| GCB Fanfics: The Fanfiction Project |
August 20th, 2003"Bowser, Aeris and Cloud: The Rescue"Part IV: "...And Yet So Far" August 14th - 8:49 PM It had been three days. Cloud had searched for three days for more signs of Aeris' whereabouts, Mario and Sonic helping when they could. But even with Sonic's speed and Mario's knowledge of Bowser, they had found nothing. Tonight, however, Sonic seemed to be a bit more motivated. With Knuckles gone, the responsibility of finding the remaining emeralds came to him...and so far he hadn't been that good at it. He hadn't even known Sephiroth had the last one until that morning. He'd have to worry about that one and Zelda's soon...but Bowser's came first. He had already used his emerald for evil--and kidnapped someone, to boot. So now he didn't even try to let Mario and Cloud keep up. He zoomed back and forth through the landscape at record speed, looking for anything even close to a clue. It still took him a while to find anything...but when he did, it was big. He ran back to his comrades immediately, nearly knocking them over. "I think we've got something over here!" he told them before zipping back into the forest. They caught up to him to find him standing behind a tree, his finger up to his lips. They peered around the edge to find another fortress--or, rather, the start of one. It was still under construction, it seemed. Three large wooden walls had already been raised, forming the outside foundation. Several more were being built on the inside by a team of what looked like giant turtles standing upright. If Cloud remembered Bowser's blueprints right, they were setting up a maze. "Now I know you've seen these guys before," Sonic whispered to Mario. "Think we can drop 'em?" The plumber snickered quietly. "These are Koopa Troopas," he said. "They're like-a the speed bumps." Sonic grinned. "'Speed bumps,' eh? Never heard of those...but they sound like my kind of party!" With that, the heroes sped into action. The shocked Koopas tried to put up a fight, but they never knew what hit them. Sonic revved up and knocked them down like bowling pins, while Cloud used his Buster Sword to bat them into the walls. Mario jumped on one and punted its shell into the maze, pulverizing half the troops and most of the walls. The enemies were at least a dozen strong, but they were finished in less than a minute. Afterwards, Sonic wiped his hands and smirked at Mario. "No wonder you've saved the Princess so many times. Are those the best soldiers grimy green has to offer?" "Not-a quite," Mario assured him with a smile. "You just-a better hope we don't run into anything-a worse!" "Agreed," said Cloud, as he started looking through the rubble. There was nothing worthwhile in the remnants of the maze, but the back room was a different story. There they found a large, green cylinder with a wide rim at the top. Cloud and Sonic just stared in confusion...but Mario let out a cheer. "I take it you've seen this before, too...?" Cloud asked. The plumber nodded happily. "It's a Warp Pipe," he informed them. "Take a look-a over the lid!" Sonic and Cloud did just that, pulling themselves halfway over the thick lining and peering down. An inky, endless blackness stared back at them. "A 'Warp Pipe'?" Sonic asked. "So...we jump in this thing, and it takes us somewhere?" "That's-a right...and there's-a no telling where that-a somewhere will be. It's-a one of Bowser's favorite tricks!" the plumber beamed. Cloud furrowed his brow. Why would he actually be happy about this...? After his first two adventures, he had been ready for another one today, but not knowing where he was going put a hitch in those plans. Were they ready to commit to this? Did he really want to leave his fate in Bowser's hands that much? "Well--no time like the present," Sonic said, dropping off the pipe and looking at Mario. "Lead the way!" Cloud started to object, but Mario was already in the air. "Okey-dokey...let's-a go!" He dove into the warp pipe, an eager Sonic and a reluctant Cloud trailing behind. ---- Cloud emerged from the pipe into one of the things he'd hoped he wouldn't: thin air. He fell into a deep well lit with a dim green light; he looked down to find he was heading for a bed of metallic stalagmites. Mario and Sonic were falling below him, crying something out--and then they were above him, as Mario had pulled out an old cape and used it as a parachute. The mercenary barely managed to grab on to Mario's other shoe in time, and the three glided just over the spikes and crashed into the alcove next to them. "You two okay...?" Cloud asked with a cough as they got to their feet. Mario and Sonic nodded. "So...where are we?" The three turned away from the stalagmites and looked around. Cloud had first thought they'd landed in an underground cave, but that didn't seem to be the case. The ground and the walls were all curved inwards, and they were made up of the same slick, green metal as the warp pipe above. It was almost as if they had stayed in the pipe itself...but the walls were too far apart for that. "...uh oh," Mario muttered. Cloud and Sonic gave him horrified looks. "'Uh oh'? What uh-oh??" Sonic exclaimed. "Well...landing-a here could-a be really good...or-a really bad," the plumber replied. Cloud sighed. "How about you give us the good news first?" "Either we've-a dropped into one of-a Bowser's mobile supply lines, and we'll probably find-a his hideout at the other end-a...or we've been-a dropped into-a the Pipe Maze, and we'll probably never return-a." Cloud and Sonic facefaulted. "...never return!?" Sonic cried out. "You mean you've never been through this thing!?" "No, I got-a through it, after a few, uh, days," Mario mumbled, "but if-a we do get out, we won't-a be in the tournament's-a world anymore. ...we'll be back in-a my world." Cloud cringed. Sonic fainted. "...let's just hope we've found a supply line," Cloud muttered darkly, as he thought about joining the hedgehog. ---- After Sonic woke up, the heroes pressed on and jumped into the warp pipe ahead, having no way to get back to the one behind them. This time, they at least landed on solid ground...but what they saw made them wish they hadn't. For the only other things in the green-walled room were three warp pipes, standing side by side. "...umm, yeah. We're in-a the Pipe Maze," Mario deadpanned. "Cloud...if we ever get back to that tournament, you're gonna get a Bye," Sonic growled. "'Cause I'm gonna rip that turtle's horns from his head and stab him to death with 'em!!" "Calm down, you two," Cloud muttered, nervously. "Bowser's built a haunted mansion and an entire fortress to stop us already. Maybe this is just a replica of the Pipe Maze, too. After all, those troops up there had to come from somewhere, right?" "Yeah...like-a the Pipe Maze!" Mario exclaimed. "...oh," said Cloud, as Sonic shook his head and groaned. "Well, either way, there's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to get through it and hope for the best. "...so...either of you have any idea which way to go?" Hedgehog and plumber shook their heads. "Wonderful," the mercenary sighed. ---- The heroes decided to play things by the numbers. They started with the pipe closest to them, jumping into it all at once. They landed surprisingly quickly on solid ground...or so they thought. Then Mario looked down. "Jump!!" the plumber cried. He dove back into the warp pipe even as he said it. Sonic followed him without hesitation. But Cloud, who was still new at this whole "jumping" thing, had to get his bearings first. And that nearly cost him his life, as the platform he stood on dropped into the chasm below before he could get away. Luckily, the platform Sonic had stood on was still there. He grabbed it as he fell, then pulled himself up desperately before it could fall too. Standing on Mario's old spot, the mercenary set himself quickly and jumped, cursing Bowser for perhaps the hundredth time. ---- "All right, you made it!" Sonic cheered as Cloud tumbled out of the pipes. "We were sure you were a goner." "Thanks," Cloud muttered. "What the heck were those things?" "Donut Lifts," Mario explained. "They make-a nifty platforms, but you can't-a stand on-a them for too long-a." "...why are they called 'Donut Lifts'??" "You've never seen-a one from-a the side before," the plumber said calmly. "Oh. Well. That explains everything," Cloud deadpanned, his eyes narrowed. "Come on, you slo-mos," Sonic exclaimed. "We're wasting time!" ---- The trio's trip down the next pipe was even shorter. They jumped in as one...screamed as one...and jumped out as one, kicking off the maw of a piranha plant four times their size. They dove into the last pipe without looking back; the flower bulb with fangs tried to follow, but its roots yanked it back before it was halfway there. The third pipe warped the fleeing heroes onto a thankfully solid floor. It stretched on for a few yards--just in jumping range of another Donut Lift next to a wall. The fighters marched to the edge of the pipe and looked around; there was nothing above the lift, but they could make out an alcove in the wall far below it. Beyond that was only inky blackness. "Ohh...I remember this-a trick," Mario sighed, smiling. "We've got to ride-a the lift." "'Ride the lift'? What, to the bottom of the pit? No thank you!" Sonic balked. "When-a have I ever steered you wrong-a before, eh?" Mario asked. Cloud thought about mentioning their getting trapped here in the first place, but decided it wouldn't be wise. "Just-a jump when I tell you to." Reluctantly, hedgehog and mercenary followed plumber as he leaped onto the lift. It barely accommodated the three of them together, and it came crashing down sooner and faster than before. Mario pulled a surfing pose; Cloud and Sonic set themselves and started feeling sick. Then Mario braced himself as well--just before the lift passed the alcove. "Now!!" Mario cried, throwing himself forward. Sonic and Cloud followed suit an instant later, just making it onto the ledge. Nursing bruises, but not breaks, the trio looked back over the edge and watched the donut lift sail out of sight. If it landed while they were standing there, they never heard it. "Man...that was intense!" Sonic grinned, bouncing on his feet. Then he caught himself. "Er, not more than the Eggman's hideouts, of course...." "Of course," Mario snickered. "We're wasting time," Cloud reminded with a smirk. The alcove led to a single warp pipe; they jumped into it gladly. ---- The heroes' good mood soured quickly, as they emerged in a room that looked almost exactly like the second one. This time, the three warp pipes were on their left, and each one was higher than the last. "Man...we're getting nowhere, slow," Sonic growled. "Let's split up this time, okay?" "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Cloud asked, thinking of how many times he'd nearly died tonight already. "Actually," said Mario, "he might-a have a point. Some of-a these rooms might not be big enough for-a groups." "Well all right then!" Sonic skipped up to the third pipe and waved from its rim. "Meet you back here!" he shouted as he dove in. Mario followed suit, taking the first pipe in line. Sighing, Cloud took the leftovers, hoping his partners had made the right decision. ---- Sonic emerged in a small chamber with a floor made up completely of open pipes. Before he landed, he thought he'd have to check each one...but then he got a little closer, and realized they were all too small to fit through. Then his relief changed to horror, as a dozen tiny, gaping maws stretched up from them instead. With a twist of his body, he managed to land between two of them, planting his feet on the rim of one free pipe. He took a quick look at the things and discovered they were plants too: dark, round flower bulbs that were smaller, but made of metal. Then the creatures suddenly pulled back--and came back up in the pipes that had been clear a second before. Sonic darted to the side with a yelp, then stood stock still, hoping to find a method to this madness. As the plants traded places again, then again, the hedgehog breathed a little easier, recognizing the pattern. Now I just have to take advantage of it and get out of here.... The warp pipe was out of reach, but one of the smaller pipes could give him a boost...if the mouth inside it didn't chew off his leg. He waited until it was out and biting before he jumped; he landed an instant after it pulled back. The blue blur heaved a sigh of relief as he dove up and out of the room. Wonder if the others had it this easy.... ---- Cloud also fell from his pipe into thin air, but he only had a trio of small orange platforms between him and the void. They were on either side of him--one high and one low to his right, one between them to his left. Too late to grab the first one and too far from the second, Cloud angled his body toward the lowest ledge, landing in a roll. Then he nearly fell right off, as he--not the ledge, he--started to float toward the far wall. Trying not to panic, the former SOLDIER rose to his feet as he moved slowly across the platform. He didn't feel like he was floating; it seemed more like the ground was moving...but it wasn't. Then, just as he was about to fall off, he saw what had happened. An invisible platform, marked only by an outline, had formed around the ledge when he hit, then started pulling slowly away. Feeling relieved, but still not keen on riding out to the wall, Cloud hopped back to the other edge of the ledge. Annoyingly, the first outline vanished, and a new lift popped up under his feet. He looked at the ledge above him; it was a little high, but probably in his reach. Setting himself, he leaped at it with all his strength--and landed on it feet-first, smiling in satisfaction. From there, he repeated the process twice, climbing back out of the room with relative ease. I may get the hang of this yet.... ---- Mercenary and hedgehog emerged to find the plumber waiting for them, tapping his foot. "I was about-a to go in after you," he chuckled. "Hey, shaddup," Sonic muttered, smirking. "Don't you worry about me. Did you find the way out?" Mario nodded. "But we all gotta go at-a once," he added, wagging his finger. "So much for splitting up," Cloud remarked. "Yeah, yeah....Would you quit stealing my moves!?" the hedgehog snapped, pulling Mario's hand down. "What-a you mean, Sonic? I'm just-a waiiiiting on you...." "Oh, don't even start with that stuff," Sonic groaned as they dove into the pipe. ---- The trio fell in a heap atop another orange ledge, this time right against the wall. Just as Cloud had a moment ago, they started floating away--but this time, they moved upwards instead of to the side. "I just dealt with these in the other room," Cloud remarked as Sonic looked puzzled. "Got any snappy names for this one...?" "It's a ! platform." "...what??" Cloud muttered. "No, wait...nevermind. Just...what do we do? Wait until this gets high enough, then jump for the pipe?" "No...this." With that, the plumber stomped his foot...and the outline changed directions, now moving toward the warp pipe. "...you mean I could've just done that the whole time!?" "Probably," Mario said, chuckling a bit. "Yours might have been-a different lifts-a, though." "Sure they were," the mercenary sighed, facepalming as the trio hopped down to the pipe. ---- The heroes stared into the new room in shock. No less than seven warp pipes stood ahead of them. "...okay, I don't care what happened last time--we're splitting up," Sonic said right away. "...that might be for the best," Cloud admitted, shaking his head at the display. "Sonic, you take the left two; Mario, you get the right. I'll take the ones just off center--we'll go through that one together if we have to. We'll meet back here in five minutes, then look for anyone that's missing. Ready?" "Yeah...let's go," Sonic sneered. "I'm-a waiiiiting," Mario shot back. "Just get down there," Cloud groaned, and the three went down the pipes.... ---- Mario knew immediately that these warps were different. He was falling through a narrow well, sailing towards the ground--the dirt ground, not the metal they'd been standing on thus far. He landed with a roll and looked around hopefully...then in shock. He had been here before. He'd landed at the entrance of a small, rocky cave. The ground stretched ahead of him for about twenty yards...with gold coins scattered all around it. Above that was an alcove, also littered with the coins. At the end was another warp pipe...but he didn't want to know where it would take him. This was not the way out. Mario scowled (though he still didn't hesitate to grab the coins). This was not looking good. If Bowser hadn't sent them back to his world, then he at least had access to it. And if this pipe had led back here, who knew where the others would go? And, he thought as he pulled on his cape to fly back to the pipe, how would Sonic and Cloud get out of them...? ---- Sonic had never been a good swimmer. He had landed in the middle of a sea of cold water. For Mario or Cloud, this wouldn't have been a problem--they could just swim to the top. But Sonic sank to the bottom like a stone, already feeling his air supply running short. Luckily, someone else had already been down here. There was a set of stairs leading from the ocean floor up to a small island--conveniently right next to the warp pipe. Sonic raced up it as fast as he could...which was a little slower underwater, but quick nonetheless. He broke the surface with a gasp, then took a look around. Soon, he got the feeling that that "someone" was here recently. Small scraps of wood were floating all around. The stairs were so badly constructed it was a wonder they'd held up during his run. And the gigantic stone Bowser head was definitely not a good sign. "What is with that guy...?" Sonic wondered aloud as he warped back to the maze. ---- Cloud twisted his body to land on a wooden ledge to his left. It jutted out from the back wall of a large, dimly lit room. There was another one above him, which was close enough to jump to the warp pipe from, then two more across from him in about the same formation. What is it with this turtle and symmetry...? Cloud wondered absently. As he looked down at the floor, Cloud was shocked to find this sparse room had an inhabitant. The creature was about half his height, wearing a red robe and a blank-looking white mask. It marched back and forth aimlessly, not acknowledging him at all. "Err...hello," Cloud fumbled, not sure if this was friend or foe. It said nothing. "Where is this place?" he tried again. It said nothing. "...can you hear me at all?" The creature looked up at him for a moment...then started walking again, saying nothing. "Whatever," Cloud muttered in disgust as he bounded back up to the pipe. He knew it was Squall's line...but nothing else would do. ---- Sonic emerged into a cramped, pitch-black room, barely big enough for him to fit into. He crawled forward in irritation, wondering what horrible place he'd ended up in this time...then fell onto a cold tile floor. Groaning and rubbing his head, he looked up to find he had come out of a cupboard. The room looked sort of like the kitchens in his homeland, except that it was a lot bigger and had more machinery. There was no one there, but there was a doorway out. Cautiously, he approached it and took a quick peek... ...and saw the arena cafeteria, locked down for the night. "YEEAAAAHH!!!" Sonic cried, jumping in delight. They weren't stuck in the Pipe Maze! They were still at the tournament! He wasn't trapped in the Mushroom Kingdom!! ...and then a flashlight flickered on, reminding him the place was locked down for the night. Grinning sheepishly, Sonic screeched back for the cupboard and crawled in. As he closed the cabinet door and started back for the warp pipe, he wondered idly why the warp led here, of all places. Bowser couldn't fit in here; he might even get stuck in the pipe. Was he trying to set a trap for them? Was he just having fun...? ---- The hotel the contestants had been booked at came with most of the luxuries Tommy Vercetti had come to expect. It was missing the minibar...but it came with a decked-out lounge, a sauna and a heated indoor swimming pool. It was the latter service the mobster was enjoying now, taking a relaxing dip and considering turning in early. Then a man in red overalls fell screaming from the sky and landed in the other side of the pool. "...Mario!?" Tommy exclaimed, as the plumber flailed his way to the surface. "Where the **** did you come from!?" Mario turned around in a slow circle, looking somehow relieved and mortified at once. "Don't-a ask," he decided on after a moment. With that, he leaped to the side of the pool, jumped off the diving board and vanished into the ceiling. "...I swear...this place is ****ing crazy," Vercetti muttered, climbing out of the pool. ---- Cloud found himself standing on a huge, grassy hill. Lush plants surrounded him on all sides, including sunflowers that reached up to three times his height. In front of him, a grass-covered path ran along, then above the hill, stretching over thin air like a highway...and looping like a roller coaster. In the distance, more hills, paths and loops stacked on top of each other, reaching for the skies in the strangest geography he'd ever seen. Despite the beautiful (if somewhat insane) environs, he saw almost no animals. Outside of a few giant insects flying in the distance, there was just a single crab, walking around as aimlessly as the shy red-robed creature. As it came closer, he found that it was robotic. It stopped a few yards short of him, waved hello, and turned around. "...just...no," he decided, scrambling back for the pipe. ---- The three heroes reappeared at about the same time, meeting each other at the front of the center pipe. "...why are you two wet?" muttered Cloud. "Don't ask," they shot back. "It's not important anyway," Sonic went on. "The important thing is, we're not trapped here! One of my pipes led back to the arena!" "And-a one of mine went-a back to the hotel," Mario added. "And if they led back there," Cloud said eagerly, "then this is probably a supply line. And if this is a supply line.... "That's Bowser's hideout!" they all finished excitedly, turning and diving into the last warp pipe. ---- They came up in another small, rocky cave...but this one wasn't familiar to Mario at all. It was a featureless, dimly-lit box, with a single twisting path leading away from it. Cautiously, the heroes moved down that path, watching out for troops, traps and secret passages with every step. Cloud and Sonic expected to find another fortress, or perhaps a single massive room well-prepared for a showdown. But when they finally reached a corner and peeked around it, they found something else entirely. "I knew it," whispered Mario. "It's-a the Doom Ship!!" They stood at the entrance of a gargantuan dome, stretching out for hundreds of yards. Inside this cave was an airship far beyond the scope of anything Cloud had seen before. The ship was primitive--for one thing, it was made of wood--but still intimidating: cannons littered the top and the sides like confetti, ready to rain destruction down at any angle. Meanwhile, the cabin inside looked big enough to hold a small fortress...let alone a cell for a diminutive flower girl from the slums. But, even to Cloud, this ship looked like a shadow of its former self. Half of the wood was rotted or warped, and several gaping holes in the hull had been repaired very recently (and pretty badly). Many of the cannons were out of commission; even now, more Troopas were working to repair them. He doubted the thing was even fit to fly yet. But, judging by the propellers starting to spin at the back, Bowser seemed to think it was. He didn't stop to think. He just started running. Two seconds later, he saw Sonic overtake him as usual...but this time he was glad. He knew beyond a doubt that Aeris was on that ship; somebody--anybody--needed to get to her, now. Mario trailed behind them, yelling something about a plan, but neither one was listening at this point. Then Sonic wasn't listening to anything at all, as a well-thrown sledgehammer blindsided him from out of nowhere. So determined was Cloud that, for an instant, he considered not even stopping. But then he didn't have a choice, as the source of the sledgehammer--five giant armored turtles riding flying platforms--moved up to block his path. He unsheathed his buster sword and cleaved one apart in one stroke, but the others flew out of range, pelting him with hammers. As he struggled to dodge and Mario raced up to help, they saw a large figure appear on the ship's deck out of the corner of their eyes. They didn't have to look up at it to know who it was. "How do you like my insurance, Cloud!?" Bowser bellowed over the increasing roar of the warship's propellers. "I'll admit, you surprised me by bringing Sonic with you! Luckily, my Sledge Brothers are very well trained!!" Then he looked down at the corpse of the first one with a scowl. "Well, most of them, anyway...." "Bowser, you fiend-a! What have-a you done with Aeris!?" Mario cried, weaving through a hail of hammers to bop their owner off his platform. "Now, don't you worry your pretty little heads about her. She's resting comfortably--in my belly! ...the belly of my Doom Ship, that is!" he added, laughing as Cloud froze in shock and took a hit to the shoulder. "Let her go, you bastard," the mercenary snarled, driving a jumping slash into the skull of the offending Brother. "What has she ever done to you!?" "Save your breath, Clod," Bowser shot back with a nasty grin. "Your precious Aeris is staying on this bird--and it's about to fly!!" And he was right: the airship, unwieldy as it was, had lifted off the ground and was slowly rising into the air. Where it would go from there, Cloud couldn't guess...but it was already almost out of reach. Taking a page from Mario's book, Cloud leaped off of the platform of the enemy he'd just vanquished. He flew at the Brother closest to the airship and kicked off of his head, sailing high into the air and angling towards the ship's anchor... ...and fell a yard short, landing on the ground below with a dull thud. "Oooh--just missed it," the Koopa King cackled (as he secretly wiped his brow). "Have a consolation prize!" With that, the warship's cannons started firing--not at Cloud, but at the cave ceiling. Shots to the middle blasted away dirt and rocks to reveal the ends of two massive steel plates, hidden from the surface by a layer of fake terrain. Then shots to the sides knocked those plates loose; turning on giant hinges, they fell past the airship and into the cave below. Their momentum snapped the hinges easily, and they slammed to the ground with an earth-shaking clang. The heroes dodged the plates, but were knocked to the floor by the sound alone. As they struggled to their feet, the first thing they could hear was Bowser's laugh. "Face it, Cloud: I've won, you've lost! And you'll never see your girlfriend again!!" With that, the Doom Ship soared through the hole in the ceiling and into the night sky, pulling out of Cloud's sight with a flare from its engines. "...you can fly with that cape of yours, can't you?" Cloud asked, frantically. Looking dumbfounded, Mario nodded. "Then take me up there. Now." "But--" He grabbed him by the collar. "No 'buts'! Just go! Before he gets away!!" "He's already gotten away, Cloud," the plumber said sadly. Numbly, the mercenary put his ally down, backing away and burying his face in his hands. We were so close.... Then, with a feral scream, he slammed his sword down into one of the Sledge Brothers' platforms, cleaving it in two. "We were so close!!" he cried, tears of pain and rage forming in his eyes. Sonic, having just woken up, turned to Mario and pointed. "...uhh...what'd I miss...?" Next Entry Back |