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"C'mon Uncle Mario, I'm not a little kid anymore." Lucas sighed. "Can't we do something cool?""My bro told me specifically to keep watch over you." Mario shrugged. "He told me you're... rowdy.""I am NOT rowdy!" The boy pouted. "I know how to have fun and be SAFE!"Right as he said the word "safe", his arm accidentally knocked one of Link's pots off a nearby table, causing it to smash on the ground."You might wanna work on the last part!" Mario chuckled."Whatever." Lucas groaned, placing his index and pointer fingers on his forehead. A yellow and pink aura formed around the shards, the pieces of ceramic almost seeming to travel in reverse as the pot reformed itself."Ugh, I forgot how taxing that PSI ability was..." Lucas moped, drained of his power and feeling tired as a result."Should I get you a glass of water?" Mario suggested."Sure."As Mario walked over to the kitchen to fetch some water, Lucas spoke up."So why exactly is my dad gone?"Mario turned around. "Well, uh... He went out with Isabelle! As friends!""I knew it!" The boy shouted, a smug grin plastered on his face. "They're going on a date!""B-But they specifically stated-""Ha, I wasn't born yesterday!" He laughed. "Your bro has the hots for a dog!""Lucas! Don't you talk about your mother like that!" Mario scolded."But it's true, she literally is a dog!""Am I gonna have to put you in the time-out corner again?""That's for babies!""Okay okay, so she is a dog..." Mario chuckled nervously. "But please use a nicer word, like... canine.""Fine... Your bro has the hots for a canine." Lucas scratched the back of his head. "...It doesn't have the same feel to it, does it?""No, no it doesn't." Mario agreed."Anyways, are you gonna ignore the obvious signs of romantic attraction?""He told me that they will always raise you strictly as friends, no strings attatched.""I bet you 20 coins that they come back as a couple." Lucas sneered.Mario secretly wanted them to get together, he just didn't want to admit it to Lucas. Luigi had been down ever since his breakup with Daisy, and what better way to fix it with someone else, who cares for him and respects him?He certainly hoped it wouldn't just be a rebound."Fine." Mario smirked. "They're strictly friends, I'm getting the 20 coins for sure.""You're on Uncle Mario." Lucas' eyes narrowed. He just had to trust his intuition. And then he could buy himself some ice cream. As the train pulled up to the station, two passengers left the train. One was recognized well by the community, while the other was stared at quizzically by the townsfolk, not fitting in in the slightest."Wow... It's even prettier at night." Luigi's eyes widened as he scanned the constellations in the sky."It's quite peaceful here..." Isabelle sighed in content. "...But as a compromise, it's really boring here...""Aw, well, you can always come by the Mushroom Kingdom! There's always excitement there!"As they walked towards Isabelle's humble abode, they caught the attention of the prying eyes of some of the townsfolk."Dang Isabelle, what a catch!" Cherry, the goth dog hollered. "Didn't know you'd snag THE Luigi of all people!""I'm afraid you have this misunderstood." Luigi spoke up, feeling the need to step in after his friend turned beet red. "We're just good pals. That's all.""Ah well, that's what they all say." She shot a wink in their direction and walked off.Luigi quizically watched as she walked off. "What's her deal?""She thinks that me and you are actually in a relationship!""Really?" Luigi laughed. "I don't know how anyone could see that at all! Where would she get THAT from? I mean, am I right or what?"Isabelle was too busy studying Luigi's face. Goodness, he had one of the best smiles she'd ever seen. She could tell just by looking at him that he radiated kindness and sincerity."Uhh... hello? Earth to Isabelle?""O-Oh! Yeah, r-right!" She agreed, her cheeks tinged a bit red. "Go directly to jail. Do not collect $200." Lucas sighed, moving the dog piece all the way to jail."Wahoo!" Mario cheered. "I got this in the bag!"Mario was suprisingly good at Monopoly. Lucas, to put it bluntly, wasn't. Lucas had wasted all of his money and was teetering on bankruptcy."Why does money have to be so stupid?" Lucas complained."You'll realize how important it is when you get older..." Mario replied."Sometimes it really does suck being a kid..." He cast his gaze towards the board. "...So much stuff I don't understand. I just wanna grow up already...""Hey, don't wish it all away. Being a kid is one of the best phases of life. You have nothing holding you down, no work or nothing. You're gonna regret wishing it away when you're older, believe me.""But Uncle Mario, you don't have a job. You run around fetching princesses all day and get rewarded for your hero status.""Though that is a tough truth to swallow, you are right. But I technically still do work. I've saved the princess numerous times, keeping the kingdom stable. Without her, well... The Mushroom Kingdom would be toast.""That makes sense... Sorry for calling you, well... Unemployed.""It's fine, it isn't common to be in my position, is it? It's reasonable to be a bit confused.""Aren't you also a doctor too?" The boy inquired."Uh... Here's the thing about Dr. Mario..." Mario chuckled nervously. "...He's... Not really me. He's an alternate reality version of me, birthed from the possible outcome of me never discovering the Mushroom Kingdom in the first place. I must've somehow made the jump from plumber to doctor... quite fascinating.""That's kind of cool!" Lucas grinned. "I already know Link does, but I wonder if we all have alternatives of ourselves somewhere!""We very well could..." Mario stared off in contemplation. "Back to Monopoly?""You're on." Stepping into her house with Luigi in tow, Isabelle closed the door."So... This is my place..."Isabelle's house wasn't that large. She didn't want or need a lot of space in her house, and the housing prices were through the roof, so she decided for a regular floorplan."I-It's not much, but... It's my home." She giggled nervously."It's great!" Luigi shouted. The small space in the room amplified the noise, making them both cringe. "Hehe, sorry... I mean, uh, I-I don't think it's bad at all...""You really think so?""I really do. You should see my house in Evershade Valley if you think this is bad. That place is straight up depressing! But it's free real estate." He winked.After sharing a laugh, they looked at eachother, maintaining eye contact for a long time.Man, Luigi could get lost in her sweet, innocent brown eyes sometimes. There was something about them that was calming to him. He was just so glad to have her as a friend."So... A movie?" Isabelle broke the silence."Oh! U-Uh, sure!" Luigi chuckled nervously, blood rushing to his face.Man, what was happening to him right now? Surely he isn't gaining feelings for his best friend, is he? They promised that they were just friends, and nothing would change that.Promises weren't made to be broken. He remembered when that rule didn't apply anymore. With Daisy.He didn't want to get caught up in his emotions right now. He had a movie to watch with his best friend.Not his crush. His best friend. And it would stay that way.Eternally the loner. "Uncle Mario, can't we go to space or something? Why can Rosalina take her kids to space? It's so boring around here...""I'm sure she wouldn't object to it, but you would have to be on your best behavior. Besides, it's too late now.""Why couldn't I be her adopted son instead?""Because circumstances during the World of Light incident lead up to this."Lucas huffed, glancing at the clock on the wall."Man..." Lucas started. "...Those lovebirds have been out for so long.""Again, they are strictly friends." Mario corrected. "Why do you even want them together anyways?"Lucas raised his voice. "Because it's so annoying when they deny it all the time! Why can't they just admit that they love each other?""Are you sure that's it?" Mario asked, concerned for the boy. "You sound a bit angry-""I just want a mom and dad again, okay?!" He yelled. "I just want them to feel like family... like the one I never got to spend my years with. I'm so close to having a mom and a dad that care for me again. God, why do you have to pry so much? Why can't you be like Luigi and learn to leave things be?!"The boy cast his head down, painful memories emerging from the recesses of his mind.Mario felt hurt. Not because of being compared to his bro, he loved his brother more than anything. But he hurt imagining how hard it was for Lucas to accept the death of his entire family.A kid like him shouldn't have to see the things he saw, do the things he did. No one, kid or adult, should have to go through that. It was sickening, how truly evil one Porky Minch could be.But even then, deep down he was just a broken child from a dysfunctional family, dishing out what he had to take for years. That didn't make any of what he did right either way.Saving a princess constantly was one thing. Dealing with the loss of everything you hold dear and moving forward from it was another.During his inner monologue, Lucas had crashed, fast asleep on the ground.Picking the boy up, he carried him into the guest bedroom and placed him gently on the bed."Take good care of him, okay bro?" Mario said to himself. "Be there for him, for his family."He gently tucked him into bed. His dreams were filled with visions of a familiar sunflower field. It was an odd choice for Isabelle to choose a romantic flick, but it was one of the only ones she had. She lived modestly after all.Luigi found it hard to focus on the film. Whenever he watched it, he felt nostalgic. He remembered when him and Daisy would do similar things as those on the TV.The longer he watched, the more upset he became. He really wished she didn't end it like that. It was all going so good.Until the end. They argued daily. Their spark that they once had was gone, and they had ended it badly. Regret filled his heart, him constantly thinking about how things could've been done differently.Tears brimmed at his eyes. God, he missed feeling loved by someone."Goodness Luigi, are you crying?" Isabelle asked. "Are you OK?""Y-Yeah... M-M-Movie's r-really good, y'know?" He grinned through blotchy, blurry eyes.Isabelle gave him a skeptical look and continued to watch the film.He remembered it all. The times they would hold hands, and just watch the skies...Why was such sappy stuff getting to him? Was he really that pathetic?He accidentally let out a small sob."Luigi, you can tell me if something's wrong." She looked at him with worry."N-No! It's O-Ok! Really!" He struggled to hold it back. "M-Movie's just... r-really... g-g-good, a-and..."It was too much for him, and he broke down into tears."Luigi, I-I-It's OK." She attempted to comfort her friend."N-No, it isn't..." He sniffled. "I completely ruined the mood because I can't get over something that already happened. P-Pathetic...""What thing?" She asked him."Y-You don't know?" He genuinely seemed puzzled. "I-I would've assumed you heard about it.""No... What happened?""M-Me and Daisy b-broke up."She was shocked. Luigi hid it really well, because she never even knew that that had happened. The fact that it was so well hidden made her concerned. What else had he bottled up over the years?She remembered when he told her about how he created the Negative Zone. Was that really what his emotions could do to him? Were they really that dangerous?She got herself back on topic."How... how long has it been?""Ever since the World of Light..." He cast his gaze down. "We... didn't get along towards the end.""Oh... I'm sorry Luigi.""You d-don't need to apologize for anything. I'm the one who's g-getting worked up for no reason.""No, I understand. Maybe a romantic movie wasn't a good choice?""Yeah, it really w-wasn't. But even then, I-I shouldn't be like this...""It's okay to feel sad sometimes. But even then, it's better to look forward." She smiled at him."People care about you. You'll find someone else, who truly sees you for who you are. You're silly, kind, fun... the list goes on. Besides, we- uh, you've got a child to worry about now! He depends on your positivity. He's been through so much."Luigi stared at her quizzically. "W-Wait... Did you say 'we'?""I-I mean, I'm always h-happy to help if you need me to!" She laughed nervously. "Not implying anything at all!""Are... you hiding something from me?""W-Well..." She started, cheeks a bit flushed. "...I know someone who r-really likes you, and thinks you're amazing. They've heard your stories and seen what you've done, and all of it to t-them is incredible.""R-Really?" The naive plumber's eyes lit up. "Who? Oh please, you gotta tell me who!""I-I will, but... You might find it really weird. They aren't, uh... exactly your type...""What do you mean by that? They sound amazing! Why wouldn't they be my type?"She frowned a bit. "W-Well... they aren't human.""Oh..."Isabelle's heart sank. She thought about just stopping it there."...I don't mind! As long as they are just as sweet as I imagine, I really don't mind!"She perked back up again. How was he not catching on at this point? Was he really that blind when it came to romance?"So... What species are they anyways?" Luigi asked. "Anything bipedal?""Well... y-yeah, I guess!" She told him, her face burning."I'm dying to know!" He jokingly whined. "What are they?""Well... they're a dog."Luigi's smile dropped as he made the realization. He should've known! How could he be so blind?The one who supported him and cared for him had been sitting in front of him the whole time. He was looking at the sweetest, most kind individual he'd ever met. How could he have not picked up on the hints?The one who loved him this whole time was none other than Isabelle."You... y-you really like me Isabelle?" He rubbed the back of his head, face flushed."I-I really do think y-you're amazing Luigi..." She admitted. "Y-You deserve someone who really admires w-who you are, and if that's going to be me, then... B-Bring it on.""I... Feel the exact same w-way. You've been the g-greatest friend I've ever had since day one, and n-nothing I can do will be able to repay you for that. T-Thank you so much, for simply just being there.""I guess what I'm saying is... I-I like you b-back."They looked at each other, both finally content that they got what they needed to say off their chests.They sat on the same sofa that they watched TV on minutes ago, holding each other in a warm embrace."This is gonna sound so weird..." He muttered. "...B-But... I never knew you were t-this soft.""O-One of the perks of being a dog..." She sighed, as Luigi rubbed the top of her head."So..." Luigi started. "Does this mean Lucas has a mom now?""I guess so..." Isabelle laughed. Lucas woke from his dream prematurely. He was so close to finally catching up to his mom too.He sighed, not feeling tired anymore. Taking in his surroundings, he realized he was in the guest bedroom. Mario must've put him there.He smiled. Uncle Mario wasn't such a bad guy.His attention was directed to the sound of the opening of the front door.Sneaking very quietly out of his bed, he peeked outside the doorway just in time to spot Luigi walk in. In tow was Isabelle, who seemed to be grasping Luigi's hand.A smile overtook his face. Luigi finally seemed happy. And he finally felt like he could start anew, like the reset had taught him to.First things first though, he was getting those 20 coins.