Concealed in the darkness of the underground tunnel, the worn dungeon door slowly creaked open. The stale silence of the passage was disrupted by the stealthy tread of footsteps, and then the faint breathing of a living intruder.

Luigi gasped at the tiny sound of pebbles crumbling from the wall beside him, eyes flashing with unease. He used his flashlight to swing the door shut behind him, cringing at the loud squeak of the rusting metal that echoed through the dank tunnel before him.

The final journey through the mansion's familiar halls had proved quite difficult. Each door, each room he passed held some memory for Luigi as he'd gone on his ghost safari: the ballroom brawl, the noises from the dining room... it went on for quite a while, with no door that didn't stir up some sort of reaction. He had gotten to know them all – so was this the end?

Each episode in his adventure had caused different challenges, different emotions. So many rooms, so many portrait ghosts he'd met and caught... it was tough, at first, to remember them all. But his last walk through the empty house had quickly sparked his recognition; thinking back, reflecting on all he had done in that almost eternal night, each event had seemed both recent and a long time ago. How was that possible?

Passing one last time through the same old first floor hallways he had been treading all night, he had paused almost with sadness when he came near the conservatory door; that one wonderful room where he'd played the requiem for Mario. These halls had quite nearly been like his home for the past several hours; it was strange. It was the most conflicting feeling; he hated this place, but at the same time... he found that he was going to miss it. Confused, Luigi had finally turned and forced himself to walk on. He knew where he was going.

Perhaps he had changed somehow over the course of the night; maybe his own view had been swayed. As he had looked for what might be his last upon the ancient halls, stroking the worn wooden moldings, the strange feeling that came over him was almost astounding. Was he relieved? Sad? Afraid?

Either way, the utter quietness that remained in the empty halls was a stark difference to the way it had all once been; Luigi had felt it in the air around him. The mansion was no longer alive; no longer did darkness swallow the area. No longer did the chatter of ghosts and the strange sounds of the mansion itself resound through the walls; it had been emptied of the ghouls that plagued it. All but one...

Now it was, quite simply, a haunted house that had lost its haunt. Luigi had always wanted that – but now that it suddenly seemed to be a reality, he wasn't so sure. So big, quiet and empty... was that really what he wanted?

The feeling of the entire empty house overhead made Luigi feel even more alone with every frightened step he took. This was no time to be thinking about all that anymore. Now, that long and difficult trip was over. One part had finally finished; another had likely begun. He didn't know what still lay ahead exactly; he couldn't even be sure of tomorrow. He tried not to think about it directly. But with every inch closer, he was aware that he may never see any of it again; not the rest of the mansion, not the toadstools, not the professor. There would be no chance to say goodbye.

Wishing that he could shrink down into the floor, Luigi shone his flashlight nervously above and around him, taking in the ghastly sights of the cold tunnel ahead. A shiver ran down his back as he cast a sidelong glance at the long, terrible claw marks that raked across the stones on one wall. It was like a different world; if these signs meant anything, this dungeon had once been most certainly used.

The hallway before him twisted in a bizarre way to the left, and then again to the right, as if the original builders couldn't put two stones straight. Its ominous feel only added to the suspenseful atmosphere.

Heart doing contractions in his chest, Luigi somehow managed to start walking down the dark passage, never once stopping entirely. Ever since he had left the safety of the hallway above and given himself again to the darkness below, his angst had increased a hundredfold; yet his resolve remained. Just keep walking, he thought, determined not to think too much. Just like before. Keep moving...

He was here to do this; Luigi was on a mission, and not once did he consider turning back. However it was to end... it would end now. Luigi was tired of all of this; he was tired of hiding. One foot after another. Don't think about it...

Slinking forward as silently as he could manage, trying not to agitate any of the crumbling stones around him, Luigi proceeded, albeit slowly, further along. Darker, deeper... The hallway seemed to grow stuffy the further he went. His broken breaths seemed to hit the air in a stifling way, as if there was barely room for it. Luigi could slowly begin to feel the powerful presence in the air: he was getting near.

   This was it; the vibe was familiar. Ready or not, it was time.

Then, as Luigi rounded one last bend, using a hand to guide himself along the rough wall, he abruptly froze in his tracks. There it was.

Right before him, calling as if it had his name written on it, a small, dark dungeon door stood quiet and alone at the end of the passage. It was unimpressive to say the least; little taller than Luigi's own head, the dirty thing was beaten and bent as if it had long been used to contain something vile. To Luigi it was the most beautiful and terrifying thing he'd ever seen.

Scarcely daring to breathe, Luigi cautiously stepped forward. His heart had leapt into his throat at first sight of it; there. There at last. All night he'd wondered... now, he'd found it.

Trembling from an indescribable excitement and dread that suddenly seized him, Luigi slowly approached. He ever so carefully raised a quivering hand and laid it on the door, almost afraid that he might collapse if he touched it too soon. His breath came strained, as if he had to force himself. His eyes alight with longing took in the image before him as he tenderly ran a hand along the metal-worked design: a spade over twisted crossbones.

Finally, as if he'd been struck dumb, Luigi reached into his pocket and retrieved the golden key. Its jewels sparkled in the flashlight. How strange, and yet how fitting... that the most ugly door should be opened by the most beautiful key. They didn't seem to go together at all; but then, the spades rang true. Slowly, Luigi held the handle of the key up to the door, and beheld for a moment the perfect symmetry of the shapes. He had earned this.

Clutching the key tightly in hand, Luigi lowered his head for a moment and took a deep, shuddering breath. It hardly relaxed him. Nothing could; there was no calming him now. His heart had begun to race faster than lightning; it fluttered against his chest like a thousand butterflies demanding to be let out. The feeling in his stomach was a mix of a million emotions: fear, anger, ecstasy... nervousness. He could have never aptly described the kind of uneasiness he felt then. It all led up to this.

He was almost numb with the weight of it, so that he wasn't quite sure what he was even thinking; so many thoughts tumbled from the back of his mind at once. The angst swirled around him almost like a storm; but there was only one thought that went surely through his mind in that moment.

   I'm here, bro.

Nothing could have prepared him completely for the task of unlocking the door; but he must have done it. He must have gripped the strange lion head doorknob, must have opened the very last door on his long journey that had at last led him here. But he didn't remember it.

And then suddenly everything was bathed in light. Moving with the uncertainty of one in a kind of dream, Luigi stepped forward into a different world; a world of sparkling orange and gold. Suddenly he stepped forward into that place he'd only seen and dreamed about; an underground lair, adorned with statues and incense. All so familiar... and the door was open.

The sudden warm that surrounded him felt so strange; the very cruel hallway he'd left behind seemed miles away. And yet... the air here was charged with something far more dangerous than any darkness.

It was light. It was silent; it was beautiful. But almost none of it mattered.

Motions slowed by a stupor, Luigi suddenly began to walk ahead, his footsteps falling silent on the earthen floor. He was prohibited no longer. Here, finally... he had arrived at the place he had sought all night to come.

It glittered before the eyes with all the appeal of a journey's end. Rock pillars sparkled up to the ceiling on either side, leading up the aisle; and looking forward instantly Luigi felt changed. His path was set right before him; and suddenly all of his uncertainty turned to raw determination in one moment. This was it.

His eyes slowly traveled ahead, gazing in ravenous angst at the path ahead of him. Now he could see it all laid out clearly; now he saw it all. Down the quiet aisle, past the silent pillars... and finally up the small steps of the altar before him.

   Luigi's heart skipped a beat and he nearly lost his breath entirely at the sight waiting for him at the end; not a million years could have prepared him again for this. For waiting before him, more real and closer than ever... was his brother's painting.

But that was not all. Then Luigi did something he hadn't originally intended to do: freeze in his tracks. He had not expected to be alone; he had known very well what he had been walking into. But still, the sudden sight of King Boo's turned back, only a few paces away from the very place he stood, was enough to halt Luigi abruptly, at least for a moment.

   There they were again.

At the sight of the scene before him sorrow and anger began to stir inside Luigi like a rising storm. Abruptly all the sense of a dream was gone, and the bitter reality of it all hit him like a ton of bricks. He had arrived.

There was Mario – seeming as agitated and restless as ever, still somewhat bedraggled behind his transparent barrier of glass, the sight once again made Luigi feel faint. He had seen it once; he had carried the burden all night. But suddenly, seeing it before him again with his own two eyes... His memories could not compare to the awful feeling it awakened now. It was still almost more than he could bear; far worse to behold in person, staring at its startling reality.

Mario seemed okay, and relatively the same as when he'd last seen him; at least as 'okay' as okay could be at the moment. But Luigi quickly noticed how his movements had slowed and how worn he looked; he hadn't moved for hours, and it was starting to show.

Poor Mario... I'm so sorry. Unable to tear his eyes from the painting at first, Luigi's breath suddenly began to come quick; it was only with the greatest control that he managed to keep quiet. Mario was there; he was so close!

It didn't really seem to matter, however – no one looked up or seemed to notice his presence. It was almost astounding to Luigi; how could they not sense him yet?

Well, all the better. Slowly, painfully, Luigi began to carefully reach towards the Poltergust 3000 on his back, eyes never leaving the king. There he was – there they both were! Right in his grasp... trying to ignore the image that hung on the wall just a short distance away, Luigi now kept a careful watch on the boo. He hated every second – hated every lasting moment that Mario had had to wait and suffer. But now Luigi was cautious; he knew this was no ordinary power he was dealing with.

He couldn't help feeling like an intruder as he slowly inched towards his weapon. If his back was turned... with any luck he might be able to catch the king completely off guard! Closer...

His heart was pounding so loudly in his chest he couldn't believe that the king hadn't heard him yet. The only thing breaking the utter silence was the low crackling of the flames in the pedestals that still burned nearby; still, the air was intensely thick. Luigi was so uptight that a sweat began to break out on his forehead; that was why he nearly collapsed with the stress of it all when the king before him abruptly spoke.

"Ahh... I could just stare at my Mario painting for hours!" he sighed luxuriously. "It's true what they say about fine art... it takes utterly refined sensibilities to truly appreciate it."

Once again hearing the deep, terrible voice that still rang in his head from his nightmare, Luigi shivered. It was quickly replaced by bitter anger – how dare he do that, treating Mario as if he were nothing more than a piece of canvas?

It was all Luigi could do not to reply. He had realized that the king wasn't talking to him; he was probably talking to Mario indirectly if not to himself. After all, talking to oneself was something that all villains seemed to do.

"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it, because it won't last forever," Mario quickly answered him, abruptly speaking up from the painting.

For a moment Luigi stopped, wondering if perhaps his brother had caught sight of him behind the monarch, but it didn't seem to be the case. Carefully, his hand continued reaching for the Poltergust, listening with both longing and dread upon the two's voices going back and forth. It had seemed like so long since he'd heard other voices engage in conversation.

"But still, it's nice of you to say that I'm fine art," Mario continued a little boastfully. "Not that I think you have the best taste. Or maybe you do." He actually snickered a little. "I can't tell."

King Boo let out a low growl. "You, my little simpleton, cannot comprehend the amount of refined 'taste' that I possess," he informed him. "Perhaps it is merely because I remember how much trouble you've caused me in the past."

At that Luigi froze. Trouble? What trouble had Mario caused him in the past? He had thought they'd never met...

He glanced up again at his brother, trying hard to ignore the feelings it mixed up. Did Mario know what he was talking about? What could it mean? The reason for all of this...?

Luigi shook his head and tried to toss it aside. Either way, he knew it was up to him to do the work – he had to take this chance of distraction Mario was providing, intentionally or not. Heart racing, Luigi continued making his move.

Meanwhile Mario had slumped back and crossed his arms a little awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah..."

King Boo suddenly let out a little cackle of delight. "The way you plead for help, Mario... I find it so... satisfying." The eerie tone that came to his voice made Luigi want to disappear. At the frightening words he paused a moment. Mario had been pleading for help? All night? The thought was so strange it suddenly made Luigi want to cry.

This time there was no answer from Mario's end. He only shifted a little in his painting, eyes looking mostly to the floor. Luigi wasn't sure if he'd ever seen Mario as tired-looking as he looked then.

You evil monster, Luigi thought angrily, trying hard not to boil over. You're the one who did all this to him.

King Boo, on seeing that he wouldn't get a reply, only grinned wider. "Seriously, though, who would actually believe that mansions get given away in contests? Talk about stupid! What do they feed you Mario brothers anyway, gullible soup?"

The sudden words of scorn almost cut Luigi to the core. It hurt... because he was right.

King Boo was right about everything. An awful guiltiness rose within him as he looked for just one instant at his brother's image, and Luigi had to hold back a sigh of despair. It was all his fault. All of it; all of Mario's pain, the ghosts, the trouble he'd been put through... all because he had believed that stupid letter.

At first Mario didn't have an answer. Luigi was unsure what kind of comeback there could possibly be to say, at least until Mario did speak up.

"Mansions do get given away sometimes, you know," he said, giving the king a dirty look. "And it doesn't really matter, because –

"It doesn't really matter because this mansion is an illusion," King Boo interrupted. "I made it. It's all a fake now. Don't you get it? And as long as I am here, it will remain. Still, it needed some sort of living inhabitant... that's where you came in." He paused thoughtfully.

"...Or else what?" Mario asked dubiously.

King Boo looked at him with an unsettling smile. "It's not your absence that's the problem, it's mine," he explained. "If I were not here keeping you, very soon, likely at dawn, the mansion and everything in it would disappear."

The words hung on the air in a deadly silence for a moment. Luigi could have sworn that in that moment he felt his heart drop. Everything in it...? That meant even...

Mario raised one eyebrow at the king in suspicion. "Then is that what you plan to do? Leave me in this mansion to vanish forever?"

King Boo actually laughed. "Oh, you heroes always assume the worst," he snorted. "Come now, did I ever say I was going to do that? I think not. No, I'd rather keep you safe here, at least for a while longer. You are my prize, after all."

"Oh, good," Mario said nonchalantly.

In all this time Luigi had been nearly as a statue, listening to it all with terror. He couldn't believe that neither of them had noticed he was here by now. He considered trying to signal Mario's attention, but decided against it. No, must get closer...

"Your brother came all this way just to get turned into a painting," King Boo suddenly said, in a voice that could replay in nightmares. "It's just terrific."

At this, Mario frowned in confusion. "What?"

Simultaneously Luigi froze again. Your brother... What did he just say?

"However..." King Boo cackled with such force that the very walls of the room around them seemed to tremble for a moment. And then with a flourish, the great boo suddenly turned around, dark eyes piercing directly into Luigi's soul. The twisted grin of delight spoke only of his own cleverness.

At first Luigi couldn't move for his muscles which were seized with utter shock and terror. He barely breathed as his wide eyes locked onto the king's before him; the surprise was all his as he found himself face to face once again with the terrifying boo. King Boo had known all along.

In that moment Luigi didn't dare look away from the terrifying eyes of his enemy, but he could already hear Mario's gasp of surprise at his sudden appearance.

   "Luigi!!"

"This Mario painting looks lonely," King Boo calmly went on, never leaving Luigi's face now as he ignored the painting behind him. "I must have a Luigi painting as well! Then MY gallery will truly be complete!" At this, he suddenly broke into a fit of triumphant laughter, a terrifying sound that seemed to fill the room and shake the rocky walls.

It was in this second that the king was so preoccupied with his victory that their stare broke, and Luigi dared for an instant to look to the painting past him. It was too tense for words. It was too quick even for expression. But even with King Boo between them, in that one moment their gazes met the very world seemed to stop around them.

Wide blue eyes blazed at each other across the room and caught for a lasting second. Other emotions were masked behind a single feeling of shock and horror. Perhaps Luigi's reflected more fear; perhaps Mario's more relief. But the single second was not allowed to last.

"I am not afraid of you, fool!" King Boo declared indignantly, demanding Luigi's utmost attention. "I fear only that infernal Poltergust 3000 you carry on your back... stupid machine," he cursed.

Luigi let out a strained breath as he matched the king's gaze, albeit much less confidently. He already knew that. He knew that no one feared him –

"Too many spirits have fallen - too many boos lost to that monstrous creation," the king went on, muttering in disdain now. "And Boolossus - do not think I haven't heard and seen all you have done!"

Luigi tried to take that as a compliment, but it was tougher than he'd hoped. Yes, he knew it was the Poltergust's fault and never his own; Luigi was nothing compared to the weapon itself. Why should ghosts fear him?

But then... didn't that go against the very things van Gore had said?

Luigi didn't have time to think of a reply. He didn't have time to glance back to see Mario's reaction to all this. Already he was preparing – steeling himself for what he knew must come.

King Boo did not hesitate to keep talking at Luigi's silence. "But I am a KING among boos!" he thundered. "I swear it... I shall fear no mere house-cleaning device!"

Luigi might have laughed at this if he weren't already shaking with utter terror. For a brief second he thanked all the stars above that he had the Poltergust with him now.

The king meanwhile had worked himself into quite a tangent. "I must say, I despise the way you SHWERP-SHLOOP-SHLEEORG - vacuumed up all my friends!"

The combination of sarcastic humor and deadly seriousness was almost too much for him to take at once. Luigi very nearly did come close to laughing that time, seeing an angry boo's impression of a raging vacuum; he wished he could have known what Mario was thinking, but he couldn't bring himself to look at him.

"They weren't that tough," Luigi suddenly heard himself say. "Would you care to join them?"

King Boo growled in anger, fangs growing ever closer to Luigi's head. Somehow he didn't back away; all of the sudden he did not feel quite so afraid.

"If you're so upset about what I've done to your friends, maybe you shouldn't have sent them to kill me!" Where had this boldness come from? Luigi didn't know. Perhaps it was a new power that invigorated him knowing that Mario was here.

Still, even as the words left his mouth Luigi couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit sorry for King Boo. He knew sorely well what it felt like to have those he cared about taken away – how ironic that they had inflicted it on each other.

But King Boo did not read any sympathy in Luigi's comment. "I wasn't trying to kill you, pea brain!" he hissed. "I was trying to bring you here!"

Luigi, already feeling braver and more determined with each breath, lifted his head. "Well mission accomplished."

King Boo frowned, watching him from sharp red eyes. "Perhaps there was a reason I didn't let you come here so quickly."

For just a second, Luigi let his eyes flit once more to the painting; and he immediately understood. Mario had leaned forward; his forehead pressed to the glass, his breaths were coming labored and broken. He didn't look up, but seemed to be pouring all his focus now into staying conscious.

A tendril of fear lodged itself in Luigi's stomach. Oh no. I've gotta do something..! Luigi took a couple of steps forward in terror.

"Hang on, Mario!" he cried.

King Boo snickered when the painting didn't even respond. "Oh, my. Not looking so good, is he?"

Luigi snatched the Poltergust from its place and whirled on him in an instant. "What have you done to him?" he demanded in fury.

"Nothing much else that you don't already know," King Boo shrugged. "It's not like he can die of starvation or anything. He's actually quite safe. Probably just aftereffects or blood loss - you humans are always at such disadvantage."

Luigi whipped the nozzle around towards the boo. "I will use this," he said.

King Boo chuckled. "Will you now? We'll see about that."

Luigi took a step back and tried to remember to breathe as he eyed the king dubiously. "...We don't have to fight."

King Boo fixed him with an unsettling smile. "No? So I should just run away?"

"No, that's not –

"Don't imagine that I'll flee," the terrifying monarch cut him off. "I'll fight you like a true boo!"

Luigi swallowed. There would be no getting around this one – he had always known that. Boos had their honor and pride and whatnot; King Boo would not rest until the rest of the boos had been avenged. He supposed it was what any leader would do.

Still, the prospect of fighting came as all too soon for Luigi.

He slowly tightened his grip around the Poltergust before him. King Boo wanted this; but was he just as scared as Luigi was?

If so, he was good at hiding it. In a flash he had darted back before the altar, facing Luigi with eyes piercing red.

"Now join your brother..." he murmured darkly, a mysterious grin coming to him. The sudden change in tone made Luigi feel unsettled all over again.

"...inside the painting!"

Before Luigi could react there was an abrupt flash of light; and then suddenly the entire altar was dimmed into near blackness.

Wh-what-? Stumbling back with a gasp, he looked up to see King Boo, still before the altar, now aglow in the darkness like a white lantern. With Luigi looking on, he closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate very hard for a moment; and then the very darkness around him seemed to spin. Luigi tried to take his eyes away, tried to look around him in that moment to see what was going on, but he now found that he couldn't. All at once his head swam with shadows; only King Boo was clear at the center.

Then there were sounds: a sudden whooshing that swept through the void enclosing him. He could feel the familiar dark power begin to fill the air, surrounding him, swirling and raging with a quickly growing intensity. The room was spinning – the very mansion trembled above and below him now so that he was almost thrown from his feet. The panic that seized him was genuine this time: Is he going to bring down the house??

Finally, just when Luigi was almost certain this was the end, the tremor abruptly calmed and the room suddenly stilled; only to be replaced by a strong, driving wind that had begun to whistle through the altar from nowhere. It swirled and pulled, seeming to personify the very darkness that surely had taken hold of the place. Still trying to grasp his bearings, Luigi struggled to keep his footing.

   And then, above all the noise and the uproar, another distressed voice suddenly arose.

"Luigi...!"

Mario!! He snapped his head up in that moment and just saw, swirling before his eyes, the surface of the painting above the altar; and his heart dropped at what he saw.

His brother's image was distorted; the very coloration on the canvas was changing. Luigi stared in horror as Mario, recovered enough to perceive his surroundings, now shrank back, looking around in surprise, the glass seeming to swirl around him until he was almost swallowed up in it. What was happening??

Luigi lunged forward. No!

But just like that he was too late: Mario was gone. The last sight of him, startled and confused as his very existence seemed to cave in on him, was seared into Luigi's mind. His last pleading call for him rang in his ears; for a moment Luigi felt lost.

   His brother's image, a source of pain and relief for him all night, had disappeared from the painting.

No... Mario can't be gone!! But before he could even cry out, Luigi watched in terror and confusion as a new shape began to form in the painting before his very eyes, a new picture from the remnants where Mario had disappeared; and as it took form he was hit with a newfound horror at the resulting shape beneath the glass.

   The terrifying and hideous form of a monster.

Yellow and green scales shimmered beneath a mane of flaming red. Bony horns protruded over blazing dark eyes and an enormous snout of numerous dagger-like teeth. King Boo, still floating nearby, cackled in the darkness, stubby tail whipping in the wind that was ever-steadily getting stronger.

It was Bowser.

   Mario's image had transformed into Bowser.

The sight of Mario's most terrible arch nemesis struck Luigi to the core harder than any physical blow. He didn't know anything for sure – he didn't know what any of this was – but Madame Clairvoya's words suddenly rang again in his head, leaving him struck breathless: I see Bowser in your future...

The dreaded king of the koopas slowly raised his head within the portrait, as if just brought to life or awakened from some spell. The dark force of his mere image instantly hit the air like a wave; and King Boo floated forward with something like eagerness. He paused before the painting for one last moment and glanced back at Luigi with eyes darting fire.

   Then he simply smiled and flew in.

Luigi, unable to move, blinked in shock as the boo disappeared entirely into the surface of the portrait, vanishing beneath Bowser's image. It was as if he'd entered a portal, a pathway... that painting was definitely more than it seemed.

   Of course, there could be no doubt of that now.

King Boo was gone, Mario nowhere to be seen... Abruptly Luigi felt left behind. The wind swirled and whistled around him so loudly he could barely think anymore. Now there was only Bowser.

Suddenly the koopa looked up and his gaze caught Luigi's; and for a horrifying moment the two looked at each other, their faces like masks. Then, in a way that seemed far too genuine even for Bowser, the monster grinned.

Luigi's breath caught in dread as he saw the mischievous twinkle in his eye, and a terrible feeling of impending disaster hit him like a wave. He didn't know how or why Bowser had invaded his brother's portrait; he refused to entertain the idea that Mario had been an illusion. Surely, he was somewhere... just like King Boo himself. He didn't know where they had gone to; but now he was quite certain that he was next.

Almost on cue a harsh gust nearly knocked Luigi off his feet. He stumbled forward, only to be thrown into an even stronger pull: Luigi suddenly felt his entire body gripped by an astounding force, a suction coming from the painting over the altar. I-It's pulling me in!!

   Heart in his throat, he fell to the floor as the powerful wind pulled him, slowly but surely dragging him closer to the painting's rippling surface. In one last half-hearted attempt, he groped for the floor, anything, to grab onto, but he knew it was no use. At last, he let go entirely and gave up the struggle, submitting himself to the bright white light and the rush of air that quickly devoured him.   

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

   The air was warm.

   Luigi wasn't sure when or how, but quite suddenly he became aware that he was on his feet again; and as he opened his eyes, as if waking from a dream, he was greeted with nothing but orange and red.

Orange and red and heat.

Wh-what in the -

Fire. Fire everywhere; up and around and in all directions, the sky was literally aflame with searing color. If the heavens above had ever been filled with clouds, or stars, it was all over now.

At first Luigi was too surprised to make a sound. Nearly forgetting that he still had a body, he stood still and gaped at his surroundings, reluctant to believe at first. Am I... am I in the painting?

The thought made Luigi start, and he spun around in an attempt to grasp his bearings. What is this place??

The floor beneath him was stone; looking around, Luigi quickly realized he was on a great platform of some sort. Pillars formed a kind of aisle around him, and on one side three small stone structures stood...

This can't really be the interior of -

Wait. Luigi paused, slowly walking closer to one edge. Looking over the small railing, his breath was utterly lost at what he saw.

There before him in all its wild splendor was Boo Woods; but it was not the Boo Woods Luigi knew. This forest was alive, and the great green canopy that covered the treetops rang with the loud cries of frightened woodland creatures. Where the naked branches had once stabbed the dark clouds, great leafy boughs melded with the orange sky and burst into flame. The entire world seemed to glow fierce amber in its light.

This was it... This was it!!

All at once, realization coursed through him like a shock of lightning. This... this IS it...

He could never have told how he knew, but suddenly he did. Suddenly Luigi knew one thing: the terror, the destruction, the... everything happened at this moment.

This was the great forest fire that had ravaged Boo Woods long ago, killing nearly all that lived. This was the bitter end that had caused the lonely darkness the woods knew now...

And the mansion. Looking down, he could see the intense fires reaching up even to the mansion's gates; and in the place where E. Gadd's lab should have been there was nothing.

Luigi shook his head in disbelief. But he did not let himself trust it.

This was the past – it was a cataclysm from the past he was seeing now before him. And this familiar platform... he knew he should have recognized it. He was on the mansion's roof.

The air was thick with smoke and embers that rose everywhere from the wildfire all around him. Luigi coughed, suddenly very afraid. The mansion was still standing... It wouldn't be destroyed, would it?

...Wasn't it?

Suddenly the terrible idea hit him that almost explained everything. If the mansion was now an illusion... hadn't it once stood here? The mansion's old site; the fire; all the portrait ghosts... what if they had all died here like this??

No. Luigi gasped in spite of himself. There was no way out of here. He wasn't even sure if the elevator would work and take him off the roof.

He was trapped.

Squinting against the heat, he began to scan the rooftop for something – anything. If he was really in the painting, and this wasn't really real... then King Boo must surely be around here too.

And Mario?

It was a moment before Luigi realized the Poltergust was still in his hand. Trying to stay calm in the midst of a storm, he slowly returned to the center of the platform, glancing around cautiously. He tried to swallow but the dense air stuck in his throat.

   Something was coming.

It appeared so subtly at first that Luigi didn't notice it. A dark shadow, growing on the stones before him; it slowly grew bigger, darker... Luigi was so paralyzed that he couldn't even back away.

And then in one earth-rattling instant, an enormous beast crashed to the balcony.

BOOM!!

The entire mansion surely felt the tremor that seemed to rock its very foundation. Luigi let out a scream as he found the legs to jump back; but he knew there was no safety to be had anywhere on this roof.

Moving in strange slow motion, almost as if he was too large to get properly oriented, Bowser reared up his huge head. Enormous nostrils flared in the fiery atmosphere, dark eyes flashing as if searching for prey. Luigi felt like no more than a fresh steak when the monster's eyes found him.

Th-there he is. Trembling almost to the point of a seizure, he grabbed the Poltergust before him. Now things started to make a semblance of sense... but it was scarcely reassuring.

   This was it. So he would have to fight Bowser... with none other than a vacuum.

A task even Mario would have likely thought ridiculous; Luigi gulped in dread at the mere thought of it. Bowser was no stranger to fights, even if he always lost them.

   ...Lost them? What did he always lose them to?

Luigi's breath caught as he remembered. Why, Mario could beat Bowser with nothing but his bare hands!

How would Luigi ever do it? The ghosts had been tough, but they didn't pack a physical punch the way Bowser did. He had thought, at least, that he would get to fight King Boo, and it might be a little more fair; but he saw no easy way out of this. He was a sitting duck.

   He supposed he should've expected no less from the king of illusions.

Bowser turned towards him now in interest, great claws brandished as if he was already set to eat. Then, as Luigi watched in utter terror, the beast did something a little strange; he put his hands to the sides of his head and shook, as if trying to get over a headache.

The brief moment did not last long. When he was done Bowser stretched his neck forward and Luigi heard a great, ominous rumbling; a horrifying sound he had long ago learned to recognize. It was the quiet roar from within his stomach, rising through his chest like a hot volcano –

And then the fire came. An enormous column, darting embers and heat, reached upwards into the air, then came down, settling over the stones like a hot wave. Luigi backed up even more, fighting to keep his eyes open through the blistering blaze.

   As if this place wasn't hot enough!

When the fire was at last over, Bowser let out one last cough of smoke, then raised his head, as if acknowledging that he was ready.

Luigi felt the farthest thing from ready. But he couldn't back down; there was nowhere to go.

   But then... why would he want to go anywhere?

Slowly his brow hardened as he thought about what he had been through just to get here. He had been through so much; and for what?

Luigi didn't know for sure where he was. He didn't know if the mansion existed; he didn't know if Boo Woods was truly on fire. He didn't even know if the Bowser he saw in front of him was real. But he knew what he was doing.

He was here to fight – he was here for Mario's freedom.

And it was a prize worth fighting for.

No words were exchanged between the two opponents. Bowser wasted no time. In the blink of an eye, he held out a great clawed hand before him, and Luigi was somewhat surprised to see that he held a great iron ball, covered in dastardly metal spikes. It was about as wide as Luigi was tall.

The ghost hunter felt his heart nearly drop for one second as he watched the beast stare at it; then, in one abrupt, unexpected movement, he launched it forward like a bowling ball.

   And the pin was a human.

The very balcony seemed to shake as Luigi darted aside, just dodging its dangerous, slashing blades that gouged the floor. He paused to watch it quickly roll to a halt nearby, staring with utter horror at its deadly surface. One hard hit with that thing and he would likely be dead meat.

Bowser did not seem deterred at missing; slowly, he started to walk forward, each heavy footfall making the entire balcony tremble. For a moment Luigi stood frozen by a small pillar, wondering if he could possibly be vulnerable.

Thinking quickly, he watched as Bowser came to pick up the heavy thing as if it weighed but an ounce. Seeing the creature toss it around, he paused. Villains, especially Bowser, always provided some means for their own defeat... it was something Mario had told him once.

The thought suddenly triggered a series of flashbacks in his head: such had been the case for Chauncey... and Bogmire... even Boolossus. Luigi gasped as he watched Bowser turn again towards him, an angry glint coming to his eye. Perhaps the ball... that was it!

Stepping forward, trembling but now with a determined air, Luigi came into Bowser's path. The monster took one look at him and immediately hurled the great ball in his direction.

This time Luigi was prepared. Jumping out of the way almost faster than seemed possible, he quickly turned around and chased the thing, stopping beside it when it rolled to a stop a short distance away. Bowser was coming...

It was now or never. Holding his breath, Luigi put the Poltergust's nozzle to the ball's surface and activated his highest power. The suction came to life...

And Luigi groaned with the greatest exertion as he attempted to lift the huge thing from the ground before him. It was outrageously heavy; but the mighty Poltergust still held on. Trying to get a grip over it, using his elbow to prop his arms against his body, he managed to get it a few inches into the air.

Bowser was nearly on top of him now. Sneering down on him, giant teeth far too close to Luigi's head, he was ready to make an ending move.

But it didn't get the chance to fall. In one instant the suction that held the great boulder ceased, and then gave way to the reverse in one blow. The force was enough to shoot the ball forward several feet, causing Luigi to fall backwards with a crash; but his effort had not been in vain.

In an amazing explosion Bowser's head suddenly ignited; on contact with the spiky ball it made a loud sound, not of something organic or expected, but of smashing metal. For a moment the smoke and the sparks filled the air, masking his view.

Then, in one horrifying instant, Luigi saw Bowser's head hit the ground nearby... without the body attached.

   OH MY -

He was just about to let out a bloodcurdling scream when another sound came to him, familiar through the smoke; the horrible deep-throated laughter of King Boo.

"You young fool," he hissed, booming voice jumping at him from all sides. Frightened and startled almost beyond movement, Luigi sat up from the ground, feeling almost ready to explode from the mere heat.

Then as he watched the fading smoke before him, he saw a moving shape slowly come into view, flitting like a shadow beyond its grey surface. Small, dark, and rippling with evil; there from the smoke before him emerged King Boo.

At the first sight of him Luigi scrambled to his feet. Now he began to see what game he was playing; now it started to come to light. Glancing over for half a second at the Bowser behind him, trying not to feel queasy at the sight of his decapitated body which still stood, Luigi realized the truth. This Bowser was a machine; it was all a fake.

King Boo watched him, voice dripping with delight. "Yes, it's not real," he said, grinning. "I hadn't expected you to blow my cover, but now that you have... why don't you do me the great pleasure of fighting you one on one?"

Luigi danced aside in the nick of time as the boo abruptly lunged forward, almost as if to take his face off. King Boo stopped and faced him, not seeming too perturbed.

   "Perhaps this won't be a complete waste of my time."

Their eyes locked again, and Luigi matched his dark stare with a surprising ferocity. "Well you asked for it."

"Of course I asked for it!" the boo snarked back. "I knew that if I captured one, I would have to deal with the other."

Luigi didn't have to ask what he was talking about. "You'd better believe it!"

   Here the king stopped, an annoyed glint settling over him. "I tried numerous times to separate you," he said, watching the human condescendingly. "It cannot be said I didn't try, to tear you apart and make you give up on the other."

   Luigi blinked.

   King Boo growled under his breath. "But I couldn't dissuade you, not once. Neither of you. Such a stubborn insistence on clinging to hope... It leaves something to be said for the bond among twins, I suppose."

   On hearing this, Luigi momentarily fell still, almost as one in a dream. Had King Boo just said those words? King Boo himself? He stared stupidly at the sudden bearer of his good news.

   Then all this time... Mario...

King Boo chuckled now in amusement. "What a noble risk you are taking," he sighed. "If only it wasn't for a mistaken cause."

Luigi, instantly snapping out of his thoughts, tilted his head warily. "What mistaken cause?" he demanded. "What are you talking about, what is this, what have you done??"

King Boo shook his head, as if he was talking to a two-year-old. "You want to know what my deal is with Mario, right? What's the reason for all this?"

Luigi paused. That was exactly what he wanted to know. "What?" he asked distrustfully.

King Boo took a deep breath. "You see, it isn't easy, being a ruler," he began. "You've got to think about more than just yourself, you know?"

"Mario and I think about our kingdom all the time," Luigi replied, misunderstanding. "He's our savior, in case you missed the news."

"I know that!" King Boo snapped. "But does he ever think about anyone else? What about us?"

"You?" Luigi asked in confusion. "He... he'd never met you."

"Maybe not directly," the boo said icily, talking more to himself now. "But he'd met more than a few of my loyal subjects – friends, relatives of mine own! And I'll tell you I heard more than a few tales of his 'heroic deeds'."

Luigi frowned, not quite understanding.

"When I found the boos massacred and defeated!" King Boo clarified, voice rising in anger. "Your brother – and no, not just him but you, as well, have been fighting my boos for far too long. I know you don't notice it. I know you don't care. But no longer! Now, you will pay for your crimes." He stopped and fixed Luigi with a ravenous stare. "Now, you answer to me."

Luigi, staring at him in shock and surprise, blinked when he finished his rant. So then this – this is what it was really all about?

"I don't... I... I understand your frustration," Luigi said at last. "It must be tough; but... your boos were attacking – I mean what could we really do –

"All excuses and no apologies," King Boo commented aloud. "No remorse or regret."

   Luigi froze for a moment. Careful. "I... But why this?" he asked, suddenly turning the tables. "Why the mansion? Was it really necessary to do all of this?"

   Surprisingly, King Boo seemed amused by his question. "Ah, the mansion," he sighed, then chuckled. "No, the mansion wasn't entirely because of you, I'll admit. Now the mansion goes way back.

"You see back in the day, I did build the mansion - once upon a time," he explained. "And I mean I designed and built it - brick by tedious brick. It was a haven for the boos of the forest.

"Of course, time went on. Eventually we became bored with it and I decided to try making something useful out of it - sold it to various tenants, of sorts. Quite a few people came and went over the decades... until I decided that I wanted my forest back."

Luigi, listening to the story with growing confusion and surprise, tilted his head now in suspicion.

"So I took it back," King Boo said simply, a genius grin coming to his face. "...By fire."

The human before him suddenly let out the gasp he had anticipated, causing the king to smile more. "No... you didn't... you didn't!" he cried.

"Now, this ghost of a mansion is back again to serve its original purpose," the king concluded. "So what the letter told you about the mansion was true... from a certain point of view."

"Those portrait ghosts," Luigi breathed in horror, shaking his head at the monarch before him. "That family... they all died here...! How could you... what have you done?" he cried, utter shock rendering him near speechless.

King Boo watched him pleasantly. "I've taken control again over my woods," he replied, looking quite smug. "On this very day, with this very act it all came right again. And now you, Luigi... you and your brother have become a part of it."

"You're so wrong..." the human whispered, staring at the evil creature. "We didn't deserve this! No one deserved this," he said, voice almost becoming a whine.

The king snorted. "Oh, don't be a baby. How could you understand what being king is like?" He paused to let it sink in, then went on, "Your brother tried to give me grief over it as well - at least the parts I told him - and he thinks he has all the angles covered, I'll tell you. I'd expect no less from Mario's brother, even if you are a little less... cocky about it."

"Mario knows where his principles stand," Luigi shot back. "Maybe you should try listening to him!"

The king almost rolled his dark eyes. "I've listened to the guy's half-delirious yapping plenty," he informed him.

"Well you did kidnap him and turn him into a wall decoration!" Luigi reminded him harshly.

"I'm taking good care of him," King Boo scowled. "You don't need to worry. I would take good care of you, too."

Luigi shook his head, sensing an opening coming up. "Sorry, your highness. But I can't let that happen." Then, unexpectedly, the ghost hunter turned his vacuum on the king.

King Boo hissed and recoiled in shock, darting out of the path of the Poltergust. Luigi cursed under his breath – King Boo was not an ordinary ghost. He could evade the Poltergust's natural attraction by his unusual nature.

It would be a fight to the defeat, then – Luigi had always known that. They both butted heads over the same prize.

Not ready to give up, their talk now seemingly over, he continued his assault, advancing forward with Poltergust on the attack. He tried to let no hesitation or fear show in his eyes, though he couldn't erase the feelings entirely. Luigi didn't know if he truly had the guts to do this. He only knew he had to try.

Surprisingly, King Boo actually seemed slightly affronted, backing up like a startled lion. It was the one thing he feared...

But it wasn't going to be easy. Suddenly, as Luigi was about to reach him again with his deadly pull, a cold wind brushed past his arm, and a huge ball of ice smashed into the ground right beside him. Startled, he glanced back up at the king, who grinned mischievously.

"Don't think me defenseless, janitor," he taunted. "I am not one of those pathetic 'portrait ghosts'. I possess more power than you could even dream of."

"Is that why you needed a Bowser suit to fight me?" Luigi asked snarkily.

King Boo growled deep in his throat, a sound that startled him for a second. "That was part of another deal with the koopa king," he informed him. "It's none of your business."

Luigi widened his eyes for a second. Then King Boo did know Bowser.

Distraction! Seizing instantly upon the open chance, Luigi turned his vacuum once again onto the king, catching him off guard just long enough for a few good seconds of breathless struggle. Pull... Pull! Luigi strained, putting all his focus into that single action. For just a couple of tense moments it seemed to work. Then King Boo broke off again.

Their eyes met again, each spewing more disgust and determination than ever. King Boo looked dangerously agitated. "You'll pay for that, worm."

Before Luigi had a chance to think a hard, cold thing hit his chest, sending a chilling shock running down his body. For a few terrifying seconds he was unable to move.

King Boo laughed above him. "Who's caught now?" he snorted.

In a slight panic, Luigi fought to face him. What was this? It was as if he was frozen stiff – he couldn't move, couldn't turn. Clenching the Poltergust tightly, he strained to move his hand ever so slightly: to the switch that would turn the vacuum to blow. If he remembered correctly, he should still have some fire...

Got it! With one liberating blast the flames shot forth from the Poltergust, breaking the icy seal that surrounded him. Gasping in the rush of warm air that flooded in, Luigi whirled around to face King Boo.

He was angry, to say the least. "Well played, greenie," he snarled. "I thought it was your brother who liked to play with fire, but two can play that game. If the cold doesn't bother you..."

He floated over to where the lifeless Bowser still stood. "Try this on for size!"

Without giving Luigi a chance to breathe he flew again into the safety of his Bowser suit, summoning the head to follow and seal him off. However, in the haste of the moment something went wrong, because as Luigi stood there watching, Bowser's head screwed onto his body... facing backwards.

The confusion that followed was nothing short of terrifying for Luigi. In a kind of rage Bowser suddenly lunged forward, veering around almost out of control as he fought to regain his sight. He behaved just the way one would expect a confused wild beast to act: stampeding all over the place, tossing his head and roaring like a swarm of bees was on him.

Luigi, realizing that he could be utterly crushed by the huge monster, quickly darted away and backed against one of the chimneys. Panting, he watched as the creature stumbled back and forth into the stone pillars, some crashing over and breaking at his enormous weight. The roof was shaking like an earthquake had seized the building.

But now... now the thing was distracted. Wouldn't it be a good time to strike again? Glancing away, Luigi spotted the spiky ball sitting a short distance away. For just a second he bit his lip in indecision.

But this was not the same Luigi that had come, shaking and timid into the mansion all those hours ago. This one had changed; he was perhaps more resolute, more daring.

And he could do this.

Taking a deep breath, Luigi abandoned his hiding place and ran out, immediately up to the big weapon and latched his Poltergust to it. One more time...

But then something unexpected happened. At last the Bowser stopped, as if finally realizing what to do, and with one swipe fixed his head around to the proper position. Reoriented and ready to roll, he looked up and around to see his prey on the opposite end of the roof.

Luigi realized the beast was coming perhaps a second too late. He turned and attempted to shoot, but this time...

The ball struck the side of his body, scraping with an awful sound but not even knocking the machine from its feet. Defenseless and on the ground, Luigi was alone to face the monster's oncoming stampede.

There was no time or room to run. Bowser had come up right on him, ready to lunge down...

With a gasp, Luigi did the last thing the monster expected: darted forward, making for the gap between his huge legs. In the last instant, he swiped down with an enormous claw, not catching his prey but knocking him aside. Then he screeched to a halt and wheeled as fast as he could, eager to see the result.

Luigi had landed on his side a short distance away. Laying across the stones, at first the young man didn't move at all. For a brief moment the monster paused and watched in interest, wondering if perhaps he had completely trampled him.

Pain.

For several awful moments the world and the roof around him span. Slowly, moaning as if waking from an uncomfortable dream, Luigi stirred.

He was thankful beyond belief that the monster had missed his head. If he hadn't...

With a groan of pain, Luigi shifted his arm out from under him and sat up, squinting in the dust and the intense orange lights that still blazed around him. What had happened?

It all came back in a rush. Adrenaline coursing through him, pumping him enough to rise, Luigi almost fell over again at the staggering pain that was aggravated in his side. With a broken gasp, he nearly doubled over again in shock.

Bowser stood nearby, slowly tramping around as if ready to pounce again. Painfully aware of his task still undone, Luigi forced himself to straighten and face the beast.

On seeing his shaky recovery the monster emitted a low growl. It was quickly accompanied by the familiar rumble that made Luigi want to collapse all over again.

In one instant the flames erupted forth like a wave unleashed from a dam. Ignoring the throbbing pain in his side, Luigi made the daring dash for a pillar nearby, his only chance of refuge amid the sea of flames. It was risky but he had no choice.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Luigi stayed as still as the pillar itself, clinging to it as if it might disappear. The fire came dangerously close on either side of him, threatening to burn his very arms. He could feel the intense heat swarm around him, and a harsh sweat again broke out. He could only wait as still as death, and pray that it would end.

Finally the assault behind him did stop, and Bowser began to tramp closer. Luigi gasped for air as he started to run away, trying to put any sort of distance between them. The pain in his side was starting to numb, though he couldn't tell if it was because of the heat or possibly getting worse. Had he damaged his ribcage when the monster struck him?

It was a frightening thought that he didn't have time for right now. Finally, after what seemed like ages, he reached the spiky ball where it had been flung aside. It's now or never.

Bowser was nearing him now. Gathering all the strength he could find, Luigi tried once more to pick up the huge ball and get in position to fire; it was a grave effort. The pain in his side had started flaming again at his exertion, almost to the point that Luigi wondered if he'd actually been caught in the fire. Straining with all his might, he managed to get the ball heaved up, though not without some very intense groans of complaint.

Luckily, Bowser had not come up on him this time; Luigi looked up to see him stopped a little ways away, looking ready to unleash his fire breath again. If he let that happen it might all be over.

However, Luigi didn't hear the usual telltale rumble of the oncoming attack, so when the beast suddenly leaned over and opened his mouth, he was only partially surprised to find that it was quite the opposite: instead of blowing, the machine was inhaling, sucking in a strong pulling wind with a force that almost knocked Luigi over. It was similar to the very suction that had dragged him into the painting in the first place... only this time, Luigi was pretty certain where it went.

His mouth is open... Now! Before Luigi could get pulled away by his ever-increasing suction, sucked into the depths of the machine, he aimed a tiny bit and all in one moment let go. He had realized from his previous attempts: the machine could only really be harmed by an attack inside the mouth.

The ball shot forward, meeting the mark in a fantastic explosion; wind, fire and smoke all erupted from the contact, blinding everything for a moment with the joint sound of crunching metal. Luigi was so initially tired from the effort that he fell backwards upon release and for a moment stayed grounded, watching the terrifying result.

Both the Bowser suit and its head nearby had crashed to the ground. Dismantled, it looked rather worn for wear; Luigi doubted it would ever operate again. For a brief moment a joyous expression of accomplishment crossed his features. Yes!

But it was quickly dispelled. His true enemy had not been defeated; he was not done yet.

He suddenly heard King Boo's angry growl from the disappearing smoke. None of his growls sounded particularly friendly; but there was no mistaking this one.

"Now you've done it," the monarch hissed, coming forth like a spirit separated from his body. Glowing red eyes watched him threateningly from the gloom. For a moment he paused, looking down on Luigi with a look of abhor and disgust.

Luigi, staring at him with a somewhat frightened look, quickly got up before the king could make a decisive move. "Well maybe you shouldn't have been tossing lethal weapons around," he pointed out.

King Boo scowled again in anger. "Alright boy, this is the end of the line," he informed him in his most no-nonsense of tones. "You've put up an impressive fight, I'll give you that. But it ends here. When you're a painting, I'll parade you around in front of all the hosts, and they will look on you and laugh or cry – but it will not matter! For then none shall be able to help you, not even your brother. And don't think I'll let you see him then – I'll keep you two separated forever if I have to. It is your decision."

"It's my decision," Luigi repeated, thinking about his words. "It's my decision – and I choose that it will never happen again!"

King Boo smiled slowly, an evil grin spreading across his fangs that even still terrified Luigi more. "Well said," he spoke. "It is wise to lay down your defenses while you still can."

Luigi, still trying to catch his breath, furrowed his eyebrows and watched the king with equal parts confusion and determination. "Who said anything about laying down my defenses?" he asked. "All night I've been looking for Mario. All night I've been fighting your ghosts to find him. I didn't want to do it – I didn't want to do any of this. I tried to negotiate with you. I tried to understand. But you're beyond reasoning; you just want to keep us forever in this deathless misery, don't you? Nothing I do now can change that."

"Nothing you do now can change what you did," King Boo replied bitterly. "Both of you. To my kind and my boos."

Luigi shook his head in denial and exhaustion. "That's beyond me now," he breathed. "I... I'm sorry. But I can't let you do this."

King Boo's stare hardened to one of violent anger and animosity. "So..." he murmured, dangerously low. "You will be sorry."

In a simultaneous movement the two sprang to action, King Boo darting forward for a vicious attack. Luigi, already prepared, dodged aside in a whirl of energy, just missing the bared fangs that came centimeters from his hair.

Turning on a dime, he brought up the Poltergust for a counterattack, seizing on the boo's turned back in that one second. King Boo's slight mistake became instantly obvious.

With a shocking force, Luigi was suddenly pulled forward, the Poltergust straining to hold on to the powerful force that contested it. Trying to make a foothold in the ground, Luigi barely breathed as he fought to wear the boo down, each passing second hammering on his heart painfully. Longer... he thought, groaning in effort. Sweat started to break out again, and his head began to throb. Hold on...

But he couldn't make it last. With a growl of defiance, King Boo finally broke away from his assault, turning to face him a safe distance away. His eyes dripped hatred and scorn as he stared at his nemesis.

"You will live to regret this day."

Luigi froze, caught in that terrifying stare. He knew, even then, that he would never forget the way King Boo had looked at him in that moment. Even while he was ahead; even while he had the upper hand, Luigi knew the voice would forever reside in his nightmares.

In one surprising instant, a cold, searing pain suddenly struck Luigi's foot, freezing him in his tracks. With a gasp, he looked down to see his foot encased in a chunk of solid ice, trapping him to the ground where he stood. King Boo had already darted past him, probably to strike from behind.

The pain from his former wound at the ankle was already burning, complaining at the icy touch. But more than that, if he didn't move soon, he could be in for it. Straining with every ounce of adrenaline powering him, Luigi struggled to twist free.

King Boo's low snarl sounded close by. It was only a matter of seconds...

First there was a loud crack, followed by a sharper smash!! Letting out the huge breath he'd been holding, Luigi broke from his handicap and swerved in an instant, ice destroyed at his feet. He had done it.

There was no time for King Boo to move or retreat in that millisecond their eyes met. Luigi's blue eyes burned dark in the firelight, shooting determination.

In one motion the boo was caught again under Luigi's snare. Weakened or not, both still put up a dizzying fight, King Boo especially testing Luigi's strength. His muscles burned from the strain and his side ached like there was no tomorrow. A million pains and distractions pulled at him; but Luigi ignored it all. So close... Pouring every last effort, everything he had into that one action, he clung to his ever-faithful vacuum and held on.

Even the Poltergust was complaining now; it creaked and shuddered a bit, as if it could only take so much more. Luigi gasped for air, pulling back with all the strength he had left.

This was it. His last stand.

And then, almost too abruptly to handle, it all stopped. The Poltergust let go, sending Luigi stumbling backwards at the violent backlash.

The pull, the resistance, was no more.

The air simultaneously grew lighter, less thick; it was as if the very world around him had been changed in that one moment. Everything was indescribably changed; the utter shock of it flooded in. All at once the immense relief, the removed burden, hit him like an overwhelming wave.

It was over.

Taking in a raw breath, Luigi felt all his strength leave him in an instant. Suddenly the very weight of the night had left him; but at the same time, it was too much to handle.

Trembling ever so slightly, Luigi seemed to freeze in a suspended reality; for a moment he couldn't think or move at all. It was done; it was done, and that was all he knew. Finally, unable to stay standing for another second, he sank to the ground.

The nozzle of the Poltergust left his hand, hitting the ground lifelessly beside him. Neither could stand to carry on any longer. Staring at the stones, Luigi collapsed where he was and sat for several long moments, breathing heavily. In and out... in and out. The broken rhythm of his breaths slowly began to even out, to grow calm in the stillness.

Nothing disturbed him anymore. Even the heat and the fire didn't seem so brutal now; nothing stood out, nothing mattered.

Inside, there was still something there... he still felt sorry for the woods, sorry for the portrait ghosts; he felt sorrow for the mansion, sorrow even for King Boo. But it didn't matter now.

It was gone. Luigi knew he could never have explained it... words couldn't describe the feeling he experienced then. So many things all at once... mental and physical clashed in a kind of explosion that left him nearly winded. He was lost for words; almost lost for thoughts. So much pain, work and heartbreak... all seemed to come to a sudden end in one moment. So much done; so much past. A great shadow had been lifted.

At last, Luigi came out of his trance.

Slowly, he looked up, his tired eyes coming to rest on the shining, beautiful prize lying on the ground only feet away. A last reminder, a fitting reward; gold and ruby blazed in the firelight. King Boo's crown.

Never taking his eyes from the hefty prize, Luigi got to his feet again as if in a dream. Slowly, he came to stop before it; with the most tender of hands he picked up the heavy thing and raised it in awe to the light.

It was far heavier than he'd ever expected. There was no reason to believe it was fake; this was the real deal. Golden leaflets shimmered in cascades around the base and supported the enormous ruby jewel; staring into its depths, for a moment Luigi was lost. Sparkling red, clear as liquid and sharp as crystal. It was befitting of the one who wore it.

For half a second he began to lift the crown, as if to try placing it on his own head. He quickly stopped himself. No, that wouldn't be right. It was not for him to wear; it was his boon. That was all.

Eyes searching, taking in every inch of the piece and thinking on the one whom it belonged to, Luigi began to whisper to himself, the realization of what he'd done only just sinking in. His job was done, and that was it; and that was all he knew.

"I did it," he murmured softly, voice low as if too tired to speak any louder. "No one will ever believe it but I did." For a moment he paused, watching the crown with an oddly passive look. "I... I really did."

He was too worn to think any further; too exhausted to worry. Gently, he lowered the weighty thing and closed his eyes, already knowing it was okay. There was no need to stay here any longer.

From there, the warmth and the white light swept in around him, coming at last to take him away.

~

He didn't know how long it had been since it all happened. Quite suddenly Luigi felt something release him; almost as if he had been floating in a dream, abruptly his feet hit the ground, and he gasped in surprise as everything came to life around him once more. For a moment he stood completely still, frozen in surprise as he stared at the reality that was suddenly before him: the secret altar.

He was back.

All was completely silent and still, a stark contrast to the way he'd last left it. The golden walls once again sparkled under shining lights, filling the room with a kind of joyful glow. But...

Heart twisting in half-dread, half-excitement, in a kind of slow motion, Luigi turned around to face the altar behind him. There...

He was nearly struck dumb at first sight of it before him. There, only a few tiny paces away, the familiar old painting rested, closer than ever.

Here he was – the moment he had been so waiting for.

Now he didn't know if he could stand it. At the very first instant a terrible bolt of fear had struck Luigi to the core; but it was quickly dispelled. Mario's image, as he had fiercely hoped, was restored to the painting; however, instead of the usual, restless figure he was used to seeing there, his brother was slumped over, motionless and silent behind the glass barrier that imprisoned him. But somehow Luigi was not very concerned now; he knew deep down that Mario was still alive. He knew it; it was okay. Perhaps it was even better than okay; Mario had fallen asleep.

Luigi attempted to take a deep breath. He had thought they might meet, here and now... but it wasn't to be just yet. Now he saw that perhaps it was better this way; Luigi needed a moment to collect himself. Now only one thing remained to do; just one thing left...

He was going to do it. He was about to... but just as he was ready to put the first foot forward, a loud, harsh buzzing sound erupted from his pocket, nearly startling him out of his wits for a second. Luigi froze and finally let out a huge sigh. Professor.

Wondering how he would find the energy needed to talk to him right now, Luigi fished the device out of his pocket. He had long forgotten it, and the professor, by now.

"Luigi, you did it!" E. Gadd cried as soon as his face appeared over the connection. He looked more awake than ever, almost bouncing up and down in ecstasy. "Truly remarkable, my boy!"

At first Luigi was too surprised by the very sight of him and the sound of his voice to respond. There was the professor; there was the lab, the same as always. The image struck him with a sudden deep sense of reality, and an even deeper sense of home.

"I supplied the Poltergust 3000, but you ran with it all the way to the top, sonny!" E. Gadd was saying with an unquenchable enthusiasm. Luigi blinked, still unable to speak just yet. Was that tears he saw coming on?

"You've made me so... proud..." the professor sniffed, punctuating it with a profound snort. He shook his head to himself in exasperation. "Get ahold of yourself, Gadd," he muttered under his breath, but Luigi still heard.

He let out the tiniest chuckle before he really processed the words. The sense of accomplishment, the sense of importance that Luigi suddenly felt rising within him was awakened at seeing his reaction. Never had anyone spoken to him with such praise and admiration, even if it was just the professor, who was prone to exaggerating.

Now, for once, for the very first time... Luigi was the hero!

Quite abruptly it hit Luigi in the face: He had just defeated King Boo! Why, not even the professor had done something like that! He had done it all on his own; he had finished his task. A fuzzy warmth began to fill him, one that he hadn't felt in... well... ever.

He didn't know where exactly his voice came from, but all of the sudden he found it just then. "Professor... I... I can't thank you enough," he said, voice still low but filled with meaning. "I never could have gotten here... and everything else... and wait until you hear about King Boo!" he said, mind tumbling over itself in a rising excitement. "I found him and... he flew into the painting and it turned into Bowser and I fought him on the roof! The world was on fire, E. Gadd... and he blew fire at me and..." he paused, catching his breath for a second. Then his usual calm seemed to come back, and he somewhat composed himself; shaking his head, he looked down, too flustered to properly put it all into words.

The professor was soaking it up like a dried-out sunflower. "He jumped into a painting of Bowser, you say? You'd better tell me all about it when you get back!"

His enthusiasm should have been contagious, but quite suddenly Luigi didn't care so much about it anymore. When you get back... Luigi raised his eyebrows. It had all been one heck of a ride... but that wasn't the main point. Now he had something much more important to do.

"Professor – " Luigi tried to say. But E. Gadd was already going off on a tangent.

"Well, well..." he muttered to himself, pleased. "Paintings and mansions... kings and rescues and fire-breathing beasts! It makes you sound like the master of all ghostbusters, doesn't it? In all my years of ghost research, I've never heard such a fantastical tale! And that career spans sixty years, mind you. Why, I still recall starting out as a young whelp who trembled at the mere thought of a ghost; TREMBLED, I say..."

"Yes... um... professor –

"Oh, beg your pardon! This old brain goes recollecting every now and then... I could sit down and fill a week spinning ghost yarns. Why, just last –

"Professor! Um... do you think maybe... we could save it for another time?"

E. Gadd stopped and finally looked at Luigi in surprise. "Oh, I'm going too deep for you there, sonny?" He chuckled. "You're probably all worn from that battle – it must have been a pretty good one, I'll wager – and trust me I'm dying to hear about it all." For a second they were both silent, until Luigi raised his eyebrows.

Then it finally seemed to click. "Right, well... Anyhoo, Luigi! Grab your brother's painting and bring him to the lab," he instructed, not sounding very concerned at all. "Is he there?"

Without saying a word, Luigi turned back to the painting, holding up the Game Boy so the professor could see it for himself. He couldn't bring himself to talk anymore about it.

E. Gadd actually chuckled at first sight. "Heh heh... the poor little feller's fallen asleep," he said, as if marveling at some cute baby animal. "He must have just collapsed with relief and exhaustion when he saw you arrive."

Unresponding, Luigi turned back to the professor. His face was like a mask of uncertainty and anxiousness.

"Well... it'll be nice to finally meet him," E. Gadd offered, appearing quite unconcerned still. If he thought anything else of the matter, he kept it to himself. "I'll get the machine ready to return your brother to his former state, all righty?"

Luigi nodded, already prepared to hang up. The professor had a solution... it had to work. It just had to.

E. Gadd gave him one last smile of encouragement, a single action that broke over him like a ray of hope. Maybe... maybe this really was the end.

"I'll be expecting you both!"

And then the professor hung up.

Luigi, slowly returning the Game Boy to his pocket, felt the words repeating over in his head. You both...

How he had longed for the time when he would get to hear those words. The time when he would come out of the mansion with that which he had come to find...

When he wouldn't come out of the mansion alone.

Those words meant everything; they meant the world. They meant the nightmare was over.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Luigi nodded. Just the simplest action... and he was so nervous to do it.

Carefully, almost as if treading on daffodils, Luigi crept up the steps of the altar. Here he was; here he was at last.

The rest of the room around him seemed to melt into a golden aura. All was bathed in a kind of heavenly light...

Meekly, almost too hesitant to dare, Luigi raised a hand near the transparent surface. His dingy, bloodstained glove trembled a little; he couldn't bring himself to touch it directly for fear of disturbing the one just behind it. But his breath hit the glass, brushing up against the thin barrier that separated them.

The inhabitant of the painting didn't wake. Shifting ever so slightly, he tilted his head, and a ray of golden light fell across his face beneath the brim of his red hat. For a long moment Luigi was still, watching his brother sleep in his otherworldly prison. It was beyond his comprehension; Luigi couldn't understand what it was. He only knew what he must do.

Slowly, he lifted a hand to the sparkling frame. Red jeweled flowers and gold swirls adorned all around its edges, likely worth a fortune in itself. At least King Boo had given him a worthy vessel.

Holding his breath, Luigi laid a hand on it with the utmost of care and very gingerly lifted it up from the rock wall. It weighed heavy, as expected of the solid gold frame, but still much less than Mario actually did. It was no small thing either; the painting was about a yard tall, and not the easiest to carry. But Luigi hardly noticed any of that.

A feeling of triumph suddenly washed over him at the painting's touch. He had found it; he had finally gotten ahold of his nightlong goal. Unable to hold it back, Luigi let out a small laugh, turned around to face the empty altar before him, almost as if it were filled with a rejoicing crowd, and lifted the painting up in victory.

Got it.

From there every worry on his mind was little more than superficial.

Though reluctant at first, Luigi finally settled to transport the painting under his arm, positioning it comfortably beside him for the walk out. Glowing with an unstoppable pride, Luigi descended the altar stairs and straight down the aisle as if living a wonderful dream, ready to head back to the place from whence he came.

One final walk – and this time not unaccompanied.

He'd gotten what he'd come for. With the painting tucked safely under his arm, he glanced down at it for a second, just to make sure it was alright.

"It's okay, bro," Luigi murmured to it gently. "It's over now. I'll get you out of here... I got you." Stopping to push open the spade door before him, he tightened his grip on the painting and held it close, venturing forth again back onto the path that would lead him out. "I got you."

~

The front doors of the mansion creaked open, then swung wide all the way. A cool breeze came forward and blasted into the foyer, as if rousing the mansion from sleep.

Its master was gone, and now all was at a gentle peace.

In the open doors its new master appeared, standing with head lifted to the wind. He inhaled in the gentle night air, taking in the whole wide world before him. The wind flowed in the moonlight like a silver river, coming forward to greet him; the forest was calm, the clouds had parted and the sky above was a regal blue; the lightning had stopped and the stars had come out.

He saw that it was good.

Shifting the painting tucked under his arm, he exclaimed, "Look, bro! The sky's awake!"

He got no response from his companion, and neither did he expect one. One last ghost of sadness touching his features, the figure glanced at the great wide doorway behind him.

It was done, and it was time for him to part. Nothing remained there for him now. Nothing waited for him in room upon empty room inside; all that he looked forward to lay before him.

Taking a deep breath, he turned again to the steps at his feet. It wouldn't be easy; but it wouldn't be the hardest thing he'd ever done. It was time for him to let it all go.

As if dismissed with the one thought, he squared his shoulders and started down the path leading away from the mansion.

~

When Luigi arrived at last at the small shack outside the mansion's gates, he reached out a hand and laid it upon the wooden door, pausing to steady himself. For just a moment he waited, catching his breath; then he stopped to look up.

The mansion stood, dark and empty and still, on the hill before him. No longer did it hold any mysteries that he cared to solve, any enemies that he dared to face. It was silent.

The golden eyes, glowing ever-yellow above the mansion's doors, stared back at him expressionless. Nothing remained between them; nothing at all. Luigi had made it back.

A tiny whisper left his lips: "Farewell, mansion."

For a few long seconds he didn't move. He just stood there, staring at the mansion that had been meant for him, the one that had been his shelter and his oppressor all night long. Now their journey was over, and Luigi felt an emptiness in his stomach. Was it relief? Loneliness? Sadness? Regret? He couldn't identify what it was.

Then, as if it had spoken, the painting suddenly came to his attention in his arm. Looking down, Luigi let his eyes come away from the great house before him and to the problem right in his hands. It was time to move on. He couldn't just stand there all night.

With the door to the lab half open, ready to carry Mario inside, Luigi couldn't help but stop and turn back one more time. Just one more look on the mansion of his.

Where the black chimneys met the stars, a hazy mist was beginning to take over the view. Starting with the roof and the third floor at the very top, Luigi's Mansion was disappearing from sight.

Nothing moved in all the forest until at last, the dark mansion that had stood on the hill had vanished down to the horizon, and it was no more.