The Speed Booster allowed Samus Aran to run at incredible speeds. The instant she heard of the enemy's plan, she had leapt off of the side of Scales' ship and made way for Begnion.
Castlevania could not be allowed to be summoned. There were very few people who could take on the Castle and destroy Dracula, and all of them were currently battling in Smashville, with no means of transportation. Her best bet would be to stop the ritual before it could be completed.
"Lady." Adam said. "The Ritual is being conducted at the base of the Tower of Ashera… an important religious monument to the Empire of Begnion."
"The Tower…?" Samus repeated. "The one that Ike climbed and conquered?"
"The very same."
She gritted her teeth.
"He needs to be informed." She said. "Adam, any word on the identity of the summoner?"
"None." He answered. "If you scan her herself, I will be able to expedite the process."
They know very little about this person other than her sex and eye color. One blue, one a spiral shaped green. Samus gritted her teeth and continued onward.
When she came to the city she leapt upward, expertly avoiding all buildings and civilians until she landed below the Tower. She looked up, to see a long figure standing on top, staff in hand.
"Scanning." Samus murmured.
"Samus Aran!" The figure called down to her. "A pleasure to see you again, so soon."
She brandished her staff, and a dark, aura pulsated beneath their feet. Samus grimaced, readying her weapon.
"Identity confirmed." Adam said. "Lady Yuna of Besaid. High Summoner of Spira."
"Lady Yuna?" Samus repeated, baffled. "The one who defeated Sin? The same one who saved Spira?"
"Saved?" Yuna asked coldly, as she stared down at Samus with deep dislike. "Is that what you call allowing our culture to become hedonistic and degenerate? Within two years the people were spending all of their free time partying and attending concerts. No thought was given to those of us who had sacrificed everything to make it happen."
Samus narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I knew a boy." Yuna said, pacing back and forth in place on the Tower's edge. "Who had a dream. A dream of utilizing the energy of the Planet to power homes and infrastructure. A dream of building a utopian city, with no lack of food or shelter for its population."
She paused.
"And he succeeded." She said. "In the next several thousand years, that boy formed a family. That family built a company. And that company built a city. A city that required so much Mako, that it threatened to consume the entire Planet."
Samus raised her arm cannon.
"That boy's name." Yuna said. "Was Shinra."
"What…?" Samus murmured. "You-"
"I was watching." Yuna said. "When Sephiroth was born from the cells of JENOVA. I knew Cloud Strife was brainwashed into believing that he lived a life he could never have had. I was there when Aeris Gainsborough was killed."
She closed her eyes.
"It was a world." She said. "That had not been saved."
Samus began to charge up her cannon.
"It brought me to an epiphany." She said. "It dawned on me just how important Sin had been for our world and culture. Sin, in its wisdom, knew that the people of Spira were selfish and evil. It knew that the only way to make the people appreciate the lives they had been given was to take them away, at a moment's notice. You see, Sin's existence encouraged us to live life to the fullest, to love and appreciate our friends and families."
She raised the staff.
"Without Sin, the people become lazy and cruel." She said. "They think of only themselves, and simple pleasures. Without Sin, the people are not worth saving."
She raised her staff.
"I will create a new Sin." She said. "By calling forth this Castle of Darkness!"
Mighty black, impenetrable walls suddenly appeared, as if out of nowhere. Samus let out a cry and leapt back, charge beam faded in place. Yuna disappeared almost entirely, covered by the thick black walls of the Castle.
"Lady." Adam said. "She appears to have summoned Dracula's Castle around the Tower of Ashera."
"She has." Samus admitted, glaring ominously at the raised drawbridge. "It won't stay there for long."
She raised her cannon and shot at the chain holding the drawbridge aloft. It fell with a sickening crash, and she ran off into the Castle.
…
Edelgard Von Hresvelg had found herself separated from the Professor during the battle. Her blood boiling, she raised her axe and cut her way through to the door to Princess Peach's Castle.
She had no idea where to turn: There had been so many strangers at the party, she had no idea just who was friend or who was foe. She needed someone she knew she could rely on and trust. And other than the Professor, she had no one.
She had no stake in this fight: She had no understanding of this land or its political situation. It would be best for her to take a pragmatic neutral stance, at least for now.
She opened the door and found more chaos on the bridge. A handful of winged turtles were diving on men dressed in gaudy, flashy clothes. She gripped her axe and stepped across the bridge. One of the men turned around at her. He raised his weapon, a steel sword, as if to strike but she was too much for him. Her axe strike sent him tumbling over the edge, into the moat.
"Ah, you are Lady Edelgard, are you not?"
She turned upward at one of the turtles.
"I am." She responded. "Who are you?"
"I am a loyal servant of King Bowser." The Turtle answered. "Please, I beg for your assistance, my lady."
She had already killed a man for him. She had already assisted him, as far as she was concerned.
"My Lord Bowser." The turtle said. "Is currently locked in battle against the Dragon Alduin and the Conqueror, Walhart. He was battling aside Lord Hector of Ostia, but Hector sustained too many injuries and had to retreat the battlefield."
Dragon…? She felt a burning rage deep within her soul.
"I will assist you." Edelgard said. "Lead me to them."
The turtle nodded, and took off with surprising speed. Edelgard followed, axe in hand, towards the field of battle.
They did not have to look far.
The Mighty King Bowser, King of the Koopas, had taken on a gargantuan size. He towered about the trees of the forest, roaring mightily at the sky. The Black Dragon Alduin, the bane of Skyrim, was soaring above, snarling viciously down at him.
At Bowser's feet, however, was another man. Old and grey, dressed in bright red armor he would have towered above most men, even if he was not seated on a massive horse.
"Walhart possesses a wyrmslayer." The Paratroopa explained. "They are made to combat dragons specifically, but they also seem to be a great threat against our King."
"I see." Her eyes were fixed on Walhart. "So you would have me challenge that man?"
"Yes."
She raised her axe and stepped down the hill. With a target and an objective in mind, all thoughts of remaining neutral were dissipated.
Walhart was preparing to charge Bowser when she approached. He lowered his weapon and turned around to face her.
"A child?" He asked, his voice rumbling.
She swung her axe into a readied position.
"A warrior that would challenge me." Walhart corrected himself. He turned his horse around to face her. "Not many would dare challenge me, girl. Fewer still live."
"And only I will have the honor of killing you." Edelgard said.
"Kill me?" Walhart inquired. "The Conqueror of Valm?"
Edelgard gripped her axe.
"You call yourself a Conqueror?" She asked. "A warrior that has met no equal?"
"I have known defeat." Walhart said. "Once. Under the most skilled and brilliant tactician I have ever seen. But I have never been met my equal in battle."
"Let me test your resolve, Conqueror." Edelgard spat, as they charged at each other. It was over in what felt like a flash: Edelgard's axe tore through his armor and flesh, and she unseated him, knocking him straight off his horse.
She stood over him, blood on her axe, as Bowser grabbed hold of Alduin and slammed it into the ground. Its pained cries filled the air as Bowser brutally snapped its neck.
"How-" Walhart croaked. "How are you so strong?"
"My teacher." Edelgard said, her voice cold. "Has trained me to be better than you."
Walhart groaned lay slumped over on the ground, dead. Edelgard turned away and made her way back to the Castle.
"That was amazing, my lady!" The Paratroopa crowed. "I… I will be sure to mention your name to Lord Bowser."
"He will know my name soon enough." Edelgard said. "Perhaps you could assist me further? I would like to know where else my assistance is needed."
"O-of course lady!" The Paratroopa said. "I'd… I'd be honored! We still need to secure the Castle… can you help us hold the bridge?"
"I would be honored."
…
"Retreat!"
Ike, and the motley group of allies he had gathered around him, watched as the Sharpclaw forces they had been fighting suddenly turned tail and ran. They leapt over bushes and in each other in their haste to get away.
"They were lining up to get beat down not even five minutes ago." Link complained, as she sheathed the Master Sword. "What are they up to?"
"I'm not sure." Ike admitted. "They don't look afraid. They were prepared to keep fighting."
"It was a tactical retreat." Lucina agreed, nodding. "They must have accomplished their objective."
"But what objective could that be?" Link asked.
In the distance they could see more of the enemy turning tail and running for the shelter of the trees. They had come in seemingly endless waves, falling one after the other. And now, out of nowhere…
"I don't like this." Ike said. "I think Lucina is right. I don't think this is the end."
"We should regroup back at Peach's castle." Link suggested. "All of us. And compare notes."
…
Just as suddenly as it started, the battle of Smashville came to an end. Despite overwhelming odds, the Smash Brothers successfully managed to hold their ground and defend themselves against the most vile compilation of creatures ever assembled.
The Summoning of Castlevania, made possible by the Chaos sowed by the invaders on the face of the planet, seems to only be the next step of their plan. Famed Bounty Hunter Samus Aran ventures alone into the halls of Dracula's Castle to find out more, but is unsure of what she will find.
The Other Residents of Smashville, however, begin to regroup and discuss the situation at length. Unbeknownst to them, however, the enemy is also planning their next attack. This time, with the intent to destroy them all.
…
A/N: Yep, I decided to make Yuna an antagonist in this! According to Final Fantasy X-2, an Al-Bhed named Shinra exists, and is implied to be the founder of the Shinra corporation in FFVII. Now, this is completely ridiculous and makes no sense, but it technically IS canon, and as a result of that decided to use it as a basis for making Yuna an antagonist in this story. She REALLY doesn't like the way the world turned out in Final Fantasy VII, and seeks to change it.
Like I implied earlier, no one, and I mean NO ONE, is going to be able to figure out the identity a lot of the major antagonists in this. This is just one example, but I'm planning on a lot of strange and unusual characters to be major antagonists in this. Please bear with me. It's all just for fun.
Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think!
