Snowy Night Galaxy
Disclaimer: I do not own Super Smash Brothers. That goes to Nintendo.
Summary: Christmas is around the corner and Ganondorf hasn't given thought to what he would give Palutena who was already planning a huge gift for him. Despite not being in the holiday spirits, he asks Rosalina on what he should get her. Rosalina tells the tale of a planet with a ice gem that could manifest into anything of what the holder wished it to be, but it could only be found on a desolate planet. Those who have attempted to find it have never returned. Pit volunteers to help Ganondorf if it means getting something for his Goddess but Link overhears the conversation and fears for his comrade and ends up sneaking on board the Comet Observatory with Sonic who simply wants to get away from the holiday cheer. On this planet many things will be tested and Ganondorf isn't too thrilled of being sincere with himself.
Pairing: Ganondorf/Palutena with hints of Lucina/Pittoo, Mario/Peach and Fox/Sonic with one sided Fox/Krystal
Rated: T (for teen)
Genre: Drama, Friendship, Family and Romance with some Humor
Warning: Sexual humor, violence, shonen ai and unintentional OOC.
Christmas fic for a friend and for Smash King24's Christmas Contest 2014. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Greed
Christmas was around the corner again meaning at Smash Brothers Mansion, there would be less battles and more focus on getting everyone presents. During Brawl, Master Hand notion it would be a great idea to do a secret Santa, but that went poorly when certain people wanted nothing to do with the person they were supposed to give to. Suffice to say many Smashers were either lacking in presents or they half-assed the present and called it a day because "it's the thought that counts".
This year any Smasher could by a present for anyone in the mansion. They could also give more things for one person or give multiple Smashers presents. This worked to everyone's advantage as you got people like Mario who only focused on his huge list of friends and then you got Wario who would not give anything to anyone except maybe Ashley and those kindergarteners Kat and Ana if he was feeling generous.
Ganondorf hated the holiday season. Everyone was too jolly for his or her own good and last year demonstrated why the secret Santa was a bad idea. When your worse enemy sent you a bomb as a gift, you knew you hit rock bottom for the holidays especially since that ended in a humorous brawl. This year would be better or at least that's what the Goddess of Light continued to chant whenever he visited her.
Admittingly, he never would have considered the idea of befriending a Goddess after all the problems the divine beings have caused him in Hyrule especially someone as playful as Palutena. Her mysterious nature rather than her obvious beauty allured him. She was intelligent, cunning and very powerful in battle, but outside she loved to flaunt her status while remaining pleasant. Palutena's attitude was different compared to Zelda who remained as solemn as ever and the other Goddess Rosalina (who would rather be referred to as Queen of the Cosmos so she wouldn't seem that old) who while also serious was wise and motherly. She was someone he could communicate with without any issues, but not the type of woman that would interest him personally.
The only problem with Palutena was the closer it got to Christmas, the more Ganondorf felt like she was indirectly pressuring him to buy her something for Christmas. Ganondorf had no idea how they ended up together before then, but even if they were sort of in a relationship that they hid from everyone except those two angel twins who had a tendency to circle around the Goddess of Light like their mother (Dark Pit would never admit to rubbing off of Pit though), not much had come out of the relationship and he felt like she was playing him like a fiddle. Even now he could only assume that she wanted him to be her sugar daddy for the holiday season before dropping him for another. That was only a nagging feeling in his mind and nothing Pit said made him feel better.
At the end of the day, he would have to get Palutena something just so she wouldn't cause a scene during Christmas. The last thing he needed was to be the center of attention like last year just because Link didn't want to be friendly during the holiday season. The only problem was he had no idea what to give her. Despite knowing each other since the beginning of the new tournament season, Ganondorf knew nothing about Palutena's past much less or likes and dislikes. The only thing he knew Palutena adored was food (just as much as Pit) but if just gave her something from the store or made it himself (which he would not be caught doing) then she might still find a reason to complain. It was this reason he went to Rosalina in hopes that her friendship with the green haired Goddess would assist him in his goals.
Rosalina planned to have a quiet Christmas intending to celebrate with her Luma like she had always done even if Mario and Palutena in particular were trying to talk her out of isolating herself. She didn't mind being alone as long as she was with the Luma, but despite that mindset, she still found herself using her powers to try and create something for those she considered dear to her.
"Is there something you need Ganondorf?" She asked in her usual monotone voice. No matter what the situation was, she would always have that tone of voice when addressing friends and foes alike.
"It pains me to request your assistance." He told her getting straight to the point.
Rosalina told her Luma to go on making the small Christmas tree in her room without her that they proceeded to do happily. Rosalina walked over to her bed and sat down while Ganondorf remained standing near the door.
"Does it have to do with Palutena?"
"…Unfortunately…"
A small smile escaped her lips causing him to grumble. Rosalina was easier to read than Palutena, but that didn't mean much when both of the Goddesses were unpredictable.
"How may I help you?"
"Give me a suggestion for what the Goddess of Light is fond of."
"Food." She responded rather sarcastically.
"If you think I'm going to cook, you must be out of your mind."
"What a shame. I'm hearing a rumor that you are a good chef."
"It is of your imagination. Now be serious, or I will get you in the next Smash match."
Rosalina giggled at his threat. It wasn't even that much of a threat to her since she enjoyed Smash fights more than she would have hoped. It annoyed Ganondorf that his usual threats had no effect on the Goddesses.
"Palutena does not like to talk about her likes and dislikes, but I think there is an item that she would gush over."
"…I'm listening."
Rosalina gave a different type of smile. This was the one she used when reading her storybooks. Mario warned all the Smashers to never listen to her tales or they would regret it. Luigi ended up explaining how they were really sad and Mario cried like a baby unlike him.
"There is a planet named the Snowy Night Galaxy," Rosalina started, "a place that is covered with nothing but snow. This is due to the ice gem residing at the core of the planet. The gem was unique not because it could cause the planet to remain in a winter state forever, but because it had the power to transform into any item the bearer wanted whether it be a toy or a weapon. Many have sought for this jewel, but the harsh weathers buried them leaving many to leave the planet alone despite their greed. The very few who have found it only found out that the gem only responds to those with a pure heart. The gem will reject anyone with negative feelings forcing them to wander the planet for eternity."
Ganondorf listened to the story and frowned. He didn't know if this was a ghost story or if Rosalina was trying to prove a point. It was probably both given the unreadable expression she had after finishing.
"Why would I get this item if no one has gotten it?"
"I figured Palutena likes unique items that she can use. Of course she told me about that one incident with the Golden Apple and I wonder why she would need something as trivial as that."
"And do I have any proof that this story holds any water?"
"You will only know if you go to Snowy Night Galaxy yourself."
The King of Evil realized that he might have wasted his time with the Queen of the Cosmos. He turned to leave without another word, but she expected him to come back prying on his greed for treasure and the desire to make the Goddess of Light happy.
Ganondorf knew he wasted his time speaking to the Queen of the Cosmos once he was able to absorb the information. There were so many problems with her tale that it almost sounded like Rosalina came up with the story on the spot just to troll him. Palutena must have been rubbing off of her if that were the case. It made the King of Evil just want to buy a cheap present the Goddess of Light couldn't complain about and be done with the holidays.
But there were other problems to deal with such as the angel twins coming to him and making it obvious they wanted something from him despite saying that giving was more important than receiving (Dark Pit didn't say that but like his light counterpart, was just as interested in getting a present). So if he was going to make a quick shopping trip for Palutena, he might as well get something for those two…meaning he would have to ask them what they want.
The two were on the floor below the top. The two Goddesses got the top floor to themselves by request simply due to their high status. From there the angels got the next floor down and then the rest of the Smashers were on the middle floor. This hierarchy didn't exist last year. Only this season of Smash did it become apparent because of the achievements that Palutena and Rosalina have done in their long lifespan. It annoyed a few Smashers how Pit who had no problem last year allowed himself to be elevated simply to be next to his Goddess. The white angel probably wasn't aware of the irritation he caused from this decision.
The door to their room was wide open. Ganondorf could hear the two communicating with each other on how they were going to handle Christmas Eve when the time came. It was the usual talk of whether or not to go to Angel Land to celebrate with the angels or to stay here with the Smashers. Dark Pit was winning Pit over with staying with the Smashers and then it went straight to nagging Pit about what he intended to do in Skyworld.
"Pittoo, its an angel tradition to go around spreading holiday cheers."
"That's not what I'm interested in. You were talking about something else to Palutena."
"Oh…the chorus…" The white angel ended up murmuring. "You don't seem the type interested in a choir."
"I'm not…but Lucina told me she enjoys music like that."
Pit snickered at the dark twin admitting something he was in such denial over for a while. Dark Pit realized what he said but gave up trying to hide it at this point. It wouldn't be long until the two became an official couple anyway. He just wanted to seal the deal with something that didn't involve cooking.
"Well, if it's about the Greek chorus that us angels do, then I'm certain you can ask Lady Palutena to lend you a sheet and practice singing. You could even perform during Christmas Eve."
"Nope. If I'm going to sing, it's only for Lucina." He blushed at the idea of messing up the lyrics though. Compared to Pit who had an easier time memorizing song lyrics and coming up with lyrics on the spot, he couldn't pronounce the words correctly, so when he tried at night when he thought Pit was asleep, he told himself he wouldn't attempt singing again until Lucina brought it up, and there was no way he would let her down.
"Really? That's a shame. I would perform with you if it made you feel better."
"Nope…I'll look bad standing next to you…"
Oh how he hated to admit that Pit was better at him at something. If he could read unlike Pit, why couldn't he sing without being off tune?
"Oh okay…in the mean time...can you help me find a gift for Lady Palutena?"
"What? Are you telling me that after all of this time you haven't gotten anything for her? So much for her being the number one priority."
"H-Hey! I just…got something for someone else first...that was all…"
"Oh? Was it Magnus or Ike?"
"…I got something for Ganondorf first." Pit admitted surprisingly Ganondorf (as he continued to stand near the doorway without the two noticing. They must not have cared if someone was eavesdropping on them). "I felt bad for him last year, so even if Lady Palutena or you didn't give him anything, I wanted him to feel special. I mean, an angel's duty during Christmas it to help spread joy…"
"You make it seem like I wouldn't get him anything…"
"Well we kind of gave him that impression when we badgered him…"
At least Pit was willing to admit that the two went too far. Ganondorf chuckled as he knocked on the door finally catching their attention. Pit's face was more flustered than Dark Pit simply because the realization that he might have been standing outside the entire time kicked in.
"Uh…Ganondorf…" Pit started nervously. "You need anything? Is Lady Palutena okay?"
"I think Pit is asking if Palutena is giving you a hard time." Dark Pit commented with a smirk.
"…Actually, I require your assistance Pit." Ganondorf stated confusing the white angel greatly. "Are you aware of the Snowy Night Galaxy?"
Pit had to think about it. Dark Pit titled his head in confusion at the name but Pit ended up nodding his head as an affirmative.
"Then you must know of the rumored gem."
Pit nodded his head again. "Of course. I asked Rosalina what I should get for Lady Palutena and she told me this story of an ice gem that could transform into what the holder desired from Snowy Night Galaxy. I was going to ask her again if this gem was real…because then I could use it to give what Lady Palutena wanted."
"And what would that be?" Dark Pit smirking at the idea of a gem that could turn into anything the person wanted. If that were the case, he would use it to create an ice cherub that sung lovely songs for Lucina.
"Well Lady Palutena loves owls." Pit exclaimed. This information was something Dark Pit and Ganondorf did not know about the Goddess of Light. "So I was thinking that I can turn the gem into an ice sculpture in the shape of an owl. It could serve as a clock or a light or something if the imagination part is true."
So the angel is capable of thinking outside the box. Ganondorf thought. Perhaps I should take the angel with me…
"Ganondorf, why would you be interested in this ice gem? Don't tell me you believe in Rosalina's tall tales."
"I don't believe it's a tall tale Pittoo. I mean if Ganondorf wanted, he could wish for a Triforce."
Now Pit was only joking but once "wish" and "Triforce" came to mind, Ganondorf's mind for a moment was clouded with ideas of using the wish for selfish reasons. The angel twins didn't take his look that seriously given he was always wearing that expression around them if he wasn't irritated with their presence.
"…Pit…I request you come with me to find this gem in Snowy Night Galaxy." He insisted. "Together we can find the gem for your Goddess."
"So you just want to be a cheapskate." Dark Pit mocked.
"Of course I will!" Pit responded happily. "I'll get ready quickly!"
"Good, the sooner we get this done, the better. I'll even let you hold onto the item."
"Alright! I got something for Lady Palutena!" He declared.
"Hey, stop bouncing around! You're going to knock something over!"
Pit wasn't listening to his twin as he happily hopped into the air like an excited child being told he was being taken to Disney Land. Ganondorf probably was going to have a headache bringing the hyperactive angel along, but only those with a pure heart could apparently allow the gem to take its form. There must have been a loophole in that statement, so he might take it from Pit just to clarify the suggestion of the Triforce.
The King of Evil was unaware that Link was walking toward the fourth floor to talk to Pit about his plans for Christmas Eve only to stop before getting in view of the trio. Once the word Triforce came to mind and he saw the evil look plastered on his nemesis' face, Link realized how much trouble Pit was in. Going to the Goddess of Light would be impossible as Ganondorf stood in the way of the staircase and elevator. Instead, he went back downstairs intending to come up with a plan to stop Ganondorf from harming his friend.
The idea Link had was actually rather simple. All he needed was to find someone who could disprove the notion that he cared for Pit by either proving that the gem didn't exist or if the gem was found, give it to the King of Evil to see how he would react. The first was easier because Link just needed to ask someone who could zoom around the entire planet to find this ice gem for him. Sonic the hedgehog was the Smasher for the job.
Sonic wasn't doing much either. He seemed to be going around helping the other Smashers put up Christmas decorations or teasing them about certain Smashers still trying to play secret Santa when concerning someone they liked. Of course what Sonic was doing now was whispering to Peach that someone was going to get proposed to when Christmas Eve came around causing her to trot off happily at the idea that one of her favorite pairings was going to come true. Only when Peach was gone did Sonic's lively expression dropped to something somber. Link was good with detecting the mood, but pursued his task at hand.
"Oh hey Link, what's up? Want advice for what to give to Zelda?"
"No…" Link murmured softly before getting straight to the point. "I need your help."
"Sure. What can I do for you?"
"I need you to follow me. We're going to sneak on the Comet Observatory. Ganondorf intends to do something…malicious."
"What? Ganondork is at it during the holidays? Doesn't he take a break like Bowser? I mean Egghead has done his fair share of attacking during the holiday season, but now of all times?"
"…I'm concerned for Pit. He doesn't expect a thing."
Sonic's eyes widened at the mention of Pit. He and the white angel were good friends during the Brawl season developing a close bond. The blue blur was annoyed that with Dark Pit coming in, his role as best friend got shafted, but at least he had Megaman and Red to talk to.
"Well if Ganondork thinks he's going to hurt my friend, he's got another thing coming! I'm in on this mission! Just tell me what to do!"
"It's actually simple…you see…"
Ganondorf and Pit were quick to prepare themselves for the chilly planet. The King of Evil worried for Pit who underestimated the cold. Pit just laughed at how Ganondorf was bundling himself up like the Ice Climbers. The light angel would say this mission wouldn't take long anyway, so he shouldn't be concerned if he was wearing what he ran best in. Rosalina offered him some clothes but the angel refused. Ganondorf grumbled how Pit was going to give him problems when they got there.
Link and Sonic carefully snuck on and hid themselves in the Fountain dome. Sonic played with the Luma who noticed their presence in order to keep its voice down. Link had no time for games as the two waited for the ship to arrive on a white planet covered with snow. From the looks of the outside, a snowstorm was going to hit soon.
"Are you two certain you want to go down?" Rosalina questioned.
"Rosalina, we'll be fine. We'll be done in an hour maximum. Go do your galaxy shopping for Mario."
"…I'll be watching over him." Ganondorf added with a sigh.
Rosalina nodded her head slowly as she lowered the Comet Observatory down. This was the cue for Link and Sonic to escape before anyone noticed. Once Ganondorf and Pit got off, Rosalina gave them a worried glance one last time before ascending her ship back into the galaxy.
Pit looked around the galaxy amazed at how much snow there was. This mission to find the ice gem would be harder than expected simply because there was nothing for miles around except a white blanket and perhaps a few trees covered in snow.
"Oh Ganondorf, so where are we going to look first? Do we keep going around the planet until we find something? I know I said an hour maximum but there doesn't seem to be anything here."
"We should start by walking forward. The Queen of the Cosmos stated in her story that the gem should be found at the heart of the planet."
"Really? What about the outside?"
"We do not have the tools to be digging for a gem that we do not know the shape of. Use your head."
Pit intended to take his advice. As he took his first step in the snow, he stopped hearing someone take out his sword. At first the captain thought that Ganondorf was taking it out due to an enemy being nearby. However, not only did Ganondorf not take his sword out, but a sword was pointed toward his back. He was far from pleased at the situation he was in.
"Link? Why are you here?" The angel asked with a confused expression.
Link glared at the King of Evil who glared at him back when he turned around.
"Get that sword out of my face." He warned.
"No…I don't trust you with Pit."
"Huh? Why?" Pit asked confused.
Link looked toward the angel with a fierce expression that it made Pit take a step back.
"Pit, Ganondorf is deceiving you."
"Huh? Why would you say that?"
"His goals…he intends to use you to make a Triforce. He doesn't care about the holiday season and he certainly doesn't care about helping you get a present to make Palutena happy."
"What? Why? Is that true Ganondorf?"
Ganondorf growled at the accusation. After all of these years of fighting, he wished that for once Link wouldn't interfere with his plans.
"…I won't deny your accusations." Ganondorf said simply before smirking. "However, if you believe I'm only using Pit, stay next to him. I'm sure he'll be happy with you treating him like a child."
This type of psychology worked with someone like Pit who didn't appreciate having his hands held except by his Goddess. The angel looked toward Link in worry about the sudden appearance and accusation. He frowned at a stupid idea that came to mind.
"L-Link, don't tell me you're after the gem too! Oh no! That gem is for Lady Palutena! Get something else for Zelda!"
"Wait…no! I don't care about that! I care about you!"
"Then take Ganondorf's advice and stay out of my way! I'm doing this for Lady Palutena and Ganondorf is too! Link, I know you and Ganondorf hate each other, but don't put me in the middle."
Ganondorf chuckled at Pit's response causing Link to put his sword away only because the King of Evil was provoking him at this point. He cannot afford to lose his temper and have his point lost because of the close relationship Pit and Ganondorf shared as of late. If he had kept an eye on Pit in Smash Brothers Mansion, then he wouldn't have allowed Ganondorf to manipulate his emotions like this.
"There is no gem Pit. Sonic is looking into it."
"Huh? Sonic is here too?"
"Yes…he should be finished right about now."
The blue hedgehog came back in haste allowing Link to prove to Pit that Ganondorf tricked him.
"Uh…I went around this place and there's nothing here. Some treasure my butt…" Sonic said with a sigh. "I can't believe you said an hour maximum!"
"See Pit? You were had."
Pit wouldn't believe that Ganondorf (or Rosalina) were lying to him. "No…the gem must be underground if it's not on the surface Sonic."
"Pit, are you suggesting I missed a place that could lead underground?" Sonic questioned annoyed.
"Well, you usually zoom around that you miss a lot of things Sonic…no offense."
Sonic growled at Pit's wording only to look toward the sky noticing the snow falling harder. "Looks like there's a storm coming."
"Huh? Right now?!" Pit asked worried. "Oh man…I thought this was going to be easy!"
If Sonic honestly ran across the entire galaxy, then there would be no place that would shelter them from the snow. Alas, when the four Smashers walked onward, it didn't take a genius to realize that either Sonic lied about not seeing a small cave or he simply glossed over it while attempting to find a gem on the surface.
"Hedgehog…what were you saying?" Ganondorf asked snickering at the look Link was giving the blue wonder.
"Uh…fine…I guess I was searching for a gem that looked like a Chaos Emerald and missed a cave."
"Sonic…this cave is rather huge to miss." Link added.
"Lets go in before we freeze!"
The cave didn't look stable though and looked ready to cave in from the blizzard. Pit was amazed at how sparkly the inside of the cave was. It led further down like the white angel wanted it to. There was still hope to find the ice gem after all. He needed to find it before he froze to death.
"Pit, do not go too far ahead." Ganondorf warned him.
"I'll be fine Ganondorf! I can take care of myself!"
That wasn't Ganondorf's concern. It didn't take a genius to see that icicles were falling from the ceiling from something going on outside. His worse fears came to life when the ground started shaking. The group was already far in at this point, so the earthquake was not needed especially when the ground started to give up around them.
"Oh crap, this place blows! I rather freeze outside than get buried in the snow!" Sonic exclaimed. "Guys, we need to turn back!"
Sonic didn't need to tell them twice, but because Sonic zoomed out leaving the trio in the dust, they wouldn't make it when the cave started to collapse. Pit yelped when he almost tripped, but he picked up the pace when Ganondorf waited for him. This kind gesture did not go unpunished as the angel noticed the ground giving up below the Gerudo.
"Ganondorf, watch out!"
Pit pushed him out of the way just when the ground gave up. The angel without the Power of Flight fell all the way down. His scream would give Ganondorf nightmares.
"PIT!"
Pit's gesture was wasted when the crack extended to Ganondorf and Link. They wouldn't be able to get out as they too fell in. Sonic only realized how bad the situation became when he turned around and the other Smashers were not behind him when the cave collapsed.
"Oh no…Link! Pit!"
Sonic wanted to go back in, but if he got any closer, he might fall down and never come back out. Turning his back, he needed to head back to the landing spot and try to get Rosalina to come down immediately.
Me: TBC with 5077 words. Notes!
1. The story Rosalina told comes off as a ghost story, but she might exaggerate. I see her as a storyteller and the best ones are the ones who make the most convincing arguments. Of course the parallel of the ice gem is identical to the golden apple in Judgment of Paris that would lead to the Trojan War but don't think things will end too badly.
2. Centurions are angels even if they're not like Pit or Dark Pit. Of course I always associate angels with the Greek chorus and whenever I listen to music that either has Greek chorus or is an opera, I think of angels singing. I had Pit be the singer in exchange for not being able to read (and Pit proves both in Uprising) while Dark Pit was blessed with reading but cannot sing to save his life.
That's it. Reviews are appreciated! Ja ne!
