Bowser paced back and forth in his throne room, Kamek floating beside the big throne in the far back. The big Koopa was grumbling with anger as the giant double doors at the other end burst open. A girl with black hair up like Belle's formal hair (only with curls on either side of her face), pale skin, and deep red eyes walked in with a regal posture. She was also wearing a skin-tight off the shoulders black gown, with black ballroom gloves (stopping in the middle of her upper arm) and the dress had red mesh sleeves.
Bowser's eyes grew angrier as he stood his ground in front of the woman. "What gives you the right to show up at my castle!?" He yelled as she stopped at least 10 feet away from him.
"Well, didn't my spell work?" She asked with mock innocence.
"It did," Kamek answered. "But I hit the wrong bro."
"Oh, I know," The girl replied with a smirk. "The Man in Green. Always in Mario's shadow. Always 'Player 2' and never the lead."
"What are you blabbing about?" Bowser asked impatiently.
"What I am saying is that a true villain would take this chance," The girl replied. "A true villain would see the opportunity at hand...and use it to their advantage."
"I don't need a vampire on my team, thank you very much," Bowser said, as he turned his back on the girl. "You can leave now, Aurore. I don't need your advice"
The woman, Aurore, just stared with a bit of surprise in her eyes. But a smirk soon graced her face, showing off her fangs with a glint from the light. "Don't need a vampire on your team. Wow. And yet...you already have one."
Bowser's eyes widened as he spun towards Aurore. He could see the fangs in her mouth now, as her eyes were glowing red. "You were one all this time!?"
"Of course," Aurore answered as she took a few steps forward. "And if you don't want Luigi on your team, as the most POWERFUL vampire ever in existence...then I guess the world is as good as mine." With that, Aurore disappeared in an explosion of black smoke, making Bowser and Kamek cough it back up.
The Koopa King stared at the spot Aurore was in moments before and growled with anger. "No fair! The world will be mine one day! If she thinks she can do this evil thing better, then I'll show her!"
OOOOOO
COUNT GREEN
Episode 2: New Friends
OOOOOO
~One Month Before – the night before Peach found Luigi~
Mario paced back and forth in Peach's office. The pink-clad princess was trying to focus on her paperwork, hoping to come up with something helpful for the kingdom, when Mario's aggravated groans echoed off the walls. She looked up at him as he plopped onto the couch, head in his hands.
"Where could he be, Peach?" He asked, making Peach sigh.
"I don't know, Mario," She answered. "I'm sure he's alright, though!"
"Did you NOT see the blast he took for me?!" Mario yelled. "He has to be in a lot of pain."
"Mario-" Peach began before Toadsworth walked into the office. His face was forlorn, full of hurt and sadness like he had just lost a loved one. "Toadsworth? Are you okay?" She asked when she saw her friend and colleague walk in.
"I'm afraid not, Princess," He answered as he pulled out from behind his back...
"Luigi's hat!" Mario yelled as he raced up to Toadsworth and took it into his hands. It still looked to be intact. No holes or rips. Even the L on the front was still there. "Where did you find this?!"
"One of the Toads found it in Boo Woods," Toadsworth said, taking a shaking breath in. "As well as-" He couldn't come to say what he wanted to tell them. He let a tear fall down his cheek before taking the hat from Mario and turning it to show the back of it. There was a small, dried up, speck of blood on the rim.
"No," Mario was quiet as he stared at it. "No, he's not-"
"He might still be alive though, Master Mario," Toadsworth spoke. "Boo Woods was where the first mansion incident happened for you two! Maybe he's there."
"Yeah," Mario was shaking as he took the green hat into his hands again. "Yeah. He has to be. He has to be!" The red-clad plumber ran out of the office, making Toadsworth sigh as he followed him.
"I'll leave you to your work, Princess," He said before leaving.
"Th-thanks," Peach stuttered as she sat back some in her chair. Her hands were shaking as she slowly spun towards the window behind her. Thoughts of her friend lying in a dying heap somewhere broke her heart. And if there was blood on Luigi's hat, that had to mean one thing: he was indeed hurt.
(SONG: "The Next Right Thing" – Frozen II – Kristen Bell)
PEACH: I've seen dark before/but not like this./This is cold/this is empty/this is numb./The life I knew is over/the lights are out./Hello darkness/I'm ready to succumb./I follow you around/I always had./But you've gone to a place I cannot find./This grief/has a gravity/it pulls me down./But a tiny voice/whispers in my mind./"You are lost/hope is gone/but you must/go on/and do the next right thing".
Peach stood up from her desk and walked over to her balcony door, looking out to the forest behind the castle. She half expected Luigi to be out there, staring at the blue sky and gorgeous scenery. But unfortunately, he wasn't.
PEACH: Can there be a day/beyond this night?/I don't know/anymore/what is true./I can't find my direction/I'm all alone./The only star that guided me was you./How to rise/from the floor/when it's not you/I'm rising for./Just do the next right thing. (Opens the double doors and walks out onto her balcony slowly.) Take a step/step again./It is all that I can/to do/the next/right/thing.
She took a couple of deep breaths to calm down her nerves, as thoughts of her friend's smiling face entered her brain.
PEACH: I won't look too far ahead/it's too much for me to take./But break it down to this next breath/this next step/this next choice/is one that I can make!/So I'll walk/through this night/stumbling blindly toward the light/and do the next right thing./And with the dawn/what comes then/when it's clear/that everything will never be the same again!/Then I'll make the choice/to hear your voice/and do/the next/right/thing.
(End of the song)
"Princess?" Peach turned towards the voice, seeing it was a Messenger Toad standing there.
"Oh!" She quickly wiped her eyes as she put on a smile. "How may I help you?"
"You have a letter," The Toad said as he handed the pink princess a black envelope with her name on the front. "Don't know who it's from because there's no return address."
"Thank you, dear," Peach said as she took the envelope in her hand.
"Sure thing, princess," The Toad then bowed and left the office quickly.
Peach just grinned as she looked at the object in her hand, immediately letting the grin fall the moment she saw the handwriting. She recognized this form of writing, she recognized the manly way her name was written, meaning...she knew who this was from.
"Luigi?"
OOOOOO
~Present Day~
Peach was staring at herself in the mirror of her private bathroom in the Gloomy Manor, grinning at herself as she brushed her long hair. "I wish I would have brought his hat with me," She said with a sigh.
"I have others," A voice spoke, making Peach jump as she looked through her mirror, seeing Luigi leaning against the door frame behind her. A smirk was on his face as he stared at her.
"You do?" She asked as she took a breath to relax her nerves. She wasn't going to admit it, but Luigi being a vampire kind of scared her. Though...it also intrigued her.
"Yeah," He responded as he crossed his arms. "One less won't hurt me." Peach smiled at him as she stood up and turned to face him now.
"What happened in Boo Woods?" She asked. "There was blood on the hat we found."
"Oh...right," Luigi took a deep breath and placed his hands in his pockets now. "Uh...well...I was trying to get away from the town, so I wouldn't hurt anyone. I was turning and fast. So I cut through Boo Woods to...uh...find a place to stay till the...pain, subsided."
"Oh, Luigi," Peach touched her heart, tears in her eyes as she heard this.
"But sadly, once I was fully turned, I needed to feed," Luigi answered as he scratched the back of his neck. "Before you ask, I didn't find a person. I found an animal. I figured that would be substantial and tide me over until I got to Evershade Valley."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Peach walked up to him and pulled him into a hug, with Luigi putting his arms around her torso. "I promise, we'll find a way to fix this. We'll find a way to change you back."
"I hope we do," Luigi said as they pulled away. "I kind of miss the normal human food." Peach giggled as a crashing sound was heard in the hallway, making Luigi sigh in defeat.
"She's back," He said as he rushed out of the room, Peach following behind him.
"Who's-?" She began to ask when she noticed a girl with black hair stopping just passed her shoulders and neon green eyes on the floor. She wore a plain white dress that stopped just above the knees and white flats. She was struggling to stand up from the knight that fell over, making Luigi sigh again. He walked up to her and helped her up.
"You okay, Grace?" He asked, slightly annoyed but he hid it well.
"I'm a ghost...I'm always okay. But thank you," The girl, Grace, answered before noticing Peach standing there. "Oh! A girl!"
"She's a friend of mine," Luigi said with a grin. "This is Princess Peach Toadstool."
"Hi," Peach said with a nervous wave of her hand.
"Princess? Luigi never mentioned anything about knowing a princess!" Grace yelled with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Well, I am now!" Luigi yelled, eyes glowing.
"We go way back," Peach said with a smile now. "I used to date his twin brother, Mario."
"Oh! Okay! I'm Grace, the only ghost friend that Luigi has here," Grace said with a sweet smile as well. "I'm glad to see that a human is okay with staying here."
"Yeah," Peach deadpanned as she held up her left arm, showing the bandage on her wrist. "I'm cool with this."
Grace saw the bandage and gasped with surprise. "And you haven't turned yourself!?"
"Grace!" Luigi yelled, now visibly annoyed. "Drop it! Just...where did you go?"
"Oh...uh...you see, I...um..."
"You didn't," Luigi asked with fear in his eyes and voice.
"Yeah?" Grace said sheepishly, which confused Peach.
"I told you not to go there!"
"Well, I'm sorry! But if anyone from your family should know, it's her!"
"Who?" Peach asked.
"I can't believe you went to her!" Luigi said. "It's bad enough that Elvin knows! She didn't need to know!"
"Who?" Peach asked again.
"She's still your family, Luigi!" Grace yelled. "She still deserved to know!"
"You know what she's going to do now, right?!"
"No! What?!"
"WHO!?" Peach finally yelled, gaining their attention now. "Who did she tell?!"
"Oh, that's right! You've never met her," Luigi said with realization striking him like a brick.
"Again...WHO?!"
"Vanessa, silly!" Grace exclaimed before poofing out of the area, just to be safe.
"Vanessa? Who's she?" Peach asked Luigi, seeing him rubbing his eyes out of frustration.
"Vanessa Mario," Luigi answered, looking over at Peach now. "My aunt."
OOOOOO
Aurore appeared out of a smoke cloud and stood in the Central Courtyard of the Treacherous Mansion. She swiped her hand to make a throne appear and a magic mirror with the scene of Luigi in the living room of the Gloomy Manor.
"There you are, my sweet," She said with a smirk. "I can't wait to have you in my domain."
(SONG: "Candy Store" – Heathers The Musical) [Lyric change – I made it cleaner...partially lol; no dialogue]
AURORE: I hope there's not a problem. I hope he sees my ways. I hope our views are the same, oh this will be the day. I would normally grab a stake, and drive it through new hearts. But I'm feeling nice, don't have to think twice, let's crown him King of the Dark.
Aurore turned away from the mirror and walked over to her throne, sitting down after a moment.
AURORE: (I like)/casting spells/throwing heads/down a well./(I like)/drinking hard/lurking 'round/in your yard./(I like)/living here/causing pain/causing fear./(I like)/killing sprees/kicking nerds/who doubt me!/If you cannot see/what I can be/let me show what I can do./Why don't you come, old bloke/have some blood and smoke/in my kingdom with people like you!/Whoa-oh-oh/whoa-oh-oh/whoa-oh-oh!/Honey what'cha waiting for/Welcome to my candy store/time for you to prove you're not a loser/anymore/so step into my candy store.
Aurore stood up from her throne and walked off the side, grabbing a wine glass of blood from a table that was there.
AURORE: (Girls will)/fall for you/drink their blood/then they're through./(All you)/have to do/is say goodbye/to the old you./(That boy)/wasn't brave/though it seemed/that's all he craved./(Now he's)/long since gone/time for you/to prove them wrong!/Now if the crown fits/great, he'll be a hit/in the kingdom as my new king./So forget those pests/time to pass my tests/to see what favors you will bring!/Whoa-oh-oh/whoa-oh-oh/whoa-oh-oh!/Honey what'cha waiting for/Welcome to my candy store/you've just got to prove you're not a loser/anymore/so step into my candy store./You can join my team/(or you can bitch and moan)./You can live your dream/(or you can die alone)./You can fly with eagles/it's what I prefer./This is pretty great/and it DOESN'T LIKE HER!
Aurore took a sip of her drink, staring at the mirror again with a smirk. She couldn't help but feel some sort of connection to Luigi. It was odd in her eyes. She normally never felt like this towards anyone who she deemed worthy as a King. But then again...Kamek did use her spell on him.
AURORE: Honey what'cha waiting for... (Burps) Excuse me. Step into my candy store!/Yeah-ye-yeah-ye-yeah-yeah-yeah!/And step into my candy store!/It's my candy store/it's my candy./It's my candy store/it's my candy./It's my candy store/it's my candy STORE!
(End of the song)
"Here you okay, Luigi," Aurore froze at the sound of the voice, making her grip her wine glass tighter as she saw Peach handing Luigi a glass of red liquid.
"Thanks, Peach," He said with a grateful smile.
Aurore's glass broke from the tight hold as the blood that was in it spilled everywhere around her. "No," She spoke with gritted teeth. "How did she-?" She then thought of something. This could be some kind of a blessing in disguise for her. If the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom was staying with Luigi in Evershade Valley, then that meant her kingdom was at risk of someone to attack.
"Then again," Aurore spoke grimly as she sat down in her throne again. "The famous Mario Mario is there. He'd stop any plan I have." She thought for a moment, staring at the image of Peach sitting on the couch next to Luigi. "She's a smart girl," She said. "Just as smart as her mother. If anyone can figure out how to change this boy back to human, it's her." Aurore slammed her fist on the arm of the throne out of anger, yelling out of frustration when she saw Peach grab her head and sit stiffly.
"You okay, Peach?" Luigi asked her, making the pink-clad princess look at him and smile.
"I'm fine," She had said. "Just another dizzy spell."
Aurore's eyes widened at hearing this. "What?" She asked with surprise as she shot her head back up to the image in the mirror. "She's getting them now, too?"
OOOOOO
Luigi was in the living room, a wine glass of blood in hand, as he was looking out the window. Peach had a glass of red wine with her as she, too, looked out the glass. Why they were doing this, she didn't know. But she was by his side from the day they met. So she wasn't going to leave him anytime soon.
"What, or who, are we looking for exactly?" She finally asked after taking a sip of her wine, turning her gaze towards Luigi.
"For my aunt," Luigi answered as he took a sip from his glass, grimacing with disgust after he tasted its contents. "If Grace told her what happened to me, then she'll most likely show up. That's how Vanessa Mario works."
"I didn't even know your father had a sister," Peach said with a smile.
"Yeah, twin sister," Luigi answered. "She's a fun woman. Always sees the best in things and doesn't let negativity get to her."
"Is that why Nadia's the same way?" Luigi looked at Peach with surprise.
"I'm surprised. I thought you forgot about my sister," He said.
"How could I?! She's a lot like you and Mario: smart, loyal, adventurous...and maybe a bit shy."
"Hey!" Peach giggled at his retort. "I'm not shy! The other three, yes. Shy...I don't see it." Peach laughed now before seeing Luigi's face go all serious now. "There's, actually, also something I didn't tell you about my aunt."
"What's that?" Peach asked, before getting interrupted by a roar outside. She looked out the window with Luigi and saw a big silver-scaled dragon flying towards the manor. "The hell?!"
Luigi raced towards the front door, Peach was following suit as she set her glass down next to Luigi's, and stopped on the front step. Luigi was already there since he had superhuman speed now. Though he already had that to a degree.
The silver beast landed in the clearing as silver smoke started to swirl around her and grow smaller and smaller. Once it faded away, a young woman stood in its place. She had a bright smile with her blue eyes and wore an elegant knee-length silver and black dress with black ankle boots.
Peach just stared in surprise as the woman walked up to the gate. But it seemed the woman's excitement got the best of her, for she ran to the gate's door and swung it open with so much force, Peach half expected it to fly off its hinges.
"Luigi!" She exclaimed as she ran up to him and hugged him.
"Ciao, Zia Nessa," He said in return, tightening his embrace around her. "I didn't realize how much I missed you until now."
"Same with you, nipote [Nee-pote-tay – in means 'nephew' in Italian]," She said as she saw Grace in the doorway. She mouthed a thank you to the ghost before pulling away from the grown man before her. "Now, let me look at you." She kept him at arm's length, seeing his new red eyes sparkling in the dim lamplight. He smiled nervously, which showed off his new fangs as well.
"Who bit you?" The woman asked with worry, which only made Luigi roll his eyes.
"No one bit me, Zia Nessa!" He exclaimed. "Kamek cursed me to be like this for the rest of my life...which, come to think of it, won't ever end since I'm now...immortal." Peach saw the sudden change of emotion in Luigi's eyes, seeing that he now had infinite time in his life. It kind of saddened her a little bit. To watch all your loved one's age and pass on to another life while you're still the same age you were the past several years...that had to be hard to think about.
"Do you know what spell he used?" Vanessa asked.
"I overheard it," Peach exclaimed, making Vanessa look at her with Luigi. "I was being held captive by Bowser and Kamek was aiming this spell at Mario."
"You're Princess Peach?"
"Yeah."
"Do you remember what the words were?"
Peach thought for a moment, trying to recall the words in her brain. But she suddenly felt the world spin and almost collapsed when Luigi caught her in his arms just in time.
"Whoa there," He spoke quietly as he held her close. Her hand was on his chest as she looked up into his eyes. "You okay? Another dizzy spell?"
"Yeah," She spoke as she looked over at Vanessa. "Sorry. I've been feeling rather dizzy lately. Um...let me-"
"It's alright, child," Vanessa said with a grin. "Maybe there's something in the library that will help."
"Maybe," Luigi said with a sigh. "But I've looked in every book I could find about spells! I couldn't find anything."
"Maybe," Peach began as she grabbed her head, "maybe it's in a different mansion. I mean, Evershade Valley is full of them."
"Yeah, true," Luigi spoke, keeping Peach from passing out. "But I'm starting to lose hope that it is."
"We just have to-" Peach saw the world getting blurrier and blurrier by the minute. "What's going on with me?" She asked as she looked up at Luigi. It didn't take long for her to yelp in pain as she grabbed her wrist...the one Luigi bit. Vanessa saw the bandage and looked at Luigi in a reprimanding way. Luigi just brushed his aunt off and gently took Peach's hand in his.
"It's okay," He spoke quietly as he put his head on top of Peach's. "I got you."
Peach winced once more at her wrist, before keeping her head on Luigi's chest. He was a lot taller than Mario, which she had to admit...she liked it. And this felt more comfortable for her. Being in the arms of someone she cared about. She felt safe. She only ever felt like this with Mario. But once Luigi went missing, things changed. They'd cuddle on the couch and he'd be distant, distracted even. It wasn't like how it used to be when they first met. But here with Luigi...the comfort was back.
"How long have you been getting these dizzy spells?" Vanessa asked with worry.
"For a while," Peach said. "But it was WAY before I let Luigi bite my wrist to feed."
"You let him?" Vanessa was shocked to hear this.
"Yeah," Peach answered with a wave of her hand. "Anyway, the spell sounded foreign to me."
"Do you remember the words?" Luigi asked as he loosened his hold on her. Though, he wished he hadn't.
"Yeah, actually," The blond woman said as she stood up straight a bit. "I do."
"What were they?" Vanessa asked.
"I'm afraid to say. I mean, what if it-?"
"It won't turn me, Peach," Vanessa reassured. "I'm a dragon. I can't be a vampire as well."
"She's got you there," Luigi said, making Peach giggle slightly.
"If you say so," Peach said with a smile. It soon fell as she moved out of Luigi's hold, patting his shoulder as a way of saying 'thank you', and thought back to the incident a month ago.
"Well?" Vanessa asked, making Luigi glare at her. And she seemed to have backed off since his eyes were glowing now.
"Sheltered and possessed/stay forever young," Peach began, with Luigi's gaze going back to Peach, "live on blood alone/and set the spirit free."
"Oh, my; God," Vanessa said out of shock. Luigi and Peach looked at her with confusion written all over their faces. "I know that spell."
"Well, it's a Vampire Turning spell," Peach said. "Or else Luigi wouldn't be here."
"No! I mean...I know the writer of that spell."
"Kamek didn't make it up?" Luigi asked surprised.
"No, he didn't," Vanessa returned, taking a deep breath as her hands were shaking now. "I just can't believe she's resurfaced."
"Who?" Peach asked concerned. "Who resurfaced?"
Vanessa looked at Peach and tried to remain calm for her sake. "Another vampire," she spoke honestly. "One that...your mother defeated, Peach." Luigi looked at Peach with shock, while Peach herself was just staring at Vanessa. The shock was still clearly in her eyes, she just didn't show it on her face. "Her name is Aurore Walter. She's vicious and ruthless and will do anything to get what she wants. She's even had a few kings for her kingdom...all killed by her."
"Oh, damn," Luigi said with surprise. "That's the definition of a Black Widow."
"Did you say her surname was Walter?" Peach asked, making Luigi and Vanessa look at her again.
"Yeah. Why?" Vanessa asked.
"No reason," Peach answered, as she pushed some of her hair behind her ear-ringless ear. But that last name does sound familiar to me.
"Do you know where she could be?" Luigi asked, which was putting Peach a little on edge.
"Not a clue," Vanessa said with a sigh afterward. "I just hope there's a counterspell to change you back."
"You and me both, Zia Nessa," Luigi sighed out. "You and me both."
OOOOOO
Boo Woods was crawling with Toads, as well as Toadsworth, as they were searching for more signs of Luigi. They had found the mansion pretty fast since Mario was at the head of the search. He knew exactly where it would be located. But when they went inside, there were no traces of Luigi anywhere.
"We'll find him, Master Mario," Toadsworth had said to the red-clad plumber before delegating what the Toads were to do now.
Mario was just sitting on one of the foyer steps, holding Luigi's hat like it was an extra life. He couldn't bring himself to putting it down somewhere. If his brother was indeed gone, then this hat was the last thing that kept Luigi close to the red Mario Brother.
"Please, Luigi," He said as a tear fell from his eye. "Be alive still."
"Excuse me?" A voice spoke up, making Mario look up to the top of the foyer steps. There he saw a woman wearing a white gown with black accents. It had white sleeves that stopped at a point on the tops of her hands, and poofy sleeves on her shoulders. She had a similar face shape to Peach, but it wasn't exact. It was more elegant and refined, with mature blue eyes staring back at him. Her hair was blond too, but it wasn't as golden as Peach's. It was more pale, almost white, but not exactly.
"May I ask what is wrong?" She asked as she walked down the set of stairs on the other side of the foyer.
"I'm sorry," Mario said as he stood up, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I didn't realize my brother had someone staying here."
"What do you mean?" She asked again. This time, Mario could see she was holding a book in her arms.
"My brother, Luigi. He owns this mansion?" Mario retorted, sounding a bit annoyed. But who wouldn't when one of their family members were missing?
"Oh, right! The Man in Green," The woman said with a giggle and a grin. "The one who was enchanted by a young blond's beauty."
Mario nodded with a grin. "Yeah. He's had a crush on Peach for a while now."
"And you don't mind that?" Mario looked at her more closely as she said this. Now he was getting to be a bit on edge with her. Sure, she seemed friendly and nice, but now she was getting personal in some way.
"Actually, no," He ended up saying, not knowing what else to say. "Peach and I broke up. We were both under the stress of Luigi's disappearance and needed some space. If he wants her, then he can go for her now." He sighed in response to the statement. "I just wish I knew where he was. Even if it's...the worst-case scenario. I want to know."
The woman grinned at him with serenity as she walked up to him. She placed a gentle hand to his shoulder, making him look up into her eyes. They held the same sparkle of kindness he saw in Peach's. She even looked like an older version of Peach now that he got a better look at her.
"Who are you?" He asked with wonder, making her giggle with an angel-like sound.
"I'm surprised you have to ask," She said as she removed her hand from his shoulder, placing it back on her book. "But regardless, it's Queen Jocelyn...I'm Peach's mother."
