Sheik stood pensively near where the ships rocketed off. "Safe travels, everyone." Pichu was there too, with a worried look on his face. His bright yellow ears caught Sheik's attention. "They'll be back."
"So now what?" asked Ken.
"Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst. Close off all points of entry until we receive word from the others, pull out all the stops, and remain alert at all times. Whatever's out there probably knows about our reduced numbers."
"I'm starting to think you signed up for the wrong fighting tournament, Sheik."
Banjo was wordlessly wandering around the mansion, stopping every now and then to reach out and lightly touch various surfaces, if even after (amount of time), he didn't believe that he was there.
He had been in a daze all day, simply by being back with so many he knew from years before. Friends had come and gone, but he was finally back home.
Diddy Kong was always in the mood to hang out with the duo he considered two of his closest friends. So much catching up to do. Wait until he hears about the time he went up into space, or maybe they could play a game while they were waiting? He swung around the trees landing next to Banjo. "Hey Banjo, in the mood to shoot some hoops?"
Kazooie moved the backpack flap and rose so she was halfway out of it, staring at the tiny monkey. "A game?" The Breegull smirked. "You're on, kid." The two did have some experience playing basketball, and it wasn't that hard either.
"Yippie! Let me ask DK if he wants to play too. You go ahead and set up the court." Diddy hopped, skipped, and jumped back inside the mansion to find him.
As Diddy Kong ran through the Mansion, looking for the elder primate, Sora looked on while sitting in a large, cushioned chair in the mansion's primary living room. The spikey haired boy then let out a small sigh.
"I wish I was with the others, helping them against whatever threat they were going to fight."
As Sora lamented, the Duck Hunt duo came up to him. The dog placed his head under Sora's outstretched hand, as if asking the boy to pet him. Sora smiled and obliged. The Duck then perched on the arm of the chair, giving Sora a smile. Or at least as much of a smile as a duck could give.
"Then again..." Sora continued. " They did ask me to keep all of you as safe as possible. And if it means having to protect guys like you. I'd gladly do it. You know, you two actually remind me of some old friends of mine."
"Bark!"
"Still, there are some differences." Sora continued with a chuckle as he continued petting the dog. "I distinctly remember my friends being able to talk. But it is kinda nice to hang out with a normal duck and dog for a change."
Ryu happened to pass them by. "You three seem to be getting along awfully well. That's good. To truly focus on the task at hand, one must remain calm."
"What're you doing here, Ryu?"
"Checking in on everyone; then I'm going to train."
After bidding farewell to Sora and Duck Hunt, Ryu continued on his journey. His next stop took him to the kitchen. There, he found Pac-Man, who was munching down on some fruit.
"Oh, hey Ryu. Care for some fruit? There's still some left." Pac-Man offered.
"What kind?"
"I can offer you some cherries, a handful of strawberries, a couple oranges, and an apple."
"Don't you think that's a lot for one person?"
"Eh. I like to eat. Still, go ahead and take what you want and I'll eat the rest." Pac-Man said as he threw another cherry in his mouth.
"Alright, I suppose. I cannot defend the mansion on an empty stomach. There may even be someone else who needs them more than I do." Ryu took the handful of strawberries and the apple and left.
"Wait." Pac-Man called as he chased after Ryu. "There was something I wanted to ask you. If you don't mind telling me, why didn't you go with the others to fight... whatever it is they're going to fight? Big strong guy like you, someone who enjoys training and competing in tournaments, I would figure this would be right up your alley."
"Do you recall Fox and Falco's transmission?"
"Yeah. What about it?"
"The opponent swiftly took them out mid-flight in specialized aircraft," Ryu snapped his fingers, "just like that. A true warrior doesn't pick fights they can't win."
Pac-Man nodded in understanding.
"I see. That makes sense. Still, I hope the others manage to defeat it, whatever it is. Master Hand sounded desperate when he asked them to help him."
"I believe in them. Each has their own set of unique skills that aid them in battle. Speaking of which, I'm not one for rumors, but I heard that one of us left last minute. That's partially why I'm taking this little tour. So far, it's not you, or Sora, or the Duck Hunt Duo, and neither of the Kongs."
"I see. Well, best of luck to you, Ryu." Pac-Man said before turning around and heading back toward the kitchen.
"You too." The street fighter took a bite out of the apple and left. He saw Lucario meditating and decided to join him.
K. Rool was out on the porch, sulking. It had been two weeks since the tower incident and he hadn't gotten either of his ships back.
"Well maybe if you followed the rules," said Little Mac with a stern expression, "You wouldn't have this problem. Nothing's worse than a foe who doesn't play fair."
The Kremling King turned and looked down at the boxer kid, wanting to say something but decided against it. He then admitted that even he felt a bit apprehensive. Two warriors just didn't vanish like that.
The croc turned to look out at the harbor, his gaze settling on his impounded ship. "I respect the others but that doesn't mean I have to like them."
"Understandable, we can't all just instantly get along like Richter and Chrom. It's only natural when you have a group diverse as this, but trying to kill them? Come on, dude."
K. Rool suppressed a sigh as he eyed Mac with his large bloodshot eye. "A man named Garon offered a blood price for Corrin, he specially asked that I help take out all potential suitors for the woman, and the one I tried to kill was one of those on the list. This was around two weeks ago."
"Yeah, we all heard about that. I'm honestly surprised you weren't banned entirely, though I guess Master Hand decided to completely abandon that policy this time around. I mean, next to Mario and Kirby themselves, Link is probably the biggest deal out of all the Fighters. Then again, so are any of the Original 12, and that includes Donkey Kong, so don't go getting any ideas 'bout that."
K. Rool snorted. "That lousy ape and I already settled our grievances."
"You did? That's a story for the ages! You gotta tell me!"
K. Rool looked at a nearby wicker chair, decided that he would break it, then slowly sat down on the marble steps. "I'm older than I used to be, he's older than he used to be, we're just tired of fighting each other. We did, however, decide to have a final match."
"One final match? Go on."
"We fought on the deck of my ship." K. Rool pointed at it. "That's why it looks like it does now." It seemed to be in rather rough shape, with holes in the sides and deck and strangely, a broken mast and ripped rigging.
Little Mac clearly wanted to hear more about the fight, but he thought it wouldn't be the best idea to rile up the Kremling, especially after what he tried to do to Corrin. "Sounds cool. I'll have to ask how it went some other time. See you!" The boxer got up and went back inside.
Meanwhile, a depressed Lucas met Dr. Mario in the infirmary. "Dr. Mario sir, I don't feel very well."
"What seems to be the problem?"
"I... I dunno. It feels like a tummyache mixed with lightheadedness. Plus, I skinned my knee a little while training."
"Very well. Follow me. I'll get you a bandage, and you lie on the couch three rooms over; the one with the heated blanket and the trash can."
"Yes, sir."
After a few moments, Lucas spoke up. "A-aren't you worried about what happened to Fox and Falco? A-and what might happen to those that left to find them?"
"They're probably fine. People like them have been through all kinds of dangers and have always come out on top. This won't be any different, just you see." answered the physician with a reassuring smile.
At that moment, Dark Pit burst into the room, with one of his hands on his forehead. "Hey Doc. Do you have anything to cure a headache? Listening to the others just ramble on and on has been giving me a real migraine."
Dr. Mario just sighed. "I'll a-see what I have." Reaching into the medicine cupboard, he grabbed some pills. "Here. Take one with any drink. If you want, you can a-stay here. It's certainly quieter."
Dark Pit considered it. Then he spotted Lucas, who just waved timidly at him.
"No thanks, Doc. I think I'll just head into my room." answered the angel after quickly taking the medicine. Without saying another word, he walked off.
Meanwhile, in the training room, Wendy the Wii Fit Trainer was performing her own stress-relieving workout routine. After all that'd happened in the last hours, she was in dire need of it. The StarFox duo were two of her best students, keeping up with her classes to help them stay nimble and active. She still couldn't believe that they might be dead. Fox, Falco, how could this happen? You've been such great people, and now-
"ROAR!"
Her thought process was interrupted by the other occupant of the room: Incineroar, the Heel Pokémon. He was beating loudly on one of the sandbags, scratching it with his claws and letting all the contents spill out. He then stood there, with a giant grin on his face after the victory over his latest prey. "IN!"
Wendy had to facepalm. Not another one... It's the fifth this week!
While Incineroar went to find another sandbag to start ripping to shreds, Wendy went back to her yoga exercises, ignore the noisy cat-like Pokémon sharing the room with her.
"Nana, could you bring me those onions, please?" Min Min asked.
"No problem."
Min Min poured some spices into the large bowl of ramen she was preparing in the kitchen. Once that was done, she began chopping the onions Nana had brought her. Like many others, the two women were worried about Master Hand's call of distress and the departure of the others to confront whatever threat the Master of the Smash Mansion had summoned them to fight. In an effort to calm some of her nerves, Min Min found herself doing the one thing she was better at than fighting in the ARMS tournaments. And that was cooking. All the while, she was letting Nana watch and learn more about foods that weren't readily available in the younger girl's snowy village.
She believed that once she and everyone else in the mansion had a taste of her famous ramen, they would calm down considerably and be in higher spirits. Good food always led to happy faces. At least, that's what she was always told growing up working in her family's ramen restaurant.
Min Min was about to cut up another onion for her dish, but noticed there were no more next to her. She went over to the fridge to grab some more. When she turned back toward her food, she noticed a gloved hand holding a large spoon trying to sneak its way into the pot. Min Min quickly used her extending arms to grab Nana's mallet and brought it down on the sneaking hand as hard as she could.
"OW!"
"Dedede, how many times do I have to tell you?! You won't be getting any of my ramen early! You'll get it when it's done and everyone else is ready to be served!" Min Min yelled.
"Well hurry up! It's not every day that there's this few mouths I have to share my food with!"
"You can't rush this, Dedede. It takes time to get this just right. Now leave me alone or it'll take even longer to finish."
With an angry glance, Dedede turned and slowly started walking away.
"'Share my food'. Bah. Who does this stupid fat bird think he is?" She muttered.
In the meantime, Popo was returning from his trip to a nearby river. He was carrying several fish that he'd caught using his trusty old rod, and was in high spirits, despite this being the first time since forever that he'd been separated from Nana for more than an hour. I wonder how she's doing... He shook his head. This is supposed to be a moment to do something different and clear my head! She's clearly fine, and having a good time with someone else. There's nothing to worry about, is there?
He breathed out. Everything was going to be just fine.
He soon arrived at his destination: a small campsite that Greg the Villager was just putting the finishing touches on, complete with a small tent (albeit more than big enough to fit both of them) and a welcoming campfire.
"Hey, Popo. Those are a lot of fish. Great job." Greg complemented the Ice Climber.
"Oh, why thank you. I see you've got the fire going. Here, why don't you go on and pick one?"
Greg looked over the various fish and chose the best one, then got it prepared and roasting over the fire. "So, what have you been up to lately?"
"I don't know. I just need to get away from it all. In short, I'm absolutely exhausted. Nana and I should probably just go home."
Greg looked shocked. "Go home? But it's been pretty fun here! If this is about the tournament itself, you can just take a rest or a day off. Like we're doing right now. I know I'd miss you if you or Nana left, as would many other fighters."
"I wish it were that easy, but you heard the rest of them. Whatever's happening is big. The Hands themselves are captured."
Greg nodded. "I'm sure the others can take care of it. They're strong. Meanwhile, we can take care of this place while they're away."
"Yeah. You're probably right."
Meanwhile, a basketball was dribbled up and down Diddy Kong's hands as he tried to get around Banjo. The more agile monkey gripped the ball and jumped over the bear. Kazooie tried to fly down and swipe the ball from Diddy, but he managed to evade and hold onto the ball. Diddy then wrapped his tail around the net and pulled himself up before dunking the ball.
"Yes! Two points!" Diddy yelled.
ROB looked up from where he was at the side. "You are playing using invalid rules." stated the robot. " "I strongly suggest that the three of you choose to stop this session and properly review the rules of this game before continuing."
"Rules schmules. We should be able to play the way we want!" exclaimed Kazooie.
Before the game could continue, Donkey Kong leapt from the stands onto the court, grabbed the discarded basketball, then ran off with it.
Kazooie stared for a second, then flew after DK. "Hey! That's not yours, you banana hoarding, dimwitted giant monkey!"
Diddy turned to look at Kazooie with a look that said, "I'm right here."
Kazooie didn't see the look as she was already gone from the room.
In the meantime, on the Mansion's greenhouse a small man using a spacesuit was tending to some sprouts and taking notes. The Pikmin here have been healthy. Still no signs of illnesses or weeds.
Peach and Daisy joined Olimar in the greenhouse to look at some of the new ornamentals and vegetables they had planted.
Daisy glanced over at Olimar's direction. She asked Peach: "Are those Pik-things? Pik-men, was it?"
"Pikmin. They are plant-like creatures that grow where Olimar and Alph are from."
Daisy nodded. "Hmph. Learn something new every day."
"Jiggly." Jigglypuff once again tried to copy the child's notes as he conducted using the Wind Waker, except she ended up using Sing once again. "Puff." She muttered in an annoyed tone.
Toon Link was feeling the drowsiness take over him once again. Slapping himself awake once more and taking another long sip of his coffee, he spoke to her with a calming voice. "Relax. We'll get it right soon."
Jiggs eyed the coffee. "Jiggs." She meant it in a way like "are you supposed to be drinking that?"
"I dunno. Anything that'll keep me awake, I mean ready-ready for anything! Right Isabelle? Isabelle?" He found her sleeping next to him.
Jiggs blinked and then facepalmed.
Meanwhile, Mewtwo was resting in his room, away from the zaniness of all the others. The genetically engineered Pokémon had always had a distaste for the presence of others. He always preferred the solitude.
Still, that did not mean Mewtwo was exactly pleased with the current situation. He knew how powerful the Hand twins were, and the fact that they were taken down so easily was unnerving. Once the others left, he began meditating, keeping watch over those who had left as best he could. Ever since Fox and Falco disappeared, he had tried to make a psychic connection to them, but was unable to. Suddenly, he found his connection to several of the others begin breaking. And they were breaking at an increasingly fast pace. It was as if they were disappearing off the face of the earth. This disturbed the Pokémon so much that he almost broke his meditation.
Suddenly, he felt a new presence, a dark one. And it was close. Mewtwo tried to get a read on it, but as soon as he did, his eyes flew open.
'Oh no.'
Upon realizing that everyone was in immediate danger, the legendary Pokémon sent out a psychic message to everyone in the mansion and on its grounds. "To whomever hears this, an unknown force is soon to attack the mansion. Be vigilant, this force could attack at any moment, and I do not know what it is capable of."
As soon as Mewtwo finished the message, he caught movement from a nearby window, and he dove out of the way as a massive hand flew into the glass, shattering the window and sending it in all directions across the study.
Mewtwo slowly got up and brushed glass shards from his fur, hissing as he prepared a Psybeam and rose into the air to meet his new adversary.
("Crazy Hand?!... A Crazy Hand.") Mewtwo could faintly hear spoken words: ("Run...Darkness is coming.")
Through the hole the other Hand had created, Mewtwo saw portals being thrown out.
Then Mewtwo was distracted by an ice-cold tendril of misty darkness wrapping around his waist. The legendary used Flamethrower on the tendril, which caused it to retreat. Mewtwo heard crashes and saw more of the hands appearing in the study, then looked around the room in despair before he used Teleport, his emotions threating to boil over as his psychic energy was struck from all angles as he felt his fellow Smashers start panicking.
A.N.: That's the end of the prologue! The story continues on:
s/13986717/1/World-of-Light-Rebirth-Cloud-s-story