I've Got the Strangest Feeling This Isn't Our First Time Around

71

"With courage bold and hearts agleam, embrace adventure like a cherished dream. " A beautiful woman in red says on the screen.

"This is Merlee, a fortuneteller." Snoozemore explains. "She's the co-host of a show where she answers questions and gives readings live."

"In the race of life, with confidence lack, fear not the challenge, take the track." Merlee continues on the screen. "Unlock your potential, believe and see, in your own strength, set your spirit free."

Snoozemore points to the other woman in purple, "This is Merluvlee, her co-host."

"That's not annoying at all." Mario mutters.

"Merluvlee found Merlee petrified in her house in Flipside, by her crystal ball."

"How big was the nightmare chunk?" Luigi asks.

"Merluvlee claims to not have known what it was, but claims it was about the size of a fist." Snoozemore replies.

"Anyone we should be looking at?" Mario asks.

"No signs of a forced entry or a struggle." Snoozemore says. "Nothing reported missing."

"So it was someone she knew?" Luigi wonders.

"No one was out to get her, nor was anyone threatening her personally." Snoozemore goes on. "Clark is on her way to the old mansion in Gloam Valley where the network is."

"Why bother when we can just ask Merluvlee?" Mario rolls his eyes. "And hey, while we're at it, ask who's gonna win the next 5 racing cups so I know where to place my bets."

"Can we be serious for a moment?" Snoozemore scolds.

"Isn't dreamwalking pretty mystical too?" Spike points out, but when everyone stares at him, he insists, "What? It is !"

"Dim the lights." Mario orders as he moves next to the bed. "Monitors?"

"Check."

"Biofeedback?"

"Check."

"Sleep Quality?"

"Check."

"Healing Pods?"

"Check."

"Communications?"

"Good!" Pauline says exasperatedly. "When are we not?"

"It's just protocol." Mario reminds her.

"Starlow?"

"Check."

"Luigi?"

"Ready when you are."

"Don't like what we see, so let's mess with it." Mario jokes. "Inducing REM sleep in 3...2...1...GO!"

"What the fuck?" Luigi exclaims once he sees his surroundings, then once he sees Mario come through the dream portal. "We got a serious problem."

"What?" Mario demands. "What is it, where are we?"

"In...outer space." Luigi says lamely, and as it's being shown to Mario, he freaks out too. "What the..."

But then the dreamscape changes, and Luigi calms down. "No, wait, hang on. We're okay. Just the studio."

" Beautiful. " He watches Merluvlee exclaim.

Mario watches it change, but he's still confused, "But how were we..."

"Backdrop. See?" Luigi points, until Mario nods.

Luigi watches them activate their crystal ball for several moments, before it changes to them doing another episode.

"In the tapestry of time, chances dance, grasp each thread, and take a chance." Merlee says into the camera.

"Merlee's giving advice." Luigi narrates for Mario.

"The journey's joy, not the goal on solid ground, for every step taken, all is found." Merlee continues. " If-- "

But just then, she stops, and Luigi sees a flash of the power going out.

"The power cut out." Luigi says, as the dreamscape changes. "Now she's watching two people fight over something. One has...spiders crawling all over her. But not real spiders, like she's having some weird intuition."

" Please move closer to the time of petrification. " Snoozemore says in their ears.

" Follow Merlee's emotions where they're the strongest and let them pull you into another memory. " They hear Spike say, which makes Mario nod, impressed.

" I don't need to see you to know you're impressed, little man. " Spike teases in Mario's ear.

"How about you leave the nicknames to me?" Mario replies, back to business. "Come on, we gotta move closer."

Mario and Luigi start moving, until sure enough, the dreamscape changes yet again.

But now Luigi's utterly confused. "Okay, this is weird. She's not being attacked or petrified."

When he feels his head start to pound, he nods to Mario, "Wake me up."

Mario nods and runs for the portal, and like clockwork, Luigi feels the pinch, the dreamscape vanishing.

As the team crowds around the bed, Clark asks, "Did you see who attacked her?"

"I saw her attack someone." Luigi corrects, baffled. "She was petrified in self-defense."

And by everyone else's shared look, they're just as confused as he is.