…Yeah, not much to say… This is going to be a shorter chapter, but I hope it's all the more sweeter. Please enjoy.
-Justan
Shattering the Stars
Chapter 30: Unbreakable Love
"L-Luigi…" Mario whispered, his tone full of regret. Kirby's Passion let go after a bit, the Star Warrior realizing that no amount of love could mend this right away.
Eight took off his bandana, keeping silent for a moment in respect for Luigi. Though he and the green plumber weren't close, he valued him as an ally and man. The amount of honor he had for each of his fellow crusaders was unimaginable.
Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by debris being pushed over. From the remnants of the staircase, the captain slowly and painfully got up, only a few bruises lining his body. His hair drooped in front of his face, only the heavy stare of his eyes marking any sign of his presence. Eight sensed him, glancing back in horror to see that the enemy was still kicking.
"It's going to take a lot more than emotion to kill me!" the captain spelled it out quite plainly. The bated breath the crusaders held vanished, the hopes that they had finished the captain going out the window. Now on alert, Eight, Amy, and Kirby felt their muscles immediately tense up. "Now gaze at the splendor of this lovely, beautiful violence!"
Raising his arm into the air as he did many times before, the captain charged, the crooked, demented grin on his face holding onto Amy. It reminded her of Sycther, his own smile often coming up in her nightmares. She found herself unable to move, but thankfully, Eight blocked the incoming slash of light with his shield, engaging the captain with his own sword. The impact of their weapons connecting produced sparks, threatening to ignite the dry, broken wood at their feet.
Mario was at a loss. He gave that beatdown everything he had, yet it still wasn't enough to put an end to this miserable excuse of a human being. In fact, the mere idea of the captain being human had left the conversation long ago. This man, this thing, he didn't have a soul!
"WAH!" Eight's sword recoiled from the devastating slash from the captain's blades of brilliance. Upon looking at his weapon, there was a tiny crack in its sheen thanks to the blow. "K-Kirby! Empyrea told us that you could go into some kind of 'Overdrive'! That'd be really helpful!"
"Poyo!" Kirby joined Eight, ready to help. Eleven right by his side, even though he was still wounded, they approached the captain together. Kirby held his paws back to summon a Giga Force Blast, the most powerful thing he had at his disposal when he and Eleven were abruptly kicked with incredible force, soaring across the room at blistering speed.
"Shatter against the wall, fools!" the captain said as Kirby and Eleven smashed into the very wall he spoke of. Kirby was mostly fine, his squishy, soft body being much more difficult to damage, but Eleven was only injured more.
"MARIO! Stand up! Help us!" Amy pleaded, holding her Dualies shakily. The captain still wore his twisted smile, only bringing back more terrible memories of Sycther. "Ah!"
Amy jumped away from a slash from the captain's weapons, the attacks instead hitting Kirby. Again, his puffy, pink body protected him, but it contorted like rubber, driving the Star Warrior into the ground further, dazed. With a tiring effort, Kirby tried to bring out his Warp Star, hoping to use the Passion to take into overdrive and somehow fight against the captain, but as the fiend loved to say, it was useless.
The captain's blade hummed, light bending while he was going in to strike. For Mario, all sounds were drowned out, his ears only filled with the rhythmic beat of his heart. His vision was narrow, and everything felt fuzzy, the Firebrand almost fizzled out due to overexertion. Finally, he turned his head to see what was going on behind him, his eyes locking on to the captain's fist. If he could somehow keep the slash from hitting Amy, maybe he could use the Passion to reflect it.
Breathing heavily, Mario's Passion accumulated by his fists, and after standing up, he swung at the captain with all his might.
"REBUFF OVERDRIVE!" Mario shouted, infusing his hands with the vines as Kirby did with his Warp Star. His and the captain's fists connected, fire and light bursting from their touch.
"Hah! You truly are stupid, plumber! You've given me another trophy!" the captain exploded with joy, slamming his free elbow into Mario's arm. Then, in one swift movement, an arc of light sliced through his right hand, cutting it at the wrist.
The disembodied hand landed on the floor with a thunk, Mario's arm going into shock. His legs trembled and he fell to his knees, holding his new stump. As he struggled to form any words for a moment, the captain put his hand to his ear, smirking. "What was that, Mario?"
"A-AH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGHHH!" Mario cried out, the stump covered in a strange, orangish-red slop as it steamed. Like when Luigi's hand was removed, the wound burned, the sheer power and speed of the blades of brilliance cutting immediately cauterizing the damage, his flesh vaporizing.
"A lovely answer," the captain said in response to Mario's shriek.
Amy suddenly came in, tackling the captain. She latched onto his wrists and kept both his arms up, creating an opening for Eight to blast him with magic. Casting Fwoosh, a dense gust of wind blew towards the two combatants. The captain was barely able to move his left arm and deflected part of the spell with his sabers. He was still pushed back, as was Amy, but Eight was also affected, flying back into a corner right across from Mario.
"Ugh… M-Mario…" Eight managed to speak, crawling out of sight of the captain behind a protruding section of wall. "How's your wound?"
"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHAAAH!" Mario continued to scream, the pain unmatched.
Eight looked to the floor in remorse, wondering if this was how he and the other crusaders would be defeated. He slammed his fist down onto the wooden planks under him, cursing those damned swords. Just briefly, he glanced at his own weapon, his face reflected in the polished, burgundy sheen.
"Th- This guy is insane! He… He took Luigi's hand too…" Mario finally used his tired voice for something other than expressing the absolute ocean of agony his arm was in.
"W-Why?" Eight asked, the sounds of Amy shooting ink with her Dualies distracted him for a second, peering out from behind the part of the wall keeping him out of view of the captain. Then, an idea sprang into mind. Grabbing his sword, he reached into his bag and found a vial of water.
"What're you…" Mario fought for air, having trouble breathing as all the adrenaline his brain could produce rushed through his veins. "What're you doing?"
"If this bastard won't play fair, we won't either!" Eight proceeded to give Mario a plan, keeping his voice down so no attention would be drawn to him.
"I never in my lifetime thought a squid could be a match for me!" the captain wiped off the ink now covering his blade, shocked to discover that it being tainted by the liquid impeded it's performance. Grabbing Amy by the throat, he lifted her up and flexed his arm, light flickering as the speed returned to the weapon. "Say 'hello' to the calamari I had the other night, you'll be seeing it soon."
"No!" Mario shouted, a bolt of flame hitting the captain in the back. Amy was released, falling to the floor and coughing furiously, desperate for air. Seeing that the captain's eyes were on him, Mario tried to stand, his left leg wobblier than his right. "Come on, you monster! Didn't you say that you had unfinished business with me and Luigi?!"
"Hm… Yes, I did…" the captain spoke softly, inspecting the scene before him. He couldn't see anything dangerous afoot, so after a quick shrug, he took one step closer to Mario.
"Well, then finish it! I've got nothing left to live for!" Mario growled, pumping his chest out to coax the captain in. "You killed my brother, so go on! Finish it! Finish the job!"
"Heh… With pleasure, fool!" the captain raised his right arm up, his blade shimmering. Lunging forward, he giggled with childish glee, his sword aiming for Mario.
Fwoom! A large flash of yellow light cleaved through the air. When the captain could see again, he found his weapon gone. His right hand had been severed by the start of the wrist, taking his so-called brilliant blade with it. It clattered to the floor just as his previous one did, causing the owner to gasp in horror.
"WHAT?! NO!" The captain screamed, trudging forward in an attempt to kill Mario once again.
Another fwoom blinded the captain, now his right foot cut clean off. Eight, from the corner where he hid, had his own sword in hand. Particles of light fell from the weapon, the hero calling upon the art of Miracle Slash to hopefully put an end to the captain once and for all.
Mario smirked, huffing as he silently relished the look of disbelief in the captain's eyes. "Well?! Do it! I'm right here!"
"Y-YOU! YOU WILL NOT WIIIINNN!" the captain tried to jump, Eight charging up one final Miracle Slash. The Passion weaved around his fingers and became infused with his blade, the weapon going into overdrive.
"Say 'hi' to Cackletta for me, in hell," Mario said, resolve in his voice.
Miracle Slash emitted such a strong beam of light as Eight swung his sword, it looked as if the sun itself appeared in the Bomb Shop. By now, night had just descended on Hyrule, the stars twinkling along the sky as the orange hue of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. The stars were overwhelmed by the amount of light coming from town at that moment, the captain being hit so hard that instead of flying to the side from the force, his body started to crack.
"GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" his deranged subordinate of Shatterhand screamed one last time as his body started to break down. Steam hissed from the exposed valleys in his skin, the same magma-like substance that covered Mario's stump appearing underneath it.
Falling to the ground, the captain's organic form started to turn to stone, the magic of Eight's slash solidifying his flesh and bones. Pieces of him chipped away as his final, dying scream faded into the night, the yellow shine from the magic surrounding him and Mario. The plumber simply kept a smirk plastered along his face, the sweetest sense of victory washing over him.
The captain's form dissolved and crumbled away, the last remaining force from the slash of unbelievable power turning his petrified remains into dust, scattering them throughout the room and falling into the cracks between the floorboards.
Mario's strength had finally left him, his body slumping down onto the floor in exhaustion. Eight emerged from his hiding spot, limping slightly from the captain's cuts along his legs. He turned the corner to check on the others. Amy was alright, as was Kirby, but Eleven had passed out, blood covering his face and tunic. Eight squinted, determining that Eleven was alive, able to discern his chest lifting up and falling back down, a sign of breathing.
"Hey, Mario," Eight said, hobbling over and bending down to help the red plumber up. "Come on, this isn't over yet. We need to go help Link, Erdrick, Solo, and Crystal…" The hero still remembered the agreement. The other half of the team must still be at the castle, battling Shatterhand.
"Okay… Okay…" Mario said wistfully, staring at nothing for a time.
Then, a slight breeze rushed through the building. At first, Eight and Mario thought it was from the door, still open from when Kirby had arrived, but oddly, the wind came from the opposite end of the room.
"What the-?" Eight muttered, seeing the ashes of the captain being picked up by the wind. For a second, terror afflicted their hearts, fearing that somehow, the captain wasn't dead. However, when the dust and grime collected itself by the opened door leading to the street outside, it took on a much more familiar shape.
The spirit of Luigi, holding his left fist up proudly, appeared before Mario and Eight, gazing at them from over his shoulder. The lone brother blinked twice, thinking that his grief-filled mind was playing some twisted, cruel trick. No, his brother's soul really was there, or it at least certainly seemed like it. Nodding gently, Luigi smiled at his family, now able to rest knowing that the one that struck him down had suffered utter defeat. The ghost faded into the night, all of the captain's remains being swept along with it out towards the open air.
"LU-LUIGIII!" Mario cried, freeing himself from Eight's hold and stumbling forward. He tripped and fell over his twin's still-present corpse, baffled. Even if what he saw was only a vision, he believed that his brother was able to rest comfortably now.
Eight went over to Mario and helped him up again, taking him over to Amy, Kirby, and the unconscious Eleven to rest for a minute. They all breathed heavily, tears streaming down Mario and Kirby's cheeks as Amy and Eight looked down at themselves sorrowfully.
"Again!" Landia called out to Empyrea, all four of his maws curling into a smile as he watched her dive bomb the dreadnaught for a fifth time. The dragon decided to push his thoughts about Kirby fleeing the castle to the side, having better things to worry about.
Empyrea swooped up and around the ship, Landia following her lead. The two flanked the bottom right and bottom left respectively to avoid any and all fire directed towards them. Beams still shot out in all directions, hitting the trees, parting the clouds, and fire spreading along the ground.
"Handle the dreadnaught for a moment, I need to take care of this fire!" Empyrea swerved away from the ship, heading towards the growing forest fire. Dust was released from the confines of her wings, shimmering as it floated down on top of the flames, putting them out slowly.
"Got it!" Landia engaged the dreadnaught himself, his rightmost head firing where the large, central window to the bridge was, his leftmost head taking out a few of the turrets still active.
Tilting his wings inward, Landia gained incredible speed, soaring across the width of the ship and going out of sight. A sonic boom ruptured the sound barrier as the crimson dragon flipped himself around and fired from all four heads at once, allowing his flames to combine into one massive, hulking inferno. It made direct contact with the hull, bypassing the shields that were initially a problem for the attackers when they first went up to battle after being shot at from town.
"Any orders from the captain?!" One of the lieutenants asked, frantically trying to fight back.
"N-Nothing but static!" The response he got wasn't comforting.
"Great, I guess this is my problem now…" grumbled the lieutenant, cursing under his breath. Then, after a glimpse of only Landia flew by central commands' window, he noticed that there was no sign of Empyrea. "Where's the Godbird?!"
"Off radar! Probably flying somewhere close to the ground," shouted one of the analysts.
"Hm…" the lieutenant wondered why Empyrea would be going low. The ship's tracking was always confused when targets went down towards the ground. Deeming Empyrea a lost cause, a new idea entered his brain. "Is the Ion Cannon functioning?"
"Uh…" another analyst typed away at the console hurriedly. When a green light flashed on the screen, she leaned forward in her chair. "Yes sir! Empyrea's essence has stopped interfering with the exhaust!"
"Splendid…" said the lieutenant.
Empyrea made another pass along the ridge where the burning trees stood, the orange embers matching the sunset. Her dust wasn't fast enough to quell the flames if she didn't make one last run. Looking behind her at Landia, a bit of confidence instilled itself in her heart as he took out the stern turrets, leaving one half of the dreadnaught without any firepower.
Landia kept taking shots at the ship from above, all the regular cannons too weak for their bolts to reach him. He almost wished he had the Master Crown, as it did give him some power as he held back the rest of the darkness when he still had the duty of keeping it out of the wrong hands.
Then, Landia could feel something different coming from the ship. Shudders on the deck of the dreadnaught and the ones that revealed the hangers opened up, allowing the ion cannon to be seen from its hidden bunker. As it powered up, the electricity in the air was captured and charged. Normally, the cannon was used to interfere with and ultimately disable the systems of enemy craft, overloading their electrical circuits. But, when given enough energy, the ions themselves could be weaponized, becoming so potent with kinetic energy that they could cut through almost anything.
"Uh oh…" Landia noticed that he was being tracked by the cannon, and because of it's round base, it was given almost full 360-degree movement. Parts of the ship opened up to remove any and all obstructions, nothing blocking the cannon's line of sight and thus ensuring Landia had no place to hide in a pinch.
"No, no, no, no…" Empyrea saw the dilemma in the sky.
"FIRE!" the lieutenant ordered. A wide, sheet-like beam fired from the nozzle of the cannon, aimed at Landia. The dragon tried to dodge, but the beam still managed to feet
"AH!" Landia roared in pain, one of his talons falling and landing one of the manmade water reservoirs placed next to the Temple of Time.
The ion cannon fired again, this time aimed at Landia's upper head. Diving towards the dreadnaught, his front facing the cannon, he tried to minimize his visible size to throw off the ships' aim. It worked against the second shot, ducking out of the way just in time, however, a third shot was fired right after, and it didn't miss.
Landia was partially beheaded. While having four collective minds, one for each of his heads, they all worked together to operate all his senses, his wings, and everything else at the best possible level. Even with three remaining brains, the shock of loosing just one made the dragon pass out. He started to spiral out of control, loosing altitude and crash landing in the moat surrounding the gate and drawbridge protecting Castle Town.
"No!" Empyrea screamed horror. She didn't care if her dust was enough to put out the fire, after her last pass across the forest, she veered off to find where Landia had gone.
The ion cannon took one last shot, trying to hit Empyrea, but she concealed herself under the wide canopies of the forest, her blue feathers hidden underneath the sea of green. Luckily, the darkness of the night washing over the land helped her blend in where the trees couldn't protect her, but it wasn't much. With the dreadnaught still active, danger lurked in the sky as the Godbird escaped the forest and searched the moat. There, right in front of the destroyed drawbridge was Landia's unconscious body, half-submerged in the water, the rest of it having evaporated, steam formed from the fiery impact.
"Landia?!" Empyrea touched down and dragged Landia from the moat and onto land. He was breathing, a massive relief for her, but now she was on her own battling that damned ship in the sky.
In that instant, she wondered how her crusaders were faring. The stress ringing in her ears stopped her from hearing any of the fight going on in town. Then, a huge blast of yellow light came from town, catching her attention. Hoping that Landia would be alright without her, she took flight and looked around town, the harsh flash seemingly gone.
"Where…? Ugh, of course," Empyrea lamented that she couldn't find the source of the light, but another sight in the distance helped her find at least one of her heroes. She even witnessed Shatterhand giving chase, but before she could attack, the dreadnaught's ion cannon charged up again, the tension literally in the air. Flying low, hoping the cannon's systems would be disoriented, shame welled up in her heart. "I'm sorry…"
Empyrea needed to take on the dreadnaught alone. Unfortunately, that meant leaving whoever it was Shatterhand was chasing to fend for themselves as they fled. The soft, blue glow of The Passion was hardly visible in the darkness of the night, their blonde user swinging through the trees and into town. Only the moon accompanied him as he panted heavily, searching for his friends.