A gentle sigh escaped Luigi's lips, the plumber watching as numerous trees passed by. Small houses, a few farms, even the Mushroom Kingdom international Airport appeared in the distance before fading into the glimmering horizon. The plumber smirked as he saw the energetic Toad watching everything pass by, watching with child-like enthusiasm.
"Oh wow! Look at how fast we're going! Oh! Look at that! Oh! That looks cool too!"
"I'll take it you've never gotten on a train before?" Luigi smirked as Todd turned back to his seat. The Toad shook his head.
"No, we've only ever used buggy and car. I've never even been on a plane or a train before..." Todd explained. Luigi nodded.
"All right then, enjoy the trip. We'll be taking the train back once we finish our mission in the desert." Luigi said as he relaxed into the chair of the Mushroom express. He had saved up more than enough money to pay for both his and Todd's tickets, and with some of the supplies he had picked up in Newsong, he was sure they wouldn't be finding any problems anytime soon. Whenever he was on an adventure with Mario, it was always a panic of whether or not they had enough coins, or whether or not they should have grabbed more items from the store. "It's nice when you don't have to worry..." Luigi mumbled happily.
"Um...Mister Luigi?"
Luigi cracked an eye open to see Todd sitting nervously across from him. "Yeah?" The Toad fidgeted for a moment.
"Umm...exactly where are we going? And what for?" Luigi looked up to the ceiling, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Well, from what Gregory told me, the first Crystal Key is somewhere in Dry Dry Desert. We're heading to the outpost closest to the heart of the desert, Dry Dry Outpost. From there we look for clues to the Crystal Key. The first thing we have to do however is find Gregory's friend..." Luigi held up a piece of paper, staring at its message. "We have to go to the Desert Flower Inn..."
A blue-shelled Hammer Bro. looked around the dusty dessert, looking around desperately for an oasis. His canteen having long since been emptied, he needed to find a source of water soon, or else he would become just like his desert companions.
"Don't wanna end up like you guys..." He said, swallowing heavily as he saw the numerous bones of the desert. He looked behind him to see nothing but sand. He forgot how long he had been traveling. How many hours had it been since he realized he wouldn't be able to go back the way he came? He looked at the sandy ground, the wind blowing away his most recent tracks. Looking back up, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
"I'm not gonna go down here. I'm gonna find him, and he'll pay." He said to himself, walking off into the howling desert.
"So, Dry Dry Outpost right? Just head up Rugged Trail and you'll eventually find yourself at the beginning of Dry Dry Desert. Keep following the dirt path and you'll find the town." The conductor explained, pointing towards the start of the trail. Luigi thanked the Toad, tipping his hat to him. Turning and picking up a small bag, he and Todd began their trek up the mountain.
"So, have you ever been to Dry Dry Outpost before Mister Luigi?"
"You don't have to call me mister, Todd," Luigi smirked. "And no, actually. I've been to a few towns myself, but never to a desert town like this." The man smiled nervously while scratching his nose lightly. "I'm actually kinda excited about it. Granted you have to be careful because desert towns tend to have bandits and thieves, so when we get there, watch your wallet." He warned. Crossing a rickety bridge, Luigi looked down, nervous about how high they had gotten. He had forgotten about his fear of heights.
The winding path went all around the mountain, dipping and rising before curling around another mountain. Mount Rugged wasn't just ONE mountain, it was a series of them. And they were all in different kinds of shapes and sizes. Though it was a rough trek, Luigi did admit that the view was amazing. The sun slowly rising up over the clouds in the mountain range was a wonderful sight, and the wind was nice and cool. And yes, even that black shadow that was coming closer and closer looked cool...wait, WHAT?
"DUCK!" Luigi shouted, the Toad and the plumber hitting the ground as a giant bird swooped over their heads.
"I'm not a duck! I'm a buzzard! Buzzar the Buzzard to be exact!" The giant bird bellowed, its giant black wings flapping loudly as it hovered a few feet away from the two adventurers. "And I'm here on a mission! You!" It pointed to Luigi, who slowly stood back up before tensing.
"Y-y-yes?" The bald buzzard reached into its feathers before pulling out a piece of paper. Reading its contents, it put the note back into its feathers before glaring at Luigi.
"What's yer name?" The plumber blinked, wondering whether or not he should actually give his name. He felt this situation sounded familiar, like something Mario told him about...but why? This bad feeling in the pit of his stomach was causing him to worry, and though he was sure nobody would know much about him, he'd rather not be known outside of Toad Town. So yes, a cover name seemed appropriate.
"U-um..." Luigi fumbled, thinking of a cover name.
"It's Luigi!" Todd shouted defiantly, Luigi's face paling. That was the exact thing he was trying to avoid! The buzzard looked taken back by the shout, but nonetheless watched the plumber carefully.
"Oh, sorry. I'm looking for a fella named Mario." Luigi's eyes widened as the buzzard apologized. "Didn't mean ta' bother ya."
"Why are you looking for my bro?" Luigi's eyes went comically white before he slapped his mouth shut a moment after he spoke.
Too late.
"What was that? Your brother?" The buzzard glared angrily at Luigi. "Then you probably know where he is!" The buzzard prepared to swoop in before Luigi began waving his arms frantically.
"W-w-wait! I don't know where he is!"
The buzzard stopped mid-swoop.
"Oh, I'm sorry...thought you would know..." The bird apologized before seemingly remembering something. "Wait a minute...Oh-hoh! I see...you Mario's think you're tricky, don'cha?" The bird glared at Luigi, who seemed confused on the matter. "Well I'm not a dumb bird! Your brother tricked me once, I won't be fooled again!" The big black bird screeched before swooping down at the green thunder.
"W-w-wait! Can't we talk this over?" Luigi pleaded, trying not to get into a fight as he rolled out of the way. He didn't like fighting, mostly because he was pretty weak, but that didn't matter at this point. The more prominent reason was that he was now looking down.
WAAAAAY down.
Then again, seeing as they were on the side of a mountain, it seemed like it was a pretty good reason not to fight. However it appeared as if the bird had shut its ears in an attempt to not be persuaded by the tricky brother, and continued to swoop down again and again at the twosome. Diving behind a rock, Luigi panted, Todd collapsed in a heap next to him.
"Wha...what are we going...to do?" Todd wheezed. Luigi glanced from behind the rock, hoping to catch sight of the bird. He saw it looking around, having lost sight of them in his most recent swoop.
"We gotta find a way out of here...but he's a bird, so not only can he fly, but he'll be able to spot us from a good few miles away...not to mention that he'll easily be able to catch up to us..." Luigi tried to figure out a way out of this mess. How could he distract a bird? And how was it that their adventure had only just started and they were already running into trouble?
"Maybe one of us could dress up as a female bird and try to flirt with him?" Todd suggested. Luigi spun around immediately and stared at the Toad in a mixture of shock and incredibility.
"How much television have you been watching lately?" He questioned the boy.
"Not that much..." Todd replied innocently.
"Then maybe you should stop indefinitely. THAT'S THE MOST IDIOTIC IDEA I'VE EVER HEARD!" Luigi shouted in rage, an image of a blue cat cross-dressing to get a brown mouse appearing in his mind.
"Hey! I heard you!" Luigi turned white before frantically looking around. There had to be something he could use...SOMETHING! He spotted a small alcove off to the side of their hiding place, just big enough to hide both of them. Looking up and seeing the buzzard turning towards them, Luigi grabbed the Toad and darted for the alcove. "THERE YOU ARE!"
"CRUD!" Luigi threw Todd at the cave, spinning around and taking a full-on tackle from the massive bird. The bird grabbed the plumber's arms before taking off high into the air, Luigi flailing wildly. The buzzard buckled as he fell into a steady glide, Luigi gasping as his eye caught sight of something loosening from his belt.
"THE MAP!" Luigi panicked, the directional piece of paper falling out from its pouch. The plumber struggled desperately to fasten the map back, but the buzzard would allow no more movement. Luigi's eyes shrank as he saw the map begin to be blow away in the wind, the buzzard flapping it's wings and sending it down in the opposite direction of the two.
"Oh no yeh don't. No more strugglin, yah' hear? You gotta look presentable when I bring you to Bowser!" The buzzard looked forward as he began to fly away, knowing Luigi wouldn't try something irrational.
"THUNDER!"
OR...maybe he would...
A bright blue bolt of lightning shot down from a practically clear sky, blasting the large black bird and causing it to release it's grip on Luigi.
'Don't look down, don't look down! Focus on the map! The Map! THE MAAAP!' Luigi chanted desperately in his head, trying to focus on getting the map. Pulling his arms and legs into himself, Luigi angled for the wildly flailing piece of paper. 'Almost...there...' He reached a hand out, the paper just barely touching his finger before he was snatched out of the sky.
"NO!" Luigi gasped in horror as he was yanked away from the map.
"You'll pay for that you wild little animal!" Buzzar screeched as he tried to grab Luigi's other arm with his remaining talon. Spinning his body weight, Luigi flipped around before landing a hard kick to the bird's head, causing it to see stars. The green thunder then took the momentum of his return spin to flip onto the back of the buzzard before grabbing hold of the large bird's wings.
"DIVE CHICKEN!" Luigi shouted desperately, angling the wings towards the ground, the map barely in view. The two picked up speed, Buzzar still dizzy from the sudden kick. Luigi narrowed his eyes, trying to keep the map in view as the two dive-bombed after the old parchment. The wind whipped by his face, leaving the plumber teary-eyed from the rapid descent, though he refused to close his eyes. If he blinked for even a second, he would lose sight of the map. Buzzar, however, had a different plan. Finally shaking the dizziness off, he struggled to regain control of his wings. The two battled it out, Luigi trying to maintain control and Buzzar struggling to get it back. The bird suddenly shoved his body into a spiral dive, Luigi losing his grip and falling towards the mountain base. Grinning in satisfaction as he stopped spinning, Buzzar only had time to squawk as a large mountain came into view, the bird slamming into it before spiraling towards another mountain, Luigi falling further and further to the ground. The last thing Luigi heard before he hit the trees was Todd shouting his name in terror.
.
..
...
"Oh...my head..." Luigi groaned, sitting up and shaking his head. He looked down at himself to find himself on a bed. Wait, where was he? Looking around, Luigi found himself to be in a shack of some sort. Weird...last thing he remembered was falling off of that buzzard. The plumber attempted to sit up, only for a searing pain to shoot through his left leg. Looking down, Luigi's eyes shrank. He wasn't wearing any shoes, rather a strange pair of sandals, and his left leg had a splint wrapped next to it. Thinking back on it, Luigi did agree that his leg should have been missing, considering the height he fell from...but there remained a bigger question in his mind.
"I wonder who found me..." Luigi looked around to find a crutch of sorts and managed to get a hold of it without putting much stress on his foot. Limping out of the shack, Luigi looked around to find a strange sight. Numerous Toads, Koopas and Goombas were all walking around, chatting. Luigi never would have guessed to find a mountain town on Mt. Rugged. He hadn't seen anything like it as he and Todd were traversing the mountain...
"TODD! OH CRAP!" Luigi smacked his forehead, having completely forgotten about the small toad. Who knew where the small Toad had wound up after he threw him into that alcove. Luigi groaned, also remembering something ELSE that got lost. "Man, I can't seem to keep anything on me..." He sighed, his shoulders drooping.
"Oh! You're awake!" Luigi looked up at the voice, his eyes widening and his jaw nearly hitting the ground. A beautiful, long-haired brunette stood in front of him wearing a long brown dress, a small beaded necklace and a pair of sandals. She was holding a basket of small fruit, and her bright blue eyes smiled gently to him. "Welcome to Aired, the High-Peak mountain town!" She looked down to see Luigi's splinted leg. "It looks like you're healing up nicely, and I see you're using the crutch I got for you."
"Ah! Oh, um, s-so this is YOUR handiwork?" Luigi looked to his splinted leg and the crutch under his left arm. The brunette smiled brightly at the praise. "Th-thank you very much. Are...are you the one who..." Luigi trailed off, though she nodded in understanding.
"I'm Diana. And yes, I'm the one who found you by the river at the base of the mountain." She giggled as she held a hand to her mouth. "I couldn't just leave you there, so I got my father and some of the villagers to help you back up the mountain." She looked back down to Luigi's foot. "We found you unconscious, floating down the river. Your ankle was broken, and we figured you'd passed out or something. My father has been waiting for you to awaken, so please, follow me."
Luigi slowly hobbled along with Diana, amazed at the amount of activity going on around the small town. How had this town not been put on the map? Was it a sort of village that kept to itself? Did that mean...Luigi swallowed lightly...he wouldn't be leaving? Fear shot up the plumber's spine, suddenly feeling nervous about all the villagers. It heightened once he was lead to a large tent, undoubtedly the leader's home.
Inside, Luigi found himself looking at a very beefed up man with war paint all over him, wielding a large staff with a Snifit's face carved onto the top. His head was shiny bald, and there were numerous scars dotting over the man's body. He was sitting as Luigi came in, but the plumber didn't doubt for a second that the man was taller than him. And Luigi was quite tall, standing 6'2. He confirmed this as the man stood up, now towering over him. He had heard of those seven footers used in wars, how their size intimidated their enemies. Luigi had fought many large monsters with Mario however, so luckily he wasn't quite intimidated by the tall chieftain. Silence reigned the room with an iron fist, Luigi shifting nervously on the crutch he was given. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, and though he wanted to do nothing more than run, the slight pain coursing up his leg told him otherwise. Diana, who was quite annoyed at the tense silence, decided to break it.
"Father, the stranger has awoken from his slumber. Were there not things you wanted to ask of him?" She glared at the Indian-esque man. He sighed, looking up at Luigi.
"Stranger, what are you doing in our village?"
"FATHER!" Diana shouted curtly, glaring at the village leader. The man sighed before nodding.
"My apologies, I am not one for introductions. I am Loki, leader of Aired village." He motioned to Diana. "That is Diana, my daughter." He then nodded to Luigi, who nodded as well. If there was one thing he had learned from his adventures with Mario and the Princess, it was that introductions were very important. He had even talked at a few of her meetings. True, he wasn't really awake for most of her meetings, because it usually revolved around the same things, but he was a pretty good speaker, in his mind at least.
"I am Luigi, a traveler on a quest. You asked of me what I'm doing in this village, and I must say that I don't quite know." Loki watched him carefully, Luigi getting that cold chill down his spine again. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. We were crossing the mountain to reach the desert but we were attacked by a large buzzard." Loki raised an eyebrow, Luigi blinking. "A big bird."
"Ah." Loki nodded, Luigi letting out a small sigh.
"The big bird grabbed me and tried bringing me somewhere, but I got loose and fell. Next thing I know, I'm here, with a broken ankle." Luigi looked to his leg. "I'm also looking for a map...a special piece of paper with drawings on it." Luigi explained as Loki once more seemed confused. Luigi watched Loki in confusion. Diana seemed to talk just fine, perfect speech without any problems of communication, yet her father, Loki, seemed to have trouble understanding basic words. Was it some sort of verbal problem with him? Or was it that he didn't quite know English? It was possible. This village was cut off from the main towns, and most likely, that was how they intended it to stay. Loki seemed to ponder the situation before nodding.
"Strange man's story seems okay to Loki. But Loki cannot let strange man leave." Luigi's eyes widened.
"What? Why?"
Loki turned to him, glaring before snapping his fingers. Luigi's eyes widened as he saw a villager bring the Keyblade into the room.
"You bring weapon of destruction with you. We must watch you, make sure you don't cause trouble."
"But that isn't really a weapon, and I still don't really know how to use it!" Luigi glared at Loki. This was getting ridiculous. Why was he calling a weapon that no doubt hadn't done anything a weapon of destruction? Loki glared at Luigi as he stomped his foot.
"WEAPON IS WEAPON! YOU BRING WEAPON TO AIRED VILLAGE! WHAT TO SAY THERE NO MORE OF YOU?" Luigi glared at the man, feeling his temper rising.
"I'm not going to attack you. I just want to find my friend and continue on my journey. I leave, you live in peace." Luigi said, trying to maintain calm.
"NO! LOKI NOT ALLOW!"
Luigi snapped.
"I CAN'T LEAVE MY FRIEND OUT THERE!" Luigi roared, sparks beginning to course around his body. Gasps erupted around the tent.
"Wizard..." A Koopa spoke.
"Magic!" Diana said, holding a hand to her mouth.
"Magic?" Luigi looked around, wondering why some of the villagers were staring at him with wide eyes. He looked at his hand to see sparks resonating from it. Taking a deep breath, Luigi calmed the rampaging energy inside of him. They were all amazed how the sparks disappeared. Luigi looked back up to the cautious Loki. "I leave, you live in peace. My friend is out there, a small child, and he needs my help. Other friends need me, some disappear from me. I HAVE to find them. I can't stay." Luigi stated his determination fiercely.
Loki was quiet, watching Luigi from where he stood. He turned around, picking up the Keyblade and holding it up to the air.
"This weapon...it possesses a strange aura." He then turned to Luigi. "You too possess a strange aura. Loki is leader of village. Loki must protect village!" He stated, slamming the staff into the ground.
"And Luigi must protect his friends."
The two stared at each other evenly, neither side giving up. The tent was quiet, despite having been a shouting match mere moments ago. Looking first to the Keyblade and then to Luigi, Loki nodded.
"You may leave..." Luigi face lit up. "But only on one condition." Luigi's face fell. Composing himself, the injured plumber nodded, deciding he had best hear the condition. After all, it couldn't be TOO bad, could it? "You must fight me."
You could hear a cricket chirp.
"WHAAAAT?" Luigi gawked at the big, beefy, war veteran-like man.
"Father!" Loki held up a hand, silencing his daughter. He kept his stare even with Luigi.
"You must fight Loki. If you win, you leave. If you lose, you stay."
"But, he's injured! He can barely move! Father, be reasonable!"
Luigi stared at the man in shock. He had to fight? In his condition? WAS THIS GUY NUTS!? Maybe, but then again, judging by the shocked looks of everyone, maybe he wasn't. Because right now Luigi was the biggest idiot, his head having nodded and the words 'All right' having just escaped his lips.
"What? It's not like I have much of a choice..." Luigi shrugged to Diana, though she couldn't help but notice Luigi's legs were shaking like he was holding a jackhammer.
'Me'thinks my brother's stubbornness is rubbing off on me...' Luigi gloomed, wanting to just roll-up and die in the corner.
"We begin." He walked out of the tent, Luigi slowly limping after him.
Numerous villagers watched as Luigi limped after the Chieftain, wondering where he was being led. Some of the older villagers sighed sadly, already knowing the young man's fate. As Luigi struggled to keep up with the towering man, his mind was flying through ideas at a furious pace. The last time he had to do something like this was when he was fighting the Chestnut King for the second time in the Waffle Kingdom. He ended up fighting the creature three times, the second time was just after he had broken his wrist. It took a Life Shroom to restore his arm back to health, but he had only been able to get his hands on it AFTER the battle. Luigi furiously thought of ideas to surprise the chieftain, but his main concern was how the Chieftain held battles. Mario had taught him that, even though you win, you lose. And seeing how everyone obeyed the Chieftain so readily, he wondered that, if he somehow DID win, would the villagers try to attack him in retaliation?
'I need more time to think!' Luigi panicked, noticing the arena coming up.
It was a large area with markings and walls built around the structure. Four large towers signaled the corners, while two large pillars stood near the middle of the stage. Loki took the far side of the arena while Luigi hobbled to the one closest to the gate. He looked back, swallowing as the gate slammed shut. He noticed two villagers walking over to him, and his eyes sparkled in joy. Happily taking some of his equipment back, Luigi smiled as he put the flannel shirt, Adventure Pouch and belt back on his person. Granted, he wasn't able to change back into his shoes, but it didn't matter. The problem stood in front of him.
Loki was sitting across the arena, waiting patiently for Luigi to prepare himself. He no longer held the Snifit Staff from earlier, but a long spear. His once bald head was covered by the bony skull of a dead Koopa, and his sandals had disappeared from his feet. Even worse, in Luigi's opinion, was the fact that there was a flaming aura of power surrounding the calm Chieftain.
Luigi didn't need to look down to see his legs were shaking. He could hear the clacking of the crutch as it shook along with the rest of him. Taking a deep breath, Luigi attempted to calm his nerves. He looked to his right hand, where the Keyblade rested quietly, thrumming in quiet satisfaction. Once again, Luigi couldn't help but wonder if the blade was alive, as it seemed to thrum in content whenever it was in his hand. Taking another deep breath, Luigi looked forward.
"All right. It's now or never."
