Captain N: Into the Gameverse
Level 3: A New Game Master
Minato and the group stood before a door. He wondered what was behind this very door. He pulled his hoodie up. The door opened and there stood Palutena, the Goddess of Light, the woman whose appearance made men wishing for them to court her and… no. Those thoughts did not belong here. Next to her was a girl with silver hair and amber yellow eyes. She wore the dress of a princess, that was for sure. Simon came forward and got on one knee, kneeling before her.
"Your highness and her Holiness, we have brought the cake as you have asked. It is being moved here as we speak." Simon said, "And we have found someone who appears lost like a lamb without a shepherd."
Minato couldn't help but stare into those eyes. Those divine eyes. They were so mesmerizing.
"Oi, don't be eying her just because she looks hot." Falco whispered.
"And this stranger… who might he be?" Palutena spoke.
Her voice was like that of Alecia Deann Hillis, voice actor Lightning in the Final Fantasy XIII series and Liara T'Son in the Mass Effect trilogy.
"He calls himself… erm…"
Simon turned to Minato.
"What was your name again?" Simon asked.
"O-Oh! Sorry!" Minato said, "It's Minato. Minato Bray."
"Minato Bray…" Palutena said, "Tell me, from which world do you come from?"
He didn't know exactly how to answer. He could just say New York, but— Wait a minute, she's got telepathy. Why isn't she using that? Oh what the hell.
"Uh… New York?" Minato said.
"New Donk?" The Princess asked.
"No, Your Highness, New York." Palutena said, "Which is on Earth."
"Y-Yeah. I'm from Earth, your higness." Minato said.
"Earth?" The Princess asked, "That's not a world that is registered in the Palace's database."
"Yeah… I'm… not from here." Minato said.
There were few audible gasps. Lucina and Simon looked rather surprised. Falco scoffed. Isabelle couldn't stop wagging her tail. Mega Man… uh. He mere looked at Minato. The Princess stood up and looked at him. He immediately recognized that expression.
That's a face a girl would make if she found out that her Prince Charming was not all she thought him to be…
His cheeks flushed.
"W-Wait—!"
Palutena tapped her staff down on the floor, gaining everyone's attention. All eyes were on her.
"Then it seems my suspicions were true." Palutena said, "You are not of this world. But the question now is how you got here."
"Well… it all started when I was just working in some shop. I found this Gameboy with a cartridge that was surrounded by a rumor I heard about." Minato said, "Basically, the rumor said that the one Gameboy I found was a prototype for the real thing and that the game was a prototype as well. When I popped the cartridge in and flipped the switch on, I ended up going through some portal and ended up here. The rest is history."
"I see…" Palutena said, "It's only fair that you know more about the world you are in now."
"Palutena, let me." The Princess said.
"Hm?"
"Y-Your highness?" Simon asked, "I… I don't see any weapons he is carrying and I have thoroughly checked his inventory and he carries nothing, but it would be unwise to—"
"No, this is acceptable." Palutena said, "Princess, if you may."
"Whoa, whoa, hold on a minute, shouldn't we be thinking about how I'm supposed to go home or something?" Minato asked, "I… I've never gone out with a girl before and to be honest—"
"Then consider this an honor." Palutena said, "Just don't let anyone find a hair missing from her hair if you don't wish to die."
"Ok." Minato said, "I understand…"
The Princess walked over to him and took his hand before leading him out the room.
Minato couldn't believe it. A girl was touching him and was taking him around the castle.
"So uh… Minato?" The Princess asked.
"Y-Yeah, your highness?" Minato asked.
"It's ok. You don't have to refer to me as such." The Princess said, "You can just call me Tei."
"T-Tei?" Minato asked, "Wait, you want to drop the formalities so soon?"
"It's just the two of us, so…" Tei paused, "Would you mind telling me all about your world?"
"My world? Earth?" Minato asked, "Why are you so interested in it?"
"I just want to know what it's like there, on Earth." Tei said.
She stopped and released him. The two began to walk.
"Well… it's filled with all kinds of places. Cities with vast buildings that stretch out to the sky, hillsides across the country, blazing deserts, lush jungles and forests, rivers, lakes, and even the ocean that decides the world into many pieces." Minato said, "Most of this city is like New York or even Tokyo. From the trains, the cars, the way all the Miis act. Everything."
"Tokyo?" Tei asked.
"It's a city in Japan." Minato said, "See, there are many nations on Earth, all populated by humans like myself, though everyone on Earth looks different, but that's only in skin tone and other physical features being different from one another."
"Oh…" Tei said, "But where is New York then?"
"Easy, on the east coast of the United States of America. The land of the free and the home of the brave." Minato said, "And the country Terry Bogard and Ken Masters are from."
"Huh?!" Tei exclaimed, "You know of Terry Bogard and Ken Masters?! But you have never met them before nor have you ever heard of them!"
"That's the many perks of being a Gamer." Minato said, "I know about every video game character all the way from the 80s to today!"
"You mean—"
"That's right!" Minato said, "Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, Mr Game and Watch, Kirby, I got them all in my head!"
"Wow…" Tei said, "Wait, you say you are a Gamer, what's a 'Gamer' exactly?"
"A Gamer is someone who plays video games." Minato said, "And strangely, I have an affinity for it, as weird as it sounds though…"
"Video games… you mention them a few times." Tei said.
"Well… it's like… something like a story, only it's more interactive." Minato said, "Like how Mario saved Princess Peach from the menacing Bowser! Or how a group of warriors defeated a horrible demon to save the world!"
"Incredible…" Tei said, "So that means there must be a connection between the Gameverse and this Earth of yours."
"Huh… that does sound like one." Minato said, "So what about the Gameverse? What is it like?"
"Well it is a very large world." Tei said, "It's been split into multiple worlds made up of large amounts of data and programs."
"You know what data and programs are?" Minato asked.
"Yes, we are aware of the fact that we are all made of data. Even someone like you must be made of data." Tei said.
"So I'm guessing extra lives exist here. Is that right?" Minato asked.
"Oh definitely! Everyone has extra lives, though not always…" Tei said.
"But what about revival items?" Minato asked.
"Ah, there are those." Tei said. "Oh wait, that's right, you don't have an extra life."
"Oh… so what happens if I die?" Minato asked.
"Well, we could revive you with a revival item like a 1-Up Mushroom or a Phoenix Down as long as most of your data is intact and that your physical form hasn't been destroyed." Tei said, "If you have an extra life, it will make a new body for you to use with all of your items and weapons transferred to your new body's inventory."
"Oh… ok." Minato said, "So this uh Captain N, he's the only one who can wield the Glove of Power?"
"Of course he is." Tei said, "Only he is worthy to use the Glove and it's incredible power. In fact, I think we're near the altar that it is always kept in."
"We are?" Minato asked.
He looked to see a door with a capital N on the front.
"In here is the hall of legends." Tei said, "It is here where we keep all of our precious artifacts from days of old."
The door opened and there were portraits of prehistoric moments in gaming history. Mario's battle with Bowser, the battle against the Tyrant like in Resident Evil, Simon Belmont taking on Dracula, and there was so much more. He followed Tei deeper into the place.
"Ok, so what if he is Captain N? What are we—what am I supposed to do? Roll over and act like he's my boss all of a sudden?" Falco asked, "I mean, he can't be Captain N, he shouldn't even be here in the first place. Why can't we just, I don't know, send him back?"
"And risk interfering with other worlds?" Palutena asked, "You know as well as I do that we can't interfere with his world. We don't even know what it's like."
"She's got a point." Pit said.
"You worry about your own hide." Falco said, "The kid's just a liability at this point."
"What kind of attitude is that?! You know he can't last for a second out there!" Pit said.
"He's right. He doesn't have extra lives." Simon said, "He dies and he'll be dead forever."
"Can't we just… have some coffee? I brought coffee." Isabelle said.
"I don't need caffeine right now. What I need is an answer of what to do with the kid." Falco said.
"This isn't a time to fight amongst ourselves! What if Medusa attacks?"
"That crazy snake? What about her?"
"She almost took over my world once! Who knows if she aims for the entire Gameverse?!" Pit asked.
"Then I think we all know what we'll do by then." Falco said.
"But what if we need Captain N?"
"And rely on a kid who has no idea about how things work around here? How about we don't take that chance?" Falco said.
"Falco's right. Captain N or not, he won't last." Samus said.
"Not you too Samus!" Pit said, "Simon—!"
"I have only hope that he can live up to the name." Simon said, "I only hope he can live up to the legend."
Pit looked down.
"I'll go bring the Glove of Power, maybe it should decide if the boy really is the one." Palutena said.
The two soon looked upon an altar where a glove was sitting on it. The two went over to it and…
"Wait… that's it?" Minato asked, "THAT'S the Glove of Power? THE Glove of Power? That thing?"
"Yes, the most—"
"That 'totally powerful weapon that I assumed was the infinity gauntlet of this world' is a Power Glove!"
And he was right. It was a Power Glove, probably one of the nerdiest things to exist. It was a glove with multiple buttons on it along with a sensor on the top of the glove.
"So your people know it as well…" Tei said.
"And that it is really not that helpful." Minato said.
"What?! But it's the Glove of Power!" Tei said.
"That's not the Master Sword, Tei, it's a glove." Minato said, "A glove with buttons slapped on it and it didn't sell well for gamers, but collectors were ok with it!"
"But… try it on." Tei said.
"Try it on— do I look like Captain N to you?" Minato asked.
She was silenced.
"I thought—oh my goodness." Minato said before covering his face in disappointment, "Why is it that I'm the one who is apparently associated with this guy?"
"Because you're not from here."
"Really funny Tei, really—"
"That wasn't me."
"What? If it wasn't you, then who—?"
He stopped. He saw a woman with... snakes.
Snakes on her head.
That woman.
That skin complexion, the snakes, those eyes…
"Tei, don't turn around and if you do, keep your eyes shut." Minato said.
"It's useless, boy." The woman said, "You know I could just use magic, and besides, what use are my eyes on those who have magical protection against them?"
The woman was definitely her.
It was Medusa, Goddess of Darkness, based on the Medusa of Greek Mythology. He was looking into her eyes and she hadn't turned him into stone yet. But that would mean she's not using her magic eyes. Suddenly, she was gone. A scream from Tei got his attention and turned around, only to get slapped with enough force to cause blood to come out of his mouth. He was knocked against the wall. He looked to see the woman hold Tei hostage. He quickly got up.
"Hey! Leave her out of this! She's got nothing to do with me!" Minato said.
"Oh and you didn't want to play the hero." Medusa said, "How ironic. You still deny that you are the Chosen One and yet fate has led you here."
"You don't have to do this!" Minato said, "Leave her alone! She's got absolutely nothing to do with this! If it's me you want, then come and get me Gorgon!"
"Insults like that will get you nowhere with me." Medusa said, "Besides, I know exactly what you are."
"Oh don't you give me one of those speeches, I am not in the mood for—"
"You were but a mere child who was forced to live in a world where dreams mean nothing because of the rules of the game you were forced to play growing up." Medusa said, "And even if you understood the rules, you knew that if you lost too much or won too much, you'd get penalized for it in the end."
He stopped. Damn. She could read minds! How the hell did he forget that?!
"I may not be like Palutena, but that doesn't mean I can't read your thoughts." Medusa said, "Sure, little access to your memories, but it'll do."
"It doesn't have to be like this. Let her go!" Minato said.
"You're right. It doesn't have to be like this." Medusa said, "You could just give me the Glove and we can pretend this never happened."
"No! You mustn't—!"
"Hush child. Your father isn't around to save you. Not after Mother Brain wiped the floor with him." Medusa said, "And let's just say your brother is doing just nicely in my collection of statues. You wouldn't want me to turn an innocent bystander into stone, now would you?"
Damn! She could read his thoughts! He had to think of something! He needed a way out of this! But what?! He can't leave here! He would never forgive himself if he did that!
"Give me the Glove, and I'll release her." Medusa said, "You know it is the only way to guarantee her safety."
He froze.
"Oh such burden on your heart. You can't choose, can't you?" Medusa asked, "Guess that makes you a coward."
She…
She was right. He was a coward. Ever since he had to face the horrible truth of the world, he had to accept that he had no place. He had to forget about his dreams. His dreams were impossible for him to achieve. The peek was too great, the chasm too deep. The wall was unbreakable and unclimbable. He had been bullied by others and not one person offered to be his friend. Not one girl could look him in the eye.
He… he was a pawn, next to being a waste of space.
What could he do against her? She was a Goddess who could kill him without a second to lose. Not a care in the world.
His life was nothing more but a crappy game, even with Mr Iwata who had gifted him with his knowledge…
BEEP-BEEP… BEEP-BEEP… BEEP-BEEP…
He turned to see the Glove glowing.
"It calls to you." Medusa said, "Your life was nothing more but fruitless. A life where you can't achieve your own dreams is a life better thrown away, don't you think?"
Everything became dark. It was like he was sinking into a pit of despair.
…
Silence.
...
Don't give up. You can start anew.
'A… new?' A thought came.
…
"OBJECTION!"
Minato found himself pointing his finger at a very confused Medusa and Tei.
"Shouting isn't going to—"
"Wha—? Me? Shout? I… I wasn't shouting." Minato said, "I think I was having a reflex just now."
"You just yelled 'objection,' like you were—"
"Phoenix Wright?" Minato asked.
"Who's that?" Medusa asked.
"...! Medusa… don't tell me you don't know who Phoenix Wright is." Minato said, "He's the best attorney I could think of."
"An… attorney?"
"Yup, a simple lawyer hired to defend you in court." Minato said, "And a man who goes above and beyond to get the truth no matter what, even if it meant bluffing the opposition."
"Wha—? Enough with this nonsense! Give me the Glove or she dies!"
"I will." Minato said.
"No! You—!"
"After I thank you for reminding me just how terrible my life was." Minato said, "Up until now at least."
"What?" Medusa asked, now looking irritated, "what is the meaning of this?!"
"You were right, my life was meaningless right until the end. At least that's how it was before I got here." Minato said, "I couldn't make any friends, I'd get bullied either by getting shoved in a locker or have my lunch taken, not even the girls from my elementary school years would look at me."
"Minato…"
"My life was a crappy game, and now I think it's time that game deserves a reset." Minato said, grabbing the glove.
"Wha—? What are you doing?!"
"Why, I'm doing what I think I should have done earlier." Minato said, "I'm gonna try it on."
"You fool! You can't control its power! You don't know that it will accept you as its master!" Medusa said, "You put that glove on and you'll be sentencing yourself to a horrible death!"
"Hey, it's better than letting you have this thing!" Minato said, "And besides, what are the odds that I'll die anyway? Two to one? A hundred to one? A thousand?"
BEEP-BEEP. BEEP-BEEP. BEEP-BEEP.
"I should answer that." Minato said.
He positioned it over his arm.
"You have no idea what you're doing! You'll destroy yourself!" Medusa said, "No one has ever tamed its power!"
"Like a certain Final Fantasy character once said: Every story must have an ending." Minato said, "And like another certain Final Fantasy character once said…"
BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP!
"... I know it sounds selfish…" Minato said.
BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP BEEP-BEEP
"... but this is MY story!" Minato said.
In one swift movement, he shoved his right hand into the glove.
…
Nothing happened.
"Wow… that was… ok, it's official, this thing is nothing more but a useless power glove, I'm disappointed, my disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is officially—"
The glove suddenly flowed and lines began to crawl up his arm and began to go throughout his body. He felt his entire body being changed—no… he felt power flowing through his body like a current. Then everything went white.
He didn't know where he was, but… he saw him.
It was Iwata. Not Mr Iwata, but Satoru Iwata. The man, the myth, the legend that had made Nintendo the symbol of fun in gaming. That hair, the glasses, those eyes, they were unmistakable. Was… was he in heaven right now? Was he in gamer heaven now? The Japanese man looked at him.
He was about to take his hand, but the image of Iwata took his hand, shook, and bowed. He was dying just to keep himself from freaking out.
"I-Iwata shacho…" Minato spoke in Japanese.
"Oh there's no need for the formalities." Iwata said, "I am a mere figment of your psyche. But to be specific, I am the image of your hope."
"Wait, so you're…"
"That's right."
He turned around—! Masahiro Sakurai?! Sakurai was in here?! Wait… maybe… maybe he's an image of something else in his psyche.
"You're right." Imaginary Iwata said, "Sakurai is the representation of your will to keep going."
You know, maybe he was right. Sakurai was a man who would work so tirelessly to no end until he decided when to take a break.
"I'm the reason you wanted to keep going on. To hang onto your hope." The imaginary Sakurai said.
Then came Shigeru Miyamoto, the Steven Spielberg of Video Games. The man who made Mario and the Legend of Zelda during a time where the NES would be at the center stage of video game history. Then there was Reggie. Reggie Fils Aimé, the man, the myth, the legend of Nintendo of America.
"We're all here to support you." Imaginary Iwata said, "In fact, we supported you at times when you felt down, remember?"
"Y-Yeah… I kinda do now… now I feel bad that I—"
"It's no biggie." Imaginary Reggie said, "The moment you placed that glove on is what helped you to remember what was more important to you in life: having fun."
"Fun… yeah… that's what games are about, isn't it?" Minato asked.
He turned to Imaginary Iwata.
"Deep down, I knew. I knew that at home, I'm a college graduate, in my mind, I'm a dreamer, but in my heart, I am a gamer." Minato said, "And that's what I'll always be. A Gamer. A person who doesn't play games for nothing, but a person who plays to have fun!"
"That is what you are and what you shall always be at heart." Imaginary Iwata said, "Go now, there is a game to clear."
Minato snapped back into reality feeling a surge in his right arm. He pulls his arm back, closes his hand into a fist, and roars at the top of his lungs before throwing a punch at Medusa. Medusa was knocked away from Tei and was flying through the hall. His hood came off as he caught Tei as she fell back. Tei was looking into his eyes with astonishment. His eyes looked into hers.
There was a brief silence between them.
He pulled her back upright.
"So… you really are Captain N…" Tei said, "The Legendary Game Master whose knowledge of our world is immense and whose power is great and whose heart is filled with passion and justice…"
"I don't know Princess," Minato said, "I'm no Link, but I am human."
He looked at the glove he was wearing.
"HOLY SHIT!" Minato yelled, "DID YOU SEE HOW I WASTED HER?! SHE DIDN'T STAND A CHANCE! THIS THING IS OP AS HECK!"
"Well played… human." A familiar voice said.
"Huh?"
He saw Medusa getting back up with a bloodied forehead.
"Ok, how did you survive that?!" Minato said.
"As the Goddess of Darkness, I don't let down my guard so easily." Medusa said, "The second that punch came, I activated a spell to mitigate most of the damage."
"Well I got the glove on, so if I were you, I'd leave before Palutena finds out you're here and starts to deliberately lay down the smack down upon you." Minato said, "Trust me, no one survives getting a laser shoved up the butt."
"I'm not afraid of her. I managed to beat her."
"Yeah, at full strength while I didn't anticipate your return when I banished you." A voice said as a shining light coveted the halls.
It was Palutena! She was here.
"Palutena… it's been a while." Medusa said.
"And you have not learned at all haven't you?" Palutena asked, "The last time you were this bold, you had lost."
"Tch! I underestimated an Angel, but I do not underestimate a deity like yourself!" Medusa said.
She turned to the boy.
"I will have that glove, even if I have to sever that arm of yours!" Medusa said, "And if I do find the Ultimate Warp Zone, I'll cross it and bring the rest of your kind to extinction!"
She vanished in a cloud of dark mist.
"Yeah! That's right! You better run!" Minato said.
Palutena went over to the boy.
"So… it seems you are the one after all." Palutena said, "Still, I never thought the prophesied hero would be such a moody young adult who thought his life was meaningless. Thank god I managed to get to you before—."
"Wait, that wasn't your voice I heard?" Minato asked.
"No, I didn't say anything. At least to you." Palutena said, "I guess… that voice I heard was a part of you that saw an opportunity to… start all over and have a new life."
"Huh… I never thought of it like that." Minato said, "So… does this make it official?"
"Hmm… in a sense, yes. This makes you Captain N." Palutena said, "So Cap, how did it feel to catch a Princess?"
"I knew it." Minato said, "You totally knew I caught her."
"I'm a Goddess, these things don't slip my mind."
"And yet you let a potion get on the veggies you were about to cook." Minato said.
BAM!
"That was an accident." Palutena said, "Now come along young man, we have much to discuss about what has transpired."
"Alright fine, let me just… Huh?"
He pulled on the glove, but it didn't come off.
"Oh no." He said as his pupils were dilating, "Uh, the glove is stuck!"
"Oh? I didn't know it would get attached to you so easily."
"Hey! Help me get it off!" Minato said, "I am not walking around with a glove attached to my arm!"
She turned to him. She tapped his chest and saw lines of code that seemed to have been altered.
"The Glove has augmented all of your data, giving you all the strength it could provide you and it has made itself a part of you by linking itself to your core programming." Palutena said, "The Glove is one with you."
"So… it's now a part of me?" Minato asked.
"Yes." She said.
He fainted and fell into Tei's arms. She struggled to hold him up.
A/N: And so the boy has now taken the Glove of Power and has become Captain N.
The Power Glove
They had it on the show, but it really didn't do much, so I thought it would be appropriate to give it a better role.
No Game No Life references
If you didn't pick them up, I feel sorry for you.
Stay tuned for more folks!
