Chapter 10
The next morning Snake, Link, and Ganondorf were awakened by Mario.
"Get-a up-a!" Mario shouted.
Ganondorf groaned and rolled out of the sleeping bag. He snapped his fingers and dressed himself in his armor.
The three left the tent and Ganondorf snapped his fingers making the tents and other camping supplies disappear.
"Now." Mario said as he reached into his pockets. "This-a is a pulse stone! It'll will tell us-a where Dry Dry Ruins is-a! The more it pulses the-a closer we are. Last night-a I felt one small pulse so I know we're getting-a closer!"
"Good." Ganondorf said, "Let's keep going then."
They exited the tent and saw the desert expanded before them, barely lit by the sun.
"The suns not even up yet!" Snake moaned as he looked toward the almost rising sun.
"Yes, but we don't have any time to waste." Ganondorf replied.
The five began walking, and with each step it seemed the pulse stone was pulsating faster and faster. By now the sun was in the sky and the stone was pulsating at a steady pace.
"That thing is driving me crazy!" Snake shouted, "How do we know we've found it?
"You'll-a know. This stone will-a go-a crazy!" Mario explained.
"Um. I'd say it already is going crazy! We have to be close!" Link said.
"Guys!" Ganondorf shouted as he pointed to a large stone sitting on the ground. "Is that is, right over there?"
The group ran towards it. Mario stood next to it, the pulse stone was going pulsating rapidly.
"I believe-a it is-a!" Mario shouted. "Here we go!"
Mario took the pulse stone and placed it on top of the rock. There was deep rumbling and the stone began to sink under the sand. The sky began to turn a dark blue.
"What the hell?" Snake shouted. "What happened to the sky."
"Shh!" Mario shouted.
The ground began to shake and the five of them were enveloped in a large whirl of sand. Slowly a building began to rise from the sand.
"This is it-a!" Mario shouted "Dry, Dry Ruins!"
The commotion ended as the ancient ruins stood before them.
"Finally!" Ganondorf shouted as he rushed towards the ruins. "The temple of memories! Guys, let's go."
Ganondorf led them inside.
"Now-a. I've solved all the puzzles, so just head-a straight down." Mario said. "It'll be easy to get to the bottom now-a."
The group descended the stairs, past many chain chomp relics, and they finally reached a small room with two lit torches. At the other end of the room was a door with bars that denied entry.
"This is the farthest-a you can go-a!" Mario shouted.
"I don't think so." Ganondorf said. He approached the bars and with great force bent them just enough for them to get through. "I bet we can find Merlin in here." Ganondorf said as he walked inside.
Beyond the barred door was a much larger room which was only lit by a lonely torch located at the very end of the room. And even though the room was poorly lit Ganondorf was still able to make out a large object sitting in the middle. He approached it, but was stopped by a booming voice.
"Who has entered my domain?" The strange voice asked.
"It is I, Ganondorf. I come seeking a lost memory."
"A lost memory you say?" The voice asked. "Well you've come to the right person." There was a snap and the room was lit by numerous torches. The large object was illuminated and Ganondorf realized it was a large stone bowl with small round objects inside. This bowl contained the memories.
Suddenly a figure appeared before Ganondorf. A short man with a very long mustache levitated above him. His clothes were a dark blue with a small star that hooked his robe together. His face was hidden in the shadows of his dark blue hat, only his yellow eyes were visible.
"I am Merlon, keeper of memories!"
Ganondorf approached him "Merlon… Bowser's memories were stolen from him. It became lost. I was told in order to get it back I would have to find you."
"You were told correct." Merlon smiled. "I'm sure I can find you Bowser's lost memory in no time."
Merlon lowered to the ground and approached the large stone bowl that contained the lost memories.
"Ah!" Merlon said as he reached his hand inside, "Here it is!" Merlon pick up the bright ball of light and raised it in the air and began to hand it to Ganondorf. But before Ganondorf could grasp the memory the entire room was lit up with a bright blue light.
"What in the world?" Merlon as he jerked his hand back to shield his eyes.
A sinister chuckle echoed through the room.
"Ah-ha. I was just in time." The voice laughed. Suddenly an intense bright light flashed, and two golden chains appeared on either side of Merlon. Merlon looked around nervously, not noticing the figure of a bright blue man appearing behind him.
"Tabuu!" Ganondorf shouted.
Tabuu chuckled. "Hello, Ganondorf."
"Who's—" Merlon began to ask, but was silenced.
Without warning the golden chains shot into Merlon's sides. Merlon screamed in pain, but his screaming ceased immediately as Tabuu took hold of both chains and yanked them in opposite directions, ripping Merlon in two. Blood poured to the ground, and Tabuu laughed as he held the two chains that still held on to Merlon's lifeless body. Bowser's memory fell from Merlon's dead hand and dropped back into the bowl of memories.
"NO!" Ganondorf and Mario shouted simultaneously.
Tabuu laughed at the smasher's terror filled faces, and snapped his fingers. The golden chains vanished, and the two parts of Merlon fell to the floor, landing in his own blood.
"Oh my. That's messy." Tabuu chuckled as he lowered himself down to the stone bowl, floating over the pool of blood.
"Why did you do that?" Ganondorf shouted as he ran towards Tabuu.
"Only once reason." Tabuu explained. "To be in charge."
"In charge of what?" Ganondorf shouted.
"Well with Merlon gone, who will take charge of the memories?" Tabuu asked. He looked around in fake confusion, then chuckled. "Oh, well… it looks like it's me."
Ganondorf yelled in anger, and ran to the bowl of memories and attempted to reach inside, but a powerful burst of energy shot him back.
"What did you do?" Ganondorf shouted as he regained his composer.
"I didn't do anything. Mere mortals such as yourself do not have the power it takes touch these lost memories. But after I killed the worthless lot, Merlon… I gained his powers. And that means…" Tabuu reached into the bowl of memories without any trouble and held up Bowser's memory. "This is his memory, and I can easily crush it, which means you can never recover it."
"Tabuu… Please." Ganondorf pleaded as he dropped to his knees.
"But." Tabuu smiled "I'm willing to make a deal."
Ganondorf looked up.
"Well, you can't get something for nothing, you know." Tabuu chuckled.
"What do you want?"
"A memory for a memory." Tabuu shot a devious smile to Ganondorf.
"My memory?" Ganondorf asked.
"Yes. Simply give me one of your memories and you can have his back." Tabuu explained.
There was a brief pause.
"What memory of mine will you take?" Ganondorf asked as he stood up from his knees.
"It's your choice." Tabuu smiled. "I can take any memory you want me to."
"You can have any memory… Except my memories of Bowser and anything that has to do with him." Ganondorf said.
"Done!" Tabuu laughed. He flew over to Ganondorf and extended his hand. His hand went inside Ganondorf's head and Tabuu quickly pulled out a small crystal ball. Ganondorf dropped to his knees as Tabuu flew to the other side of the stone bowl. He shot up in the air extended Ganondorf's memory and crushed it in his hands. He then turned to Ganondorf with a wicked smile. He opened his hand and Ganondorf's shattered memory floated to the ground.
"There… All gone." Tabuu chuckled.
"What… What memory did you take?" Ganondorf asked rubbing his head. He immediately began to think of Bowser to see if Tabuu kept his word or not. He sighed in relief as he realized he didn't forget him.
"That was not part of our deal… but it doesn't matter because you'll never get that memory back." Tabuu chuckled. Tabuu swooped around and flew back down to Ganondorf
"And as promised… Here's lover boy's memory." Tabuu said as he handed Ganondorf Bowser's memory.
Ganondorf took the crystal ball and held it carefully in his hands.
"Don't worry, it takes a lot of power to destroy a memory." Tabuu said. "I doubt you'll damage that."
"Guys let's get out of here." Ganondorf said. He returned to the others and snapped his fingers and they vanished in a puff of purple smoke.
Tabuu chuckled to himself. "Good luck." he said, then with a brilliant flash of light he vanished.