7C - Gusty Gulch

"Hey. Wake up, Luigi."

Luigi slowly opened his eyes to see Mario kneeling in front of him again. It's 6:45 AM on August 13, 2000, about fifteen minutes before sunrise.

"Mario...? How... How long have..." Luigi struggled to ask but couldn't finish because he was still tired.

"We've been asleep since 7 last night. I asked Bow after I woke up," Mario replied. Luigi slowly lifted himself up and sat against the fence.

"Is Bow..."

"Yes. She is one of the ghosts as well as the mansion owner like I told you last night. But don't freak out, okay?" Mario said. "She's a really nice ghost. She won't hurt you or try to scare you."

Luigi let out a sigh and put his cap and gloves back on. "I'm sorry I went through hell last night, bro."

"Don't worry about it, Luigi," Mario replied as he hugged Luigi. "Everyone knows your biggest fear. And I got to say you did good in trying to conquer it even though it didn't work."

"Yeah... It sure didn't..."

"How are you feeling?" Mario asked.

"My head doesn't hurt anymore, but my stomach's growling," Luigi answered.

"Well, good news is we've got breakfast coming. Follow me," Mario said before leading Luigi to a picnic table near the west side of the mansion. The drinks were already served ahead of time: orange juice and coffee for both Mario and Luigi.

"Might as well get some caffeine for today," Luigi said to himself. After five minutes, two random Boos came out with Mario and Luigi's breakfasts: a small steak with scrambled eggs for Luigi, and two pancakes with maple-infused bacon for Mario.

Luigi's heart pounded fast when he saw the Boos serving him the food, but he didn't overreact this time because the panic attack may have temporarily subdued his ghost phobia.

"Thank you so much," Mario thanked the Boos before they went back inside the mansion. After the Mario Bros. wrapped up their meals, they headed east to the gate leading to Gusty Gulch; Bow had been waiting there for the last few minutes.

"So, Mario and Luigi, the sun is rising now, which means we should start off to Tubba Blubba's castle," Bow stated. "You're not scared, are you?"

"I'm not," Mario replied.

"Just a little bit," Luigi added in. "I still feel uncomfortable around the ghosts, but I'm kinda okay."

"Well, you don't have to interact with any of the Boos here," Bow said to Luigi. "Me and Mario will speak for you."

Without hesitation, Bow and the Mario Bros. went east down Gusty Gulch. It was ironic that the gulch got its name because there were average-sized gusts of wind that blew in the group's faces. Not too far ahead from the gate was a giant windmill that provided electricity for the Boos' village next to it.

The village was a relatively small one, given that there were about ten buildings and eight tan colored Boos that lived within.

One of the Boos noticed Bow and came up to her. "Oh! Lady Bow! What a surprise, seeing you! You know, Your Ladyship, you really shouldn't come around here. It's dangerous. Tubba Blubba could come here at any time!"

"I know! And that's why me and the Mario Bros. are gonna teach that Tubba Blubba a lesson!" Bow declared.

"When was the last time Tubba Blubba came through here?" Mario asked.

"Why, just yesterday. It was so horrible..." the Boo explained. "He... Um... He ate Herbert. Oh, it was gruesome! Poor Herbert! He was so dark and depressing! What a terrific Boo!"

"Oh no! Herbert was one of my best friends!" Bow said with sympathy. "Now Tubba Blubba's REALLY gonna pay more than I was planning him to earlier... Just tell everyone not to worry, okay? We'll make sure that that Boo-meal will be his last."

"Oh! Lady! Your bravery is inspiring!" the Boo exclaimed. "But you know he's called the Invincible Tubba Blubba... Please be careful out there."

As the group entered the second half of the village, Luigi laid his hand on his heart, which continued to beat fast.

"You all right, bro?" Mario asked.

"I just told you I was. Just let me breathe," Luigi responded with irritation.

Another Boo by the name of Stanley noticed Bow and floated toward her. "Hello there, Lady! You're going up to beat Tubba Blubba, right?"

"For revenge. Yes," Bow replied.

"Good for you! Make sure he never eats another ghost! Especially not-" Suddenly, the ground began to shake, causing the Boos to fade away briefly. But Stanley couldn't get himself to fade.

"Oh no! Tubba Blubba's coming! You got to hide now! I'll go face him!" Stanley cried.

"No! Don't do it, Stanley!" Boo yelled as Stanley turned to Tubba Blubba, who marched toward the village. He has not spotted the Mario Bros. and Bow yet.

"What do we do?!" Mario asked in a frantic tone of voice.

"I'll help you hide!" Bow replied. "Luigi, run behind one of those buildings!"

But Luigi didn't run; he took out his Repel Gel and applied it to his arms before turning invisible within two seconds. At the same time, Bow touched Mario's head, turning him invisible too.

"Come and get me, Tubba Blubba!" Stanley called out while Tubba Blubba walked up to him. "You can't eat me!"

"But I need my snack!" Tubba Blubba responded. "You hold still!" Before Stanley can make his next move, Tubba Blubba grabbed him and swallowed him whole.

"Mmmm... A little tangy, but good." Tubba Blubba proceeded to march back to his castle. As soon as the ground stopped shaking, all the Boos reappeared, and Mario became visible again. However, Luigi was still under the effect of the Repel Gel, which wears off after three minutes.

"Oh! Stanley! Oh, the horror of it all..." one of the Boos uttered.

"That does it!" Bow yelled with anger. "No more eating Boos! Let's go, guys!"

The Mario Bros. and Bow set off down Gusty Gulch again, which was inhabited by Hyper Goombas and Hyper Clefts. Those enemies had a green tint in their skin and had the ability to charge themselves up and deal more damage to their opponents.

Since Mario's hammer was too weak to take down the stronger Clefts, he relied on Bow to avoid them attacking him. Luckily for Luigi, he had no problem passing through the Clefts while invisible.

As Mario and friends neared Tubba Blubba's castle, they kept asking themselves, "What could Tubba Blubba's weak point be?" "Where do we find his secret?" The answers might lie within the castle itself.