21st Century Yoshi presents
THE LIBERATED PASTPart Four: The Definition Of Trouble
By Sk8er Grl
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, blah blah, etc. I own Herman, although I don't own his species. I own the dragon. Although, come to think of it, I don't own its species either… who did come up with the concept of dragons???
Thankyou for all your positive reviews everyone! With your help I have established that my Dragonlore section was a bit cheesy. I think this is because my main influence in writing is Terry Pratchett and he does do bits like that in some of his books, but because he writes humour they are supposed to be cheesy and funny, so I've done my best. Also I have had another thought on the para-koopas/para-troopers issue: what about those little flying things with capes on Super Mario World? They look like koopas without shells. Are they the ones called para-troopers I wonder? Oh well.
Anyway, this is chapter four, in which a dragon has been set loose in the Mushroom Kingdom…
Started: 25/10/02
*
King Bowser sat snoring on is throne. A sudden booming thump shook the entire castle. Goombas, koopas and bob-ombs all over the building cried out in fright.
Bowser woke with a start and peered around sleepily, trying to figure out what had caused him to wake. No more thumps came, although there was a flurry of activity among his servants. I'll be damned, he though, they look like they're actually working hard for once.
Bowser yawned. "I think it's time to give our little friend some exercise," he said to Herman. There was no reply. He looked around and realised that his confident was missing. Normally he would say something like "But sire, is that a good idea? I mean, you know the trouble you always have now getting him back in his cell…"
Bowser knew Herman was afraid the dragon would escape. He was always begging that they use it to defeat Mario and then get rid of it, before something happened.
But Bowser wanted to make sure that there was absolutely no chance of failure. He had been sending the dragon out ever since it could fly, training it and building up its strength, getting it to set fire to things.
Bowser grinned evilly. The morale of the townspeople had fallen to an all-time low. He loved seeing the results: the uncertainty, the constant fear of attack. The Toads no longer felt safe to leave their homes for fear of coming back to find it burnt to the ground, but they were afraid to stay in them for fear of being burnt alive.
I wonder how Mario's reacting to that, he though with evil glee. In a good humour Bowser got up, called for Herman and set out for the dungeons.
~
In the Dark Dungeon, Herman returned to consciousness to see the dragon's tail disappearing around a corner. He scrambled to his feet and stumbled after it, but stopped dead when he heard Bowser call his name. Then there was more silence, and Herman waited with baited breath.
There came a fearsome roar and Herman knew Bowser had met the dragon. It was followed by the dragon's bellow.
Bowser roared again and Herman cringed, wondering what was happening. There was another cry from the dragon; not a scream of fear this time but a terrifying roar of rage and frustration that sent shivers up Herman's spine and caused him to whimper in fright.
He could stand it no more. Herman's curiosity overcame him and he sprinted up the dark corridor, dreading what he might see, towards Bowser and the dragon.
~
Mario and Peach's eyes flicked back and forth, watching Luigi. He was pacing agitatedly, searching through the pages of the book. It was a slow process because flipping one too hard would not only tear the page but probably cause part of it to disintegrate.
"Here's something," he said so suddenly that Peach and Mario jumped. Mario slipped out of his seat and fell on the floor. He jumped up so suddenly that he knocked the chair over and had to pick it up again. By the time he managed to sit down he was as red as his hat with embarrassment. He avoided looking at Peach.
Luigi barely seemed to notice. "Because of this, the noble Dragon, king of all beasts, is also the rarest among them."
"Because of what? That doesn't tell us anything!" said Mario exasperatedly.
"It tells us that when this book was written dragons were already nearly extinct. So how did this one cross that time barrier?"
"What does it say before that, Luigi?" asked Peach.
Luigi's lips moved silently as he read, and then he blanched slightly.
Peach's brow furrowed. Mario couldn't stop himself noticing how delicately she managed to pull off the expression.
Wordlessly, Luigi put the book on the table and pushed it towards her. Peach read it with a worried expression.
The dragon cometh not into presence of man; unless it believes there to be trouble. They are spoken of in renown in the instance of civil unrest or disturbances without, for when he senseth trouble the dragon doth bear away the most treasured maiden in the kingdom. But fair princesses should worry not, for no harm will come to them under the dragon's care. Many a knight hath fallen under the dragon's protective wrath before he is slain.
Peach sat back and bumped into Mario, who had been leaning over her shoulder. She blushed but quickly her thoughts returned to the matter in hand.
"This means that you are in the most danger, Peach," Mario said gently.
"Danger?" she replied, and stood up. "Danger?" she repeated, louder. "Mario, I am not afraid for my safety! Did you not read the book? If the dragon were to kidnap me I would be safer than I have ever been! It is the people out there I fear for!" She swept her arm towards the town in an expansive gesture. "If this dragon only would take me, and leave the rest of the kingdom be, I would rest easy! But I cannot fear for myself, when already my people have been attacked! So who do you think is in most danger?"
Peach's chest heaved with emotion. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face and looked Mario in the eyes.
He looked more than a little hurt, and puzzled by Peach's reaction. Her anger melted away at once and she swept over to Mario and hugged him.
"Oh, sweet Mario, I am sorry! I know you only want to protect me, and you have always done so very well!"
"It's alright, I understand what you meant," Mario mumbled awkwardly.
There was a moment of silence, then Luigi coughed. Mario and Peach snapped out of it, and moved apart. There was a lot of embarrassed shuffling and sideways glances.
"You have also protected me Luigi," Peach said hastily.
Luigi scuffed at the ground with his foot, his trademark gesture whenever he received a compliment.
"Well, anyway, what do you propose we do, Princess?" he said.
~
"How did this happen?!" growled Bowser angrily. Herman watched in horror as the dragon reared up on its hind legs and forced Bowser away. It was wailing and roaring like he had never heard before.
"WHOOO-AAAAAAAAAR! WHOOOOOAAAAAAHHHRGH! WAAAARGGGH!!!"
The last cry sounded like the roar of a bear, a bear that was twice as tall as Bowser and had a belly full of fire and a heart full of confused, mixed up emotions that felt as if a band of tiny men were stamping on it and tearing it and wrenching it apart from the inside.
"GRAAAAAAAARGH!"
Bowser also roared, sounding like a giant lion which had also a belly full of fire, and had just been confronted with a problem so terrifying that the terror was unable to be contained within one being and so was diffused into smaller emotions, like anger.
The dragon tried to shoulder past Bowser, but he turned and presented the spikes on his shell, and there came a clattering as the dragon's metallic scales scraped against them and got tangled.
In the confusion Herman dodged past the two of them without being seen and ran away up the passage.
The dragon bucked and tore itself free of Bowser's spines. Bowser snarled and grabbed its tail to stop it escaping, but the dragon turned and drew breath.
Bowser knew what was about to happen. Within a split second he had let go of the dragon's tail and withdrawn into his shell. There was a mighty rushing sound and a moment of intense heat as the gust of fire passed overhead. Then the clicking of claws against stone, which was the only noise made as the dragon galloped away.
Bowser got to his feet. "HERMAN!" he screamed.
Herman was leaning against the wall, trying to get over the near heart attack he had suffered when the dragon ran past him without warning. Bowser's yell also nearly caused him heart failure. He sighed heavily and dashed back down the passage to where Bowser stood.
"Where were you?" he asked, dangerously calm.
"I—I was upstairs, sire, a-a-and I came down to see if you were awake, b-but you were gone, and then I heard noise from down here, so I came to see what was happening, and then you called… me…" Herman's words died in his throat as Bowser produced something from behind his back and dangled it in front of his eyes.
It was the torch that Herman had been using. His eyes widened, and he looked up at Bowser, somehow more terrified than he had been before.
Bowser's face split into an angry sneer and he bared his teeth.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Finished: 25/10/02
Ooh, this is fanfiction GOLD! Still no word on Herman's species. Did you notice the hint of Mario/Peach romance in there? I'm not usually into that sort of thing, I absolutely loooove paring up obvious couples with other characters, but they are just so cute!
Please, could I have some feedback on my skills at creating suspense? I'm always open to suggestions for my improvement. And if there's anything you'd particularly like to see in this story, you only have to ask and I'll see if I can work it in somehow. Okay, bye bye everyone.