Super Smash Brothers Melee

Episode 4 - The Soul Still Burns



The tournament was the biggest event in recent history. There was not a single person who did not have an investment in the outcome of it. Some people simply hoped for their local hero to win. Some wanted their local hero dead. But on a more neutral ground the tournament promised much more for a select group of people, a profit to be made.

As with all "sporting" events there was a place where you could place bets. A rather shady warehouse contained one of these illegal-betting rings...

The warehouse was almost an entire football field long, yet it was packed with people and booths. Bets did not simply stop at who would win but ranged from bets on who would fight who to what kind of attacks a contestant might use. Each booth catered to a different area where one might want to place a bet. Each booth was more extravagant from the last and a never-ending buzz could be heard from the patrons as they were constantly placing bets for the next days opening ceremonies.

But even with a pocket full of cash, one man walked through the booths with only a clipboard and a pen. He eagerly took as many notes as possible but didn't place a single bet. Several times he was stopped and searched to make sure he wasn't a cop or a rival betting ring spy. Growing tired of the searches the man hurried his work and left for the back of the warehouse. After one last inspection at the exit he left.

He hadn't gone ten feet before a voice called to him. "Do you have the information I wanted?" the man was shocked that the cloaked figure talking to him would so openly speak like that, but he soon regained his composure. "Of course I do, you are paying me quite enough for this service and for my silence" The hooded figure shifted uncomfortably. "Of course I don't even know who you are, so it would be impossible for me to expose you" The clocked figure gave out a relieved sigh, he did no like this kind of secrecy, but it was needed now.

"Let me have it" the man quickly produced a large notebook from his jacket and tossed it over. The cloaked figure looked through it quickly and when satisfied tossed a small bag at the man. He knew the contents of the bag was money, but it still shocked him that he was being paid this much for a simple recon job. "I hope we can do business again my unknown friend" the cloaked figure however was gone when he looked up. The only thing that was left behind was long brown hair.

Fox was not about to be caught paying for this info, even though he hated such secret tactics he knew that he must not be seen. So fox ran as quickly as possible until he felt he was a safe distance away from the betting floor. The contents of the notebook contained info on all the contestants, their arenas, and percentages of fight chances. All this information was illegal for contestants to view however and Fox was risking his very life by reading to documents.

But Fox didn't care, all he cared about was a ten page section dealing with his newest enemy, Kirby. Oh how fox had begun to hate that name. Kirby had thwarted the largest first strike force ever assembled in Cornerian history. And what Fox was even madder about was the fact that it seemed as if there would be no war before the tournament as he had once predicted. Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom were not fighting, and Kirby had not launched a counter attack.

Fox quickly took the section on Kirby out a discarded the rest. His honor forced him to only learn about his most hated enemies on such terms. And so fox studied, he learned all he could about his spherical foe, he would be ready.

*****

Mario looked over the list of contestants, making notes by each name.

Pikachu - fights for fun, does not take battle seriously

Yoshi - does not think his actions out ahead of time, leaps before he looks

Ness - powers can be stopped if he loses concentration

Mario stopped at the next name on the list, Bowser. Mario knew the big lizard more than any person alive. Bowser had not once been able to defeat Mario even when he used every trick and scheme he could think of.

Then what compelled him to fight in the tournament? Surely his ego isn't so big as to make him think he might actually win! But Mario's imagination did not have to go far to figure out Bowser's true motives.

The tournament would be the perfect place to kill Mario. The final battle was to the death and it's was all nice and legal. In one match Bowser could alter all of the realms.

But Mario quickly dismissed the notion. The idea of Bowser beating Mario was absurd! Yet still Mario could not shake the frightening feeling that he would most likely have to face off against Bowser in those circumstances.

After a brief pause Mario continued his work, the opening ceremonies were tomorrow and he needed his rest.

*****

The sound of a whetstone sharpening his blade soothed links mind. And that is just what he needed right now, his mind was in a constant storm. His thoughts brought him further away from his task.

He didn't want Zelda to fight, honestly. He didn't know what he would do without her. Link had never openly said such feelings, as Zelda had not either. But he knew that it was more than just a friendship.

Links thoughts betrayed him as he let the whet stone drop to the floor and land on his foot. The pain quickly brought link back to his senses and he was about to curse his luck when he heard a chuckle.

Zelda stood in his doorway holding back her laughter. Link began to blush when he realized how stupid he looked, but link quickly regained his composure.

"What is it my highness?" Zelda stood shocked. In all the time that she had known link he had never referred to her in such a manner. "I came to check if you were ok, something is obviously wrong..."

Link's voice was faltering and he had trouble speaking his mind. "I... I think.... I don't want you to fight, if something were to happen.." now it was Zelda's turn to blush. Links concern for her was touching and she didn't want to stop him. But that quickly changed.

"I just don't think that you are cut out for this kind of fighting Zelda, you would do better to stay here and..." Link stopped after he noticed how mad he had made Zelda. HOW DARE HE? He tells ME that I am not capable of defending my own people! Zelda felt like striking out against link, to prove her prowess. But instead her emotions over came her and she only turned away to cry silently.

Seeing how deeply he hurt Zelda hurt link. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything will be ok. All link could do however was embrace her from behind. After a long moment link spoke into Zelda's ear. "We shall face this, together"

With that Zelda's confidence returned to her and she turned to return links affection. They would fight, together.

****

The simple things in life, that is all Kirby had ever treasured. Kirby was always true to his instincts, he ate when hungry and slept when tired. But most importantly he fought to defend these principles with a zealous that would put most other crusaders to shame.

Kirby never fought for such silly ideals as revenge and honor. He fought because he had to. Within the apparently soulless shell of Kirby though something stirred. For one of the few times in his strange life Kirby had a definite emotion, hate.

He wanted to stand atop the tallest mountain and scream against the injustice that was war and the contestants who would fight at the cost of so many lives. How the other fighters disgusted Kirby, getting pleasure from the suffering of others.

But Kirby could not put away the feeling, the feeling against fox. Kirby always stood for a peaceful neutrality. But a burning within in him told him that he secretly wished to end the life of the man responsible for so much death.

Was it so wrong? Obviously someone killing with as much cruelty as fox deserved to die. And to do it from behind a curtain! Kirby had no thoughts of honor, but he did recognize the cowardice in fox's actions. To kill without empathy is a massacre, not a war.

Dreamland was still recovering. The damage was great, but still confined. Kirby would have helped more in this late hour but night was approaching, and he needed his rest.

****

But before night would come a larger violation than Fox's misdoings would occur. There were very strict guidelines preventing combatants of different realms meeting before the tournament. Of course combatants from the same realm would be hard pressed not to meet with each other so the rules were altered for them. But the main idea behind this rule was to prevent possible alliances from forming. And because Yoshi and Pikachu were not of the same realm, their meeting was not legal.

Yoshi and Pikachu had joined the tournament for similar reasons. Both had a deep love for competition and they both were more or less viewed as secondary players in the grand spectacle called the tournament. Both Yoshi and Pikachu are not very trusting, Yoshi had often been treated like a second banana and Pikachu had an enflated sense of pride. So it made some sense that they would join forces but it would obviously go against their natures.

"Now this has to be a MUTUAL agreement, I don't want to be doing all the work." Yoshi had stated for the third time that afternoon. "YES! I UNDERSTAND! Its not like we are accomplishing anything anyway, the chances of us together in the final 4 were we might fight side by side is slim." Yoshi did not miss the obvious reference to Pikachu's lack of respect for him. "I still view this alliance as valuable because it is obvious that some of the fighting might occur out side of the arena"

Pikachu took a moment to think that over before Yoshi continued "I think you would do well to learn were your opponents loyalties lie." now Yoshi was just pissing him off. "Listen to me Yoshi, I am not doing this because I feel I need your help, I'm doing this because i want to take no chances when it comes to the safety of my realm" Yoshi was pleased by this remark. "As do I my friend, that is why we must also plan for the safety of our realms from outsiders as well.

Once again Pikachu took a moment to reflect. "So be it then, me and you shall enter the tournament as opponents but shall not take any steps against each other beyond competition" but before Pikachu could leave Yoshi responded "and what if we do meet in... Competition?" Pikachu gave the simple answer of "we shall cross that bridge when we come to it" and with that the two partners shook hands and parted ways, they both would need a good night's rest, the last good nights rest for many days to come. Because once in the tournament, you can never sleep soundly.

****

Night was here, and all the contestants shared one thing, the need for sleep. No matter how different they all were the all slept, because tomorrow it all started. So they all slept, all except one.

NEXT CHAPTER! THE TOURNAMENT BEGINS!! DONT MISS IT!