Mario and Luigi

The Shaman of Shadows

Area 1: The Living Thicket

1-5: Evils of the Pumpkin Plains

*Pumpkin Plains*

Luigi entered the muddy Pumpkin Plains. "I had better watch my step! This ground is slippery!" he said out loud. The cursed pines of the Living Thicket surrounded this pumpkin patch. As he moved, he was careful not to step into any of the rotting pumpkins. Many of them were already squashed.

The Three Musty Fears appeared from Luigi's shadow. "Well, that's not very nice," Greaper started. "Someone smashed all these pumpkins!"

"Such a waste!" Boo stated.

"Maybe we can gather the seeds and roast them after we deal with the Rag Hag so it won't be a total waste!" Dry Bones suggested.

"Hmm, those are good roasted!" Luigi claimed.

"A light-hearted treat after a job well done perhaps, but first comes the Rag Hag," Greaper urged.

Luigi began trekking down the side of a small stream and entered a clearing. In the clearing, stood small greenhouses with broken glass and grimy walls due to the floral overgrowth. Everything here seemed quite old. Then, Luigi heard some rustling. "What's that? Who's there?" he said as he turned the corner of a broken greenhouse. He illuminated his surroundings with the Thunderhand. Luigi's light hit a lone but seemingly pristine pumpkin on a dirt pathway. As soon as light hit it though it sprung to life with a scary face and vines that acted as limbs. It screeched at Luigi who also screeched in response. The creature rushed Luigi who luckily retaliated with a powerful Thunderhand and shattered the pumpkin creature.

Greaper appeared, "Great! Pumpkin Piranhas! These suckers, and I mean that quite literally, can suck up spirits and use their energy to power themselves up!" he informed. As Greaper finished speaking, a Pumpkin Piranha appeared. Many more followed along behind it. Boo and Dry Bones were devoured by the nasty creatures with a loud yelp and Greaper was also caught shortly after. "Mr. Green, stomp these things and we'll be free!" he said as the creature swallowed him whole. With that, the creatures ran away, leaping over fences and scurrying into the broken greenhouses.

"Oh, no...!" Luigi moaned as he was robbed of his company.

And so, Luigi did the only thing he could do. He entered the nearest greenhouse and found it to be somewhat small. He traveled down one of the aisles and found many strange wilted herbs that probably were once used by the druids as medication or spices. Luigi then heard a rustling in the distance. He shined his Thunderhand down the aisle, "Hello?" he asked sheepishly.

A voice responded, "Hello? Is someone there? Can you give me a hand?"

Luigi approached the voice by pushing aside leaves and vines. He found a male adult druid tangled within the vines. "Luigi's got ya!" he said as he untied the druid.

"Many thanks, good sir!" thanked the druid. "My wife and son are wandering around the plains too. We came looking for an herb that could help my little girl get better, she has an illness, but those blasted pumpkin monsters got to me!"

"Was it a surprise attack?" Luigi asked.

"No, it turns out our druidic magic isn't working because the Rag Hag is so close, she must be so powerful to have a curse like that...," explained the druid. "We'll have to smash all these creatures to get their leader out. I'm sure the leader is hiding in the well in the center of all the greenhouses. The stream forks right outside and there's a well that stands on the small strip of land in between the fork!"

"I got it, but I have a problem...," Luigi said with concern.

"Oh?" said the druid.

"These monsters avoid me, I can't smash them if they don't come out of hiding!" Luigi claimed.

"Ah, that is a problem, but not for me!" the druid claimed as he turned to a countertop behind him. There were many jars filled with dried herbs which he began searching through. He opened a few and began mixing some of these reagents together. After only a few moments he turned to Luigi and handed him a flask. "Here, take a sip of this household potion! It'll attract those critters even if they don't want to come to you!" he explained.

"Thank you!" Luigi said as he took a sip from the potion. "Hmm, tastes like cold pumpkin spice coffee, delizioso!" he thought.

"Now, all you need to do is step outside into the pumpkin patch and they'll come running. Just be prepared when they come!" the druid informed.

Luigi stored the flask away, "Thank you very much!" he said gratefully.

Luigi then departed the empty greenhouse and approached the field outside. He walked until he reached the center. He shivered a bit as his breath could be seen. Then suddenly, a Pumpkin Piranha sprouted up on the far side of the field. It seemed like it smelled something irresistible. Luigi put up his dukes and his Thunderhand danced across his fingers. "Come get me!" he taunted.

The creature suddenly lunged at Luigi but he jumped into the air with a spin jump to stomp on one he heard come from behind him. Luigi then rebounded off the one he stomped on to land on the first one he encountered. Next followed three more from all sides. Luigi simply ducked and the three monsters collided and splattered Luigi with gooey pumpkin bits. He was disgusted and complained about it as more arrived. Being covered in slimy pumpkin goo, he found it hard to stand without sliding. He nearly lost his footing until he grabbed another Pumpkin Piranha with his Thunderhand and it exploded releasing a hostile orange ghost. The Poltergust nozzle reacted and attempted to suck up the ghost but he slid around so much it made its job difficult. He managed to fight off more Pumpkin Piranhas who released more ghosts and other spirits. With some luck and nimble footwork, Luigi dispatched all but one Pumpkin Piranha which he decided to give a simple stomp. When it was crushed, Dry Bones emerged, "Whew, thanks a lot buddy it was really cramped in there!" he said with relief.

"I was beginning to think I lost you for a moment!" Luigi said also in relief.

Now reunited with Dry Bones, Luigi moved on to another greenhouse. Inside, he heard a female voice, "Drat, that won't work either!" echoed the voice.

"Hello?" Luigi called out.

"Huh? Is someone there?" said the voice as the owner came into view from behind the plants. "Oh, hello, I was expecting another druid, but maybe you'll be able to help me," she asked.

"Sure, I would love to," Luigi agreed with a smile.

"Ah, please follow me then!" she asked excitedly. Luigi followed the druid to the back of the greenhouse to see what she wanted. She stopped in front of a tabletop that had many chemicals, "I'm trying to make a weed killer for these miserable Pumpkin Piranhas. I'm almost there but I need one more reagent. Unfortunately, the last ingredient I need is in this greenhouse's basement. You seem equipped to handle danger, would you please get it for me? It's in a blue bottle, if it has been labeled properly," she informed politely.

"No problem miss, I'll have it in a jiffy!" Luigi assured.

Luigi descended the staircase behind the druid and found the basement had a large dirt floor. The potions were on a shelf at the back of the room. As Luigi walked over the dirt floor, another Pumpkin Piranha emerged as it was drawn to him, thanks to the potion. As it approached, two more followed. Luigi quickly stomped his first offender into goo. The second one was struck with the Thunderhand and the third was squashed with Mario's hammer. As soon as they were dispatched, another wave appeared. He managed to dispatch wave after wave of them and the ghosts they released until Boo reappeared from the remains of one, "Sheesh, I thought I was never gonna get outta there! I was trapped like hair in a lint filter!" he said as he reunited with Luigi.

Luigi sighed with relief, "Ah, that just leaves Greaper now."

"Yeah, and if I know him, he's gotta be fuming by now," Boo replied as he retreated into Luigi's shadow. Luigi then took the time to investigate the room now that nothing was standing in his way. He found a Hidden Block with a cache of treasure and a few more minor treasures lying around as well as the blue bottle the druid wanted. Finding nothing else of interest, he left to return to the druid.

The druid was quite joyful at his return, "Oh, thank the stars! I heard some rustle and bustle down below, so I only could imagine what was going on down there!" she said nervously. Luigi handed her the bottle, "Ah, you got it, that's the one!" she said as she took the bottle from him. She quickly rushed to the table and began mixing up the contents in a precise order. She then mixed said contents into a large bottle of water. She carried it to Luigi, "Here, sir, this poison will take care of any plant-based ghoul! These Pumpkin Piranha were made by crossbreeding a standard pumpkin with the Piranha Plant and using druidic magic as a fertilizer. When you're done outside, toss this into the well and their leader will come running out!"

"Thank you!" Luigi said as he took the bottle and excused himself.

Luigi marched on until he reached the third greenhouse he had not yet entered. It was the only one left intact. He entered cautiously and heard the sounds of a male child's frustration. "Hello, who's there?" Luigi asked.

"Huh?" said the child as he poked his head around a corner sheepishly. He cautiously came out once he realized Luigi was not a monster. "Oh, hey, can you help me out, mister?" he said nervously. "There's this bundle of herbs I can't reach!"

"Sure, I can reach it for you Bambino err, um, boy," Luigi stammered. Luigi followed the young druid to where he wanted to find the herb.

"See, mister! It's all the way up there on that shelf it's even labeled!" he said as he pointed to a strange bundle of dried plants. "It's the one that says, 'Fever'. My sister needs some medicine and that would do the trick, but I can't reach it!"

Luigi adjusted his cap and approached the shelf only to hear glass shattering. The room began flooding with entranced Pumpkin Piranha's. "Gahh, oh no!" shrieked the druid boy as he cowered in a corner.

Luigi was faced with the monsters; one to his right, and another to his left. He took Mario's Hammer and performed a spin, destroying them both. However, more offenders appeared. Luigi stomped and crushed Pumpkin Piranha's and sucked up their ghostly prisoners until the entire floor was covered in their slippery innards. Finally, Greaper emerged from the sticky mess. "Bah, what an annoyance! Thanks, Luigi, that's all three of us...," he said as he was interrupted by a minor earthquake. "Did you feel that? The ghost at the bottom of the well has awakened because you destroyed all these monsters. Let's see if we can't annoy him further!"

Luigi jumped up to the shelf top with a high jump and grabbed the Fever medication. He came back down and the young druid was still shivering from fright until Luigi consoled him, "Hey, they're gone now, this is what you needed, right?"

The child perked up as soon as he realized he was safe, "Oh, you got rid of them? I thought I was gonna be eaten for sure!" he said as he took the panacea from Luigi. "You're gonna go and take out the ghost in the well? Well, I know some things about that ghost. Word has it that it's the ghost of a druid. He has a pumpkin for a head because someone took his head and stuffed his body down that well. I'm sure there's more to that story but I don't know it all. Just be careful if you tangle with him, he may want your head!" he said.

Luigi grasped his throat nervously and he swallowed hard. "How did I know he was gonna say something like that," he followed.

Outside, Luigi approached the well and found a Hint Block near it. He hit the block and recorded the EVP. He then gulped as he placed his hands on the edge of the old stone well. He could feel the malice that came from the bottom. He opened the bottle of poison he was given and poured it down the well. In just a few moments, another earthquake came but this one was stronger. The ground became disheveled as large roots emerged. The well crumbled and water erupted. All that remained was an entanglement of roots where the well was and at the center was a horrifying sight. The undead spirit of a druid with a pumpkin for a head emerged. The spirit moaned angrily, "Who tossed that vile substance on me?!" he said angrily. He quickly noticed Luigi, "A human? I, Pumpkin Head, will make you pay for that! And after I'm done with you, I will make the Shaman of Shadows pay!" he announced.

Greaper emerged, "Hmm, that's odd, I thought he was a part of the mess with Merloom. Heh, it looks like even this guy hates him. I wonder why."

"Never mind that here he comes!" warned Boo.

"Do your thing, Mr. Green!" followed Dry Bones as the three vanished.

Pumpkin Head waved his arms and two massive roots rose into the air. One of those roots slammed down hard only for Luigi to quickly dodge it. As he regained his footing he charged up his Thunderhand and made a mad dash for the druid. Luigi ran atop the roots while they were squirming and grabbed the spirit's head. Pumpkin Head cried out in agony and was stunned by the attack. "How does a human know the Thunderhand?!" Pumpkin Head shrieked. The Poltergust reacted and grabbed hold of the spirit's robe. Pumpkin Head's spiritual energy flowed into the Poltergust until the connection was severed by a root that batted Luigi away.

"Mama Mia," Luigi moaned. Pumpkin Head was now angered even more as he began casting a hex. He chanted as a line of sharp thorny roots jutted up from the ground. Luigi rolled to the side to avoid the attack. Upon inspection, the attack dripped with poison. Luigi cringed as he witnessed the drops of poison sizzle on the ground. He got to his feet and charged his Thunderhand again. Pumpkin Head responded by floating high into the air. Luigi smiled as he used a High Jump to reach the miserable spirit. His Thunderhand hit right on target and the earthbound spirit fell back to the ground. Luigi reestablished the link between his Poltergust and the ghost. However, just like last time he was disconnected before he could finish it off. The spirit was now at its peak level of anger as it burned with rage. It cast another spell, only this time it was an entanglement spell and it caught Luigi's legs in vines. "Noo!" he cried out.

"Now, you're mine!" said Pumpkin Head as he chanted a powerful spell. "Moon Beam!" he announced as Luigi was struck by a bright and harmful beam. Pumpkin Head laughed evilly as Luigi was nearly unconscious. The spirit then began to taunt Luigi, "Still alive, are you? Well, then..., urk!" he said as he was cut off by a mysterious force. As Luigi regained his composure, he witnessed Pumpkin Head struggling with the shadow spirit that helped him in Scarecrow Fields. Luigi's feet were freed now that the spell wore off and he dashed for the distracted spook with one more Thunderhand. Pumpkin Head received the attack, full force, and Luigi made one final push with his Poltergust. With a satisfying yell, Luigi managed to stay close enough to suck Pumpkin Head into the Poltergust and immediately, the roots he summoned turned to ash leaving nothing but a hole in the ground.

The family of druids came up to him with the dad speaking first, "Wow, you did it, thanks a lot, sir, you really helped us out!"

"You have our gratitude!" said the mother. "Isn't that right dear?" she finished as she turned to her child.

"Yes, mom!" agreed the boy. "You're a tough guy, I want to be strong like you someday!" praised the child.

Luigi blushed as he was not used to being so admired. "Oh, it was nothing!"

"So, what's your name?" asked the dad.

"I'm'ma Luigi, number one plumber in all of the Mushroom Kingdom, well, right behind my brother anyway...," he said retracting his statement a little.

"Well, I'm Merleaf," started the dad. "This is my wife Merlivine and my son Merlanch! We are pleased to have met you! Our daughter, Merlerry has a cold, and now that we got what we came for we have to see to her right away!"

"Okie dokie, bye-bye, be careful on your way back to the village!" Luigi said joyfully.

As the family walked away, Luigi heard Merlanch talk to his dad, "Dad what's a plumber?" he asked.

"Hmm, you know, son, I have no idea!" he said as he started laughing.

The Three Musty Fears emerged, "Well, that takes care of that mess!" Greaper said with relief.

"Yeah, it looks like that shadow spirit helped you again!" Boo pointed out.

"Hmm, speaking of which where is he anyway, oh no, don't tell me he got sucked into your Poltergust with Pumpkin Head?!" Dry Bones asked horrified.

Luigi checked the Poltergust and it was full but he couldn't tell if the shadow spirit was inside. The Poltergust's digital eyes told him it didn't know either with a simple gesture. Let's go back to Gadd, he can sort this out!" Luigi said as he pulled out the Warp Whistle.

*End of Chapter*