The Day the Universes Collided
Chapter Thirteen
Outskirts of Center City
Game Realm
Time: 1200 hours
"Whaddya mean, it's outta gas?!" Allstar shrieked as the Links stood by the side of the road. Dark Link leaned against the car and shrugged.
"We drove it in Hyrule and, face it, you can't find a Texaco in Old Hyrule. We drove it in Gallera and I forgot to get the tank filled. So yeah. The car's empty." he replied flatly, "You and Elfin owe me gas money."
"Well, this is just great." Allstar grumbled as he tapped his earrings again, "I'm gonna have to call for a company car and Zelda is gonna chew me up and spit me out for missing our date. How many days have passed by here?"
"According to the info Zero sent us, eight days have passed since you two were snatched from this realm." Maverick answered and frowned. "And I don't like what I see in the distance." Elfin, Link and Waker were looking out at the far north, where a black shadow seemed to rise from the earth and tower over the land.
"On the bright side, Microsoft Fortress isn't blocking out the sunlight again. I can work on my tan while you call SNES MegaMan X and SNES Zero to pick us up." Dark Link remarked cheerfully as he put his arms behind his head and sighed in contentment.
"Oh great." Allstar muttered as he began dialing on his phone, "I get to listen to Zero's damn country CDs."
"Every world we go to seems stranger and stranger." Link murmured as Waker stood beside him. They both sighed and shrugged. "That's life for a hero, I suppose." he added and Waker nodded.
Some thirty minutes later, a large black van with a red logo on the side drove up to the group and parked. Allstar blinked as a black motorcycle with the same logo on its side pulled up alongside it and stopped. Both vehicles had the familiar logo 'Nintendo' emblazoned on the sides. The driver of the motorcycle removed the helmet and glared at Dark Link, who paled and forced a smile.
"Hey, Zel! How ya doin'?" he stammered. Dark Zelda, commonly called Zel, sat stiffly in her seat, dressed in a leather jacket, ice blue tube top, black jeans and high top boots and a silver chain wrapped around her waist. Her hair was jet black with a single lock of silver hair streaking down near her right temple. With dark blue eyes and delicate face, she looked like a dark underworld princess, holding the otherworld Links captive by her beauty.
"King Bowser's pissed. You two are in trouble." she said simply and jerked her head at the van, which had GC Fox McCloud at the wheel, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in irritation. "Get in the van."
"Who is that?" Link whispered to Dark Link, still staring at her. Dark Link sighed and grinned weakly.
"My wife. And my bodyguard." he answered, "Uh, Zel, about my car and that appointment with Master Bowser...."
"We've got Joanna Dark on the way to pick it up with a tow truck. The meeting was rescheduled for after the alert goes down. Get in the van." Zel ordered again. Dark Link stopped smiling.
"Alert? What happened at the base? What's going on?" he asked as the other Links headed for the van and climbed in. Zel put her helmet back on and flapped the visor down, hiding her face in the darkness of it.
"Nintendo was attacked." she said flatly, "The Hunters killed Allstar Luigi." With those dark words, she revved up the bike and rode off, driving towards the western land, the territory belonging to the Nintendo Home Base.
"Okay, three questions." Allstar Mario growled as the Nintendo Twins stood over his brother's body, infusing it with restorative energy, "One, where have you two been?!"
"Uh...." Allstar and Dark Link started to reply.
"Two, why did you two shut off your homing beacons?!"
"Uh...."
"Three! Why are those FanFics following you around?!"
"Uh...."
"We're not FanFics." Maverick growled as he watched the Twins restore Luigi to life, "We're from parallel worlds and we're on a mission. Now shut up, fat man, and listen to what's going on." Mario shot him a glare and scowled up at the elves.
"What is it, then?! Can't any of you see what's happening? The base is being besieged again, and this time, we have no idea how the enemy is getting INSIDE the complex!" he snapped. The Nintendo Twins vanished once their work was completed and Luigi joined his older brother. Link and Waker looked around in shock, seeing the burns and holes in the walls of the main hall of the base. Elfin looked indifferent and Maverick wasn't affected in the least bit by the destruction.
"It's a long story about where we've been." Allstar sighed, "I'll report it in an hour, but we all could use some rest. Can we be given that much at least?" The Mario Brothers looked at each other and a strange look passed between them. They nodded silently and turned to oversee the remaining repairs as other injured characters were moved to the sick bay. "Dark Link, we need to get to the medical wing pretty soon to get healed. Maverick, since you come from a Nintendo base, can you show the others around?" Allstar asked as the two elves walked away.
"I'm a tour guide now?" Maverick muttered and scowled, "I'll have you know that the only reason why I know this base inside and out is because I once tried to destroy it myself." He sniffed disdainfully and waved at the other Links, "Come along. I'll take you to the Zelda quarters. You'll all have to pose as FanFics. Try not to attack anyone." he added, "That's my duty."
Nintendo Home Base teemed with life, all kinds of characters milling about and working to maintain the video games they starred in. Waker lagged behind the close-knit group of Links to stare in awe at a huge screen overlooking the auditorium. On it was a recording of a fighting tournament, the opponents in the fight were a figure in red and gold armor and a boy in strange blue armor.
"Watching the Smash Brothers Tournament rerun, Waker?" a deep voice rumbled behind him. Waker jumped and whirled around in horror. Ganondorf stood there with a grin on his face. "Hey, kid, ready to go?"
"G-g-g-guh...!" Waker stammered in shock, his face turning white. What was Ganondorf doing out of the bottom of the Great Sea?! He himself had witnessed him turning into that statue! Ganondorf faltered in his smile, looking worried.
"Waker? Little Link, are you feeling okay?" he asked, reaching out to him. He placed his hand on Waker's head and the Hero of Winds screamed, stumbling back. "Whoa! What's up?!"
"Link! Hero! He's free!" Waker shrieked and Link came running up to him.
"What's going on?! Ganondorf?!" the Hero of Time exclaimed in shock as the Gerudo looked at Waker strangely, then at him.
"Did you two touch the Triforce of Power again?" he asked in exasperation as Maverick returned with Elfin, scowling. The real WindWaker Link arrived with WindWaker Zelda, both dressed in shorts and shirts with the Zelda logo emblazoned across them.
"Hey, Ganondorf! We're over here!" they cried, running up to him. Both of them were children and smiled cheerfully up at him, before looking at the Links strangely. "FanFics? In the base? Did we open the tours again?" Waker blinked in shock as he stared down at the younger version of himself looking up at him with a frown.
"That's me!" he exclaimed.
"Wrong, you're me. In a FanFic Author's mind, you're what I'm supposed to be." the Little Link replied, "You weren't going to attack my game's Ganondorf, were you? I'll call security if you do." Ganondorf bent down and lifted the two kids onto his shoulder, grinning as they giggled.
"Sorry, man. I thought you were my little buddy with the Master Key pulled." Ganondorf apologized to the still shocked Waker, "Okay, Link, Zelda, you two ready for the movies?" The kids laughed and nodded, chattering happily as he carried them away to another wing of the building.
"Can you explain that to me?" Link asked, dumbfounded and staring at Maverick as if the world had gone insane. The captain shrugged.
"Nintendo life. All sweetness and good fun. Makes me wanna show them my memories and wipe those stupid smiles off their faces." he replied and turned his back on them, "Now come on. Before you do something else to embarrass me."
They hadn't gone very far when the Allstar Twins rejoined them, dressed in clean tunics and fully healed. Allstar stretched and smiled at them as Dark Link waved away the Shadow Links attending him.
"Regeneration capsules are the single greatest invention SNES Dr. Mario ever came up with!" he laughed and looked past the group, "Ganondorf! Hey, man, you got healed too?!" Link looked over his shoulder and froze as the Gerudo King he had fought with in his world ran past him and swept Allstar up in a bear hug. "Ah, no! Don't do that in front of the guys! Not the-!"
"Noogie!" Ganondorf declared, rubbing his knuckles into Allstar's hair as he held the elf down in a headlock, "You're gonna be gettin' one for every payday you cost me during Majora's Mask! Where have you been all week, Link?! You had me and Zelda and the whole gang worried sick!" The Gerudo let him go and sighed, "You know we panic when you're gone and we don't get a signal from the beacon. Prince Dark Link is too valuable to lose and you're the Smash Brothers Champion, the only one capable of coming up with strategies that can bust through attacks without fail." Allstar gingerly pat his head as Link eyed Ganondorf warily.
"You grow flowers around your tower?" he asked dubiously. Ganondorf blinked, then glared sidelong at Allstar.
"You told them about my petunias, didn't you?" he growled and tackled the blonde elf, wresting him to the floor as Dark Link sighed in exasperation. "Blast it all, Link, I told you not to tell anybody about my petunias!"
"If this is what Ganondorf is like, I'd hate to see Zelda." Link muttered as he took a step back from the two Triforce Holders rolling around on the floor, struggling to get each other in a headlock again.
*****
Eventually, the group made it to the section of the base where the Zelda characters resided. Allstar showed the other Links some spare rooms and had to help clear one out. Elfin raised an eyebrow as Link and Waker stared down at Allstar, half of him hidden under a bed.
"NO! I don't wanna leave!" a young boy's voice wailed from underneath.
"Young Link, you'd better get out from there if you don't want N64 Zelda to drag you off to The Limited again!" Allstar declared.
"But this is MY hiding spot!" The wail grew louder as Allstar wiggled backwards from under the bed, dragging along a younger version of himself by the ankles. "Naaaah!" Young Link screamed and kicked at his hands, freeing himself so he could run to the door. "I'm telling NES Link on you!" he shouted from the doorway and ran off.
"Kids." Allstar grumbled as he dusted himself off, "Well, Link, this is your room. If he sneaks back in, just boot him out again." Waker looked out the door and blinked as a group of Zeldas walked past, all laughing and clutching shopping bags. Each one looked a little different from the others, all of them unique.
"How many Links are there?" he asked in wonder, watching the SNES Link walk past, reading an issue of GamePro magazine. "And why does that one have pink hair?"
"Seven, last time I checked." Allstar replied as he walked out of the room into the main room. He flopped onto a couch and propped his feet on the coffee table, "And his hair is pink because his Zelda keeps getting him the wrong hair dye. Actually, it's not pink, it's fuschia."
"There's a difference?" Link asked sarcastically, "I saw two of them with red hair. And one on that strange window with brown hair." Allstar made a face.
"Eight then. That's Link Chance, our cousin. He's in the Zelda cartoons. Biggest snob I've ever had the misfortune to meet." he grumbled and tightened his hand into a fist, "If I had to hear him say 'Excuuuuse me!' one more time, I swore I would bash his teeth in so hard, they'd come out the back of his head!"
"What about CD-I?" Maverick questioned in a soft, dark whisper. Allstar stood quickly and glared at him.
"He's not a Link. He never was and never will be. I will not hear that name uttered within the walls of the Nintendo Base. He's a disgrace to the Zelda name. I'm glad he was killed in the blast that destroyed our home." he hissed. A beep went off, breaking the tense mood. "Allstar, here." the elf declared.
"Allstar Link, we have a suspicion that a traitor in Nintendo is giving X Spirit information needed to break into our base. Go and see to Aftermath Link. He should have a list of suspects." Allstar Peach announced from the intercom, "You'll find him in Master Control."
"On my way." Allstar replied and looked at the group. "You guys wanna stay or come with?" Link and Waker looked at each other and shook their heads.
"This is too strange for us. We'll stay here and try to keep out of sight. Both of us nearly attacked Ganondorfs that are actually innocent of any crimes and evils." Link replied for the two of them, "And I'd like to read whatever books are here. Maybe if I knew more about this world, it will be easier to distinguish the true enemies."
"We've got the library, but it's in another wing. There're plenty of magazines here and Aftermath's room is packed with books. You can browse them if you want." Allstar told them and headed for the door.
"I'll stick around here, too." Elfin decided and flopped down onto the sofa, grabbing the TV remote and flipping it on. Maverick followed Allstar.
"I want to see who this Aftermath Link is and whether he is who I think he is, Allstar." he growled as he ran after the elf.
"Dark Link went back to the Dark Side, so he'll join us later." Allstar called back, "You're welcome to follow me to the Master Control Room, just don't hack anything!"
****
Master Control was a large room filled with large servers all running smoothly. Allstar walked cautiously past them, glancing back at Maverick often to see if he was trying anything odd with them. The captain scowled and folded his arms on his chest.
"I'm not doing anything!" he hissed as they made it to the end of the room. A frightened cry sounded and they stopped to see who it was.
Sitting at a computer was Advance Link, the hero in Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. A ring of some kind was wound around his head and connected to the terminal. He had a startled expression on his face; his perfect, flawless face. Maverick scowled again. This Link was this world's version of himself...and he hated him already.
"Sorry, Aftermath. I didn't mean to get you scared." Allstar spoke softly, holding his hands up. Aftermath calmed and smiled shyly, then looked back at the screen, closing his eyes halfway as a series of files scrolled up at an incredible rate. "So what have you been doing?" Aftermath tilted his chin to the screen. "Those are the files on all the characters in Nintendo? You're searching for the suspected traitor?" Aftermath nodded slowly.
"Why won't he speak?" Maverick growled. Allstar sighed and looked back at him.
"He's suffering from the trauma of First Day. Ever since Nintendo was destroyed and everyone was killed, he had been withdrawn and unresponsive to me." he replied quietly, "Even after we restored the base and the characters with the Nintendo Backup System, he's never really come back to us. He had some scars on his face from one fight and we had those removed once everything was set up again, but the emotional ones are still there."
"So this Advance Link retreated into himself?" Maverick growled, "Pathetic." Aftermath Link blinked suddenly and the screen went blank. The boy took on an expression of sorrow and removed the ring from his head. He hopped down from his chair and looked up at Allstar.
"Done." he whispered and walked away, still pale and shaken from what he had discovered. Allstar Link cocked his head in confusion, then shrugged as he followed him out with Maverick, whipping out his phone to make calls again.
******
Nintendo Council Room
Nintendo Home Base
Game Realm
Time: 1300 hours
An hour later, the group of heroes found themselves in the council room of the Nintendo Home Base. Sitting at several podiums were the Allstars; Peach, Link, Dark Link, Donkey Kong and Aftermath Link. Above them were the Golden Mascots, Mario and Luigi. The other major characters and the alternate Links stood around the room, waiting for someone to speak.
"We had suspected for quite some time that there was a traitor in our midst, giving X Spirit the information to enter the base and wreak havoc on us." Mario began, "I asked Aftermath Link to seek out the traitor, as we all know that he is the greatest computer expert in the base. Our own little 'hacker' as you may think of him." The plumber looked down at the little elf, who got up from his seat and walked around to face him. "Reveal to us now, Allstar Aftermath Link, the identity of the traitor or traitors."
Aftermath Link nodded and looked again at Allstar, with the same sorrowful expression. Allstar furrowed his brows and lifted his head from his fist, blinking. He didn't like that look. Something wasn't right.
With a sigh, Aftermath Link headed for a small bin of toys and dolls. He rummaged around and pulled out a single plushie. Hugging it close to his body, he walked back to the center of the room and looked tearfully up at the other Allstars.
"Reveal the identity." Peach echoed Mario's words. Aftermath Link sniffed once, then brought forth the plush doll, holding it up for everyone to see.
It was a plush doll of a Link....