So this is my first Smash Bros. fic on the site! I hope you enjoy!
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Fourth Wall
It was a beautiful day at the Smash Mansion. What is the Smash Mansion, you ask? It is a large mansion in the middle of some unknown universe that acts as the portal into other worlds. Various characters from across the scattered worlds and dimensions constantly travel through this portal to compete in regular and daily battles and tournaments. Inside the lobby of the mansion stood each and every one of the competitors chosen specifically to partake in the tournaments. These beings were known as the Super Smash Bros.
All fifty-eight of them stood mumbling amongst themselves, wondering why they were summoned so early in the morning. "So uh...does anyone else find it weird that Master Hand isn't here yet?" asked a confused Ness, scratching the back of his head as his gaze wandered to those around him.
"I can't believe I was woken up from my beauty sleep!" Wario spat, closing his eyes and crossing his arms in utter annoyance.
"Maybe something has happened," Rosalina offered. "Something important. Maybe there's a threat? I wonder..." The Luma to the side of her twirled in the air and uttered something in an unknown language.
"Well, whatever it is, couldn't it have waited until later," Bowser growled, spitting flames and nearly burning Kirby in front of him.
Kirby puffed up and jumped out of the way, screaming, "Watch it!"
"Master Hand needs to come on," Fox muttered disdainfully. Crossing his arms and tapping his foot, he sighed.
Pit sighed. "Oh, typical day for us. Master Hand always calls us in way before he even shows up himself."
"Everyone just needs to chil-a out," Mario announced louder than the rest. "I'm sure there's a reason he's late!"
Luigi nodded to his side, then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "But you know, Bro, he never calls us in when we're all so tired like this. He wants us to always be here in peak physical condition."
"Pika, pika pi!" squealed Pikachu, but just like always, nobody paid him any attention. Pikachu hung his head down.
Link stood quietly amongst the crowd, crossing his arms and looking downward. He felt the warm hand of Zelda press against his shoulder, making the Hero of Time blush.
"I can sense his presence," Mewtwo announced telepathically in everyone's minds.
Just as he said that, the ground started shaking, and a portal opened up right underneath the ceiling, and the familiar floating right glove lowered itself. The Smashers made way for his landing, forming a circle around Master Hand.
"What took you so long!?" Captain Falcon screamed.
The hand before them flexed his fingers, seemingly stretching as he let out a deep yawn. "Well, you see, I needed to get ready for the day. I'm rather tired."
"You're tired!?" screamed over half of the Smashers in unison.
"Calm down, everyone," Master Hands said, looking around the room with nonexistent eyes. "The reason I have called you in here this early is because I wanted to share a secret with you. A secret that has been carefully guarded since the year of 1999."
"What the heck does that mean?" King Dedede yelled out.
"As you all know, ever since long ago, I've carefully hand-picked each of you to join in the Smash Bros. Tournaments," Master Hand said, then cleared his throat. "And now, with a grand total of fifty-eight of you, I will bestow upon you a secret that even I had little knowledge of. I still do not fully understand this myself. The Universe is a mystery, indeed."
"What's the secret, then?" Dark Pit asked.
"Have you ever wondered why we do what we do? We all have specific roles to play. Some of us journey across the world to save the captured damsel in distress. Some of them do the capturing. Some compete in fights against others in an attempt to be the very best. Some enjoy racing at super sonic speeds. Then there's me, the announcer and the creator of these games. Or...so I thought." Master Hand tilted his fingers downward as if thinking for a few moments. "There is an even greater power at work. Some mystical being out there who programmed each an every one of us specifically to preform certain tasks."
"What are you telling us!?" Peach shrieked, her face blushing a shade of scarlet.
"How man of you can actually remember your entire life?" Master Hand asked. "You can only remember key points, am I right? Your childhood is hazy or not even a thought in your mind, correct? You probably don't even remember celebrating you're own birthday." He turned to the red-clad plumber. "Mario. Besides racing in karts and partying all the time and saving the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom...what else do you really remember about yourself."
"What are you saying?" Mario asked, confused. He thought for a moment. "I don't...I don't know...I've never thought about it."
"Because we are all characters programmed into this world," Master Hand announced with finality. "Each of us with a different duty, a different story. Some higher being, like a God, created us. All those times you partook in those adventures...that wasn't your own free will. You are constantly being controlled by these higher beings. I had my suspicions from the start, ever since the first tournament all those years ago. But I've done my research and came to this conclusion. You're entire life...it's all just one big video game."
"What!?" Lucas shouted.
Mr. Game & Watch yelled in a series of beeps and noises that no-one understood.
"Impossible!" Ganondorf scowled. "Where's your proof!?"
"As you know, I have the power to enter any world, any dimension, any universe I choose," Master Hand said. "The universe I recently traveled to was the hardest to get to. But in my travel, I've found these." With the flick of his wrist and a puff of white mist, four boxes appeared on the ground. The characters crowded around them.
"What the..." Mario asked, picking up the first box. He read the title aloud. "Super Smash Bros." He scanned the box further. "Huh!?" His eyes bulged out of his head. "Guys...on the cover...you can see me, Samus, Pikachu, Fox, Link, and Kirby. What is this?"
"It's the same for the other ones..." Zelda muttered, walking to the side of Mario and glancing at the other three boxes. "Melee...Brawl...this fourth one is interesting though. It says, 'For Wii U'."
"What's a Wii U?" Donkey Kong asked.
"I don't know..." came Zelda's confused response. "Master Hand, what are these?"
"Video games, from a far off and distant universe hidden from us," Master Hand replied. "Like I said, there is a being out there, the God of our world, who programmed these games with us in it. But there are other Gods just like him, who created and programmed entire other universes...each of the places where you guys came from." A large number of gasps came from the many Smashers. "Then these games are...played...by people across that entire universe. They control your actions and what you do outside of this Mansion."
"So...we're not being controlled once we're in here?" Luigi asked, lips trembling and legs shaking.
"Correct. But as soon as someone starts playing the game, and chooses to play as one of you, that person is called out of here," Master Hand explained.
"And let me guess," Falco muttered. "That's how these tournaments and these battles are decided."
"But wait, something doesn't make sense," Ness said, shaking his head. "If there are many people playing these games in that universe, there could be multiple people playing as the same character at the exact same time. How do you explain that?"
"I have a theory," Master Hand said. "The universe we are in...is most likely one of millions of copies just like it. There is not just one Smash Universe with us in it...there could be thousands. Millions. We're just one universe inside just a single person's video game. Every other video game like this must have a universe inside of it as well...with a Master Hand like me having a meeting like this."
"How did you stumble across that universe if it's so well hidden?" Fox asked.
"Let's just say, I found a way," Master Hand answered vaguely. "That universe out there...where our Gods lie, and where these players play as us...are behind a veil I'd like to call the Fourth Wall. The Fourth Wall is what shrouds that universe from every other universe out there. We can't see them, but they can see us. Unless we're gathered in this Mansion, or if we go out once their game systems are off."
"Game systems?" Bowser Jr. broke into hysterical laughter. "Now he's just making stuff up!"
"Believe what you want, it doesn't really change a thing," Master Hand replied. "The mystical forces that bind us to their controllers...there's no way to fight it. We'll just have to deal. But while they're playing, whoever is not chosen can stay in here without being seen. And once their game system is shut down, we can go anywhere without being seen. Understand now?"
For each of the Smashers, the way their world worked had completely changed. There were beings watching over them behind some magic veil. The Smashers had a hard time believing the words coming from this glove.
"Until I can find out more about this Fourth Wall and the secrets behind it," Master Hand said, snapping his fingers as his entire form shimmered and disappeared. His voice echoed off of the walls of the Mansion. "This meeting is now adjourned."