Okay, I was a little messed up on this… but now I'm not. This might be the last chapter. I don't know. It depends. Thank you very much tanimax! I cannot express how grateful I am to all you reviewers. You guys rock! –eyes brim with tears- if it weren't for you, I probably would've never continued… SO THANKS!
Also thanks goes to ptpeach! I looove you sooo much for reviewing this and Clearing the Truth! PEACH LOVERS UNITE! XD
Disclaimer: Once more, I don't own Nintendo, SSBM or any other characters that I have mentioned besides Medusia, Solus, and Luna. They are my own.
X.X.X
Young Link was submerged in water. Bubbles surrounded him and his vision was blurry. The water was green and murky and he flailed his arms in panic. He willed himself to calm down as he surveyed his surroundings. Seaweed and other unidentifiable objects filled his eyesight that was currently short ranged. And then he saw something that broke his calm.
Floating white hair, pale white skin, and popping white sockets where the eyes should have been. Young Link stared for a moment at the corpse. Then he gasped, and sputtered for he was in water. The corpse was alive, and it stretched out a rotting hand, grabbed the neck of his shirt and—
"Oy! I'm just trying to help you!" Nana grappled with Young Link for a moment as the young elf flailed against her. Finally she lost all patience and slapped him across the face. His bright blue eyes finally opened and stared at Nana's dark ones for a minute. Then they broke the contact and turned away hastily.
"Good, you're awake," Popo said, oblivious to the little moment that had just took place. "Now what do we do?" He sighed.
Young Link was really confused. He was sitting in a sort of… pod. The pod was filled with wires coming in and out and was made entirely of metal, save for the glass hatch that could open on the front. He sat up, before realizing it was filled in a sort of breathable liquid. He glanced around. They were in a wooden, hot room. He jumped out of the pod, sloshing the liquid everywhere only to find more pods lined up. Twelve were empty. The rest were full of sleeping people that Young Link remembered were interested in the map, and had come with them.
"Wha… What happened?" He asked, rubbing his eyelids, and staring at the pod that held Dr. Mario in. He looked at the floating Italian whose coat was floating eerily.
Then he remembered Ness and Kirby. He ran around the room, looking for a bright pink blob and a psychic kid.
He couldn't find them.
Nana watched him, look for Ness and Kirby frantically. She sighed, "You passed out right after that weird girl came. I think she knocked you out. Anyway, Popo and me had to fight her, because she was attacking us. Popo knocked her unconscious. There was some kind of remote in her pocket. It looked exactly like a T.V remote. So I pressed the red button. I woke up--"
"Wait a minute… what do you mean, you woke up?" Young Link asked.
Nana impatiently waved a hand at the pods, "Don't you understand Link?" She shook her head, causing her hood to fall off her head. Brown hair spilled down her face and she brushed the strands away hastily. Finally she spoke, "Ever since we met Giovanni at the entrance of that house, he made us all pass out… somehow. And then he put us in these pods. Ever since then, he's controlling our minds. Everything was just an illusion." She finished.
"What!" Young Link cried. He stared disbelievingly at an unconscious Link who was submerged in liquid looking peaceful, "But everything felt so… real."
"I know. Because you felt with your mind. That's how it works," Popo said.
Nana was examining Zelda's face. She looked pale, yet still peaceful and wise. There was an empty pod right next to Zelda. And next to the empty pod was Peach. Her hair was swirling around her, like golden dust and her crown had sunken on the floor long ago. Samus must've been between them two. But where are they? She asked herself silently. She confronted the map.
It was strange that the map had the magical ability to go with them to a place only their minds. What made this map so special?
Nana closed her eyes, trying to think about the information.
"Guys look!" Popo was standing next to a working computer. The computer had a setting of a forest. And in the forest were…
"Zelda? Dr. Mario? Ganondorf?" There was only one person missing from the group that was still in the pod.
"It seems as if this computer is controlling whatever goes on," Popo said slowly, "So it has to be some sort of… cyber world."
"But where is Saria?" Young Link asked. He ran his eyes through the whole scene twice and couldn't find Saria. They stared at the screen and quite suddenly Krystal faded away.
"What just happened!" Nana screamed. The people on the screen jumped back. They nervously stared at each other.
"We need to get them out of here… now." Popo said firmly.
"But how?"
"I think we can arrange a portal of some sort," Popo said. There was a list of options on the side of the screen. He started clicking around.
A minute or two passed when all of a sudden he exclaimed, "I did it!"
"You did?" Young Link asked.
"Yeah… but in order to activate the portal… one of you have to go in," he said, biting his lip and looking at both of us, "I can't go, because I'm organizing the portal. One of you has to go."
"I'll go!" Nana shot up immediately.
"No you won't," Popo said, "I'm not letting you go in. Link's going in," he said.
"C'mon bro! I never get to go in the fray! You're always such an overprotective person! I'll be fine! I promise!" Nana pleaded.
"No! You're not going and that's final!" Popo shouted.
Nana glared at him for a moment, "I'm going whether you like it or not," she said in a dangerous voice.
Popo looked startled at Nana's behavior, "Fine. Go. But Link's coming with you," he said defiantly, "And that's that."
"Okay," Young Link said. Nana grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into a pod. Then she threw herself in one. She shut the hatch and immediately had she done so, breathable liquid began to fill the pod. The last thing Nana saw was Popo giving Young Link a remote similar to the one Nana and Popo had gotten from Medusia.
Then she blacked out.
"Wake up, Nan," A voice whispered to her. She didn't want to wake up. She felt really tired.
"Wake up," the voice said again. It sounded closer. She felt something tickling her face. She finally opened her eyes to see Young Link looking over her extremely close. His hair was tickling her. She yelped, sitting up, and in the process she accidentally hit his face.
"Ouch!" Young Link yelled. He rubbed his nose frantically, "I think you broke something," He glared at her.
"Sorry," Nana muttered. If truth were told, she always felt squeamish around him. And if he was this close…
"It doesn't matter now. We have to find…" He stopped suddenly.
Was that a rumbling noise? The elf and the Ice Climber looked around nervously. The rumbling stopped as soon as it came.
But still the children didn't move for a while. They waited nervously to hear anything. Twigs snapping, the breath of the wind, a creek bubbling, birds twittering, anything. But ever since the rumbling sounded, everything around them stopped.
Nana's heart was beating a tattoo against her chest. Young Link's eyes darted around, trying to discern anything in the setting that shouldn't be there. He was doing better than Nana because he'd faced adventures like these. Besides… this place seemed oddly familiar…
"D'you think it's gone?" Nana asked nervously.
"Maybe," Young Link answered. "I think we should keep moving," saying so he grabbed her by the arm and started to walk quietly toward the forest. Wearing his boots made the job easier.
For Nana, it was difficult. Her snowshoes had spikes on the bottom. Young Link was moving too fast for her. "Wait… hold on!" She couldn't keep up with him. Finally she fell over, bringing down Young Link as well, right next to her.
Twigs snapped, as they tried breaking their fall. Nana felt something scratch against her cheek. She knew it would leave a mark later. "Great," she heard Young Link mutter next to her.
"I'm sorry. Again," Nana said. But she really didn't mean it. She turned over… and spotted something quite strange. "Link! Look!" she grabbed his tunic and turned him over on his back.
"What now?" He grumbled then stared at the sky in a bemused sort of way.
A bird was motionless in midair. It was as though somebody had taken a picture of the bird flying and pasted it on the sky.
They looked at each other, silently. Then they helped themselves up.
"Know what's going on, Nana?" He asked. It was more of a rhetorical question but Nana answered it anyway.
"Time's stood still," She answered tonelessly.
"If we don't keep moving, we'll get caught in this time warp," he said, wiping his mouth with his forearm. "C'mon," he waved an arm and disappeared through the trees.
Nana followed. She was really scared now. She didn't know why, but she knew something bad was about to happen.
Strangely, her suspicion was right.
X.X.X
"Krystal!" Fox moaned. He looked at the screen. He saw her vanishing. He'd crawled over, putting his hands on the screen, willing to go in, and save her.
But that, of course, was impossible even in current circumstances.
Ness had gently pried Fox away from the screen using his PSI powers. Fox looked really devastated. Captain Falcon and Link comforted him, but nothing they said eased his pain.
Flash Back
"Dare," Krystal said confidently. Her eyes showed no fear. In fact, they betrayed no emotion.
Solus looked at her with sympathetic brown eyes. He truly showed genuine sympathy for the vixen. Krystal knew what was going to happen. She knew she wouldn't be able to fill the dare.
"You know what will happen?" Solus asked sadly.
"What do you mean?" Krystal feigned stupidity.
"You know, you won't be able to fulfill the dare," Solus said gently, searching her eyes that had just begun to show fear.
"What will happen to me?" Krystal fearfully asked.
Solus merely looked down. He didn't say anything for a while. Then—"Do you want to know what will happen? Will you fulfill the dare?"
Perhaps it was instinctive intuition, but Krystal knew that even if she survived the dare, she felt as if it wasn't her role to share the glory. She didn't know why this hit her so powerfully, but it did. "I can't do this dare." She sunk to her knees.
She stared at Solus, her blue hair falling out of her face. Solus grimly stared back. He pointed his staff at her and pointed it right at her heart.
The next thing Krystal knew was that she was gently floating away. She was becoming part of the wind…
End Flash Back
"It's my fault," Fox moaned, "I should've been there. I let her go away," he repeated it over and over.
"Well… its not like she's dead or anything…" Link nervously said.
"How do you know?" Fox looked at him searchingly. There was a glimmer of hope in the critical look he was giving Link, "How can you be sure?"
Link opened his mouth. But there was no answer.
X.X.X
Nana heard a roar penetrate the air. This caused her to stop in her tracks. "Link!" She shouted.
But the roar was so loud that Young Link couldn't even hear her shout. He stopped too. They looked at each other in fear.
"Run!" They both shouted in unison. They started to run. But Young Link was so fast that Nana couldn't keep up.
"Wait!" She cried desperately.
The deafening roar sounded again, this time louder. Nana scrambled forward faster. Her heart was beating faster than she ever thought it would be. She didn't dare look back.
Suddenly something swiped her up. She screamed. This scream was louder than the roar.
"LIIIINK!" She yelled. Young Link turned around his sword drawn. And then he saw what was carrying her.
"What?" Young Link disbelievingly said to himself. Then he blinked at the monster. The expression was of disbelief as he stared at this mythical monster.
The Yeti stood on two legs, about 9 feet tall. His fur was white, and his claws were razor sharp. His eyes were mean and cold. He looked like King Kong, except none of the warmth emanated from this monster.
What struck Young Link even more puzzled was that the monster was in a jungle. Wasn't this mythical creature supposed to be in the Himalayas?
The creature roared again, snapping Young Link back to his senses. The Yeti swiped furiously at him. Young Link rolled away in the nick of time. He stabbed at the creature's paw with his sword. The enraged creature let loose a roar of agony.
His other paw squeezed Nana so that she couldn't breathe. In panic, she flailed wildly. One of her hands hit the mythical monster in the eye. He let out a deafening roar, and dropped her. Down came Nana, she collapsed on the ground.
"Aim for its eye!" She screamed at Young Link.
Young Link didn't reply, but he took out his bow and an arrow. He lit it and aimed, and then let it loose. The arrow soared through the air and pierced the left eye of the Yeti. The creature roared in pain. Young Link threw his sword and pierced the monster right in the gut.
That was it. The creature moaned. A purplish liquid fell from the wound. He swayed dangerously. Nana ran out of way.
Young Link was the unlucky one. The creature fell on the young Hylian who moaned and closed his eyes.
Nana ran back to him. With difficulty, she managed to pull him out from underneath the heavy animal.
"Link…" She whispered. She looked at him with a tender expression. Never before had she given him this look until now. This is my fault! What am I supposed to do now! If it wasn't for me, Link would've reached to them by now… she thought sadly.
She was determined to carry Young Link with her. So she made a makeshift bed out of leaves and branches the Yeti had cracked off from its trees, and then dragged him onto it. Then she picked up one end and continued to look for the unlucky group.
X.X.X
Half an hour had passed, before a sweaty and tired Nana reached the clearing. Her face was red from the effort to pull Young Link with her, and she was exhausted from dragging somebody who was slightly heavier than her.
"Guys…" she panted. She uselessly attempted to swat away the flies. Sweat dripped down the red-faced girl, and her wet hair clung to her cheeks.
The group turned to her. Amazingly, the Time Stop did not affect them. Neither were the two strange children that had made Krystal vanish.
"Nana? Is that you?" Zelda asked softly. The Hylian princess's eyes gazed at the object Nana was pulling.
"Link…?" She asked, thinking it was the older version of the elf.
"Young Link," Nana let go of the makeshift bed and collapsed to the floor.
"Nana," Solus said kindly.
"Who the heck are you?" she asked irritably, not even bothered that he knew her name beforehand "And what have you done with Krystal?"
"It was Destiny's choice not mine, for her to fail the test," Solus bowed his head solemnly.
"Sure it was," replied a very ticked off Nana. She was beginning to like this boy lesser every second. She hated everything about him. She hated that he was far wiser than he looked, and that his wisdom made her seem inferior.
"Perhaps this will calm and refresh you…?" Luna pointed her staff at Nana and chanted,
"Ease the girl's noble pain
Her efforts won't go in vain
And make her laugh
O, Mighty staff"
Nana felt a sudden chill sweep through her. And a second later it felt like she'd taken a nice hot shower and had a nap. "Thanks," she muttered to Luna.
"It was no problem," Luna smiled quietly at her.
Then Nana faced the crowd, now happier. It was probably the effect of the spell. "There is a way out of here," she addressed them.
"What do you mean "a way out?" Are you going to teleport us out of here?" Mewtwo asked calmly.
Nana considered the question, "In a way," she said. Then she proceeded to explain that this was indeed, a figment of everybody's imagination, "I'm not entirely sure how it works, but I can get you out of here."
Mr. Game & Watch exclaimed, "I'm not sure about you guys, but I want out of this weird place."
A murmur of assent rippled the crowd.
"Okay," Nana said. She breathed, pressed the button and felt a whir of memories flash through her head. The last thing she thought about was home.
X.X.X
"Helloooo?" Young Link grinned Nana. She breathed deeply, opened her eyes and looked at Young Link.
"You're awake?" she asked.
"Uh-huh," he smiled.
Nana groaned and sat up. She sighed heavily, "I'm never going in there again." She said.
Young Link snorted. "It was me saving your neck, so I ought to be the one to say that."
"Thank you," Nana replied, a little taken aback at his sudden outburst.
Young Link didn't acknowledge her thanks. Instead he said, "Well, are you going to get up or what?"
"As a matter of fact, I am, mister," she irritably replied.
"Good, 'cause I was starting to think you were so slow that by the time you got out of there, we'd be skeletons."
"I'm not as slow as you are," Nana angrily replied. She hopped out of the pod, her hair dripping, from the liquid, "anyway, I don't see anybody awake just yet."
"That's because this is their first time getting out. First times take a little longer, dope," Young Link rolled his eyes at her.
Nana was really mad at him now. "I know, I was just trying to tell you that I wa-"
"No time for talking, I think they're waking up," Young Link cut her off. He wanted to cover up for the kindness he showed her previously, and he knew that cutting her off would sear off the suspicions she had about him liking her (If she ever thought that…)
Nana glared at him angrily, "You really have a problem… you know that right?"
"You really have an ugly face… you know that right?" He mimicked, his eyes glittering maliciously.
Nana turned away, rolling her eyes. One minute he's nice to me, and the next minute he really gets on my last nerve.… she thought angrily looking at the now stirring Nintendo City citizens.
"I think they're waking up," Popo said, who had just arrived a minute ago. He always seemed to miss what was going on between them.
"Yeah, finally," Young Link said. His tone was different now that Popo had come.
"Ugh! My hair!" Nana heard Peach exclaim. Nana rolled her eyes in disgust. You would think that in times of danger, the last thing you worried about was your hair.
"Heh, I think the look suits you," Nana heard Roy say. He was standing next to Peach grinning broadly.
"Really?" Peach smiled embarrassedly. She looked down.
"Yeah, matches your personality. I think I'll call your new hairdo "The Wet Cat Look"." He replied, laughing at his own joke.
"Haha, very funny," she rolled her eyes at him as he tweaked her clinging hair, "you have the lamest insults; you know that, right?"
Roy raised his eyebrows, then grinned goofily again, "Love you too, Peach-ums."
Peach just stuck her tongue out at him, but she couldn't hide the grin that was tugging at her lips. She enjoys being made fun of when it comes to her lover. I wonder why? I will never understand this feeling. Nana thought hopelessly, as she watched Roy pull her into a playful embrace.
Meanwhile, it was becoming clear what was happening to Krystal and Saria. They had both woken up… but something happened to them in the process.
It was discovered that Saria and Krystal had become blind. That was what happened to them, when they couldn't complete their dares. They had opened their sightless eyes, thinking something had gone wrong. They stumbled out of their pods and began bumping into people.
Nana turned away from them and looked at Popo who was failing miserably to gain everybody's attention. Finally, Popo lost all patience and whammed his hammer onto the floor, creating a loud noise. The startled group looked up.
"We have to get out of here. Now," Popo said in a clear voice.
"But where to?" Mr. Game and Watch asked.
"First we find the rest of our group. And then we get out of here. This is the last obstacle, after all. Understand?"
There was a chorus of "yes" and everybody followed Popo out the door.
Nana looked at the crowd. Saria and Krystal looked fine, as they were clinging onto Young Link and Falco, who were steering them. Adeleine had not woken up at all. Nana had a nasty suspicion that she truly was dead. She felt sadness for Ness that the person whom he loved did not wake up. But nothing could be helped.
They exited the room, to find a larger room. There were four doors in the shack. One lead from the way they came, Nana guessed. The other one outside to where they were supposed to go. And the third one, which was on the opposite end from their door, probably held the rest of the people.
Popo marched toward the door and tried opening it. But it was locked, "Any ideas?" he asked, looking at the crowd.
"Wait," Mewtwo said calmly, "stand back."
Everybody parted ways. Mewtwo focused his eyes on the doorknob. His normally purple eyes glowed a deep gold color. There was a click, and the door swung open, like nothing happened.
From inside, they could see Link standing up in excitement, and immediately bumping his head on the low ceiling.
Marth heard Samus laugh at him, and his heart jolted. It seemed like months, rather than just a couple hours, since he last heard her voice.
He was so afraid she would reject him. Her laugh seemed to torment his soul, because he knew that she would not love him back, ever since last night had happened.
Her emerald green eyes met his for a minute, but he couldn't tell what was written in them. He broke their gaze, and looked down.
After every person had come out from the tiny, low ceiling room, Marth hid in the crowd, hoping beyond hope that she would not see him.
But Samus was not a Bounty Huntress for nothing. She was paid to spot things nobody could spot. And she saw him hiding away from her. She decided to leave him for now because she didn't know what to say to him, never having experienced this strange feeling before. She always was alone… and if none of them spoke their feelings…she would always be alone.
"Krystal!" Krystal couldn't see where his voice came from, but she knew who it belonged to.
"Fox! Her own voice penetrated the air. She let go of Falco's arm and took two tottering steps toward the voice, her arms outstretched so as not to hit any obstacles in front of her.
Two arms wrapped around her, and she felt his head burrowing into her hair. She felt his hot breath against her head as Fox whispered, "What have they done to you?"
Krystal felt a tear slide down her face. Now that Fox had said those words, she felt the full weight of the burden. She could no longer fly. This meant she was booted off the team. She was of no more use to them.
And she would never be able to see her lover, "Oh Fox… I'm not of any use to you. I'm b-blind." She said, her voice cracking on the word. It was strange, these words being used on her.
"Blind?" She felt the weight of his head shift off of her head. Then she felt his warm thumbs brushing away her tears.
"Yes… I won't be able to fly. I can't do any more missions. I can't live my life normally anymore. I'm so…" she sighed helplessly, "So handicapped."
"That's okay Krystal! I'm fine with that… as long as you are living…" She heard him smile as he spoke his words. He had so much to give her. And she had… close to nothing.
"But how are you still happy? I'm blind. I'll be a burden to you everywhere we go together," Krystal said.
"Krystal," Fox's voice was now stern, "Just because you are blind doesn't mean it's the end of the world. You have to remember that your friends and I—we all love you. Don't worry. You're not alone as much as you think. There are many blind people living in this world, perfectly happy. They have so much to live for. And besides," he paused, "you've only lost one of your senses. You still have four perfectly good ones left."
Krystal let the last sentence sink in. Four senses… she thought. She should be grateful for them. Shyly, she looked down, "Thank you Fox."
"Now let's forget about this." He put an arm around her waist and started talking to Falco, hearing what happened while he was gone.
Meanwhile Zelda was trying to avoid, but also at the same time look for a certain green dressed person.
"Zelda," there came her name. And Zelda recognized it so well, but she pretended not to hear. The name came out, not as a question, or a form of recognition. It came out merely as a statement.
"Zelda!" Now it came out as a shout. Zelda closed her eyes. Should she turn around to the voice, fling her arms around him, and whisper how sorry she was? Somehow, she suddenly felt so tired of the whole thing.
She felt exhausted at the moment. Everything that occurred since the day she entered the gates of the theme park, she'd been able to cope with. But now… she just felt like breaking down. Hearing his very voice just made her want to bawl, and collapse. She didn't—couldn't—face him.
"Zelda!" The voice was nearer. Zelda had no choice but to turn around. Everybody around her was looking at Link and had a look that clearly stated, "Why isn't she turning around?" So the Hylian princess turned around, and Link stopped abruptly, a foot away from her.
He didn't kiss her. He didn't hug her. He didn't even pat her on the back, or touch her. This was a really bad sign for Zelda. This meant that he didn't like her.
"Yes?" She asked tiredly and stiffly at the same time. His very presence made her feel awkward
"I'm very glad to see you in one piece. Are you okay?" Link asked. He probably meant well, but Zelda could detect a faint strained tone in his voice.
"I am fine. There is no need to concern yourself for my health," Zelda answered, in a polite and stiff manner.
Link smiled a little embarrassedly, and scratched the nape of his neck, "Well… I'm supposed to be your hero. So naturally I thought…"
"It's alright. You don't need to think about me anymore," Zelda said. This time there was a hard edge to her voice. It was clear that he didn't show any more feelings for her or he was too shy or embarrassed to show them.
Zelda turned away, and began to walk toward Peach and Samus who were talking to Mario and Roy. Everybody was oblivious to what was going on to the two elves, except for Saria who listened with interest, but not with jealousy. She knew her place as a friend with Link. Nothing more, nothing less. She was never going to interfere with Link and Zelda. Ever again.
"Zelda wait!" Link grabbed her by the wrist.
"What is it?" She asked. Goosebumps emanated from where he'd touched her.
"I—I heard…" He cleared his throat and looked on the ground. Why was this courage so much harder than the courage that gave him strength to slay monsters? "I heard what you said… in the cyberspace. About me."
This made Zelda turn around. She looked at Link whose blue eyes were on the floor, downcast, meek, yet hopeful.
When Zelda didn't respond an encouraged Link went on, "I wante-"
Zelda interrupted, "Look at me Link."
She was so tired of waiting. She couldn't wait a minute longer.
Link flinched and looked into her eyes. They held so many emotions that Link could not tell which were in them.
"Now tell me… Do you love me?" Zelda asked abruptly.
Link's eyes registered shock when she said it so suddenly. He wanted to say, "yes, I love you" and kiss her like it was in the movies, and have the happy ending, cue the credits.
"Do you love me?" Zelda asked more gently. She took his calloused hand in her own smooth ones. They were so warm against her cold ones.
Link turned his head and looked at everybody. Why was saying such a simple sentence so hard for him? He'd never failed at English. Zelda was practically waving it in his face. His eyes fell on Saria, who was sightless. She could not see that he was looking at her, but she felt him looking at him… perhaps it was because they were such good friends.
She smiled encouragingly at him, and though her eyes would always remain with a blank look in them, Link could've sworn he saw a flicker of encouragement in her eyes.
A friend was all he needed. He would not stutter now. The words that were stuck in his throat for so long, suddenly found their way up to his tongue.
"Zelda…" he found himself squeezing her hand back. This elicited a blush from Zelda, "I… do… love…"
"Hey Link! LIIINK! Big bro, can you get down here?" Zelda flinched and let go of his hand, and looked down at the younger version of Link.
"What?" She asked. She couldn't help feeling irritated at him for coming at the wrong moment and spoiling everything.
"I asked Link to come…" then Young Link noticed her glare and forced smile and added on quickly, "But you can come too if you'd wish."
"What is it Young Link?" Link asked the other green clad elf.
"I don't know. Everybody should've awakened. But Adeleine isn't waking up. I think she's…" Young Link stopped suddenly. Ness was standing nearby, looking at Young Link with a glazed look.
Link looked concerned, "What? She's not waking up?"
Zelda and Link exchanged looks and then started following Young Link, Popo, Nana, and Ness.
Once they'd reached Adeleine they saw her, with her eyes closed.
"If somebody dies in cyberspace… do they die in real life?" Nana asked in a whispered tone to Zelda.
"I… I don't know…" Zelda responded. She bent down slightly, looking at the young painter closer. "Adeleine…" She whispered.
There was no response.
"Adeleine…" She said in a normal voice.
Still there was no answer.
Zelda closed her eyes, opened them, and then placed two fingers gently on Adeleine's forehead.
Immediately Adeleine's eyes shot open. Fear filled them, and then she smiled when she recognized Zelda's face. "Zelda…?" she asked softly.
She didn't seem like herself. She seemed dreamy and woozy, but who wouldn't be after taking a nap that turned out to be the wackiest adventure of your life?
"Sh… You're going to be okay," Zelda said. She brushed a strand of hair off Adeleine's face.
Adeleine smiled, but her eyes seemed to go past Zelda's. Was she blind too?
But she couldn't be. Zelda picked up the child and placed her on the floor. She swayed dangerously, about to fall if it weren't for Ness who caught her and gently laid her on the floor.
"Hullo Ness…" she giggled weakly, "I feel so tired. I think I'm going to die. Ha-ha… get it?"
Nobody did. Apparently Ness didn't either but he let out a forced laugh for Adeleine's sake.
"Courage Ness," Link said it so low, that Ness had to lip-read what he was saying. He couldn't stop the tears that were coming in his eyes. Why is it that when people tell you to be strong, those are the very words that lead you to break down?
Ness squeezed Adeleine's hand gently, and wondered if the Cyberspace messed her brain up. And then he wondered if Adeleine's psychic because she said, "I think it messed my brain up. I'm not me anymore. Do you all hate me?" Her eyes questioningly looked at Ness.
"No. I don't think I would ever hate a girl like you," his voice was shaking when he said it. But every word he said was true.
"Adeleine… You'll get fixed up. I promise," Kirby said. He had somehow sensed Adeleine had awakened and had come into the room to see what was going on.
Adeleine's face frowned at him, "Who are you? I don't like you…. Go 'way," she said in a groggy voice. She sounded a bit drunk.
"It's me! Kirby! I'm your best friend," Kirby exclaimed.
Adeleine's eyes flickered for a moment. Then they showed puzzlement and unhappiness, "I don't remember you. I don't remember any of you. Except for… Zess and Nelda," she said slurring her words a bit. Her eyes were closing.
Ness stared sadly at Adeleine's face. He sighed, and looked away.
"It's gonna be okay…" Young Link patted Ness on the shoulder.
Nana glimpsed at Ness's face, and as she looked at it, her whole heart went out to him. He wasn't crying anymore, but his eyes showed so much pain… as if he shouldn't have witnessed this spectacle. And he shouldn't have.
Ness's eyes changed. Now they showed only hatred, "Whoever did this, is going to be pay." He said in the scariest tone Nana ever heard him use.
"Don't worry," Zelda said in a low and mean tone—this also scared Nana because Zelda rarely was mean to anybody—and looking as though she meant every word she added, "She will. She will get what she deserves."
Link gave her an astonished look. But then his expression changed and he also said in a strong voice, "She'll be dead before she knows who hits her."
"C'mon… we have to get out of here," Nana muttered. Link picked up the now unconscious painter. Then they all exited the room.
X.X.X
Mario adjusted his cap and grasped the steel doorknob. He could feel the warmth of the doorknob through his glove as he twisted the door open. They had finally exited the "House of Insanity" as Yoshi had so rightly called it, only to find another building. They hoped nothing else would happen. They hoped that this was truly where their answers lay.
The group of 28 stood for a minute at the door, which was only slightly open. Excitement and curiosity coursed through them like never before.
Mario took a deep breath and pushed the door open. They saw white marbled floor, and navy blue painted walls. There were desks lined against the walls. At the end of the corridor was a door. On the door was a gold nameplate that said in bold letters, "Master Hand".
"Well… now we know where we're going," Mario chuckled weakly.
Everybody laughed weakly as well.
"Wait… How do you know where we're supposed to go?" Luigi asked.
Everybody stared at him. Nobody answered him and instead walked through. They walked up to the door and knocked on it.
"Enter," came a voice.
"This is it," Marth murmured, and opened the door.
The office was just like any office, only that it was very spacious. There was a desk in the middle and a giant hand was floating in front of it.
When each person and creature had entered the room and made themselves comfortable by sitting on the floor, Master Hand said in a solemn voice, "Congratulations. I thought there would be less of you, but I suppose you all will do." He sat for a moment quietly.
Unable to keep the pent-up questions for so long Kirby asked it all in one word, "Why?"
"Why? Why what? Why did I send you here? What have you won?" Master Hand asked quizzically.
"Why did you bring us to this… nightmare?" Mario asked.
"Why did you kill Malon?" Saria asked.
"How is Medusia affiliated with you?" Peach asked, "Is she working for you, or are you working for her?"
Master Hand raised a finger up to silence everybody. He gave a sorrowful sigh. Then he said, "This is a very long story, children," he said.
"We have loads of time," Samus said crossing her arms.
Master Hand looked amused at the bounty huntress's defiant look.
"All right. Listen carefully, and please don't regard this as a fantasy. It is true. I was born five centuries ago, and I was born a normal human. I wasn't always like this… hand. I was young, courageous, handsome, and I was engaged to a beautiful lady named Celia. But that's when everything went awry."
Master Hand paused, to see if he'd captured everybody's attention. "There were strange rumors about an Island. It was unnamed, but we all called it 'The Island'. It was rumored to have magical waterfalls in it. One waterfall had the ability to make you young once more. Another always had treasures such as gold emeralds and other precious gems falling down its waters. But the Island was just, supposedly, a myth. They said that every sailor who got lost at sea landed up in 'The Island'. Most sailors found the place so peaceful and incredible that they stayed there. The few who came back told us of it.
"At the time, I really didn't care for it. Why should I? I was engaged to the woman who meant the world to me and I was a successful merchant. I had everything I wanted. Why should I waste my time looking for something that did not possibly exist?
"It was Celia's idea. She was always into fantasies. She wanted to go to 'The Island'. And she wanted to go so bad that she grew sick thinking of it. So I arranged a ship to take us there.
"We got lost on the first night. There was a storm raging and finally the ship wrecked. Only Celia and I survived. We landed on 'The Island' and it was like every fantasy painted. It was fantastic. It always had a gentle breeze, mythical creatures roamed about like phoenixes, unicorns, and dragons. Everybody was friendly yet untamed.
"We discovered the waterfall, that made us young and youthful. We drank it. Now we looked like teenagers once more. We were happily living on this island and it seemed that nothing would ever befall us.
"But there was one waterfall that wasn't like the rest. This waterfall made people's physical form vanish for good. Nobody knew about it. Until one day Celia and I took a walk deep into 'The Island'. We discovered the waterfall and Celia jumped in. She never came out. I waited. But nothing happened. It was unsettling. I plunged in. I vanished completely as well.
"Soon it was discovered that the waterfall was evil, being as it did make people vanish. And then came the rain. The rain came from that waterfall that made people vanish. Everybody began to vanish slowly as well. They were horrified. They left immediately. Now only one man named Vincent and his little girl remained on 'The Island'. Somehow, he found out what had happened to me. He also found out how to communicate with me. He said that he could bring me back in my physical form. But he said that in exchange for bringing myself back, I would have to take his little girl—Medusia—away from 'The Island' I agreed. I asked him if he could also bring back Celia, and Vincent agreed to that as well.
"But something went wrong in my transformation. I mutated into my right hand. Medusia's father brought Celia back, but Celia was sleeping at the time I left. I left with Medusia. As I grew up with Medusia I realized she wasn't… human."
"Human? She looks like one though!" Peach gave the hand a skeptical look.
"Yes," Master Hand said in a morose tone, "That's how Vincent would've wanted it. I found out that Vincent was a professor. And Medusia was not his daughter. She was his experiment."
The last word rang out. Experiment? Everybody thought it, but didn't voice it out. They exchanged looks. Some like Bowser and Mr. Game and Watch had skeptical looks throughout the whole story.
"When I found out what she was… I was really shocked. That would explain why she had snakelike abilities. It was because Vincent used a snake's DNA to create her. Instead of treating Medusia kindly as I should have, I wanted to be far away as possible from her. I really didn't want to be next to a mutation. As a result, Medusia grew to be spoiled, and jealous. She never had any real friends. Finally, because she was growing so spoiled, I put her in a public school. This was a big mistake. She was a cunning girl, and she had the same interests as her dad, like potions. She made friends only with popular people," He pointed his finger at Peach, "and dated a lot of men who enjoyed being seduced by her. I knew I should have done something by now, but I couldn't bring myself to meddle in her affairs.
"Meanwhile Vincent came back. And he brought back Celia with him. And I was really heartbroken that Vincent and Celia were married. I was furious and sad. I was so enraged that I found some potions and I thought it was poison. But it wasn't. It was the same potion that Vincent used on me. He turned into his left hand. Celia was distraught. She ended up committing suicide. I never meant for it to happen. I felt so guilty that I let Vincent, who is now called Crazy Hand, live with me. We are now, what I feel I must call, brothers."
The whole room was quiet for a minute then—
"Okay. We heard your life story," Bowser growled, "What about this?"
"I beg your pardon?" Master Hand asked politely, oblivious to the fact that Bowser didn't really care about his life story.
"Why did you stick us in this… this horror? Mewtwo asked calmly.
"You've killed so many innocent lives!" shrieked Saria, whose mind was still fresh on Malon.
"And hurt a lot more," Link added quietly.
Master Hand snapped his fingers to settle the group down. They didn't question his authority and immediately quieted down. Master Hand spoke in a solemn voice, "This theme park was not built to kill. It was only built for a treasure hunt. I am afraid that Medusia grew jealous. She always did want to be in the spotlight," he sighed suddenly as though he was really tired of this mess, "I suppose most of it is my fault. I never gave the girl the attention she needed. And I suppose half of her nature comes from whatever Vincent did to her.
"Those with the map pieces please stand up," Master Hand suddenly said.
Puzzled but also reluctant to obey, everybody who possessed the map pieces stood up. Master Hand surveyed them, or that's how it looked like.
"Congratulations. You are the first twelve members of the Super Smash Brothers."
"I've heard of that before!" Mario exclaimed excitedly, "But it was supposed to be an ancient organization long ago. It never really was successful."
"What exactly is this Super Smash Brothers?" Samus asked cynically. She really didn't like the sound of it. She also narrowed her eyes in disgust at its name. "Brothers"? Samus was a girl and she was a part of it!
"Super Smash Brothers was an organization thousands of years ago. It was supposedly the most exciting and most popular game in the world. But on the first day it was to be opened, nothing was there. All that remained in the stadium was a map. That map in fact," Master Hand pointed at the map that was currently in Nana's hands, "The map—as everybody came to discover—had magic qualities. Every time a building was razed to the ground or if a new building was replaced, the map would change, showing the new building and obliterating the old building. It also showed the location of people that were within the map's sight. The map also possessed the magical ability to be in your mind. An example of this is if you were having a dream while the map was in your possession, the map would be in possession even while having a dream.
"Anyhow, as years passed, the map was broken into 12 pieces and strayed far away from each other. I took the pains to get all of them back, and started this. I sold my business to open this organization. I know it will be a success, if you are willing to cooperate." He said.
"What exactly is this game?" Captain Falcon asked skeptically, "Is it as morbid as this test of yours?"
"Heavens no! It is like a wrestling match. Only the arenas you fight in are much more exciting. You will possess your own unique powers and use them to fight against each other. You won't get seriously injured, and at the end of every match the winner gets more money. At the end of the year there is a tournament. And the winner gets an increase in his salary, and gets whatever he wants, as long as it's reasonable."
The now new Smashers gazed at each other. "What will happen to the rest of our friends?" Yoshi asked.
"They will return home, of course," Master Hand said.
"What about Pichu?" Pikachu asked quietly, "What about our friends that accompanied and did all that we did? They overcame all of our hardships. The only difference between them and us is that we have the map pieces. They are still courageous as us."
Master Hand seemed to ponder this. When he spoke he seemed to be frowning, "What you say is true. Hmm… I cannot promise anything this year. But in the future your friends will have a place in Super Smash Brothers. After this year. Of course, you will all be staying at the Super Smash Brothers Mansion. However, if you have missions you must complete I understand completely. But if you are an honorary Super Smash Brothers member, you have to stay at the mansion. It is required of you."
Everybody started talking at that.
Link, now seated next to Zelda looked at her with a soft expression, "I guess I won't see you for a long while after this."
Zelda looked away. She lost Link, almost had him back, only to find out that they wouldn't spend so much time in the next few years. The pain hurt too much when she realized that she wouldn't have him after all.
She felt a warm, rough hand over hers. The hand was, as she could tell, blistered with holding a sword tightly. A light blush overcame her when she realized it was Link. She forced herself to look at Link's face. Link ignored his heart that was beating rapidly. It was now he had to get back to her. Or he might not even see her for a long time. Link closed his hand over her fragile one and brought it up. Zelda weakly grasped his hand back.
Link shot her a smile. She returned it sadly. The words were unspoken but they were loud and clear. Their feelings seemed to flow through their hands to the other hand. Link was comforting Zelda's sad smile. This was true love; understanding through unspoken words.
Zelda sat a bit straighter, leaned up and brushed her lips against his. It was barely a kiss, but the same tingle shot up her spine as a normal kiss. Link looked at her with kind eyes; the same caring eyes that she loved to look at when they first got into this relationship. It was like she was falling in love over again. No words could replace what both were feeling right now. It was more than feeling elated happiness. It was more than soaring over the clouds. It was more than any words could capture.
"Yuck," Young Link muttered under his breath when he saw Zelda and Link. He snorted in disgust.
"There's nothing disgusting about that," chided Nana. She smiled at the two Hylians. Her heart fluttered unexpectedly at the sight of both of them. A vision filled her sight when she unexpectedly saw herself kissing Link.
It was disgusting. But then she realized that it wasn't Link she saw herself envisioning. It was…
She turned her face away from Young Link, so he wouldn't see her flushing. That was really unexpected.
Young Link in the meantime frowned at Nana's sudden head movement. "Girls…" he muttered under his breath, "They are so weird. Even the tomboys."
Nana felt a flash of anger that made her feelings for him vanish, "And I'll never understand boys," she amended herself, "No wait—not boys in general. Just you! You always seem to have a problem with girls. What is it? Are you too stupid to win a girl over?" Nana taunted.
"No!" Young Link protested indignantly, "I just think they're loony!"
Nana rolled her eyes, "One day, you'll think differently of girls, and you'll change your opinion."
Young Link grinned devilishly at her, "Never as long as long as I live. I will never be friends with anybody as girly as girls are!"
"Oh? And what about me?" Nana asked, and she cocked an eyebrow up. "Am I a friend? I can't be an acquaintance; we've been through too much to be just an acquaintance, and I wouldn't dream of being your sweetheart 'cos you're too immature," she lied at that since she just had a thought about them, "and I'm not an enemy. If I were, you'd be bruised from head to toe. So if I'm not any of those things… what am I?" She asked.
Satisfaction mounted her as she watched Young Link struggle with that question. Finally he smiled grudgingly, "You're an exception."
It was Nana's turn to be surprised. She hadn't expected him to answer. But she was surprised and pleased at his answer. Her expression softened, "Thank you."
Young Link smile was genuine now, "For what?"
"I'm happy to be your friend," she replied.
They grinned at each other. Nothing more was exchanged between them but they were definitely happier each pleased by what the other had said.
"Well, it's time to go then," Master Hand said. He led the Smashers and the rest of the unchosen outside.
But right when they got out, somebody grabbed Samus who was at the end of the line, and put a knife to her neck.
"Father!" Medusia sneered at Master Hand. Samus narrowed her eyes at Medusia, looking tough, though inside she was really scared. This was the second time Medusia was doing this to her.
"Medusia! Let her go!" Master Hand demanded.
"No father. This is what you get. You brought me up horribly. You will pay." She snarled, "You changed my real father to a disfigured insane man! I heard the whole thing of what you said inside."
"Listen Medusia… stop this nonsense! I'm truly sorry for the pain I caused you." Master Hand said.
"I won't stop!" Medusia spat.
While Medusia and Master Hand were arguing, Marth and Samus's eyes met. Samus wondered what Marth would do this time. She recalled that last time Marth really didn't care. But now she knew the reason to why he was acting strange. She heard it through Link and also heard him confess his love for her through the screen.
Marth in the meantime grasped his sword that was still sheathed. He drew into the crowd then around the crowd. Medusia was busy arguing; she didn't notice Marth go around to Medusia's back.
"Dead." He flicked his sword out and held it to Medusia's neck, "Let her go. Now." He growled in a menacing voice.
Medusia froze for only a minute. Then she sneered at him, "If you cut my throat, I will kill her, so I can watch you weep. I will be happy dying, but you won't. You'll live in torment for the rest of your life, thinking about how rash you were. You will go to your deathbed with the guilt of killing your sweetheart." Medusia cackled deliriously. She was now fully insane. She knew she was going to die anyway.
Fwoosh.
Marth felt something whistling passed his abdomen. Then a second later—
Thump.
He felt Medusia stiffen in surprise. Then he felt her hands drop to her sides, and lean against him bodily. He felt something warm drench through his blood. He laid Medusia unkindly and turned to see whose arrow had killed Medusia.
It was Kid Icarus.
He looked numb with horror, and unsure of what to do. His bow lay at his side.
"I-I… Thought you needed help…" he stammered.
Marth stared at Medusia beautiful yet cruel face and remembered how she once had tried to woo him. He grimaced.
"It's over." He heard Samus say softly next to him.
He knelt on one knee, his head bowed, "Yeah. It's over finally."
He wasn't really aware that Samus was watching him, judging his posture. She took him by the arm and drew him up gently and guided him back to the crowd.
"Thank you," she said shyly.
Marth nodded. "I had to do it. I couldn't stand around… like I did before," he guiltily thought about everything that happened last night (Was it last night? He thought wonderingly, it seemed like months ago).
"You were confused about your feelings. Everybody is," Samus stated empathetically.
Marth realized how close him and Samus were. He also realized that Samus hadn't let go of his arm. "I was wrong to not save you when I had the chance," he sighed tiredly. It was usually his duty to play as the flirt and the romance, but he wasn't so sure of his abilities now.
Samus stared at him with her emerald green eyes. It was amazing how they could change so fast. He'd never seen her without her guard on. This was rare. Her eyes were soft and kind instead of sharp, lucid, and witty. Then, although she wasn't experienced in these matters she pulled him into a hug and allowed him to stroke her hair, wrap his arms around her and breathe her neck and her hair. "I am really sorry," he whispered against her neck. "I made a mistake, and I promise it won't happen again."
His breath sent goose bumps all over Samus. She pulled him to her tighter, running her hands through his hair that he'd spent so much time on brushing. She'd wanted to hear this from him so much.
"I really do like you. And I must ask… do you love me back?" He asked.
Samus was never allowed to speak her feelings. But that was only during a mission she would have to guard her feelings. It was too late for her to reject him. She couldn't even force the two-letter word out. It was as if even her brain was telling her it was okay.
She pulled him away, so he could see her expression, "Yes. I will," she replied solemnly.
Marth, much to Samus's embarrassment, pulled her to a kiss. In public. Then Samus willed herself to relax. She really did enjoy what was going on. So what if it was in public? She felt as if they both deserved this. And with that she smiled against his lips and pulled him closer.
X.X.X
Mario's POV
Nintendo City's graveyard was much more packed in graves and people after this happened. Two days had passed, and the theme park had been closed.
Everybody who had died finally had a peaceful burial place. I watched Saria who wore black. It struck me odd that Saria was wearing black when she wore nothing but green, but I suppose it fit her current feelings. I watched as Saria feel the grave, and brush away the leaves and place a bouquet of black tulips onto her grave. Undoubtedly, somebody had thrown a spell on it so that it was black. I'd heard of Black Tulips. They were really rare and expensive. They were also everlasting flowers. I watched Zelda (dressed in white) magic the flowers so that nobody could steal them. I saw Saria weep, and turn away.
All 28 of us were in the graveyard (Adeleine was in a hospital. The doctors said that she could be cured. At this very moment the doctors were operating on her) I watched everybody quietly with Luigi and Dr. Mario. For once, I really didn't feel like talking to anybody. I appreciated whatever was going on.
I watched Roy wrap his arms around Peach from behind and Peach place her hands on his arms, their expressions were content and peaceful, with a hint of sadness. I saw Pikachu holding Pichu's hand comfortingly (Pichu was deathly afraid of being graveyards) while Jigglypuff and Kirby floated up to an apple tree in the graveyard munching on a couple of apples. Young Link, Popo, Ness and Nana rolled in the grass, giggling. I saw Young Link accidentally roll on Nana. Both of them paused. Then they jerked off of each other disgustedly. The scene somehow amused me.
"Young love," Luigi commented, with a smile on his lips.
"Very young," I agreed amusedly.
Dr. Mario just chuckled, shaking his head.
Bowser and Ganondorf seemed to have found a friend in each other as they stared off into the horizon, their expressions bleak.
Zelda was propped up against a tree, absentmindedly playing with Link's hair, his head on her lap. Both their expressions clearly showed that they were mourning Malon and were concerned for Saria.
Fox and Krystal's tails waved in unison as they sat on the brick wall looking at the scenery, talking. Falco was on Fox's other side studying his reflection in a compact mirror. He heard Fox and Krystal laugh and saw Falco scowl.
Marth and Samus suddenly emerged from behind a tree their faces red. I didn't want to dwell on what they were doing: I could tell from their happy, flushed expressions that they were making out.
Yoshi was stretched on the grass with DK and Mr. Game and Watch. They looked at the sky that was now pink and purple and red. Captain Falcon was propped against the base of the tree that Kirby and Jigglypuff were on, with his legs sprawled out and his arms on his head. I almost laughed when Jigglypuff and Kirby accidentally dropped a number of apples on him and that made him swear angrily.
The scene was peaceful, despite the depressing setting.
Look, I heard Mewtwo project into everybody's head. They looked startled.
"At what?" they all asked confusedly.
The sunset is beautiful. I think it fits the peace around us. He replied.
All at once everybody turned toward the direction of the sun. It was indeed a beautiful sight. It seemed that as the sun went down, so would the day. The sky was turning a lovely lavender color that faded into pinks and dark blues.
As I looked at the sunset, I also thought (as the last rays disappeared) that the sunset truly ended The Test.
THE END
Whoo! It's finally over! I can't believe I did it! This is actually the longest chapter I've ever done! 26 pages and over 10000 words! Whoa! I hope you guys liked it. Now that this is over, my school starts on Monday, so updates will be slower than anticipated. Yes, updates slower than usual. Okay so review, and thank you for everything! All thanks goes to my reviewers. I've said it repeatedly, but you guys really made me want to go through this!
Also, thanks goes to my sister who let me complete this on her laptop. THANK YOU IMAN (Though you'll never read this)!
And of course, more special thanks to whoever stuck to me after I came back. You guys are awesome –tear- I love you guys!
So comments anyone?