The light dissipated.
Ike was no longer staring at the same outdoors surrounding the mercenary fort. The difference was quite noticeable. The air smelled unnaturally clean and pristine, and it was quieter than normal. He didn't even notice any birds flying overhead or small rodents bounding up trees. The sun above him seemed too close to the world to be safe, and yet he felt perfectly fine. Actually, the air didn't seem to have a temperature at all, like he could exist anywhere at anytime and still be safe. That's a weird feeling, Ike thought.
Before him was a large, gray-stoned building. The wide steps leading up to it made it feel like some sort of school. Above the pair of doors leading to the building's entrance was a phrase in iron letters saying, "Super Smash Bros. Academy."
"It's not actually a school," Kirby explained to a slack-jawed Ike. "Master Hand said that the fighters who came there were going to 'learn more than they ever thought possible.' At least, I think that's what he said...maybe it was 'discover' more than...."
Ike paid no attention to Kirby's self-ammending ramble and slowly walked up the steps. When Kirby realized that he was being left behind, he bounded up hastily. Feeling like he was walking on ground older than anything he had known, he gently pushed the door open and stepped inside the academy.
Whoever Master Hand was, he had to be a master architect. "Laziness" and "negligence" were two words that didn't pop into Ike's head when he studied the building's interior. The foyer's floor was made of polished marble which looked good against the black walls and ceiling. Four tall stone pillars near the corners stretched up to the ceiling and had several patterns etched into them. Around these pillars, wooden tables and comfortable-looking armchairs were gathered together. On Ike's right were two staircases; one leading to a basement, and another going the opposite direction Ike was facing and leading to the second floor. Straight ahead was an exit to a bright green field. In the far-left corner was a towering, elaborate doorway that probably led to some important room. Directly on his left was a small hallway which led to a door on the right wall.
Ike had thought that nobody could possibly look stranger than the pink ball that was Kirby, but he was dead wrong. All kinds of people were standing about the foyer, apparently expecting somebody to arrive. One person was a fox standing on two legs who was wearing a cream-colored jacket and had an advanced-looking pistol strapped to his side. He also saw a bright green lizard bouncing happily on the spot. There was another small, pink ball that looked somewhat similar to Kirby. Ike could not have been more surprised if Mist had announced that she was marrying King Dheginsea and kicking Ike out of the fort.
"Welcome, newcomer," said a blonde woman leaning against one of the pillars.
"Yeah, welcome," Ike replied awkwardly. "Look, I'm new here, so can anyone tell me what's going on?"
"We're just waiting for the others," said a green-clad swordsman. "You're one of the last to get here."
Ike noticed that Kirby had left, probably to recruit the remaining fighters. He wondered how long he had been at it and had to admire the guy for his blissful perseverance.
"Where do I wait?" he asked the swordsman.
"Just anywhere," he answered. "You don't have to wait. You can go get settled in if you want to. I'm Link, by the way," he added.
"Ike. And I'll wait. I have nothing better to do." He took a seat near Link and faced the door. "So, uh, is this your first time here?"
Link shook his head. "I was here during the First Generation."
"That means nothing to me."
Link grinned at his ignorance. "I was one of the first fighters Master Hand invited here. 'Generation' means the time when Master Hand invites a group of fighters here, they stay here for a time, and then leave. This is the Third Generation."
Ike quickly began learning more about the people around him ("academy" didn't seem like such a stretch now). Both heroes and villains had been invited, and everyone had an amazing story to tell--it was practically expected. Link had saved two different lands from two different madmen (though the latter was more a sinister object of immense power and influence). The blonde woman, Samus, was a bounty hunter and had destroyed entire enemy camps, facilities, and hostile planets single-handedly. A boy of thirteen or fourteen had gone on a journey to become a "Pokemon Master"--whatever that meant. Apparently, he had become the "Pokemon Champion" of his particular region, which seemed to be quite a feat. Some of the fighters knew each other from their own dimensions. Mario and Bowser, a portly plumber in overalls and a huge beast, glared at each other from across the room. He wondered how many relationships were good and which ones were in the gutter.
"That's all of them!" Kirby exclaimed thirty minutes later.
The last fighter--an angel with an energetic personality--had been brought to the academy. He had arrived much more excitedly than Ike did and didn't seem to care a lot about who or what was involved. At first, Ike thought he was another one of the Heron Prince Reyson's long-lost siblings, but it was clear that he was just an angel. Just, Ike thought. Reyson was a heron laguz prince and had lost almost all of his countrymen in an event known as the Serenes Massacre. Ike had found his sister, Leanne, whom he had long thought killed in the massacre, which led to friendship and a change of heart about humans for the heron. Herons dressed in white robes and had large wings even when not in bird form, while Pit, the angel, had the garb of a proud and powerful civilization and had wings that barely looked big enough to support him.
"Great! Who do I fight first?" Pit said, looking at each of the fighters eagerly.
"We're not challenging you," said Samus, rolling her eyes.
"Then when do I fight them?"
"In due time," said a deep voice.
Ike jumped. The voice came from the hallway he had spotted on his first look at the academy's interior. Shortly after this enigmatic voice, a siren went off on one of the walls, making Ike jump again. Most of the people in the room left their positions and headed into the hallway. Following their cue, the newcomers trailed behind them.
The room they entered was wide and dark. A large group of chairs sat on a small ledge facing the rest of the room. Ike figured the wide space was to display some sort of performance or ceremony. Everyone made themselves comfortable in the chairs, and Ike followed their lead. Not long after, something even more startling than anything Ike had seen so far happened.
A giant, floating white glove entered the room from the shadows in the back. While the newcomers all jumped a third time, the veterans still didn't show any surprise. How could they could used to all this? Ike wondered.
"Welcome," greeted the glove, despite the fact that it had no visible mouth. "I am Master Hand. I'm pleased to meet you all--those who have come here for the first time and those who have already been here. I expect those who were present at the First and Second Generations to make the newcomers feel welcome. That includes you, Bowser."
"Why do I have to stoop down and pamper a bunch of whelps!?"
"There are a number of reasons, but chief among them is that I told you to."
"I'm the King of Koopas! I don't have to--"
"Furthermore," Master Hand continued, "I am doing something I have not done at all so far. A feast is being issued across various dimensions. Tonight, you will all dine on my expense. Hopefully, this will get the newcomers used to the way of things here and will spark a few friendships. I'd like you all to do your best to make them comfortable and tell them how everything works.
"Now, the newcomers have all received invitations from my ever-faithful messenger, Kirby, whom I thank wholeheartedly for volunteering for this, saying that this is a place where we fight. To answer your question, Pit, there will be no fighting tonight. That will start tomorrow. You can fight at your own leisure. Simply talk to however many people you want to fight, state your rules, and if the arena you want to fight on isn't being used, you may fight there."
"Hey, pardon me," Ike spoke up, "and I know this is a really stupid question, seeing as you all probably know the answer anyway, but...what's to stop each other from burning everyone to cinders? Seems to me like we all fight with something different--" Ike drew his large sword, Ettard-- "which could lead to some, well, deaths."
"That's not a stupid question," Master Hand responded. "It's perfectly normal, and if nobody here asked it, I'd wonder if I had picked up a bunch of drooling lunatics. I've created Smart Shields to protect the fighters. Let's say you attack Luigi with your sword, Ike--which looks like it would do a load of damage given the size and shape. Even if you collided a full swing with his head, he would still walk out of it perfectly fine. The Smart Shields protect your bodies and equipment, so the pain and damage is dulled to a complete minimum. Should something serious arise, which it occasionally has, as I will be the first to admit, we have four doctors on hand: Samus, Zelda, Peach, and Mario. Or Dr. Mario, if you prefer that in the Recovery Room."
"Either's fine," Mario chuckled jovially.
"So there is no danger of killing one another so long as you battle in the arenas and arrive via Teleporter. You can come and go to your own worlds as you please, visiting your families if you so wish. By winning battles, you may earn Smash Coins, and using these Smash Coins, you can buy gifts I've provided or turn it into your world's currency." Ike thought of how poor his mercenary company was and perked up at this idea. "Your rooms will be assigned to you shortly, either upstairs or down in the basement. When this meeting is over, you may make yourselves comfortable there. At 6:00 Linking Dimension time, the feast will be held. I will send off the Meeting Signal then to call you all down. Any other questions?"
"Yeah," Pit said, looking around the room, "how long did it take you to design this place? Did you do it yourself?"
"Well, my 'brother' helped me out, and it took me quite awhile. Probably not as long as you're thinking. Do you have a question relating to how things work?"
"Nope. Think I've got it."
"Good. You are free to ask questions to anybody and everybody. I encourage you all to strive for the best and make as many friends as you can. After all, no amount of money, fame, or power can compare to the strength of a lasting friendship."
"Money cuts it pretty close," Wario stated flatly.
"It comes as no surprise that you would make such a statement. But if that is all, you may leave. I shall call you all down at 6:00 to start the feast."
Everyone stood up and left the room. Ike still didn't know what to make of the situation. Everything seemed so complicated. Would he have been better off rejecting the invitation and staying at the fort? But then, he knew this would turn into something great. He already felt kinships forming, and the thought of earning more money for his poor company was admittedly compelling. He grabbed a sheet of paper that appeared on a stand on his way out. It showed him where his room was and continued on several more pages paper-clipped together giving him the details of the Super Smash Bros.
His room was in the basement. He half-expected a cheap, cold, cobwebby stone room with a few cramped bedrooms stuffed in as an afterthought. Of course, he was surprised again. The basement was every bit as stunning as the foyer, also composed of marble floor and black walls. It stretched on for quite awhile, doors lining the walls. Following the directions on his clipped sheets of paper, Ike stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it uncertainly.
He might have joined the Super Smash Bros. just for the room. The bed was large and inviting, draped cleanly with thick sheets. There were a few machines in the corner of the room. Ike had no idea how to work this technology but figured that he'd find out soon enough. There were closets, shelves, and racks aplenty. Ike detached Ettard from his belt and placed it on one of the shelves. He plumped down onto his bed and found it satisfactorily soft. No more sleepless, uncomfortable nights on his small and dingy cot--this would do the trick. He laid back on the bed and put his hands behind his head. This was pretty good, he had to admit.
Thirty minutes later, he snapped back to alertness. He had almost fallen asleep on the bed. He didn't realize he was that tired. And he hadn't even tried to make friends with the rest of the fighters! What was wrong with him!?! Ike jumped off the bed hurriedly, left his room, and hustled up the stairs.
There were a few people in the foyer: Mario and Luigi were playing a board game, Zelda was reading a book, and Pit was still admiring the decor. Ike stood beside him and gave another look around.
"Pretty huge, isn't it?" he said.
"I'm used to huge," Pit responded. "And I'm also used to fancy, but not when one or two people put it all together!"
"I'm Ike, by the way," he greeted, holding out his hand. Pit took it.
"Pit. Nice to meet you. This your first time here, too?"
"Yeah. I'm still trying to get used to it all. Sometimes I wonder if I ever will."
"You will," Pit assured. "Soon enough, we'll be masters of this place. What do you want to do first?"
"Huh? Oh. I really have no idea. I guess just wait for the feast."
"What, just sit on your bed and twiddle your thumbs? No way!" Pit chastised playfully. "How about we play whatever Mario and Larry are playing? They look like they're having fun."
"It's Luigi!" the plumber yelled.
The mercenary and angel took seats around the table, watching the game. It was played on a checkered board, and intricate pieces occupied some of them.
"What is it?" Ike asked.
"Chess," Mario replied, "and currently, my little brother is beating me like I've never played it before."
"He may get all the fame," Luigi said, "and the girls, and the adventure, and maybe even slightly the guts...but I rule at chess!"
The next fifteen minutes were spent teaching the two of them how to play the game. By the end of it, Ike's brain was thoroughly fried, but he understood the basic concepts of it. Pit seemed to have caught on better than he had. After learning where the board games were kept, they got their own chess board, set up the pieces correctly, and began to play.
"So...." Ike looked at his ivory pieces uncertainly.
"White moves first, according to Mario," Pit said.
"Right...." Ike picked up his pawn and moved it one space diagonally.
"You can't do that."
"Why not?"
"You can only move diagonally if there's an enemy piece on that spot."
"How do you remember all this stuff?" Ike asked, slightly annoyed.
Pit shrugged. "No idea. I just do. You can, however, move it two spaces forward on the first turn."
It was a slow start, but they eventually got going. In between turns, the two of them swapped stories.
"So, what do you do?" Pit asked Ike.
"I'm a mercenary. What do you do?"
"Captain of Palutena's Holy Guard."
"That's quite a title," Ike commented. "Personally, I never could stomach any of the noble, royal stuff. Life as a mercenary is the only life I could imagine."
"Any claim to fame?"
"What?"
"Anything you're famous--or infamous--for?"
Ike shrugged, not very willing to talk about it. "Well, I did lead an army as a general once...."
"Sweet! I guess we're pretty much on par then," Pit said excitedly.
"Well, I gave that up awhile ago. Like I said, I never could stand any of the fancy noble stuff."
"It has its ups and downs," Pit admitted.
The game whiled away the hours until finally, the clock said 5:28. So far, Pit was winning. It was aggravating.
"Are you sure you've never played this?" Ike grumbled.
"Nope. First time."
Ike wondered if this was entirely true but didn't press the issue. Sure enough, at the end of the game, Pit had won, and Ike's king was knocked over.
"I think I just got mopped," Ike said as he put the game up.
"Ya think?" Pit said smugly, leaning back in his chair. "We should play that again sometime."
"Why, because you won?"
"Well, it's fun."
"Somehow I don't think that's the only reason."
"Come off it."
A long, beeping sound filled the room, and a light flashed on the wall. The Meeting Signal had gone off.
"Dinnertime," Pit muttered happily, then dashed off to the Meeting Room. Ike got up, stretched his arms, and slowly followed him. He had made a strange friend in Pit in such a short time. Smiling to himself, he entered the big, dark room, one of the first to arrive.
