(Don't Own photo)
Edited: 8/16/21
Chapter name change from, "Frozen Embrace" to "Skin & Bones"
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When your hands grazed against the ice cold door nob you took one last glance at the snowy walkway. Your body trembling with each step you took, hoping not to slip. In one swift motion you had opened the door into the large cabin. Your flashlight moving rapidly around the room hoping nothing would pop from the walls or large objects. Your nerves were calm as you leaned against the door, sliding down it, clicking the flashlight off. You could feel the warmth filling the air around you, although it had taken your injuries awhile to heal, it felt like you had been cooped up within the bunker only a few minutes.
You were here to check on Luigi, whom hadn't checked in. E.Gadd also thought you needed more practice alone, especially after helping Luigi through the Haunted Towers and the Old Clocktower. Your skills had grown, and you proved yourself on your first mission with Luigi, but E.Gadd mentioned many what ifs and you needing to be prepared. You had gotten into combat with only the green ones when you were alone, which was odd since Luigi had all the much more troublesome ones. It's as if someone didn't want you to get hurt.
You stood up glancing around the beautiful cabin, enjoying the simple beauties it held within. The polar bear rug looked soft as silk, and the gentle creak beneath your feet gave it a more homey vibe. Completely forgetting the task at hand, you sat crisscrossed by the fire place. You had no idea how long you sat there but it was comforting. The harsh winds outside had left you nearly turning into an icicle. You honestly had no idea how Luigi had managed being up here for over an hour. You shook your head trying not to think of the Italian man. Although it had calmed your nerves to the point even the whistling wind outside was comforting, setting a calming atmosphere around you. Just as your body began to warm up there was a loud tune that rang from within your pocket.
You were usually well collected but something about this had made your thoughts scrambled, and you couldn't control your body movements.
You jumped nearly a foot high as you stumbled to your feet, quickly pulling out the DS within your pocket. You tried to answer the call, but your hands were shaking from the fear that weld within your chest at the sudden voices coming from the room over. You quickly pushed your body against the wall, barely squeezing yourself between a dresser and the fireplace. You could feel your breath hitch as the door jiggled signaling they had gone through. And just like that, the fireplace went out and with it the warmth in your body.
The voices went silent as they entered the room. The Dual Scream that was once in your hands was now a few feet away, sitting almost perfectly in front of the ghosts. You felt your heart jump realizing it must have fallen out of your hands. Luckily they didn't notice where it had come from, but their translucent figures had briefly shown themselves as red. You felt tears brim at the edge of your (e/c) eyes, fear completely throwing your experience out the window.
You felt your palm gently brace against the wooden dresser, taking one last look at the trio of red figures. In the back of your mind you could already picture your unrealistic death.
What has gotten into you?
You bit your bottom lip and closed your eyes tightly. A tear ran down your cheek as you tried to cover your mouth, a sob nearly escaping as you clenched the flashlight.
You had trained just before you came here too, but was it worth it. Could you really take down these brutes, that even Luigi had a hard time catching? You tried to stop those thoughts, but it was becoming increasingly harder.
The ringing suddenly stopped signaling they had answered the call, but there was a sudden snap that made you jump. Your palms began to sweat as you heard them fumbling with the device. You opened your eyes to see two of them holding the device, that was now broken in half. The one that was watching the scene slapped the pieces from their hands, causing a piece to fly toward you. It had hit your once damaged ankle. You cry out in pain. The tears you had tried to hold in had now came rushing out like a river. Through your misty eyes you could see them floating toward you.
You could do the only thing you could think of. Your grip tightened as you held the flashlight up. The pain you once felt numbed as adrenaline coursed through your veins, each breath you took was shaky as you flicked on the flashlight.
Why were you so scared?
Your breath was gently floating in the air, from how cold it had gotten. "D-Don't come any closer! O-Or I-I'll use this."
Your voice cracked as your body shook. This simple gesture made them pause, there was a moment of silence before they bust out into a fit of laughter.
Why did this anger you? You were usually level headed.
They taunted you with there cackling, obviously not fazed by your threat. "Is this a joke. What's a little girl like you going to do?"
The one to your left spoke, obviously still trying to contain it's laughter. You felt your courage beginning to fade, as the other two tried to stop laughing as well. While they were preoccupied you tried to find the right button on your flashlight and once your finger ran over it, it buzzed to life and stunned all three of them. You tried your best to flip the switch hoping the vacuum would replace the flashlight but you were too late, they had already disappeared into thin air.
Why was it so hard to focus?
You moved away from the wall, an obvious limp in your step as you tried to listen for them. Suddenly you were shoved forward, nearly toppling over if you hadn't caught yourself.
You quickly spun around flashing the spot only for nothing to be there. "Over here, girlie." You barely registered the voice before you were shoved toward the wall. You almost didn't catch yourself that time. You spun around flashing the spot you heard the voice.
"Wrong again." You were roughly shoved face first into the floor, an audible thump sounded throughout the room. It took you a moment to register what had happened feeling your body ache, the weight on your back didn't help as you heaved in a breath.
This wasn't you, and there was no reason for you to act this way, act this weak.
There was a long pause as you laid there, trying to find at least a bit of strength to keep fighting. Your mind was clouded with many racing thoughts. Each one more dramatic than the last, but amidst those thoughts Luigi ran through your head. He was just as terrified as you but he still fought them off.
With that thought in mind you calmed yourself down, finally opening your eyes to scan the room telling yourself to stay calm. You quickly sat up, your body moving around so you were positioned correctly to stand up. Once you placed weight on your foot the pain in your ankle had pulsed, causing you to hiss. However you fought through the pain, wiping the tears that had build up.
You finally stood up, waiting for something to happen. You waited a few second before the rocking chair began to sway. Without a moment to lose you flashed that spot, stunning one of them, and quickly switching to the vacuum. And from your awkward position you were dragged around the room, barely catching your footing tugging the ghost back. Your ankle screamed as you stood your ground. The brute had began to slow, signaling he was close to being caught. You were caught up in the moment, your mind was clouded with tasting the sweet delight of victory.
Just as you began paying attention to the others around you, your feet were swept out from underneath you. Your head was spinning as you laid on your side, feeling your body begin to numb.
"She nearly got me! Why didn't you two idiots help sooner!?" Even though the ghosts were arguing you could care less, only wishing for the warmth of the fire. You tried to move and just as you did you went limp feeling your body being turned upright. The pack on your back arched you in an uncomfortable position.
"Awe, girlies runout of fight." You could barely make out the figures above you, they had spoken once again but you could barely hear them. You were too busy thinking. Disgusted with your thought of being like Luigi. Luigi...
"Luigi... I hope he's okay." You felt your stomach sink as you mumbled his name. Tears began falling from your eyes, as you watched one of the brutes lifted its fist. There wasn't a thought in your mind as you squeezed your eyes shut.
Why were you suddenly so weak?
You waited for impact, but it hadn't come. Instead you could feel yourself being lifted by an unknown force. Your body felt warm almost as if the fire had been placed within your chest. Slowly you opened your eyes, nearly being blinded by a glowing purple light which made you immediately shut them.
"What were you three doing? Did I not tell you about this girl!?"
Why did his voice sound so familiar?
"K-King Boo! B-But you said t-told us too-" You could already hear the fear in their voices, as this 'King Boo's presence alone scared them. This brought a small smile to your lips, happy you had been saved. You tried once again to open your eyes, but the tears had already begun to dry making it hard to open them.
Your body shivered, the warmth within your chest was not enough to keep your weak body warm. However you were comforted by a gentle brush against your (h/c) hair, and the warmth you felt was heating up against a bodily form. "I do not want to hear your excuses, now leave us before I change my mind."
"Now, are you alright Sweetheart?" You couldn't tell if your cheeks were flushing from his deep voice, or because you were finally warm. But the more you thought about it the less you seemed to care.
You leaned closer to the being that had you held within its grasp. Only one thing on your mind in that very moment, "C-Cold."
There was a deep chuckle that made your heart flutter. You could feel him gently place you down atop the polar bear rug, and with one simple fluent movement you could hear the crackle of the fire start up. The whoosh against your hair was warm, as your whole body became enveloped in heat.
You're falling in love when you don't even know him... or did you? Why can't you remember?
You tried once again to open your eyes, barley peaking through your lashes to see the dancing blue flames. The gentle touch against your cheek made your body tingle, and your stomach flip.
"I apologize for this My Dear. I strictly told them to leave you alone." There was his voice again, smooth as silk.
You rubbed your eyes gently, before finally taking a look at your savior. He was a boo, which didn't surprise you because his name gave him away. His eyes glowed a beautiful amethyst purple, which seemed to match his crown. His brows knitted upward to show his concern, and his toothy grin was not sinister but sincere. The way you watched his eyes move from yours to your lips, caused your stomach to clench. There was a nagging feeling at the back of your head but you pushed it aside. You felt his touch gently ghost over your bandaged ankle.
Why are you letting him be this intimate with you? It's a Boo, the ones E.Gadd warned you about.
"Oh Dearest, you seemed to have hurt yourself again. Those brutes..." He let out a sinister growl that sent a shock of fear up your spine, but for some unknown reason you found it mildly attractive. You were only infatuated with the glow of his beautiful eyes. His brows were down and scrunched together, signaling his anger. Somehow you felt obligated to calm him. Without thinking you placed your hand against his face, you honestly thought your hand would flow through him but he was solid.
"It's okay... K-King Boo. I'm alright." He seemed content with that, gently leaning his face into your touch, "Oh Love, aren't you just the sweetest." You swore your heart had skipped a beat as you felt your worn out body finally warming up.
What was he doing to you? Your body felt on fire and not in a good way.
There was a long moment of silence as you laid comfortably against him, trying to find something to say but when you tried your voice felt like it was lost. The door front door was being banged against, as if someone was throwing themselves at it.
"It seems our time has been cut short." You felt sad to see him leave. "W-Will I see you again?" He let out a sinister laugh, placing a kiss against your wrist. "Just sleep for now, but do not fret, we will meet once again My Love."
He laid you gently against the rug, his touch gently running from your cheek and past your lips, then he disappeared. The sudden warmth within your chest was gone, and those love struck thoughts had also disappeared. It was like a wave of relief when he left.
The door was finally opened and Luigi ran through. You barely noticed the buzzing of the cameras come back to life when you were lifted upright by Luigi. "(Y-Y/n)! Are you alright?"
You're finally safe, with someone you began to... truly... love.
Luigi's voice made your heart soar as he pulled you close. Gently brushing your hair from your face to get a good look at your state. You barely noticed you had been shivering but he seemed to notice immediately. "You're freezing! We have to get out of here before y-y-(Y/n)!"
Just as Luigi had you fully within his grasp you were already out like a light, snuggling closer to his chest as you slept. He had a small blush forming on his cheeks, keeping you close to him as the camera began to buzz. A green light passed over you both as you began to pixilate.
"Please be okay."
~
Once you came too you had been covered with a heavy blanket and your head rested against a small pillow. There was a small cloth against your forehead, still damp with warm water. You took in a deep breath stretching out your aching form, yawning but nearly chokes when you had been tackled by three small figures.
"Miss (y/n)! You're alright!" The Toads, you and Luigi had rescued, were trying there best to hug you.
You hummed, gently squeezing them back with a small smile.
"I-I'm alright you three." You could already feel them loosen their grip. Once they let go you had started to pick yourself up from off the floor but before you could fully stand a sharp pain pulsed through your head. You groaned cupping your forehead, cradling it within your palm.
"You took a few rough jabs, and were nearly frozen solid when you returned." E.Gadd turned his seat around to stare down at you, the unknown look behind his glasses made your stomach clench.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I-" You stopped talking once he held up his hand, his strong gaze made you feel much smaller.
"I know I asked for your help, youngster. You're one tough cookie but if you keep gettin' yourself injured and don't follow my instructions, I hate to say but you'll jeopardize our mission." His voice was stern, proving to you he wasn't very happy about your mishap.
You couldn't bring yourself to look into his glasses, already feeling a lump in your throat. You waited for him to speak but he had nothing else to say, still looking down at you. Your body trembled, trying to keep yourself from breaking under his gaze. You were too nervous to speak, feeling as if you did your voice would crack. After a moment you gulped, pushing yourself to speak even if it was difficult.
"Professor, t-the ghosts. They broke the Dual Scream you had entrusted me with. I-I tried to fight them off... I-I think...." You stopped yourself from speaking any further, already feeling your voice box beginning to shake and another headache beginning to rise. There was a long pause as you took a deep inhale, already feeling your (e/c) eyes misting over from the sharp pain in your head.
"Listen dearie, there was no way to predict what could've happened. But I need you to tell me what you remember." His voice was softer, his gaze had also softened making the weight on your shoulders lift. But now you were confused, completely forgetting the tears in your eyes as you stared up at him. "W-What do you mean?"
He sighed, carefully choosing his next words. After a moment he began to speak,
"This is not the first time this has happened, and I've been patiently waiting for you to explain it. I haven't mentioned it to Luigi either, but you were unconscious this time." He took a deep breath in, worry obviously replacing the rest of his emotions. You were even more confused now, a headache barely making its presence known as he continued.
"Just after you entered the cabin the camera feed was cut. That is why I called you. And when you didn't answer I finally got ahold of Luigi." He cleared his throat, moving his attention toward the many screens on the wall. He pulled up the screen for the camera that was within the cabin.
"You see, there was static for roughly twenty(20) minutes just like the other times. And when it came back on Luigi rushed to your aid, and it was as if you just fainted. But if you remember fighting off ghosts, then that would explain why your ankle and wrist were almost as badly injured as when you first injured them. It also explains where the extra ghosts came from, when we cleaned out you Poltergust the last few times this happened." His gaze once again floated over to you.
You had no idea what had happened, but you tried your best to remember what you could.
"I think I remember fighting two... no three of the brutes. I don't know why but I was over come with fear I had never experienced. I couldn't think straight, and I remember their voices taunting me... then-then..." You moaned in pain, cupping your head. Your head felt like it was going to explode as you tried to remember the events. There was a sudden touch against your wrists, pulling them away from your head.
"It's alright dearie, you don't have to force it. But I think you should stay in the Bunker. I don't want you to hurt yourself fur-"
"No!" You had pulled your wrist away roughly, feeling a sudden flame rise within your chest that felt oddly familiar. And just as quickly as you felt it, it left. You slapped a hand over your mouth, not knowing what had come over you.
E.Gadd was also surprised at your outburst, even the Toads shook under you sudden angered shout. You could feel your hands beginning to shake, and for the first time you felt you had no control over your own body. There was a lump beginning to form in your throat, causing your lips to quiver and a sudden wave of fear to wash over you. You tried to keep your body still as you still continued to tremble, listening to the beat of your heart thump in your ears. You couldn't even form a cohesive thought as you felt your wrist pulse with pain. Each breath you heaved in was burning your lungs, and your lips stung from how hard you were biting your lip.
You could feel the heavy weight of the room on your shoulders, all their eyes taunting you. Their thoughts unknown as you felt your vision beginning to blur together, a deep voice rumbled in your head. Then you remembered.
'We will meet again My Love.'
The voice that spoke to you was accompanied by a sinister laugh. And just like that your mixed emotions were gone, replaced with this desire to find the person that spoke those words. You had no idea how you'd find him but he was the one who was responsible for your constant blackouts, and staying in the Bunker meant you would never find him.
Your thoughts finally returned. The one that stayed was the green plumber. You felt your heart beat increased, and your cheeks flushed. The need to speak becoming increasingly harder to bare. It was in that moment you realized what your sudden outburst had meant.
"Are you alright (y/n)? I didn't mean to agitate you." E.Gadd's voice brought you out of your thoughts, ultimately saving you from how deeply you fell into them.
You shook your head deciding to keep it to yourself, even if you knew you'd have to tell E.Gadd eventually. You were quick to respond, trying your best to act like yourself.
"I-I'm sorry for yelling, but no I don't want to stay here. I want to go back out. I want to help Luigi." You hoped he wouldn't catch on to your sudden mood change, but without missing a beat E. Gadd smiled. He seemed pleased with the determination in your tone.
"If you are sure, then I can send you to Luigi's location right now. But when you remember more please let me know, and for now this conversation will stay between." After he spoke you nodded, finding a large sum of courage building within your body.
You also felt a small amount of regret, but you had to make sure this being was the cause for your blackouts. You knew that if you wanted to him then you'd need to keep your head screwed on. So with the Poltergust 5000 strapped tightly around your shoulders you watched as the screen above you glowed green. E.Gadd gave you a stern look before speaking,
"I won't be able to pixelate both of you back like last time. So, be careful." You nodded your head, knowing you wont make the same mistake. And as your body began to pixelate, the only thought you had was Luigi.
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A bit more into the passed. This time about King Boo and the Reader meeting and if you're confused it will be explained in a later chapter. Also I apologize if this was bad, I added more cause I felt it was too short.