Turning (Green and) Red

As Long as We're Together

It couldn't be, it just couldn't.  After Peach and Toad saw him defy what should've been certain death, after Donkey Kong opened up about his fears of letting his family down, after Luigi FINALLY reunited with him, Mario just laid face down on the ground, overalls heavily singed from Bowser's fire breath.  Worse yet, he had already lost his Tanooki Leaf before this attack, so he didn't have an extra layer of protection.
There's no way he could be dead, all four thought to themselves, he'll get up any second now and teach Bowser a lesson.  But the longer they waited, and the more they hoped, the less likely it appeared that their prayers would be answered.  All the while, Bowser cackled maniacally and proudly.
"Y'know, I should've just done this from the start," the turtle monster reflected, "but it doesn't really matter anymore, now does it?  Your precious hero is gone, and there's no way you can possibly save the Mushroom Kingdom."
"Oh, we can and we will!" Toad blurted out in anger over his self-proclaimed best friend's sacrifice, before Donkey Kong had to reel him back.
"Stay cool, little pal.  I wanna punch him in that smug snout of his as much as you do, but while he still has the Super Star, it might not be the best i--" DK's reassurance was cut short by heavy breathing from Luigi.  The green-clad plumber had been quiet since Mario had received his seemingly fatal wound, falling to his knees in his despair.
"Luigi?" Peach asked worriedly, "I know what happened was horrible, but it'll be okay."
This caused Bowser to laugh again, "Oh, Peaches, if you keep saying such obviously wrong things, I might have to lock you in my psyche ward.  There is no possible way anyone could have survived my power, much less one of these fragile, pathetic humans." He turned to Luigi, who was still breathing heavily, "By the way, thanks for the info, Green.  I know I said I would be killing YOU in front of HIM, but don't worry, you'll be re-reunited soon enough.  After all, 'everything will be okay as long as you're together'."  He was clearly mocking Mario's encouraging words, and this was clearly the last straw.
Luigi started laughing, although in a far more deranged manner than Bowser's laughter was, and his gaze shot up toward the King of the Koopas.  He started to stand up and dusted himself off.
"Listen here, you stronzo, when your army of skeleton zombies chased me after I first landed in your stupid Darklands, I ran for my life, not fighting back." Luigi started to march right into Bowser's face, "When a bunch of masked, hatless garden gnomes tied me up and brought me to your ugly mug, I went along with it, not fighting back.  When you MASSACRED my MUSTACHE, your little gremlin wizard basically gave me no choice BUT to not fight back."
At this point, Bowser was getting a little bored, "And what's your point?"
Luigi's eye was twitching now, hinting to the others that he's pretty much at his limit, "The point is..." He shoved Bowser aside as if the Koopa King was just a wooden door, grabbed a nearby Fire Flower, bit off the head to absorb its power (not caring how disgusting the aftertaste was), and made a beeline for the Super Star, "NOW YOU DIE!!"
The green on Luigi's shirt and hat went to white, while his blue overalls became green, and when he touched the Super Star, he gained a rainbow aura.  Peach, Toad and DK could only watch in awe as the taller plumber raced back into the fray.
"Stop him!" Bowser roared to his army in the stands, and the members that weren't frozen let out a battle cry and ran in, but one by one, they were taken down by either Luigi's fireballs or punches and kicks.  The once easily frightened younger Mario brother was now a silent warrior, fighting tooth and nail to bring down everybody that threatened his brother's life.  He absolutely refused to back down until all of Bowser's troops were 6 feet under, or he would've if not for Peach's naturally merciful heart.
"You guys keep Luigi from going too nuts," the princess told Donkey Kong and Toad, "I'll get something to help Mario."  She ran off to the buffet in search of a potential cure.  As such, it was up to the mushroom-capped explorer and the heir to the Jungle Kingdom's throne to make sure there weren't too many casualties of Luigi's anger, no matter how righteous it is.  As Toad fought off more of Bowser's army, DK ran to Luigi and grabbed him in a bear hug.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Luigi asked, still enraged and trying to break free of the gorilla's grasp, "He needs to pay!  Your people were nearly killed because of that figlio di puttana, you should be joining me!"
Donkey Kong was hesitant; yes, his family WAS put in harm's way because of Bowser, and yes, he was angry that this "figlio di puttana" (whatever that meant) could've gotten away with it, but if he wasn't careful, then the two of them would be no better. "Trust me, dude, the Princess is going to find something that can help."
"How?!  You can't just reverse death!"
Toad stopped (though not without an extra whack of his frying pan to the face of a Goomba) and blinked, "Wow.  Bowser didn't tell you ANYTHING about how this world works, did he?"
This finally got Luigi to calm down a little, "What do you mean by that?"
"I'll take that as a no.  You see, the power-ups here do more than just give you cool powers when you touch, or in some cases, eat them.  There's a special mushroom that, if administered correctly, can save someone's life.  THAT is what the Princess is looking for."
Bowser finally spoke up again, "And what point would there be in me bringing one of those?  I don't care what happens to any of--"
"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!!!" And like clockwork, Luigi's rage started right where it left off.  But before he could go on another pummeling spree...
"I got it, I got it!" Peach rushed into the room carrying a green mushroom.
"Phew," DK let out a sigh of relief as he carried the still struggling Luigi to Mario's carcass, with Toad following them.
Peach opened Mario's mouth and shoved the green mushroom in, much like she did the Super Mushroom when they were training, even saying "Down the hatch" like she had back then, but in a more worried tone.
Slowly, but surely, there was a glow, and right before their eyes, Mario rematerialized.
"W-what happened?" Mario was confused, but looked down at the dead clone of him, as it became dust in the wind, "Oooo-kay.  Say, Lu, when this is all over, book me for an appointment with your therapist."
Luigi chuckled, as he gave his brother another hug, "Will do."