This one was definitely improved so it resembled more of an actual trial. It probably isn't perfect but I reckon it's much better. Special thanks to Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright! :D
Chapter 10: The Trial- Part 2
Luigi clambered down the ladder of the well, thankful that there weren't any ghosts about in his vicinity. He had had enough of the spectres flying out at him. Some threw bombs while others just bared fangs, cackling madly the whole time as they tried to steal that life essence they were sorely lacking themselves. Luigi shivered at the thought of the ghastly, bone-chilling hands wrapped round his throat whilst he was slowly being backed into a shadowy corner, seemingly falling into their trap again. Thanks heavens for the Poltergust 3000 that rested heavily on his back; he didn't think he would be able to go through the Mansion without it. After all, if his brother couldn't fight against them using physical means… well…
Just what was it that the Toad in the garden shed was crying about? His words came out all garbled and spluttered and Luigi couldn't get another word out of him; the only information he managed to gleam was a pointed direction, down the well to goodness knows where.
A single light bulb hung above his head, swinging as even the wind whistled down here where it was supposed to be more sheltered, seeking out warm-blooded bodies but compared to being outside, Luigi was positively toasty. Luigi breathed heavily; apart from the whistling sound of the wind, it seemed so quiet down here. Almost too quiet… Luigi hid a nervous chuckle; it wasn't that he minded the quiet but after encountering so many spectres before, he couldn't help but think that there was one lurking behind the stone wall or something like that.
There was a light up ahead, at the end of the dark corridor bringing Luigi some sort of relief; none of the ghosts stayed for long in a lit room apart from the Boos and then, it tended to be only one per room which was more than enough for him. Luigi crouched down and grasped the bars in front of him and peered through the small space that was given to him; the light seemed to be coming through a stone figurehead.
He gazed around the hidden room and took in all of its features: its low ceiling, its smoky candles, the dangling chandelier and… wait, King Boo! He touched his gleaming ruby crown with embedded jewels as he admired one of his favourite and most beloved paintings. Or rather, he was talking to it, laughing manically, sharing a joke perhaps or discussing malevolent plans, mocking the figure that it held.
Luigi looked closer; his heart thudded against his ribcage painfully.
It couldn't be… Mario?
Oh, stars above, what had they done to him?
Mario…
Luigi shook all over without even realising it as he stared at his brother trapped behind the painting, being tortured no doubt by the malicious spectre that was King Boo, forcibly held against his will. There was no chance of him attempting to break free; it was impossible. King Boo knew this and revelled in the joy of this knowledge and cackled all the more. Why, the plan was simply a masterpiece; no doubt the green-hatted, cowardly sidekick of a brother would try to rescue his dearly beloved sibling but to do that, he would have to contend with the Mansion's minor ghosts and the more durable Portrait ghosts then come to face to face with his most loyal and trusted minions, his fellow Boos. The infuriating, mortal human would be delivered to him in some way or another, dead or alive, he didn't really care which. And then he would have another painting to add to his collection.
Mario thumped the glass of the painting and threw himself against it despite knowing that all his efforts were effectively useless. He then caught from the corner of his eye his little brother, hiding from King Boo's sight; not that he would notice him anyway, he was too busy acting the triumphant monarch, but he was unable to come any closer and he saw the pain in his eyes. So near and yet so far…
Luigi heard his brother franticly whisper: "Get me out of here!" He saw that King Boo was enjoying every moment of this spectacle. He gave Mario one last look before turning back again, safely out of King Boo's presence.
Now he knew why the Toad had been so upset, especially as the Toad could do nothing about it, having neither the means nor the strength. The others had begged Luigi to do what he could and they pledged their thanks to him which he knew wouldn't last long once this was all over.
Could he do it though? That was the question. Had he enough courage to continue with his task? As Luigi wandered along the corridor, deep in thought, a Purple Bomber suddenly appeared, surprising him. Fearing that the sound of the spook would carry back to King Boo, Luigi quickly used the Poltergust 3000 to suck it into oblivion; it provided little resistance.
Luigi picked up the shining key that it dropped and saw his face staring back at him. He closed his eyes and saw Mario trapped in the painting, unable to escape his prison. Could he save his brother? Luigi closed his fist around the key and looked up; his face a mask of determination. Everybody was counting on him and Luigi wanted to prove to Mario that he could depend on him every time, lack of bravery or not.
Luigi slowly opened his eyes with the hope and expectation of being elsewhere, anywhere else but here. He stared at the blocky ceiling hanging above him and to his dismay, realised that he was still in his holding cell. Luigi heard his stomach rumble and glanced at the plate of cold, untouched food that had been pushed into the corner. He rolled over onto his front on the hard bed and shivered with the lack of proper blankets; at a time like this, he couldn't face the idea of eating.
The sounds of the shouting, protesting prisoners echoed down the corridor and rang in Luigi's cell loudly enough for him to get the impression of what they were talking about. He was glad that he had been brought in unconscious although when they finally brought him out for his trial, Luigi would have to tread that same path again and contend with everybody staring at him. He sighed, got up from the bed and began to pace up and down the floor again, clearly restless.
He wondered what would happen to him and whether the Princess would turn up to give him moral support... or see him damned. He gulped with fear at this thought. He and Mario were unofficially her diplomats and while it was common knowledge that Mario was her favourite, he assumed that Peach would have some feelings for him over this case if only for the sake of his brother. Luigi hoped that she would see things from a different perspective and overlook the obvious signs that seemed to indicate his guilt. Granted, Luigi couldn't deny not even to himself that he had tried to destroy the Star Temple but there were other factors concerning him. Besides...
He was scared.
Luigi wanted Mario to be able to depend on him no matter what and while he was away, trying to find the cure to the dark potion magic that had afflicted Luigi, he had managed to get himself arrested for attempted destruction of a highly important structure.
It had not been a good week.
The door clanked open, viciously as Inspector Banks had to kick the rusting thing open; they really needed to put some oil on it. He also had a couple of the robotic Police Guards with him for safety's sake. Luigi, who was gazing outside the window where it was dull and grey, didn't bother turning around just in case Peach was standing there.
"They're ready for you now, Mr Luigi," said Banks solemnly. "And we're gonna get this thing over and done with quickly."
Luigi turned around and almost sighed with relief upon not seeing the Princess there. Oh, stars above, he felt so ashamed; how did he manage to end up in this situation? What had he done to deserve this? Oh yeah, because he was the enemy of Bowser, King Boo and everybody else who felt like taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. Didn't this Toad in front of him appreciate what he and Mario did for them? He certainly couldn't remember any Toad acting this way before.
But Luigi had to accept that it was only procedure; that he had to go through with this. He held out his hands in front of him. Banks looked on suspiciously as if this was some sort of trick.
"Well?" Luigi asked. "You're not going to let me go unchained are you?"
"Of course not!" Banks snapped before placing Luigi's hands behind his back and pulling out his special pair of handcuffs. "These make sure that you do none of that funny business; that magic of yours." Luigi winced as the metal bit into his skin but did not say anything as he was shoved out of his cell and directed down the corridor (ignoring the strange and bewildered looks of everybody he passed), outside and to the waiting police van.
He sat uncomfortably in the back as the van drove over just about every bump and pothole in the road. He could feel himself getting more nervous with every passing second. It reminded him of how Mario must have felt when he was apprehended by the Piantas in Isle Delfino and wrongly accused of polluting the island with graffiti. So much for that holiday, Luigi had to smile to himself.
In what seemed like no time at all, Luigi was bundled out of the back and taken into the Court House. They hurried along to the room where everybody was waiting with Banks muttering under his breath about being late. Luigi, needing something to take his mind off the unfurling event, admired the many paintings that they passed. Shame he didn't get the chance to look at them properly.
Finally, they stood before the grand doors of only the biggest courtroom in the place. Luigi remembered that the paparazzi were not allowed in here under any circumstances and he thanked the stars for small mercies.
"Well, Mr Luigi," said Banks. "Are you ready?"
"No," said Luigi, trembling slightly.
"Tough luck."
The doors were swung open and a bright light hit Luigi. He heard a sudden gasp from the entire Court and walked in, unsure of what was going to happen next.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T DO MAGIC?!" Mario yelled as they ran for their lives from the ravenous Belome; both were still unable to attack after all.
Booigi shrugged in the Booish way which meant lifting his hands up several times except that this was somewhat difficult when you were being half-dragged along in trying to get to safety. "I don't know," he said. "I've just never been able to do magic properly. I mean, I can turn invisible but that's about it really. The king doesn't really like me very much for that either; he reckons that I'm a failure." Booigi sighed. "And he's right too: I am a failure. A complete failure."
Mario tried not to take pity on the little Boo as he was still quietly seething from the earlier revelation about King Boo and the fact that he had been sent to spy on them and the only reason that King Boo wasn't sitting in his Mansion reading through paperwork about was because Booigi hadn't had a great deal of time to observe them. Mario shook his head; he wasn't quite entirely sure as to why Luigi had taken to this Boo as he was normally terrified of ghosts and with good reason. He could be too trusting at times, he supposed. However, he couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for him; it was in his kind nature to do so.
"Nobody's a complete failure," he said. "But nobody's perfect either. In any case, you have to focus on the positive, not the negatives. Maybe you're looking at it the wrong way; there was something that Luigi told me..."
"Will you quit running about, Mario and get chomped on already?!" Bowser roared, quickly losing his patience. "I'm on a schedule for evil here!"
Belome stomped the floor beneath them causing it to crack and the walls to shake. Mario covered his ears as the dread monster started singing an eerie melody. Booigi listened, entranced and watched the pretty notes float up and up towards the ceiling. Quicker than expected, he then took a striking swipe at Mario. Mario fell, winded but not badly hurt but he rolled aside before Belome attempted to crush him and gritted his teeth as the chain scraped against him while Booigi tried to flee in another direction. Mario began to charge up a fireball, ready to throw straight into the monster's mouth. However, it was in this moment in time when he was vulnerable to attack and he didn't notice a grinning Bowser throw a Bob-omb in his direction.
"AHHHHHH!" Mario yelled as the projectile suddenly went BOOM! His fireball flashed out of existence and he was thrown backwards with the force of the blast. Belome took the opportunity to sing his Lulla-Bye again and this time, Mario caught the notes and began feeling woozy. Booigi picked himself up off the floor and tried to grab Mario's attention. Bowser threw another Bob-omb at them just to liven things up.
"This sure is a blast eh, Mario?" Bowser laughed. "You're gonna be having an explosive time!"
"Mamma mia," Mario groaned not only at the bad pun but as he tried to light another fireball and found that he couldn't do so. "I can't use my special attacks! Damn!"
"Soon you will go," said Belome slowly as it closed in on the pair. "Then I can go. I don't like it here; it's not like the Kero Sewers. I like it there."
"We need to break this chain, Mario," said Booigi. He stayed in one spot, scared stiff by all four eyes of Belome staring at him, thinking that he was some sort of tasty treat. Mario grabbed Booigi before he had time to protest and jumped on Belome's head as hard as he could and heard a satisfying thud of boots against skull. Belome screamed and roared his disdain. Mario launched himself at Belome again and made another successful hit. He was not as lucky the third time round as Belome leapt up at the same time as Mario and sank his teeth into his leg. Belome then threw Mario off him and the plumber landed heavily on his front. Using what strength he had, Booigi floated upwards, taking Mario with him out of the reach of Belome. Bowser was not amused.
"Hey, you sneaky ghost! Stop cheating and get back down here. NOW!"
"How am I cheating?" questioned Booigi as he struggled to stay in the air.
"You're cheating me of my fun, that's how!" Bowser growled. "Drop him down now or I'll have roasted, toasted Boo for breakfast!"
Booigi swerved to one side as Bowser threw a larger Bob-omb at him followed by an angry-looking Bullet Bill that headed straight for him with gleaming red eyes. Fortunately as Booigi moved again, the Bullet Bill did not as it was very slow at turning and it smashed into the wall, exploding. Booigi drifted to the ground again; he couldn't hold up Mario's weight for long.
"Hey, you're bleeding," said Booigi, noticing the red staining the lower part of Mario's overalls. Mario grinned, saying that he had suffered worse. Booigi remembered Luigi saying something along similar lines. "What was it you were going to say earlier, anyway? About my magic?"
Mario frowned for a moment before the words suddenly came to his mind. "'Mysteries appear wherever people turn but turning away from them solves nothing. Instead of turning away, turn to the side and look at the mystery from a different view. A way will surely open.' So you see; if you don't worry yourself in trying to do magic, maybe it will come to you."
"Yeah..." said Booigi, more to himself than Mario. "Maybe it will..."
"And now would be a rather good time," said Mario as he tried to produce another fireball, hoping that the magical effects of the Lulla-Bye had worn off.
"You can't escape," said Belome. "I can't escape. We are all trapped."
"The way I see it, not for long," said Mario and he released a barrage of flame that struck Belome like a hammer blow, ferociously burning him with the heat of a volcano. Belome became absolutely furious and he immediately set all four eyes on what he assumed to be an easier target. Without warning, he stuck out his tongue and swallowed Booigi whole, snapping the chain in the progress. Belome licked his lips with satisfaction.
"Mm, tastes like ice-cream," he said slowly, savouring the delicious Boo. Mario winced as he heard the screaming from inside Belome but on the other hand, it would now be easier to defeat the monster without having to watch the back of someone else. Bowser grunted; pleased that one of his victims had gone down although he wouldn't be happy until Mario had also been devoured. Maybe he should have had him served up on a platter…
"Order! I shall have order in this court!" screamed the Judge over the tumultuous racket of the jury and the lawyers in uproar. It was clear what they were arguing about but this was a legal matter and they had to get down to business.
Luigi groaned as he felt all the eyes staring at him. He then looked up and saw Princess Peach and Toadsworth enter the courtroom, feeling that this couldn't get any worse. Well, it could but Luigi didn't want to jinx that. He kept his gaze away from her Highness and waited for calm to descend when it finally happened. For a long while, there was an uncomfortable silence before the Judge (who happened to have resided over Mario's trial) banged her hammer against the stand, announcing "Court is now in session!" The Prosecutor, an aged Koopa, then stood up and cleared his throat.
"Members of the Court. We have now brought forth the defendant, Luigi Mario, who is charged with the serious matter of felony murder and arson. The jury here today is asked to weigh up the evidence and assess the fate of the young gentleman. We ask you to be silent when the evidence is being given out so that you can deliver a proper verdict."
"Luigi Mario," said the Judge solemnly. "You are hereby ordered to tell the truth, the truth and nothing but the truth to this court! Is that clear?"
Luigi gulped and answered: "Yes, your honour."
"The question is, your honour, whether Luigi actually committed this heinous crime," stated the solicitor present, a Toadette named Jolene. "Considering his past and established character, I would be inclined to say that he is innocent of this matter as I am sure many people in here are questioning amongst themselves how Luigi is charged with such a thing." The jury muttered amongst themselves, proving Jolene correct. Princess Peach looked worried as did Toadsworth and both of them tried to catch Luigi's eye if only for a moment. He kept looking straight ahead, standing upright with his hands chained still.
"The law clearly states that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and every other criminal is allowed to sit down without the accompaniment of chains," said Peach softly. "This is provided that they are next to a law-enforcer so why is Luigi still handcuffed?" Luigi suddenly realised how having his arms forced behind his back was suddenly paining him and he gave the Judge a nod. But the Pianta shook her head and talked about 'exceptional circumstances'. Did this mean that Luigi's number was against him already?
"Exactly who is he supposed to have murdered?" asked Jolene. Luigi visibly flinched at such a word. "Do we have any witnesses to such a cause? This is something that we cannot take lightly after all and this is something that I highly doubt in the case of a person like Luigi."
"Do we have any witnesses in the Court?" asked the Koopa Prosecutor looking about the room. Chief Inspector Banks stood up and said that he was indeed a witness. Luigi's eyes narrowed as Banks walked to the middle of the room, in between where the Judge sat and the defendant box in which Luigi was currently barricaded. Somehow, to Luigi, there seemed to be something not quite right about him...
"Do you swear to tell the complete truth?" said the Prosecutor. Banks nodded. "Make sure you get every word of this down," he whispered to the Court Clerk sat beside him. The yellow-spotted Toad nodded although he had already been writing feverishly; his nose was blotted with blue ink. Banks strode about the space as if he owned it before he began to recite his tale.
"The event took place upon the 6th of Eldstar's month, your honour," he began. "I had been making my rounds around the town as usual and everything was quiet as it normally is. I was walking near the front gates of Toad Town which, as you know, are closed at 10:00 at night and not opened again until 5:00 in the morning. The path to the gates runs past the guardhouses of Princess Peach's Castle." He gave a nod of acknowledgement to Peach and carried on. "The guard by the name of Toasty spotted me as I walked by and called out to say hello so I can vouch for my whereabouts on that night, your honour. By the gates, I suddenly noticed a peculiar smell that was exactly like that of burning. I followed the scent and hurried along as fast as I could, realising that it was getting terribly strong. I kept close to the town walls and I was heading out to the outskirts of Toad Town, as an officer, I know exactly where I am going in town, and up ahead was the fabled Star Temple.
"At first, I didn't think much of it because it has been recorded by generations past that normal fire cannot harm the Star Temple at all so I assumed that this was nothing in particular. But then, bright green flames whooshed upwards and the temple was suddenly ablaze in its entirety before my eyes. Pieces of the temple started to crumble and the Trees of Prophecy blackened and shrivelled with the intensity of the heat. Some were struck by blue lightning and lightning of a similar colour that came out of the flames. I tried to get closer but I was taken aback by the flames although I was close enough to notice a figure standing before the temple entrance, illuminated by the green fire, his hands were burning with the very same flames and there could be no mistaking who it was." He pointed at the moustachioed plumber with a pose as dramatic as that of Doctor Toadley. "It was Luigi!"
The jury (including Peach and Toadsworth) were in uproar again, shouting out all kinds of exclamations concerning Luigi's innocence and the absurdity of this case. Luigi almost smiled; they were on his side after all. The Judge had to bang her hammer again to gain attention.
"At what time did you make the discovery of the crime?" questioned the Koopa Prosecutor.
"Around 3:30 in the morning, sir," said Banks.
Jolene quickly glanced through her notes. "Objection!" she declared. "How come you didn't take him immediately into custody for in an earlier statement, you quoted that you had taken Luigi in at approximately 6:43 in the morning? You did wish to pull off your duty as soon as possible, correct?"
"Of course I did, ma'am," said Banks respectfully. "And I would have done without any hesitation, ma'am. However, upon discovery, Luigi then turned around and noticed me and he wished to keep me silent. He viciously attacked me without warning and I was knocked out cold, ma'am. I would have used the assistance of the robotic Police Guards if I had been given the chance. Alas, as I have mentioned, he did attack me and I was quite unable to defend myself against him for he is a lot stronger than me, ma'am, and I am sure that you will agree, he is stronger than anybody else in the Court at the moment, ma'am." The jury knew that this was true at any rate. "It is most unfortunate, but I do have the marks to prove it!"
The jury gasped as Banks rolled up his sleeves and revealed large, shining black burn marks that seemed to have been scattered over his chest too but were hidden from view. Luigi struggled to get out of the box; he was sure that Banks did not have any wounds when he was arresting him but he was forced back by the robotic Police Guards while shouting: "I NEVER DID SUCH A THING! HE'S LYING!"
"Luigi Mario," said the Pianta Judge in a cold voice. "You are currently in no position to shout out any demands so you would do yourself justice to keep silent unless spoken to!" Luigi was quickly subdued by the robot guard.
"I certainly doubt that Inspector Banks would make such marks himself," the old Koopa said. "That would not make much sense. They indeed look very painful. As it is, the medical staff confirmed in the reports that the burns are genuine."
"Hold it, even if the burns are genuine, assuming that they haven't been faked," Jolene cut in, "what makes you sure that they were inflicted with malicious intent? If Banks was investigating the building and fire suddenly flared up from nowhere, it would be very easy to get accidentally caught."
"I was investigating the Star Temple but I did not get the chance to go inside the building," Banks said. "Though I am rather skilled in fighting, I doubt I would have a chance against Luigi." The jury murmured in agreement.
"My client was in hospital the night before!" Jolene exclaimed. "And it was no small matter either if we judge the situation by Mario's reaction." She presented a copy of The Daily Maple to the court as evidence. "My client had been severely poisoned and Doctor Toadley and his team had to work very hard to save him and bring him back to recovery." Luigi winced at this reminder. And to think he had been unconscious of it all. "Once he was out of critical danger, my client was made to rest by the doctors so that he wouldn't suffer any lapse. There is no way that Luigi would have had the strength to do as you say he did!"
The grey-shelled Koopa tapped his fingers against the wooden desk. "Does he not appear hale and hearty to you? For someone who has supposedly been severely poisoned, Mr Luigi looks quite healthy. A little pale perhaps, probably a little hungry, but healthy enough I daresay."
"I… I recover fast," Luigi mumbled. "Just as well with all fighting I do." As soon as he spoke, Luigi mentally slapped himself. This was why they told you to stay silent when on trial. The old Koopa smiled.
"You do recover fast," the Koopa confirmed. "And that makes you a potential suspect in the Star Temple's destruction after all, and perhaps the murder."
"Yes, and I'm sure many people go out to commit murder in nothing but their underwear!" Jolene snapped. "That was the state my client was found in," she explained to the temporarily bemused Judge. Luigi turned pink as he heard the jury trying not to snigger. He would have blushed even more if he knew that some female members of the court would very much have liked to see that image in more favourable circumstances. And in private quarters.
"We shall get onto that afterwards," the Pianta Judge declared. "The murder, that is, not the lack of clothing. No time to grab clothing when you're in a hurry to commit such a deed I suppose. For now, please finish with your story, Inspector Banks."
"When I came round," Banks continued as if there had been no interruptions. "I walked about the Temple Grounds surveying the damage when I came across Luigi lying on the grass as if he had knocked himself out which I deemed very lucky. I immediately summoned help and as soon as it arrived, we brought him into custody."
"But it was dark and there was fire everywhere when you got to the Star Temple!" cried Princess Peach. "How can you be so sure that it was Luigi who attacked you?" Luigi's eyes blazed with a similar question. If only he could remember exactly what had happened...
"Your Highness, I would do well to remember exactly who my attacker was," said Banks lightly. "Besides, he is a very recognisable figure, is he not? As you know yourself, your Highness, fire magic is a rare art and I am quite convinced that only select individuals can learn this art. The magic also corresponds to that of the individual's preferred colour which in Luigi's case, is green. And as I stated earlier, I saw bolts of electricity flashing through the fire and as far as we know, Luigi is the only known person able to mix both magics with such expertise, isn't that so Luigi?" Luigi said nothing; his heart pounded horribly fast inside him.
"As you say yourself, Banks," said Jolene. "As far as we know. Other practitioners of elemental magic may also possess this talent; I daresay some Magikoopas may know of this, particularly those who support Bowser's cause."
"There was no trace of Magikoopas in the area," the Koopa Prosecutor spoke up. "When they cast spells, the spells usually take the form of circles, squares and triangles. These were not reported by the witness and I don't think the defendant saw them either. Did you indeed see any Magikoopa magic, Mr Luigi?"
Luigi gulped. Every passing second was damning him all the more. "I… don't remember seeing anything like that, sir."
"My client had been ill very recently and had also fallen unconscious," Jolene remarked. "He cannot be expected to remember the event with such clarity."
"Nevertheless, it is somewhat curious that Luigi should be around this area when the blaze started and lightning kept striking the same place twice," the old Koopa mused. "It is too much of a coincidence to think otherwise."
"Luigi Mario, is it true that you are able to not only use the elements of fire and lightning but are also able to fuse both of the magics together to create new magic?" the Judge wondered, rather curious of such powers. "If so, please show the Court this as evidence."
"If you will pardon me, your honour," said Luigi quietly. "I cannot do anything at the moment; these handcuffs stop me from doing such things."
"Release him, Banks."
Banks unlocked the handcuffs freeing Luigi temporarily. He rubbed his wrists, feeling them ache. He trembled with fear, knowing that this would probably damn him. Peach felt this as well as she had a good idea of Luigi's powers although she had not witnessed this particular one so despite herself, she too was curious. Luigi stared at his palms and saw one solitary spark jump across them. He still couldn't believe what he had done but...
"We are waiting, Luigi Mario," said the Judge severely.
Luigi jolted and stood up straight. Concentrating, he formed a ball with his hands and willed the energy to travel down them; he felt a hot, tingling sensation as he did so. Sure enough, once he had built up enough power, a bright green fireball slowly began to form, spinning quickly as it tried to escape his grasp. Then, Luigi allowed the second of his energies to travel downwards; this time, he felt several cold sparks racing down his veins as he used the power of thunder. The centre of the fireball became a tightly compacted sphere of bright blue lightning bolts while some sparks also jumped about on the outside; they reflected the colour of his eyes. Before the power got too much for him, Luigi released the electro-fireball, creating a vortex of electrifying fire more powerful than he or anybody else expected. The roof nearly caught fire. It was several minutes before the roar of the attack died down. Luigi nearly died of embarrassment.
"Sorry..." he whispered.
The jury murmured amongst themselves and passed along notes. The Koopa Prosecutor leant back in his chair and smiled despite himself.
"Impressive," he said.
Banks quickly snapped the handcuffs back on Luigi as if he feared another blast of flame.
The Judge banged the stand, jolting everybody into silence. "Impressive?" she snorted. "Yes, it is but the more impressive it is, the more serious the matter! This seems to be going against you, Luigi Mario..."
"Can you seriously just take the word of Banks here as evidence?" Luigi cried. "Do you actually have proper evidence?" He then quailed under her hard stare. "Sorry, not supposed to talk. Forgot."
"That remains to be seen," said the Pianta severely. "Along with any other evidence."
"You still haven't told us who he is supposed to have murdered!" Jolene snapped, brushing her pink pigtails angrily.
"Do you happen to have the answer to that one, Banks?" questioned the Koopa Prosecutor. Banks nodded and took his position on the floor again.
"The power of the Star Temple is linked with that of the Stars in Star Haven, perhaps even that of the Star Spirits themselves. As such, any damage done to them causes damage to the Star Temple and vice versa. As you have gathered, the Star Temple was almost completely destroyed by the fire and I am sure that if Luigi had a little more time, it would have been fully destroyed. It is recorded in the old ledgers of the Stars though, that should a most powerful building, a channeler of their energy, such as this one be attacked with dark, fiery magic of the most destructive kind, then one of the Stars will perish and be replaced by a Dark Star." Banks looked grave. "Looking at this, although I cannot be completely sure of course, such wrought violence may well have destroyed one of the Star Spirits themselves and yes, created a Dark Star Spirit."
"And we know just what a Dark Star is capable of..." mumbled Toadsworth, sat beside the Princess. "They are capable of very strong evil indeed and they will not stop at anything to achieve their goals unless they are vanquished by a being of good heart. One can only assume that the power of a Dark Star Spirit would be greater still. However... I simply refuse to believe that Master Luigi would do such a thing!"
"He would need motive to do such a thing after all," said Peach. "Nobody could destroy the Star Temple without the intention of doing so. What sort of motive would Luigi have to have to do that?" She finally caught Luigi's eye and gave him a kindly smile. Luigi felt his muscles lose some of their tension.
"Precisely," said Jolene, somewhat relieved. "Luigi is one of our kingdom's protectors alongside Mario. We would have been destroyed many times over without them. Though Mario often goes to far-flung places on his missions, Luigi keeps us safe here at home. What possible motivation could he have? What do you say to that?"
Banks stroked his beard whilst thinking. What indeed would be the motive? "Why," he began turning to look at Luigi. "Isn't it always Mario that grabs the attention, the limelight, leaving you to be pushed aside and ignored, forgotten, as if nobody cares about you? The fact that you try to pull off your utmost duty to the Kingdom and yet it always seems to be in vain? What if you were given a better kind of offer; one that would allow you to take the position that you truly deserve and hold all that power? In the meantime, a certain villain could also grab a good deal. He hadn't bothered with you much before because his focus was mainly on Mario. However, if you worked for him, both of you could get you wanted. You could release the Dark Star to destroy the Kingdom... and destroy your brother. Nobody would then stand in your way." Banks seemed unperturbed by the massive amount of noise that suddenly arose around them; Peach's voice was the loudest. Luigi simply stood there in shock. "It is the only way..." Banks whispered. Only Luigi heard him.
"FOR THE LAST TIME!" the Pianta Judge screeched. "I WILL HAVE ORDER IN THIS COURT AND I WILL KEEP ORDER IN THIS COURT!"
Even the Koopa prosecutor seemed shocked. "I don't recall you being like this, Banks. This whole business in fact… is just rather odd…"
"Absolutely preposterous!" Toadsworth shouted. "Simply outrageous! I'll have you know, sir, that that statement is the biggest load of tosh I have ever heard! Do you really expect us to believe such an accusation?"
"What else would you have me suggest, sir?" asked Banks once the noise had died down. "Unless you can think of any other motives?"
"I CANNOT THINK OF ANY!"
"How can you think that I would hurt my own brother?" Luigi whispered, his eyes shining, his voice shaking. "My own brother... I love him... all we have is each other... and yet you think I could kill him..." He hung his head. "That I could kill all of you..."
Even the Judge looked troubled; Luigi sounded and looked very sincere. "Perhaps it is a little too far-fetched..."
"Not too long ago," Banks interrupted and speaking directly to Luigi, "there was a large void in the sky that threatened to eat up the entire planet. You, Mario and her Highness had all but vanished. According to reports, so had the Koopa King Bowser."
"Yes, I remember that," said Jolene shakily. "That was a frightening time. I honestly thought the world was going to end…"
"It was a horrible time," Banks agreed. "But my point is what was it that you were all doing exactly?"
"I am the prosecutor," the grey Koopa grumbled. "I should be doing the cross-examination."
What is he getting at? Luigi wondered. "We were all searching for the Pure Hearts that would put a stop to the Void that would destroy all worlds and to defeat the man behind it all," said Peach. "We also required four heroes; one of them was Luigi although we had been missing him for some time. Eventually, we found out that he was-" She put her hands over her mouth when she realised what she said. Banks nodded.
"He had been missing for some time. That is somewhat curious. You found out that he was... what?" asked Banks. "That he was working for the dark side of his own accordance? That he was in the service of such a villain?"
"It wasn't his fault!" Peach cried out over the increasing noise. Luigi stared at her having pretty much no idea what she was talking about. "He would never do such a thing of his own will! He was hypnotised into working for them!"
Hypnotised? Luigi thought. What does she mean? What did I do? Did I... hurt any of them? What happened?
"Surely though, he could have fought against them even if he was hypnotised, as you say. We heard that he had tried to seriously harm you, Mario and the Koopa King. If he was strong enough, that surely wouldn't have happened," said Banks. "Perhaps, the reason being is that he wanted to hurt you..."
"NO!" she said strongly. "That's not true! There was nothing that Luigi could do, nothing that any of us could do, not even Mario."
There was something. I'm sure of it. It was when we were finding the Pure Hearts wasn't it? But I can't remember. I can't remember anything...
"Obviously, you hadn't seen him for a while but there was something that happened in Toad Town while you were away," said Banks. "One day, when we had all noticed the continuing growth of that terrible Void, a dark, shadowy figure crept into the town unnoticed. I happened to be on my rounds that day when I suddenly heard a commotion coming from the Star Vault; that was the place where the Dark Star was kept before it was destroyed by the Mario Brothers of course," he said mildly. "He wore a similar garb to what Luigi is wearing now, only black and with a shadowy eye-mask. He was so close to taking that Dark Star; goodness knows what he wanted with it when the entire universe was going to ruin but he was caught in the act and fled, fearing that I would bring allies to the fight. And yet, I discovered three bodies of the Koopa Guards. All three of them were dead." Peach gasped, covering her mouth. "If he could do that then, I'm pretty sure that he could also do that now. I'm telling you he is guilty!"
"This is in the police records, I suppose?" the old Koopa asked. Banks nodded. "How odd. I have no recollection of this. And how… vehement."
And now, I may be doing it again, this time through Possession Poison. Always reliving the past. So that's part of what happened, huh? I was never told... but I suppose Mario and the Princess wanted to forget about it. They didn't want to burden me with this. But... now it's happening again. I suppose I'll remember soon enough. And... I hurt them, didn't I? I hurt them so much...
"Come now, you're distressing the Princess," said Toadsworth sharply; his voice carried loudly in the otherwise deadly silent room. "I do not seem to recall such a person entering Toad Town. I would have assumed that the news would become known in a short space of time. Three dead people do not go unnoticed here after all!"
"Nevertheless..." whispered Banks. "That is what happened."
The sun came out briefly from behind the clouds and its light shone into the room. Inspector Banks discreetly stepped out of the way of the light streaming through the window. Luigi noticed this and felt his suspicions rise.
"Is there anything more to say about this?" asked the Pianta Judge. "If not, then this case is finished and we shall deliver a verdict. Guilty? Or not guilty?"
"Is this case over yet? It is not."
"Toadley!" Luigi cried out happily as the mystical doctor strode confidently into the Courtroom. His star-pocked cloak swirled about him in a suitably mystic manner as he stood in front of the box that Luigi was standing in. Doctor Toadley gave him a wink.
"Don't worry, lad. I'll help you in this one or my name's not Doctor Toadley! Which it is."