Chapter 3
Waluigi was running as fast as he could. As he was running he had some sudden thoughts. Why had he been able to go on with over 100 Toads dragging behind him? What was a blowtorch doing in his room? Who was he running to? Why should he be doing this at all?
He paused for a moment, pondering whether he should go on or not. Why not go home?
Then he remembered something. He could be a hero, the one that everyone would love, the great... He had to go on. He ran off again.
After running for about half an hour, he was able to see the group of robed figures. He reached them quickly, and the leader he had seen before walked over to him. No, he wasn't walking, he seemed to be floating!
"Who are you?" Waluigi asked.
The leader pulled his hood off.
"We're Boos."
Waluigi trembled and started to back away. The Boo chuckled.
"We aren't bad. We're just on the run. We need your help. Everyone else in the Mushroom Kingdom is trying to wipe us out, but they thought you wouldn't help since you hadn't done anything big before."
Waluigi sighed.
"But that changes now," continued the Boo. "But I forgot to introduce myself. I am Boo. Just Boo. Creative name, eh? The rest of us here are also Boos, but we need to warn the Goombas, the Cheep Cheeps, the Shy Guys, and the Chomps. We are all the first targets."
"Why are the Koopas safe?"
"They quickly alligned with the enemy. And now I will explain some of the strange happenings that have been going on around you. In the jail, the survivors of the first attack were being held captive. We could have easily turned invisible and escaped, but Ludwig von Koopa invented a device that could detect us if we did go invisible There was only one guard because they thought that there was no possible way for us to get out, but I snatched some keys from the captors as I was placed in the cell.
Once we were out, we thought we were safe, so we made our way over to the docks here. When we arrived we realized that you were gone, and figured out that there had been some enemies in disguise. We immediately sent some of us after you. The rescue team is over there. They have had their energy drained because of some more devices in that hotel that were placed so that if we tried to get in we would slowly fade away and be gone forever. They may not make it, but you were our only hope, so we had to do it. That is why you were so strong. They were pulling you forward, and they were the strongest Boos in our group."
"But why was there a blowtorch in my room?"
"Apparently it was left in there so that if one of their own got trapped in there they could get out. No, their leader isn't too bright, just tricky."
At hearing this, Waluigi remembered that the "enemy" was going to cut them off!
"We need to shove off NOW!" Waluigi shouted.
"What? Why? We are still preparing the ship, we can't leave yet!"
"We have to leave! I heard them talking, they are going to cut us off at sea, and they know you aren't going 'til tonight! If we don't leave we're all doomed!"
"I guess we have no choice then."
Boo started shouting orders for everyone to get on deck, and for some to carry in the Boos that had helped Waluigi. There were Boos flying all over, and Waluigi could barely keep track of the leader in the storm of robes! He made his way toward the ship, trying to restore order and get the Boos onboard. He caught sight of the injured Boos. They were slowly flickering, like a candle that was about to go out. He abandoned his current job and found Boo.
"How can we help the Boos that rescued me? They're dieing!"
"We can't help them now, they said to do whatever it takes to get the rest of us out."
"We are going to help them!" Waluigi grabbed Boo and shook him as hard as he could.
"We don't have time!" Boo argued.
"I don't care! They saved me! Tell me what to do or else I'll abandon you!"
"Okay, I'm telling you to get on the ship!"
Waluigi grabbed Boo again and squeezed him.
"Tell me what I can do to save them! NOW!"
"Can't... breathe..."
Waluigi stopped squeezing him, but he still held on. Boo took a deep breath.
"Don't strangle me, you're supposed to be on our side!"
"I said tell me!"
"They need some Boo Soup, but the secret recipe was lost decades ago!"
"How long have you been alive?"
"Boos don't keep track of that, we're ghosts!"
"Think!"
"Well, I've been around for at least 70 years, but I was never taught the recipe!"
Waluigi threw Boo to the ground, where he rolled around for a few seconds. Waluigi then ran through the crowd shouting "Can you make Boo Soup?!" to every single Boo.
Finally he found one that said, "I used to be able to make it, but that was decades ago!"
"Well, make some!"
"We don't have time, it takes three days to make it!"
"But can you make it on the boat?"
"I'll see what I can do."
The Boo floated off, and Waluigi ran back to Boo to tell him the news; but when he saw him he got a sickening feeling. Boo was still on the ground.
He ran towards him, and found him unconscious. He picked him up, and decided he would have to take charge for the time being. He hurried everyone on to the boat. He was the last one on, so he shut the entrance and ordered the Boos to start towards Delfino Island. It was near dark, and Waluigi feared that they might be too late to outrun the pink boat.
He ran below deck and found the fading Boos laying on beds, with doctor Boos at their side.
"Boo is unconscious!" Waluigi told the doctors. He set Boo on another bed and rushed back up to the deck.
"What happened?" they called out behind him.
Waluigi was already on deck though, so he didn't hear. He walked around the ship, making sure that everything was going properly.
The ship was fairly small (for a ship) and was black, but the paint was peeling. The prow was in the shape of a Boo, looking like it had been stuck on by stabbing the back of the ball with a pointed prow. The sail depicted a large group of Boos on a dark and stormy night.
After his inspection, Waluigi went to the cabin where the Boo Soup was being created. The Boo was stirring a boiling pot off... something. Looking into it, Waluigi saw what looked like a cloud, though it was confined to the pot.
"Get away from there!" shouted the Boo. "You could ruin it by just breathing in it!"
Waluigi quickly backed away.
"Is all going well with the soup?" Waluigi asked.
"I'm doing it as close as I can remember the recipe, get out!"
Waluigi left the cabin.
"Sheesh, they want me to help them but they keep yelling at me wherever I go!"
He climbed up to the lookout tower to watch for the pink ship. As it became a dark and stormy night, the boat started to lose control in the large waves. Waluigi nearly fell off the tower. He climbed back down to be safe.
Then he saw it. The bright pink ship was headed towards them. It was much bigger than Waluigi had expected. In the storm, the Boo boat hadn't been moving very fast, but the large pink boat had been able to plow right through the huge waves. It looked like it was also going to plow right through them! Waluigi ran quickly to tell the Boos to follow the waves in an attempt to ride them and get away quickly.
However, the wind started to change directions and they were headed straight towards the other ship! The Boos' boat scraped against the side of the pink boat, leaving a very unattractive pink streak on the side of it. The Toad Bros. jumped down to the boat. They just stood there.
"What are we supposed to do again?" one of the Toads asked.
From the pink ship Mario shouted, "Destroy the ship, destroy the Boos!"
"What?! Since when was that in the plan?" another Toad shouted.
"Just do it!"
"No one said anything about destroying a whole race! Besides, I've got a pet Boo!" the Toad that Waluigi remembered being called Noah said.
"Mikey!" one of the Toads shouted. "Tie up the Mario Bros!"
With quick speed, Mikey was able to tie up the Mario Bros, who did not expect this. Then Waluigi noticed that the Boos' boat was filling up with water, and it wasn't from the storm. There was a leak! He ran below deck and escorted everyone in there out of the almost full of water basement. The boat was starting to sink.
The Toad Bros. threw some ropes up to the boat, which Mikey tied to the pink ship.
"All Boos evacuate the boat!" shouted the Toad recognized as Isaac.
The Boos started to climb the ropes, with Waluigi and the Toads going last and cutting the ropes at the top.
The Boos' boat slowly disappeared under the waves.