Luigi paused at the base of the dim stairs, looking up them with a nervous feeling turning somersaults in his stomach. It was surprising how he could go from light to almost instantly dark hallways again so quickly; the bright spell only lasted behind a certain point. Beyond the door to the rec room the building once again faded into blackness. Now he was doomed again to face it – more mazes, more surprises in the dark unknown.

   Taking a quick breath, he started to climb the stairs, using his flashlight to make sure he didn't trip. He didn't bother calling for Mario this time – something he would have done, if he didn't already know...

   As he kept going, he shook his head in frustration. Why am I even going this way if Mario is down? It didn't make sense to move away from him. Shouldn't he have been looking for that spade door?

   Luigi tried to shrug the worry away as he rounded the staircase and arrived at the top. Madame Clairvoya had implied he would have business there...

   The stairs led up to a little balcony, similar in layout to the foyer below. There was a door before him which he assumed opened into the main hallways on the second floor; and then on his right, directly above where the rec room was, he found another door... on fire.

   Another one... are you kidding?? With a jolt, Luigi rushed forward. It was burning hot all around the doorframe, just like the last one, being consumed by a wall of flames. It cast the whole place with a fierce orange light.

   So quiet, Luigi thought as he quickly fumbled for his hose, already feeling temperatures rise. These things would be really scary if they were actually dangerous!

   It was a bit smoky, but it didn't worry Luigi too much; hoping that he still had some water left from the fountain in the courtyard, he attempted to extinguish it. He didn't have a ton in his reserves, but it was enough. Backing away as the smoke began to take over, he leaned against the stair railing and coughed it out.

   Luckily, the spectral fires were no big deal, as he'd learned by now; and when he looked up a moment later, the door stood invitingly, perfect and unscathed, amidst the clearing smoke. What's the point of lighting these on fire, even? The solution was too simple for words.

   With a small groan, Luigi shoved himself up to go inside. He needed to keep moving, it was just... he was starting to get pretty tired.

   Don't be ridiculous. You slept pretty late this morning, he scolded himself. And a sore ankle is no reason to complain... Maybe there's something important in here.

   According to his map, he had arrived in a place called 'the tea room'. Indeed, it looked like the perfect place for having get-togethers, with a dinner table on each side of the room and shelves with fragile-looking china dishes in the walls. The place was covered in fancy white and gold wall decorations with elaborate moldings and pillars in the corners. Upon his entering, the back wall lit up with a flash of lightning, revealing three big windows covered over with red drapes. He was lost again immediately in the darkness.

   Silent as a cat, Luigi stepped forward, looking around doubtfully. Tea room, huh? He sure could have used a cup of tea right about now...

   He paused, tilting his head at something strange he spotted on the right table. There was sitting some bucket – yes, it was a bucket – that was spilling over with some sort of smoke; there was a white mist rising out of it. Dry ice? he wondered.

   Cautiously, he came closer, slowly reaching out a hand. It was cool...

   "Hisss!"

   His careful approach was abruptly disrupted, as he should have expected, by a harsh snarl. Luigi snapped around and instantly reached for his vacuum, gripping it until his knuckles hurt. For a moment he waited, carefully shuffling sideways in the dark as the ghosts seemed to hold off their attack longer for maximum suspense.

   It still wasn't a very long wait to Luigi before the first one appeared glowing white in the darkness; another demonic grabber who looked eager to play. Fighting his urge to scream as well as the strength of the ghost, he skillfully began to maneuver into a corner.

   That was a tactic he had long ago adopted – E. Gadd's corner technique. When ghost-catching, it was a good idea to back into a corner, especially in a room full of ghosts. When they came at him from the front, they'd have to face a blinding light which would leave them vulnerable and at his disposal. Unfortunately, it usually only worked with the smaller, weaker everyday ghosts. Portrait ghosts were typically too strong to keep in one place very long.

  But with ghosts in general, there could never be a surefire set of rules. Luigi had already caught the first one, and was on with the second, when it managed to wrest loose from his pull a little and he stumbled forward. Instead of recovering quickly, however, he was in for a big surprise.

   From there, his world suddenly went topsy-turvy in an instant – Luigi saw the floor, then the walls and the windows flash before his eyes while he felt his stomach turn over and his head spin as if he'd been thrown into a rollercoaster. Adrenaline streaked through him like lightning: what was going on? Had he been hit? Struck? Caught?

   Then, quite abruptly, his feet hit floor again, cutting him off in a heartbeat. Luigi looked around in alarm, having let go of the ghost, and found himself alone. He was quite alright, except...

   He frowned, taking a glance at his surroundings. He didn't recognize this place. What-?

   Then he looked up – and his breath almost escaped him for a moment. "Mama mia..."

    There, hanging above him as if suspended in time, was the tea room. Glued to the ceiling as in a dollhouse, all the furniture stood firm above his head, threatening to let go and crush him if he walked too close underneath. Slowly, still with disbelief, he lowered his gaze. There in the center of the room, rising out of the floor, was the beautiful crystal chandelier.

   The... I... Luigi stared at it for a moment, trying to work together something in his bumbling mind. That chandelier really looked like it was still hanging...

   He brought a hand to his head, which was still pounding slightly with a headache. When he did, his hat came loose and suddenly, without warning, flew from his head – straight up towards the tea room floor!

   Luigi, faster than lightning, reached out a hand in shock and caught it just in time. He blinked, staring at it in his hand. That pull...

   He gasped. Suddenly it hit him – the room hadn't been turned upside down; he had! Gravity still worked normally, and he could feel it pulling upward on him – looking around, Luigi realized that his Poltergust hose was dangling upward, and the whole machine had come up his back, trying to get back to the floor. So that was why he felt dizzy; he was upside down!

   How...? Luigi took a couple of unsure steps forward. He didn't fall, which was strange: if all these forces were trying to tug him up, why did he still remain this way? This is crazy! With a groan, he bent over, trying to get some of the blood to leave his head. He didn't know if he'd be able to stand the pressure for very long.

   I bet I could lie down here on the ceiling, he thought, thinking how weird that would look. Boy, that could really freak someone out.

   He knew that figuring out how to get back to normal as fast as possible was going to be top priority; but it was still second to the ghost's return. At first the grabber appeared above him – he still hovered near the real floor. But he quickly ascended to the ceiling to reach the physics-defying human.

   Nervous and skeptical, Luigi grabbed his Poltergust and faced the ghost, looking at the distorted grin upside down. Was he really going to have to do this?

   Yup. The ghost lunged and so did Luigi, attacking regardless of his strange stance. It didn't really make much difference to the ghost which way he bit off his prey's head – and he was soon caught anyway.

   When the lights didn't come on, Luigi swallowed. Oh boy, there's more.

   Shaking his head to stave off the throbbing, he tried to take deep breaths as he watched another grabber appear above him, look around, and spot him. He bit his lip as it gleefully began to start for him – man, that was so creepy the way they did that.

   This one caught Luigi a little off guard with its aggressiveness, and he was suddenly dragged forward by its rambunctious pull. For a while he fought to gain some ground as the ghost attempted to drag him all over the ceiling, almost seeming intent on trying to make him crash into the chandelier. The very bizarreness of it all made it harder for Luigi to keep straight. Still like wrangling cows, he thought ruefully.

   When the ghost at last did go down, the release of suction was so great that Luigi began to stumble backwards; but he never really made it to the floor. All at once it happened again: the ground fell away beneath him and everything spun – and then Luigi landed with an abrupt thud. Startled, he looked about him to find the tea room: lit and silent. It all must have been a spell the ghosts had cast on him... One of the most bizarre ones yet!

   Now that everything was right-side-up again, he could feel his stomach calm down. At least until he realized where he had landed when he'd fallen off the ceiling: he was sitting right in the middle of the table.

   "Ugh," Luigi grunted in disgust as he got up. What manners. Trying not to ruin the white tablecloth, he stood up and hopped down. At least there was nothing on the table.

   That reminded him of what he'd been doing before – the bucket. Curious, Luigi approached the misting bucket that was still sitting on the opposite table. The first thing that came to mind was dry ice – the kind used for special theatrical effects – but the kind contained in this bucket seemed to be real, solid ice chunks. It let off so much icy air he thought it must have been enchanted.

   His theory soon proved itself when suddenly, little crystalline orbs began to coalesce about the ice, seemingly with minds of their own: elemental ghosts!

   "Ice," Luigi said aloud. "Of course!"

   Taking out the Poltergust, he sucked one up – and then tested it by blowing. He looked with awe at the steady stream of lovely ice crystals that was expelled from his vacuum into the air lighter than snow – then just faded away.

   I wonder what I can do with this, he thought. It didn't seem very practical, but then...

   He almost expected the obligatory call from E. Gadd that came next. Picking it up, Luigi realized he hadn't spoken to the professor since he'd last left the lab – which meant he didn't know...

   Suddenly feeling anxious inside again, Luigi answered the Game Boy Horror. "Hello?"

   "Hey now Luigi, what have you found there? Let me see it!" E. Gadd greeted him enthusiastically enough. A little too much, for Luigi's taste.

   "Oh, it's just-"

   "Ohh... it's an ice elemental ghost!" the professor kept talking. "They only show up in chilly places. You'll probably find them in refrigerators and cold areas like that..."

   "Hmm," Luigi said. Tell me something I don't know.

   E. Gadd went on. "Yes-sirree. When water gets cold, it freezes, right?"

   Luigi could tell he expected a response, so he nodded.

   "Ice can be very effective against water. You could use it on water ghosts, for example. Or anything hot would cool down pretty quick if you iced it down..."

   Luigi was only partially listening. He was nervously waiting for the moment when he would have to tell E. Gadd what he had found and seen – and it wasn't exactly easy news to share.

   "Yep, that's a very convenient thing you've found there, Luigi!" the professor was still yammering.

   "Um – yes – professor..."

   "Well, has anything else been going on? What's up?" he asked, seeming to notice Luigi for the first time.

   "Well... I... I saw-"

   "Come on Luigi, what's the matter, boy? Spit it out! You look like you've seen a ghost." E. Gadd stopped and slapped his knee, chuckling at his own joke. "Ho ho, that was a good one..."

   But Luigi wasn't laughing at all. Slowly, he let his gaze drift off screen to somewhere only his mind could go. "Yeah..."

   E. Gadd stopped and looked at him more seriously. He could tell the boy was in no joking mood; something was up. He waited, studying his face carefully.

   "Only... it wasn't a ghost I saw... it was my brother." Luigi brought his shaken gaze back to the professor's.

   For a moment both of them were silent. E. Gadd slowly straightened up, staring at Luigi as if he didn't completely believe him.

   "I saw him, E. Gadd," Luigi went on at last, speaking little above a whisper. "It was Mario and I saw him. Locked away in some secret underground room." For a second he paused to catch his breath, trying not to lose his cool. Then he raised his eyes again and fixed them on the professor steadily. "He was trapped in a painting."

   E. Gadd, hearing what the boy was saying, widened his eyes but didn't respond. He slowly looked away, deep in thought.

So... results at last. Mario had been sighted - at least supposedly. It was possible the boy had been tricked, but he doubted it. There was something in Luigi's tone that made certain of it.

But what was this about a painting? The guy... Mario... was trapped in a painting? How could that have been right? Taking several moments to let it sink in, the professor was unresponsive.

   Finally Luigi closed his eyes. "Please," he moaned, almost coming close to sobbing again. "Please tell me you can help him."

   The professor looked again at Luigi. "A painting? He was trapped in a painting, like a portrait ghost?"

Luigi nodded.

"Are you sure this is really him? You found him and... you're positive?" E. Gadd frowned. What kind of evil creature might possess the ability to do such a thing?

   Luigi kept nodding, teary-eyed. "Well, he was moving, but - I mean, it really looked like..."

   E. Gadd slowly nodded. "I see." He paused thoughtfully. "I should be able to remove him from the painting, Luigi," he said steadily. "If you're right about this. But you must first bring it to me."

   Luigi opened his eyes. Bring the painting...

   "What I really want to know," E. Gadd went on, "is how this could have been achieved as you say. Turning live humans into portraits? I didn't know if that was possible." The professor looked at the frail image of Luigi and softened. "Luigi... are you alright? Does he look okay?"

   It took a moment for Luigi to respond, but finally he nodded a tiny bit. "I – I think so."

   "Well... keep me updated, Luigi. Let me know about anything you find, and stay safe. This is... dangerous." He gave the boy a serious look clouded with pity. "I'm sorry, son. I promise I'll do everything I can."   

   Luigi's jaw trembled. "How... who could've done this? Why?"

   The professor shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Luigi. But I intend to find out."

   Luigi felt both better and worse after that conversation. So Mario could be saved from the painting... but Luigi would have to get him safely out of there first. It was much easier said than done.

   Every little bit helps, Luigi tried to tell himself as he left the tea room, heading now for the main second floor hallways beyond. It was time for the next leg of his adventure, to find new clues and openings: to put it positively. Negatively, it was yet another entire labyrinth of darkness and monsters he had to face... alone.

The first instant he opened the door, Luigi was surprised: it looked exactly the same here as those hallways of the first floor, except these were once again dark. They were undoubtedly busy, too: he thought he could hear a muffled cackling of ghosts nearby.

   Tense all over again, Luigi stepped inside. He soon found that it must have been patterned almost exactly lined up with the hallways below them: here he came to the split of a T-shaped hallway, where an end table stood in the same place. But this time... right away, Luigi could see what Freddy had been talking about.

The decorative red vase which had presumably been sitting on the table had been knocked to the floor, and now lay smashed in the hall with shards of various sizes strewn all about the carpet. Although it pained him to see something nice destroyed, he bent down and inspected the accident with his flashlight.

Foul play... or something. With a shiver, he quickly stood and moved on, determined not to think too much.

   Another small sound soon distracted him: the rustling of nearby mice. Surprised, Luigi had just turned to try to spot them when a pair scampered past his feet, glowing yellow in the darkness as if they'd eaten something radioactive.

   Ghost mice! Luigi stared until they disappeared into the nearest wall, squeaking loudly. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, he shook his head. This place never ceases to impress...

   It was strange to him to be in a place so similar to the hallways downstairs, and yet brand new - it almost felt as if he was starting over. Unsure where to begin, Luigi went into the far left wing where the bathroom and washroom should have stood side by side. He decided to try the same door where the conservatory was below; it was unlocked.

   Right away, however, it became clear he was walking into an occupied room. Peeking into the dark unknown, Luigi was instantly greeted by a tiny, scraping sound: he soon identified it as the familiar squeak, squeak of a rocking chair. Holding his flashlight tighter, he tiptoed in.

   He cast his beam around the room and quickly found what he was looking for: the big recliner by a small end table, rocking away back and forth all on its own.

   Oh man... Here we go again, he thought shakily. He knew better than to think it was empty. Luigi aimed his flashlight away as he carefully crept closer, trying to get a glimpse of the ghost; but he couldn't seem to get it to appear. That is, until he bumped into the end table and knocked a bowl to the ground containing balls of yarn.

   "Oof," he grunted, stumbling backwards. But a mess wasn't the only consequence of his clumsiness this time.

   "Nyaaaaaggghhh!"

   Abruptly a loud, ear-splitting cry pierced the air, filling the room like an angry macaw. Luigi gasped as he backed away, watching as the ghost of an old woman, clad in an old-fashioned pink gown of some sort, materialized in the chair. Her white hair was piled in an enormous poof atop her head, and her green face was pinched into a sour expression. In her lap she held a pair of busy knitting needles.

   As if it had been any average intrusion on her knitting, she peered at Luigi with irritation. "Oh look, it's a funny man," she commented aloud to herself – she must have been talking to herself. "Should I play with him?"

   Too tied up to speak, Luigi shook his head and continued backing away, holding out a hand in refusal. It was a portrait ghost, and it was not a shy one either. Worse, older people always seemed cranky when Luigi was around.

   He didn't know what she might mean by 'playing with him', but he was certain he didn't want to find out. But before he could come to any solutions, the elder ghost pulled a lever on the side of her rocking chair, like some sort of security mechanism. Suddenly, it lurched forward: like an electronic wheelchair or something, it began sliding towards him.

   What in the world...? Luigi kept backing away, but wasn't looking where he was going and tripped over a ball of yarn: which he had just realized were rolling all over the floor like they had little minds of their own.

   "Come on now, honey, what's all this running around for?" the lady asked condescendingly.

   Just barely managing to avoid falling flat on his face, Luigi looked from the ball to the advancing old woman and quickly decided what he had to do. Taking his Poltergust in hand, he sucked up the yarn onto the end of his vacuum, turned, and fired.

   The yarn hit its mark – he got another unpleasant squawk of a reaction from the portrait ghost. It didn't make her heart appear, though – she instead turned on him more angrily and, without warning, shot a beam of laser light at him straight from her eyeballs.

   Luigi jumped just in time before the instantaneous needle of light could hit his shoes. What on earth was that?!

   The old woman was glaring at him from those soulless green eyes. "I might forget you did that, if you admit children your age don't know the first thing about respect... or how to appreciate the old-fashioned way of doing things!"

   Luigi had half a mind to tell her that his machine had been made by a guy who was probably as old as she was; but he didn't have the courage to speak at all. That, and he was getting more and more creeped out by her threats.

   Whatever it was she had shot at him, there were many more to come. Luigi found himself dodging her almost merciless pupils' attacks as he chased down the remaining yarn balls all over the room, trying to recruit them as ammunition. It was amazing how good they were at evading him. It's like playing laser tag... with inanimate objects, he thought.

   When finally he'd managed to hit her twice more without getting struck once with her 'magic needles' himself, the ghost seemed to give up - at least a little - and her heart appeared. Then Luigi had no trouble pulling her in.

   "You young scamps of today..!!" she scolded as he sucked her away.

   "Sorry, lady," Luigi replied apologetically as the lights flickered on. "But I don't take well to ghosts with strange superpowers." What caused some ghosts to get these supernatural abilities? Did they all possess them, or were they personal?

   At any rate, he appeared to be somewhat safe for the time being. He'd never really taken a good look around the room, so he did that now: a couple of big curtained windows were along the back wall on either side of a bookshelf under a mantelpiece. In the middle of the room was a big coffee table surrounded by a comfortable-looking couch and armchair. A big chest of drawers sat on the far end of the room beside a small bed and a sewing machine, and an old-fashioned spinning wheel stood in the corner by the door.

   Wow, Luigi thought, coming a bit closer. Is that real?

   According to his map, this place was called Nana's room – and he would've bet a lot of money he had just captured Nana. Seems legit enough.

   Interested in everything that looked the tiniest bit suspicious, Luigi went up to the bookshelf and mantle. Specifically, he was hoping for a key: there had to be one of those somewhere nearby. A few dusty old pictures and knickknacks sat above it, along with one old book that was left sitting out. Naturally he picked it up; it only took him a couple of seconds to realize that it was a moldy old journal.

   Glancing around almost stealthily, Luigi cracked it open. Did he really want to read it?

   Yes. Yes I do. He had already opened to the first page and read the small entry there:

   Dear Diary, Neville has begun keeping a small record of events in his own study, and so I thought it might be nice if I attempted the same thing. It seems a small thing to keep a journal for eternity, but for once my son had a good idea, so who am I to complain too much?
   I don't expect to have many things to say here, in all earnestness. I am much too busy with my age-old project, knitting my infinite scarf. As of now it is 871 feet long and counting! When I am gone - if I ever get out of this place - I want that to be my legacy.

~Nana

   Surprised, Luigi pondered that. Eight hundred seventy-one feet long?? Mama mia. So then this lady - Nana - had been Neville's mother. You learn something everyday.

   Eagerly, he went on to the next entry:

   Dear Diary, Miss Petunia got back from her pageant tryouts today. The look on her face was priceless when she told how she'd been accepted - especially when I told her to consider losing 20 pounds before the show.
   The boys also came to visit me today. They rarely spend much time around their old grandparents at all - I think Lydia had to force them!

~Nana

   There was only one more entry after that, which Luigi found rather typical. They didn't seem to have much on their minds, he thought.

   Dear Diary, What a hilarious trick I played on Miss Petunia today! She jumped into the bathtub after I filled it with ice from the freezer. She actually started shiverin pretty badly, and I felt a bit guilty for a second... But Miss Petunia is made of solid stuff! She took a hot shower and felt like new again. Once she'd warmed up, she wasn't even that mad!

~Nana

   Luigi thought about that for a second. The first thing he thought was that it might be a good trick to play on Mario, except that Mario usually took showers to begin with. That, and he couldn't really imagine playing a prank on Mario right now.

   Luigi sighed forlornly and shook his head. He remembered how when he'd first arrived, he'd been inclined to believe this was all some sort of prank; an elaborate joke set up by Mario. If only, he thought longingly. If only. Of course, if it had been Luigi would have been pretty mad at him. Well, my brother's not that much of a jerk.

   Before he could come to any conclusions, however, the Boo Radar began to act up in his pocket. Boo! he thought, shutting the book and leaving it on the mantle. He turned to see it floating there behind him nearby, having just entered through the wall.

   "Hello," it said cheerfully. "Sorry, wrong room. I'm Mr. Boojangles. You must be Nana."

   Luigi gave him a dangerously annoyed look. "Hilarious."

   The boo - Mr. Boojangles - seemed surprised. "What's with you?"

   "Oh, what's with me?" Luigi asked, only a little bit shakily. "Don't pretend that you don't know!"

   "Hey, chill out, guy. You're still alive and well in my boss's mansion, so you should be totally stoked!"

   Luigi was the utmost opposite of that. "I'm going to stop you, you know."

   "Stop me! What did I do?" Mr. Boojangles exclaimed.

   "Everything!" Luigi burst, not waiting to listen to what the boo had to say. He took the Poltergust and put him down like that, no time flat.

   With the latest ordeal over, Luigi took some calming breaths. The boos weren't innocent, no matter how innocent they acted. It aggravated him beyond his breaking point sometimes.

   Unexpectedly, the Game Boy Horror then started buzzing. Professor, Luigi thought, glad of a distraction.

   "Well done, Luigi my boy!" he greeted him. "You're cruising now! Aren't you just loving my brilliant inventions?"

   Luigi acknowledged him with a small grin. "Yes, I'm very grateful, professor. Is something wrong?"

   "Oh, no. I just had a special bit of information for you," E. Gadd replied. "I thought you might want to know. You've seen some smaller ghosts other than boos, haven't you? You know, like the gold ghosts and blue twirlers and such?"

   "Um, yeah, I guess. You mean the plain, common ones?"

   "Right," the professor confirmed. "Well, I'm pretty sure they're ghosts freed from the paintings of the ghost artist, Van Gore. I had a passel of trouble with him the first time I captured him..."

   "The paintings?" Luigi asked. "You mean he turned things into paintings too?"

   "No, he created the paintings. And then released them. I know artists strive to give life to their canvasses, but this guy brought ghosts to life every time he picked up the brush!"

   "Brought ghosts to life?" Luigi gasped. "But why would anyone..."

   "Because Vincent Van Gore is a ghost himself," E. Gadd replied, as if it were obvious. "Once a portrait ghost, mind you. I believe he is responsible for many of the ghosts now plaguing your mansion."

   "Y-you mean... the ghosts... they're not real?" Luigi put together.

   "Well, I guess, in a sense, you could say that. They're not the spirits of people who died or anything."

   For a second Luigi was silent as he processed what the professor had just told him. The ghosts were created? Fakes?? That's why they seem so ordinary...!

   Finally he looked back at him. "Why didn't you tell me that before?!"

   "I wasn't sure of it myself, and it didn't seem like the most pressing issue of the day," E. Gadd replied in surprise. "What's the matter?"

   Realizing how he'd risen his voice, Luigi looked down in embarrassment. "I... I just wish I had known it sooner. They're not... quite so scary when you think of it like that." He didn't meet his eyes.

   "Oh," the professor chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry, Luigi. Not that they aren't dangerous, but if it makes you feel better, they're not real ghosts."

~

   "Not real ghosts," Luigi murmured to himself a minute later as he exited Nana's room, trying hard to believe it. "No need to be scared of them... that would be silly."

   Luigi didn't completely understand the concept of painting ghosts into reality, but he was going to take anything he could. I don't have to be scared of paint, he told himself. Paint never caused a problem in the past... I need to be careful, but I don't need to be scared.

   Armed with his new information, Luigi moved out. He didn't feel like exploring a bunch of dark hallways right now, so he cut right to the door across the hall.

   Just like the floor below, this was also a washroom. Still... after his last experience, he hoped there weren't any grabbers in here.

   This one was virtually the same as the one before had been, except of course the lights were off. Also obvious right away was that the water was on; the bathtub curtain was down and the shower was running. What on earth might that be? Holding his breath, Luigi tiptoed closer.

   "He-llo?"

   After receiving no answer, he crept further in. "Is s-someone there?"

   Splashing water. There better not be a ghost taking a shower, Luigi thought. Or haunting the bathtub, or whatever it is ghosts like to do in their free time.

   It was that sudden thought that reminded him: Nana mentioned a bathtub! Could it be... what's her name... Miss Petunia?

   Slowly taking out his Poltergust, Luigi came closer to the curtain. So maybe she liked showering in the dark; that was probably typical for a ghost. Do ghosts need to bathe? Luigi wondered.

   He turned his flashlight off so as not to startle whomever was inside. The room, for some reason, still wasn't completely dark; there was a small glowing white light coming from inside the shower that made it easier to see. And for Luigi on the other side, it was all too easy to see cast on the curtain the attractive silhouette of a svelte young woman, washing her hair. 

   Shocked, Luigi took a step back and stared. He had been planning on pulling back the curtain, but...

   Mama mia... she looks so real, he thought, paralyzed in disbelief and even dread for a moment. Although the dainty shape continued to move, appearing to behave exactly as he expected a woman in the shower to, she made no sound: It was still silent save for the noisy showerhead. She can't be real... it's impossible. It took several seconds for Luigi to find his voice, but when he did, he called timidly, "Um, hello?"

   No answer. The woman behind the curtain continued to wash herself, seemingly cheerful and oblivious, as if it was merely a recording he saw of something long ago. Luigi tilted his head, a little embarrassed and now rather stumped. I can't let this get me, he thought. It's a trick, surely a trick... to what end?

Thinking for a moment about what he might do, he quickly thought of something else: Ice! I'll use the ice!

   Remembering what Nana had done, Luigi switched his nozzle to blow, took a step forward, and took a deep breath. Maybe he was doing what the ghosts wanted him to do; but still, Luigi couldn't help feeling like a peeping tom. He wouldn't deny the shadow had grabbed his attention, but he certainly didn't want to be one of those. Peeking through his fingers nervously, he grabbed the curtain and yanked it aside.

He gasped - but quickly cut himself off.

   The bathtub was empty. Luigi found nothing but a running shower and various soaps sitting around that surprisingly looked new; no living creature, no ghost, no lovely girl.

With a small start he backed several steps away and shivered. There was nothing here? So was he just being played with...?

   No, he thought, coming forward again. Now! He blasted a flurry of sparkling ice crystals into the shower, as if trying to make sleet in his bathtub.

For a moment there was no reaction. And then...

   "Ah-ATCHOO!"

   Suddenly there she was; a huge, pink monstrosity of a ghost, twenty times larger than Luigi had been expecting. At first glance she reminded him of the glutton, Mr. Luggs: big and wide, so much so that she filled the bathtub; not at all like the deceptive shadow on the curtain.

"Aahhh!" Startled at the first, Luigi stumbled back; and he soon breathed a sigh of relief to find that she was wearing a bathing suit and shower cap - albeit just a skimpy yellow bikini for someone of a much smaller build. Yikes... what happened to her?

This must have been the promised Miss Petunia. She was, shockingly, really overweight; but Luigi might have been able to get over that if it wasn't for something else: her face. One look at her narrowed yellow eyes revealed something that confused him immensely: her almost pig-like features. Looking closer, the ghost had a chubby face that ended in a snout nose, and he also noticed hoof-like hands - no fingers - before she turned on him angrily and Luigi was suddenly bathed in a wave of hot water over his head.

   Shocked at the unexpected elements, Luigi jumped. "Hot!" he yelped, shaking himself like a dog. He wasn't completely drenched, but the bathing beauty hadn't missed by any means.

"Dirty man! How dare you intrude on me??" Miss Petunia roared. "I should have smelled your stink halfway across the house."

Awkwardly, Luigi paused for a breath and rubbed his eyes, dripping water on the floor. Heyy... when was the last time I showered? Was it yesterday? Luigi couldn't remember - it felt like last month.

The oddly piggish ghost wasn't done with her tirade. "You might fancy an eternal bath here, perhaps!" she growled triumphantly.

Luigi widened his eyes. He hadn't thought he'd have to worry about being drowned tonight; but the mansion was ever full of surprises. For a brief second, he grew faint at the idea.

"I don't have time for bathing!" he retaliated. Quickly, Luigi countered her attack with more ice.

What followed was quite the scuffle: more suited to waterpark rides than private bathrooms. It was the messiest - or perhaps the cleanest - fight Luigi had been involved in for quite a while. The ghost in the tub attempted to splash him with her water for a time, slicking the floor like a skating rink and hitting him twice more before the ice began to really take its toll. First she sent the water towards him with huge waves of her arm; but it wasn't too long before she seemed to slow down in the frigid air, and then the 'peeping tom' was finally able to pull her away.

Mama... she was a big one, Luigi thought in slight exhaustion as the lights came on. But her face - talk about weird.

   Along with the lights there was also the long-awaited reward: a clink. There on the wet floor by his feet was another key.

   Yuck... water, water, everywhere... With a groan, Luigi bent over and picked it up, pocketing it quickly. By now he felt pretty nasty; most of his clothes were soggy and still dripping from the unfriendly skirmish. The Poltergust, however, seemed none the worse for wear.

Great, he sighed, looking over his outfit. This could take a while to dry. On the upside, it had certainly jolted him awake.

Grimacing slightly at his wounded ankle, Luigi bent and splashed some water over his cuff. Ow... probably good for it, actually. And it was good, except for the slightly brown-tinted water that ran off through the denim.

   That suddenly reminded Luigi of something else: hadn't E. Gadd told him a long time ago to wash his face in the washroom? He realized that after something had ensued, he'd never done it.

   Probably a good idea now, he thought, going to the sink. I don't wanna look like a half-dead ape in the morning.

   Luigi was somewhat refreshed by the cold water as he rubbed his face wearily, but he still felt worn as all get-out. Suddenly realizing how thirsty he was, he also guzzled a bunch from his cupped hands before sagging against the wall with a sigh. He had to admit, this place was pretty convenient sometimes. Fully furnished, all your commodities... just like the pamphlet promised. Grabbing a hand towel from the rack, he buried his face in it.

   I'm surprised this place even has bathrooms, he thought. Do boos wash their faces?

   Unexpectedly, that brought another thought: When's the last time Mario had so much as seen a drop of water?

   Remembering the painted image that threatened to resurface in his mind, Luigi clutched the towel and leaned on the doorframe. He couldn't explain it; but he had the oddest, most profound feeling just then, as if he wanted to pull someone into a consoling hug. Someone less privileged...

Wrapping an arm around himself, Luigi shivered. This one's for you, bro.

   Finally replacing the rag, Luigi soon after forced himself to leave the soaking bathroom. He felt like perhaps he was neglecting himself just a bit too much; but he didn't have time to worry about himself. Look at me. I have friends, weapons, a working water system - relative freedom... He sighed. So much that others don't have.

   For whatever reason, he decided to go next into the little washroom, which he knew would be right next door. That was the one with the toilet.

   The place was tiny and dark - too dark. Grabbing his flashlight suspiciously, Luigi had only a chance to peek around for a second before a 'fake' ghost appeared, snarling and gargling right in his face.

   Startled, Luigi jumped back and hit the door. The ghost was curious-looking: akin in shape to a purple puncher, although this one was almost colorless. More than that, there seemed to be something weird about its heart... it appeared to have a bubbly aura surrounding it, almost as if it were encased in – water!

   What is that, a marine ghost? But it's not the same thing as an elemental ghost... odd. For a moment he simply stood back and watched it twirl in a bubbly circle, as if tracing watercolors across the room. It was kind of pretty... almost, perhaps, like art. ...Unless he got that water from the commode, in which case...

Luigi promptly blasted the showy spirit with his ice and watched as the ghost quite literally froze over, from the inside out - mist turned to solid ice and then back again in air. Then the human watched in bewilderment as it simply faded away.

   The light came on a moment later.

   W-What happened? Luigi frowned in confusion. Did I... destroy him?

   He found the prospect weird but not impossible; especially not with his new outlook on the ghosts as mere creations of an artist.

Glancing around the tiny bathroom in indifference, Luigi found it very similar to the one downstairs, except this one had a poster on the wall by the sink that demanded attention. It was a watercolor image of a giant, terrifying boo with yellow eyes; and along the bottom of the paper it read, Get out of here!

   Okay... I can take a hint. Still, Luigi shuddered.

Despite the menacing message, everything in the bathroom seemed pretty quiet... Oh, great.

Luigi paused for a moment, weighing his options. He hated to admit it to himself; but now, he kind of had to use the bathroom. It would be irrational and probably unwise to go all the way back to the lab for that. I just had to think of it, didn't I, he thought nervously.

Taking a deep breath, he looked around again, making sure it was safe. What else could he really do? There probably wouldn't be any ghosts intruding on him with the lights on, but even the mansion itself seemed to have a mind of its own.

   Slipping the Poltergust's straps off, he finally gathered enough courage to do it. Feeling a little silly, he looked at the walls surrounding him.

"Please don't look, okay?"