Luigi: The Ghostbuster
By: Virtualboy2558
/
Disclaimer: Super Mario RPG is Copyrights of Nintendo, Square, and Shigeru Miyamoto. Ghostbusters is Copyrights of Columbia Pictures and Ivan Reitman. I do not own, nor profit, from any or all of the characters mentioned.
/
"Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you have feelings of dread in your attic or basement? Did any of your family members see a spook, spectre or ghost?
"If the answer is yes, don't wait another moment, pick up the phone and call the professionals… from E. Gadd's Professional Paranormal Investigations & Eliminations Co.! We work 24 hours a day to service all of your paranormal elimination needs! Our number is KL5 - 2800!
"We're ready to believe you!"
/
It was a calm cloudless night on Mildew Street, a road in the suburban outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom. Every now and then, a chorus of crickets could be heard in the distance. And someone's pet Chomp-Chomp was growling and barking at a stray cat, which made an angry hissing sound.
Among the line of Toad houses on either side of the street, there was a commotion going on in house 487, a home with a blue-mushroom roof and Fire Flowers and little Tanooki Leaf trees growing in the garden. The sounds being described in the home was a mix of girlish screams and delicate porcelain shattering.
"AHHHHH! Call the paranormalist!" a female, pink-spotted Toad shrieked.
In front of her, two creepy and sunken-eyed Boos were guffawing at the family of Toads, who were all backed up in a corner, shivering. The larger of the two Boos cackled to his partner.
"Let's make the blue Toad wet his diaper, Bootler!" it said, with a mischievous grin on its face. The Toad, in question, was actually the father of the family. He kept stuttering and making frightened "Ohhhh…" sounds.
"Hehehe! Sure thing, Boosley!" said Bootler, the smaller of the Boos. "I always like it when I see these funguses make a rush for the bathroom!"
"L-Leave us alone!" spoke a tiny Toad boy, who was in his PJs and holding tightly to his stuffed animal. He appeared to be the bravest of the family, but was also scared stiff by the spooky spectres.
"Or else what, shrimp?" Boosley bellowed. "You're gonna hit me with your teddy bear?"
"N-No! We'll c-call Luigi to suck you both meanies up w-with his special ghost vacuum!" the Toad boy yelled.
The two Boos giggled hysterically. "Oh really?" Bootler cackled. "I'd like to see that chicken Mario Brother try to stuff us in that Poltergust 3000 of his without fainting!"
Boosley let out a belly laugh. "Yeah! I bet that coward Luigi is too scared to even show up here! Hahaha!"
All of a sudden, a loud thump at the front door was heard. The family of Toads, and even the two Boos, looked at the door with a startled surprise. Then another thump came, and another. The thumping continued while Boosley and Bootler hovered towards the door.
"What in the heck…," Bootler said, tilting his head to the side.
BOOM! The door fell off its hinges, the force of whatever was banging the flimsy wooden opening finally pushed it inside the Toad house with a bang. The Boos jumped from the door, which missed them by inches, and they slowly looked from the ground to the person at the demolished doorway.
A man had stepped into the home, with a mixed look of determination and uncertainty on his face. He was wearing a vivid green shirt and hat and blue overalls. He was wearing large brown worker boots, which looked like they saw a lot of action for many years. His smooth black moustache gleamed on his face, and he glared at Boosley and Bootler with shocking blue eyes.
On his back, was a strange, old fashioned red vacuum cleaner, complete with detachable hose and plastic casing, labelled "Poltergust 3000" on the side. And the man was pointing the hose attachment toward the two Boos.
"Your haunting days are over, Boos!" Luigi shouted, a slight squeak in his voice, but keeping it steady as he came closer to the ghosts.
"EEK! It's Luigi!" screamed Boosley. The Boo's eyes were as big as saucers. "And he's got his Poltergust with him! Flee, Bootler! FLEEE!"
The two Boos dashed in separate directions, narrowly avoiding the blast of suction from the Poltergust. Luigi quickly looked left and right, and decided to go for the smaller Boo first.
/
Bootler was frantically looking for someplace to hide. He was in the middle of the dark kitchen, and had only just concealed himself into a large watermelon on the counter before Luigi stomped inside.
Luigi pulled out his flashlight and checked around. The built-in Game Boy Horror was beeping steadily. The Boo Radar couldn't exactly see the sneaky ghosts, but it could pinpoint where they are just by getting close to them.
The green Mario Brother was wiping the sweat off his brow as he shivered, not exactly from fear, but from the sudden drop of temperature in the room.
"Come out, come out… wherever you are…," he muttered under his breath.
Luigi crept across the room, keeping on the lookout for anything strange, be it misshapen objects, glowing lights, or eerie sounds. Bootler was watching him investigate the refrigerator and icebox, pulling out some fruit and a bottle of milk.
Then a heavenly smell reached the Boo's nostrils. "No way… it can't be… GASP! It is!" Bootler thought wildly.
Luigi pulled out, and set down onto the counter, a plate of homemade lemon pie. The gooey, yellow lemony filling was oozing out of the perfectly baked brown crust. The aroma was so breathtaking, Bootler tried to quell it but found he couldn't. He slowly popped out from his hiding spot, and his big tongue flopped out from his wide mouth. He made a silent smack from his drooling lips.
Hovering ever quietly, Bootler moved closer and closer to the lemon pie. He was paying more attention to the delectable pastry than he was to Luigi, who just noticed from the corner of his eye the little Boo heading in his direction. The Mario Brother pretend to keep investigating, and looked more into the fridge.
By now, Bootler was only an inch away from the pie, his mouth reaching in for a sizable bite… when Luigi suddenly clicked his flashlight onto the Boo. Bootler came to his senses and realized he got caught. The Boo let out a little shriek, and flew towards the door leading out of the kitchen, but not before Luigi pressed a button and the Poltergust roared to life.
"AAAGGHHH!" Bootler was too close in proximity of the dreaded devil vacuum, and was being sucked towards its path. Luigi was wrestling to keep the power of the suction under control, a shaky smile forming on his face.
"I got you now!" he yelled, as the Boo floated nearer to the hose attachment. All around them, debris and dust flied all over the place. Luigi ducked as the watermelon that Bootler hid into had soared into the air and went "Splat!" into the wall where he was just moments before. A pizza cardboard then flung by like a Frisbee, just swiping Bootler by the hairs on his head.
The little Boo had exhausted all his energy fighting the mighty suction, and just gave up. He swirled around once or twice before disappearing into the Poltergust 3000's hose with a loud pop.
Luigi cheered and turned off the machine. "Alright! One down, one more to go!" he said to himself. He tossed the nozzle up in the air and caught it with his other hand, before heading out of the kitchen to deal with the other Boo.
/
Boosley watched from the ceiling as Luigi walked into the hallway. The Boo can no longer feel the presence of his partner-in-crime from the kitchen.
"Grr… that blasted Mario Brother and his cursed instrument!" he mumbled angrily. "I avenge my friend Bootler, even if it's the last thing I do!"
The large Boo melted through the ceiling and appeared on the second floor. He devised a plan to get back at Luigi, and hopefully free his buddy. He wasn't going to get outsmarted or captured by a simple plumber and some ordinary cleaning tool.
Luigi took step after soft step on the stairs leading to the upstairs. His Boo Radar was beeping madly, the supernatural presence was nearly overwhelming. "Boy… this Boo might be tough…," whispered Luigi. He never encountered a Boo with this much power since his night in the mansion he thought he apparently won.
THWACK! A toy robot went flying and hit Luigi's back. Luigi quickly turned to the direction where the toy was thrown, but his attacker was gone before he laid eyes on him. WHUMP! This time, a roll of toilet paper shot from nowhere, and into Luigi's head. The Mario Brother did a 360 all around him, looking for where the Boo went. There was still no sign of him.
Luigi grabbed the toilet paper roll in his gloved hand. He could only guess that his assailant was hiding in the bathroom.
He walked into the bathroom doorway and clicked his light on. He could see a pink tub, fluffy towels on a wooden rack, a tiny sink with a circular mirror and a shining white toilet. The blue-tiled floor was a little gritty with soap stains from past bubble baths, and all the while Luigi could see his breath fog up into his face. That Boo must be close now.
Luigi heard a momentary pip come from the bath tub. He grabbed hold onto his vacuum nozzle and gone for the kill. He grabbed on the shower curtain, pulled it back and began sucking like there's no tomorrow.
But he turned off the vacuum after realizing that there was no one there. Looking down, Luigi saw a rubber duck that was overturned. He picked it up and gave it a squeeze. SQUEAK! It was the same pip that he heard just a second ago. Luigi sighed with relieve and turned around. And that's when he screamed.
Boosley was face-to-face with the Mario Brother, so close in fact that their noses almost touched. The Boo let out a hyena laugh, and Luigi fell to the floor on his butt, his face mortified.
"That'll teach you to mess with Bootler!" Boosley rattled. "He was my bestest friend, and you sucked him up like straw!" He was now huffing and puffing. "And when I'm done with ya, I'm gonna make your afterlife as miserable as possible!"
But before Boosley laid a hand on him, Luigi whipped out his flashlight and shone a beam of light in the Boo's eyes. Boosley howled, clutching his now blind eyes, and bumped into one wall and another before floating down and vanishing through the ground.
"Oh no you don't!" Luigi got back up and he ran back downstairs to check on the Toad family. The Toads were all crying out when Boosley showed his pointy fangs, and was about to mangle them, until Luigi got inside the living room at the last second and fired up the Poltergust one more time.
Boosley shrieked as he was pulled in by the ravaging winds. For a moment, it looked like he might escape. But Luigi turned on a few more switches, giving it full power, and the Boo moaned loudly as it swirled into the Poltergust's nozzle. And just like that… it was over.
/
"Thank you so much, Luigi!" the Toad boy cheered, as he watched the plumber went back to his specialized vehicle. The family of Toads were smiling and waited out on the broken front doorway. "You're invited to come to our house for supper anytime!"
Luigi chuckled lightly as he got into the front seat. "I'll be glad to stop by very soon! Take care now!"
And with a puff from the exhaust, Luigi drove off back to E. Gadd's while the Toads waved goodbye to him.
"Sigh… what a day," he thought. He picked through a bag of corn chips and ate some, while listening to some rock music on the radio. "That makes 12 ghosts that I got to store up tonight…" He looked both ways while at an intersection before continuing his journey back home.
"And to think, I still have all that paperwork I need to sign to pay this month's bills… not to mention the health inspector showing up this Thursday, so that would mean clean-up duty. I'm gonna be one tired paisano in the morning…" Luigi groaned in his mind.
He stopped the E. Gadd 1 Spectre Vehicle on a red light, which gave him time to think of something that was nagging him lately.
"Hmm… I can't help but feel I'm forgetting something, though… Let me think… It can't be anyone's birthday yet. Mario's isn't for another 3 months," he contemplated. He knew it was on the tip of his tongue. "And it can't be a visit from our parents. They said they have a vacation planned out this week…"
The traffic light went green, and Luigi pressed on the gas. He was almost to his destination.
"Hmm… or maybe Peach is holding a Festival like she always does from time to time… that could be it. But I wonder what she'd be celebrating now?"
"AAAAGGGHHHH!"
The sudden cry made Luigi's heart stop, and he stomped on the brakes. And just in good timing, too. He was outside E. Gadd's recently new company "E. Gadd's Professional Paranormal Investigations & Eliminations Co.". And just in front of Luigi, Professor E. Gadd himself was just mere inches away from the nose of the car, his beady eyes were popping out with shock.
"Sweet Galloping Goombas, son! You gotta be careful where you're driving!" the scientist proclaimed.
Luigi was flustered. "I-I-I'm truly sorry, Professor!" he stuttered. "I-I-I wasn't quite paying attention… I kinda have a lot on my mind lately."
The old man adjusted his thick, wiry glasses and let out some air. "That's okay, Luigi. But please… next time, keep your eyes on the road. My heart isn't as robust as it used to be, you know…"
Luigi nodded as he turned off the car and stepped out. The two men went inside the small business building to discuss other matters.
The inside of the industry used to be an old fire station, but was remodelled by the Professor to make use for his technological equipment. On the first floor, the place was just one large empty space, with a few structure beams to keep the building up. At the brick wall though, was some of E. Gadd's inventions. A machine that looks like the Poltergust was laying on a workbench, and had a few new extra attachments from the old model. Next to that, a small device no bigger than a toaster (because it was a toaster) was tipped to its side. It had many buttons fitted into it, and a square funnel was attached to the exhaust. And in the corner, humming loudly like all big machinery does, was E. Gadd's ghost containment unit, which was a modified version of the Ghost Portrificationizer. Instead of making portraits of ghosts, it stores them into a realm where all the ghosts Luigi captures can live peacefully.
"I see that the old Poltergust has a full load tonight," E. Gadd spoke, noticing the gauge after Luigi took the vacuum of his back. "That means business is booming, as they say… am I right?" The Professor chuckled. Luigi gave another nod.
"Yeah… but the bills is what I'm really worried about…," he said. He walked to the fridge to pull out yesterday's meal of spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. "I'm no good when it comes to finances…"
"Not to worry, dear Luigi," said E. Gadd. Apparently, the Professor wasn't worried. "I've made something while you were out that'll take care of those bills for you! I call it the Billreorganizer 800!" He pointed to the toaster that he was working on. "Just pop in those papers, and the machine will have all the necessary flimflam written out! Go ahead, just give it a try!"
Hesitantly, Luigi put down his meal, went to a drawer and pulled out his workload, which was half an inch long. He knew that E. Gadd was a genius, and had built all sorts of zany, yet revolutionary inventions… but there were times when his inventions tend to backfire on themselves. And Luigi wasn't sure if he should take the chance.
"Don't dilly-dally now! I know you're uncertain, but I assure you I've got all the kinks worked out!" the Professor urged on.
What the heck, Luigi thought. It couldn't be any worse than the time E. Gadd made his teeth green from his all-purpose Hygiene Cream.
So Luigi stuffed the letters into the makeshift toaster, and clamped down the lever on the side. At once, the machine whirred to life and began sorting out the paperwork at high speed. For a moment, things seem to be working just fine…
…until the machine made a bad spluttering sound and started rattling.
"Uh oh…," cringed E. Gadd. "That wasn't supposed to happen…"
Luigi was beginning to panic, thoughts ran through his head as he tried to turn off the Billreorganizer. But the machine kept on running until it stopped quaking. And like a flash, the paperwork flew right out of the machine and fell to the ground in a big scattered mess.
"Oops… uh… I guess it still needs some work after all," the Professor said solemnly. His face was red with embarrassment, but it was Luigi who was really upset. The poor Mario Brother looked at the heap of strewn papers with sad, sad eyes. It was going to take even longer to reorganize those bills now…
Without saying a word, Luigi went to pick up the files one by one. By the time he was done, it was already past midnight, and the green Mario brother was not only tired but famished as well. He took his spaghetti and meatballs and ate it in silence without heating it up. The microwave was busted anyways.
He was just putting away the dirty dishes in the sink, and was thinking about hitting the hay, when the phone rang.
Luigi wondered if he should pick it up, and decided to let it get sent to voice mail. He'll deal with the next customer in the morning, since he had no energy for another drive to some poor sap's home and bust some more spooks. But before he went to his room to get some sleep, a voice rang out from the telephone.
"Hey, Luigi. It's me, Valentina… Apparently you're not home, so I'll just leave a message for you when you get back…"
"Oh my stars, it's her…," Luigi voice rang out in his head. He half-dashed, half tripped for a mad sprint to pick up the phone. Luckily, Valentina didn't hang up.
"Valentina? Don't hang up! I'm here, I'm here!" he spluttered into the receiver.
"Oh, Luigi! I didn't even know you were up this late!" said the bubbly girl cheerfully. Her sweet voice buzzed through Luigi's ears like caramel.
"Well… that's because I had a lot of stops to do tonight, I guess," he laughed nervously. He was still a tad shy of Valentina, but was happy all the same. "And the Professor made me have to clean the floors and reorganize my files."
"Oh my… I hope he's not making you work too hard," she spoke softly. "I don't want my poor Luigi getting used up like a slave."
"Oh no, no, no… it's nothing like that!" Luigi explained. "He made an invention that would help with my paperwork and… let's say it went off with a bang…" Luigi momentarily stopped speaking. His mind made a mental slap.
Of course! Now he remembered what he was forgetting! He was supposed to have his date with Valentina this week! He couldn't believe he forgot the whole thing, despite reminding himself several times over the past few days.
"Oh… no wonder you were up so late," said Valentina with realization. "Well… it was a good thing that happened, or I guess I wouldn't be talk to you right now, huh?" She let out a happy giggle.
Luigi was wondering on how to go about his next words. "Uh… Valentina? Um… I was… I was wondering if… if… uh…"
"Wondering about what?" she asked curiously.
"Well… um… remember when we first met on the train?" Luigi responded. His heart was a little fluttery. "I… I promised that… if we got around it sometime… that we'd go out… uh… on a date?"
He waited for her reply. Sweat began to form from under his cap, and he drummed his fingers on the table with anxiety. He was scared that Valentina might get angry at him and say no. But fortunately…
"Sure! It's been a while since I last seen you! And I really want to see where you work! I'd love to go out for a night on the town with you!" she cooed. She was very excited of the idea, and was glad Luigi mentioned it.
"Really?" Luigi sighed with happiness and relieve. "Thanks, that's great! Um… what time can I expect to pick you up at the train station?"
"Oh, no need Luigi! I'm off to see you straight away!" Valentina rang from the speaker. It sounded like she was packing or something on her end. "And don't worry! I'll be right there on the dot tomorrow morning!"
Luigi went a little pale. "Um… I didn't hear that quite right… did you say you'll be here tomorrow morning?"
"Yes, of course my darling!" she laughed. A pen clicked in the background. "Um, where can I find your place of work?"
"Uhhh… 725 Fungi Avenue?" he replied. "But I should tell you…"
"Thanks! I'll be there as soon as I can, honey. Take care, Luigi! I'll be waiting…," purred Valentina. The line clicked and went dead.
Luigi gave a blank stare, as he slowly placed the phone back on its base. "Tomorrow?" he said out loud. He looked around the place. The work area was still messy and full of residue, and he didn't want Valentina to think he works in a pigsty.
Luigi sighed heavily. Well… back to work…
/
By 5:00am, Luigi had finally got the establishment to look at least decent for his guest, who would be arriving in about three or four hours from now. Totally wiped out, Luigi dragged his feet back to bed and collapsed on it, instantly knocked to sleep.
When morning properly came, Luigi was still feeling tired, but at least was much better than he was last night. He got up and went to get some toast and cereal for breakfast. He was munching on some cornflakes while reading the Daily Mush, when E. Gadd came into the kitchen section to greet him.
"Morning, Luigi!" the Professor chirped. He looked well-rested for an 80-something year old scientist. "Had a good night's rest, I hope?"
Luigi cleared his throat after swallowing his food. "Yeah, just fine and dandy," he lied.
"Well that's grand!" E. Gadd smiled. "Today will be a lot of customers coming in for ghost eliminations, so I want to know that you're as sharp as a tack! And while you're out, I'll get to refining the Billreorganizer. I feel pretty bad about what happen yesterday…"
Luigi waved a hand. "It's okay, Professor. I'll just handle the papers on my own for now, but I thank you for the generosity." His mind went back to Valentina. "Oh! And I hope you don't mind, but I have a friend who'll be coming over. She might be here any minute now…"
E. Gadd lift his head in interest. "Oh, a friend you say? That's spectacular, I'd love new guests! And maybe I could show her around… unless you feel like doing it, Luigi."
Luigi gave a light laugh. "Well, I might… but I promised her first that I'd go out on a date with her…"
The Professor now really looked surprised. "Oh! A date, you say? My, my…" He gave a hearty chuckle. "I never knew you were quite the ladies man, Luigi! Is she pretty-looking?" he asked, while folding his arms on the breakfast table and tilting his head.
Luigi laughed again. "I guess you could say that…"
"Hehe… well, I'm proud of you nonetheless! Back then, I used to be quite the go-getter when it comes to women," E. Gadd responded, thinking back to his younger years. "But of course… those days are long gone. But my father always tells me to be a busy bee! And that's why I'm still inventing!"
A door bell chimed. Luigi got up with a start from his fold-up chair.
"Oh, that might be her! I'll go get the door!"
The Mario Brother took two bountiful leaps across the hall before stopping in front of the door. He opened it and peered outside. His heart went all fluttery again.
There she was. Valentina was beaming a smile that could have outshone the Sun easily. She was the same as he remembered her. Her pink wavy hair looked like a dream as it glimmered in the morning light. Her face was like an angel, complete with brilliant, flawless pink skin and astonishing blue eyes, which looked at Luigi with such happiness. Her heart-decal white shirt, once again, was stretched to its limits by the mass of her large chest. Her hips were thin, yet full of muscle tone. Her simple blue short skirt was pulled up a little by her curvy butt, which somewhat showed her lacy undergarments. And her white shoes fitted nicely with her well-defined legs, which looked as though she had been running all her life.
"Hey, Luigi! I'm so thrilled to see you again!" Valentina said with glee. She went up to give him a big hug by wrapping her arms around him and pressing his form against her bosom. Luigi couldn't help but blush very heavily, giving a tiny smile.
"It's… um… nice to see you too, Valentina," he mumbled. They were in that position for what seemed like an eternity, before Valentina gently let go of him.
"So…," she stared up at the building in front of her. "This is where you work, huh? It's quite swanky for a cool pad!"
Luigi laughed. "Well, technically… it's not mine. I only rent to live here. Uh… mind if I show you around?"
Valentina shook her head enthusiastically. "I don't mind at all! After all, I didn't came all this way to not kiss and tell!" She giggled. Golly, how he loved that laugh of hers, Luigi thought…
The pair then proceeded to go inside the building. Valentina, while they were walking, was resting her head on Luigi's shoulder and rubbing it like a cat. She even purred while Luigi was pointing around.
"That there is the utility room, where we keep all our ghost-catching equipment… and over there is the workbench where my employer likes to fiddle with his creations… Oh yeah… and right here is where we keep all ghosts after catching them," Luigi added, showing her the containment unit. The large machine whirred and beeped occasionally as they watched, as it held the countless spectres in its confined space.
Valentina let out a cute giggle and jumping up and down. "Ooh… I don't believe you introduced me to him yet!"
Luigi saw where she was pointing and saw E. Gadd making adjustments on the Billreorganizer with a Philips head screwdriver. "Oh yeah! Valentina, this is my employer and old friend, Professor Elvin Gadd," he said while they walked up to the tiny human. "Professor, this is Valentina… the girl I mentioned earlier."
E. Gadd looked up from the invention he was working on and took a look at Luigi and Valentina. He readjusted the glasses on his nose and smiled. "Oh hello, miss! Welcome to my business! My, my… you're quite the cute and adorable little lady, aren't you?" he chuckled.
Luigi was a little surprised by E. Gadd. Normally, when somebody goes to meet Valentina for the first time, they get a little shock by her unbounded beauty, especially when it comes to her "overdeveloped womanhood". But E. Gadd was strangely unaffected by that, and was just calmly talking to her like any normal person.
Valentina was smiling while she blushed. "Thanks, mister! I like it when people say I'm cute!" She gave E. Gadd a light kiss on the forehead, and the Professor returned the smile by bowing.
"The pleasure is all mine, miss," replied E. Gadd. "Now I recalled that young Luigi here… said that you two would be going out on date, right?"
"That's right! He's gonna ask me to marry him!" she exclaimed. Luigi suddenly went red and was flustering to deny it all.
"No, no, no, it's not true! W-We're just g-going out on a normal date like any c-couple would!" he stuttered quickly, while waving his arms wildly. "We're n-not going to tie the knot or a-anything!"
Valentina covered her mouth while she laughed. "Hahaha! I'm just kidding, Luigi!" she cooed, going up to give the plumber a kiss on the nose. "You know I'm not ready to settle down just yet."
Luigi's face became redder, if that was even possible, while he gave out a light chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. Yep, same old Valentina…
E. Gadd slapped his hands together in preparation. "Well, I'm glad you two will be having fun together. So… will you be staying for long, Valentina? Or are you going to head out with Luigi today?"
Valentina looked thoughtful, while she clasped her hands behind her back and stood on the tip of her white high-tops. "Not just yet. I kinda want to see around for a while… you know, just to get comfortable. I'd like to do my date tonight," she said, smiling.
E. Gadd nodded in understanding. "Okay then. I know how women like to prepare carefully on their first dates. Is it okay if I ask where you'll be taking your little lass this evening, Luigi?" he questioned.
Luigi made a mental slap to his face. Oh rotting ravioli… he forgot to set up where he and Valentina would spent dinner together! He quickly thought on his feet and suggested the most fanciest restaurant that he knew on such short notice.
"We're going to… uh… a special little place called… um… 'The Grand Shroom'."
Valentina gave a gasp. "The Grand Shroom? But… that's the most exclusive dining area in town! Even Mario wouldn't be able to get in if he traded in his overalls and shirt! How on Star Road did you get reservations?"
Luigi blushed. "I… uh… got some connections…," he said.
The bubbly girl wrapped her arms around herself, all giddy with excitement. "Oh boy! I can't believe my date is taking me to The Grand Shroom! This is going to be awesome!" Then something dawned on her. "Oh my! What will I wear? I don't know if I have any clothes fancy enough!"
E. Gadd saw Valentina's dilemma, and gave a wave of assurance with his hands. "Not to worry, my fine lady! I have an invention that could help you decide your choice of fashion! You'll be ready to paint the town red in no time!"
Luigi, who felt a little hesitant after the Billreorganizer incident, wanted to put his say into this. "Uh, Professor… I'm not sure if that might be a good idea…," he whispered.
But E. Gadd only wafted his reply like a housefly. "Nonsense! I've been using the Automatonic Clothesshifter every morning and every night, and it never has brought me problems!" he said cheerfully. The Professor took Valentina's hand and guided her into the backroom. "If you'd follow me, miss…"
Valentina looked back at Luigi with a confused look on her face, before she was lightly dragged out of sight to get her dress fitted for her by the Automatonic Clothesshifter.
Luigi slapped his forehead. "Oh… please not backfire on me this time. Just this once, please…," he silently prayed.
/
It was half an hour later before Luigi saw Valentina again. The poor Mario Brother was twiddling his thumbs while on an old sofa, feeling so worried. If E. Gadd's machine goes haywire, and ends up making Valentina a big mess, he was so such she'd never talk to him again. And he'd feel miserable for the rest of his life.
While he waited for his date, Luigi was on the phone and dialling anyone he knew that could help him land some reservations for The Grand Shroom. So far, 7 people had told him he might as well tried to vomit solid gold bars out of his mouth. He was getting very desperate. He needed to get those reservations, and he'd even was ready to give away everything he had, including his own dignity.
Then he remembered that Mario told him about a guy he once met within the distant harbour Rogueport. He was called Don Pianta, a man who originated from Isle Delfino. He was part of a mafia mob, named the "Pianta Syndicate", that had a lot of power when it comes to connections with the outside world. He could practically be able to get anything anyone asks of him… for a price, of course.
Luigi was unsure if he should involve himself with a gang that could break his legs if he displeased the boss… but the thought of Valentina's disappointment was too much to think about, and decided… if that's what it'll take to keep her happy, then so be it.
Luigi checked the number for the Rogueport Westside Goods store and dialled. The phone warbled as he waited, before a female Boo store clerk answered the call.
"This is Rogueport Westside Goods! Peeka speaking!" she howled.
Luigi gulped before speaking. "Uh… I'd like to talk to Don Pianta?" he trembled.
"Shhh! Not so loud, young man!" Peeka hissed, before dropping her voice. "You can't just talk to the Don like any regular folk! The cops could be listening! What's the password?"
"A Dried Shroom and a Dizzy Dial," said Luigi carefully, making sure to say the items in that order.
"Okay. I'll get a private line hooked up for you to talk to the Don. Just wait a moment…" There was silence for a moment before a voice with a heavy Italian accent rasped in from the speaker.
"This is Don Pianta. You gotta a lota guts, kid… no one goes off speakin' to me without a request in hand. What dares you to talk before me?"
Luigi already regretted disturbing the mobster. But he knew he must see this through the end if he's ever going to get those reservations. "Um… hi, Mr. Pianta sir… My name is Luigi. Uh… I'm truly sorry to interrupt you… I know you're very busy… and I'll only be in your hair for a moment. I… uh… I need a favour from you."
"Alright, kid…," Don Pianta spoke, drumming his fingers on his imported desk. "Just spill the beans, an' I'll let you off nice an' easy. What is it you ask of me?"
I'm probably way over my head, Luigi thought timidly. But he summoned up his courage and spoke through the phone. "I… I need to get some reservations for… ahem… The Grand Shroom? I need them for my… my date tonight."
"Done and done. For a moment, I thought you'd tell me somethin' more serious of a job to handle," the old Italian Pianta hacked, laughing. "And just for your troubles… I'll even make it free of charge, just for your lady friend."
Luigi's spirits soared. "Oh! Thank you so very much, Don Pianta! You're a great mob guy!"
The Don laughed again. "Think nothin' of it, kid. Just give my best wishes to your lady friend from me. Now beat it, before I change my mind." He hung up the phone and woven his fingers together. "Hehe… lucky fella…" he said while smiling.
Luigi place the phone back into the receiver and let out a cheer and happy dance. "Oh yeah!" he thought ecstatically. "Finally! Things are going Luigi's way! Yaha!"
"Heehee… what are you doing, Luigi?" said a bubbly voice behind him. "This isn't the dance studio!"
A mental record player screeched in Luigi mind. He stood frozen with a look of horror, realizing that Valentina had saw him made his silly jig while he wasn't looking. His face flushed crimson red and his gut went from warm to icy cold. He wanted to die right then and there.
But all his embarrassment went away when he turned around to look at Valentina. His mouth popped open with speechlessness.
His date was in the most beautiful article of clothing he ever laid eyes on. She was wearing a red spaghetti-strand, one-piece dress, complete with a pink corsage and red high-heel shoes. Her every curve was made to fit in her dress, even her busty frame. Her hair was styled slightly different, still a wild mane of vibrant pink, but now looked to be elegant as a couple of her hair strands hang to caress her lovely face.
"What do you think?" she asked in a sultry tone. Valentina twirled on the spot so that Luigi had a full view of her new image. Luigi put a hand to his chin to close his mouth, but it only open up again after letting go.
"Come il fiore più belli in tutti i campi estivi d'Italia…," he barely whispered.
"Come again?" Valentina asked with confusion.
"Oh…," Luigi cleared his throat. "I said you looked like the most prettiest flower in all the summer fields of Italy."
Valentina beamed and ran up to hug him. "Aww! Thank you, Luigi! I never got complimented like that before!" She gave a big kiss on the cheek and looked at him happily. "That's for later, my humble gentleman…," she purred with a sly wink.
Luigi smiled and blushed almost as red as her dress. E. Gadd came out of the backroom and crossed his arms, a pleased expression on his face.
"Can I make a woman look good or what?" he chucked. "I hope you two lovebirds have a wonderful time this evening!"
Valentina smiled and gave the Professor a hug as well. "Thank you so much, Mr. E. Gadd! You really helped me out a lot!"
"Think nothing of it, dearie," he said while letting out his famous toothy grin. He checked the clock on the wall, and it said 11:03am.
"Oh! I thought that it would have taken longer to prepare!" E. Gadd said, looking surprised. He then looked to the couple. "What time do you expect to take off?"
Luigi thought about it. "I guess sometime by 5 o'clock… I still need to get changed. And no… I don't need to go through the Automatonic Clothesshifter," he added firmly to the Professor, making sure to add emphasis to the word 'no'. "I'll just get dressed like normal."
Luigi gave Valentina a shy smile, before heading down to his bedroom to change. E. Gadd had both eyebrows raised, before giving a simple shrug.
/
"Are my forces ready to strike?"
"Y-yes, my king…"
The wicked being clasped his two pale white hands together in glee. "Good… It's all going according to plan…" It flashed its large fangs in an evil smile.
/
It was after 4:30pm, and the sky was beginning fade from blue to citrus orange. The building of E. Gadd's Professional Paranormal Investigations & Eliminations Co. was absorbing the last rays of sunlight, and the E. Gadd 1 Spectre Vehicle was parked on the side of the road, so it would be ready to take Luigi and Valentina off to their date.
Meanwhile, inside the building, Valentina was patiently waiting for Luigi to finish grooming himself. She occupied herself by watching the TV. She was still in her magnificent attire, and was feeling a little bored. But she knew she had to be polite for her timid boyfriend and wait until he was ready.
E. Gadd came walking by, holding up a box full of spare Poltergust parts, and saw the bouncing beauty lounging down on the soft sofa. "He's still in there?" he asked incredulously, looking at Luigi's bedroom door.
"I'm sure it won't be long," Valentina said. She held her hands in her lap. "I'm sure you've taken a long time preparing for a date once, right Mr. E. Gadd?"
"As a matter of fact, yes I did," the Professor said, with a slight nod. "But I never heard of any man trying to look handsome for his girl for 6 hours straight." He checked the bedroom door again. "I hope he didn't get his zipper stuck like last time."
Valentina laughed. "Really? How did that happen?"
E. Gadd looked thoughtful. "I think… it was the time he was preparing for the Mushroom Kingdom Festival last year. The poor young man was so distraught because he couldn't get his pants zipper out of his glove. Took three fire Toads to fix the mess and restore peace."
The bubbly girl tried hard not to giggle. "That must've been embarrassing for him!" she said slyly.
"Indeed. Now if you excuse me…," E. Gadd said, struggling with the heavy box. "…I need to take care of this mess." He went and disappeared into the backroom. Valentina then went back to watching TV. After 10 minutes though, she gave up watching and decided to take her mind off her boredom by exploring the workshop.
The wooden counter was littered with little parts, strange gizmos and construction tools. Valentina was intrigued by a long, thin device that looked like a cross between a bug zapper and a branding iron. It had a metal tube that stretched at least 3 feet before making a U-shape at the end. On the smooth cylinder shaft, it had the words "Ectoplasmic Disrupter 5000" imprinted on it.
Looking around, and with a mischievous grin on her face, Valentina took the long tube and pretend to wield it like a sword.
"En guard, nasty pirates! You shall not take my man ever! I'll duel you to the end!" For someone who never really used total offence battle-items, she moved the shaft like a pro, swinging it with extreme precision and efficient speed and force. Valentina guided her pretend-sword and thrust the air, as though she speared a villainous pirate in her way. "Ah ha! Take that, scum!"
But by doing that, however, caused a reaction from the weird device. A translucent wave of force blasted out from the invention, and went zinging about in the air before striking solidly onto the ghost containment unit. The large machine rattled after impact and vibrated violently.
Valentina cringed. "Oh no, I broke it! Now I'm gonna get it!" she whimpered. She ran up to the big contraption, inspecting it to see if she made any visible damage. The containment unit kept on shaking, until it sudden stopped a few seconds later. Valentina back away from the machine, expecting it to explode any minute. But it did no such thing. It stayed perfectly still, and began humming again, as though the blast never happened.
She sighed with relief. "That was too close…" She replaced the shaft in her hand back into its original location, so as to avoid risking any more damage to the equipment. The bubbly girl glanced at the containment unit and put a hand on its shiny metal exterior.
"You're quite the resilient machine, aren't you?" she said to it, stroking the hardware. She peered into the slot where Luigi would inject the Poltergust's nozzle into to dispense the ghosts. It was snapped shut tightly, so to avoid any escape for the supernatural beings.
Valentina suddenly pulled back, when her large bosom accidentally swiped a button, and watched as the slot began to whir before opening.
A brilliant, bright light shone out from the hole, while eerie, unearthly noises howled and moaned in front of the girl. Valentina was in a trance, her eyes gazing into the swirling white ghostly vortex before her. It was as though her soul was being drawn towards the light, and was unable to keep her glance away. But her strong mind fought for control, and she jammed the same button before she got lost into the hypnotic vortex.
The slot snapped closed, and Valentina held her pounding head. She decided it would be wise not to stare at the depths of shining portals of eternity in the near future. Her head throbbed with pain for a while before clearing, and Valentina heard a door open and close shut. She turned to look at her escort.
"Yowza… If I didn't know any better, I could have mistaken you for somebody important, Luigi," she said while smiling.
Luigi had gone from his casual overalls to something a little more glamorous. He wore a black tuxedo and black fancy pants, with a green undershirt and black bowtie on. His brown dirty work boots were swapped for black polished dress-up ones. His normal every-day gloves even had been washed to a pristine white for the occasion. His only normal article of clothing that remained unchanged was his green hat. A strong scent reached Valentina's dainty nostrils.
"What's that odour?" she asked, trying to waft away the smell with her right hand while lightly pinching her nose with her left.
Luigi blushed for what seemed like the millionth time today. "Uh… it's 'L'eau de Toade'… Hehe… I guessed that it would be a little much. The bottle did say it was supposed to attract even the most desirable females…"
"Charming…," said Valentina, giving a smirk to her already blushing gentleman. She gracefully gave her hand out, and Luigi took it softly into his hand. "Shall we get going then?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Luigi laughed slightly. He guided his beautiful date out towards the front door into the slightly chilly night, and offered to open the car door.
"Here you go, m'lady," Luigi stated with confidence while bowing. Valentina let out a giggle and stepped into the passenger seat. Closing the door, Luigi went to his side of the car, got in, closed his door, and turning on the ignition. The E. Gadd 1 Spectre Vehicle roared to life, and went off towards the direction of The Grand Shroom.
"Bye! Have fun, you two!" called out E. Gadd from the doorway. The old scientist chuckled to himself and went back inside for a hot cup of coffee.
/
The ghostly figure was awaiting on his throne, impatiently waiting for his servant to return. He ran his devious mind through over and over. He was making sure that there was no loop-hole or major flaw within his scheme so far, since he didn't wanted to waste so many years of planning for revenge to have it all blown up in his face.
Just then, his servant came panting in, and his spooky master had turned to his attention angrily to him.
"You're late, pathetic fool! While you were out mucking about, my best soldiers have finally found a host to feed upon just recently. For your tardy absence, my punishment for you will be to sit 12 hours within direct sunlight!"
The servant quivered in fear. "N-No! It was only a miscalculation! I implore you to f-forgive me, Master!"
The figure growled, wanting to watch his slave be tortured alive… but then relented. After all, his petty worker drone had been useful to him for the past several months.
"Very well… but let it not happen again. Have you gotten the item?"
Pulling out a clothed package, the servant bowed down to his master and held it out. "We've managed to seize it. Many of us had disappeared into the great beyond trying to get the artefact, but in the end, we now have it in our possession…"
The wicked being got up from his throne, walked up to his servant and carefully picked up the ancient treasure. He unwrapped it, and gave a devilish smile.
"Yes… I've been waiting for countless centuries to encounter this little gem, and now it's in my grasp. Tonight will be the night… when all of Boo-kind will flourish and conquer the land!"
/
The Grand Shroom was found just outside of Rose Town. It was the latest and most hottest joint found within the Mushroom Kingdom, and only the most well-known and/or insanely rich folk were able to enter its doors. People from all over the world would flock over to dine in this extravagant restaurant.
Luigi and Valentina had arrived there in about 30 minutes, their car parked on the other side of the road next the restaurant. The Mario Brother took a look after getting out of his vehicle and gave an impressed whistle. For an exclusive place to get reservations, the restaurant's architectural design was kept quite simple. It was a square, solid-black marble building, with a thin white light strip that wrapped around it. Above the front doors, an red and orange neon sign, saying "The Grand Shroom", glowed prominently with a Mega Shroom beside the words.
Luigi's date walked up beside him and held his hand. "Are you ready, Luigi?" said Valentina. Her smiling face looked beautiful under the streetlights.
Luigi adjusted his bowtie, feeling a little anxious. "Ready as I'll ever be…"
The pair walked down the street towards the front doors of The Grand Shroom. A surly-looking Boom-Boom was guarding the line, making sure uninvited guests don't just waltz into the establishment. He glared down to size up Luigi when he and the bouncing beauty stepped up in front of the rope.
"Name?" the Boom-Boom asked gruffly, while pulling out a list of names from the pocket of his vest.
"L-L-Luigi? R-Reservation for two, p-please?" the Mario Brother squeaked. He was sure that this big guy could crush him like a soda can if he wanted to.
The Boom-Boom scanned down the list. "Hmm… Luigi… Luigi… ah, yes… here it is." He relaxed his stiff posture and pulled back the rope for Luigi and Valentina to continue through. "Welcome to The Grand Shroom," he added with a bow.
Valentina covered her mouth while laughing, watching as Luigi's face went from all worried to complete relief.
"Haha… relax, Luigi!" she told him soothingly. She rest a hand on his tense shoulder. "If that guy tried to hurt you, he'd have to go through me before he'd even lay a finger on your body. I'd never let anything bad happen to you, okay?" She gave Luigi a warming hug, and Luigi blushed.
"Okay…," he shyly replied. He could feel his chest being pressed by her big bosom, heating him up in a very short amount of time.
"Great! Now… let's just go inside and have a fun time." His date gently dragged him into the building, while Luigi got out his car keys and clicked the button to lock up their vehicle before slipping in.
The interior was absolutely full of intricate style, a big contrast to the outside of the building. The floor was lined with red carpet with a beige Starmen pattern. The textured walls had bright colors of dark blue, light blue, white and grass green, all formed in that order to look like the sky, clouds and earth. The white clothed tables and rounded, concave dining seats were all neatly assembled to the nearest centimetre. And all around the restaurant, there were some famous people talking to each other that Luigi knew right off the bat.
"Holy cow! Look, there's Zip Toad! And over there… that's Prince Pine from Jewelry Land! And there… there… and there are the Toadsen Triplets! Oh… my… stars…" Luigi's jaw dropped in surprise. "…there's the band members from Fungus Amungus! I've listened to all their songs!"
"Really? How did they get in?" Valentina wondered.
"I don't know… but that's so awesome that we're in the same place as they are! I gotta get one of their autographs later!" Luigi silently cheered.
Valentina smirked at her date. "Maybe later, fan boy. But first you gotta take me to dinner."
They sat down into a nearby table. Luigi scooted into a comfortable spot, and Valentina sat on the opposite end of him. A Toad waiter came to their service almost immediately.
"Bonjour, monsieur and madam," he spoke with a slightly exaggerated French accent. "What would the two of oo' like to order?"
Luigi picked up his menu and scratched his head. "I'd like the Shroom steak with Goomnut stuffing and Koopasta, please?"
The waiter written the order down. "And for oo', madam?"
"Just a Potato Salad, thank you," Valentina politely stated. She obviously wanted to keep her weight down.
"Anything to drink from the two of oo'?" the Toad asked, looking at both of them.
"Just water, please…," Luigi and Valentina said in unison.
"Alright… oo' just wait har' for a moment. Your meals will come shortly. Bon appetite!" And the waiter left as quickly as he came.
Now that the pair had time to themselves, Valentina struck up a conversation to her timid boyfriend. "So… What have you been up to lately after the last time we met?" she purred. She rested one hand to her cheek, and put her elbow on the table, to keep her interested gaze on Luigi. Her enormous chest just laid flat on the table.
Luigi twiddled his thumbs, trying to answer her question. "Well… like I told you, I went to see all around the Mushroom Kingdom… and I took some great snapshots, as well as some famous landmarks… My favourite spot was in Donut Plains on Dinosaur Land. It's named like that because a giant lake is in the middle of the land… and that Dinosaur Land is all one big island, so yeah… it makes it look like a giant donut, I guess," Luigi laughed.
"That's pretty neat," Valentina nodded. She leaned herself in, crossed her arms and rested them on her formidable bosom. The bubbly girl had a sultry look playing on her face. "Did you missed me while you travelled?"
"Uh… yeah, I did," Luigi said warily, noticing that her libido was kicking up a notch. "But I still had the photo we took together back in Machi Town, so that I don't feel lonely during nights." He adjusted the collar on his shirt, gulping a little. "Still… I felt a little heartbroken whenever I remembered our times with each other…"
Valentina putted on a mock sad face. "Aww… I didn't know that you really liked being around me that much…" She stroked his skinny leg with her foot, causing a flush to appear around Luigi's cheeks. "…you know… after dinner, we could have a little fun… just the two of us, like old times…"
She gave a sensual smile and lightly blinked her green eyes in a cute manner… hold on a moment… green eyes?
Luigi shook his head and rubbed his face to make sure he was seeing clearly. No… his vision wasn't messed up right now, and it was no trick of the light either. He could actually see that Valentina's eye color had changed from her usual baby blues to a very vivid glowing green.
"Valentina… uh, did… did you always had those… 'green eyes' before you met me?" he asked her curiously.
"Huh? What do you mean?" She looked at Luigi with total confusion. Apparently she didn't know her eerie transition either. "Is this a joke or something? Because if it is… I'm not really buying it."
"No, I'm not joking at all! Take a look for yourself!" Luigi exclaimed. He picked up his dinner spoon on the table and held it out so Valentina could see. She glanced at her reflection and gasped, touching around her eyeballs.
"H-How did that happened?" she whispered fearfully. She was really scared of the sudden change that happened to her. "When did my eyes changed?"
"I… I… I don't know! Um… M-Maybe it's a seasonal thing?" Luigi whimpered, trying to come up with a simple explanation. But even he was mystified for the real reason.
Valentina wanted to panic, but realized that that wouldn't do much help. She tried to think calm of the situation like her mother would. "O-Okay… well… I shouldn't really m-make a big deal out of it. I mean… it's just a simple eye color change… right?" she thought rationally. She brought out a little shy smile while studying her reflection. "And now that I look at them… they do make me look a little… exotic. Heehee… kinda like a white tiger."
So with those thoughts of encouragement, she told Luigi that they shouldn't really worry about it. But Luigi couldn't help but feel wary of the situation.
"But… but… what if it's a bad sign or something? I mean… aren't you being a little too comfortable about this?" he timidly replied.
"Oh come on, Luigi. It's not like I can suddenly shoot lasers out with them! Or could see through your clothes now… which by the way… you're wearing green underwear right now," Valentina spoke mischievously, looking down where Luigi's legs are.
Luigi yipped, while covering his pants with his hands. "Ahhh! It's actually happened!" he shrieked. A couple of the people dining near them looked up from their meals and stared at the hysterical Mario Brother.
The bouncing beauty laughed hard. "Hahaha! I'm only joking Luigi! I only just randomly guessed! Besides… I think it would be obvious now that you like the color green. Kind of ironic, actually… since my eyes are now green." She tilt her head like a cat and purred cutely.
"Don't you like my lovely eyes, Luigi?" Valentina asked, batting her eyelashes.
Luigi was still feeling cautious, and worried deeply about her well-being… but there was a side of him that did actually like those new eyes of hers. If anything in his opinion… they made her even more beautiful than before…
"Well… kinda, I guess… In fact, yeah… they do look lovely…," Luigi smiled.
Valentina's heart quickened with happiness. "Wow! Really? Thanks so much, sweetie!" She gave a loving peck on his cheek. And Luigi simply blushed like always.
/
(End of Part 1)