Chapter 23: Setting Off to Claim Back the Holy Weapons! An Ambush is Ahead of Us!
Jack took the Smashers to his house. "You got a big house here," says Ganondorf, looking at the tall black building. "But a creepy one…" comments Peach.
"It's just a small house," says Jack. "There's nothing special about it. Anyway, come out, Zero!" A white dog with a body like that of a bed sheet emerges from the nearby doghouse and runs (or rather, hover) around Jack happily. Luigi screams in fright upon seeing the ghostly dog and runs into Kirby's mouth to hide (don't ask how).
"This is my dog, Zero! He's a good boy! He is!"
"He actually looks quite cute!" says Ness. Zero happily runs up to Ness and licks him in the face. "Cut that out!" yells Ness.
"He likes you because you said something good about him!" says Jack. "Okay, now he will guide us to Oogie Boogie's castle!"
"I thought you know where it is already," says Link.
"Well… It's been a long time since I last went there, so I forgot the way there a bit."
Having said this, they set off on the road where those three brats who stole the holy weapons went. With Zero sniffing their scents and leading the Smashers, nothing can go wrong, right? That's until they come to a three-way split on the path. The left path leads to a cemetery, the middle path leads to a forest, and the right leads to a grassy plain.
"Which-a way did they go?" asks Mario. Then they heard a voice coming from the cemetery, so they look towards that direction and sees Lock taunting them from there. "Ha! You want the weapons? Come get it!" says Lock, and then he runs farther into the cemetery. Then they see Shock in front of the forest's entrance. "I have some of your weapons too!" she says. "Come get it if you can!" Then she runs deeper into the forest. They look towards the plain and sees Barrel there. "Dummy! You'll never get the weapons from me!" he says while shaking his butt at them, and then he runs off into the plains.
"Looks like we have to split ways," says Link. "The grass plain looks like the safest out of the three," says Luigi. "So I'm going there. Kill me if you want, but I'll never go to the cemetery or that creepy forest! Those trees seem to have eyes!"
"If Luigi sez so," says Mario. "Then let's-a go to da plain!"
"The cemetery may be filled with undead and more," says Ganondorf. "Therefore, tough people like me and Bowser will go there!"
"Why me?" asks Bowser. "I wanna go with Peach and I don't want her to go to that dangerous place!"
Peach, who feels rather uncomfortable to be with Bowser, tells him, "Bowser, please go to the graveyard. That way, you can prove to me your courage and strength. If you make it through there alive, then I'll give you as many kisses as you want!"
"Really!" says Bowser excitedly. "Then I'll go to the cemetery and beat up the brat who stole the weapons! I'll be sure to come back alive, my sweet little Peach! Be sure to wait for me!"
"Oh boy…" says Ganondorf, shaking his head left and right slowly.
"Wait!" says Jack. "I should go to the cemetery with you! I've been there couple of times and it's not a very safe place! Since I'm familiar with that place, I should go with you to ensure your safety!"
"I've been to the forest many times in the past," says Link. "I'll go to the forest and Zelda will come with me in order to ensure her safety."
"How about us?" asks both Ness and Kirby at the same time.
"Just choose who you want to go with," replies Link. Ness and Kirby thought over this for a while, but they just can't decide where to go. "You're wasting our time!" says Bowser. "How about this? I have three sticks here! Choose one and see what number you get!"
Kirby and Ness picks a stick. Kirby gets 2 and Ness gets 1. "You got one, Ness!" says Bowser. "So you come with me to the cemetery! Kirby go to the forest with Link!"
"If that's what it is, then I'll accept it," says Ness. Jack turns to Zero and says to him, "You better follow Link, Zelda, and Kirby. They can get lost in the forest anytime, so you better lead them out." Zero barks as a response, meaning to yes.
So everyone went where they should go. Ganondorf, Bowser, Ness, and Jack go to the graveyard. Link, Zelda, Kirby, and Zero go to the forest. Mario, Luigi, and Peach go for the plains.
Meanwhile, somewhere deep in the forest…
"I got an idea for my latest art creation!" says Mr. 3. "But I will need to have two beautiful women to complete it!"
At the cemetery…
"This place is boring," says Ganondorf. "I expect someone or something to crawl out from the ground and haunt people!"
"Actually, you don't see undead around here," says Jack. "Undead and spooks are different things. One is dead and one is alive."
"They all look the same to me," says Ness. "Especially you…"
"I'm still alive! I have never died before!"
Somewhere in the middle of the graveyard, Ms. Goldenweek sits there alone, mixing some paints while humming a cheerful tune. Lock comes running up to her and asks, "What are you doing? The enemies are coming this way and you still have to mood to play with paint?"
"I'm inventing a new paint," says Ms. GW. "Red and blue creates purple."
"You did not invent purple! It's been discovered since the beginning!"
"I know I did not invent purple, but I invented a new effect for my paint. Just wait and see."
Mario, Luigi, and Peach are walking in the plains, and nothing has happened so far. "Where is that kid?" asks Peach. "He couldn't have gotten that far."
"I hope nothing shows up," says Luigi. "And please no Darkling…"
Unknown to them, Barrel is hiding behind a tree. "They're gonna find me for sure!" he thought. "I should never come to the plain in the first place! Oh no! Here they come! They're coming near and near this tree! Please turn away!"
"I see a castle over the horizon!" says Peach, pointing to a castle far away. "Perhaps that is Oogie's castle?"
"That-a can be," says Mario. "Let's-a go there and fight-a Oogie Boogie!"
"Phew… They're gone…" thought Barrel.
"Do you think that fat kid could be hiding behind that tree?" says Luigi all of a sudden. This immediately shocks Barrel.
"What-a made you think-a that?" Mario asks Luigi.
"Just wondering, since that's the only available place to hide in a flat plain like this."
"Noooo! Don't come here!" shouts Barrel IN his mind. "NOOOO!"
"I don't think that's possible," says Peach. "That kid looks fatter than that tree. If he is hiding behind it, then we should be able to see a part of him sticking out from the side of the tree."
"She's right-a," says Mario. "I don't-a think he can be behind da tree. Let's-a just get-a going."
They continue to move forward, and suddenly, Mario falls into a well concealed pit on the ground. "WAAAAAAAA!"
"Mario!" shouts Luigi, looking into the hole. "Are you all right?"
"I'm all right-a! Theez hole isn't very deep! I'm sure I can climb up-a!"
Mario is able to climb his way up, until his upper half body emerges from the pit… "Mamamia! I'm stuck-a! I can't-a get out!"
"You're too fat!" says Peach. "Now see what happens if you're too fat!"
"Help me get outta theez hole!"
Suddenly, a car speeds by them and stops, and then it transforms into a robot! Then a vampire-like robot flies down from the sky and lands in front of them. "Such a pity to get stuck at this time, eh?"
"Oh no!" screams Luigi. "We got company!"
"I know you!" says Mario. "You're da robot I met-a in Station Square!"
"It's good of you to remember me," says Shademan. "Now it's my turn to give you some beating!"
"Yes! I can't wait for it!" says Turboman excitedly. "I'm gonna flatten you all!"
"Not now," says Shademan. "Mr. 3 is in a hurry to start his latest creation. He sent us to capture a beautiful girl." Then he glares Peach menacingly. "What do you want with me!" asks Peach.
Without a word, Shademan flies towards Peach and snatches her with his claws on his leg. "AHHHH! LET GO OF ME!" screams Peach.
"NOOOOO! They took Peach!" screams Luigi.
"We have to go now, Turboman," says Shademan. "Let's return to Mr. 3 and let him know we have done our assignment, and then we'll come back for them."
"Hehe! You two better not run!" says Turboman. "I'll be back to pummel you!" Then he swings his fist at Luigi, punching him hard in the cheek.
"Stop-a that!" shouts Mario angrily when he sees Turboman hitting Luigi. The two robot masters ignore him and take off towards the forest in the distant, taking along Peach with them.
"Luigi! Are you all right-a?"
"That punch hurts… What do we do now…?"
"Just-a pull me out!"
In the forest, Link, Zelda, Kirby, and Zero are going smoothly. "There's nothing to be afraid of in this forest," says Zelda.
"Where's that kid?" asks Link. "We haven't seen her since we entered the forest." Suddenly, he caught notice of something ahead of him. "I think I see something ahead!" says Link. "You stay here! I'll go and check!" Link moves ahead forward to see whatever is over there. "Please come back fast!" says Zelda.
Link walks forward on his own, and he was right when he said he saw something ahead of them. "You there! I found you at last!" says Link. "Give back the weapons!" Sure enough, he sees Shock standing in front of him.
Link approaches Shock and says to her, "Give back the weapon and I'll spare your life." He places the blade of his sword against her throat, but she doesn't respond at all. "Hey! Are you listening to me?"
Suddenly, Shock turns white and melts into white liquid! "What the hell!" gasps Link. Then the white liquid shoots forward and latches onto Link!
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"I think I hear someone scream," says Zelda. "You're just hearing things," says Kirby.
"I have a feeling that Link is in trouble."
"What trouble can he get into? He's a strong guy!"
"But still… I can't stop worrying about him."
The three wait for a little longer, until Zelda decides to go look for Link. "You stay here with Zero, Kirby. I'll go look for Link!"
"Why can't I go with you?"
"In case I get into trouble, you can go tell the others about it. I'm sure Zero can sniff out the scent of our friends." After saying this, Zelda runs off to look for Link. She keeps on traveling forward while shouting Link's name over and over, until she sees Link standing in front of her!
"Link! You're all right!" says Zelda happily as she runs up to him. When she approaches Link, she notices that he isn't showing any signs of life. "Uh, Link? Are you all right?" She waves her hand across his face many times, but he still doesn't respond. "What's wrong with you, Link?" Suddenly, Link turns white and melts into white liquid! "LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINK!" And then the white liquid hurls itself at Zelda and latches onto her.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Back at the cemetery, Lock is spraying purple paint all over the grave. When he is done, he runs back to Ms. Goldenweek and says, "I'm done. What now?"
"Just wait and see," she replies. "Oh look! Here they come!"
Bowser, Ganondorf, Ness, and Jack walk into the scene, complaining about the emptiness and quietness of this place. "I wish a zombie would crawl out of the grave this instant!" shouts Ganondorf for no particular reason. Just at this instant, a decayed hand shoots out from the ground! "Looks like your wish is granted," says Bowser. A zombie crawls out from its grave and walks slowly towards them.
"This is impossible!" exclaims Jack. "Undead aren't supposed to awaken at this time!"
Suddenly, more zombies crawl out from the ground and walk slowly towards them!
"We're surrounded!" screams Ness. "We're done for!" Ganondorf pulls out his sword and says, "Now this is just what I wanted!"
Lock and Ms. GW look from afar. "What's happening!" asks Lock in amazement.
"Purple is usually defined as the color of royalty," says Ms. GW. "But it is also associated with darkness and evil. The dead bodies came to life because you sprayed the purple paint I mixed onto their grave. Because purple is associated with darkness, it is the color of necromancers, one who brings life to dead bodies through black magic. That is why the zombies came to life. Purple, the color of necromancers…"
TO BE CONTINUED…
That's chapter 23 done! And to tell you all, today is July 22! And July 22 is MY BIRTHDAY! Say Happy Birthday to me! Reviewing this story is a great birthday gift for me!