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dragon-creates · 1 year

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Just How Fast The Night Changes (Does it Ever Drive You Crazy?)

Chapter 1/Chapter 2/Chapter 3

Read on AO3

Trigger warning, this chapter does describe panic attacks and flashbacks of childhood trauma so again, always feel free to skip this fic. Again, this was written and posted on ao3 before the Mario Movie came out. Other than that, enjoy and feel free to leave constructive criticism!

Present

Well, this was fantastic.

One minute, Luigi was just doing his job, fixing the pipes at an abandoned factory with Mario, their business had taken off ever since…Anyways, he was there one minute and then the next he was being chased down by some type of dinosaur skeletons, before hiding in an abandoned castle, then being tied up by some hooded figures and dragged along to someone that they were calling ‘King Bowser’.

When Luigi finally had a moment to process everything, he was then met face to face with the most terrifying thing he had even seen. Sitting of a throne was some sort of reptilian beast, he was absolutely large with sharp teeth that would devour Luigi within seconds. Luigi gulped; he really did not want that to happen.

Once the hooded figures untied him, the king slowly descended down the steps of his throne and made his way towards the green clad man. Before Luigi could even think about running, a blue aura wrapped around him and pushed him towards the beast, who was much larger up close. From what the beast told him, he was King Bowser of the Koopas, he wanted to rule the world and apparently was also looking for his brother. He had pulled at his moustache hairs, demanding if Luigi know about his whereabouts, to which Luigi replied pathetically with Mario’s exact description thinking that he could throw this king of his brother’s track…then his moustache got ripped out.

He had screamed at the top of his lungs, stopping when the little men in red hoods dragged him down to the dungeon. And now he was here, in a cage hovering above lava, next to a star who couldn’t stop talking about death and no doubt was going to be interrogated about his brother again soon.

Despite this being a bizarre situation, Luigi wasn’t surprised that it happened to him. Out of the two brothers, of course it was going to be him to end up in some type of hellish land. Maybe he deserved it after everything he did. Who was he kidding, he did, he just hoped Mario was safe.

.........

Luigi couldn’t tell how long it had been, he couldn’t see the sky, so he had no way of knowing how much time had passed. All he knew that the guards had brought him a few meals and that he did sleep a couple of times, but that was it. He was about to fall asleep again when his cage shook and vaulted him up in front of a koopa guard.

He unlocked Luigi’s cage as the plumber nervously walked out. “Is this yours?” the guard asked as he flung a bag to the ground. It was Luigi’s plumbing tools! “How did you know this was mine?”

“I didn’t,” the guard said, “You just told me yourself.”

“Oh,” dammit Luigi, you and your stupid mouth.

“Follow me,” the guard ordered, turning on his heel and away from the dungeons, Luigi following. The less he was near that cage, the better.

While he was led hallway to hallway, Luigi took the time to observe his surroundings. The ground was a polished red marble covered with soft red carpet, and the hallways had beautiful matching wallpaper embroidered with gold. Despite his circumstances, the place was quite lovely.

Finally, they had arrived at some type of shower room. “This shower over here isn’t working,” the guard informed him, “Since those tools are made to deal with these sorts of things, you can work on this.”

“Uh, why me?” Luigi asked.

“You’re a plumber, right?” the guard queried.

“Well, yeah but-”

“That you have the abilities to fix these,” he finished, “If you do a good job of this, then we’ll find more work for you to do around the castle. Its better than being in that cell of yours, isn’t it?”

Was this Bowser’s idea of interrogation, get one of his soldiers to make Luigi due free labour? “Did your King tell you to do this?”

The guard was silent for a second, seeming as though he wasn’t expecting for that to be asked of him. “Get to work,” he replied bluntly and turned away as he kept watch of the door.

Luigi shrugged, whether Bowser ordered it or not, he was just glad to be out of that cage. The shower was an easy fix, despite this being a magical land it still had the same pipes as the ones in his home. He did look over his shoulder once in a while to check that the guard was still there, though as he checked one more time before he finished the pipe, he saw that guard was shyly waving at someone. He looked to the door and saw another koopa guard waving back with the same shyness before walking away. The soldier sighed longingly as the other departed, like he was in…oh.

“So, who was that?” Luigi asked.

The guard jumped and turned to Luigi, his face beet red. “I beg your pardon?!” they squawked.

“Sorry, sorry!” Luigi giggled, “It just seemed that you knew them, that was all.

“Th-they’re no one,” said the koopa, “Just one of my companions.”

“Well, they seem to really like you,” Luigi smiled.

“Y-you’re in no way shape or form to make those statements! Get back to work!” the koopa yelled.

“Of course,” Luigi sighed, “Sorry,” He went back to the pipe, just a few more adjustments and he was done. Why did he even do that? It wasn’t like he knew the koopa, why was he talking like they were friends? That was so stupid, just so stu-

“What gave you the indication that they like me?”

Luigi whipped round, “Come again?”

“You said that they might like me, right?” said the koopa, blushing, “If courting is the same back at your world, do you think they might like me back?”

Luigi wasn’t really an expert in relationships, that was more Mario’s thing. Every time he tried to for romance, it always ended up in embarrassment, heartbreak, or someone expecting more than he could ever give. But he was a romantic and did see how Mario wooed the ladies.

“Well, seeing as they reacted the same way you did when you waved at them, something tells me that you might have a chance with them,” said Luigi.

“Really?” asked the guard, “Do you think that’s possible.”

“I can’t say for certain,” Luigi told him, “But I have a feeling that you should give it a shot, and if it doesn’t go well, you can blame me.”

“I’ll…keep that in mind,” the koopa straightened him back, “Are you finished?”

“Yup,” Luigi nodded, “Should be right as rain now.”

He turned the knob and just as he predicted, water came out of the head and onto the ground. “Perfect,” said the koopa, “Now that you’ve proven yourself, I suppose you-”

“What is the prisoner doing out of his cell?!” a loud voice rumbled throughout the ground, spooking the guard and Luigi.

“King Bowser!” the guard gasped and bowed as the king towered over him, “Forgive me your highness but I found tools belonging to the prisoner and found an opportunity to fix the showers. Forgive me my king, I should’ve informed you first, but my enthusiasm got the better of me.”

Bowser looked to the guard and then to Luigi. The man gulped, the king’s stare piercing right through him and making him sweat that he doubted was from the heat.

The king grumbled under his breath before turning to the guard. “You’re dismissed,” said Bowser, “But if you don’t inform me next time then there will be consequences, do I make myself clear?”

“Of course, your highness,” the guard agreed, “Shall I take the prisoner back to his cell?”

“No,” the king replied without hesitation, “I want to speak to him myself.”

Luigi felt like he was going to vomit, while he was glad the koopa didn’t get into trouble, he was definitely more worried about what was so important to the king that he wanted to speak alone with him.

The guard hurried out the room, giving Luigi one more glance before disappearing.

The king stared at Luigi, who in return tried to hold his gaze. While the king still looked abnormal to the plumber, there was something else to him that Luigi couldn’t explain, something that gave him a sense of warmth despite how startled he felt at the moment.

“So,” the king finally spoke, making Luigi jump, “You managed to fix the pipes,”

“Y-yes,” damn his stutter, “Y-your g-guard just w-wanted it f-fixed.”

“I see,” the king mused, looking at the pipes, “What else can you do?”

Oh, no one else asked Luigi that before, expect for Mario. All anyone really expected from him was plumbing or as a gateway to his brother, but that was fine, it was like Luigi had anything of value to offer like his brother, he wasn’t brave or outgoing or-

“Are you going to make me wait all day?” Bowser growled.

Luigi nearly jumped three feet into the air, “O-of course not! I-I-I-…. I can bake!”

“…you can bake?” the king raised an eyebrow.

Honestly, that was the first thing Luigi can think of. He felt embarrassed it out loud now, Mario always told him about how much he loved Luigi’s baking, but it never meant everyone else did, especially terrifying royalty.

“I see,” Bowser hummed as a smile curved on his lips, however it wasn’t full of malice or cruelty, more like amusement or curiosity. “Follow me,”

Since the king bigger than Luigi, really big, his steps were much larger, so Luigi had to run in order to keep up with him. It seemed that the king had noticed this however and stopped abruptly, making Luigi skid to a stop and slamming into the king’s leg. Now it was his turn to turn red as the king looked down at him. Luigi thought that he was going to be eaten until Bowser scooped him up and carried him with one arm. If it wasn’t for the situation at hand, this was almost quite nice, he kind of missed being held.

They had passed a dining hall with a long table with a massive chair at the end, presumably for Bowser, and the king led Luigi into a kitchen. He gently placed Luigi into the floor as Luigi looked around. “Since you proven that you can be useful, you can bake for myself and the other inhabitants in this castle,” Bowser announced.

“R-really?” Luigi asked, someone actually wanted him to bake?

Your baking is amazing weegee, you need to let others see that!

No, no! Spike’s right, it’s dumb. Besides, they’re not even that good anyway.

“Make something while I’m gone and I’ll try it when I’m back,” said Bowser, “Just to make sure it’s edible.”

“O-oh,” Luigi fidgeted with his hands a little bit, “S-sure.”

The king huffed and turned to go out the door but stopped and turned to Luigi one more time, “Make sure you don’t burn the place down Greenie.”

As soon as he left and Luigi was left alone, all he could do was think about what he could possibly make. What would the king even like? Chocolate cake, apple pie, cookies? Luigi rubbed a hand down his face, he had to focus, maybe he could start somewhere simple. In the end he gathered up the ingredients and assembled a fluffy vanilla sponge cake, complete with a delicious buttercream frosting.

The king came back into the kitchen as Luigi finished piping the frosting. “Looks nice,” he murmured.

“Oh, you think?”

“First we need to make sure it tastes good as well,” said Bowser, grabbing a knife and cut a slice for himself and lifted it onto a plate.

Luigi held his breath as the king took a bite. Bowser paused mid-bite, his eyes widening. Oh no, he hated it, Mario was wrong he was a terrible baker, he should’ve listened to Spike and now he was going to be roasted alive and never see his brother again, all because he baked a stupid cake!

“This is amazing,” Bowser finally replied.

“W-what?” Luigi needed to hear that again, did the koopa king like his cake?

“This is the best thing I ever tasted!” The king beamed, taking another bite, “Its incredible, how did you learn to bake this this?!”

Luigi couldn’t believe it, someone liked…no…loved his baking. No one ever wanted to try his baking before, Spike had always told his that he shouldn’t bother with something so ‘mundane’ but yet here he was, standing in front of someone loved his simple dish. “Thank you,” Luigi whispered.

Bowser looked at him again, as Luigi’s eyes filled with so much joy and happiness that even he started to feel a bit affected by it. Bowser cleared his throat, “Since you’ll be helping out a bit more often there no point in sending you back to the dungeon. I’ll tell Kamek to set up your living quarters, while you wait the kitchen is free for you to use.”

Bowser turned and walked out the kitchen, cake in hand, leaving Luigi alone. Well, not fully alone, another guard was stationed outside the kitchen. Luigi didn’t focus on that though, instead he ran on the spot and squealed excitedly, what else could he make!? Oh, maybe he could make snickerdoodle cookies, Mario always…Mario. Was he betraying his brother by doing this for someone who wanted to destroy him? He was being stupid again, his brother was being hunted down by the king and all Luigi could focus on was making pretty cakes for that king, so fucking stupid!

Luigi sighed, getting out the ingredients anyway, he didn’t want to get on anyone’s bad side, but he also didn’t want to betray Mario. Snickerdoodle it is, after all, no one here would know…right?

.........

Crack!

Boom!

“Mama!”

Crack!

“She didn’t deserve to die that night! It should’ve been you! Why wasn’t it you?!”

Luigi awoke with a cold sweat, another nightmare. He still had nightmares of that night when his parents died, but now his uncle had made his way into them as well. He could still remember the kicks, the punches, but most of all, he could never forget what he said the day when he finally left him.

His heart began beating faster as another ripple of sweat rolled down his face. He started panting heavier and heavier. He deserved to feel like this, he should’ve died that night, he was supposed to die that night, he wished he died that night, why didn’t he die that night?!

He was so wrapped up in his mind that he didn’t notice that light flicking on and a hand gripping his as another rubbed his back. “Breathe,” an old yet wise voice told him. Luigi found himself squeezing the hand and he looked around the room, eyes finally landing on a koopa with a blue robe and glasses. That was the one that did the magic on him, when he first met Bowser.

“Breathe,” he told Luigi again, “In for one, two three for and out, two, three, four.”

Luigi tried to repeat the breathing as best he could, even when he fumbled a little bit the koopa was incredibly patient and soothed him while they continued the breathing. Luigi felt his breathing become steadier, the koopa gently placed a glass of water into his hands, still rubbing his back as Luigi gulped down the water. He placed the glass on the dresser next to his bed as he rubbed sleep away from his eyes.

“How did you know I was having a panic attack?” Luigi asked.

“My job is to make sure that everyone in the castle is taken care of,” the koopa explained, “Including prisoners.”

Luigi slowly nodded, “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry dear boy,” the koopa explained, “Perhaps its better if I introduced myself, I am Kamek, and you are Luigi, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Luigi blinked.

Kamek hummed, “If you’re comfortable, would you mind telling me what triggered this panic attack?”

“Just a dumb nightmare,” Luigi mumbled.

“Dumb or not if it made you react this way then there is something worth discussing,” said Kamek, “And even if it isn’t worth it, I do believe a discussion may help relieve some of the tension that’s there.”

“W-well,” Luigi looked to his sheets, back to Kamek and back down again, “I was having a nightmare about the night my parents died and…how my uncle told me that I should’ve died instead of my mom.”

Kamek’s face fell slightly “Oh.”

“But it’s fine, I have nightmares all the time and this happens a lot, I’m used to it,” Luigi tried to plaster a fake smile, but it doesn’t seem to fool the old koopa.

“I don’t think this is something you should be used to dear boy,” Kamek said, “Whoever informed you that this is something you should normalise is frankly very wrong.”

“I appreciate the concern but really, I’m fine!” Luigi’s smile was beginning to falter, “I’m fine, it’s fine, I’m fine…I…”

Tears rolled down his cheeks as his fake grin finally faltered. He bit his lip, trying to stifle his sniffles, but when Kamek wrapped his arms around him - in a familiar familial like that Mario would do for him – a loud cry tore from his throat as Kamek gently rocked him, shushing him as sobs wracked the small man’s body.

As his cries calmed down to whimpers, Luigi could fell sleep creep up on him again. Kamek laid the man back down onto his pillows and used the sleeves oh his robe to wipe away the remaining tears. With a wave of his wand, he refilled the glass of water on Luigi’s bedside and quietly made his way of the room.

When he shut the door with the upmost gentleness, he was met face to face with Bowser. “What happened?” the king queried softly, Kamek swore he heard concern with laced with his tone.

“A nightmare, although unfortunately for him, it seemed to be the ones where he's forced to relive the most tragic memories,” Kamek explained, his heart sinking a little as he recalled how Luigi stared up at him, like a frightened child.

“I see,” Bowser pondered, “He did seem a bit more nervous that the other prisoners.”

“You would be a fool not to notice,” Kamek nodded, “I fear that this poor boy might’ve been hurt in his past. Really, really hurt.”

Bowser’s eyes suddenly hardened, the only other family member that he knew that the man had was his brother, if was the one who did this to him-

“I can tell where your mind is,” Kamek spoke up, “Don’t go rushing into assumptions, from what our spies have told us I have a feeling that his brother isn’t behind that boy’s fears. I understand that you want to win this war, but I heavily suggest that you don’t do it at that boy’s expense. From what I’ve seen, he’s gone through enough.”

“What! Of course not!” Bowser bellowed, “Of course I want to win but I’m not sick enough to ever do that do someone!”

“Good,” Kamek nodded and smiled at his surrogate son, “And I hope you stick by that.” With that, Kamek made his way down the hall, leaving Bowser alone.

A million thoughts were rushing through the king’s head. What happened to the green man that made him react to a nightmare like that? Who was the one who made him react like that? His brother better hope he wasn’t the one who did, otherwise taking him down would be more deadly than he intended. Wait a minute, why was he thinking about the plumber this way? Sure, he felt bad for him but surely not to this extent, right? However, as he imagined those eyes, how they nearly filled with tears after he complimented his cake, and the excited squeals he heard once he left the kitchen, no one ever really gave that to him before, didn’t they? He knew that from this moment on that no one else was going to take that happiness away from the plumber ever again. He would make sure of it.

.........

Luigi awoke the next morning, feeling completely drained from the night before. It was to be expected though, it happened every time when he had nightmares. He stretched and swung his feet over the side of the bed and tucked his feet into the slippers on the floor. He felt quite flattered that Kamek had went out of his way to make him pyjamas and footwear his size, even though it was mostly done with magic, he still felt flattered.

There was a knock at the door and the koopa guard that guided him to the shower rooms the other day entered the room. “King Bowser requests your presence for breakfast,” said the guard.

“Oh, did he say why?” Luigi asked, curious as to why the king wanted a prisoner to join him.

“He only informed me to take you to breakfast,” the koopa replied, “Please follow me.”

The koopa turned and walked out, Luigi following behind. The walk so far was silent, both not really knowing what to say since the king found out that the guard disobeyed him, he just hoped that Bowser wasn’t too hard on the koopa afterwards.

“S-so,” The koopa finally spoke up, “I took your advice the other day and…we both plan on sitting with each other during lunch later.”

“Really?!” a massive grin broke onto Luigi’s face, “That’s amazing!”

“I just, well, I wanted to thank you,” the koopa nervously rubbed the back of his neck, “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would’ve been brave enough to ask them.”

Luigi’s steps faltered slightly before keeping back up with the guard again. He didn’t really think that his advice would help someone, all he wanted was to help someone with their own romantic plights but for someone to be happy with his help, it was a new feeling to experience on its own. “You’re welcome,” Luigi smiled, “If it’s alright, would you like to tell me your name?”

The koopa turned to him, looking up and down before finally answering, “Sam…my name is Sam.”

“It’s nice to mee you Sam,” Luigi replied, “I’m Luigi, oh wait, you already knew that.”

“Yeah, I did…we’ve arrived,” Sam stated, the two finally stopping at the dining hall. Sam opened the door for Luigi, where King Bowser and a smaller version of him were waiting, seated at the top of the table. “Enjoy your breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Luigi nodded, “Oh and one more thing!”

The koopa looked back one more time.

“Good luck with lunch later!” Luigi gave him a thumbs up.

Sam smiled a little bit, before shutting the door, leaving Luigi with the king and the small koopa that looked remarkably similar to the larger koopa. He was going to take a set at the opposite end of the table, away from the two, when the king suddenly said, “No, no, you’ll be eating beside me.”

Sit beside him? Why? Was this another interrogation? Did he want Luigi closer to him in order to scare him enough to get the information that he needed on Mario? Or maybe Kamek told him about the nightmare he had last night and wanted to punish him for it?! Great, his nightmares managed to upset the king and now he was going to get angry for him, why can’t he just deal with his nightmares like a normal person!

“Hey, Greenie, can you hear me?” Bowser’s voice broke him out of his internal rambling, “You’re gonna be sitting next to me and Junior.”

“J-Junior?” Luigi said aloud, was that the name of the smaller koopa?

“My son,” Bowser said proudly, ruffling the hair on top of the young boy’s head, “Hurry up, you’re gonna like what we have in store for you.”

Luigi nervously made his way up to the chair beside Bowser, across from Junior. Maybe it would be alright? Surely, he wouldn’t do anything brash in front of his child? As soon as he sat down the king pushed in his seat with ease, Luigi nearly blushed at the sudden closeness.

“I hope you’re hungry, cause I’ll bet that you’ve never had anything like this before!” Bowser boasted and a crowd of goombas wearing little chef hats poured into the room, while balancing trays on top of their heads before setting them down on the table. Luigi’s mouth watered when they lifted the lids off, revealing many kinds of different breakfast foods. From pancakes to waffles, pouched to fried eggs and bacon to the many colours of fruits. There was more trays but the hunger that Luigi felt was starting to overpower him.

“Alright! I’m starving!” the young koopa cheered when the goombas left, immediately scooping up a portion of food from each tray and piling it onto his plate.

“Oh Junior, careful!” Bowser chuckled as his son started to make a mess with the butters and jams, he put on his meal, “I apologise, we were waiting for you to arrive before we could eat.”

Luigi paused for a moment and looked up towards the king, “Waiting for me? Why?”

“Well, Kamek told me about how you had trouble sleeping last night,” Bowser began to explain, sheepishly looking down at his plate, “And while I do want information about your brother, I don’t want you to feel like how you were that night. I’m not that much of a monster. So, I hoped that having breakfast with us could help you out a little bit.”

“You did this…for me?” Luigi’s heart fluttered a bit.

Bowser blushed, the little man was making those eyes again, those beautiful mesmerising eyes. He cleared his throat and smirked, leaning on his arm and he moved a bit closer to the plumber, “Yeah, why? Is it not enough for you little man?”

Luigi’s face had turned into the exact shade of a ripe tomato, covering in with his hands as he sank into his chair. “No, no its fantastic and I’m really glad that you had me in my mind while planning this!” he muffled into his hands.

“Your friend is strange Papa,” Junior stated, munching on some pancakes.

“Junior-”

“It’s fine,” Luigi uncovered his face, the heat slowly leaving his cheeks, “Yeah, I get that sometimes.”

“Oh…are you the red guy’s brother?” Junior asked, “Papa is planning on fighting him soon,”

Bowser froze. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have Junior here, but he didn’t want his son to feel excluded from eating with him, he hardly spent enough time with him due to the war with the mushroom kingdom.

Luigi sighed, not at the boy’s question, but rather at the acknowledgement that yes, he was here for one reason and one reason only, knowledge about his brother. “Yes, I am,” Luigi nodded.

Junior seemed to have realised the error in his words, looking down at his food with guilt, “Sorry, sometimes I’m not that great with my words.”

“That’s okay,” Luigi gave the boy a reassuring smile, “I’m not good with my words either. In fact, when I was a kid, I had a really bad stutter whenever I spoke.”

“You did?” The kid looked up at him.

“Yeah, I still get it sometimes when I’m nervous but not as much as I did back then,” Luigi admitted, “But you’re pretty brave about speaking your mind, that’s something that I still struggle to do.”

“You think?!” Junior marvelled at the man’s words, his little tail wagging behind him.

“Yeah!” Luigi grinned back.

Bowser smiled at the two, it was nice that Junior was able to make a companion during all of this. Sometimes Bowser felt guilty about having his son here, instead of keeping him back home with his friends, but he didn’t want to take any risks with Junior’s safety, he never knew who could be lurking. Yet when he saw how Luigi interacted with his child, how he spoke with his son instead of down to him, nothing else filled with chest with the pride that he felt at that moment at seeing how happy the moustached man treated his boy.

“So, you plan on eating soon Greenie?” Bowser joked, interrupting the conversation.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Luigi giggled, taking a waffle and covering it with some powdered sugar before taking a bite, humming at the taste, “This is really good, thank you.”

He was making the eyes again, but this time instead of brushing it away, Bowser returned the soft look with one of his own, “You’re welcome.”

.........

A few days after the breakfast with Bowser and Junior, Luigi had formed his own little routine at the castle. He would wake up, join the king and prince for breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner), do a bit of baking with Sam as his assigned guard, if there was some plumbing to be done then he would immediately take up the job, spend a little bit of time with Junior the two of them played before Bowser joined them, maybe have a bit of quiet time, a stroll with Bowser before getting ready for bed. Though he did have those expected nightmares, Kamek immediately rushed in to help him through it until he was able to fall back to sleep.

However, there was one day when that routine was rudely interrupted. Luigi was just taking some cookies out of the oven as Sam watched, curious as to how Luigi’s delicious treats were made, until another koopa guard burst through the door of the kitchen with a worried look on his face. “The boos have gone rogue!” he shouted, “Take the prisoner and keep him in this room until they’re detained.”

Sam nodded, pushing Luigi in front of him as they made their way to his bedroom. “Wait, what’s going on?” Luigi started to panic.

“Have you ever noticed those ghosts floating round the castle sometimes?” Sam inquired.

Luigi nodded; he remembered those creatures whenever he was being led throughout the castle. He also remembered how they all looked at him with disdain, like dirt on a pair of shoes.

“Well, they only go against us if their king commands it,” Sam told him.

Luigi raised an eyebrow, “But I thought Bowser was their king.”

“Bowser’s just borrowing them, their true leader is King Boo. I’m not sure why he’s doing this, but we need to keep this place on lockdown until we’re able to handle the situation,” Sam responded, finally reaching Luigi’s room and led the man inside, “Wait here until I get back.”

Sam shut the door behind him, leaving Luigi alone. His stomach churned while his hands kept making fists, in order to help calm the rise of anxiety building within him. He was going to lay and try the breathing exercises that Kamek taught him when he heard a scream from outside. Rushing to the window, he saw Junior running from a group of boos, taunting the poor child.

“Look at how pathetic he is!”

“He knows that he’s just an unlovable bastard!”

“It’s a good thing his parents are dead, who would want a miserable sack of shit like this!”

If Luigi was able to recognize anything, it was a bully. He knows the types of targets they go for, small, scared, weak. That was how he always found himself being chased by those who saw those traits in him, and now, those boos could see in the child that they were harassing. He couldn’t stand up for himself back then, but here, now, he could try for Junior.

He knew that the window was locked (he tried to open it before, but it wouldn’t budge) so taking a chair next to a vanity and threw it towards the window. Glass shattered into millions of little pieces, spraying across the floor. Luigi looked over the edge, trying to estimate how to get down. Thinking quickly, he pulled off the curtains and grabbed the bedsheets, tying the together into a makeshift rope and tied one end to the leg of his bed. He grabbed a wrench from his tool bag, sliding it into his overalls and carefully scaled down the hot wall, mindful of the lava pouring next to him.

Finally, he reached the ground, scanning the area until he found the young koopa trying to back away from the boos.

Luigi began running, running faster than he ever did in his life, faster than he did when he ran away from Wario and Waluigi. His only focus was helping that young boy and though he felt nothing but dread every time he saw those boos, Junior’s safety was his top priority.

As soon he reached them, he raised the wrench and slammed it against one of the ghosts, knocking it off balance and sending it flying backwards. Taking the opportunity while he had it, Luigi picked up Junior, placing him on his hip before running away again. He only got a few feet before the boos stopped him in his tracks. Luigi counted four as they circled around him and Junior, his protective grip tightened on the boy as he held his wrench out in front of him. “S-stay back!”

“Aww, look here fellas!” one of the boos jeered, “Little Bowser Junior’s found himself a little bodyguard!”

A second boo cackled, “He looks like someone picked a twig out of the woods!”

Luigi gulped, he would not let those words get to him, not when Junior needed him. “G-go a-away!” he yelled, “I-I’m n-not a-afraid o-of y-you!”

“W-w-what w-was t-that?” The third boo imitated the man’s stutter, “I c-couldn’t h-hear t-that!”

The fourth boo roared with laughter, the other three joining in. Luigi didn’t know if this was confidence or cowardice, but he lifted his wrench again and slammed it against the third boo’s face. “G-get o-out o-of m-my w-way!”

All four boos eyes darkened, creeping closer towards the man and koopa.” You shouldn’t have done that,” the first boo growled.

Luigi placed Junior down behind him, “R-run J-Junior, g-go f-find y-your d-ad!”

“What about you?” Junior wailed, his legs shaking.

Luigi heart panged for the poor boy, “D-don’t w-worry a-about-t m-me, j-just-t r-run!”

Junior glanced to the boos, then back to Luigi and nodded, turning on his heel and running as fast as he could towards the castle. The boos attempted to follow Junior again, but Luigi hit them with his wrench again. “L-leave h-him-m o-out o-of-f t-this!”

“Oh, is that how you wanna play then?” the second boo cooed, sarcasm dripping from its done, “Fine, you’re all ours,”

The next thing he knew, his wrench out slapped out of his hand. His raised his fist in an attempt to defend himself, but the boos knocked him to the ground before a could get a hit in, his head hitting a rock behind him. His head started pounding, and he could feel something warm dripping from his hair.

The boys started their attack, kicking him in the stomach, punching him repeatedly, screaming in his face. It kept going on and on to the point Luigi could feel it all blending together.

Punch

Kick

Crack!

“Mama!”

Punch

Kick

“Papa!”

Crack!

The rubble falling on top of him.

Punch

He couldn’t move.

Kick

Crack!

“Someone like you was born to take a beating.”

Punch

Kick

“Every second of your existence made my life a fucking hell!”

Crack!

“She didn’t deserve to die that night! It should’ve been you! Why wasn’t it you?!”

“GET AWAY FROM HIM!”

A roar pierced through the air, making the boos stop. Luigi couldn’t open his eyes, two swollen from the boos attacks and his ears were ringing a bit. What he did hear were the cries of the boos, loud thuds the something warm, like fire. The cries of the boos stopped, then the thuds were coming towards him, and a warm hand cupped the back of his head.

“Luigi, can you hear me?”

He was getting quite tired.

“Talk to me Luigi, please!”

Surely, he could close his eyes for a bit.

“Luigi, try to focus on me!”

Yeah, just for a bit.

“Luigi!”

Bowser nearly tore up the place when he saw that his son was missing, if anyone was going to touch one hair on his head, he was going to tear them apart. The relief he felt when he saw his son run to him was unlike anything he ever felt before, but panic rose again when he saw his son crying, and when asked all he could manage to say between tears was, “Luigi…boos...help!”

He kept him with Kamek, took a few guard with him and stormed out of the castle. His stomach sank when he saw Luigi, bleeding and helpless to the boos attack.

All he could see was red, he could barely remember what he did to the boos, only that whatever he did made them cower in front of the koopa king.

Once they were taken away, Bowser immediately ran towards the bleeding man, begging for him to hang on as he slipped in unconsciousness, before carrying him back into the castle.

Kamek and Junior gasped when they saw Luigi, Junior had burst into tears again while Kamek waved his wand and transported them into Bowser’s chambers. Kamek had recommended Bowser to take Junior, help him calm down while he focused on healing Luigi. While Bowser was hesitant with leaving him there, he knew Kamek was right, he wouldn’t be able to help Luigi enough if the room as too crowed and Junior desperately needed comfort.

He scooped up his son and walked out the room, sparing one last glance at the injured plumber before Kamek shut the door.

Bowser carried Junior to his room, cradling him and humming lullabies to him until the child had cried himself to sleep. He stayed with him for a few more minutes, then wrapped his blanket around him and tucked him into bed. He quietly closed the door behind him and made his way back to his own chambers.

Once he entered, Luigi was covered in bandages, from his head to his arms and across his chest, his eyes were swollen shut and bruised, his lip split and his chest was heaving heavily with laboured breath. “I did the most I could with my magic,” Kamek informed Bowser, “What he needs now is rest and for his own strength to help heal the rest of him.”

“Thank you Kamek,” Bowser whispered, not wanting to wake Luigi, “I can take it from here.”

“Are you sure?” Kamek asked, “I’m happy to stay and watch him, go get some rest my king.”

“No, its fine,” Bowser told him, “If his brother’s coming for him, it’s my responsibility to keep Greenie here in one piece.”

Kamek hummed, analysing the king for a moment, “Alright, just make sure to inform me if he’s getting worse.”

“Will do Kamek,” Bowser nodded.

When Kamek left the room, Bowser circled round the bed and gently climbed onto the other side, laying down gently next to Luigi and curled his tail around him. “I’m sorry,” he sighed, placing on of his fingers atop of the man’s small hand, “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Bowser took comfort in the fact that the man was still breathing, he listened to the soft breaths and let them lull him to sleep, hopefully in the morning the man’s health would progress a little bit.

Luigi stirred a little bit, his head pounding when he tried to open his eyes and his limbs were screaming in agony. His eyes scanned the room he as in, the small differences within it making him wonder if he wasn’t in his room anymore, it was confirmed when his eyes landed on the king laying next to him, snoring softly. He couldn’t move, not only due to his bruised body but at the fact that he was in the king’s room, sleeping in the king’s bed and was right next to him in close proximity.

He was about to open his mouth to speak when…

Crack!

No…no, no, no, no, no, please don’t let this happen right now!

Boom!

He turned his eyes towards the window and sure enough, there was a storm right outside.

Crack!

Please no, he can’t do this, not right now!

Boom!

He was in the rubble again, he wanted to scream for Mario, Mario, where’s Mario! He wanted to get out, please help him get out, he couldn’t breathe! It hurts, it hurts so much please help!

“Breathe Luigi,”

He felt his upper body being lifted and placed against some pillows in a seated position.

He just wanted to move, to see if his Mama and Papa were okay!

A large hand encased his own, “Breath in two, three, four and out two, three, four.”

Let him breathe! Let him breathe! Let him…

“In two, three, four and out, two, three, four.”

He did was the voice told him, his breathing, while shaking, was trying to copy the voice’s.

“You’re doing great, just keep going,” said the voice again, deep, commanding yet so gentle.

Luigi’s vision came back into focus, a noticed that a lamp was turned on, he was in the king’s room and was still next to Bowser as well. It was still storming outside, he hated storms, he hated thinking about-

Crack!

Luigi yelped, trembling from head to toe.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” the voice murmured softly, stroking the man’s hands, “I’m here, it’s okay, I’m right here.”

He looked up…Bowser. Bowser helped him out of that panic attack, he was being so patient, especially with the one thing that Luigi hated most. Tears welled up in his eyes, how could someone be so kind, so comforting, so-

Boom!

Luigi jumped again, this time, Bowser had wrapped him up into a hug, a safe warm hug. The damns broke and Luigi let out the ugliest sobs he ever made in his life, tears no doubt were staining his face and was making a mess. But the king wasn’t put off by it, instead, he pulled Luigi in tighter.

“I’ve got you, don’t worry,” the king rocked him, “Give your pain to me, I can handle it.”

Luigi let out another cry at his words, weeping for what seemed to be hours, yet the king never loosened his protective hold, both of them falling asleep in each other’s arms.

.........

Two weeks had passed since then, Bowser had let Luigi heal in his chambers, even after Luigi said that he could go back into his room when his window was replaced (despite not really wanting to internally.) But the king had insisted, saying that he wanted to make up for what happened to him. And so, the king helped him with his meals if his arms were a bit too weak, he listened as Luigi gushed about baking and his other hobbies (he learnt that the plumber also liked to do some gardening in his spare time), he would let Junior see him, the child apologizing profusely and Luigi telling him that he didn’t need to before the two would start coloring together, Bowser watching with fondness, and with everything else the two of them would just talk about anything and fall asleep together cuddled up on the same bed.

Soon, Luigi found the strength to walk again, and Bowser had suggested that the two take a stroll together, to help Luigi get used to his legs again. They were just strolling past the gardens, Luigi letting his fingers graze the flowers and he mumbled about each type that he saw. All of a sudden, he stopped in his tracks, making Bowser worry a bit. Was he still sore? Did he need to rest for a minute?

“I wanted to thank you for all that you did for me,” Luigi nervously gripped his wrist with his left hand, “You’ve treated me with nothing but kindness for these past few days, more than anyone ever did in my entire life.”

“Well, you deserve it,” Bowser grinned, “You’re kind to my people, Junior and Kamek adore you and you’re all around an amazing person. I hope that you can see that yourself one day.”

Luigi blushed, taking a few more steps towards the king and looked up at the king.

He was looking at him with those eyes again, only this time there was something a bit deeper, something that made Bowser’s insides turn into goo. He placed Luigi into his arms, the man gasping a little as he stared at the king. Bowser’s eyes flickered to Luigi’s lips, his eyes, then his lips again. Luigi leaned in with Bowser meeting him halfway as their lips were gently pressed together. Bowser lifted his other hand to cup Luigi’s cheek as their kiss deepened a little bit more.

They pulled away, their hearts beating loudly as they shared a giggle together.

“No one’s ever kissed me like that before,” Luigi admitted.

“Their loss,” Bowser tucked a brown lock of hair out of Luigi’s face, “They have no idea what they’re missing.”

Luigi squirmed slightly, making Bowser chuckled as he leaned in for another kiss. Luigi was about to do the same when a moment of clarity hit him and pressed his fingers against Bowser’s lips. “Wait!”

Bowser froze, his eyes inspecting Luigi for any damage, “What happened, are you okay?!”

“I’m fine it’s just…” Luigi sighed, fidgeting with his fingers, “You still want to rule the world, don’t you?”

Realisation dawned on Bowser, letting out a sad grumble as he looked away from Luigi, “Yes.”

“And you’re still after my brother, aren’t you?” Luigi asked.

Bowser nodded numbly as he placed Luigi onto the ground.

“I wish we could have this,” Luigi reassured him, “I wish that we could hold each other, bake together, have fun with Junior, sleep in the same bed, share kisses…love each other. But if there’s one thing I can’t do, it’s betray Mario. Ever since I’ve been here, you and everyone else here have been helping me realise that I have more worth than I could ever possibly think that I would have. But although I’m starting to see it now, Mario was the first one who truly saw me for me, I just never fully believed him until now. So as much as I want this, I am never, ever going against my brother, I can’t do that…I’m sorry.”

Bowser let his head drop, of course it wasn’t going to be that simple, but it wasn’t Luigi’s fault, it would never be Luigi’s fault. He suddenly found himself wishing that he didn’t start this war, he wished that he didn’t desire the stars to complete his mission, he wished that he met Luigi within another context that didn’t force him to choose.

Bowser didn’t want to become someone else that was going to hurt Luigi…and he wouldn’t. “I’m going to have my guards drop you near the borders of the mushroom kingdom. Mario will be there.”

“W-what?” Luigi gasped, his head snapping up, the force of it making it ache a little bit.

“I shouldn’t have kept you hear longer than I did,” Bowser admitted, “I won’t make you choose between your brother or me, and I certainly won’t keep you here against your own will. I want you to love me, selflessly and unconditionally, without feeling guilty for it, and I know you can’t do it like this. Sam will take you to the border, tell one of the residents of the kingdom that you’re a brother of Mario, surely, they’ll take you to him.”

Luigi’s breath hitched…he was free, he was going to see Mario again, he…he was going to leave Bowser. He felt conflicted, he loved Bowser, but he also knew he was right, if they wanted to love each other, it couldn’t be like this. “And you won’t follow me?”

“I don’t plan on breaking your trust any time soon,” Bowser told him, taking Luigi’s hand into his own, “You deserve to put your faith into someone without them tearing it apart, I won’t do that to you, not now, not ever.” He kissed the top of Luigi’s hand and pressed his forehead against his.

“I will never forget you,” said Luigi.

“Neither will I,” Bowser agreed. They stayed like that for a few more second before pulling away.

They held hands as Bowser led him into the throne room, Sam waiting with some more guards. Bowser gave the koopa his instructions, the guard seeming dazzled for a moment before saluting his king. A bag with essentials for his journey was then given to Luigi from Kamek, as well as a drawing from Junior that featured the child, Luigi and Bowser, with messing handwriting at the bottom of the page saying.

‘My Family’

Luigi let a tear slip from his eye, wiping it away and he gave everyone a final goodbye, sharing one more glance with Bowser before making his way with Sam for his journey to the mushroom kingdom.

As soon as the heard the castle doors slam shut, Bowser turned his head away, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to prevent tears from leaking out. He felt Kamek’s hand on his arm and looked down at him.

“For what it’s worth your majesty,” he started, “I have never been more proud of you in this moment.”

Bowser smiled and looked back to where Luigi once stood. Maybe one day, once this battle was over, he could see him again. He didn’t care if he would win or lose, as long as he got to see those eyes again, that mattered to him more than anything.

#tw: panic attack #tw: flashbacks #tw: childhood trauma #bowuigi #super mario bros #mario bros #mario movie #hurt/comfort #luigi #bowser #bowser junior #kamek #random koopa oc #my writing #fanfic #fanfiction #luigi brain rot

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alphashley14 · 2 years

Text

One Of Us

A Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated/Mystery Skulls Crossover

Chapter Twelve

Losing My Mind

As it turned out, being miserable with a purpose was a lot better than being miserable without one. At least that was what Ricky realized within minutes of deciding to live for the kids. It was like he’d been wandering, aimless and lost through a dark wood. And at last he’d found a lit path.

After much fussing over Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma were eventually shooed out by the Dead Beats. Fred and Daphne departed first. Velma and Lewis left sometime later after Lewis finally got through to Arthur’s doctor. It was a good thing too that somebody picked up the phone when they did, because he’d looked about ready to blow. Not that Ricky could exactly blame Lewis for being pissed - being on hold fucking sucked.

After Scooby brought Shaggy something to eat, Mystery apparently noticed Ricky salivating over animal crackers, (he was starving) because he then led Ricky out for something to eat.

“What about Shaggy?” Ricky asked, reluctant to leave.

“He’ll be okay. Scooby’s a good dog, he’s got the Dead Beats, and Vivi will be back to check on him in a bit.”

“Speaking of, where did Vivi go?” Ricky asked, looking around for any sign of blue.

“To her room for a bit, I think. She had to make a call. Anyway, let’s get you something to eat. Then she’ll meet us in the library.”

The manor’s kitchen was big, which made sense because it was a big house and Lewis loved to cook. The floor was checker-tiled gray and white and that same striped wallpaper was present. The wood that composed the cabinets and furniture was a much deeper red mahogany compared to the pinkish redwood of the rest of the house, and they were decorated with little engravings shaped like chili peppers in each of the corners. It took a minute for Ricky to realize why: Lewis Pepper. Ha-ha. It is to laugh. Also, there were skull designs on each of the appliances.

Again: they were really trying to sell ‘haunted house’ when they decorated this place.

Ricky and Mystery each had a ridiculously tall sandwich. (Seriously - how did that much food fit into the fridge? Or into their bodies for that matter?) Then they cleaned up the mess they’d made and proceeded to the library.

The library!

Considering it was in somebody’s house, the library was enormous - two floors high, and gloriously spooky. Truth be told, Ricky kind of loved it. The whole space was lit by lamps, more rose gold candelabra, and light that streamed in from the tall pink windows. There were two levels of balconies, and every wall was covered in books save a few - where fantastic Japanese paintings of spirits and magnificent beasts were hung, and where there was an enormous flatscreen TV above a stone fireplace. The floorspace was furnished comfortably with several different seating areas and tables that could be for getting work done or for leisure reading.

As Ricky looked around, excited to get started, Vivi’s voice came from the second story balcony. “I was wondering where you two had gone, I was just about to send the Dead Beats to find you.”

“Kitchen. E was hungry,” Mystery replied.

“Oh, shoot! I knew I was forgetting something!” Vivi cried, smacking herself on the forehead. “I’m sorry, Mystery- MISTER. E. I’m never going to get this right!”

Ricky laughed. The names were similar. “It’s alright, Vivi. Mystery took care of it.”

“How about we get started?” Mystery asked.

“Absolutely. Now Ricky, could you step into the room please?... Little further. Alright stop, that should be far enough. Now turn around and look up.”

Ricky did as she asked, and saw that the second story bookshelf on that wall was different from the rest. The books weren’t on shelves. Rather, they were behind rune-covered glass, bound in leather straps, locked in black cage boxes, hung on a mesh wall with black iron hooks, and chained in place.

Just looking at them, Ricky could tell why. One looked to be bound with human skin, another was glowing an unpleasant green, and one appeared to be breathing, to name a few examples. “That,” Vivi said, “is the cursed section. Every book there is not something just anyone should be handling. Even Arthur doesn’t touch those books. And unless you want to end up trapped in one, turned inside-out, or something equally horrifying, I suggest you do the same.”

“Ggggotcha,” Ricky said with a gulp.

“The rest of the books in the library are safe though.” Vivi said, crossing the room above and closing a set of shoji blinds to hide the cursed books from sight. “Anyway, let me show you where I think you should get started. Cuz you need at least an overview of this stuff, first. Over here we have-”

Twenty minutes later, Ricky was descending a spiral staircase with a small stack of books. Vivi had bookmarked specific sections and left it an open invitation to ask any questions he wanted. One thing was for sure: Velma was going to flip at all of this.

He was just deciding where he wanted to sit when a yell broke the quiet and about 160 pounds of terrified dog leapt into Ricky’s arms, sending books tumbling to the floor.

“What the- Scooby?”

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

At 3:45, Marcie Fleach took her position, invisible, above the hallway where Arthur had told her to.

Getting her stealth suit back had gone off without a hitch with the help of the Dead Beats, and the passcode had been exactly what Arthur had said it would be. Within the hour, she was ready.

These instructions were unlike anything Mr. E had ever asked her to do. Because he didn’t really want her to do anything.

Her instructions were simple:

Sit.

Wait.

Watch.

Listen.

Don’t be seen.

Don’t be heard.

And whatever you do, don’t interfere.

It was somewhat concerning, and Marcie couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Arthur wanted her to see.

Whatever it was, Marcie was pretty sure she was going to find out soon. Because that’s when Arthur stepped around the corner.

Already, he was in character. He wasn’t acting like the Arthur she’d met this morning. And yet he wasn’t exactly acting like Mr. E either.

She knew he was supposed to be there, but he didn’t look to be walking anywhere so much as wandering. He wasn’t wearing his jacket, which was rare for Mr. E, and he was carrying a half-empty bottle of alcohol. (But not the same wine she’d seen him leave with earlier.)

What are you up to, Arthur?

Was he drunk?

Oh God, maybe Mr. E really had lost his mind.

If Marcie had picked the wrong horse in this race, then she was screwed.

Hold on, Marcie. You haven’t exactly entirely picked a side yet. He wanted you to be here for a reason, which means he’s probably acting. But why?

Arthur stopped just a few paces shy of being directly under her, where he was in perfect view of Marcie and the hidden camera.

He glanced up at her, and bobbed his head. Just once. Just like the Mystery Skulls had in the video. An acknowledgement. He couldn't see her, but he knew exactly where she was supposed to be.

He’s doing this on purpose.

Arthur’s eyes dropped again, then he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. He pulled up a knee and quietly began to hum. Then, he softly began to sing.

“I believe it,

Someone’s heeere.

They can see me,

And where I’m goin’.

"I’ve been sleepless

In my head,

Feels like they’re watching me.

People watching me, ah!

"Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of the time, baby!

Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of my life, baby!

"Every-day I'm losing my mind!"

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Earlier

Arthur’s meds did kick in eventually. But not before Shaggy drifted off to sleep.

And Scooby stayed with him.

Because Scooby was a good dog.

But after a while, the great dane grew restless. Even if he was staying with Shaggy, he couldn’t help but feel that he should be doing more to help. That, and he was getting hungry. They wouldn’t mind if he stopped by the kitchen on the way to the library, right? So Scooby hopped down from Shaggy’s bed and tiptoed out of the room.

Scooby still wasn’t sure how he felt about the whole ‘haunted house’ thing. On one paw, there were the Dead Beats, who were fun and cute. But on the other paw, even though Scooby knew nothing here would hurt him, he couldn’t help but feel as if the walls had a thousand eyes. He didn’t like it.

At the next turn, there were a set of paintings ahead. Avoid the paintings, Lewis had said. Scooby whimpered, lowering his head and quickening his pace.

“What hound is this? Another animal born of sin?!” A priest demanded in his frame, glaring at Scooby and gnashing his sharp teeth.

Scooby knew he shouldn’t stop, but his whole body froze. “N-n-no,” He whimpered, trembling.

“Unnatural beast!” The painting roared, brandishing his Bible! “Speaking tongues our Lord meant only for man! Begone of this Earth and return to the fiery pits!” And the preacher came partially out of his painting to swipe his claws at Scooby!

The Great Dane yelped with fright and took off down the hall full speed, the shouts of the priest following him all the way to the end of the hall. Scooby didn’t stop until he was running down the stairs and bounding into the library. An armful of books was sent clattering to the floor as the terrified dog leapt instinctively into a familiar pair of arms.

But at the sound of a confused voice, Scooby’s wits returned to him in an instant. “Huh?” And he remembered: This isn’t Shaggy.

The dog stopped shaking and looked apologetically at Mr. E, who was staring at him equal parts bewildered and concerned.

“Aw, I’m sorry Mr. E. I forgot. I always jump into Raggy’s arms when I’m scared,” Scooby apologized, embarrassed. He half-expected Mr. E to be angry, but he just gently set Scooby down on all four paws.

“That’s okay, Scooby. Let’s just be glad you didn’t jump into my real arms like that, because it’s likely I would have seriously hurt my back,” he laughed, stretching.

Scooby laughed too, “Reah, good thing.”

“And hey, just between you and me,” Mr. E leaned in close, “I used to do the same thing into Cassidy’s arms when I was a kid,” he admitted quietly.

Scooby giggled at the mental image.

As Scooby helped Mr. E pick up the books he dropped, E glanced up at the dog and said, “So… if you don’t mind me asking, what scared you?”

“Paintings,” Scooby whimpered.

“What about the paintings?” Mystery growled from where he was standing by a nearby recliner.

Scooby gulped. It really didn’t make a lot of sense for him to feel the way he did towards the other dog but… something was off about Mystery.

Seeing the look on their faces, Mystery took a deep breath. “Sorry. I just don't like to hear that our tenants aren’t being gracious hosts,” The other dog apologized, walking over to them.

Scooby told them what happened, making faces and swiping out with his claws as he recanted how the Priest had come at him.

“Figures it would be the Priest to cross the line. Don’t mind a thing he says, Scooby. He’s a Bible-thumper - as much a heretic in death as he was in life. And yet he wonders why he wasn’t welcomed into his afterlife. The hypocrite.”

“I still don’t get it,” Scooby said, “what’d I do?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Scooby,” Mystery reassured him. “The Heretic associates anything quote ‘abnormal’ as being somehow of the devil. You’re a talking dog, so obviously he thinks you’re evil. But don’t take it to heart. He thinks the same thing about me. He also thinks anyone with a birthmark is a werewolf, that anyone left-handed is marked by Lucifer, and that anyone with acne has been suckling demons. And I’m not even going to repeat what he thinks about women, minorities, and the LGBT - not that he’s allowed to voice those opinions. Of all the humans in the world I don’t like, people like him are near the top of the list. Don’t worry, I’ll handle him.”

“But didn’t you just say he feels the same way about you?” Ricky asked.

“The paintings are all comparatively weak spirits - that’s why they have to lurk in paintings. A few of them are decent, but the rest? Cowards. And if there are two people in this house they know not to cross, it’s Lewis and I.”

“Really? Why?” Scooby asked with a tilt of his head.

Mystery smirked at him, and there was a glint of something devious behind those gold spectacles. “Let’s just say I know a bit of magic.”

And with that, Mystery trotted off into the depths of the house.

After that, Scooby didn’t want to be alone so he decided to stay in the library and help out with the research. Mr. E, somewhat surprisingly, had no qualms with sharing his books. But as Scooby started on the first passage Vivi had marked, he found that he couldn’t focus.

Part of it was that he was worried about Shaggy. But the other part…

Something’s just not right about that dog, Scooby thought.

Granted: apart from his own family, Scooby had never met another talking dog before. And Nova didn’t count because she was possessed.

But this dog spoke much more clearly than Scooby or any of his family had been able to. And it sometimes seemed to Scooby that he was talking to a much older animal. Almost like talking to Pericles. Or even like talking to “Nova”.

It wasn’t just that, either. Mystery didn’t exactly smell like a dog. He sort of did, but it smelled… fake. And the scent overlapping it reminded Scooby of something he’d been taught to smell for during his brief period as a farm dog: a fox.

Scooby Doo had no way of knowing how right he was. For in another part of the manor, the Heretic was praying to the very God that had forsaken him, as he stared through his frame at the snarling maw of a seven-tailed beast.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Daphne Blake sighed pensively, looking out the window of the Mystery Machine.

Absolutely nothing about today had gone the way any of them had thought it would. To think, she’d been plotting to treat the gang today to celebrate taking down the Highway Dandyman. Come to think of it, Daphne had been so proud of herself for outsmarting him. But it didn’t seem to matter so much anymore.

And of all the things they hadn’t expected today, Mr. E seemed to be one of the things that they hadn’t expected the most. And from everything Daphne had seen so far, it was looking more and more like Cassidy had been right about him.

Then again, Cassidy had been right about a lot of things. So maybe they shouldn’t be so surprised.

Jeepers. Cassidy…

It was just so- cruel. The gang had talked with Shaggy in bits and pieces about what had gone down in the Sitting Room, and one thing stuck out in the forefront of Daphne’s mind:

Mr. E didn’t know Cassidy was dead until yesterday.

Yesterday!

Angel had been gone for over a month now, and Pericles had only told him yesterday!

That was just- a really shitty thing to do. Even if Mr. E and Cassidy hadn’t been in a relationship and weren’t getting along near the end, they had still been friends for years and E had cared about her. And according to Shaggy, he had been looking for her. And now that he knew she was gone, his grief was tearing him apart.

Did Daphne trust Mr. E? Yes- no? Maybe? A little?

Did Daphne like Mr. E? She didn’t not like him. At least he didn’t seem to be giving her the creeps anymore. So that was something. And he seemed to be making some effort to amend his past behavior. So… she supposed she at least liked him more than she did yesterday.

One thing Daphne was sure of was that she felt sorry for him. She couldn’t imagine how she’d feel if anything happened to Fred. They’d had a number of scares throughout their mysteries, but if Freddy actually- no. No, Daphne didn’t want to entertain a thought so awful. Then there was Pericles, Brad, and Judy. Even if their relationship wasn’t exactly the same as the gang’s, he’d still loved them once. Pericles, especially. And now he was grieving for that relationship too.

Another thing she was sure of was… Daphne was willing to try.

In spite of everything, Mr. E seemed to be trying to build a bridge between them. Their old bridge was long gone, and it hadn’t been a very good one from the start. But maybe the one he was building in its place would be better. Shaggy definitely seemed to be helping it along from the other side. Was this metaphor getting away from her? Maybe it was. In any case, Daphne had decided that she wanted to join Shaggy in extending a hand.

But how?

She needed an olive branch, but she really wasn’t sure what to say and she was worried about messing it up. After all, she and the rest of the gang kept having to stop themselves from calling him Shaggy. And why wouldn’t they? He looked like Shaggy, sounded like Shaggy, dressed like Shaggy, ate (somewhat) like Shaggy. He was a completely different person than Shaggy, but he still had just enough in common with him that he acted a bit like Shaggy sometimes too.

Whatever Daphne was going to say or do, she didn’t have much longer to figure it out. They’d stopped by each of their houses for essentials, the groceries were bought, and they were on their way back to the Mystery Skulls’ mansion.

An olive branch… an olive branch…

Just then, the Mystery Machine passed a parlor. A familiar pattern in the window caught Daphne’s eye.

Inspiration struck.

“Freddy, stop the car!”

The Mystery Machine came to a screeching halt.

“What is it, Daph?”

But Daphne was already clambering out of the van. She ran around the back and flung the back doors open, shoving grocery bags out of the way until she found Shaggy’s bag.

“What’re you doing Daphne?” Fred asked.

“Double-checking what size Shaggy wears to make sure I have it right. I just had an idea! I’ll be right back!”

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Marcie’s muscles were starting to burn from holding her position for so long.

And all the while, Arthur sang.

“If I do thiiis, it’s for real.

There’s no turning back,

There’s no turning back.

“I’ve been sleepless,

In my head.

Feels like they’re watching me,

People watching me!

“Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of the time, baby.”

Then, at precisely 4:15, there came the sound of footsteps.

Arthur just kept singing, his head against the wall, eyes closed.

“Feels like I’m losing my mind,

Feels like a dream of me all of my life, baby.

(Feels like I’m losing my mind)”

“There he is!” Judy’s voice exclaimed shrilly.

But still, Arthur ignored her.

“Every day I’m losing my mind! (Feels like they’re watching me)”

“Hello, Ricky. Guess what,” Brad demanded. There was a certain smugness to the way he said it. “Professor Pericles wants to talk to you.”

And still, Arthur ignored him.

“Feels like I’m losin’-

Feels like I’m losin’-

Every day I’m losin’ my mind!”

Their faces fell when their words garnered no reaction.

“Didn’t you hear him? He said Professor Pericles wants to talk to you!” Judy hissed indignantly.

“Haven’t you two never been told it’s rude to interrupt?” Arthur finally asked, still not looking at them.

“Professor Pericles-”

“Yes, I heard you just fine, and if he wants to talk so damn bad he’s going to have to fly his feathery ass down here himself. Because I don’t particularly feel like moving for him as he lives under my roof, stuffs his face with seeds I paid for, spends my money, and runs everything I’ve built into the ground.”

“Get up, Ricky!” Brad snapped.

“Fuck off.”

“Don’t make us drag you, Ricky! You’re in deep shit for that stunt you pulled earlier.” Judy sneered.

“I did not pull any ‘stunt’ earlier.” Arthur said, finally looking at them. “Ah, Judy. You cleaned yourself up. Was the ‘Carrie’ look not working for you?”

Judy looked absolutely livid.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s like you said: you have no one to blame but yourself.”

“Why you-”

“That is quite enough, Dear Judy.”

The parrot was so damn sneaky, even Marcie didn’t see him until Professor Pericles was flying out from between Brad and Judy to perch on the sole of Arthur’s shoe where his leg was sprawled out.

He didn’t look happy.

“Ah, and so he arrives!” Arthur declared, fanning both arms out dramatically.

“Put the bottle down, Ricky.” Professor Pericles ordered.

“Why? Afraid I’m going to dump it on you? Throw it at you? Smash it and come at you with the sharp end?” And with the way his whole body tensed, for a moment Marcie thought he just might do one of those things. And she wasn’t the only one. The silence said it all. The tension could have been cut with a knife.

The bird’s glare narrowed.

“Nah. I won’t,” Arthur said, slumping back against the wall. He put the bottle down. “That was the cheap shit earlier. And it was red. This stuff’s expensive. And it’s a white wine - wouldn’t create quite the same impact. Besides: if I pulled the same trick twice, it wouldn’t surprise anyone. And you’d take my booze away. What’s the fun in that?”

“Be quiet!”

“Why? I have so much to say. I found this new band I like recently, and I was just about to sing another song! It’s been so many years since I last sang, Professor Pericles. I used to be rather good. And I sang for Cassidy all the time. We’d spend hours singing and playing together. Why did I ever stop? Oh, wait. I remember! Do you want to know why?”

“If it will cease this ridiculous tantrum you’re throwing,” Pericles spat.

“Tantrum? Oh, Professor Pericles. This right here isn’t a tantrum. In fact I’m behaving rather well at the moment. This is just the way things are now,” Arthur said. Unblinking. Smiling. Leaning closer.

“But I’m getting off topic!” He laughed, leaning back again. And he sounded too merry when he said it. His abrupt changes in tone were even more unsettling than when he was at his most serious. “Why did I stop singing? It was because of you, Professor Pericles! You should remember well! ‘Stop that squawking, Vögelchen!’ No matter how much Cassidy loved it, you were the one whose approval I wanted most, and you were the one who put it in my head that my voice was annoying and awful. You did that to me, Professor Pericles! But why should I be fucking surprised? Everything I am, every ugly thing in my head, the ruin I’ve put out into the world as a result - the root cause of it all comes back to you!”

Nothing could have prepared Marcie for what she saw next.

Shaking with anger, Professor Pericles pulled out a remote from a pocket in his scarf and pressed the large red button in the center of it.

The rest happened exactly as Arthur had said it would.

Mr. E’s entire body collapsed to the floor and seized with agony, spasming uncontrollably like he was having a seizure. He gasped and convulsed, obviously in a lot of pain and Marcie could tell: that can’t be faked. He’s not making this up! Oh my God! Marcie slapped a hand over her mouth to keep her gasp from being overheard.

Then Arthur must have finally mustered a breath that was deep enough. Because that was when he SCREAMED.

Marcie had never heard a human scream like that.

That was what it meant to scream bloody murder. Marcie had heard screams of terror plenty of times. But this sound was suffering incarnate.

Do something! Make it stop! Save him! But I can’t- just stop! Leave him alone!

But even if Marcie decided to do something, she couldn’t. For her whole body had frozen up save the tears running down her cheeks beneath her mask.

To Marcie, it seemed like an eternity before Professor Pericles finally stopped. And Arthur laid there, gasping, trembling, and jerking from the aftershocks, drool dripping from a corner of his mouth.

Let that be it. Leave him alone!

“Let this be a reminder, Vögelchen. Of what happens when you forget your place.”

But right when the three of them began to turn away, the laughter began.

Arthur, what are you doing?!

He was laughing. It started low at first, but by the time he rolled over onto his knees, he was cackling.

“Stop it. What are you doing- how are you standing?” The bird demanded as Arthur got shakily to his feet.

“It’s just funny,” Arthur panted. “How much that little power trip of yours seems to delight you. It’s rather pathetic, really.”

“What is happening? What trick is this?”

“Trick? There’s no trick. It’s just that your little trick doesn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. Oh don’t get me wrong: it’s agony. I can’t imagine physical pain hurting more. But it doesn’t hurt as much as this does,” he said, clutching the yellow and white striped fabric above his heart. “As much as that button of yours hurts, with the way it dulls this for a while, it’s almost worth it. Almost.”

He let go of his shirt and smoothed out his clothing. “But by all means, I’ll be a good boy. I’ll be there when you need me. I’ll sign whatever transactions you need. Give orders on your behalf as if my company is still mine. I’ll be your nice, still little shoulder to perch upon. Like a marionette on strings!” He exclaimed, tilting his head like a puppet. “After all, that’s what you wanted, isn’t it? Is this what you wanted, Professor Pericles? Is it?!” He shouted the last two words.

And for a moment, something flickered across the vile parrot’s face. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“That’s what I thought. But then again, there is the alternative… I’ve done some reading recently. And if I’m right, then there’s only so much you can use that little button of yours at one time. Otherwise, it’ll kill me. There are any number of ways it could. It could cause damage to the tissues around affected areas - and my spine is kind of important. It could cause paralysis in my heart or my lungs. Give me a stroke, perhaps? I won’t bother to list off the other possibilities. Because you’re so smart, Professor Pericles. I’m sure you know them already. So why don’t you just get it over with?”

“Oh my God, you really have lost it.” Brad laughed nervously.

“Kill me.” And there was no mirth in Arthur’s voice. “I dare you. I’m dead anyway.”

The silence hung in the air like thick fog. And Arthur may have been the most vulnerable of the four of them, but he was the only one who didn’t look scared.

“That’s what I thought,” he scoffed. “Because we both know I’m more valuable alive. You can’t control my company with me dead. I die, control disperses to Destroido’s shareholders and you lose everything. Pretend I’m useless all you want, Pericles: I’m not a perch, I’m a crutch. I die, you’re fucked. And don’t you forget it.”

“Sounds awful self-preserving for a suicidal man.” Judy scoffed.

“Self-preserving? Don’t make me laugh. I’m not saying any of this for my sake. I’m saying it because this is the only way of tormenting you that I have. The only reason I haven’t already killed myself is because I want to live long enough to watch you all burn. None of us are surviving this mystery. And I’m glad! The world will be better off without us in it. But until then, you’re stuck with me. And I want to rub it in your fucking faces. Because it doesn’t matter how much you torture me. I’m done letting you shitstains walk all over me.” He said, swooping down to pick up his wine.

“I am out of fucks to give,” Arthur continued. “It’s like I said, Professor Pericles: I’ll be your good boy. But I’d prefer to spend as little of my remaining time on Earth with you shits as possible. So don’t ask for my input - because I know you won’t listen to me anyway. And unless you explicitly need me for something, leave me the fuck alone.”

And with that, he began to walk in the direction of his rooms, flipping off Brad and Judy as he passed. “You stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours. And no more of this hunting me down or ‘popping in’ bullshit. It’s harassment. Don’t insult my intelligence by calling it something else.”

“Don’t walk away from me, Ricky Owens!” Professor Pericles shouted.

“Too late. I kind of already am.”

“This isn’t what I wanted!” Pericles roared.

That made Arthur stop. And from where she was, Marcie was the only one who could see it, but he was smirking.

“I wanted you on my side- at my side!”

Arthur sighed, “Oh Professor Pericles…”

He turned around. And Marcie wasn’t so sure if he was acting anymore. The pain and the anger on his face was so raw and so real that it even affected Marcie.

“You should have thought of that before you cursed me to live in a world without her in it.”

And that’s how he left them.

Stunned into frozen silence.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Mystery reappeared fairly quickly, looking pleased with himself. His ‘talk’ with the Priest apparently went well.

A while later, Shaggy came downstairs from his nap and joined them in their work in the library, feeling much better now that the meds had kicked in.

Velma and Lewis arrived back at the manor not long after. And Velma’s reaction to the library was exactly what Ricky expected it to be: delight.

They studied, asked and answered questions, bounced ideas off of each other, connected dots, and made notes until Fred and Daphne got back, by which time they had some theories coming together and Ricky was somehow getting hungry again.

When Daphne and Fred arrived, everyone paused what they were doing and took a break to help unload the Mystery Machine, which was packed with bags and groceries. They took care of the food first, then the gang (plus Ricky) took their overnight bags upstairs. Shaggy tried to change into one of his signature green shirts, but the second the Mystery Skulls saw him walk out of his room in green, there was a loud collective “NO!”

“Like, okay okay. What gives?” Shaggy asked, taking the green garment off.

“Sorry, Shaggy. We didn’t mean to come on so strong. It’s just… you probably forgot, but we mentioned to you earlier that Arthur is extremely adverse to the color green,” Vivi winced.

“If he saw his own body wearing that color, he’d probably go into a full-on anxiety attack on the spot,” Mystery elaborated.

“Alright, alright. Like, I won’t wear green. I just like, figured it would be easier for you guys to remember that I’m me if I wore this.”

“How about this, Shaggy?” Daphne asked, fishing a red t-shirt out of Shaggy’s bag. “I saw it in the back of your closet.”

“Oh yeah. Like, my Aunt gave me that shirt for Christmas last year. She’s like, colorblind. So she bought the wrong color.” Shaggy said, putting it on.

“By the way Mr. E,” Daphne said as everyone was dispersing, “remember what Shaggy said about helping people remember who’s who? I actually had a similar thought.”

And from behind her back, Daphne revealed a large paper shopping bag.

Oh no, she spent money on me.

“Daphne… you didn’t have to-”

“Just open it.” Daphne said quickly, thrusting the bag into his hands.

She sounds even more nervous than I am. Ricky, whatever’s in this bag, you’re going to act damn grateful for it.

Ricky reached into the bag and pulled out fabric of a very familiar pattern and color.

Oh my God. She didn’t.

But she had.

By some force of fate or sheer Daphne-ness, Daphne had found his shirt. The same yellow and white stripes he’d worn for most of his life.

It was a simple, practical gesture. Wearing this shirt instead of Shaggy’s would remind everyone to call him Mr. E. And yet Ricky couldn’t help but be struck by how thoughtful it was.

“Daphne, I- I don’t even have the words. Thank you.”

Daphne visibly brightened when she saw how much he liked the gift. “It was nothing, really. I figured it might help you feel a little bit more in your own skin, even if you’re not- technically- in your own skin. Sorry.”

Ricky snorted. “I really appreciate it, Daphne. Thank you.”

Maybe it was silly. But as Ricky ducked into his room to change, he could scarcely keep the smile off his face.

༻˚⁺･⚉｡○✼༓☾⦾♫෴♡💛♡෴♫⦾☽༓✼○｡⚉･⁺˚༺

Arthur managed to keep up the act until he was safely back in Mr. E’s rooms with the door shut and locked behind him. Then he slumped against the door and hugged himself, all his nerves spilling out at once.

Bile rose in the back of his throat and Arthur dropped the wine on a table, bolted into the bathroom, and promptly threw up in the toilet. He retched until his stomach was empty, then retched a little more. Then once the nausea subsided enough that he was no longer puking his guts out, Arthur closed the lid, flushed, and slumped back against the wall, a hiss of pain escaping from between his teeth as he slowly lowered his weight to the floor.

Fuck, everything was sore. And Pericles was even more merciless than he’d been this morning. Arthur sighed, panting, and leaned back against the wall, eyes closed. It had taken everything he had to ignore the aftershocks during his performance. If he didn’t have so much practice from hiding his ghost pains, he never would have been able to do it.

There came three worried trills from the doorway.

Arthur tiredly looked over at the Dead Beats, cooing softly with sad, cute little faces. He reached out, still catching his breath, and the little ghosts slithered through the air to wrap themselves around him in a warm hug.

“Thanks you guys,” Arthur sighed quietly. “I know you didn’t like staying here, not being able to protect me. But I really needed you to.”

One of the Dead Beats warbled and beeped at him. He didn’t understand, but he was pretty sure he knew what it was asking.

Arthur sniffed, blinking the tears out of his eyes. “Yeah… it was really hard for me too.” And damn it, his voice cracked.

The Dead Beats broke out into a new round of sympathetic noises and cuddled him a little tighter, making soothing, rhythmic tones and vibrations.

They stayed there on the floor for a little bit, then eventually Arthur got up, rinsed his mouth and brushed his teeth to get the taste of vomit out of his mouth, washed his face, and moved into Ricky’s bedroom to lie down for a bit while his blood pressure eased. Arthur was getting hungry, and he really needed to take care of this body while he was in it. But he supposed he ought to wait until the panic attack fully subsided, lest he throw up again.

Alright, Arthur thought after a few minutes. Now what?

He needed to wait a bit before making his next move. Pericles, Brad, and Judy were in shock, but their wits would return. And they would be watching him closely.

Which… could be a good thing. Because with their eyes so firmly fixed on ‘Ricky’, they were less likely to notice some unrelated odd happenings around the place. Or that Marcie was on the move.

If Marcie was on the move.

Arthur had once again gambled. A lot rode on how Marcie reacted to what she’d seen.

If she’d been up there.

Seriously. Considering she was supposed to be invisible, how was Arthur to know if she’d even been there?

And if she wasn’t up there… That would be a problem. Because Arthur sure as hell would not be doing that again!

Right then, there came an urgent knock on the front door.

Now what?

“Guys, who is it?” Arthur asked.

The Dead Beats sped off to the entrance and Arthur followed, waiting cautiously by the kitchen doorway.

The spirits disappeared through the wall, and a moment later they returned trilling happily and waving Arthur over, indicating he should open the door.

It’s probably Marcie.

When Arthur opened the door, he didn’t see Marcie. But rather, a human-shaped discrepancy moved briskly past him and into the room. Once Arthur shut and locked the door behind her, Marcie turned off her suit’s invisibility and took her mask off.

When Marcie became visible again, so did her bag. The first thing she did was reach into it and thrust a laptop into his arms.

A laptop! Excitement welled in him!

Surprised, Arthur looked between the laptop and Marcie, who was digging into her bag for her own tablet.

Marcie looked a little disheveled - her eyes red and puffy, like she’d just gotten done with a good cry. Aw, I knew seeing that would be awful, but I didn’t expect it to make her cry.

“Mr. E- Arthur, whoever you are, I don’t care,” She sniffed. “We,” she said hoarsely, her face set in determination, “are going to kick some serious ass!”

His gamble had paid off.

Fun fact: a group of writers is called a procrastination. Although, we do that just fine by ourselves. 🥲 I wanted to shine some more spotlight on Scooby this chapter because... he is Scooby. And Scooby is wonderful, and we love him. I also thought it would be nice for Scooby to have some sweet interactions with Mr. E, who is still dealing with how Scooby's parrot counterpart treated him. And Scooby may naturally feel some level of connection with Mr. E, because he is Shaggy's counterpart and has effectively lost his "Scooby". The same goes for part of why I've given Mr. E and Mystery so many scenes together. Mystery especially, because his relationship with his Mystery Skulls is much more similar to Pericles' relationship with the original Mystery Inc. than Scooby's is to the gang's. The scene where the Priest attacks Scooby was inspired by the Judge going after Shaggy in 'The Mirror's Gaze', which this fic was heavily inspired by. So another big shout out to Eternal_Phantom on Ao3! You're awesome! I've had the scene where Marcie watches Arthur (in Ricky's body) tell off Professor Pericles for so long, and it felt so good to finally get it written down. It was so satisfying to write, and I hope you were all cheering as loud as I was. Lol And I imagined the gang using t-shirts to keep track of who's-in-who's body, but had to ask myself where they'd get a Shaggy-sized Ricky shirt. Then it hit me: Daphne. And I really love the scene where she gives it to him. 🥹 That, and the mental image of the gang dressing like their predecessors is fun to imagine. Somebody should draw that. Maybe I will. IDK. And of course... team Marcie and Arthur are on the case and I can't wait to show you all in future chapters how they pull off the great escape! (IF they can do it - muahahaha 😈)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!

Chapters One through Eleven of 'One of Us' are currently posted on Archive Of Our Own.

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