The Hand That Wields It

Chapter 4 – Marth's Plight

By Pelican (Pelican_13@yahoo.com)

"The next match is Marth versus Mewtwo," the intercom in the melee lounge boomed.

"Next match: Marth versus Mewtwo," the intercom repeated.

"But I haven't found my sword yet," Marth said to the intercom.

"He can't hear you," Ness informed.

"Just try fighting without your sword," Peach suggested.

Marth stood and walked into the teleporter room adjacent to the lounge. Mewtwo psychically raised himself of the couch and levitated into the same room. The teleporter room was pure white with four metal discs that awaited the combatants. Marth stepped up to the one with the largest distance away from the door and Mewtwo stood on the one closest.

"One on one, two stock match, no items, no time limit," another voice began to announce on the intercom, "The stage is Final Destination."

In a zap of white light the two fighters were instantaneously transported to their arena, Final Destination. Marth was on the far left while Mewtwo stood on the far right. Marth put up his fists in an attempt to look ready for the match.

"GO!" the match announcer boomed over the PA.

Mewtwo began to charge a Shadow Ball attack, Marth didn't move. He had never been in a melee arena without the Falchion in his hand. Marth managed to gather this thoughts and began a charge toward Mewtwo, he had one fist behind him that he was going to use for a forward punch to Mewtwo's face but Mewtwo released his Shadow Ball before Marth got in range. Marth fell to the ground, ignited by purple psychic energy. Marth rolled forward to try and get in an offensive against Mewtwo but he rolled right into Mewtwo's grab. Marth struggled to break free but Mewtwo slammed him to the surface of Final Destination, jumped up, and came down with a tail attack.

Back at the melee complex almost the entire roster was watching the match from the lounge.

"Ohh"

"Ouch"

The group collectively winced in empathetic pain with each hit Marth took. They all sat back and watched as Marth was blasted, thrown, and tail whipped left and right, and then eliminated.

"That didn't take long," Link declared.

"He still has another life," Bowser informed.

Marth returned to the arena on his metal disc, he dropped to the ground momentarily invulnerable. However, he was unable to capitalize on his invulnerability as Mewtwo was on the other side of the arena. Mewtwo and Marth ran towards the center of the arena, both wanting to eliminate their opponent. Mewtwo had two lives remaining and no damage while Marth had only one stock and had just returned so was at no damage.

Mewtwo used his strong attack first, he placed both hands forward and faced one up and one down, allowing psychic energy to channel to the gap between his fingers while he continued to move forward, striking Marth. In the lounge people continued to watch the fight. Fox sat off in the corner, knowing he was the cause of Marth's plight. Zelda sat on the couch but remained uncharacteristically quiet. The only members of the roster that weren't present for the watching of the matches were Pikachu, Pichu, Jigglypuff, and Bowser.

The group continued to wince and flinch and generally look empathetically sorry as Marth's second stock was eliminated almost effortlessly by Mewtwo, who had taken no damage during the fight.

"I think-a he-a deserved that," Luigi said.

"You're just upset because you lost," Peach replied.

"Well that match wasn't fair!" Luigi protested.

"Neither was this one."

"That's-a why he deserved it!" Luigi reiterated.

Fox exited the room for one of the hallways, no one noticed because they were busy talking and Fox was sitting off to a corner anyway. The only one that seemed to notice was Zelda, because she wasn't talking anyway. She got up to try to catch up to Fox.

The rest of the melee fighters were discussing the fight while Zelda ran to meet Fox in one of the many hallways.

"Fox!" Zelda called out.

Fox stopped and turned around to see Zelda. Fox was wearing a new jacket after leaving his first one behind in Hyrule.

"Fox," Zelda said again as she caught up to him.

"What is it?" Fox asked.

"Please don't tell me you don't know."

"You have Marth's sword now, it's not my problem," Fox replied, "I never liked Marth anyway."

"You stole the sword in the first place," Zelda retaliated.

Before Zelda could continue Fox cut it, "Please don't tell anyone!" Fox continued to beg, "I can't have my career here ruined over this. Please, Zelda."

"I didn't plan to turn you in," Zelda started, "I sold the sword to Pichu."

Fox raised an eyebrow at the notion, "Pichu?"

"Yes, Pichu," Zelda confirmed, "but that's beside the point. What should we do about this?"

"Why do you care what happens to Marth? It was unfair how he used that sword in matches to begin with." Fox began to interrogate, "Do you like Marth or something? Did it end between you and Link?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Zelda began, then paused for a moment. "I didn't say I was going out with Link!"

Fox began to laugh; Zelda looked less then amused. "I feel bad because this is tearing Marth apart!"

"Again, why do you care?" Fox asked.

"Why don't you care?"

"Marth really bugged me, especially how he fought."

"We could both lose our jobs over this."

Fox began to look more compromising. "What did you have in mind?"

"Help me get it back," Zelda requested, "You fly those metal things, you should be able to get us somewhere fast."

"How do you know where to go?"

"I don't but let's ask the teleporter rooms where they last sent Pichu."

"Ohh, Fox is a criminal," a voice from behind the couple said. Fox and Zelda redirected their attention to see Falco listening in on them.

"Falco!" Fox said louder than he should have.

"You were spying on us?" Zelda asked in indignation.

"I never figured you two to be the evil types," Falco began.

"Falco," Fox said in a more threatening tone, "don't you dare tell anyone about this!"


"Why don't you beg me like you were to Zelda earlier?"

"You were listening in on us that long?" Zelda cut in.

"When I saw you leave right after Fox I thought you two might be…involved," Falco responded.

"What?" Zelda asked, shocked. "I'm not involved with Fox! How could you even think that?"

"Hey," Fox cut in, offended, "I have feelings too."

"I didn't mean it like that," Zelda apologized.

"Anyway," Falco tried to get back to the important topic.

"Falco what do you want?" Fox asked boldly, "Are you going to blackmail us?"

"Fox, I'm shocked. I wouldn't do something like that."

"Yes, you would," Fox and Zelda replied in unison.

"Okay," Falco admitted, "I would but I'm your friend. Plus I wanted to see that Marth person suffer. I just can't believe you stole."

"It's not something I'm proud of," Fox said looking at the floor.

"Dude, don't talk like that," Falco reacted to Fox's look of shame, "It was great! You should have seen the look on Marth's face when he got to Yoshi's house with his sword stolen."

"What does Yoshi know of all this?" Zelda asked.

"I don't think much, I spent the night at Yoshi's and was just leaving when Marth came looking for his sword," Falco answered, "For all everyone else knows Yoshi was just the first one Marth told about the theft."

"Do they suspect him?" Zelda asked concerned.

"I don't know if Marth suspects Yoshi but most of us think Marth just lost his sword."

"Well this is all well and good but as we speak the sword could be getting farther and farther away," Fox informed, "Let's go and try to find it."

"Falco?" Zelda asked, "Can you ask Yoshi what he knows about all this while Fox and I try and get the sword back?"

Falco thought for a moment, "Alright, but I'm not getting too involved with this."

"Okay, that's our plan for now," Fox said. He and Zelda continued down the hallway and Falco walked back to the lounge room.

Zelda and Fox walked into one of the transporter rooms, the one in closest proximity to the locker room. They found the room to be empty and without an operator.

"This is most likely where they left from," Zelda stated.

"Let me see," Fox said as he walked to the operator's position behind the console, one of which is present in each teleporter room. Fox began to dexterously push spots on the metal surface of the console; the only thing distinguishing the different areas were lighted in spots that looked like buttons. After a few moments Fox had his answer.

"I found them!" he announced, "Get on the transporter and we can leave right now."

Zelda complied and stepped on a transporter disc. Fox pushed a few more buttons and ran to another teleporter disc. They stood for a second or two and then were whisked away in a brilliant white light.

While Fox and Zelda pursued the sword Falco returned to the lounge. Fighters were still watching the matches from the couches. Falco spotted Yoshi sitting on the chair closest to the teleporter room's door. Falco decided to just take a seat and watch the matches for now.