Captain Falcon's Theatre (pt. 2): Death Races
It's time for the F-Zero Platinum Cup to start. Falcon's ready to ride and will stop at nothing to obtain the first-place trophy, but will he succeed? Let's find out.
Sadistic tendencies are rare in society…
This is because most persons do not have the compatible mindset for such urges to take root…
Within the minority are those whose hearts have been filled with absolute hatred…
The misanthropy they exhibit is what allows a personality devoid of care and love to blossom…
While not true of all who have fallen victim to endless hatred of others, some begin to show delight in the agony that the people around them experience…
Torture becomes a joyous sensation… murder a career they enjoy…
This is representative of how evil many races of higher thinking can truly be…
Sadism is also what drove Black Shadow to cause chaos in his world, to torment innocent souls…
Until he was stopped by a mysterious bounty hunter…
The citizens of Port Town were in a state of perpetual eagerness; today was the starting day of the F-Zero Platinum Cup, and there would be pure excitement for all non-participants to enjoy. Many during the time of high noon were flocking towards a small building constructed around the starting spot of the city's assigned course. Sleek architecture and multiple high-definition screens surrounded them as they traveled to the stands. A few observers decided to satiate their hunger beforehand by purchasing items from the food court. One of these people was King Dedede.
"Huh, what should I get?" he muttered to himself. His eyes swept across the area as he struggled to decide, exacerbated by how magnificent some of the food stands appeared. The variety present was enormous; the food ranged from pizza to sushi to what appeared to be a type of cuisine created from an alien culture. A low growling was emerging from his empty stomach, a sign that he had not consumed anything in a while. He had to come to a decision soon, lest his hunger continued to plague him.
"Okay, I guess I'll head to the sushi stand…" he sighed. Keeping his hammer concealed to avoid drawing unneeded attention, he dragged his great mass to his destination, which was partially blocked by the dozens of citizens heading to their seats. On arrival, he was greeted by a young, black-haired man who performed double-duty as cook and cashier.
"Kon'nichiwa!" the man greeted in a way that reflected his native culture. As he spoke, he bowed in front of the greedy king. "What would you like from this stand?"
Dedede stared up at the menu to examine all possible options. From what he was witnessing, most of the available food items were based around sushi, an integral part of Japanese cuisine. What set each variant apart was the set of ingredients utilized; besides the vinegared rice taking on different colors, the stuffing inside varied noticeably, ranging from the simple to the complex, with one variant having both fruits and vegetables inside. Pausing for about ten seconds, the king performed another sweep of the menu before reaching his final decision.
"I'll take the deluxe plate," he sighed. Immediately, he proceeded to relinquish a few Port Town coins given to him by Captain Falcon. The young Japanese man proceeded to finalize the payment before heading to the back to work with a few chefs. A conversation could be heard despite the bustling of the midair stadium, but Dedede failed to understand it because it was entirely in a foreign language.
They're from a different culture, he pondered. After approximately two minutes, the man returned with a platter filled with colorful pieces of sushi, along with a small piece of ginger. Off to one side was a pile of wasabi, considered by many to one of the most intense condiments ever created.
"Thank you, sir," Dedede muttered as he began to carry the platter with him.
"Enjoy your meal," the man replied, once again bowing in front of his newest customer.
Inside the center of the stadium…
"Welcome, one and all, to the first race of the all-new F-Zero Platinum Cup!" an announcer's voice rang throughout the speakers. The voice itself was richly deep and possessed a great amount of excitement, almost as if the speaker himself was eager to witness the fast-paced action of the dangerous races to come. "I'm Derek Campbell, and with me here is Masahiro Kojima, my announcing partner for today."
"Thank you, Campbell-san!" a second voice replied. Compared to the first, this voice possessed a noticeable Japanese accent and was higher-pitched. "Now, today is shaping up to be very exciting, especially since we have a competitor whom we have never seen before. Do you have any idea where he might be from?"
"I don't have a clue; in fact, he seems even more mysterious than the legendary Captain Falcon himself. However, he looks like he can utterly smash the competition to bits!"
As the announcers continued with their commentary, most of the Smashers, who were already seated by this point, overheard the previous statement by the second announcer. Curiosity soon flared up in their minds, seeking to figure out just who the new racer was. Was he or she a rule-follower, or a possible threat? Nothing was said for the next few seconds until they reached a quick realization.
The best that they could do was to patiently wait.
"Y'know," Red sighed, "I'd like to see who this new racer is. I mean, Captain Falcon's already shown us the participants of earlier competitions through his memoirs and all, so…"
"We'll see this new face in due time," Peach quipped, adjusting her crown slightly. "Hopefully, he's not-"
"And here he is!" the first announcer, Campbell, proclaimed. "Piloting the Unbound Serpent, number one hundred, and stand more than two meters tall… it's the rampant aggressor himself, Magnus Hedin!"
The Smashers, now including a returning Dedede, and the rest of the audience placed their attention on the track. The new figure, now identified as Magnus and dressed in a brown, sleek uniform, strolled towards his stationary vehicle with pride and confidence. The bald man appeared to full of girth, with his obese figure being his most noticeable characteristic, and possessed something of a wicked grin on his face. A beard stretched across his chin, although it was shorter compared to what Lars had. He greeted the cheering audience by raising one of his hands. While most of the people inside were filled with absolute elation, the Smashers stared on in suspicion.
"Poyo?" Kirby chirped, referencing the name of Magnus's vehicle.
"Unbound Serpent?" Red grunted. "I've never heard of a vehicle name like that before. However, it's starting to remind me of something else. What is it…?"
As Magnus entered his red-and-black vehicle, the announcers began to call out the rest of the racers, but their voices became muffled as soon as the vehicle hatch closed completely. But this hardly mattered to him; all that he truly desired was the staff piece somehow attached to the first-place trophy. The grin on his face became wider and wider still, his mind eager to smash though all competition. None of the other racers would stand a chance against him…
At least that was what he believed, until his ears caught the sound of a certain bounty hunter's name being announced.
"And finally, we have the legendary pilot of the Blue Falcon, ready to claim the cup…" Kojima's voice faintly echoed. "It's Captain Falcon!"
Magnus's eyes caught the sight of the Blue Falcon parked immediately to the left of his own vehicle. A concealed fury quickly built itself up inside the captain's dark mind, for he was immediately reminded of what one of his servants revealed to him. The golden crest was a clear giveaway to him and was all he needed for identification; no doubt, this man had the guts to end his servants' lives in the most extreme of manners, and if he was searching for the staff piece as well…
There was no other alternative to the problem. The Blue Falcon's pilot and his teammates would have to die.
"Pray that I do not end your miserable excuse for a life, Falcon," the bald man growled with a sinister tone. Armed with his self-earned knowledge, he engaged his vehicle's ignition sequence. A low hum rang in his ears and it was loud enough to completely block out whatever Kojima and Campbell were spewing from their mouths. The other vehicles, seemingly in preparation for the final countdown, also started their engines and subsequently began levitating. They were now aggressive, speed-hungry wolves ready to catch their prey at all costs, paying no mind to the damage that would be inflicted during the brutal race. There would be blood, perhaps death even. But there was one question that remained unanswered, not just in Magnus's mind, but in the minds of everyone inside the stadium:
Who would rise above the rest and claim the prize?
"Three!" a computerized voice shouted in front of the racers. One of the lights below the start sign suddenly flashed off a red glow.
"Two!" The second light illuminated to expand the red chain. Inside his vehicle, Falcon braced himself for a race of death and possible destruction.
"One!" Another light shining.
"GO!"
"The lights are green and the racers are off to a fast start!" Campbell announced. As he spoke, the machines soared at speeds that surprised even the Smashers themselves. For those within that amazed group, it was now clear to them that Falcon was not lying when he once stated that an F-Zero machine could exceed the speed of sound.
"Good luck, Falcon," Dedede muttered, afterwards dropping pieces of sushi into his mouth.
Falcon was now in hot pursuit as he attempted to pass up his opponents. The Blue Falcon swerved left and right to avoid collisions while ascending a very steep portion of the track. A view of the cloudy skies was noticed as the vehicles were temporarily facing upwards, and it was a tranquil piece of scenery that was left ignored in a fast-paced environment. The track quickly became parallel to the earth of far below, just in time for a very sharp turn to the left.
"Woah," the captain grunted. His turn was marked by a collision with a vehicle to his right, though he refused to be distracted with attempts to discern the opposing racer's identity. Gravity began to pull his blood in different directions as the track began to twist itself into an upside-down orientation. The G-diffusers were all that prevented him and, by extension, the other racers from plummeting down to a gruesome fate. Meanwhile, the Unbound Serpent was picking up steam as it proceeded to bash opposing vehicles around it.
"Stay out of my way, fools," Magnus growled. As the racers approached what appeared to be a long corkscrew shape turned on its side, he seized his opportunity to smash one of his foes off a rail-free area.
BLAM!
The resulting impact pushed the victim, the Sonic Phantom to be more specific, into the massive depths below, but due to the current orientation of the track, the vehicle appeared to be soaring upwards. Unbeknownst to Magnus, the action was captured on sentinel-like cameras, which then transferred the images over to the stadium. Reactions to the elimination, now in the form of a replay, were mostly those of shock and awe; the stunned Smashers were, aside from minor gasping, motionless statues that temporarily could not comprehend the aggressive behavior of the mysterious newcomer.
"I don't believe it!" Campbell exclaimed. "We're only partway through the first lap and already we have a racer who has retired from the battle! It looks like Hedin isn't taking any chances!"
"Right you are, Campbell-san," Kojima replied. "The Skull has been officially thrown off the tracks and into the city below. It's unlikely that he'll come back from such a devastating defeat! Now we are down to-"
"Wait a minute," Dedede muttered, snapping out of his shock, "Did you guys see the logo on the side of Magnus's machine? I'm seeing right now on the replay."
"Analyzing symbol," a fully-repaired R.O.B. replied. His mechanical eyes photographed the image of the dark captain's vehicle, preparing to analyze what the symbol represented. Oblivious to the intense action on the track, his computerized memory banks began pulling up every image stored within the past week, ranging from the ordinary, such as views of the Smash Mansion's many hallways, to the exciting; one certain photo involved an intense bout between Captain Falcon and Ganondorf, which occurred the day before Lillian arrived. As expected for one equipped with advanced technology, he eventually encountered what he needed, which was dated two days ago; his target was an image of Lillian conjuring pictures of her homeland's primary opponents, the Orm's Lords. If he could feel any emotion beyond what he was programmed with, then he would more than likely be filled with shock and maybe even horror, for one disturbing detail matched exactly with what was presented on the screen.
"Match confirmed," the robot announced. "Symbol belongs to the organization known as the Orm's Lords, a dark organization seeking the pieces of the Staff of Björn."
"Fuck… Son of a…" Dedede gasped, almost choking on a piece of sushi. The sudden shock of the revelation caused his throat muscles to tighten up for a moment, as if they were attempting to prevent digestion from coming full circle. "How come we didn't see this before! Now Falcon's got an aggressive Lord on his tail and there's not much that we can do about it."
"Well, can't we just-" Peach started, ready to suggest an idea.
"I don't think so," Red interrupted. His head nodded sideways to ensure that his response was clear to the others. "If we try to interfere on Falcon's behalf, then we are almost guaranteed to be punished for our actions. Plus, Falcon might be disqualified from the Grand Prix completely, and you know what that would do to our mission. The only thing that we can do is, well, pray that he doesn't get killed by that captain."
"Well… I guess you're right, Red. It all boils down to fate now…"
Falcon was now on the sideways-facing corkscrew shape of the track. The world around him was a twisted spiral that seemed to behave like a wheel spinning without end, and it would impose upon any lesser being a severe feeling of sickness. But Falcon was no stranger to intense motion; if anything, it was one of the few drugs that he was truly addicted to, giving him a special high that not even Smash battles could provide. He would be relishing in it right now…
BLAM!
…except that there was an aggressor, Magnus to be more specific, preventing him from doing so. The husky man was shoving the Blue Falcon to the left to knock it off the tracks, especially since there was an incoming jump a short distance away.
"Not a chance," Falcon grumbled. He retaliated by performing a quick jerk to the right, which launched the Unbound Serpent right next to another vehicle. A stalemate inevitably followed when the two opposing captains simultaneously crushed their vehicles against each other, with no intention of backing down. They were like vicious animals battling to realize who was superior, all while caring little for the damage inflicted onto the environment, at least in Magnus's case. Seconds later…
WHOOSH…!
In the short time that the machines were gliding through the air, Falcon aimed his vehicle downwards to gain speed and break through the crowd. The landing proved to be trickier than he initially believed; the next part of the track was marked by a very small width, a lack of rails, and a very sharp turn to the right, which were easy spots to knock a racer into the city below. It also did not help that Magnus was constantly slamming into his vehicle from behind.
"This guy looks like he has a bone to pick with me," the good captain commented. Encountering another corkscrew, this one shorter and smaller than the last, he swerved constantly to avoid his aggressor, but stopped momentarily to restore his vehicle's energy via the recharging strips. Magnus, however, kept up with the swift movements and soon responded with a powerful slam that nearly caused the Blue Falcon to spin out of control. The gradual U-turn back into the stadium was not a smooth one because the loss of steady steering forced Falcon against one of the rails, stripping about an eighth of his machine's energy.
"Ouch!" Campbell commented. His voice was very ecstatic due to the exposure of the race's intense action. "Hedin's really throwing a heavy pummeling on the Blue Falcon. Can the good captain find a way out of his dilemma, or will he suffer the same fate as the Skull?"
When the machines passed the starting line to enter the second lap, they were all granted the ability to utilize a temporary boost in exchange for a small amount of energy. Falcon immediately took advantage of this new feature to evade Magnus more easily and break out of the crowd. As he exited the stadium for the second time in the race, the Smashers, excluding R.O.B., could feel their hearts being gripped by tension, a dark specter that would appear when uncertainty and creeping doom mixed with each other, especially in times of danger. Jigglypuff shuffled back and forth to dispel this heavy feeling from its mind and body, but this action was not too successful; it was so submerged in liquid nervousness that it was unable to restore tranquility within.
"Puff… Puff… Jigglypuff…" it moaned slowly.
"He's only got two more laps to go," Dedede commented. "But with a competition that's as fast-paced as F-Zero, anything goes…"
"Puff-"
"Another one bites the dust!" Kojima's voice suddenly boomed. Coinciding with this event was the large screen revealing an image of yet another machine being launched into the depths by Magnus. "The Unbound Serpent has thrown Mister EAD's vehicle, the Great Star, off the course! This race is down two competitors now!"
Back on the track, Captain Falcon was ahead of the others by a significant margin due to his use of the boost feature. As he returned to the corkscrew shape, he activated the booster once again to let the world spin even faster in his goal to win the race. Further away, Magnus began bashing all those who blocked his path to the finish, regardless of their intentions.
"You know what happens when you provoke my wrath?" he growled. "You will be punished with death!" Pushing his vehicle to the limit, he executed a spinning attack that, while not as powerful as a direct slam, caused all opponents around him to take noticeable damage; the entire scene was, to the announcers, the audience, and the Smashers, like witnessing a spinning top knocking a few marbles away, albeit in a more exaggerated manner.
"Hedin's really being reckless out there, more so than Pico usually is," Campbell stated. "With behavior like that, he's sure to cause more chaos! Now he's punching the boosters to catch up with Captain Falcon, who is way up in front and right by the recharging area. Masahiro, do you really believe that Hedin's aggressive style of racing is going earn him the win?"
"It all depends, Campbell-san," Kojima replied. "If he gets too distracted with wiping out all those around him, then some of his opponents might pass him up and take the victory away from him. But if he plays his cards right-"
The large screen suddenly transitioned to a view of Magnus stripping a vehicle of all its energy, causing a large explosion that possibly consumed the life of the pilot inside.
"Woah!" Kojima exclaimed. "We got a third racer out, this time by the loss of all energy! It looks like the Unbound Serpent has slammed into Samurai Goroh's vehicle, the Fire Stingray, one too many times, causing a grand explosion within the recharge area! There's almost no way Goroh could have survived that!"
"Well, he has cheated death many times in the past," Campbell interjected, doubting the certainty of Kojima's last statement. "We'll see if he's managed to avoid getting burned to ashes. In the meantime, the remains of the Fire Stingray will be escorted off the field by the cleanup crew."
"This guy is serious," Red muttered, slightly worried about Falcon's safety. "He's just wiping out everyone left and right like… like a bunch of incompetent weaklings. If he manages to get first place for the entire Grand Prix-"
"Relax, buddy," Dedede comforted. "Even if we can't step in to help, I'm sure Falcon's smart enough to outwit Magnus at his little game. And besides, what's Magnus going to do to help him win? Call in a horde of Lords to blast everything and everyone to a fiery end?"
"Well… Magnus doesn't look like the type of person to abide by the rules. But if he does interfere, then I guess we have a right and duty to step in as well."
"This is it, folks," a very eager Campbell stated. "We're down to the final lap and the leading racers are now neck-and-neck with each other! Hedin is about to pass up the Blue Falcon, but the good captain is now executing offensive maneuvers to stop him! Who will win in this battle of racers?!"
As the machines passed up the stadium for the final lap, Falcon and Magnus were locked in another stalemate. Once again, both sides were pushing against each other for dominance. They cared little about the other racers behind them. The twists and turns failed to break their concentration.
This was a deep struggle, not just for fame and glory, but for the fate of all realms.
"Get off my back," Falcon grunted. With a short shout, he slammed the Blue Falcon against the Unbound Serpent to throw the latter into the rails, which began to disappear as the track twisted upside down for the third time in the race. Magnus was quick to recover, however, and proceed to retaliate with a spin that almost launched the good captain off the track.
"You fool!" the obese man snarled. The anger inside him was causing his face to twist itself into a furious growl, revealing his yellowing teeth. "Do not interfere with my mission to revive the Holy Serpent! I shall punish you for your actions!"
Approaching the corkscrew, Falcon quickly changed priorities and began pushing his boosters to the limit, all to avoid Magnus's vicious attacks. It was already clear that the dark captain was committing these aggressive actions just to slow him down, but it soon dawned upon the bounty hunter that there was another reason behind this when he took a small glimpse of the Unbound Serpent's side. One that was far more sinister…
Right next to where the number was printed was a serpent-like logo with blood red coloring. Almost immediately, Falcon recognized this from an earlier image revealed by the mysterious maiden.
Is that a Lord? he pondered. How did he enter the race without being suspected of anything?
WHAM!
The loud collision suddenly knocked the racer out of his mind. His vehicle was attacked from behind, losing some of its energy in the process and causing a reduction in control. This was a potentially fatal problem, for the massive jump was fast approaching. If he was only slightly off…
"If it's the staff piece that you want, then you're not going to get it… not while I'm around," the good captain puffed. Engaging his boosters one last time, he soared valiantly across the large gap and landed with precision that almost seemed unreal. After the right turn, Falcon resumed evading all other vehicles, but for a different reason; due to his constant use of the boosters, the Blue Falcon's energy was dangerously low, approximately less than an eighth of the maximum possible value per the vehicle's main display, and if he was struck a few more times, than his mission would take a crippling blow. The Unbound Serpent attempted to attack, but this action was not successful due to its target's high evasiveness. On the second corkscrew…
"Die right now…" Magnus snarled. With bloody rage possessing his mind, he executed one attack before arriving at the strips…
CRACK!
With the dark serpent fighting back against the heroic bird of prey, tension and excitement, or just pure tension for the Smashers, began to escalate within the stadium. It appeared that Falcon was about to lose this race and possibly the Grand Prix. Or… was he?
"Falcon's getting hit pretty hard here," Campbell announced. "Hedin's attempting to drain him of all energy! If this keeps up, the good captain will be knocked out of the race!"
"Let's just hope he doesn't end up in the exact position that he was stuck in a few years back," Kojima continued. "Do you remember the incident that got him a spot in-"
"Man, I take back what I just said," Dedede moaned. "This guy's smarter than he looks."
"I don't think I can watch this anymore," Peach sighed with discomfort. Her hands were strongly tempted to shield her eyes from the large screen, but a slight hint of willpower kept them chained to her thighs.
"Yeah, I second Peach's notion," Red chirped. Like the princess, he was very close to shielding his eyes, albeit with his cap. "There's almost no way Falcon's gonna survive with-"
"OH, MY GOODNESS!" Campbell bellowed. "Falcon just narrowly avoided a devastating hit from the Unbound Serpent! He's now on the energy strip and is boosting his way towards the stadium!"
Indeed, the Blue Falcon, at the last possible moment, avoided a fatal blow from the Unbound Serpent and successfully replenished its energy with the strips. Now ready to blast his way to the finish line, Falcon engaged the boosters and began rushing the U-turn to claim first place. Magnus, who had also restored his vehicle's energy, also pushed his boosters to the limit, but it was all in vain; not only was his boost power inferior to Falcon's despite being compensated with a higher top speed, but his final, extremely hasty attack resulted in a loss of both control and speed. Passing up the finish line, his blood began to boil with anger as he witnessed the good captain beating him to the destination.
"And Captain Falcon wins the race!" Kojima shouted. "What an amazing comeback! For a second there, I thought he would be completely obliterated, but my goodness, he just pulled through!"
"You're absolutely correct, Masahiro," Campbell replied. "Falcon's now gotten the lion's share of points for this race, and if he keeps this up, he will certainly be on his way to victory."
"Oh, man," Dedede gasped. The relief on his face spoke large volumes to the rest of the Smashers, who treated it as a representation of their general reactions. "That was way too close."
"Poyo," Kirby chirped, nodding in agreement with the king. "Poyo-poyo."
"Yeah. I mean, he's still got around, what, five more races to participate in, but at least this victory is a start."
Several minutes later…
At the track, Falcon stepped out of his now-disabled vehicle after an extra lap around the track. His emergence brought out wild cheering from the stadium, especially from devoted fans of his. Levitating cameras seized their opportunity by circling around him to take snapshots for the news stations, forever solidifying the captain's already-famous reputation into the history of Port Town. Many of the other racers, who were just behind the captain's vehicle, joined the crowd in clapping, albeit to a lesser degree, and a few of them even went out of their way to congratulate him on his victory. However, there was an exception to this…
"So, you may have won this round," a seething Magnus whispered with dark, hellish anger in his voice. He was still within the comfort of the Unbound Serpent, not willing to hop into the bandwagon. "Well, just you wait. Regardless if you win or lose the Grand Prix, the piece will be mine either way. And if you think that you can easily surpass me, a deadly fate will await you, your partners, and all those that refuse to worship the serpent of salvation…"
As the elation continued within the stadium, a massive ship parked itself next to the backside of the structure. This vehicle was about the same size as the building it was adjacent to, perhaps even larger, and had the word "F-Zero" branded on its right side, which was facing the stadium. Its coloring was mostly a dull gray, but the door leading into the bottom part was painted a fluorescent white. A few seconds after its landing, the door itself slowly opened to reveal a large hangar bay for storing all the competitors' respective machines. On an automatic cue, many of the racers began driving their vehicles to store them for the next race, set to occur later today; this was possible thanks to an alternate route on the track reserved only for delivering machines to and from any course used in the Grand Prix. There were only two exceptions to this.
"What the hell?!" Samurai Goroh roared. This bandit boss was very muscular in stature and possessed a gruff tone of voice, which all served to increase his ability to intimidate most foes. Right behind the brown vest and above the blue jeans-black boots combination was a muscle shirt adorned with a character of Japanese kanji on the front, which few people could translate. The top of his head was adorned with a piece of headwear decorated with the Japanese flag and black glasses were present over his eyes. He was previously escorted off the tracks by the pickup crew that disposed of his trashed vehicle. And right now, he was in a full-blown rage over his humiliating loss. "I can't believe that I've been beaten so easily by a single driver that I don't even know! Really, just ONE DRIVER! I'll get him for this if it's the last thing I do…"
"Better call in the Falcon Flyer," the good captain muttered. Activating his helmet, he proceeded to summon his secondary vehicle to escort the Blue Falcon off the tracks… and to bring the Smashers back to his residence until later.
Back at Captain Falcon's residence…
"You did great out there, Falcon," Red complimented. "Keep it up and we'll have the piece in no time."
"Thank you," the captain replied. "It was a tough race, what with the Lord pursuing me relentlessly, but it was well worth it."
"Jigglypuff?" the Balloon Pokémon asked. It appeared that it was growing hungry, with its air-filled stomach growling slightly and its tone of voice demanding for some food; it did not eat at the stadium due to a strong dislike for the choices there. "Puff. Jigglypuff."
"I have some berries in the refrigerator," Falcon answered. "I'll get some for you right now."
As the bounty hunter guided himself towards the kitchen, Jigglypuff relaxed its body to escape from the mental disturbances caused by the dark adventure. It was here that it truly began to observe the scenery within the secluded home. The floors were composed of clean, properly waxed wood that appeared to shine when exposed to bright lights, and the walls were spotless portraits of different colors, mainly pale tan and blue. Windows leading up to the back provided a grand view of the ocean which Port Town forever sat close to; there was also a close-up view of a pool cleansed daily by ultraviolet rays. Lights in the form of ceiling-mounted lamps and glowing rods hanging from above illuminated the room with a color that came close to matching what the sun was blessed with. There was a high-definition television in the middle of the central area, accompanied by small sofas and a small coffee table painted with the color black. Opposite to the kitchen area was a marble-and-steel stairway leading up to the second floor.
This truly was a beautiful area to behold. Were the bounty hunter more socially active, he would most likely have guests visiting this place as frequently as they do with museums.
"I got you some berries, Jigglypuff," Falcon's voice suddenly knocked the Balloon Pokémon back into reality. There was now a wide assortment of berries in front of it, ranging from the lush strawberries to the more subdued-looking blackberries. Not waiting any longer, it approached the bowl and began chowing down like a starved predator.
"So, where's the next race at?" Red asked, fumbling with one of his Poké Balls.
"The second will take place at Sand Ocean," the captain responded. "I've heard that the proprietors of the race made some radical changes to the original course used many years ago. Now, keep in mind that all the courses used for the Platinum Cup are new, so the exact shape of each will remain hidden until the time comes."
"Why is that?"
"Maybe they want to surprise each racer, but overall, your guess is as good as mine."
"Hmm… I guess we shouldn't worry about it too much. The one we do need to worry about is-"
But the conversation was cut short when a constant beeping sound echoed throughout Falcon's helmet. It was extremely sudden, needless to say, but it was still not enough to outright startle the captain. Reacting accordingly, he responded to an incoming call, which happened to be originating from Doctor Stewart.
"Hey there," the doctor sighed. His on-screen face appeared emotionless, though the concerned tone of voice appeared to contradict this image. "Are you watching the news right now?"
"No," Falcon answered. "I'm just resting for the next race today. You got something that you need to tell me?"
"Actually, yes. There's been a news report describing the appearance of messages right next to the crash sites of both the Sonic Phantom and the Great Star. The words appear to be scrawled with blood."
"Blood? But the Skull is just a skeleton with machinery on his body and EAD is an android. There's no way that they could-"
"True. I think whoever did this might have gotten the blood from somewhere else. Anyway, I'm sending you the images right now. They might disturb you to some extent, but I'm sure you won't freak out completely."
A few seconds later, Stewart fulfilled his promise. As dark photographs filled up the screen, a disturbing trend began to assume a definite shape. All four of them had bloody messages scrawled on a nearby wall, which were clearly illuminated by the flaming wreckages of each vehicle. In all capital letters, the first, next to the Sonic Phantom, read:
IT IS COMING
The second statement, which was closer to the Great Star, read:
IT SHALL BRING SALVATION TO ALL WHO BELIEVE
"What the hell…" Falcon gasped. He was not completely scared by the mortifying pictures, but they did cause his eyebrows to quirk up at the sight of such. This was a sinister warning to the common citizens of Port Town, but… they were completely clueless about the existence of both the Svärtad Orm and the cultists who praised that damned monster. How were they supposed to prepare for a maelstrom of destruction unless the threat was averted?
"I take it that the Lords are the ones who wrote the message, correct?" Stewart asked.
"…yes," the bounty hunter replied. "Also, were you in the stadium during the race?"
"Yes. I was sitting a few rows behind your teammates, though I don't believe that they noticed me at the time. Why do you ask that?"
Falcon cracked his knuckles slightly before continuing. "That's because a Lord has registered for the Platinum Cup without anyone suspecting him of anything, but I guess that shouldn't be surprising to us for obvious reasons. He knocked the Skull and EAD off the track and almost destroyed the Blue Falcon as well."
Stewart paused for a short length of time. He had already witnessed the brutal nature of the Lords back at the factory, but this latest atrocity just topped it all off. To him, the populace of Port Town was now under a hidden threat, which would inevitably lead to mass murder and destruction unless Falcon and his group stepped in to defend the innocent souls. For now, he would have to take the responsibility of assisting his co-racer to ensure that millions of lives were safe from harm.
"Okay then," he finally sighed. "I'll meet up with your teammates at Sand Ocean. If the Lords try anything, I might be able to help out."
The transmission was interrupted before Falcon could conjure any more words in his mind. With nothing better to do, he decided to reveal the news to his allies.
"It looks like the Lords are sending disturbing messages to the people in the city," he grunted. "They're using blood from somewhere to, dare I say it, decorate the crash sites of the Sonic Phantom and the Great Star."
"You mean the two vehicles that were knocked off, right?" Dedede chirped, twisting his hammer slightly.
"Poyo," Kirby answered in the affirmative.
"Well, that's disturbing in at least three different ways. Guess we better step up our vigilance..."
At Sand Ocean, evening…
"Welcome to the second race of the Platinum Cup!" Campbell announced. "Once again, I'm Derek Campbell and I'm here with my partner, Masahiro Kojima."
"Thank you," Kojima added. "We're out here in Sand Ocean tonight, and it looks like the sandstorms here are getting pretty furious! Let's just hope they don't drag the racers off the course."
The locale outside the second track was drastically different from the first. Instead of being inside a bustling metropolis, it was stuck in a planet composed almost entirely of vast deserts. The only thing that seemed to break the uniform character of the scenery, aside from the track itself, was a set of ruins placed hundreds of kilometers away. The extreme distance, combined with the night's low lighting, obscured nearly all details representing the abandoned structure, which was widely assumed to have been left by an ancient civilization, but the observers of tonight's race were in no mood to care; except for the Smashers and Stewart, the intense action of the race was all that they were craving. Once again, they were flocking to the stands by the hundreds.
"Hey, maybe some of us should be at the building's outer area in case the Lords decide to attack us," Red suggested. "This Magnus guy doesn't strike me as the type who would play by the rules."
"I'll be on watch," Dedede declared. "R.O.B. and Jigglypuff will be coming with me as support."
"Puff," the air-filled creature chirped. "Jigglypuff."
"I shall be of assistance," the robot spoke. Wasting no time at all, the trio separated themselves from the rest of the group, who were now accompanied by an approaching Stewart.
"Where are those three going?" the doctor asked as he noticed some of Falcon's teammates leaving.
"They'll be on the lookout for any suspicious activity that may happen during the race," Peach responded. "Red said that Magnus Hedin, the man who is driving the Unbound Serpent, looks like the type who wouldn't play by the rules. And I have a feeling that might be true, considering the nature of the Lords. The rest of us will stay here to watch the race… and to act as backup in case Dedede's group gets into serious trouble."
Stewart nodded at the statement. "Sounds like a plan. Now, let's wait and see if the Lords try to do anything funny."
"Poyo," Kirby squeaked. "Poyo-poyo? Poyo."
A glare of confusion was fired at the puffball. "I'm sorry, but can you…?"
"You'll have to excuse Kirby," Red interrupted. "He really can't speak our own language, so you kinda have to decipher his words by examining his motions and expressions. That's how we can understand him."
Kirby then repeated his previous statement. "Poyo-poyo? Poyo."
Stewart realized that the hero of Dream Land was pointing at the machines below. It took him a few second to realize what was being asked. "Well, yes I do take part in F-Zero races from time to time. Why do you ask?"
"Poyo-poyo?"
"Oh, you're asking why I'm not in this race. Well, I've recently been getting involved in a government-funded project that can help out certain people who have been severely injured in a traumatic event, such as an accident."
Kirby scratched his head with one of his stubby arms. A face of confusion also sprang up from within. "Poyo…?"
"Um… I am unable to tell you the exact details. Much of the project contains classified information and should not be revealed to the public."
As the Smashers fell silent, the F-Zero machines prepared for another fierce battle over the first-place trophy. G-diffusers were engaged. Most of the pilots prepared themselves for death and destruction. The countdown was ready to start the madness.
"Three! Two! One! GO!"
"And the second race has just started, with some intense action already underway!" Campbell boomed for the millionth time. "Can they survive the sandstorms that plague this area?"
The initial straight path suddenly gave way to a path that was perpetually stuck in an upside-down orientation, pushing the blood of all racers to their heads. Neither Falcon nor Magnus was impacted by this, however, and both tackled the extreme U-turn with sharp accuracy. Shifting sands raged overhead and provided a dark, yellowish mist that threatened to block out all sight, which some racers avoided by shifting sideways. With an inside-out loop approaching, Magnus resumed his aggressive behavior by tackling foes left and right.
"Oh, must I kill more worthless maggots to achieve my kills?" he hissed. "Oh, wait; I shall! Hahaha!" He knocked one of his foes against the rails to speed ahead and attempt to usurp Falcon of the lead. Passing the loop and leaving the upside-down segment of the track, he claimed his first prey of the second race by slowly crushing his earlier victim to death. The black snake soon injected a poison that resulted in a large explosion on the track; just like his very first kill, this event was caught on camera.
"Once again, Hedin is not hesitating to destroy some of his opponents!" Kojima announced. "He literally just crushed Billy's vehicle, the Mad Wolf, against the rails, causing it to explode! There's no way the big ape even survived that!"
"And it seems likely that he was obliterated, especially when he lacks Goroh's ability to cheat death at will," Campbell commented.
Within the stadium's outer ring…
"Have you guys seen anything suspicious yet?" the self-proclaimed master of Dream Land asked. By now, the area was not as densely populated in comparison to mere minutes ago; from where his group was at, few people ever passed through because many of those attending were already seated. The ones that were still wandering around were searching for a restroom, trying to find something to eat, or struggling to find their seating.
"Negative," R.O.B. beeped.
"Puff…" the Balloon Pokémon sighed. As it and the others strolled around to ensure that they were not missing anything, they were blissfully unaware of a hidden force slowly and silently stalking them.
"They are growing increasingly suspicious of our captain," a cloaked Lord whispered. Like the squadron back at the abandoned factory, he was clothed in a specialized suit designed to reflect light and essentially render the wearer invisible. He was very close to the ceiling thanks to levitation and was safely out of earshot of everyone except for his partner.
"Once they are clearly isolated from all others in this stadium," his partner, a Lady, whispered, "We shall attack with all our might. They may have bested us in the previous battle, but this time, they will into darkness… forever."
As the hidden duo slowly trailed behind, the three Smashers, after performing a full sweep of the outer ring, came to realize that there was nothing suspicious at all; in fact, the area seemed… too normal, for a lack of better words. No Lords or out-of-place objects were witnessed to begin with. Maybe Magnus truly was alone for now, right?
But then, an idea suddenly leaped into the greedy king's mind. He and his partners had not checked out the more obscure locations within the stadium, such as the maintenance hallways. If they could check those areas, preferably without drawing attention to themselves, then they would possibly earn a solid lead. This was risky because they could possibly be caught by authorities in the building, but…
There was no alternative.
"Okay, we need to check out the maintenance hallways," the king grunted, slowly brandishing his trusty hammer as he spoke. "Maybe we can find some Lords hiding in there."
"Jigglypuff?" the puffball questioned, unsure of the plan's possible success.
"Well, it's the only option right now-"
"And we have now lost a fourth racer in the overall Platinum Cup!" Campbell's strong voice sounded in the distance. "Antonio Guster's Green Panther has been thrown into the sands below after it was brutally beaten by the Unbound Serpent!"
Back on the track, Captain Falcon, now on the second lap, could still see the image of the Green Panther exploding, and then plummeting, repeating in his mind, even as he continued to speed all the way up to the inverted loop. If Magnus was truly dead set on slaughtering all the competitors like helpless sheep, he believed, then the Unbound Serpent would have to be eliminated from the race, perhaps permanently. But therein resided the problem; the dark captain was very dangerous and had the potential to easily crush foes under his ferocious might, recently demonstrated by the absolute destruction of Guster's vehicle. Attempting to attack head-on would pose significant risk and may even result in death for Falcon himself. Besides, since the Platinum Cup was still in the earlier races, losing the Blue Falcon now would destroy the lead he had gained in the first race, if he was not killed first.
For now, Magnus would have to be ignored until the later races, where Falcon's lead would not be in as much jeopardy.
"Catch me if you can, Magnus," he sighed. The boosters were quickly engaged and carried the Blue Falcon further away from the pack of F-Zero machines. The increase in speed was enough to provide a massive leap from a steep ramp leading into a road filled with serpentine turns, some of which did not feature any rails.
WHOOSH…!
Upon landing, Falcon utilized quick jerks and reduced his speed slightly to avoid launching himself into the sands below. As he proceeded with his plan, however, Magnus was approaching him, and fast.
"Die for me, Falcon," the obese figure snarled. "Let me spill your blood onto this course so I can the staff piece for myself." As he soon he stopped speaking, he engaged his boosters to ram into the Blue Falcon.
CRACK!
Inside the maintenance hallways…
"Gee," Dedede sighed. "It sure is a little dark in here, especially considering the current time of day. Would it kill the proprietors to add some light to this area?"
"Activating LED flashlights," R.O.B. beeped. For the second time during the adventure, his eyes provided light to a starkly dim area. While the concrete hallways were not completely dark like the factory, the few bulbs in the area were not strong enough to provide adequate lighting. The air here was also very rank, possessing a faint yet unpleasant scent that contrasted with the rest of the stadium's clean atmosphere. Maybe there was something inside that was source of all this, but searching for said object was not a priority now, or perhaps even at all. Noise levels were at a bare minimum, with the only sounds present being the footsteps of Dedede and Jigglypuff, R.O.B.'s whirring motors, and the air blowing through the overhead pipes. The overall scenery just felt… dead.
"Puff-Jiggly," the Pokémon chirped quietly. The hallways, from its perspective, seemed to drag on forever. "Jigglypuff."
"Yeah, now that you just brought it up," Dedede muttered, "It does seem like there's no end to these hallways. R.O.B., can you perform a quick scan to see if there's anything or anyone in the area?"
"Affirmative," R.O.B. complied. "Scanning now…" As the robot performed the request with no hesitation, Dedede sat against one of the concrete walls and rested his hammer against it. The wall itself would have chilled his skin to the bone, were it not for the robe, but that was the least of his worries. For some reason, he was starting to become tired, possibly due to the current time of day. In almost any other situation, rest would certainly help him out, but the fact that there were possible hostiles inside the structure meant that relaxing would have to wait until later. Furthermore, the hallways were beginning to remind him of the sinister discovery from yesterday, one that would remain on his mind for perhaps the rest of his life.
Blood splattered on all possible surfaces…
Corpses that were dismembered and mutilated beyond recognition…
Foes that were hiding out of plain sight thanks to their cloaking technology…
The lattermost detail especially disturbed him, as the cloaking suits could give the dark cultists the element of surprise, which had successfully caught the Smashers off-guard. But… that would certainly not happen here because of the presence of guards and cameras… or would it?
"Scan complete," R.O.B. announced. "Three lifeforms detected on this floor."
"Jigglypuff?" Jigglypuff asked.
The robot cocked his head to the right, towards a possible pathway at a nearby intersection. "They are located further down the nearby hallway to the north."
"Well, let's go check them out," the king sighed. "Hope they're not dead yet…"
With swiftness, the trio executed a right turn before traveling an unspecified number of meters to their destination. The cold air, once subtle and unmoving, began blowing into their faces without any warning. Jigglypuff, due to its slow movement on the ground, was forced to puff up and float to keep up with the others. Dedede's heart raced like mad as it proceeded to pump blood at a faster pace than normal; the lack of any real exercise, not counting Smash battles or the current adventure, forced a bit of strain upon the cardiovascular organ, resulting in a somewhat rapid decrease in endurance. R.O.B. had no problem keeping up as he was not hindered by the problems the other two were cursed with. The hallways were remarkably long, but they were not enough to prevent the trio from reaching the end of the line… which was marked by three security guards sprawled all over the floor.
"Woah, what happened here?" Dedede sputtered, shocked at the scene in front of him.
"Puff?" the Pokémon squeaked, unsure if the guards were truly alive.
"Nah, for some reason, I don't think they're unconscious. I'll have to check their pulses for confirmation."
But the answer presented itself all but too soon for the king and his two partners. As soon as the former reached out to feel the carotid artery of each guard, it was all too clear. They were not conscious in the slightest. They were…
"Guys, I hate to say this, but…" the king sighed in a depressed tone, "They're done for. I don't how they were disposed of, but regardless…"
"Bodily scans indicate signs of pre-mortem strangulation," R.O.B. interrupted, having finished a scan on the deceased men. "The deaths occurred a few hours ago."
"Great. Just great. Now we have a killer who's possibly hiding in this building, and if said killer turns out to be... well, y'know..."
"Puff," Jigglypuff concurred.
"Anyway, let's just keep searching before Falcon finishes the race-"
CRACK! SCZ…
"Oh, what now?" the greedy king groaned. Within a split second, the lights in the hallway had exploded very suddenly, leaving bits of glass on the floor and enshrouding the area in complete darkness. Jigglypuff nearly tumbled back at this sudden event and quickly approached R.O.B. to remain near the LED flashlights. Dedede pulled out his hammer to prepare for another battle, but nothing appeared to present itself this time… or so he believed.
Tap… Tap…
"Puff?" Jigglypuff asked. "Jigglypuff?"
"What, you mean that tapping noise?" Dedede muttered. "I'm not sure where it's coming from, but I don't think trying to find the source is a good idea. Do you remember what happened last time?"
"Puff… Jigglypuff!"
"Hey, get back here!"
But the king's warning fell on deaf ears as the Balloon Pokémon ventured off into the unknown, with R.O.B. following suit. Dedede was now frustrated to a slight degree; if there was something causing the faint noise, it was possible that the two were wandering into a deadly trap of sorts, most likely organized by the Orm's Lords. He remained immobile to weigh the possible options on what to do next.
"Oh, man…" he groaned. "I really need to get after them soon so they don't fall into a trap. But if I do try to go after them, I might get caught as well. Okay, what to do…? You know what, screw this. I'm heading after them."
In hot pursuit, Dedede stumbled his way to his allies by following R.O.B.'s light. Being one of the slower Smashers, he could not keep up with the duo's quicker speed, but he remained determined to not lose them completely. About thirty seconds into this chase, however, the LED flashlights were suddenly deactivated, which was then followed by the former Ancient Minister suddenly shutting down.
"Flashlights… deactivated…" the robot spoke as his voice became progressively slower and deeper. Eventually, the voice faded away completely, which now started to disturb Dedede as he began to assume that something ominous was happening.
"Hey, what the hell's going on over there?" he called out. "R.O.B.? Jigglypuff? Can you guys hear me?"
No response.
"Hello, are you guys there? C'mon, don't be playing some stupid prank on me. Jigglypuff, can you get R.O.B.'s flashlights back up?"
Silence.
"Hello…?" The king's voice was now starting to tremble slightly as he tried to wonder just what was going on with his two teammates. Hopefully, they were still alive, he believed. But then…
"JIGGLYPUUUUUUUUFF!"
"HEY!" the king shouted, leaping back in surprise. "WHAT'S HAPPENING-"
WHAP!
The race was now on its final lap. Two more racers had been eliminated from the race, no thanks to Magnus: Pico, pilot of the Wild Goose, and Baba, pilot of the Iron Tiger. With these two losses, there were now six racers who were violently eliminated from the high-action Platinum Cup, and the number would have been greater if Goroh had not survived his vehicle's explosion. Speaking of which, the bandit from Red Canyon's parched hills was now attempting to smash Magnus's vehicle to pieces, which only allowed the former's primary rival to soar ahead with little interference.
"Get over here, you sonuvabitch!" the bandit growled. As the Fire Stingray lashed out against the black snake, Magnus felt heavy shockwaves rattling his vehicle, which ultimately convinced him to strike back against this new threat. With one swift motion, he slammed Goroh against one of the rails to crush him good like he did with Billy. But, unlike the primate, Goroh began fighting back successfully by utilizing the drift function in conjunction with the boosters, which helped to avoid a gruesome fate.
"You fucking fool," Magnus spat, "I will have your head for that!" He then spiraled around to smack the bandit, but this action was only met with a harsh attack that resulted in the Unbound Serpent losing an eighth of its energy, dropping it down only to half strength. Meanwhile, the Blue Falcon, now trapped within the field of turns, began slowing down for the final time in the race. The earlier attack from Magnus had removed about a third of its energy, primarily due to being slammed against the rails, but this was not the good captain's primary concern. What worried him were the turns; they were so sharp to the point where they almost seemed ridiculous, and one reckless move could cost him dearly.
"Almost there…" he gasped. Reaching the last two turns, he noticed that a few of the opposing racers, including Magnus and Goroh, were beginning to catch up with him, some due to abuse of the boosters. This would have tempted the bounty hunter into speeding up, but he remained calm and instead waited until leaving the turn-ridden field to speed his way through a wave-like portion of the track. The boost pads on the ground were helpful in this regard as they allowed him to speed up without sacrificing energy in the process.
"First place is mine," he grunted. After passing the energy strips, he encountered the sideways-facing turn for the last time before rushing all the way to the finish line. Once again, cheering echoed through the air as Falcon's victory was officially recognized.
"And Captain Falcon claims first place for the second time!" Campbell cheered. "He now has even more of an advantage over the other racers in the Platinum Cup! From the way things are looking right now, he will certain be on his way-"
WHOOSH!
"And Samurai Goroh has made an amazing comeback with his second-place finish! Now that is what I call redemption, but can the bandit boss keep up with the others in the later races?"
Within the stands, cheering and elation resonated within the hearts of all, even those who were not necessarily hardcore fans of F-Zero. This scene was essentially a near-repeat of time, but with one exception…
"Hey, what's taking them so long?" Red muttered, concerned for the safety of King Dedede and his group.
"I don't have a clue as to what exactly is holding them back," Stewart answered. "However, I fear that they may have been…"
"Been what, doc?" The trainer lifted his cap to notice an expression of uncertainty upon the doctor's face.
"Nothing; I'm fairly certain that they can take care of themselves with no problem at all. Besides, you have already shown to me that you can defeat a group of-"
"GUYS!"
"What..." Peach gasped. "Is that Dedede?"
"Poyo," Kirby chirped as he pointed at the king. The "ruler" of Dream Land limped down the stairway in a sluggish, wobbly fashion, almost as if one of his legs had been broken. His free hand was pressed against the side of his head, and his face screamed shades of serious pain. Almost immediately, the remaining members of the group approached him to figure out what was wrong.
"Hey, what happened to you?" Red asked. "And where are the others?"
"We were… exploring the maintenance hallways… to see if the Lords were in the stadium…" the king groaned painfully, sounding out of breath as he spoke. "While inside, the bulbs suddenly… exploded… and we then heard some weird tapping… noise… Jigglypuff and R.O.B. decided to follow it… R.O.B. suddenly got deactivated before I heard Jigglypuff scream…"
"And what happened after that?" Stewart asked.
"I got KO'd… When I came to, they were gone…"
Down below, Goroh approached the Unbound Serpent in a threatening but haughty manner. This was now the time to show the fool what would happen if he was ever harassed again, he believed. With full force, he pounded the dark vehicle's windshield to the point of nearly cracking it.
"Hey, you!" the bandit yelled. "Yeah, I know you can hear me. Just to let ya know, if you think that it's a good idea to throw my vehicle off the tracks, then I'll have to give you... a wake-up call, if ya know what I mean! And I got just the methods needed to do the job!"
Magnus did not verbally respond. Instead, he unleashed a sinister glare at Goroh, which did little to intimidate the bandit. After about a minute, the pilot of the Fire Stingray removed himself from the Unbound Serpent's immediate vicinity. This gave the dark captain the opportunity to redirect his eyes at Falcon, who was once again surrounded by cameras and friendly pilots.
"Your efforts will all be in vain…" he hissed. He cracked his thick knuckles before continuing. "It matters not if you win or lose…"
A few hours later, at Falcon's residence…
"So, let me get this straight," Falcon sighed. His head was nodding in disbelief at the news spouted from Dedede's wide mouth. "You're saying that Jigglypuff and R.O.B. were kidnapped?"
"Sadly, yeah," the king replied. "I don't know where they were taken or who the kidnappers were, but we gotta find them sometime soon. For all we know, the attackers could be planning to kill them right now."
"Hmm… Now this is a bit troublesome. We need to find them sometime soon, but I have the Platinum Cup to attend to. So, here's how the plan will go tomorrow; once I drop off the Blue Falcon at the third race, I will temporarily lend the Falcon Flyer to you guys and Stewart. You must use it to search all over Port Town."
"But what about Sand Ocean?" Red questioned. "The kidnappers could have taken Jigglypuff and R.O.B. somewhere else on that planet."
"No; that planet is made up of nothing but sand dunes and ruins. I seriously doubt that they have an established base there. Besides, I have a feeling that the kidnappers may be… You know who I'm talking about."
Red adjusted his cap before replying to the captain. "Okay. We'll search for those two while you head to the Grand Prix. Good luck on the next race, by the way."
"Thank you." The captain proceeded to exit the living room and stroll towards his bedroom, the only one of its kind within the home. As he did so, snow began to gently fall upon the full area of Port Town, gradually painting the city a gentle white. Meanwhile, the ocean was now a pitch-black color, its previous beauty corrupted by the dark essence of the night. None of the remaining Smashers seem to take notice, however, and, as such, were blissfully unaware of the black rose's blossoming…
After a long blackout period, Jigglypuff opened its round eyes. The area around it was blurry for a moment due to drowsiness, but it was soon clear that it and R.O.B. were stuck inside a metallic room with next to no lighting at all. The only thing that provided any sort of illumination was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The chandelier itself was equipped with candles lit with dark purple flames, which only further drenched the room in a foreboding atmosphere that chilled the Balloon Pokémon to the very core. The front of the room was decorated with a wooden door that contrasted with the metallic walls.
"Puff…?" it squeaked. It strolled over to R.O.B. to reactive him. "Jigglypuff…"
Beep!
"Functions restored," the robot chirped, with his voice regaining its normal clarity, speed, and pitch. "Power was lost due to an unexpected shutdown."
"Jigglypuff!" The puffball leaped in short-lived joy over R.O.B.'s well-being.
"Hello, Jigglypuff."
"Jiggly-"
But the door suddenly creaked open to reveal two unidentified figures, one being large and bulky, and the other appearing smaller and thinner.
An hour earlier…
"Lillian…" the light-haired man croaked. After being presumed dead by his foes, he had survived the assault that left him impaled in multiple places. It was all thanks to a healing spell that he had recently utilized, which reduced the severity of his injuries, but not by a significant amount. He was still suffering from massive blood loss and reduced movement, the latter caused by a mix of weaker body strength and a circle-shaped wound imprinted on one of his legs.
"Where are you…?" he croaked again. By this point, his strength was on the verge of failing him completely. His vision began to spiral relentlessly. The blood from his body heavily stained his clothes and even began dripping onto the ground. His arms wobbled as he struggled to carry his sword. The cold wind blowing through the forest was making his body even colder than it already was, and it was threatening to curse him with the spell of hypothermia. Some of the roses on the ground were flattened and stained with blood.
"Speak… to… me…" he sighed weakly. Eventually, the pain was so severe that he ended up collapsing right next to a gentle stream. The mist filled up his vision with a shade of white, which seemed to illuminate the forest with a softer vibe. It also seemed to reduce his pain noticeably, as if it had pain-suppressing magic by its side. This seemed to comfort the man by a large degree; if he was going to perish, then at least he would not be in intense agony like he was when the Lords nearly butchered him. Oh, well... At least he tried to save the kingdom…
Wait. There was a strange figure approaching from the mist, but it was not a Lord by any means. Who could that person be…?
"Help…" the man whispered. But before he could identify his potential savior, he blacked out completely.
Man, I really should've expected this kind of scenario when R.O.B., Jigglypuff, and I entered the hallways. I had unwittingly led them to a trap that has gotten them captured, which also happened to incapacitate me. I know the others realize that it isn't my fault because I wasn't aware of the foes that were stalking me, but I just can't help but feel like this is all my fault. Oh, boy…
Regardless, I must now take the responsibility of rescuing the two from the kidnappers, which is much unlike me because I'm usually one of the lazier Smashers in general. I suspect that the Lords are behind this, but I can't jump to conclusions yet.
-King Dedede
And that's it for the first part of the Platinum Cup. There'll be more races to come, but will Falcon win them all, or will Magnus beat him to the punch? Also, on the next chapter, we will finally get to see what happened to Peach during the adventure that left her in critical condition.
A/N:
-While I was writing this chapter, it came to my attention that there was an actual Platinum Cup on F-Zero: GP Legend. However, given that the Staff of Björn is made primarily out of platinum, I decide that there would an altered version of the cup to fit in with the storyline, especially considering that GP Legend is set in a different continuity. Hope it makes a bit more sense.
-I derived Magnus's surname from mass murderer Tore Hedin, who was a corrupt police officer known for killing nine people and injuring ten to twenty more. This choice in surnames will make more sense as more of Magnus's background is revealed (and the same thing will apply to both Lillian and Agnetha, albeit to a lesser extent).
-In the F-Zero continuity, it is stated that Captain Falcon was caught in a bad accident that left him hospitalized, as mentioned by one of the announcers (Kojima). This event was also the basis for Black Shadow stealing the captain's DNA to create Blood Falcon.
-Guess whose names I used to create one of the announcer's names? Take your chances.
-Fun fact: The kanji character on Goroh's shirt means "extreme".