Fool's Paradise

"I think I'll start with the green one, he looks like a pushover."

In hindsight, Luigi should have known right there that he had already been completely found out. Of course, this sounded just like a run of the mill insult, but it was more than that. It was his only warning that there was something else at play here, that and the fact that he was called out instead of the hero in the room. Yet he still narrowed his gaze and stood proudly behind Mario- as proudly as one could when literally behind their older brother.

"Pushover?!" Luigi tightened his fists and glared around Mario. After the ordeal he had been through, he was fed up with all of this, and with everyone shoving him around all the time. It was infuriating. "I'll show you who's a pushover!" He took a step forwards and turned to Mario. "Leave this one to me, Bro! You run ahead!"

Mario immediately snapped his head to look back at him in shock, the first acknowledgment he had made towards his brother since they entered the room. Normally the younger would cave at this point and let big brother Mario do whatever it was that needed to be done, but this time he was too fired up to stand aside when he was being actively challenged. Especially after all that Count Bleck and his minions had put him through.

"You've got worlds to save. You don't have time to fight this baddie!" Luigi face slightly softened as he took in the full brunt of what he was saying. This was the biggest thing he had ever done, that they had ever been through. "Don't let Bowser and Peach's sacrifices be for nothing! Or…" He hesitated to keep his voice from wavering. They could be really gone, and maybe he would be too, and there was little he could do to stop it. "Mine, either!"

Mario just stared at him with the slightest touch of worry. Luigi forced the slightest, shakiest version of a smile. "Besides, he called me a pushover, Bro! You know I'm sensitive about that." Maybe not the best thing to outright telegraph, but the magician said it first, not him. This being the same magician who was currently leering at him unsettlingly. He took an unsteady breath and glared right back. "Lemme at him!"

Crickets could've been chirping by how quiet it went. Mario just stared at Luigi with a semi-confused, semi-blank look while the magician watched with amusement. It was as though neither of them took him seriously. Typical.

Luigi waited briefly before calling out another command, "Run for it, Bro!" Mario hesitated a moment before nodding in understanding. Luigi's features softened, "Thanks, Bro…" He watched his older sibling begin to sprint away with his Pixls following behind. He only pausing to look back once he passed the magician, whom did nothing to stop him. No, he was doing just as he said; he wanted to take out Luigi first and foremost. Mario hurried out of the room and left them alone.

Dimentio was the last person that Luigi wanted to face head on. The jester had always given him an unsettling feeling in his stomach, even as Mr. L. He would eye him as though he could see straight through him and spoke as though he knew exactly what would make the green clad man break. Dimentio was something worse than what Luigi had ever encountered before; he knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn't a fool. Though he wasa walking distraction. With that gaudy, unsettling costume, Luigi didn't know whether to gawk in horror or stare in shock.

"Ah ha ha ha. How tender. I just squeezed out a tear," Dimentio mockingly remarked. He raised a hand to wipe a non-existent tear away from the eye of his mask. Luigi frowned more pointedly at the dismissal of his sacrifice. Maybe he didn't realize what it was like to sacrifice yourself for someone. He certainly didn't seem like the type to understand what he was willing to do for his brother.

"Yes… Mario can run along," the jester continued. His voice dropped low in an unsettlingly sinister way before brightening back up. "And if he somehow manages to defeat Count Bleck on his own… All the better!"

Luigi tightened his fists as Dimentio took a step forward. This was it. There was no turning back…

"But then, why should we fight?"

Luigi was so ready to literally spring into action that the sudden question took him off guard. Dimentio has asked as bluntly as could be and stared back with that same unreadable look as usual.

"Uh, what?" Luigi asked in confusion. "Are you serious? We're fighting because you're evil and you're working with Bleck!" The man became offended as a wash of disappointment blew over him. "What, because my brother left you suddenly don't want to fight?"

"Oh, if it could only be that innocent!" Dimentio remarked with a following chuckle. He then stood blankly, watching Luigi just long enough that the discomfort returned. "I've been watching you for some time now Luigi. You're such an open book; I can read all I want from just observing your cover."

Something about the comment made Luigi shudder. He didn't like the thought of Dimentio observing him. He didn't want to be read by anyone, let alone him.

"I know what you're doing," Luigi accused. "You're going to try and distract me and then you'll do a surprise attack. I've seen it before, you're not the first bad guy to try that." He wanted to absolutely block out any continuation of the conversation between them. "Even Bowser's tried that!"

"I don't need to do that. If I had any intention of fighting you, it would be direct. I wouldn't hide behind false pretenses like this," Dimentio assured. His tone didn't change so Luigi didn't necessarily believe him anymore than he did a few moments beforehand. "Do you know what I see Luigi?" He started to step closer, his cloak rustling as he closed the distance between them. Luigi forced himself to stand his ground.

"I see a man who is struggling to stand here and face me, who is only standing here out of some obligation to his brother. A man who, even in his sacrifice, would be remembered by none other than his brother alone. One who has always gone ignored and unseen. Even trying to stop the wedding, you went unnoticed and your actions did nothing to stop what was coming. You have no control, but you still press on, out of what would seem like denial…" Dimentio hesitated. "But peculiarly…" He raised his hand to rest it thoughtfully on his lips. "I think you already know this."

It was only when a minute of silence passed that Luigi realized he was given time to speak. He inhaled, nearly choked on air, and forced out, "That's not true."

"Oh, I think it is." Dimentio pointed to Luigi and continued closer. Now Luigi began to actively step back to keep some form of space between them. "You're a meek and fearful creature at first glance, but underneath you hide your own desires. Mr. L may be gone in literal sense, but he formed from somewhere." He lowered his hand, pointing to Luigi's chest, to the dead center. "Somewhere inside you is someone who acknowledges this, who loathes the fact that they will be cast aside like a beloved plaything whose been outgrow. It's been brewing inside throughout the years."

Then he paused, his hand dropping, and asked, "Tell me, Luigi. What is going to happen after Mario wins against Count Bleck?" It seemed deceptively like he was changing the topic.

"Well… He'll return to the Mushroom Kingdom with Peach and Bowser will probably head home for a couple of days… Then he'll probably come back for Peach… Since they're technically married," Luigi awkwardly got out. "I, uh… Count Bleck might swear revenge or he'll decide to change his life around and turn to good… That's an option for you too, you know. If you'd just stop with all this and chill out."

"I see…" Dimentio seemed unfulfilled. "You missed something."

"…About the Chaos Heart? Gee, uh, I just assumed it would disappear. These evil things or powerful objects just usually disappear," Luigi explained. He already knew what Dimentio was leading into and was trying to stall.

"I meant you. What will you do?" Dimentio then interrupted himself by breaking into chuckles, "My, even you seem to overlook you! Old habits die hard!" The plumber couldn't help but clench his fists slightly, feeling a wave of both frustration and self-consciousness wash over him.

"Me? I'll just… I'll head back home… Relax while I can before the next big adventure!" He narrowed his gaze. "Which I'll be on, because I usually tag along with Mario. It's not just him."

"'Tag along' doesn't sound like you're doing much then being tolerated," Dimentio pointed out. "There's nothing wrong with admitting that your entire life revolves around your brother. It's not as pitiful as pretending to be in denial." It just seemed like the jester was becoming more and more patronizing.

"…Fine, is that what you want? Fine!" Luigi was tired of the game. He rolled his eyes in frustration and listed out sarcastically, "Yes, my entire life revolves around my brother! Every once in a blue moon I go with him on an adventure and it makes me feel good, like now, because he needs me to help him, and that makes me feel like I'm doing right by him. Happy?" To his surprise, Dimentio's smile merely disappeared to a much more neutral, less obvious look.

"I know what it is like to have a brother who casts a shadow over you."

Luigi's brows raised in surprise. "You're saying that you have a brother?" Then they narrowed in suspicion; it was obvious that the jester was merely saying this to get on his good side. "Let me guess, you're the younger brother and he's this big-time guy who makes you feel like you're stuck in the shadows." He frowned, showing how unconvinced he was, and waited for an answer.

"There is neither an older or younger brother. We're twins," Dimentio explained, "and people tend to believe that there is one good twin and one mistake. Your actions as a child decide what comes of your life. You are forever going to be compared to your double." He got this smile, one of false amusement. "My brother was just so good, that there was no way I could compete… Too good for this or any other world… But I still look at your situation as the worse of us both. I cut my chains, I escaped my scenario, but here you are stuck underneath your brother's thumb."

"Mario doesn't-!"

"He doesn't have to," Dimentio interrupted. "Don't you see, Luigi? Mario doesn't have to do anything except be good, and you will always be the one left behind."

Now Luigi was speechless. He was backed into a corner, both physically and figuratively, and he didn't like the doors that this conversation was opening.

"Tell me, Luigi," Dimentio continued, knowing that he was starting to pin the other. "What did Mario do when he saw Mr. L for the first time? Can you remember what he said?"

"Not really well…" Luigi licked over his dried lips and tried to remember back to the foggy memory. Remembering what Mr. L did was difficult, but it was possible if he was focused enough that he could remember specific intervals. "I think he was surprised? He looked a little surprised, but then we fought and after that all I remember was a massive headache… I don't know. Why does it matter?"

"I find it peculiar that your brother acted with silence," Dimentio added. "You never said that he told you who you were, so I must assume that he simply fought back, even though he was aware that his brother was now a mindless puppet."

"Mario didn't know! He couldn't recognize me!" Luigi protested. At this, Dimentio only made a scoffing noise of amusement, breaking into a short moment of laughter. "A-And besides, I was brainwashed. Mario could've said we shared a cradle, he could've shown me pictures of us, he could've done anything, and I wouldn't believe him."

"But he didn't even try." That hurt. Luigi was moderately surprised at how deep that hit. "And not only did he not try, but he made no effort to rescue you whatsoever. How many times did you two fight and never once did your brother do anything to try and stop or help you. If anything, he simply tried to break you down as he would any designated villain. His own brother…" He then chuckled lightly and added, "Unless he truly didn't know it was you, to which I might actually feel sympathy for the Count. It's one thing to be bested by a fool, but we must draw the line somewhere."

"Mario… Mario just doesn't…" Luigi could say it, but he knew what he intended to say. "Mario just doesn't have time to worry about me." There was a princess and multiple worlds that Mario was fighting for, so he couldn't afford to stop for Luigi. Though now that he thought about it, he started to wonder how Mr. L would've reacted to what Mario told him. Mr. L was brainwashed, not stupid, so maybe he would've noticed their similar appearances. Maybe he would've questioned Bleck and turned against him, siding with Mario just to find out the truth until his brainwashing was vanquished and his identity was revealed.

It seemed that Luigi couldn't even be a semi-hero, nor even as the focus of his brother's concern. He was just a walking joke lost on the way. He didn't even know why he thought he could rescue the princess and save the day; fate would never be so kind as to give him that opportunity. Even if he did, he doubted he would be acknowledged for it. He wanted to blame the magician, to pretend that he was making him think this as a trick, but it wasn't the first time these thoughts came.

"What is the point?" Luigi quietly asked. "Of any of this? Why are you telling me all of this, to make me feel so bad about myself that I team up with you?"

"Is what I want really that terrible?" Dimentio inquired. "I just want to create my own world. Destroying the others or not, I could care less. I am not on a quest for destruction, but one of self-creation. If I must be evil in this world then I will make my own where I am above that." He started to close the distance between them until Luigi, who was backing away, felt the wall behind him, and even then the magician didn't stop.

"I don't believe you. Only a few minutes ago you were talking about taking over everything," Luigi argued. "You reek of 'I'm not going to stop there'… and cinnamon. Could you please not stand so close? It's like you showered in a spice rack." He was just standing too close.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Dimentio inquired. They were only about a foot apart. "…Or is it my offer?"

"Well, yeah. We're supposed to be fighting, we're talking about family, I'm stuck on the wall here… Offer? What offer?" Luigi suddenly caught the wording. "You're offering something other than insults?"

"My offer from earlier still stands. Except…" Dimentio's smile widened, "The offer only stands for you. Join with me and after Bleck is defeated, we can create our own world. None of the others need be involved."

Luigi was gawking at this. "You're suggesting I betray my brother?!" Then he choked in disbelief, "After you said that I was completely submissive to my brother?! That's insane!"

"What's insane is that you have been wasted," Dimentio assured. He reached a gloved hand out towards the plumber. "Mr. L had the will but was irrational and unwilling to place his loyalties to his own advantage. You are the exact opposite, and for too long you have lived in this delusion that you need Mario. You don't need him." Luigi could only freeze as the warm glove brushed and cupped his cheek. "But I need you."

"Dimentio…" Luigi mumbled. His heart was starting to race, and his skin tingled under the touch. This wasn't the battle he agreed to. "You're not playing fair."

"This isn't a game, Luigi, so it isn't fair. Life hasn't been fair to either of us… But we could fix that together," Dimentio lulled temptingly. His thumb traced along Luigi's skin, trying to coax him further.

"Why do you think Mario and I turned down your 'help' earlier? You'll just turn on us. I can't trust you," Luigi fought back. However, while he could've turned his cheek, could've pulled away, he did neither. He just watched with wide eyes.

"Hmm… That's peculiar wording. Almost as though you are considering instead of denying," the jester suggested. Only now did the plumber realize how open his answer had been, and he didn't know why it was. Maybe because they would probably fight after he said 'no'. Maybe because all this creation talk was so interesting- in theory. "Luigi, why would I betray you… When I'm trying this hard to initiate a bond of trust? I don't want your brother. I want you."

All the air sucked out of Luigi's lungs at the comment and Dimentio made a sound like a purr. The room was too tight, even though it stretched much further beyond where they stood. This was all too much. It was too much of an emotional rollercoaster; jealousy of Mario, frustration with the world, with Dimentio, confusion, and now whatever this was tempting him into being selfish.

"I've been observing you and I must admit that I am intrigued. Something about you draws me in… All these people are so flimsy, lacking in depths, paper dolls in comparison to your hidden layers. Oh, the things we could do together- The world we would create!" The jester gave a delighted crackle. "It would be a crime for us to not take the opportunity."

Luigi managed to get his voice back and turned his face slightly. He bit his lip, heart pounding and mind feeling surreal, and gave a retort. "I…I would never do anything to hurt my brother, or the Mushroom kingdom. It's my home, he's my sibling. We're got friends there and I- I couldn't risk their lives." There was a silence. He expected the jester to finally lose his mind and attack. Instead…

"You still never said no," Dimentio murmured. Luigi's eyes widened in a sort of horror; Dimentio was right, he just couldn't get the word out. He couldn't say no to the offer and he didn't know why. He wasn't evil, he wasn't greedy, he didn't need his own world- Of course, acknowledgement would've been nice, but he didn't need it. He didn't need everything Mario had. It was just the lingering part of Mr. L making this difficult, he assumed. Mr. L holding him back in delusions of grandeur.

It had to be. Mr. L's power and freedom was truly the only thing that really tempted him. If he was in control, he could've done whatever he wanted without anyone telling him elsewise. The fame, the thrill, the thought was intoxicating, but strictly impossible. Luigi wasn't a villain and only evil would crave such power. He kept telling himself this. He kept reminding himself that it was too good to be true.

"Let us cast aside our masks of animosity and join together," Dimentio suggested. Luigi raised a brow and was about to ask if he meant that as a pun, but he got his answer when the magician reached upwards to remove his mask. He watched with wide eyes as it slipped off and Dimentio's real face appeared in view.

He almost assumed that Dimentio was some sort of creature with a mask instead of a face. As though there was just clothes atop nothing at all. Or that he was like a Shy Guy, hiding a dark secret underneath the thin covering. There was nothing further from the truth. Dimentio looked very much like half of his mask, with the same color of skin and the striking eye color, and thus looked almost human.

Luigi vaguely wondered who the other side of the mask mimicked but didn't have the will to ask. Luigi found himself silently staring, largely out of the absurdity of the situation. Weren't they supposed to be fighting?

Just as the plumber was about to ask that same question, the jester reached to catch his chin. In an instant, without even enough warming to react, Luigi's lips were stolen by Dimentio's own.

The skin was so soft, the warmth was intense, and Luigi's mind, filled with self-loathing and concern, shut down into a mush of nothingness. If he thought he was on a roller coaster before, then this was the crescendo of that, where his rational mind completely shut down. It was just so wrong. Especially considering whom it was throwing himself on him. It did moderately unsettle Luigi that his reaction wasn't disgust.

He found his hands falling on the jester's shoulders. He liked to think that he was intending to push the other back, but it felt more likely that he was holding him in place. Dimentio responded with a low chuckle in his chest but didn't draw away just yet, trailing one hand up the back of his neck and into his hair, as slow as a creeping vine. Luigi begrudgingly realized that he was right where Dimentio had wanted him. He was totally ensnared, but that didn't mean he would suddenly give in and cross over to his side yet. He couldn't give in.

Even if Mario wasn't loyal to him, even if he was the laughingstock of the Mushroom Kingdom, even if nobody even cared that he was here risking his own life, and especially even though he wanted it all so much. He wanted those saccharine promises to be true and he wanted that adoration. He wanted the world and he wanted the happiness, and Star Spirits forbid, he was beginning to believe that he wanted this monochrome skinned nightmare that was kissing him.

When Dimentio drew back, Luigi almost followed, but he held himself in control. He wouldn't give him any more power than he already had. Slowly he started to get his mind back in order, even if everything seemed numbed.

"Give me your answer, Luigi. A real answer, before I run out of time and must leave you," Dimentio quietly coaxed. "Turn me away and I leave you without consequences. You can return to your old life, waiting for Mario, being overlooked by all, and wait for the next time your brother needs someone to fall for him." He paused, revealing his bait, laying out his hand to see if Luigi would challenge or fold. "Or, you and I can work together and claim the Chaos Heart for ourselves. We can build our own world together. A world that has been kept away from us for much too long."

"Why?" Luigi asked, still out of breath and with his heart pounding. "Why- Why me?"

"Because you deserve better." Dimentio's voice lowered. "And I can give that to you."

It was too good to be real, but it was too good to resist.

"…I don't want power," Luigi argued, "and I don't want to hurt people… And- And I don't want to put Mario in danger, and I don't want anything to do with that heart or this prophecy or any of this." He kept telling himself this. "…We would be able to stop Bleck's plans?" Dimentio nodded silently. His smile was just as static as the one on the mask had been. "You… You wouldn't try to hurt Mario?" Dimentio shook his head silently.

"Uh…" Something inside screamed for him not to do this. He knew this would come back to haunt him. The air was thick as he gave his answer. "…Alright."

"Is that a yes?" Dimentio coaxed.

"I… Okay…" Luigi couldn't stop himself. He just wanted it all so much, wanted it to be real even though it felt like a trick, and was just so exhausted from everything. He had failed repeatedly, used by whomever, and even now his fate was in Mario or Bleck's hands. It felt wrong, it felt good, it felt hopeful, and there was no other option. He was already giving in. "But if you try to brainwash me or trick me or anything else like that then the deal's off, and then you're going to have a fight on your hands."

"Ha ha ha! You won't regret this. We will become one with our shared goal in mind," Dimentio promised as he turned away with delighted laughter and slipped on his mask. "I must check on how your brother is handling the Count. Once the Count is dealt with and the Chaos Heart is free, we will claim it as our own. Once we have it… We will have the means to create the perfect world."

"Uh huh." Luigi's gaze stayed on the floor. He couldn't believe that he had been encouraged to go along with this. He couldn't imagine what Mario would think of him after this. Maybe he wouldn't even notice. He hoped he would still believe he was brainwashed. Maybe he was. "And what do I do?"

"You come in afterwards, pretending like this conversation never happened, and we'll take it from there. Trust me." He sent him back a smile that seemed too delighted. "It will be a show to die for."

Mable: I might continue if there's enough interest, so if you might like to see more then please drop a review to tell me!