Chapter 9: Ghost Ship


"Mamma mia." Luigi shivered as he, Daisy, and their Yoshis stood on the shore of the seaside colony. The Soccer Princess, likewise, felt a chill run down her spine. The seaside looked like wonderous resort towns in Hawaii and other tropical paradises she had visited throughout her life. Palm trees, white beaches, and glittering lagoons surrounded toad houses spread throughout the colony. However, the pristine paradise lay in ruin, with hundreds of toads transformed and those who remained hidden.

Yet, unlike the Grass Land or Desert Hill, they saw no minions on the warpath. Instead, an eerie silence mixed in with an ominous fog surrounded the colony and obscured much of it from sight.

"So, how long has it been dusk?" Luigi shook a little but looked beyond fearless compared to the elder toadette, who hid behind a nearby palm tree with a gaunt expression.

"Since, since, they showed up." Her little hand shook as if in a windstorm, but she indicated something in the bay. There, Luigi, Daisy, and their yoshis just made out a ship through the fog.

"One of those airships. But it's in the water now." Daisy supposed that made sense, but she inched herself closer to Luigi. "So, what now?"

"Now, we go aboard and get the wand back." Luigi took a deep sigh and straightened himself with fierce determination. He knelt down to look over his plumbing equipment while Daisy raised her eyebrow.

"Shouldn't we bring some of those power-ups?"

"Yeah, but a plumber needs their equipment too." Luigi hoisted his pack up and onto his back while Blue Yoshi nuzzled him. "Sorry, buddy, but we can't bring you along this time. There's only room for two in the boat." Blue and Yellow Yoshi whined, but Daisy nodded and petted her dinosaur.

"Please be careful. There's, there's something off about that ship." The toadette elder beseeched them as the two humans got into a canoe and rowed toward the ship. Both waved to their yoshis, who waved back. Every stroke brought them closer to the ominous vessel and hastened their heart rates.

"Luigi, how do you and Mario do it?" Daisy stuttered.

"Do what?"

"Go through this kind of thing without being scared!?" She expected him to come back with confidence. However, Daisysaw an exhausted expression form on Luigi's face.

"Mario isn't easily frightened. But the thing is, I am."

"What? But you're a hero? You fought all those koopas and other monsters. The koopalings."

"Yeah, I did, but I was still scared and am scared now. It's just who I am. The trick is working through my fear. You must understand. Don't tell me you never get nervous before a match." Luigi almost chuckled, and a renewed sense of warmth pushed back the chill in Daisy, who smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Dad always said brave people are those who face their fears. If you're constantly in fear but fight anyway, that must make you even braver than your brother." Daisy's face turned a little red, and before Luigi knew what had happened, her hand rested on his. Luigi's heart raced faster, and his eyes met hers.

"Well, I've been here longer. You've adapted way better than I did. I think you're even braver." Daisy opened her mouth, but the boat shook after it hit something. The humans tumbled over when they saw the ship's hull before them. Both stared at the vessel and an open hatch before them in a nerve-wracking silence that lasted for an eternity. "Ok, we can't sit here forever." With a deep breath, Luigi climbed inside, followed by Daisy.

(Recommended soundtrack: Ghostly Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy)

The moment they set foot inside, a chill crept over Luigi and Daisy far worse than anything outside. Darkness overtook them, with only creaking wood and dripping water reaching their senses. The two shook, but Luigi's insides lit on fire when Daisy wrapped her arms around him for protection.

"Ok, ok, now what?" She muttered.

"Uhhh, we search." Luigi's hand fumbled for two flashlights in his equipment bag and, for a moment, appreciated that the darkness concealed his bright red face. Finally, he handed Daisy a work flashlight, and both lit up their path ahead. Each step made the wood beneath them groan louder and louder, and Daisy tightened her grip around Luigi's shoulders.

"Will you please be careful!? This place gives me the creeps."

"Sorry, I-" Luigi saw his breath and went dead silent with Daisy. Both heard the subtle cackles and ethereal movement around them. At the same time, they turned their flashlight toward the noise and screamed together as a white ghost lay in mid-air before them.

"Yahh!" Daisy screamed and clutched onto Luigi with all her might.

"Boo!" Luigi likewise yelped. The ghost's fangs and slimy tongue hung beneath black eyes. Yet the moment their light hit, the creature hit its face behind its little fin-like arms and remained still.

"Boo? Are you trying to scare it?"

"No, it's a Boo, ghosts part of Bowser's army. They're creepy but very shy. If you shine a light in their face, they stay still." After a moment, the fear left Daisy, who grinned.

"Perfect, keep the light on him!" She reached into her bag and set a green shell down. Luigi saw what she intended to do and tried to stop her, but she kicked the shell straight at the boo, only for it to pass through him. "...Oh, right, ghost." Daisy muttered, her face now scarlet in embarrassment.

"Watch out!" Luigi tackled Daisy to the ground when the shell bounced off a wall and sped toward them. After the initial thud and pain, Luigi and Daisy stared at each other, their faces inches apart. "Ahh, sorry-" Luigi started at the same time Daisy bashfully thanked him. However, the cackles returned, and through the darkness, they just made out the Boo as it swooped in.

"Hit it!" Luigi jumped up the moment Daisy hit its face with her flashlight and froze the ghost in place. When Luigi came down, he delivered a fierce kick to its backside, and the Boo vanished into a whiff of white mist.

"Huh?" Daisy's mouth hung open while Luigi brushed off some of the white remnants.

"Boo's get dispelled if you hit them in their backsides."

"Geeze, why didn't you say something sooner." Daisy almost laughed when Luigi flashed his light on another that tried to sneak up behind her. The soccer athlete reacted fast, flipped herself behind it, and kicked the Boo's back. It popped like a balloon, and fiery confidence brimmed inside the young woman who twirled her flashlight like a gun.

"Hmm, not so tough, are they? Come on, Luigi!" She waved him on, and they worked in synch, flashing lights onto any Boo that tried to sneak up on them. Soon any sense of fear vanished from the duo, who laughed and beamed as they cleared out the ship of its ghostly crew.

"Here we come, Ludwig!" Luigi readied himself to kick a door in when the distinct noise of ghostly movement emanated from the other side. "Woah, get back!" Luigi got in front of Daisy and readied his flashlight when the specter emerged and tackled him onto his back. Daisy was about to flash it when she took a closer look and covered her mouth while Luigi let out terrible cries.

"Arf arf!" Daisy's face turned red, and she tried to contain herself as she stared at a white ghostly dog as it wagged its tail and licked Luigi's face.

"So cute, so precious."

"Gaaah! Seriously, a ghost dog?! I hate dogs!" Luigi groaned, remembering Francis and the countless chain-chomps. He showed the ghostly dog off, but it panted and tried to jump back up onto him.

"No! I said get back!" Luigi flashed it, and the dog went still.

"Luigi, come on." Daisy tried to assure him, but Luigi got up and wiped the dust from his overalls. He reached for the door, but the dog got in front of him and tried to gesture Luigi away from it.

"Move." Luigi raised his voice, but the dog's smile faded along with its tail wag. The ghostly dog whined, but Luigi ignored him and went inside.

"Luigi, wait!"

"He's one of the ghosts. Probably trying to lead us astray-" Luigi and Daisy froze when they entered a massive chamber and saw dozens of Boos lying in wait. "...Or not."

Both seized the door, but it would not budge, and the ghostly ambush cackled as they flew in from every direction. Both flashed any ghost that came in, but more covered their companions, which made hitting them from behind impossible.

"What do we do!?" Daisy yelped.

"Let me think, let me think-" Luigi lost his breath as another Boo approached despite the light from his flashlight. Unlike the others, this Boo was pitch-black with yellow eyes and fangs.

"There we go!" Daisy's heart soared with her body as she leaped up to kick it from behind.

"Daisy no!" Luigi tried to grab her but could only watch in horror as the Boo exploded when she made contact. Daisy landed beside him, covered in soot and in immense pain.

"That's a Bomb Boo." He sighed as Daisy's head spun.

"Ok, don't hit the black ones." She groaned. Luigi saw two more Bomb Boos fly in, and Daisy yelped as he raced at them. "What are you!?" She gasped as Luigi seized them by their tongues and spun the ghosts around until they hit regular boos and exploded.

"Ohhh, that'll work." Daisy shook off the last of the dust and saw a bomb boo approach from behind. Despite her instincts, she seized its slimy tongue and spun the ghost around into a few of its companions. However, this tactic could not stop the flood of Boos as they came from every direction. Luigi backed up with the beat of his racing heart and tried to think of a solution.

"Arf arf!" Luigi looked back and saw the ghostly dog rummaging through his fallen plumbing supplies when it came up with the nozzle of his shop vac.

"That could work! Daisy, hold them off!" Luigi got to work while Daisy did her best to keep the ghosts back.

"Whatever you're doing, do it faster!"

He desperately tried to find the right wrench when the ghost dog held it in front of him.

"Uhh, thanks."

"Arf arf!"

After what felt like another eternity, Daisy saw Luigi emerge with what looked like a vacuum cleaner on him, like a backpack with his flashlight strapped to the end.

"How about this! I call it the Poltergust 3000!" The various Boos did not stop until Luigi flashed several at once, and they went still. He then aimed the vac's nozzle at them and sucked three Boos in at once. Daisy shook in awe as Luigi cleared the room of all ghosts and then spun the nuzzle around.

"Oh yeah! Luigi's the winner!"

"Way to go!"

"Arf arf!" Luigi turned his new weapon on the dog who went still and whined with a sad expression.

"Luigi, don't-"

"Hmmm, I guess you're not such a bad dog-"

"Arf arf!" The ghostly dog sprung to life and leaped back onto Luigi with a shower of licks.

"Gaah, come on." He groaned as Daisy giggled.

"He's a Polterpup. That's what he is." The Polterpup followed them as they continued deeper into the ship. As they approached the Captain's cabin's lower entrance, the Polterpup whined again and tried to tug them away.

"What's wrong, boy?" Luigi asked when eerie piano music filled the halls, sending a shiver down their spines. The Polterpup whined harder and tried with all his might to pull them back. However, Luigi and Daisy knelt down beside the ghostly dog and petted him.

"There there, we'll be ok. We have to get the wands back."

"Arf arf."

Luigi and Daisy turned to each other, fire in their eyes. With a nod, they kicked the door open together and saw a small auditorium. There, dozens of Boos listened as Ludwig continued his dark melody across a black piano.

"Ahhh, the guests of honor have arrived." The door slammed shut behind them, and Kamek appeared on his broom over Ludwig, a wicked grin on his beaked face.

"So they have, my lord. Welcome to Lord Ludwig von Koopa's grand performance! A show to die for! Which you will both do, now!" Kamek pointed his wand at the heroes as their audience of Boos swarmed.

"I don't think so!" Luigi stopped them in their tracks with a flash of light and then sucked the ghosts into his Poltergust 3000. Daisy either helped him freeze more ghosts, kicked a few stragglers in their backs, or seized bomb boos by the tongue and exploded them.

"Arf arf!" The Polterpup cheered them on and nuzzled both their legs until every other ghost was gone.

"Hmm! Never send a ghost to do a Koopa's job! Kamek, destroy the human woman! Luigi is mine."

"With pleasure, my lord!" Kamek waved his wand and vanished in a ball of light while Ludwig waved his own wand around the piano as he played a harsher melody. To the plumber's horror, shadowy musical notes appeared over the piano and then flew after him like Bullet Bills.

"Yaah!" Luigi scattered as the notes exploded behind him and sent debris from the seats everywhere.

"Luigi!" Daisy wanted to help, but the Polterpup growled at something behind her. The Soccer Princess turned just in time to see Kamek appear over them, wand raised.

"Foolish human, you're no match for my magic!" With a wave of his wand, Kamek sent down balls of fiery rock at Daisy, who weaved through the seats to avoid them.

"Uhh, Luigi, any ideas?!"

"Working on it!" Luigi cried as he, too, ran from the explosive notes sent by Ludwig. He tried to make a break for Ludwig, but the barrage of notes proved too thick, and he could not approach. "Polterpup, can you reach our power-ups?!"

"Arf arf!" The ghostly dog raced towards Luigi's bag only for a note to blow it apart. The Polterpup whined as he stared at their charred power-ups.

"Ohh, great." Luigi kept moving as more notes soared past him. Daisy, too avoided more magical blasts from Kamek when she noticed one of his bursts sent three green Koopa shells spinning at her. A wide grin emerged on Daisy's face as she turned and charged these shells.

"You really ought to exercise more, old man!" With the skill of her soccer mastery, Daisy kicked up each shell, then slammed them into Kamek one after the other.

"Oof, hey, aaaah!" The Magikoopa wilted under the third blow and fell off his broom. At the same time, Luigi noticed that the musical notes flew at him the same way the Boos did and had an idea. Aiming his Poltergust 3000, Luigi sucked up the notes, then switched the setting and blew them back into the piano. Ludwig's eyes widened in horror, and he tried to run. However, the notes went off and blew the piano to pieces. This explosion sent Ludwig flying through a wall and out of the ship, his wand left behind.

Luigi spun his Poltergust 3000 again and rushed to hi-five Daisy before the Polterpup leaped into their arms.

"Arf arf!"

"Good dog." They said together. A few minutes later, with Ludwig's wand in hand, Luigi stood on the upper deck with Daisy and the Polterpup.

"Here we go!" With a wave, Luigi, Daisy, and the Polterpup watched as every transformed toad returned to their true self and cheered in jubilation.

"Arf arf!"

Luigi and Daisy turned to each other with a similar passion. Neither spoke for a moment as they tried to find the words. However, Luigi lost his breath as he saw her do something he could not comprehend. Daisy leaned in with her head towards his. Could it be real? Could this be happening? Fate proved cruel as something seized Daisy from behind and picked her up.

"Hey!? What are you doing!?"

"Daisy!"

"Arf arf!" Luigi and the Polterpup watched in horror as a massive clown car picked up Daisy and lifted her up into Morton Sr.'s claws. Ludwig and Kamek rested beside him as he chuckled and stroked's Daisy's chin.

"Hello, gorgeous. Maybe big bro is right about human women."

"Ick! As if lizard!" Daisy tried to free herself, but Morton Sr. proved too strong.

"Let her go!" Luigi brought his wand back, but Morton Sr. blasted the ship with black fire and sent Luigi flying.

"Luigi!"

"Hah, so long human, rot amongst the kelp!" Morton Sr. laughed as he flew away.

"No!" Luigi reached for Daisy as the Polterpup levitated and held him up. He, too, whined as he watched her vanish while Blue Yoshi had to restrain Yellow Yoshi from running toward the water.

"Yoshi!"