Chapter 18: Fixing What's Broken

Luigi sat nervously on a creaky stool, his eyes darting around the cluttered workshop. The small ship belonged to Shantae's uncle, who was hunched over a table, meticulously examining the scattered parts of the Poltergust 5000 laid out before him. A single, dim lamp illuminated the workbench, casting long shadows across the room. Luigi's heart raced, a mix of anxiety and hope filling his chest. He watched as the old man poked and prodded at the device, turning gears and inspecting wires.

"Hmm," the uncle muttered, picking up a small metal component and squinting at it through a magnifying glass. "Some of these parts... never seen anything like 'em before."

Luigi's heart sank. "Is that... a problem?" he asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

"Not necessarily," the old man replied, setting the piece down and adjusting his glasses. "I can't tell what half this junk does, but a vacuum's a vacuum. I can fix what's broken, even if I don't know what all these extra bells and whistles are supposed to do."

Luigi let out a small sigh of relief. "That's good to hear," he said softly, managing a weak smile. For a moment, the anxiety that had gripped his chest eased up. "I just... I need it working again."

The old man glanced up, his gaze sharp. "You're awfully attached to this thing," he said, leaning back in his chair. "More than most folks would be to a gadget."

"It's... it's helped me through a lot," Luigi said, hesitating as he searched for the right words. "It's more than just a vacuum."

"Hmm," the old man grunted, clearly not impressed. "We'll see if it's still more than a vacuum after I put it back together." He turned back to the parts, muttering under his breath.

Luigi's mind drifted as he watched the uncle work. He thought about how everything seemed to be falling apart, and yet here, in this tiny, cluttered workshop, something was actually being fixed. It gave him a sense of hope, however small. If only everything else could be repaired so easily. If only Mario...

The thought hit him like a punch to the gut, and before he could stop himself, his mind replayed the memory—Mario, always the hero, always the one who knew what to do. He could almost see Mario's smile, bright and confident, the way it was before everything went wrong. But then the image twisted, turning into a horrible vision of Mario's burned, lifeless body, a vision he'd been trying to escape since that awful day. The scent of ash filled his nose, the heat of the flames on his skin, and his heart clenched with guilt. Why couldn't he have been faster, stronger, braver? Why couldn't he have saved him?

"Hey," Shantae's voice cut through the darkness, pulling him back to the present. "You okay?"

Luigi looked up, blinking back the sting of tears. Shantae was standing beside him, a warm, encouraging smile on her face. "I... yeah," he stammered, forcing a smile. "Just... thinking."

"Well, stop thinking so hard," she said, lightly nudging his shoulder. "My uncle knows what he's doing. He'll get your Poltergust fixed, no problem."

Luigi nodded, grateful for her optimism. "Thank you. I, uh... I don't have much to offer as payment," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few gold coins. "This is all I have."

The old man looked up from the workbench, raising an eyebrow at the coins. He picked one up, squinting at it through a magnifying glass. "Gold, huh?" He tossed it back onto the table dismissively. "Worthless to me."

Luigi's face fell, but before he could say anything, the old man gestured to a shelf at the far end of the workshop. "Shantae, go into the storage room and fetch me the backup compressor. And take him with you," he added, nodding at Luigi. "If he's going to hang around, he might as well be useful."

Shantae rolled her eyes playfully. "Come on, Luigi," she said, grabbing his arm. "Let's go find that part."

As they stepped into the narrow, cluttered storage room, Shantae turned to him with a knowing smile. "Don't worry about payment," she said in a low voice. "My uncle's just being grumpy because he doesn't like outsiders. He'll fix the Poltergust, I promise."

Luigi nodded, his heart feeling a little lighter. "I... appreciate it, really," he said, his voice soft. "It's just... I need to get back. I need to help everyone."

They began sifting through boxes and crates, their hands brushing against old tools, broken gadgets, and strange mechanical parts. The air was thick with the smell of metal and dust, but there was a quiet, comforting rhythm to their search. For a while, they worked in silence, until Shantae broke it, her tone curious.

"So, this Mushroom Kingdom of yours," she began, glancing at him. "What's it like? And who is this Robotnik you mentioned?"

Luigi hesitated, trying to find the right words. "The Mushroom Kingdom is... well, it was home," he said, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "Bright, colorful, full of life. We had our share of problems, sure, but nothing we couldn't handle. Then, everything changed when Bowser..." His voice trailed off, and he swallowed hard. "He used some kind of mind control on my brother, Mario. Made him do terrible things. Turned him... evil."

Shantae's eyes widened, and she listened intently, her movements slowing as she rummaged through the crates. "That sounds awful. What happened?"

"We fought him. Peach, Sonic, everyone... we all fought to save Mario," Luigi continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "But even after we freed him from Bowser's control, it wasn't enough. Bowser..." He stopped, his throat tightening, the memory too painful to put into words. "Bowser killed him."

Shantae reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Luigi," she said softly. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been."

Luigi nodded, grateful for her understanding. "Then there was Robotnik," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "He tried to manipulate me, to get me to join him. I resisted, but he's... dangerous. More dangerous than anyone I've ever faced. He's got this... master plan, and I don't even know how to stop him. That's why I need to get back. I can't let him hurt anyone else."

Shantae's expression softened, and she turned back to searching the crates, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. "You've been through a lot," she said. "But you're still fighting. That's pretty brave."

"Brave?" Luigi let out a sad chuckle. "I don't feel brave. I just... don't know what else to do."

"Well, I think you're braver than you give yourself credit for," Shantae said, flashing him a bright smile. "And hey, if you're going back, then I'm coming with you."

Luigi blinked, caught off guard. "You... you are?"

"Of course!" she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It sounds like a great adventure. Besides, I've been stuck here for too long. I could use a change of scenery."

"But it's dangerous," Luigi protested. "Robotnik's not like the villains you're used to. He's..."

Shantae waved off his concerns with a playful grin. "Dangerous is my middle name. Well, not really, but you get the idea. Besides, if you're going up against someone that powerful, you're going to need all the help you can get."

Luigi felt a warmth spread through him, and for the first time in what felt like ages, he allowed himself to hope. "Thank you, Shantae," he said, his voice sincere. "I... I don't know how I'm going to do this, but it helps to know I won't be alone."

Shantae winked at him. "Hey, we'll figure it out together. Now, let's find that compressor and get your Poltergust fixed. We've got a world to save, right?"

Luigi nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. "Right."

They continued their search, the atmosphere lighter, the weight on Luigi's heart a little less heavy. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he had a chance. And maybe, just maybe, he could be the hero his brother would have wanted him to be.

As they emerged from the storage room, Shantae's uncle was still busy tinkering with the Poltergust, but something else immediately caught their attention. The color of the sky outside the workshop window had changed, a dark purple creeping across the horizon, like ink spreading across a canvas. Cracks of deeper, darker shades stretched and pulsed, giving the sky a fractured, eerie appearance.

"What... what is that?" Luigi whispered, his eyes wide with alarm.

Shantae stepped closer to the window, her gaze fixed on the strange phenomenon. "I don't know," she said quietly, but there was a spark of excitement in her voice. "But it's definitely not normal."

"This can't be good," Luigi said, his heart pounding, a sense of dread creeping over him. The sight was unnatural, unsettling, and he felt the same fear that always surfaced when things were about to go wrong. For a moment, the workshop lights flickered, and a strange, hollow hum reverberated through the room, as if something unseen was passing by. Luigi shivered, clutching his sleeves.

Shantae's eyes narrowed as she watched the crack stretch across the sky, pulsing faintly. For a moment, everything was silent, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Then, without warning, the crack widened, and a brilliant, blinding flash of light erupted from it, forcing them to shield their eyes.

When the light dimmed, they could see something—dark and massive—emerging from the crack, slowly descending toward the far distance, outside of Scuttle Town. It was hard to make out, but its shape was imposing, looming like a shadow against the sky. As it landed, a faint, echoing thud reverberated through the air, like a distant drumbeat.

"What... what is that?" Luigi repeated, his voice barely a whisper, but this time it was tinged with awe and fear.

Shantae's eyes widened, her heart pounding with a mix of trepidation and excitement. "I don't know," she said, a grin creeping onto her face, "but I want to find out."

Just as quickly as it had opened, the crack snapped shut, the dark purple threads vanishing into nothingness, as if they'd never been there at all. The sky returned to its normal hues, calm and still, but the silence felt heavy, unnatural, as if the world was bracing itself.

Shantae turned back to her uncle, her expression determined. "Uncle, you've got to hurry up and finish the Poltergust," she said, her voice urgent yet excited. "Luigi and I are going to where that thing landed."

The old man looked up, startled. "What? You can't be serious—whatever that was, it's dangerous. You're just going to run toward it?"

Shantae's grin widened. "Of course! We need to find out what it is. And besides," she glanced at Luigi, "we might need the Poltergust for whatever's out there."

Luigi's heart raced, but he found himself nodding, a flicker of bravery sparking inside him. "She's right," he said, his voice steady despite the fear bubbling up inside. "We have to see what it is... and make sure it's not a threat."

Shantae's uncle hesitated, his eyes darting between them and the window. "You're both crazy, you know that?" he muttered, but he turned back to the Poltergust and started working faster, his hands moving with renewed urgency. "Fine, I'll get it done. But don't say I didn't warn you."

Shantae shot Luigi an excited glance, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Looks like we're going on an adventure, partner."

Luigi managed a nervous smile, trying to match her enthusiasm. "I guess there's no turning back now," he said.

"Nope!" Shantae said, her voice bright. "And that's exactly how I like it."

As they waited for the Poltergust to be finished, their gazes drifted back to the horizon where the mysterious object had landed. Whatever it was, it had come from a place far beyond this world, and it had chosen to arrive here, in Scuttle Town. The adventure had begun, and they were ready—nervous, but ready—to face whatever lay ahead.