Unification + Operation
I can't believe that Johan decided to send that vampire so that I could be put through bullet hell… That fucking asshole is going to pay for this shit! Not only did I suffer from serious injuries, but Remilia thought it was a wonderful idea to bring some of her friends along so that they all could inflict permanent psychological damage upon me! And I couldn't even understand what half of them were saying!
Anyway, here is the next chapter. Now I'd better go take care of my injuries and the damages to my home.
Inside the operating room…
"Oh, but-a before I begin…" Mario muttered, reaching into one of his pockets to expose the two staff pieces that he had been carrying. "Stefan, I-a want you to reunite the pieces."
"Where are the other three pieces?" the light-haired prince asked, unsure of where the other components were at. "I need them to complete the Staff of Björn."
Mario was quick to remember what had become of the other pieces; as far as he was concerned, Lillian was never in possession of them. "I think-a three other Smashers are-a holding on to them. Ask-a Master Hand about that-a; he'll-a give the information in-a no time. I believe he's inside his-a office."
"Understood, Mario. Once I locate the components, however, I will come back to this room." The prince, temporarily abandoning his initial plan, exited the room to locate Master Hand's office on the Smash Mansion's fourth floor. While leaving, he heard sounds of light clanging from behind, presumably Mario and his team moving surgical tools around. The cool air of the medical wing continued to overshadow him as he ascended to the ground floor via a large stairway, which appeared to be plainer and simpler in architecture compared to most other parts of the mansion. Upon reaching the ground floor, he noticed the entrance to the game room, a place of relaxation for most Smashers, off to his left. Wolf O'Donnell and Wario were witnessed playing a game of pool billiards via a translucent window on the door, but neither fighter noticed the prince in return. Loud tapping noises were heard through painted walls and solid wood as Stefan passed by. Even when he approached the entrance to a quiet study room, he could still hear the two Smashers playing their game. Near the hallway leading into a laundromat, the Rosträdgårdian monarch noticed the replacement of tapping with washers spinning at maximum speed.
Taking the elevator to the fourth floor, Stefan felt a quiet atmosphere overcome his mortal body. Unlike the chilling silences in the forest, this one was far gentler and, through some mysterious force, allowed him to conjure the question that was to be stated to Master Hand. His thinking was extraordinarily quick such that he was ready to speak when the elevator doors opened. The prince noticed a sleepy Luigi exiting the theatre, perhaps in preparation for a long rest; Mario's younger brother, just like Wario and Wolf, did not stare at him.
It should be close now, Stefan noted. Indeed, when he exited the elevator, he found himself at the same location where Falco had guided him to during the previous night. As soon as he was close enough, his right hand tapped the door as loudly as a coin striking a hard surface.
Tap… Tap…
"Yes? Who is it?" the hand's voice boomed from the other side. There was still undeniable strength in his voice despite the door leaving it partly muffled.
"It's Stefan," the young man responded. "I need to speak with you on a vital matter. Would you be so kind as to open the door?"
"The door is already unlocked. Come on in and we'll talk." On cue, Stefan pushed the door open and immediately sat on the nearest chair available. The cushioning on said object stimulated relaxation throughout his back and on the back of his legs. Considering how much stress he had experienced during his search for Lillian, this was yet another relaxing feeling on part of the Smash Mansion; previously, he had slept on the cozy bed where Lillian often rested during her stay.
"What is your concern, Mister Åkerfeldt?" the commentator questioned, curious about the subject at hand.
"I would like to request the pieces of the Staff of Björn," the prince responded with a clear tone. "I have been given two of them by Mario, so I just need to find the other three. I must know if you're aware of their locations."
"They are being held by three Smashers: Falco Lombardi, Samus Aran, and Captain Falcon. Find them and they should give you what you want. Check their rooms first, and if you can't find them there, ask the other Smashers in the building. By the way, here is a good example of what your piece-holding allies in question look like."
Click…
A drawer was opened for Master Hand to retrieve photographs of the three piece-holding Smashers, along with stills detailing the appearances of their bedroom entrances; the mugshots were marked by symbols connected to the fighters they were associated with. All photos were given to Stefan without second thoughts, who had just conjured a second question in his mind.
"Where can I find their rooms? This mansion is a large place, after all."
Master Hand immediately opened another drawer, this time searching for a map of the Smash Mansion. "I have a map that I believe will help guide you to your destinations. It's quite easy to read, so don't worry about getting lost. Once you're done with it, I want it back in this office."
"Rest assured, the search will not take long to complete." Stefan, with all the necessary items in his possession, left the office to find the three Smashers specified during the conversation. While approaching the elevator, he began to examine the heavily detailed map. Each floor, including the basement and the attic, was represented, and the precise location of each Smasher's room was also printed. Maybe this was the reason why the inhabitants of this mansion could easily get around without becoming lost in the long but elegant hallways. Surely, there must have been a demand for a repellent of confusion to be created when the building was first constructed. Not wasting any time, Stefan stepped into the elevator and plotted a course for Falco's room.
Inside the operating room…
"The patient is now under anesthesia," one surgeon, a female Toad with violet dots on her cap, announced. Lillian had just been administered a gaseous form of sedative, resulting in her body completely losing any sensation of pain. "Heart rate is stable."
"Molto bene," Mario replied. "Let's-a clear the area of-a all hair." With a simple gesture, he ordered one of his assistants to obtain an electric clipper from one of the cabinets. The device in question was operable with the help of batteries, so there was no need for Mario to find a nearby outlet. The Italian Smasher, upon obtaining what he needed, heard a high-pitched buzzing noise as he proceeded to remove some of the Rosträdgårdian princess's hair. One surgeon, the same Waddle Dee who voiced his concerns prior to the surgery's beginning, brought over a waste bin to gather all removed strands. For precision's sake, Mario made sure that no follicle of the selected area remained untouched and made sure that his clipper shaved all hair down to the skin. Meanwhile, a rolling table with all the necessary equipment was positioned next to Lillian's unconscious form for the next steps.
"Marking incision right-a now…" Mario grabbed a black marker from the table and, after removing the cap, gently created a vertical line over the hairless area; to ensure neatness, he stretched the skin outwards while drawing.
"The scalpel's ready for you, sir," the violet-dotted, raven-haired Toad noted. "It should be precise enough to make a clean cut."
"Be-a ready to cauterize the blood-a vessels." The Smasher kept a steady hand as his scalpel prepared to cut through gentle skin.
With Stefan, near Falco's room…
"This should be it," Stefan muttered under his breath. Now on the third floor's eastern wing, he took several steps before locating Falco's room, marked by the blue Star Fox logo. With gentle taps, he attempted to get the avian pilot's attention. Initially, no response crawled out from the room's colorful door. Was Falco asleep, or had he already left…?
Where is he…?
Tap… Tap…
…
Tap… Tap…
…
"Yeah, who is it?" the pilot finally grunted in an annoyed fashion. "This'd better be worth my time."
"This is Stefan, Falco," was the young prince's response. "I need to request an item from you. Specifically, I need the staff piece in your possession."
"What, you need it for somethin'?" Falco was unsure of the prince's main objective. There had to be a reason why a request like this one was being asked right now.
"I'm seeking to reassemble the Staff of Björn before this night is over. May I please enter?"
"Sure thing, buddy." The ace pilot gently tugged the door open before searching for the piece in one of his drawers. Stefan took the time to note Falco's appearance, something which was not done when Lillian fell victim to her current condition; this Smasher was a pheasant, a type of bird, yet could walk, dress, think, and even speak like a man. Such a creature was completely foreign to Rosträdgård, and it provoked fascination from the prince's mind. When considering that his own kingdom was home to colorful creatures, that was saying a lot.
"Here it is," Falco muttered. He, after a minute-long search, located the platinum-colored component and handed it over to the prince. "It's safe and sound. Do you need help finding the other pieces?"
"I know where I am supposed to go," Stefan quickly replied. "Just in case, however, I want you to tell me the locations of Captain Falcon and Samus Aran."
"Oh, those two? Yeah, Falcon's in his room doing who-knows-what, and I'm sure he's gonna give you the piece if you ask him nicely. As for Samus, I don't have the slightest clue on where she's at. Check her room first. If she's not there, try asking the others in this mansion. One another thing, how's Lillian doing? If she's awake, then I need to have a few words with her."
Stefan nodded his head sideways. "She is undergoing surgery, so you cannot speak to her until she wakes up. I am sorry to tell you this."
"Eh, I can wait. Besides, I don't wanna be rushing Mario and his team on their task. Good luck on your task, by the way."
"You have a good night, Falco." Stefan silently closed the door before leaving for Falcon's room. As the warm sun continued to fall underneath the horizon, the black rose's dark beauty began to take over the Smash Mansion, replacing the innocent aura of the red counterpart. The young man was not bothered by this change, largely because he was more obvious to it compared to his sister, but it was also because of the mansion's lighting. That was not to say that he was completely ignorant, for his eyes had taken notice of the gradual decrease of light for a few seconds.
Inside the operation room, slightly later…
"Careful…" the cautious Mario whispered under his breath. With the appropriate tools, he gently separated the skin on the back of Lillian's head, while one assistant, a red-shelled Koopa, proceeded to cauterize the leaking blood vessels. As the scalp was pulled apart, all surgeons could notice the distinct appearance of the spine, connected to the base of the maiden's cranium.
"So, where is that pesky parasite, man?" the Waddle Dee chirped. Due to his height, he had to use a chair to obtain a better view of the surgical site. "I'm not seeing it… yet."
"It's-a deeper inside, around the medulla," the Smasher slowly responded. "We should-a probably to expand the surgical site-a. Let's-a see what we can get-a done." He carefully expanded the vertical incision, exercising caution to avoid damaging any vital internal organs…
Near Captain Falcon's room…
Tap… Tap…
"Hey, who's out there?" a tired Captain Falcon asked. The tapping from Stefan's actions disturbed the racer's sleep without warning, resulting in a literal rude awakening. After swiftly rolling out of bed to obtain his helmet, Falcon stumbled towards the exit with a near-disregard for whatever potential objects were resting on the floor, only to encounter the patient Rosträdgårdian man demanding an audience with him.
"Captain Falcon, I need to obtain the staff piece in your possession," Stefan finally replied. "Do you have it inside your room?"
"I do," the bounty hunter quipped. "But why do you ask? I'm guessing that you need it for something important."
"You are correct, sir. I need it and the other four components for reunification. I feel that it is time for such a vital task to be done." Stefan kept the three pieces in his possession hidden from view as he waited for Falcon to execute his task.
"If that's what you want, then I won't turn down your request. We do need a unified Staff of Björn to finish off our foes, after all." The reclusive Smasher entered one of his drawers, home to a personal computer of his, and found his collected staff piece within seconds. He then tossed the polished object over to the prince, who successfully caught it.
This is quicker than I expected, Stefan believed. I believe I can get my task done in only a few minutes.
"If you need anything else, let me know," Falcon announced, despite secretly wanting to sleep again.
"That will not necessary. I shall go ahead and find the last piece on my own. Thank you for your assistance, by the way."
"Oh, you're welcome." After closing the door, Falcon felt highly relieved; since he had no obligation to accompany anyone, let alone a foreign guest, during a short but important task, he could now rest for the night and properly wake up to tomorrow. As usual, he initiated his nighttime routine that was occur before heading for his bed.
Meanwhile, Stefan reexamined the map to locate Samus's room while stepping away from Falcon's doorstep. As he did so, the sun fell even further down the horizon, albeit at a rate that was hardly noticeable. From the appearance of the map, the Chozo-raised Smasher's room was located on the third floor's eastern wing. The distance between the two bedrooms was nothing terribly long, but this was not Stefan's primary concern. It was possible that Samus was not in room right now, and if that was the case, then a search would have to be undertaken. Keeping in mind what Falco and Master Hand said, asking other Smashers would a wise thing to do; however, this was not yet necessary, for Stefan was not sure whether Samus was in her room or not.
"If Samus is in her room, then this should be quick," he sighed. Traveling back to the same area where Falco and Lucario once entered to secretly observe Lillian, Stefan felt some warm air from the vents above; this was a great improvement from the harsh winds of the mansion's exterior and, to a lesser extent, the Rosträdgårdian forests. He stopped to warm himself up for a minute or so, all before continuing to the mansion's eastern wing. From the view imposed by the hallway's windows, the natural scenery continued to darken, allowing beautiful aurorae and the shining moon to expose their true appearances. Such beauty could only be rivaled by Rosträdgårdian skies at night.
It was only a matter of time before Stefan reached the doorway to Samus Aran's room, which sat with other rooms of its kind. No second thoughts could, in any variety, come to mind when he gently tapped on the door.
Tap… Tap…
"Samus? Are you there?" As with Falco's room, Stefan received no response, verbal or otherwise. This time, however, the silence continued as the prince tried to earn a response. No footsteps were from the other side; it was possible that Samus was sleeping, but…
Tap… Tap…
"Miss Aran, I need to speak with you," he spoke again. But, once again, he received no response. If she truly was inside her room, wide awake, then she was probably an elusive spirit that could neither been seen nor heard. That possibility, on the contrary, seemed to dwindle as subsequent tapping failed to garner a reaction.
"I do not believe that she is in her room… I must search for other occupants to help pinpoint her location." Thankfully, Stefan was not forced to go far when he encountered a doorway with a pink Mushroom printed on its face. He was not yet aware of this, but the room in question belonged to Princess Peach, leading monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom.
"Perhaps I should ask the occupant of this room for information," he sighed to himself. Unbeknownst to him, the cybernetically enhanced princess overheard the comment via boosted hearing.
"Who's outside my room?" she asked. While waiting for a response, she activated her bionic eye's X-ray mode to detect her visitor. Thankfully, as she came to realize, it was neither Bowser nor any other potential aggressor.
"Stefan, Lillian's brother," the young man replied. "I need to find Samus Aran. Do you know where she is?" He watched the door open to witness the princess in her full mechanical beauty. Admittedly, he was temporarily stunned by her appearance; Rosträdgård was no stranger to state-of-the-art prosthetic technology, for a few citizens—civilians and servicemembers alike—were users of artificial body parts. None of those people, however, possessed the same degree of mechanization as Peach or the extremely advanced technology attached to her body.
"Yeah, I saw her hanging out in the dining room, eating a tasty meal. I believe she's still there. Let me check…" She accompanied Stefan on the way to the third floor's central area, reactivating her eye's X-ray function when she was close enough to the dining room's nearest entrance. The world around her was a mixture of blues and whites, with the former group representing open space. Walls were translucent in appearance, while nearby persons were depicted as skeletons with faint frames, barring a few exceptions. The sole skeleton in the dining room seemingly belonged to Samus, given the feminine frame around it. To verify, Peach opened the door to observe the once-armored Smasher, while simultaneously switching her eye back to its default mode.
"Yep, Samus is still eating, but it looks like she's almost done with her food," she clarified. "You should hurry if you want to talk to her."
"Okay, madam," Stefan commented softly. "Thank you for your assistance. Oh, and before I leave, what is your name?"
"It's Peach." The cyborg princess then strolled back to her room, leaving the Rosträdgårdian prince to settle matters with Samus by himself. He traveled across the dining area's upper floor to reach his intended person, who, true to Peach's word, was almost finished with her food.
"Samus Aran?" he called. "May I have a word with you?"
"Yeah, what is it?" the huntress responded, but not before swallowing her food. Her voice sounded like it was tainted with annoyance, almost as if she did not want to be bothered.
"I need to take the staff piece in your possession; I wish to reassemble the entire staff by tonight."
Samus's voice slightly calmed upon hearing the request. "Oh, is that it? For a second there, I thought you were going to force me to do something really tiresome. I'll give you the key to my room, and just to help ya out, the piece is in a drawer close to where my Power Suit is stored. Be quick."
Whoosh…
"Thank you, Samus." Stefan, after catching the key, left for Samus's bedroom, traveling as quickly as possible.
Inside the operating room, slightly later…
"Steady, steady…" Mario mumbled. As he pulled the skin apart, he noticed a strange entity hiding in the area where the medulla oblongata was supposed to be. Even his assistants, who were disinfecting the outer areas, failed to break his fixation. In fact, the further apart the skin was pulled, the more fascinated he became.
I think this is it, he believed. This might be the cause of Lillian's suffering. With an overhead light at his side, he examined the anomaly further. This thing, no, creature was reminiscent of a silverfish, except that it was pale yellow, noticeably larger, had black markings on the front of its body, and was recognizable by the tendrils that barely kept it attached to Lillian's medulla. The fact that it was not moving was a clear sign that it had been dead for some time.
"I've-a found the parasite," the Smasher announced. "We must remove it as-a soon as possible."
"Hey, we're ready when you are," the Waddle Dee assistant chirped. The appropriate tools were brought into play as the surgeons prepared to remove the wretched creature…
With Stefan…
"Now that I have all the pieces, I must head back down to the medical wing," the young monarch stated. He had found the final staff component and, having returned Samus's key, was now returning to where he left Mario. "First, however, the staff needs to be reunited." As he gradually returned in the main hall, he reassembled the Staff of Björn, placing the components into the correct positions. The process itself was relatively short, but the result was nothing short of impressive.
Woooo…
The Staff of Björn, now fully reassembled, began to glow an extremely bright white, overwhelming the mansion's lighting and nearly blinding Stefan. To say that the completed product was an inanimate angel in staff form was an extreme understatement. No, it was like a magical godsend from whatever potential forces existed beyond the physical world and kept watch over all souls, good and evil alike. The diamond was the brightest segment of all, revealing its full beauty and an aura that could potentially ward off evil entities, including the Svärtad Orm. While less impressive compared to the gem, the wings and all other lower components exhibited a glow that strongly complimented their polished appearance, unaltered by centuries of existence. The fact that Stefan was now holding this mighty weapon was enough to provoke a sense of hope.
"All that is left is to locate the Pure-Hearted Soul," he sighed. "Once she has bonded with this holy artifact, we will be able to end the bloody war, once and for all. If everything will go as planned, the Lords will soon fall, this I swear with utmost honesty. For now, I must return to the medical wing and check on Mario's progress." Keeping the glowing weapon in hand, he returned to the same hallway which he used to exit the mansion's basement. On the way down, it was revealed that Wario and Wolf were no longer in the game room; perhaps they had left for their rooms for the night, but Stefan knew that his eyes could not claim to be an eyewitness to their actions.
The slow descent to the Smash Mansion's medical wing was a relatively simple one, for nothing interesting happened or was noted along the way. Stefan stared at the map one last time before storing it for a later trip to Master Hand's office. Upon arriving at the operating room, he noticed that Mario and his team of surgeons were close to completely removing the parasite from Lillian's body, taking extreme care to avoid damaging the princess's brain. The plumber-turned-hero needed not turn around to know that Stefan was approaching; besides the piercing glow of the staff, a mirror on the farthest wall alerted him to the prince.
"You're-a back, Stefan," he greeted. "Just in time-a, too, because we've almost gotten the creature out-a. Just-a wait a little longer…" Over the next minute or so, Mario slowly the deceased Plågoande from Lillian's body and, with careful precision, placed it onto a metallic tray to his right.
"The staff is finally completed," the prince responded. He placed the staff next to the mirror, unaware of the diamond's subsequent change in color to a grass-like hue. "Is the Plågoande removed?"
"Yep, it's-a out. All that's-a left is to close-a the incision. As-a for the hair, I don't-a know what-a Lillian would be satisfied with. What do you think-a?"
Stefan, upon closer examination of his sister's lack of long hair around the incision, debated whether he could suggest an adequate hairstyle. For one thing, having a shaved patch of hair surrounded by longer strands would probably be too awkward for the princess to have; in fact, Stefan knew of no person whose hair was a mixture of shaved and long areas. Cutting Lillian's hair to a shorter length would provide a remedy to the problem, perhaps in tandem with hair extensions. However, neither Stefan nor Lillian possessed such accessories as far as the former was concerned. Ultimately, the prince decided to suggest a style based on what he had seen on his sister during and following a darker period of her life.
"Remove the rest of the hair. I believe that, at least in the long run, she will have no problem with the changes to her appearance."
"Are you-a sure?" Mario was unsure about whether Lillian would be satisfied with the removal of her hair or not. In fact, he simply could not imagine the Rosträdgårdian princess having little to no hair on her scalp. Nevertheless, if that was what Stefan genuinely wanted…
"There will be no problem to her."
"Alright-a. I'll-a get that done." Mario and his team, with the clipper nearby, proceeded to close the incision. This was to be done before the rest of Lillian's hair could be removed. Meanwhile, Stefan finally noticed the change in the staff diamond's appearance.
"What is this?" The young man was intrigued by the green coloring, an outlier in the artifact's heavenly appearance, and tried to figure out the cause, but to no avail. He had never seen the staff being operated in person, nor could he recall moments in legend where the diamond would change color. It was possible that the staff was reacting to something inside the Smash Mansion, but…
"I will investigate this change later… Mario, do you know a safe place where I can store the Staff of Björn?" Stefan picked up the holy weapon for transportation.
"There's-a safe on the other side of-a the basement. You'll-a need my key to get-a access, and once you get-a back, I might-a need you to help us out-a…"
Whoosh…
"Thank you, Mario." After it was tossed to him, the prince caught Mario's key to the Smash Mansion's vault. The gray-colored key in question was a square card printed with two logos: the logo of the Smash Brothers on the back, and a red Mushroom on the front. Stefan, with the swiftness of a seasoned runner, quickly traveled to the vault…
Inside the palace of the Lords, portal room…
"Captain Lindqvist," the leader announced with a firm, dark voice, "It is time to begin our journey to the Smash Mansion. We believe that our targets are inside that building, so I want you, Captain Eriksson, and your new subordinates to find them. After that, we shall lay waste to the stronghold." He and his vampire subordinate, along with Johan, were inside a large room with a dome-shaped ceiling. Nothing was out of the ordinary except for the presence of a large, metallic portal in the center. The portal itself was forged from the strongest metals of Rosträdgård and was powered by a computer that controlled where the portal was to send someone.
"Yes, we are ready to attack," Lina responded emotionlessly. Her tongue licked her extended fangs between sentences. "Everything shall go as expected."
"Oh, boy," Johan chirped excitedly, "I can't wait to get this show on the road!"
"Calm yourself, Eriksson," the leader demanded. "You must maintain your focus during the mission. Otherwise, you will fail again… just like how you failed at Tallon IV."
"Okay, boss…" Johan placed himself next to Lina as he was eager to begin his mission. Meanwhile, two robed figures entered the room, also ready for the assignment at hand. One of the newcomers was taller and bulkier than the other.
"I shall activate the portal at once." The mysterious man adjusted the portal to create a pathway to the World of Trophies. As he did so, electrical currents zipped from the machine's inner ring with intense noisiness. Both captains stepped backwards to avoid receiving a nasty shock. After what seemed like an elongated minute, the portal finally formed a dimensional pathway to where the hunting party was set to enter. Behind a violet haze was the view of an elegant mansion in the middle of a fertile area, complete with an outer perimeter surrounding the building.
"This will be our opportunity to simultaneously aid the resurrection of the Holy Serpent and ruin the interlopers who have hindered us for far too long," the leader proclaimed. "Only your coordination and determination will bring us much-deserved success. Captains Eriksson and Lindqvist, you must not fail me this time, or I will punish you the same way I punished Captain Hedin."
"Oh, right…" Johan muttered. "You'll be stripping him of his rank soon. That's gonna suck for us if we fail…"
"Rest assured, we will do our best," Lina added. Without hesitation, she, her subordinates, and Johan all stepped into the portal, hoping to accomplish their task. The leader, now alone, chose to head to a lower segment of the building.
"Now I must check to Captain Isberg," he sighed. "I hope to see whether he has made potential improvements to my personal Legionär or not. If he has, then a great reward has been set to bless him. In either case, I remain hopeful that further experimentation will erase the one weakness common among other Legionärer." He then utilized his magic to teleport to the elderly captain's location.
I feel as though hope is returning to me, but the grimness of the situation is still present. Given what Mario said to me, it is possible that I can contribute to my sister's recovery. However, I fear that it might already be too late. She may never wake up, and if that is the case…
No. I must remain strong. The fate of Rosträdgård depends on me and the Smashers, and if we fail, then the kingdom is doomed with us…
-Prince Stefan Åkerfeldt
Yep, this is more of a filler chapter, so I apologize for the short length. I also haven't been able to complete this for a while due to my job, schoolwork, personal activities, and patching myself up due to the Scarlets and their pals. Still, I hope to upload more parts before the year closes.
For the next chapter, we'll see how Johan and Lina's mission goes. As for the two tag-alongs, their identities will remain hidden… for now.