Chapter 19: The second item: SNES shield!

It was nighttime and nearly everyone had gone to bed. Princess Peach had allowed Link, Rai, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Kirby to stay in a guest room. Link unlike the others was unable to fall asleep. He was wandering the castle looking for something. However Link tripped on something and fell on his face. Looking at his feet he saw a lone Toad.

"I'm sorry honored guest!" The Toad apologized.

"Its all right," Link said to the Toad. "Tell me where is the library."

"At the end of the hallway, turn left and at the end of that hallway there will be two giant oak doors, through those doors is the library."

"Thank you," Link said standing up. Instantly the Toad began to run away, as though he was on an urgent mission to deliver a message to the Princess. Link began to walk to the end of the first hallway, looking at every little thing. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he had been in this castle before.

Link entered the library pushing open the two giant oak doors. It was mostly dark except for the full moons light coming through the windows. "So you're here!" A voice shouted through the darkness. Link grabbed his sword and drew it.

"Come out!" Link shouted into the darkness.

"But I am out!" A raspy voice echoed through out the library. "I can see you perfectly well!" Link felt something in the air, drop towards him, relying on pure reflex he raised up his sword blocking an attack. Attacking was something made of liquid holding a giant paintbrush. Through the darkness pierced two red glowing eyes. "Its only misfortune that you were in here!"

"Who are you?" Link asked.

"You'll find out soon enough!" the figure laughed disappearing.

Link returned to his room not knowing whether or not if he should tell anyone about the intruder. Soon he forgot about it and fell asleep.

Link stood in a barren wasteland. Around him were ten other warriors, and they seemed to be fighting one other person.

"The war is over, what is the reason for this madness?" one shouted.

"The war isn't over, nor will it ever be as long as we exist!" He replied. "But not just us our very race not until total annihilation will the war be over! And by making that weapon you have only ensured that the legacy of our war will continue."

'Weapon?' Link asked himself. He looked down at his right hand and saw the Seal of Smash.

"Silence!" Someone shouted. "We will show you the extent of our power!"

The other person was silent. He just laughed. "And how does this make you different than me? I wanted power and I received it. The very item you created on the other hand is corrupting you. Tell me was there a reason why you eleven decided to play God?"

"Silence!" The person shouted again, with out warning everything became hostile, and Link's body seemed to move on its own. All eleven of them rushed towards the person, and a strange black box appeared in his hands. He appeared to swipe it as though it was a sword, yet where ever he swiped a trail of blue light seemed to follow. When he was done he had created a circle and energy seemed to be gathering into the center of the circle, a large amount of energy came out as a constant stream.

Someone jumped in front of the attack blocking it with a shield. 'The SNES Shield!' Link thought to himself. With out warning the shield broke in half and the beam pierced the one who was holding it.

"Tell me my friends: why do you want to destroy The Revolution?"

"Its unnatural, the weapons can not hurt one another!"

"Really wouldn't you consider us unnatural?" he asked. "Our very existence? Everything we have done?"

Link awoke in a cold sweat. His nightmare running again and again through his mind. 'Who were the other ten with me?' he asked himself. 'And who was that other person, was that The Master?' He paused for a second trying to remember the more clear details of the nightmare. He stretched out his hand recalling The Seal of Smash on it. 'Was that dream a vision from the future? Or was it one from the past?'

He just lied there turning his head to see Rai in the next bed in his arms was Pikachu. He held him like a stuffed animal. Link stood up and walked out of the room. Looking out of the nearest window he realized that the sun was just beginning to rise. "You know," a voice said surprising Link. "It would be more spectacular if you went outside and sat at the edge of the pond." He turned around and saw Princess Peach standing there.

"No," He replied. "If you've seen one sun rise you've seen them all."

"Are you sure?" she asked softly. "Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom are two different places!"

Link nodded his head. "I think I'm sure," he walked back into the room and everyone had begun to wake up.

"What a nice sleep!" Rai said cheerfully.

"Finally I can breath!" Pikachu gasped in air proclaiming his freedom.

A toad walked into the room. "Honored guests," he said. "Our chef has prepared a meal that we hope is to your liking!"

They walked from the bedroom to the dining room. Each of them pulled up a seat and began to eat tons of food. "That was good!" Kirby said after they were done eating. The chef was staring in disbelief that Kirby had ate most of the food.

After they exited the dining room each of them went there own way to do what ever they wanted. Pikachu was hiding from Rai, while Kirby constantly gave away his hiding spot. While Jigglypuff had found a karaoke machine in a room of the castle that was conveniently soundproof. Link on the other hand had gone out of the castle.

Link was sitting alone in a forest. "Why?" he asked the NES Sword and SNES Shield. "Why is it that after the recent fusion, and picking up the SNES Shield I was instantly fatigued?"

"We are overpowering you," The NES Sword responded. "When you attempted that fusion during your battle with Mewtwo your wounds were a bit serious. Every time you fuse something with us your mind and body will be strained. There will be times when your mind or body will be unable to take the strain and you will collapse. The SNES Shield must of broken a lot of weapons in order to cause that much strain on you."

Link nodded trying to understand what had just been said. "I had a dream. In it The SNES Shield broke, and there was something about The Revolution, that is really all I can remember of it."

"That war… how long has passed since that war?" The NES Sword responded. "The reason why The Seal of Smash was created and why we are fighting The Master now all is because of that war! Yes the SNES Shield was broken during that time however it was repaired by one of the great generals as one of his final gambles. He sacrificed his life so that the N-Sword could be created."

Everything went silent. Link just lied down looking up through the trees and into the sky. Within a few minutes Rai came running through the area. "Link!" he shouted excited. "Princess Peach has summoned you!"

Link stood up and grabbed the NES Sword and SNES Shield. He began to walk towards the castle.

Mario was relaxing at his home on a hammock when a Toad messenger came running through the forest. "Mario!" he shouted. "The Princess has summoned you and Luigi for something urgent!"

"Is it Bowser?" he asked.

"I don't know, she didn't give me any details she just said 'you have to get Mario and Luigi here quickly!'" The toad answered. Mario nodded and entered his house.

"Luigi we have been summoned by the Princess!" He shouted rather excited.

"Is it Bowser?" Luigi asked.

"She wouldn't say." Mario responded. Soon both brothers walked out of the house. Luigi was only slightly taller than Mario by about an inch; he also had a curvier mustache, and wore green. On his cap was the letter L. Mario, Luigi, and the Toad went through a warp pipe in the ground.

Princess Peach sat on her throne. Only Team Star Fox and Samus were there at the moment. The giant doors opened and Ganondorf walked through with a slightly bored look on his face he walked over to Fox. Some of his cape had been singed by a fire, no one dared question him about it.

Rushing through the doors then came Pikachu and Kirby. "I beat you damn puffball!" Pikachu shouted.

"Come on anyone could have seen that I was in the room half a second before you!"

"Oh ya?"

"Ya"

"How about the two of you shut up!" Ganondorf said in a rather cranky mood. Instantly Kirby and Pikachu were paralyzed in fear and stopped talking.

"What's his problem?" Kirby whispered to Pikachu.

"I didn't get any sleep last night!" He said appearing behind the two the Dragon Sword at Pikachu's neck and in front of Kirby's nose. "And I need my beauty sleep!"

"You need about a millenniums worth…" Pikachu responded. This crack made Ganondorf a bit angry and he lifted up the Dragon Sword ready to behead the mouse Pokemon. As he brought down the sword it was blocked by Link using the NES Sword and Master Sword.

"This isn't the place to fight" he replied pushing the sword back. At those words a warp pipe appeared from the ground and Mario, Luigi and the Toad popped out of it.

"That appears to be everyone," Princess Peach said.

"Wait we are missing Jigglypuff!" Rai shouted.

"I have sent a Toad to get her from the Karaoke room!" Princess Peach responded. "Though it is odd she should have been back by now…"

"Uh oh…" Link, Kirby, Pikachu, and Rai said simultaneously.

Just then the doors opened and Jigglypuff came through. "It would appear that we are all here. Now onto business." Peach now took this time to explain how a message came from Isle Delfino during the night, it was urgent and explained how they had been attacked by something. And through out the previous week the mushroom Kingdom had lost contact with other islands within the vicinity. "And that is why I propose to send a force to investigate this! Mario and Luigi will also be joining you."

"And why should we help you?" Kirby asked.

"I'll pay off your debt of one million mushroom coins." She replied. "And I'm sure there is something else that I can do."

Link tried to think of something 'Ask her if she knows anything about the N-Blaster, or the Cube Cannon!' The NES Sword telepathically told him.

"There is!" Link said. "Do you know anything about the N-Blaster or the Cube Cannon?"

A look of shock crossed Princess Peach's face. "How do you know about that?" She managed to say since she was flustered. "The N-Blaster has been under the royal Family's protection for a long time. It is also one of the best kept secrets in the whole kingdom!"

"Right next to where the tax money goes," Link heard a Toad whispering to another.

Link took the NES Sword and SNES Shield off of his back. "I hold two of the four weapons," he replied. "When we finish this job, I would like the N-Blaster as payment."

"Very well," Peach said. "Get ready for a fight, and meet me at the plane! Team Starfox I have another job for you!"

They all walked out of the room. "Looks like we are partners," Mario said.

"Ya," Link replied.

"Something tells me that the upcoming battle will be one of the hardest we have ever fought!" The NES Sword informed them.

"I'm ready!"

"I just need one thing!" said Mario before running off.

"And I will guide you!" Luigi said.

They followed Luigi to the plane. It was a bright pink color. Soon after Princess Peach and Mario came and joined them. On his back there was something wrapped in a cloth. 'A sword?' Link thought to himself.

They boarded the plane. "The ride to Isle Delfino will be 1 hour, please enjoy your trip with Mushroom Airlines!" With that the plane took off into the air.

Everyone was enjoying the flight; the only one who was complaining was Pikachu whom Rai was using as a pillow/stuffed animal. Surprisingly despite the racket that Pikachu was making, Rai didn't wake up.

'That kid could probably sleep through the destruction of the universe' Link thought to himself. Kirby on the other hand was snickering at Pikachu's misfortune.

Meanwhile Mario was reuniting with an old friend; FLUDD. "We think you might need it!" Peach said to Mario.

Mario took FLUDD and walked off. "Yes I probably will need to use it."

The rest of the trip was rather smooth. Except for there being no in-flight movie and no food service.

"But airline food is horrible!" Pikachu protested to Kirby.

"So what rat? I still want to eat!" The conversation swiftly ended as Rai threw Pikachu to the back of the plane in his sleep. He soon woke up.

They landed on the Isle Delfino airstrip. It was strangely abandoned and a single rowboat was at the end of the airstrip. "Its almost eerie if you ask me!" Luigi muttered.

"Actually I find it eerie that it's bright out there's not a cloud or bird in the sky, or fish in the sea, in fact I find it odd that this platform is even here. If it weren't for the buildings over there, I'd say it's a trap. Which it probably is considering that the beach is deserted." Pikachu said out loud. Everyone had ignored him and went towards the boat. "HEY!" he shouted out loud trying to determine if they heard a single word he had just said.

Link investigated the boat. It wasn't much just a wooden boat that looked like it would hardly be able to fit in all 8 of them. One by one they all got in to the boat and began to paddle slowly to Isle Delfino. Eventually they landed at the beach. The place was as deserted as it looked back at the airstrip.

"I think we should separate to cover more ground!" Link said.

"No," Princess Peach replied quickly. "That won't be necessary." Everyone gave her a puzzled look. "Up there!" she exclaimed pointing at a bell tower. Standing on the bell tower was what looked like a clone of Mario.

"Shadow Mario!" Mario shouted out surprised.

To be continued…