Chapter 26: Super Dimensional Heroes
Link and Sonic appeared right in a kingdom just outside a town square. Sonic looked around and let out a whistle.
"Quite a place here. Whoever lives here must be pretty busy." Sonic said, glancing around.
"I haven't seen a place like this since I first saw Hyrule Castle Town." Link said, remembering that day when he was ten.
"Ah, was that the time when you first met Zelda?" Sonic asked, looking at his buddy.
"Yeah, it all began when..." Link began, but someone cut him off.
"Link? Sonic?" A funny-sounding Italian voice asked.
Sonic and Link froze and, for a moment, they thought the world was standing still. Then Sonic instantly recognized the voice. However, Link knew who it was, but he didn't want to see this one after what happened at Gerudo Desert.
"Do I dare turn around?" Sonic asked.
"Might as well get it over with…" Link answered.
They both turned around and saw none other than Mario and Luigi standing right behind them. Sonic slapped his forehead and Link rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Mario." They both said in unison.
Mario shrugged and went over to them with Luigi close behind. Luigi instantly knew Link from the adventure on Yoshi Island about a year ago, but knew nothing of Sonic. So, Mario decided to give a proper introduction.
"Luigi, this is Sonic the hedgehog. He says he's the fastest thing alive and he says he outpaced a rocket once." Mario said, gesturing toward the blue hedgehog.
"Really? Prove it." Luigi said, suspiciously.
"Okay, what do you want me to do?" Sonic asked, his expression that of an "Oh, come on" attitude.
Luigi thought for a while and paced in a circle so much, he almost drilled into the ground. Finally, he got an idea and a light bulb appeared over his head. Luigi took notice of it and batted it away.
"Lousy light…Anyway, I want you to run over to that house WAY over there. Go on the roof when you get there." Luigi said, pointing to a house so far away it was almost on the castle borders.
In the blink of an eye, Sonic was nowhere near Link and Luigi stood there, his eyes wide at the experience. Then, he heard a familiar voice from almost three hundred yards away.
"HEY! OVER HERE! WANT ME TO COME BACK?" Sonic shouted.
Luigi looked to the distance and saw a blue speck on top of a house that was waving its arms like a windmill. Luigi was ready to call the blue dude over, but Sonic didn't need an order and Luigi saw him run the full way or at least thought he saw him. He stood there, just as dumbfounded as before.
"You ARE fast." Luigi said, amazed.
"Now you know why they call me 'Sonic'." Sonic said, putting his face so close to Luigi's, he touched his small black nose with Luigi's big round one.
"Mario, we need your help. We're fighting a universal threat and we need you to help us. We're looking for a very special item that's special beyond the most expensive treasures. Do you know of anything?" Link asked.
"Hmm…" Mario thought, pulling his mustache slightly, "Now that you mention it…Yes. I think the answer may be in Rogueport. I went there once and I think I have a pretty good idea of what to do." He answered.
"You mean…" Luigi began.
"Yup." Mario answered.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's GET going!" Link said, not wanting to waste any time.
"Okay, if it's that urgent, we'll get going as soon as possible." Luigi said, heading off with Sonic, Link, and Mario close behind.
Unbeknownst to them, there was a hiding turtle thing. It stood on two legs like a person and it had a green shell. The minute it heard these guys' conversation, it rushed off like there was no tomorrow.
The turtle rushed off until it came to a kind of wasteland with a big, black castle on it. It ran through the doors and rushed up to the throne room. There, on the throne, was a big, turtle thing with a spiky shell and flaming red hair. The turtle thing was fast asleep and snoring loudly until the turtle spoke in a jittery voice.
"L-L-Lord B-B-Bowser?" The turtle asked.
Bowser snorted and finally woke up saying, "Roast those Mario brothers!"
When Bowser realized that he said it out loud, he blushed slightly. He then roughened up and spoke again.
"Alright, Larry, I'll bite. What is it, ya lousy twit?" He asked impatiently.
"Your majesty, I just saw the Mario Brothers talking to two strangers about treasure or something. I think they're off to find it now." Larry answered.
"Treasure…WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER?!" Bowser roared in anger.
"You were fast asleep, your majesty." Larry answered specifically.
"Oh. Well, where are they going?" Bowser asked, shrugging.
"I, uh, think they were heading for Rogueport." The nervous Koopa Troopa answered.
"Oh, THAT'S perfect. Last time we went there, I did all kinds of things that were…just plain stupid." Bowser thought to himself, remembering all the trouble he went through in Rogueport, pursuing Mario to find the treasure.
"Something wrong, my lord?" Larry asked.
"Nothing's wrong. Contact the Koopas we have in Rogueport and find the Ding-Dong brothers and those two guys with 'em. We're getting to the treasure FIRST this time."
"Yes, sir!" Larry said, rushing off.