Welcome to the real/fantasy world

"I'm free. I do not need to be the hero or anything… I love that"

I was so carefree, like I never was. The incident in the school was forced to be forgotten by the very own students and teachers, they didn't want to be seemed like nuts, so they kept shut and told everyone it was a bomb, it was easier to believe than the explanation of a ghost doing. Still I always tried to hold my laugh, because I enjoyed it. Saving everyone back while they didn't know, rule in the classroom with my title "Heavy-fits", life was easy and if they next opponents were to be like Bowser, then nobody would stop me, after all, I was the number one gamer on my class before turning into Mario, I knew every move from every Smash Brothers character, so there was no way the could take me by surprise with an unexpected attack. I just assumed it, every fight would be easy as hell, no one would stop me, I could seize the world if I wanted to, but I decided not to make such a big choice, there was no need to take over the world, for what? Everything I could ever want was at the reach of my arm now, and I would act as a the "everyone savior" whenever I wanted, no one could possibly force me, nobody knew what was going with me, and no one noticed, but somehow that pissed me off. That only showed that there was anyone who knew me well, and that I knew since the day I was conscious of my own existence and especially after my father's death. I always cheered everyone up, while I hold the pain. So nobody really watched through my person, while I always had the ability to see what the other people were like. I just needed one watch, and then everything made sense to me; the movement of the fingers, the expression f the eyes, the movements of the chin, the extension of the eyebrow. Every single detail passed through me in a matter of seconds and I knew how the person was like. And there were no exception; I tested it and I always was right. It was a gift, my first one. Mario's powers were my second gift. And I decided not to waste them. I had to make use of them.

While walking over the city all kind of thoughts crossed my mind at full speed, all kind of images, something trying to talk with me. And I tried to listen carefully, I wanted to know, because I could feel it, it was important. I stopped, while everyone else just passed by. I could feel a cold sensation going down my spine, the cries of a planet, the memories of a previous life, I though, destruction, war. Suffer. It was really overcoming, and then it came down to me. The feeling of loose, the feeling of loosing someone you love just so much; a relative, a sibling. Someone just so near to you.

Are these Mario's memories? I wondered, the idea came when in the images I saw turned into a person, and the person was tall, dressed in green, wearing a hat with the known "L". Was I watching Luigi's death? What happened? How come I started to feel like Mario?! Since the moment I got his powers I just assumed, I got his abilities, but nothing else. Did I have his memories too? But he was not real! He was a fictional character and in no real Luigi have died like this... not in any Mario game at least that I knew. He was... his heart was ripped out, by someone Mario could never see well. His hearth was crushed, he was weak and his body didn't handle the way it used in smash world. I had to hide in a no end alley, to start crying, I was feeling it again, the suppressed feeling I was always holding.

I finally snapped out of it and started walking again in the center of the city, among the buildings and the smoke that covered our city, and I thought for an instance in the disaster our world itself was before the incidents with the smash characters. In every part of the world the appeared causing troubles. They were all showed like villains, now a day I could watch Link murdering somewhere in TV, but I wondered, were it true? Was there anyone like me out there? And I thought "The world is not rotten because of this, but before this started", so why they would scream if someone appeared like this? Humans have killed each others for centuries. Now, it's not like I'm the bad guy, if I were to defend people I would do it, just like I did with my classmates, I just didn't like the fact that people didn't accept their own responsibilities. Well, I did not accept mine, so how come I talk about congruence?

I had a work to do, and I just refused to accomplish it, because I wanted to live as easy as I could with these powers. So I ignored all the news about Link, Pikachu, Ness or any other Smash Bros character, I was ready to live a new easy life.

Now, some of the commodities I had were especially in the food matters, fire powers really help while cooking. Also, now I was faster and I could jump all the way to any place I desired to go. I could swear I saw the country next to us, Argentina, in a jump.

My house was normal, mom greeted us when she came back from work, we talked, and then everyone went to their respective room. Mine was underground, with the window at the grass level, so it was always at a cool temperature. I liked to play with fireballs in my room; I put some targets and started to hit them. I had a better aim that I expected. But the brawl world was waiting for me, and I knew he would be back.

My room just disappeared and became three purple platforms floating in the subspace.

"Hello, Fox"

"So you noticed it" he said calmly "Good work defeating Bowser the other day. You are far more skilled than I thought. And you've done it so easily! You're really our trump card"

"So you bet I'm on you're side, uh?"

"Wanna become the cool bad guy?"

"Not at all, being bad would not be my nature"

"So?"

"I want to enjoy my powers, that's all" I only was saying the truth, and I was surprised to see Fox wasn't as impatient as the last time. Maybe he was hiding it "An easy life, if I have to fight I will, but if not, then I'll enjoy a good life"

"So, you want to be neutral in this conflict"

"You got it quick"

"What if your family is in risk?"

"I'll just beat the guy and then live as always"

"Don't you care about what surrounds you?" his voice was severe, I noticed I finally made him angry "How Mario could choose you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't think your powers as Mario are all yours, do you?"

"Then explain me about them"

"It'll be a waste of time; you'll never do anything even if I tell you"

"Then, why did you come?"

"To try, but I see its pointless now. What a pity, you have a great potential"

"Yeah, yeah, now, could you drive me home, please?"

I thought he was so angry that he would just drop me in any galaxy, but in the end I was at home again. Midnight, and the lights were turned on suddenly. I just let my body fall in the bed, thinking about one thing. The thing Fox told me about my powers. That may be related with the image of Luigi's death. Just remembering it brought the tears back. It was like someone else was inside me, sharing his feelings with me. And then I froze.

I thought of the chance. And then I refused it. I was hit by an electroshock produced while playing brawl online, which transferred all the data of Mario's power to my body. That was my theory. There was nobody inside me... anyone... but the chance gave me a creep. Secrets so deep that nobody knew at the hand of an unknown, I didn't want it to know it, what I truly desired, the fact that ashamed me for life.

I needed to go out, realize the tension of this theory.

And I had good luck. There was someone there, waiting for me. It was Samus.

I went there transformed, and we crossed our eyes. His suit didn't let me read her expression, but I was sure she read my fear. And I jumped forward her just to hit her, I needed to push all this tension out of me and I didn't know any other way. But she dodged it, she wasn't slow, neither reckless as Bowser, she was smart and skilled. She shot me a lot of times, but I made to evade everything by jumping. Then, when I was front of her, I throw a fired ball, but she managed to dodge it even at short distance, and gave me a kick at my face. I flied back until I crashed with a car. She was walking in the street claiming herself as the victor, but I got up and went directly to punch her, but she stopped my arm.

"Now, now, why would you attack me, Matthew?"

"How do you know my name?!"

I was shocked after she let my arm go. Samus just transformed into.... her. She was Maquiel one of my classmates and former friend of mine during childhood. Tall, spiky short black hair, big breasts, wearing school uniform, and in a victorious pose as she watched entertained the confusion through her pale green eyes. How could she be Samus?

"I saw you the other day, you really kicked Bowser ass"

"So, you are like me" I said, still in shock "But how come you didn't help me there?"

"Well, let's say I arrived late to class. At the time I went there to help, you already beat the hell out of him"

"Mmmm... So convenient"

"Do you want me to lie? Well, however, I'm happy to see that you'll be helping"

"Wow! I never said such a thing!"

"So you rather be the bad guy and let me kick your ass like before?"

"I was going easy on you"

"Yeah, sure..."

"The point is that I have no obligation to fight against evil or good. I just want to take it easy"

"I thought you were a genius, all those straights A+, and your psychologist abilities. But I see you're nothing but a fool"

"However, do you really think insult will change my resolve?"

"I guess not, but makes me fell better the fact that I tried"

"Man! You're just like Fox!"

"Did you say Fox? Do you mean Gabriel?"

"What?"

Now I was shocked. How many others like me where around there? Was everyone a Smash character? Now, two classmates were at the same position as I was.

"How many like us are there?"

"Not many, just a few. We're against an army, those are the real ones"

"The real smash characters… Ok, look, I don't want to take any side, so I'll just leave before I get involved"

"You're making a mistake!"

"So be it!"

I ran and I was relieved that Maquiel didn't follow me; it seems she preferred going the other way. Maybe another smash creature appeared, but I might have guessed wrong. I ran as fast as I could, I didn't like the way it was going, like if everyone just controlled the situations to pull me to one side or another. I never wanted to be part of this, but I can't say I didn't ask, and a lot, because I always wanted super-powers, I just didn't want the responsibilities. And now I was fleeing of them. I was determined to not take any side on this. The sweat came down when I stopped to breathe heavily, walking towards my house, only illuminated by the streets lights, while the moonlight was encircled our smoke cloud above. I just walked, passing by old houses. Some people watched me through the window, I'm sure they thought something was wrong with me, and they weren't wrong; there was something definitely wrong with me.

And it was the fact that I had to accept that reality and fiction were already mixed. And not in the way I wanted.