[center][img]https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/e/ee/Mario_%26_Luigi_Series_Logo3.png/640px-Mario_%26_Luigi_Series_Logo3.png[/img] [b][u]Levels:[/u][/b] [color=ed1c24][b]Mario: 3 (13/30)[/b][/color] [color=32851D][b]Luigi: 1 (3/10)[/b][/color] [b][u]Location:[/u][/b] Peach’s Castle [b][u]Word Count:[/u][/b] 1,260 [color=ed1c24][b](Mario: Super Mushroom Active)[/b][/color] [sub][b]Direct Mentions:[/b] [@Lugubrious], [@DracoLunaris][/sub] [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tpUm8cRVeo]"Castle Theme"[/url] [/center] [i][color=f49ac2]“Most of them are here, I think. Yoshi's out back...”[/color][/i] Mario's face perked up upon hearing that name. He didn't necessarily expect his green ally of his - and make-shift steed - to be around these parts. Yoshi's own Island, maybe, but not here. Then again, it wouldn't surprise him either, as he reminisced about the time he found him sleeping on the roof of this exact castle. He continued listening to Peach. [i][color=f49ac2]“Luigi is probably still cleansing the library,"[/color][/i] The plumber's face lit up in joy as he instinctually made a sudden happy jump, throwing his fist in the air in excitement. Yet recognizing his somewhat awkward action, he chuckled bashfully before scratching the back of his head. [color=ed1c24][b]"Oh Excellent-a!"[/b][/color] he happily responded, [color=ed1c24][b]"I was-a-worried that something unfortunate-a-had become of him."[/b][/color] Indeed, he was quite relieved to see that his younger brother hadn't gone very far. Although Luigi wasn't necessarily the type of person to go out on many quests alone, saving the several exceptions in which included visiting a haunted mansion [i]thrice[/i] and how he took a balloon tour around the world shortly after Mario returned from his Odyssey. With those exceptions, Luigi was reluctant to go on such adventures, let alone by himself. Mario even feared that he might've been kidnapped and that he'd have to go looking for him. Nevertheless, he will have to see him as soon as he can. [color=f49ac2][i]"And I would imagine Wario's having the time of his life in the treasury."[/i][/color] She then wrinkled her nose as if displeased with the thought. [color=f49ac2][i]"“As if I needed another reason to avoid working with money."[/i][/color] Mario's left eyebrow rose up at such a casual mentioning. [color=ed1c24][b]"He's-a-here as well?"[/b][/color] he asked with an odd look, [color=ed1c24][b]"And as-a-the head of-a-the treasury? Ohhh, why am I not-a-surprised."[/b][/color] That one was a bit of a curve ball. As far as he knew, his doppelgänger had only visited the castle once. The time he did come, he was invited alongside Mario and Luigi to come over for cake (and as why Peach chose Wario to come is still a mystery to him, as he always thought it was an odd choice), only for them to get captured and trapped in doors. If it weren't for Yoshi's curiosity getting the best of him, they definitely wouldn't be here. But since then, he didn't seem to return. So now to find out that he's working for Peach in the treasury was odd. Regardless, that was the least of his worries. [color=f49ac2][i]"As for Daisy, Rosalina...I have no idea. They must not be around here.”[/i][/color] [color=ed1c24][b]"Hmmm,"[/b][/color] the plumber wondered as he brushed his mustache, [color=ed1c24][b]"I suppose they are located else-a-where? Regardless, we will-a-hopefully find them upon our travels-a. Thank-a-you, Princess."[/b][/color] Mario bowed, tipping his crimson hat, before he dashed to the library. He moved quickly on the red carpet and up the marble stairs, his mind fixated on the room that he knows by heart. The fact that he had traversed these halls for countless of times allowed him to see and know every nook and cranny within this grandiose castle. As he made it up, he paused to see Bowser reuniting with his son down at the ground floor. He seemed to make an attempt to frown at the two, but alas he couldn't bring himself to do so. Something about a father reuniting with his child was something too wholesome for him to frown upon. Perhaps this was something he felt similarly as to how he and Luigi often react after being separated for long periods. He smiled at their reunion before heading off again. Eventually, he made his way towards the library and opened the door to the giant shelves that held countless of priceless books. And standing in the midst of it all, his nose tucked away in a book, was none other than... [color=ed1c24][b]"LUIGI!"[/b][/color] Mario yelled joyfully as he extended his arms out. The green stache' immediately closed his book and looked at Mario. His face shined at the very sight of his older brother. [color=32851D][b]"MARIO!"[/b][/color] he screamed ecstatically as he rushed towards him with open arms too. The two brothers embraced one another, with Mario patting his brother's back as he cried rivers of joy of their glorious reunion. They held onto one another for what seemed to be hours before the younger brother released his grip and sighed towards Mario. [color=32851D][b]"I'm-a-so relieved that you're ok!"[/b][/color] Luigi said in his charmingly nasally voice, tears still dripping from his eye, [color=32851D][b]"What-a-happened to you? Or more importantly, what-a-happened to us? Everything seemed to have changed! I-I remembered that~"[/b][/color] [color=ed1c24][b]"Lots-a-things happened since-a-then."[/b][/color] Mario replied in a somewhat somber tone before taking a step back, [color=ed1c24][b]"And unfortunately all for-a-the worst."[/b][/color] Luigi's relieved smile soon disappeared upon the notion, feeling the weight of his brother's emotions. Their brotherly bond was just that powerful - powerful enough to know when one felt off. And at that point, the green stache already figured how bad the news was going to be. [color=32851D][b]"O-Oh..."[/b][/color] he sputtered, [color=32851D][b]"Lemme guess-a. Those-a-hands we saw and that big-a-glowing sphere floating in the sky?"[/b][/color] Figuring that he spoke the obvious, Luigi then went straight to the chase. [color=32851D][b]"How bad is it-a?"[/b][/color] Mario simply nodded as he tilted his head down. [color=ed1c24][b]"Whole-a-world has gone to goomba shit-a due to them - Galeem is the big sphere's name-a-supposedly."[/b][/color] He then glanced back at his brother. [color=ed1c24][b]"What-a-happened to you?"[/b][/color] he asked bluntly, [color=ed1c24][b]"How did-a-you find yourself here?"[/b][/color] Luigi took a minute to recall the events that had transpired. [color=32851D][b]"W-Well-a-if I had to be frank-a-Mario, I do not-a-know. One moment I was looking at this Galeem with-a-you guys and the next thing I know is just... n-nothing-a. Everything went white. I don't-a-recollect as how I got here and what I did-a. The only thing I remember is-a-finding myself face-first on the floor and having the urge-a-to read as if nothing happened."[/b][/color] He paused before pointing his finger at Mario. [color=32851D][b]"And you?"[/b][/color] he asked. [color=ed1c24][b]"I don't-a-remember either."[/b][/color] the older brother sighed, [color=ed1c24][b]"But-a-according to the survivors downstairs, I-a-was entrapped within a trophy. I... I was-a-freed and I suppose I was-a-evil because I started fighting Geno who was trying to-a-save me and~"[/b][/color] [color=32851D][b]"Geno?"[/b][/color] Luigi interrupted before a light-bulb seemed to ignite above him, [color=32851D][b]"You-a-mean, the wooden puppet Geno that you once went on an adventure with? He's here?"[/b][/color] Again, the red-cladded plumber nodded. [color=ed1c24][b]"He's-a-alive. So is the Princess."[/b][/color] The green stache' sighed relievingly at the good news. [color=32851D][b]"Oh good..."[/b][/color] he replied while airing his neck collar, [color=32851D][b]"I was-a-afraid that Bowser had attempted to kidnap-a-her or something again."[/b][/color] [color=ed1c24][b]"He's-a-also here."[/b][/color] Mario directly replied, [color=ed1c24][b]"And his son apparently."[/b][/color] Luigi's eyes widened at the "totally terrible" news. [color=32851D][b]"THEN WHY-A-YOU'RE HERE?!"[/b][/color] he screamed in a fit of panic, [color=32851D][b]"QUICK! WE GOTTA SAVE PEACH-A-BEFORE THEY~!"[/b][/color] [color=ed1c24][b]"Shhhhhh,"[/b][/color] his brother hissed through his teeth as he calmed Luigi down, [color=ed1c24][b]"Don't-a-worry. They're-a-on our side now. If-a-you want more confirmation, we just-a-fought an evil Bowser with wings and lava pouring outta his-a-skin. He's-a-dead now. Don't-a-worry."[/b][/color] Luigi proceeded to calm down, taking in large deep breaths, before he gained his composure to speak once more. [color=32851D][b]"O-Oh oh... *Phew*"[/b][/color] he sighed, his hands still shaking from the initial adrenaline rush, [color=32851D][b]"T-That's also good, I-I think."[/b][/color] Mario patted his brother on the shoulder before guiding him towards the exit. [color=ed1c24][b]"Come."[/b][/color] red stache softly gestured, [color=ed1c24][b]"Lets-a-meet up with the others. We have yet another long adventure to embark on."[/b][/color] Luigi simply smiled before patting his back with a slowly-growing confident smile. [color=32851D][b]"With-a-you by my side, Mario, I'm-a-ready for whatever it takes."[/b][/color] [center] [hider=And so...] [img]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yYlBaWkyk_4/maxresdefault.jpg[/img] [/hider] [/center]