First ever published SSBB fanfic! Oh joy. I'm pretty sure that this is a pretty original idea. You ain't gonna find any ToDs or mansions here, I guarantee. Anyway, this is my first and I need to be told how I can stop being so bad, so any reviews would be appreciated. With that in mind, sit back and enjoy the show. (EDIT: This is the 2nd version. That's right; I listen to your reviews).

There's a city way out in the middle of a desert, which in itself seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Despite this obvious geological problem, it's a thriving city. Houses and skyscrapers are lain around in an orderly kind of fashion. Crime is rarely a problem, since most of the people that live there carry a sword. In the centre of the city is the Palace. It towers above the highest skyscraper, glinting in the sun. Inside are four thrones. Only two are filled. At this moment of time, anyway. Someone, or something, snapped their fingers…

Marth wondered what would happen if he opened his eyes. He could tell that there was some kind of bright light since it was shining through his eyes. He couldn't heat anything. But he could feel…he yelped and leapt to his feet as he felt something hot burning at his arm. He looked around. He was in the middle of some No Man's Land. There was nothing but dry, dusty rock for miles and miles. A desert. There weren't many deserts in Altea. Or any at all. He thought for a moment. The last thing he could remember was the ground trembling and shaking, and then blackness, and then…well, here he was.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing slightly against the vast emptiness.

"Who's that?" to Marth's delight, another voice called back.

"Prince Marth of Altea," he replied.

"Oh, Martha. Glad it's you," Ike appeared from beneath the bank.

"Where is this place?"

"Screwed if I knew. What a dump. What happened? Or should I not even try to ask you?"

"All I can remember is the ground trembling and then…here we are,"

"Same here. But come on. If we're going to rot in some hole then we need to at least try to get out of here first," he started to walk away. Marth, not wanting to be left on his own, ran after. "If it were dark we could use the stars as a map or something…"

"Can you read them?"

"No. Can you?"

"No,"

"Then we'll just have to walk…thatta way and hope for the best," Ike randomly chose a direction and walked in it. Marth had no choice but to follow. He felt worried, but continued walking anyway. He'd never been in a situation like this before, ever. He'd been in some tight and unpleasant spots before, but never something like this. He was pretty sure Ike had no idea what he was doing, but that made two of them.

X

They walked all day, ignoring their hunger and thirst until they simply had to stop to rest.

"I don't know if we'll make it out of here alive…" Marth said, pushing his hair up and running his hands through it, a sign that he was worried (usually he never messed his hair up. He was very careful and proud of it).

"Nor do I. But hey, we have to try, right?" Ike said. Marth smiled in an uncertain fashion.

"I doubt that either of us would go down without a fight,"
"I know I wouldn't. Hey, if we're still stuck out here in two days, can I eat you?"

"Wh-what?"

"I'm kidding,"

"This is hardly a time for kidding…"

"I'm trying to be light-hearted here, Martha," Marth sighed. If he'd been back at home in Altea he'd probably be sitting in his room, reading a book. That poetry book he'd left on the bedside table, probably. Or maybe that one that was in Latin, or maybe even something like th-

"So you're the idiots that I have to guide, huh? Shouldn't be too hard," an unfamiliar voice made them both jump as a shining light appeared.

"Am I seeing things?" Ike said, looking to Marth.

"Not unless I am too," the prince replied. They both stared as the light dimmed down and revealed…a boy. Young teenager, perhaps. Wearing a white toga, black shorts and a golden laurel. And, more importantly, the two perfect white wings arching out of his back.

"Hullo," he said. "Don't ask if I'm an illusion or whatever, 'cause I'm not,"

"Then what exactly are you?" Marth said. The angel looked offended.

"I'm an Angel, of course. The Angeleican kind. Angel Angel, all that. What else could I be?"

"I dunno, maybe a banshee or - you lost me at 'an'," Ike said.

"Look, think of me as your guardian Angel,"

"Angels? Pff,"

"I'm here to help you, you know,"

"Yeah? Who says we need your help?"

"Death. Guy in the robe, skeleton, scythe, TALKS LIKE THIS. Also Paluntena," he said with a touch of pride. "Special request of hers,"

"Say again?" Marth frowned.

"Look, I'm an Angel and I'm here to help you so you don't die out here. I'm the kind you only get one of," he said with a twinkle.

"Yeah? Got a name?" Ike tossed his head.

"My name is Captain Pit Icari. But I guess you can call me Pit. And I already know that you're Prince Marth and Ike,"

"'Captain'?"

"Captain of Paluntena's Army, including the Pegasus cavalry and the manticore. Though I wish I wasn't. For the manticore bit, anyway,"

"Sorry kid if you don't understand this, but we're two hungry, thirsty guys who've been walking through a wasteland all day, and then this kid with wings turns up telling us he's the guardian angel and he's the captain of an army,"

"That's Angel with a capital and Captain with a capital too. And yes, I am. Want proof?" he reached into a pocket (in a toga?) and pulled out two bottles, which no way would've been able to fit, but that was the space-warping for you. "See if this water tastes like an illusion," the two of them took the bottles. They felt real. And the relief their parched mouths got was definitely real.

"Alright, Pit. I reckon we believe you. Why a kid, though?"

"Why not?" Ike had met a dead end in what to say, so he didn't say anything. "But I'm not just a Captain, though. I work for all the Gods,"

"Whoa whoa whoa…Gods?"

"I serve Paluntena, Goddess of Light and Wisdom. The mightiest Goddess,"

"Oh, I get it," Ike smirked. "Well then, bird-boy, how are you going to help us?"

"You're going to follow me,"

"And where will you take us?" Marth asked.

"Does the name Smash City mean anything to you?" Pit flapped his wings on 'Smash City' though perhaps it was more of a flutter.

"No,"

"It has a Palace which you'll both be booked into," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Take us there,"

"Try to keep up, in that case," he was about to ready himself when Ike cut across.

"Keep up? With a kid?" he sniggered. Pit gave him a cocky smile.

"You'll see just how hard it is. Good job I show up well in twilight. As I said, try to keep up," the he spread his wings, and was away. He flew upwards, but when he got high up enough he was off like a rocket. The two bluenettes ran. Pit had been right; they really did have to try to keep up. He was fast.

X

"Marth! Look!" Ike stopped as the spires loomed into sight. There it was. Turrets and spires and walls. The air around it seemed to be a wonderful shade of peach pink. And all around that Palace, a city. Smash City. The two of them looked at it in awe.

"What's the hold up?" Pit landed gently next to them.

"It's amazing…" Marth said.

"You like it? You should see Paluntena's Palace. Now that's amazing. But y'know, standing here and looking at it isn't going to help us get there. When you do get there you'll be treated like the people you are,"

"A prince?"

"No. A hero," he twinkled again and leapt into the air. "Keep up!" he called down as he disappeared upwards. Ike grinned at Marth, and the two of them ran on, a burst of speed inspired by hope. As the magnificent city got closer, the hearts soared higher and higher until they were higher up in the clouds than Pit was. Now he was closer, he wasn't just flying in a straight line. He flew upside down, did barrel rolls, dived down and soared up, making the best of what he could. If they tried, they could hear his whoops of joy. He regained a sense of maturity and flew back down again when they reached the suburbs.

"We're going through a secret route, so try not to be seen," he warned them. "And don't wander off. You have more than enough time to explore later on." They trusted the Angel and continued to follow him as he walked through alleys until they came to a door in the wall. He opened it and walked in, followed once again by Ike and Marth. Everything went a funny colour for a moment. "And here we are," the two of them looked around. They were in a huge hall with a giant sparkling chandelier, carpet-rich staircases leading up to an upper floor. That is more like it, Marth thought. He brushed off his tunic and tried to look presentable.

"Like it?" Pit asked both of them.

"Are we really staying here? What exactly is happening?" Marth demanded.

"Yes, you're really staying here. I think you'll meet the other royals soon. I had to fetch them first, on account of being royal. Princesses Zelda and Peach of Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom respectively," he said, sounding like he was quoting something. "I guess I had better take you through to meet them." He beckoned them through the big doors. The only kind of room which needed doors like that was a throne room.

X

The room which Pit took them too was also huge, perhaps a little smaller than the Main Hall which they had entered in. There were four thrones there for four rulers, presumably, but none of them were occupied. However, there were two young women waiting.

"Pit? You found them," the brunette one said. She had a soft, calm voice and an elegant posture.

"I did. These are Prince Marth and Ike," he indicated to them in turn. "And Marth and Ike, this is Princess Zelda of Hyrule," he fluttered his wings for a moment, and then added "…and that's Princess Peach. From the Mushroom Kingdom," Marth had done this thing several times before. He bowed to Zelda and kissed her hand.

"A pleasure to meet you," he said. Ike just rolled his eyes.

"And a pleasure to meet you too. But we are of equal status here," Zelda said as Marth rose. Peach didn't seem particularly annoyed that she was missing out on the action, as she was cooing at Pit, who was trying to make a getaway. Zelda and Marth ignored them.

"Zelda, would you care to explain why I appeared in the middle of a desert, and also what exactly is happening?"

"This is the Palace at the heart of Smash City. It was because of the Hands that you appeared in this desert and what is happening…" she smiled. "Is that the heroes are being brung together. In preparation for something which is yet unknown…only the Hands know,"

"Hands?"

"Master Hand and Crazy Hand. They say that they were created by the Goddess of Unity and the God of Chaos respectively. Crazy Hand is, as his name suggests, eccentric but on the most part harmless, and Master Hand is…not the ruler of Smash City. More of…its protector. The city operates on its own, Marth. It does not need a ruler as much as, say, the place which you hail from. But we are its rulers none-the-less," she waited patiently for Marth to process this. "And Pit is in charge of bringing all these heroes here,"

"That Angel child? How important is he?"

"More important than he thinks. His Goddess was right to send him. He works hard, he's loyal, cheerful and a very good messenger. As I said, he is the shepherd for the sheep of our heroes,"

"How many other 'heroes' are here?"

"There's me, Peach, Ike, Pit, you and Link. Plus Navi, but she's the guide, not the hero,"

"And you're – we're – expecting more?"

"Many more. More than thirty. This Palace is more than big enough to hold them until we find somewhere else for them to live. But you are going to stay here,"

"What about the kingdoms that we're from?"

"They'll be kept safe, I presume. I would not worry, if I were you." Not yet, at least, she added to herself. She turned to face one of the patient servants. "Please show Prince Marth and Ike to their room," she instructed. The servant nodded, and indicated for the two to follow him.

So how was it? Intriguing? Amazing? Absolute rubbish? I don't know. You could always tell me by, I don't know, pressing that little button down there that says 'Review' on it. If I were you I'd carry on reading, it gets better! Promise!