Post by bobsnicket on Jun 3, 2008 18:20:30 GMT -5
Chapter 13: The Gathering
{1} A Return to Reality
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/3Kcn-ih-/onette_super_smash_bros_melee/
“…And that’s how we a-journeyed to and escaped the Dimension Conflux with three a-parts of the Power of Dimensions,” Mario finished explaining to the professor while cradling the unconscious Baby Mario in his arms.
The survivors of the previous ordeal in the future Battlefields were gathered wearily (or unconsciously) inside Professor E. Gadd’s lab, and they had just recently been taking turns relaying each part of their strange venture into the Dimension Conflux, from which much had been gained and lost. The professor listened along with Banjo and Kazooie and Mewtwo, the latter having appeared instinctively when his psychologically superior powers had prompted him that the adventurers had returned. The Babies breathed harshly from their future selves’ concerned arms, and General Hammo lay in critical condition in the hospital. Other than that, the original party minus the Hammer Bro. battalion was there, and each took their turn to tell a section of the events, Dr. Mario already having established himself as a definite member of the Resistance and the expert on the Dimension Conflux.
As the survivors talked, the listeners rarely if ever interrupting, they gazed at the complex technological machines and wonders surrounding them: whirring and steaming pipes, flashing buttons and switches, rotating and spinning wheels and pistons, blue, green, and red electricity bouncing inside glass domes, spheres, and tubes, and much more. The background helped set the mood of discovery and bizarre but wonderful things.
“So let me get this straight,” Kazooie said blatantly. “You left with fifty Hammer Bros. and lost all of them? It sounds like they were of no help after all!”
“Well, ac-tu-al-ly, no,” Game and Watch replied. “When we were at-tacked by the vir-us-es, we would nev-er have made it out al-ive with-out their help. The met-al fol-low-ers could al-so have tak-en us out by sur-prise if we had been al-one…”
“But still,” E. Gadd said regretfully, “this is a terrible loss, and we have yet to find out if it will have been worth it. Three out of five isn’t bad, I suppose, but it may be harder with some of the Power of Dimensions working against us…which ones exactly did Master Hand’s cronies make off with?”
“We a-have the Reset Button, the Life Shroom, and the Pencil,” Dr. Mario explained, “and Master Hand a-has the Superstar and the…um…what should we call it…the Smash Ball?” Unsure of what to name the glowing ball, the doctor/plumber went with this simple title.
At this, Mewtwo’s dark eyes burned. “The Smash Ball is in Master Hand’s grasp? This is an ill fate indeed, yet not hopeless since it has been found. Obtaining this item must be among our top priorities. Without the Smash Ball, all will be lost.”
“Hmm…” the professor pondered with his hand on his chin. “Everything you have told us points towards one course of action: attacking Master Hand across the Battlefields and assaulting him in his own domain, in his own fortress. I thank you all exceedingly much for the great asset you have brought to our side through this venture, but now it is time to move on: the time to wage our last battle against Master Hand draws near, and I expect the rest of our army to be arriving soon…”
“Wait,” Luigi said, “what should we a-do with the Power of Dimensions that we a-have?”
“Keep them for now,” E. Gadd responded. “We should not need their use until the battle, and I can not think of anyone else better to use them than the ones who found them.”
Dr. Mario then said, “In that a-case, the Life Shroom belongs to a-you, Luigi. After all, you are the one who…found it.”
Dark thoughts entered into Luigi’s mind, but he gratefully accepted the large green mushroom, trying to ignore Mario’s chuckle beside him. He had resolved to never attempt to jump onto a flag again.
“Before we part, I think I am forgetting something important, but I can’t quite think of it,” the professor said, thinking hard.
“Well, has the Dimension Door been locked?” Banjo asked.
Professor E. Gadd smacked himself on the forehead. “Thank you, Banjo! No, it hasn’t! We’d better hurry and lock that so that no one else accidentally goes in…or out…where is the key, anyway?”
Mario reached into the bib on his overalls and pulled out the shiny key. “Right a-here, professor.” He handed the key to E. Gadd.
“Thank you, Mario. What does the N.D. stand for, anyway? Did anyone ever figure that out? Is it New Dimension?”
Dr. Mario laughed. “No, actually. It a-simply means Not Digestible. If someone were to a-swallow it, it would remain inside you and a-cause all sorts of internal problems. Trust me, I a-know.” Dr. Mario winked. “I’m a doctor.”
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www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/_wFY0Zdj/tournament_mode_super_smash_bros_brawl/
At this point in the story, the goals and visions of the Resistance, no, the Nintendo Alliance, were zooming in on one purpose, and one only: to strike down Master Hand and his followers, forever ridding the Nintendo World of not necessarily all evil, but of evil of the worst kind--one that seeks not only world domination, but control over creation and individuality itself, something not even Ganondorf or Bowser could equal. This coincided with the intent to, if possible, rescue all those who had been forced through the indignity of being immobilized into the form of a rigid trophy.
But of course, in order to fulfill this vision, there were many goals needing to be accomplished to bring them closer to their vision, and many steps needing to be completed in order to reach each of their goals. The goal of sending word and uniting the different regions to assist in the war was now accomplished; now the primary goal most were concerned with was guiding the fighters to the designated meeting place in Fourside City, and training them sufficiently in order to face what they expected to be weak but numerous opponents.
Over the next several days, various things were happening. The weary trekkers rejuvenated from their awkward yet unique mission to the Dimension Conflux. General Hammo slowly recovered from his physical ailments, but he was forever changed; there seemed to be a part of his fierce and commanding personality that was no longer there. Bowser had successfully finished gathering his addition to the army, which was large to behold: hundreds each of Koopas, Goombas, Paratroopas, Hammer Bros, Lakitus, and every other Mario enemy that could be named joined the congregation of Pokemon on the newly-formed barren plain in northern Fourside City. This force, although slightly larger than the swarms of Pokemon, was more orderly, and each unit of a species seemed nearly exactly alike to another.
The Training Dojo continued to buzz with activity and rapid progress, and every day more and more new recruits walked into the lobby and applied for the training. Those that had completed their training joined the ranks of the growing army in northern Fourside, and those who had fought through this entire story up until now and had passed the Intense difficulty dictated, organized, and led the others to provide assistance to those needing it, and to reach the maximum efficiency of the training program.
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/5BQ5EJ2E/title_theme_donkey_kong/
One day, those who watched the city’s southern borders cried out in excitement at the approaching force proceeding from the Kongo Jungle, which was led by Donkey Kong alone; Diddy Kong, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Behind the ape was a not particularly large group of fighters, but one that seemed enthusiastic and ready to fight. There were perhaps a hundred or so monkeys of varying species, the recognizable among them including Funky Kong with a huge pack of artillery strapped to his back, Candy Kong traveling alongside Donkey Kong, and Kiddy Kong, Chunky’s younger brother, piggybacking Cranky behind them. Also among them were other notable animals of the Donkey Kong series: Squawks the Parrot, Rambi the Rhinoceros, Expresso the Ostrich, Squitter the Spider, Ellie the Elephant, and other creatures of these species. The monkeys and other animals, in contrast to Bowser’s orderly troops, jumped and clapped, moving forward like a half-controlled rampage.
The watchers were somewhat disappointed at the lack of numbers included in this small cluster of fighters, but only before, like a great mechanical winged beast, King K. Rool’s flying fortress-like battleship appeared over the edge of the woods, the giant propeller keeping it airborne creating large gusts of wind which caused trees to sway and hair to fly back in the strong breeze. Its gigantic metal hull, shaped in the likeness of the head of a crocodile, was painted accordingly in green and white and red and black. This thing was capable of holding hundreds of reptilian creatures, Kremlings and the like, and as such reversed the feelings of the momentarily disappointed watchers.
DK and the other creatures below did not look surprised, however, and it was apparent that Donkey Kong had managed to strike some sort of deal or truce with his old foe. The battleship and animals approached the city, and after hours of discussing and approving, they moved on through the city ruins to join the army miles away.
When inquired as to Diddy’s whereabouts, all Donkey Kong could say was, “Diddy said there was somewhere else he had to go, and took off with that jetpack of his not long after we reached Cranky’s cabin.”
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/SucpfHyb/king_dededes_theme_kirbys_dreamland/
Within the next four days, two more small armies representing their regions arrived from the world of Fire Emblem and Dreamland, the former from the northeast of the city and the latter from the southeast. Roy, as a lord and infamous warrior, led a three hundred-strong company of swordsmen with another hundred spear-wielding cavalry on the wings helping to speed the regiment along. Each soldier was clad in smooth silver armor and helmeted with the same, and very professionally filed towards the city. It was evident that they would need very little additional training before going into battle.
And Dreamland, coming forth less than a day later, looked to be among the feeblest of forces with so many tiny creatures making up its contents: Waddle Dees and Doos, Gordos, Cappys, and all types of diminutive beings which have been known to grant Kirby various Copy Abilities when swallowed. Fortunately, this company numbered over seven hundred, and was led, of course, by the self-appointed King Dedede himself, who had somehow acquired a new but equally large hammer to wield. The large red-clad penguin, being a witness of the destruction of Fourside City, had not needed much convincing to ally against the ones responsible: he had heard that King Bowser and the Great Ganondorf were among this Alliance, and wanted feel as if he were among the great Nintendo leaders in this effort. To add to this legion, Meta Knight flew with fifty of the surviving Star Warriors of the Galaxy Soldier Army who were in similarity to himself, brandishing swords, axes, or maces, and often being round in shape as well. Tens of thousands of years ago, when eNeMeE, or the Cloaked Nightmare, had been dominating much of the universe, most of these warriors had been destroyed, with only Kirby and Meta Knight remaining; however, as time went on, this organization had slowly begun to regenerate members since Nightmare’s defeat, and at this point had reached fifty capable fighters, which was plenty considering the rigorous amount of training required to become a Star Warrior. Meta Knight’s companion who had perished with Fourside City had been one of these.
Surprisingly, not far behind the legion of Dreamland, at least a hundred mixed Topis and Polar Bears followed from Icicle Mountain on an instinct similar to the Pokemon’s: from their icy home, they could easily see that something was amiss in the world, and had congregated to do whatever was in their power to help fix the problem. The Polar Bears, with their sunglasses and swim shorts-like dress, trudged upright, causing the ground to shake around them with each step. The miniature abominable snowmen known as Topis each pushed a Freezy along with them purposefully, not fully knowing what they were getting into.
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Character Locations
Present Armies: (not a location) Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains
Fourside City: Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy
Messengers: Prince Peasley, Parakarry, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy
: The Shadow Sirens, Shadow, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman
[glow=yellow,2,300]Trophy:[/glow] Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon[glow=purple,2,300]Captive:[/glow] Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda
[glow=gray,2,300]DECEASED:[/glow] The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers
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Eh?
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{2} The Biggoron Sword and Muffins
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/qgQSHkmL/go_kk_rider_animal_crossing/
Luigi lay on his bed in the small hotel room he shared with Baby Luigi and all three Mario’s, staring at the Life Shroom beside him. He sure hoped that he wouldn’t need to use it, although with a war coming up it was a bit too much to hope for that not a single person would be in peril of death. Luigi thought about his long and wearisome journey that had brought him from his simple peaceful home in the Mushroom Kingdom to the ruins of a once-great city on the other side of the Nintendo World. He had never before been outside the Mushroom Kingdom or Beanbean Kingdom except to visit surrounding islands or Rogueport. How had it come to this? He had departed from his home with Kirby and Mr. Game & Watch not sure what to expect, but he had never thought that their endeavor would have to be on such a large scale as to resort to open battle between everything he knew and loved (including many that he didn’t know or love, even Bowser) and the might of Master Hand and Crazy Hand and their followers.
Luigi looked over to his left through the open window to see Meta Knight and his Star Warriors consorting with Kirby. They appeared to be treating the pink puffball with great respect.
“You are one of us,” a dignified Warrior named Sword Knight said reverently. “Ever since you defeated Nightmare, you have been named the greatest Star Warrior to have ever arisen.”
“Indeed,” Meta Knight said with equal respect, although with the tiniest hint of irritability, “you must now lead us, Kirby, against this last and greatest of our enemies. Master Hand has already claimed the life of Blade Knight, and we must avenge his death. We will be honored to follow you.” With that, Meta Knight motioned to the other Star Warriors. Each of them simultaneously made a sort of bow to Kirby, who nodded wonderingly in return, and in one fluid motion, they took off and flew away back towards the larger army. Luigi watched Kirby seem to remember something, and then hobble away.
Luigi’s mind then turned to a completely unrelated subject. For years he had been wondering about his rather dormant love life; Mario seemed to have Princess Peach in the bag, and they were an obvious match, but what about him? In recent years he had begun to take a mild interest in Princess Daisy, who seemed to match with Peach as much as he himself matched up with Mario. However, Luigi didn’t quite feel completely comfortable around Daisy: she was a bit too tomboyish and spunky, while he was timid and humble. Maybe I’ll never meet anyone right for me, he thought glumly. Maybe none of us will ever make it out of this alive.
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Another week passed by, and then finally came the other side of the Mushroom Kingdom’s force (those not serving under King Bowser). As both Princess Peach and the Mario Brothers had not been there to lead them, the Toads, good Koopas, species of Bowser’s army loyal to the Princess, and others merged with the royal guard of the Beanbean Kingdom, and all were directed on their long journey by Prince Peasley. There were about two hundred Beanbean warriors, while the mixed throng from the Mushroom Kingdom numbered to nearly one thousand, for there were many hundreds of species from there which each craved a chance in the spotlight, or at least the opportunity to be in the action. Among them were all of Mario’s old partners from the days of Paper Mario who are not already involved in this story: obviously Parakarry the Paratroopa, Bombette, Lakilester, Flurry, Ms. Mowz, and all the rest.
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/fS9HP_hK/hyrule_field_the_legend_of_zelda_ocarina_of_time/
Further north, on Fourside’s eastern border, yet another host of competent fighters came from the far off land of Hyrule. Link and Young Link had made short work of zooming back to their homeland on E. Gadd’s Poltergust 3000 and gathering all those who were willing to fight for the freedom of their land. There were two hundred each of the Hylian soldiers, Gorons, and even the Zoras (although they generally dwelt in water, they were capable of amphibiously traveling across land as well). Particularly sticking out among the Goron race was the gigantic Biggoron; those surrounding him gave him a spacious perimeter just in case he happened to trip over a tree or something. Also among them were young men who came from agricultural dwellings such as Lon Lon Ranch. The big surprise of this multitude was that behind the representative forces of the traditional Hylian races was a horde of the armies of Ganondorf: Octoroks, Moblins, Tektites, Likelikes, Iron Knuckles, and the like. Ganondorf explained that he had summoned his followers using the Triforce of Power which shone on the back of his left hand; he had ultimate control over all of them, so there was no need to worry about an uprising. The Host of Hyrule, as it was called, numbered well over a thousand.
As Link and Young Link directed the Host of Hyrule towards the other forces, Biggoron stopped in front of them and said, “Link, I have something for you.” He held in between his massive index finger and thumb, like a toothpick, a long, large sword with a two-handed hilt.
Young Link grabbed at it in excitement. “Wow! That’s a big sword! Thank you, sir!”
Biggoron gave a loud, resonating, booming laugh, and pulled it away. “Not for you, young one. For the Hero of Time.”
The older Link gratefully took the Biggoron sword from Biggoron. “Thank you!” he said, smirking at his younger self.
“But I am…or I’m going to be…not fair!” Young Link complained, jumping up and down trying to grab the sword while Link held it just out of his reach.
“This sword is too heavy for you anyway,” Link said with a smile. He gave the sword a couple swings, the blade slicing powerfully through the air. “Here, you try.” Link handed the Biggoron sword to his younger self, who struggled with his tiny arms to lift it into the air, causing Link to laugh. “But be caref--”
Young Link had finally managed to lift the sword, but it was so heavy that he tottered beneath it, and brought it down by accident onto the face of a large rock. With a snap, the Biggoron sword had broken in two.
There was a silence. Link looked at the broken sword, then at Young Link’s guilty face, then at Biggoron above him. “You’re actually the brother of the legendary sword maker, aren’t you?” He said calmly, addressing Biggoron.
Biggoron laughed. “Well, of course I am! My brother had to come after us because his eyes were irritated again. But don’t worry, I won’t charge you a single rupee.” The large Goron then continued on with the rest of the host.
Link glared at Young Link, who was still holding half of the sword. “I hope you’re happy--” He saw E. Gadd approaching with something in his hands, and pretended that nothing was wrong.
“Hello, Link, and…er…Link!” The professor said cheerfully as he approached. He carried another Biggoron sword in his hands unsteadily. “I saw that little incident there, but don’t worry! I found this beauty a little while ago, and stabbed the eye of Piranha Gohma with it, so I don’t think it will break as easily. Take it!” E. Gadd handed the stunned Link the Biggoron Sword and walked away.
“Piranha Gohma?” was all he could say.
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www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/hYD0eC_-/samus_theme_metroid_prime/
Now there were only a few regions which had yet to send forth their support. Another week passed by, but no more came that week except for stragglers from other mainland regions. But once again, this did not worry Professor E. Gadd, for the Outer Islands and other planets should easily be allowed more time to travel from such distant lands, whereas the mainland regions could more quickly move a large number of people or creatures across a great distance. What worried the professor the most was if they were giving Master Hand too much time, and whether they would be able to compose their army quickly enough so as to be able to strike first (even though the first strike had really been by Master Hand, six years ago).
Finally, two weeks after the arrival of the Host of Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom’s support, coming from the south out of the Unknown Land, the muster of the Outer Islands proceeded into the city after a long journey overseas and across land. Luigi was obviously not with them as he was supposed to have been; Toadsworth and Yoshi, rather, were the ones leading the company. There were over 300 variously colored Yoshis from Yoshi’s Island, pushing forward like a moving rainbow. Approximately one hundred and fifty Piantas, Nokis, and other species from Delfino Island joined them. About a hundred soldiers eerily similar to Toads were there as well. The only differences were that instead of Mushrooms on their heads were what appeared to be muffins, coming in assorted flavors including blueberry, chocolate, and poppyseed; also, their skin tone was darker and tanner than that of Toads. These assumedly hailed from the little-known but never-the-less existent Waffle Kingdom. Their leader, the Chestnut King, had the appearance of a large human with an enormous chestnut for a head with black beady eyes, and a crown that resembled a golden muffin. Many strange looks were given to this never-before-seen people (other than by Luigi) and its awkward-looking king.
And from the skies above the region of the city where the army congregated, a massive force of airborne crafts descended thanks to the efforts of Teams Star Wolf and Star Fox, who were among them. Most significant in this large unit was the infamous Cornerian Fleet: hundreds upon hundreds of Arwing-sized units in impressive formations lowering through the thick clouds, dozens of command ships with heavy-duty weaponry descending with them like a flock of organized birds. Along for the ride in the Great Fox were Ness’s friends, Paula, Jeff, and Poo, who had been invited from the city of Onett on planet Earth. Finally, despite the fact that Samus was not present, a squad made up of some of her fellow bounty hunters arrived beside the Cornerian Fleet, each in their own unique spaceship. The messengers had done well to bring even these shady fighters there.
Fox had purposely directed his team as well as Star Wolf to stay away from Dinosaur Planet, otherwise known as Sauria, for personal reasons. It felt good for the team to be once again in action, but while Slippy joined Fox and Falco in his own Arwing, Peppy was now too old to safely do so, so he remained in the Great Fox with ROB the Robot and the guests from Onett; his injuries had healed as much as they were going to, but the old hare was weakened greatly from his near-deadly affliction. Wolf had an influence over a large number of space scoundrels across the galaxy, so had managed to get a significant amount of his acquaintances to accompany him from Sargasso Hideout and to temporarily join the ranks of the Cornerian Fleet.
Of all the other companies of the Nintendo World and Universe, this division struck the most awe out of those watching their descent: so much advanced and incredible technology and machinery gathered together, yet they were there for the same purpose as even the most insignificant Goomba or Waddle Dee.
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Character Locations
Present Armies: (not a location) Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters
Fourside City: Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy
: The Shadow Sirens, Shadow, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman[glow=yellow,2,300]Trophy:[/glow] Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon[glow=purple,2,300]Captive:[/glow] Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda
[glow=gray,2,300]DECEASED:[/glow] The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers
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So what do you think about my interpretation of the Waffle Kingdom? (now that I think about it, I'm not quite sure why I did include it in this story...
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{3} The Return of Shadow
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/QBLHeTgo/type_a_tetris/
For two weeks more the training and gathering of the Nintendo Alliance continued, growing ever stronger and more confident in its numbers. The veterans of the tournament, the original members of the Resistance, and those of the Original 25 who were present began looking towards the Battlefields; for the army was reaching the point where it would be ready for an assault on Master Hand’s grounds. However, at the end of the two weeks, Diddy Kong and the Rito Postman still had not returned, and Professor E. Gadd as well as several others wanted to wait for them before they were to begin the attack.
One day, Ness looked out from the top of the wall of the gate cutting off Fourside City from the Battlefields. As ever, it flashed white and purple, the most barren and somehow corrupt acres he had ever laid eyes upon. Ness had recovered from his long ordeal inside Master Hand’s Fortress, but still was terrified by the idea of reentering those foreboding lands, even with a magnificent army alongside him. Marth, too, was very wary of how dangerous it would be to just charge through Master Hand’s domain with no knowledge of how powerful he had truly become.
But as Professor E. Gadd had explained to the Original 25 privately about a week ago, the last 5 of the chosen ones, so to speak, were in Master Hand’s grasp, and there was absolutely no alternative, no other solution other than infiltrating his abnormally-sized room and rescuing them so that Master Hand and Crazy Hand could finally be defeated.
Ness was interrupted from his thoughts as he gazed into the mysterious plains of the Battlefields, which seemed to him an inevitable snare that had no other purpose than to hand them over to Master Hand. The PSI-competent youth spotted, at least two miles distant beyond the gate, a single black speck against the purple landscape dashing towards them. It did not appear to be very large, but was very quick, and approaching them at this velocity would be at the gate within a few minutes.
Ness called out, “Look!” to the guards along the gate, primarily Toads, and they gasped at the sight of the looming black figure. Two of them began running into the city to alert the professor of this news.
From nowhere, Mewtwo’s humanoid yet catlike figure appeared next to Ness. He turned to him and stared eye to eye, as if testing his mental competence. Finally, Mewtwo spoke telepathically, “I sense a great mind. You are strong in the ways of PSI, I gather?”
Ness nodded hesitantly, still rather frightened of this powerful-looking Pokemon and his mighty aura, even though he recognized the cat from the SSB Tournaments of old. “What is that?” Ness asked, pointing at the oncoming speck. Somehow, despite his fear, Ness knew he could trust Mewtwo with any of his concerns.
Mewtwo turned his gaze to the small growing black figure, and communicated, “This…is a being formerly full of hatred, now only of grief. I would venture to assume that he comes directly from Master Hand’s room with news, although of ill or good, I cannot tell...I sense that we have met this person previously, but he is no danger to us any longer...”
Ness considered Mewtwo’s words, but then was once again interrupted in his thoughts as Professor E. Gadd’s airborne hovercraft landed behind the gate, and the diminutive scholar hastily scrambled out of his vehicle, and came up a small flight of stairs to where they stood on the wall, panting hurriedly.
“Whew…what is this approaching figure that I hear of?” he asked. Ness and Mewtwo simply pointed out to the Battlefields, and E. Gadd then saw the dashing black figure which was now within a mile of the gate, but showing no sign of aggression. “Gadzooks!” The professor instructed the guards to open the gates, but bar the figure’s entrance.
They waited until the black figure finally reached the gate, and when he had, it was very apparent who this person was. With the red streaks amid the spiky black fur and the white boots, Shadow the Hedgehog’s figure could not be mistaken.
“Halt! State your name and business!” one of the guards ordered. E. Gadd watched Shadow with an indeterminable expression from the other side of the open gates, but he knew exactly who this was and what he had done.
Shadow had changed. His black and red fur was no longer sleek, but frizzled and messed up, and he had a deep cut along his right arm as well as a large bruise on his left eye. His eyes had a grievous but frantic look: the passionate flames which once burned within them were extinguished.
Shadow’s voice was weak and croaking. “My name is Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. I was once called the Ultimate Life Form, but can no longer claim this title. Please allow me to explain myself before you arrest me…I have made a terrible mistake…”
The guards looked at Gadd, who nodded and said, “Let him in. But make sure he doesn’t run off while I talk to him.”
“Right this way,” the same soldier told Shadow, and led him through the gates to where the professor stood. They stood on either side of the black hedgehog so he would not try to escape. Mewtwo and Ness watched intently from the wall above.
Professor E. Gadd was calm, but seemed to be holding in much anger, and spoke testily as a result of it. “Now, Shadow. I have let you into this city because I could not think of a sinister reason that you would come so openly to our gates. But that does not mean I trust you in the least; you had better have a lot to say, because unless you convince me otherwise, I’m going to imprison you for the terrible things you’ve done. Do you understand?”
Shadow did not seem offended by Gadd’s harsh words, but nodded as he stared at the ground. Then he looked up at the professor directly in the eye. “I am well aware of the pain I’ve caused. By helping Master Hand to corrupt the tournament, I’ve caused the deaths of dozens of lives, and the capture of the completely innocent. I know this because I’ve seen my old companion Sonic as a trophy back in Master Hand’s room; these things are not what Master Hand promised me when I agreed to serve him, but I offer no excuse for my actions. I see now what is wrong about Master Hand’s desires, and offer only the very deepest of apologies, however little they may mean to you. If you were so generous as to forgive me, or at least put up with me, I would very much like to join the side of the Nintendo Alliance in this last battle. What say you?”
Professor E. Gadd stared long and hard at Shadow, as if analyzing whether he was truly sincere about what he had said. Then he smiled warmly. “I say, welcome to Fourside City, young’un. I can tell that you mean what you’ve said, and I believe in giving everyone a second chance. There would be no sense in turning you away at this point anyways; Master Hand would probably utterly destroy you if you were ever to show your face in his domain again.”
Shadow expressed a look of great relief, and nodded again. “True. But that circumstance may soon arise. For I also come with urgent news. Master Hand’s army is marching across the Battlefields toward us as we speak. They move slowly, but only because of the sheer greatness of their numbers. If you have any sort of army mustered, now would be the time to attack.”
The professor almost wasn’t surprised by this news. He knew that they had spent too much time in preparation. They would have to proceed without Diddy Kong and the Rito Postman after all. “So it is. And there would be no reason to wait for them to reach here; if we are to fall to Master Hand in the end, we can at least preserve what is left of Fourside City by striking his force in his own land. Thank you for this information, Shadow. You are beginning to regain my trust.”
Shadow replied, “Thank you in turn for showing mercy and giving me a second chance even though I don’t deserve it. I am forever indebted to your cause. When will you strike?”
“The day after tomorrow. The Battlefields stretch on for a number of miles, but if left unhindered, Master Hand could easily reach here within the week. There is no time to waste, Shadow. Come with me as I share this news with the rest of the Alliance and explain your change of heart.” E. Gadd ushered Shadow to follow him to his hovercraft. He then turned to Ness and Mewtwo. “You may come along if you wish, Mewtwo and Ness.” He afterwards addressed the guards. “Close the gates. Notify me immediately via radio if there is any news.” The professor and Shadow climbed into the hovercraft, then turned to Ness and Mewtwo, waiting.
Ness began to step forward as if to join them, but Mewtwo halted him with a hand on the shoulder. Ness looked at Mewtwo inquiringly.
“Come with me,” Mewtwo urged. “There are a few things I desire to teach you before this battle the day after tomorrow.”
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Character Locations
Present Armies: (not a location) Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters
Fourside City: Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow
: The Shadow Sirens, Diddy Kong, Rito Postman[glow=yellow,2,300]Trophy:[/glow] Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon[glow=purple,2,300]Captive:[/glow] Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda
[glow=gray,2,300]DECEASED:[/glow] The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers
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{4} The Last Debate
(yes, I stole the Lord of the Rings chapter title)
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/aNdOq3iJ/menu_1_super_smash_bros_brawl/
So it was that the announcement was made to the entire Alliance that afternoon of their sudden lack of time. Final preparations were made: weapons and armor were distributed appropriately, the Training Dojo discontinued its functioning for organizational reasons, and that evening was ended early to be made sure to allow everyone a plentiful night’s sleep.
Early the next day, the many generals and leaders met in a surviving business building near the border of the city to consult concerning various issues. This included E. Gadd, Prince Peasley, Banjo & Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Meta Knight, King Dedede, King K. Rool, Shadow, Toadsworth, the Chestnut King, General Pepper of the Cornerian Fleet, a bounty hunter called Noxus representing the other bounty hunters, Wolf O’ Donnell of Team Star Wolf, and the Original 25 (or 20 of them in any case). The 36 occupants of a spacious room on the 5th floor sat around a large circular table of about 25 feet in diameter. Each had their own chair except for Pichu who sat on Bowser’s head, and Jigglypuff who settled on the table near the map shared by Mewtwo and Ganondorf. Around the edges of the circle were several maps of the Nintendo World and a close-up of the Battlefields-Fourside City area. On the larger map in front of Gadd were small figurines representing each division of the army (a Goomba for Goombas, Arwing for Cornerian Fleet, etc.)
But before consorting with the maps, the professor had something else to address first. He stood up after the room had quieted down, although he was not much taller when standing than when sitting down. E. Gadd cleared his throat. “Fellow leaders, generals, and other significant persons of the Nintendo World,” he began, “I welcome you to this the first officially complete gathering of the Nintendo Alliance. Although Diddy Kong and the Rito Postman are missing at the moment, as you know we have no time left to wait for them, and if they had been here, we would not have needed them for this council in any case.” He cleared his throat again. “The time has come, as war draws upon us, that I must inform all of you who do not already know of a key factor in this fight against Master Hand, and an important journey which has been made to help accomplish this…”
Professor E. Gadd went on to explain the significance of the Original 25, and why they would all be needed if success was to be hoped for. He told them of Pikachu, Princess Peach, Princess Zelda, Captain Falcon, and Samus who were now, regrettably, part of Master Hand’s trophy collection inside his fortress or captive (he added this at a look from Link and Young Link). He explained that this was why they needed to invade the Battlefields, Master Hand’s Room, and ultimately his fortress in order to make success possible. Hopefully once they had overcome the fortress, they would find a way to change the trophies back to normal, and so be able to finally destroy Master Hand and his left-handed counterpart.
The bespectacled leader of the Alliance then divulged why Mario and the others had traveled to the Dimension Conflux, what had occurred there, and what had been accomplished and lost. He called upon Dr. Mario, Luigi, and Popo to each hold out their part of the Power of Dimensions, and told them to use these items wisely to their own discretion. Mewtwo cut in here and emphasized how crucial it was that they recover the two parts which had been seized by the Enemy: the Superstar and the Smash Ball; for with these objects in Master Hand’s grasp, who knew what havoc could be wrought with them.
Finally, the professor directed the council’s attention to the map, holding a long thin pointer with which he could move around the small figurines on the map. “Now, taking all of these factors into consideration, there are several objectives which will need to be accomplished. First and foremost, Master Hand’s armies must be held back so they cannot break through and encompass us or invade other lands. This will be the duty of the majority of our army. Second, we need a force to penetrate to this spot here…” Gadd pointed with the baton at a spot on the Battlefields right below Master Hand’s Room. “…and destroy the jelly-like pods from which Wire Frames are produced. According to our spies, unless we get rid of all of these, Master Hand can continue to reproduce Wire Frames endlessly, and that, well, is simply not a good thing.” He chuckled. “Lastly, and most imperatively, while all this is going on, a fairly inconspicuous company must penetrate with as little loss as possible through Master Hand’s legions in a direct course to Master Hand’s Room, where they will need to overcome the fortress and find a way to reverse the effects of the Trophy-Transformer, as I like to call it. Any questions so far?”
At this point several hands rose at once. Gadd called on the first one he saw. “Yes, Fox?”
“What will you have the armies of the skies do, professor?” the brave pilot asked.
“Ah! Good question,” Gadd said, “but I will assign all of the positions after all other questions are answered. We’ll come back to that. Who else?”
He called next on Popo, who had his hand raised next to Nana. “How do you suggest we go about searching for the rest of the Power of Dimensions?”
“We haven’t any idea who will be in possession of these items, or where they will be,” E. Gadd explained. “Just keep an eye out for them.”
Meta Knight asked, “I have two questions. Do we plan on leaving any defense here tomorrow?”
Gadd replied, “Well, no; the whole purpose of most of our army, as I said, will be to hold them back. And if this endeavor fails, there will be no reason to be defending what is impossible to defend. Does that make sense?”
The cloaked knight nodded. “And my other thought. Forgive me for sounding pessimistic, but in consideration of every possible outcome, who shall take leadership of the Alliance should both you and Banjo & Kazooie fall?”
This created somewhat of an angry uproar from some of the others, but Bowser quieted them all with a deafening roar. “Go on, professor,” he urged with a look of satisfaction.
Gadd did not look offended. “No, everyone, Meta Knight’s question is quite reasonable. Anything could happen out there. And in answer, Meta Knight, the position of leader of the Alliance would then fall to Mario, then Link, and the rest of the Original 25 in the order in which they were invited to Master Hand’s tournaments. Although if any of them were to perish, I know not whether victory would be possible at that point…but anyhow, that’s the way it will work. Others?”
gh.ffshrine.org/song/1319/53
“Do you know how long it takes to recover after being consumed by a shroud of evil purple energy?” However, this came from the doorway to the room, and grouped together in the entrance were the long-forgotten Shadow Sirens, who had disappeared during the tournament over a month ago. Beldam, in front, was the one who had spoken, a permanently nasty grin below her crooked blue witch’s hat as always. Marilyn and Vivian’s dark forms rose up from the ground on either side of her, Vivian’s gaze sweeping the table and stopping when it had found Mario.
A sense of pleasant shock swept through the majority of the table, but Mario was the only one to respond. “Shadow a-Sirens? What a-happened to you during the a-tournament?” As Mario looked into Vivian’s rosy smiling face, the pink curl of hair assumedly covering her eyes, in his mind flashed the memories of their past adventures: the time he had first fought the Shadow Sirens in the Boggly Woods, the day when Vivian had joined his party in Twilight Town, the crucial role she played in the fight against the Shadow Queen in the Palace of Shadow, and the eventual parting in Rogueport, when she had begun to say something, but said instead, “…never mind. I’m sure you and Peach will make a great couple. Goodbye.” During those times he had considered Vivian simply as one of his partners and companions, but now he felt a fleeting whisper of a strange attraction which he had never felt before…
Beldam explained how they had come upon the Shadow Hand in its purest form inside the lobby, but had not been able to escape. “We were plunged into the deepest darkness you can imagine…nothing could be seen or felt; that is, until we felt the wrath of Bowser’s flames and claws, and the essence of our consumer disintegrated from around us. After that, all consciousness left us, and we have been slowly recovering as mere shadows from our near destruction since then.”
“Hmm.” Professor Gadd considered them. “Well, welcome back. Have you heard of what we plan to do at the rise of dawn tomorrow?” The three of them nodded. “Good. Then you are invited to fight alongside us; the armies of the Mushroom Kingdom are in that direction…” he pointed out the window. “…and I believe you will find some old friends there with which you can get reacquainted. Now, if you don’t mind, there is an extremely important meeting taking place at the moment, and it would be best if you could leave us to our planning…further news will be given later today.”
“Yes, of course,” Beldam said submissively. “Let us depart, sisters.” She nudged Vivian, who was still staring at Mario, and the three purple shadows sank once again into the ground and vanished.
www.imeem.com/perfect-blue/music/aNdOq3iJ/menu_1_super_smash_bros_brawl/
The professor turned back to the council. “A-hem. Getting back to business, I will take one more question before we move on to matters of war arrangements.”
“Just how large is Master Hand’s army, exactly?” King Dedede asked.
But Gadd was not the one to respond. “Millions,” Shadow said forcefully. “Unlimited, really, but at this time, that is what we will be dealing with.”
The penguin seemed to shrink in fear. “Mil…millions? Can that many even fit within the area of the Battlefields? How do you know this?”
“Because I have seen it myself,” Shadow said quietly.
“Alright, moving on!” E. Gadd ended the significant but most certainly unhelpful discussion. “If you’ll take a look at your maps…” As the professor began to explain where he wanted each and every part of the Great Nintendo Army to advance, he moved the small representative figurines accordingly. “I don’t think Master Hand has any flying fighters; do they, Shadow?”
But Shadow only shrugged and shook his head. “I only got a brief glimpse; I didn’t see anything in the skies, I don’t think…”
“Hmm. Well, if there is anything in the skies, then that will be the job of the Cornerian fleet. The Bounty Hunters and Team Star Wolf can patrol over the Battlefields, doing as much damage as they can. The Pokemon will be holding off their legions, along with Dreamland, the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser’s army, the Beanbeans, the Gorons, the Zoras, Ganondorf’s minions, the Delfinians, and the Waffle Kingdom. Now before you ask where everyone else will be or complain about where your force will fight,” Professor Gadd said over the protests of a couple in the council, quelling their voices, “let me tell you that I’ve done a great deal of thinking about these things, and I have worked out the best possible way to organize this with the knowledge we currently have.”
The professor continued, moving figurines into positions with his pointer as he went along. “The group that shall penetrate to the external base outside of the Room will consist of the forces of the Kongo Jungle, including K. Rool’s lot, the creatures from Icicle Mountain, the Yoshis, and myself and the former residents of the Isle O’ Hags shall accompany them as well. Finally, the party with the task of cutting straight through Master Hand’s armies into Master Hand’s Room and his fortress will include the Soldiers of Hyrule, Meta Knight’s Star Warriors, the infantry and cavalry who came forth with Roy, and Team Star Fox with the Great Fox. Also with them will be Mario and Luigi.
“Now allow me to explain my reasoning for all of these decisions. The group to the External Base will need an agile and quickly-moving force; I have chosen the many creatures of Kongo Jungle and Icicle Mountain as well as the Yoshis for this purpose. And I along with my second in command will need to go along with them, because this base is where I expect we will find my notorious wretch of a cousin, Professor U. Reeka, and my instinct tells me that this will be my battle to fight.
“The Soldiers of Hyrule and Fire Emblem both have very competent cavalries as well as foot soldiers, and in order to literally cut through Master Hand’s armies, the cavalry will form a sort of arrow point and charge through, allowing the infantry, Mario, and the others to proceed quickly and relatively safely to the Room. But while this party needs to not be extremely large in surface area usage, they need to be as strong and safe as possible, so that is why Team Star Fox, the Great Fox, and the Star Warriors shall need to cover them from above.
“I have one more thing to say: unless I specified, I would strongly recommend that each of you, our leaders, remain with your forces so that we will be able to effectively command them, and so they will have someone familiar to look towards to lead the way for them. If you do not belong to any of these groups, like you, Mr. Game & Watch, and you, Dr. Mario, then I will let you choose where you wish to fight. Now is there anything else that anyone has to ask?”
This time there was silence. The brilliance but high risk of this complicated plan had overwhelmed most every one of the council members, and no one could think of another question besides, “What if we lose?” And they all knew the answer to that.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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Character Locations
Present Armies: (not a location) Pokemon, Bowser's Army, Kongo Jungle, K. Rool's Army, Fire Emblem, Dedede's Army, The Star Warriors, Icicle Mountains, Mushroom Kingdom, Beanbean Kingdom, Host of Hyrule, Yoshis, Delfinians, Waffle Kingdom, Cornerian Fleet, Bounty Hunters
Fourside City: Bowser, Yoshi, Young Link, Lanky Kong, Kirby, Ganondorf, Bomberman, Goombario, Pit, Tiny Kong, Dixie Kong, Professor E. Gadd, Banjo and Kazooie, Mumbo Jumbo, Humba Wumba, Marth, Ness, Pacman, Pichu, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Mr. Game & Watch, Ice Climbers, Dr. Mario, Donkey Kong, Meta Knight, Roy, Prince Peasley, Toad, Toadsworth, Star Wolf, Fox, Falco, Slippy, Peppy, Shadow, The Shadow Sirens
: Diddy Kong, Rito Postman[glow=yellow,2,300]Trophy:[/glow] Pikachu, Princess Peach, Samus, Chunky Kong, Sonic, Wario, Waluigi, Captain Falcon[glow=purple,2,300]Captive:[/glow] Goombella, Toadette, Princess Zelda
[glow=gray,2,300]DECEASED:[/glow] The Shadow Hand, Bottles, Orca, 49 Hammer Bro Soldiers
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I may not have said it lately, but I do appreciate the comments which help fuel myself to keep writing.
OH OH! You should make Ridley, Kraid, mother brain, dark samus, and the space pirates come too! 
You asked for it! 
