Mario and Luigi: Darkness In Light

Chapter 24: Breaking A Promise

"Mario...!"

Luigi, Peach, and Bowser have managed to make their way further up the mountain where they were now in the snow area. They've been trying to move fast to find Mario, but so far they didn't have any luck. The way he was acting definitely had something to do with his darkness, yet Luigi had a feeling it wasn't Salem.

Luigi's almost starting to have doubts about what Lucian said about him. That Salem wants to drag the kingdoms into darkness. If he really wants that, then why has been been helping Mario, and not hurting him anymore? Did he see the error of his ways? Is it only to trick him?

What went to him from hurting to helping his brother? He wanted to know. He wanted to know the truth. He has to. Now that he thinks about it...Lucian's been gone for a long time.

Was he that mad about what happened in the dungeon? Something didn't feel right. Regardless, he had to focus on finding his brother and make sure he was okay. He had to make sure Mario was still in the right direction.

"Sheesh! Did he fly up the mountain or something?" Bowser said a little annoyed as he crossed his arms. "Where is he?"

"I have no idea." Peach said. "I thought we would find him by now."

"Do you think something happened bad happened to him?" Starlow asked.

"Let us hope not." Dreambert said. "However, Luigi...is there another reason why Mario has run off?"

"Call me crazy, but I think...he's messing with himself." He said as everyone looked at him confused. "I-I know, but hear me out! From what we picked up, it sounds like Salem's...changing. I don't mean it in a bad way, but he went from being against Mario to actually helping him."

"So what you're saying is that something else is messing with him?" Bowser said.

"Yeah, but I don't really know what it could be." He said.

"If Salem isn't interfering anymore...then what else could it be?" Dreambert asked.

"You really didn't figure it out? Get the memo, pillo."

"!" Everyone looked around for the voice who spoke. It sounded oddly familiar too.

"W-Who's there?!" Luigi demanded, getting into a defensive stance. Meanwhile, the owner of the voice brought out their scythe and pointed it directly at Luigi's head.

"Looking brave when you're feeling scared, Luigi? How adorable. Too bad it doesn't last long."

Luigi quickly looked up, and he yelped in surprise, and jumped out of the scythe right as it hit where he was standing. Everyone looked up where the scythe came from.

"Alright punk! Get out here!" Bowser demanded as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Okay. If you insist."

Shrouded in shadows, the figure dropped down from the cliff he was standing on, he landed beside the scythe and the shadows around him disappeared and everyone gasped seeing who it was.

"M-Mario...?" Peach asked as 'he' picked up the scythe and rested it on his shoulder.

"Please, you really think that excuse for a hero gave in that quickly? Get real!" He said. "The name's Oiram. Get it in your head."

"Oiram.." Luigi muttered under his breath. He had a feeling he wouldn't forget that name anytime soon.

"Since you can't figure it out, I'm Mario's demons that finally took form. That darkness Salem put in him really made it easy."