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“Le mie stelle…”
Luigi clasped his hands over his mouth as he witnessed the sight before him: his brother prone, feebly dragging himself upwards to the two people he adored most. The younger brother winced, seeing the bleeding cuts lacerating his face, and the bruising surrounding his right eye made his stomach turn slightly. But even between it all, even through the obvious pain, Luigi could see that familiar gleam in his eyes… that same one he held just for him and Peach!
“MARIO!!!” Peach cried, practically tackling her husband as she bent down and held him closely. She pulled Mario close to her chest so hard, he let out a surprised yelp before realizing who it was. Not long after, Luigi carefully joined her on his knees as he helped support Mario, ensuring his arm didn’t fall victim to further injury. He hissed with sympathy, seeing the nasty gash lacerating his shoulder and the obvious deformation in his palms. Luigi’s concern for his beloved brother grew all the while, but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of triumph as warm tears fell down his cheeks. Beside him, Polterpup barked happily, his tail wagging madly as he nuzzled his face against Mario’s beaten form. Yes… even the beloved pup seemed overjoyed of his freedom!
“DIO MIO!” Mario suddenly exclaimed, using his good arm to pull Peach closer as he sobbed into her chest. From what little Luigi heard, Mario whimpered in a barely audible, high-pitched whisper, “Dio mio… m-my P-P-Peachy…! ”
Peach simply let out a soft sob as she gingerly kissed his forehead. In amazement, Luigi watched, through blurred vision, her eyes sparkling upon realizing that, yes, this was real! As Mario continued sobbing into her chest, she gripped him like a lifeline, as if any mere second apart from him could spell her demise.
“Shh… shh… i-it’s okay, honey…” Peach sniffled, shakily cradling his head as she softly stroked his messy brown curls. “It’s okay…! You’re safe with us, now…!”
Mario’s eyes rained tears as he gripped the back of her nightgown, “I… I thought I’d never see you again…! Ti amo! Ti amo tanto!!”
“I love you, too… I love you too…!”
For the next few moments, Peach sat there, holding her beloved Mario in her arms, like a warm blanket. All the while, Luigi couldn’t help commiserating in his mixture of relief and sheer bliss, seeing his loving family back together again…!
Just then, Mario pulled away with a start, earning a pitiful whine from Peach. In a panicky tone, his hands met her bloodstained skirt, to which he frantically cried, “Oh my STARS, PEACHY! Wh-Wh-What happened?! How bad is it?!”
What little relief Luigi felt swiftly melted upon hearing the fear in his beloved brother’s voice. Although his back was turned, Luigi could still clearly see those warm, loving eyes coated in worry… his least favorite expression.
To soothe him, Peach reassured, “Mario, I’m fine, honey, I-”
“NO. You are NOT fine! Lemme see…!”
“Mario!”
Peach hurriedly cupped her husband’s reddened face in her hands protectively, her sapphire blue eyes now, too, coated in worry. Mario briefly struggled, protesting that he cared for his beloved wife, before ultimately realizing his efforts were in vain. As he slowly calmed down, Peach sighed reluctantly. She tried drying her tears from before, which proved futile as more simply sprouted and streamed down her cheeks. She ultimately gave up as she allowed them to flow, and in her sweet, but shaken, voice, she whispered, “Honey… I’m fine. I’ll be okay. I understand you’re scared…but we need to get you back to the lab. Don’t worry about me. Now… Luigi? D-Do you think you can mana-”
Before she could finish, that one sentence alarmed Mario, again. Quickly, he turned to face his younger brother, to which Luigi saw his brother’s bruised, tear-filled, denim-blue eyes sparkle with shock and relief as he practically fell over himself trying to reach him. Upon seeing him again, his hands cautiously found Luigi’s, as if he were comforting a feral animal. Visibly shaking, he whispered, “Lu… Luigi…?! Fratellino?!”
Luigi, feeling his heart warm, sniffled as he smiled, “S-S-Sono io…”
His brother’s eyes were shrouded in silent fury as he stared down at Luigi’s distended belly between them. He gripped his shoulders tightly as if Luigi were to fall at any second. In a tone filled with horror and slight anger, accompanied by his wide-eyed gaze and frantic gestures towards Coniglietto, he cried, “Perché sei qui?! Non dovresti essere affatto qui! Sei incinta! Come puoi andare in giro, nelle tue condizioni, con quelli... quelli…!”
“Mario!” Peach exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder to spin him around. “Mario, honey… it’s okay. I’ve been keeping an eye on him… and so has Polterpup. He’s okay!”
“He’s. Preg. Nant.” Mario repeated slowly.
“Yes. Yes, I know. That’s why we’re with him. And besides… he’s the one who saved you.”
Mario slowly turned back to Luigi. He examined the younger plumber suspiciously as if determining whether he was harmed somehow, before asking, “Mi hai salvato…?”
Luigi nodded.
“Peachy, too?”
Nod.
Upon hearing that confirmation, Mario sighed deeply as if a weight were lifted from his chest. In a reluctant tone, though Luigi saw the weak smile painting his features, he muttered, “I’m still not happy about all this… but I am glad you’re okay, Lulu…”
“Th-Thanks Mario…
Mario shook his head, “No… no, don’t thank me… just…”
Before Luigi could say another word, Mario slowly enveloped him in the warmth of his strong arms. As always, Luigi felt warmth radiating throughout his body from Mario’s presence. He always adored his loving brother’s embraces… the sweet, warm ones that seemed to shield him from harm. He practically huddled into his arms like a touch-starved kitten, never wanting to let the feeling die. He was in sheer Star Haven.
“Dio mio…! My Luigi!” Mario whimpered into his collarbone, “I’m so happy to see you, fratellino… I was so scared I’d lose you when I fought off that… that… thing! ”
“I’m o-o-okay, big bro…” Luigi smiled warmly. He still felt as though he were living in a dream; for so long that night, he had awaited the moment he found his beloved brother’s arms once more, their warmth more comforting than any embers from a fire. He missed his gentle, but hard, reassurances, guiding him through all his troubles, no matter the peril. He missed all of him!
…
…
…
Wait.
Reluctantly, Luigi pulled away, much to Mario’s evident dismay. As his expression inquired why, Luigi asked cautiously, “Wh-What do you mean… ‘f-f-fought it o-off…?’”
For a brief moment, Mario stared at Luigi in stunned silence. Before he could open his mouth to speak, Peach suddenly interjected, “I… think we should carry this on our way back to the lab, especially for your sake, Mario… your arm is worrying me.”
Luigi flushed pink.
Moments later, the party made the journey to E-Gadd’s lab. Luigi supported Mario on one side, albeit with some protests from the older brother. Admittedly, it pained Luigi during this endeavor. His pelvis ached horribly from the night’s continuous running, and his back throbbed painfully still, but he bore through it all. In his mind at that moment, nothing was more important than his brother’s well-being.
At his side, Polterpup kept him steady, occasionally nudging him to keep his footing as he did his best to aid Mario. At his other side, Peach, too, aided. She held Mario from his abdomen to his back, even ensuring he remained conscious as he limped onward. At the same time, she glanced towards Luigi and his swollen belly, inquiring of their wellbeing. Though they all moved slowly, they knew it was for the best.
The sky remained a cloudy, dark grey, the moonlight shunned against the eternal dreariness, they saw as they reached the porch-front. In Luigi’s opinion, it almost seemed much cloudier than normal, which further exacerbated his worry at the thought of a storm. Nothing but the flashlights from Luigi’s and Peach’s Poltergusts were near to guide the way, their only hope of travel relying on the soft orange glow illuminating the dirt-ridden path before them all.
For a while, none of them said a word as they crept onward down the stairs. They ensured each was safely cared for as if they were one creature altogether.
All the while, Luigi longed for answers about Mario’s apparent previous battle. He couldn’t gaze at his older brother’s wounds for too long without feeling his stomach churn, so the very idea of what cursed them upon him felt like a sheer death sentence. He wanted to know what sort of plague had befallen him… but he stayed silent.
Although it made his heartache, he knew now wasn’t the time to inquire about such things, especially in Mario’s condition.
Eventually, however, Mario’s steps slowed as he struggled to keep his weary eyes open for much longer. In a slurred, exhausted tone, he motioned towards one of the trees for rest, which Peach and Luigi were all too happy to oblige.
Carefully, they set him against the tree, taking extra precautions considering his arm. His breaths sounded shuddered and weak, which worried them tremendously. His skin felt clammy and cold as he shivered, though sweat dripped from his face in rivers. Polterpup whimpered in concern as he licked a few sweat beads away, earning a soft, weak smile from the injured Mario brother. As the pup lay down in his lap, he gazed up at the two with an expression that confirmed all they dreaded. Luigi’s heart sank as he fixated on the inflamed gash coloring his arm, worry filling his bloodstream as the worst possible things came to mind, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Peach.
“Hold him still” she promptly instructed Luigi, beginning ripping the fabric of her skirt apart.
As told, Luigi hastily kneeled beside Mario, gingerly holding his burning arm up, to which he winced. Luigi tried his hardest to ignore the deformity beneath his fingers as he waited for Peach to finish her undertaking. He used his other hand to place Mario’s palm over Coniglietto, to which Mario’s eyes sparkled in sheer delight. But unlike now, Luigi knew he couldn’t share his smile.
He was almost too happy as soon as Peach gathered the ripped cloth in her hands and began wrapping it around Mario in a makeshift sling. Luigi’s heart felt sharp pangs hearing the pained whimpers and hisses from his brother, as well as the slight writhing and tears pooling in his eyes. Ultimately, however, it all dissipated once Peach finished. As the last of her dressings were prepared, she sighed deeply, “Okay… I don’t know how much healing I can give you, honey… I used most of it for Luigi earlier. This might take a little bit, so try to stay calm. In the meantime… perhaps now you could tell us what happened?”
With a slight sniffle, Mario weakly agreed.
As Peach did with Luigi, her palms rested softly atop Mario’s shoulder. From the look on the older brother’s face, he instantly began feeling the soothing warmth of her powers flooding his body. From the corner of his eye, Luigi watched as the deep red tear lacerating his shoulder slowly healed. It progressed minorly, like the threading of a needle in and out, but it appeared much cleaner with each “stitch.”
“Luigi had a question earlier, honey,” Peach commented, more to his arm. “Would you like to share?”
A few moments more, Mario stared blankly. As they began to give up hope, Mario suddenly nodded and cleared his gravelly throat.
“I… I still don’t know what happened,” he began, recounting slowly. “I remember us all on the couch… I remember Daisy saying they oughta take Lulu upstairs for another nap or something… and then I fell asleep, I think.”
“I remember that, too,” Peach nodded.
Mario then bit his lip.
“I-I-Is that everything, b-bro…?” Luigi inquired, squeezing his hand gently.
At this, Mario shook his head. In horror, Luigi suddenly realized that Mario’s face had turned completely pale with fear. In fact… the only visible color shone from the bruises and cuts lacerating his face. In a shaken tone, Mario continued, “Nuh uh… I remember w-waking up to something growling later that night… I c-couldn’t see anything. B-B-But I knew… I knew…”
His eyes suddenly sprouted tears as he bit his lip, his breathing becoming more heavy and labored, as though he had run a mile. Luigi’s heart raced as he mopped his brother’s forehead of sweat, now realizing that whatever happened had cursed Mario more than he let on.
“Honey…?” Peach asked, concern dripping in her tone.
“I knew you weren’t there!” Mario suddenly cried out, turning to Peach as his eyes grew more bloodshot. “I couldn’t feel you! I couldn’t see you! I knew… I knew something bad happened… to you…!”
He let out a few stifled sobs before he continued, “All I heard w-was… th-that thing… g-growling! It sounded like B-B-Bowser… but I knew it couldn’t be him! I made sure that bastard was dead and buried in lava for Grambi’s sake! A-A-And I knew Lulu was upstairs… w-with D-Daisy, Peasley, and… and Polpettino!” Mario then turned to a very horrified Luigi, “I c-c-couldn’t forgive myself if I let you all get h-hurt! So I… I tried to fight whatever was in there off… j-just… anything! Anything to get my Peachy back…! If not for her… to keep you four from getting hurt!”
Mario’s eyes rained tears as he sputtered, “I d-d-did everything I could…! I t-t-tore into it with everything in me…! I didn’t care if I got hurt; as long as it wasn’t me, I didn’t care! B-But then… it threw me against the window… and… and that’s how my a-arm ended up like this. I w-was hurting so bad, I c-c-couldn’t stand… and that’s when it cornered me! All I remember is t-trying to scream and… and then it all went black…!”
As if holding back floodgates, Mario let out a heartwrenching, guttural cry into the air as his face flooded red. His cheeks were sopping wet with tears as they came in droves, seemingly unending. With each feeble sob, hiccups and squeaks escaped him, practically piercing into Luigi’s heart. Unable to stand it any longer, the younger brother, feeling his eyes water, threw himself upon his older brother, holding him tight. He felt his shuddered breaths vibrate against his cheeks, as he was certain his own did. He buried his nose into Mario’s pajama shirt, pushing aside the guilt of wetting it. At that moment… nothing else mattered, aside from knowing his brother was sure neither he nor Peach and Polterpup would ever leave him.
Beneath him, he felt Polterpup whine in sympathy as he lay closer to Mario’s abdomen. And behind him, too, Peach hugged the two gently. Although he couldn’t see her face, he could feel her tears trickling down his neck.
It seemed like hours before their internal storms died down. As Peach and Luigi lifted themselves from Mario, he peered up at them in a mixture of solace and trepidation.
At the sight, Luigi sighed and cupped his cheek lovingly, “B-B-Bro… it’s o-o-okay. Y-You’re safe with us n-n-now. W-We’re gonna m-m-make sure you don’t g-gotta do that a-a-again…”
Mario returned his kindness with a rough nuzzle into his palm.
Peach soon joined in, running her fingers through Mario’s thick, brown curls and whispered, “I… I think you should stay in the lab while Luigi and I carry on, honey. You need your rest… and we’ll talk to you the whole way through the whole time… won’t we, Luigi?”
Luigi nodded as he began to dig for the GameBoy Horror for emphasis… and that’s when he froze.
His sympathetic smile dropped as he realized something wasn’t right. His blood ran cold and his eyes widened as he recalled all the times he used the device… every time one of those things were captured in the past…
No! He was being ridiculous!
Unless…
Shakily, he looked up at the dark clouds, covering the moon in thick bits of obscurity… they seemed even worse now…
No…
No!
NO!
Feeling his heart race, Luigi got up from where he sat, hurriedly snatched his Poltergust, and cried, “TH-TH-THE LAB!!! W-W-WE HAFTA G-GET TO IT N-N-NOW!”
“Luigi, what’s wr-” Peach began.
“C-C-Come on!” Luigi urged.
Luigi stopped for no one as he made a mad dash down the dirt pathway, his body running purely on adrenaline now. He cared little about his lower back aching as the Poltergust dug into him, or that his swollen belly bounced heavily with every step. He heard his heartbeat in his ears, along with his own voice pleading to any Star Spirits above ‘Please be okay! Please be okay!’
But once he reached the thicket where the hideout lab lay…
“NO!!!!!!!”
Luigi fell to his knees as his hands clapped over his open mouth. He felt tears welling in his eyes at the sight before him…
Where the lab once stood… there was nothing but burnt rubble and equipment strewn uselessly throughout the open, charred land. A raging fire burned the tiny shack, emitting thick amounts of smoke and filling the air like disgusting storm clouds. Boxes of artifacts from the place were scattered around, some torn, burned, or broken, only a spare few surviving the onslaught. As Luigi frantically scanned for any signs of life present, the only one he found, much to his horror, was a pair of broken glasses amongst the rubble…
“Luigi…” a shaky voice said behind him.
With tear-filled eyes, Luigi slowly turned back to find Peach, Mario, and Polterpup standing behind him, staring in horror at the charred remains. Peach held her hands over her mouth, much like Luigi, her sapphire blue eyes shining even more as tears gathered. Mario held his good hand atop his heart as his eyes widened, shaking his head ‘no’ as he looked down at Luigi sympathetically. Even Polterpup seemed to have grasped the severity of it all; he hung his head as he whimpered sadly and tucked his tail between his legs.
“Luigi…” Peach repeated, softly sobbing behind her hands. Her body shook as she nearly fell to her knees like Luigi, only for Mario to hold her up.
In a shaken tone like hers, he whispered, “P-Polty… g-g-go… go find something th-there… a-anything that can help us… P-Peach… we… we should s-s-stay back.”
Luigi watched as his beloved pup trudged forward, his despair evident in every limping step. The younger brother barely paid heed, as he could only watch the burning sight before him, to Mario and Peach as they kneeled beside him. Peach relieved the burden from his back once more as she held him tightly around his chest, her arms resting gingerly over his swollen belly. Her face was buried into his sweater, tears dampening it, but again, Luigi paid no mind. Meanwhile, Mario held his hand, squeezing gently. From the corner of his eye, Luigi could see his lip curling as he struggled to hold back sobs.
But even they couldn’t compare to the overwhelming emptiness Luigi felt as tears began streaming down his face as his hands covered his eyes.
Luigi couldn’t bear to watch the burning remains slowly disintegrate, destroying the one place of solidarity he had. He was never the biggest fan of E-Gadd, in all fairness. His overenthusiasm over ghosts was always off-putting to the younger plumber, and he despised being the one the researcher turned to for his problems. And his dismissal of Luigi’s needs was something he didn’t like!
All the same… he never wished something like this on him!
Sometimes, even though he didn’t like it, E-Gadd was the only source of comfort for hours. Through all of his insane ramblings and stories, he offered Luigi some much-needed company when all seemed hopeless. Even with baby Coniglietto, E-Gadd showed some care, giving Luigi the supplements he needed to ensure his baby was fed well as they slept peacefully within him.
And now… he was gone…
“H-How…” Luigi whimpered through his hands, sniveling immensely. “H-H-How could he…?”
“Lulu…” Mario whispered, his voice quivering. “I’m so sorry…”
“King Boo… he’s a-a-actually g-g-gone insane!” Luigi sobbed. “WHY IS HE D-D-DOING THIS?!”
Luigi let out a loud sob as he doubled over in grief. He couldn’t believe that E-Gadd was gone… he couldn’t! He already blamed himself for allowing his family to get lost… he couldn’t lose E-Gadd too!
His pain and guilt radiated throughout his bloodstream as he clenched his fists, imagining King Boo… imagining all that he would do to that monster! To him, it mattered little that he was pregnant at all. He just wanted King Boo to hurt… just like him.
In all this time, he never realized his silence, until Mario’s arm embraced him gently in consolation, “Weegie…?”
Rage still coursing through his veins, Luigi peered up at his brother, uncovering his tear-stained face. He did little to hide the anger swelling in his expression… something his older brother noticed instantly.
Like a warm blanket, Mario held him steady and gave him those same warm, loving eyes, holding him as though his life depended on it. His touch was soft, like butterfly wings… the same feeling Luigi missed so dearly all this time. Even though his face was badly bruised and beaten… it couldn’t mask the loving gaze he held all for his beloved little brother… not even a bit.
“Baby… it’s gonna be okay,” Mario rubbed his shoulder. “W-We’re gonna get ridda that Boo… we’re gonna make sure he never escapes again, you hear me?”
In a voice practically in a whisper, Luigi replied, “How…? Th-Th-There’s nothing we can-”
“You listen to me, little bro,” Mario replied firmly, his eyebrows narrowing. “You’ve always found a way to stop him. You are the strongest force against him. You’re the one who’s always found a way around him and keeps everyone safe. Not to mention… you’re one hell of a mama… how many guys d’you know that would take down a power-hungry boo while they’re carrying their Polpetta? Eh?”
Luigi sniffled, “N-Not too many, b-b-but-”
“But nothing . You can do it, Weegie. We’re gonna go in there… and all four of us are gonna fuck him up.”
“Four…?”
Mario smiled smugly, “I’m going with you.”
Luigi gasped, “M-M-Mario! Y-You can’t be-”
“Oh, I’m serious,” Mario nodded. “That monster’s hurt my family for the last time… and with my baby bro being pregnant… he’s gonna learn not to mess with me. Especially when I’ve only gotten three hours-a sleep all night.”
Luigi couldn’t help chuckling at that, admittedly.
Behind him, Peach finally lifted her head from Luigi’s sweater, “Mario… I… I understand that you’re determined to get back at him… but is that the best idea…?”
“I’m sure of it, Peachy Pie,” Mario nodded again. “I don’t care what it takes… I won’t rest until that bastard is dead a second time. What kinda bro ‘n uncle would I be to just allow King Boo to wander all free?”
“Well, I-”
“My point is… I’m going with you both. Try and stop me all you want. I’m not gonna back down.”
Luigi and Peach cast a worried look towards one another for a brief moment. They knew they could try all they wanted to dissuade Mario from getting involved… but it wouldn’t make a difference. No matter how battered and bruised the red plumber was, if he set his mind to something, that was it. Thus, they resigned themselves to a shared, albeit reluctant, smile.
“I… guess it wouldn’t hurt to have extra hands on deck,” Peach said.
“That’s the spirit. Now c’mon, let’s go find-”
“Polterpup!” Luigi cried.
Sure enough, the little pup came limp-trotting up to the three, happy as a lark, all of a sudden. To their delight, they each noticed he was carrying something in his mouth. Something that suspiciously resembled-
“The P-P-Poltergust 3000!!” Luigi squealed happily as he relieved the burden from his beloved pup and scratched under his chin. In response, the little dog barked cheerfully, his tail wagging as energetically as before.
Behind him, Luigi heard Peach laughing cheerfully as hope flooded them all once more. Even Mario seemed to have brightened as he stroked Polterpup’s back lovingly, “Well lookit that, Weege! Guess your lil’ buddy here’s good for something other than eating my spaghetti, eh?”
“Sh-Shut up, Mario…!” Luigi giggled as he gently elbowed Mario in the ribs.
Mario simply rolled his eyes as he instructed Peach to help him gear up. Not too long after, he stood proudly before the three of them, in all his ghost-hunting glory. The straps were situated comfortably around him, even his injured arm. He couldn’t quite use both hands anymore, but that didn’t stop him as he wielded the vacuum hose with his good arm (“Bad arm or not, I’m gonna beat ‘em up!”)
As he began showing off, Luigi and Peach couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity.
“You’re quite the ghost hunter!” Peach laughed.
“R-R-Ready to go, b-big bro…?” Luigi asked, a genuine smile crossing his face.
“Oh, I’m more ‘n ready.”
With not much else to do, Peach suited her and Luigi up as she helped return their respective Poltergusts. Then, with some assistance from Mario, she helped bring Luigi to his feet. They felt ready to go now.
All of a sudden, a loud crackle of thunder came from behind them.
From the mansion…
The three looked off in the distance towards it, noticing the dark clouds swirling and purple lightning beginning to strike around it, a sign King Boo was nearby… and he was not pleased!
And sure enough… there he was!
A chill ran in the air as his terrifying, shadowed form swept over the top of the mansion’s roof. His glowing violet eyes pierced their very souls as he glowered at them from up high. His sharp fangs were bared in malicious intent, clearly enraged by their insistence. His glowing crown emitted violet rays as it seemingly played with their surroundings like a cruel puppet master. But while all that was terrifying enough, all the three could focus on was that same tall, gangly, strong-armed creature Luigi had seen before, swaying mindlessly. It seemed so large next to King Boo, a freakish force of nature only existing to serve the one thing that kept it standing.
The three huddled together as their eyes met his. Fear coursed through them at the sight, but they knew what they had to do.
For Daisy and Peasley…