Back to the Great Pixl War

Chapter 8

Something was resonating inside them, in the midst of all the grief and pain they were feeling.

 Mr. L eventually brought himself to stand up. "W-Whoever did this, they will pay." He wiped away some tears, and began to make his way for the door, when Mario grabbed his arm. "No, did you see what they did to Dimentio! There's no way you could take on whoever this is. Please don't. You're all the Luigi I have left." Mr. L pushed him away. "I'm not Luigi, and this being killed them. KILLED THEM!" Mario looked down at his brother. "I know you're not Luigi, but-" "NO BUTS! I AM GOING TO FIND THIS PERSON AND MAKE THEM PAY! THEY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME, AND IF I DIE TRYING, THEN OH WELL, I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR ANYWAY." Mario tried to protest. "Don't go. Please. Going will literally accomplish nothing. Do you have a death wish??" Mr. L snapped back, "AS A MATTER OF FACT, I DO!"

Mr. L started breaking down. He dropped to his knees and began sobbing again. "I have nothing left to live for. I just want them back. I need them back. I have to get them back.... But I can't." Mario, who was also still broken, was somewhat shocked. He didn't know Mr. L was capable of feeling this way.

Mario sighed and kneeled down next to his dead brother. "You were right." 

Mr. L briefly looked over at him, and wiped away a few tears. "What?" Mario sighed. "Dimentio was here with Luigi. They fought to protect that book, they died to protect that book. Luigi was right about you guys, and you were right. It wasn't him. He's changed, and now they're both gone." Mario covered his face with his hands and continued, "The last conversation I ever had with Luigi was a fight. I just want him to know he was right. I-I need him to know that I'm sorry." Mr. L looked over at Luigi's lifeless body. "H-he knows. He knows." Mario looked over at Mr. L, then back at Luigi. "He's my little brother, and now he's gone. He's gone, and I can't do anything...." Mr. L looked down. There had to be a way. He had to get them back.

There was that feeling, resonating inside them again. What was it?

Determination.

Determination to bring them back.

Mr. L and Mario's souls suddenly began to glow. They glowed red, with determination. "Whoa, what's happening??" Mario asked. Mr. L looked around. "I-I don't know. What are you doing?" "I'm not doing this!" "Well who is??"

The red glowing continued. Mr. L looked outside, seeing a strange, transparent floating button. He quickly jerked up. "D-do you see that?" He asked Mario. Mario looked up. "Yes.....what is that??" Mr. L made his way outside towards the mysterious button. Mario stood back in the doorway so he could see, but didn't get to close. "What is it?"

Mr. L observed the button. "Wait a minute....that skeleton." A confused expression spread across Mario's face. "A....Skeleton?" "Shut up, I'm thinking....that skeleton Luigi was friends with. He said something all that time ago...what was it..." Mario was incredibly confused. "Luigi's friends with a skeleton?" Mr. L tried recalling the memories from that last adventure he had, on that quest to find Dim. While he was searching, they came across a Skeleton, who told him something. "That skeleton said....something about my soul. He said it had a 'fierce red glow of determination'" Mario looked like he was beginning to understand. "Do you think that's what the glowing was?" Mr. L shushed him again. "The skeleton then threatened me. He said that my soul was powerful and dangerous...." Mario looked at the button. "Do you think this is what he meant?" Mr. L peered down at it. On it was written one word.

Reset.

Mr. L looked back at Mario. "I'm gonna press it." Mario's expression quickly changed to worried. "What?? But you just said that this weird skeleton said that this power was dangerous. Don't press it." Mr. L ignored him. 

"I'm gonna press it."

"Don't! We don't know what it will do." Mario called out, keeping his distance. Mr. L quickly snapped, "It's obvious what it's gonna do, it says 'Reset.'" Mario ran up towards him and grabbed his arm, preventing him from pressing the mysterious button. "But we don't know what will happen. We have to be smart about this. We can't just go pressing random buttons that appear." "WHAT IS THE OTHER OPTION THEN??" Mr. L yelled. Mario fell silent and stepped back. Mr. L continued yelling, "I HAVE NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE. SO I'M GOING TO PRESS THIS BUTTON JUST TO SEE WHAT IT DOES. MAYBE IT WILL GET WORSE, OR MAYBE IT WILL GET BETTER, BUT WE'LL NEVER KNOW UNLESS WE PRESS IT" 

Suddenly, there she appeared. "I found you" She said. Mario quickly turned around to face her. She began approaching them. Fear covered his face. 

"Quick, Press the button, PRESS THE BUTTON!" He said, tugging on Mr. L's bandanna. Mr. L lifted his hand and was about to slam it down when the shadowy grabbed it. She herself couldn't see the button. Only Mario and Mr. L could see it. "What are you swinging for?" She asked, as she lifted L into the air, holding him by his arm. He started squirming around. "Mario, press the button! NOW"

Mario quickly ran over, and hesitated for a brief second. The queen pulled out a knife and brought it close to Mr. L's throat. "MARIO! HURRY!" Mr. L screamed. Mario looked back at Mr. L, then down at the button. He closed his eyes, and slammed his fist down on it.

Reset.