And now time for your regularly scheduled split focus(TM). Also, there's some surprises in this chapterrrr
Gonna get the third party disclaimer outta the way: Neku Sakuraba, The World Ends With You and all its other characters © Square-Enix. Also, Neku for Smash, pleaseeeee. We'll probably get Erdrick from Dragon Quest before him if the "Brave" datamine linking to Erdrick rumor is to be believed, but dang it, I've wanted Neku since heckin' BRAWL so I'm gonna be a bit self indulgent and insert him in here even though he might or might not make it. This takes place during day 3 of the third week of the Reaper's Game for the Neku side of the story. Title is also based off "Calling" from the TWEWY OST.
Also please play TWEWY Final Remix for Switch, that's my shameless shill for this chapter
ps. hope y'all enjoying Joker, he is frickin AWESOME and I love Persona
Hiding in my Skin, Broken from Within
Chapter 13 - Calling
"Guh..." The Captain groaned as he slowly came to his senses. He could hear the sound of footsteps overlapping and the chatter of a crowd of people. Slowly standing up, he observed his surroundings, and was surprised by what he found.
"Looks like I'm not in Green Greens anymore, heh..."
He appeared to be standing in the middle of a crosswalk in a heavily populated city area. There were no cars, just people crossing in all directions. Upon closer examination of the buildings around him, he deduced this had to be the Shibuya district in the city of Tokyo, Japan, circa 2007 A.D.
"Shibuya's Scramble Crossing..." he muttered. "I've read about the world in the 21st century, but...I never imagined I'd actually get to see the past for myself..." He began to walk to the left, when something strange happened as he thought he was about to bump into a couple of pedestrians.
They passed right through him instead.
"What the hell?!" He exclaimed. "Did they just...?!" Feeling a chill travel down his spine, he murmured, "Am I...dead...?" He began patting various areas on his torso, and much to his relief, he was very much still a solid flesh-and-blood human, not a ghost. He could even still feel his heart beating.
"That's a relief..." He said with a sigh. "But still... What does this mean...?"
"You a Player too?" A young man's voice asked a short distance behind Falcon. He turned around, and saw a young man with spiky orange hair, purple headphones, a black shirt with a purple stripe in the center surrounded by two smaller yellow stripes, and white-and-purple pants and shoes. He looked to be no older than fifteen years old.
"Player...?" The Captain questioned, a bit confused. "What are you talking about? What's going on? Who are you?"
"One question at a time, old man," the youth said, walking up to Captain Falcon.
"O-old man?!" Falcon stammered, a bit irritated. "I'm only 37, kid!"
"Still an old man to me," the young man quipped with a shrug. "Anyway, when I say Player, I mean-" He stopped mid-sentence, looking around quickly.
"What's wrong?" Captain Falcon asked the young man.
"I think there's Noise nearby..." the youth murmured.
"Noise...?" Falcon muttered. "What do you-" and all of a sudden, his question was answered for him. A strange-looking red penguin with bizarre symbols on its fur and golden "wings" that were just a bunch of hollow angled lines walked up to the Captain and the youth.
"THIS is what you're so worried about?" Falcon asked with a smirk, smacking his left fist into the palm of his right hand. "I can take 'em, no problem!"
"No, you can't," the youth told him, prompting Falcon's confident smirk to sink. "You don't have a partner, and from what I can observe, you can't use Psychs either. Taking it on as you are now would be suicide."
"Partner? Psychs...?" The Captain held his right hand to his head in confusion.
"I'll explain when this Noise is taken care of. In the meantime, you just leave this to the seasoned pros." Turning around, the young man called out, "Beat!"
On cue, another young man, who looked to be the same age as the other youth, rode on over on his skateboard. He had blonde hair covered by a knit black cap with a skull insignia, a white sleeveless shirt, beige pants, red and black sneakers, and a chain necklace with a skull charm.
"Yo, Phones!" Beat greeted, picking up his skateboard. Noticing the Captain standing behind the youth, he asked, "Who's dis geezer?"
"G-Geezer?!" Falcon griped, his grimace twitching in irritation. "Did the young people of the 21st century have this much of a lack of respect for their superiors?!"
"Dunno what you're on about, dude, but just stay behind us," Beat told the Captain. Turning around to the Noise, Beat declared, "Aight, Phones. Let's give dis Noise a good ol' fashioned BEAT-down!"
"Uuuh...what...?" Lucina murmured, slowly standing up. Looking around, she saw she was in an ancient castle of some sorts. The halls were faintly lit by candelabras on the wall and the dim light of the stormy sky outside shining through the stained glass windows. Every once in a while, lightning flashed through the windows.
"Looks like I'm a long ways away from Mute City..." She muttered. She couldn't help but feel the haunting aura of her surroundings instill a sense of unease in her as she cautiously explored the castle. The halls and stairways were long and winding and she was beginning to fear there was no end to it all.
"This...doesn't look like any castle from my world..." Lucina commented, shivering slightly as a sense of dread crept up on her. "Such a menacing aura...where is everybody?"
Hearing the sound of footsteps on a concrete floor echoing down the hallways, she quickly found a stone pillar and hid behind it, not knowing who was approaching, or if they were friend or foe. Peering quietly from behind the pillar once the footsteps were close enough, she saw a familiar face.
"Luigi...?" She whispered to herself.
Luigi was wandering the halls with a calm, content smile, his Poltergust 3000 equipped on his person. "A castle full of monsters?" He thought aloud. "I've-a faced worse. If I can brave various mansions filled with ghosts, this should-a be a piece of cake!"
Waiting for Luigi to leave the hallway, Lucina then headed in the opposite direction, continuing to explore the castle while not making her presence known to the green plumber.
I don't understand... She thought, stopping for a moment. Why am I still avoiding everyone from Smash City...? She shook her head as she continued walking. No... after Zelda and Robin, I promised I wouldn't return to Smash City or meet up with anyone from there again until I made this all right... Until I saw him again. Until I told him I was sorry, and...
Stopping again and holding her fingers to her lips as she blushed, she thought as she felt her heart skip a beat, ...until I told him...my true feelings. She resumed her trek as she pondered, a determined expression on her face, Just wait for me, Captain...father...everyone. I will come home soon... I'll make it out of here alive, then I'll find the Captain, and we'll both finally head back to Smash City.
...
Unfortunately, finding a way out proved to be harder than expected for the Ylissean. "I swear...this is the fourth time I've passed that statue..." She panted. Feeling despair overwhelm her, she slumped to the ground on her knees hopelessly.
"Will I ever find my way out...?" She murmured despondently. "Will I ever...see everyone again...?" Tears began to well up in her eyes before she closed them and silently wept.
"Haha...why...am I already losing hope? Why am I crying...? Before I left Zelda and Robin, I felt so...determined. Like I wasn't going to give up. But now... the reality of the situation is kicking in, and..." She buried her face in her hands as she sobbed.
"I'm sorry...everyone..."
"You alright there, miss?" An unfamiliar male voice asked her.
Gasping faintly, Lucina uncovered her face and turned her head to the source of the voice. Walking up to her was a young man who looked to be around Shulk's age, maybe a bit older, but also almost as physically fit as Captain Falcon. Almost. He was clad in blue with gray pants and brown leather boots and a brown leather belt with a holstered dagger on it, as well as a holstered chain whip with a morning star at its end. He wore a white bandana on his forehead, had short, messy brown hair, and blue eyes.
"Who...are you?" She asked the young man, wiping away her tears.
"You can call me Richter," he introduced himself with a smile, reaching out his right hand. "No idea how a lovely lady like yourself ended up in Dracula's Castle, but I just can't leave someone in need such as yourself. I can help you find your way out. What do you say...?"
"Dracula's...Castle?" Lucina questioned. "And...thank you." She took his hand as he helped her up. "But..." She looked away from him briefly.
"But...?" Richter inquired.
"But... I'm sorry, Mr. Richter, but my heart...belongs to someone else."
"Mister...?" Richter chuckled playfully. "Seems you're the formal type. But...if you're really head over heels over someone else, I won't pursue the issue any further. My offer to get you outta here still stands, though. I know this place like the back of my hand."
"You've been here before?" Lucina asked Richter, making eye contact with him.
"You could say...it's my occupation," Richter answered her. "And also...I'm looking for someone."
"Luigi...?" Lucina blurted out before holding her hand to her mouth.
Why did I blurt that out?! Like he would know who Luigi is...
"Luigi...? Is he someone from Smash City?" Richter inquired.
"Wait, so you know about Smash City?" Lucina asked Richter.
"Yeah. I've been invited for the fifth Smash Bros. tournament," Richter replied. "Along with...the person I'm looking for." The expression on Richter's face quickly turned apprehensive as he then asked, "Wait...you said a Luigi was here too?"
"Yes...?" Lucina wasn't sure where Richter was coming from.
"I heard of his ghost hunting adventures when Master Hand first reached out to me, but... this place might be too dangerous for him."
"D-Dangerous...?" Lucina gulped.
"Indeed," Richter confirmed. "This is Dracula's Castle, after all. Dracula is lord of the vampires, and he has almost every monster you can think of under his command. Mummies, Frankenstein's monster, werewolves, even the Grim Reaper himself..."
"Point taken..." Lucina murmured fearfully. "A-all the more reason we should get to safety soon, right-"
Just then, a howl broke the silence, and faint moans filled the air and grew louder as the two turned their gaze to the direction of the sound. Surely enough, a werewolf and two mummies were slowly approaching the two humans.
"Speak of the devil..." Richter mumbled, drawing his chain whip from its holster. "What a terrible night to have a curse, huh... just stay behind me, miss. I'll keep you safe."
"Thank you, but..." Lucina drew her Falchion and, standing next to the monster slayer, got into her stance. "Let me fight too."
I want to...no, I need to be able to prove my strength to others. I won't let anyone see me as weak anymore.
"You sure about this, miss...?" Richter asked.
"My name is Lucina," She answered him, her eyes shining with the fire of determination. "And I am the daughter of Chrom of Ylisse, and the kingdom's future Exalt. I fought to save my family from a doomed future, and with the additional training I've received, I will not go down without a fight!"
They're just...run of the mill monsters, right? Lucina thought. This won't be like that time with Black Shadow. I won't get cocky again. And with this Richter fighting by my side, I know I won't lose...!
"Holy hell..."
Captain Falcon just stood there, stunned, as the two youths finished off the penguin Noise like it was nothing. Beat laid a smackdown on it by slamming into it on his skateboard, and the other youth, whom Beat nicknamed "Phones", fighting it with various powers, from pyrokinesis to shooting energy bullets at it. Falcon assumed those were the "Psychs" he mentioned earlier.
"Pretty dope, right?" Beat bragged, turning to the Captain. "After this, I think we're home free. There's some more Noise 'round here, but they'll leave us alone if we don't attack 'em."
"I... I see..." Falcon stammered. "If you don't mind... I'd like to talk to your partner. You called him 'Phones', but I seriously doubt that's his name."
"Ya think, Captain Obvious?" Beat quipped.
"I- I am a Captain, but not 'Obvious'," Falcon complained. "Just...call me Captain Falcon. I assume Beat is a nickname of yours too?"
"Yeah..." Beat admitted. "It's just...I'm not proud of my given name. It's kinda a mouthful and makes me sound like a total nerd, ya know? I take my nickname from my last name, Bito." Glancing at his partner, he then elaborated, "Anyway, 'Phones' is just a nickname I give my friend, Neku."
"Neku, huh..." Captain Falcon muttered. Walking over to Neku, he approached the youth with, "Excuse me... Neku, was it?"
Neku did not seem to hear the Captain, as he stood there with his eyes closed and his hands close to his headphones, tapping his foot to the rhythm of the song he was listening to. With a frustrated sigh, Falcon moved one of the headphones off Neku's ears carefully.
"H-Hey!" Neku cried in protest. "You don't mess with the jams, man!"
"The 'jams' can wait, young man," the Captain scolded. "I believe you owe me an explanation of why I'm here, and what's going on."
"Fine..." Neku began with a sigh. "I dunno how exactly you got here, but you're in Shibuya, during the Reaper's Game."
"Reaper's Game?" The Captain held his right hand to his chin quizzically.
"It's a game where people who have just died are forced to participate. They have seven days to survive by following a game master, or Reaper's, set goals for them, otherwise, they're erased."
"Just...died...?" The Captain felt anxiety weigh upon him again as his heart began to beat faster. "So then, I'm...?"
"Wait, I never did confirm if you were a Player or not," Neku stated. "I didn't see a Player Pin on your person, but you wouldn't mind checking your pockets...?"
After taking a moment to calm down, the Captain did just that. "Nothing," he answered Neku.
"Hmmm..." Neku pondered. "Then...may I see your hands?"
"Not sure why, but alright," Falcon obliged, opening the palms of his hands to Neku. After Neku took a closer look, he remarked, "Yup. Looks like you're not a Player. If you were, you'd have been erased within a couple more minutes without a partner. Therefore, I guess you're still alive, but that doesn't explain why you can see us or the Noise."
"That's a relief..." Captain Falcon commented with a sigh.
Neku then reached into his pocket and pulled out a black pin with a white skull insignia. "That's my Player Pin. Beat has one, too. And that's not all..." Neku opened his right hand and showed it to Falcon.
"By God..." Falcon uttered in shock. What he saw was what looked like a countdown on Neku's hand, counting down from 55 minutes. "H-how...?"
"Apparently, Players have to carry out their daily goals the Reapers assign them before time's up."
"So...if I understand this correctly," Falcon began, "If you don't carry out your goal before the allotted time ends, you're...erased?"
"Yup," Neku confirmed. "We've got some time to kill, though, so I figure I'll explain a little more about the Partner system and Psychs."
"No need to," the Captain said. "I think I understood it by watching you guys fight that Noise. Seems that Psychs are powers that only Players can use, and they need a partner to utilize them. It's why you told me to stay back, right?"
"Not bad for an old guy," Neku quipped, much to the Captain's chagrin. "But yes. Since you weren't a Player, you'd be erased within seconds. I've seen Noise attack non-Players and erase them, too, so..."
Gulping, the Captain stammered, "P-point taken..." Looking around for a moment, he then explained, "Anyway, I came here through a teleporter malfunction... Neku, I guess I should formally introduce myself to you. You can call me Captain Falcon, and I come from Smash City."
"Smash...City?" Neku questioned. "As in...home to the Super Smash Bros. tournament?"
"Yooo, Smash Bros.?!" Beat cried in excitement, a gleeful smile creeping up on his face. "That's frickin' awesome, man!"
"The very same," Captain Falcon confirmed. "I guess the fact I can see you is because Master Hand granted me the ability. I guess you could say I'm on the same metaphysical plane of existence as the Players, without actually being one."
"Master Hand...?" Neku asked. "Hold on...A while ago, I got this weird email from someone whose username was 'M45T3R_H4ND'. It was just a picture of a disembodied white hand floating in space. I was a bit weirded out by it, to say the least."
"That sounds hella wack, bro," Beat remarked.
"That must have been Master Hand reaching out to you for consideration," Falcon explained. "The fifth tournament is starting soon."
"Really?" Neku queried. "But...if I'm selected, what about the Reaper's Game? Will I need a partner there, too?"
"Hopefully not," Falcon explained. "Since your partner appears to be your lifeline for the Reaper's Game, if Master Hand takes you onboard after you complete the game, you won't have to worry about erasure or anything. He'll probably even grant you the ability to use Psychs in Smash City without a partner." Pausing for a moment, he then said, "Which...what do you gain from winning the Reaper's Game, anyway?"
"Seems legit," Beat commented, scratching the back of his head, and continued, "Anyway, a Player who beats the Reaper's Game can return to the world of the livin' if they did well enough. Thing is, Neku has beaten it twice already but is always dumped back at the beginning. This is his third time in the Reaper's Game, yo."
"Huh..." The Captain pondered.
"Anyway...Captain?" Neku inquired. "If Master Hand reached out to me, that means I'm to be interviewed by someone from Smash City, right? But... I haven't seen anyone else introduce themselves as such toward me yet."
"Well," The Captain offered, "Even though I'm probably not the Smasher assigned to you, since I haven't been in Smash City for a while...is it alright if I ask you some questions? I guess you could see it as a screening interview before the actual interview."
"Sure, why not," Neku said with a shrug.
"Yo, Phones!" Beat called out to his partner. "What 'bout our mission, yo?"
"I dunno, what WAS the mission?" Neku asked Beat. "You were sneezin' real loudly when Uzuki was giving you the instructions."
"C'mon, Phones, I know it!" Beat exclaimed. "It was...uhhh... Reaper Spurt 4, right?"
"Sport, you mean," Neku corrected the blonde youth. "But what exactly is it?"
"It's, uhhh..." Beat trailed off before he and Neku noticed a middle aged man on the street mumbling, "Maybe it's time to break out Reaper Creeper..."
"That's it!" Beat announced. "It's Reaper Creeper!"
"...You just pulled that out of thin air, didn't you," Neku replied flatly.
"D-Did not! Hey, I used to be a Reaper, yo! We cool," Beat answered him.
"He was once a Reaper...?" The Captain asked Neku.
"Long story short, he defected and became my Partner when I was entered into the Game again just a few days ago without one," Neku explained. "Do you know how Reaper Creeper works, though?" He then asked Beat.
"You just gotta act like the Reaper and creep into people's heads and stuff, right?" Beat scratched the back of his head.
"Sure..." Neku murmured in a somewhat doubting tone.
"Aight Phones, we should find us some peeps to Creep," Beat said.
"Just hold on, Beat," Falcon told Beat. "I promise, it'll only take a few minutes."
"...Fine," Beat conceded with a sigh. "Just don't take too long, geezer!"
"Geez..." The Captain griped under his breath. "Anyway, Neku? I'd like to start with..."
"Hyaaaah!"
Lucina had managed to slay the werewolf on her own by plunging her Falchion into its chest. Creating some distance between herself and the mummies, she then lunged toward one of the mummies, plunging her Falchion into its chest as well. She watched as it fell backward slightly, only for it to stand upright again and resume walking toward her.
"W-what...?" She shuddered, slowly stepping back.
After finishing off the mummy walking toward him by whipping its head off, Richter turned his attention to Lucina, noticing she was in trouble. "Get down!" He called out to her.
Lucina immediately ducked, prompting Richter to throw a large glass bottle of an unknown liquid at the mummy. When it came into contact with the monster, the bottle burst in an explosion of glass and blue flames, burning the mummy to ash. When the smoke cleared, there was Lucina's Falchion lying amidst the ash, completely intact.
After she picked up the sword of legend and holstered it, Lucina turned to Richter and inquired, "What was that just now?"
"Good ol' holy water," Richter replied with a confident grin. "Trusted by the Belmont family for generations!"
"Belmont...?" Lucina then noticed the chain whip Richter wielded having a cross-shaped hilt. "Wait a minute, you're..."
"I see you've heard of us," Richter answered her, holding two fingers of his right hand to his forehead and flicking them away in a somewhat prideful gesture. "Sorry I didn't elaborate earlier, but... it's true. My full name is Richter Belmont, and I am a part of the legendary Belmont clan. Across the generations, we Belmonts have been entrusted with the task of slaying Count Dracula and other creatures of the dark. The whip I'm using here is called the Vampire Killer."
"I see..." Lucina said. "And the person you're looking for...?"
"That's none other than my great-grandfather, Simon Belmont," Richter answered her. "I thought he was long dead, but when I was walking through town earlier, I heard someone saying they saw a man who looked just like him headed toward the castle a few hours before it started raining."
"Maybe...he's been selected for the next Smash Bros. tournament too?" Lucina reasoned.
"Maybe," Richter shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie, I always wanted to meet him. I heard tales of his heroics growing up, and fighting alongside him...haha, I'm getting excited thinking about it!" His eyes sparkled with excitement as he balled his other hand in a fist to his chest triumphantly.
"Just like me with my own father..." Lucina commented, looking down slightly. "It would seem Simon was sent forward in time, while in my home world, I traveled back in time to save my own father, who wields the same Falchion I do. The one I wield was a gift from him before he died in my future."
"Where's this coming from?" Richter chuckled, a bit confused.
Looking up at Richter, Lucina sheepishly grinned as she said, "Oh...nothing. Just...makes me nostalgic for when I would fight alongside him after traveling back to his time. Two Falchions at the same time...and now it seems, two Vampire Killers in your case. I can see why you're excited at the thought."
"Never thought of it like that, but that sounds even more awesome now!" Richter exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air excitedly. "I still wonder why Master Hand would be interested in both me and Simon, though..."
"He must have seen equal potential in the two of you," Lucina commented. "You and your grandfather surely have something special. Unlike myself...there's nothing special or remarkable about me, when all I do is fail and make things worse..." She looked down solemnly, her hair hiding her eyes.
"W-what?" Richter asked Lucina, his voice tinged with concern. "What are you talking about...? You handled yourself pretty well back there. You even took out that werewolf faster than I could!"
"Yes, but..." Lucina sighed as she made eye contact with Richter, smiling in a bittersweet manner as her eyes had a solemn look in them. "Remember when I mentioned my father and the situation that led to me traveling back in time? I suppose I might as well explain in depth why I'm feeling this way as of late..."
She proceeded to explain everything to Richter - the accident that led her to train, her history with her trainer, and the incident that made her doubt herself. However, she did not mention that the person she had feelings for and her trainer were the same person.
"...As for why I'm here, I was originally headed to Mute City, where I last saw the Captain. I guess something went wrong with the off world teleporter though, as I ended up here instead. I have no idea why."
"That is strange..." Richter murmured, holding his free hand to his chin quizzically. "I imagine Luigi is here to find me and Simon and bring us to Smash City, but I have no idea why you'd end up here."
"Even so, maybe this is for the best..." Lucina's voice held a twinge of sorrow as she spoke. "I don't even know if the Captain will accept my apology for acting so rashly and running away... I promised I would let him train me, and that I would return to Smash City as a new, stronger version of myself. And... I guess that's why you saw me crying earlier. I felt it was all pointless at that moment. It's ironic... earlier, I was so determined to find him and set this all right, and... I got lost."
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Lucina," Richter consoled her. "You know what I see when I look at you? I see a woman who's strong, not only in combat prowess, but in character as well. You have a strong will and are driven by duty, but you seem to take it out on yourself whenever something goes wrong."
"Ah..." Lucina stammered. "You're too kind, Richter. But... I feel guilty whenever I have to rely on others. In my future, I led my comrades against the forces of the Fell Dragon, Grima, and I fought valiantly. I always thought that... if I am ever in need of help myself... if I have to depend on someone else, it would be a sign of weakness. That, combined with the mistakes I've made...not only leaving the Captain, but also getting too cocky when facing his nemesis, instead of picking my battles and running away once my friends had saved everyone that day."
"Everyone makes mistakes," Richter told Lucina, placing his left hand on her shoulder. "What's important is what you learn from them. I'm sure your trainer will be understanding when you see him again. And there's nothing wrong with depending on others when the need arises. Sometimes, there's things we can't do on our own."
"I know, but I also... feel I may have pushed them away. Not just the Captain, but my friends as well..." A flash of lightning shone through the windows for a second before Lucina continued, "You wouldn't mind if we continued as you led me out?"
"Of course," Richter obliged. "Follow me."
...
"...And I just feel terrible for not telling them the whole truth," Lucina explained as she and Richter wandered into a section of the castle that had red stained glass windows, bathing the surroundings in a dusky red glow. "There's a reason for that, too. It's because... at this point in time, I feel I'm not ready to tell them, especially considering what my brother told me about this tournament."
"Which is?" Richter inquired.
"That everyone from past tournaments is returning... however, I have a feeling that... this may be the last time something like this happens. When the next tournament comes, some of us may have to part ways, and I might have to say goodbye to people I've grown close to... like my friends, or the person I have feelings for... I haven't even told him yet."
Richter doesn't know that Falcon's the one I have feelings for... I shouldn't tell him. I shouldn't let anyone at Smash City know just yet.
She continued as they continued walking, their footsteps echoing through the halls, "The worst thing is, I don't know if I'll see any of them again should it come to that. I've always had a tendency to get attached to others easily, and the closer I get to someone, the more painful it is to tell them goodbye."
It's why... when I said goodbye to him, it felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. I wasn't even ready to say goodbye... I felt it was my only choice at the time.
"And...I don't think I'll ever be ready. That's why... I've been distancing myself from others lately. So that when that day comes, it'll hurt less." She stopped in her tracks, looking down sorrowfully.
"But if you do that... you'll miss out on making so many great memories with them all, right?" Richter asked, also coming to a standstill. "It doesn't matter how far away you are from someone. People can come and go, but memories are forever."
"Memories...?" Lucina questioned, making eye contact with Richter as a hopeful smile crept up on her face. "You're right, Richter. I didn't get to have such moments to bond with people in my future, so... I might as well make the most of the moment right now."
"That's the spirit!" Richter cheered Lucina on, giving a thumbs up. "There's so much to look forward to, that you shouldn't let your worries and circumstances weigh you down. People care about you the same way you care about them."
"Of course," Lucina said with a nod. "And..." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out one of the daisies her brother gave her.
"A daisy?" Richter inquired.
"Before I told my brother I would be away for a little while longer, I gave him a daisy just like this, so he would think of me in my absence, and I would do the same for him when I would look at this daisy. He's waiting for me...he, and everyone else." She put the daisy back into her pocket.
"There you go!" Richter said. "You have a lot to be thankful for, and I'm sure just the thought of seeing them again is something to look forward to. Don't worry about the future or the past. Just live in the here and now, and everything will fall into place." Walking in front of Lucina, Richter then extended his hand for a handshake. "It's very nice to meet you, Lucina, and I look forward to fighting alongside you and everyone else in Smash City. It's truly an honor to be selected."
"Same to you, Richter," Lucina agreed, shaking his hand.
An honor... yes, I should look at it like that. It's an honor to get to know everyone at Smash City, and form so many experiences and memories with everyone...including him. I will not take anything for granted ever again. I know what I must do now.
All of a sudden, a familiar scream rang through the castle halls. An unmistakable scream.
"Is that... Luigi?!" Lucina gasped.
"I'll handle it," Richter volunteered. "Hoping I'm not too late... maybe I'll run into Simon, too."
"But what about...?" Lucina asked, her eyebrows furrowing in concern.
"Allow me," an unfamiliar male voice said. Floating out of the shadows was a tall, pale skinned man with long blonde hair and a black cloak.
"A vampire?!" Lucina stammered in fear.
"It's okay," Richter reassured her. "This is Alucard, a dhampir. He's half-human. And he can be trusted; he's been helping the Belmont clan fight Dracula for generations."
"Good to see you, Richter," Alucard greeted Richter. "I've seen the green-clothed plumber and a man in a raincoat heading that way." The dhampir pointed in the direction he saw those people heading in.
"Simon..." Richter murmured. "Alright, thanks Alucard. Think you could do me a favor, too?"
"Which is?" Alucard inquired.
"Lead Lucina out of the castle," Richter explained, glancing at Lucina. "And, Lucina..."
"Yes?" She turned her gaze to meet his.
"...I believe in you. I believe you can accomplish anything you're determined to. You've already come so far, and I just know everyone else believes in you too and can't wait to see you again. Just don't let any setbacks weigh you down. You gotta believe in yourself, too."
He... believes in me? Lucina thought. Yes...that's right. Robin, Zelda, Shulk, my parents, Morgan... even him. They all believe in me. And most of all, I have to believe in myself.
"Thank you, Richter," Lucina thanked him with a bow. "I promise I will do my best." Turning to Alucard as Richter ran off, she told him, "Pleased to meet you."
"And you," Alucard returned the greeting. "Follow me."
...
"We are here," Alucard announced when he and Lucina arrived at the castle's entrance, the teleporter not far off. It had ceased raining, and the moon shone brightly in the sky.
"Thank you, Alucard," Lucina thanked Richter's ally.
"Where do you wish to go now?" Alucard asked the Ylissean.
"I have to return to Mute City to take care of something, then I will return to Smash City."
"Smash City..." Alucard murmured. "In addition to taking on Master Simon and Master Richter as Smashers, the Hands told me I would be joining as an Assisting Fighter. I am truly glad to continue to be of service to the Belmont clan."
"I see," Lucina told him. "I look forward to seeing you at Smash City."
"And you," Alucard said. "Until next time..." He left, entering the castle once again.
"I've met so many interesting people during my stay at Smash City," Lucina thought aloud. "Not many people get to have that opportunity. I won't let it go to waste."
I've even made a new friend... I've missed that simple happiness. But right now, I have to pursue that greater happiness: finding him again. I just hope...he'll forgive me, and also accept my feelings...
Walking over to the teleporter, she heard Luigi's scream once again pierce the silence.
"So I guess he's okay, then..." She said to herself. "I have no reason to worry. Not anymore... just wait for me, Captain. I'm coming."
Booting up the teleporter, she once again input Mute City as her destination, but when she hit enter...
"What?!"
This time around, both yellow and purple sparks were flying off the machine. The screen said something different as well: the "MUTE CITY" text became garbled and eventually became something else.
"MIRA".
"N-not again!" She cried as alarms blared from the teleporter panel. Eventually, a huge flash of light enveloped her.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
Around that same time, Luigi came dashing out of the castle, shrieking in terror before tripping on the ground. He managed to step outside just in time to see the teleporter malfunctioning and Lucina disappearing.
"Huh?" Looking around curiously, he called out, "Lucinaaaaaaa?"
There was no response.
"I got a bad-a feeling about this..."
"...I see," Captain Falcon said as he, Neku and Beat stood in the center of the crosswalk, everyone else not noticing them. "So this... 'CAT' guy...he's your inspiration? I can tell from what you've told me that you're the imaginative type. Master Hand would be pleased to have someone with your creativity as a Smasher."
"Thanks," Neku replied. "And yes, he is. I've met him, in fact. He gave me some advice that I keep to heart to this day."
"I'd like to hear it," Falcon told him. "What he told you, I mean."
"Of course." Looking at the sky, Neku recited what CAT - whose real name was Sanae Hanekoma - told him, word for word.
"'Listen up, Phones. The world ends with you. If you want to enjoy life, expand your world. You gotta push your horizons out as far as they'll go. Enjoy every moment with all ya got.'"
"Wow..." The Captain murmured.
Looking at Falcon again, Neku explained, "Those words made an impact on my outlook on life. I used to be a loner, even before I was entered into the Reaper's Game. I was never good with people... I thought friends would weigh me down and society only existed to force its ideals on me. But when I became a Player and met Shiki, Joshua, Beat and Rhyme, I began to listen to everyone around me and trust others more. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that if I don't clash, I don't change." Looking up again briefly, Neku continued, "It's like CAT said. The world ends with me, and if I don't expand my borders, I miss out on a lot of the best moments life has to offer."
"Expand your borders, huh..." Falcon looked down somewhat regretfully.
Noticing the Captain's somewhat anguished look, Neku asked him, "What's up?"
"Heh... in many ways, I guess I can see bits of myself in you, Neku," Falcon answered the youth with a dry, somewhat regretful chuckle. "I'm mostly a loner myself, too. When I'm not participating in a tournament at Smash City, or racing in my home world, I often keep to myself. I have only a small circle of friends I trust, and I often avoid pursuing new relationships out of...fear, I guess."
"Fear...?" Neku questioned. "You seem like the kinda guy who could take on almost anything. What do you have to fear?"
"I'm afraid...that people I get close to may be hurt because of me."
"Oh..." Neku softly gasped, his expression turning solemn.
"You're young, so you probably won't understand much until you get older, but... in my field of work, I've made a lot of dangerous enemies who will stop at nothing to break me. When they saw they couldn't do much targeting me alone, they would go after anyone they deemed 'vulnerable' enough that I would get close to. I had to end a past romantic relationship to protect the woman I was seeing... And lately, I've been feeling regretful again because I fear I may have put my former training partner in danger. She knew of what I did to protect my first love, so... instead of me parting ways with her, she ran away..." Sighing briefly, he continued, "She only wanted to become stronger following an incident, and be able to prove it to everyone at Smash City. When that happened, I guess she felt like she failed, like all her progress meant nothing in the long run... I feel it's my fault for letting it happen. I was originally headed to where she was before the teleporter malfunctioned. I didn't even get to tell her I was sorry for it all..."
Why am I telling a teenager my life problems...? Like he'll get it...
"You should definitely get to that," Neku suggested. "Don't let yourself be burdened by any regrets. It's something I've learned, too. My last partner, Joshua... I didn't fully trust him, and I made him feel like he owed me something." Looking down remorsefully, the young man continued, "In the end, he didn't, and...he's gone. Because of me. I never got to tell him I was sorry... Don't let it be too late for you and her."
Don't let it be too late...? Truth be told, right now that's what I'm more afraid of than anything else. I don't wanna take anything for granted anymore... least of all her.
"...I won't," Captain Falcon answered Neku. "I'm surprised. You're so young, but you've been through a lot. You seem to understand people and emotions really well, you can put yourself in the other person's shoes."
"You can thank the Reaper's Game for that," Neku replied. "I understand why you did what you did to keep your ex-girlfriend safe too. With the Partner system in the Reaper's Game, paired up Players have to look out for one another, otherwise, well...it's Game Over."
"Ah, of course," the Captain murmured. Placing his hand on the youth's shoulder, he told him with a smile, "You're a smart, empathetic young man, Neku, and I'm sure you'll go far in life."
"Ya done, old man?" Beat called out to the Captain.
"I- Hold your horses, kid! I'm finishing up just now!" Falcon answered Beat, sounding somewhat annoyed.
"Hope so." Turning his attention to Neku, he announced, "We've got 47 minutes remainin'!"
"Um, excuse me..."
Beat, Neku and Falcon turned their attention to Lucas, who was standing behind Neku.
"Are you... Neku Sakuraba?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's me..." Neku told the PSI-powered blonde boy.
"I'm Lucas from Smash City. Master Hand assigned me to your case so I could carry out your Smasher interview."
Lucas, huh? The Captain pondered. Upon first glance they may seem like polar opposites, with Neku being more brash and Lucas appearing more timid on the surface, but they have more in common than meets the eye. Especially when it comes to what they both went through... Master Hand made the right choice.
For a moment, Fiora's words to him and Lucina echoed in his mind, her remarks of them being polar opposites, but bringing out the best in each other.
Lucina... Falcon thought. I know that in our short time together, we were able to see eye to eye and bond with each other, there's no denying that. I brought out the best in you, and... I'm starting to think you brought out the best in me, too. Just hold on, Lucina. I'll find you again and bring you home... I hope you can forgive me.
"Geez, another one?!" Beat griped. "Better hurry it up, blondie!"
"We've got 47 minutes, right?" Neku asked Beat. "We've got plenty of time still."
"Yes," Lucas confirmed. "It should take no more than 10 minutes, Mr. Daisu... Daiske—"
"BWAAAAAAAAH!" Beat cried, alarmed, as his eyes widened and his jaw dropped in surprise. "Don't say that naaaaaaaame!"
"W-what...?" Lucas stammered, a bit startled as his eyes bore a frightened look in them.
"He...doesn't like it when people say his real name," Neku told Lucas. "He prefers everyone just call him Beat."
"Heh, if he thinks that's embarrassing, he should know my real name," Falcon quipped.
"...And what is your real name?" Beat teased the Captain, smirking slightly.
"...Not tellin' ya, kid," Falcon bluntly answered him with a smug grin.
"Killjoy..." Beat muttered before snickering at how the situation played out.
"Anyway, Lucas," Captain Falcon asked Lucas, "Did anyone else from Smash City come with you?"
"As a matter of fact, Mewtwo did," Lucas answered him. "He's calibrating the off world teleporter for this world. He's a few blocks to the right, in the Cadoi City area."
"Got it," Falcon said as he began to run off, before Neku and Beat called out to him.
"Hey, Cap," Neku said with an honest, heartfelt smile. "If I'm selected, I look forward to fighting against, and alongside, you and everyone else in Smash City."
"And I'll be cheerin' him on!" Beat declared jovially. "And for an old dude, ya ain't half bad. Stop by Shibuya any time, hear?"
"Of course!" The Captain waved at the two Players and Lucas before dashing off.
Enjoy the moment with all I've got? Expand my horizons...? He pondered as he ran. Maybe... once this is all over, I'll start opening up to everyone else at Smash City too... once Lucina is safe again. I opened up to her the easiest, moreso than with Snake when I met him... What could it mean?
...
"Captain," the Psychic-type Pokemon greeted Captain Falcon once he arrived in the Cadoi City area. Apparently, the citizens in that area didn't notice the teleporter, just in front of the main shop building, being there, either. "Long time, no see."
"Same here, Mewtwo," Falcon greeted Mewtwo back.
"So, what brings you here?" Mewtwo inquired.
"Well... I didn't teleport here of my free will. There was a malfunction when I tried to teleport to Lucina's last known whereabouts from Mute City..."
"She is not with you right now?" Mewtwo inquired.
"Long story, but yeah," Captain Falcon confirmed. "For some reason, I ended up here. I can't say for Lucina, though... you've finished calibration on this teleporter, right?"
"I believe so," Mewtwo answered him. "As for the malfunction sending you here, that is certainly bizarre. I will mention it back at Smash City to see if they can look into it."
"Thanks," Falcon told the Pokemon. "I'll be headed to Green Greens now. It's where Lucina was last —"
Before he could finish his sentence, a pillar of light materialized on the teleporter's platform, revealing Robin after a few seconds.
"Robin?!" Falcon gasped.
Noticing Robin's shocked expression, Mewtwo asked the tactician, "What is wrong, Robin?"
Panting, Robin began somewhat shakily, "I-I returned to Smash City after interviewing Bandana Waddle Dee with Zelda not long ago, and found an anomaly in the logs. Lucina had meant to return to Mute City after departing from Green Greens, but she ended up in another world... Dracula's Castle? It was where Luigi was meant to retrieve two newcomers, Simon and Richter Belmont..."
"Like how I ended up here..." Falcon concluded, holding his right hand to his chin. "I meant to teleport to Green Greens, but a malfunction dropped me here." Resting his right arm by his side again, he asked Robin, "And you were able to return to Smash City safely?"
"Yes," Robin confirmed. "It seems to be a random occurrence, but it seems Lucina was a victim of teleporter malfunctions again."
Gulping anxiously, Captain Falcon asked, "W-where is she this time...?"
Taking a deep breath, Robin answered the Captain, "It would appear she has ended up in the world of our next potential candidate, on the planet of Mira...but...there's a catch."
"What's the catch?" Falcon inquired.
"...Promise you won't panic too much?" Robin questioned, somewhat timidly.
"There is no need to worry yourself, Robin," Mewtwo tried to reassure the tactician. "I am sure it cannot be that big of an issue. You can tell us."
"O-Okay," Robin stammered. Taking a deep breath, he explained, "The thing is...Cloud and Bayonetta are on Mira right now calibrating the teleporter close to New Los Angeles on the Primordia continent, even though it's probably still a bit buggy at this point in time. But... Lucina ended up a long ways away from the teleporter...on the Sylvalum continent. It's pretty dangerous for someone to be there all by themselves."
"Oh God..." The Captain murmured under his breath, the terror apparent in his voice.
"We need to hurry," Mewtwo emphasized. "Someone should let those two know and head to Sylvalum as soon as possible."
"I'll go," Falcon volunteered. "I swore to keep Lucina safe, and if something happened to her...that would fall on me."
"Captain...?" Robin asked, the uncertainty apparent in his voice.
"Are you certain about this?" Mewtwo inquired.
"I am," The Captain confirmed. "I feel like I'm somewhat responsible for getting her into this mess. It's only fair I get her out of it."
"...Very well," Robin conceded. "I must warn you, though: since Cloud and Bayonetta are still calibrating the teleporter, you may not arrive near the main hub city of New Los Angeles where the teleporter is supposed to be."
"It's a chance I'm willing to take," Captain Falcon told Robin. "If it sends me closer to Lucina, it'd be for the best. I won't give up until I find her again."
"Okay," Robin said. "I'll head back to Smash City real quick to confirm on their end if you made it to Mira."
"Sounds good."
After Robin teleported back to Smash City, Falcon stepped onto the teleporter's platform. "So...Mira, right?"
"Correct," Mewtwo confirmed. "I hope you are ready."
"Heh...I was born ready," Falcon said confidently, selecting Mira as the teleporter's destination. After confirming his destination, he vanished in a flash of light. Within a few seconds, Robin reappeared on the teleporter's platform.
"So?" Mewtwo questioned. "Did he make it?"
"Yes, but..." Robin began. "As expected, he's nowhere near NLA..."
"Hopefully he is safe," Mewtwo replied. "Where exactly is he?"
Meanwhile, on a whole different planet...
"Secretary Nagi!" A tall, muscular blond man with tattoos on his biceps called out to the man named "Nagi": a fifty-something man with short black hair, black eyes, a scar around the left edge of his lips, and clad in a black uniform.
"Yes, Commander Vandham?" Nagi addressed his fellow ranking officer.
"There's an incoming transmission," Vandham told the Secretary. "The weird thing is, it's coming from a...Smash City?"
"Smash City..." Nagi murmured, a sense of nostalgia coming to him. "...Put them through."
In the conference room they were standing in at BLADE Tower, a projection appeared on the window overlooking the city of New Los Angeles.
"Salutations," Snake said on the projected video feed, saluting the Commander and Secretary. "You can call me Snake."
"Salutations to you too," Nagi told Snake, saluting back. Vandham did the same. "If I may ask, what's the reason for this transmission today? The last time we received a transmission from Smash City, it was from Master Hand himself because he wanted to reach out to potential candidates for the next Smash Bros. tournament here in New Los Angeles. He had selected one, and invited her to Smash City for a screening interview and tour of Smash City."
"Correct," Snake confirmed. "And you'll be glad to hear that I've been selected to conduct a second interview with the candidate. If I may ask where she is...?"
"So you're Solid Snake, I presume?" A woman's voice interrupted, coming from the doorway to the conference room.
"Elma, right?" Snake asked the candidate as she walked into the room. "Once setup for the off-world teleporter on Mira is complete, I will be arriving in NLA to conduct our interview."
"I await with bated breath," Elma answered him confidently. "Fortune favors the bold, and if I am selected, I cannot wait to set forth into the brave new world that is the Super Smash Bros. tournament...!"
"Heh, your determination is admirable," Snake praised Elma with a slight chuckle. "I look forward to seeing what-"
"Elma!" A young female's voice interrupted them both. "It's an emergency!"
"What is it, Lin?"
Ok so first off: SNAKE HAS HIS FIRST IN PERSON (NOT BY PHONE) DIALOGUE IN THE STORY! ALSO, ELMA IS HERE; JUST IN TIME FOR XENOBLADE X'S 4TH ANNIVERSARY IN JAPAN! (Give or take, its precise anniversary was April 29. And yes, she's the character I hinted at a few chapters back by referring to her Japanese VO.) God that game needs a Switch port so badly I swEAR (and I also really hope Elma makes it as DLC, even though she, like Shantae and Bandana Waddle Dee, has a Spirit in Ultimate already)
Second; we're now halfway into the story officially! I think there's like...6 more chapters planned, debating on an epilogue.
I might write a follow up to last year's Snakus oneshot that will most likely tie into this too. Starting to wonder if a larger spinoff of the plot I was teasing will be worth it though. I guess I'll keep pressing on for now... you'll see later.
And I honestly do hope you guys are enjoying this so far, I mean it. If there's any part of my writing, characterization or plot you particularly enjoy, or think can be done a bit better, ANYTHING, don't hesitate to let me know as well. And thank you all for sticking by from the bottom of my heart.