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Alive: Mario, Peach, Luigi, Daisy, Bowser, Wario, Diddy, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad

Dead: Toadette, DK, Waluigi

Wario awoke casually the next morning. Looking at Waluigi's body, memories flooded back into Wario's brain. Memories of when they were children together. Memories of the good times, and the bad. Like that one time when they had planted that stink bomb in the teacher's classroom… Waluigi had put the eggplant in the bomb to "claim it"…

"I have to move on." Wario muttered. "I can't live the rest of my life sad. Something's gotta give. I see what Toad's become…I don't wanna be him. I don't wanna be Toad, Waluigi!"

Wario looked at the blank eyes of Waluigi. There was a sense of panic that was written in Waluigi's eyes, but there was also some realization. Some recognition. A burst of understanding.

Wario picked up the head from Waluigi's arms, and heaved it against the wall.

"Why didn't I save you?" Wario asked. "Why are you dead? Why didn't they kill me too?" Waluigi's head hit the wall again after Wario threw it again.

Suddenly the door opened. Luigi looked at Wario, a look of annoyance displayed across his face.

Luigi asked, "What in the world-?" he stopped. Waluigi's severed head returned his gaze, and Luigi went stiff as a board.

"No, no, it's not what you think!" Wario shouted, tears forming in his eyes. He wiped them away. "Be strong." He thought to himself.

By that time a small crowd had gathered around Wario's room. To most of them, it seemed that Wario had knocked Luigi out. Yoshi stepped forward, and began to prod Luigi with his tongue.

The green-clad plumber broke out in laughter. "Ah—Yoshi! That tickles!" The group began to laugh with him. Wario spoke up. "Uh, it looks like we're missing one again."

Daisy replied, "That's two. Toad and Waluigi."

Wario began to scratch his head. "Yeah, about that…he's accounted for."

Mario questioned, "What do you mean, accounted for? Is he off to kill Toad?"

Diddy angrily whirled around to Mario. "Don't even suggest that!" the tiny monkey exclaimed.

Luigi, finally coming to his senses, explained the situation so that Wario didn't have to. "You see, well, Waluigi's dead."

"…What?" Birdo asked.

"Yes. It's true. When I woke up this morning, I found Waluigi's head severed." Wario finally said it point-blank.

"I…I guess the murderer's finally gotten their hands dirty. Before it was through triggering traps, now… I don't get it." Birdo muttered.

"Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?" Luigi asked.

"Is it that you're hungry? I want Koopa Puffs." Bowser remarked.

Luigi patiently responded, "Who's the only one who was in the same room as Waluigi?"

Wario responded, "If you're going where I think you're going with this, then stop right there. The door was unlocked. Anyone else could have done this. So get off my case…second banana!"

"Banana?" Diddy asked.

"Who are you callin' second banana, Wario? At least I'm not the fat reject banana with a greasy peel in the dump!" Luigi retorted.

Diddy was lost in the banana metaphors at this point.

"Luigi, just pipe down! Wario's obviously upset about his brother, and you should be too!" Daisy exclaimed.

And then the group of nine walked downstairs, ready for breakfast.

*Toad's Room*

But there was a tenth person in the mansion. Toad. The one who had been "missing."

Toad had heard the scream of Waluigi the night before, but doing anything about it was out of the question. After all, what if it was all for nothing? And why would he want to go back to the group?

Toad muttered to himself, "Don't worry, Toadette. I'll get revenge." He couldn't let go of his suspicion of Peach. Why else would Shyster have "disappeared?" He clearly wasn't a puppet…where was the string?

Toad was all fed up. He decided to go to Bowser's bedroom, where the body of Shyster McGuy laid. Everyone else had taken another bedroom, leaving Bowser as the one with the dummy.

Toad knew Peach must have hidden the real Shyster somewhere. He decided to check under the bed.

Toad found some musty old advertisements for a GameCube Game. Luigi's Mansion? "What would Bowser want with Luigi's Mansion?" Toad asked curiously.

After a closer inspection, Toad found the word "Why?" written on each of the advertisements. He was perplexed. Clearly someone was questioning the events of Luigi's Mansion.

In addition, one of the ghosts was circled. Toad flipped one advertisement over, and found the following message:

Hello. I am the ghost who's circled. I hate King Boo. He should be called 'Tyrant King.' So I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I want to join your side. Together, maybe I can help you defeat Mario! You know that people like him more than you. He's the one who saves them. Well, maybe it doesn't have to be that way. The rivalry between you and King Boo is a battle King Boo will lose. You are the one who can defeat Mario and King Boo.

Sincerely,

Blue Ghost

Toad thought nothing of the advertisements. It was probably just another ghost who was upset that King Boo had been defeated, and wanted to join Bowser's side.

Toad decided to check Bowser's closet. "Man, Bowser is sloppy!" Toad thought to himself.

Inside, there was a variety of half-eaten food, (including Koopa Puffs and a pepperoni pizza) some receipt for WarioWare, a GameCube with a couple of controllers, and a lot of other stuff that didn't look interesting to Toad. He couldn't find the real Shyster.

Disappointed, Toad looked once more at the wooden Shyster. He kicked it, and nothing happened. Saddened, Toad decided to return to his room. He was alone in this Mansion…even though there were other people here.

*Dining Hall*

Mario had reached a distressing conclusion while eating Lucky Shrooms. He remarked, "Bowser, I know we've been enemies for a while, but, I mean, can you even remember how it started? It's kind of sad that it might end here, in this dark mansion."

Bowser responded, "You must remember how it began."

Mario sheepishly replied, "I was a baby at the time. It's kind of a long time ago too."

Luigi butted in, "Come on, Mario. Even I know the story."

Bowser nodded. "When you were babies, Kamek knew that you'd be trouble, so I sent him after the stork carrying you. He only got Luigi."

"And I remember that vividly. Eh, it's all old hat to me. I'll look for something for lunch. Bowser can tell it." Luigi remarked.

Yoshi commented, "Why did Mario have to fall on Yoshi's back?"

Mario was still confused. "But why did he only get Luigi? I thought Kamek attacked the stork."

Bowser answered, "Well…Kamek never actually launched an attack. He saw you push Luigi out of the Stork's grasp."

Mario laughed. "I was an evil baby, wasn't I?"

And then the nine finished their lunches, and returned to their bedrooms.

*Yoshi and Birdo's room*

Yoshi complained, "Yoshi hungry!"

Birdo chidingly responded, "You ate an hour ago! Don't eat so much, and you won't get so fat!"

Yoshi jokingly said, "Hey, look who's talking!"

Birdo grew silent. Tears began to form on her face. She dashed out of the room, and down the hall.

Yoshi, feeling sorry for what he had said, turned to follow her.

Birdo found the bathroom at the end of the hall, and locked herself in.

Yoshi guiltily shouted, "Yoshi sorry! Yoshi no mean it!"

But Birdo said nothing.

Yoshi decided that it might be best to let her cry this one out. Remembering his hunger, Yoshi trudged downstairs.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! I'm planning on having someone die at the beginning of the next chapter, who do you think it will be? The person who dies has already been determined.

Alive: Mario, Peach, Luigi, Daisy, Bowser, Wario, Diddy, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad

Dead: Toadette, DK, Waluigi