under the blanket Mario had laid over her.

"Peach," he wept in despair, crawling closer and gripping her icy hand, "I'm sorry! I-I'm so sorry! I couldn't-...I couldn't-"

The only way he would make it through this nightmare was to close his mind and harden his heart. He couldn't bear to look at her for long, even if turning away his face felt like a betrayal. Forcing himself to all fours, he tore himself away from the embodiment of his failure to his family and reached for his bag, closing shaking fingers around a mushroom and shoving it into his mouth without thought.

Healing of this magnitude wasn't complete with such a small dose of magic, but he had only taken that much out of obligation to Mario. In his own opinion, he didn't deserve any of them. In fact, just chewing it had made him feel even sicker with guilt. 

Mario should be the one healing in full from the mushrooms.

Peach should be the one standing strong at his brother's side.

He refused to believe Daisy deserved anything less than freedom.

Even Bowser ruled his people well.

Yet, there he was, accepting four sacrifices so the least useful of them all could continue to live.

Turning back to Peach, forcing himself to look upon her one last time, he whispered a devastated farewell, leaning down to kiss her cheek and begging her to defy the odds and return to Mario. Except, she didn't answer.

He didn't know why he expected her to.

He closed the door as he left, numb from head to toe as he crossed the graveyard to the edge of the barrier, gazing at the fog that had claimed them all and hating himself with a renewed passion for having dragged his entire family into this.

As for Daisy...maybe there was something there. Maybe he would have liked to find out.

He supposed he would never know.

Breaths coming in shallow gasps, he raised the trembling hand holding the string, every selfish or reasonable thought begging him to turn away and run straight back to his brother, but something stronger overrode desire, fear, pain, doubt, and any other excuse of an emotion with which his mind could tempt him, and that was loyalty—loyalty to Mario.

Holding his breath, half his heart rejecting this idea like poison and the other half urging him on with loving desperation, he pressed his palm into the fog, letting the cold barrier still his shaking hand.

...Push harder.

It didn't give.

......Push harder.

It wouldn't move.

.........Push harder.

The string in his palm grew hot, startling him, before his hand suddenly pressed in, melting through the mist like hot butter, and he couldn't help but pull his hand back in fear.

It worked.

Mario was right.

"I hate to see you go so soon."

With a gasp, he whipped around, only to find Wintara watching him with an unreadable expression, her hands clasped in front of her. A familiar rage boiled in his heart and Luigi stared at her, his tone like acid.

"...You did this."

"You can accuse me of creating your environment, but not your response to it. True, this world is bound to my pen, but I hold no control over my characters' decisions; my power ends with you—with your choices. There is something called accountability, and I haven't seen much of it in my long life."

Something occurred to him then—something hopeful and desperate.

"Y-You said you could write us all a happy ending," he stepped towards her, arm dropping and string now hanging limp in his fingers. "You said you could."

She gave him nothing, her expression as stone as the rest of this village.

"Please," Luigi fell to his knees. "Please end this. I'll do anything if you just let my family, Daisy, and all these villagers go."

The mage continued to stare down at him with cold indifference, the gentle sway of her robes the only sign of life within her frozen frame.

"You had your chance at 'anything.' 'Nothing' was chosen for you, it would seem. You're letting someone else write your story."

"I don't want this! YOU THINK I WANT THIS?!"

His shout echoed across the graveyard—possibly across the entire town. Wintara wasn't fazed, continuing to watch him with little interest.

"I'M DOING THIS FOR MY BROTHER! I'D RATHER BE DEAD THAN DO THIS!"

She tilted her head, considering him for a long moment.

"And your brother controls you, does he? You could end this. You could stop all of this-"

"I know," he interrupted miserably. "I know I'm your sacrifice-"

"Mine? No, not mine."

A sprout of confusion broke through the grief, tiny but noticeable, and he frowned.

"I-I'm the Siren's Sacrifice. That's what Bowser said your book said-"

"What the monster said was true."

"...Then...you-"

"Curious things, Sirens," bending down, Wintara knelt in the grass beside him, tracing over the frayed end of the green string, Luigi just now noticing the rubies punched into her fingertips. "You know the legends, do you not?"

The last thing on his mind was myth and history, but his company continued in her musings, regardless.

"Funny that you think I choose my names—choose my stories—by chance. Down to the depths, the sailors drown, lured to their deaths by the implied promise of fair pleasure."

Luigi remained silent, something important trying to make itself known as she kept talking, obsidian eyes staring into his soul.

"They take on many a form, though the most dangerous of all is sometimes not what you haven't yet imagined, but the illusion of something you believed you knew well, wouldn't you agree?"

"Wh-What are you implying?"

She smiled, stone face cracking, golden pupils glimmering.

"I never did trust Sirens. My son's blood taints our well, drawn in by false promises, and all disparaging fingers cry out in pain and point to the hand that holds the pen. Blame me, if you wish, for the barrier. Indeed, that was my work," her eyes lifted, admiring the fog, "but never let it be said that I have no heart."

For a moment, neither spoke, Luigi trying to reason through her riddles and Wintara staring into the distance.

"You asked me something before."

Her words were quiet. 

"I believe you asked me if I was well."

"...You never answered me."

"Mm."

She rose to her feet, strolling away like she had no cares in the world.

"If you were to choose your own conclusion," the woman stopped suddenly, turning around, "...how would it end?"

He blinked, wondering how she couldn't possibly already know the answer.

"With all of us together, alive," he whispered bitterly. "With all of us safe and free."

She nodded, smiling slightly, and turned her face to the horizon, her voice now soft with remembrance.

"My son once asked me to tell him a story."

Luigi lifted his head, listening.

"He asked that the end be happy, because people who genuinely want happiness for others deserve to be happy, themselves. I have seen little evidence that all who value others deserve love, in kind, but..." she cast her gaze to him, "...perhaps there is something to be said for the kind of love that begets willing misfortune. Leave, if you wish, Child. Take her token and go. Heaven knows she's never gifted it before."

She continued to walk away, leaving behind one last piece of advice.

"It doesn't have to end this way. There is still time to write the conclusion as you see fit. You needn't fear this world."

He swallowed bile, wishing he could believe her.

"I'm not afraid of the Husks, anymore. Just Bowser."

"Ah, yes," she chuckled, like he'd said a joke, "Bowser. The king of the Darklands, correct? Yes, I've heard of him. Our princess knows him quite well. Quite well."

"Why is that funny? I don't see how that's-"

"I stand by my words, Dear Boy. Truly, there is only one monster in this village, and she knows many roles. Nary one single part meets her ends. And so, the little spider gets carried away in her web of lies, desperately spinning and spinning to try to weave truth but only further entangling her fly. Fortunately for you, you seem to have won the softer gleam in her eye. Of all the men come here, never have I seen one walk away with his string."

She gestured to his trembling fingers.

"So cheer up, Child, and be grateful. What your predecessors wouldn't give to rise from their boxes below; all those poor, sunken sailors who wished to hold what they could never keep...Don't look at me like that, Dear Boy. You've taught me something interesting today—even Sirens have the capacity to experience loss."

Her head tipped, almost as if introduced to a concept she had never considered before, or perhaps had never seen proven.

"...Even Sirens have the capacity to feel regret."

~TO BE CONTINUED~