Mike AZ 2, here, another day and another chapter. LinkZeldaIke, Cheepsie, Stardust, I understand your opinions, and thanks for your reviews.
I don't have any idea why Link and Ike always get paired with someone in most of the fics I read, it's just something I like since the only endings for Ike in Radiant Dawn besides his solo one are with Soren and Ranulf. Please excuse the spoiler. I'm not exactly a fan of guy/guy pairings unless they are strictly friendship.
I am aware that Ike and Link aren't the loverboy type characters, but I happen to like the Ike/Elincia and Link/Zelda pairings, even though the former wasn't incorporated into Radiant Dawn. Link and Zelda aren't really a pairing, I know, but they're still popular characters. Some feel that Ike and Elincia should've been paired together. I like Link with Zelda, but I can pair him with Midna instead.
How about this? If it'll make everyone happy, I'll just make alternate endings for Link and Ike once I get to the ending chapters. There are still more chapters to do before that, though. I'm sorry if this contradicts your requests, Cheepsie and Stardust.
At any rate, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I apologize for the long pre-chapter note.
Disclaimer: Fire Emblem and Super Smash Bros. are the property of Nintendo.
Chapter X: The Dawn Emblem
Ike and his group accompanied Fox and Wolf's teams to Sauria, which was located in a frontier area of the Laylat System. Link glanced at the stars while Samus and Pit navigated the ship.
Upon their arrival, Fox addressed Samus via his ship's comlink"The best place to land is on the rooftop of Krazoa Palace. Be careful though, the place may be creepier since General Scales and his Sharpclaws were defeated."
"What do you mean by all that?" inquired Link.
"It's a long story, and we have more pressing matters to attend. Krystal and I will meet you down at the palace" responded Fox.
Falco addressed his leader"Sure you won't need all of us? The monsters we fought earlier could still be lurking around."
Fox responded"No, I'll need the rest of you guys covering us from above, we don't know for sure if the invasion force is still lurking like you said."
Samus, Fox and Krystal landed their ships and exited towards the center of the palace roof. Yune's voice addressed Ike as the Deity appeared"You have arrived, and you have everything you require to retrieve the Dawn Emblem."
"The Dawn Emblem's powers could help us defeat Majora, right?" inquired Link.
Yune shook her head"Nothing is for certain, and I have grave news about some of your companions. Sonic the Hedgehog and some of the Pokemon are captured by the Subspace remnants, despite my efforts to guard against the sorcerer's interference."
"What about Marth?" piped Link.
The Chaos Deity replied"He is safe, and has managed to cleanse Majora's army from Akaenia. Elibe, Tellius and Magvel still need your aid, Marth cannot save them on his own, there are more powerful forces awaiting him. First, return to Smash Mansion, I will give you further instructions then."
"We will" said Ike.
The group returned to their ships and flew to the portal back to Smash Mansion. When they arrived, Zelda and the rest of the heroes that remained greeted them"Welcome back, how did it go?"
"The Laylat System is safe, and we have everything we need to get the Dawn Emblem" replied Link.
Yune appeared before them"Indeed, now is the time to enter the Hidden Temple, the isolated realm between universes."
"The Temple sounded like it was was merely a myth, but I've heard of it" said Pit.
Yune shook her head"It's been kept secret, because of the barrier which conceals it between universes. But the powers of Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom can breach the barrier."
Ike shrugged"Sound easy enough, so what are we waiting for?"
"Still impulsive as always, I see. The temple is filled with monsters, and the temple guardian will not relinquish the emblem easily" warned the Chaos Deity.
"Who is this guardian?" whispered Zelda, confused.
Yune responded"It's form is unknown, but you will face great danger in the temple, and you may or may not survive. Even I do not know the outcome of this particular venture."
Link put his hand on the Master Sword for a brief moment before speaking"Nothing can stop us, Majora had nothing on my younger incarnation when Majora's Mask was neutralized at Termina. We are ready to go for the emblem."
"Good luck" nodded Yune.
Krystal approached Zelda and handed her staff to the Hylian Princess"Don't lose my staff, okay?"
"I won't" nodded Zelda.
Link, Ike and Zelda went to the center of the entrance room and made ready to teleport. The two Hylians activated their respective Triforce fragments and the three teleported off.
Peach appraoched the Chaos Deity"What about the rest of us?"
"It is up to the rest of you you to protect Smash Mansion. If it goes down, so does this once link connecting it to the other Universes, good luck" whispered Yune.
The moment Yune left, Mario sighed"She's-a right, we must preservere."
"Majora's forces could attack any time. Samus, Pit, Young Link, I need help setting up a lookout for a possible attack, I don't want Zelda's nightmare coming true" said Peach.
Samus nodded"Will do."
Link, Zelda and Ike warped quite a ways into the void, passing worlds as they went. Soon, they landed in a mysterious crystaline landscape with an off-white floor and a starry sky.
"This must be it, the void between universes" murmered Zelda.
"I'll go first" said Ike, walking ahead.
The trio marched along, until they came across a group of eight skeletal Stalfos. Link drew his Master Sword"What the heck are Stalfos doing here?"
"Dosen't matter, let's tak them all out!" said Ike, launching a magical blast from Ragnell at the skeletal warriors. The attack knocked down one of the patrolling Stalfos.
The rest of the monsters charged, only to be met with a spin attack from Link's sword. Three of the skeletal warriors survived and charged at Zelda. The Hylian Princess retaliated by unleashing Nayru's Love, shattering the stalfos.
"I have a bad feeling about this, let's move on" said the Crimean Mercenary.
The path led the heroes farther along, until they came to what appeared to be a pristine white temple with a greyish rooftop. A greenish aura surrounded the building, Zelda assumed it was the barrier.
Link took out the Ocarina of Time, thought back to the melody the Star Spirits taught him and began playing the Serenade of the Stars. Not more then a few seconds later, the Star Spirits appeared. Eldstar addressed Link"You wish to breach the barrier to the temple, correct? With the Star Rod, and the rest of the sacred artifacts in your posession, you can enter."
With that, the seven star spriits brought forth the Star Rod, and a glowing yellow energy surrounded the barrier. The rest of the artifacts in Link's bag resonated with the Star Rod and the Triforces before a bright glow engulfed the area. Within moments, the glow faded, and the temple's barrier had gone.
"Thanks, Eldstar" spoke Zelda.
"We wish you luck" responded the star spirit.
Link strode forward, opened the double doors and peered inside. The hallway consisted of greenish walls and a off-white celing. Zelda took a deep breath at the sight as she commented on the inside"It sure is beautiful in here."
"Every rose has it's thorns, don't let a forsaken place like this throw you" said Ike.
As the three stepped inside and wondered into the entrance hall, Link stopped when he heard a strange voice"Yee who breached the barrier into this forsaken place, hear what I must say."
"Huh? Who's that?" whispered Zelda.
The voice continued"It is I, Xenathar, guardian of this forbidden temple. That which you seek, the Dawn Emblem, must not be taken lightly."
"Did Yune know of this? Show yourself!" shouted Ike.
The voice of the guardian spoke"Come if you dare, this place is frought with such perilous dangers that you will be hard pressed to live."
The minute the guardian of the temple's voice faded, a group of Poes and some gold clad warriors appeared. Ike brandished Ragnell"That guy's probably a plagiarist."
Zelda cast Din's Fire on one of the Poes, vanquishing it instantly. Link and Ike charged headfirst into the group of gold clad soldiers, parrying their blades and defeating them with ease.
"Is that all the guardian can conjure?" wondered Ike.
"Let's watch our step" said Link, squaring his shoulders.
Moments later, the three crossed into the mysterious passageways of the forgotten temple. The farthest chamber consisted of what looked like nothing but a greenish pathway leading to some stairs ahead. Guarding it were four armored Iron Knuckles.
"I don't like these odds" said Ike, glancing at the armored figures.
"I can shield us" said Link, casting his version of Nayru's love, surrrounding him and his companions with a blue barrier.
Ike shrugged"It's better then nothing."
Zelda threw a blast of Din's Fire at one of the Iron Knuckles, awakening it. The monster marched towards the three and raised it's axe. Ike and Link X-striked the monster, staggering it backwards long enough for Zelda to blast it with Din's Fire.
Ike launched a blast from Ragnall at another Iron Knuckle, while Link tossed a bomb at the other two. The irritated monsters swung their axes, which didn't faze Link or Ike as the barriers shielded them.
Zelda teleported out of the way before an Iron Knuckle could hit her with it's weapon. Link stabbed the offending monster in the back with his Master Sword.
Ike taunted the two remaining Iron Knuckes as he periodly jumped backwards and launched wave after wave of magic energy from Ragnell. Just as the two monsters thought they had him cornered and raised their axes, Ike slashed them in half with a horizontal swing of his sword.
As the Iron Knuckles vanished in their defeat, Zelda sighed"I guess whoever stationed the monsters here can't make up their own creations."
The three climbed up to the second floor, where they found what seemed to be a lava pit with some platforms scattered throughout it. Link glanced around, then addressed his two companions"I'll go on ahead and see if there is a way to neutralize that lava so you can cross safely."
"Be careful Link" whispered Zelda.
The Hylian warrior hopped platform after platform, making sure to watch his step as he made his way across the lava. On the other side, Link landed on solid ground and found a puzzling keyboard. The voice of the guardian echoed in his head"Hmph, I underestimated you. If you wish to see your companions safely to you, play on this magic keyboard, and the lava pit will be covered in solid ground."
Link hesitated for a moment before approaching the strange instrument. The glowing colors on the keys seemed to indicate which notes to play, so Link followed them.
As the Hylian hero played, the colors flashed faster and Link had to struggle to keep up. Eventually, as he pressed the last note, Link closed his eyes and hoped for the best.
"Link, you did it" called Zelda as she and Ike caught up.
Link smiled"It was no problem, princess."
Just then, a giant Gohma and some gold clad halbrediers appeared and accosted the heroes. Link quickly dispatched the gold shells with a spin attack, while Ike and Zelda engaged the Gohma. The spider-like monster was a tricky opponent as it outmaneuvered them as best it could before Ike brought it down.
"Let's keep moving" said Zelda, spotting some stairs leading farther up into the temple. Upstairs, they found a huge body of water at the edge of a platform. On the other side, Ike saw another platform with double doors leading into another part of the temple.
"Can we swim across this?" said Ike.
Link pulled out a bomb and placed it into the water. To his surprise the item sunk"swimming is a no-go here, there has to be a switch that'll sodlify it."
"I see it" said Zelda, walking to the east side of the room and pressing it down. Instantly, the water turned into ice.
"Can you make it across before you plunge into the bottomless depths?" spoke the voice of Xenathar.
"Let's hurry, I want to beat this guy to a pulp" said Link, rushing ahead.
The three dashed across the solidfied water, Ike and Link reached the other platform first and climbed on. Zelda teleported as the ice began to melt beneath her feet and barely missed the platform. Ike quickly grabbed the princess's hand and pulled her up.
"Thanks, Ike, that was a close one" gasped Zelda."
"The water was probably vapor" said Link, looking back.
The three took a breather for a moment before entering the room past the double doors. On the other side, they found a spiral staircase and began to climb it. Link saw another door as they reached the third floor of the temple"That was too easy."
"You call the traps and the monsters easy?" wondered Ike.
"Let's find out" said Zelda.
On the other side of the door, they came to what appeared to be a huge white hallway with a greenish carpet. The temple's guardian's voice spoke once more"Once again, I've underestimated you. Perhaps this will best you."
With that, two dragons and a giant multi-colored warrior appeared. Link gasped, remembering what Young Link told him one time about his adventures in Termina"It's Odolwa! That guy almost tore my younger self to pieces once."
Zelda and Ike rushed at the dragons, while the Hylian hero fired an arrow at the giant warrior. The monster retaliated with a downward slash, which Link dodged and retaliated by throwing a bomb at the Odolwa look-a-like.
Ike easily took down one dragon, while Zelda cast spells at the other one. The fireballs barely dented the dragon's hide however, as the monster unleashed a breath of fire. Zelda dodged, while Ike came to her rescue by destroying the dragon with a powerful thrust.
Link struggled against the giant warrior, as Odolwa's clone summoned a fire wall around himself and swung it's giant sword again. Link rolled out of the way before slashing the monster's leg with the master sword. Ike turned his attention to the duel and unleashed a magic wave from his sword, which pierced the Odolwa clone's hide.
As the monster collapsed, Link took a moment to rest before the three proceeded across the chamber through another set of doors. The room on the other side contained an altar on the far side, upon which rested a singular white stone with a greenish glow surrounding it.
"I see you survived thus far" said a voice.
"Where are you?" said Link, keeping his guard up.
To the trio's astonishment, a man in bluish robes covering a black shirt and a pair of dark pants stood before them. He had reddish hair and orange eyes. Ike regarded the man"Xenathar?"
"Yes, it is I, the guardian of the forsaken temple. I've looked into your memories and have tested you thus far, now you have one more trial before you may obtain the emblem" nodded the man.
Link sighed"I've had enough of you, why are you doing this anyway? All my companions seek is to stop Majora before he can destroy the universes!"
Xenathar blinked"Majora, was it? Ah, yes, my foolish brother."
"Sorcerer Veck is your brother?" said Ike, incredulously.
Xenathar nodded"Majora and I are the last of the ancient tribe of legend that created Majora's Mask. Unlike the others who only wanted it sealed away, I vowed to destroy Majora and his mask."
"So what happened?" inquired Zelda.
The ancient man replied"The Dawn Emblem, which I created to counteract Majora's Mask, has immense sacred power. I was sent here to guard the artifact, which was used to seal away Majora's Mask, rather then destroy it. Majora himself was also sealed away, but somehow escaped his prison."
"But if you're just testing us, why did you attack us with all those monsters?" demanded Ike.
Xenathar responded"I had to ensure the strength of your resolve and had no desire for anyone else to learn of this place. The Dawn Emblem is too potent for that. Now, enough talk, I will challenge you to one last battle."
The man summoned forth a powerful sword and brandished it, surrounding himself in a white glow. Zelda was taken aback by the sheer power coming from Xenathar"This is no ordinairy force."
Link charged forward and aimed a thrust at Xenathar, who dodged and launched a magic blast at the Hylian swordsman. Ike jumped in front of Link and took the blow, which knocked him backwards. Zelda cast a quick fireball at the man, who cast a ray of light at the princess.
Ike got back on his feet just in time to see Zelda get sent flying backwards and angrily unleashed a blast of magic from Ragnell. Xenathar teleported out of the way and aimed a quick thrust at the Crimean swordsman. Link caught the man in the thigh with his own blade"I'm not done with you, yet."
Xenathar growled and cast a thunder spell on Link. Zelda got back into her feet, transformed into Shiek and landed a flying kick on the opposing warrior. Xenathar struck back, only for Link to land a lucky blow to the older man's chest with a horizontal slash.
"This is the best you can do?" Xenathar unleashed another ray of light, which Link instinctively countered by pulling out the Mirror Shield from his bag and delfected the ray.
Xenathar was sent flying backwards before he recovered and slashed at Ike. The crimean warrior parried and slashed at Xenathar. Xenathar stabbed him in retaliation before Zelda hit their opponent with a fireball to the face. Link took advantage of the distraction and stabbed their worthy adversary.
"Impressive, though there are three of you, you faced me as one" gasped Xenathar.
"Accept it, you lost" said Zelda.
Xenathar sighed as he spoke one more time"On my honor, princess. But beware of the power of Majora himself, it has doubled from the power of Majora's Mask itself. But do you know the true horror? Majora's Mask not only creates dark abominations and inflicts curses, it has the power to rip the fabric of an entire universe itself."
"But why was it unleashed in the first place?" said Link.
Xenathar replied as he began to let go of his life"The man who retrieved it was very foolish to do so indeed. Even if it's power was once neutralized, Majora's Mask itself must be destroyed to halt it's evil powers for good."
Ike bowed his head as he watched Xenathar pass into the void with his last breath"Be at peace."
Link glanced at the gem before him"Now that we have access to the Dawn Emblem, we can stop Majora for good."
Ike strode over to the altar and picked up the gem. Zelda gazed at the emblem as Ike beheld it"We actually did it, let's return to Smash Mansion."
"Right, we'll decide our next course of action there" nodded Link.
Okay, cliffhanger time. Next chapter will have Marth in it. Oh, and the characters from Sacred Stones and Sealed Sword will be guest characters for the most part.
Oh, and happy easter everyone. I know it seems awkward to say in a post-story note in a story like this, but it is around that time. I probably won't update tomorrow, but maybe the day after.
Please feel free to review. I don't mind anonymous reviews, and I will consider requests.