The Crossover Saga
By Stoney (stoney107@yahoo.com)
Chapter Four
Extra Crispy
"How far away IS this town?!" Mario complained loudly.
They'd been walking for over four hours, and Mario's legs felt like they were about to lock up. He tried to massage them while they walked, hardly making an effort to conceal his irritated feelings.
Kirby actually had to think about the answer to Mario's question. "To tell you the truth, we don't measure distance around here like you Reals do. There really isn't any point to it; Dreamland is very, very large……sometimes it has to accommodate almost three billion dreams at once, you know. The size is necessary."
Mario stopped walking. "Could we take a break for a bit?"
Kirby smiled. "Sure, why not. I guess you're not as used to traveling long distances like I am, since you've never seen the real Dreamland before."
Mario gratefully sat down on a conveniently-placed rock nearby. "Wonderful." It was not a sarcastic exclamation.
Kirby sat down next to the plumber. He didn't even flinch as the world seemed to swirl and shift in front of his eyes. "Another dream." He remarked casually, almost conversationally.
"Oh great." This time, the statement was definitely sarcastic. Within the four hours they'd been walking, Mario had found himself taking part in the dreams of innumerable people that he didn't know and had never met. A few of the dreams had transformed him into not-very-desirable objects. Some of the more memorable ones were a staple remover, a soft drink can, a pencil, and a shoe. He particularly disliked the last one; no feeling was more awkward than that of someone putting their foot inside you.
I wonder what I'll turn into this time? He wondered. According to my luck so far, it'll probably be something slimy and disgusting. Maybe a frog. Or some seaweed. Or a mud puddle. He sighed.
"Y'know, I'm really beginning to hate this." He muttered as the world continued its kaleidoscopic dance.
"Ah, you get used to it after awhile." Kirby replied good-naturedly. He leaned back to put his arms behind his head and suddenly found that his arms had hands. He wasn't very startled by this, though. A lot of the dreams he'd been in had changed him into humanlike forms. He turned to look at what Mario had been turned into, and saw something that actually shocked him.
Mario hadn't changed. He was still his normal self. He had his eyes closed tightly, refusing to look at the new landscape.
"What am I now?" He murmured softly to Kirby. "A clown? A jellyfish?"
"N-no, you're……yourself."
Mario opened his eyes to give Kirby a weird look, and jumped about two feet into the air.
"Luigi?!?"
"Huh?" Kirby asked. Mario was looking at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Luigi, what the heck are you doing here?? I thought you were stuck in Reality!"
Kirby grew even more confused. "What? Who are you talking to, Mario?"
"What do you mean, 'who am I talking to'? I'm talking to you!" Mario replied, pointing a finger at Kirby.
Kirby blinked. He looked down at himself. In the place where he normally saw his own pink self was a tall, lean body wearing a green shirt under blue overalls. Then he understood. Looking back up at the strangely unchanged Mario, Kirby quickly explained, "Mario, Its not Luigi. Its Kirby. The dream changed me to look like your brother."
Mario stuttered, then slowly closed his eyes and opened them again. The image of Luigi still remained where Kirby had been.
"You're sure?"
Kirby's reply was emphatic. "Yes."
Mario took a deep breath and let it out again. "Oh man, you scared the living daylights out of me, Kirby! I thought you were-"
"I know, I know."
Mario decided to take a look at himself. "Hey, I didn't change!" He remarked, mildly surprised.
Kirby/Luigi looked around himself. "I guess you didn't need to for this dream."
Mario looked at the Dreamlander-turned-plumber suspiciously. "Why? What do you mea-"
"Excuse me, sir?" A new voice jutted in politely. "The princess will see you now."
Mario looked at the voice's owner. A Toad stood there wearing glasses and carrying a clipboard.
"What?" Mario asked stupidly.
"I said that the princess is ready to see you now."
"Princess Peach?"
"Yes."
Mario looked around himself as he got up and allowed himself to be led to a fanciful door. They appeared to be in some sort of waiting room. White walls glared at him, their color almost too bright to look at. Brown benches and cushy chairs were arranged in circles around tables with stacks of out-of-date magazines. It was from one of these that he'd gotten up, and Kirby/Luigi still sat in one of the chairs. "What is this place?" He queried of the short mushroom in front of him.
The Toad gave him an odd look. "Mushroom Kingdom Castle, sir. You know that."
"Oh." He still didn't understand, though. Peach's castle had never had this room before…unless this dream took place in a part of the castle he hadn't seen as of yet, which he highly doubted. But he decided not to ask any more questions, lest the Toad's suspicious be aroused further. The toad opened the door and bowed him inside. He nodded curtly to it before it shut the door behind him.
Mario turned around. A small yelp of surprise escaped his mouth. Princess Peach was standing there, her face two inches away from his and wearing a strange expression of happiness and relief.
"Hello, Mario…" She greeted softly.
Mario quickly backed away, trying to put some distance between them, but she started forward as he did so. His back hit the door with a thump, and suddenly she was there right in front of him again.
He took a good look at her. She looked like she normally did; gown, lace, and tiara. Mario mentally thanked whatever gods the Toads believed in that she wasn't dressed like he'd seen her in Bowser's dream. She pulled off his cap and slowly ran a laced hand through his brown hair.
"I've missed you, Mario……" She began in a half-whisper. "Where have you been all this time?"
Before Mario could even think about answering, he suddenly found words leaving his mouth. "Sarasaland. I wanted to see if Daisy was alright. You knew that." He blinked when he'd finished. Why had he just said that?
Peach gave a small smile. "I know, but you could have at least told me when you were coming back."
Again, words leapt out of Mario's mouth without his permission. "Sorry, I wanted it to be a surprise."
To Mario's complete astonishment, Peach suddenly hugged him tightly. "Don't make me worry like that about you ever again." She whispered fiercely, eyes shut tight as she leaned her head against his chest. She gave a small sob, and Mario realized she was crying. Not knowing what else to do, Mario slowly put his arms around her and hugged her back. Once again the words came, and Mario decided to just let them flow instead of trying to fight them. It saved him the trouble of thinking about what to say next, at least. "I won't, Peach. I promise."
Peach pulled away from the embrace and backed up to a relatively normal distance. She sniffed, wiping her eyes with a white cloth. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I was really worried about you, ya know. Not knowing when I'd see you again…IF I'd see you again…" Tears began welling up in her eyes again despite her efforts. She looked down at the floor and let out a shaky breath before continuing.
"Mario…there's something I need to tell you…I haven't said it before now because I was scared of what might happen when I did…but I can't risk something happening to you before I tell you. I want to be able to tell you this before you go away again, for good……"
She looked deep into his ocean blue eyes, and did something that he'd never, ever forget. In one swift, sudden movement, she darted up to him and hugged him again. But this time, instead of leaning against him for support, she tilted her head forward and kissed him on the lips.
Mario's pupils dilated and his eyes went unfocused as he stared off into empty space. He was beyond dumbstruck. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. His mind was completely blank. His body forgot to continue breathing. He was floating, walking on air…
Peach slowly pulled away from the kiss and whispered softly in his ear, "I love you, Mario."
Mario's mind was currently vacationing somewhere else, so it was a good thing that the words he spoke next came out automatically. "I love you too, Peach."
One of his eyebrows started twitching convulsively as she continued to hold him. He swayed slightly. His body began shaking, but Peach didn't notice.
Peach smiled joyfully at him. "Oh, that's such a relief to hear! Thank you, Mario!" She kissed him again on the forehead, which made him go cross-eyed. Mario's brain fizzled and shorted out. His jaw became unhinged.
"Yes, I'd like one double cheeseburger with fries and three milkshakes to go, please." He babbled.
Then he fainted.
He sat at his window silently. Staring off into the distance, he took no notice of the raging thunderstorm that always seemed to surround his castle. He also didn't acknowledge the furious lightning that randomly struck the ground and castle itself. He wasn't thinking about any of these things. No, his mind was somewhere else, wandering through his castle, to the beautiful room he'd provided where his little princess currently slept…
He sighed longingly, and smoke came out of his nostrils. …his Little Princess…Princess Peach…
He turned away from the window and walked over to what he'd lovingly dubbed his 'thinking couch'. It was a plain, ordinary wooden bench to every other person. But he'd had it longer than any of his other possessions and cherished it dearly. As he sat his great bulk upon it, it gave a slight creak of protest which he didn't notice either. He sat, deep in thought about his princess and the other prisoner, a relative of Peach. He hadn't been able to think of what to do with her. What was her name? Oh yeah, Daisy. Yes, he couldn't think of what he should have done with Daisy. Peach had insisted that her cousin get the same accomodations as herself, and he wanted more than anything to make his Little Princess happy. So Daisy, too, had had a beautiful bedroom provided for her enjoyment.
He idly toyed with one of the claws on his right hand. He loved Peach so much…why couldn't she understand that? He had already apologized for the way he had brought her here; explaining (truthfully) that she would never have come to visit him otherwise. True, the first time he'd brought her here it was for the purpose of leading Mario to his death…but after that, things began to change. He'd started to grow feelings for the Pretty Princess in Pink, and had since continued bringing her here to his abode to attempt to win her love.
So far he was terribly unsuccessful. But he was convinced that if she stayed here long enough, she'd understand and reciprocate his love. Then she'd forget all about that horrible, dispicable, loser plumber, and they could wed, have children together, spend the rest of their lives with each other……
A loud knock came at his door, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Come in!" He boomed in his deep voice.
The door creaked open to admit a tiny Koopa with a blue shell and large tufts of bluish hair made up into two points above his head. "Hi, King Dad!" The baby Koopa chirped cheerfully.
He smiled, one of the only heartfelt smiles he ever wore when he wasn't thinking about Peach. "Hello, Ludwig. What's going on?"
The tiny Koopa scurried into the room dragging a large piece of machinery behind him. "Ah, nothin' much. 'Cept I think I've figured out a new invention!"
He decided that he could think about Peach later. Grinning, he turned to give the child his full attention. "That's wonderful, Ludwig. What does it do?"
"Well," Ludwig began in a proud, buisnesslike manner that car salesmen often took with new customers, "I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it's supposed to be able to freeze someone in a block 'a ice without killin' em!"
His expression became quizzical. "How could it do that?"
"Think'a it like stopping time with th' guy. He or she would cease all body functions an' be frozen in time. Th' brain wouldn't die, it'd just shut down for awhile, going into a state kinda like sleep. Then when ya unfreeze th' guy later, he or she'll be th' exact same as when you'd froze 'em. No aging, nothin'. And th' guy would be alive an' good as new, too."
He was deeply impressed. "Incredible. You've really outdone yourself this time, Ludwig my boy!"
The child Koopa beamed at the praise he was receiving. He loved making his father happy with his new machines.
"What do you plan on calling this ingenious device?"
Ludwig grinned in that way that let you know he was thinking about something. "I've already come up with a name," He said finally. "I'll call it my Cryogenic Freezer."
"I propose that we test it!" He exclaimed excitedly. "But first we'll need a test subject…"
"How 'bout a Troopa?"
His face grew stern. "Now Ludwig, you know very well that Daddy doesn't enjoy putting his men in danger unnecessarily. No, we'll need something else…" He snapped his fingers. "Of course! I know just what to use, too!"
Ludwig's happy mood had diminished somewhat at being scolded, but now his curiosity masked any unhappiness he might have had. "What izzit, Dad?"
"Follow me!" He boomed happily, getting up from his couch and stomping towards the door. He stopped along the way to scoop up the bulky machine in his massive arms. "And let's bring this…thingy-Freezer with us!" He exited the room.
"Itzza Cryogenic Freezer! And wait for me!" Ludwig hurried after him.
Luigi ducked and dodged frantically, clutching Malon's hand tightly within his own out of fear that she'd fall behind. They had entered the pasture only to find a group of homicidal birds ready to attack them, swooping down at the two and trying to gouge them with their beaks. So far he and Malon had avoided any serious injuries, but they'd had some pretty near misses. Luigi began to wonder if it had been the smartest choice of action in picking the building for their hideaway.
Luigi leaped to the side again as one of the birds dive-bombed him. He didn't know what their problem with him was - he'd always been nice to birds - but he got the feeling that these fowl didn't really care about that. They were attacking relentlessly, using their sharp beaks like harpoons as they made beelines for his and Malon's heads. Malon shrieked and ducked as one bird made a low swipe at her, then got up and continued running.
Luigi risked a glance over his shoulder. Most of the birds that had missed them were now coming around for another pass, while a few of them were content to hover and watch the ongoings.
Luigi began running as fast as he could, knowing that he would get tired from the high speed in a few seconds, but desperately wanting to get out from under the line of fire. The building was so close now…he could almost reach it…
Luigi didn't bother to put on the brakes when he arrived at the door but instead simply slammed into it, his hand groping for the doorknob. He opened the door, pulled Malon in, and threw it shut. Milliseconds later, he heard the dull THUDs of the birds chasing them hitting the doors and walls of the building.
It was dark inside. The entire structure was shaped circularly except for at the very back, where it was molded to the shape of the ranch wall it sat up against. There were no windows for light to enter in through, but a few beams of moonlight managed to shine down through slits in the building's roof. Hay was piled up in great bunches everywhere. A couple broken tables and chairs leaned against one of the back walls. A thresher for the hay stood next to them, looking like it hadn't been used in a long while.
Luigi backed up from the shaking doorway, breathing heavily and unable to believe what he'd just done. Oh wow, if they'd been just a little bit slower they would've-
He slammed his mental doors shut before that line of thought could lead to anything. He looked around and finally chose a few bales of hay to sit down on. Malon collapsed against him once he did, sobbing hysterically in relief. He held her comfortingly, gently mumbling to her that it was all right, that things would be okay now. She nodded but continued crying, all the fear and tension of the past hour pouring out of her in a rush. He didn't protest but continued to sit there, allowing Malon some support at a time when she desperately needed it. For a long time they sat there like that, not saying anything to each other. Speech wasn't necessary at this point. They'd both been through a great ordeal, and shared the same feelings at the moment.
After almost a half-hour of this, Malon sat up. "It's quiet out there now." She'd stopped crying a while ago and had since just sat there quietly.
Luigi pricked his ears and noticed that the sound of birds colliding with the building was noticeably absent. "So it is." He murmured, suddenly yawning and stretching. "Man, I'm tired."
"Luigi, I'd like to thank you for saving me." Malon started meekly. Luigi cut her off before she could say any more. "No thanks necessary. I did what any good person would do if caught in that situation." He smiled and patted the farmgirl on her shoulder. "You're a good kid, Malon. I'd hate it if you got hurt."
The truth was, Luigi had always thought a certain way about women - namely, that hurting one was an obscenely horrible act and he'd never stand for it. He didn't mean for Malon to take his words the way she did, but nonetheless she did so. Looking at the plumber with gratitude and admiration in her eyes, she asked, "You…would?"
Luigi nodded vigorously. "Yep. I'd probably hunt down the @%#$ who does so to you and show him what it's like to be really hurt. Twenty times over."
Malon began to get teary-eyed again. "But….that's so….so…oh, Luigi!" She squeaked out at last, hugging him tightly again.
The green plumber was caught completely off-guard by this reaction and simply sat, stunned for a moment. Then he slowly put his arms back around her and returned the embrace.
That was the way Link found them a few minutes later, holding each other tightly as they lay on the hay, fast asleep.
Mario groaned as he became conscious. The biggest headache ever was bouncing around doing the Congo inside his skull. He attempted to open his eyes and winced at the pain it caused. Slowly, however, his eyes adjusted to the bright light and he could make out individual colors and shapes again.
The first thing Mario's vision saw was Kirby's concerned face leaning over him, blocking out some of the sunlight. The next thing his hearing registered was Kirby asking if he was all right. Mario groaned again in reply. He attempted to sit up, and grimaced when doing so made his head pound. Blearily he stared about himself. The weird trees of the forest in Dreamland stared back.
Kirby helped Mario to his feet, steadying the swaying plumber. "You okay?" Kirby asked again. "When the dream ended I found you lying over there, passed out." He pointed a few meters off to their right.
Mario barely heard him. The words 'Peach loved him' were running repeatedly through his head over and over, and there was a funny ringing noise in his ears. He couldn't believe what he had just experienced before he'd passed out.
Or HAD he experienced it?
His frantic thoughts suddenly paused, and the ringing noise ceased. When he tried to remember the events from the dream before he'd become unconscious, they seemed all hazy and jumbled together. Maybe he'd just imagined that it had happened, and had passed out because of something else......yeah, that was probably it.
Mario tried to shake away the dizzy feeling he was afflicted with. "Yeah, I'm alright." He mumbled out at last. "How long have I been out?"
Kirby's expression echoed his dismay. "A day."
Mario stared at the Dreamlander incredulously. Kirby's pink face showed no hint of amusement that would signal he was joking. "You aren't serious, are you? How the heck could I pass out for that long?"
"Dreamland's days are shorter than those of your world. The nights around here a lot longer, though."
"So I missed the day part, and it's now night again?"
"Correct. Oh, and I found another Real nearby while you were out. It says that it wants to help us fix Dreamland, and I said okay. So it'll be joining us on our mission from here on out."
Mario raised an eyebrow. "It?"
"You'll understand when you see it." Kirby turned around and cupped his cone-arms around his mouth, then shouted something that sounded to Mario like, 'Pipi!'
Out of the trees bounded something short, fast, and yellow. It was around Kirby's height, but that was about all that Mario could discern from the little yellow blur of motion.
That is, until it stopped in front of Mario and resolved itself. Mario's first impression was of a small bull or deer or something, considering how two horn-like protrusions stuck out on either side of its head. Then he realized that the horn-things were its ears, and that it actually looked more like a fairly large, yellow mouse.
"Pika, Pikapi!" It squeaked at him. "Pikachu!"
It had a small, mousey face, with cute, black, round eyes and a tiny upturned triangle of a nose. Two red circles sat to either side of its mouth where its cheeks would be. Its belly was round and colored a lighter shade of yellow. Short, stubby arms ended in small hands with tiny fingers. It's legs were squat, with elongated feet at their bottoms. Its toes were very small, making the feet look like they ended in little spikes. Jutting out from its back was a short, yellow tail with a black end, which Mario noticed with curiosity was shaped into what appeared to be a lightning bolt.
Mario was beginning to wonder just what kind of creature this could be when Kirby suddenly spoke up. "It says that its name is Pikachu, and that it is pleased to meet you."
"You can understand what it is saying?" Mario asked Kirby without taking his eyes off the animal.
"Of course I can. Pikachu here is a creature of the species 'Pokemon'. I've been in enough of their dreams to understand anything they're saying easily."
"Ah." Mario nodded. "Hello to you too, uh, Pikachu. Can it understand what I'm saying?" This last was directed to Kirby.
"Pachu, kapi! Pichu kachu cha!"
"It says that it is a male. Yes, he can understand what you're saying, and he wishes you would stop talking like he wasn't in the area." Kirby translated.
"Sorry, Pikachu." Mario mumbled sheepishly.
"Pika."
"That's alright."
Mario gave his full attention to the small mouse. "So what can you do, Pikachu?"
"Kapika!"
"Just watch." Kirby related to Mario The plumber nodded and sat down on the grass, waiting. Pikachu scampered away to a safe distance, so Kirby and Mario wouldn't get hurt by what he was about to do.
Pikachu closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, lightning began to crackle from his cheeks. He concentrated still more, and the lightning accumulated, flickering back and forth over him in a dazzling light show, sometimes leaping out to touch the blades of grass around him. Suddenly Pikachu opened his eyes, raised his paws towards the sky and cried out, "PIKA!!"
Mario heard a deep rumble and looked up. Dark, angry stormclouds had gathered above the area where Pikachu was. Without warning, a bolt of pure white light arced down from the heavens and struck the miniscule Pokemon. Mario leaped to his feet in alarm, about to run over to Pikachu's aid.
Then the sound hit.
It felt to Mario like someone had opened up his skull and taken a jackhammer to his brain. His head seemed about to split open from what was assulting his eardrums. He couldn't hear anything over the noise and the roaring of the wind...
He glanced in Kirby's direction and barely acknowledged that the Dreamlander was writhing on the ground in agony, with his cone-arms clasped tightly to the sides of his head...
...he couldn't take anymore...everything was getting dark...
The last thing Mario saw before passing out again was Pikachu being enveloped within a ball of pure white electricity.
Koopa Castle, 9:48 AM.
Deep within the bowels of Bowser's Hidden Fortress, there were two rooms that were beautifully furnished with every luxury a person could ever want. The rooms included bathrooms with hot tubs, and each room adjoined a closet large enough to fit the entire J. Peterman catalog of clothing inside. From one of these rooms, a strange thumping sound could be heard. The Koopa Troops who passed by the rooms' locked doors didn't bother to try checking out the noise's source, and hurried past the area as if they were eager to not be there.
Daisy growled and kicked the wall again, recieving another lound thump for her efforts. She HATED being held prisoner against her will! Ooh, if only there weren't so many of those troops, she'd sure teach them not to mess with her!
She reeled her foot back for another kick, when a sound that she hadn't made stopped her in her tracks. Her thoughts trailed off as she suddenly felt something vibrate the floor ever-so-slightly. She stopped and stood still, waiting for it to happen again.
Peach felt something odd. She looked up from the book she was reading. What was that?
There it was again - some sort of vibration passing through the floor, this time accompanied by a faint, far-off rumble.
Her eyes travelled all over the room for the source, then settled on a cup of water she had placed next to her bedside.
...thoom...
The water rippled.
...thoom...
Another ripple.
Daisy was looking all around herself for the source of the noise. Her gaze stopped at the room's barred window. Rain was splattering against it as the seemingly endless thunderstorm outside raged on.
...thoom...
The image of the storm outside blurred.
...thoom...
It blurred again.
By now Daisy had walked up very close to the window, her breath starting to come in heavier breaths as the noises got louder.
...Thoom...
Blur.
...Thoom...
Blur.
Peach's eyes were getting wider and wider as she stared at the water in the cup. The rumbles were getting louder and more frequent, as were the impact tremors that were causing them.
She whispered softly. "Oh, no..."
...THOOM...
Big ripple.
...THOOM...
Larger ripple.
...THOOM!...
The water splashed against the cup's sides. Peach suddenly looked up at her door in fear. The sounds were very close to her now...
...THOOM!!
The water leaped out of the cup, spilling onto Peach's bedside table. She curled up into a ball out of fright and stared at the room's entrance with wide eyes.
Silence for a moment. Then -
WHAM! The door to Peach's room flew open.
"Good morning, Princess!" Bowser greeted her jovially. "I have something for you!" He held up the black leather jumpsuit that Mario had seen inside the Koopa's dream.
Peach screamed.
Mario suddenly snapped fully awake. No slow rise to conciousness or anything; just blink, and he was staring at the Dreamland night sky.
He sat up, noticing his headache was now gone. Odd. He heard someone shouting to his left and looked in that direction. What he saw was Kirby chewing Pikachu out furiously.
"WHAT in the name of the Star Rod made you think you could use Thunder?! I can't BELIEVE this! You KNEW you shouldn't try that move unless you had a target to ground the lightning at! WHY did you do it, then?? Huh??? WHY?!?!?"
"Pikachu..." The Pokemon said miserably.
This reply only seemed to make Kirby more enraged. "YOU WANTED TO IMPRESS HIM?!?!?" He swelled up in fury, his size increasing at least three times. His entire pink body turned an angry red color. Steam actually came off his top. "#%$@, PIKACHU, THERE ARE EASIER WAYS TO IMPRESS PEOPLE THAN THAT!!!!"
By now Pikachu seemed close to tears. Mario decided to intervene before Kirby turned the Pokemon into an Ability Hat. He called out, cutting off the beginnings of another tirade by the (very angry) Dreamlander. "Stop it, Kirby. He only wanted to prove himself to us. And he made my headache go away, too."
Mario stood up, noticing that he no longer felt dizzy and lightheaded, like he had been when he first met Pikachu. "Besides," he added as an afterthought, "he DID impress me."
Mario turned to adress the Pokemon. "How the heck did you manage to do that, Pikachu?"
Pikachu visibly perked up at the praise. "Pika, chu chu kipapi!"
Mario looked at Kirby expectantly, but the Dreamlander cast one angry look at the Pokemon and turned his back to them both, still angry. He didn't feel like translating anymore.
Mario frowned at this immature behavior. But then he got an idea. He grinned sinisterly. "Kirby, translate for Pikachu or I'll sic him on you."
Pikachu looked at Mario uncertainly, but then Mario grinned at him and winked. Suddenly understanding, the Pokemon grinned back.
Kirby cast a sideways look at Mario, then turned his back again. "You're bluffing."
Mario shrugged. "Okay, fine, you asked for it. Now, Pikachu!"
"PikaCHU!" The Pokemon sent a small charge of electricity at the Dreamlander. Kirby, having not expected any attack at all, was sent flying by the charge.
"Ow!" Kirby yelped as his back slammed into a tree. He waited for himself to fall to the ground after the impact, but he never did. Suddenly he realized something was wrong. He tried pulling himself away from the tree. He couldn't. He tried pushing himself off. That didn't work either. He was stuck to the tree at the spot where he had hit it, upside-down and with his back to it. Mario and Pikachu suddenly wandered into his field of vision. He stopped struggling and glared at them.
"What the heck did you do?! I can't get down!"
Mario grinned and rubbed Pikachu on the head. Then he walked up to Kirby and poked him with a finger. The Dreamlander yelped as a tiny jolt of electricity shocked him.
"Pikachu here used static electricity on you. Since your body is so similar to a balloon's, it made you stick to the tree like normal balloons do to walls and ceilings. Now, either you cooperate and start translating for us, or we'll leave you up there all night."
"Why you - !" Kirby made a valiant effort to reach Mario's neck so he could strangle the plumber, but Mario easily dodged out of his range. Mario waited out of harm's way as Kirby doubled his efforts to get free. Finally the Dreamlander gave up on attempting to escape his predictament and quietly seethed.
Both parties waited. Neither wanted to back down any time soon. Time passed.
After almost an hour of this, Kirby finally threw up his arms in disgust. "Oh, all right! I'll cooperate! Just get me down from here!"
Mario smiled, reached out, and plucked Kirby off the tree easily. Kirby jumped out of his grip and landed on the ground without a sound.
Pikachu smiled uncertainly at the Dreamlander, and Kirby finally smiled back.
Mario let out a breath of relief. "Okay. Now that that's over with, I propose we get to this town already. I really want to meet this other Real who you say is there."
Kirby smiled wider. "Well, I think you'll be happy to know that it's only a mile from here. If we go now, we should be there in no time."
"Pika!" Kirby didn't bother to translate this.
Mario clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Lead the way, Kirby!"
"Right! Follow me, you two!" Kirby took off running, with Mario and Pikachu close behind.
A/N: In case you couldn't tell by now, I love Jurassic Park. I am T-Rex, hear me roar! ROAR! :)
By Stoney (stoney107@yahoo.com)
Chapter Four
Extra Crispy
"How far away IS this town?!" Mario complained loudly.
They'd been walking for over four hours, and Mario's legs felt like they were about to lock up. He tried to massage them while they walked, hardly making an effort to conceal his irritated feelings.
Kirby actually had to think about the answer to Mario's question. "To tell you the truth, we don't measure distance around here like you Reals do. There really isn't any point to it; Dreamland is very, very large……sometimes it has to accommodate almost three billion dreams at once, you know. The size is necessary."
Mario stopped walking. "Could we take a break for a bit?"
Kirby smiled. "Sure, why not. I guess you're not as used to traveling long distances like I am, since you've never seen the real Dreamland before."
Mario gratefully sat down on a conveniently-placed rock nearby. "Wonderful." It was not a sarcastic exclamation.
Kirby sat down next to the plumber. He didn't even flinch as the world seemed to swirl and shift in front of his eyes. "Another dream." He remarked casually, almost conversationally.
"Oh great." This time, the statement was definitely sarcastic. Within the four hours they'd been walking, Mario had found himself taking part in the dreams of innumerable people that he didn't know and had never met. A few of the dreams had transformed him into not-very-desirable objects. Some of the more memorable ones were a staple remover, a soft drink can, a pencil, and a shoe. He particularly disliked the last one; no feeling was more awkward than that of someone putting their foot inside you.
I wonder what I'll turn into this time? He wondered. According to my luck so far, it'll probably be something slimy and disgusting. Maybe a frog. Or some seaweed. Or a mud puddle. He sighed.
"Y'know, I'm really beginning to hate this." He muttered as the world continued its kaleidoscopic dance.
"Ah, you get used to it after awhile." Kirby replied good-naturedly. He leaned back to put his arms behind his head and suddenly found that his arms had hands. He wasn't very startled by this, though. A lot of the dreams he'd been in had changed him into humanlike forms. He turned to look at what Mario had been turned into, and saw something that actually shocked him.
Mario hadn't changed. He was still his normal self. He had his eyes closed tightly, refusing to look at the new landscape.
"What am I now?" He murmured softly to Kirby. "A clown? A jellyfish?"
"N-no, you're……yourself."
Mario opened his eyes to give Kirby a weird look, and jumped about two feet into the air.
"Luigi?!?"
"Huh?" Kirby asked. Mario was looking at him as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Luigi, what the heck are you doing here?? I thought you were stuck in Reality!"
Kirby grew even more confused. "What? Who are you talking to, Mario?"
"What do you mean, 'who am I talking to'? I'm talking to you!" Mario replied, pointing a finger at Kirby.
Kirby blinked. He looked down at himself. In the place where he normally saw his own pink self was a tall, lean body wearing a green shirt under blue overalls. Then he understood. Looking back up at the strangely unchanged Mario, Kirby quickly explained, "Mario, Its not Luigi. Its Kirby. The dream changed me to look like your brother."
Mario stuttered, then slowly closed his eyes and opened them again. The image of Luigi still remained where Kirby had been.
"You're sure?"
Kirby's reply was emphatic. "Yes."
Mario took a deep breath and let it out again. "Oh man, you scared the living daylights out of me, Kirby! I thought you were-"
"I know, I know."
Mario decided to take a look at himself. "Hey, I didn't change!" He remarked, mildly surprised.
Kirby/Luigi looked around himself. "I guess you didn't need to for this dream."
Mario looked at the Dreamlander-turned-plumber suspiciously. "Why? What do you mea-"
"Excuse me, sir?" A new voice jutted in politely. "The princess will see you now."
Mario looked at the voice's owner. A Toad stood there wearing glasses and carrying a clipboard.
"What?" Mario asked stupidly.
"I said that the princess is ready to see you now."
"Princess Peach?"
"Yes."
Mario looked around himself as he got up and allowed himself to be led to a fanciful door. They appeared to be in some sort of waiting room. White walls glared at him, their color almost too bright to look at. Brown benches and cushy chairs were arranged in circles around tables with stacks of out-of-date magazines. It was from one of these that he'd gotten up, and Kirby/Luigi still sat in one of the chairs. "What is this place?" He queried of the short mushroom in front of him.
The Toad gave him an odd look. "Mushroom Kingdom Castle, sir. You know that."
"Oh." He still didn't understand, though. Peach's castle had never had this room before…unless this dream took place in a part of the castle he hadn't seen as of yet, which he highly doubted. But he decided not to ask any more questions, lest the Toad's suspicious be aroused further. The toad opened the door and bowed him inside. He nodded curtly to it before it shut the door behind him.
Mario turned around. A small yelp of surprise escaped his mouth. Princess Peach was standing there, her face two inches away from his and wearing a strange expression of happiness and relief.
"Hello, Mario…" She greeted softly.
Mario quickly backed away, trying to put some distance between them, but she started forward as he did so. His back hit the door with a thump, and suddenly she was there right in front of him again.
He took a good look at her. She looked like she normally did; gown, lace, and tiara. Mario mentally thanked whatever gods the Toads believed in that she wasn't dressed like he'd seen her in Bowser's dream. She pulled off his cap and slowly ran a laced hand through his brown hair.
"I've missed you, Mario……" She began in a half-whisper. "Where have you been all this time?"
Before Mario could even think about answering, he suddenly found words leaving his mouth. "Sarasaland. I wanted to see if Daisy was alright. You knew that." He blinked when he'd finished. Why had he just said that?
Peach gave a small smile. "I know, but you could have at least told me when you were coming back."
Again, words leapt out of Mario's mouth without his permission. "Sorry, I wanted it to be a surprise."
To Mario's complete astonishment, Peach suddenly hugged him tightly. "Don't make me worry like that about you ever again." She whispered fiercely, eyes shut tight as she leaned her head against his chest. She gave a small sob, and Mario realized she was crying. Not knowing what else to do, Mario slowly put his arms around her and hugged her back. Once again the words came, and Mario decided to just let them flow instead of trying to fight them. It saved him the trouble of thinking about what to say next, at least. "I won't, Peach. I promise."
Peach pulled away from the embrace and backed up to a relatively normal distance. She sniffed, wiping her eyes with a white cloth. She smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I was really worried about you, ya know. Not knowing when I'd see you again…IF I'd see you again…" Tears began welling up in her eyes again despite her efforts. She looked down at the floor and let out a shaky breath before continuing.
"Mario…there's something I need to tell you…I haven't said it before now because I was scared of what might happen when I did…but I can't risk something happening to you before I tell you. I want to be able to tell you this before you go away again, for good……"
She looked deep into his ocean blue eyes, and did something that he'd never, ever forget. In one swift, sudden movement, she darted up to him and hugged him again. But this time, instead of leaning against him for support, she tilted her head forward and kissed him on the lips.
Mario's pupils dilated and his eyes went unfocused as he stared off into empty space. He was beyond dumbstruck. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. His mind was completely blank. His body forgot to continue breathing. He was floating, walking on air…
Peach slowly pulled away from the kiss and whispered softly in his ear, "I love you, Mario."
Mario's mind was currently vacationing somewhere else, so it was a good thing that the words he spoke next came out automatically. "I love you too, Peach."
One of his eyebrows started twitching convulsively as she continued to hold him. He swayed slightly. His body began shaking, but Peach didn't notice.
Peach smiled joyfully at him. "Oh, that's such a relief to hear! Thank you, Mario!" She kissed him again on the forehead, which made him go cross-eyed. Mario's brain fizzled and shorted out. His jaw became unhinged.
"Yes, I'd like one double cheeseburger with fries and three milkshakes to go, please." He babbled.
Then he fainted.
He sat at his window silently. Staring off into the distance, he took no notice of the raging thunderstorm that always seemed to surround his castle. He also didn't acknowledge the furious lightning that randomly struck the ground and castle itself. He wasn't thinking about any of these things. No, his mind was somewhere else, wandering through his castle, to the beautiful room he'd provided where his little princess currently slept…
He sighed longingly, and smoke came out of his nostrils. …his Little Princess…Princess Peach…
He turned away from the window and walked over to what he'd lovingly dubbed his 'thinking couch'. It was a plain, ordinary wooden bench to every other person. But he'd had it longer than any of his other possessions and cherished it dearly. As he sat his great bulk upon it, it gave a slight creak of protest which he didn't notice either. He sat, deep in thought about his princess and the other prisoner, a relative of Peach. He hadn't been able to think of what to do with her. What was her name? Oh yeah, Daisy. Yes, he couldn't think of what he should have done with Daisy. Peach had insisted that her cousin get the same accomodations as herself, and he wanted more than anything to make his Little Princess happy. So Daisy, too, had had a beautiful bedroom provided for her enjoyment.
He idly toyed with one of the claws on his right hand. He loved Peach so much…why couldn't she understand that? He had already apologized for the way he had brought her here; explaining (truthfully) that she would never have come to visit him otherwise. True, the first time he'd brought her here it was for the purpose of leading Mario to his death…but after that, things began to change. He'd started to grow feelings for the Pretty Princess in Pink, and had since continued bringing her here to his abode to attempt to win her love.
So far he was terribly unsuccessful. But he was convinced that if she stayed here long enough, she'd understand and reciprocate his love. Then she'd forget all about that horrible, dispicable, loser plumber, and they could wed, have children together, spend the rest of their lives with each other……
A loud knock came at his door, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Come in!" He boomed in his deep voice.
The door creaked open to admit a tiny Koopa with a blue shell and large tufts of bluish hair made up into two points above his head. "Hi, King Dad!" The baby Koopa chirped cheerfully.
He smiled, one of the only heartfelt smiles he ever wore when he wasn't thinking about Peach. "Hello, Ludwig. What's going on?"
The tiny Koopa scurried into the room dragging a large piece of machinery behind him. "Ah, nothin' much. 'Cept I think I've figured out a new invention!"
He decided that he could think about Peach later. Grinning, he turned to give the child his full attention. "That's wonderful, Ludwig. What does it do?"
"Well," Ludwig began in a proud, buisnesslike manner that car salesmen often took with new customers, "I haven't had a chance to test it yet, but it's supposed to be able to freeze someone in a block 'a ice without killin' em!"
His expression became quizzical. "How could it do that?"
"Think'a it like stopping time with th' guy. He or she would cease all body functions an' be frozen in time. Th' brain wouldn't die, it'd just shut down for awhile, going into a state kinda like sleep. Then when ya unfreeze th' guy later, he or she'll be th' exact same as when you'd froze 'em. No aging, nothin'. And th' guy would be alive an' good as new, too."
He was deeply impressed. "Incredible. You've really outdone yourself this time, Ludwig my boy!"
The child Koopa beamed at the praise he was receiving. He loved making his father happy with his new machines.
"What do you plan on calling this ingenious device?"
Ludwig grinned in that way that let you know he was thinking about something. "I've already come up with a name," He said finally. "I'll call it my Cryogenic Freezer."
"I propose that we test it!" He exclaimed excitedly. "But first we'll need a test subject…"
"How 'bout a Troopa?"
His face grew stern. "Now Ludwig, you know very well that Daddy doesn't enjoy putting his men in danger unnecessarily. No, we'll need something else…" He snapped his fingers. "Of course! I know just what to use, too!"
Ludwig's happy mood had diminished somewhat at being scolded, but now his curiosity masked any unhappiness he might have had. "What izzit, Dad?"
"Follow me!" He boomed happily, getting up from his couch and stomping towards the door. He stopped along the way to scoop up the bulky machine in his massive arms. "And let's bring this…thingy-Freezer with us!" He exited the room.
"Itzza Cryogenic Freezer! And wait for me!" Ludwig hurried after him.
Luigi ducked and dodged frantically, clutching Malon's hand tightly within his own out of fear that she'd fall behind. They had entered the pasture only to find a group of homicidal birds ready to attack them, swooping down at the two and trying to gouge them with their beaks. So far he and Malon had avoided any serious injuries, but they'd had some pretty near misses. Luigi began to wonder if it had been the smartest choice of action in picking the building for their hideaway.
Luigi leaped to the side again as one of the birds dive-bombed him. He didn't know what their problem with him was - he'd always been nice to birds - but he got the feeling that these fowl didn't really care about that. They were attacking relentlessly, using their sharp beaks like harpoons as they made beelines for his and Malon's heads. Malon shrieked and ducked as one bird made a low swipe at her, then got up and continued running.
Luigi risked a glance over his shoulder. Most of the birds that had missed them were now coming around for another pass, while a few of them were content to hover and watch the ongoings.
Luigi began running as fast as he could, knowing that he would get tired from the high speed in a few seconds, but desperately wanting to get out from under the line of fire. The building was so close now…he could almost reach it…
Luigi didn't bother to put on the brakes when he arrived at the door but instead simply slammed into it, his hand groping for the doorknob. He opened the door, pulled Malon in, and threw it shut. Milliseconds later, he heard the dull THUDs of the birds chasing them hitting the doors and walls of the building.
It was dark inside. The entire structure was shaped circularly except for at the very back, where it was molded to the shape of the ranch wall it sat up against. There were no windows for light to enter in through, but a few beams of moonlight managed to shine down through slits in the building's roof. Hay was piled up in great bunches everywhere. A couple broken tables and chairs leaned against one of the back walls. A thresher for the hay stood next to them, looking like it hadn't been used in a long while.
Luigi backed up from the shaking doorway, breathing heavily and unable to believe what he'd just done. Oh wow, if they'd been just a little bit slower they would've-
He slammed his mental doors shut before that line of thought could lead to anything. He looked around and finally chose a few bales of hay to sit down on. Malon collapsed against him once he did, sobbing hysterically in relief. He held her comfortingly, gently mumbling to her that it was all right, that things would be okay now. She nodded but continued crying, all the fear and tension of the past hour pouring out of her in a rush. He didn't protest but continued to sit there, allowing Malon some support at a time when she desperately needed it. For a long time they sat there like that, not saying anything to each other. Speech wasn't necessary at this point. They'd both been through a great ordeal, and shared the same feelings at the moment.
After almost a half-hour of this, Malon sat up. "It's quiet out there now." She'd stopped crying a while ago and had since just sat there quietly.
Luigi pricked his ears and noticed that the sound of birds colliding with the building was noticeably absent. "So it is." He murmured, suddenly yawning and stretching. "Man, I'm tired."
"Luigi, I'd like to thank you for saving me." Malon started meekly. Luigi cut her off before she could say any more. "No thanks necessary. I did what any good person would do if caught in that situation." He smiled and patted the farmgirl on her shoulder. "You're a good kid, Malon. I'd hate it if you got hurt."
The truth was, Luigi had always thought a certain way about women - namely, that hurting one was an obscenely horrible act and he'd never stand for it. He didn't mean for Malon to take his words the way she did, but nonetheless she did so. Looking at the plumber with gratitude and admiration in her eyes, she asked, "You…would?"
Luigi nodded vigorously. "Yep. I'd probably hunt down the @%#$ who does so to you and show him what it's like to be really hurt. Twenty times over."
Malon began to get teary-eyed again. "But….that's so….so…oh, Luigi!" She squeaked out at last, hugging him tightly again.
The green plumber was caught completely off-guard by this reaction and simply sat, stunned for a moment. Then he slowly put his arms back around her and returned the embrace.
That was the way Link found them a few minutes later, holding each other tightly as they lay on the hay, fast asleep.
Mario groaned as he became conscious. The biggest headache ever was bouncing around doing the Congo inside his skull. He attempted to open his eyes and winced at the pain it caused. Slowly, however, his eyes adjusted to the bright light and he could make out individual colors and shapes again.
The first thing Mario's vision saw was Kirby's concerned face leaning over him, blocking out some of the sunlight. The next thing his hearing registered was Kirby asking if he was all right. Mario groaned again in reply. He attempted to sit up, and grimaced when doing so made his head pound. Blearily he stared about himself. The weird trees of the forest in Dreamland stared back.
Kirby helped Mario to his feet, steadying the swaying plumber. "You okay?" Kirby asked again. "When the dream ended I found you lying over there, passed out." He pointed a few meters off to their right.
Mario barely heard him. The words 'Peach loved him' were running repeatedly through his head over and over, and there was a funny ringing noise in his ears. He couldn't believe what he had just experienced before he'd passed out.
Or HAD he experienced it?
His frantic thoughts suddenly paused, and the ringing noise ceased. When he tried to remember the events from the dream before he'd become unconscious, they seemed all hazy and jumbled together. Maybe he'd just imagined that it had happened, and had passed out because of something else......yeah, that was probably it.
Mario tried to shake away the dizzy feeling he was afflicted with. "Yeah, I'm alright." He mumbled out at last. "How long have I been out?"
Kirby's expression echoed his dismay. "A day."
Mario stared at the Dreamlander incredulously. Kirby's pink face showed no hint of amusement that would signal he was joking. "You aren't serious, are you? How the heck could I pass out for that long?"
"Dreamland's days are shorter than those of your world. The nights around here a lot longer, though."
"So I missed the day part, and it's now night again?"
"Correct. Oh, and I found another Real nearby while you were out. It says that it wants to help us fix Dreamland, and I said okay. So it'll be joining us on our mission from here on out."
Mario raised an eyebrow. "It?"
"You'll understand when you see it." Kirby turned around and cupped his cone-arms around his mouth, then shouted something that sounded to Mario like, 'Pipi!'
Out of the trees bounded something short, fast, and yellow. It was around Kirby's height, but that was about all that Mario could discern from the little yellow blur of motion.
That is, until it stopped in front of Mario and resolved itself. Mario's first impression was of a small bull or deer or something, considering how two horn-like protrusions stuck out on either side of its head. Then he realized that the horn-things were its ears, and that it actually looked more like a fairly large, yellow mouse.
"Pika, Pikapi!" It squeaked at him. "Pikachu!"
It had a small, mousey face, with cute, black, round eyes and a tiny upturned triangle of a nose. Two red circles sat to either side of its mouth where its cheeks would be. Its belly was round and colored a lighter shade of yellow. Short, stubby arms ended in small hands with tiny fingers. It's legs were squat, with elongated feet at their bottoms. Its toes were very small, making the feet look like they ended in little spikes. Jutting out from its back was a short, yellow tail with a black end, which Mario noticed with curiosity was shaped into what appeared to be a lightning bolt.
Mario was beginning to wonder just what kind of creature this could be when Kirby suddenly spoke up. "It says that its name is Pikachu, and that it is pleased to meet you."
"You can understand what it is saying?" Mario asked Kirby without taking his eyes off the animal.
"Of course I can. Pikachu here is a creature of the species 'Pokemon'. I've been in enough of their dreams to understand anything they're saying easily."
"Ah." Mario nodded. "Hello to you too, uh, Pikachu. Can it understand what I'm saying?" This last was directed to Kirby.
"Pachu, kapi! Pichu kachu cha!"
"It says that it is a male. Yes, he can understand what you're saying, and he wishes you would stop talking like he wasn't in the area." Kirby translated.
"Sorry, Pikachu." Mario mumbled sheepishly.
"Pika."
"That's alright."
Mario gave his full attention to the small mouse. "So what can you do, Pikachu?"
"Kapika!"
"Just watch." Kirby related to Mario The plumber nodded and sat down on the grass, waiting. Pikachu scampered away to a safe distance, so Kirby and Mario wouldn't get hurt by what he was about to do.
Pikachu closed his eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, lightning began to crackle from his cheeks. He concentrated still more, and the lightning accumulated, flickering back and forth over him in a dazzling light show, sometimes leaping out to touch the blades of grass around him. Suddenly Pikachu opened his eyes, raised his paws towards the sky and cried out, "PIKA!!"
Mario heard a deep rumble and looked up. Dark, angry stormclouds had gathered above the area where Pikachu was. Without warning, a bolt of pure white light arced down from the heavens and struck the miniscule Pokemon. Mario leaped to his feet in alarm, about to run over to Pikachu's aid.
Then the sound hit.
It felt to Mario like someone had opened up his skull and taken a jackhammer to his brain. His head seemed about to split open from what was assulting his eardrums. He couldn't hear anything over the noise and the roaring of the wind...
He glanced in Kirby's direction and barely acknowledged that the Dreamlander was writhing on the ground in agony, with his cone-arms clasped tightly to the sides of his head...
...he couldn't take anymore...everything was getting dark...
The last thing Mario saw before passing out again was Pikachu being enveloped within a ball of pure white electricity.
Koopa Castle, 9:48 AM.
Deep within the bowels of Bowser's Hidden Fortress, there were two rooms that were beautifully furnished with every luxury a person could ever want. The rooms included bathrooms with hot tubs, and each room adjoined a closet large enough to fit the entire J. Peterman catalog of clothing inside. From one of these rooms, a strange thumping sound could be heard. The Koopa Troops who passed by the rooms' locked doors didn't bother to try checking out the noise's source, and hurried past the area as if they were eager to not be there.
Daisy growled and kicked the wall again, recieving another lound thump for her efforts. She HATED being held prisoner against her will! Ooh, if only there weren't so many of those troops, she'd sure teach them not to mess with her!
She reeled her foot back for another kick, when a sound that she hadn't made stopped her in her tracks. Her thoughts trailed off as she suddenly felt something vibrate the floor ever-so-slightly. She stopped and stood still, waiting for it to happen again.
Peach felt something odd. She looked up from the book she was reading. What was that?
There it was again - some sort of vibration passing through the floor, this time accompanied by a faint, far-off rumble.
Her eyes travelled all over the room for the source, then settled on a cup of water she had placed next to her bedside.
...thoom...
The water rippled.
...thoom...
Another ripple.
Daisy was looking all around herself for the source of the noise. Her gaze stopped at the room's barred window. Rain was splattering against it as the seemingly endless thunderstorm outside raged on.
...thoom...
The image of the storm outside blurred.
...thoom...
It blurred again.
By now Daisy had walked up very close to the window, her breath starting to come in heavier breaths as the noises got louder.
...Thoom...
Blur.
...Thoom...
Blur.
Peach's eyes were getting wider and wider as she stared at the water in the cup. The rumbles were getting louder and more frequent, as were the impact tremors that were causing them.
She whispered softly. "Oh, no..."
...THOOM...
Big ripple.
...THOOM...
Larger ripple.
...THOOM!...
The water splashed against the cup's sides. Peach suddenly looked up at her door in fear. The sounds were very close to her now...
...THOOM!!
The water leaped out of the cup, spilling onto Peach's bedside table. She curled up into a ball out of fright and stared at the room's entrance with wide eyes.
Silence for a moment. Then -
WHAM! The door to Peach's room flew open.
"Good morning, Princess!" Bowser greeted her jovially. "I have something for you!" He held up the black leather jumpsuit that Mario had seen inside the Koopa's dream.
Peach screamed.
Mario suddenly snapped fully awake. No slow rise to conciousness or anything; just blink, and he was staring at the Dreamland night sky.
He sat up, noticing his headache was now gone. Odd. He heard someone shouting to his left and looked in that direction. What he saw was Kirby chewing Pikachu out furiously.
"WHAT in the name of the Star Rod made you think you could use Thunder?! I can't BELIEVE this! You KNEW you shouldn't try that move unless you had a target to ground the lightning at! WHY did you do it, then?? Huh??? WHY?!?!?"
"Pikachu..." The Pokemon said miserably.
This reply only seemed to make Kirby more enraged. "YOU WANTED TO IMPRESS HIM?!?!?" He swelled up in fury, his size increasing at least three times. His entire pink body turned an angry red color. Steam actually came off his top. "#%$@, PIKACHU, THERE ARE EASIER WAYS TO IMPRESS PEOPLE THAN THAT!!!!"
By now Pikachu seemed close to tears. Mario decided to intervene before Kirby turned the Pokemon into an Ability Hat. He called out, cutting off the beginnings of another tirade by the (very angry) Dreamlander. "Stop it, Kirby. He only wanted to prove himself to us. And he made my headache go away, too."
Mario stood up, noticing that he no longer felt dizzy and lightheaded, like he had been when he first met Pikachu. "Besides," he added as an afterthought, "he DID impress me."
Mario turned to adress the Pokemon. "How the heck did you manage to do that, Pikachu?"
Pikachu visibly perked up at the praise. "Pika, chu chu kipapi!"
Mario looked at Kirby expectantly, but the Dreamlander cast one angry look at the Pokemon and turned his back to them both, still angry. He didn't feel like translating anymore.
Mario frowned at this immature behavior. But then he got an idea. He grinned sinisterly. "Kirby, translate for Pikachu or I'll sic him on you."
Pikachu looked at Mario uncertainly, but then Mario grinned at him and winked. Suddenly understanding, the Pokemon grinned back.
Kirby cast a sideways look at Mario, then turned his back again. "You're bluffing."
Mario shrugged. "Okay, fine, you asked for it. Now, Pikachu!"
"PikaCHU!" The Pokemon sent a small charge of electricity at the Dreamlander. Kirby, having not expected any attack at all, was sent flying by the charge.
"Ow!" Kirby yelped as his back slammed into a tree. He waited for himself to fall to the ground after the impact, but he never did. Suddenly he realized something was wrong. He tried pulling himself away from the tree. He couldn't. He tried pushing himself off. That didn't work either. He was stuck to the tree at the spot where he had hit it, upside-down and with his back to it. Mario and Pikachu suddenly wandered into his field of vision. He stopped struggling and glared at them.
"What the heck did you do?! I can't get down!"
Mario grinned and rubbed Pikachu on the head. Then he walked up to Kirby and poked him with a finger. The Dreamlander yelped as a tiny jolt of electricity shocked him.
"Pikachu here used static electricity on you. Since your body is so similar to a balloon's, it made you stick to the tree like normal balloons do to walls and ceilings. Now, either you cooperate and start translating for us, or we'll leave you up there all night."
"Why you - !" Kirby made a valiant effort to reach Mario's neck so he could strangle the plumber, but Mario easily dodged out of his range. Mario waited out of harm's way as Kirby doubled his efforts to get free. Finally the Dreamlander gave up on attempting to escape his predictament and quietly seethed.
Both parties waited. Neither wanted to back down any time soon. Time passed.
After almost an hour of this, Kirby finally threw up his arms in disgust. "Oh, all right! I'll cooperate! Just get me down from here!"
Mario smiled, reached out, and plucked Kirby off the tree easily. Kirby jumped out of his grip and landed on the ground without a sound.
Pikachu smiled uncertainly at the Dreamlander, and Kirby finally smiled back.
Mario let out a breath of relief. "Okay. Now that that's over with, I propose we get to this town already. I really want to meet this other Real who you say is there."
Kirby smiled wider. "Well, I think you'll be happy to know that it's only a mile from here. If we go now, we should be there in no time."
"Pika!" Kirby didn't bother to translate this.
Mario clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Lead the way, Kirby!"
"Right! Follow me, you two!" Kirby took off running, with Mario and Pikachu close behind.
A/N: In case you couldn't tell by now, I love Jurassic Park. I am T-Rex, hear me roar! ROAR! :)