"Luigi's Dream Adventures: Antasma's grand return."

Chapter 11

"Unexpected help or just more danger?"

Unknown to both Antasma and Luigi, two figures stood high above the ground overlooking the scene happening beneath them.

One of them was kneeling closer to the edge watching the battle with intense focus, silver eyes gleaming in the darkness. The other stood behind him arms crosses over his chest, his blue gaze focused on his companion and white coat flapping in the wind.

"You know you'll have to intervene sooner or later." The second man stated, walking over to his companion. "Even with Dreamy's amazing durability, he won't last any longer with those injuries."

"I know." The kneeling one answered closing his eyes and sighting. "I'd rather not get involved at all, Doc." He added looking back at his friend. "Making that bat bastard aware of my existence might just make everything worse, and we're already on red-alarm here."

"There are always risks, my friend." The other placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He would have found out about us eventually." He said. "We could only hide for so long."

"I am aware of that, Doc." The silver-eyed man sighted, gently pushing the hand off, looked back at the screeching evildoer and let out a humorless chuckle. "Isn't it ironic?" He asked, keeping his eyes on the battlefield. "One conqueror of worlds wanting to remodel them in his image, going against another. I'm practically going to fight my own reflection."

"The choice between good and evil was made for you, before." The one known as 'Doc' responded. "You didn't get to truly chose where you wished to belong so...no. It's not ironic."

"I went along with it, didn't I?" Silver eyes met blue ones briefly before turning away again. "I didn't care if millions of people were going to lose their lives, because of what I was going to do." The man's shoulders slumped. "I'm no better than him."

"If I remember correctly, you were mind controlled back then. While he, on the other hand, dose all this out of his own free will." 'Doc' said, petting the other's back. "And besides: what happened in the past, is in the past."

"Excuses, excuses…"

The other rolled his eyes, sighting loudly.

"Why can't you just let go of that little incident back then? Sure, some of the worlds were destroyed because of your help, but you can't be put at fault for something you couldn't control." 'Doc' again placed his hand on his companion's shoulder. "But, what is even more important than that, you changed after the hypnosis wore off and that's something not many bad guys are capable of."

Silver eyes looked at blue with gratitude and their owner flashed his friend a quick smile.

"The light side always wins, huh?" He asked with a chuckle, his steely eyes sparkling with mirth as he stepped over towards the edge.

"Aye, that it does." 'Doc' responded with a soft smirk of his own, watching his friend prepare to join the battle.

"Then I'm glad, I'm on this side." Were the last words he heard, before his darker clad companion jumped off the edge.

Luigi coughed hoarsely as he tried to push himself up, the life giving iron-taste liquid slipping down his neck and chest as the injured hero struggled to breathe, only one thing on his mind:

Getting to the sword.

The movement of his broken and cracked arms sent sharp stabs of pain through his nervous system, but he refused to stop.

He learned to appreciate the pain after the few 'to-close-for-comfort' meetings with Bowser's fireballs.

Pain was good, pain meant he was still alive…still kicking.

It became his private symbol of hope during the many battles he had to fight with the Bat King.

If something was broken and it hurt like a dog mama then it meant it was still connected to him, that it could still be fixed. It wasn't just a dead weight composed of skin and shattered bones, which he'll have to get rid of as soon as he gets up.

That's why he was rather alarmed when he couldn't feel something that should be causing him agony, right now.

Despite having his legs broken rather painfully…he couldn't feel anything below his belt.

Not his knees, not his shins, not his feet, not anything.

They were gone, it was as if they were never there in the first place…the cold nothingness they left behind making his stomach twist with panic and fear.

His chest suddenly heaved painfully and he was engulfed in a series of painful coughs, each one making the red puddle below him grow in size.

Luigi's vision blurred as he swayed on his shaking arms, the world around him becoming a shapeless mishmash of colors and random shapes.

He couldn't focus anymore, his brain struggling to keep sending its body commands to remain living, all the while fighting with the onslaught of pain and a strengthening concussion.

It took him a total of 56 seconds to catch himself forgetting how to breathe regularly.

A part of him said it shouldn't have taken him so long. Another argued that breathing hurt too much to keep doing it constantly. Might as well give it up altogether.

Nightmare Slayer looked like a beautiful green flower from where he laid on the ground, after his arms failed to keep him upright anymore.

For a moment…he swore he heard his mother calling his name, her soft melodic voice coming from between the black spots that began clouding his vision.

He would've reached out for her or called back if he still had the strength to do so, but unfortunately those simple things were beyond his realms of capabilities for the moment.

Maybe…maybe he should go to sleep…Mario always said that a 'good nap is always the best medicine for everything'…maybe it'll take the pain away…maybe he'll see clearly once he wakes up…maybe everything will go back to normal…

Maybe…

His eyes were closing, the sweet realm of Morpheus welcoming him into it land.

…maybe…

"Hey!" A voice from somewhere above his ears yelled and he felt a thug on his shoulder.

"Stay with me, ok?" It said, shaking the green hero a bit more fiercely. "I'm going to take you to a doctor, okay? Just hold on until I take care of this bastard, alright? Whatever you do, don't fall asleep." Those words sounded like they came out of his own mouth only a bit…different.

Luigi's tired, now single eye, opened to see his apparent savior.

If his mind was still functioning properly, he would have cursed.

JA107: Can you guys guess the identities of the two 'figures'? ;) I hope I didn't make it to cryptic, nor to easy…otherwise there would be no fun XD Anyway, thank you all for the continued support and I'm glad you enjoy this story J Hope this chapter satisfies you for now. If you can't guess the identities, do not fret! I'll will be reviled in the next one!

Ciao!