Origins: Roy

Smash Mansion

"And then Mario removed the ax, which triggered the bridge to collapse, taking Bowser with it!" Peach excitedly explained.

Marth's eyes widened. He sat around one of the many tables of the "cafeteria", a place in more technology-bequeathed realms where one could go and order food, listening to Peach tell yet another one of her fanciful tales along with Zelda, the third "good" royal in the house.

"And he survived?" gasped Marth, taking a sip of some freshly brewed tea Peach had made for the three.

"Well, we didn't know that at the time Marth dear," Peach defensively explained, "It took him a while to get patched up by his Magikoopa team, but alas."

"You think that's shocking Marth?" Zelda interrupted, "Ganondorf sent a visage of himself back to the past, which practically eliminated Hyrule. Only now will we be able to right the timelines,"

"Would Prince Marth head to the Core Machine Room. Again, Prince Marth to the Core Machine Room," commanded Master Hand's voice over the loudspeaker.

Zelda and Peach giggled to each other, "It looks like it's your turn to help those zany Hands put an interdimensional puzzle of some sort together," teased the Hylian.

"No," Marth cooly shook his head, gulping down the rest of his tea, "I asked for this. I will explain further when I return, should you not be busy with other things. Adieu!"

"Peace be with you Marth dear!" Peach waved goodbye as the prince stood up and departed.

"Hm," Zelda rubbed her chin in thought, "He's interested in the inter-dimensional goings-on eh? Smart chap, shame that he's married, really."

"Would you behave please!" gasped Peach, causing the other blond to erupt into laughter.

Core Machine Room

The bottom of the seemingly endless staircase. Marth breathed a sigh of relief. The many rooms he had passed on the way down were so far beyond his realm of understanding that it hurt his head to imagine what they could even be for.

Perhaps that Captain Falcon fellow could explain some of it, he seems like an agreeable chap.

The musing of the prince was cut when the automatic door slid open. Instinctively grabbing for the hilt of Falcion, Marth was able to pause as he realized the abrupt movement was not from some hideous dragon, only a door.

"Welcome Prince Marth," chirped a glowing pink facsimile of a human being, "Master Hand is expecting you."

He followed the odd creature a few rooms deeper, where Master Hand sat in front of a glowing map of a world, being projected into the air by some sorcery.

"I've done as you requested," Master Hand began, not even turning to look at Marth, "I've done as thorough of research as I could into The Fire Emblem, and its similarities across dimensions, and I've come across something recent, intriguing."

"I'm glad to see that the research has gone smoothly. What have you found?"

"A lot of cases similar to your Binding Shield, where being in possession of it means the weapon is particularly effective against supernaturally imbued opponents. However, I found something entirely different here."

"On this map I suppose," Marth asked, gesturing vaguely to the map floating in the air.

"Correct. This is the continent of Bern. Here, the Fire Emblem is used to seal a demon dragon called Idunn. Recently that seal was broken, but it, with the assistance of the wielder of a sword called the Binding Blade, was restored and the dragon Idunn is no more." explained the godly hand.

"Incredible," Marth nodded, "I feel I could learn quite a bit from whoever wields this sword, from any point in its history!"

Master Hand chuckled, "Given your own experience with wielding the bane of dragonkind, I thought that may tickle your fancy."

Two of the white fingers snapped together, and the screen changed to a red-haired warrior dressed in a colorful set of armor.

"This is Roy. He was the most recent hero on the continent of Bern, succeeding on his father, Eliwood, in leading a band of heroes to save the land, and with your permission, I'd like to recruit him."

Marth nodded, "I believe he could be an asset to this organization as well. You have my blessing."

"Well, there is one thing…"

Marth cocked his head, beckoning Hand to continue.

"I believe putting in a personal appearance may unintentionally cast a villainous intent over the proceedings, as would my usual method of disguising one of my Wire Frames, as it may be mistaken for a member of the dragon clan they just defeated."

"So you want me to go instead?"

"Precisely."

"I'm ready to depart whenever you wish Master Hand."

Arcadia, Continent of Bern

Roy stood outside the temple doors and watched two of the dwindling remnants of frolic about in the balmy sands of Arcadia. Fae, the child-like, yet centuries-old, dragon girl pulled Idun, by the hand, the latter bearing the expression of a newborn beginning to understand the world. Fae animatedly told a story that Roy was too far away to hear. In response, Idun confusedly muttered something, to which Fae enthusiastically nodded. A grin overcame The Young Lion. Roy was no medical professional, but he could discern when someone was alert, and Idun, fortunately, was.

"And so, after everything you've been through you seek to repair the lives of those who wronged you. Takes tremendous character, especially in the face of all you've lost," mused a new voice.

Roy spun around. A blue-haired man stepped out of the shadows.

"You are not of this realm," snapped Roy, "You dress like a royal, but if you were of Bern, you and I would have met already."

The man smirked, "Very perceptive. I am Marth of Altea. Our realms, though not of the same reality, are bound by The Fire Emblem."

Roy reached for the hilt of the Binding Blade, "It is quite easy to spin such a fantastical tale about The Fire Emblem, so I am reluctant to believe you,"

Marth nodded, "Understood, but consider that if I bore ill intent, we would not be conversing right now. We would be fighting."

Roy nodded, "This is true. So what brings you here?"

"I represent a peacekeeping organization called The Super Smash Brothers. We are a group that spans many realms, all designed to serve as a greater force should a threat too great for any one of us appear."

"Aye. I have experience with such motley crews. In fact, I just finished fighting a war with the assistance and sacrifice of just such a band.."

Again, Marth nodded, "So I saw. And one remarkably similar to one I fought some time ago."

"You seem to be well researched," remarked Roy, finally reciprocating the nod, "As someone who was a school student in the very recent past, I can respect that. However, I can't leave Bern just yet, there is must reconstruction to be done."

"Our benefactor is..quite insistent you participate in our tournament…"

"A tournament? Along with peacekeeping?"

"Yes," Marth confirmed, his voice wavering into exasperatedness for the most fleeting of moments, "It's how we're planning to ease the citizens of the other realms into this whole idea. Everyone likes a bit of competition, no?"

Roy laughed, "Seeing as how often my men broke from an active battle to fight in a colosseum, it seems some things are consistent across realms."

"Are you interested?"

"Yes, tentatively, but only because I suspect this could be a great boon for the citizens of Bern. If reconstruction takes longer than anticipated, that will be my priority after this tournament."

Marth pressed a few buttons on some device on his wrist. Magic protruded from his wrist, opening a portal to a mansion more opulent than some castles Roy had occupied. Stepping through after Marth on reflex more than anything else, he was shocked back to reality by Marth's abruptness, "Oh, I'm sorry to have neglected this, but this realm we stand in exists outside of what you perceive as time. So neither you nor anyone from your world that comes to watch us will lose any time."

"I'm glad to hear it," Roy happily blurted as the two walked through the door, "If a tournament is about to be underway, I'd like to train."

Marth shot a smirk over his shoulder at the newest Smasher, "You and I will get along just fine."

Hyrule Temple Stage

Marth looked at the device on his wrist. The wheezes of pain were now wheezes of shock. 130 percent damage. Marth had never met a fighter who was able to answer him blow for blow, all the while taking damage with a completely unfettered, stone-cold expression. And for one so young as well…

"Hm, these statistics don't seem to favor victor for either of us over the other," Roy remarked, glancing quizzically at his communicator, which he'd received before he headed into the training room.

"No, they don't. And we seem to be about even. I'm curious as to what would happen if…"

"It came down to one decisive blow?" the lord with auburn hair finished.

"Precisely," Marth stammered through labored breath.

The two went nose to nose, holding their swords behind their heads in imminent chopping motions. Marth tensed. He'd only trained a few times with the other swordsmen, the two Links, since his arrival, and he still didn't quite understand some of the physical properties of this realm, such as here, where holding a pose increased the power behind the following blow. Regardless, there was no denying what was happening in front of him. As Marth glowed his signature purple, Roy was glowing orange like fire. For a split second, Roy's visage became an otherworldly white, and Marth was brought back to simpler times when he foolishly looked into the sun as a child.

And then, the world around him exploded.

Fire enveloped all he could see, and he was sent spiraling into the Blast Zone. A warm, green aura enveloped him in a black void, and before he could process it, he was standing in the auditorium above the Hyrule Temple stage, immediately assaulted by the shocked rhubarb of all the other Smashers. Bowser was the one who broke the silence with "HOLY SNIFIT! AND I THOUGHT I COULD SPEW FIRE!"

Ness, Nana, and Popo, seemingly oblivious to his presence, pointed to something behind Marth in triplicate. He wheeled around, a magic window into the past that Captain Falcon had called a television was replaying the fight. And true to Bowser's bolstering, Roy had struck The Binding Blade upon him with such force that it had caused an inferno to erupt.

"Well," Master Hand muttered as he teleported into the room, "This is a phenomenon I did not foresee. Tournament viewers will no doubt be pleased."

At that moment, Roy appeared, looking none the worse for wear, a confident smirk on his lips but complete bewilderment in his eyes, "I noticed that when I hit Prince Marth, the number went up."

"A move so powerful that you yourself take damage? Incredible," Master Hand mused, miming stroking a chin as he did.

"Hey, looks like you've got a friend," Pikachu playfully nudged Pichu.

"Yeah I guess," muttered the embarrassed mouse Pokemon.

Master Hand chuckled, and the elevator that served as the exit to the auditoriums opened. One by one, The Smashers all headed down and up the stairs to the main level. Marth got lost in the moment with Roy, discussing the ins and outs of the fight as they exited the auditorium and proceeded to the Mansion foyer. No sooner had they stepped onto the earth-colored linoleum did the doorbell ring. They, along with Bowser headed to the commotion while Master Hand answered the door.

"Crazy Hand, what the hell are you doing?"

It was at that moment the three curious Smashers saw what was on the other side of the door. Crazy Hand, open-palmed, carrying a man as thin as paper.

"Me, Ness, and Popo were all making paper airplanes before you called us for the Marth fight right? And I told 'em I'd get a champion, so I went to a world where everyone was flat like paper, and when I asked everyone who the champion was, they all pointed me to him."

"You are fantastically lucky that I was planning on recruiting Game and Watch anyway…"

"First of all, young man, it's Mister Game and Watch," crowed the thin man in the grumpiest old man voice any of them had ever heard.

"Oh, I'm sorry Mister…"

Marth, Bowser, and Roy exchanged looks. Before the old man interrupted, they could've sworn they heard fear in Master Hand's voice.

"You, Raggedy Ann," hissed Mister Game and Watch.

The other three exchanged glances, Roy was the one who spoke up.

"Me?" he asked timidly.

"Yes. You've got that wild look in your eyes, the look of a warrior. Could teach pretty boy over there a thing or two."

Marth scoffed, "I'll have you know I am Prince Marth of Al-"

"Don't care," snapped Game and Watch.

Bowser chuckled.

"Don't think you're off the hook buster brown," Game and Watch pointed a nubbed hand at the Koopa King, "I swear, you get the processing power to throw an ax for two frames and you think you're hot crap. THAT'S what's wrong with the youth of today."

Game and Watch gingerly floated off of Crazy Hand's open palm, shoving past the Smashers in attendance, all the while muttering something about "8-bit music, more like 8-bit noise."

For what seemed like an eternity, Hands and Smashers alike sat in silence before Crazy pondered, "Ya know if I hadn't accidentally picked up a recruit this all would've been very kidnappy."

Master Hand deeply sighed as Crazy zoomed past him, the hand of creation ambling behind him.

"These people are all very strange," remaked Roy as Bowser stomped away.

"You have no idea," retorted the prince.