SSB4: The Stadium

12

Lucas

I look around. Yep, same place as last time. Same dark, scary place as last time.

I grab my elbows and spy something in the distance. A large bonfire, the only contrasted thing among the plain. I approach it and look around, seeing Wario looking up at the sky.

"Wario?" I ask. No stutter? Well, I guess it is a physical thing, and I'm kinda my mind or something now. He looks towards me and almost flinches.

"What? What are you doing here?" He asks, sitting up.

"When I go to sleep, I come here now... I think." I tell him.

"Are... You real? Or is this place messing with my head?"

"I'm as real as you are."

"That's... Uh, Mario! That... Blonde kid is here!" He calls out, standing and waving his arms. Mario looks over and approaches us.

"Lucas? What are a-you doing here?" He asks me.

"I'm... Kinda on two planes of existence. Here, and up there." I say, pointing upwards.

"... Is-a Luigi okay? I had a dream, and he was a-missing."

"No, um... Luigi went missing the day after you disappeared for a little bit."

"For a little-a bit? What do you a-mean?" He asks. Oooh, he doesn't know...

"You're running around up there in black and white, winning every battle you're in."

"That's... That's-a not me." He says.

"I know."

"And what about me?" Wario asks. I bite my lip.

"You're in jail for kidnapping Luigi and Olimar, as well as assault."

"Was this that blue robot and the small link?"

"Yeah, actually. How'd you know?"

"I had a dream about almost destroying Smash as a whole. Then those two stopped me." He tells me. I purse my lips.

"That's... Weird. Do you guys dream about up there?"

"Yeah." Wario says.

"Mhm." Mario hums.

"And they're realistic...?" They nod. "... I think you guys might be able to take over your bodies for a little while."

"My-a 'dreams' normally last for about-a 30 seconds. And then my-a back burns, and I-a wake up."

"Yeah... There must be something that's possessing your bodies or something. Maybe it detects you taking over and kicks you out?"

"That-a seems..." He looks around him at the onyx wasteland. "Pretty-a plausible."

"I think it is." I tell him. Wario shuffles uncomfortably.

"How long do you think you'll be here?" He asks. I shrug.

"However long it takes me to wake up, I guess."

"How-a much has a-changed up a-there?" Mario asks, changing the topic. I think for a moment.

"Not very much at all. Pretty much only you two. You guys, but mainly Wario, are the talk of city. Kidnapping here, stopping a burglar there; Wario's been having strange personality switches."

"I may be a robber, but I won't kidnap. Not without being provoked, at least." He tells me. I nod.

"And I strongly doubt Olimar can provoke anyone." I point out.