Chapter 17: Motivation
In the laboratory, research was being made. Samus and Fox were analyzing the shards; more specifically, the blue liquid that covered the metal, putting it onto a petri dish as they slid it into a microscope, the device taking scans as they two space pilots waited.
Meanwhiles. Jigglypuff, Bowser, and Gunner were cross-referencing the name: FW, in the palace's books and digital files, studying everything word-from-word. "Ugh! I can't take it!" Complained Bowser. "I've already started reading and it feels like my brain is going to leak out. Why are we hitting the books whiles you two get the easy job?"
"Jiggly!" (Yeah!)
"Because, Samus and I are more familiar with these machines than most of the Smashers." Replied Fox. "Not to mention the fact, that both of you are being punished for causing the mess in Nook's store. All of carnage happened because you two just had to roughhouse."
"That's not what happened!" The turtle said defiantly. "It was just a huge misunderstanding!"
"Oh, trust me, I understand what happened." Said Samus. "Zero Suit, told me everything I need to know. You're lucky the group escaped unharmed from that swarm. God help you if those butterflies actually caught you."
"Bite me."
"Huh?" Gunner was distracted from reading, listening to what the armored woman was saying. "What are you talking about, you were there."
"I beg your pardon?" Questioned the bounty hunter.
"When we went into town to buy a gift for Villager, you accompanied us for the trip, don't you remember?"
"Ah. I see what you mean." Said the woman, now realizing what the Mii was referring to. "It wasn't me; that was someone else."
"Oh! So is she your twin sister then?"
"Nope. She's not me, but a different me." Samus smiling behind her visor.
"What?" Stammered Gunner. "How-"
"Gunner, you remember that Smashers are just creatures that have been copied from other worlds correct?"
"Yes?" Answered the mii, not sure where this is going.
"Well sometimes, the WOT can copy the same person again, but in a different state."
"Different state?"
"Yep." Said Fox. "You know Young and Link?"
"Sure I do, I don't know them that well, but I am aware of their existence."
"You'll be surprise to know that they're technically the same person. Young, like his name implies, is just younger version of Link; same universe, different time periods."
"You're serious?!" Said Gunner, being very surprised.
"I'm serious." Replied Samus. "The same thing is similar with me and Zero Suit; except that she has a Taser gun instead of armor. I also believe Zelda and sheik are the same person, just with different outfits and powers."
"Wow! I never realized." Spoke the Mii. "Are there anymore Smashers like that?"
"Only one more." Huffed Bowser. "There's Mario and Dr. Mario; one's a stupid dirty plumber; and the other is a stupid dirty plumber who is also a doctor. Both of them are equally cancerous."
"I thought you and Mario made up after the Subspace Emissary?" Said Samus.
"Just because we aren't enemies anymore, does not mean I can't hold a grudge." State the turtle.
"What am I going to do with you?" Said the bounty hunter, face-palming her visor.
"Dismiss me from my reading duties?" Sarcastically said Bowser.
"Not a chance." The fox told the Koopa. "You going to sit there and study those files, Mario is bringing more books from the library, so don't think you're gonna speed through this."
"Did someone say my a name?" Spoke a voice with a familiar Italian accent. Everyone turned around to see Mario and Diddy Kong walking into the lab; pushing a cart of books with their arms."
""Hello Mario, nice of you to join us." Said Samus
"My a pleasure!" Said the plumber, Whiles he and the monkey were setting up the books, he noticed Gunner. Upon seeing her, he asked "Oh a Gunner, didn't expect to see you a here. What brings you to the a lab, shouldn't you be in the a command center with the a others?"
"I asked R.O.B. if I can help out with the research before doing the generator." Explained the girl. "I'm always looking forward to learn new things!"
"That's a nice!"
"So Mario." Spoke the Fox. "Did digging into those old bookshelves reveal anything about our guy?"
"As a matter a fact I did!" Said the Italian, surprising anyone.
"Really!"
"No way!"
"Jiggly jig gig?!" (You actually found something?!"
"Yep." The plumber said, whiles pulling something from the cart. "Found it a hiding in the a science section; it appears to be a very old."
"So what is it?" Questioned Gunner.
"It's a book about alternate dimensions, the multiverse, Schrodinger cat; stuff like that." Answered the plumber, dusting the cover from the dust that was plaguing it
"And it's important because?" Said Bowser, a frown clearly visible on his face.
"Because this book was written by…" Continued Mario, as he flipped over the front cover; pointing to the very bottom of the page. "FW!"
"That's great Mario!" Said Samus. "Does it say anything else?"
"Only a little." His smiled began to falter. "Says here that he is a rich and famous; but other than that. That's a it"
"Well at the very least we found something of use." Commented Fox.
"Hmmm." Thought the Mii.
"What's on you're a mind Gunner?" Said Mario.
"Oh ah ah Ohhh ah!" (Yeah, you were zoning out there!)
"Just thinking about our guy." Replied the shooter. "Something seems off."
"What do you mean?" Said Bowser.
"Based on the evidence we gathered, the suspect appears to be a scientist of some sort, a very well-known at that. Why would a man (or woman) with that much success, bomb a dam? There's little to gain for committing an act like that."
"Perhaps he was pissed off at the world and wanted to set it on fire" Answered the turtle.
"Jiggly ly." (Sounds unlikely.)
"Hold on." Spoke the fox. "If this guy was so famous throughout the world; then how come we haven't heard about it?"
"Perhaps history had forgotten the guy?"
"That's a possibility." Answered the bounty hunter.
"This mystery only seems to go deeper." The Mii said to herself as she looked at the signature.
Before anyone could speak, the device gave out a beep. The group had turned around to see that the microscope had completed its task.
"It's done." Samus walked over to the machine, turning on the monitor to review the results. "Let's see what's on here."
"What does it a say?" Questioned the plumber.
"Just the composition of the blue substance," the bounty hunter told Mario. "According to the machine; the liquid is made up of two ingredients. The first one being mucus."
"EWWW!" Gunner was grossed out, covering up her mouth in disgust.
"Squeamish much?" Replied an annoyed king.
"Oh ahhh oh ugh oh?" (And the other compound?)
"It states that the second compound is Nitroglycerin, a material commonly used in dynamite."
"So explosive snot?" The vulpine deadpanned, shaking his head in bewilderment. "I've seen everything."
"Well you're gonna see a lot more; the microscope picked up something else." Said Samus.
"What?! Show me." Said Fox, as the rest of the Smashers were crowding behind the bounty hunter; eager to take a look at the screen.
"Hold your horses, gentlemen." Spoke the blond. "I'm bringing it up right now; and stop breathing on my neck. It's creepy."
The trophies apologized and stepped back whiles Samus clicked the notification. When the message finally popped up, all of the fighter's eyes opened wide with surprise. Trying to comprehend what they were seeing.
"Call Lucario and Snake." Said Samus. "They need to see this."
"Huh, this gym actually looks pretty nice." Said Wii Fit Trainer, who just walked into the area.
The room appeared to be very well maintained; the mirrors were crystal clear; there were many workout machines and equipment to choose from; and the smell, oh god the smell. It was fantastic, the fragrance reminded Fit of the scented candles she lit back at home.
Oh wait, Home.
The woman than felt all of the positive energy sap out of her like a deflated balloon, now feeling quite depressed. 'It's only been a day, and I'm already getting homesick.' Thought the trainer 'Whoop de do.'
She eyed a yoga mat before shaking her head out of her state. 'I need to get my mind off things, perhaps some stretches would relieve some stress.' Wii Fit stepped on the mat, cracking her neck before performing the tree pose. Her posture becoming equally balanced.
'Man, I just don't know what to think anymore.' Thought the girl, 'Where do I go from here? Samus said that my arrival to this world was a one way trip, there's no going back!' Her stance began to wobble a little bit, but not too much that I'll throw her off.
'And that's not the worst of it! According to them; I'm not even the real thing! Just some copied statue of the original; a constant reminder of what I'm truly am!' At this point she began to teeter from side to side. Wii Fit didn't notice however, being too preoccupied with her thoughts.
'This is unfair, what did I do to deserve this! I get to endure whatever this place has to throw at me; whiles my other half gets to enjoy herself? Living her life in the comfort of the studio? Appreciating the job and students I used to have?! That's a load of-'
Before the health nut could finish, she lost her footing and fell straight to the ground, she gave a soft yelp before her face made contact with the floor. With the mat thankfully cushioning her fall.
"AH! DAMMIT!" Shouted the woman as she pounded her fist into the thick foam, being clearly frustrated.
"Am I intruding on something?" Said a voice behind her, Wii Fit turned around to sheik standing in the doorway, carrying a bottle of water.
"Nope, you're good. I'm just a bit under the weather." Said the instructor as she walked over to the weight section; Picking up a dumbbell with her right hand, to which she began to curl her bicep.
The ninja then walked beside her, taking a jump rope of a rack as he prepared to exercise. "Mind if I join?"
"Um…sure." Said the Wii Fit, as she began to focus on her muscles.
"My name is Sheik, What's yours?"
"I'm Wii Fit Trainer, but you can call me "Fit" for short."
Sheik waited a couple of seconds before responding again. "So I heard you're the latest Newcomer to arrive here."
"That's a way of putting it." The instructor huffed to herself; frowning in displeasure.
"I take it you already hate becoming a Smasher?" Said the man, already completing a set of jump rope."
"What?" Said the trainer in surprise. "Oh! Not at all, I'm irritable because…I didn't get to finish breakfast." Said Wii Fit, lying in order not to offend the veteran.
The ninja however, saw right through it. "You don't have to lie Fit, It's very common for a Smasher to be upset at the meaning of their creation. I can remember the first time I became a Newcomer. Practically loathed it."
"You did?" The woman said in surprise, setting the dumbbell back onto the table.
"Yep." The fighter replied, hanging the jump rope back on the rack. "When I first found out what my situation was, I became…disheartened because off it. I kept to myself, and thought that life was unfair, as if the world was toying with on purpose for its sadistic pleasure. But eventually, I accepted it."
"How can you something like that? Don't you want your old life back?"
"Trust me. I would love nothing more than to go back home, but I know better. I can't return back to which I came."
"Because there's no way we can't cross into other realms?"
"Well…no, that's part of the reason, but that's not it. I can't leave because I have a duty to fulfill." Answered the ninja, taking a gulp of his water bottle.
"Duty?!" Said Wii Fit in surprise, almost tripping over her foot. "What duty?"
"To protect the World of Trophies of course." The Sheikah Warrior said, the tone of his voice sounding very smooth. "You may have heard that this universe is the heart of the Omniverse, correct?"
"Yes I know, but I don't get why-"
"It's important, because the state of this universe; affects everything in other universes." Interrupted the fighter.
"Oh right, that. Samus did mentioned it, but she didn't go too deep into it. Does this relate to your duty?"
"Indeed it does." Said the Veteran; leaning up against a wall. Any effects that show up in the WOT, will show up in the rest of reality. If the world is healthy; then the rest of the Omniverse is healthy. If the world is damaged; then the rest of the Omniverse is damaged. If the world was ever destroyed-"
"Then the Omniverse will be destroyed?!" Butted in the Wii Fit Trainer, gasping in horror.
"Yep. This is my duty; as well as many other Smashers in this world. To protect, and guard the WOT."
"Man, so that's why you guys are so protective of this place."
"Sure is, having everything being destroyed is a tragedy, but do you know what's worse than all of reality vanishing in an instance?"
Wii Fit stayed silent, to which the ninja continued. "Someone taking control."
"This world can be controlled?"
"Yes it can. It's a challenge but it's possible."
"But how is someone gaining control of the WOT worse than reality collapsing on itself?"
"Remember when I said earlier that World of Trophies can affect other worlds? Well that still applies here. Let's say some villain managed to defeat us and was able to rule over this realm with an iron fist. What do you think would happen? It's pretty simple really, that villain would be able to control the entire Omniverse. Just imagine it. One guy with unlimited power, possessing the ability to subjugate and control the will of any creature in existence? It'll be an eternal dark age that will swallow the light of justice and freedom forever."
"That's horrifying!"
"I know." Said the ninja, taking a breath to recollect himself. "Back in my home universe, I was a princess of a huge land called Hyrule, it was a very prosperous nation, where peace ruled the land and people were happy to be alive."
"However, there was this…demon that lurked within this realm." Continued Sheik, sounding very serious. "This guy was absolutely power-hungry. He wanted to take over this kingdom; corrupting the land with darkness and evil. The tyrant made many attempts to achieve his goal but he always failed; thanks to Hyrule's warrior. "The hero of Hyrule.""
"Well that's good at least." Said Wii Fit, appearing to be more relaxed. "If there's someone to stop him, then he can achieve his wish to take over Hyrule."
"Yes, but the tyrant always comes back; which leaves the chance of the hero being defeated." Said the Veteran. "And if that happens; then it's all over. With the hope of a better tomorrow being permanently dismantled in the eyes of the people. In a way, the whole Omniverse is like Hyrule: Big, mostly peaceful, and very vulnerable to villains and tyrants alike. Even though I can no longer protect my people from that demon; I can save the entire Omniverse from falling apart. That's my duty; the thing that motivates me to no end, and vital part of my being that I still devote towards to this day."
"I…I'm at a loss for words, Sheik." Replied the instructor in respect. "I never knew you been through so much. I feel sorry for what the citizens of Hyrule has to deal with."
"I appreciate your sympathy."
"Don't mention it."
"So what's yours?" The ninja asked suddenly in the blue.
"Huh?"
"What do you fight for? What's the one thing that motivates you to get out of bed and enjoy the rays of the rising sun?"
"Um…" The woman looked deep within herself for an answer but she couldn't find one. "I don't know."
"Then let me rephrase the question." Said Sheik. "Why do you miss home?"
""Why"?"
"Well there's certainly something about your world that you love; otherwise you wouldn't be so depressed about leaving it in the first place. So what's the one thing you had compassion for in your universe?"
"Hmmm….." Wii Fit thought again; this time focusing on the memories of her dimension. "Now that I think about; there wasn't much back on my world that I actually cared for."
"Did you hate your home?"
"What? No! Not at all." The instructor said defensively. "My home was no means terrible. It was a peaceful town located in a grassy plain of sorts; the people were nice, the temperature was fine, and the view was certainly a breath to behold."
"Then why didn't you care for it?" Questioned the warrior.
"I suppose it had to do with me if anything else, I spent the majority of my time in my fitness studio. I owned it when I first moved there; wanting to use my passion for fitness into a career. However, because I was so devoted to my job, I didn't have much time for anything else. The only real reason I went outside was to get groceries and do my daily jogs."
"So that's why you miss home then? Because of your job?" Replied Sheik
"Yes." Wii Fit Said with a smile. "Getting my instructing license was the highlight of my life. Not only do I get paid for doing what I loved, I get to teach my passions to others. I have regular customers who come to my studio for yoga, weight training, running, that sort of stuff. That was the best part about my business: Becoming a teacher; swapping stories with my customers; watching them grow as they improve their body and minds. I live for that. I get nostalgic just by thinking about it. It's a shame that I'll never get to do that again." Spoke the instructor; appearing quite sad.
"Now hold on Fit, you don't know that." Replied the Veteran. "It's true that you won't be able to teach your students anymore; but that doesn't mean you have to give it up all together."
"Huh?"
"The Smashers here are always eager to learn new skills and techniques to use in battle. I'm sure a woman of your prowess would get along quite well with them." Comforted the ninja. "We're always receiving new fighters from all over the Omniverse. All of which who had come from very different backgrounds. Perhaps one day, the entire world will be full of trophies, living in peace and harmony. And I can see you, Wii Fit, as one of the people that can bring these Smashers into shape and bloom them into the best person they can be. I know it in my gut to be true."
The instructor upon hearing his words of encouragement smiled. There was still hints of sadness on her face but it was overshadowed by the large grin plastered on her chin. "Thanks Sheik, I really needed that."
"Don't mention it."
"Hey." Asked the Newcomer. "I was going to do some yoga on that mat over there." The woman pointed to the foam rectangle on the ground. "Care to join me?"
The Veteran then nodded. "Sure, I love a good stretch."
The two then walked to the middle of the room, standing side-by side as they decided on what exercise to choose from.
"So what should we start with?" Asked the ninja."
"Let's start with some Sun Salutations" Answered Fit. "It's very good for your back, really lets your spine breath."
"All right then."
The fighters immediately started out with their pose; sheik raised his hands into the air as he bent down to reach his toes; cracking his neck as he did so.
Wii Fit however, took her time with the exercise. Standing up straight as she lifted her arms into the air, closing her eyes to relish the movement. As she did so, something began to form in front of her; a ball of solar energy suddenly materialized near her chest. Catching the attention of Sheik.
"Uh…Fit." The ninja said in shock.
The instructor didn't hear him, she bent her back slowly as the sphere of light and heat began to grow in size.
"FIT!"
"Huh?" The woman was suddenly taken out of her hypnotic state, upon opening her eyes, she saw what the ninja was fussing about and gave a loud yelp.
"YAHH!"
The ball began to move on its own according, propelling away from the fighters as it shot into a punching bag. Vaporizing it to a crisp. The duo became very confused to what just happened. The silence was broken when Wii Fit shouted "What just happen! Where did that came from?"
"I think it came from you." Said the ninja.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I believe you created that sphere; all on your own."
"That's not-That's can't be right! It's impossible! I never had that ability back on my world! Why-"
"It's probably because of your introduction in this world." Answered Sheik. "Sometimes the WOT can give Smashers additional powers based on the properties of the universe they originated from."
"But why would it give me the ability to shoot balls of energy? How does that relate to me or my realm at all?"
"Beats me." Said the ninja. "I don't know the exact mechanics of how it works."
"Oh."
The Smashers stayed silent, not sure on how to react or what to do, until Sheik snapped his fingers. A bright idea forming in his skull.
"Hey, I just realized something, you can create energy right? So why not have you try your powers on the generator in the Command Center?"
"Why would I should I use my powers on the generator."
"Well…ah. It's kind of complicated." Replied the Veteran. "Let me explain it to the best of my ability."
Sheik then explains the current situation at the command center. He told her about the machine and its functions; that energy must be introduced to it, in able for it to work. The ninja also told Fit that they were having troubles in finding a battery; a lot of the Smasher's projectiles weren't working; collapsing into nothingness before it has a chance to create power.
"And after I used my grenades on the generator, and subsequently failed; I went over to the gym to relive some stress and that's where I found you." Said the ninja.
"I think I get it now." Replied Wii Fit. "So do you really think that my power would work on that device?"
"It's worth a shot." The warrior told the instructor. "Things are getting pretty desperate over there, I don't think we can afford the generator to not work; these black outs will put too much strain for the mansion to handle."
"I see." Answered the woman. "If this is a matter of the safety, then I'll do it. Hopefully I'm the key to this succeeding."
"Alright then, since you're willing to help out, I'll show you to the Command Center. Let's pray that those abilities of yours will be all that we need."
"Ok! Lead the way."
The two then walked out of the gym, and into the hallway; on a mission to start the generator, before the power of the mansion fizzles out for good.