Chapter 33 A Ghostly Battle Part 1

Chilly and terrifying, the duplighost glided down the street. Anyone who was present either bolted, stared, or screamed. When he saw anyone staring at him, he would give them a hideous sneer. This caused them to bolt anyway, which he found to be extremely amusing. Seriously, Toads got scared so easily it was a wonder they existed as a species at all.

Anyway, he stopped at a cart selling apples. Smirking, he leaned closer to the vendor.

"Boo!"

The Toad screamed and bolted away. The duplighost laughed, feeling like he was on top of the world. He nabbed one of the apples and took a bite. His face fell once he swallowed.

"Oh. That's right, I forgot. I don't have tastebuds." Shrugging, he tossed the apple over his shoulder. He was just about to exit the market area when he saw something that made him stop and blink. Or rather, someone.

"Oh wow, would you look at that!" He chuckled, amused by the Koopalings crossed arms and death glares. "I haven't seen you guys in…what, a week? A year? I don't know; dead people aren't the best at keeping track of time."

Iggy took a step forward. "Listen, we have come here to…"

"What? Throw salt in a wound? Gloat about the fact that you beat me last time?" The duplighost smirked. "I can see now why you guys are hated so much."

With an extra sharp glare, Ludwig took a step forward. "Actually, we have a bone to pick with you."

The duplighost snickered, throwing on an even smugger smirk as he did. "That's so funny. See, I left all my bones at the grave." He blinked, confusion grasping hold of his face. "Wait a minute." He looked between Lemmy and Ludwig. "Did his voice just come out of…?" His jaw dropped, his eyes sparkled. "No way! You guys got switched!" He laughed, holding onto his sides as he did. "Okay, that alone makes up for my loss!"

This made Ludwig's expression grow darker. "Uh huh, I'm sure it does. Okay, no listen up, cause we're gonna make this simple for you. You are gonna put Lemmy and me back in our bodies, and if you do it quick enough, we might consider being nice."

The duplighost chortled, his disembodied soul gleefully relishing this delicious situation. "Hmmm. Tempting, but I kind of like you better this way." He giggled. "I think it would be a much better idea if you stay like this forever!"

Kamek, who had observed the situation quietly, took a step forward. "I had a feeling you'd say that." He got out his wand and raised an eyebrow at the ghost. "Perhaps a little bit of magic could change your mind. BLASTEM MARKEY!"

An arcane blast the size of a twin sized bed shot out of the wand. The duplighost didn't shriek, scream, or even flinch as it came barreling towards him. He just teleported out of the way.

"Hehe, cute," He flew towards the group at breakneck speeds, his form a blur.

"Steelus Praesidium!"

Kamek projected a shield constructed out of blue light from his wand. When the duplighost landed on it face first, a series of cracks formed on the surface. This disoriented him a little, but only a little. Once he recovered, he shot an arcane blast of his own at the shield. It shattered into millions of pieces.

The magikoopa's breathing sped up a little bit. He stared wide eyed at the duplighost. He barely had time to react before the monster sent a barrage of arcane blasts towards him. They hit him square in the chest, pushing him back. Once the duplighost stopped, a dark red stain could be seen right in the center of his robe.

"KAMEK!" Wendy and Lemmy screamed. They rushed toward him. He grit his teeth, holding his hand to the wound.

"I'm…okay," he said, shaking. He turned the wand on himself. "Healing spieling." The bloodstain disappeared, allowing him to stand up straight. He snarled at the duplighost. "Is that all you've got?" He pointed the wand at him again, sending arcane blasts towards the creature. The duplighost flinched as he got hit; an excellent sign for the magikoopa. Kamek grit his teeth and rushed forward. He leapt into the air, about to land on the duplighost.

The duplighost grinned wickedly and moved away at the last second, causing Kamek to land face first on the pavement. He groaned, every organ in his body screaming in agony. He pulled himself up, mentally and physically preparing himself to give another blow.

But then, the duplighost snapped his fingers. This caused him to turn into a purple silhouette of Roy. Kamek gawked as the creature used its magic to take possession of Roy's body.

"Hey!" The third oldest Koopaling shrieked. "That's mine!"

The duplighost cackled. "I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier." He went into his shell and whammed into Kamek. The magikoopa crashed into one of the fruit stalls, a lump the size of an orange forming on his head. He got up and pointed his wand. The duplighost just smiled at him.

"Go ahead! Finish me off. I dare you."

Kamek hesitated, his hands trembling. Beads of sweat formed all over his body as he stared into Roy's face. He…he…

He couldn't do this.

The duplighost guffawed as Kamek lowered his wand. "HA! Pathetic." He charged toward the magikoopa, his fist out. The punch landed right on Kamek's lower jaw, and it was strong enough to send him barreling into another fruit stall. He groaned, trying to lift himself up. But he couldn't. Instead, he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

The duplighost chuckled and turned toward the Koopalings. "Well, that sure was fun." He sneered. "Now it's time to REALLY start the party!"

He got in his shell, heading straight for the group. They just barely jumped out of the way in time. Once he exited Roy's shell, the duplighost focused his attention on one Koopaling; Iggy. Punch after punch and kick after kick were sent his way. Iggy managed to block most of them using his arms as a shield, but the endeavor clearly drained on his strength. He lowered his arms for one minute, which was more than enough time for his opponent to strike. He punched Iggy in the nose, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Ha HA!" He looked around before smirking at Ludwig. "Do you want to fly again, special?" He ran toward him. "Why I'd be happy to oblige!" He punched him so hard he went flying into the sky. He chuckled before noticing Larry. "Oh!" He grabbed hold of his mohawk. "And there's an extra seat on the plane." He spun him around like a slingshot before hurling him into the air.

Lemmy gasped. "GUYS!" He flew toward them before realizing that he couldn't catch them both. He needed something to help. Thankfully, he found exactly what he was looking for in the form of one of the awnings. He telekinetically grabbed it before bolting towards his brothers. With an extra bit of caution, he put the awning right underneath them, all while praying that they wouldn't tear it. They thankfully didn't; they both landed on it with a thud. Lemmy exhaled as he set them safely on the ground.

Larry tried to get his quick, shallow breathing under control. "Tha…thanks Lems."

"No problem."

Ludwig let out a breath as he stepped onto the ground. He furrowed his brow when he saw the duplighost attacking Wendy. "If this goes on any further, we're all going to wind up unconscious! We need to do something!"

Lemmy considered this for a second before he got an idea. He smiled at one of the fruit stalls. "Hey Ludwig, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Ludwig gave Lemmy a surprised look. "I am. But do you think can do it?"

Lemmy beamed. "If I can lift an awning, I can definitely do this." He stepped forward. "Hey, Death Breath!" The duplighost stopped in his brawl with Wendy and turned toward Lemonade. "Why don't you eat THIS!?" He pointed toward the duplighost, and as he did, a watermelon shot out of the stall. Grit his teeth, the duplighost punched it, creating an explosion of sticky pink juice and rock hard rind. He cringed at the sensation of the juice running down his arm. Noticing this, Lemmy smirked and telekinetically picked up the entire stall. He tipped it at an angle, allowing him to throw all of the melons. While the duplighost might have been able to punch one, he was no match against fifty. They landed on him, either exploding into a juicy mess or leaving bruises all over his current body.

He grit his teeth once the last one landed. "That's IT!" He turned and ran down the street. Those who were still conscious bolted after him. Unfortunately, he was not willing to let ANYONE near him. He knocked some stalls to the ground, creating obstacles for the Koopalings.

Lemmy took in a breath, rising into the air as he did. "I'm a falcon!" He zipped after the duplighost, certain he would catch it. He moved various objects into the ghost's path, but he simply leapt over them. Lemmy pressed his mouth into a thin line. Nothing was working! What could he do to prevent the ghost from getting away?

Well, there was one thing he could do. Lemmy shuddered when he realized this, still remembering the pain from the last time he tried doing this. Regardless, he knew it was what he had to do. So, taking a deep breath, he held out his hand and telekinetically held the duplighost in place.

The pain was just unbearable as the last time, if not more so! The pain spread throughout his body like a cancer. It felt like he was being burned alive! He grunted, sweat streaming down the sides of his face. I can do this. I can do this. I…can…

With a scream, Lemmy let go of the duplighost and collapsed to the ground. He clung to his hand, unsure if he would ever be able to move properly again. Thankfully, he had managed to hold the ghost in place long enough for his siblings to catch up. Ludwig gasped when he saw him and ran over.

"Lemmy, are you alright?"

Lemmy sat up. "I'm…alright." He shook his head, trying to keep his vision from becoming too blurry.

Ludwig let out a breath. "I can't believe you did that again." He looked forward. "Can you walk?"

Lemmy rose to his feet. "Yeah, I can walk." He wobbled. "With support."

Ludwig nodded and grabbed Lemmy's hand. They ran as fast as they could after their siblings, who had the duplighost cornered on one of the docks. The duplighost looked back and forth between the Koopas and the sea, his expression uncertain.

Roy took a step forward. "You'd better give me my body back, you jerk!"

Suddenly, the duplighost's expression changed from uncertain to smirking. "As you wish." He snapped his finger causing both of them to glow. Within seconds, Roy was back in his body. He threw his hands up in celebration.

"WHOO! I'M ME…!" A black tentacle coiled around his wrist. "Again?'

With one last laugh, the duplighost threw Roy into the sea. He waved at the Koopalings as Roy resurfaced. "Tata Koopalings. It's been fun beating your lights out." He rose into the air and flew toward the great Peach statue just off the coast of the city.

"He's getting away!" Ludwig shrieked. He and Lemmy ran toward the docks, staring at his retreating form. They exchanged a worried look.

"What do we do?" Lemmy asked.

"You need to go after him," Iggy stated. "It's the only way for you two to get out of this mess. You've already come this far; you can't let him get away now."

Ludwig, who looked uncertain when Iggy had initially suggested that, now looked determined. "You're right." He faced Lemmy. "You ready for this nightmare to end?"

"Oh yeah!" With that, Ludwig hopped on his back and they flew off.