Chapter 4 - Battle 1!

The Smashers went backstage again, to wait for the announcer to tell who's fighting first. Suddenly, the loudspeaker came on again. "Alright everybody! Thanks again for coming to the Ultimate Knockout Challenge, and we're about to begin! Just hang tight while the props guy changes the stage." At that time, he pointed to John the props man. John clicked a pink button on a plate in the side of the wall backstage, alligned with a bunch of other coloured buttons. Immediatly, the stage folded into Princess Peach's Castle. Everyone in the audience cheered. Little children ran up to the sides of the stage and watched. When the stage was finished changing, the loudspeaker came back on.

"Now," he began. "Please, welcome to the stage, our first combatants." He took a small card from his pocket. "Our first team is, Link and Young Link!" He clapped, the crowd cheered and clapped. Link and the smaller Hylian walked out onto Princess Peach's castle. Link in the back, Young Link standing slightly ahead. Everybody hollered and clapped more. "They will be fighting off," he took out another card. "Mario and Luigi!" As he explained the rules, Mario and his partner entered through a door on the right side of the stage. Everyone cheered. The two positioned themselves like Young Link and Link. Mario had his friend, Flood (Super Mario Sunshine) on his back. "Glug glug glug." Flood said. "Are we ready?" He asked in his robotic voice. Link pulled his sword out and held it by him. Young Link yanked his out and did a few slashes to possibly scare the other team.

"Ready!" The announcer said on the loud speaker, it echoed through the insanely large room. There were helicopters video taping the stage from the giant window in the ceiling. Security guards and people with video cameras surrounded the stage. The referee stood in the middle of the Princess Peach's Castle. He held his hands up, as Young Link and Mario stood by him, about a metre apart. Link and Luigi stayed near the ends. The referee kept his hands up. There was a big scoreboard with the fighter's stock on them. This round, each fighter had 1 stock. There was a spot underneath that had the fighter's HP. All four spots had 0.

Suddenly, booming noises came from the speakers and echoed loudly through the room.

"5!" The audience yelled at the top of their lounges.

"4!"

"3!" Young Link held his sword out. Mario made doublefists.

"2!"

"1" The referee threw his arms down and backed off the stage.

"GO!" The audience screamed, and jumped around.

Young Link immediately jumped backward, dodging Mario's first punch. He swiftly rolled under him and began with very quick slashes. Mario was stuck for a moment. Link jumped in on his other side and began doing the same. Mario's HP went up faster then he expected.

12, 18, 25, 31, 39. The audience was sitting at the ends of their chairs.

Then Luigi jumped down and drilled into Young Link, sending him flying a few feet away. He tried his best to help himself up, while Link did some fancy sword tricks to hit Luigi out of the way.

Scoreboard:

Mario's HP- 41
Luigi's HP- 0
Young Link's HP- 13
Link's HP- 0

Luigi slid infront of Mario, while Mario quickly got away. Suddenly, he spotted a beam sword that dropped from the sky a few seconds before. "Yes...!" He said to himself. He ran over and picked it up, swung it around a few times then charged at Young Link who was standing up again. Link stopped slashing Luigi long enough to yell, "LOOK OUT!" But he was a few seconds too late. Mario jumped behind Young Link and powered up quickly, then swung it with all his might. Young Link yelled and flew across the stage, but gladly landed on one of the floating pillars.

"OOOOH!" The announcer said. "Didn't see that coming!"

The audience clapped and sighed of relief. A little girl around Young Link's age pulled on her mom's arm. "I want him to win!" She pointed to Young Link. Her mother laughed, and patted her on the head.

Luigi spun around to Link's other side and began sending a few punches that caught Link offguard.

Young Link was still dizzy from that last blow. He tried his best to stand up straight, then pulled his sword back out. Mario was still pumped, he ran over and helped Luigi.

Scoreboard:

Mario's HP- 51
Luigi's HP- 34
Young Link's HP- 72
Link's HP- 31

"Looks like Young Link's in a bit of trouble." The announcer said. "Better be careful!"

Young Link quietly ran up behind Luigi and powered his sword up. He let it go, BAM! Luigi flew across the stage, landing hard on the other side, close to the edge. "Whoa.." He wiped his forehead and tried to get up. Before he could, Link drove his sword into him from in the sky, picked him up and flung him off the side. Young Link came over and high fived him.

"Player 2, defeated!" The loudspeaker boomed. The crowd was excited, they all stood up, screamed and cheered.

Mario was surprized. He quickly spun around and saw Link and his partner running towards him. He jumped as high as he could, onto a pillar. He hopped down and drilled his legs into Young Link, sending his HP up by a lot. Young Link landed a few metres away, flat on the ground. Link swung his sword around on the ground, tripping Mario who fell hard onto the ground. Link jumped backward, then charged into Mario, sending him flying off the side. Mario jumped up, then twice, grabbing onto the side of the stage. Young Link was standing again, he frowned.

Mario's HP- 106
Young Link's HP- 132
Link's HP- 31

Mario hoisted himself up off the side. He made two fists and ran up to Link, giving him a few hard punches. Young Link quickly ran over and jabbed his sword into Mario, and threw him back off the side. Mario jumped, once, twice. The audience gasped, Mario missed the side.

"GAME!" The announcer yelled. Everyone screamed and cheered.

Young Link took very hard breaths, same with Link. Both of them stood in the middle and bowed. Mario and Luigi were brought back on stage and both of them bowed too. Then the four of them walked off stage to get a drink and heal up. The announcer came on stage, clapping. "Very good, I say, VERY good!" The crowd clapped along with him. "That was very exciting, well done Smashers!" Everyone cheered and clapped more. "Congrats to Link and his partner Young Link for winning round 1!" He smiled. The scoreboard numbers changed back to 0. "Now get ready for the next fight!" He shouted, while the audience clapped.