Lost and Found

For perhaps the eighth time in an hour, Marth sighed. He was accustomed to sitting in three-hour meetings, but that didn't mean he had to like them. And from the looks of things, Nask too wasn't much of a fan of such meetings. She kept shifting in her chair, making it quite clear that she wasn't at all comfortable in this situation.

It had been a difficult night for the Guardians. When Eric returned from the Smash Mansion, it had taken him about an hour to finally recover and get settled. He had been extremely cramped from the plane ride and it was clear that he was also exhausted. It had taken two more hours for him to tell the full story.

Heather had been captured. Those four words weighed heavily with all of them. In fact, they weighed so heavily that not a single Guardian had truly reacted to such words. It was the cold, raw silence that fell upon them that said it all: one of their greatest hopes was lost to them.

But now there was a new task to be had. Without Heather, a new battle plan would have to be formed. And that was why the tacticians were forced to gather in the tiny room Cam shared with Teal to discuss this. The object was simple: make an effective battle plan that will devastate as much of Tabuu's army as possible while keeping as many Guardians alive as possible.

Unfortunately, some things were easier said than done.

A map of the Plains of Smashville had been set up on a small wooden table in the center of the room. White chess pieces were scattered around on one side to represent the Guardian army. The other side, represented by black chess pieces, was Tabuu's army.

Marth remembered these plains well. They were, in fact, the very last place he visited before he lost his soul. It was the day before he had been sent out to battle. Sheeda had come to Smashville for a visit and, being the good host he was, Marth had taken her out to the plains. They had picnicked there, for once forgetting the burden that they both had to carry as rulers of Altea. For once, they could be laughing and smiling, just like anyone else in the world…

"Are you sure there's no other land features besides that stupid tree?" Traca asked. "Are you absolutely sure that there aren't any cliffs or other trees we can use to our advantage?"

"Traca, I told you already," Mars muttered exhaustedly. "I flew over the damned field at least three times! Unless we stage the battle somewhere near Smashville itself, there isn't anything. The plains are exactly what they sound like they are, Traca. Plains."

"At this rate, we mind as well just give the whole hog and charge in," MS yawned. Dark circles framed his eyes. "At least if we do that, we'll get something done…"

"Charging in is pure suicide, MS, and you know it," Cam said bluntly. Marth couldn't help but notice that his right arm was still heavily bandaged. He looked over his shoulder and groaned. "Where the Hell is Master Hand when you need him?"

The Guardians and Smashers had searched high and low for the two floating limbs. Unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found. It was as if they had simply disappeared off the face of the earth. But it was still evident that they were around. According to Nao, the barriers were still holding and the refrigerator had not run out of food, even with Cam's huge appetite.

"I haven't seen them since we got our Smashballs," Nask admitted. "I was too caught up in the excitement of going into the Smash Mansion to break everyone out to really pay attention to them…"

"I'm pretty sure we all were, Nask," Ridere shot her a small grin. "But the Hands aside… how are we going to do this? We've got a completely open field, with no obstacles or anything, but Tabuu still has the advantage no matter what we try to do…"

"Why can't we just use the planes?" Traca asked. "The planes and my dragon form can-"

"No can do, Trac," Mars interrupted. He spun his coin on the table. "Eric says that we've got less than half a tank of gas left for each of us. That won't be enough for an entire battle. Hell, it probably won't be enough for the flight there…"

"Then how about we put the healers in the back and protect them as best as we can?" Nask asked. "It's a classic battle strategy…"

"There's still a problem, though," Cam said. "We're not the only ones with planes. And Tabuu's got more fliers than us… and, no offense Traca, but his fliers can actually control themselves when they fly…"

"Then… then…" MS sighed. "I've got no ideas left… Tabuu's got the Smashers on his side and all we got is the fact that we might know how to get the Smashers their bodies back… but even then, it's pretty likely he'll eat us all alive before we can even get close to doing something like that…"

"… If that does happen…" Mars scratched his head. "If that does happen… we have to keep as many of us alive as possible… so if we do lose, at least some of us can go and try to rebuild a resistance…"

"But… the question is…" Nask gestured to the chess pieces. "How…?"

An icy silence fell over the group. Marth, unable to think of any way to help them out of this situation, remained silent. The task that had been given to these tacticians was a truly daunting one. There was, in fact, almost no way they could avoid a massacre. He had known that the moment the Guardians had come together.

Yes, they were strong. Yes, they had only grown stronger through their training. But Tabuu had had hundreds of years to train the Smasher bodies. On top of that, he had the ability to spawn what seemed like an infinite number of Primids and other Subspace denizens. It was one thing to have to take down a seemingly endless army, but it was another thing to have to attempt to take down an army that was endless.

Marth stared at the map, frowning at the chess pieces sitting rather uselessly on top off it. There had to be a way out of this problem. Every problem had a solution of some kind, as he had been told long ago by Jegan. But what was the solution to this one? Every possible advantage seemed to be against them. If they tried to flee, Tabuu would only pursue them until they dropped dead or surrendered to him. And Tabuu was not the merciful type. So what would the Guardians be able to do that could preserve as much of their numbers as possible?

Unless…

It was a tactical move from long ago, that was rarely ever used in the modern day. In fact, the tactic was so old that it was ancient when Marth had learned it as a boy in Altea over a hundred years ago. It was used only if there was nothing else left. The tactic would place a great burden upon the shoulders of he who was chosen to carry out the task.

Two parties would each choose one person to represent them, a Champion, in many ways. They would place everything upon the shoulders of their chosen Champion. The two Champions would fight each other in a one-on-one battle, with the fight only ending with the collapse of the loser. The losing side would lose the feud and relinquish all claim of defiance to the winning side.

Such a thing was an extremely risky maneuver. It was quite possible that the chosen Champion would crack under all the pressure. It was quite possible that the chosen Champion would crack under all the pressure. But if it was truly the only way that the Guardians could ever get close to victory, they had to try it.

"… Trial by Combat…" Nask whispered. Evidently, she had been reading the prince's thoughts. "Marth… that's genius!"

The others shot her looks of confusion. After all, Trial by Combat wasn't exactly taught to little kids. But after a quick explanation from Nask, their expressions turned from confused to thoughtful.

"Trial by Combat… we put everything we have on one person… but if that one person dies, it leaves the rest of us…" Cam muttered.

"But will Tabuu honor the rules of Trial by Combat?" Mars asked. "Do you guys think he'll really own up and let us all live and stuff if we lose? Or, how about this, if we somehow win, will he just surrender to us just like that?"

"It's going to be one Hell of a longshot," Ridere agreed. "But for now, it's the best we can do. If all else fails, the best we can do is try to escape… I know the planes aren't going to be exactly functional, but…" he turned to Traca. "Traca… I can't believe I'm saying this, but we're going to need you to fly a few of us out… the younger ones…"

Traca nodded. "As long as Roy keeps his hands off my Dragon Stone, I can keep control for a good three hours."

"Then it's settled," Cam said. "The younger ones flee with Traca if our champion falls or if Tabuu pulls some dirty trick and lets his whole army charge or something."

"But now that brings us to the most important point," MS sighed. "Who the champion is going to be."

Not surprisingly, every eye in the room turned to MS. Being the Guardian of Mario, it was only natural that he would be expected to be the Champion of the Guardians. But much to their disappointment, the young man shook his head.

"I may have Mario living in my head and everything, guys," he said quietly. "But I'm not much of a fighter. By the sound of things, this whole Trial by Combat thing probably won't include the use of fireballs or anything." he gave them a small smile. "I'd fight those Primids any day, but knowing Tabuu, it'll be a Smasher that'll be going up against us. And frankly, I really don't want to risk getting my ass kicked."

"Don't look at me," Mars said when they turned to him. "I'm a pilot, not a warrior. If this whole Trial by Combat thing took place in the skies, then I could handle it fair and square… but like I said, I'm not a fighter. I've got no idea how to swing one of those great big swords without looking like an idiot."

"… My dragon stone," Traca said, shrugging guiltily. "I won't be able to help the kids escape if I'm caught up in the Champion fight… and there's always the chance that I'll lose control of myself when I'm in my dragon form during the battle."

"Knowing Tabuu, he'll choose a Smasher to represent him," Ridere said slowly. But in response to the hopeful glances he was receiving, the young man shook his head. "I'll be squashed by one of them before I know what's going on, guys. Mine and Snake's weapons are all built for throwing and shooting and stuff… and I doubt any punches I throw will really make that much of an impact on those Smashers."

Even Nask, whom Marth had expected to take the initiative when no one else did, declined. "I… I won't be able to last long against any of the Smashers. As much as I do wish to represent the Guardians in a battle like this, I can't take the pressure. The future lies on the shoulders of one person if we do this Trial by Combat. Our future is at stake with one last throw of the dice. I think… I know that I won't be able to take such pressure… I'm sorry…"

Cam, who had remained quiet this whole time, heaved a deep sigh. "Well… then it's settled. Since no one else will be the Champion to represent us in this Trial by Combat, then-"

BOOM!

"What the Hell was that?"

BOOM!

"Ashera!" Marth shouted. "What in the world is going on?" not far away, he could hear the shouts of other Guardians as they too were startled by the strange explosions overhead. The prince felt Nask tense up slightly as tiny pieces of gravel fell from the ceiling…

BOOM!

"Uh… Guys… was that crack on the ceiling there before…?" MS asked, pointing upwards.

BOOM!

"WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!" Traca jumped out of her chair.

BOOM!

"WHERE ARE THESE THINGS COMING FROM?" Nask screamed.

BOOM!

"SPAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!" Ridere answered, hiding under his box.

Marth imagined Snake facepalming.

BOOM!

"TAKE COVER!"

They were the first things he saw as soon as he stepped out into the open. Falco's keen eyesight, another gift he had given his Guardian, allowed him to make out something zooming around in the sky. As Mars squinted at the skies, he was able to further see that it was not one, not two, but three planes soaring about.

And they were all dropping bombs.

"ERIC! ALY! GET TO THE PLANES!" Mars shouted over the roar of the explosions. It was evident to him that the three planes zooming around in the sky- most likely an Arwing, a Sky Claw, and possibly a Wolfen- were dropping bombs on top of the base in an attempt to drive out the Guardians. And once the teens were all vulnerable, it would be an easy thing to do to simply fry them all up with lasers.

The Wolfen, he noticed as he climbed into the cockpit of his own Sky Claw, was doing its best to drop bombs in places with the least Guardians. On the other hand, the Sky Claw and the Arwing were both mercilessly dropping their detonation devices in places that would hit as many of the exposed Guardians as possible.

"Wolf's got us covered, but he won't be able to attack mine or Fox's bodies without giving himself away," Falco reported. "I really hope ya got a plan, man. Sooner or later, someone's going to get nuked." Mars could almost imagine the bird grimacing as he said this. "And… well, as much as I hate to admit it, arrows, eggs, and… those weird little people things won't do us any good in a fight like this."

It had to be admitted that the former pilot was right. The Guardians with projectiles were doing everything they could to try to take down the planes from below. Psyche, Cimar, Sam, Squall, and Rinku were shooting arrows- and in Cimar's case, needles and magic as well- like mad. KOR, Ridere, and Pikana were teaming up, seeing who could hit a plane first with their bazookas. Kage shot laser after laser, but it wasn't long until she had to pause to allow it to charge again. Doggie was throwing Waddle Dees and the occasional Gordo. Mah was throwing eggs, assisted by Beeh who was using her Pikmin to lasso them home. Lin's Charizard roared its fury as it flew into the air, only to be peppered by a barrage of enemy bullets. Chi activated Diddy's jet pack and leaped into the air with his peanut popguns. Drake flipped sausages out of a pan while Kai shot Aura Sphere after Aura sphere. Golfer simply aimed his gun and shot.

Of course, everywhere else, the others were attempting to help as well. Traca, Nask, and Cam- tacticians to the very end- were shouting orders. Nao was attempting to juggle between levitating high enough in the air to get a clean shot with his Shadow Balls while at the same time using his psychic powers to stop the bombs as they rained down past him. Picho and Teal utilized Ness' and Lucas' powers to try to stop the terrible weapons of destruction as they came down. MS, Joe, and Green managed to climb onto the roof- the most dangerous position- and were currently using their powers in any way they could. Sakura was doing her best to make sure the kids didn't get overexcited and made a mistake. Crystal's chains swung into the air, hoping to catch one of the planes off-guard as they passed. JB, Miles, Xavier, Pichn, and Eclipse were hurrying in and out of the quickly crumbling base with armloads of medicines and other important equipment. Chester released powerful bolts of electricity, unfortunately harming himself as he did so. Fyre blew fire at basically anything that moved.

But Eric and Aly were nowhere to be seen.

Despite the worry he felt, Mars pushed the concern for his teammates out of his mind and concentrated on the task at hand. "Falco, how fast is your old plane?" Mars asked as he shut the cockpit and started flicking switches. As helpful as the projectiles were, many of them- namely the arrows, the Waddle Dees, and the eggs- were too weak to penetrate the enemy planes. They served to be a distraction, nothing more.

"Pretty fast," Falco said proudly. But then his tone changed. "Thing is… I don't know what Tabuu's done to my plane since I last saw it. He's had a hundred years to put his dirty hands all over the thing. Who knows what's he decided to stick on it?"

Mars grimaced slightly as the engines of his plane roared to life. "Well, it looks like we're about to find out."

He took off.

The moment the wheels of the plane left the ground, Mars knew that he was now in his prime. He may have said earlier that he was no warrior, but that didn't mean he didn't know how to fight. In many ways, he was a warrior of the skies. While he was no shakes of a fighter on the ground, here in the sky, he held every advantage.

But still, he sensed something missing. It took him a moment, but he then realized that it was the two companions he had been fighting alongside for so long weren't around. In fact, he hadn't seen them since Eric had returned, exhausted and battered, only a few hours before. In spite of himself, Mars forced himself to look down at the ground, where he expected to see the Arwing and the Wolfen.

Nothing.

"Hey Mars, miss us?" Eric's voice crackled suddenly, causing the pilot to jump.

"HA! You should see your face!" Aly cackled. "I ought to shoot it!"

Mars grabbed the radio, his anger coming off in waves. "WHAT THE HELL, YOU TWO?"

"C'mon Mars," Falco laughed. "Take a joke!"

Mars growled. "Take a joke? TAKE A JOKE? THERE'S A WAR GOING ON HERE AND YOU ALL JUST WANT ME TO 'TAKE A JOKE'?"

"… Looks like someone forgot to take his meds today…" Falco said calmly. Mars whacked himself on the side of the head, cursed, then trained his eyes back on the skies.

The enemy Arwing and Sky Claw were both flanking the sides of the base. It was a rather typical strategy involving them forcing the Guardians to run to the very middle, where they would be easier to pick off. If it weren't for the fact that Wolf was once again in control of himself, it was highly likely that every single person down there would already be dead.

"Eric, can you get a hold of Wolf?" Mars asked as he steered his Arwing towards the enemy Sky Claw. "I want to speak to him ASAP."

"I've been trying for a while now," Eric groaned. "There's something blocking the signal. All I'm getting is static."

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

The enemy Sky Claw, abandoning its bomb-dropping for a second, opened fire on Mars almost immediately. Gritting his teeth, the young pilot barrel rolled out of the way, slamming his thumb down on one of the triggers located at the base of his wheel. His own lasers started firing away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the enemy Arwing already on a course towards him.

BOOM!

Two rockets, each marked with a letter "E" or a letter "A", slammed into the enemy Arwing. Mars watched as a large chunk of the cockpit went flying into the night sky. Now exposed, Fox's body quickly turned and aimed at Mars. A pair of twin electrical beams blasted out of its guns.

ZZZAP!

Mars cursed under his breath. Fast as his plane was, it wouldn't be able to take two different attacks from opposite sides. Abandoning his assault on the enemy Sky Claw, the young pilot now turned his guns on the Arwing. A single press of a button sent twin jets of flame sailing towards it.

BOOM!

The Arwing was immediately consumed in fire. Taking this chance, Aly and Eric swooped in and began peppering it with as much ammo as they could muster. Mars now turned his attention back to the Sky Claw. Unlike Mars, Falco's body had not retained its humanity, if the bird had any in the first place. It relentlessly continued its assault on Mars, emptying out its entire ammo supply.

At the moment, there were exactly two things that Mars could think of doing. He could try to rush the Sky Claw head on and crush the Smash Ball at the moment of contact. That would allow him to crush the bird's body with the Landmaster that he knew would come. But on the other hand, he could just keep shooting. With luck, he could possibly torch Falco's tank as well.

Well, Aly would sure be proud of him.

Mars unleashed his full frontal assault. Ignoring Eric's protests and Aly's cheering over the radio, he now slammed his foot into the gas pedal. A noxious cloud of black smoke filled the skies as the Sky Claw rushed its enemy at full speed.

WHAM!

"YOU IDIOT!" Falco shouted. "YOU CRACKED THE COCKPIT IN TWO!"

Mars, the exposed parts of his skin covered in blood from his cuts, grimaced. "Listen, Falco! If you want your body, it's now or never!"

"Of course I want my body back!" the bird said indignantly. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Then shut up and let me do my thing, damn you!" Mars shouted, ripping open the glove compartment and reaching inside. He only had seconds to close his hand around the tiny glowing sphere within it and squeeze…

CRACK!

Energy, the type that was only found in the farthest reaches of the universe, flowed through him. Shocked, Mars nearly toppled backwards because of the force of this sudden rush of power. He honestly felt like he could do anything at that moment. Even summon an ancient weapon from long ago…

"LANDMASTER!"

The effect was immediate. Mars suddenly started levitating. His ship, with no pilot nor engine able to keep it aloft, fell to earth. Huge colorful lights swirled around him in a great tornado, nearly blinding the people standing down below. A smirk found its way to Mars' face. It was time.

First the canon appeared. Then the body, then the tail. It was exactly like how it was described in the stories Mars used to hear as a kid. A huge tank, an almost unstoppable force, fell from the skies. There was absolutely no time to comprehend its appearance, or even dodge it.

Mars soon found himself trapped within the giant war machine. Taking extra care to make sure that the Landmaster smashed into the enemy Sky Claw, Mars slammed the Landmaster's powerful gun into Falco's body, sending the bird flying out of the fallen plane.

And now, it was time. Mars slowly allowed his Landmaster to land. Falco's body, which had landed quite hard on the ground, didn't move. It was as if it sensed what was going to happen and it was simply bracing itself for the inevitable.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mars saw a giant flaming ball disappear into the night sky. Evidently, Eric and Aly had just finished off the Arwing. And it wasn't long before the Wolfen disappeared as well. This left Falco's body with no allies to rely on and absolutely no hope for help at all. Grinning, Mars lowered the cannon and started charging up the shot.

Then, something hit him. Once this shot was fired, it was an extremely high possibility that he wouldn't have to deal with Falco anymore. The bird had been giving him migraines and headaches from day one. Normally, Mars would be happy to get rid of him.

But in spite of all the bird had done, he had still been a pretty good teammate. If his flying ability was as deadly as the legends and Falco himself had claimed, Mars would've liked to team up with him. Sure, they had their arguments, but it was still worth it in the end. In many ways, Falco had helped Mars become stronger. During the past few days, Falco's snide remarks had only caused Mars to push himself harder, to improve himself to prove the former pilot wrong.

In Falco's case, things were a bit different. Like every Smasher, he wanted his body back more than anything in the world. But he had learned an awful lot about Mars during the time he had been stuck in his head. Mars was a young man of dreams. Dreams that were unfulfilled because of his mistakes. If he had never been captured by Tabuu, then none of this would have happened. The Guardians would have been free to live their lives the way they wanted.

And then there was Katt. Mars couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her name. Falco had accidentally let slip that there had been something special between the two long ago. Mars still refused to stop teasing him for it.

"Listen… I gotta say it… I'll miss ya, Falco," Mars sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," there was a bit of a laugh in the former pilot's voice. "I helped you and you helped me and I helped you and you helped me and… yeah…"

"Well, this is it, isn't it?" Mars asked. "… Sooner or later, you gotta introduce me to that Katt chick I hear so much about."

"Yeah, whatever… I'm ready when you are, Mars."

"Yeah… seeya around… Partner…"

ZZAP!

The moment that paper had been drawn out…

…Wolf watched the destruction of Heather Wolfon.

He knew very little about it. It had been a mere bed-time story at night that had told him about the Blood Contract. From what he gathered, it was a contract between two people, where one party agreed to do something for the other party. If the first party broke the agreement, then the second party could inflict the magic spell contained with said contract and kill of all the loved ones that the first party had to their hearts desired.

It had been, apparently, partially the reason why each of Heather's family members died one by one over a spread of time…besides being executed by Tabuu themselves.

Which lead him to wonder…that RegenadeSolar. Is that how he could've died suddenly? And Teal…how could he still be alive within the months he and Heather met if the blood contract meant killing them?

But that did not matter now…

What mattered was that Falco had returned to his body and that the Guardians had sent a Trial By Combat challenge to Tabuu's way. Wolf had heard of the ancient tradition; it had been used in Lylatian times too with bounty hunters and their men. Two chosen champions from each side would fight against each other and whoever won would claim ultimate victory and supremacy over the other.

It was a risky challenge, he knew. But he also knew it was one way that they could avoid any bloodshed or smashers and guardians dying. He could remember Clark Wolfon's booming laugh of arrogance as he ripped the paper to shreds.

"Those rowdy teenagers have the gall to send the great Tabuu a Trial by Combat challenge?" he'd incredulously. "Putting all their hope and belief into a single person?"

Then he'd thrown his head back and laughed maniacally.

"So Cameron, Guardian of Ike, is their chosen champion," he mused. "Well, Ike is strong enough to destroy a goddess…but now he's been reduced to the pathetic mind of weak, over-confident boy…O'Donnell! Go retrieve my sweet little niece…there is something that I wish to speak about with her…"

Which led him to where he was now; Heather's cell. The sight of seeing the almighty Scion of Rage huddled up in the corner, bound by Tabuu's Chains of Light to restrain her powers, was all too depressing.

As she heard his footsteps, she looked up and shot him a sharp glare, her magma eyes shining bright with the sharpness. He swore she was going to fire a Psyforce as soon as he entered the cell, but then remembered the Chains of Light binding her powers within.

Along with the Blood Contract, that was binding the person within…

"Heather," Wolf whispered, bending down near her. "Heather, hey…it's me…"

"…Wolf?" Heather answered in surprise, with Wolf giving a slight smile.

"Huh…no wonder you weren't answering me. For a moment I thought I was going crazy…what an ironic understatement that is right now." Heather humorously laughed.

"Heather," before he could stop himself, Wolf had reached out and touched her cheek. "Are you all right?"

Once more, a humorous laugh, but it was heavier than before.

"Well, let's see, I just found out that I've been bound by a blood contract that I was tricked into signing when I force signed up for the Subspace army, which killed off my family members the time I was in the army and will kill off Guardians if I betray Tabuu now. Yeah, I'm just fine…" Heather snorted, tears falling out as she spoke the words.

"Heather…" Wolf spoke her name lowly. "None of this is your fault…you know that right?"

"I don't even fucking care anymore, Wolf," Heather sighed. "That shit is done now. I've got nothing more to think about apart from the fact I'm going to be standing infamously above Guardian carcasses. Oh how my naivety has paid off for evil this time."

"You are NOT naïve, Heather Wolfon," Wolf spoke harshly, forcing Heather to look him in the eyes. "And you are NOT going to be standing above Guardian carcasses. I wouldn't let it…"

"Then how about you walk up to Clark, smack him in the face and tear the blood contract apart already then won't you?"

Wolf's eyes averted to the ground.

"Yeah, I didn't think so…" Heather murmured.

"Hey! You know I'd do it if I had the chance!" Wolf angrily growled.

"Oh please!" Heather laughed humorously again. "What a fucking joke it was when you said you'd save me from the evil and the rage! All those talks, those moments; the hope I had within them are all but dashed lines thrown across the floor now! Now that both power and being are bound within me for good, what possibly could I even have hope and belief i-"

Heather was cut off by Wolf's lips crashing onto hers…

In a realm beyond the farthest and darkest reaches of Subspace stood Tabuu, Lord of Subspace and Prince of Darkness. In his hand he held the dread Chain of Light, a deadly weapon that could act as both an offensive tool and strings with which he could control a puppet. This weapon, forged long ago from light stolen from the First Smashball, was the most corrupt and evil thing in the universe.

The sound of several portals opening behind him caused what looked like a sneer to curl itself upon the Subspace Lord's nonexistent mouth. He turned around to face the new arrivals, his Chain of Light swinging dangerously at his side.

There were nine in all. Two of them were giant floating limbs, six were women, and one was a great and mighty beast. Tabuu's sneer widened as he swept into an elaborate bow.

"My Lady Palutena," he said silkily, addressing a woman with long flowing green locks and wielding a spear and shield. "So good of you to come…"

In spite of her sweet looking face, Palutena's eyes remained colder than ice. "I know not why you have called us here, Tabuu, but be aware that I will not allow flattery to distract me from this meeting's purpose."

Ignoring her remark, Tabuu now turned to the shortest of the women, clad in a long green dress and bearing a strong resemblance to the Smasher Princess Peach. "Lady Roselina… your beauty still rivals the stars from which your Lumas are born."

Roselina's solemn face remained impassive, but a dark curtain seemed to fall over her eyes as she stared at Tabuu. The Subspace Lord, undeterred, turned to the woman in flowing blue robes and hair the color of the dawn. He picked up her hand and kissed it, ignoring the scoff of disgust he received from her.

"Lady Ashunera, lovelier than the dawn. How I welcome you to my humble realm."

"Let go of me, disgusting wench," Ashunera snarled.

Remaining gallant, Tabuu dropped her small hand and now turned to the three remaining women. They were each clad in a different colored dress: green, red, and blue. Their hair hung around their faces like fire.

"My ladies Din, Farore, and Naryu! A true pleasure to have you three come to my realm today."

"We're on to you, Tabuu," Din's fiery voice crackled.

"Know that if you should dare try toying with us tonight, we will make absolute sure that the moment you perish shall not be swift and painless," Naryu's soft voice echoed.

"State the purpose of this meeting before we grow impatient," Farore's strong voice ordered.

Tabuu, ignoring all three goddesses, now bowed to the two hands and the great beast. "Master and Crazy Hand, I welcome you to my humble abode. Lord Arceus, please, there is no need for such a violent response."

Arceus retracted the Hyper Beam it was ready to use and merely scowled at Tabuu. Master Hand slowly floated forward, while Crazy simply stayed behind and twitched.

"I had to abandon the Guardian today to answer your demand, Tabuu," Master Hand said angrily. "And what happens while Crazy and I are travelling here? Bombs! You have the gall to bomb my Guardians before the date of the Final Battle!"

Tabuu spread his hands innocently. "It was not my idea, but that fool Clark Wolfon's. I had absolutely nothing to do with the foolishness of either your Guardians or my… accomplices…"

"State why you have called us here, puny Lord," Arceus rumbled. "My patience wears thin…"

"Of course, Lord Arceus…" Tabuu looked up at the beings, for many of them towered over him. "My friends, I have called you here today with a proposition!"

Rosalina, her face as impassive as ever, inclined her head. "A proposition? What proposition can a being such as yourself even dare to offer us, we who watch over the Guardians in the hopes of defeating you?"

"Please, heed my words," Tabuu whispered hoarsely. "You wish more than anything to keep your precious Guardians alive, correct? Then perhaps we can reach an agreement with this…"

"Whatever agreement we make with you is like giving Wario garlic," Din said bluntly. "We would be fools to do so."

"Ah, but this agreement? This agreement, where I shall concede all rule over the known universes, Subspace, my powers, and spare the lives of the Guardians for but a tiny price?"

There was a new feeling in the realm now. A feeling of consideration. For a moment, expressions changed to those of wondering, weighing the choices they had. But they soon transformed again. Ashunera now spoke, her gentle voice piercing Tabuu like a knife.

"A price… and tell us, Tabuu, what is the price you ask for?"

Tabuu looked to her. "A tiny price, Goddess Ashunera… I wish for but one ability… the power to raise the dead!"

And now the realm's mood turned to panic. Shouts escaped the mouths of every deity in the room. Roselina, the one person that did not shout, paled considerably.

"ABSURD!" Arceus roared.

"YOU SPINELESS WORM!" Din shrieked. Her sisters had to grab her arms to prevent her from smiting Tabuu right away.

"YOU HAVE THE GALL TO DEMAND A POWER THAT DEFIES EVERY LAW OF THE UNIVERSE?"Palutena boomed.

Master Hand pointed one of his huge fingers at the Subspace Lord. "There are nine of us against you, Tabuu. Give us one good reason as to why we shouldn't smite you right here, right now."

Tabuu's sneer widened. "If you smite me now… every Guardian shall die. Ever person, every Pokemon, every slave, and every Guardian shall fall tonight. The Shadow Bugs, without me to bind them, shall be set free. They have the power to consume, to corrupt, and to destroy any person they wish. Do you truly wish to stand by and watch as yet another person… a pure and simple Guardian falls to the power of the Shadow Bugs? Do you truly believe that by destroying me, you shall destroy Subspace?" Tabuu laughed. "No, impossible. Even if I die, Subspace shall live on. Even if your pathetic Guardians somehow pull themselves together and defeat me, the Shadow Bugs shall still run free. But how to prevent this? How to prevent the deaths of thousands more? Just give me the power. I wish to help. Give me the power to raise the dead. I can bring back loved ones that they have lost. I can raise back those who have long died, bringing the knowledge of life back into the world. I can resurrect a new age that is not ruled by Subspace. Give me the power to raise the dead… and I shall go away forever. I shall walk to the darkest corner of the world and simply disappear…" he laughed. "What is more… you cannot kill me. You, who claim to have power beyond mortal thought, cannot kill me. Every single one of you know it. You claim to be pure, but you know that you have seen and heard too much. You are now nothing more than old hags and geezers. You cannot stop me…"

"The power your demand is far beyond our reach, Tabuu," Palutena scoffed. "Do not attempt to deceive us with your lies."

At her words, Tabuu seemed to darken. The bright blue glow around him became a shade darker. The hand that held the Chain of Light trembled slightly, as if he was going to throw it at one of them. When he spoke, his voice was nothing more than a short, angered whisper.

"Then… then perhaps the Guardians will be willing to," Tabuu whispered. "I can offer them… offer them so much more than any of you can… what can you give them, you who claim that the laws of the universe decree that you cannot simply pop in and assist mortals in their affairs?"

"The Guardians all know where their hearts lie," Roselina said quietly. "They know that the prophecy written long ago in the cosmos has bound them to this duty. They wish to free Smashville, nothing else."

And it was then that Tabuu laughed. "Nothing else? Nothing else? You are truly ignorant…" he straightened. "The Champion fight shall go as planned… with your pathetic Guardian Champion falling to the hands of my own…"

"Cameron is more than capable of holding his own against a foe," Master Hand shot back. "Do not even try going against the rules of Trial by Combat, Tabuu. It shall only end in your own, painful demise."

Tabuu laughed once again as the immortals began disappearing through portals, returning to their own worlds. "If it indeed ends in my own demise… I shall take as many Guardians with me as possible. You have been warned, Master Hand. Your precious Guardians shall not make it out of the Final Battle alive! I shall see to it that their deaths are slow and painful! That every bit of pain they feel is matched to every bit of hatred that I feel for you! Know this, Master Hand, and fear it!"

Master Hand, the last to go through the portal, halted briefly and turned to Tabuu. "... You are truly a fool, Tabuu. I place all of my faith and trust in the Guardians... they will not fall so easily."

A thought took form in Tabuu's mind. A thought so horrid that it was a wonder the Subspace Lord had not thought of it before. He sneered at Master Hand with his nonexistent mouth, invisible eyes glimmering dangerously.

"Not of a certain... Champion has anything to say about that."

Nao shivered slightly in the cold, hugging himself as another gust of wind blew past him. He, along with Sam, Cam, Mah, Kai, Doggie, and Fyre, had been forced to take the night watch. It didn't really matter much to the others- they were all able to protect themselves from the cold in some way- but it really mattered to him.

He had forgotten to grab a jacket.

"Don't complain," Mewtwo said, reading the boy's thoughts. "Just remember that it is within your power to withstand cold nights such as this."

"Shut up, Mewtwo," Nao grumbled irritably. Below him, Sam was attempting to start a fire, but his Fire Arrows refused to stay lit long enough for him to light the tiny pile of twigs he had managed to gather.

"This is freaking retarded," Cam muttered as he wrapped his scarf tighter around himself. "Why the Hell do we have to wait around out here while everyone's inside roasting marshmallows and Ashunera knows what else?"

"Because we have to keep watch, Cam," Mah said for the eighth time that night. She looked quite warm, dressed in a muff that she had found in Zelda's closet. "We don't want that Gerudo Woman… or anyone, for that matter, coming back, do we?"

Nao had to admit that she was right. The attack and the kidnappings had scared the Guardians out of their wits. As such, they were forced to set up a watch system. Nao and the others would be sitting out here until midnight, most likely.

In spite of the cold, the night was beautiful. The moon was a galleon tossed about a ghostly sea. The stars twinkled happily down at the Guardians. Nao had heard this more than once from Mewtwo already, but it was as if Arceus did care about them after all.

The forest remained as dark as ever. If any of them decided to go in there, Nao had no doubt that they wouldn't survive the night. And even if they did, there was no telling how lost they could get. In fact, charging into the forest this late at night was what most would call a "Fool's Errand".

Then, he saw it. A bright flash of red light briefly illuminated the woods. It glanced off the very tops of the trees, but soon faded into the blackness. Nao leaped to his feet, just in time to see a second flash out in the woods.

"Did you guys see that?" Nao asked.

Fyre nodded. "Yeah… that red flash…" he frowned as he continued to stare at the woods. "There was something… familiar about it…"

"Familiar is right," Doggie said as she put away the book she had been reading. "That red… it's the color of Heather's Psyforce!"

A silence fell over the group as they continued to watch the spot where they had seen the red flares. Heather was alive. Those three words, which seemed impossible only hours before, now seemed to come alive. Heather was alive and she was signaling to them.

Someone had to answer her.

Someone… like them.

"Nao! Don't even think about doing such a thing!" Mewtwo ordered. "It is foolish and unreasonable! It is-"

Nao leaped down from his spot on the roof and charged, pushing past the other Guardians as he did so. He could hear Mewtwo's protest quite clearly, but none of those mattered. Running footsteps behind him told him that the others were hot on his tail. Whether they were there to help him find Heather or to stop him, he wasn't sure.

But that didn't matter.

Another flash of red lit up the trees around them. Nao grinned as he realized that she was quite near. The opportunity to be able to help a fellow Guardian… to make the Guardians whole again was too great for him. Using Mewtwo's psychic powers, he blasted away every tree and every branch that dared stood in his way.

He saw the clearing. It was the exact same one where the Arwings had landed long ago. It was the exact one where most of the Guardians met for the first time. He remembered that place well. With one last mighty breath, he pushed the bushes that were blocking him aside and charged into the clearing.

And all he could see was red.