Forbidden Fruit (A Bowigi Fanfic)

Do you feel like a hero?

Amakeshil and Luigi sat together on a stone ledge overlooking the massive lava pool behind the castle.  After their words at the door, they'd be silent, staring off over the pool as they ate.  Once he was done eating, Luigi broke the silence.

"I don't think you're an idiot."

Amakehil kept their eyes on the horizon. "That's because I'm not."

Fair enough, Luigi thought. "I don't think you're being foolish either."

There was a long pause before the koopa glanced over. "Desperate would be more accurate."

Luigi thought about that.  He'd only been here for 8 years and was exhausted with this war.  Amakeshil had been here their whole life and they looked older than Bowser. 

"How long have you worked for King Bowser?"

Amakeshil squinted. "In my current position or just in general."

"This one."

The guard paused again.  They seemed to be deep in thought.

"Four years," it was barely above a whisper. That wasn't nearly as long as Luigi had thought. He decided to soften his tone with his next question as the koopa seemed distressed.

"Are you alright?"

Amakeshil closed their eyes and took a few deep, slow breaths.

"I will be when the war is over. Peace of mind." Following, in a voice somehow even quieter than their last answer, Luigi swore he heard. "I could be me." 

Luigi nodded.  He tried not to acknowledge that feeling often. The feeling of just how much the war was getting to him, almost becoming him.  He had to carve out times between fighting, planning, and training to force himself to enjoy his hobbies, to keep who he was.  Even during activities meant to take him away, the war would force its way back into his mind.  It was easy to see how others could lose themselves.  Hell, he was probably getting close and he didn't grow up with it. 

As he thought further on it, when was the last time he was able to enjoy himself fully? 

Two nights ago,  his brain supplied. The wine was probably the reason and Luigi was not going to go down that road. 

"What did you do before you joined the Koopa Troop?"

Amakeshil shook their head. "There was no before. I grew up on the border of the Mushroom Kingdom. As soon as I could fly, they used me as a scout."

"Fly?" Luigi didn't mean to blurt out and immediately apologized. Amakeshil didn't have wings.

Amakeshil suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable. "I used to be a General with the Paratroopas." 

Suddenly, Luigi was hit with a memory like an angry wiggler.  He knew Amakeshil.  When he first came over to the Mushroom World, they weren't just a general.  They were a commander, brilliant at strategy and deadly in combat. 

Bowser may have been his foe but Amakeshil was his enemy.  Luigi thought they were dead after their final battle.  Luigi didn't remember much, from that day.  He was prepared for a regular fight where it would be large groups with plenty of distractions. Amakeshil had surprised him by separating him from the rest of the fight and battling him solo  It was the first time he'd battled in a true one-on-one situation and he didn't know what to do. He was lucky he had a propeller hat power-up and was able to keep up.  After a tiring battle, Luigi knocked them out of the sky and lost his propeller cap in doing so. His last memory was wrestling in the air and eventually being able to use Amakeshil as his cushion.  Koopas are not good cushions and Mario had apparently dragged him off the battlefield.  He'd taken weeks to heal. 

"I'm not angry with you for what happened that day," Amakeshil must've known what he was thinking. "I knew the risks when I made that decision."

"I'm still sorry, I thought I killed you that day." He thought back on all the times he and others had taken paratroopas out of the sky and it suddenly made sense why they were seeing less and less over the years. It was permanent.  All of a sudden, he felt a surge of anger.

"The day I fought you and thought I killed you was the first time the toads celebrated me," he spat bitterly. "They only cheer me on when I fight like my brother."

"In the context of war, we were both considered heroes."

 Luigi blinked rapidly in an attempt to stop the tears that were welling in his eyes from falling. 

"I don't feel like one."

The two sat in silence again. This time it was broken by Amakeshil.

"If it is any solace to you if I hadn't gotten injured that day, I never would have met my wife.  She was the first koopa to see me and not the soldier I had to be."

Luigi nodded, it was hard to smile but he was glad Amakeshil had someone. Before he could speak, Amakeshil continued.

"We need to end this war."

Luigi nodded again. "I'll have to figure out what to tell Peach but I think at this point all she would accept is a surrender and-"

"No."

"I know-"

"I can't do that.  If we surrendered, His Majesty would likely be killed leaving what would probably be a power vacuum and I'd likely be imprisoned for my position.  I can't let my koopalings grow up without me." 

Throughout the conversation, Amakeshil had hardly even glanced his way but as soon as they mentioned their koopalings they fully turned to face Luigi.  Luigi gulped and Amakeshil approached him.

"If you intentionally fuck this up and something happens to my koopalings, I hope you know that it would be the last decision you ever make.'

Luigi wanted to take a step back but he needed to show he wasn't afraid. He wasn't planning to deceive and he certainly didn't want to hurt anyone if he didn't have to. He nodded solemnly and held out his hand.

"Amakeshil, I give you my word that I do not intend to deceive you and I will not intentionally cause harm to your koopalings, nor you and if I can the Koopa Kingdom."

The koopa shook their head. "Your word doesn't mean shit."

"Then I swear on my brother's life."

Amakeshil nodded. "That, I can accept."