A/N- I give here's chapter 4…I liked this chapter to much to post it while waiting for reviews (thank you by the way Lee) anyway onward we go…I'm sure a lot of you would have preferred Zebes, and actually I did argue with my self about it, but Tallon was chosen in the end because it plays into the story later on…Enough about that, I took a little bit of creative liberty with this chapter, I decided that the doors can be opened by motion sensors (like real world sliding doors)…However, a bad guy from the past will appear here (no not Mother Brain)…So, without further distraction I give you chapter 4…Enjoy!

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The Hunter and the Hunted

They were instantly soaked as they entered the world. Rain steadily poured around them as they looked around. They stood in an open field surrounded by rock walls. A shallow pond sat in front of them, fed by a low waterfall. Vines and moss covered most of the landscape. There were cut-outs in the rock that seemed to act as very large rocks. Further back on the top step, stuck in the wall, was a blue-glowing metal plate.

"Well, this place is gloomy." Peach said.

"Let's find a place out of the rain." DK suggested.

They looked around and saw a small opening to the left. They jogged to it to discover it was a small cave. The bottom was filled with water, but they made due.

"What do we do now?" DK asked.

"Find some people and get some information." Mario answered.

"Information on what?" Peach asked.

"Anything really, but specifically anything about a lost relic or an ancient treasure. The best person to ask, if we find people, is an older person or high ranking official; seeing the trend with Toadsworth and Cranky." Mario explained.

"Sounds good," DK said, "but this place seems kinda dead."

"You're right, and I don't see a way out of here." Mario said.

"Maybe we should go back to Cranky." DK said, "We might be able to find another world in his books."

"Hey guys," Peach interrupted, "I think I found a way out."

They turned to see her pointing a small hole in the cave wall near the ground.

"Does it go anywhere?" Mario asked.

"Yeah, if you bend down and look in, there's a room on the other side." "Peach answered.

"That's great and all, but there is no way I'm fitting through that hole." DK said.

"Well…maybe if push and Peach pulls…"

"No way! I am not going to…"

Peach tuned out the argument and knelt down closer to the hole. She stuck her head in to see it was a short distance to the other side. She went in further and discovered she actually had extra room. She crawled through quickly and entered the other room. She stood up and examined her surroundings. There wasn't much except for a deep puddle of water that was an extension of the pond. The other thing, however, spiked her curiosity greatly. It was knee high brown grass. The thing that spiked her interest about it was that it was wiggling back and forth. She walked over to it and held her hand out to touch it. The grass immediately wrapped around her arm.

"Hey!" she said, pulling back.

The grass gripped her arm tighter at her resistance. More grass reached out and wrapped around her ankles. They gripped tight and pulled back making her fall on her back. The grass started to pull back into the patch, pulling Peach with it. She frantically searched with her free hand for something to grab onto. She found a small rock stuck in the ground. She grabbed onto it stooping herself from being pulled.

"Guys!" Peach yelled. She waited a moment and didn't hear a response. "Mario! Donkey Kong!" she yelled getting panicked. She was starting to lose her grip on the rock. "Help! Please, help!" she screamed. Peach tilted her head trying to see Mario and DK through the hole. She saw why they hadn't responded. In her panic she must not have heard it, but the hole had collapsed and closed up. Tears started to roll down her face as she realized with horror that her pleas were going unheard.

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A few minutes earlier…

"No way! I am not going to get my butt stuck trying to squeeze through there!" DK exclaimed.

"We could at least try!"

"Look at me, then look at that hole and tell me—"

A loud roaring interrupted from outside the cave. Mario ran to the mouth of the cave to see what it was…He didn't even see it coming. A beam hit him square in the chest. His vision became blurred and then it went dark. He then fell to the ground, un-moving.

DK ran over to Mario in a panic. He didn't even get a chance to look at him because another shot was fired. DK quickly jumped out of the way. The shot went into the cave and hit the wall. It hit hard enough that it made the wall collapse in on itself. DK looked into the sky to see what was shooting. He saw a tall figure covered in armor, hovering above the ground with a jet pack. It aimed a blaster at DK and fired. He dove to the ground and the blast skimmed over him hitting the ground behind him. DK jumped back up…and was it in the back with another shot. He fell to the ground in a lump. The creature that shot him floated down and picked him up. It looked over at the other creature, which picked up Mario, and gave a nod. They lifted off the ground and flew off into the distance carrying the duo.

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Peach lost her grip on the rock. "Anybody! Help!" she screamed. I'm really going to die here, she thought, tears pouring out of her eyes…A blast of light flew over her body and hit the grass that held her legs. Another shot hit the grass that held her arm. All the grass let go and retracted into the ground. Peach quickly crawled away from the horrible plant. She looked up to see who saved her as she wiped the tears from her face. What she saw was a figure clad in red and orange armor. It aimed a gun barrel, which was its left arm, at Peach's head, another shot charging.

"What are you?" the figure said in a stern female voice.

"What?!...I'm a…I'm a person!" Peach stammered in a panic.

"Impossible…how did you get here?" the figure said calmly

"That's…kind of hard to explain—but give me a chance and I'll try—Please!"

The figure stood silent for a while. Peach sat there praying silently to anything that was listening, that curiosity was going to work in her favor…The barrel gun lowered and the charge died down.

"My name is Samus Aran." she said, "You say one thing I don't like and your plant food."

"Sure…I'm Peach." she said getting nervous. She was going to have to choose her words carefully. "It all started…" Peach proceeded to tell Samus the incident at the castle, what Toadsworth had said, what happened in Kongo, Cranky's theory, and how the grass got her.

"Quite a story." Samus said, "So in short…There's a group of people out there stealing ancient treasures that have some kind of hidden power; and these people are going to do something with their power, but you don't know what."

"Yeah…"Peach said knowing how it sounded.

"That might explain what Ridley has been up to."

"Who's that?"

"He's a space pirate. I've been chasing him around the galaxy for years. My ship eventually followed him to this planet not long ago."

"What's he been doing?"

"He's been excavating sites of the Chozo ruins all over the planet. The Chozo aren't here anymore and according to the records I've found so far they died here long time ago, with the planet."

"With the planet?"

"Yes. Apparently a meteor hit this planet long time ago, after the Chozo had colonized it. Once the meteor hit the planet slowly started dying, because it carried a poisonous mineral called Phazon. The Chozo thought it was a punishment for something they had done, and thus they decided to stay and fight the poison. In the end the Chozo on this planet lost that fight."

"That's awful."

"It was a long time ago…" Samus said solemnly, "But if what you said is true then Ridley must be searching for something they had here."

"Were the Chozo mysterious in anyway?"

"Oh, yes. There artifacts are scattered through out the galaxy."

"Then Ridley must be looking for something that contributes to Bowser and K. Rool's plan." Peach paused thinking about what to do… "Oh, no! How could I forget?!"

"Forget what?"

"My friends! Their on the other side of the wall."

"Well, there out of reach now. My scanner says it's to thick for me to blast through and since it's collapsed we crawl through."

"Well, I hope their alright." Peach said in a worried voice.

"Follow me." Samus said, "We're going to go see what Ridley is up to." Samus started to walk deeper into the cave.

Peach followed behind her as they went. They soon reached a metal panel in the wall. She expected Samus to stop, but she kept walking towards the panel. When Samus got closer the panel opened with a 'swishing' sound. Samus walked through and Peach followed without questions. When they walked through the panel closed again with the same sound. Peach looked around to see they entered, yet another, cave like area. The only difference being there was no roof and was open to the sky. An extraordinarily large tree grew to the top of the area. Branches intertwined with boulders creating a makeshift walkway to the top. Peach looked towards the top and saw another metal panel. She then realized with dread what they were going to do.

"Let's start climbing." Samus said as she grabbed a limb and pulled herself up

I really hate this place. Peach seethed to herself.

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Hyrule…

After several days, the rain had finally broken and the sun could be seen again. The ground was still wet and it splashed up as the horses hooves stomped down as it ran. The man in green riding the horse was bombarded with feelings of worry. He had gotten word from the king that the princess had been kidnapped. He knew exactly who was responsible for it to. Ganondorf. He was making a play for the Triforce again. He had thwarted this kind of plan many times in the past, but this time felt different. The man felt as if Ganon had thought about him, that he had a plan for his interference. He hated this feeling, but he could not help feeling as if he had already lost this fight.

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She struggled against the chains that bound her to the wall. She was bleeding from where the edges of the cuffs had cut into her skin from the tugging. The only light was from the high up window leading to the outside. A single wooden door in front of her was the only way out. She had only been here a few hours, and Ganondorf had seemed to have already given up on her. He had come in once and asked her where the boy was. She knew who he was talking about, but she did not know where Link was (according to Ganon anyway). She told Ganon so and he simply walked out. She figured that, once again, he was trying to complete Triforce. Link had foiled his plans in the past…but this time seemed different; he seemed more confident and un-worried of interference.

The door opened and the ugly man in question stepped in the room.

"Princess Zelda…I'm here to borrow something of yours."

"Don't bluff." Zelda said, "You're magic isn't strong enough to remove the Triforce from me."

"Ah, that's where you're wrong. I've gotten a little…upgrade from a friend of mine."

Zelda kept a straight face, but the news had surprised and his calmness worried her.

"Now, if you don't mind." Ganon said coolly, "I'm going to take your piece of the cake."

His right hand started flowing with dark purple energy. He walked closer to Zelda who pulled away as much as her chains would allow. Ganon grabbed her by the shoulder and held her against the wall. He pulled his right hand back, and Zelda's eyes widened with fear. Ganon gave a small grin…and thrust his hand into Zelda's chest. She let out a small gasp of pain. The dark energy flowed around as Ganon concentrated. Zelda felt something being pulled out of her.

As soon as it had started it ended. Ganon pulled his hand out of Zelda. She fell to the ground breathing heavily. She looked up to see Ganon smiling with great satisfaction. In his hand was a small, floating, golden triangle. Zelda stared at him in disbelief. Ganon had two pieces of Triforce.

"Thank you, for the gift." Ganon said mockingly. "Now the boy will be much easier to deal with…and one more thing Zelda. I want him here."

"What are you up to Ganon?!" Zelda yelled.

Ganon turned around and opened the door. Halfway out he paused in the doorway. "I hope you like here." He said ignoring her question. "Because you're going to be here a very long time!" Ganon walked out and slammed the door behind him.

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Flashes. Rocky canyons soaring past, below. Weathered buildings long since collapsed. A snowy landscape and a frozen river. Dark tunnels. The smell of metal. Beeps and humming…

Mario awoke in a daze. Spots flashed in front of his eyes as they adjusted to the very dim light. His head ached with a dull throb. He realized he couldn't move. He looked down at his body to see he tied up with metal chains. Something moved against his back. Mario turned his head to see DK squirming to consciousness.

"Donkey Kong?" Mario whispered.

"Mario…" DK answered quietly. "I thought you were dead."

"I thought I was dead to."

"Where are we?"

"I don't know. I can only make out walkways leading up and computers against the walls. It's to dim to see anything else."

"And whoever brought us here does not want us exploring." DK said, indicating the chains.

"Do see Peach anywhere?" Mario asked urgently.

"I don't think they got her."

"So, she's alone in this world…"

"At least she's not tied up in a dark room."

DK felt Mario squirming, trying to loosen the chains. He joined Mario trying to help. After a while they both stopped.

"These things aren't budging." DK said.

"Shhh…listen." Mario whispered.

"What?"

"Voices. They must be in another part of the room."

DK quieted down and strained his hears. He heard two voices, neither of which he recognized.

"…back, I don't need help." One voice said.

"You sure?" a country voice said, "Bowser and Rool said they could be meddlesome."

"Not for me. I've captured two of them."

"Really, now? Are they alive?"

"Of course."

"Then kill them before they DO become meddlesome."

"Do not tell me what to do you obese bird! Don't you have a pink marshmallow or something to worry about anyway?"

"Just trying to make the plan go more smoothly! If you need help call on your reptile friends! You ungrateful lizard! Dreamland!"

After the last word nothing else was said. Mario started maneuvering his hand into his pocket.

"What are doing?" DK asked.

"It sounded like who ever left was in league with Bowser."

"Yeah, but the other one sounded like it to. Shouldn't we see what we can do here first? And besides how do know where to go?"

"Firstly, we have been captured by the enemy so we are of no use here. Secondly, I bet 'Dreamland' is the name of another world. If I can reach the Rift Orb we can go there."

"What about Peach?"

"From what I've seen, Peach can handle herself. Besides we can't help her from here. We'll have to back for her later—oh, got it!"

"Ok…when we get there it might be best to find this 'pink marshmallow'."

"Agreed, it sounds like what ever it is might be on our side…Ready?"

DK nodded, hoping this would work.

"Dreamland!" Mario shouted.

The room was illuminated, and Mario and DK were gone…along with the chains that tied them together.

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A/N—Part one ends here…updates will be weekly from now on because I have a couple of papers coming up and I'm writing another story…No one asked the question that I thought people would ask…I purposely put a plot hole to raise mystery in chap 2 pt.1…The question that should be being asked is "How can Kammy travel without a Rift Orb?"…Do you have a guess?...Reviews are nice and welcomed!!!