Unwritten: Diary of a Lean Green Plumber

Join the Melee

21 November 2001

MK

Dear Diary,

Almost everyone here is talking about how I beat the odds and rescued Mario. Like I said before, it's like they've had their eyes opened. Mario wasn't too proud to admit that yes, he'd found himself in distress that night, with zero chance of rescue, and it was me who bumped up that percentage to a hundred. A few weeks after it happened, the MK held a small celebration for me. It wasn't as bombastic as the ones after we brought Peach home from Koopa's clutches, but it was something.

Just the other day, I got a call from Josh.

"How've you been?" I asked.

"A little better," he replied. "Any adventures on your end?"

"Well..." I said bashfully.

Eventually, I allowed Josh to coax it out of me.

"Holy [bleep]! You saved your brother last month?!"

"With some help," I shyly admitted.

"Oh, Luigi—that's wonderful! My folks are gonna be SO stoked!"

"He was held in a mansion full of ghosts, and I hate ghosts, but I kept thinking—Mario's in there; I gotta do it for him. Do it for Mario. And I did!"

"You told me about your phobia of ghosts," breathed Josh, "but all fears are meant to be faced. And you faced yours."

"For my big bro," I said. "I also told you that such fears are moot when it comes to the well-being of someone I love."

"And I believed you—I still do. Wow—I'm proud of you, Luigi. I knew you had bigger b—s than you'd care to admit."

"Thank you, Josh," I said. "Give Joan and the others my love."

And in Toad Town today, I was going on a little shopping spree when a "Psst!" got my attention.

I turned and saw a pair of humanoids composed of pink wires, with a familiar symbol on their faces, manning a booth. And I was at their booth in one leap.

"Uh—hi," I said.

"You're the one who fought King Boo?" asked the male wireframe.

"Yes," I replied.

"Despite your fear of ghosts?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And you beat him to free your brother?" asked the female wireframe.

"Yes."

Both beamed.

"Does this mean...?" I spluttered. "Is there...?"

The female wireframe gently shushed me. "Master Hand learned of your bravery not too long ago," she explained, handing me an envelope sealed with the Smash symbol. "Congratulations."