As eager as Marth was to look for more clues, the semifinal round of the Ultimate Tournament came, and Marth had to abandon his duties to participate. He hoped the tournament would be over soon so that he could spend his time looking for Mastermind. And even then, would it be too late? Would Mastermind have completed his plan by then? Or her, as Samus had pointed out. Marth was slightly suspicious of Samus's sudden acknowledgement of that and what Samus was capable of ("sneaking around"). He hated thinking that he accepted Mastermind into his group of Trackers, but there wasn't a whole lot that could be done about it.

Marth's battle was the last in the line of three battles before the round was over. And after that, there was only one battle left. Marth had a sneaking suspicion that Mastermind would have completed his goals by then, which put him under a sense of pressure to find him soon. The clock was ticking, and he had to make it stop.

So he wasn't nearly as excited as usual to watch the first battle between Donkey Kong and Ganondorf. Anybody looking at him would have known his mind was elsewhere. A million Smash Coins suddenly didn't seem to mean as much to him anymore. What good was money if you were dead, anyway?

The battle between the two super-strong titans was fierce. The fight took place on Brinstar. The battle started, and Donkey Kong pounded the ground with his fists instantly, which knocked Ganondorf off his feet. He followed it up by smashing him into the ground with both his fists, then throwing him off the edge of the stage. Ganondorf grabbed back onto the edge, pulled himself back on, and kicked Donkey Kong in the stomach. DK flipped back up instantly but was met with Ganondorf's Warlock Punch and got sent flying even farther. DK used his momentum to grab onto one of the squishy tentacle-like strings holding a platform to the ground--Zelda flinched in disgust--swung around, and kicked Ganondorf right in the stomach. Ganondorf was unable to make it back to the stage and lost the battle.

"Yes!" Link cheered through his teeth. "Now if Ganondorf decides to attack Hyrule again, we can just get Donkey Kong to fend him off!"

"I didn't like it when he grabbed that squishy thing," Zelda said, grimacing.

"It helped him win the battle," Link defended.

Marth forced a smile on his face which he didn't pour any emotion into at all. The two Hylians noticed his lack of excitement.

"Worried about your battle?" Link asked.

Zelda, bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, saw past that. "Worried about the series of crimes?"

Marth sighed. "Yes. It's hard to get energized about the tournament when there's an anvil hanging from a burning rope above your head. Let's just say it makes you a little nervous." He looked at them both and lowered his voice. "I feel like I'm working under a time limit. Any second now, M--the culprit is going to execute his big plan. And we don't even know where Roy is."

Link nodded. "We're going to have to speed up the searching process. But if something does happen, all of the greatest fighters are gathered together in one spot. I think we have a fair shot at taking him down."

Marth frowned. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Only somebody very stupid would attempt to take on everybody with just brute force."

Everybody else was standing up and leaving, so Marth decided to leave before he would look conspicuous. He arrived back in the lobby, walked into the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, sat down at a table, and thought.

Who are the possible suspects? We've got Ganondorf and Bowser, the two evil guys...maybe Mewtwo, because he's supposed to be the most savage Pokemon of all or something along those lines...and, as much as I hate to think about it, Roy and Samus.

Marth was actually suspicious of everybody. He barely even trusted Mr. Game and Watch. The guy couldn't talk and was the most mysterious person or creature to ever come into Smash School. What if he was part of an alien race bent on turning everybody into black, 2D creatures like he was?

He thought of an overused line: Trust no one. As stupid as it sounded, it fit perfectly with the situation.

Mastermind's hideout...it could be anywhere in the Linking Dimension. A cave, in the forest, or even somewhere in Smash School, though I doubt that; the building's only so big.

He doubted that Mastermind's hideout was in another dimension, because there were records of Teleporter usage that were uploaded to a computer every time someone used it. If someone was sneaking off in the middle of the night, they could be traced quite easily. It was initially meant so that if someone wandered off without telling anybody, they could (hopefully) be found. Fortunately, it could also be used to catch a criminal.

Roy and Samus...heroes (and heroines) that had saved their dimensions. It would make no sense to suddenly "turn to the dark side," as they say. If they really were the culprits, it wouldn't be because they planned to take over the universe. Maybe they were doing something they weren't supposed to and panicked when something didn't go right. Did Samus kidnap Roy? He didn't know. He was determined to watch everybody carefully for signs of guilt, remorse, or wondering how the fellow he or she kidnapped was doing.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he was startled when he looked at the kitchen's clock and discovered that it was five minutes until the next match was to start. With nothing else to do, he got up, went to the Teleporter, and teleported to Battlefield, where Mewtwo and Link would battle.

After a few minutes, the floating stands began to fill up with spectators. Mewtwo and Link warped onto the stage, and Master Hand began the usual announcements. The battle started, and Link moved cautiously closer to Mewtwo.

"A little ironic," Mewtwo commented, "that first your younger form battles me, then Roy, then you. Three of the Four Swordsmen." His eyes moved to Marth's face without moving his head. "Maybe I shall fight Marth once this battle is over."

Marth remembered how Roy had barely touched Mewtwo during his fight. He hoped Link wouldn't meet the same fate.

Unfortunately, he did. Link swung his sword at Mewtwo, holding his shield up in case Mewtwo countered. Mewtwo moved his body to the side, then grabbed Link mentally and hurled him over the edge of the stage. Link grabbed back on, rolled onto Battlefield, and swung his sword around him as he jumped up. He was tripped by Mewtwo's tail, then slammed back into the ground with it. Link got back up, then threw his boomerang at Mewtwo, who teleported to dodge it, and leaped at Mewtwo when he reappeared. Although Mewtwo blocked it with his mind for the most part, he was still hit by the blade and took some damage. He spun Link around and threw him into his boomerang.

"Good. You're learning," Mewtwo commented. It wasn't a sneer or a boast; he really meant it.

Link bared his teeth and stood up again. Marth knew it frustrated Link to be unable to fight his enemy. He threw his boomerang again, then swung his sword like a madman all around him. He actually got Mewtwo a few times. Since Link was more used to dealing with monsters and non-human enemies, he was doing better than Roy, Marth guessed.

"You fight quite well," Mewtwo said. "But I grow bored, so now I take the offensive."

Mewtwo was a man--or Pokemon--of few words. Although his sentences might sound strange and even a little corny coming from anyone else, the way Mewtwo said them made them sound powerful and important. Although perhaps that was because he could kill someone in a few seconds if he wanted to.

He slammed Link with his tail several times. The first hit was blocked by a shield but knocked Link off balance, the second hit tripped him, and the third one smacked him away. Before Link could go too far, he teleported in front of him and hit him in the stomach with a shadow-covered fist, knocking him even farther. He finished off the combo with a large Shadow Ball. Link couldn't make it back to the stage.

He is good, Marth thought incredulously. He wouldn't be overly surprised if Mewtwo won the tournament. And if Marth won his battle, he'd have to fight him. Mewtwo didn't fight in regular battles as often as the other fighters did, preferring to spend time by himself and increase his psychic power with mental training. Therefore, Marth knew little about how he fought, although the three battles with some of the Swordsmen were good indicators of his fighting prowess.

After the battle, Marth went to talk to Link.

"How are you feeling?" Marth asked.

Link shrugged. "A little bummed. But I was prepared for this, because Mewtwo is Mewtwo, after all." He grinned at Marth. "I don't need a dinner in the Mushroom Kingdom, if that's what you're asking."

Marth grinned back. "Well, I guess that's taken care of."

Samus walked in and interrupted the conversation. "Marth? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Marth gave Link a small nod, then followed Samus to the kitchen. He glanced around the room uncertainly.

"Are you sure this is the best place for a meeting?" Marth asked.

"It doesn't have to do with...you know. It's about your fight."

Marth frowned. "Kirby?"

"I know he may look like an eight-inch-tall pink ball of cute, but he's one of the best fighters here. I fought him in the first round of the tournament. He has some abilities and tactics which he takes advantage of during the one-life limit of the battle."

Even though he didn't want to appear cocky, Marth couldn't help but feel like Samus was overreacting. He had fought Kirby before; he wasn't what Marth considered to be one of the "best" fighters at the academy.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Samus said, scowling a bit.

"Well...I...no, I don't. I've fought Kirby before, and he's not, well, the 'best' fighter here. I'll be prepared, but just because you lost to him--"

"It's not a matter of me losing to him," Samus interrupted, "it's how I lost to him. And how Fox lost to him. Like I said, during long endurance matches, he may not seem that tough, but when there's just one life per fighter, he knows how to take you down."

Marth tried to follow her but couldn't. He had seen Kirby's tactics. He didn't see how Kirby could suddenly take him out. He decided not to get a big head, though, and made sure to remember her words.

"Well, thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind."

--

Marth looked at Kirby on the other side of the Green Greens. As always, Kirby's expression was one of carefree bliss, bouncing around in one spot and occasionally inspecting a flower by the side of the stage. In a strange sort of way, Marth thought more people should be like Kirby.

Master Hand got done with the announcements, and the battle started. Remembering Samus's words, Marth eyed Kirby cautiously. Kirby didn't seem to feel under pressure at all. Marth walked toward Kirby, then sped up at the last second, jumped sideways, and stabbed at him. The sword missed. Kirby had moved his body slightly, and the tip of the sword was stuck in the ground. Being only eight inches high certainly gave him an advantage.

Kirby looked at Marth hungrily.

Before he could react, he was pulled into Kirby's mouth by his vaccuum-like sucking. He tried to push and shove his way free, but Kirby's elastic body would not let him go. He could some of his power being drained from him as Kirby copied his abilities. Finally, he was spat back out, slightly coated in saliva. He wiped some of it from his hair and looked at Kirby's new blue-colored hair. Kirby grinned at him.

A little miffed at Kirby, Marth lunged at him and swung his sword at the ground several times. Kirby parried them with an identical sword, then stabbed Marth in the foot. Inhaling through his nose sharply, he tried not to grab his foot and yell. Kirby took the opportunity to use his Final Cutter technique and send Marth into a collection of yellow blocks. The shockwave also hit a bomb block, and it exploded, sending Marth into the air and landing in front of Kirby again. Kirby peered into his face as if to check if he was okay. As angry as Marth was at him, he couldn't help but feel a little grateful.

Still, his goal was to defeat him, so he rolled back to his feet and prepared to fight Kirby again. He aimed a kick at Kirby, then stabbed down and got Kirby with his sword when he moved out of the way. He felt a twinge of guilt at hurting the small guy, but it was a tournament battle, after all. Kirby wasn't feeling sorry for him. Or maybe he was. Actually, Kirby usually looked sorry to everyone he fought. He never held back, but he also seemed concerned (in his blissful, lighthearted way, of course) about his opponent's well-being.

Marth's hesitation cost him. Kirby came back and kicked him in the chest repeatedly with an aerial move, then stabbed Marth in the chest and knocked him over the growing pile of blocks on the left. When Kirby leaped over, Marth hit a bomb block with his sword and engulfed Kirby in flames, sending him up. He finished the move by leaping up and knocking Kirby straight back down by smacking him with the tip of his sword.

Kirby got back to his feet, grabbed Marth, flew up into the air, then slammed him back down. He kicked him in the chest repeatedly again, then gave a final kick to send him over the edge of the stage. Feeling panicky, Marth grabbed onto the stage and jumped back up. In the air, he looked up to see Kirby over him, holding his sword out.

Marth realized what he was going to do. He also realized that he couldn't stop it.

Kirby smashed him with his sword and sent Marth straight down into the bottom blast line using the "meteor smash" Marth himself often used. Marth lost the third round and the Ultimate Tournament. None of the Four Swordsmen were moving on.

--

"Hey, Marth! Are you okay?" Link asked after Marth came out of the Teleporter.

Marth grinned. "I don't need a dinner in the Mushroom Kingdom, if that's what you're asking."

This is going to become some sort of inside joke, he thought, grimacing. He noticed Samus out of the corner of his eye. He turned toward her and rolled his eyes.

"Feel free to say 'I told you so,'" he said.

"I told you so."

"Thank you. I don't really feel that bad about it, though. Now I have more time to look for Mastermind." He looked around him to check if anybody had heard him use that term.

"Zelda and I are going for a walk outside," Link said. "So if anybody asks where we are, we aren't kidnapped, we're just getting some fresh air."

From Marth's understanding, Link and Zelda had been friends since childhood, apparently, after Link sneaked into Hyrule Castle when he was about twelve years old. After Link had saved Hyrule and then come back from the land of Termina, he had several years to increase his bond with her. By this time, it was obvious that there was a little chemistry going on between them. If they both went on a walk together, likely, it wasn't just for some fresh air. More like a date.

"Mind if I join you?" Marth asked. He didn't want to ruin their romantic time together, but there were several reasons he wanted to go along. #1: After a long, hectic, battle-filled day, a breath of fresh air and a relaxing walk was just what he needed. #2: If they ran into any danger--like, say, Mastermind--he would be there to help them fight. And #3: If they found any clues, he wanted to be there to see them.

Link didn't seem too disappointed, however. "Sure. We're going out to the pond." Yep. Definitely a little romance drifting through the air.

Marth followed him to Zelda, who was waiting on a chair in the lobby. They got up and walked out of the academy.

"I've already talked to Samus," Zelda said. "She knows where we're going."

"So no search parties looking for us," Marth said. "And no breaking the rules when nobody knows where we are and goes into a panic."

They waited until they were a fair distance away before starting up conversation again.

"So, none of the Four Swordsmen are going to the final round?" Zelda asked.

Link shook his head. "Nope. Still, we tried our best. Who's going on? Donkey Kong, Mewtwo, and Kirby, I think."

Marth grinned slightly at the mention of Kirby. "Being short can give you an advantage. Especially when you're really, really short. I guess from now on, we're going to need to train for all kinds of opponents."

"That's why we're here, right?" Link said. "I still feel good about Donkey Kong beating Ganondorf that easily. It lets me know that Ganondorf's got some competition."

Zelda nodded, but her expression turned sad. "I feel sorry for Roy, though. He's not even here to see the last of the tournament."

Marth looked at the setting sun. "We'll find him. Eventually, we'll settle this. Good always wins in the end."

"Find anything else clue-wise?" Link asked.

"There's a book in the library that was on the floor in the Super Smash Bros. section," Marth answered. "It was called 'The Linking Dimension.' It has to do with the past of the Linking Dimension and that kind of thing. I haven't read it yet, but I plan to."

Marth thought about that. If Mastermind really was reading that book, it might have something to do with his plan. Maybe he could even learn where his hideout was. Marth got motivated and suddenly decided that he wanted to go back and look for clues.

"I'm getting motivated. I think I'll go back and start searching around and reading the book. I'll see you at dinner."

Marth turned around and jogged back to the academy. Could he really find out Mastermind's plan by reading the book?