Chapter 10 - Cunning God of Death
The dark, gnarled trees of Boo Woods loomed overhead, their twisted branches creaking in the light breeze. The ground was littered with thick fog, and the shadows seemed to dance around every corner.
Mario, Pit, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong moved cautiously through the mist, their footsteps soft against the forest floor.
Pit glanced around nervously. "Why did we have to come to such a creepy place?"
"E. Gadd's lab is nearby," Mario replied, pointing into the darkness. "If anyone can help us, it's him."
Yoshi sniffed the air, his big eyes wide. "Yoshi… (I hope he has something good to eat. This place smells like old mushrooms…)"
Sure enough, a faint light shone through the fog ahead, and the silhouette of a small, rickety lab appeared. They approached it, and Mario knocked on the door.
With a loud creak, the door swung open, revealing the familiar sight of Professor E. Gadd, who greeted them warmly. "Mario! And Pit, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong too!
"Wait, how do you know me?" Pit asked.
"Oh, I used to play Kid Icarus on my NES all day, although I could never beat Medusa," E. Gadd replied, reminiscing over past memories. "Anyways, what brings all of you here to my humble lab?"
Mario quickly explained their situation, telling him about the strange godlike threats that seemed to be pulling in characters from all across the universe.
E. Gadd blinked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "So, you need me to build something that can send you across universes?" he repeated, scratching his head. "Hmm, a tricky problem… one that would take quite a long time, I'm afraid!"
Pit stepped forward, his expression serious. "We're in a crisis, Professor! We need a way to travel between dimensions right now."
E. Gadd sighed, looking reluctant. Then, he perked up with a smile. "Alright, alright. Let's see what I can whip up!" In a flurry of gears, beeping sounds, and whirring machinery, E. Gadd assembled a prototype device with surprising speed. Finally, he held up a small, gleaming machine. "Behold, the Reality-Jumper 3000!"
Mario took the device, eyes widening as he inspected it. "Thanks, Professor. You sure it works?"
E. Gadd gave a confident nod. "Oh, absolutely! But, uh... I'd advise caution." He paused, looking around. "Now, where's Luigi?"
Mario's face fell, and he patted E. Gadd's shoulder. "That's at the top of my-a priority. Luigi was whisked away by a dark rift that-a Bowser summoned. We've lost-a many friends, but we'll try to find-a Luigi."
E. Gadd shook his head. "That's terrible news. But if you're really determined, Mario, you should test the Reality-Jumper and try to find him. Just be careful; it is a prototype after all!"
Taking a deep breath, Mario activated the device. In an instant, a flash of light surrounded him, and he was whisked away, disappearing into the unknown.
Mario felt himself spinning, floating through a tunnel of swirling lights and colors. When he landed, the ground beneath him was rough, volcanic rock, and the air was thick with intense heat. He glanced around and realized he was in a dark cave. Strange, shadowy creatures moved in the darkness, their eyes gleaming red.
"Where... am I?" Mario muttered, trying to regain his balance.
Before he could get his bearings, a loud thud echoed through the cave as a figure dropped down beside him—Mega Man, landing with a surprised yelp.
"M-Mario?" Mega Man stammered, shaking off the dust. "Is it really you?"
Mario nodded, just as relieved to see a familiar face. "Yeah, it's-a me! You okay?"
Mega Man got to his feet, glancing around nervously. "Yeah, but where are we?"
"I don't know… but we need to move. I don't like the look of this-a place," Mario replied, nodding toward the shadowy figures creeping closer.
Together, they moved through the cave, fending off strange creatures that crawled along the walls and ceiling. Mario stomped on a few of them, but they kept coming, filling the air with hisses and shrieks. Mega Man tried blasting them, but the intense heat was beginning to wear him down, causing his circuits to overheat.
"Too... hot..." Mega Man muttered, stumbling as his systems started to falter.
A bright blast suddenly echoed through the cavern, sending the creatures scattering. Mario and Mega Man turned to see Samus Aran, her arm cannon smoking as she walked toward them.
"Looks like you two could use some help," she said, cooling Mega Man down with an Ice Missile. The chill spread across his metal exterior, bringing immediate relief.
"Thanks, Samus!" Mega Man said, regaining his strength. "What are you doing here in… wherever this is?"
"Welcome to Norfair," Samus replied. "I was tracking some strange signals, and now I'm stuck here too. Come on—I'll lead the way."
They moved forward, crossing into a narrow metal bridge surrounded by darkness on all sides. The air grew colder and more silent, every footstep echoing through the empty space.
As they advanced, Mario suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain and was dragged backward, disappearing into the shadows. Mega Man barely had time to react before he, too, was whisked away by a sudden blur, a sharp tail piercing through his armor. Neither made a sound as they vanished into the darkness.
Samus finally noticed their absence, glancing around. "Mario? Mega Man?" Her voice echoed in the silent room as she noticed Mario's lone hat on the bridge. As she looked down, a massive figure crashed through the bridge—a familiar, terrifying figure with gleaming, red eyes and leathery wings.
"Ridley…" Samus whispered, her body tensing as she raised her arm cannon.
Ridley snarled, his claws gripping the unconscious bodies of Mario and Mega Man as he threw them towards Samus. With a shriek, Ridley lunged forward, his claws slamming down as Samus rolled to the side, firing off missiles quickly.
The projectiles exploded against Ridley's chest, forcing him to stagger, but he quickly recovered, his wings flapping furiously as he surged at Samus again.
Samus held her ground, firing a charged shot from her Arm Cannon. Ridley twisted while in mid-air, dodging the blast before his tail lashed out, slamming into Samus and sending her skidding across the metal surface.
Samus barely had time to recover before Ridley grabbed her with his massive claws, dragging her along the bridge. Sparks and shards of metal flew as her suit scraped against the ground and walls.
Samus hit the ground hard, her visor flickering momentarily. She struggled to her feet, firing another barrage of missiles at Ridley, but the dark energy surrounding him absorbed most of the impact.
Ridley charged again, his claws ready to strike, when a sudden, unexpected light burst from a nearby dark rift. Pikachu flew out of the swirling portal like a yellow comet, crashing directly into Ridley's chest. The tiny Pokémon's cheeks sparked uncontrollably, releasing a jolt of electricity that coursed through Ridley's body.
"Pika-PIKA!" Pikachu cried, its electricity surging into Ridley.
Ridley screeched in shock, his claws releasing Samus, who dropped to the ground with a thud. The dark beast stumbled back, shaking his head to clear the static.
Samus pushed herself up, her visor locking onto Pikachu as it landed beside her. The little Pokémon turned and gave her an encouraging "Pika!" before facing Ridley, its cheeks sparking with renewed energy.
"Unexpected, but welcome," Samus muttered, adjusting her cannon.
Together, Samus and Pikachu stood side by side, facing Ridley. He let out a low growl, his tail swaying as he eyed his opponents.
"Ready, Pikachu?" Samus asked, raising her arm cannon.
Ridley roared, his wings flaring as he charged again, his claws aiming to strike both opponents. Pikachu darted forward, zipping between Ridley's legs with Quick Attack while Samus unleashed a barrage of Power Beam shots, forcing the beast to shield himself with his wings.
Pikachu leaped onto Ridley's back, releasing a point-blank Thunderbolt that made the dark creature writhe in pain. Seizing the opening, Samus fired a Super Missile, the explosion sending Ridley reeling toward the edge of the bridge.
With a deafening shriek, Ridley surged forward again, faster and more ferocious than before. His claws slammed into the bridge, forcing Samus to leap backward while Pikachu darted to the side. Ridley's tail lashed out, striking Pikachu mid-dodge and sending the Pokémon crashing into a wall.
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in pain as it fell to the ground.
Samus was on her last legs, struggling to keep her eyes open as Ridley loomed over her. Just as he prepared to strike, a loud crash echoed from behind. Out of a swirling void, the Falcon Flyer burst through like a meteor, its hull glowing from the heat of reentry.
The ship smashed into Ridley with a tremendous impact, sending him sprawling across the ship's surface. The Flyer hovered for a moment before landing with a hiss of steam. The hatch opened, and Captain Falcon strode out, adjusting his gloves with a confident grin.
"Sorry about the rough landing," Falcon quipped, glancing at the crumpled Ridley. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything."
Samus, cradling the unconscious bodies of Mega Man and Mario, stepped toward him. "No need to apologize," she said, her voice heavy with fatigue. "In fact, you might've just saved us."
Captain Falcon gave a thumbs-up. "Oh really? I'm guessing you need a lift?"
Samus nodded, carefully placing Mega Man and Mario inside the Falcon Flyer. Pikachu hopped in as well, but his eyes kept darting to the recovering Ridley, who now growled with renewed fury, his dark aura intensifying.
"Let's get out of here," Samus urged as she climbed into the co-pilot seat. Falcon revved the engines, the Flyer roaring to life as it began to lift off.
But Ridley wasn't finished. With a screech, he leaped onto the back of the Falcon Flyer, his claws raking against the hull. The ship lurched as Ridley's weight dragged it down. The vehicle wobbled, and Captain Falcon gritted his teeth. "Jeez! This guy's relentless!"
Pikachu snarled, his cheeks sparking furiously. "Pika-pika!" he shouted, leaping onto the ship's roof.
"Pikachu, stay inside!" Samus called, but Pikachu ignored her, his determination blazing.
Ridley roared as Pikachu launched a Volt Tackle, slamming into his chest and forcing him to release the ship momentarily. Pikachu landed on the Flyer's roof, panting but standing his ground.
Ridley recovered quickly, his wings flaring as he surged toward Pikachu. The two clashed in a flurry of claws and electricity. Pikachu darted and dodged, firing Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt, but Ridley's dark aura absorbed the attacks like a shield.
A swipe of Ridley's claw sent Pikachu tumbling, and he barely caught himself on the edge of the Flyer. Samus emerged from the hatch, her Arm Cannon raised. "I told you to stay inside!" she shouted, firing a series of missiles at Ridley.
Ridley turned his attention to Samus, his tail whipping forward and striking her, sending her to her knees. Her energy reserves were depleted, her suit flickering and sparking.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, rushing back to Samus's side. As he did, Ridley's tail struck him hard, sending him sprawling. A small, glowing object rolled out of Pikachu's pouch: a Pikanium Z.
"What... what's this?" she asked, confused.
Pikachu gave a determined nod and signaled for her to throw him toward Ridley.
"Alright, I hope you know what you're doing." With her remaining strength, Samus grabbed Pikachu and hurled him with precision straight toward Ridley. The Z-Crystal glowed, and Pikachu's body surged with an intense golden light.
"PIIIIIKAAAAA-CHUUUUUUUU!" Pikachu screamed, his body transforming into a blinding streak of energy as he unleashed Catastropika.
The electric comet slammed into Ridley with explosive force, the resulting shockwave rattling the Falcon Flyer and lighting up the sky. The entire area shook with the explosion, a blinding burst of electricity engulfing everything.
As the light faded, an eerie silence settled over the scene, leaving the fates of the heroes and Ridley uncertain, obscured in the lingering electric haze.