Melodies Forever

By Teela Yoshi

“Rewind?” The beast of the dice asked as Teela nodded.

“Rewind.” She confirmed in a sure-fire manner.

“Clarify, if you will.” The beast eyed Teela warily as she nodded, the grin never ceasing to end.

Karma remembered the days when Teela used to be simple, childish even, her grin always reassuring. This was the first time she had ever seen Teela act on complete emotions and not her own judgment. This was, in short, done on the spur of the moment, and quite often those things never turned out well. This was not a smile in which insured results, but rather upon Teela was the sense that she had no idea what she was doing and she wasn’t even sure of herself. Karma never expected that from Teela… never expected her to lose herself for even a moment. She had always seemed so rational.

“I want to rewind what has happened. I want it to END… I will bring this to my own likings… Fate wants to be rewritten once? TOO BAD… I’LL REWRITE THIS WHOLE ‘BOOK’ IF I HAVE TOO…” Teela yelled, her boots digging into the ground as she dug the heels of them into the ground. “ I WANT THE TEMPORARY POWER TO TIME TRAVEL… TEMPORARY, YOU GOT IT? WHEN I SAY UNDO… IT BETTER UNDO… I SAY REWIND? IT BETTER REWIND, YOU GET WHAT I MEAN? I want to be able to control what I’m asking for, you hear me? I don’t want anything hacked up, messed up, or nowhere near NOT what I’m asking you for. I want control of time, you hear me?!” Spit sputtered from Teela’s lips, her eyes wide in madness. The air around her was filled with anger to which made Karma and Ludwig shy away, Reema only focused now on Teela. She still didn’t think she understood.

“You want control of time?” The beast asked as Teela only jerked her head in a nod. It eyed her strangely before a huge and rather malign grin spread across its strange and demonic face. “That is a rather interesting way to go about this, miss… Are you quite sure?”

“DO I LOOK UNSURE?” Teela belted her voice out, yelling, her fists curled. Teela knew in her heart that this yelling was uncalled for, but so was breaking a promise. Teela never made promises she couldn’t keep, and would stick to that, as she believed in breaking anything she had to in order to get Venoma home and to protect Vara.

She vowed to protect Karma, but Vara was her friend, and in a way, becoming someone’s friend silently made a promise in which you would watch his or her back. Teela believed in friendship, honoring such a bond, and she wouldn’t go back on what she believed now; she also believed in doing something to the best of one’s ability. For the moment, she could to anything she pleased weather anyone liked it or not.

“A’yerighty… I could do that… You do realize you are risking just about everything you are and were, as well as everyone else in any existence whatsoever? This seems kind of crazy, but do you believe in the time floors and dimensional walls? You’re risking—“

“Do I look like I care right now? My body is numb with anger, my heart is beating hard, and I feel like a freak of nature enough as it is, as well as guilty as guilt goes. I’m tired, and have been through a lot.” Teela complained, her tone growing sharper though still undeniably filled with anger. “Also, I want to take Karma with me.”

“So you’re saying you want to do anything your mind can dream up of dealing with time re-writing and such? You’re saying you want to control how things turn out for a while? With that thing at your side?”

“That THING is my friend… And yeah, that sounds about right.”

Teela glanced to Karma, Karma looking to her, eyes wide.

“What about Ludwig?”

“What about him? Time isn’t a distance; your metbond won’t be too much hassle… Dimensional walls and transparent things, Karma, are what you have no idea about… Believe me, time knows not of metbonding.” Teela clarified, rolling her eyes. Her fiery anger was going now, and it would be quite hard to put out.

Karma looked to Ludwig almost reluctantly; she more than trusted Teela, but this Teela was angry and acted on nothing but instinct. Karma walked over to Ludwig, eyeing him momentarily before hugging him. Ludwig returned the hug, whispering slightly to Karma:

“If you can break it, you can break it, Karma, if you find a way…” He stopped there, realizing he was going to pull her closer and kiss her if he didn’t get away right then; the urge was strong, as he didn’t truly know what was going to happen. This sounded as though they were preparing for something incredibly serious and even horrible.

Break what? Metbond? Break it? Break… break… break it… if you can

Teela walked to Reema, looking to the ninja yoshi girl with honor and sure filled eyes.

“Something you want changed?” For a moment, Reema seemed confused, but all this about time and such, she realized quite knowingly what was going on. Something lingered on the tip of her tongue, but she wouldn’t bother Teela with what was her mission; Reema believed in solving her own problems and helping others.

Oh Syroshi… Brother, how I miss you… but no, I want to find you on my own… change nothing with me.

“No. Nothing at all.” Reema stated dignified, Teela nodding and going to Venoma.

“She’ll be alive. You won’t remember this, but she’ll be alive.” She reassured the awe-struck yosho boy as she nodded to him as well, more than enough words being said. Finally Teela turned back to Karma.

“I’m taking… I’m taking you because you’re my friend and I care. I’m taking you because for once, I need you Karma; I need you to be my judgment here…. I need you because you know what’s right and wrong in this situation, or anything about it. Is it right she’s dead?”

Karma shook her head, rejecting that, her eyes stinging. She wanted to cry, as this was simply too much on her, and she didn’t want to leave Ludwig now. She appreciated what she had now, appreciated it to a point so strongly now in which she did really feel something for the pudgy scientist, felt an overwhelming feeling to stay, just to be with him, in safety, in sureness.

This is CRAZY… we’re KIDS… KIDS, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? KIDS… Children don’t go through things like this… This is madness! Why US? We’re KIDs…

“I want to bring Ludwig.” Karma stated suddenly, the words falling out of her mouth before she could even think them up. “He’s… He’s got judgment, Teela… We’re a team, I admit, a lousy team Ludwig and I… but with you Teela, we’ve always worked well… Ludwig, me, you? We’ve had some great times, we have… I don’t want that to end just because you need me. You need Ludwig too, because if… if….” She stammered, Ludwig stepping up beside her, courage lighting his eyes for what seemed the first time throughout this entire ordeal.

“If you need her, she needs me, and we all need each other. The three of us… we work together… You make us accept, Teela, you make us accept one another… you bring out the best in us, and I may be stubborn to an extent, but it’s the truth… If you honestly need Karma, you need me too.” Ludwig felt bright inside, the inspiration and feelings overwhelming on him before he could even lock all these things back up; he couldn’t regret anything he just said because he was feeling to bold now, too knowing and sure. He believed they could do whatever was ahead; even if they were children, for a moment being so knowing struck him more of an adult sense.

“Then the three of us are going, the two of them are staying here with Vara.” Teela finished, looking to the feathered beast, which nodded.

“I give it to you then, silly yo-yo minded yoshi?”

“Yes, you strange and defiled feather brain.” Teela remarked, her eyes heavy with seriousness, not letting up either. The beast then nodded, Teela instantly shutting her eyes before the thing could do anything. The world went spinning around her, and the last thing she felt as Karma and Ludwig taking both her paws in their own claws, a smile blossoming upon her for just a fraction of a second or so. They would be fine—as long as they had each other. Together, they believed, and that was enough… Had to be, or else what else did they have but belief and hope?

_

Void in time and space/unknown time

Teela? Teela? Teelllaaaa….. Kaaarrmmaaa….. Ttiiimmmee… You’re… going… to messs… It…… Tell me… The meaning… of forever… Tell meeeeee…

Time is supposedly a mindset or the feeling that “minutes” or “hours” or any set number that was made up by the mind. In all actuality, that is not technically true if one were to simply understand that day eventually falls to night, events take place, and as long as one single speck of any sort of any existence thrives, if any sort of force or creature exists, time exists, because when something changes in any aspect or way, time passes and things happen. Perhaps Karma had a vague idea of these concepts, and maybe Ludwig had a deeper understanding of them.

Teela’s mind swirled in questioning; she could feel Karma aside her, could feel the world spinning around them… Was it the world? No, the three of them had some sort of outside grasp that something else was here… some sort of force; Karma felt it rush aside her, brush passed her in some un-felt sense. Yet that was just it; it was sensed, not necessarily felt.

In short, some say time is labeled as so (as in time) being as the creatures or being that noticed things changing called it ‘time’. Yet the concept had to exist if it were named, (Now as Karma thought about it, the thoughts seemed to just be emerging from that space in everyone’s mind where all the good thoughts and ideas come from; she couldn’t do much to stop the flow of concepts and such) as a name for something is supposed to come after something has been discovered. Also on shorter terms, time exists not necessarily in the mind, but within anything that has the ability to change, or make itself different in any way. There is no real proper name for the actual “travel” through events that happened, but the closest thing IS two words: “time travel.” Yet now as Karma felt around for something to relate these thoughts to, to somehow grasp such things… She couldn’t seem to understand them at first. Instead:

Time is words, time is events, time is people; time is everything and nothing all at once, to which sounds a lot of what fantasy and reality are: Nothing and everything all at once. Time is EVERYTHING, all concepts, weather or not anyone believes in fate or destiny, or whatever beliefs are, time plays some sort of part. It is supposedly universal, and yes now that I think about it, Time is me, Teela, Ludwig… We aren’t TIME… but we can apply FORCE to it… we can control…

Karma Koopa stood frozen for a moment, feeling almost distant from the two figures aside her; her mind felt numb, out of place and even analyzed to some extent. At that point she had every memory surfacing through her, and suddenly she felt so much more gain up; memories that weren’t hers in a sense. It was too much… so many visions, so many things all at once, thoughts, memories, and voices… It was so overwhelming, Karma had to break free, had to let go, had to… open her eyes!

“I think she’s ok…” Teela’s voice. Oh thank goodness, Karma felt such relief as she broke that binding on her piece of mind, now viewing Ludwig and Teela.

It seems with all this dying, Karma… Karma… why? Why... Hear the laughter? Are you sure you know? Know what?

“Where are we?” Karma blurted out, thoughts still indecisive and mixed, Teela looking around. Their current surroundings were a rather dull lit and dingy colored, not to mention mold-smelling, place that had the sense of enclosed walls.

“We’re, if I am correct, my house… My house before I was even hatched.”

“Whoa… Ludwig, you’re only a year old then. And I’m negative two.”

“Yes, I believe zat is correct…” Ludwig replied, Teela instantly beginning to move around. Their hands were all still linked, Teela beginning to lead them through the dark. Moments later, Teela allowed her eyes to light up, filling the whole empty room with viewable properties. Nothing here but an unlit furnace as well as a single cupboard hooked to the back stonewall.

Teela led them up the stairs, cautiously, listening for any sort of sound beyond the door. When there was nothing, Teela placed a paw on the door and turned it, her eyes dimming to their normal non-glowing selves as she poked her head out. When she was sure there was no one here, she led Karma and Ludwig up through the door; there were no lights on, and the rest of the house was dim as well. This place was bigger than the house Teela and her parents would eventually build deeper in the Forest of Illusions, and Teela still remembered where everything was.

Fortunately, depending on how you look at it, the place was empty, no possessions, and the for sale sign still looming gloomily in the window. The place was eerie, silent to a point to where Karma could hear her feet as she cautiously padded aside Teela, Ludwig on the other side of the fanged yoshi.

“Teela…” Ludwig whispered, Teela looking to him, her eyes flickering on again.

“Hm?”

“Why are we here for?’

“I want to make sure these ‘powers’ work… Apparently… they did. This is correct.”  Teela nodded, as though proving something else to herself, looking to Karma. “Well… I really just need to debate here, gang… I could either stop myself from ever having that ‘fairy’ dream… I could… stop myself from coming to see you Karma, or I could stop Venoma and Vara from… coming to Kastle Koopa… I really don’t know.”

“When you un-do something… will you remember undoing it?” Karma asked, Teela thinking rather suddenly.

“Well if I undo… Too much, or one thing in specific, I may not end up stopping Vara and Venoma… I’ll forget I’ve had these powers, and then we’re done for, because I won’t have them anymore… I don’t think I can possibly re-do or un-do anything aside from Vara’s… death.” Teela pondered, Ludwig shaking his head.

“No, not exactly, because you wished for whatever you could ‘think of.’ Teela… it’s in your mind what you do. You think it; you can make it any way you wish. It’s like writing a story. You can play the events out however you wish… now, because whatever you can imagine, Teela… I think, judging by the way you wished for it… That’s what it is.”

Teela stood poised for the longest time, thinking. Anything she could think of? Anything in which she desired… She had control here, control of anything and everything she could think of.

“I don’t want to un-do so much… I just want Vara to be ok…”

“What about… I think his name is Chaos?” Karma asked, looking to Ludwig and Teela both with quick glances.

“Yes… Yes, I want to know more about that guy, really…”

“Why can’t you?” Ludwig’s eyes gleamed, Teela looking to him suddenly, her smile becoming one of cleverness, one of knowing.

In Karma’s mind, to which was still dazed, things were slipping out of sight, thoughts so incoherent but—

Left my conscious with a man, stolen not loved, let them know tell what they can’t see you chased life left in a fence—SO CONFUSING! Karma’s mind rang, she sighing as she looked to Teela.

Teela shut her eyes, her grip tightening upon Karma and Ludwig’s claws, as though they were performing a séance and needed absolute concentration. In a way it was a séance, though if the summoning of information was considered as so.

The air around them suddenly became cold, solid and coagulated in an almost unrealistic manner, Karma feeling her entire body suddenly being compressed, though at the very same time feeling ripped from shred to shred; for a moment, or perhaps Karma was imagining it, she felt something in the back of her mind, felt a sense of knowing, felt in control… something “Asking” almost for permission, and by letting it go, in a way she accepted it, whatever this feeling was. It was over, however, before it had really begun.

“His name was Mokra… Demon infested, not necessarily evil, but controlled… humanoid at one point… demon now, Mokra Chaos is…” Teela’s eyes were shutting as hard as she could press her own eyelids together, Karma and Ludwig feeling as though the ground under their feet disappeared for several seconds, their eyes now shutting too being as everything else was too black, and they were seeing so many flickering shadows within this darkness that shutting their eyes was more comforting. “Seraphim Seven… THE SERAPHIM SEVEN, KARMA, KARMA…. LET KAMRAN GO… LET… LET…. GO… SHE… I…. SHE…. THE SAME BUT… I’M MARKED… I’M MARKED… DAD… DAD…. KOOPA GOD…. SERAPHIM… SEERRRRAAAAPPHHIIIIMMMM….” Teela began to yell, began to thrash suddenly, Karma instantly jerking Teela’s arm back. Ludwig and Karma both began yelling out, Ludwig jerking Teela’s arm after Karma did.

“TEELA SNAP OUT OF IT…” Apparently she had fallen into something, some sort of vision and was instantly becoming calmer again once Karma yelled out once more, “Teela, you have to calm down... we’re here… calm down… Tell us what you see, Teela… come on, please, for me… and Ludwig… tell me… tell us…”

The yoshi girl seemed to be able to comply to that, as she began to talk in a more softer tone, but even more so rushed.

“Kamran… Kamran… Says… she can handle… handle… handle it… Karma… you…. You… must… know…. I…. Don’t…. understand…. Mokra Chaos… IS…. Tell me…. Vara… He wants Vara so he can have Plit… By that he means to defy his leader, he means to…. He’s… got… good intentions, but he is apart of… Seraphim…. Seraphim…. Seraphim… oh Karma… please…. DON’T….” As soon as it had started, it ended, the scenery around them suddenly growing into a light silver, next to a murky gray, and finally to a rather glowing shade of white.

“Teela… Teela, snap out of it… please.” Karma was honestly getting a little too scared now, her heart beating in her chest, and she could feel her blood pulsating throughout the rest of her body in a speed to which was only capable at such levels of fear and adrenaline that it wasn’t even funny nor truly comprehendible. In comparison, it was like being dropped off the tallest building ever made in slow motion but also watching yourself as you fell helplessly.

Teela opened her eyes abruptly, her own lungs heaving in air as she looked to Karma and Ludwig, whom still hadn’t let go of her paws. She looked, her eyes suddenly filling with tears for reasons she couldn’t even begin to understand; the tears just fell. She didn’t know what she was just in, a trance or something, but she did know she was somewhere else, was susceptible, and she slightly remember that horrible feeling… other than that, Teela didn’t remember anything during that slight blackout.

“What did I… Did I make any reaction?” Teela asked, Karma and Ludwig both nodding furiously.

“You… were yelling something about… ‘Kamran’… and ‘Seraphim’… and evil… and you stated something about Kamran going to take care of Vara… And also that Chaos Mokra is-“

Before Ludwig could finish his own statement, a rather large tremor shook the white area around them. It was nothing but the eye-paining color white all around them and they were standing on solid ground, so it seemed, that just out of nowhere shook with a tremor.

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO BRING HER INTO THIS WORLD… I TOLD YOU I’D TAKE HER… I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU… YOU’LL PAY….” A voice rang out of nowhere, Teela recognizing this instantly.

“KARMA… RUN! LUDWIG… GO!” Teela ordered, instantly letting go of their paws and looking around. The hands? Where were the hands? She remembered they appeared… They had appeared, and she and Kamek almost had not escaped. Yet that was in her mind… and ‘Kamran’ was once again mentioned now. The same dark and cruel voice said ‘I told you I’d take her’ had just said it again… Déjà vu?

Karma looked over her shoulder, watching Teela frantically search for something, as though she were expecting something. She listened now, pausing, grabbing Ludwig’s arm and making him stop. They ran because she said so, when in truth, Karma had a feeling Teela didn’t want them to go anywhere. Where could they go anyways?

I told you I’d take her? What was that supposed to mean? Karma asked herself frantically, though the thought coming out, as most of the others, unprocessed and misunderstood.

“TEELA… LET’S GO…” Karma yelled, Teela turning to her, not hesitating as another tremor shook the ground they had beneath them. Teela caught up rather quickly, though nearly stumbled, grabbing Karma and Ludwig’s claws in her paws, closing her eyes, trying to concentrate, stop the memories, stop this… make it STOP…. She yelled the word in her mind, the white pieces of the world instantly falling, Teela, Karma, and Ludwig feeling themselves literally fall with it like a glass picture being shattered. They were still together though, still with one another.

They fell, fell for what seemed forever, but at last Teela could feel the presence that she had when she had been within her own mind. Karma felt the presence to which had soared directly passed them all, felt that strong sense something else was here aside from the voice to which had screamed. Teela had felt this presence all along for some reason, guiding her, protecting them all with such amazing guidance; it would have been hard to explain. It was like being so small but being caught in caring and gentle hands, like she had. The white glowing hands… Teela remembered them clearly; she could feel their presence and the three of them were stopped suddenly; Karma had felt something breaking as they fell, threads and ties, as though strands and chords were being snapped. Yet they were all of a sudden stopped… And lifted up, placed back into something… The voice rang through the air around them…

“I still don’t think I’m ready for you to leave yet…” A soft voice, childish in a manner, but sounding so clear and perfect… Teela recognized it as the voice of some sort of angel, as in her mind; only an angel could have sounded so beautiful. Karma was too confused, but something said this would be taken care of… After all, whoever or whatever this was wasn’t ‘ready for her to leave yet’. Teela knew it was speaking to her, knew she was in good hands… a little too literally. Karma and Ludwig were also with her; they were safe now… all three of them. Whatever it was wasn’t ready, as Teela could perceive the meaning of those words, for them to leave existence. Call it fate, but it wasn’t quite fate; it was perhaps a friend… For now Teela would call it a friend, in her mind, and she was sure Karma and Ludwig would have nothing to say against that.

_

Reema and Venoma felt everything go dark for a moment, then fade to light. The sky literally vanished; they felt themselves ripped in a sense, another part severed, and something fall… Like strings and chords of something. The moon, Venoma had taken note, had literally seemed to vanish from sight; in truth it had only been about five minutes the group had been gone when suddenly—

No big flashes of light, but rather Venoma lay eyes on Vara. He watched; hologram like figures of himself talking to her, a bullet being fired right through her head, backing up, in a rather holographic manner. It were as though she were being rewound by some invisible force, bits and pieces of others viewable, but Vara ultimately now standing up and opening her eyes made Venoma’s own go rather wide.

He watched as it stopped rather suddenly, Vara looking directly into his eyes, Venoma hearing something faint, footsteps almost, Teela, Ludwig, and Karma instantly landing on the ground, toppling back as though something was once holding them up and un-expectantly dropping them now. He looked back to Vara; it indeed was like she had been rewound.

“Venoma?” Vara looked to him, Venoma instantly running to her and embracing her.

“Sister…. Oh thank… Thank… Oh thank all… Thank all good things… you’re back… you’re…”

“Brother? Where did I go? Why is it you suddenly act as though I’ve been gone for a very long time?”

“Oh Vara… Bless your innocent mind… bless you… Oh… my sister… you’re… alive…” He didn’t want to let go, couldn’t seem to let go. She was right here in front of him, warm, eyes shining, and he was so happy to see her smiling now.

Karma looked to Teela, who pointed to Venoma and Vara. Ludwig was smiling, looking to Teela now, who looked to Karma. The three of them smiled, just because whatever they had done, they had done it correctly, apparently. Whatever strange had happened was indeed a good thing, it seemed, as Vara was back on her feet (a little too literally).

Venoma finally looked to the three of them, unable to speak. The tears had begun to flow down the Yosho’s snout. He simply mouthed:

“I don’t know how… but thank you… thank you… thank you…” His words only came out as more or less choked sobs, but the mouthed words still made sense to Teela.

“He doesn’t know how, but thanks.” She clarified to confused looking Ludwig. Karma was still lying on the ground, Teela now reaching her paw out and offering to help her up. Taking the fanged yoshi’s paw, the hybrid stood and nodded in thanks.

_

Go get him, Teela, oh please go get him- you’re only children! Why has he caused so much TROUBLE?! Your friends do not deserve this; you know… You know it, you know he’ll cause the world so much pain…

The cold underbrush of Teela’s thoughts perked up, mind being washed with the sticky but sweet coating of longing- longing for revenge.

Yet somewhere, perhaps even the whole group seemed to come together. It was a much bigger unison; it wasn’t just Mokra Chaos. Under this whole mess was a thick and greasy coating of something else entirely, something just waiting to be unearthed.

“Teela?” Karma inquired as Teela blinked, mind seeming to teeter-totter with many thoughts.

“Karma.” Teela inquired in return, her voice seeming too distant. Venoma now walked up to Teela, catching her in a hug. Karma then came forward and hugged the girl as well.

“Thank you…” Venoma stated, voice hoarse.

“Yup, no problem.” Teela replied calmly, like the tone of someone who was speaking over the phone, explaining to their caller that they had the “wrong number.” Nothing seemed to faze the yoshi girl at all; no real self-appreciation seemed to show itself.

Karma’s eyes were frozen upon Teela (sharp) their glistening green-yellow gaze looking more like wallpaper with the way that they seemed unmoving and forever gazing. Their watch seemed knowing, dangerously wise and recognizing… It almost scared the hybrid.

“Teela… are you all right?” For what seemed like the millionth time this question was stated, mentally or even in all reality, Vara asked it of Teela for the first time. Teela nodded, flashing her an uncertain smile.

“Oi, I’m fine, thanks.” Teela replied in a candid manner.

“Something… seems… everything ok, Teels?” It was Ludwig who had given her the shortened form of her name, somewhat of a nickname, to which she’d be referred to for years to come.

“No.” The fanged girl admitted, still unimpressionable.

The forest around them seemed specifically quiet; Ludwig took note that even through everything thing that had changed, the forest had remained the same throughout, the castle seeming to leer at them from the distance; it seemed more like a picture to him however, because no matter how bad he wanted, NEEDED, to go home, no matter how close or how far it was, he was unable to return to it at the moment.

“Why’s that? I mean… Vara is ok…” Karma’s tone hinted at slight disappointment; in some way, she already knew and suspected what was going to be said.

“Yes, but that’s only half of it,” Teela admitted, looking to her paws, running one finger over her other palm collectively. She continued calmly, “We’ve only done half our work here.”

Vara, leaning over to Venoma stated, “Brother… why am I now ok? Was I not ok before?” Venoma only hugged her.

“Well…” Reema swallowed. “What’s next?”

“We destroy the guy who started this.” Little did any of them understand that this was only mentioned lightly compared to what all of them would face in the distant future…

“Are you out of your mind?” Karma only gawked- this was one of the first considerably harsh things she had ever said to Teela- watching as the yoshi girl bent and picked up the dice of fate that she had previously dropped.

“No, I’m being logical.” The fanged yoshi explained, fiddling with the dice in hand.

“I fail to see the logic in that.” Ludwig retorted calmly, Reema crossing her arms and leaning upon her axe, he eyes reflecting her current withdrawn, thoughtful manner.

“The logic is you must finish what you’ve started.” Teela replied even calmer tone, a sigh followed as she looked to Reema, as though searching for a sign of hope, even support. Reema only blinked, eyes as quiet as she had been.

Teela’s even more calm, relaxed tone about something so serious, so incredulously dangerous frightened Karma. She realized, quietly to herself of course, that she no longer seemed afraid of what was to come, but rather weather her friend was slowly losing her sanity from such a stressful manner, or was it simply the fact something else she didn’t understand?

“That… is true.” Karma thought about it some more- it was true, yes, but did they have much of a choice?

A fairly large sized bird flew down, red and bright wings fluttering past them, the bird landing upon Teela’s head, expression inquisitive. No one said much else, but Teela did clear a small patch of dirt from the forest brush, beginning to dream up a plan that would take a bunch of dreamers to fulfill…

_

The plan was sturdy enough; sturdy as a backpack hanging by a thread. It would work, or so they all hoped. The plan was so interesting that it HAD to work. (It’d be like, for example, if the backpack broke off the only remaining thread that held it and suddenly grew wings.) Kamra sorted the thoughts within her head now; she was no longer confused, just a bit surprised.

“If no one wants to do this, then leave.” Teela’s eyes had darkened, and her face was of only the gravest seriousness as she reasoned.

“And if you do, expect a visit from me when the rest of this is done.” Reema added, Ludwig instantly sitting down after previously being the only one who stood.

They all sat upon the leaf-filled forest floor, surrounding the small diagram that Teela had illustrated upon the ground. The fanged yoshi began by pointing to a dirt-drawn castle with a stick, kneeling and looking to Karma, whom was now watching intently next to her.

“Castle. Castle Chaos.” She then pointed to another smudge of a castle, tracing out ‘KK.’ “Castle Koopa.” Proceeding next to draw figures of them all.

“Alright Moonlight Shadow, what next?” Karma addressed Teela, who looked to Karma and began to giggle slightly. They were, afterall, doing something that all their Mothers would have been against, but they were children, and children are known for being good at having fun.

Their thoughts seemed to linger on as they waited for Teela to continue, but not a trace of real doubt yet:

I hope this turns out right, - Ludwig.
We’ll do this together… - Reema.
Those drawings need fish and grass. - Vara.
I’ll do my best… No… BETTER than my best. -Venoma.

The wing blew softly, and a pale moon was already beginning to rise, viewable only slightly as the sun still had its final ensamble to pull. The sunset would be brighter than any to ever occur in Dark Land- it was too bad the children wouldn’t be there to see it.

Moments later, after drawing a few more scuffled figures and thinking, Teela began to speak once more.

“we go straight to the point. We find him… and then…” Teela paused, looking for the right wording. “We go into his mind.”

Each of them looked to the dice, though Teela shook her head. No questions were asked about this statement- in a sense, they all read her thoughts before she even knew they were coming, as it seemed that as time passed, they were being drawn together by some unnamable force.

“We got a weapon in our hands that he doesn’t.”

“Oh?” Ludwig seemed a bit more enthusiastic now. Karma coughed; she was tired mentally already, and her head pounded furiously.

“Venoma, you’re the only one who can get us there. And back.”

“Wait, we’re leaving now?” Karma’s voice rose in surprise.

“Did you think we were going to party first?” Their enemy/friend Reema quipped.

“Hush… yes, we’re leaving now. Unless you think we shouldn’t, Karma.” The look Teela gave Karma would haunt her thoughts and memories forever, that grave and ‘you know the real answer here’ look that seemed so terrifying in its wise and knowledge that it DID possess a haunted sort of nature.

“It’s not that… Just I expected more of a plan than ‘just go there.’” The hybrid admitted.

“Then if there are no objections, we leave now.”

No one said anything, because there were no words to say goodbye with, and it wasn’t time, or so it seemed, for goodbyes in the first place, though that may have been closer than congratulations. They were caught in the middle without much control; and any way, it was either way.

Venoma placed his claws on Vara’s, and place his other on Teela’s shoulder. Teela, in turn, placed her paw on Venoma’s claw and linked paw-in-claw with Karma, who embraced Ludwig’s fingers completely. Ludwig grabbed Reema’s paw, who connected the whole circle by placing hers upon Vara’s shoulder. Chirpy circled above, landing on Teela’s head gently.

Venoma shut his eyes then and moments later they disappeared.

It was much darker than it had originally been, and the moon seemed to stand still, glaring down upon the children as they appeared in the meadows surrounding the brooding Castle Chaos.

Their feet shuffled mildly as they regained their senses in the darkness. Reema, leaning her axe blade down, rubbed her eyes, seeing spouts of color as they focused.

“Everyone here completely?” Teela asked no louder than a whisper. Soft replied and nods corresponded as Chirpy, who was previously upon Teela’s head, flew onto Reema, whom was startled but calmed quickly. Moments later it took flight into the sky, size melting as it rose…

“Let’s go.” Karma partially demanded, the group beginning to head towards the castle.

Time seemed still once they began. Somewhere, though Karma thought it was just her imagination, a heartbeat thumped rapidly, as though it were nervous, but she had a feeling it wasn’t the heartbeat of anyone they could see.

It began now- Oh I know this isn’t GOOD, but it’s LOGICAL, and I thought all logical things were GOOD because they make SENSE. Teela’s mind spoke without tone. From somewhere else, there came a reply-

Is this logical?

“Yes.” Teela and Karma stated simultaneously, as the rest turned to them.

“It is logical?” Teela asked, the words seeming unfamiliar to her.

“Yeah.”

“All right, and logical things-“

“Can be good when we’re not too much confused… Are w-“

“No.” Teela finished. That was all that was spoken for a long while…

The strings were drawing together; closer and closer still- each of them felt, in a distance sort of conscience that wasn’t even conscious- outsiders and they themselves, all parties… Whether they realized it or not.

Upon reaching the castle, Ludwig almost stated he would go no further. Karma, as though knowing what he was thinking, grabbed his claw, raising and eyebrow- previous thoughts were then automatically discarded.

“Huh… belief.” Teela murmured, standing in the castle doorway, instantly pushing it open.

The warm (Go back Go back…) air greeted them, and sickly, though faint, a smell rose up with it. There weren’t any noises as they began, however, swiftly, one figure did step out, quietly standing against the wall and allowing the group to find him before they became at all surprised.

“No surprise…” He stated, holding his hands up, seeing as Reema had stepped forward with her axe.

The man eyed them warily as they did he. Each look was cautious, wary, but acute in its caution. Teela recognized the man as well as Karma; he was one of the men who had fought and captured the Teela herself. They all watched as the man staggered, catching himself on the banister of the stairway, looking impishly to each of them.

“We’ve destroyed your other men.” Karma’s tone hitched in anger.

“Eh, not my men…” The man (Ludwig recognized him as the man who has shot him with the ribbon-like material) sounded hoarse, and as soon as it seemed like he could seem no weaker, he did.

“What do you want?” Teela stepped forward, eyes daring him to make a sudden move.

“Help.” He stated, then collapsing and rolling down harshly upon his knees, groaning and groping at the air.

“Gah…” Another man, human-looking, startled the group from behind as he rushed forward, kneeling down beside the man upon the ground.

“Sky… Skystice.” Ribbon muttered, acknowledging him.

“How’re we supposed to go on a mission WITH you? If you’re so incredibly weak?!” Skystice complained, Ribbon making no effort or gesture in an attempt of a reply.

“Ribbon!” Another man jerked up the stairwell, pausing and looking at Teela, though then the kneeling aside Ribbon. “We’ve got to get him back to his quarters…”

“Tech…” Ribbon tried to speak, but only succeeded to lay there withering. Tech motioned Skystice to give him a hand as they began to lift the man up, Ribbon groaning as they began down the stairs and past the group.

Tech looked to Vara confusedly, and continued upon their way. All was still for a good three or four moments as until the group began to descend their way up the stairway themselves.

“You get it?” Teela asked the rest of their little gang, eyes showing epiphany and recognition.

“What?” Ludwig asked.

“I CHANGED it… Vara is with us… not in that lab… but that means those guys are still alive… Something happened to that ‘Ribbon’ guy, but when we weren’t here. They haven’t been told Vara’s gone because, technically, she has been reported gone... we’re all here, it’s just like we went back half an hour or so!”

“Not quite… I don’t think so.” Karma shook her head. “Teela, it’s darker… than when we were here. The events weren’t just removed… it’s like we were just PLACED here.”

”No… I don’t think that’s right.” Reema chimed in. “I think Karma is correct.”

“Teela, is that what you WANTED To happen?” Ludiwg’s comment made perfect sense. Now that Teela thought about it, she began to put her thoughts into understanding.

Vara is here… but it’s later… Yet those guys looked at me like they did know me… well maybe that’s because I did still fight them. He would know… But he also recognized Vara; couldn’t you see it in the way he looked at her? Yet… Vara isn’t dead, kinda like it never happened. The fight hasn’t and WON’T happen because she’s right here… my abilities are ‘OFF’ still, I went to Kamek still… I think the only thing I actually did un-do was the fight. I must’ve just taken it out… and placed us right here. I supposed it’s only darker because it had been dark to being with, so what’s the big deal?

“I guess I just undid Vara’s death…. Undid the fight, and instead of being where we were, we’re here.”

“What is death?” Vara’s comment went ignored.

“Why do we remember, though?” Ludwig questioned.

“I wanted us to.” Teela stated simply, the reply natural and completely flowing- none of this seemed normal, and yet she spoke as though it were.

“Are we going to do this thing?” Reema snarled almost, picking up her axe. It may not have shown through her actions, but she was relentless and just wanted to get things done as quickly as possible.

“Whatever this thing is…” Teela stated in remorse, but began up the rest of the stairs.

Reema knew she was just a pawn, and knew (almost APPRECIATED!) that was all the entire situation entailed from her. She followed Teela slowly, the axe slung over her shoulder.

The surroundings seemed a bit a bit more eerie, as the sun wasn’t able to penetrate the black, coagulated windows. The sun, however, wasn’t much of a sliver over the horizon, or so Karma figured, as she ran one finger upon the railing.

They reached the top of the stairs, to which seemed to take more time to cross than there were stairs, and peered down and long and unfurnished corridor, and still Ludwig hated this whole thing. Not a simple hatred that came and went, but rather with a hatred that faltered, stumbled, and gave birth to more of itself as well a trove of other negative emotions.

The group wandered, narrowed and attentive expressions on each of them.; each of them looking over the shoulders as well as the others’ in caution and almost frenzy. They wandered through the door, to which led into a room of simple and almost petty decorative cloths. These clothes stretched from the ceiling to the floor, and almost seemed like huge draped, only lacking windows to shield. Even more cautious steps and precarious looks to each other as well as around them, and only more fear issued from every step they took.

The room that followed led to another room, and they wandered for the longest time.

“You’ve not figured it out yet.” The voice came, as though perhaps expected; not even Ludwig jumped.

“What is there to figure?” Teela replied calmly, turning around last, eyes lit with defiance.

It was the best all but Reema had seen. This time, however, it was just in its demonic tiger form, and not fused with Ribbon. This was the best Karma could have sworn she saw Ribbon release from a floppy disk.

“For starters, and I really don’t mean to sound technical, or for those with a more advanced vocabulary, ‘sophisticated’; do you understand that some things finish themselves?”

“We understand all variables, and not to be advanced or anything, but do you understand there’s a possibility, great at that, that when you don’t finish something, it’ll finish you?” Karma took note that Teela’s voice, as she spoke these words, had become that unfamiliar once more, even adult, tone that was right and completely knowing. It were as though some other force was driving her at points like these; Karma crossed her arms, shifting uncomfortably and shifted closer to Ludwig.

“Ahh… case and point proven.” The beast admitted, voice seeming to twitter. “But I’m not here to mix words with you; I suppose I really don’t understand why I would need to see or even speak with you… In a way, I suppose…” His tone now became one of strict admissibility. “I wanted to know why you’re here.”

“That question is familiar.” The only time Teela stated (in this moment) anything, and even that is a matter of opinion, anything that sounded unprofessional and conducted. “I’m here because I exist.”

“I understand my question was a little… eh, not straight forward. What I meant was, as you sure you want to be here?”

“I’m sure I was to be here. I don’t know and can’t say for the rest of them.” The fanged yoshi looked over her shoulder at the rest of them.

“I’m here aren’t I?” Reema readjusted her axe; even more uncomfortable still, as it was all she could to keep from asking the creature in front of them what, exactly, it was.

“Got nothing better to do.” Ludwig’s remarked, shaky though not unsure.

“Business must be done.” Venoma hadn’t said much for the longest time as the best looked to Vara, whom only smiled.

“I’m embracing the moment.” Karma finished last.

“So then answer… do you understand some things finish themselves?” The beast remained stoic.

“She answered that.” Karma replied in a sour sort of tone.

“She simply stated she felt differently, but not quite if she understands.” The beast then looked back to Teela. “So tell me… do you understand?”

“Quite well.”

“So now I ask, do you believe this will finish itself?”

“Depends upon the viewer.” The fanged yoshi stared right back to the creature as its burrowing eyes rest upon hers.

“Obviously I’m asking YOU.” The beat almost scoffed.

“Why ask me?”

“You’re the one who’s been answering.”

Teela then turned to Karma, stepping back as she stepped forward.

“I don’t believe this’ll finish itself.” She glared; there was no way she was a shy sort of creature, and thus she crossed her arms.

“Why?” The floppy disk beast’s voice never boomed and never faltered. It may have been undecided, but still it held the same air of knowledge.

“Because someone else started it, but I want to make sure it’s finished, because there’s no guarantee… It’s done unless I- we- are the ones finished it.” Karma reasoned.

“Aah… very well stated. I believe you told me all I wish to know.”

“I’ve got a question.” Venoma acknowledged himself, stepping forward. “Why do you question us, oh great battle beast?”

“Great battle beast, eh? You know your history boy… I merely questioned being as I wished to know. Knowledge is power.”

“What now?” Ludwig asked, fidgeting.

“I’m leaving now. I’ve waited for you, and I can see you’ve important things to tend to, correct? So I shall keep you no longer.”

“Where is Mokra?” Teela demanded.

“Oh, I wouldn’t call him that, as he prefers Chaos.”

“Well that’s too bad.” Reema cut Teela off before could even begin.

“He could be, idealistically, in the throne room… I’m sure he knows you’re here. He usually knows all that goes on in this area.”

“This made Teela cringe; was this some sort of sense of telekinesis? Did he really know? She hoped not.

“You said COULD be… Where else?” She watched as the creature half shrugged.

“That I do not know. I’ve things to do myself. Good evening, then.” The beat then disappeared before any of them could protest. No one said anything more, but they all had thoughtful expressions. They continued on.

_

In all actuality, the time that had passed was only twenty minutes; to each of them it seemed dramatically exaggerated.

There was a specific room Ludwig did not like; he knew and could see it from a distance, but already he sensed something wrong, like a rabbit walking into a wolf’s lair.

The heavy smell of metal wafted up and greeted Karma eagerly; she could even taste it, as the aroma was that strong. It wasn’t a bad smell at all, but it simply didn’t seem in sync with the rest of the aromas they’d wandered through, all of which, so far seemed meaningless, weren’t recognizable.

“I believe we’re on the fourth floor.”

“Oh no, the place only has five… excluding the basement. You’re on the second.” A voice, fine and charming, rang out from directly in front of them.

“That so? Lovely.” Teela’s words felt like ice as they slipped out rationally.

“Ah, yes. The place is more than two hundred years old as well…”

“Mmhm…” Teela murmured, hands beginning to tremble a bit; she cast a glance to Karma, whose lips were pressed together tightly.

The voice came from the right now, and they all turned, each stepping closer to one another. “Indeed… so tell me, what bring you here?”

“Cut the casual… Then I’d be appreciative to discuss things with you. It’d be most respectful if you show yourself to me as well.”

“I can indeed comply to that.” And so the voice’s owner appeared, not even appearing really, but rather he just seemed to BE there all of a sudden. His puuple cape didn’t swish as he walked but rather it seemed to jostle over and into itself constantly, moving like water but flickered about like fire. His hair, exceedingly black, was short, though he had bangs pushed of to one side. His eyes were a deep shade of red, almost brown.

“Mokra.” The fanged yoshi’s tone was neutral.

“Chaos.” Mokra corrected, Karma crossing her arms and shuffling; her discomfort was highly apparent.

“Whatever.” Karma spat, glaring.

“So I ask what is your reason-“

“Drop the formalities already.” Ludwig snarled, the petty childish squeak in his voice gone for an instant.

“Fine. What in blazes are you here?”

“To finish what you started.” Venoma’s tone was mild; he flushed a pale color when Chaos turned his gaze to look upon him.

“Children… mere children. You all are here for- with- the sage?”

“She’s my sister.” Venoa tensed up, claws seeming ever more dangerous.

“She… is the sage to unlock my needs.” Chaos Mokra seemed to lose track for a moment. “Stupid children at that.”

“You want the sage to destroy the balance within our natural forces… you want to ruin us all.” Reema finally spoke up, Mokra’s look darkening in what looked like interest; Reema looked right back, making no reaction. “You seek to destroy the world, starting inside out first.”

“Yes, perhaps one of you isn’t as stupid as the rest. No matter though, you’re still lying about, useless to all.”

“Not true. Without us, you would have gotten Vara, whom you call ‘sage,’ and therefore then if we had not existed, it would have been much easier. To get technical…. Our purpose is to stop you, and opinions are like eyes; all of us here have them.” Teela retaliated, tone adequate.

“The force of the natural world….” Venoma keyed in. “You want the key to control it and so…”

“Yeah, kid, I believed I get what you are piecing together. I am the creator of ‘Vara.’ I researched and started the project, to BRING HER BACK.” Chaos Mokra yelled, spittle clinging to his lips, which he licked hastily. “She’s mine.”

“No I’m not.” Vara’s quiet voice was now focused and un-hindered with any naivety. She stared at Morka, whom continued to glare endlessly.

Teela as now beginning to think this was almost like a purpose stall. She felt the presence in her mind, watching her through a window she could never open. She did now, however, that the other side could open. It was waiting… and watching… she also sensed it was building.

“I’m not yours.” Vara repeated, almost pondering. “I’m not theirs either. I’m mine.” She giggled harmlessly now, Mokra chuckling.

“She speaks with the logic of a small child… And yet she is the key to the force of the world… Pathetic but true.”

A little more… more… Oh Karma, this force… ALMOST…

It was quick, and perhaps expected- the group saw it coming. Mokra Chaos leapt forward, mouth drawn back in a twisted smile, his hands glowing an invigorating shade of gray.

NOW!

Teela saw the window in her mind open; she was the angelic looking hands, but over top it all, she focused on the lever the window revealed.

She preferred to call them ‘mental triggers’ but this one did look like a lever. All her thoughts were thrust backwards now, giving her that mental thrust towards the lever. In her mind, the lever slid down easily and took practically no force at all.

“TAKE MY HANDS!” Teela heard her body call out faintly, as she then snapped back into the world of ‘solid things and reality.’

Karma took Ludwig’s hands, who in turn took Vara’s, and Vara took Venoma’s. Venoma took Reema’s hand, and Reema grabbed Teela’s, who connected the circle as she grabbed Karma’s- instantly they felt the force draw forward.

Mokra Chaos drove himself forward, eyes losing that focused glare and becoming a look of sheer amusement.

The each of them felt the sudden fire, an almost comforting warmth surge through their palms and settle within themselves. It then lurched forward in its own. It drove upwards with a force that was worth more than all the world’s race cars put together.

It not only drove forward within them, but also EXPLODED around them. The force and feeling seemed to grow even more once it reached ‘reality,’ and it were as though it seemed to take the very force of the air around it.

Chaos Mokra attempted to make contact, attempted to strike them, but it seemed he struck something emanating from around them. The man was at first a bit surprised, but then he became truly a bit distraught- the air seemed to be taking him in, and as Mokra Chaos attempted to back away, he found he was surrounded by it; there was no option to back away.

Karma felt the very floor beneath her begin to fade- no, it wasn’t the floor she realized, it was her body. The fluttery warmth replace where her feet were; she could see the others beginning to vanish before her. Yet her feet were still there, but it seemed like she were going elsewhere- to where, exactly, she didn’t know, but their hands were still linked and that was enough to buckle her screams…
 
 
 

Drip… Drip…

The noise echoed from everywhere and nowhere at once.

Get Up Moonlight…

Thoughts touched Teela and faded. There were forces around her now; she could feel where they’d gone.

Above…

Is it?

Karma? Teela let the thought ring out; it felt small against the blackness around her.

Teela? The fanged yoshi girl heard a reply, but she didn’t really ‘hear’ it. She felt the reply, felt Karma’s confusion. Where are you?

Well… Where IS here? Reema’s thoughts touched them both.

Somewhere else in the nothingness, Ludwig felt and heard them all, but he was closest to “The Door.” He began to believe it was some sort of door because he could feel the handle, but he simply couldn’t feel a hand that felt the handle. It were as though he could feel this door and nothing else.

It dawned upon Venoma as he groped around for some sort of ‘real’ sense of feel. His hands, feet, and entire physical form was not here. He was feeling around with senses that he didn’t know how to explain. He just WAS. They, he realized without much surprise, were all here mentally; their minds were on the same sort of wave, in sync, close.

We’re not really anywhere… Vanoma thought, his thoughts merely wandering. We’re here mentally.

Yes, when I was in my mind, this was sort of… there were feelings like this, but I had some sort of… Teela stopped there.

Teela, you still here? Ludwig asked hurriedly.

Shh… watch… er… feel.

It was an odd sensation, once in which each of them felt. Teela’s thoughts dulled down completely, but then they felt the ‘energy.’ It sped up and grew. They could each feel something being drawn together, being built.

A shoe…

Teela thought, and then they felt the shoe. Not near, but somewhere away, distant… like another room even.

Me. Teela continued, the mental picture emerging from her mind and then seeming to ‘be pressed’ and come forth elsewhere.

You all feel the door? Ludwig asked, feeling Teela’s presence nearby suddenly.

There is a door here… Now I feel those images… This is where they went. The images went forth… it was like they were being solidified… I’m going.

Each of them felt Teela’s thoughts wrap themselves around the handle of the door, pushing on the smooth wood, and felt her grow amazingly distant.

You there?

Yes… I can move my body. Teela sounded occupied as Karma began to imitate the process.

Going through the door, Karma felt the thoughts she originally sent come forth and ‘merge’ with her. She felt the eyesight click into place (although there was nothing to see) and felt the senses she desired come to her.

Whoa Ludwig, come check this out! Karma called.

Each of them followed, Vara last. They all stood in the darkened area, each now recognizing their ‘natural’ senses when they passed through the door. The feelings they had previous had, that sense of only feel, was still there, but they could see color, they could see each other.

“This… is different.” Ludwig stated, almost shocked by the presence and feel of his voice actually being spoken now. He looked to his claws; the lines began to form within them, each pattern coming forth as he thought about it.

“Watch this.” Teela directed their attention. They felt the energy come forth, become suppressed and then suddenly the fanged yoshi’s face darkened to a shade of green, her eyes becoming almost purple, and her hair becoming a burning purple. “I’m Karma and Venoma mixed.” She clarified, her voice sounding somewhat deeper and losing its melodic tone.

“Whoa…” Vara giggled, looking to Venoma. “I wanna try.” Her claws then disappeared, four digit paws materializing, Venoma staring in bemusement.

“Wow…”

“The possibilities are… endless! In mathematics, this isn’t possible! Logically, there is only ONE solution….” Ludwig raved, eyes wide as “Teela” stepped beside him.

“We’re above that, and you needn’t understand it Ludwig… you shouldn’t hurt your brain over something that’ll help us.” The girl admonished knowingly.

“Hm…” Karma’s snide grin blossomed and suddenly a bucket of water appeared beside Ludwig. As if on cue, Teela pushed him out of the way, flailing her hand towards the bucket. It froze as she looked defiantly to Karma, smiling a small and clever smile.

“You were thinking what I was thinking.” Teela giggled. “Minus the bucket and water that is… I foresaw that. We’ve got something pretty cool here.”

“Hey I can make myself look older.” Reema giggled, growing taller and making herself look as she imagined. Teela’s eyes lit up, epiphany emerging.

“My vision…” She declared, her look of amusement now fading into her stoic look.

“I… yeah.” Karma nodded, looking to Teela in an almost frightened manner.

“Your visions…” Venoma shook his head.

“Vision?” Reema asked.

“Yeah, Teela had a vision. Karma told me about it.” Ludwig was now looking over-solemn.

“What of?” Reema asked.

“Karma died… We were fighting against this monster-looking thing. Didn’t see you there, Reema, but I do know that we were all older, or so we looked.” Teela clarified, Reema nodding, taking back her original form.

“Well I don’t see why you’d lie about something like that when we’re in such a strange place… I don’t want to believe you, but you’re not lying.”

”What’re we going to do?” Karma hastened.

“I’m gonna try contacting Chaos.” Teela awaited for someone to object, but none of them did. She supposed they wanted to get back to their respectful placed in ‘reality’, and she had to agree with them. The fanged yoshi shut her eyes, ‘physically’ and ‘mentally’ shutting her eyes, focusing.

CHAOS I KNOW YOU’VE FIGURED THINGS OUT BY NOW…

Hm… what? Who?

Teela dug into his mind with a sudden force; she could feel his clawing around, but she could also sense another presence, another side of him.

GAH THE TRASH…

Who else would it be? Karma chimed in.

Come on Chaos… Let’s finish this once and for all. Teela clinched her fists, snarling as she sent the mental message.

Mokra Chaos had been ‘floating’ around for what seemed forever. He was lurking, but didn’t know where. Not what he sensed what they had done How odd… They’ve got bodies… He began to do the same thing. Moments later, however, he felt his mind being grabbed at, being pulled closer, and this enraged him.

LET GO!

COME ON!

Teela yelled, feeling Chaos’s mind fighting back, attempting to push her away, and because he was still disoriented, she was succeeding in dragging him about.

Karma now sensed what Teela was doing and proceeded to help. She began to ‘ drag’ him as well, Ludwig and Venoma soon joining in.

Reema, though slightly skewed in confusion, pulled Vara and both of them began to help the others.

Brother, this is weird. Vara announced, happy as ever.

Chaos became furious now, anger building in his thoughts, bursting with sudden-

PUSH-

The rest of them were knocked away.

ALL RIGHT TRASH! ENOUGH!

The group returned to their ‘bodies’, seeing Mokra Chaos materialize before them; his eyes were red and gleaming, fists clenched tight, and lips drawn back in a disdainful smile that was more of a snarl. He looked more insane than anything else, and still Teela sensed faintly that other…

And now… The final piece… Karma now thought, paying no attention to Chaos. Instantly, the thought she sent out occurred-

The air around them became air, smelling of sulfur and rock. The smoke furled in the distance not too far away, the volcano releasing the poisons in a long gray and matted-seeming string. This was the settings Teela recognized, this was her vision…

Time to change it! The excitement grew within each of them, starting with Karma and Teela, the emotions spreading around.

Let’s do this. Ludwig sounded.

Venoma was the first to start at Chaos; his claws grew into paws as he allowed the original vision of Teela’s to fill his mind- he had the wrist knife, and thus he allowed such an object now. The metal glinted in the clouded sunlight, Chaos disappearing in an instant as Venoma charged at him, fangs gleaming just as the metal.

Reema thought of her axe, the heavy object materializing in her paws as she dashed at where Chaos was now.

Karma… Be careful. Teela stated the last thing that was spoken from any of them during the whole battle.

Chaos played with them for a bit; each of them attempted to attack the man but he vanished much before they even got close.

Anything… could be possible… Ludwig thought, using his favorite, the scientific method, to hypothesize. He then sent out the thought, imagining himself behind Chaos. Instantly the boy saw he was behind his opponent.

“GAHH…” Chaos was taken back as Ludwig pushed him to the ground, the man disappearing before he hit.

Teela took complete advantage of this playing field- she then watched as Karma turned to her and grinned. Anything they could imagine would virtually work here… any sort of thought. She wanted to be right behind Chaos and thus-

The palm blast went right into the back of his head, Karma appearing in front of the man and kicking him in his stomach. No one cheered, however, but rather Teela and Karma backed away expectantly.

I SEE HOW THIS WORKS… They knew he was catching on now; he was no longer disoriented. Their weapon was his… It was only a matter of who could find the most ways around things.

Chaos’s body then seemed to burn within itself; his entire form caught flame and then became some sort of ash that began to multiply in itself. It was something Reema figured she would have nightmares about for the longest time if she got out of this… The girl rushed at him with her axe nonetheless.

Mom I miss you… Karma’s memories then began to surface, as though she were being-

Arrow… Agent Arrow…Oh how could you kill her you monster-

-searched through. Karma sensed Chao’s presence, though just as soon as she realized it, she felt Teela pulling his mind away. This wasn’t just a physical battle, the girl realized, it was a mental one too…

Read my mind go ahead read it and take it in because it’ll drive you insane and that I guarantee- Teela waited for her to come near, mentally or physically, but Chaos did no such thing. He instead, continued with his crazy nightmarish form’s creation.

The black hands seem to float from the beast- they all recognized him, save for Reema- and its face seemed more like lines on an etch-a-sketch; it seemed to be drawn and then erased with a simple movement. Chaos’s form grew, much taller then any of them.

Karma was the first to attempt to imitate Chaos’s size change, but she found there was now some sort of mental hold upon her mind, blocking these thoughts from becoming ‘real.’

As Teela attempted to change her size as well, she found that there was some sort of force keeping her from doing as she pleased. The girl knew instantly that if none of them succeeded in doing this, they were already doomed.

Ludwig knew the object; its orange surface and pale underbody good for soup. He pictured it, and suddenly the object erupted from the air; it was a Super Mushroom. Before Chaos could realize it, Ludwig was growing much larger.

Each of them copied these actions; all of them became just as tall or taller than Chaos.

Reema’s axe got bigger now, her smile becoming a frown as she glared at Chaos. Instantly she charged; the man was taken back, being as he knew he was able to block them if he thought strongly of it, but somehow they had found a way around that.

Chaos dodged, though Teela suddenly appearing in front of him with a palm blast. He narrowly dodged that one as well, beginning to chant some sort of incantation.

The air around them began to grow darker, especially around Ludwig. A blackish bubble formed around the koopa boy; it began to constrict him. Chaos failed to realize, however, none of them were breathing.

“The mind needn’t breathe as you think.” Karma’s voice sounded alien; she then pictured herself much stronger.

Chaos pictured burning… He saw them all burning, flames everywhere, however-

Teela was the first to grab onto his mind. This began the bitter struggle to keep him from thinking clearly; she was upon his thoughts like a dog upon steak. Venoma latched onto the man’s thoughts as well, his vicious and angry thoughts screaming at them to get off.

Karma saw the light clearly in her thoughts; it was red, though consuming in nature. It was a sort of power she had once pictured a super hero character to have, but she now figured it would do well for her too.

Her hands were drawn back behind her head, and her eyes began to grow into a deep shade of brown, then to maroon, and then lightening to red. As her mouth open, the red light tore from her, her entire body suddenly being consumed in it. She became a sort of nova Karma, her entire form growing in the red light as she approached Chaos.

Ludwig saw Karma, almost scared of her, and then pictured what he was perhaps known for- blowing up things. He saw the chemical compounds clearly in his head, each a formation for explosives. They mixed in his mind, and suddenly-

KABBOOOMMM…

Chaos felt the searing pain within his mind- it wasn’t any sort of real pain he had ever felt, but rather some sort of ripping through his head, ripping through his head, like a flurry of whipping wind on bare skin though much worse. He screamed in his head, driving Teela and Venoma away, enabling his thoughts to now come pouring out-

Some sort of force picked up Karma, though only the others could really tell. The black hands began to crush her, though not physically, but rather mentally. She pictured her form being crushed-

Ludwig suddenly fell to the ground, screaming, hands seeming confused as to whether to go to his head (which he THOUGHT his mind was, because that burning pain, that sudden need for air that-) or his ribs.

Teela watched, Venoma reacting before she did. He saw in his mind the stab of the sword right through Chaos’s thoughts, and sure enough, Chaos growled in some sort of distant pain. The hands began to draw back, Karma screaming though suddenly growing limp, Ludwig falling to the ground with a sickening thud.

The hybrid was tossed forward, though Teela now decided this was where she wanted to change things- she dove forward, running, and jumping up about twenty feet off of the ‘ground.’ The volcano Karma had been thrown at suddenly was pushed back, the ground beneath them beginning to tremble. Teela watched as Karma shrank; she dove, catching the girl in her paws.

Vara had only watched them all with a horribly confused look; as she saw Ludwig and Karma suddenly collapse, she felt a sudden rush of hatred for the figure whom called himself Chaos. Now she began to think…

Reema saw Teela fall and catch Karma, Chaos now coming at Teela with a steak about ten feet long.

“SHE ISN’T A VAMPIRE YOU FREAK.” Reema bellowed, coming at Chaos with the axe.

The thoughts built, the force becoming stronger… Each fiber built upon itself, and surely enough Vara began to change…

Her eyes disappeared completely, only glowing white spheres remaining. Her hair darkened to a black sort of color, and her claws reappeared, growing to fifty times their original size as she began to grow in height. She was absorbed in a yellow-white light moments later, almost imitating what Karma was doing, but the light not erupting from her mouth.

Chaos saw Vara and instantly redirected his strange ‘stake’ and tripping Reema. He went at Vara, specifically for her stomach, although she still came at him, as though she wanted to get hit.

The stake came closer, though Vara came forward at it. It didn’t seem to make contact with her, however; it were as though she had suddenly become a moving mass of only a picture. Chaos thought at first that she wasn’t real, but as her claws came down on him, he felt his mind suddenly being enwrapped, being strangled, being ripped apart.

Teela stood up, only watching what looked like Vara sitting on Chaos. He was screaming, however, mentally and physically. The fanged yoshi girl then attempted to watch, but she still couldn’t tell what was going on as she held Karma in her paws and reached for Ludwig.

Chaos felt his mind being shredded; this light was eating every fiber, starting inside out. He didn’t know how it had gotten there, only that it had come forth from INSIDE himself, as though something had come and … taken over.

“GAAAhhhhhhhaahhahahahh….” His screams grew even more horrid; it was a sound that would remain in Teela’s subconscious for the rest of her life. Reema felt the scream within her own mind, attempting to shut it out but unable. She stood frozen, watching as Vara backed off. “THEN YOU’LL ALL NEVER G-“

Suddenly a large hole seemed to rip through the air. Their surroundings began to change, began to flicker completely, began to fade. It was becoming real- they were being tossed out of this world and into their own.

The castle room they had originally been in is what they ‘awoke’ into; Karma jumped up, screaming as she looked at the hole not more than five feet away from her. She saw the others already up, however, staring in awe.

This hole was coming from Chaos’s body, taking it in first, and seeming like a black hole as it warped the floor, taking it in and then spitting it back out like a distorted image.

Reema remembered faintly: If you could give one up… for the world, for everything, would you? She never knew that answer, however, her mind did come up with a more sensible question: Would you want to be Teela’s friend?

“Yes…” She murmured, gripping her axe suddenly.

Ludwig had grabbed onto Karma; the hole in reality didn’t seem to grow, but it had a force to it that sucked everything it, and he knew that it was moving towards them, creating monstrous images of their surroundings. Karma was screaming…

Venoma pulled Vara back, Vara screaming in confusion as she repeatedly asked her brother what was going on. Teela stepped back from the portal slower than the rest, watching Reema with large and questioning eyes.

“YOU BETTER FORGIVE ME, TEELA… I KNOW YOU’RE NOT A DEMON…” Reema’s axe then began to glow; Teela watched as Reema’s entire figure began to glow a blackish color. It happened in much slower motion in Teela’s mind- she attempted to yell out, but by then it was already happening.

Reema’s thoughts reeled as she held the axe above her head, charging for the hole. She whipped it around several times; creating more rifts in the air that followed her as she charged at the portal. As she was absorbed into the portal, the axe continuously spun in the portal, separate rifts cutting the hole into many pieces… In a sudden instant, the whole thing faded, and Reema with it.

Teela stared at where the hole in ‘reality’ had previously been… It was gone, she told herself, and Reema was gone too.

“You… ok?” Karma stepped up beside Teela, taking hesitant steps towards her friend, afraid every step she took might open her up and dump her into a dark pit or something among that nature.

“She… just… threw herself in there…” Teela remembered when they grew up together; the others had not known Reema, but she did, and she knew the girl had become more vengeful, but nothing else- her actions did not change, her thought pattern had not change. It was overwhelming in emotion; Teela knew the girl perhaps had only followed them to kill her off, but she didn’t… she jumped into that hole, jumped into it stating that Teela better forgive her.

No one spoke for several more moments; Vara hugged Venoma, stating simply that she was scared. Ludwig hugged Karma, sighing as Karma hugged him in return. Teela walked up and hugged Karma and Ludwig both.

“The more important thing is that if you guys are ok.” Teela stated, looking at all of them.

“But are YOU ok?” Ludwig emphasized.

“Yes.” Teela nodded, sighing as she hugged Karma and Ludwig tighter. “Scared, but I’m alive… Anyone have any physical damage to them?”

They each looked to each other, but none of them were physically hurt. Ludwig was still bandaged where he’d been shot with an arrow much earlier, but he had forgotten about that long ago.

“What was that?” Venoma asked finally, all of them standing and looking of their shoulders constantly.

“I recall… Yeah, I recall that I once read a book. It’s a ninja training technique. It’s called ‘Scissor Lashes.’ It’s supposed to be meant for air… but the book did go on to talk about creatures called dimension hackers… and how slight alterations of the hands with certain weapons can mimic their… techniques.” Teela explained, sighing, looking to where the hole once more as though to prove it. “But we’re all ok… we’re all alive… and Chaos is gone…”

“Yeah… Let’s go home now…” Karma turned to Teela, the hybrid taking note that Teela looked much older now, her face haggard seeming and her eyes almost gray.

“Yeah… Venoma? Can you get us out of here?” Teela questioned. Venoma nodded, and instantly they all took hands, one less person in the circle…

_

The sun was just setting over the horizon in Dark Land, or at least what little sun there was. They stood in the forest, Teela calling for Chirpy as the bird flapped down, something glittering in its talons.

“Chirpy, give me the dice please…” Teela remembered slipping the dice to her bird friend when they had reached Castle Chaos. Somehow she knew she could always count on Chirpy. The bird allowed the dice to fall into her paws as it took perch on her shoulder. “Last wish… stand back.”

She rolled the dice, two sevens appearing as the fanged yoshi girl grinned to herself- it was a lucky number. The beast of the dice came forth, sarcastic still.

“Ahh, you’re still alive! How sad… You’ve one wish left, big nose creature.”

“Yeah, whatever feathers for brains…” Teela joked, and giving the creature a wary and exhausted smile that Karma took note of. “I want Venoma and Vara to be taken to his own time… Take him home… and in one piece.”

“Uh… Teela… I need to speak with you…” Venoma was all of a sudden alert. The two stepped away from the others as Venoma looked to Vara in sorrow. “I can’t take her with me…”

“Why?” Teela asked, also looking over her should to the smiling creature that was Venoma’s sister.

“My dad… ‘member, he’s the king… He’s gonna think she’s of ‘the enemy forces…’ There’s this huge war going on… I… won’t be able to take her back, he’ll think it’s some sort of sorcery…”

“Then she can stay with me.” Teela offered, smiling, though still it was haggard. “I could always use another traveling buddy…”

“Oh really?! You don’t know how much this means to me… I mean, you saved my life… you went with me to get Vara back… and now you… you decide to let her stay with you… I sometimes don’t understand you, Teela Yoshi, but… I suppose we needn’t understand to accept.”

“Exactly.” Teela grinned, truthful and full now. “But… I guess this is goodbye for now.”

“I promise I’ll come back for Vara… One day…” Venoma continued, his eyes wide as looked sincerely to Teela.

“All right, friend. Don’t forget me.”

“I won’t. I promise that too.” Venoma smiled, Teela nodding.

They went back to the rest of their friends and the beast, Venoma looking to Vara.

“Sister, you must stay with Teela… Ok?”

“Ok.” Vara agreed, naive and still smiling. Her eyes, however, had a spark of knowing, however, a look that merely suggested she was watching the world, all of them, with silence. Venoma kissed his sister upon the cheek, hugging her as he stated goodbye. “Goodbye… brother.”

“It’s just Venoma going. To his own time. Take him where he is from, beast, and no trickery… Got it?” Teela demanded, the beat nodding. Teela hugged Venoma as he stepped up to the beast.

“Bye Venoma.” The fanged yoshi girl wished the boy goodbye, Ludwig walking up to Venoma and placing a paw on one of his finned shoulder.

“Bye… You’re someone I was glad to meet.”

Karma said goodbye, watching as the beast created a small portal on the ground. They all continued to wish him farewell as he stepped into the portal, disappearing, as did the beast… The dice were left upon the ground, however, they were no longer gold, Teela found, but rather they had become a glinting shade of silver.

“Teela… are you still ok?” Karma questioned.

“Yup. You?” Teela asked, looking to Ludwig and her both.

“I’m in one piece…” Ludwig grumbled, smiling.

“Vara, are you ok?” Teela turned, however, to find the girl attempting to climb a tree. They all giggled, Teela going over and pulling her friend down. “You ok?”

“I’m Vara, not ok.”

Teela nodded, looking to Karma.

“I guess we’ll get going.” The yoshi girl stated, Chirpy flapping its wings in an almost sort of goodbye. Karma came forward and hugged Teela, Ludwig doing the same as they all smiled to each other.

Teela began off, Karma and Ludwig watching as Chirpy took flight and Vara skipped along. The hybrid hadn’t yet had time to sort out anything yet, but she supposed they were all ok, and that was what counted… but she couldn’t help feeling different. Perhaps it was just because she was tired, or it was because all of them really had become closer…

The “beat” in which all of them were living to was certainly changed now; for sure Karma and Ludwig now knew what trouble really was. The beat they were on, however, may change, and these melodies may last a life time, may last forever… but what they all had, that bond of friendship, would not change… It could last the melodies, forever, forever more still; the melody they shared could last forever more.

_

Castle Chaos sat under the dim moonlight, a crumbling artifact that passively resembled what it once was. With no ruling force to give its structure meaning, the essence of the building had been ripped out, leaving it as an empty shell holding nothing but faded memories. The hollowed out eyes that were the windows stared blankly into the night sky, not knowing what they needed to be on the lookout for. The towers reached into the sky in hopes that the heavens would pull them from where they stood, though knowing full well the only place they would find welcoming arms was the fiery abyss.

A figure walked along the beaten path, garbed in a trench coat that blended in with the darkness around him. His right hand held onto the hilt of a katana that was still smothered in the blood of those that had confronted him. In his left was a pistol that had been recently fired, smoke spewing from its barrel. There was no need for a new clip if he ran out of ammo; he had a dozen more pistols beneath his coat for when the need arose.

Like a cat creeping through the musty alleyway, the man was careful with each step he took. On the lookout for any living remnants of the castle’s sinister history, he swiftly moved from shadow to shadow. His speed would have made him appear as a trick of the eye to a bystander had there been any. Few could replicate his stealth, for they did not have the blessing that allowed him to accomplish it anyhow.

He arrived at the door to the castle and slowly pushed it open to minimize the creak. Inside, there was an empty grand hallway where minions of Mokra Chaos had once scurried about in order to serve their master. Dust had accumulated in many corners, and spiders made their homes in webs hanging from unlit chandeliers. There wasn’t any noise in the castle to create balance with the silence, each of the man’s footsteps within its containments translating to an echoing boom.

Its state of abandonment was of no surprise. There were other issues that demanded further attention, and they would be attended to immediately.

The man coated in darkness bent down in the middle of the room and returned the pistol in his hand to its respective holster. His free hand then moved up to the shades on his face, tightly pinching the rims and activating a device deeply rooted in the man’s mind, allowing for the lenses to portray images that had once existed in the past.

It took a few seconds for the device to locate what he sought, but the images arrived. They were of several young adventurers, still in their teenage years, confronting Mokra Chaos before his timely death. Aside from one, all of them were or had the blood of Yoshis. The exception was a Koopa, more specifically the heir to the Koopa Kingdom throne from the looks of it. There was one girl that apparently shared the blood of a Yoshi and that of a Koopa, a hybrid that the man instantly took a disliking to. Two of the Yoshi-like creatures also looked like Yoshis, but they had alligator-like attributes that distanced themselves from any other species known to inhabit the modern-day Plit.

Their battle was not in the castle, at least, not technically. They had been caught within the mind of Chaos, a place where anything is possible so long as Chaos deems it necessary in emerging victorious. However, what occurred did not go as the sinister overlord had hoped. He had died dramatically, one of the Yoshis being sealed away in the process and the others fleeing soon after, leaving the destroyed mind of Chaos behind.

The images then disappeared almost as quickly as they had come. With another squeeze of the sunglasses, the device was activated again to serve a different purpose. The man’s mind became a transmitter, and immediately it received a signal, a voice speaking to the man clearly.

What have you gathered from the analysis of the site, Riardo?

“Chaos is dead, that’s for sure,” Riardo said aloud, his voice crisp and cool. “He was killed in action as we hoped, but…”

Did the suspected girl accomplish the deed?

Riardo was hesitant at first, but then he bluntly stated, “No. She fought Chaos with a group… in other words, she wasn’t the one to take him on and demonstrate her powers.

Hmmm… That is indeed a problem. We have no way of telling if she is linked to Her…

“Still, she fits the physical description perfectly, and her personality is a perfect match, I’d say… I think we can go the extra step with her.”

Indeed we could. As it is, our progress is already too far in to be hindered by this search. We need to confirm the main suspects now and stop this random search in hopes the right person will come along.

“Of course, sir... Should I notify our ‘puppets’ that it’s time to initiate the final stage of the plan?”

Silence followed as the voice within Riardo’s head contemplated this thoroughly.

Yes, yes… go ahead. I entrust you with the duty of setting the stage for our Lord.

Riardo grinned, his canines sharp like a vampire’s. “Oh, but of course. Our Lord will be very pleased with the work we’ve done to ensure a safe return.”

Very well… I shall leave you to carry out your task, Riardo.

“Very well, my master.”

The device turned off as the voice sending the signals ceased to do so. Riardo pushed the red bangs of his mostly-black hair. He got back up into a standing position and turned around to walk out the door, his business in the area finished. As he headed back outside, his devilish grin remained eminent.

“You may have gotten lucky in getting one of us… but there are still six more to reclaim you in the name of DAD…”

And with that he vanished. As soon as he was cast in shadows, his body seemed to fade away until there was nothing left to show that he had even taken a step into the castle. Everything then returned to normal. Silence befell the castle, and if one took the time to get acquainted with their surroundings, they would notice a presence still lingering.

The presence of a deity waiting to be released from its eternal prison so it could reclaim what it claimed to be its own.

The End...

Author’s Note:
Well, I thought I had nothing more to add… But this is the fourth or fifth time I’ve rewritten the ending. Really, a lot of people seemed to like it (I’ve got a folder full of feedback for this story alone), but it’s a matter… of do I like it? This was a rough draft. To me, this story is the physical representation of my improvement throughout the two and a half (or more!) years it’s taken me to write it. I know someone said it stunk (I won’t name who) and I simply thought to myself that I don’t like it either. There were many times where I wanted to rewrite it… It was a good friend of mine who told me I shouldn’t. He simply stated to appreciate all I’ve gotten done, and that I should be proud of myself. It’s done now, and for that I’m thankful. I am proud, I suppose, of this rough draft. I, however, will state that everything I’ve written (aside from the Cassie and Roy stories) all were rough drafts. I’m not going to rewrite them, but I will keep in mind they could have been better. This story could have been better, I realize and accept that, but I love this story now… I love it with all my heart, because I realize that this IS the solid representation of how I improved. I love it because it’s not the best. I love it because I simply cannot hate it.

This story is dedicated to Yoshihart: You kept this story going… There were many times I wanted to give up, but the emails in my inbox from you, knowing I couldn’t let the reader down… I thank you and dedicate this to you as thanks.

Also for Ninja-Z: Without you, this story would have also ended a long time ago. Also without you, I would have re-written and hated it. Thank you for telling me to love my work and thank you for the encouragement.

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