Mario and Luigi
The Shaman of Shadows
Prologue: A New Discovery!
"Hmm…, where to begin…? My name is Merlon. I am a Wizard… When I read the stars last night, I felt a sense of dread. I have learned something important. I don't know exactly what it means just yet, but I know it concerns you!" mused Merlon as he sat at his crystal ball.
Merlon is a wizard, his face is shrouded completely in shadows save for his glowing yellow eyes. He has a very large puffy white mustache and beard that tickles the floor. He is garbed in azure robes and an azure hood. His red shoes occasionally peeked out from beneath his robe and curled at the toes, and lastly, he wore a small green crystal ball around his neck with a golden star deep within the center.
Merlon became noticeably uneasy about the visions he was witnessing until a dark and evil face featuring deeply set ice-blue eyes and pearly white teeth emerged within the depths of his crystal ball. Its remaining features are covered in inky black shadows. Merlon leaped back in fright as the image suddenly vanished, "W-what is this?! This rancid presence?!" he shouted in fear as he fell back onto the floor.
*Kerokero Sewers, Beneath the Mushroom Kingdom*
The Mushroom Kingdom's two most familiar faces wandered the spooky and eerie sewer system beneath their home, The Mushroom Kingdom. The short portly mustached man in blue overalls with a red shirt and cap with the letter 'M' on it, and his slightly taller green-clad sibling, Luigi, came down to the sewers to investigate a blockage.
Luigi turned to his brother, "Say, Mario," he began. "What do you suppose is causing the blockage down here?" he finished as he shined his flashlight at the ancient dried-out canals.
Mario stroked his mustache, "I'm not sure, Luigi," he pondered as he too searched around with his flashlight. "But I don't like it one bit! It must be very large."
"Hmm, perhaps it's a collapse that is the cause?" Luigi continued to muse as he scratched his mustache.
"A collapse would be terrible but it's looking like that may be it," Mario began to agree.
After some time, a small trickle of water was found, "Mario, we're almost there!" Luigi beamed brightly.
"Yahoo!" Mario cheered. "Let's go!" he urged as the brothers picked up their pace to a fair jog.
What they saw at the end surprised them. It was not a collapse like Luigi initially believed. The canal was plugged with a sticky brown sludge that had multiple ludicrous items stuck in it. Everything from bent re-bar, broken concrete, and shattered pipes, to completely intact toilet bowls, luggage suitcases, and even a kitchen sink was stuck in the muck. "Calamitous clam sauce, Mario, would you look at all of this garbage!" Luigi said in astonishment.
Mario became determined as he brought out his wooden hammer, "Well, Luigi, it looks like we'll be earning our coins today!" he said as he began breaking up some of the objects with his hammer. Luigi pulled a large metal bucket out of nowhere and began placing some of the loose objects into it. After working for around half an hour the brothers came across something very strange buried in the muck.
"Hmm?" grunted Luigi as he cleared some of the sludge with a trowel he found. "W-what is this, it looks like a… hand?" he said with a shiver.
Mario took a closer look, "Calm down, Luigi, it's made of stone. There must be a statue in all this crud. I'll bet that the statue is where the clog started." Mario deduced.
"The water is starting to seep through around it," Luigi noticed. "Maybe it got stuck in the gate and all this junk just collected around it."
"Now that we know that let's keep going!" Mario urged as he resumed digging.
After another half an hour, the water began to flow nicely and even started eroding the clog as it came through. Then the brothers heard a large rumble. "Here it comes!" Luigi said with a grin.
More debris began breaking as the water came through, "It's breaking! Get back!" Mario said alarmed with a shout. The bros jumped up to a ledge as the clog broke into pieces and the water flow was restored. The portcullis that should have been there was broken down and everything came through. As the brothers regrouped, Luigi looked around with some confusion. The supposed statue was not around.
"Hey, Mario, let's go see if we can find that statue! We don't want it getting stuck somewhere else!" Luigi said as he turned on his flashlight.
"Okie dokie then!" Mario agreed as he wiped his hands together.
Since their job was done, the brothers retraced their steps and found the water to have returned to its ordinary peaceful flow. A faint glow beamed through the canal and the brothers nodded silently as they shut off their flashlights to focus on the foreign light. As they approached, the statue's figure came into their view. The light, however, had vanished.
Luigi jumped into the canal and tripped. The water carried him in front of the statue. Mario called out in concern as Luigi rose and wiped his face. He found himself only a breath away from the statue. Not able to discern its full appearance, he shined his flashlight on it. What he saw caused him to break out in a bloodcurdling scream as he threw his hands into the air along with his flashlight. He fell back down and scooted himself away from the horrifying skeletal visage of the statue. Mario wondered what frightened his brother so badly so he too went around from the statue's backside and up to the front. He shined his flashlight at it and even Mario was shaken by what he saw.
The statue, in question, was made in the likeness of one of the many wizards that Mario had encountered throughout his adventures. However, this wizard had been reduced to a 'dry' state. His hands were thrown in front of him as if he attempted to stop something from reaching his face. His expression made him appear as though he had suffered great pain. The most peculiar feature though was the crystal ball hanging around his neck. It pulsed with a faint, sudden glow.
Luigi shivered, "Mario… this is one freaky effigy! What do we do with it?"
"Let's get E. Gadd he might know what to do!" Mario said with an idea.
*Princess Peach's Castle Courtyard, Mushroom Kingdom*
"Oyamaa! Be careful with that youngster!" warned an elderly professor as his colleague haphazardly hit a large crate with a crowbar. The professor was a short lanky man with thick glasses, a white tuft of hair on his otherwise bald head, and dressed in a white lab coat.
The Toad, a mushroom-like humanoid, short and squat, wearing a yellow spotted mushroom cap and lab coat, turned to the professor apologetically, "S-sorry, Professor Gadd, I'll try to be more careful!"
It was a wonderful morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. The sun shined brightly and there were no clouds in the sky. Professor Elvin Gadd and some Toad researchers were beginning to unveil the brother's new discovery in front of the royal castle at the request of the Princess. Toads from all over Toad Town gathered around the courtyard to witness the show. The Princess walked gracefully onto the wooden platform just as the researchers finished unloading their precious cargo. She held a yellow parasol with blue and white accents and she wore her typical bright pink dress with pink heels, long white gloves, sapphire brooch, and gilded crown. Her long blonde hair shined in the morning sunlight as did her ocean blue eyes.
The Princess approached the Professor, "It looks like Mario and Luigi discovered something incredible, Professor Gadd! Oh, I can't wait to see it!" she said with a sweetly excited tone.
"Hrm, yes, it seems those boys found something truly nerve-wracking in the sewers!" Gadd claimed. "Speaking of which, where are those two?"
"Oh, they said they were making last-minute rounds in the sewers to make sure everything was okay. They should be back any minute!" Peach explained with a soft smile.
"Ah, well you know those two, their work is never done!" Gadd said as he took a crowbar to the large crate.
With a loud crash, the large crate from before was opened and its contents stunned the crowd with 'oohs' and 'aahs'. Princess Peach gave a good look at the statue, "My, it certainly is creepy, isn't it?" she said covering her mouth with one hand.
"Yes, I want to know the story behind it! It's got me so excited!" Gadd said with a wide grin. "We know almost nothing about these wizards, so maybe studying this statue will give us some insight into their culture a little more."
Peach was then struck with an idea, "Oh, maybe Merlon can assist you, Professor! He's a wizard who lives here in Toad Town. His home is easy to spot as it's dark blue, resembles a circus tent, and has a spinning roof. It's really quite lovely!"
"Now there's a good idea, Princess!" Gadd complimented as he extended his hand and index finger into the air.
Then suddenly, off to the left of the stage, a large green Warp Pipe came up from the ground and with a massive leap, Mario emerged, "Whoo-hoo, its-a me Mario!" he shouted as he landed. People in the crowd cheered wildly.
Also from the pipe, Luigi leaped out with a spring in his step. He jumped even higher than Mario. "Yeah-hey, I'm-a Luigi, number one!" he said as he stood next to Mario.
Peach turned to Mario and Luigi, "Ahem, oh, Mario Brothers!" she said sweetly. The brothers turned their attention to her and made their way onto the stage. "I take it you two finished?" Peach asked happily.
"You bet!" Mario replied with a 'thumbs up' gesture.
"All in a morning's work!" Luigi followed as he adjusted his cap.
"Oyamaa, well now this certainly is a treat!" Gadd said cheerfully. "Now to start the show!"
Professor E. Gadd began explaining his presentation to the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. He gave hypotheses and theories based on the wizard statue. Everyone, including Peach and the Mario Brothers, was glued to the presentation. As Gadd paused, a moment of silence was broken by a voice in the center of the crowd. Everyone turned to the voice and it belonged to the wizard named Merlon. Merlon made his way through the crowd and up to the stage area. Merlon then faced the statue, "What the...? Was this in the Kerokero Sewers?" he said, growing fearful as he shivered slightly.
"Why, what's wrong Merlon?" Peach asked with concern.
Merlon was baffled as he tried to find the words, "I-I don't know. I simply know, that whatever this is, it is a bad omen!" he claimed nervously.
The Mario Brothers turned to each other believing they had done something wrong. Gadd responded with a disappointed tone, "You mean this statue isn't sacred to your people?"
"I've never seen it before but I can tell there is a wickedness about it!" Merlon claimed fearfully. "Mario, I beg of you, smash this idol with your hammer!"
"Oyamma, now wait just a minute, Merlon!" Gadd shouted nervously. "My colleagues had a hard time getting this out of the sewers! Wouldn't it be okay to study it just for a little while?"
"If you must then you can study it in pieces!" Merlon continued on.
Peach stepped forward and offered Merlon some tea in a very beautiful china teacup placed on a matching saucer. "Now, now, let's not do anything rash. Let's just take a moment to relax. Okay, Merlon?" she asked sweetly.
Merlon calmed almost immediately as he took the tea and gave it a sip. "Oh, this is good!"
Then, Princess Peach approached Merlon from the side and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Merlon, if there's anything wrong with this statue then the Mario Brothers can take care of it. I can assure you of that! All right, everyone, let's call it a day! Thank you, Professor Gadd, for your wonderfully insightful presentation!" she said with her hands gently clasped together at the fingertips.
Professor Gadd and his colleagues began packing up the small things and eventually nothing but the statue remained. Mario and Peach departed together to go to the castle for some cake and tea while Luigi stayed behind to help with other things. Merlon stood glaring at the statue, trying to discern why it felt so ominous. Finally, it was decided that the idol remained in its place until someone decided what to do with it. "Why destroy it, Merlon? What is it an idol of?" Gadd asked curiously.
"If this is what I believe it to be, then it is the fulfillment of an old prophecy," said Merlon in a serious tone.
Luigi approached the idol again, "Hmm, certainly is creepy looking… I wouldn't want it at home," he thought out loud as he shivered.
"Well then, Merlon, you wouldn't mind helping me with my studies would you?" Gadd asked politely. "As a researcher on ghosts and other phenomenon, I am interested in your people's spiritual culture."
"Hmmm, now that, I would be happy to help with," Merlon said relaxing a bit. "Come to my home, Professor, and I will share with you all that I can."
"Sounds good, I would be happy to," Gadd responded as both he and Merlon departed.
As Luigi looked around, he noticed that he was now all alone. He then took a permanent marker from his pocket and began to comically draw all over the idol. After he was done with his mischief he laughed heartily. Then suddenly, a nasty wind bellowed throughout the courtyard. Luigi shivered and then proceeded to leave the courtyard as his attention was pulled back to it three times each gaze more uneasy than the last, before he finally left.
*Mario's Pad, Later That Night*
Mario and Luigi were snug in their beds as Luigi tossed and turned until finally, he awoke groggily and noticed three strange entities standing around his bed glaring at him. They were wizards not unlike Merlon but lacked any facial hair and wore dark purple robes instead of blue. Luigi was dumbstruck more than afraid, "Uh…, Mario we have visitors..."
Mario opened one of his eyes and looked at a wizard who was leering at him over his bedside, "Huh? Oh yeah…, thanks, Luigi…," he said as he grabbed the wizard as if he were an extra pillow and blanket. The wizard did not like this treatment and began punching Mario wildly. He was joined by several other wizards who also began pummeling Luigi.
Mario completely awoke in a burst of irritation and shoved his offenders off by performing a spin, "Alright, what's going on here?!" he said irately as he fully came to his senses. All the wizards began throwing themselves on top of the Mario Brothers. Mario erupted from the pile and began slamming them with his fists.
Luigi rose up and slammed both his clasped fists down hard on one of the wizard's backsides, "How did these guys get in here?!"
Mario's house was bustling with chaos as the brothers finally made it out the door fully dressed. They then headed out of their modest wooden house as they headed towards the Warp Pipe that led to Toad Town.
*Toad Town*
As the Mario Brothers emerged from the Warp Pipe they noticed a strange event occurring. "Sufferin' spaghetti Mario, there are wizards everywhere! They're packed in the streets like sardines!" Luigi said with surprise.
"Mama Mia, you're not kidding!" Mario started. "Where did all these guys come from?!"
"A better question is, where are they going?" Luigi asked with astonishment.
"Who cares they must have something more important to do!" Mario deduced. "Let's take a look from the rooftops! Maybe we can see what they're up to!"
The brothers found some crates near a house and decided to climb up to the roof. As they hopped from roof to roof, traversing rickety gutters and avoiding holes in ceilings, the Mario Brothers came within reach of Princess Peach's Castle. The wizards seemed to be headed into her courtyard. "They are probably looking for that idol we found!" Luigi realized.
"Look, we can get a closer look from that building over there!" Mario claimed as he pointed to a two-story home. The brothers continued traversing the rooftops until finally climbing the two-story home's balcony to the top. From this home, Mario grabbed hold of the chimney and placed his hand above his eyes as he gazed into the courtyard. The wizards were praying and worshiping the idol. "Frustratin' fettuccini Luigi, it looks like Merlon was right! We have to destroy that idol!" Mario said as he pulled out his large wooden hammer. "You got your hammer, Weeg?"
Luigi went through all his pockets and quickly found that he did not have his hammer with him, "Nope, forgot it when we were attacked…," Luigi moaned.
"Do'h!" Mario moaned as he face-planted into the rooftop.
"Yoohoo, Mario, Luigi over here!" called Peach from her balcony. "Um, I guess you guys already know about the wizards. If you could, please make them leave! They don't even have their passports!" she said growing more panicked. The wizards forced open the door to Peach's balcony and they crowded around her. They crowded so much that she lost her balance and fell. The brothers were stunned with fear, but luckily Peach had a card up her sleeve, "It's okay! I'll just float down!" she said using her magic to catch her fall and float gently down. However, this calm was short-lived as the wizards grabbed Peach and held her in place. "Oh my, please don't do that! Please let go!" she pleaded. Back up on the balcony, a well-dressed elderly Toad with glasses was also held down by the attackers. "Oh, Toadsworth are you okay?" Peach called out.
He grunted from underneath the dog pile, "Err, yes milady, nothing to worry about here! What's with these guys anyway? Since when do wizards use physical force?" he said with confusion.
Down below where the idol stood, Merlon and Gadd fought off the worshipers as best they could; one with magic and the other with the Poltergust 3000 and its fire function. Mario readied his hammer, "Come on, Weeg! We've got to get down there!"
"Oh, no…," Luigi moaned.
Mario jumped on Luigi's shoulders and Luigi hesitantly jumped off the roof and began 'walking' along the wizard's heads, who in return attempted to grab at them. Luckily, Luigi's quick feet and high jumping ability made it relatively easy to use their heads as stepping stones. Mario and Luigi quickly made it to the magical barrier that Merlon had set up, but just as Luigi was about to leap into it his foot was snagged by one of the many grabbing hands. Mario leaped from his brother's shoulders and landed safely to meet Merlon and Gadd, but Luigi fell into the barrier, face first, with his back feet in the air. Luigi picked himself up with a moan as he cursed his bad luck.
Merlon pleaded to Mario, "Please, Mario, destroy the idol, now!"
"Here I go!" Mario shouted strongly as he jumped into the air, ready to bring down his hammer.
However, Mario was a moment too late as the statue erupted with a powerful purplish light, empowered through all the chanting. Mario was repelled and he managed to save himself from his fall. He landed safely next to his cowering brother, who had his hat pulled over his eyes. As the light faded, it became apparent that the statue was merely a petrified wizard and not a simple creepy statue. The wizard had come back to life, in a way. The visage of the wizard was one of undeath. He was completely skeletal with pinprick-sized eyes set deep in the pale skull that lay underneath his tattered hood. His bony hands clad in black burlap gloves reached out from underneath his tattered and faded purple and black robes. His robes were an older style than Merlon's. They were stitched loosely at the shoulders and he had dark gloomy curl-tipped shoes. The accents on his robes were missing due to rot and decay.
Mario and the party were shocked as the wizard lumbered slowly forward, moaning. The Wizard Cultists all bowed down until their faces reached the ground. One of them forced Peach to the ground as well. She responded in disgust, "Oh, please don't do that! I heard mud is good for a woman's complexion but this is ridiculous!"
"Just hold on, Princess!" Mario shouted.
Merlon began chuckling, "Well..., this is a surprise! He's a Dry Wizard!" he laughed.
Gadd was stunned, "I've never seen this type of ghost before! What is a Dry Wizard?"
Merlon explained, "A Dry Wizard is any sorcerer that has been risen by necromancy! He probably can't even remember any of his former spells due to his brains rotting away! Even if he does remember he can't pronounce the big ones without a tongue!"
"So that's a good thing, right?" Mario asked hopefully.
Gadd smirked, "You bet, since he's undead he's vulnerable to my inventions! I'll just suck him up and turn him into a painting!"
Gadd approached the Dry Wizard and turned on the Poltergust 3000. The vacuum grabbed hold of the undead wizard and he began to slowly be drawn to its nozzle. The Dry Wizard made three forced steps towards Gadd with the professor growing more excited with each step. However, the link was threatened as the wizard performed a strange technique. He was able to materialize his own shadow from the ground into a hand and bat the professor away. The connection was cut and he was thrown to the ground.
Mario came to him, "Professor! Are you alright?!" he asked alarmed.
The professor simply moaned deliriously as Mario brought him to his feet. Merlon on the other hand blocked the Wizard's path as Mario continued to help the professor. As he was face-to-face with the Dry Wizard, Merlon began chanting a spell. However, the Dry Wizard placed his finger to his mouth and 'shushed' him with a long echoing whisper that whistled slightly through his protruding teeth. Merlon's words were taken from his mouth as his voice vanished. Merlon's eyes widened in horror, "I've' been muted!" he thought. The Dry Wizard then stretched his shadow again and bound it to Merlon's shadow. Merlon was completely immobilized and was now being controlled like a puppet. Now controlled by the rancid Dry Wizard, Merlon was forced to undo his barrier spell. The Wizard Cultists all began surrounding everyone they could. They took every Toad they could get their hands on and attempted to take Luigi and Mario, but they managed to rescue the Professor and jump to higher ground.
Mario shouted to Luigi from atop a large star effigy, "Luigi, are you all right, bro?!" he asked as Luigi stood atop the tall castle walls.
"Yeah, just getting my balance is all!" he said with his knees shaking. "Hey, where is that bonehead taking Merlon?"
"All the cultists are following too!" Gadd pointed out.
Mario looked around and Merlon was already nearly out of sight. Gadd realized where they were headed. "Mario, they are going to Shooting Star Summit for some reason! You have to stop him!"
"Hey, Weeg! Take care of the Princess and the Professor! I'm going after Merlon!" Mario instructed strongly.
"Oh, yeah!" Luigi replied with a thumbs up.
With that, Mario began chasing down Merlon while jumping and leaping on the heads of the cultists. Luigi on the other hand leaped and scuttle jumped over to the Princess who was being slowly carried off.
"I hate to trouble you, Luigi, but could you please get me out of this mess?!" Peach cried out sweetly.
"No problem, Princess! I gotcha!" Luigi claimed as he landed in front of the cultists that were carrying her. Luigi performed a breakdance sweep with his sturdy legs and knocked all of the wizards down. He quickly scooped up Peach and jumped over to Gadd's position.
Luigi stacked both the professor and the princess on his back, "There we go!" Luigi cheered confidently.
"Thanks, youngster, I thought I was done for!" Gadd said in relief.
"I thank you as well, Luigi, but we should really find out how to help Mario!" Peach said with worry. "We've never seen anyone like this Dry Wizard before, so he may need some help!"
"I agree, these spiritual foes are always tricky for Mario!" Luigi claimed. Luigi looked around to see if there was a safer spot to get to, as the cultists began attempting to climb the effigy to reach them. Luigi then realized something as he looked at the roof of Peach's Castle.
*Meanwhile*
Mario trailed Merlon as fast as he could but the crowd was quick and already made it to the base of Shooting Star Summit. "I need some more air time!" Mario exclaimed as he punched a '!' Block and out popped a Super Leaf. Mario grabbed it and he transformed with a puff of smoke. He now donned a pair of raccoon ears and a tail. "Oh yeah!" he shouted cheerfully as he gently floated down. Mario then followed this with a triple jump, using the wizard's heads as trampolines, he was able to propel himself in the air high enough to start flying.
The Dry Wizard ascended the spiraling Sooting Star Summit guarded heavily by his followers. Both he and Merlon made it to the top of the hill with Mario landing on a strip of '?' Blocks just out of reach. Mario ground his teeth, "Drat, I didn't have enough flying power!" he cursed.
The wizards encircled Merlon and his captivator and yet allowed them some breathing room. The Dry Wizard began to utilize his shadow-bending ability again and this time he incorporated all of the shadows of his followers and his captive. The shadows rose up into the sky and formed a massive hand shape. "Mama Mia...," Mario said in awe. The massive conglomeration of shadows reached high into the sky. It rose until it reached above the very clouds in the night sky. Mario could no longer see what the hand was going for but it eventually came to a halt as it seemed to grasp something.
"Mario!" Luigi called out from behind Mario.
Mario averted his gaze to witness his brother carrying Peach and Gadd while falling from an even higher height than where Mario was standing. "Luigi, how did you get up there?" Mario asked in surprise.
"I found a vine to the clouds in a Brick Block...," he replied with a smile. Luigi landed on the same strip of blocks his brother was on. "What's going on?!"
"I don't really know but it can only end badly!" Mario shouted as he made a running jump to the hill's top. He slowed his descent using his Super Leaf power and landed right on top of the Dry Wizard's head. The stomp caused him to fall to pieces like any 'Dry' creature. The cultists noticed but did nothing as Mario grabbed Merlon by the upper arms and attempted to free him. Merlon would not budge, however, as he was trapped still by the Wizard's shadow. "Hey, come over here and help me out would ya, Weeg?!" he urged.
Luigi jumped into the sky and the Princess used her floating ability to gently fly over to the summit. "I thought you could use a little more air!" she said confidently.
"Ohh, I think I'm gonna get air sick!" Gadd moaned.
The Dry Wizard's bones shook violently as he sprung back to life, but before he could take any action against Mario, his brother landed on him breaking the skeletal wizard to pieces again. Everyone leaped off Luigi's back and gathered around Merlon. "My Therapy spell should bring Merlon's voice back!" Peach claimed as she gently laid her palms on Merlon. Her hands gleamed with a soft warm pink light.
"I think I can disconnect the shadow binding!" Gadd shouted with a twirl of a flashlight. Gadd shined his bright flashlight on the shadowy tether that connected Merlon to the Dry Wizard. The shadow on the ground began to dissolve as the Dry Wizard started shaking again. "There, got it!" Gadd said as the connection was broken.
Merlon fell into the Princess's arms, "T-thank you...," he said wearily.
The Brothers intercepted Merlon and Peach from the now revived Dry Wizard and Luigi pulled Gadd out of the way via his lab coat's collar. The Dry Wizard stared at the brothers who were ready to fight back only to hear a horrifying noise come from up above. Rocks and blocks fell to the world below as it was now revealed what the Dry Wizard had been trying to do with all those shadows. The large hand had yanked the Star Shrine from the sky and it was being dragged down from the heavens. It was falling to pieces as it did so. Everyone gazed into the sky in horror as they attempted to brace for the impending impact. With an enormous crash and massive dust cloud following, the Star Shrine, built to house the mythical Star Spirits and the magical Star Rod they guarded, fell to the base of Star Hill in absolute ruin. The Star Spirits were incapacitated by the crash.
Coughing and wheezing could be heard as everyone attempted to make sense of what had just happened. "Peach, Luigi, Professor?" Mario shouted. "Is everyone all right?"
"I'm over here, bro!" Luigi cried out as he had the Professor with him who was coughing and gagging on the dust but otherwise alright. He was not far from Mario's position, but Peach and the Dry Wizard were missing. As the dust cleared some more Mario looked around frantically until he saw a sight that angered him. Peach was being controlled by the evil wizard just as he had done to Merlon, but the zombie had the gall to ride on her back while she traversed the rubble.
Mario jumped into the rubble pit and gave chase, "Hey, you! Get your boney butt off the Princess!" he shouted with fury.
Peach headed towards a bright light that shined through the night and brought the Dry Wizard to it. He dismounted and Peach began to unwillingly dig through the rubble. Underneath a stone, revealed the shining object to be the mystical Star Rod that was used to grant wishes. The Dry Wizard glared back at Mario and hissed at him as he approached quickly. He drove Peach to raise the Star Rod and she began to make a wish for him.
Peach struggled to fight back as her voice escaped her mouth, "Mighty Star Rod, grant my wish! I Merloom, wish for the return of my flesh! I wish for flesh that does not rot or decay even under the magic of undeath or the flow of time!"
The Star Rod erupted with a bright flash of light as the wizard's wish was granted. Peach then tossed the Star Rod away as hard as she could and fell to the ground holding her mouth, stunned at the words that came from it. Meanwhile, the Dry Wizard's body was enveloped in a bright but sickly light as new flesh filled out his robes until he was fully restored. Under his hood lie bright, cold, icy blue eyes and pearly white pointed teeth. His flesh had been restored and he could now speak for himself. Mario stopped before him and braced himself in a fighting stance. "Just who are you anyway?" Mario asked angrily.
The wizard spoke with a deep grating voice, "Ah, that's much better... Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Merloom and I am called 'The Shaman of Shadows' by my peers. I hear that your name is, Mario? Is that correct?" he asked curiously.
"That's-a me!" Mario emphasized.
"Interesting... I hope you don't feel insulted, but I loathe the colors red and especially green," Merloom stated. "Nevertheless, I thank you for releasing me from that wretched prison! Now, aside from the Star Shrine, where is this exactly?"
"You're in the Mushroom Kingdom!" Mario began. "We found you because of the light your crystal ball gave off."
"My crystal ball?" Merloom said as he remembered something important. "Oh, that reminds me!" he continued as he rattled the chains that stuck to his body. "I have a deal to complete! I think your souls and the souls of every Toad in this..., Mushroom Kingdom will be enough to complete it!"
"Try me!" Mario said fiercely as he dashed toward Merloom. Merloom was not ready as Mario hit the wizard with his raccoon tail. Merloom slid across the ground and caught himself by using his projected shadow. Mario then followed up by coming face to face with the wizard and giving him a hard whollop.
Merloom shouted as he crashed into the rubble. He then angrily used his shadow to move a boulder off of him. "Oh, so humans can use magical items now?! Huh, where did he go?!" he thought as he looked up. Mario was closing in from above, "He is going stomp on my head again isn't he?" he finished as Mario did just that. Mario landed and confidently readied himself for another round. Merloom rose up holding his head, "What is it with you people and the head?! Oww! Alright I have had enough of this! I have something I need to finish!" he said as he began chanting. His neck creaked and snapped as it returned to its natural position.
Merloom levitated into the air and his followers all rose in cheer. The followers offered up Toad people they had kidnapped from Toad Town, but Luigi, Merlon, and Gadd were nowhere to be found. Peach quickly hurried under a large slab of stone and took cover. Mario on the other hand still wanted to fight back although he was now unable to reach Merloom. In a bright flash of blinding light, the souls of the Toad people were ripped from their bodies and sucked into Merloom's dark crystal ball. When the spell ended, and the chaos turned to silence, Peach gazed over her cover, and to her horror, she saw that Mario was standing cold and lifeless. His soul was taken as well leaving behind a pale and slumped body with a depressed expression on his face.
Merloom returned to the ground, his crystal ball now completely filled and then some. It shined with a sickly violet glow, "Ah, now that, that is done it is time for me to return to Mage Land!" he said as he began chanting again.
Luigi, Peach, Merlon, and Gadd rushed over to try and grab Mario but they were too late. "Mama Mia, he's escaping into a Warp Zone!" Luigi panicked.
As Merloom rose into the portal above, so did everyone else. "We're being sucked in!" Gadd said panicking.
"Hold on, everyone!" Merlon shouted as they all followed Merloom into the Warp Zone.
"Here we go!" Luigi and Peach shouted in unison.
*?*
Luigi slept restlessly in an old rickety bed. The room he was in was old and lacked any furniture. Cobwebs and dust covered the decayed walls and floors. Only a single candle lit the room.
The candle flame flickered as three spirits made themselves known.
"Hmm, this fellow looks familiar," said the first spirit as it appeared. The spirit resembled a Shyguy. It had no feet and its robes were as white as its mask.
Following him, a Dry Bones appeared with a rattle, "Yeah, Greaper, but this one's green instead of red!"
Finally, a Boo appeared with an icy mist, cooling the room. "Heh, look he's shivering! Even though he's underneath that blanket! I wonder if he can sense us?"
Luigi turned from shivering to recoiling.
Greaper floated close to Luigi, "Calm down, we're not here to frighten you! We're the Three Musty Fears and you are in Mage Land!" Luigi then calmed down and began snoring.
"Yeah, Mage Land is the forgotten realm of the wizards!" said the Boo as it stretched its mouth and stuck out its tongue. "You are a very long way from home!"
"Mage Land is one of the world's oldest civilizations," started the Dry Bones. "It came back thanks to the Shaman of Shadow's meddling. It's been a week since you came here."
"Yeah, you were hurt pretty badly and a really pretty sorceress found you in the swamp outside the village!" said the Boo as he comically played with his own face.
The Dry Bones rattled, "While she healed you she murmured that you have something to do with a prophecy. Mm-hmm, sounds exciting!"
"You can also use this bed anytime you desire, we don't mind!" the Greaper said.
A sudden knock at the door grabbed the three spirits' attention, "Well, it looks like she's back! Let's make ourselves scarce boys!" Greaper said with a chuckle.
"Right!" said the other two spirits as they all three vanished.
"Don't forget what we told you!" the three said in unison.
Luigi rose from his bed as the door creaked open, "Hello?" came the voice of a girl.
Luigi yawned, "Hello?" he retorted back.
The girl opened the door further and peered inside. Her face brightened as she noticed Luigi, "Ah, you've awoken…!" she said cheerfully.
Her robes were white with red accents and she had bright pink fluffy hair that came from under her hood. Her hair was parted at the center and her sidelocks were like tassels. She was slightly shorter than Luigi as he got out of bed and met her gaze. "It looks like my healing magic did the trick!" she said while hopping cheerfully.
"Pleased to meet you, but who are you?" Luigi asked curiously.
"I am a type of wizard known as a 'Sage', my name is Merlessa, pleased to meet you Mr. Green!" she said with a slightly childish tone. "Don't be fooled by my size, I'm older than I look! You have a friend and my Uncle Merlon waiting for you outside! Let's go tell them you've recovered!" she finished as she took Luigi's hand and drug him outside playfully. Luigi blushed as she cheerfully tugged his hand.
Luigi found himself in a literal ghost town. A few small dilapidated homes lined the lonely dirt street. The ground was dry and cracked and dead trees stood looming over the area.
Gadd and Merlon came up to them, "Oyamaa, Luigi! You're finally awake! You had us worried sick, my boy!"
"I'm glad you have risen from your slumber, Luigi. After the Shaman of Shadows transported us to Mage Land we got separated," Merlon explained with a sign of relief. "I do apologize, I was only able to save the Professor. I am sorry. Luckily, as fate would have it, my niece here saved you and brought us all back here."
"Once Mage Land reappeared a week ago, I came right over as quietly as possible so I could do research," Merlessa explained. Merloom has awakened from his many centuries' worth of imprisonment. It's time for the prophecy of the Green Thunder to be fulfilled!" she said as she pointed at Luigi.
"Who me?!" Luigi retorted with surprise. "What prophecy?"
Merlessa came close, "In Mage Land, we have an old prophecy that states the following. 'When the Shaman of Shadows rises from his captivity, the Green Thunder, guided by the light of the Red Flame, will strike him down with gold heavenly lightning!'"
Luigi chuckled, "You must be mistaken, the Green Thunder is just a nickname the media uses for me when we play sports!"
Merlessa smiled, "May I see your palm?"
Confused, Luigi obliged.
Merlessa read Luigi's palm, and suddenly, an electric current emerged and crawled across his hand, "You have the legendary Thunderhand. It's been three millennia since this ability was last given to a mortal."
Luigi gazed at his electrified hand, "I nearly forgot about this! My brother Mario and I traveled to the Beanbean Kingdom a while ago. After that adventure ended I thought this little trick expired."
"No, it just went dormant. It will always be with you because it was a gift. You never have to return a gift," Merlessa explained.
"Not unless it's a set of clothes you can't wear!" Luigi said with a chuckle.
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt...," Gadd interrupted politely. "But who is this Merloom? I have nothing about him in my databases! As a man of science, I would like to know more!"
"No problem!" Merlessa began. "Three thousand or so years ago, there lived a wizard with great potential. However, he had a fascination with darkness. While many do go on to do wonderful things, this one did not. While I am uncertain of Merloom's personal history I can tell you that he was supposedly unsatisfied with the magic he received from the spirits of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, the four aspects we are known for communicating with. To this day, no one really knows why or how, but he received a type of power that let him bend shadows and ghosts to his will. Doing this, however, caused him to fall away from his four other practices and take up this 'shadow magic' obsessively. The story claims that practicing this type of power turned him undead and he was sealed away by the leaders of the wizards for making dark deals with evil spirits."
"Merloom was once said to have a fascination with Shadow Puppetry. It was an early form of entertainment. Perhaps it influenced his sorcery," Merlon added.
"Yeesh, what a thing to be influenced by," Luigi sighed.
Gadd scratched his head, "I thought your people only told fortunes."
"Fortune and Premonition are something all types of wizards partake in," said Merlessa cheerfully as she swayed her robes back and forth.
"Nevertheless, Merloom was considered a 'boogie man' to us wizards! He inspired many villainous characters in our children's bedtime stories!" Merlon continued. "When Mario was fighting him he was saying something about some kind of deal he had to complete. I only worry about what that will bring..."
"After he was sealed away...," Merlessa took over. "Our people lost our home to his curse and it drifted into the Spirit World. Now that he's back, Mage Land has returned as well!"
Gadd seemed confused, "How did he end up in the Kerokero Sewers then?"
"I don't know, perhaps he was cast into the great pipe maze after being petrified," Merlon stated. "After that, the Wizard Clans that had journeyed to other parts of the world dispersed and hid in back alleys performing our arts to help others," Merlon claimed. "We waited for this day to come…"
"Oyamaa, this is what the progenies of Mage Land have been doing this whole time?" Gadd asked befuddled. "Living in fear of this boogie man?"
"Say's the man who just witnessed one of the most famous people in the world get defeated by him!" Merlon said sharply.
Merlon's statement made Luigi sulk as he recalled what happened to Mario. Merlessa laid her hand on Luigi's shoulder. "Don't worry friend, you can get your brother back and the Princess of your nation. Just let us give you a hand!"
Gadd adjusted his glasses as he walked up to Luigi with an object in his hands, "Luigi, I managed to find Mario's Hammer. It must have also gotten pulled into the portal with us. I think you should use it!" he said with a grunt as he struggled to hand it to Luigi. Luigi effortlessly picked up the mallet with one hand. He stared at it glumly, wishing he had done more to help Mario and Peach.
Merlessa pulled an old parchment out of her robes. It was a map of Mage Land, "This map will help you traverse Mage Land. I drew it myself!"
Luigi took the map, "Thanks, it's a really colorful map!" he said.
"What does Merloom even want with Peach?" Gadd asked glumly.
"I'm not sure, Merloom has no real need for either Mario or Peach. Maybe he just wants more bargaining options," Merlessa guessed. "Or more worshipers..."
"Luigi, the ghosts in this village are friendly so don't be afraid," Merlon explained. "Perhaps they can give you some insight if you get to know a few of them!"
"Ah yes, there is another sorceress here that has recently gained favor with the higher-ups," Merlessa claimed. "The Witch, Merlicity, is an excellent saleswoman! Her items are sure to help you!"
"Merlicity? How did she gain favor? She's an imbecile!" Merlon stated with a laugh.
"She may be greedy and has a thing for handsome men, but she does have a knack for getting what people want," Merlessa explained.
"Luigi, I think I will set up a new lab in the room you were in," Gadd said rather tired out. "I'm going to study Merloom as much as I can. Come and see me before you go trotting off into Mage Land! I'll see to it that you are properly equipped!"
Luigi broke away from the party as they returned to the broken shack he was in. As he investigated the village, the ghosts were friendly and playful but none of them had anything particularly useful to say. Most were buzzing about the new witch in town. Luigi decided to visit her.
As most houses and shacks were abandoned, the only other occupied one was easy to find. Outside, a rather comical sign was posted about a grand opening and new prices. Luigi entered the shop and it smelled of autumnal spices. Inside, were shelves that were stacked to the brim and a female wizard who wore brown fur-laden robes tended to her stock.
"One moment please," she said with a heavy womanly tone. She turned around once she was done and her long blonde hair flowed from her furry hood. Like all wizards, she had a crystal ball around her neck and curl-tipped shoes. "Oh, I've been expecting you handsome!" she said with a wink. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am Merlicity and the new owner of this shop! Feel free to browse a bit if you like!"
Luigi browsed the shelves but she had little more than Shroom Shakes and Honey Syrups. "I'll take a shake and a syrup, please!" Luigi said as he placed the coins on her countertop.
"Coming right up!" she said as she walked over to her cauldron. Luigi noticed a Roulette Block on the countertop next to him. Merlicity noticed his curiosity, "That's my Lottery Block. If you pay me a small fee, you can use it!" she claimed.
"Merlessa told me about you. Do you know her?" Luigi chatted.
"I know of those two. I don't know them personally," replied Merlicity. She brought over Luigi's items. "For a cutie like you, I have a discount!" Merlicity said cheerfully. "I hear you're the one going to Mage Land. I worked to gain the favor of the head clan so I could meet you personally. Since you're going out into the wilds of Mage Land you'll need this!" she said as she pulled an ornate golden whistle from her robes. As she did so, the whistle emitted a strange air. Luigi was quite taken by it. "This little do-dad is a Mage Land Warp Whistle. Play it and you will be able to warp to any place you have visited in Mage Land, including this town. Unlike other Warp Whistles, this has unlimited uses! Ordinarily, such an artifact would cost over 1000 coins, but for a handsome young fellow like you, it will cost only 100, what do you say?" she said smiling.
"Oh, that sounds very useful!" Luigi said with intrigue.
Luigi went through his pockets and gave every coin he had. "Great, you won't regret this, I promise! I may be greedy and shrewd but I always provide the best quality items and I never lie about them. After all, I want my customers to come back!" Luigi took the Warp Whistle and stored it safely away. "Oh, one more thing, when you get further into Mage Land you'll come across purple coins with a typical wizard's face engraved on them. These are called, 'Wizard Coins', if you collect them I can sell you very special items!" she added. Luigi excused himself and Merlicity waved him off flirtatiously with her rings rattling on her fingers.
With nothing else of interest, Luigi decided to return to E. Gadd. To his amazement, E. Gadd had a working Laboratory up and running, with computers and other machines in no time. "Wow Professor, you work fast!" Luigi said astounded.
"Ah, Luigi, there you are! While you were off chatting up the shopkeeper Merlon and Merlessa helped me set everything up! I have some equipment to give you before you head out!" Gadd claimed.
He began rummaging through some new equipment and brought over a smartphone and a new poltergust. He handed Luigi his green smartphone, "I made some tweaks to your phone there, sonny. I call it the 'IHaunt". It has an app that tracks spirits and other nifty things!"
Luigi took his smartphone back and placed it in his pocket. Gadd then handed him the new poltergust. It was sleek and compact. There were no wheels and it was as light as a feather, "This new Poltergust is my latest model! I call it, the Poltergust Auto! It was made to suck up ghosts all on its own as long as you're close enough! It has a similar AI to that of my FLUDD model, but this one doesn't speak! From what I understand the spirits here have magical properties even more so than normal. Even elemental spirits I've never seen before are lurking about. I want to study them so it's all up to you!" he said as he handed the vacuum to Luigi.
"Thanks, doc!" Luigi said as he strapped the device to his back.
"Oh, once more thing!" turned Gadd. "Since you have that Thunderhand, I didn't bother with the strobulb function but the Dark-Light Device is carried over! Now, the Poltergust's eyes work as a flashlight so you won't need to carry one."
Luigi placed it on and toyed with it a little, "Here we go again...," he said with a slight shiver. The Poltergust came online and the nozzle examined Luigi like a snake. Its digital eyes were set above the brush-filled mouth of the nozzle. It winked at him then something seemed to catch its attention.
It turned around and faced a dark corner. The Dark-Light shined from its digital eyes and it revealed three ghosts. Luigi recognized them as they appeared. "It's you three, the Three Musty Fears!"
"Waah!" I don't want to be sucked into that machine!" cried Boo.
"Yeah, we just want to come with you!" Dry Bones said as he rattled.
They both hid behind Greaper, "If it's not too much trouble that is..."
"No problem!" Gadd said. "Some informants would be good to have around. Let me just reconfigure the Poltergust's programming so it won't suck you guys in!"
Gadd quickly reconfigured the Poltergust with his computer so it wouldn't vacuum the Three Musty Fears.
Greaper spoke, "Ahem, thank you. Yes, we can show you around Mage Land as 'tour guides'."
"Yeah, we know lots of stuff about Mage Land!" Dry Bones added.
"And we won't even charge you a coin!" Boo followed.
"Okie dokie, I'll take all the help I can get!" Luigi agreed.
"Great, let's get going!" Greaper said hurriedly. "We'll just make ourselves at home in your shadow!"
The Three Musty Fears vanished into Luigi's shadow. Merlon and Merlessa approached, "Luigi before you head out," he started as Luigi gave him his full attention. "It seems Merloom has gained some help over the past week. Seven other wizards have taken up residence in Mage Land and they have cursed it. You'll have to beat them all to reach Merloom," he explained.
Merlessa followed, "From this village, you'll come to the Feasting Swamp. It's where I found you. There's a strange ferryman that you can ride with to get to different areas of Mage Land. Take care and good luck!"
With that, Luigi departed. As he left the village the darkness of Mage Land became unsettling. The dead trees from before were now replaced with weeping trees and the dry ground was now slippery with mud.
*The Feasting Swamp*
Luigi investigated the swamp until he came to a large river. It was obvious the river was the main feature of the swamp. It was badly polluted with thick brown muck. Luigi took a stick and poked the bubbling water. A ghost emerged, "Mama Mia!" Luigi said as he jumped back. The spirit was unable to get out of the river though and it plopped back down into its depths. "That was close!"
Then Luigi heard an unfamiliar voice call out to him from below. The voice belonged to a harmless-looking wizard who was ferrying a small wooden boat. He waved Luigi down in a friendly manner. "Hello there, would you like a ride?" asked the ferryman.
"Oh, good, there he is," Luigi said with relief.
Luigi boarded his worn old boat. It was illuminated by an old lantern. He got a good look at the ferryman. His face and eyes were completely gone from under his hood. Only darkness was visible. He spoke with the voice of a wise gravelly elder. "One must stay clear of the waters in the Feasting Swamp lest you be consumed by the lost souls that reside within," he warned as he began paddling the boat forward with a large wooden oar.
"So, where are we headed to first?" Luigi asked curiously.
The ferryman chuckled, "I will take you to your first stop! It's a forest known as 'The Living Thicket', and we can dock at the small village there. It would be best to stay out of this swamp, the Feasting Swamp is like a road system strewn throughout Mage Land. A long time ago the waters were clear and it was a beautiful river. Sadly, it is now haunted by the hungry spirits of the dead. I can take you anywhere through the Feasting Swamp so there's no need for worry. As long as we stay in this boat we will be fine!"
"That's a relief!" Luigi said with a deep breath. "How did you know I was even out here?"
"That my friend is a secret for another day!" the Ferryman chuckled. "For now, I'll act as your transport through Mage Land! I know the ride may be a bit boring but I can offer you a story to ease your mind if you wish."
"That's fine, my name's Luigi by the way!" Luigi said introducing himself. "I wonder what has become of my brother and the Princess!"
*One Week Ago, Unknown Location*
Princess Peach stirred as she woke in a dark place that was dimly lit with wall torches. "Oww, my head, where am I?" she moaned as she sat up. She was not bound by any means and began to walk around the strange place after coming to her senses. "I should take a look around and see what I can find."
Eventually, after searching for some time, she came to a large mechanical steel door. She could hear two voices as she listened closely. She placed her ear on the door and she could hear clearly enough to know what they were talking about.
"The voices, the voices..., oh, this is maddening!" came the voice of Merloom. "Take it, the deal is fulfilled! You said you would make the trade after my Black Pearl Crystal Ball was filled with souls! It is now filled so I want my Urn of Underland Valley Shadows like you promised! These voices of agony will drive me mad!"
Another voice could be heard as its owner responded to Merloom's griping. "And you shall have it, Shaman! Let me see your Crystal Ball!" said the voice as Peach snuck her eye through the crack. She was awe-struck that the owner of the voice was nonother than the King of All Boos. The King of All Boos was seemingly disheveled as he wore a battered crown with no jewel in it. "After three thousand years this deal is completed!" said King Boo with excitement. King Boo giggled menacingly as he admired Merloom's personal crystal ball. He then witnessed Mario's soul pounding on the glass. He nearly lost himself in ecstasy, "Oh, oh, oh, is this? Yes, this is! It's Mario, oh, what a wonderful treat this turned out to be! I'm so glad I waited for your seal to break! It's like a snow globe! Oh, the voices of agony are like a symphony to me!" he said as he moved the crystal ball around as if looking for someone else.
Merloom cleared his throat, "Ahem, the Urn?" he said growing impatient.
"Hmm, one question, Shaman," King Boo started. "Did you by any chance get 'both' of these people in here? I see Mario, but not Luigi..."
"What is a Luigi?" Merloom asked puzzled. "When I filled that thing I came immediately back here through a Warp Zone, but a few stragglers got through with me. There was this blond woman in pink garb who ended up with that peddler's empty shell but nothing more. The woman was unconscious so I decided to bring her and the peddler's body here with me until I decide to do something with them."
King Boo rolled his eyes in grave disappointment, "I knew that was too good to be true!" he moaned.
Peach backed up in horror, "No, I have to think of something!" she thought.
Peach tried to sneak away quietly but King Boo appeared directly in front of her scaring her and forcing her to the ground. "Did you really think I didn't sense your presence, Peach? Merloom come here!"
Merloom opened the mechanical door and faced Peach from behind her, "Hmm? Now what are you up to my dear? Do you intend to conspire against me?"
"I won't be bullied by the likes of you!" Peach said with a fierce glare.
"Oh, ho, someone has gotten a brave streak in them as of late!" King Boo said with a smile. "Merloom, this woman is the Princess of the nation you just sucked into this ball. She is well-known for her healing magic as well as other things!"
"Hmm, healing magic, eh? That could be a slight pain in the rear!" Merloom claimed.
"So why don't you go ahead and place her soul into the crystal ball!" King Boo suggested as he tossed Merloom his ball.
"What, but this thing is already loaded! Any more and it may burst!" Merloom claimed with warning.
"Do it, Shaman! One more couldn't hurt!" King Boo stated obsessively.
"Very well!" Merloom said as he began chanting in an unknown language. Peach could only watch in horror as she felt very strange. It was as if her breath was being stolen from her lungs. The light of the Black Pearl Crystal Ball felt like it was drawing her into it. As the energy flowed the crystal ball began to do something strange. It began to flicker and then finally a 'y' shaped fracture appeared and Merloom stopped his incantation. Peach fell back down and regained her senses while breathing heavily. "I told you it would break you greedy ghost!" Merloom cursed.
The ball flashed like a strobe light, "What, wait! Now what's happening?!" King Boo muttered as the ball fell from Merloom's hands and began to shake violently. The crack flashed as a spirit escaped from it. It was Mario's soul escaping from its prison.
"Mama Mia what a cramped space!" Mario said as he stretched. "I was caught like lint in a drain filter!"
"Mario!" Peach said regaining hope.
"Peach! Follow me!" Mario said as he punched King Boo aside and Peach followed quickly behind.
King Boo grew furious and his anger shook the building, "Mario, no! You get back in there! GRRRRR!" he shouted angrily.
Merloom picked up his crystal ball, "Take the ball and give me my Urn!" he demanded.
"I'll be but a moment!" King Boo said as he scooped up the crystal ball and decided to go after Mario, but he stopped before he did as he caught a glimpse of Mario's limp body nearby. Wait, I just got an idea..., an evil, awful idea..., hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, HEE!"
"What? Aren't you going after them?" Merloom asked as he admired his new toy.
"Peach can't escape this building so there's no need to panic," King Boo claimed. "Just watch and learn wizard!"
*End of Prologue!*