Dressed in his mountain-climbing gear, Popo drew his mallet and looked
around. "What's this creepy place?" he muttered to himself.
The small isle he stood on was floating in the air above, from what Popo could tell it was, a boiling pit of a strange yellowish liquid. Three platforms mysteriously floated above his head in a perfect line, the two on the sides of the isle were bound to the island by strips of a flesh-colored fiber. And the large, dark cavern he was in added to the uneasy mood he felt.
Suddenly, Popo felt a sharp pain jab into his left side. With a gasp, Popo fell to his knees and clutched his ribs. "What the hell-!" He groaned, wincing in pain. Popo dropped to his side on the ground and rolled on his shoulder. The pain in his side had moved to his belly, and it felt like something was eating him alive inside of his gut. Popo let out a brief scream of agony and wrapped his arms around his stomach, trying in futility to ease his pain. Suddenly, the pain vanished from him. Astonished, Popo rose to his feet and rubbed his belly. His body was mysteriously worn-down, but at least the jabbing pain had subsided. "I hate these rifts," Popo muttered to himself.
Just then, he saw what seemed to be a shooting star sail down from the ceiling of the cavern, and slam into the outer platform right of the top center one. Flames and smoke burned around the object that had fallen from the ceiling, and was still burning when Popo climbed onto the platform and gazed upon the object. "Samus!" Popo gasped when he saw who the fallen figure was. Samus lay there, face down in her Chozo armor, her suit burned and smoking, lying there motionless. Popo knelt down to Samus' side.
Before Popo could utter a word, Samus rose to her feet and stood up to him. When she turned around, she muttered, "K-k-kill y-!"
Popo groaned. "Oh well," he sighed, gripping his mallet tighter.
No sooner had Popo took a fighting stance, the Samus threw her arms around his shoulders. "Al-l-live!" She stammered.
Popo was taken back by the Samus clone's sudden affection for him. "Samus?" Popo murmured.
"You- alive!" The Samus began to weep underneath her helmet.
"What in fuck's name is happening?" Popo asked himself. "Samus, what happened to you?"
"Y-Y-Yoshi!" The Samus clone babbled.
"Yoshi?" Popo muttered. "Is Yoshi here too?"
"Peach- Princess- castle top- big ball- boom-" the clone mumbled, still embracing Popo in her arms. Popo had no idea what Samus was babbling on about, but he uneasily welcomed her embrace nonetheless.
Suddenly, Popo caught a mean grin on his lips. "Samus, do you want to kill Yoshi?" Popo asked with a cruel smile. The Samus released Popo from her embrace and vigorously nodded. "He's down there," said Popo, "in the middle of that boiling lava pit." Instantly, the Samus dashed off the platform and leapt off it, diving headfirst into the boiling acid pit. After a few seconds and a splash later, Popo heard an ear-splitting scream. "Yup, it's hot, isn't it?" he chuckled to himself. Instantly, the Samus clone shot up above Popo, and came crashing down again at his feet on her stomach. Popo slowly nudged Samus in her ribs with his boot. Popo laughed out loud. "You clones really are stupid, aren't you!" he laughed.
Suddenly, the Samus clone rose to her feet and stood in front of him. Although Popo couldn't tell, Samus was angrily glaring at him. "K-k-kill you!" The Samus clone screeched, lunging at Popo. Popo was taken completely by surprise by Samus's attack and was soon knocked off the platform by a vicious shoulder tackle from Samus. Before Popo could land on the platform below, He saw Samus drop down beside him in the air and land a midair kick into his face. Popo was shot backwards by the blow and sent skidding along the main platform when he landed. Popo wearily got to his knee and sputtered, rubbing his bloody lip. "Alright Samus," Popo growled, clutching the handle of his mallet harder, "Now you've gone and pissed me off!"
The Samus clone could barley twitch before Popo sprung into the air with his mallet above his head, and violently smashed it into Samus' skull. Before Samus hit the ground as she fell from Popo's blow, Popo wound his mallet over his shoulder and then let it sail into Samus' ribs. Samus was thrown backwards from Popo's attack, and was sent sailing far away from the platform. Popo took a short breath, still worn down from the mysterious abdominal pain from before, as he watched Samus sail away from the platform and down below Popo's view. Popo sat down with crossed legs and relaxed. "That takes care of her," Popo said, "Now, how long does it take to wake up?" he asked himself.
He waited. He continued to wait. He waited for about a minute before he began to complain. "How Goddamn long does it take to get outta' here?" He shouted out loud.
Popo was answered with a sudden feeling of the platform slightly vibrate briefly underneath him. When he heard a sudden scream echo behind him, Popo sprang to his feet and whirled around. "K-Kill you-u!" screamed the charred figure of Samus on the other end of the platform.
Popo weakly laughed. "Now, come on Samus," Popo managed a weak smile, edging towards the edge of the main platform, "About me tricking you into the lava," Popo weakly began, clenching his mallet tighter in his mitten.
"Kill you!" Samus babbled, angrily stomping her feet on the ground as she slowly advanced on Popo.
"Now, I really didn't want to see you burn alive! Honest!" Popo blurted out.
"Sh-sh-sh-ut up!"
"You hugged me just a few moments ago? Remember?" Popo weakly asked, now on the very edge of the platform. "Do you want another?"
"Die!" Samus screamed, charging towards Popo.
Popo took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes tightly shut, wound back his arm holding his mallet in the other, and when Samus was right within striking distance from Popo, Popo shot his empty hand forward, letting a blast of icy cold wind blow upon Samus. The clone gave a shrill yelp as she was blown far away from the stage. Popo took a relaxing sigh of relief as he watched Samus, slowly becoming incased in a coffin of ice, sailed into the sky and disappeared into the depths of the dark cavern. And in a brilliant flash of light, Samus disappeared and Popo suddenly lost consciousness.
-
Popo wearily opened his eyes. The blurry image of Nana's face greeted him as she looked into his eyes. "Popo!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him, "Thank God you're alright!"
Popo found he was lying down in the lower bunk of his and Nana's bunk bed, and wearily sat up as Nana released him. "Nana, what happened?" Popo groaned.
Nana, dressed only in a tank top and shorts, letting her long dark brown hair spill over her shoulders, sighed. "You went to sleep without me," she said, holding a wad of a Kleenex in her hand.
"Oh yeah," Popo murmured, letting one hand cling to his T-shirt, "We hoped that if we slept at the same time like we usually do, that way we might fight in the rift together. I'm sorry, but I was just really tired."
Nana sighed again. "You could have been hurt badly without me," she said, dabbing at Popo's bruised lip with the Kleenex.
"Aw, I'm sorry sis," Popo sighed.
"I was really worried about you," Nana said, tossing the Kleenex into the trash basket beside the bed, "When I saw you sleeping on your own I nearly had a heart attack!"
Popo swung his stubby legs out to the side of the bed. "I'll try not to worry you like that again," Popo said solemnly.
"Promise?" She asked innocently.
"Promise."
The small isle he stood on was floating in the air above, from what Popo could tell it was, a boiling pit of a strange yellowish liquid. Three platforms mysteriously floated above his head in a perfect line, the two on the sides of the isle were bound to the island by strips of a flesh-colored fiber. And the large, dark cavern he was in added to the uneasy mood he felt.
Suddenly, Popo felt a sharp pain jab into his left side. With a gasp, Popo fell to his knees and clutched his ribs. "What the hell-!" He groaned, wincing in pain. Popo dropped to his side on the ground and rolled on his shoulder. The pain in his side had moved to his belly, and it felt like something was eating him alive inside of his gut. Popo let out a brief scream of agony and wrapped his arms around his stomach, trying in futility to ease his pain. Suddenly, the pain vanished from him. Astonished, Popo rose to his feet and rubbed his belly. His body was mysteriously worn-down, but at least the jabbing pain had subsided. "I hate these rifts," Popo muttered to himself.
Just then, he saw what seemed to be a shooting star sail down from the ceiling of the cavern, and slam into the outer platform right of the top center one. Flames and smoke burned around the object that had fallen from the ceiling, and was still burning when Popo climbed onto the platform and gazed upon the object. "Samus!" Popo gasped when he saw who the fallen figure was. Samus lay there, face down in her Chozo armor, her suit burned and smoking, lying there motionless. Popo knelt down to Samus' side.
Before Popo could utter a word, Samus rose to her feet and stood up to him. When she turned around, she muttered, "K-k-kill y-!"
Popo groaned. "Oh well," he sighed, gripping his mallet tighter.
No sooner had Popo took a fighting stance, the Samus threw her arms around his shoulders. "Al-l-live!" She stammered.
Popo was taken back by the Samus clone's sudden affection for him. "Samus?" Popo murmured.
"You- alive!" The Samus began to weep underneath her helmet.
"What in fuck's name is happening?" Popo asked himself. "Samus, what happened to you?"
"Y-Y-Yoshi!" The Samus clone babbled.
"Yoshi?" Popo muttered. "Is Yoshi here too?"
"Peach- Princess- castle top- big ball- boom-" the clone mumbled, still embracing Popo in her arms. Popo had no idea what Samus was babbling on about, but he uneasily welcomed her embrace nonetheless.
Suddenly, Popo caught a mean grin on his lips. "Samus, do you want to kill Yoshi?" Popo asked with a cruel smile. The Samus released Popo from her embrace and vigorously nodded. "He's down there," said Popo, "in the middle of that boiling lava pit." Instantly, the Samus dashed off the platform and leapt off it, diving headfirst into the boiling acid pit. After a few seconds and a splash later, Popo heard an ear-splitting scream. "Yup, it's hot, isn't it?" he chuckled to himself. Instantly, the Samus clone shot up above Popo, and came crashing down again at his feet on her stomach. Popo slowly nudged Samus in her ribs with his boot. Popo laughed out loud. "You clones really are stupid, aren't you!" he laughed.
Suddenly, the Samus clone rose to her feet and stood in front of him. Although Popo couldn't tell, Samus was angrily glaring at him. "K-k-kill you!" The Samus clone screeched, lunging at Popo. Popo was taken completely by surprise by Samus's attack and was soon knocked off the platform by a vicious shoulder tackle from Samus. Before Popo could land on the platform below, He saw Samus drop down beside him in the air and land a midair kick into his face. Popo was shot backwards by the blow and sent skidding along the main platform when he landed. Popo wearily got to his knee and sputtered, rubbing his bloody lip. "Alright Samus," Popo growled, clutching the handle of his mallet harder, "Now you've gone and pissed me off!"
The Samus clone could barley twitch before Popo sprung into the air with his mallet above his head, and violently smashed it into Samus' skull. Before Samus hit the ground as she fell from Popo's blow, Popo wound his mallet over his shoulder and then let it sail into Samus' ribs. Samus was thrown backwards from Popo's attack, and was sent sailing far away from the platform. Popo took a short breath, still worn down from the mysterious abdominal pain from before, as he watched Samus sail away from the platform and down below Popo's view. Popo sat down with crossed legs and relaxed. "That takes care of her," Popo said, "Now, how long does it take to wake up?" he asked himself.
He waited. He continued to wait. He waited for about a minute before he began to complain. "How Goddamn long does it take to get outta' here?" He shouted out loud.
Popo was answered with a sudden feeling of the platform slightly vibrate briefly underneath him. When he heard a sudden scream echo behind him, Popo sprang to his feet and whirled around. "K-Kill you-u!" screamed the charred figure of Samus on the other end of the platform.
Popo weakly laughed. "Now, come on Samus," Popo managed a weak smile, edging towards the edge of the main platform, "About me tricking you into the lava," Popo weakly began, clenching his mallet tighter in his mitten.
"Kill you!" Samus babbled, angrily stomping her feet on the ground as she slowly advanced on Popo.
"Now, I really didn't want to see you burn alive! Honest!" Popo blurted out.
"Sh-sh-sh-ut up!"
"You hugged me just a few moments ago? Remember?" Popo weakly asked, now on the very edge of the platform. "Do you want another?"
"Die!" Samus screamed, charging towards Popo.
Popo took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes tightly shut, wound back his arm holding his mallet in the other, and when Samus was right within striking distance from Popo, Popo shot his empty hand forward, letting a blast of icy cold wind blow upon Samus. The clone gave a shrill yelp as she was blown far away from the stage. Popo took a relaxing sigh of relief as he watched Samus, slowly becoming incased in a coffin of ice, sailed into the sky and disappeared into the depths of the dark cavern. And in a brilliant flash of light, Samus disappeared and Popo suddenly lost consciousness.
-
Popo wearily opened his eyes. The blurry image of Nana's face greeted him as she looked into his eyes. "Popo!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around him, "Thank God you're alright!"
Popo found he was lying down in the lower bunk of his and Nana's bunk bed, and wearily sat up as Nana released him. "Nana, what happened?" Popo groaned.
Nana, dressed only in a tank top and shorts, letting her long dark brown hair spill over her shoulders, sighed. "You went to sleep without me," she said, holding a wad of a Kleenex in her hand.
"Oh yeah," Popo murmured, letting one hand cling to his T-shirt, "We hoped that if we slept at the same time like we usually do, that way we might fight in the rift together. I'm sorry, but I was just really tired."
Nana sighed again. "You could have been hurt badly without me," she said, dabbing at Popo's bruised lip with the Kleenex.
"Aw, I'm sorry sis," Popo sighed.
"I was really worried about you," Nana said, tossing the Kleenex into the trash basket beside the bed, "When I saw you sleeping on your own I nearly had a heart attack!"
Popo swung his stubby legs out to the side of the bed. "I'll try not to worry you like that again," Popo said solemnly.
"Promise?" She asked innocently.
"Promise."