The Tell-Tale Heart

Charlie walked into the lounge to find Daisy and Mario seated patiently, waiting for her. Mario had changed clothes in the interval, now wearing a fancy white suit with a red bow tie and a white top hat. Daisy wore a purple dress with a green skirt, her auburn hair hanging loosely. Both rose when they saw Charlie come in.

"Anything fancy planned for tonight, Mario?" asked Charlie.

Mario shook his head. "I guess I really like this suit, and this suit likes me."

"Fair enough," smiled Charlie. "Now, please, follow me, and try not to make too much noise."

"Hey!" a dulcet voice spoke up as a blonde woman in a red dress stepped briskly into the room. "I hope I'm not too late!"

"Right on time, Peachy," said Mario as his Mushroom Princess raced into his arms.

Charlie stared. "I wish you told me there was gonna be three of you."

"Apologies for the short notice," said Peach.

"That's fine; I'm sure I'll find room," Charlie assured her. "Come with me, please."

The trio followed Charlie out of the lounge and into a theater-like room with three reclining seats, a giant widescreen and a bowl of snacks. They quickly took a seat, with Mario sandwiched between the two Princesses.

Charlie gave each of them a headset. "Put these on," she instructed. "These will allow you to talk to him, cheer him on."

The three obeyed. Mario took a deep breath.

"I want you to stay here until I come and fetch you. If anyone passes by, don't make eye contact. And if they do notice you, don't put up a fight. Trust me, it's not worth it. Just follow their instructions, and I'll see if I can find you an alternative."

"Okay," said Daisy.

"All right," said Peach.

"Okeydokey," said Mario.

Charlie smiled and departed. Peach laid her hand over Mario's, while Daisy crossed herself and said a short prayer. The screen flicked on, showing a high-def image of Luigi, wearing pink and burgundy, waiting nervously but determinedly for the final boss to appear.

Mario reflexively reached out for the image. "Luigi…"

Daisy rubbed the small of his back. "Breathe, M. Just breathe," she said softly. "He's gonna be all right."

As Daisy, Peach and Mario viewed Luigi on the screen, the pink-clad plumber himself stood in a familiar-looking hall, immersed in silence. Images of the past crept in, of creeping mummies and slithering snakes, of his Poltergust as it became a useless burden on his back. He remembered his courage slipping away as he realized that he was no longer in his element. He remembered that he was alone and scared and cold in an alien place. And then he remembered the grinning skull in dark robes leering at him, scythe raised. It had torn into his body, dragging his soul along with it, and it had hurt so much! Then, he steadied his breathing, bringing himself out of the memory. He was here, alive, and ready to confront whatever was in this hall.

"Hello?" he called.

His eye fell on a man seated casually on a throne, legs crossed, chin resting on his right hand while his left tapped the armrest. This man was dressed in a dark suit and had iron gray hair. Luigi cautiously stepped closer until he stood directly across from the throne. "Hello?" he said again.

That seemed to get the man's attention. He uncrossed his legs, raised his head and straightened in his seat. And when Luigi saw the thin eyebrows, the beard and the gray skin, he recognized the man immediately.

"Oh, Dio," he whispered. "You're him."

Dracula smirked at Luigi. "Have they told you who I am?"

"I've done my research, thank you very much," Luigi said crisply.

In their private room, Mario and the Princesses started. This was the man to whom Death answered! Would Luigi be able to keep his cool?

Oh, yes he would.

"So," grinned Dracula. "Luigi, isn't it?"

"You—know me," said Luigi.

"Yes, I do. You're not the only one cursed with knowledge."

Luigi set his jaw. "My only curse is you," he spat. "You've haunted my dreams for the past four months, but never again. Never again. I looked your little lapdog in the face and lived to tell the tale. Now, I've looked you in the face—and I'm gonna defeat you."

Dracula chuckled. "Good luck." He rose from his seat and gave a dramatic swish of his cape. "Prepare to meet your doom, little man!"

He teleported in front of Luigi, who opened the fight with a running jump and a karate chop to Dracula's face. Thanks to his research, he had some clue on how to fight him. His head was the only part of him that was tangible, so he had to rely on mostly aerial attacks to bring him to his knees. Luigi threw out three more karate chops and a flip kick before Dracula teleported to another end of the hall. The plumber dashed after him, letting some fireballs fly as he did. With a swish of his cape, Dracula fired several large energy balls at his opponent. Quickly, Luigi retreated and did his best to dodge the projectiles, but one managed to hit him. He fell back, but quickly got up and ran at Dracula again. And again, Dracula teleported, this time behind Luigi. The man in pink jumped and performed a backwards kick before launching himself straight into Dracula's nose. His foe swished his cape before splitting into bats and swarming Luigi. But Luigi fast-fell and shielded the bat swarm before battering Dracula's face with more f-airs and u-airs.

Suddenly, he noticed flares on the ground beneath him. Thinking fast, Luigi hopped clear as multiple pillars of flame erupted across the hall. Then, he slipped behind Dracula and resumed his assault until the monster teleported away again. He fired three short blasts of fire at Luigi, who easily dodged and closed back in. By now, Dracula was at less than half HP, a comforting sight for Luigi. But his health diminished, Dracula's attacks grew more complex, combining the energy balls with the flame pillars and sending bigger bursts of flame his way. Luigi wound up taking a few fiery attacks, leaving painful burns on his skin. But he bit the pain back, feeling a peculiar warmth in his heart. He sensed that he was no longer alone in this fight, that there were people sitting somewhere, watching, cheering him on. It was a feeling which gave him strength and doubled his resolve. Licking his lips, the man in pink hacked more vehemently at Dracula's head, his body twisting as he anticipated the projectiles. And finally, with an emphatic grunt, Luigi slammed a powerful f-air into Dracula, sending him staggering.

Moaning, Dracula crumpled to his knees as Luigi watched in satisfaction. "I got you, you S.O.B.," the plumber growled.

But then Dracula giggled. "I'm not done with you yet, plumber," he warned.

Luigi's guard immediately went back up as his opponent began to transform…

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