Lava streams flowed across molten rock like blood vessels. Through the sounds of the bubbling substance, cracking and rumbling from the peak of the mountain cut through the blackened smoke-stained sky. And, slicing through this hellscape's silence, chunks of rock plopped into the lava… followed by a large form.
The shrieking of a fake Ridley faded as the dragon-like figure thrashed around in the lava… and sank, giving into the hot current. A multicolored orb shot up from the lava and into the air. It flew past the hiking Smashers, some of which were fighting not just other puppet fighters, but also the unbearable scorching heat of the volcano. "How… how close are we to the top, anyway?" gasped Pit, wiping at his brow.
"The quicker we press on, the better," replied Marth, sheathing his blade. At the front of the pack, Mario, Link, Pikachu, and Samus led the way. Yoshi held his mouth open like a panting dog, his eyes on a particular chunk of rock. Figuring some rest wouldn't hurt, he moved closer to the spot…
...only for a burst of lava to break through like a molten geyser! Yoshi flinched back, swallowing nervously and running back to the pack.
"Look, I like volcanoes and lava as much as the next guy," commented Bowser as the group neared a left turn. "But I gotta hand it to Mr. Bright here. This place is impressive. Wouldn't it be better for Mario to fight me here rather than-"
"AAH!" A weak ledge beneath Pit fell away, nearly sending him plummeting into the lava below if not for the nearby presence of Fox. "Gotcha, kid!" grunted the pilot, pulling the angel back up. "Maybe watch your step next time?"
"Uh… is anyone else feeling a little hot?" asked Little Mac. "I mean, hotter than usual?"
"We must be getting close now," Samus suggested, watching Mario jump across a gap behind her. "Just hang in there a little longer." She approached a right turn, climbing up onto another ledge close to a river of lava. Mega Man hopped up jutting pieces of rocks like platforms, timing his leaps to avoid the occasional falling rock. Donkey Kong carried the exhausted Ice Climbers in both hands with Diddy Kong on his back. Every time he glanced at the volcano, he was reminded of his ascent of his own island's mountain to confront Tiki Tong. And if the sight wasn't enough of a reminder, the heat on his fur was.
If one Smasher seemed weakened by the trek, another would be there to assist. Ryu took hold of Captain Falcon's outstretched hand after pausing for a moment. The Inklings constantly checked their weapons and tanks, as if the heat was so great it could evaporate their liquid ammunition at any moment. Yoshi bounded up rocks while Bowser climbed up surfaces with his claws. Sheik nimbly leaped across gaps while Diddy used his rocketbarrel pack to carry those who weren't great at aerial movements across.
Minutes felt like hours to the bombarded-with-heat Smashers. They knew that the sooner they reached the other side of the volcano, the better. But to do that, the summit had to be reached. They traveled up the mountain, taking caution to avoid crumbling pieces of rock and small showers of lava that rained down from the top.
The winding stone pathway soon ceased, revealing a massive stone ring encircling the rim of the volcano. A spout of lava drenched a quarter of the rim and the constant flow of it spilling out left the counterclockwise path untraversable. The Smashers spread out, some peering down into the depths of the mountain below.
But the light from the lava shone down on several figures.
"Uh, guys?" Shulk said nervously. "We're not alone up here."
Six puppet fighters trained their eyes on the group, sternly watching and waiting.
"Destroy them!" called a feminine voice. On her cue, they charged.
An airborne green Ridley puppet smashed into Bowser, nearly knocking him off his feet. The Koopa King dug into the rock, spinning himself around and throwing the winged monster off the mountain. The false Ridley simply spread its wings, circling back to a roaring Bowser with the maws of both beasts wide and glowing.
A black-spotted white Duck Hunt sprinted across the barren rock, zipping past Fox's blaster shots. Before long, the hound lunged and knocked the pilot to the ground, biting into his raised arm. Fox gritted his teeth, punching the pup in the face while trying to swat the pesky duck away.
"HI-YAH!" Falco slammed a boot in the mutt's side, but the duck flapped its wings just as it went over the edge. The copy was spared from a fiery fate, touching down on the ground for another try. A roar broke out and the fists of a fake Donkey Kong smashed into the rock, strong enough to break it open. Charizard stepped aside, swatting away a snarling Bowser puppet with its tail. The split rock flooded with lava, forming a more dangerous terrain to fight on. Charizard roared- a sound mixed in with Red's battle cry- and slammed his head into the fake Bowser's chest, shoving it into the liquid. The resulting splash flung droplets everywhere, as did the flailing of the figure.
DK engaged his copy with a roar of his own, grabbing raised arms and headbutting it. The fake ape grappled with the real deal, prompting Donkey Kong to call out. And with a hoot of reply, Diddy Kong scrambled onto the imposter's head and bashed it wildly. A roar of annoyance followed and the fake ape stumbled around in attempts to shake the monkey off. A swinging fist connected with the fake Duck Hunt, allowing Yoshi to land a tail sweep and headbutt combo to score another win for him.
A claw raked against Bowser's shell, the Koopa King countering with a backhanded fist. He grabbed the Ridley puppet's head with both hands, smashing it against his knee. The recoil toppled the dragon-like alien, exposing its tail. A sneer appeared on Bowser's face… and he snatched the body part like a rope.
"HRRAH!" He lifted the Ridley puppet over him and smashed it into the ground. With another movement, he slammed it again and again into the molten ground. He twirled it over his head like a cowboy with a lasso, setting his sights on Fox trading blows with a doppelganger of himself. A hook and a high kick from the puppet sent the real one staggering.
"Hey, fur-face! Heads up!"
Fox took the opportunity to kick his distracted opponent back… where the huge form of the fake Ridley slammed into it and sent them both plummeting to their dooms. "Thanks for the assist!"
Grabbing Diddy by the arms just before the mischievous chimp could poke its eyes again, the fake Diddy Kong threw him to the ground. Shrugging off the peanuts the chimp quickly fired off at it, it raised its fists to pound him further in…
...but two more fists punched it back and straight over the edge of the rim. With a howl, the fake Donkey Kong vanished into the lava while the real Donkey Kong helped Diddy onto his back.
Sparks added to the fiery atmosphere as Link and Shulk double-teamed a Marth puppet. A spinning slash from the warrior knocked the boy away… but left him open to a thrust from Link. A wild flurry of swings staggered the puppet… and a flip kick followed by a volley of arrow shots finished the job.
"Anyone else?!" boomed Simon, looking around for any sign of the strange voice. "Your soldiers have failed. Come and face us yourselves!"
His answer came in the form of an electric snap. As more lava spurted up from behind her, a woman in a blue jumpsuit and eyes just as red as the fires twirled a plasma whip at her side. At the sight of her, Samus stood in a brief silence. "Well… time for me to knock some sense into me."
Zero Suit Samus broke into a sprint, Simon being the first to engage with a crack of his own whip. "Feel the wrath of the Vampire Killer, you wretched-"
The plasma whip vanished, replaced by three quick shots that Simon was totally unprepared for. All of the shots struck him, rendering him immobile and vulnerable to a high heel strike. He collapsed with a grunt.
"Take her!" cried Falco, whipping out his blaster and shooting at the figure. She cartwheeled and somersaulted away from them, lashing out at his foot with her whip. "Huh? Whoa!" She acrobatically twirled, sending Falco spinning to the ground. Yoshi pounded his fist with a palm, declaring his turn to attack…. only to get snagged by the ankles and landing right on his tail.
Samus opened fire at herself with her arm cannon, landing only one successful hit before her target rolled away. Coming out of the roll, she kicked a sprinting Ryu to the ground before he could land a punch. She fired at Mega Man, a single shot enough to temporarily disable him and take him out of the fight. The flail-like head on a chain whizzed past her chin as she jolted her head back, switching her weapon to its whip state again. She lashed at an advancing Pikachu and struck him aside before engaging a yelling Simon. Their whips clashed against each other, the Vampire Killer landing some hits. But she quickly obtained the upper hand and lashed him across the face, making him cry out.
Zero Suit Samus went for Link next, only for the hero of Hyrule to be ready. He blocked the bright flash of her whip, snaring it around his sword when she struck again. Gritting his teeth, he yanked hard before she could act, sending her falling on her face to the ground. Above her, Charizard snarled and raised one foot.
Raising her arm, Zero Suit Samus fired a shot at Charizard's face only for the Pokémon's positioned wing to take the hit. The foot came crashing down, but only on the solid rock as the bounty hunter rolled away. She sprang back to her feet… and saw herself staring down the barrel of her suit's arm cannon.
Samus watched her own eyes narrow, staring into the suit's empty visor in anticipation.
She weaved just as the shot as taken, grabbing the arm cannon and smashing the helmet with it. Mario dropped, sweeping out her legs from under her. He slammed a fist downward, the glove only hitting solid rock. Zero Suit Samus rolled back to her feet, striking with her whip to keep the plumber at bay.
The whip snared around Mario's wrist, allowing him to pull Zero Suit Samus towards him and give her a strong punch. She fired her Paralyzer right in front of her, Mario flipping away from the shocking shot…
...and behind Samus, arm cannon reaching max power.
Zero Suit Samus' eyes widened right before she was hit by a fully-charged Charge Shot. She flew through the air with a yell… and reverted back to her trophy form in a flash. Yoshi ran after the sailing trophy, diving onto his stomach and catching the trophy in his arms. He made a "whew" sound, relieved the trophy didn't fall into the volcano. He stood up, turning to face the group with the trophy held high. "Ta-da!" he called… before shaking his head and widening his eyes in disbelief at Samus' posture.
Samus had gone silent, head and arms dropped low. A confused Mario waved his hand at the visor. No response came. Link gently nudged the armored figure with his shield. Still nothing.
Donkey Kong curiously patted the figure's back… a little too hard. The armor collapsed onto the rock with a metallic thud, prompting DK to give an embarrassed grin and back away. "Okay… what's going on here?" asked Snake.
"I think I can explain," said Pit, placing a hand on Snake's elbow. "When my soul was trapped in the Ring of Chaos, I had to inhabit Magnus' body to take down my own. Once he put the ring on my body, my soul returned to it and the ring broke. I think that's what's happening here."
"Hmm…" pondered Marth. "So that must mean since we defeated her, Samus' soul has transferred from her armor back into her original body, correct?"
"Right."
Yoshi made an impatient sound that seemed to say "then what are we waiting for?". He placed a hand on the base of the trophy, causing it to brightly glow and erupt with light. When the light faded, someone groaned. "Did it… work?"
Clad in her Zero Suit, Samus slowly rose to her feet and blinked wearily. Her vision became clear… and the first thing she saw was her inanimate Power Suit. Smugly, Fox crossed his arms. "I'd say it did."
"Now that that's said and done," Pit suggested. "Can we get off this rock now? One more minute and I'm gonna be boiled alive!"
"I think some of us already are," said Shulk, gesturing to the now-unconscious Ice Climbers. Pikachu was trying to push Popo with his head while Diddy Kong was trying to carry Nana. Donkey Kong came along, scooping up all four of them. Pikachu and Diddy scrambled onto his back, happy smiles on their faces.
Little Mac made his way to the other side of the rim, staring down another slope of the mountain with rocky platforms. "I see our way down. Let's move before this thing blows its top hard enough to fry us all."
…
PSSSSH!
Popo and Nana bolted upright, their faces and clothes dripping wet. Before them, the blue turtle creature gave them a smile. "Squirtle!"
The Ice Climbers stood up, brushing themselves off and taking their mallets from a kind Kirby. Samus took her helmet from Fox, placing it over her helmet and completing her suit-up. "Ahh. Feels good to be back," she sighed.
"So, now what?" Pit asked, taking a look around at the open grassy plain before the Smashers. "How are we gonna get to Galeem now?"
"Maybe we could head back to the falls or that ribbony place," suggested Marth. "Or rally to the Great Fox and fly to Galeem's position."
"Fox, can the ship take everyone?" queried Falco, turning to his pondering leader. "It's a possible plan, Falco. But it'd be a long trek back to the mountains and- wait, what's that?"
"What's what?" asked Pit. The only reply he got was the curious faces of his friends. Growing confused himself, Pit turned back ahead of himself… and saw a huge sprout sticking out of the ground!
"Whoa! That's one big weed!" he gasped. Olimar and his Pikmin moved to get a clearer view, the little creature staring in awe. "I've seen some pretty big stuff in my travels," the astronaut commented. "But this doesn't even get close to them!"
"What's a plant doing in the middle of the road?" asked the Mii Swordfighter. "More specifically, a plant that looks just as tall as us?"
"I wonder what happens if we try to water it," said Peach. "Perhaps- oh!"
"Squirtle squirt!" The Water-type Pokémon darted past her, followed by an ecstatic Villager with a watering can in hand. "Um, it was just a suggestion…"
"A perfect suggestion, mind you!" corrected Isabelle. The princess realized what the dog was getting at. "Oh, yes. I suppose you're right."
The Villager tipped his watering can, circling the plant and letting the liquid soak into the surrounding soil. Once he backed away, Squirtle aimed his Water Gun at the base of the plant, spewing a small stream at it. Both of them moved away… and the water faded into the ground.
"Um… nothing's happening," said a confused Red.
"Well, it does take plants quite a long time to grow," Isabelle reminded him. Beside her, Mr. Game and Watch nodded his head with Pac-Man. "All we need to do now is wait."
"What?! Wait?!" cried a distraught Pit while Bowser roared in frustration in the background. "We can't wait!" bellowed the Koopa King. "We need to punch the literal lights outta Galeem right NOW!" He punched a palm to prove his point.
"Hate to say it, but he's right!" added Pit. "Isn't there anything else we can do to-ugh!" He grabbed his chest in surprise… and gasped when the spirit inhabiting him popped out.
"Viridi?" he asked… before realization hit him. "Oh, that's right! You're the goddess of nature! Is there anything you can do to help us out?"
The spirit flew off, vanishing into the ground below the plant. For a moment, nothing seemed to change… until the ground began to slightly rumble. "Whoa, whoa! Viridi?! What're you-?!"
The plant erupted from the ground at breaking speed, sending dirt and upturned earth flying. A giant green stalk shot into the sky, stretching to the heavens above. The rumbling slowed until it was no more, and the single sprout had grown into a hulking stalk of twisted vines with leaves jutting out from the sides. Viridi's spirit emerged from the ground, flying right back into Pit's body. "Oof! Uh… thanks, Viridi," he said, patting his stomach.
"So… we climb it?" Shulk guessed. The answer came from a happy Mario, who began to jump up the giant leaves. It wasn't until he reached the tenth leaf that Shulk shrugged. "Alright, works for me. Let's go, guys."
