Chapter Twelve: The Gateway
MARIO
The grass rustled beneath me as my feet passed by. I sighed. Looking up at the moon, I watched it glow, illuminating my face as I hung my head in sorrow. A tear ran down my face and splashed on the dirt, soaking it and making the mud slowly move downwards as if running away from the horrible scene taking place. I pounded my fists into the soft dirt, feeling it between my knuckles and running down my hands. I breathed in and out heavily as if these breaths were my last. My eyes were bloodshot and my face was haggard. My hair was twisted and stringy, and the rich color was lacking. My mustache was torn in half and hanging slightly. A small line of blood ran down my forehead and mixed with my tear, creating a small bubble of red and blue.
My clothes were torn and tattered, and blood dripped from my chest. My usually gloved hands were degloved and my knuckles were cut up badly. I leaned over the side of a small pond and stretched my arms into the cold water; they stung for a second, but then felt better. I pulled them out and hugged myself, aware of the immense cold. I heard the footsteps of another and I turned around. It was Lucy. She was wearing a beautiful, pink, embroidered nightgown with flower patterns on it. She sat down next to me and touched my face. She ran her fingers over my face and I smiled at her. Tears ran from her eyes as well, and she wrapped her arms around me. This took me by surprise, but then I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her. She released her arms from me, and I fell to the ground crying uncontrollably.
She rubbed my back and whispered calming words into my ears, comforting me slightly. I picked my seemingly heavy body off the ground and walked towards the castle. I went up to the front doors and pushed against them to open, but to no avail. I pushed again, falling on my face in the mud. I looked up and the doors creaked open, revealing Toad standing there looking at me sullenly. "Oh... Sorry, Mario. I didn't know you were there." The little fungus had something missing to him today. The normal spring in his step was gone and his face was twisted in an ugly scowl. It was angry, yet sad and forlorn at the same time. I walked into the castle, feeling the warmth of the light sweep over me, which usually made me feel good. Now, it only made me miserable.
I walked down the halls and seemed to notice that the lights flickered more dimly than they used to, and were slightly cracked in places. Several Mushroomers moved more slowly, as if a thundercloud of dread hovered over them. I slowly walked up the winding stairs that led to my room. As I walked inside, the door creaked with great sadness, and I looked over at my daughter's bed. She was wrapped up in her covers and was shivering. Her face had a look of fear on it, the kind you see on a dead man's face when he was killed instantly. Her face was soaked with tears and her normally straight ponytail was frayed and twisted. I took the blankets and pulled them up higher. She had cried herself to sleep, I saw, and I did not like this fact.
Then I walked over to Dyllan's bed. Although he did not want to admit it, I knew he was miserable as well. He grit his teeth, eyes closed, probably fighting some eternal battle. I couldn't help but smile, and I rubbed his hair. Too sad to sleep, I went over to the two folding doors and opened them to go out onto the finely crafted veranda. I leaned on the banister and sighed, looking up at the stars. They shone with a great intensity that shone down on Toad Town. I sighed. I was supposed to protect them. But, then how would I have time for anything else? Like... my family. The stars let off brilliant shades of light that cascaded down from the heavens like a shimmering bullet.
The stars sent off beams of radiant light and streams of rainbow that connected to form the Star Road. Now it was completely visible. I turned my head to leave, wanting to see no more. As I turned around, a far off noise was heard, but then it got louder and louder, until a shimmering creature hovered behind me. I looked around. There was a floating star that was wearing golden armor and carrying a star-encrested sword. I gasped in amazement. "Twink?" I asked.
His face was solemn and stern. "Yes, Mario. I am not supposed to tell you this, but there is a way to get Peach back." My face lit up. "You must go to the Star Shrine. If you go past that you will see a large gate. There is a warrior of great magnitude who waits there. If you defeat him, he will let you past. There you will find a place that will tell you all your answers." Twink then disappeared in a trail of rainbow light.
I rummaged through my pocket and found a golden brown feather there. I touched it, and a long yellow cape formed on my back. I jumped into the air, flying. If you have never flown before, then you truly don't know the joy. The wind whipped past my face and my body caught a thermal, which let me rise into the sky. I looked down into the clouds below and saw the curious faces of the Mushroomers as they looked at me. I smiled. As I did a loopty loop into the sky, I closed my eyes, feeling the cool night air against my skin. I soared upward, never looking back, and saw the beautiful sight of Star Haven before my eyes. Then I remembered Malor. He was a despicable, rotten creature. Eldstar would have said the same thing, but, he would have lessened the blow.
I landed on the hovering Island of the stars and looked around me. Star children frolicked happily and parents watched over them lovingly. They were all minding their own business, but they turned towards me and I seemed to infect them with sorrow. I continued on, so that I would possibly revive the love of my life. When I got to the Star Shrine I went past to the large gate spoken about by the brave but young Star Spirit. Standing there was a large Star woman who had long red hair and had a large sword. She looked down with pity upon me. "Little one, Do you truly wish to get past here? I do not wish to fight you."
I looked down at the ground, but then looked at her. "Yes. I do not fear you. I will fight, for my quest is important to me."
She sighed, and then picked up her weapon. "As you wish, but I will not hold back. And I plead you, abandon your foolish quest. Do not risk your life for someone you thought you loved."
"I did love her," I said, "and I will not back down."
She shot me a look of fury. "THEN LET'S SEE WHAT YOU CAN REALLY DO!!!!" she roared, rushing at me.
Chapter Thirteen: When in Rome
WARIO
The dull, dusty, wooden floorboards creaked and crunched in the eerie glow of the moon. A musty smell was present and made me cough. I looked around my new room, looking at every detail. The rafters were pitch black and completely invisible, so I had no idea of what was up there. I thought I heard a low sound from behind me, but I found nothing there. But there was something clawing and ripping at the back of my mind like an annoying mosquito. I sighed and turned on my side. A soft tapping was at my windowsill, but I looked and found nothing there. I mentally kicked myself. It's probably just a branch. Soon I fell asleep.
~~~~
I was covered in a world of darkness. I coughed through the dismal fog that was in front of me, and looked through a dreary haze. Almost immediately I saw the hooded figure, and behind him the large black knight. A sensation of dread overcame me and my knees became like jelly and would not move. The knight laughed. "So here we are again, my little friend. I told you I was real. That gash proved it."
I sweat profusely as he stared down at me. "That could have been anything! I could have gotten caught on a tree branch, or something..." I murmured.
It shot me an ice cold glance. "You still lie to yourself. I am real as the hair on your head. And I am here. I am always here to follow you. I lie in your subconscious." His words sent shivers up and down my spine. "Believe it or not, I will kill you. In good time. That is, with the help of my partner." He nodded towards the hooded specter.
"We will soon throw this world into a void into a realm of darkness, and nobody will be able to stop us. Not Bowser, not the Mario Bros, and definitely not you two." He raised his arms above his head. "Soon Plit will see what we are capable of."
My tongue twisted in a knot and sweat ran down my head. "How do you know all that?" I asked.
He just winked and grinned evilly at me. My vision started fogging over.... and then I was awake. It was morning now, and the sunlight shone through and hurt my eyes. I shivered, remembering the dream that was seeming less and less like a dream.
I got out of my bed to open the door. When I did, standing there was the robed host. I jumped back a foot, and then looked at him. "Sorry I scared you, Mister Wario," he said.
Was it just me or was there an evil gleam in the man's eyes? I decided that it was a trick of the light. "That's fine," I said.
He looked down at his watch and scowled. "Well, I am here to give you a tour of this place. Wake your brother and come with me."
I bumped Waluigi. He opened his eyes sleepily and looked at me. "What do you-a want?" he asked. I told him that the host was here to show us around. He got up and followed me to the door where he was waiting.
We walked out into the main area of the building where we came in. The walls were very high and corroded and old. They looked as if they had been there since ancient times. He looked at us. "This is the main arena. This is where the gameshow will take place."
Waluigi frowned. "Are you sure? It looks more like a battle arena."
He continued on as if he had not heard my brother. We walked into the next room. It was a long corridor with twists and turns at every juncture. "This is the great hall. Participants sleep here."
The next room was in a dome shape and there were several couches and and old, beat up vending machine. A small, dusty old TV sat in the front of the room gathering dust. There wasn't much special in here except that rats scampered around under the stone floor and cobwebs seemed to be in every corner. "This is the place where contestants can relax after a match. It has snacks and sofas, and a TV," he said before moving on.
The next room was much smaller and quite compressed. It had several cluttered pieces of junk lying around and not remotely interesting. "What in the world is this dump?" I growled.
He looked a bit hurt. "Um... That's my room."
I cringed. "Oh... so?" He growled.
We left the small room and I motioned towards an abandoned door that was rusted and broken down. "Where does that lead?" I asked.
"The basement.... which you are never to enter... under any circumstances..." he said in a creepy Count Olaf-esque manner.
"Ookay..." I muttered, disturbed greatly. Then he left me and my brother alone in the hall, a thick silence looming over us. We went back to our rooms for the day and just minded our own business, doing whatever. I was still very curious about that mysterious door.
At nightfall, I decided to go and check out what was down there. I snuck out of my bed and tiptoed down the floor, causing it to creak and groan. I cursed under my breath and muttered something about dieting. A hand touched me on the shoulder and I whirled around, only to see Waluigi standing there. "Wondering about that too?" Waluigi asked me, and I nodded. I went over to the door and quietly opened it. Then I looked down into the basement. There was something of an evil aura that came from the basement, there was no light present and creaking sounds came from down there. I gingerly walked onto the first step, seeing if it could hold me, and then continued going when I found it safe. My brother followed me. When we walked a little more, I couldn't see my own hands in front of my own hands.
I walked down another step, but felt a sense of overwhelming dread as there was no stair and I stepped onto solid ground. There was a small, flickering light in the corner of my eye and I spun around to see nothing. Then the light got brighter and I could see where we were. The basement was surprisingly large and contained a lone candle with a flickering red light in it. As we continued to walk we saw more steps leading further down. We continued on in the dim light of a few candles. When we reached the bottom we saw a dead end. There was nothing there so we turned to leave. Then, I heard a squeaking sound. Mice? When I turned around I gasped at what I saw. Some kind of rodent. With red glowing eyes and coarse black fur. I did the smartest thing to do. Me and my brother ran upstairs and caught our breath leaning on the door.
The host came along smiling. "How you doin', fellas?" he asked, but stopped when he saw the basement's light on. His smile distorted into a snarl of rage. "YOU WENT DOWN THERE?! I TOLD YOU NEVER TO GO DOWN THERE!!!"
Wario put his hands out in front in a gesture. "Woah, dude, we were just checking it out, but we did see some creepy rode-"
The host cut them off. "Rodent problem, okay? It's nothing."
He walked off, leaving us with an odd feeling.
Chapter Fourteen: The Next Day
KARMA
I opened my eyes to see a bright new day. Sun shone through my open window and I breathed the fresh air. Ludwig was at my side snoring. I laughed at how his hair blew when he exhaled. He was so handsome just lying there. I sighed and slid my legs onto the ground before walking over to the bathroom. I cupped my hands and filled them with water, which I proceeded to splash my face with. I opened the small, ornate cupboard and found a small toothbrush, which I used to brush my teeth. Then I went down the wooden steps to the downstairs.
When I came down the old Mushroomer lady was waiting for me. She smiled, her gray hair a bit fizzled. "Hello, dear. Do you want some breakfast?" she asked. I nodded politely and she took a plate of stacked pancakes with syrup drizzled on them. My eyes grew wide. "Do you like them? I made them myself," she asked.
I took my fork and dug into them, leaving a mess of pancake crumbs on my plate. "Is this your own special recipe?" I asked. She nodded her head.
Drearily Ludwig came down the stairs, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. He sat down and was greeted by a plate of pancakes. Ludwig's jaw nearly dropped and he ate the pancakes, and would have eaten the plate too if I didn't stop him. He smiled with a full stomach.
"Do you kids want to play outside?" she asked.
We walked to the door but I stopped to talk to her. "What's your name?" I asked.
"Melinda," she replied. I smiled. It was a beautiful name, that it was.
Ludwig and I walked out into the open sky. I gasped. The sun shone down through the green, lush trees of the village. Leaves gently floated down to the ground and the grass rustled in the wind. Out in the yard there was a gorgeous pool of water that glistened with light and reflected into the sky. The ground was soft to the feel and looked good for growing crops. "Wow, how is this all in Dark Land?" I asked. Then I slapped Ludwig on the shoulder and then ran over to the pool and jumped in, splashing him. "Catch me if you can!!!" I shouted. He laughed and jumped in after me, getting me soaked as well. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!!!" I laughed playfully, and splashed him with water. He splashed me and I splashed him back.
Soon there was an all out splashing fest which ended in Ludwig falling backwards. We both laughed, and then looked at each other. I smiled at him. He brushed my hair out of my face and grabbed my shoulders. I closed my eyes and we locked lips, me held tight in his muscular arms. He was the nicest person I had ever met. I shouted when I was released and fell backwards. I came back up, angrily. "Ludwig!!! Ludwig...?" I looked at his head lolling in the pool, unmoving. I shrieked.
I sobbed, my head resting on Ludwig's bare chest as he lat on a bed. The old Mushroomer lady examined him, pausing every so often to shake her head in disgust. His heart beat with slow, stifled beats and his breath was shallow and wheezing. I lifted my head from his body and turned to her, eyes to the brim with tears. "What's wrong with him?" I asked.
She turned her head and frowned gravely at me. "I used to be a nurse, so I can tell. He has a deadly disease. Fatal even. It is called Danangeriomia. It occurs when a Koopa eats some kind of rotting flesh. But, why would your friend do that? Plus, it only happens to Koopas."
I gasped in horror and realization. "Is there any cure?" I asked.
"Yes. The mystical gub gub fruit. If you get it, and squeeze the juice over his snout, he may survive. That is only in our village's cave up on the mountain.
I ran downstairs and got a knapsack, filled it with items, then ran out the door. The lady called out the window. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm going to save my friend!" I called back.
~~~~~
I stood, alone at the foot of the dark cave looking into the abyss. Taking a daring step, I entered the cave. At first, it was pitch black. As I went farther on, glowing blue rocks surrounded me. They were on all sides and as sharp as diamonds. The cave continued as long and deep as the insides of a psychotic person's mind. There was no air inside the cave, only a hot, misty steam that resonated from somewhere inside. The ground was cold and damp, and felt weird on my feet. I heard a growling echo bounce from the cave that sounded very close by. I braced myself for combat. Out of the darkness came several creatures with red eyes, black leathery skin, and many rows of long, pointed teeth.
They had two claws that suspended them in the air, but they didn't seem to have any hind legs. Out of my pack I pulled a long sword with a golden hilt to it. I breathed deeply as they surrounded me. "Xena, eat your heart out," I said. The closest creature lunged at me, fangs bared. I drove my sword forward, cutting it in two and splattering blood on the cave walls. The rest growled. Now they were a bit more cautious. They knew when danger was present. Another leaped at me. Again, I sliced it to ribbons, splattering blood on the floor. Then from behind, I felt a sharp pain, and I turned to see my tail had deep fang marks in it, and was bleeding badly. These creatures were smart. They had sacrificed one of themselves to distract me.
This was not good. Not good at all. I spun my sword around in a full circle, impaling two of the creatures, but again there were more. They dodged, and retreated to a distance. I felt a pebble drop on my shoulder. I swerved out of the way, where one of the creatures fell to the ground, but while I dodged that one, another one bit into my arm. I screamed in pain, as a large chunk of my flesh was taken out. I looked in my pack for something to use. I found a 1-Up, and ate it. Most of my wounds healed, and I kept looking for something. There was a Super Scope in the bag. I was lucky. I pointed it at a line of the creatures and blew them up, sending blood and guts everywhere. The creatures looked scared and ran away. I sighed. That was tiring.
A few feet in front of me was the gub gub fruit. It shone with mystical qualities. I took my sword and severed the vine holding it in place. Then I took it and ran back to the Mushroomer's house.
~
I held the fruit over Ludwig's snout and squeezed the juice. He coughed and sputtered. "Where am I?" he asked. I hugged him tightly.