The detour past Evershade Valley made Luigi feel a little easier about the task at hand. With the Poltergust 3000 on his back and the Strobulb and Dark-Light fully functioning, it felt like maybe this could work. had even allowed him to borrow a prototype, a handheld paranormal radar to detect ghostly abnormalities. Now he had been fully equipped and was familiar with the devices, he reluctantly took the lead as they ventured through the dark forests beneath the ominous moonlight. The details of where to find this shard had taken him and Mario to the more abandoned parts of the Twisted Manors. He doubted even the Boos came out this far. Although he was curious as to why the ruins in this area looked so similar to the ones found in the Thwomp Ruins. He guessed they were perhaps of the same civilisation that perished mysteriously.
A ruined doorway etched with runes beckoned them to enter and descend beneath the earth. He looked to his brother who encouragingly nodded back. They descended the ancient stairs, the enchanted badges Shalazia gifted them appeared to glow gently in the darkness. Mario kept an eye on the musty surroundings, even though he doubted anyone came out here anymore. Luigi remained focused on the radar, still dreading the thought of running into anything spectral out here. His heart quickened, his knees shook, two blips appeared on the radar. Not just small ones either, they were huge, whatever was lurking down here was as dangerous as a possessor.
Luigi tried to get his mind off his crippling fears by focusing on the tunnel they were in. To his surprise he could feel leaves rustling around him. The faint light of the badge revealed layers of ivy and flowers he had never seen before. It was an underground forest, no a garden, lining the cold, dark earth. The plants looked well cared for, careful trimming kept them from engulfing the path. The gentle light shimmered across the walls when Luigi noticed the amount of insects peacefully living among the foliage; helping tend to the hidden garden. "Hey bro, look at all this, it's amazing… Daisy would love it here."
Mario answered "I didn't realise plants could grow in darkness…"
"To be honest I've never seen plants like this before. Look at the shapes of the leaves, they're like stars and the petals are like miniature suns…"
"It must've taken centuries for the flowers to grow so well. But it doesn't really tell us, who has been taking care of them."
"Whoever they are, they must know a lot about botany."
Mario came out to a grand hall and ducked behind a wall. Ghostly fungus illuminated the area revealing strange primal murals smeared across the walls. The floor was cracked making way for tree roots and mushrooms to flourish in the mouldy hidden room. Like the tunnel, all the plants were vibrant and mysterious taking on shapes and colours they had never seen before. The illustrations among the plants disturbed him, they depicted clans of humans dressed in dark menacing robes. The men appeared to revere a god like figure that resembled the Dark Star while the women followed the Shadow Queen. He did not understand what this chamber was for, but he knew whoever used it was beyond mercy and compassion.
By the time Luigi caught up, he saw his brother's solemn look and then the murals. He whistled and rocked on his heels "So… looks like I was right about that queen and the star. They've been around for a while and didn't just pop up randomly."
Mario could hardly believe it, he walked to the centre of the chamber to get a better look "How could anyone worship those monsters? You saw what they were capable of."
"Well, just the Dark Star… and Fawful summoning the Dark Star."
"The Shadow Queen was worse, she just took Peach like a toy, made her into…" Mario choked on the memory, to this day that whole incident with the Thousand Year Door made him uneasy.
Luigi tried to remain logical to help him rationalise his feelings "Well those Shadow Sirens and X-Nauts had to come from somewhere. Maybe it was here? But it looks pretty ancient, like a completely different timeline."
They both paused at the sight of the two giant statues that guarded either side of the ominous doorway. One was wreathed in horned armour, wielding a great sword while the other was a mage with a tome shackled to his wrist. The warrior appeared to have a crest resembling the Shadow Queen upon their cuirass while the mage had the Dark Star upon his robes.
"Or maybe," Luigi snapped his fingers "Maybe, those guys didn't know about this stuff and were just trying anything to get the Shadow Queen's attention."
"Maybe you're right, Weegee." Mario pointed to a part of the mural where minions of the Shadow Queen were being turned into silhouettes "Maybe those Shadow Sirens were just… failed followers."
The murmured sounds of women conversing echoed in the halls nearby. Not wanting to be discovered, Mario and Luigi his behind a nearby set of crumbling ruins. They waited with bated breath to catch of glimpse of who or what would dare come to this nightmarish lair. Luigi's hands tightened around the grip of the poltergust as he wriggled his back to settle the bulk of its weight evenly on his back. Mario nodded to him calmly, he then peered around the corner of a ruined altar to see a strange Boo with a backpack and a stylishly dressed Magikoopa.
Luigi nudged Mario, whispering "Bro, look at that crest on the Boo's backpack."
Mario was flummoxed for a moment, the same diamond shaped crest of Shalazia's gown was also on the Boo's bag. Although rather than a sapphire, this one had an emerald set within the gold flourishes.
Gallileo swooped down, plucking a black and rotting flower that was growing from the cracks. She shoved it into her pack with a grin "Alright, that should be enough for the conjuring." Loud cackling heralded her dramatic reading of the plaques on one of the statues "Agaricus, the mad mage who pioneered magic stemming from the Dark Star… until the Mushroom Kingdom cut his head off… not that it stopped him. His severed head came back after all." She cackled while pretending to pick the mage's nose. "King Boo was one ugly human… maybe because he didn't seem to bathe or eat… look at how gaunt and insane he looked. Not that he always looked so unkempt. He lost it after he was betrayed by Lentinellus."
"Keep quiet! I know you're enthusiastic about ancient history but keep your voice down." Magnifico chided with a hiss "You don't want to wake that flower."
"That big ol baby sleeps like a log." Gallileo swooped in the air a little, absentmindedly looking around the chamber. "Relax, my garden is always welcoming."
"You think it's true about this place? Like this was some kind of judgment chamber in the days of old?"
"It most certainly was when I was alive."
"Wait, you remember your life before you were a Boo? But I thought you had to sacrifice your memories for that."
"I did, but… I was always drawn to this place so I started tending to the plants here… it was my sanctuary. That big flower in the lower chambers was my only friend then... kinda sad really." Gallileo pointed to the statue of horned warrior "But I always felt a sense of déjà vu when I saw that statue… it was comforting but I didn't know why… eventually, Diabella and Fandango found me… they reminded me of who I was. Keep in mind this took a few centuries to sink in."
"How old are you guys anyway?"
"What do you think?"
Magnifico sighed, defeated "I can't tell, I wouldn't even know what to look for to indicate such a thing. Even so, all three of you reek of old magic, not that I can tap into it at all. It's far beyond my comprehension."
"Then why not ask Diabella or Fandango to explain it?"
"He's not very good at explaining things… She on the other hand is a little wary of that, well, you know, since the whole 'continue' spell went wrong with Figaro."
"That's what you get for running off after you only hear half the reagents. The power of the glitch is not for the faint of heart. You're effectively breaking the game and reprogramming it to do what you want." Gallileo playfully poked her nose. "Besides, we got over it. Diabella was just worried for your safety because she understands how dangerous magic is."
Magnifico let out a sigh "I know, but it's still my fault he came back without a voice."
"You were scared for him, it's understandable. Besides, he doesn't seem bothered by it."
Luigi noticed abnormal readings on the radar, the Boo would easily show up, more shocking was the Magikoopa. According to the machine, she was a ghostly entity and a very powerful one at that. He tapped Mario on the shoulder with a shaky hand to show him this discovery. For a moment Mario's brow furrowed before he resumed his usual confident face. An idea was in mind as he gestured Luigi to sneak around the other ruins in the chamber.
Gallileo and Magnifico were caught off guard when Mario leapt over the ruins to then lunge at them. A magic barrier deflected him with ease as Magnifico retaliated with a single flick of her wrist. She only felt a strange heat on the back of her neck before hearing Gallileo cry out. Turning wildly while deflecting Mario's attack once more, conjuring a wall of flames to keep him away, she saw Gallileo vanish into a vacuum cleaner. She growled back "What kind of weirdo puts a Boo in a vacuum cleaner!? You sir, are sick in the head!"
Mario gestured to Luigi to hold his position, he then looked to Magnifico "We don't need to fight, let's just talk."
"Bit late for that, you started out pretty aggressively." Magnifico adjusted her glasses noticing the sapphire badges on their overalls "You know once she gets her claws into you, it's too late… and there's nowhere to go but forward until someone thwarts her schemes."
Mario faltered for a second to say "Of course you'd know Shalazia, you're her sworn enemies! One of those Steam Punks!"
"Magnifico," she bluntly corrected "And that Boo is my friend, Gallileo. Can you let her out please? I have no desire to fight either of you."
He wildly flailed his arms before screeching "What, no!? What do you mean… ah… look, Shalazia is just trying to be free of the Lightning Queen! She's wants her kingdom to prosper! Not live in fear!"
"You're not the first to be bewitched by her. You know that, right? I seen a few enchanted by her in my time, but Diabella, Fandango and Gallileo have a way of sorting your kind out." Magnifico shot another fireball that missed Mario and Luigi. She then disappeared down the corridor between the two giant statues.
Mario rested a hand on his head as he momentarily closed his eyes "It's so much easier dealing with Bowser. What is wrong with these people?"
"I think it would be better to ask, what are these people?" Luigi pointed to the radar "That Magnifico has negative lives, she can't get a game over! She's effectively a glitch in the game!"
"You reckon they're all like that?" Mario let out a sigh "Mama mia, how are we going to solve this problem? Even when Shalazia gets the Prism Star she'll never be free of them." He then turned to the doorway in question "Come on, let's catch her and see if she can give us more answers."
As they ran through the inky darkness, Luigi thought it was odd. She was clearly putting on a show by flinging fireballs without a care. However they always seemed to just miss them as she herded them through the ancient catacombs. More disturbing murals of the Shadow Queen and the Dark Star appeared before his eyes in the afterglow of the fire magic, only to be swallowed into the abyss of the underground once the light faded. Hesitantly he followed after Mario. He knew this would lead them into a trap, yet his brother appeared adamant about finding Magnifico.
Luigi tapped Mario on the shoulder, trying to get his attention as he pleaded "Bro, maybe you should calm down. I know this place is creepy, but we can't lose our heads over this."
"Weegee, you know we have to break this place, right?" Mario solemnly informed "We… we have to."
Luigi fell silent, he saw the fear in Mario's eyes as another fireball passed by, briefly illuminating their faces. As the light faded again, he nodded to himself and mustered whatever courage he had left "Ok bro, we'll find a support pillar and bring this place to the ground once we find the shard and deal with... uh, these weirdos."
"Thanks." Mario fell silent as the tunnels and hallways filtered out into a giant chamber. The rocks and architecture had parted and made way for nature to takes its course. More strange glowing mushrooms practically oozed from any exposed patch of soil or roots that snaked between earth and stone. A sickeningly sweet aroma hung in the air with a faint tinge of rotting meat. While Magnifico was nowhere to be seen, they were not alone in that chamber.
The whisper of a snore made dread perch heavily on their shoulders. Most of the chamber and the source of the roots appeared to stem from a single source. A nest of the strange looking piranha plants snoozed in a glistening heap. Dew drops speckled the long twisting vines and roots that coiled around the chamber. The laminae had minds of their own and were never truly resting as they explored the surfaces of the chamber with ease. It was almost touching Luigi's foot as he jumped up on one leg in terror, biting his tongue so he wouldn't scream.
The flowers themselves did not look smooth or appeared to even open horizontally like piranha plants usually did. While they slept, the laminae were busy hunting for anything that took its attention. The brothers froze with terror as one grabbed a giant spider that crept along the ceiling. Easily large enough to swallow a Toad, the arachnid looked like a toy doll in comparison to the smothering leaves. Exoskeleton cracked, releasing the spider's innards as the laminae constricted and pulled its writhing corpse back to a waiting mouth.
Sleepily one of the flowers opened vertically, no true teeth, only jagged leaf like blades with the remains of former prey amidst the plant based fangs. The inside of the plant was red filtering out to an orange than yellow around the edges. The flower closed around the spider with sickening crunch. It was a mystery as to where the spider's remains vanished to as it swallowed.
Not wanting to awaken the plant monster time forgot, Mario and Luigi both decided to edge back through the doorway they came through. Something then wildly struck Luigi, ripping the Poltergust from his back while he shoved forward. Luigi hit the ground hard, right on one of the plant's laminae. While he was dazed, it wasted no time in coiling around him.
"Have fun with the corpse flower!" Magnifico taunted as she vanished down the hallway, dragging the Poltergust with her. "I hope Gallileo will forgive me…"
Mario was about to follow when he heard Luigi scream. The plant groaned, flowers snapping like piranhas as it finally stopped snoring. The laminae were swinging in the air with abandon and Luigi helplessly flailing about to the monster's whims. There were no power ups in that chamber, Mario had no other choice than to think of something to fight back with. He doubted jumping on the plant would help, those flowers would snap him in half in an instant. Suddenly the plant screeched and rattled, a vine wildly lashing away from Luigi with fear. Mario then realised it had touched Shalazia's badge.
"It's weak to ice!" Mario cheered happily to himself. Then realised he had no idea where to target. Most monsters he faced had some tell of weakness on their bodies. The corpse flower had so many heads and writhing limbs that it was near impossible to decipher where a weak spot would arise. With skill he nimbly dodged and rolled from side to side to avoid the encroaching and frantic thorned vines. They had begun to lash out like wild whips, desperate to get rid of the cold. All the while, Luigi had only become more entangled in its grasp.
The stone walls of the chamber were becoming more scarred by the second. Blind lashes were tearing the room apart. Mario feared the roof would collapse on them all if this continued. He needed to calm this creature and quickly. Amidst the flailing, when he ducked to avoid a sweeping strike, he realised the roots of the plant were exposed with every over exaggerated movement. A small gap emerged between the many snapping plant heads and the loose soil when it moved.
Mario exploited this obvious opportunity, no matter how suicidal it appeared to any onlooker. Never before had he had to move this swiftly to evade a creature that clearly had too many arms. Despite its bizarre appearance, the corpse flower appeared to be quite stupid. Only concerned with feeding its face rather than noticing its surroundings, it would have seen the encroaching threat as Mario dived towards the main roots. He pulled the sapphire badge away from him and readied to stab it into the flower.
Luigi kept struggling even as the monster lowered him slowly towards its voracious flowers. The plant then shivered erratically. As Luigi was suspended overhead, he watched in horrified amazement. Crystals were growing all over the plant like a creeping mould. Slowly the vines stopped moving and froze in their places. The glistening dew upon the flowers solidified into near perfect gems. The plant rattled weakly one last time as the ice consumed the leaves and plant to replace it with dead, clear, nothingness. A monstrous frozen statue was now the heart of the chamber.
Mario stepped back and looked at the badge now firmly stabbed into one of the main roots. It had certainly worked better than he expected, now embedded in the plant and covered with the same sheet of sleet. The silence was shattered by Luigi finally breaking free from the now brittle vine. He crashed into the mass of frozen flower heads sending flourishes of glittering ice into the air.
"Weegee!" Mario yelled as he attempted to scale the slippery plant, proving a near impossible challenge now it was frozen solid.
"Look what I found!" Luigi cheered, emerging from the frozen rubble and slid down the leaves to Mario. A diamond point was in his hand "It was stuck in the middle of the flower."
Mario helped his brother to his feet with a triumphant grin "Alright, one piece down, two to go!"
"That was pretty lucky though, I mean, you lost that badge in there."
"Don't worry, what matters is that we're both still alive."
"You seem better, what happened to the 'destroy this place' attitude?"
"It's still there, but I don't know how and we don't have the time to spare. Shalazia needs to reform the Prism Star sooner rather than later. Especially if her enemies have negative lives."
Luigi nodded back and followed after Mario. For now the ancient sanctum would remain their secret. Yet they knew they would return to destroy it, once they formulated a safe way to do so. When they came out to the main hall with the murals and statues, they saw the smashed remains of the poltergust. Magnifico and Gallileo were long gone by then. They solemnly left the forgotten forest, lost beneath the earth. Luigi felt a tinge of guilt as they did. He got the feeling that even though it was used in ancient times for dark magic, that Boo had transformed it into an everlasting oasis. Effectively, he and Mario had destroyed it in one night.