"More than anything else, I believe this sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost... If you can conceive of such a combination." - Wilbur Wright
Music: "Awake"
High in the sky above, mid-morning sun rays showered upon thick clouds as a futuristic transport shuttle burst out from the fluffy wall with a loud whoosh of its jet engines. A glistening stream of mist trailed in the craft's wake as it soared past some of those ancient stone ruins in a wide, smooth bend.
After rounding a particularly huge column of cumulus clouds, it started to ascend towards a distant but immense structure, suspended in mid-air and silhouetted against an almost divine back-light.
Inside this shuttle was an impressive range of passengers who'd come from all around the sector. It looked like many hailed from far away in the Lylat System as well as the Aminuss System, though some had arrived from other worlds in the Nassazar System.
Still, they were all densely packed in here, yet it didn't seem to bother them one bit. They began getting each other's attention soon enough upon noticing the first sight of their destination.
"Attention all passengers," the shuttle pilot's voice announced, "We're beginning the final approach to Midair Stadium. If you look out above the clouds on our right, there she is warming up for the day too."
Many passengers did glance out the windows, marveling at that constructed wonder floating yonder. Some even turned to one another and exchanged quick but enthusiastic remarks on how they just couldn't wait for today.
"As a reminder, we'll be arriving on the 70th level at landing pier 13-A," the pilot continued informatively. "Please make sure you have your tickets at the ready, since they'll be checked right upon entering. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we wouldn't want any holdups because of that."
Most of the passengers were quick to do so and started searching their pockets, backpacks, or purses for proper documents. In the meantime, a thick shadow gradually enveloped the shuttle as it continued its wayward course. Naturally it was the shadow of the stadium itself, towering overhead in its gargantuan stature more and more.
The same thoughts were likely on everyone's mind though.
They all knew that this was it. This was their arrival to what had been so eagerly awaited for the last four years.
Height-wise speaking, the arrival piers were located along Midair Stadium's outer central section. Levels upon levels of landing docks protruded out from its west face and were almost completely flooded with hundreds of similar transport shuttles and air buses arriving.
Like never-ending clockwork, the hydraulic doors on each craft hissed open after they'd slowed to a hovering stop, unloading their dense streams of passengers who all eagerly crowded up to get to the ticket check-in lines located farther down.
There probably wasn't a single person, anthropomorphic creature, or being on these piers who didn't have at least slightly-widened eyes. Those who wore glasses or spectacles could only adjust them as they gazed upward, wondering so many things while passing under the arched neon sign that welcomed them to Midair Stadium.
Now they were getting a true idea at just how utterly humongous this construct of concrete, metal, and other material actually was. Take the largest sports stadium in existence, double its size and capacity, then set it airborne. The sensation it brought was a jaw-dropping one.
Even though Midair Stadium was already several kilometers aloft from terra-firma, its four large towers at each corner reached further skyward still. In an indescribable way, they were embracing this great architectural canvas of morning against which it was all set.
From way up here the rest of the world seemed insignificant and even forgotten altogether.
Nevertheless, the whole scene across the arrival piers was vibrantly alive and well. In one area, right past the check-in lines before the actual entrance into the stadium, there stood a large booth for making bets on the match brackets. A literal sea of hands surrounded it from all those people eagerly holding up money to place down.
"Step right up, lads and lasses! Place your bets here on who might win the first round today!" A large humanoid-creature announcer donning a top-hat stepped onto a pedestal and help up a megaphone. This let him stand above these moving crowds of hands as he energetically called around:
"Step right up everyone and place your bets here! Only one bet per person, if you would please!"
Not surprisingly, during all this activity, there were many news crews present from different lands and worlds throughout the primary star systems. Each conducted their own share of coverage on the unfolding spectacles here across the piers, and one of these crews was just about to come on live for the Mushroom Central News Network.
Standing with everything in motion behind her, a young violet-spotted Toadette reporter took it away after getting the signal.
"Thanks a lot, Frank. Jackie here, coming in live from the arrival piers, and what you see behind me is pretty much everything I'd ever need to say!"
Even the camera crew of a few other Toads here with her had quite a hard time keeping focus, because they occasionally glanced up and looked around as she reported on:
"This morning's turnout is massive, just massive... Although, it's not surprising at all since this smash tournament is set to be the biggest one yet in its now-bicentennial history. We know that many of the more eager attendees had crowded up to camp out the entire last week at the departure depots, and those are only the depots around Mushroom City!"
She then started to walk several paces backward. Likewise, the camera crew began following her towards the main entrance on this particular arrival pier level. They had a Steadicam rig in use, so the task of maneuvering around was effortless on their part. In fact, it was exactly what they intended to do for this special live showcasing.
Above them hung more levels of balconies which extended out from private suites and fancy apartments that one could rent for considerably high prices, unsurprisingly. Some of those wealthy and more privileged renters up there were leaning on the railing, a few even with a drink in hand, observing everything that was going on below their feet.
The Toadette reporter pointed up and around this whole docking bay area whilst further explaining, "It's hard to believe this is only the outside shell we're seeing. Many more things are inside, so let's take a trip through for all you viewers to get a look at the more central attraction, shall we?"
Continuous flows of spectators swept through a labyrinth of large hallways boasting gift shops, drink stands, snack bars, food joints, and all sorts of other booths. Nearly every one of them had a crowd at their fronts, so there was a beautiful variety of sights, sounds, smells, plus excited voices mixed in with this atmosphere.
These were the complex proverbial bowels inside the stadium, and the Toadette reporter maneuvered her way through the very thick of it, along with her crew operating their gliding camera.
Now she had to raise her voice quite a bit in attempts to talk over the flurry of other people's conversations around her. She began giving an almost rambling but perhaps appropriate tour-guide-like insight on the stadium's intriguing history:
"Midair Stadium, for those of you folks who might not know, was finished two centuries ago as a huge collaboration between engineers and architects from all over the sector for the start of these smash tournaments. Why did they choose here, in the skies above the far-northern Mushroom Kingdom of all places? Well, for several big reasons. First, logistics. The region was remote. Still is, but it's not too far from the Kingdom's urban areas all things considered. I'd say it adds a lot to the novelty of this place. Second, Planet Veradeena had a fair amount of natural resources that could be developed into anti-gravity technology, which of course worked with the stadium's design to be airborne in the first place. And third, well, it's the fact that Veradeena is also home to another exclusive material used in these smash tournaments: A type of wood. Besides that, there are always renovations being done between each occasion to keep things in good shape, but get this: Midair Stadium can reach a full carrying capacity of a little over two-hundred thousand people! Can you even believe that huge number of people way up here in one place? It's like the population of an entire small city at the height of a tall mountain!"
Cheerfully, she turned back and ushered to the lens of the trailing camera to keep up with her while they passed many of those lively scenarios in one of the food courts.
"You may also be asking, where does all the power up here come from? Well, it's actually being generated from huge wind turbines and solar fusion cells up on the tops of those four towers we saw back outside. That's also why the stadium's at this particular altitude, to avoid any major weather issues. No need to worry about the trash or other waste either, because it's all vaporized once compacted. It's quite the eco-friendly facility in that sense, but food and other supplies have to be air-lifted up not surprisingly. Still, there's almost everything under the sun here. Each time they always add new things. Plenty of stuff to do for the kiddies; a whole list of things for mom and dad to do too, so it's quite easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going. Luckily there are many friendly staff around to help you out. Remember also that this is only one part of the stadium's interior we're seeing, but c'mon! We're nearly there!"
Soon the reporter turned onto a long albeit dimly lit hallway, where down at the very end, there it was: A wide doorway filled with bright light, daylight peeking into the hall from outside. The shape of that doorway appeared to float there in the dark, like an ethereal passage of some kind leading to another realm. Maybe it could very well be considered that, for this was in fact an upper entrance which led out into the main arena.
Numerous bobbing silhouettes of other people's heads drifted along with this whole proverbial stream. Everyone conversed excitedly amid that vivid light spilling in, but all this talking soon gave way to much more powerful auras as they drew closer.
A subsequent swell of massive-sounding stadium music enveloped the Toadette reporter and her camera crew as they passed through this luminous doorway. After allowing their eyes to adjust in the brightness, a truly breathtaking sight got revealed before them.
Stark chills ran down the backs of each of them, prompting them to stop in their tracks and blink a few times.
It was like they had in fact passed through a mystic threshold, into another realm entirely.
Music: "Into the Deep"
The open-roofed interior of Midair Stadium's arena was massive, utterly massive...
Even that might be quite an understatement to many, for just like the reporter had mentioned, it was as if the population of a small city had all converged here on this first day alone. The seating levels were already becoming jam-packed with well over a hundred thousand people and beings from every one of the participating lands and worlds in Sector N's three primary solar systems.
They were all gathering here, under this one open roof for the week-long tournament, along with other festivities to celebrate the ongoing peace and unity that they shared across their stars.
It literally came across as a mythical-sized melting pot for the entire sector, but beyond that there seemed to be a true sense of magic emanating in the air; from everyone, for everyone. To simply take a first look around at all these sights and sounds teeming in this arena was almost overwhelming to the senses, yet it felt enthralling like nothing else could ever be.
The Toadette reporter surely had a rather difficult time staying on task, for she could turn her head every which way and no matter where she gazed there was something grand to marvel at.
High up on the extensive metal framework of the retracted roof hung a huge set of mounted screens that displayed flashy animations behind eye-catching text spelling: WELCOME TO MIDAIR STADIUM.
Of course, there was also the seemingly endless series of advertisements that came from the numerous sponsors of this grand event. Anything from athletic associations, to financial firms, to industrial manufacturers, technology corporations, various city, national, or global collectives, and so forth. Their logos and graphics were pasted along the fringes of the main screens, but were also scrolling along smaller banner screens which circumnavigated the whole stadium horizontally, along the divisions of seating rows.
Far down below these countless levels of seats, at least a good two-hundred meters, there was the famed smash platform itself in the very center. Covered in a bluish AstroTurf with white lines marking borders, it was completely flat-surfaced for fairness in a match, though additional raised platforms could be added if necessary. Chasms surrounded it on all sides with naught but the open-air below, and layers of thick safety nets were all that separated someone from several whole kilometers of a long free-fall back down to the ground.
Naturally this central platform was where the smashes themselves played out. It was an empty sight for now, save for some stadium workers down there making sure everything stood ready. It was, however, soon to be the very focus for much of the known galaxy's attention.
Indeed, from this spectacular view across the arena where the Mushroom Central News crew stood on one of the upper levels, all this activity almost appeared as a blur in their eyes. They couldn't focus on but a handful of those countless tiny figures at a time, and it especially struck them how they were here with all these other people who had traveled from somewhere else, moving around now like an endless flow on just about every row of the seating sections.
Even that powerful aural ocean of commotion was starting to become indistinct in the Toadette reporter's ears, just like the sights were to her eyes.
"Wow... What a... What a real experience this is..." She declared at last, with her mouth a bit numb from being agape. She'd managed to come back to her senses, yet remained very much awe-struck in trying to utter her words.
"I'll be honest... It's my first time reporting from here live, so I'm gonna say it right now... Watching it on a TV doesn't do it any justice."
Finally, after letting it all soak in for a few more moments, she took a deep breath and turned; facing the camera once again with a beaming face.
"Alright, now then," she started, "How about we check out a glimpse at the range of people that are here in this section? Remember, this is only going to be a sampler of the crowd on the first day of this whole next week..."
Thus the reporter and her camera crew of fellow Toads began to maneuver down the crowded aisle, carefully worming their way past the shoulders and bodies of many other people. Every now and then they nudged a few of them along the way.
"As y'all can tell, calling it just a little busy here is... An understatement like nobody's business," she pointed out rather amusingly, though right after she finished saying that, she backed into a taller person who was trying to pass by.
"Oh, sorry, excuse us there...!" She turned and apologized.
"No worries miss, you're all good," the person's voice called faintly from off-camera, giving the Toadette some relief.
Soon enough, after taking another look around, she and her crew approached some of the spectators seated near their present location; mostly for convenience's sake.
"... Hello there," she warmly welcomed to a family of human-like beings, whose ear tips were pointed like elves. "Mushroom Central News here, and we're interested for all our viewers watching at home: Where do you and your family come from?"
She kindly held the mic up close to their selected family of interviewees, who were all clad in a traditional yet colorful type of garb. They were understandably a little taken back at first to suddenly be cast into the live spotlight like this.
"Ah, um... Greetings...!" The husband of the family cleared his throat and couldn't help but give a slight scoff as he smiled for the camera. He was here with his wife and two children, a boy and a girl.
"We hail from across the Great Sea, from the Kingdom of Hyrule." He spoke with a somewhat broken accent. The reporter didn't mind one bit though and smiled joyfully.
"Hylian, hmm? That's fascinating!" She gossiped a little by complimenting, "I just love your clothing. Very traditional for the occasion today?"
"Well, I suppose so," the husband admitted with a chuckle, "But what other occasion could there be, to watch our Kingdom's finest warriors compete in this legendary contest?"
"Mhmm, that's very true," agreed the reporter. After happily talking for a while longer, the news crew thanked them and moved onto another couple of spectators nearby.
"Hi, Mushroom Central News reporting live! Would you two care to say where you're from?"
This pair of Nokis stood a bit shorter than her but came across proud nevertheless. One of them gladly answered, "Isle Delfino, the one and only!"
"Wow, some folks from that far down south in the Animal Archipelago?"
"You bet, miss reporter," the other Noki affirmed confidently, "Our guys are the real underdogs here, so I know they're gonna win this tourney!"
"Well it's great to see you here." She smiled and nodded, respecting their enthusiasm. "Best of luck to your friends out there!"
Then, a bit further down this particular row seating row, a third couple of young-in-appearance human boys caught the reporter's attention and were approached.
"... Pardon me? We're live with Mushroom Central News! Would you two mind sharing with our viewers where you're from?" She happily inquired as these two boys turned around, revealing they both boasted very light and longish blonde hair. Interestingly, one had bright blue eyes while the other retained dark brown.
"Uh, well... I'm from the Bionis, miss." Streaking his hair to the side, the blue-eyed boy spoke with a cockney accent and wore a rather abstract type of apparel. Not only was it black-and-red in color, but the apparel also looked as though it had been stitched together by hand.
The other boy, clad in a dark wool robe, followed up quite formally, "And I hail from the Halidom Ylisse."
With a curious but equally excited smile the reporter inquired further, "Huh... Well that's interesting! So one of you is from here on this planet, while the other comes from over in the Aminuss System. Hmm... Star-crossed friends from a past tournament, if I could take a guess?"
The boy from the Bionis playfully put his arm around the Ylissean's shoulder. "Oh yeah, miss. Go right ahead. You'd be correct with that foresight!"
Finally, a fourth family was granted the microphone and the procedure played once more, farther along this same seating row.
"... Hi there, Mushroom Central News reporting live! For all our viewers tuned in this morning, would you care to tell us where you're from?"
"Oh, we're from Corneria," the wife of this family of anthropomorphic felines happily clarified, to which the Toadette reporter seemed pleasantly surprised.
"Aha, well color me impressed! You know, I might've actually guessed... But maybe it's not surprising, huh?" She joked and they shared a quick laugh before discussing a bit more about this great milestone of a smash tournament.
Then the reporter joyfully turned to the family's trio of young kitten-like children whose large pointy cat ears perked straight up. Their eyes also widened, ever so curious from suddenly being live on the news like this. The parents however just gave each other a warm glance and watched them answer the Toadette's questions with polite smiles.
"Y'all excited about today, kids? Is this your first time in Midair Stadium? Or even, your first time visiting the Mushroom Kingdom? How was the trip over here from the Lylat System?"
Like their other interviewees before it was small talk more or less, yet in this case with these Cornerian children, it was particularly wonderful and true to the spirit of the whole stadium around them. There was just so much livelihood and excitement.
Plenty of other news crews stood scattered around the entirety of the arena, but this section that the MCN crew was in attracted quite a few other people's attention. The background of the camera's frame often had waving arms and energetic faces from others within viewing range.
Kids were especially ecstatic and tried to get their own parents' attention, exclaiming to them that they were in fact on the news and likely being broadcast live everywhere; for all to see who were watching at home.
For them, this was their little moment to try and shine.
"Alright, thanks so much for your time. We hope you enjoy the tournament!" The Toadette gladly thanked the Cornerian family as they left, leaving them to their business. She decided that these were enough interviews for now, because they did have a program schedule to keep after all.
With that in mind, they began journeying further down the step-laden aisles until they finally reached a larger mid-section level without any seats. It was an overhanging veranda of sorts, so the crew came to a stop in front of the railing.
Now, without any obstructions, they were overlooking everything once again. The feeling it gave them remained humbling to the greatest degree. There was no other real way to describe it.
Maybe it was just this great contrast to how small they were here in this place as individuals, set against the whole notion that across the stars of Sector N, billions upon billions of others felt the same in one way or another.
"... And there you have it, folks," the reporter finally spoke after some moments of being silent, "Just a peek at the range of nations and worlds with us here today..."
Her words retained that certain absence of breath like before. She kept facing away from the lingering camera at first, though it soon drifted forward to a point just beside her and slowly began panning over her shoulder, around the stadium's vast interior. With this perspective, the absolutely grand vista was soaked up in its entirety.
The reporter then finished her thoughts aloud, but off camera in favor of preserving the shot.
"... But what I find most amazing, is that this is all before the celebrations even start..."
Indeed, nothing in the tournament had actually begun yet, but what a sight and experience it was to everyone physically here in Midair Stadium nonetheless.
It truly was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, although there was something about the first time being here which left the biggest impression. For somebody who was a returning spectator, even though it was still incredible, there simply wasn't quite that same sense of pure awe as the first time ever again.
"... Ah, but look down there to our right...!" The Toadette's eyes beamed and she promptly pointed down across the arena due to noticing something. Turning back to face the camera, she informed, "There we can see the royal balcony, with our Kingdom's dear Princess Toadstool!"
On the arena's western side, down among all the lower-central seating levels, there indeed was the large royal balcony which protruded out a ways from everything else.
As per its name, this was where many royal families and other high-ranking political officials came from lands not only around Planet Veradeena, but other worlds all across the sector. A designated number of them would also act as partial judges of sorts.
Despite some of the seats still being empty, almost every attendee here in this audience had arrived by now since being early was rather quintessential for those at their status. Just the same though, they conversed amongst themselves amid the enthusiastic air that saturated the stadium's vast space. Those who were just arriving likewise made their way down the aisles to greet their acquaintances in proper fashions.
In part of the very front row sat Princess Peach, her elder steward Toadsworth, her tomboyish second cousin Princess Daisy of Sarasaland, the elegant Princess Zelda of Hyrule, along with Birdo from Dinosaur Land. Of course, it had been this particular group of attendees which the Toadette reporter spotted.
Each Princess was dressed in their formal regal attire for this grand occasion. Birdo was wearing the finest bow that she had, but Zelda proved to be the standout here. Golden strands of precious Hylian jewelry lined along her thick ties of fair brown hair, while her pale-blue eyes glistened in the warmth of the morning sunlight which was just now beginning to cascade onto the arena's entire west half.
"My word, Princess Toadstool," Toadsworth marveled in his usual earnest manner, "The weather today couldn't have been lovelier, wouldn't you agree?"
Sitting comfortably under the shade of her pink parasol, Peach nodded with a calm smile and looked up through that huge retracted roof high above. For a while she quietly observed the icy crystalline cirrus clouds which stretched across parts of the cerulean sky. Naturally they were the only type of clouds to be visible due to Midair Stadium's high altitude, but Peach also admired how their sun itself seemed to be arriving on time for the day's coming spectacles.
The Nassazar peered further over the roof's high edge with each passing minute, granting a vivid illumination to more and more of the arena. It flooded their side with that soothing mid-morning warmth to mix in with the occasional laps of cool breeze.
After brushing her hair back while being mindful of the jewelry, Zelda turned to Daisy and leaned in close with a thoughtful grin. Something a bit devious was obviously on her mind, yet Daisy was still facing away from her so she didn't notice the look initially.
"So, Daisy..." Zelda began calmly, "I'm sure you know as well as I that your Luigi, younger brother of the revered Mario, will be confronting Link in the first round."
The Sarasan Princess heard her Hylian compeer and clicked her tongue jokingly. "Tsk, I'm still saying it's a darn shame for Link then..."
Hearing the talks unfold beside her, Peach turned her attention toward her relative and fellow Princesses.
"What is, Daisy?"
"Ah, you know," Daisy teased, "Zelda thinks her little Link will beat my Louie... Pfffttt, as if!"
Zelda just shook her head with a small smirk, scoffing a bit before turning back to look around the rest of the arena.
Peach kept smiling too, though. She'd started thinking about her lovely time with Mario on the castle balcony last night.
"... How 'bout your lovebird?" An interested Daisy rested her chin on one hand. "Did Mario mention anything interesting for his match-up?"
"Well," she started, much to Daisy's delight, "Other than reminding me he's up against Kirby, no not much. They're in this opening match of the first round though, but it's interesting, because that's the way it's been for the last few tournaments in a row..."
Daisy nudged her blonde cousin on the shoulder, adding energetically, "I reckon for good reason too. They always fire things off with a real bang and get the crowds goin'!"
"Mm, I guess so..." Peach gazed back out at the arena surrounding them, nodding agreeably before also thinking to ask, "Hey, and Daisy? Sorry if I'm bad at remembering things I know you've said... But this is Luigi's first time in a big quadrennial tournament too, right?"
"Yup! You bet, cuz!" Daisy sounded perhaps a bit too jovial for what it was all worth, though she went on nevertheless, "It is his first big one, and that's exactly why I'm gettin' myself all pumped up! He's gonna do just great! You'll see!"
Peach appeared to be slightly critical of her. "But Daisy, you're pretty much always this pumped for anything he's in..."
"Mhmm!" Undeterred, Daisy just nodded. "And? Is there a problem with that?"
"Well, um... Maybe what I meant to say is that you're easily-"
"... In any case," Zelda started again, interrupting them somewhat. She ran her fingers back along her thick ties of hair a second time. "I'm very much interested to see how this tournament plays out, especially since it is the bicentennial. I'm just grateful we're all alive in this time and are able to attend such a milestone occasion..."
Peach and Daisy watched her speak, with the Sarasan Princess doing so in a rather dubious kind of interest.
"But when..." Zelda paused briefly before smirking. "Oh, alright Daisy, I'll grant you the benefit of the doubt. Rather... If Link defeats Luigi, I'm sure he'll still get a fair chance in the loser's bracket."
To this, Daisy could only lower her eyelids a bit and scoff, "Hmph... Better watch what'chya say there, Zelda. You might just end up eating those words. I don't know 'bout you, but my green hero is full of surprises..."
A defiant yet playful poke of the tongue was all that came back from the Hylian Princess, until the both of them just ended up breaking and sharing a laugh. It didn't matter so much about who won or who didn't, because again, that wasn't the real purpose of these smash tournaments.
Hardcore fans would surely try to claim otherwise, but the broader and primary reasons since their inception was for friendly sportsmanship, as well as that celebration of Sector N's ongoing unity for over two centuries. Just about everyone here knew it deep down to their bones, because the whole scenario going on right now seemed to be nothing short of living proof.
While all this lively activity flourished here in the arena, however, there were other things going on at the same time. Deep within the lower workings of this humongous stadium, out of almost everybody's sight and mind was the extensive training facility, where all of the smashers themselves were gathering.
This was where the real magic was happening; where everything was being prepared.