Chapter 4- Recovery Woes

A crack of light pierces the darkness and the mumbling of a television in the adjourning room replaces the sound of the piranha's dying cries. A plush pillow replaces the dewy grass. Luigi groans as he adjusts to his new surroundings. What happened? Where am I? He sits up and swings his feet over the edge of the bed to the cold concrete floor. Slowly, he stands and steadies himself then shakes away the cobwebs and heads for the light streaming in. He opens the door to find Gadd's lab sprawled in front of him. "Gadd?"

"Ah you're awake," the professor exclaims happily, "good. How do you feel?"

"All right, I guess; a little sore," the plumber fumbles.

"You're lucky lad, that's all I can say," the elderly professor hops off his stool and approaches the young man. "You were in rough shape; cuts and bites all over. Not to mention, I was sure the poison got you."

The putrid piranha buds flash back to his mind and he gulps. "The putrid poison, yeah Mario told me its pretty nasty stuff."

"Pretty nasty, is a pale description for how dangerous and deadly the poison is. This poison is special; it starts to putrefy the body from the inside. If I had not gave you the antidote in time, not only would you die, but possibly became a zombie as well."

"Fantastic."

"But that is a very slim possibility, more likely you would become a boo."

"Even better," Luigi shutters.

"Anyway, that didn't happens, so we're good and should focus back on the mansion and saving your brother."

"Agreed, I should figure out where this key leads to." The plumber pulls out the long silver key he found in the fountain and shows E. Gadd.

"Well looks like your encounter was worth it then. I would suggest going back to the yard and working from there," the elderly man advises. "Good luck lad, be careful; you're still not 100%, so be cautious."

"Will do."

He treads through the back yard and stops in front of where the entrance of the greenhouse use to stand. The memories flash in his mind and he shakes them away then walks over to where he landed after being thrown. The image of the shadow he saw before his vision faded comes to mind. Was that King Boo I saw? Hoping to strike me down while I was weak? It didn't look big enough though, he ponders. The Dual Scream rings snapping him out of his thoughts, "Yes Professor?"

"Just checking on you my boy," Gadd replies. "Did you find where the key goes?"

"Not yet, but working on it," he continues to trudge through the yard until he finds a set of small steps leading up to the back door of the mansion. "Got it, I'm going in."

"All right be careful."

Luigi steps inside and then the door slams behind him enclosing him in nothing but pitch black. "Mario? Ma-ma-Mario," he calls out shakily.

A woman's voice responds, "No Edward its me."

"Amelia," Luigi asks trying to remember her name.

"Just packing, I still cannot believe your father. I did not think he was so eccentric. I mean we are going halfway across the world to do this, this ritualistic funeral. It seems so uncivilized."

The plumber scratches his head.

"I understand he was passionate, but this is way too far! It has to be heresy; our church would excommunicate us forever if they knew! Besides that, it is also very inconvenient considering that we are saving up for the wedding."

He looks around in the dark.

"I am not being insensitive," she yells causing Luigi to jump. "I am simply stating a fact! I am sorry dear. I know it's been hard for you, but we kind of saw this eventuality coming."

The green clad brother breathes out a sigh.

"There is no angel of death haunting our house," she bellows causing Luigi to jump again. "Just because we've had three maids pass in our presence and now our father does not mean that this house is cursed. Lets just focus on Charles' funeral and making sure his wishes are fulfilled without bankrupting us."

There is a long silence until Luigi calls out, "Hello? Amelia? Hello?"

"Hello plumber," another feminine voices replies, dark and malevolent.

"He-e-e-e-l-l-l-l-l-o? Who, who-o's there," Luigi quakes.

"The name is Jezebel, but it is of no matter," she snidely notes. "The matter of importance is that you have caused much grief and suffering."

"Oh I'm-m-m sorry."

"Do not taunt me plumber! I refuse such a feeble apology. I ensure you that you will wish your mother had never bore you when I have concluded with you."

The room suddenly lights up, so brightly it is as if the younger Mario Brother is staring into the sun. Luigi shades his eyes with his hands and looks forward, but all he can see is a faint outline of a woman. "Those whom you love will suffer just as mine have suffered!" The lights cut out again leaving the plumber essentially snow-blinded; he hears a door open then shut and footsteps fading away then disappearing. He stands, waiting for his eyes to adjust once more. His pocket begins to vibrate with a familiar ring.

"Yes Gadd?"

"Are you okay lad?"

"Yeah just a little shook up and blind."

"You should be shook up, that was no normal paranormal being."

"I had a feeling she had some clout behind her; at least she acted like it."

"You are dealing with a demon my boy."

"A demon? What do you mean demon? No, you've got to be pulling my leg."

"Yes, a demon. You are dealing with Jezebel, the eternal shadow."

"Never heard of her before…"

"Maybe you haven't heard of Jezebel, but I know you have heard of her sister, the Shadow Queen."

Luigi gulps, The Shadow Queen, oh boy. He remembers Mario telling him about his encounter with her. She was an ancient demon that was locked away behind the Thousand Year Door, which was locked by seven crystal stars. Mario found these stars and accidently unleashed the Shadow Queen, who then possessed Princess Peach. Mario had to fight the Shadow Queen in order to liberate Peach from her grasp. He informed Luigi that it was the scariest battle that he ever fought; cause he had to hurt Peach to save her. "Yeah I've heard of her."

"Thought so," Gadd notes. "Well Jezebel is a understudy of the Shadow Queen."

"Since when do demons have understudies," Luigi asks confused.

"Think of it as job shadowing, in layman's terms."

"How do you know about this anyway?"

"I study boos lad, but it never hurts to dabble in similar fields to ensure one's self," Gadd advises. "Point being, we need to be careful because we cannot be sure what she is up to or why she is even involved."

"She specifically noted about my loved ones…could she be after Mario," Luigi asks, panic creeping into his voice. "Revenge for her teacher?"

"Quite possible lad, quite possible," Gadd agrees.

"I need to work quickly then, there is no way I can let her get a hold of my brother!"

"Stay focused boy, don't get a head of yourself or get into a tizzy; that's what she wants," the elderly professor warns.

"Right, right," Luigi breathes trying to calm down. "I'll be careful and more vigilant. Talk to you later professor."

"All right lad, good luck and stay calm." With that the transmission ends and Luigi heads through the door that Jezebel exited from.