Super Smash Brothers, along with the various characters, games, and worlds represented within it, are not owned in any part by me or my co-writer.
Heyo! Newish writer on the block who's partnering with a good friend of mine to bring about a hopefully enjoyable Smash story. Let's jump right in.
Couple of "ground rules" on the story:
The two of us decided that we'd prefer this story to be in canon of Nintendo games and not in Smash, so the events of Subspace Emissary never happened and characters are used and judged based off their abilities in their home games and not Smash (ex. Ness can't use PSI/PK Fire or PSI/PK Thunder)
One of the characters in this story is a self insert (not of me but of co-writer), and while that may turn off some people to the story, we needed a way to include Miis and we felt this was the best way possible. Trust us, it's (hopefully) not going to turn out poorly at all.
We also agreed on no third party characters, the reason being we wanted to expand and focus solely on the Nintendo universe. If we went into third party worlds then our options would become too plentiful and it could become far too difficult to keep track of everything. Sorry if you were really looking forward to Sonic or Mega Man.
Any Nintendo character that appeared in any Smash Brothers as a playable character will appear here in some shape or form, and no it won't just be a dumb cameo for any of them (yes, this includes Wolf, Pichu, Ice Climbers etc.).
Finally, as mentioned, I'm co-writing this with my good friend Shuckle Master, who will be posting this on AOOO under the profile name of PlegianGengar. If you'd like, you can check it out there, too!
With that now out of the way, we bring to you, The Smash Chronicles!
00000
Gerudo Desert had always been notorious for the brutal conditions to all who dared to enter. The hot and unbearable weather, the steep and difficult to traverse terrain, the frequent gusts of sand blowing in the faces of unwary travelers when they fell for one of the desert's notorious mirages. But to the being under the green cloak, none of it seemed to matter. It was a rather short being, but it carried itself with purpose as it flew over the sandy dunes. From beneath the cloak, two neon eyes shone without even a wink of expression, and underneath its mechanical base it carried a large round bomb with a large 'X' emblazoned on the center.
Despite the aforementioned harsh conditions, Gerudo desert was not completely uninhabited. Gerudo's namesake, the warriors of the desert, could be found in a fortress that they had constructed themselves as a sort of base of operations. When the being in the green cloak arrived at its borders, they didn't slow in the face of what many considered to be certain peril, and floated down, ignoring the guards leveling their weapons and growling amongst themselves.
The Gerudo were unique as a female only race, the birth rate of a male so rare that one could only be expected to be born every hundred years. Their skin was tanned by the hot desert air and their hair was red to contrast it. They wore light clothing that wouldn't restrict their movement in combat; little else mattered to them but strength, a fact evident by their many weapons and well conditioned bodies.
The hooded figure's destination was the fortress itself, which stood stalwart and intimidating yet crude and shabby; the Gerudo didn't seem very interested in decoration. The hooded figure didn't stop at the whistling that ordered the Gerudo to mobilize, but they did glance at the two witches circling in the sky like vultures.
What finally stopped the figure's flight pattern were the warriors surrounding him, leaping off their towers and leveling their weapons. They held spears and swords made from the finest gold and steel. A few archers even took aim from their vantage points, ready to let loose with arrows whenever necessary.
One Gerudo, clearly one of high rank judging by her fancier attire, stepped forward, twirling a sword bigger than the figure's entire body. She had a more playful aura than her subordinates, and she wore a predatory smile on her face.
"We've given you fair warning." She spoke in heavy accent, though she spoke it quite well. "We will not give you another. Leave this place at once or state your business. Be warned, if you waste our time you will regret it."
"I have no intention of wasting your time, milady," the hooded figure said with a deep, respectful bow. They spoke with a disguised male voice, vaguely robotic. "I wish to speak with your king. I believe there are...mutual benefits we could share if we worked together."
"Demanding an audience with our ruler is as rude as knocking down our door!" The Gerudo snarled in response. "If you do not prove yourself you will learn your place! Aveil!"
"With pleasure!" the woman next to her said, a wicked grin on her face. She sprinted through the sand, spinning two swords in her hands as she lunged for the figure in the green robes.
The being in the cloak's eyes flashed, jerking into motion and shooting a laser bolt that struck Aveil before she could close half the distance. The Gerudo fell with a strangled cry, hitting the sand in a roll and clutching the spot where the beam had hit her. She did not rise to attack again.
"I did not kill her," the figure replied as the Gerudo muttered in shock. "But, I'd rather I not repeat myself. I wouldn't want to waste your time, after all."
The Gerudo leader looked perplexed, before shaking her head as she stood up and faced the cloaked figure once more. "Why do you wish to speak to him? What could you possibly know about him?"
"It's in regards to the gaping wound in his chest that he no doubt refuses to talk about," the figure replied, causing the women around him to gasp.
"Well, you've proved yourself capable at the very least," she said, dropping her sword. She gestured to the entrance of the fortress. "But know that our king is less kind to intruders than ourselves."
"Thank you very much," the figure said as two guards ushered him towards the fortress. Aveil struggled to her feet, wiping the tears of pain in her eyes. The Gerudo leader did not move to help her to her feet; Aveil would have taken it as an insult.
"We could have taken him, Nabooru," Aveil said with a growl of frustration. "Why did you let him go?"
"He's different than most intruders," Nabooru said after a moment of hesitation. "Perhaps we could have beaten him, but he knows something we don't. Something our king doesn't know."
"And if he's a threat?" Aveil asked.
"Ganondorf will execute him," Nabooru said with a shrug. "He may have proven himself capable, but no one in existence is as powerful as our king."
00000
Like a stereotypical king upon his throne, Ganondorf Dragmire was sitting on what was easily the most expensive piece of furniture in the tired fortress. A lavish and large chair, made from the finest gold mined from the desert he had always called his home, with the back containing an intricate mosaic tiled by emeralds obtained before the Gerudo closed themselves off from foreigners. Leaning his head against his fist, he watched the hooded figure enter and approach with reverence. Unlike his sisters, he wore a full set of black armor that failed to hide the glowing wound above his breast, the sign that he had been stabbed by a holy weapon. That weapon in question was leaning against his chair in arm's reach should he ever feel the need to "greet" a guest, though he didn't seem bothered to reach it in face of the intruder.
His two surrogate mothers, Koume and Kotake, descended to either side of the king of thieves. They both cast shrewd looks at the mysterious figure, ready to attack with their powerful magic if they displayed any threat to their king.
"Can I help you?" Ganondorf drawled. He couldn't be bothered with the trespasser today. Not when he had much more important things to worry about. Perhaps he'd even let them live if they weren't too obnoxious.
"My lord," the figure said with a deep bow. "You need not trouble yourself with me personally, but I believe my master has had business with you in the past."
"Oh?" Ganondorf said with mild interest. "Get on with it, then. I'm busy, and if this isn't something worth talking about I'm turning you into a new suit of armor."
"You were scheduled to be executed, were you not?" the figure asked, his glowing yellow eyes fixated on the warlock in front of him. "You rather impressively survived the sword thrust through your chest, broke through the chains holding you down with ease, and murdered one of the executioners with your bare hands. In retaliation, those that remained prepared to banish you to the Twilight Realm. But that's not where you ended up, is it?"
This finally got a reaction from the seemingly apathetic Gerudo, and he stiffened in his seat. Though he showed no outward emotion on his face, the hooded figure felt an iota of pride at the thought of getting underneath Ganondorf's skin.
Koume and Kotake rose their wands at their son's reaction, but Ganondorf raised a hand to stop them. Instead, he reached for the sword at his side, unsheathing it and slamming it into the stone with a loud clang.
"With this very blade," Ganondorf said, his face contorted into a snarl. "So you know why I was brought here, then. You have answers that I demand to hear."
"Of course," the hooded figure said, careful to keep his tone light. "It's precisely why I'm here anyway."
He would be a fool to not notice the Gerudo guards that decided to block his exit, brandishing their spears and speaking in whispers. Still, he had no fear when he spoke to their leader, even as he silently watched the troops mobilize.
"Forgive me if I don't explain this well, I'm still new to this thinking myself," he admitted. "The land of Hyrule is but a tile in a mosaic of dimensions. My master flows between each of these dimensions, and plans to rule over all of it. Like a puppeteer, he is dragging worlds of his choice together, gathering his enemies and future allies for an easy victory."
"And the gods won't prevent this?" Ganondorf asked, his expression unreadable. "Normally they stay directly out of the affairs of mortals, but if what you claim is true then your master seems to be on the same plane as the gods themselves."
"The gods' hands are tied," the hooded figure said in a plain tone, making it sound like Ganondorf's question was trivial. "My master has unleashed a monster beyond comprehension upon them. They will not interfere with our conquest directly."
Ganondorf took a long time to think.
"Why are you telling me this?" Ganondorf asked. "What exactly is your interest in me? Why did your master change my destination and send me back to my old fortress? What does he hope to gain?"
"We know of your power," the hooded figure said. "We understand your connection to the Triforce of Power, and the extent of your potential if you access the Sacred Realm. We would like to recruit you, and use you to further our goals."
"And what's in it for me?" Ganondorf asked, raising his sword and pointing it at the figure. Koume and Kotake raised their wands once more, lighting them with magic power. "What should stop me from slaying you here and declaring war on your 'master?'"
"We would offer you power beyond anything you could imagine," the hooded figure said. "You would have free dominion over much more than this world you wish to conquer. You would become commander of our many armies, demanding respect and fear over whatever land you tread. There is nothing more fulfilling than being a part of something greater than yourself, yes?"
Ganondorf went to speak but seemed to change his mind. He lowered his sword, prompting the two witches to do the same with their wands. "...and I would be granted the full extent of the Triforce?" Ganondorf finally said.
"Of course," the hooded figure said.
"Very well," Ganondorf said, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "You've given me much to think about. Before I decide anything, though, you would show me proof of your claims. This better not be a waste of my time."
"Of course," the hooded figure said, bowing once again. "I will return tomorrow with the means of speaking with my master directly."
Ganondorf nodded, and the hooded figure moved to leave. Ganondorf stopped him.
"I would have your name before your departure," Ganondorf said. "You have mine, it's only fair."
"I have no name," the hooded figure said with a sad sigh. "I'm just a minister of ancient times. Call me what you like."
With that, the Ancient Minister flew away, the Gerudo guards relenting in letting him leave.
When they were sure the minister was gone, Ganondorf rose from his seat and looked down down at his unsheathed sword. The cool grin was still on his face, and he began to chuckle uncontrollably. Koume and Kotake exchanged a nervous glance.
"Milord, perhaps you should reconsider," Koume said as she and her sister circled around Ganondorf. "After all, it said that it is you who will lead us in our victory."
"In truth, this situation could not have gone better," Ganondorf said. "This is rather convenient. Right when I began to give to despair, a solution was handed to me on a silver platter. This is the perfect opportunity to destroy Hyrule and reclaim the remaining pieces of the Triforce."
"So, they believe they're using you, but….you're in fact using them?" Kotake asked, struggling to follow.
"Of course," Ganondorf said. "If that Minister isn't bluffing anyway. If he is, I'll kill him personally."
"But what about that master he keeps mentioning!?" Koume squawked. "If what he says is true-"
"Nothing is as powerful as the Triforce put together," Ganondorf said with a sneer. "He claims to respect power yet underestimates me. It'll be his undoing."
He began to chuckle again, bordering on hysterical laughter. "I'll play their game for now, but the only ruler of this land will be me."
00000
Kamek felt his heart sink down into his throat as he saw fire light the window of his destination; King Bowser Koopa's fortress. Most who could even brave the harsh landscapes and relentless Koopa Army to catch sight of the castle fled at first glance, and even after many years of service to Bowser, Kamek still felt a twinge of fear every time he returned. The lava moats, the volcanoes in the distance, the sleek stone construction slowly darkened by its moody skies and volcanic ash. The exterior and interior alike were lit by fires stoked by Lord Bowser himself, and the castle's forts and crown were modeled after the Koopa King as well. It was hard to not be intimidated. He had been hoping to catch his liege in a good mood, but of course that was rare for Bowser, who was known to bring down buildings and stomp down mountains when he was angry. Still, Kamek thought with a deep sigh, at least the old wizard knew where to find him.
He flew on his broomstick, nodding at the respectful bows of the Koopa guards as he passed. The castle hadn't changed much since he had left—it almost never did. He slowly flew through the castle, receiving greetings and more respectful bows as he went deeper and deeper until he paused outside the door of his lieges' room, opening the door a crack. Immediately he heard the familiar shouts of Bowser, though they weren't directed at the unexpected intrusion. From what he could tell, Bowser was roaring at his son for hitting his tail with a hammer. Oh joy.
"Your Grouchiness," Kamek said, knocking on the door after poking his head through the crack. "May I enter? I'm afraid it's quite urgent."
"Yeah, yeah," Bowser growled from the other side. "Get it over with."
Thanking his king for his patience, Kamek flew into the room, which was bigger than most auditoriums. Bowser was sitting on his massive emperor's size bed (he claimed he was far too important for a king sized), folding his arms and grumbling to himself. His son, Bowser Junior, was sniffing and rubbing his backside, giving his father an evil look.
"I'll be frank," Kamek said, wondering if Bowser was angry enough today to cause bodily harm. "An army is marching towards the castle right this very moment. We'll be under attack in six hour's time if they plan to do so."
"What!?" Bowser barked. He turned around towards Kamek and gave a furious stomp. "What about the border patrol? Why didn't they clock in?"
"The Shy Guy company stationed there was completely obliterated," Kamek said. "Along with any of your forces that tried to engage them. We may be outclassed here."
"Grrr, why do my minions have to be so incompetent?!" Bowser roared. "By now the Princess would be ours and Mario would be crushed to a pulp if my so called troop didn't fail at every turn. What, do I have to fight this army myself?"
"Sir, why I'm sure you'd be rather impressive out there, wouldn't you like to hear first about what the army is made of?"
"Nah," Bowser said with a guffaw. He punched an open fist. "I've been having a cruddy day. This is an awesome way to take a load off!"
"That is a foolish move, even for you," came a new robotic voice. Bowser and Kamek both turned in surprise, now facing the Ancient Minister who was floating in the doorway. His yellow eyes bore into theirs.
"Uh….Kamek?" Bowser asked, nudging his servant. "Is he one of our guys? You know I can't keep track."
"No," Kamek said, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his wand. "If I'm not mistaken that's the enemy commander."
"One of them," the minister corrected. "Forgive me for intruding, but you left the front door wide open. King Bowser Koopa, correct? It is an honor to meet someone of your prestige."
"Huh," Bowser said, blinking. "Well it's nice to be appreciated! But! I'm still kicking you and your army's metal butt."
"I have no doubt you would do so easily," the minister said with a bow. "But I think I have a better solution in mind that does not involve fighting me or my army. Perhaps we could cooperate?"
"Oh yeah?" Bowser said, already forming fire in his mouth. Kamek too, watched suspiciously. Feeling the heat would close in on him, the Ancient Minister knew he had to catch Bowser's attention, and fast.
"We can help you capture Princess Peach, and defeat Mario once and for all."
Bowser froze at this, the fire fading from his mouth as he glared down the minister in interest. Kamek and Bowser Junior exchanged a glance.
Pressing his advantage, the Ancient Minister continued. "You'll have full dominion of the Mushroom Kingdom, and a chance to defeat your rival Mario once and for all. All we ask in return is your support. You would become a commander of my master's great army."
"Yeah, but I don't play second fiddle," Bowser growled. "I don't know who this 'master' of yours is, but he'll be answering to me soon enough."
"Fair enough," Ancient Minister said, shrugging his shoulders. "If you wish, once we have conquered all, you can challenge him to single combat to determine the true ruler of this land. He accepts all challengers."
"Ha!" Bowser Junior giggled. "Against my papa he stands no chance! Tell him he'd better say his prayers, cuz-"
"Quiet, Junior," Bowser growled. "Go play with Broggy or something. Dad has important adult stuff to talk about."
"Aww man!" Bowser Junior moaned as he stomped out. "Broggy always breaks my toys and tries to bite me. It's no fair!"
"Oh, and I didn't forget your punishment!" Bowser snarled after him. "No cookies for a week. I'm telling Kamek not to put them in your lunchbox!"
He was met with an inarticulate scream of rage from his son that caused Kamek to flinch.
Bowser glanced at his retainer. "Throw the cookies my way, alright?"
"Yes, yes your greediness, once this meeting's wrapped up I'll prepare the evil milk," Kamek said, his thick glasses obscuring the roll of his eyes.
The Ancient Minister cleared his throat, which was odd considering he seemed to be made up entirely of metal parts.
"Oh, you're still here?" Bowser said in surprise.
The Ancient Minister looked perplexed. "Is that not why you called your son away?"
"Shut up," Bowser grunted. "You have yourself a deal. Under one condition."
"Oh?" the minister asked. He managed to push down his increasing aggravation at the king and keep a neutral expression.
"I want Junior as an officer in the army," Bowser elaborated. "I want a nice position for him, and he's going to report back to me on what exactly you're up to."
"You mean….the child?" The Ancient Minister asked in surprise. "You would let him fight?"
"He's the heir to the throne, so he's gonna need some mettle and field experience," Bowser said, folding his arms. "When I was half his age I took down a green donkey and his friends down in one fell swoop."
"You and I seem to remember that story very differently," Kamek muttered under his breath.
"I have no personal objections," the Ancient Minister said. "If he can prove himself well on the battlefield than I see no reason not to agree to your terms.
"Perfect," Bowser said with a toothy grin. "We're a team now."
"What!?" Kamek said in surprise. "Just like that? Sir, with all due respect, we know nothing about this man, and he knows everything about you! Aren't you bothered at all?"
"GWAHAHAHA!" Bowser laughed. "You kidding? This is me we're talking about. Anyone who doesn't know the great Koopa King is a chump."
"I-of course," Kamek said, letting out a sigh. "Your word is law."
"But," Bowser said, his face suddenly menacing. "We go after Mario and the Princess as soon as possible. No delay."
Kamek could almost see the smug grin on the Ancient Minister's hidden face as he nodded.
"If that is your wish. We'll just need proof of your support. Please be prepared to lead your troops when we march on our next location."
"Yeah?" Bowser asked. "And where's that?"
"Planet Pop Star," the Ancient Minister replied with a gleam in his eye. "We're going to storm Castle Dedede. And you're going to command the assault."
00000
King Dedede was not in a very good mood when his spa day was interrupted by the sound of chaos down the halls and the tremors caused by what seemed to be the castle defenses hard at work. Lifting one of the cucumbers from his eyes, he was met with his nervous retainer Escargoon at the side of his tub.
"Is it Kirby again?" Dedede drawled before the snail could say anything. It was always Kirby. Kirby, Kirby, Kirby, entering the castle like he owned the place. He'd steal food, disturb the Waddle Dees, and irritate Dedede to no end. It had been that way for years. And yet, despite his attempts, nothing the king ever did ever managed to repel that innocent pink ball of air. Escargoon winced and looked away as the giant penguin took off his towel, revealing his unclothed body.
"I don't know who it is!" Escargoon yelped, continuing to avert his eyes. "But there's a whole bunch of them and they're creaming the Waddle Dees! The Waddle Doos have gotten nothing done either!"
"Should'a known it wasn't that pink goody-two shoes," Dedede grumbled, snapping to get the attention of the two Waddle Dees who came to assist in clothing him. "Kirby's annoyin', but he ain't disrespectful. He knows not to interrupt the king during spa time. Bandana Dee can't fight 'em off?"
"Well, he's doing his best, but you know how bad our men are at fighting," Escargoon with a sigh.
Dedede sighed as well, before quickly perking himself up and giving his fat belly a proud pat.
"Welp, only one thing left t'do!" a now fully clothed Dedede said. "Escargoon! Get me my hammer! I'm gonna meet the commander of their force head on!"
Just as the king of the palace got up to fight, the front of Dedede castle was blown open by a stack of Goombas who had been used like a battering ram by a fierce Chargin' Chuck. The remaining Waddle Dees glanced at each other, nervous. They had heart, but these attackers were way out of their league.
"Hold the line!" The Waddle Dee leader said. He stood more confident than his subordinates, brandishing a spear with practiced skill. The blue bandana he wore on his head distinguished him from his peers, earning him his coveted nickname. He beat back the horizontal pillar of Goombas with the butt of his weapon, before raising it high to get his allies attention. "We must hold them off until the king arrives!"
That would be easier said than done. Dedede still needed to obtain his hammer and arrive at the scene of battle. With the doors wide open, Bowser's forces found it easy to pile in the room and begin to overwhelm the enemy. Goombas charged forward, followed by the green and red shelled Koopas. Behind them came a pair of Hammer Brothers, while a squad of Monty Moles burrowed through the earth to take the Waddle Dees by surprise.
The remaining Waddle Dees ran out to meet them, but the battle was very one sided. The Waddle Dee army had taken heavy losses, and of the few that remained many deserted the army entirely. Bowser's army also outclassed Dedede's in power. A Waddle Dee was an even match for a goomba, but failed against the likes of the tough-shelled Koopas and the skillful Hammer Brothers. Some had given up hope entirely and began to either sleep on the job in the hopes that the opposing army would pass over them, while others huddled together and prepared for the end.
The only thing that kept them from failing utterly was Bandana Dee. He twirled his spear with easy skill and confidence, dancing through his opponents. He knew where to strike the koopas, tripped the goombas, and unearthed the Monty Moles before they could catch him off guard. The hammer brothers gave him more trouble, but by the time the Ancient Minister arrived he had stabbed one through the abdomen and thrown him into his brother, bowling them both over.
"Impressive," Ancient Minister said with genuine respect as reinforcements surged around him. "To think that this sad excuse for an army has a 'B' ranked fighter in their midst."
"'B'….rank?" Bandana Dee asked, raising his spear in a defensive position.
"Oh...yes, of course you wouldn't be familiar with the concept," the Ancient Minister said. "My master in all his omniscience has seen the many warriors of the worlds and determined a ranking system based on their weapons and skills. The minions are of the mere 'D' rank, but you're impressive enough to be in the same rank as I am."
"Okay," Bandana Dee said, blinking. "So, you're going to fight me then?"
"Oh heavens, no," the Ancient Minister said. "Have you ignored what I just said? If we were to come to blows I'd stand a real chance of losing."
Bandana Dee looked up in surprise as a helicopter like vehicle resembling the face of a clown flew into view.
"But against an 'A' rank fighter?" the Ancient Minister asked. "Even you would be overwhelmed. Have fun."
Bandana Dee's eyes widened as Bowser jumped from the vehicle above him, leaping to the side as the koopa's fist smashed down, leaving a crater in its wake. Bandana Dee gulped. If he had been a second slower he'd now be a fine paste.
"Show time!" Bowser said with a toothy smile, unleashing flames from his mouth. Bandana Dee steeled his nerves and sprinted forward, spear at the ready. Claws met steel in a shower of sparks, and the two fighters glared at each other. But when Bandana Dee spun to aim another strike, Bowser caught him by surprise and slashed his spear to pieces with his other set of claws. When Bandana Dee tried to stumble away, Bowser threw a punch straight into his face, sending the poor leader crashing into a support beam, bringing it down with him.
"Careful not to be too rough with them, Bowser," the Ancient Minister said as he surveyed the damage Bandana Dee had caused. "We want them alive, after all."
"But why!?" Bowser practically whined. "These chumps are weaklings! I wanna go all out!"
"Well..." The minister looked up as King Dedede stomped into the main hallway, his hammer slung over his shoulder and raring to go. "It looks like you may have your chance."
"Well lookie here!" Dedede said, watching the wreckage. "I spy with my little eye a couple of naughty bandits!"
"Dibs on the flightless bird," Bowser said with a belly laugh. "Poultry is on the menu tonight!"
"Not yet, Bowser," Ancient Minister said, irritated. "We haven't made the offer yet."
"An offer?" Dedede asked, overhearing. "You've done all this to my castle just so that ya could make me a deal? You'd best speak up, boy!"
"I've been told that you'd be the most difficult one to convince," Ancient Minister said. "That unlike Bowser and Ganondorf you have something of a moral code. I don't know for sure if it's true, but you can see our power from where you stand. Join forces with us and you'll have all the food and power you'll ever want."
"Yer offerin' me a job?" Dedede asked, narrowing his eyes. "Even after all this destruction?"
"Of course you're welcome to refuse," Bowser said, showing all his teeth in his evil grin. "I'd have a lot more fun that way."
"What's your answer?" Ancient Minister said, ignoring his partner's bloodlust. "I must admit that you won't exactly enjoy what happens if you refuse. Not to sound like I'm threatening you, but…"
Dedede hesitated, watching as more and more of King Koopa's forces flooded into his castle. Despite what Escargoon always said about him, he wasn't a complete dunderhead. He knew that he stood little chance of fighting off an entire army, especially if more was still coming. He could avoid it if he surrendered here. Heck, with their combined forces they might actually be able to defeat Kirby!
Dedede mulled over whether to take the offer or refuse it for a while. The pros and cons of accepting versus declining seemed to lead to an extreme risk no matter what he did, and there was no getting out of this choice. What made his decision, however, was Bandana Dee. Watching him rise from the wreckage of the castle, giving the penguin a dazed and bemused look and stumbling around as he moved was so hard to watch that Dedede felt a twinge of guilt large enough to move him.
Dedede took a deep sigh and accepted his threat. "Humph. I may not be the sweetest pumpkin in the patch, but even a great buffoon like me has to do the right thing every once in a while."
"Oh, you're refusing?" the Ancient Minister asked in mild surprise.
"Heck yeah, I am!" Dedede said, giving a wide toothy smile. "When you mess with the king's property, you get the king himself!"
Dedede suddenly pulled a massive bomb out from beneath his robe and threw it upwards, before swinging his hammer down like a tennis racket would to a ball. "Dedede, love!"
Bowser and the Ancient Minister were able to dive out of the way in time, but the bomb's explosion blew Bowser's forces away and sent the ones not hit directly by the blast flying. The Ancient Minister glared at the smoke, which didn't bother his lack of lungs but still obstructed his sight. That much smoke and damage meant the bomb, and therefore the king, was quite powerful.
The minister's musings were cut short when he saw Dedede positioned above him, swinging his hammer straight towards the minister's head. The damn fool had used the smoke to his advantage! Bowser jumped in the way, catching the hammer with his fist an inch away from the Ancient Minister's face.
"You owe me, Metal Butt,," Bowser growled as he shuddered against Dedede's massive strength. The two titans pushed against each other, struggling to overcome each other's girth as the Ancient Minister moved out of harm's way.
Dedede spun around, swinging his hammer with him, but Bowser managed to duck under it. Dedede lost balance and Bowser used it to his advantage, jabbing his spiked shell at the king's face, but Dedede managed to block it with his hammer in the last second. The impact was powerful enough to send him sliding back, but he stayed strong on his feet.
"Another 'A' ranked," the Ancient Minister said, watching the penguin in surprise. "I wouldn't have thought a mortal could match Bowser's brute strength. I have newfound respect for you."
"Darn right you do!" Dedede boasted, patting his belly and hefting his hammer on his shoulder. "I'm the king! Nothin' but the best!"
"Oh be quiet, you tub of lard!" Bowser said, punching an open fist. "Come here and I'll turn you into a pile of feathers!"
"Unfortunately for you, there exists a rank even beyond A," the Ancient Minister explained as something dark flew past him. "Those of this rank are powerful enough to challenge the gods themselves."
Before Dedede could react, the black blur flew at him, reappearing a second later behind the penguin. Dedede glanced behind him, before watching in horror as his hammer shattered into three pieces and hit the floor.
"You...M-meta Knight!" Dedede gasped at the masked figure in front of him, shocked that one of his allies was brandishing his sword at him. "What are you-?"
He was interrupted by Bowser's fist flying into his stomach, the poor penguin's eyes bugging out as he felt the air leave his lungs. Bowser followed up with a vicious headbutt, sending Dedede crumbling to the ground, defeated.
"Excellent work you two," the Ancient Minister said. "Especially you, Meta Knight. Fast as ever. I would have expected you to have more qualms attacking an old friend."
The masked man sheathed his sword, fixing his gaze on his former king's unconscious body. "He is arrogant and corrupt. I had no affinity for him."
"Get a few minions to drag Dedede to the hold of the Halberd," the Ancient Minister said to Bowser. "He'll need some convincing, but I'm certain he'll come around. As for you…" The Ancient Minister turned to Meta Knight. "Return to the Halberd and await further orders. That is all for now."
Meta knight nodded without a word and vanished with a single flip of his cape.
"Fine. Whatever," Bowser said, rolling his eyes. "So, what? We gonna blow his castle up with a Subspace bomb?"
The Ancient Minister shook his head. "I'd prefer we keep some semblance of subtlety. There are threats on Pop Star that I'd rather not have working together, Kirby especially. Besides, there's an army of able bodies that report here. I won't waste it."
"So then when does the cool stuff happen!?" Bowser said, furiously stomping the ground. "Enough pussy footing around! I want to pummel Mario to the dirt!"
"You will," the Ancient Minister said in reassurance. "In fact, I've been saving this first Subspace bomb for the Mushroom Kingdom. Where else to announce ourselves as threat to existence itself?"
00000
Few knew about the existence of what was called "Subspace." It was a strange realm inaccessible to all but a few, as it connected entire universes together; the stitching of reality itself. Without it, universes would drift away and could potentially run the risk of colliding with others, creating adverse effects that nobody wanted to ever witness in their lifetimes. Subspace was a secret kept hidden from the many. The exception was the gods.
As of now they were the only ones who knew about the threat that could obliterate everything that they held dear.
The course of action seemed obvious to everyone. Plans for retaliation needed to be made. The eldest protectors and creators of the worlds sat around a massive table held in the palace of the gods; a gateway and middleman between each and every dimension. Representatives from many worlds had accepted invitations to this summit.
Palutena, the goddess of light and mother hen of sorts to the gods, sat at the head of the table. Next to her was the wise and humble Eldstar, the leader of the seven Star Spirits who watched over the Mushroom World. Around him were the six other Star Spirits, but they seemed a bit intimidated by the presence of the other gods.
Though the divine goddesses Naga and Hylia were ethereal, in the palace of the gods they could take physical forms. Hylia looked deadly in her warrior outfit with her sword and shield, which was offset by her gentle smile. Naga, surprisingly, took the form of a male with long blond hair, looking more like a prince than a dragon.
The Alpha Pokemon Arceus stood the tallest one there, with the creation trio of Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina flanking him. Despite his claims at being benevolent he had a short temper, which was not helped by the sun god Pyrrhon's constant boasting. He seethed until Pyrrhon accidentally lit him on fire. The original Pokemon snapped, transforming into a water type with one of his plates and dousing the sun god. Pyrrhon looked down dejectedly.
The golden goddesses Farore, Din, and Nayru sat together, speaking to each other alone in hushed voices and occasionally eyeing Hylia. Despite being half the size of most gods and only coming up to Arceus' knee, the goddess of nature Viridi had her feet propped up on the table, looking mostly unimpressed. Poseidon seemed perturbed by her casual behavior, but god of the forge Dyntos seemed too wrapped up in what he was making to notice.
"I'd rather we start soon, Palutena," Eldstar said. "In truth the thought of so many deities in one place is….concerning."
"We're still waiting on one person," Palutena said, before adding as an afterthought: "If he decides to come."
"Oh great!" Viridi snapped. "Why couldn't we have just left him to rot for another twenty five years?"
"Viridi...This god deserves a seat at the table here as much as anyone else." Despite her tone, Palutena couldn't get through the sentence without sounding a little uncertain about the final guest's presence as well.
"I say we just start this without him. Maybe we could actually get work done if he wasn't around," Viridi rebuked.
"Viridi!" came a new, flamboyant voice. "As feisty as always!"
"Oh great," Viridi said, rolling her eyes.
Hades burst the great doors of the palace with a loud cheer, before sauntering over to the gods' table like he owned the place. Arceus let out a low growl at his presence, Hylia and Naga's smiles became fixed, and even Dyntos raised an eyebrow from his work.
"I hope you weren't waiting for me," Hades said, stroking his chin in an exaggerated fashion. "Not because I feel bad of course, but war meetings are so dull."
"Have a seat Hades," Palutena said, a disarming smile on her face. "We have a lot to talk about."
"Don't mind if I do!" Hades said, tipping Viridi's chair and sending her toppling out. As he took his seat, Naryu had to physically restrain Viridi from attacking him once she got up.
"Well, it looks like everyone is here!" Hades said, rubbing his hands together. "It's been so long. I've missed you all!"
"That makes one of us!" Viridi protested. "Palutena, why did you have to bring him back to life? He literally gains more power from war!"
"We're in a desperate time," Palutena admitted. "We need all the help we can get, and Hades proved he can play nice when there's a common enemy.."
"Why Palutena, I'm touched," Hades said in mock disbelief. "I think I'm going to cry."
Palutena leaned over the table to glare at him. "You really aren't making this easy, you know that?"
"His behavior aside," Eldstar said, eager to change the conversation. "We're all aware of the problem at hand. Balance has overstepped his boundaries and destroyed the masters of order and chaos. He has used his power to bring our dimensions together to a single planet, which he aptly calls Pangea."
"You know I heard he calls himself Tabuu now," Hades said, checking his nails. "Far more fitting if you ask me, but the spelling is appalling."
"This is a serious issue," Arceus hissed, glaring at Hades. "If I had known you'd be here I wouldn't have shown up. We have no time for a fool in a time like this."
"To make matters worse, he's been calling together all the supervillains from our various worlds and forming essentially an axis of power," Palutena added. "He can't leave Subspace, of course, but it won't matter if he can get that army to do the job for him."
"So, we respond in kind," said Naga, spreading his hands. "After all, there are far more heroes in our many worlds than villains."
"The issue in question is if we ourselves can get involved, yes?" Dyntos asked, finally looking up from his finished creation; a perfect miniature copy of a tiny triforce. He tossed it to Hylia, who smiled at the gift. "Bah! I say let the kids down there handle it. We gods exist to guide, not be soldiers!"
"I'm afraid this far more of a calamity than anything we've ever faced," Hylia replied. "And we've gotten involved before. Tabuu has already broken the rules to openly declare war on the mortals and attempt to leave Subspace. Should we not do the same?"
"Hey, you guys know how I feel about humans," Viridi said with a giggle. "But this monster is a threat to us gods as well, and all life in general!"
"He is messing with the very reality we created ourselves," Arceus growled. "He is no true God. I will cast my judgement on his entire armies."
"Whoa, let's take it down a notch!" Palutena chuckled. "I admire the enthusiasm, but we need to act rationally. I trust Pit with all my being, and I know he and the other heroes will triumph. They always do."
Arceus snorted. "Against Balance? Please. We ourselves are dwarfed by his power. Your angel is a paper tiger. At best."
"But mortals have to fight their own battles," Palutena protested. "Dyntos is right. We're guides, and if we get involved in the fighting the mortals will suffer even more than they already have. It's a tale as old as time…."
"And if we don't fight directly it will be the last tale," Eldstar countered. "I'm surprised at your naivety Palutena; some losses are necessary and unavoidable."
"There is another option," came a new, quiet voice. The gods turned, now facing the woman speaking with surprise. She wore a blue gown that shone like stars in the sky and had an air of mystery as great as the many cosmos of the many worlds. She held a small, cutesy but live star in her hands.
Few knew what to make of Rosalina. She wasn't a god, and she was never invited, but somehow she had just shown up in the palace with ease, so she must have had some ethereal power. She was quiet about it, but there was a spark of humble wisdom in her eyes, as one who understood life itself.
"If necessary, I can recreate galaxies," Rosalina said. "The world of Pangea will be created anew."
"Well, isn't that convenient," Hades said. "So, what's the monkey's paw, Rosie? There's always a catch."
Rosalina, to her credit, didn't reply to the bad nickname. "The creation of a galaxy would sacrifice thousands of Lumas. I'm sure they would be readily willing to make such a sacrifice for the better of the universes, but I'm afraid creating a galaxy at a scale such as what this Tabuu wishes...it's never been done before. There could be greater consequences that I cannot foresee. I just wanted to state the option."
"...Let's hold back on that for now, yeah?" Palutena said, laughing nervously. "If you're serious about getting involved, I prefer we go after Tabuu directly. I'd prefer not to drag the fight off any longer than it has to."
"Funny," came another new, cold voice. "Because soon all you will be doing is dragging a long war out longer than it needs to."
A hooded figure had entered the still open doors, approaching the gods without any semblance of fear. From their size and shape, they looked to be completely human.
"Dang it, Hades!" Viridi shouted. "Keep the door closed! This is how hobos like this one get in!"
"Are you another God, or something inferior?" Arceus asked with spite. "Surely this...unusual presence was not meant to be here."
As the other gods stared at their second uninvited visitor, Naga's eyes widened with fear. He stared at the patterns on the robes, and the dark aura surrounding the human's body, recognizing it immediately. His terrified expression was only noticed when he spoke. "It can't….how can you be alive?"
"Shouldn't you know?" The human-like figure asked, taking off her hood and revealing twintails and red eyes. She took one of her gloves off, revealing a dark tattoo on her hand. "After all, you have some experience with time and space manipulation yourself."
"Enough games," Arceus snapped. "Who are you, and what gives you the right to enter our domain?!"
"Fool!" The woman shouted, snapping her fingers. Portals opened up from the Palace floor, clawed hands reaching up as walking corpses emerged in the thousands, surrounding the gods.
"I am the fell dragon Grima!" The woman snapped. Her voice seemed human at the surface, but underneath it was an ancient and evil tone that cut through their souls like knives. "This palace is my birthright!"
"You're as arrogant as you are naive, Avatar," Naga growled. "You're powerful, but you stand no chance against the gods working together, even with your Risen army."
"Prove it!" Grima growled, raising a hand to send out a wave of dark magic. Naga roared and changed form, becoming a dragon comparable to Arceus in size. He unleashed a ball of green fire from his mouth, and the two energy waves clashed together in a powerful explosion.
"Kill them all," Grima snapped, pointing at the gods and casting more magic. The Risen shambled towards their opponents, brandishing axes and swords.
But compared to the gods, the Risen were nothing. Pyrhhon burned dozens to cinders with his newly returned flames, Palutena shot blasts of light with her staff and defended with her shield, and Hylia lunged into battle, spinning and slashing through the undead creatures like a woman possessed. The sheer number of the Risen, however, kept them too busy to attack Grima, who was still exchanging blows with Naga.
Cackling like he was having the time of his life, Hades shot two lasers from his palms that obliterated fifty Risen apiece. He moved back to back with Palutena as she smacked one of the tougher ones over it's head with her staff.
"Come to think about it," Palutena said, ducking under an axe swing. "Why did you not side with Balance and his armies? They seem right up your alley."
"Please," Hades scoffed. "I have some standards, pretty Palutena. As I've said, this land is mine and mine alone to plunder! Anyone in the way of my goals shall be obliterated!"
With that, he moved forward, punching through Risen and shattering their defenses with his bare hands, giggling all the while like a kid in a candy store. Palutena watched his progress with a resigned sigh.
The golden goddesses of the Triforce spun and danced together, releasing wind, fire, and water magic to defeat several waves of Risen. Palkia and Dialga launched attacks that distorted space and time, while Giratina appeared and reappeared out of nowhere, leaving mountains of corpses behind it. Meanwhile, Grima fought Naga, neither able to gain the upper hand.
"Tell me what you planned to accomplish!" Naga snarled, his voice growing more and more feminine. "All you've done is incurred our wrath!"
"Please," Grima said, spinning to dodge the flames that licked at her heels. "The gods are nothing compared to what's to come! It is time for my future to finally come to pass!"
Arceus floated in the air, focusing his power. "You will be brought to justice!"
Arceus threw a ball of light in the air that separated into meteors that fell upon the fighters below. They destroyed the remaining Risen, each individual meteor taking out hundreds of the zombies, but a few struck Grima, ripping through her coat and leaving many wounds and holes in her body.
Grima collapsed to one knee, gritting her teeth, but her wounds were already beginning to heal.
"Grima can only be killed by his own hand," Naga growled, flapping her wings in frustration. "We cannot finish him off."
Grima brushed herself off, scrutinizing her ruined coat. "There will soon come the day when I will be powerful enough to destroy every single one of you! But...for now…if you don't mind?"
An insectoid creature leaped from Grima's sleeve, flying towards Arceus, who looked on in shock. It would have jabbed it's stinger into his head if Palutena hadn't teleported in the way and smacked it aside with her staff.
Palutena gave the arachnid a grim look as it scrambled to its feet. "That's the Chaos Kin. It must have been revived."
"I've grown rather fond of this little beast," Grima crooned as the Chaos Kin flew back to her side, perching on her shoulder. "I admire its power and affinity for chaos. It reminds me of me."
"Stop stalling, Fell Dragon!" Palutena commanded, abandoning her ordinary easy grin for the powerful glare of a goddess. "Tell us why you're really here!"
"Fine, if you want to spoil the surprise so soon," Grima said, unperturbed. "Take an eyeful of my new form. Feel free to scream."
On cue, a roar shook the Palace of the gods. Palutena went pale, exchanging a glance with Eldstar. Grima laughed as a claw ripped through a Palace wall like a ribbon. Looking outside, the gods saw a black dragon that dwarfed even Arceus with it's size. The rest of its features were indescribable; even the gods could not comprehend its full being.
"The Dark Dragon," Grima said, confirming the looks of horror on the gods faces. "Capable of destroying and recreating the universe itself. Newly awoken and under my thumb."
"How could you get such a superpower like that under your possession?" Viridi said in surprise. "It's impossible!"
"You'd be surprised at the true potential of my dark magic and the Chaos Kin's possessive abilities," Grima gloated. "Though I'll admit it did take a while. Ciao!"
The Chaos kin teleported away, bringing Grima's avatar with it as the Dark Dragon launched a dark beam at the gods with enough force to destroy a planet, straight for the Palace of the Gods. Still, the gods themselves were quick enough to avoid it, escaping the Palace just as the blast hit it.
The Palace of the Gods was durable, even more durable than a planet, but when the smoke cleared it was clear that almost half of it was in ruins. The gods stared in horror as the Dark Dragon turned to them.
"We can't let him finish off the Palace!" Palutena shouted, sweat beading her forehead. "It's our only contact with Pangea! The mortals below will truly be forced to fend for themselves if we don't stop that dragon!"
Hylia hesitated from where she sat on Naga's back, staring at the ruined castle and the deadly power of the dark dragon. Taking a deep breath, she nudged Viridi.
"Destroy the remainder of the Palace with a Reset Bomb. That blast wiped out any magical defenses holding it up, so it won't be hard."
"What!?" Viridi asked, looking at the goddess like she lost her marbles. "Why would I do that? We'll be stuck here!"
"And so will the Dark Dragon," Naga countered, catching onto Hylia's plan. "We have heroes on Pangea, and slight chance though it may be, the chance does exist that they can defeat Balance, Tabuu, or whatever he calls himself now! Against the Dark Dragon they stand no chance, and if he can use the Palace to cross over to Pangea…."
"You'll lose your physical forms!" Viridi protested. "And that leaves us stuck in here with that guy's bad breath. Can't we escape and trap the dragon?"
"I understand now," Arceus said, sighing. "Our roles are clear. Only we can fight the Dark Dragon, and we must do it by working together. It is up to us to hold it off while the heroes of the worlds face Tabuu. If we don't keep the dragon occupied it will find a way through the barrier that keeps us away from Pangea. We'll just have to hold him off until the world is saved."
"Fine!" Viridi snapped. "If you guys are going to be so stubborn about it, you can HAVE your stupid sacrifice!"
A reset bomb streaked through the sky, heading straight for the Palace. The Dragon ignored it, flying towards the gods with it's maw outstretched. The Star Spirits spun together, creating a massive orb of energy comparable in power to the beam that the Dark Dragon had used,, launching it at the behemoth flying at them. It failed to cause visible damage against the monster's hide, but it did stop its attack, giving Hades and Palutena enough time to lead an assault while Arceus launched another Judgement attack.
"We'll lose our physical bodies," Hylia said to Naga as the reset bomb steadily approached the Palace. "You know what comes next for us, right?"
"Indeed," Naga said, a wistful smile on her draconic face. "It has been so long since I've spoken to my daughter. It will be nice."
"And I'll finally get to meet my reincarnation," Hylia said as she held her hands together. The two goddesses channeled their power, giving their final gift to the mortals as the Reset Bomb finally landed, obliterating the remainder of the Palace and severing the connection between god and man for good.
00000
Power Rankings of characters so far:
The Dark Dragon: SS tier
Various gods and goddesses: S tier
Meta Knight: S tier
Bowser: A tier
King Dedede: A tier
Ancient Minister: B tier
Bandanna Dee: B tier
Gerudo warriors: C tier
Mid level minions (Hammer Brothers, Waddle Doos, Koopa Troopas etc.): C tier
Low level Minions (Goombas, Waddle Dees etc.): D tier
Escargoon: D tier
The power ranking system will be explained in further detail down the line. For now, consider C tier to be those with the abilities of the average human.
Here's hoping we got off to a good start! It's so much different to be working with Shuckle/Gengar rather than just editing for him, haha. Even for a prologue we put a lot of work into this making sure it looked as best as it could, and hopefully it will get even better over time.
Finally, a simple note to the readers, the two of us can't claim to know absolutely everything about absolutely every character in the Nintendo universe that we'll be using. If you feel we're writing certain characters improperly or haven't portrayed their abilities correctly, please let me know. Also if there's anything you want to remind/teach us about, also feel free to let me know! We want to make this as fun and accurate a Nintendo experience as possible.
Till then, I hope you enjoyed and we'll see you soon!