What a Wonderful World

Chapter 7

"Bro? Do you think Peach will like this?" Mario asked Luigi while in the town store, holding up a pretty necklace with a silver chain and a pink set of diamonds hanging from it. 

"She'll love whatever you get her, bro," Luigi assured, looking around the sweater section, not paying much mind to Mario.

"What are you getting her?" Mario asked, looking over at Luigi.

"I'm thinking of getting her and Daisy some Christmas sweaters in their respective colors," Luigi stated, picking up a pink and an orange sweater with soft fabric.

"Pfft, really? Didn't you get them that last year?" Mario chuckled, rolling his eyes. "And the year before that. AND the year before that."

"Well, no. Last year I gave them plain sweaters. This year I can get them one with their names embroidered on them! All fancy! Plus, these ones are softer! Feel this!"

Luigi quickly rushed over to Mario and held the sweaters up. Mario lightly chuckled, then pet the soft sweaters.

"Wow. You may be the worst gift-giver I've ever met," Mario laughed, taking his hand back.

"What?! But they're so soft!" Luigi pointed out.

"Just put them in the cart and finish up shopping." Mario giggled.

Luigi smiled and shook his head when he started walking down the isles looking for anything else he might want to buy for anyone. He already bought Mario his gift a few weeks ago, so he was good there, (it was a red sweater. Obviously,) but he just wanted to check for any last-minute gifts.

And that's when he spotted it. A nice, smooth, silky purple hooded cloak.

"Hmm," He hummed as he gently picked it up and felt the warm fabric. The insides were lined with a different fabric that would keep one's body heat inside so they'd stay warm. And it wasn't very thick, so it wasn't suffocating. He remembered how cold Dimentio was, with nothing but leggings and a tank top to wear. 

So cold and helpless.

So without so much another thought he placed the cloak in his own shopping bag so Mario wouldn't see.

"Uhh, Bro! I'm gonna get a separate bag. Don't look inside because that's where I'm keeping your gifts," Luigi lied, shocking himself at how easily the lie came for him. 

Why didn't he feel as guilty about this one?

The fact that he didn't feel guilty almost made him feel guilty.

He started walking down the shoe aisle and grabbed a warm pair of black snow boots.

"Oh. Okay! I hear you loud and clear! I'm gonna check out! I'll meet you back at home!" Mario called from the other end of the store, walking away and leaving to pay for his Christmas presents.

Luigi let out a sigh of relief and looked down at the cloak, gently running his hand over the soft, smooth fabric. Then he ran to the machine where you could get names stitched onto the sweaters for Peach and Daisy. He took out the sweaters he would be buying for them and used the machine to print their names in the corners. Then he folded the sweaters up, and carefully placed them in his bag.

Then he looked down at the cloak, debating.

No... he couldn't possibly do that. Mario would see it and immediately get suspicious. No way. That would be idiotic, even for him. It would be crossing a line.

But Luigi wanted to put something on there. He wanted to make it more meaningful.

"What to put... what to put..." He quietly pondered aloud, when his eyes suddenly lit up. He took the corner of the cloak on the left side just above where Dimentio's heart would be if he were wearing it, then set it down, into the machine