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The Gate had been opened, even though Luigi could not see what was beyond. The opening resembled an overcast sky in December, and while the mist that bled out of it was not as cold it still caused his skin to break out into goose bumps.
“What are you all waiting for?” Howls raised his sword. He seemed to have been limping more than usual.
“I’m waiting for nothing,” Squishy had turned off his chainsaw. “I’d just feel better if I had a rope tied around my middle, and someone holding onto the other end of the rope. Like in that movie.”
Luigi shuddered at the memory of that movie. Mario had convinced him to stay up late when they were both seven and watch it while everyone was asleep. It gave him nightmares that lasted for months. No wonder he was afraid of ghosts, and he could blame that all on his brother, except that will wait until after Daisy and Nougat have been rescued and the vampire elder had been killed.
“Lets a go,” Mario flew into the gate, followed by Kammy, Howls, and Squishy.
A guttural roar echoed through the gate, followed by three identical roars. Another Fafenir was in there.
Luigi tore through the mist and nearly came into contact with one of the monster’s immense paws. He struck it with a fireball.
“There is two of them in here,” Howl’s voice was nearly drowned out by Squishy’s chain saw.
There were two of them. Luigi looked up as the mist cleared and he saw three hideous heads staring down at him. The fourth had Kammy in its mouth.
The explosion of the rocket launcher was heard and the blast of artillery struck the Fafenir in the neck, careful as to avoid Kammy. The blast was enough for the monster to release her from its mouth.
Luigi leaped and caught her.
“Luigi watch out,” Iggy rolled in front of them and aimed the strange gun in his hand at the monster. An icy blue energy blast escaped the gun and struck one of the other heads, freezing it.
“Iggy,” Kammy whispered the name of the young Koopa.
“Iggy, you have to watch her,” Luigi could feel the dents in her shell. His arms were stained red from her blood. “Because I’m going to rip those heads off.” His voice lowered into the growl. He didn’t wait to hear the familiar ripping of his clothes. He yelled at the top of his lungs and leapt at the tall dark and hair mass.
“Watch out for that head,” the cat girl cried as one of the Fafenir’s heads loomed towards him.
Luigi released the pent up fire from his lungs at the head and continued to climb up the bulk. Another head darted low. Its neck was already filled with the spears and tridents from the Beezos. Luigi jumped on the neck and pulled out the weapons, making sure to gouge out chunks of fur and flesh before he sank claws into the gaping wound and tore out even more. Once he had reached the bone he used every bit of strength in his body to break it and tore through the rest of the flesh.
Luigi leapt off the neck and clung to the hair bulk until the body came crashing down. “How is she?” He asked.
“She is still breathing,” Peach had ripped off the bottom part of her dress as well as the bottom part of Kammy’s robe and used them both to press against the bleeding wounds. “I’m going to try to keep her from going into shock.”
“Where is Iggy?” He had asked the young Koopa to watch over Kammy.
“There,” the princess pointed ahead. Most of the mist had cleared to reveal what resembled a dead forest with knotted and twisted trees, The sky, ground and pretty much everything else was dark. Hundreds of ghosts and harpies littered the sky and were battling against the Beezos and Mario. There were more zombies on the ground, along with at least two-dozen vampires.
“Flare,” Kamron held up his wand. The same glowing sphere and had reappeared, but only lasted for a few seconds.
One of the vampires chuckled. “Your light tricks won’t work here.”
“They won’t?” Kamron said in a dejected tone and stared at his wand. “Oh well. Fire snake!” He summoned a bouncing snake made of several fireballs after the vampire. The snake struck it head on and within seconds the vampire was reduced to ashes. “Fire still works.”
“Fire works,” Luigi ran into the fray. He leapt on top of the heads of three more zombies before he landed in front of a vampire woman. “Wow, you are beautiful.”
“Flattery will not get you anywhere, lizard man,” the vampire hissed.
“I’m serious, you look hot.” Luigi spat more flames at the vampire.
“What was that?” Larry appeared next to him. “Why are you spouting such corny puns? Do you think you’re an action hero or something?” He aimed the launcher and struck two more zombies.
“I thought it had to be in the head,” Luigi noticed that the rocket had gone through the stomach of one before it exploded on the chest of the other.
“These rockets are made out of salt rock,” Larry gave his weapon a small pat. “They can hit a zombie anywhere and still work.”
“You have to tell me about your adventure some time,” Luigi pushed his brother in law down as Yoshi leapt over them and ate another harpy. “It might be a good story for uncle Larry to tell his nieces and nephews.”
“What,” Larry just stared at him before recognition hit his face. “Of course, I wasn’t here for the breeding season. Congrats, what about Dru?”
“She and Tethys are also carrying eggs,” they stood back up. “Tethys and Roy have eloped.”
“Man, I have missed a lot.” Larry launched another rocket at small group of zombies that were running towards them. “I’m going to be an uncle.”
“And I’m going to be a father,” Luigi picked up a broken spear. He wasn’t going to live in a world where those like the vampire elder still lived. “Where is that bastard?”
“There,” Larry pointed to the left. Daisy was bound and gagged and placed on a round stone slab along with Nougat. A strange rock was in between them. One half was silver, while the other half was gold. A tall and pale man with his reddish brown hair kept in natural curls. He was dressed in dark colors including his red lined cloak and he had a black leather headband with a red jewel. He held a silver knife in one hand and was deep in a trance.
“I know him,” Luigi felt his blood boiling. The Elder was the same vampire who had taunted his mother and ordered a Fafenir to kill his father because she wouldn’t reveal where he and Mario were. “I saw him in a vision in Kammy’s crystal. He killed my father.”
“And he is about to kill Daisy and that kid,” Larry said.
The vampire had finished chanting and turned to the slab. He held the knife high above his head.
Luigi raced towards them, even though he knew he would not make it in time. He had to at least try and maybe his fire would reach the elder before he did.
Iggy roared and pounced on the Elder. He grabbed onto the knife and tried to pull it out of the monster’s hands.
“Stop this foolishness,” Nosferus said. He was pulling back with all his might. “You are only delaying the inevitable.”
“So are you,” Iggy inhaled before he released a fireball from his mouth. Nosferus vanished.
“You will have to do better than that,” he reappeared on the stone slab, standing between Daisy and the king.
“I’m doing pretty darn well,” Iggy leapt on the slab. “As long as I’m still fighting you, then you can’t perform your ceremony.” He leapt onto Nosferus.
“So true,” Nosferus slammed the blade into Iggy’s shoulder. “Lets make things a bit more simple then.”
Another explosion followed by salt rock exploding on Nosferus’s chest. The vampire fell over, backwards onto the ground.
“Iggy,” Larry growled.
“I got him,” Luigi was on the slab. Daisy was crying and Nougat was shedding tears out of fear. Luigi pulled the knife out of Iggy’s shoulder. “Good thing it’s not your chest or stomach.”
“No,” Iggy grabbed onto the bleeding wound. “We gotta get them out of here.”
“Got one,” Larry pulled Daisy off the slab.
“And I have the other,” Nosferus stood back up and grabbed the king.
“Let me guess,” Luigi glared at the vampire. “If we want the king to be released then we stop fighting?”
“It doesn’t matter either way,” The vampire smiled. “The blood has been spilled. My master shall awaken, and there is no one here that can stop him from consuming the world.”
“There is us,” Howls slammed a wooden stake through Nosferus’s back and it poked through.
“Fool,” Nosferus grimaced and released Nougat and grabbed Howls by the head. “You missed my heart.” He turned Howls’s head in a sharp twist. The sickening snapp echoed through out the area.
Luigi growled and released another burst of fire from his lungs. Nosferus teleported behind them again.
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Nosferus gloated. “I am more powerful than just a mere vampire. I-“ a chunk of wood fell down from the sky and struck him on top of the head. He stared up. “Angela.” He gasped the name before he collapsed.
Luigi removed the bleeding spear from Nosferus’s chest and struck him in the heart. The vampire’s body turned gray. His face shriveled up to an elderly man’s before it dried out into a mummified skull and turned into powder.
“I was too slow,” the pleasant voice of Madam S said from high above. She still had her raccoon ears and tail. She landed next to Luigi. “If I had flown in sooner then Howls would still be alive.”
“Don’t blame yourself Madam S,” Larry told her. “You did your best. I nearly forgot you could use any old weapon made out of wood.”
“I don’t think it killed him though,” Madam S smiled at Luigi. There was something familiar about her smile. She had a chin like their Uncle Tony, a smile like their aunt Maria, and a nose like their grandmother. She did look a lot like she could fit in with the Mario family. “You were the one who killed him.”
“It was a combined effort.” He still had to free Daisy and Nougat from their binds. “Its over.”
Iggy had used the same knife that stabbed him to cut through the Daisy’s and Nougat’s ropes. “Now what?”
“We just need to get the injured back to the medical wing,” Luigi said. “We should take Howls’s body with us.”
Daisy shook her head. She removed the gag from her mouth. “It isn’t over. Something bad is going to happen.”
“What do you mean?” Luigi asked. He looked up when he heard a familiar buzz and saw Mario and a handful of Beezos land next to them. Behind him the cat girl rode in on Yoshi and was followed by Squishy, more Beezos and several other hunters.
“He said blood has been spilled,” Daisy was shaking. “To awaken his master he needed to spill the blood of a royal virgin onto the philosopher’s stone.” That was why they took Daisy and Nougat. “He stabbed Iggy.”
“And he and Larry are princes of Dark Land,” Luigi swallowed.
“It was quite convenient that he had stabbed him,” Nougat no longer appeared frightened. “I had forgotten myself that he was also a prince. Otherwise I would have also asked for him to come to the boardroom.”
“Your highness?” Daisy stared at Nougat in shock.
“It is a bit of a shame that I lost Nosferus,” Nougat was slowly turning a bluish gray color. “But he has served his purpose. He made sure the ones who could stop me have been killed. Brought me the right blood and he made the stone, lead several of those hunters on a wild goose chase, but my return to the world is complete.”
“Daisy stay back,” Iggy stepped in front of her. “He’s possessed.”
“Get out of his body,” Daisy glared. “He’s just a boy.”
“Sweet and beautiful Daisy,” Nougat had turned a complete dark blue color. “I never possessed anyone. I flew into my human mother’s womb at the point of their conception. They have raised me well, don’t you think.”
“You ordered Nosferus to kill your father?” Daisy gasped.
“Yes, and while my mother slept I crept into her room and suffocated her with a pillow. Don’t look shocked.” A pair of long insect like limbs tore out of his shoulders and stretched out to full length before the ends formed into claws. “Love and compassion? Those are pathetic emotions of mortals, but now I finally can shed this human cocoon that has my true form trapped. I will lead my armies, both of the living and undead and take this world.” Another pair of insect legs tore out of his thighs and he positioned himself to lie face up and was supported by his new limbs. His body tripled in size, tearing through the remains of his clothes before his arms and legs split down the center before they reshaped into more of those insect like limbs. His mouth opened and long alligator like jaws tore through his mouth. His chin bulged while the top half of his head flattened. Three glowing yellow eyes formed in the bulge. His neck extended and grew several feet.
“There is no way anyone is going to follow you,” Mario pointed at the demon. “Once Gingerbread knows and sees you he is going to order the soldiers to attack you instead.”
“You are such an idiot Mr. Mario,” Nougat’s voice sounded like three different voices combined into one had had an echo. “You don’t think I can disguise myself as a human again?”
“Mr. Mario?” Madam S repeated.
“That is his first name,” Luigi could not remove his eyes from the monster. “And it is technically our last name, although we just found out it is Segali.”
“It can’t be,” Madam S gasped and turned to the monster. “Nosferus never killed the one who can stop you.”
“One of twin sons born from a woman from another world,” the demon said. His glowing eyes fixed on Luigi. “One who could take on a reptilian form.” His voice sounded weak.
“Make that both can take on a reptilian form,” Mario said. His bee suit evaporated as he changed into a Koopa.
“And me,” Daisy glared at demon. Her skin covered itself with tan scales as a yellow shell tore through her dress. She roared before she sent a fireball towards Nougat.
“Pathetic,” Nougat kicked it away. There was no sign of any singing on his leg. “You have gotten quite ugly.”
Iggy roared before he fired more of the blasts from his ice gun and breathed more fire at him. The weapons had no effect on the demon.
“What the hell is everyone waiting for?” Squishy raised his chainsaw into the air. “This is for Howls.” He ran up the demon. “Come and get some.”
Nougat lowered his head and took the chainsaw into his mouth, clamping down with his powerful jaws. The chainsaw stopped moving before the chain itself snapped off, and the metal blade was broken in half.
Beezos flew at the demon and struck the sharp tips of their spears and tridents at the exoskeleton, but they were not making any progress. Neither was the fire from Iggy, Daisy or Mario. Silhouette and several Toads were firing guns at the monster, but their bullets kept bouncing off Nougat’s hide.
Kamron stood in front of the demon with his wand pointed at it. He was chanting, casting some sort of spell.
“How do you stop a demon?” Luigi picked up the knife that Iggy had placed on top of the stone. It had turned into a strange golden tan metal.
“I have no idea,” Larry aimed his rocket launcher for its head. “Madam S, do you know?”
Madam S shook her head. “All I know is that one of my son’s was meant to destroy it.” The salt rock struck the monster in the eyes. “But I don’t know how.”
Nougat screamed and reeled back. His eyes were closed as he shook his head.
“It’s salt?” Larry asked.
“Or maybe it is the eyes,” Luigi glanced down at the knife in his hand. “I’m a little too big for you to carry.”
“Maybe for just one person,” She pulled out another leaf from her pocket. “Silhouette we need you.”
“Sure thing,” Silhouette set down her gun. “I’m just out of bullets anyway.”
“Take this,” Madam S handed her the leaf. Silhouette grabbed the leaf. A pair of raccoon ears replaced her cat ears and her natural tail grew thicker and striped. “I need you to help me with my son.”
“Sure,” her smiled faded and she blinked. “Wait, this is your son? I thought-“
“I had also thought the same.” Madam S grabbed Luigi by one arm. “We will talk about it when it is over.”
Silhouette grabbed him by the other arm and all three ran, leapt and by using their tails the women were able to fly and carry Luigi with them. They flew him high above Nougat’s head before they released him.
Luigi landed on top of Nougat’s alligator like shout and stared deep into the glowing eyes. “This isn’t just for my father, but this also for those who died fighting you and your minions.”
“I will rise again,” Nougat hissed before Luigi plunged the blade deep into the center eye.
The Demon screeched and thrashed his head, sending Luigi flying towards the ground. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the demon imploding.
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