ACT 12: PARATROOPA LEARNS THE TRUTH
Dark Paratroopa jumped off his bed and exited his room. He simply couldn’t sleep, not with Shine Guy’s words trapped in his head from the previous day. Was this whole thing true? Did he really have no generation? There was only one way to find out. He didn’t know if this was the best idea… but there was no other way.
The thought still bugging him, he strolled through the heavily shadowed hallways, seemingly blending into the shadows, with the red of his eyes glowing like neon. Rounding a corner, he came across a Sledge Brother guard (of course purple), asleep against the wall. He stopped and stared down at the guard. What a lazy bum, asleep on the job. Why, he ought to give him a good shock and teach him a lesson… but then… no. There were more important things to focus on. He continued on through the hallways.
As soon as he walked away, the Sledge Brother opened an eye.
Dark Paratroopa strolled up to the gigantic door that was the entrance to the king-sized room of Dark Master. He flew up to the large doorknob and began to turn it, struggling a bit, but still opened it. He entered the room.
The Sledge Brother had followed him and watched him enter the room. Is he crazy?! he thought. Dark Master will flip! He dared not go in, and decided to wait for him to come back out. He expected to hear a very loud roar in five… four… three… two… one…
“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”
There he went…
***
“You’re just asking for trouble, aren’t you?!” Dark Master scolded. “CANNOT I GET ANY SLEEP WITHOUT YOU BARGING IN LIKE THAT?!” The giant-sized Magikoopa had steam blowing from his ears, stress in his glowing yellow eyes as he piercingly stared down at the tiny Paratroopa.
“Uh… Please forgive me… ” Dark Paratroopa said, shivering at Dark Master’s stressed eyes, sending chills up his spine. “I… I just wanted to ask you something… ”
Dark Master bent down to him, to the point where his piercing yellow eyes were completely in the Paratroopa’s face, with the shine of his huge contacts visible. Looking down, all he could see was a pair of nostrils on one very large beak, and on his left and right were huge cheeks with barred teeth, a sharp-looking canine visible on each side. Overall, it was one menacing-looking face.
“WELL?! WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION?!”
“Uh… I want to know about my generation… ”
Upon hearing this, Dark Master blew steam from his nostrils, blowing Dark Paratroopa backward and onto the bed covers. “I’ve told you!” he bellowed. “If I must refresh your memory, the purpose of your generation is to end that of Shine Guy! And don’t ever ask again! You have more important things to worry about- find those Power Gems! You’ve only brought me three, and I need all ten! Now leave before I turn you into a snail!”
Dark Paratroopa jumped upon hearing this. He wanted a bit more information than that, but thought it best not to test Dark Master’s patience, which was obviously very thin. He simply nodded, then flew away to the door, while Dark Master grumbled to himself as he lay back down.
Dark Paratroopa sighed after exiting the room. Gee… That was helpful. He needed much more information than that. There was one problem. Where could he get this info…? Wait… There was one other person… but that was crazy! How could he face him? Paratroopa sighed. Since Dark Master refused to give him any sufficient information, this was the only way… He headed for the front door, while the Sledge Brother quietly followed.
Dark Paratroopa exited the castle to the near pitch-black darkness. The dark side of the land was much darker in the night. Well… he thought, here goes nothing… He teleported.
The Sledge Brother saw him leave. What is he up to…? He, too, teleported.
***
“It’s no use, Shine Guy!” Dark Master bellowed. “You’re only making it harder for yourself! Hand over that Gem!”
Shine Guy held the Green Gem tightly in his hand. The other nine were in Dark Master’s grasp. “You shall not get this Gem!” Shine Guy yelled back. “I will do whatever it takes to keep it away from your power-thirsty hands!”
Dark Master laughed. “Fool! You shall be my first victim once I have that Gem!” Immediately he blasted a huge, magical beam at the Shyster, blowing him back and causing him to drop the Gem. Dark Master picked it up. “At last!” He placed all ten of the Gems in the holes on the altar. They all glowed, but in a dark, evil, shadowy color. The panel in the center of the altar opened up.
“NO!” Shine Guy cried. He watched in terror as the large object rose from the altar. Dark Master grabbed it, then began to glow in the shadowy color. The sky quickly darkened. Lightning flashed. The dark clouds swirled overhead in one huge circle.
Dark Master’s form began to change. Shine Guy was practically frozen solid. “Father… I have failed… “
“Finally!” Dark Master said. “Darkness rules! The world is mine! And now, so-called guardian, I shall dispose of you! Farewell, Shine Guy!”
“NOOOOOOO!” Shine Guy cried as he watched the dark magical beam flying straight at him!
~~~
“… Shine Guy? Psst! Shine Guy?”
Shine Guy was knocked out of his slumber upon hearing the voice. He jumped up, breathing heavily. “My… What a nightmare… ” he said.
“Shine Guy…?” The Shyster turned to see where the voice came from, and upon seeing a dark-colored, red-eyed figure standing over him, he jumped and fell backwards off the bed and onto Yoshi’s stomach.
“Oooh… Melon… ” Yoshi said in his sleep. He wrapped his arms around Shine Guy and began licking him.
The figure stood over them with a puzzled look. Shine Guy looked sharply up at him. “What in the world are you doing here?!” he whispered harshly. He wasn’t really angry, but a bit startled by his sudden appearance.
“Sh-h-h!!!” The Paratroopa quickly glanced over at the others, hoping none of them would wake up from Shine Guy’s scream. When he was sure no one was awake, he sighed in relief. “Take it easy… ” Dark Paratroopa said calmly. “I’m not trying to harm anyone… ”
Shine Guy took a breath to calm himself down, then looked up at his foe, who was beginning to seem less like a foe. “… Then… why are you here?” he asked as Yoshi continued to lick him.
“I… I need information now… I need to know about my generation… I need to know… about my father… ”
Shine Guy pried Yoshi’s arms off and stood up. “… Are you certain you wish for me to tell you?” he said.
Dark Paratroopa tried hard not to lose patience. “I really need to know… ” he stated simply.
“… All right… but not here. I’d hate for someone to wake up and start a scene… ”
“Let’s take this outside then… ” He grabbed Shine Guy’s hand and teleported away with him.
As soon as they left, Sparkle opened an eye. The dialogue between Shine Guy and Dark Paratroopa had woken her up. She noticed Shine Guy was gone. “… Huh… Where’d he go?” Sparkle hopped out of the bed and exited the room.
***
The Sledge Brother who had been spying on Paratroopa was hiding in some bushes just outside the building, eavesdropping on Shine Guy and Dark Paratroopa, who were conversing on the roof of the building.
Sparkle rounded the corner of the building, and threw herself up against the wall to avoid being seen. Sparkle could see Dark Paratroopa up on the roof with Shine Guy. What’s he doing here?! she thought. He’s probably trying to trick him!
Unfortunately, though the Shyster and Paratroopa couldn’t she her, the Sledge Brother could! Hey… It’s that girl! he thought.
“Somehow I feel like Dark Master’s not telling me the truth… ” Dark Paratroopa said. “In fact, I beginning to think I’m on the wrong side… ”
“I respect your feeling… ” Shine Guy, half sarcastically, half meaning it.
“That’s why I wanted to ask you, since you seem to know… What happened to my father? Where is he?”
Shine Guy sighed. “This is… very difficult for me to say… And you probably will not believe it…” He then told him the truth.
On the ground, Sparkle heard it, and gasped in shock.
“… What… I’m WHAT?!” Dark Paratroopa cried in shock. “Are you serious?! I’m really…?”
“Yes…” said Shine Guy. “As strange as it sounds, it is true…”
Dark Paratroopa breathed heavily, putting his hand to his head, nearly passing out. He couldn’t believe was he had just heard. “So… I didn’t have a generation after all…” he said, sounding somewhat dejected and confused. “I suppose you know better than I do…”
“I am sorry if this is confusing for you…” said Shine Guy, giving Dark Paratroopa a pat on the shell, though being careful not to accidentally pat the spike.
Dark Paratroopa turned to Shine Guy, surprised to see him showing compassion despite their past episodes. Never had anyone treated him so nicely. Taken aback, he simply said, “… Thank you…"
Sparkle was amazed to see Dark Paratroopa showing emotion. However, she wasn’t so sure whether or not it was all an act.
The Sledge Brother grinned sinisterly. If I can inform Dark Master about this… he might make ME his right hand and toss Dark Paratroopa in the garbage… And while I’m at it, I’ll snatch that girl! He charged out of the bushes and ran towards Sparkle, who jumped at the sight of him!
“Thanks again, Shine Guy… ” Paratroopa said to the Shyster. “You’re really not so bad after all… ”
Before Shine Guy could reply, a scream was heard!
Sparkle was pinned to the ground by the Sledge Brother. “No use screaming for help!” he said coldly. “You’re mine! Heh heh heh!” Suddenly, a long, steady bolt of electricity came out of nowhere and into the Sledge Brother, who cried loudly in pain. After a few seconds, the lightning disappeared, and the Sledge Brother fell over, lying motionless in the dirt.
Sparkle looked up to see Shine Guy jumping down from the roof. “Shine Guy!” he breathed. “Thank you.”
Shine Guy looked at Sparkle with a puzzled expression. “… That was not me. It was Dark Paratroopa.”
Upon hearing this, Sparkle stared blankly, then laughed hard. “Funny guy you are! Dark Paratroopa would never give a care!”
Shine Guy sighed. “I guess you heard everything… ”
“Yeah… and I think he’s trying to fool you, throw you off your guard for future encounters. Don’t let him get you like that. Come on, let’s get back to bed.” Sparkle walked away, while Shine Guy was left wondering where Dark Paratroopa had gone.
The Paratroopa materialized next to him. “Sorry… ” he said. “I’m just not ready to face your companions just yet… They’d never forgive me… ”
Shine Guy understood. “I am sure they will eventually… It may just take some time… ”
“Tell you what,” said Dark Paratroopa. “For now, I’m gonna try a little undercover work… I’m gonna try to help you… but I can’t let Dark Master know about it, or he’ll kill me… ”
“You’ve got to learn to stand up on your own feet to Dark Master, even if you have to dig your shoe spikes into his nose and stare him straight in his yellow eyes to do so.”
Dark Paratroopa cringed at those words. He had sort of just done that before leaving the castle, and it was near impossible.
“Thanks… ” he said. He teleported away. Shine Guy bent down to see if the Sledge Brother was dead. He felt his neck to see if he had a pulse, which he didn’t.
“Shine Guy?” Sparkle walked up. “Come on. What’s keeping you?”
“Oh… I am coming… ” He followed Sparkle. As he walked, he thought to himself, I wish you luck, Paratroopa… I wish you luck…