#sort of? you could see it as a prequel to the LM games

[istadris]

Got another idea.

Pretty sure King Boo didn't even acknowledge the prisoners being lowered down to the lava pit during the wedding in the movie but what if he did? What if he had acknowledged Luigi whilst trapped in his cage and stuck around to see him survive when being so close to death and took an interest in him at that point? This would make their interaction in the first LM game a lot different.

King Boo didn't care for weddings.

Celebrations for mortal milestones felt ridiculous at best and offensive at worst for ghosts. Why would weddings, birthdays, coming of age, graduations matter when death and eternity inevitably came? Time claimed all in the end. To highlight its passage felt almost insulting. The only way ghosts found interest in such frivolity was by either repeating such events indefinitely in their loops of obsession, or by halting them forever, tricking time itself.

King Boo was of the latter category, when he deigned to bother with such nonsense. His collection of painting held many mortals stuck forever in their most terrifying or joyful moments. Works of art, all of them.

But the actual events...Umph. Not to mention the bright and joyful emotions displayed at such celebrations tasted mushy and soppy. Give him a good, crisp fright anytime.

Yet despite his distaste for them, he had bothered to show up to the Koopa King's wedding.

Firstly because Bowser, as loud and boisterous as he was, was still an useful ally, at least enough to stay on his good side.

Secondly because despite what Bowser claimed, it was obvious to all that his future bride hated his guts. A welcome change from the syrupy sentiments usually dripped from marriages.

Thirdly, and most importantly, because Koopas had the finest wedding tradition for their warriors : a ritual sacrifice of their prisonners of war. And of course, as their king, Bowser spared no expenses.

Dozens of captives to be slowly lowered in lava to be burned alive. All of them helplessly watching their doom unfold. Different heights for the cages so they could watch their companions of misfortune die one by one before their turn came.

The cocktail of abject terror and despair oozing from the sacrifice tasted perfect.

And on top of that, there were different toppings! Penguins, Kongs, Yoshis, even Koopas! With a Luma without a care about their death to spice it up!

And even a human! Now that was one unexpected surprise! King Boo had been dead for a long time and yet had not met many humans in all of his afterlife. But now Bowser was marrying one, while murdering in front of her the only members of her species she would probably ever meet!

Truly, Bowser was a Koopa of taste.

So now King Boo observed with attention as the cages were lowered, not caring in the slightest for whatever nonsensical vows would be exchanged. His attention was all on the captives. Which ones would scream the loudest? Which ones would go insane before death claimed them? Which ones would see their souls turn into Boos?

...Could humans turn into Boos? Oooh, that was an interesting question! Would it be stronger? Weaker? Would its sould fuse with another species before creating a Boo?

Now King Boo was truly captivated. To the point of ignoring completely the princess' little meltdown and ensuing brawl: when a Koopa spear traversed him, he only shrugged and floated away. If Bowser couldn't bring to heel his new bride, that was his business.

Instead he leisurely flew closer to the cages, noting with pleasure the human's was the lowest of all. He would be the first to die, followed closely by the Kong King. Oh, it made his teeth grow sharper from hunger. Just a little lower...

The cages stopped and King Boo scowled. Bowser couldn't have changed his mind, could he? Thankfully, it seemed the Koopa wasn't this weak; instead, the princess had frozen the pulley of the cages in a desperate attempt at saving their lives.

Cute. But it wouldn't be enough, King Boo noted with a nasty smile as he turned invisible and slipped through the cracks of the ice, slowly breaking it apart. Not all at once, so he could enjoy the panic off the princess when she noticed.

Uncaring of King Bob-omb exploding, King Boo watched in delight the cages lowering once again. Oh, the human's fear was the strongest, the loudest, and yet he was fighting the hardest, struggling in every way possible to delay the inevitable, even as the bottom of his cage melted away, then the lower bars, then the middle ones...

His terror tasted so good, so raw, so pure. King Boo, eyes darkening, tongue lolling out, saliva dripping between his fangs, only wished he had a frame to capture this moment, bottling the abject horror of the human and stretching it for eternity.

So close, so close...

And then the cages stopped.

And rose up.

And the human managed to get out of his cage and- and even start to climb up!

Was he denied?? Was he deprived of his food ?! Right when he was on the verge of bliss? He glowered at the Kong pulling on the lever, teeth grinding, ready to grab him and throw him in the lava.

But before he could make a move, a scream made him turn, along with a brief zest of hope crushed by complete panic.

He had slipped! That fool had slipped! Glee filled him as he watched the human plummet to his doom, screaming the whole way down. At least one of the prisonners would die, and it would be a pure flavour of a soul, untouched by any other. He was about to see a new kind of Boo! He would..

What happened next too him a moment to register. Something flew so fast by him he didn't have time to react, and it collided with the human. No, it snatched him! And took him away!

It stole his food! His delicacy! His Boo-to-be! How dare he! Furious, he followed after this -this thief!

Which turned out to be...another human? Wait, how many of them were they?! But it didn't matter, since now his delicious morsel of fright had turned into a mushy paste of hope and love and fuzzy feelings.

Urgh. Disgusting.

Such a waste.

He was tempted to rush the group and tear through the slush of happiness just out of spite. Better a spoiled meal than none. But looking around, it seemed that he had underestimated the princess and her allies. Bowser was frozen in ice, his troops knocked out or scattered, the wedding alley ruined.

And if he didn't fear mortal attacks or power-ups, disposing of them would be too much a hassle. At least that was his excuse to get away when Bowser launched the Bomber Bill, then as he watched from afar while the entire castle was sucked into the Warp Pipe.

Too bad.

Really, really too bad.

Such a fine buffet, all ruined, all spoiled.

He would need to find the other human again. Make sure to teach him the consequences of angering King Boo.

As for the green one...

His fear tasted so fine.

But maybe the other one would taste even better?

Or both together?

He would need to try.