Chapter 13: Deadly Confrontations
"The last one?" Robert asked, "What about Kaemeon?"
"Missing, sir."
"Kilidar?"
"Dead."
"Komino?"
"Decapitated."
"Kach?"
"Missing."
"Karey?"
"Most likely dead."
"Freak that plumber."
"Former plumber, you know." Ken said, "He's concentrating his life on revenge."
"Crap." Robert said, "What about his brother, Luigi?"
"He didn't follow in his brother's footsteps, thank goodness." Ken said, "He went into hiding soon afterward. Luigi didn't think that Bowser was evil enough to actually kill someone he loved."
"So it was love Bowser was after. . ." Robert muttered under his breath, "What actually happened to Peach?"
"No one knows, sir." Ken said, "Bowser didn't even kidnap her."
"Now that that mystery is solved. . ." Skye said, "Where's Mario now?"
Ken turned to Skye, completely unsurprised, "Last I saw, chasing after Karey."
"But the trail you left was completely obvious!" Skye said.
"It was?" Ken turned to the trail he made in the woods. ". . . we need to get out of here now."
Suddenly, there was a high-pitched yell from the woods.
"Too late." Ken said, "That's his battle cry."
"We are so toast." Robert said with a tone of death in his voice.
The short former plumber figure leaped out of the woods with his Japanese Katana high in the air. He no longer wore his red cap or shirt, it was replaced by a headband and body armor. He was aiming straight for Ken.
"Watch out!" Jenna yelled, and jumped swiftly to push Ken out of the way, dodging the blade by mere nanoseconds.
"Charmander!" Charmander yelled, and shot a ball of fire at Mario, who swiftly dodged out of the way.
"Not good enough." Mario said in a half-serious brooklyn accent, sort of like a disgruntled revivalist, if you could picture that. He lept at Charmander, sword raised.
"RAICHU!" Skye yelled, blasting Mario full of electricity. Mario fell to the ground, and Charlie rammed him as hard as he could, sending Mario colliding into Robert.
"Good greif, Freak it all!" Robert yelled at the short swordsman hit him.
Mario got up, this time eying Skye.
"Don't try anything funny!" Skye said to Mario.
"Don't worry." Mario mockingly said, then turned toward Jenna and charged.
"JENNA!" Skye and Phil yelled at the same time.
"Pika CHU!" Jenna yelled, zapping Mario full of more electricity. This sent Mario packing directly into a tree. Mario got up again.
"He really dosen't know when to quit!" Phil said, sword drawn.
Ken yelled out, "He's to good with the sword! You don't know what you're doing!"
"I know what I'm--" Phil was suddenly jabbed at with Mario's sword. Phil dodged quickly.
"Let me take care of them!" Skye said.
"No!" Jenna responded, "You might hit Phil!"
Mario's and Phil's blades met, but only for a second. Mario swung several more times, hitting Phil's shield. Phil lunged forward when Mario's defense was open, but surprisingly, Mario lept over Phil's head.
"I win." Mario said, and rammed the sword into Phil's back.
"PHIL!" Jenna yelled, as Phil's body fell toward the ground. She ran over to him.
"You next, freak!" Mario readied his sword, but it was knocked out of the way by Porygon dashing into him. Mario was winded, but swung at Porygon. The blade hit, and Porygon fell to peices. It quickly reassembled itself.
"What?" Mario was puzzled for a moment.
"PIKACHU!"
"RAICHU!"
"CHARMANDER!"
"NIDORAN!"
Four voices called out in unison as Mario's back was turned for that breif moment. The oncoming electricity blots, fire, and rock shards all hit him at the same time, launching him into the atmosphere.
"Aw, crap." Ken said, "He'll be back."
"Phil!" Jenna leaned over Phil's fallen body. She turned him face up. "Phil, are you alright?"
"Of course." Phil said weakly, "It's only a flesh wound." He coughed up blood.
"Phil!" Jenna hugged him as hard as she could. "Please don't leave me, Phil."
"I wouldn't dream about it, Jenna." Phil said, "Something miraculous always happens to save the hero."
By now, everyone had gathered around Phil.
"Phil, this isn't a movie." Jenna said sadly, tears in her eyes.
"No, Jenna. This is a game. This is just a game." Phil said.
"Phil, you don't make any sense. This is real enough."
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a squad of koopas came through the woods. Robert ran to them. "Men! This man is in need of assistance!" Is what Phil could hear.
"Told you." Phil said, right before everything turned dark.
"Looks serious." Doctor Konner said, looking at the puncture wound in Phil's back. "It's amazing the sword missed all of his major organs. It just tore right through his body, all the way, and bleeding badly. This won't be serious if we can work quickly."
"Konner, what are you going to do?"
"Operate." Konner said, "Try to place these torn muscles back together. We'll need to start now."
"Please leave the room." One of the guards on duty said to Jenna and Robert. hey had no choice but to leave.
They had arrived at King Bowser's castle in less than fifteen minutes, thanks to some emergency paragoombas. They were lucky that Phil didn't bleed to death by then.
Robert turned away. "Well, I have to report the bad news to King Bowser." Robert said, "Wish me luck."
"You'll probably need it." Jenna said as Robert marched down the hallway.
"Jenna," Skye said, "I need to talk to you, in private."
Skye led them to an empty room that one of the paragoombas had said was there for guests. Both Skye and Jenna sat down on a bed in there.
"Jenna, I wanted to know. . . why are you crying? Is is just for Phil's sake?" Skye asked, noting obvious tears in Jenna's eyes.
"It's more than that." Jenna said, wiping her tears with her sleeve, "He's the only one that's ever loved me. Anyone else could find fault with me. Phil. . ." Jenna paused for a second, "Phil always said I was perfect." She leaned closer toward Skye, "He almost gave his life for me. I don't think I'll ever find anyone who would love me like Phil did."
"Don't say that, Jenna!" Skye said, putting an arm around her.
"Why not?" Jenna asked.
Skye hugged her, "Because I love you, Jenna."
"You. . . you love me?"
"From the day I set eyes on you, Jenna." He looked into Jenna's eyes. "I knew you were perfect. I could only see what was beautiful about you." He leaned in closer, "I think I can see what Phil does."
"Skye, I don't know exactly how to say this," Jenna said, "But. . . Even though I loved Phil, there was something about you, Skye. I don't know what it is, but I knew I could trust you. I love you too, Skye. I didn't know you felt the same way."
"Of course I did, Jenna." Skye said.
Jenna put an arm around Skye, and they embraced each other, bringing themselves closer together, then they stopped, and kissed.
The door opened abruptly.
"Skye, do you--" Charlie had stepped in and stopped when he saw them, although Skye and Jenna paid no heed to him. "I'll. . . come back later. . ." he said, and closed the door behind himself.
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