Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material appearing in this story.
To the Guest: My apologies, I actually had no idea that the whole "It's just Erza" thing was actually just a meme. So I had unfortunately assumed that you were an Erza hater. My bad.
BGM: A Tense Moment (Super Mario Galaxy)
"The Shadow Queen had already started the Darkest Day and it's spreading throughout the world. We'll try to stop it from getting out of hand… if that's even possible." Nessa said once the others were on the ship. "You stop her no matter what. We'll defend Galar with our lives."
"You boneheads can defend Galar. I'm going to go and give 'em a piece of my mind." Piers said as he walked onto the ship. "Anyone want to come over and knock some heads together?"
"I'm goin'!" Gloria said. "There's no way I'm going to sit back and watch everyone kick some Shadow Demon's arse! Besides, we got a Legendary to save! Two of 'em, to be exact!"
"Griiiiiield!" Zamazenta howled in agreement. He wanted to get his sister back!
"I'm going too." Marnie said.
"You can count me in!" Hop grinned.
"Bea… go with them."
"Huh?!" Bea turned to see Leon who had said it. "Leon, are you sure?"
"Of course. You're the strongest one out of all of us, plus you're capable of defending yourself the most out of all of us." He mentioned.
"But… Stow-on Side can't defend itself if I'm not there!"
"That's where you're wrong." Leon chuckled. "Alister will fill in for ya."
"What?!" Bea exclaimed in surprise. "No offense, Leon… but… you know how Alister is easily frightened!"
"I know, and you look after him like a surrogate big sister, but he's capable of defending Stow-on Side from any kind of trouble that's thrown at him. Plus, he can Gigantamax his Gengar, so that's a plus."
"I know… but-"
Alister walked over to Bea. "Don't worry about me! I can take care of Stow-on Side." He said, smiling through his mask. "You just focus on getting things back to normal."
"Oh… Alister…" Bea sighed before hugging him tightly. "Be careful, okay? I don't want to lose my surrogate little bro…"
"It'll be okay, Bea. I can handle it."
"I hope so." Bea smiled, gently removing his mask and gently kissing him on the forehead. "Kick some ass for me, okay?"
"I will!" Alister smiled, hugging her and then put his mask on.
"I would go with you too, but even the champion has to protect the Galar Region." Leon said. "Let's move out!"
"Right!" Everyone nodded and took off.
End BGM
"Well, that's that… looks like we're stickin' with ya." Piers chuckled. "…How are the Phantom Dudes doing?"
"Phantom Thieves." Reimu corrected.
"Right right…"
"Marisa's talking to them now. I think she's consoling them."
"Sombra might be dead… but the damage has already been done." Erza said. "I know what it's like to lose a friend… I can relate to them."
"I think we all can." Levy said as Erza solemnly nodded.
"She may be gone… but at what cost…" Akira whispered, wiping his tears. "At least… at least this Yggdrasil is watching over her now…" He said, quickly giving Marisa a hug.
"Shhh… we'll kick their asses for Futaba." Marisa said. "We all will."
"Mess with one of us… you mess with all of us." Ryuji said. "I think we oughta eff her up after getting the Crystal Stars."
"Right… for Futaba." Makoto said as they nodded.
"Everyone ready? Let's sail out!" Sylvando said, turning the ship around and then headed off back to Rogueport.
Meanwhile, with the Pure Heart Gatherers…
BGM: Flipside (Super Paper Mario)
Kairi put her hand on the pedestal, closing her eyes as the Pure Heart disappeared and reappeared in her hands once more. "That's four." She said.
"How many are there… seven?" Lea asked.
"Eight." Rosalina responded. "We're only half way there."
"Heh, alright then!" Lea grinned.
"And just what the HELL do you think you're doing?" A voice asked as they turned to see Yukari approaching them.
End BGM
"Yukari?" Suwako asked.
"No… that's not Yukari." Sanae said, summoning a spell card. "That's someone using Yukari's body. I can sense it… besides, Yukari doesn't dress up like that."
Yukari chuckled darkly. "That is correct. I am the Shadow Queen."
"What do you want with us?" Viridi asked.
"I go chasing around those pathetic heroes, attempting to dwindle their numbers but their numbers keep growing every time I oversee their deaths… and then I catch wind from the Heartless that you're going around, collecting the Pure Hearts to undo my hard work. I unleashed the Darkest Day where my power is now absolute… and now I hear that you're going to put an end to my plans?! I will not accept that!"
"Well, queenie, you might as well get over it. We're going to revive everyone that you have killed, and there's nothing that you can do about it." Lea said. "Like it or not, we're going to revive them after you got your ass kicked! Got it memorized?"
Yukari chuckled a bit. "Well, we'll see where that will get you." She said. "You're only halfway there… I think it's time to do some… redecorating." She smirked, snapping her fingers as large lightning bolts struck the four remaining Pure Heart pedestals, complete with a loud thunderclap that nearly deafened them all, then four Shadow Hands came up to reveal the remaining Pure Hearts. "You want these?"
"What are you doing?!" Geno yelled.
"Doing something that I should have done from the beginning!" Yukari said. "HAH!" She yelled, using her power to send the four Pure Hearts away in random directions.
"No!" Kairi exclaimed.
"Good luck trying to find them. Here's a little present before I leave." She said, snapping her fingers as a large Heartless grew in front of them.
BGM: Destiny's Force (Kingdom Heart)
"What the heck is that?!" Sanae exclaimed.
"A Darkside!" Lea exclaimed.
Sakuya summoned her knives. "Be on your guard!"
"Right!" Rosalina nodded as they got ready for battle.
"Kill them, my darling." Yukari said and then walked off.
"Wow, you sure know what you're doing." A voice said.
End BGM
"Hmm?" Yukari turned her head as a dark portal opened up to reveal Xigbar approaching her. "What do you want?"
BGM: Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts II)
"I'm just amused by your antics." Xigbar explained. "You really think by unleashing the power of the Darkest Day will help you win?"
"I am at my full power… I am completely unstoppable."
"You say that, yet you were frozen by a couple of Fairy Tail mages." Xigbar teased. "You may be powerful, but you ain't invincible."
"Oh Xigbar… that's adorable. You honestly think that? I am more powerful than that old man that you look up to so much."
"Me? Look up to Xehanort? Heh! As if." Xigbar chuckled.
"Oh, it sounds like you have your own personal agenda."
"So what if I am?" Xigbar didn't drop his smirk. "You honestly think you're stronger than the old fart? Heh, as if."
"Oh? You think I am less powerful than Xehanort?"
"Why don't you go confront the old man yourself? Have a one-on-one fight, mano a mano? We'll see who the stronger one is."
"Pffft! Don't make me laugh, you one eyed pirate. I am the Shadow Queen, after all. That old man is past his prime!"
"You say that, but I still want to see you fight him. I'm betting my munny on the old man. You claim that you're strong, but are you really that strong? As I recall, four heroes of the past managed to do you in… and then Mario came in to seal your fate." He said, before he was suddenly grabbed from the neck by Yukari.
"Don't you mention that plumber in front of me."
"Heh… still angry over it despite you killing him?" Xigbar smirked.
"What do you think?!" Yukari yelled, and then felt something hit her stomach. "Agh!" She yelped as she looked back to see a small sniper bullet hit her as Xigbar had summoned his weapons to shoot her, just to loosen her grip on him.
"Like I said, you're tough but you're not invincible. You have a lot of darkness in your heart and while you command the Heartless, it's only a matter of time before they turn on you and swallow you whole."
"They won't do that."
Xigbar chuckled. "Your arrogance will cost you, and I can't wait to see it bite you in the butt." He said and then turned around. "Oh, and some friendly advice. Darkside won't slow them down."
"What makes you so certain?"
Xigbar smirked. "Take a look." He said as Yukari turned to see Rosalina summoning a Launch Star as Kairi got inside and launched over to Darkside, slashing through his head and landed on the ground behind him, as the big guy fell over and disappeared, as Yukari jawdropped, staring and looking completely dumbfounded. "For the record, Darkside is a very weak Heartless. I'm surprised he lasted during our entire conversation." He said and then opened a portal. "Tell Talon I said hi." He said and then walked in.
End BGM
"Grrr… you guys got lucky, but you'll never find the Pure Hearts!" She yelled, disappearing into a gap.
"…Is it me, or is she incredibly pissy?" Demyx asked.
"Sounds like she had a nerve struck… but I wonder what caused it?" Viridi wondered.
"It doesn't matter… right now, we need to find the rest of the Pure Hearts." Rosalina said.
Kairi closed her eyes, using the Pure Hearts to guide them to the nearest Pure Heart. "…This way." She said and walked off.
Meanwhile, back with the group…
BGM: Rogueport (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)
"Whew, this place is more of a dump than Spikemuth." Gloria said.
"Hey! That's our home that you're insulting, luv!" Piers said.
"But it is kind of a dump, to be honest." Marnie said.
"Mmmph… it's home though." Pier muttered a bit as they walked over to the Warp Pipe as they all went in, while the Galar crew watched Reinhardt giving his armor to Brigitte as he hopped in.
"What in the…?" Hop tilted his head.
"Wearing that armor wouldn't let him get in the pipe normally." Brigitte said and hopped in.
"I can see that." Bea nodded and hopped in with the others as they went to the Thousand Year Door.
End BGM
BGM: Hall of the Thousand Year Door (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)
"What the bloody hell?!" Gloria exclaimed, looking at the door before them. "That's… that's amazin'."
"I'll say." Marnie agreed as Marisa hopped up on the platform and after the light show, everyone gathered around the map to see what would pop up. On the top of the map, was just a big yellow star that popped up.
"What the heck? Just a star?" Scout asked.
"Not just any star! It's a star in outer space!" Soldier exclaimed.
"I recognize that star!" Luigi said. "It's Popstar!"
"Mmm… I hope Dedede's still not too angry about that…" Bowser said, pushing his fingers together.
"He probably still is, papa." Junior nodded.
"Great…"
"What's this about a Popstar?" A voice asked as they turned to see Frankly and Goombella approaching them.
End BGM
BGM: Professor Frankly (Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)
"Whoa, what's with Fido?" Goombella asked, looking at Zamazenta.
"He's with us." Gloria said.
"Huh, I see." Goombella mused as Frankly took a look at the map.
"Well, I'll be! You're going to Dreamland! This might actually be a good change of pace for all of you." Frankly said.
"Yeah! It definitely will! We'll be able to see Kirby again!" Marisa grinned.
"Oh, I need that little cinnamon roll right now… I wanna hug him." Ann said as the rest of the Phantom Thieves nodded.
End BGM
"Well well… your group is expanding." A voice said as they turned to the source of the voice as they saw a portal opening up, then Pete and Maleficent walked out.
"What the… you?!" Reimu exclaimed, quickly summoning Yin Yang Orbs. "Sora told us about you!"
"Holy Mary Mother of Joseph, look at her face!" Soldier exclaimed. "Have you ever heard of moisturizer? You might as well drown yourself in it in order to get that green stuff off your face!"
"You itchin' for a fight, you two?" Marisa asked, aiming her Mini-Hakkero at them while the Phantom Thieves got in their battle stances, while everyone else stared in confusion but joined them in their stances as well.
"Hmm hmm hmm… we do not wish to fight you. You are of no concern to us. You are looking for the remaining Star Crystals, correct? You are of no use to us… we are looking for a Black Box."
"Black Box? I have one of those! I blow up maggots with it all the time!" Soldier said.
"Somethin' less explosive there, soldier boy." Pete chuckled. "We had thought we had found a black box… but that grandma and her pets foiled us… and then that Shadow Queen lady knocked us all out when the old lady got possessed! Oh, and speaking of her pets…" Pete reached into the portal and tossed a knocked out Ran and Chen over to them. "You may be needing these."
"What are you getting at?" Reimu asked. "Are you trying to help us out or…?"
"Like I said, you do not concern us. Consider the pets as a 'gift' from us. We will continue to search for the black box while you make a mess of that Shadow Queen." She said and then walked back into the portal with Pete.
"Who the heck were those two?" Gray asked.
"From what we heard from Sora… the lady was named Maleficent and her lackey is named Pete. According to him, Maleficent calls herself the "Mistress of all evil"." Marisa said.
"Mistress of all evil?" Natsu folded his arms and snorted a bit. "Pfft, talk about an ego."
"So uh… how are we going to space?" Tracer asked.
"Well, there was a portal from the Smash Mansion that would take us to Popstar. It was a shortcut… buuuuut it's out of commission thanks to the Shadow Queen destroying it all." Luigi mused.
"Bwahahaha!" Bowser laughed. "Just leave it to me, Greenie! I know exactly how to get to Dreamland!"
"You do?" Luminary asked.
"Of course! I have a few airships that can make portals!" Bowser smirked. "TO MY CASTLE!" He roared and ran off, with the others following him.
"…Well, that just happened." Goombella said.
"Indeed." Frankly agreed.
Meanwhile…
"Everything is going according to what I had also seen that I had neglected to mention to them." Merlon mused. "Four Pure Hearts have been taken away… four souls, a Half-Genie, a knight with a shovel, a sassy little girl that is a space traveler, and a half-phantom swordswoman with a hungry ghost. They hold what is needed to defeat the darkness and the Shadow Queen. Good luck… everyone."
You might be wondering what took so long. Honestly? After I wrote that April Fool's story, I was getting more and more excited to write the Vs Mercs redux that Shadow Queen just completely slipped my mind! XD
I'm gonna be honest though, I was kinda expecting a lot of "I can't believe I fell for this!" and a lot more salt after posting the joke. In hindsight, maaaaaybe I shouldn't have clicked on "completed" so eagerly after I wrote it up. Whoops! XD
To be fair, that was my first ever April Fool's story so... hey, what can ya do? Hehehe.
