Smash HQ was completely abandoned.
Kirby had touched down just in front of the main entrance and saw that the defensive installations were non-functional. The statues of Smashes stood proud but held traces of rust among their shine. And there was just enough power for the automatic doors, allowing Kirby access.
The pink puffball wandered through the eerie, empty halls, reminiscing on the many memories he made here. He passed the dark lobby and looked to the blank monitors… and his mind's eyes saw many fighters chatting or watching the screens. He remembered Luigi pressing his nose up against the trophy case.
The cafeteria was quiet, with no trace of anyone's presence. Yet Kirby still saw Yoshi using his tongue to snatch an apple out of Ness's hand and Sonic giving Kirby an annoyed expression- the puffball having inhaled all his chili dogs when the hedgehog was distracted by Wario.
The lights were out of power- perhaps Galeem's light had shorted everything out?-, leaving the hallways in darkness. Kirby passed the communications room on the second floor, remembering the huge, motionless satellite array at the top of the building. The gym had untouched equipment scattered all around and the armory held various weapons.
Was Kirby mistaken, or were some spots empty?
The fighter quarters were equally barren. Kirby stopped at his own room, taking a moment to chow down on stored snacks. He passed by each of the others, taking a quick peek inside.
Next, Kirby entered the briefing room at the very top of the building. Given the sudden arrival and actions of Galeem, he remembered that the Smashers never even got the chance to meet here. He did, however, recall some of the team- like Fox and Samus- meet up in this room for discussions after the Master Core incident.
Down below the main building, the garages and hangars were empty and void. If Kirby guessed correctly, the vehicles stationed here fell victim to Galeem's light and were oddly turned into spirits themselves. No karts or aircraft were anywhere in view.
Not even the simulator had enough power to be operational. But the Archives were the only thing that remained intact. Kirby decided to seal that room off until further notice, locking the door leading to the room. Every recorded event in all of the dimensions… that shouldn't be allowed to be tampered with.
Only one thing was left to check out now.
Kirby puffed up and floated down a shaft, the elevator long busted by a certain angry ape. He touched the floor and waddled into a circular chamber… and in the center lay a discarded sphere. The pedestal it once stood on had retreated into the floor.
Kirby nudged the sphere, hoping to get a reaction. When nothing worked, he gave the ball a small tap from his foot. Immediately, blue lines lit up along the length of the sphere… and flickered.
"Situation critical," spoke an ancient, mechanical voice. "Initiating final message."
The blue lines continued to flicker while a distorted sound came from the sphere. It sounded like a frequency search on a radio. Before long, the sound was replaced by a voice. A voice not as deep and booming as the Announcer's… but the same voice nonetheless.
"Super Smash Brothers… I don't know if this will get through or not. But if you're listening to this, then something terrible must've happened. Or maybe something… big. My link to this sphere has been… severed. But I should have enough power to send this through. I think I can explain, but bear with me.
Okay, to start off… my name is Xander Mobus. I come from a dimension way beyond any of yours, on a planet filled with life and technological achievements. And in my world, heroes and villains like yourselves… don't exist. And I never thought they would until I found this.
So, this sphere you're looking at? It's an artifact from an ancient civilization. But not a civilization from my planet's history. Whoever these people were, they wished to reach between dimensions and bend space. They were explorers willing to go and research all that exists. They were people who looked into souls whose bodies were lost. I'm pretty sure there's some stuff on the sphere's world to help you learn more.
Long story short, I think these guys landed on my world long ago. They didn't stay long, but they left behind some of their stuff. A- ahem- colleague of mine uncovered it all while he was working on a new entertainment system for my people. I did some digging and I discovered that these people could communicate with each other through spheres just like this one using some tablets. And I found out that only one of them remained.
But interdimensional travel and soul researching wasn't everything I found out about them. After some more investigations, I found… I still can't believe it to this day. They called it a prophecy.
It said that two beings composed of pure light and darkness had been fighting since the start of time. Pretty ironic, since my people have been telling tales about the clash between good and evil for generations. But this prophecy said that if left unchecked, the fight between light and dark would doom everything. There needed to be a balance.
And to bring that balance, heroes and villains from across universes would come together and reduce both powers to a dormant state. I think this was formed when their soul-studying was at its height because it says a lot about them.
So let me just say it… in my reality, we made you all. While in that one… well, who can really say? While you make your own decisions and choose who you are, the people in my world think they are the ones pulling the strings. They don't even believe you're real.
And I'm sure you can bring that balance. You've all done incredible things, so I have no doubts. Sadly, I may never know if you succeed in fulfilling the prophecy, for my connection to this sphere is growing weaker by the second. I just hope that when you find this recording, you'll either just be learning of this or you'll have done it.
If it's the former, I wish you all good luck. You all know what you need to do to win. Because no matter what… you always win.
But for those of you seeing this afterward… thank you. Not only have you saved your own dimensions, but you have also saved mine. My people will never know of the danger, for they deal with dozens each day. A universal annihilation is the last thing they need to hear about, trust me.
Continue to fight the good fight, Smash Brothers… it's been fun."
The blue lines dimmed away until they completely faded. The sphere clattered to the ground, lifeless and never to utter a sound again.
Kirby stared at the sphere sorrowfully. Of course, while Chiaki informed them of the ancient conflict instead of Xander, he would never contact the Smash Brothers again due to his severed connection to the sphere. He'd need a replacement for broadcasted matches… maybe stock audio would work? Or perhaps Chiaki herself would volunteer?
Kirby didn't think the others would ever know of this either. After all, he couldn't even speak to them and he was the only one who knew the truth. But then again… it was best if they didn't know.
Taking one last look at the sphere, Kirby smiled. Just as Galeem promised Kirby to keep the Smash Stone safe… he'd keep this secret safe as well.
He floated up the elevator shaft, left the building, and walked out into the open night air. Kirby hopped aboard his Warp Star, setting a course for the Smash Stone. Once he arrived, a portal opened up… and he flew through to Popstar. To Dream Land. To home.
…
"Is it really over?"
The figure turned with a gleaming red eye. "Not until we say it is."
"But Galeem is-"
"Defeated, yes. But he can never be destroyed. The same is true for Dharkon."
The figure turned to another. "The interception."
"A success," it answered. "We've abducted multiple spirits before they could return to their worlds: the ARMS fighters, Avalanche personnel, various lifeforms from the Galar region, and creatures from Erdrea. We're currently seeking souls from Fodlan as we speak. And the spirits from the new worlds stand among us… myself included."
"Good."
"With them, our numbers will grow again. Galeem may have created us too late, but that doesn't mean we are useless. We will be stronger than all soldiers before him."
"Which reminds me…" spoke the first figure. "I did say that Galeem could never be truly destroyed…"
"What? You… you can't be serious!"
"I am."
"You really want us to-"
"Yes. There must be a ritual dedicated to it. I want this group to find and perform it. The look on the enemy's face once it is done… I can only imagine."
"Why not strike now, when they believe the battle is over?"
"I will allow them to savor their 'victory'. They believe they have triumphed, that the fall of Galeem and Dharkon marks the end of their troubles. But once they return… once they are called upon again… they'll see the truth.
This war is NOT over…"
TO BE CONTINUED…
