Mario
Luigi
Peach
Daisy
Yoshi
Toad
Hammer Bro
Kirby
Metaknight
King Dedede
Bandana Dee
Fox
Falco
Krystal
Link
Waluigi
He looked out the windows overlooking the northern half of the Final Destination realm. He tapped his foot impatiently, listening to the metallic boot cracking the stone floor and feeling a slight satisfaction. It was already midday, and he hadn't received a single report since he had sent his generals out to command the attack. He had already received word that one preemptive strike had been thwarted by a spy, and another had failed because the tunnel had been destroyed months ago.
He wasn't expecting a successful report immediately. The realms were all strong, and it was fifteen against one. Or was it sixteen? He counted in his head, wondering why the numbers weren't adding up.
"Rebellion," Master Chief muttered, nodding to himself. The secret realm. The realm whose location was known to all of the Realm Representatives but himself. The very name… he didn't "represent" this place any more than he belonged here. This wasn't his home like the other realms were to the others. He was a stranger.
"Did you say something, Chief?" A small device was on his desk, a device that projected a hologram of a blue woman. The woman, Cortana, was looking at Master Chief curiously.
"It was nothing, Cortana," Master Chief replied. He didn't want to explain himself. He had developed the unfortunate habit of voicing his thoughts out loud. A consequence of being forced to keep Cortana hidden from prying eyes. He only had her out now because he hadn't heard anything in hours.
"I see," Cortana said, tilting her head suspiciously. She looked up at the sky and smiled. "It's a beautiful day, at least. It should mean a good omen."
Master Chief looked up absentmindedly. He rarely noticed beauty in the world. He only saw the soldiers and the war. "How long does it take to report back from the front lines?"
"Is that what you're worried about?" Cortana almost laughed. "It's not like you to worry."
"I'm showing my hand," said Master Chief. "If this fails, and they counter-attack, all of this planning will be for nothing."
"It will work," Cortana promised, smiling. "You've done a great job leading these men. You're their Commander; you inspire them."
"Inspiration doesn't mean much on the battlefield," Master Chief replied, knowing all too well. As he spoke, his hand tapped the pistol holstered in a slot in his armor. "And it means nothing to these soldiers."
Cortana's smile dropped as she understood what Master Chief was implying. "Just because these men are… what they are, does that mean they can't feel inspiration?" She asked, drawing her hand to her chest. "I… I'm constantly inspired by you."
Master Chief turned to her, smiling under his helmet. He never tired of talking to Cortana, despite her being an AI program; she could never feel what he could, what other humans could, but she understood him better than anyone else. He didn't need the encouragement, but he appreciated it all the same.
"I know, Cortana," he replied simply. He turned back to the window. "I know our plan will work."
"John…" Cortana whispered too softly for him to hear.
Their enemy was named; the source of all of their frustrations and troubles, the reason all of them had been through so much, the leader of the soldiers who had murdered hundreds of innocents. The group tensed as they held back their collective anger.
"Can you please stop glaring at me!" The unfortunate person who was sitting in Master Chief's seat – Daisy – felt the hatred instead. At her shout, the others turned away out of guilt. But the anger was still there.
"Alright, he's our enemy," said Fox. "Why's he our enemy? Who is he, and what's he doing here?"
Master Hand regretted those questions; they were questions he had no answers to. "He appeared suddenly a few months ago. He took over the enemy army and became their Commander."
"Took over?" Fox repeated. "From whom?"
"My brother. Crazy Hand."
There was silence as they soaked it in. Many of them had no idea who Crazy Hand was, but those who did felt no sympathy for him. They felt sympathy for Master Hand, who had spoken with such sadness and regret that they could only imagine what had happened.
"Do you… know what happened?" Waluigi asked.
"I suppose that would require I start at the beginning," Master Hand replied, wanting to avoid the subject for as long as he could. "The beginning of everything. That would help you understand why losing… my brother… was the worst tragedy we could have experienced.
"Before these realms were created, as many of you know, our universes were all connected without tunnels. We could travel to others' worlds as we pleased so long as we had the transportation, and occasionally we would gather. For tournaments or games, or for the occasional visit. We understood our differences and lived peacefully, letting each other live their own lives.
"That all changed over two years ago. It was decided that while we were at peace with each other, our universe was at war with another. The Gods split our universe into pieces, separating our worlds into the realms you see drawn onto the table before you. Fifteen realms were created."
"Only these fifteen?" Peach asked, looking at the table. "But what of the others? I recall having fun with Mr. Game and Watch."
"Many of those worlds were abandoned, lost when the universe was split," said Master Hand. "Many were moved into the background of more prominent worlds. Many simply disappeared."
Peach gasped. "How could they? All of those lives!"
"The Gods are cruel." Master Hand replied derisively. "The Gods caused all of this. They realized once the realms were separated that the realms could not withstand the change. All of that life, energy, matter, existence was ripped and torn and squeezed into something so insignificantly tiny that even the Gods couldn't keep them together. Or perhaps they could, but they didn't want to bother moderating the worlds. So they created hosts for the energy that was lost.
"A single Realm Representative was chosen from each realm, a person who – the Gods believed – were good of heart and strong and could withstand all of that energy. These weren't volunteers; we were forced."
Luigi looked at his brother in horror. Mario nodded sadly in confirmation.
"If Realm Representatives die, all of the energy within us would be violently released, and our realms would not be able to withstand the change. The realms would disappear, and everything inside would be no more.
"The Gods told them this, but they knew that forcing that burden upon them would make them appear despicable. The Realm Representatives didn't understand why their universe was literally being torn apart, why they couldn't see their friends again. So, the Gods decided to bequeath some small mercy. The realms were rearranged into this shape, and tunnels were created so that the realms could all connect.
"But that arrangement did not last long. The Gods are paranoid, and whatever force that caused them to change our universe scared them so much that they were not satisfied. They needed something to fight back in case all of their defenses failed. So, out of desperation, Final Destination was created. But the Gods needed something to make up for this giant realm, so a lot of tunnels were sacrificed, and in their haste they made the wrong person a Realm Representative.
"They were so focused on protecting against this threat, all of their attention must have been focused on this threat. When they made Final Destination, they made the threat the Realm Representative. Whoever this Master Chief is, he became the catalyst for the realm by mistake. But the Gods, instead of fixing their mistake and destroying this realm and building anew, decided to reawaken my brother to be Commander of the armies. All of the soldiers would answer to him and only to him, and he would oversee the armies' creation.
"But the Gods remained paranoid, and they realized that they needed a final defense for us. A last bastion of hope in case everything else was lost. A secret realm from which we could be able to escape even an empire. Even if the armies were turned against us, we would be able to rebel. Thus, with whatever leftover energy was left, Rebellion was created, and I was reawakened from whatever slumber I rested. I was made Realm Representative of Rebellion.
"Two years ago, we gathered in Rebellion – the sixteen of us – to discuss what had been forced upon us and what to do with this unseen threat that had accidentally been given a considerable position of power. We all understood it was a mistake, a terrible mistake, and that whatever threat this Master Chief was, he would be coming. He would do whatever it took to destroy us.
"So we pleaded with the Gods: Destroy Final Destination and the armies that were being created by the second. Make sure that this oversight was corrected before it could be used against us. But our prayers fell on deaf ears; either the Gods weren't able to help us, or they refused.
"Nine months ago was the last I heard from my brother. All of the realms sent spies, and the message was clear: Crazy Hand had fallen, and there was a new unknown Commander. We all understood exactly what that meant, so we all planned for the worst. I begged for all of the Realm Representatives to gather their strongest soldiers and bring them to Rebellion so that we may wait for the tide of war to pass by, and then strike, like our Gods intended. None of them listened."
"We couldn't abandon everyone," Mario pleaded, more to the others than Master Hand. "We couldn't… tear you from your homes based on nothing but speculation. You wouldn't have believed me."
Those who came with him from the Mushroom Kingdom looked at Mario with mixed feelings of disbelief and annoyance. Of course they would have believed him; they trusted him with everything. But then, they remembered that they hadn't run until the army was attacking Peach's Castle. They'd waited until the last possible moment before reacting just on the chance that he was overreacting to this unseen threat. Mario was right; they had to have had proof.
Master Hand turned to Waluigi, who immediately shrunk in his seat in response. "So what happened, Waluigi, to my brother? To Final Destination? Nobody knows. All that we understand is that the worst possible scenario has occurred, and Master Chief is in command of all of the armies of Final Destination. And here we are."
"What are those armies?" asked Fox. "You keep saying that they're being made, like machines, but all of the soldiers we've encountered have been human."
"I lived with them for over a month," added Waluigi. "They ate, slept, laughed, fought. They're human."
"They look human," answered Master Hand. "The Gods believed that Master Chief would appear with an army of his own, so they would counter with their own soldiers. However, if the armies of Final Destination were robotic – made of metal and wire - then in the scenario where they were to protect us from Master Chief's army by occupying other realms, they would terrify the residents. Most realms have human or humanlike creatures living within. Very few have machines. Thus, the soldiers were made to be as humanlike as possible. They're given names, personalities, pasts; they eat, they sleep, they fight. But they're processed in one of numerous machines and have no true mind of their own. They're given orders from the Commander, and they follow them absolutely."
"Is Master Chief human?" asked Link.
"I think so," said Master Hand. "I also believe he is male, and that he was able to infiltrate the armies by posing as a soldier himself. He put himself in a position to assassinate Crazy Hand, and then he took control. That is my theory."
"Are all the soldiers men, then?" asked Daisy warily.
"They are," answered Master Hand. "Most are around the same age and the same build. To give the appearance of order, some of greater rank look older, and some appear younger and weaker."
"And this place," King Dedede held his arms signifying everything around him. "This 'Rebellion' is to protect us from soldiers?" Master Hand nodded. "Then why are soldiers guarding the entrance?"
"They were kidnapped, for lack of a better word," Master Hand answered. "We reprogrammed them and commanded them to guard the entrance with their lives."
"Why is this place so miserable?" asked Hammer Bro, his eyes looking toward the ceiling, shuddering at the blank sky. "If this is a place of safety and security, why make something so unsettling?"
Master Hand gave a dry chuckle. "Perhaps I'm simply used to it, but the sky does not bother me. As I have said, Rebellion and my reawakening were the final creations using the last available energy. There wasn't enough to create a full universe; the realm is tiny in comparison to the other realms. Beyond the cliffs that surround us, there is a white void that leads to nothing. There is no sky, there is no sun, there is nothing outside this single plain we live on. The tunnel, as I'm sure you noticed, does not have the power of the Gods to guide you when you seem lost. It was not meant to be a habitable realm; the grounds are fertile, but there is no running water.
"Rebellion is a realm designed for a single task. To house the Realm Representatives until they are able to mount a counterattack against an overwhelming force. Few people know where it is, and fewer still are able to find it."
"What about all of those people outside," asked Yoshi. "The people that nearly suffocated us?"
Master Hand hesitated, his fingers drooping apologetically. "They come from all over the realms, gathered to ensure that species continue in the absolute worst case scenario. They have been told of the Realm Representatives, and many of them have witnessed their exploits personally. The Realm Representatives, here, are revered as heroes destined to guide us to safety. Seeing four of us arriving simultaneously… excited them."
None of the five seemed excited at the prospect of being heroes. Their gazes were focused firmly on their names.
"I wish they hadn't reacted so zealously, but I hope you understand that any new face excites them."
"Even if those new faces should mean that there's nothing but danger on the other side?" asked Fox.
"They talk of hope after the end, not the end itself."
"You guys knew there was going to be an end. You guys knew that something like this was going to happen years ago," Falco recounted, growing angrier with each word. "You guys planned against this. Yet this all happened anyway?"
"It's hard to plan against the might of that army," said Krystal, placing a calming hand over his. "Most of us don't have the numbers or the firepower."
"The army has been producing men by the hundreds every day for over two years," added Master Hand. "Their numbers likely grow to the tens of thousands, and each one is capable of firing powerful, deadly weaponry."
"Why didn't we get any of that weaponry?" asked Falco. "We could've used it!" He looked at Krystal, wrenching his arm away. "You never told General Pepper. He could've used his power to add… something! Anything! Anything more than the nothing we all did!"
Krystal watched him sadly. "It wouldn't have been enough, Falco. You remember how many friends we had flying the skies this morning?"
Falco nodded bitterly, knowing all too well. All of them were taken down by the battleship in the sky. But he couldn't let it go, the idea that they could have done more. "The armada," he said. "General Pepper could've called the armada. If we'd just told him what was going to happen."
"We didn't know-" Krystal began, but Falco quickly got to his feet, slamming his fists on the table.
"Of course you knew! You knew everything was going to happen!"
Krystal got to her feet as well, meeting his eyes. She spoke not out of rage, but out of determination: "We did not know when it was going to happen. We had been planning for the worst for nine months, Falco, and we were still caught off guard. What would you suggest I had done? Announced to General Pepper to hold his entire armada on Corneria on the slight chance that we would be attacked today? What about the rest of the galaxy? Would you let it go without protection for the rest of time in case Master Chief appeared one day?"
Falco blinked, thinking desperately of a counterargument. Thinking back, it was so obvious they were under attack. They told General Pepper the moment the ship arrived, but they never told him to bring the entire armada. What would he have said? His barking voice would've assured them that they could handle one ship themselves; they didn't need his help. He wouldn't have done anything more than he thought was necessary, even if that wasn't enough.
Falco dropped back into his seat, looking defeated. He looked up at Master Hand and asked bitterly, "Were those ships your Gods' idea too?"
Master Hand hesitated. "What do you mean?"
That was when Waluigi pulled out a slip of paper from his sock. He held it up to Master Hand, who read the note silently. He got confused looks from the others, so he quickly explained: "I overheard a lot of plans during my time there. Master Chief's been building giant airships. I know he has three of them."
"Three?" Kirby gasped. "But one of them did all of that damage?"
"What kind of damage?" asked Master Hand.
"When that ship fired-" Krystal began. Then she gasped in pain and clutched her chest.
Fox leapt out of his chair, fearing the worst, when he heard another gasp. Mario slammed his fist on the table, gritting his teeth; Link had dropped his head; Metaknight's eyes were closed; Master Hand had dropped a few feet, letting out a sharp gasp.
The five of them looked at each other instinctively. "I suppose," Master Hand gasped. "That… that the pain I felt earlier today…"
Mario nodded. "That was the ship."
"It destroyed a tunnel," Metaknight added.
"Destroyed?" Master Hand repeated. "Master Chief has that power?"
"We saw it ourselves," Krystal confirmed. Her gaze dropped to the table, hating having to recall that moment. "It obliterated my realm."
Master Hand floated in silence, considering the ramifications of their enemy being able to destroy their only means of traveling through the realms. He had hoped that the other Realm Representatives would be able to reach Rebellion safely, but the very thought of having one trapped in his realm, separated from the others forever, terrified the giant hand. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.
"Very well," he finally spoke, quietly and sadly, dreading the words emanating from him. "It seems that there is little time to rest."
"Wait," Falco said, shaking his head. "I still have more questions."
"Let me speak, and then I will continue asking your questions." Master Hand paused. "Mario, Metaknight, Link, and Krystal, I wish there was another way, but I have to call upon you for a request. I need you to gather the other Realm Representatives and bring them here."
There was silence. Nobody truly understood what he was asking, and they looked at him with expressions of concern and disbelief.
"Master Hand?" Krystal asked. "Are you… are you really asking…?"
"I am, Krystal," Master Hand replied. "You need to leave as soon as you can, before other realms are attacked."
"What?" Peach gasped, jumping to her feet. "You can't send us out there after what we just went through!"
"No, no, Peach," Master Hand said quickly. "Your fight is over. The rest of you may rest here. We have plenty of room for you all. No, this task is only for the four of them."
"You can't just ask them to leave this place," said Fox, his face full of concern as he stared at Krystal. "Do you know how many times we were shot at? Who knows what the other realms are like?"
"The longer we wait, the longer the attack goes on, and the greater chance we have of losing another realm," said Master Hand. "They must leave as soon as they can."
"They haven't slept in so long!" Kirby cried. "They can't leave yet!"
"Why do they have to be the only ones who go?" asked Hammer Bro, and all eyes turned to him. "What? Why does it have to be them?"
"Because they are Realm Representatives, and they understand what will happen to this world if they aren't able to reach Rebellion."
"Why aren't you going?" Falco demanded of Master Hand.
"Unfortunately, I would be a giant target; every enemy would be firing upon me," Master Hand answered. "I have no power; I am merely a catalyst for Rebellion. I have to stay here to protect the realm."
"That's not fair to them!" complained Daisy.
"Everyone seems to be complaining other than the Realm Representatives," noted Waluigi, looking at Mario. "What do they think?"
"They don't even have a choice," Falco spat. "According to Master Hand over here."
"Of course they have a choice," Peach said, turning to Mario with pleading eyes. "They don't have to leave."
Mario smiled sadly at Peach, and he held her arm in his. "Unfortunately, Peach, we do."
"We'll do it," Krystal confirmed, nodding. "We'll bring them here."
"We won't let you down," Link promised, flashing a reassuring smile across the table."
Metaknight nodded, folding his arms. "We will leave as soon as possible."
Master Hand could not show his immense relief. "Good," he said. "As I said, you must leave as soon as possible. Say your goodbyes, and then meet by the tunnel entrance in an hour."
Master Chief grunted suddenly. That was the second terrible pain he'd felt that day, a pain he hadn't felt in months. He masked the grunt with a cough, but even he couldn't hide the sudden jerking from Cortana, who'd been watching him closely.
"Chief," Cortana said bluntly. Her face was filled with concern, but she kept serious, hoping this would get an explanation. "What happened?"
"The ships fired," Master Chief answered. That was the only solution he could come up with. That meant that Cortana's hypothesis was correct; the tunnels could be destroyed with enough energy. They may have seemed like mythical, magical relics the way they could communicate apparent anger and resentment toward him. But they were breakable like everything else. "Either a single ship was in danger and decided to attack both tunnels, or multiple ships are in trouble."
"You grunted earlier today," Cortana recalled. She had noticed him attempting to hide it, but she had said nothing. "Two tunnels?"
"Two tunnels," Master Chief confirmed. "Either one realm is completely isolated from the rest of the universe, or two realms are unconquerable."
"It's been long enough for the Triumphant Roar to have recharged," Cortana reasoned, going through the calculations nearly instantaneously. "It could easily have been attacked and decided to forego sending its troops."
Master Chief nodded, hiding his frustration. He despised waiting, hidden in a large tower away from the battlefield. He needed to lead his army from the field, not from a desk. He wanted to witness the Triumphant Roar firing its cannon firsthand, not from a report from a soldier who didn't even see it himself.
He turned away from the window and went to one of the walls of the room. A large map of sixteen realms had been crudely drawn and attached to the wall. A line indicating a connection between the Final Destination and Metroid realms had been erased. Three ships were placed in three smaller realms, and the Triumphant Roar was sitting in the Star Fox realms. Master Chief thought for a moment, and then he turned to Cortana.
"What seems more likely, then?" He asked.
Cortana thought for a moment, briefly considering nearly every possible scenario from the info they had gathered from the realm. She recalled the titular team being captains of capable airships similar in size to the Triumphant Roar, and that the realm itself was nearly as advanced as their original home.
"It was solely the Triumphant Roar," she replied. "Both tunnels were destroyed."
Master Chief nodded. Her advice was the only one he truly considered before all of his moves. He greatly valued her input, and he didn't hesitate before erasing both lines connecting to the Star Fox realm. He stared at the circle floating disconnected from the rest of the world, a blob of loneliness destined to drift alone forever.
"I suppose separating it is just as effective as destroying it," Master Chief noted, grateful that he wouldn't have to destroy all of those innocent lives. "The residents live as if they were alone in the universe."
Cortana was feeling equally as relieved. "Perhaps we could do that to all of the realms?" She knew secretly that that would never happen; some of the realms were even more formidable than the Star Fox realm. Nothing short of invasion was capable of destroying them.
"That's not the mission," Master Chief said simply. He didn't even know if letting the Star Fox realm live would be acceptable. If he would be forced to finish the job, or if his employers would be okay with this fate. He wavered slightly, hating that he could be forced to kill all of those innocents himself. "It's not the mission."