#dang can't believe I did this in one sitting!

[multicolour-ink]

🧠With mario and luigi?

🧠 Traumatic event

writing prompts

There are so many ideas for this prompt alone!

I was brainstorming on this today, and as I did I thought "What if the Bros were reliving trauma through a similar experience?". So here it is :) Please note it gets sad!

Takes place in the Mario Movie verse. Based on Super Princess Peach

- - -

Mario had never felt such despair.

The plumber stretched out his aching legs, and took in the small, square space of his cell. Not that he was expecting anything to be different. He had been in this same spot for days now. Maybe months, it was hard to tell. He could practically memorise the stone walls even with his eyes closed.

How could things have gone this way?

How could Bowser have been able to capture them so easily?

It was his fault, he knew that. Even though others would obviously tell him later that it wasn't. He hadn't been vigilant enough. Hadn't been prepared. If he was, then he wouldn't be sitting in a cell, worrying about Peach, and wondering how far away she was from rescuing them.

He and Luigi would never have been split up.

Mario's heart immediately stung at the thought of his brother. They hadn't seen each other since the day they and the kingdom had been captured. Mario clearly recalled the way their hands reached for each other, the two brothers dragged apart by the Koopa army on either side. Mario managed to punch a few back before reaching again, only to yet again to be pulled back by even more forces. He saw Luigi's face glistening wet trails as he was dragged to another part of the castle. Far away from where Mario was to be placed.

Mario also recalled the sheer hatred he felt when he looked at Bowser. The Koopa King's grin was mocking, and filled with malice.

Mario's heart burnt with that same hatred now, and he clutched at his face to fight back the tears. He would not let Bowser or any of his guards catch him like this! The idea was more humiliating than anything. But he missed his brother so much.

It was all feeling too much like the first time they had discovered the Mushroom Kingdom, when they had been torn apart so viciously in the warp zone.

"We've never been apart this long."

Those words are what he had said to Peach all that time ago in the flower field. And he had meant it. He had carried that dull ache of loss, of longing, until the brothers were finally reunited, and Mario had held him in his arms once again.

He sat up and hugged his arms around him now. He imagined Luigi was with him, arms wrapped around him just as tight, his head nestled on his shoulder.

It would obviously suck, to be stuck in a cell, but at least they would have each other...

"I'm so sorry Luigi", Mario wept.

He raised a hand and made a gesture as if he was cradling a head. It all suddenly felt so real.

"I miss you."

- - -

Luigi was lying on the floor of his cell.

How long he had? He didn't know or care. His routine wasn't going to be any different in the next hour. Or the next.

He was beginning to lose his sense of reality. Stuck in this cell wasn't helping matters.

He had cried for days before the Koopa guards had installed insolation around the edge of his cell door, in a vain attempt to muffle the noise.

In all fairness, it wasn't like he was dangling over a pit of lava this time. So it was much cooler. And he wasn't in an uncomfortable cage, just a slightly bigger uncomfortable cell. So he had that going for him.

But at least in the lava prison he had company. Despite the few days of growing concern over his brother, and the heat of the lava scorching his skin, he had others to talk to. King Penguin was an interesting person with many tales from his kingdom, despite his high pride. And there had been a few koopas and goombas trapped in there that had rebelled against Bowser - so it had been helpful to get their insight. Even Lumalee had been company to an extent, although his unnerving talks of death made sure that Luigi only spoke to them when necessary.

No, the worst thing was that he missed his big brother so bad.

And it was even worse than in the lava prison. At least there he had hope that his brother was coming. This time they were both trapped. Unable to even be together because Bowser had insisted on splitting them up.

The King had known exactly what he was doing then.

Luigi clenched a fist tightly. Oh how he wished that he could have the Power Star again so he could be stronger and punch Bowser in the face like he and Mario did in that final battle in Brooklyn.

But he had no Power Star. Just his own thoughts that were slowly swirling into one day after day.

Luigi stared at the wall. How many times had he counted the bricks, or memorised every line around each slab in an attempt to pass the time?

He was going mad.

He stretched his arm out a little more, his palm facing upwards. He imagined that Mario was lying beside him. What would he say? Probably something optimistic like they would find a way out soon. Maybe they would spend the days just talking to make the time pass quicker. Mario would talk the most, he always did in dire situations.

"Luigi."

Luigi blinked. Surprisingly he wasn't startled, or scared. In fact he felt the opposite, as a vision of his brother appeared lying beside him, his hand resting in Luigi's palm.

Luigi smiled. His head felt so heavy, and for a moment he considered that he really was going mad. But he didn't want this image of his brother to go away. He felt so real.

The vision of Mario looked at him with such love and relief that Luigi thought he would start crying again. His 'brother's' hand slipped its fingers in between Luigi's, and gently stroked his thumb with his own.

"I'm so sorry, Luigi."

Luigi found himself replying.

"It's not your fault."

"You always says that", 'Mario' huffed. "But it is. I should've been stronger. I couldn't protect you."

"No one could see it coming", said Luigi more insistent this time. "Don't blame yourself."

"How are you doing?", asked 'Mario'. The concern was evident on his face.

Luigi shrugged.

"Ok. I'm getting by. What about you?"

"Ok", 'Mario' replied back. "The food is terrible though."

Luigi let out a soft laugh at that. His 'brother' smiled back.

"You know...", said Luigi. "When I was trapped in Bowser's fortress, the very first time, I sometimes imagined you were with me."

"I bet I wouldn't have been as brave as you."

"Oh you would!", Luigi spoke up. "You would've busted out of there faster than I ever did..."

'Mario' reached over with his other hand and patted their intertwined ones.

"You were brave enough to hang in there. And you're gonna keep hanging in there now. Promise me, little bro."

"I promise Mario", Luigi whispered. "I miss you."

And just like that Luigi blinked out of the trance. He sat up, finding his whole body stiff from lying down so long. He glanced up at the tiny window at the top of the outside of his cell. From what he could see, the sky was already staining a golden yellow. The guards would be here soon with his evening meal (of which would no doubt consist of stale bread and cheese).

Luigi sat back on the bench, letting out a deep breath so all his muscles relaxed.

"Hang in there Mario", he whispered. "I'll see you soon."

- - -

Back in his own cell, Mario was lying on the floor, only it was in the opposite direction than to how Luigi had been. His arm was outstretched, and his hand curled upwards in an odd angle, almost like he was trying to intertwine his fingers with someone.

"I miss you too, Luigi", Mario whispered. "Hang in there."

- - -

Authors notes under the cut

Oh dang this was heartbreaking to write ;_; Hope you like this anon!

I considered doing a scene when the brother's wake up from a nightmare of the events that transpired in the movie (like so many other fics have done)...

And then I thought, well what if I did it from another perspective. Have the brothers relive the trauma of being forcefully separated! That is defiantly something they would never want to relive again. And then I remembered Super Princess Peach and, well, here we are!

I hope you all like it, and thank you for reading <3