(Little bit gore-y towards the end!!)
The citizens of the cloud kingdom had been escorted to Peach's castle in groups, Mario and Geno directing the way through pipe systems and trails of monsters. The passed more threatening looks than they did boots and laser beams to the baddies that had tried to intervene. Luckily enough, they didn't have to waste any energy, and toads had already set up the guest bedrooms inside of the castle. When news got out of the attack at Nimbus Land, all of the towns and residences had been shut away into lock down as to protect the people that lived there. Even Bowser, seemingly the most fearless of them all, had blocked off the bridge to his home and discarded any plans he had to kidnap the princess. His kids were more important to him than some silly plan which he had probably executed a billion times before.
Geno was walking without his cape as it was currently wrapped around Mallow, who he had been carrying and refused to let go of as they made the trips there and back. Poor little guy must've been traumatized... and cold, as he was shivering here and there. The others had insisted that they could take over, or that they could find a safe place for his cloud friend to be safe and rest, but he refused any offer they made. Mallow hadn't opened his eyes since, and Geno wanted to be the one to make his age-old wish come true. He also had planned to follow the directions that Frogfucius had given him. To take him along... if he was strong enough. Hell, if Geno had to sit beside him every night to watch over and make sure no one bothered him, so be it. He would do anything to figure out what was going on, and he'd do anything to get Mallow back up to health.
On the last trip of herding survivors to the castle, the princess had taken Geno and Mario into her room and asked for Geno to let Mallow rest in her soft, pink, plush bed. She had already ordered for a few servants to come in with medical supplies just in case, and a glass of water with soup broth in the event that Mallow hadn't had anything in him for a few days. They weren't too sure how long all of them had been out there buried beneath what used to be their home, but they would definitely be lacking any sort of food or drink in their systems. They also had plenty to go around for the time being even though the trade routes had just been shut off in anticipation of anyone getting raided while making their shipment rounds. Geno was a little scared to let go of Mallow but he knew he would have to put him down eventually. Peach pulled back the covers and Geno laid Mallow on the bed, taking back his cape and fastening it back around his shoulders. Peach tucked Mallow in, and Geno pulled up a stool and sat beside the bed, Mario flicking on a radio on the nightstand decorated with a sleek, mushroom lamp like the one at his own house. The three of them would be sitting their for awhile...
By midnight, Mario and Peach had fallen asleep on the sofa in her highness' room. Geno sat awake on his stool, listening to the radio. It was mostly informational. Watchtowers had broadcast their information to the radio stations as they kept an eye at the charts for any other suspicious activity. E. Gadd had taken samples of the petrified Nimbus people and was already beginning to work on a cure. He knew just as well as Geno that they couldn't be dead. He wouldn't allow it. The wind was battering the window and Mario was snoring loudly. The radio was buzzing with infomercials and Mallow had not tossed or turned once in his slumber. It was hard for Geno not to focus on each individual noise as he sat bored, waiting for something to happen... and something did.
The had just announced over the radio that Luigi was missing. Geno's head snapped over to the radio and he scrambled off of his stool, yanking it from the place on the nightstand and crawling over to Mario, shaking him awake in a desperately. Geno didn't know much about Luigi other than he was often wishing to be like his brother, and he wished ghosts and other floaty figures would leave him alone. He seemed like a nice guy...
"Wha-..? Geno, what is it? I'm-a tired..."
"....bzzt-! They found Luigi's cap in the forest but no sign of Luigi. At the scene were delivery items and a flashlight, all belonging to Mario's brother. Where he went is unknown, but there looks like there was a violent struggle. Could this have been our attacker? Clumps of purple and yellow fabric were also found in a nearby thorn bush but that may be unrelated. We'll keep you posted."
Mario fell off the couch and nearly took Peach with him, which woke her up just as much as hearing the news did to Mario. His jaw might as well have been at the center of the earth and his eyes had filled with anger, or maybe sadness? He stood up and straightened his hat. He was going to find his brother. He was going to find his brother...
"Mario..? Where are you going," Peach said as she stood up from the floor, wiping the sleepiness out of her eyes. "It's midnight, and there's a terrible windstorm going on outside!"
"I'm going to find Luigi," Mario spoke determined. You could tell it hurt him to say that, but even if Luigi was in his shadow, he would be nothing without him. They had to stick together.
Peach knew that she wouldn't be able to stop Mario when he got that courageous shine in his eyes. She knew he would prevail eventually- he always did! Still, she wished for him to be safe, and gave him the blanket that they were snuggling under on the couch for protection against the wind. She stood up, tied it around him with a hood, then hugged him and whispered her words of wisdom in his ear. Mario's cheeks lit up red. Before you knew it, he had already rushed out of the room and was probably half way out of the castle by now.
"How will I ever put up with you," Peach said to herself with a smile. Her man in red was a determined one!
Peach would find it difficult to sleep for the rest of the night, so Geno sat up and kept her company. It wasn't that bad actually. The two of them recounted memories, Peach telling Geno about all of the times her and Mario ventured together. The one that particularly caught his interest was the story of all four of them- Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Luigi- venturing through different dimensions to save the world from a man named Count Bleck who turned out to be alright in the end. One of his henchmen had betrayed him, according to Peach. She said he wore the most eye bleeding colour choices she ever saw, purple and yellow. She had also learned from one of the residents from the main hub of a town, Flipside- or was it Flopside- that no one knew where he came from, no one knew who he was, and no one saw what he truly looked like. Odd, really... Peach said that they had "ended his game" after he possessed Luigi (or really he had done it himself) and should now be locked within the deep pits of the Underwhere. It made Geno feel quite relieved, glad, that he wouldn't have to put up with someone so vile, sick... the two of them shared a few laughs before Geno realized.
He had walked by a person by the same description in Rose Town.
Luigi was missing.
They found wads of purple and yellow cloth in the forest.
Frogfucius had been warned of those colours.
Geno remembered why he was here.
Star Road was in peril. Jaydes had warned them. Jaydes had warned them...
"Geno, what's wrong? You look distressed," Peach nudged Geno's arm. She couldn't have said anything wrong... right?
"Princess, I don't know how to say this to you, but I just had an epiphany and-," Geno was getting choked up on his words.
"And-?"
"He's in the Mushroom Kingdom."
---
Luigi woke up, feeling a cool breeze sweep across his forehead. He felt quite bare...
Oh, his hat was missing.
And his limbs were tied up.
How nice.
Luigi's arms and legs had most definitely been tied to a tree deep within the forest. It was absolutely freezing outside and Luigi couldn't help but shiver, his teeth chattering so loud that he sure his kidnapper could hear them loud and clear. He just wanted to go home to the safety of his house and sit down with Mario and the princess and- oh sweet Grambi he probably wasn't going to make it out of this, was he? He watched his nightmare, his demon, come alive before him, pacing with that damned cursed book in his arms. The way he flipped the pages so slowly made Luigi feel like he was being mocked. What did this freak have planned? Why was he HERE?! He's supposed to be DEAD, rotting away in hell where he belongs!! It didn't surprise Luigi if he had managed to slither his way out and back into the world of the living but why was he here...
Why...
Dimentio had been reading the scripture in that teasing, whimsical voice he oh so loved to do. Watching Luigi squirm beneath the ropes made him inexplicably happy, especially for what he had planned. He assumed that Luigi couldn't understand the words he was reciting from the book. It may as well have been Dimentio's native tongue based on how easily each syllable came out of his mouth. His own initiation back at Castle Bleck hadn't been completed fully, but he could just as well move on to part two of his plan, which... is... why...
Dimentio had stolen a knife from one of the shopkeepers from Rose Town. It would be another one to add to his century-long collection after it had fulfilled its purpose tonight. This one was mostly just encrusted with precious jewels and what appeared to be obsidian. Absolutely beautiful, he thought to himself. It was sharp, swift, and could easily pierce the skin, just how he liked it. It was currently hidden away underneath his poncho, out of sight from Luigi. He was saving it for his soon-to-be loyal follower but that soon was coming quickly now. Dimentio snapped the book shut and faced the man in green, watching each individual hair on his body spike up in terror. Maybe Luigi was smart enough to know why he was here? No... probably not. No one was as intelligent as Dimentio.
Dimentio slipped the newly acquired knife out from seemingly nowhere and let it twiddle around in his hands. He watched Luigi frantically try to escape from the bindings but it was no use. Dimentio couldn't remember if his alternate ego was to be summoned by a particular word or not, and he wasn't as skilled at brainwashing like Nastasia was (as much as he HATED to give credit to her) so this was going to be a very much painful alternative for the both of them.
Wind carried the dead leaves fallen from the trees and swirled them around the sky.
Luigi was numb.
He could have sworn he heard his flesh tear open with his shirt.
He could feel the pressure of the foreign object inside of his gut.
He could see the dull light if a few candles flicker out as a hand was thrusted into the gash.
He wanted to scream.
He could feel red run down into the ground.
He could hear Dimentio's red words, spell, chant... followed by the red laugh of a maniac.
He could see red when he looked at Dimentio's hand.
Black magic, a fantasy.
Like ink.
Luigi went dark, but Mr. L went red.
Dimentio cut the ropes, wiping the blood of his own hand on the side of his poncho. You couldn't even tell that his clothes had been tainted by the dark magic remaining from the chaos heart inside of the jester as he fell to the ground. Whatever, though. Luigi was dormant, and here stood before the clown was Mr. L, bent on destruction of anyone to get in the way of the perfect worlds that his boss was so destined to create.
Mr. L looked up from the forest floor and was immediately questioning why Dimentio stood before him. He wanted to remember that night of the chaos heart but it was all fuzzy. He only saw him as another minion in Count Bleck's game. The two of them had probably been sent on some dumb mission, and now they were stuck out here for whatever reason. No worries... He would just trust Dimentio knew what he was doing and that the Count wouldn't have Nastasia punish him when they returned.
It was awfully chilly, though.
(ow the edge.)
(2234 words)
YOU ARE READING
The River Can't Hold Me
Fanfiction"I am the master of dimensions, the pleaser of crowds, I am... back." A tale that no one asked for! A crossover that everyone begged to not happen! Welcome to... whatever this is. (I couldn't think of a good cover so this will have to do for the mom...
