Mario & Luigi: Darkness In Light (REMASTERED)

Chapter 5: A Painful Power

Mario and Luigi were back in the woods as they were both resting by one of the trees. However, they were both in the nighttime. Mario explained that his powers seemed to be stronger in the night, and he managed to convince him that they should investigate it at that time. Despite Luigi not liking the dark, he still agreed if it could help Mario. Luigi was leaning his back against it as Mario jumped onto one of the branches that wasn't far from him as he had his legs wrapped around it as the rest of his body hund beneath him.

They both spent an hour or two looking everywhere around the woods, trying to find something they missed, or even new. But they couldn't find anything. Not a trace of darkness. Not a single clue. Nothing at all.

But that didn't mean they were going to give up. As Mario said before, maybe they were missing another piece of the puzzle. Maybe they were missing something, or couldn't understand what they needed. Either way...they still had no idea to do, what they should do, or even what they need to look for. They were stumped.

Mario groaned in annoyance, putting his hands behind his head.

"This is getting us nowhere!" He said annoyed.

"Well, complaining about it'll just keep it that way." Luigi said in the same, annoyed tone. "Maybe there really is nothing here."

"If nothing's here...then where?" Mario asked, sitting himself up back on the branch. "As you said, we can't expect it to be this easy."

"Yeah, I did say that..." Luigi said, before bowing his head down. "But just thinking back to that makes me scared."

"Huh?" Mario looked down at his little brother, who still didn't look at him. Luigi bit his bottom lip before he spoke.

"You remember the times that we got separated, right? When Popple and Birdo tied me up in Beanbean Kingdom? When you had that bean fever by eating that bad mushroom?"

"...Yeah." Mario didn't exactly like how those two memories came to be...but he did like how he was able to protect his little brother in that second memory.

"Mario, if that Dark Power is the same power as the Dark Star...you're in trouble." Luigi said as Mario jumped down onto his feet in front of his little brother. "I...I don't wanna lose you too that darkness. Even just by using it it could get to you, mess with your head. If anything were to happen to you...I..."

"Luigi." Mario put his hands on his brother's shoulders. "I'm gonna be just fine."

"How do you know that?"

"I don't...but I can hope for that." Mario slightly tightened his grip on him. "I just have to try to keep it under control. I'll fight back if I have to. I swear, Luigi. I won't let it control me. I won't! That's a promise I'm willing to keep."

"...Right." Luigi nodded his head. He smiled. "Thanks, big bro."

"Anytime, little bro." Mario gave him a small pat on the shoulder. "Let's keep going then. Let's give that clearing where we found that orb another look."

"Okay." The two brothers both continued on ahead down the path, neither of them said a word to each other at all.

They have made it to the clearing a few minutes later as they both looked around. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. It was only empty. There were just trees, and sunlight around.

"D-Do you really think there could be something we missed here?" Luigi a little nervous.

"There has to be." Mario said. "I don't know for sure, but something's gotta be here. I can just feel it."

"Are you sure that feeling's right?" Luigi asked him, crossing his arms. Mario rolled his eyes.

"I'm positive, Luigi." He said. "Let's just take a look around. This'll be over before you know it."