Well, Peachy—it looks like it's just you and me now.
Yeah.
God, I hate this. I hate sitting around here, at the mercy of a villain I can't defeat. I can only imagine how you feel.
Oh, Mario—I'm used to it.
I'm so sorry, Peachy. I couldn't protect you.
I don't blame you.
But I made a promise.
I don't blame you, Mario. King Boo is the only one at fault here. King Boo—and Hellen.
When I saw them do that to you, I thought I was gonna be sick. And they made me watch. I guess they really wanted to hurt me.
And by extension, hurt Luigi.
Yes. Uh, Peachy—there's something you need to know.
Okay.
Before I was sealed in a painting, Hellen—did something to me. Something awful. Something similar to what she and King Boo did to you.
Shh, Mario, shh. You don't have to say anymore.
You're not angry?
At them. Not at you.
Ah, Peachy—you deserve a better hero than me.
Don't say that. You may not be perfect, but you're the best person to ever enter my kingdom's borders. Remember that, Mario. Remember that.
Okay, Peachy. I'll try.
Wow—Hellen's pretty upset. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
Ditto.
Oh, boy. Here comes King Boo. How is he gonna react to all of this?
Well, Peachy, let's find out—
…
Hellen sat in her office, her head against her desk, lightly pulling at her hair. She just couldn't believe it. That wooden hull at The Spectral Catch was sure to stop Luigi in his tracks, but instead, he'd hooked his vacuum up to that socket and effortlessly tore the hull to shreds! Her plan was falling apart, and that was bound to make her lose favor with the King. Various Goobs attempted to comfort her with offerings of her favorite foods, but she coldly brushed them off. Her staff exchanged looks, unsure of how to handle their boss at the moment.
An appendage gently rested on her shoulder, and Hellen raised her head, looking into concerned violet eyes.
"What's wrong, my dear?" asked King Boo. "Is everything okay?"
Hellen drew in a breath and slowly let it out. "Can you—could you please sit down?" she asked.
"Sounds like you have some bad news," said King Boo as he obliged.
Within seconds, the two villains were poring over the Last Resort's floor plan.
"Luigi has broken through most of our major defenses," Hellen was saying. "He utterly humiliated Amadeus Wolfgeist and decimated Ug, as well as the T-Rex he was possessing. The three Toad retainers have been rescued, and they're now sheltering in the Professor's lab. Worse yet, Luigi is now only two floors away from us."
King Boo just smiled. "Have no fear," he said. "I put up a little obstruction on the 12th floor that'll bring his little rescue mission to a screeching halt."
Hellen breathed a prayer, choosing her words carefully.
"My King," she said slowly. "Luigi—Luigi has acquired an upgrade to his vacuum cleaner. Thanks to that upgrade, he obliterated that obstruction, and he's still fighting his way up."
There was nasty silence as King Boo stared straight ahead. Then, he addressed the Goobs gathered around them.
"I'd like to speak to your boss in private, if you please," he said in a dangerously calm tone.
Instantly, all of the Goobs filed out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
And then King Boo furiously rounded on Hellen.
"That was an order!" he bellowed. "Subduing Luigi and bringing him to me was an order! Who does your staff think they are, daring to disobey an order that I give?! So, this is what it has come to! Once again, I've had my chain yanked! Everyone has yanked my chain, even my so-called 'fan club'! Your staff is just a bunch of contemptible, disloyal cowards!"
Hellen was on her feet at once, towering over King Boo. "Your Grace—I will not allow you to insult the people who've been nothing but courteous to you!" she said firmly.
"They are cowards, traitors and failures!" King Boo thundered.
"Your Grace—this is outrageous!" snapped Hellen.
"This 'fan club' is a disgrace to ghosts everywhere!" spat King Boo, flinging a pencil he was holding onto the table so fiercely that it bounced off the surface. "God—mit! Every time a shred of happiness is on the horizon, he comes along and snatches it away! For eighteen years, Luigi has hindered my plans! He has thrown every kind of obstacle in my way! What I should've done—was sneak inside his house and do him in, while he was fast asleep!"
The King sank into his chair and sighed. "I never went to a military academy, you know," he said in a quieter tone of voice. "Heck, I never even went to cadet school. But sixty-four years ago, I was crowned the King of all Boos, the Lord of all Ghost Houses and the Master of Illusions! That green-capped scumbag—that f—er has f—ed me in the [bleep] for the last time! I will have him eliminated—terminated—with extreme prejudice! Oh, yes—that plumber will pay. He will pay with his own blood! He will drown in his own blood!"
King Boo took several deep breaths, composing himself. Then, he gazed at Hellen, whose face was a hard mask.
"Hellen, I—I apologize," he said finally. "I shouldn't have singled out your staff like that. They did the best they could. You did the best you could."
He laid an appendage over her hand, and her face gradually thawed into a smile.
"I forgive you, my King," she said.
"All is not lost, my dear," said King Boo, stroking Hellen's face. "I made sure all of my bases were covered this time around. The time has come to put my contingency plan into place."
"What do you have in mind?" asked Hellen.
King Boo floated over to his two remaining "guests", a huge smirk on his face. "Using Luigi's selfless nature against him," he replied, looking the portraits over. "If we play our cards right, then one of Luigi's best character traits will ultimately be his undoing."
Hellen grinned. "That's—brilliant!" she cried.
King Boo sensually caressed one portrait, and then the other, before selecting one seemingly at random and tucking it under his arm. "Let's go for a little ride, shall we?"
"Your Grace?" Hellen piped up.
King Boo turned.
"I'll take care of Luigi for you," said Hellen. "The last thing he'll learn in this life—is how cruel I can be!"
"Aw, Hellen…" cooed King Boo, leaning toward her.
The two kissed deeply and sensually, and then King Boo gave the remaining portrait a smirk and a mocking half-salute. "Don't worry—you'll be reunited soon," he said. "But until then—the two of us are gonna have a Hell of a time!"
Cackling, he licked the portrait he was currently holding before floating off.
No. No! Where are you taking me?! No!
…
In the RIP Suites, Gooigi once again had Luigi on his bed, on his back, the Poltergust close by, as he tended to his wounds. Polterpup stood watch outside, barking at and chasing off any ghost that dared approach. Music played on low on the room's stereo, and Gooigi was very deliberate and intent on his work.
Luigi clenched his fists, hissing in pain as Gooigi dabbed at the slashes he'd sustained with antiseptic. Tear-filled eyes stared at the ceiling, but he wasn't tearing up just because of the disinfectant. Every second he spent here was another second Peach and Mario spent in their artistic prisons.
"Sorry," Gooigi said softly, "but I don't want these wounds getting infected."
"Do what you have to," Luigi said in resignation.
"Almost there, and—here we go! The hard part's done," said Gooigi. Then, he held up a cold compress he'd made. "It's all bliss and relaxation from here, okay?"
"Okay," said Luigi.
Gently, Gooigi placed the compress on the wounds, and Luigi's eyelids fluttered in spite of himself. A single tear slid down his cheek, which Gooigi carefully wiped away with a tissue.
And then he slid the compress along each injury, the pain reducing from a persistent sting to a dull throb to finally nothing at all. As he worked, Gooigi hummed along to the music as his body gently oscillated to the sound. And still—he couldn't help but marvel at Luigi. The wounds he sustained seemed to be healing quicker than the average person. Did he sneak a Mushroom in the interim? Or was it something else?
Setting the compress aside, Gooigi bandaged the wounds, starting with the ones on Luigi's limbs and concluding with the ones on his torso. As he smoothed out each bandage, Gooigi allowed his hands to once again trace Luigi's muscles, from the slight undulations of his abs to the rings of muscle around his belly button, feeling them contract and relax with his breaths. For a moment, he wanted to know how those muscles and that skin would feel against his gooey lips, but he shoved the question aside. It wasn't appropriate for this occasion.
Luigi felt his eyes glaze over, Gooigi's soft and cool-warm texture beginning to lull him. His gooey bro's touch was like an IcyHot patch, cool to dull the pain and warm to relax it away. And he was also aware that the music on his stereo was causing Gooigi to thrum and pulse—not as severely as when he was around a Boo, but it was perceptible still.
"S'okay," Gooigi was saying, studying Luigi's half-lidded eyes. "S'okay—rest."
"Wha…" Desperation and urgency stabbed through Luigi. "No. No, no, no, no! Mario—I have to…" He was fighting against the drowsiness and failing.
"Rest. Just a short nap. Please…"
Luigi looked at Gooigi, who was once again matching his state of dishabille. Slim frame, perfectly-toned muscles, taut and round little belly button. The relaxing music caused that upper body to gently weave to and fro, and Luigi watched, as if hypnotized.
"Luigi—s'okay. Please, rest."
Luigi's body sank into the mattress and into the pillow. And slowly, tentatively, Gooigi lowered his body, as well—lowered it until his bare torso was flush against his companion's—so soft and warm and inviting.
"Gooigi…" whispered Luigi.
"Hm?" asked Gooigi, allowing his matter to slightly sink onto Luigi's skin.
"Wow—that feels—great," said Luigi.
Gooigi let out a soft little coo and wrapped his arms around Luigi, rotating them so that they were both laying on their sides. The gooey humanoid then drew the weary ghost-hunter closer to him, tucking his head into the crook of his neck. And as a Chris Isaak song began to play, Luigi's breathing evened out, and his eyelids fluttered.
"S'okay, Luigi—rest," Gooigi said softly. "I'll watch over you…"
With a slight hum, Luigi closed his eyes, surrendering himself to the need to rest.
Gooigi, however, remained awake, holding Luigi protectively and securely in his arms as Polterpup remained on guard outside. And before long, the strangest feeling began creeping over him. It was like there was a band around his head, tightening with each passing minute. His gooey body thrummed, and not just because of the music. It was because of the millions of thoughts suddenly invading him.
He saw the faces of the two people still depending on Luigi. He saw the hope and worry in their eyes. He saw Thad, Brad and Chad, playing the waiting game in the lab. He saw the Professor, brow wrinkled with concern as he sat at his console. He saw King Boo and Hellen, leering.
And then—
Then—
An entirely new sensation jolted through Gooigi. A sensation he couldn't understand. At first.
Pain.
So. Much. Pain.
It pierced, drilled and hammered into his gooey body, and he was confused. He was made out of ectoplasm and coffee! He couldn't feel pain—not physical pain, at least. So, why was he feeling pain now? Why was he seeing Mario and Peach's faces? Why was he seeing the three Toads and the Professor? Why was he feeling the same restlessness Luigi was feeling? Why was he now feeling a myriad of doubts and fears? Why was his mind racing? Why was he feeling that tightness around his head? Why…?
Gooigi whimpered, a quiet, keening sound, a small shiver passing through his body. He whimpered again, and again, the whimper morphing into a small sob. A gooey tear formed in his eye and slid down his cheek. A small pain arose in the back of his throat. His heart raced.
And then he whispered into the night: "M—Mario…?"
Emotions swelled inside of Gooigi, and with them came images. Images of Mario as a nine-year-old boy. Images of a sneering bully, calling Mario a name. Images of that same bully, on the ground, sniveling, as tiny fists connected with him again and again as a young, angry voice demanded that he apologize to Mario. Images of a turtle-dragon hybrid, smirking and laughing, of Peach in a cage, illuminated by a fiery glow, her eyes dilated with excitement, sweat sparkling on her face and neck. So many images. So many emotions.
"Mario," he uttered again. "Big Bro…"
More gooey tears. "Mario—I'm supposed to protect you…"
Wait, what?!
That's something Luigi would say!
Oh. Oh—
This pain he was feeling—these thoughts he was thinking—
They weren't his.
They were Luigi's!
Why am I thinking Luigi's thoughts? Why am I feeling his pain?
Am I in his conscience?
Have I somehow slipped into his conscience?
Is that why my head feels so funny?
How am I doing that?
Gooigi lay perfectly still, listening to the sound of Luigi's breaths, feeling him snuggle against him.
And like a movie, the story of the Mario Bros' adventures played before him.
The heart-to-hearts. The team-ups. The vows. The fights. The make-ups. The rescues. Some brainwashing incident involving a count. The sporting events.
The first mansion. The first fight against King Boo.
That reunion in the Lab.
"Bro—I'll never let you go. I'll never let him hurt you again…"
The phone calls from the Bunker in Evershade Valley. The security image, revealing Mario, once again in peril.
More gooey tears poured out of Gooigi's eyes, only to absorb back into his form.
"Big Bro—I love you so much. And I can be brave, too. I fight ghosts…"
He was starting to understand why Luigi was reluctant to rest and get his wounds looked at.
"I need to save my friends. I need to save my friends. I—need—to."
Scenes of relaxing with Mario and Peach and the Toads flickered before Gooigi's mind.
"I need to save them. I can be brave. I can be brave. I want to be brave. I have to be brave. I have to—I will. I will be brave. I will fight King Boo. I will stop him. I will save them."
Gooigi lay there in the moonlit room and whispered the names. The names of the people keeping Luigi—and by extension, him—going.
Mario.
Princess Peach.
Professor E. Gadd.
Thad.
Chad.
Brad.
Do it for them.
Do it for them.
For them.
Them.
Them.
"One way or another…"
The racing thoughts began to still.
"One way or another—I will get you out of this. One way or another. One way or another…"
A tiny voice in the corner of his mind chimed in, I'll help.
"I know you will."
The pain receded. The tears stopped flowing.
"Whatever it takes."
The imaginary band around his head loosened.
"Do it for them."
His heart rate returned to normal.
"One way or another."
His breathing steadied.
"Whatever it takes. Do if for them. One way or another."
He curled himself around Luigi, to comfort him. To soothe him.
"Whatever it takes. Do it for them. One way or another. Whatever it takes—do it for them—one way or another."
And then the band around his head was gone.
Gooigi lay there on the bed, limp and exhausted, his head heavy against the pillow.
Rest. He would rest, too.
And he would be here when Luigi woke up.
Please R&R.