A/N: Hey guys! TGN here, back from vacation! Sorry for posting this late on Monday, but at least you didn't have to wait another week. As for this chapter, the weird part is that I wrote the first half throughout my overnight flight, on my phone. And let me tell you, it was very tedious and frustrating to type and edit on there since I didn't have my laptop. Regardless, I was able to re-edit everything on my computer making it ten times easier. And so, Ch. 26 is complete! Thanks for waiting patiently and I hope you enjoy this one!
*NOTE: Whoops! All the times I mentioned the Tough Possessor, I meant to write Harsh (probably because I was tired when I wrote the first half at 3 in the morning). :P
Don't worry. I re-edited those parts. But if you read it and were confused, sorry for the mistakes.
Disclaimer: I still don't own the Mario or Sonic characters and I probably never will.
Chapter 26: Something on His Mind
Location: Toad Town
Luigi redressed in his new set of navy blue overalls and green shirt after getting up from bed. The professor handed him the Poltergust 6000, recharged with the max amount of Shriek Shields again. He left Boo Woods with Mario and his friends to escort the princesses back to Toad Town. Professor E. Gadd and Zephyr once again stayed behind at the lab and waved the party goodbye. As they arrived at the square, the Mario Bros. stopped at the store to restock their items. After they finished shopping, they resumed their walk towards Peach's Castle. There, everyone saw Toadsworth, Toad, and Toadette waiting outside on the bridge.
"Princess! Welcome back. You're alright, my dear?"
"I'm fine, Toadsworth. Thank you."
"Princess Daisy. You're okay, as well?"
"Yes, Toadsworth. i am," she replied, rolling her eyes. She hated whenever the elder Toad always asks about her safety.
"And Master Luigi, I hope you're feeling better than before."
"I appreciate your concern. And yes, I am well after what happened last night."
"It's a relief to see you again, Luigi. I was worried you wouldn't come back!" said Toadette.
"And that's how I felt earlier. Actually, that's how we all felt," Mario added.
"I assume you're off once again on another adventure?"
"That's right."
"So where are you guys heading off to next?" asked Toad.
"Luigi decided that we should visit Kongo Jungle. Apparently Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were ambushed," Tails explained.
"What?! What happened? Are they alright?"
"No," Luigi shook his head. "I saw a vision from the Dark Moon fragment. They were being dragged across the jungle by that Alpha robot and one of the Possessor ghosts. Both looked horrible, pretty badly. And who knows if they were taken to another part of the jungle or anywhere else that could be dangerous."
"We also have no idea where Shads, Silver, and our other friends are held captive. Oh, and Knuckles, too," Sonic pointed out.
"I thought you said Shadow hates that nickname. And aren't you and Knuckles friends?" Mario wondered.
"Eh, the whole 'and Knuckles' thing is a running gag. (1) Besides, we can be rivals at times. That knucklehead is very ill-tempered and can put a good fight. Same with Shads. And just because he isn't here doesn't mean I can't say it," he chuckled.
"Just be sure you don't say it in front of him again after we rescue him," warned Luigi. "Back in Rio, the last time you ticked him off with that, he came at you with a hard fist, only for you to dodge it, no surprise, and he connected it with my groin that got busted for two weeks. I couldn't participate in the rest of the Games, nor even walk thanks to you!"
Sonic gave his green friend a sheepish shrug when he brought up that unfortunate memory.
"Either way, we hope you guys can find them quickly. I'll allow you access to our private helicopter to travel to Kongo Jungle," Toadsworth offered.
"Private helicopter? That's awesome!" exclaimed Amy. "Although, I kind of wish you girls would join us, but don't worry! We'll handle it from here!"
"I believe you'll be okay. But do be safe, everyone," reassured Peach.
Sonic gave a thumbs-up and winked. "No problem!"
"Please be careful out there, Luigi. I want you back unharmed." Daisy stepped in front of him and pecked his nose.
He blushed in return while Mario smirked. "T-thanks, Daisy. I'll try my best."
"And we'll help you out to avoid any tricks from Edge and his minions," the fox mentioned to him.
"Thanks, Tails."
"We wish you the best of luck, Masters Mario, Luigi, Sonic, Tails, Colombo, and Miss Rose."
"Thanks, Toadsworth. Well guys, off to Kongo Jungle!" Mario declared determinedly.
"Bark! Bark!"
The party of six reached the castle's helipad near the backyard garden. They boarded the Mushroom Copter to take to the skies. Mario and Luigi sat in the two co-pilot seats while Sonic, Amy, and Tails assembled in the back. Colombo hopped onto Luigi's lap. The brothers checked the controls and made sure everyone was ready for takeoff. After sending their farewells to the princesses and Toads, the heroes flew off towards Donkey Kong's habitat.
Location: Edge's HQ
"Alpha. Status report on the monkeys you and Harsh captured in the jungle," demanded the Shadow Spirit, sitting in his chair.
The Omega-cloned robot walked up to his leader. "Myster Edge, we have hauled the Kongs to the Monkey Mines. (2) We locked them up in the bottom-most sanctum so they wouldn't escape, not even those mine carts. Harsh called several of the ghosts to help barricade and supervise the dungeon."
"Good. Now what about Rocco and the Chaos Emeralds?"
Alpha responded with a monotone bleep. "I haven't received any word or messages from him, sire. He hasn't picked up his communicator every time I tried to call him. Not a single response."
Edge grunted. "Lousy robot. So the yellow and green ones are still out there in that hedgehog's world?"
"We can only assume that. We aren't quite certain. After all, he may have one of the Emeralds in his possession, yet he's unable to contact us. There is also a possibility the heroes might hold at least one of them."
"If that's the case, then I will deal some critical punishment to those meddlesome fools, especially towards that green man."
"Not to be so… incognizant, to say the least, but why are you so intent on harming your target, sir? I don't understand the purpose."
He thought for a second before giving a vague response. "Just because."
Alpha knew he was obviously being discreet on his intentions. There was a reason why he needed Luigi for his future plans. But there's another motive why his boss wanted to hurt, yet not kill, him. Pleasure. Edge felt fulfilled whenever he harmed someone, like a drunk, abusive parent who punches or slaps their children without mercy. And he mainly focused on the green-clothed Italian as his sole victim. His red brother and friends were also involved, but the villain was more satisfied whenever he abused Luigi the most. The question is, why him of all people? And what exactly was his reason? He doesn't deserve this much torture.
"Well, regardless of the current situation, and your questionable sanity-" he muttered that last bit to himself, "-I am confident enough that you will claim the remaining Emeralds. And as for the production of the Dark Shards, I am proud to announce that our army has helped amass thousands of those Dark Moon copies. You would have enough energy to become the greatest, most powerful being to ever live! You are that close to creating the Oblivion to end the kingdom, this entire world, and every other piece of existence to damnation! And then you can take over your new empire and avenge your friend-"
"I request you to stop right there, Alpha. I do NOT want that name to be aforementioned… just yet."
Alpha turned to his leader and bowed apologetically. "My mistake, Myster Edge."
"God damn it." Edge rubbed his right temple while he rotated his chair to face away from Alpha. He let out a heavy, disgruntled sigh. "Well, that's all I need from you. You may head back to your post."
Alpha bowed again, even though Edge didn't see. "Thank you, my liege. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience."
"Just go."
Alpha somewhat hesitated and exited the lair. Edge locked up the door with his supercomputer and bit his lower lip. He leaned back in his seat while tapping his purple fingers against the glass control panel. He glanced over at his scepter holding the five Chaos Emeralds he kept since the beginning. He wanted those last two Emeralds in his grasp as soon as possible, for he was tenacious, not patient. And he desired to have him avenged…
Location: Kongo Jungle
The Kongs residence rested at the foot of Monkey Mountains, the last place where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong were before they were suddenly attacked that night. High above the swaying palm trees was the Mushroom Copter the Mario Bros. were piloting. Sonic, Tails, and Amy got to sightsee from their chairs as they passed through the Mushroom Kingdom. But this was no time to sit around and admire the landscape. They needed to rescue their primate friends and recover the third Dark Moon fragment. Looking outside from the two black-tinted windows (which were the eyes of the mushroom-themed vehicle), the plumbers spotted the ape's homeland and slowly lowered to the ground.
"We're preparing to land. We'll disembark near DK's treehouse," Mario told the gang.
"It's about time! I could've-"
"We get it, Sonic. You could've gotten there faster by foot," Tails interrupted.
Sonic gave his friend a look. "I was gonna say I could've gotten a chili dog to eat before we left. I'm starving right now. Your claim was true, but that wasn't my main point."
"Yeah, that's a pathetic way to cover up a lie," Amy seemed unimpressed.
"Well it's not, okay?!"
"Guys, enough arguing back there!" Mario yelled.
He landed the copter about twenty feet away from the abode. Colombo hopped off Luigi's lap and everyone got out of their seats. Mario opened the helicopter door and the six walked up to a sandy patch where they saw the large banana hoard, DK's treehouse, and a couple other houses in the jungle.
"So how should we search this place?" Mario asked.
"Should we split up? We could cover more ground that way."
"Good idea, Luigi," said Tails.
"I'll be paired with Sonic!"
"Ugh…" the blue hedgehog groaned to himself.
"What was that?"
"Eh… nothing, Amy! Just…" Sonic whistled an innocent tune, earning an annoyed look from the girl.
"Well, how about Mario joins you two that way and I'll search with Tails and Colombo this way."
"I think that's fair. I wouldn't mind if Mario comes with us."
"I guess it's okay. What do you think, Mario?"
Mario didn't answer Sonic. He looked at Luigi with an uncomfortable face.
"Hello, Earth to Mario?" he waved his gloved hand in front of him.
Mario shook his head and looked at him who raised an eyebrow. "Sorry. What was that?"
"I said that it's okay if you join me and Amy. I trust Tails to go with Luigi and the dog. Then I asked if you're cool with it, but you didn't say anything."
"Oh. Um, yeah sure."
"Mario, is something wrong?"
He turned to Tails when he asked that question. "No, nothing's wrong," he said quickly and defensively.
"Only if you say so." The fox wasn't sure if Mario was telling the truth. "Anyways, Luigi and I have our communicators ready. You guys have yours?"
"Definitely," Amy showed hers on her wrist.
"We gotta get you one soon, Mario," Sonic contemplated.
"I agree. I can make you one when I go back to my workshop if you want."
"I appreciate that, Tails. But we should focus on the main problem right now. Let's go find DK and Diddy."
"Good luck, guys," said Luigi as he, Colombo, and Tails walked away.
Sonic, Amy, and Mario headed in a different direction. However, both parties did not realize the pair of white eyes looking at them. And when the group went in their respective paths, the figure rushed through the jungle. It was headed in the direction where the red plumber and the two hedgehogs were walking towards.
Deep in the jungle, it was quiet if you ignored the calls of the birds. Mario, Sonic, and Amy went through Jungle Hijinxs until they came across some Klaptraps and several Kritters. Using her effective hammer, Amy slammed the crocodiles off her dress and Sonic's shoes. Mario used his fire power to burn some TNT barrels to get rid of the Kremlings that tried to attack them. Sonic helped by spin dashing into them and running around in circles to throw dust in their eyes. After getting rid of the enemies, they came across a small river with several stepping stones found above the surface and a large log that acted as a bridge. The water wasn't raging; it was very calming and serene so it wasn't too dangerous. But for Sonic, he felt uneasy because, well, you know.
"Here, Sonic," she offered a hand to him. "We'll take it slow across the stones."
"…Thanks, Ames."
She slightly blushed and they both held each other's hands tightly. Step by step, Amy led the two over the stones while Mario balanced on the wooden trunk.
"You okay, Sonic?" he called from five feet away.
"Yeah, I am. But I should be asking you that question."
"What do you mean by that?"
Amy and Sonic reached the other side of the river. "When Luigi suggested to split up and he would go with Tails and Colombo, you didn't seem on board with the plan."
Mario hopped off the log and confronted the Blue Blur. "There's nothing wrong with that, so let's just put it there."
Sonic knew that his friend was being stubborn. "Mario, don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying to you!"
"Yes you are. You're being defensive again! What the hell is the matter?"
"It's nothing, Sonic," Mario said in a dark tone. "Just ignore everything and let's move." He started to walk away. Amy stood still and didn't say anything because she didn't want to become part of the rising tension.
Sonic remained in his spot as well. He crossed his arms and tapped his right shoe with an angry expression. "I'm not taking a single step until you tell me what's your problem."
Mario stopped and looked back. "Why can't you just stop bothering me and keep going? We have to rescue DK and we have to find your friends, too. I also want to find Yoshi as well."
"I know that, Mario. I want to find my friends because they're important to me. But what's also important is knowing that everything should be okay and it's not. And you are part of the problem since you're dismissing me every time I interrogate you."
"Fine! You want to know what's bothering me?!"
"It's the one thing I've been waiting for you to answer."
Mario shut his eyes for a second before he reopened them. He tried his best to compose himself. "I should've gone with Luigi to protect him."
"Mario, he's with Tails and I trust him being away from me. They can look out for one another. Do you not trust my little buddy?" Sonic sounded offended.
"No, I don't distrust Tails. I'm worried about not being next to him."
"What's the deal with being separated from your brother?"
"If I leave him out there alone, something bad is going to happen! I just know it. And I'm not going to let get him hurt, again!"
Sonic was getting tired of Mario's excuses. "Dude, you got to let go of the past! You shouldn't be holding this shit against you just because he got tortured multiple times. You've been on adventures without him and you rarely feel uncomfortable without his presence."
"That's because I leave him alone in the case he does get hurt. All those times I didn't invite him on my journeys wasn't because I didn't want to exclude him. I care about his safety."
"You're being overprotective again. This is just like you and your argument with him in the hospital. Why do you have to shelter him from the outside world? Why can't you just let him be free and do what he wants?"
Mario didn't respond as he turned his back from him. Sonic inhaled deeply and walked up to him. He stopped just a foot behind him. Amy watched both of them, shuddering in silence from all the high heat.
"Mario, the way you care about Luigi is the same way I care about Tails. Before, he was way too young to fight with me against Eggman. But since he's been growing and becoming more mature, I trained him to become my sidekick. He's even becoming a hero in himself. And the more that I think about it, it makes me wonder if he'll ever stop needing me in the future. I hope not because I wouldn't know what to do without him. But sometimes, he can be independent at the right time, at the right place. And yes, I also care about his safety because I don't want him hurt at all. If he does, I pin the blame on myself. But then, I just move on once we both feel better...
"You're being difficult in this situation though. I understand that you want Luigi to be unharmed, but you have to realize that he can take care of himself. After all, he did save you from the ghosts. He has been on a couple adventures. There are times where he was a hero to the kingdom. And that all happened without your assistance. You gotta believe in him. Don't you?"
Mario slightly turned his head, but didn't turn around to face him. "I do believe in him. I just…"
"You what?"
"I just can't bear the fact that if he gets tortured by Edge or is used to whatever plan that figure is up to, if he's used for something horrible like death… I don't know what to think anymore."
Amy finally decided to speak after her friends had a rant that turned into a serious discussion.
"Mario," she placed a hand on her shoulder. Both Mario and Sonic looked up to her. "It's going to be alright. Luigi's going to be alright. And if something bad happens, we'll support and avenge him for whatever happens. We won't let Myster Edge get away easily for the pain and suffering he caused. And as long as you're safe too, then we should be fine."
He looked at the two hedgehogs whose faces showed signs of sincerity. He took in his friends' words and calmed down. That caused him to smile.
"Thanks, guys. I feel a little better now. Sorry for getting mad and making things complicated."
"It's nothing, Mario," Sonic shook it off and smiled back. "I care about you and I hate to see you upset."
"I appreciate it."
The two shook hands to rekindle their friendship. Amy then jumped in between to start a group hug.
"I'm so glad you guys are back."
"Heh, we never left at all, Ames."
"Yeah, but I just hate it whenever you guys fight."
"We'll try to not let that happen again," Mario promised.
"Absolutely," Sonic agreed.
Suddenly, the three heard a rustle in the bushes. They broke off the embracement and formed a circle with their backs to each other as they looked around.
"Hey! Who's there?" Sonic called.
"If you're one of Edge's robots, we're not afraid of you!" Mario added.
"Yeah! We'll take you down easi-LYYYYYYYY!"
Amy's shriek caused Sonic and Mario to look behind, only to find Amy missing.
"Amy! Amy, where are you?!"
There was no answer, which made Sonic really concerned.
Mario then saw something move past the trees. "Sonic, look!" he pointed. The hedgehog looked in his direction and made off with a little pink in the distance.
Sonic clenched his teeth and raised a fist. "Whoever took her, they're gonna pay."
"I bet it's the Tough Possessor. Grouchy pulled a similar stunt to me back in Vanilla Dome. He was invisible and then just took me away from Luigi."
"If it's him, maybe he'll take us to where DK and Diddy are. Let's go, Mario!"
"Right!" And so, the red and blue heroes sprinted in pursuit of Amy and her kidnapper.
END OF CHAPTER
Cliffhanger moment! Mario and Sonic are off to rescue Amy. Will they save her? Can they also find DK and Diddy? And what about Luigi, Tails, and Colombo? Find out on the next chapter of Hidden Bravery.
Thanks for reading as usual, and I appreciate you guys once again for waiting two weeks for this one to be uploaded. Be sure to review, favorite/follow, and all that good stuff! This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): I really couldn't help myself but pull a 'and Knuckles' meme coming from the game Sonic & Knuckles.
(2): Monkey Mines is the second region, just after Kongo Jungle, in Donkey Kong Country. Even though I never played the game, I chose this place for the Kongs' imprisonment. Plus, I wanted to integrate the mine carts later in the story.