Ahh man bad day today.

But I guess it works out. My English teacher made me sad so to spite him I wrote this whole chapter during breakfast after class. I can't imagine he would approve of me writing fanfiction. He'd probably think it would encourage "bad writing habits" or something.

Ha ha. Bad writing habits. Haaa… fury.

Oh and man where's the love? No reviews for Selan.

Except one. Thanks Selphie

…

Chapter four: The chapter in which a deal possessing sinisterness is made.

Kamek touched down in front of yet another run-down haunted house.

This one was bigger than the last few, at least. Hopefully this would be the right one.

"I swear," he grumbled to himself, "If I get one more Boo telling me I've come to the wrong place…"

He pushed open the rotten, splintered wooden door and it fell off its hinges at his touch. Shaking his head. Kamek walked over the fallen door and entered the house.

"Hello!" he called out, "Anyone here?"

A number of Boos appeared, circled around him. They grinned him in the eerie way Boos usually did. A Boo in front of him spoke.

"Yes? … Oh, Kamek! It's been a while," it said.

Kamek tried to remember if he'd met that specific Boo before. They all looked the same to him. "Yeah, it has," he said, pretending he remembered the ghost, "Look, I don't suppose your leader is here?"

"King Boo?" said the Boo, "You've come to the right place."

Kamek let out a sigh of relief. Finally. "Good, good… can I talk to him?"

"Sorry," said the Boo, "He's a bit preoccupied at the moment."

Kamek frowned. "Really."

A sound floated down from the upstairs rooms. It sounded suspiciously like a slot machine. The Boo nodded. "Really."

Kamek adjusted his glasses. "I don't suppose he could become less preoccupied?"

Another noise came, one that sounded like the bells that go off when one wins on a slot machine. The Boo shook his head, looking a little embarrassed. "No, I don't think so… shall I take a message?"

Kamek rolled his eyes. He'd come all this way and the stupid ghost wouldn't even see him. Great. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Kamek materialized the piece of hair and delicately held it between his fingers. "Look, do you remember how, a little while back, King Boo stuck Mario into a painting?"

"Yeah?" said the Boo.

"I need him to do the same thing to an old friend of mine."

Another Boo piped up from behind him. "But that plan didn't work out so good! Mario and his brother got away!"

Kamek grinned. "That's right. Mario and his brother. Mario only got out of that because he had his brother to bail him out. But, you see, this kid hasn't got anyone who cares about him. No one in their right mind would help him."

"I see," said the first Boo. "Makes sense."

"And once you've got him in a painting," Kamek continued, "Give it to me. I'm sure Lord Bowser would love the paint-ified remains of his enemy hanging on his wall, don't you agree?"

The Boo cackled, amused at the thought. "Sounds like a fine plan to me!"

Kamek held the piece of hair out. "Here. I think this should make it easier for his Spookiness to find the kid, right?"

The Boo floated forward and took the hair. "Yes, this will do."

"Good," Kamek turned to leave "Now, if there's nothing else to be done, I'll just—"

"Wait, wait just a minute," the Boo said. All the other Boos closed in on him, blocking his exit.

"What?" Kamek whirled around to face the main Boo again. "We're done, aren't we?"

"No," said the Boo, floating up to Kamek. "We haven't discussed payment."

Kamek frowned. "I'm sure King Boo owes Lord Bowser quite a few favors—"

"Ah, ah, this is so," the Boo grinned, his fangs sticking out of his mouth. "But Lord Bowser isn't the one doing the asking, now is he?"

Kamek groaned. Stupid, cheating ghosts…!

The Boo looked irritatingly smug. "So, I'm afraid we really can't make any sort of deal until you've provided us with the proper compensation."

Kamek narrowed his eyes, glaring at the Boo. "… Alright. What do you want?"

"One million coins," the Boo said.

"Are you insane?!" Kamek argued, "That's too much! What on Earth do you need that much money for?!"

The Boo turned away, floating away a few feet. "Hey, if this job isn't worth that much to you, then we could just forget the whole thing, eh?"

"No," Kamek sighed, "No, I… I'll get the money."

The Boo turned to face Kamek again. "Ah, good. We'll be waiting here for your payment, then."

And the Boos all disappeared. Kamek kicked a loose floorboard in frustration, yelling obscenities to himself, and stomped out of the house.

Fawful had fallen out of the tree he had been hiding in. He now lay in a bush, a bit bruised and scraped up from the fall. As the conversation in his headphones ended, he reached up a trembling hand and grabbed a tree branch, pulling himself back onto his feet.

He leaned against the tree, still shaken. How did Kamek know Fawful was afraid of ghosts? Did he know that? – Did it even matter?! King Boo would be on Fawful's heels soon, and Fawful didn't have the means to defend himself against a spectral foe.

"Old man is still possessing much cleverness…," Fawful muttered to himself.

Fawful wondered if he could perhaps prevent Kamek from delivering the money. No, what if he failed? Then he'd be defenseless. He'd be better off getting to work right now on something to protect himself with. But what?

He happened to remember there was a scientist who studied ghosts. Perhaps this person had developed some way to defend against ghosts? Oh, what was his name? It was a weird name, he remembered that much… what was it? Professor… something. Professor…

… Gadd. Elvin Gadd.

He had no time to waste. Fawful promptly blasted off in search of the professor.