A/N: May/June is the exam period. Need I explain any more why I haven't updated. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me. Ahahaha but I'm back now! And we're just getting into it!
Robin (F) POV
Darkness. No matter how many times the darkness came it never got any easier. The slimy tendrils that ensnared my mind only tightened with time; I could feel myself slowly slipping away. Slipping deeper into paralysis.
What was the definition of insanity? Trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results? Yes that was the one. Was I going to go insane? No matter how many times I tried to lift my arms they simply didn't cooperate. Dead weights really wasn't an accurate description. My arms could've been as light as feathers and they still wouldn't have budged. Damn it.
I could feel the others around me. Shulk had collapsed next to me, likely in the same predicament. Mewtwo was still lying against the back wall (not unconscious from sleep but from the force of Ashley's attack). Ashley. She'd escaped yet again. When I was so close to ending all of this she'd pulled out another ace. It made me more than a little mad that me, a tactician, had been bested by her, a girl of no more than fourteen. I was just going to have to hope my own gambit was paying off.
Determination breeds aptitude, I reasoned. And Ashley is one very determined person. I'd seen the look of fear in her eyes when she'd briefly mentioned having to go back on the streets. She wasn't going to stop and neither was Wario.
I had to stop them before it was too late. In actual fact I understood perfectly why they were doing what they were doing but that wasn't the issue. Master Hand was the issue. I tried moving my arms yet again but, of course, no response. Did I mention insanity?
My ears were starting to play tricks on me now. The low humming was just the absence of noise from not being able to move. At least I hoped it was and I wasn't actually starting to lose it.
Fine…let's try something smaller. Baby steps. I tried to wiggle my fingers. Then just one finger. Then any sort of movement at all. Still nothing.
…Robin…
Now I definitely starting to hear things. Who else was going to be awake? Both Shulk and Mewtwo were in the same situation I was. I briefly wondered if it was Palutena (who I'd forgotten about until now) reaching out but I dismissed it. She was still in Wario's trance. So…
…Robin. I was really not enjoying the possibility my insanity was becoming a reality.
You're not going insane. If you were would it even matter? Okay now that was terrifying. I was starting to reply to my own thoughts.
Robin! Wake up!
I can't…leave me alone insanity.
It's not real. The time is right. Wake up.
But…how…I don't know how. I want to help but…I trailed off.
You can do it. I believe in you. We all do.
But…
There are better places to sleep than on the ground, you know. Definitely my subconscious.
That's a good way to think of it. I am the subconscious you follow. That everyone follows. Follow my lead, Robin.
How…? I tried once again to move. Nothing. I'd given up trying to explain what the voice was or wanted. It was being helpful and that was really all that mattered…even if it was a product of the twisted imagination of my comatose mind. I can't do it.
I will guide you, as I have done for so many others.
But...
Feel the power.
I could feel my hand start to tremble. In the state I was in it was hard to tell if it was of my own will or the outside force. Gradually, ever so gradually it started to move. I could feel (and hear) my fingernails scraping across the stone of the floor. It was a very surreal experience, having your hand dragged by an invisible force. There's apparently a first time for everything. Well whatever it was, was working and I was willing to give anything a shot if it meant I could catch up to Ashley and Wario.
The gentle tug on my hand stopped when I came into contact with something. The something was splayed out across the ground, cold to the touch and distinctly metallic. My Levin sword! It had to be! It must have fallen out of my pocket when I'd collapsed.
I was drawn to it. The cold bite of the metal felt so…inviting. It was like it was willing me to touch it somehow. I let the invisible tug pull my hand around it, letting the sensation flow over me. This must've been what the hum was. The magical aura of my Levin sword, letting me know all was not lost.
Get up, Robin. I did. My joints creaked into life once more as I propped myself up on the Levin sword, pushing myself up onto my knees. I felt so heavy, not even having the strength to open my eyes yet but somehow I could sense my surroundings.
I was kneeling above Shulk, Mewtwo, and Palutena, still huddled down on the floor. The door behind me was open. The crates that had lined the walls had vanished. How I knew this without opening my eyes I didn't know…but know it I did.
I swayed slightly. The promise of sleep was still trying to drag me down but somehow I was resisting it. Very, very slowly. It took me three goes to get onto my feet, the first two having my knees give way under me. It was worth it. I was awake again.
I opened my eyes. The first thing I noted was that all the crates were indeed gone. Ashley and Wario must've taken them with them for some reason. Why? The room looked a lot bigger now. A lot…emptier.
I took stock of my surroundings. Shulk, Mewtwo, and Palutena were all still unmoving. I briefly considered trying to wake them too but I knew there wasn't time. I was going to have to stop Ashley and Wario on my own before it was too late. They didn't know the mistake they going to make.
Taking one last look around the room I nodded, gripping the Monado tighter and…..wait. I froze. There was no poof or puff of smoke to go with it I just simply…froze. I continued staring straight ahead, not daring to move. Out of the corner of my eye I could just about make out my Levin sword, still lying uselessly on the floor. So that meant I was holding…
Millimetre by millimetre I lowered my head downwards. A familiar shock of red confirmed I was holding the Monado. What I'd thought was my Levin sword giving me strength was, as unlikely as it seemed, Shulk's blade and not my own.
I nearly dropped it out of pure shock, barely able to keep it from slipping out of my grip as I composed myself. I was holding the Monado. It was here…in my hand…being held…by me.
Are you surprised, Robin? You too can hold the power of the one.
"You're damn right I'm surprised! How…?! When did…?! What?!" The voice chuckled lightly. Now that my eyes were open I could just about tell where it was coming from. The Monado itself.
You shouldn't be. You're worthy and always have been.
"B-but…no wait, hold on I've tried to hold it…you…before. My hand either sparked off or went right through like a ghost. Why now?
The time was not right before. I apologise for deceiving you but it was the only way to keep the flow of events on track.
"If you told me I was worthy before which, incidentally, I'm still having a hard time believing, then none of it would've happened would it? I wouldn't have got depressed, had my breakdown, pushed Shulk away, lost my memories or assaulted the other Lucina or any of it? You could have stopped me from doing any of that."
Controlling people and events are different. Would you really have given up your free will?"
"If it meant not hurting the ones I care about then yes. To protect them I'd do anything!"
And that is what makes you worthy. The words hung in the air like a deadweight. I didn't have a comeback for that. No answer of any kind.
"I…"
Shulk's selflessness and drive to do what is right is mirrored within you, Robin. I see it. He sees it. You should see it too. Your possession of me should be proof enough.
"…"
There are few worthy of wielding the power of change. Shulk has that power. I have that power. You have that power too. Believe me.
"…Who are you? Really?" The voice was silent for a second. A long second. I was starting to believe I'd imagined the whole thing when it suddenly spoke up again.
I am…nothing. Just a remnant of a forgotten time. After all this is over…speak to Shulk. He will understand.
"But…" Before I could continue any further I felt an enormous pressure coming from all around me. It was almost as if it was coming from directly inside my brain. I looked down to the Monado to find it had started to glow blue with a flickering aura. My eyes followed suit, becoming clouded in the same blue aura. A vision.
Master Hand's office. Wario and Ashley were present, kneeling on the floor. Above them, Master Hand hovered. He did not seem pleased. A snap of his fingers and it all went white. It was like I'd woken up for a second time. I snapped out of the vision as soon as it had begun.
"What was that? Master Hand. He…"
"That is their future if you don't stop them now. Hurry."
"I don't know where they went."
I will guide you. A tug, the same that had pulled my arm across the floor began to make itself known to me. This time, however, it was pulling every muscle in my body at once, willing me in a certain direction.
It was almost like working on autopilot except I was still largely in control. I moved my arms and legs and the Monado gently guided them in the right direction. Bending down to pick up my Levin sword, I exited the room, not looking back: there was nothing I could do for them.
I followed the tug deeper into the mansion, the corridors now making perfect sense to me. It was like I could suddenly remember everywhere I'd ever been and focus on it. Remember places I was going to and focus on that too. It was amazing.
Deeper, deeper than ever before. Countless stairways vanished behind me as the mansion swallowed me up. It seemed to go on forever but I wasn't afraid. The gentle guidance of the Monado was there to help. What had once felt so strange and had weighed my hand down not a minute ago seemed natural. More than natural. It felt right. This was what I had to do.
I passed the security bunker, the second lowest level. It was strangely silent but that was none of my concern. Or maybe it was but there wasn't time. I didn't know how long I'd been out thanks to dream time being different to real time so Wario could be very far into breaking into Master Hand's vault by now. I couldn't let him succeed. I wasn't going to.
And now…I was here. The lowest point of the entire mansion: the vault where Master Hand kept the prizes for winning the tournament. The first door had already been blown open by some sort of explosion, indicating Wario and Ashley were already here. No surprise there.
I say first door for a reason; despite his air of jovial calm, Master Hand knew how to get serious when he wanted to. Several tens of metres of solid concrete/metal alloy stood between anyone who entered the vault and the inner sanctum where the prizes were. It wasn't a fact he advertised but it was common knowledge (splashed with a healthy dose of rumor) that breaking into the vault was impossible. Or so it was said.
Judging by the state of the door I was standing outside of, Wario and Ashley meant business. I frowned. The hinges had been melted right through and the handle blown clean off. As I stared into the vault I could see that door was one of six so far. Wario and Ashley were working on the seventh.
I knew they were telling the truth about their lives. You can't fake that sort of pain in your features when talking but I still couldn't let them do it. For their own safety. I could've used the element of surprise (something I still had as their backs were turned) but I decided against it. I had to give them one last chance.
"Wario. Ashley. Stop this. No good will come of it." Ashley whirled around on the ball of her foot, eyes wide with shock. They quickly narrowed. Wario just sighed and slowly turned to face me.
"You just don't give up, do ya?" He sounded more tired than angry, contrasted by the burning hatred Ashley's eyes were giving me.
"Not when you're about to make a terrible mistake." Wario ignored me, instead turning to Ashley.
"I thought you put her to sleep. Why is she awake again?"
"I don't…I…" She trailed off, noticing the Monado in my hand. "DAMN IT! DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN YOU!"
"Ashley, calm down," Wario said, but not taking his eyes off me. "What's she done?"
"She's got the Monado is what she's done! I thought there was no way she could've…DAMN IT!" Wario sighed again, deeper this time.
"Hold her off." Ashley's rage all but vanished. She tore her eyes away from the Monado and looked…almost fearfully, up at Wario.
"W-what? You can't be serious?"
"I'm always serious, kid. Hold her off until I break through to the inner vault."
"But she's got a Monado. It's protecting her so I can't make her sleep again!" Wario pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I don't care what you do as long as she doesn't interrupt me. Us."
"But…"
"Listen, Ashley, we're in the home stretch now. The only thing that stands between us and the score of a lifetime is several feet of steel wall. I just need…a little more time to break through it, okay? Now I need you to be a good girl and stop Robin, and whatever divine powers she's suddenly gotten, from interfering. Can you do that for me?" I studied Wario carefully. Ashley was hesitating for once but I could see he was going to change that. Beneath that calm and tired demeanour was a fire that burned even hotter than Ashley's. The desire to succeed. It was starting to show itself.
"…"
"Do you want to go back on the streets? If you don't stop her she'll ruin everything. Everything we worked for. All that planning. Gone."
"…"
"Do you remember the rain, Ashley?" Wario was whispering now but that only made this words all the more strong. "The cold and the wet? The looks people would give us when they passed us by? You don't want that to happen…do you?" Though she was staring down at her shoes now, I could see she was taking it all in. Her expression slowly shifted back to its original one…hatred.
"Yeah…yeah you're right! I can't let you stop us, Robin. We've come too far to stop."
"There's still time. Just here me out."
"No! Enough games!" A grin crossed Wario's face as he watched Ashley's outburst unfold. He vanished, slipping back through the sixth door to work on the seventh. Ashley stepped out in front of it.
"I don't want to fight you, Ashley."
I said…ENOUGH GAMES!" The whole room shook slightly as her hair started to crackle again. "I've been going too easy on you, Robin. Resorting to trickery and illusions through my dreams to stop you interfering. I think you're long overdue for some PHYSICAL punishment!"
"Don't do this…"
"Silence! Wario's right. The only thing that can stop us now is you and I'll die before I let that happen. I'll die before I betray the people counting on me to get this money. I'll die before going back to those streets." Her eyes were starting to glow red again and I resigned myself to the fact that she was beyond reason now; Wario's words had worked.
"…We're outside of an arena. Without the safety fields we could hurt each other. Even after everything you've done I still don't want to hurt you."
"Well that's toooo bad because I really want to hurt you!" She held up her hand where a small purple cloud was beginning to swirl. It hardened into a stick with an orb at the end. Ashley's wand. In response I drew my Levin sword and held it in the hand that wasn't holding the Monado. "That's hardly fair is it? Two on one?"
"You set the terms. This is what you wanted so this is what you get."
"Finally you're not spouting useless trash! Let's finish this just you and me."
"You'll lose." Her hair flashed white.
"You're so damn cocky! You think just because you're a Smasher and I'm an assist trophy that I'm somehow not as good as you?!
"Actually I was just going to say that because your anger is going to cloud your judgment I'll wait for you to make a mistake."
"You little…!" She smirked, beginning to levitate off of the ground. "Enough stalling. Even if I lose I'll have bought Wario enough time. Aaaand as long as I'm still here you're friends along with everyone else will stay asleep! You can't win this!"
"…I don't have to." Not waiting for a response, I extended the Monado's beam to its full length and charged forward. Not expecting me to attack first, Ashley was caught off guard. Barely able to block my attack, the tip of the blade nicked her skin at the shoulder. A thin stream of blood quantified it.
"I…I thought Monado's couldn't harm humans. It hurts."
"Not all of them. Ashley if you continue it'll do more than hurt. If I'm not careful I could kill you by accident!" She found the desperation creeping into my voice amusing by the looks of things.
"I'm not afraid of dying. I've been inside your head, Robin, and I know you're not either. That's what is going to make this that much more interesting." She vanished in a swirl of darkness, leaving me with nothing. With her body now gone, I fell off balance onto the floor.
I heard the spell before it hit, raising my Levin sword behind me to take the hit. The magic reflected off into the wall, sending rock fragments flying.
"Damn." I quickly got to my feet and shot a bolt of lightning out the sword to where Ashley was hovering. She vanished again, appearing to my right. I anticipated the movement but the Levin sword's metal sparked straight off her wands wooden handle. That's magic for you.
Spinning away from me (whilst also kicking me in the face) she jammed her wand into the ground. Immediately I felt heavier, like the whole world was pulling down on me. Taking advantage of my disorientation she fired a number of spells into my back, causing me to collapse.
Most of them burned like fire…probably because she was actually trying to set me on fire. I just about managed to turn my head to see her lopsided grin as she fired off spells with glee. She really wasn't planning to stop. Luckily my cloak was largely fire proof (another one of its many attributes) but I could still feel the heat through the fabric.
Gripping the Monado tighter, I remembered how I saw Shulk use it in battle and copied it. Mentally, I cycled through the arts until I got to the one I wanted.
"Jump!" The blade glowed green and I leapt up into the air, now free of Ashley's gravity spell. Without warning (surprising even myself at the force) I smashed the hilt of the Monado into her nose. Blood exploded pretty much everywhere. Grimacing, I pulled her ankle down to the floor and slammed her back into the floor with a sickening crack. "Stop this, Ashley, before I do any more damage to you!"
"I…" She paused to cough, even more blood surfacing. "I…don't…care. Even if I fail…Wario can take the money. He'll give it to our friends so they won't be poor anymore. If I die…that just means there'll be more for them." She coughed again, getting more blood onto my already soaked undershirt.
"Ashley come on just…" Out of the corner of my eye I saw her tap her want against my Levin sword. It vanished, being replaced by a much smaller metallic spoon. In the confusion she wrenched her arm free of my grip and yanked the spoon away from me, viciously backhanding me across the face with it.
The impact the spoon had left was going to form one hell of a bruise later. Ashley quickly wriggled out of my grasp and darted over to the far side of the room. She threw the spoon down at my feet as it changed back.
"You hit me. You actually hit me." Her hair faded back to black.
"I'm sorry." She scowled, wiping the some of the blood onto her dress. It blended in frighteningly well.
"That's the problem with you hero types. Always trying to be righteous and sorry."
"Do you not want me to be sorry?"
"You figure it out." She readied her wand again.
"Ashley this has to stop." I picked up my Levin sword.
"I'll never stop."
"And that's the problem with you villain types. Never know when to give up." A sardonic smile crossed her face.
"I guess we're both predictable then…"
"I guess we are." Silence.
"I'm still going to try to stop you," she said quietly.
"I know." More silence. "You don't have to."
"You just don't get it. If I don't then I'll have nothing but the clothes I'm wearing and my magic."
"You can do lots of things with magic."
"I can't create a future for myself."
"You can try."
"I did try," she insisted. "And look where it led me? Here."
"But…"
"I don't care what you have to say. Really, I don't. Break's over and now I'm going to destroy you!" The fire in her eyes returned and it sounded so matter of fact I was tempted to believe her. Not really though. I had a plan.
The force of her magic blast made me wince slightly but I endured it. This was all part of the plan. The next time it came I crossed the Levin sword over the Monado in a protective shield. The magic dissipated.
"Stop that!" Her next few attempts fell the same way. I could see her hair start to turn white again. The next blast was stronger but my barrier held. "Fight back, coward!" She teleported away but wherever she appeared I simply had to turn and parry. "Fight! Back!"
"No."
"Argh! Curse you, Robin. I've seen your dreams. I know your fears. They will never accept you! She will never love you! Take your rage out on me! Fight me!"
"Maybe they won't and maybe she won't. I'm still not going to hurt you again." I finished my defiance with the smallest of smiles. Ashley picked up on it immediately.
"THAT'S IT! I'M GOING ALL OUT. BLOCK THIS, COWARD!" Teleporting directly in front of me, she unleashed the most devastating beam of magic I've ever felt besides Validar…at point blank. Even then, Validar lacked emotion and passion to back up his spells, something Ashley possessed a great deal of.
In response I uncrossed the swords, pointing them directly at Ashley's wand. Her face lit up when she realised I was finally going to fight her again; her joy was short lived and rapidly twisted into pained exertion as I let loose my own magic.
It quickly became a grudge match, neither of us willing to back down. Ashley pushing against me with a concentrated beam of dark magic while I pushed back with a combination of lightning magic from my Levin sword and ether waves from the Monado. Dark on light. Dynamic and yet still as the meeting point of our respective beams refused to budge.
The room was beginning to shake. Neither of us moved. The force of the continued pressure forced me to dig my heels into the ground, a feat not easily possible on the smooth concrete. Ashley was having more trouble, being shorter and lighter than myself. Having to contend with two separate energy blasts was also taking a toll on her.
"Give up, Ashley. You can't win like this."
"I'll fight to the last breath, damn it!" Just what I wanted. Ashley quickly gave way to the intense pressure the magic was exerting and was flung against the back wall. Thinking quickly, I diverted my beam of magic away from her and into the wall next to her; I didn't want to harm her any more than I already had.
"I win." In response Ashley's knees gave way, falling onto her back with another crack.
"…I guess…that was my last breath, huh?" Her hair and eyes faded back to their normal colors once again. Her wand fell uselessly at her side. I kicked it away from her.
"You're young, Ashley. Releasing that kind of power all at once was never going to end well."
"So?"
"You've drained all your magic. I goaded you into attacking me with your full power so you'd quickly become exhausted and unable to fight."
"…Damn tactician. I guess…I had it coming. Ughh…"
"You know what this means don't you?" I knelt down beside her.
"No."
"Without your magic, the spell holding everyone asleep will vanish. They'll wake up soon."
"You…you tricked me!"
"I already said that. You weren't the only one stalling. I just had to tire you out to win."
"Like some over active kid. So much for that." She coughed again, a thin stream of blood leaving her lips." I wiped it away onto my sleeve. "Don't touch me."
"You need help. Medical help."
"I don't want…your help…" She closed her eyes, falling unconscious under the combined stress of her injuries and magic depletion.
"Ashley!" I looked up to see Wario had appeared in the doorway. He quickly shoved me out of the way and knelt down next to her.
"She's not dead, just sleeping."
"I'm not stupid, I can see that!" He snarled.
"I don't want to have to fight you too."
"I'm not planning on. I just said I'm not stupid didn't I?"
"So…what happens now?" He looked down at the sleeping girl, brushing a strand of hair out of her eye. He looked almost…fatherly.
"I don't know. Without Ashley sustaining the dream field people are gonna wake up. Sooner or later they'll realise we're missing. Master Hand will throw a fit."
"That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent," I admitted. "That's why I had to stop you."
"…What? You're not making sense." I sat down but didn't disarm myself.
"I had a vision. Even before that I knew I had to stop you before you fully broke into the vault."
"Go on."
"I know Master Hand. I know what his ideals are and what he stands for. The Super Smash Brothers are his dream. A dream that he fully believes in and wants to share with everyone. The tournament embodies his dream. You, by not only disrupting the tournament but also attempting to steal the prize for winning is just about the worst thing you could do."
"…"
"If I'd let you succeed in getting the money then there's no telling what Master Hand would do. He'd never ever stop trying to track down who did it and punish them in a way he seems fit. I don't mean jail."
"He'd never be able to trace it back to us. The items in the crates I stole all have the Smash logo on them so it could've been anyone. The cameras in here aren't working either. ROB and Megaman will have seen to that."
"Are they…?"
"They'll be fine. They'll probably have restored along with everyone else when Ashley fainted.
"Master Hand is an extra-dimensional superbeing. He'd have found a way to find out who did it. You didn't succeed in breaking in yet did you?"
"No," he muttered. "I'm close though. Just a few more minutes."
"Don't. As long as the vault remains sealed and the prizes untouched, Master Hand will be more lenient. He'll have less reason to chase after you."
"But then I'll leave with nothing. I'll go back to cursing Diamond Software's name in my sleep and end up back in a cardboard box in some back alley. Ashley too. Most of my friends will end up there eventually. Disco's a dying art so Jimmy will be forced out of work. Mona can't hold down a job to save her life. Kat and Ana are just kids but what will they grow up to be? There aren't any jobs around there that don't have Diamond Software's grubby paws on. 5 Volt just lost her job and relies on benefits. She can't support 9 Volt like that forever. The list goes on, Robin. You've…you've ruined not just my life but everyone I know as well. You heroes just never think things through."
"Well…"
"Will you turn us in?" He fixed me with a hard stare. "That's fine. You can do that but I've got a request."
"…Sure." He gestured down to Ashley's lifeless body.
"Leave her out of this."
"I'm sorry?"
"I said leave her out of this. I'll take the fall. Nobody has to know she was involved." He broke eye contact with me, instead looking over her with a much softer look. "She's just a kid. She's got a whole life ahead of her. A future. Something I don't have. Some future it'll be but at least it'll be one." He sighed heavily, wiping a hand across his forehead.
"I see so much of her in me and that isn't really a good thing but there's still time. Before Master Hand blasts me into oblivion or whatever I'll tell her to move away from Diamond city. Move as far away as possible and start again."
"…"
"It won't be easy. Maybe she'll end up on the streets of some other city with its own share of problems? Maybe she'll start a new life free from all the shit I've given her? Who knows? At least it'll be a life, something I can only dream of now, eh?" He sat back on his hands. "I won't try to run. I'm done running from my problems. Jimmy, Mona, Crygor….I'm sorry guys. At least I can say I tried."
"…No." I let both the Levin sword and the Monado fall from my grip.
"What?"
"I said no. I won't turn Ashley or you in."
"You won't?" He didn't seem very hopeful.
"No. And while I'm not going to let you steal the money I might be able to help you get it fairly."
"…"
"What if I win the tournament and give you the money?"
"You'd…do that? For me?"
"I would."
"Can you guarantee you'd win?"
"No, but it's the best chance you've got. It's either that or stay here and be turned in. It's your choice."
"…I guess my mind's been made up for me."
"I guess it has."
"But why though? You barely know me. I'm the guy who tried to make everyone relive their worst nightmares for a handful of coins."
"Yes. What you did was wrong, I know. Part of me still hates you for that," I confessed. "But you did what you did because you honestly believed there was no other way. You didn't do it for yourself but for the people you care about. That's something we have in common."
"Yeah…I guess so. Still…you'd give up millions in any currency you want for me?"
"Yes."
"But you could have anything! Anything you want!"
"Believe it or not the only thing I want…the only thing I ever wanted…was a simple life. No war or gore or anything, just a simple small house with a garden and someone to love waiting for me when I got back from working the fields." I closed my eyes hoping to picture it. Despite my efforts I couldn't, but instead being rewarded with the faintest feeling of warmth in its place.
"Wow…I…I feel like I'm intruding on something personal here."
"Haven't you basically been doing that this whole time," I countered.
"…Yeah." I could tell he was nervous about something, judging by the way he shifted his goggles. I could guess what he was going to say. "Um…Ashley told me what she saw in your mind. About…everything. What she said to you as well. She genuinely thought it was funny to taunt you the way she did. About your life and…ahem…love interest." I gave him a quizzical look, highlighted by raising of my eyebrow.
"I'm…sorry. Sorry for what Ashley did to you. She's a little messed up but even I know when too far is too far. Just to say…I don't have anything against you or…who you love, I guess. It's not my business or nothing but…well I hope things work out for you. I mean…"
"Wario…"
"…"
"Stop talking while you're ahead. While I'm still feeling generous."
"…Got it."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"So how come you stole those plants from Olimar's garden?"
"Stole?" There was something weird about the way he said it. Like it wasn't quite… "Oh that! Yeah we realised people were becoming resistant to the dream spells so we figured we'd poison them instead."
"Through dairy products?"
"Yeah…"
"That doesn't sound…"
"Thought out? It wasn't. In case you haven't noticed I'm pretty desperate."
"Trust me…I noticed," I pointed out, gesturing to the (still wet) blood stains all over my shirt and cloak.
"…I don't regret my actions. Master Hand can create money out of nothing."
"That's true but the principle of Smash means more to him than that. Maybe he'd even just give you some if you asked."
"Nah he wouldn't. 'Not interfering in mortal lives' and all that jazz."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…So how's this going to work?"
"What?"
"Everyone's bound to be awake by now. How can we make it look like we were never here?"
"…I don't think everyone's awake yet."
"Huh?"
"Magic residue," I explained. "There should be just enough time left before Ashley's spell completely breaks. Take her back with you and mix in with the crowd. Pretend to wake up with everyone else and in the confusion you'll blend in. Master Hand won't suspect you."
"What about you? Before Ashley created that localised time field and ROB disabled the cameras you were just having a normal match with Palutena and Mr Game and Watch."
A time field? I pondered. I wonder… I pulled myself away from those thoughts. There's a time and a place. I'll ask about it later. Maybe that would be the key to my problem?
"We'll figure something out. Will Palutena remember anything?"
"No. I wiped her mind hypnotically. Hypnosis is the one thing I can do right."
"What about Mr Game and Watch?"
"What about him?"
"You hypnotised him. Did you wipe his mind too?"
"I didn't hypnotise him."
"...What?"
"I didn't need to. I simply asked him to obey me and he did of his own accord."
"What? Why? That doesn't make sense!"
"Tell me about it. I don't understand it either. Apparently he doesn't understand 'right and wrong'. I'll tell you about it some other time."
"Right…" I was intrigued by this new information but knew Wario was right; we had to move. We both stood up, Wario hoisting the still unconscious Ashley onto his shoulder.
"Again…thank you for this. It's not often you get a second chance."
"I did. Everyone does. Even you." He looked at me strangely, like the concept was somehow alien to him.
"…You're a remarkable woman, Robin."
"…Thank you." He nodded once but instead of walking out of the exit, he turned sharply back through the seventh door.
"What are you doing?" I called.
"Rigging the rest of these explosives to blow." He tossed a sticky bomb to me. "Stick it on the ground."
"Why?"
"To get rid of any evidence we were here. DNA and whatnot. Fire's very good at destroying that."
"Good thinking." A second later Wario passed me at a brisk pace.
"Out, Robin. I just set off a Bob-omb in there. We've got about six seconds before it blows and sets everything else off." I was in no hurry to find out what that looked like up close so I quickly followed him out (remembering to take the swords with me.)
Wario and I went wordlessly in opposite directions, apparently having nothing more to say to each other. The quiet 'bang' (muffled by the vault's thick walls) would've cut off any conversation anyway.
I found my way back to the room where Shulk and the others were still unconscious though now they were beginning to stir. I lay down silently next to Shulk, placing the Monado in his grasp once more.
"Thanks," I murmured. "I couldn't have done it without you." Though the sword gave me no reply…I could somehow tell it had heard. I smiled and closed my eyes once more. There were no dreams this time.
A/N: What can I really say? Again, I'm sorry for not updating without warning but exams are serious business. They're hard and not fun but have do be done. They're done now and I'm back for good. I realise I may have scared you by not saying I was taking a break for a while and some of you may have even thought I was abandoning this fic. Like Shulk says: 'Not gonna happen!' I'm serious. I'm seeing this through to the end. I hope you'll stick around too!
Who's that voice that Robin keeps hearing? Those who played Xenoblade Chronicles might know. Kind of spoilers but at this point who cares? Sorry there's a bit of blood in this chapter but I wanted to emphasise the seriousness of the situation. If I made you uncomfortable I'm sorry. Ashley's gravity spell is based of her move in the fan game 'Super Smash Bros. Crusade'. It causes anyone hit by it to double in weight. In Ashley's song it's stated 'I turned my teacher into a spoon'.
I used that as the basis of her transforming the Levin sword into a spoon. Getting slapped with a spoon really hurts I'm serious! It's no laughing matter. The ether blast Robin uses is actually Monado Cyclone, an art from Xenoblade chronicles. However since Shulk can't use it in Smash, Robin would never have heard it by name and thus doesn't fully know what it is here.
One review pointed out that it is implied Wario's mother is still alive. In one of the Mario Tennis games in the blooper reel, Wario's phone goes off and he answers it. It can be interpretted he answers it 'Ma?' as in mother but I always thought it sounded like 'Mwah?' like a general phone answering sound. Wario's mother is in the list of IMPLIED characters in the wiki so it's not really stated whether this is true or not. There's some other info to but that's also implied.
XenoEmblem4TW: Hopefully this chapter cleared up those confusions for you!
Heman2000: Well the poisonous gourds have been explained now. Is there more too it? Maybe. You'll probably appreciate that Monado stuff the most, right?
Robotortoise: I deliberately left typos in for Wario's speech just because that's the way I imagine him speaking. Like the rest of the Marioverse there aren't too many instances of voice acting so...I guess. Other typos I've got no excuse for. Thanks for your kind words! Much appreciated. That whole assist thing was kind of a red herring. Might be an interesting idea for a future fic.
Kurokitsune: Thanks, pal! Glad to know you've been enjoying it so far/been a long time reader. I try to involve the lore as much as I can (because too many people ignore it entirely. Marth is married already people! Lucina and Chrom existing is proof of that. Kind of)
Wiltarrow: I never really thought about the Gamer stage thing. I guess you're right! It's not a stage here. The Monado has all the arts and Shulk has used purge in this fic against Mewtwo. However purge like all arts has a timer so unless Shulk wanted to get no sleep and stay up using purge on everyone...yeah I think he'd rather focus his efforts on solving the mystery.
Sydney: Yes those are indeed jumbled up thoughts! I didn't want my chapter to be seven years long (because years now measure word count trust me) so I didn't include any Melia stuff. Trust me it crossed my mind but Shulk has matured a bit so wouldn't bring something like that up (at least in my view). Yeah I wrote it so you don't really need to know the lore to understand. Hope it helped!
See you next time.
