Luigi busted into the living quarters.
"Mario!"
Then the kitchen. Then every Spirit's room, then all-up-and-allaround in desperate attempts to find his brother, calling his name in every single room in order to cling onto that tiny little hope.
"Mario! Mario! Mario! Mario! Mario! Mario! Mario! Mario!"
He looped back to the living quarters, his hair a mess and his breathing heavy. There, he saw the floating broom mirror that kept taunting him over and over. Natsumi gave a cackle. "Of course I wouldn't be in the Spirit Mansion, you little runts! And no matter how much your ANNOYING turtle friend goes back up to his little ship in the sky, he's not finding anyone either. It's truly and completely impossible to find me, understand?!"
Luigi ignored her and went outside. There... instead of an empty continent like Natsumi promised, it was filled with a bunch of people.
The broom slowly floated beside Luigi. "Ooooh, right, it wouldn't be fun if I stood out, so I left out everyone. I'm just going to be interacting with them as YOUR friends."
Luigi finally picked up on that and stared at the broom, as Natsumi grinned even wider, poofing into a form Luigi was familiar with - a red version of himself, short, stubbier-Mario. She laughed in Mario's voice as the broom vanished, and only then did Luigi realise his hands were strangely and randomly forward with his fingers in a strangling position.
Luigi shook in fury. Bowser Junior called in via his own communicator. "Luigi?"
"Why are we even helping the Spirits? It's clear this one DOESN'T want to be saved..." He hadn't even known Natsumi for a while, but he already hated her.
"I think it's because..." Junior tried to remember Aiana. "I...Wait!" He called out. From his point of view, there was an alarm going off. "Spirit detection! Whoopee, we found Natsumi!"
Luigi was already bolting out the door into the streets, ducking past and diving through the crowds of people living their everyday lives. "Where?!"
"Some place called Tengu Park! On the double!"
"On it!" Luigi pulled out the Item Bag, absorbing a power-up.
Natsumi cackled to herself in Tengu Park. "Now then, how should I mess with them next? Maybe take away that young turtle brat too so the cowardly green man with anger issues is left allllll alone? It would be KARMA for all the things that happened-"
Natsumi paused. She felt something. "Eh? I'm being followed? I'm so far out, there's no way they could possibly track me." She summoned Haniel just in case. "I should make a quiiiick getaway, just in case."
She looked behind herself. Something was wrong. Then she looked in front to see the tip of the broom handle had been cut off like it was a flimsy stick. She could always just summon it again, but-
There was an evil laughter.
"Nice bodysuit. Really alluring. It just means less armor for me to get through."
Natsumi was then punched off her angel in slow-motion. She landed on her butt and looked up in fear. There, in front of her, was a hulking, turtle-like dragon monster, grinning down at her. "I don't like you taking away my prey."
The witch shivered. "Waaa-aaah...?"
"Oh, allow me to make myself known, cocky witch." He showed his fangs as he growled out, letting his name be known. "The great King Bowser!...'s body! In reality, I'm the spirit of Efreet. A real one, unlike that puny wannabe commander."
Natsumi wanted to play along with his corny jokes, but she found no voice due to legitimate fear.
"What's the matter?" He asked in a condescending tone. "Is the Witch gonna get BURNED AT THE STAKE?" He breathed fire at Natsumi. The witch tried to scramble onto her feet and grabbed Haniel, only to be met with Bowser's fireballs at every turn. The king snarled. "Come oooon! Where's Mario? You had no problem taking him away, surely you'd have no problem bringing him back! I have a score to settle with him, AND YOU ARE NOT GONNA BOTCH IT UP!" He breathed a massive stream of fire.
...For it only to be blocked by a wall of ice. Luigi arrived just in time to create a barrier between Natsumi and Bowser.
Bowser stopped breathing fire, only to notice Luigi. "YOU? Just you? Where's Mario?!"
Natsumi was so scared she couldn't even laugh at Luigi's power up. "What... are you wearing?"
Bowser cackled. "You're wearing a penguin onesie." He turned to Natsumi and pointed at Luigi. "He's wearing a penguin onesie!" He turned back to Luigi. "You DO know I have an angel to incinerate you. What are you gonna do, little guy? Waddle at me?"
Luigi had indeed absorbed a Penguin Suit. "I'll... freeze both of you if it gets you two to s-shut up.." But regardless, he took Natsumi's side. "Hey, Natsumi." Luigi put up his battle stance against Bowser, despite the ridiculous suit he was wearing. "Y-you do know that Shido wants to seal you to protect you against threats like this, right...?"
Natsumi grimaced. "But you two saw my true form... and for that, I'll never forgive you."
Luigi rolled his eyes, finally spilling what everyone should've said the whole time. "There was a cloud of DUST! I-I didn't even SEE your 'true form'...!"
Bowser snarled, raising his axe.
Luigi waddled to the side. "Here we goooooo!"
Bowser swung his axe at Luigi, who ducked under. Luigi retaliated on his own, but Bowser blocked the ice projectiles with his claws, simultaneously aiming his head and breathing fire at Natsumi who attempted to do some sort of blinding attack with Haniel. Bowser then dragged Camael across the floor, spinning it around to knock Natsumi off her feet and Luigi jumped into the air. Bowser, with his quick thinking, grabbed Luigi in mid-air. He then slammed Luigi into Natsumi.
"Impressive teamwork!" The Koopa King commended with a toothy grin. "It just doesn't match my brute force!"
Natsumi, struggling to get up, noticed the Item Bag. With Luigi locking eyes on it.
The witch heavily breathed, getting up. "Can I at least try?"
Luigi also struggled to get up. "Can Spirits even use Power Ups?!"
The item bag toppled from Bowser's stomps. There were only two more items left in it. A Fire Flower and a Rock Mushroom. "Only take one, Natsumi!" Luigi cried out as he started to sprint for cover. Oh, right, when he got slammed, he lost the Penguin Suit. Natsumi nodded and dashed towards the Rock Mushroom.
Luigi ran behind a tree which was easily cut down by Camael, with it barely grazing Luigi's precious hat. Bowser's attention was entirely on Luigi
"Here you go, Luigi! One souped up Camael FIRE BREATH, just for you!"
Luigi shivered and got up again. With Bowser finally stepping forward and launching a JET of fire straight at the ground toward Luigi. Luigi ran away from the stream of fire as Bowser kept locking on. Luigi looked behind himself to see the same impact a Spacequake would have. Just when Luigi was about to get consumed by flames-
A boulder hit Bowser, tumbling him back a bit. He snarled, immediately getting up from his fall. "WHO DARES?!"
The boulder revealed itself, Natsumi was there. However, her Astral Dress had received a change. Her bodysuit itself was now a light grey, any other fabric was replaced with rocks of varying degree, and even her cape were now rocks attached together. Finally, to tie it together, her witch hat was also grey. She examined herself. "Can't say I like this. I was more alluring with the purple."
Luigi charged forward. "Alright, hopefully you know how to roll again! That's your only move!"
"Seriously?!" Natsumi complained, but reflexively defended herself when she realised Luigi was aiming straight for her. At that moment, the Power Up realised Natsumi's wishes and curled her up into a ball automatically. Luigi kicked the boulder straight at Bowser.
Bowser blocked with his arm, but stepped back due to the pain his arm received. "Grrrgh... Typical... power ups! They never served any good!"
Natsumi tried to curl up again and turn into a boulder. This time, Bowser grabbed her boulder form before she was able to take off. He swung it around like he was about to do a Hammer Throw... then he let loose, chucking the boulder straight at Luigi. "Heads up! Bwahahaha!"
Luigi panicked and skidded in place before diving out of the way just in time to avoid an incoming Natsumi. The girl let go of her boulder form after her first bounce, skidding on the ground too, backwards this time. She finally put her foot down to stop it. "D-damn..."
Luigi got up on his feet and kept going. "Yeah, you get used to it!"
Natsumi went to the opposite side of Luigi, effectively sandwiching Bowser. This time, Bowser's attacks changed up. He darted towards Natsumi, delivering a punch which knocked her back, some cracks could be heard in the air. Then he jumped backward, turning around a 180 to go for Luigi. He swung Camael straight toward him.
Luigi BREATHED in with his gut, narrowly avoiding the lethal blow. He breathed out, but chocked on nothing due to his own fear. Bowser got on one hand and breakdance-kicked Luigi to the ground.
Just when all hope was lost, paint splattered on Bowser. "Cheap shot! Graagh, that stings!"
Luigi was RELIEVED. It was Bowser Junior. Just in the nick of time. "Thanks, Junior..."
"We need to stop Papa!" He aimed his magic paintbrush. Just as Luigi looked back to Bowser, he already saw the paint melting and angry orange eyes awaiting the two. "You again! Now you will SUFFER!" He breathed fire at the two, with Luigi diving yet again, with Junior simply jumping out of the way.
Now it was a fight between father and son. Well, what 'father' was left in him...
Luigi looked onward at the battle.
Junior was dodging with ease against his punches and fire breaths, no matter how much they've been powered up. What he wasn't expecting was a Camael strike straight towards him. Everything seemed to slow down in time at that moment. No, surely Junior can't...
...
...
...
die...
Luigi's hearing got blurred. His hearing got muffled as Bowser gripped his neck with his claws and raised him up, showing a pure form of malice as he grinned. "Megiddo."
The axe in Bowser's other hand turned into a giant cannon. He aimed it straight at Luigi, still keeping him in a death grip.
This was truly the end
No way out
Right
...
A voice is heard. "Kamek! Heal Bowser Junior! Shido! Go check on this witch!"
Two blue figures rushed to the figure's order. Bowser looked past Luigi and his grip loosened. Luigi managed to crane his neck to notice Princess Peach. She.. SHE'S OUT! And so is Kamek and Shido!
"Natsumi! Are you okay-" The schoolboy's concern was interrupted. "What the..."
What he saw, we'll get back to that.
Back to the topic of Bowser, perhaps he finally recognized Princess Peach?
Sadly, he hasn't woke up yet. He just simply growled. "No! Nuh-uh! The Witch kidnapped you all! I saw it!"
And that's when it happened. Bowser was kicked in the face, forcing him to drop his grip on Luigi, leaving the green thunder choking for air. He weakly looked up...
and saw his brother facing Bowser.
"Mario...?" Luigi whimpered.
"It's-a-me." Mario confirmed. "Sorry I disappeared, Bro... But I can't-a let Bowser hurt you."
Bowser's eyes reflected against Mario. "I've learned ALL your tricks by now. This is nothing new. This is the perfect counter! To stop YOU!"
Bowser aimed Megiddo and quickly fired a devastating blast toward Mario, only for the plumber to jump over it.
At this point, it was over for Bowser. Because Mario wasn't alone in wanting to get his licks in.
Luigi (after recovering) kicked him in the leg, forcing him to crouch. He turned to face the taunting plumber, only to get kicked in the back of his head by Peach's heel.. "GRAGH!" He turned his head back and quickly shot a mouth-fireball. Peach jumped out of the way and then Bowser saw Luigi bounce on his head. Bowser was super annoyed about getting ganged up on that he quickly got onto his feet again. But that was a trap, as Luigi had Mario's hammer and uppercutted him into the air. Even with Spirit Powers, Luigi's got strength and not backing down. But the combo doesn't even end there. Peach jumped up into the air being carried by the newly-recovered Bowser Jr. in his Koopa Clown Car. The princess jumped off the Clown Car, and slammed her frying pan full force into Bowser.
It was moments of silence. The combo had stopped. Bowser snarled as he weakly looked up from his lying position yet again, only to see Luigi hold up a Fraxinus-merchandised bomb.
"...What are you gonna do wit-"
KABOOM!
That was the answer. What remained of the smoke was Bowser lying down, unconscious.
Luigi finally snapped back to his senses after hurting Bowser, seeing the damage. But that didn't matter right now. What DID matter was...
"MAAAAARIOOOOOO!" Luigi ran over and hugged his brother, crying tears of joy. "I've never been more alone in my LIFE! It's... I'm gonna be okay now!" He cried in victory.
"It's-a okay! We're all back..."
Bowser grumbled as he got up, looking at the entire group. "Foul play, everyone. That just makes me wanna... FRRRGH... You win this time, but next time we fight, it will be on my terms!" Bowser jumped up, twirled, and disappeared into flames, the flames following suit.
Luigi looked at the populated park. A whole bunch of voices at once.
Tohka: "Umu, where are we...?"
Miku: "Haaahn! Darling! It's been scary without you!"
Kotori: "Bowser keeps fleeing more than he attacks..."
Yuzuru: "Wonder: Where were we...?"
Then he snapped out of it and ran to his one answer to all their questions. Natsumi. He joined Shido in checking on her, and looked down.
That's... not a bodysuit...
And that certainly is no alluring lady.
What Luigi saw instead was an unconscious, scrawny young woman, with clothes massively worse for wear, and hair that looked like it had been unkempt for years...
Just then, the witch got up, and saw the two. She immediately scurried back, landing her back against a tree. "My secret identity..."
Shido looked back at the group. They were chatting amongst each other, not paying attention to the trio. Well, except Mario, who was by himself, just looking onward at the sky.
Luigi shook his head. "That doesn't matter anymore. Look, we don't need your pessimism right now. I'm happy to call trucies until we... can get this sorted out. It's way too dangerous to be outside. If I weren't there to save you, Bowser would've killed you, Natsumi."
Natsumi sighed, raising an arm to have a look at her own body. "...Yeah, I'm weak..."
Natsumi chuckled to herself, coughing before passing out.
Luigi and Shido looked at each other. Luigi seemed to take initiative and ordered Shido. "...Get her to the Spirit Mansion."
"...y-yeah, I'm on it..."
Luigi got up. Looks like his job was done...
Let's hope Mario follows through.