Palutena returned to the army more disgruntled than Mist had ever seen her.

"I spoke with Gwyn." She said. "Fraampt was not lying. At least, not about the First Flame burning forevermore." (1)

Ike folded his arms.

"You mean to say that he's as strong as he was at his peak?"

"Stronger." Palutena said. "And the rest of his pantheon, as well." He voice softened. "Ike, this is bad. He told me that he was granted a wish by some higher power… what is higher than a god?"

"A stronger god." Ike said, his voice slow and considerate. "Or the Hands."

"Could this be a battle between the Hand and the Other…?" (2)

"It can't be." Ike said. "Perhaps… we are dealing with forces higher than the Hands."

Palutena stared at him, and then nodded. Her face was steadfast.

"If that is the case." She said. "We cannot afford to lose."

She was gone in a flash of light. Ike turned back to the War Table. Mist stepped up beside him, a little bit timidly.

"Who is Lord Gwyn?" She asked.

"He was…. Or I suppose, still is, a great King of the gods." Ike answered, as he surveyed his attack formation. "He rules the land of Lordran, and is considered the greatest warrior in his Kingdom."

"You can… beat him, right?" Mist asked, a little reluctantly. Ike looked at her and smiled.

"Of course we can." He said.

They met on the field of battle that day. As the sun rose over the horizon, Gwyn and his knights lined up in rows. Mist rather thought faintly they were the tallest, most intimidating knights she had ever seen.

"Hero of the Blue Flame!" Gwyn called out. His voice boomed out from across the battlefield as if he was standing there right next to them. "You dare challenge me?"

Ike stepped forward, his hand clutched firmly around Ragnell.

"I do."

Mist had to stop herself from screaming as Gwyn, seemingly in an instant, had leapt down onto the front of the enemy line and charged towards them. Ike grimaced and met him head on, as the two armies clashed.

….

"I have heard many stories of you, Seath the Scaleless." Edelgard Von Hresvelg said quietly, as she circled the great albino dragon cautiously, axe at the ready. "You have killed more of your own kind than I could ever hope to…"

Seath chuckled.

"Ah, stories of my betrayal have reached Fodlan, have they?" He asked. Before Edelgard could answer, however, the invisible Crossbreed Priscilla stabbed her from behind, lifting her off the ground and tossing her away.

"Uggg!"

"Well done, daughter." Seath commended, as Priscilla took a fighting stance, staring down at the struggling Edelgard at her bare feet. "This one was no match for us…"

"Edelgard!"

Edelgard looked up, blood covering her eyes as a blue blur stepped in front of her, Falchion raised.

"Ah, Lucina the Foreseer." Seath said, surprised, as Priscilla stepped in front of him, scythe raised. "The one who travelled through time to destroy The Fell Dragon Grima…"

"Stay back, Father." Priscilla commanded. "The Falchion was forged from the tooth of the Divine Dragon Naga herself. It has destroyed dragons far greater than you."

Seath never had an opportunity to respond. Because Chrom had already lopped off his head with a single strike, sending it tumbling to the ground. Priscilla screamed, whirling upon Chrom in a fury… only to be attacked in turn by Lucina.

"There are two falchions." Lucina said disparingly, as she ripped the blade from Priscilla's back. The crossbreed was already fading away into spirit form as she slammed into the field, and disappeared.

Chrom and Lucina moved over and helped Edelgard to her feet. She grimaced, shaking her head as they helped her up.

"It was foolish to tackle them both alone." Lucina admonished, tapping her on the head with the Falchion. "What would your kingdom would have done if you had been killed?"

Edelgard glared at her and pushed her arm away.

"What would they have done if I had done nothing?" She asked, a little defensively.

It was the unlikely trio of the Luminary Eleven, Cloud Strife, and Alucard the son of Dracula who stood against the Gravelord Nito.

"The power of this creature is unbelievable." Alucard said, casting a look at his companions.

"This is a god who feeds off of death and spirits." Eleven said. "He is at his most powerful on the battlefield."

Nito's ability to unleash plagues and disease onto his enemies had been safely contained by Eleven's and Cloud's strategic use of their own magic, but unfortunately this power was so great that they had not been able to go on the offensive. Alucard found himself flying about, in bat form, trying to find a defeat the beast.

"AAAAAAAAH!"

Pit came flying out of the sky at breakneck speed, slamming straight into Nito's head. The Gravelord looked up, as if confused by the sudden appearance of the Angel raising a giant cannon to its head.

"That's the Daybreak!" The Luminary shouted. "Out of the way!"

"Eat this!" Pit screamed, as the giant weapon was shoved into Nito's skull.

The Daybreak, even among the divine, was a weapon so feared that its three pieces were hardly ever assembled. And for good reason. The Gravelord that had been giving the three warriors so much trouble was evaporated in an instant, and Pit jumped down to meet the others.

The Knight Artorias was well renowned for being a knight that had walked the Abyss and held back the dark. Unfortunately, this reputation did not much live up to the hero of Hyrule.

"Aaaaaaaaaah!"

The fully grown Sif barked in alarm as Link drove the hilt of his sword into Artorias's skull, and then unleashed a vicious spin attack, removing his head from his body. The wolf pounced, meaning to avenge its master, when Link's pet wolf, Twilight, leapt forward, teeth bared. (3)

"AWOOOOOH!"

Despite its great size, Sif was no match for the animal. It grabbed hold of its underside and ripped her stomach open, sending blood spilling everywhere. Sif collapsed near the body of her master, leaving one last whine.

"Good boy." Link said, as the wolf padded over to him, scratching his ears. He turned, surveying the battlefield, searching for his next opponent. His eyes fell on the Great Japanese conqueror Oda Nobunaga, who was in battle with the legendary Lyndis of Sacae.

Despite Lyndis' extreme skill with both bow and sword, it seemed that she was no match for the great lord. He towered over her, samurai sword in hand, as she fell at his feet, gasping for breath.

He raised the sword, but Twilight was on him in an instant, ripping his teeth into his leg. The great conqueror turned on him, intending to impale him with a single blow, before Link fell from above and cut him in two with one vicious slash.

"Lyn, are you alright?" Link asked, as he helped her to her feet.

"I'm… I'll be fine." Lyn said. "But… these wounds…"

"You need to see a cleric." Link said. He whistled and his horse, Epona, trotted up from behind them.

He picked Lyndis up and easily set her on the saddle. They went off, avoiding arrows and enemy fire as Link turned to his next target… the Taurus demon that was slowly lumbering towards him.

"You were nothing in Lordran." Link said quietly, as he notched an arrow in his bow. "And you are nothing in Tellius."

Twilight growled and bared his teeth, and the battle continued.

"If it isn't the King of Iron Fist himself." The legendary conqueror of Outworld Shao Kahn crowed as he and Kazuya circled each other warily. "You have been avoiding me in Kombat for far too long!"

Kazuya brushed his cheek with the back of his hand as he glared intensely at the Emperor. "You are no threat to me." He said. "Fighting you would be pointless."

"Do you truly think so lowly of me, Mishima?" Shao Kahn asked, raising his finger at him. "I will throw your carcass off a cliff!"

The normally composed Kazuya's eye glinted an unusual red.

"This will be our last encounter." He said coldly, as the two clashed.

Not far away, Chun-Li and the Champion of the ARMS circuit were deep in battle with Shao Kahn's two daughters. Princess Kitana, the beautiful Edenian daughter of the sinister Sindel, and her clone… the mutant Mileena.

"Sister!" Mileena cried out, as Chun Li's rapid fire kicks broke through Kitana's guard. Kitana was not able to recover as Chun Li unleashed the legendary Lightning Legs, furiously pounding away at her with a series of kicks. Mileena tried raising her sais to protect her sister, but was grabbed by Minmin.

"Yeeeeeeah!"

Minmin pulled herself over, kicked Mileena several times, and then sent her rolling with a single punch. She turned to leg at Chun Li in awe as Kitana collapsed.

"That was amazing!" Minmin cried. "Your kicks… they're so… You really are the strongest in the world!"

She seemed almost at a loss for words. Chun Li smiled affectionately.

"Kitana!"

Chun Li turned to see Kitana's husband, Liu Kang, leaping out from the battlefield, racing across to them.

"You will pay for your life!" He cried, as he leapt at them with a cry. Chun Li, with one smooth motion, grabbed him in mid-air and slammed him into the ground with a sickening crunch.

"That settles that." She said, brushing off her hands as she turned to look at Kazuya. He was holding the head of Shao Kahn in his hands with what looked like visible disgust, before throwing it away.

The Great Witch of Izalith, accompanied by her seven daughters and one son, stood in a circle. They stared at their opponent warily.

"You alone have come to challenge us?" Izalith asked, glaring at the figure from beneath her hood. Ganondorf chuckled.

"Your powers are nothing before mine." He said, raising his arms mockingly. "The art of pyromancy, as Lordran understands it, is nothing but a primitive application of the First Flame itself. It is no threat to me."

The son of Izalith bristled, and seemed willing to make some retort. Before he could however, Izalith answered.

"You do not understand how Pyromancy has developed, in this new Eternal Age of Fire." She said. "Observe."

She raised her hands, and the daughters on either side raised their hands as well. Ganondorf barely had time to note that Quelaag was among them in her original human form before a great intense flame surrounded all of them.

Ganondorf stood still as the intense wave of heat washed over him. When the fire subsided, however, the figures were gone. In their place was The Bed of Chaos… with seven glowing orbs surrounding it.

"A perfect Bed of Chaos…" Ganondorf said, chuckling, as the creature began spitting out far more powerful and terrifying demons that have ever been seen in Lordran. He stepped forward, and his mere presence eliminated them to dust in an instant.

Like most creatures in Lordran, that generally stand in place accomplishing absolutely nothing unless a Chosen Undead comes within spitting distance of it, The Perfect Bed of Chaos wasn't anywhere near as large and dangerous as one might expect, considering its reputation. Without a poorly constructed arena to sabotage its combatant from impacting its several weak points, the Perfect Bed of Chaos could do nothing but sit in place as Ganondorf walked around, destroying each orb in a single blow. (4)

"Noooooooo!" The Witch of Izalith cried out in pain, as Ganondorf approached her. "How are you this STRONG!"

Ganondorf raised his hand and brought it down on top of her, killing her instantly.

"You." He said quietly. "Were simply too weak."

He turned his back as the Perfect Bed of Chaos collapsed into dusk. Above him, the Witches Koume and Kotake, the twin witches who adopted and raised him as a child, swooped down from above.

"I told you, Koume!" The ice witch cackled, as they circled around Ganondorf's head. "The greatest Pyromancy in the world can't overcome MY son!"

"Your son?" Koume responded. "I taught him everything he knows!"

"But my powers would have defeated hers!" Kotake responded briskly.

"He understood the WEAKNESSES of fire magic, the ones that I taught him!"

"Enough." Ganondorf rumbled. "What of the Witch Gruntilda? Have you seen her?"

The Twinrova looked at each other.

"Uh, no." Koume said, a little sheepishly.

"Definitely not." Kotake agreed. Ganondorf narrowed his eyes.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Well, she's not GRUNTILDA anymore." Koume said. "She… uh, stole someone's beauty."

"Who?" Ganondorf asked. "Who would be stupid enough to allow themselves to be kidnapped by…?"

"Yo hoooo!"

Ganondorf looked up, and found his jaw dropping.

Standing above him, wearing a bright green jumpsuit that matched the guns on her heels, stood a woman with dark green skin. She fluttered her eyes down at them and winked.

"Why, hello there Ganondorf." She rasped, giggling. "You look as handsome as ever!"

Ganondorf had to compose himself.

"Bayonetta." He said. "You… absorbed… Bayonetta…" (5)

"And I look better than she ever did, don't I?" Gruntilda beamed, as she leapt up beside him. She sultrily walked up to him, and Ganondorf found his eyes lingering on her.

"You do." He admitted, begrudgingly. Only to be whacked on the head by both sisters of Twinrova.

"Ow!"

"What have we taught you about gallivanting about with strange witches?" Koume demanded.

"Especially ones that have to steal the beauty of others!" Kotake barked.

Gruntilda, or Gruntnetta, smiled winningly.

"This is who I am now." She said. "I was always beautiful, I just now… have a means to express it."

Ganondorf was about to respond, when the vast CRACK of the Vampire Killer whip slapped across Gruntilda's face. She cried out as she was approached by none other than the legendary Richter Belmont, accompanied, of course, by Maria Renard.

'Hm." Maria said. "No matter what you look like on the outside, you'll still be ugly on the outside. Right, Richter?"

Richter didn't answer. Maria narrowed her eyes.

"Do I need to have a talk with Annette?" (6)

Richter brandished his whip again. Maria sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"That's what I thought."

A/N

At this rate there are probably going to be, at the very least, a hundred chapters of this. It's getting really difficult to keep track of all the characters and plot lines, but I'm doing my best. I think from now on I'll go through the chapters after I finish and clarify on certain points that I suspect might be confusing for some readers.

The concept behind this battle arc is that the Dark Souls characters in Lordran have become incredibly powerful due to the successful rekindling of the First Flame, which has led Gwyn's Kingdom to be endlessly prosperous and successful. This isn't canon to Dark Souls and is something I made up for the purposes of the story.

The Hand is Master Hand, who chooses the Smash Bros and has them fight to protect the Universe from Crazy Hand, who seeks to use them to destroy it. Smashers are 'Higher Beings' who understand the universe in a way that no one else really does. I've explained this in the text before, but I think I need to state it outright here.

I've struggled trying to implement the various Links into the story without it being confusing. In this case, I decided to simply use 'Wolf Link' as a pet to the Breath of the Wild one. This is actually semi-canon, as you can get a wolf to hang out with you if you have a Wolf Link amiibo.

Canonically speaking, the Bed of Chaos was created when the Witch of Izalith attempted to rekindle the first flame unsuccessfully. The concept here is that she has created a 'perfect' version of the Bed of Chaos that is fully under her control and can spit out demons at will. It isn't enough to stop Ganondorf, however.

This was planned from the very beginning. I thought the idea was hilarious.

I feel as if obscure Castlevania trivia will go over most people's heads. Annette is the girlfriend of Richter Belmont, who he rescues in Rondo of Blood and Dracula X who he later marries. Maria is essentially saying here that she's going to tell his wife that he was looking at another woman.

If you have any more questions about the plot or characterization decisions, please let me know in a review. I anticipate this story will go one for over a hundred chapters, and fully intend to fully feature EVERYONE I can think of. Anyone who has ever appeared in a video game is a potential threat to the Smash Brothers.