Chapter 1:

High in the deep reaches of a strange cross of cyberspace and reality, lay a massive platform. Suspended in this strange gateway, hurtling through strange and fantastical places. Normally this unique locale held an eerily idyllic beauty, but the 'Final Destination', as it came to be known, now roared with the fury of an intense fight.

The red-haired half-dragon swordsman was sent spiraling out of the sky and straight into the unforgiving surface of the platform. Roy groaned, and got up. The championship fight between him and Marth had lasted for around three minutes so far, and it hadn't been easy. Each of the swordsmen possessed only one stock and no items were available, seeing as how Master Hand had wanted it to be a fair, clean fight.

Ironic, Roy thought, Master Hand isn't exactly the fairest of fighters himself.

He snapped out of his thoughts just as Marth had rocketed in front of him, readying a massive sword swipe and Roy immediately Countered, knocking Marth back in a blaze of fire. The Altean prince slowly got up, grinning at his longtime companion, who grinned tiredly back. The fight had taken a huge toll on them, the kind associated with a couple minutes of intense parrying, blocking, and slashing. Neither of them was about to give up the Smash Trophy on account of friendship, and both lunged at each other once more, locking swords in one of the most epic swordfights seen in any of the Smash Bros. Tournaments.

Out in the stands, characters from all walks of life had converged in the stands to watch the finals of the 5th Annual Super Smash Bros. Tournament. This was one of the few momentous occasions where everybody forgot their differences and went off to see around two dozen prominent characters beat the shit out of each other for the mother of all trophies. Most of the tournament-goers sat in the stands, but the Smashers had their own box reserved for these events. The Smashers were excitedly cheering on their favorite swordsman, the stands there being divided roughly halfways between Marth and Roy.

Hearing Peach's voice above all the others in the heat of the fight, Roy faintly grinned. Peach…there's no way I could return to you knowing I lost…I'm going to win this for you.

New hope filling his heart, he lunged at Marth while preparing to fake him out with a roll behind him. Marth didn't see it coming. He shot forward with a dashing swipe, and grunted in surprise as a flaming sword slammed into his back. He just barely caught himself at the edge of Final Destination, and, landing neatly on his feet, lunged at Roy, and did a short hop and Countered in midair. Roy, who was too far into his attack, was unable to stop himself as his sword slash was promptly caught by Marth, and returned painfully into his face. He landed rather ungracefully onto his face, and checked his damage counter on the standard-issue watch given to all Smashers.

175

Damn…how in the hell did I survive this long? Roy frowned. And there's no way my hair looks like that, either, he thought as his gaze fell upon his stock picture of himself.

Marth smirked as he dashed toward Roy, prepared to end the match once and for all. He short-hopped into the air, but just as he went to slash Roy, Roy grabbed him by the hem of his cloak, slammed him into the ground, and slashed him hard in the back, all in one fluid motion that lasted only one second.

Damn it all, Roy, Marth thought, flying into the boundary of Final Destination, it was so perfect. And then you pull a cheap half-assed move like that without even looking up from that watch…I admire that.

"AND ROY IS THE WINNER!!! CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THE 5TH ANNUAL SUPER SMASH BROS. TOURNAMENT!!!" the announcer's voice boomed as Roy returned to the Stadium of Smash. The stands erupted in cheers as Roy's grinning face was brought onto the large screen in the background, used mostly for showing fights. Smiling broadly now, Roy's eyes scanned the stands briefly, and he locked eyes with Peach, who was sobbing in happiness, much as she usually did when anything major happened.

Roy…I'm so happy for you…

"TIME TO BRING OUT THE TROPHY, DON'T YOU THINK, FOLKS?" boomed the announcer, much to the audience's delight. A massive set of double doors opened around the base of the stadium, and a squad of eight Wire-Frames solemnly marched out, carrying with them an absolutely monstrous trophy, bedecked with curling gold, and a three-foot tall likeness of Roy, in one of his usual victory poses with one hand on the hilt of his sword, and the other one in a peace-sign. On a plaque in the front, the name 'Roy' was engraved, flanked by two symbols symbolizing the Super Smash Bros. – a strange circle with two perpendicular lines that intersected in the lower-left corner. It was all that Roy could do to bite back his excitement as he shouted, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!"


"Geez, can ya believe they're still talkin' about it?"

"I know…hard to believe it's still such a hot topic after a full week."

Falco grinned. "Still though…it was a pretty sweet match, eh Foxy?"

The kitsune never looked up from his beer as he replied, "I've seen better."

"Hmm…now that I think about it, there was that one between Link and Princess Zelda…seeing them two go at it was damn funny. Even though they were…you know…"

"Yes, I know." Fox got up from his seat and paid the bartender, a strange grinning man in a cowboy outfit who tried to sell the strangest things to anyone who would happen by.

"Hey, buddy," the bartender whispered as the money exchanged hands, "since yer such a reg'lar here, I got a deal fer ya."

"Go away."

The bartender looked dismayed. "But…but…they're good items…"

Fox sighed resignedly. "Fine…just make it quick."

Hearing this, the cowboy's face lit up in an even broader grin, were it possible. He held up a pair of oversized clown shoes, and whispered, "Put these on fer a real kick! Har har har! An' they're only 16G! Ya can't pass that up!"

Fox growled. "Let's go, Falco."


The anthropomorphic duo stepped out into the 6:00 dusky atmosphere of the main center of commerce of Smash Planet, the concrete jungle known as Smash City. This was one of the main hubs of activity all throughout cyberspace, where every imaginable life-form from all reaches of their universe converged to buy, sell, hang out, tour, or watch the epic battles in the Stadium of Smash, as had been the case a week ago. Some of the most epic crimes had taken place here, as well.

"Isn't that right, Falco?"

"Huh? Whadd're ya goin' on about, Foxy?" Falco replied, the slightest bit drunk.

"Hmph…the narrator was talking about that one time, a couple years ago, when all those damned Space Pirates launched an attack on Smash City."

"Dunno what's goin' on, Mister Green."

Fox promptly slapped his blue-feathered companion upside the head. "Never mind. We better get home before you do something stupid again."

"Whatever." Suddenly, a boy of about twelve or thirteen in a baggy orange shirt and jeans came rushing by the two of the four heroes of the Lylat System, nearly knocking Falco over in his hurry. "HEY! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOIN'!" Falco shouted irately.

The boy, who didn't even bother to reply, kept on running. Falco turned to start running after him when a tall blonde woman in a purple suit calmly laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. He can just be so…ah…never mind, I suppose I better go after him before he does something stupid again. I'm sure you can relate."

"You're tellin' me," Falco grumbled as the woman took off after the boy, shouting "ANDY! SLOW DOWN, DAMN IT ALL!"

Long pause.

"Nothing but wrenches on that boy's mind. How sickening," boomed a voice in their minds as a tall, faintly purple cat floated into view.

"Mewtwo," Fox thought as the legendary Pokémon joined up with the two.

"I didn't come all the way here to talk to you about strangers. Listen, there's something important I want to tell you." Fox and Falco leaned in as Mewtwo began to tell them a story that was soon to change their lives.


TB: Whoa, that was a bit of a long chapter. Uh…anyways, things are about to get interesting for the Smashers later on. What was Mewtwo's story about? Why were Andy and Nell in Smash City? Where's my pie? All this and more answered in the next installment of Obscurum Intus (provided, of course, that you merely R&R).

Andy: I want pie.

Pichu: Me too! Me too!

TB: Shut up. You weren't even in this chapter, Pichu.