Brother's Loyalty

The Face in the Canvas

As he commenced his third go-round of searching and ghost-hunting, Luigi made sure to check on Thad, Brad and Chad.

"I'm about to access the third area," he said, holding up the green key.

Brad beamed. "We knew you could!" he said happily.

"Hopefully Mario will turn up there," said Chad.

"Just watch your back, all right?" intoned Thad.

You don't have to tell me twice, said Luigi.

He decided that the less they knew of his experience in the graveyard, the better.

Before going into the third area, however, Luigi made a stop in the boneyard to water the huge plant again, watching as the sprout grew into a bulb-shaped flower. It made the place look less glum. Whistling to himself, Luigi next proceeded to the door which had a clover on top, which was glowing green. Once the glow dissipated, Luigi unlocked the door and stepped into a courtyard.

There was a fountain in the center of the courtyard, which Luigi used to fill up his water element meter. Tiny, bird-like ghosts lazily drifted around, nipping at him every so often. It didn't hurt much, but it was very annoying, so Luigi vacuumed them up as soon as he heard them approach. Watering the four plants around the fountain yielded treasure, and many bomb-throwing ghosts dropped down from the tree branches to startle him.

But as he explored the courtyard, he became conscious of a weird feeling in his chest. Like—a part of him was nearby.

Mario was close.

Luigi stood perfectly still, listening to the rushing water and the wind.

"Mario?" he called.

No answer.

"Mario?" he called again.

Still nothing.

"Mario, I—I can feel you..."

And not only was Mario nearby, he was also in a situation over which he had zero control.

A ghost's approach jolted him from his thoughts, and Luigi whirled on the interloper, capturing the ghost before he could even react. He crept from tree to tree, stunning and vacuuming all of the ghosts hidden among the branches, the courtyard brightening considerably when he was finished.

Luigi was rewarded with a chest stuffed with treasure, but bills and gold were the last things on his mind. That feeling in his chest grew stronger—stronger still when he approached a well.

"Mario?" he whispered. "I know you're here now. Do you know I'm here?"

A fluttering sound made him turn, and he saw a piece of paper stuck in a nearby birdhouse. Luigi retrieved the paper and opened it.

And—

That was Mario's handwriting!

The penmanship looked rushed, as if Mario had been taken by surprise and had only a small margin to write this letter before being overcome. That feeling in Luigi's chest was joined by a twinge in the pit of his stomach. He knew he was close to Mario—he knew it.

Luigi, the note said. Rey Boo è molto pericoloso. Lui controlla tutti i fantasmi. Attento!

Upon closer inspection, Luigi thought he could see a smear of blood on the paper.