"Agony and Revelation"

Dr. Horror cackled with glee as he began to outline the first of his seven twisted plans for Link. "Let's start with a classic," he said, gesturing to Grimgold and Stryx. "The old-fashioned straitjacket." Grimgold and Stryx closed in on Link, who immediately began to struggle and yell. "No! Let me go! You're not going to do this to me!" He bucked and twisted, but the two henchmen were too strong. They quickly wrapped him in the straitjacket, tightening the straps until Link was immobilized. Dr. Horror chuckled, clearly entertained by Link's resistance. "Ah, but this is just the beginning. Next up, we have... the sensory deprivation tank." Link continued to shout and curse as Grimgold and Stryx dragged him to a large tank in the corner of the lair. They lowered him into the water, and Link's cries grew louder as he realized he was being submerged in total darkness. The third plan was even more sadistic: Dr. Horror had Link subjected to a cacophony of ear-piercing sounds, from screeching feedback to pounding drums. Link screamed and covered his ears, but it was no use. The noise was relentless. For the fourth plan, Dr. Horror decided to use psychological manipulation. He had Grimgold and Stryx create a fake scenario where Link's loved ones were in danger, and he was forced to watch as they appeared to suffer and die. Link's reactions were intense, and he thrashed about, screaming in despair. But as Dr. Horror revealed the fifth plan, something strange happened. He had Link strapped into a chair, and then... just sat him there. No torture, no pain, just silence. At first, Link continued to struggle and shout, but as the minutes ticked by, he began to calm down. His resistance faltered, and he slumped in the chair, defeated. Dr. Horror beamed with satisfaction. "Ah, yes. This is what I call... breaking the spirit." Meanwhile, at the castle, Zelda was pouring her heart out to the Mario brothers. "You see, it's not just about the movies themselves," she said, her eyes haunted. "It's about what happened to my kingdom... to Link." Mario and Luigi exchanged a concerned glance. "What do you mean, Princess?" Mario asked. Zelda took a deep breath. "It's been a long time ago, but... our kingdom was devastated by a catastrophic earthquake. The destruction was... like something out of a Japanese disaster movie. Buildings crumbled, fires raged, and... and Link was caught in the middle of it." Luigi's eyes widened. "What happened to him?" Zelda's voice cracked. "He was petrified. For two and a half years, he was a statue, unable to move or speak. And when he finally came back to life... he was different. He was haunted by nightmares, and he had... gaps in his memory." The Mario brothers looked at each other, shocked. "That's why you're so opposed to Japanese disaster movies," Mario said, understanding. Zelda nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "I won't let anyone else go through what Link did. I won't let Dr. Horror carry out his twisted plans." As Zelda finished her story, the Mario brothers nodded in determination. They knew they had to act fast to save Link and stop Dr. Horror once and for all.