Drak and Luigi Write: The Story of how Luigi Became a Dragon (Part 1)

Prologue:

            It is a time of peace for the Mushroom Kingdom. An admittedly uneasy truce, signed by both Bowser and Peach, permitted the occupants of the Koopa Kingdom and the Mushroom Kingdom to enjoy life instead of preparing for endless conflict.

            This meant that it was possible to get together peacefully for activities such as kart racing and sporting events.

            These were the times Luigi liked best. No real danger to worry about, and everyone was getting along (mostly). Best of all, Mario was actually relaxed. Considering how hard he worked in less peaceful times, Mario deserved to relax as often as possible.

            Today, a small group gathered for a kart race through the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom. Much to Luigi’s disappointment, despite his best efforts to protect he and Mario’s second- and first-place positions (respectively), Bowser managed to take the lead in the last moments, crossing the finish line first barely a kart-length ahead of the older brother. But a win was a win, and though Luigi always preferred it when his brother (or sometimes himself) took first place, he wasn’t about to damage the peace by complaining about the Koopa King’s victory.

            Bowser was also surprisingly humble about winning the race, even shaking the hands of his fellow racers and offering congratulations on their competition. Privately, Luigi doubted the peace between their kingdoms would last forever, but he was happy to see any signs that it would hold out for a while longer.

            Instead of returning home with the rest of the racers, Mario had noticed a curious cave on a hill and insisted on checking it out. Luigi reluctantly tagged along. Mario was the one with a craving for adventure, not him. He didn’t want to refuse though; if he did, Mario might call the whole thing off and he knew how much these sorts of exploratory excursions meant to his brother. So, despite his unease about unknown, dark, enclosed caves with unknown dangers inside… he fell in step with Mario as they trekked up the hill and peered into the darkness of the cave.