Chapter Text
It was the nicest piano Luigi had ever heard. He walked down the corridor, following the pleasant sound. He reached a door and listened: the music definitely came from there. A melancholic melody crossed the wooden gate and it sounded so sad and moving. Whoever was playing was letting out all their raw emotions in a beautiful way.
Luigi hesitated to open the door, but his curiosity won and he opened it. He entered to a big room, but it was almost empty. Just white and pink elegant walls and big windows. Where was the…?
The dissonant sound of someone smashing the piano keys with one hit made him turn and he saw the cage. And then he realized what was going on. Where he had exactly entered.
That was the room where the toads kept Bowser.
“Mamma mia…” he murmured. He gulped. It’s ok, he can’t hurt me, he thought. He’s now tiny and he’s inside a cage.
But that thought didn’t keep him from almost jumping when Bowser got up and looked at him fuming, his cheeks turning a dark shade of red from pure anger.
“What the heck do you want!?” Bowser yelled.
And then, Luigi did the worst thing he could have done. He let out a snort.
He couldn’t help it; Bowser’s voice was so… squeaky. He covered his mouth with both hands, but the damage was done.
“I’m so going to kill you when I get out of here!” Bowser threatened. “You and your stupid brother!”
“Mario’s not stupid!” Luigi said, and then covered his mouth again when Bowser glared at him. He took some steps towards the door. “I should… go...”
“You have some nerve to come here to laugh at me and then just run!” Bowser said.
“I didn’t—! I swear, I—!” Luigi stumbled with the words and also with the door handle. Would it be better to just run? Would that make Bowser angrier? Or should he explain?
“You what?” Bowser said, and then smirked. “You want something? Power? I could give you that, if you free me.”
“No way!” Luigi said. He finally managed to open the door. “I just wanted to listen to the music, that’s all! I’ll leave you to it!”
He already had one foot at the corridor when he suddenly heard Bowser’s answer, and it was definitely not one he was expecting to hear.
“Then come by some other time, I always love performing for my fans.”
The door closed and Luigi wondered if he had imagined that last part, his brain so scared it was making things up. That didn’t make any sense, but Bowser wanting him to visit and just casually play piano didn’t make sense either.
It’s probably better if I never cross through this part of the castle again, he thought.
He kept walking, but he couldn’t help looking back one more time.
* * *
“I can’t believe that, you’re so brave!” Peach said as she and Mario were lightly laughing. She put a hand on Mario’s shoulder and he blushed a little. His gaze went to the princess’ hand and then again to her face.
Luigi looked away. He was falling behind those two on their walk across the palace garden, feeling a little awkward about being clearly the third wheel.
“Yeah, and after saying that to Spike, Luigi and I started our own business!” Mario finished telling her. “Right, Luigi?”
They both turned to look at him, as if they’d remember he was there.
“Um, yeah, it was great,” Luigi replied. “Although now that we’re here, we’re not paying much attention to that anymore.”
“That’s right! What are you going to do about that?” Peach asked. “Are you sure you want to live here?”
“Of course!” Mario answered.
They kept talking about the brothers’ plans after that. Luigi really appreciated their efforts to include him in the conversation, but he couldn’t help but think they would want to be alone.
Of course, none of them will ever ask him to leave, Mario loved him and Peach was quickly becoming a good friend for him. But a month had passed since they crossed that pipe for the first time and Mario and Peach were recently discovering the new feelings they had for each other. They were on that phase of their relationship where they were still getting to really know each other and everything was new and exciting, of course they would want to be alone. Besides, Luigi was really happy for Mario and wanted to support him.
“I’m going to the bathroom,” he improvised. “I’ll catch you later.”
“Okay,” they said.
Luigi left them and went inside the castle, not really knowing where to go anymore. He ended up really going to the bathroom, but when he finished he realized he had nothing else to do. But he decided he couldn’t keep following Mario and Peach like he was on a party and they were the only people he knew. Although, that was kind of right. He wasn’t that much of an extrovert, unlike his brother, so in the month he’d been there, he didn’t make much friends.
Luigi walked the corridor lost in his thought. Who did he know besides his brother and the princess? Toad came to mind, but he was a little… intense. He liked him, but he was like a fine liquor: best taken in little doses. And besides them, he didn’t really know anyone… Maybe DK, but he wasn’t on the Mushroom Kingdom, and they didn’t have anything in common.
A beautiful melody came to his ears at that moment and he stopped walking.
Bowser. He also knew Bowser.
Well, if you can say you know a guy who imprisoned you and then tried to kill you.
But the words he said the last time they saw each other came to Luigi’s mind.
“Then come by some other time, I always love performing for my fans.”
So… he could go and listen to Bowser play for a while, and maybe it would be better than wandering alone and bored.
Am I seriously considering that? He thought. He’s dangerous. He almost killed me. Any day he could escape and try to kill me again, and maybe that time he’d succeed! Although, if I ignore his request and don’t go, he might be even angrier at me, and then he’d try to kill me for sure. But if I go… argh! Why do I have to overthink everything!?
He shook his head. He had only two options: Do nothing, and anger the king. Go, and anger the king.
He’s going to be angry and murderous no matter what, he realized.
So he had nothing to lose. He started walking again and let the music guide him to his destiny.