"Toad!" Luigi shouted at the lifeless mushroom sprawled at his feet.
"Wow! You were really scared for a minute!" Toad yammered, jumping to his feet. "I guess I musta looked really, really bad if you actually thought I was hurt or maybe dead for a moment there! I've been working on my projection, because Princess Peach always says that if you wanna be a convincing actor, one thing you gotta remember…"
"Toad!" Luigi yelled again, picking up the hyperactive little fungus and bringing him to eye level. "What happened here?"
"Okay. Bear with me for a minute here." Toad prattled. "I was just hanging around the castle, okay? Maybe I was off to relieve a guard or maybe check on the flowers or something. Does it really matter? Should I skip ahead, because sometimes people say I have a tendency to ramble on about stuff that doesn't…"
Luigi gave him an annoyed stare.
"Oh, okay. I'll, uh, skip ahead." Toad chattered. "So I'm just minding my own business, staying outta trouble, when suddenly the wall collapses, and it's Giga Bowser! And this purple… flying… thing, whatever they're called…. So of course, I'm royally freaking out, and I have to ask myself, 'Toad, why do these things happen on your shift?'. And then I start wondering what I'm gonna do next, because you know how we mushroom people kinda lose it in stressful situations… it's kinda in our genes…"
"For the last time!" Luigi groaned. "What happened to the Princess?"
"It was… awe-inspiring!" Toad boomed, waving his tiny arms for emphasis. "It was all BOOM! You know, like in a movie or maybe a really, really high-budget TV show! I was amazed – I mean, I was sporing in my pants out of utter terror at the moment – but still, I had to admire the spectacle. I mean, it wasn't something you see every day! And then…" he paused for a moment to study Luigi's peeved expression. "…the flying purple thing grabbed the Princess with this tractor beam laser thing of some sort, and took her away! Then Giga Bowser torched the place and… well, here we are."
"Great. Just great." Luigi sighed, dropping Toad to the ground. "Now Giga Bowser has a hostage. That's all we need right now. As though we weren't missing enough of the Super Smash Brothers at the moment…"
"Hey, sweet! The Super Smash Brothers are getting back together?" Toad asked. "I LOVE you guys! I mean, maybe not in the same way I love Toadette… hey, let's face it. The odds of you guys going on a date with me… well, I wouldn't really enjoy myself, likely because you're mostly guys, which I don't like, and none of you are Toad girls, and you know, being a Toad myself, I…"
"To answer your question, yes, we are getting back together, and Giga Bowser's the reason why." Luigi grumbled. "Showdown's in twelve days. I gotta get back to Smash Central now and tell the others."
"Hey, great! You can give me a ride!" Toad squeaked, jumping onto Luigi's shoulders. "Let's get this party started!"
"Wait a minute." Luigi replied. "You're coming with me?"
"Uh, duh?" Toad retorted. "The Princess needs help, and it's my job to… be that help! Besides, I can help you in a fight! I may not be very strong, but I'm mostly indestructible." He added. "Back when she first joined the Smashers the Princess used me as a living shield. Believe me. If you pull me outta your pants at the right time, there's nothing that will hurt you!"
"I'll take a pass on storing you in my pants." Luigi sighed. "But if you want to help, the more the… uh… merrier, I guess."
"Woohoo!" Toad hooted, pumping his fist in the air. "Super Smash Brother Toad is ready to rock and roll! Let's kick it into high gear!"
"How about I just kick you?" Luigi half-joked as they made their way back to the universal hub.
The next morning all of the responders had arrived at Smash Central. After spending a while reconnecting with one another, Luigi finally called upon what leadership skills he had. Laying out the importance of the coming fight – which they all knew, of course – Luigi announced that the training had begun, as they were all out of practice.
And so began the most gruelling workout over the next eleven days. Old and new Smashers alike were pushed to the limit and beyond. And all of them knew in their hearts that no matter how hard they trained, Giga Bowser was going to be even more challenging. Still, they persevered.
Luigi, Link, Samus, Yoshi, Fox, Zelda, Popo, Falco, Young Link, Raichu, and Roy were the only members of the original 25 who had returned. They all had aged, of course, but soon enough had brought themselves back into fighting shape once more, as well as training the new recruits.
Toad's capabilities as a living shield were as good as ever – one of Samus' missiles exploded in his face, and he was barely singed. Diddy Kong surprised everybody with his prowess – his jetpack gave him incredible mobility, and his peanut popgun pistols were deadly weapons in his hands. And then, of course, there was his buddy Rambi the Rhino, who had all the strength and durability of a tank. The little chimp definitely had the tools to survive. Kit McCloud was determined to join the battle, having wheedled his father out of sending him home. Despite his trepidation, Fox did have to admit that his son was a skilled melee fighter with his war staff, capable of standing his ground against Roy – much to the latter's surprise. And Doshin the Giant was the strongest of them all, even though his strength was tempered by his gentle nature and his tendency to pee hearts on everything. Indeed, most of the destruction he caused was accidental. Still, the giant had great power, and was determined, in his simplistic view, to help out his friends in any way he could.
And of course Mr. Game & Watch was constantly running around and fussing over everybody, never taking the time to rest, even for a moment. The Smashers were well-fed, their dormitories were kept neat and tidy, and in general the old codger kept the entire operation running like clockwork. It was the least he could do, as everybody knew that his old body was no longer in fighting shape, even if his spirit was as determined as ever. In his own way, he kept morale as high as he could under the circumstances, and nobody could begrudge him that.
For eleven days this hardy little group trained, and trained, and trained. In some ways it seemed to last forever, but at the same time it wasn't long at all before they were facing the night before the final conflict. A message on their Game & Watches left no room for doubt – battle would be the next morning, at the first light of dawn. Concluding the training exercises for the night, Luigi told everybody to get some rest, as they would need all of their energy for the coming fight. The Super Smash Brothers retreated to their dormitories, some falling asleep instantly, others still awake, wondering what the morning would bring.
Kit McCloud was curled up on his bunk, lost in his dreams. His father sat at a nearby table, idly keeping his mind distracted as he tapped on his miniature computer.
"Last chance to send the kid home." A voice whispered. Fox turned and saw Falco leaning against the nearby wall.
"I know, but he's adamant." Fox muttered, squinting at the tiny screen. "He's old enough. He knows the risks. I'm not thrilled about it and neither is Krystal, but we just finished a long discussion over it, and he wants to help out." He paused. "I mean, I was his age when we lead the strike team on Venom…" he mused.
"Yeah, he'll be fine." Falco murmured, mostly to himself. "And he's got the best backup in the universe." He added, rapping his chest. He paused, deep in thought. "You ever regret getting married, Fox?" he asked.
"What?" Fox asked. "Why would I…"
"No, that came out wrong." Falco muttered, shaking his head. "I just mean, you're gonna throw down with Giga Bowser tomorrow, and you have a wife and kid to worry about. I mean, me, if I go down, it's no big deal. I've got some friends, yeah, but I don't have anybody depending on me like you do."
"You know, Falco, there was still a war going on when we married." Fox pointed out, switching off his computer. "When you pledge your life to somebody, no matter who you are, there is always the risk of losing that person, or that person losing you. It's a risk my family has faced every day, and tomorrow will be no different." He looked Falco in the eye. "And for what it's worth, I care about you just as much as I do my family."
"Likewise, Fox." Falco nodded. "I mean, after all the crazy stuff we've been through… well, you grow on a guy." The two old wingmates chuckled.
"Yeah, Falco, if you got married, you'd understand the…" Fox paused, realizing what he was saying. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "I wasn't thinking."
"No big deal, Fox." Falco shrugged. "After Katt was killed, I just didn't see the point in trying anymore. And after all, you can't tie this bird down." He added with a wink.
"I'll be glad to be fighting side-by-side with you once more." Fox smiled.
"Same here." Falco replied. "And now I'd better leave you to get some shut-eye, because I don't want to spend all day pulling your fat out of the fryer tomorrow! You got that?"
"Loud and clear, Falco." Fox nodded. "You get some rest too."
"Consider it done." Falco yawned, heading for the door. "G'night."
After Falco had left, Fox took a moment to watch his slumbering son. They really were alike; perhaps more alike than Fox would admit. And Peppy had always told Fox how much he had taken after James.
"I guess the McClouds are cursed with bravery." Fox mused. "It's in our genes." He paused for a moment before he switched out the light and shuffled towards his own bed.
In the halls outside, Link steadfastly stood guard at Zelda's door. Smash Central was as quiet as a tomb, but Link kept himself alert, always prepared for an attack at any moment, although such an attack never came. Tomorrow was the storm. Tonight was the calm.
"Link?" the Hylian warrior turned around and saw the Queen's face peering at him from her door. "There is no need for such measures, Link." She whispered. "You are dismissed. Go to your quarters and rest yourself for the morrow."
"M'lady, I cannot." Link firmly replied. "It is my duty to guard you, wherever you are and whatever you do." For all his nobility Link had always been a touch narrow-minded.
"Link, would you step inside, please?" Zelda asked. "There is a matter I must discuss with you." Sensing the worry in Zelda's voice, Link nodded, and together they retreated into the Queen's room, closing the door behind them.
Her Majesty's accommodations were far from fitting for royalty, but they were clean and cozy all the same. Zelda sat on her bed, a robe wrapped over her dressing gown. "Sit, Link." She commanded, patting the mattress next to her. Link reluctantly put aside his sword and sat next to her.
Zelda brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. "Link, what I am about to tell you may upset you." She swallowed uneasily. "I am nearly afraid to tell you, but I must. Not only because you have served me more loyally than any other, but also because I value you as a friend…"
"What troubles you, my Queen?" Link asked. "What is it that has caused you to be so aloof as of late?"
"Zelda." Zelda corrected him. "This is not the royal court, Link. There is no need to address me so formally." She smiled for a moment – something Link could barely remember the last time he had seen – before the sorrow and worry returned to his face.
"What is the matter, Zelda?" Link asked. "Please tell me."
The head of the Hyrulian Throne lowered her head. "Some twenty nights ago I received a vision." She said at last. "I saw the future – the fate – of Hyrule."
"Shall there be trouble?" Link asked.
"For the most part, no." Zelda replied. "For a century, Hyrule will prosper and flourish. Then shall come the great waters that will wash everything away, and a new world will be formed. There will be beauty and peace beyond imagination. It shall be so beautiful, and nobody will…" Zelda wiped a tear from her eye.
"Zelda?" Link asked.
"I will not be part of Hyrule's rise to greatness." Zelda muttered, her voice beginning to quake. "I have kept the throne as the Gerudo ravaged the land, and I have created the Parliament, bringing democracy and equality to the government. The monarchy is all but obsolete, and…" she sniffled. "The goddesses have informed me that I am obsolete as well."
Link's eyes widened. "You cannot mean…"
"Tomorrow I shall fight my last battle." Zelda flatly said at last. "It has been decreed… I have been granted one final opportunity to serve Hyrule and the other realms before I am called away. By this time tomorrow I shall be at peace."
"You mean… you will die?" Link was incredulous. She gently took his callused hand in her delicate ones.
"No, Link. There is no death." She insisted. "Not for those of us who pass into eternity. There will be nothing more than everlasting comfort, and happiness beyond understanding. Do not mourn my passing. Rejoice for me. Please." Tears were now sliding down her porcelain cheeks.
"No." Link muttered, gritting his teeth. "No!" he rose to his feet and pulled the Master Sword from its sheath. "I will not allow it! It will not pass! Prophesy or no prophesy, I will not let you die! I swore an oath!"
"Link, do not get upset." Zelda pleaded. "Please. You must learn to let go…"
"I will not!" he all but shouted at her. "It is my duty! To you as well as Hyrule!"
"Link, there will always be a Princess Zelda to serve Hyrule, just as there will always be a Link. When the waters fill the world, a new Princess and a new Hero will rise to serve the kingdom. We are merely passing through history, and I will simply be taking my place in eternity before you do. Please, Link… we both knew this day would come…"
"I did not expect you to give up." Link snapped, his temper gone, his rage speaking. "If death is what you so profoundly desire, why wait until tomorrow? Why not lay still and die before my eyes and end the suffering for the both of us?"
Zelda had no verbal answer. She simply buried her face in her hands and let loose with the tears that she had held back for twenty long, lonely nights.
Link's temper immediately faded and he cursed himself from addressing his Queen so. He didn't even care as the Master Sword clattered to the ground. He sat on the bed next to her and wrapped his arms about her trembling form. "Zelda…" his words were choked. "I am… so sorry for what I said… I did not mean a word of it, I swear upon my life…"
"I know, Link." She sniffed. "I apologize for not telling you earlier, but I did not know how…" she leaned against him, her own arms clutching his shoulders. "Link, how long have we known each other?" she asked.
"Since the two of us were but seven years old." Link replied.
"Sitting here in death's shadow, I just want you to know…" Zelda paused to take a breath, "…that no matter what happens tomorrow, I will always love and care for you more than I shall ever know…" she tucked her head under his chin. "You are a true hero, Link, and not only I but all of Hyrule will never be able to repay you for your selfless devotion…"
"Zelda…" he breathed, barely audible.
Link would never quite know exactly what happened next. He was never sure of the minutiae of the moments in between, but then he was holding her in his strong arms, his closed eyes seeing nothing as his lips gently embraced hers with a tenderness that he could barely understand. For the first time in so long, Link allowed himself to let go. He forgot his duties, his oaths, the hundreds of laws and protocols he was breaking, and concentrated on the woman he held in his arms. An eternity passed between the two of them before either could bear to separate.
"Forgive me my indulgence." He murmured, though he didn't really mean it, as he softly stroked her hair.
"You have done nothing wrong." She replied. "Do not ever regret what happened between us."
"Zelda, I have always loved you." He whispered. "I would do anything to serve you, and I would follow you anywhere…"
"And that is why tomorrow will be difficult for us to accept." Zelda gently replied, stroking his cheek with her palm. "Link, promise me that you will be prepared to let go when the time comes."
"I…" he paused, not knowing how to answer. "I will defend you as I always have, and that I swear. But if death truly is your destiny…" he exhaled. "I will accept it. I will not be pleased, but somehow, I will accept it."
"Of course you shall, Link." She smiled, and gently kissed his forehead. "You can survive this. I know you can." After a pause she spoke again. "Go to bed now, Link. Please. You must be at the peak of your strength tomorrow."
"Very well." Link sighed, retrieving his blade from the floor. "Sleep well, Zelda."
"Sleep well yourself, Link." She smiled. "May your every dream be blessed." Fighting the urge to settle next to her and spend the whole night by her side, Link somehow staggered out her door and into his own bedchamber. Inside he groggily shed himself of his various armaments until he was down to his tunic and tights. He crawled onto his bed, his eyes fixed on the darkened ceiling. He looked down and stared at the gleaming symbol on his hand, that represented his legendary courage. He prayed that this courage would not fail him in the morning.
In the neighbouring room, Samus Aran was on her feet, her lean, muscular form tensed as she continued to drill a dutiful Sandbag with a flurry of punches and kicks. Her armour was in the corner, powering itself up for tomorrow morning, but even without her suit Samus was still a deadly weapon. Clad in her black bodysuit, she tossed a golden lock of hair out of her line of vision before pummelling the heavy bag again.
"I'm gonna kill him, Falcon." She muttered to herself. "I'm gonna rip his throat out and laugh as he chokes on his own blood. I'm gonna smear him all over this place until there's no trace of him. I'm gonna put him through ten times as much pain as you went through." She kicked the bag so hard it crashed into the hard steel of the wall. She paused, her heart pounding, her breathing ragged, and perspiration rolling off of her skin. "Ten times, Falcon!" her voice was hoarse. "He's gonna be crying and pleading for me to finish him off, and I won't show him any mercy! None at all!" She punched the bag again.
"And then… and then I'll…" she sighed. "I don't know what I'll do." She growled, punching the wall. A jolt of pain shot through her, but she didn't care. Pain only made her stronger.
This pause, however, had taken the edge off of her rage. She turned, and regrettably caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on her wall. Exhaling with annoyance, she allowed herself to study her features in disgust. Samus never looked at herself if she could avoid it. This wasn't her face. The cold steel of her visor was her true visage. This other face of hers… it revealed too much of her. A mercenary cannot show such vulnerability.
You are one pathetic lifeform, Samus Aran. She thought to herself. You've spent your entire life burning with rage. Over your parents, Adam, Falcon… it doesn't matter. You relish the suffering you've endured just so you have an excuse to keep pounding back at the universe, blowing things up, killing things… it's all the same. And what do you do when your precious rage wears off? You're just a bitter, vindictive woman. You have no friends, just people you use as means to finding more violent and self-destructive activity. You're deathly afraid of loving anybody, because everybody you've ever loved has been torn from you. Your life has no direction, and you're going to die angry and alone, just like how you live. You are the most pitiful creature in the universe. It's no wonder you spend your entire life covering up who you are…
She roared as she suddenly swung her fist around, shattering the mirror with a single blow. She withdrew her fist, grimacing as she touched the cut flesh and felt herself begin to lose blood. Cursing herself for losing her temper, she looked around the room. There was a first-aid kit not far from here, but she didn't really feel like suiting up just for that. With a snarl, she made her way out of her room as she was, her hand tucked under her arm. She hoped that nobody was up and about, as she wasn't in the mood for chit-chat. Not that she ever was, come to think of it.
A cacophony of bubbling, sizzling, and crackling caught her ear around the same time a rich, greasy scent greeted her nose. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Samus peered around the corner to see Mr. Game & Watch multitasking in the kitchen, all sorts of pots, pans, skillets and kettles on the go at once. He was squawking a midi tune to himself as he tirelessly slaved over the stoves. Suddenly he looked up and met her eye.
"BEEP! BNEEP!" the handheld hero chirped, ambling up to his visitor.
"Ah, just couldn't sleep." Samus dismissed. "What are you doing up at this hour?"
"CHP CHP CHP BREEEEEP!" Mr. Game & Watch replied.
"Breakfast." Samus repeated with a nod. "Yeah, dawn is gonna come really quick. I just was on my way to…"
"BLEEP! BREEP!" Mr. Game & Watch suddenly yammered, jumping in the air as he saw her injured hand.
"Oh, this? It's nothing." Samus muttered. "I just broke some glass, that's all…"
Her protests were of no use. Within the span of a few seconds, the two-dimensional wonder had cleaned and bandaged her hand up nicely. "Hey, thanks." She nodded. She hated anybody fussing over her, but she had to admit that he did a good job of patching her up.
"BEEP BEEP!" Mr. Game & Watch replied, handing her a mug of a hot protein drink that she had always enjoyed.
"You never do forget stuff like this, do you?" she had to smile.
"BIP BIP BEEP!" he replied.
"Okay, I'll get some rest." She nodded. "And yes, I'll be more careful."
Mr. Game & Watch beeped a farewell before busying himself with the breakfast. Samus smirked as she headed back towards her room. The old codger was somewhat annoying, true, but he was a hard guy to hate.
THUMP! Something crashed into Samus' shin, only her well-honed battle reflexes keeping her from falling flat on her face and spilling her drink all over creation. "Hey, keep your eyes open!" she snapped, before realizing who she was addressing.
"Oh, I'm… I'm sorry, lady." Popo stammered, straightening his parka and brushing himself off nervously. "I should have been… should have been…" he looked up at her and blinked. "Who are you?" he asked at last.
Samus snorted. "Guess you don't see me like this often, eh, runt?" she asked.
"Oh, Miss Samus!" Popo gasped. "Sorry! I didn't recognize… I mean, you're usually wearing…"
"Think nothing of it, runt." Samus assured. "You're not alone in that respect. What are you doing up at this hour, anyway?"
"Oh. I… just couldn't sleep." Popo sighed. "Tomorrow I gotta fight Giga Bowser without Nana, and I'm really, really scared. I wish she was here." He paused. "I guess that makes you lucky in a way, doesn't it, Miss Samus?"
"What do you mean by that?" Samus tried hard not to snarl.
"Well, it's just that…" Popo paused to think. "All my life, I've been with somebody else, so I'm always worrying about her. But you're always alone, so you only have to worry about yourself."
Coming from anybody else, Samus would be feeling distinctly insulted. But even she had to admit that Popo was just telling it like it was. "Get some sleep, shorty." Was all she said. "Morning will be on you before you know it."
"Yeah." Popo nodded. "See you tomorrow, Miss Samus!" he chirped as he headed towards his own room.
Samus watched the little Inuit leave with an odd mixture of feelings. She had always disdained the Ice Climbers for what she saw as a crippling dependency on each other. Many times she had seen one of them jumping into the line of fire to aid the other. And yet, she had to admit that it was… affecting, in a way, to see the unity that they had. She had often mused as to what things would be like if she weren't such a loner.
When somebody risks their life to save you, do you ever truly feel as though you deserve it? What if that person gets hurt? Do you ever forgive yourself for that? What if somebody dies for you? Can you ever reconcile the fact that somebody would rather suffer a painful death than see you suffer the same?
"It's a messed-up universe, Falcon." She mused to herself, leaning against the cool steel of the wall for a moment before heading into her room. Like all the best bounty hunters, Samus avoided sleep if at all possible. Her armour could keep her body functional for months with a minimum of fatigue, and had virtually eliminated the need for her to ever lose consciousness. Life for her was one continuous day, and that was the way she liked it. In addition, sleeping in the traditional manner only brought on the risk of dreaming, and Samus avoided that at all costs.
And yet, as she sat here, on what could very well be her last night alive, Samus Aran indulged herself, for the night, to lay on the soft mattress and let her eyes flutter closed. Before she nodded off, she muttered a prayer to whatever deity governed this crazy universe that she would be spared a night of dreaming. It wasn't as though she hated her dreams – her rare dreams were pleasant ones, for they were dreams of a "normal" life. A "pleasant" life. A life that she would never live. She didn't mind dreaming of this life, really.
But then she would wake up and have to live the nightmare. And that was what killed her every time.
Luigi sat atop the roof of Princess Peach's castle, taking in the sights, sounds and scents. The warmth of sunlight, the aerial dance of the birds, the roar of the nearby waterfall.
If he didn't know any better, he'd be able to believe that it was the real thing.
The warm sun… the smooth stone beneath him… the birds, the river… none of it was real. It was all merely a part of Mr. Game & Watch's incredible training simulators. At any time one could replicate a locale in which to fight; the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule, Dream Land… nearly anywhere. And best of all, he mused, as he stepped off the roof into open air…
CRASH! Suddenly he was on a soft mat in the middle of a featureless metal room, only a screen with the words SIMULATION OVER on it marking the wall. Fighting in these arenas never hurt. You could get smashed, blown up, dunked, or sent soaring over the horizon, and it never hurt a bit. It was a great place to practice your fighting techniques, cut loose without hurting anybody, relieve stress…
Plus, it was just plain fun. Luigi smiled fondly, remembering the many hours they'd spend knocking each other all over place in these crazy virtual arenas. The only trouble, of course, was that Giga Bowser was no simulation. On the contrary, Luigi sighed. He was as real as it got.
Looking at the buttons on the simulator, Luigi swallowed hard. There were also virtual reality replicas of all 25 Super Smash Brothers in the computer, just in case you wanted to spar with somebody who didn't feel like fighting. Looking around to see if anybody was watching, Luigi reached up with a trembling hand and pressed a button he had longed to press for 15 long years; the one with Mario's face on it.
A flash, and suddenly Luigi was face-to-face with his brother. It was an uncanny resemblance – it had been programmed with Mario's memories, fighting style, physical abilities, and personality. It was as close as you could get to having Mario back in the flesh. For a minute Luigi wondered if he had done something that he shouldn't, but one look at Mario's smiling face and those doubts were erased.
"Hey, Luigi!" Mario grinned. "How are you holding up?"
"Same as always." Luigi sighed.
"That bad, huh?" Mario replied, before chuckling to himself. "Just teasing, bro."
"So, uh… are you aware of what's going to happen tomorrow?" Luigi asked.
"Yeah." Mario nodded, more serious now. "I'd help, but… well, you know."
"I know you're not the real Mario." Luigi added. "But I just wanted to speak with you just in case tomorrow is… you know, our last stand."
"Hey, you'll do fine, little guy." Mario insisted. "I'm proud of how you've gotten everybody together again. You guys can beat Giga Bowser again. I know it."
"Thanks, Mario." Luigi sighed. "That means a lot to me."
Mario suddenly wagged his eyebrows playfully. "So long as we're here, how about a quick match?"
"Oh, I… uh… shouldn't…" Luigi stammered.
"Aw, come on." Mario insisted. "Just for old times' sake? One last smash?"
Luigi pondered for a moment. "Okay, sure." He nodded at last.
"That's the Luigi I remember!" Mario grinned. "Here we go!"
Suddenly Mario and Luigi were on the roof of Peach's castle once more, and before Luigi knew it he and Mario were knocking each other around once again. It was exhilarating. He had nearly forgotten how much fun this could be. Before Luigi knew it, he had caught Mario off-guard, and sent him flying off the roof with a smash attack. There was a loud crash, and suddenly Peach's castle shimmered and vanished, leaving the Mario Brothers alone in the simulator room.
Mario laughed as he picked himself up off the floor. "And I didn't even let you win that time!" he smiled. "You've improved, Luigi!"
"Thanks." Luigi sighed. "I really wish you could join us tomorrow, though."
"Yeah, me too." Mario nodded. "But you know I'll be rooting for you either way, right?"
"Right." Luigi had to smile. "Well, I'd better get some rest. Good night, Mario."
"Sleep easy, bro." Mario replied. "You'll do fine tomorrow. You'll see."
A press of the button, and Mario shimmered and vanished into nothingness once again. Luigi stared at the empty space for a moment before stepping out of the room, switching the lights off on his way out.
In Giga Bowser's twisted lair, ugliness was a way of life. Everything was crooked, twisted, cold and decaying, from the trees to the rock to the air itself. That is why it was so curious to see an object of such beauty suspended in the middle.
"You big, ugly turtle!" Princess Peach raged, pounding ineffectually against the translucent magical bubble in which she was trapped. "You're going to regret this! The Super Smash Brothers will make you pay!"
"But of course, my dear." The giant turtle smirked, staring at the comparatively small woman before him as though she were but a piece of jewellery. "That's what I'm counting on. You, Princess, are my last twist of the knife. You are what will ensure that, even if I somehow lose tomorrow's battle, I will still have my revenge."
"You're going to kill me?" Peach asked.
"Hardly." Giga Bowser purred. "You're quite safe within that magical sphere for the time being, although of course spending too long in there without food and water is not recommended. And if your precious friends decide to free you, it is simple enough. All one needs to do is to thrown oneself at the bubble to break it, and you will be free. But of course…" he added, "There is the fact that to break the bubble is to forfeit one's life, but to save such a treasure as yourself, I'm sure it is a sacrifice worth making."
"You monster!" Peach spat.
"And the best part is that the spell is only broken by somebody willingly sacrificing himself or herself to break the bubble. Just throwing somebody at it will do no good. It must be a willing sacrifice." Giga Bowser gloated. "Thus, if I perish tomorrow, you will still have to watch one of your friends die in order to save you. There is no other way out."
Peach turned away from her hideous captor, tears streaking down her cheeks, her hands shaking with fear and frustration.
"Onze again you have outdone yourself, Mazter Giga Bowzer." Murmured the little purple creature at Giga Bowser's side.
"I was hoping you'd approve, Tatanga." The giant Koopa leered. "Are your wonderful pets ready?"
"Ready az alwayz, oh great one." Tatanga nodded. "They have waited long for this day, az have we." He turned to his companion, a beautiful but sad woman in yellow robes, a hood obscuring her face. "Ready to watch the mazzacre, my dear?" he asked.
"…Yes." The woman murmured. She kept her gaze lowered, but she could feel Peach's betrayed gaze on her.
"I'm ready for action too!" Sneered a shadowy figure nearby.
"Excellent, Mario. Excellent." Giga Bowser grinned. "Four hours until we attack. Smash Central will fall before us, and nothing will stand in our way. Nothing!"
The villains cackled as they left the room, leaving the captive Mushroom Princess alone to her grief. The woman in yellow gave Peach one last sorrowful look before following.
TO BE CONCLUDED