The Earthbound Emblem Team
A/N: Hello there, it's been a while since I've been on this website … or, should I say, took the time to write down something seriously. It's my sophomore year of college, and I'm busy, but this is an idea I've had and I think I should go for it.
This is based on a brawl that actually happened. I may have gotten the details a little messed up, but the basic idea is the same.
Disclaimer: No, I do not own Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Enjoy the story!
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It was the first team battle of the competition. A two-minute time match. Castle Siege. No items. Team red versus team blue. Him and Ike versus Ness and Marth.
Lucas pressed his fingers together nervously, eyeing the brawl schedule that was pinned to the bulletin board of a busy hallway so that every passerby could see. The words on the page jumped out at him, held his attention and refused to let go.
Oh … why did it have to be me, of all people? Lucas thought. I don't want to be first … I'm so horrible compared to everyone else and it'll be embarrassing! There's no way I'm as good as Marth and Ness … or even Ike.
The young psychic trembled at the thought of his fellow fighters. Both Ness and Marth were both veterans of the Super Smash Brothers tournament. Marth was a lithe swordsman who had first entered the previous competition. His teammate, Ness, was a psychic like Lucas. However, he had been part of Super Smash Brothers since its founding, and put him on par with the other great fighters such as Mario, Link, Kirby, Samus, Fox, and the other members of the original twelve.
Even his own partner was much more impressive than he. Ike, also a swordsman and from the same world as Marth, was a newcomer as well. But Lucas, who had seen him fight several times before, was awestruck by the man's strength. Unlike the agile Marth, Ike lacked speed but made up for it with his strength.
And what of him? He was just Lucas. Although he held great power within his little body, Lucas hadn't yet mastered complete control of his abilities. Ness's blows lacked the raw strength that Lucas was able to deliver, but the veteran smasher had full control of his powers. Never had Lucas seen Ness thrown off balance, unable to handle the magnitude of his attacks.
As far as Lucas was concerned, he had a long way to go.
"Hey." A rough hand fell upon his shoulder and Lucas jerked violently. He slowly turned around, only to find that Ike was standing behind him. "The match starts in five minutes. Let's go."
An unintelligible squeak escaped from his throat, but Lucas forced his head to nod. Ike, not bothering to wait for his reluctant companion, went on ahead. It was then that Lucas was able to move again. Even if Ike was a great hero whom everyone looked up to in his own world, he still scared the living daylights out of Lucas. With a final, mournful glance at the roster, Lucas hurried after Ike.
They had made it just in time. Ness and Marth were already waiting for them in the battle arena, neither seeming impatient nor hurried. Marth gave a polite nod to Ike, who returned the gesture – a simple formality among warriors. Ness, on the other hand, ran over to Lucas and grinned at him.
"You made it! I was starting to worry a little," said the veteran smasher and he patted Lucas on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll do fine."
Lucas managed a weak smile. "I hope so," he replied, his stomach doing flip-flops the entire time.
"Don't hope so, know so!" Ness gave his friend a thumbs-up. "Good luck, Lucas!"
"Y-yeah … you too, Ness."
"Fighters! Get ready!" Master Hand's voice boomed across the arena.
Stepping into the transportation capsule absentmindedly, Lucas wondered how Master Hand – and Crazy Hand, for that matter, was able to speak if they had no visible mouths. It was something he wondered every time he heard one of the two hands talk, and yet, he was no closer to an answer than before. But before he could dwell upon his thoughts longer, a bright flash of white light blinded his senses.
"Three …"
Ness and Marth took their places on the upper right and left platforms of Castle Siege, the perfect position to surround their opponents from both sides.
"Two …"
Lucas and Ike were standing with their backs to each other, with Ike facing Ness and Lucas against Marth.
"One …"
All four fighters tensed, getting ready to spring into action.
"Go!"
Marth, the quickest of the four, was the first to strike. He swung his sword at Lucas, who was too slow to react. The blow knocked him into Ike and sent both of them into Ness's waiting baseball bat.
The blue team started off with the advantage, but the tables were about to turn.
Ike was faster than Lucas and he charged at Marth, stabbing him in the stomach and sending the prince flying back. Lucas wasted no time in striking Ness with an energy blast, unintentionally hitting him towards Marth and Ike. Marth had yet to recover from Ike's attack, and so he and Ness were unable to defend themselves when the flames from Ike's sword struck them. Ness jumped back to his feet; Marth was sent flying off the edge, but he was able to get back on the arena.
Ness and I share a lot of the same moves, Lucas thought, clenching his hands into fists. Maybe if I fight Marth … maybe, just maybe …
Keeping that thought in mind, Lucas brushed past Ike and went after Marth. If the mercenary were surprised by his partner's actions, he showed no sign of it, choosing to fight Ness instead. For a few glorious moments, Lucas and Ike were able to overwhelm their opponents, accumulating damage and preventing them from attacking. Lucas could hardly believe it. He and Ike had the upper hand.
Suddenly, the earth below the four brawlers started to shake. At first, Lucas felt panic. But he remembered how Castle Siege underwent three changes in setting. In less than ten seconds, the battlefield went from the rooftops of a castle under attack to the interior of a palace.
"PK Fire!" Lucas cried. Flames burst from his outstretched fingertips and sent Marth flying back.
Marth muttered something in Japanese and jumped back to his feet. He then struck at Lucas with a series of four consecutive sword strikes, giving Lucas no chance to attack. The psychic glanced over his shoulder to see if Ike would be willing to help, but the mercenary was busy dealing with Ness, who, despite having higher damage, was giving Ike a hard time.
Lucas fired a few psychic blasts at Marth, hoping for some breathing room. The first one struck true, the others were blocked by the prince's energy shield. Marth lowered his shield once the barrage had ended and drew back for a powerful smash, but Lucas had already gotten his stick-bat out. Marth's sword was in the air when Lucas's smash attack hit, and the prince of Altea was sent flying past KO point.
I … I scored … Lucas's face held shock, happiness, and disbelief. It was his first knockout ever. His first match was a one-on-one with Bowser, and it had felt more like a massacre than an actual fight. Had he truly grown stronger after a single fight?
Still feeling gleeful with his small victory, Lucas turned to Ike to see if his teammate had witnessed his brief shining moment. But that very second, Ness grabbed Ike and threw him off, scoring a point for the blue team. It was then that the ground started to shake again, signaling the transition to the third and final setting.
Ike and Marth were quick to leave their revival platforms. They immediately went for one another, their blades clashing and flying. Lucas could tell that the two swordsmen wanted an uninterrupted battle, so he went for Ness. The two psychic boys swung, dodged, and sent PSI attacks at each other until Master Hand called out, "Time!"
"That's it?" Marth seemed a little disappointed.
Ness grinned at his partner. "It's not over yet!"
Lucas was about to ask his friend what he meant, but was once again blinded by white light. It took him a second to realize that he was staring down Ness, and less than that for Master Hand to shout, "Sudden death, go!"
"… Oh!" Lucas whipped out of his stick-bat to knock Ness out of the stage with one powerful hit. But Ness had got his bat out as well and was faster than Lucas. Ness's bat sent Lucas flying from the arena sooner than he had realized.
He had lost. Lucas found himself stumbling out of the transportation capsule, feeling disappointed – as if the entire battle had been a waste. Even if he and Ike won, it would be Ike who single-handedly defeated the veterans Ness and Marth. Not Lucas, who was the first to get knocked out. He had lasted only about two seconds. How embarrassing.
"Lucas!" Mario was calling to him, walking over to him. The mustachioed hero exclaimed, "That-a was some-a battle! You did-a very-a well!"
"I was impressed by how you KO'd Marth!" Link grinned.
"Just keep believing in yourself!" Peach said in her high-pitched voice. "You'll become a strong fighter if you just believe!"
"Oh, look, there goes Ike," Samus remarked, her eyes never leaving the Castle Siege battle arena. Even though she had her helmet on, one could tell that her eyes were gleaming in amusement.
The first team battle of Super Smash Brothers Brawl had ended. Marth and Ness, the blue team, were victorious. Mario, Link, Fox, Zelda, and Captain Falcon went to congratulate the winners, while Luigi and the Pokemon trainer praised Ike and Lucas for their effort. It took a few minutes for Ness and Marth had managed to escape the crowd.
"Thank you for the honor of a good fight," Marth said, a stoic look on his face. He extended his hand to Ike.
"And I to you," Ike replied, shaking Marth's hand. His face held an expression just as sober as Marth's, but he was noticeably uncomfortable with such solemnity.
Ness snorted in laughter and rolled his eyes, grinning exasperatedly at Lucas. Both psychic boys found the swordsmen's formalities toward each other rather unnecessary and entertaining.
"Wow, Lucas, you fought well today!" Ness said. His eyes shone with excitement. "We should train together sometime."
"Y-yeah, that'll be nice." Lucas smiled, a genuine, confident smile. "I'll be there. You can count on me!"
Marth nodded and smiled as well. "Well, Ness and I shall be leaving now. Good day, gentlemen."
Ike stood silent until both veterans were out of earshot, then he cracked a small smile of his own. "You know, you're okay, kid. I think you'll do fine."
And, for the first time since his arrival, Lucas didn't feel so scared of Ike.
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A/N: All right, this was a little over-the-top. I'd imagine Lucas to be a little afraid of Ike, Marth, Ness, and several other characters. Anyway, this is just a warm-up for the SSBB story that I have planned. I don't know when it'll come out, so don't hold your breath waiting for it. Schoolwork this quarter is going to keep me busy as it is …