The Day the Universes Collided
Chapter Twenty
Nintendo Home Base
Game Realm P.C.
Time: 1415 hours
"No...." Allstar breathed, gripping the SPC tightly. The other heroes stood in silence, unsure whether to be grieved or infuriated. The other Advance Links, the personas Maverick released earlier, looked back at them, confused. What should they do now? Maverick had not backed up his own memory in a few years. To resurrect him now would mean losing all memory of what had been happening.
"Are you sure you checked every square inch of this dimension?" Elfin asked the Watcher, "Even the ruined planets?"
"I've monitored the various times and worlds for as long as Time lasted." Zero grumbled, "I know what I see and the fact is that Maverick is nowhere in this space! He's dead!"
"What about another dimension?" Link asked hopefully, "Maybe he used his powers to go into another dimension!" Zero shook his head.
"Impossible. Maverick doesn't have the capability to do that. Only a being of great power could...waitaminute...." he trailed and pouted, brows furrowing as he thought hard. "There is one place I haven't checked. But he couldn't possibly...I mean no one could...that is, no one alive....but...."
"But what, man?! Spit it out!" Dark Link snapped angrily.
"I'll call you back." Zero muttered and clicked off. The group remained silent for a few moments, staring at the blank screen as the doorway opened for them to disembark the ship.
"Well, shit." Link muttered, causing a few heads to turn to look at him in shock.
*********
???????
???????
Time: 1415 hours
"Maverick...." a voice called softly.
Head hurts. No, go away. Let me die.
"Maverick, wake up...."
I'm coming, Allstar Link and Dark Link. I'm coming, everyone. We'll be together again soon.
"Maverick, if you don't wake up, I'm going to turn your armor purple with pink polka dots." the voice said irritatingly.
Maverick slowly opened his eyes and looked around warily. All around him was white, pure white space. He glanced to his sides and nearly jumped. The ghosts of his mentors, the original Allstar and Dark Links were holding him in hugs, smiling at him.
"It's about time! I'm not holding you in The Dream Zone for your vacation purposes, ya know." the condescending voice scolded.
"Sega?!" Maverick exclaimed in shock and sat up, strange to do in a space that didn't seem to have an up or a down. The sprite floated nearby, fully healed and back in her old spunky self. She grinned and flashed him a thumb's-up. "But...how?!"
"Remember my Sega's Second Shot spell? I used it on myself as soon as Doc Mario's regen capsule doohicky restored a good chunk of my energy." she replied, "I got to the battlefield as quick as my wings could carry me but was a touch too late to keep the Loving Souls spell from slamming your ship."
"Then how was I able to survive?" Maverick whispered.
"You thick-headed hacker! Loving Souls summons the ghosts of the dead Nintendo characters to attack! Two of them were those Links there and they couldn't bring themselves to destroy you!" Sega declared, her arms akimbo as she frowned at him, "They disobeyed the Twins by shielding you from the blast long enough for me to warp us all into The Dream Zone!"
"Loving Souls was a shielding spell that also attacked. I remember now. And what exactly is the Dream Zone?" Maverick asked, looking back at the ghosts and nodding his thanks.
"The space between the Realm of Games and the Realm of Humanity. It's a like a pocket that was created before The Great Collision that slammed both realms together for a few days. It actually survived it and the separation." Sega explained, "This space is for all the ideas that Humans come up with while thinking up potential games. Some make it into Games, the rest never leave. It looks empty, but it's not. Dreams are hard to see when the dreamers are awake."
"Take me back out to Games, Sega. I have to stop Nin and Tendo from making a huge mistake!" Maverick demanded. Sega nodded.
"I'm with you. I'll fight alongside you and lend you my powers. Use the Power Pearl in your medallion to fight. It'll lend you as much Entity-like power as it can." she replied and raised her hands. "By the dreams of Naka and our creator, David Rosen, open the gate from Dreams to Games! Return us to our rightful lands, to the world where dreams have life!" A portal opened before the two and both Maverick and Sega flew out. The elf looked back at his mentors once more, but they were gone, silent as the space they had just come from.
*****
Nintendo Home Base
Game Realm P.C.
Time: 1430 hours
"How big is this place, anyway?!" Elfin griped as the heroes raced down the corridors of the empty Nintendo base. Allstar huffed and puffed as he and his twin led the way.
"Apparently it's a helluva lot bigger than the one we remember! The Master Control Room should be at the end of this hall, but I'll be damned if we're able to reach the lousy doorknob!" he called back. The SPC beeped again and he pulled it out. "Allstar, here. What have you found out, Zero?"
"Um, well, Maverick's back." Zero said hesitantly, "Seems he was hiding out between dimensions the whole time. That's why I couldn't find him."
"Between dimensions?! Is that allowed?!" Link cried in surprise, "How did he get there?!"
"An Entity pulled him in there. Ms. Sega Sprite, I believe she's called. They're currently still in battle with the Nintendo Twins and the X Twins have joined in." Zero replied, "They're quite angry about the fact that Nin and Tendo reneged on their deal."
"I bet. Microsoft likes to be the one to backstab first." Dark Link growled, "Remember IBM?"
"Don't start." Allstar grumbled, "PC games aren't our jurisdiction. They handle themselves quite well, as far as I can see. As long as they stay in their territories, I don't have a problem with them."
"Well, you're closing in fairly quickly on the next figurine. Get a scan of it and I'll tell you it's weakness." Zero pointed out and clicked off.
"So, Maverick's alive? That's great!" Waker cheered, "We'll still be able to save the day and then we can go to my world and help it!"
"Yeah, as long as we don't get killed first. Maverick caught a lucky break. We may not have that here." Elfin pointed out as they stopped in front of a large set of doors.
"Relax, guys! We're on Nintendo's core homeworld! Luck is with us!" Allstar said cheerfully.
"Shut up and open the door." Dark Link grumbled, tapping his foot and shaking his head in exasperation. Allstar rolled his eyes and looked up at the door.
"Hey! Let us in!" he shouted after seeing it had no scanner for his Allstar ID card.
"You can't get into the Master Control Room without the Blue Key!" a voice yelled out. Dark Link groaned and put his hand to his forehead. Elfin blinked in confusion as Link and Waker sighed and turned around to walk away.
"Hey! Where are you two going?!" Allstar called to them. Link looked back over his shoulder wearily.
"Where else? To find the Blue Key! I fear this time it is very much like my world, where I must find keys for all the important doors in the temples." he replied with a sigh.
"Can you point out the nearest temple?" Waker asked. Allstar shook his head and grinned.
"Hold on a sec, okay?" he asked them and turned back to the door. "Yo! If you don't open up right now, I'll tell you where I'm gonna stick your lousy Blue Key when I find it!" he raged at the door.
"Password accepted. Welcome to Nintendo Master Control, Allstar N64 Link." the voice said brightly as the doors pulled open. The heroes stared, open-mouthed at Allstar and Dark Link.
"What? Worked on the War-room back at our base." Allstar replied, "You didn't think Nintendo would honestly make you go and find a Blue Key to open their doors, did you?"
"Time's wasting! Less talk, more kill!" Link declared as he dashed past the group into the Master Control Room. The others stared at him as he vanished into the room.
"That was...strange." Allstar remarked.
"I think the stress is getting to him." Dark Link sighed, "Come on, let's go make sure he doesn't stab anything he's not supposed to."
******
Above Ruins of Star Fox Homeworld
Time: 1435 hours
Nin and Tendo glared down at Maverick and Sega, both of whom were glowing with an incandescent blue light. After destroying the Elfin Phoenix, the Twins finished wiping out the X Fleet, most of the Sony Fleet and the remainder of the Shigeru Armada. The crippled flagship Reality64 floated helplessly in space, its crew looking up at them coldly as they waited for the end. Sony had protected a few of her ships during the last few minutes of battle, then finally emerged from her ship to face her parents head to head. She floated near Maverick and Sega, her dress flowing elegantly at the cuffs and bottom hem.
"People die everyday. Why won't you?" Nin growled at Maverick. The elf grinned and shrugged. X and Baux scowled as they sat on their ship, the Gates Crusher, also crippled from attacks from the Twins, Sony, and the now defunct Reality64.
"I don't see why we don't just destroy them here and now." X grumbled, flicking back her hair and glancing at her brother, "You could always snatch the commanders of the Third-Worlders if you want to rape someone in power."
"Shut up, X. I wanted the Twins and you knew it. You just want to get Tendo and Maverick both for yourself, you selfish bitch." Baux growled, "And if you couldn't have them, you'd kill them. Now look. The Twins have grown too wild for either of us to have or kill. The minute we get close to them, they'll use that damned Nintendo's Wrath spell again and where the hell will we be then? Hmm?"
"Up Gates' ass and around the corner if we don't find a way to counter that spell. How the hell were we to know as X Spirit that destroying Nintendo and pissing off the Twins would lead them to using their fury and bloodlust in one fell swoop of a spell?" X muttered, chewing on her thumbnail as she studied the combatants.
"Sis, I'm getting bored again. The Zelda Homeworld is the last one standing. Once we destroy it, we can rebuild all the worlds to make them stronger than before." Tendo murmured.
"Mother, Father! I beg of you! Reconsider your actions! If you destroy Nintendo, the Power of Good will run rampant once again! We'll have a repeat of First Day!" Sony pleaded, "Think of all the lives that will be destroyed! Not just those of your children, but the FanFics as well! The Players in Humanity! The characters of the Third-Party Homeworlds!"
"We already have, dear Daughter. And they should all DIE, DIE, DIE!" Nin laughed, spreading her arms out and thoroughly enjoying herself. "Come, Tendo! Let's finish them all off so we can finish our playtime! Let's summon Nintendo's Wrath again! I'm sure we won't miss Maverick again!"
"X...." Baux drawled in irritation, glaring at his sister.
"Oh, why not go and fuck Azurik again? I'm not done thinking." X snapped at him.
"He's dead; you killed him an hour ago for scratching the floor when you knocked him down." Baux complained as he stood up to escape the spell.
"Like that's stopped you before. Sit down, you ass, running isn't going to save us from Nintendo's Wrath, the damn thing hits wherever they want it to as long as they have in mind where the target is running." the female Entity growled and leaned back, supporting herself with her arms as she watched the Nintendo Twins focus their energy. "Dammit, now who the hell's gonna fix my hair after we get out of this shit-pile?"
************
Master Control Room
Nintendo Home Base
Time: 1440 hours
Link blinked down at the figurine as Allstar held the SPC out to it for the scan. Waker knelt next to it and began poking at it with his finger. It measured about three feet high and was shaped like a modern trash can.
"It's a garbage can." Elfin grumbled. "This is what's making those kids out there go on a rampage and kill everything?!"
"That's Sumitra, all right. It's weakness is it can't attack." Zero answered, "But it's tricky, so be careful." With that, he clicked off.
"Can't attack? Too bad, so sad." Allstar remarked with a grin as he set the SPC into his pouch and pulled out the Master Sword, "Say good night, little trash can!" He swing the sword hard and, just as it arced into the can, it was deflected. The backlash was incredible! Allstar was hurled across the room and slammed into the wall, dropping down in a stunned heap. Dark Link cried sharply and crumpled to the floor, moaning softly in pain.
"I thought it couldn't attack!" Link exclaimed. Waker had jumped back from Sumitra as Allstar swung for it and now looked warily at the figurine.
"That was defense. It shielded itself." Elfin muttered, scratching at his nose, "Okay, this one is going to be a bit difficult."
"Let me have a try." Waker remarked and reached into his pack. He brought out the Hookshot and aimed it at the figurine. "Maybe if I use distance attacks, it won't sense it coming and will get hit." He fired the Hookshot, the barbed point shooting at Sumitra.
The same barrier came up and deflected the Hookshot back. Waker was thrown back across the room and landed in a heap on top of Allstar. The twins grunted under the weight.
"Kid, I ain't a mattress. Get off." Allstar drawled grumpily.
"I would, if I could feel from the neck down." Waker groaned. Link looked at them worriedly, then sighed and put his fist into his cheek, cocking his head and looking down at the figurine.
"Well, now what?" he mumbled, "The Master Sword didn't work, the Hookshot had no luck. What can I use to give it a go?"
**********
Above Ruins of Star Fox Homeworld
Game Realm P.C.
Time: 1440 hours
"And now to end it all!" Nin declared as the energy flow built up to its fullest.
"Nintendo's Wrath!!!" the Twins yelled as a wave of energy flew out from them to slam into everything. Sega and Sony both threw up shields as Maverick used the Power Pearl in his medallion to temporarily put him between dimensions and escape it. Alt Link and Alt Dark, on board the Reality64, both reached for each other's hands and held them tightly, watching the wave blast through them and destroy the last of the Allstars.
X and Baux ground their teeth and braced for the blast, shaking their heads once the wave passed by. X pulled at her hair, eyed it, and growled as she tossed the ponytail back over her shoulder.
"Well, that was fun. Now my hair's singed again. Damn Twins! If we attack from up close, we get blasted. If we attack from a distance, they call up that damn Loving Souls shield and they blast us!" she growled, "There's just no way of stopping them!"
"Well, that's that, Sis! Now we can rebuild Nintendo as Neotendo!" Tendo remarked happily. Nin shook her head.
"Wrong, Brother. There is still more to be blasted." Nin said with a twisted grin, "All Games are weak. We'll have to destroy them all and rebuild the entire Game Realm!"
"Well, ain't that a kick in the ass?" Baux remarked, looking over at his sister.
"I'll give you a kick in the ass if you don't shut up." X growled, "Now we're stuck with having to help these guys stop the Twins! I don't want them destroying us all for their fun!"
"Nin! Tendo! You've killed the last of your children! Have you no heart any longer?! Have you become as soulless as X and Baux?!" Maverick demanded, "Stop this madness now! Before Games is ruined beyond salvation!"
"'Soulless'? Now, that was uncalled for." Baux murmured, "I've changed my mind. Let's let the Twins finish them off, and I can have the bodies for later. We'll see who is soulless then."
"You're all in our way! We'll have to clear the area once more! Tendo! Get ready for another blast!" Nin declared, gathering energy.
"Cool! Once more!" Tendo snickered and mimicked his sister. Sony and Sega gasped and looked back at Maverick fearfully.
"Maverick, if they use Nintendo's Wrath again on us....." Sega began.
"I fear we won't have the energy to create another shield to protect us all! We'll die in the next blow!" Sony finished, eyes wide with fright. Maverick floated in space behind them, supported by the power of the Pearl around his neck.
"I have an idea on how to stall for time until my friends can stop the madness at its source. But we'll need the help of every living being left in the realm. Nintendo is dead again and we need to combat the figurine with the words that gave the Twins strength to do good." he told the Entities.
"So what should we tell our characters and the FanFics to do? And all the Third-Worlders? What must they do?" Sony asked in confusion. Maverick grinned wryly.
"Pray." he said simply, "Pray the prayer of Nintendo with all their hearts. And better make sure it's loud and clear. Games, and Humanity, depends on us getting through to the luck of heaven...."