He dashed towards his trembling opponent, easily avoiding the green fireball his foe launched during a miniscule moment of courage. Grabbing said adversary by the collar, he roughly slammed him on the blue limestone. The legendary sword Falchion in hand, he placed the weapon's tip centimeters away from his opponent's quivering neck.
"I surrender!"
As quickly as those words left his mouth, the elegant blade retracted, its owner returning Falchion to rest inside its sheath. The tournament's referee, an elderly Toad wearing a white-spotted black mushroom cap instead of the traditional red and white, stood close enough to the battle to observe but maintained enough distance to prevent getting involved. While rule penalties or forfeits were rare in Smash tournaments, missing such occurrences to save a few coins seemed like a terrible idea; a referee easily solved the problem.
Microphone in hand, he quickly informed the audience of the battle's conclusion.
"And the winner is… Marth!"
The blue haired swordsman nodded and extended a hand towards Luigi. Understanding the fight had ended; Mario's brother shook off the majority of his fear and grabbed Marth's hand, accepting the assistance.
A pleasant sight of good sportsmanship occurred afterwards, as both prince and plumber shook still-joined hands. "Congratulations on winning, Marth."
Outwardly smiling, Marth frowned on the inside at Luigi's slightly gloomy tone. "Thank you for your kind words, but don't sell yourself short. You've come a long way since the last tournament. All your adventures must be really paying off."
He wasn't lying either.
During most of the skirmish, Luigi kept his composure and fought with his head. Utilizing his high jumping abilities in conjunction with his green fireballs, the plumber ensured distance between them while putting the swordsman on the defensive. It was only after Altea's prince continued evading his attacks and slowly but surely closing in on his position did Luigi's fear take over. Once Marth entered range for close combat, one small fireball was all he could muster in his trembling, fearful state.
"And you know, this crowd isn't cheering just for me."
Looking around, Luigi gasped, noticing that statement's validity. Admittedly, the number of fans chanting his name paled in comparison to the overwhelming feedback the blue haired prince received, but it didn't bother him. People were not cheering for Mario, for Peach or for Yoshi. Their words of praise were meant for him and no one else.
He had forgotten how great that felt.
A hand clamped down on his shoulder. The plumber peered up and noticed Marth nodding towards him, "Come on. I'll show you up to the VIP room. Princesses Zelda, Peach and Daisy are all there, as well as Prince Mallow."
Luigi nodded back, smiling.
Disclaimer
I don't own anything from the Super Smash Brothers series, nor anything from the games associated with it. Obviously.
Survival Crusade
Invasion
Prologue
By Big-Babidi
Shifting Galaxia into battle position, his yellow eyes narrowed threateningly behind his silver mask.
It all happened so fast. Beginning as a typical day aboard the Halberd, what started as camping out in a supposedly nasty storm became something much more sinister. The ship itself had been stationed near a mass of glaciers and icy mountains, as a small problem with the engines urged the crew to make a landing. Meta Knight decided to play it safe, and preferred flying through the frosty region only after the repairs had been completed. When a snowstorm of epic proportions arrived at their very location, the majority of the crew took shelter inside the ship and any wishes for leaving quickly were temporarily put on hold through the storm's duration.
Unfortunately, with nearly everyone's attention focused on the disagreeable weather, a large mass of dark purple Shadow Bugs sneaked in undetected. The few that noticed… never had a chance to inform their comrades. The purple particles merging together to form Primids saw to that. Once the others did notice, Meta Knight and his four strongest fighters made their way to the Halberd's deck and began annihilating the enemies, the blistering cold be damned. But no matter how many fell, another immediately took its place.
Simply put: They. Kept. On. Coming.
The Meta-Knights fought valiantly, but quantity had a quality of its own, as the Primid's drastic numerical advantage pushed them back. Making matters worse, once the purple soldiers were actually considered a major threat the bridge had already been taken, throwing any plans to counterattack using the ship's weaponry impossible.
All of which had become easier for the enemy because of one man.
A dark skinned warrior, with a head and beard full of red hair. Wearing all black with a blue cape, he had two sheaths at each side, where the swords themselves rested comfortably in his hands. Additionally, blue and golden gauntlets, boots and body armor were worn over his clothes. His combination of exemplary swordsmanship alongside vicious dark magic enabled him to tear through Meta Knight's strongest warriors like tissue paper. A power the blue puffball hadn't seen since Kirby himself. No, maybe even stronger.
The same man on the receiving end of the Halberd leader's glare, the swarm of Primids surrounding him forgotten.
"Who are you? Why are you attacking us?" He growled, his tone challenging.
The man smirked. He saw no reason to indulge this would-be sword fighter all the details, "Ganondorf, king of the Gerudos. All we want is your ship. Everything else is just a bonus."
Meta Knight bristled, though he honestly wasn't that surprised. All throughout Dream Land, his ship had been regarded in either total fascination or intense, unbridled terror because of its destructive power. With a massive size and an arsenal that put a number of spaceships to shame, he figured someone would have attempted to hijack it sooner. Anyone wanting power in the skies would feel tempted by such a weapon.
"Unfortunately, all you will receive is death."
Shaking his head, Ganondorf rid himself of a small patch of snow that settled on his head. He carelessly waved his hand towards the Halberd's leader in an irrefutably dismissive gesture, "You've got guts, but don't kid yourself. Run along home while you still have the chance. A small creature like you has no hope of victory."
If possible, yellow eyes narrowed even further. "You will soon regret those words."
Meta Knight would show him no mercy.
The small swordsman charged, Galaxia consecutively meeting Ganondorf's duel swords blow for blow. Meta Knight swung his blade incredibly swiftly, preventing the Gerudo leader from finding an easy opening even with an extra weapon and a longer reach.
But Ganondorf hadn't run out of options. Not by a long shot, as the red haired fighter quickly sidestepped backwards, evading Meta Knight's rapid slashes. Putting his magic to use, he levitated nearly ten feet in the air. After placing the appropriate sword back in its sheath, Ganondorf raised his right arm and formed a yellow ball of energy in his hand. The simple thought of its destructive capabilities made his lips curve upwards. Without hesitation, he flung the magic attack towards the blue puffball.
Fully prepared for the blast, the masked swordsman vanished with a flourish of his cape. Avoiding the attack resulted in minor damage to the Halberd's deck, but Meta Knight paid it no mind and used his cape once again to rush Ganondorf; their swords clashed in midair. Unfortunately, the bearded king took advantage of his greater strength and swiftly pushed Meta Knight back, making him temporarily lose his momentum. Off balance and flying below his enemy, Galaxia's wielder couldn't react in time to the dark magic encoded boot that planted itself directly in his face, making him quickly crash into the lower gun of his ship's Combo Cannon.
Meta Knight arose immediately, but the sight in front of him prevented him from acting rashly. Unless his eyes needed an examination –and while the kick he endured hurt tremendously, he knew the damage wasn't that extensive– there were two Ganondorfs on his ship. The one he'd been fighting continued hovering above, while another being stood nearly twenty feet from his location. They appeared the same, but this other Ganondorf had two major distinctions: A sinister, purple aura emanating from his entire body along with golden eyes, displaying nothing but pure evil.
Who was that? Where did he… or rather, it come from? Meta Knight kept his eyes peeled during the fight, as he never expected these invaders to uphold any sense of commendable chivalry and allow them an honest dual. Still, he never noticed anyone else entering or leaving the deck.
Just what in the hell was going on?
"You look confused."
Looking upwards, Meta Knight noticed Ganondorf sporting a full-blown grin. "Disappointed is more like it, for you need some kind of pale imitation of yourself to assist fighting in a duel."
The king of thieves only chuckled at the response. "Say what you wish, I read your lies like a book. You're afraid, and not without reason either. I am already more than powerful enough to kill you myself and even if the other is a fake, so is he."
Before Meta Knight could form a retort, the pseudo-Ganondorf took the initiative and charged. Stopping near the swordsman, his leg kicked up in the air and came crashing down at a tremendous speed.
The swordsman rolled to the right, escaping the kick. The sound of a rumbling hiss diverted his attention, however, when the mechanical arm of the Halberd's Combo Cannon extended towards his small body. Upon realizing the enemy had control of the ship's offensive armaments, Meta Knight knew this battle could no longer continue. Fighting the real Ganondorf one on one was difficult enough.
He had to end this.
Using impeccable timing, Meta Knight planned his jump well, landing perfectly atop the mechanical limb. Wasting no time, he launched into the air once again. This time, he poured all his concentration and all his energy into his body as it went into overdrive. An aura that consistently changed colors surrounded his frame.
The Final Smash. His only viable option. Meta Knight had no allusions. If the battle continued he would lose, plain and simple. But Ganondorf was clearly in charge of this invasion. He had to try something –anything– to save his crew, and since the Primids hadn't shown any individual intelligence up to that point, the idea of dispatching their leader became his best bet.
After all, the quickest way to slaying the beast was to chop off its head.
Ganondorf's smirk diminished upon recognizing Meta Knight's dangerous aura. He'd gotten too close to evade. At the masked swordsman's cape flipping, his surroundings faded into darkness. Temporarily blind to the world, Ganondorf only remembered one thing inside the shadows.
Pain.
Incredible pain seared through his chest as he directly endured the awesome power of Galaxia Darkness. The feeling was too strong, as he fell. His back loudly smacked near the edge of the Halberd's deck and was drenched in snow.
Meta Knight landed without injury beside the Combo Cannon, breathing heavily. Eyeing Ganondorf's still body, he could only wait and see if his plan succeeded. So far, little had changed. The Primids' behavior underwent no alterations but the pseudo-Ganondorf only glared in his direction, as opposed to attacking with the intent to kill. Maybe, just maybe, that the sign he hoped for-
The ever growing laughter from a supposedly unconscious man shattered his hopes.
Rising, the bearded Gerudo appeared completely unharmed. He stretched his arms and neck, momentarily disregarding Meta Knight's presence altogether, speaking volumes of his amusement and confidence. When he did speak, it was with contrived awe and immense condescension.
"Ah, a Final Smash. You've surprised me. I never thought a weakling like yourself would have one." Briefly pausing, his tone became neutral once again. "No matter. I've survived worse, and an attack of that caliber obviously sapped much of your strength. Your brilliant plan to win in one blow has backfired completely."
Ganondorf quickly nodded to his counterpart. The remaining Primids surrounding the area dissolved into Shadow Bugs and immediately merged with the pseudo-Ganondorf. The fake king grew to an enormous height, the evil aura encompassing it as strong as ever.
The Halberd's leader couldn't hide his surprise. 'So that's what happened. I knew no one entered or left the dock.'
Unfortunately, he had no time for further thoughts as Ganondorf's assessment was dead on. Using the overwhelming majority of energy on his devastating Final Smash, Meta Knight couldn't evade as the now enlarged pseudo-Ganondorf's gigantic hands grabbed him tightly. Meta Knight lacked the strength to break free, even with Galaxia in hand and could do nothing as the titan of pure evil threw him aside with enough strength to make him soar past the Halberd.
He regained his bearings in midair, but it no longer mattered. His eyes widened in shock upon sighting every single gun on the Halberd's left side aimed directly at his position. Meta Knight had seen much in his lifetime, but the possibility of being fired upon by his own ship hurt him more than he would ever confess aloud.
And dodging them all was impossible.
Before they opened fire, before he would become nothing more than a lifeless trophy, Meta Knight had one last thought.
'Kirby… be careful.'
AN
For those wondering, Prince Mallow is from Super Mario RPG. I'm not sure how important he'll be yet, but there he is. And for those wondering about Ganondorf using two swords, he does so in Wind Waker. Also, as I'm sure some have noticed, Final Smashes in this fic have been altered to being something of a last resort, as using them consumes a great deal of energy and becoming a double-edged-sword. Otherwise, they'd be happening all the time.
I may end up changing the title and/or summary eventually, as I think they kinda suck.
That's all for now. Feel free to review. Whether it's praise or flames, I can take it.
Big-Babidi