Music: "Devil Wind"
In the watchful eyes of the Toad referee, Mario's fist clashed against Kirby's pink appendage swinging from the opposite direction. Both strikes got stopped dead in their tracks, and it was another close-quarters tussle, but this opening match had only just gotten started.
Entire rows of the crowds began standing up meanwhile, raising their arms to help spur a giant crowd-wave starting to go in laps around the arena. On top of that, half of everyone chanted the vast echo of either Mario's name or Kirby's name back at the opposite side. It came as an awesome act of 'bickering' that really had to be both seen and heard to be believed.
People were utterly ecstatic over this whole spectacle nevertheless. They'd hold up countless signs, flags, and banners with names or vibrant illustrations drawn on the fronts, waving them all about to show their utmost support for whomever they might've been rooting for. Other, much more devout fans who could easily be described as hardcore, had even painted their faces and parts of their bodies with bright national colors of their homelands or worlds.
During this same time along different seating sections, stadium staff members carried around portable racks boasting a variety of drinks and snacks, offering them out to anyone interested. Many did get refreshments, and all the while, those ginormous display boards showcased the live match in much more glorious detail for all the people way up on the higher levels.
Perhaps most incredibly was how all these things could be going on at once: All this liveliness and energy being cherished by everybody here in the day's vivid light and cool high-altitude breeze, like a euphoria that no words could properly articulate.
Yet, amidst said everything, the focus of course was still down there on the smash platform, where the action had gotten much more heated.
Mario held the offensive pressure on Kirby ever since that blunt collision, and was steadily forcing him closer and closer to the platform's edge. In a last ditch effort, the Star Warrior shot out his right foot in a low angle and managed to strike the plumber directly on the side. He grunted, stumbling back a few steps.
The assault faltered here on Mario's part, so Kirby was quick to take advantage. He forced his red-shirted opponent to raise his forearms up and block as he swiftly threw jab after jab at his torso, gaining some leeway from his dangerously close proximity to the edge.
With Mario now on the defensive, it was time to take a chance. Kirby lunged forward, trying to follow up his string and tackle Mario by grabbing around his waist, but the mustached man knew his pink opponent would try for that. He rolled aside while the puffball dove straight past him, face-planting on the AstroTurf instead.
A sensational reaction of mixed emotions erupted all over the arena, from eager howls to shrieks. It was clear Mario had the advantage in the match thus far, and this might have been Kirby's one chance to turn it around. Those fears for many of his fans began to come true when the plumber grabbed hold of the Star Warrior's feet.
Once again, he swung around on a pivoted foot and threw Kirby hard, only this time the direction was straight off the platform.
Kirby seemed to do nothing to save himself at first. He kept descending further and further from the platform, almost landing on the cradle of safety nets which would deem him K.O'd. But alas, he wasn't quite finished yet.
Just as the Star Warrior was about to strike them, he inhaled a huge amount of air and puffed himself up. Flapping his arms, he started to ascend back toward the ledge where Mario had now taken a defensive stand at. The mustached man kept his breathing steady from this strenuous physical activity while he waited, watching his opponent quickly come up to the platform's level. He was somewhat surprised though when Kirby rose higher than him, gaining a little air superiority.
The whole stadium became sucked dry of almost every form of sound in a matter of seconds meanwhile, with all the innumerable eyes and cameras being so transfixed on these next few moments which would no doubt determine the match's outcome.
Kirby figured he was the right distance above Mario to go for a falling attack, so he did. He spun his body around and attempted his famed downward twister-kick, but there was one problem. He'd started the move a dime too early while in the air above his opponent, so he was left discombobulated from spinning.
The Dreamlander realized he'd made a terrible mistake, but it was too late now. Mario's opportunity had opened wide up.
Silence rang out from everywhere as the plumber leaped high into the air with his fist reared and clenched, going for a second attempt at his famous airborne smash. This time, however, it slammed dead-on top of Kirby's head right as he was about to land on the ledge. Through a little squeak of his voice, he rocketed straight back down to bounce gently on the nets.
All of this happened in what seemed like the blink of an eye, but the match's outcome was as clear as the day's sky above.
"... Yes...! YES...!" Throughout the massive and almost dead-quiet stadium, only one voice could be heard at first. That was the faint yet utterly exalted cheering of Captain Falcon, who waved his arms up and around amongst the few others standing there with him at the end of the exit hall.
At last, the Toad referee held up a green card tightly in his hand and announced into his headset, "That K.O is good. This first match is done."
An astounding aural eruption of fanfare immediately followed, for the K.O was indeed Mario's. His name started being chanted all around the arena, helping to confirm it ever the more.
"What a BREATHTAKING opening act that was, ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer declared, over the roaring excitement, "The winner of this first match is without a doubt... MARIO! I say, give it up for our man in red!"
Humbly, the mustached plumber stood here at the very center of Sector N's attention this moment. He took off his cap and smiled big, bowing back politely to show his gratitude of everyone's approval. The glory was all his to reap in the congratulating midday light being showered by their Nassazar sun, along with that cool breeze caressing the sweat-tinged hair on his head.
Mario merely did it in his true nature, however; that of pure goodwill and honor. He wasn't ever someone who would be overly boastful, like many other smashers might do if they had won decisively like this.
"YEAH! Alright Mario-mah-man!" Captain Falcon grew so jubilant that he swiftly glanced down and around, seeing Pikachu standing not far from his legs. Thus he snatched the yellow-furred Pokémon up off of the floor and held him out by his front arms, before starting to swing around in a comical dance of sorts.
"He did it, he did it!" The F-zero racer chimed enthusiastically, "Mah-man-Mario did it!"
Pikachu's pointy ears and lightning-shaped tail swayed to one side from the inertia, though he did shut his eyes adorably and share this true excitement by laughing gleefully in his jargon, "Pika! Pika-pi!"
Also giddy with energy over Mario's exhilarating victory were Luigi, Yoshi, and Red. They all clapped big high-fives with one another.
"Told ya he'd do it, Luigi!" The trainer exclaimed.
"Haha, oh yeah!" Luigi was definitely overjoyed and glanced another time at his older brother standing out there as if to reaffirm it. "Mama-mia, my bro did it! Yahoo!"
Even Yoshi added a vibrant cheer of his own by hailing, "Yoshi!"
Further back in the training facility, both howling cheers and disgruntled groans bellowed from the hundreds of other smashers. Obviously they were quite divided over supporting either Mario or Kirby, and now that Mario had won, the projector was showcasing instant replays of that glorious finishing move in a plethora of fancy camera angles. Money bills were also being ruefully passed around to those who had won the bet on him, or vice-versa.
Then there was Lucina. Despite all the celebrations amongst the others, she'd crossed her arms with a visible hint of disappointment in her eyes from the outcome, although a slight smirk still remained on her lips.
"Mm, that's kind of a shame. I think Kirby could've managed, had that last kick of his struck and thrown off Mario's defense again..." She tried to reason to the others, yet no one seemed to be listening so she just sighed. "Regardless, I guess this was the luck of the draw for Mario."
"... Hehe... C'mon now, Princess Lucy, don't be salty." A mischievous Captain Falcon wisecracked from his place beside her, "You had to know he'd win with a dunker like that."
A little taken back, she turned to face him, only to see Pikachu sitting atop his shoulder happily.
"Winning isn't about being lucky, it's about being bold." The F-zero racer chuckled, "And that's exactly what Mario was right there. He really hit lil' Kirby over the head with this one."
Lucina didn't appear fazed, though. With a sense of doubt in her tone, she challenged him, "Hmm... I fear you might be assuming too much. Even you can't deny that luck at least plays a small part, of that I'm certain."
"... Maaaaybe so...!" He cocked his head and smirked. "But still, ya might wanna think again on who you'll be rootin' for."
Now the blue-haired Princess couldn't help feeling a tiny bit disheartened, so she turned to Ike instead to see what he made of the outcome. Apparently the mercenary was more nonchalant, telling by the reaction upon his face. He'd blinked only once after Lucina watched the side of his head for several moments.
"Well, so much for that," she uttered at last, adjusting her leather scabbard.
"... Hm?" Ike's attention returned. "Oh, sorry... I didn't quite catch you."
Lucina scoffed lightly. "Remember how I said I had that hunch about Kirby, Ike?"
"Oh, right, that..." He glanced back out at Mario on the platform as Lucina fidgeted with her hand. "Heh, I'm pretty sure I know who I'll be cheering for this time."
"... Huh?" She realized he'd missed what she was trying to get at. "Ah, I guess what I meant is... I still believe in it."
Ike looked at her, somewhat in disbelief. "You're still going with Kirby's chances? Even after what just happened?"
Lucina shrugged, yet defended her choice. "Well, as they say, the future is not written. I know I've learned sometimes that anything, and I mean anything can happen. So yes, I suppose I do still feel confident for the little Star Warrior..."
The mercenary raised an eyebrow briefly, thinking about her words and what all they could imply. Perhaps she did have a point, but then again, Ike felt equally confident in his own way.
"Alright, it is your decision... But as for me, I think I'm definitely going to put my wager on Mario."
"Oh?" Lucina then gave a rather inquisitive smirk. "Though, what if I also told you, I've been right with nearly every one of my intuitions?"
Ike returned a small scoff of his own, "Hold on a minute, are you saying you can actually predict the-"
"Hey, uh, guys...?" Red suddenly intervened in their little conversation as a mediator of sorts. "Couldn't we all just agree that it'll be a real awesome match no matter what?"
"Pika-wika!" An energetic Pikachu agreed with his trainer and hopped down from Captain Falcon's shoulder. They were right, though, so Ike and Lucina just gave each other another quick grin to let it settle.
"Heck yeah!" Then the F-zero racer chimed in, "We gotta get ready to see Mario kick some bootay again!"
Lucina couldn't help but shake her head lightly and sigh through her nose. She was willing to prove all of them wrong by trusting her feelings on the future, however it seemed that Red also held some differing thoughts of his own.
"Actually, Cap, part of me says this is gonna be a different round. I'm pretty sure it won't be where, um..."
He was about to say something more, when another voice promptly rose up instead:
"... Where one mistake, and it's all over..."
From behind the group of Luigi, Yoshi, Pikachu, Red, Lucina, Ike, and Captain Falcon, it was Little Mac who stared out with a blank concern at the sights ahead while a small towel rested around his neck. The boxer had made his way over to join them just in time for witnessing those final moments of that first match, and he spoke as though he were connecting the pieces of something profound.
"Huh... Doc really wasn't kidding..."
Quite unlike the rest of the stadium, everyone in the royal audience had applauded much more respectably, yet Peach still had her hands covering her mouth from being so surprised at that sudden nature of the match's outcome.
Daisy, on the other hand, was not surprisingly the sole person here who'd actually stood up on her seat, hollering like a true teenage cheerleader at heart.
"WOOHOO! YEAH! YOU GO, MARIO! Holy mackerel! Did you see that ownage, cuz?"
Eagerly, Daisy sat back down and just about hurt her neck from turning towards her regal relative so quickly. She even leaned in close to hear what she had to say.
"Oh my...!" Peach finally uttered, "Um, well... It sure ended real quick, I guess..."
She paused a beat, giggling somewhat, "... Ended real quick from his fist...!"
"Gosh-darn right! He had poor Kirby back on his heels almost the whole time!" Daisy then swung the opposite way and faced Zelda who was concluding her share of applause.
"... How 'bout it, Zelda?" She nudged her on the shoulder. "What did you make of that awesomeness?"
The Hylian Princess tilted her head and formed a subtle grin, although she didn't think to face Daisy at first. "I'm not sure I can say. I admit, it was an impressive and skillful display by Mario, but still... I can't help but wonder if Kirby wanted to hold something back on purpose..."
"Agh," her Sarasan compeer seemed to wave off the notion. "Kinda sounds like excuses to me, Zeldy."
"... We'll see though, shan't we?" At last, Zelda turned to face Daisy head-on. Her pale-blue eyes pierced deep into Daisy's own, past a devious smirk. It was interesting, since her eyes, just like Link's, held that special quality deep within them which could effectively persuade or deter someone depending on the scenario.
In this case, it surely appeared to deter Daisy, because she just uttered an uncertain scoff and replied likewise, "Yeah... I guess we will..."
Music: "To the Ends of the Earth"
Down on the safety nets, Kirby lay flushed with a somewhat disappointed look upon his face which was half-covered by the stark shadow of the smash platform above. He gazed upward, observing that magnificent white halo of the sun bulging over the silhouetted shape of the structure as the shadow's edge struck right along his squinted eyes.
Seemingly out of nowhere, a fleeting thought suddenly crossed his mind that the time of day was still only around noon.
Then Kirby's much bigger realization of the present moment came back to him. Somewhere up there on the smash platform were all those missed opportunities and possibilities he'd held for that first match. Now they were merely whisking off like dust, forgotten amid the passing bouts of breeze.
"Poyo..." His cheeks tinted a darker shade of rosy pink from the apparent embarrassment flowing through him, yet despite that initial feeling, he fully accepted the outcome for what it was. He'd messed up his timing by a fraction of a second. That's just how things went in these tournaments.
Indeed, like Little Mac had solemnly recalled from Doc Louis' wise words earlier: Even the smallest mistake could quickly spell defeat.
Kirby turned over so he lie on his front side and stared straight down for a number of moments, through these layers of netting separating him from kilometers of a free-fall. He watched those blanketing patterns of fluffy strato-cumulus clouds churn slowly, shrouding any sight of the land so far down there. Even still, he thought he caught a glimpse of what looked like the shoreline of a huge lake, somewhere between a little schism in the pale.
By now, several of the Koopa Paratroopas on the stadium crew who'd been standing by on the sideline platforms had flown down and come to a hover right above the K.O'd Star Warrior.
"... Need any help there, Kirby?" One of them asked in a friendly manner, though the puffball shook his head.
"Poyo," he answered brief, for he was perfectly alright. He got back on his feet and wobbled a bit from standing on these semi-elastic nets, before inhaling another huge gulp of air to float back up to the platform.
Mario stood there with a foot at the ledge, and after setting his cap back on straight, he happily reached a hand out to Kirby as he approached. The Dreamlander grasped it, and thus the two super stars were re-united where everybody could see them again.
"... Hey, you did-a-well." Mario leaned in, gently brushing off the top of Kirby's head where his fist had struck. The friendliness in his voice was as reassuring as that warm, lighthearted smile upon his face was.
"Hehe, I just-a-hope that it didn't hit-a-too hard, eh?"
Kirby simply beamed back, "Poyo."
He fully understood Mario's intent, because how could someone with such a cheerful personal nature like Kirby's possibly be upset in a scenario like this? Nonetheless, after standing back up, they gave each other a good sportsman-like handshake before turning to face the awaiting crowds of their entire known galaxy.
There they stood side by side, holding each other's arms up to the vivid midday sun and waving all around as they were granted another huge round of cheers and adoration. Even the Toad referee came up to them and offered his own congratulating say:
"Well-played from each of you. That was a clean and solid first match."
Both smashers began to feel as though they were weightless, being carried away with these immense currents of cheering voices. At least, that was until the announcer's voice arose and overpowered everything once more:
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, there you have it... The very HEART of what these tournaments are all about. Two contestants who hail from very different worlds and backgrounds, standing as one. No matter who we are, or where we may hail from, and no matter if we win or lose... In the end, we are all here from across Sector N, together in celebration... Just like Mario and Kirby down there right now."
Thunderous applause followed in wake of those striking yet purely truthful words.
"... But that was only the FIRST SET," he added energetically. "This is going by the best of three, so we still have another match, or two to witness depending on what happens!"
Concurrently, more Koopa Paratroopas on the stadium's sideline crew had gathered several water coolers and were hoisting them up in pairs. They then flew out to the smash platform and offered Mario, Kirby, and even the Toad referee a refreshing drink break in-between the matches.
"Grazie, boys." Mario graciously got a paper cup and filled it, taking a few rejuvenating sips of the ice-cold water. On the other hand, Kirby just opened his mouth under the tap and let the cooler's entire volume empty into his seemingly bottomless pit-of-a-stomach, until the very last possible drop fell from the end of its knob.
In the meantime too, the announcer went ahead and read out honors for the major sponsors of the event:
"Of course, we'd also like to take a moment and give a huge thanks to each and every one of our sponsors who are making this milestone tournament possible. Special funding is being provided from our associates at the Inter-Sectarian Sports Association, the Mushroom National Bank, the New Donk City Collective, Vista Range Group Limited, Star Cruise Lines, ..."
Mario, in the middle of another sip, couldn't help but roll his eyes somewhat as that list of all the major sponsors and advertisers for Midair Stadium went on. If every single one were to be listed, it would probably take an entire hour or two. Of course not many people payed much attention to the sponsor list anyway, yet then again, none of this would be possible without them due to the unfathomable expenses associated with funding and organizing an event as massive as this.
Nevertheless, Mario, Kirby, and the Toad referee soon finished their refreshments, so everything was ready to begin resetting for the second match of the set. The crew of Koopa Paratroopas withdrew back across the chasms to the sides with the coolers and used paper cups in hand, disposing of them in a recycling can nearby.
"... Alright then," declared the referee. "If you're both ready, you can go ahead and retake your starting places."
Nodding, the two walked and re-assumed their respective positions on each end of the platform, next to their trophies still placed in those ring-mounts. Thus the plumber and the Star Warrior waited across from each other once more. With all seeming to be ready again, the announcer went ahead and clarified:
"Remember... If Mario wins this match, he'll advance to the next bracket! If Kirby wins, then we'll be having a THIRD deciding match between these two super stars!"
A final wave of howling approval swelled from the crowds, signifying a good portion of the stadium would indeed love to see this set taken to a third match. So with that, the announcer asked:
"Smashers, are you ready?"
Mario raised his thumb up high once again, and as if on cue, the whole arena instinctively quieted all the way back down to that same eager silence in awaiting the next countdown.
"Oh boy, here we go guys...!" Captain Falcon whispered to Luigi, Red, and Yoshi standing there at their perfect viewpoint. The time was nigh, and from out of the quiet, that magical first number came again.
"Three..."
The scene had been reset. Everything appeared completely fresh. This was either Mario's or Kirby's match to seize, so once more they closed their eyes as the numbers counted down slowly. On the other hand, the electrostatic nature of all this excitement fizzing throughout the air was doing just the opposite. There seemed to be no way it could stop from rising higher and higher.
"Two..."
Mario figured he had to repeat a similar strategy to what he did last time: Mount a strong offensive pressure on Kirby through predictions, while only taking occasional small strikes. The main question for him, though, was how much more difficult could it really be?
"One..."
Kirby had a significantly tougher challenge ahead of him. If he wanted another chance to win this bracket, he had to not only emerge victorious from this match, but also do so in the next one. A totally new strategy was required on his part, yet he couldn't afford to mess up this time, so the question would be whether he'd manage.
"GO!"
It was day one of the Bicentennial Galactic Smash Tournament. The singles: Round one, bracket one, match two. To imagine that this was still at the beginning, all things considered.
Now came another clash, a series of blows, and more cheers. Almost immediately, however, this match was playing out quite differently than the first.
Kirby proved to be the one gaining the advantage early on. He'd definitely altered his strategy, while his red-shirted opponent tried to do the exact same approach as before; without a defensive plan B. Perhaps Mario thought it would be easy based on that first match, but as things seemed now, the exact opposite proved true.
"Aw no, c'mon, Mario! Nooo!" Captain Falcon worriedly clasped the top of his head with both hands as he witnessed Mario getting steadily knocked back, towards the platform's edge so soon. A blunt upward strike from Kirby then caused him to stagger back a good several meters, since it impacted right on his portly torso after having his defense broken down.
Little Mac watched the ongoing action with a sense of neutrality over whom he might have been rooting for, although the others certainly held conflicting thoughts.
Luigi was covering the lower half of his face with both hands, wincing at every consecutive hit his older brother took out there. Likewise, Red exchanged an anxious look with Pikachu who'd gotten back to being perched on his right shoulder. Even Yoshi had trouble keeping his jittery feet in place and emitted some soft yet worried whimpers in hoping the best for his human partner in red, white, and black out there.
They were all sharing a collective concern for Mario's fighting performance, or what looked like an unfortunate lack thereof this time.
Lucina and Ike stood at a loss of words on the other hand, seeing how fast Kirby was managing to turn it around in his favor. Their mouths both hung partially agape, and they even glanced at one another a few times out of surprise. Deep inside herself, though, Lucina was jumping up and down with excitement, for it appeared she was being proven correct.
Those other hundreds of smashers were still gathered further back around the projector screen with the live match showing, yet to no one's surprise, it sounded like there was a much stronger sense of competition this time.
"Argh! Mario, watch out! No, block that! Get him! GET HIM!" Someone would shout, before another fired back, "Yeah Kirby, PUSH 'IM BACK! Keep up the pressure! Whooo!"
Apparently there could be no middle ground whatsoever. Everybody in there had grown a lot more rowdy, with an even stronger dissonant jumble of voices clogging the air. Yet back outside, it was that invisible energy transfusing somewhere between the myriad dense layers of clamor from the crowds.
This was the match after all which would determine Mario's decisive two-to-zero victory, or the one which would give Kirby a second chance at potentially claiming said victory for himself.
Mario huffed a quick breath and threw his fists up, parrying another incoming slug from Kirby. He countered by swinging his leg down along the turf and clipping the Star Warrior's feet.
Flipping over, Kirby collapsed on his side, but managed to roll away just as the plumber dove for a tackle. Both his arms and face dug into the rough turf a bit after the miss, yet it seemed the puffball was already more than a step ahead. He hopped over Mario's head and bounced off his back once, landing in front of his legs and grabbing hold of them.
Now it was his turn. A bewildered look covered Mario's face as he was hurled into a high back-drop, slamming right onto his rear through a dense thud and a loud wave of reactions from the crowds to accompany it. He picked himself up quickly, though, and turned just as Kirby was running at him again.
He tried going for one of his flying spin-kicks, yet a determined Mario foresaw it this time. The mustached man jumped up first and gave the Star Warrior's body a broad side-kick of his own, sending him flying backwards to tumble across the turf. Kirby went a good eight meters until he skidded to a stop.
With this sudden opportunity presenting itself, the plumber dashed forward and delivered another clean slide-tackle underneath, catching his opponent right as he was getting back on his feet. Kirby flipped over yet again, but managed to land upside-down on his arms and offer a backward kick straight across Mario's face as he was turning to follow up. The man jolted, spinning around in the air several times before falling flat on his hands and knees.
Unfortunately for Mario, he could barely lift his head up before Kirby struck again with a swift upper-cut that knocked him even farther away.
The plumber stumbled and struggled to keep his balance when one of his shoes slipped halfway off the ledge, leaving him teetering precariously. Then he looked ahead, just in time to catch the sight of a determined Dreamlander barreling straight toward him.
Mario literally had no time to react. His opponent's foot impacted square on his chest and thrust him back, out into mid-air.
The man's body felt weightless, as though he were being carried by nothing except those swelling sound currents of the crowds' deafening reactions.
Yet, Mario managed to retain full focus. He threw his arms out in front of himself and barely grasped onto the platform's ledge with one hand, before his already-narrow chances of recovering were lost. He even swiftly reached out his free arm in time to catch his cherished red cap and save it from falling all the way down to the nets.
Struggling to hang on for this very match's sake, Mario just couldn't manage to grab on with his other hand. Kirby came to a stop directly above him at the ledge and they both eyed one another for several moments, with Mario being downright determined while Kirby appeared rather satisfied.
The Star Warrior lifted his foot up to stomp the plumber's hand off, but the mustached man had other plans ready to take form.
Just as Kirby's foot was about to come down, Mario clenched his teeth tightly, summoning the utmost of his remaining inner strength. He grunted and swiftly reached all the way up with his other hand; fully passing the ledge and grabbing his opponent's grounded foot. Then he pulled back, hard.
Mario's action took Kirby completely by surprise. All his stability suddenly got yanked away from under him. Now he too was out in mid-air, falling down to the nets once again while the plumber hung on dearly, hoping his last-ditch effort did the trick perhaps.
Alas, this hectic smash still wasn't over quite yet.
Like last time, the pink Dreamlander inhaled a huge volume of air to inflate himself and start rising back toward the ledge where Mario had finally gotten a firmer hold with both hands. Midair Stadium quickly fell devoid of any significant sound yet another time from this utterly electrifying eagerness. It was always these final few moments which were the most tense after all.
The mustached man grew tired from struggling to hang on nevertheless, losing more and more of what remained of his already-sapped energy. Through a heavy breath, though, he started to lift himself up. His face visibly contorted due to the physical demands of it all, but he was managing.
However, Kirby had now risen several whole meters above Mario's head, when he suddenly exhaled all the air he'd been holding.
In an act that looked like more of a gag than anything else, he fell down onto Mario's head and used it as a convenient footstool to land safely back on the platform. That force of his weight was enough to cause the last ounces of the plumber's grip to slip off, and send him plummeting below with no hope of recovery.
He struck the safety nets and came to a rest after bouncing a few times, yet the crowds' reaction seemed to be twofold.
Naught but silence prevailed at first, especially from a certain flabbergasted F-zero racer who was just clasping the top of his head. None of his acquaintances there with him for that matter; not Luigi, Yoshi, Red, Pikachu, Little Mac, even Ike or Lucina could offer any kind of initial response. All of them retained speechless looks across their faces.
"... That K.O is good," the Toad referee finally affirmed through his headset, holding that green card up high in his hand again. "This match is done."
In wake of those words, that's when it came: The second eruption of glorious fanfare, only this time it was all for Kirby's reaping. His name got cheered through and through, just as Mario's had been the time before.
How the tables had turned, indeed. This match was likely already over though when Mario first got knocked off, since Kirby's air superiority was second to none in a situation like that. Still, the mustached man had put up a valiant fight the whole way.
"WOW! What a showing that was, ladies and gentlemen!" Even the announcer himself sounded a little surprised as he told the results, "The winner of this match is... KIRBY! I don't believe it! He's managed to bring this set back neck and neck! It's a ONE-TO-ONE TIE!"
The masses howled with rigorous approval, because everybody knew what this meant. Now the third match was to be the decider for which of these two would advance to the next bracket, so the stakes had just become that much higher.
Peach for one understandably felt a bit disheartened by her dear Mario's defeat, but she wasn't on the verge of tears or anything. Indeed, while she may have been a quiet and reserved Princess on the outside, Peach was undeniably strong-willed on the inside.
Deep down she knew that her mustached hero still held a good chance, although Toadsworth and Birdo were nonetheless trying their best to help keep her spirits up.
"Oh... Come now, Princess Toadstool," her steward said in his earnestness. "Please don't be distraught. Master Mario performed admirably, and I'm certain he'll pull through in the third match."
"That's alright, Toadsworth," Peach replied calmly and confidently, "I know he will."
All Zelda had to do meanwhile was shoot a subtle albeit satisfied grin at Daisy, raising her eyebrow up and down once. She'd been proven correct from her speculation earlier, and she knew that Daisy knew too since her body language looked rather stiff.
The Sarasan Princess tightened her lips and merely returned a dense expression to Zelda, which probably went something like: Yeah, alright, Zeldy. I get it. You were right, and I'm eatin' it. Now just put a sock in it, will ya?
"Ohh, mama-mia...!" Luigi hopelessly pulled his cap down over his eyes and tried to shut out the sights. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was seeing his dear older brother lose at competitive events; especially in a manner like this when he'd done so well right before.
Of course, sharing this feeling of churning disappointment were his fellow supporters of Mario.
"Pika..." Pikachu articulated something glum in his jargon. His eyes and ears remained drooped as he sat on Red's shoulder, who could only agree with his fuzzy yellow Pokémon partner.
"Yeah, Pikachu, you said it..." He shook his head. "What a heartbreaker..."
Yoshi stood there likewise with his head hung down, sighing a small whimper of hopelessness. Even Little Mac had lowered his eyebrows somewhat from witnessing Mario's loss. There was one person here, however, who held quite the opposite reaction.
"Yes! YES! HAHA! I KNEW Kirby had it in him!" An exuberant Lucina hopped around a few times and then turned, embracing Ike with a big tight hug.
"... L-Lucina...! What's that for...?" Ike, quite taken back, scoffed and looked down at her tiara atop her dark-blue hair since he was practically a full head taller than her.
Lucina didn't realize what she'd done, until her eyes widened and her cheeks started burning a rosy red.
"Oh...! M-My apologies, Ike...!" She quickly let go of him, standing shyly now with her hands behind her back. "I-I guess I'm just excited for Kirby, you know...?"
The mercenary surprised her by agreeing heartily, "No... I wouldn't be sorry. You have every right to be excited, really...! I can't believe you were right, because I was sure wrong. We all were. Maybe... Maybe we really ought to be listening to your intuitions more?"
"Ah, what am I saying...? This is so wonderful, Ike!" Lucina jubilantly threw her arms around him again for the sake of their celebration.
"For Kirby's fortunes?" She then asked him.
"... Yes, for Kirby's fortunes...!" Ike gently hugged her back this time, but began to notice something inside himself which he couldn't quite describe. It was a kind of comforting warmth.
Beneath his smile and happiness, Ike felt surprised that Lucina was actually embracing him like this here and now. He could smell the sweet scent of her fair hair as he closed his eyes, deep in thought. He didn't expect her to do this at all, yet here she was, holding him; even doing so through a hint of passion.
Maybe, just maybe, Lucina did sense that Ike held some hidden feelings for her, and she was trying to show him that she acknowledged it.
The last person here though was none other than Captain Falcon, who came across looking particularly sour this time. He leaned against the tunnel wall with his arms crossed and lips pursed, cocking his head a bit to the side.
"Meh," he tried to sound rational. "That was nothin' too special, if I can be the critic here. Kirby just got lucky this time, and besides, ol' Mario's got this next one he'll win, right guys?"
Luigi, Red, Pikachu, and Yoshi all appeared to agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. They even nodded in hoping for the same. Lucina on the other hand wasn't daunted, for she remembered the very words he'd said to her a few minutes prior.
"... But I thought winning was about being bold, no?" She started to tease, having finished the hug with Ike. She mostly got a kick out of watching his face struggle to maintain a straight expression.
"Hmm... I'd say... Kirby sure hit Mario over the head with this one, wouldn't you agree?"
The F-zero racer just sighed rather heavily. He didn't want to face her, since he knew she was obviously toying with him on purpose for his mirrored remarks to her.
"Yeah, you could maaaaybe say that..." He then began to admit, attempting to comically imitate her own voice, "What, whaddya want me to say? Do ya want me to say... 'Sure, even you can't deny that luck at least plays a small part in it?' Is that what ya want?"
Of course, Lucina could have made another snobby comeback, but she just smiled and giggled instead. She knew she was right about this, and she knew that he knew as well, even if he didn't want to show it.
"... No, it's alright," she replied after a beat. "I wouldn't make you do that..."
Again, Captain Falcon grumbled and muttered something under his breath. He remained unwilling to face the Ylissean Princess, who kept eyeing him through an understanding smirk. A thought soon passed and Lucina blushed, looking down at her fingers which were fidgeting. She stepped over to a spot right beside him and nudged her elbow against his muscle-laden forearm closest to her. Lo and behold, this simple touch instantly broke down all of that stubbornness he'd been hoarding.
Captain Falcon did finally turn to face her, a bit taken back of course, but Lucina's sly grinning was what made him break. He uttered a kind of admitting chuckle and simply smiled along with her.
"Ah well," he started lightheartedly. "I'd reckon it's fair to say that we're even now, huh?"
"Mhmm, that's one for one on both counts." She happily agreed with him, "And don't worry, you're not wrong. Mario does still have a fair chance to win."
Indeed, everything was coming down to the bare wire, yet that nagging question remained.
Just who would end up prevailing: Mario, or Kirby?