The wind whistled violently through the trees, causing the dead branches to sway dangerously back and forth, threatening to break. The sky overhead was beginning to darken, but of that none took notice; for there were none else in all the forest.

   With a grunt of irritation the elderly professor rose to his feet. Picking up the nozzle of the futuristic machine he wore on his back, he adjusted his glasses and faced the wind.

   It was time to end this.

   Before him on the opposite side of the clearing, his shady opponent hovered. The monster was just as stubborn as he was, but his defeat was near. The deathly silence of its ominous approach echoed throughout Boo Woods.

   "You'll never take me!" the enormous boo bellowed, his grating voice carrying on the air.

   "Well then I suppose you've got a lesson coming to you, old boy," the professor replied back, shouldering his trusty weapon.

   The woods held its breath as the distance between them lessened. The great boo began to back away, nearly fading into the trees but not quite. He would not give in.

   Neither would give in, and neither would give up until one emerged victorious.

   The professor stared the boo down with a sternness long practiced on spirits of all reputations. This was an admirable one indeed; though perhaps not the brightest. The professor had been excited to find the sinister creature ever since its existence had been made known to him; and so he had been tireless to seek it out.

   The boo, for all its many faces, seemed unable to judge when to use them. The old man, on the contrary, got along well with just one. He knew, as his powerful adversary did not, of the overhanging branch behind him which reached out like a jagged horn.

   Another couple of seconds passed, and then ten. The boo continued to watch the old man closely. It was not until the last moment, when the professor's eyes shifted to the trees behind him, that he realized the trap laid for him; and so was defeated the mighty Boolossus.

   The man victorious glanced at the sky with a rather exhausted look. The clouds were gathering, and an abrupt blackness had taken over the wilderness. If there was joy to be felt at the beast's capture, nature did not reflect it.

   Gathering his vacuum, the professor turned and left the clearing, still catching his breath and enjoying the satisfaction of his immense catch. He thought with eagerness of the small wooden hut that waited about a mile away, glowing like a beacon. If a storm was coming on Boo Woods, he would rather be trapped inside than out among it.

~

   But the rain, it seemed, would never come. For a night and a day the forest was suspended in an unusual darkness; sunrise never came, or at the least it was impossible to tell when it had done so.

   Professor Elvin Gadd had left his lab in such a state early the following morning, out on small business; and when he returned home it was late that evening. The sky had not changed its expression all day, but hung, angry and growling, holding the woods hostage.

   Upon his return, he decided that perhaps he would go down to his gallery to take a look at his paintings – and among them his newest and possibly finest piece of all.

   As he descended the wooden stairs underground, it occurred to him a strange feeling that something was not right here; something had been upset below. Nearly beside himself with worry, he raced to the warehouse where his most valuable invention was kept; and he was relieved to find that all was well.

   Rather, it was in the neighboring room that his worries struck home.

   He discovered the gallery in shambles; if a storm had hit, it was indeed indoors and not out. At first it was not evident what the attacker had been after; speechless, the professor walked about the room, looking with disbelief on the walls which had been stripped bare. The picture frames and smashed glass littered the floor wherever one tried to step; not a single painting had survived.

   Desperate, he turned to the place where his newest addition had been hung only the night before - and sucked in his breath.

   Boolossus was gone, and in his place a small note.

   A robbery. A crime scene!

   Startled, Elvin snatched the paper from the wall. As soon as he laid eyes on it he had no doubt who it was.

   His portraits had been freed. He had crossed the line this time; all the ghosts were gone. Every last one.

   At that moment a finalizing clap of thunder sounded outside, startling him further. With a gasp, he dropped the paper and rushed upstairs.

   Hurrying to the tiny window, he threw up the sash and looked out to the sky's low rumbling. No rain – but the world was angrier than ever before. The cloud curtain was thick as a velvet blanket over the forest, and the darkness overhead seemed to absorb it all. Not a ghost to be seen.

   But the professor knew they were out there. Above him the clouds had taken on an eerie bluish tone, as if something strange was afoot – something unnatural indeed. They began swirling as in the beginnings of a tornado, and then paused, hovering over the entire area as if holding it in a spell.

   He slowly brought his gaze downwards, staring with disbelief at the woods around him. He stopped when at last he found the likely source of the trouble, enormous, menacing; and as he stared out it took his breath away.

   Rising above the horizon, huge and demanding just outside as if it had always been there, a dark mansion stood on the hill.

~

   The perpetual storm had been going on for three days now, and with a renewed dedication to his work Professor Gadd took it upon himself to investigate its cause. Not one to twiddle his thumbs, he promptly set about by first exploring the mysteriously appearing house next door.

   It was an oddly normal-looking place at first inspection – old, a bit weathered, but ultimately fit for living in. It was not without its dangers, however; and as initially expected, the place was terribly plagued by boos and other common ghouls. They weren't anything the professor hadn't caught hundreds of in the past - though of one thing he was certain. His portrait ghosts were all inside it somewhere, making themselves at home, picking up their lives as if they had only been away a short time. He knew very well the danger of it all; and so he considered it no less than his bounden duty to restore that which he had lost.

   The damage of the boos' attack had not been lasting; it was only the missing ghosts that concerned him now. In some ways he was almost excited to have the mansion here; it was an unusual chance to observe and perhaps catch new ghosts. The professor was growing old, but there was still some sense of adventure left in him.

   It was one ghost in particular that Elvin was most pressed to find; the ghost artist Vincent Van Gore. The professor knew the old ghost to possess a spectral paintbrush with which he called upon spirits, creating new ghosts at mere fancy. The house, as of now, was littered with their mischievous tricks, and every day it seemed as if there were more of them.

   The professor stood one evening in the dark hallways on the first floor, outside the door to the room he'd just charted. Looking at his self-invented gadget, he muttered to himself, "I guess we can call you the conservatory."

   The room was charming, to be sure; or at least it must have been wonderful at one time. The antiquated musical instruments were beautiful, but for the eyes only; even the harp played nothing now but sour notes.

   Putting his Game Boy in his pocket, the professor started towards the exit, deciding to call it quits for the day. There was always more house to explore, more created ghosts to catch; and yet his portrait ghosts so far had managed to elude him. Despite their perceived injustice, they had not tried to release their spite on him; and since the night of the attack on the lab, even King Boo had left him alone. The professor wondered what it was he was after.

   He had no doubt that the king was somewhere in the mansion; he could feel his dark presence surrounding the place whenever he stepped outside. For several days now Elvin had not seen the light of day; the darkness had upheld ever since the mansion's arrival.

   Still, the professor was not too worried about the mansion's appearance; it was an interesting turn of events, and not bad-looking on the inside, either, as far as haunted mansions went. But he was not concerned with trying to rehabilitate it; he only wanted it for research purposes.

   Hanging up his lab coat upon his return home, he glanced again out the window at the mansion that had so mysteriously appeared. It was nearly suppertime, although the light seemed to suggest it was already late into the night. He was just about to turn away to go about making himself something when movement, and a flash of something colorful caught his eye outside the window.

   E. Gadd did a double take. Moving about like a curious kitten, dressed in vibrant hues of red and blue, a person was standing out in the clearing. The professor had to squint to make out details, of which he saw few; but he did catch distinctly the red hat. He realized with surprise that it was a young man.

   He was alone but did not appear lost; he was eyeing with considerable interest the mansion, standing where he was just outside its gates. Then, shockingly, he pushed it open and without looking back bounded up the stairs and went inside.

   The professor blinked and stared after him at the mansion's closed doors. This was most unexpected to say the least; very few there were who knew of this location in Boo Woods, and fewer who ever wandered there. Further, how did a living soul besides himself know of the mansion?

   Doubting his old eyes, E. Gadd shook his head. Something strange was afoot – very strange. If the person he saw was real, then the mansion had already taken him inside. And if it had -

Not one to back away from a mystery, and realizing the danger involved, he ran and grabbed the Poltergust left sitting by the door only a moment ago. He was going to get to the bottom of this – whatever it was.

~

   In the dark, gloomy hallways of the mansion's homey first floor, all was as usual – silent.

Or at least, it had been; until the silence was broken by a faint humming. The still and quiet was slowly disrupted as the sound grew, until through one wall appeared a white mist of something otherworldly. It seeped from the wallpaper, spreading like a virus - and then scattered.

The empty hall was suddenly filled with a dim chattering as the boos spread out, some excited, others afraid, each seeking a suitable hiding place. Among them all one slightly larger boo took form and remained still.

   "Keep out of the light," he instructed to the departing boos in a low growl. He wasn't necessarily angry – that was just how he always sounded.

   "Of course!"

   "See you later, maybe!"

   The boos' farewells were soon cut off by their quick exits through all surrounding surfaces, even downwards into the floor. After all, boos rarely used floors for anything else.

   Within another moment the leader was alone, left by himself in the empty hallway. How quickly and suddenly it had happened that they had to flee; just moments before they had been waiting in the safe and dark bunker beneath the storage room. Well, it wasn't safe there now.

   It was not a matter of great concern. The boo began to float down the hallway pleasantly, smiling to himself for his cleverness. On his head rested a great ruby crown, made of a giant glistening ruby set in gold.

   King Boo let out a small chuckle of delight. Things had been working out so splendidly – in fact, even better than he'd originally hoped! Suddenly he wondered why he had not done this years ago.

   Perhaps because he hadn't yet had quite enough reason to. But once his annoying rival, Professor Gadd, had captured Boolossus, it had pushed him over the edge.

   Their plan had worked marvelously, and thanks to him, Boolossus and all the other ghosts the professor had ever captured were free. They had not done much to thank him, but King Boo felt they were still serving a good purpose by merely filling the house he had made.

   It had mostly occurred to him as an afterthought, really – a side bonus that he'd tacked on afterwards, to exact revenge on all his foes at once. For once he had a mansion full of dangerous spirits, he realized that it was the perfect opportunity to get back at his other hated enemies: the Mario brothers.

    Creating the mansion was perhaps one of the greatest feats he had ever accomplished – but his success in luring them here had to be a close second. King Boo chuckled. It had all gone according to plan.

   He had been pulling the strings behind it all: every move, every aspect had not gone without inspection. He himself had composed that letter, making it sound perfectly official; even the boos agreed it seemed foolproof. And indeed, he could almost see how the recipient must have opened it with tremendous delight, standing out by the mailbox in a kind of stupor.

   'I... I won! A mansion? ...Oh, I've got to tell Mario!'

   The king laughed again at the thought. Then the letter had done what it should have: proved the guy was a fool.

   He hadn't quite expected the next part – but it had all worked anyway. The other brother, whom they had assumed would also end up at the mansion at some point, had actually arrived first; and his presence became immediately known to every spirit in the house. The boos had surely enjoyed themselves; giving chase for sport a bit, until finally getting serious enough to attack. They'd been all over most of the house, with the search spanning several floors; if only briefly they thought their prey might have evaded them. Once he'd caught on to the idea, he moved pretty quickly, with an admirable skill that the king had heard rumor of. But he had been expecting a valiant fight; and once he'd been worn down a bit, the man had been an easy capture. After all, King Boo never had anything otherwise.

   He'd supposed the younger brother to be easy as well; none of them had reason to suppose different. But when he was first brought news of the man's arrival, he had been greatly surprised by a turn of events he had not counted on.

   King Boo paused and growled to himself. That young buffoon – Luigi was his name – he could not fight forever. He may have had the professor's aid, which certainly put a crimp in the plan, but he would succumb in the end. His brother would help see to that.

   Assuring himself that it would work out, he relaxed and meandered down the stairs. Indeed, the fool had already made it harder for himself: now he'd gone and released all his boos from hiding. Now that they had been found out, he had eyes everywhere – and meanwhile he could return to his lair.

   Indeed he had every reason to be in high spirits – his job was already half done. Eager to see his prize again for himself, King Boo faded through the wall and snuck, invisible, down the dark corridor leading to his door. Then he fazed through.

   The secret altar was the one room in the mansion he'd designed specifically for himself; spacious, full of treasures, and deep underground. His lion head decorations and rocky walls gave it an ancient feel. It was isolated but not cold; the place was lit from within by both torches and yellow lights, causing the walls to sparkle.

   He glanced casually at the mirror that hung by the door, mostly for the purpose of admiring himself. He did consider himself quite a handsome boo, after all; so it was only right to have such a mirror. Ordinarily it was good for 'alone time', but now he was quite alright with sharing his room. His guest didn't take up much space, anyway.

   Past the pillars and fire basins left smoking, he floated forward eagerly, towards the altar. And there, waiting beautifully like a tied-up package his prize sat, real as life, in a glittering flower frame of gold.

The fabled Super Mario.

   As of yet the man made no move. He was perfectly still, slumped over in the same position as when he'd first been put in the painting; for he had been unconscious ever since the boos had caught him. And indeed, dragging his near-carcass across two floors had not been easy. King Boo snorted. Well, it was about time to wake him up.

   Not even bothering to try calling out, he closed his eyes and focused on working his magic. The great ruby in his crown began to glow light from within; and in another moment it gave forward a burst of light which fell upon the painting and struck the glass, causing it to vibrate and sparkle as if enchanted. King Boo slowly opened his eyes and watched the surface faintly resonate purple; then, abruptly, the inhabitant beneath it jerked up and gasped like one resuscitated.

   Wild blue eyes flashed about the room. With an almost priceless expression, he put his hands to the glass and stared, bewildered, at the invisible barrier before him. Squirming for a moment like a caterpillar in a cocoon, he fought to look up and around him – but found that he was immobile. He couldn't move.

   It was quite a hilarious sight as he tried to move forward – around – anything – but simply couldn't. Panic quickly came to his eyes, alight with confusion as he finally seemed to remember to take in his surroundings, staring with a kind of disgust at his captor he only then noticed watching him. King Boo could pretty much see the guy thinking as their eyes met.

   "Hello, my masterpiece," he greeted. "I can see you are quite disoriented and confused about your ordeal. Do not worry, this is natural."

   The man tilted his head and looked at the boo warily. "What is this?" he demanded, slamming an angry fist against the glass. "Where am I? What happened?"

   King Boo laughed. "Ah, my little painting, there is no need to get upset. I'll explain in due time, if you would only stop whining."

   "Painting?" Mario blinked and studied the boo for a long moment, apparently forcing himself to calm down enough for conversation. Finally he said, "What's going on? What is this...?" he asked, trying to look down. Then he brought his gaze up again. "And who are you?"

   "Of course, introductions," the boo replied, as if pardoning his manners. "I don't believe we have ever properly met. I am King Boo, illustrious and mighty ruler of the boos across all the land. And you are?"

   The portrait hardened his gaze suspiciously. "I'm thinking you already know who I am, and a good deal more."

   "Aha! So you are as stubborn as they say." King Boo turned away and began to pace in a circle. "Of course I know who you are. You're the hero of that stupid Mushroom Kingdom everybody loves and worships. You're the one who causes me such pain and anguish every time you carelessly destroy one of us. You're the one who thinks he's so perfect and indestructible, that he doesn't care about the simple common folk and other 'inferior' species that get in the way while he tromps around in those big boots of his!"

   He paused and took a deep breath. "Aren't you... Super Mario."

   The young man, startled, stared at the king in bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"

   King Boo turned away in disgust. "I would expect you not to know. You don't even know me... and yet you still cannot comprehend."

   "No, I don't know you," Mario agreed pointedly. "So could you please tell me what in the world is going on? What are you trying to say?"

   "I'm saying... you're the cause of all my troubles!" Before Mario could raise a protest, he went on. "You think you're a hero to everyone, saving your kingdom and your princess and all that. You don't know what it's like to be on the losing end. But buddy, I've got some news for you: it's time you got a taste of our end of the deal!

   "All those times you mindlessly trounce your enemies, you just brush it off. You're so sure they're the bad guy and you're the good guy.

"But you know what?" the boo went on, becoming more worked up now. "We boos never did anything to you! Nothing!"

The prisoner looked very much like he wanted to get a word in, but the king was in no position to stop talking. "And when you come trespassing across our lands, how do you repay us? By stomping us to the ground, or attacking with all your fancy doodads and weapons as if we're nothing more than an obstacle to you!

"Well, I'd have it be said to your thick skull here and now," the king went on, "that boos are very much existing creatures, who take considerable offense at your animalistic conduct!"

   At last, there was the pause; and the human took it. "I would never hurt the innocent on purpose," Mario defended boldly. "I'll have you know that every time I attack it is because I have been treated just so. Your boos don't exactly stand up for the best values, your Highness."

   "I would be careful what I say if I were you," King Boo warned. "You are in no position of power here."

   "I don't even know where I am!" Mario cried in frustration. "If you would just tell me what is going on!"

   "Fine, if it will silence your impatient yapping," King Boo snapped. "You are in the secret altar of my mansion; on the northern edge of Boo Woods, to be exact. And we are approximately one hundred feet underground."

   Mario's eyes widened in disbelief. "What...? Why did you bring me here?"

   "Still can you remember nothing?" King Boo asked scornfully. "Your stupid little brother won a mansion, remember? And you stupidly believed him?"

   He watched in delight as the realization hit the human's face. "Remember now?"

   "You... you tricked him?"

   "Oh, come on, it was hardly a trick," King Boo replied. "I'm almost surprised he actually fell for it."

   "Then... then you set this up!" Mario fixed him with furious eyes. "Why would you do this??"

   "Have I not already made myself crystal clear?" King Boo asked in exasperation. "It was all part of a brilliant plan. A plan to get back at the pesky Mario brothers who constantly make war on my boos."

   "I told you, I don't even know you! You said yourself we've never even met!"

   "Oh, but I know you," King Boo replied. "After all, everyone does, in one way or another. Everyone's heard of the famous Mario, whose brave deeds circle the world over."

Here his pretense of admiration faded. "Don't think me ignorant of the foul things you and your filthy brother do beyond your borders. You may be oblivious, your Superness, to the trail of wreckage you leave behind you everywhere you go. But I am not! I have decided to put an end to this... once and for all."

Pacing about with his back to the insolent listener, he muttered, "I felt it each and every time one of us was destroyed. I knew... as every boo did. Of course, boos do not really die; but your intent was there."

Mario stared at him as if he'd heard the most outrageous thing in the world.

King Boo took a deep breath, as if realizing the stress was no good; and then chuckled.

   He turned and floated back over to the painting, reaching up a stubby arm to adjust the frame. "You make quite a nice decoration for my altar though, actually," he admitted. "I am sure we will enjoy having you here."

   Mario narrowed his eyes, trying to shy away from the boo's touch. "What do you mean 'decoration'? What have you done?!"

   King Boo laughed. "Oh, for all your quickness of feet you really are quite slow-minded, aren't you?" He paused a few seconds more, to torture his prisoner further, then said, "You are my first ever live portrait captive. I'd never actually tried to put a human into a painting, but it worked marvelously, I must say."

   Speechless, Mario stared at him, letting a hand slip from the glass as if he'd lost all pretense of strength.

   The king continued grinning pleasantly. "You are mine now, to do with as I please. Don't hesitate to provide me with entertainment if ever I desire it. Your body may be preserved, but I will not hesitate to punish you for insubordination."

   Mario, so still he might have been turned into a statue, watched him with an expression of refusal. "...How did you do this? When did it happen?!"

   "Forget about the details of when and how, you are my little painting on my wall now, and that is all that matters," King Boo told him reassuringly. "Now at least, none of the other mindless ghosts in the house can get you. You should be thankful to me – you are safe here, and quite protected."

   "House," Mario repeated. "This house... as in the one you told my brother he'd won?" Suddenly his breath caught. "Luigi. Luigi! Where is he?" Mario demanded. "Have you captured him too?"

   Here King Boo sighed. "Unfortunately, we have not caught him as of yet," he answered. "But believe me, we will. We did not expect you to come separately, but with all the other ghosts roaming about in this house, and now my boos to keep an eye out, I am sure we will find him soon. Wouldn't want you to get lonely down here, after all."

   Mario glared at him with a look of pure abhor. "I don't plan on staying, your Majesty. If you think you can keep me down you have something to learn about Mario!"

   King Boo shook him off. "Oh, trust me, I think you will find this prison quite suitable for keeping you contained. Try to escape if you must, but it is a waste of your energy. Oh, and I would keep an eye on that arm of yours, too," he added casually. "Boonswoggle caught you with his fangs pretty deep."

   At this, Mario stopped and slowly looked at his stinging arm, which he'd been straight-up ignoring until now. He didn't roll up the sleeve, but there was no need: it was slightly torn above the elbow and soaked damp with a chillingly cold substance; and when he laid a hand on the upper arm he pulled back with a gasp. Through his shirt it oozed a darker red.

   Mario slowly brought his alarmed gaze back to the king's unconcerned eyes. "Wh-when did this happen?" he breathed.

   King Boo tried to shrug his round body. "I don't know. Sometime during the end of our chase, I suppose. You almost escaped our grasp, but thanks to that we pretty much got you. And I wouldn't expect you to remember that part, since you passed out after he bit you, anyway.

"We couldn't have done it without the mysterious power of the boos, of course - you felt that influence right away, I'm sure. When we trapped you under our snare and made you all mine." He chuckled. "You've never fought so many boos at once, have you Mario? There inlays a great power you have yet to fully experience... far more than a little human could handle."

   For a moment Mario could only stare at him in silent horror. It was coming back now – his arrival at the mansion, the first time he'd spotted ghosts; and before he'd known it he was pitted in a wild chase for his life as near dozens of them appeared around every turn. He'd hoped to find an exit, but...

   And Luigi. Luigi had been going to meet him there.

   Once Mario had realized the place was infested, he'd managed to leave a few bread crumbs – clues on his trail. He hadn't been sure if Luigi would make it that far, but he didn't want to disappear without a trace – not if he could help it. Someone would surely come and find him.

   Now his heart sank as he realized the dire consequences of it all. If Luigi had not been caught, was he not even here? Had he realized the house was haunted and left... abandoned him?

   No, Mario thought, angry with himself. Luigi would come for him. He was just slower, knew how to be careful...

   "Wh-what about Luigi?" he asked quietly, wincing just the slightest as he embraced his fast dripping arm.

   "I told you, we're looking for him," King Boo said impatiently. "He's put up a bit of a fight so far, but don't you worry. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

   Mario's heart jumped. "You mean... he's here?"

   "Of course he's here," King Boo replied. "He believed that letter like the idiot he is. Didn't show up until after we caught you, but he's here. Pretty klutzy, too, I might add. Released all of my boos from their hiding place. Now they're everywhere."

   Mario stared at the floor, not responding. At the first, the king's words seemed very hopeless indeed: If Mario hadn't, how could Luigi ever survive in this place?

   He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the glass. It was terrible. Luigi was deathly afraid of ghosts – much less exploring a dark mansion full of them by himself. It already sounded over.

   But yet... he had not been captured. How was that possible? Had Luigi shown some new resolve he hadn't seen in him before?

   "Well if there's so many boos in here, why can't you capture my one klutzy little brother?" Mario asked.

   King Boo frowned at him. "He has got my annoying rival backing him. The stupid scientist, Professor Gadd."

   Mario watched him carefully. "I don't know a Professor Gadd."

   "Well your brother sure does!" King Boo rose his voice. "And he's been parading all over the mansion with those stupid inventions all night!"

   The boo stopped and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Surprised, Mario tilted his head, suddenly filled with hope. So that was it... Luigi had found help. He could see that the king was already greatly aggravated at the idea, so he pressed it a little more.

   "So he's defeating the ghosts?"

   King Boo turned on him. "He may have caught a few of us, but there's far too many for him to handle," he assured him. "It's only a matter of time. We'll find him and bring him here, one way or another. It will be nice... you'll get to see him again."

   Mario felt his heart speed up. He did quite want to see Luigi in action, if it was all true as the boo said; he could already feel something like pride. But the manner of Luigi's arrival concerned him greatly. If the deranged ghosts succeeded in capturing him, who would be left to save them?

   His brow hardened. No, they'd be their own advocates. They could escape this – surely. Mario was no stranger to escapes, although this time around he wasn't so confident in his skills. Remembering the details of his attempted escape in the hallways was not fun for him - not that his arm allowed him to truly forget it.

   Suddenly he smashed a fist on the glass. It couldn't be invincible, right? He'd punched through things much harder than this before.

But apparently there was indeed some mysterious power at work; for several more forceful punches landed him nothing but a smarting hand.

   King Boo watched him in amusement. "I told you it's pointless," he said. "Come now, make peace with your situation."

   "Never," Mario growled. "I don't know who you think you are or what gives you the right to do this, but I will escape. One way or another, we're getting out of here."

   "Oh, you only wish," his captor replied. "You still don't even know the definition of a true nightmare."

   Mario narrowed his eyes. "I may not know how to play the waiting game, but I do have a brother out there coming for me." He matched King Boo's stare with an intense rivalry.

   "Oh, but how can you be sure? Perhaps he's only assisting the professor catch ghosts. Perhaps your little brother has realized you're not worth it."

   Mario's eyes widened. "You don't know what you're talking about, so just shut your big mouth! Luigi will be here and you'll regret it."

   "He may," King Boo acknowledged. "Or maybe not. Maybe he'll run off. Maybe he'll be caught by some of the other ghosts. It'll be a shame if we lose him that way, but all these creatures need to eat, after all." He pretended to sigh in disappointment. "Boos don't require anything, but your brother would certainly make a fine subject for the others to feed off."

   Mario's heart skipped a beat and he very nearly turned pale. "Wh-what?"

   King Boo laughed. "Well, I'm sure it'll turn out fine, whatever way it does. I'm eager to get my hands on the both of you, but for now I think we can still have a little fun." He turned to Mario full-on and fell eerily still; he suddenly seemed to stare straight into his soul with those fierce, penetrating eyes.

"So... you have a twin brother," he murmured gleefully. "He will face me, and he will choose."

   Mario tried to back away, but the movement proved very ineffective.

   "I think that's enough talk for now," King Boo mused. His gaze shifted to Mario's eyes. "Why don't we give your brother a little message?"

   "Don't you touch my brother you creep –

   The hero's valiant reply was cut off by a harsh burst of light, flashing before his eyes; nearly blinding him before it began to turn purple in his stunned vision. Slowly, Mario saw it darkening, swaying; and he felt the same blackness take him as it faded away.

   "And a nightmare for you too," King Boo added, turning away and floating from the room.

~

   With a groan Mario slowly opened his eyes. For a moment he tried to place where he was... probably fighting something, given the dazed pain he now felt. His head - it was like an upside-down twister - and his arm... What was this on his arm?

He remembered just a second too late. He touched the stinging source of discomfort on his sleeve and inhaled sharply, memories rushing back like a nasty waterfall. No... this couldn't be.

Carefully, eyes coming again into focus, Mario looked around - and sighed. His heart sank when he saw his surroundings: the same old secret altar, the same old feeling of helplessness. He had hoped it might have all been a dream – but now he saw it was as real as ever.

Mario was no stranger to waking up in unusual places, but this had to be one of the worst ones yet. There in a corner by the door across from him King Boo sat, casually looking at himself in what must have been a mirror. He glanced up at Mario's awakening.

   "Ah, Mario! Good thing you're awake. Just in time."

   Mario looked at him warily. "What do you want now?" he asked. He must have been asleep – or unconscious – but he didn't feel at all rested.

   King Boo smiled in an unsettling way. "I've had word from my boos," he informed him. Here he paused to look Mario directly in the eye. "They've caught your brother."

   Mario's stomach did a somersault and his breath caught in his chest. "Where is he?" he whispered in terror. "Where's Luigi?!"

   "Right here," King Boo smiled, moving aside to indicate the door. The thorns that had previously covered it were gone, and now it opened on a rusty hinge. Several boos flooded into the room.

"Booris? Shamboo?" the king asked expectantly.

   Mario put his hands to the glass and stretched desperately to see. Luigi had to be okay. He had to be!

   The final boo entered the room, holding a black chain of some sort. He grinned at the king. "We got him."

   Mario held his breath... and there he was.

   Following the boos, dragged at the end of the thick chain which was clasped about his neck, Luigi stumbled into the room. His favorite green hat was missing, his clothes were torn and his hair looked as if he'd been hit by a tornado. Two more heavy metal clasps were fastened around his wrists, and the boo leading him gave it a yank. The prisoner crashed to his knees.

   At first Mario could only stare in horror. His heart turned upside down at the sight of him; he felt a strange urge to cry. Pressing his face to the glass, wishing intensely that it would just disappear, he called out.

   "Luigi," he murmured. "Luigi!"

   The figure of his brother turned. At the sound of his name he looked up; and when his eyes met Mario's the man in the painting recoiled in horror.

   "L-Luigi!?"

   His brother's eyes stared back at him sullenly. There was nothing recognizable in them; nothing that sparked recognition between them. In an unhuman way they were glazed over, covered with a purple cast; as if with Luigi's body the eyes of a demon peeked out from the inside.

   "What did you do to him?!" Mario screamed in terror. At his sudden outburst Luigi abruptly stood up, growling unnaturally back at him. The look of hatred on his face was unlike anything Mario had ever seen.

   King Boo chuckled as the boo holding him dragged him back down to one knee. Still the chained man glared at Mario with a fierceness in his purple eyes.

   "We didn't do anything," King Boo said defensively. "He was bitten by one of the other ghosts. Looks like a pretty dangerous one, I'd say."

   As if to prove his point, the Luigi in chains snapped at him with his teeth.

   Mario shook his head in denial. "No," he breathed desperately. "Luigi listen to me! Do you remember me?"

   His brother kept on glaring at King Boo as if he hadn't even heard. He was just like an animal; dragged on a leash, growling in raw anger...

His sweet little brother had been turned into a beast.

Mario didn't want to believe it. He refused to accept what he was seeing. But there was no denying the truth that he clearly saw before him.

Slowly, the realization came crashing down on top of Mario like a thousand-pound weight.  He had carried many heavy burdens in his day; but this time... it was a weight even he couldn't bear.

   One of the boos laughed. "Yeah, once we took his stupid machine he started blubbering like a baby. He was whining about how he just wanted his brother back and it was so unfair and he wanted to just be able to do something right once."

   King Boo nodded in agreement. "He was put out of his misery. Now he will never remember his selfish big brother and all the misery he caused him."

   Mario began to tremble. "No," he whispered. "Luigi..."

   Putting his face in his hands, he closed his eyes and tried to drown out the utter heartbreak.

   The boos began to chuckle in amusement. "What's the matter, are you gonna cry?" one teased.

   In an instant Mario turned blazing eyes on him. "You monsters. My brother was just trying to save me and look what you did to him! Me, his careless brother who ran off without him."

   "You got that right," another boo spoke up. "Careless. Like, you're so ignorant of his feelings he might as well not exist. He's always so admiring of you... and then you just ignore him and treat him like trash. I can't believe he was even here doing this!"

   Mario stared in horror at his brother, who was oblivious to everything going on around him. His had been the most pure of intentions...

What had Mario done?

He wanted to cover his ears, block out the boos' taunting words... say it wasn't true.

   But the problem was... it was.

~

   With a gasp Mario jerked up.

Again.

He didn't know how long he'd been out, or if he was even awake this time. All he knew was that he was trapped. He was trapped, and there hung a great sorrow on his heart.

   This time he found the secret altar empty. No boos, no Luigi in chains and at last, no King Boo. He was alone in the silence.

   Slowly he let out the breath he'd been holding. "It was a dream," he whispered, leaning back on the canvas. "A dream."

   Yes, that was it. He remembered now; King Boo had struck him before taking off. He had given him that horrid nightmare...

   Wiping the sweat from his brow, Mario took a deep breath. Okay, it wasn't real. Luigi was still alright... he had to be.

   His brother's demonic purple eyes still stared at him in the back of his mind, causing him to shudder. It was as if Luigi had been possessed... turned into a monster. Seeing him like that had rocked him to the core.

   Mario knew that surely wouldn't happen. Not in real life.

   Was this real life?

   He sighed. If it was, then he had a great many things to learn; so many wrongs to be righted. So many things left undone.

   King Boo, dream or no dream, was right. Had Mario given Luigi the wrong message? He snorted to himself in an attempt at a joke. Luigi had given him the wrong message, surely; Mario wished sorely that his brother had just thrown the letter away and never spoken of it.

   He shook his head. No, it wasn't Luigi's fault. It was his own.

   "Oh, Luigi," he whispered desperately, leaning his forehead against the glass. Now he could see; now he could see it all. King Boo was likely bluffing when he teased Luigi's abandoning him, but suddenly Mario could see the possibility of it.

   He had never meant to give Luigi the idea that he didn't care. Mario was very proud of him; didn't he know that?

   His heart sank as he realized the bitter truth. He had neglected Luigi. He knew very well how much Luigi looked up to him, admired him; and how had he repaid him? He had always thought his brother was happy enough. But suddenly, when his life slowed down, he saw that Luigi probably felt this way often.

   Sidelined. Shunned. Suddenly Mario felt an awful guiltiness rising within him. Had he been cold to his little brother, the one whom above all else he should have been close to?

   He tried to find an argument against it. Surely there was a time recently when the two had done something together; when they had really gelled.

But at least recently, he could find none.

   Mario let out a choked sigh. "Luigi... Luigi... I'm so sorry."

   His innocent little brother was enduring so much fear and risk now, just because of him. He was a little amazed that Luigi was still here looking for him after all.

   It was all his fault. He hadn't waited for Luigi outside the gate, the way he'd known he should have; instead he'd rushed inside, too anxious to get a look for himself. Too occupied with himself to think; his impatience had cost them so much. Now he greatly regretted it.

   "Luigi," he murmured. "You don't have to forgive me. You don't even have to be here. But since you undoubtedly are... stay safe. Stay strong... please."

   When the thorns receded from the door in front of him and King Boo entered the room, he didn't even raise his head.