Author Notes - I freaking love Luigi's Mansion 3. I adore it.
So I decided to write this. And yes, I know that fellow writer TheGameNguyener is already making (a really good) one, but it's not like he has the copyrights to this or something. In fact, seeing that someone had beat me to it almost made me want to quit. Almost. Then I went 'YOLO' and published it anyway... p-people still say 'Yolo', right?
And I assure you that mine will be different. Mostly by coincidence, since I found out TGN's novelisation after getting this idea. Not that you believe me saying that, but whatever. If TGN is reading this... hi there fellow Luigi's Mansion fan!
I want to keep close to the spirit (pun not intended) of the original Mario series. So, somewhat simplistic dialogue, and no unnecessary swearing except maybe a little from the main villains.
Before you ask, there will be plenty of adorably awkward Luaisy, but I want Daisy's role in the story to be more than just 'Luigi's Love Interest'.
And I warn ya. I like writing looong.
UPDATE 08/01/21 - Fixed some typos, took away a lot of paragraph breaks, and changed a little bit of dialogue.
CHAPTER ONE - HOTELLING WHAT'LL HAPPEN
Imagine a lovely landscape consisting of green hills, healthy trees, and a beautiful mountain scape in the background. A simple dirt road rolls over those green hills. You can hear the birds chirping, just to add to that warm feeling. Okay, now imagine a bus ruining everything by driving down the aforementioned dirt road completely haphazardly, past a sign for what seems to be a tower.
Perhaps the reason why the bus was driving around so crazily was because the guy driving was a Toad, who could barely even see past the steering wheel. Give him credit, he was really trying.
Aboard this official Royal Mushroom Kingdom Bus, were a couple more Toads of different colours, two princesses, and twin brothers. Most of the luggage was located on shelves above them, but a couple suitcases lay on spare seats. Mario and Princess Peach were of course sitting right next to each other at the front, chatting among themselves the usual smalltalk, with more 'interesting' topics emerging occasionally. The two Toads were chilling together right behind them. One was throwing a small ball into the air and catching it again, while the other was reading a book.
Way at the back were Luigi and Princess Daisy. Long since did the two of them grow bored of this incredibly long bus trip and thus fallen fast asleep. Ah, these two were made for each other. Rather adorably, Daisy - who had swapped her dress for more comfortable sportswear this vacation - leaned up again Luigi, while he leaned on the wall of the bus. Neither were in a particularly dignified position.
Got the scene? Nice.
Soff T. the Red Toad, the one at the front, lifted his head over the steering wheel, just to make sure that he was still on the road. Then he noticed that he just passed the sign telling him to go right.
'Ahhhh!' He cried, before he turned that steering wheel all the way to the right.
He made the turn all right, the bus just barely keeping all four wheels on the ground, but just about everything and everyone on board got tossed about. The people, despite all yelping in shock, managed to stay in their spots, while the baggage that rested on the seats fell to the floor.
'Hey, watch where you're driving!' Gus T. the Blue Toad yelled, holding on tight to his toy. 'I wanna get to that hotel in one piece, ya know.'
Soff checked the road once more. Fortunately, it seemed as though the road was pretty straight from here.
'S-Sorry guys!' He stammered. 'I'm not good on roads I've never been to before.'
Mario's attention immediately fell onto the princess by his side. He got through with nothing but a slightly jostled cap, but the last thing he wanted was a hurt loved one.
'Peach, are you okay?' He asked.
Peach giggled as she readjusted her tiara, keeping up her ladylike image. 'Calm down, Mario. I'm okay. If I can survive Bowser, I'm sure I can live through a bad driver.'
Mario sighed in relief. 'I'm just worried.'
'That's alright. I don't blame you either. I'm certain I'll find some way to get kidnapped in a luxury hotel.'
The two share a cute little laugh. It had indeed gotten to the point where Peach made jokes about getting kidnapped now. The little jokes helped calm the stress of the inevitability when it came to the kidnappings.
They were not the only ones shaken up by the poor driving. The moment the bus hit a nasty bump in the road...
'Ahhh!'
'I'M UP! I'm up!'
Luigi and Daisy jolted awake. Though she flailed about quite wildly, it only took Daisy a few moments to get over her shock and realise what had happened. Luigi, on the other hand, pinned himself into the corner and hung on for dear life.
His eyes darted back and forth. 'Oh. Heh heh...'
Daisy couldn't help but to giggle at our green-clad hero. Blush dotted his cheeks, showcasing right off the bat that perhaps he would not be the best hero for this job. Upon breathing a little, he relaxed back into his seat and yawned.
'Going back to sleep already, huh?' Daisy said with a grin.
'Yep.' He responded, slowly closing his eyes. 'You're not?'
'Nope! We're super close now. I can feel it. I can't possibly get to sleep now!'
To demonstrate her point, she kicked her legs around like a crazed marathon runner. Slamming her foot into the back of the seat in front of her in the process.
'Gah!' She cried out, holding her injured foot.
Luigi didn't quite notice this, as he already had his head down ready to travel back into Dreamland...
'ARF ARF!'
Only to jump again as his beloved new pet, his Polterpup, jumped out of the suitcase on the floor and into his lap. The man freaked out, not because there was a ghost dog but because the ghost dog was in his face, holding a piece of paper in its mouth.
'Hey!' He cried. 'Get down, boy!'
Yes, I realise the sheer irony of a phasmophobic man owning a ghost dog. You'll have to ask Luigi himself about this because I have no idea. Anyway, Polterpup barely complied to his request, and hopped onto Daisy's lap instead. He rolled over onto his back, and panted incessantly as he gave her 'puppy-dog-eyes'.
Luigi pointed a scolding finger at him. 'Down, boy. Down!'
Polterpup whimpered.
'Aw, it's fine!' Daisy said. 'He just wants to cuddle. Doncha boy?' She got her face very close to his and adopted that baby-talk voice. 'Doncha boy? Yes you do. Yes you do!'
Polterpup absolutely soaked that up, kicking his legs into the air while his tail wagged like no tomorrow. With his dog taken care of, Luigi - with great difficulty - yanked that piece of paper out from the doggy's jaws. Turns out that this paper was the entire reason he was on this bus trip to begin with: it was an invitation, one that he had received in the mail earlier that day.
'Congratulations, Luigi! You're the lucky winner of a free stay at a world-class hotel, The Last Resort! We look forward to dazzling you with first-rate hospitality and service. Please be sure to invite any friends or family that you'd like to bring, as well!'
It was signed 'Hellen Gravely'. Huh. Wasn't 'Helen' usually spelt with just one 'L'?
Regardless, he sighed in total bliss, thinking about the wondrous and relaxing time he was sure to have. Granted, the last vacation Mario went on involved him getting arrested for a crime he didn't commit after arriving not even five minutes ago, but what could possibly go wrong this time? Best not to think that. His dreamy thoughts got cut off by Polterpup licking him. Getting slobbered out of nowhere was not yet a feeling he had adapted to.
'Ooh, hey!' He said, trying to get him off his face.
The ghost pup returned to laying belly-up on Daisy's lap, whimpering and begging through his eyes for a rub. Of course, Luigi could not deny such an adorable look.
'Who's a good puppy!' He said. 'Who's a good boy?'
He gave the dog a soft but incredibly loving belly rub, to which the pet responded by panting and wagging his tail even harder. Well, it was obvious Luigi wasn't getting anymore sleep any time soon. But he could deal with it.
'Hey look, Luigi!' Daisy yelled, causing Polterpup to hop off her and scamper away. 'We're almost there.'
Luigi looked out the window at her command, to see that she was indeed correct. That tall golden tower seemed to be getting really close now. In fact, they were nearly at the gates. The same gates that Soff T almost - actually, scratch the 'almost' part - bumped into as he drove into the hotel's front yard. As the bus came in for a park, Luigi stared out the window in utter awe. He even placed his hands against the glass, like an excited kid at a candy store that wasn't open yet.
'Ooh... wooow...'
The hotel was, to say the least, grand. It must've been at least fifteen floors tall, and its golden walls glimmered so much, they'd blind Luigi if they were just a bit shinier. It even sparkled in the sunlight!
'Looks like we really hit the jackpot with this one!' Daisy said, hopping to her feet the moment the bus stopped.
Soff T shifted the gear in park, and opened up the bus doors.
'Okay, everybody out!' He yelled with a smile.
Gus T grunted as he stuffed his ball into his pocket somehow. 'It's about time...'
Parr T the Yellow Toad packed his book away into his bag, bopping up and down on his feet. 'Be happy! We've made it!'
Gus T pouted and crossed his arms. 'Yeah, which means we gotta carry the princess's luggage.'
'I know! Isn't it great?'
Mario jumped to his feet, grabbed his red suitcase, and held his hand out for his princess. Though she really didn't need it, she took it and let him lift her off her seat, just as he wanted. As he led her off the bus, she looked back to her Toads.
'Take care of my luggage, please!' She said. 'I've brought only my essentials.'
Considering that she had a whole bus full of pink suitcases for a fairly short vacation, that was obviously a blatant lie. Gus T, the look of 'I should have stayed in bed today' strong on his face, picked up one of the pink suitcases and hoisted it into his arms.
'Okay, I got one.' He glanced up at his yellow partner. 'You can carry the rest. Including mine.'
'YAAAY!' Parr T yelled, shaking his hands.
While the sunny Toad went to gather all those pink suitcases, our favourite couple picked up their own luggage. Daisy only had one, easily identifiable by its orange colouring and flower symbol. Though she had packed it to the brim, she lifted it up quite easily. Luigi, on the other hand, struggled to lift his own green suitcase even though it wasn't much heavier.
'You need help there, Luigi?' Daisy asked.
'N-Nono, I'm good.'
Thankfully, once he got both his hands on the handle and lifted it into the air, he had a much easier time lugging it around.
By the time the two had gotten out of their seats, they were surprised to find that Parr T had already gathered up all of the princess's remaining luggage, and now carried all of it in one massive pile on his arms. He wobbled around quite a bit as he attempted to walk forward, nearly tripping a few times to boot, but otherwise he carried them like it was nothing. Good Grambi, just how strong are these mushrooms?
Soff T jumped off the driver's seat just as that pile of pink got close. He raised an eyebrow; his yellow-pigmented friend's dedication never ceased to amaze him. It only got worse when he noticed the blue suitcase right at the top.
'Uh, yellow?' He said, side-stepping out of the way of a wobbly step. 'You okay there?'
'Yeah, I got this!' Parr T replied. 'Want me to carry yours too?'
'N-No, that's fine, you don't-'
Clearly Parr T didn't give a poison mushroom what the red guy said, and - using his foot, rather impressively - flung the spotted-red suitcase right on top.
'Always happy to help!'
Parr T bounced down the steps of the bus, and though the luggage jostled a lot it somehow didn't fall over. Soff T continued to watch him for a bit before going to leave himself, tripping over his own feet and falling out through the door in the process. He landed on his big cap head, which bounced him back up and onto his rear. It left him rather dazed. Gus T appeared behind him, giving him one heck of a look from behind the suitcase.
'Really?' He said, raising an eyebrow.
'I-I trip once and you never let me forget it...'
'Trip once?'
Soff T got to his feet, and walked away before he could give his blue-capped friend any more ammo to attack him with. Said friend rolled his eyes and followed after him. Daisy reached the top step, and leapt over the rest like a horse in a jumping competition. She struck the landing with only a little stumbling, and turned back to the steps.
'Com'on Luigi!' She yelled. 'The more time you take, the less time we'll have to relax!'
Then our green-clad hero finally got to the door, heaving his suitcase along as he took his steps down. He inhaled that fresh mountain air, and exhaled mostly in relief from being off that bus. He could finally relax... until Polterpup came leaping out the door, forcing him to duck and hold onto his cap. The skinny plumber chuckled as his dog sat by his side panting.
'Let's get going!' Daisy said, catching his attention. 'We'll be left behind at this rate.'
She charged off around the corner to join up with the rest of her gang. Luigi, being followed by his loyal ghost dog, dragged his suitcase about as he - much more slowly - went after his wonderful princess. He walked around the corner of the bus, and was once again left in total awe at the grand hotel in front of him. Looking at it from behind the bus windows was one thing, but actually seeing its sparkly golden glory up close in person? Something else entirely.
'Oh... wowie zowie!'
He'd never seen anything like it! And he couldn't be more excited. A luxurious vacation with his brother and princess... granted, he'd probably be asleep for most of it, but he could relax however he wanted.
'Let's go, bro!'
Mario's call managed to get to him through his awed trance. Upon looking back down, he noticed that everyone else except Mario had already gone inside, and Mario himself was going in at that moment.
'Oh, coming bro!'
With his suitcase in his weakening arms, he walked up the gloriously shiny stairs, and through the big golden doors.
'Aw, wow...!'
Somehow, things looked even more impressive on the inside. What a grand lobby! Across the spanning floor, stood the receptionist desk. Above that, pictures of all the guests hung from some rope. Two big staircases that sandwiched the desk led up to the second floor and a grand set of doors.
Mario, unsurprisingly, stood by all the sweet pastries, ogling at all the delicious-looking desserts laying on the table. He especially had his eye on a slice of cream cake.
He turned to Luigi. 'Oh hey bro!'
In that one moment of distraction, Polterpup leapt onto the table and snatched up that slice for himself. Mario just saw him running off to enjoy his cake in peace.
'Oh! Bad doggy!'
On the second floor, he could see a maid dusting the handrails. Wait, was she... floating? Luigi blinked a couple times, only to see her gone. He stared at that spot for a bit, wondering if he had just been seeing things.
'Good evening sir!'
'Wah!'
Luigi jumped and dropped his suitcase. Looking to his right, he saw who the voice belonged to. The bellhop stood next to him, and Luigi couldn't help but feel unnerved by his... face. The entire face. Why it was so off, Luigi couldn't quite tell. The eyes and mouth were a little too wide open, he knew that. The expression was just forced enough to kinda look like a mask.
Oh, no matter. If it meant a relaxing vacation then Luigi could deal with some slightly unsettling faces.
'Is this suitcase all your luggage?' The bellhop asked.
'U-Uh, just my luggage or everyone's?'
'Just yours, my green man. It doesn't really matter; I'll help with all your suitcases!'
'Including hers?'
Luigi pointed to Peach's belongings, stacked up by the front desk. While Peach herself was busy marvelling the decor, Parr T tried to keep the pink stack from collapsing as Gus T sat on his blue suitcase reading his book.
The bellhop sighed. 'Yes, that includes hers. We provide only the best service.'
He picked up the green suitcase, groaning and struggling as he hoisted it into his arms. As he walked over to the luggage cart by the elevator, he stepped so smoothly that he almost seemed to be floating.
'Hey Luigi!' Daisy called.
Luigi noticed her by the elevator, waving to him. He obeyed her call immediately, and rushed over to her without hesitation. She stood by a map of the skyscraper, that showcased the theme of every floor, and it seemed to excite the tomboyish princess.
'Look at this!' She said, pointing at various symbols on the map. 'This hotel has everything! A fitness centre, a dance hall, a movie room, and a... OH!' She gasped.
Luigi flinched. Daisy's smile grew, and grew. All of a sudden, she unleashed a high-pitched squeal of absolute joy, making Luigi flinch again. She did a little dance on the spot to boot. It was blooming adorable.
'W-What did you find?' He asked.
She pointed to floor number seven, the one marked by a flower. According to the legend, it represented the Garden Suites.
'They have a indoor garden! Oh, they must have sooo many beautiful flowers. Can you imagine? Roses, lilies, geraniums, sunflowers, chrysanthemums, buttercups...'
'And Daisies?'
She giggled as he blushed. 'And daisies!'
Oh, her giggling. Everything else about that princess was rough-and-tumble (not to say that's a bad thing), but her excited laughter was anything but. Good Grambi, Luigi loved it.
'Good afternoon, sir!'
'Yah!'
Twice now, one of the hotel staff had snuck up behind him and scared him. It was a different guy from before, as his black hair was not covered by the bellhop's little red hat. Regardless, he still had the freaky eyes and mouth that seemingly only Luigi noticed.
'I do apologise for intruding sir, but it appears that none of you have checked in yet.'
'Oh. I can do that!' Luigi said.
The staff member put his hands together. 'That would be splendid. Feel free to take your time, as our bellhop Steward has not yet begun to pick up the Mushroom Kingdom's princess's luggage yet.'
The bellhop, now named Steward, slumped his shoulders upon loading Mario's stuff onto the cart. Luigi made his way over to the front desk, passing by Princess Peach as he did so. Her eyes sparkled from the sheer glory of the grand lobby.
'This hotel is so big, Luigi!' She said. 'It's gorgeously decorated too. We're so lucky to have gotten an invitation to come here!'
As he approached the desk, he saw the Toads in the pink pile up close. Parr still struggled to keep it from falling over, keeping a smile on. Gus glanced up at him, and sighed. Soff opted to gulp and back away.
'The princess never forgets to pack anything!' Parr said, before turning around to look at Luigi. 'Hey Lou, what's up?'
Unfortunately, by turning around he was no longer holding onto the suitcases. Thus, the tower that had been stacked up collapsed. Right by Gus. The tower didn't crush him beneath it as it fell, but it did spring him up into the air. He landed with his big mushroom head totally stuck amongst the pink rubble.
'AHHH! My head's stuck!' He yelled as he kicked his feet about. 'I can't get out! Parr, I swear, when I get outta here... you won't have a mushroom's chance in soup!'
Parr cried out, and hopped on the pink boxes over to his grumpy friend. He grabbed hold of his legs, but couldn't quite yank him out no matter how hard he pulled.
'I'm so sorry! I'll... I'll make it up to you! I'll buy you anything you want from the shops, no matter how expensive. How does that sound?'
'Great. Fantastic. Wonderful. Just get my head out of here, ya Goomba-brain!'
Soff was in no position to help the two of them out; he was too busy laughing to himself, just quietly enough so Gus couldn't hear him.
Luigi, after laughing a bit himself, finally made his way over to the desk. He rung the little bell, and... what was with these staff members and their freaky faces? He didn't want to be judgemental, but why did they all look so unsettling?
'Welcome, green man, to the Last Resort.' The creepy man behind the desk said. 'Will you and your guests be checking in?'
Luigi looked at the guests behind him, silently asking for confirmation.
'I'm ready!' Mario yelled from the other side of the room.
'Good to go.' Daisy said, putting most of her attention on the map.
'Whenever you are.' Peach replied.
'HELP ME OUT HERE!' Gus shouted.
With the confirmation received, Luigi turned back to the man behind the desk.
'Oh yeah!' He said.
The man behind the desk said nothing, and merely nodded.
'Guests! Welcome to the Last Resort!'
Everyone's attention fell to the top of the stairs, where a new person awaited. Well, she certainly didn't have the disturbing faces of the others, or at least her potentially-creepy eyes remained hidden behind dark glasses. Not to mention that... she was quite the looker. With her smooth face and slim figure, one couldn't care about her absurd blue beehive hairstyle. Most of the guests weren't exactly smitten by her themselves (with the possible exception of Daisy), but that's not the point. Her long sky-blue dress only accentuated her whole look. Of course, there's more to her beyond her looks, but that part comes later.
'My name is Hellen Gravely, and I am the owner of this hotel. I am absolutely delighted that you decided to accept my invitation.'
So she was the owner of this gorgeous place. Hellen Gravely waltzed down the stairs with nothing but grace, quite the achievement considering that her dress covered her feet. She stopped at the foot of the staircase, looking right at Luigi. Her smile grew as her eyes fell upon him.
'You all must be very tired. Come! Allow me to show you to your rooms.'
Despite her not having the same uncanny face as the others, Luigi still sensed something... off, about her. She had some unnatural vibe emanating from her, and he could've sworn he saw a small glow behind those glasses. Oh, but he was just being paranoid. This was supposed to be a relaxing vacation; no need to ruin it by getting worked up over nothing.
'No need to worry about your luggage.' Hellen continued. 'Our exceptional staff will take care of it for you!'
Steward the Bellhop grabbed one of the pink suitcases and dragged it along the floor. He definitely struggled, but his face didn't show that at all. He chucked it onto the cart, and groaned upon realising just how much work he had to do.
'Hey, uh, Steward...' Luigi said. 'Do you want any h-?'
He got cut off by Hellen getting very close to his face. He leaned backwards slightly, now just a bit uncomfortable.
'Oh, there's no need!' She repeated. 'Though I'm sure Steward appreciates the offer from such a kind-hearted, sweet man.'
Something in her tone changed a little at the end there. It was barely noticeable, but it sounded as if her anger rose for a split second. As if responding to that, she pulled out a little casing, and from that she pulled out a powder puff.
'You're our VIPs, after all!'
She proceeded to powder up her cheeks, while her and Luigi's faces were still mere inches away from the other. The powder scattered into pink clouds, and suddenly Luigi got a very sharp sting in his nose.
'We've prepared a first-rate experience for you.'
While everyone gathered into that one spot, Luigi used every bit of willpower he had to not sneeze directly in Hellen's face. He needed all that willpower, because that powder was so irritating.
And she wouldn't stop powdering.
'All the trappings of luxury! Shall we get going?'
Struggling to even keep his eyes open at this point, he nodded, a little scared to even breathe let alone talk.
'Fantastic!' Hellen finally said. 'Let's get to your rooms at once.'
At last she stopped powdering and moved away. Even with the powder gone the tingling didn't stop, and considering that he had waited too long for this...
'Ahh... AHH-CHOO!'
Daisy giggled behind him, making him blush a little. She rolled her eyes; it wasn't her fault his sneezes were so adorably funny.
'Come everyone!' Hellen said. 'We must go to your rooms at once. I'm sure you'll find them perfect and comfortable for even the most eternal of rests.'
Luigi shivered as an uneasy chill ran through his bones. Even as the others followed Hellen to the elevator, he stood still trying to shake off that chilly feeling.
'What's up with you?' Gus demanded, looking at him weird.
The man in green jolted slightly. 'I-I don't know. Something about that lady feels... wrong.'
Gus scoffed. 'Look bud, just cos you're allergic to some woman's make-up, it doesn't mean that she's wrong, as you put it.'
'Yeah!' Parr piped up, much to Gus's irritation. 'I think Ms Gravely is really cool!'
Luigi knew that he was overreacting and paranoid, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
'Let's-a get going, Weegee!'
Upon hearing Mario's voice calling out to him, his nerves relaxed. He supposed that, worse case scenario, his big bro would be there to protect him. Now all together, the newly-arrived guests followed Hellen Gravely into the elevator. No one noticed her smirk as the doors closed. The place was a bit cramped with the eight of them packed in there.
'How much do you wanna bet that this'll end up just like that Isle Delfino vacation?' Daisy joked, leaning up against the mirror. 'I mean, I wasn't there, but it sounded crazy! A magic paintbrush, a talking water gun, an annoying task involving a melon, swimming in a bottle, another King Boo, and-!'
Mario shuddered. Though the slight jerking of his body should not have been noticeable, everyone - except for Hellen - turned to him.
'You okay, bro?' Luigi asked, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
'Don't... mention King Boo...'
Everyone went silent. Daisy gasped and clamped her hands over her mouth. How could she forget? After being forced into a portrait - twice - by that royal phantom, Mario struggled with just hearing his name. To an outsider, it was weird. The plumber-in-red dealt with dangerous adventures all the time with a cheery attitude, so to see him scared of anything seemed odd. To those close to him, especially Luigi, it made complete sense.
'Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Mario!' Daisy cried. 'I totally forgot that I'm not supposed to bring up, you know, him!'
'Don't worry Daisy, it's alright.' Mario said. 'Let's just have a nice vacation, okay?'
The conversation, to the relief of everyone, could not be continued, due to the elevator reaching its destination - floor five, the 'Rest-In-Peace' suites - and opening up.
Hellen Gravely left the elevator first, and everyone else followed after her. The fifth floor was just as magnificent as the grand lobby, and just as sparkly to boot. The small room led to two hallways - one on the right and another to the left.
'Mario, Luigi, and Peach's rooms are over here.' Hellen said, motioning to the right hallway. 'We've prepared rooms for you Toads as well!' She continued, pointing at the left hallway.
'YAY!' Parr cried in glee as he ran off. 'I bet my room will be the best!'
Gus groaned and followed after him, far more slowly. 'Yeah? And what makes you say that?'
'Because ALL the rooms are the best!'
'You...? You haven't even seen them-!' He sighed. 'Forget it.'
Soff turned to the proverbial 'camera', shrugged and, fearing being left behind, charged after his two friends.
'Ah, those mushrooms are such charming people!' Hellen said, stopping to powder her face again (powder that Luigi hopped away from). 'I do apologise, dear guests. It seems Steward will be a bit late with the luggage. Don't fret. I'm sure he'll get them here soon.'
'Oh, that's okay!' Mario said. 'We can wait.'
Peach frowned. 'Aw, that's unfortunate. I might need my parasol before heading to bed. But I'm sure I can manage.'
Daisy chuckled to herself, wondering what in the Lost Levels her Mushroom-y counterpart could possibly need a parasol for.
'Well, what are we waiting for?' The tomboyish princess said. 'Let's get to our rooms already!'
Couldn't argue with that. The remaining guests followed Hellen's directions and walked down the hallway to the right. Princess Peach's room (No. 4) was the first one.
'Goodnight!' She called to the others as she stepped into her room.
The brothers waved back, Mario in particular stopping for a moment so he could turn to her. The next room (No. 3) was Mario's, and as he opened the door he already had a good idea as to what he'd order first. Here's a hint: it begins with 'P', and ends in 'izza'.
'Night night!' Luigi said to him, in the cutest voice imaginable.
Mario waved back. 'Night night!'
While on the outside Daisy just smiled a little bit wider, on the inside she was putting her previous dance of happiness to shame. Every time she thought that Luigi couldn't get any cuter...
The last rooms were Luigi's (No. 2) and then Daisy's (No. 1, which Luigi thought was very appropriate). They approached their doors at the same time, and looked at each other before entering.
'You got any plans for tomorrow?' Daisy asked. 'I mean, you know where I'm gonna be, but what about you? Going to the museum? Maybe the dance hall?' The thought of Luigi dancing made her chuckle. 'What about the shops?'
He tapped his fingers on the doorknob, gathering the strength. 'Um... I-I was thinking about going to the indoor garden... w-with you. M-Maybe?'
Dang it, Luigi! He cursed to himself.
He could never speak to girls - scratch that, anyone other than Mario - without sounding like someone was about to punch him. Fortunately for him, his awkwardness was one of the reasons Daisy loved him so much.
She giggled. 'Aw, that would be awesome! You better get a good rest tonight, cos we'll be heading there super early.'
'Okay!'
'Call it a date if you want. Though, judging by your reddening cheeks I don't think that you do. Anyway, good night Luigi!'
With that, they entered their rooms at the same time. As Luigi stepped into his room - which was the same golden colour as everything else - he didn't quite expect what greeted him.
'Woof!'
'Yah!'
There his Polterpup sat, panting and wagging his tail with cake crumbs around his mouth. Luigi sighed; apparently, even during a calming hotel trip he simply wasn't spared from random jumpscares. Not that he could fault the good boy. The little puppy just sat there, practically begging for some affection. So, Luigi granted it by stroking him on the head.
'Aw, good puppy!'
Polterpup responded by bounding upwards, and licking the heck out of his owner's face. The surprisingly ticklish tongue made him laugh. Continuing to pat the puppy, Luigi looked around his room. It was quite spacious, and included both a desk and a big cupboard to go alongside the comfy-looking bed.
*knock knock knock*
Luigi's attention turned to the door. Now he realised: there weren't any locks to the doors. He didn't have the time to think about this, as the door opened. Steward the bellhop stood on the other side, holding the green suitcase. With a grunt, he dropped it onto the floor.
'I presume this suitcase - ya know, the green one that shares your emblem - is yours, sir.' He said.
The luggage cart could be seen behind him, still loaded with Peach's stuff. Huh, he got up here already? How long was Luigi playing with his puppy for? He looked out one of the grand windows. Indeed, the sun was setting, and nighttime had already began to spread its blanket over the quiet wilderness.
'Oh, well tha-!'
Upon turning back to Steward though, the creepy bellhop had already disappeared without a trace. That chill in his bones returned. Why couldn't he shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong?
'Relax, Luigi.' He told himself. 'I-It's just a vacation. It'll be okay.'
He repressed a yawn. Seeing how late it was getting, combined with that long bus trip... yep, it was time for a rest.
It appeared that Polterpup read his mind, as the spectral hound was already curled up on one side of the double bed. Luigi lifted up his suitcase, and put on the end of his fairly big bed. Opening it up, it turned out he didn't pack much at all. Just a spare set of (the exact same) clothes, a flashlight, and a book. Before they left, Mario had questioned why he was packing a flashlight of all things to a hotel vacation. The answer was simple - Luigi feared the dark and was always a little paranoid.
He threw the book onto the bed, by Polterpup, and grabbed the flashlight. Hopping on the bed, he crawled over to his side with the flashlight in hand. After placing it on the bedside table, he settled himself on the bed. Ooh, the fluffy mattress conformed to his very body as he sunk into it. He fidgeted about, and let every fibre of that mattress and silky blanket welcome him in.
Of course, with all the excitement of his 'date' with Daisy the next day, he couldn't possibly get to sleep on his own. So, taking one last look at his puppy as it drifted off to sleep, he picked up his book, opened it up, began reading it...
The-
... before he conked out completely on the spot, his head luckily landing on the pillow as his slip into unconsciousness was so sudden it managed to make the Polterpup jolt awake.
Well, he was the only one who could open up that dream world to save those Pi'illos. The night settled onto the mountainous landscape, as a smooth feminine voice rang throughout the hallways.
Now...
No one (who was alive, anyway) heard this order, due to just how quiet it was. But other voices responded to it. Fourteen voices, to be exact.
Finally... my stupid job will be over...
They've got some stuff I'd like to 'borrow'...
I hear youse loud and clear, over...
Zee dinner starts now...
Oh my, what a symphony this will be...
Ach, thou be-eth just simple peasants...
I don't want no whippersnapper in ma garden...
Ug want scheme over with...
HOO-WEE, what a showdown...
I can't wait to meet you, Luigi...
My sisters and I will make quick work of him...
Are ya ready, mates...?
Dude, this is totally gonna be gnarly...
YO, this DJ is, like, up in this hood dawg...!
All these voices were far too quiet for any living person to hear. But our sleeping hero certainly did hear one sound.
'AAAAAHHHHHHH!'
Luigi woke with a yelp, breathing heavily as the scream snapped him out of a deep sleep. It was distinctly Peach's. He took a moment to look around; maybe he just heard the scream in a dream.
'H-Huh?'
If that was the case though, then why did his room look so... different? The layout was the same, but now fog covered the floor, obscuring most of the flooring beneath it. The bright sparkly gold had disappeared, now replaced by dark and gloomy blues and purples.
Eerie silence filled the room, the air totally dead except for the rain and thunder outside.
Not to mention how dark everything was. Luigi gulped, and began shaking on the spot. How he hated the dark, as it stripped away one of his basic senses in favour of a constant feeling of dread.
Especially thankful for the paranoid packing now, he grabbed his flashlight and turned it on in a moment. He shone its beam through every corner of the room, noticing that even the happy balloons from before now resembled jack-o-lanterns.
'M-M-Mario?'
With no other options available, he hopped off his bed and landed on his feet. His ears perked up at the sound of something rattling, which upon turning around he noticed was the drawer to his bedside table.
Gulping again, he reached his shaky hand over to the drawer, and opened it.
A clawed hand resembling Bowser's sprung at him from the open drawer, setting off some sparks to boot.
'WAAHH!' He fell to the floor in total shock.
'Sprung' being meant literally, as a spring attached the hand to the drawer. It alone convinced him he was in a nightmare.
His ears picked up more rattling, this time from the drawer of the desk on the opposite side of the room. He knew that it would be silly to fall for the same trick twice, but regardless his curiosity demanded he check that drawer.
Shivering like a hairless polar bear as he did so, he paced himself over to that rattling drawer. He stared at it for a few moments, contemplating whether he should open it or not.
Soon, he decided that he should. No doubt it'd drive him crazy until he did. So, he opened it up, and... nothing.
Wait, no. It had dust. A lot of dust. It flew into his face and threw him into a sneezing fit.
As the dust dissipated and gave him a moment to breathe, he couldn't help but notice how his current predicament served to haunt specifically him.
'Luigi! I thought I recognised that yelp.'
He flinched, and turned to the now open door. Daisy stood there (in her day outfit as having to change clothes wasted time) with her hair frazzled.
'D-Daisy? Y-You heard the scream too?' He asked, approaching her slowly.
'You mean Peach's bloodcurdling cry for help? Yeah, you could say I heard it too. I woke up and my room was all dark and weird!'
'Y-Yours too?'
Daisy went on about how relieved she was that Luigi was okay, but he couldn't focus on her for once. After Peach's scream, he noticed a distinct lack of any sort of sound from his older twin brother.
Surely Mario would leap to his princess's defence the moment he heard her scream. If not...
Luigi gasped. 'B-Big bro! H-He could be in danger!'
If it wasn't for the situation, Daisy would've smiled at his adorable concern.
'Well, come on then!' She said. 'Let's go check on his room.'
As Luigi stepped out into the hallway, he noticed that it hadn't changed like his room did. It still had that glorious golden sheen to it... for a grand total of three seconds.
Right before his eyes, a strange purply wave of smoke moved across the floor and walls, and as it travelled all the way down the hall it left behind the same gloomy change that his room had undergone.
Gone were the welcoming shines of the gold and the lovely decorations that covered every square inch. The new hotel - the real hotel - gave Luigi creepy vibes before he even started moving.
'Oh hey. Look. It transforms at night.' Daisy said unenthusiastically, crossing her arms. 'But seriously, this actually looks kinda cool. Makes me wonder why they didn't just begin with this spooky vibe.'
Luigi, saying nothing, turned to her with a rather perturbed look.
'But seriously,' She continued. 'Something ain't right here. Let's just hope Mario's okay.'
The same eerie silence filled the hallway, and their quiet footsteps did little to curb it. The walk over to Mario's room was not long at all, but the entire time Luigi couldn't shake off the feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching his every move.
Upon opening the door to room No. 3, Luigi's nerves did not relax. If anything, they just got worse. In spite of the several empty pizza boxes that littered the floor and bed, Mario himself was no way to be seen.
'M-Mario?' Luigi called.
The only response he received was the slight breeze blowing into the room through a small gap in an open window.
'M... Mario...?'
His hands began shaking. He felt a lump in his throat. His pulse increased. He could feel his eyes stinging.
Anything... anything but Mario disappearing. Nothing good ever came from Mario disappearing unexpectedly, whether it was more annoying like dealing with people saying that "you won't find adobe here in Nairobi", or something far more horrid, like... Mario getting trapped in a painting.
Daisy sensed the distress emanating from every part of his body, and carefully placed her hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but accepted the welcoming touch.
'I'm sure Mario's okay.' She said, trying to convince not just him but herself as well. 'He probably just got peckish and swung on down to that restaurant on the second floor.'
He tried to smile with her. 'Y-Yeah. W-We should go find him.'
But the moment they turned around and left the room, they heard the elevator ding. It arrived onto their floor, and opened its doors to reveal a strong purple-white glow that they could see from the hallway.
Luigi shuddered. 'S-Should we investigate that?'
Daisy shrugged. 'What other options do we have?'
So the couple made their way down the rest of the hallway, past Peach's room, and when they left the hallway they saw who awaited them in the elevator.
It definitely wasn't Mario.
'Oh, hey Ms Gravely!' Daisy called. 'Have you seen...? Oh...'
Hellen Gravely indeed stood in the elevator, with a grin and her hands clasped together. However, she no longer wore her heavily-tinted sunglasses, revealing her eyes. They glowed a bright white, almost making up for how empty they were. Her already bizarre purple skin was now translucent, and it glowed slightly.
She looked straight at Luigi, her grin growing to show her teeth.
'Why, yes!' She said. 'I have seen our red-clad 'hero', my rambunctious princess.'
She stood there for a few seconds, putting our heroes in a state of dread, before flying out the doors and floating right in front of our heroes with her arms out wide. Her dress acted as if the wind blew on it.
Luigi jumped back as she approached them so suddenly. Daisy stood her ground.
'In fact, I know exactly where he is!' Hellen yelled. 'He's joined the rest of his friends in eternal bliss.'
The green-clad plumber just stared up at her, lost for words. The small uneasiness she gave him earlier seemed like nothing compared to the off vibes emanating off her now. One thought ran its way through his mind.
She... she's a ghost...
Daisy stepped forward, scowling. 'What are you talking about, Hellen? We get it, there's something strange going on here! What have you done with our friends?'
Hellen laughed. 'What makes you assume that I've hurt your friends? I've done nothing of the sort. I've merely given them the most relaxing rest they'll ever have.'
The very inflections of her voice did not sound right. It reminded Luigi of the villainess from that dog movie he watched as a child. The same villainess who scarred him as a child.
Hellen saw the sheer uneasiness on his face, and laughed. 'Is your room not living up to your expectations? Doesn't it just SCREAM good taste? Oh, I can barely contain myself. You have no idea how much I wanted you to accept my invitation!'
'W... why...?' Was all Luigi could say.
Daisy took another step forward, silent but ready to defend her plumber.
Hellen placed her hands over her heart, if she had one. 'Oh, I'm so glad you asked! You see... there is someone I truly adore! He's the inspiration for some of my greatest ideas... like inviting you here!' She laughed again. 'How fortunate that you fell for this trap twice!'
Luigi still couldn't say a word. His instinct told him to run, but neither his brain nor his legs obeyed it. He could only wonder just who she was talking about.
It couldn't be who he was thinking of... right?
'Stop being so cryptic!' Daisy yelled, clenching her fists. 'Who are you talking about?'
Hellen laughed again, but this time it sounded far more sinister than her previous more innocent-sounding laughs.
'I'm such a huge fan of his! That's why it's so wonderful that I get to introduce him to... YOU!' She yelled, pointing at the plumber.
Luigi jumped back with a yelp. 'M-Me?'
'That's right, Luigi! And don't worry, sweet Daisy.' She said, turning her head to the princess. 'You will surely make a beautiful bonus. I hope you're ready!'
With that, she grabbed the ends of her fur coat and stretched it out wide, like a bat about to take flight. She zipped to the side, revealing right behind her...
'Mwah ha ha! Surprise, Luigi!'
'WAAAHHHHH!'
Luigi's heart raced. Had his body cooperated, he would've been running out of there in moments, for now his worst enemy floated above him, staring him down with a toothy grin and those sunken purple eyes.
'It's-a me, King Boo!'
Though he spoke cheerily, a furious tone dripped from his voice. Daisy stepped back just a little, her clenched fists shaking.
'K-K-King Boo...?' Luigi stammered. 'B-But how? I-I thought I...'
The terrified plumber was sure the royal phantom had been dealt with. He saw him go into the Poltergust 5000... didn't he?
'That old coot had me locked up tight in his lab... But guess what? I GOT OUT! The hotel owner here was just dying to meet me, so she busted me out.'
Daisy glanced over to Hellen Gravely. The ghostly woman just stood there, smiling, watching the whole situation play out. Not that Daisy expected her to help or anything.
'Pretty lucky, huh?' King Boo continued, staring into Luigi's soul. 'Anyway, I didn't think you'd actually show up here. I was ready though, just in case. In fact, my vengeance is nearly complete!'
'V-Vengeance?' Luigi echoed, unable to say much more.
'Glad you asked! I'm trapping you and everyone in your little vacation party...in frames!'
Before Luigi had any time to process what he had just heard, King Boo floated back and lifted his arms. Several purple portals that lead to a glowing void opened up in front of him, and from them emerged five paintings.
They were no ordinary paintings.
'Whoa!' Daisy yelled, unable to piece together anything else.
'M-Mario!' Luigi cried.
Everyone who had accompanied them on this vacation stood trapped in those paintings. Princess Peach, Soff T, Gus T, Parr T... Mario. All of them looked absolutely terrified, but Luigi's attention focused solely on his brother.
Even through the dusty tapestry, Luigi could see the horror in his eyes. There was no doubt in his mind that, if the portraits didn't entrap their victims in total stillness, Mario would be crying.
'N-No!'
Daisy took it no better. None of the stories told to her by the brothers could've prepared her for it in reality. Even Parr T, who could be set on fire and he'd still find a way to smile, couldn't look any more petrified.
The paintings disappeared back into the purply pocket dimension before either human could do a thing about it.
'Big bro!'
'Awww, there there, Luigi.' King Boo said, chuckling. 'It'll all be over soon. It's time for a family reunion!' He bellowed at his own joke. 'BOO-YA! Mwah ha ha! Take THAT!'
While Luigi stood there shaking like a leaf, Daisy's inner rage reached its boiling point. Who was this guy to trap her friends in these musty paintings? Not caring the slightest about any sort of caution, she glared right at King Boo.
'Hey bud!' She yelled at him, with her fist aimed at his teeth. 'What makes you think you can get away with hurting my friends?'
King Boo dropped the smile and just stared at her quizzically. Though he said nothing, you could practically see him thinking 'um... you really trying this?'.
'If you think that you could just trap my friends in portraits, then you thought wrong!'
The royal phantom was too surprised by her outbursts to do anything or respond. Hellen Gravely, meanwhile, just laughed at her.
'Uh, missy,' King Boo finally said, dropping the harsh tone almost entirely. 'Maybe you don't realise this, but I'm capable of putting you inside a-'
'So I'm gonna teach you a lesson!'
Luigi knew that, despite her best intentions, Daisy was doing nothing but putting herself in massive danger. He knew he had to stop her, before she joined the others, but the horror that King Boo left on him stopped him from doing or saying anything.
Daisy leapt off the ground, yelling out some sort of battle cry as she heroically charged towards the giant boo. King Boo, totally unfazed, shot out some electricity from his crown. It formed another portrait, this one empty, right in front of her path.
For one moment, the sheer fury on her face disappeared. For just a second, the realisation of her fate hit her. For a singular flash, she knew what awaited her.
And she regretted her impulsive decision for however little time she had.
'No!' Luigi cried.
There she was, joined with the others inside the paintings. The split second of fear on her face translated into the fabric perfectly. Using his magic, King Boo spun it around so he could look Daisy in the face.
'Well, I didn't think that this would be part of my collection,' He said, before returning to his trademark grin. 'But I appreciate her last few moments! It's always so much more fun when they try fighting back.'
He didn't even place her portrait alongside the others in the pocket dimension, and simply flung it behind him, letting it crash into a potted plant.
Luigi's breathing turned tense.
'N'aww, don't worry Luigi. There's one more frame, of course. I saved it especially for you! Stay right there and put on your best terrified face, Luigi! This is game over!'
Hellen Gravely laughed alongside him. 'You will make a glorious decoration for our bedroom, sweet Luigi!'
This is game over...
Thoughts of the dreaded Underwhere - a place told about in Mushroom Kingdom legends - filled Luigi's mind. Very soon, any thoughts about anything vanished into nothing, and only one thing drifted through his mind.
RUN.
For the first time in a while, his legs obeyed his instincts. Tripping to begin with, he spun around and charged down the hallway. He had no idea where he'd go, but he saw no alternatives.
'That's right, Luigi!' King Boo shouted. 'Make this fun for me in your last moments!'
Luigi didn't dare look back, but he could hear a bin crumbling to pieces behind him. One quick glance, and he got a mouthful of teeth.
'AHHHH!'
Now he ran even faster. The dark energy that King Boo emanated made the hairs on the back of Luigi's neck stand up. The plumber didn't even notice the doors to the rooms vanishing into thin air.
'Don't struggle too hard! You'll need to look wide awake when you have your picture taken!'
He ran around the luggage cart, still packed to the brim with Peach's suitcases. King Boo cared not for the cart, and knocked it right over.
'Wahhh!'
One of the suitcases on the top slammed into his shoulder and brought him to the floor. He landed on his chest, and his flashlight flew out of his hand.
'Ha ha! There we go, my little Weegee. Hold it right there.'
Luigi gazed back up at the ghostly king. Sweat seeped from his every pore as his heart nearly stopped. The portrait hovered above him. He held his arms up in a failed attempt to defend himself.
'Yes, that's the face! That's the one that shall be immortalised on my wall for all eternity!'
He sat there, on the floor, welcoming his fate as a hanging decoration.
'You can do it, Luigi...'
His eyes widened. He had no clue if he just hallucinated that or not, but Mario's voice spoke encouraging words to him.
The mental image of Mario trapped in his painting came back to him.
In the half-a-second he had before the portrait enclosed him, he turned his head around. At the very end of the hall, was the laundry chute.
He gasped; it was a risk, but what other choice did he have?
He leapt to his feet, stumbling as he got back into running and grabbed his flashlight. The painting slammed into the ground, missing him by mere centimetres.
'Oh, got newfound bravery out of nowhere, huh? Don't bother trying, Luigi. It'll only make the pain last longer!'
Though all of Luigi's terrors ate away at his soul, threatening to force him into a panic attack, he brushed them aside just for now so he could get out.
Not for himself, but for the greatest brother in the world.
He focused so much on running, he didn't notice he arrived at the end of the hallway until his forehead bumped into the wall. The laundry chute was right there.
He opened up the hatch and stared down into the darkness. However deep it was, he didn't know nor did he have the time to find out.
I... I'm gonna die...
King Boo laughed behind him, catching his attention. He gasped, his face seizing up in fear.
'Go on, Greenie. I dare ya to jump down there!'
The greenclad plumber looked at the chute, then at King Boo, and then back again. Jumping down that long chute had a very high chance of killing him, and he hated heights.
But seeing that portrait closing in on him... He had to weigh his options. The decision-making made him hyperventilate.
Well... I'm gonna die either way. But with the chute there's a small chance I'll live.
Stuffing his flashlight into the deep pockets of his overalls, he vaulted his body over the steel hatch and hoisted himself inside. The darkness intimidated him, but he was too far to turn back now.
'Hey! I didn't think you'd actually try it!'
His legs flailed around, but he soon got them in. Somehow, he managed to turn himself around as he slipped into the metal tunnel. It allowed him to see the light that leaked into the darkness.
The blackness enveloped him as he plummeted to his uncertain demise.
Author Notes - Text for the invitation taken directly from the game/Mario wiki. Various quotes are also taken directly from the game.
With Daisy, I'm trying to avoid the 'Real Women Dont Wear Dresses' implication. 'Oh, she's a tomboy and thus more capable than Peach!' Hence why I had her get kidnapped early on out of her own impulsiveness. As for why she's not wearing a dress, it's merely more practical.
Don't worry, Daisy shall return pretty soon. I just wanted the first few chapters to be just Luigi only.
The characterisations for the three Toads were made up quite literally when I got to them. I love making it up as I go! I was originally calling them '[Colour] Toad', but that got annoying. So, I named them based on that 'word ending in TY' naming scheme.
I wanna keep Mario and Luigi's dialogue simple a la the game itself, as I just don't hear them speaking complicated sentences. I like to imagine it's because they're native Italian/whatever-the-Mushroom-Kingdom-equivalent-is speakers, and thus don't have a perfect grasp on the (hideously complicated) English language.
