Act 10: Only the Beginning (Part 3)
"Me and you..." Link sang.
"And you and me..." Raznia continued.
"No matter how we break the ice...
"You have to see..."
"The only one for me is you..."
"And you and me..."
"And we'll be together." Both of them sang at their highest notes in harmony.
"Cute duet..." Luigi sarcastically muttered. "...what makes it even cuter is that neither of you know the words."
"Luigi, the sarcasm has to stop. It's not working for you at all..." Mario sighed. "'And we'll be together'... Luigi should be singing that with Raznia, not you, Link. Are you two in secretly love or something?" He said, turning to Link and Raznia.
Raznia blushed, giving a bashful smile. Link, on the other hand, was appalled. His face turned a little, as if he was insulted.
"We both like that song, so we'll sing it together! That don't mean a damn thing! And I don't give a damn if we don't know the words; we'll sing it anyway! That ain't a problem, right?" Link countered, sounding overly defensive.
"No. I'm just checking, that's all." Mario assured, backing off a little.
"Just to change the subject..." Raznia spoke up, halting the hostility. "...we're here."
The quartet stood before the massive temple before them. Out of all the times Link and Raznia had been there, the temple never felt so foreign to them before. Usually, the aura the temple emitted felt at peace. Not this time. There was a huge green energy pillar shooting into the sky. They also felt a severe uneasiness in the air, as if all the molecules surrounding the area were at war. Raznia let her jaw drop in awe while Link gritted his teeth in anger.
"I know that's not normal." Mario stated, staring astounded at the beam.
"Looks like the gods are fighting to bring back the balance. I can feel the struggle..." Raznia said, holding herself.
"Are they winning?" Luigi asked.
"I dunno. I'm not a sage..." She admitted. "I can feel Nightmare and Soul Edge fighting against the gods, but that's nothing special. You guys can probably feel it, too." The trio nodded in response. "I can't tell whose winning."
"The gods gotta be winnin'! There's three of 'em!" Link exclaimed. "Whatever, I'll be there to help 'em out."
"The sooner we enter, the sooner we can all help. Let's go." Mario said, leading the way through the doorway and into the Spirit Temple.
"Looks like nothin's changed since the last time I was here." Link said, scanning the chamber they stood in.
On his left, there was a hole at the base of the wall small enough for child to crawl through. On the right, a huge block blocked the second hallway. Both ways led further into the temple to where they needed to be. The only question was: which way was the better way?
"Choose your destiny." Link demanded in a deep, grim voice.
"There's only one way we can pick. I doubt any of us can fit through that hole on the left." Mario guessed, suggesting they should try for the right.
"You chose wisely." Link growled approvingly.
"Please stop that..." Mario requested.
"I dunno... This block looks pretty heavy." Luigi noticed, giving the block a few test nudges just to verify his guess. "The four of us, together, might not be able to move it."
"Yeah, we can." Link disagreed. "In fact, one of me, alone, can do it. Step aside, meng." He said, pushing Luigi to the side.
Link went through a stretching regiment, reaching his arms up as high as he could as well as cracking his fingers, his back, his neck, and whatever else he could. He then rubbed his hands together and placed his hands on the huge block, making like he was about to use every ounce of strength he had to move it. Suddenly, with a loud "HYA", Link buried his knee into the face of the block, sending it sliding backward into a ditch. The right pathway leading further into the Spirit Temple was now opened.
Link turned around and posed with his thumb up, but then knelt onto his good knee and tenderly rubbed the one he just kicked the block with.
"That kinda hurt..." He muttered in pain, rising to both feet and walking it off.
"You're such a showoff..." Raznia teased, walking into the newly opened hallway with the rest of the group tailing her.
They stopped at a door. Raznia held her hand out, and up it rose with a winding sound, as if gears were at work. She and Link entered first. Mario and Luigi were about to enter next. Just as they were about to place one foot through the doorway, the door came crashing back down, pounding against the stone ground. Link and Raznia turned around immediately and were shocked to find the door had closed shut without letting Mario and Luigi enter. They pounded on it, trying to get it to open again, but there was no avail.
"What just happened?" Mario shouted through the door.
"I dunno! What's up on your side?" Link shouted back.
"Nothing yet. The door just has steel bars over it, now." Luigi answered.
"They're not gonna be able to come in on this side..." Raznia said.
"Damnit..." Link sighed. "Yo, you two are gonna have to find a way to get in on the other side. Both ways lead to the Boss's room. We should be able to meet up there."
"This is the first time we've been here, you know. How will we know we're there?" Mario wondered.
"I suck at givin' directions..." Link groaned. "Oh, I got it!"
Link reached into his tunic. His face brightened up as if he found something. Indeed, he did. He whipped out a dungeon map for the Spirit Temple.
"Thank Farore for dungeon magic." Link gratefully said to himself. "I got a map for y'all!" He called to the brothers.
Mario and Luigi looked at each other, perplexed.
"I thought you lost everything you had in Mute City." Luigi recalled Link saying.
"Dungeon magic, baby!" Link exclaimed. "Once you find the dungeon map and compass in any temple here in Hyrule, it's always available to you when you come back."
"Alright, that's very cool and helpful. But how will that help us? There's a big, impenetrable stone door between us." Mario pointed out.
"For now." Link said with a smirk. "Hold this, Raz." He requested, passing the map to Raznia.
Holding out his left hand, Link's Sword of Darkness appeared in his grasp. He began engraving the symbol of the Triforce into the middle of the door. He then raised his right fist to the symbol. It began to shine intensely as Link's piece of the Triforce, the Triforce of Courage, shined on the back of his hand as well.
With a deep breath, Link then punched the center of the Triforce as hard as he could, humming a loud "MMMMMMMM!!" as he put all his power into it. His efforts granted them a new hole in the wall, just about as big as Mario's head, in the shape of an upside-down triangle.
"Wh... wow..." Raznia let out in bewilderment after witnessing Link punch the hole in the sturdy stone door.
"Truly, though, all I had to do was punch the door. All that other shit was just showin' off." Link admitted with a shrug and a laugh.
Raznia and Link now stared at a stunned Luigi and Mario on the other side of the door. Link motioned for Raznia to give him the map. She did so, and Link stuck the map through the hole, with Mario graciously taking it from him.
"In case you're wonderin'..." Link started. "I'd make the hole big enough so y'all could jus' jump through, but I don't have as much power as I did in the Darkness of Time. This is the best I could do."
"It's good enough." Luigi assured Link. "At least we won't be lost in the temple now."
"That's right, my man. Keep up that optimism." Link encouraged.
"But what about you?" Luigi wondered.
"I know this place like the back of my hand. Plus, I have Raz. We're gonna get there quick. In fact, we're already there." Link smiled.
The hole in the door slowly began closing itself shut.
"Alrighty, peeps. Just follow the map and we'll see each other in no time. See y'all soon." Link said, reaching an open hand through the closing hole.
"But not too soon." Mario said, clapping his hand into Link's, making a silent vow that they will see each other again.
Link quickly bought his hand back to his side just before the hold closed. The last thing the brothers saw was Link nod and Raznia wave to them. Finally, the hole was completely gone, and they faced a solid, barred door once again.
"Well, we're on our own." Luigi said.
"Yep..." Mario sighed.
The brothers walked over to the child-sized hole and studied it for a while. It seemed even smaller to them now. They couldn't even figure out how they could fit their heads through, let alone their entire body.
"How do we get through this?" Mario questioned, actually getting on all fours and attempting to crawl through. "My head can't even fit through!"
"We can't, the way we are now." Luigi pointed out.
"So what do you suggest?" Mario wondered, looking to Luigi.
His pupils narrowed when he saw Luigi holding his trusty Ultra Hammer, the ultimate hammer from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
"No... No! NO!!" Mario angrily protested, shaking his head. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOO!!"
"Trust me, Mario, I don't want to do it, either, but we have no choice." Luigi pointed out. "Besides, we recovered pretty well from the trauma, right? What's one more hammer to the skull?"
"...three more weeks of therapy..." Mario said.
Out of nowhere, he pulled out his own Ultra Hammer. He looked at it regretfully. He didn't even know why he bought it along with him. All it did was brought back painful memories. So painful that he literally got a headache...
"We'll have to slam each other at the same time, so on my count, swing hard." Luigi commanded, rearing back his heavy, black-headed mallet.
Reluctantly, Mario did the same, sealing his eyes shut. He didn't want to see it coming.
"One... Two... THREE!" Luigi counted and they both swung down with all their might.
Both hammers connected with their targets flawlessly. As a result, Luigi was slammed into the ground with only the top of his hat poking out of the ground. Mario was still above ground, but he was now just a little bigger than an average mouse.
"Every time I do this, I always worry about my spine. Having it compressed this tightly can't possibly be healthy." Mario worried.
"And breathing in vast amounts of dirt is?" Luigi's muffled voice said under the ground. "The sooner we get through the hole, the sooner we can get back to normal."
The brothers both headed through the hole without a hitch. As soon as they both cleared the slight obstacle, Luigi jumped out of the dirt and slammed Mario with his hammer again, returning him to normal. Mario looked at his brother with malice as he held his head in pain.
"There's no other way to get you back to normal." Luigi shrugged.
Sighing, Mario looked at the new door in front of them. It was exactly like the door they saw with Link and Raznia. Mario raised his hand to the door and opened it the same way Raznia did. Both of them entered the new room and the door shut behind them.
"Okay, so now what?" Luigi asked.
Mario took a look at the map. The room they were in rhythmically flashed a bright turquoise. In two different rooms, there was a symbol that looked like a treasure chest.
"Check this out." Mario motioned Luigi to come and look at the map. "Most of the rooms are open, so it looks like we won't have to do too much to get to the Boss's room. The only thing we have to worry about is the two rooms have this mark on them." He said, pointing at the treasure chest mark. "I'm pretty sure we'll have to go there before we get to the Boss's room."
"Maybe not. Look at this symbol." Luigi pointed out
"It looks like a skull..." Mario said.
"I'll bet anything that that's the Boss's room. It's almost in the middle of those two rooms. We might only have to go through this room to get there." Luigi suggested, pointing at the treasure chest-marked room closest to them.
"You might be right..." Mario said. "That'd be quite the lucky break for us."
"Can I see that for a second?" Luigi asked, pointing at the map. Mario promptly handed it to him.
"Aww, those lucky fools!" Luigi exclaimed after studying the map for a while.
"What?" Mario wondered.
"Link and Raznia have a clear-cut path to the Boss's room! They don't have to go anywhere else! Their only obstacle is opening doors!" Luigi sighed. "I wish I was quicker on my feet. I could've been the one stuck on a clear-cut path with Raznia."
"Don't tell me your jealous." Mario said.
"It would've been perfect! You heard what she said: three weeks! But with all that alone-time we'd undoubtedly have--"
"Easy there, Casanova. No one likes a dweller." Mario said with a head-shake. "Trust me, I heard what she said, and to me, she sounded like was politely rejecting you. And I'm not saying this to get on your nerves. I'm just being honest. But believe me, everything else she said was sincere. You may not get her, but there are still other girls out there for you."
"...yeah." Luigi sighed. "She seems a lot more interested in another guy, anyway."
"Ah, you noticed." Mario said with an approving nod. "Well, hopefully he keeps his head on his shoulders. It'll be tough, though. She's powerful. And I don't mean just in strength."
"Good luck, Link." Luigi wished, looking in the direction he hoped Link was in.
How right he was. Link, alongside Raznia, were already in the room preceding Nightmare's chamber.
"That was quick." Link said.
"Yep." Raznia agreed. "So what should we do? Mario and Luigi might take a while to get here, and every second counts."
"I know... I still wanna wait for them, though. I said I would." Link said. "Besides, I have faith that the gods can hold their own for just a few more minutes."
"I have faith, too. I'm just worried. Nothing like this has ever happened before." She said.
"This is definitely crazy. Just try to keep you mind off of it for a little while." He suggested, finding a spot against a wall and sitting down. "This can be the calm before the storm, know what I mean?"
"Yeah. I guess we can use the rest. I know Nightmare isn't going to go easy on us." Raznia said, sitting right next to him. "I'm most worried about Nabi. I didn't even feel her essence when we got here. What if Nightmare--"
"Chill out, Raz." Link interrupted, turning to Raznia. "Nabooru might not even be fightin' Nightmare. She could be in the Chamber of Sages, lendin' her power to the gods. Either way, I know she's fine."
With a nod, Raznia felt a little more at ease after hearing Link's confident and comforting words. She decided to rest her head on Link's shoulder. Unlike the last time she did this, Link didn't unexpectedly get up. His heart did skip multiple beats, though.
"She's an extremely pretty girl, and I can see her making you forget about Samus."
Mario's words suddenly started echoing in his head.
I'm not forgettin' about Samus. Why do I even feel so guilty? It's not like I'm doin' anythin' scandalous. We used to chill like this all the time, even when I was with Zelda.
Link glanced down at Raznia resting on his shoulder. She had her eyes closed.
Mario's right, though: she is an extremely pretty girl. Nayru... since when was she so damn beautiful? Why am I bein' tempted like this? I seriously don't remember her bein' so pretty last time I saw her.
"You didn't remember her at all until you saw her in Gerudo Valley." A new voice spoke aloud inside Link's head.
Link literally shook as the voice took him by surprise. Raznia stirred and turned to Link.
"You alright?" She wondered.
"I'm cool. I was dozin' off and I thought I heard somethin'. Don't worry about it." Link assured her with a subtle smile.
Raznia smiled back and rested on Link's shoulder again.
"Good cover-up." The voice said.
Who are you?
"Who am I... That kinda hurts. I've been a part of you ever since you were born."
That still doesn't tell me who you are.
"Man... I'm your conscience! You know everyone has one, right?"
Yeah, but I never heard you talk so loud before. It sounds like you're right next to me.
"I figured now is the perfect time to make myself heard. You got new powers and you seem to be having girl problems. I need to be more outspoken than ever before, don't you think?"
I guess that makes sense...
"Damn right, it does!"
Yeah, you're definitely my conscience.
"Damn right, I am! So like I was saying: you didn't remember our shortie, Raznia, until she called your name in the fortress. Even when you went through your little reflection on past girls back in Mute City her name didn't even cross your mind."
I just never thought of her as a girl who wanted to get close. Me and her were just friends and I thought it'd never be more than that.
"Looks like you thought wrong. She wants to be more than friends now."
We act like this all the time! I don't see how you and Mario think that Raz is tryin' to get next to me.
"I don't see how you can be so oblivious! Have you noticed your right hand lately?"
Link looked down to his hand. He was stunned to find Raznia's hand holding his tightly; quite possibly lovingly.
"And I know you'd love to put your arm around her shoulder. You've been resisting the urge ever since she put her head down."
The only thing that's keepin' me from doin' that is Samus. She's my girl, not Raznia.
"So tell her."
I will.
"Now?"
When the time comes.
"Alright. ...is that time now?"
Yo, just chill. I'll tell her when I need to tell her.
"You need to tell her now."
I'll decide when I need to tell her.
"Hmmm... You're feeling her as much as she's feeling you, aren't you?"
Ha...
"In some countries, 'ha' means 'yes'."
Which countries are you talking about?
"The ones where 'ha' means 'yes'. But don't change the subject. You're already on your way into rough seas and your relationship with Samus is barely a day old."
I keep tellin' you, man: we're not doin' anythin'. She's resting on my shoulder and holdin' my hand. That's it! What makes you think it's gonna get any more serious than that?
"Here's a short list of reasons: You and Raznia are all alone and definitely won't be interrupted for a while. Samus is a million light-years away from you and preoccupied with her own mission. And let's not forget your golden rule: what she don't know won't hurt her. There are more, but these are the top three reasons I see."
You know what you should do? Have a chat wit' my logic. He'll tell you I'm not gonna do anythin'. In fact, he wouldn't let me do anythin' like that.
"Then let's put him to the test. Raznia's been calling you for a while."
Huh?
"Link?" Raznia repeated for the fourth time, nudging his shoulder.
Looking like he just snapped out of a trance, Link turned to Raznia. "Yo." He finally replied, turning to Raznia.
"You okay? I called you, like, four or five times." She said.
"I'm good. Lost in my thoughts, I guess. Sorry." Link apologized.
"No biggie. I woulda gotten your attention one way or another." Raznia said with a mischievous smile.
"I wonder what that's supposed to mean."
Nothin', and you know it.
Link smiled and let out a laugh as Raznia rested her head on his shoulder again.
"Link?" Raznia said.
"Yeah?" Link responded.
"How long have we known each other?" She wondered.
"I... don't really know..." He admitted. "...but I know we've known each other for a while now."
"Nabi introduced you to me when you came back to Gerudo Valley, back in the day. I think I was seventeen." She recounted. "I was so excited to meet you. And why wouldn't I be? You were the Hero of Time."
Link's theme song suddenly blared through the silent temple. Raznia glanced unsurely at Link.
"That happens sometimes." Link casually said.
"Anyway... When I first met you, I was floored. I thought you were really cute." Raznia bashfully smiled.
Link bowed his head a little and laughed. "I thought you were cool, too."
"Cool, but not cute." She said, rising off of Link's shoulder.
"You're readin' between the lines too much." Link sighed, attempting to derail Raznia's train of thought.
"No, I'm not. You don't have to lie to me, Link. I wasn't anything special back then." Raznia admitted. "Maybe I was kinda cute in the face, but there wasn't much to the rest of me. I was pretty skinny and I'm sure my black hair looked outta place since everyone else's was red. And I musta looked so worn-out and raggedy at the time. I just got through training when you came around."
"Well, as long as we're bein' honest, I thought you had a big head, too." Link teased.
Raznia replied with a playful shove. "Well, regardless, I musta made a good impression on you. You used to come by almost every week and we'd just hang out. You'd even help me out with my training."
"Hey, a girl doesn't need to be super-beautiful to get my attention. As long as she's cool, then it's all good." Link said.
"But that wasn't enough for me." Raznia shook her head. "I wanted to be super-beautiful. I wanted more of your attention. The more we were together, the more I started to like you. I was falling hard for you. I had it so bad at one point; I used to have vivid dreams about us."
Link just sat there, stunned. Even with all the time they spent together, he would've never guessed she had such a strong flame for him.
"I was hoping you'd take a hint that I had feelings for you through the way I acted." Raznia continued. "I always looked for any reason to touch you or be close to you. I guess you just thought I was one of those touchy-feely girls."
He definitely did think that. At first, Link tried to keep his distance from Raznia because he was still with Zelda at the time. But once Link started feeling comfortable around her, he didn't mind.
"What sealed the deal was when I found out that you were already taken. And you weren't taken by just anyone: it was Princess Zelda who had you. Right there, I knew I was out of my league." She sighed.
"I never told you, though... How'd you find out?" Link wondered.
"C'mon, Link, I live in a woman-dominated society where gossip is the number one source of information." She reminded him. "I still can't believe I didn't find out sooner. I tried my best to hide my disappointment, but I guess you felt the awkward vibes. You started coming around less often, and, eventually, you just stopped visiting altogether. At first, I was depressed, but after a while, I convinced myself it was for the better. Being around you after I found out about Princess Zelda was such a big tease. It just drove me crazy.
"And you wanna know what's really ironic? Like, a month after you stopped coming around, puberty hit me, full force. I started looking like the way I do now. I remember how many heads I'd turn when I had to travel to Hyrule Castle Town. Even Nabi would say I'm more beautiful than her. I never took her seriously, but I definitely loved to here her say it. I thought she was prettier than Princess Zelda back then. In fact, I still do. Hearing her say I was beautiful meant so much to me. I also got really good with my scimitar. I'm sure I coulda beaten you in a spar."
Raznia then gave a bitter smile as she shook her head.
"I used to want to impress you so bad, but I had nothing to do it with. Then, when you left and I didn't sweat it so much, I suddenly got everything I needed to make you enamored with me."
"Fate is a bitch like that, sometimes." Link was able to utter.
"Yeah. Stupid Fate..." Raznia laughed a little. "We knew each other for almost a year, then we just dropped off the face of the planet for over a year. I just turned nineteen a few weeks ago. You wanna know what my birthday wish was?"
Link turned to her and swallowed hard. He had an idea of what it was...
"...to see me again?"
"No. I wished I had a million rupees." Raznia managed to say after fighting her giggling fits. "I don't believe in wishing other than the one wish you're granted by the Triforce. I have fun thinking of outrageous wishes that I know, or think, will never come true, though."
Link forced himself to laugh a little. He felt like an idiot.
"Aww, don't take it so hard, baby. You're just not the most important thing in my life." Raznia cooed as she pinched Link's cheek. "But really, I did think about you sometimes, and I wondered what you would've said if you were there that day. Needless to say, I was really surprised when I saw you back in the fortress. I wanted to faint; my heart was beating so fast. I played it pretty cool, though, right?" She asked with a slick smile.
"I gotta admit, you looked just as comfortable around me as when we used to hang out. ...only a lot sexier." Link added with a smirk.
"Yeah, I'm like wine." Raznia boasted with a laugh. "At first, I couldn't believe it was you. Other than the black tunic, I just felt like there was something... different about you. But the more I looked at you... the more we talked... the more I... touched you, the more I realized it really was you. And the more I realized it was you... the more those old feelings came back..."
"You see?! DO YOU SEE?! Me and Mario aren't crazy! She LOVES you!"
Shut up...
"Are you... still... with Princess Zelda?" Raznia hesitantly asked, fearful of the answer.
"No... not anymore." Link left it at that.
Upon those words, Raznia felt an unspeakable happiness swell in her heart. Her hold on Link's hand became a little tighter.
"Well... I just spilled my guts about how I feel about you." Raznia said. "Just so you know, I didn't tell you just because you might be single and there'd be a chance could be together. I told you because I just needed to tell you. It bothered me that you never knew. You're so oblivious." She teased as she knocked on his forehead. "I don't expect you to tell me how you feel in return. I'm just happy we can sit together like this. I'm just glad you know how I feel about you." She concluded as she rested on Link's shoulder once again.
...wow. Wow, man. Just... wow. That... that might be the deepest thing I'll ever hear.
"Without a doubt. I was this close to shedding a tear. I'm being honest."
Me, too.
"So this is it, buddy. The moment of truth. She thinks you're single. Her feelings are out in the open and she's very vulnerable. If you said the word, she'd be yours with no strings attached. The most beautiful type of relationship there is. What WILL gonna do? Are you gonna be thankful for what's already on your plate or are you gonna go for that second helping before you're done? And let me just remind you: you're getting fat."
I followed you until you started with the food metaphors... But seriously... to be honest: I don't know what to do. I really do love Samus... but all this time I'm spendin' with Raz... I'm startin' to love her, too. And believe it or not, it's not her beauty that did it. I know this girl. She's so cool, it's not fair. This is the type of girl you search tirelessly for, but never find. And she found me. Is Nayru trying to tell me something?
"That you made the wrong choice?"
I don't wanna think so. Samus is a great girl. Maybe one of the greatest girls I've ever known. And after tryin' so hard to get her... harder than I've tried with any girl before, I got her. Damnit, Nayru, why are you doin' this? Why is this so unfair? Why can't I have both of them?
"Why can't you have both of them?"
...what?
"You heard me."
Because... it's not right.
"Says who?"
Alright, what would you do?
"The truth?"
That's all I'll accept.
"I'd take her. All I see are green lights."
Huh... That wasn't the answer I was expectin'. I thought you were the good conscience. If fact, aren't there supposed to be two of you?
"Pah... Whoever started that rumor needs to be killed. There only one conscience and it's supposed to make you consider both sides of a situation: good and bad."
Ah ha... But all you made me consider was the good stuff.
"Because you're with two good girls. Besides, I don't need to tell you what'll happen if they ever find out about each other. They're also really good at what they do, if you catch my drift. But still, the final choice is all yours. What's it gonna be?"
The truth?
"I expect nothing less."
Link looked at a resting Raznia on his shoulder. She looked so peaceful. So beautiful... His heart fluttered a bit. At that moment, he knew. He wrapped her in his arms.
Let's just say I'm still hungry.
Mario and Luigi finally made it to their first destination. Not only that, but they were in the middle of solving a puzzle.
A life-or-death puzzle.
"WHAAAH!!" Luigi shouted as he dodged the charge of a large, possessed hand; a Floormaster.
Mario shot several fireballs at the hand to avert its attention. It spun around on it's thumb and jumped at Mario. He used his cape to flip its direction and slammed it with his Ultra Hammer. The hand collapsed and lied lifelessly on the ground.
"Whew..." Luigi sighed, exhaustedly falling on his back. "Those flaming bats were nothing, but that living hand was too much! And I thought Crazy Hand was creepy... Link's quests aren't as easy as we thought."
"Yeah, we should apologize." Mario admitted. "So now what? The door's still locked."
"There's more to the puzzle. But all these enemies keep coming. How can we solve it if we're constantly fighting?" Luigi wondered.
"Maybe we have to defeat all the enemies to go further. But if that's the case, why are we still here? That hand was the last guy, wasn't it?" Mario said, turning to the defeated monster.
Much to his dismay, it wasn't there anymore.
"Where the hell is that hand...?" Mario uneasily asked.
Suddenly, he felt like he was heavily shoved to the ground. Something that felt like a hand on his head was trying to grind his face into the ground.
"Mario!" Luigi shouted, jumping to his feet.
Right at that moment, two smaller Floormasters, similar to the bigger one they fought before, attacked him. One jumped at his throat while the other one punched him in the stomach.
Mario was able to flip onto his back and slam the back of his head into the floor, stunning the hand behind him. He grabbed it by one of the fingers and hurled it at a nearby wall. After it bounced off and hit the floor, Mario showered the possessed appendage with a hail of fireballs, singeing the monster to death.
He turned back to his struggling brother, who managed to get one of the Floormasters off his neck, but was now trying to fend off their relentless ram attacks. Finding the perfect moment, Mario launched off his right foot and landed directly on one of the monsters, flattening it and rendering it lifeless.
Luigi took care of the second Floormaster. When it tried for one more ram attack, Luigi ducked, leaving the monster to fly behind him. That's when he whipped out his own Ultra Hammer, and assumed a batter's stance. The Floormaster heaved it's body at him once again, but this was the worst decision it could've made. Luigi swung hard and connected flawlessly with the airborne monster, easily pulverizing it on impact.
Breathing hard, Luigi let the hammer fall on its head and he leaned tiredly on the stick with his eyes closed. Mario leaned on his knees to take a breather as well. These monsters had a lot more endurance than anything they'd typically face in the Mushroom Kingdom.
As Mario was resting, a dark shadow slowly began to grow over him. He didn't notice it, and if a low, wind-swept groan didn't echo through the air, he never would've. As soon as he heard the sound, another hand, a Wallmaster this time, grabbed him by the head and started rising upward.
Hearing Mario's muffled screams, Luigi's eyes darted over to Mario. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Immediately springing into action, Luigi acrobatically catapulted himself off his hammer and flew high above the Wallmaster, with his head almost touching the ceiling. He then put his feet together and guided himself right on top of the hand-creature. He landed on it with excellent force and launched himself into the air after impact.
Mario landed clumsily on his feet and fell over. The Wallmaster landed on its back. It frantically wiggled its fingers in order to try to flip itself back upright. Unfortunately for the monster, Luigi came crashing down on it, landing in the palm of the "hand" and crushing its innards. The Wallmaster was finished.
Suddenly, the classic Legend of Zelda "solve a puzzle" chime rang throughout the air. In the corner of the room, a large treasure chest materialized.
"I think we're done. The key to the door should be in that chest." Mario said.
"That's so great. I don't know how much more fighting I could do." Luigi sighed, heading toward the chest.
Mario followed along. "You won't last long against Nightmare if this is your limit."
They stood in front of the closed chest.
"Well, here we go." Mario said.
The typical chest opening sequence commenced. When Mario opened the chest, a bright, golden glow shined from the inside while the mysterious "what's inside the box" theme played. Mario reached inside the chest and dipped his hands in, picking up the contents. The music came to an apex. Mario faced Luigi.
"What is it?" He wondered.
Triumphant music sounded as Mario raised his hands and displayed the contents of the chest: a blue rupee.
"...that's it?" Luigi muttered, thinking this was some type of joke.
"That's it." Mario replied, not bothering to indulge in his incredulity.
"Let me see something..." Luigi said, taking a peek into the treasure chest.
Completely empty. The only thing inside the chest was empty space.
"Something's wrong. This can't be it. We didn't risk our lives for nothing." Luigi said.
Mario decided to take a gander at the dungeon map, just to make sure they didn't miss anything.
"I don't see anything we missed. So now what?" Mario wondered.
Luigi motioned for the map. He took it from Mario and studied it for a second. From time to time, he'd look up from the map to a certain spot on the wall.
"According to the map, there's a hidden room here." Luigi realized.
"How do you know?" Mario asked.
"See this?" Luigi pointed at an extra block connected to the room they were standing in. "This is what gave it away."
"How do we find it?" Mario inquired.
"We don't have to find it. I know where it is. Check out that wall over there." Luigi pointed out.
The wall was riddled with cracks and seemed to be significantly weaker than the rest of the foundation.
"Ah, I see. I guess our hammers should take care of that wall." Mario suggested, whipping out his trusty mallet.
"Let's go for it." Luigi picked up his hammer and reared it back. "Count of three."
"One... two... three!" The brothers counted together and slammed the wall forcefully with their Ultra Hammers.
Surprisingly, the wall didn't falter. Loose, crumbled stone fragments flew out of the wall, but it still held strong.
"Someone just doesn't want us to succeed." Luigi sighed. "We might need bombs for this. But I have no idea where to find them around here..."
"Let me try one more thing." Mario said. "Oh, and stand back a little."
Luigi did so as Mario moved behind him. In the meantime, Luigi tried to think of every single other way for them to get through the wall. He was at a loss for creativity, though; everything he thought of involved some sort of explosive. He even considered a Green Missile, but he wasn't in the mood for any more head trauma. He continued to stand there, tapping his feet impatiently.
That is, until a sudden burning sensation forced a pained yelp and a surprised hop from him. Luigi mindlessly charged into the crumbling wall; running so fast, he broke a hole through the wall and slammed into the stronger wall behind it. Mario casually strolled in behind as Luigi fanned the flames away.
"I figured out a way to break through the wall." Mario said.
"You could've given me a warning or something..." Luigi said.
"I told you to stand back, didn't I?" Mario reminded.
Luigi just shook his head, annoyed. Mario smiled back as he faced a small treasure chest. He kicked the keyhole and the top creaked opened. Mario held his hands up triumphantly as a victorious fanfare played. A small, silver key twinkled above him.
"Good. Now we can get out of here." Luigi said.
"We're taking a lot longer to get to the Boss's room than I thought we would. I know Link and Raznia are real close to Nightmare by now." Mario stated. "I should've told him to go on without us. I feel like we don't have that much time left until Nightmare gets too powerful to fight."
"Can you feel that? Nightmare's power just jumped." Raznia warned.
"We can't wait for them anymore. Let's go." Link suggested.
Both of them rose to their feet and headed toward the final hallway before the Boss's chamber. As they got closer, the air started to feel more dense and heavy. It was like the air was saturated with Nightmare's power. Link started to feel doubtful, even with his newfound power. He didn't think these souls from the Spirit Temple would increase Nightmare's strength by so much.
He opened the door to the final hallway. He stood in the doorway for a second.
"What are we waiting for?" Raznia wondered.
"I'm actually a little worried." Link admitted. "Nightmare is so serious right now."
"As long as we work together, we'll be fine, right?" Raznia optimistically said, grasping Link's hand.
"Raz... I know you're strong, but I don't think you're strong enough. I don't even think I'm strong enough. I want you to stay out here and wait for Mario and Luigi." Link said.
Raznia gradually relinquished her hold on Link's hand. "You're serious?"
"Serious as a heart attack." Link replied. "Think about it. We just got together. By the time we start fightin' Nightmare, we will have been together for a grand total of maybe ten minutes. I don't want this to be the shortest relationship I've ever been in. I'd feel a lot better if you just stayed out here."
Raznia just stared at him. "I hope you don't think that just because you're my boyfriend means I'm gonna suddenly listen. I told you before we left: I was gonna face Nightmare with or without you."
"Just listen to me, please. He's incredibly strong right now." Link sighed before he spoke his next sentence. "Please don't take this as an insult. I might be able to go toe-to-toe with him and edge out, but if you're in there too, you're gonna get in the way."
Against Link's hopes, Raznia looked hurt. She definitely took that as an insult.
"Look, I'll make it up to you when I get back." Link promised. "You heard me? I'm comin' back. That's a promise. Just wait for me."
Link caressed her cheek, then turned to walk down hallway leading to possibly the biggest battle he'd ever be in. The door promptly slammed closed behind him. As he got closer to the huge, heavy door separating him and Nightmare, he started psyching himself up for the battle.
"Do you really believe you're coming outta this alive?"
Of course! I'll admit: I'm more afraid to fight Nightmare now than I was when I first fought Ganondorf. But I know I'm comin' out of this alive. I shoulda died when Dark Link stabbed me, but I'm still here, right? I was meant to succeed.
"I like the confidence. Well, if this can add to it, I'll try to help, too."
It does. Thanks. Between the two of us, the only way I'll die is of natural causes.
"...I don't think getting mutilated by your girlfriend(s) counts as anything natural."
They won't find out! What they don't know won't hurt 'em, right? I thought I had your blessin'!
"I just said I'd take her. I didn't expect you to follow my example! You shouldn't have; I'm a bad influence."
...you know you're my conscience, right? That's not--
Link stopped mid-thought when he heard the door behind him rise open. He didn't turn around, but he knew exactly who it was.
"Go back, Raz." Link ordered.
"You don't want me to go in there because you're afraid of me getting hurt. Don't you think I'm scared for you, too? I want to be in there with you." Raznia said.
"You don't gotta worry about that. I'm gonna come out fine." Link reassured her.
"And I'm gonna make sure of it. I'm still coming and I don't care what you say. I know I'll be able to help somehow." Raznia said.
Link sighed. "Raz, listen to me, I don't want you to get hurt. Just wait out--"
Link poorly overestimated the distance between himself and Raznia. Just as soon as he held his hand out as a halt sign, he suddenly found his hand full. ...of her ample bosom.
"Score."
I didn't do that on purpose!
An awkward and embarrassed silence followed. Raznia just stood there, shocked, as Link still kept his hand firmly in place.
"Are you keeping your hand there because you're stunned, or is it because you're enjoying it? I can't tell."
Neither can I...
"Raznia..." Link swallowed hard, trying to collect himself. "I just want you to know that this is completely unintentional. Definitely not what I had planned..."
"I believe you." Raznia replied, her voice a little shaky. "Whenever you're ready, you can let go..."
Link quickly released his hold as they both blushed profusely, turning away from each other.
"Soft, huh?"
Like a cucco-down pillow. I'm never washin' this hand again.
"I hope you're not still planning to tell me to wait outside after that little mishap. You owe me big time, mister." Raznia said.
"You probably had that planned from the beginnin'." Link muttered.
"I'm not that flirtatious." Raznia said. "Come on."
They stood in front of the huge door. They were faced with two choices now: they could give up before they even start and spend their last moments together before Hyrule faced its inevitable demise, or they could step through the door and put their all into saving the land they love.
"Open sesame." Link commanded as the door rose open.
Link and Raznia glanced at each other briefly. Link broke the glance and was about to walk into the room, but Raznia pulled him back by the arm. Link wondered what this was all about, but understood immediately when he felt Raznia's lips pressed against his.
"Score."
Stop sayin' that!
After that passionate exchange, Raznia held his hand as they walked into the Boss's room together. The room had an eerie green glow. They were at the base of a tall pillar. Above them, they could see the base of the giant green beam of light they saw shooting out of the top of the Spirit Temple. Without a doubt, Nightmare was there.
Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind them. This startled them because it was so loud. They knew Nightmare was aware of their presence. The sound of chains could be heard outside of the door, too. They were locked in.
"Damnit... Mario and Luigi..." Link murmured.
"They'll find a way in." Raznia assured him.
They then climbed the side of the pillar to the top. The first thing they noticed, and perhaps the thing that surprised them the most, was that the Soul Edge was the source of the beam of light. It was floating by itself in the air as the beam shot out from the tip of the living blade. It had its eyes closed, as if it was concentrating.
Below the levitated blade, Nightmare, himself, was on his knees with his arms out and his back to him. Surrounding him was a strange aura. Nothing that could be seen, but it could be felt.
And the feeling was frightening. It was almost physically constricting. Link wanted to summon his sword and shield right there, but he felt like his arms were being weighed down. Even so, he managed to call his weaponry and prepared himself, as Raznia unsheathed her scimitar and dagger and did the same.
There was a short silence. Gradually, they heard a mocking laughter. A raspy and rough laughter was coming from Nightmare.
"More souls..." He rasped, still on his knees.
"Do you understand what you're doing?" Raznia demanded.
"Must return... the power of... Soul Edge..." Nightmare breathed out slowly. "Soon... all will know... the greatest nightmare..."
"He's being controlled by Soul Edge. It knows it's only as powerful as the person who wields it." Link said. "If we murk Soul Edge, we can stop Nightmare."
"Fools... Do you want to die that badly?" Nightmare asked, rising to his feet.
He threw out his right, mutated arm. In a flash of power, the room lost its green tint and looked normal. The constricting feeling had also dispersed. Soul Edge had finally opened its eyes and glared at Raznia and Link. It slowly floated into Nightmare's opened hand with the beam of light shooting from the tip gradually fading away.
Once the sword was in his hand, Nightmare slightly turned. He glared at Link and Raznia with his menacing bloodshot eyes.
"Offer... your souls." Nightmare demanded.
"Never." Link and Raznia refused.
"Then perish." Nightmare growled as a green aura flowed from the Soul Edge to Nightmare's body.
Right there, Link's shield opened its eye as wide as possible...