A/N: To start off, I need to clear something up with a certain guest reviewer. If by any chance you're reading this message, the only thing I can say is that if you feel that way, then there's no purpose to continue reading. Despite your responses, you were only ten chapters in (assuming from your last comment). And I will admit, the beginning is not very compelling.
However, maybe your opinion will change in later chapters if you do decide to continue from where you stopped. The character development may be static or dynamic, but it differs based on the situation. And even though most of the battles may seem anticlimactic, I tried my best to at least describe them in detail to help the readers visualize them in their minds. Plus, the parts where the characters just "bitch at each other" is mainly there for conflict or tension, both in major and minor moments like that. I'm not the only one who has done this.
Otherwise, if you really don't like it, then that's your opinion. Call it constructive criticism or negative feedback, I'll accept it. But you know what? I'm just going to move on. I want to finish this fanfic because I'm close to completing it. That's all I will say.
Now with that out of the way...
After an amazing E3 (that I watched in the comforts of my home), I'm back again with another chapter of Hidden Bravery! We last left off with Luigi, Colombo, Sonic, and Tails defeating a possessed Mario. But after our green-clad hero bested him and the Tough Possessor, and retrieved the last Dark Moon fragment, he made a bold move to send everyone else back to E. Gadd's lab with not a lot of time left to save the worlds.
Like some of you guys have mentioned in the reviews, Luigi will have to come out of his shell to exhibit the bravery that is hidden inside of him. That's because in this chapter, it is time for him to encounter another big clash, going against the one who started all this mayhem and targeted him in the first place. Get ready for a battle between...
*NOTE: This chapter has been re-edited because of the time cycle of how long Luigi has to defeat Myster Edge.
Disclaimer: This story and my original characters still remain under my ownership. Mario and Sonic are respectively copyrighted by Nintendo and Sega.
Chapter 56: Lightning and the Thunder
Location: Boo Woods
It was early in the morning at the Mushroom Kingdom. But to start the day, everything was covered in darkness. No, there wasn't an overlay of rain clouds that was ready for a massive storm. The Oblivion had grown extremely large to the point where the sky was hardly visible. All the eyes could see was a huge array of purple and black glitches and clouds.
And by eyes, the only pairs of them in the vicinity were from the old professor and his Greenie ghost partner. E. Gadd and Zephyr had to defend the bunker and Luigi's mansion when the Shadelings came by to attack the forest. The professor kept the original Poltergust 5000 that Luigi used in his Dark Moon quest since he gave him the upgraded 6000 version. Although he didn't face any ghosts, he activated the Strobulb to daze the enemies with the strong light. Afterward, Zephyr would punch them or strike them with some of the professor's tools. Wrenches, hammers, saws, you name it. At least the ghost was careful not to accidentally hurt E. Gadd in some way.
By the time the Shadelings discontinued from invading the area, E. Gadd and Zephyr waited anxiously for a glimmer of hope, as in the return of the heroes and the Oblivion disappearing for good. They could only wonder what was going on as they lingered in the lab.
"Eight o'clock," E. Gadd mumbled to himself as he stared at the clock on the wall. He walked over to Zephyr who was floating near the computer. He jumped back onto his high chair. "Those fellers should have found Edge by now. It's been nearly a full day, yet it's quite possible that something went awry."
Suddenly, Zephyr made some sounds and tapped Gadd's shoulder when he noticed something on the computer. A signal was blinking repeatedly.
"It's coming from the Emergency Egressor! Hohoho! The boys have done it! Let's go congratulate them!"
When E. Gadd designed the Egressor, he hooked up to a teleportation capsule which was where the guys would appear after activating the device. At the top, a light bulb turned on, and a rotating mechanism spun very quickly. Soon after, four figures emerged inside the capsule.
"Yes! It worked! Welcome ba-" the old man paused when he looked at the sight in front of him. He rubbed his glasses to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Zephyr had the same expression, confusion written on his face.
"Professor!" Tails opened the door and ran to him first. He wasn't happy at the slightest.
"Ruff! Ruff!" Colombo followed after him, whining with fright. What was behind the two caught E. Gadd and Zephyr off guard. They saw Sonic carrying a beaten-up Mario in his hands.
"Criminy! What happened here?!"
"You won't believe it when we tell you," Tails answered.
"Wait... Where's Luigi?"
Tails' ears folded back while fear was in his eyes. Colombo wailed again as he stared down at the marble floor. Biting his lip, Sonic shifted from the unconscious plumber to the professor and the Greenie who were anxious to hear.
"Luigi's still in the Oblivion. And he's stuck there."
When the statement finally hit them, E. Gadd and Zephyr became horrified. "He's what?!"
Location: Peach's Castle
Over the past several hours in the morning, Toad Town remained safe without any signs of danger. Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, and the Toads managed to defend the main region of the Mushroom Kingdom. They have also received word that the other places were safe, too. That included everywhere in Mobius, Yoshi's Island, Kongo Jungle, and Bowser's Castle. Although none of the people knew the reason for why the robots stopped invading, it was a sigh of relief for everyone. Nonetheless, everyone reported that the Oblivion continued to enlarge in the skies, meaning that it still wasn't over. Just in case another invasion might commence, everyone resided from where they were.
At the moment, Wario and Waluigi were in the castle's kitchen, stealing some ingredients to make their own breakfast. The princesses and the Toads couldn't care less about food as they were in the dining room. Peach was pacing back and forth in front of the large table while the others sat in the chairs.
"Princess, do you want to take a seat?" Toadsworth offered. "You've been standing all day and night from fighting and waiting for the heroes to stop this madness."
"I agree, Peach," Daisy cared for her friend. "You deserve a break. You did a good job beating up those robots back then, but you've hardly gotten any rest."
"I'm surprised you would say that, Daisy."
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you were worried about Luigi."
"Of course I'm concerned about him. But I've gotten more confident that he can handle Edge."
"But at this point, he and the others only have about an hour left to save the worlds from that fiend. You remember what Knuckles explained, right? We had five full days since he created the Oblivion, both here and in Mobius. Well, four days and twenty-three hours later, we're on the brink of losing everything!"
"And you're afraid you'd lose Mario?"
Peach lowered her head. "Yes."
"I feel the same way about Luigi. As well as our friends and all the others we know. Of course, you can count out Wario, Waluigi, and basically everyone in Bowser's clan." Peach couldn't help but giggle at her comment. "But it's not over yet. Anything can happen in an hour."
Peach nodded and hoped for the best. Eventually, everyone heard a ringing sound.
"I'll get it!" Toad jumped out of his seat. He ran over and picked up the phone. "Hello? Yes, she's here. Sure, I'll give it to her." Toad headed back to the dining room. "It's for you, Princess."
"Who is it?" Toadette wondered.
"It's Tails."
"Tails?" Peach blinked. "Hello?"
"Princess Peach! Are you and the others safe?"
"Yes, we are. We're all in the castle, and the rest of our friends are still back at their respective locations."
"Thanks Chaos for that. But we got some bad news."
"We? Hang on, aren't you supposed to be in the Oblivion with Sonic, Colombo, and Luigi?"
"Yeah, we were, but you have to come over to E. Gadd's lab! We'll explain it from there!"
"Tails, I don't understand. What's going on?" Everyone stared at Peach, wondering what the fox was saying on the other line.
"Mario's back!"
She widened her blue eyes. "He... He is?!"
"Yes! But there's more to it! Just come here, ASAP!"
"Okay, Tails. We'll be there. Thank you." She hung up the phone with a mix of solace and apprehension. "We need to go to Boo Woods. Mario has returned."
"Really?!" everyone yelled.
"Uh-huh. But apparently there's something strange going on. We have to find out what it is."
"Then we better not dawdle here! Let's get going!" demanded Daisy, hoping Luigi was safe as well.
As the five left the castle, Wario and Waluigi entered the dining room with their hands full, carrying plates of food. As soon as they placed them down on the table, they noticed that they were the only ones there.
"Hey, where did they go?" Waluigi scratched his head.
"Eh, who cares? This may be our last meal together anyway. If so, might as well end with something mouthwatering." Wario grabbed a fork and knife to carve up his steak and eggs. He added salt and garlic as a seasoning.
Waluigi shrugged to himself as he dug into his plate of eggplant parmesan. (1) "You think Luigi's gonna stop that weird guy?"
The obese man chewed on his medium cooked meat before responding. "Who, Myster Edge? I don't know. Part of me wants him to win, but that's only because it would suck if we're all gonna be gone soon. I don't like Luigi, but this is something different."
"You're telling me. After all, he's technically my main rival as Mario is yours."
"True. But despite our rivalry against both of them, I don't think it would be nice if they actually lost to someone more powerful than Bowser. That'd be ridiculous."
"So, what now?"
"It's just a waiting game. Either we all decease, or Luigi saves everyone's lives. We won't know until later."
"I guess you're right," said Waluigi, devouring another piece of his eggplant.
Location: The Oblivion
Making his way back to where he first started with Colombo, Tails, and Sonic, the green-clothed ghost hunter stood at the base of the purple mountain. Where shooting stars normally fell in the actual Mushroom Kingdom, the only things that glimmered in the purple and black stretch were the piles of Dark Shards. After capturing the Tough Possessor and knocking out his older brother who was influenced by said ghost, Luigi sent Mario and the others to Professor E. Gadd's bunker. But after all, it was his choice to prevent them from being hurt by Myster Edge. And now, he was on his own.
Luigi expected to locate the purple, cloaked Shadow Spirit at the apex of Star Hill, or rather than the copy of this area. His assumption was proven correct when he barely discerned the glow of the seven Chaos Emeralds inside the glass orb of a scepter. It was clutched inside the villain's right hand. Edge later came into full view for Luigi to see. And from a large, vertical distance, both entities glared at one another.
"Of course the plumber survived," Edge thought. "That's no matter though. I have him right where I want him to be. He has no way to escape me or this dark prison."
"Edge, I'm no longer going to be afraid of you. This is personal business from here on."
With that, Luigi climbed the rocky steps to reach his enemy. Edge didn't do anything this time to interfere. He allowed the hero to scale the mountain until he finally came face to face for what would be their last encounter. Edge rotated around until he saw two half-lidded eyes of blue with a cross expression. He stood across on the other side of the hill's surface. The antagonist sneered at the human.
"I should've known you would make it here. But it was bound to happen, regardless if you and your annoying animal friends won or failed against my last servant." He then paused to emit a heartless chuckle. "Speaking of which, how did it feel to beat up someone you personally know, especially when he's in your family?"
Luigi knew he was trying to delve deep into his skin. But unlike many previous times, whether they have occurred in his dreams or in real life, the spiteful words weren't going to affect him this time. He had enough of Edge's tyranny after too many instances of torture. He quietly replied with a bolt of thunder, shooting directly at the tall figure.
Edge surprisingly didn't see this the attack coming, and he received a blow to the chest. His nerves were instantly shocked by the intensity. Luigi remained neutral, but deep down, he admired dealing pain to him for the first time. Who would've thought the green man, known to be timid, unfortunate, and mostly forgotten, felt prideful for performing a sadistic action this one time?
When Edge stopped shaking, he gazed back at the Italian. "Did you really think that was going to kill me?"
"Of course not. But I'm confident that with my thunder ability, I can and will defeat you once and for all."
"Foolish plumber. I told you before that you can never find a way to defeat me. I am too powerful to be overthrown by such a pathetic weakling."
"That's funny. Minus the weak part, I also find you pathetic, because you always seem to hurt me when I don't expect it. If you want a real fight, you should at least make things fair and balanced."
"Pfft, neither of those words are in my vocabulary."
"Then I guess I can include 'stupid' to your repertoire."
Edge grunted. "Alright. Enough with your useless comebacks." He waved his staff to create an thirty-foot, impenetrable wall around the perimeter of the summit. "I'm going to officially end you for good. You may have said that you got thunder by your side, but everyone knows that lightning always comes before it. And in this case, it will exceed your terrible attempt to oust me."
"We'll see about that," Luigi rolled up his sleeves and clenched his fists with the shocking sensation.
Peach was the first to enter the lab, and she hurried over to the guest room after Tails let her, Daisy, and the Toads inside. As soon as she reached the doorway, she saw Mario resting in the bed. Sonic was carefully moving the unconscious plumber's right leg onto a pillow while Zephyr tended to his injuries with the first aid kit. Colombo laid near his arm with a solemn look.
"Oh, dear..." the princess was distraught at the sight.
Sonic looked up with a frown. "Glad you're here, Peach." His face didn't show it though.
"Where's the professor?"
"In the kitchen. He's brewing more tea, only this time it's to hopefully wake Mario up."
Daisy, Toad, Toadette, and Toadsworth followed inside with Tails behind them. Everyone was surprised at the red man's appearance.
"Good heavens!" Toadsworth placed a hand on his cheek. "What happened?"
"It's a long story," Tails shook his head.
"You have to tell us now. Where's Luigi?" Daisy desperately asked.
Tails cleared his throat. "Okay. So, the four of us, Sonic, Colombo, Luigi, and me, went into the Oblivion and landed in a similar variant of Star Hill. Basically, the inside of the Oblivion was like an alternate, duplicate universe of the Mushroom Kingdom."
"Really?" Toad and Toadette were astonished.
"Uh-huh. We then ventured to where Peach's Castle was located. We managed to fight off Slimmer and Clawdio. Luigi and Colombo managed to shut down a supercomputer that caused the assembly lines of Shadelings to be transported to all of the worlds with the Oblivion holes above them."
"So that's why they stopped coming into our worlds," Peach realized.
"I assume it took place in the middle of the night, correct?"
"Indeed. But how did you know?" Toadsworth wondered.
Sonic stepped away from the bed and joined the group circle. "We found out from Alpha when he pursued him in the Vanilla Dome copy. Originally, we only had eighteen hours remaining."
"What happened after that?" Toad questioned.
"Alpha made an unexpected attempt to kill us with a bomb rigged to his circuits," Tails explained. "Luigi was lucky enough to defend us with a shield. We blasted back to Toad Town and became unconscious. We could've woken up early if Edge didn't cast us under a sleeping spell to knock us out for eighteen hours. He then came over to attack Luigi yet again."
"And?" Daisy pressed on, even though she was extremely anxious.
"Well, you just saw Mario sleeping," Sonic pointed behind. "When Edge took him away at the Treacherous Mansion, he was roboticized."
Peach gasped. "What?!"
"That's not the worst part. Edge managed to make the Tough Possessor control Mario."
"You mean he got possessed?!" Toadette looked scared.
Sonic nodded. "Which meant we had to fight him, as much as we hated to do so, especially Luigi."
"But why are you guys here, and Luigi isn't?" Daisy clenched a fist.
Tails sighed despondently as he faced the floor. "He didn't want us to move on with him. Beforehand, Professor E. Gadd gave him a device called the Emergency Egressor to transport us back to his bunker safely. The plan was to use it once we rescued Mario and after we defeated Edge. But Luigi decided to keep us safe and let us restore Mario as he stayed in the Oblivion to counter the Shadow Spirit. So, he activated the Egressor and trapped us in a Shriek Shield so Luigi wouldn't leave with us even if we tried to do something. We told E. Gadd all of this when he and Zephyr were surprised to see us back without him. And that's why I called you here, too."
Daisy was utterly shocked to the point where she could potentially faint. In addition. Peach and the Toads were frightened.
"I can't believe Master Luigi would do such a thing. And you're sure he's stuck in the Oblivion?" Toadsworth held his cane tightly.
"Yes, he is," the blue hedgehog mumbled.
"And he's facing Myster Edge alone?" Toadette queried.
"Mm-hmm."
"But, how is he going to escape, whether or not the Oblivion disappears?"
Tails and Sonic wished they could answer Toad's question. But they didn't say anything.
Peach turned around and stood next to the bed. She kneeled on the floor near Mario's left hand. She gently grasped it, hoping there was some feeling inside that he was okay. Colombo just watched from his spot. Zephyr, who set down the first aid kit, also stared with empathy.
"Mario, please wake up," she begged softly.
"Once he does, he's probably gonna ask the same thing," Sonic placed a hand on his hip.
"And when we have to tell him... I don't want to imagine how he's going to react," Tails crossed his arms. Zephyr, Colombo, and the Toads agreed to that.
Daisy exited the room to be alone for a second. Looking outside one of the bunker windows, she glanced at the massive black hole. Even though he entered in the one above Star Hill, Luigi was still somewhere in there.
"Oh, Luigi... Please be okay up there."
The stakes were higher, and the tension grew larger than ever. Luigi was about to induce combat against Myster Edge, something he had never done once since he initially met him on the night of his birthday.
He shot out another bolt of thunder at the monster. Edge deflected it with his staff. He retaliated back by sending streaks of lightning right at the plumber. Since Luigi was aware of this, he back flipped and shifted to his left, dodging the attacks. The two went at this for the first several minutes of the fight.
"Hmph, you finally decide to not get hurt this time," Edge taunted and sent another lightning strike.
Luigi huffed as he jumped over the orb. "Don't patronize me, you prick." He resumed charging up his hand powers again. "THUNDER!" he boomed.
Edge teleported a couple feet to his right to evade the first bolt, then he flew upwards to avoid the second one. The Shadow Spirit eventually zoomed towards the ghost hunter with his staff aimed at his chest. Luigi crouched with his legs and utilized his signature super jump to leap up in time. Edge hardly had time to stop, but he managed to not crash into the wall. Nonetheless, Luigi pounded the enemy's head with his boots.
"Lucky chance," he grunted.
"Beg to differ. You just didn't see it coming, like all your stupid attacks on me."
With another growl, Edge clutched his scepter with the Chaos Emeralds shining inside. He released a massive wave of light to blind Luigi. Unfortunately, the hero's arm and closed eyes weren't enough to avoid being sightless. The Shadow Spirit followed his previous tactic by ramming the orb part of his staff into his chest. Luigi was pushed against the glowing partition in pain. Resisting the pain, he pushed Edge back with his hands and feet. He later flashed another thunderbolt. It got a piece of Edge's left arm.
"OW! Damn it! Take this, you pushover!" This time, he unleashed a burning laser.
Luigi gasped when he almost got scorched in the forehead had he not ducked down. He rolled into a somersault when Edge tried to lunge at him again. Going under the tall figure, Luigi stood back up and went for a punch with his thunder. The electric feeling made contact with Edge's cheek. Luigi hopped back to catch his breath and ate his only Ultra Shroom to regain all the health he lost. Edge fired more lightning orbs from the glass sphere. The plumber had to dodge and weave from the flying projectiles, and he crouched down when Edge came into close proximity. The Shadow Spirit immediately went back to action as he sent a jolt to Luigi's abdomen.
"AAHHH!" he went flying into the wall. He got back up quickly since Edge attempted to stab him with the scepter once more. Luigi triple jumped to the other side of the summit as Edge rebounded off the wall. When he tried to zip at him, the man counteracted with more thunder as he sent the beast several feet back.
"Playing dirty, huh? Then I'll do the same!"
Edge transported with his magic as he unexpectedly appeared right behind Luigi. The plumber was too late to notice this when he turned around. Edge thrusted his weapon at Luigi, and his head sustained some damage when he hit the wall. He couldn't get up in time when Edge grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and threw him high into the air. The antagonist didn't hold back as he swung the staff to maltreat him. Across his face, on the upper arms, at the shins, and against his spine. Luigi landed on his stomach with his arms and legs spread out in searing pain. He wheezed heavily and tried to stand up, but his body wouldn't let him. He couldn't believe he let himself down that easily and quickly.
"N-No... H-How did I fail that easily? I-I c-can't get up..."
Edge chuckled to himself to mock the fallen man. "I told you before. There is no way you can outsmart or whitewash me. I'm way too strong for a wretched, pint-sized wimp like you."
...
"You're nothing but a pushover. A pacifist. A loser."
...
The bad thoughts came back to haunt him. He remained still on the cold, hard ground.
"You're absolutely useless in every single way. It's quite amusing that your friends think you're capable enough to stop me and save everything. They're all idiots for believing in you."
...
"Once I get rid of every disgusting world for good, I shall construct a new empire to my liking. What's best about it is that you won't be here to interfere with me."
...
"And so I reiterate, I will take over the entire universe with my own powerful domain. By the time I revive Dimentio, it's gonna be game over for you and everyone else! And it will be all your fault!"
Edge didn't notice as he goaded, but the plumber clenched his right hand into a fist. Static was glistening from the glove. Although he wasn't completely back to consciousness, his mind transitioned from Edge's taunts to various moments in his previous travels.
...
"Luigi! You did it! You were amazing!"
...
He remembered how Mario was proud of him after he captured the Grouchy Possessor. Albeit he was slightly embarrassed when his older brother congratulated him, he felt pleased whenever Mario appreciated his efforts.
...
"I understand why you're scared, but deep down inside, somewhere in your heart, there's a glimmer of hope where you're strong and brave enough to overcome this. You're just like Mario, only a little more compassionate and less pugnacious. I know you're not one who likes to brawl. Nonetheless, you're a fighting man, Luigi. You just need to believe in yourself."
...
Luigi recalled the time Princess Peach reassured him when they were in Emerald Hill Zone. Her endearing voice and kind voice made him relax whenever he was troubled.
...
"Luigi, you are strong and brave. I don't care about your fears or weaknesses. Those things don't overpower your other traits. You're kind, sweet, unselfish, and handsome in my eyes. That's why I like you."
...
Of course, Luigi always felt very content whenever Daisy accompanied him. And the fact that she loves him for who he is goes to show how grateful he was whenever the two were together.
...
"Luigi, you have the passion to fight, defend, and persevere. You have the heart to save your brother, your friends, and all of these worlds. You may be the key to fulfilling Edge's dastardly plan, but I believe you can counter him with your powers and abilities."
...
The last conversation he had with the professor before he entered the Oblivion warmed his heart and soul. E. Gadd was a kind friend to Luigi and did everything he could to help him rescue Mario from the times he got kidnapped by King Boo. And he did so much to help him in this quest, too.
The other thoughts and memories were recollected in his mind. Whenever Tails, Sonic, and Colombo joined him and Mario in their journey to find their missing friends. And whenever he teamed up with them or his other pals, he was running like a well-oiled machine, exemplifying his teamwork and good chemistry to stop Myster Edge's bad guys. And the times where they all praised or cared for him gave Luigi a reason to continue his perilous adventure.
...
"You are a hero in my eyes, and I'm positive our friends think that way, too. So what if others don't agree? So what if they don't see the bravery that's hidden inside you? That doesn't mean you should conceal yourself from the outside."
...
That speech from Mario... It happened after they had their huge fight at the Toadley Clinic and made up for their wrongs. Mario truly believed him. Daisy believed in him. Sonic and Tails believed in him. Colombo, E. Gadd, Peach, and everyone else who supported him thought he was great. Even Lady Timpani and Count Blumiere were confident that he was brave and strong. The only ones who didn't think much about it were Bowser, Eggman, and obviously Edge, along with a few others. Regardless, Luigi thought to himself. He realized he had done a lot more than he originally thought. And that's because he persevered despite all the difficulties he faced. This was indeed his most excruciating task, but he could not afford to surrender. By then, he charged up both hands, waiting for the right moment.
"What? You're not going to respond, let alone attack me? Ha! You've proven my statement yet again. Only this time, you're making yourself look like a bigger fool than before. Oh, well. I guess it's time to-"
"THUNDER!"
Edge was caught in a terrible twist of fate when Luigi burst out of the scene with two bolts. One of them electrified his chest while the other was aimed at his staff. When Edge was stunned, he didn't realize that the glass orb cracked from the impact. He was only focused on his target, puffing from the surprise attack and regaining some more health from his Mushrooms.
"GRR! You're going to fucking pay for that, you irritating worm!"
"That's what you think, bastard! Come at me! I dare you!"
"Oh, I'll fulfill that rather effortlessly."
Edge's cockiness got the better of him as he was ready to end the plumber's life. He zapped more lightning at the ghost hunter. Luigi fired back with more thunder. They continued their onslaught as a lightning orb and a bolt of thunder clashed in between the fighters. They were outstretched from Edge's scepter and Luigi's hand, respectively. They fought for dominance as they tried to overthrow the other person's powers. And shockingly enough (no pun intended), Luigi's Thunderhand was winning as the lightning started to deteriorate.
"Urgh! Come... ON!" the shadow struggled. To Luigi's delight, the lightning dissipated, and Edge lost that part of the match. He was able to shock him again as the monster collapsed to the ground. Edge panted heavily as he returned to midair.
"Give up yet?" Luigi gave a small smirk.
"You wish," he snarled and flew right at him again.
However, Luigi unexpectedly ducked, jumped high, and ground pounded on his cloaked head. After he landed backwards on a hand and knee, he delivered a harsh uppercut to Edge's jaw. He followed up by punching his chest. Edge coasted backwards and hit the barrier. Extending his hands out, Luigi unleashed more thunder at his body, temporarily immobilizing the beast as he bounced off the wall and landed on his torso. Luigi took advantage to this and summoned another bolt to shatter more of the glass. On the inside, the glow of the Chaos Emeralds dimmed down.
"Huh?" The Shadow Spirit finally realized what Luigi had done. "You conniving buffoon! You're not supposed to do that!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just did. All I had to do was attack the weak point. And that's your scepter."
"Please. I'm holding onto the Chaos Emeralds with the additional energy of the Dark Shards. It's the most powerful weapon in existence. Why would it be a weak point?"
"Someone told me to do that whenever you're down."
"And who would tell you such a thing?"
Luigi turned serious, drifting away from the battle. "Your older brother."
Edge's eyes bulged. He took some time to register the three words in his head. "My... My WHAT?!"
"The other surviving member from the Tribe of Darkness. The one who tried to destroy the worlds years ago when he initially lost his lover. The one who spared your life despite your poor relationship with him." Edge narrowed his eyes. "That's right. Count Blumiere trained me."
"How the hell is he alive?! Where did you find him?!"
"After I faced the fake Tough Possessor at the Treacherous Mansion, you separated me from Colombo and the people I rescued from the paintings. You then stole the duplicated Chaos Heart from my own heart. As I was unconscious, I was taken to the catacombs by Blumiere's helpers where I met him and Timpani for the first time in so many years. That was when I found out all about your plan and the fact that you're Blumiere's younger sibling. And he came out of hiding when he suspected you of committing such a heinous, yet similar act."
"That overemotional runt should've been dead by now. He should be gone instead of Dimentio."
"Well, sometimes love conquers over greed and power."
"Oh, don't give me that talk about love or how powerful it seems. That's a bunch of bullshit."
Luigi glared back at him. "Bullshit or not, Blumiere did what was right back then. Since he reunited with Timpani, he was back to the harmless person he was before all this happened. And I know that he did make mistakes and that he confessed about them. One of which was trying to destroy the worlds, obviously. But another blunder he mentioned was being a terrible brother to you."
He didn't expect to hear that from Luigi. Then again, Edge had his doubts. "I don't believe you."
"Then maybe I can convince my way. Let's pause our fight and give me a minute to talk."
"How do I know you're not going to pull something cheeky on me?"
"I told you too many times already. You always find a way to hurt me unexpectedly. I only did that once to you, not too long ago. But I'm not going to do that again. Besides, I promised Blumiere that I would tell you this before either one of you might lose their games."
Myster Edge was more than furious to the point that he wanted to disregard Luigi's request and just end him: right here, right now. But, when he stood up, he gave his enemy an ominous glower.
"Fine. This will be the only time where I won't attack you. You got sixty seconds though."
Luigi nodded and took a deep breath. "Blumiere told me about his past with you. He claimed you were the favorite son of the two. You had certain similarities with your father where you only thought about being powerful whereas Blumiere was smitten over a woman he grew to love. And just like your father, you shunned him from your world. You thought that because he was with someone outside of your species, their relationship is completely unacceptable. All that time, you two didn't care about each other. That is until after your father banished Timpani from your brother's life."
Myster Edge clearly remembered the incident. He also reminisced how much Blumiere sounded desperate to find her after his father exiled the woman away from their natives.
"When the Count couldn't take it, he vowed vengeance against him and the entire world as he blamed them for the theoretical loss of Timpani. Blumiere was supposed to be the only member of the tribe, except you are here. And from his words, you begged him to stay alive."
The shadow tensely clutched his scepter as if he was ready to fire at Luigi again. Nevertheless, the Italian continued.
"Blumiere said that despite your differences and your detached feelings towards one another, you were still connected through brotherhood. However, you seem to officially break it off and parted ways from him. Nonetheless, you kept in touch with Dimentio until Mario and the others defeated him...
"That was how your backstory even began. That's why it all made sense when you wanted to revive him in the first place. And that's why you have a strong hatred towards me and my brother. Except I'm the bigger target because the Dark Prognosticus claimed that I was the required vessel for the Chaos Heart and for the prophecy to come true...
"But going back to you and Blumiere, he spoke with me the night before I entered the Oblivion. He wanted me to deliver a message to you. What he wanted me to tell you is that he apologizes for not being a supportive brother. He was only selfish out of finding Timpani for countless, heartbreaking years that he dismissed any sort of means involving you. He didn't treat you like family. And he had a small feeling of regret for what he had done that caused him to sacrifice his life for the worlds. Thankfully for him and Timpani, they didn't cease to exist. And they've lived peacefully together until all this went down...
"Nevertheless, after being separated from you, he just wants to let you know that he's very sorry."
Myster Edge was motionless for a while after Luigi finished his speech. His grip on the scepter remained tight, and his cold glare was still pointed at the man.
"Are you done yet?"
Luigi nodded slowly. "Yes, I am."
"Good."
Edge whipped out another sphere of lightning from his scepter. Luigi barely reacted in time when he zapped out his thunder to negate the unanticipated attack.
"What was that for?!"
"I don't need to answer that question."
"Touché. But answer me this. Don't you care about Blumiere at all? Have you ever missed him?"
He sent more lightning his way, but Luigi counteracted. "I don't give a damn about that top-hatted imbecile. For all I care, he should've been deceased, unlike Dimentio!"
Luigi dodged more of his projectiles. "Still, Blumiere actually had the tiniest amount of sympathy for you, even if it's very little! He actually felt remorseful for causing your brotherhood to be so distant."
"I don't view him as a brother anymore."
"But can't you see that he wanted to make amends with you?"
"Then he should've apologized in person."
"Okay, maybe you have a point. He's still sorry no matter what though."
Edge blinked once, yet he sent another lightning orb at Luigi who deflected it with thunder.
"Figlio di puttana," he cursed. (2) "I saw that coming!"
"I highly doubt it, but that's no matter. Can you see this coming?!"
The purple shadow waved his staff. Luigi expected more lightning, but this time, a set of Dark Shards rose from the surface. They grew tall that not even his super jump was high enough to overcome it. Additionally, Edge blocked off the top with a roof made up of more shards.
"NO! No no no!" Luigi banged on the smooth edges, but they were indestructible. He tried to summon his thunder to destroy the prison, but the bolt rebounded back at him. "OW!" he hissed.
"HAHAHAHA! Of course you didn't see it! And now I have you right where I wanted. As I was about to say, before your last unexpected move, I think it's time to bring back an old friend of ours."
Edge raised his left hand to reveal the Chaos Heart duplicate. Luigi was watching with wide eyes through the cracks between the crystals.
"Bring this entity back to life.
Summon the shadow within this light.
Take this soul, be revived, you shall,
To stand by my side, this I vow!" (3)
The light of the Chaos Emeralds shined brightly inside the cracked glass orb, but the energy was sufficient enough to cause the Chaos Heart to glow threateningly in white. Luigi shook his head, both anxious yet furious.
"This can't be happening... Not at this time..." He was worried that the end of the worlds was approaching extremely soon since time was flowing quickly in the dark dimension.
To add more to his discontent, the Chaos Heart was about to burst. The light covered the entire region of Star Hill that he had to shield his eyes. When the light was reduced, Luigi stared back at Edge, only to find another entity next to him.
With a color scheme of purple, yellow, and black all over his costume, a mask that was split in half that showed two deceiving eyes in different colors of black and yellow, and a sinister smile creeping on his face, after so many years, Dimentio was back from the dead.
"Ah ha ha ha. And so I have returned." He rotated around to see the imprisoned plumber. "And you... it's been ages since I last saw your scared, little face. It's a pleasure to reunite with you, Mr. L."
END OF CHAPTER
I've listened to a lot of Imagine Dragons while writing up this chapter mainly because their last three radio hits somewhat relate to Luigi's situation in his fray against Myster Edge: 'Believer', 'Whatever It Takes', and most fittingly, 'Thunder'.
However, this isn't over yet. Dimentio has returned after his demise from Super Paper Mario. And at the moment, there's not a lot of time left before everything will be gone. How will the final three chapters transpire? Can Luigi overcome both Myster Edge and the devious jester? Only one way to find out...
Please review your thoughts down below, tell me if I need to edit or fix anything, follow/favorite for the upcoming conclusion, and I'll see you guys in Ch. 57 of Hidden Bravery where Luigi must bite the bullet to prevent the fall of the entire universe. This is TGN, signing off.
Post-Chapter Notes:
(1): I know that Wario really likes garlic, but Waluigi's eggplant is only based off the Whiskered Eggplant that he uses for his special Star Skill, the Liar Ball, in Mario Superstar Baseball.
(2): The corresponding phrase translates to 'Son of a bitch.'
(3): Dimentio's revival scene was not exactly analogous to Luigi's nightmare in Ch. 30. But the chant remained the same as Edge successfully (and unfortunately) brought back the master of dimensions.