Meta Knight slowly exited the chamber of the Small Council in King Ganon's castle. He walked down the corridor, checking over his shoulder every-so-often for any guards that may be following him. When he reached the end of the corridor, he made a sharp left turn down into another corridor. There, he saw Rosalina leaning on a railing. As she looked out towards the Capital and the clear blue sky, Meta Knight approached her and looked out at the city as well.
"I have a letter for you," Rosalina told, her eyes looking ahead at the city, "It's from the Little Lord."
"I guess he's in the Mushroom Lands right now, getting ready for a wedding," Meta Knight responded, also looking at the city.
Rosalina nodded her head curiously and inquired, "Wedding? Who's getting married?"
"The Lady of Dreamland and the Hand of the High King," Meta Knight quickly answered, "Now, the letter?"
Rosalina relaxed her left hand, the one closest to Meta Knight, and a letter fell from it. After the letter dropped down to the ground, Meta Knight looked around. When he saw that nobody else was nearby, he picked the letter up and opened it slowly. "If you had told me that Luigi would marry Samus Aran one day, I'd call you mad," Rosalina commented as Meta Knight read the letter over, "I'm assuming that they aren't getting married on their own accord?"
"No… It was arranged…" mumbled Meta Knight, his attention clearly on the letter. He finished reading the letter, he crumpled it in his hand, "At the Castle Town Accords, they arranged a marriage to further unite the two sides."
Rosalina looked down and saw the now-crumpled letter, "And what did our Little Lord have to say?" she asked.
After he wrapped his cape around his body, Meta Knight sighed, "Semper Fidelis… Momento mori…"
"What language is that? Latin?" Rosalina asked, confused, "I didn't know you two knew how to speak Latin."
"We don't," Meta Knight shook his head. He turned away from the future queen and said, "Same place tonight, okay? I need to write a reply to the Little Lord."
When Meta Knight left the corridor, Rosalina bent over and picked up the letter. She was able to open the very compacted letter again and saw the contents of it; on the piece of parchment, there were only those two phrases with the symbol of the High King's rebellion at the bottom of the page (a Mushroom infused with the Triforce). Hoping to puzzle out the cryptic letter later, Rosalina put it back up her sleeve.
It was the biggest day in the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule and Dreamland: the wedding day of Luigi and Samus. The ceremony was to start just before sunset, and then the reception would carry on into the night and early morning. Then, a couple days to a week after the wedding, the forces of the High King would return to the Gerudo Valley to begin the invasion of the Smash Territory.
After a tour of one of the WarioWare Factories in Mushroom City, Luigi and Peach walked towards the current venue of the wedding, a local church in the heart of the city. Because it was a royal wedding, many civilians who lived inside the Mushroom Kingdom and Hyrule journeyed to the city for the biggest event in recent Mushroom Kingdom history. Luigi and Peach, wearing their regular attire, stopped and looked at some of the buildings along the street of the glowing metropolitan city.
"Do you think Daisy will show up today?" Luigi asked.
"Probably not. Sarasaland's very far from here," Peach shook her head, resuming to walk in the direction of the church. However, when she noticed that Luigi was not following her, she stopped and turned back to him, "My Lord-Hand, are you okay?"
Luigi let out a heavy sigh. He was more than okay— in fact, he was extremely excited to be marrying the Lady of Dreamland in a matter of hours. However, he could not stop thinking about Princess Daisy. Even though it had been weeks since her last letter, and almost a year since they last saw each other, he still loved her very much.
"You can't be getting cold feet right now," Peach warned, trying to be sympathetic and stern at the same time, "The wedding is in a few hours—"
"I know, I know," Luigi shook his head, "I love Samus, Peach. You know that… But, I still love Daisy—"
"Listen Luigi, you have to let her go. I'm sorry that you're in this situation, but it's for the greater good. Now, let's go; the moment you see her walking down the aisle in that church, you'll forget all about The Flower Princess," Peach assured.
About six hours later, Luigi stood in front of a collection of close to a thousand Toads, Hylians and residents of Dreamland. Unlike before, when he was just wearing his regular overalls, Luigi now wore a large brown fur scarf that wrapped around both his shoulders and a foot down his back. On his hip was his sword strapped to a brown belt. And, now on his scarf was the Pin of the Hand. Luigi looked across at the large church, following the red and white carpet between the pews, to the large wooden door at the back. His bride-to-be was running late along with his brother, who would give her away to him. The King's Hand tapped his foot nervously and looked down at the ground. He heard the hedgehog next to him say, "Where the hell are they?"
"Do you think that I'd be this nervous if I knew?" Luigi asked nervously, "Who knows where they went…?"
"I guess something has to go wrong… It is a wedding day, after all," Sonic remarked, straightening back up. Luigi looked over to Sonic and saw that he was wearing the leather armor he was always wearing nowadays.
Agitated because nothing seemed to be going right, Luigi whispered, "Why the hell are you wearing armor?"
"I think I looked good in it," Sonic said, "Why do you care?"
"Because you're in my wedding party—!"
Suddenly, the large wooden doors at the back of the church opened. And a second later, High King Mario walked inside the church with the Lady of Dreamland at his side. The High King had a black scarf much like his brothers and a crown on the top of his head. The Lady on his side wore a white low-cut dress that fit her figure very well. Everything below the waist of dress was completely crimson. And suddenly, Peach was right: the moment Luigi saw Samus walking down the aisle, he forgot all about his Flower Princess.
Later that night, Rosalina looked at the clear night sky over the dark capital city. As she inspected the stars, Meta Knight walked into the corridor the exact way he had earlier. Once again, he joined her at the ledge. After he dropped the letter to the ground, he said, "Get this out tomorrow morning. I want it to reach Dreamland in a few days."
"Dreamland? Why are you sending it to Dreamland and not the Gerudo Valley?" Rosalina asked, not looking at Meta Knight again.
Meta Knight shrugged his right shoulder as he wrapped his cape around his body. He looked up at the stars and said, "The less you know the better. Good night, My Lady."
As Meta Knight got ready to leave the corridor, Rosalina spoke up, "Meta Knight, wait. Before you go, can I ask you a question?"
He stopped walking and faced the future queen again, "What's your question?"
"Just about that letter earlier," Rosalina began, "What do those two phrases mean? What were they again? Semper Fidelis and Momento Mori?"
"Always Faithful, Rosalina. Semper Fidelis means Always Faithful."
"And the other one?"
"I think that you're smart enough to figure that out on your own."
"KISS! KISS! KISS! KISS!" the great hall chanted. And, to please the party, the newlyweds kissed, causing an eruption of cheering and chatter.
The main hall of Princess Peach's castle was filled up entirely of Waddle Doos and Dees, high born Toads and Hylians. It was close to midnight at this point, so much of the party was roaring drunk, with few exceptions (such as the High King's Small Council, the newlyweds themselves and King Dedede). Although it was nighttime in Mushroom City, the great hall was lit beautifully by what appeared to be a golden light from the chandelier. In the front of the many tables in the hall was one long table which sat the High King's Small Council, King Dedede, the Lady of Dreamland, and a few other members of the wedding party. And, after about the fifth time in a span of ten minutes that the hall made the newlyweds kiss, more dance music began to play, and rather loudly as well. Quickly, Luigi and Samus got up and had their first dance… For the sixth or seventh time that night.
Zelda, who stood near the dance floor, smiled and laughed at how much Luigi and Samus loved each other. And, just as High King Mario pulled Peach towards that area, Sonic approached Zelda with a cup in his hand. "Your Majesty," he greeted with a smile across his face, "Hasn't this been an absolutely wonderful evening?"
The Princess smiled and nodded her head, "It has been a nice break from the action, my Lord Sonic. You know, it's a shame that everyday can't be as fun as today has been."
Agreeing with her to an extent, Sonic responded, "Well, if every night were like this one, don't you think it'd get boring after a while?"
"Well," Zelda began, "Last time I was in the Mushroom Kingdom was many, may months ago… Whenever Mario was declared his own Kingship. So much has happened since then… I don't think I'd get bored of this atmosphere anytime soon. I only wish that my Silent Knight could've made the trip."
"I'm sure you'll see him soon, Your Majesty," Sonic said sympathetically, "Don't you worry about it."
As she watched Luigi and Samus dance together and get lost in each other's company, Zelda noticed a subtle change to the music. The happy dance music that the orchestra had played suddenly changed to a tune that was more narrative, as if the lyrics would tell a story. And, almost immediately, the song made her feel uneasy, though she could not figure out why. The Princess thought that it was an odd choice of music to play when she took account the happy, fun party-esc atmosphere that the reception had. As the tune went on, and the party still tried to dance to it, she recognized the song but could not exactly think of what the song was. Suddenly and almost unconsciously, she sang the lyrics to the last verse in her head:
And so she tried, and now she dies
That Princess of Hyrule
Yes, now the Dream is her downfall
And no one's there to hear
Yes, now the Dream's King reigns supreme
There's no more Hylians here
The music slowly faded out as Zelda's eyes went wide. She looked over at the table, where King Dedede sat alongside Kirby, who calmly ate his ninth plate of food. Her heart nearly dropped too, when she noticed that the doors to the hall had shut during the conclusion of the last song. The wedding seemed completely oblivious to the entire situation, for everybody kept dancing and chatting among themselves until King Dedede rose. When he rose, Kirby stopped eating and looked up at the Dream's King.
"Forgive me, forgive me," King Dedede began with a glass in his hand. He looked up and saw that High King Mario, Peach and Luigi stood in the center of the dance floor, still smiling from their dancing; he had them right where he wanted them, "I know that we've had many a toast tonight, so I guess I'll give the last one, for I neglected my responsibility as a part of the bride's wedding party to do so earlier. Once again, please forgive me."
The King's remarks drew laughter and chuckles from the crowd. In fact, everybody cracked a smile except for Zelda. When she looked next to her, she noticed that Sonic was gone from her side. Paralyzed by unspeakable fear, Zelda remained silent as King Dedede continued, "I also neglect to give our High King, his Small Council, and army what they truly deserve… That is, until now."
Suddenly, the Toad next to Zelda was hit in the chest by an arrow. Then, as Zelda was about to scream for her High King, she felt an arrow tear through her shoulder. As she fell down to the ground, several of the Waddle Dees and Doos inside the Great Hall attacked; many Toads and Hylians were helpless to the steel of the Dreamlanders. And, just as some of the Toads and Hylians fought back, the Dreamland forces from afar slaughtered them with crossbows. From the ground, in between a Toad and a Hylian, Zelda watched in horror; the High King was shot by an arrow, which tore just below his shoulder blade and out his chest. Next to him, Peach was pierced by an arrow in the stomach and fell over onto her side, just next to a table. And, just as Luigi fled from the slaughter in the hall in attempt to find cover, he was shot directly in the back. The Hand of the King fell forward, onto his face and did not move from the ground. The chaos inside the hall lasted maybe two minutes, and eventually the Lady of Dreamland was betrayed with an arrow to the neck. As she sprawled out onto the top of a table, King Dedede sat back alongside Kirby, watching the great end of Hylian-Toad rebellion with a cold drink and some food in hand.
A minute or two after falling to the ground onto his face, Luigi felt two or three more bodies fall on top of him. Along the ground, Luigi crawled through the wedding, once a joyful and happy atmosphere a minute before. Quickly, he saw any wounded Toad or Hylian being finished off swiftly by Waddles Dees, Doos, Lord Kirby and… Sonic…
Luigi was able to crawl very slowly towards Princess Peach, who wept quietly while lying on her side. Acting quickly, Luigi crawled under the table that Peach had fallen next to and whispered, "Princess, you have to be silent! If they see that you're still alive, they'll finish you off…"
"Luigi…" muttered Peach through her muffled cries, "They killed everybody… At a wedding…"
Quickly, Luigi pulled her under the table with him and shushed her. He tried to hold her in a way that made it seem like they had fallen alongside the rest of the army inside the great hall, but also in a way to comfort her. And, directly across from them, they saw Princess Zelda, with an arrow poking through her shoulder, struggle to find cover behind a few bodies and a table. The squad patrolling the room put down another wounded, moaning Hylian with a swift stab to the chest as the High King, wounded in his chest, rose weakly from the ground.
"Ah," King Dedede laughed, his voice cold and taunting, "The High King of the Smash arises."
The High King looked around for anybody, desperate for anything that looked like life. However, he could not see Peach nor Luigi, just a room of littered with Toads and Hylians. Part of Luigi wanted to go out and join his brother to fight to their last breaths against an evil King together, but he knew better; to go out now, while they were both wounded, and fight against crossbows with swords would be suicide. If he stayed down and played his cards right, he would live a little while longer. The choice was hard for Luigi, but he had to trust his gut feeling.
Hopelessly, Mario turned to King Dedede. His face expression was blank and his eyes were horrified. The High King was unable to speak, feeling absolutely sick from the events he was just subjected to. Suddenly, Zelda acted quickly and grabbed the thing closest to her: Lord Kirby. Kirby fought back and almost broke free from her grip but stopped moving the moment he felt a jagged dagger on his body. As his feet dangled in the air, all the Dreamlanders around them froze.
"Let it end!" Zelda screamed, her voice breaking up, "On my honor as the Princess of the Kingdom of Hyrule, let it end or I'll kill Kirby!"
"What honor do you put your claim on?" King Dedede snapped back, "The kind of honor that compels you to sponsor a coup to overthrow a King who has never done anything to you? Or is it the kind of honor that only negotiates in her terms and drags others into wars that she can't win on her own? If you haven't noticed Princess Zelda, you're in no position to be making demands!"
"My King," Zelda shouted towards Mario as she held Kirby against his will, "you must go now! Go! Please, for the love Nayru, get out of here!"
"Why would I let him do that?" King Dedede asked, still taunting the others, "He is the face of your rebellion; if I let him go, this will never end."
"Mario!" Zelda shouted, snapping her head towards Mario. Her voice became more and more desperate with every word; her grip around the Little Lord tightened, and the knife crept closer to breaking skin, "You have to leave! Save yourself! Please…!"
Walking as if he were in a nightmare, High King Mario looked on at the room. Slowly, the High King turned to Princess Zelda, his face still blank, "Everybody's gone, Zelda… They're all—"
Before the High King could finish, Sonic appeared from his left and stepped in front of him. The King gave no reaction, however, "Your reign is over, False King."
After the final blow to the chest by Sonic's knife, the High King's body went limp. He fell onto his knees as the blue hedgehog stood over him, holding the weapon of the High King's demise. No more words were uttered by the High King, who fell back onto the cold, hard ground. For Luigi, the only thing more heartbreaking than watching his King's, and brother's, death was holding Peach back, suppressing her cries and feeling the hot tears stream down her face and onto his hand…
The site of the High King's death took Zelda by surprise. As his body hit the ground, she lost control of her own; everything they had worked so hard to achieve over the course of their rebellion was lost in one night. Although she knew that she released Kirby from her grip, she did not care anymore. The rebellion was over now, and her gut feeling was right. All along she knew something was going to happen had they entrusted Dreamland as much as they had. Now, as her High King laid dead before her very eyes, and her army slaughtered just outside of the gates, she realized how much she overstepped and miscalculated; her world came crashing down onto herself.
However, this newly found pain did not last. Not very long after, she felt somebody's blade at her throat; the steel of the blade was cold and deadly…