Author's note: This story is going miscellaneous. I'll be doing some mass
editing and then sending the whole thing over to that category under "game
crossovers." So...to read the conclusion you can head on over there. This
next chapter is quite a bit longer than the other four but I know you'll
enjoy it. Please R & R.
Chapter 5: Nightmares
"Peach? Sis, it's me Violet. What are you doing here?"
"I think the better question is what are you doing here?"
Over dinner I filled my sister in on some of the details of my journey from the Tekken complex to the hospital. Peach's eyes widened.
"So you mean to tell me that Mario is here under the name Ming Chang? I served him breakfast just this morning. Now that I think about it, he did seem oddly familiar."
"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"
"I didn't start going to medical school for nothing. I know Dad never thought I would actually earn my degree, but here I am."
"Why did you decide to work here instead of somewhere closer to home?"
"Are you kidding? I could never work there for obvious reasons, one being Dad and another being...well maybe there's only one reason." She paused. "I should get going. There are still a lot of patients to feed, one of them being my Mario."
I shook my head as Peach shuffled out the door, remembering an argument I had once had with my father.
"Why am I not able to be with Luigi? I love him! Besides, Peach is Mario's girlfriend and you haven't tried to put a stop to that!"
"I happen to know that Peach doesn't have the silly intention of moving to the Tenchi..."
"Tekken!"
"Tekken complex to be some kind of ignorant fighter."
"Then why did you and Mom send Peach and me there when we were younger?"
"Your mother thought that you two should learn self defense, with Bowser in the area and all. It obviously never helped your sister. In fact, there really is no reason you should have been there."
"But that has nothing to do with Luigi."
"It has everything to do with Luigi! I don't want him filling your head with more silly ideas."
Of course I had dated Luigi anyway, although we broke up mostly because of my father. We both eventually grew tired of having to sneak around all the time. I realized then that I had blatantly ignored my father's wishes ever since.
Another knock at the door interrupted my memory. This time the caller was Mario.
"I have some great news," Mario said. "Luigi's chances of living have greatly improved. His doctors say that if he survives the night then he has about and eighty percent chance of survival."
I sighed with relief. "I knew he had it in him. Do you know what you'll do once he can leave the hospital?"
"We'll probably go back home. Heihachi has invited me to stay in the complex until my brother recovers."
"Are you sure that's safe?"
"Heihachi is confident that the Samurai won't show their faces around here for awhile."
"Has Heihachi heard anything from his correspondent yet?"
"Not that I know of."
Just then Peach shuffled back into the open door of my room.
"Violet, I forgot to tell you something. I--Mario?"
Mario turned around and was soon caught in Peach's embrace. He looked confused at first but soon realized who she was.
"It's been so long," Mario murmured into Peach's hair.
"Too long," she replied.
I stayed in my bed feeling very much like a third wheel.
Mario and Peach remained in their embrace for a few moments, having escaped into a world where all they knew was their love for each other. Mario gently let go of his true love and turned to finish our conversation.
"Sorry Violet. It's just that Peach and I haven't seen each other since I first became a trainer about six months ago."
"No need to apologize," I answered. "Run along you two. I'll be here all night if you need me."
"Are you sure?" my sister asked.
"Yes. Go."
I am ashamed to say that I spent the rest of the night flipping through television channels and feeling sorry for myself. I had known true love once. Luigi and I had embraced the way Mario and Peach did. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, knowing that for the moment we were the only ones who mattered. I sighed. If only our relationship would have worked out. If only... I soon lapsed into a fitful sleep.
My father entered the room and sat on a chair near my bed.
"When I got the call saying you had been injured I didn't know what to think. I'm so glad that you're alright," he said, with an anxious look on his face.
"No need to worry," I replied, "I'll recover soon. Then I can go back to my fighting career."
"Oh no you don't. You're going back home as soon as you are on your feet again."
"But Dad! That's not what I—"
I noticed my father was changing. As sword appeared in his hand and armor covered his body. Finally, an evil mask found its way onto his face. Then I realized that he had changed into Yoshimizu and saw his sword flying towards my neck.
I bolted upright and felt a searing pain course through my arm. I had totally forgotten about the nightmares! After being injured the first time by a Samurai I had experienced horrible dreams filled with images of misery and death. I was told much later that anyone who is injured by a Samurai sword is assailed by the same kind of illusions while they sleep.
My next thought was of Luigi. I had to go to his room and do what I could to comfort him. I moved as quickly and quietly as I could out of my room, grabbing my robe and throwing it on as I went. There was one unoccupied nurse's station, which I concluded belonged to Peach, between my room and Luigi's. I hurried past it and into another hallway where I stopped at Luigi's room.
I quietly opened the door and saw Luigi sleeping but not peacefully. He was shaking and upon closer observation I noticed beads of sweat penetrating his forehead. I took one of his hands in mine. It felt clammy. Then Luigi opened his eyes, which were glazed and reflected the moonlight streaming in through the window beside his bed. They were filled with anxiety.
"Violet. Help me," he whispered hoarsely.
At this point I really didn't know what to do. Seeing Luigi like this disintegrated whatever was left of my broken heart. I almost cried again but knew that would only make things worse.
"I-I'll go get a nurse," I stammered.
"No. Please don't go."
I found a chair near his bed and sat, still holding his hand in mine.
"Ok Luigi. I won't leave you."
I waited for a few minutes as Luigi closed his eyes and again fell asleep. Suddenly he began writhing and muttering something.
"No," he was saying, "No-no-no!"
I knelt down next to his bed and whispered,
"It's ok, Luigi. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you."
"Violet..." Luigi said, still asleep, and relaxed.
I stayed with Luigi after that, still kneeling next to him and whispering to him. After about an hour I felt my head getting heavy. I laid my good arm on Luigi's bed and rested my head on it. I couldn't help but close my eyes and fall asleep.
"No, no, no!" I heard Luigi's voice again.
"It's ok, Luigi. I-" Then I realized that I was in an open field in total darkness except for the white moonlight that bathed the other side of the plain.
Without thinking I ran to the light. As I got closer I noticed a dark, looming shadow ahead. I ran further still but stopped short as soon as I realized what it was. An enormous dragon stood a few feet away from me. The creature had shining black scales and glittering red wings. It seemed intent on killing whatever was blocking its path.
"No!" I heard Luigi's voice again and realized whom the dragon was confronting. I ran around the monster's gigantic tail and stopped right next to Luigi.
"Violet, what are you doing here?" he asked.
The dragon took this as the perfect time to unleash a fireball in our direction. I grabbed Luigi and dove out of the way just in time to avoid it. "Luigi," I said, getting up and brushing myself off, "We need something. A weapon..." The poor man was knocked out cold.
The dragon lumbered up and grabbed me with one of its gigantic claws, crushing my body. It took a huge breath and was about to unleash its fiery wrath upon me when I heard a voice.
"Violet, wake up!"
I opened my eyes, forgetting where I was for a moment. The first person I saw was Luigi. He was staring at me, looking quite alarmed.
"Violet?" I heard the voice again and realized that it was coming from Mario.
"You were screaming in your sleep. We thought you were dying."
"I thought I was dying too." I said, trying to get up from the floor I was still kneeling on.
Pain coursed through my entire body. For a brief moment I thought the pain came from the dragon's claws but then reasoned that I was just sore from staying in one position all night.
"Could someone please help me up?" I asked.
Mario knelt beside me and let me put my stiff left arm around his shoulders. Then he slowly helped me to my feet. I groaned and sagged against him.
"I had better get Violet back to her room," Mario said to his brother.
A muffled response came from Luigi that I didn't have the strength to make out. Mario supported me as we walked down the hallway and back to my room. He let me go when I was safely seated on the bed. I immediately laid down, exhausted, and closed my eyes.
"Violet, what happened? Why were you in Luigi's room? Why were you screaming?"
I described everything that had transpired within the last few hours.
"Is there any way to prevent these nightmares?" Mario asked.
"Well, comforting Luigi seemed to help him sleep easier."
"Would you like me to stay with you?"
"No. I'm so exhausted right now I probably couldn't have a dream if I tried."
"Well, goodnight then," Mario said, leaving the room and softly closing the door behind him. I fell into a peaceful sleep as the soft light of dawn entered through the window.
Over the next few months our lives gradually became normal again. The day after I encountered a dragon in my nightmare was the day Mario, Heihachi, and I left the hospital and traveled back to the Tekken complex. Luigi had to stay until he was able to walk without much effort. Mario and I visited the hospital every day until his brother recovered.
Luigi and I spent more time together in those few weeks than we ever had when were first dating. We told stories to each other, laughed together, and even cried together. I discovered that behind Luigi's deep blue eyes and jet-black hair were a brave soul and a heart of gold. It was no doubt that I was falling in love with Mario's younger brother all over again.
Chapter 5: Nightmares
"Peach? Sis, it's me Violet. What are you doing here?"
"I think the better question is what are you doing here?"
Over dinner I filled my sister in on some of the details of my journey from the Tekken complex to the hospital. Peach's eyes widened.
"So you mean to tell me that Mario is here under the name Ming Chang? I served him breakfast just this morning. Now that I think about it, he did seem oddly familiar."
"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here?"
"I didn't start going to medical school for nothing. I know Dad never thought I would actually earn my degree, but here I am."
"Why did you decide to work here instead of somewhere closer to home?"
"Are you kidding? I could never work there for obvious reasons, one being Dad and another being...well maybe there's only one reason." She paused. "I should get going. There are still a lot of patients to feed, one of them being my Mario."
I shook my head as Peach shuffled out the door, remembering an argument I had once had with my father.
"Why am I not able to be with Luigi? I love him! Besides, Peach is Mario's girlfriend and you haven't tried to put a stop to that!"
"I happen to know that Peach doesn't have the silly intention of moving to the Tenchi..."
"Tekken!"
"Tekken complex to be some kind of ignorant fighter."
"Then why did you and Mom send Peach and me there when we were younger?"
"Your mother thought that you two should learn self defense, with Bowser in the area and all. It obviously never helped your sister. In fact, there really is no reason you should have been there."
"But that has nothing to do with Luigi."
"It has everything to do with Luigi! I don't want him filling your head with more silly ideas."
Of course I had dated Luigi anyway, although we broke up mostly because of my father. We both eventually grew tired of having to sneak around all the time. I realized then that I had blatantly ignored my father's wishes ever since.
Another knock at the door interrupted my memory. This time the caller was Mario.
"I have some great news," Mario said. "Luigi's chances of living have greatly improved. His doctors say that if he survives the night then he has about and eighty percent chance of survival."
I sighed with relief. "I knew he had it in him. Do you know what you'll do once he can leave the hospital?"
"We'll probably go back home. Heihachi has invited me to stay in the complex until my brother recovers."
"Are you sure that's safe?"
"Heihachi is confident that the Samurai won't show their faces around here for awhile."
"Has Heihachi heard anything from his correspondent yet?"
"Not that I know of."
Just then Peach shuffled back into the open door of my room.
"Violet, I forgot to tell you something. I--Mario?"
Mario turned around and was soon caught in Peach's embrace. He looked confused at first but soon realized who she was.
"It's been so long," Mario murmured into Peach's hair.
"Too long," she replied.
I stayed in my bed feeling very much like a third wheel.
Mario and Peach remained in their embrace for a few moments, having escaped into a world where all they knew was their love for each other. Mario gently let go of his true love and turned to finish our conversation.
"Sorry Violet. It's just that Peach and I haven't seen each other since I first became a trainer about six months ago."
"No need to apologize," I answered. "Run along you two. I'll be here all night if you need me."
"Are you sure?" my sister asked.
"Yes. Go."
I am ashamed to say that I spent the rest of the night flipping through television channels and feeling sorry for myself. I had known true love once. Luigi and I had embraced the way Mario and Peach did. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world, knowing that for the moment we were the only ones who mattered. I sighed. If only our relationship would have worked out. If only... I soon lapsed into a fitful sleep.
My father entered the room and sat on a chair near my bed.
"When I got the call saying you had been injured I didn't know what to think. I'm so glad that you're alright," he said, with an anxious look on his face.
"No need to worry," I replied, "I'll recover soon. Then I can go back to my fighting career."
"Oh no you don't. You're going back home as soon as you are on your feet again."
"But Dad! That's not what I—"
I noticed my father was changing. As sword appeared in his hand and armor covered his body. Finally, an evil mask found its way onto his face. Then I realized that he had changed into Yoshimizu and saw his sword flying towards my neck.
I bolted upright and felt a searing pain course through my arm. I had totally forgotten about the nightmares! After being injured the first time by a Samurai I had experienced horrible dreams filled with images of misery and death. I was told much later that anyone who is injured by a Samurai sword is assailed by the same kind of illusions while they sleep.
My next thought was of Luigi. I had to go to his room and do what I could to comfort him. I moved as quickly and quietly as I could out of my room, grabbing my robe and throwing it on as I went. There was one unoccupied nurse's station, which I concluded belonged to Peach, between my room and Luigi's. I hurried past it and into another hallway where I stopped at Luigi's room.
I quietly opened the door and saw Luigi sleeping but not peacefully. He was shaking and upon closer observation I noticed beads of sweat penetrating his forehead. I took one of his hands in mine. It felt clammy. Then Luigi opened his eyes, which were glazed and reflected the moonlight streaming in through the window beside his bed. They were filled with anxiety.
"Violet. Help me," he whispered hoarsely.
At this point I really didn't know what to do. Seeing Luigi like this disintegrated whatever was left of my broken heart. I almost cried again but knew that would only make things worse.
"I-I'll go get a nurse," I stammered.
"No. Please don't go."
I found a chair near his bed and sat, still holding his hand in mine.
"Ok Luigi. I won't leave you."
I waited for a few minutes as Luigi closed his eyes and again fell asleep. Suddenly he began writhing and muttering something.
"No," he was saying, "No-no-no!"
I knelt down next to his bed and whispered,
"It's ok, Luigi. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you."
"Violet..." Luigi said, still asleep, and relaxed.
I stayed with Luigi after that, still kneeling next to him and whispering to him. After about an hour I felt my head getting heavy. I laid my good arm on Luigi's bed and rested my head on it. I couldn't help but close my eyes and fall asleep.
"No, no, no!" I heard Luigi's voice again.
"It's ok, Luigi. I-" Then I realized that I was in an open field in total darkness except for the white moonlight that bathed the other side of the plain.
Without thinking I ran to the light. As I got closer I noticed a dark, looming shadow ahead. I ran further still but stopped short as soon as I realized what it was. An enormous dragon stood a few feet away from me. The creature had shining black scales and glittering red wings. It seemed intent on killing whatever was blocking its path.
"No!" I heard Luigi's voice again and realized whom the dragon was confronting. I ran around the monster's gigantic tail and stopped right next to Luigi.
"Violet, what are you doing here?" he asked.
The dragon took this as the perfect time to unleash a fireball in our direction. I grabbed Luigi and dove out of the way just in time to avoid it. "Luigi," I said, getting up and brushing myself off, "We need something. A weapon..." The poor man was knocked out cold.
The dragon lumbered up and grabbed me with one of its gigantic claws, crushing my body. It took a huge breath and was about to unleash its fiery wrath upon me when I heard a voice.
"Violet, wake up!"
I opened my eyes, forgetting where I was for a moment. The first person I saw was Luigi. He was staring at me, looking quite alarmed.
"Violet?" I heard the voice again and realized that it was coming from Mario.
"You were screaming in your sleep. We thought you were dying."
"I thought I was dying too." I said, trying to get up from the floor I was still kneeling on.
Pain coursed through my entire body. For a brief moment I thought the pain came from the dragon's claws but then reasoned that I was just sore from staying in one position all night.
"Could someone please help me up?" I asked.
Mario knelt beside me and let me put my stiff left arm around his shoulders. Then he slowly helped me to my feet. I groaned and sagged against him.
"I had better get Violet back to her room," Mario said to his brother.
A muffled response came from Luigi that I didn't have the strength to make out. Mario supported me as we walked down the hallway and back to my room. He let me go when I was safely seated on the bed. I immediately laid down, exhausted, and closed my eyes.
"Violet, what happened? Why were you in Luigi's room? Why were you screaming?"
I described everything that had transpired within the last few hours.
"Is there any way to prevent these nightmares?" Mario asked.
"Well, comforting Luigi seemed to help him sleep easier."
"Would you like me to stay with you?"
"No. I'm so exhausted right now I probably couldn't have a dream if I tried."
"Well, goodnight then," Mario said, leaving the room and softly closing the door behind him. I fell into a peaceful sleep as the soft light of dawn entered through the window.
Over the next few months our lives gradually became normal again. The day after I encountered a dragon in my nightmare was the day Mario, Heihachi, and I left the hospital and traveled back to the Tekken complex. Luigi had to stay until he was able to walk without much effort. Mario and I visited the hospital every day until his brother recovered.
Luigi and I spent more time together in those few weeks than we ever had when were first dating. We told stories to each other, laughed together, and even cried together. I discovered that behind Luigi's deep blue eyes and jet-black hair were a brave soul and a heart of gold. It was no doubt that I was falling in love with Mario's younger brother all over again.