Written by Story-Teller-Girl.
If you were to ask me what my favourite Mario character was, I'd have to say Luigi. I don't know why, I've just always liked him better then Mario. He seemed more… real, I guess, and I could relate to him a bit. I'd always been there to help others, but most people only saw me as a freak and stuff like that. So, when I learned that in Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS you could play as Luigi by pressing certain buttons during the opening menu, naturally I did that immediately. I smiled and started playing the game. After a few short minutes I reached the castle in world one. I'll be honest, the game's never been much of a challenge for me. At first, the only odd thing was that the colours were tinted slightly. I figured that was because Luigi might've been programmed in as a playable character at first, but to save space and stuff like that they made it so that you could only access him by pressing the L, R and A buttons all at the same time. That's only a guess though, seeing as I know very little about what can and can't be done in games when it comes to programming and hacking. When I got to the castle, I was surprised, and a little bit shocked. Instead of the usual enemies that were there, they were all replaced by their skeleton forms. Naturally I was confused, and more then a little worried. It wasn't pre-owned, as I had been the original owner, so I knew that it couldn't be hacked. I figured that maybe it was just old and glitching slightly. Granted, none of my other games had done that, and I had games that I had gotten before this one. I took a deep breath and continued. When I got to where the first large coin was, I was surprised to see that it had been replaced by a knife. The knife was just floating in mid-air, where the coin usually was. I figured that this was just another, albeit more extreme, glitch and collected it. When I collected it, I didn't know what to think about what had happened next. Luigi looked at the screen and smiled sadly, then did what he usually did when you got to the end of a non-castle or tower level. He then waved at the screen, no, at me, and control returned to me. I shivered, knowing that none of this was supposed to happen. I continued the level, getting past the spikes, fire balls, and tightropes, noticing that the other two coins weren't there. Given all the other strange things that were going on, I hardly paid it any attention until I had gotten to the door that lead to the boss. Again, I was surprised and shocked to see that it didn't lead to the boss room, but to a room that I had never seen in Mario before. It looked like a little girl's room. The walls were pink with posters that had Toadstools and other assorted Mario characters on them, the red plumber himself noticeably not being on any of them. At that point I lost control of the game as Luigi walked farther into the room. After two or three steps, a little girl came onto the screen. She had dark brown hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a green sleeveless dress. She was currently playing with a doll that looked like Bowser and another one that looked more or less like her. Obviously the girl doll was beating Bowser. Luigi seemed to smile and walked over to the girl, crouching next to her. It zoomed in on the two of them slightly, then something I never expected to see appeared. A text box. It appeared in the bottom half of the screen.
Luigi: How you-a doing Marie? Having fun playing with your-a dolls?
The girl looked up at Luigi and smiled. I guess that she was Marie, though why she was in Bowser's castle of all places was beyond me. Hesitantly, I continued to press the A button.
Marie: Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun, but I really missed you while you were gone.
Luigi: Heheh, I missed you-a too Marie. Can I have a hug?
Luigi opened his arms wide and smiled kindly at the mysterious little girl. I heard a giggling sound come from the speakers and then Marie dropped her dolls and hugged Luigi tightly, Luigi hugging her back happily. It was almost as if… no, it couldn't be that, could it? I thought to myself. I figured that I was probably getting ahead of myself and continued the game. It couldn't be what I think it is, right? I repeatedly asked myself that after every line of text.
Marie: Why do I have to stay here? Why can't I go with you and play outside?
Luigi: I'm-a sorry Marie, but it's too dangerous for a little girl like-a you out there. I promise one day we'll go outside together and-a play all day. We can even get-a ice-cream while we're out, how does that-a sound?
Marie: That sounds great! Can we do it soon?
Luigi seemed to hesitate, as if he was contemplating something. He hugged Marie tighter and gently ran a hand through her long hair. He closed his eyes for a minute then opened them. Even though there was no voice connected to the text, it seemed ominously frightening, and a little sad.
Luigi: As soon as he is-a gone Marie, I promise I'll take you outside to play.
Marie: And we can get ice-cream too, right?
Luigi: Right. Don't you-a worry, it won't be too much longer.
Luigi and Marie let go of each other and Luigi kissed her forehead, smiling softly. Marie giggled again and smiled, going back to playing with her dolls. Luigi stood up and started to walk out of the room, when Marie stood up and ran over to him, hugging him tightly from behind. Luigi looked down at her confused, the screen still zoomed in on them. What Marie said next confirmed my suspicions, but I was still surprised.
Marie: Be careful out there. I love you daddy.
Luigi: I love you too Marie.
I dropped the DSi on the floor. My eyes were wide in shock and my mouth was slightly agape. Never before in the game's series was there anything to suggest that Luigi had a daughter, or even a family outside of Mario for that matter. I tried to calm down before continuing, but no matter what I did, I couldn't. Well, not that it mattered anyway seeing as the game still hadn't given me control. I picked up the game again, scared. Luigi had walked outside the castle and continued through an area that looked like the first world, only it was night time now, and it was a flat plain. No hills, no enemies, no blocks, no anything. Luigi looked down sadly while he walked, and I could clearly feel his pain. Another text box appeared.
Luigi: Why? Why did he have to do it? It's because of-a him that Peach and-a Daisy are gone and I've been-a force to keep Marie locked away from the outside world. If-a only it could've been-a me instead…
A tear slid down his cheek. At this point, I had more questions then answers. What was he talking about? I started putting some facts together. I hadn't really thought about it, but the tinting in the background made the world look older, and Luigi himself looked a little older too. Not by much, but just enough to be noticeable. I took a guess and thought that he must've been six or so years older. Marie had looked to be about six too. Okay, so that solved, or at least explained, why the area was tinted, but it still didn't tell me what was going on. He stopped in front of what looked to be Peach's castle, only now it had an abandoned look to it and was completely boarded up. Small parts of the walls were darker then others, leading me to believe that they were blood stained. I trembled and shivered. Luigi pulled off some of the boards that were on the doors and walked inside, the door itself no longer attached to the hinges. The inside of the castle was more gruesome and terrifying then the outside. Blood was splattered everywhere, and it looked as though a massacre had taken place there. Luigi sat on the bottom steps and took the knife that he had gotten earlier out of a back pocket, twirling it around slowly in his hands. He looked around the castle, or what remained of it, then closed his eyes. The screened faded out to white, then it faded back in, only this time the castle looked normal and Peach and Daisy were there, as well as Toadsworth and a large assortment of generic Toads. I was looking directly at them, not from the side like you normally would, but at this point I was forgetting what normal was for this game. Luigi was holding a baby wrapped in a pink blanket closely to him, and I figured that it must've been Marie. A text box appeared, only it was slightly wavy, as if it was only a memory if that made any sense.
Peach: Congratulations Daisy and Luigi! Marie is absolutely beautiful.
Daisy: Thanks Peach, that means a lot!
Luigi: I'm-a just happy we have her.
Luigi kissed Daisy's cheek, Daisy giggling and smiling. I figured that she was Marie's mother based on how they were acting, and the fact that Peach had congratulated them. Luigi put a finger close to Marie's face, cooing. He suddenly pulled his hand away, yelping in pain and shaking his hand. Peach and Daisy laughed, as did some of the toads. I chuckled, figuring that Marie must've bitten his finger hard. Suddenly a crashing sound echoed from the speakers, the characters all looking towards the screen. The camera did a completely 180, now showing me what the characters were looking at. Both doors had been knocked down, and standing in the doorway was Mario, but he looked different. For starters, one of his overall straps were loose and barely hanging on, looking like someone had tried to cut it off. Most of his body was covered in burns, and patches of his clothes were ripped and cut as well, and he had blood all over him, but the worse thing about him was his face. He had a maniacal grin and his eyes were wild looking, the confident look replaced by sheer hatred and anger. The camera turned to the normal side wide, although I now wish it didn't. Peach and Daisy gasped and hid behind Luigi, Daisy taking Marie from Luigi and handing her to a generic Toad, who immediately took off running. Toadsworth and Luigi stood in front of them, Luigi trembling at the sight of his brother. The Toads that were still there tried to attack Mario, but whenever one of them touched him they would catch on fire and start burning. Even with the sound turned off, their screams rang out clearly through the speakers. I covered my ears, again dropping the game. However, this time it landed on the pillow beside me, so I could still see the screen. Mario grabbed one of the Toads and held him up, grinning. What he did next I'll never forget. The Toad seemed to beg for his life before Mario bit down on his head, tearing off a piece and eating it. What few toads remained ran away, the princesses gasped, Toadsworth turned his head away from the camera and vomited, and Luigi simply watched the gruesome scene wide eyed, the colour having drained from his face. When Mario finished eating the Toad's mushroom head, he simply threw it away, not even bothering to wipe his mouth. A text box then appeared.
Mario: It's-a me, Mario!
Mario laughed loudly, Peach, Daisy, Toadsworth, and Luigi flinching and backing away from him. By this point Luigi was trembling like a leaf. Myself, I found that my hands were trembling to the point that I had to put the system down in order to even see the screen properly. I tried to turn the power off, and fortunately the system let me, or so I thought. Not even a minute later the screen flickered back on, the same scene still there. I gulped and forced myself to continue.
Mario: Aren't you-a happy to see me? After all, I have-a saved you many-a time before!
Toadsworth: M-Mario, you know fully well that your no longer welcomed here!
Mario: Oh-a shut up, you worthless know it all!
Toadsworth visibly flinched and backed up more. Suddenly Mario laughed again and started walking towards them. Luigi gulped and shakily took a step forward, spreading his arms wide as to protect Daisy and Peach.
Luigi: D-Don't c-c-come any c-closer, M-Mario…
His voice was shaky and only seemed to make Mario laugh. Mario kept walking forward, the spots of him that had been charred black by the burns mysteriously catching on fire, but it didn't seem to hurt him. In fact, he only grinned wider. The screen flickered for a second, and when it came back both Peach and Daisy were dead, their blood now completely covering the walls and floor, and the remains of their bodies lying scattered around the room, Mario holding Peach's dismembered head in his arms and looking at it lovingly. Toadsworth was lying on the ground by Mario's feet, his head mostly eaten. Luigi, the only survivor for now, was huddled in a corner, crying loudly and holding his own head tightly. Mario put Peach's head down gently and looked over at Luigi. The screen faded to white and when it came back it had returned to Luigi sitting on the steps in the now destroyed castle. He opened his eyes and shivered.
Luigi: I never thought it would happen like that… I never thought that Mario… That Mario would go insane… All these years, he was a lunatic, and none of us ever knew…
????: I did a good job, don't you-a think?
Luigi gasped and stood up, turning around. The camera moved to show Mario standing at the top of the stairs, Peach's decaying body roughly sewed together sitting in a chair beside him. He looked worse now, one of his overall straps completely gone and the other barely hanging on, and both his sleeve were ripped. He had more burns on his body now and his skin was completely black and charred, to the point that the only way I was able to recognized him was because of the fact that his signature hat was completely normal, as if it was fresh out of the box or something. He grinned and crossed his arms, a demonic chuckle coming from the game. Luigi shivered and held the knife's handle tightly, glaring angrily at Mario.
Mario: So my cowardly little-a brother has finally come to end this, has he? Hahah, it's-a good to see you've finally developed a spine!
Luigi: M-Mario… I don't want to f-fight you, even after all you've done, but I-I know that-a I have to.
Luigi's grip tightened, the camera going back and forth between the brothers as the text continued. I had absolutely no control over the game now, not even the text. All I could do was watch and hope that the horror that was before me would end soon, hopefully with Mario's death.
Mario: Hah! Do you-a honestly think you can beat me, after all this time? You really are pathetic Luigi! While you've been-a busy keeping that sweet little girl-a safe, I've been practicing.
Luigi: W-Wha…? H-How do you know about M-Marie?!
Mario: Ah, there are many thing I know that you don't Luigi. One of those things is how to control my-a powers.
Mario's grin widened, his skin literally cracking as he held out his hands and fire balls appeared. My mind was too terrified to fully process what was going on, so I simply sat there and watched in horror.
Luigi: W-Well, that explains why your more charred then I remember you being.
Mario: Yeah, I haven't been-a takin' good care of myself, now that you mention it. Heh, oh well. As soon as your gone, I'll have Peach all to myself, with no one to bother us!
Luigi: Peach is dead! You killed her for crying out loud!
Mario: Details, details. All I know for sure is that ever since I beat Bowser once and for all and got his powers, everyone tried to keep us apart. No more! I won't let anyone take her from me again!
I looked up, directly at the wall and away from the screen. My brain started clicking. I finally realized what was going on. Somehow Mario had managed to kill Bowser and get his fire powers, and they had not only hurt him but had driven him insane as well. The others must've tried to help him, but apparently they failed and must've locked him up somewhere, but he escaped. That's why there were so many Toads there, to protect princess Peach. The crazier he got, the more obsessed with her he became, to the point that he killed her, Daisy, and Toadsworth. Somehow, Luigi had been spared and was able to reunite with the toad that had taken his daughter to safety. He kept her locked away in what was formerly Bowser's castle to protect her from Mario, who would surely kill her on sight. A loud scream followed by a burning sound broke my train of thought and I turned my attention back to the screen. I shrieked in horror when I saw Luigi's body, withering on the ground completely covered in flames. The camera had zoomed in on him and I could clearly see that his body was completely charred and that his eyes had melted. His tongue hung limply out of his mouth, and the flames started to melt his skin. As terrified as I was, I simply couldn't look away. It was like the game wanted me to witness this. After Luigi's skin melted away, Mario smiled softly and turned to face Peach's corpse.
Mario: I love you, Peach.
The screen then faded to black, one last text box appearing on the screen.
????: S.... One down, four to go.
The system then shut it self off, and I couldn't be more relieved. I dropped the DSi on the couch and ran to the kitchen sink. I then vomited uncontrollably for at least three minutes. When I finally finished, I took a shower to get rid of the sweat the coated my body and the bit of vomit that had got in my hair. I don't know why my game acted the way it did, but I deleted that file, and when I had finally built up the courage to play it again, months later, I played as Mario.