A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Mario and Luigi had a little adventure and discovered the Elephant Fruit. Princess Peach told them about the nearby Flower Kingdom, and alongside their friends, they prepared to leave to visit Prince Florian, which leads to the events of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. This upcoming one-shot is a Halloween special, and I was inspired by an episode from the first season of SpongeBob Squarepants, ''Scaredy Pants''. Let's begin.

Chapter 14: Super Green Scaredy-Bro? NOT!

(''6 PM- Animal Crossing Wild World OST'')

It was a late Tuesday afternoon in the Mushroom Kingdom. That day was not like any other. It was October 31st.

The sun was about to set, and that meant soon the atmosphere would turn sinister at any moment, and Luigi feared it like few things.

Luigi hated Halloween. It was a celebration associated with the paranormal and the dead, as it was celebrated the day before All Saints' Day and two days before All Souls' Day, and considering his fear of ghosts and his experiences with the paranormal, it was already a lot for him to bear.

For those who were superstitious, Halloween was also associated with the dark arts and necromancy. Luigi has always been paranoid and easily suggestible, which was not a good combination with Halloween. He couldn't even go trick-or-treating without getting overwhelmed by the fear that a monster would lunge at him and devour him. Although he didn't believe that black cats brought bad luck, for example, he was quite superstitious, and his experiences with paranormal activities had made him even more paranoid and superstitious, as he knew by now that the paranormal existed.

The worst thing was the costumes. They weren't the only types of costumes used on Halloween, but costumes on paranormal creatures and monsters such as ghosts, devils, demons, skeletons, witches, and zombies were incredibly common, as were Boos and Dry Bones costumes. When he saw the Toads and other people in those macabre costumes, Luigi was overwhelmed with terror and seriously considered turning to an exorcist or two of his friends from the Super Smash Bros. tournaments, Simon Belmont and his descendant Richter, since all three had experience with the paranormal. (1) He was already shy and easily frightened, and getting through Halloween without freaking out was impossible. Many gave him mocking nicknames like ''Super Green Scaredy-Bro'' or ''Green Scaredy-cat,'' and while that wasn't the only reason, his inability to keep his cool during Halloween was a major factor behind it.

Last year had been a terrible Halloween for poor Luigi, and as a result, he had been nagging Mario by telling him over and over again during the week not to use a costume that was too scary. After reminding him of it for the twelfth time in at least three days, he ended up making him lose his temper, but Mario was understanding and knew why he did it, so he couldn't stay mad at him for long.

Fed up with getting scared on Halloween and eager to scare someone himself, he went to Professor E. Gadd's lab to pick up the Poltergust G-00, the latest model of the Poltergust's. One of the new features of this brand new model was Gooigi, a clone of Luigi made of a green, viscous substance known as Goo.(2)

''Good. This is gonna be useful.'' thought Luigi.

(''6 PM- Animal Crossing Wild World OST-s '')

(''Thoughts Going Around- Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War OST'')

When evening came, Mario and Luigi agreed on which costumes they would wear for the Halloween party. Mario had a purple cape similar to bat wings, a helmet-like Halloween pumpkin on his head that left his face exposed, and fake vampire teeth, while Luigi had a wolf costume. Peach had also prepared her costume, with a cape, a hat and a witch's wand.(3)

''I hope it's not like last time...'' Luigi murmured, nervous about going to the Halloween party after what had happened last time. The costumes that the others had used were very frightening. He had went trick-or-treating with his brother and his friends, and after a few pranks at his own expense, they all reunited in the main hall of Peach's castle. However, he was already overwhelmed with fear first, and those frightening costumes frightened him so much that he fainted from fear in front of Mario and the others and was immediately taken to the hospital.

''I hope so too. I think someone has gone a bit too far with the jokes and the creepy element.'' commented Mario. He was really angry after the incident, and when Luigi recovered and was able to leave the hospital, he was still clearly in a state of shock.

''I'm scared, Mario... Halloween and I are like apples and oranges...'' Luigi said.

''Oh, come here, Lu.'' said Mario, hugging his brother, who rested his head on his shoulder. ''It's just a celebration, brother. Nothing will happen to you.''

''But you know that Halloween is associated with the dead, the paranormal, evil spirits, and other creepy things. It's too much for me,'' replied Luigi.

''OK, but these things aren't real.'' Mario said.

Luigi felt like a fool. During the Halloween holidays, his inability to keep his cool had always been a source of trouble. ''I'm sorry, Mario... I feel like an idiot. I can explore haunted mansions and fight ghosts, yet I can't stay calm at a Halloween party. They're not entirely wrong to make fun of me. It's no wonder I'm called a coward.'' he sighed.

''Don't say that, Luigi. You're just faint-hearted. The fact that you are easily frightened shouldn't weigh on you.'' Mario reassured him.

The younger brother appreciated Mario's attempts to make him feel better, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. ''I can't help it, big bro. '' he said.

The incident the year before hadn't been the only time Luigi's inability to keep his cool on Halloween had caused problems: when there was a Halloween party, there were always accidents involving him, as he would be overwhelmed by fear, accidentally embarrassing the people who were at the party and making a fool of himself in front of them. Once, during the usual trick-or-treating session, six Dry Bones jumpscared him, and he got so scared that he urinated and defecated on himself, humiliating himself in front of everyone and forcing him to leave the party early to go wash his clothes and take a shower. Some Toads, though not all, seemed to despise his presence on Halloween because he always ruined everything, and they, other creatures of the Mushroom Kingdom, and Waluigi made fun of him and called him childish.

''Never mind what others say about you. You're easily scared, it's true, but it never stopped you.'' said Mario, giving Luigi a small kiss on the cheek. ''If you think about what happened last year, it was partly my fault.'' he admitted, pulling away from the embrace.

Mario was ashamed of what had happened a year earlier. He had dressed up as a zombie for the last Halloween party, complete with makeup: greenish skin, blank white eyes, torn clothes, his right leg was visible because of his torn trousers, and he was missing his right shoe, with his bare foot visible, but most importantly, he had an axe on his head. He had been so busy with so many things that he had not had time to agree with Luigi about their customs, and when Mario arrived ten minutes late, Luigi freaked out when he saw the axe sticking out of his head. It was a fake axe, of course, but his brother thought he had been killed and came back as a zombie. As a result, Luigi scolded him for almost giving him a heart attack and for not warning him sooner. Mario immediately apologized to him for what had happened, and after clearing up the misunderstanding, he went to take off his zombie makeup and put some new clothes on to compensate so that he would feel more comfortable, but he didn't expect what would happen next. Although Luigi quickly forgave him, he couldn't help but feel responsible.

''It's not your fault. I always ruin the party for everyone, so it's only fair that I pay the consequences.''

''Come on, stop thinking like that. You're not that awkward. Being sensitive is part of who you are. Let's go to the castle, OK? Peach will be worried if she doesn't find us.''

Luigi didn't seem so convinced, but he agreed to take part in the party. ''Alright then. I'm just sick of being scared all the time and being called a ''Green Scaredy-cat''. I want to scare the others for once.'' he said with a sigh.

''You'll make it, Luigi. I know. I love you,'' said Mario, and he affectionately kissed his brother on the forehead.

''Thank you, Mario. I love you too.'' said Luigi, and they went together to the castle for the feast.

(''Thoughts Going Around- Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War OST-s'')

(''Peach's Castle- New Super Mario Bros. Wii OST'')

Princess Peach, the Toads, and various friends of Mario and Luigi, including Princess Daisy, were waiting for them. Some Toads seemed a little irritated by Luigi's presence, and looked at him as if he were a ball at their feet.

(''Here you are! We were waiting for you!'') Yoshi said, dressed in a dinosaur costume. Toad, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad, and Toadette were wrapped in small sheets, pretending to be ghosts.

''I see that Luigi is there too. I was worried he wouldn't show up to the party, given what happened last year.'' Peach said.

''Who do you tell it to. Poor thing, it was horrible to him.'' Daisy added.

''I thought so too, I'll be honest,'' said Professor E. Gadd.

''We know what he's like.'' said Toadsworth, dressed as a wizard.

Luigi and Peach took a closer look at Mario's costume and laughed at the pumpkin on his head.

''What's so funny?'' asked Mario.

''Forgive me for telling you this, but you look ridiculous!'' giggled Luigi.

''It's OK.'' Mario said.

''You're really funny in that costume.'' Peach said.

''And you're as beautiful as ever.'' Mario told her, and Peach kissed him on the nose in response.

It was then that Mario noticed that Luigi had the Poltergust G-00. ''Um, Luigi? Why did you bring the Poltergust with you?'' he asked.

''Just in case. I don't want King Boo to come back all of a sudden.'' replied Luigi.

''Are we sure he won't spoil the party again?'' complained a Toad, referring to Luigi.

''You know Luigi is easily suggestible.'' said Peach. She, Mario and Luigi remembered that well.

(''Peach's Castle- New Super Mario Bros. Wii OST-s'')

(Flashback)

Last year, on Halloween...

(''Gloomy Manor- Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon OST'')

Luigi was very tense during the Halloween party. His shy and sensitive personality didn't mix well with the legends about Halloween, but he had to put on a costume himself, and he dressed up as an elf. The Toads wore creepy costumes, as they were dressed as ghosts, mummies, witches, vampires, specters, and other monstrous creatures, and Wario also had a vampire costume. There was even someone who had disguised himself as a banshee. As he tried to calm himself down by thinking to himself that they were just costumes, someone opened the door. It was Mario.

''Sorry for the delay. I was very busy and I didn't make it in time,'' said Mario. ''Did I miss something?'' he asked.

''No, you arrived ten minutes late, but we were just about to start,'' Peach said.

''What happened?'' asked Luigi. ''I thought Mario- AH!''

As soon as Luigi saw Mario, he freaked out and let out a shrill scream. ''AAAAAAHHHHHHH! A ZOMBIE WITH AN AXE ON HIS HEAD! HELP!'' he shrieked.

''Luigi! Luigi, Luigi, calm down! It's just me! It's all right, Luigi, it's me!'' said Mario.

It took a while for Luigi to calm down, and when it was clear that Mario was alive and had only disguised himself as such, he was not pleased, glaring at him. ''Don't ever do that again, Mario! You almost gave me a heart attack!'' he scolded him.

''Sorry.'' said Mario.

''This doesn't seem like a good way to start to me.'' Professor E. Gadd commented with a puzzled look. Polterpup was confused.

''Mario!'' Daisy also scolded Mario.

''Sorry.'' repeated Mario.

''I thought you were dead and you had become a zombie who wanted to kill me!'' Luigi snapped.

''Relax, Luigi! This axe is fake! If it were true, I wouldn't be alive yet!'' replied Mario, trying to reassure him.

''But why didn't you tell me before?! Why didn't you warn me?!'' asked Luigi, still shaken by the fright he got.

''Because I didn't have time to agree with you on which costumes we would wear for the party. I was so busy today that I didn't have time to tell you. I'm so sorry, Luigi. I'm really sorry,'' Mario explained, ashamed of having scared his brother like that.

''I forgive you, Mario. But please, let me know the next time you choose a scary costume for Halloween. I don't want this to happen again.'' said Luigi.

''Can I say that he screams like a girl?'' a Red Toad said.

''Look who's talking!'' Daisy silenced him.(4)

''Now what?'' asked Toadette.

''I'm going to change into something a little less grotesque. I don't want to traumatize my brother.'' Mario replied, leaving the room.

A fair amount of Toads glared at Luigi as if he had ruined the party in for them. ''What?'' he asked. ''I didn't expect that, OK?''

''What a coward.'' a Purple Toad commented.

''Does he have to be like this all the time?'' a Green Toad asked.

(''OK...?'') Yoshi said, looking at him in confusion.

There was a palpable feeling of unease in the great hall. Luigi didn't know what to say, and remained silent to avoid making things worse.

(''Gloomy Manor- Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon OST-s'')

When Mario returned, he was in his usual clothes and looked normal. The Toads were irritated that he had given up his costume, and some accused Luigi of forcing him, but Mario replied that it was for the best, saying that he had been wrong not to warn him before disguising himself as a zombie, since it had scared him.

The party proceeded normally, at least for a while, but when it was time to play the divination games, the problems began. Luigi had never been comfortable in this type of activity because he thought that the occult and certain practices of divination were associated with the dark arts. There were also soul cakes, and the problem wasn't the taste, but the name always made him feel uncomfortable because it gave him the impression of devouring souls or handing them over to the devil. He didn't have much luck with the divination games, and he became more and more tense. When it came time to go trick-or-treating, he began to find himself the target of several pranks, despite the fact that he was supposed to be the one to play tricks on him. Dry Bones and Boos popped up everywhere, and people played tricks on him and scared him. The costumes worn by the Toads and the other participants only made matters worse, as he couldn't turn around without seeing those creepy costumes and get scared.

When trick-or-treating time was over, Luigi ran into the castle with all his candy. His heart was pounding. Mario was back inside too, followed by Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Toadsworth, Toadette, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad, and he was worried to see him so agitated. ''Hey, Luigi, are you okay?'' he asked.

''I'm scared... I can't take it anymore...'' Luigi gasped.

''Maybe you should take a break.'' Daisy said.

(''In The Hall of the Mountain King- Kevin Macleod 1:38'')

When the door opened again, Luigi and his friends were surrounded by several people. Luigi looked up and immediately regretted it, as he saw those disturbing costumes and was scared to death.

''AAAAHHHHH! MONSTERS! DON'T GET ANY CLOSER! KEEP AWAY FROM ME! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!'' he screamed.

He tried to look elsewhere, but it was useless. Everywhere he looked, there were people in monster costumes, and he wouldn't stop screaming like crazy. Mario tried to calm him down, but to no avail. Then, Luigi began to feel sick. He turned pale as a sheet, his heart pounded, he had a severe headache, he could no longer feel the left side of his body, and he could not see clearly around him.

''What's wrong with Luigi?!'' Peach exclaimed, shocked.

''I don't know! I can't calm him down!'' replied Mario.

''Do something, Mario! He can't handle this!'' said Daisy, alarmed.

''I'm trying, but Luigi is too scared to calm down!'' Mario told her, just as scared.

''Can someone explain to me what's going on with him?'' Wario asked.

''He totally lost it!'' said Toad.

''No, he's terrified!'' said Toadsworth.

''All because of a bunch of costumes? Seriously?!'' Wario said, unimpressed. ''Your brother is such a big green scaredy-cat, Mario, let me tell you!''

''Not everyone has nerves of steel, Wario!'' replied Mario.

Meanwhile, Luigi's condition worsened. He grabbed his head with both hands, and the migraine became more intense. At one point, he let out a strangled scream.

(''It's getting worse! Do something!'') Yoshi yelled, panicking.

Luigi's head felt very heavy, he couldn't move and he was breathing hard, muttering something incomprehensible. ''Help...'' he murmured. It was the last clear thing he said before his body gave out. He fell first on his knees, then on his side, and stopped moving.

(''In The Hall of the Mountain King- Kevin Macleod-s'')

Everyone was shocked. ''Luigi! Luigi?!'' Mario yelled, rushing towards his brother.

(''Luigi!'') Yoshi shouted.

''What happened to Luigi?!'' cried Daisy, horrified.

''I think he's knocked unconscious!'' said Peach.

''Luigi! Luigi, wake up, please! Open your eyes! Come on, say something!'' said Mario, very worried, but Luigi didn't answer. Polterpup ran up to him and licked his face, but he didn't react to that either.

''What now?'' Professor E. Gadd asked, taken aback by what had happened.

''Call Dr. Toadley, quick!'' cried Toadsworth.

(''Scent of Silence- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST'')

Since Luigi had suddenly fallen unconscious, Peach had no choice but to cancel the rest of the plans for the Halloween party. She, Mario, Yoshi, and Daisy immediately took Luigi to the Toadley Clinic. He was still unconscious and unresponsive. Polterpup was whimpering in Mario's arms.

''Luigi is alive,'' Dr. Toadley announced.

''I don't understand. What is it that made him lose consciousness? Was it stress?'' asked Peach.

''I would say it's more high blood pressure than stress. Tell me what happened before Luigi fell unconscious.'' Dr. Toadley said.

''Luigi had a severe panic attack. He hyperventilated, part of his body had become stiff, he was disoriented, and he was suffering from a migraine. Before he lost consciousness, he let out a muffled scream.'' Daisy explained.

''I'm going to have a magnetic resonance and some check-ups to make sure it's in condition,'' Dr. Toadley replied as he entered the operating room.

Mario and Daisy were very worried about the situation. It wasn't the only time Luigi had been involved in incidents on Halloween, but this was the most serious.

(''Just... what happened to him...?'') Yoshi murmured.

A few minutes later, Dr. Toadley came out of the operating room. ''Bad news. I found out the cause of this fainting. Luigi has suffered a stroke.'' he said.

''A STROKE?!'' Daisy exclaimed, horrified. ''That's impossible!''

''But Luigi is too young and healthy to suffer a stroke!'' objected Mario, incredulous. Luigi had always been opposed to smoking, and neither he nor his brother smoked. In addition, they were both were way too thin to be obese and suffer from obesity-related disorders, other common factors for strokes.

''Yeah, how is that possible?'' asked Peach.

''My MR scans indicate a cerebral ischemia. Some blood vessels in Luigi's brain have suddenly closed, and this prevents blood from flowing to certain areas. I analyzed his blood pressure, and it's very high. Blood pressure has been going up very recently.'' Dr. Toadley replied.

The shock left Mario silent. Did it mean that Luigi had suffered brain damage? Daisy couldn't believe it.

''I know, it's a shock. After all, strokes occur much more frequently in the elderly. However, if your blood pressure is too high, you may have a stroke.'' Dr. Toadley said.

Peach suddenly opened her mouth as if to say something.

''Peach, does that sound familiar to you?'' Daisy asked.

''It's not the first time this has happened at the castle.'' Peach said.

''You mean...'' Mario said.

''That's right. Toadsworth suffers from high blood pressure, and we all know it. When I am kidnapped, he gets overwhelmed by stress and often passes out. He usually suffers heart attacks but sometimes, the blood circulation in his brain suddenly decreases and he suffers a stroke'' Peach explained.

''Can it be cured? What is gonna happen to Luigi?'' asked Mario.

''Don't worry, Mario. Since you and your friends noticed the symptoms right away and acted quickly, the damage is limited. He'll be fine, but after he wakes up, I suggest giving him fibrinolytic medication for a while so that the blood can flow better in the brain,'' Dr. Toadley replied.

Mario, Peach, Yoshi, and Daisy returned to Peach's castle to explain what had happened to Luigi. Everyone was very disappointed, as everything was going well up to that point. The Toads were clearly unhappy, however, and some were quite harsh on Luigi.

(End flashback)

Even a year later, Mario still felt guilty about what had happened, feeling that he had contributed to the anxiety attack that had caused his brother to fall unconscious. It only took an hour after the accident until Luigi woke up, but he was still in shock and definitely groggy, and didn't fully recover until after taking fibrinolytics for two weeks. Considering the severity of the panic attack, he was lucky that he didn't go into cardiac arrest, and considering that he had suffered a stroke, this combination could certainly have been fatal.

Peach clearly remembered that the Toads were not happy at all about how the incident had caused the party to be canceled. A fair number of them declared that Luigi was so cowardly that it was impossible to take him seriously, that it was embarrassing to be with him and that he always ruined their Halloween, and said that they will never go to a Halloween party with him again, calling him nothing more than a super green scaredy-cat. In response to these statements, Mario was furious and threatened not to show up at next year's Halloween party. ''Luigi has just suffered a stroke! Do you realize that you literally almost scared him to death?! There are people who are faint-hearted, and he's one of them, so you can't prank him or scare him all the time and expect him to enjoy Halloween! By now he has had so many bad experiences with ghosts that he now knows that the paranormal exists! Luigi literally almost died of fright because of you! What would have happened if he had gone into cardiac arrest?! Huh?! I warn you, I'll think twice before going to another Halloween party after this, and not because of him!'' he had threatened.

''I wouldn't want that incident to happen again. It was a big shock.'' Professor E. Gadd said.

''Master Luigi never told us anything about it.'' said Toadsworth.

(''He and Mario don't like to talk about it.'') Yoshi said.

(''Scent of Silence- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST-s'')

(''Bonneton- Super Mario Odyssey OST'')

The party began, but first Mario, Peach, and Daisy had to remind everyone not to go overboard with the pranks and scares to prevent a similar incident from happening again. They didn't want him to go into cardiac arrest.

Divination games underwent some changes, and now also involved fortune cookies, which worked in a similar way through slips of paper hidden inside. Luigi opened a fortune cookie and read the message. ''You're going to face an old enemy tonight. You know what to do.''

Looking at the message, Luigi was nervous. Was it referring to King Boo? He gripped the Poltergust tightly, looking around cautiously, and Mario winked at him.

Between jokes, soul cakes and the usual trick-or-treating session, this time the Halloween party proceeded normally. To be on the safe side, Mario stayed close to Luigi to make sure he could keep his cool.

''Hey, Luigi. Do you want to scare the others?'' asked Mario.

''Yes. I'm tired of making a bad impression on Halloween. I should be the one to scare the others, for once.'' replied Luigi. ''But I don't know if I'll make it.''

''You are stronger than you look, Luigi. Think of the creepiest thing you know. I know you can do it.'' Mario said.

''Thanks, Mario.'' said Luigi, hugging him.

''Good. Now go get them!''

It was time for ghost stories, one of the most common things that took place on Halloween. ''What ghost story are you going to tell us, Luigi?'' asked Daisy.

Luigi was trembling, but he summoned his courage and began to tell the ghost story. ''Do you know where King Boo, the king of ghosts, comes from? He comes from another dimension, a dimension that can only be reached through Paranormal Portals. He is a master of black magic and illusions, can make himself invisible and follows his prey into the shadows. And do you know what he does if he catches you? He imprisons you in a painting, prevents you from leaving, and finally consumes you and devours your soul, leaving you trapped in the painting for eternity!''

Several people were frightened, especially because they did not expect such a tone from Luigi's voice. This tone of voice sounded too intimidating, considering who he was.

Mario got startled, and he and Daisy gave Luigi a thumbs up.

(''Bonneton- Super Mario Odyssey OST'')

Luigi continued to tell the ghost story, imitating King Boo for a while, and seemed convincing enough to scare the others, but suddenly, he turned around and screamed.

(''Inside Ganon's Castle- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST'')

''What's the matter, Luigi? What's going on?'' asked Daisy.

Luigi pointed with his finger to something white, and a dark bolt of lightning missed him by a few inches. ''Aaaaahhhh! It's King Boo!'' he shouted.

''WHO DARES TO MOCK ME?!'' King Boo yelled.

''Not again...'' Mario complained, seeing King Boo free again.

''Here we go again...'' Professor E. Gadd murmured, knowing what was going to happen.

''You again?!'' exclaimed Luigi, shocked. ''We really need to stop meeting like this, King Boo!''

''Seriously?! Wasn't it enough for you to suck me into that wretched Poltergust?! How low can you stoop!'' snapped King Boo.

''I was going tell you that myself. Crashing a Halloween party? That's not your style.'' replied Luigi.

''Luigi and I will defeat you, King Boo! We all know your tricks by now!'' shouted Mario defiantly.

''You've never stopped me, Mario, and you won't this time either!'' replied King Boo.

''Oh, yeah?! Well, Luigi is here, and he's going to stop you!'' said Mario.

Enraged, King Boo shouted his intentions to imprison everyone in portraits, especially Luigi for mocking him. ''I'll kill you where you stand, Luigi!'' he screamed.

''Stay back!'' ordered Luigi, and everyone stepped back.

(''Inside Ganon's Castle- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST-s'')

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 1- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

A heated confrontation began between Luigi and his nemesis. King Boo used his usual tricks, which were nothing Luigi couldn't handle. Every now and then he would let Gooigi out for help, and even though he would occasionally lose his shape after a few blows, scattering Goo everywhere and on Luigi, it wasn't a problem.

During the fight, King Boo tried to imprison everyone in the portraits, forcing Luigi to kick away the portraits to protect his friends, but this left him open to eventual attacks. Gooigi could help him, but summoning him meant he remained motionless and temporarily unconscious unless he used a specific method, so it was risky and he couldn't do it without keeping his distance first.

At one point, the plumber was cornered, but he managed to get out of the gap by firing a plunger from the Poltergust and grabbing King Boo by the tongue.

''How often does that maniac appear?'' asked Daisy. If King Boo wasn't a ghost, she would gladly beat him up.

''I don't know.'' Peach said.

After a while, Luigi began to struggle during the fight, and King Boo hit him with black magic. He tried to fall back to go defensive, but his legs stiffened, leaving him unable to move.

''Oh, no! He's paralyzed!'' Mario cried out.

''That's black magic! Luigi will find it hard to move like that!'' E. Gadd exclaimed.

''You've got no escape, Luigi!'' said King Boo, laughing wickedly.

With no other options, Luigi sent Gooigi out to defend himself. Gooigi managed to stun King Boo with the Strobulb, but the ghost broke free shortly after as he tried to suck him up and destroyed him again with a flick of his tongue.

King Boo then fired a poison bomb, which Luigi barely managed to dodge, but he tripped and the Poltergust fell off. Before he could even take it back, a dark bolt of lightning struck him.

''Luigi!'' yelled Mario, worried. He didn't want to sit there anymore, he felt he had to do something!

Without even coming up with a strategy, Mario slung the Poltergust over his shoulders.

''Mario! What are you doing?!'' exclaimed Luigi.

''I'm not going to let King Boo catch you!'' replied Mario.

''Are you crazy?! You've never used the Poltergust before! You won't stand a chance against King Boo!'' protested Luigi.

''I don't care! I'm tired of being King Boo's prey, and I won't go down without a fight!'' Mario declared.

''You should listen to your brother. You don't even know how to use that thing!'' said King Boo.

''It's going to take more than one overgrown ghost to beat me! King Boo, you made me feel weak in your prison-painting, but I won't be your prisoner anymore!''

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 1- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 2- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

But Luigi was right. Mario had gone into battle overconfident, and it was his first time using the Poltergust, so he didn't understand how it worked. He spent much of the fight trying to tinker with the Poltergust, and he even struggled to switch from using the flashlight to vacuuming. He kept pressing the buttons on the Poltergust's nozzle, and because it weighed him down, it reduced his agility.

''Professor! Mario can't do anything against King Boo, he doesn't know how to use the Poltergust!'' Luigi exclaimed in concern. Mario was pressing random buttons, including the one that activated the Strobulb, but he had been holding it down for too little time, failing to blind King Boo.

''You're right! He can't use the Poltergust without training!'' said Professor E. Gadd.

''Come on, how does this thing work?!'' muttered Mario, continuing to press random buttons.

A suction cup unexpectedly flew off and hit Toad in the face, as Mario had pressed the incorrect button and used the Suction Shot when he should have been using the Strobulb. Through it all, King Boo giggled madly, making Mario look like an idiot during the fight. Frustrated, the red-clad plumber activated the Strobulb, and managed to stun him, but pressed the wrong button and wasted the moment to suck him up. He had pressed the button to blow instead of vacuum, and was hit by a fireball before he could correct his mistake.

''No, no, that would never do!'' Luigi shouted.

King Boo fired a bomb, and Mario activated the Strobulb, but it was the wrong time and it exploded in his face. He should have sucked up the bomb and then fired it back at him.

''Is that it?'' King Boo taunted him. ''It's pathetic how you fight without even knowing how to use that thing. You look so ridiculous you make me laugh.''

''Shut up! I won't give in!'' replied Mario.

''Mario, don't do anything foolish!'' Luigi warned him. But Mario didn't listen to him.

He managed to blind King Boo, but when he tried to suck him in, his movements threw him off-balance. His feet were pulled off the ground, he couldn't stay firmly on the ground and he hit his head against a chair, losing his Halloween costume.

''Don't push yourself like this, Mario!'' exclaimed Toad.

''Mario doesn't know what he's doing! He's fighting a losing battle!'' said Peach, looking worriedly.

''What a reckless idiot!'' Wario said.

(''He can't go on like this!'') Yoshi added.

''Get out of there, Mario!'' yelled Luigi.

Mario refused to back down, and his recklessness cost him dearly when he was paralyzed by King Boo's black magic.

(''Proteus Ridley Phase 2- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

''I knew it!'' exclaimed Professor E. Gadd.

''You should have given up when you had the chance. Now just play! It's time to end it!'' King Boo declared, causing a painting to appear.

Tired of watching, Luigi ran forward and pushed Mario away when the portrait was about to fall on him and imprison him. They were safe, but Luigi was almost locked up in the portrait himself.

(''That was close!'') Yoshi exclaimed.

''UGH!'' King Boo snorted, frustrated that Luigi had meddled.

(''Dr. Light Capsule Theme- Mega Man X6 OST'')

''Stand back, big bro! I'll take care of the rest!'' said Luigi.

''But Luigi...'' Mario objected.

''Stop being so stubborn, Mario! You should have listened to me! You know absolutely nothing about how to use the Poltergust, and you'll never defeat King Boo! If you keep fighting, you'll end up getting killed, or worse!'' replied Luigi, scolding him out of concern.

''He's right, Mario. Leave it to the expert.'' said Professor E. Gadd.

''Luigi, are you sure you can deal with him?'' asked Mario, worried. ''Considering what you went through last year, I'm not sure it's a good idea.''

''This is different! You won't be able to defeat King Boo! I'm much more experienced in these things.'' replied Luigi.

Mario looked at Luigi and nodded. It had been stupid of him to confront King Boo without a strategy and without knowing anything about the use of the Poltergust. ''You're right, Lu. I trust you. You're much better than me in all of this.'' said Mario, handing the Poltergust G-00 to Luigi.

''I can do it, Mario. Leave it to me.'' said Luigi.

''Thank you, Luigi. Now go and make me proud!'' said Mario, high-fiving Luigi and switching places with him

(''Dr. Light Capsule Theme- Mega Man X6 OST-s'')

(''Vampire Killer- Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles OST'')

King Boo was very exasperated. ''You just don't give in!'' he said.

''If you hurt my brother, I'll send you back in there.'' Luigi replied.

The difference in experience between Mario and Luigi was clear during the battle. Luigi was experienced and knew what to use based on the situation, looking for the right time to use each of his skills.

He sucked up the bombs and spiked balls and threw them back at King Boo.

He blew away the obstacles when they came close to him.

He blinded King Boo with the Strobulb when he let his guard down.

He dodged the curses and dark spells cast by King Boo.

''He sure know how to handle this vacuum cleaner of sorts!'' said Daisy, impressed.

''Well, I'm the one who taught him how to use it.'' Professor E. Gadd replied.

''Get him, Luigi!'' exulted Mario.

''Watch and learn, Mario!'' said Luigi.

King Boo tried to hit Luigi with his tongue, but he took aim and shot a suction cup on his tongue, immobilizing him.

''Now, Luigi! Slam him!'' Professor E. Gadd said loudly.

Luigi slammed King Boo to the ground several times, and after blinding him with the Strobulb, he sucked him in again.

''Look at him Goo!'' said Yellow Toad.

During the battle, Gooigi lost his physical form more than once, and his Goo splattered all over Luigi several times, but that was no problem. After a while, he managed to defeat King Boo.

''YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!'' King Boo roared as he was sucked into the Poltergust.

''I've already told you, King Boo. If you hurt my brother and my friends, I won't hesitate to bring you back in there.'' Luigi declared.

(''Vampire Killer- Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles OST-s'')

King Boo had been defeated, and everyone cheered, but before long Mario, Daisy, and Professor E. Gadd noticed that Luigi was gone.

''Luigi? Luigi, are you there?'' asked Mario.

''Where did he go?'' asked Professor E. Gadd, confused.

Luigi didn't seem to be anywhere in the room. Mario and the others looked around in confusion.

Suddenly...

''RAAAWWWRRR!''

Luigi emerged from behind a chair covered in Goo from head to toe and imitated a roar. Everyone was frightened.

''Oh, it's you. I thought one of those ghosts sneaked up on me!'' said Daisy, still caught off-guard.

''Whoa, you gave us a good scare! Congratulations!'' Mario congratulated Luigi.

''I guess I used the surprise effect.'' said Luigi. Suddenly, he began to cough and choke.

''Crikey! I remember how it happened! He's got Goo stuck in his face!'' exclaimed Professor E. Gadd, remembering what had happened to him during his experiments on Gooigi. The Goo attached to Luigi's body was hardening!(5)

Luigi struggled to speak clearly. The Goo that had clung to him was getting hard and he couldn't breathe. He tried to point a finger at a glass of water, then stumbled.

''Get some water, posthaste!'' cried Professor E. Gadd.

Mario found a small bottle of water, opened it and poured the contents on Luigi's head. The Goo dissolved as soon as the water came into contact with it.

''Thanks Mario.'' said Luigi. Polterpup jumped into his arms, licking his face.

The Toads were still petrified with fear from Luigi's jumpscare. ''Who's the scaredy-cat now?'' asked Daisy.

''That party was really... surprising.'' Peach said.

(''La Pace- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST'')

It was time to go home. After taking off his costume, Luigi was starting to prepare something for dinner when he saw Mario looking sad. ''Hey, Mario, what's wrong with you? Why are you sad?'' he asked.

Mario sighed. ''I don't know how you do it. Fighting ghosts.'' he said.

''You know I fights ghosts for you and the others.'' said Luigi.

''That's not what I mean. How come you're so good at using the Poltergust?'' asked Mario.

''Professor E. Gadd taught me this the first time we met. I used the Poltergust several times when he needed help.'' replied Luigi.

Mario felt angry with himself. ''I hate to feel like this against King Boo. So weak and helpless.'' he admitted.

''Is that why you tried to fight him alone?'' asked Luigi.

''Yeah.'' the older brother sighed. ''I was so tired of having nightmares about him, and I'm sick of being his prisoner. I've seen you in trouble and... I just reacted. I thought I could handle him, but I was wrong. I was too cocky.''

''It's perfectly normal. You've never done that before.'' Luigi reassured him.

''I don't want to be weak and helpless against King Boo ever again. I want to learn how to use the Poltergust like you do. Can you teach me?'' asked Mario.

''I don't know, it would be dangerous...'' said Luigi, a little doubtful. He didn't like putting his brother in danger.

In response, Mario gave him the puppy-dog eyes. ''Please?''

''Alright. I'll help you defend yourself from ghosts,'' replied Luigi.

''Thank you, Luigi! Grazie!'' said Mario, hugging his brother tightly in joy. ''Ti voglio tanto bene, Lu!''

''Anch'io ti voglio tanto bene, Mario.'' said Luigi, returning the hug.

''When will I start with my training?'' asked Mario.

''I'll call Professor E. Gadd after dinner to let him know. I think you'll start tomorrow night or the day after.'' said the younger brother.

''You're awesome, Luigi! Thank you again!'' said Mario, and gave Luigi a kiss full of affection on both cheeks as a sign of gratitude.

''Aw, you're welcome, Mario. As long as I am with you, you will have nothing to fear. When King Boo returns, I will protect you. I promise.'' said Luigi, stroking Mario's chocolate hair.

''It's cheesy, I know, but I can't thank you enough for it.'' Mario said.

''It's not cheesy.'' Luigi gave Mario a kiss on the forehead. ''Thanks for telling me, bro.''

''I'm always strong with you.'' Mario whispered.

Luigi's promise was a true oath of protection. Mario hated the feeling of weakness and helplessness that King Boo imposed on him when he captured him, but now that he would learn how to use the Poltergust, he knew that everything would be fine, and he expressed his gratitude to Luigi with a strong hug. He felt that he would always be strong with his brother.

(''La Pace- Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories OST-s'')

A/N: Mario sure is stubborn, isn't he? He wants to prove at all costs that he is not weak around King Boo, but he doesn't stand a chance against him and the other ghosts because he has no experience with the Poltergust. On the other hand, Luigi is an expert, and he will teach him the tricks of the trade with Professor E. Gadd! Let me know if you enjoyed this Halloween special! See you soon!

(1): The Castlevania series follows the exploits of the Belmonts against Dracula. Simon and Richter are the best known of the Belmonts.

(2): Gooigi first appears in the 3DS remake of Luigi's Mansion as a second player in multiplayer, and then in Luigi's Mansion 3. He was created during the events of Luigi's Mansion 2 and sent to the past to test his skills. He's weak to water and fire and loses his humanoid form upon contact with them or if it takes blows that are too powerful. He can't disappear at will by going through walls like ghosts, but he can alter his viscosity at will to pass through bars and gratings, and he can perform actions that require minimal physical effort, such as opening drawers, but not opening doors. In Luigi's Mansion 3, it can also be used with a single player, and Luigi can transfer his consciousness in Gooigi, entering a brief state of unconsciousness until he reverses the transfer process, which can be activated with a sensor in the area of the Poltergust G-00 that comes into contact with the user's shoulders.

(3): Mario, Luigi, and Peach are portrayed in these costumes in Halloween artwork, and Mario and Peach have variants in Mario Kart Tour based on their Halloween costumes.

(4): Starting with Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64, the Toads have always been voiced by women, sharing voice actors with Peach. They were voiced by Jen Taylor and then by Samantha Kelly, the current voice actress of Peach and Toad, starting with Mario Party 8. The same goes for Toadette.

(5): Professor E. Gadd's experiments on Gooigi put his life at risk. During his experiments, he tried to alter the Goo's density to nullify Gooigi's weaknesses to fire and water, but when he tried to increase its density, Polterpup frightened him and the hardened Goo fell on his face, nearly suffocating him to death. He only survived because he had managed to turn on the shower to get it off.