A/N: Quick heads up, Stephanie is a transgender female.
Matt was intrigued with the coliseum as it remind him of the Arena Ferox stage from the simulations. It had three separate pathways that led out of the stadium as well as the fourth one they entered from. Kyle couldn't help but observe the various architectural designs carved around it. The pinkette soon took notice of a few words that seemed to be scratched in.
"The... Stadium... of... Light?" Kyle deciphered in question.
"Stadium of Light?" Matt asked his fellow host.
Kyle nodded, "Yeah, that seems to be the name of this arena."
Matt hummed in thought before looking at the rundown arena again, "It seems this place has had better days."
"Yeah, it would seem so..." Kyle added, "Though why would Galeem have a place like this?"
The host of Mario shrugged, "Maybe she is also a fan of gladiator fights?"
Kyle was about to make his comment, but a calming melody began to play. The two hosts began to search for the source and their eyes soon made their way to the top of the arena. On the post of the middle was a teenage woman with a thin blonde ponytail and closed eyes while strumming the Goddess Harp. She wore a white mask that concealed her mouth and a blue Sheikah outfit with a long white scarf.
After Stephanie stop to play, she opened her eyes to reveal them to be red.
"Stephanie... " Kyle muttered before he and Matt got ready. Knowing the host of Sheik was a tough opponent, they had to take her down. Stephanie said nothing as she gave them a hardened gaze.
The two hosts were too busy having their eyes on the Sheikah, they failed to hear a scraping sound along the walls. Matt and Kyle soon heard it and dodged an overhead slash from another teenager. The teenager in question was a blue-haired male and dressed in a royal-knight-like attire with a blue cape flowing. In his hand, he held an ancestral sword that was dubbed the Falchion.
Mason immediately went for a Dancing Blade as his previous threatening surprise attack failed. Matt avoided it by jumping back, landing nearly the right entrance of the arena. Kyle quickly donned his Sword Copy Ability and clashed his sword against the possessed host of Marth.
Matt was about to come over there but a bowling ball nearly hit where he was standing. Looking up, he saw two more possessed hosts. One was a young brown-haired boy around the age of 12. He had a large red shirt with a blue "1" on it, black shorts, and blue sneakers. The other host was a young girl with pink pigtails. She was dressed similarly but in an oversized pink shirt with a daisy on it and red sneakers.
Violet, the host of female Villager, was busy placing the blame on Victor, the host of male Villager. "I told you to drop it when he just jumped over here!"
"Hey! Timing is everything with this move!" Victor retorted.
Matt had seen the two and decided to deal with them first as he knew Kyle was capable of handling Mason himself. Planning to get up there, the host of Mario got out a Propeller Mushroom, allowing him to gain the Propeller Suit. He took off, performing simultaneous wall jumping before blitzing up and drilling back down on the Villager duo. Victor noticed the incoming host and dodged while Violet was knocked down by the impact. Matt discard the Propellor Suit and let his hands crackle with flames. Victor, enraged, gained his red boxing gloves before getting in a boxing stance.
Back with Kyle, Mason had gained a slight disadvantage since the former shifted to a range approach with his Staff Copy Ability. Swinging his pole around, he performed Raging Staff, giving the host of Marth a relentless attack with his staff. The attack was interrupted when a grenade appeared at the host of Kirby's feet. A thin wire caused the Burst Grenade to explode and sent Kyle flying into a ruined pillar. Stephanie appeared with Vanish before drawing her kunai and Mason pointed the Exalted Falchion at the downed host, daring him to stand.
Kyle wouldn't do that as he gained a purple cloth skullcap on his forehead. Using his Ninja Copy Ability, he used Blossom Storm, causing a storm of cherry blossom petals to erupt and backing the two possessed hosts away. Using the distraction, Kyle jumped to a nearby pillar with Wall Jump -as his Ninja Ability allows him to do that- and used Knife Throw at them. Mason deflected a few out of the air while Stephanie countered with her throwing knives.
Back with Matt, the host of Mario socked Victor away before pulling out a Lazy Shell and kicking it towards the mayor host. The host of the male Villager Pocketed it before holding it in his hand and waved it tauntingly, "Hey mister! I think you lost this!"
Matt pushed the annoying thought about how the spirits possessing them were egging him and popped out the Ultra Hammer while he running when Victor threw the Lazy Shell. The Heavy Troopa shell was enormous but Matt had the strength to knock it back. Victor was too busy gaping at the fact Matt just whacked the shell and was smacked right in the way of the incoming projectile. Victor was sent plummeting towards the ground and quickly strapped on his Balloon hat, allowing him to flutter down safely.
Matt wiped his forehead, grateful for Victor's quick thinking, before seeing Violet back in the fight. Unlike her spirit's male version though, she started with her umbrella. Matt would have found the choice of weapon humorous but having seen both the Parasol Copy Ability and his girlfriend's weapon, he was not inclined to make a joke and just spun his hammer back into his hand.
Violet went first in the duel, going to strike the tip of the umbrella first but Matt parried the attack with an upward swing. The impact made the host of the female Villager get off-balanced and Matt followed up with a Super Punch. Hearing the coin collecting sound, Matt dropped back as Violet went falling to the ground. The attacker cringed at the thud when Violet hit the ground. Making sure she's okay, Matt felt for a pulse and was relieved with that before leaping off with Violet in his arms and landing safely. He placed her against a broken pillar before addressing Victor, who now had an ax in his hands and a dangerous glint in his red eyes.
Matt got a few flashbacks to some ax murder films he watched but steeled his resolve, fished out his Hammer Suit, and drew two hammers before clashing.
With Kyle, the constant throwing had ceased with Stephanie pulling out a kusarigama and hurling the sickle towards the pinkette who dodge it. The host of Kirby had no time to breathe as Mason came in with another Dancing Blade, Kyle shielded himself with the Stone Ability in the appearance of a muscular man in a pose. The host of Marth soon grew angry and launched a Shield Breaker attack that only scratched the exterior. Morphing out of his statue, Kyle landed a Stone Uppercut allowing him to connect with the jaw of Mason. The attack launched him back into a pillar when he slumped over unconscious from the attack.
Kyle let out a breath before Stephanie dashed at him. The host of Sheik did a triple backflip into a Bouncing Fish, nailing the host of Kirby in the chest. The pinkette felt his wind knocked out of him and attempted a Final Cutter at the close range. The Sheikah maneuvered around the blade before Kyle used Cleaving Cutter then Cutter Dash. The final attack took Stephanie out of the fight but was not fatal.
Kyle panted as the host of Sheik fell to her feet behind. The host of Kirby rolled his shoulders, a bit sore from the duel, before seeing Victor sent flying into the arena as well. Matt, having thrown the boy, dusted his hands off in satisfaction before meeting with Kyle.
After a few minutes, the four hosts regain consciousness.
"Ow... what hit me?" Mason said before seeing the three other fallen hosts, "or rather us?"
"Yeah, all I remember is getting hit with that beam," Victor recalled, rubbing his forehead.
"It felt like we were possessed..." Stephanie thought aloud.
"Well, it's more than that," Matt said, getting their attention.
"How so?" The transgender asked before both Matt and Kyle told them about what happened.
"Wow... that's... a lot to take in..." the host of Sheik said before getting worried about the others.
"So everyone is gone?!" Victor said before he and Violet hugged each other in fear.
"No... just possessed," Matt placated them before putting a reassuring hand on them, "But we will free them." The Villager duo calmed down at the declaration before giving reassuring nods.
Mason was just about to sheath his era's Falchion before a Master Hand appeared. The six hosts readied against the Master Hand, but the white glove entity just snapped its fingers. The hosts were confused until they heard a rocket-like engine.
From the middle entrance of the stadium, a metal-coated Sonic with a Rocket Belt strapped to it landed with a red glow in its eyes. From the right, a Wendy Koopa puppet with two smaller yellow-colored R.O.B.s arrived. And on the left, a Richter and blue-dressed Zelda puppet duo glared at the opponents.
"These must be those puppets you mentioned," Stephanie addressed as six hosts eyed their opponents before taking off to deal with them and free the trapped spirits.
Matt and Kyle charged at the metal-clad puppet, the two taking their respective fire powers and unleashing fireballs and Fire Breath respectively. The metal Sonic avoided the fire attacks with its Rocket Belt. It performed a Homing Attack, nailing the host of Mario in the chest before giving a Sonic Eagle to the host of Kirby, but the latter attack gave the puppet a burn due to it hitting the fire crown.
Stephanie whipped out the Goddess Harp, strumming to play Bolero of Fire which countered the Zelda puppet's Din's Fire. The host of Sheik played Song of Storms, sending clouds of lightning and strong winds to knock away her spirit's other half. Mason meanwhile deflected the Richter puppet's Vampire Killer as the latter displayed such control. The whip eventually wrapped around the Exalted Falchion, causing both of the fighters to stand their ground.
The Wendy Koopa hurled a Mecha Koopa at the Villager duo but Victor Pocketed the explosive minion before summoning a Lloid Rocket. He rode the Gyroid smack dab into the female Koopaling's Clown Car, sending her back. Violet, on the other hand, had quickly planted a tree. The tree grow instantly as the two R.O.B.s began their assault, but were instantly crushed by the Timber attack. The host of the female Villager gained her boxing gloves before joining the host of the male Villager in pummeling the Koopaling puppet.
With Matt and Kyle, the latter gained his Sword Copy Ability and attempted to slice the metal Sonic puppet but the opponent merely Spin Dashed through the male pinkette. It was tempting to do it again, but Matt came in with his Shell power-up. They banged into each other before they both ended up stopping and a bit dizzy. Both recovered and the puppet struck first with a quick punch to the Italian's gut before kicking him away towards the other host fighting it.
Matt picked himself up and Kyle whispered an idea to the Mario host. He nodded along, crackling fire in his palm before applying it to Kyle's sword. The host of Kirby soon gained the Sizzle Sword and launched an attack. He struck with Upward Slash then dived in with Sword Dive. The wave of fire aftermath of the last attack sent the metal Sonic puppet towards the entrance it entered from before becoming a spirit of a metallic hedgehog robot.
Stephanie avoided a Phantom Slash from the Zelda puppet before swapping to her kamas. The Phantom swiped its sword again, but the host of Sheik intercepted the attack with her weapons. The possessed armor began to win the stalemate, but Stephanie swapped one of her kamas for a Deku Nut, which she threw at 'Zelda.' Too busy commanding the armor, the puppet was stunned and broke her concentration of her Phantom, which allowed Stephanie to low sweep the Phantom and finally break it.
Mason eventually won the tug of war, pulling the Exalted Falchion with the Vampire Killer. The Richter puppet, enraged his weapon had been taken, rushed in with Sliding Kick but the Marth host Countered the attack, sending the puppet back into a dazed Zelda puppet. Getting up, a Burst Grenade went off, the explosion sending them off as Stephanie appeared from above with her kunai and slashed through the possessed duo, ending their fight.
The Wendy Koopa puppet was casting spells with her wand, but the Villager duo was Pocketed them and sent them back. Pulling out his ax and her slingshot, the Villager hosts ran again. The Wendy Koopa fired a series of cannonballs, but the mayor duo avoided each of them before the female Koopa took a different approach, ramming into the two with Clown Kart Dash. After the donut, the Koopa puppet laughed at her opponents.
Thinking she was smug, 'Wendy' aimed a cannon from the Clown Car but Victor rose and hurled the earlier thrown Mecha Koopa and it exploded in the vehicle. It sent the female Koopa in the air which Violet reached with a leg-up from Victor and whacked her with three turnips. Pulling out his ax and her slingshot, the Villager hosts ran again. Violet fired any pebbles she came across and mildly irritated the female Koopaling. Though what the feminine Koopa didn't see was Victor coming around before hacking with his ax. The hacking slashed the midsection of the puppet fighter, ending her vessel.
"Whew! Those are some tough puppets," Victor huffed out before regrouping with the others.
"It's safe to assume there are many more out there. Not too much our friends captured as well. Each loyal to this Galeem," Mason declared.
"Well-a we can't save everyone by standing around," Matt said before saying his spirit's signature line, "Let's-a go!" With invigorated emotion, the six hosts took off into the nearby forest.
Ready to defeat this goddess.
A/N:
I associate Sheik as a ninja along with the Goddess Harp she uses in Hyrule Warriors. So Stephanie/Sheik utilize ninja techniques and the harp for her attacks.
Mason is royalty or at least comes from a royal heritage like his spirit, Marth. And since Marth is known for his swordplay, that will be a majority of his attacks. I am not completely familiar with swordsmanship but I will get it a go.
Victor and Violet are both twelve. Seeing how both Villager and Isabelle both improvise with their objects, that is how they will play.
As for the guest reviewer about Ryu and Ken hosts: No, but I guess that can be their Korean names.