Everyone in the crowd watched in horror as Tabuu laughed at the balcony. He has just declared his new ruler of Smash World. He must be stopped!
"Hey, someone get him!" The Mayor exclaims in a panic as he points at Tabuu. "He must know where Master Hand is!"
The guards charged at Tabuu as they brandished their swords. Tabuu simply used his Chain of Light to knock them back to the walls as they fell unconscious.
"Is that really best you could do?" he scoffed.
Everyone gasps and looks horrified, not even their best could stop him!
"And now," he stated. "I shall make my leave."
And so, he disappears through the dark clouds. He's heard laughing as the cloud shot out the door, freaking out the crowd and anyone else in the progress. DK did his best to hold back Sonic, but the hedgehog finally managed got himself loose.
"Get back here!" Sonic yelled as he got onto his Extreme Gear and flew after the cloud. By the time he got out of the building, however, he could only watch helplessly as the cloud left town too fast for anyone, even him to catch.
"Nighttime...forever? Not good." he muttered as he landed. He then spots Mario run out of the building with Luigi, who managed to recover from the faint, and Yoshi, who has not, and was being carried by Mario. "Where's he going?"
Mario managed to get back to their library home and heads upstairs to put the little dinosaur to bed. Yoshi woke up with a start, trying to move while saying, half-dazed, "We've gotta stop Tabuu!" He yawned as Mario puts a blanket over him.
"You've been up all night, Yoshi." Mario whispered. "You are a baby Yoshi, after all."
Once Mario turned off the lights, Yoshi snored quietly as the young man goes to the reading room where Luigi was waiting worriedly. The two then began to throw books all over the place, trying to look for some answers. Mario knew that the elements are the only things needed to stop Tabuu. He just got to find out what they look like, how to use them and where they could be.
"Elements, Elements, Elements..." Mario said worriedly as he went through some books, only to let out a huge frustrated groan while sending the books to the floor. "How am I supposed to stop Tabuu without the Elements of Harmony?"
Just then, Sonic zoomed right into his face looking quite angry. "And just what are the Elements of Harmony, huh?" He continues to back Mario up while interrogating. "And how did you know about Tabuu? Are you a spy?"
He yelps as he was suddenly pulled back by DK, who glared at him angrily. Marth, Lucas, Kirby, Tiff, and Tuff came in a few seconds later. Sonic had told them that Mario ran off, and the group came over to the library, suspecting that he knew more about this mystery than he lets on.
"Don't jump to conclusions! I know Mario well enough to know that he isn't a spy. But he does know more than the rest of us." DK said seriously.
The group, including Luigi, looks at Mario who hesitates. He then sighed in defeat. Might as well confess now.
"Look, all I know is what I've read. I read about Tabuu's return in a book of prophecies. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop him. But I don't know what they are, where to find them. I don't even know what they do!"
"The Elements of Harmony." Tiff said as she, her little brother, and Kirby inspects a book on a shelf at the other side of the room. "A Reference Guide."
Mario quickly rushes over, knocking the three aside. "What?! How did you find that?!"
Kirby begins to hop around while saying in a sing-song voice, "It was under 'E'!"
Mario shot him a funny look. "Of course." He then took the book off the shelf and began flipping through the pages until he found the one he wanted. "'There are seven main elements of Harmony, but only five are known: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity and Loyalty'."
As Mario continue to tell his friends, the group was unaware of familiar dark clouds at a library window, listening in to the conversation, "'the last two are a complete mystery, but it is said when the other five are activated, a spark will reveal the location of the last two. According to legend, the last known location of the five known Elements are in the Castle of the Hand Brothers. It is located in what is now...'"
Mario shudders as he, his brother, and his friends read the last part in fear, "...the Forest of Illusion?!" Luigi fainted once again at this.
"Luigi!" Mario cried. He turned to the others. "Sorry guys, but could we delay the trip till I revived my bro?" The others nodded, but fact that he fainted did not rest well with them.
The Forest of Illusion is a dangerous territory that lies near Smashville. You'd have to be fools to go in there for whatever reason, especially with the dangers this place holds. Mario and the others looked at it in concern and somewhat fear.
Tuff suddenly looks brave as he walks towards the forest. "Well, let's go!"
"Not so fast!" Mario exclaimed, stopping Tuff from going any further. "Look. I appreciate the offer. But I'd rather do this on my own."
"Hey!" Luigi barked; feeling insulted that his brother would leave him behind.
"With Luigi of course." Mario quickly added.
"Sorry, not a chance. We aren't going to let any of our friends go into that scary place by themselves." DK said. Mario flinched on the "friends" part. As the rest of the group, excluding Luigi, walks on ahead, DK continues. "We're stickin' to you like caramel on a candy apple."
"Right, yeah." Lucas, Sonic, Tiff, and Marth said in agreement.
"Yup, especially if there's candy apples in there!" Kirby exclaims eagerly. Upon seeing the funny look from the brothers, he adds, "What? Those things are good."
Mario and Luigi just watched as Kirby heads into the forest leaving the two alone at the edge.
Luigi turned to Mario and shrugged. "Well, they aren't saying no. Beside, we might need them."
Eventually, Mario gave in and sighed as he and Luigi heads into the forest. The gang looks around, hoping to find any sign of the castle.
"So… none of you have been in here before?" Luigi asked the others curiously.
"Heavens no!" Marth exclaimed, shuddering a bit. "Just look at it. It's dreadful!"
"Not to mention it isn't natural." DK said, shuddering a bit. No one saw a familiar mist swirling into view and permeating the exposed rock face. "According to legend, this place doesn't work like Smash World."
"What does that mean?" Mario asks the others in worry.
"Noooooo oooooone knoooows." Sonic said eerily as he came out of the shadows, spooking Lucas, Kirby, Luigi, Tiff ,and Marth out. "And know why?!"
"Knock it off Sonic!" DK snaps at Sonic, annoyed by this.
Sonic ignored him as he crept toward the five freaking out. "Cause everybody who goes in, never…comes…out!" He leaps with barred teeth at the last word.
Suddenly, the cliff they were standing on crumbled away, sending the five who couldn't fly in any way screaming into the ravine below. Kirby, unfortunately couldn't puff up in time and went with then. Sonic managed to kick-start his Extreme Gear, and Lucas managed to use PSI just in time.
"Hey! Not cool!" Sonic exclaimed in alarm. "Come on Lucas! Quick!" he then dove toward the falling friends
"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" Lucas said worriedly as he followed.
As the others kept on going down with the rockslide, Sonic managed to hoist the sibling up, while Lucas grabbed a firm hold on Marth's cape to put on the brakes. At this point, Kirby managed to puff up. DK managed to stop himself and Luigi by grabbing an exposed root with one hand, and Luigi with the other. Unfortunately, Mario just went pass Luigi's outstretched arm and skid all the way to the very edge of a very long drop. He winded up with his legs dangling over the precipice.
Realizing the situation his friend was in, DK lets go of the root, sliding, along with Luigi over to where Mario was. "Hang on! We're coming!" While DK grabs Mario's hands, Luigi shakily stood up.
"DK! What should I do?!" Mario asked his friend in panic.
There was a long, tense pause as DK squeezed one eye shut from the strain on his muscles. Luigi noticed something and pointed upwards. DK turned his open eye to what Luigi was pointing at. He then turned to Mario. "Let go."
"What?!" Mario shouted. "Are you crazy?!"
"No I'm not." DK calmly said. "I promise you'll be safe."
"That's not true!" Mario replied, knowing for certain he'd fall if he lets go.
"Mario, listen!" DK firmly said. "What I'm saying to you is the honest truth. Just let go, and you'll be safe."
Mario wasn't sure if he could trust DK. His instinct said to listen to him, while his panicked brain was screaming to hold on.
Eventually, he went with his instincts, released his grip and plunged screaming over the side…only to stop dead in midair with no warning. He opened his eyes to see Sonic and Lucas on either side with a firm grip on his arms. He sighed in relief…then yelped when Lucas' side shifted before the three slowly headed for the ground.
"Sorry." Lucas apologized. "It's just that I'm not used to carrying more than a bunny or two."
Meanwhile, Luigi and DK made their way down the cliff by jumping from one protruding ledge to another. Once they've all landed, they continued onwards. Mario looked impressed. DK was being honest when he said Mario will be safe. That is Honesty. Unknown to them, a black wisp appears and flew past them, flying toward another creature.
As the boys (and girl) continue, Sonic was excitedly recalling how he and Lucas saved Mario. "Once those three and Marth were safe… whoosh! Me and Lucas looped the loop, and bam! Caught ya in the nick of time."
"Yeah, yeah Sonic, I was there you know." Mario said, slightly irritated. He then smiles a little. "And I'm very grateful. But we need to-"
He was cut off when a large creature drops into view in front of the group, and roares. "Giga Bowser!" he exclaimed in alarm. "We've gotta get past him!"
Lucas looked worried. Something was wrong with the beast. Giga Bowser took a swipe at Marth, but the swordsman duck, and sliced with his sword, knocks it back.
"Take that you brute!" Marth cried in triumph. The Koopa simply roared at him, causing his cape to be covered in slobber. "My cape!"
Another roar caused him to cry out a little, before retreating past Lucas, who was standing there, along with Luigi. "Wait." he whispered.
Giga Bowser gave chase, before DK jumped onto his back. "Yee-haa! Get along, little doggie!" he cheered as Bowser tried to buck him off.
"Wait!" Lucas said, a bit louder this time.
Finally Bowser managed to get DK off with a big heave. As he sailed past Sonic, he said, "All yours Sonic."
"On it!" Sonic said as he zoomed pass Lucas on his Extreme Gear.
"Wait!" Lucas called, but was ignored.
In seconds, he enveloped the foe in a twister. A lash of the tail, however knocked him off his Extreme Gear and toward the trees with a yell.
"Sonic!" Mario exclaimed in alarm as the hedgehog skid to a halt in front of the others. He turned to glare at Giga Bowser, who prepares for round four. Mario summoned his Keyblade, as he and most of his friends charge … till quite suddenly, Lucas and Luigi threw themselves into their path.
"WAAAIIIT!" they screamed, causing Mario and the others to stop in alarm. Why did they do that? Lucas looked at Luigi, who nodded, before he hovered over to Giga Bowser.
Giga Bowser seemed ready to disembowel him on the spot, causing the others, except for Luigi who smiled, to cringe. "Shhh, it's okay." Lucas said tenderly. The five cringing cautiously opened their eyes to see Lucas gently patting Bowser's hand. He uncertainly un-clenched it to reveal a large thorn stuck in the middle.
"Aw, you poor little baby." Lucas said, having noticed the thorn.
"Little?!" Sonic asks in disbelief.
"Now, don't move. It'll only hurt for a moment." Lucas assured. He quickly tugged the thorn out, causing Bowser to grab him and roar.
"LUCAS!" the gang exclaimed in alarm fear that Bowser was going to attack him. But to their surprise, Bowser starts licking Lucas gratefully. "You're just a big old kitty aren't you? Oh, you're welcome."
Mario and his friends look surprised but they decided to take advantage by going past Giga Bowser. As they did, the leader looks at his brother and Lucas, the latter's hair appeared to be messed up, asking, "How did you know about the thorn?"
"He didn't." Luigi answered as he walked pass.
"Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness." Lucas said as he walked pass as well.
Mario paused to think about this, then smiles as he follows them. Unknown to the group, the same thorn Lucas removed spins in place and turns into Tabuu's cloud once more and zoomed down the path. He wasn't giving up so easily!
The group goes through another part of the forest; Lucas' hair is back to normal at this time. They have to go through some sort of boggy/swampy like area...which is extremely gross to a certain swordsman.
"Man!" Marth groaned. "My eyes need a rest from all this icky stuff." Without warning, the trees became thickened to the point that there's no light and it's just darkness. "Gah! I didn't mean literally!"
Tabuu snakes past the group as Mario muttered, "Not good. For all we know, the ancient ruin could be right in front of us, and we won't even know it!"
Tabuu then wrapped himself around the trees while the group kept on muttering and complaining.
"Wait, I think I stepped in something." DK said in concern as he held up a foot. Lucas suddenly screams, though the ape paid it no much as he heads on. "Geez Lucas! It's just mud."
Just then, a gruesome face appearss on the tree trunk before him, causing him to retreat with a yell. The others looked wide-eyed at the leering, snarling visages that have suddenly appeared on all the trees around them.
The boys screams in terror. This is the end!
Author's note: Looks like Tabuu has the boys trapped…or does he? Next chapter, Kirby teaches them how to "Giggle at the Ghosties", Marth prepares a sacrifice to help out a Dorrie, Luigi deals with a rock monster, and Sonic's loyalty is tested by Team Star Wolf. Please review if you like the story!
