In a dark room, a boy stirs alone at his table, scribbling away on a piece of paper. He has worked hours figuring out the plot, characters, and resolution. Finally, he puts down the pen and takes a deep breath.
"It's finally done!" He says, smiling. "My first chapter is finally perfect! Now nothing can stop me!"
Realization hits him as he looks down at the sheet of paper. "Right, probably should have written this on the computer..."
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I own nothing except my crappy writing and what's left of my dignity.
For Smash King24's Christmas Writing Contest 2014. Good luck to the other contestants and I hope you enjoy it.
Out of Ganondorf, Bowser, Bowser Jr., Wario, Dark Pit, and King Dedede, no one would be surprised to learn that Ganondorf hated Christmas the most.
But even his hatred was only about half of Dr. Mario's.
It all began on the day of the Smash Decorating Contest, December 21st. Every year, Master Hand challenged the Smashers to decorate their hallway in a cheery Christmas manner in only three days. Then the decorations would be judged by both of the Hands. Excitement, rumors, and speculation would build up as the winners were announced on Christmas Eve at the annual Smash Christmas Party, a huge festival where the Smashers could indulge on an unbelievable amount of treats and where they could danced till their heart's content. The victors of the contest got to enjoy a week to relax without training, so naturally all of the Smashers worked vigorously to make the greatest designs possible. It was tough too; every year Peach's hallway had won due to her fantastic leadership and optimistic attitude. Ever since Princess Toadstool had won, Zelda was hard-pressed on beating her in what she considered the "ultimate show of Christmas spirit." Pac-Man had heard stories from Pikachu, who had been in Zelda's hallway ever since the start of the Brawl Era, about her holiday decorating craze. Towards the start of the holiday season, the princess would soon grow anxious and irritating, talking about nothing else but the contest. Then during the contest, she would yell at everyone to quicken the pace or that they were doing everything wrong or that their decorations weren't "Christmas-y enough." Even though she lost in the end, each time her eyes would light up with a drive to start the madness all over again. This season, partially influenced by the addition of new Smashers, she was as focused as ever in trying to destroy her friendly rival.
As Pac-Man stepped outside of his room, he could already see his group joyfully decorating their hall. Alph and Olimar were working together; Alph stood on the struggling captain's head while he tried to hang mistletoe from the ceiling (although it was much closer to the wall than the actual ceiling). Mr. Game and Watch was in his Octopus form, using his long eight arms to rapidly staple tinsel to the walls. Sonic and Ike stood at the end of the hall, reading the instruction manual on how to set up their plastic Christmas tree. Zelda herself was running around, checking on the decorations while snapping orders at her workers.
"Pac-Man!" She yelled, stopping by his door. "Did Pikachu set up the lights yet?"
Pac-Man shook his head. "He hasn't had the chance to, but—"
"Do it! Now! Go with him! Peach is probably halfway done by now!" With that, she ran off to chastise Sonic for "being to slow."
"Yes 'mam." The hero of Pac-Land sighed before walking back in his room. Pikachu, his roommate and closest friend, was sound asleep in his bed, snoring like a Snorlax. Pac-Man could tell that his friend was still asleep, exhausted after yesterday's vicious holiday shopping.
"Pikachu," Pac-Man whispered softly, "it's time to wake up."
"I don't wanna..." Pikachu groaned, turning over in his bed.
"It's the day of the Smash Decorating Contest." Pac-Man reminded him, slightly raising his voice. "Zelda wants us to—"
At the mention of the Hyrule Princess, Pikachu immediately woke up. "The Smash Decorating Contest is today?! Why didn't you say so! Holy Arceus, how late did I sleep in?"
"It's only 9:30—"
"ONLY NINE-THIRTY?!" Pikachu howled, grabbing the alarm clock. "ZELDA'S GOING TO ROAST ME ALIVE!" Throwing it down, he dashed out of bed and grabbed the pile of Christmas lights in the corner. "Oh crap, where's the extension cords?!"
"I don't know." Pac-Man admitted, half-smiling at his friend's panicked behavior.
"Well shoot!" Pikachu quickly double-checked the room, bouncing off the walls like a rubber ball. "I think I left the extension cords downstairs in the closet. Could you go get them for me? They're in the box marked 'Pikachu's Stuff.'"
"Don't worry, I'll get them." Pac-Man reassured him, opening the door. "Anything else?"
"Coffee!" Pikachu barked, running past the Namco character and out the door. "Pronto!"
As the Pokémon dashed away, he carelessly ran into Olimar and Alph. The two space men struggled to stay up, but their efforts were in vain as they came tumbling down.
"Sorry captain!" Pikachu chirped. "I'm late!" Without missing a beat, he got back up and sprinted away.
Olimar and Alph lay still for a couple of seconds, trying to recollect themselves. Finally, Olimar breathed, "The last thing that boy needs is coffee!" Alph laughed in agreement; Pac-Man just smiled as he locked the door behind him.
.o0O0o.
As Pac-Man walked down the stairs of the Smash Mansion, he could see that the other Smashers were already working hard on their hallways. Captain Falcon and Robin were carrying a heavy-looking Smash Crate upstairs. Kirby was floating around his hall's Christmas tree, hanging red and white candy canes from its branches while King Dedede slyly snuck behind him, taking the candy back down and eating it greedily. Bowser and Wario were also sneaking around, taking down decorations from the other halls while the Smashers weren't looking. Peach was in her hallway, cheerfully instructing her teammates on how to set up the decorations. The holiday's in full swing, Pac-Man thought, smiling as he approached the closet.
"NO!" A voice boomed. Everyone froze in place, including Pac-Man. Turning around, the Namco character could see Dr. Mario standing firmly outside of his room, red-faced and outraged as if someone had stolen his most prized possession. Anger seemed to be practically erupting from him.
"Doctor, it's just a wreath." Mario said calmly. Pac-Man could tell he was as shocked as the rest of them at the doctor's outrageous behavior.
"And I said no!" The doctor glowered. "I don't want it on my door!"
"Hey, it's my room too..." Ness added quietly, but no one heard him over the commotion.
"Doc, it's a wreath, just like he said." Fox tried reasoning with the doctor. "It'll just be up for three days, and then you can take it down."
"Does it look like I care, you overgrown mutant?" Dr. Mario spat. "I don't want it on my door! Get the heck away from my door and leave me be!"
"Come on, man," Little Mac grumbled, "it's Christmas time."
That seemed to set the doctor off. "What did you just say to me?!" He shrieked, charging at the man. Mario and Fox managed to grab him before he could reached the boxer. "You think just because it's a holiday everything willy-nilly is justified?!"
"Whoa man, I didn't mean it like that!" Little Mac defended himself, startled. "I just mean you should—"
"Don't you dare tell me how to act, shorty!" Dr. Mario shook the Smashers off and marched into his room. Loudly, he added, "If you dare hang anything on my door, I ripped this whole hallway to shreds! I don't care if it's Christmas time! I hate this holiday! It's nothing more than brainwashing at it's finest! Buy this, buy that— I'm sick of it! You're all a bunch of fools! You think this will get you happiness? You know as much as Birdo! You sicken me!" With that, he slammed his door shut.
Everyone stared in silence for a few seconds in awe of what had just happened. Then Pit chirped in, "All that was missing from that was humbug."
It was around lunchtime when Pac-Man finally got a break from the decorating. Zelda had worked everyone to their bare bones, but after they had finished the basics of their design, everyone, including the ever-critical Hyrule Princess, felt satisfied that they had done their best. After lunch, matches were due to start up again, so Pac-Man wasted no time finishing his meals (and a little extra). Taking a sip of his chai tea, he opened his copy of the Smash Gazette and started reading.
Smash Gazette
Runaway Five comes to Smash City
Written By Knuckle Joe
The Runaway Five, the award winning jazz band, is coming to Smash City this December at the Tom Nook Center. After hitting platinum in 2012, they have recently become the first jazz band to become an interstellar sensation, hitting the number one charts in both Popstar and Koppai. In an exclusive interview with Smash Gazette's Knuckle Joe, their manager—
"Excuse me, Pac-Man, do you mind if we talk?"
Pac-Man put down the paper and was immediately surprised to see Ness sitting directly across from him. The boy looked embarrassed, flushed and hunched over his lunch plate as if someone was about to steal it. A dark look swarmed in his eyes and his unsettle demeanor caused the hero of Pac-Land to shiver. Pac-Man could sense his confusion and frustration as if it was his own.
"Go ahead." He invited, taking a sip of his tea. The Eaglelander didn't usually talk to him, but then again, now that he thought about it, they had never needed to.
At Pac-Man's response, Ness looked relieved, as if talking to the Namco character was a momentous task. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but everyone else had already eaten lunch and... well, you remember what happened by my dorm earlier today, right?"
"If you mean Dr. Mario, then yes."
"Well," Ness scratched his head, "I— I don't know what's wrong with him, and it's been bugging me since the start of December. Dr. Mario rarely comes out of my— well, our— room unless it's time for his match or if someone's hurt."
"If that's his wish, then let him be." Pac-Man warned him. "You have to respect his privacy."
"No, I get that, it just..." Ness sighed. "Back in the Melee Era, Dr. Mario was... well, different around the holiday times. He was probably the happiest person around. He would single-handily decorate the whole Smash Mansion with just some tinsel and a staple gun, and you wouldn't believe what he could come up with. One time his Christmas light display shot out the whole Smash City power plant! When Master Hand got it up and running I still remember how gorgeous it was. And not to mention his hot chocolate was to die for!" Ness paused, then took a sip of his water before continuing. "What I'm trying to say is that Dr. Mario isn't the same person he used to be around the holidays. He's a complete and total jerk. I miss the old doctor, the one who cared about other people, the one who lead the Christmas caroling and the cookie baking, and most of all, the one who was my friend. Now he just sits in our room doing who knows what. He even barked at me the other day for coming in without knocking. It's my room too!" Ness sighed. "I don't know what to do, quite frankly. I want to be his friend, but I don't want him to... well, end up a jerk like King Dedede."
Pac-Man nodded. "I've noticed he's becoming more and more aggravated recently. It's frustrating, standing on the sideline not knowing what to do to help. Don't worry, sometimes those issues resolve themselves."
"I'm just worried that it won't this time." Ness sighed, looking off into space. "He's really gone off the deep end this time."
"ATTENTION SMASHERS!" The intercom boomed over his voice. "IT IS TIME TO CONTINUE TODAY'S MATCHES. THOSE PARTICIPATING PLEASE MAKE YOU WAY OVER TO STAGE SELECTION."
"Well, that's my cue." said Pac-Man, both of them standing up.
"Thanks for listening." Ness smiled as they shook hands. "If you need anything from me, just let me know."
"I'll be sure to keep in touch." Pac-Man agreed. "Have a nice day!"
"Happy holidays!" Ness quickly added as the ball walked away. Try as he might, Pac-Man couldn't suppress the feeling that Dr. Mario wasn't going to quit being a curmudgeon. He shook his head, trying to get focused. Worry about the match, Pac-Man told himself, the doctor's issues will resolve themselves.
Right?
"Dear Arceus, what happened?!"
It was the next day. Pikachu and Pac-Man had gone downstairs to gather their remaining supplies from the closet when to their surprise, they saw Luigi crying in his hall's Christmas tree, sobbing his heart out. The decorations that once happily hung from the branches now lay shattered against the granite floor. In the center of the hallway lay a pile of broken Christmas wreaths, torn apart by crude means.
"Oh my..." Pac-Man whispered under his breath, taking in the carnage.
"Who did this?" Pikachu asked, running over to comfort the distraught plumber.
"I... He... Waa!" Luigi wailed, a new wave of tears flooding his eyes. Pikachu looked shocked, but he didn't say a word as the plumber tried to recollect himself. "You see..." Luigi huffed, trying to speak between tears, "I... I..."
"Calm down there, buddy." Pikachu said calmly. "We're going to help you clean up and then you can tell us, okay?"
"Okay." Luigi shot a grateful glance at the Pokémon as he stood up. He trembled the whole time that they cleaned, occasionally blowing his nose, but he thankfully seemed better than earlier. Pikachu and Pac-Man didn't say a word as they helped clean up the mess. Luigi looked frail like the ornaments, so they dare not speak to him until they had moved into the plumber's room. After making him hot chocolate, the two Smashers started to gather as many details about the strange incident that they could. It was tough; Luigi seemed nearly traumatized by the event. Eventually, Pac-Man and Pikachu managed to piece together what had happened.
.o0O0o.
Luigi was in his hallway, setting up some of the last decorations. The others had gone to their early morning matches, so it was just him and Dr. Mario left to walk the halls. As Luigi tied the last of his ribbon, he noticed that Dr. Mario's wreath wasn't hanging on his door. Unfortunately for the plumber, he wasn't here to hear the doctor's spiel about Christmas the day before. Wouldn't it be nice, the plumber thought, if I hung his wreath for him?
"Happy holidays!" Luigi sang happily as he hung the festive wreath on the door. "There we go! I know how much the Doc loves wreaths! Won't he be surprised when—" To his surprise, the door swung open, hitting Luigi in the nose.
Dr. Mario walked out, looking annoyed as he stared at the hurt plumber. "What the heck was that caterwaulin—" Then doctor looked at the wreath. "What's this? What did I just say?!"
"Wha—" Luigi was pushed back as Dr. Mario grabbed the wreath and started ripping it to shreds. "Hey!"
"I'm done with this crap!" Dr. Mario yowled, anger engulfing his eyes. "Get this thing away from me!"
"But... it's Christmas time!" Luigi complained. The poor plumber had no idea what he had just unleashed.
"WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" Dr. Mario exploded, his eyes full of rage. "I. HATE. CHRISTMAS! GET THESE DANG DECORATIONS AWAY FROM ME!" He marched over to the nearest door and started ripping apart the wreath. "SCREW THIS HOLIDAY! SCREW YOU!"
"No, don't!" Luigi begged, grabbing the doctor's arms. Dr. Mario barely gave a second thought as he threw him across the room. Luigi hit the Christmas tree, causing it to collapse in a matter of seconds. Shards of multi-colored ornaments flew all over the floor, echoing as they exploded.
"What... what did I..." Dr. Mario looked just as shocked as Luigi. "I... I'm..."
"Doc..." Luigi's eyes started to water. "But... Why? We're... we're bro—"
"Get away from me!" Dr. Mario ran back into his room, slamming the door shut. The sound vibrated through the empty hallway as it fell silent.
And then Luigi started crying.
.o0O0o.
"Wow..." Pac-Man shook his head; he was sitting on the couch in Luigi's room. "He has lost it..."
"It's like someone put a beehive in his bed for ten straight days." Pikachu agreed. He was still trying to comfort Luigi, nuzzling up to the plumber. "What's his problem? I'll tell you one thing: he's ruining my holiday."
"He's not usually like this." Luigi sighed, still shaking as he took a sip of coco. "Something's wrong, but he won't tell anyone what. He's going to ruin his life..."
"He's already lost my respect." Pikachu nodded. Trying to distract everyone, he turned towards the plumber and said, "We'll get Master Hand over here and he'll fix the tree right up for you, okay? I'm sure everyone else will agree to that."
"Thanks..." Luigi murmured, but he still looked dazed from earlier.
"Hmm..." Pac-Man now knew for sure the doctor wasn't going to get better. Anything he did could make it worse; however, his moral code dictated that he helped people in need, and let's face it, the doctor could get all the help he could get. Pac-Man didn't usually do this, but he decided to consult the one person who would understand.
And that, of course, was Master Hand.
"Hmm..." The Hand of Creation hummed after Pac-Man had finished. They were in his study, a mirthful room festively decorated for the holiday season. The hand had a talent for kirigami; paper decorations hung from the ceiling and were plasters on his windows. His bookshelf was filled with Christmas stories and a jolly Santa Claus bookend. As he awaited Master Hand's advice, Pac-Man took a sip of freshly made hot chocolate with whipped cream on top that tickled his throat as it went down. Finally, Master Hand sighed.
"Ness is right, this isn't the doctor I knew back in Melee." Master Hand agreed, floating back to his desk. "He's a lot more..."
"Condescending?" Pac-Man suggested.
"Exactly what I was about to say." Master Hand grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting away at a piece of paper. "You have a right to be worried for him."
"I'm not sure if I should interfere." Pac-Man confided, gazing in wonder as the Hand of Creation rapidly cut the paper. "Things like what the doctor's going through takes time to heal, but... The doctor obviously needs an intervention. If I do, he might overreact and get worse; however, if I don't, he might get so bad that he'll ruin any chance of being normal again. I feel as if either way, he could get worse due to my actions."
"So it is quite the puzzle, isn't it?" Master Hand commented. "You're playing with a man's life, Pac-Man. I may be the Hand of Creation, but even I'm not sure what I'd do in your situation."
The hero of Pac-Land looked dejected. "Oh... thanks for your advice. I'm sorry to—"
"Hold on there!" Master Hand interrupted in a mysterious omniscient tone. "I may not know what to do... but I can do this." He stopped cutting the piece of paper and unfolded it. The Hand had transformed the piece of paper into a beautiful snowflake. "See this snowflake?"
"Umm... yes?"
"Well, funny story about snowflakes... they say that there are no two are alike. Well, actually, the probability is very unlikely that an exact same snowflake will fall... but in this guy's case, there has been only one real one in existence." Master Hand put it down on the table and pushed it towards Pac-Man. "That snowflake fell on December 24, 2007, almost seven years ago. And that day is exactly where you need to go. Take this snowflake, Pac-Man, and concentrate on it. It will take you to the day that Dr. Mario's life changed forever. As I said, it'll be your choice to interfere, but this should show you what to do. Now if you'll excuse me," Master Hand walked towards the exit, "I have to schedule a party. Good luck!" With that, he closed the door.
Pac-Man stared at the snowflake in wonder. "Is he saying that... it can time-travel? That's... literally the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Then again, he hasn't lied to me before." Pac-Man picked up the paper snowflake. "Dr. Mario's a Smasher, and Smashers look out for Smashers. He needs my help." He started focusing on the snowflake. "Let's hope this snowflake's not as ridiculous as it sounds..."
As if on cue, everything turned white.