The Foggy Mountains of Easton
As Wario drove the van farther through the thick fog, the rain started to dwindle and the air started to grow colder and more turbulent. The air inside the van was starting to feel the chill from outside, forcing Wario to turn on the heat. Looking at the fuel gauge, the needle was pointing dangerously close to 'E' and the nearest gas station was still at least ten miles away. As far as he could tell, there was no end to the seemingly endless foggy road. After a few minutes, just as Wario's ears popped, he saw a sign that took him to a small nearby town and immediately turned down the corresponding road until he came across the nearest gas station. He parked next to one of the gas pumps and turned off the engine, after which everyone else promptly woke up from their slumber and started stretching their limbs.
"Morning sleepy heads!" Wario said. "Anyone need something to wake themselves up?"
"I think we all need to stretch ourselves and get out of this van first." Waluigi said. "Why is it so cold in here, Wario? Did you turn the AC on or something?"
"Look outside." Luigi said in a tired and shivery tone. "It's dark and foggy."
"I knew that, smart one."
"Sure you did…" Toad said.
"Well, I'm going to go ahead and fill this thing up with gas." Wario said.
"I have plenty of gold coins if you need them." Luigi said.
"You do? That's terrific! My funds were running low by the last time we filled up."
"Here, I'll give you fifty coins." Luigi said, handing the money over to him. "I think I'm going to go inside the store and get some coffee to wake me up. Hopefully no one in there tries to turn me in to the police. I've already had to deal with one such store clerk, and trust me it wasn't fun."
"Really? Are you sure you don't want me to go get it for you?" Waluigi asked. "If you just give me some money, I can go get you your coffee and whatever else you need to boost your energy."
"No that's alright." Luigi replied, knowing that his cousins had a bad history of gambling and wasteful spending. "I appreciate the offer though. Besides, it would probably be better if we all went inside together and tried looking for something to keep all of us warm. I'm pretty sure that it's only going to get colder the farther up we go."
"Hey, weren't you going to tell us about everything that has happened to you since you chased out of the Mushroom Kingdom?" Toad asked. "I'm really curious why we need to find an acidic lake."
"I'll tell you when we're all fully awake and on our way." Luigi said. "I can't think straight on an empty stomach, let alone a stressed mind."
"What's stressing you out so much, Luigi?" Waluigi asked.
"It relates to what I will tell you later. Like I said hours ago, you probably won't believe all the stuff I went through just to get to this point."
"What makes it so unbelievable?" Toad asked.
"Let me put it this way." Luigi said. "A lot of the stuff that happened to me is stuff that one would ordinarily only see in the move theater."
"You don't say."
"Oh but I do. And can also tell you that the situation I'm in is much more sinister than it may seem to you guys, as it involves every living thing on this planet… Here, tell you what. I'll give you the main details of what happened before we go inside. There is just too much for me to explain all at once, especially since I've already had to explain my story a few times already to different people. But before I do that, there's something I want to show you guys that relates to what happened to me. Let me go get my bag."
Luigi went towards the back of the van and opened the door and reached inside for his leather bag. He then walked back to the others and opened it, revealing the treasures inside.
"Where in the world did you get those?!" Wario asked in a stupefied tone. "Did you steal them?!"
"Well, yes and no." Luigi replied.
"Well, which is it?" Waluigi asked.
Luigi pulled out the amulet.
"This is an amulet I found in an underground tomb out in the desert during mine and Mario's previous adventure. It was inside of a box that nearly cut my hand off. At first, I didn't think much of it. But it wasn't until the night me and Mario fought that I knew something was wrong with this object. It turns out that this amulet is actually the Amulet of Jealousy and Resentment. According to ancient Sarasalandian myth, it was said that this artifact was responsible for the destruction of many people after they attempted to rid themselves of their inner demons, which were represented as mirror images of themselves that they called 'shadow figures'. To ensure that none of happened again, the four great rulers of Sarasaland, often referred to as 'gods', abolished the amulet and attached an ancient prophecy foretelling the end of the world once someone in the distant future touched it."
"Yoshi?" Wait, what?! said Yoshi.
"Wait, so let me get this straight." Toad said. "You stole an amulet that would ultimately foreshadow the end of the world? If you knew that, then why would you even take it?"
"I didn't know, Toad." Luigi replied. "The only reason I stole it from the tomb was to impress Peach. The truth is, I was jealous of my brother for having Peach as his girlfriend, but I was also angry at him because he always made himself look like the sole hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and the rest of the world without ever acknowledging my efforts. Unfortunately, my jealousy and anger is now costing the rest of the world its very existence, and it's all my fault…"
"Mario was saying that you were the one who killed off Bowser…" Toad said. "I didn't know if it was true or not, because he was buzzed on alcohol at the time. Is that true?"
"Yes." Luigi said. "But that's besides the point. The point is that the reason I'm in trouble with the authorities and the reason why everything is going to hell is because I removed the Amulet of Jealousy and Resentment from its hiding place and I'm the only one that can prevent the end of the world and stop my shadow figure from taking over me and ridding my soul of every good quality that I have."
"So the police saw a copy of yourself that night?" Toad asked. "An evil copy of you… No wonder they are so eager to capture you!"
"Precisely." Luigi said. "I've already banged into him a couple of times. He calls himself Mr. L., and he's exactly the same evil counterpart of myself that Mario battled after he went after Count Bleck that one time… He has Mario, Peach, and Daisy held captive somewhere, though right now he has my brother's soul stuck in limbo and his body possessed and is walking around as him!"
"Oh my god!" Toad said.
"I guess we can call him Mr. M. now, right?" Waluigi asked.
"Waluigi! This is serious!" Wario said. "I'm usually no believer in the supernatural, but after all of the chaos we've seen erupting in both the Mushroom Kingdom and here in Sarasaland, I have no doubt that whatever Luigi is saying is true! At least listen to what he has to say without making any jokes out of it!"
"Sorry…" Waluigi replied. "You were saying Luigi…?"
"Anyway, as I was saying earlier, I am the only one that can stop all of this madness. Fortunately, there is a way that the end of the end of the world can be stopped. The bad news is that I only have two more days to accomplish that. Which brings me to these three gems I have in my bag."
Luigi placed the dreaded amulet back inside the bag and pulled out the three glowing gemstones.
"According to the legend, whoever is in possession of the amulet has five days to perform what is known as the Cleansing Ceremony in the Hidden Basement beneath the Great Pyramid in Birabuto after the amulet is activated by intense feelings of anger and jealousy exhibited by the possessor. But in order to access the hidden basement, one has to collect eight sacred gemstones where they will be used to shine light down to the Sphere of Forgiveness inside the basement. I'm not too familiar with the process involved, but part of the Cleansing Ceremony involves reading a passage from the sphere after placing the amulet beside it. Once that has been done, I'll have to battle my then weakened shadow figure in a fight to the death, and whoever wins will either keep or take over my body indefinitely."
"Damn, Luigi…" Wario said. "I hate to say it, but you really screwed things up, not only for yourself, but for everyone else."
"Now that you mention it, none of this madness started happening until three days ago." Toad said. "You said you only have two more days to save the world?"
"Yes."
"Then that would make sense, because you and Mario had that huge fight! That's probably what triggered it."
"I came to the same conclusion, Toad." Luigi said. "But going back to these three gems, the reason we need to fid that acidic lake is because there is another gemstone hidden there on an island. I would know, because this journal I found in the Secret Archives under King Richard's Castle proves that I've been looking in the right places."
Luigi pulled out the journal and turned to the page with the map.
"The first two of these gemstones I found inside an underground complex along the coastline in Muda where the tomb of the legendary ruler Dragonzamasu was hidden. The third one I was able to find beneath King Richard's Castle just beneath the Secret Archives after cracking the security algorithm to break in."
"Really?!" Waluigi said. "How did you manage to do that?"
"Luck, along with Queen Lilian's assistance." Luigi replied. "I might as well tell you the whole story now, since you guys are eager to hear it."
"Please tell us, Luigi!" Toad said.
"Alright. Let's get back in the van where it's slightly warmer." Luigi said.
They all climbed into the van and Luigi proceeded to tell the story, starting with the night of him and Mario's return from the Darklands and the time when he met Daisy. Right away, it seemed to Luigi that everyone else in the vehicle got the impression that Luigi had a thing for her, but it was hard to tell for sure. Maybe he was just overthinking their initial reaction. In any case, he continued on with the story. He told them about the escape from the Mushroom and his first encounter with Mr. L., as well as his daring entrance into Sarasaland while driving his own hotrod. From there, he mentioned him and Daisy's encounter with John, seeking his expertise on the Amulet of Jealousy and Resentment, and learning its dark secrets. Luigi then told them of his and Daisy's capturing, their confrontation with the king and how they were released and saved by the queen before their dangerous escape onboard a train after being pursued by the king and his assassins. After that, he explained his adventure in Muda and the time he first encountered the creatures and how he managed to locate the first two gemstones through various puzzles and obstacles through the underground catacombs, including the elaborate Solar System setup that required him to brush Earth with a comet (from which he explained the great comet that was mentioned in the prophecy pertaining to the Amulet of Jealousy and Resentment). He also explained how Daisy went missing and how he managed to escape Muda so quickly with the help of Derek and Lucy after they lent him the motorcycle. When Toad asked how Luigi knew to find the stones in the first place, knowing that he did not have the journal yet, Luigi mentioned the voice that had been talking to him and clarified a few details in the story thus far that seemed fuzzy up to that point. The more Luigi told Toad, Wario, Waluigi and Yoshi, the wider their mouths seemed to get and the more shocked their facial expressions became. As unbelievable as the story seemed to be, they knew there was no way that Luigi would make up such an elaborate story off the top of his mind, let alone one that has so far lasted for ten minutes. Finally, Luigi told the others about his return to King Richard's Castle and he managed to get past the most secure computer system in all of Sarasaland to access the Secret Archives and find the third gemstone and the journal just in time before the lasers reappeared and before Mario's possessed body was able to kill him. Luigi then finished off his story by telling them of his departure from the castle up to the point he united with the others. By then, everyone else in the van was lost for words and did not know what to say next.
"You were right, Luigi." Waluigi said. "That story is unbelievable! There's no way you could've made all of that up, even if I was convinced that you did."
"Dang, boy. You really went through hell didn't you?" Wario said.
"I'm still going through it." Luigi said. "I still have five more gemstones to find before I can save anyone, even myself."
"Yoshi!" said Yoshi. Damn!
"I'll tell you what, cousin." Wario said. "Seeing what you're going through now and looking back to all the times me and Waluigi were mean to you, we will not only help you find Peach and Daisy, but I think we should all help you find the remaining gemstones as well. I'm still going to give you a hard time about removing that amulet in the first place, you know…"
"Please…" Luigi said. "Like I haven't heard any criticism already. At least I'm trying to set things right…"
"Don't worry. We'll help you, Luigi." Toad said. "By now, I think it's in everyone's interest that you get all the help you can get to defeat Mr. L. and save the world from these abominations that are starting to take over the kingdoms."
"Hell, I never get to go on these kind of adventures." Waluigi said. "This will be a new experience for me."
"Yoshi! Yoshi!" Just like old times on my island!
"Ah, that's very generous of you guys." Luigi said. "But I must remind you, we only have two more days to find the other gems. Once the clock strikes midnight on that day, we're toast! We have to move fast."
"Yes, sir." Waluigi said.
"Right, let's hurry and get what we need from inside the convenience store and make our way towards that acidic lake. The sun should be coming up anytime soon."
The five friends got out of the van and walked across the lot before making their way into the warm convenience store. There was no one inside except for a man working behind the counter. When he saw Luigi step inside, he immediately recognized him and was utterly shocked, as if he did not know what to do. Finally, the old man managed to utter a few words.
"Luigi! Is that really you?! What in world are you doing here?!" he said.
"You're not going to turn me in are you?" Luigi asked in a somewhat stern tone of voice.
"Oh, heavens no!" said the old man. "What makes you think I would do that?"
Thank god!
"Is there anything I can help you with?" the old man asked.
"Lots, actually." Luigi replied. "There's a place that me and my friends are trying to get to, and I was wondering if you could point us down the quickest route. I have a map with me, though its not a road map of any kind."
"The whole world is worried sick about you, Luigi!" said the old man. "A lot of people think that you're guilty of kidnapping Princess Peach and Princess Daisy, as well as your brother! Tell me, you didn't do anything like that, did you?"
"No, I didn't." Luigi said.
"I didn't think so." The old man replied. "The evidence being provided on the news broadcasts doesn't add up."
"I would tell you the story, but we're running short of time. Could you point us to this lake?"
Luigi took out the journal pointed out the location to the old man. It seemed to get a reaction out of him, but not a good one.
"That place is forbidden! Haven't you heard about all of the chaos that's been occurring there recently?!"
"No…" Luigi replied.
"There are strange creatures lurking there, things that no one has ever encountered before! They've been terrorizing Easton for the past couple of days and those who ventured near Lake Hiyoihoi have never been seen again!"
"So the name of this place is Lake Hiyoihoi?" Wario asked.
"It's only one of the most popular tourist attractions in Easton! The region its in is geologically active, and its where most of Sarasaland's sulfur deposits come from. The lake itself resides inside a giant sulfurous volcanic crater and is made of sulfuric acid…very nasty stuff… It'll eat you up quick like the acid in your car battery! What's really interesting is that there are tall and giant ancient stone head structures that line the outside of the lake in a circle fashion. It's a mystery as to how they got there, since it's unlikely that the ancients were able to move stones that large into the crater, let alone spend large amounts of time carving away at them while they breath in the noxious sulfur dioxide gas! There's also a small island in the middle of the lake that no one dares to venture to, not even by helicopter, that has since been dubbed Mystery Island."
"What makes this island so sinister, other than the fact that its surrounded by sulfuric acid?" Toad asked.
"Well, for one, there are plumes of sulfur dioxide gas being radiated from the island, just as there are plumes being emitted from around the edge of the crater. No one could venture there without choking to death, unless of course they had a gas mask on. Not only that, people would still have to somehow cross the acidic lake to get there if they were unable to fly there. Even so, every single attempt to reach the island throughout history up until modern times has ended in catastrophe for reasons unknown. Some say that it's almost like the island has some kind of force field around it… In addition to that, many archaeologists in this area have suggested, based on their computer analyses of the island, that there is something interesting buried under the ground. Even sonar maps of the bottom of the lake have indicated the remains of a possible stone bridge."
"Hmm…Interesting…" Luigi said.
"Unfortunately, King Richard suspended all archaeological work there five years ago. The place still remains a great tourist destination, except in the last couple of days of course." the old man added.
"Right." Luigi replied. "So how do I get there from here?"
"I can tell you, but what would compel you to go there in the first place?! Wouldn't you rather go home?"
"There's something of importance I need to find there, and I know it has something to do with that island." Luigi replied. "I would tell you what it is, but time is of the essence and I don't have much time to tell you my whole story. But I can tell you this… I need whatever's on that island to save the world from Armageddon."
"You don't say…" the old man said. "That would explain the presence of those mysterious creatures!"
"So what's the quickest way to get there?" Waluigi asked.
"If you keep following the freeway for another five miles, there's another freeway that branches off to the right that will take you straight there. Just follow the trail of tall, ancient stone head monuments along the way."
"Thanks!" Luigi said. "One more thing before we go our way…"
"What's that?"
"Where can we find gas masks?"
"There should still be some masks in the visitor's center near the lake, assuming that the creatures haven't ransacked the place yet."
"Perfect." Luigi said, turning around to the others. "Thanks."
"No problem, Luigi." said the old man. "I wish you and the rest of you guys the best of luck!"
"Umm, Luigi? Aren't you forgetting something?" Wario asked, pointing over to the coffee machine, pastries, and the line of winter coats that were on sale.
"Oh yeah…" Luigi said. "Sorry…"
"Help yourself to whatever you need, free of charge!" the old man said. "You'll need it."
Hey guys, sorry for the long hiatus. School has been on me for the past few weeks, but now I finally have the time to present another chapter. I apologize if this one seems rather uneventful compared to other chapters, but it is a very important step for Luigi in his quest to avert Armageddon and save himself and those who are close to him.
Basically, Luigi tells Wario, Waluigi, Toad, and Yoshi about the events of the past three days after they pull into a gas station just off the freeway. By now, the five friends are deep into the cold mountains and the sun hasn't even risen yet. After Luigi tells the others his story, they agree to help find the rest of the gemstones, as well as Peach and Daisy. When they go inside the convenience store to get energy and other supplies for the journey ahead, the old man behind the counter recognizes Luigi... thankfully not as a threat. He points them in the direction of Lake Hiyoihoi (whose namesake is that of the ancient ruler that governed Easton many years ago) and tells them about the recent happenings there, as well as some interesting insights provided by archaeological work performed in the volcanic crater before the site was shut down by King Richard. Tall stone face monuments surrounding the lake? Something buried under Mystery Island, a place no one has ever been? Evidence of a stone bridge at the bottom of the sulfuric lake? It seems like Luigi and the gang have a lot on their plate, provided they are able to breathe once they get there! Will they be able to brave the noxious fumes and the deadly acid lake once they arrive? How long will it be before they arrive? Stay tuned as the five continue their trek through the cold mountains of Easton! Again, sorry for the wait. Let's hope the next chapter gets out much quicker... And don't worry, I haven't given up, nor will I ;)
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