coffeecat1983 - Tumblr blog

coffeecat1983 · 5 hours

Text

Inspired this piece! Mario-verse: Doctor Mario

It was a pleasant day in the Mushroom Kingdom of the Mario Movie-verse. The red-clad plumber mused on this as he wandered through the city's main streets, surrounded by happy toads as they went about their business. Just as he reached the tea shop, a low rumble and thrumming drew everyone's eyes towards the central plaza that led to the castle.

The sound was coming from the warp pipe that popped up a while back, bringing with it versions of himself and his brother from other universes. Their last visitors, the ones who had brought this revelation, were from a video game universe. Thinking his friends had returned, Mario took off, racing to the plaza.

Reaching the open area, he found a small group of toads gathered around the warp. The mood was anxious and a few turned to him with looks of worry. Hurrying over, he gasped at what he saw. A figure wearing a white coat was sprawled out on the ground, his red tie splayed out from his neck like a ribbon of blood. Nearby lay a head mirror, now shattered. A soft groan and the figure stirred, pushing himself up. Mario found himself staring into his own face, eyes as sharp as his own staring back before looking around curiously. "Strange." the other muttered. "So this is where the pipe led to." The voice was his own but softer, more reserved. Swallowing hard, Mario found his own voice and spoke as he stepped forward. "Are you all right?" he asked, reaching out to help the other up. The other Mario stood, giving a nod. "I believe so, no bones broken." He looked his companion over. "Huh, so you went with plumber." he muttered again. Clearing his throat, he held a gloved hand out. "It's probably obvious but I'm Mario. Doctor Mario." "Heh, just 'Mario' for me. I-" Both turned as a voice called out. "Mario!" Mario broke into a smile as his little brother came running up, gasping and clutching at his knees as he came to a stop. "Hey Lu." "I, I h-heard the warp, wh-who ca-came…" Luigi's voice froze in his throat as he saw the other figure. "Mamma mia." The emotions that flickered through the doctor's eyes were impossible to follow as he looked over Luigi. He didn't speak, instead drawing himself up as Peach approached.

Their new guest agreed to stay for a while, wanting to research the kingdom's medical books to see if anything differed from his own Mushroom Kingdom. Over a few days, he was a guest at the castle just as the video game versions of the Bros had been. But unlike them, he was quiet and withdrawn, almost cold towards others. Sensing something was up, Mario quietly entered the library to talk to his counterpart.

"Hey, um, you doin' okay? Did anybody here upset you?" he asked, spying the doctor looking over a pile of books.

"I'm alright, and nobody's bothered me. Why?" his reply held a hint of exhaustion.

"I mean, you're just different than I pictured. You don't talk much." Mario paused, then took the risk. "And you avoid Lu a lot."

Dr. Mario avoided his gaze. "It, it's not easy seeing him." his voice was low. "Learning that there are others of him out there, I'm glad you don't have the pain I have." "The pain?" Mario questioned as the doctor got up. Dr. Mario looked out over the gardens where Luigi and Peach were talking as they walked amongst the explosion of blooming flowers. "I lost my Luigi, a few years ago." He turned away from the window. "He'd always gotten sick easily when we were growing up, a lot of problems that doctors couldn't pinpoint the cause of. We didn't care," he let out a soft laugh, "not even when he had to be pulled permanently out of school. We were gonna be plumbers together, take over our dad's business. But then he got worse. Ma and dad, they did what they could. We got him stuff to stay home, hospital bed, oxygen, all that. I gave up on our dream of working together and once I graduated high school, I went right for med school. I was determined to find out what was wrong and save him." Mario felt his stomach knot up. "W-What happened?" he managed.

The doctor sat with a heavy sigh. "He died, a week after I started med school." Unable to speak, Mario sat down, eyes wide as he took this in. The Doctor continued. "In my school, there was a rumor about a sealed room in the basement. I got curious and went down there. Found the warp pipe to my Mushroom Kingdom. I'm not a hero there like you are here. I'm just a doctor. I still live in Brooklyn and only visit the castle once in a while. I ended up here because at my hospital, I got bored. Started wondering what the basement plumbing was like, would Luigi and I have worked on it if we ever got that chance." He stood up, unable to stay still as he narrated. "Was wandering around and uncovered a neglected old room with a familiar green pipe. Figured 'why not' and jumped in." Finishing, he gave a half-hearted shrug. "Ended up here." Gathering up the books, he began to put them back. "I've stayed too long, I should probably get back to my world." "…I'm sorry." Mario said softly. Dr. Mario paused in his work but didn't look at him. "I'm sorry you lost your Luigi. I know it's not the same but if you ever want to visit…" The doctor turned around, staring at his feet. For the first time since they had met, he looked vulnerable. "Thanks." his voice was low. "But I don't know if I can take it." He looked up, tears in his eyes. "It hurts." Sniffling, he quickly wiped his eyes. "Do me a favor?" Mario was quiet, allowing him to continue. Dr. Mario looked towards the window then back at him, a pained smile on his face. "Take care of him for me. Do what I couldn't." Mario joined him at the window, both looking out. Mario placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder. "I will."

By "CC"

it's easy to imagine they'd hate each other, but i think they'd be good friends :3

will i ever finish this? probably not. my sketches tend to look better anyway

#smb #super mario brothers #oneshot #dr mario #character death

92 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 1 day

Text

OMG this is so cuuuuute!!!

HAPPY NATIONAL HUG A PLUMBER DAY WAAAAAAAAAA

Thanks for hanging out in the art stream, everyone! Go hug a plumber today for meeeee

#all the hugs #not my art

94 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 2 days

Text

I miss these guys, I wish they were still posting.

Twin telepath

If you like what we do, consider supporting us on Patreon :D

#great art and stories

3K notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 2 days

Text

A taste...

A little peek into the world I'm building for my Trans Mario AU.

Our scene is when the Bros are eleven, and the twins are roughly twenty-five (subject to change), I've changed their age difference from my usual storyline. Now then, we join a very nervous Arthur as he enters the apartment kitchen to talk to Marianna...

"I um, oh boy." he breathed. "I got a call from Marie. We ah, we weren't very careful and w-well I um..." He glanced at her, the sheepish grin overshadowed by the fear in his grey-blue eyes. "I'm gonna be a dad." he admitted. He leaned into the table, face in his hands. "God, Gio's gonna kill me!"

"You're damn right I am!"

The angry voice startled both as Giovanni's form loomed in the doorway. His arms were folded as he glared at Arthur. "Papa raised you better. I raised you better!" he snapped. "And now you're telling me this?!" "Gio, I'm gonna do the right thing, I swear-" Arthur stood, trying to be brave. His older brother entered, anger pouring off of him. His voice was dangerously low. "You're going to give that poor girl the option to get rid of it. She doesn't need her life ruined by you!" "I already asked, she wants to keep it and so do-" Cutting him off by holding his hand up, Giovanni continued. "Then you pay child support." By now the noise had drawn Tony and Salvatore up from the restaurant kitchen. Seeing them just beyond Giovanni, Arthur drew himself up, staring right at the eldest brother. "No." In the background, Salvatore gave a nod and Tony pumped his fist in a silent 'yes' at his little brother. Giovanni kept his harsh glare. "What do you mean, 'no'?" "I'm not makin' her raise the kid alone. I'm proposing. Tonight."

So, that's it for now. Would love to know what you all think!

#fanfic #luigi #mario #mario movie #super mario bros #uncle arthur #alternate universe #aunt marie #Will be rated 'M'

5 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 2 days

Text

Sweet babies!!!

Your (third) daily Mario gif.

85 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 3 days

Text

So, um.

Look, I like Mario Bros: Stray, and I am working on it bit by bit. But it's not as captivating to me as say, my Trans Mario pieces.

I'm going to expand the Trans Mario story, and I warn it will contain topics including:

gender dysphoria

the challenges of coming out

transitioning

brief mention of abortion

sex and pregnancy outside of marriage

various slurs and family learning to let go of old hate and accept those they love for who they are.

I hope you will stick with me through this new adventure.

#fanfic #luigi #mario #mario movie #super mario bros #uncle tony #uncle arthur #alternate timeline #transmario #transgender #lgbtq

2 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 4 days

Text

Just wondering.

#fanfic #luigi #mario #mario movie #super mario bros #lgbtq #transmario #story poll

3 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 5 days

Text

A lil treat

#fanfic #luigi #mario #mario movie #super mario bros #uncle tony #uncle arthur #mario fanfic #mario bros

2 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 5 days

Text

Mario Bros Then and Now (feat Tony and Arthur): Home Sweet Home

Time: Early June 2023. Luigi pushed open the front door with his shoulder, turning once he was inside. He had a medium sized box in his hands labelled 'books'. It had taken a lot of work but the Bros were finally moved in to their own home in the Mushroom Kingdom. Over the course of a few weeks Peach had snuck a small army of toads in to Brooklyn at night to gather the packed items and take them back through the warp.

The last thing to go was the furniture with Giovanni and the twins helping out. Even the beds had been dismantled and transported down to the smallest bolt. Once the Bros broke the news that the house was built, Marianna had gotten into the hall closet and pulling something out, handed it to them at the dining table. "I've been saving this for when you two move. A little piece of home." Luigi teared up and Mario was speechless. It was more of the wallpaper from their bedroom. It had gone up in their new room. The toads worked with love and care to put it in place, and once it was done Giovanni and Arthur got to work putting the beds together. Meanwhile Marianna and Tony helped with kitchen items and the living room. Now the Bros were alone in their new home, and Luigi had just brought in the last box that had been left outside. Setting it down, he heaved a sigh. "Phew, I think this is the last one." he grunted as he stretched and popped his back. "Moving through a warp made moving cross-country look easy, huh big bro?" His brother didn't reply. Leaving the small entryway, Luigi found his older brother standing in the living room, surrounded by boxes. His cap was off and his arms were folded. He looked, Luigi thought, lost. "Mario?" he was gentle as he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You okay?"

Mario didn't look at him, instead his gaze remained on all the boxes. "I didn't think it would feel this weird." he finally said. "Bein' in our own place." "You having second thoughts?" Luigi silently admitted to himself that he had been worried about the move. Out of Brooklyn was one thing, but to a new world altogether, well that was terrifying. Mario let out a soft laugh. "Nah, no second thoughts. Just we've always been in that apartment. Now it's a whole house for us. Uncle Art and Tony aren't across the hall, Ma, Dad, Papa Sal, they won't be here when we get up…" "Heh, I see what you mean. It is kinda weird." Clearing his throat, he went over to a box and opening it, took out a video game and held it up. "But h-hey, we can stay up late now playin' games!" he set the game aside and pulled out a movie. "Or watch movies as loud as we want, there's no other houses close by." His attempt to cheer him up worked, he made Mario laugh. "Yeah, you're right, Lu. How about we get your music player set up and start unpackin'? Oh, and Ma wants us back tonight for dinner." Luigi's eyes lit up and digging in his pocket, he pulled out his little music player and turning it on, cranked up the volume.

That evening in Brooklyn, the Bros were surprised to find the whole family gathered for dinner like it was Sunday evening. "What's all this?" Mario asked as they entered to cheers from their relatives. "Hey kid! Gotta celebrate you two gettin' your own place." Arthur said, holding up a wineglass. Marianna slipped behind the Bros as they were taking their seats and leaning in, kissed them both on the cheek. "My boys, so proud of you two!" she beamed. "How's it feel havin' your own place?" Marie spoke next. Mario let out a soft laugh, glancing at Luigi. "It, ah, it feels, well…" he hesitated. "Weird?" Tony volunteered. Mario's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Y-Yeah, that. Just, not being so close to you all is really different." Tony sat back, arms folded. "Sound familiar, Art?" Arthur groaned past his sip of wine. Setting the glass down he shook his head. "God, that first day in the basement felt like the Twilight Zone…"

August 1999.

Tony stepped back, taking in the sight of the freshly made bed. He swallowed hard. Seeing the powder blue of his bedspread all alone without Arthur's yellow and white stripped spread nearby was jarring. "Beds are made." he called as he went to the kitchen. Not getting a reply, he popped his head around the doorway. His twin was in the living room, rubbing his arm as he stood surrounded by boxes. His hair was ruffled, the loose strands hanging down nearly to his eyes. "Hey, lil bro, you in there?" Tony teasingly waved a hand in front of his face and Arthur jerked, coming out of his thoughts. He sputtered and waved his hands, playfully pushing Tony back. "What're you doin', ya idiot?" he said with a laugh. "There you are. You okay? Looked like you were lost." Shuffling past the boxes of movies and comic books, Arthur plopped down on the secondhand couch they had gotten. "I feel lost." he softly admitted. "New place, not having the family with us," he looked at Tony, "seperate rooms." Tony sat beside him, sighing. "Yeah, definitely weird. We've always had people around, and shared a room." Arthur quietly agreed. They couldn't afford one of the upper apartments that would give them a room big enough to share, and with Marianna expecting her babies, they had to take what they could get to give their old room to their nephews. Something that neither resented, but it meant a big change and it was hitting them hard. Tony sat back, looking at the blank walls. "I mean, yeah we got separate rooms but we got the whole place to ourselves." He nudged Arthur and jerked a thumb towards a long, thin box. "And Gio never liked posters on the living room walls…" Arthur broke into a grin as he caught on. When Marianna came down in the elevator to see how the twins were doing, she found them both singing as Arthur hung up movie posters and Tony filled the bookcases with their movies and music. "Hi Ma!" Tony waved before turning down the stereo and going to give her a hug. Her eyes sparkled brightly as she entered and looked around. "Well look at you two! You're gonna turn it into your own place in no time." "You like it?" Tony asked nervously. "I know Gio never liked posters in the living room." Marianna laughed. "Oh he's stubborn! I think you boys are doing a wonderful job. But how about a break and some dinner? Can't have a good sleep in a new place without a full stomach."

"We had a good sleep all right," Arthur finished the story. "Passed out on the couch together watching movies!"

Giovanni shook his head as he folded his arms. "Thankfully you two moved on a weekend and didn't have work the next day." "Gettin' to the point," Tony said, "I know it feels weird but give it time. It'll feel like home pretty quick." After dinner and a movie with the twins, the Bros made the trip back, both stopping outside the house. The little porch light by the door cast a warm and welcoming glow. "You know somethin', Lu?" "Hmm?" Mario smiled at his little brother. "Feels good to be home."

END By "CC"

#fanfic #luigi #mario #mario movie #super mario bros #uncle tony #uncle arthur #mario fanfic #mario bros #one shot #oneshot

25 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 5 days

Text

It's a real time and a half!

#blorbo #writing #artwork counts too!#meme #silly meme #writer stuff #artist stuff

3 notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 5 days

Text

Arrested for being late with Pumpkin Spice's lunch. (Meet my semi-feral babby! I'm slowly getting him to trust me)

I never know who to tag 😅

Found this on Twitter, so I thought, why not posting it here and doing a tag game 😊

Ok, I’ll go first

If he is the reason, I’d go to prison gladly 🥰❤️‍🔥

Tagging: @killerqueen-ofwillowgreen @nic-214 @milkyway-ashes @dr-radiation @whitequeen-ofwillowgreen @sunsetdaydreamer @therockywhorerpictureshow @delicatelyfantasticninja and everyone 😊

Sorry if I forgot to tag some of you!

#tag game #Kitteh!

20K notes · View notes

coffeecat1983 · 6 days

Text

a wonderful, emotional piece and second chapter. Please give @vulpixfairy1985 a read, their work is wonderful and very emotional.

I present to you…

The Second Chapter of “Of Solace and Comfort in Weathering Rain”

Wow! I never thought I get such an overwhelming reception to my newest story, my dears. I am so amazed by how kind and supportive all of your feedback are and I truly appreciate all of your comments, kudos, bookmarks, tags, likes and/or reblogs you all done.

Here is the link to the second chapter in Archive of our Own of which I’ll update in my pinned post:

ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN: CHAPTER TWO

I’d like to specifically thank you, dears, for leaving my lovely feedback and helping to bring awareness to my latest story: @coffeecat1983 @keakruiser @sourour-rl @akiiame-blog @luigitime83 @canela2001 @jell-o101 @silenzahra @bberetd @pepperycar @stripetkattelalala54 @stripetkattelalala54-gf @mrs-luigi-vargas @roscolate @alex-procrastinates @mariobroslover @zocchini37 @this-potato

Do spread the word if anyone would like some reading of angst, fluff, hurt/comfort and brotherly love between Mario and Luigi.

As always, please leave feedback on Tumblr and/or Archive of our Own as I love connecting with you all and hope that my writing has met your expectations for this second chapter.

Trigger warnings: mentions of torture and poison

Please read on below the line, my dears.

Chapter Two: The Flashback

Peach led Mario outside the castle into the gardens and sat down on the rim of one of the decorative fountains. The soothing rhythm of splashing water wasn’t enough to calm Mario down as she noticed that his posture had grown tense and he had hardly said a word since they left Luigi in the hospital wing…she laid her hand on top of his, hoping that the touch would comfort him. His hand flinched briefly upon contact before relaxing, allowing her to softly stroke the back of it. Then he upturned his palm so that he could grip her hand more firmly, clearly accepting her gentle touch with gratitude. She then looked into his eyes…the once vibrant blue irises now dulled with guilt, anguish and torment which made her heart twist and ache…

“Mario…what happened to you and Luigi? Was the sighting of the stray Koopas true as we discussed earlier?”

At this, Mario frowned and shook his head, “We were caught in an ambush…the sighting report you told me and Luigi about was a trap to catch us off guard…Kamek was there to personally lead the attack…”

This drew a horrified gasp from the princess, “Kamek was there?”

“We were able to repel most of the army…it wasn’t big to begin with and we had our super power ups just in case this happened…but then…Luigi…he…”

Mario withdrew his hand from hers…now clenched in a tightening fist. She looked at his face now twisted with self-loathing, sadness and anger…

“Mario…”

“It’s my fault Luigi became this way…he’s hurt because of me…”

——

“MARIO! LOOK OUT!”

Mario felt himself roughly pushed out of the way followed by a sizzling sound. There was tarry purple liquid on the ground, separating him and Luigi. They turned their attention back to the aged Magikoopa on his broomstick, his grin menacing and gesturing to the gigantic monstrosity next to him…

“I am impressed by you and your brother’s tenacity and teamwork. You’ve defeated most of my little army. But I see that you have yet met the ace up my sleeve. Behold!”

A mega piranha plant was towering over the brothers …except it was glowing purple before spewing out more poison. A much bigger threat than the standard variant he and his brother were used to. Mario glanced at his brother and gestured towards the plant. Fear briefly flickered in his brother’s eyes but it was immediately replaced with resolve as he nodded back. Their strategy was clear: Mario would distract the plant while Luigi would make his way up so that he could pound it from above. The older plumber felt more assured that his brother would at least be out of danger. He watched the younger man start to climb and bounce on the mushrooms surrounding their makeshift arena before getting to his self-assigned task.

It was easy distracting the massive piranha plant as it was very aggressive and spewed poison every chance it got when it saw Mario while Kamek was gloating from the sidelines. However a fallen rock caught its attention and it turned to Luigi who was scrambling up a cliff edge as fast as he could. Mario panicked when he heard the scared yelp when the piranha plant was growling and started to turn purple. He had to stop it from lobbing poison at his brother fast!

Picking up the biggest rock nearest to him, he threw it as hard as he could to the plant. It cracked against its skull, successfully recapturing its attention. He then hurled a bigger rock whereupon it caught it in its jaws…and promptly choked on it for a short while before crunching it and spitting out the fragments…that’s it! He glanced up at the cliff face where his brother had finally scaled up successfully…he had watched everything and they shared a knowing look with each other.

Luigi readied himself and waited while Mario heaved a large boulder that his super power-up would allow. He glared at the poison piranha plant who was starting to glow purple again. With a loud shout, he tossed it as hard as it could to its gaping maw. Seeing the giant plant choke again, he shouted up to Luigi.

“NOW, LUIGI! STOMP ON ITS HEAD AS HARD AS YOU CAN!”

Luigi steeled himself and hurriedly followed through hjs brother’s command as he made a running start and jumped off the cliff. Feeling the rush of adrenaline overriding his fear, the younger man could feel the satisfying thump of his feet pounding the mega plant hard and fast into oblivion. He landed on solid ground with shaky legs, his knees definitely having been pushed to the limit even with the power-up. He feels himself hoisted by strong arms, holding him steadily.

“How did I do, bro?” Luigi asked as he tried to get his thumping heart under control.

“Really well, Lu. See for yourself,” Mario gestured to the now motionless plant. But the triumphant moment between then was broken when it started to twitch and turn purple. The older plumber gasped in horrified realisation, “Luigi! Get behind me!”

Mario barely had time to shield his little brother as the poison piranha plant exploded, purple tarry liquid spraying in all directions. He hissed in pain as he felt some sizeable blobs splash onto his torso and forearms, soaking through the red fabric of his shirt and denim overalls and into his skin. It was like being stabbed by multiple pocket knives which also unfortunately caused him to lose his super power-up. But it didn’t matter…so long as Luigi was unharmed…

“Mario!” Luigi exclaimed worriedly, his taller frame towering over his brother, “Y-You’re hurt! The poison!”

“I’m okay…I’m okay…” Mario huffed, ignoring the burning pain fizzing through his body, “This is nothing.”

“Not so fast…have you forgotten about me?”

Suddenly the two brothers were frozen in place and pulled away from each other. The Magikoopa glided forward between them, his face serious and his wand glowing.

“You may have defeated my little army and the Mega poison piranha plant…a minor setback to rescue my imprisoned king…no matter…” Kamek’s glasses glinted menacingly as he turned to the green clad plumber, “Luigi…”

Luigi tried everything he could to not panic…not again…the body binding spell brought back traumatic memories of him being interrogated by Bowser. Cold sweat beaded along his hairline and hairs stood up at the back of his neck. He whimpered with fear and tried in vain to move away from Kamek.

Mario growled furiously despite being restrained by the body binding spell, “Touch my brother and I will make you pay!”

“Oh? I don’t intend to fight him…I’d like to see how far this coward will go for you, his beloved elder brother of whom he loves and cares for so much…”

The Magikoopa materialised a mushroom and levitated it to Luigi. It looked similar to the super mushrooms they ate many occasions before…except this mushroom seemed to scream danger with its bright purple hue and pink spots and its sickly sweet aroma…

“What makes you so special and remarkable that Mario would go through such lengths to rescue you back then? I’d like to know why…”

Kamek smirked at Luigi who gulped in trepidation and escalating fear, not knowing what the Magikoopa was up to.

“How willing are you to save your brother, Luigi? He must have been quite a hero to you, always swooping in to help you, protect you and save you in every way he can…I wonder if you’d do the same for him…” Kamek disabled the binding spell on Luigi who stumbled a bit upon landing. The mushroom hovered close to him, “Eat that poison mushroom and I’ll release the both of you as long as I’m allowed to have a safe retreat and I won’t bother you both and the kingdom for the time being…refuse and I’ll make your brother suffer as a consequence…”

“Don’t do it, Luigi! Don’t put yourself at risk because of me!” Mario shouted, still imprisoned in Kamek’s spell.

“Silence!” Kamek shouted and slammed the red clad plumber against a nearby cliff face through his levitation spell, causing some of the rocky shards to pierce his skin through his clothes.

“Mario!” Luigi shrieked, his heart pounding at his brother’s further injured state.

The older plumber hissed in pain but sending his little brother a determined and loving look to him, “Get him while you still can! Don’t worry about me!”

“I SAID SILENCE!”

Mario was cut short when Kamek pointed his wand back at him, its jewel glowing more brightly. Crackling sounds filled the air and the older plumber was groaning and grunting in pain as lightning bolts zapped all over him. Luigi gasped with horror.

“Stop! Stop! What’re you doing?! Stop!”

Kamek paused the torture spell, causing the older plumber to breathe heavily in exertion, “I’m not very patient or merciful at this moment. I’ll torture Mario in front of your eyes until you make a decision. Eat that mushroom to save his life or watch him die to save your own…”

“Lu…save yourself…please…you matter too…”

“M-Mario…”

“What’s it going to be?”

And with that, Kamek reactivated the spell. But this time, it appeared to be more powerful than ever as Mario was now shrieking in pain as the light bolts were flashing brighter and pulsing more frequently. The older plumber was seizing up, feeling more pain circling around his neck and chest area. Kamek looked on sadistically, relishing the troubling spectacle.

“NO! MARIO!”

Luigi tried to reach out for his brother. But to his horror and dismay, the lightning bolts repelled him from coming closer and painfully shocked his gloved hands where he tried to touch Mario. Luigi shrunk back to normal size, his super power-up dispelled. Then he glanced at the golden glint around his brother’s neck and-

“STOP! PLEASE!”

Luigi gasped in ominous realisation. The golden dog tags he had gifted Mario were further electrocuting him and causing him to suffer even more! He hyperventilated with growing fear and panic. He couldn’t bear to see his big brother continuing to writhe and spasm in anguish under Kamek’s spell any longer. Snatching the poison mushroom from midair, he turned to the Magikoopa, screaming to him at the top of his lungs.

“STOP, KAMEK! I’LL DO IT! I’LL EAT IT! STOP HURTING HIM! LET MY BIG BROTHER GO!”

Kamek disabled the torture spell, leaving Mario gasping while still being immobilised. Mario fought the nauseating dizziness in his head and the sharp throbbing pain around his neck…his body…everywhere…and immediately felt his breath leave him at seeing his little brother holding the poison mushroom with trembling hands, his face determined. Kamek smirked and inched closer.

“Do it…show me your conviction…how much does your brother mean to you…”

“You’d better keep your word, Kamek…”

“I promise…on my honour…”

“NO! Don’t you dare do it! Lu! Please! No!”

“I have to, Mario…it’s the only way you’ll be safe…” Luigi‘s smile was sad yet accepting, “Consider this my punishment for not helping you sooner, big brother…”

Taking a deep breath, Luigi gulped down the mushroom. To Mario’s horror, Luigi keeled over onto his knees as he turned pale, his breaths becoming soft and hoarse. Kamek smiled mockingly as he dispelled the binding spell on the older plumber. Mario wasted no time in rushing to gather his fallen brother in his arms despite the residual pain stabbing his body and the ringing in his ears.

“Luigi! Why did you do it?! Why?!” Mario exclaimed in disbelief and heartache at the state Luigi was in, “I’m…I’m not worth this!”

“W-Worth….everything…M-Mario…” Luigi was cut off as he let out a sharp cry and clutched his heart, tears springing into his eyes, “…it…it hurts…it hurts!”

“LU!”

“I suggest that you tend to your brother quickly…the poison is starting to drain away his life force as we speak…” Kamek leered, “You wouldn’t want your brother’s bravery to save your life to be in vain…”

“Kamek…” Mario seethed as he clutched Luigi close to him…torn between punching the Magikoopa in the face and needing to help his poisoned brother.

“We had a deal…I’ll leave you two be and retreat. We shall meet again…”

And with that, Kamek disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Mario with an ailing and distressed Luigi. The younger man looked like he was in turmoil as he writhed and gasped in Mario’s embrace, his pained tearful eyes boring into his. The older plumber sprung into action and reached into his front pocket where he stashed his last emergency power-up. Crushing the Super Leaf in his fist to activate his tanooki power-up, he carried his brother bridal style as close as he could against his furry body before taking off into the air. Willing and praying for his aching body and arms to give him strength, he concentrated in flying as fast as he could back towards the Mushroom Kingdom.

It seemed like an eternity when he could finally make out the ornate structure of Peach’s castle in the horizon. Mario felt his vitality waning, his arms starting to spasm and ache increasingly and his vision starting to blur...

“M-Mario…” Luigi’s soft whisper was loud despite the ringing in his ears. He felt a dark pit in his stomach when he sensed his brother’s grip on his shoulders gradually waning.

“Lu! Lu!” Mario pressed Luigi’s head harder against his shoulder, “Stay strong! We’re almost back!”

Mario panted and willed himself to go faster despite the pain striking his exhausted body in increasingly strong waves.

‘Please…please…please…let me make it in time! I can’t lose my little brother…I can’t lose my Lu!’

Before he knew it, he found himself crashing into the courtyard of the castle…but not before turning his body to cushion his brother from the harsh impact of the landing, causing his tanooki power up to disappear. Uncaring of his additional injuries, Mario shouted in desperation while cradling his brother close to him…

“Help! Please! Luigi is poisoned! I need help! HELP LUIGI! PLEASE! HELP!”

Finally, he heard the grand doors crash open…and felt a relieved daze as he saw Peach, Toad and some royal guards rushing to him and a near unconscious Luigi…

——

“And that’s when you and Toad found me and Luigi in that state, Peach…if you hadn’t helped me bring him to the hospital wing, Luigi would’ve been…” Mario felt his throat tighten and he stopped speaking for a bit, not wanting to think what would’ve happened…

Peach was left momentarily speechless after Mario finished his harrowing account. The red clad plumber’s pain, sorrow and guilt was plain and intense to see on his weary face.

“I would rather have died than to see him eat that poison mushroom to save me…because of me…I nearly lost my Lu…” Mario whispered brokenly, “I’m a horrible brother…the worst one of all…”

With soft sadness in her eyes, Peach shook her head and pulled Mario in for a hug. She gently cupped his face and nuzzled her cheek against the top of his cap covered head. Mario sagged in her embrace and his hands clasped against her back, gripping her close. They sat in silence for a while until Peach decided to break it.

“That is not true, Mario! You two have been through so much for my sake. The Doctor Toad told me the extent of you and your brother’s ailments…oh God…I…I’m so sorry…this is an oversight on my part. I should’ve been more thorough in the initial scout reports. I never thought that Kamek would actually get personally involved in one of these attacks to get Bowser back…I thoroughly underestimated him. And because of this, I’ve put you both in grave danger…” Peach lowered her eyes, feeling the painful guilt burn deep in her heart and translate into regretful tears, “I should’ve been there for the both of you….especially you, Mario…”

Despite his own overwhelming sadness and guilt over his brother’s predicament, Mario pulled back momentarily and gently clasped one of her hands back in his. His heart softened upon seeing the tears trickle down her cheeks in silvery rivers. He hugged her, pulling her to his level and allowing her to cry against his shoulder. Gently combing her soft luscious golden locks, he rocked her back and forth, not minding the hot tears raining on him. The princess suffered as much as they did…

“Please don’t be hard on yourself, Peach…you’re trying hard to protect your kingdom from these threats…your Toads need you to be here to give them strength and hope. You’re a great leader. We’d be honoured to volunteer helping you any way we can because you helped me reunite with Luigi and you did so much for us to settle here…” Mario reached up to cup one of her cheeks and tenderly thumbed away some of the tears away, “My brother is safe because of you…”

Peach looked up at Mario, her skin dusted pink as he continued to cup her cheek gently. She closed her eyes momentarily, allowing his sweet, affirming words to wash over her…he really was a pure soul. She savoured the warmth radiating from his white gloved hand, her confidence rebuilding and the guilt swept away for now. His eyes though still dulled with his own pain and guilt held a tender understanding gaze and his small smile radiated nothing but kindness to her.

“Thank you, Mustache…” she whispered, allowing a small smile of her own to grace her face.

“Anytime, Princess…”

Mario’s smile grew just a bit, his thumb still caressing her cheek in circles. After a few more minutes of comfortable silence, Mario withdrew his hand, allowing the princess to compose herself as she wiped away the rest of her tears.

The tender moment was broken when they heard thunder rumbling above them. She could see the dark stormy clouds slowly permeating the once clear sky.

“Oh dear…I think it’s going to rain…shall we head back inside?” she looked back when she realised that Mario was still sitting on the fountain rim, “Mario?”

“Actually…I might go and take a walk…”

Peach looked at Mario standing up and straightening his cap. Her heart ached to see how truly worn and battered he looked even after he had been treated. She touched his shoulder.

“Are you sure? There might be a big storm coming…”

“I just…I just need some time alone to process this…” Mario reassured her as he patted the smaller hand softly.

“Mustache…what about Luigi?”

“Just let him know that I’m out walking…he knows about this…I’ll come back to the castle after I’m done…otherwise I’ll go home if I walk too far…hopefully…”

Peach somehow felt a bit uncomfortable at the way Mario said “hopefully” but she didn’t say anything as he turned to look up at her and gently kissed the back of her hand.

“I’ll be fine…please…go back into the castle before you get caught in the rain…will you send me a message about Luigi at our cottage if I’m not back at the castle by then?”

“Of course I will…the moment he’s awake, I’ll let you know. I’m sure Toad will be more than happy to personally deliver the news to you.”

“Thank you, Peach…and…please thank Toad again for watching over Luigi for me…”

With the soft reply, Mario released her hand and turned to walk towards the warp pipe. She watched his retreating back, wanting to chase after him. But she didn’t push it, having heard in his weary and tense tone that he truly needed to be alone. That didn’t stop her from wondering whether he was truly okay while she saw him jump into the green pipe, the warping sounds loud and echoing in the vicinity. She sighed tiredly, a lingering weight of worry for Mario still present within her.

‘I might as well check up on Luigi to see how he’s doing…’

It’s the least she could do to pass her time and to keep to her promise to Mario. As the first raindrops started to fall, she sprinted back to the castle as fast as her heeled shoes allowed her, making her way back to the hospital wing…

To be continued…

#luigi #mario #super Mario bros #not my writing

47 notes · View notes