Mario and Luigi

The Shaman of Shadows

Area 3: Windmill Ridge

3-1: The Village of Storms

*The Village of Ghosts*

Luigi rested, fast asleep, as the Three Musty Fears conversed with Mario.

Greaper levitated over Mario's right shoulder, "So, have you gotten used to being a ghost yet?"

Mario scoffed, "Not really, it's bothersome! I'm used to smashing my enemies!"

"It does have its perks, though!" Boo said reassuringly.

"Yeah, it's not like you're completely helpless!" Dry Bones added.

Mario thought momentarily, "Yeah, not feeling pain is a plus! I just... feel like I'm not doing enough to help my bro, you know?"

Greaper replied, "Not to worry. You can do much more than you know. Just give it some time!" He ended with a giggle.

Luigi sprang from the bed, and he shook his head to relieve the grogginess. "Well, that's our cue!" Boo said as he vanished.

The others agreed as they melded with Luigi's shadow. Mario placed his ghostly hand on his brother's shoulder, "All rested up? I'm itchin' to get back to it!"

Luigi stretched as he yawned, "You betcha!" he said confidently.

Luigi approached Gadd, who was dozing off in his chair facing his computer screen. Luigi shook Gadd gently, and he sprang to life, "Oyamaa! Luigi, don't give an old man a fright like that! Oh, you're awake! Are you heading out already? My, you youngsters have such energy! Before you go, you should see Merlon and see if he has any lore to talk about!" he suggested.

Luigi replied with a nod and walked over to the other side of the room. Merlon turned to him, "Ah, Luigi, a good nap always sets me straight! I'm glad Merlyre's flames didn't burn you to ash!"

"Oh yes, and with every victory, Merloom's grasp on Mage Land weakens!" Merlessa said excitedly. "As you napped, Uncle Merlon and I have been flipping through tomes to discover why those elders spoke of Mage Land's inevitable destruction. We haven't found anything yet, but we might find something if we look through local folktale writings. Each wizard class has little tales to tell, so maybe we'll find something there!"

"Good luck, I'll go and find the next wizard!" Luigi said cheerfully.

With that, Luigi excused himself and decided to visit Merlicity. She greeted him warmly, "How's it going in Mage Land, handsome?" she asked.

Luigi responded shyly, "I'm getting closer!"

"Glad to hear it!" Merlicity began. "Oh, I've got some new things in stock!"

In addition to Fire Flowers, she now had Ice Flowers on her shelf. Four Vibe Shrooms also now stocked her shelf. "I see you eyeing those Vibe Shrooms! I couldn't get a replacement Mega Vibe Shroom or a Clarity Shroom, but I did get these much weaker versions. The effects of these shrooms last for a few brief moments before they wear off, so you won't be stuck that way! You should still be careful, though, you wouldn't want to laugh yourself off a cliff!"

Luigi stocked up on everything he could buy, but nothing special stood out. "Thank you!" he said as he excused himself.

Once outside, he took a deep breath and noticed the wind was picking up. It was strong, too. He said nothing, though, as he pushed it from his mind. Now fully prepared, Luigi used the Warp Whistle.

*The Feasting Swamp*

Luigi arrived on a magical gust of wind and noticed that the wind blew strongly through the trees as light rumbles of thunder echoed in the distance. "Is a storm coming?" Luigi murmured.

The voice of the Ferryman replied, "Indeed, come. We must make haste!"

Luigi changed his attention to the Ferryman as if he hadn't realized he was there. He boarded the boat, and the Ferryman began rowing.

The wind picked up, but the Ferryman's control was unshaken. He spoke, "Your next stop is called Windmill Ridge. A wizard there, one of Merloom's puppets, gains power. Windmill Ridge is populated by Aeromancers and Electromancers. Two classes of wizards. Aeromancers teach spells of wind, and the Electromancers teach spells of Lightning. Together, these two classes learn to create storms. Other wizards learn these schools as well but not to the same extent."

"Lightning?" Luigi began. "Will my Thunderhand still work? The Pyromancers were immune to fire!"

"You are wise to make that assumption," said the Ferryman glumly. "Electromancers are 'mostly' immune to your Thunderhand. The Aeromancers are also resistant to it, but fear not; the Green Thunder will prevail!" he continued with a chuckle.

Mario appeared, "Of course we will! A little thunderstorm isn't enough to stop the Super Mario Brothers! We'll ground this wizard no matter what he uses!"

The Ferryman chuckled, "I like your passion, Red Flame... A word of advice, however, be mindful of the lighting's flashes of light. They may disturb your shadowy projections!"

"It looks like we have our work cut out for this one, Weeg!" Mario said with a shrug.

Greaper followed, "And with that storm quickly gaining strength, we have no time to waste!"

Boo followed, "This wizard is picking a fight, and he doesn't even know it!"

Dry Bones added, "As far as you know! Everyone in Mage Land knows the Green Thunder's prophecy. Maybe all this thunder is a challenge!"

The Ferryman docked, "Here we are. Windmill Ridge."

Luigi left the boat as his spiritual party faded into his shadow. The sky was filled with lightning and he stood in awe at the light show. Once he regained his composure, he turned to thank the Ferryman, but he was gone without a trace. A chill ran down his back.

"That guy is so spooky...," he murmured.

*Village of Storms*

Luigi entered the windy village. The wind howled as it blew through the various homes installed with windmill blades. The sound was deafening. The windmills moved quickly, and their sound resembled a fleet of helicopters. Strangely, amidst all that, a strange booming rhythm could be made out. It was another Music Box, but this time, it was not a soft lullaby or grating piece but a constant obnoxious base.

Greaper emerged, "It's so loud out here!" he shouted.

"WHAT?!" Boo shouted back.

"I think he said it's LOUD!" Dry Bones said loudly. "My bones are vibrating!"

"WHAT?!" said both Greaper and Boo in unison.

Mario joined, "Weeg, we have to stop this storm! This village will be torn to shreds if it continues to gain strength!"

"I've never seen a storm this strong!" Luigi said, trying to keep his footing.

"Let's see if the villagers are okay first!" Mario suggested.

Luigi nodded and moved on. He found it hard to fight against the wind. He was pushed and pulled in different directions. Being in the air was the worst. Jumping only allowed the wind more power over where he would land. He traversed the cobblestone roads until he found a green wizard. Their robes were a darker green than the druids and had more free-flowing garments. They were crouching down near a bush. Luigi managed to push his way to the wizard.

Luigi cautiously approached, hoping the wizard be at least in a cognitive state. He tapped her on the shoulder, and she responded. She moved strangely, "Who's there?!" she asked nervously. Her fluffy yellow hair billowed in the wind. She opened her tightly shut eyes, "Ah, a person! I'm glad you're not a ghost!" she said as she shook her head. She massaged her eyelids. "Oh, dear, this miserable headache! I'm sorry, sir, but that terrible music has made us all super dizzy!"

Luigi noticed how disoriented she was as she was continuously grasping at a fixed object. She regained her composure, "So, who are you? I haven't seen an outsider like you before!"

"I'm Luigi; I'm from the Mushroom Kingdom! I'm here to stop Merloom!" Luigi stated loudly.

Her face contorted as she focused hard through her dizzy spell, "Stop, Merloom...? A man dressed in green clothes? Are you, by any chance, the 'Green Thunder'?!" she asked.

"Some people seem to think so!" Luigi said humbly.

"My name is Merlair! I'm a village councilor! Our elder is trying to fight back the storm, but I think she's losing the battle!" Merlair explained. "Do you see that tall windmill in the center of the village?"

Luigi scouted the village for the tallest windmill and saw a troubling sight. The windmill's blades were moved and positioned above the building instead of at one of its sides. It generated a massive tornado that twisted the sky.

"That's our Grand Windmill! It's locked down by a wizard we call 'The Conductor'!" said Merlair. "He's some old ghost who once had great mastery over wind and lightning! He can make both elements dance to his will!"

"Sounds dangerous! How do I stop him?!" Luigi asked strongly.

"The Grand Windmill is locked down by a powerful lightning shield! You'll need to disable it! Three floating islets are a part of Windmill Ridge! I'm sure, without a shadow of a doubt, that The Conductor is pulling power from them! They supply the magical energy for his barrier! Shutting them down will kill the power!" Merlair explained thoroughly.

"Okie dokie, I'll get there, but first, I'll deal with that Music Box!" Luigi shouted.

"Oh, would you? That would be a great help!" Merlair said as she massaged her eyelids again.

"Would you know a tall place where I could look?" Luigi asked.

"Tall? Oh, yes! If you go around this windmill, you'll see a structure we call the 'Lightning Rod'!" Merlair explained.

"The Lightning Rod?" Luigi replied.

"Yes, it's a protective structure that absorbs lightning bolts during storms. We use it to collect the lightning's energy and store it in crystal batteries," Merlair claimed.

"Okie dokie, Luigi got it!" He said as he ran off.

Luigi fought the wind to the tall spire that was absorbing lightning bolts. The brothers took the time to admire the structure. "Okay, bro, what do we have here?" Mario began.

Luigi analyzed the tower. It was surrounded by several rows of magical transformers that funneled the electrical energy into crystals. When the tower absorbed a bolt, the energy arced between some transformers and not others, creating a maze. "Hmm, a maze of lightning. I'll be okay as long as I remember the pattern. If I forget, I can just use a High Jump at the right time to see it again!" Luigi deduced. "It looks like there are Cloud Blocks and Donut Blocks I can climb. I just need to find one I can jump to from the maze."

"Good eye, bro!" Mario said. However, something caught the corner of his eye. A ghost caught Mario's gaze just as it giggled and vanished behind a transformer. "Great, Peepas," he moaned.

Greaper appeared, "Ah, Peepas, the ghost that loves to play Hide-and-Seek. And in a maze, no less! How nostalgic! Beware, those Peepas will sneak up and try to shove you into those arcing bolts of energy."

"Those Peepas look like they are really charged up!" Boo noticed.

"I doubt your Poltergust can suck them up when they are electrified like that," Dry Bones followed.

The Poltergust's nozzle leaned over Luigi's shoulder, giving him a worried expression, and shook fiercely as if to say it wouldn't go near them. It then retreated.

"I'll have to keep my guard up then," Luigi said in a cold sweat.

Luigi watched the maze as the lightning arced between the batteries several times so he could memorize the pattern. He then jumped down into the maze.

Following the pattern, he went north, west, west, and south. He stopped when another lightning bolt struck the tower. He followed the pattern again, watching the moving Cloud Block above to be certain he couldn't simply jump early and escape the maze. He went west, north, north, north, and stopped when a lightning bolt struck.

A Peepa snuck up behind him, but Mario intercepted the Peepa before it could shove Luigi. Mario absorbed the Peepa's electrical shield, which stunned him, causing him to vanish with a moan. The Poltergust reacted and sucked up the Peepa.

Luigi cried out, "Mario!"

Mario reformed, "Okay, so something can hurt me!"

Greaper followed, "Ha, that's why lightning is often seen as the defacto weapon of the gods!"

"Very little can resist it!" Boo claimed.

"Don't worry, Mario, you can't die again!" Dry Bones cackled.

"Even the equipment meant to contain electricity needs constant upkeep!" Greaper claimed.

Then suddenly, the next lightning bolt struck, and Luigi noticed something. "The pattern changed!" he said as he planted his feet nervously.

"Are you sure?!" Mario asked, hoping he was wrong.

"Look, the Peepas are swapping the crystal batteries!" Greaper pointed out.

"Mischief makers!" Boo said angrily.

"It's messing up the labyrinth's pattern! Move with caution!" Dry Bones rattled nervously.

Luigi focused and went only a few steps at a time. He crossed a few dead ends, finding treasure and a Hint Block. Peepas attacked, and Mario suffered the consequences until he had finally had enough.

"C'mere you, I got something for ya!" Mario claimed as a Peepa tried to ram them.

Mario shapeshifted into a giant glove and swatted the Peepa into the ground, comically flattening it. The ground absorbed the electricity instead of Mario.

"You see? I told you that you could do more than you know!" Greaper laughed.

"Yeah, shapeshifting's easy when you're a ghost!" Boo said as he turned his face upside down.

"Don't look now, Mister Green, but that Cloud Block is coming by!" Dry Bones alerted.

Luigi looked up and saw the block. He crouched so he could time his High Jump properly, not forgetting the strong winds, and he jumped. With a little bit of correction using flutter kicks, Luigi landed safely on the Cloud Block. He fought the wind to stay on it, however. Thinking quickly, Luigi ate the Calm Shroom so he would fall much slower with his flutter kicks.

"Good thinking, Weeg!" Mario complimented.

Luigi then jumped between Cloud Blocks and Donut Blocks, which fell when he stayed on them for too long. Quickly, he neared the top. One final jump would land him on the collection of Cloud Blocks that housed the Music Box. However, before he could make the jump, the Calm Shroom wore off. Luigi looked down and saw the Village of Storms live up to its name. Uneasy but determined, Luigi prepared for another High Jump.

He leaped into the windy sky, but his jump was mere inches off as he quickly realized he wasn't going to make it, even with the flutter kicks. "I got you, bro!" Mario said as he transformed into a giant glove. This gave Luigi a free platform.

"Thanks, bro!" Luigi shouted as he jumped.

Just as he did, another lightning bolt struck, the flash causing Mario to vanish. Luckily, this jump was all Luigi needed as he safely made it to the Music Box. Without hesitation, Luigi crushed it with a punch. The loud, incessant beat was silenced.

Luigi could see the wizards in the town come out of their hiding spaces and regain their senses. Happily, Luigi jumped down. He stopped himself with a flutter kick before he touched down. Merlair came running up to him. "Thank you so much, Green Thunder! That's one headache down!" she said gratefully.

"No problem! I'm glad I could help! So where do I go from here?" Luigi asked loudly.

"Go to the southernmost part of the village! There, a Cloud Bridge will take you to the first islet!" Merlair claimed. "But be careful, it could be very dangerous now! If you could fly, it would be much safer!"

"We'll be okay!" Luigi informed as he ran off.

Luigi made his way south until he came to a large stone platform that connected to the Cloud Bridge. It was in disarray, much to Luigi's horror.

Mario appeared, "Nothin' to it, Weeg! We got this!"

Luigi was nervous, "I sure hope so..."

*End of Chapter*