Swordmaszter: This is the first real chapter of the story. And It sort of continues from the last chapter but is more into the storyline. Review please, and Enjoy!

CHAPTER I: THE CAPTURING

"Another invitation to the Super Smash Bros. Tournament. What a surprise," Mario said as he looked through the mail that had just arrived.

Luigi walked up behind him.

"Another tournament. How special. We all know that I'm going to win this time," he said.

Mario slapped Luigi in a playful way.

"Stop dreaming, I am still the champion and it doesn't look like it will change," Mario said to him.

Mario's entire image had changed over the last year. He didn't wear overalls anymore, but instead he wore a yellow cloak, and carried a mage book around. He studies fire magic more often than he used to, and he had almost mastered all of the spells.

"Where are ya going," Luigi asked Mario as he walked towards the Castle standing high in Mushroom Kingdom.

"I'm going to see Peach. I sense that something bad is about to happen. Her safety means a great deal to me." Mario walked up the marble steps, leading to Princess Peach's castle.

When he entered, he went straight to Peaches room. When he saw her, he kneeled before her.

"Mario, you don't have to kneel. I have told you that to many times."

A young woman walked out a room, and into the room that Mario was standing in. She was wearing pink fighting clothes, and had a big bow on her backside.

"Princess Peach," Mario said. Peach looked into Mario's eyes, and saw that something was wrong.

"What is it," Peach asked him, letting him know to tell her then and there.

"We have received another invite to the tournament."

"Good, I could use a good fight right now." Peach said, thrusting her arms out. "So you're going?" Mario asked her.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss something like this for the world."

"Then I will go." "I thought you would go anyways?" Peach asked him.

"I was thinking, and I just made up my mind." Mario told her. Toad then walked into the room.

"Peach, there is someone here to see you," he said. Then a teenage boy walked into the room. He was wearing a black mantle that covered his body from his neck, and down. He was a slim young boy, but Peach, and Mario didn't recognize him. Then Peach looked closely at the boy and screamed. She ran up to him, and embraced the boy into her arms.

"It's so good to see you again Ness. It's been years," She said.

"So you finally know it's me," Ness said. Mario then walked up to him, and they both said. "Long time no see," but soon stopped themselves after realizing the other was saying the exact same thing.

"So how are your folks doing?" Peach asked Ness.

Ness smiled. "Everyone is doing fine. I just decided to pay a visit to my old friends."

"Well you are welcome at this kingdom any time you please. Please, stay the night." Peach requested.

Ness nodded. "It'd be rude of me to decline such an offer."

"Ok then, tonight will be a blast for us all!" Peach shouted.

She put her arms around Mario and Ness and pulled them all together.

"Your excitement is a bit much don't you think?" Mario asked. Peach smiled once more.

"It will never be more than what's needed."

Mario then began to walk out of the room.

"Mario, where are you going?"

"I must go search for something. I won't be long. Please…be patient," Mario told them.

"What's with him?" Ness asked.

"He's been acting really strange lately. I don't know why."

Peach, and Ness also exited the room, taking a walk into a nearby forest. They both discussed what's been happening over the past few years and the changes that's happening.

I've noticed a rather large change in Mario's personality," Ness said. Peach looked troubled.

"Yeah, he's been that way for some time now. More serous than usual, always concerned for my safety, and it seems as he's devoted his life to studying his fire magic." Ness thought for a minute.

"Well maybe this new Mario is for the best. Maybe he's being cautious because he's expecting something to happen, something dreadful." Peach didn't feel that way at all.

"I liked the old Mario…but Mario will be Mario. I still enjoy his company whenever he's around me." Soon enough, both of them returned to the kingdom and spent the rest of their day there.

(Three hours later) Mario rushed into the kingdom heading to Peach's castle. As he passed each guard, he told them to prepare for battle, as an evil shadowy army marched towards Mushroom Kingdom. Mario burst the door open to Peach's room. She jumped up at the sound of the door breaking off its hinges. She saw Mario standing in the doorway.

"Peach, they are coming, we must go now."

Peach jumped out of her bed.

"Who is coming?"

"An army, and they're heading here. The guards of the kingdom are getting ready. You must tell the army to prepare."

"I will go now." Peach ran out of the room, and told the Mushroom Army to get ready for battle.

"Something is coming," Mario said. He looked up to see hundreds of tiny objects moving through the midnight sky.

"Oh my god!"

He summoned a fireball as he gathered energy to make it bigger. Peach soon appeared behind him asking what was going on.

"Look up." He told her. She looked up to see arrows piercing the air, heading straight for them. Mario fired the ball of heat at the arrows. When they both collided, a huge explosion occurred, blinding the sky. For several moments nothing could be seen. When everyone had their sight back, Peach shouted.

"Charge."

The army of Mushroom Kingdom charged, and attacked the army coming their way.

"It has begun." A voice said.

Mario heard it, but has no idea where it had come from. He then sensed a very powerful energy, even stronger then the army. He turned around, and looked behind him. There was a man dressed in a black cloak, with a black hood covering his face. He was walking down the marble steps coming towards Mario, and Peach.

"Who are you?" Mario demanded.

The man quickly said. "Give her to me, and we will leave without any deaths occurring.

Mario soon froze with astonishment.

"You want Peach…"

Peach then stepped back a few steps. Mario pulled out his spell book.

"You aren't taking anyone as long as I'm here."

"Well then, I guess I'll have to dispose of you."

Mario opened his spell book, as a fireball rose above it. Mario spun around, as he jumped in the air, and fired the flaming ball at the cloaked man. The man reached into his cloak, and drew a 12ft long sword, and slashed the fireball into thousands of tiny sparks. Mario landed on the ground.

He has skill. This will be hard, Mario thought. "Peach stand back. I will handle him."

Peach took a few more steps back, as she watched the battle between Mario, and the mysterious man. Mario dashed at the man. He threw another fireball at him, and once more, he slashed it. The point of the man's sword was aimed at Mario's head. Mario moved sideways, as his eyes skimmed the blade, only an inch away from it. Mario lit his hands up with fire, and began to rapidly punch the cloaked man. All of the punches were either being dodged, or blocked. The man slashed his sword at Mario, but he held his arms up, as the flames blocked the sword. Mario then, punched the man in the face, as he went flying into a nearby house. The house was destroyed in the collision. Mario waited for him to get up, and when he did, he raced for him. The cloaked person slashed his sword at Mario, but he flipped into the air. He threw a punch, and Mario was forced into the air. The man appeared above Mario, and elbowed him, causing him to crash into the ground. Mario jumped up; just before the man's sword was driven into he ground, where he was lying. Mario stood there, eyeing the man in his face.

"You are skilled, I will give you that much, but not skilled enough to defeat me."

Mario didn't say a word. He began to slowly rise above the ground, holding his hands out beside him. He was chanting a spell, as he hovered over the soil below him. Fireballs began to spawn all around him. Hundreds, and hundreds of them.

"Mario," Peach whispered.

Mario then positioned his hands, so that they were facing the swordsman. All of the flaming balls zipped past him, and were heading for the man. One-by-one, the fireballs would disappear, as they were slashed, and made tiny explosions. When they were all gone, the swordsman stood in his original spot, as if nothing happened.

Impossible, Mario thought.

The Man then dashed at Mario, unable to be seen, and drove his sword right though him. He withdrew his sword, and Mario was swept to his knees, and once again to the ground.

"MARIO!" Peach screamed as she ran to his aid. She looked into his eyes, as he said he spoke.

"Peach…run…please. Save yourself," Mario said, barely able to breath.

The man began to walk over to Peach.

"Now to get what I came here for."

"I don't think so," a voice said. A green shockwave then struck the man, and he was electrocuted.

Ness then jumped from a balcony high in the castle, and landed beside Mario, and Peach.

"Nice to see you again," Ness said.

"Good timing." Peach called a guard to take Mario away into the castle. She then pulled out two steel fans, and unflipped them.

"I'm ready," she said.

"So I guess you'll be fighting this time?" Ness asked.

"Of course. He's going to pay for what he did to Mario."

The man arose from the ground, unharmed.

"It appears I underestimated your powers." He then dashed towards Ness. Ness reached into his cloak, and pulled out two metal bats.

"Let's do this." He said.

As the man slashed at him, Ness held up one of his bats to block the slash, and used the other to strike him. Ness' attacked was parried, as the man slashed Ness once more. Ness countered the slash with another shock of energy. The swordsman held his hand out, and nullified the magic attack. Ness backed away, speechless. As the man was about to attack Ness once more, Peach appeared behind him, and slashed her two fans at him. He turned around just in time to see her. He blocked the twin slashes with his long sword, and landed on the ground. Peach landed after him, as she continued to slash him. Ness joined in on the other side. With the swordsman facing four weapons, he was outmatched.

Ness backed up, and released six yo-yos from under his cloak. He was controlling them with his PSI, as the strings were connected to his clothes, within his cloak. The yo-yos were continuously bashing the man in the face, and other parts of the body.

Peach spun around and foot swept the cloaked man, and was about to slash at his neck. He quickly jumped up, and grabbed her by neck, and held his sword up to it.

"Come closer, and I will kill her."

"I don't think you will." Ness said.

"Try me."

Ness stood still. A portal then opened from behind the cloaked man, and him and Peach disappeared into it. Ness dashed for it, but it was to late. Peach was gone.

Swordmaszter: I hope all of you enjoyed that chapter. In the next chapter, the two main characters are finally introduced, and the main story starts off. It should be posted soon. Please review. I'd really appreciate it.