Time to lay some foundation! Thank you all for the continued feedback. I'm shocked that I'm nearly double digits in reviews within days of starting this. For the chapter, we're revisiting where Luigi was just prior to the events of the Shadow Queen being released, followed by the conclusion to where the last chapter left off. Hopefully you all like the trajectory of where things are going!

Partners

Earlier this morning

The Mushroom Kingdom was silent. The sun above gently flared with the cool wind, providing the perfect summer atmosphere for the residents of the Kingdom. Leaves floated gently with the guidance of the wind, with some even landing on a familiar green-clad fellow. Few of these green oblongs delicately swirled around his hat, landing lightly on the fellow's nose.

Luigi gently opened a single eye at the sensation, scootching himself further against a small tree. The slight touch awakened him from brief slumber, though the plumber was not all too thrilled.

"Why am I so sensitive in my sleep...I react to everything…" the plumber-hero groaned.

The years of adventure along with his brother and many companions had conditioned Luigi to be able to react to the slightest touch. Born of his innate fear or paranoia, Luigi was always on-edge, for better or for worse. Luigi's sensitivity had increased more in recent times than ever before. He had completed an adventure in the Waffle Kingdom, yet, despite this, he felt empty. A book was being written on his escapades, yet there was no feeling of satisfaction stemming from his most recent journey. No one was around to celebrate—hell, no one was around to rejoice in his return home to safety. His brother was once again engaged in some type of Peach rescue mission that has been repeated well over a dozen times with varying context. Unlike Mario, Luigi faced the reality that he returned home alone to nonexistent fanfare.

"This feels too weird…No kart racing, no sports, no parties, no ghosts, not even Smash. Just…silence," Luigi thought. This was the first time where he could simply sit down and try to nap. This was not enough for him. He had nothing to do, nothing to accomplish, nothing to gain. He began to wonder, just what is his point to being in the Mushroom Kingdom if this is what he comes home to? Mario was enough to save an entire galaxy, so why is he needed here anyway? Yes, he saved Mario on more than one occasion, but that meant nothing when answering what his purpose was. To be his brother's guardian? Was that all?

Luigi sat up in concentrated thought. He didn't have many quiet days, but the silence of the area left him alone to contend with his mounting insecurities.

"What should I do…maybe…go…to town? Maybe Rogueport? I haven't been back since I got home from the Waffle Kingdom…" Luigi thought to himself in a sad reminder. In all honesty, he rarely visited the port unless he genuinely had to—he made plenty of visits as of late, but his inkling to visit was more from a developing habit than anything else. Right now, it seemed like such a different environment and ideal for getting away from home.

With that, Luigi stood up, shivering a bit from a sudden cold breeze. All around him was simply lush green land and sounds of silence accompanying the lonely plumber.

"Dangit Luigi, let's uh…let's try this."

With expert and practiced agility, Luigi sprung up immediately while pulling out a red star from underneath his cap. Instantly, Luigi's attire changed into an unusual black and green pattern. Without any hesitation, Luigi jumped once more, spinning, and beginning to float.

And then he fell.

"Oh come on, I can't use this star on this planet? Bummer, guess I'll have to borrow one of Bro's old things." Luigi said while pulling a single feather out of his cap. To many, this would look like any other bird feather. To those Mario has fought in the past, the feather was a terror and a reminder of the destructive capabilities the Italian possessed. As Luigi held the feather and focused on it, the feather had a reaction as it spontaneously disappeared. Simultaneously, Luigi's cap began to sprout feathers as well on each of its sides.

"I…really don't wanna ask why or how this works…", mumbled Luigi as he took off flying through the azure sky after a series of jumps. Throughout the beginning of the flight, Luigi could not help but scratch his ear in annoyance. The feather tickled a few spots given the texture, and it was a sensation that was foreign to Luigi as this was the first time he used the feather. Normally, he would use his red star, but Luigi assumed that this was not feasible due to the difference in orbit on his home planet. The more he pondered the differences between the red star and the feather, the more it made him wonder where he got the red star in the first place. Events happen so quickly that they can get hard to keep track of. After his victory in rescuing Princess Éclair, his memory was a mess. There was far more time to act than think in the life of the plumber.

"I remember-a maybe it was around the time I taught some children…? No no…that doesn't seem right. Maybe from a Party? But those items rarely-a work outside special events." All kinds of thoughts went through Luigi's head as he tried to remember the origin of one of his items. This is what happens when Luigi simply has too much free time. His loneliness was compounded by these very questions that no one was around to answer. Rhetorically, Luigi wondered why he was even thinking of these minute details.

Usually, he has to focus and strategize on rescuing and saving, but with downtime, his thoughts couldn't help but focus on something as minute as an item. Luigi did not know what else he could be thinking at this time. His thoughts at least kept him company, though those thoughts were interrupted as he spotted Princess Peach's castle after a few minutes of flying.

"Okay…approachin-" he started, before feeling a pull and heavy feeling. Luigi fought against the sensation while confused as to what was happening. The confusion resolved itself when Luigi felt himself lose that flight sensation: "What-a? No! Does the winged cap have a time limit? Nobody told me!"

At that moment, Luigi's terror echoed through the lands as he screamed from the sky. Perhaps the scream was unnecessary, as Luigi was only about a hundred feet off the ground. Luigi has jumped from taller heights in complete safety.

He stopped his screaming once he landed in predictable safety, turning red in embarrassment.

"Tell me no one saw this! Damnit, Luigi, you got to get your act together… It's no wonder things are the way they are now…This is just like the Blooey incident all over again…" he lamented to nobody in particular. With that, Luigi walked towards an open cannon outside the Princess's Castle. Luigi had absentmindedly walked over to the cannon and set its coordinated to Rogueport, ignoring everything around him.

Luigi's frustration with his quiet environment was not a result of having an itch for an adventure like his older brother, but instead, being uncomfortable with his thoughts. Luigi had been suffering from a case of depression that plagued him like a canker. Daisy was in Sarasaland, and, if he had to be honest with himself, he knew that Daisy just didn't see him as anything more than a friend. She has every right to view Luigi as such, but for him, he yearned for more. He yearned for a genuine companion who did not act as if their presence was a favor half the time.

Luigi knew the truth. The only thing he could blame was himself. And he did just that, sulking and reeking of heartbreak. Perhaps if he were stronger, more people would be around him just as they were around Mario. Luigi's behavior created a perpetual cycle that only helped reinforce and fuel his cowardice and anxiety which led to the reputation he has now. The only thing to get him out of that negative state of mind was rescuing Princess Éclair and his book, causing Luigi to have no time to sulk over that matter. Now, with Mario gone and dealing with Bowser, Luigi has been left in his own thoughts to stew and reflect on his predicament.

"I wish things were simpler," Luigi stated quietly as he climbed into the shallow underground chamber. Within moments, the cannon sprouted from the ground, directing Luigi to the coordinates he set, and an echo of the firing cannon from the underground area filled the quiet environment, only leaving a flying Luigi as the source of the sound.

After what seemed like hours of flying, Luigi crashed into town in nearly 3 minutes. Rogueport. A town, home to many of Luigi when he was at his lowest. It was only fitting he chose to come here. Misery breeds company, and there is no company quite like memories.

"Ow ow ow!" he yelped, landing right on his bum. A bit of exaggerated smoke lingered from the man as he stood up and looked around.

Surveying the area, no one seemed to mind. That was understandable, considering how much the Mushroom Kingdom goes through. A flying man in green landing from the sky is nothing unusual to people who have seen the near end of the world, especially in this very town. Some people did recognize the plumber, high-fiving and greeting him.

"What is drawing me here?" Luigi thought. He had to cross Rogueport several times over to travel through the Waffle Kingdom, but there was no reason for him to be in the run-down town. The idea was unexplainable to Luigi, but at least it was better than being home alone.

He was not the guy to just go out and about to the busiest part of town in a shopping center, even before he turned into a hero. Yet, he forced himself to in an effort to distract himself from his own mind. Visiting store after store, Luigi simply could not leave his shy shell, bringing in the same coyness to every purchase he made. Some purchases were free because of the inevitable shop owner recognizing and saying, 'hey, it's Luigi' while others went along as if he was any other. The plumber could not tell if he loved or hated it. Before long, Luigi finished his shopping spree with bags on bags of material. Miraculously, he shoved everything into his cap.

"How do I do that anyway?" Luigi said to no one. He walked into to the town Inn, ready to spend the night and do anything, anything, that took away from home.

Moments ago

"I-I can't betray Bro. Hell, I can't betray everyone for my needs," Luigi explained in response to the offer.

"Such willpower. Admirable. But an impediment at this time. He's about to crac-"

Luigi's thoughts gravitated to what happens next. When this is over, he's going to go home in his normal house. He's going to be surrounded by green. He's going to resume living in the shadow of his older brother. He's going to stay unloved and thought of as a coward. More of the same.

The same.

As if a glass shattered, so too, did Luigi's thoughts. The Shadow Queen remained silent, letting Luigi defeat himself in the process as he began to hyperventilate through his anxiety attack. Conflicted with all sorts of emotions, ranging from rage, sadness, betrayal, and potential joy, Luigi knew what he wanted. In a desperate mental battle, Luigi's eyes darted rapidly from left to right as he surveyed the lab. It was just him.

It was just him.

He dropped the remote, much to the smirking Shadow Queen's delight. Luigi looked at the Poltergust and inverted the controls so the Poltergust could blow air out. With a heavy heart and matching sigh, Luigi could not help but feel like he was watching himself release the Shadow Queen rapidly from the vacuum, observing the Queen extravagantly reappear in as much glory as she could muster. A large purple apparition materialized from the vacuum, particles quickly combining and condensing to form a starry apparition of a large woman with stringy grey hair and a pair of lips. A crown adorned the figure, shadowing all possible facial features otherwise. To think, his own brother and his crew had fought this woman tooth and nail, with some likely sacrificing their very lives…only for Luigi to be so overcome by his self-doubt that he undid every effort anyway.

Shadow Queen felt tempted to attack Luigi but knew the idea would be a massive folly. Her presence alone was causing an eclipse to form around the area, and she could not draw attention to herself or her plan. Any moment longer and her presence would spill out of the local area and back to the rest of the world yet again. She was resurrected without a pure vessel and already defeated—no need to play her luck any further.

Luigi, no longer afraid, but numb at the madness he was generating, stepped to the Queen, much to her surprise.

"You are much more willing than I anticipated. Thank you. You will make a good servant," she said.

"Don't get this twisted, I am not your servant, and you are not my slave. I know your intentions are far from pure, but let's just be partners and do this, okay?" Luigi responded with an eye-roll. He was beginning to regret this. The Queen stood before him, surprised by the boldness contrasting with memories of cowardice that she was reading from the plumber's emotional state earlier. Not wanting to press her luck, she nodded as the two walked into one another.

Any other observer would assume that Luigi conjured a black hole near his own stomach. All the environmental aura and growing pressure dissipated, and this hole began to slowly absorb the environment's purple hue along with the Shadow Queen. The growing eclipse in the land faded spontaneously as the black essence traveled into the lab and directly towards Luigi.

The Shadow Queen felt a tinge of sadness and sympathy for the poor man. Feeding off his energy required her to experience the man's mental state and calling him a train wreck would be the understatement of the year also briefly. Reading the memories reminded her of a time past in which she was a mere mortal, and the isolation of a thousand years slightly resonated with the demonic being. Luigi played the fool, but fools can warrant a degree of empathy.

Luigi focused on the sensation of chaos building up within him. He stuttered, "W-what have I done?" to no one in particular. The Shadow Queen's essence merged with Luigi's body, her smirk being the only thing he could feel. Waves of panic crashed through the plumber as the error of his decisions began to weigh heavily on his mind and heart. Doubt plagued his thoughts, until, as soon as the sensation of absorbing the evil energy started, it too, ended with not a trace.

Luigi closed his eyes, conflicted yet again. Overwhelming sensations exploded throughout his body, as remorse dissipated in exchange for raw satisfaction. Waves of energy rippled off his body as his energy and potential truly felt limitless. It was as if there was a well of power within him, and it felt magnificently endless. You could drop a coin in that well and never hear the splash of water from it. He felt that he could destroy Bowser's army ten times over before he breaking a sweat.

Opening his eyes, Luigi knew that he had changed in some form. The lab had no indication that anything amiss had occurred, so Luigi walked to a nearby mirror to observe himself. There was one difference in the man, namely that his irises were now purple. Aside from that, there was nothing to indicate he contained the Shadow Queen.

"I feel…"

"…"

"Almighty?" the Shadow Queen completed.

"Yes," Luigi confirmed simply.

"I have never felt anything like this. I feel limitless. I feel I can fix the world with the snap of my fingers," he continued.

"Understand, fool, this is my power you are accessing. Do not mistake this as your own. Our agreement was not made in charity, so do NOT, for a single second, assume that you can do as you please," the Shadow Queen retorted with vitriol.

"I would be complete had you been pure of heart. Alas, you are not. You are a deeply conflicted individual, and this is an arrangement that simply has benefits for you and me both," she continued.

The gravity of it all began to crash onto Luigi. How shortsighted, did he not think of anything prior to agreeing to this and releasing this horror?

"I have to know, what comes next?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"…Your ambitions. They wouldn't just up and disappear at the drop of my hat. How long will you be inside my body? Until you recover, and then you summon yourself, take over someone else, and end the world?" Luigi asked.

The Shadow Queen smirked internally, and to both of their surprise, Luigi was able to feel the smirk and appear within his own mindscape, in which both could see one another. Luigi's eyes narrowed considerably.

"Understand something, you're not in full control of my body. I have control. I don't think I can expel you, but I will harm myself if it means forcing you out of my body. If your vessel dies, you're going to prematurely resurrect and be defeated again. Am I right?" Luigi countered.

"…You're shrewd. You wouldn't dare," the Shadow Queen replied.

"Try me! You said it yourself, I'm not pure of heart, and it seems like this is the first time you're in a vessel that doesn't fit that bill. This is as new for you as it is for me, isn't it?"

"…"

Luigi sighed heavily, "Listen, you know you don't have full control of me, and I don't know if you ever will. Let's just…make partners and—"

"Who are you to try and bargain with me further?!" the Shadow Queen shrieked. Her last-ditch effort was successful, but this was proving to be more contentious than she anticipated. Her ire grew because Luigi was right. She was not in full control. He was a host, not a vessel, and access to her powers led to unknown probabilities that she found herself growing a bit nervous at. Would he dare to try to end his own life to eject her? It would take some time for her to recover, so she was at the ultimate mercy of Luigi, much to her growing dissent and realization. Had she made a grave error?

"I think you know that you're stuck with this as much as I am. I don't think you genuinely intended for us to be partners, but whether you like it or not, that's how it's gonna have to be,"

"You are sealing your fate. As soon as I'm recovered, you best believe-"

"I will not abuse your power."

"…What?"

"You heard me. We're going to have to make this work. I feel like I can utilize some of your strength to better the world, but I'm not going to force myself. If we're going to be partners, I'll treat you like one, capisce?" Luigi elaborated.

"…"

"I don't expect a response from you. That's okay. I don't want to give a death sentence to the universe because of my selfishness in letting you free," Luigi determinedly continued.

"You can do so much good with this power, you don't have to—"

"Enough. Do not speak of me as if we're remotely familiar with one another. I am finished with this conversation and will bide my time,"

Just then, a look of realization dawned on the Shadow Queen, as she tried to remain internally stoic against Luigi. She could not show any cards to him.

"Maybe I should encourage him to use my power…I can perhaps influence him with my essence…" she thought. She was going to need to manipulate the plumber to accelerate her efforts. If she could corrupt Luigi, then that would be one less obstacle in the way and one additional ally instead.

"Your name, is Luigi, correct?" she asked to the man.

"Yes. Is your name the Shadow Queen, or do you have an actual name to go by?" he asked.

"That is none of your concern. I suppose I will cooperate with you for the time being," she responded.

"And thank you…for vowing to not abuse my essence," she continued, much to her own surprise. She had not meant to express this and wondered where that sentiment came from. The Shadow Queen is grateful for nothing. Luigi himself looked surprised. Her mind raced rapidly, intent on turning this moment to her advantage.

"I permit and encourage you to use my power as an act of gratitude for releasing me," she continued. Perhaps, a growing dependency on the Shadow Queen could act as a gateway for her to influence Luigi.

Luigi, on the other hand, shared a parallel thought.

"Maybe I can save her…she has a name. Clearly, she is an independent person and seems to have a history. What's her deal? Maybe there's a way to save her so she doesn't have to destroy the world when she leaves my body?" he thought. Both ensured that their thoughts were not accessible to one another, though they shared the same mission. Corrupt/Save the other.

"You're welcome," Luigi muttered as he opened his eyes to leave the mental void he occupied. In front of him, the lab remained practically untouched. The light inside still had a warm and low ambiance. The Poltergust was on the floor along with the remote. To his surprise, Luigi could see as if he had never had vision before. Every detail, every texturized grain around him stood out with a clarity that Luigi could never dream of. Returning to the mirror he viewed earlier, Luigi could almost zoom into his own hat to view its materials. The follicles of his hair and mustache could be counted individually. Luigi might have considered reading glasses for when he got older, but he needs that when his eyesight was orders of magnitude stronger than anything he could ever imagine?

At the same time, he felt the subtle fluctuations in temperature around him. Conflicted, Luigi turned around with the items in hand and left the lab. Luigi swore he could count the individual rays of sunlight reflecting from the sky as if he were in Delfino. Even the grass was no longer 'green.' He could determine it to be a sage color with a mix of the occasional marsh shade.

Sounds of an incoming gust of wind were fast approaching, and Luigi could hear the moment the gusts began to dissipate. His hearing had advanced.

Understanding that he was enhanced beyond all measure, Luigi jumped, surprising himself as he accelerated and reached heights that defied gravity. His jump height was triple that of what he had before, and he swore he was back in outer space because his body felt lighter than when he used a mini mushroom. The Shadow Queen internally watched, amused at his shenanigans, and feeling reassured to commit to her plan. Let him become intoxicated with her power.

Luigi focused and summoned a fireball from his fist, tossing it up to the air and nearly yelping with how absurdly hot the sensation was, along with how large the ball was. Luigi had long grown desensitized to how it felt to use a fireball or utilize his fire flower form. Sensations of pain ran down his arm as he steadied himself. This was going to take some getting used to.

Ultimately, the pain was a minor issue in comparison to another observation: his fireball was purple.

He had no idea how he was going to get away with hiding the fact that he was hosting one of the world's greatest evils, all because he got sucked into his insecurities. Part of him wanted to come clean, but another, growing part, desired the ability to change the world for the better with this power. He had to hide it; he couldn't let people see his greatest mistake. Yet, he couldn't compel himself to outright forbid himself from using this shameful power.

"I need to leave the Mushroom Kingdom for a bit…there's a lot I need to figure out."

A/N: That's a wrap. Now, we can start the story!