Following Wario's last thoughts, Lucas goes along Ness to Dimension Central in search for Andonuts.

The fact this chapter didn't come earlier was not because of me, seriously: I finished the two last chapters of my other fic, I didn't have internet for a week and then my pc acted like it was going to explode. It was a miracle I could finish this chapter at last. The good thing is the chapter came out as desired.

Roseal : It was not easy! Awesome, hopefully this chapter does the same :)

"Guys, we are going to Dimension Central. That's where we suppose the Dr. is. We'll see you there?" Ness asks Link and Lucario.

Their response goes through my headset as well, "Don't expect me, soon," it's Link, "The place is just as busy as when I arrived."

Lucario's answer is the same as Link's, "Here, too. I prefer to stay until things are less agitated."

"Right, till later, then," Ness cuts the communication.

I follow Ness over to the lobby. He stops and says, "Listen, you will take my hand and hold it as if your life depended on it… because it actually will. As we travel you may suffer cold and dizziness. It will be briefly."

"S'okay, let's go."

He strides to the end of the lobby and waits for me. Ness extends a hand and I grasp it tightly. "Ready?"

I nod as a response. Ness brings a loose hand to his forehead, closing his eyes for a second. "Here we go!"

Like a Rhinocerocket (a rhino merged with a rocket) we are boosted forward. We leave a burning trail behind us as a black hole appears in our path. The portal attracts us inside it, its blackness reminiscent of the darkness inside a wolf's mouth. We enter and I feel my senses being torn away from me.

Did Ness say it would be a brief moment? This seems an eternity.

I can't see a thing. Left and right, up and down, it's all darkness. Okay… I blink and confirm my eyes are opened. I look forward but Ness is not there. I attempt to raise my arm to my eyes but I can't feel it at all. Is it numb?

Ness? I'm sure I didn't hear the word coming out of my mouth. Ness? Are you there? No, I can't speak, or scream for help. Is this place soundless too? I'm whistling! Then why can't I hear a thing!

The last time I tasted something it was blood. I hate its metal-like savor, but I prefer it over nothing. Now I lick my lips and palate searching for some savor in them. But there's none. Instead I get to taste something that reminds me of a simple ice cube. Lacking a real savor, its coldness is the only thing perceptible.

There's no case in searching for a smell; the last things I tried took turned my breathing agitated; and inhaling and exhaling didn't bring a smell to my nose with the exception of that dreadful nothingness.

Then, if I can't feel my arm, see my surroundings, hear my voice… why is there a chill assaulting my body. It soon penetrates my being, making me feel frozen inside. I would attempt to use PK Fire but I don't know how it could react with Ness' teleport… Am I at least… at least still in the middle of the teleport? I should be. Or maybe, just maybe, I lost Ness in this endless dimension. He could've lost the grasp of my hand and left me floating in this cold place for…

Ah? I command my eyes to look down to the hand that's supposed to be holding Ness. A dim light reveals our hands are still clasped. He squeezes my hand as if reassuring me I have not been left behind and we are yet to go to Dimension Central.

The cold begins to slip away from my body and the pain of my recently burned arm comes back slowly. We are approaching the exit of this void.

I am suddenly yanked back to reality. With a gasp I come out of the portal, unconsciously following Ness' paces until we halt. At last I let go Ness' hand and fall to my knees. Air lacks in my lungs but I am freaking gladtobe now back into reality. Though before I'm back to my senses fully, Ness pulls me to my feet and drags me from the arm.

"Jeff told me not to use Teleport whenever I had an open wound, and still I took Lucas with me with his arm like that. Idiot," Ness' mutter reaches my ears.

My sight is still blurry due to the teleporting and thus I can't see where Ness is taking me. Nonetheless I have enough balance to follow his pace. Roars and yells and gunshots surround us but I try to ignore them. Ness slows down as we enter a white room… the public bathrooms?

"So, enjoyed the trip?" he asks.

I lean in the wall behind me and manage to complete a sentence, "It was tormenting…"

He sighs, "Sorry, I wasn't sure your wound was going to react badly. I should've told you."

"I was coming with you either way."

"Now, let's see if I can leave this a little better." He takes my arm and the healing process starts.

So that was what caused the lack of sense and extreme coldness–my opened wound. It was a huge price to pay to teleport here quickly. And I am useless now. Wario left something to remember him after all.

Ness finishes and my sight has improved as well. The throbs in the wound continue and have left me with only one fully functional arm for now. That will have to do.

"There," Ness says. He turns on a tap and throws water on my face. "Wake up! We gotta continue."

I groan at the cold water even though it actually makes me more alerted.

I follow Ness out of the public bathrooms and I get the first lookat the massive teleporting central. The sunlight enters through several, fancy-looking glass doorways, which most of them are now shattered in the floor. The giant foyer is mainly crammed with chimeras and people and–what I think are otherworldly creatures–aliens running from them, while, what I guess are Smashers, Assistants and Allies fight to keep the civilians safe. The once chrome flooring is now tainted by the price of any fight: blood, corpses…

Above in the ceiling a war is waged between flying chimeras and huge metallic birds–their red wings looking as sharp as a perfect blade–maneuvering back and forth, using the enormous chandeliers as defense and offense.

In one corner of the foyer people are crammed behind the backs of Allies fending off two powerful cattlesnake chimeras (this odd merge has a great size and strength). The Allies yell the civilians to escape to the hallway near them, opposite to where I am, but few of them achieve to escape safely.

In the center sofas have been arranged to defend Fox and his partner, an Assitantwho I've seen before; he has blond hair that is tied on the back and also a strand of hair hanging from the front; a yellow shirt that has several gun straps across it, and denim shorts very similar to mine. He is shooting whoever gets close with a very particular gun in his hands."Saki, go around that thing and help that people in the corner!"

A screen is upon the wall over the entrance still showing the names of several locations–Hyrule, Sinnoh, Dream Land–and their proper gateway apparently. However, a second later one of the metallic birds crashes on the screen, bringing it down to crush any creature below it. Every sound goes silent for a moment when the screen explodes in the floor, the only sounds left coming from the beeping alarm all around the central and the cries deeper in the building.

Ness taps my shoulder furiously, "Dude, we've got to hurry!"

We run down a long hallway where stores at either side are sheltering a few people. I would help them, but I will help more if I continue my actual mission. Near the end I see a Mecha-Lion and a horseantula terrorizing the people hiding in the stores; the latter chimera being a fusion between a horse head and a tarantula body.

Suddenly a person crosses our path, and as I am going to react, he greets us. "Sup Ness! Long time no see."

I can only assume he is an Ally since I haven't seen his… stylish choice of clothing: a pair of yellow sunglasses, spiky black hair, a fancy leather jacket, and jeans held by a brown belt; he's also wielding two beam swords.

"Travis," Ness greets back, giving Travis a unique greeting. "This is…"

"Lucas, right?" hesays, "That's a nasty wound you got there, you should get that treated."

I glance at my arm. It does look "nasty". There's barely any untouched skin left, only the horrible mark where Wario burned me, which has turned my flesh a dark red mainly. "We are in the middle of something."

Travis gives me a disapproval look. "What is that?"

"We are looking for Dr. Andonuts, a friend. A scientist,black glasses, scarce white hair… Just how typical scientists look," Ness says.

"Oh, yes, you don't see those Einstein styleguys often around here. I saw him going to the Earth section before this started."

"Thanks, Travis," Ness and I were beginning to move away when Travis calls us.

"I should go with you." He swings his two laser swords. "I may be of help."

"Okay, okay, but let's go," I say.

"Wait, you can come with us, but you have to let me use one of your swords at least for a while." Ness grins in his characteristic mischievousness.

"I prefer not to give you a beam katana. Don't want you to chop off you arm."

"Whatever… Luke, you stay behind."

We resume our way down the hallway when the two chimeras, that were taking turns to take down a rolling door, notice us.

"Oh my… Lucas any useful info?" Ness asks me slowly backing up.

"Both of them are quite fast; the horseantula's bite is poisonous and the mecha-lion's tail as well." The lion's tail is not poisonous but it will give them another reason to stay away from it.

"Remember that day in theMulti-Man Brawl, Ness?" Travis asks.

"We broke the record and… Ah, Ifeel ya."

In the blink of an eye, the mecha-lion begins its race toward Ness, the horseantula behind it. He, however, keeps his ground in the chimera's path. My body wants to interfere, but soon enough I see I don't have to.

"PK Paralysis!" Ness sidesteps to one side as the mecha-lion was about to ram into him. The chimera roars, seeing it failed to hit Ness. It sweeps the floor with its paw just like a bull would do and before it can move, Ness shots a small electrified ball from his hand. The chimera cries and its body goes stiff, collapsing into the floor.

For a moment I fear Ness forgot about the horseantula, and then he points his palm at it. He swings his arm upwards and then in Travis' direction. The beast follows his movement. As though Ness was a magician, the chimera is lifted into the air and then thrown to the side. Travis pulls back his sword, batter style and slashes the horseantula as it flies by. The sword leaves a long, deep gash and the chimera falls defeated.

While Travis finished off the horseantula, I see Ness having problems doing the same with the mecha-lion. His eyes reflect pity and his movements are uncoordinated.

"Ah, you should go there and see if everyone is okay… I will…" Travis glances down at the paralyzed mecha-lion, "I will catch up in a moment."

We reach the end of the hallway and Travis joins us again. I walk into a new area, maybe bigger than the entrance. There are at least 4 doorways in this end of the room, each one having odd, foreign names. Ness said it's an array of teleportation gates… to enter and exit this world perhaps?

And in the opposite end I see several more doorways, one of them reading 'Earth'. Directly in front of me, near each corner stand two modules which I don't know their purposes, and between these modules the entrance of what seems like a mall. In the center there's a stand with the word information around its top. I spot two Allies inside there shooting at everything that moves.

Near thestand and parallel to the mall entrance, two rows of sofas–or similar furniture–stand in front of a massive screen which at the moment is just a reminder of how fancy this place was before the invasion.

"So, I saw that guy going through the Earth section. We should go there first," Travis suggests.

"It won't be easy…" Ness commented; and I have to second that opinion. This hall resembles the entrance, a downright battlefield. Several chimeras, horseantulas, cattlesnakes, mecha-turtles, kangasharks, batangutan… fight against plenty of Assitants, Allies and one or two Smashers over the domination of this place.

Princess Zelda is in here, and Captain Olimar with (was that his name?) his army of… those creatures that come from the earth.

"Four Smashers in one place?" I ask, "Why is Master Hand sending so many Smashers just in here? He has to protect the whole planet."

"This location is vital, Luke," Ness tells me. "We can't afford to lose it."

"Stay close to the wall to get to the other side, I will cover ya," Travis says.

Ness slightly pushes me, "Go."

With Ness at my side and Travis a few feet behind, I scoot along the wall focusing in the 'Earth' doorway. Every single scream and cry seems directly in my ear, but I force myself to not look back.

A chimera, the fearful hippo launcher, suddenly intercepts me. The hippo has never looked more terrifying now that it is opening its massive jaws to release a missile.

"Lucas!" Ness bounds in front of me and jerks his hand forward. The chimera recoils violently, bumping its side with a piece of debris. Travis dashes to come in from the chimera's back.

"Move away," I yell with a hand around my mouth to be heard louder than the orchestra that the battlefield is.

The mechanical part of the hippo's backside opens like a trunk revealing to Travis a missile pod. He leaps out of the way as three missiles are shot, and then explode along with a wall.

Travis lunges his two swords into the beast's side. Two last missiles are shot; Ness jumps a bit as a reaction.

He take his eyes off the chimera, his eyes show revulsion, and beckons me to continue.

I lead our small group running across the rest of the room when out of nowhere I hear roar… This time, though, its source is not somewhere else in the room but charging at me. I yelp preparing my PSI, but a small yellow creature with a flower in his head leaps towards the chimera's massive body… An instant later, this creature is soon followed by at least one hundred more.

I glance further from the chimera to receive a quick nod from Captain Olimar. We are just a few more steps to reach our destination but then I see a blue light blocking the doorway. "Wait," Ness tells me. He hurries and takes out a small keycard; after sliding the keycard in a slot near the door, the light disappears instantly.

As I walk through the doorway and enter the next section, Travis speaks up, "I'm leaving you here, guys. It should be safer around here and…" He glances back at the battlefield in the last room, and looks back at us with a grin. "They clearly need me. Good luck." Ness was about to say something but Travis was already far away. Wow, he's fast.

Compared to the last room, this section has a different vibe. The only noise in here, for example, is from the last room, a fading echo. Though not as big, this section is yet remarkable; a simple white, squared room with several tables and chairs; the center, even though it has a beautiful fountain, spacious and perfect for a great amount of people to walk in the cross-like path without problem. Unfortunately, the sight is ruined by the bodies of several types of chimeras; some are over flipped tables and others lying on a part of the long flowerpots. An exit on each end of the room marks our next step towards finding the Dr.

This place would be pretty much dead if it wasn't for the few plants, a lizard sniffing a fallen chimera and Ness and I. "What happened?" I ask while we stop besides the fountain.

"How should I know?" Ness pauses for a moment, looking around. "Right there, come on."

We enter another hallway that is quickly covered and then find ourselves in another immense, wide and crowded room with several paths to choose from. "This again…" I comment, for which this room has yet another battlefield bursting in it.

Ness points his finger to the far part of the room where a group of persons are huddled together behind a barrier of earth. Then, I spot what Ness was referring to: behind the barrier the top of a head with disheveled hair in each side sticks out. At the top of the barrier stands a small sort of round creature with his belly tan coloredand the rest of its body a light brown; purple eyes like gems, spikes in his back and a tail. It seems it is communicating with somebody. Somehow I know that.

We break into a run heading to the group of people. We go alongside the nearest wall and possibly spare an encounter with a chimera. However, that idea is discarded as soon as a chimera spots us and begins charging. At the same time the chimera is about to bound on us, something tackles it from the side.

"A goron!" Ness exclaims, surprised.

The "goron" is a huge, light-brown creature; it stands tall and looks powerful almost double my size. It has rocks protruding from its back, and they look like an excellent defense. Ness helps the goron to take out the chimera in seconds and then we continue.

We arrive at the barrier and Ness peeks over it. "Dr. Andonuts?"

Said person rises from the crowd. "Ness!" He looks surprised, and then turns to me, "Lucas!"

I catch a glimpse of a person coming from my left. He leans closer and says, "Ness?"

"Why, hello, I–Watch out!" Ness yells, pushes the young man aside and throws both hands forward. A rain of fire envelops a horseantula, leaving it out of combat.

The young man whistles, raising an eyebrow. "That was crazy!" I'm sure I've seen him before. He has blond, messy hair, blue eyes and a confident look. He sports blue clothing that is held by a leather belt; a yellow cape dangles from his back, rather heroically. He has a red chestplate, and he wields a great sword in his hands protected by leather gauntlet. Yes, an Assistant.

"Wow, Isaac, how much has this been going on? Oh, and this is Lucas," Ness says.

"Hey, Lucas. The whole day pretty much. You came to help?"

"We were searching for," Ness nods at Andonuts. "Dr. Andonuts. We need him in the mansion."

"Really? Well, I hope you will teleport back."

"I can't. Long story." The arm throbs almost in cue to Ness words. He's referring to my arm. It's my fault we will have to endanger Dr. Andonuts…

"Too bad… Hmmm, I know! Vine, Ground!" And just as he spoke, two more creatures like the one over the barrier appeared in his shoulders. "Make sure they get out of here safely." Both creatures disappear and reappear in Ness' shoulders.

"Thanks, Isaac, stay safe," He slightly bows.

"You too, guys."

We are about to leave the place, but Dr. Andonuts, with a tone that suggested he was in a tea party, said, "Can you borrow me one of your Djinns some day? I would love to–" and Ness jerks the Dr.'s arm to hurry.

This time around, it seems Dr. Andonuts is a chimera attractor. Two kangasharks–which as the name suggests is a half-kangaroo, half-shark chimera–come leaping at a terrifying speed. Neither Ness nor I have to move, though. One of the Djinn's eyes glowand, a second later, vines emerge from the ground instantly halting one of the beasts. And then the other Djinn follows, launching three spheres of light at the chimera. These spheres trap the kangashark and lift him into the air, freezing it there.

I nearly dive to cross the doorway to the empty room and get a moment of calm at last.

"Thank Vine. Thanks Ground. I owe you one, but you should return to Isaac–he will need you more."

"See you later, Ness!" A funny voice echoes in my head. Were the Djinns talking to Ness?

He gives a smile to the Djinns and they disappear.

"You did this, boys?" Andonuts looked about the room littered with dead chimeras.

"Do not say that, Doc," Ness said. "It's a mystery to us as well."

Then he puts a hand on his headset, "Link, Lucario, we have found the Dr. Don't come here, we'll rendezvous at the mansion."

"Alright."

"Okay, Ness."

I stop in my next step, for the sound of a foreign pace enters in my ears. At the side of the fountain I look to the left. "Ness…" My words come out shakily.

The dragon or turtle thing that accompanied Mario and Wario when Mario set my room on fire enters the room.

"Dr., stay behind," Ness says. "Bowser, what a surprise to see around here."

Bowser stays silent and more steps echo from the right. Mario walks into the room.

"I told you they would come for the scientist," Bowser's hoarsevoice says.

"Ness, please step aside," as he speaks, I note that classic faint tone of anger in Mario whenever I'm in the same room with him. "That goes to you too, Dr. Andonuts."

Ness walks around the fountain to lock stares with Mario, while I look carefully at Bowser with Andonuts beside me.

"Why? What you want with Luke, Mario?" Ness asks.

"I heard the reason Pokey has invaded us was because you and Lucas were here and he soughtrevenge…" Mario shakes his head in disagreement with the false theory. "But I wondered why Pokey had not attacked before. You've been here for years and by pure chance some time after Lucas arrives he decides to invade us suddenly. I know you know what the real reason is, Ness. I have known you for enough time to read you. So, not only I consider Lucas a threat for the organization but if we hand him over to Pokey, it's obvious he will leave us alone."

"Pokey is… you have never faced him. You could never understand what he is capable of. And this is the only opportunity we have to finally stop him. Master Hand ordered us to bring back Dr. Andonuts soon. He will help us finding Pokey."

"I have as much knowledge as Master Hand to know what the best for everyone is. Don't make me take Lucas by force."

"Really?" I speak for the first time which makes Mario stand straighter. "Then you would see taking out the source of this problem is the best."

"Shut your mouth, Lucas." He addresses Ness. "I don't want to fight you, Ness; we have been friends for a long time and you are throwing away all of that for a traitor."

I hate to admit it, but Mario's point is, to a certain extent, valid; in the last three years I searchedfor a way to save my brother, and I would've never trusted in some random person that told me he had the solution to our problem.

"The fact that not only he is a good person and Pokey has, unfortunately he, connected us since a long time ago gives me the opportunity to trust in Luke completely. You are my friend, Mario, never think otherwise but this time Lucas needs us."

"Then it's settled."Mario stomps the ground.

Keeping an eye on both, Mario and Bowser, I see the latter one taking out a pair ofstrange sort of gauntlets. It fits right on his claws, adds two small spikes on top of his hands besides extending and encasing them in a crystal-like material–very similar to the one in my cell.

Mario, following Bowser, unsheathes a short sword; a fine, elegant crystal blade. "Last chance," Mario says. In response, Ness adopts a fighting stance, both hands raised and giving off a powerful energy.

I attempt to copy Ness, but I can only do so much with a barely moving arm. I don't know who could break my bones easier in this situation, Bowser or Mario. Either way I am facing Bowser.

"I want him alive, Bowser!" Mario says.

"I hope, for your own sake, that's not an order, Mario!" Bowser roars back. The room goes silent for a second just before Bowser charges towards me.

"PK Freeze!" With my functional hand I attack Bowser with a powerful, icy wind. In the middle of the run, however, he shakes off the PSI and lounges. I sidestep and stomp the ground forcefully. A rock spike erupts from the floor… centimeters from him. If only I had had more time to practice that PSI.

It's a good signal Bowser is interested in me and not in Andonuts but at the same time he looks angry. He creates a fist with a hand that rivals the size of my head, and throws a punch. I have no more option than to create a shield. But when Bowser's fist gets closer my shield vanishes in thin air. I throw myself backwards, praying he doesn't get me. He does, barely striking me in the stomach. The strength in the punch is enough to toss me towards a group of tables.

He gives a couple of strides forward when the sound of some kind of beam resonates in the area. Bowser collapses like a giant tree face-first in front of me. Behind the fallen Bowser, Dr. Andonuts stands with a ray gun leveled.

Swiftly I rise to my feet and take out the thunder sword. I know I may look odd with one arm dangling and the other wielding the sword but I've got no other option.

That crystal gauntlets Bowser's wearing is definitely the same material the crystal I had on my cell. Ness and I have been disabled. Damn.

As I am about to slash Bowser's head, he hides in his shell and starts spinning about. I back up, hoping Dr. Andonuts backed up as well.

In a single movement, Bowser comes out of the shell and is ready to attack again. I have a small window of time to warn Ness about their weapons. "Ness! Mario's sword is made out of that crystal that inhibits PSI."

I hear not a verbal response but a mental one. "Then be careful. They won't let us out of here, so I'm thinking in some escape plan."

I return my attention to Bowser just in time… He steps forward an opens his mouth widely. He begins breathing fire like a dragon. I jump desperately over tables and chairs to escape from the hell coming from his mouth.

When I am out of his range, I decide to use the sword. I raise it and bring it down, aiming at Bowser. Three thunders come to life and race towards him. Oddly enough he leaps forward and withdraws into his shell, receive the thunders and come out again–that whole motion in mid-air.

He crushes a few chairs in his landing, skids and bounds forward. I see him closing in, and try to stop him with the sword but he is faster. A punch to my stomach snatches the air out of me; I am smashed against some furniture near a corner of the room.

The effect of those gauntlets feels as if a lock had been set upon my PSI and with each second is harder and harder to get over it.

I catch a glimpse of the fight between Ness and Mario. Ness is really struggling and I can see why. With no PSI we are left with few options. He holds his PSI-enveloped bat in front of him. Obviously, though, the bat is no rival to Mario's sword.

Mario slashes, and Ness, smartly, backs up. It seems he has saved himself but no; the PSI enveloping the bat vanishes. Then Ness swings in a lightning-fast motion; Mario barely reacts in time and the only victim is his hat.

After that last move, it looks like Ness has a trick up his sleeve. He takes out a yo-yo (which is similar to the one that Porky once had). He swings the yo-yo circularly, threatening Mario with each motion. Ness quickly strikes once, then twice. Mario stays dazed for an instant and gives Ness a perfect opportunity. He holds his bat two-handed and unleashes his PSI into the bat. In a mighty swing, Mario is hurled near a doorway with a pinging sound.

Just as Ness is about to turn someone appears behind him. "Ness!" The air is gone from my lungs along with that cry.

Ness reacts too late.

Bowser towers over Ness like a monster as he grabs Ness by his neck. It's quite visible how the vivid PSI energy of Ness goes away when he is taken by Bowser's gauntlet.

As I try to stand up, I spot Dr. Andonuts approaching from behind Bowser. His gun points at Bowser's back; but before he can shoot, a fireball hits Andonuts in square in the chest.

Mario is back in his feet and walking over to Ness and Bowser. "Mario… Leave him alone…" I give two steps forward and I stumble over the tables and chairs, kissing the floor once again.

Mario doesn't even mind my words; he searches in his pocket and reveals a small crystal in his hand. He crushes the small crystal with both hands. Mario grabs Ness by his ankles and says in a low voice. "I won't use all my strength, so take it as a gift for being an old friend that has made a mistake."

Bowser let go Ness, who is still fighting to free from Mario's grasp. Mario doesn't mind Ness shaking and flailing like a fish out of the water. Mario spins twice and throws Ness across the room–colliding with a part of the fountain, flipping tables over and finally he lands roughly near the middle.

Satisfied with their actions, Mario and Bowser walk towards me. "You… PK Thunder!" I thrust the thunder sword forward. A thunder goes in Mario's direction in the blink of an eye. Mario reaches out with one hand and the thunder dispels in an instant.

"It's your turn, Lucas," he tells me. "I would like to personally get rid of you after all you've done; you've killed and you've been the reason why countless amounts of people have died so far…"

His words pierce me to the core. I know that already! I brought Porky here and I haven't done anything good since I arrived, but this is all for the greater good! Because of me, Luigi died and I almost killed Ness too… and all those people he protected. I know that but I'm sorry. I just want everything to be as it was before. Before Porky arrived and took away my life.

It's all for the greater good. I know that. It must be.

"However, as you heard before, I will hand you over to Pokey. You will both leave us alone and we'll start rebuilding. Ness will forget you and will acknowledge he was wrong when he trusted in you. Unfortunately…" He gets closer and punches me in the stomach. I lose all will to move; and my view of Mario and Bowser turns blurry. "That won't bring back my brother."

"For now we will make sure you won't be of any harm for anybody around." Mario unsheathes his sword again and Bowser checks his gauntlets.

Like a rag doll, Bowser picks me up from the neck. I struggle and shake but my body is done.

With every second–that seems like hours–I feel my PSI slipping away from me. Mario raises his sword; his eyes reflect my suffering transforming into a much needed revenge.

And, when about to give up hope, I see someone is still standing in the middle of the room. Ness.

His body is burning with PSI like I've never seen before. His cheerful look is replaced by one of power and anger. That person standing there could be confused for anyone but Ness.

He extends both arms, palms pointing at this direction. Even from here I see the strain that is put on his fingers, slightly bent. He pulls back one arm, then another; instantly Bowser and Mario are dragged away from me with a mighty force. I fall to my knees, and force my eyes to stay open in the next moments.

The veins in Mario's neck are protruding slightly while he attempts to turn his head. But not an inch his head moves. Mario shakes and with a broken voice he cries, "Ness? S-Stop!"

"I will rip your head off if you don't let me go now!" Bowser's roar resonates in the room.

Even after that, Ness doesn't seem to heed any word that is directed to him. His full attention is on his victims.

At last, after a few seconds, Ness thrusts an arm to the right. Bowser mirrors the motion and is hurled, at an impossible speed for my eyes to follow, into a wall; he goes through it and the sound of his collision compares to the one of an explosion.

And Mario is next. Ness thrusts his left hand downward. Mario follows the movement and is viciously crashed against the floor. Though probably harmed Mario tries to move, but he stays still as if he was frozen. Ness' hand is still pointing at Mario. His fingers twitch in such a manner that makes me wonder if Ness will be alright after this.

Mario has started to bleed. The only control he has left he uses it to glare at Ness. "Don't d-dare to c-continue…" Each single word is stressed by Mario's anger and his difficulty to speak.

At this point, Dr. Andonuts, probably scared of Ness as much as I am, stands behind Ness, trembling awkwardly.

Ness' mouth trembles and his eyes twitch. He must be losing power. He shakes his head in denial of the situation and says, "PK… Rockin'." A multicolored energy forms in his right hand. It shines bright and preciously for a second… and the next one is gone. Ness' trembling is now on the arm holding Mario… He will not last much more.

"Good boy… Good boy," Mario says, slowly recovering the control of his body. His voice came out with some resemblance to Porky's.

I'm finally able to muster strength and stand up. I shamble towards Ness, rocking left and right with each step and being careful to not trip over something. "Ness…"

Ness eyes widen. His hand go down with each second, at the same time Mario gets more and more power of his body back. Ness' voice contacts me telepathically. He sounds faltered. "Dr., Lucas, come closer, we are leaving…"

I hurry my body and move as fast as possible. Dr. Andonuts moves a step closer to Ness, who's PSI is now a perishing light.

At last, Ness can't hold Mario anymore, and the latter is dropped to the floor, now with full control of himself.

"Dr., take Lucas hand!" Ness says, clearly bewildered. Ness runs past me and Dr. Andonuts takes my hand with a jerk that almost knocks me down.

Ness has a hand in his forehead as we run… somewhere. The cold will destroy my nerves if we enter in that dimension again… Please… Not again. Will I end up like Claus and lose my arm?

Behind us, Mario breaks into a run, charging at full speed and hands literally ablaze.

"Sorry, Luke…" Talking, fighting and focusing on teleporting have made Ness reach his limits. I can sense that in his voice and how he moves. "Please, hold onto us, and endure the pain." Those are his last words at me before I see which direction we are going–into a wall.

"I will try! But, the wall! We are going to cras–" The portal opened at the last second. I haven't been seconds in here and the cold is already piercing my body, rendering the pain unbearable. I squeeze Andonuts' hand and hope I don't get lost in here. My eyes plea me to close them and forget the pain; I grant that wish and black out.

So many introductions and character descriptions... Though it was nice to write a bit about the characters I hope appear in the next Smash, Isaac and Travis. See you in the next chapter!