Author's Note: This chapter is very dark. Definitely the darkest thing I've ever written. I feel bad because I promised some of you that this chapter would be more hopeful than the last, but... It's not. It's even worse than the last chapter. It was going to end on a happier note, but it was getting really long, so I decided to cut it short again. But I can absolutely promise you that next chapter will bring a break from all the horror and angst.
"My Liege, I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Ah, Booregard, come in. Do you have any news for me?"
"Yes, sir! You'll be pleased to know that the Poltergust has been destroyed once and for all."
"And Luigi?"
"Crying like a baby on the floor of the Armory."
The larger ghost grinned. "Good!"
Booregard grinned back, glad to find his master in a good mood. "Believe me, Sir, everyone will be overjoyed to hear that cursed contraption is no more. Although…"
"Yes? What is it Booregard?"
The smaller ghost hesitated. "Well, I can't help but wonder, why didn't you imprison the green plumber when he defied you?" He gestured to the small collection of portraits on the other side of the subterranean room. "You've trapped other ghosts for doing less." The ghost king eyed Booregard severely, causing the smaller ghost to falter. "That is…," Booregard quickly amended, "I don't mean to question your decisions, I'm just, curious…" he trailed off.
King Boo relaxed his expression. "I wanted to, Booregard, believe me, and I almost did." His expression turned fierce. "To think, he actually dared to suck me up with that…infernal house cleaning device!" His expression relaxed slightly. "But… no matter. Now that the Poltergust is destroyed, he can't trouble us anymore. Not that he was ever really a threat. Just a damned annoyance. He couldn't really do anything without a flashlight anyway. And even when he did manage to catch a ghost, only the weakest would remain trapped for long. Most of you could escape with a little struggling."
The Boo king smiled. "When those brothers trespassed on my haunt I chose to separate them. I like those plumbers where they are now, with Luigi roaming the mansion alone." He glanced at one of the portraits behind him, which contained the image of a deathly pale man with a bloodied throat. "Forever struggling in despair to rescue the brother he will never find. It's just too delightful!" His expression fell into a slight scowl. "Shame the girl got away, though."
Booregard perked up. "About that! It seems that girl has taken a liking to the green plumber. Boodacious says he's seen them together on the porch!"
King Boo grinned widely at this revelation. "Well, that is interesting! Perhaps I'll get her after all!"
Booregard's face fell slightly. "We should have gone after her for you, but she was careful to leave before dark, and well…you know how our powers diminish in daylight."
"No matter, Booregard. We'll find a way to lure her back in. Is there anything else?"
"No, my Liege, but we'll keep you posted on any new developments."
"Thank you, Booregard. That will be all."
As his minion left, King Boo floated over to the portrait he glanced at before, leering at the figure framed inside. Dull blue eyes locked with glowing red orbs briefly before casting themselves down again. The king of Boos pouted. "Still giving me the silent treatment, are we? Such a pity. You used to be so much more fun! I remember the days when you would bang on the glass, cursing me up and down with language that would make an Italian sailor blush! Ah, good times!"
The ghostly man in the picture made no response, remaining curled up against his portrait frame with a vacant expression. King Boo continued, "And then came the days when you screamed and shouted, pleading for someone, anyone to help you! Of course, no one did."
The imprisoned figure remained still and silent. "Now you're just so…blaw!" King Boo shook his head and tsked. "Ah, well, I guess it's to be expected from a man who's been locked up in a portrait for four decades!" He grinned, "Maybe what you need is some company! That brother of yours has been causing me trouble lately."
Something flickered in the framed ghost's eyes. King Boo shrugged. "What do you think? Should I finally let him join you?"
The imprisoned spirit stirred. "N-no," he said hoarsely, "Please. Don't hurt him!"
King Boo cackled with amusement. "A little late for that, don't you think? After all, he's long dead, and by his own hand."
The ghost in the painting closed his eyes in misery. His voice cracked with lack of use but gained strength as he continued to speak. "L-leave him alone! Just let him go. Let him be at peace!"
King Boo cackled gleefully. "Let him be at peace? He will never be at peace! Remember, my dear red plumber, he's in this situation because you were foolish enough to venture in here alone. He came after you, alone and terrified. He was soon plagued by the demons who reside here and desperate to find you. When he couldn't, he hung himself in despair. Don't you remember? I showed you. You saw the evidence swinging right in front of you!" The man in red shuddered. "Fitting, isn't it? That he should suffer a coward's death. Now he's damned to wander my mansion forever!" continued King Boo cheerfully, "And even if he could find the other side, I don't think they'd welcome him. Suicide is a form of murder, after all. He's trapped here because of you and his own actions. I had nothing to do with it."
The plumber's eyes sparked with a long-absent fire. "No! It wasn't his fault, and you had everything to do with it," the red plumber growled. "I know he's trapped here because of you! Let him go!"
"Oh, wow! I'm so frightened!" the spectral king laughed. "And just what do you plan to do to me if I refuse? We've already established that there is no escape for you. No amount of pounding on your prison will change that. Face it, Mario. You are completely at my mercy, of which I unfortunately have none. Heh, and if I do decide to trap your brother in a painting one day, I'll be sure to keep him separate from you. I already made a promise that he would never see you again."
Mario glared at his captor. "Go to Hell," he snarled.
"Hmmmm," sneered the ghostly king, "as fun as that sounds, I think I'll pass. But look how lively you've become! I should threaten your brother more often! I miss our little chats!"
Mario only continued to glare. "Back to the silent treatment, again?" King Boo continued, "Ah well, at least you've got your fire back. For now, at least. Remember, eternity is a very long time to be cooped up in a picture frame. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to do than keep you company all day. Bye, Mario!" He gave the imprisoned plumber one more sneer before turning and leaving him alone with nothing but his own torturous thoughts.
Mario collapsed back against his frame. Tears welled up in his eyes as he buried his face in his ghostly pale hands. "Oh, Luigi. Fratellino, I'm so sorry!"
Luigi wasn't certain how long he lay curled up on the Armory floor, but as his sobs slowed into hiccups, he shakily rose, still clutching Mario's cap. He had to keep moving. Falling apart like this wasn't helping Mario. He struggled to process the events of the day, knowing he would be suffering a splitting headache if he still had a living body. But while he wasn't exactly in pain, he still felt mentally exhausted. He groggily made his way out of the armory, trying to figure out his next move, when he realized he had passed through an open door. The piercing noise of a telephone ringing jolted him to his senses. He had inadvertently entered the Telephone room.
His frightened eyes darted to the rafters, where the remnants of a rope were tied. The phone rang again, and Luigi shook uncontrollably as unbidden memories flooded him.
The way he was shaking, it was a miracle he had made it this far. He struggled to breathe. He couldn't allow himself to give in to the panic attacks, not when Mario was in trouble. He knew Mario was in trouble. And he knew he was close to finding him, even as the pit of dread grew deeper and deeper in his stomach. Thunder cracked and boomed at an earsplitting frequency as the rain pelted the roof above. The hallway was dark save for the regular flashes of lightning and his own flashlight. Since the electricity went out, the already plentiful ghosts seemed to multiply exponentially. He clutched his flashlight like a lifeline and cursed his bad luck for the power outage. Although, if he thought about it, perhaps he should have been more troubled that the lights worked in the first place.
He suddenly jumped when he heard a muffled ringing sound to his left. A telephone? Who would be calling a dilapidated and abandoned mansion? He hesitated. The telephone continued to ring. He knew it was probably a bad idea to enter the room, but perhaps Mario had found a telephone and tried calling for help? It was a longshot, but any chance of finding Mario was a chance he had to take. He opened the door to his left and cautiously entered the room beyond, the ringing sound becoming much sharper as he stepped into the room.
"M-M-Mar-r-rio-o-o?" he gasped, cursing himself for sounding so weak. He took a few steps further in before the creaking of the door behind him reached his ears. He froze, and his eyes grew impossibly wide as he heard the door click shut behind him.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a voice echoed. Luigi gasped and dropped his flashlight in fear, not daring to turn around, and trying desperately not to hyperventilate.
"Well, aren't you rude?" the voice continued, "Won't you even turn around and say hello?" Through no choice of his own, Luigi felt himself slowly turn to face the room's other occupant. Frightened blue eyes met a pair of cruel, glowing red eyes. Before Luigi floated an enormous, glowing white round specter with sharp fangs and a jeweled crown. The ghost smirked. "That's better. Foolish boy, what brings you here? Lost, are we?"
By some miracle, Luigi found his voice. "I-I-I'm l-looking for m-my brother! I-I just want to find him and go home! W-where is he?!"
The ghost screwed up his face, pretending to think deeply. "A brother, you say? By chance, is this brother shorter than you? Wears red? Sports a cute little mustache?"
Luigi perked up despite his fear. "Y-yes! W-where…?"
"Nope! Can't say that I've seen him!" The ghost interrupted cheerily.
Luigi blinked. "Um… O-okay. I-I'll j-just be going then." He slowly reached down to retrieve his flashlight. He'd learned that most of the ghosts didn't like having a light shone directly in their eyes. Perhaps he could stun this ghost and make his escape. Unfortunately, the massive specter was a step ahead of him. The ghost king sucked in a large quantity of air and blew it out, causing Luigi to fall backwards and the flashlight to roll away out of his reach. Red eyes flashed, and Luigi's body froze before he could stand back up. King Boo forced the terrified plumber to lift his head so that their eyes met.
"On second thought," the ghost began as he circled around Luigi, "I actually may have seen that brother of yours, but after meeting you, I can't exactly let you leave." Though frozen and unable to even blink, Luigi managed to let out a small whimper. The glowing ghost reached out and made an upwards motion with his arm. Luigi felt his wallet slip out of his pocket and float over to the crowned apparition. The ghost took the wallet and glanced over the plumber's driver's license. "Luigi Antonio Martelli, eh?" the ghost tossed the wallet and license to the side and moved closer to Luigi. He touched Luigi's cheek with his icy arm. "Such delicious fear! Such scrumptious despair! I think I'll keep you. Boos!"
Four round ghouls appeared from the walls, bowing to their king and grinning menacingly at Luigi. The ghost king grinned at his subjects. "You know what to do," he said, "Give my newest subject a proper welcome to his new home, or perhaps I should say, haunt. And please make it entertaining!"
The boos nodded to their master and exchanged gleeful glances. They circled around Luigi and jeered at him. One of them sped away through the floor. After a short wait that felt like an eternity to the paralyzed Luigi, the fourth ghost returned through the door carrying a thick rope. All five ghosts laughed.
Luigi's heart pounded so fast and hard he was certain it would bust out of his chest. He had always been sensitive to the presence of ghosts, and he had seen his share. Some of those ghosts had seemed unaware of him. Others had ignored him or glanced his way before going about their business. Others wanted to talk with him, but his terror had always gotten the best of him as he fled. The worst of those ghosts would frighten and mock him. But until this night, Luigi had never encountered such hostile entities as the ghosts of this mansion. There was an evil here far greater than he had ever felt before, and it was floating directly in front of him, smiling menacingly and wearing a crown. Luigi felt hot tears escape down his cheeks. What did the ghost mean, 'new subject'? Luigi couldn't die here! Mario needed him!
Luigi gasped as two of the icy beings grabbed his arms painfully and lifted him to his feet. A third ghost pushed him from behind. Although Luigi felt King Boo's paralysis leave him, it didn't matter much as the three smaller boos forced him forward. He shivered with cold and fear. They dragged him to the ghost holding the rope. "Now, now," the ghost sneered as he swung the rope casually, "no need to make this harder than it has to be."
"More fun for us that way, though!" said the ghost behind him cheerily, prompting malicious giggles from the two clutching his arms.
Luigi struggled and shook his head frantically, trying with all he had to break free. "I think he needs a little more persuasion," sneered one of the ghosts pulling Luigi. He glanced at his comrades with a smirk and they nodded in understanding. The three boos let Luigi go so abruptly, he fell backwards onto the floor. But before he could do more than sit up, the three ghosts plunged inside of him.
Luigi shivered uncontrollably as the three ghosts entered his body. The ghost with the rope tied one end into a noose and floated towards him. The ghost offered Luigi the rope, and Luigi's arm reached out against his will and took the rope from the fourth specter. "No." Luigi wished he could scream, but all he could manage were weak mutters. "No no no no no…" He struggled with all his might and the smiles on the faces of King Boo and the fourth minion faltered slightly. As Luigi struggled to gain back control of his body, the fourth boo minion looked to King Boo and nodded with a determined expression. He turned back to Luigi and plunged into him, helping his comrades to regain control.
Luigi tried and failed to struggle against the four entities as they pulled him towards a chair in the corner. Luigi was forced to grab the chair and drag it to the middle of the room. The ghosts then lifted Luigi onto the chair and forced his hands to tie the end of the rope to the rafters above. Through no desire of his own, Luigi put the noose around his neck and tightened it, letting out a gasp and a choke. Before he knew it, the four boos left his body, knocking the chair out from under him as they left.
Luigi's eyes flew open amid tears of pain. He was finally given back control, but all he could do was struggle against the inevitable. His throat and lungs burned as he struggled in vain to breathe. He clawed at the rope and felt warm blood oozing out of the new self-inflicted scratches on his neck, desperately trying to let air into his struggling lungs. But Luigi had already taken his last breath. Spots danced in front of his bulging eyes. An unbearable ringing sound pierced his ears, joined by the ringing of telephones. He kicked the air and struggled, but the rope was tied securely to the rafters. Even worse than the pain was the all-encompassing panic that came with being denied the simple yet crucial act of breathing. After a few more moments of suffering, he felt his strength leave him completely as unconsciousness mercifully claimed him. His hands dropped limply to his side. The last thing he saw before the cold and darkness overtook him were the four ghosts dancing in a circle around him, and a smirking, cruel round face with glowing red eyes. "Die in despair, Luigi. You will never see your brother again."
Get outta here! Run! Get out get out get out!
An ear-splitting scream drowned out the ringing of telephones as Luigi turned and fled out the door and down the hall. He emerged onto the large balcony and collapsed to his knees. He clutched his ears, desperately trying to block out the blood-curdling screams, until he realized the tortured sounds came from himself. At this revelation, his screams turned to gasps and he opened his eyes, shocked and frightened and barely aware of his surroundings. He continued to gasp and stare blankly at the balcony floor as a sinister voice reached his ears.
"Luigi? Is that you?" the voice cackled.
A second voice answered the first. "'Course it's Luigi! Who else around here wears overalls and a mustache like that?"
"Well, yeah, I guess, but you have to admit it's a surprise to see him here. He hasn't wandered this far into the mansion in ages!"
"It has been a while since he hung around here!" a third voice snarked. "Forty-one years, to be exact. What's wrong, widdle Weegee? Where's your widdle vacuum cleaner now?"
"Enough chit-chat!" piped up a fourth voice. "I think we should give him a proper greeting! Don't you, boys?"
An affirmative chorus echoed in response. Luigi looked up in time to see fifteen boos meld together into a colossus apparition. Luigi let out a strangled cry and cowered on the cold stone floor, trembling violently.
Get outta here! I have to get outta here! What happened? Did I doze off? Mario. Where's Mario? I have to find him! We have to get outta here! Where's my flashlight? Did the batteries die? Get away from this room! RUN! Don't look up! Just get out! My brother's in trouble! I have to find Mario! I have to save him! He needs me! Where is he? MARIO!
