Short story on what Super Smash Bros. could be with a well-written story. Or just whatever popped into my head at the time. If I got some ranks wrong, please tell me because I've never written a large scale war like this before. As always, read and review. Don't write this off as a long winded short story. It really isn't. I tried to make it as easily read as possible without making it boring.
Dramatis Personae:
Mario: General of the Grand Army of the Alliance of Star Systems.
Link: Brigadier General, serving under Mario; Romantically involved with Zelda; Leader of Hero Mission.
Bowser: Leader of the Confederation of Protest.
Zelda: Medical Surgeon; Head of the Medical Department
Snake: Sergeant; Sent on mission to find the Universe's Hero
Donkey Kong: Sergeant; Sent on a mission to find the Universe's Hero.
Ike: Brother to Marth; Sent on mission with Snake and DK
William Akelian: Common Villager in service to Gareg; Presumed Universe Hero.
Luke Figgis: Villager in service to Gareg; William's best friend.
HERO FROM THE UNKNOWN QUADRANT
This wasn't how the tournament was supposed to go. It was only to be a friendly competition between fighters from all over. Now this happened.
What happened you ask?
Well, sit and I shall tell you a grand story.
In Universe Nintendo; Year 3090; Field of Smash
Early in the year, a being known as the Master Hand had sent out a challenge to all fighters in the universe to meet at the infamous field to engage in a tournament. The grand prize for the winner was honor to his home world or system and a vast treasure beyond comprehension. Many warriors came to participate and all proved valiant, but only 8 would make it to the finals.
Then something terrible happened. One of the eliminated warriors went on a vengeful rampage helped by Master Hand's brother, Crazy Hand. The two quickly gained followers and eventually amassed a large army. A brutal battle ensued, and many of the spectators evacuated. The final 8 along with another 500 fighters vowed to rid the universe of the threat. During the next five years the two factions battled mercilessly.
This is where our story begins. . .
A roar in the distance sounded before the heroes. The hour had come.
The final stand of a coalition of fighters.
It was sad really, to know that half wouldn't make it out alive but they were all willing to give their lives. At the front of their force stood a short, slightly chubby man who wore a red shirt under blue jean over-alls. Not a very intimidating image, but the fire of courage could be seen glinted in his eyes. The man raised his hands towards the sky, and in a flash, covered them with red flames.
He turned back to the warriors behind him. "It has been an honor serving next to all of you," He said heavily. "Even though we may not make it back alive, rest assured every last one of you are heroes."
Each of the fighters raised one arm and gave a rousing hoo-rah before brandishing each of their weapons.
One of them walked towards the over-all clad man who was studying the horizon. He wore a green tunic over tan breeches with brown boots. In his left hand was a sword, expertly crafted, and his right bore a rune-carved shield. A bow was slung across his back, over a quiver full of arrows.
"You nervous, General?" He asked cautiously.
The general turned to look up at him, his blue eyes set in a hardened expression. "A little, Link, but I am confident in our abilities."
Link sighed, "If only that were the only thing to win."
"You of all people should know that numbers do not win battles."
"No, but I bet they would help."
The general allowed himself a small chuckle. His Brigadier General could bring a heavy situation crashing down with a little dark humor. He had to admit, sometimes that was the only thing that saved his sanity. Another of his officers came up.
"Greetings, Generals." He said with a rough voice. "Going over last minute tactics?"
"Actually we were just talking," The general said. "But you're welcome to join Captain Falcon. We are just trying to lighten the mood a tad."
"Sounds like a good idea, but I think I'll go check on my regiment." The large man walked off again without another word.
"General, look," Link said, getting his attention once more. "Is that our messenger coming?"
The general nodded, "I think it is. Send McCloud out to get him."
Link left without another word to fetch the 2nd Lieutenant. The general sighed once more, the war had taken a heavy toll on his health. He had developed a life-threatening illness three months ago and told no one about it. There was no need to worry the men. How could it have come to this, he wondered. Just two years ago the universe had been in peace and he had been casually enjoying his life with his longtime girlfriend, the Princess of Mushroom Kingdom, Peach Toadstool. Then his nemesis Bowser got kicked out of the tournament.
From there on out, everything went to pot. Yes, the thing responsible for this war was Bowser, and from him, the general himself. For the rest of his life, he would never forget the haunting words Bowser had given him shortly before his rise to power. Just remember this Mario, everyone must die. Even heroes die at some point. Yes even you will die.Was Bowser just messing with his head at the time, or was there something more sinister at work? He could never be sure until it was too late.
"General."
The voice snapped him out of his reverie. Link must have come back.
"Yes?"
"You better follow me," He said shiftily. "There's something you need to see."
The general nodded and followed closely behind him. Something was bothering the Brigadier-General, but Mario could not place it. His guess would be something to do with the messenger. He silently prayed it wasn't, however, Mario wouldn't be able to handle the death of his brother.
"We're here, General, sir."
Ahead of him, Mario could see the black stallion Luigi had ridden off in, but Luigi was nowhere to be found. Immediately his thoughts went to the worst. He brushed past the remaining soldiers to find empty ground.
"I'm sorry general, but we couldn't find him." Link said after a moment. "We found a piece of parchment with the horse, seems to be from the enemy."
The general looked up, his eyes had a glimmer of tears over them. But only a moment passed before his steely resolve went back into place. His eyes went into a deep blue and his brows furrowed.
"Link, pass the word on, I'm going to battle with you."
"Yes, sir!" The Brigadier General replied quickly, then spluttered. "What?! General! You're our only hope. You can't go to battle. What if you die?"
"Then you will take my place," Mario held up a hand. "Don't try to stop me, Link, it won't work. I've made up my mind."
The Brigadier nodded solemnly and went to tell the Captains and Lieutenants about the General's decision.
An hour had passed and the Grand Army of the Nintendo Universe was making final preparations. Horses were being saddled, weapons being cleaned and inspected, and the officers were making last-minute strategies.
They had agreed on a full-frontal assault by half of the army and the other half would split into four squadrons being led by each of the officers. Corporal Falco Lombardi and 2nd Lieutenant Fox McCloud would be in charge of the 1st Squadron, which was known for its expertise with stealth. The 2nd Squadron was being led by Major Kirby and 1st Lieutenant Pikachu, they would bring the artillery to the enemy. 3rd Squadron was led by Sergeants Marth and Roy, the two famous for their displays of swordsmanship. The final squadron, nicknamed the Beam Squadron, was led by Lieutenant-Colonel Samus and Captain Falcon.
The main fighting force would naturally be led by General Mario and under him Brigadier General Link. The two walked out of the General's tent after looking over the map of the field once more. Mario had now shed his over-alls and red shirt for deep red armor, complete with a white blade, and a helm emblazoned with an 'M'. Link was fitted with emerald armor, decorated with black designs, and a Biggoron sword with the Hyrulian shield. The men separated as they walked, and the two generals smiled at their loyal soldiers.
"Just magnificent." Mario said, just loud enough for Link to hear. The Brigadier allowed himself a smile.
"What is, sir?"
"The army, I never knew I could lead this magnificent of a fighting force. It's rather sad at the same time."
"Because we may not come out alive?"
"No, everyone dies, it's natural, but the fact that these men half signed up because they knew I would be leading them. I don't deserve this respect."
Link looked astonished. "Why sir, you're the best person for the job. We're lucky to have you."
"Then why is this entire mess my fault?"
The Brigadier looked at Mario blankly, before shrugging his soldiers. The two continued on the path to meet their steeds. The General had chosen a roan stallion, while Link had kept his long-time partner Epona to ride. They had been through a lot together, and it was fitting that the two would be able to die as one.
The horns sounded and in the distance, the Confederation of Protest's army could be seen marching forward. Their numbers were massive, all clad in black armor. At the forefront, Bowser, now turned Giga Bowser, could be seen marching forward with Crazy Hand and Ganondorf at his side. They were truly a force to be reckoned with.
Mario galloped his horse forward and ran down the line of troops. "Men, this is the day we make our final stand. No longer will there be war, this is the end of the Confederation's tyranny. I swear by my honor I shall not let this army lose to vagabonds. If we stand united, their forces will crumble!" The soldiers cheered as their General spoke.
"I come to you humbly asking a favor, for you to lay down your lives to preserve the peace of the universe. You have given up your daily lives willingly and joined our cause. Many of you left families behind that are worried sick about your fate. Fear not, fellow brethren, their prayers will be answered. There shall not be bad news on this day, for I forbid it! Now come, let us make our march."
The soldiers shouted as loud as they could as Mario set his hands and sword ablaze with fire once more. The general urged his horse forward with Link and the rest of the army galloping after.
For hours, the two forces struggled against one another, each one refusing to back down. The main force of the Grand Army was the only squadron fighting, as Mario had given the rest orders to not fight until the bugle sounded.
The general sliced into another enemy's armor, dropping him to the ground. He huffed slightly, as his helm had been ripped off shortly after the start of battle. Sweat and blood caked to his face and mustache, and his limbs ached. Link came galloping up to him, how the Brigadier managed to keep himself and his horse alive escaped everyone.
"Having a grand time, sir?" He asked with a smile on his face.
Mario smiled weakly, "Sure am, tell the men to sound the bugles. The time has come to crush this army."
Link nodded, "As you wish." He turned Epona around and galloped away, shouting to the soldiers to sound the bugles.
The plan worked out perfectly. They had caught the enemy off guard with the artillery shells the 2nd Squadron was pumping into them. The 1st Squadron, meanwhile, had snuck behind enemy lines and engaged them from the rear, while the 3rd and 4th Squadrons started a two pronged assault on opposite sides. The enemy was cornered from all areas. Something wasn't right though, and Mario could feel it.
The intuition proved correct when the 2nd Squadrons firing stopped suddenly and an explosion was heard from their position. Mario looked up and saw mangled bodies flying off of the cliffs and into the ground below them. A group of flying enemies led by Meta-knight had flown behind the squadron and attacked from behind. An effective tactic, as they had now taken out the long range group.
"Link, Get three soldiers to the escape pods back at the base and send off for the hero we were talking about." Mario told his Brigadier, somewhat delirious from the heavy battle.
"What are you talking about, sir?" He asked.
"There is a legend that Master Hand once told me about a young warrior that would come from an obscure planet not part of the Alliance and would one day save the world. The time has come for us to find this said hero, don't you agree?"
Link nodded, "Where do you suppose I order the men to look?"
"Tell them to search at least 50 light years away. That's on the border of the Alliance's power. I want you to lead them on the mission Link, I can trust you."
The Brigadier General nodded his head again, he knew he couldn't argue with the general now, and sped off on his horse looking for the three he would trust to go on the mission. Namely Sergeants Solid Snake, Donkey Kong, and Ike. Mario then turned and faced what would probably be his doom.
The grimy dirt squelched under his boots as he ran, hacking into any enemy troops he could see in his way. He had unhorsed two enemies prior, and maimed ten more. He lost track of his kill count at twenty-five, and just continued to fight in a frenzied rage. Every once and a while he would use his fiery hands to quickly dispatch a group of fighters, but otherwise relied on his pearl blade to dispatch his foes.
After several minutes, he could see the area where Bowser was standing, watching over the entire battle. That was where Mario would make his own final stand.
He was paid no heed to at first, and he chose this moment to grasp his sword in two hands. His hands started to shake a smidge, most likely from the adrenaline kicking into his body. He yelled for Bowser at the top of his lungs.
The turtle-king turned around, a maniacal grin plastered on his toothy face. A slender forked tongue slithered out as a little bit of smoke dropped from his nostrils. "So, you have come Mario."
The general nodded, "It's time to end this Bowser, the war ends here today."
The giant turtle laughed, "Aye, you are right, my porky friend. Today is the day where I shall be the last standing. Your hour has come, old man."
Mario shivered as the king said this. Was his warning coming true? No matter, he thought, the fate of the universe lies in my hand. "Then finish me off." He replied back bravely. He had nothing else to live for, once Link came back with the hero, he would be in command and the universe would be at peace. Only the general's memory would linger on.
"It would be my pleasure." The turtle-king charged him, fire spewing from his great maw.
Mario gave himself a deep breath and ran forward, sword ready to swing. His last thoughts drifted off to his dead brother, Luigi, and the deceased Princess Peach. Try your worst on me, Bowser, I'm not afraid of death. He thought before his final clash occurred.
Meanwhile, at the Alliance's camp some distance from the Field.
"I don't understand."
Link sighed tiredly, he was really getting tired of explaining the mission. "What don't you get, Snake? The mission is simple, we go 50 light years away, and search for a planet that would house the hero General Mario speaks of."
"Oh no, I get that," Sergeant Snake replied. "What I don't get is why you picked the monkey to go along. You, Ike, and myself would be enough to get the job done."
Link was about to reply, but Donkey Kong cut him off. "Excuse me, but I am in fact, an ape. But I do not blame you for the mistake, I blame the idiots who trained you for your lack of knowledge." He then walked off grumbling under his breath.
"I think DK answered your question, Snake." Ike said, laughing loudly.
"Hey, pansy boy, I didn't ask for your opinion." Snake growled back.
Link cleared his throat. "Listen you three. The general put me in charge of this mission, so that means you have to follow my orders. Now gear up, I want you back here in fifteen."
The three nodded, saluted, and filed out to their quarters. Link sat back into a chair and rubbed his head tiredly.
He couldn't close his eyes though, every time he did so, his mind strayed to his General's fate on the Field of Smash. He couldn't help but wondering if the General would make it back out alive. He must have strayed into his thoughts too much, for a knock at the room's door startled him.
When he opened his eyes back up, he fully expected to see the three sergeants staring down at him. Instead it was Princess Zelda's face standing in the doorway. What a welcome sight, he thought.
"Hello, Princess," He said, dropping into a bow as he got up. "I am honored for your visit."
The princess looked scathingly at him. "Link, I told you not to call me that anymore. Especially not outside of Hyrule."
The Brigadier General smiled sheepishly. "So you have. In any case, what has brought you here then, Zelda."
She smiled a bit, "Your sergeants have loud mouths. I overheard them talking about their mission being led by the famous Hero of Time, and I wanted to come see you off."
"I'm deeply flattered, but you shouldn't have. I'm not worth it."
"Link! Do not say that, the men depend on you. Without you and Mario leading them, there wouldn't be an army." She said crossly.
"What kind of leader abandons his own general?" Link asked with sorrow evident in his eyes. Zelda looked at him sympathetically.
"Mario is still out there?" She asked quietly.
Link nodded.
"Then it must be his time, Link. He didn't want you to be there. He wanted you here, leading the mission that will save the Alliance. That is honorable."
Link grumbled, "It doesn't feel honorable to me."
"Honestly Link, sometimes you are just like your kid self. But then again, that's what I like about you. You never really grew up." She said with a smile playing upon her face. She walked over to Link, inching her face closer to his. "I came to give you a good-bye gift, actually."
"Princess?" He asked, quite confused.
His answer was found as he felt satiny feeling lips pressing upon his in a moment. He initially had nagging thoughts in his head, but pushed them out of the way and deepened the kiss. After another minute they broke apart, breathing heavily.
"Uh, I don't know what to say, Princess." Link said, still short of breath.
Zelda inched closer to him again. "Then don't say anything."
Their lips met again, this time with more passion. Links hands caressed his princess' back as she ran her hands up his back and into his loose locks of hair. His right hand went behind her head and he planted his left on the back of her thigh as he guided them towards the wall behind them. He gently pressed her against the wall still kissing her fiercely. He lifted her leg up and she locked it around his body as he began to run his hands up and down her sides and back. She pulled his face closer to hers, in an attempt to become closer. He inhaled softly, her hair smelled exquisitely like mangoes.
"Oi! This isn't your bedroom, General!"
They both quickly released their grip and flushed red. Link looked down and started stuttering unintelligibly.
"Great, General Mario assigned us a man who can't even speak intelligible sentences." Donkey Kong drawled out from behind the three.
"Getting a little action from the Princess are we?" Snake asked with a grin on his face. He winked at Link before sitting at the conference table.
The other two followed him and began talking while waiting for their officer to speak to them.
"I'm so sorry Zelda, that went too far." He started off quickly.
Zelda held a finger up to his lips, "It's not your fault. I wanted it too much. I should not have done this to you before a mission."
Link grinned, "Too late for that now, Princess." He said cheekily. His face went into a more serious expression, "I have to go. Wish me luck."
The princess nodded. "Come back safely Link. The Alliance is counting on you." She then gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving the room.
"So how was making out with the Hyrulian princess?" Snake asked after she had left.
"I don't recall doing that, and if you value your job, neither do you." Link answered back, grinning widely. "Now men, I want to leave as soon as possible. Have you gathered all the necessities?"
They all nodded, and Ike spoke up. "We're ready when you are, General, sir."
"All right then follow me."
Link led them through an adjacent room fitted with a oak door. Inside was a futuristic looking room, contrasting greatly. Not that anything else in their world didn't. It was the only place where in one battle you could find beam weapons, bullet firing weapons, bows, swords, horses, spaceships, and flying creatures.
One great pod sat in the center of the room, with a launch pad next to it. Link punched in a code to the pad and then inserted a time frame. The boarding ramp popped down with a hiss and he stepped aside.
"If you would please walk inside and be seated, I will be right in." They went in one after the other, each carrying only one bag. Link inputted the distance and walked into the ship. His effects were already packed inside the ship from a previous mission.
He sat in his chair, in front of the other three and flipped a switch. The ramp came up inside of the ship and he ignited the pod's propulsion system. Lights flickered to life and a rumble was felt. The pod shifted and started to hover in mid-air. A hangar door over head came online, allowing Link to maneuver the ship out of the bay.
With a boom from the engines, the four were propulsed into the atmosphere, more importantly the deep confines of space.
Some time later, on an as of yet unknown world.
The sky was bright. Very clear as well. William, in all his reason, could not figure out why he did not like it. It's something about the risk of over-heating he told himself. But deep down he knew what he told himself was false. The day was perhaps too perfect, or unnaturally so.
"Will!" Someone shouted from behind him. He was feeling a bit too lazy to turn around at the moment. "Will, answer me!"
He grinned to himself, it was his some-what dim-witted friend Luke Figgis. The almost seventeen year old boy was an oddity among the village. His blonde hair and blue eyes were unusual for the area and contrasted greatly with Will's own jet black hair and brown eyes.
"Yes, Luke?" He asked, still partly laughing.
"Gareg wants our help with something, he told me to send for you."
"OK, I'll come back to the village with you. I hope it's not another bread collecting errand." Will sighed, the last time Gareg needed their 'help' they ended up not even getting paid anything.
Luke led the way into the town, not that Will didn't know how to get to Gareg's shop, but he did not feel like leading at the moment. He far more enjoyed sight seeing, even though nothing in their village changed day to day.
They eventually reached Gareg's shop, and were immediately ushered in by Yarvis, his assistant. Gareg was sitting in his standard leather chair at the moment, with a tobacco pipe in his mouth. The old man finally started to show his age once his sixty-fifth birthday came around seven years ago, but his now slightly grey, thin hair had not grayed any longer nor had he lost any hair.
"You sent for me, Gareg?" He asked, trying to get to the point. The old man had a tendency to be long winded.
"Don't you have any respect for your elders, boy?" He barked at me with hardened eyes. He always does this to me, Will thought. "And yes, I have an important task for you and Luke."
Will raised an eyebrow in question, and Luke just shrugged. He supposed Luke was thinking that the errand would be another waste of time. Will didn't come far from disagreeing either.
"I'm sure you've heard of the enchantress, Viven, who lives in the woods not far from here," He started. "Well, I have something to pick up from her and I can't go myself. I need you two boys to go and fetch the order from her. Be careful though, she does not like men much."
They both nodded, and started to leave. Luke voiced both of their opinions before they went however. "Are we going to get paid for this?"
Gareg chuckled, "Yes, yes. I'll pay you two if you complete the task. Now get going."
The two hustled out of his shop and continued out of the village.
"At least this one isn't bad, eh?"
"I suppose, although it is better than the last."
There wasn't much else to talk about between them. They soon reached the forest outside of the village, stopping momentarily.
Once inside the forest, they were forced to stop halfway to their destination yet again. A large crash was heard over head of them and created quite a stir among the wildlife. Their curious nature soon took over. Completely forgetting about the task, the two ran towards the area where the sound had come from.
From following the trail on which they thought they heard the noise, they came to a clearing. A great pod had crashed in the middle, causing some of the earth around it to smoke. Hissing could be heard as a landing ramp ejected from the rear of the ship. Will and Luke looked on in amazement as 3 humans and an ape walked out of the ship, not worrying at all.
"Hey, you there!" Luke shouted out, running towards the alien visitors. "What's the big idea, crashing in our forest?"
The big ape looked at him for a moment, before shaking his head and continuing to walk. A green clad figure noticed them, and turned the rest of the group towards Luke. Will quickly jogged to stand beside Luke, after all, he wouldn't let his friend be by himself.
"Who are you?" Will asked.
The green clad man smiled, "I am Brigadier General Link of the Grand Army of the Alliance, and these are Sergeants Snake, Ike, and Donkey Kong. We are here on a diplomatic mission." The three behind him gave a small salute. The two deduced that the ape was Donkey Kong as his sole piece of clothing bore the initials 'DK.'
"Well, I am William Akelian, and this is my friend, Luke Figgis. We are from the nearby village of Tradshire."
The one called Link was staring at William intently, as if he knew a secret that the boy didn't.
"Have you ever even heard of the Alliance, or the greater Nintendo Universe?" He asked the two.
William shook his head, "We only know of our local government. As for the greater Nintendo Universe, what is that?"
Link traded smiles with the other three, "The Nintendo Universe is a conglomeration of different star systems united under one government. At least, that's what it used to be."
"What happened to make you say that?" Luke asked curiously.
"There was a peace tournament held five years ago, and a king hailing from the Mushroom Kingdom was eliminated. He expressed his outrage to the brother of the Master Hand, and soon developed an insurrection against us. His army stretched across the galaxy, and became known as the Confederation of Protest. Many protestors to their home world's governments joined and they waged war against what was left of our Republic. The heroes of the systems, like myself and the sergeants, came together and amassed a single army under the banner of the Alliance of Star Systems. The war became a terrible cost, and it got to the point where it was forcibly confined to a single battle world, better known as the Field of Smash. It was there that only a few short days ago, the Grand Army made their final stand against the Confederate Army. Our general, Mario, is still on that world fighting. His last command to me was to take a task force and retrieve the fabled hero from outside the Alliance who would save the fate of the Universe."
"And you somehow got led here?" Will asked, slightly confused.
"Well, it wasn't by accident, if that's what you're thinking," A sergeant rebuked. "General Mario gave us orders to fly fifty light years away, and we came across this world. Simple as that."
"No need to speak so harshly, Snake. You can hardly expect them to know this. Their world is young yet, much like mine and Link's." Ike said, Will assumed he was Ike because it was the only name left.
"So how are you going to find this hero?" Luke asked.
Link smiled broadly, "We don't have to find him, we just know his name and that is enough. A William Akelian is supposed to be on this world."
It took a minute for the information to sink in. Finally Will realized that the aliens were here to find him. He was a hero! He would save the world. Will could hardly contain his excitement until he saw Luke's face. His best friend had a large shadow cast upon his face as he looked onto the ground disdainfully.
"So you will accompany us back?"
Will nodded, and noticed Luke starting to head back to the village. "But only if Luke can come with me." The boy's ears perked up a bit after hearing this statement.
"You don't have to do this, Will." He said over his shoulder. "Go on, have an adventure. They only chose you."
"Ah, come on Luke, don't be like that. It wouldn't be the same without you fighting with me."
"Well, Luke, what will your choice be? We are pressed for time." Link said, adding to the tension unwittingly.
"Alright, I'll come. Will I ever come back to here again?" He asked.
Link nodded, "Once the war is over, your system will be fully integrated into the Alliance as a territory for now and you will be able to return home."
The two did not waste time boarding the ship again, for they could not go back to the village now. They had been gone far too long. But they promised they would be back someday.
Will settled into his seat and mulled over the day's events. Who could've guessed he was destined to save the Universe? He surely didn't. As he sat thinking, Will realized how exhausted he was. He allowed himself to drift off to sleep as the ship floated through the confines of space.
That's the end. As with my other stories, I'm keeping this a one-shot for now, unless I gain sufficient feedback to continue. So please be generous in reviewing, as it would greatly help.