Chapter Text
“You’re really going to try doing this?” Rose said to Marillia, her voice and face incredulous with the lack of fear the woman displayed.
“Yes I am, and you can come with me or try to stop me, either way I bought the tickets and I plan to spend the night in the Mushroom palace.” Marillia said with a grin.
The special ghost hunting after hours event in the old Mushroom palace was an expensive one, something that had been on Marillia’s bucket list since she first took an interest in history and the occult.
In school everyone learned these old stories, the history of the kingdom, the eventual demise of the monarchy, and the unification of the sentient species under democratic rule after the execution of Queen Peach the 9th. They were still a kingdom, but the current King was just a figure head, he had no real power and served as warden of the constitution and did charity work and gave speeches and other symbolic acts of his position.
“You know I hate this stuff.” Rose grumbled, looking over at Marillia on the worn second hand grey sofa next to her in her small apartment in the capital city.
“I know, but I think it will be fun. You don’t have to come, I can bring someone else.” Marillia replied, sitting up in her seat to draw her long brunette hair up into a messy bun. Her hazel eyes flashed a look of amusement at her friend, the red and pink toad woman who she met at school when they were children.
Rose sighed, hanging her head and looking back to her friend with her pink eyes resigned.
“You know one of my ancestors was a maid for one of the queens in our history, I want to see the place she and my other ancestors worked as basically hired slaves for rich assholes… even if it means I have to go on a ghost hunt.” Rose said with a little pouty frown.
“That’s the spirit!” Marillia said enthusiastically to her best friend, laughing at her own pun and at Rose’s pained expression when she got the joke.
“Terrible.” Rose said with a grin. “So when is it?”
“This weekend, Saturday night to Sunday morning. There will be a history tour of the grounds before dark, then a tour of the palace itself, and finally we will get a few items that come with the package for ghost hunting and the lights go out while we explore to our heart’s content until dawn. Also there will be snacks and drinks provided apparently.” Marillia says with a big grin on her face, her eyes alight at the prospect of getting to actually see if she can find a ghost and walk the halls of the palace of legends and myths from history.
Rose sighs and nods.
“Alright, I will go with you.”
---
On the eve of the ghost hunting tour Marillia decided to go through her journals and notebooks, all the research materials she has gathered over the years about the history of the Mushroom kingdom palace.
Since that first day in history class in high school she has been enamored with these stories, the famous monarchs who once ruled the wealthy and powerful kingdoms that make up their country. At that time even the Celestial kingdom was ruled by a monarch, rather than the Luma council that now presided over it and was voted in by democratic elections.
She pours over pages and pages until she finds the section she is looking for, the story of King Boolieris the first. He died before the age of 40, just weeks shy in fact, at the hands of his brother and his sister in law, though nothing was ever proved. Poisoned and strangled after trying to start a war with the Koopa clans over mining rights.
His story had fascinated her since she had first heard it, not just because his life was pretty tragic in terms of what was known about him from the documents that remain, but because of the stories of his ghost supposedly still haunting the palace nearly 500 years later. She wanted to know why he would still be there, if ghosts even actually existed, though she had her doubts.
She read over her most recent notes from her last trip into the royal university archives, where she had been allowed to look through a bunch of old letters and diaries that survived the several hundred years since that time. Queen Morel’s personal diaries had been especially amazing, they had been discovered fifty years ago hidden behind a brick in the fireplace of what once had been her bedroom. The Queen had hidden away years and years worth of journals she kept, along with letters from her lover, a Koopa King named Daimao. He had been executed by a group of his own people, and it was now widely known that Morel’s second child, who had gone on to become King Bowser, was actually the offspring of the Koopa King. At that time hybrids had been considered impossible, but in this modern age many people were hybrids, Koopas, Humans, Chomps, Toads, Goombas, Lakitus, Birdos, Lumas… there were so many wonderful and varied peoples of this world that had found ways to blend their species where anatomy and genetics allowed it. Bowser however was the first known to have existed, in a time before genetic manipulation of an embryo was possible.
She read on as she went over the information that had been of the most interest to her, that apparently Morel had hated her first child, the one who had such a tragic life, King Boolieris. Marillia had pictures of his portraits that had been done throughout his life, her favorite being the one from his days as Crown Prince when he was just 16. He had an extremely arrogant look about him, something in his silver-grey eyes made him look like he thought he was smarter than everyone else. Then again, she was sure whoever painted him made him look as good as possible to avoid execution and that thought made her chuckle to herself.
Marillia got up from her plush bed to stretch her arms up high in her tall and lanky frame after sitting still for so long, the down quilt with the pattern of little blue flowers on it’s cover rumpled beneath her as she looked at the splayed notes and research materials across her bed. She went to the window and as she stretched her body out, hearing various pops and clicks as she did and sighed, looking up at the palace that loomed above the capital city.
It had sat empty for years following the revolution, the reformed monarchy choosing to build a newer and more modern palace to live in in the heart of the city that was now the seat of the government and parliament. The current King lived in a mansion by the sea. The old palace was turned into many things over the hundreds of years it sat there, slowly crumbling, until about 50 years ago the head of the government opened it to the public and declared it a national historic site. They restored it based on what was known of what it had once been, and for a rather large fee one could tour the grounds and the rooms. The money collected for tours went to finance the national children’s hospital, so everyone was pretty happy to pay the price to maintain this building and help out sick kids in need.
Marillia had dreamed of going one day, it’s why she had moved to this city and dragged Rose here with her, and why she kept up her history studies well into university. She was going to write her doctoral thesis on The Ghost King of the mushroom palace and all his descendants. Her grant had paid for the tickets, but she wasn’t going to tell Rose that because she would think she was crazy to spend so much of her limited grant money on something so silly.
Marillia went back to her bed and settled down once again to read over her notes and go over the genealogy chart she had been working on for quite a while of the royal family. In his time King Boolieris probably didn’t know of the several illegitimate children he sired, though those bloodlines do continue to this day in some places. The family traits of white hair or grey eyes were said to be passed down from his genes, and now they were seen in several families branching out from the bastards of several once noble houses.
She smiled as she picked up her phone and flipped through the pictures she had taken of all the portraits of King Boolieris through the years.
The stories of his ghost still haunting the palace were too great a pull to ignore, and she couldn’t wait for tomorrow, just for the chance, just once, that she might actually see a glimpse of his ghost as she wandered the halls after dark.
---
At 4 Pm Marillia and Rose met up in front of the palace’s north gate, where their tour guide was waiting for the assembled group. Marillia had chosen to wear her signature all black outfit, jeans and a long sleeve shirt, winged black liner and her hair pulled up high on her head into a ponytail. The only jewelry she wore was a small diamond star pendant, a stone that had once been her grandmother’s and that she wore everywhere to keep her close. Rose on the other hand had chosen a wild and gorgeous outfit, as she usually did. A yellow dress with a pattern of red roses all over it that came to her knees, her pink eyes adorned with only mascara as she slung her little pink backpack over her shoulders.
Rose and Marillia were best friends and complete opposites in style and taste. Marillia was a wild and adventurous person, obsessed with the occult and history and the darkness of the world. Rose was cheerful and bright, cautious by nature, but knew how to have a good time. When they met in school both of them knew they made a friend for life and since then they had been like sisters, inseparable. The tiny town where they were from had always felt too small for Marillia, and Rose had dreamed of becoming a doctor in a big city and going to a prestigious university. At the age of 18 the two girls set out together for the capitol, to make it in the city come hell or high water, as they entered university together. Now all these years later Rose was an inter-species fertility specialist, and Marillia was six months away from completing her doctorate in history and becoming a professor.
“Alright everyone we are going to start in just a moment, can I have everyone’s attention please?” The tour operator called out to the assembled group of 20 or so people. Marillia could se a couple of half-Koopa chomps, some humans in cosplay as royals, a few Luma-blood like herself, and a group of toad lads from a wealthy family hoping to make content for their online video channel, judging by the bags of equipment they carried and their fashionable branded clothes. She smiled, tonight was going to be very fun!
Everyone turned to the tour guide as they settled sown quietly to listen to the tall brunette man who would be showing them the palace tonight. Marillia though he may be part Luma like herself but she didn’t want to make any kind of judgement based off looks. His eyes did have the same kind of yellow-green as hers, though her own were blended with a soft golden brown.
“Welcome to the Mushroom palace! My name is Louis and I will be taking you on the tour tonight to see the palace after dark for this very special ghost hunting expedition! These tours are run only four times a year for this very special event, coinciding with the equinoxes and solstices. I’m going to explain some quick rules about the grounds and the palace itself, and we will get this tour underway! Everyone excited?” Louis flashed a smile for everyone assembled and a cheer went out, Marillia whistling as Rose laughed at her.
“Alright!” Louis continued, “The tour will start with the grounds and gardens, do not take anything from the grounds or palace please, so everyone can get a chance to enjoy it. We will take you through the gardens, the training grounds, the back palace, and then we will head into the throne room and the grand gallery. That will act as a base of operations for tonight where you will find refreshments and pick up your special ghost hunting equipment. After a tour of the palace itself the lights will go out for the night and you will all have free reign to wander as you wish. Do not touch anything, do not sit on any of the furniture except what is provided in the throne room for guests, and do not take any food or drinks outside of the gallery. At dawn we finish our hunt and gather in the gallery to share our evidence and stories. You are welcome to spend as much or as little time as you like exploring the palace and grounds. There are no restrictions of where you may go but we do ask that you are careful in the towers especially and respect any roped off areas. They are roped off due to construction instability. This palace is nearly a thousand years old so please pay attention to your footing if you do decide to wander any of the attics and balconies. My colleague Amaria to my right has the waivers for you to sign to release liability should anything happen to you tonight. Sign them on your way in and let’s get this tour started!”
Louis gestured to a little blue toad woman with a bright smile who held a clipboard of the waivers for them to sign as they formed a line and signed one after another and headed through the small door in the gate.
Marillia could not contain her excitement, she was practically bouncing on her feet as she walked through the gate and was closer to the palace than she had ever been in her life. The great stone building towered above her and she looked up at the great stained glass window portrait of the first Queen Peach in the dead center of what Marillia knew was the great hall that led to the throne room and gallery. She has studied the layout and the history and architecture for years, but getting to actually see it for herself was like something out of a dream.
Louis and Amaria led the group around the side of the building past the great double doors to the entrance hall and to the gardens that sprawled down one side of the building. They went to the left, to the rose gardens and down to the orchards as the two guides explained the history of the grounds and the changes that had been made since the palace was first built.
“This garden was originally designed and planned by the first King of the Mushroom Kingdom.” Amaria said as she led them down stone paths of pavers through rows of bushes and flowers. “On your right you will see a view down to the orchards and the vegetable gardens that once fed the palace. They were destroyed and raided during the revolution when the people starved while Peach the 9th lived in in opulence. A good chunk of these gardens were burned along with parts of the palace, and the Queen was executed by beheading right out front of the north gate when she was dragged from the palace by the combined force of peoples from across the kingdom to meet her punishment for her selfish desires. Supposedly her ghost can sometimes be seen wandering the grounds and wailing while she laments her own fate.” Amaria gave the group a mischievous grin.
Louis took over for her as they headed down through the gardens to the ponds and hedges that made up the lower section by the long since barred east gate.
“The royal guard that was posted here and at every gate’s guard station and along the walls were made up entirely of Chomps, they served the crown as guards and soldiers for generations, though the army was mixed between humans and chomps. During the plague of 578 R.E that wiped out most of the Kingdom’s human population the guard and army became entirely made of Chomps alone. Only non-humans were immune to the effects of the plague. During the revolution the guards opened all three gates wide and let the people in to bring the Queen to justice, sick and tired of being treated like indentured slaves to an unjust ruler and being forced to fight because of the gifts of their genetics for fighting fiercely and their unique very sharp teeth.” Louis smiled and his eyes landed on the Koopa-Chomp couple that had a look of wonder in their eyes for what their ancestors had done. “It is said that at night sometimes you can still see the Guards on the walls, or that a light will come on inside the guard station. Now this building is used for the security guards that keep the palace secure at night.”
As the group wound their way through the lower gardens and to the back palace and the training yards, armory, barracks and the back palace walk that led up to the kitchens and servants quarters, the guides continued to talk about what life at the palace had been like hundreds of years ago, and what had happened to the building during the revolution and after.
“All of the gardens have been restored to their previous state as much as the non-profit that runs this palace now can manage. The orchards and vegetable gardens produce are donated to local soup kitchens to feed the hungry, and for school lunch programs. Students in the agricultural programs get to spend their afternoons here planting and harvesting for extra credits.” Amaria added as they passed by rows of greenhouses and garden beds.
Marillia and Rose listen with rapt attention. Though Marillia knew most of this, to see it and hear it all up close was a dream come true for her, something she had always wanted to see and experience and feel as the gravel underfoot crunched while the group made their way into the back of the palace to see the kitchens.
Rose was particularly excited to see the places her ancestors had worked, the kitchens and servants quarters, and as Amaria talked about the Toad chef who supposedly haunted the kitchens, Rose got a sour look on her face and whispered to Marillia
“It’s not enough they were basically enslaved by the royal family, one of them had to stick around even in death? How sad is that?”
Marillia nodded, a somber look on her face.
“It’s not fair. I mean I know they were paid but it was a pittance for a life of servitude to people who couldn’t care less about them. I’m glad the world moved on from that time, even if it’s still not perfect.” She said as she looked over the restored kitchens made to look as they might have several hundred years ago.
The tour continued on all through the palace and as they came finally to the throne room and the gallery Marillia couldn’t help but walk up to the throne on the dais below the grand staircase and imagine what King Boolieris looked like sitting there as he presided over the court. The silk velvet was worn and threadbare, the gold enamel scuffed and scratched in several places, and there was a broken chunk missing on one side where the throne had been damaged probably during the revolution. She pictured in her mind the portrait of him and his younger brother Prince Bowser, how the throne had looked then, opulent and pristine, and envisioned what it could have all looked like 500 years in the past. Nobles and courtiers lining the walls and gallery, the king on his throne, Toads running every which way serving the people who basically owned them with indentured contracts…
Rose came up beside her and smiled up at her.
“Imagining King Boolieris again?” she said with a grin.
Marillia giggled and looked down at her sister from another bloodline.
“You know me so well. I was just thinking about what this place might have looked like 500 years ago and what he would have looked like sitting here on the throne.”
Louis came up to them standing in front of the dais and got their attention.
“As tempting as it may be, don’t try to sit on it. It was restored as best the historical society could manage but it’s not able to hold a person’s weight anymore.” He smiled and drew the two women back over to the main group in the center of the hall where tables had been set up full of refreshments on one side with chairs to lounge on, and the tables along the far wall held all kinds of ghost hunting equipment for them to use.
Amaria and louis explained how all of it worked. Digital tape recorders for capturing electronic voice phenomena, digital cameras and video cameras if they wish to borrow them for the evening or just use their phones, Ouija boards, pendulums on long silver chains, flashlights that could be wound to keep their charge so they won’t run out of batteries, and something called a spirit box that ran through radio frequencies to create white noise on the AM band that supposedly ghosts could use to speak.
The sun was now setting, and as Marillia looked through the doors of the throne room to the great hall and the stained glass window of the first Queen Peach, the light slowly dimming behind the profile of her holding a rose, her blond hair and pink dress, she wondered if she haunted this place too after all the things she had done in her time as queen.
Marillia turned back to the tables full of equipment as Rose was looking over everything and visibly shuddered when she looked at the Ouija boards. She was superstitious, even if she was a doctor and grounded in science and logic. It made Marillia giggle.
“The lights will be going out shortly everywhere but this room, so please gather whatever you want to use and get ready!” Louis exclaimed, his hand on a switch on the breaker box on the side of the room hidden behind an old painting of some Toad Maidens playing in a flower garden.
Marillia decided she would use her phone only, and grabbed a flashlight as her only equipment, Rose did the same and they waited while Louis counted down and turned off the power to the building, all save this one room that was lit by electric lights installed when the palace was used as a hospital during the unification war.
As the rooms went dark giggles and laughter arose form all the guests and Marillia got to work turning the crank on her flashlight to charge it and looked down at Rose with a grin. Rose however was looking a little pale, her white spots that ran cross her cheeks and nose standing out starkly as she made an expression of trepidation.
“It’s alright Rose, ghosts probably don’t even exist right?” Marillia said and patted her shoulder to comfort her.
“Yeah… probably…” Rose swallowed hard and started to crank her flashlight.
“where should we start?” Marillia asked her, wanting her to be comfortable most of all, she loved her friend dearly and was so grateful she agreed to come even if she hated stuff like this.
“I leave that up to you, just no dungeons please.”
Marillia smiled and nodded.
“I’m pretty sure this palace doesn’t even have a dungeon… it’s not on any of the building plans or maps.” Marillia muttered. She had hoped it would be but it seemed that the cells for prisoners of the crown were housed in the back of the palace.
Rose took a deep breath and steeled herself.
“Alright, lets go.”
Marillia smiled down at her and took her hand, intertwining their fingers so Rose could feel more secure.
They headed up the grand staircase, back through the second floor, and down to the royal wing. Marillia knew exactly where she wanted to go. As they went she filled Rose in on some of the details about this part of the palace she knew from her history research, about the rulers, their families, and what kinds of lives they led in private.
“Did you know King Boolieris was actually bisexual?” Marillia said, her voice excited.
Rose laughed and squeezed her hand, her flashlight beam roving over the floor and walls.
“Yes I did know your favorite little fact about your favorite King in history.” She said sarcastically.
Marillia was glad rose was joking around with her, because it means she was at ease enough to do so.
“I think the King’s study is just up here, we passed it on the tour earlier, I want to go in and check it out.” Marillia said as she flashed the beam of light over a set of wooden carved double doors, a crown carved into the frame at the apex of the archway.
Rose sighed and nodded.
“Lets go then.”
Marillia came up to the door and opened it slightly, just peeking into the room, before opening it wide and waving Rose in to come follow her.
In a glass cases along the edges of the room there sat the crown and a few of the personal effects of various rulers, quills, parchments, letters, all in displays that ringed the room. A large dark wood desk with an inkwell and blotter sat opposite the fireplace that hadn’t been used for centuries, the logs in it decorative to give the appearance of use. The one very plush carpet was worn down in places, the paths made by many people over many years, both tourists and the staff that had once served the monarchs of this palace.
The chair that was pulled up to the desk was a solid wood, red velvet cushioned and worn as the rest of the furniture around the palace. So many pieces had been hunted down and bought back by the historical society after the palace had been raided following the revolution. This desk was too big to remove from the room easily though, so it had stayed here.
“This desk was made for King Eidolon if I remember right, King Boolieris’ father.” Marillia said as she took out her phone and started snapping photos of the items on display and the desk itself.
“Cool.” Rose said unenthusiastically. “So the oppressors of my ancestors had a fancy desk made from the taxes they paid. Great.” She rolled her eyes which made Marillia chuckle.
While Marillia looked over the blotter and noticed some small carvings on the drawers of the desk. she tried to get a closer look, kneeling down to see what the symbol carved there was.
As Marillia examined the small carving of a little Luma star with interest she felt a chill run down her spine as something cold breezed across the back of her neck, like freezing cold breath. The hair stood up on the back of her neck and she turned around quickly with her flashlight seeing just a trace of a pair of black eyes that disappeared so fast she couldn’t quite process what she saw.
Rose whimpered and started to tremble.
“Do you feel that? It’s so cold all of a sudden…” she said, her voice shaking slightly.
“Yeah I do, I thought I saw something behind me.” Marillia said as the beam of her flashlight roved around the room to see if it was just her imagination.
“Don’t say that!” Rose whined as she held her arms tight around herself.
Rose gasped and screamed as she caught a reflection in the glass of one of the display cases of a pair of inky black eyes and white hair.
“what did you see?” Marillia asked excitedly, looking where Rose was.
“Fuck this, I’m out!” Rose said as she ran for the door of the study and down the hall.
Marillia stayed for a few moments longer, wanting to see if she could see something more, her heart hammering in her chest not with fear, but with hope. Hope that the old stories were true, that the ghost of King Boolieris still haunted this place and she would see him for herself.
Nothing happened, and as her heart sank, she decided to head for the door of the study, but before she could it slammed shut and the lock clicked into place all on it’s own.
Her breath caught in her throat and she looked around the room again, her eyes landing on the reflection in the glass window pane of a menacing smile, tongue out, inky black eyes, white hair and a crown, leering at her.
She froze, but she didn’t scream, she knew what she had seen. She started to take pictures rapidly with her phone, praying she would see something in them.
An evil sounding laugh erupted from all around her, echoing as the items in the cases and the chair behind the desk began to rattle. Marillia switched to video and used her flashlight to capture all of it, and expression of wonder on her face.
“King Boolieris, is that you?” she called out.
Suddenly everything stopped moving and her eyes went to the chair behind the desk as a ghost materialized there, his fingers interlaced, his elbows propped on the desk, his face resting on them as he surveyed her curiously with those deep black eyes.
“Well aren’t you a curious one. You aren’t scared of anything are you?” The ghost of King Boo said to her. "Call me King Boo."