Luigi started back toward town, following the footpaths. Stardust Fields only provided moonlight and glittering stars (both above and below his feet) to guide his way, so he watched his step. He went as fast as he could going from one area to the next. That involved a lot of jumping over obstacles and scrambling, both abilities having diminished after succumbing to exhaustion from previous days. All it took was a fleeting bump in the road—courtesy of Popple's nefarious stunt—to prove time was of the essence.
He had to pick up the pace. Even with three Beanstar pieces in his possession, he was still the disadvantaged one. King Boo and Hellen Gravely were out on a manhunt for him. They had a personal army that would readily follow their command at the snap of a finger. While sure, it was true Luigi had allies too... what good would they be if he was eviscerated into a pile of dust? Last he'd seen, King Boo seemed rather keen on the idea of rearranging his molecules.
At this point, even a painting frame sounded comforting.
The cross-country pipe system was down. He'd already expected that. After all, nothing could be too easy and straightforward for him for too long. It was just his luck that his smooth sailing never went long before getting wrecked. He still tried the pipes though. He managed to get through a length of the way before being promptly spat back out into Stardust Fields and deposited on the landing pad. Somewhere along the way, there was a clog: the byproduct of some mischievous ghost-meddling, surely. Luigi was a plumber at heart, but even HE didn't want to imagine what muck the ghosts were stuffing the pipes with. He shivered, thinking back to the unfortunate encounter he'd had with Clem in the castle sewers. His clean and organized self couldn't even begin to imagine the mess in those pipes.
After that, he was back up on his feet and dusting himself off. He continued, marching diligently through field, cave, and valley to his next destination. He peeked around every corner he turned, keeping an eye out. He didn't want any more unexpected encounters with ghastly things... both for his sanity and for the integrity of the huffing Poltergust on his back. In truth, he didn't know how much the prototype could take at this point. It was getting full — that was all he knew.
With every step, he followed signs and an instinct he'd grown accustomed to after visiting the Beanbean Kingdom a number of times. Eventually, he made his way through the fields, leading him back to the mountainside village he'd just escaped.
The transition from starry fields to sunny daylight was odd, especially considering it was deep midnight when he crossed the network of caves linking the two locales. It was like waking up in the middle of the night, into the middle of the next day. Running on about four-and-a-half hours of unconscious sleep, he wondered if he'd actually been teleported... or maybe it was time travel?
The thought of time traveling and theories got his head back on the rescue mission at hand. He thought with a smile about E. Gadd, and about how he would've loved to study his loopy brain right now.
He walked past empty houses and squeaky bridges, trying to muster up a regulating, calming whistle. His body screamed for rest, but he continued onward, refusing to stop for anything.
...that is, until his body stopped him.
Dehydration hit him hard and fast. Once in the heart of Hoohoo Village, he took a stop for water. He sat at the side of one of the water spouts in the flatter parts of Hoohoo Mountain, leaning against a cave wall. He took a much-needed swig of water, breathing heavily. He wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Borf!"
Luigi glanced up from his canteen. Polterpup sat at his legs, looking up at him with wide, expectant eyes.
"Oh... you must be thirsty, doggy! Here, you want some?"
Luigi leaned an elbow against the spout, letting Polterpup drink. The pup did as expected, but he also took the time to splash around in the puddle the water flow formed, pooling out and around his paws. He barked excitedly, spinning in circles and getting water everywhere... including his owner's pants and shirt. Despite himself, Luigi let out a strong laugh.
When he'd had his fill, Polterpup stopped and returned to Luigi's side, wagging his tail and panting. The good news about stopping was that Polterpup helped act as security. Though the ghost dog was a bit of a goof most of the time, he knew when to settle down and protect his owner. The canine's eyes brimmed with devotion and loyalty as he looked up at Luigi.
As soon as he topped off his canteen, he patted Polterpup on the head, ushering a "good boy" before heading back down the main path toward town. Polterpup followed. Luigi routinely looked behind him to check that Polterpup was still there, making sure he didn't leave much distance between him and his pup. He'd lost his buddy for long enough already. Stars willing, he wouldn't let anything like that happen again.
His boots picked up dirt. He fixed the straps on his bag, back threatening to crumble under the weight of the machinery on his shoulders. It was like he had the weight of the world on him. In a way, he did. The pieces of the Beanstar WERE the Beanbean Kingdom's future. If he lost sight of them... broke them... misplaced them... had them stolen again... it would spell doom for all. He tried not to think about that.
He wasted no time in the village once he got there. He'd seen enough already. Truthfully, too much now. He wondered when Blablanadon would be back, and if he'd keep to his word and return to Luigi once he was fully healed. But how long would it take for a wing to heal? Nice as he was, Luigi couldn't rely on the pterosaur forever.
Above, a faint rumbling caught his attention. He looked up. Darker clouds intermingled in the distance, rolling in slowly but surely.
It was strange to think about storms, especially considering how hot and sunny it was. The sun glared down at him as he looked up, squinting. He'd packed a pair of sunglasses in his suitcase... so it was a shame that the suitcase was probably long gone by now. He was sure King Boo burned it... or something equally petty.
He frowned. Just the thought of that horrid king sent his blood boiling. Tender-hearted pacifist or not, he swore he would take care of Boo the next time he saw him. After all, next time, he'd be prepared. He'd have the Beanstar! What better power could there be to handle a ghost king hellbent on revenge? All he needed now was to get those final few pieces. It was simple.
Once through the streets of Hoohoo Village, Luigi made his way down the beaten path, following signs toward Castle Town. He heeded the word of the Starshade Brothers, their eccentric, vivid instruction living fresh in his head.
There's talk of another Beanstar piece, just north of Beanbean Castle Town...
He thought about what that meant. North...
North, north, north. That could be anywhere from the outskirts of town to Teehee Valley... maybe even Little Fungitown! None of those options were particularly comforting though, because Teehee Valley was always crawling with critters, and he'd seen from Blablanadon's flyover that the outskirts of town were engulfed by the thicket. That meant ghosts were probably lurking and waiting to strike. Anywhere he went, really, he'd have trouble waiting for him. He only hoped Polterpup and he could fend them off for just long enough. He didn't want to test the limits of his Poltergust, but he would if he had to. But... if his Poltergust broke, he really didn't know what Plan B was.
His head turned upward again. The sound of more rumbling in the distance picked up, harsher and angrier. The dark clouds were above him now. They grumbled. Polterpup stood to attention, his tail lowering. He cowered between Luigi's legs. Even as a supernatural dog, he was still scared of thunder.
"Looks like rain..." he told Polterpup, who barked at the promise of readying thunder.
Luigi glanced up and held out a hand, a single droplet landing delicately on his cheek. He wiped it off, but it was quickly replaced by another. And then another.
The rain came down fast. He picked up speed, ambling turning to running. He grabbed Polterpup and huddled him up in his arms, trying to cover the Poltergust with his bag. He didn't know how the prototype would do under adverse conditions, so he decided to err on the side of caution. He bolted, legs moving in search of a dry sanctuary. Luckily, the view of the underground tunnel leading to town came into view. He ran inside the open-mouthed, smiling archway, breathing heavily. He stopped once the rain did, ringing out his hat and shaking himself off.
The mineshafts were abandoned. Even the old man who normally manned the carts was nowhere to be seen. Polterpup wriggled out of Luigi's arms, leaping out in front of him and sniffing around. Polterpup normally played with the bean dog owned by said old man, so he whined sadly upon realizing his playmate was gone. Luigi gave him a comforting rub on the back, crouching down to his level. He took the second to compose himself.
He turned his attention back to the inner cave and railways, standing up. Bats flew back and forth, chirping and clicking as they went over his head. He shielded himself instinctually. The cavern smelled of damp dust, the scent of lingering springtime existing somewhere far beyond the dark, long tunnel. It coaxed him closer. He sniffled, kicking up gravel as he wandered on top of the empty tracks. After a quick shout to the cave's depths, and with no ghosts answering back, he allowed himself a moment of repose. He shivered, a gust of dry air hitting his rain-soaked clothes. Even though there was nobody there with them, he still felt a heavy, invisible presence on his shoulders.
Releasing a shaky breath, he stepped on the minecart railway. He whistled, Polterpup floating to his side. Though he had a flashlight in his bag, his ghostly pup illuminated the way just as well. They started, marching along the tracks. Without a minecart at their disposal, they really had no other choice anyway. And now that they'd avoided the storm outside, they could still make their way to Castle Town on foot. Bats shrieked, and other unidentifiable creatures groaned and creaked somewhere in the depths of the mines.
After a few feet, Luigi pulled out his flashlight anyway. He held it out in front of him, the light shaking. He never did do well in dark, damp, empty, voidish spaces.
"Questo va bene... sto bene... bene..." he whispered to himself.
Polterpup tried his best to balance between being a guiding light and a best friend, nuzzling against Luigi's legs whenever his frantic, anxious mumblings got too panicky. Luigi swallowed and nodded his head, trying to relax. The caves were empty. They had to be.
"Questo va bene."
He kept his attention firmly placed on one foot after another. Step, step, step…
He avoided tripping over stray rocks: ones sticking out of the ground in jagged formations. Memories of collecting gemstones with Mario came to mind as he followed the crumbly path. If he remembered right, this was always the track Mario took. He smiled.
But soon his smile of nostalgia faded into a frown. The more he thought about Mario, and the more he thought about what his older brother might be thinking right now, the more his frown deepened. As brothers, they always seemed to know where the other one was; that instinct was something that had stuck around since birth. So maybe Mario, at least some part of him, did know that he was in the Beanbean Kingdom. It was brotherly intuition.
Luigi's mind wandered: what if Mario had tried to visit him in the last few weeks? What would he think when he went up to an abandoned, dusting porch of an abandoned, empty manor? He hated to worry Mario. Whenever he was in trouble, that was the only time Mario dropped his optimistic, happy front. He loathed the thought of doing that to his brother. Even though, admittedly, there was plenty to worry about...
He exhaled. He supposed there was no helping it now. Whether Mario knew or not, there was no changing what he'd done up until this point. There was no changing the fact that he was on his own.
Each continued step brought dust up onto his heels and boots. The leather was nearly coated in a thin layer by the time he made it out to the other side. The minecarts were there, as expected, but they sat unused and rusting. He imagined long nights of rain and thunder blowing into the caves didn't do the steel any good. A quick glance outside confirmed just that. The storm hadn't let up. In fact, it had only picked up.
He exhaled, falling to his bottom and burying his face in his hands. He knew he couldn't go out into that mess without gear, so he had to wait. Waiting was the worst part. He sat back against the wall and took off his Poltergust and backpack, unrolling the sleeping bag Sergeant Starshade had given him. He laid it out on a softer layer of dirt, brushing sharp stones and rocks out of the way. It was no grass, but waiting to rest out in the open felt like inviting death with open arms. The Beanshees and kingdom's ghosts loved the natural landscape, so the countryside would be utterly swarming with them. And a place crawling with ghosts, all able to attack him in his sleep? It wasn't ideal for the already-depleted Luigi.
He yawned and wiped at his eyes, lost in sleepiness. Since he'd allowed himself to relax, his body had already gone into shutdown mode.
He blinked and sat back on his sleeping bag. He still didn't think sleeping was that good of an idea, but rest… sure. He could allow rest. He stared up at the cave's ceiling, tracing the dripping of stalactites from top to bottom. His eyes were heavy, but he didn't let his brain shut off. He had to think about what came next.
"North..." he said aloud.
The sound of his voice drew Polterpup's attention. The pup, who had preoccupied himself with sniffing around, ran over. He perched himself next to Luigi, tilting his head.
"North. What's north of here? There's-a Little Fungitown, but that doesn't seem like an ideal place for a Beanstar piece... but, hey, what do I know... I'm-a not an expert or nothin'..."
He rolled over, burying his face in the sewn-in pillow of the sleeping bag.
"Maybe," he continued, muffled by the fabric, "maybe it's in town. Maybe the 'friendly' ghost is actually King Boo in disguise..." He always did love his illusions, Luigi recalled with a grimace. "I don't knowww... I-a can't think of anyone who would wanna help me right now..."
He was too tired to think of any other logical possibilities. Wearily, he picked at the gravel on the ground. He leaned his head down, threatening to fall asleep right then and there. Polterpup, on the other hand, listened to his owner's ranting until he trailed off. The pup answered suitably: with more barking. He went over to Luigi's sleeping bag, plopping down at his side. He licked at his face gently. When he got no response, he barked again, scratching and pawing at Luigi's face.
"Whasssitt...?" Luigi whined.
Polterpup barked and leaped away. Luigi sat up on his elbows, eyes half-closed, following him. He rubbed at his eyes, revealing Polterpup jumping around next to his Poltergust. The machine rattled gently from movement within. Polterpup sniffed it, barking and yapping incessantly once given the chance. Luigi shook his head, sitting up from his pillow. He was beyond tired, but he knew there was no way he would be sleeping until Polterpup calmed down. But he thought for sure that they had been walking around long enough. That should have been enough for the little canine to get his zoomies out.
"What's the matter, buddy?"
"Arf!"
Upon closer inspection, he found it was something else entirely making the pup act up. Polterpup wriggled, fitting his snout into the machine's nozzle and batting a paw against the handle. Luigi sat up, somewhere between confused and alarmed at his behavior.
"Do you... did you like... being in the Poltergust?" he asked. He couldn't find any other explanation, but he also couldn't imagine being cramped in a tight place like that all day would be very nice.
Polterpup confirmed those suspicions with a hearty bark. Luigi jumped back a bit.
"So, uhm, you... didn't like it? Then why are you acting so funny?"
Luigi shuffled over on his knees and leaned down, petting Polterpup on the head. Polterpup graciously accepted the pets, but then went right back to barking. He hovered over the Poltergust.
Luigi pointed at it. "What about it?"
Polterpup wagged his tail, pawing at the nozzle release button again. Luigi couldn't imagine what he was saying. He turned back to the Poltergust, crouching down beside it. He raised an eyebrow and made a face, lifting his hand and hovering it over the release button. Polterpup barked excitedly. Luigi kept up his puzzled expression. Obviously, he was doing something Polterpup wanted, judging by his reaction. But, in his head, this seemed like a really bad idea.
His eyes shifted to the nozzle. The machine itself was shaking more, rattling. Polterpup leaped up, paws on either side of the vacuum.
"You... want me to...?"
"Borf, borf, borf!" Polterpup's excitement did not die down.
Though a large part of him knew this was a horrible idea, Luigi gave in and did as requested.
He pressed down on the nozzle button, and out popped a beanshee. It didn't do much, so Luigi went ahead and released another one. Polterpup barked as they popped out, as though hoping to see more of his ghostly buddies. It was true that Polterpup didn't have many ghostly friends as of late, so maybe that was why he was acting so strange. Maybe he just wanted someone to play with again. Luigi held down his hand, and out popped more. His shoulders loosened as he realized none of the ghosts seemed like they wanted to attack him. Maybe just the sight of the Poltergust made them think twice.
Really, the beanshees looked more confused and lost than anything else. They looked around, searching in nooks and crannies for something. Polterpup followed after them, grabbing them by the tail and (gently) pulling them back down to his side. He got into a play stance, hoping for a reaction. Eventually, they did, floating around Polterpup. Polterpup followed after them, panting and barking, his collar jingling.
Luigi kept his hand down on the nozzle, delighting in the reaction his playful pooch gave. Polterpup continued to circle the new ghosts excitedly, leaping around and yapping. It had been a while since he seemed so happy. It was contagious. There were a stream of ghosts coming from the nozzle now: a collection of Boos, minty-colored ghosts, and beanshees. Even the ones that tried to attack Luigi (mostly the Boos, it seemed) were easily subdued by Polterpup; one he even chewed on like a toy.
He only stopped when the machine rumbled harder. He curiously looked down at the nozzle, releasing the button from his grasp. Even the playing ghosts seemed interested in the noise.
"What's..."
A long, skeletal, glowing hand emerged from the nozzle, clawing at the ground. Luigi dropped the bag out of instinct, face contorting to a horrified, open-mouthed frown. The ghost groaned louder, pulling itself out of the confines of the ghost-hunting pack and out into the damp cave. Their stretchy supernatural limbs emerged one by one, and soon there was a head and torso glaring angrily at Luigi.
The caretaker, Luigi thought.
Luigi shrieked and held down the release button. At that, the gravekeeper tumbled out of the Poltergust and into the other ghosts. Polterpup barked angrily, running around the cave in circles, reacting to the growing commotion. Luigi went to strap the pack back over his shoulders. One last ghost emerged before he could: a tiny, mint-colored ghost with a curious, wide-eyed gaze. They locked eyes with one another, and Luigi immediately recognized it as the one he'd caught outside Harhall's studio. It was the very first ghost he'd ever captured with his prototype.
The moment passed because soon the gravekeeper was lunging at Luigi, clawing at the air as he whizzed past him. Luigi jumped out of the way. The other ghosts scrambled. It seemed, to him, like the caretaker was the most developed out of all the ghosts, so he had a personal vendetta against Luigi... much to the exhausted plumber's dismay. He turned to Polterpup, whistling.
"Help!"
Something strange happened then.
Polterpup ran to Luigi's side, as expected, but so did a few of the other ghosts. The beanshees and Beanbean ghosts floated over to his side, hovering next to him. He looked at them, confused. One of them, the one with the largest eyes, stared at him without any discernable emotions. He couldn't tell if their approach was malicious or benevolent, so he kept his guard up, flinching.
"U-Uh... hi...?"
One of them waved.
When the caretaker lunged again, Polterpup jumped up, snarling and biting down on his arm. It severed in half, the hand landing on the cave ground with an ectoplasmic splat. The gravekeeper snarled at Polterpup, trying to grab the pup by his collar. The other ghosts jumped in then, pulling back on the gravekeeper by his limbs, stretching him out more. He groaned angrily, free hand flailing to shoo away the ghosts like they were mosquitoes.
Luigi picked up his Poltergust, straightening it on his back. He flicked the switch on the nozzle, making sure it would be drawing foes in rather than letting them out.
"Move outta the way!" he cried. The ghosts (strangely) did just as told, flying out of the spread of the vacuum's reach.
Polterpup made sure to kick the caretaker one last time with his hind legs as he jumped out of the way, returning to his post behind Luigi's legs. Luigi whipped his flashlight out of his back pocket and turned it on, stunning the caretaker. He flicked on the Poltergust nozzle and aimed, standing his ground. The harsh sucking of air echoed throughout the cave system.
After a minute too long, the gravekeeper was captured for a second time. His corpsely groans winded through Luigi's ears as he landed in the canister, releasing a sound clunk-ing noise.
"Eugh..." Luigi huffed. He leaned back, taking off his Poltergust and wrapping both arms around it. He caught his breath, looking up at Polterpup in front of him. The pup panted, face a smile as he licked Luigi across the face. "Hehe... okay, okay, down, boy."
Luigi sat up. He looked around, finding that most of the beanshees and ghosts had vacated the premises in the chaotic excitement. One remained though, sitting above Luigi's backpack. A spike of panic went through him at the thought of another thievery attempt, but it didn't seem like the mint-colored ghost was interested in the contents. It just hovered idly.
"What are you doing?" He attempted a conversation. Polterpup barked too, making sure to cover their two language bases. Neither seemed to be the ghost's primary language. He tried not to sound accusatory when he spoke. "Don't you work for Boo? What are you doing here?"
The mint-colored ghost shyly looked to the side. It floated away from Luigi when he tried to approach, obviously more fearful of him than he was of it. He stepped back.
"S-Sorry... didn't mean to scare you... uhm... I'm sorry for capturing you."
It felt awkward apologizing to a ghost. It would be like Mario apologizing to a Goomba... which, in all honesty, wasn't too horribly out-of-character for his brother.
"It's just... well, King Boo's out to get me, ya'know? A-And he's got a bunch of the bean ghosts under his thumb. But... you're not a bad one, right?"
The ghost didn't react. It just looked at him with big round eyes. It could be saying or thinking anything, really.
"Well... I hope so."
Luigi sat down next to it, trying to be as calm and gentle as possible. It certainly wasn't as shy or flustered as a Boo, but it was just as anxious. It curled in on itself, moving backward and out of reach. Luigi wordlessly nodded toward it, understanding its boundaries.
He started to pack up his things, doing a double and triple check on his bag—everything was accounted for—and shuffling it all onto his back. In all the chaos, he hadn't realized the rain was dying down now. He'd be able to head back out soon. Polterpup whined, pointing to the unfurled sleeping bag with his snout.
"Can't sleep, puppy, we gotta go..." Luigi rubbed Polterpup's head. He rolled up his sleeping bag, carrying it in both arms. "You can-a get some rest when we get to our next stop, okay?"
Polterpup didn't seem concerned about his own circadian rhythm.
Luigi grabbed his things, hoisting everything up over his back. He huffed and then whistled, Polterpup trotting over to his side. He went to the cave's exit, standing at the archway leading outside. Dry air hit him at first, but beyond that, there was dew and grass waiting for him. He exhaled. Before he walked out though, he turned, looking back at the mint-colored ghost. It had floated up to the cave ceiling, looking down at Luigi.
"Will we see each other again?" he asked, somewhat playfully.
He didn't fully expect an answer, so he was shocked when he got one. The little ghost nodded its head, its glowing face a smile.
Luigi nodded and smiled back.
The ground went from dusty, dry dirt to soft, green grass after just a few minutes of walking. The world around him smelled of dew, pine, and blossoms. Though he knew it was the summer season, he always felt he could smell the freshest flowers of spring showers.
Unfortunately, when the grass started, so did the thicket. The brambles and shrubs rose to tremendous heights. They cast strange shadows over the lanky man, making him seem much smaller than he actually was. Even before the ghosts started manipulating the environment, the kingdom was already rather overgrown. The trees and bushes, a familiar, nostalgic shade of turquoise, easily towered over Mario when they were here. Sure, Luigi could have hopped over them at the time... with effort, of course. Now it was like venturing beneath an archway made of roots, thorns, and stray flowers.
He held a hand out to some leaves drifting in the breeze.
The smiling foliage of the kingdom was a constant. He used to find it creepy back when he was here with Mario for the first time. That felt like eons ago now. Nowadays, he found the laughter-based plant life a comforting departure from the usual fare. It was welcoming to him. He remembered the path toward town like clockwork, a reflex from when he and Mario had been here. He knew where each critter made its nest and den and he knew where the best shortcuts were.
The further they got though, the more his knees wobbled. He couldn't walk at some points, so he took time to rest. As much as he wanted to push through, a nightmare vision kept entering his mind: one of a ghost finding him unconscious and bringing him back to King Boo while he was still asleep. He shivered just thinking about it. It would be like falling asleep knowing he'd never wake up again. He'd have no clarity or closure. It was not his way to go.
He kept to the path, following signs (which were barely legible with thick roots growing over the top of them). He tried to keep the cardinal directions in mind. To his knowledge, he could only think of one major location to the immediate north of town, as all the signs reminded him. All he would need was a quick check of the situation. If it looked hairy, he'd get out in an instant. Besides, after he checked it out, he could more easily keep to the shore and stay out of sight.
As soon as he broke through the outskirts, he found the nearest gold-plated sign leading him northbound. He read over the flouncy text etched into the sign.
Yoshi Theater.
He didn't think it would be right, but it was worth a shot checking. Maybe it was a Yoshi-taming ghost? Maybe everyone aside from a sweet little Boo had been scared off by the dinosaurs?
He lifted a foot, aimed in the sign's leading direction when Polterpup began yapping loudly. Luigi looked down and then to where his pup was looking: which was, evidently, behind him.
He flipped around on his heel, yelping at the sight. A flurry of ghosts were coming at him at high speeds. Polterpup leaped in front of Luigi, growling. Luigi flinched and held up the nozzle of his Poltergust, squeezing his eyes shut and expecting the worst.
But to his surprise, the ghosts didn't pay him any mind whatsoever. He opened one eye, watching in disbelief as they passed him, all going in the same direction he was headed. He caught excited, unintelligible chattering amongst the Beanbean ghosts. Luigi and Polterpup exchanged a puzzled glance.
They picked up speed, running toward the flashy building and joining the crowd. A line was forming out the door. The marquee promised a "BRAND NEW PRODUCTION", spelled out in bold, capital letters. Luigi tilted his head. The only way there could be a new production would be if the workers inside were ghosts... unless some of the old employees were still there! Maybe Boddle had managed to strike up a deal with the ghosts? Or Fava had managed to sway them with his whimsical stories of Yoshis? Maybe the production wasn't a movie at all, but a play? They always did seem the theatric type here.
He turned the corner, trying to keep out of sight of the ghosts. Even if they hadn't noticed him earlier, there was no telling who was a friend and who was a foe at this point. He squinted behind a bush, trying to get a grasp on the situation. There were ghosts in the ticket booths, handing out tickets by the bushel. Luigi couldn't quite make out what they were paying with, but he sure hoped Boo hadn't already established a ghost economy here. He crouched down, turning back to his companion.
"Okay, doggy, after they head in, we'll—"
He looked down, finding that Polterpup had fallen asleep on the soft grass. Luigi sighed, but ultimately conceded to his dog's snoozing. He picked him up delicately, setting him down in a safer spot out of the way.
"I'll be back soon." He whispered as he left, patting Polterpup on the top of his head.
After a majority of the ghosts were ushered inside the theater, Luigi snuck in behind them. The salespeople had left their posts, so there was no one outside when he tried the door handles. He quickly slinked inside. It was empty in the lobby, lights dim. Beyond two double doors, he heard a movie beginning to play, muffled voices and sound effects echoing throughout the lobby. He kept to the walls, shuffling awkwardly to avoid any wandering ghosts.
He took out his flashlight, shining it throughout the lobby. He looked at the movie posters along the wall, squinting. One of them was a poster that boasted the "brand new" title: a movie entitled Revenant's Requiem. The poster featured a lanky blue ghost cradling a Boo in its arms, with an imposing purple Slinker in the background. It looked like a cheesy romance novel. Luigi couldn't judge though; he did love a good, sappy love story now and then.
He shined the light further down the wall, curious about the rest of the offerings. Rather than finding movie posters, though, he found three familiar faces pasted up on the wall. He gasped, nearly dropping his flashlight.
Boddle, his assistant, and Fava's faces were plastered on the movie posters. None of them were smiling. In fact, Boddle's assistant was caught in an eternal scream. In Boddle and Fava's posters, a group of Yoshis stood behind them, each with their own surprised and terrified expressions. A shiver brushed over Luigi's spine. He stepped back. Something told him these weren't just posters. He reached a hand out to them, wishing desperately that he had his Dark-Light device.
"Who's out there?"
Luigi felt his soul nearly leave his body. He jumped at the sound of the sudden voice, stopping dead in his tracks and grabbing his Poltergust. He breathed heavily, backing himself up against the posters so nothing could get him from behind. He looked around, eyes darting to every corner of the room.
"I know I heard someone... I'm afraid we have no concessions for tonight's showing. Shall I show you back to the theater?"
A floorboard creaked. Instinctually, Luigi dove out of his way, hiding behind a crimson curtain along the wall. He quivered, knowing a moving, shaking curtain would be, more than likely, the most suspicious thing in the room. He cursed his poor quick-thinking decisions. Something spectral and cold joined him, the room filling with an icy chill. A ghastly blue coated the flooring just beyond his hiding spot. He flinched, sweating buckets.
In a flash, the curtain was pulled back.
Luigi shrieked, nearly turning on his Poltergust... right before he registered the voice addressing him.
"You! Is that... my starring actor?"
"Wha…?"
Luigi opened his closed eyes, gaze going wide at the sight of a familiar blue ghost leaping toward him. He picked Luigi up by the shoulders, hollering excitedly. Luigi felt like a ragdoll in his grasp.
"From the Last Resort! Yes, I knew it was you! With your great build and impressive mustache, and... oooh, tell me, who did that makeup on you? You truly look like you haven't slept in years! Oh ho! Tell me, are you shooting a zombie flick? Apocalypse film? Drat... if I had known you were still in the acting industry, I would have snatched you up first!"
"...Morty?"
"Precisely!" The director's voice was crystal-clear. He set Luigi down on the ground, dusting him off. He grabbed Luigi by the hand, shaking it. "So it is you! You are a sight for sore eyes. My muse, my inspiration! What are you doing here? To WHAT do I owe the pleasure, my dear friend? Come to see my latest movie?"
Luigi tried answering, but the rigorous handshaking made it nearly impossible. "I-'m-here… t-to…!"
"Well, you must be dying to know what I'm up to!" He let go of Luigi, nearly making him lose his balance. "Oh ho hooo... aren't you curious?"
Luigi dreaded the idea of being impolite, so he nodded his head, smiling weakly.
"Well!" Morty fixed his cap. "As I was working on my latest script, full of drama, bloodshed, and cruel betrayal... the strangest thing happened. I was struck by a BLOCK... 'tis the nastiest thing to ever plague a creative's mind." He solemnly held his head, taking off his hat and holding it between his hands. He recovered quickly though, throwing his hat back on and taking Luigi by the hand.
"And then... as fate would have it... my capsule, which I was residing in quite peacefully"—he nudged Luigi's side—"no hard feelings about that, by the way. I loved the opportunity to take a creative break.
"Anyway! I'd been tapping away at my typewriter, concocting the perfect story, brainstorming for weeks... when my capsule popped open. We were all released into the wild, like raging hoards of razorbacks! I thought of sticking around... but I was drawn to a certain bout of gossip in town. The little ghosts here were in desperate need of entertainment... they had nothing to do but sulk since your... uhm... passing. But I'm glad to see that didn't keep you down for long, though, oh ho!
"So... I decided I would use this as an opportunity! I passed the shores of the kingdom's edge, where the eerie winds of change caught my ears. The edges of the wood howled... but with pain and agony, not creative inspiration. Nothing caught my attention... nothing gripped my soul!" Morty shouted, flopping over himself dramatically. "Until I heard tell of a theater, right here in this... this Beanbean Kingdom! It was in desperate need of a redux. These apparitions needed something new... and I gave it to them!"
He pushed Luigi back outside, where the marquee was turned off. Dusk had settled since he'd been inside. Morty flipped a switch, and when the lights went up, it revealed the fruits of his labor.
"Revenant's Requiem!" he announced. He floated at Luigi's side. "It was inspired by your journey, my friend. A hero returning from the dead, hoping to do good for the world. It was the perfect plot! Oh ho hooo... and the ghosts just love it. They don't even know it, but they're all rooting for your character... you're an overnight hit!"
He opened the theater doors again, guiding Luigi inside.
"So... what do you think?" he asked, leaning in close to Luigi's face. "Isn't it just gripping?"
"I-I... wowie... what an honor." Luigi mustered an awkward smile. "Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you, my friend."
Luigi wasn't one to disregard praise, but a looming thought wouldn't leave his head. He tugged on Morty's turtleneck, pointing to the posters along the wall, putting clear emphasis on the ones containing the beanish people.
"Morty... did you have a hand in... t-that?"
"Hm?" Morty looked, then shook his head. "Oh. No, no. That was Ms. Gravely's doing." He scoffed. "You know, I never liked that woman, not even at the Last Resort. Her cat made an utter wreck of my studio, you know..."
Luigi stared at the posters. "When did she..."
"Before I got here. By the time I made this into a makeshift studio and started work on my new film, they were already there. There was one empty slot, though. It was fate!" Morty floated throughout the lobby, gesturing to the walls. "She swings by now and again to put up your wanted posters. I let her do it... then tear them right off the walls once she leaves, oh ho!" Morty threw an arm around Luigi. "I want the public to root for you, after all, not hunt you down. Though... sometimes you can't help the paparazzi, right? Oh ho hooo!"
He guided Luigi toward the double doors leading into the theater. He propped him up, dusting off his rumpled shirt. He framed Luigi's face between his fingers, the ghost's expression lighting up with a smile and laugh.
"Yes, yes. Perfect. Wait right here. I want you to have a special seat for the next showing of the film..."
Luigi stopped. He just remembered why he was here in the first place.
"W-Wait, Morty, I really can't stay... I have to..."
"Nonsense! The film is short anyway. I simply must show you my magnum opus!" he announced, shaking a fist in the air. "It will be a private showing. This I promise you!"
He floated over to a nearby door, knocking. Out of what looked to be a break room, a uniformed Goob emerged. It looked between Morty and Luigi a few times.
"Hello, friend. Have you met my inspiration and muse, Luigi?"
Morty gestured to the ghost hunter, who shakily waved a hand. The Goob made a face.
"Excellent. Help him to his VIP seat, won't you?"
"Morty, I..."
Luigi's protests were ignored as the Goob floated at his side. The ghost didn't make eye contact as he opened the double doors into the theater. The movie was just finishing up its last showing, with many of the previous attending ghosts floating out of the walls and ceilings. Luigi was seated in the middle of the theater, toward the front row. The Goob turned away, making an agitated gibberish noise before floating back out of the theater. Luigi's shoulder squeezed. A wave of nervousness tightened his joints.
He had never felt so exposed in his life, sitting in the blackness of an empty theater. He thought of the million ways that ghosts could jump out at him. From the floor, from the walls... even the screen! That would give a whole new meaning to jumpscares.
He heard chattering somewhere behind him. He looked back, noticing some floating silhouettes moving around in the projector room. After some fumbling back and forth, the movie flickered on. It was recorded on old film, which made everything much lower quality. And through Luigi's bloodshot eyes, it wasn't a pretty sight. He struggled with staying awake in the dark theater, rubbing at his temples as a headache set in. He supposed if this was something he had to do, he would do it, as long as he was safe. Morty seemed trustworthy. He wouldn't betray him... not like Popple, that is.
Sinking back into his seat, he tried taking in every detail of the film to keep himself awake. The main hero, played by a Goob (sporting a fake mustache, even), started off in the middle of a destroyed village. The rulers of said village were thrown into dungeons and towers, held under lock and key by an evil sorcerer, played by a Slinker. There were some... questionable practical effects, which he'd come to expect from Morty at this point. One of the Slinker's lackeys was a dragon, played by three ghosts wearing a dragon's head and bodysuits. The hero ghost was on a fake horse, tromping through obviously artificial environments. Luigi tried to silence the inner critic inside him.
The more the movie went on, the more engrossed Luigi became with the plot... and the more engrossed he got in thinking about reality, and everything that was at stake. He hugged his backpack close to him, feeling the warmth and glow of the Beanstar pieces through the fraying fabric.
It didn't help that the movie was basically spelling out everything Luigi had done wrong. The hero on the big, silver screen was untouchable: perfect. With valiant, scripted effort, they slayed dragons and beasts, collected treasures, charismatically conversed with the locals… and succeeded on their quest to the final tower, where their lover lay waiting for them, under a spell of deepest sleep.
Luigi shriveled into his plush seat, shielding his eyes from the unavoidable screen.
Humiliation flooded over him. Even though movie stars and their perfection should be unattainable, he couldn't help but think how much he was the opposite of a typical, storybook hero. He was disheveled, hobbled together, and narrowly hanging on by a thread. He hadn't properly slept or eaten in ages. He was running on empty. A sweaty, tired, beaten-down hero seemed like more a burden than good.
He sunk deeper into his seat. Even though there was no one in the theater with him, he felt a million eyes on him.
He shook his head and returned his attention to the screen, where the ghosts spoke in garbled tongues at each other. Even though the hero had his lover rescued, the Slinker wasn't done. He summoned the dragon from before. It roared, a glow in its jaws as it snapped at the hero. It curled menacingly around the spiraling tower, reaching out a clawed hand and grabbing the Boo from the Goob's arms. They cried out for one another. The Slinker laughed as the dragon squeezed the poor Boo between two claws.
At this point, Luigi was invested. Despite his headache and tiredness, he watched intently. So intently, in fact, that he began examining the details on the screen more. It was only then, as the Goob swung his sword and vanquished the dragon curling around the tower, that Luigi made a shocking revelation. The spire of the tower gleamed bright, shimmering... almost like a beacon. Luigi sat up in his seat, compelled. He squinted at the grainy screen.
Clear as day, placed at the top of the tower, was a piece of the Beanstar.
The rest of the movie didn't exist at that point. Brain on autopilot, Luigi bolted out of his seat. He nearly slipped over the butter and Chuckola Cola-soaked flooring, boots sticking to the ground as he rushed back to the lobby. He threw open the doors, panting heavily for air.
"Morty?!"
Instead, he found another Goob. It gasped at Luigi's sudden entrance. It wasn't the same who helped him to his seat—this one looked more like a ticket salesperson—but it would have to do. Luigi, a frazzled mess, gripped it by its incorporeal shoulders.
"In the movie... th-the... where is the director? Where's Morty? Where do you keep your props? W-Where's the set? I need..." he asked his questions anxiously, lips moving a mile a minute. The Goob squirmed out of his grasp, pointing back toward the theater. "N-No, he's not in there... I need..."
The Goob pointed again, with more emphasis and persistence this time. Luigi looked over his shoulder.
"Back that way? What's...?"
But when he looked back, the Goob was gone.
Luigi swallowed. He pushed open the double doors again, listening to them creak. On the theater's screen was a big final battle, something that Luigi tuned out completely as he ventured to the end of the rows. On either side of the screen were doors. One was an exit, labeled with a glowing sign, and the other led to... something. He tried that door, pushing it open. The glow of grainy movie footage followed, cascading across the long hallway on the other side of the door.
Venturing into the backmost rooms of Yoshi Theater was rather ominous. Even taking into consideration the bright wallpaper and decals of cutesy Yoshi faces littering the halls, it didn't help. The distant noise of the movie continued on behind him, echoing off the walls and around his ears. Each step he took made a squeak.
The door at the end of the hallway was slightly open. Luigi hesitated at the knob, but he took a deep breath and turned it. There, he found a room littered with boxes. They were piled haphazardly, some stacked taller than him. One of the boxes closest to him was open, a fake dragon head sitting inside along with other pieces of a dragon's body. Next to that were some parts of a fake horse, all piled into a cardboard box.
Prop room, he thought. Relief washed over him. He shut the door behind him. He grabbed a box, peeking inside.
If it had been used as a prop, the piece had to be in one of these.
He opened a cardboard flap of a box, immediately got startled by a rubber snake, moved aside said rubber snake, and then kept sifting through the things inside. He kept his head on a pivot, keeping watch over his shoulder. Without Polterpup at his side, he had no extra layer of security. And even with his Poltergust, he didn't know if he'd be able to hold off an ambush. He kept on his toes and checked behind him. The movie seemed to be over; the theater was eerily quiet.
He hesitated on the idea of dumping all the boxes out on the ground to speed things up, even if he knew he had to do this fast. He also didn't want to accidentally damage the Beanstar in the process. So, meticulously, he pulled each box out and set it down on the ground, opening it and peeking inside. He wound up getting in a pattern. Open, check, close, move. No luck so far though.
His foot nudged against the last pile of boxes, which were all fairly large: bigger than him. He bent down, flipping around and shoving the box with both arms in front of him so he could keep an eye on the door. Gooseflesh prickled over his skin.
He pulled out a jousting sword prop, dropping it on the ground. He removed some more costumes and the like, folding them neatly and setting them down on the ground. Once he moved most of the box's bulk out, the gleam of something green caught his eyes. His breath caught in his throat. He grabbed hold of it and pulled it out.
In one hand, he held up the green piece. It was yet another gleaming, glittering piece of the Beanstar; there was no mistaking it. He couldn't believe his luck. The Starshade Bros. hadn't steered him wrong after all. The piece reacted to his hold with intense pulsating. The weight on his back magnetized forward, arching his spine, each of the four pieces trying to attach and get back together.
He went to take off his backpack. "Hold on, hold on," he said, partially to himself and to the pieces, "lemme just..."
Before he could though, something else caught his attention.
"You said he was here."
The voice of a woman, speaking coldly, alerted his senses. She was somewhere outside the door and down the hall. Though she herself stood far away, her voice echoed like she was right next to him. She was loud... and annoyed.
Hellen.
"Where is he?"
Unintelligible stammering followed. It was a familiar high-pitched gibberish... from a Goob.
Keeping quiet, Luigi lunged at the door, holding it shut with one hand while flailing to grab a chair, a cabinet, a heavy box, something! Anything heavy enough to block the door until he could formulate a better plan. He wound up just holding it shut, hoping upon hope that no one else in the theater was conspiring against him. The fact that this room only had one door seemed like a blessing at first. Now it was a curse. He shut his eyes, pleading to the Stars above... and to the pieces in his backpack... that she would just go away.
"I'm not fond of having my time wasted," she said. "My sweetest Boo is very, very unhappy right now. He needs some tender love and affection," she cooed, "and you are interrupting our 'us' time."
Luigi held back a gag.
The Goob stammered again.
"Ah, you think he's hiding, then? Well... this room does smell particularly like cowardice. It's fresh..." she said in a predatory mewl. "Fine. Polterkitty..."
She called out. Luigi's stomach sank at the sound of curious meowing.
"Sniff out that horrid plumber, won't you?"
The jingling of the fancy kitty's collar echoed in his ears, making them ring. Holding the door shut wouldn't do any good against ghosts, so he backed away slowly. He picked up his Poltergust and flashlight, holding them shakily. He stuffed the newest piece of the Beanstar into his bag. Even their warmth couldn't calm his nerves. He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat painful.
His best bet was to make a run for it while he still could. It sounded like they were investigating the theatre first, so all he had to do was sprint past them... yeah... run past... a speedy, supernatural cat... with the strength of a feral puma. Easy enough, he thought with a shaky smile. No matter what, he knew he couldn't stay put. That would be the worst possible idea. He had to make a break for it... in three... two—
"Oh? This way, dear?"
The jingling got closer.
Shoot.
As the pattering of paws got closer, Luigi inhaled, exhaled, and resigned himself to whatever fate he was about to run headfirst into. He threw open the door to the prop room. On the other side, he met eyes with a flabbergasted Hellen, a wide-eyed Polterkitty, and a nervous Goob. It was the same usher who'd helped him earlier, but he didn't have time to be hurt by his betrayal. Right now, he was set on running.
"Y-You!" Hellen's voice followed him. "You wretched boy! Get him!"
Polterkitty roared, transforming at once into a beast.
Luigi sprinted past Hellen and the others, scrambling with as much energy his body could muster. It was a rather good thing this was life-or-death because adrenaline helped him pump his arms and move his legs, bursting out of the (much too long) hallway and back out into the theater. The screen was dark, cascading the whole theater in pitch blackness... aside from the exit sign, which glowed right in front of him. It was hope, and it was just a few feet away. He stopped to breathe, saliva in his throat.
Stopping turned out to be a mistake, though, because a sharp stinging sensation clawed at his back, knocking him to the floor. His bag opened and fell off of his back, the contents spilling out. Luigi collided with the sticky flooring, groaning as his body slid across the hard ground. Polterkitty batted at him like he was a mouse, knocking him backward again. Luigi looked up wearily at the sight of the glowing Beanstar pieces, which sat just outside of his reach. He tried to crawl and grab them, but Polterkitty held down one giant paw on his back. He winced, crying out. Tears pricked in his eyes.
"Now, now, dear, play nice with him. I'd like to take him back to Boo alive..." Hellen's voice approached. "Oooh, and look. You found so many of those little pieces. Well... you have no more need for those. Isn't that right?"
She chuckled, floating past Luigi and collecting each of the Beanstar pieces in her hands. The Goob floated behind her, helping her pick them up. She dumped them back into his backpack, slinging the fraying bag over her arm. She looked almost disgusted to hold it, but the triumph of besting her greatest enemy made that fleeting moment of distaste pass.
"Now, Polterkitty, why don't we—"
She paused at the sound of shuffling. Her gaze went to the back of the room; Luigi's followed as well. Sitting up in the projector booth was a single figure. The projector itself was gone, replaced with a large mass. Luigi couldn't quite make it out in his hazy vision.
The answer came in the form of a light switching on. Not only did the overhead theater lights flick on, but so did a giant spotlight up in the booth, aimed down at Polterkitty. The cat hissed and howled, covering her eyes and cowering backward. As soon as the pressure was gone, Luigi sat up. The momentary stun also affected the Goob... and Hellen. Luigi jumped up, grabbing the bag from Hellen's hold and holding it above his head.
"How's that for a show, huh?"
Morty's face appeared in the projector's booth, smiling down at Luigi. He was still wiping at his eyes, having also been impacted by the stunning light. Thankful tears streamed down Luigi's face — he'd been holding back a floodgate he didn't even know was there.
"Now run, Luigi! Run! Get out of here! You've got good company waiting outside. Hurry!"
Morty disappeared from view, floating out of the wall.
Luigi glanced back at Hellen and Polterkitty, who were both grinding their teeth and shouting, screaming, and shrieking. Luigi didn't look back again, throwing open the exit door and rushing outside. He ran up the hill leading back toward the main entrance, where a few beanshees and other ghosts were congregating. Immediately, he flinched back and hid, but Morty was there too. He coaxed him out of hiding, shoving him in front of the crowd.
"These are some of your fans, Luigi... I told them how you inspired the character in Revenant's Requiem, and they love how you've fought against the odds. They'll buy you some time." He winked, floating backward. "And so will I. You know I never liked that studio-wrecking cat anyway..."
Luigi nodded, still feeling like crumbling into thankful sobs at the amount of generosity. He turned to leave, but his head returned to his first companion. He looked back at the shrubbery where he'd left his pup to rest, but the snoozing pooch wasn't there.
"Polterpup! Where is—"
The ghosts parted.
Polterpup leaped out from the middle of them, barking excitedly as he jumped into Luigi's arms. He gave him a number of slobbery kisses, yipping.
"He gathered up these ghosts, you see. He certainly has a knack for befriending these little things," Morty explained.
He patted Luigi on the shoulder before shoving him forward in the direction of the nearby shores. It only occurred to Luigi now that he really only needed one more piece before he could face down King Boo. That was both exciting and terrifying, but he knew there was no backing down now. He readied himself for the next stretch of his journey, checking to make sure he had everything. He had all four pieces, his Poltergust, and his best canine buddy with him. With those things, he could take on anything. He looked back at Morty, nodding.
He started off on the path, looking back one more time at the theater. The ghosts prepared a defensive position, guarding the doors. Morty took off his cap, waving it.
"There's that shining confidence I know, Luigi! Now go and make this director proud! If you succeed, you can bet I'll be writing a sequel to my first film," he called. "I'll see you then! Maybe you could even star in it—!"
Luigi was at a loss for words. Perhaps there still was hope in his dreary position. Sure, he was at a disadvantage, but he still had his friends to help him... and the more he ventured through the thicket, the more he realized just how much help he really had. He kept to the shrubs and trees, huddling beneath the darkness as he made his way toward the shoreline. He held back tears, wiping the stray ones away, as he followed signs to the east. Gwarhar Lagoon was his last stop if all went well.
Then, he'd go to the castle, and he'd save everyone from King Boo's clutches. It was a tall task, yes. But, now, it didn't seem so scary.
Without knowing what lied ahead, Luigi kept going. Fighting against the growing exhaustion and fatigue weighing heavy on his limbs, he marched onward, into the thralls of his next adversary.