The Crossing of Paths 2: A Second Visitor and the Return of Old Faces
Flandre: Aw, I should have been there when those extra guests arrived… Playtime would have been much better… Well, no matter. Let's see what else Mister Guy has in store, shall we? As for the little man himself, he'll be back to finish the story, but for now, he's busy participating in a danmaku shower with Oneesan and the others. Fufufufu…
"Oh, man, I just can't help but feel that she's going to die if we don't help her soon," Falco moaned under his breath. While he and the other group leaders, barring Marth, waited for the others to gather in the medical wing, a heavy form of tension drifted over their heads as they watched the unconscious Lillian rest on one of the beds. A nearby heart monitor displayed the maiden's heart rate to those that were inside the room.
"We may have our suspicions of her, but that doesn't mean we should just let her perish," Captain Falcon replied. "For one thing, we still need her for the mission; maybe she can give us further insight on what's happening in her world and, more importantly, the status and location of the Pure-Hearted Soul. Second, regardless of her innocence, if we let her perish now, then that could lead to dire consequences for her home."
"All other questions aside, how did she end up in her current condition?" Samus asked. While speaking, she noticed the unconscious Marth at the other end of the room; he was receiving a blood transfusion to replenish what he had lost during his last battle, and his injuries, especially the puncture wounds on his neck, were coated with reddened bandages. Like Lillian, his heart rate was on display. "I understand how Marth got into his current state, but Lillian? Not so much."
"I don't-a know," Mario muttered. "If we don't-a count the headaches or-a nightmares, there was-a nothing that could-a be taken as a warning leading up to this-a. While the others get-a here, I'll-a try to figure out the cause of her condition, but I can't-a guarantee any results."
"Do your thing, man," the avian pilot sighed. As he watched the plumber leave the room, he continued to stare at the heart monitor for the next couple of minutes.
Minutes later…
"So, how did you become a cyborg?" Fox asked of Peach. He and most of the other Smashers, alongside Rosalina, Bowser Junior, the McCloud family, and the Star Fox crew, were staring at the princess as they noticed her new cybernetic body.
"Long story short, I was blasted with a bomb created by the Lords, then I was saved by several surgeons," replied she. "So far, I've been enjoying my new powers."
"Yeah, and she used them to almost freakin' kill me!" Bowser, whose body was coated with a few bandages, moaned. "I swear, I'm NEVER going near her again!"
"Never mind that," Meta Knight interrupted. "Right now, we must keep our focus on Lillian. Her life is threatened by her condition and we must do what we can to help her."
"Hey, am I-a crazy, or are we-a missing several Smashers?" Luigi asked. His comment forced many of his co-Smashers to analyze the crowd, only for them to notice that they were indeed a few fighters short.
"No kidding," Wolf, now wearing a green variant of his old uniform, grunted. "The guys in Marth's group aren't in this room. Where the hell are they?"
"Ike and Pit are in a different block," Master Hand replied. "As for Link and the other fighters from Hyrule, they've gone missing during Marth's mission. When we head out to Rosträdgård, Lillian's home, we'll try to find them whenever we can."
"Huh, and I wonder where they could be at now. It's not like they wanted to just wander off or something." As the ruthless mercenary waited for Mario to complete the process of examining Lillian, he noticed Stefan quietly strolling into the room without most of the Smashers noticing him. He was unsure of who that man was or what his intentions were, but one thing was for certain; someone allowed the Rosträdgårdian prince to enter for reasons unspecified. Hopefully, the lupine fighter believed, he was not an unsuspecting threat like Johan was. The noises within the crowd diminished to a large extent while Crazy Hand entered the room to know what was happening.
"Hey, what's goin' on here?" he squeaked, twitching his fingers as he did so. "Bro, why's everyone in here?"
"We are in this room for an important event," the commentator replied. "Lillian's fallen into a comatose state and we have a newcomer in this building, who just so happens to be her brother. He claims to have been searching for her during the past few weeks, and now that his search is over, he wants us to come to his aid."
"For weeks? Oh, man, that seems like a long time to be searching for someone. Well, at least he's safe in this building with us. Also, why's the girl in a coma? Did she hit her head or something?"
Master Hand focused on Mario, whose examination was still in progress. "I'm not yet sure. Falco found her on the floor last night, and he said that her breathing was irregular. Regardless of the cause, if she perishes, then our mission to assist her will…"
"Say no more, bro. I get your point." Both Hands watched Mario continue with his job, right until the point where he noticed the Rosträdgårdian princess's scar. The leading hero of the Mushroom Kingdom froze as the red mark entered his view; somehow, he had missed it during his first examination of her on the night before the perilous journey. Was this another secret that she was trying to hide? The answer was far from clear, at least in his perspective. Equally unclear was the scar's creator. It was possible that Lillian was stabbed or disemboweled during her escape from the Orm's Lords, but it was still too early to be jumping to conclusions. Meanwhile, Stefan approached the coat-wearing plumber from the right.
"Is she stable?" the prince asked.
"Are you a friend of hers?" Mario, unaware of the man's connection to his sister.
"More than a mere friend, I am in the same family as her. I am Stefan Åkerfeldt, the Rosträdgårdian prince and Lillian's brother. Now, is she in a stable condition?"
The plumber examined Lillian's scar while continuing the conversation. "She's in a comatose state, most likely due to a lesion of-a the medulla, but her life-a is not in immediate danger. However, I did-a find this-a scar on her abdomen. I'm not-a sure where she got it from."
The prince's eyes widened as he stared at what was left of his sister's injury. Every important detail started to come back to him; how he failed to realize the cause of Lillian's condition before was quite the mystery, but then again, even he could be forgetful at times. "Oh, no… How could I have forgotten about that injury of hers?"
"What do you-a mean?"
"I will explain to the entire crowd, but first, I need to dispel any potential confusion." The prince, with the help of Master Hand, proceeded to silence the murmuring within the crowd, allowing the warm air of the mansion's ventilation system to be easily audible.
"Okay," the floating right hand muttered, "Tell everyone what you need to say."
Stefan nodded in the affirmative before releasing his full statement. "My name is Stefan Åkerfeldt; I am Rosträdgård's prince and Lillian's older brother. For weeks now, I have continuously searched for my sister when we were separated during our escape from the Lords. While fleeing to the central palace in Björnstad, we were halted by one of the dreaded Legionär, this one enhanced to be much stronger than the others and accompanied by the leader of the Lords himself."
"Hey, what is a Legionär?" Falco asked. He had never heard of the name before, and it was possible that the prince was referring to something that the Smashers had already crossed paths with. "Sounds like something menacing."
"It is a horned creature with white skin, red eyes, long claws, and sharp teeth. While fewer in number compared to the likes of the Helvetingar or the Jord-Marodörer, they are far more dangerous, with only one being able to destroy smaller communities in minutes."
"Wait a minute," Samus interrupted, now realizing something important, "I've fought one of those things on Tallon IV. It was under Captain Johan Eriksson's control. My group and I nearly died in our attempt to kill it."
"Same here," the avian pilot added. "Lars Isberg had one in his possession when my group was on Venom, during our search of an ancient temple."
"Interestingly, my group-a encountered a special variant under the possession of-a Agnetha Lindgren inside-a Bowser's home," Mario also added. "It was-a created from a Boom Boom, a kind of Koopa within my world-a. I don't-a know what Agnetha used to make her creature, however."
The prince kept his focus on Lillian while continuing to speak. "At least you now know how to defeat those things. Back to the story, upon encountering our latest foes, Lillian and I fought with all that we had in our possession. You may not have known this, but my sister is a powerful fighter; not only is she skilled with a blade like me, but she also has access to some of the most powerful magic in Rosträdgård, both offensive and defensive."
"And every rose has its thorns…" Captain Falcon sighed. "I already knew she was skilled in magic to some degree, but I would've never imagined that she could be powerful enough to take on a Legionär."
"She has taken down powerful foes before, including ordinary Legionärer. But magical power can only take you so far. The monster we faced was much stronger than the rest of its kind, and the fact that the leader, a feared and mighty man, was coming to its aid only worsened the situation. On top of everything else, the Lords that were chasing us earlier on had finally caught up to our location. From that point onward, it was a grueling struggle. Many of the common cultists were defeated with relative ease, but the enhanced Legionär ultimately overwhelmed us with its raw strength. At one point, the creature violently disemboweled my sister with one of its claws, and when I tried to rescue her, it launched me into a nearby tree, the place where I almost blacked out. Lillian almost slipped into unconsciousness due to blood loss."
"Wait, so you mean to tell us that this creature was immensely powerful to the point of overwhelming you guys?" Dedede chirped. "Did you even lay a scratch on it?"
The prince allowed a verbal form of darkness to possess his voice as he forced the answer from his mouth. "Like the captains, it was enhanced with a special spell that functions like both variants of Återuppliva, albeit far stronger."
The self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land was quick to ask an important question. "Wait a sec, there's another variant of that crazy spell?"
"Yes, there is. It is a special variant that is compatible only with the Legionärer; I have seen Lords trying to use it, only to have their bodies suffer greatly from the adverse effects of rejection."
"That kinda explains why those monsters are between ordinary cultists and the captains in terms of regenerative powers," Ness quipped.
"Not-a Agnetha's pet, though," Mario added. "Its-a skin, after the transformation, was-a tough enough to shrug off fire and sharp-a objects."
"When we were defeated," Stefan continued, "I noticed the leader inserting a strange creature inside my unconscious sister's abdomen. I could not get a clear view of it, but I believe it is a Plågoande. A single Plågoande, once inside a host, can inflict nightmares and painful headaches via its manipulation of the brain. I tried to stop the leader, but upon realizing that I could not fight off the monster or its supporters, I chose to escape. As soon as I was far away from the battlefield, I never saw Lillian for the rest of the day."
The Smashers and the Hands remained silent as they took the time to consider Stefan's story. Details that were once murky began to show themselves in almost complete detail. The origin of the princess's scar was now known, and it was a mark that signaled the fact that she almost died attempting to escape from the Lords, especially from a monster under their control. Second, the parasite, the Plågoande, was the true reason behind Lillian's torment, and to think that she was merely concealing information because she wanted to… Had this disturbing detail been noticed before, there would have been at least one attempt to cure the maiden of her condition. Worse still, the existence of an even stronger Legionär chilled the minds and bodies of nearly every Smasher present. If what Stefan said was true, then encountering the creature would be nothing but hellish torment. Mario and those previously in his group received the full brunt of the revelation's effects; they had barely survived the wrath of Agnetha's precious pet, which was far worse than anything they had ever faced, and they could only imagine how worse the leader's monster was. Only luck could and would save them from an unlucky encounter.
But one detail was still missing. If Stefan claimed that he was searching for his sister, then what in the world could have happened after the battle and subsequent retreat that resulted in his long-term search for her? Could they not have reunited immediately?
"When you fled from the battle, what were your plans for rescuing Lillian?" Snake asked. While speaking, he was tempted to pull out a cigarette from one of his pockets, only to stop himself when he was reminded that he was in the medical wing, a clear no-smoking zone.
"When night fell in Rosträdgård, I managed to open up a communications channel with Lillian. In a twist of luck, she told me that a Rosträdgårdian squadron had attacked the group holding her captive on the way to the palace where the Lords resided. We then discussed our plans of reuniting, but just as we were finalizing our rendezvous point, I heard Lillian scream for a split second. And then…"
"And then what?" Rosalina muttered. "Did your sister get attacked?"
Stefan kept his back towards the crowd as his voice became quieter. "I would assume so. Regardless, when I tried to contact her again, I only receive the chills of haunting silence. This became the catalyst for the long search for her. At first, I assumed that she was being held in that dreaded palace of torment, but when I heard several Lords talking about a search for her, I had to draft a new plan. I asked numerous citizens around the kingdom, but none of them knew where she was at, nor did they have the capacity to track down her location. Additionally, the heavy presence of Lords in several regions limited my ability to continue the search, and many cities and towns were abandoned due to said cultists slaughtering and driving out the inhabitants. A few days ago, my mission almost ended in failure when I was seriously injured in an unlucky encounter. However, fate intervened, and a kind man named Svante came to my rescue. After he healed me, I stayed in his house for several days; during that time, I found out that his friends, members of the Rosträdgårdian Black Guard, could locate my sister with their magic. I, of course, knew of the branch's existence before the war, but when I retreated to Björnstad for help, its members were either dead or missing."
"I assume that the guys you encountered were in hiding, right?" Falco chirped. "That might be the most plausible scenario."
"Correct. My meeting with them was delayed due to Lord-related attacks on their hideout, but the opportunity I gained afterwards was worth the long wait. I met Gustaf Larsson, the leader of the branch and a man who I had not seen before; although I did not mention this to him, I assume that he is the replacement for the old director, who was slaughtered during a siege on Björnstad. Regardless, he and his allies helped me track down Lillian to this location. After drinking some tea as part of a short break, I made my way to this mansion. I have finally found my precious sister, albeit in an abnormal state…"
"Well, ya made it here," Wolf grunted. "Now we just need to find a way to restore your sister to full health."
"My examination shows that she's-a suffered a lesion of the medulla, along with-a some minor damage to other areas," Mario, in response to the lupine mercenary's comment, muttered. "Prince Stefan, I think-a the parasite is resting somewhere in-a there. I'll-a need to perform surgery on-a her."
The prince immediately locked his eyes on the plumber. There was a safer alternative, this he knew. "Surgery to remove a living parasite is a high-risk option, especially when the creature has been inside the host for several weeks. At this point, the chances of her surviving the operation are very low. There is a special serum for this kind of situation."
"And what might that-a be?"
"Guld-Hjärta. It is an offshoot of the Vit Hjärta serum used to counter the deadly Igel. I have the supplies necessary to create a batch, though the process will take some time to complete. In the meantime, I need all of you to come with me to help defeat the Lords."
"Hey, we've already taken on those damn fools before," Falco chirped. "You can count on us to help restore peace to Rosträdgård."
"We should make necessary preparations before we leave for the kingdom," Master Hand announced. "Right now, Smashers, I want all of you to gather whatever supplies you may need and, if necessary, take extra steps to keep yourselves prepared. You are dismissed."
Most of the room's inhabitants, including non-Smashers, filtered out of the room in seconds, with only a few staying behind. Mario, Kirby, Luigi, and Pikachu remained as they watched Stefan gently stroking his sister's hair.
"Poyo?" the puffball squeaked, supposedly asking Mario about a possible course of action.
"We'll-a unite the pieces later," was the response. "Right now, we can only support-a Stefan in his efforts."
"Pikachu," the Mouse Pokémon sighed, rubbing its stomach. "Pika-pika."
"Yeah, I'm-a staving, too," Luigi replied. "Let's-a get a hearty breakfast from the upper kitchen." While he and the smaller fighters exited the room with swiftness, his brother stayed behind to speak with the Rosträdgårdian prince.
"Is there-a anything I can do to help out-a?" While speaking, the coat-wearing Mushroomer noticed a slight bulge from the pocket on Lillian's blouse. A quick search revealed that the object in question was the staff's right wing, presumably obtained in Marth's homeland.
"You are a doctor, correct?" the prince answered, still stroking his sister's hair.
"Well, yes. That is-a one of my professions. Oh, and the name's-a Mario."
"Mario, if you can, help me with the creation of the serum. I believe I can work at a quicker pace with someone at my side."
Mario brushed his brown hair as he stared at the room's only exit. "Sure, but let's-a move to the medicine lab. We should-a have an environment to work in-a there."
"We shall." Stefan and Mario slowly exited the quiet, cold room, leaving the Rosträdgårdian princess and the Archanean king alone once again.
Afternoon…
"I'm a bit curious," Falco muttered under his breath. He was now sitting inside the main hall, waiting for something exciting to happen. "Why didn't Stefan refer to the leader of the Lords by name? I'm guessing that he didn't knew that guy on a personal level. Either that, or the leader must be keeping his face obscured from everyone, perhaps including his pals. Once we defeat the Lords, I hope to unmask that fucker."
Tap… Tap…
"Who is it this time?" The bored pilot stood up and slowly traveled to the front doors, expecting another unknown visitor, perhaps one from Rosträdgård. As soon as he was close enough to be heard on the other side, he performed the first thing that came to his mind.
"Who's out there?"
"Pichu! Pichi-pi!"
"…?" Falco froze for seconds at a time as he came to recognize the speaker almost immediately. He had not heard this old voice in a long time, ever since the days of Melee had faded into history. Why the small Pokémon called Pichu decided to visit the Smash Mansion now was a mystery to the pilot; perhaps it wanted to visit its companions for a while, or maybe Master Hand wanted it to help the others in their crusade against the Orm's Lords. Regardless, Falco gently pulled the door open, only to find out that the Tiny Mouse Pokémon was not the only guest waiting outside.
"Woah, Roy? And Young Link?" he gasped. Standing next to Pichu were the young swordfighter from Pherae and a younger incarnation of Link from a different timeline. Roy was a redheaded man of considerable youth despite being several years older, and his clothing was no less colorful. Along with his cape, headband, and scarf, he sported silver gauntlets, blue armor, violet trousers complete with white additions on the lower half, gray shoes, and a tunic-like component to compliment the armor. He was also more muscular than when he first joined the Smashers. His most distinguishing feature, however, was the presence of a golden sheath carrying a powerful blade known as the Sword of Seals. Young Link resembled a younger version of the older Link that was currently missing in action, barring his Kokiri shield and smaller sword. His clothing was also less elaborate than that of his older counterpart.
"Pichu," Pichu squeaked. Like Pikachu, it sported yellow fur, but its ears were more triangular and possessed greater black coloring. In addition, its tail was completely black, and its neck was marked by a pointed ring of the same color. Its back did not possess Pikachu's markings.
"Whatcha guys doing here?" Falco chirped. "Are you here for a visit or somethin'?"
"We wanted to see how you were all doing, so we used the crystals given to us by Master Hand to come here," Roy replied. "You're not busy with something important, are you?"
"The crystals, huh? I wish that energy failure from five days ago didn't happen. We could've used those things to quickly accomplish our current task. But then again, the exact locations of the pieces were unknown to us… I guess your crystals weren't affected, though. And yeah, we're a little busy with a major event concerning another world, but it's a good thing that you guys came here. We're gonna need all the help we can get."
"What event?" Young Link asked. "Is it Giga Bowser again?"
"Nah, it's something just as bad, if not worse. I'll explain everything once we're inside."
Inside the medical lab…
"So, the powders you have-a are made from plants-a, right?" Mario asked. In front of him was a set of three different powders, with a distinct color assigned to each species. A heating plate and a flask, along with a stir bar off to the side, were among the lab items used for the procedure.
"You are correct, Mario," Stefan replied. "The red powder is from the Hjärta plant, named so because of its heart-shaped seeds. The white one is created by grinding the roots of the Albumluna plant, which is a relatively simple process, if I may add. As a serum, Hjärta is known for its healing properties, but when it is unaccompanied upon entering the body, it dissolves far too quickly. Thus, the Albumluna powder acts as a sustaining element; it has a restorative enzyme that will allow the serum to dissolve at a slow enough pace for it to affect the body. Together, the two powders make up the primary components of the Vit Hjärta serum used to counter Igel."
"I-a see. What about the third-a powder?" Mario pointed at the golden powder on the right.
"That is from the Guld-Rossläktet. As you should know, Rosträdgård is home to large fields of roses, complete with many different colors. The golden variant is exceptionally rare and, as of late, sought out by scientists and magicians to combat the growing yet still-obscure Plågoande threat. After extensive testing, we found out that a Guld-Rossläktet contains a chemical which, upon mixing with the original serum's components, creates a substance that is harmless to humans…"
"…but-a deadly to the parasite."
"Correct. It virtually reverses the Vit Hjärta's effects; instead of healing its target, it attacks it. Once the parasite is dead, it will be safer to remove via surgery."
Mario kept his focus on the powders. "Molto interessante… Well, let's-a get down to business. We don't-a want to spend too much-a time on this project. Lillian's life is in our-a hands."
Inside the dining room…
"And that is how we got dragged into another adventure," Falco finished. He had been explaining the current scenario to the three Smashers from Melee's years, now reaching the end with a tired voice. "Right now, we're getting ready to leave for Rosträdgård. All we need to do before our travel is curing Lillian of her condition, then we can leave."
"Pichu…" Pichu gasped. Having absorbed the full story, it came to acknowledge that, if it chose to travel with the Smashers, its tiny feet would step into a dangerous adventure that could be far darker than the Giga Bowser incident or, per several Smashers, even the Subspace Emissary. Sure, it was one of the weaker fighters around, but it was not content with sitting back and letting the Lords unleash the Svärtad Orm. It was going to help, one way or another, and if it was successful, perhaps it was going to earn some respect within the Smash Mansion. Pikachu would be especially proud of its pre-evolved counterpart's display of courage.
"Yeah, it's gonna be dangerous, little guy, but we're going through with our mission. We didn't sit back when Giga Bowser and Tabuu started their respective incidents, so why should we do that here?"
"One question: where is Marth?" the redheaded Roy curiously asked. "I haven't seen him yet."
"He's inside the medical wing. I don't know exactly what happened to him, but he lost a ton of blood during his journey. It's a good thing we had spare blood packs courtesy of Mario himself, or we would've lost our Altean buddy. If you want, I can take you over to his room."
"That's okay, Falco. I'll find his room on my own. If you will excuse me, I must head out to find him now."
"Sure, do your thing." As the pheasant watched the young swordsman leave, he focused his attention on the other two Melee veterans.
"Are you guys ready for this adventure? It's gonna be a harsh one."
"I'm ready," Young Link confidently replied. "And I hope to look for my older self in Rosträdgård… wherever he may be. I hope he hasn't been killed by the Lords already."
"Pichu," the Pokémon squeaked with a tone that seemingly lacked confidence. Despite its decision to help, it was not sure if it, one of the weaker Smashers to exist, could make any major contributions to the mission at head. It had suffered the reputation of a joke fighter during the Melee years, especially due to its severe faults, and it was scared that it would fail to help during the Rosträdgårdian campaign. However, this mission was still the only way it could truly prove its strength, and as such, it was still going to help prevent the resurrection of the demonic snake.
"Alrighty then," Falco sighed. "Make sure you stay ready during the adventure. The Lords can be tough bastards if you aren't careful." As he stood up to leave the dining room, he noticed Captain Falcon and Samus opening one of the lower floor's exits, much to the pilot's relief; now that he was done talking to the trio of old faces, he could now resume conversations with the two bounty hunters.
"Hey, we were looking for you," Falcon commented. "What were you doing with Pichu and Young Link?"
"I was bringing them up to speed about our current adventure. Of course, I was careful not to tell them about our secret findings."
"It's good that you've kept our secret," Samus remarked. "Of course, now that Stefan has given us new information, we should consider whether to continue our investigation or not."
Falcon observed the area around him to ensure that nobody else was listening to the conversation. "At least we understand the cause of Lillian's pain and nightmares. That battle with the monster might also explain why she was drained of energy when she arrived at the Smash Mansion. Hey, wait a minute…"
"What's wrong, Cap?" Falco felt his curiosity rise when he noticed the confused look on the racer's face.
"Lillian said that she was drained of energy from a recent struggle, but Stefan said that the battle with the Lords took place weeks ago. Either Lillian lied to us, Stefan got the timeframe wrong, or something else might have happened to the princess."
Falco dusted his beak before responding in an intrigued manner. "Yeah, now that you mentioned it, Lillian would've likely been bloodied from that earlier fight if she had come to this place right away. Also, Stefan did mention something happening to his sister that resulted in the loss of communications. What it is exactly, we don't know yet. We can't ask Stefan because he doesn't know, so our only option is to continue our investigation. Are ya okay with this?"
"Whatever can help us find the truth, I am more than willing to accept," admitted Samus. "I hope no roadblocks get in our way, though. We should continue to quietly observe her."
"On second thought, Sam, I think I should ask her several questions. I'll happily keep our investigation secret, so don't worry about me blowing our cover. I also won't mention you guys or the other participants."
"Just make sure that she doesn't suspect you of something, alright?" Falcon demanded.
"I've got this under control, Falcon. I'm gonna wait until she wakes up, then I'll go talk to her." With nothing else to say or do, the avian pilot left for his room, leaving the two bounty hunters to resume their usual business.
Near the training dojo…
"Pi?" Pichu whispered, observing the area around it. The Smash Mansion certainly had grown since the Tiny Mouse Pokémon left years ago, especially with the greater number of rooms, the overall larger space, and the richer architecture. Perhaps Master Hand had gotten the resources necessary to implement these major changes. This was no less true of the training dojo, for it, too, had grown since the years of Melee; it was now twice its original size and possessed newer equipment, such as teleportational devices on the ceiling and improved punching bags. Water fountains were present at the far wall, ready to help those who were thirsty. The room itself blended traditional Japanese features with the Victorian-style architecture present in the rest of the mansion. Old murals depicting various elements of Japan and sliding doors seamlessly blended in with the golden chandelier and elegant lampposts.
"Pichu." The small Pokémon shuffled towards the console that controlled the ceiling-mounted devices. After adjusting a few settings, the machines began to bring Pichu into an older incarnation of the renowned Final Destination. The octagonal platform, complete with a glowing orb at the center, was surrounded by numerous stars in space. Trails of violet and blue colored the vast area, complimenting the platform's own rich colors. Pichu could not stare for long, however, for Wire Frames began to spawn into the arena.
"Pichu!" The yellow-furred Smasher was nearly startled as it remembered the menacing appearances of its new foes, which it had not seen for some time. They were figures composed of a transparent frame of wires, complete with purple coloring. In fact, Pichu could see right through them and notice the components underneath the exterior: a heart and several tubes that were the equivalent of blood vessels. The faces were printed with a red variant of the Smash logo, and all normal features of a face were completely absent. The females were noted to have their hair adjusted into a ponytail, while the males possessed muscular physique.
Bzzz…
"Pichu…" The Pokémon began to gather electricity on its cheeks, albeit with major difficulty, as it prepared to fight. This upcoming fight was a test, a test to reveal how proficient it was as a fighter. If it wanted to survive the Rosträdgård crisis, then it would need to get as much practice in as possible. Without hesitation, Pichu immediately leaped into battle, hoping to eliminate some of its foes.
"Pichu!"
ZAP!
Inside the medical wing, with Roy…
"My brother-in-arms…" Roy, now starting at the unconscious Marth, sighed with a bittersweet tone. "It is wonderful to see you again, albeit not in the condition you are currently in. What or who could have done this to you? A royal man such as yourself deserved not the fate you suffered during your travel. Nevertheless, you have offered to protect Altea despite the difficult trials that were ahead of you, and you succeeded. When you wake up, I hope to find out what happened to you."
Whoosh…
"Yo, what's up, Roy?" Crazy Hand, having floated into the room, greeted with an eager voice. "Haven't seen ya in a long time."
"You nearly scared me, Crazy Hand," the swordsman muttered in an annoyed tone. "Can you, now, explain to me what happened to Marth?"
"Oh, I don't know much about his condition, but from what I heard from my bro, I think Marth was attacked by a vampire, which kinda explains he has those bandages on his neck. Mario had some blood he donated months ago, so we have that entering good ol' Marth's body right now. Ya might be able to talk to your buddy in due time, but I can't guarantee that."
"I'll come back to him later. And who is that woman at the far end of the room? Is she the Lillian Åkerfeldt woman I have heard of?"
Crazy Hand, as usual, twitched after a few seconds. "Yep, she is the real deal. Unfortunately, she is stuck in a coma due to a parasite doing some damage to her medulla… or something like that. I'd ask her brother for more info; I think he's in the lab with Mario."
"Thank you for your information, but for now, I want to be left alone with Marth. And Crazy, do not startle me again. Is that understood?"
"Okay, okay, man. I'll try to restrain myself, but I can't make any promises." As the goofy hand exited the room, Roy rested on one of the room's chairs, removing his sheath before he did so, and kept his focus on the Archanean king. If the claim of a vampire attacking his poor friend was true, Roy would do whatever he could to ensure that the attacker suffered like a demon being tortured by hellfire. In fact, he would take down the Lords with no mercy, but that specific aggressor would suffer the most if encountered.
"Marth, I can only hope that you live before you leave for unexplored territory. I would hate to see you fade away."
The hero of Pherae began waiting for the moment when his closest ally during the Giga Bowser incident would wake up.
Inside the dojo…
BZZZZZ-ZAP!
"PICHU!" Pichu, despite sustaining recoil damage throughout the match, had already eliminated several Wire Frames and just wiped out three more with a burst of Thunder. Its body was trembling with weakness, but its mind was still set on defeating as many foes as possible. Stubby hands reached out to grab a Wire Frame before throwing it off the stage. Pichu then executed one of its lesser-known moves, one that it had not used for Smash battles; it stared at its incoming foes in a charming manner, resulting in the victims becoming less wary.
WHAM!
This gave the Pokémon an opportunity to tackle one foe into submission before zapping another. However, it was unprepared for a kick that nearly launched it off the stage despite the opponent's power loss.
"Pi…!" Pichu recovered via Agility, but upon landing, its foes were already advancing towards its location. A swift headbutt gave it some breathing room, but this was insufficient in countering a wide-reaching elbow thrust from a male Wire Frame. The painful blow, leeching away at endurance, finally sent the unfortunate Pichu flying away from the stage and into the nearest blast line. As the Pokémon was defeated, it heard a loud voice announcing one word, and one word only:
"GAME!"
The room suddenly shifted back into its original form, with Pichu now resting on the floor. As it stood back up, the Pokémon took notice of the console's display, which revealed the number of foes eliminated. Satisfaction entered Pichu's body like a pleasant aroma as it stared at the number:
30
Not bad, it believed. This was a major improvement from the poor performance in Melee's days. Furthermore, Pichu had not enjoyed such intensity since its battles with Pikachu, its evolutionary cousin. However, there was still some work to do; the Lords were, per Falco's statements, going to be much tougher than any foe encountered in the past. Only practice could make a better performance on the battlefield. With all due haste, Pichu reactivated the devices for another round with the Wire Frames.
"Pichu." The Pokémon kept a stoic face as the stage reformed before its eyes.
With Stefan and Mario, dusk…
"Is it-a ready?" Mario asked. He and the Rosträdgårdian prince had left the created mixture on a heating plate for a few consecutive minutes, with the stirring bar manipulated by a rotating magnet inside the plate. Steam ascended from the heated water, moistening the inner wall of the beaker. To be safe, the beaker and plate were already positioned underneath a fume hood by the plumber.
"Give the mixture at least another minute or so," Stefan replied. "There should be enough time for the ingredients to fully mix in."
"Hey, where did you-a learn how to create this-a substance?"
"Prior to the start of the war, I was enlisted in an alchemy academy to pursue my goal of becoming an expert alchemist. I wanted to help those who were sick or injured, whether on the battlefield or at home. During my time, I was given the knowledge to create specific potions to help society if the need were to arise. Sadly, while I was working to reach the highest level in the Rosträdgårdian Society of Alchemists, the bloody war started. This ultimately cut my training short, though I still learned much from my assigned academy."
"What about-a Lillian? What did she hope to become?"
"Lillian, on the other hand, wanted to become a musician. She was, and still is, a wonderfully talented musician; at a young age, she was fascinated by the prospect of being a singer-songwriter and knew how to play several instruments, especially the guitar. She had collected phonograms of many works from many genres, including those from more obscure artists. In her pursuit for music, she met Agnetha Lindgren, who also had ambitions of becoming a musician."
The stunned Mario felt his heart silently stop for several seconds. Was Stefan implying that his sister was a close acquaintance, maybe even a friend, of Agnetha? If so, then what could have caused a split between the two? "Wait-a, Lillian is an acquaintance to that-a murderous woman?"
"More than that, Mario. Long before the war started, she and Agnetha were once close friends. Why do you ask?"
"Because I've-a fought Agnetha multiple times-a on my journey to the Mushroom Kingdom. I was-a nearly killed by her twice, and we've-a fought over the staff piece I was-a supposed to get. She was a cruel woman, seriously."
Stefan retrieved the finished substance as he continued the revealing conversation. "So, you have a strong aversion to Agnetha. I can understand why you might be shocked to hear of her relationship with my sister. To move on, she and Lillian were involved in the most prominent children's choir of Björnstad. It is known as the Red Rose Choir, which has existed for several centuries now. Lillian and Agnetha both found their talent for singing and have remained in the group until three years prior to the start of the war, when Agnetha mysteriously vanished."
"What-a happened to her?" Mario and his Rosträdgårdian ally, having finished the creation of their cloudy, gold-colored product, were now traveling to the room where Lillian rested. The unremarkably short travel was marked by the sleek appearance of the walls, as was common in high-end hospitals, while keeping some of the Victorian-style architecture via antique lampposts mounted on the walls. No windows were present, so the amount of light in the room was restricted.
"No one is sure what provoked her disappearance and subsequent emergence as a captain of the Orm's Lords. Some say that she was kidnapped, but I have not yet been able to verify this claim. One thing was for certain, however; in the month prior to her disappearance, bruises, scratch marks, and cuts began appearing on her body. The Rosträdgårdian authorities attempted to solve this mystery, but just when they thought they had earned a lead, she vanished."
"Was her-a family to blame for the injuries? I think she might have-a been abused prior to her-a disappearance."
"It is possible, but I must stress that no one has figured out the mystery. Four months prior to her disappearance, her father, a well-respected soldier and musician in the community, died in a tragic accident, so that might be a contributing factor to the possible instability that suddenly wracked her family."
"Maybe, but I can't-a help but be skeptical." As soon as Mario stopped speaking, he and Stefan were inside the room holding Marth and Lillian. However, there was also a guest, one that Mario had not encountered for years.
"Roy, what are you-a doing here?"
"Mario, it's been a long time since we've seen each other," the young swordsman replied. "I am waiting for Marth to wake up and… Wait a minute, who is that man?"
Mario immediately realized to whom Roy was referring. "Oh, him? That's-a Stefan Åkerfeldt, Lillian's brother. Oh, and-a Lillian's the woman sleeping in the far bed there. We're-a here to administer an antidote to her condition."
"Mario, if you don't mind me asking, can you explain what happened to Marth?"
"I'm-a not entirely sure, but he's-a lost a lot of blood from whatever or-a whoever attacked him. Had I not-a gotten some extra reserves from the blood-a bank, he would've died." Mario gripped a syringe from the room's only cabinet and prepared to fill it with the Guld-Hjärta serum.
"I hope to learn more when Marth wakes up. That is the reason why I am waiting here. I'm also curious about the woman's condition."
Mario refused to stare at Roy due to the former's focus on curing Lillian. "A parasite has-a damaged her medulla and-a sent her into a coma. This cure will-a help me kill the creature and allow me to safely remove it by-a surgery. I hope it isn't-a too late for the princess here." While the plumber carefully proceeded to inject the fluid into the approximate area of the medulla oblongata, he heard the Altean king slowly waking up from his long hours of forced slumber.
"Elice… Caeda…" Marth moaned. "Are you…"
"Hey, relax," Roy interrupted. "You're safe inside the Smash Mansion. That was a lot of blood you lost back in Altea."
"R… Roy? What are you doing here…?" The king was confused by his ally's appearance. There must have been something that provoked him to visit the Smash Mansion.
"I was initially here to visit the Smashers, but after hearing of your current situation from Falco, I have decided to join you all in your quest to save Lillian's homeland. Also, how did you lose so much blood?"
Marth, while preparing to speak, noticed Mario injecting the Guld-Hjärta into the back of Lillian's neck. "Among other injuries, I was attacked by one of the Lords' five captains. She is… a vampire named Lina Lindqvist, and while Ike and I were defending Altea from final doom, she utilized… her fangs to drain the blood from my body."
"My… And where is she now?"
"I believe… she fled to her home dimension. As for the staff piece in Altea, I still have no idea where it is-"
"Marth, I believe someone must have-a delivered the piece to Lillian while you were out-a," Mario interrupted, holding the polished right wing in his hand.
"What? Who was it? Was it Caeda?"
"You're-a better off asking Master Hand about that-a. Either way, it's-a safe with us." Mario, having injected the mixture into the Rosträdgårdian princess, left the room to sterilize the syringe. Meanwhile, Stefan, ignoring the continuing conversation between the two swordsmen, retained his focus on his sister.
They are the trees
Rotten pulp inside and never well
Roots sucking, thieving from my source
Tired boughs reaching for the light
It was all haunting, really; he had already known that what the Lords had done to the distressed Rosträdgård was dastardly, if not outright unforgivable. They had slaughtered thousands of innocents, threatened and damaged numerous cities and towns, crippled the army, and generally left the kingdom and other countries in a horrific state, all to obtain the staff pieces and kidnap the Pure-Hearted Soul. He had originally hoped that they would be defeated within a few months, but such a prediction turned out to be far too optimistic for its own good.
But what truly caused his hopes to undoubtedly plummet was the battle that nearly left his sister dead. Not only was the monster virtually indestructible, but the fact that Stefan almost lost Lillian, combined with recent Rosträdgårdian failures, was a traumatic experience that nearly forced him to give up. Losing the one person whom he cared for the most was an unnerving event that almost became a reality, especially considering the war taking some of his other beloved relatives. The long search that followed greatly worsened his prospects, and just when it seemed that hope was finally staying with him, this was now happening…
He could only hope that Lillian survived the risky surgery to remove the Plågoande. He needed to remain hopeful, but the Lords and their unholy war were still draining him of positive outlooks.
He could only choose to remain strong in the face of terror.
"Lillian, please stay with me…" the moody prince sighed, not noticing Mario approaching with a transportable bed and several pieces of medical equipment.
"Let's-a get down to business, shall we?"
Pichu strolled towards Pikachu's room as it prepared to rest for the night. Despite the simulations, like the full-fledged battles in the Smash Mansion, reducing the amount of injury sustained due to Master Hand's workings, the Pokémon still felt beaten and tired. During its previous fight, it managed to defeat slightly more foes than it did during the first trial. For the most part, it refrained from using electricity as often, and it was more vigilant and precise in predicting an enemy's next move. At one point, Pichu even managed to simultaneously take out five foes with a risky burst of Thunder, a rare accomplishment among previous fights with Wire Frames. However, there was still much room for improvement, especially for the adventure that was ahead.
Pichu traveled up to the third floor's eastern wing, which was the location of several bedrooms, including Pikachu's. Sights of aurorae and clear skies were available via the windows passed by the small Pokémon. It eventually encountered the door to its cousin's room, marked by a golden representation of a Poké Ball. The door was slowly opened…
"Pika?" the older Mouse Pokémon squeaked. It was legitimately surprised to notice Pichu, especially considering the current situation facing the Smashers. Perhaps the younger rodent somehow caught wind of the problem and decided to help.
"Pichu," Pichu replied, requesting permission to enter. "Pi?"
"Pikachu." Pikachu allowed its cousin to enter the cozy room, a perfect haven to rest after a grueling training session.
"Pichu-pi." The Tiny Mouse Pokémon began to tell its story about its activities at the Smash Mansion. As minutes passed by, Pikachu's ears began to point straight up. It was intrigued to hear of its younger counterpart choosing to go on the dangerous mission to save Rosträdgård from peril and prevent other worlds from falling victim to the Svärtad Orm. The astoundingly high number of foes defeated during the training sessions left Pikachu satisfied about how much Pichu had improved. During the years of Melee, Pichu was easily and frequently regarded as the worst fighter of the bunch; the combination of constant recoil damage, extreme frailty, low power in many attacks, and susceptibility of getting fiercely thrashed without end resulted in the small Pokémon suffering numerous losses. And that was in addition to its reputation as the butt of many jokes. Pikachu could recall instances where Bowser and Ganondorf often taunted whom they perceived to be the weakest warrior in existence—so weak, in fact, that they saw Pichu to be unworthy of the title "Smasher". However, even the more good-hearted characters doubted the baby Pokémon's potential; Mario and Luigi once agreed that Pichu was extremely unlikely to keep up with the rest of the group, and other lightweights, including Jigglypuff and Kirby, felt that Pichu was giving them a soured reputation. Eventually, after many losses and due to the requests of several Smashers, Pichu was put on leave by Master Hand to help improve fighting skills.
Something or someone had given the young Pokémon some training, because the most recent session saw it eliminate foes with flying colors. Also, its decision to join the Smashers was a sign of its developing courage, a clear departure from its cowardly nature of years ago.
"Pika! Pikachu?"
"Pichu." The younger rodent leaped onto its cousin's bed, which was decorated with Poké Ball insignias. Pikachu's room was noted to be very plain, barring the presence of plushies shaped into various Pokémon species.
"Pika-pi? Pika." Pikachu dragged the blanket over its body and left some extra space for Pichu.
"Pi."
Inside the medical wing, operating room…
"This is a high-risk-a operation," Mario, now dressed in a surgeon's uniform, sighed under his breath. He was accompanied by a few servants dedicated to the field of medicine; they, too, were dressed appropriately for the operation. "But I don't-a see any other options."
"I'm feeling anxious about this operation," a Waddle Dee squeaked worriedly. "What if the lady dies while we remove the parasite or whatever was harming her?"
"Then our-a mission to help Rosträdgård will be in-a jeopardy. Still, I'm-a hoping that she lives and has a chance to recover." Mario kept his eyes on Lillian, whose body was face-down and mostly covered by a blue sheet.
"Whatever you say, man. Are we gonna start or what?"
"We shall." On their leader's cue, the surgeons gathered around to start the operation. On the outer edge of the room, Stefan silently waited, hoping that his sister would not perish.
"I have faith in your survival… Do not disappoint me. Do not disappoint the entire kingdom."
I sympathize with the Waddle Dee who spoke about his anxiety. I'm also feeling apprehensive about this surgery, and it's not just because I have somebody's life in my hands. Given her status as princess, Lillian must be extremely important to the Rosträdgårdian people, especially to Stefan. I do NOT want to be blamed for her death. If being framed for graffiti back at Isle Delfino was enough to bring my name into infamy among the locals, then I am truly afraid of the kind of harsh reception I will receive if my actions cause Lillian to die.
-Mario
Flandre: My, what an unfortunate scenario for those toys. I wonder what's next?
Whoosh…
Flandre: …? Who's there?
Remilia: It's just me, Flandre. I'm only here to deliver this man back to his home because of one Johan Eriksson's request.
Thud…
Ugh…! Horrible… Just plain horrible…
Flandre: Aw, are you hurt, Mister Guy?
Get… out…
Remilia: He looks disturbed… I hope that danmaku shower hadn't damaged his mind beyond-
USCITE, PER FAVORE!
Remilia: We'll take our leave, then. Let us head back to the mansion, Flan. We don't want to be late for dinner.
Flandre: Okay, Oneesan. See ya later, Guy!
Whoosh…
Hey, guys… Sorry about my absence. I'm not in the mood to say anything else, so read and review. I'll go take care of business…