Chapter Text
“...sire…”
The only reply to the mysterious voice were tiny little snores.
“...s-sire?”
Again, only the muted, smallish snores of the king responded.
“SIRE!”
“WHAT!!!” Bowser jolted awake.
It was the dead of night. The only thing Bowser could see within the room was an old Magikoopa with thick glasses and blue robes, hovering above the marble floor on a bamboo broom. As much as Bowser was relieved to see his loyal court mage Kamek, he was still pissed off that he woke him up. And that he was still small! And still captured by the Mushroom Kingdom!
“...i’ve come to free you, sire…” Kamek whispered as he gently floated closer to the golden cage that King Bowser was held in.
“About damn time! It’s only been a whole week!” Bowser harrumphed. “...and the guards?”
“All have been put to sleep.” With a wave of Kamek’s magical scepter, a purple beam of light danced across the pitch black room.
“Yes…Yes!” Bowser grinned.
Finally! Bowser thought. I’ll get out of this. This… Squishy, mushroom-y castle! Back to conquerning! Pillaging! ROCKING!!! And I can FINALLY plot revenge against those terrible brothers, Mario and L-
“ACK!” Kamek ducked as the beam ricocheted off the gilt cage.
“Woah! Watch it!” A thin purple pellet of magic shot across the room several times before fizzling out.
“...hmm.” As the court mage lifted his head once more to readjust his glasses, he began to examine the cage more closely. “It seems…”
“What. Out with it.”
“This cage is reinforced with… magic …”
“So…” Bowser began to twiddle his clawed thumbs. “...iiiis that like, bad?”
“Yes,” Kamek winced at the furious look Bowser gave him next. “And no! No! It just might take a few more days, that’s all.”
“...” The king of all Koopas let more steam escape his nose. “Fine… But I expect regular updates.”
“Ah, good thinking!” Kamek took out a red jewel similar the one set into his scepter. His magic caused the glittering stone to levitate. With another flourish, the stone was shrunken to proper size before being presented to Bowser. “I will speak to you with this magical stone. I will report every night until I have freed you, sire.”
“Good, very good Kamek…” Bowser nodded before tucking the object into his lustrous green shell. “Now get to it.”
“Right away.” Kamek made sure he was undetected before departing.
“And one more thing…” Bowser grumbled. “Make sure all the kids keep eating dinner at a regular time. If I return to a hall of malnourished little imps…” Bowser scowled. “Believe me. The whole KINGDOM is going to feel my wrath!”
With that, Kamek disappeared in a cloud of purple-pink smoke.
The following morning, one of his Toad captors offered Bowser his daily breakfast: chopped up apples and carrots.
YUCK! Not this stuff again! Where’s all the meat in this weak, pacifist place?!?
Luigi sighed as he tightened another leaky faucet.
“Hey, you alright Lu?” He could hear Mario ask.
“...huh? Oh yeah! Never better.” He tried to fake a smile.
“Y’sure?”
“Yup! I’m fine!” His cheezy grin couldn’t fool his brother.
“...you can tell me, y’know.” Mario patted Luigi’s shoulder. “You’re older brother’s always here for ya.”
“Older?! By what, five minutes!?!” That got Luigi to snort.
“Hey, every second counts…” Mario winked.
“Annnnd that’s why I’m taller?”
“Eyyy, shut it, you!” Mario pushed his brother’s green cap over his smug face.
They continued to repair Mrs. Garcia’s upstairs sink and shower. It was their last job for the day before returning to the Mushroom Kingdom. The sweet abuela sent them on their way with a small parcel of cookies. In return, Mario shared a small list of recommended construction companies to help with her roof, just as requested.
They walked down the sidewalk with a little more pep in their step. At least Mario did.
Luigi seemed to lose focus on their trip home. He would perk back up if Mario asked him another question, or would flinch if he heard a weird noise in a nearby alley.
I can’t believe it…
One week, I’m almost killed just to spite my brother?! And the next we’re fixing faucets again?!
The lava almost… Bowser almost…
“LU! EE! JEE!” Mario tugged his brother back by the straps of his overalls. “Y- sorry! Sorry!” He fended off Luigi’s half-hearted slaps.
“MarioOOO! Don’t SCARE me like that!” His brother gasped.
“Hey I… Sorry, you were walkin’ so fast, an’…” He sighed. “This is about last week?”
“What?! Nooo! No no no NO! Nope. I-i-i don’t even know what you’re talkin’ about!” Luigi crossed his arm nervously. "Honest!"
“…you were really brave, ya know that.”
“…” Luigi grimaced. The floodgates burst open wide. “Waaaaas I though? I mean, I ratted ya out Mario- sorry! For that... Aand! AND...! I was caught in the first place! And I was so scared, knees kept shakin' the whole damn time! And don’t get me started ‘bout the CAGES! And the screaming! I screamed a whole lot. Oh gawd... I-i-i tried. SO hard! T' be brave. But I-” The taller of the two brothers was silenced by a gloved hand covering his mile-a-minute mouth.
“ EY! Ascolta!" Mario demanded his brother listen, then paused until he knew that he had Luigi's full attention. "Y’ saved me from certain death. With a manhole cover. That's next level."
“…i d-did that...yeh.” Luigi still didn't seem to believe his words.
“You’re too hard on ya’self, bro. Come on.” Mario guided his twin towards the stairs to the underground facility they got trapped in last time.
The early evening air greeted them even before they made it to the other end of the giant pipe from Brooklyn to the Mushroom Kingdom. The local Toads all waved hello as they passed by on their way to their shared house.
“I got soup earlier.” Luigi stated as he opened the fridge.
“What kind?”
“Minestrone.”
“Oooh,” the shorter of the two was delighted. “Got the bread?”
“Can ya eat soup without it?” They both chuckled as Luigi produced a loaf of rustic bread. It was their tradition. Every time they got minestrone soup, they HAD to have bread to dunk into it.
"Did I just hear SOUUUUUP!?!" Toad shouted from the short walkway to the front door.
"Hey'a Toad!" Luigi opened the door more fully for their new friend.
"Thanks for inviting me! HERE!" Toad presented a jar of pickles. "For the house!"
"Of course." Both brothers smiled. Then, they shared a perplexed look at one another. Pickles? To a house-warming party?
"Since ya helped save the Princess, and Brooklyn, it's the least we could do." Mario and Toad shared a fist bump. Immediately after, Toad made a motion to do the same for Luigi. The green clad brother obliged.
About two minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door.
Mario opened the door to Princess Peach.
"Thank you, Mario." Princess Peach was next to enter. She carefully entered the doorway behind Toad. With her was a basket of freshly baked apple tarts. "I hope you've both been adjusting well."
"O-of course!" Mario nodded as he accepted her gift. "And. I hope you all like minestrone soup. It's a delicacy back home in Brooklyn."
"Ehhh, we'll see!" Donkey Kong burst through the door before it could be closed, and showed himself to the sofa, which he hogged with his whole reclining body. "Is it ready, yet?"
"Not yet..." Mario grumbled. "Hey, Donkey Kong..."
"Think fast!"
"YOW!!" Luigi caught a bundle of bananas thrown his way.
"From our home, to your's...or something. Left before Pops could finish the rest."
It didn't take too much longer. Luigi and Toad had put the pot of soup on the stovetop. Finally, the sweet smell of Italian cooking filled the space with a cozy, familiar warm for the two brothers.
It was quite exotic for those from this other world, however. Donkey Kong kept sniffing it, wondering if it was actually safe for an ape to eat.
Luigi asked Mario to watch the soup once it started boiling. The slightly older of the two thought nothing of it, but the slightly younger was relieved to not be so close. To the soup. The hot, bubbling, steaming soup… The tomato-based soup that began reminding him of lava as soon as it began to boil.
When it was time for the taste test, they were all pleasantly surprised by how tasty and hearty the soup was. Their small band of heroes enjoyed the soup, the dunking bread, as well as the company.
Their guests focused more questions at Luigi, which of course made him nervous.
"I bet your brother was such a JERK as a kid, eHeheheheeh!" The heir to the Kong dynasty taunted with his signature laugh.
"No, Mario was a hero! Even then," Luigi commented as he began to wash their finished bowls in the sink. "At least to little old me."
"AWWW~~!!" Toad thought that was the sweetest thing ever.
"I apologize for these two, Luigi." The princess smiled with a bit of recognition. "We just happened to meet Mario first. Why not tell us more about yourself?"
"I get it." Luigi nodded. "Not too much to tell. Just a plumber with the coolest brother."
"Well," Donkey Kong mused. "How about: how'd ya survive Bowser, anyho-"
"I..." Luigi looked away as he gripped at the dish towel. He couldn't finish his sentence.
"DK..." Peach tried to hush the ape. "That was rude."
"Ohhhh. Touchy subject. My bad." The ape relented.
"Luigi..." The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "I've heard that during your travels, you befriended the Penguin King? Would you consider visiting the Snow Kingdom?"
"I uh..." Luigi turned back around to address her royal highness. "...never really thought of it."
"OR! He could visit the Jungle Kingdom!" DK pepped back up. "It's warmer there anyway… Pops wanted to see ya!"
"...o-oh. That's all...heheh." Luigi grew nervous again. "Maybe. Someday soon. Still getting used'ta. Well, all of this."
"That's ok," Toad patted Luigi on the arm. He couldn't quite reach his shoulder. "We can work on that!"
The night went well beyond that.
But Luigi just kept replaying the events in his mind. Unable to stop.
He'd helped in the final fight. But was he, you know, brave enough?
Even to be visiting literal royalty?
One week passed. The top koopa himself had plenty of time to reflect on his current situation. It made him pine for Princess Peach all the more. And hate that stinkin’ Mario all the more. But…
It made him question anything he ever thought he knew about Mario’s dear brother, Luigi.
It makes no GODDAMN sense! One minute, he was cowering in the garbage, and the next, he defied me? ME?!?
He didn’t last a single minute under interrogation! WHAT GIVES!?!
Bowser grumbled and fussed as he attempted to get back into his self-imposed jam session.
He began to gently play the scaled-down grand piano in his cage.
He's nothing! Just a hitch in my grand plan.
A worthless little nobody...
Bowser fumbled the next few notes.
"FUCK!" He slammed his claws down on the ivory keys, producing a terrible cord. "You've got this, Bowser..." He whispered to himself.
He attempted the notes again.
In his head, a grand trumpeting prelude with a choir of 50 added to the epic piece he played. It was his newest idea for his royal processional.
He could envision it now: his entire army lined up by rank and division.
His daughter and many sons nearest the throne to the left. His loyal court mage to the right.
Everywhere, lava fields and brimstone. Ah. A guy could leave the volcano, but the volcano could never leave him.
And next to his grand throne, was a smaller one. Still grand! Just...built for a far smaller frame than his own. Yeah!
Seated next to him in his daydream was...
"L-LUIGI!?! UGH!" Bowser slammed down on the keys again.
Ew! NO! Blegh! Princess Peach! PEACH! Not that green, wimpy, mustachioed- ugh!!!!!
Luigi, at about the same time, didn’t feel well. Luigi felt awful. His first three days within that strange new world were etched and burned in his mind, with no escape from it. He tried to forget. He tried so very hard.
He was walking down the crowded sidewalks of Queens. All he could feel were a horde of grasping hands of the dreaded Dry Bones, hellbent on dragging him to his doom.
He nervously leapt over a patch of lava (a puddle). Even it's splash from a passerby sounded like a hot sizzle to him.
He accidentally bumped into a much taller gentleman. All he saw was Bowser. He could still feel hot breath on his hair, a menacing claw grazing his chin, and those scorching, domineering eyes staring back.
“AHK!!” Luigi dove away into the nearest alleyway. The gentleman shrugged it off, but Mario ran in after his brother.
”Lu! LU!!! Where’d ya…go…?” He looked to the side. There was a rattling dumpster. “Lu?” His tone softened.
“…”
”Bro? Please come outta the dumpster?”
”…nnnn-o.” It was barely a squeak.
“I-is there anything I can…do t’ help?”
”…k-keep t-t-talkin?”
”Sure, I can do that.”
Mario kept talking. All the while, he could hear his brother crying in a rotten smelly dumpster.
He talked about the houses they’d just done repairs at. He talked about the pictures their mother had sent them of their outing to the Statue of Liberty in the 5th grade. He recounted the trip, and then the crazy traffic trying to ride home in that beat-up old school bus. They had come up with their secret handshake that day. Mario remembered.
Then he paused when he heard the crying die down in volume.
”…m-mario?” A very weepy Luigi peeked outside the dumpster. Mario was looking away.
”I’m so sorry, Lu…”
“…for what?” He sniffled, his voice was hoarse.
”I didn’t realize just how bad you’ve been hurtin’...” He turned to look to his brother. “I’m here, and I’ll do whatever I can. To help.” He thought how to say the next part. “D’ya want…t’ seek help? Like, see a doctor, too?”
”…” Luigi nodded slowly.
“And can I help ya outta that dumpster, now?”
”…yes, please.”
”It smells really bad.”
”It smells awful…” Luigi agreed as he continued to softly cry.
It was late in the wee hours of the night in the Mushroom Kingdom. There was a small thud on the balcony connected to Bowser's room.
"Hmm...?" Bowser awoke. "-who goes there."
“It's ME, Papa,” he suddenly heard a smaller voice enter the room from the balcony. “I’m here to save you!”
“Now that’s a good boy.” Bowser smiled.
He could see his son, Bowser Jr. , radiating a strange, mystical power in the dead of night. It brought joy to his evil heart! The tike had slashed the locks on the balcony door.
“I knocked out aaaall the guards, too!” The smaller koopa smiled wide.
“Hmph, Kamek could learn a thing or two from you, Junior...” He then prompted his son for one final phrase. “Aaand? What do we say when we’ve thwarted a good guy’s plan? HM?”
“MWA-ha-haaah!” Bowser Jr. toddled over with arms outstretched. With the magic currently instilled in him, Bowser Jr. ripped the bars apart from Bowser’s golden cage.
They escaped into the night.
Once on the way, Junior handed his father a red mushroom. The king of all koopas had never been so happy to see a mushroom in his life. Now he guzzled it down and grew to his proper size. Now he was gargantuan again. Mighty! Ferocious! He scooped up his son in one hand and stomped his way towards an awaiting airship . He could hear the generator and propellors well.
“And how have the others been getting along? Have you and your siblings behaved?”
“We…didn’t break anything!”
“That’s not what I asked, Junior…”
“I know!” It seemed his son was done answering questions for now. He let it be. The tike had freed him after all.
Two more of Bowser's children spun closer in their spiked shells. Morton Jr. and Wendy sped forward before shouting.
"Daaaaaadddddyyyyyy! Hurry Uuuup!" Wendy O. Koopa stomped her foot as she whined. "I wanna go home alreaaaadyyy!!"
"Yeah! They've already rung the alarm, Dad!" Morton Jr. hollered. "We gotta scram!"
“To the airship, then! And quit your whining!” Bowser bellowed. "This is the warm welcome I get?!?"
"UGH!" Wendy huffed before speeding ahead. "It's past! My! BEDTIME!!!"
"H-HEY!" Morton shouted before trying to keep up with the group. "Wait up!"
Princess Peach only realized what had happened by the time the alarms sounded.
She looked out the balcony, to see a green-fueled airship floating away in the midnight clouds over the valley.
“No! NO!” She turned to the members of her Toad court that were awoken at that late hour. “What can we do?”
“Princess,” the elder Toad council member sighed. “All we can do is prepare. Prepare and hope.”
Luigi couldn’t sleep.
He could hear Mario snoring soundly nearby. Hearing his brother breathing was soothing in it's own right. He tried to control his own breathing again, and put his racing mind to bed.
I don't feel like a hero. I just feel...scared.
The over-thinking plumber wrapped the blankets tighter around himself.
If you’re a “Hero”, aren’t you supposed to feel like one?
And that’s when the blaring drone of the warning sirens cut through the night air.
"AAAH!!WhatWasThat!!!" Luigi hid under the covers. His chest was tight all over again!
"M-mamma MIA!" Mario fell out of bed. Then he stumbled until he was back on his bare feet. Wearing only his pajamas, Mario reached for a flashlight. "Stay here! I'm gonna check it out!" He ran for the bedroom door. "I'll be right back!"