Post by bobsnicket on Jan 23, 2009 20:36:16 GMT -5
Chapter 18: Secret of the Room
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{1} The Exile
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A man’s silhouette presented itself out of the mass.
At first the looming shape was just pure, jet black, almost like Mr. Game & Watch. It stepped along the purple swirls like they were solid ground, striding casually until it found a suiting spot. It was a tall, stolid-looking figure, of medium build, its hands buried in what could be inferred by the outline to be pockets.
There was a long wait.
Every single pair of eyes was fixed upon this portentous figure, and not one of them blinked, transfixed in mystification, haunted by the somehow baleful presence.
Finally, it stepped forward again, and then, the altered positioning affecting the angle of the glowing purple light, its features were illuminated.
It was not what they had expected. Not what anyone would have expected. Indeed, who would have predicted such a queer man to come out of such a surreal purple mass—and with an unrevealing smile, even? He was clothed in a full formal suit of a midnight blue jacket and plum-colored dress pants, the two colors blending together like a shadow deep within the ocean and the disturbed water surrounding it. But contrasting both of these hues were a plain scarlet tie as well as his erratic, dark hair—which was tinted with green, giving it the coloration of the blackest form of spinach imaginable, except with a greater richness, sleekness, and sheen that no other living thing could ever equal. It was combed to both sides neatly, split down the middle, but somehow still managed to have a prominent, symmetrical wave curving up and then down on each side like a perfectly rounded curly bracket. Black dress shoes opposed the pearly whiteness of the two white gloves covering his hands, both being as spotless and flawless as everything else about his appearance. The color of the skin on his face, however, was not particularly appealing: it was a faded, ghostly white tinted with a bit of gray and even a tiny tinge of pale blue. Above his pale-lipped smile, a straight, abruptly-edged nose bore the weight of protuberant obsidian-like sunglasses, rimless with very large lenses, completely hiding the man’s eyes, and flashing knowingly from the purple illumination. The head itself was elliptical, taller than it was wide, and narrowing slightly to the blunt point of his bony chin.
And yet there seemed to be something more to him—besides the eerily familiar gloves, besides his strange, omniscient gaze. He could not be described as simply 3-D; there seemed to be more dimensions, more complexity to the stranger than the Nintendo World had previously encountered. It almost caused one to go cross-eyed looking at him; the viewer’s brain became addled by the presence of too many details than should have been physically possible.
No one had ever seen him before, at least not like this, and yet it seemed something deep inside them, unconscious until this point, had been waiting the entire duration of their adventures to do so; this was unreserved, unconcealed. It was truth.
The lips parted, revealing correspondingly perfect teeth, purer than a bleached white T-shirt in a snowstorm. And from that mouth flowed a voice, a voice familiar in that it was by pitch and speaking patterns the very same as Master and Crazy Hand’s, echoing with a deep stentorian power. But this voice also possessed a…musical, lighter tone to it, making each syllable sound like there was no other way it could possibly be said, like in speaking, he was declaring the definition of perfection through sound, taking his time with each word like it was a delicate package to be delivered. It was a voice that seemed to be made for making announcements.
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05 - Birth of the Chaos Heart.mp3
His smile remained between each lip movement, a noticeable firmness to it. “Wonderful! Wonderful…absolutely perfect. I…have waited a long time for this day. And before anything else, I wish to offer the sincerest of congratulations to the lucky contestants in my game. You have all won…a prize. A prize so enormous, so priceless, that will have been well earned by your efforts. I speak to everyone, the entirety of the Nintendo World’s population, but specifically, I’d like to give special recognition to the group of braves who deserve much of the credit. People of This World, please listen well as I greet our heroes.”
Instantly, each of the Original 25 became coated with the same purple force, and, against each character’s own will, was carried steadily through the air with no obvious effort on the stranger’s part, through the transparent walls of the Room if necessary, until all of them were lined up in a cluster before him. Despite their general fearlessness, not one of them felt comfortable with their dire situation, and not one of them felt equal to the man their eyes were riveted to. They could breathe, move their mouths, and make other basic body motions, but their location was fixed, unchangeable.
The black-spectacled stranger continued to smile with enormous control. “What a remarkable thing it is that I, the rightful sovereign of this land, finally get to meet you esteemed individuals at last. From the very day I chose you for the tournaments, I knew I had made a fateful decision, which even now is coming into play. I offer you the highest commendations for the great strains, the extraordinary trials, the rigorous tests you passed and endured to make it here, to earn the privilege of hearing the full truth of the existence of the Nintendo World and everything in it. So now, at the end of all things, I would suggest that you all relax; it is over, the final key has clicked into place, and the fate of my future dominion is sealed—as it has been all along, of course.” He put one hand in a pocket, and with the other reached up and adjusted his sunglasses, which flashed at them as he did so. “Relax, for you will have plenty of time to mull everything over in your minds afterwards, I assure you. And with that, let my tale of revelation begin.”
As the man who claimed to be the ruler of the Nintendo World spoke, everyone listened with the same rapt, expectant attention, the Original 25 more than anyone else. Even those with impatient or prideful personalities did not intervene, including Bowser and Ganondorf.
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“I will have to start far back, before these worlds were created. First, my own identity, something which must surely be chief on all of your thoughts. I was once a human, a mortal like yourselves.” The stranger said this with the implication that he was now neither human nor mortal. “But I came not from a world like this; no, I originate from a dimension very different from this one, simpler and yet superior in almost every way. For, you see, it was from my world that yours was created.
“There was—or perhaps is—a unique group, a team of humans who devoted their lives to this purpose. I was among them, one of their primary sources of the ideas which eventually became this place as we know it. For years on end, these creators and I worked restlessly to design a universe with no limits like the ones present in our own, a universe filled by our own magnificent ideas, with diverse beings that had access to fantastic powers and spectacular locations. By these means, the Nintendo World came into existence, along with each of you. The magic of imagination, you see, was the only form of magic available to us humans, and we never tired of experimenting with the endless possibilities, and reveling in our creations.
“But one day, I came up with an idea: an unsurpassable idea which I knew would enrich the worlds’ ingenuous construction hundredfold. More excited and sure of this concept than anything else in my life, I rushed to the head of our team and presented my idea to him, confident he and the rest would see how much more enlivened it would make our created universe. My proposition was to equalize the opposition, to make evil just as strong and prone to succeed as good, resulting in truly unforgettable, emotional, tragic, and entertaining stories to be allowed. Instead of always causing heroes to come out victorious, why not give the other side the same opportunity, for the sake of fairness, for the sake of balance?
“The team, however, would not accept my proposal, their minds blinded to the perfection of my plan. And for suggesting such a change, the leader not only rejected the truth, but he banished me from their universe to a place where I could not cause any more ‘corruption’ among the team’s ideas—namely, the imaginary world itself in all its reality. It was a cruel and unjust joke of theirs as they sent me away that in punishment for such a crime against their own preferences, I should be trapped forever as part of the unbalanced side, to see if I could fulfill my request by my own hands. So they claimed, in a twisted fashion, that in a sense my request had been granted. Such fools they were…
“Initially, I had been overwhelmed by how different this world was from my old one; almost nothing was the same, and absolutely nothing could quell my lingering resentment for the loss of my previous life, and the disability to exact revenge upon those who had trapped me here. I was literally a mass of pure vexation, so consumed by my anger that for my first years of existence in the newly-born land of Nintendo, I went around discretely lashing out at the beauty of the world that surrounded me, blaming it for my condemned isolation. Only once did I interfere in the matters of its people, in hopes of brightening the prospect of forever living in this everlasting prison. And only one individual of note did I meet, or rather, confront, before my dark age came to an end.”
The man did not look anywhere else to single someone out, simply continuing his history without appearing to give the acknowledged meeting any further consideration. But the one to whom he referred knew precisely who he was, and blanched with shock; yet this person remained silent. There was much more to this to be heard.
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“But after that, my very substance was dissipated until it was no longer material in the normal sense. My widespread particles fled all occupied lands, and forged into flickering shadows which, for ages on end, cast themselves about the universe, causing strife and dissent wherever I went to pass the time and keep my mind off what I truly yearned for. You might be surprised, Smashers, how many fundamental rivalries, antagonisms, and vendettas that originated from my subtle influence. To name but a few, my shadows are what caused a previously content, prideful Koopa to mutate himself through hate, greed, and self-pity into a monster determined to take it all out on the princess of the kingdom.” He nodded towards Bowser, who perked up in a flaring fury at the discomfortingly knowledgeable stranger who had so blatantly spoken of his early emotions. “And it was not through natural means by which a growing Gerudo male, rare for his kind, was taken by a sudden craving for power.” The man acknowledged Ganondorf in the same manner. “Without my involvement, Phaaze would not exist. Neither would humans from Kanto be inspired to form a team dedicated to using Pokemon for whatever means they pleased. Not even Andross would have ever come up with the experimental plans which got him banished from Lylat in the first place save for my careful prodding. The list goes on and on. But you can surely see that even when I haven’t seemed to be around…I always am.
“Then came the Copyright Wars. A time when I was truly intrigued to witness what the Nintendo World’s defenders could do. And I was impressed. The Microsoft and Sony Worlds were held off for a number of years, the majority of the eight-year war, in fact. But once Microsoft let loose its fiercest warriors…the Master Chief…Frogger…Banjo & Kazooie...and Sony as well, Crash Bandicoot…the dragon Spyro…Solid Snake...well, suffice it to say that despite your valiance, I knew it wouldn’t be enough.
“Not without me.
“Yes, it was I! I am the source of that long-forgotten, shady force which drove away Microsoft in the Battle of Yoshi’s Island, leading to the eventual conclusion of the war, the truce which satisfied Sony and at least kept Microsoft contained. So, bitter as this moment may be for some, I hope you can appreciate to a degree the fact that without me, you would be worse off than now. Not that I need your praise, or any recognition. No, what brings me the greatest satisfaction is the development of a collection, a great shrine arraying the marvelous diversity of a universe beyond a creator’s wildest dreams. They had no idea what they had created. But I do. My time among you has given me the most precise of insights into its workings, its locales, and its denizens. Especially the last six years. Even more especially the last six months.
“As for my name, I am called many things: Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Lost Creator, Lord of the Shadows, the Stranger of Shining eyes, and many others—even a human name which I choose not to recall. But you may call me…” The stranger smirked and took a dramatic pause.
“…Master.
“As I observed your efforts, Smashers, there was but one thing I failed to understand; you were motivated by each other, by the protection of those you love, but it did not seem to daunt or bother you that your understanding of why this has all happened was minimal. You were neither concerned nor curious as to why two giant white hands, residing in a giant room, decided to come into your lives and try to ruin it. You forgot that the root of overcoming any problem...is in understanding its meaning.”
The man known as Master raised an eyebrow beneath his dark sunglasses, the action apparent because of the creasing on one side of his forehead.
“Would you like to know?”
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He paused briefly, but the thousands of Nintendonians remained silent. It was an unfathomable concept—to search for the right thing to say to this high-minded being. He smiled widely, and then held up his two gloved hands high for all to see. “I AM Master and Crazy Hand. They are me. My power over manipulation of matter has granted me the ability to divide my essence into any form I wish. My personality was split between my creativity and inkling for destruction, so that both could act to fulfill my purposes as one. Defeating them as you just did, which I will admit surpassed even my expectations, has only forced me to show my whole self. The giant room is an exact replica of the office I lived in as a human of my dimension. With my eternal confinement in the world I helped create, I had to find a purpose to exist, a purpose to drive me. So erupted my passion for collecting, and so began my quest to acquire the perfect collection, and control everything within my reach according to my wishes. With time and space under my jurisdiction, I will unlock the secret of creation…and the reversal of the process. By so doing, I may very well be able to find a pathway back to my old world, and destroy the narrow-minded simpletons who forced me here. But even if not, I will have already reaped sufficient revenge—by ruining their ideas, the way they did mine!”
As he said this last phrase, Master reached into his suit and pulled out a long, resplendent object. It was a rod, a staff, wrought of pure gold that looked ancient but still shone with the brightness of newly polished metal. Master’s pale, grayish fingers wrapped tightly around the rod, no less splendid in comparison. The staff, when pulled all the way out and placed atop the purple substance at his side, was seen to be about a foot shorter than himself, the bottom end blunt and round. But the tip was mounted by something that drew all eyes to it. Four golden prongs encased a glorious sphere, the size of a basketball. This sphere was of clear glass, and encased within the ball was what seemed to be some combination of liquid and gas, electric blue in color and more effulgent than the brightest of Shine Sprites. Its brilliance shone on the eyes of every witness, practically radiating power. A cross of deeper blue, the same midnight blue of Master’s suit, shimmered at an off-centered position within the ball, clearly representing the symbol that marked the Super Smash Brothers. But very noticeable about the blue contents was a flat cut-off about a third down from the top; at that line, the blue suddenly ended, being plain clear glass above it, like a partially downed glass of milk.
Master raised the rod into the air, the light from it growing brighter and whiter, and from the raised tone of his remaining speech, he was obviously in Crazy Hand mode. “So now you know who to blame, people of Nintendo, for your fall, besides yourselves.”
The wind abruptly began picking up, swirling across the entire land, a fell current signifying Master’s emotions. The shimmering ball of light separated itself from the blue sphere, ascending ominously, and enlarged indefinitely as Master caused the rod to pour energy into it.
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(1:05)
The globe dilated to a frightening size, becoming as enormous as the man himself, then a bus, then a building, then the giant television, then the entire desktop, practically filling the atmosphere with its unthinkable diameter. Blue ripples and jolts leapt across the white sphere, their energy contained only by Master’s command. Finally, after it seemed it would rend the sky asunder with its gargantuan magnitude, the rod gave up a last wisp of power, and then reverted to its regular brightness. Master kept the rod raised all the same, appearing to be keeping the overwhelming force at bay.
“The master makes all the rules. The servants follow them. When those rules are broken, regardless of what party is responsible, the world must pay the price. A new era shall begin, and hopefully the lesson will finally be ingrained into everyone’s minds forever that your Master, which is I, WILL GET WHAT I DEMAND! NOW, DIE!”
For some it happened quickly, and was over quickly. For others, however, it went by in slow motion, descending terribly and despairingly upon them.
(Stop before (1:48))
The loudest boom ever sounded within the borders of the Nintendo Universe thundered out as the colossal sphere burst forth, spreading terrible lightning-like tendrils in every direction, across the Battlefields, lighting the land as they went. Upon every body of the Alliance it struck, leaping from figure to figure with jagged precision. A washed out, horrible sound echoed from the Nintendonians like a tsunami crashing against the beach, like a crowd whose volume raised gradually in a perfect crescendo. The brightness of the spreading tendrils of lightning illuminated much of the darkened land, but it was akin to the illumination of Egypt as the angel of death from The Prince of Egypt swept through its palaces, stealing the life out of all the firstborn. The screams of Toads, soldiers, pilots, beasts, and otherwise were caught by the white destruction before they could be fully uttered. Arwings and gunships burst apart in billowing explosions as the jagged bolts passed through them, only adding to the cumulative chaos. No one was exempt: the Original 25 disappeared amidst the blinding, destructive shine; Professor E. Gadd and all the other prominent leaders of the Alliance were consumed; a group of bolts struck down onto the table in the room, streaking through the hearts of every remaining individual.
(1:48)
The chains of lightning did not cease their rampage until reaching the end of the Alliance masses, running themselves through King Dedede, who was farthest away, last. Master remained livid but non-reactant, not a single feature of his face changing the slightest fraction, not even breathing, as his purpose fulfilled itself. The globe of energy slowly shrunk in volume until the last shred of it was separated into a strip of energy which curled into a ghostly white spiral and faded away.
THE END
........of this part.
