Mario and Luigi

The Shaman of Shadows

Area 1: The Living Thicket

1-4: Shadows in Scarecrow Fields

*Village of Ghosts*

After getting some rest, Luigi checked in but found few updates. Gadd was still trying to decipher the EVP he collected and Merlicity still had little to offer. "Sorry Luigi, but this one's bigger and may take some more time to decipher, so come back later!" Gadd informed.

Merlon and Merlessa gave him some info on his next destination. "You're almost to the Haunted Greenhouse, Luigi!" Merlessa said excitedly.

"Yes, we must get Luigi through the Scarecrow Fields and the Pumpkin Plains first!" Merlon claimed.

"Ahem, yes, well about that," Merlessa began. "The next stop on our little journey is called the Scarecrow Fields. It's where we wizards grow our crops. Now, we don't farm like the rest of the world does, we have magic. So you're going to find tools that move by themselves doing the works that the wizard's spells tell them to, or most likely, find animated Scarecrows with powerful magic of their own."

"The scarecrows have become quite hostile under the curse," Merlon stated seriously.

Luigi shivered at the thought of living scarecrows, "I-I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he said as he excused himself.

With nothing left to do, Luigi returned to the Living Thicket.

*Living Thicket*

Now more confident, Luigi retraced his steps through the dark forest until he made it back to the Calm Door from before. He took a bite of the Mega Vibe Shroom until he was calm and touched the door. The door let out a ghostly sigh of comfort and let him pass. Inside, Luigi cured himself and found a Warp Pipe. "Go, Weegie!" he said as he plunged into the pipe.

*Scarecrow Fields*

Luigi arrived from the Warp Pipe and began looking around. The Scarecrow Fields were disheveled and placed in a perpetual dusk-like atmosphere. The dried corn stalks were difficult to navigate through, "Wonderful, a maize maze...," Luigi shivered.

Greaper emerged from Luigi's shadow, "Welcome to the Scarecrow Fields, Green One! Let us heed the wizard's warning about ticking off scarecrows, they are rickety and unpredictable. And I hate them... Anyway, the Druids of Mage Land used scarecrows to do all the dirty work here in the fields, and when the Rag Hag came along they went a little haywire."

Boo also emerged from Luigi's shadow, "Yeah, now they roam these fields and attack anything that isn't a scarecrow in defense of the crops!"

Boo was then followed by Dry Bones, "Also, these scarecrows do possess some spells that can really ruin our day. They can, and probably will, use a spell to turn you into one of them, so be careful. They also like to attack in groups, so you gotta stay on the move if you get surrounded."

"Basically, what we are saying is..., let's make this quick!" Greaper said bluntly.

"No problem! I've always been a fast runner!" Luigi reassured.

"Good, you'll need it...," Greaper said as he and the others retreated into Luigi's shadow.

With that settled, Luigi entered the cornfield with caution. However, no more than a few steps in, Luigi heard a bloodcurdling scream. "Wahh!" cried Luigi as he rushed toward the outcry.

Luigi burst into a small opening to find a young druid girl stared down by a rickety scarecrow that resembled a wooden marionette with a pumpkin for a head. It wore white gloves, pale blue overalls, grey decrepit boots, and a rusty open bear trap was hidden in the rim of its steeple hat. Examining it closer, Luigi noticed he could not stomp on it due to that trap. It raised its hands and began to rattle. It was casting a magic spell. Luigi did the first thing that came to mind. He rushed to the little girl and pushed her out of the scarecrow's range. Luigi took the spell for her and he blacked out.

*?*

Luigi awoke and his body felt strange. He found himself unable to move very much. He was inside a barn alongside a bunch of crates and hay. Greaper appeared from Luigi's shadow, "Great, this is why I hate scarecrows! Miserable S'crow Funk right off the bat!" he complained.

Boo followed, "I know you thought what you did was a good thing, but druids can undo the scarecrow transformation."

"Nevertheless, we're not out of this yet," started Dry Bones. "We just need to find a Trueform Badge and Mr. Green here can keep his shape!"

"Hmm, there may be one in this barn," Greaper said looking around. "With all this junk, we may be able to find one!"

Luigi had been transformed. He was a straw dummy with two black eyes, a green shirt, and a matching steeple hat. His arms were sticking straight out and his big white gloves hung limply at the ends.

"Can you move, Mr. Green?" Boo asked. Luigi hopped in place as his legs were replaced with a simple stick. Luigi saw something behind the Fears. A shadow that moved along the walls but nothing to cast it. Luigi hopped, "Oh good, you can still move a little!" Boo smiled. Luigi hopped in an ecstatic state.

"What, do you see something?" Greaper asked as he turned around. The shadow was still on the wall at the far end of the barn. Greaper took a closer look by squinting. "Hmm, a shadow spirit, wait, that spirit looks familiar..."

"Wait, I think you're right...," Boo said also squinting.

The shadow jumped in familiarly and started moving along the wall until it came to a ladder. It then climbed the ladder. Footsteps could then be heard above on the wooden mow only for it to disappear when it came to an open window.

"Bah, pesky shadow people!" Greaper cursed.

"I hope that wasn't one of Merloom's summons," Dry Bones said worriedly.

"I don't think so, that shadow person was very familiar!" Boo claimed.

After a few moments, a small push came to the barn's double doors. A whimper was heard behind them. Then, footsteps could be heard on the barn's hayloft once more. The shadow spirit climbed down the ladder and walked over to the door. It managed to move the large 2X4 that barricaded the doors. Then, the doors opened slightly and the small druid girl Luigi saved snuck in quietly. She quietly and nervously approached Luigi as the Fears retreated into his shadow. "H-hello? I'm sorry you got turned into... a scarecrow... I was looking for this!" she said as she held a Trueform Badge. "I was able to find one after you saved me. I think you should have it though. You're much more heroic than me... Here, I can undo the scarecrow's spell," she said as she chanted. Luigi then returned to his normal state.

"Oh, thank you, Bambina!" Luigi said gratefully. She handed over the badge and Luigi pinned it to his overalls.

The shadow on the wall jumped near the door and it grabbed the druid's attention. "Hey mister, I think that spirit knows you," she said as she gave him a light tug on his overalls.

Indeed, as Luigi gazed upon the shadow spirit the silhouette it took the form of was none other than his brother Mario. Luigi then began to grow afraid thinking what might have become of his brother but as he did, he began to hear the sound of a very loud object outside the barn. The object drew closer and closer until the door was destroyed in a massive crash. An ancient crop harvester stood where the door had been and chewed on the wood with its spinning blades. Like most things in the fields, it was magically animated instead of being a true machine.

"Quick! Up the ladder, there's a window we can sneak out of!" said the druid in a growing panic.

Luigi fearfully did so after picking up the little girl and carrying her on his shoulders. The harvester began a slow but very dangerous pursuit as Luigi retreated to the back of the barn. In the back of the hayloft, he found a Hint Block and quickly a the second to capture its message before leaping out the window with the druid. "Here, we go!" Luigi shouted as they landed in hay piles outside the barn.

Horrid noises of destruction could be heard inside the barn as it quickly began hitting the wall from the other side. "What do we do now?!" asked the druid in a panic.

"Hang on tight!" Luigi said as he carried her like a princess and ran like the wind. Luigi darted off into the maze of strange vegetables. As Luigi entered the cornfield, magical glowing thorns choked the corn and turned the cornfield into a true maze.

"Oh, no! It's the curse! Don't touch those thorns, mister!" the girl said fearfully.

"Luigi got it!" Luigi said as he took a turn to the left and then a right. As Luigi navigated further he realized that it was easy to get lost. "Oh no, where do I go!

Luckily, the harvester seemed to be far enough away so that he could backtrack and check alternate paths. He came to a dead end with nothing and began to feel nervous. Then, as Luigi turned to go back, the shadow spirit from before could be seen trying to get his attention by jumping up and down. It was cast on the crops by the bright moonlight and was signing for Luigi to follow it.

Luigi followed the shadow as it ran across the crops. He found this hard as it was not always apparent where the shadow went because it was only visible in the light. Left, right, bobbing, and swaying, he followed the shadow as fast as he could through the maze while dodging and evading scarecrows. The scarecrows that he dodged were chewed up by the harvester.

The shadow had to correct Luigi every time he hit a dead end. The only good thing about the dead ends was the coins he could pick up. Other times they were a burden as they were filled with ghosts and scarecrows.

"Look, mister, an exit!" shouted the druid with her index finger outstretched.

"Oh, yeah!" Luigi said with a look of joy.

Luigi dashed through but it turned out to be an illusion. "Oh no, we're cornered!" the druid screamed.

Before Luigi could turn and go back, a spiritual barrier blocked his path. It took the form of a glowing purple translucent portcullis gate. Then, with a sudden, yet familiar laugh, a Boo appeared. "Tee hee, now you're doomed, Luigi!" taunted the Boo with a wide grin.

Luigi turned his gaze to the sound of the harvester as it grew closer. "Oh no, we don't have much time left!" Luigi said with failing confidence.

Luigi dared not let go of the little girl as the Boo closed in. "It's okay mister, let me down so you can do your job..." she said with a strange sense of calm.

Luigi was taken with the little girl's bravery and he placed her on her feet. "Let's go!" he said strongly. The Boo smirked with a wide evil grin. It vanished quickly and the Poltergust took notice. He was surprised at the spirit's speed.

The Boo of the Musty Fears spoke angrily to Luigi with just his voice, "Wretched rodents! We don't have time for this! Any ideas, guys?!"

"No, he's one of your kind! You think of something!" Greaper scolded Boo.

"I know what you're saying Greaper, but that sounds wrong for some reason...," Dry Bones said as he scratched his skull.

"Those three don't help much when they bicker," thought Luigi.

Then suddenly, the enemy Boo was stopped in its tracks and began struggling. It was the shadow spirit from before. It grabbed hold of the Boo from the ground and tugged on its ghostly tail. This surprised everyone as they all went silent with awe. Luigi took the hint and got close enough for the Poltergust to react. With several moments of a powerful bout of tug 'o' war, the Poltergust devoured the Boo. Luigi hopped with a satisfying cheer, "Go, Weegie! Thanks Mr. Shadow!" he said as the mystical barrier lifted.

Their celebration was short, however, as the crop harvester appeared. "Oh, no! What do we do now?!"

Luigi straightened his hat, "Sit tight, I got an idea!" he said.

Luigi performed a High Jump and positioned himself over the harvester. With just the right timing, Luigi used his ground pound to smash through the steam mechanisms and destroy it. Its large wheels popped off as it collapsed around itself.

The little girl was in awe, "Wow, that was some crash!"

Luigi walked up to her with a smile, "See, I just need to get it in a better spot!"

Then suddenly, a giggle could be heard in a nearby tree. The owner leapt from the tree but they were too fast to see. "Who was that?" asked the druid as she grabbed Luigi's leg.

Luigi took a stand, "What are you doing?! Leave the children out of this!" he shouted with renewed confidence.

"Are you by any chance headed to the Haunted Greenhouse?" asked the druid with brightening eyes. "To stop..., her?"

"You mean..., the Rag Hag, don't you?" Luigi asked nervously.

The druid nodded, "Mm-hmm, past this part of the field is the Pumpkin Plains. There's a big nasty ghost there, so you may need to get by it to open the Haunted Greenhouse. Good luck, I can get back to the village from here. So don't worry about me. Thank you so much though, for your help, I mean. I can pass this story down to my children one day! I met and was saved by the Green Thunder!"

Luigi blushed with a giggle as he rubbed the back of his head. "It was nothing, Bambina!" he said nervously.

"Bye, bye!" she said as she ran off.

"Well, Mr. Green we made it to the pumpkins!" Greaper said with relief.

"Ugh, that was scary," Boo moaned.

"I don't know I kinda liked the excitement!" said Dry Bones.

"Either way, Luigi, do you need a little rest before we enter the Plains?" Greaper asked.

"I think we should. I need to ask a question!" Luigi said uneasily. He took the Warp Whistle out and placed it to his mouth and headed back to the village.

*Village of Ghosts*

Luigi visited Merlon and Merlessa and he told them what had transpired.

"A Shadow Spirit that resembles Mario?" Merlon said with astonishment.

"Luigi, capture that spirit so we can speak with it. You must!" Merlessa said with determination.

"Hmm, we'll need to look further into this, but I have a hunch on what's going on," Merlon said uncertain.

"What do you mean, uncle?" Merlessa asked puzzled.

"Well, I can't be totally sure, but if that shadow is a part of Mario, some kind of conflict could have happened with Merloom. If it is not, then it could be some sort of trap," Merlon theorized.

"Be careful when you enter the Pumpkin Plains, Luigi, that's the Rag Hag's front yard. It's got a strong spiritual vibe!" Merlessa claimed.

"Yes, the druids should still be able to help you get into the greenhouse. So continue to seek them out!" Merlon instructed.

"Okie dokie!" Luigi said as he excused himself.

Luigi stood outside the door with the Warp Whistle in hand, "No time to waste! Let's go!" he said as he blew the whistle.

*End of Chapter*