It was just another normal day of a normal week of a normal month. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary at the smash mansion. The characters who had migrated over to the second mansion from the first when the 'melee' was introduced, had long since adapted to modern life. But even after the first turnover of characters, some still adapted quicker than others.
This story truly begins with three angry women; they were either pacing, tapping their feet in annoyance, or banging angrily on a door in the middle of the hallway. One of which was much more upset it seemed than the other two.
"Are you done yet!?" One of them shouted with wrath, "You've been in there for over an hour!" The normally palled faced woman seemed more red in the face now. She was elegantly dressed, and elfin princess at appearance. Her fist met the wooden door once again with a resounding crack, the door threatening the shatter under the force of her hand. Another woman with her looked on worriedly, the flowing pink dress shuffling around her as she fidgeted nervously.
"Maybe we should just go elsewhere…it doesn't appear like he's going to be coming out any time soon." Her soft but high pitched voice piped up. The blonde woman in pink was not one for conflict outside of the fighting arena. She looked from the elfin woman to the only other in the group of three; a woman clad in futuristic body armor. The well protected space knight merely shrugged in response to the almost pleading look the woman in pink gave her, her folded arms barely even moving. The woman in the armored suit was more than happy to break down the door, even supply a bit of fire power with her arm cannon…but Master Hand would not be pleased in the destruction of his mansion.
Inside the door of the now revealed bathroom, there was a muted grumble before the abused piece of wood creaked open, revealing a rather handsome looking knight. (I would have said beautiful, but that's just not very fair) He was clad in blue and white, still primping his hair around an apparent tiara. (yeah, that's right, I called it a tiara) In a very princely way, the young man proceeded to ignore the three females in his path. He blew right by them as if they weren't even there, seeming to make no acknowledgement of them until he spoke.
"Are you happy now?" He asked almost boredly as he continued to make his way down the hall.
The elfin woman was the only one obviously fuming, ready to race down the hall and beat the young man in the face, had it not been for the younger woman in pink practically holding her back.
"Ooh, that Marth! I want to just rip him apart!" She growled between clenched teeth, her hands in tight fists. The blue-haired prince had always grated on her nerves, even when he had just walked into the doors of the melee mansion. The kind of air he carried around him was pompous with a thick dose of pride attached to it. And the Zelda, there really was something as too much pride. The prince was snobbish and acted like everyone was below him; everyone else was just more ground for Marth to walk upon. And the princess hated it, a major emphasis on the hate part. Thinking on this she spoke lowly, just loud enough for the other two to hear her, "I hope he's one of the ones getting replaced…"
Hearing this caused a gasp to usher out from the other blonde woman, a gloved hand going to cover her mouth in shock.
"Don't say that! He should be taken down a notch, yes, but that's just cruel!" Peach became worried again, a concerned look crossing her face and she looked down at the floor. There had been rumors flying around since a few weeks back when Ness had found a suspicious site on the internet. The site had said that the smashers were going to get moved into another, bigger mansion with new perks. There would be new fields and arenas to fight upon, leaving the melee to turn into more of a brawl. That was the better end of the deal though. From what the small boy had said, new fighters would be joining into the so called brawl…but at the price that some of the current fighters would be, in a word, discontinued. That was just a nice way of saying that they would end up in the hall of warriors. It was a new feature as of late, where fighters who were no longer wanted in fights would be retired to. It was considered the ultimate ending; some speculated that fighters went in and never came out. The very thought made Peach shudder, it sounded like a fate worse than death. The woman sighed, letting go of Zelda's arm. "It's bad luck to wish someone to The Hall…"
Zelda calmed a little bit, placing a hand on her hip and giving the mushroom princess an encouraging smile, "I don't think you'll be replaced, Peach. And that goes for you too, Samus. We're all too popular and good at fighting for Master Hand to replace us. But Marth…" Zelda stopped herself, not wanting to upset Peach any further. She looked over to Samus who only gave another shrug before commandeering the bathroom before the other two had a chance. Both Peach and Zelda gave soft groans at this, but were at least hopeful. "At least she won't be as long as Marth…"
--
Rumors in the Smash Mansion traveled fast. Many blew off the rumors thinking that's all they were and nothing more. Some took it harshly and became paranoid at the thought. But all but one had gotten over that feeling and moved on with their lives. This one particular fighter was wandering around on the first floor of the monstrous piece of property, searching for something…or rather someone.
His fiery red hair stood out against the stark whiteness of the walls on the first floor of the mansion, his armor clinking lightly as he walked. His cape fluttered about his feet as the young lord continued his search. Finding what he was looking for after what seemed like hours of search (more like a few minutes), the young man made his way hastily over to the object of his search, speaking in an almost whine, "Marth…"
The older prince made no effort to move from his spot on the couch, book still propped in hand. Marth didn't need to turn around to know who it was; the grating voice was enough for his feeble nerves. He turned a page of his book, ignoring the red haired menace that he knew was hovering behind him. The older warrior took great pride in making the other squirm, hearing that the boy was fidgeting already from the soft sounds his armor was making. Thinking that the other had been tortured enough for now Marth spoke up, "Can I help you?" he said in his nonchalant and airy tone.
The young lord fidgeted for a moment more, not knowing what to do with himself. He had the odd urge to be constantly moving. Constantly. So, the red head fiddled with the holster of his sword that was attached to his belt.
"Do you…Do you think the rumors are true?" Roy stepped back from the couch in case the other decided to attack. While Marth was not jumpy and quick to attack without a reason, the prince did have something of a temper. Roy often found the brunt of Marth's rage often ended up with Roy in the infirmary for a while. Then again, Marth would end up right there beside him too.
Instead of taking off the lord's head as expected, the prince just sighed in disdain. Though Marth did indeed have a short fuse, his temperance was better than it used to be. The prince had learned to become somewhat patient and level-headed when he was forced to lead armies into battle to protect his homeland…and it was tested again when he met Roy. The red head was an extreme version of a childish royal, taking things too literally and personally. And Roy happened to be the most annoying of any that he had met at the Smash Mansion, or even before that. While the child Link was almost as bad, he at least didn't whine and complain about everything…on account that he never spoke at all.
Turning his attention to Roy, but still not moving, Marth spoke surprisingly calmly. "Roy, that is the seventh time you've asked me in the past two days." Marth could hear Roy start to fidget again and the blue haired prince let another tired sigh pass his lips. "How many times have you visited The Hall now? You need to stop letting yourself be controlled by such idiocies. It's nothing more than something to scare you." Marth then returned to reading is book, sensing that Roy was still hovering over him. He made and unhappy sound in his throat before speaking up again, the tone of his voice threatening. "You're such a cretin, leave me alone."
The was enough pestering for Roy, knowing that he could get a severe beating if he stayed any longer. While Roy knew he could take the blue haired prince any day of the week, the young lord knew he couldn't at the moment. The thought of being replaced gnawed at him more than he wished, even loosing sleep over the thought. Even knowing that he shouldn't again, Marth had been correct that Roy had been visiting The Hall, the lord found himself back at the depressing place.
After marveling over the shining text that described what was inside, the young warrior made his way inside to look around the marbled hallway. Everything was covered in fine marble; the floors, walls and even the ceiling were plated with the textured stone. There were pedestals lining the hallway which seemed to travel on forever, and seemed to be just big enough for one person to stand on them. The purpose of these could only be left to the imagination. However, there was one that was occupied. A larger and more glorious pedestal in the middle of the large hallway was the base for the only statue that currently resided in this place.
The young fire lord walked up to the statue, running his fingers over the smooth stone that it appeared to be carved from. The statue was of a Nike, a symbol of victory for the Romans. Roy could only call it an angel, because he didn't know anything about Rome. But to the young man, the woman appeared to be sad, looking out at the hall with her arms seeming to curl around an invisible force that she wanted to protect. Could this possibly be his fate? To be a lifeless statue for evermore? It was disheartening to say the least. No one else may care, but Roy knew in the pit of his stomach if the rumors were true, then he'd be the first to go. Replaced by someone better, someone more well liked. He couldn't think of anyone at the moment, nor did he wish to dwell on such thoughts. All he knew was that his time could be short in this wonderful world of color changing paintings and marvelous food.
Suitably depressed, Roy trudged out of the Hall, hoping and trusting that what Marth and many others thought and said. Just a bunch of rumors. Stupid rumors. Untrue rumors. Breathing out a heavy sigh, Roy made his way to the kitchen, hoping that Zelda had made some of her favorite sweet snacks. Roy wanted and needed to forget about maybe having to write his own obituary.
Finding no one in the kitchen and none of Zelda's snacks around (Roy figured Link must have eaten them all) the young lord rummaged through the refrigerator for something to eat. Grabbing a sandwich and a soda, Roy sat down at the large table and ate in silence and alone. The young man's thoughts wandered to darker things such as people being replaced and who they would be. None of the Hylians for sure and no one from the mushroom kingdom either, they were just too popular. Samus and Kirby would stay knowing their fan base as would DK. The Starfox fighters and the Pokémon were just too damn cute for their own good, so they wouldn't get booted. So who did that leave? The thoughts drifted on as Roy finished his meal. There were the Ice Climbers, Ness and Capt Falcon…and then Marth and Roy.
The red haired warrior let his head thud against the table. Roy was never one to be a conspiracy theorist…or any kind of theorist for that matter. But the evidence was overwhelming, there was no way around it. Marth and Roy were out of the game for good. They were destined to be statues in the Hall. Forever. Why did no one know of the land from which they came from? It just wasn't fair that they were so obscure that they weren't popular. Now more than ever, Roy just wanted to set something on fire and just watch it burn.
It was then that Peach and Mario moseyed on into the kitchen to see Roy with his head on the table, his arms folded around the fallen cranium. Both Peach and Mario looked at each other, wondering what could possibly be wrong with the usually happy and upbeat lord.
"Roy, are you alright?" The mushroom princess asked, walking over to the young fighter's side. Mario sat on the other side of the table from the two, looking worriedly at the lord. The plumber and his brother had noticed Roy being mopey the last few weeks.
Roy on the other hand was off in a daze when Peach addressed him, too busy brooding over his own fate. When he sensed two people around him, he snapped out of his fog a little, registering that he had been asked a question. And one he wasn't too keen on answering at the moment. So in a typically fashion Roy just gave a soft and half-assed grunt, being either positive or negative. He just couldn't bring himself to give a damn at the moment. This response only worried Peach and made Mario furrow his brow. The blonde seemed to float over to Roy and laid a hand on his shoulder, speaking in a quiet and motherly tone.
"Aww, sweetie, what's the matter?" Peach must have been the nicest and most caring person, always worrying about others well being. But she was genuinely concerned about Roy, the rumors floating around had really shaken the warrior up to paranoia.
While Peach was waiting for an answer, Roy was trying to collect his thoughts in order to answer without going psychotic. And he was fighting a loosing battle in that department. So rather than trying to be the least bit rational, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm gonna be replaced…Marth and I are be replaced…" It was soft and muffled by his own arms, but even Mario could hear the young fighter from across the table.
"Mama Mia! Are-a you-a sure about that?" The plumber exclaimed. He was no stranger to the rumors, Mario was there when Ness had found the website. But no one had heard any more than that since Master Hand refused to answer questions about it. Now the mushroom kingdom savior was worried, would he be one of the ones to be kicked to the curb? They were only rumors…but at the same time they held so much power and terror. It truly was a frightening thought.
Roy shook his head 'no' though it could barely be seen with the way he was positioned. Now the nearly crushed warrior lifted his head from the table, his featured drawn with disillusioned disdain.
"No, I'm not sure…but if there's not enough space for the new fighters and they have to make room for them, since me and Marth are practically unknown…we're doomed." The melancholy red head rested his head in his hands, messaging his temples. "There's no other way I can see it."
Peach and Mario shared a quick glance, the Italian giving a shrug in response. Rolling her eyes, Peach patted poor Roy on the shoulder before lightly stroking his back in reassurance.
"Now, now Roy. I'm sure you're just over-reacting. Master Hand hasn't made any big announcements about it and it's likely he never will. I'm fairly certain we're all safe." Which really meant she had no clue as to what might happen.
Roy looked over at Peach who was smiling cheerfully at him. He then looked over at Mario who gave a nod, and Roy was fairly certain that he could see a slight smirk under the man's mustache. The small dose of support from the two was enough to make Roy feel better, allowing the edges of his mouth to curl into a small, albeit sad, smile.
"Thanks you two. You're the best." Feeling like his legs were less weak than they had been, he stood and smile brightly at the mushroom kingdom fighters. "I think I'm gonna go get some rest. See you guys later." The young lord then walked away from the two, Peach giving a little wave goodbye to Roy. Mario gave a quaint nod when the armored soldier walked out, turning his attention back to Peach once Roy was gone.
"Poor-a Roy. He's-a so-a torn up-about this-s replacement rumor." Mario wasn't too worried about himself. Roy was probably right about the fact that he and Marth would got before anyone else. The man sighed, placing his hands behind his head in thought and looked over at Peach when she sat next to him. "Do-a you really think-a there-a will be-a downsizing?"
Peach looked thoughtful as she contemplated over an answer. "Well…no one got sacked when we migrated over to melee, and a bunch more people were added. The Hall of the Fallen was already here when we walked in the door...but was only unlocked recently…" She halted there, her eyes opening a little more, her hand going over her mouth. "…when the rumors started up…" Peach didn't think much about it until now, remembering the text on the only pedestal containing the Nike statue. 'May those who have fallen in this time be protected by this angelic nike for eternity and to the end of time.' And not one of the fighters had been replaced thus far. Which could only mean one thing. "I…I think Roy may be right."
Mario, who had been staring into space until this point, snapped his attention to Peach, a horrified look on his face. With neither of them saying anything they just sat in silence until they both left and went their separate ways.
--
Roy once again passed the dreaded Hall on the way to his room, only on account that he had to pass it in order to get to his room. Looking into the large archway, Roy could see a gathering of people huddled around the statue of the Nike. Roy just shook his head and chuckled to himself leaving Bowser, Mewtwo and Ganandorf to mull over the meaning of the strange language written on the shining brass plate on the statues base. Continuing to his room, Roy traveled up the spiraling staircase to the second floor where many of the rooms where. There were a few exceptions who didn't sleep in rooms, like Falco who perched in a giant bird cage on the roof, or Ganandorf who had commandeered the basement, or Samus who slept in her starship. Otherwise, everyone's room was on the second floor. And lucky Roy, his roommate just happened to be Marth. But the best news was that the prince was nowhere to be found. Probably stalking the mansion hallways…gloating about his princely princelyness or something.
So the red head began to shed his layers, neatly placing his armor and outer clothing in the dresser next to his bed. Left in his undershirt and boxers, Roy flopped onto his bed, feeling the stress over the last couple of days start to drain from him. Soon unconsciousness took hold of Roy and he slid into sleep.
--
It didn't seem long after his eyes closed was Roy rudely awakened. He batted away whoever was trying to wake him up before rolling over and attempting to go back to sleep. This only caused a sound of irritation from the other and a rough kick to the rickety bed.
"Roy you little gremlin! Get out of bed!" Marth hated having to wake up the lord, it was more trouble than it was worth. As a last ditch effort, Marth went and got a glass of water and pulled back the sheets off of Roy's bed and sloshed the water into the red heads face.
"The hell!" Roy sputtered loudly, thinking he may drown on dry land. Sending an angry glare the prince's way, Roy wiped the water from his face. "What do you want?"
"Well aren't you cheerful…" Marth stated sarcastically, crossing his arms and looking uncaringly down at Roy. The blue haired prince was already annoyed and the fire lord wasn't helping his mood. So in return for the trouble, Marth placed a hand on his hip and just stared at Roy for a moment or two before responding. "There's going to be a big meeting in 20 minutes. Master Hand wants everyone to assemble on the practice field under the dome." Marth looked down at Roy like he was a worthless piece of trash, tossing the glass onto Roy's bed and almost missing hitting the lord in the head in the process. "So get moving." Was the last thing Marth muttered before heading out of the room, his cape fluttering behind him.
Roy was going to retort an insult at Marth, but the words never left his mouth after what the prince had told him. Master Hand was calling a meeting. A big meeting. Roy couldn't help but think that this was the final nail in his coffin. The young lord dragged himself out of bed and slowly got himself ready, seeming to sink lower and lower into a depression. By the time Roy had gotten to the dome, everyone else was already there, save for Master Hand.
"About time you got here, you're so slow Roy." Marth commented, once again looking down at Roy in his high and mighty fashion. But that was all he said, seeing that Roy had a glazed look in his eyes. Which actually made the prince's eyebrows kneed together slightly it…was it possibly concern? Marth wasn't about to led himself give a damn about the lord, even though it seemed as though the prince actually had some heartstrings being pulled. Marth pushed the thought away when Master Hand floated into view. His brother, Crazy Hand, was not with him this time which many fighters found odd.
But everyone's thoughts were cut short when Master Hand's booming voice echoed in the domed room. "I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here, and I'm also aware that you have all heard and noted the rumors being spread. Well as some of you have already figured out, they are in fact true." Several gasped at this point, while Roy, Peach and Mario were silence and not surprised. Marth was actually shocked beyond words, which for him was extremely rare. After pausing a moment, Master Hand continued. "It is true that many will be coming in to join the new and improved Brawl, as well as a few of you will not be continuing on. There will be familiar faces, and some that none know. There will be new battlefields and stages but most will be familiar. I will introduce the new arrivals in a few moments." Then Master Hand floated away and out of view, more than likely to get the new fighters ready.
There was much chatter among the 25 fighters, thought several stayed dead silent. Roy, one of the few who already knew the truth, was quiet and only thought about his own demise and fate to go to the Hall. So the young fighter just stood there with a blank stare, looking only like a shell of his formal self. This more then anything battered Marth to no end. Sure, they stuffy prince enjoyed nothing more than tormenting the pyro, but this was something different. Roy wasn't just bothered, he was devastated. But now Marth began to feel like his short rival, the utter impending doom for the both of them sinking in. As much as he wouldn't admit it, Marth knew he wasn't all that popular. Little to no people ever heard of Altea, his homeland. So in the end Roy had been right, they were going to be replaced. Master Hand had said that only a few were going to be booted. Chances were high that it was going to be the two from Fire Emblem.
Many didn't have time for proper conversation before Master Hand was back with a whirlwind portal swirling behind him. How it was controlled was anyone's guess. But the attention was drawn away from the portal to the floating hand as he began to speak.
"I'm sure you're all wondering who you're going to be competing with in order to stay in the mansion. We'll start at the top. Coming from the Congo Jungle to re-unite with his family member, is Diddy Kong." The small spider monkey jumped out of the portal and practically flew at DK, chattering happily at the ape. DK was shocked that his little buddy had made it to the brawl, but was ecstatic none the less. Many became depressed at the sight.
Master Hand just continued on, eager to get this over and done with. "Next on the list are two from Dream World; King Dedede and Meta Knight." Kirby looked less than thrilled to see the two come out of the portal. Meta Knight had too much honor and pride and Dedede…well, he was just an idiot. If the little pink poof ball were to pick one to stay, it would be Meta Knight hands down. While they weren't always on the best of terms, the short knight was at least a competent fighter.
Master Hand kept this up, going on to introduce Lucario, Pokémon Trainer, Lucas, Wolf, Olimar, Pit, Warrio, Toon Link, R.O.B., Snake and Sonic. All new fighters went to stand in their respective spots, near their counterparts or on the ends of the growing group. Marth and Roy felt a bit better about their chances of survival, since there wasn't anyone there from their homeland. Roy actually perked up considerably at this new found knowledge. The two Fire Emblem fighters stood side by side, looking rather proud and very pleased about this outcome. No way they could be kicked out now!
The young lord was about to make a smart-ass comment when Crazy Hand floated into view. Whenever Master Hand's brother came around, it was never a good thing. For a hand, Master Hand looked confused as to way Crazy Hand would come around at such a time.
"You forgot one…" The psychotic looking hand spoke, "He was a late arrival, got caught up in processing. May I introduce, the mercenary Ike." One more being walked through the swirling vortex before the spinning plasma closed up for good. The man that walked through was tall and broad shouldered, wielding a large and cumbersome two-handed sword lazily in one hand. The navy-blue haired warrior walked over to stand next to Marth and Roy, and the latter felt sick knowing this was the end. The last shovel of dirt on his grave. Marth and Roy didn't say anything to Ike; they didn't even acknowledge the man. The two only watched Master Hand and Crazy Hand.
When no other remarks were made by his brother, Master Hand spoke. "This concludes the introduction, you're all dismissed." And then like they had come, both hands were gone. Everyone disappeared after that, some clustering together, others floating off on their own. Marth and Roy were the last ones to leave the practice grounds, neither of them saying anything. Roy was the first one to speak and move, dragging his feat behind him and speaking more to himself than anyone else.
"Just kill me now…" The mopey lord went on his way, leaving Marth rolling his eyes and Ike confused.
"What's wrong with him?" the mercenary asked, honestly having no idea what was going on, much less who the other two were. The poor guy was thrown into a situation of unknown origins. Marth just sent a short glance the mercenary's way, speaking curtly.
"He thinks you're replacing him. And more likely than not, you will." Marth then walked away, leaving Ike bewildered and even more in the dark. While Marth wouldn't admit to it out loud, he felt that he would be booted before Roy just because the fireball was so popular with everyone…while he was hated. Well, there was nothing he could change about that now. The prince would just have to suck it up and deal with it.
Ike looked at the back of Marth's head for a moment before catching up to him in a few quick strides. "Hey wait." Ike called, Marth pausing a moment before continuing on, sending Ike an irritated look.
"You're a big boy, I'm sure you don't need a chaperone to lead you somewhere. You're a mercenary right? Figure it out yourself…" After the comment, Marth wasn't expecting to be yanked back by the shoulder, the force strong enough to send him onto his royal behind had the hand not been there to hold him up as well. The prince found Ike looking at him with an odd seriousness, his cobalt eyes seeming to bore into Marth's crystal blue ones. Unaffected by this set back, the prince brought out his natural attitude again.
"Can I help you?" Marth said in his usual irritated tone. Ike stared at Marth for what seemed like forever, trying to size up his opponent.
"Yeah, ya can. Just because you're a prince doesn't give you the right to talk to me like shit. And I want to know what the hell is going on here." Ike let Marth go roughly, having little patience for the stuffy noble. "I also want your name." Hopefully, just getting the blue haired prince's name would give Ike some insight to who he might be. While his face seemed familiar to the mercenary, he couldn't place where he had seen it before.
When Marth was released, he brushed off his shoulder like the flake he truly was. How dare he! This Ike sure was a pushy one, but Marth was far too high and mighty to fight such a commoner. The truth was he was terrified the mercenary would tear him to shreds.
"What is going on here is that you've been selected to be a fighter in something called the Brawl. You fight when you're told to by Master Hand in order to please the masses. Consider it a kind of blood sport, you fight well and you earn your right to be here. And something that you missed is that some of the fighters here will not continue on, so it is much more dire that many people win such a thing. Else they'll be turned into a kind of trophy for Master Hand. A stone statue for the rest of your days." The prince vainly corrected his bangs that had fallen out of place. "And my name is Marth Lowell, Prince of Altea."
Ike raised his brow at knowing who the man in front of his was. So this spoiled brat was prince Marth? So much for the hero everyone portrayed him as. But not dwelling too much on the fact that this was the 'fabled' Marth, Ike was more interested in this fight that he spoke of. He had to fight in order to survive, nothing too difficult it seemed. The mercenary was used to that kind of thing. He was going to inquire more, but the prince had once again walked off. That was something that was quite irksome and would have to be dealt with at some point or another. But more importantly, Ike had to find his room, so the search was on.
The mercenary followed the throngs of fighters who were flocking back to the mansion, many of the veterans helping the newcomers find their rooms. Many had found the shocking truth that the mansion had changed once again to accommodate all the new fighters in just the time that the assembly had bee called. The large estate had undergone a complete transformation and now had a new interior as well as exterior. So, it would be a learning experience for all as the older fighters went in to explore with everyone else. But even with all of this, Roy was still down and out for the count, far from being even the least bit excited. The young fighter was still dwelling on the fact that Ike had come to replace Marth and himself. So preoccupied in his melancholy world of moping, the lord wasn't paying attention and walked headlong into the back of someone.
"Mmph!" Roy had found himself with a face full of feathers and unable to breathe momentarily. Backing up and trying to figure out what happened, he was met with a curious face and a cheerful smile. He piped up quickly with a "Sorry…" But the cheery looking boy just shook his head.
"No, it's ok." The angel offered out a greeting hand, looking child-like in his actions. "I'm Pit, nice to meet you." The angel's hand was bare for a moment before Roy remembered to shake it with his own. A western handshake was still alien to the eastern lord.
"I'm Roy." The lord now took in the sight of the angel, noting that he looked a bit like the statue in the hall…only Pit was a boy. It then occurred to Roy that the build and posture of the angel was similar to himself, and Pit's cheerful smile seeming to echo Roy's usual demeanor. Though it was curious, Roy did not dwell on it much, a small smile creeping across his face. Come to think of it, Roy hadn't thought he'd smiled in almost two weeks.
"Hey Roy! You want to help me find my room?" Pit chirped happily. The lord nodded, seeming to regain a bit of his old spark. The young fighter had been depressed and mopey for nearly two weeks, causing everyone around him to be brought down in spirits as well. But Roy figured that if he was going to be…discontinued anyway, shouldn't every moment count? And there was no definite answer that both he and Marth were going to be booted. Chances were now that everyone had been reviled, the Pokémon and a mushroom kingdomer would leave. Not to mention one of the younger Links would go. This bumped Roy's hopes up significantly, not to mention that he could very well have a new friend. The duo made their way to the new and shiny upstairs in search of their rooms.
"Just look on the doors, there should be one or two name plates on them. Look for the one that has your name engraved on it." Roy said as the two continued down the halls. The red head actually paused at one door, seeing that Marth had a new roommate and his name was Ike. Seeing this made the fire starter chuckle, catching up to Pit knowing that Marth was going to have one hell of a time with they change in roomies.
"Hey, I think I've found it!" The angel called from down the hall and waved at Roy. The lord jogged over and observed the brand spankin' new door. Indeed it had Pit's name on it, and a happy surprise to Roy, his name was right under Pit's. The sight made Roy smile like a loon. Pit also observed the name plates, a question rising to his lips.
"Uh Roy…why is your name plate burnt?" Roy blinked at the angel before smiling brightly and shrugging.
"Oh, just a little incident a while ago…" In truth it was three days ago that Roy's nameplate became charred for the utmost time. He shrugged again, murmured that he's clean it later. The lord picked up a key that was hanging next to the door and swiftly opened the lock, pushing in the door. Pit poked his head around the side of the door and looked around the room. It had that new room smell, hot off the press! The rather spacey room looked very simple on one side, while the other was already decorated with tapestries and flags. The angel assumed that that was Roy's side of the room since Pit didn't have anything with him.
The two walked inside, Roy rushing over to inspect his things, one sculpture more important to him than anything else. The sculpture was about 12" high of a rearing dragon, its scales painted in a fiery red that caught the light and made it dance about its form. His glass eyes were special, appearing to follow anyone that looked at it. Roy thought it was the neatest thing, mostly because it looked so realistic and life like. Plus it was a gift. Master Hand makes everyone do this secret Santa thing every Christmas. Last Christmas Marth ended up pulling Roy's name and the dragon was given to him as his gift. The only reason that the lord even knew it was the prince was because Marth was the only one who knew that Roy liked dragons. So in a way it was special. It even had the artists' signature on it! So while Marth and Roy weren't always on the best of terms, they at least had this kind of understanding. Kind of like a loose brotherhood.
The lord looked the figurine over with scrutiny, making sure his prize and joy hadn't been damaged in the move. Thankfully it was just fine, albeit a little dusty. He happened to look over at Pit, and the Greek angel looked a bit melancholy at his dull and empty half of room. Roy walked over and patted Pit on the shoulder, offering the winged boy a smile.
"Don't worry, you'll get lots of stuff soon." Pit felt better after Roy's kind words and returned his smile. Roy then pointed his thumb towards the door with a devious smile before walking out of the room. "C'mon, lets have some fun."
--
Ike had continued to follow Marth, much to Marth's displeasure. The prince prided himself in staying away from the common folk, and here he had one that wouldn't leave him alone, or rather, go away. Marth only grumbled under his breath and made his way to the upper floor in order to find his room, his new rival continuing to follow him.
"Stop following me and go find your own…" Marth stopped dead in his tracks and his speech seeing the name plates on the door.
"Because we're in the same room." Ike said bluntly, pushing Marth out of the way none too kindly and opening the door, and entering. The mercenary found that half of the room was bare, whereas the other was already personalized, though barely noticeable. It seemed to Ike as though his roommate wasn't all that keen on decorating, which was fine with Ike. He wasn't much of a furnishing designer anyway.
Marth was practically fuming because of this new bother. The peasant had no right to treat him the way he was. It was undignified! However, Marth wasn't about to pick a fight with the other blue haired swordsman, at least not at the moment. Mostly because if any part of the mansion were to get damaged, Master Hand would have their carcass on a silver platter. No, Marth would bide his time until the matches. But now Marth was sure of one thing; his old roommate would have been a better pick in his opinion.
And speak of the devil, said ex-roommate walked in the door with a new friend. Ike turned around to see Roy and Pit walking into the room, making the environment feel small and his claustrophobia kick in. Ike hoped that the two wouldn't stay long.
But it wasn't Ike they were there to see it seemed. Roy stopped in front of Marth and stared at him, Pit following up behind Roy. Marth looked none too pleased to see the two walk in. The prince made an annoyed sound in his throat and crossed his arms, staring down at Roy and Pit. They all stood there for a moment, Roy looking at Marth, Marth looking back at Roy un-amused. Ike just stood there trying real hard to keep from throwing everybody out then and there.
Luckily for the mercenary, it was all over in an instant. In one swift motion, Roy jumped up and snatched the tiara off of Marth's pretty little head and took off running, the angel hot on his heels and looking much like he'd seen a ghost. Marth was slightly stunned by the action, taking a moment to snap to a conclusion about what had just happened. That pause was only about a millisecond long at most, the prince curing loudly and making a big scene, chasing after the assailants in hot pursuit.
Ike was a bit dumbfounded about what had just happened and how the room had emptied out so quickly. The man rushed to the door just in time to see Marth bolt around a corner at the end of the hallway. He couldn't help but think how weird this place was an how he could keep from killing every living being there within the span of a week. But in this case, he chuckled softly to himself. If the fabled prince Marth could be agitated so easily, then he would enjoy the blow ups when they happened. Ike would consider it fair entertainment. Seeing as he had nothing else to do at the moment, he milled down the hallway in the opposite direction of the commotion to explore his new surroundings.
Marth was shooting down the hallways after the two troublemakers. The prince was a lot more athletic than he appeared to be, and he was fast to boot even with all of his clanky armor on. And because of that, he was gaining ground quickly in the chase. The angel was the farthest thing in the Marth's mind. If anything, Pit was only an obstacle that stood in the way of pummeling Roy.
"You gremlin! I'll beat you into dust and rip you to shreds!" The threats didn't stop flowing and the three didn't stop flying through the hallways. However, Roy running at top speed was slow and Pit noticed this, wondering if there was anything he could do to save his own skin. Pit also made the observation that Roy didn't seem too concerned about the angry prince on their heels. Roy instead laughed at Marth, turning his head to the side and sticking his tongue out at the fuming prince.
"You want your tiara back! You'll have to catch me first!" It was probably the worst thing that he could have said at the moment. And that was all Marth needed to hear in order to make his move. The prince pushed forward in a quick dash towards Roy before launching himself at the lords back. The armor clad 21 year old prince found his target successfully, tackling Roy at full speed. Both bodies tumbled to the floor with the force and rolled down the hallway for a short distance. Marth was the first to recover in his rage filled fury and descended his wrath on Roy, regardless if he still had the head band or not. Said head piece had been flung down the hallway at the time of the tackle and had clanked to a stop long ago.
Marth wasted no time in pinning Roy down, placing one of his sharp knees on the lord's chest piece, and using his body weight to hold the red head down. Lucky for Roy, Marth didn't have his sword on him else the lord would have been bleeding profusely by now. The prince did the next best thing and started beating the daylights out of Roy, the lord taking a moment before reacting to the assault.
And thus the fight ensued, nothing but cursing, shouting, and punches thrown. Pit had long since run off to find some help to stopping the fight, since he wasn't about the get caught into that fray without backup. So while the two swordsman beat the crap out of each other, a crowd had gathered to watch, drawn by the noise that could be heard through ought the mansion. The crown could care less about stopping the fight, more interested in taking bets about who would win. It hadn't taken long for the fight to escalate, neither Marth nor Roy having an advantage, or rather neither of them having a disadvantage. Punches were thrown and bruises and wounds dealt liberally, the fight continuing on until it could be stopped, or someone cared to stop it. To the two Fire Emblem warriors, it was considered a fight to the death.