Chapter 1: A Warrior's Entrance
The crowd was deafening.
A few miles from the Smasher's mansion, a four-tier stadium was set up for unofficial brawls, and Master Hand had decided to use this place to accommodate the huge crowds of people that had bought tickets (What? How did you expect him to keep repairing the mansion?). It didn't help that much though, as so many people came that they had to set up TVs outside to accommodate the extras…and the tailgaters.
Inside the stadium, all the smashers had the closer seats. However, Zelda, Peach, Ganondorf, Toon Link and Lucario were all just a few feet away from the main fighting stage. Thankfully, they had some shields up, courtesy of Zelda, Ganondorf, and Lucario, that would protect them from any potential hazards, like explosions or bodies. Waiting for the match to start, the smashers were passing the time away with one of their favorite activities (And it wasn't drinking, because of an unfortunate incident involving beer, Falco and Samus.)
"So my dear princesses, would you two like to make some bets on who will win this first round?" Ganon asked, levitating a yellow rupee above his hand. "After all, I love making some profit off a fellow fighter's embarrassment."
"Of course Ganon! I'll match you, in Ike's favor." Peach said with a smile. "I don't have any rupees though. Ten coins alright?"
"Perfectly fine my dear." Ganon said with a smirk. Turning to Zelda he asked, "And you princess? Or am I just too evil to be bet against?
Glaring at the sorcerer, Zelda answered, "I don't hold the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing. Making a gamble with a huge variable in the mix is an idiotic decision. However," smirking, she tossed a purple rupee at Ganon, "I AM willing to bet you'll lose your match."
Toon Link and Peach both broke into laughter at Ganon's indecision. "I'll take that bet Princess, but I WILL win." He grumbled, and inwardly cursed her.
Lucario, meanwhile, was meditating on top of the railing, conversing with Snake. "And what did your sources say on the potential fighters?"
"Well…unfortunately, the only guesses I got for this first match was Dante, a witty demon hunter who is apparently part demon himself, and part human…or was it angel?" Snake responded, looking through his notes. "Oh, and some ninja kid Naruto. And…uh…" He stopped, and Lucario sensed apprehension, fear, and a little confusion from the tactician.
"Yes? And what else?" Lucario's voice asked calmly, curious as to what would worry him so much.
"Uh…well…apparently there was a guess that there would be a female Zoroark that you would-"
"That's more than enough info. Thank you for your help." Lucario cut him off, ending the connection and burying his face into his paws, almost falling off the railing. "Why is it always Zoroark?" He asked himself, hoping to get a response. He didn't.
Suddenly, a horn sounded out, and Master Hand teleported above the stage, complete with a body mike, shouting out, "Is everyone ready excited for the first invitational match?"
The crowd's cheers quickly answered him. "Well then, before we get started, I have a special announcement to make. A promo video has been made to show off just who these challengers are!"
With that, Master Hand teleported away to where Zelda and the others were, while four televisions appeared where he was. Flickering on they showed:
A large mass of what looked like giant rats, anthropomorphic fish, and ogres were charging a bridge where six people stood.
Sonic, who was sitting next to Mario in the stands turned over to him in shock. "No…how did you guys…?"
"Shh." Mario responded with a smirk. "I've got my-a ways."
As the first of the monsters reached the people, a lightning bolt suddenly appeared and electrocuted them.
"Don't worry Pikachu. I'm sure your thunderbolt is stronger." Samus assured the pokemon who looked a little sadly at the screen.
Then three of the figures charged the monsters, one with a sword and shield, another with dual knives, and the third punching and kicking all in his path.
"Wow!" Pit exclaimed, and nudged Marth. "These dudes look so badass!"
"I guess…" He responded quietly. "Though what is the guy in the back doing?"
A fifth figure, wearing what looked to be feathered cap, raised his hands and shot an enormous icicle from one hand and a fireball from the other.
"Hey Zelda?" Toon Link asked. "Can you do that?"
"Shh! I'm analyzing!" She said, staring intently at the screen. "And no."
The final figure, wearing a hood, then twirled around and pointed upwards, sending a giant ball of light into the sky, which lit up the screen. When the glare faded, all the monsters had dissapeared, and the six people were revealed in poses. There was the swordsman in red armor, the knife wielder in a green tunic, the barehanded man in purple gear, a man in red robes with a rapier and the feathered hat, a woman in white robes…and a person in blue robes whose face was obscured by a cone hat. The words "The Warriors of Light are ready to fight…finally!" appeared overhead.
The screens disappeared, and all hell broke loose in the stands. Shouts of surprise, joy and outrage were everywhere.
"What?!" Snake shouted, causing Nana and Popo to cover their ears in pain. "Th-the final fantasy characters?! The original?!"
"Hey Snake?" Samus asked, ignoring how Meta Knight was attempting to stop Bowser and King Dedede from fighting, "Before you faint from shock, could you tell me if Cloud or Sephiroth are from there?"
"How on earth did Mario-What?" Snake stopped, and turned to her. "Uh, no. Why? You a fan?"
"Hmm something like that." She mumbled, stroking Pikachu's head.
Master Hand teleported to the center of the stadium and shouted, "Alright, calm down everyone! Match rules are as follows: Each battler has two stocks each, and after their first loss will gain a pity smash, half an hour between matches. Different stages for each match, no home advantage etc, etc. Now, with that out of the way, the first match between our own Greil Mercenary Ike, and the leader of the Warriors of Light, Baron, will now begin!"
With that, Master Hand teleported back to Zelda and the others, who were now on the edge of their seats in anticipation.
On Battlefield, Ike appeared through his warp magic, dressed in his leather armor and blue tunic, and in classic Ike attitude, planted Ragnell in the ground, crossed his arms, and looked to the opposite side of the stage for his opponent.
And waited.
And waited some more.
Toon Link looked over his shoulder to Master Hand, who seemed to be having a minor panic attack at this turn of events. People in the crowd were starting to complain (louder) when suddenly, a bright light appeared, and a blond man in red armor walked out.
And fell five feet because the portal was too high. The man picked himself off the ground muttering "That is the last time I trust Magius for a Teleport spell."
Then he froze, realizing that everyone just heard him. Master Hand seemed to want to face palm…if he had a face to hit.
"Oh, hello everyone!" The newcomer said, waving to the crowd, ignoring the shouts and screams. "Sorry for the delay, but it took some time getting used to the different rules of this land, and we had some issues. I!" He said, pointing to himself, " Am Baron, the Warrior!"
Ike took his sword out of the ground and pointed it at the blonde. "Glad you could fall in! Now," smirking he prepared for a quick draw, "why don't we let the fun begin?" And launched himself at the warrior.
The crowd expected the newcomer to panic at the rapid approach, but Baron surprised them all. Muttering a quick chant, he waved his hand and suddenly had two clones in front of him who took the hit. Following up on the failed attack, he slammed a hammer down on top of Ike, who dropped to the floor like a bag of rocks.
"Ouch." Peach cringed, feeling sorry for her friend. "I do hope Ike doesn't mess around like that too much."
Zelda patted Peach's shoulder and assured her, "Don't worry, Ike'll be fine. He's started out worse. Although…" she continued, turning to Master Hand, "I thought you said that we were fighting people with 'similar' battle styles. So why pit our swordsman, who doesn't have magic, against someone with magic?"
"Uh…well…" Master Hand stuttered. "That fire when he slams his sword into the ground is magic! And so is that Aether thing! Pay attention to the fight!" He shouted, causing the rest of the smashers to stare at him oddly.
On the main stage, the two competitors were getting into the fight.
After recovering from his initial failure, Ike and Baron, were circling, watching for a crack in the others guard. Seeing Ike glance down at his blade, Baron saw his chance. With a snap, the hammer in his hands changed into a scimitar, and charged in, slashing at Ike's hands in an attempt to shut down his swordplay.
Unfortunately for him, Ike expected that. "They always go for the hands. Psh, like that'll stop me." He thought, knocking aside the initial assault and suddenly dropping to one knee and swiping at Baron's feet. It didn't break through Baron's armor, but it did trip him up, causing him to fall over and faceplant. Smirking, Ike raised his blade for an eruption, thinking. "Round one goes to me!"
Baron crushed that thought with a shout. "Blindna!" Ike was shoved back by a blast of light that exploded around the warrior, who got up and pulled out a hand axe and shield.
"How many weapons does this guy have?!" Ike thought, as Baron charged him again. As he opened his eyes, Ike cursed. "Shit! I can't see!" Blindly swiping his sword in front of himself, Ike backed away to stall for time. Realizing this was his chance, Baron dove under Ike's swipes and slammed his axe into his side, cutting a deep gash into him.
Fighting the urge to shout, Ike clutched his side and looked with rage at his opponent, who pulled back in surprise. "How are you still up?" Baron asked dumbly. "You have to be in agony!"
"Please, didn't Master Hand explain the rules?" Ike said, drawing his arms up, ignoring the pain it caused. "You gotta finish me off to take a stock buddy!"
"Finish you? What?!" Baron shouted in anger, letting his weapons fade away and holding his hands up. "I ain't killing anybody! I'm no murderer!"
"Fine by me!" Ike said, rushing at him. "Guess I do get the first kill after all!" Baron dodged back and ran, trying to put some space between himself and the mercenary. Adrenaline pumping, he snapped and got a couple of knives out. "Shit! Wrong weapons!" He shouted in rage, quickly turning to see where his opponent was.
As Ike leapt at him, sword held above his head, Baron did what came natural in a life or death situation, and attacked back. Rolling under Ike, he leapt up and stabbed Ike right between his shoulder blades. Ike grunted in pain, but couldn't hold himself up. As Ike collapsed, the announcer for the match proudly shouted out, "First blood goes to Baron!"
Horrified at what he just did, Baron stared at his blood soaked knives in disbelief. "Did…did I just kill someone?" He thought numbly. "What kind of tournament is this?!"
Floating above Toon Link, Master Hand suddenly felt as if someone was trying to kill him with a stare.
"What didn't you tell them?" Zelda snarled at him in rage, pointing to Baron. "The man looks as if he just killed someone!"
"Well, I…uh." Master Hand started, surprised by the venom in her voice. "I told them that the rules were different here…"
"Like, for instance," Peach asked, voice all sweet, thinly disguising the anger in her eyes. "WHY we fight to kill?"
"Well, I mean," He stuttered, seeming to realize his folly. "I kind of thought Mario had told them..."
"You assumed that?" Lucario's calming voice resounded in the minds of the six of them. "That isn't exactly a normal thing for you."
"Uhhh, how about we talk about this after the fight? Ike still has a stock, and I'm sure everything will be fine!" Master Hand quickly said, afraid for his fingers. "Oh look, there he is right now!"
On the stage, Baron felt a tap on his back. Whirling around, his eyes widened. "How!? I- I thought I just killed you!"
Behind him, sword hefted onto his shoulder, was Ike, glowing with the power of a smash ball. "I told you, you have to go for the kill! That's the point!" Ike said with the ghost of a smile on his face.
"Bu-but? How! Your body is right…" Baron shouted, turning to point towards where Ike had collapsed. "…there." The body was gone.
Sighing, Ike said, "Look, the crowd is getting pissed, you think you've lost your mind, and I really want a drink. How about we explain this stuff to you after the match, okay?"
"You guys better!" Baron shouted, still a little freaked out.
Nodding, Ike allowed the warrior to back up and ready himself for a second round. Pulling out a short sword and shield, he held back, slightly frightened by the aura around Ike. "What did the hand say before the match started?" He thought, dodging a kick from Ike and slamming his shield into his face. "We get a pity smash? What's that?"
Noticing Ike lifting his sword, Baron feinted to the left, and then cut to the right, hoping to slice at Ike's arm. As he brought his arm down, he realized that his target wasn't there. Quickly jumping to the side, he felt his legs get hit by a blade, and then pain flooded his mind.
Opening his eyes, Baron saw the ground below him seem to be twenty feet away. "What the hell?!" He thought, slowly spinning in place. Then he saw Ike flying at him, sword ablaze. Baron tried to throw his sword at him, but as soon as it left his hand it just started to spin in place. Panic started to seize him, as Ike brought down his sword shouting "Great-!". Then everything went red.
He felt as if his body was being chopped and kicked and burned all at once. Then the sudden feeling of slamming the ground stopped everything. "Am I…dead?" he thought, as he shut his eyes. "So much for not dying…"
The warrior thought he could here someone speaking, slowly getting louder. "…and now they're tied, and down to their last stocks!"
"Wha-?" Baron thought, opening his eyes. "Woah!" he shouted.
He was back at the center of the battle ground, alive and unhurt. Looking around, he saw Ike walking toward him again, with an odd look on his face.
"Why is he staring at me like that? And why do I feel so powerful?" Baron thought, slowly backing away, surprised that he felt no pain. "Wait, when he…died, he had that weird glow!"
And sure enough, Baron now was now glowing with the power of the smash ball. "Hehe…so now what?" Baron thought, pulling out his claymore. "How do I use this?" He called out to Ike, motioning to the rainbow glow around himself.
Stopping in place Ike just stared at him, mouth agape. "Wait, you don't-?" He said, sounding surprised. "The hell?! Didn't anyone tell you how this works?!"
Flinching back, Baron shrugged and responded sarcastically. "No. What, do I clap my hands and believe that I suddenly can make myself fly?"
"Sorta." Ike said, still annoyed. "Look, we'll try the ol' adrenaline rush, and see what happens." And without waiting for a response, Ike charge, readying for a decapitation blow.
With no time to react, Baron acted on instinct, rolling to the side and snapping a hammer out. As Ike's slice missed, Baron slammed the weapon into Ike's knees, breaking one of them.
However, Ike put his weight on the other foot and used his sword to launch his body at Baron, knocking him over. Both fought to get on top of the other, but Baron was soon getting punched in the face, and then choked.
"No! I won't lose!" He thought, as his vision dimmed. "I am stronger then a warrior!"
"I'm a knight!"
And then the pressure on his neck disappeared. Coughing, Baron pulled himself up and heard a collective gasp from the crowd. Quickly looking down at himself, he saw why. His armor was now a glistening sliver, and a crown was fitted over his head.
"Well, if my looks changed…what about my weapons?" He thought, snapping to see what would appear. A grin formed as the weight of his beloved Excalibur filled his hand. "So that's my Final Smash, eh? Time to finish this and get some answers!"
Turning, Baron saw Ike slowly hobbling on one foot towards him, Ragnall pointed at him. "I can take you on one foot any day, fresh meat!" Ike called out, smiling grimly at the warrior turned knight.
"But you're leg…" Baron started, but Ike's glare stopped the rest of his words. "Fine. I was wondering how well Excalibur would look with you as a scabbard!"
Baron launched himself at Ike, hoping to end the match quickly, but Ike was still able to put up a fight. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't keep up, and as he fell forward, stabbed in the chest, he sighed. "There goes 100 gold to Marth…"
Standing straight, Baron turned to face the crowd and bowed. The announcer was ecstatic. "And we have a winner! Newcomer Baron finishes off Ike for the first round! Come back in thirty minutes for the next fight!"
As he walked towards the portal that appeared, Baron thought, "How the hell is Althea gonna kill someone?"
And I live! Hello again Internet! Sorry I haven't updated in...like 3 months. Summer job and all that, life, etc. Anyway, sorry to those of you who guessed wrong, but thanks for the ideas! I actually didn't even think about Dante when doing this, and now it sounds awesome to through him in! Zoroark fans, sorry, but I actually never played a pokemon game or watched the anime, so I have no real idea how to do something like that. Don't worry, I do have plans for the current pokemon in Smash, and I do plan on having some others come for a bit. Ditto for Naruto.
Now, why Final Fantasy? Specifically, why the first game? Well, I felt like it, but also because I saw all the potential. I have actually written a move set for all six of the classes, and fans of the game should be able to pick up the little easter eggs in them. Seeing as this was the Warrior's chapter however, that's whose moveset you get first!
Oh, and I didn't pick the name Baron because of FF 6, I actually just looked up names that mean "warrior" and it was the first listed. Anyway, please leave comments, critiques, death threats, and love letters in the reviews! I'll try to PM everyone who has a question. Thanks for reading!
The Warrior's Moveset
Standard Attacks
A: A side slash with his blade to the left. (3%)
AA: Followed up by the warrior slamming his shield to the right. (2%)
AAA: The Warrior slams his sword diagonally with both hands. (4%)
(Total: 9%)
Tilts
Side: A battle-axe is swung down in front of the Warrior. (11%)
Up: A hand axe is swiped twice above the warrior. (First Hit: 3%; Second Hit: 6%)
Down: The rune blade is quickly stabbed downward twice. (Both Hits: 4%)
Smashes
Side: A claymore is slammed down. (Uncharged: 20%; Fully Charged: 28%)
Up: The Warrior does a flip in place and slices with a saber. (Uncharged: 18%; Fully Charged: 24%)
Down: The Warrior quickly twirls in place with a hammer outstretched. (Uncharged: 16%; Fully Charged: 22%) Higher Knockback
Aerials
Neutral A: The Warrior slices with the coral sword. (Electric Damage) (8%)
Forward A: The Warrior takes a mythril hammer out and slams it in an arc in front of him. (A spike in the last frame. 12%) (5% if not on head of hammer)
Back A: The Ice brand is swung behind the Warrior. (Ice Damage) (7%)
Up A: The flame sword is quickly stabbed upwards. (Fire Damage) (9%)
Down A: The Warrior drops down on his shield. (Grants light armor) (3%, for four hits)
Specials
B: Protect: A quickly charged move that grants light armor to the Warrior. (10 seconds)
Side B: Pre-Emptive Strike: The Warrior charges forward with his shield, and then slams and axe upwards. (Grants light armor) (16% and great knockback vertically)
Up B: Shield Toss: The Warrior tosses his shield upwards at an angle, and quickly pulls himself up with a rope, and slices. (Initial hit: 11%; After Frames, 4%)
Down B: Blink: The Warrior has a double appear in front and behind him. If hit, the Warrior will quickly slam his axe forward. (15%, with very good knockback horizontally)
Grab: The Warrior grabs forward with his left hand. (All throws deal 6%)
A: Stabs his victim with a knife. (2%, fast)
Forward: The Warrior punches the enemy forward.
Back: The enemy is tossed backwards, and sliced with a sword.
Up: The enemy is tossed upward and sliced with the Light Axe (Holy Damage)
Down: The enemy is thrown down, and then hit with a hammer.
Recovery Off Ledge: The warrior quickly pulls himself up and slices with the Sunblade. (Holy Damage) (8%)
-At 100%: The warrior heaves himself up and stabs with the Venom Blade. (Poison Damage) (7% and then 4% more over six seconds)
From ground: The Warrior casts Silence around himself in a short area, stopping the use of specials and stunning the enemy for a second. (3%) (Silence lasts 3 seconds.)
Final Smash: Class Change
The Warrior upgrades to the Knight, and has a new look and upgraded weapons.
The Knight gains a head ornament, a cape, and his colors (silver lining, red armor) are inverted on his armor.
Swords are replaced with the Defender, while the Excalibur, which deals holy damage, replaces the axes. Hammers are replaced by Thor's Hammer, and deal electric damage, while the Cat Claws replace knives, and have slightly larger range.
Protect is upgraded to Protectra, and grants super armor for less time. (7 seconds)
Pre-Emptive Strike is upgraded to Back Attack. The Knight now will charge, roll behind an enemy, and come out of the roll slicing upwards with the Masamune.
Shield Toss extends farther, and the Knight will slice with the Vorpal blade at the top of the recovery.
Blink is upgraded to Invis, and now makes the Knight invisible on top of countering. (Lasts about 5 seconds.)
The Knight can be killed while in this form, and it last until his next death, or one minute. All attacks deal slightly more damage (Around 1% to 5% more, mimicking critical hits), and some can kill at lower %. (Down throw, and side special for example.)
Analysis
The Warrior is a melee master, who attacks from close range, but has limited far range options. He also can take quite a bit of punishment from foes, and is one of the slower moving characters. To make up for this, his attacks come out fairly quickly, and also provide some nice ways to counter opponents, whether through Blink, or though his armor. A major weakness is range, as he does not have any projectiles, and thus relies on dodges or powering though enemy attacks to get a hit in. I personally based him off of Ike, but I suppose Marth or Link would be just as valid. However, the ability to cause status effects as the opponent is damaged provides a nice gimmick without being to overpowered.