Quesada's Swan

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Culex, Take One

I have Mario go back to Monstro Town...

Remembering what I read in the wiki or the guide somewhere, Monstro Town also has a save block at the eastern end of town.

I manage to find it!

It's inside the hole south of Mario here...

I then have Mario head into the 3 Musty Fears inn, and turn off the mushroom lamp in the corner, where he jumps on the bed instantly!

As Mario sleeps, Greaper appears!

The Big Boo too!

Along with Dry Bones!

Greaper: "He's sleeping."
Dry Bones: "He sure is."
Big Boo: "Check out the bubbles coming out of his nose!"

They now move in closer, surrounding the sleeping Mario...

They ask him if they could play a game called "Find the Flag."

Interesting...

They're going to hide a flag around the world...and if Mario finds all three, he wins a prize!

They now hide the flags!

The mushroom lamp moves and goes before the foot of the bed!

Greaper returns! He hid his flag "behind a wooden flower..."

Dry Bones hid his under a green bed...

And finally, Big Boo returns, where his flag is in a location between "O" and "A".

Big Boo mentions the flags are well-hidden, and tells us to look very carefully!

---

Mario awakens and we do our flag hunt!

So the flags are hidden at the following locations:

--Behind a wooden flower
--Under a green bed
--Between an "O" and "A"

I check Rose Town first since it's the only one with a wooden flower...

...and I find the Greaper's Flag behind the sign!

I also visit the home in the high cliff and talk to the father there.

The father knows we're the ones that took the treasure since Mario's the only one high enough to reach them. We apologize.

He says "Oh well," and tells us about more secret treasures in the Forest Maze.

To find them, it's left, left, straight, and right.

I head upstairs, and bounce on the bed to take the last hidden chest block, which has a Frog Coin, and leave the town at the back.

I'm now at a lone house. I have Mario walk in.

An elderly Gardener lives there, and he mentions the huge plant pot on the table.

He needs a legendary Seed and Fertilizer to fill the pot with.

Since I don't have either one, I look for the "green bed" flag next...

---

I check the screencaps from my previous comments to look for a green bed...

Aha! It's way back at Mario's house! I head there!

I find Dry Bones's flag!

Now to find Big Boo's flag...the hardest one of them all.

I start looking at locations with an O and an A: Marrymore, Booster Pass...

Maybe Big Boo wasn't talking about a location name, but a place where an O and are...

I cheat a bit and check Monstro Town's map to look for that place...I'm not going through the Alundra rigmarole. I don't have time.

I head to Yo'ster Isle, and jump on Yoshi!

I talk to a red Yoshi who gives Yoshi cookies so he can beat Boshi!

I manage to find Big Boo's flag, literally in between an O and an A, where the hedges say "GOAL" at the end of the racing track!

Raz and Raini are also here too. But, Raz couldn't saddle up on Yoshi...Raini still loves him anyway...awww...

I head back to Monstro Town!

Looks like I'll have to hold off on the race against Boshi a bit longer...

I rest again, to meet with the 3 Musty Fears once more!

They congratulate us, and give us "the grand prize giveaway": a Ghost Medal!

Musty Fears: "Don't forget what we told you!"

And with that, they vanish!

They seem to have unequipped Mario's Safety Ring, and put on the Ghost Medal while he was sleeping!

---

Super Mario RPG - Part 60a: Culex, Take One

I head back to Seaside to restock on some supplies before heading back to Monstro Town...

I admit I spoiled myself a bit for this encounter. I'm a bit excited now...

I head for the the third door, the locked door...

The Shiny Stone now reacts to the sealed door! And the seal's been broken!

We enter through the door!

We're now in a "Place Between Dimensions"...a creature comes forth!

Culex: "I am Culex, Dark Knight of Vanda. I have crossed into this dimension to fight for the Dark Mage. But, this world is unhabitable for me and my kind. I must return to my own world. Before I go, though, I would like to challenge your strongest knight. Will you accept my challenge? You will enter combat against me?"

I reconsider and swap out Mallow and Geno for Peach and Bowser first before coming back and taking him on...

Culex: "You have returned to accept my challenge? Now will you fight me?"

Yes.

Culex: "En garde!"

Allez!

Final Fantasy IV boss music time!

Culex: "I am matter...I am antimatter...I can see your past...I can see your future...I consume time... and I will consume you!"

Now four crystals drop in front of Culex!

I have Bowser and Peach hit the Earth Crystal, and Mario the Water Crystal with Super Flame!

The crystals hit us with Light Beam, Flame Wall, Ice Rock, and Boulder respectively!

And Culex's attack makes it game over!