Mist could hardly dare believe that once again, seemingly out of nowhere, she and her brother were marching off to war.
Faces new and old surrounded them around their camp. Ike, of course, had been selected to lead the army. His face was firm, but not approachable. Soren had not been found. Instead the tactician that had stepped forward to serve was Ike's friend Robin. She had been quickly been convinced of his natural prodigious talent, but privately doubted that he would be able to bring out the very best in Ike the way Soren had been able to.
Many of the wedding guests had volunteered to go to battle with them. It was quite startling to see new friends such as Princess Zelda conversing with Elincia over tea, or Professor Byleth informing Sanaki of the dangers of Castlevania. It was all very surreal.
They had meeting after meeting with a wide range of warriors that had their own unique perspectives on what needed to be done. Solid Snake, the infiltration specialist, had gone on ahead and regularly reported in to the enemy's movements via his 'codec' system. His reports were filed by his friend and confidant Otacon, assisted by the little girl they were looking after, Sunny Gurlogovich. Raiden, a swordsman encased entirely in thick armor, was being tended to by a name named Dr. Light, who assured him that he would be able to regularly maintain his armor, with the assistance of his assistant Roll.
Fox McCloud, having left his wife and child behind in Smashville, seemed stony faced and cold. Mist rather had the impression that he and Krystal had some kind of argument. He spoke little and always a little snappishly. Cloud Strife was too a little apprehensive. Perhaps it was because Tifa was staying behind in Smashville while still heavily pregnant, but perhaps it had something to do with that silver haired man that always stood at the edge of the camp, eternally alert for danger.
The Swordsman Eleven, Mist was surprised to see, was quite the accomplished blacksmith. He spent his time over the forge, improving weapons and armor for anyone who provided him the materials. Gemma, his wife, had chosen to stay behind in Smashville.
And still, there were countless others she had still not even met. When Maria Renard, the young friend of Richter Belmont, came walking up to Ike with a silver haired man in tow Mist thought nothing of it. It was not until Ike made a surprised noise and made his way over to them that she took notice.
"Alucard!" Ike said, a little surprised. "Now this is a surprise."
"I came as soon as I heard the Castle had been summoned." Alucard said, glowering. Little Maria clutched his arm tighter and let out a kind of squeeing sound. "The enemy will pay for this."
"Alucard knows more about Dracula's Castle than anyone." Link explained to her, as she watched the conversation unfold. "So he'll likely be essential to destroying it."
"Is he another Belmont?"
"No, he's Dracula's Son."
Mist gave a start, but before she could poise a question an intense rumbling came from underfoot. The group froze, staring down at the ground in horror as the ground began to split open, tearing at the seams, and out shot a long, serpent.
Mist screamed as Ike drew his sword. The giant serpent swayed back and forth, blinking rather quickly as it surveyed the room, until its eyes fell on Ike.
"Greetings, friends." The creature said. "I am Kingseeker Fraampt. Right hand of Lord Gwyn, and messenger for the gods. I understand that you are Ike… the leader of this army. Is that correct?"
"That's right." Ike allowed, his hand not leaving his sword.
"I have come bearing a message from Lord Gwyn." He said. "Perhaps you would prefer it if I were to deliver my message in the company of your generals?"
Mist looked around the room. Other than Ike, there was Queen Elincia and Micaiah, the Queen of Daein. They were staring open mouthed at Fraampt. The newcomer Alucard was glaring at the Serpent with distrust. The Hero Link had stepped in front of her, sword and shield drawn.
"I will take your message now." Ike said. "What does Gwyn want?"
"The Lord of Eternal Sunlight Lord Gwyn." Kingseeker Fraampt began. "Wishes to congratulate you on battles hard won, and hard fought. He greatly respects your abilities as a general and wishes to express his amazement that you defied the Goddess of Order, Ashera, on behalf of Yune, the Goddess of Chaos."
Micaiah frowned.
"Lord Gwyn wishes you to know." Fraampt continued. "That he will be leading the initial charge against you as you enter Begnion."
"Will he now?"
The Goddess Palutena leaned forward. Out of all of the strange things she had seen so far since Ike had returned, it had somehow surprised her the least that Ike had befriended a goddess.
"Ah, Lady Palutena." Fraampt said, bowing his head respectfully. "Lord Gwyn sends his regards."
"I doubt very much that he did." Palutena said. "Considering that he is currently burning forevermore in the Kiln of the First Flame."
There was a very long silence.
"You are mistaken." Fraampt said. "The First Flame burns, brighter than it ever has before."
"That's impossible." Palutena said. "And you would know that better than anyone, Fraampt. The Witch of Izalith's attempts at rekindling the flame ended in failure."
"I will not conceal from you that we once had concerns regarding the First Flame." Fraampt said. "But in the end they were resolved. The First Flame… or I suppose as it is now known, the Eternal First Flame… has cast away the Dark forevermore."
Palutena narrowed her eyes. She looked as if she was about to say more, but Ike raised his hand.
"Allow Fraampt to deliver his message, Palutena." He said. "We can discuss the state of things in Lordran later."
"Pit." Palutena said. "We are going to see Gwyn now."
"Yes, Lady Palutena!"
In a brilliant flash of light, they were gone.
"Now." Fraampt said. "If I may, I would continue to deliver my message."
"Please."
"Lord Gwyn." Fraampt continued. "Would like to offer you an ultimatum. He understands that the humans in this world have no ability to combat the forces that conspire against it. His wish is to end the battle, without any unnecessary bloodshed."
"That is very noble of him." Ike said.
"His proposal." Fraampt said. "Is that all eighty nine members of the Super Smash Bros Ultimate surrender themselves. Upon doing that, he will be willing to withdraw, leaving this continent of Tellius unblemished."
"He wants us to just give up?"
"He wants to avoid causing unnecessary harm to the people of this country." Fraampt said. "That is your purpose, is it not? To protect all of creation from higher threats?"
"The answer is no." Ike said. "I will not surrender."
"You arrive at that conclusion without consulting with your companions?" Fraampt asked. To Mist's horror the great serpent turned and faced Elincia and Micaiah. "Do you have that little regard for their safety, and for their well being?"
"You know as well I do." Ike said. "That if we surrender here, you and your kind will eat this planet alive."
"I assure you that Lord Gwyn has no intention of doing that." He said. "He desires nothing more than peace. A peace that will never come for the people of this continent if this battle continues."
"If I may, sir Fraampt…" Elincia stood up, placing a hand on her chest. "I have complete faith in Ike, as both a general and a friend. If he says that your Lord wishes us harm… I believe it."
"My dear lady." Fraampt said, as he turned to face her. "If it were not for this man, your people would not be caught in the crossfire in this conflict-"
"A conflict." Micaiah responded, her voice ice cold. "That you started."
Fraampt fell silent. His orange, slitted eyes flickered between the two of them.
"I have eaten with and gotten to know many of the wedding guests." Elincia said. "And I now consider many of them to be my friends. I know very well that they would never have done anything to intentionally hurt me, or my land…"
"Be that as it may, my lady-" Fraampt began, but Micaiah shook her head.
"I concur with Queen Crimea." Micaiah said. "This continent has entered into a lasting peace due to the efforts of Lord Ike, and those who fought alongside him. I see no reason not to trust his judgement. If he says that we must fight you to secure our homes, I see no reason not to do so."
The Serpent looked somewhat taken aback.
"I see." He said. "I take it that you will not reconsider?"
"Tomorrow, we go to war." Micaiah said, her voice quiet.
"Then may the First Flame consume you all." Fraampt said. He raised his neck upward and slid back into the hole, disappearing within its depth.
"Who was that?" Mist asked, a little shaken.
"Kingseeker Fraampt." Ike answered her. "A creature that has existed since the dawn of time in his land of Lordran."
"This Gwyn." Micaiah said, turning to Ike. "He is a great warrior?"
"He is a King of Gods." Ike answered. "One that ruled till the very collapse of his kingdom." He frowned, glancing at Link. "But how is he here? Palutena was right, he should be burning Cinder by now."
"This is a war that is taking place outside of the bounds of time and space." Link said, deep in thought. "Perhaps we are fighting Gwyn in his prime, before the fall of Lordran."
Ike looked unconvinced.
"We will need to speak with Palutena when she returns." Ike said. "Perhaps she will be able to better enlighten us about the current condition of the enemy."
…
The War Room of Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight, was a much less pleasant atmosphere. The old, but still very powerful built, bearded Lord Gwyn presided on a giant throne, designed by the giant blacksmiths in his home of Anor Londo. His four favored Knights, Artorias The Abysswalker, Hawkeye Gough, Dragonslayer Ornstein, and the Lord's Blade Ciaran surrounded him on either side. The Great Grey Wolf Sif, fully grow, lay in between Gwyn and his Master Artorias, fully armored and equipped with the best weapons that could be made for such a beast. They were standing out in the open, in the brilliant light of the setting sun.
The ground shook somewhat, and slowly Kingseeker Fraampt's head popped out of the dirt.
"Fraampt." Gwyn greeted curtly. "What say the enemy?"
"They will not surrender, my lord." Fraampt said. "They will not be swayed.
"Not a single one?"
"Ike has inspired much loyalty in his men, my lord."
A sparkle of admiration passed Gwyn's eye as he leaned back in his throne.
"As should be expected, from the man who stopped Ashera." He rumbled. "He is a mortal to be feared."
The Witch of Izalith, a cloaked woman that obscured her face, looked up at him. Behind him two of her seven daughters stood at the ready to do her bidding "It was the Chaos Goddess Yune." She said. "Without her power, he never would have prevailed."
"Yet he still won, did he not?" Gwyn asked, as he looked around the circle. "Ashera had spent a thousand years building up her kingdom, building up a church that would die for her cause and yet was brought down to by her other half, and her chosen champions."
The great Albino Seath, attended only by his illegitimate daughter Priscilla, raised his head and laughed.
"You see yourself in this boy!" He said. "I would think that destroying the dragons a feat greater than merely stopping the will of a god!"
Ornstein raised his spear, as if to threaten him, but Gwyn raised his hand to stop him.
"Seath." He said. "My friend… we must not underestimate our enemy. Even if he is only human."
"That human has my favor, Gwyn." A cold, powerful voice rang out from across the horizon.
Gwyn looked up at the sun to see that it had it was no more. In its place was a giant, beautiful green haired woman reflected across the sky. She glared out at them, as if wanting to tear them all to pieces with their bare hands.
"Ah, Lady Palutena." Gwyn said, as he got to his feet. "It is a great pleasure, a very great pleasure-"
"What is this, Gwyn?" Palutena demanded, as she swept her hand across his camp. "How is it that Lordran has restored itself? What have you done to the First Flame?"
"I did nothing." Gwyn told her. Palutena began glowing even more brilliantly, and most of the onlookers, including the Witch of Izalith and Priscilla, had to shield their eyes from her brilliance. But Gwyn stood, smiling at the light.
"Nothing?" Palutena demanded. "How is it that the First Flame still burns?"
"The First Flame will always burn." Gwyn said. "Now, and forevermore. My Kingdom will never fade. So long as I continue to serve as its king."
"Nothing lasts forever, Gwyn." Palutena said. "I thought you of all people would know that. Someday the First Flame will fade, and then-"
The Witch of Izalith laughed. She placed her hand over her mouth to hide the sound, but Palutena noticed it.
"Izalith." Palutena told. "Mother of Pyromancy. Explain yourself."
Izalith lowered the hand at her side.
"The first flame." She said. "Has been forever satiated due to the Will of a higher being. A woman that I am sure you know…"
"Higher being?" Palutena said sharply.
"A wish." Gwyn said simply. "My wish… was granted. Lordran will live forevermore."
He raised his hand and threw a sunlight spear at Palutena's image. The powerful bolt ran right through her image, distorting it rather like a disturbed pool of water.
"And you, Palutena, will fall."
…
