A/N: Welcome to your dream vacation. I hope you enjoy your stay, because you won't last long... I-I mean, you won't last a second without being satisfied. So sit back, relax with a good book in your hands, instantly fall asleep when you begin reading, and have a 'de-frightful' experience at The Last Resort.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Luigi's Mansion games or the Mario characters/franchise.
A Nightmare Come True
~Luigi's POV
...
Location: Unknown Forest (1)
The rumbling of the bus wheels riding over a large bump startled me as it woke me from my slumber. I leaned back in my seat, slightly recovering from the small jump scare. I can't lie; I still get easily frightened by almost anything.
Letting out a long yawn, I tried to relax and adjusted my body to make myself comfortable. Before I could go back to sleep, my Polterpup popped out of my suitcase, making me jump again.
"Easy, Colombo! (2) I know you're ecstatic and all. But don't try to scare me like that."
With an eager face, he had a slip of paper in his mouth. He waved it around happily like he was playing with a chew toy. I gently pulled the note away, even though he struggled to keep it for himself. Don't get me wrong. I still love my Polterpup. Colombo was not like any other normal pet, but I don't mind it at all.
I read the slip with the fancy handwriting. It was an invitation I received in the mail yesterday, offering me and my friends to stay at a gorgeous hotel located up high near the mountains. Even the shape of the hotel's logo was plastered at the top of the letter as a decoration. Thinking to myself, I adored the idea of a vacation and what the hotel would look like. Colombo interrupted my thoughts as he licked my face. Knowing he was playing around, I rubbed his stomach while he laid on top of my luggage.
"That's right, Colombo. Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy?" I snickered.
"Arf! Arf!"
At first, I thought he was barking because he was replying to my question. Instead, he noticed something outside the window. That's when we both glanced at the beautiful scenery. And soon after, we spotted our destination: The Last Resort. It was a tall, golden building with a lush garden in the front courtyard. The hotel had tons of floors as well! Both Colombo and I were amazed by the structure.
Oh, I forgot to mention. My brother, Mario, Princess Peach, and three of our Toad friends have come along to enjoy the vacation with me and Colombo. Unfortunately, Daisy had royal affairs down at Sarasaland, so she couldn't join us. But I promised that I would take a vacation with her someday. If everything is what I imagine here, then there's no doubt I'm willing to take her here.
The bus soon came to a stop, and we prepared to hop off. Peach stepped out first, followed by my big bro. He guided Yellow and Blue Toad who were carrying the princess's luggage. After Red Toad finished driving (which I don't know HOW he was able to when he was short behind the wheel and couldn't reach the gas pedal), he followed the others to the front of the hotel. I was second-to-last to depart the automobile while Colombo joyfully jumped out the door and over my head. He kept hopping and barking as I chuckled at his excitement.
While everyone waited in front of the hotel doors, I couldn't help but stare at the hotel from where I stood.
"Wowie zowie!"
Marveled by its appearance once again, I was anticipating to see the interior.
A bellhop eagerly greeted us and led us into the building. And golly, the place was extravagant the moment we stepped foot. We were introduced to the beautiful décor of the lobby, decked out with more gold, beautiful furniture, and a wonderful ice sculpture with tons of refreshments and pastries for us to eat. They even had four large portraits of our faces above the front desk.
"Hey, Luigi!" Mario called me over to the table. "They really went all out with this hotel."
"They sure did. I love it already!"
"And look! They have strawberry cake, one of my favorites!"
"Is it as good as Peach's cakes?"
"I don't know. I was about to figure out my- OH!"
Colombo, who was standing on the table, leaned forward and devoured my brother's cake in one whole bite. The look on his face was priceless. I covered my mouth to refrain from laughing.
"Aw, Colombo!" whined Mario.
"Bark! Bark!" Heh, let's just say he loved the cake.
Meanwhile, the Toads were loading Peach's bags onto a luggage cart while the princess was talking to the employee behind the front desk. We took a while to admire more of the foyer before we were given our hotel room keys. Soon after, we were directed to the elevator. Mario, Peach, and the Toads entered first, passing by a purple-skinned lady with blue hair and a nice dress.
"I hope you enjoy your stay at The Last Resort," she said cheerfully before I got in the elevator.
"Come on, Colombo!" I called my Polterpup over.
He barked once before he joined us. We headed up to the fifth floor where all our rooms were located. Before we went our separate ways, we agreed to meet up for dinner at around 6 p.m. With Colombo by my side, I took out my key and accessed our room. Once again, I was astounded by what I saw. There was a queen-sized bed, a large dresser, balloons with smiling faces on them, and a stunning view of the water and mountains behind the hotel.
I didn't bother to unpack as I decided to sit back and relax on the bed. I figured I can explore the hotel with everyone else once we're all settled. Colombo hopped to my right and laid next to me as I dusted off my book. Getting myself comfortable, I opened the page to where I last left off. But instantly, I dozed off on my pillow with my eyes closed and mouth wide open. Although I didn't see Colombo, he reacted with a bit of shock from this. He clearly hasn't seen me during my Pi'illo Island 'vacation'. Otherwise, he would know by now that I can fall asleep in a matter of a single second. (3) I sure hope I don't sleep in too long.
Location: ?
"LUIGI!"
It felt like hours have passed, but I don't know what happened or how I even got here. All I knew was that I heard my brother screaming for me. But... for what reason? And why did he sound scared? Honestly, you don't expect Mario to be panicking for no reason. He's not like me.
"Get me outta heeeeere!"
To make things uncomfortable, I found myself in the middle of nowhere. It was pitch black all around. No light, no scenery, nobody nearby. Gosh, I hate being alone, especially in situations like these.
Have I mentioned that I'm scared right now? Well, I guess I really didn't need to say it, huh?
I still don't know why I keep hearing Mario's voice talking to me. Am I in limbo or something? Is he trying to call out to me? If so, why? I feel like I'm being repetitive, and I apologize. It's just that I don't like it when my brother could be in trouble. You already know what happened the last two times. I'm certain that I don't need to explain all that in detail again.
Just then, I heard something. A freaky, condescending laugh that echoed in the darkness. Only one person, or spirit, possessed an evil laugh like that.
By then, a room came into view. Once everything became clear, I inspected my surroundings. There were two columns in the middle of the room, several chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, a lion statue to my left, a mirror and two torches to my right...
Wait, why does this seem familiar?
...Oh, no. I answered my own question when my eyes faced directly forward.
On the north wall of the room, I saw Mario trapped inside a painting, banging his hands on the barrier. And in between the two of us, he was floating there, wearing his red-jeweled crown.
I was back in the Secret Altar of the first, creepy mansion.
The lump in my throat remained stagnant that I almost choked on my own saliva. Disgusting, yes, but don't tell me you've never had that feeling before.
Oh, you haven't? Well, then congrats, I guess.
"Aah, I could just stare at my Mario painting for hours!" the spirit chuckled. "It's true what they say about fine art... It takes utterly refined sensibilities to truly appreciate it! The way you plead for help, Mario... I find it so... satisfying."
For the record, it never satisfies me to see my brother in such despair. Both he and I know how much Peach hates it. And to see Mario in this scenario, it's not only odd, but it's also terrifying.
"Perhaps that is merely because I remember how much trouble you've caused me in the past. Seriously though, who would actually believe that mansions get given away in contests?! Talk about stupid!"
Oh, woe is me.
"What do they feed you Mario brothers anyway... gullible soup?"
I'm not that offended by his comment. If he were to say 'gullible pasta' or something like that, then maybe I'd be a bit ticked.
"Your brother came all this way just to get turned into a painting... It's just terrific!"
"No! Don't you dare hurt my little bro!"
My heart was pumping when Mario cared about me. But it eventually stopped when the ghost turned around to face me and cackled loudly. The dark shade of black around his glowing purple eyes, along with the tongue and fangs... (4) I could only freeze in horror.
"However... This Mario painting looks lonely... I must have a Luigi painting as well! Then my gallery will truly be complete! Bleah HA HA! I am not afraid of you, fool! I fear only that infernal Poltergust 3000 you carry on your back! Stupid machine!"
Only when he mentioned the Poltergust did I realize I had the vacuum worn on my back.
"But I am a KING among Boos! I swear it... I shall fear no mere house-cleaning device! I must say... I despise the way you SHWEEERRPP-SHLOOOOP-WHOOORPP-SHLEEEOOORG-vacuumed up all my friends! Don't imagine that I'll flee... I'll fight you like a true Boo! Now join your brother... inside the painting!"
"NO! LUIGI!"
I only had enough time to gulp when King Boo managed to extinguish the torches in the room, causing the altar to be completely dark. Just then, the room started to spin, and my brother disappeared from the painting. But unlike the last time, Bowser wasn't shown in the frame. Instead, it was King Boo's face as he sought to suck me inside. No matter how hard I tried to run away, I was unable to resist the strong force. In just a few seconds, I teleported through the painting.
Because this took me back to my first ghost-hunting adventure, I'd assume I would find myself in an arena similar to the mansion's roof. But I was wrong.
Instead, I landed on my stomach against a hard floor. Ow, it really hurt. When I got up, I was surrounded by darkness again.
Ah, Mamma Mia... Here we go again.
I shined my flashlight to see if I could see anything nearby. Strangely, the Poltergust feels different. When I looked behind, I noticed something odd. The green Strobulb was attached to the vacuum. If that's the case, then this isn't the Poltergust 3000. I'm using the 5000 version. But how did I even switch vacuums like that?
Just then, I heard the same ghostly laughter in the darkness. Several purple windows flashed all around as the sounds kept resonating. As I was frightened to death, my body kept spinning around to follow the echoes until I clumsily fell to the floor again. Beads of sweat began to form on my forehead, so I wiped them off with my sleeve. When I put my hat back on, another horrifying image stood, or rather floated, in front of me.
It was a painting of Mario. This canvas was different than the first since he wasn't alive or moving. He was motionless, his face imploring for help. I remember seeing this one in my Dark Moon quest. When I tried to approach him, the painting disappeared. The sinister King Boo popped out immediately that I had to turn away from yet another jump scare. Unlike the first time I saw him, the jewel on his crown was purple, accentuating with his spine-chilling facial expression.
"Mwahahaha! Now what do we have here? Why, if it isn't my old pal Luigi! Or is it Baby Luigi? I can't tell the difference."
Old pal?! I know he's being sarcastic, but we're nothing close to that!
"Hey, remember that time you trapped me in a painting for all eternity? Good times. But guess what? I GOT OUT! And now I'm painting the town red!"
Darn you, E. Gadd, for selling his portrait in your garage sale.
"Yes, it was I who broke the Dark Moon! This power-enhancing jeweled crown of mine made it easy. And now that all the ghosts of Evershade Valley are under my control... it's time to take my rightful place as the supreme ruler of your world! You, that annoying scientist, and all your friends will look great hanging on the wall of my throne room! Aaaaaahahaha!"
Wait... Pause for a second. I'm starting to piece together everything that has happened. How the heck did I go from my first mansion experience to my second? And wasn't I supposed to be relaxing at a hotel? What is going on here?!
King Boo started to charge the jewel on his crown as it illuminated with a violet glare. I blocked my eyes with my hands. That didn't stop me from shaking though. When he was finished, the light consumed the entire area.
I was about to think that I was going to die.
It took me several seconds to compose myself and reopen my eyes. Everything has been an utter nightmare. Frankly, I could feel tears threatening to fall. I was going to wipe them away until I realized I couldn't even move my arms. I looked down, only to regret it instantaneously. My arms were tied against my body with rope. What made things more petrifying was that my feet were dangling over the forest and water below. I was at the top of the hotel, being suspended in the air by many stories high. Good lord... This is the kind of thing why I hate heights.
"Luigi!"
The sound of my brother's voice caught my attention. I couldn't move my head much, but I searched for him. Just then, I saw Mario. Except, he wasn't trapped in a painting. He was being held by some pesky Boos. Not only that, but he was accompanied by Peach, Colombo, and the Toads. Everyone looked afraid.
"Mario! Peach! Guys!"
"Luigi! Are you okay?!" Peach asked with an unsteady voice.
"That's probably not the best question to ask, Peach!" said Mario.
"Mwahahaha!"
No... Not him again.
He materialized inches from my face. I swear, I was about to faint despite being restrained.
"How are you enjoying your vacation? Has it been a 'de-fright' so far?!"
I've heard puns that were just as bad as that one. And no, I'm not enjoying this at all!
"You and your silly friends have been quite troublesome for far too long. At first, I was going to seize your annoying brother in a painting again. But I figured I should let him experience the opposite. I'll abduct you first since you've been a pain in the neck to trap me in those stupid vacuums. Luckily for me, you don't have a Poltergust to suck me up this time! And now, your brother and friends will get to witness the end of you."
"NO! DON'T YOU DARE!" Mario growled.
"Arf..." Colombo whined with anxiety.
"Please, let Luigi go!" begged Peach.
"Is that what you want?" King Boo faced her.
"Yes! He doesn't deserve this!"
King Boo sneered. "Hehehe, silly Princess. You're nothing but a fool if you think I would pity this scaredy-cat. He has ruined my opportunities to rule this kingdom. It would be complete if it weren't for all of you in the picture. Speaking of which..." the large ghost slowly turned to gaze at me. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut as I felt him breathing in front of me. "What a complete turnaround this is. Your older sibling got to savor the feeling of being trapped behind a picture frame. Twice, in fact. I'm positive you'll like it as well. And your friends will join you soon."
"N-No..." I stuttered, a teardrop flowing down my face.
"Say 'Good night', Luigi!" King Boo recharged the jewel and aimed a blast at the rope that held me from the edge of the building. I began descending at a high velocity.
"LUIGI!" I heard Mario, Peach, and the Toads yell. Even Colombo yelped with dread.
And all I could do was scream loudly, awaiting my demise. At the bottom of the hotel, a quartet of Boos were holding a large, empty painting. I was getting closer... and closer... and closer, up until my face made contact with the frame.
"YAAAAHHH!"
A thunderclap from outside was the source to wake me up this time. My lips quivered as I let out a long sigh, catching my breath. I was back in my hotel room, but it was very dark. The sun wasn't out anymore.
I definitely overslept for sure.
When I glanced to the side to see if Colombo was near me, I jolted when I saw the balloons in my room. There were glow-in-the-dark faces on them. And my Polterpup was nowhere to be found. He wasn't under the bed. He wasn't on the balcony. I couldn't find him anywhere. The light switch wasn't working either.
Walking over to my bedside drawer, I spotted my flashlight next to a vine-like plant with thorns. This was too eerie. There used to be a potted shrub. And I know I packed a flashlight in my suitcase, but I never took anything out. Either I'm hallucinating, or someone's playing dirty tricks on me. Nevertheless, I grabbed it and turned on the light.
"Hello?" I called out. No answer.
Hesitantly, I exited my room and walked into the hallway. I headed to Room 503 where Peach's luggage cart was located. I knocked on the door, hoping to hear the princess on the other side.
"Princess Peach? Are you there?" Again, I heard nothing. As rude as it was, I tried to open the door without the use of a room key. Even if I did open it, I assumed Peach wasn't inside.
Passing by her bags, I noticed a nearby table in front of a mirror. There were three skulls sitting in between two lit candles. Gulping to myself, I continued to slowly saunter down the corridor.
"Mario?"
I checked all the rooms on the fifth floor. No one responded to me, and the hallways remained mostly dark aside from the dimly lit lamps on the walls and the moonlight shining through the windows. Eventually, I came around full circle to my place after I went to my friends' rooms. And yet, no one was here. The Toads, Peach, Colombo... I couldn't even find Mario.
"Hold on. Maybe they're down at the dining room for dinner. Yeah, that must be it. They're probably waiting for me."
The tension in my muscles slightly eased away as I headed towards the elevator. I pressed the button and waited for the doors to open. Once they did, I walked inside and lifted my finger to press-
What the heck?
Where are the elevator buttons?! (5) There's only one here, and it's for our floor! Every other one is missing! Okay, someone is really trying to play tricks on me, and I don't like it one bit.
Thankfully, I was able to exit the elevator. Then again, it didn't lead me to someplace new.
In case I wasn't delirious, I rechecked all the suites where my friends were supposed to stay. Before I could reach Mario's room again, I heard the same, freaky laugh for the umpteenth time. There was no point to even question about it. But there was a concern I had in mind.
Where he is?
"BLEAH HA HA HA HA!"
"GAAAAHHH!" I leaped and fell backwards, my heart racing at over two hundred beats per minute. At least, that's what it felt like.
Nevertheless, the king of the Boos appeared. Only this was real.
"Welcome, Luigi! I take it that you've settled into my hotel, correct?"
Wait, his hotel?!
He chortled loudly. "I can tell from the look on your horrified face that you've figured it out! Remember how I tricked you into thinking that you won your own mansion? Well, I did the same thing, except I convinced you and your idiotic friends to take a holiday in these deserted woods. And whether you believe me or not, I've already kidnapped them!"
My eyes bulged. I didn't want to think it was true... until he revealed five paintings. The Toads, Peach, and Mario were all in distress, and the only thing I could do was stare helplessly. At least I didn't see Colombo with them. Regardless...
For the love of the Star Spirits, I wished I was dreaming. I wished this wasn't happening! But it was a nightmare come true.
"Indeed. Mario is back where he belongs, and those screeching Toads joined his side. Not only that, but your Mushroom Princess also joined the festivities! Now, all that's left is you," King Boo scowled as he made the others disappear and conjured up another portrait that metaphorically had my name written on it.
"N-N-NO! GET AWAY!" I got up and sprinted back the other way.
"Oh no, you don't! I won't stop chasing you until you become my next masterpiece!"
As I raced down the hall, my first instinct was to hide in one of the rooms. But King Boo's spiritual powers denied me. He flashed several Spirit Balls to make the doors vanish. He then crushed Peach's luggage all over the place. I continued to run, but of course, I was uncoordinated enough to fall onto the carpet. Turning around, King Boo was threatening to trap me in the painting as it glowed with a purple spiral, threatening to suck me in.
And like every other situation where I felt helpless, I shrieked with fear coursing through my blood. (6)
"MARIO!"
END OF STORY
With some inspiration from the E3 Nintendo Direct, I came up with this oneshot. The quote in the summary is directly from the narrator's dialogue as he introduced the game's synopsis. I wouldn't necessarily call this a sequel to No Turning Back, which I wrote last September (nearly nine months ago). I tried to piece together some scenes from the trailer to come up with what I have written. Again, like NTB, not everything might be true. I'm just going with what I perceived.
Also, I didn't make a stupid Hotel Mario reference. I've seen PLENTY of those in the comments.
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed A Nightmare Come True. Feel free to add this oneshot as a favorite and/or leave a review to let me know what you think of this, if I need to fix any errors, or how excited you are for the release of Luigi's Mansion 3. Until then, thank you for reading! This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Story Notes:
(1): The introduction shown here is directly based off the trailer and the opening cutscene that is played during the E3 Demo. (I watched GameXplain's footage for this.) We don't know exactly where the hotel is located. But on Nintendo's website, it was revealed that the hotel is called 'The Last Resort'.
(2): If you have read my first story, Hidden Bravery, you should recognize that I used the same name, Colombo, for the Polterpup.
(3): This moment in the trailer reminded me of all those times when Luigi immediately falls asleep in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
(4): I generally prefer King Boo's appearance from Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, and I'm describing his remastered form in the 3DS remake (unlike his original self from the GameCube version).
(5): During Nintendo Treehouse: Live, it's been said that the objective to progress through Luigi's Mansion 3 is to collect elevator buttons.
(6): If you pay attention to the end of the trailer, you'll watch the scene where King Boo is chasing Luigi down the hallway. From that part, Luigi does not have the Poltergust G-00 at the moment, meaning that this presumably takes place before he acquires the new vacuum. King Boo is also seen throwing Spirit Balls, which were originally found in Dark Moon. And if you happen to pause the video one frame before the camera pans to Luigi screaming, you'll see King Boo drawing near him with the painting. (I barely managed to catch that during the trailer.)
