Dragonzamasu's Secret Underwater Realm
Luigi splashed into the water and immediately started to swim downwards towards the mystical bluish-green aura coming from the two large statues, despite the threat of getting eaten alive by a group of hungry sharks that were swimming near the passage leading into the underwater pyramid. His eyes burned from having them open underwater, but it was the only way that he would be able to swim in the right direction without getting lost. At about half depth, Luigi was beginning to near the entrance and the sharks were beginning to notice as well. He tried to steer clear by swimming around them, but it proved to be a major challenge. Not only did the marine creatures know where to find Luigi, but they could also get to him fast. Nevertheless, Luigi continued swimming towards the underwater entrance while avoiding getting eaten by the underwater predators. Looking through the blue water, the entrance seemed to lead to a staircase that made its way up a long hall, but Luigi was unable to tell if there were any air pockets that he could use to catch his breath. However, there was no time to turn back and get more air as the sharks remained close behind. By this point, Luigi's lungs were burning from lack of oxygen and he was swimming as fast as he could into the pyramid-shaped building. A few moments later, he started swimming his way up the flooded stairwell where more mysterious light auras could be seen. Just when he felt his life starting to slip away, Luigi suddenly hit an air pocket and was quick to wade through the shallower water up the remaining steps of the flooded staircase. Dismayed that they did not catch their next meal, the sharks simply swam back the other way.
"That was too close." Luigi managed to say. "I think that's the last risk I'll be taking for now. Any moment longer and I would've either drowned or died easily from a shark bite."
He then took the backpack and looked inside the main compartment. Sure enough, everything was still there, including the amulet and the first gemstone.
"At least I still have everything."
Despite the fact that his whole body was soaked and dripping with ocean water, he put his hat back on after shaking out his thick brown hair and pressed on down the dark, illuminated hall. The pain in his bullet wound was not as bad as he thought it would be, though it was still enough to cause him quite a bit of discomfort. The other wounds he managed to sustain just had a minor stinging sensation. Turning his attention the new environment around him, Luigi was greeted with more mysterious hieroglyphic writings on the walls. They were not in the same condition as the ones he and Daisy have already seen in the above areas because of the erosion brought upon by the water that now flooded a majority of the complex. The pictures that were being exhibited on the wall were different in that they depicted a dragon-like Yurarin Boo, the same one that was being represented by the underwater statues. Who was this figure? There were also depictions of a strange bubble-like creature hanging around the dragon-seahorse hybrid. Searching through his mind, Luigi seemed to recognize the figure, but he was not quite sure as to who it might be. Then, out of luck, a brief flashback to his college days enlightened him with the answer.
"I know who this entity is!" Luigi exclaimed as he examined the ancient pictures. "This must be Dragonzamasu, the legendary ruler of the Muda subkingdom. He was one of four legendary emperors that once ruled over Sarasaland during the time of the ancients. This bubble figure must be Tamao. If I remember correctly, he was Dragonzamasu's guardian…"
Then, an interesting thought occurred to Luigi. What if Dragonzamasu was responsible for guarding two of the eight gemstones needed to access the secret basement in the Great Pyramid? That could explain why the first gemstones were hidden in Muda. Even more intriguing was the possibility that all four rulers might have had some connection to the eight gemstones involved in the great cleansing ceremony. If that was the case, Luigi reasoned that it might have been a safety measure to ensure that no one would try to find the amulet. Not only that, but it would also help locate the remaining gemstones in a timely matter. But what of the amulet? Why was simply locked inside of a box in the middle of the desert and not destroyed to begin with? The more Luigi thought about it, the more he wanted to know and the more he became convinced that the remaining gemstones were hidden in the other remaining kingdoms. But of course, Luigi did not want to rush into quick judgment. Perhaps the next clue would confirm his suspicions. But in the meantime, he continued down the tunnel towards a brightly illuminated room.
"Who knew that being a plumber would require so much knowledge of ancient civilizations?" Luigi joked to himself. "Oh well, I guess it only really comes into play when you have to save the world from an ancient prophecy that you accidentally fulfill… Ugh…"
A moment later, Luigi emerged into the room at the end of the hall and was once again greeted with an unexpected surprise. Inside the large interior was what appeared to be the remains of a glorious underground palace courtyard, where four looming statues of Dragonzamasu himself (one on each wall) were seen looking down into the room as if they were watching for any unexpected intruders. In a way, they almost seemed to guarding something, perhaps something of importance. In addition to their looming stature, each of the statues had a bright illuminated crystal suspended above them, each flooding the room with a mystical blue light. The room itself had three other passages leading to other unknown sectors of the complex, while the middle of the room housed a small pool of water (for decoration perhaps?). Not much each could be seen in the room, with the exception of more enigmatic inscriptions and pictographs Dragonzamasu and other strange creatures on the walls.
"What is this place?" Luigi asked himself, looking around the room. "Looks like some kind of main hub area. But where could those other passages possibly take me? Do they possibly hold the second gemstone? I guess I'll have to take each passage one at a time to find out. Hopefully they don't lead to any other large and complicated areas! At least there aren't any creatures to deal with here… at least not yet."
The thought of more creatures sent shivers down Luigi's wet spine, especially since he did not have any means to defend himself from the threats. He needed to find a weapon soon, before things become increasingly difficult to handle. In the meantime, it seemed to Luigi that it would be best if he focused retrieving the second gemstone and then find a quick way out before that, or anything worse, happened. There was no time to stand and admire the architecture of the room. Luigi instinctively decided to try the passage to his left to see if there was anything of importance that could be found there. He emerged into a narrow hallway that made a sharp ninety-degree turn to the right and then lead into a medium-sized "hall" lined with decorated columns and other architectural accents such as archways and statues of Dragonzamasu with large glowing green crystals. The room was also partially flooded on either side where the floor had been chipped away from natural forces like earthquakes and the rising and falling of ocean tides. Still, there was nothing that would lead Luigi any closer to the next gem. He was beginning to get frustrated and angry that it was taking this long to find it. After all, the clues did mention that they would be close to each other. But how close? Not only that, but the impeding deadline marking the end of the world did not help the situation become any less stressful, despite having being in the back of Luigi's mind for all the time he had been exploring the underground catacombs. It also did not help that he still had six other gems to find after he finally attains the next one, and chances were that they were scattered elsewhere and far from where he currently was. Still, it would not keep him from doing what had to be done. Luigi continued walking down to the other end of the room until he was startled by something completely unexpected. Standing near the corner of the room stood the frightened figure of a woman dressed in purple beach attire who had been badly bruised and cut. She had light-hued blondish hair and a slim build, though not the same elegance as either Princess Daisy or Princess Peach. When she saw Luigi, her face immediately lit up and emotions began to ensue.
"Oh god, I'm saved! Help me…please…" the woman pleaded as she saw Luigi approach her with a relieved, yet somewhat puzzled expression on his face. Likewise, she started approaching him, reaching her arms out as if to hug him.
"You've saved me, stranger!" she said "It was awful! I don't know how I got here, all I remember seeing before I passed out were these things…"
"SHHH! Slow down!" Luigi replied. "Everything's going to be just fine. What is your name?"
The woman stared at Luigi for a just few moments before she replied.
"My name is Lucy." she said to him.
"Do you by any chance know a man named Derek?" Luigi asked.
"Yeah, he's my boyfriend. You know him?"
"Sort of… We met only yesterday…" Luigi replied.
"Wait a minute. Are you the guy that was in the ninja suit that he told me about?"
"Yes."
"Because, you look as though you might be famous… Are you Luigi?"
"I am. The cap probably gave it away…" Luigi replied.
"Actually, it was your facial features that gave you away." Lucy said. "They keep saying that you're guilty of kidnapping Princess Peach and your brother. Is that true?"
"No, it's not." Luigi replied. "And I can tell you why, but it's going to have to be the shortened version because we don't that much time to waste down here. But first, tell me what you remember happening before you found yourself here. Do you remember seeing anything out of the ordinary? How did you end up here in the first place?"
"Well, me and Derek were just minding our own business on the beach and having a good time, when these things came out of nowhere and just started wreaking havoc on the beach. People were screaming and running for their lives. Even the king's guards were afraid that their lives were going to end."
"So then what happened?" Luigi asked.
"Well, as me and Derek were running, one of the creatures suddenly grabbed my leg and started taking me in the opposite direction. Derek tried to save me with a pistol he had apparently had with him, but he was unable to save me. The next thing I know, the creature knocks me unconscious and then takes me into this place. I've been stuck in here for who knows how long. I don't even know where I'm at."
"We aren't exactly very far from you where you were kidnapped." Luigi replied. "And it hasn't been that long either. Not even a day."
"Really? I could have sworn it was a couple." Lucy replied.
"It's hard to tell when you're underground." Luigi said. "Are you alright, at least?"
"I guess."
"I wish I could say the same. There are plenty of other things that I still need to worry about. I'm actually the reason why the creatures have recently appeared. The reason why I'm here is I'm trying to put a stop to it."
"Can you explain what you mean? I'm having a hard time understanding where you're coming from." Lucy said.
"Don't mind if I do."
Luigi went on to explain the entire background of how the situation came to be, with him and Mario discovering the ancient tomb in the middle of the Sarasalandian desert and the Amulet of Jealousy and Resentment. At first, Lucy was skeptical of the things Luigi was saying to her, since it all sounded like it came directly from a movie. But when he showed her the amulet, she immediately gasped and understood the truthfulness behind what he had already told her. After that, Luigi managed to tell her about the final battle with Bowser, how he met up with Daisy, as well as the fight he and Mario had during the after party at Peach's Castle, which was undoubtedly responsible for activating the amulet and bringing forth the prophecy forecasting Armageddon. He then mentioned his first meeting with Mr. L. and his background before him and Daisy managed to blast their way through the border into Sarasaland and meet up with her now dead friend John, who had enlightened them with the legend of the Amulet of Jealousy and Resentment. Then, Luigi explained to Lucy about the voice in his head and how he and Daisy got captured by King Richard and then escaped with the help of Queen Lilian and by hitching a ride on a train that brought both of them into Muda, where they encountered Derek and worked out the locating of the first two gemstones. He then went on to tell her about their journey through the caves and how they managed to find the first gemstone by solving a puzzle involving an ancient and surprisingly accurate model of the Solar System before meeting again with Mr. L., who tried to take the amulet, but managed to kidnap Daisy instead. From there, Luigi briefly explained to Lucy how he found the secret underwater 'shrine' of Dragonzamasu right up until the point he found her. By the time the story was over, she was lost for words and could not think of anything to say, for it was seemed all too much to take in at once.
"Wow." Lucy said. "You really went through hell…"
"You're telling me. There's only so much a plumber can do before he goes crazy." Luigi replied. "Listen, we need to get you out of here. Derek is probably anxious to see you again. Once we get back out into the open, I'll be sure that you two are reunited and safe."
"Is Derek still okay?"
"Well, assuming the creatures haven't gotten to him yet, he should still be on the beach near the ruins just outside the cave. Unfortunately, he managed to break his ankle somehow, probably when he was trying to save you last night. However, going back is going to be a real challenge, because there are plenty of traps and shark-infested waters. We need to find a different way out of here, one that preferably doesn't contain any of those hazards. But before we do that, I still need to find another gem. I'm pretty sure it's hidden in this part of the complex."
"Hopefully." Lucy said. "Aren't you worried about Daisy and Peach and your brother?"
"Of course! All the time. Why wouldn't I be?" Luigi replied. "But at the same time, I'm also worried that I might not save the world in time, or even before things start to get even worse than they are now. At least going after Bowser was not as hard when Mario and I still went on adventures. But right now, there are still some things I need to work out with my brother, things that should have been done a long time ago. But right now, I just can't be angry with him. The only 'person' I'm angry with right now is Mr. L."
"Based on what you've told me, he sounds like a total ass!"
"That's an understatement, honey."
"Don't call me that…"
"Sorry…"
"It's fine." Lucy said. "However, I really do hope he gets what he deserves! Just think, you might be the first person to ever set foot in the Secret Basement in thousands of years! It's one of Sarasaland's most enigmatic unsolved mysteries."
"Yeah. I guess so…" Luigi said. "Anyway, we should probably get out of here before any other creatures decide to come after us. Three is too many to deal with as it is."
"Yes." Lucy replied. "Oh, wait! Before I forget, there's something I need to grab which I think will be to our benefit."
Lucy went back over to the corner where she was earlier and picked up an object that Luigi had failed to notice before. It was a long and narrow sword blade that clearly showed it age by the way it had rusted in the time it had been laying down here.
"I found this over by a dead carcass in the other corner of this room. The blade is still sharp, so it should be able to do some damage to those creatures."
"Excellent!" Luigi replied. "It might not be one of my usual power-ups, but it should be effective enough. If only I still had that katana blade I stole from one of King Richard's ninja guards. That would have been very effective as well… Oh well. Can't complain now!"
"That's good!" Lucy said. "Unfortunately I don't know what lies beyond the doorway you entered in when I initially woke up. I was too scared to go over and find out, because I thought those things were waiting for me out there."
"Just stay behind me." Luigi said. "You make sure nothing comes from behind, okay?"
"Okay." Lucy said. "I've got your back."
Luigi and Lucy started their way for the doorway and then proceeded down the dark hallway that would lead them to the room with the doorways and large statues.
Somewhere in the Mushroom Kingdom…
The van had been travelling for about an hour. In that time, Wario and Waluigi had not said a word, except when they were fighting over which radio station they would listen to. Thankfully, the fading radio signal and constant static ultimately forced them to turn the radio off altogether. Toad and Yoshi, on the other hand, remained quiet the whole time, trying to ignore the bickering from the front seat by covering their ears or rolling down the window to let the wind drown out the noise. Since the clock on the dashboard was not functional, it made it hard for Toad to tell what time it was. Judging by the light outside, Toad figured it about one or two in the afternoon local time. The sun was still fairly high in the blue sky, though its brightness had since been reduced by the heavy density of trees that were now surrounding the open road. Coming across a winding road, Toad and Yoshi held on tight as Wario speeded through the zigzag road at an incredibly high speed. It was a miracle that the police had not caught them yet, since Wario had been speeding through the entire trip. But it was when Toad was about to take a nap when he noticed Yoshi did not look too good. It seemed as though the rapid motion of the van was finally starting to take a toll on his stomach and he looked as though he were about to hurl at any moment. Without any hesitation, he grabbed Wario's attention.
"Wario! Would you please slow the van down! I think you're starting to make Yoshi sick!" Toad yelled from the back seat of the van.
"Would you just relax, Toad? At this rate, we should be able to reach Sarasaland well before the sun goes down! Besides, if we want to find Luigi, we have to stay on his trail."
"But you're going forty over the speed limit!"
"Yoshi!" Slow down!
Waluigi, who was in the front passenger side of the van, turned his triangular-shaped head around and gave Toad a glare before opening his mouth to say something.
"Look, do you want to find Luigi or not?" he asked.
"Well, yes. But…"
"But what?!"
"Could you at least pull over so that Yoshi can catch his breath?"
Waluigi turned toward Wario.
"Hey, brother. Would you be so kind as to pull over?"
"But Waluigi, we're almost to the first rest stop." Wario replied.
"But Wario, Yoshi's getting sick!"
"We're almost there, just hold on!"
"JUST PULL OVER BEFORE HE FLOODS THE VAN WITH VOMIT!" Toad yelled.
"Okay! Okay! Quit your complaining Toad!" Wario replied.
Toad ignored Wario's remark as he located an empty space alongside the road to pull over. When the van came to a stop, Yoshi immediately rushed out of the vehicle and immediately hurled into the trees to relieve his sudden sickness. Once that was taken care of, the four friends/acquaintances traveled the remaining stretch of road before arriving at the rest stop.
Yay! It turns out that Derek's girlfriend is alive after all! If you remember from chapter 17, Derek asked Luigi and Daisy if they would find her and bring her back to him. Now, Luigi must return to the beach and locate Derek so that him and Lucy can be a happy couple once again, but not before Luigi locates the second gemstone. Then there's the issue of finding a safer route back to the outside... Is it possible?
Right now, Luigi is inside an undiscovered underwater pyramid 'temple' that was built in honor of Dragonzamasu, one of the four legendary rulers of Ancient Sarasaland. Those of you who have played (or seen) the 1989 game Super Mario Land might be familiar with him as being the second boss from that game. What other secrets could be lurking? Find out in the next chapter ;) See you then!
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