Teela slowly became visible as Venoma grabbed her hand and pulled her up. With a heave of pain and a moan or two, Teela was back up on her feet. She felt the blood rush through her head, the pressure building up in the front of her skull. Teela knew that if she could breathe, it would go away. Something was wrong, and Teela knew it, though it was certainly best to not say anything to make everyone else worry.
“Ah, that hurts. I can’t move, you guys! I’m going to die if this continues. I can feel it! It’s like a creeping feeling of darkness that washes all around me!” Teela sighed as Venoma just blinked. This seemed impossible, and yet it was happening. The worst had happened; it seemed as if they could go no further, and they would suddenly die for just standing. It felt as though even their souls would be removed from them the instant they tried to do something. Could things get any worse?
“Well, I’ve never really thought about the ghost thing. I know a lot about the fangs, but I didn’t really read a lot about this. I don’t know how to reverse it, Teela. I’m so sorry…” Venoma sighed as Teela tumbled backwards as she landed up against the wall.
“You guys are going to have to go on. I’m going to try and get to Kastle Koopa, and ask Kamek what happened. I bet he knows a lot more about this than I do…” Teela tried to lift herself off the wall, but she couldn’t. There was a look of pain in her eyes as she looked around at Venoma, Reema, Karma, and Ludwig. Without Vara, things seemed lonely. Venoma then thought for a moment. Everyone else had the same expressions on their face: worried, so confused, and on Ludwig, scared.
“I’ll take you back to Kastle Koopa,” Venoma noted simply as Teela shook her head.
“No, everyone here needs you.”
“Teela, we can wait!” Ludwig argued as Teela turned just a little to look at him.
“Vara needs you more! I’m just another person on Plit, and my life is special, to me and those around me, but basically I am just another life. I do mean something, but Vara means more right now!”
“Vara is all right. I can feel it in my heart, Teela! Everyone will be fine. I’m taking you to Kastle Koopa, and then I’m coming right back! Then we’ll go rescue Vara while you find out what is wrong with you,” Venoma encouraged as Teela gave him a gentle look. She seemed to somewhat agree with the idea, but then she thought of another idea.
“What if-“
“Teela, no what ifs!” Karma barked. Teela wanted to scowl at her, but she felt no need to.
“What if you guys get hurt, or one of you loses your own life when I could have saved you?!” Teela asked with a courageous yet feared look in her eyes.
“Teela, you’ve risked your life for us way too many times, that you have. You might do it many times more in the future as well. I know that we’ll survive! I know that my will to live is strong, and that will lead us through! I will live, and so will everyone else!” Reema said with a sweet, somewhat tough tone. Teela looked surprised.
“Wow! If Reema is saying that, I’ve no doubt. You’ll go far, Reema, I know it… All right then. I’ll go to Kastle Koopa with Venoma. Thank you so much, you guys. I have been blessed…”
“Good, good, good. That’s what we want to hear!” Ludwig said willingly as he motioned Venoma to go ahead.
“How do you want to be picked up?” Karma asked as Venoma turned completely red. Ludwig let out a small trifle of a giggle, Reema rolling her eyes.
“A-Ah, I, uh, um, I don’t know!” Teela smiled as Venoma walked over and held out his claw. Teela looked him in the eye as he looked at her gently, with a serious look. Teela grabbed his claw as Karma waved goodbye.
“Don’t get too caught up, you two.” Karma had a mischievous look on her face as Teela glared, but then smiled.
“I’ll be careful.” Teela smiled darkly as Venoma rolled his eyes and cleared his throat.
Did you have to say that?
Yep, just a joke, and Karma knows that!
You like getting picked on?
I’m not being picked on. It’s just a little joking between friends.
All right, I understand… somewhat… Let’s go!
“Hurry, Teela!” Ludwig encouraged as Venoma and Teela closed their eyes. The two of them disappeared as Karma rolled her eyes and started to laugh like crazy.
“They make a cute couple.”
“I doubt that,” Reema said simply as Ludwig looked around. “Teela always told me when she was younger that she’d never fall in love. She said she hated most boys…”
“I doubt that, Reema. Who knows what she’ll be like later on in her life? I think she’ll lose that type of attitude. You start to think differently when you mature…” Karma explained as Reema just looked point blankly at her.
“We’ve only got three people, a little discouraging. Let’s go and get killed!” Ludwig said sarcastically as Reema held her fist up.
“STOP CURSING US!”
“Yes, come on already! Can’t we do something?” Karma asked reluctantly as she looked around at the rather large dungeon and its own creepy setting. In a way it was somewhat pleasing though, with the way things were so quiet, although it was the quiet that made the settings creepy. Can things ever be perfect?
“I suppose we can head on without them, and then get caught and killed,” Ludwig muttered as Reema, once again, kicked him in the shin. Ludwig started to jump around on one foot because the pain was so fierce.
“We’re going, and that’s final. I’ll go alone if I have to.”
“I’m with you.” Reema held her axe up with ease as Ludwig mumbled a few things under his breath and sighed.
“Can we ask- Never mind. I have no choice then. Let’s go…” Ludwig looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. But of course, he had no other way to be or go…
_
Setting: Inside Kastle Koopa, Time: 5:03 PM
“LUDWIG VON KOOPA? WHERE ARE YOU?” Clawdia yelled throughout the halls of Kastle Koopa. Behind her strode the six other Koopalings. Bowser was further back in the corridor, opening and checking rooms.
“What’s worse is that there’s no sign of that dang Yoshi-scum neither…” Bowser grumbled quietly as he strolled along, opening another creaky door. Bowser’s castle was huge, and so there was a possibility that they could be anywhere from one of the watchtowers to the dungeon on the ground floor. They could have perhaps even been in the courtyard, or somewhere in the surrounding forest. Bowser was just imagining all the things they could be doing, but he tried not to think about a few of them…
“I just hope they’re ok!” Clawdia exclaimed worriedly as she continued calling out the two Mets' names. Larry had a snide grin on his face, just wondering exactly what they could be up to.
“Yes, I hope everything is all right.” Wendy sounded worried as well as she stopped by Ludwig’s door. Inside there was nothing on but his computer. The room felt empty and forsaken.
“Ah, who cares? Kooky can take care if himself. Karma will probably kill him if he is doing anything stupid…” Roy mused, imagining Ludwig getting the stuffing pounded out of him by Karma.
“Yeah, they’ll be good,” Iggy encouraged his worried mother as Lemmy strode ahead on his star ball. He rode atop it, seeming to be in perfect balance, seeming to defy gravity even.
“Well, we’ll just have to keep looking. No dinner until Ludwig is found!” Bowser snarled as everyone groaned.
“Honey, don’t you think you’re being a little harsh? I mean, if Ludwig wanted to be here, he would!”
“Yeah, and he would have responded to my calls as well!” Bowser snapped as Clawdia shook her head.
“Yeah, I guess you do have a point,” Clawdia replied gently as she flipped her hair back over her shoulders silently.
They continued to walk along the corridor, their relentless hope seeming to bubble up, as if always seeming to be present when someone goes missing. It was like a continuous mix that was a ceaseless curse.
_
Setting: Outside Kastle Koopa, Time: 5:03 PM
Two silhouetted figures stood behind a tree, the sun casting their shadows farther than the height they’ll ever be. Teela and Venoma stood, gazing around the surroundings and how they had changed. The little sunlight that Dark Land received had caused a beautiful sunset over the entire scenery, and the trees seemed to glow wildly with the light. It was amazing if one actually had time to look at it…
“Teela…”
”Wow… It is so cool out here! It looks as if the entire land will just burst up into flames!” Teela sounded excited as she slid her back down against the tree, grunting from being scratched by the tree’s bark. Venoma just gazed, his voice seeming to have left him.
“I think we should go, Teela. What if your condition is getting worse by the second?”
“How do you plan we get anywhere if I can’t move?”
”I’ll carry you.” Venoma paused for a second, thoughts going through his mind. “But you think you can make us invisible?”
“Yeah! I think I could do that. It’s not exactly moving… But I think it will still hurt!”
”Then we’re going to have a horrible time with the guards…” Venoma muttered as Teela nodded.
“I’ll do it. It’s only a little pain…” Teela lied, not wanting any trouble in Kastle Koopa. She secretly wondered what was going to happen to her, and the fear she was keeping bottled up swelled with doubt. Teela thought about Karma and Ludwig. An image of Vara dying suddenly persisted through her mind. She felt her mind being compiled with fear, somewhere the tinge of rage echoed through the halls of her mind. It was all being thrust upon her so fast that she thought for a moment that it was all a horrible nightmare. But then again, it was too real to even be a daydream of a thought. This was reality…
“Teela? Are you alive in there? You look like you’re lost…”
”I’m sorry. Just being overrun by thoughts… Let’s go.”
_
Time: ???
”We have no magic forces. All we have are two weak, puny females and one tough warrior.”
”You must be referring to yourself as the 'two puny females',” Karma added sourly as Reema let a of a small laugh. She wanted to laugh harder but it would have been too loud.
“I have a plan,” Reema interrupted the clown-around moment as she held her axe behind her shoulder to rest it.
”What?” Ludwig asked with anticipation.
“We are going to go rescue Vara.”
”Uh-huh, go on!” Karma encouraged as Reema looked down.
“But we’re all going to have to go all out, searching the entire place.”
”I guess-“ Ludwig began as Karma shook her head.
“No! What about Teela and Venoma?” Karma paused quickly. “We have to wait!”
”No. Karma, Kamek will probably take hours just to analyze Teela,” Ludwig protested as Reema nodded, trying to remember who Kamek was again. She thrust it out of her head though, not wanting to worry about something that didn't need worrying about. For now, Reema only cared if they rescued Vara. Reema blamed Teela for this in the first place… Reema blamed every problem on Teela.
“We are not waiting for hours. We go now, and that’s final. Either you come or not. I’ll gladly go on my own.” Reema had no joke in her eyes as Ludwig stared upon this girl. He felt that she was so brave that she had to be crazy…
“Well, I guess you go alone. Your idea is crazy, and out chance of survival is-“
”One hundred percent.” Karma finished as Ludwig slapped his forehead. He knew that this was probably the end of his life…
“All right. If you see anyone, punch. Someone threatens to kill you, go all out,” Reema said a little too comfortably.
“Have you done this before?” Ludwig asked, seemingly amazed.
“Does it matter?” Reema asked as she headed for the door. Karma followed as Ludwig, however unwillingly, did as well. He knew this was like committing suicide. It was crazy…
_
Settings: Outside Chaos Castle; Meadow/Forest surroundings, Time: ???
Lord Chaos stood, the wind seeming to not even faze him. He walked slowly, his footsteps seeming so patient and quiet. He appeared to be listening for something as he suddenly cocked his head abruptly.
”The wind no longer carries sound. Good! Good, all is coming to plan. I think that as soon as Tech and Skystice are ready, I can send them to finish off the last few parts. My plan will work, and he thinks he can stop me! HAHAHAHA! How pathetic…” Lord Chaos talked to no one, his laugh chilling. He appeared to be somewhat frustrated though; it was visible on his face.
Lord Chaos walked into the forest, escaping the castle grounds. How could such an evil essence lay within such a normal setting?
He didn’t bother moving the brush; he waved his hand and it seemed to melt away. Every wave of his hand threw several black flames. In fact, the plants must have burned.
He began to run at an exhilarating speed, the wind brushing up around him.
Normally, the wind would echo a sort of song that just seemed to surround you if you took time to listen. Sometimes you could even hear a clashing of swords from heroes long ago. There could be words sometimes, and others there would be the hollow sound of a flute. There, however odd, were no noises in the wind this time. It was hollow, and forlorn with a toneless travel. There was only noise when the wind happened to spar with the trees. Something was odd, and you could feel it. There was a smothering feeling in the winds. It wasn’t gentle; it seemed as though it would constrict you if you were weak. Something was definitely wrong…
Lord Chaos continued to run until he came to a clearing with two men floating helplessly in the atmosphere.
“L-Lord Chaos! H-how a-rr-e y-you?” Shot fumbled stupidly with fear, as he looked at Lord Chaos’s gleaming eyes, which seemed as if they’d swallow him whole.
”Gentlemen. I see you are doing your own mission? Haha… Idiots.” Lord Chaos seemed almost pleased at the beginning at his sentence, but that instantly changed into displeasured annoyance.
“Sir, your trash got us.”
”If so, why are you still floating if the energy reaper is away?” Lord Chaos asked as he crossed his arms impatiently.
“Energy reaper?” Wreckless asked suspiciously, though just as stupid.
”Why is it that the one who cast this spell upon you is nowhere to be found?” Lord Chaos explained as Shot cleared his throat.
“He said he was going for a walk, and then he was gone!”
”I doubt that; No one can transmit their energy from that far. And especially none of the trash…” Lord Chaos mocked, thinking of how hilarious the thought of one of the enemies being able to keep the energy going from such a distance was. He knew only someone with power could do that, and that person would have to have a lot of mental power. It was almost impossible, but he knew one person who could do it… and that person was too strong for Plit itself.
“Well, he did.”
”He?” Lord Chaos mused, wondering which of the trash it would be. “I thought it’d be the female Yoshi. Haha, her energy is so locked away that it has formed an entire new substance! It’s almost dormant… Talk about a waste of power. If she knew what she could do with that in someone’s mind, I’d be envious. But I would still be to strong for her!”
”No! It was the odd one! The blue one with the claws and the fangs!” Wreckless persisted as Lord Chaos laughed.
“HIM? HHAHAHAHAH!!! YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING! HE CAN HARDLY LIFT A ROCK WITH HIS PHYSICAL STATE!” Lord Chaos said in his degrading tone.
“Well, believe it or not, it was him. He has us floating-“
”Watch and learn.” Lord Chaos demanded as a mischevious smile broadened across his face. He lifted his hand, on which black flames were descending from his palm. They seemed to engulf the two men, but not actually form around them. The flames were engulfing a circle, but there was no circle to be seen before.
“Energy clasps, right?” Shot wondered aloud as he looked to Wreckless; Wreckless was shaking.
“Of course, you idiot! It’s holding us prisoner, right?” Wreckless mouthed back in fear as he shielded his face.
Lord Chaos walked over to the huge flaming ball of energy and placed his hands on it. The black flames swelled as he started to push on them. The two men were heard screaming as the barrier circle started to be thrust inward. The barrier shattered as the black flames fell to the ground and disappeared. Lord Chaos was making a show of it, and the two men were not enjoying it. They shook with fear as they landed at Lord Chaos’s feet, their bodies in a heap of a tangle when they hit the ground with a thud.
“Now. You should have been at your work hours ago! Now… To deal with you.”
”We are sorry, Milord.” Shot actually bowed as Wreckless tried to stand up. Lord Chaos grabbed his arm roughly; Lord Chaos’s hand was icy with a feel of a freeze that was so cold it could burn you. Wreckless flinched in pain as Lord Chaos began to twist his arm with ease.
“YOU WILL LEARN,” Lord Chaos said through gritted teeth; he seemed to be enjoying this.
“LET HIM GO!” Shot interrupted, his quiet and annoying self no longer sensed.
“Haha… Rebellion, eh?” Lord Chaos smiled as he felt a strong urge to kill.
“N-no, Lord Chaos. Continue to break my arm, Shot is an idiot.” Wreckelss shot a glance to Shot. He wondered if Shot was trying to get killed…
“You both are idiots.” Lord Chaos threw Wreckeless against the ground, on top of Shot. “Now you can both leave. Get out of my sight.”
“We shall go finish him off!”
”No. I want you to leave, and find yourselves a proper coach to teach you how to fight. You both are pathetic…” Lord Chaos turned to walk away as he then just disappeared mysteriously, leaving Wreckless and Shot to wonder.
“Why didn’t he kill us?” Shot turned to Wreck.
“Uh… Because we’re too cool!”
”No. I think he expects us to find our own mission. Let’s concentrate on one that is closer to us,” Shot said reasonably as Wreckless thought for a moment.
“Nope, I’ve got nothing.”
”You are an idiot. Let’s find the trash! If we kill them, we can get a little bit more favored by Lord Chaos!” Shot suggested as Wreckless nodded.
”Good idea. But what is his plan?”
“Last I heard, it is going to be carried out in the Illusion Forest, in one of the towns outside.”
”Which town?”
“I think it was the Illusion Village.”
”Yeah, I heard that from Squadron Dome.”
”Them?”
”Yes, I believe they were the ones that helped Chaos with the retrieving of the warrior vessel.”
”Skystice?”
“Yeah, that dude.” Wreckless turned as he pulled out a little gadget from his pocket. He then pressed a button as a small metal disk appeared out of thin air. Shot then did the same as Wreckless jumped on it and it floated in the air. Shot hopped onto his as well, and they both went sailing out of sight...
_
Settings: Forest of Illusion, outside of Illusion Village; Time: 5:13
“We are to wait here for Lord Chaos?” Skystice asked as Tech disagreed.
“Hm… no. I believe we’re to wait until nightfall. It will be so very soon. The dead will rise, the Sage will be brought here, and the Magic buried into this forsaken forest will be released. Lord Chaos will be here to bring his plans together. We’re to wait for now… and make sure no one gives the plans any trouble when Lord Chaos gets here.”
“Tech, what is Chaos doing anyway?”
“Most likely taking care of the trash and trying to prepare the ritual for the Sage,” Tech answered as he held his Astro Gun up and looked it over carefully. Skystice threw a small flame on a leaf as it burned to ashes. The flame smothered into the dirt as Skystice ignored it. The two seemed slightly bored as Tech pointed the gun at Skystice.
“You want to fight?” Skystice asked. Tech rejected the challenge. He put the gun down and gave a snide grin.
“No… I can feel we’re going to need all our energy. All for tonight… a little longer to wait.” The two seemed as if they’d be relieved as soon as everything was over. They seemed to believe that if Chaos succeeded and destroyed Plit, their troubles would be gone. Little did they know, or even take the time to think, that would probably just be the very beginning! And even worse did they not think; what if they didn’t survive?
_
“I think we should go look for Vara outside of these wretched castle walls,” Karma stated. Ludwig nodded in agreement.
“She wasn’t in the dungeon… That dude… Wreckless and Shot… said that it’s either this place or a lab. I take it we’re going to have to look outside of this castle…”
“Teela and I found some type of place that was blown up… It was a lab, but it wasn’t Vara’s lab. It was a lab where Lord Chaos supposedly created this dude, Skystice. We should go check for other places like that,” Karma replied. They all stood there for a moment, recollecting everything they had found out.
“So far… Vara kidnapped, Teela just going haywire or something, Venoma escorting her to Kamek, we’re completely and totally lost…” Ludwig sighed as he looked at his claws plainly. “And I lost my bow and arrow when we teleported… Crud.”
“We’ll just have to all work together. We might be able to sneak around to find her. I’m sure they can’t still be looking for us…”
“I only wish this was a dream.” Ludwig sighed. Reema rolled her eyes.
“I think you really need a new outlook on life. I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long.”
“He wouldn’t have if it weren’t for me,” Reema declared as Karma nodded in agreement.
“I wouldn’t have either.”
“Fine,” Ludwig scoffed as he paused. “Let’s go then.” He turned back towards the window as he backed up, started forward, and barely made it over the jump back to the outside. Karma followed quickly as Reema sighed.
“I wish you were here, SY… I’m only getting stronger for you, and I believe this is going to result in something horrible… I wish Teela were here… She always has a positive outlook on things… she would have kept everything in order… I only hope she’s all right…”
“Reema? You coming?” Reema heard Karma call as she snapped out of her thoughts for a moment. She grasped her axe and jumped off through the window.
Outside, the sun was hot as they squinted their eyes against it. It has gotten so late that the sun was burning hot, and the shade that the castle had cast with its shadow was now gone. Karma rubbed her eyes as Ludwig grunted. Reema adjusted quickly as she began to walk off.
“Where are you going?”
“Towards the smell of fire, why?” Reema replied. Karma thought for a moment and guessed she was right to head for such a scent.
“Because I wanted to let you know you’re… heading in the right direction…” Karma seemed a little confused. Ludwig didn’t say anything; he just wanted to get out of here!
_
Settings: Castle Chaos Dungeon
A dark figure appeared; it was Lord Chaos. He seemed annoyed as he grinned and laughed quietly to himself.
“The trash was here. Falling right into it! They’re one step behind, and they don’t realize it! Haha… They’re never going to get to the Illusion Forest fast enough… and if they’re lucky, they might get to watch their friend die!” Lord Chaos shook his head as if almost feeling pity for the group of ‘trash’. Although, anyone could plainly see he didn’t… He was playing them into a trap, and they were falling for it! What would it take to realize? Forsaken… it would have seemed forsaken.