Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS: The Glory of Custom Moves
Second Sealed Fate
The Falchion blade glowed with a brilliant gold sheen in the bright light of day as Lucina held it aloft towards the sky. She sighed and breathed in the sweet, crisp air around her as she stood poised. She stared up at her sword for quite some time and relished the sight of it as it gleamed in the sun. The moment might have been better if not for the overbearing noise.
Lucina bit her lip and shut her eyes as foot traffic boomed around her. Fighters of all shapes and sizes walked around her as she pointed her weapon upwards. Just behind her the doors to the Super Smash Bros. tournament were jam-packed with foot traffic, stuffed to the gills with combatants and spectators, excited chatter and the symphony of shoes skidding. Not a moment went by when the doorway was completely clear of people. A banner stretched from the top of the building, one that was labelled with the words, "Smash Tourney Today!".
The blue haired swords-woman sheathed her blade and advanced on the building. "A tournament… I suppose a challenge wouldn't hurt. Anything to improve."
These were her thoughts as she attempted to enter the building. The crowd, however, made it significantly harder for her to keep those words in her head. They brushed past her and practically drowned the doorway in flesh. She gritted her teeth and pushed forward regardless, and eventually shoved through. She rolled onto the carpet into the building and pressed on.
Noise was loud. Not only were challengers aplenty, but so were the spectators. Many curious persons hopped from spot to spot and eyed Lucina with excitement and awe. She simply walked by a few, but managed to wave.
"Strange…" Lucina thought to herself as she pressed forward.
"Lucina!" A voice called out from the crowd.
She perked up and spun around. Who among this crowd of people could have possibly called her name?
She got her answer quite quicker than she would have liked. In a blur, someone leaped up to her and gripped her around the neck.
Despite the fact that it could have been a possible assassination, Lucina could not help but laugh. "I would've never expected to find you here."
"Are you kidding?" A youthful voice cooed back at her. "Why would I miss a chance to watch my niece win a tournament?"
When the jittery blur finished speaking, she set herself down on the floor in front of Lucina. Blonde hair wrapped underneath a white headdress styled into double pigtails bounced almost as much as the person herself. Large, crystal blue eyes gazed up at her excitably. The girl who hugged her wore a bright yellow dress befitting of a maiden, except for the steel cage underneath it. For whatever reason, a metal cage shaped like half of a sphere held up her dress and white frills up like a large skirt; she wore white leggings and brown boots underneath the flourish of her outfit.
"Aunt Lissa," Lucina smiled down at her. "I'm astounded and flattered you would think that."
"Of course!" Lissa spoke up and pouted. "There's hardly anything to do in Ylisse lately. Chrom's been stuffed up to his nose in paperwork, Frederick's been busy training new recruits-"
"What about Owain?" Lucina asked inquisitively as she set down her much shorter aunt.
She pursed her lips. "...I dunno. I haven't seen him around for a while."
"Perhaps he's off spinning another daring tale." Lucina suggested as the crowd shuffled around the two of them.
"Probably." Lissa shrugged ignorantly then turned back towards her niece with a big bright smile. "So, when do you start?"
The sound of a whistle pierced the air. Instinctively, Lucina turned behind her. Through the line of bystanders within the Smash Brothers building she could distinctly see a large white glove wave to her from the crowd. Well, large may have been an understatement.
"Last call for the tourney!" Master Hand's voice boomed across the hall past lines of chaotic hustle and bustle.
The cluster of potential spectators shuffled and shook in excitement as they trampled over in the direction of the hand. Master Hand pointed one large finger to the left at the very end of the hall and the spectators poured in as swiftly as they could. Throughout the chaos, the giant glove jabbed a thumb to the right, its knuckles faced in the direction of the azure swords-woman.
Lucina nodded back to Master Hand then glanced down at Lissa. "I'll be sure to make you proud, Aunt Lissa."
Lucina began to take off. She was stopped short when she felt a tug on her cape that prompted her to turn around again.
"Hey, wait a minute!" Lissa called up to her taller niece. "Before you go, I need to hand you something!"
"Oh?" She tilted her head with an inquisitive mien.
"Yeah, one sec." Lucina's aunt muttered and reached behind her, fidgeting with her hands and with an expression of annoyance. "...Could've sworn...ah! Here it is!"
With a swift, single motion, she unceremoniously dragged out a very large, silver sphere from who knew where. A dainty smile crossed her face as she presented a large, round, blue orb encased in the middle of a spherical silver cage to Lucina. The peculiar object startled her.
Lucina blinked several times before saying, "Is that a-"
"It's a good luck charm!" Lissa grinned as she slowly rose it closer to Lucina's face, though she backed away with a somewhat worried conscience.
"I believe it's a little more than just a charm, Lissa." Lucina murmured as she rose her brown gloved hand in front of her face. "Why did you…?"
"It doesn't work. We've tried." Lissa pouted and retracted her arms in a sort of parody of an offense. "Lucy, Chrom spent a lot of gold on this! You can't just rebuff it."
"But didn't you just-" Lucina's eyes widened in surprise. "Father bought this?"
"Again," The voice of the ginormous white glove echoed throughout the building for everyone, including Lucina, to hear, "Last call for the tourney! Anyone still stuck in exposition building now's your last chance!"
Lucina twisted her head behind her with a frown. With less and less foot traffic in the halls, she could see the imposing figure of Master Hand gesture to her in particular with a point of his thick index and middle finger. She pivoted back around to her aunt, and-
She gazed up at her with the sweetest smile she had ever seen. Lissa batted her lashes in an almost impish nature. "Right, and we wouldn't want to disappoint him, right? Think of it like a...token of your bond…?"
Lucina sighed resignedly and gripped the sphere and retrieved it from Lissa. "...You're right."
Lissa smirked, then without a word of warning spun her around and shoved her towards the hall. "Now go and get 'em!"
Lucina managed a slight smile as she jogged down the hallway. She waved back as she dashed down the hallway carpet. Lissa mirrored her goodbye, with a much swifter wave motion. Lucina ducked into the right door just past Master Hand quickly, which left Lissa in a circular lobby room with a few spectator stragglers. The gloved hand then gestured towards the room on the left again, less like a command, but a welcome suggestion.
Lissa smirked and took off for the door with a gleeful giggle. "This is gonna be good!"
As to be expected from such an event, Lucina entered the waiting lobby and was instantly greeted with an uproar. The moment her blue boot tapped on the clean floor, chaos greeted her with open arms. Several fighters crowded the seats, though many eagerly flocked towards the door in the far corner back of the room, the set of double doors covered in a swath of potential competitors.
The orange dragon, Charizard, laid on the floor and watched the rest fruitlessly attempt to budge the shut set of doors with a smirk and a puff of smoke. After a few unsuccessful attempts at cracking the door open a handful of disappointed fighters slunk back into their seats. Smirk now wide and eagerness peaked, Charizard rose to its large orange feet, stood tall and proud, and charged towards the doors.
As Charizard launched back from the recoil as a result of slamming into a pair of shut doors, Kirby and his mech occupied two separate seats, as the Fire and Flying type Pokémon puffed a frustrated cloud of smoke into the air. Kirby, brown pilot goggles strapped to his head, tinkered and tapped with his Robobot armor curiously. The armor laid dormant, its yellow half cylinder eyes dull and lifeless. Kirby was having the time of his life, nonetheless, poking and prodding with his tiny pudgy hands.
Eventually Kirby became somewhat too invested and curious in the machinations of the machine. Lacking a care in the world, Kirby began prodding about what appeared to be the controls of the mech with its tiny round pink fist, barely noticing the sudden red beams dimly flashing across the two mechanical eyes as he reached for a small button within the Robobot Armor.
The resulting explosion created a smoggy cloud thicker than the dragon's puffs.
Lucina took mental notes of the other competitors sprawled across the floor with a sharp and calculated glare. "They are a force to be reckoned with."
She gave a cursory glance around then sat down on a chair. Instantly she hopped back up, rubbed her back, and reached behind her. Lucina retrieved her "good luck charm", the blue sphere within the silver cage spun about within in a sort of chaotic potential. It stayed in one place, but for whatever reason Lucina felt that it was waiting for the right time.
She shook her head. Whatever time and whatever place the orb's "good luck" would truly take effect was unknown to Lucina, but she hardly paid attention to the luck. Her heart raced as she gazed back towards the crowded set of doors.
"Father…" Lucina thought to herself as she gripped the sphere between both of her gloved hands. "It's somewhat unnecessary but I feel the need to thank you. This...lucky seal I suppose."
"I'll do my best." Lucina muttered through the smoke. She wrinkled her nose suddenly.
"Ugh!" The swords-woman heard someone gag. "Someone open the doors already!"
She glanced up to the ceiling and sighed as she waved away the black smoke agreeably. Lucina took the seal and stowed it behind her out of sight. She held her hand to her sheathed sword and closed her eyes as if to attempt to tune out the chaos that unfolded in the room.
Before she had the idea to plug her ears, a voice gasped out in the very minimal pandemonium of the room. "Uh, am I late? Sorry, this place has been pretty busy."
Lucina gave a cursory glance towards the door. White hair and surprised red eyes aimed at the doors as his pointed ears twitched inquisitively. For a moment she thought it was Robin. The similarities between the man and her comrade ended at his hair. The young man's torso and legs were garbed in a monochrome armor of white and black plates and a lavish, short blue cape, one thin end draped from the front of his armor and flowed freely behind him. As for footwear…
He wore no shoes. His armor plates reached down to his heels and ended at the back. Despite the many pebbles, trash, and other such impediments of the modern realm that no soul should have to suffer through without shoes, his eyes glinted a hint of readiness, that of a friendliness and recklessness.
The powerful aroma of smoke hit him eventually. He narrowed his eyes. "Gah! Hold on."
He reached at his side. A dull green light glinted back at Lucina for a split second before the room was flooded with an even brighter green light, caused her to cover her eyes with one arm, the smoke still circling about the room. As the sudden flash faded from her vision, she uncovered her face and blinked back towards the entrance.
A roar like that of a dragon followed by a sudden single strong gust and the smoke dissipated. Lucina had hardly time to react when the flash blinded her yet again much to her irritation. When the pretty dots that blinked across her eyes faded she glanced back at the door. The young man in white and black armor stood tall, brushed off his monochrome uniform, and smiled.
"Alright." A pleased hum crooned from his direction. "That should clear it up a bit."
Mild thanks and cheers called out from the crowd. At his seat, Kirby sat in somewhat of a confused daze next to a still dysfunctional machine, happy and almost completely unaware of his own folly. Charizard stood besides him with a reptilian frown and a few test flaps of its wings.
Lucina just blinked at the barefoot male in the doorway. "Corrin."
Corrin blinked in surprise. He turned towards his right to where Lucina remained seated. "Oh! Hello Lucina! You're competing in the tournament?"
"Of course." She nodded and folded her hands across her lap.
"Heh." Corrin pursed his lips and nodded as he walked across the room sat down adjacent to her. "I guess that should've been obvious from the start."
"I assume you're competing as well?" Lucina inquired with a cursory glance towards the white haired swordsman.
Corrin nodded, suddenly solemn, and peered back at the entrance. "I'm hoping that it'll take my mind off of...recent events."
Lucina noticed the disdain creep onto Corrin's face upon mention. Before she could respond, a loud bang sounded through the room, and everyone peeped the doors. A bright light glowed as the doors everyone pined for finally cracked open and the hearty sound of a voice being cleared crooning through the portal. The fighters remained in their seats, silent, but extremely eager at the prospect of being called.
"Lucina!" The voice beckoned to the swords-woman.
The groans of several impatient fighters fluttered about the room. One surprised Lucina blinked in surprise at her name being called. Corrin mirrored her expression of surprise just the same.
"Ah," He frowned, "I guess this conversation we'll have to talk after the tournament. Well," His frown switched into a small friendly smile, "Good luck in the tournament."
"As to you as well." Lucina responded quickly as she sat up and off her seat and continued towards the doors.
Corrin watched among the minor chaos spurred by his fellow battle-ready Smashers as she took off for the opposite doorway. She wandered far through the doors into the light and continued with a steady hand and a valiant strut. The doors shut behind her slowly but surely and the light cloaked her in white and blue as she spirited away.
As she felt herself being carried throughout time and space Lucina felt a sudden weight tug down on her. She swallowed, maintained her posture, and continued on.
Lucina's eyes opened and was greeted large, tan, faded walls arranged in a great circle around her. Above the walls a crowd roared in excitement. Stadium seats from all around held people of all sorts gaze down at her. She glanced across the stage. Upon the very same mechanical, tan platform she stood upon, a light approached.
The shape of a monochrome dragon popped in with a splash of water and a shift. "Alright." Corrin hummed as the black and white scales shifted back into place on his human body in the shape of his armor.
"Ahem." Lucina cleared her throat.
Corrin's ruby irises flashed confusion as he blinked back. "Oh! Lucina! What are the odds huh?"
Lucina sighed and shook her head. "Yes…" She readied her weapon in her right hand and sliced forward towards the air. "But enough conversation. We'll have to fight."
"...Ah." Corrin nodded. "Of course. But can I just point out something first?"
"What is it?" Lucina asked as her eyes remained set on her opponent.
"When did you get the horse?" He asked with his hands by his side and his head tilted.
Lucina blinked in confusion. She mouthed the words in a voiceless echo for a minute. Suddenly she became aware of the large beast that snorted beneath her. She glanced down.
An equestrian covered from head to toe in shining blue and silver armor padded at the coliseum platform below her. It appeared quite content despite the fact that it was geared up for war.
Lucina examined herself as well. Her thinner, more flexible blue armor and cape strung about behind her were replaced with the weight of thick blue armor similar to the horse's beneath her. She glanced at her left. Her other arm held a large shield, carried by two brown straps circling about it, while as she glanced at her right she noticed her choice of weaponry. Falchion was gone. It had been replaced by a thick lance which extended in front of her.
For a moment Lucina pursed her lips. "...The seal." She felt extraordinarily foolish. "I should've left it behind!"
"What?" Corrin called back from across the platform.
"Never you mind!" Lucina shouted back and spun her lance by her side. "This is odd...but it's no challenge I can't face. Prepare yourself!"
Someone among the crowd roared in approval. Corrin nodded. "Very well!"
As if an imaginary bell sounded off the two took off. As Corrin sprinted stooped down towards the platform, Lucina swallowed her uncertainty and heeded the horse forward, which, to her surprise, obeyed her wishes within seconds. As if she had the experience of a seasoned jockey she willed the horse forward, the hammer-like sound of hooves beat against the ground as it pushed itself towards the enemy, with Lucina at the ready.
"Hyaaah!" The two cried as they launched themselves towards each other.
AN: DELAYED.
Thanks Red fiend and XShinkuKikinX for reviewing!
Red fiend, although I was not the grandest of Metroid fans, that chapter was enjoyable to write.
I appreciate the enthusiasm as ever XShinkuKikinX.
Thanks for reading, this is ThePizzaLovingTurtle, see you on the Heroes battlefield.