Thanks for reviewing! Next chapter is the last, people! And don't worry, it's very long to make up for this tiny, puny thing here.
Chapter 14
"He's in a coma," Dr. Mario explained as Ike wrapped wrapped a bandage tightly around his broken ankle. "And yet, sadly, he is stable. After everything he put us through and the hell you did to him, he'll be fine… depending on whether he wakes up or not."
"I don't care," Ike said bitterly. "He can rot in hell for all I care." Lucas and Toon Link nodded firmly in agreement.
Dr. Mario just sighed. He'd regained consciousness about an hour previously to Ike shaking him violently and splashing water in his face. Dr. Mario had awoken to a scene of total chaos- surrounded by Smashers, unconscious and beaten, but his first order of business had been tending to Alex- no one wanted him to wake up and begin to cause havoc again.
"Well, I also looked at the other elemental warriors. Found all eighteen of them… not all of them made it, and the ones that did just barely survived. Eight of them are alive, the rest didn't make it. And, if you will excuse me, I have other people's injuries to treat. And in a fair world, you three would get to rest for fighting so hard before- but there are four of us and nearly thirty of them. Come on." Getting to his feet with the aid of a crude crutch, Dr. Mario limped towards the other Smashers with Ike, Toon Link, and Lucas behind them, each with their own bandages and casts.
The air was heavy with the smell of death and blood. After Alex had passed out, the storm had abated to become a light drizzle for a few minutes, then stopped raining altogether. Together, the four of them sloshed through the mud and ashes from the remains of the Smash Mansion, coughing as they tasted the smokey air. Dr. Mario stumbled over Ash's feet, then hesitated before stopping their search through the unconscious bodies and saying, "I'll look at Ash. He can fix up the Pokemon and save us a great deal of time- especially since I work with humans. I have no idea how to heal Pokemon."
He leaned down to check Ash's pulse, then pulled back in shock when Ash's eyes fluttered open. "Wha… what's going on?" He muttered, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "Dr. Mario? What the…"
"Welcome back, Ash," Dr. Mario muttered, amazed, and felt his pulse. "How do you feel?"
"I… I'm fine. What on earth is going on?"
He smiled slightly and gestured around at the carnage surrounding him. "We won. Alex and the others lost. Listen, Ash, I know you just woke up, but-"
"Wait, Alex? Who on earth is Alex?"
Dr. Mario frowned. "Alex. You know… the head elemental warrior?" Ash's face remained blank. "Ash, what's the last thing you remember?"
"Being on Meta Knight's Halberd."
"Oh! I remember, you got sick on the Halberd; you don't remember the Halberd being hit and the final battle… but how… oh. I guess Alex's rain healed you guys. Well, Ash, I can fill you in later; we're running on kind of a tight schedule here. But the elemental warriors fought the pokemon and won. I need you to check up on them and make sure they're okay, all right, Ash?"
"Pikachu!" he gasped, sitting up straighter and looking around for his friend in a panic. Shaking his head and smiling slightly, Dr. Mario continued looking through the Smashers, helping everyone he could.
It was late the next night when the last Smasher died- not only the elemental warriors had sustained casualties. The heavy, violent fighting in the final battle had taken its toll on all of them- some more than others.
Diddy and Donkey Kong, both- it seemed fitting that they would go out together.
Yoshi and Wario, from the Mushroom Kingdom. Survivors from Mario's world were on the constant verge of going to the living elemental warriors and tearing them apart.
Mr. Game and Watch. No one had ever quite understood what he was saying, but that didn't mean the remaining Smashers didn't fight to avenge his death.
Ganondorf. Even if he had always fought against Link, Zelda, and Toon Link, no matter the timeline, no matter the universe, it was a mere result of an ancient curse. Out here, in the world where the words of long dead dark overlords didn't apply, the other holders of the Triforce found him to be a true warrior.
They would be missed.