Chapter 2: Round 1
"Wait…we're really going to fight?" is the first thing the smashers hear as they leave Hyrule.
"Yes, Ganondorf, we are. Thank you for volunteering." Link grinned.
Ganondorf was struck silent, then paused. "What sort of war are we fighting, then?"
"We're fighting against these shadows that can take over people's minds, and they're apparently plotting to take over the world." Master Hand explained.
"Oh…I just recognized you, Master Hand. And Bowser! This brings back old memories, doesn't it?" Ganondorf smirked.
"Don't remind me." Bowser groaned. "That harebrained scheme brought humiliation on all of us." (A/N: See my second fic, now down at #200 or something)
"Enough!" Master Hand interrupted. "Stop arguing."
"It was your idea, Master Hand." Ganondorf pointed out.
"Ssssh!" whispered Samus. "We're here."
"Wh-" Ganondorf started to say, but was immediately silenced in awe.
The entire landscape was gray, with occasional streaks of black. The smashers' eyes had to focus before they could see anything. After that, they could faintly make out what appeared to be silhouettes. Suddenly, the ground started to quake, and a low rumbling could be heard.
"Whoa! You hear that?" Falco queried.
"No, bird-brain, of course not." Mewtwo replied arrogantly. "Your ears are so much better than ours, after all."
Everyone glared at Mewtwo. "This isa a team, Mewtwo. Youa have to acta like it. Everyone elsea is…more ora less…" Mario reprimanded, and then trailed off as the quaking stopped and the rumbling began to sound more and more like – laughter.
"You fools!" a deep, sinister voice thundered through laughter. "You dare disturb the shadows in their own realm?"
"We'rea not afraid ofa you!" Mario replied bravely.
"Well, maybe you aren't, Mario…but I bet ol' Master Hand is! He's already seen our power. He knows what we can do!"
Master Hand shouted back, "You surprised me before. Now, I'm ready for you."
"We'll see about that." The voice replied calmly.
With that, the entire area grew brighter, and the smashers could now clearly make out a large army of shadow warriors, and one huge person-shaped black object far away.
"That's him! The leader!" Master Hand stated.
"Yes, I am the 'leader', as you say. You can call me Anomaly, but my subjects call me Emperor Eclipse."
"Eclipse? You mean like Nathaniel Eclipse?" Master Hand gasped.
"Huh?" the rest of the smashers wondered in unison.
Master Hand quickly proceeded to explain the reference, until Anomaly interrupted. "Enough of this foolishness! Shadows, ATTACK!"
The smashers prepared for battle as the shadows charged forward.
"This is it! The first battle of the war!" Master Hand rallied
"Oh? You wish to fight a war, do you? Well, that's different!" Anomaly shouted gleefully. "I'll have to make this more interesting then!"
The shadow leader's arms shot up, followed by two massive pillars of whatever the ground was made of. The shadows stopped their advance.
"Yikes!" Falcon shouted.
Mewtwo rolled his eyes, and fired a dark ball of energy at a pillar. Anomaly laughed, and the pillar bent to one side. The projectile passed harmlessly by.
"What?" Mewtwo gasped, flabbergasted.
The smashers could barely avoid laughing, but soon Anomaly reminded them it was no laughing matter.
"You didn't seem to realize that I have complete control over this dimension! Now you will pay the price!"
With that, Anomaly's arms came down, and so did the pillars. They reshaped into a rapidly closing bubble, right around the smashers, threatening to squash them like bugs.
"PICHU!" the baby Pokemon, apparently trying to prove its worth, unleashed its full power onto the walls. Unfortunately, the walls stood firm and still collapsing, and Pichu promptly fainted. The smashers sighed collectively.
"Master Hand, I think it's time to leave." Kirby suggested.
"That's another plan you've ruined…" Ganondorf muttered, not quietly enough.
Master Hand pretended not to hear. "Could someone get Pichu, please? We're…we're leaving."
The smashers could sense Master Hand's unmistakable shame and humiliation, but no one said anything until Samus replied, "Sure, I'll grab him."
She extended her grappling beam and pulled Pichu toward her, as the walls fell ever closer. Master Hand sighed almost inconspicuously, and the group disappeared in a blue flash of light.
The walls collapsed, shattering. Anomaly's laughter permeated the entire dimension, and echoed through the portal, as did his taunt:
"If they want a war, they'll get one."
The smashers emerged onto Master Hand's platform.
"Well, that went well." Zelda sighed dejectedly.
"This war is going to be tough." DK added.
"Obviously, we're going to have to wait for the shadows to make the first move," Master Hand commented. "We can't fight them on their home turf."
Everyone nodded grimly in agreement.
"We're going to have to get some outside help." Peach suggested.
"I can't imagine who, though." Fox replied.
"Well…I guess while we're waiting for the shadows to attack, we could go after Crazy Hand and Giga Bowser." Kirby pointed out.
"Huh?" Falco asked, blankly.
"Two villains…apparently they met the original group before." Mewtwo replied.
"Pikapi! Chu, kachu!" Pikachu clarified for Jigglypuff and Pichu.
Suddenly, Link and Samus gasped. Link whispered, "Incoming!"
Sure enough, a portal was forming behind the smashers. Everyone turned to face the portal, and got into battle poses.
Could the shadows be attacking them? Was it Crazy Hand? Or something else?
(A/N: Ooh, how dramatic. Anyway, Marth and Roy may not make it into this fic…but they'll certainly play a large role in my next one, since it will be a war and all.)