A/N: Uh, yeah, I've been slacking a little, I know. Not that it has anything to do with writer's block in particular, but when you come right down to it homework gets pretty tedious. And we've got snow on this end!! I had no idea how to make a snowman, so I've been kinda experimenting lately…but wait, I've started chattering, huh? Sorry about that. Let's get on with the actual story.

Disclaimer: Right, yeah, I don't own Super Smash Bros. or any characters related. If I did, I'd be filthy rich, wouldn't I? -shifty eyes- Hmmm…come to think of it, I could use a few bucks…maybe some college funds wouldn't be so bad after all…

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Kirby hopped backwards as Petey swung the cages again. The princesses didn't appear to be in the best of conditions at that moment, and the harsh clang of metal against the stadium floor was enough to make anyone flinch, let alone be the source of it.

Kirby liked to play around, but he got the notion that somehow this strange, giant plant with no eyes and a mouth larger than his own wasn't exactly frolicking about. It fully intended to destroy him. And Kirby knew that he couldn't afford to be trapped within his trophy again, with that bomb ticking on behind him and his remaining allies dangling in cages. So he initiated the only reasonable option, and hurled himself forward in a ball of flame.

Petey Piranha, slightly taken aback by this offensive reaction, lurched backwards, but then embraced the battle with another step forward. His large head swayed precariously as he swung the cages around and about, attempting to bat the pink puffball flapping around in front of him. But Kirby was quite ahead of him by then.

In full fighting mode now, the puffball leapt up and toppled through the air with his large hammer following his circular motion, catching the plant beneath the jaw. Not missing a beat, Kirby hit the ground running and bounced up once more, dealing a midair double kick with his large, flat feet, clipping the monster once more.

Roaring, more in anger than pain, Petey Piranha swung the cages in a wild frenzy, plying them against the ground with blows that made the stadium tremble. Kirby dodged them, but the metal of Peach's cage shrieked as she swayed inside, looking quite battered and disoriented. Indeed, the bars were now warped and bent, the screws holding it together loosening with every blow Petey Piranha tried to land on the elusive Kirby.

Kirby struck hard with yet another kick, and Petey lurched drunkenly, cages swinging. Kirby, seeing his chance, bounced as high into the air as he possibly could and landed a skull-crushing blow right on the top of the large plant's head.

For a moment it seemed as though the whole stadium was frozen. Petey stiffened, and a final roar escaped from his massive mouth - but that was all. Even as the plant tried to raise itself upright, its joints seized up, and its jaws locked shut. A golden light pushed its way out of him, and then there was a deafening explosion as Petey Piranha literally blew up.

Thick smoke filled the air, and there was a scream of tortured metal. Kirby, luckily unscathed, leapt out of the cloud unharmed, with a bruised but free Peach following right behind him.

Both glanced at each other in relief, seeing the other unharmed, but Peach quickly glanced around as she realized that her companion was still somewhere in the smoke, which soon cleared. Zelda was revealed, struggling to rise out of a small crater, beside which her cage lay, twisted and split open by the force of the explosion.

Before the two could move, however, there was a cackle. Both looked up in surprise as Wario dropped down as though from nowhere, landing with a large thump on the stadium grounds.

Peach leapt back in alarm with Kirby, for on Wario's face was a huge grin that outlined pure malice. His ragged denim motorcycle outfit flapped as he pulled himself laboriously upright, hefting a huge silver blaster behind him as his round belly jiggled. His yellow helmet glinted in the red glow of the clouds above.

However, he did not seem to want to immediately attack anyone, though he gave Kirby a scornful glare through one of his greedy, beady eyes. Instead he eyed Peach with interest…until he noticed movement behind his back. Wario whirled around and spotted Zelda, just rising out of the crater and only just seeing Wario for the first time. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Wario's grin widened, and he turned around completely, hefting his blaster. It was a huge weapon, almost as big as he was, but that didn't seem to hinder him too much. Instead he grasped the large trigger and squeezed, ducking his head as though bracing himself.

The heroes could only watch in petrified shock as the blaster began to charge, a low, rolling crackle of contained energy permeating the air as the pink knobs all over it began to glow, brighter and brighter.

Zelda was the first react. She pulled back, realizing the danger she was in, but she was still dazed and battered from her recent beating, and moved seconds too late.

There was a huge blast, and a black arrow lined in yellow shot out of the blaster at a surging speed, making way straight for the helpless Zelda. There was a blinding flash as it collided…and when the flash faded, a trophy tumbled stiffly from the air and landed on its side, where Zelda lay in pose, about to initiate an attack.

Wario leapt forward with a satisfied grin, landing beside the trophy. It was taller than himself, but he didn't seem to mind that - he simply shouldered that priceless item and turned to the two mortified onlookers before him…and laughed. Then, blaster in one hand, Zelda's trophy in the other, he turned and leapt into the air…and was gone. As though he had never been there.

Peach started forward in despair, but Kirby merely shook his head and turned the other way, beginning to run. Peach soon followed him, remembering the bomb and understanding Kirby's reason.

Even as Kirby ran past that bomb, he blinked in panic, for the timer had fallen to ten seconds…nine…eight…seven…

The crowd around the stadium suddenly fell silent for the first time in the history of the area. Then it began to blur and thin, until it was a static-filled gray smudge that lined the stadium itself. And the glowing purple ball atop the timer expanded, crackling hungrily, knowing its time had come…

High in the red-lined sky, the stadium floated. There was a flash, a pulse in the air. And the suddenly a huge purple globe of roiling darkness exploded from within with an ear-popping implosion, quickly expanding and swallowing the stadium whole. The globe hungrily expanded, eating away the clouds and the sky, the earth below.

But there was a small flash of gold at the lip of the subspace dome. The golden sparkle expanded, and a small spectacle flashed through the air for a brief moment. It was a large glowing star with five rounded points, which emitted a stream of smaller stars behind it as it hurried on through the skyline, supporting two heroes. A puffball and a pink-clad princess.

And rising from behind the ever-expanding dome of black, sleek and threatening, was the Halberd, lurching into pursuit…

2/5/08

A/N: Many apologies of I fail to update for a little while. Not that I want it to happen, but we're getting some pretty severe weather on this end, (thunderstorms, tornados, the works), so my PC may be put out of service for a while. In other words, if it happens to be busted out by a bolt of lightning or something, the stories I am currently working on will be automatically put on an indefinite hiatus. But don't worry! I will try everything I can to get back online soon. So hang in there!