Chapter 11

Plans

Peach looked over at Mario. His recovery had been miraculous, and when he had come to tell her about the events of recent times, he had been all too cheerful about the dire situation. It wasn't like the Mario she knew at all. Until he proved himself once again in the field of combat, he was not to be trusted.

The princess' chain of thought was interrupted by the voice of a young prince. "Princess, I would rather much like to know what's going on," Marth stated.

"Very well," Peach answered, "But not here."

"Inside," Zelda agreed. The purple-blooded youths started toward the door. When the others tried to follow them, Zelda placed one hand back. "Alone," she told Marth, making sure that all could hear.

"Zelda'aki?" Link asked.

"Link," Zelda responded, "Call me Zelda'maji in public, please."

"My apologies, princess." Link's confused gaze explained everything. She smirked and turned.

"I'll be back," she stated.

"So," Marth asked, "What's going on?"

"It was Gannondorf," Peach responded, seeing the meaning of Marth's question.

"But... didn't you seal him away?" Marth asked, nodding to Zelda.

"Well, yes. You see, Gannondorf broke the seal," Zelda responded.

"How did he pull that off?" Marth demanded, his tone now quite serious.

"He's changed. Right now, he's even more powerful then I am, even with Din's magic and the Triforce of Wisdom at my side," Zelda stated.

Marth's eyes grew wide. "We're in deep trouble."

Peach smirked. "She didn't say he was unbeatable, only that he was powerful," she assured him.

"But, who is there in the game world who can defeat him?" Marth asked.

"I said that Gannondorf had changed," Zelda said, "But so has Link." A look of realization fell over Marth's face. "If he fails, there are two others who might be able to do this task."

The look of understanding on Marth's face fell into one of confusion. "What?" he asked. "I don't get it..."

"You cannot be told," Peach said, "Only shown. You will know what we mean when you need to know."

"If you say so," Marth replied. The Princesses waited for Marth to take in the situation. "Go on, I'm listening," he insisted.

"Bowzer and Mewtwo have joined up with Gannondorf, making one of the most deadly teams ever seen in game world history," Peach told him.

"This just gets better and better," Marth stated.

"You know who has joined here, and you know how deadly the team of fighters you've assembled here is," Zelda said, harshness filling her voice, "So stop complaining and listen to us. You know very well we can win."

"... Sorry," Marth said. "I guess it's just our tournament's cancellation getting to me."

"I know," Peach said. She smirked, gave Marth a minute to get a hold on himself, and then continued. "We have a plan for getting in to the Dark Palace and killing the trio, ending their power before they put a stranglehold on us."

"You know where the Dark Castle is?" Marth asked, impressed.

"The details are all in here," Zelda stated, handing him several sheets of paper safely nestled in a file-folder.

Marth took a moment to look it over. "You really think we're going to have to do all of that just to get into the castle?" he asked.

"It's not like they're just going to let us waltz on in," Zelda stated.

"No, no indeed, quite the opposite. We're going to have to fight hard to get in," Peach added.

Marth looked over the plans one more time, pouring over every meticulous detail. "I can't think of anything wrong with it, unless the three kings pull a few surprises on us," he said. "I'll forward my plans to Roy."

"No," Peach said.

"Why not?" Marth asked.

"One of us isn't who he seems," Peach said, "And until we know who the imposter is and what his real identity is, we will have no way of knowing who to trust and who not to."

"I see," Marth stated. "Well then, I'll get the good general to start on phase one of our plan."

"I'll see Link off on his new adventure," Zelda stated.

"I suppose that leaves me with the hardest job," Peach said.

"What do you mean? You don't have to do anything!" Marth exclaimed.

"I have to wait," Peach responded. All three semi-monarchs chuckled, then set out to do their tasks.

"You're not making much sense," Link stated, as he and Zelda began clambering up another flight of stairs.

"I know," Zelda responded. "Just find yourself and bring yourself back here."

"Very well. By the way, may I ask what was said in there?" the Hylian champion asked.

"You may," Zelda said. They reached the top stair and began wondering down a long hallway. "I wouldn't be able to tell you, though," she finished. Link sighed. "I only wish I could. Until we have a few things sorted out, we won't be telling anybody."

"I understand," Link stated.

"Well, here we are," Zelda told him.

"So, this is where the next chapter in my story begins, is it?" Link asked. "This should be fun."

Zelda giggled. Her face was, all of a sudden, very solemn. "Be careful, Link'aki," she commanded.

"I will," Link responded. He opened the door and walked ahead, to the purple mass that Zelda had told him was some sort of time-displacement rift. He stared into it for a moment, nervousness peaking in his gut. He turned to Zelda, trying to say something, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he kissed her, and without another moment's hesitation, he entered the portal.

"Keep him safe, Farore" Zelda prayed.

The following section has been translated for practical purposes.

"What?" Pikachu asked.

"I think Marth was trying to tell me to tell you to go get Pichu," Kirby stated.

"Why?" the rodent wondered.

Kirby shrugged. "I think we're going to need all the help we can get," he asserted.

"Whatever, dude," Pikachu told him.

"Well, you'd better get going!" Kirby shouted.

"Whatever, dude!" Pikachu shouted back. Both creatures laughed. Then, smiling, Pikachu turned and ran off into the forest to find his pals and get Pichu.

Fox sat at the dinner table with all the Smashers, save for Link. He had convinced Marth to invite Mr. Game and Watch as a 'dinner guest'. The Smashers were feasting on a most excellent turkey dinner, while Mr. Game and Watch sat at the other end of the table with nothing. Fox had been sure to starve the construct beforehand. Its hunger programs were sure to be urging him to talk with every fiber of his being.

Longingly, Mr. Game and Watch looked at the dressing as Mario passed it around the table. Fox smirked. "As soon as you tell us what we want to know, you can have all that you want," he said.

Mr. Game and Watch promptly turned away and bleeped. The translation software read 'Bastard.' Fox laughed.

"It's your choice," he stated, stuffing himself with another large spoonful of mashed potatoes.

A few more minutes passed. Mr. Game and Watch began to drip tiny black dribbles from his mouth. Finally, he could stand no more. "Okay, okay, I'll talk!" he shouted. The Smashers stopped what they were doing and stared at him.

"You can talk?" Marth demanded.

"... Yes," Mr. Game and Watch replied, "Yes I can."

"Okay then," Fox said, "Talk."

"Well..." Mr. Game and Watch said, suddenly hesitant. "You see, one day, this giant turtle-man came up to me with a weird notepad in his hand. He said that if I helped him, he'd make me smarter, on the level of the heroes of new games. I didn't see how he was going to do it at the time, but it was really a very simple process. Sense all we old-game characters are almost completely made of simple code, they calculated a few very simple algorithms and wrote an intelligence program for me. They also gave me vocal software and combat programs, so I could do their work. I guess it worked, sense I was able to beat Link."

"I suppose so," Fox stated. "Before we let you eat, though, what do the hands have to do with any of this?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?" Mr. Game and Watch skeptically asked. "They're..."

But, Peach cut him off. "That's enough, Mr. Game and Watch," she told him. "You've told us enough."

"But, he didn't say..." Fox began.

"We already know the answer to that question," Peach stated. Then, she turned to Mr. Game and Watch and handed him a plate. Smiling, she nodded to the feast and ordered him to dig in.