Welcome to the first chapter of my Subspace Redux story and my first solo story on Fanfiction. I like to begin each of my stories with a quote from the cartoon or video game the story is based off of. I do this to show that wisdom can be found anywhere if you only know how to look. Enough of that deep stuff, now on with the show. I do not own Smash Bros., the games or the characters.

"It's dangerous to go alone!"

- The Legend of Zelda

Chapter 1 – READY…FIGHT!

This was it. Today was the day. That spectacular day that happened only once a year when the strongest, bravest, and most skillful warriors throughout the land could test their mettle against one another in the tournament of champions. Thousands of spectators were crammed into Brawl Stadium, a magnificent structure of steel and glass that floated high above the forest. They came from all across the land to bear witness to this most honorable display of skill, even if they did have to pay six bucks for a small soda.

Among the scores of screaming fans sat two very special female audience members. One had pale skin and wore a purple and white silk dress with golden thread woven through it. Her face was long and angular, but her blue eyes were soft. A demure grin spread from pointed ear to pointed ear. Her brown hair was done up in intricate braids.

ZELDA

Next to Zelda was another smiling princess with a much rosier complexion. Her pink dress was fringed with delicate lace and a large blue jewel was displayed on her chest. Her blue eyes sparkled with child-like innocence. Atop a thick head of blond hair sat a pointed gold crown adorned with rubies and sapphires.

PEACH

Both royal figures stood tall and regal, away from the rest of the crowd, but they felt just as much excitement as the rest, despite their calm outward appearance. The ruckus within the stadium reached a fever pitch as the start of the tournament was announced. For many, this first battle - the traditional Exhibition Match - was the climax of the tournament and the real reason they had made the journey. Everything afterwards just seemed so hum-drum by comparison. Make no mistake, the regular contestants were good, very good, but they were just regular people. The fighters in the Exhibition Match were something much rarer and much more appealing to the public: heroes.

A fanfare sounded at the far end of the stadium as confetti shot into the air, announcing the arrival of the first contestant. A lone man walked confidently through the entranceway. He was a little shorter than average, but stocky. He wore a plain red shirt under blue overalls and white gloves on each hand. His jet black hair was hidden under a red cap with an "M" proudly displayed on the front. A bushy mustache sat above a wide smile as he waved cheerfully to the roaring crowd.

MARIO

The champion of the Mushroom Kingdom stopped in the center of the stage, awaiting his opponent. He didn't have to wait long before a small speck off in the distance grew larger as it zoomed toward the open roof of the stadium. In flew a shooting star with a little pink puffball on it. The puffball jumped off the star and landed lightly on two red feet. His blue-black eyes were full of laughter and his stubby little arms waved enthusiastically to anyone and everyone he could see.

KIRBY

"Are you ready, my little friend?" asked Mario in a friendly voice, but one filled with confidence at the outcome of this match.

Kirby said nothing and instead did a backflip and emitted several loud squeaks which Mario took to be a yes.

Zelda and Peach had watched the entrances – dramatic as always when it came to heroes – and now eagerly waited for the start of the match. As they gazed down at the contestants stretching and warming up, it occurred to both ladies how odd it was to see two different heroes together like this, even if it was by invitation. Heroes did not normally get together with one another, you know, like friends and just hang out. You could make the excuse that they were always busy saving the world and all that and to an extent that's true, but part of the reason was also that heroes could be fiercely jealous of the places they protected and didn't want other heroes sticking their noses into their business.

While the heroes may not exactly be best friends with one another, world leaders like Zelda and Peach felt it was their duty to create civil ties between the lands and maintain a sense of camaraderie among the different people.

Of course, that didn't mean they couldn't partake in a little good natured banter, right?

"It's a shame that Link couldn't fight in the match this year," Peach said sweetly. "I'm sure he could have pulled out a win this time. If Mario wasn't fighting, of course."

Zelda's smile faded a bit as she looked at her fellow princess with one eye. Link, the hero from Zelda's kingdom of Hyrule had fought – and lost – in last year's Exhibition Match. It had been close. The match had dragged on far longer than any other in memory, but ultimately, Link had fallen to the fiery punches of Captain Falcon. It was still a sore subject for him.

"Well, of course Link couldn't participate," Zelda stated simply. The heroes were on a rotation for slots in the Exhibition Match and Link wouldn't get another turn for a few years yet. Her smile regained its strength. "But you're right, I'm sure he would win this year, no matter whom he was fighting."

Now it was Peach's turn to scowl, but she recovered quickly. "I imagine it's been quite awhile since you've seen Mario battle. Very few can stand against him for long."

"Oh, undoubtedly," said Zelda with a reassuring hand to Peach's shoulder. "Still, the citizens of Dream Land rave about Kirby and his adventures. He must be quite the warrior himself."

"We shall see."

Down below, Mario and Kirby were squaring off. All traces of the jollity they had shown the crowd were gone as they stared at one another with serious scowls. A whole host of mental calculations and scenarios were playing out: What would his first move be? How should I counter it? Should I wait to use my special move?

READY…FIGHT!

At the sound of the signal, all conscious thought left the two warriors and they starting acting purely on instinct. Mario made the first move. He dashed towards Kirby, his fists swinging in wide arcs: a lot of speed, but very little power. They were test punches, meant to gauge his opponent's reaction time.

Kirby didn't disappoint. He dodged every one of Mario's punches effortlessly and launched a counter-offensive. Kirby wasn't pulling any punches, so to speak, as he rained jab after jab anywhere on Mario's body he could reach. His attacks were even faster than Mario's and the famous plumber had to struggle to block even half of them as the pink hero pushed him back to the edge of the arena. However, because of Kirby's small size and light weight, the punches didn't have much force behind them. Another disadvantage was that Kirby's arms were so short, he had to get in close to Mario to attack him.

This provided Mario with an opportunity. Abandoning his defense, Mario reached out and grabbed Kirby by the shoulders…or head…or…well, the guy is round – it's hard to tell. Anyway, Mario grabbed Kirby, ignored his punches and started spinning him around. Kirby was so dizzy he couldn't fight back as Mario spun him around and around until he let go and Kirby shot out through the open roof of the stadium as fast as he had originally entered.

Against any other opponent, this might be an automatic win, but this particular fight was not so easily won. No sooner had Kirby been thrown into the air when he managed to get control of himself, inhale, and puff himself out to more than twice his normal size. He hovered in mid-air for a second out over the edge of the stadium before flapping his arms and floating back down to the arena.

This battle was far from over.

Along with the thousands of spectators in the Brawl Stadium, there was one person who was watching the Exhibition Match from a much higher perspective.

Up above the mortal realms is a place known as Angel Land where angels live. Who'd a thunk, huh? This place is a paradise of marble buildings set amongst snow white clouds solid enough to stand on, but soft enough that they'd put you to sleep in an instant if you laid down on them. The inhabitants of Angel Land enjoy a daily routine of tranquil bliss and peaceful serenity.

"Yeah! Get 'em! Knock his block off!"

Well, semi-serenity. The only interruptions of which were the shouts coming from a grand temple in the center of Angel Land dedicated to Palutena, the Goddess of Light. But she was not the one making all that noise. In the center of the temple was a large chamber filled with thick columns that rose up out of sight to a ceiling hidden within a soft darkness.

Why was a room in a temple to the Goddess of Light shrouded in darkness? Well, this room doesn't get a lot of use. Its sole source of light came from a circular stone basin which held a shallow pool of water. The water in this magic basin showed not a reflection of the chamber, but the fight between Mario and Kirby which was quickly ramping up into high gear. After pulling their first few punches to test each other, both combatants dove deep into their stock of special moves and were really going all out.

Hunched over the viewing basin, eagerly watching the fight, was a young boy angel wearing a white robe and sandals. A wreath of golden leaves was nestled within his light brown hair. The two wings on his back flapped and shook as he cheered for first one contestant than the other.

PIT

"Get behind him! Hit him! Hit him!"

Pit had always been kind of the odd ball in Angel Land. He wasn't content to spend his days meditating or relaxing. He longed for adventure and excitement. He certainly got his fill of that when he defeated Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness and her legions, but that had been years ago.

"Watch out! He's got a sword! MOVE!"

The young angel's eyes were totally focused on Mario and Kirby as they ran, jumped, flew, and punched their way from one end of the arena to the other. Since peace had descended on Angel Land again, it seemed that the only way Pit could get his daily adrenaline rush was to watch the mortals doing the exhilarating and dangerous escapades that he'd never find in his heavenly home. A disappointing arrangement, but he had learned to live with it.

"Throw another fireball! Jump! Jump! Higher!"

He shouldn't be using the viewing basin in this way. Pit knew that. In fact, he shouldn't be using it at all. Only Palutena and her highest advisors were allowed in this room. The young angel just couldn't help himself. Pit so looked forward to the Brawl Tournament every year and since angels weren't allowed to descend to the Overworld, this was the only way to see it.

Pit's brow turned down as he frowned. The two fighters had abruptly stopped and were now just staring at each other. Pit didn't know what was going on, but they hadn't given up, that much was clear. Their muscles were tense, their faces set in determination. Anticipation filled the air. Something big was about to happen.

Mario huffed and puffed as he struggled to catch his breath. The crowd around him was making a tremendous din, practically begging him to keep the fight going, but all he could hear was his own heart beat; a drum pounding out a steady, if rapid tempo in his ears. Kirby had turned out to be a tougher opponent that he had first thought. The plumber had thrown fireballs, but Kirby dodged or blocked them all. He used his F.L.U.D.D. water cannon to push Kirby off the arena, but the Dream Land warrior just floated back. Using Mario's special cape to redirect the puffball's attacks provided a little bit of breathing room, but Kirby always managed to recover quickly. Mario simply could not keep up with the little guy's speed.

Meanwhile, Kirby was also taking a much deserved breather. He had quickly learned that while he might have the advantage in speed, Mario was by far the stronger. The Mushroom Kingdom's hero had been able to block all of Kirby's moves: the fireballs had blunted his sword attacks, that water cannon had prevented him from using his aerial moves, and the cape had even redirected several of his best attacks back at him. That was over and above the punches Mario had managed to land. Kirby's puffy body helped to soften the blows, but they still hurt.

It was obvious that if this kept up, the best Kirby could hope for was a stalemate. Time to bust out his secret weapon. But first he'd have to draw Mario in close.

Taking a deep breath of air, Kirby puffed himself out and floated high overhead. Mario immediately recognized what the pink warrior was doing. Kirby was planning to fly overhead, turn to stone and drop down – a move the plumber had so far been able to avoid. This time he noticed that Kirby was floating up at a much slower pace. This could be his chance.

Kirby saw Mario running forward and inwardly smiled. He had been right; Mario took his slow ascent as fatigue and was rushing to take advantage of that. The plumber squatted down and leapt into an uppercut, catching Kirby on the chin…or the area where the chin should be. Remember, he's round; it's hard to tell. Kirby fell to the arena floor, stunned by the impacts to his face and his back. He sat up and could just make out three blurry Mario's charging at him. Kirby stood up and just as Mario was going to unleash another punch, the pink warrior opened his mouth wide and swallowed Mario whole.

The entire audience gasped as one and Zelda and Peach, watching from their box wore twin expressions of shock and dismay.

Mario saw and heard none of this. He was floating in a dark place, as if underwater. He could breathe, but other than that, he felt nothing. It was if his sense of touch had abandoned him. Then, suddenly, Mario felt a sharp wave of pain flowing through him, as if he were being electrocuted. This lasted just a split second before there was a flash of light and Mario found himself, dazed, on the arena floor. He turned back to look at Kirby and found that the warrior from Dream Land was now sporting a red cap just like his.

It took Mario a second to gather his wits about what just happened. "Did he…Did I, I mean…Did you just swallow me?" This was definitely a new experience for Mario; his enemies had never eaten him before. "I don't even want to think about where I came out."

"How absolutely vulgar!" cried Peach from her observation box in the audience, who considered it the height of bad manners to eat one's opponent.

"Perhaps," mused Zelda with a faint smirk. "But unless I'm mistaken, Kirby has just managed to turn the tide of battle."

Mario – still slightly disgusted by what just happened – wondered just what that move was supposed to have accomplished besides providing Kirby with a snazzy new chapeau. He didn't have to wonder long. Kirby spun his arms like a pair of pinwheels, throwing a barrage of fireballs at Mario. The heroic plumber was so stunned by this that his overalls were engulfed in flames before he even thought of dodging. Frantically patting his pants, Mario took several short hops away from Kirby only to find that the puffball warrior was hopping as well, trying to get closer and still flinging fireballs.

"Leaping Lasagna!" cried Mario. "Now he's got my jumping powers too. No way; that's gotta be some kind of patent infringement."

Kirby was matching Mario leap for leap as both fighters threw fire at one another. The Dream Land warrior was getting the hang of Mario's power fast and decided to try another one of his moves. Squatting down – which made Kirby look like a pink pancake – he leapt up and landed a wicked uppercut to Mario's chin. But, see, here was the problem. Kirby might have had Mario's techniques and abilities, but physically, he still wasn't very strong. The uppercut had connected, but to Mario, it was more like a slap than a punch. The Italian hero was able to quickly recover, bring both hands over his head and deliver a smashing blow that send Kirby crashing down to the arena floor. Kirby was just starting to get up when Mario, still in midair, started spinning around, shot down like a rocket and landed a mega-powered corkscrew kick right on top of Kirby's head.

Not even Kirby's fluffy body could save him from the full force of the blow. There was a flash of light and all at once there was a statue of Kirby standing on a round gold base in the center of the arena. Trophification. Mario slowly walked up to the Kirby trophy and studied it for a moment as if it was a piece of art in a museum. He reached down and touched the golden base which filled with a golden light that spilled across the Kirby statue and suddenly the pink warrior was once again standing in the arena – minus the Mario hat – looking none the worse for wear.

"Heck of a good try, Paesano," said Mario with just a faint trace of a victorious smirk in his voice. "It's been a pleasure battling with you."

Kirby squeaked happily and grasped Mario's outstretched hand. Only then did the two combatants notice the crowd around them was cheering their heads off and not just for Mario. Kirby was receiving his share of the congratulations for a spectacular spectacle. The only person who seemed displeased with the outcome of the fight was Princess Zelda who could not totally hide a disappointed frown as she handed several blue rupees over to a broadly grinning Princess Peach. She smiled down at her champion who gave a happy wave in return.

Suddenly, a loud crackle – like thunder – filled the air and the entire stadium started to quake. Excited whoops transformed into panicked shouting as a dark red cloud expanded above the arena. From this cloud appeared a massive flying ship with bat-like wings, a line of cannon turrets along each side and an angular mask on the bow.

What is this strange ship and what business does it have at the Brawl Stadium? Find out in the next chapter. Reviews welcome.