Nintendia - Book One: Year of Absolution
Prologue – The Subspace Emissary
In a dimension that parallels our own, one of much greater triumphs and tragedies, beings of much finer mettles wage war against a supreme evil in a land of the same name: Nintendia of the holy planet Trinity. These beings had all been fabled in legends both old and new: some as shining heroes and others as embodiments of fear and evil. However, they all had to stand together in order to protect their land from a supreme evil that wanted nothing but to wipe out all. This soulless entity was known as Tabuu, the God of Subspace, capable of pilfering the physical world of light and bending it to his own whims.
His plan needed a beginning, rather a means of truly connecting his world to that of our heroes. His first step was to enslave the brainless, yet mysterious tribe of robotic operating buddies atop the floating Island of the Ancients. Through inter-dimensional telepathy, these mindless robots proved fine surrogates for the army Tabuu would soon build. These R.O.B.s were forced to disgrace their own holy lands and build a factory that would mass-produce bombs intended for the sole purpose of introducing the land of light to the vast darkness of Subspace.
What Tabuu would never have fathomed was that a consciousness simply bloomed in the empty metal head of one of these robots. Without an identity, this robot was the only hope that stood against Tabuu's master plan. This robot was regarded the wisest of his friends and was a natural leader. He felt disgraced now as he saw no way out of his situation, afraid of the sacrifices his friends would have to make. He often wondered if the threat would ever go and if his race would be exterminated regardless. Meanwhile, while this robot, an emissary of Subspace, formulated a plan under the guise of an Ancient Minister, a being of pure blackness, one of neither pure intentions nor malicious motives, was abducted and coerced by the mindless ones. Tabuu had his suspicions that this being had special powers and that they could be used to siphon an army. He was right; the seemingly endless pool of magic, a source denoted as Shadow Bugs, originating from the black one produced an army of incredible size. The lands would soon be dominated by hordes of primid foot-soldiers and the skies by swarms of auroros. Everything in between was dominated by prehistoric creatures, artificial intelligence and countless enemies of unknown origins.
The Subspace Emissary was there to witness all the horror and in his fright, sent an anonymous distress signal to anyone who would answer. For days, no one answered the desperate call until Master Hand, a manipulator God of the light world, became curious about his own creation and decided to investigate the situation. Before he intervened directly however, he summoned two warriors to assist his cause, one from another world entirely and the other from the distant future. Little did he know, he would face someone of even greater power than his own, and, as he was seen as an unnecessary obstacle but an old enemy, Tabuu captured the Master Hand with chains of light, bonds that would never let a being of the light world escape Subspace. Recognizing the Master Hand as a being still of high authority in Nintendia, Tabuu decided to force Master Hand into manipulating any formidable foes that would oppose into unknowingly obeying orders from Tabuu himself. Everything was falling into place for Tabuu and his Subspace army.
As "first-in-command," Master Hand recruited the likes of King Dedede from Pop Star's Dreamland. With his own Waddle Dee army, this king's first mission was to procure a means of transportation for his forces. Lazy as always, Dedede sought out his acquaintance Meta Knight and his flagship, the Halberd. Duping the masked swordsman was easier than expected, and the Subspace army made off with the Halberd. This greedy king only briefly led Subspace forces since, upon learning of the army's true goals, he became scared and decided to concoct a plan against the army in secret.
The immortal King of Evil Ganondorf was next chosen to lead the Subspace forces, but his Triforce of Power deemed him too foolish to follow the Hand blindly. His response to the might of the Subspace army was quite different; he wanted to control it absolutely instead and manifested secret desires to usurp the Hand's might. In his conquests with his new army, he recruited King of the Koopas, Bowser, and promoted him to third-in-command. Ganondorf saw Bowser's blind loyalty and endless swarms of koopa troopas as valuable assets to his cause. Taking note of his surroundings, the ever opportunistic Wario secretly decided to work as a bounty hunter, a mercenary under his own hire that would cause trouble and independently collect his own trophies in this war.
The land of Nintendia lies within the mystic World of Trophies, a world in which death brings trophification only now in the harmonic convergence Tabuu had just established as a trick to distract the land's mortals. Nintendia's denizens lived to fight and to relish in the sport of it. The epicenter of this pastime was Smash Stadium, an arena that once floated in the far eastern plains of the Mushroom Kingdom and past the northeastern borderlands of Hyrule. One fateful day, in Stage One of a new tournament, Super Mario, famed athlete of said Mushroom Kingdom, was to face a new challenger. Like Dedede and Meta Knight before him, Kirby followed and left his home of Pop Star to embark on new adventures. Unfamiliar with new intergalactic tactics and copy abilities, Mario lost to Kirby who promptly revived him in the spirit of impeccable sportsman-like conduct.
Then things took a turn for the worse when the Halberd appeared and spread Shadow Bugs from the sky, encompassing the whole of the arena. At this unusual turn of events, spectator princesses Peach Toadstool and Zelda of Hyrule jumped into the fray as the four defended the audience from the scores of primid soldiers. While they were preoccupied though, the Subspace Emissary, under the direction of the Ancient Minister, leader of the R.O.B. forces, reluctantly dropped the first of many bombs in the middle of the arena. The Ancient Minister could not bear to watch and fled while two of his kin committed themselves to sacrifice by opening the bomb. Three minutes were all that was left when the unthinkable happened; Petey Piranha of Bowser's forces knocked Mario into the heavens and captured the princesses in a flash, leaving Kirby to fend for his life and those of the royalty. After a tough fight, Kirby managed to best Petey, leaving him flaming dead in the explosion that followed. Kirby managed to save Zelda but was too late in saving Peach who was trophified and captured by the menacing Wario and his Dark Cannon. The clock was ticking and there was simply no time as Kirby and Zelda fled on Warp Star, leaving thousands of lives to be consumed by the Subspace explosion.
The Goddess of Light, Palutena, and the captain of her guard, the angel Pit, witnessed all of this from the heavens above. Blessed with her bow, Pit decided it was best to address the situation head-on as the primids were infiltrating Skyworld now as well. After accepting the Bow of Light from Palutena, Pit fell back into the clouds and out of the goddess's temple with the power of flight carrying him onward into battle. Little did Pit expect to find an overall-clad man resting on the clouds, but his instincts told him to revive the poor man. Mario and Pit became fast friends from thereon out and rid the clouds of evil. The pair bounced and soared in pursuit of the Halberd, but someone else had them outmatched. This someone piloted an Arwing, a ship capable of ranged attacks and blistering speed through the skies.
Meanwhile in the sea of clouds, Zelda held on tight as Kirby tried to navigate the heavens around him. Unexpectedly, the two were caught by the rushing wind and crash-landed on the Halberd. Things were quiet for a moment, but then the Arwing confronted the Halberd. The skilled pilot was met with relentless laser fire and performed stunning aerial maneuvers to avoid even a scratch. When the pilot came in for the attack however the main cannon fired its arm, catching the Arwing off-guard and sending it spiraling downward to the land below. In the scuffle, Zelda and Kirby were blown overboard and also made their reluctant descent to what awaited them beneath the clouds.
Bowser, as a less-than-stellar military commander, gave up on watching all his troops a long time ago and let them run wild throughout the land. One area the koopas were quite interested in causing trouble was the dense jungle of the Kongo. Donkey Kong and his nephew Diddy were vacationing here when a Hammer Brother general made off with their banana hoard. The Kongs did not take too kindly to this crime and beat countless goombas and koopa troopas to a pulp. The Hammer Brother who had made off with the fruit suddenly hatched a plan and decided to use the bananas to lure the Kongs to King Bowser who was armed with his own Dark Cannon. In order to determine if the Kongs were worthwhile trophies, the Hammer general met the ape and chimp with a barrage of bullet bills which were, to his surprise, shot down promptly by the chimp.
The two Kongs raced wildly through the jungle as the chimp scampered nimbly and the ape caused mini earthquakes where his feet stomped the ground. Upon reaching King Bowser, the Kongs were on top of the Hammer general pummeling him into the rich soil. Bowser was no slouch and realized the opportunity by charging his weapon. Seeing the inevitable ahead, DK literally punched his little buddy into the wind, allowing himself to be captured by the nemesis Koopa. Seeing what had happened to his uncle, the distraught Diddy moved through the jungle to see if he could find any help for his best friend.
Back on solid ground again, Mario and Pit spotted something shining in the distance. It was the Ancient Minister! Due to the gravitational limitations of the plumber's super jump and not being blessed with Palutena's power of flight anymore, both heroes fell short of catching the Ancient Minister. Nevertheless, Mario and Pit were never ones to give up easily and continued their pursuit of the minister.
Finding his uncle's capture all too reminiscent of a recent capture and resulting quest on K. Rool Island and needing a rest, Diddy came upon Kongo Jungle's lake for a drink. The chimp almost jumped out of his fur when the legendary Sky High Pokémon Rayquaza burst from the watery depths. The monster, with his lean body and sharp yellow eyes, first noticed the crashed Arwing on the opposing bank and obliterated it with a single hyper beam. Diddy soon found himself in the clutches of Rayquaza's green talons and in paralyzing fear. Then suddenly the pilot of the decimated craft ejected himself from his cockpit and freed the monkey in a flash. Only Fox McCloud, with formidable speed to match his quickness in flight, stood a chance against Rayquaza. Using the beast's hyper beam against itself with a reflector mechanism, Fox banished the monster back to the water's icy depths. In even more shock at the vulpine's skill and finesse, Diddy Kong begged and pleaded for Fox to join in the search for DK. Originally Fox just wanted to get back in touch with his team, but seeing as his arwing's destruction had left him stranded, he reluctantly agreed to the monkey's wish and joined him on his quest.
Fox and Diddy spent hours searching the remainder of the jungle, still with no sign of either DK or the menace that had stolen him away. In trying to be more efficient with their travels, Fox decided to jump on a raft to make their way down the raging Kongo River. After their raft was ruined by bullet bills, Fox still wanted to use the riverside as a bearing for navigation. Diddy was extremely comfortable following the pristine intellect of experience and leadership of Mr. McCloud as he first called him. Fox insisted that he be called by his first name.
At the edge of the jungle, the towering Bowser was spotted by the Fox's sharp, green eyes and was confronted. Unknown to the Fox and the chimp, Bowser had merely left a clone of himself thanks to the Shadow Bugs to deal with any unwanted pests on his trail. It was defeated, and the faker was discovered as the trophy merely dissolved into darkness. The real Bowser appeared suddenly and tried to shoot the Fox down, but McCloud was too quick. Diddy wanted to stay and fight, but Fox had learned from experience that taking the risk is not always the best option. Besides, Donkey Kong was nowhere to be found, so Fox took his new buddy down the side of a cliff, through the jungle, and onto the trails leading into the swamplands.
As chaos continued to unfold in Nintendia, Ganondorf finished his recruiting with Porky Minch, an evil boy genius from a land far to the south, a land dubbed Eagleland. Porky heard rumors and held suspicions that his old friend Ness would be wandering the Podunk Zoo, and eventually the rest of the world, aimlessly for more adventure after he and his friends had defeated him and the alien superpower, Giygas. In the guise of the unfamiliar yet fitting Pig King Statue, Porky was given permission to seek this boy out as his first trophy.
Lucas (the warrior who was summoned from the future Trinity by the Master Hand after the apocalypse caused by pulling the seven needles) was walking through this very zoo, an institution that became abandoned decades earlier due to a Starmen invasion. He was consumed with thoughts of his twin brother Claus, his dearly departed mother Hinawa and the rest of his friends that were nowhere to be found when the ever-familiar Pig King Statue dropped from out of nowhere and began harassing the poor boy. Lucas tried hard to elude Porky but eventually lost his bearings and collapsed in a mix of exhaustion and vertigo. Cowering in fear, Lucas expected the worst when PK thunder suddenly knocked the Pig King Statue on its back. Thinking it extremely odd that this attack did not come from his own PSI powers, Lucas was overjoyed to see another boy who looked a little like him. Out for revenge, Ness squared off with the bully and obliterated his statue form with PK flash.
Porky and his bed-mech was no match for both PSI-powered boys of fortune; even the swarms of robot porkies were merely garbage strewn throughout a ruined zoo when Ness and Lucas were finished with them. It started to downpour afterwards, but droplets of victory soon turned into bullets of despair when Wario appeared atop the rubble of a fallen exhibit. The bounty hunter attempted at capturing Ness with his Dark Cannon, but that proved fruitless. After one look at Lucas's cowardly demeanor, Wario thought it much easier to try to procure a trophy from this boy instead. Ness, without a moment's hesitation, sprang into action and pushed Lucas out of the way of the beam at the cost of his own capture. All Lucas could do was look on in horror at the menacing grin of this evil man and run away, like always, with the echo of the man's evil laugh riveting throughout the thunderous clouds in his mind forever.
Lucas was sick of bullies, sick of being a coward, sick of running away but most of all sick of losing his friends and family. He also began to focus on just how confused he was to find himself alive in a world he thought he had destroyed. This was when Lucas bumped into Red, a Pokémon trainer from the Kanto region in the World of Pokémon. After slight pleasantry, Red released his Squirtle to do some legitimate battle against some primids. Now a young man, Red was here in this land only to challenge himself by surviving in a quest with only this starter Pokémon at his side. After fending off these foes and other shadow beings called Floows, Lucas thought joining with the trainer his best bet at saving his new friend, Ness. Red did not take too kindly to the proposition at first, but reluctantly approved after hearing this partnership really would not interfere with his search for new wild Pokémon.
As these two new friends made their way to the ruins of the east, the winds of death were just settling northwest of the ruined zoo on a vast war-torn desert surrounding a lone fortress. The eternal battle for the Fire Emblem had been interrupted by the new Subspace conquest. Prince Marth of Altea looked upon this landscape and with his perfect vision, spotted the Ancient Minister on the horizon. It was time for the second bomb to be placed, another sacrifice for two of his brothers. The blast radius of this one was enormous compared to the last time, and the entire battlefield was engulfed in darkness. Once Marth made his way to the site of this abomination, his peerless vision was useless; all he could see were dark clouds and endless abysmal landscapes.
Without a second to spare, the enemy swooped in for the kill, but Marth countered swiftly and became locked in combat with a shadowy swordsman. The two fought fiercely, but as primids ambushed them, priorities changed and the soldiers were bleeding Shadow Bugs in moments. Surprised to find out that the other was on the same team, or at least not the one of the enemy, Meta Knight joined swords with the Falchion and its Prince. The Knight was plotting to regain control of his vessel, and nothing was going to stand in his way, not even darkness itself.
In hot pursuit of the Ancient Minister and kicking up the barren sands with feet and wings, Marth and Meta Knight both tried in vain to subdue their culprit, but they were just out of reach. When all seemed lost, Alondite rose from the ground and came down upon the Ancient Minister with Great Aether. The noble Ike transported from the deeprealms had finally caught up with the floating ancient and disarmed one of his lethal bombs. He managed to get away but not without the capes of three valiant swordsmen hot on his tail.
Meanwhile, far in the west, Luigi, the not-as-super Mario brother, was finding himself preoccupied with the new species of round, cuddly creature that was infesting the grassy trails. These waddle dees were just the first step in King Dedede's plan to build up a resistance to the Subspace army. While distracted, Luigi was no match for the mighty Jet Hammer that came unknowingly from behind. Not only did fortune smile upon the penguin monarch once with this trophification, but Wario, with his cart loaded with the Peach and Ness trophies, soon came upon a nice pit stop. King Dedede made use of his foe's distraction yet again and made off with the precious cargo of two while Wario was bombarded with swarms of waddle dees that seemingly sprouted from nowhere.
Called from the depths of the Lost Woods from a distant time, Link of the Twilit Era with a guardian fairy named Navi, who had been lost, brandished the Master Sword once again, once more reborn the legendary Hero of Time and blessed with the Triforce of Courage. Not knowing why he had been called by the goddesses of old, Link set out to investigate the remainder of the sacred forest when the Halberd flew overhead, raining down its destruction. Readying his sword, shield and multitude of other tools, Link prepared for battle against mysterious puppets of the forest when a sleepy Yoshi decided to join him after his quick nap nearby. The two flashes of green proved strong but not enough to catch the speeding Halberd above.
Some foreign spy from another dimension had managed to infiltrate the shadowy vessel via risky HALO jump. This man smuggled himself into the cargo area and decided it best to wait out events in that area, under the camouflage of a run-of-the-mill cardboard box. This mission was unlike anything he had ever embarked upon before.
After a term of cryo-sleep in her spaceship in orbit above the planet, Samus Aran, a mercenary for hire, woke up to the same distress signal the Master Hand had received weeks earlier. Being of a kind and investigative nature, Samus came upon the Island of the Ancients. The landing was peaceful and all too quiet and so was her infiltration with the aid of her sleek Zero Suit gifted to her by the extinct Chozo race. Samus eventually came to a point in which the activation of her Varia Suit was necessary in order to blast a blockade that was preventing further exploration. It worked, but the thermal buildup that correlated with her charge beam attracted dozens and dozens of R.O.B. sentries that rushed the bounty hunter, deactivated her suit and stole it from her flesh. Now much more vulnerable, all Zero-Suit Samus could do was evade the lasers and missile of her oppressors and climb into the ventilation shafts to avoid disintegration.
Eventually Samus figured the best way out would be to deactivate the power and leave the Island unharmed and maybe recruit reinforcements afterwards. She found the power supply undetected, stumbling upon an unorthodox way to generate electricity: siphoning it from a defenseless Pikachu. Shocked by the brutality of the situation, Samus used her plasma whip to free the injured creature which triggered an alarm in the base. Now it was up to the two of them to find out just what was going on here and why the distress signal came from this place.
Back on the surface world, Kirby and Zelda found themselves along the shore of a colossal lake and looking for their lost friends. In his eagerness, Kirby rushed ahead leaving his new companion behind. This proved a fatal error for the princess as King Bowser snuck up on Zelda and shot her down with his Dark Cannon, crafted as always by the dark magic of the aforementioned black being. Bowser's cruelty knew no bounds and he ordered the Shadow Bugs to consume her trophy, making an evil copy. Further along the shore, Mario and Pit were hoping they had not lost the Minister for good when the Dark Zelda clone was spotted with a Dark Cannon of her own. Pit was much too quick for the cloned princess, however, and sliced the weapon in two, leaving a defeated Zelda collapsed in the following explosion. Usually not one to jump to conclusions, Link the Hero saw the plumber and angel pair standing over his defeated princess. In the confusion, Link challenged the two to a fight after narrowly missing Mario with his sword while Yoshi was taken aback, very conflicted by the fight between two of his good friends.
As such, Yoshi preferred to take to the background in this fight, and Mario and Pit overpowered Link, turning him into a trophy. Before Mario could stop the angel, Pit tamed the innocent dinosaur before anything could be done otherwise. King Dedede, on the way back to his new castle in the northern mountains, saw the opportunity and seized it, specifically the fallen Yoshi and Link trophies. Kirby had foreseen this however and chopped the arm carrying the statues in half with his cutter ability, subsequently freeing them. Sprung back to life, the eagle-eyed Link picked his mark with the Hero's Bow and wounded Dedede's stolen kart. The machine was still going though, so the five heroes decided quickly to put aside their differences and join together to track the penguin king. Mario had to swallow his pride now, as the very young man who he had defeated could prove necessary in retrieving the lives of both his little brother Luigi and his Princess Peach. Pit and Kirby were particularly absorbed with the weird appearance of the trophified young boy, Ness, and so they too urged the group to an even quicker pace to save their follow citizens of their world.
Meanwhile, Bowser, unaware of his rival's journey to the castle, was ordered by his superior Ganondorf to do recon in the area as well. The Evil King knew however what the Koopa would find there: trophies and all according to plan too. The Gerudo man grinned with devilish satisfaction as the koopa troops marched forward on his monitor in his new-fangled base situated inside the technology-rich Island of the Ancients.
When Lucas and Red stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient town, they marveled at the gigantic spire rising from the ground and the majestic Charizard that called the place its humble roost. Along the path to the ruins, the two were ambushed by none other than the meddling Wario. Ready to face his foe this time, the combined powers of Lucas's PSI and Squirtle's quick attacks proved more than enough to lay Wario to rest in the dirt.
Back at his castle, King Dedede finally began to realize his new plan. Earlier he had concocted brooches that would relinquish anyone of their trophy state after a certain point in time. Surmising that his castle along with the rest of the world would be doomed to Subspace, a few survivors would remain as rays of hope in the hellish nightmare of the darkness that was Subspace. After bestowing Luigi and Ness with their brooches, Dedede realized that there were not enough, so he bestowed his own upon the very attractive princess. Not knowing what hit him, Dedede almost felt proud of doing what most would consider the right thing. Shrugging it off, he retired to his meditation in the dimly lit hall of his fortress.
Meanwhile, the five heroes united had explored treacherous caverns filled with deadly traps and noxious fumes to get to the entrance of the ominous castle with the Halberd floating in the backdrop filled with the red clouds of foreboding doom, clouds they had come to associate with the ship and the Subspace army. The group had, out of luck, found two of their targets and wasted no time infiltrating the castle. As they went to open the main gates however, the entire place shuddered with seismic-like might, turning the main hall into a pile of rubble.
Dedede, left unconscious by the blast, was unaware of the Koopa foot soldiers pillaging his castle led by the unstoppable and ferocious Bowser. Once his scouts had found the Princess Toadstool, Bowser immediately forgot his goal and kidnapped only her, leaving the palace in ruin and in the wake of the heroes. Mario, realizing the princess was missing from the hall, rushed outside through a hole that had been blown in the back wall of the castle. Spotting his adversary, Mario readied a fiery punch when the Koopa King flashed Peach in front of his determined eyes, causing Mario to direct his strength to the cliff face instead. Pit just behind let fly Palutena's arrow, catching Bowser off guard and causing the two Mushroom Kingdom monarchs to tumble down the precipice. Mario was distraught until his grief turned to hatred, as the evil Koopa rose from the planet in the Koopa Clown Car, carrying Peach off into the silhouette of the Halberd. In the confusion, the Dedede brooch had flown off. Finding it an appealing looking snack, the hungry Kirby consumed it in one gulp. Ignoring the metallic taste in his mouth, the puffball followed the rest of the gang who were once again in relentless pursuit of the Halberd and, if they were lucky again, the Ancient Minister.
Perched atop the highest mountain was the Ancient Minister and two of his sacrifices, directly on schedule for the third time. As Dedede's castle was consumed by Subspace, Ganondorf unknowingly subservient to the wishes of Tabuu, suspected nothing in a brief telecast with Master Hand himself. The oppressive chains of light were not visible to anyone of the Light World, not even the dark thief Ganondorf. No fool, Master Hand suspected Ganondorf's mutiny but could only suffer pain and torment and do nothing while under the gaze of Tabuu in the hell that was the realm of Subspace.
While the third terror of Subspace was engulfing the palace and everything around it, Red was focused intently on his Pokémon journey. It had now taken him deep into the labyrinthine ruins of the east. He had stumbled upon and captured an Ivysaur, but his true objective was the Charizard in the fiery heart of the lower levels. The beast put up one tough fight, but Squirtle's water-based attacks along with a healthy dose of PK thunder were super effective. After all was said and done, Red had three Pokéballs that held the essential water, grass and fire types.
Back west, the three swordsmen were brandishing their swords against the peculiar creatures of the arid sands and harsh winds of the wilds. In the distance, they spotted a silver-plated tank traveling at blistering speeds. Afraid it was another weapon of mass destruction, Ike immediately jumped into action followed by an eager Meta Knight and a skeptical Marth. After all, this weapon looked like it was capable of more chaos than anything the trio had seen thus far. Upon intersecting the path of the unwavering machine, something quite unexpected happened: the lethal tank known as Galleom by the Subspace Army transformed right before their eyes into a humanoid-rhinoceros hybrid form, something quite spectacular and all the more dangerous to witness.
Galleom had a variety of attacks at its disposal including heat-seeking missiles and seismic quakes that shook the ground beneath the heroes' feet. Unfortunately for the beast, the warriors spent little time on foot as they jumped and flew around the tank's massive hulk. The light quickness of the blue-haired youths and their masked friend outmatched the momentum of Galleom who could not keep up with three fighters at once. Overwhelmed, Galleom leaped into the distance onto unstable ground. The three rushed ahead to find the beast had fallen through the ruins' path into oblivion.
Finding themselves in a giant, spiraling chamber, Red and Lucas halted in the silence of this dead end. Suddenly however, light flooded the hall as Galleom plummeted to the bottom. The now enraged Galleom's eyes shone a bright white, prompting the two heroes, now unafraid of any evil that fell before them, to wage battle against it. The fabled Charizard showed his strength, crushing Galleom's skull and setting it ablaze. This revealed Galleom's most impressive feat of engineering; a Subspace bomb was planted in its head, and in a last ditch effort, the beast grabbed the two heroes. With the last of its power, Galleom propelled itself back outside the ruins and into the sky with the help of its tank boosters. Lucas noticed that his friend had fainted, and, unwilling to let another one succumb to evil ambitions, he used PK thunder to blow apart the arm that was holding the two. The young boys fell back to the planet as the fourth Subspace bomb enveloped the spire and its feint circle of cirrus clouds.
Darkness enveloped the land, but the boys were saved! Meta Knight with his cape morphing into wings caught the pair just in time and carried them to safety. Thus, a group of another five heroes had been born while the other five were successful in chasing down the Ancient Minister elsewhere in the wilds. Staring at the new void, the maw that consumed the ruins, the Minister was knocked out of his melancholy state by one of Palutena's arrows. The chase that ensued left the Minister bitter and ready to give up (the group was relentless and nothing would stop them), but the loyal R.O.B.s followed their predetermined orders. One even caused the Minister's next bomb to come crashing down on its body. Two more willing to sacrifice their artificial lives locked into place and opened the bomb. The heroes struggled to pull the R.O.B.s free, but it was too late. The explosion had already engulfed the wilds when Mario barely escaped on his trusty steed Yoshi along with Kirby, Link and Pit on warp star. The Minister silently told himself that he had had enough. Death of friends was now a guarantee.
Meanwhile, the Fox and the chimp had been exploring the ravenous jungle-marsh to the north for signs of the kidnapped Donkey Kong. After infiltrating some mysterious structures nearby, the two found themselves in a swamp brimming with wildlife. The going was much more peaceful now and the new friends strolled along for a while and talked about a great many things. Diddy Kong learned that Fox was from a different system entirely and that he and his team aboard the Great Fox mother ship had come here after answering a cryptic distress signal.
He also learned that Fox had a wife, Krystal, and a young pup named Marcus. Seeing how much family meant to this newfound friend reminded Diddy of his uncle DK and urged him onward. Suddenly though, out of nowhere, the shot of a Dark Cannon pierced through Diddy's chest, and he dropped lifeless to the ground. While Fox dodged the shots from the Koopa King, the Shadow Bugs produced yet another evil clone. Fox was overwhelmed until an Arwing zoomed from the skies above, narrowly missing Bowser with its twin blasters. The pilot, with no need for landing gear or even landing for that matter, dropped from the cockpit to reveal himself as the suave Falco Lombardi, ace pilot of the Star Fox squadron. Within milliseconds, the gun was out of the Koopa's hands, kicked into the air and blown to pieces. The disgruntled Bowser made another quick escape in his Koopa Clown Car as Fox revived Diddy to what was an interesting duel. His clone absorbed more dark magic and increased its size tenfold.
With the help of Star Fox, the Kong fought the false leviathan, avoiding the massive simian feet and whip-like tail that rained down upon them. With the combined forces against it, the shadow clone was defeated and melted into the crisp air of the expansive swamplands. As Fox had been persuaded before, Falco was ushered into the rescue mission by the persuasive Diddy Kong, and the three set out to find DK. Upon reaching the crystal blue waterfall that led to the sea, a transport was spotted by the team. Its crowning jewel was the trophy leader of the Kong Klan himself, but the skiff was speeding away; the three could not catch it in time. Seeing Diddy's disappointment, Falco devised a plan and executed the first step: calling in the Great Fox!
As the Island of the Ancients seemed mystical to the animals on the continent, there was quite a different outlook inside its facility through the eyes of the intergalactic bounty hunter and her newfound electric pet. Pikachu and Samus Aran had explored nearly the entire facility, plagued with R.O.B. sentinels of varying assortments. They finally found the Varia Suit in a secret chamber near the core when two shadowy figures assaulted the pair. Samus was astonished to find that her Varia Suit had been copied and fully upgraded to the complete Gravity Suit twice and that these clones stood before her, ready to do battle. Fortunately, the plasma whip's electrical currents along with the surges of lightning shooting from the mouse Pokémon's red cheeks short-circuited the AI controlling the suits as effectively as it had done to the R.O.B.s albeit it being a much longer battle.
Those relentless baddies returned in full force after the lock on the Varia Suit was released, but it was already too late for them. After fusing the Chozo machinery to her Zero Suit, it took mere seconds to charge up her arm cannon, obliterating everything in her path. One look from Pikachu was all it took to urge Samus onward, ready to investigate completely what was really going on in this mysterious facility. Through many rails systems, it did not take long to reach the empty hall known as the core chamber. Expecting much more, Samus was caught off-guard by a familiar foe. Without warning, she was lifted high up into the chamber and smashed into its circular wall. The terrible and malicious Ridley, leader of the Space Pirates and arch-nemesis of the bounty hunter, was merciless in grinding her crippled body against the walls of the chamber. Fearlessly, Pikachu unleased an electrical storm on the boss, causing Samus to fall with little time to recuperate for the battle that ensued.
With its impressive wingspan, the dragon-like devil soared with great speed, nearly pushing the fighters off the platform with gales of wind. Once Ridley tired of safer maneuvers, his fire rained down upon the arena, but super missiles served as the rebuttal with shattering force. Pikachu distracted the dragon as it tried to spear the creature with its razor-edged tail while Samus used her Screw Attack to injure the boss. With a final charged beam, Ridley without the advantage of surprise anymore, was shot in his gaping maw, and he plummeted down the chamber in flames. Their search exhausted, the pair found their way out of the facility and into the welcoming rays of sunlight and contrasting ruins of the surface. However, a second building caught their eyes as two R.O.B.s carried a bomb into the structure.
Outside the ancient ruins of the island, Space Captain Olimar with scores of Pikmin of all varieties by his side had found himself on this, another distant planet. Several of the tiny creatures had perched themselves upon a colossal, sleeping R.O.B. effigy. That was true until the monument came to life, killing quite a few Pikmin in the process with its arm rotors. Then out of the blue, another captain from yet another world inexplicably speeded in his cruiser, ejected and fell the robot with one falcon punch to its wired cranium. With a flare and disregard to the lives of the Pikmin he smeared across the ruins, Captain Falcon made an entrance and quite an impression on Olimar. He decided to join the man in skin-tight purple clothes. After all, he was sort of stuck anyway and needed something to do.
Making their way through the heavenly place with ruins consumed by the succession of centuries, the two captains eventually reached an outlook that dropped into the abyssal blue sea below. Seeing a transport heading their way, Captain Falcon took the opportunity to grab Olimar and land perfectly on the skiff. Before this, Falco was a bit unhappy to have the chimpanzee stuffed in his one-seated Arwing and was glad to fly over and eject him to save his uncle. With his Rocketbarrel pack sustaining his flight, Diddy got his revenge with his dual peanut popgun pistols. With a slight tap, Donkey Kong was revived and broke free of the chains that held him back. Showing themselves as on the same team, the captains joined the Kongs to take on the forces of Subspace. After all were defeated, the group waited patiently as the skiff followed its predetermined path into the heart of the paradoxical island.
Making its purpose known, the Great Fox had served as a distraction during the skiff battle as it held off the mighty Halberd. The third model in the line (harkening back to the original form after the first was revamped and destroyed on the Aparoid homeworld and the second taking a drastic new design in the Anglar War) was armed with an enormous twin cannon that could devastate an armada. But the Halberd was an evil force to be reckoned with, its hundreds of guns penetrating the shields of the command ship of the Star Fox team. On the surface, Meta Knight, Ike, Marth, Lucas and Red observed the fight in awe. Two characters were not too interested however. The Knight spotted the Ice Climbers of athletic fame traversing the highest peak within eye's view. He decided to follow Popo and Nana but in his hurry surpassed the climbers with the help of his glide. Challenged, the Ice Climbers hurried along too as the Great Fox was losing the duel in the skies above the wastelands.
Minutes later, Meta Knight reached the summit of the glacial mountain with the Climbers right behind. Atop the very highest point was a Lucario, balancing one foot on an icy spike, the very tip of the peak, in silent meditation. This particular Pokémon was very strong and brimming with a life-force known as Aura. After his sacrifice with his master Sir Aaron to save the Tree of Beginning in another world and a mysterious life-changing encounter with Mew, this beast found himself alive once more and on pilgrimage in this new world. Insulted that his training be interrupted, he challenged the Knight across from him to a test of skill. Lucario was familiar with the ways of a sword while Meta Knight had never seen a fighting style like Lucario's before. Upon the Knight's trophification, Lucario pondered his revival and promptly did so, starting off on a better foot with the warrior this second time around.
With the truce solidified with a handshake, terror still struck as the Great Fox III broke through the storm clouds above, tethered by the main cannon of the Halberd. This ship smashed the Star Fox crew into the mountain, causing seismic tremors that knocked Popo and Nana off a cliff and down to the base of the mountain. As if the assault was not enough, the Halberd let millions of Shadow Bugs consume the peak, but Meta Knight and Lucario saw their chances to climb the Great Fox III to reach the evil's source. They were quick and gained entry while shadowy enemies challenged the swordsmen and remaining troop in the wastelands below. The five warriors: Mario, Yoshi, Kirby, Link and Pit were also eager for battle as they leaped into a nearby canyon, ready to lay waste to the Subspace Army that was gaining strength with every moment.
Shaken by all the commotion around him, the spy from another world finally revealed himself as Solid Snake, cloned soldier of fortune. It was time to continue the mission as Colonel Roy Campbell requested. All of the curiosities Snake faced as he battled were simply met with more questions; the soldier did not really understand what was going on at all. Sensing two approaching figures down one corridor, Snake hid himself behind a pillar under another convenient box. No fool and no slouch, Lucario noticed the oddly placed box and could easily see the Aura underneath it. Snake was shocked to be discovered and prepared to take part in some Close Quarters Combat with the weird creatures before him. Lucario halted the restless Snake and, sensing his positive Aura compared to that of the negative forces he was feeling as Primids marched behind them, invited the man to take part in the trashing that was to come.
The unlikely trio made their way to the prison cells of the Halberd on the way to the bridge. Inside the room were the two captured princesses, and Snake was now surprised to see beings that seemed to be of his own kind. The piranha plant insignias lay dully and ominously on their suspended cages, and Shadow Bugs immediately produced evil clones of the women for the triad to face. A mixture of lighting fast swordplay, steel-type Kenpo and explosives dispelled the shadowy figures quickly. Snake freed the princesses Peach and Zelda and urged them to stay in their cell to avoid any danger. The rescuers continued to make their way to the bridge.
Quite sick of captivity, the princesses decided now was not the time to take advice from their savior. From the era of the Hero of Time, Zelda once again transformed into the persona Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah tribe who were guardians of the Hylian Royal Family in her past. With her thieving skills, the two broke out, leaped and floated among the platforms of the exterior of the Halberd, finding their way to the bridge. In the skies above, Fox's Arwing was in a rematch with the myriad of guns of the battleship. It also succeeded in destroying the main cannon that had caused him trouble in the past. The rest of his crew had their hands full with immediate repairs to the hull of the Great Fox III in order to salvage any hope of them leaving the planet and returning home when all was over. Back down below and assuming the Arwing to be an enemy craft, Sheik leaped high into the air and landed gracefully upon the Arwing, landing a punch into the windshield. Now ejected and falling down to the Halberd, the two raced towards each other. Fox delivered a swift roundhouse while Sheik blocked, ready to strike back when Peach interrupted with a sign for peace…and tea? Obviously, an understanding had been reached, which amused and puzzled Fox.
Apart from the commotion below, the triad from before finally reached the controls, only to be met with numerous copies of the black one commanding the deck. Snake rushed in and launched the neutral figures out the window. Snake and Lucario followed to investigate while Meta Knight was finally satisfied with the long-awaited retrieval of his ship. On the main hull, these plain, black figures melted into a shadow weapon known as Duon, a balanced mech with two conjoined bodies: one of a melee style of attack and the other focused on projectile methods such as lasers and missiles. Falco rejoined the fight as he dropped from the sky, ready to aid the other five in the fight with Duon. The shadow machine was attacked from all sides with Snake, Fox and Falco blasting the leviathan's more vulnerable side while Lucario, Sheik and Peach dodged projectiles and caused the heat-seeking missiles to hit Duon itself.
Hard fought, the battle ended in a dissolution of shadow, a trophy of the black one remaining. Preferring a good talk against the offensive attitudes of the warriors, Peach awakened the black one and scolded him for his behavior. The newly named Mr. Game & Watch (because upon introductions, he mimicked the parasol-twirling of the princess in an animated style) had supposedly learned right from wrong for the first time in his plain existence and decided to join the band of fighters around him. Meta Knight, meanwhile, gladly grasped the wheel of his reclaimed Halberd and steered it from the miserable, red clouds of the day into the vast blue skies of what lay ahead.
Down below the hulk of the Halberd and above the Great Sea, the Subspace Bomb Factory's facilities were infiltrated on two ends. Below, the Kongs and the Captains had entered a hangar into which they crushed their way to the center. Above, Samus and Pikachu had entered the opening into the land, which led them to the same room in the center with all alarms blazing. Fully equipped, Samus Aran was past the point of subtlety. Expecting a confrontation unlike anything seen before, Samus blasted her way into the main storage room for the Subspace artillery. Instead, the two found the Ancient Minister, backed by scores of R.O.B. units and showing no signs of struggle or a refusal to flee. The other four also broke through to happen upon the seemingly depressed Minster.
Unexpectedly breaking the silence was a transmission from the King of Evil Ganondorf. Shocked, the Minister's confusion was obvious as Ganondorf ordered all R.O.B.s to start the countdowns on dozens of bombs. Unwilling to let this happen, the Minister prevented some of his buddies from committing their pending suicide. Ganondorf had had enough of the robot master's reluctance and overrode the circuits of the other R.O.B.s, producing an overload that caused all robots to fire their beams at their master, the Ancient Minister. Failing his mission, disgraced and set ablaze, the Minister shed his holy robes to reveal to the surprise of the rest that he was the leader of all R.O.B.s, just like them a Robotic Operating Buddy himself. Ganondorf, laughing maniacally to himself, ended his holographic communication by disappearing in a swarm of auroros to further dishearten the heroes.
Making quick work of that flock accomplished naught for distressed R.O.B. as he tried to relate with his friends who were all about to perish. Samus tried to grapple beam the robots from ensuring the countdown as Donkey Kong and Captain Falcon attempted with brute force, but all proved useless. The only thing left to do was escape if they could. Captain Falcon called for help and urged his new comrades to follow. Only a few minutes remained before the Island of the Ancients was swallowed by the largest maw of Subspace.
Knowing the underground tunnels kept going further beneath the facilities, the group rushed through to the bottom. When the final descent was made, Captain Falcon called his trusty Falcon Flyer just in the nick of time. Everyone landed safely, but the seven were not out of danger yet. Stalking his archenemy as always, even after apparent death, Meta Ridley, a cybernetically enhanced version of the former, shocked the troop as it blistered through the channels of the underground Subspace Bomb Factory in pursuit of the Falcon Flyer. With Pikmin and beam projectiles, flaming fists and bulging arms combined, Meta Ridley was yet again a burning heap, now being sucked into Subspace, as the Falcon Flyer dashed past the bomb radius and the vicinity of the now invisible Island, barely escaping Subspace's dark and shadowy clutches.
On the shore stood eleven of the heroes who had defeated the evil forces that plagued the country. They looked to the horizon as the Halberd and Falcon Flyer landed before them. And thus, the Great Reunion began. A natural leader, Fox McCloud consolidated those before him with little effort necessary. Those who were only the least bit skeptical annoyed a grateful Donkey Kong who looked up to the Fox for saving him. The troops of warriors had faced trials and tribulations like nothing ever before experienced. And they had done it all together through courageous acts of selflessness, heroism, acceptance and sacrifice to reach the juncture in their journeys in which they all finally met. At this council the big ape, who was grateful to Fox beyond measure, intimidated with his bulk anyone who had questions about the Fox's leadership. All was settled, and the heroes hatched a plan. Since Samus and Olimar had called their ships to the mainland before the explosion, her Hunter Gunship, his Hocotate Rocket, the Halberd, the Falcon Flyer and one final Arwing were all at the team's disposal for the final assault. For they could think of nothing more to do but pilot into the depths of Subspace itself and challenge the source of all this evil.
From the vast area that was once the Island of the Ancients, the ultimate weapon of the Subspace army emerged. The Subspace Gunship protruded from the void, miles long, with a settlement with encampments along its hulk that housed soldiers, evil creatures that could not wait any longer to infest the lands and turn them into hellish places. Atop the command platform stood the two evil kings: Ganondorf the divine thief and Bowser the fiery monarch. Ganondorf, with his dark magic, commanded the colossal ship's main cannon to fire. The purple ray of death engulfed what was left of Nintendia in emptiness. The heroes were already on their way however and were spotted by Ganondorf with contempt in his eyes. The five main batteries were ordered to shoot the Halberd down as it was no longer necessary in the master plan. The Halberd made it far and was grazed by multiple laser blasts as it sped through a blue expanse over a calm ocean. Then, Meta Knight's flagship was pierced right through the center. The craft was ablaze, snapped in two and was obliterated in a fiery explosion. Ganondorf's sick countenance turned from resolution to shock when the heroes flew out of the Halberd's fires and closer to the Subspace Gunship. Bowser frustratedly commanded along with Ganondorf that the heroes be killed at once, causing all weapons of the mammoth ship to activate and home in on the heroes.
The excellent skill of the pilots outmatched the vaporizing blasts of energy that flew by the heroes, most of whom resided in the Falcon Flyer and Hocotate rocket, which was keeping low due to some rusty malfunctions. The sole Arwing was undoubtedly piloted by the fearless Fox. Diddy was there too, but Fox did not mind as Falco had before; the bond between them was now even stronger than ever. Those who shared unshakable warrior's creeds, the Emblem swordsmen and the FOXHOUND soldier, found themselves in the expert care of Samus and her ship. The denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule, Eagleland and the heavens became fast friends with Olimar and acquainted with his easy-going manner and resided there. Captain Falcon escorted the remainder of the crew, which included the final resident of the Kong Islands, all Pokémon, Falco bereft of his Arwing and the still mysterious oddballs of the group: R.O.B., the Ice Climbers and Mr. Game & Watch. They continued onward through the relentless attacks.
As the front between good and evil was becoming thinner, a fifth ship soared from above and sliced through the hull of the Subspace Gunship, cutting through the silver metal as it were air just the same. The pilot of the dragoon, Kirby, succeeded in his mission while Bowser and Ganondorf retreated back into the depths of Subspace as a response. The Arwing and Flyer were the first vehicles to enter the void followed by the Hunter Gunship and Dragoon close behind. The Hocotate Rocket sputtered fumes as the mess entered Subspace, leaving behind the monstrous ruin that was once the ultimate weapon of the Subspace army, now engulfed in fire and destruction.
The inside of Subspace was unexplainable. Upon exiting their crafts, the heroes were assaulted with feelings of emptiness, noises of unfathomable eeriness and environments so bleak yet fantastical it was as if the ground melded with the sky to form an inescapable void. The sphere they had entered was merely a portal to the haunting, hellish nightmare that was the realm of Subspace. The heroes gathered silently as they prepared their bodies, minds and spirits for the horrors that would surely lie ahead. Kirby, Zelda, Pit, Mario, Diddy, Fox, Lucas, Red, Squirtle, Marth, Meta Knight, Ike, Link, Yoshi, Samus, Pikachu, Ivysaur, Charizard, Falco, Olimar, Capt. Falcon, Popo, Nana, Lucario, Snake, Peach, Mr. Game & Watch and R.O.B. all rushed forward to meet their destiny.
Meanwhile, Ganondorf and Bowser had reached a precipice that, known only to Ganondorf, was where the Master Hand could be reached. Bowser was stomping angrily ahead, so Ganondorf took his chance at mutiny and turned the Koopa King into a trophy. The King of Evil kicked the defeated pawn out of his way and made his appeal to the Master Hand. When the God appeared, Ganondorf noticed something strange: the chains of light! He laid his eyes on Tabuu who was encased in some sort of shield. Master Hand looked to Ganondorf and pled with his gestures of pure horror and torture; the God was reaching for something that was unreachable. Spurred on by this trickery, Ganondorf leaped into the air for an attack but fell down as a trophy just as fast upon his defeat. This freed Master Hand from the chains of light, leaving bloody wounds where they had conjoined at his knuckles. Enraged and relieved altogether, the God of control launched into battle with the ruler of Subspace with a mighty punch. All Tabuu had merely do was nothing, and the Master Hand was repulsed back to the cliff. The God was seized with pain and agony and lay dead where he had landed. The heroes had seen this conflict in the distance and approached Tabuu, challenging him to a duel. Tabuu then sent them mysterious off-waves that turned everyone into lifeless trophies instantly. The blast also scattered the trophified corpses throughout Subspace, effectively defeating all heroes. Hope seemed lost as Tabuu's master plan neared completion. To further consecrate his victory, he surrounded himself with a Great Maze of the stolen lands of Nintendia that were now his in the vastness of Subspace.
But there was hope; the Dedede brooches revived Luigi and Ness in the ruined halls of the penguin king's castle. Unaware of their surroundings and with only the badges as clues, Ness and Luigi decided to revive the king that seemed to have saved them. Overjoyed, King Dedede embraced his two new companions. Assuming the worst had already happened, the King urged his fellows to see what they could accomplish outside the castle and in the realm of darkness. After freeing the likes of near half of the fallen heroes, Dedede reluctantly revived Bowser. He almost immediately raised his hammer in battle though as the disgruntled Bowser roared with ferocity into it as well. This hard fight was fought in the presence of the deceased Master Hand, and Dedede only barely won. Upon his second revival, Bowser was directed towards the Master Hand's present state and was told that the true enemy awaited in the midst of the Great Maze above. The awoken heroes began to congregate at the cliff where they had initially fallen.
Far away from there, Kirby had also been awoken to his destiny since the unpleasant-tasting brooch did its job, still in Kirby's stomach. The hero spit it out promptly and hurried on to save the remaining chosen ones. After everyone had been rescued, Kirby saw Dedede for the first time in this new, strange land. Quite a change of pace, Dedede ran to hug Kirby and relished in a familiar face. Meanwhile, the bearers of the Triforce of Courage and Triforce of Wisdom had to choose whether or not the bearer of the Triforce of Power be awoken from his slumber. Link and Zelda, confident in their abilities to persuade, revived Ganondorf and explained the nature of the true enemy. As unwilling as Bowser, Ganondorf reluctantly put aside his grievances for the greater good for once. Just before, Kirby had even saved Wario who became as obnoxious as always. After getting his payback on Dedede by knocking him to the ground, Wario was astonished to see the monarch helped up by Luigi and Ness. Being directed as well to the true enemy, Wario grabbed up his motorcycle which had happened to be swept over to the cliff in the chaos. A staircase to the Great Maze was beckoning the thirty-five legends, serving as an invitation to chaos that Tabuu was surely ready to dish out.
Inside the Great Maze was even more disorienting than Subspace itself. Although the environments and terrains proved familiar, they all conformed together separated by tears in the heavens, really rifts of Subspace. The heroes relived every trial and tribulation as they had in the past in Nintendia since all bosses were somehow resurrected. Petey Piranha, Rayquaza, Porky, Galleom, Ridley, Duon and Meta Ridley all struck back with a vengeance only to be bested by the now unified group of heroes. Exploring the stolen colonies seemed to last for eternity as each hero was confronted with a new kind of dark clone of himself or herself. These were unlike the shadowy originals of before as these phantoms seemed to be comprised of pure Subspace. One was lost in looking into its dark soul, and the duels were hard fought and always isolated from the rest of the group. The clones mirrored the techniques of the smashers, but the copies always lost. Once they were all dispelled by their respective fighters, it was time to face the menace himself, the corrupted ruler of Subspace.
Finding themselves at the core of the maze, the heroes were ready to face Tabuu. Trophies of all the evils they had faced once again melted away into darkness, clearing the way open to the door of absolution that held inside their final destination. Along with the thirty-five heroes brave, someone rather late to the party speeded on through the door before it closed forever. Tabuu, satisfied with the misery of the heroes, prepared his off-waves again, but suddenly a blue bur shattered the left and right wings of the fallen angel, diminishing his powers exponentially. Instant death was no longer an option as Tabuu glared at Sonic the Hedgehog with contempt as the speedster mockingly scolded the humanoid, blue phantom for his misdeeds. Subspace had begun to leak into Sonic's world too, and nothing was going to hold him back along with his followers from executing the Subspace God.
Although he was severely outnumbered by the beings of light, Tabuu showed his unlimited strength as he drew from the pools of darkness and shadow. Evil personified, he assaulted the gang with intense attacks. He was everywhere and nowhere at the same time as the heroes became disoriented by their surroundings. The first phase of the battle began with seemingly random teleportation that left explosions in the wake. Preserving some of the group in preparation for the long battle ahead was necessary as Fox worked out a strategy for the rest of the team, and the first wave of heroes confronted Tabuu. Wielding their hammers into the air, the Ice Climbers bounced off Mr. Game & Watch's trampoline to smack the dark entity. R.O.B. shot his lasers at the God, finally relishing in avenging his fallen brothers. Running out of Pikmin, Olimar was caught off-guard next when Tabuu transformed into golden energy brackets that sent the captain flying. Solid Snake brought the attention back to the main battlefield with rocket-launched projectiles that infuriated the God. With a decisive flaming kick, Captain Falcon knocked Tabuu senselessly into Yoshi's maw. Spitting out the repulsiveness, Yoshi breathed blue fire and sprouted wings to avoid Tabuu who dived and slashed the air where the dragon had been. Wario served as a distraction while Pit readied aim with Palutena's bow. An arrow of light pierced Tabuu's cranium, prompting him to transform into a shark-like blade that set course for the angel. Palutena called out to him, gifting him with the power of flight once more so that Pit could dodge the attacks of the merciless Tabuu.
Tabuu grew much more aggressive in the second phase of battle and sent spectral imprints of himself into the fray to deal with a new wave of fighters. Royal princesses of Mushroom and Hyrule, Peach and Zelda used their inherent magical abilities to drain Tabuu's power. Before transforming into the more nimble Sheik once more, Zelda unleashed the spells of the golden goddesses upon Tabuu. The God responded with a myriad of scattered explosions that sent Red the trainer flying upwards. Charizard caught his master in his arms and flew with him into battle, releasing both Squirtle and Ivysaur into the fray. Red was overwhelmed with his Pokémon and their loyalties displayed toward him. The Pikachu charged an electrical storm, one that was largely ineffective against Tabuu who used special orbs to protect himself from these attacks. Caught surprised by PK Starstorm summoned by Lucas, Tabuu ferociously warped and slashed the boy with his bare hands. Diddy was in the air again shooting from above when Ike released his friend from Tabuu's attacks with Great Aether. This only enraged Tabuu further, and the God stuck his chain of light through Ike's chest and proceeded to whip him around the battle grounds, smashing him upon the floor. Sheik covered the critically injured friend with her arsenal of light arrows, one of which pierced the heart of Tabuu, returning the favor. This group retreated as Red's starters obliterated Tabuu with a Triple Finish.
The third set of Tabuu's moves proved to be even more lethal than before. Tabuu rained bullets down upon the three kings who were formerly the pawns in his scheme. Tabuu had grown tired of this relentless fight, and he no longer had use for the denizens of light even if they embraced the shadow. What Tabuu did not count on however was how powerful the three became. King Dedede grew larger, absorbed with his anger, and placed his spiked, metal mask upon his face to strike fear. While Tabuu did not waver at this, the mechanized strikes of Masked Dedede's mallet proved something more. King Ganondorf also underwent a gruesome transformation into the Pig Beast Ganon. The boar charged into Tabuu's body and stuck its fearsome tusks into the being of darkness. No longer containing his devilish form either, a form the Master Hand had once bestowed upon him, King Bowser's eyes shone a bright white as his already massive height quadrupled. The snarling monster Giga Bowser engulfed Tabuu in despairing flames as Bowser was warranted to lose control on his foe. While trying to suppress the three kings, Tabuu focused his onslaught on the smaller adversaries which included Lucario. As Lucario was subjected to more and more torment, the Aura within him grew until he was able to let loose the most powerful of Aura spheres, propelling Tabuu into the psychic grasp of Ness who used psychokinesis to send his foe flying into Kirby's mouth. Now, both original and copy let loose shuriken boomerangs, cancelling each other out in a flurry of razors. As the three kings began to shrink back to normal, both Meta Knight and Falco kept up the assault with aerial maneuvers such as the Mach Tornado and Fire Bird. Taking up Luigi and Marth in his still massive claws, Bowser threw the heroes into Tabuu's vicinity, landing a well-placed stomp and critical hit on the God respectively. Pushed to the brink of death, Tabuu held nothing back and turned into an enormous Dragon Laser which, when fired, knocked the majority of the Smash troupe into submission.
Only six fighters remained fresh and conscious enough to wage war against the ultimate evil in this, their final battle. Now it was Tabuu that grew to epic proportions, his empty eyes staring down at the naïve fools who opposed him. First, Donkey Kong used all his strength and girth to try to bring the Subspace God down to the heroes' level, but it was no use. Tabuu shot red hot beams from his eyes, singeing the ape's fur and causing the remainder to momentarily retreat. Ready to match his laser power, Samus put her Varia Suit into critical condition to unleash the Zero Laser, the most powerful weapon in her arsenal. Tabuu's head was blown to smithereens of Tabuu phantoms. This was at the cost of her armor, but Zero Suit Samus managed to slide by what came next. The true enemy, now finished with his deception, grew back his majestic wings and with one extension of them sent three off-waves in rapid succession into the field of his adversaries. Lightning-quick reflexes enabled the final heroes to dodge the onslaught until they were able to continue their rebuttal. Mario set forth the fires within himself raining down upon Tabuu and setting him ablaze. The Hero of Time Link pointed his Master Sword skyward, gaining the goddess's blessing for the torrent of slashes that were to be bequeathed upon evil. The Master Sword was not Tabuu's fatal bane however. This supernatural being was above all mortal instruments, even those crafted by the Gods of old. Tabuu was a new God and the supreme one as he cast aside the courageous heroes in a rage. Tabuu's ultimate potential was unlocked, and this God was bringing all the worlds in Subspace to collapse upon themselves, throwing the battle into carnage, chaos and insanity. As the universe was falling in on itself, Fox made a desperate measure and called the new model Landmaster. Communication was possibly augmented by the worlds' convergence, and his team sent him what he had asked for: a tank to finish Tabuu off for good. Fox's skill made the machine into a weapon as it dodged Tabuu's flurry of attacks, locked on to his elusive body and sent forth a monumental laser that crippled Subspace's ruler. Taking this chance but with unknown risk, Sonic used the seven precious Chaos Emeralds he had brought with him to transform himself into a god all his own: Super Sonic! Disregarding what may have happened to the amazing jewels, the golden Super Sonic moved with a flash and went right through Tabuu who had teleported an instant before. The Gods of Light and Dark now circled around the other, chasing each other down, elusively avoiding the other. Super Sonic had to take the last chance as his invincibility would not last much longer. After warping light years away with Chaos Control, Super Sonic built up speed for the final blow, breaking the barriers of sound, light, time and space. What did it matter anymore anyway? As all worlds suffered damnation, Super Sonic sped through them all, screaming with utmost rage and hatred against the supreme evil of the universe. Tabuu anticipated nothing when this God of Light, one of all creatures, tore right through his very soul. Tabuu, God of Subspace, let out one final cry as his mass deteriorated into the darkness and the shadow.
And thus, what had seemed irreversible became undone as the lands taken by Subspace returned to their former states, free of the darkness and the evil they had fostered. The heroes united found themselves gathered on a cliff outstanding, one none of them had ever seen before. The World had returned to its intended glory, free from the threat and evil intention of Tabuu. The living legends looked out to the sea as the final Subspace void disappeared, leaving a shining X behind where the Island of the Ancients had been. This symbol of hope for the future stirred the heroes' spirits as they gazed upon the golden-hued World, gifted with heavenly sunlight. And on this fateful day, the heroes admired the horizon together, regardless of any animosity or misunderstanding of the past. Assuming they had seen all the universe had to offer, they were unaware of still a great many things such as another Link, of a different yet interlocked reality, who sailed the Great Sea before them in a separate timeline, the life and culture that continued on unaffected by the cataclysm avoided as a trainer chose a Jigglypuff in her next battle, and how conflicted beings like Wolf O'Donnell roamed far-away planets and hunted a bounty while avoiding his own hit in trying to find meaning and purpose throughout the Lylat System. Needless to say, nothing was impossible now; the day that went by unnoticed by all life except that of the heroes would prove crucial to the further protection, conservation and salvation of the universe.
Audi famam illius.
Solus in hostes ruit
et patriam servavit.
Audi famam illius.
Cucurrit quaeque
tetigit destruens.
Audi famam illius.
Audi famam illius.
Spes omnibus, mihi quoque.
Terror omnibus, mihi quoque.
Ille
iuxta me.
Ille iuxta me.
Socii sunt mihi,
qui olim viri fortes
rivalesque erant.
Saeve certando pugnandoque
splendor crescit.
The sun set, and the full moon rose into the sky. Only Bowser and Ganondorf had set off on their journeys to return to their homelands at this point. Everyone else enjoyed fellowship; the heroes were forming bonds of friendship that grew stronger by every passing compliment, every relatable tidbit and every new fact or opinion voiced by someone about their native territory. All learned about different ways of life, and through countless hours' conversation it was unanimously decided that these ways should be preserved for the greater good in the best way possible. And what better way than to join forces permanently? The undisputed leader was Fox McCloud, and he called a conference to order that was to establish Nintendo, a union of the most dedicated heroes that were to be named after the land they fought so hard to protect. Everyone was also unanimous on the name and idea. Several of the heroes had previously worked together before, and as long as the team stayed grounded by the traits and ideals that bound them together, there seemed to be no foreseeable drawbacks to what they were proposing. And thus in this year of beginning, Nintendo was born as a force for good, one of light and one of never giving up even against all odds. They continued to talk of many things such as recruitment, limitations on membership but most importantly consolidating a headquarters that would be universal and convenient enough for the members to maintain communication or even lodging when necessary. It was proposed that the base be able to freely roam the cosmos, accommodate all members and serve as an impenetrable fortress in which it would be safe to rest, plan and train. The ambitious team would later find the best architects, artists and builders in the galaxy to create what they called the Pillar. As the sun began to rise after the night's restless planning, Nintendo promised to stay connected, but for the time being, left the cliff overlooking the sea to embark on new adventures while the morning breeze gave them all new chills of excitement. This is what they all lived for, a life to love and friends to share it with. The free spirits, legends among the land, went to get some rest before their next adventure that would surely beckon them when they awoke.
I've heard legends of that person.
How he plunged into enemy territory
How he saved his homeland.
I've heard legends of that person.
How he traveled the breadth of the land
Reducing all he touched to rubble.
I've heard legends of that person.
I've heard legends of that person.
Revered by many - I, too, revere him.
Feared by many - I, too, fear him.
Now, that person
Stands at my side.
Now that person stands at my side.
Now my friends are with me.
Some of them were once heroes
Some, my mortal enemies.
And as we face each other in battle, locked in combat
We shine ever brighter.
Everyone followed through. In the time that followed, every hero got back in touch with Fox, and this dream became reality. The Pillar was erected, a 100-story monument that was testament to the strength of the team, and was launched into the depths of space. In theory, it would never land permanently again. Members of Nintendo called it their home away from home. Some even called it home. Whenever the time came that the balance in the universe be significantly threatened, the heroes pulled together and found a solution. In time, the organization grew a lot. More heroes were added to the roster, hundreds even. There was a full staff added too for every industry that was necessary to self-sustain. Simple folk inspired by their heroes agreed to join to do whatever they could to help, even if it was making meals, cleaning house, preparing facilities, teaching classes for the youngsters or providing advice. Time passed some more, and the Pillar eventually became ultimately self-sufficient. The beings that resided there visited more frequently and with the passing of their lives, most found permanent refuge there. Many of our heroes became weary after saving nations, worlds, dimensions and even galaxies on countless occasions. To some of them, this place was a fortress of solidarity, where everything could be counted on to be kept constant in a universe that did not agree at all with the notion. In the Pillar of Nintendo, they resided, fought when needed, and returned there to rest once more, every time their bodies, minds and souls made wearier and further tested.
Seven years have passed since the integral day in time in which it was decided that Nintendo become truth. In this time, Nintendo had fought many more battles and thwarted many more evils. Sonic's final blow to Tabuu was showing its universe-altering effects as space and time on Trinity became blurred, melding the histories of Hyrule and the Fire Emblem continents all into one mix of the present. Everyone's age was showing as their adventures seemed to be coming to a close. However, many villains' whereabouts were still unknown after all this time, and the heroes sensed an ominous cloud brewing above their heads. It was brewing in the center of the universe. They just could not see it yet. After the cataclysmic black hole that appeared months prior to the Subspace Emissary escapade and Bowser's second attempt at creating an empire there, the center of the universe became a desolate place and a shadow of its former glory. It was reset and relatively empty but nonetheless beckoned a certain type of evil. In the seven years since his destruction, unknown to all, Tabuu was alive and secretly gaining power in the blackness of space, somewhere he thrived just as well. Only his soul had survived, but that was enough for the former ruler of Subspace. He was unexplainably more powerful than ever before and had concocted another plan that was far more deadly than his original. This time he was not going to count on anyone else, and he was going to expect resistance. The thought of the future heroes' efforts proving futile gave him all the strength he needed in the depths of the cosmos to finally steal both space and time!
Tabuu, evil incarnate, was going to steal all the space-time pockets in existence in which the heroes defeated their foes both before and after his supposed death in Subspace. He then would insert himself in those worlds, remove the protagonists and hold every maze of his in limbo unless the present heroes go back and fix them, repeating the past exactly as it was intended. Hundreds, thousands, of these pockets swarmed around Tabuu Soul, making for The Greatest Maze in the universe. While the present was left unaltered momentarily, the heroes would have to act fast and in a year's time, restore every lost world and defeat Tabuu Soul. If the heroes failed, it would mean the end of the universe. Tabuu Soul was his own ticking time bomb and if not defused in time, he would implode, eliminating all existence and wiping out what was done by the One God an eternity ago in the Explosion of Creation.
Tabuu Soul's sinister evil was felt in the hearts and minds of the entire universe in this dimension as his telepathy knew no bounds. At end's beginning, the call reached not only our heroes but also all life, throwing the universe and its denizens into unparalleled panic. Never before had our heroes felt so outmatched and unprepared. Nintendo knew it was up to them to save all things, and Day One was the only place to start. And as legends sought to repeat themselves through Tabuu Soul's sinister plot, the evils of the present rose up from the ashes as well, wanting to leave an impression of destruction and despair before Game's End. This is the story of our heroes, the living legends, and how they plunged themselves into the darkness to save the light. All life was in their hands, and only Nintendo could carry that burden. The battle for the universe was to begin, writing its own bloody history, a tragic legend of good and of evil. The timer began ticking…