The Mushroom Games

The Coward

Luigi's Point of View

I still couldn't believe how my brother was acting. He was always a bit stubborn and rude, but threatening to kill me? I think that this has gone a bit too far.

Since Mario is a Career, I'm sure he has it made on the Island Camp they've set up. I know because I've been watching them for the past ten hours. I'm the scramble for the Cornucopia, I had managed to grab nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. I was so dead.

I knew that asking my brother for help was completely out of the question, so I just tried to ignore how hungry I was as I treated water, watching, waiting for anything- something to happen. I figured that I wouldn't even last the whole day. I would be dead in mere hours because of exhaustion or hunger. I couldn't do this.
I saw a bit closer to the camp, and I noticed that only one of the Careers were still awake. It was Peach.
I figured that she was the safest Career to approach, as she seemed so sweet and innocent. I could barely contain my simpering when I saw all of the luxuries that the Careers has. Beds, water, warmth, blankets, food, clean water, medical supplies. The sheer volume of it all was enough to take my breath away.
My breathing was getting slower by the minute. My legs were cut of from swimming through the sharp coral and the various creatures, and I had suffered a head wound from Bowser at the beginning of the games. I figured that I was still in decent shape, and I began to swim away again, when I saw something poke out from the water behind me. A single, sharp, sleek gray fin. And it was getting closer.
My blood turned to ice, and I whipped my head around frantically. There was no rock, no sandbar, no nothing around me, as far as the eye could see. I was really starting to panic, and the shark was getting closer and closer by the second. I knew that if I didn't move soon, I was done for. I frantically tried paddling away, but that just seemed to make the shark angrier. I don't know what to do. I was out of ideas and out of time. The thing swam up, and sunk it's teeth into my left leg. I lost consciousness moments later.

Three hours later

"Luigi! Luigi! Wake up! Please!! Dear, please wake up!" I groaned as I lifted my head from the sand. Wait. The sand?! I was alive! I wanted to jump with joy, but I felt as though I couldn't move. I was pushed back down onto the sod ground, exhausted from that small movement. The figure pushed a damp cloth onto my forehead, and watched me. Peach. Peach Toadstool, a Career, has saved me.

"That was quite the encounter! You nearly drowned. I can't swim very well, so I couldn't dive in after you, but as luck would have it, the tides washed you up. I treated your wounds the best I could- I hope you don't mind that I'm, well, your leg..." she trailed off.
I looked down, and I had to force myself to swallow. My left leg...it was gone. I was bandaged up to the knee, where my leg had been torn clean off. It was wrapped in clean, white cotton, and kept sterile with some sort of cooling gel that must have been made in the Capitol. I started to sweat, and my hands began to shake. There was no way I stood a chance like this.
"I'm so sorry," Peach whispered. "But it was already almost cut off, and when you washed up, there was nothing I could do but cut it off the rest of the way, and try to heal it. I hope you don't mind, I swear I was just trying to-" I cut her off. "Why?" I asked, bewildered. "Why did you save me? It would have been so much easier to let me die- it would have made you one step closer to going home."
Peach smiled kindly, and placed a cup of hot soup in my hands. "You just seem to be the kind of person who deserves to be saved."
We just stared at each other for a while, and she slowly returned my strength to normal. It was the middle of the night, but she never once complained or even yawned. We had to be as quiet as possible, so that we wouldn't wake the Careers, but I couldn't care less. I was happy, warm, and well fed. And I'll admit, my cheeks were getting a bit warm around the lovely princess in pink.
It was nearly sunrise when Peach decided that I would have to be hidden so that the Careers wouldn't find me. She helped me up, and let me balance on her to hold myself up with my leg being gone, and we shuffled through the sand in the faint morning light. We were almost to the cove on the far side of the island, when Peach's face went slack with horror. I whipped my head around, and I saw Bowser stomping his was towards us.

"PEACH!" He roared, seething, as he ran towards us. "AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE FOR YOU, THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY THE CAREERS?!?! BY SAVING A COWARD AND NURSING HIM BACK TO HEALTH?!?"
"N-n-no, I-I was just..." Peach stammered. "NO! YOU ARE NO CAREER AND YOU ARE NO REAL TRIBUTE!" He grabbed Peach by the band, and I fell over, face first on the ground. I managed to pick my head up in time to see Bowser lift Peach's body into the air, and slamming it down onto his knee. Her whole body went slack, and blood poured from her skull. The boom of the cannon was unmistakeable. With her last breath, she whispered, "I love you...my green hero..." Her head fell and her eyes closed. Her mangled body lied on the sand, unmoving, while tears pores down my face. I had never felt this way before. I was shaking in rage, and I wasn't even thinking about what I was doing. I propped myself up, and grabbed a rock close to me. With all my strength, with all my rage, I poured all of my emotion into that rock, and I threw it as hard as I could. Bowser barely even had time to look at it before it caught him in the head. Blood gushed from his temple, as he roared in pain. I managed to hobble over to him, and I pulled his sword out of his belt. I grabbed it, with shaking hands, and plunged it into his calf. He gave a final roar, and collapsed on the sand.

District One: Peach- Dead
District One: Bowser- Dead

AN: Hey guys...so that just happened! I literally almost cried while I was writing this- I knew that it had to happen though, and I hope none of you are too mad!!! I promise, Luigi did manage to avenge Peach's death, and that he will be back very soon. This is starting to get real, so keep an eye out. Who will be the last Tribute standing? Return next time to find out more!! Love you guys, later!