Thank you to my two anonymous reviewers, Megan, and Capnbooth4 for leaving reviews on the first chapter of this tale. Seems we have some excitement about what could possibly come next, and for that, I'm immensely grateful. I received a PM previously and will address one thing now:

What happened to my previous fic Tale of the Green Comet? Well, there's been a lot that occurred since 2017 until now that took me away from writing, and unfortunately, my passion for that was long removed. I had every intention to resume, but alas, there was a year-long case of writer's block I couldn't overcome because where I wanted to go with the story was a complete mystery to even me.

This story reinvigorated that creative engine because it's something that is weird and has never been done before. Shadow Queen is rarely explored as a character in general, and her background doesn't exist. She's just there. So there's a bunch of writing real estate available for me to headcanon her character beyond the 20 minutes we got in TTYD.

The common theme in the first reviews is: Where are we going with this? There's a lot I could write about. I have some chapters, such as this one, already storyboarded and ready to go. For anyone that was a fan of my previous work, I implore you to invest yourself in this. I love to make references to obscure concepts in the Mario World, but I won't be highlighting them this time around. That's up to the reader to discover for themselves ;).

Aside from that, we'll have a bit of background for this chapter. Enjoy!

Super Luigi's Tale

Several days before the events in the Thousand-Year Door.

"Mama Mia, bro, I didn't expect you here in Rougeport of all places! What are you doing around these parts?" Luigi asked with enthusiasm.

Around him was a modest environment, layered in beige bricks, a wooden ceiling, and in front of him, a steaming cup of cocoa. Never one to miss the opportunity for a morning snack, Luigi found himself inhaling the pleasant fumes as the steam carried notes of cocoa, mint, and an earthy aroma that made Luigi feel nostalgic for home. It was a simple cup, but to him, the simplicity and tastiness of the hot cocoa reminded him of simpler times. Before his mansion, before his educational journey to find his brother, and before the time Bowser had become their everlasting menace.

The sun reflected brightly off the simple windows of Rougeport's inn. The sun didn't shine this brightly around the area, so for everyone in town, this was a day to appreciate and enjoy. Near Luigi sat Toadsworth on the opposite end of a table, enjoying his morning tea with a yawn to shake off the sleep cobwebs that kept him groggy. Toadsworth was in town for a separate occasion and Luigi found himself surprised at the chance encounter. He had been going through his own journey as of late and saw the advisor in a town that juxtaposed everything he stood for was amusing and unexpected to the green plumber. Seeing his brother in red was even more unexpected as it had been months since the two had been able to sit and talk.

"Well-a Luigi, I've been busy again with the princess and the stars and the Bowser and the X-nauts trying to revive-a someone. I needed to rest for a day so it's good to see you." Mario responded. Truth be told, Mario often didn't have these opportunities often as well. He was usually traveling through distant lands, so the source of conflict being in a rural setting presented the idea for him to be able to unwind somewhere that wasn't in the middle of a random forest or worlds filled with snow.

"I getcha, Bro! I've been catching a breather here, you know, reflecting back on all my adventures. If you have time, I'd love to share. It's been a long road, Bro, Wanna hear what happened? It's a pretty long story…" responded Luigi. These opportunities with his beloved brother were rare for both of them, and waiting for his cocoa to cool provided ample opportunity to relax and recount.

"Sure," Mario replied simply, eyeing Luigi's cup. Turning to his side, Mario waived over a Toad and presented a few coins. "I'll have what he's having," Mario requested. That cup smelled intoxicating and he couldn't remember the last time he had sat and just drank something. Mario had arrived mere moments ago and the usually gracious Toadsworth was a man of few words in the morning. Mario simply waived at the elderly toad who nodded back at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Hey, sounds good to me!" Luigi started. "Wel, like I said, it's a really long story, but here goes. After you got your letter from Peach, the usual, I was alone and cooking a snack at home when another letter arrived. You Know we don't get so much mail, so I was thinking: 'Huh?' This is what the letter said:"

"Sirs! My name is Crepe, I am a cabinet minister for the far-off Waffle Kingdom. Our land has been attacked by the Chestnut King who took our Princess Éclair. I ask, nay, BEG for your assistance! The Waffle Kingdom needs your skills. I humbly request your prompt response, sirs. Sincerely, Crepe"

"What-a the heck is a Waffle Kingdom?" Mario interrupted with humor.

"That's what I'm saying, bro! So anyhow, I was wondering how a king kidnapped the Princess until I realized maybe it was a King of Koopas situation ya' know…I don't remember it exactly but I think it went something like that. With you gone, it was just up to me for this one! Hesitating only a teensy bit, I headed to the Waffle Kingdom to investigate," Luigi explained. To Mario, this story sounded bizarre but it had the potential to be worth a listen, so he gave some slack and settled into his chair as he awaited his cup of cocoa. Luigi exhaled and blew into his cup, mumbling: "This'll be a long story" to no one in particular. A keen observer would note that from the corner of his eyes, Toadsworth was beginning to get ready to listen.

"Oh, no, first I wrote a note to myself about what I was cooking. Then I left. Once I reached the Waffle Kingdom, I met Minister Crepe, who filled me in. The Chestnut King had kidnapped Princess Eclair and vanished. Apparently, though, some oracle said a Marvelous Compass could locate her. This Marvelous Compass had been broken into seven parts by an ancient curse…and those parts had been across the land. Can you believe it, Bro? Each part of the Marvelous Compass was said to point to the next," Luigi continued.

"Hey-a that sounds a lot like the Crystal Stars…" Mario pondered. How convenient.

"And since one of the parts was embedded in the tiara worn by the princess…I surmised that once I collected all the parts, I'd find her! Smart, huh? The minister gave me the compass base spoken of in Waffler fables…When it activated, the entire thing lit right up, indicating the deep south…It was pointing me toward Rumblebump Volcano on the Pudding Continent! So yeah, here I am! I'm sailing out of Rougeport for Rumblebump Volcano. It's probably gonna be pretty dangerous, but…I gotta rescue that princess!" Luigi stated.

"Luigi, where in Mama's name is Rumblebump Volcano, and where did you learn the word 'surmise'?" Mario asked.

"Well that's the thing, Bro! I didn't even know where it was, but I had to operate on a feeling based on what the compass told me. And hang around Professor E. Gadd enough and he'll start to rub off on you with his lexicon!" Luigi responded.

"Mama mia this is-a getting weird," Mario thought.

"As soon as my ship docked on the Pudding Continent, I set out for the volcano. To reach my destination, I spent several days fording through dense jungle…Scary beasts were all over! More than once I thought I was done for, Bro! I may have screamed a bit." Luigi continued. Toads near the table who began to have a vested interest snorted at this completely expected behavior.

"To scare them off, you know. But as fate would have it…A Blooper named Blooey heard me shrieking and found me in this one town. Blooey was on a journey of his own, but he joined me after hearing my tale. Now, Blooey's a madman. Back in his hometown, they call him 'White Torpedo'! Yeah, he's a tough guy. Anyway, he helped me fight to Rumblebump Volcano. This place was all about bubbling lava pools and heat that'd make the sun sweat," he continued.

"Where is Blooey?" Mario interrupted. Luigi simply shrugged, much to everyone's confusion.

"AND, the place was lousy with evil traps designed to protect the compass piece. The scariest one of all

was this gigantic, 100-foot-tall statue that stomped around. Now, the weakness of this giant statue, Bro, was a red gem on its forehead…Now, I can jump high, but not high enough to reach this thing by a long shot. So I came up with this plan for Blooey to hit that weak spot! 'All you, man!' I said. I waited for a pause in the statue's movements and hucked Blooey up there! And bull's-eye! The White Torpedo saved the day! That jewel got whacked! It was a critical hit, and that stone statue toppled and crumbled into pieces! Once that was done, it was an easy stroll to the room where the treasure was. Unfortunately, Princess Eclair was nowhere to be found…But I got another piece of the Marvelous Compass, and put it in the base…Now the compass pointed west, to Plumpbelly Village on the Strudel Continent. So I set sails once again and came back here to Rougeport to recharge," Luigi rapid-fired.

"This story is getting a bit outlandish," a nearby maid Toad thought to himself. Mario nodded, noticing Toadsworth's interest in the whacky tale.

"So you don't know where Blooey is right now?" Mario asked. Luigi nodded and replied with a simple "nope" that everyone caught.

"Once we made landfall on the Strudel Continent, we made for Plumpbelly Village. Once we got there, though, we immediately noticed that something was wrong. We learned from the mayor that the town was ruled by a giant snake named Hizza! He said that his own daughter was gonna be offered up as a sacrifice to this beast, too! So, of course, being heroic, I offered myself up to go in her stead! Brave, huh? Now, the custom was for sacrifices to be dressed as brides, so I got all dolled up…"

"What?!" Toadsworth shouted, shifting and staring at Luigi as he was startled out of his tale. "Surely you jest, Master Luigi!" Toadsworth asked.

"What does he mean, 'of course, being heroic'? Where is this 'of course' coming from?" the maid Toad asked himself as he made Luigi's bed.

"I had to do what I had to do. I was one hot sacrifice, Bro. I looked so good, I fooled our foes and got in Hizza's lair. It was kind of rough fighting in that gown, but I managed. Chiffon really chafes, Bro!" Luigi continued, apparently undisturbed and secretly relishing the increasing investment from Toadsworth and Mario.

"Uh…" Mario muttered. He didn't have any words to describe what he was hearing. When did his brother change and become this…this weird?

"I finally found Hizza…and the snake had a second head on its tail! Talk about scary! I fainted real quick, but when I came to, I managed to distract both heads…It reared up, fangs bared to attack, and at that moment, I deftly lunged left! His gaping mouths smashed into one another…and he vanished in a cloud of smoke! I think he ate himself! A shining plate fell down on the spot where Hizza's body had been coiled and yes! Another compass piece! I set it, and it pointed east, to Circuit Break Island! Just as I was about to leave town, the mayor asked me to stay and marry his daughter. I thought about it-she was sorta cute-but we ended up sneaking off the next morning," Luigi explained.

"Master Luigi, you thought about it? What about Princess Daisy?!" Toadsworth demanded, gobsmacked by what he had just heard.

"Well that's the thing, it's not official so my options are always open," Luigi responded. Mario's eyes widened at this. Never did he think his brother would be so open to playing the field, for lack of a better term. It seems Luigi was much different than Mario once he began to develop his own personality.

"I mean, I still have to save Princess Eclair from the Chestnut King! And…when the Marvelous Compass activated this time, I heard somebody's voice. It was so beautiful, Bro…I'm certain it was Princess Eclair's voice! My heart began to race! That's when I realized it: Princess Éclair…I think I…Oh! I kinda zoned out there. Umm…So, yeah. We set sail again after ditching town!" Luigi happily told.

Everyone froze in place to look at Luigi. Patrons were beginning to form a line from the downstairs inn to the upstairs room to overhear this bizarre tale. Many were stunned to hear that Luigi was not actually in a committed relationship with Daisy, but that he was almost nothing like his brother in terms of how he carries himself and what his motives are. Sure, Mario was madly attracted to Peach, but he wouldn't outright say so or dare to deviate from his own love interest.

"Just as our boat arrived at Circuit Break Island, we heard this incredible racket! We soon found out that they hold kart races almost every day on the island. Whoever takes first place in the race gets to rule the island as king for that day. Just as we got to the race-track, they were holding the awards ceremony…I couldn't believe my eyes! Right there, on the trophy they give to the winner…It was another piece of the Marvelous Compass! I almost passed dead away! I decided right then and there that the only thing to do was enter the next race," Luigi continued.

"This story is getting really convenient, Master Luigi," Toadsworth responded suspiciously to the man in green. Luigi turned to Toadsworth in silence, and simply stared at him before he continued on. Toadsworth found himself confused and uncomfortable with the wordless response effectively translating to "Shut the hell up,"

" I've driven in kart races before, so I thought I'd be OK. Boy, was I wrong. The karts were supercharged machines that could send you airborne with their exhaust! These vehicles were armed with missiles and bazookas…It was 'anything goes,' Bro! Of course, I wanted to get right out of there, pronto! These drivers were crazed! But I worked up my courage and signed up anyway. And my race day finally came…I got one of the best karts: the Big Green 01! I took my position at the start line…The light went green, I stomped the accelerator…and something bad happened. I was in reverse! The Big Green 01 went rocketing backwards with me yelling…I crashed into the wall behind me hard enough to cut me off midscream," Luigi explained, sighing as he scratched the back of his head.

The maid Toad had stopped working at this point and sat on Luigi's bed, snorting as he stared at Luigi. At least the story sounded probable, if not for a few bizarre details that really needed elaboration.

"In one fell swoop I dropped into last place and wrecked my racing machine…But it wasn't all bad news: all the other cars crashed because of my maneuver…Once I got in gear and took off, I was the only car left! I won by a country mile, Bro! I took the piece off of my trophy and added it to the Marvelous Compass…The compass came to life and pointed me toward Jazzafrazz Town in the east! Then I heard that voice! Princess Eclair's voice echoed in my ears again! Oh, my princess! Random words would form poetry if spoken by your voice!" Luigi sighed lovingly at the remembrance of the soft words.

"Mama Mia, what the fuck, Luigi? This just sounds like spinoff fanfiction-"

"SOOOOOOO as soon as we hit Jazzafrazz Town, we were overcome by the glitz and the glamour. It's a very lively place, Bro. Tons of Dayzees live there, and they're always smiling! While looking for the piece of compass, I met a hip Dayzee named Hayzee. Hayzee was a producer, and he was looking for actors to go on stage with him. I told him we couldn't, since we were looking for the compass part, you know. But Hayzee said we could WIN the compass part in the upcoming Drama Slam! He said the so-called Dramalama Plaque might, in fact, be one of the parts! Well, we just had to give it a try, so we rehearsed with the cast and hit the stage! Our musical was called 'The Mystery of the Fiery Hat of Social Awareness'," Luigi interrupted.

"The script was great, but I got really hosed, Bro…My "role"…My 'part' …was grass! I played grass by the side of the road! Grass, Bro! Grass! I just sprawled out on the ground and had to be silent. Everyone but me had lines…I don't care if I was wearing green! Who casts someone based on that? It was awful!" Luigi shrieked. To his horror, he turned around near the stairwell to find an audience laughing at the tale.

"It's not the funny! And I made for hell of a good grass, thank you!" Luigi retorted. Toadsworth had stopped drinking his tea due to risk of him choking on it through laughter, but he couldn't help his growing investment with this story. This sounded like someone ate a bad mushroom or two.

"In the end, our musical was the talk on the town, and we won the Drama Slam. I got the compass part I was after, but even that didn't make me very happy. The huge after-party just bummed me out more, so I snuck out the back door. But WOW! Outside were tons of fans! MY fans! Fans of grass! They swarmed me! I just couldn't believe it! Imagine! Cheering for grass! I was ecstatic, Bro! After that I added the piece to the Marvelous Compass, which pointed north. It pointed to the Rapturous Ruins in Grimble Forest" Luigi continued.

Mario shook his head at his brother's antics. Fans of grass? Who were the people of Jazzafrazz Town? Mario looked and asked the silent question to Toadsworth, who wore a bewildered expression on his face. He began to question Luigi's sobriety.

"After journeying deep into the Grimble Forest, I found the domed Rapturous Ruins. Inside, everything was pure white. You couldn't tell where the floor became walls…Proceeding dead ahead, I found myself in a chamber where a young boy sat. As I approached the boy, someone named Screamy appeared out of nowhere! Screamy said the boy's name was Cranberry, and that he'd wake for a child of fate. That didn't make any sense to me, so I started searching quietly for the compass piece. But then it happened, Bro: I got a tiny tickle in my nose, and I let out a huge sneeze! Well, Cranberry must've heard it, 'cause he opened his eyes right up! He looked at me and smiled. And all of a sudden I could understand his language—"

"Master Luigi…you didn't happen to inhale anything suspicious through your nose, now did you?" Toadsworth interrupted.

Luigi once again stared at Toadsworth without a response. The audience began to brace themselves for what the answer could be. Was Luigi sober?

"Can you believe it? I learned that…" the audience fell over themselves at his refusal to answer.

"I learned that the boy was the last of an ancient race, the Luffs…He had been there guarding the Marvelous Compass piece for the last thousand years! He told me that the compass is an item with the power to see into the future…The ancient Luff empire used the power of the compass to rule much of the world. Because of their greed, they were cursed by the compass, and their empire collapsed,"

"See in the future? Can you see things now?" Mario asked. Luigi shook his head, explaining: "It came and went, and is not so often now that I see things. But to make sure these things can't happen again, Cranberry was the one who broke the compass into seven pieces and he kept one piece for himself, vowing to sleep until a worthy hero woke him."

"I WAS that hero, Bro! He gave it to me, and then he and the ruins vanished…When I added that piece to the compass…It pointed to the far north, where the dreaded Hatesong Tower stands. This time, I heard Princess Eclair's voice more clearly than ever before! I will rescue the princess! I will be super!" Luigi passionately, and far too dramatically, bellowed to the audience. If he had an audience, you best believe he was going to put on a show.

"But-a Luigi, how do you know Cranberry did not wake from just a sneeze, as opposed to you being the hero?" Mario questioned. Everything about this screamed convenience, even more than Mario's own usual escapades.

"Because it was a hero's sneeze!" Luigi responded enthusiastically. Groans all around the inn were heard.

"Hatesong Tower stands atop a jagged, unclimbable cliff beyond the northernmost sea. The winds whistle down the cliff, howling like banshees singing songs of hate…People say it's pretty much the scariest place in the world. And I had to go there. Blocking out the bone-chilling howls, I somehow managed to reach the tower's door. I was terrified, but the thoughts of Princess Eclair warmed my heart and gave me power. All of my companions felt the same way. They were with me to the bitter end." Luigi exclaimed.

"Wait, so Blooey was with you?!" the maid Toad interrupted. Luigi nodded and continued, not wanting to get into the status of their current…partnership.

"The door to the tower swung slowly opened to reveal an inconceivable darkness…I tried to call out Princess Eclair's name, but I couldn't even breathe because…As I strained my eyes in the darkness, I saw the most terrifying beast of all! The Chestnut King himself appeared before me! He was monstrous and drooling! Puddles of toxic goo dripped from his mouth, melting the very ground at our feet! I couldn't stop shaking, but I gritted my teeth and faced the evil beast dead-on! I dodged the king's fangs, jumped onto his chest, and gave him a hammer-whack! My swing split the air and crashed dead-center onto the Chestnut King's skull!"

"Dio, when did my brother get-a so weird?" Mario thought. He turned to see a Toad finally bringing him the cup of Cocoa Luigi had ordered. Finally! This felt like the longest story he's ever heard. The cocoa finally arrived, tantalizing the red plumber with its beautiful aroma. Luigi waived at his distracted brother to ensure he was still listening.

"Hope powered me up, Bro! I was going toe-to-toe with the king, and I was loving it! 'This is it!' I thought! I can win this! I'll risk it all on my next blow! I gripped my hammer tight and waited for my moment…The tension stung me…SHHHWHAAAAACK! The ocean winds raged against the tower windows! With that sound as my call to battle, I advanced with no mercy in my heart!"

"And then…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

Mario leaned forward as the tension built thick enough to cut with a knife. Toadsworth sat straightened on his chair, the maid Toad disheveled Luigi's bed by scootching forward, and the audience near the stairwell anxiously waited.

"…"

"…"

"…"

"I beat him. I defeated the Chestnut King. An even worse beast came next, a nightmare thing…but I beat it, too."

"Master Luigi, you can't just skip parts of the story if you're going to build this much suspense!" Toadsworth cried out. Mario gave Toadsworth a death glare to silence himself immediately. He was happy to listen to a tale from his beloved brother but this visit was quickly becoming an exhaustive one.

"Actually, know what? This guy actually novelized my quest! He's been interviewing me. He was actually interviewing me here at the inn during breaks from my adventure! I didn't think anyone would be interested in reading a book about Luigi…But "Super Luigi" is about to come out!" Luigi shouted, making sure everyone heard his pitch. Mario facepalmed, realizing he could have saved the verbal tale for a book to read for his own time.

"So Luigi, what now? Can you still see the future?" Mario questioned. There were many fragments to the story, but this piece was the most critical for him. If he could, maybe Luigi could be a vital asset in rescuing the Princess.

"Nope! Not at all, bro!" Luigi responded to Mario's horror. The anticlimactic end to the story saw the maid Toad quickly finish his job as the rest of the audience dispersed, mumbling about needing to buy his book so they could get Luigi's full story. Toadsworth stood, and with a curt nod, departed from the inn.

During Mario's battle with the Shadow Queen

"Woah…who turned off the sun?" Luigi muttered as he felt a discomfort overtaking him as the sky warped into a veil of darkness. Luigi swiveled near Rougeport's town center to see many of its residents incapacitated and sprawled across the floor as pressure mounted in the atmosphere. This was reminiscent of what he felt like during his battle with the 'nightmare thing', but to a far greater scale. Beads of sweat rolled down the plumber's neck as he removed his cap to rustle his hair.

"This must be Bro's battle…" he muttered to himself before his vision was briefly warped and he found himself observing the battle between Mario's party and a mysterious woman. The woman seemed both dazzling and horrifying at the same time to Luigi, with the horror coming from how badly his brother was being beaten. There was no telling who was going to win the battle, but he noted that his brother looked like he was on his last legs.

Luigi would normally struggle tremendously with having the initiative to intervene in someone else's fight, but when it came to his Big Bro, all bets were off. Nothing, absolutely nothing would stop him from trying to save his brother. He already fought in a makeshift hell against a giant, zombified version of Bowser and King Boo before, and he would do it again in a heartbeat if he had to.

As soon as the vision started, the vision ended, and Luigi felt that whatever connection he had to the Golden Compass was now lost. Figuring that this was the end of his ability to see the future, he thanked the heavens for the final display of altruism that gave him the opportunity to save Rougeport and Mario. Luigi turned and sprinted to the Rougeport Inn, silently cursing himself for not being able to assist the unconscious townsfolk.

Luigi charged through the door, smashing it into the flanks as he retrieved his luggage bag. There was one thing he always brought with him when he traveled alone, and it was his insurance card—his 'just in case' emergency that he carried. Despite his paranoia and almost never needing to be used, it would come to be a miracle this time.

"Good ol' Poltergust…let's go save Bro!" Luigi stated to himself, hyping himself in anticipation of facing what appeared to be some demonic horror. It looked like a phantom, so to hell with it, he was going to go for broke and do what he could to defeat them. The Poltergust seemed like the perfect option.

"I don't know if she's a ghost…but I have no time to consider anything else. Let's-a-go!" Luigi whispered as he ran out of the Inn and to the center of the town. Noting the appearance of the Crystal Star, it was evident that whatever he envisioned and what was going on in Rougeport with the appearance of the star—his brother had to be involved in some way.

"Everyone around here knows of the Thousand-Year Door…it's underground, I think. So be it!" Luigi thought. Squatting near the infamous noose display, Luigi launched himself high into the atmosphere with a Power Bounce, only to plummet with amazing velocity straight into the ground. The area shook with momentous force as the ground shattered, revealing only the deep tunneling created by Luigi's impact.

Far below, Luigi landed with a massive thud.

"Owowowowow. Not a good idea!" Luigi bellowed. Shaking off his mental cobwebs, Luigi noted that in front of him was the fabled door, and more so, it was wide open and radiating a sickening aura. Luigi felt a murderous intent emanating from the door, but remembering his vision, he ran through with reckless abandon. Luigi tripped and fell once crossing the door, horrified by the involuntary sensations that were rummaging through his body. All hairs were standing up while he began to sweat uncontrollably. Shutting his eyes, Luigi readied himself.

"Calm down, calm down…it's for Bro."

Luigi sprinted, realizing that the greater the fear and pressure he experienced, the likelier it was that the battle he envisioned was taking place at its core. Running through the Shadow Palace, Luigi could just feel that whatever was going on was directly below him. Without hesitation, Luigi began stomping and hammering at the spot below him. Luigi grunted with effort as he swung his hips and arms directly into a cracked spot in the floor below, hammer in hand, only for the ground to shatter.

Darkness.

Night.

Silence.

Until it wasn't. He could see his brother and the Shadow Queen fighting one another in the way he had envisioned. Praising his luck and whatever deity resided above, Luigi prepared for the landing and unsheathed his Poltergust.

Luigi wasted no time sprinting out of the Shadow Palace and back into Rougeport. The Shadow Queen was defeated, but something was wrong. The Poltergust was beginning to overheat and vibrate violently.

"This isn't good." Luigi worriedly thought to himself. "I need to get back to the mansion, pronto. Not even King Boo fought against me like this,"

Using the underground tunnels and pipes available, Luigi was able to warp himself through the complex system of tunnels before he came across a brown pipe. The pipe was clearly worn and appeared abandoned, as there was nothing else in the grey room except the pipe he used to arrive, and the battered pipe ahead of him.

"That's it!" he shouted.

"Release me, you petulant fool! Do you think this vessel can truly restrain me?!" the Shadow Queen screamed. Luigi ignored the voice as he warped into the brown pipe, immediately being transported to the front of E. Gadd's lab. He noted that the area seemed to have a distinctive purple tint and realized that the Poltergust was the source of the disturbance.

"I don't think I have enough time to convert her into a painting. I'm going to have to use the emergency restraint option."

Luigi barged into the lab, grabbing a hexagon-shaped remote. This remote was created several years ago to create an ectoplasmic barrier to contain the Poltergust, should it ever malfunction. Given the types of ghosts Luigi battled and the sheer number of Boos that were absorbed, it was never a guarantee that the Poltergust could restrain everything. In the case where the Poltergust failed and contained powerful ghosts, this remote would quarantine the device in a barrier meant to restrain it and the ghosts it contained.

"Hear me now," the Shadow Queen started. "I present to you a negotiation and consideration if you will. I see within you, a complicated man wrought with anxiety, insecurity, and deep loneliness,"

"How would you even know this?" Luigi responded.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Shadow Queen, and I can feed off your emotional state to determine your character and history. You appear pleasant and unassuming, willingly so. Before you make any final decision, please, hear a Queen out." She retorted. Luigi, to his own horror, involuntarily resisted pressing the single button that was found on the remote. He needed to just press it, and everything would go right back to normal.

"Luigi, what is normal to you?"

He froze.

"Living in the shadow of not only your brother but other minor heroes of the lands. You strive to do much but lack the support of virtually everyone to commit themselves. Many do not give you the time of day, and you, in turn, grow to harbor a secret resentment that leads to a life full of wishes."

"Stop-"

"You need not wish any further. I am your answer," she replied sweetly. Her voice was intoxicating.

"What the hell is going on with me? Am I really going to listen to this?" Luigi thought. She was aiming right into his biggest insecurities and doubts with a precision that would make any marksman shake with jealousy.

"I understand the predicament we are both in. Make no mistake, I am at your mercy. You have the power in this interaction. I implore of you, for simply one moment, to listen to what I can offer you,"

"You radiate evil! Why would I-"

"You do not understand what evil is. I radiate power, and power in this world is regulated to specific standards and appearances. Specific properties. Simply because I am a being of darkness, does this make me evil? Is the black of night inherently evil? Are shrouds of darkness something that warrants fear?" she questioned.

"…"

"I am at your mercy. I have my own ambitions, but I feel that our ambitions may not be so different. You are a man with infinite potential, and I am a being of supreme power. We are both hampered at this very moment. I am a being of supreme power who has no power—isn't that quite the oxymoron?" she chuckled.

Luigi clutched the remote tightly, he knew manipulation from a country mile away. This woman wasn't going to-

"Companionship and respect are all you want. Am I not, correct? I offer this to you, and I do so by allowing you to be my vessel. I will not overtake your consciousness, and I will be your partner. You will never have to feel lonely again, and you may even have the potential to win my charms over should our partnership blossom. If not, we will remain strictly allies. You will possess the ability to no longer to live in the shadows as you will define the shadows themselves. I will heal and return to my former glory, and we can ensure that neither of us is ever isolated again. I only require your fullhearted willingness, and to accept me into you."

"What will happen to me?" Luigi involuntarily responded, eyes widening as he covered his mouth. The Shadow Queen giggled at this, her last-ditch effort to save herself suddenly appearing viable against all odds. She was lulling the plumber in through wisdom crafted over a millennium and had to pat herself on the back for it.

"You will be happy at last. Will you agree and release me? Just think about it, you could become the Shadow King with me, the Shadow Queen by my side. You will be limitless."

"I know you're manipulating me…" Luigi shakily retorted. Everything about this was horrifyingly wrong. Yet, he couldn't stop himself from imagining the potential. Maybe he could be a hero of his own? He could move away from his brother's shadow. He could have a Queen at his side! But at what cost? He knew that the Queen targeted every sore spot he had, but the issue at hand was that the offer she presented was just too good. He'll be a vessel with her power, his full consciousness, and be able to have the power to create his own identity? He was at a loss for words. But…what about Daisy? What would she think?

"Need not think of her. As I stated, you may win over my own charms. If you do not, you will possess the power to win over anyone in this very world with me on your side. I have no interest in you, but how your life may evolve is a series of endless possibilities. I am presenting you the opportunity to explore that through partnership."

"Please, let us join."

A/N: That's it for this chapter! Leaving off at a proposition. I want to make this fun. I've storyboarded many ideas but the how is undefined. I want to leave this up to the reviews. Do we want a sadistic and manipulative Shadow Queen? Do we want Luigi to indulge and commit fully? Is this going to be Shadow Queen x Luigi? You tell me your thoughts, as I'm penciling down these details soon but would love input!

Thank you!